Chapter Text
He really didn’t think too much of his wares outside of their intended purposes; they covered him from the elements, they aided him for combat and they made him look stylish as well, even though that last was the least of his concerns. There was, however, one curious lady that had caught her attention on those wares.
Looking for a moment of quietude, Sora left his companions during an intermission, walking down the place they used for shelter he attempted to gather his thoughts and make memory, but instead he felt a strange, gentle touch run across his side like a gentle yet attentive caress. The shades of blue and that indistinguishable golden hair that well trained warrior spotted his senses that there was no danger following, at least not one in the traditional sense. "What are you doing?" he asked to the lady beside; collected, as he was becoming accustomed to Diana’s way of acting.
No response, his question flew away as if she didn’t even listen to it. Sora tried to call her again, but his voice cut off mid-way the moment he caught a glance of that young acolyte’s eyes. Sharp and attentive, they gave to her bubbly face odd and maturity he had never seen before from her. For a second Sora lost himself in that look, fascinated by Diana giving out such an unwavering feeling.
He snapped back, though, and right there he reached out to Diana, "Something's wrong?"
That look on her face remained even after her sharp eyes loosened, her focus seemed to be somewhere else. Diana promptly replied, "Will you lend me your coat for a moment, Sora?"
Sora blinked, then straightened his view. That was an odd request to throw out of nowhere, almost troublesome. Knowing Diana, Sora immediately thought something improper was afoot, he gave a faint recoil and gave Diana a double check on her eyes. Although he was predisposed to Diana’s request being no more than childish infatuation, the look on her eyes suggested anything but. She looked back at him with determination and a faint glow of resolve. Perhaps there was a good reason behind her request, that was his thought while he loosened his wares.
Surely there was nothing else to that small request, Sora thought to himself.
"Here you go." Sora then handed Diana his coat, carefully studying her reaction. Sora heard a faint gratitude, but it sounded almost distant, she was completely absentminded, or rather too focused. In his curiosity, Sora asked, "What do you plan to do with it?"
Once again he received no answer, although he pretty much expected it, given Diana's expression suggesting she was lost in thought. She took a step back and held the coat from its shoulders with both hands, then rose it. Sora squinted his eyes “What is she doing...?” Suddenly, the coat furiously swayed down at the swing of her arms.
Sora was given no time to react before the coat was given another quick swing, then another, and another one yet. Sora moved away with a frown of mild irritation. Before he knew it, Diana was rustling his coat relentlessly, like she was un-dusting an old rag, or lacing a cloth... or swinging a flag in a weird manner. With every swing, Sora grew more confused, as well irritated, specially while being directly in line of the coat, he took a step aside while she continued.
Just a moment after, she stopped, as immediately as she started. What she was thinking of eluded Sora, but her act was rather harmless, albeit kind of annoying; yet it was on par with Diana, being as straightforward as a child, he couldn’t do more than shrug it off. He spared a moment to study her expression. Despite the odd show, she seemed oddly collected; still lost in thought. Carefree and all, there was something in her mind that seemed very important, but he couldn’t figure out what it was, let alone when he was blindsided by a swing at his direction.
"What the...?!"
The coat quickly grazed Sora's face as he made a quick dodge. When his sight straightened at Diana, he watched her put on the coat behind her shoulders. She made a pause before taking it off, at that moment Sora was about to raise his voice at her. But then she threw another swing, just to put on the coat on her shoulders once again. He was confused, almost annoyed, and yet Diana's look continued to be completely zoned in, perhaps slightly strained, as if she was struggling with something. Her actions seemed not only deliberate, but well thought out.
Those quick swings continued for a couple more times until she stopped. While patient, Sora was ready to stop her from messing around, figuring whatever she was doing, she had enough of it. He tried to take it from her, “Okay, you had your fun, now give me my-”, but she robbed him that chance once she put it on one last time. Unlike the previous times, she carefully wore her
The coat was too much for her short figure, he noticed the way it looked on her and couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. He gave a sigh and closed his eyes, thinking it was the end of it, he could let her try it on just for a little more and let her be done toying with his coat. But instead he heard a sigh following his; once he opened his eyes he saw Diana taking a large part of the coat, cuddling to it.
He complied to Diana’s request out of curiosity over that odd look in her eyes, but right as he saw her rub her cheek against his coat, seemingly enjoying herself, he realized he might have been deceived by those eyes. At the end of the day, it was Diana who he was engaging with. He thought to himself that he should have had known better.
If he had a faint bit of fascination for her seemingly mature demeanor, it was gone by then, replaced by disappointment in both her and himself for letting it happen. Diana continued to have a feel for Sora’s coat while he could only look and sigh with exasperation. At that point he didn’t have the heart to take the coat away from her.
Finally, after some needlessly long couple of seconds, Diana seemed satisfied. "Thank you, Sora," she said, then handed the coat back to him.
“Seriously, what was that…?” Sora sighed again, he had known Diana for quite some time, but she never ceased to throw him off balance with the way she acted every now and then.
Oddly enough, however, that look on her remained all the same, as collected and zoned-in as she was before. In fact, she looked even more stuck in her own mind after that whole ordeal, with a faint frown to her that suggested some kind of displeasure.
He thought that was the end of that little exchange, but Diana was not quite finished. Out nowhere she began to trace back her moves, as if she had the coat in her hands still.
Dumbfounded, Sora stared attentively, thinking in hindsight that there could have been a reason for her play earlier. Her swings were much slower and her breathing much longer, clearly in deep focus. In a blink he saw a faint flicker of light, somewhere around her, but it was so minuscule he barely spotted it. When he went back to Diana, her eyes squinted with frustration. “Not good,” she muttered, her movements stopped and her shoulders fell down, as well her head. Whatever she was trying, it was beyond her. “Perhaps it’s related to her powers?” Sora thought to himself, then reached for her shoulder in reassurance.
Diana instead turned her back on him, pondering further. “I wonder who else has a coat or robe I can use…” she said to herself.
That was a cue for further disaster.
Sora briefly pictured the possibility of Diana’s antics befalling a fellow companion and got concerned, less so for Diana, but more so for the unfortunate soul that would have to put up with her. While an obvious answer seemed to escape her memory, Sora immediately thought of a half orc friend of theirs, that may be taken even more aback by Diana’s odd advances. he sighed, slightly relieved that she didn’t think of bugging-
“Oh yeah! Magnus has a cape!”
And Sora clenched his fist, cursing her inevitable remembrance. Quickly, Diana made her way out of the room “See you, Sora! Thanks for the help!”
“Hey, wait!” Sora shouted, the joyful acolyte lost herself from his sight shortly afterwards. He turned to pick up some of his stuff to make a quick pursuit, but in the brief moment he turned, he almost missed the silhouette and pair of eyes that laid on him, haunting from across the room.
“She had your coat…”
“How long have you been there?” Sora asked with concern.
Lilly approached Sora carefully, not taking her eyes away from the pathway Diana took, her guess on what just happened was as good as his. Still, the squint in her eyes suggested that he had some explaining to do. He sighed and took off his coat, dressing Lilly on it, perhaps that way any potential sins of his would been pardoned, at least that was his thought.
He looked away from the pathway, Diana was most likely was on her way to find Magnus and as much as he wanted to give Magnus some repose, he had to leave him to his devices.
“Good luck, Magnus.”
The Cape of Boundless Wings was next.