narcissus adored...

"My light gives you light." A pause, a soft sniff, and the Empress nods again. She approves of this, as well, having needed to consider Echo's words but finding them almost immediately agreeable. "As it should... as for your uncertainty. I think that I know something of you, and it is that you will not simply adjust your schedule for outside factors. If it truly mattered to you, then you could be on time. Thusly... the issue does not arise from your tardiness, more your lack of care about that tardiness. In order to "be on time"... you must be a person who wants to be on time."

Rachella slips from her seat in the back of the truck and turns her eye toward where they'll be eating this afternoon. She listens, as well, to Emilia's theorizing about her own origin, and how that might reflect on the little mirror dogging her steps, hoping to reflect for long enough that the image of greatness burns itself into her. Oh, how she toils... seeking at every turn a shortcut, a workaround, lunging at any option that does not require her to be held to account.

The warlord will break her of this habit. Given time.

"Indeed. And it is through putting in the work that you will prove yourself worthy of such heights." This lofty decree is marred, somewhat, by the visceral reaction she has to the audiovisual experience of sticking her head into the venue. Loud. Raucous, frankly. Flashing lights, gaudy decorations...

Cause what did she mean 'She didn't care about being on time'? Emilia ... she - Well, she hated being late! She usually got demerits and looked at funny when she was late! Wasn't that the same thing??

DEEP BREATH OF FRESH AIR. She's all but forgotten her big dust up at the stadium by now. Promises of breaking bones and haunting civilians lost in the wake of that burnt plastic and shitty cheese smell rushing toward her.

Putting in the work? Sounds like a stone to be tied around her neck - Ah, no! Sounds like a stone to be tied around Tomorrow!Emilia's neck! Today!Emilia was basking in the light of her reward!

Hopping up and down on her feet, giddy like the inner child she'd never fully put away, and BEAMING up at Miss Rachella as she continued backing into the store, nearly bowling over the 'concierge' at the door.

❝ Fuck yeah, it does! I'm gonna go grab us a table, so we know where to reconvene when it's time to eat! Then I'm gonna get cards so we can play, aaaand do a little sweep for - ❞ Oh, wait! Quick turn around to grab hold of the concierge's arm, smiling bright in his face and ... quietly enjoying the look of concern blooming on his own.

❝ Is Kellan here today? ❞ There's a brief moment of silence. A shaky, fearful glance at the clock hanging above the exit, and then relief! Oh, tinged with poison.

'He's not right now, but his shift will start in about an hour.'

Xue sticks her tongue out in heartfelt fashion, unwilling to even entertain the notion of home not being where you're safe. She can appreciate the aesthetic, but getting surprised like that? Never be able to handle it. So she'd never set up something like that in the first place, because she's not dumb. Well- not dumb like that. There are a lot of things she's working on. "Ha ha ha ha ha- I dunno about all of that, but... it looks great in here."

Sin, as much as the warrior hates to admit it, has pretty good taste. Or, got this place from a guy who had good taste.

The temporary packmule nods, shifts Em's weight atop her, and forges onward. "Yeah. I don't drink either. Or do any drugs. Sometimes at my other job someone offers me a bump or something but I figure I got more than enough going on without also being all whacked out from whatever." Caffeine is her weapon of choice, and even that might be more habit than necessity. That and her favourite drink, the purple stuff. But that's not drugs.

"All right, upstairs. Let's go." Hup-two, hup-two. There's a lighter laugh when Em points out the connection between appetite and comfort, but she still looks a little embarrassed.

Squirming a little on Xue's shoulder, trying to make sure she could see the proper thumbs up she managed to contort herself to convey. Being the picture of all over it, and all.

❝ You being 'straight edge' makes so much sense, I feel like I already knew that about you. You definitely need to smoke weed with me at some point, just to get some of those demons out of your head, but beyond that? Fuck all the other stuff! Batman doesn't drink, and he's fucking Batman. ❞

Do not ask her who Batman is, Xue. She loves you too much to have to hate you so early on this gaycation she had already suffered for. Though, bouncing up and down on Xue's shoulder like this? Being close enough to taste her thoughts - well, the surface ones anyway? Maybe 'suffering' was too harsh. Almost felt like she was thriving.

❝ There's a whole guest house, and a worker's quarters too, this place is H U G E. ❞ Urge to hop off of her shoulder and do her 'host thing' fought, on the off chance Xue decided to drop her on a master bed somewhere... So, instead she resorted to pointing, listing, and categorizing from her perch.

❝ Six Bedrooms. Four of them have their own bathroom. The two BIG DOORS in the middle are master suites, with master baths, walk-in closets, the whole shebang! You, however, babe, should take the one on the left. ❞

Hang on. She needs to make an 'L' with her hand ... Ah!

❝ Nope, the other left. Across the hall. ❞ Right. ❝ Like, handmade for you. ❞

'Why's that?' Some might ask. "WELL!" Emilia would say, rolling her eyes and snickering condescendingly. "It's got a HUGE bay window with retractable covers and panes, so at the press of a button, Xue could literally JUMP from her bedroom out into the training yard, the pool, or even the trail toward the Island, with a running start!

Direct access to ALL the best spots, as well as an intercom system connecting to the worker's cabin, a literal WALL of weapons collected from all over the world, and — oh fuck... A huge oil painting of Sin('s last most favored form) wearing just a blue velvet cloak.

"Okay, good, that's good to hear." Not even any strain in her voice. Em could probably tack on a couple hundred pounds of density to her bones and not have any more effect than she has, her knight in cotton armour keeping up a gentle jog that's quick without being too jostling. This, too, is training, at least in a way. Hard to count how many times she's had to get out of somewhere in a hurry with a civilian on her back...

"Ooobviously we're gonna have to talk about why your cleaning lady would have instructions to freakin' shoot you with a shotgun sometime, but honestly, this house is incredible and I don't wanna do that right now." A reassuring pat to the part of Em's back that's currently being held in place against Xue, and she laughs, tone still chipper. "It's so pretty! And big! You could have a crazy fight scene in here. Double Dragon style!"

As ever, though, there are easy ways to distract her, and Em picked a good one. "Oh, man... well, I'm not gonna be getting into any wine, you can if you want... but I would love to make a pizza! I dunno what's here but I've always wanted to make pizza myself, like, put all the toppings on..." Another laugh, maybe a touch more self-conscious.

❝ So, Early 80s master assassin style, Sin set up a running... thing, I guess? With Ay. Where, like, every time she walked onto the property, Ay would have to try and 'kill her'. ❞

Air quotes, air quotes. Not because Ay was incapable of trying, but because if she really had to try, this whole island would be fucking rubble, ash, and a conspiracy theory on slower parts of the internet.

❝ I can hear your brain wrinkling. It's a lot sexier when she does it to Sin, trust. ❞ Plus, Ay never liked her anyway, so a lawt of the magic just didn't make it to air... wait, what'd she say? Didn't wanna do - Oh! Well.

❝ We're definitely gonna get you a big sweeping fight scene in here, dude. I'll have cameras flown in tomorrow. ❞

Couldn't use the ones already here, they were all like... forty-pound VHS-mounted bullshits.

❝ I don't drink, babe. ❞ She did. A lot, but that was purely for the social aspect. And the look, she looked fucking GOOD with a martini glass in hand. She'd look even BETTER tonight, martini glass in one hand, and a big ol' slice of HOMEMADE PIZZA in the other!

But, she didn't voice that. She - She was too busy staring at the side of Xue's face, watching the way her mouth moved. Watching her make sounds that weren't [ ... ] typical.

❝ Babe. ❞ A gentle pat to her incredible, rippling muscles, something like a laugh on her own lips. ❝ Your heart is right by your stomach. I know when you're having a good time. ❞

And then half a hug, wrapping Xue up as neatly, as honestly as she could.

❝ C'mon, let's go upstairs. You're gonna love the bedroom selection. ❞

A flaw of hers, as had been said by many of her instructors. Wanting to see the best in people, to take them as they purported themselves to be.

She finds the ground again within the depths of the alley, a few careful steps toward the blood-hued scene before halting gently, calmly a safe distance away from the surrendering woman.

❝ I've no desire to attack you. Should you remain peaceful and honest with me, there'll be no reason to. [ ... ] Might I ask for your name, and the crimes of the person below you? I would speak to you as a peer. ❞

This energy she was bringing to a once-peaceful conversation? Making Emilia's heart rate skyrocket, making her sweat up her designer kit? It was TOXIC, and if she were able to put a little more power in her legs without fear of falling onto her ass, she'd fucking TELL HER THAT!

One step back. It's all she can manage once this angel starts approaching. Must've missed the 'be not afraid' callout, 'cause -- Oh, God, give her a break!

❝ Peaceful? No problem, babe. I'm Emilia! They call me 'Echo' when they, uh - Well, when they wanna deny me my sense of self. ❞ Hehe. It's not funny at all, and she's not a nervous laugher, but now's not a bad time to start picking up habits and hobbies, right?

❝ Honest?? Hhh ... Uhh? He - Well, okay so I ... Fuck. ❞ Um? This should NAWT have been so hard to get out ! Breath comes in a little shaky, a very visible tremor to her outline as she reaches out - gently. oh so fucking gently - to the nearest building. She needed a little help.