A Dark Mage's Love

With their resolve back to speed to bring Gangrel down, the Shepherds would bring the worst upon the Plegian army, but for now, they needed to rebuild their armory. Luckily, they weren't too short to defeat the roaming Risen as they rebuilt, slaying the monstrous figures for any usable weapons and objects that they could use. Alex had recently guide them through one such attack and was grateful that he could easily relax for a bit, pulling off his coat and setting it against the chair before working once more on the plans to strike at Gangrel, trying to find a opening that could give the forces of Ferox and Ylisse a victory against the king and end the war. So far, it has been whispers of riot and desert, but nothing solid enough as to where he is.

'Maybe I am looking at this for a answer when I just need a breakthrough, he will pay for the lives he has ruined.' Taking a moment, he slid the papers aside and checked another one that could give him insight when he started to feel hot, fanning himself off as he was confused as to how it was so warm as they were in Regna Ferox. After a few more seconds, he sighed as he took his tactician coat and headed out, perhaps he would come across a breakthrough as he checked up with the others. He stroll past as Sumia and Cordelia performed with their mounts as they taught Lissa, Maribelle, and Olivia of how to properly manage a pegasus when they decide to take the reigns, walked past the mess hall as Vaike with a few guys started what could only be a drinking contest, Alex shaking at the mere thought of Vaike fighting in a drunken stupor. He soon found himself in the barracks and looked about when he got a strange feeling of ...

"Tharja? ...are you following me?" The reply was sudden and Alex knew that Tharja couldn't hide if she now knew that he had easily found her, which was too hard as she stuck to him like a shadow, sometimes unable to hide in time when Alex saw, and others have pointed out that she has a strange obsession with him which he would like to ask about, now that he had her trapped in the one place where not everyone is likely to occupy.

"...Maybe." Alex turned to the stack of crates in the room and sure enough, Tharja stepped out from behind it, a hand softly trailing the outline of the top crate while the other gripped the Ruin tome that they had recently came across before she glanced over to Alex, her stance a tell sign that she was nervous about something.

Alex pushed the form aside as he spoke in a hushed voice as to not attract any attention. "Maybe?! I've seen you hiding behind tents and wagons all week!" It wasn't easy, but it was going to happen here and now as to why she was following him, even battle had her as a ally by his side.

Tharja walked up to him, inches from his body to hers and slipped a hand onto his chest, a tad of pink evident on her cheeks as it smoothed across the texture. "So you finally noticed...my love." This response was a odd one, coming from the dark mage who had joined them around the time of Emm's fall.

Alex couldn't dismiss the hand, but her words left him in a complex position. "Sorry, what? My...love?"

She pushed closer as if wanting to keep the tactician in a close proximity of her, never lifting her eyes as if she was ... afraid. "Oh yes. I realized it the first moment we locked eyes. "He isn't like the others," I thought. "He's the one I've been looking for!" Alex could nearly feel the nailed fingers dig into his flesh through the shirt so he lightly removed it from his person.

"Riiiiight. Well, um, thank you? ...I guess?" Alex made some room between them as he was uncertain as to what she could have meant, love could be seen in several different lights of actual meaning or a subtle hint of death.

"That's why I've been watching your every...single...move." Alex was certain that this was a bit too uncomforable for this to be normal for him as she closed the distance again, but her nervous look faded as she continued. "Yesterday you read two books and part of a third." Her hand reached again, but withdrew in fear of something. "You snacked on an apple. And last night, you turned over 12 times in your sleep. ...Well above average."

Alex nearly had a heart attack at the sheer detail that she had, she could have easily killed him with that type of knowledge, but more calmly started to think as to why she would do it in the first place. "You've been watching me sleep?!"

"I thought you'd be grateful." Her tone changed to one of hurt, like he had insult her in some way, but Alex was more of scared of her agenda than to hate her as a foe.

Alex shook his head and he could see the mood lighten a bit as he talked again. "No, I think "disturbed" is more the word." He rubbed the back of his head in his loss for words of whether she was a good ally or a stalking enemy in his mind. "You mean to tell me you've been following me every single day since we met?"

Tharja shifted in place, a tell sign that she was unsure of how to change it so she just went as planned. "...Yes." That simple word did mean what it meant.

"I suddenly feel very ill." It wasn't helping that here he was with the dark mage hovering by him, wanting to observe him like some animal in a cage, for anything that would help her in her studies.

She was quickly to rushing to him as he struggled to sit, grabbing a seat and easing him in before speaking, so close to him. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you." A blush spreaded over her face as she crept closer. "...Veeery good care."

Alex wanted to jumped out of his seat, but he was more worried of who could be listening in to this strange chat. "Coming from a normal friend, I'd probably be happy to hear that." He wished he didn't have to say it and hurt her feelings, but Alex was certain that this had happened for a while too long. "But somehow when you say it, it's not quite so comforting..."

THis changed Tharja's response as she backed up, a hand to her chin as she thought about it before speaking. "Is that what you want, Alex?" She looked back to him and he knew that he had done it now, but she looked more curious than upset. "Someone..."normal"?"

Well, I...suppose?" Love and romance has never played a strong part in his life or, at least, what little he did know as the war and the Shepherds were the only objectives in his mind nowadays. "That's to say---"

But before Alex could have finished, Tharja held out a hand and, with a nod, said "All I needed to hear." And with that, she turned to the entrance and took off.

"Wait, Tharja! Stay here!" But she was already gone by the time he finished his words. "...Where I can see you!" Silence filled the gaps as Alex slumped in the chair, now worried that he may have caused a massive problem. "Oh gods, this will not end well..." For a few minutes, he rubbed his forehead and breathed before standing back up and started to search in vain as she had vanished from sight so he headed back to his tent and returned to his work, hoping it would take his mind off Tharja, but the flap opening alerted Alex to Chrom entering, his face a bit worried about something. "Oh, Chrom, I haven't figured out Gangrel's position and it will take some time with all our resources lacking in some points."

"I know, but that is not why I'm here." Taking a seat, the now-exalt rubbed his jaw in worry and Alex has a general understanding as to who it would be. "It's about Fredrick."

"Uh oh, tell me what has he done this time." Alex leaned in to figure it out, Chrom's awkward seating, a effort to cover his face as if...
It struck him that Chrom had recently gone about camp for something before they had entered the Plegia desert. It was a minor thing, but he remembered that Lissa was chuckling about it and Sumia couldn't even speak without a blush.

"I have begun to hear rumors that some of the Shepherds have been keeping Fredrick's morality posters in secret from me and I just don't want them to ...reveal them to the people."

"Come now, they are not that bad, I am though surprised that Fredrick had found such artists to do you in such any unusual stature." Alex smirked as Chrom jolted up with a stare to kill, his left poised on Falchion.

"Alex, you didn't..."

"Sumia, Lissa, and I all agreed to keep ours hidden until we could "properly" deliver them to a more reasonable location with no foes to find out of Fredrick's expert handiwork." This was a slight problem as Chrom stood and readied his blade. "Now now, no need for that in here, let's train in the field so that everyone can witness the battle."

"I win, you burn those posters."

"And if I win, we keep them between us until we can safely give them to you for "purging" later."

"Deal" The two men shook on it and it helped Alex forget Tharja for a while as he helped his friend with his rage and fear.