[To say she had hurried would be an understatement. Sypha had flown, actually flown, on wings of wind that rattled shutters in her wake. She...was not exactly thrilled with him making her wait, but seeing the state of things now, she just sighs.]
[ he looks pretty frazzled right now, and he tries to run his fingers through his hair, but the webbing between them's only gotten thicker, so he just kinda awkwardly pats his head. yeah, he's been struggling. ]
Just tell me how I can make it up to you. I'm really grateful, Sypha.
I don't think you'll have to worry about any of those.
[ .....except the last one, but lance isn't going to say that. he can't promise that he won't hit the bucket, but he sure as hell is going to try not to. and he'll be on his best behavior around her for sure. for others, well. that's a different story, but it depends, okay. ]
Lance. You don't need to worry. I know that I come across as harsh sometimes...
[All the time...]
But really, I just want to help people.
[They head down to the basement and the bonding chambers, and she'll put in her request with a quick chat with the night staff. They're told to wait maybe ten minutes while the Bond Mistress is woken up.]
[ he says it earnestly too, giving her a toothy grin before they head down to the chambers. it's not the first time he's been here, but unlike the time he bonded with marie, he didn't have much time to think about his vows. ]
I'll be honest, I didn't give it a whole lot of thought. Buuut I guess I can say that I'll support you as much as I can, and we can... I dunno, hang out more! I'll treat you to food -- oh, and fighting! Right. I'll fight with you in battle too, if anything were to happen.
Sypha nods her head in response and pats him on the shoulder.]
Food is acceptable. Fighting is fine too, but hopefully we do not need to. If there is real trouble, I think you can just leave it to me, Alucard, and Trevor.
[Yes, yes, he's a space hero but those three are something else.]
For my part, I will certainly promise to protect you. And to make sure that you keep your head from going too far from human. I can't promise to help with the flippers though.
Hey, I can help too! Just...gimme some water and I'll work my magic!
[ he doesn't sound fully confident when he says that, and he has made significant progress with melee combat thanks to his training in aefenglom, but yeah. he's nowhere near their level. ]
I can deal with the flippers. I'd say this sounds like a good deal to me.
[A clerk steps up to get their attention, and they're led into the bonding chamber. It's just a room with several inlaid circles on the floor, and they're asked to stand hand in hand in the center, which Sypha has no objections to.]
Are you ready, dears?
[The elderly witch in charge of bonding seems fine with being woken up this late. Clearly, it's important.]
[ he's been here before, but the atmosphere is still kind of weird. kind of tense in some way, probably because bonding is a pretty intense thing in itself. he holds onto sypha's hands. ]
[Sypha grips his hands in hers, and the rite begins. Spells flare up along the floor, the magic beginning to tie them together. The Witch in charge begins her chant, and that means...]
I swear to hold your bond for as long as it need holding. I promise to defend you, and to keep you safe. I also swear to keep you from doing anything you'd regret as a result of my failings as a partner.
[She won't promise the moon and stars, but that seems to satisfy the bond-witch.]
And I promise to be there whenever you need help, and to support you as best as I can. Uh...oh, and the food thing, too. I promise to treat you to tons of good food, and take you on fun adventures around the city! Most importantly, I promise I'll do my best not to hold you back because of any of my failings, too.
[ that also seems to please the bond-witch, very much. ]
[The magic seems to snap, crackling into place, twining around their arms like a serpent of light as the spell completes. The effect is immediate, and Sypha allows herself a small smile.
The interior of her emotional space is not quite as bright and sunny as she presents at times. She's a cynic, through and through, but there's an intensely bright feeling too. A bonfire of resolve, a curious nature, and a solidly locked door at the far, far back of her thoughts also shine through.]
[ he's no stranger to bonding, but experiencing it with someone new is always pretty wild. he can feel that warmth mixed in with some of that cynicism, which is quite an odd combination, but it's one he understands. like sypha, his emotional space is a little dimmer than his bright demeanor suggests...but there's the sound of the ocean, calm and steady, and a ray of sunshine bursting through a cluster of clouds.
there's more to lance than he lets on, but there's a bright feeling to his emotions, too, and that's perhaps the most telling part about it all. ]
I feel... I feel great! So much better than I was just a little while ago. Wow.
[Playfully, Sypha taps his cheek with a fingertip and slowly steps back. she doesn't want to crowd him, or give him the wrong impression about anything. she's not afraid for him, after all.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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...it's fine.
You know what I'm offering, yes?
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[ he looks pretty frazzled right now, and he tries to run his fingers through his hair, but the webbing between them's only gotten thicker, so he just kinda awkwardly pats his head. yeah, he's been struggling. ]
Just tell me how I can make it up to you. I'm really grateful, Sypha.
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[She has very simple terms for this arrangement. And Sypha, true to form, is blunt as ever.]
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[ .....except the last one, but lance isn't going to say that. he can't promise that he won't hit the bucket, but he sure as hell is going to try not to. and he'll be on his best behavior around her for sure. for others, well. that's a different story, but it depends, okay. ]
If that's really it, then I'm ready when you are.
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[Sypha can't help herself. She pats Lance on the cheek and grabs him by the hand, pulling him into the Coven.]
And yes, that's really it. This isn't permanent, but I can't have you turning into a Night Creature on my watch.
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I know I keep thanking you, but seriously. You're a lifesaver.
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[All the time...]
But really, I just want to help people.
[They head down to the basement and the bonding chambers, and she'll put in her request with a quick chat with the night staff. They're told to wait maybe ten minutes while the Bond Mistress is woken up.]
Are there any particular vows you want to take?
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[ he says it earnestly too, giving her a toothy grin before they head down to the chambers. it's not the first time he's been here, but unlike the time he bonded with marie, he didn't have much time to think about his vows. ]
I'll be honest, I didn't give it a whole lot of thought. Buuut I guess I can say that I'll support you as much as I can, and we can... I dunno, hang out more! I'll treat you to food -- oh, and fighting! Right. I'll fight with you in battle too, if anything were to happen.
[ DID HE DO GOOD ]
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Sypha nods her head in response and pats him on the shoulder.]
Food is acceptable. Fighting is fine too, but hopefully we do not need to. If there is real trouble, I think you can just leave it to me, Alucard, and Trevor.
[Yes, yes, he's a space hero but those three are something else.]
For my part, I will certainly promise to protect you. And to make sure that you keep your head from going too far from human. I can't promise to help with the flippers though.
[Clearly, he's a Merrow.]
What do you think? Acceptable?
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[ he doesn't sound fully confident when he says that, and he has made significant progress with melee combat thanks to his training in aefenglom, but yeah. he's nowhere near their level. ]
I can deal with the flippers. I'd say this sounds like a good deal to me.
[ he grins warmly at her. ]
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[A clerk steps up to get their attention, and they're led into the bonding chamber. It's just a room with several inlaid circles on the floor, and they're asked to stand hand in hand in the center, which Sypha has no objections to.]
Are you ready, dears?
[The elderly witch in charge of bonding seems fine with being woken up this late. Clearly, it's important.]
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Yup, never been more ready in my life!
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[Sypha grips his hands in hers, and the rite begins. Spells flare up along the floor, the magic beginning to tie them together. The Witch in charge begins her chant, and that means...]
I swear to hold your bond for as long as it need holding. I promise to defend you, and to keep you safe. I also swear to keep you from doing anything you'd regret as a result of my failings as a partner.
[She won't promise the moon and stars, but that seems to satisfy the bond-witch.]
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[ that also seems to please the bond-witch, very much. ]
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The interior of her emotional space is not quite as bright and sunny as she presents at times. She's a cynic, through and through, but there's an intensely bright feeling too. A bonfire of resolve, a curious nature, and a solidly locked door at the far, far back of her thoughts also shine through.]
Well now. How do you feel?
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there's more to lance than he lets on, but there's a bright feeling to his emotions, too, and that's perhaps the most telling part about it all. ]
I feel... I feel great! So much better than I was just a little while ago. Wow.
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[Playfully, Sypha taps his cheek with a fingertip and slowly steps back. she doesn't want to crowd him, or give him the wrong impression about anything. she's not afraid for him, after all.]
You're already looking a little less scaly.
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Well, that's a relief. Not gonna lie, the scales are still really weird to feel, even after all this time, so I'm glad some of them are gone.
[ he doesn't like not feeling human anymore. didn't in the beginning, still doesn't now. ]
Alright...ceremony over. Should we head back home?
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[It's late, after all. And...well...she's fucking exhausted.]
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I'll take you out to lunch sometime. How does tomorrow sound?
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[Early to bed, Early to Rise is not something Sypha has any interest in hearing.]
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[ and as they walk home, lance takes a few steps in the other direction -- he looks over at sypha and lifts his hand. ]
I'll see you tomorrow. Get some rest.