He didnâ??t know what was going on in the other twoâ??s mind, but he hoped that his ploy would work. It was a cheap thing to do, even for himself, as he knew that he was using a slight weakness of theirs against them. Brand was used to being the youngest, the babied among the knights and the one that had to ask for help at random times. As Altima pressed herself against him, and Valen placed a hand on his shoulder, he smiled a bit and drew them closer together. Despite using their feelings against them to draw the eldest away from the pipe, he felt at peace when they were close by. It was like a light that shone brighter if the parts of a whole were united. A light that has lost one of its corners, but as he rested his chin against Valenâ??s shoulder, slipping an arm around each of them, he tried hard to picture them whole again.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff8000">â??One dayâ??</span>, he told himself. The four pillars were not to be easily broken for eternity, and he wouldnâ??t lose hope until the very end.<br/><br/>Gazing over the other maleâ??s shoulder from his position, he stared at the pipe once more, half wanting to send a zap of thunder down to smite it. Nothing from his own body though, as he knew doing that would kill his two companions. Instead though, he just contented himself in the moment, curled up with his two companions in a platonic and intimate embrace. The softness and roughness of their flesh seemed to sooth him. From Altimaâ??s warmth that was beyond the natural body temperature, with her soft form and gentle nature towards the two, despite her own fiery temper, to Valenâ??s firm and solid form, yet soothing tenderness that was like a warm summerâ??s breeze.<br/><br/>They both provided enough of a peaceful feeling within him, that he was lost just cuddling with them, holding them close while in the water and forgetting about all awkwardness. They werenâ??t a square, one leaning against another and being the strongest they could, but for now, their triangular bond would work.<br/><br/>Hazel eyes were closed for the longest time, but soon, they snapped open when he heard someone say something. A whisper of voices from their position, but the sound seemed to just snap as a crackle of lightning for him. Not that there werenâ??t others speaking around them, people passing the bathing areas and whatnots. But because the voice sounded so familiar and so different at the same time.<br/><br/>His body had tensed fractionally at that, nearly fearful it was an enemy that he was remembering the voice from. He would be of no help in the water if so, as heâ??d kill not only the enemy, but his companions as well. However, the form that he saw, made his mind pause at the thought of danger. Brand didnâ??t even think for long, as he saw bits and pieces of the back, marred by strange designs that he had once admired. Memories of tracing them flashed back, before more pieces seemed to just fall rapidly into place. There wasnâ??t even a face to his memories, before his vocal cords blurted out the complete image.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffff00">â??Tsuâ??Ro?!â?</span><br/><br/>At that, his body tense as if to run towards their companion, parted when everyone had to flee for their lives from the attack upon Elizarâ??s palace. In fact, his body had slipped out between Valenâ??s and Altima, leaving the two to hold one another if anything, and began to hasten his steps towards the other male he assumed was whom he thought it was. And a tiger.<br/><br/>And suddenly, Brand hoped he wasnâ??t wrong, because if he was, that tiger was liable to eat him alive. The only trade-off he could find from that fate, was that at least he made sure to kick that damned pipe into the water as he got out of the bathing area, completely foregoing his towel. Thatâ??d take at least a day or two before Valen had that thing dried.