It's Been A While

It was a nice day. The description might have been very short and overused by those that didn't have much else to add to a conversation, but it was the truth. The temperature was comfortable and there were no signs of any bad weather threatening to cover the bright mid-morning sun. A soft breeze frequently blew, relieving the complaints of anyone that would dare to complain about heat that just wasn't there for most. Not even for herself. Her white blouse was thin even though it had long sleeves and the light blue pants she wore were also the same. All in all, Samira had very few complaints at that moment and none of them were about the weather.

"Do not even attempt it," Samira warned calmly, her eyes not even leaving the words of the open book spread across her lap. Even with her seemingly distracted, it wasn't hard for her senses to pick up on Serqet reaching for a basket of muffins and sandwiches. By that point even if she were robbed of all senses her mind would automatically know to expect it coming anyway. That was how that particular summon was. Predictable and only unpredictable when it came to the levels of silliness that even Samira was not prepared for. Thankfully there was not an ounce of creativity going through the scorpion-tailed woman to pull off a new antic that day. It was more of the usual.

Serqet groaned and fell flat on her stomach on the blanket that was spread across the grass. "Why not?!"

"Because you and the rest have eaten everything else the moment we got here. This is the only thing I managed to save. It would be disappointing if Leona arrived and there was absolutely nothing to offer her." Truthfully Leona's presence had been a bit unexpected. Samira had originally planned for herself and her spirit avatars to have a relaxing time for the Sommarsun Weeks celebration. That was why she had decided to stay at Rose Garden for a period of time. The city had never disappointed her in the past with its way of celebrating common holidays and festivals and it just so happened to be surrounded by a lovely green terrain that made picnics a lovely idea. Samira and her team of celestial spirits were not even the only ones doing the same thing. Although, unlike the crowded streets of the city everyone was more spread out. Some had even taken the steps to travel further until they reached the coast for the beach activities.

As a courtesy, Samira had sent Leona an invitation just like she always did. For a long while though it appeared that the Wizard Saint just wasn't available during those times. It was a sad truth that Samira missed spending time with Leona that wasn't tied to a mission or job, but she understood. The declines had even opened the door to allowing herself to make a new friend in a fellow guildmate, Victoria Sheridan, so there was a silver lining that she would never complain about.

When it turned out that Leona was actually free and willing to meet up for the event Samira was surprised. A little unprepared as well. A picnic would not have been the first choice if she had properly planned for Leona to be present. Something a lot more engaging or fun would have been more suitable. It had been too late to change plans by then though. Not unless she wanted to deal with the backlash of enraged and disappointed summons. Fortunately, the city wasn't far so neither were the other celebratory activities, and the beach itself was only a portal or ride away. Plenty of options were still available.

Serqet whined but ultimately accepted that she would not get her way at that moment. The strange woman rolled herself off the blanket and continued the action repeatedly as she descended down the side of the small hill. Samira ignored her and went back to focusing on her book. Many of the spirit avatars were close by doing their own thing. Samira could hear them arguing over a frisbee game they were playing. Others had chosen to remain in the city or head for the beach. They were always free to do as they chose as long as they didn't cause trouble. At least those that remained with Samira made it much easier to find her, though she was sure Leona would be able to find her easily just by the aura of her magic. Or with an iLac call.

Samira flipped the page of her book, not minding her method of entertainment to pass the time.

(Word Count: 780)

Magic sensory was a convenient thing. Samira could tell Leona was near without having to put down her book. With Leona's powerful version, it was hard to mistake it for another's even when far away. The Wizard Saint was traveling slowly, at least that was what Samira could tell based on how long it was taking for that power signature to reach her. Either Leona chose to walk or was distracted, possibly by the other festivities going on. She couldn't tell and didn't care to. There was no reason to rush and that just meant she had more time to read.

It wasn't until Leona had spoken that Samira decided to take her eyes away from the pages. If she did not know any better she would have suspected that the woman standing there was a clone of Leona and not the actual esteemed mage herself. The familiar winged lion was not by her side, and neither were any of the other summons that Samira had seen by her friend's side time and time again. While that was certainly different what was most unusual and stood out the most was what Leona was wearing. It was very different than what Samira was used to seeing her in. In fact, aside from Halloween, she couldn't quite recall seeing Leona wearing anything other than the same usual outfit she always wore, and certainly nothing that even closely resembled a tube top.

"Indeed it has. Probably too long. I nearly thought that you were someone else with your new look," Samirs said with a small smile. Maybe it wasn't so new though. For all she knew Leona had a huge wardrobe of clothing she wore and just had the strange quirk of only wearing the other more familiar outfit while around her. The clothes she wore never was important before so that possibility never really crossed her mind until the sudden switch was right there for her eyes to see. Not that she minded aside from the initial shock. Just as long as Leona didn't start walking around in overly revealing and inappropriate clothing. That might be a harder image to take in and accept as reality.

Samira raised a hand and motioned towards the empty space on the blanket and the wicker picnic basket where the small number of snacks that had been rescued were kept under its lid. "Please, have a seat and relax a bit. There are some muffins and sandwiches there if you want a little snack. I am sorry to say everything else was eaten nearly instantly by a gluttonous group of magical summons that forgot how to be courteous." It was unfortunate, embarrassing, and shameful, but it was what it was. At least food was not far if a real meal was wanted. From what Samira noticed earlier there were tons of food stalls set up for the holiday, and Rose Garden itself had more than enough restaurants and stores.

"I also did not prepare them and I assure you that they are of the non-living variety so they are quite safe to eat." The Goddess of Ishgar laughed softly, intentionally joking and referring to one of their times together in a cooking contest. Samira had admitted to being a terrible cook and Leona... well it was hard to say what exactly caused the living grilled cheese and Recheeserator incident. Whatever it was, it would always be an amusing memory.

(Word Count: 573
Samira Total: 1353)

And there was the confirmation. The outfit was indeed a change after all and not something that was worn outside of their previous meetups. It was a good look in Samira's opinion. A little change could be a good thing and Leona seemed to be optimistic about her current choice and future outfits. Samira herself had been wearing something a little different as well, after all. Although, that was for a different reason. Changes in appearance were sometimes necessary to have a little peace. She just didn't think it would be something as simple as changing an outfit. People were so used to seeing her wear her normal few outfits and accessories that whenever she wore something else, like the current day, she was mistaken as a Samira lookalike instead of the real deal. It was amusing if not just a little bit insulting, but the Goddess of Ishgar couldn't complain about the great results.

The reference to the memory of the Fall Equinox festival all those years ago was a miss, it seemed. Leona's face remained controlled but the joking reply was not filled with as much enjoyment as there should have been. The words were there but it was given weakly. It was sad but not Leona's fault. Samira had done the same thing with Victoria. Apparently, she couldn't have a nice conversation with a friend without making someone feel awkward or triggered. When did that start becoming a habit? She couldn't exactly blame being around her group of deity avatars as some kind of influential factor because she had always been around them even before meeting the actual people in her life.

Inwardly she sighed. Samira didn't know. At that moment she just chose to play along and move on. "No. They would likely sit back and watch. Something like that would be considered a form of entertainment for otherwise bored celestial beings." Samira looked over to where the group that was with her entertained themselves. The frisbee had been disintegrated. Very few were happy about that. Normally that would have caused a disturbance where they used their powers against each other instead to settle their issues but Samira had seen that as a possible scenario earlier. They had been made to promise not to do that for the safety and peace of those around them. So came the game of dodgeball. A violent game of dodgeball in which she was certain many rules were being broken.

Samira's eyes narrowed slightly in disapproval. She'd let their antics slide for now and let herself hope that she wouldn't have to intervene and make the game stop. "Bored celestial spirits..." The summoner whispered with a shake of her head. She closed the book on her lap and set it beside her. Leona was her focus now and so she gave her all the attention.

Actually, as she stared at her friend her eyes got wider. A realization hit her. It was a moment of catching up. A moment in which she could get some new details of Leona's ongoing life. The vital information for the Leona Jarnefeldt book that had to be written! Actually, did she even mention that plan to write it one day to the Wizard Saint, or was that just something she had in her head as a passing thought? Ah, who cared? It was a normal conversation to have between friends anyway. It was a kill-two-birds-with-one-stone scenario.

"It has been a while since we sat down and talked," Samira stated, completely ignoring the time they were riding her SPATE out of Iceberg after completing the Ice Behemoth mission. That was a more torturous circumstance, having been stuck playing board games with Serqet the whole time. Leona's mood also had not been all that great thanks in part to a certain flying serpent. "How are things?"

(Word Count: 640
Samira Total: 1993)

Samira remained quiet as Leona spoke of a type of aircraft that she now owned. That by itself was interesting. Even more mind-blowing was that Leona was on her way to learning how to pilot it. It was slowgoing as she put it but it was a remarkable feat to be sure. Samira herself had trouble with most types of technology so she could only imagine how difficult it must have been to safely fly an aircraft. She also had no idea that Leona was even interested in doing so. Funny enough it seemed everyone she knew was improving their knowledge of that sort of vehicle or already had it to begin with. Samira was certainly behind with the times. Possibly more than Leona would ever know. Many features of the iLac were still a mystery to her.

"I am impressed, Leona," Samira stated in awe. "When we first met I did not ever consider that one day you would be a pilot of a large aircraft." Samira caught herself after saying that, realizing as the words left her lips that they could be taken offensively. As if she was saying she thought Leona was too stupid back then to learn anything so difficult. That hadn't been the intention. It was more like the warrior of Disierto didn't quite fit the theme of being in the same category of technological advances. If someone from the future had told Samira that fact back then she wouldn't have believed it. "Sorry, I did not mean it in the way it sounded. I meant that your interests have gone in ways I did not expect. Learning to pilot I am sure is a challenging skill to learn. I have only met a handful of people that excelled at it." Even then she wasn't quite sure how many of those relied on autopilot the majority of the time.

(Word Count: 314
Samira Total: 2307)

Impressive. Admirable. Courageous, as would fit her title. Many other words could easily describe Leona's experience and motivation for learning something out of her usual skillset. It was one that could find use at any time. Even during a war. Samira knew she was very different in that regard. Her skill set had always been magic based. Her useful talents never expanded beyond it. Even with physical combat she was very limited despite having been trained by several of her spirit avatars and others. Leona would always excel over her there. Not that she considered that a bad thing, nor was there any form of envy or jealousy there for it. It was just a fact she knew. Her expertise was in the magic she could use and her knowledge of it, but well, that was not much of a benefit or game changer in the current war, was it? Not against Pergrande and their Oblivium. Not even for a Goddess of Ishgar.

"I hope to one day ride in this aircraft of yours and watch you expertly work the controls," Samira said, meaning every word. It'd be an enjoyable experience and educational. However, the charm of the subject regarding aircraft flying was now lost. The other topic in her mind had taken over. As unfortunate and uncomfortable as it was.

Samira didn't like the idea of getting serious during what was supposed to be a relaxing and joyous time with a friend. It was just supposed to be a small conversation to catch up before moving on to some of the activities that were spread around Rose Garden and up toward the coast. They never really got to talk all that much until then though. The two of them never even spoke of the conflict at the border between Pergrande and Bellum and they were there at that time together. Whether that silence on the topic was by choice or because they rushed themselves onto the next thing she wasn't quite sure. Possibly more of the former if Samira was being honest with herself.

"I do not like the idea of bringing this up so suddenly, but it is something I wanted to get your view on." Samira paused for a moment so Leona could understand that the conversation was possibly switching tone. Even if the words themselves didn't give it away Samira's expression would. Gone was the smile that had welcomed her friend before. Now it had been replaced with a look of serious curiosity. "What are your thoughts on the war? Have you been there to see it?"

(Word Count: 431
Samira Total: 2738)

Respectively Samira remained silent as Leona spoke. She listened intently as her friend confirmed that she had indeed seen the battles of the war with her own eyes and had participated in it by eliminating a Viking raiding party. Although Samira had visited Iceberg a few times she had never directly crossed paths with the people of that country. The closest was when fighting the Icebourne creature that threatened to destroy one of their towns. Even without the experience of seeing and fighting them herself, she could understand the truth of Leona's description of it not being easy. A country as harsh as Iceberg would not create soft and easily beaten natives. It'd create the opposite just so they could survive the day. Thankfully Leona had been there and succeeded in aiding there.

Once Leona got around to explaining why she had joined the war Samira couldn't help but feel ashamed for not doing the same. The idea of killing and leaving mounds of corpses didn't bother her as it did Leona. She had never been as soft or bothered by that sort of action unless it was used as an extreme solution just because it was there. War didn't exactly have peaceful alternatives and the Ishgar Symposium had been a disastrous attempt to avoid it. That couldn't be used as an excuse as it could have been for Leona, who chose not to do so and instead tossed aside her feelings and wishes to fight for the Luminous Covenant to stop Pergrande and its allies from winning the war.

Samira was more bothered by who she would be fighting. She had formed bonds and made allies in many countries during her time as a mage. Now entire countries had become enemies. At one point she had thought mages were there to protect the continent and beyond from threats that wanted nothing more than to destroy it. Now the continent was split, divided by an unnecessary war that was only causing the very destruction mages of the past and present had fought tirelessly to prevent other threats from doing.

It took her participation in the battle at the border between Bellum and Pergrande for her to realize that she just wasn't prepared for war, nor did she agree with it. For a while, she had been content to remain neutral and only act if Fiore and its citizens were in danger. For a while, she had also convinced herself that if another threat were to reveal itself while the other powers of the world were distracted by war then she would be available to deal with it. For a while, she had been conflicted with the uncertainty of her decision to remain out of the fight. Perhaps she was foolish and naive. Even if she believed she had no place or desire to be a soldier of war there should have been something she had done to help bring its end. What a difficult time to be a mage that never once expected the continent to be in its current state.

"You do have a point. I suppose it is true that the likely scenario is that Pergrande and its allies will not stop unless forced to do so in some way. I just hope that it does not tear the continent apart to get to that conclusion if that is even possible." Samira's words were a bit pessimistic but, to her, they were also true. It was entirely possible that the Ironheart Pact would win the war. She wasn't so blinded by mage supremacy or completely delusional to deny that.

Samira looked over in the distance to watch her summons join in a game of dodgeball with a group of kids. They didn't care about the war at all. They'd fight if they had to buy to them that was Ishgar's problem. Talking to most of them about the topic was a futile effort. That was why she had wanted to take advantage of Leona being there. She wasn't so sure just how honest the Wizard Saint would be with her but so far she had said quite a lot. Even went as far as to say that she'd kill as many of the enemy as was needed, which many might have judged and criticized her for. Samira was in no place to judge her for that, not that she had an issue with it in the first place.

"I have not played a part in the war myself or seen the various battles that are occurring at different parts of Ishgar. I had hoped my being there would be unnecessary." Samira sighed and cast her gaze back on Leona. "I am certain most would have expected me to be there as a Goddess of Ishgar and yet I was not. Do you think my absence to be terrible?"

(Word Count: 810
Samira Total: 3548)

It was just as she thought. Although, it didn't take a genius to make an accurate guess of the general answer to the question. Because of that, the truth didn't hit Samira like a truck. Hearing it didn't bring about a great feeling to be sure, but she was very appreciative of the honesty. If a different answer had been given she might have been more disappointed as that would have meant that Leona was likely lying to her about what she truly felt. Honesty in general was to be valued but honesty among friends was even more so, at least in Samira's opinion. The only thing she didn't like about Leona's reply was how she put herself down. She could understand the reasoning for going that route, but Samira was never in favor of someone seemingly putting her on a pedestal above them in ability regardless of what it was.

"I cannot say that you are not right," Samira said softly and choosing not to be argumentative about the technicalities of who was the better mage. The truth was they were both skilled mages and right up there with others that could be considered the most well-known and powerful in Fiore, and possibly the world. Of course that small percentage of mages at that level would be beneficial and needed by the Luminous Covenant. Those that had already played a part in the conflict had proven to not be enough. Even her joining in still likely would not be. The Luminous Covenant needed something more than just powerful mages, though she did not know what it could be. Perhaps, if she did play a part in the war in the future, she could at least be enough of a distraction for those far smarter and more experienced to find out what that winning strategy could be.

"I have much to think about," Samira continued with a low sigh as if she had not already had the topic plaguing her mind more than she wanted it to. Talking about it with Leona even for just a little bit did ease the heavy weight of those thoughts though. She had forgotten what it was like to just talk to someone else about concerns and less-than-joyful topics. "Thank you for answering the question, Leona. I put you on the spot like that when I should not have, especially now of all time, but I have been conflicted about the whole thing for a long while and wanted to hear a different opinion other than my own." Her words weren't exactly an apology because quite frankly she didn't feel guilty over it. The most she wanted to convey to Leona was why she had asked in the first place and hopefully, she would understand. At the very least, the Wizard Saint would recognize that their friendship had not been dealt a blow as far as Samira was concerned. To her, being honest and having a more serious conversation for once just meant that it grew.

(Word Count: 502
Samira Total: 4050)

Samira was in a state of mixed emotions as Leona spoke. She had already felt mildly bad for bringing the whole thing up in the way that she had and from the truth that had been acknowledged. Then there was that uplifting positive feeling from being labeled as one of Leona's best friends. A great void inside Samira had been created when a good friend of the past had disappeared for unknown reasons. To that day it was still something she had never fully gotten over, although she had learned to move past it and live her life despite it all. To hear Leona give her such a powerful label, at least in her opinion, helped tremendously in filling that empty space to where perhaps one day she could forget entirely about the past.

But then came that guilt that had not been there a moment ago, along with shame and surprise, but for a different reason. Leona had felt it necessary to protect her and thus a reason for her joining the war. There were most likely others on that list, of course. Friends, guildmates, the country. Throwing herself into a dangerous war to ensure those she cared about were safe was just how Leona was. Still, Samira felt that she should not have been on Leona's mind in that regard. Not when she was fully capable of fighting and yet did nothing with her power and abilities. Regardless of Leona's kind-hearted intent, it was impossible for her to fight so much that it would fill the gaps of those not there. Not in that conflict. To know that she thought she could even try hit hard. Leona being affected by her decision to stay out of the war had not been her intent. It was proof though. Proof that whatever she did had a consequence. Possibly several. She just had to decide which ones she was willing to live with.

Then there was disappointment. Samira had to restrain herself from releasing a tired and disappointed sigh. Once again Leona had commented on her belief that she was inferior. As much as Samira wanted to deny it the conversation would have been very similar to one she had had with Victoria. It'd feel pointless and hollow by the end. The opinion would never change. There really were no words that could break that image where they saw Samira as being more perfect than she really was. Actions worked better as evidence and well, neither of them had really seen Samira in peril or challenged in any way. She supposed because of that it was an understandable opinion to have, but it was so very tiring hearing it. So very tiring trying to dissuade others from thinking and believing it. Perhaps it was just best if she just stopped getting bothered by the over-glorified version of herself. They'd realize the truth at some point in time.

"Well, I may not need protection today, but in the future, who knows? That is something left for our future selves to find out." Samira said after taking a moment to think of her reply. She knew quite well that she was not invincible. There were those out there that truly seemed to be, and perhaps maybe they really were, but she wasn't one of them. Not even close. Much like in the past, a time would come when she would be dealing with much more than she could handle. That was an accepted reality.

"I am just grateful to have you here now for what I did need. Your insight and opinion are something that I will always value and consider, and you did not fail to speak truthfully. I do not know if I will join the war fully as you have, but I do believe it is now a path worth more consideration than I had originally given it." With that said, the summoner was ready to let her part of that conversation come to a close. There was still a whole day ahead of them! It might have started off a bit serious but that didn't mean the tone could not change to something more exciting and carefree. "I do think we have been sitting around much too long. We should be doing more on this day like everyone else! Would you like to go back into town and explore the activities there?"

(Word Count: 733
Samira Total: 4783)

"Wonderful!" Samira stood up, not forgetting to grab the book she had placed beside herself much earlier while doing so. The rest of the items could stay. The summons that were there would take care of it, the remaining snacks included. There was no need to worry about that. In fact, Serqet had already inched her way up to the picnic blanket and nabbed the basket. The oddball took off running, holding up her prize victoriously. Samira could have stopped or scolded her, of course, but there was no need to. The Goddess of Ishgar simply ignored it and instead created a small portal that was used for the simple action of tossing the book inside it. Carrying it during their town exploration would be a hassle that she wanted to avoid suffering from.

As the tiny portal disappeared and once Leona had stood up Samira got closer to her friend and took her by the arm. "Now I do believe that the town is bustling with new things just for the celebration. There should be plenty to browse and buy." It was apparent that Samira's mood had shifted dramatically. Or so it seemed. The woman had become quite the master of pushing certain feelings away in favor of something else. It was a shock that it had not started to rain to be more in line with their previous conversation. Since the sky was still very blue with a shining sun there was still hope to add a bit of fun and joy to the day. Samira was excited to try. "We really should get you something real to eat too. You did not eat a single sandwich or muffin while here. You must be starving by now." Thankfully Rose Garden was never short on food vendors and stalls during a celebratory event.

During her talking, Samira was gently pulling Leona along to lead her to a larger portal that had appeared in front of them. All thanks to Janus, the avatar god of portals. He was too busy laying under an umbrella at the coast to arrive and greet them in person but making portals from a distance was a trivial task. With his mind linked with his summoner, he knew exactly when and where to create one. An instant trip back into Rose Garden it was. Portal magic really was great, wasn't it? He certainly thought so. As did Samira, who fully intended on making use of it.

If Leona had no objections regarding walking into a swirling vortex of magic Samira would lead her through it. In the next instant, the pair would be on the other side and standing at the center of Rose Garden.

(Word Count: 450
Samira Total: 5233)