[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SfiukUq.png[/img][/center][hr][sub][color=lemonchiffon]Location:[/color] The Sun Temple[/sub][hr][hr] [hr][i][quote][color=lemonchiffon][h2]Tia’s List of Priorities and Tasks[/h2][h3]In no particular order[/h3] [list][*]Serve Dawnhaven as High Priestess of Aelios [list][*]Tend to eternal flame [*]Keep temple and hot springs clean and well maintained [*]Provide counsel and healing to residents as needed [*]Perform religious rites and blessings as needed [*][s]Clean bloody robes[/s] Discard ruined robes[/list] [*]Take care of Ranni and Dyna [list][*]Find out what happened between Ranni and the Prince and Princess [*]Apologize for disappearing [list][*]But don’t tell them where I went or what I was doing, too dangerous and possibly punishable [*]Don’t lie[/list][/list] [*]Check on Gadez [list][*]Double check spear for fish guts [list][*]Triple check sacred dagger of Aelios for fish guts[/list] [*]Don’t tell Dyna [list][*][s]Sneak?[/s] [u]Bad at sneaking[/u] [*]Tell Dyna[/list][/list] [*]Stop getting Céline sick with my anxiety [list][*][s]Encourage to move out[/s] Support transition to independent living if she brings it up [*]Suggest regular group meditation [*]Stop having anxiety[/list] [*]Report to Queen [list][*]Don’t tell Prince[/list] [*]Discern if visions are real [list][*]Remember Arch Priest’s training [list][*]Meditate and pray for wisdom [*]Possibly just bad anxiety dreams? [list][*][s]Evil??[/s] From unverified and possibly risky source?[/list][/list] [*]Don’t tell anyone until sure [list][*]Tell Prince [list][*]Too dangerous to tell Prince [*]Prince said tell Prince [list][*]Prince said don’t tell Arch Priest?? [*]Stop making Prince mad[/list] [*]Tell Prince about visions upon verification that they are safe/worth pursuing [list][*]Verify without telling anyone [list][*]Don’t lie, [u]bad at lying[/u][/list][/list][/list][/list] [*][s]Two visions confirmed[/s] [s]Three visions confirmed[/s] Three dreams corresponded roughly to discoveries/events of unverified consequence [list][*]Sun disappears [*]Blood compass? [*]Cave with [s]evil gem??[/s] gem of unknown origin and power that gave scary vision [list][*]Give gem to… someone? [list][*]Eris [list][*]How to give her gem and let her know that it’s evil and needs to be researched very carefully and might be dangerous and what it did without explaining how I got it and where I found it? [list][*][s]Anonymous mail[/s] [*][s]Ask Ivor to discretely te[/s][/list][/list] [*]Prince [list][*]Stop making Prince mad, [u]he will be very mad[/u][/list][/list][/list][/list] [*]One dream as of yet unexplored [list][*]Hand on fire? [list][*]Very scary, don’t want to[/list][/list][/list] [*]Properly thank Ivor and Guard for assistance and apologize for cold treatment at temple [list][*]Learn Guard’s name[/list] [*]Find hairpins[/list][/color][/quote][/i][hr] Tia rubbed a bleary eye as she looked down at the scrawled pages on the floor of her room. Everything [i]hurt.[/i] She felt like Ivor had turned into a bear and [i]walked[/i] on her. Her legs throbbed and shook with pain whenever she tried to pull on her overworked muscles. Her shoulders were tense and sore from the phantom weight of the bag she’d taken on their journey. Her [i]hand[/i] cramped so badly she didn’t think she could make a proper fist. And all of this was wrapped in a stiff, aching chill from having slept on the hardwood floor of her room with a fire that had long since died in the night. [color=lemonchiffon][i]“Ow,”[/i][/color] she squeaked out as she tried to stretch her limbs. Tia looked at the mess surrounding her. Paper strewn about, a pencil worn short, and that small, glinting gemstone that may or may not have been evil – something about the look of it all felt… poetic almost. Metaphoric, in a way that made Tia want to throw herself on her bed and indulge in some good old self pity. Tia leaned her head back against the side of her bed and sighed. Her return to the temple last night… could’ve been worse, all things considered. After the mortification of needing to be [i]carried back,[/i] she’d been greeted by a thunderous (but terrifyingly silent) Dyna and a sleepy Ranni, curled on one of the church pews with puffy eyes and her trusty stuffed gecko. Guilt had lanced through her when faced with the reality of her choice to lead an unsanctioned expedition – she didn’t have just herself to worry about anymore. She’d left her sisters so soon after being reunited, failing to think through the consequences. Their worry, Tia’s [i]abandonment[/i] of them to face Dawnhaven alone when they’d just arrived… and there was some issue with the Prince and Princess that Ranni had faced in her stead? And what was this about all the alarms Tia remembered when they’d left town? But they’d all been too exhausted last night to do much more than give each other tight embraces, with the unspoken promise that there’d be [i]words[/i] about all this in the morning. Dyna had ushered the two Priestesses to bed (and a very thorough cleaning for Tia and the two weapons she’d commandeered) like the world’s most muscular mother hen. Tia remembered the look of [i]murder[/i] she’d shot at her two escorts – they hadn’t deserved that. Ivor and… the guard she still didn’t know the name of… had only been acting at her request, and had been exceedingly conscientious of her safety. They’d nearly [i]died[/i] because of her. And Tia had been so cowed by Dyna’s displeasure that she’d hurried into the temple with barely a backward glance at them. Tia squeezed her eyes shut as she remembered her own discourtesy. Both of the men deserved better than that. Ivor was so accommodating and infectiously joyful, and the guard… A cocky smirk appeared in her mind, his hazel eyes glinting as he called her [i]Firefly[/i]. Heat bloomed across Tia’s face. She shook her head – only to freeze and wince at the pain that shot through her stiff neck. Tia hadn’t gone to sleep once she’d returned to her room. She’d instead retrieved the papers from her drawer, both clean and marked. Descriptions of her dreams, the Arch Priest’s censuring letter, and the newly written recordings of the vision she’d had when she’d touched the gem, lay haphazardly around her. She’d written out the gem’s vision over and over again, trying to find every detail she could recall, until she’d written a final version that was as thorough as she could possibly make it. She’d even tried to draw what she’d remembered of the odd rune carvings, though they were little more than vague squiggles. Perhaps if Eris had a book of runes, she could identify them? But that would mean asking Eris for a book of runes. Which might be suspicious. And she would tell the Prince. Who would be mad. Tia reached over and hesitated before picking up the small gem. She’d tested it again last night, half afraid that she’d have another terrifying vision. But it was cool and quiet against her skin, the cut edges pressing into the pads of her fingers. She held it up and watched as the pale moonlight glinted over its surface. Pressing her lips together, Tia slipped it into the pocket of her oversized sleeping robe. She didn’t know what to do – but nothing at all would be done if Tia didn’t start moving. Bracing herself, Tia started the slow, painful process of forcing herself to her feet. Her stomach [i]stretched[/i] as she straightened up, pulling painfully against itself, and Tia swayed. She hadn’t eaten anything when she’d returned, after she’d hiked in the snow for over an hour, gone cave diving, exhausted herself of magic, and hiked in the snow [i]again[/i], on some soup and a single slice of raw fish. No wonder Ivor had needed to carry her. But Tia hadn’t felt her hunger when she’d made it back to safety. She’d been too exhausted and consumed with the need to organize her thoughts and memories into something useful. The chaotic mess of papers seemed neither organized nor useful. And she certainly felt her hunger [i]now[/i]. Tia was very proud of herself when her legs didn’t buckle as she took a wobbling step. She hiked up her robes (one hand little more than a loose hook of her fingers) to keep its heavy edge from dragging across the papers and disturbing them. She’d clean it all up… later. She didn’t notice a page camouflaged amongst her own, filled with a familiar, bubbly scrawl. Navigating through her room proved difficult as she tried to step around each page, to the islands of hardwood that remained. She couldn’t bring herself to step directly over any piece of paper, a cultural habit from her childhood that she’d never been able to break. Picking a winding path through her room, Tia eventually made it to the door. Her hand – the one that [i]didn’t[/i] feel like it was about to lose all its fingers – rested on the knob. Taking in a deep breath, Tia leaned her forehead against the door. Emerging it would mean facing her sisters. They deserved answers – but how much could Tia give them? What could she say that wouldn’t put them at risk? She tried not to think of all the ways she’d failed them yesterday, of Ranni’s puffy eyes and Dyna’s anger masking her worry. They were [i]her[/i] responsibility. She needed to do better by them, especially after they’d all been given the miraculous opportunity to be together again. She forced another breath. Nerves and dread filled her as she thought of all the answers she couldn’t give – but she knew she’d have to face it all eventually. Tia gave herself a long moment to just… breathe. Listen to the quiet. Prepare herself. Then she opened her door – To find a small basket with a note on the floor of the hallway in front of her. Tia blinked down at it. [i][quote][color=5946b2]For Dyna and Tia <3[/color][/quote][/i] She gave a little smile at the note in her hand, eyes softening. It seemed Ranni had been up for a bit. Opening the basket, she found a small stack of chocolate chip cookies. Sure enough, Tia could smell the scent of baking in the air. Concern filled her though as she looked down at them. Ranni must’ve been troubled – on a mission to make nice with as many people as she could find. Her dear, sweet sister, always trying to please everyone, lest they think her a burden. The irony was lost on her. Tia took a bite of a cookie. Walking with careful, unsteady steps, Tia made her way into the temple, half expecting Dyna to be waiting for her, ready to demand answers. But it was empty. The kitchen was clean and spotless, filled with the scent of cookie dough – also empty. The hot springs were empty. When Tia knocked on the door of the twins’ room, she received no answer. She opened it slowly, peaking her head in to find it just as empty as everywhere else. Her eyebrows drew together. Wandering back to the main chamber, Tia wondered where her sisters could’ve gone. Had they been called away somewhere? Had Tia just slept in [i]that[/i] long? The cookies left behind meant that Ranni had clearly ventured off into town… perhaps Dyna had gone to escort her? Not knowing what else to do, Tia took another bite of her half-eaten sweet. She’d been so anxious to have a Talk with her sisters, it was almost… disappointing that she’d been spared from it for the moment. Tia stood in the middle of the temple, filled with the very disconcerting and unfamiliar sense that she’d gotten away with something. [hr] [sub][color=lemonchiffon]Interactions:[/color] –[/sub]