[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/1U4bQ50.png[/img][/center][hr][sub][color=lemonchiffon]Location:[/color] The Sun Temple[/sub][hr][hr]

Tia peered around Gadez’s form at the sound of Dyna’s voice, her blunt tone distinguishing her from her sister. Where was Ranni? Was she alright? Had Dyna seen that awful vision, too? With the narrow hallway so crowded, Tia couldn’t see into the temple’s body.

She paused though, when she heard the soft tone of Gadez’s voice. Her eyes flicked back up to him. He had turned his head to look over his shoulder at Dyna, addressing her with a voice that was… almost subdued. Tia blinked up at him. Gadez was a man who usually seemed to thrum with latent energy, eager to spring to life and patient enough to capture the perfect moment. He was many things — brazen, mischievous, oddly considerate… but Tia had never before seen him so [i]muffled[/i]. He turned back to face her, and Tia’s lips parted when she saw something completely foreign in his pale eyes:

[i]Hesitation.[/i]

It was a flicker. Then it was gone, so quickly it might’ve just been the reflection of Tia’s own nerves staring back at her. He stepped closer, with a murmuring voice and a proffered… [i]soup container?[/i]

Tia couldn’t help herself. Her lips quirked into a bemused smile as she looked at it. Something softened in her, the tensions of the day growing hazy. 

Oddly considerate, indeed. 

She met his gaze again. She couldn’t thank him with the state of her voice, but she gave a warm smile. It faltered when he sought entrance to her room. This was the second man in less than an hour. The nuns she grew up with would’ve been positively [i]scandalized[/i]. The Prince requesting privacy to talk with her (to [i]interrogate[/i] her, she corrected with no small amount of shame) was one thing. But Gadez… Well, it wasn’t as if he’d [i]never[/i] been in her room. And if he intended to be ungentlemanly, he’d already had plenty of opportunity when they’d been snowed in for a week. And… he’d brought her [i]soup[/i].

But he spoke of answers. Of Aelios. Answers to [i]what?[/i] She searched his eyes as her mind spun. 

Did… did he somehow know about her visions?

Her heartbeat seemed louder in her ears. Tia hesitated for another moment. Then she stepped to the side, her arm raised slightly to invite him in. There wasn’t much room to move in the hallway — Tia pressed herself against the wall to try and give him room as his larger frame crossed the threshold of her room. 

She didn’t follow him in, though. Tia met Dyna’s eye, finally unobstructed. She turned back to Gadez, holding up a hand to signal him to wait. Then she moved to her sister. Curling a hand around one of Dyna’s, Tia looked around her shoulder to try and spot Ranni. More voices echoed through the air, weaving through the crackle of Aelios’ flame. There was Ranni’s, and the other… Tia realized with a start that she recognized that voice, too. 

Dr. Céline stood with Ranni, along with an absolute [i]mountain[/i] of a man. Tia took a moment to observe them. Despite the vision she’d had, Ranni didn’t seem distressed. But Tia knew that didn’t mean much — as priestesses they’d been trained to mask their own troubles when performing their duties. Tia had just never been very [i]good[/i] at it. That Dr. Céline was speaking with her though… 

She’d been Tia’s other guest during the storm. She was kind and intelligent, but there had been a few near-misses with her empathic abilities. If Ranni was really experiencing something, the doctor probably wouldn’t have been upright. Had the vision [i]not[/i] been from Ranni? Tia’s eyebrows drew together as she watched them. 

Finally deciding that at least Ranni wasn’t in any [i]immediate[/I] danger, Tia looked back to Dyna. 

Fierce, stalwart Dyna. Ever the protector, making herself responsible for their safety. Tia knew it was ingrained in her — the vigilance, the need to protect the few people she still had. Tia couldn’t imagine what it’d been like to witness her twin go into the blight — to not have gone with her. Her heart clenched as she looked up at the Champion. Dyna was taller than her. Stronger. Technically in charge of her safety. But Tia was still older. It was still her responsibility to care for the twins. 

Tia’s hand tightened around hers. With her other hand, she reached up to briefly touch Dyna’s cheek and give her a smile that she hoped was comforting. Tia glanced back over her shoulder to see Gadez in the flickering firelight of her room. She turned to look at Ranni, the picture of calm as she spoke with Dr. Céline and her companion. 

Looking back up at Dyna, she slowly mouthed the words, [color=lemonchiffon][i]‘Stay with Ranni.’[/i][/color]

Tia wasn’t in any danger with Gadez. But if that vision [i]had[/i] come from Ranni, Tia didn’t want her alone. She didn’t want her to [i]feel[/i] alone. 

[color=lemonchiffon][i]‘Be out soon.’[/i][/color]

Tia wasn’t certain that was a promise she could keep. Gadez was unpredictable at the best of times. But something about his soft voice, his [i]hesitation[/i]… Tia felt on the precipice of something. Whatever it was he had to discuss with her, something told her it wouldn’t be a quick conversation. But she tried to give Dyna a reassuring smile, and another quick squeeze of her hand. 

Then she stepped away and walked back into her room. Tia pulled the door shut behind her, leaving it ajar. Perhaps those old nuns had left an impression on her, after all. Hands clasped behind her back, Tia looked back to Gadez. The fire warmed the room, stray embers glowing like fireflies. 

[hr]
[sub][color=lemonchiffon]Interaction:[/color] Gadez Paladice [@Dezuel], Dyna Soleil [@Queen Arya]
[color=lemonchiffon]Mention:[/color] Ranni Soleil, Céline Moreau, and Ivor the Wild [@SkeankySnack][/sub]