Nill is crouched a few feet away from Storm, rolling a small black die across the dirt with careful concentration. She glances up as Vesta approaches, before dropping her gaze back to the die, uninterested. When Storm asks what’s wrong, Vesta bursts into tears. They start flowing down her cheeks, and she drags the heel of her hands across her face, visibly irritated with herself at being unable to keep it together.

“I’m sorry- I’m sorry,” she rushes out, voice wavering. “I’m trying not to be so… dramatic, I just-”  She hiccups. “I just don’t have anyone else to talk to. Tristan got taken to Forsetidale by the knights, and I can’t get into the manor to see Edgar, and I obviously can’t talk to Jade right now, and I was up crying all night and I just can’t-”

The sentence collapses under another wave of tears. Her shoulders hitch as she struggles to steady her breathing.

Nill looks up again. Her expression stays flat, but her wings give an awkward, unsettled twitch.

“I… will go do the helping of Cassia,” she announces quietly.

Without waiting for a response, the pixie gathers her die and scampers off, disappearing around the nearest structure. Vesta shakes her head quickly, as though embarrassed to have caused a scene.

“I just… I thought maybe I could talk to you,” she says, her voice smaller now. “But if you don’t want to deal with me, I can just go back-”  Her words falter. “I-I’ll be okay by myself. I just…”

Her arms fold tightly around her torso, shoulders trembling as she stares stubbornly at the ground, unable to meet Storm’s eyes.

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