Nill retracts her hand and lets it fall back to her side, unbothered by the lack of response.


Vesta grimaces slightly at Storm’s questions and shifts closer to Tristan.

=11pt“Yes… well.” She exhales through her nose. =11pt“After the incident with the Baroness, I decided it would be best to take a break for a while. Put some distance between myself and…” she gestures vaguely towards the city. =11pt“All of this.”=11pt She hesitates, then glances back to Storm. =11pt“Were you looking for me? If so, I apologize. I sent a letter to Zuigrii informing him where I’d be if anyone needed me, but he’s always so busy. I suppose I should have informed you as well.”

Her hands move expressively as she speaks.

=11pt“I’ve been spending the past few months with my Queen and her clan. And staying with Tristan’s family as well. Just… decompressing.” =11pt Vesta lets out a soft, awkward chuckle, her shoulders drooping a bit. =11pt“Hero life just isn’t for me…” she admits quietly. =11pt“It’s too much sometimes.”=11pt
Nill’s head tilts as she looks between Storm, Vesta, and Tristan in turn, studying each reaction with unnerving focus. She doesn’t speak. She doesn’t blink. And the longer the silence stretches, the more Vesta shifts under the scrutiny.

Vesta leans towards Tristan, lowering her voice to a whisper and speaking in the Tovi tongue. =11pt“It’s honestly kind of freaking me out that her face hasn’t changed once this entire time…”

Straightening, she pastes on a smile and claps her hands together.

=11pt“But enough about that!” She beams at Nill, a little too brightly. =11pt“Nill, are you here to join our ragtag team and help solve the famine? Please say yes, I’m dying over here.”

Nill turns slightly and gestures towards Storm.

=11pt“I must be doing the paying back of Storm. So I will be doing the fighting. And the helping with the waking of Saige.” She shakes her head once. =11pt“You are having the dying? Do not.”

Vesta blinks.

=11pt“Oh- that’s… It’s just an expression. I’m not actually dying.” She drops her voice to a murmur. =11pt“Right now, anyway...” =11pt Her gaze returns to Storm, brow knitting with concern. =11pt“What exactly is the situation here? I’m a bit… confused.”

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