And it's the stars, the stars that lie to you.

[neverheardofhim]

[This week, Varric opted to take a page from Vanille’s book. Gathering everyone together after the roller-coaster that the first trial had been proved to be somewhat cathartic for himself. He hoped that it would prove to do the same for the others.]

[He wasn’t alone, of course, having found himself blessed with the most ragtag team of chefs and party-planners. He might have had words for and thoughts on Elda and Kimbley, Mikazuki was welcome company, and he wasn’t about to turn away potential allies, even in a fight as simple as cooking dinner.]

[Once everyone’s set to a task, baking a cake, brewing tea, or stirring stew (the only task Varric could think to assign Elda to), Varric excused himself to his room. His first task was writing up cards, each personally titled and signed by Varric.]

Food in the Library. 5 p.m. Don’t spend the night alone.

[Each note was slid under a door and accompanied by a single rap on the wood.]

[With his tasks completed, Varric returned to the kitchen to put out any potential fires and, with luck, set the food out. A table in the library would be adorned with plenty of tea, cake, pancakes courtesy of Viktor, and stew thanks mostly to Varric (sorry, Elda).]

Comments

[matchbreaker]

Well I've never bathed with anyone besides...

[ James. (and her son, Henry, for what that counts) Her heart contracts.

... And she grabs Hanyuu's arm. ]

So there's a first time for everything, let's go.

[ to try and drag her off..... ]

[oyashiromama]

[It's hard to put your foot down when it's in a puddle of water but you know, she'll try it.]

Oh, no no no, I- besides, we have to clean this up, don't we?!

[matchbreaker]

Yeah, but later, who cares?

[ Still, trying... to tug her...

Tbh this might overbalance them both ]

[oyashiromama]

I-I don't want to leave a mess- and I have to gather the prayers and rites-

[Yeah they're totally falling over]

[matchbreaker]

[ THEY FALL.

Somehow Hanyuu's on top.

Elda yelps as they fall. ]

[oyashiromama]

[This is a comedy of errors.

Hanyuu groans and rolls off- through more water, yep, awesome.]

Why...are you so insistent on this?

[matchbreaker]

[ Well now she's soaked too, uh. And her hair-- ]

Well, now I've got to go fix my hair anyway. [ That's not a real answer... ] And I wanted to talk to you. We bth got beat up in the trial.

[oyashiromama]

[Oh... Well, Hanyuu...sits up, in the water puddle, and thinks for a moment. Then:]

Let me gather the texts Alani left me...and then alright. ...I don't know if those small bathrooms are the best place to have a conversation, though.

[She's fighting it less, but well, practicality's sake.]

[matchbreaker]

We're both small.

[ . . . She's just bing stubborn now. ]

But fine, as long as you let me dry off somehow we can jut do your room.

[oyashiromama]

[No lies, she's grateful for that. Hanyuu lets out a sigh and then carefully collects the documents on the benches, as well as her sleeves, which she'd removed for the meditation in order to keep them dry and, ironically, appear to be the only part of her that is so.]

It's just across the hall, come.

[She'll shower properly later, all she wants is to dry off and get out of these wet clothes.]

[matchbreaker]

Alright, alright, I'm coming.

[ Being in soggy pants is the worst. And honestly! She feels cold down to her feet now, and her dress is clinging to her and revealing that she has absolutely no boobs... It's a whole thing, really. Not to mention her hair. She doesn't want to even think about her hair.

But okay.

She's coming, lead on. ]

[oyashiromama]

[She really is just across the way, though...let's grab a few extra towels from storage, shall we? Better.

Hanyuu's door is slightly ajar, as she...was preoccupied and didn't really shut it earlier. No one's been in here, so it's alright. Her letter from Alani sits on her desk, and she places the notes on top of it.]

Aah... You can dry off in here, just...don't sit on my bed until you are.

[And she'll be wearing her school uniform, which is...a little less awkward to wear this week.]

[matchbreaker]

[ Don't u need to change too???

Oh well, Elda will... Well, she turns away from Hanyuu, but after muttering thanks, she's going to go and strip. The fact of the matter is that she is embarrassed, but she needs to do that and then pat herself down before she's at all warm.

And she needs to pat down her hair even more. Frowning and... ]

I won't. You don't have a good brush, do you?

[oyashiromama]

[OH SMALL MISUNDERSTANDING THERE, as Elda starts to dry off, Hanyuu gathers her school uniform, to change in the bathroom! The question, however, gives her pause.]

A-aah? No, unfortunately. [Her poor hair, she's hand to run her hands through it all.]

[matchbreaker]

You don't?! ... Girl, from here on out you need to borrow mine!

[ She is appalled.

That said, she's going to keep stripping, patting herself down, and once she's content she's mostly okay she's going to wrap herself in a towel (leaving the wet clothes in a pile on the floor) and sit on the bed like that.

Because considerate ]

[oyashiromama]

R-really? You'd let me do that?

[Said through the bathroom door, open just a crack.]

I wouldn't turn down such an offer, thank you.

[She dries herself off...pretty fast, at least, mostly. Her hair, the mountains of it, she has to try going over many times, until she finally just uses a towel as a cape to keep it from dampening her school uniform.

When she's finished, she'll emerge and take a seat on the bed as well, next to Elda but not too incredibly close.]

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda's hair i far, far too long (both of those tails near her ankles, you know) and she keeps far too meticulous care of it to ever... well, the point is that while hr body is now a little warm and wrapped in a towel there way no way she would un-dampen the hair. She sort of continues to pat it down as best she can even as she speaks ]

Don't worry about it! That Bruce fellow got an old brush of mine out of the machine, and I don't mind sharing. [ with her] No woman should be without the ability to make sure their hair is the best it can be.

[ But all the same... ]

So do you want to start or ask me something or what?

[oyashiromama]

[If that's to be the case, she casts Elda a grateful look, she really has been getting tired of her hair getting tangled so easily.

That aside, though...]

Well... You said you had something to talk to me about, so...I suppose the only question I can ask is...what is it?

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . There is, but she's still conflicted about how much. But. ]

I know I made myself suspect there. And I also said something harsh to you.

[oyashiromama]

I never suspected you for a moment.

[Which is the truth. She hadn't suspected Alani either, but maybe it says something.]

And...you only spoke the truth. I don't hold either of those against you.

[matchbreaker]

[ ... Damn, she wishes she could. She folds in on herself, and then speaks up, muffled a bit but more than loud enough to hear ]

You probably should've.

[ But... ]

No god or person or anything can do anything about some suffering. For me, it's that two hundred years ago, the church turned all their fire and swords and stakes against me and my fellow vampires. Families got killed and broken up. Those of us who survived only survived because we got on a boat and fled to Japan.

[oyashiromama]

[Hanyuu sits silently for a moment. She's not...surprised by such an event occurring in Elda's life. Maybe that's the worst part of it. She reaches over and places a hand on her back.]

Suffering...is inevitable. In all lives...but I'm so sorry that you had to go through something as horrible as that.

[matchbreaker]

[ It's weird, how she can almost be analytical about it all. But she still leans into Hanyuu's touch. Elda inhales, exhales, and ... there are more gory, gritty details she could share - did spit as venom in Varric's face - but...

But she's tired.

And Hanyuu... ]

I was alone after that. [ ... ] I told you I met James on the boat, I think? Either way, I did, and we were together after that.

[ But. ]

[oyashiromama]

[Oh. ...Oh.]

I am...so very glad you did. [Genuinely, truly.] To spare you from...even worse pain.

[...But...something else is hanging here.]

[matchbreaker]

[ She has no idea how to say this next thing. She can add more preambles, dodge around it? She could do a lot of things, really... but right now, she's just tired. She curls in on herself, resting her head against her knees ]

James is dead.