[Novine]

Novine's mood was buoyant mostly, as she stepped out of the aether beside the aetheryte at Camp Cloudtop, following the directions her Father had given her. She was excited to finally be able to see her sister, to help her feel a little bit less alone in that place they were always keeping her. But she was nervous as well. Her Father had expressed doubts that perhaps she would be able to do anything at all for her in the past by implication, but she stubbornly insisted, therefore a bit of pressure weighed upon her shoulders. Pair that stress with the anxiety that the people here would definitely want something more from her than she had expected like Raziel said, she felt a bit as if her butterfly constructs had broken free of her aether and started flying around inside of her unbidden. She was vibrating like a livewire with anticipation and excitement as she stepped away from the aetheryte and began to focus on the earring that dangled from her ear.

She did not have to walk very far before she was able to sense the beacon her Father had mentioned. It was slightly nerve wracking, focusing on this weaker gateway, especially with it moving, but there were many more dangerous and frightening things she would do for the sake of her family than this. Focusing on the beacon, she threw herself into the aether, a brief trip before she stepped out once more, taking in her surroundings.

[—]

[Novine]

Like a moth to a flame, Novine more or less took a quick look around her surroundings before following the light, more excited to get things rolling than she was curious to explore or investigate. She moved to the doorway and without any hesitation, opened it, peeking through the opening, eager to see what would be next. Without knowing the layout of the building, the expectation felt like any door might hold her sister behind it.

[Luz]

After a moment of quiet looming in Novine’s direction, she reared back, lifting an obscured hand to the curves of her now smiling mouth.

“Oh? You really are not the priest.”

[Novine]

She took in the woman's and shut the door behind her, recognition on her features as she craned her neck all the way back up to address her properly.

“Nope! Sorry to disappoint if you're disappointed. I came to see Raziel. Can you tell me where she is?” she asks, plowing through the niceties to realize her mission.

[Luz]

“I’m afraid not.”

“What is the nature of your visit?”

[Novine]

“….Well, I just told you. Father told me I could go see her. He gave me this earring so I could come and visit her. She's seemed upset lately so I just wanted to visit and talk to her.”

[Luz]

The smile widens.

“Nonetheless, I’m afraid she’s receiving her flock at the moment, and you are….well, you are not dressed as would befit your station. I’m afraid it would not be proper to allow any proceedings that defy the rules.”

[Novine]

She narrows her gaze and crosses her arms, getting a bit irritated.

“Yeah, I know, Father told me I'd have to dress up, but he didn't tell me what, so I just came like I was. I'll do whatever I have to, just let me see her. Wouldn't she receive her flock better if she was in a better mood?”

[Luz]

“The savior is quite adept at her role I assure you. But if you would be so kind as to give us a twirl…”

[Novine]

“A…twirl?” She tilts her head suspiciously and sort of hesitantly spins around in place, keeping her head focused on Luz like a dancer trying to save herself from dizziness.

[Luz]

She claps.

“It seems Castle had your measurements right after all. Flemette will be by shortly with the proper attire.”

[Novine]

She smiles a bit smugly, proud that she seemed to have made some progress. “Okay. Guess I'll just wait here then,” she says, leaning against the wall of the corridor rather casually.

[—]

[Flemette]

“Hello~!”

[Novine]

Novine pushed herself away from the wall as the other woman appeared, the girl slightly started by her sudden appearance, but she keeps her cool, trying to seem nonchalant. She takes a moment to take in her appearance and make sense of her presence.

“Hi! Are you Flemette then?”

[Flemette]

“Sure am!”

She extends her arm, and what appears to be a series of ornate robes—enough cloth to seem at least three outfits when it was indeed one—flops out of the ends of her sleeve.

“Do you know how to wear the holy garbs?”

[Novine]

She widens her eyes as all the fabric cascades from her sleeve, a look of confusion on her face. “Can't say I do. I could take a guess, but you all seem to have so many rules and stuff, I'd probably do something wrong,” she says with a sigh, picking up one of the robes and holding it up, examining it.

[Flemette]

“Say no more!”

In the same breath, she scoops Novine up like she were a stuffed animal, flipping her over in the air while several threads tittered about her body, quickly disrobing and redressing her in almost cartoonish fashion before placing her on the ground again like she were a fragile feather with a smile.

[Novine]

She let out a little yelp as she was suddenly picked up and dressed, everything happening so quickly and efficiently that it was rather concerning. She hardly had the time to struggle or protest, and by the time she had the wherewithal to do so, she was already back on the ground, safe and sound. She looked down and examined herself, looking over her shoulder, trying to take in all it was she was wearing, never able to remember a time when she had worn so many layers all at once. A finger went to the turtle neck and pulled at the collar.

She flapped her arms a bit, feeling rather birdlike with the baggier, longer sleeves of her robe, testing the physics of her new garment.

“Okay, good. All dressed and stuff. Can I see her now?” she asked, not long distracted from her mission.

[Flemette / Luz]

Flemette waved and sunk back into the wall while the tall woman bowed so deeply her nose seemed ready to touch the floor.

“But of course. I can guide you to her room to wait, if that is what you desire.”

“Once she has completed her duties she will surely return there.”

[Novine]

She smiles brightly and nods rather enthusiastically. “Yeah, that's what I want if I can't see her right away. I can wait!”

[Luz]

“Then fol—“

She cuts herself off and backs away towards the wall.

“Once you leave here you will see a stage. Exit through the door at the Far end of the room and turn right. After this, you need to head down the hall until you come across a golden corridor, which you must enter. There should be a set of stairs there that lead into something like a tower. I will meet you there.”

“Think you can do that?”

[Novine]

“Yeah, I can do that. Stage - door at the far end - right, down the hall, golden corridor, stairs!” she repeats, proud of herself and happy to be given some independence to make her own way for a bit.

She picks up her robe a bit as to not trip on it, hurrying along the corridor at a near jog, clearly quite excited.

[Luz]

“You must walk!” Luz calls out from behind, but she does not follow.

[Novine]

She laughs a bit turning to look over her shoulder at Luz and giving her a mischievous look before continuing to hurry through the corridor, making her way out and into the room with the stage. Only then does she slow her pace, not wanting to invite too much strange attention that might derail her from seeing Raziel. She looks around the room searching for the door at the far end, as specified.

[—]

[Novine]

She picked up her robe yet again and continued on her way, the footsteps echoing her pace as she located the door and hurried her way toward it.

[—]

[Novine]

Novine looked at them all drop their knees and she froze in place blinkingly, her head slowly scanning the room and looking at each of the kneeling supplicants and bowed heads. Her head slowly tilted to the side as the gears clicked in her head, remembering the Novine Sect that had been mentioned. Part of her liked seeing them all like this, deferring to her, seeing her as something other than a brat, and taking her presence seriously. The other part of her thought this was very strange and weird, and she just wanted to keep moving. So, finally heeding Luz's words, she carefully sought to make her way through the people, making to take a right and walk out of their midst.

[—]

[Novine]

Novine turned and looked up at the child in a wondering sort of way, more curious than anything. “Yeah?” she asked simply, not really sure if she should be talking to them or not, or what ever they expected her to say.

[—]

[Novine]

Novine looked up at the girl and then looked down trying to think of something to say. Clearly it wouldn't do to make herself out as being powerless. She looked up into her face again.

“I'll… I'll see what I can do. Sometimes that kind of stuff is really stubborn. Just um… know that you're safe,” she tried, stumbling a bit uncertainly through the words, feeling a bit like cringing with each word she uttered, feeling like it was a lie even though none of them were blatant untruths.

[—]

[Novine]

Novine gives her an encouraging little smile that might have held a bit of uncertainty in it before continuing on toward the golden corridor at a rather mannerly pace, feeling all these eyes on her, pinning her in an almost suffocating yet intriguing way. She spared an idle thought to perhaps ordering them to do something to see if they would comply, but she thought better of it.

[—]

[Novine]

Novine walked on, trying to keep her composure, but the soft footsteps that followed behind her as she moved were unsettling, the silence, the pregnant reverence despite them not knowing her at all. She continued down the corridor, looking behind her occasionally in a slightly nervous sort of way, seeking out Luz and hoping she would know what to do.

[Luz]

[Novine]

She felt relieved as she reached the stairs, looking behind herself one last time before starting to climb up them. Her expression was one of mild worry, understanding somewhat what Raziel had meant by people wanting things from her. She had expected a few people to act a bit strangely, but this number was more than she expected. What had they been told? She didn't like being kept in the dark, and her conflict was apparently in her calm, glazed sort of look, climbing up the stairs but not exactly focusing on her immediate surroundings.

[Luz]

As promised Luz was waiting at the height of the staircase, already hunched over in her long bow.

“Did you enjoy your walk my lady?”

[Novine]

She sighs a bit and slumps her shoulders forward, happy to be away from all the eyes and relieved to be able to act how she wished without fear of messing something up. She was weirdly relieved to see Luz, some kind of strange feeling of comfort welling up in her chest and an odd compulsion to cling to her when traversing this place manifesting uncharacteristically.

“It was… enlightening I guess. I don't really know what they've been told about me so… it was weird. Someone asked me to do something for them and I didn't really know what to say.”

[Luz]

“I see. What did you expect?”

[Novine]

“I dunno… I guess just people muttering some kind of weird blessing and bowing when I passed or something, not to like… follow me around and kneel on the floor or cry.”

[Luz]

The woman moves a curtain near the wall she was standing by, revealing a door. Upon opening it, a familiar room with a long red bed and overly decorated with shiny furniture and ornate finery would become visible.

[Novine]

She gratefully made her way inside and moved toward the familiar bed, not having been here enough for this to feel like home, but enjoying the comfort of a familiar room. She boosted herself up onto the edge of the bed and dangled her feet, adjusting her robe awkwardly as the sashes and fabric got caught underneath her strangely,clearly not suited or used to these kinds of garments.

“So, what's the story about the Heiress? What do they think I can do for them?”

[Luz]

“That is not for me to say I’m afraid. The savior will be here shortly. Should there be tribute prepared?”

[Novine]

“Tribute? What d'you mean?”

[Luz]

“For the holy ones to consume.”

[Novine]

“I… don't know what you mean.” She stops her fidgeting, her body strangely calm and less fidgety, as if she was being hijacked with an overwhelming amount of misunderstanding.

[Luz]

“Food.”

[Novine]

“Oh!” Her body surges back into its usual fidgety nature, legs kicking off the side of the bed. “Yeah, Raziel probably will be hungry. I don't really need anything though.”

[Luz]

The woman bows again after a moment, a slightly cold air not quite matching her somewhat soothing voice.

“As you wish. I will leave your meditations then.”

She backed out of the room while holding her bow, closing the door behind her quietly as she departed.

[Novine]

Novine watched the woman's odd behavior, and as soon as she disappeared, she flopped back on the bed rather unceremoniously, closing her eyes in a sort of grumpy expression, reflecting on the annoyance of being expected to know what was happening and also withholding the truth of it all from her. She just sort stared up at the ceiling and made noises of annoyance here and there as she reflected on the injustice of it all.

[Raziel]

Finally, after several chimes played their strange song, Raziel arrived in her room. She was clad in her traditional robes, but appeared adorned with a ring of light above her head and behind her back. As she closed the door behind her, they faded away into nothing, accompanied by a tired sigh. She did not seem to even notice Novine as she threw off most of her robes and snapped her fingers, summoning what appeared to be a tiny flaming stuffed bear of sorts. She shook it playfully for a moment before her exhaustion seemed to take over, and she plopped onto the pile of robes on the floor, rolling around in a huff of irritation before settling face down on her stomach, groaning.

[Novine]

She spent her time rolling around, eventually kicking her shoes off and attempting to loosen some of the robes to make herself comfortable, snuggling up on Raziel's bed and trying to keep her mind occupied. It was in that state that she caught Raziel collapsing into the robe nest on the floor, sitting up and hopping down off the bed to kneel down beside her, her own loosened robes pooling around her.

“That bad, huh?”

[Raziel]

Her ears perked up a bit, and she (with amazing dexterity) was suddenly standing upright again, looking as regal as possible in her half-dressed state.

When she finally opened her eyes and saw Novine however, her facade quickly melted away into confusion.

“What uh….what are you doing here?”

[Novine]

She grinned brightly and popped to her feet, moving in to give Raziel a hug, hardly able to contain herself.

“I told you, I was trying to get in here for a long time so we could play! Or… well, you're probably tired, so we don't need to play. Father finally told me how to come, so I'm here! They're bringing food, or tribute or whatever. Wasn't sure if you wanted it… ”

[Raziel]

“No, I mean…”

She looked at Novine’s robes, growing visibly more upset.

“They saw you? They…but you don’t know scripture! They won’t leave you alone!”

[Novine]

“Yeah, they saw me and followed me around and stuff… I asked that tall lady what they think about me, but she wouldn't tell me so I'm kind of annoyed… It was weird, and I didn't really know what to do but… I wanted to see you, so I just did whatever I had to.”

[Raziel]

She puffs her cheeks out, but seems to get dizzy in the process, falling back down onto her robes.

“It’s…that stupid old man always doing stupid things!”

[Novine]

Her expression fades a bit and she lets go of her, stepping back. “But… I asked him to. I asked a lot of people to. I wanted it, so I don't think it's stupid. I mean, I can leave if you don't want me here I guess….”

[Raziel]

“You don’t get it…”

[Novine]

“I don't, 'cause no one ever tells me when I ask…”

[Raziel]

She shakes her head, standing up and puffing out her chest.

“So what do you want to play!? Or uh…how? We can’t play many games in here.”

[Novine]

“Oh! Well… I don't know… I guess we need to stay in here though. This place would be fun to play hide and seek in, but…. well, I understand that much. You don't get to play with people here much so is there something you've always wanted to do but couldn't? We could draw stuff… or do stuff with our hair… I dunno, I really play with people that much really.”

[Raziel]

“How about we….uh….”

She starts rubbing her head, looking more and more tired.

“What about stories?”

[Novine]

She grins widely and nods, scurrying over to Raziel's bed and hopping up on it, patting the sheets. “And if you're too tired, just let me know. I um… I can see why you would be. Do you wanna go first or should I?”

[Raziel]

“I’m not tired! I’m always fine. I was just…thinking about other things and got sleepy for a moment!”

“What kind of story do you want to hear?”

[Novine]

“Ummm… ” She thinks for a short time, trying to source some inspiration. “How about a story about princesses?” she suggests a bit sheepishly.

[Raziel]

“Hmmmm…a happy one?”

[Novine]

“Yeah!” she says enthusiastically, lounging on the bed on her stomach, kicking her feet back and forth as she cradles her head in her hands, elbows digging into the mattress.

[Raziel and Flemette]

She takes a deep breath, but before she can speak Flemette pops out of the wall, seemingly brimming with her bubbly energy.

“Ooh, I have a story!” Her outburst was quickly rewarded with a shrill “ Noooo!” followed by a golden fireball launched at her covered face. It did not seem to have much of an effect however, as the Miqo'te simply laughed and lifted one of her long sleeves, producing a basket of what appeared to be freshly baked cookies from the end of it before slinking away again.

“Anyway…”

She cleared her throat before picking up a sugar cookie and stuffing it into her mouth. “Oncef upon a thime, dere was…” She swallowed before continuing, “A princess who lived in a uh….house made out of cookies!”

[Novine]

Novine giggled at the two and didn't make a movie for the cookies, letting Raziel have them all. She nodded attentively.

“Does she look like you? Sounds like something you'd like! You'd probably eat it though,” she said teasingly.

[Raziel]

“No, she's not as pretty as me. She has pink hair, and chocolate colored eyes!”

“She was lonely alone in her cookie house, so she decided one day to make herself some friends. She cooked up one in an oven at first, and filled him with sugar so he would be sweet.”

“But he was too delicious, so she ate him.”

She chomps down on another cookie to demonstrate, getting crumbs on her cheeks.

[Novine]

Novine crinkles her nose and giggles on cue. “Could he feel it?”

[Raziel]

“Oh yes.”

[Novine]

“Ouch! Did he scream?”

[Raziel]

“He sure did! And all of his yummy filling spilled out everywhere. But that was messy, so she made another friend. This one was made of gumdrops.”

“She bit him, but he was too sour, and he made her ill. So she melted him into goo and threw him into the fire!”

[Novine]

“Obviously! He deserved it,” she commented animatedly, nodding her agreement. Even though the story was simple, she her eyes were wide with attention simply because she had the opportunity to hear the simple story, fully immersed in the reality that she was spending proper time with her sister for once.

[Raziel]

“Over and over again, she tried to make friends, and over and over again she found her efforts wanting. All of her friends were either too delicious or not delicious enough.”

“Eventually, the princess began to wonder if she would be alone forever. No matter what she tried, she just couldnt make the right friend.”

“Then one day, a princess from the land of cooked meats appeared. She had never had cookies before, and had never smelled anything sweet.”

“She smelled the cookie princess making new friends, and followed the smells all the way to her delicious house.”

“The meat princess began eating the cookie princesses house because it was so yummy, and the cookie princess thought that was very mean.”

“So swish! Wish! Pow! She turned the meat princess into a candy princess!”

Raziel took another bite of her cookie.

“The candy princess smelled and looked delicious. She shined and smelled better than any of the friends the cookie princess could make on her own.”

“But then the cookie princess realized: The candy princess was a meat princess, and a princess is a person!”

“Eating people is strange. So she resisted the rumbling in her stomach, and did not eat the candy princess.”

“Then they became friends and lived happily! The end!”

[Novine]

She laughed and gave Raziel polite applause before turning on to her back in a spread eagle position, gathering her hair to one side of her and fiddling with one of the braids. “Yeaaaah, eating people's pretty weird! I'm glad she realized it before she ate a good friend. Those are hard to come by, y'know! It's hard work making friends.”

She looked over to Raziel, still braiding a long lock in a fish-tail braid.

“Want me to tell one now? I'm better at listening to stories than telling 'em, but I'll try to make it good!”

[Raziel]

“Why not tell a story about things you've been doing?”

“You've been playing around with friends right?”

[Novine]

“Well yeaaah, sorta. Less playing with friends lately. I guess it doesn't feel like a story though. It's just what's been happening. I can just do that though I guess. Maybe try to make it sound exciting like a story?”

[Raziel]

“Well if you want, but anything really will be fun I think!”

“It’s okay if you can’t top my story. I’m amazing after all!”

She puffed out her chest again, and suddenly she didn’t appear quite as exhausted as before. The utter lack of energy hadn’t left her eyes in the slightest, but similar to how she was in Thanalan, she seemed completely devoted to imbuing her every word and action with energy.

As if to double down on this, she snatched up three cookies and promptly stuffed them into her mouth, appearing much like a chipmunk afraid of having its stash stolen.

[Novine]

She screwed up her face in concentration, trying to figure out a way to phrase it.

“Okay okay. Sooo once upon a time, there was a Princess who lived a pretty weird life. She used to be really really powerful, but she lived somewhere that wasn't real, so she worked really hard and got really strong so she could live life again. The only problem is that she remembered that she'd actually lived there before. She was really excited to see her friends and stuff, but when she got there, no one liked her. It was because the King who adopted her and made her a Princess was disliked by all her old friends, so they ignored her and didn't pay attention to her. But it was okay, because she had lots of other sisters, and there was a whole world to learn about and explore! So she was okay for a really long time.”

“She bugged the King a lot because she was really grateful to him, but he had a secret he was keeping and had to go away one day. He left her the kingdom even though she didn't feel ready to rule, so she kinda… ran away from it a bit because it was overwhelming. She also didn't know if he was gonna come back, so she was worried, and lonely.”

[Raziel]

“That’s not a very happy story.”

[Novine]

“Oh, I'm not done! So the King set up this assistant to help the Princess, and she was kinda overwhelmed and he was annoying, she went ahead and let him do what he wanted because she was sad. She was given an earring so she could talk to the King while he was gone so she did that a lot… Umm… OH!”

She sat up straight and looked at Raziel.

“The Princess one day was talking with her sister, the really pretty one who likes cakes, when something weird happened. She got sucked into her mind and had to liive a different life as a different version of herself. It was… um.. really scary, actually,” she admitted, her voice getting a little softer as she was vulnerable. “Apparently a piece of the thing that made the King go away got in her head and… and it almost won, but the pretty sister was there kinda, and the princess felt her helping along with some others and she was really powerful so she ended up being okay!”

[Raziel]

“Where is the thing now?”

[Novine]

“I dunno… I think it's gone though. It hasn't bugged her or anything and she hadn't felt weird . The only thing that's different with her is that she started forming crystals in her like the King and her sister. She didn't know if they were related or anything, but she's excited about that 'cause it feels like she's a true part of the family now! It felt like how she felt when she was experiencing that other life, where she was blood related to everyone.”

[Raziel]

She opens her mouth to respond, but the crystal in Raziel’s forehead suddenly flickers and she falls over, clutching her head.

“I guess it’s later than I thought.”

[Novine]

Novine crawls over to her with a bit of annoying difficulty due to the robes, the Lalafell eventually pooling the bottoms in her arms to free her legs from the cloth prison, dropping them only to place her hand on Raziel's shoulder in a concerned way.

“What's wrong? What does it matter how late it is?… You okay?”

[Raziel]

“Nothings wrong! Just….prayers coming in. Fine if I expect them but….I forgot.”

She forces a smile and chomps down another cookie.

“But you said you can come here whenever you want now?”

[Novine]

“Yeah.. I can…” she replies with a tinge of suspicious worry still in her voice, looking at Raziel long and hard before averting her gaze to her lap to absent-mindedly play with the end of her golden sash.

[Raziel]

“It’s um….nice! There are always snacks to eat, everyone does what you say, and everyone likes you!”

[Novine]

“Oh? You want me to keep coming then? I kinda thought you'd still prefer it if I wasn't. It's a bit weird here. Not bad or anything, but I just don't know why everything is the way it is exactly. Like knowing what the people think about me and stuff. We've not met, so why do they like me? That kind of thing.”

[Raziel]

“They like you because they revere you, and your position! To them, you are hope.”

[Novine]

“Oh! I guess I've heard Father say something like that… but someone asked me to do stuff. This kid, asking me to take their nightmares away. I dunno how to do something like that. I feel like a weird imposter I think.”

[Raziel]

“You don’t need to be connected. I’ll take care of it. It’s my role…”

[Novine]

“Is it extra though? I don't wanna make things worse for you.”

[Raziel]

“Nothing is extra for me! It’s what I was born for!”

She puffs out her chest again but the exhaustion was clearly beginning to show again. To conceal this, she stuffed yet another cookie into her cheeks.

“Yur muh lil shish anyway!”

[Novine]

“Well… Yeah, but… I'm getting stronger and bigger. You said so yourself, so… I can help you sometimes too, y'know? Sisters should share stuff sometimes right?”

She looked up from her sash which was crumpled and wrinkled from her working it, seeing the exhaustion, her eyes still a bit wide with her concern that she was having difficulty hiding.

[Raziel]

“You are helping! But this is my role. I’m the one that has to save everyone. But you are trying to save everyone out there right? If you make everyone safer outside, then it’ll be easier when I save everyone! But if you start doing what I’m supposed to do, it won’t work.”

She gives a smile very similar to her father before pulling Novine into a hug.

“Okay?”

[Novine]

Novine allows herself to be comforted by the hug quite easily, as if it was something she was craving and finally being given, holding Raziel close as if someone might take the opportunity from her to do it again in the future. Things like this and moments like this didn't tend to last in her life. But she closed her eyes and smiled in a contented way, nodding against her.

“Okay…yeah, that makes sense. Thing is, I'm not actually sure exactly what I'm supposed to doing to help out there but… I'll… figure it out I guess. If it makes it easier for you.”

[Raziel]

Raziel nods and reached for more cookies, but found them quite far beyond devoured.

“I’ve been having dreams about swords lately.”

[Novine]

Novine pulls away but sits rather close to her still, scooting over a bit to close the distance.

“Swords? What kinda swords?”

[Raziel]

“I dunno…some were on fire, and others weren’t.”

“Then the nightmare came back.”

[Novine]

“That's weird… do they look familiar? And what nightmare are you talking about?”

[Raziel]

“The swords look like all of you. Or what you are beneath the flesh. Three were burning, but your sword was only glowing. Like you had just been on fire and the metal was still hot. You were melting the ground.”

Her eyes glazed over

“I reached out to you, but before I could grab hold, the nightmare returned. The monster that tugs at hearts.”

Her eyes come to a low glow now, but she appeared to be in a trance of one sort. A tendril of light slowly traced a path out of her crystal, seemingly looking for a crystal to link to.

“I can fight it, but I can't stop it from chewing the swords. The metal is its favorite snack.”

[Novine]

Novine frowned a bit as Raziel started describing the nightmare, furrowing her brow as if trying to decipher its meaning herself, an impossible task really with the information given.

As Raziel fell deeper and deeper into her trance-like state, Novine quickly lifted her robes to free her legs so she could crawl away, remembering the experience she had last time she was alone with her. She looked frantic and panicked as she watched her sister carefully.

“What…. Are you talking about that Thing again? The Creature that's with Father? That Thing that was in me that I kicked out? What monster?”

[Raziel]

She jerked out of the trance, pinching her nose a bit.

“Sorry…head hurts. Anyway, what were we doing again? Magic practice?”

[Novine]

“No… Stories… talking about stuff. You were telling me about a dream you were having about swords. Something was coming out of your crystal.”

She was composed, perhaps relieved, but it was clear she was still pretty tense and on-guard.

[Raziel]

“I uh….I knew that! Was just testing you.”

She stared for a while.

“You look tired. Want to sleep together?”

[Novine]

It was time for Novine to feel more like she was the big sister between the two, noting Raziel's tiredness as she crawled back toward her nodding.

“Yeah, that'd be nice.” She managed a brave little grin, trying to push her worries away for now as they buzzed around in her brain before curling into a ball next to her and snuggling into a pillow.

[Raziel]

She makes a yay motion and kicks her legs before lying down. Rather than sleeping immediately though, she seemed intensely interested in watching Novine, scarcely blinking as she curled up next to her.

[Novine]

Novine's plan for sleeping involved a little bit of watching over Raziel so she found the sudden unblinking attention slightly unnerving, having no need of sleep herself.

“…What'cha thinkin' about?” she asked quietly after a few long moments of both of them just staring at each other.

[Raziel]

“Just glad you’re here.”

“Must be scary down there.”

[Novine]

She curled a bit tighter into her ball and nodded slowly, not really having felt comfortable admitting it around others.

“Yeah… Why can't things just… Leave us alone?” Her voice was soft, gentle and vulnerable, no edge and no anger in it.

[Raziel]

“Being a Princess isn’t always fun. People always want them to do what they can’t. Then they don’t like it when she does.”

[Novine]

“Well my problem is that no one asks me to do anything. They keep telling me to do my own thing, to stay out of it, to mind my own business, to not worry. And then the things I want to do apparently aren't good enough. I'm just… Getting tired of it.”

[Raziel]

“Who’s telling you what to do?”

[Novine]

“Well… F'loki tells me stuff I should do. Pipino tells me stuff I should do to make the people in the Crowns happier. Father just tells me what I'm doing isn't good enough without telling me what is. He was supposed to train me and stuff and then he went away and now I just… have all these people I can do stuff with. But then F'loki tells me it's too hard or it can't be done. People get all weird and suspicious when I tell them what I want to do when I'm just trying to save people, like you say. They think I'm gonna just… I dunno… destroy the world or something.”

[Raziel]

“Why let them tell you what to do then? They aren’t a princess.”

[Novine]

“I guess… but Father's a King though if we're princesses, right? I mean, I guess he's not telling me to do stuff.”

[Raziel]

“He’s a stupid old man! Weak and old and stupid! Did you know he can’t even make little cakes that look like me? He’s always off doing something stupid and getting hurt because he’s dumb. And he’s never around!”

[Novine]

“I dunno, he's smart too,” she says hesitantly. “He knows stuff, and he could help me do things, he just.. doesn't tell anyone anything and it makes me mad. Then he gets annoying when I get mad about and gets all pouty and stuff. Holds stuff over my head like he's got a grudge, and I never know how he's gonna react when I tell him certain things.”

She sighs and wiggles closer to her, still curled up in her little ball.

[Raziel]

“Just throw some fire at him!”

“He’s only acting like he knows things. But compared to grandmother he’s just embarrassing to watch!”

[Novine]

“Well he doesn't need to be the smartest. I don't really care about that. He's already told me he's not perfect. But stuff he does know, he should share. The truth's important.”

“And I'd throw fire at him but he seems to be really on this whole idea of me wanting to kill him or hurt him all the time, so I don't wanna make him think I do.”

[Raziel]

“Half dead is fine. At least he’s around then.”

She puffs out her cheeks and closes her eyes, silently fuming.

[Novine]

“That'd be nice… him staying around and all.”

She pauses before sighing again.

“Well…whatever, probably can't do anything about it. But I'll try to e around more if he's not. We can just do more stuff and he can miss out.”

[Raziel]

“Well you should try to get some sleep for now. Cant do anything if you’re sleepy!”

[Novine]

“I don't get sleepy,” she says defensively, squirming around a bit as she loosens her robes and shrugs out of some of the upper layers, tossing them aside onto the floor rather carelessly. She then closes her eyes anyway, getting the hint that Raziel is probably bored of talking about him.

[Raziel]

Raziel found her heavy eyelids too great a burden to bear after finally seeing Novine closing her eyes, pulling her close like a child clutching a stuffed doll and sighing in relief before quickly drifting off to sleep. Whatever rituals and labors she needed to do were, clearly they had taken much more out of her than she wanted to display to her sisters.

[Novine]

Novine grinned and allowed herself to be held close, not sleeping, but taking time to rest and recharge even so, keeping watch over her sister quietly and remaining as still as possible as the night passed.

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