With all these eyes upon us

You have so much of everything but still you wanted more

She winced, but did not let go of him. The sight of scales was quick - there and gone again - but suddenly Seren understood the claim that his shift was dangerous. Not only a dragon's form, but a dragon's temper as well.
"Bad choice of words," she mumbled in way of apology. "Sorry. It just... hits a little close to home." Was this how Remi had reacted when she had been brought to her father? Even though they were good now, had she been the cause of this much pain and anger?

Taking a seat at a corner table, she peeled off her coat and gloves, and tried to let the scent of freshly baked bread and warm beverages stave off the cold lump in her throat. Of course, talking about Stormbreak didn't help much - and she almost regretted bringing the matter up when she saw Ronin rub at his eyes.
"We were discussing religious practices, and I asked about his stance on Abandoned," she clarified. "He seemed convinced that it was the will of the Old Gods, that anyone born with magic was a hopeless case, and I just... I can't accept that. Not even if it's true and they do condone it." Did Safrin? That was the burning question in her mind, one she had not yet dared to ask.

Smiling at a waitress as menus were brought over, Seren barely saw the options listed out, in neat handwriting. "I want to do something about it... I just don't know how to. Or where to even begin. No one is going to listen if I just tell them to stop." Not when the Priest looked at her like a pitiful child who hadn't done her homework well enough.

Seren

and on to the glory at my right hand

"Oh, fuck-- Seren, I'm so sorry. I didn't even." Shrugging out of his coat and dumping it, the gloves and the scarf on the seat, Ronin takes a moment to cup her cheeks, leaning in to kiss her dark hair. "Remi was a saint compared to how much of a... well. A dragon I'm being," he mumbles, much as it pains him to admit to his own unreasonable behaviour.

"You arrived as this bubbly little toddler. It was a completely different circumstance - for all of us." He smiles, before finally sinking into his seat and folding his coat properly. Accepting the menu, Ronin has already decided based on what he can smell, so he doesn't really need to look at it. Good thing, too, because the discussions about Gideon and babies and Stormbreak is thoroughly distracting.

"Hopeless doesn't mean a death sentence," he mutters softly. "Perhaps your mother could help. You've got her fiery determination, Seren. I'm sure there's something that can be done. And if I can help - and I'm not busy razing a city to the ground or something - just let me know..."

ronin

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

You have so much of everything but still you wanted more

Fingertips brushed the outside of his hands lightly, as if she might draw more reassurance from the added touch. "It's okay," she replied softly, even managing a smile. "We've always been a messy family. I still love you, dad. Even if you're a dragon about things. And I love Remi too, even when he's..." She made a vague looping gesture with a hand that could mean anything. Something chaotic and not entirely nice, perhaps. "If you ever need to get away for a bit, feel free to say I'm dragging you off on adventures." She could even do just that, more than she already was. Far more - the silence between them was unintentional and hopefully easy to remedy.

Breathing easier under the unconditional offer to help - he had never been anything but supportive, yet it was just as heartening every time Ronin confirmed this - the girl nodded, and reached across the table to grab his hand. "Thank you. I'll talk to her. And if I figure something out, I'll let you know. Do... you think there's any point in talking to the Eye about this?" If everyone was as set in their beliefs as Gideon, it might be a dead end, best avoided.

Seren

and on to the glory at my right hand

"When he's a bit Remi about things?" Ronin suggests gently, the warmth in his voice and in his smile knowing exactly what that vague and looping gesture means without needing to give it any sort of detailed description. "I love you too, Seren. My little star's all grown up now and camping out in the Fangs, but that won't ever change." He winks, pausing their conversation just for a moment to order (hot cocoa and some breakfast dish with poached ningo eggs) and handing the menu back.

His hand closes around Seren's easily, rough and scarred and calloused though it might be, Ronin giving it a careful squeeze. "The Eye?" He barks out a laugh at that, unable to help himself. "You are formidable, Seren, don't get me wrong. But Cian is a very special kind of brick wall. If you are going to speak to him, I'd get yourself very, very prepared beforehand. Don't expect him to be a sounding board, so have your plan well thought out."

ronin

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

You have so much of everything but still you wanted more

"Yes, that," she agreed airily, spared the need to elaborate. The reminder of their disaster of a camping trip brought a wrinkle to her nose, and she quite deliberately poked her tongue at her father in return. "Are we still having a do-over of that trip, in the Greatwood?" she asked, leaning back as her own order arrived. "It feels a little bit like cheating now that you live there." Like pitching a tent in the back yard.

The scent of warm chocolate paired with the sound of his laughter, regardless of its source, did wonders to raise her spirits again. Adding buttered and honeyed pancakes to that, the day was off to a good start indeed.
"I'll keep that in mind," she nodded, over the rim of her steaming mug. "I met him briefly once, the first time I came to Stormbreak, but we never actually talked. Mother said the Order might try to recruit me... but it seems they're content with you, for now." A feather in their hat - the wry twist of her mouth expressed the mixed feelings she had about that.

Tilting her head aside, Seren lingered in silence for a moment, merely savoring the pleasure of having her father on the other side of the table. "What are the good things, lately?" she asked after a while.

Seren

and on to the glory at my right hand

"Of course we are - as long as you still want to. Will Sah be coming to join us again?" Ronin asks, smiling and digging into his poached eggs while he waits for his cocoa to cool down a little (not much though, Ronin can't be stopped). His smiles are coming a bit easier now, and the one he flashes to her at the idea of it being cheating is positively mischievous. "Do you have any idea how big the Greatwood is, Seren? It has a mind of its own, too. If it doesn't want you to get in or get out, you won't."

As back yards go, it's a doozy. "Or," he adds with a grin, "I could always have Remi come and terrorise you in the middle of the night, make it feel more dangerous." Somehow, though, he thinks Seren might not go for that.

Wrinkling his nose to hear her remarks on the Order, he shrugs his shoulders. "Given all that you're finding out, Seren, you could end up doing a lot of good... or getting into a lot of trouble. I'll happily keep the Order seat warm for you while you're out adventuring and making up your mind." He winks.

Ronin settles into the comfortable silence to quickly devour his breakfast, and by the time his daughter speaks again, he has relaxed into his chair with his mug of cocoa in hand. "Mm?" He smiles over the rim of the cup. "Oh, there are so many. Your brother is doing very well at school - he's quite interested in plants and flowers. I'll be building a skyport in the Sidhe Village, so you can come to visit there a lot more easily. Amalia seems to be coming back out of her shell, and I've heard there's going to be a healing fountain in Torchline."

ronin

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

You have so much of everything but still you wanted more

Hearing Sah's name spoken made her flinch, and toppled a carefully stacked forkful of pancakes halfway from her mouth. "Uhm... I dont know," she replied, eyes downcast as she began to rearrange the food on her plate. "Sounded like he wanted to, right? But with Halo the way it is... and I haven't talked to him since this all happened." 'This' being invasions of his homeland, upheaval and unrest. The worry about the young hunters whereabouts pulled at her brows, and made her smile about Remi playing boogeyman seem a touch faint. "I suppose you are right. I've only really visited the outskirts... Exploring further would be nice."

Hopefully she wouldn't find too much trouble, whether in the Greatwood or elsewhere. But she had a penchant for getting involved with other people's problems, and the wear of it was beginning to stack up. It was a pleasant thing then, to lean back and listen to her father. The reminder of all the silver linings was much needed.

"I'll be sure to come visit," she promised, when he mentioned the new skyport. "Mother helped me tweak my island a little - I can open the way out to almost anywhere I want now. So we could go places even without skyships. Is there anywhere in Caido you haven't been?"

Seren

and on to the glory at my right hand

Seren's discomfort is more obvious than a lit lantern on the streets of the Citadel at night, but Ronin at least has the decency not to pick up on it straight away, taking a slow sip of his cocoa while he lets his daughter compose herself. "I got the impression that you two were quite close," he says mildly. "It might be nice for him to get out of Halo for a bit, with things being so turbulent. Either way, let me know when you're ready and we can get it all set up. I'll teach you how to make a fire and everything." He winks.

Tilting his head to hear about her little island, Ronin can't hide the pride on his face and he doesn't try to, pleased to be able to watch his daughter grow strong and stronger in her time in Caido. "That's amazing," he says softly. "The only place I think I haven't visited is the Cordillera, but... it's too dangerous to go there. The stories I've heard..." He wrinkles his nose, not even considering it.

ronin

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

You have so much of everything but still you wanted more

Close? Were they, really? "Tha- I - I don't know about that," she stammered, color creeping onto her face as Maeve's comment on crushes and liking immediately resurfaced and tied her stomach into an anxious knot around the breakfast. "I barely know him, really. He's fun, but... I - yeah. I'll ask. And let you know." Feeling like she was tangling herself hopelessly and just making things worse, she buried her face in the cup of cocoa to keep herself from talking anymore. Seren knew her father's wink was about the fire making, but it just made the color in her face darken even more. Surely he was teasing her anyway, in some roundabout way. She just knew it.

At least the pride on his face was gratifying. Peering up over the rim, the beaming look on Ronin's face paired with the praise drew out a smile, equal parts modest and preening. "Remember my critters? They can heal now, too. And I've expanded a bit on the gravity pulse - I can hover in the air now, quite high up." Come to think of it, she barely spoke of her gifts when he was around. Or displayed them much. Extending a hand, Seren let a flutter of swallowtail butterflies coalesce, pale winged and gleaming with starlight as they danced over the table. When one came in to land on Ronin's nose, its velvet wings beat a few times, spreading a soothing glow that might ease away any minor bruises or fatigue he carried.

"It's no dragon," she offered with a faint smile, "but I rather like it."

Seren

and on to the glory at my right hand

"No?" Ronin tilts his head, honestly confused. "I just assumed you were good friends, given..." He gestures vaguely with his hand, though by now Seren's blushing more brightly than the embers in the fireplace, and the Huntsman takes pity on her and lets the subject drop. "Well, it will be just as fun whether he decides to join us or not," he says slowly, though it's difficult to hide the lingering curiosity - or perhaps suspicion or protectiveness - at the number of unknowns in Sah's relationship to his daughter.

With another sip of chocolate, Ronin allows his attention to be drawn in by talk of Seren's abilities. He's already smiling even before the butterflies appear, but as one comes to land on his nose he's enthralled, a flush of pleasant warmth spreading throughout his body. "It's better than a dragon," he assures her, reaching across to rest his hand over hers. "You're doing great, Seren. You know that, right?"

ronin

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

You have so much of everything but still you wanted more

"Oh! Well, yeah. We're friends. Just, it hasn't been very long." And whether they were good friends still remained to be seen. Still, her father seemed content to let the matter drop, and Seren was relieved to be spared further scrutiny.

Taking a deep draught of her beverage, she eventually set the cup aside, and enjoyed the sight of her dad with a butterfly nose. Turning her hand to catch his fingers when he reached for it, Seren beamed quietly, even though her uncertainty made the smile flicker somewhat.

"You really think so? Most of the time I feel like I'm still just floundering about. Bouncing from people's problems, having no idea what I'm doing. Some days I can't even really recall what makes me happy." Perhaps the added powers were a sign of growth. She just lamented that it seemed to come at the cost of her smile and ability to enjoy the world around them. "Is it always this... tiring, to be grown up?"

Seren

and on to the glory at my right hand

Happy to let the subject drop as well, Ronin gently takes the butterfly from his nose and allows it to sit on his fingertip instead whilst he enjoys the rest of his cocoa, the Huntsman settling back in his seat when he's done. "I'll let you in on a secret," he says with a flash of teeth. "Everyone feels like that, more or less. No one has their shit completely together. We're all just floundering to some extent. But you're trying to do your best to help people, and to figure out how to make your way in the world. I'll always be proud of you for that."

As for adulthood being tiring? Ronin's laughter is almost boyish, though he does offer his daughter an honest nod. "It's absolutely exhausting," he says, before holding up a finger, "if you let it, that is. That's why it's so important to grab the small things when you can. So keep making your butterflies and coming out for breakfast with your old man. It'll pick you up when you need it most."

ronin

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

You have so much of everything but still you wanted more

It was not a reassuring answer. Neither of them were. As a child, one lived secure in the confidence that those older than yourself had to automatically be wiser and more capable as well. In most cases that was true, but there came a point as you grew up when that simply wasn't the case anymore. Now, as Seren found herself staring into the chaotic void that was to be her life, she desperately wished she could fall back into that childish bliss of ignorance again. Why in the stars had she been in such a hurry to grow up? It didn't even help that most would see her as just barely adult - that only made it harder.

"Thank you, dad. That means a lot," she replied softly, more grateful than ever for the way he kept reassuring her. Even if it was messy and no one was perfect, at least she had one very formidable gambler at her back. That had to count for something.

"Speaking of butterflies," she said, without shifting expression in the slightest as she changed the topic. "Remi said there was something you really wanted to talk to me about? Something about birds and bees..?" Seren gave her father a blank look of utter innocence, and scraped up the last of her meal with the fork.

Seren

and on to the glory at my right hand

Unfortunately Ronin can't offer sugarcoating to his daughter, not in the current political climate. With war on the horizon, she deserves to know everything, however difficult and unpleasant it might be. "Any time," he murmurs in response to her thanks, reaching out to muss up her dark hair before settling back. He smiles to the waitress when she comes to take their plates, leaving them to nurse their hot cocoa and continue the conversation.

And my, what a conversation it is. Ronin almost chokes on his drink, arching an eyebrow at Seren before promptly remembering what Remi had mentioned back in Stormbreak when they'd still been living there. "Of course he did," he grumbles, rubbing at his forehead and huffing out a laugh that's also a sigh. "For the record though, it's not something I really wanted to talk to you about. But since we're on the subject now, it's best to make sure. Do you know how sex works, Seren? And how not to end up accidentally having twins like Hotaru did?"

ronin

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)