Phoe

Sunshards

"Hey Hyra? In my bag, could you please look for a... oh! Y-you already, uh, ahaha! Ehehehe... you, you remembered. That's, I, um. Wow. I didn't realize you, oh. Wowies."

Yue quickly turns away and sets about worrying at her hair, pulling her fingers down and down and down and down the long, unbrushed brown locks. And if she were a clever girl she'd tell you it was to keep her hair out of the fire while she tends to it, but she is Yue Who Can Keep No Secrets, so it's obvious to one and all that the sudden interest is just to cover how hot her body and especially her face are suddenly feeling. Please nobody look! Please nobody notice! Please no... oh, you know? Oh. You, oh.

Hyra's hands feel almost as warm against hers as they place the chipped ceramic pot between her palms. It's heavy with (fresh!!) water, which is, y'know, exciting because fresh water's difficult to find sometimes, and it really improves the quality of a cup of tea when you can get it, especially when the leaves are as delicate as the ones Yue's trying to use right now! Erm, well, that is, obviously there's clean water everywhere, but that's not the same as pure water, see? The kind that right up until you caught it was trickling and bubbling and alive so that it's at the prime of it's power, 'cause that's the kind of water you usually can't go near in case it's full of demons, right? But sometimes you get lucky, and you get the stuff that's carried the flavor of the ground it's travelled and, uh, w-well, y'know, uh, haha! At least we're not talking about Hyra's hands anymore hahahaha oh! Shoot!

"Y-- so! Um. All I've... got with me now is silver needle. I hope that's, um, ok. My, um, my leaves are, y'know. At home and, uh, I can't... can't go back 'cause of the. Um. The everything. Gosh, I hope somebody notices and checks on my flowers. I was gonna replant them tomorrow. Tomorrow? It's, yeah. Yeah! Tomorrow. Gosh."

Her eyes are still misty, but that's nobody's fault. There's only so much that kind words and space and even magic dryad touches or the sight of her favorite tea set (as old and broken and embarrassing as it might be) slowly heating to a near boil can do when your brain is insisting on pulling you in a hundred different directions without stopping for a break. But her aches are gone, and that makes her move more easily. Her hand's around the grip of her sword again, and that makes her smile a little more. And when she pulls the pot off the flames before it gets too hot so she can add her leaves, she starts to hum. Just the tune at first, indistinct and unmemorable. And then when the smell starts to rise up into the air, she grows bold enough to sneak snippets of words in, turning scarlet the more obvious it becomes that she can't remember the words.

These are the miracles bought with kindness and the Way.

"Raising my cup, I beckon the bright moon...
I, hmm hmmm hm hmmmmmhm,
and she, with my shadow makes three~"

Her cups had color, once. Probably. Maybe! It's possible! They have such a colorful vibe, ok? And if they had colors they must have also had patterns! They're just so, so fancy! But fancy as they are, they're also older than the dirt in the hills, so if they had peacocks or dragons or just happy little kittens on them at one point is something you've pretty much just gotta guess. But if there's one good point to 'em, it's how good they still are at holding tea! Not a drop leaks out as she pours the steamy, pale liquid out just as softly and carefully as she's always imagined a princess would, if she drank tea.

Which, no pressure Yue, is very important to get right just now! And indeed, the first cup goes straight to Chen of the Something Something Hot, Uh... y'know what? She's just 'Chen' until there's time to ask for the whole thing again. But anyway she gets first tea 'cause she's at least two princesses and she just won't, just won't have it said that the girls of the Terraced Lake don't know anything about etti... uh? kineti... manners!

"Thanks, Your Highliness, for... y'know, for not. For giving me time. Tell me how you like it? I'm a little, uh, light right now but I might still have some honey if you prefer it?"

The second cup goes to Rose from the River, 'cause a magical dryad is right up there with princesseseses in terms of the kinds've people you wanna be polite to. Especially when they use their healing powers to draw all the pain out of your body and leave you fresh enough to move around without your everything screaming at you. She smiles her very best, most dazzlingest smile, and places the cup gingerly in one of those hands that look like they could crush it with the barest suggestion of a squeeze. Um. Gosh.

"I, um..." she ums, "Sometimes when I go walking? I like to close my eyes and pretend the wind is blowing me where it wants. I just try to, uh, get good and lost 'cause maybe I'll find something new? Seems kinda silly now but it, ahehe, felt like going on an adventure. Funny story? That's actually how I got these tea leaves. Maybe the, oh gosh, I'm really sorry! You just look, mmph, tired and I thought... maybe you're here to share this?"

Her smile goes shy, and she quickly shimmies away to give the third cup to Hyra. This time the words don't seem to find her throat. She just looks into those fearsome red eyes and into that face that, for all of the miracles she's seen today, she's still certain is the prettiest thing she's ever seen. She puts the cup in Hyra's hands, her real, actual hands, and holds them in hers with a look so intense it's like she's been possessed. Y'know, again.

And the more she looks, the sadder she gets. And the more she looks, the harder it gets to, because her eyes won't stop warbling again and it's so stupid because she needs to see, ok?? She has to look, she has to, she... she already messed up and she can't afford to miss anymore of...

She gasps. It's harder than anything in the world, but she pulls her hands away, and pours the final cup with the most careful and perfect form she's ever managed in her entire life. Thanks so much, Nameless Maiden. Thank you for helping her with this.

"...H-hey. Cyanis?" Yue's voice quivers a little as she offers the extra cup to the fox, "You said... she had until the end of the full moon, right? Does, d-does that mean every full moon? Or just... this one?"

[Yue is opening herself up to support and marking XP. She's also offering Rose from the River XP by trying to validate her worldview as best she can]

Breathless Dead

For a single second, Bella's body stiffens. It's the span of a missed step on the dance floor, most idiots would attribute it to the wine and nothing else. Not the sudden tensing of her legs that makes her put her foot down harder than she needs to or the way her back goes ramrod straight. She draws her next breath as sharp as a whip, and a scowl darkens her face just as a messy wave of synth beats crash their way into her sensitive ears.

She snatches Vasilia's hand from her neck with the speed of Zeus grabbing for her thunderbolts. She squeezes, and she steps into the next beat as though she hadn't just bobbled the last. She holds that hand in place as they dance, substituting the graceful waltz of their earlier number for a more wild thrashing more in tune with the shifting of the cassettes. But through every jerking motion and dangerous twirl, she keeps Vasilia pressed close against her body, half forcing and half trusting her legs to keep pace as she holds that hand right where it is about her neck. She squeezes, and she smirks. She raises her eyebrows with a note of suggestion, and she pulls that hand forcefully up to her own cheek to feel the other cat's fingers caressing her.

"Oh, is that what you wanted to talk about? I had no idea you felt that way! What a jealous, grabby little paw you've got. Does the Princess know how much her captain wants a collar?"

Bella's muscles tense again, but this time with liquid smoothness and perfect grace. She lifts Vasilia into the air and leaps up after her, carrying the two of them suspended in the air for long and intimate seconds where there's nothing for them to do but stare into each other's eyes and count on Bella's training when they crash back to the floor with a possessive sweep that turns at least half the heads in the hall. Bella dips lower, and lower. She leans until Vasilia's foot lifts off the floor and nothing is keeping her prisoner from toppling to the ground except her mercy and the strength of her arm.

She pushes herself closer. Her bells jingle as they dangle off her hip, and her blue-black hair tumbles carelessly around her face to tickle Vasilia's. Like this, they're pressed almost nose to nose. Like this they're not even a crane of the neck away from kissing. Bella's lips are wet enough. They're painted red and inviting. But Aphrodite pulls them into a toothy grin, instead.

"Don't worry little pet, I have plenty of collars for you back on my ship. You can submit as many times as you like. Everything the scriptures sing of, I'll permit. I wonder, with your backwoods scrapyard 'education', how many am I going to have to teach you myself?"

Bella twists her body like a serpent and yanks her dance partner along, and with a sudden surge the pair comes rising up to a standing position again. Finally their bodies separate, all the way to the length of their respective arms, still linked by the hand that Bella hasn't let go of.

Applause breaks out across the dance floor. This time when Bella bows, she doesn't add the curtsy. She lifts her neck and turns it back toward Vasilia. With the angle of her face and the tumble of her hair, the shadows swallow almost all her features. Her painted lips shine through, like her glinting teeth. The shape of her nose is visible too. The last feature to be seen, and the first to be noticed, is her glowing, empty red eye.

"Sing, canary. This stays fun for exactly as long as you keep being useful to me."

Sunshards

Silently and in a single motion, the strings holding Yue up are cut. One second she's standing there gawking at Rose, and the next she's plummeting toward the ground like it was calling her home. The only thing that saves her from ending up as a graceless heap are the presence and quick reflexes of Hyra, who scoops her up in a flash and turns her into a graceless scarf instead.

"I don wanna..." she murmbles. Or mumbles. Or is it a murmumble? Somebody, help.

Now that her legs aren't being used for silly things like 'standing' and 'moving at all in any way', it's amazing how quickly they've decided they're not good for anything at all, really. She tries to wiggle, or wriggle, or, uh, thing...le, but all she manages to do is drop her sword on the ground with a deafening clatter. Uh, oops! She grins sheepishly, which is the closest she can manage to an apology while she's looking into those bewitching red eyes and letting them stare straight through her soul.

This feels familiar, don't it? End your journey back at the beginning kind of familiar? Here she is again in the dark surrounded by spirits and demons (oh, um? Demonish tree...y... actually come to think doesn't this have the look of a genuine... nah, nope. Lost it) and Princesses, or... princesses, she supposes, princelings? Princesslings? Whatever, tiny maid girls with a buncha fancy titles, stop distracting her! She's tryinta focus on how nice and firm and perfect Hyra's body feels supporting hers again. She's so helpless and so safe and it's fine, y'know, really fine that there's so much scary stuff 'cause none of it can touch her while she's held, see?

She smiles sweetly, and that's when Hyra takes her chin between two fingers. And turns her. Slowly. To point at Rose again. And Chen. And... oh gosh. Oh goshies, gosh gosh gosh!

"D-d-did you say 'Yue the Shepherdess', by chance?" she grasps at straws like a champion straw grasper at the straw grasping championship, grasping a straw, "See? I... I told you. You've got the wrong..."

Goodness gracious she, imagine what it feels like to be held like that? Double Super Princess Chen must live a very, ah, interesting? life to be so... eep! F-familiar with a well-spoken Dryad spirit person. Just, so, so familiar and... friendly, and, ah! Wowies, what a life that must be? Are they like this all the time? Do they... do they touch like that in front of everybody? Is that a handmaiden? Is this what they're supposed to do? What if they... oh! Ohhhhhh, oh oh oh oh, oh no no no oh no she's picturing it! On a hilltop by a waterfall under the moonlight, oh she's so sorry but she's picturing iiiiiiit.

And there go the giggles again. She's useless until Hyra flicks her nose and starts shaking her head for her, which fixes her all the way back up to being blushing and useless instead. Much better, thank you magical wolf girl with the pretty butt. Er, t-tail! Tail is what she meant to say! Think! Oh gosh!!

"I can't be the, I mean, I'm NOT the Yue you think, that is... oh, why doesn't anybody understand? All night and all day and all night again, it's Yue this and Yue that and princess princess Scales of Meaning flooferdoodle! I'm not worth any of this! I don't even understand why it's happening! I'm not a Shepherdess, ok? I'm a sun farmer! I've only herded my neighbor's sheeps that one time! And that one other time, when she got sick! And the other other time when they wandered into my yard! But other than those three times, and the one after them, never! Ok? I'm not the one you're looking for! I'm not, I'm not, I'm not! I can't be! I'm not..."

The fingers on her face slip away, and Yue draws up short. She glances up, but Hyra's very determinedly not looking at her right now. And then all of a sudden everything hits her like a rushing waterfall, all at once. The tiredness. How sore her bruises really are. The weight of her armor. Every aching, throbbing muscle in her entire stupid body. How hungry she is. How relieved she is that Yin is gone. How scared she still is that she made the wrong wish after all. How safe these strong arms feel. And how much danger she's in right now. Of being dropped, being kidnapped, being trussed up like a trophy and carted off to Princess So-and-So to be mounted on a plaque and shine there like a particularly gangly trout, or whatever it is she's being asked to do.

Of having her adventure continue.

Or even worse, having it stop.

A hundred different feelings smash her all at once and even though it's ugly, even though it wasn't asked for, even though no fair maiden worth her salt should be like this in a place with so little privacy, she's helpless against the elixer. So she does what she always does when she's stuck between an impossible wall and a terrible rock. She cries.

"I'm not worth all this! I'm not special, ok? I've never even been more than an afternoon's hike away from my house before! How'm I supposed to! What do I even? I'm not... I don't! I just..."

The tears won't stop running down her cheeks. She isn't sniffly, isn't hiccoughing or otherwise making a mess of herself, but her cheeks are soaked and her eyes are so full of water it's a wonder demons aren't springing out from them to try and kidnap her. In any case she's quite blind, let me tell you. She catches a blur she thinks might be Cyanis? But it could just be a pile of rocks, which would definitely explain why she feels a distinct lack of judginess and disappointment from it. Because what else besides a buncha rocks'd even be able to look at her right now and not feel ashamed to know her? Kat's too busy being a Sword Guardian right now to really chime in, but this is one of those moments that would earn Yue the Bonk of Shame. Trust her.

"A-a-actually... doesn't matter none. I guess. I don't want you to find the right Yue, ok? Just stop. Here I am, you caught me! Yay! I shoulda... wished for food. Haven't got so much as a dumpling on me right now. Anybody want tea? I can... mmrph. Blegh. Y'know? I got chased by river demons, and sword demons, and snake scale demons, and a buncha other demons, and two Princess Yins, which is worse than all of those things! I fought a pretty ghost and I'm wearing her clothes but I don't even know her name! And now there's... there's... you! All of... you! And this' all 'cause've another princess Princess somethin' or other wants a handmaiden? Don't she got plenty? Who'd wanna go there? Who'd wanna put up with that?"

She swallows loudly. Somebody manages to wipe her eyes for her, and she's got no idea who. Her voice is tired when she opens her mouth again, but she's still got strength enough to speak.

"I mean. I'm not, y'know, mad. At you. Or anything. I'd just. Um. I-isn't... a-a-ar-aren't all of you enough princesses for one lifetime? Or seven?"

Breathless Dead

Wine is brought in abundance. Faster than blinking, the trays come filled with samples for her perusal and approval. Which ones do you like best, Praetor? We shall have the vintage sent to your ship. By party's end, the Anemoi will be a vessel worthy of hosting even Empress Nero's festivals. You shall never go wanting again, Praetor.

Here, this one is strongly acidic with grassy notes: it was made to aid in the digestion of complex meals. This one was developed for the rites of Bacchanalia; the sweetness of peaches compensates for the extreme tannin content and high proof, making it easy to consume large enough amounts to enter a trance state. And here, our meditations on the nature of wine. This was produced from fruit flash frozen and harvested within a single hour, this one was fermented while being bombarded with sonic waves to emulate the cosmos. We harvested star metals from the sea of space and placed them in the barrels for this one. And this one is...

Bella's eye goes wide as the liquid passes her lips.

"Flowers? This is made with... flowers?"

And indeed it is. A contemplation on the nature of gardens and growing things. The Auspex identifies lilac, lily, lavender, yeast, and sugars. It's sweet. Far sweeter than she knew wine could be. The chilled liquid slides down her throat with absolutely no protest, and sits in her stomach as quietly as water. In fact, it calms the other wines inside her. Her fur smooths out across her arms, her ears stand attentively atop her head. She licks her lips, and snaps her fingers.

"This. This one especially. Fill the ship with it. I don't care what you have to remove to make it fit, just do it. Although..."

Bella's gaze slides back to Vasilia. Her Auspex glares powerfully in the lights shining down from the ceiling as it absorbs everything there is to know about the other cat. Height, weight, muscle structure, bone density, augmentations, how long it's been since she's eaten. This time when she smiles, there's life to it. Her teeth are sharp and pristine as her tongue darts across them. She takes the tiny sampling glass and swirls it.

"We will not have it said."

"That the Empire lacks for hospitality."

"Drink."
"Drink."

Bella's talons are cold and crude on Vasilia's face. Her grip is strong as it is insistent. She takes the other woman's jaw and forces her face up, and presses the glass to her lips.

"Open."

"We don't want to ruin your, ah, party dress."

"Wealth of worlds, must be."

"This is a gift."

And she pours. The wine is sweeter than honey, and even the sharp taste of alcohol underneath it is barely noticeable under the sensations of tranquility and flower petals wafting on some sort of incredibly careful breeze. Both Bella's leer as they watch, waiting for the motion of the throat that means submission.

"You've got the wrong idea about all of this," she smirks, "You're not a brave, resisting hero holding out to see whatever miracle's supposed to save you."

"You're... oops, there goes another one! Your crew's looking rather, mmm, thin, don't you think?"

"You're a prisoner, you little dumbass. It won't kill you to act like it."

"Might kill you not to!"

"But now..."

Bella's strength is miraculous. She lifts Vasilia off the ground with such ease that it seems like she's lifting a child. When she twirls, the speed of it is almost dizzying. There is strength, and strength, and strength enough to crush anything, but if anything is scary about the display at all, it's how that power is being used to be so delicate. She places Vasilia deftly down onto her feet, still in chains, sets one hand on her shoulder and the other on her hip.

When she looks up to take in her rival's eyes, there's only a hint of irritation there. There's a flicker, and it's gone.

"Now, we dance."

"This is a party, you know."

Bella dips Vasilia down low, leaning deeper and deeper until their heads are nearly touching the ground. Pressed as close as it is, it's easy to feel every curve and contour of her body. For all her power, she's not a thing of muscle and steel the way a certain Princess is. Bella is soft. From her fur to her curves, every part of her gives off the impression that she was tailor-made to be touched. Her sharply predatory grin feels wrong against that softness.

The music swells, and Bella turns her power toward dancing. Step, two three and, twirl two three, and lean two three, isn't this fun? Her tail lifts and curls with amusement behind her as she leads Vasilia off the dais and around the room. Together, they are a whirlwind of refinement. Slow and sensual, Bella parades her prey in front of everyone assembled. Here she pauses to show her trophy prisoner off to a group of Hermetics. There she spins just so, so that Vasilia's gaze can't help but linger on Epistia's captured state unless she turns her head and closes her eyes like a shy maiden.

"Still waiting for that dramatic turn?" she chirps and hands her cargo over to her opposite self.

"Still think this is gonna come crashing down on us?"

"If it does~"

"We'll make sure it gets you first."

"That's a promise."

Sunshards

"Well, I..."

Yue's head keeps jerking toward the horizon. Did she lose track of the time? Obviously yes, but was she, is it, I mean, something feels... not right about the sky today. And she doesn't exactly have to be a double super secret heir to the, uh... the... what was it again? The Twin Somethings of Something Something and Painting? Right, well, she doesn't have to be that to have a pretty good idea why twilight is sending her heart a skip, a skip, a skip skip skipping like a hummingbird on a quiz show.

Cyanis' ears are flattened and miserable. Hyra's ears are flattened and miserable. Kat's ears are... well, Kat has just gone full-body flat and miserable. It's a flat and miserable festival for the cute ear crew, which is reason enough to worry about the darkening sky. There's only one thing she can think of that would spook them one and all like that, and now that she's thought of it she'd really rather not say it's name out loud just in case that's some kind of magic spell to summon it here. And, well, if she had a wish in her heart it probably would be something like a good week's head start on this feeling, maybe somewhere clean and warm and bright with a beautiful breeze. She'd read about oceans, once. Maybe there? Or were Ocean Demons ten times worse than River ones? Oh gosh.

"I..."

She swallows, bravely. Her arms are full of scrabbling, panicky fox scratching up her skin where her dress doesn't come with added benefits like armor or sleeves. She squirms and tries to pin Kat tight, but the usual calming rituals aren't helping at all! She's yipping and howling and eyeing The Bag with big, reproachful eyes that would shatter the hearts of ten thousand warriors, were they less prepared than Yue is. But still. But still! Kat, please... quit... you need to, nnnf, will you just..!

"Katherine Isabella Fluffybiscuits!" Yue's voice rings like a bell. It almost makes her jump to hear how clear and sharp it is, "Stop squirming this instant! I need you to do me an extra special Good Girl favor and let me put you where it's safe, ok? Because I... I need to know where you are right now and I can't hold you and this sword at the same... look, see? There's a sword for you too! You get to be a Guard Foxie, isn't that great? Who's so special, huh? Who's my special girl??"

And her words turn soothing and singsong, and her fox turns from rambunctious to proud and squirmy, as little Kat becomes the first of the Triangle Girls to perk up again, if only for a second. Yue lifts her up for nose kissies, and! Oh! Life is perfect! Life is ever so grand and fluffy! She barely growls at all as her idiot mistress tucks her away in the bag to protect the pretty ghost lady's shiny treasure. Wow! So cool and neat! Yip yip, the sound of a guardian who would ward off evil spirits! Yip, yip! Look upon my arfs, ye mighty!

Yue blushes and turns away from Cyanis. Her dress swirls and bursts with all the motion of a waterfall with ever small, shy twist of her body, but for all it is a thing of battle, her spirit leaves her seeming cold and tired and ashamed. Her hands reach up constantly to pull and worry at her soft brown hair, the way a maiden might when considering a wedding proposal.

"I..." she swallows, "I already told you my wish. I have to fix Hyra. I have to! I promised I'd do everything I could to help her, so if I..."

She drops to one knee and wraps her arm around Hyra's wolfen body. They press close together, sharing warmth and safety and the kind of extra special trust you can only pick up after running through the woods together for a single night while being chased by terrifying princesses and Princesses and weirdly attractive buff sword demons. The kind of soul-bound connection that comes from sharing rushed and un-honeyed cups of tea, but more importantly from showing what it meant for birds to fly, for lightning to fall from the sky, and what it was like to trust a silly girl from a tiny village with no marketable skills whatsoever to hold a sword and treat it like she deserved to have it.

"S-so unless I... no, but I don't have anything that's worth two wishes, so, except maybe these clothes? Oh but there's a ghost inside them so you probably don't... I mean, um. No. I'm sorry Cyanis, but that's my wish. I know you said it's hard and you need more tails, but I couldn't do it, ok? I tried my best and this is all I've got for you right now! So just, just try, please, ok? Just, just... just."

She looks at her friend, and... she is a friend, right? She's never had a friend before, really actually, unless you counted Kat (which obviously she does but no one else ever seemed to?), has no idea of the ins and outs and speed of this sort of thing. Was this a market haggle thingy or was it ok that this sweet little fox spirit with such big dreams snuck a smile out of her even in a moment where everything was promising to be scary and bad? That's what friendship is, right? She hasn't screwed up? Because that'd be awful fast, if she has. And it'd be awful like her, too.

"I'll pay extra, ok? I never break a promise. Never ever. Not even never never ever never."

Sunshards

"Awawawawawawawawh-wh-WH-WHAAAAAA??!"

Did you know? Well, of course you knew. You're you! But... did you know? On her way back from the shrine, Yue had come up with this whole silly joke, see? She'd pretend to be angry and show Cyanis a few of her new moves and make a big little speech about revenge and hard work and... well, she didn't have all her lines worked out exactly, but she's really good at adlib ok? It was gonna be great!

B-but! But she didn't! It wasn't supposed to! There's too many! T-too many people here and! Did... d-d-did she Princess?! They both said Princess?!? But! Oh no! Oh gosh oh no oh gosh!

"I juh," she muses with all of her usual elegance, "Huwhabwuh? Bu... aishyaaaa!"

Ok no that's it this is a total disaster, abort, abort! Oh dear oh gosh oh dear, now they've gone and done it. Now she's gone and done it! Poor thing, she can't even remember her own name! What was it again? Francis... Xavier? No, no, no, no! What? No! Get it together Yuehhhhhh goodness they keep looking with their eyeballs and it's... with... respect? Oh no, she's kneeling! The princess girl lady is kneeling!

Yue turns a brighter red than the setting sun and hides her face in her hands, twisting and turning on her feet like a shy maiden and not the least bit like a legendary warrior or even somebody who's possessed by one? Which she is? Sort of kind of? B-b-but never mind that! She should... oh, she's disappointing them both so much right now, she can tell! She just... she can't help it! There's, there's a princess looking at her, and what on earth is she wearing that skirt is so short! And it keeps! When it shifts, it's just!

She's... she's not a pervert, ok? She's not! That's just a fact! But when Chen moves about that skirt keeps bouncing and Yue is discovering all of the secrets of noblewomen that she's pretty sure a simple girl from the Terraced Lake isn't meant to gaze upon?? Oh, she's sorry, she's sorry, she's so, so, sorry, please don't leap up and smite her, she promises your secrets are safe with her, o Chen of the... um, uh, wh-what... was it again?

"I, um. Oh gosh. P-please stand up, your majest...ness? I'm not, I, there's, um, there's lots of Yues, right? You gotta have the wrong one! I mean, I'm just... Yue! What would Princess Qiu want with me? A handmaiden? Like Hyra? Oh gosh, no no no, that's... s-sorry. I mean, sorry that, y'know, your journey isn't over. It's really nice meeting you! I could, y'know, if you're... not too busy, make some dessert? Do you like tanghulu? There's so much good fruit around here so... er, um!"

Oh, it's no use! Yue flashes her friendliest smile but she just can't stop staring. Can't stop gawking, more like! That outfit! Gosh, it's like they should swap, isn't it? Yue's is all wowies wow amazeful (it is so a word!) and this Princess Chen's is... so frilly! So poofy! So lacy delicate slinky kinda kinky sorta oh gosh no noooooo pfffftttttsnnnrrrrrk! Aha! Ahaha! Ahahahaheheheheheheeeeeeee~

"Eep! Oh no no, I'm sorry! I wasn't... I would never laugh at you, Your Princessliship! I just... w-well, if it's... if you don't mind me saying so, you're very... different. F-from Princess Yin, I mean. I thought, y'know, a princess would be more like she is, when you're so..."

But she trails off without finishing the thought. She turns her head suddenly to the sky off in the distance, because there's a sound in the breeze that's so clear and sharp and beautiful that it has to bend her ear. And when it bends her ear it also bends her neck, because really, what else can she do about it? Whatever it is, it's not an animal. She doesn't know any bird with a voice like this, and no dog or wolf with a howl so bright. And she knows a lot of birds and dogs and wolves, ok?

But the idea that it's a person is even crazier! People songs are wordier, and... well, gosh, weighed down with thoughts and words and stuff. Like Sis' songs! Or the drinking songs that creep up from the taverns on Wood's Day or, or... w-well, like that, y'know? There's a homeliness to it, or maybe a homeyness, unless it's some dazzling courtier type and then you can tell because they're crooning as much to show off their grand fortune as they are to express anything knowable by somebody like Yue.

This? This is more... pure? There's a fancy word for what this is, but Yue doesn't know it. All she knows is that, whatever's making this sound, it makes her heart ache. This is the kind of voice that needs to be taught the hymn of the demon swordswoman, because this is the voice that can join with the rock and leaf and river and sing it properly. This is a voice for making hearts flutter and lips curl into smiles and, and, and...

And it's gone. Yue stares after it without moving, except to quietly take Kat in her arms and gives her little flufflefoxy soft strokes down her fluffy back. She doesn't without thinking, or returning her attention to her friends or the girl who's probably here to kidnap her for some weird reason. Some things just need a moment.

Breathless Dead

Bella's claw tips press into her temple as if to stop the rush of blood. She squeezes harder, and harder, and harder, until the only thing that keeps her from opening several small rivers of the stuff is the way her fingers slip off of sweat-slicked skin at the last second. Her teeth clench tight enough to be painful, and she forces the Auspex shut, as though blinding it could silence it, as if the source of this pounding in her chest was something in her sight and not...

"What... did you DO?!"

That bastard, that bastard, that sick fucking, tubes-and-wires, hollowed out bastard!! How dare he, how dare he, how dare he?! What did, what did he see?! What did he do? She snarls and hisses with unrestrained disgust. Her arms flex and her fingers curl like daggers. Her shoulders roll back and push her chest forward so that the already tight buttons on her jacket are strained right to the point of bursting. How dare he? How dare he?! Those are hers! They're hers, damn him! Don't touch them, don't touch them! Don't! Touch! Her! Memories!

"BELLA!"

She wheels around, startled by the sound of her own voice snarling at her. Her own face seethes at her, her own body draws closer until she's forehead to forehead with herself, circling, shoving, glaring. Her claws tense again, ready to pounce and tear and kill herself... kill Mynx. Out of the way! What are you doing, don't let him, don't don't don't DON'T!

"Bella." her own voice spits her name again, dripping with venom worthy of a Toxicrene, "Do NOT make me look stupid."

Her birth-eye widens in shock, until the pupil swallows the entire field of gold. She needs another breath or two, but then...

"You're right," she says, and nothing else, "You're right."

Bella takes a step back and turns away from the dais so she can run her hands through her hair with something she can pretend is privacy. Her breathing slows to tiny hitching shudders, and finally goes calm. Smooth. Controlled. At her back, Mynx offers Birmingham another deep bow-and-curtsy.

"Wine, Magos. We're appalled you haven't offered any. You made us stand by the docks and drink our own vintage, is it any wonder we're a little testy at the end of this long journey?"

"It's a poor attempt at hospitality," she agrees, spinning around again and matching Mynx's facial expression exactly, "Your other gifts and gestures are very easy to misconstrue without it."

"Her Imperial Majesty calls it the 'lifeblood of diplomacy' for a reason, you know."

"Share it with us."

"We'd heard the Order has conducted deep research into new compositions and flavors."

"Her Majesty wishes good will."

"Her Majesty wishes compliance."

"But Her Majesty requires beauty in all actions."
"But Her Majesty requires beauty in all actions."

"Offer this last boon, and we'll forget your indiscretions."

"Offer comfort and hospitality, and we will listen gladly."

"Just one more thing, to show you really care."

"We'll accept you're in compliance."

"We thank you for this... mm, lovely gift."

Bella turns toward Vasilia, and smirks. She sniffs derisively. But the Auspex glares coldly through the vagabond "captain's" defiant features, and her golden eye is dull and listless. Even when her smile breaks and she licks her teeth within an inch of Vasilia's nose to bathe her in hot breath, the act is cold and pointless. There is no joy in what she's doing, cruel or otherwise. She reaches forward and grabs Vasilia by the chin.

"We've been waiting."

"A long time."

"To get to talk with you."

"...Your crew seems a little shorthanded today, doesn't it?"

"What dumbassed little overcomplicated scheme were you planning on running this time, hm?

"It doesn't matter."

"She's not here."

"She can't protect you."

"You belong..."

"...To us."

[Bella is Talking Sense with Grace at Birmingham to keep him comfortable with the way this scenario is unfolding for the time being. 11]

Sunshards

She could do it. The thought is so strong it pushes Yue straight back to the ground after she'd thought she'd gained her feet again at last. She could do it and after a few weeks of indulgently long bedtimes, hot dumplings, leek soup, and fox scritches she could close the book on what by then would have turned out to be a single absolutely perfect day.

She could do it! And it would be so easy, wouldn't it? Wishing for a quiet ending is a much simpler thing than wishing for the story to go on and on, when you get right down to it, and even though she'd never say this out loud doesn't Cyanis kind of owe her one after everything she's just done? So it's simple. It's easy. All she has to do is ask.

She could do it. She could trudge out of here and make her wish, and whatever weirdness she'd gotten herself caught up in would go back to sleep. She'd have a hike and a half on her hands to make it back home, but without any demons chasing her or terrifying Princesses pretending she was worth bothering with it'd actually be... well it's a super nice day today, y'know? As long as she took it slow, it'd actually be pretty fun! A walking song or three, the wind on her face and the sun glinting off this lovely armor-dress.

Everyone in the village would all laugh. Bao Bao would clap her on the back (again) and tell her that was too much dress for her, and Mei Ren would shake her all exasperated know-it-all and say something about maintenance and upkeep and everybody would want to know how and where and why, but when she told them that she'd found True Love, if only for a day, and then danced her sword wheel they'd see it in the sparkle in her eyes and the arc of her body, and faster than blinking they'd all jump straight to being happy for her.

And it'd all go back to normal after that. She'd wear the dress every day, for a month. Two months, maybe three or even four if she was feeling particularly wicked. After that it'd start to seem a little... much. So she'd build a tiny shrine of her own and she'd hang it up there to quietly worship and love it in her own way. Somewhere that the sun would still catch it, yeah, over by the big window on the east wall. And if she was extremely clever and traded a few weeks' worth of sunshine at the market she could probably find a way to run some water through there so that it'd still feel at home even in hers.

And on every Water's Day she would take it down and put it on, and then together they'd spend an hour or two practicing with her wooden blade to keep the memories alive and flowing before they sat down somewhere with a good view of the Terraced Lake to take in tea and sweets. Tanghulu would be the best, of course, but nobody would say no to red jam and rice, right? Not to mention, as long as she could find the materials to make the dough, the possibility of something really exotic like taiyaki or even (dare she dream?) cake! The wind would play with her hair and the sun would warm her body and Kat would curl up in her skirts and be safer and more in love than anybody ever, and on days like that she could feel bigger than a mountain so what would she even need, really actually honestly maybe, with the kind of life that would put her in the songs? Why would she need it, when she could have this?

Yue catches sight of Hyra staring at her, and she blushes. Her fur is gorgeous in the daylight; her wolfen features so perfect and elegant that it shames her just to look at them. Those red eyes are as piercing as ever as they stare straight through her. Yue can't bear to look straight at them. Hyra doesn't pad closer to congratulate her or nuzzle at her bruises or even just get close enough to share a connection. She just... watches, like she's waiting for the betrayal to come at last.

Ah. That's it, isn't it? That's the reason not to make her silly wish. Because she... no, that's not right. That's not a good reason at all. No, hey, no! Stop it! Stop looking at her like that! It's, it's, it's more complicated than that, ok? What business does she really have going on bigger adventures than this, huh? Didn't she just prove that even this was too much for her without all the help in the world? What if Yin caught her? What if Yin... er, s-s-sorry, Princess Yin wasn't alone? What if there were more giant sword demons and big snake ladies and daemons and ad campaigns or somehow something even worse than those? It's too much! It's irresponsible! And it's scary and she misses her house, ok? Is that so wrong??

And... besides. If... if she wishes for everyone to forget about her, it's not like Hyra will have to suffer. The only reason she's trapped as a wolf in the first place is because of Yue! With no Yue to try and protect there's no reason for Princess Yin to be mad at her! Right? So Yue goes home, Hyra is human again, and nobody else has to sit around feeling sad about it or anything! Everybody wins! Everybody... wins.

It takes the effort of a thousand left-handed parallel thrusts, but Yue stands up. This time it sticks. She's holding two swords in her hands, her own wooden blade, and the glittering sword that lifted her chin just a little while ago. She looks down at it and tries to smile, but something catches in her throat and she winds up sniffling instead. Well, this is it. If she's going to do it, she should go ahead and put this somewhere honorable so the shrine still has a treasure. That's the proper thing to do, isn't it? It's what a hero would do, anyway, at the end of her journey.

And maybe that's why? Maybe that's why she doesn't do it. She bends down to fetch her bag instead, and tucks the priceless treasure inside there, instead. She takes a deep, sniffling breath. In... a-a-a-aand o-ou-out. Ok, well, one little mistake's not gonna mar the end of her adventure, right? She takes her first step toward freedom, and sees Hyra turn and pad away ahead of her.

Her heart is shattered glass. No, she's wrong. She's wrong! She was wrong! If this is right, then why? Why can't she stop crying? Her legs are aching and tired, but she pushes herself to move quicker. Catch up, you idiot! You have to... no! No! Hyra's lope picks up speed, determined to stay ahead of the news. Yue runs faster and faster, but it's a heck of a thing for a person to catch a wolf on foot, isn't it? For somebody who's never even run a race, let along, won, it's completely impossible. The flash of silver fur disappears farther and farther ahead, never to be seen again.

"Wait! Hyra, wait! W-wait for me!!"

Her voice strains hard enough that it cracks on the final few syllables, music for breathing sincerity into the world. The silver flash stops. Does it turn around? She doesn't wait to find out. Her footfalls are heavy and increasingly clumsy, even with her shifting glass sandals. But the tugging sensation in her armor tells her this is right. This is the only right thing for her to do. She gets closer and closer and closer, close enough to touch. Close enough to trip and fall and throw her arms around the neck of a great white wolf in a way that leaves her with a skinned knee she doesn't feel at all. She buries her face in Hyra's softness and feels the proud muscles rippling underneath. And she cries, and she cries, and she cries. Until there's no more tears left for her to give, or breath for her to speak.

In the quiet, there is only the two of them. Only her shuddered breathing, and Hyra's quiet snuffles. Only the feeling that this is right, and if this is right, then there's only one thing to be done. Yue pulls away and breaks into an awkward, wet smile. She's still holding her sword, see Hyra? She lets it fall to the ground with a clatter. She needs both hands to hold the wolf's face firm. And she has to hold it firm, because how else can she pull close enough to take her lips and kiss Hyra full on the muzzle?

Soft. Wet. Lingering... Fuzzy. As first kisses go, it's far from what she dreamed of. But all the same, when she pulls away she's blushing like the setting sun. Her fingers won't stop trembling as she fumbles to pick her sword back up, and she almost falls over twice trying to stand back up. Only Hyra's weight and her gentle push gets her upright again.

"Uh... r-right. Let's, uh, um! Y-yes! Let's go... yes! Get, um. Let's go do the... the thing! I promised, right? Let's fix you up."

Breathless Dead

Bella can feel the fur on her arms and legs rising up. She plants her feet firmly into the ground, and she can feel her legs tense up until she could use them to reinforce the Anemoi, the muscles in her thighs visibly twitching under her pant legs. There's a breath caught in her throat that might be turning into a new headache and her heart seems to have missed a beat or two and now it's not sure what to do. Her nose pulls in all sorts of smells, which the Auspex labels helpfully, but her brain tells her are nonsense.

She swallows, and pushes everything down until all that's left is a very raised eyebrow. Damn it all, these nutjobs would put a shipmind in charge, wouldn't they?

"Her Majesty wishes nothing but good will upon the Order, Magos."

She sniffs, catching sparks and whiffs of glass and silicone where she wants sweat and pheromones. Her lips curl up into a smile as her body dips into a graceful bow just to fill the room with any kind of expression and body language. Her fingers grip her half-skirt automatically and pull it into a perfect curtsy that's technically beneath her station, but she's so far past caring at this point it isn't funny. Go figure that now's the time Mynx picks to act like everything is completely fine and normal. She rises to her full height and instantly crosses her arms underneath her chest.

"This is quite the party you're throwing," Mynx suddenly cuts across the conversation. Bella shoots her a glare, but there's no stopping her, "I assume this has to do with the experiment your Pilate told us about? He was, mmh, short on details, maybe you'd care to elaborate? Since you 'long for compliance' and all that."

Bella haughtily sniffs the air again. This is a mistake. Her nostrils catch a burst of raw Laser and it takes all of her willpower not to stop and stare. That dumb bitch is still wearing the exact same scent she was inside the Eater of Worlds. What did she do, bathe in it? Still parading herself about as a 'captain', for that matter. As if that was a title with any real distinction. They gave that role to Lorventi, for fuck's sake, how important could it really--

"Ok you're gonna have to break that one down a little more for me because that sounds an awful lot like you blowing up one of Her Majesty's planets and expecting me to be cool with it."

Bella snarls. Somehow she'd turned into the bodyguard in this scene; her tail flicks with annoyance. She forces her eyes back toward the dais and twitches her ears to keep them from bending too far toward Alexa and the wolf princess. Would it kill this asshole to project a face? Gods, isn't it just like the machine freaks to worship something so far gone from the perfection of humanity that it can't even look her in the eyes.

The Auspex pulses. The pain that ripples through her body feels almost annoyed. Its sight reaches far beyond anything a simple shipmind could conceive of, so stop condescending to her you useless fucking pile of spare parts. You only still exist by the wisdom of Empress Nero so stop giving her cause to question that decision! They all forget. How quickly everybody forgets out here in the sticks. Her Majesty should make annual pilgrimages to Tellus mandatory for the spacer classes so they would better understand their own significance and quit overreaching like the annoying little gnats they really are.

That's how you wind up with Ceronian 'princesses' in the first place. They really brought her? They really took her?! A wolf's as good as a cat to someone who only ever wanted a pet, is that it? Her eyes wander briefly over to her replacement and glare daggers at the awkward way she moves. There's nothing those arms want to be doing besides holding her weird, stupid scythe. Belligerent posture. Bad attitude. Worse breeding. And yet, the way she's speaking to Alexa is so...

She marks the sheep, and she scowls. All of them here. All of them here, but not the brat. And that meant they were hiding something. That meant an opportunity. She smirks and clears her throat.

"You know what? Just send an intermediary with the relevant materials to my ship. I want to review your, ahem, 'proposal' in greater detail before I sanction any of this blasphemy. Buuut, if you'd rather all of this dancing not be necessary, you could go a long way to showing your loyalty to the Empire by telling me about the guests you've let on board."

Bella's smile widens, and her voice picks up volume.

"Magos, were you aware of the kind of trash you've invited to yourself? Looks to me like you're harboring a bunch of wanted criminals. If I didn't know better, I'd almost think you tried to keep me penned up on your loading docks so that I wouldn't find out!"

Sunshards

The water is crisp and cool. It feels like it's draining all the heat from her body, but after all of that running and climbing and burning and sweating (yuck!) she can't say that she minds it all that much. The water is gentle. It was soft and thoughtful enough to catch her, not to mention wash the grime and corruption from her body. If there was anything left of her dress it's gone now, as gone as gone gets. But that's ok, isn't it? You don't need to wear anything at bath time.

Yue's baths are normally a lot warmer than this. It generally has to be so you know it's safe, y'know? But it's still her favorite thing on days when she's been working too hard, and this one might be her favorite thing of all. The current tugs her hair and lifts her body to the surface, where the air she breathes tastes a little sweeter each time she tries it, while curious and freshly glimmering carp zip up to nibble ticklishly at her legs and back.

And actually... can you keep a secret? When she said all that stuff about not being out of shape? That... that was a lie. So sorry to mislead you! It's not, y'know, a vanity thing, she just... it just felt like, if she admitted it she'd have never been able to move that much. A-and it's not like she's a complete sack of potatoes! R-right? She just... there's no definition on her scrawny little muscles stretched out on that gangly "fairy" body of hers because she's always been content to let her life be her exercise routine. And why shouldn't she? Her lifestyle's plenty active, it just doesn't involve a bunch of crazy-people adventure stuff like hours of swordfighting and climbing and running around while screaming and... well, yeah.

She thought she was tired before, but, aish! Hoo, gosh. Goshies. It's nothing compared to now! Before it was burning and dramatic, but the secret of wearing down like that is that it kinda sorta pushes you to keep going even as it punishes you for trying. One more step, one more swing, one more spin, y'know? But here in the water, with her aching... everything being teased and soothed and cooled, the only thing that's left is nothing. Yue is nothing. Yue is one with the pool, and if the pool is content to float here she is not about to tell it otherwise. But between the two? This is a much better sort of tired. It's emptier, but it's also... fuller? Like before, she'd had to struggle, but now she's earned the rest.

When the dress reaches its sleeve down to pull her up, she almost groans. Almost. She doesn't, because that's air she needs for gasping instead. Yue can't exactly claim to be a worldly traveler, y'know. She's seen a pretty thing or six, because the world's full of 'em, but this is the farthest she's ever gone from home and even then if she went outside and climbed a tall enough tree she'd bet she could still find her house from here. But she's seen Princess Yin dazzling like a star against the night sky, and until this moment it had been impossible for her to imagine anything or anybody ever being more beautiful than that.

And now? Now she's smiling, because it's the only thing that makes sense to do. She lets herself be lifted back onto her exhausted feet and she lifts her sword to dip into her own bow in reply.

"I know, I know. Just one more, right? A promise is a promise. Just... just one sec, ok? I need to... to... a-AASHYII!"

Yue blinks, and then she blushes. Then she shivers, just for good measure. Aish, that'll wake a body up! But that's... sneezing isn't what she meant, hold up! Still clutching her sword in one hand, she gathers up what feels like 10 kilograms of sopping wet hair and twists it all together like she's wringing out a mop. Pitter patter splitter splat splat splat goes the water on the floor, and then drip drip drip THWACK! down her body when she tosses it free again and it slaps itself back down all across her back and with several sodden locks criss-crossing down her chest. That'll... whew! That'll wake a body up too!

"Ok! Sorry, sorry, yes, I'm ready now! Would you like to dance? It's really the least that I can do."

She settles into a dainty stance that's half what she's been taught and half her own imagination, and twirls her wooden blade to call for her final duel to begin. And when it does, it's like magic. It starts like this, then moves like this, then finishes like nothing, because you're crazy if you think she's about to give this up right now!

Even though her body feels as heavy as the stones that make this tomb, she floats lighter than the air around her. If you watched her, you wouldn't call her form perfect. You might not even call it good. Her swings are enormous and sloppy, and here and there she spins not to dodge out of the way of anything but just to see the way the light glimmers off the armor's scales as it moves to follow her. Her bright and earnest giggles ring off the walls and cover up the clash of the two swords as they thrust and counterthrust and seek something so much greater than a victory.

The shape of her moves resemble everything that she's been taught, but the order and the weight are things she chooses for herself. Her she blocks, and here she rolls, here she goes high, and here she ducks low, here jumps into the air and even manages a half turn before she brings her sword and CLACK! They meet in perfect symmetry. She's not a warrior, y'know? She never has been. But until just last night she never thought she'd ever see a Princess with her own eyes, and once she had she never thought she'd see anything more beautiful. And now she has, and as she lifts her sword high and brings it to the ground in a great vertical cleave that lifts her onto tiptoes, she's suddenly gotta admit that maybe that could change, too.

For somebody who's never had to speak the language of swords before, Yue is a dab hand at it. Like this means 'I love the way you move', and like this means 'I love the way you make me feel', and like this this this means 'Please, teach me more, give me more, I don't want this to end!' The duel is not for dominance, and it's for position or even for fun. This duel is about singing a song with a voice that's long passed from the world. Just one more time, as loudly and clearly as she can. So that the water will remember it. So that the little fishes and the ravens will remember it again. So that the rocks and moss and the beautiful-hearted foxes who dwell here will remember how it goes. Forever and ever and forever again, the way it was meant to be. Because somebody so bright and warm and wonderful should never be forgotten. And she should never be remembered as anything less than what she really was.

But everything has to come to an end eventually. Yue's sore and tired legs fall behind the beating of her heart, and with a gasp and a squeaky little EEK she winds up tumbling to the floor when she asks herself to take one step too many. No, Yue. Now is the time for resting, after all! She falls backwards onto her butt, and with her arms splayed out behind her to keep her back lifted up off the ground there's nothing for her to hold up in defense for the blow that must surely be about to fall! She winces and squeezes her eyes shut, afraid to look in spite of everything...

But then she opens them again. And she sees the dress floating there in front of her. It's the most beautiful thing in the world, she just knows it is. A love song to the water and to the body she had when she was alive, to the dance of blades and the beauty that's impossible to speak into the world any other way. A miracle in golden blues and dappled yellows and frothing, foamy whites. A vision so perfect she'd bet an entire year's worth of sunshine that it'd trade favorably against any Princess' shards.

She feels the tip of the glittering blade touch her chin so gently and warmly that it might as well be a fingertip. Yue feels her entire face turn pinker than the dawn as it lifts her head up, up, up. But in the end, she smiles. And then she sticks out her tongue like some sort of sillyhead and ruins everything.

"Guess you win!" she chirps, "You're amazing. Did you know how pretty you are? Someone really oughta tell you, heee. I'm so, so glad I got to meet you..."

[Emotional Support with Spirit: 6+4+2=12. as her option, Yue will select insight from the GM]