.𖥔 ݁ ˖ Star Chaser

no matter. geo thrums at albedo's fingers, glimmering with a promise to protect. first, though, he weaves to allow one of the mercenaries—seid, he believes—to slash at all three meks at once. the gruff man tosses him a knowing look before leaping back out of the way, and albedo whistles shrilly into the skies. on cue, crystalline thorns of ice form and pierce through the meks.

when albedo raises his glowing palm, it is both a signal to his mage apprentice and the opening of phanerozoic. darian withdraws with a little cheer, and albedo throws down his hand with finality.

within the golden radius of his isotoma, and before the meks can wrest themselves from their glistening cage, transient blossoms blast right through the cryo skewers and send all three reeling backward.

snap, snap. somehow through the raucous of battle, gloved fingers click twice in succession, and that is more than enough for the meks to spin their focus on him.

Metal on porcelain clinks once, twice, as she finishes stirring her coffee, her case folded into the seat she’s sat on once more as she takes small, quick sips for a taste of her drink. Bitter. Just how she likes it. She takes another sip of her drink, golden eyes sweeping through the battlefield before halting at their poor wounded Mercenary.

Right. She supposes it’s only right for her to take her turn.

She’d worried about it first—if this was meant to be a separate world, a dream, or a splice of reality of some sort, how was she meant to call forth her ray from the skies? But ah, she’d been in this same situation before, hadn’t she? And even in the Dreamscape, she could still use most of her arsenal.

With a small smile on her lips, she finishes her drink, and from above them the darkened cloud parts as though to make way for the trail of golden light that falls from the stars. The ground beneath them shakes the moment it falls against their foes, its force rippling outward in waves of burning heat. Swift on her feet, the Navigator is quick to follow the fiery waves with another swing of her saw cutter, case folding from one form to the other, extending outward to the very same structure others have been attacking. Again, the blade bursts into flames, sparks of molten metal spreading outward to the rest of the Meks.

She makes a move for another attack, though like before, she misses, with the clockwork quick to retaliate with both of its own.

An exasperated huff, her shoulders slumping when she finds the crystallized energy around her had protected her from its kicks.

…Perhaps it’s time for her to join the kids in their friendly fights.

lightning crackles across the battlefield in miss acheron's wake. he is nowhere close to half the fighter she is—and there is part of lyney that simply wishes to watch and learn, to play the part of a captive audience as her blades cuts its bloody path. but he is no helpless prince in need of saving. fire swirls around a gloved hand as his fingers curl into a fist. he exhales.

then, a blur of fire and smoke shoots through the path miss acheron had carved, prince wreathed in fire scattering cards where he goes as he sets the world ablaze. here, a cheeky smile and wink as he passes the ‘mercenary.’ a call of, “now, allow me to take the stage!” and when at last flames fade as he skids to a stop at the end of his pyro trail, the magician takes his bow and every discarded card catches fire all at once to react with sparking electro.

for a moment, the world is bright and blinding.

then the ground rumbles in its wake, echoed by the roar of a monster as rocks spike up jaggedly from the floor. lyney twists out of the way, right into the path of an angry lawachurl instead. but his eyes only have a second to widen a fraction in alarm before an ever-familiar cat-in-a-hat bounces into the swing of its strikes instead, all smiles and cheer.

the carnage left in their wake is near unbelievable, but even in his brief time with the respective each of them, has albedo had any reason to doubt? no; they are reliable people, and he is glad to be on their side.

lyney bows from his stage and albedo cannot possibly shine as brilliantly as him, but he can certainly put on a show of his own. where he had been flame, albedo is ash, and the solar isotoma descends upon their last two foes in time for albedo to throw forth another explosion of geo.

golden blossoms hit both lawachurls. then one, two, three and four in rapid succession—they are as relentless as he is for the truths of teyvat. when those blossoms dim, too, albedo is already diving through them to slash at the axe wielder twice. both swings of his sword strike true; the lawachurl has just enough breath left to lunge at albedo, but before it can hit—whoosh!

Or so she thinks, at least. Being wrong is something she's more than welcome to in such a situation, but that strange void at their side leaves her dismally expectant.

[ The sooner they end this, the better. ]

From one burst of geo to another, a call of "Starfall!" announces her entrance. The Lawlachurl stumbles from the impact of the shuddering earth, and Lumine takes the opportunity to leap from her meteorite and carve into the already weary creature. It is, unsurprisingly, not quite the fan of that, though any blow it aims to return is wiped away by the feline that flourishes across the battlefield just in time to spare her.

She can't help that breath of a laugh that escapes, something between surprise and relief, as she finds her footing. Her gaze flickers from the cat that skips away to its flame-wielding owner, a nod, before she charges back towards the beast again.

There is only one way to engage a Lawlachurl: unyieldingly, steadfastly, as the Stonehide themselves. These are not foes that fall easily, obvious now as it is the last obstacle standing, nor do they intend to go down without a fight. For every swipe of her blade, it counters just as harshly, all claws and rage -- but still, she comes back for more.

Save for that final blow. The rock-hard uppercut is hardly deflected by the attempted guard of her sword, and instead she's sent backwards in much the same way she'd done to the Lawlachurl in the first place. Vengeful, isn't it?

How lucky, if so. Although she’s not truly defenceless, Himeko’s never been one to favour combats over peaceful talks—not that there’s any chance of that, considering the monsters they’re currently facing.

Rising from her seat, she grabs her case, which snaps back into its original form with a sharp click. A press of a button extends it outward, revealing the deadly gleam of its molecular saw. And with a swing of her arm, the saw roars to life, harshly spinning against the monster’s hardened, stone surface until flame bursts from its blades. The strike lands true, carving through the monster’s stone-like body—but her next two attacks go wide.

Despite its massive stature, the creature is surprisingly quick to retaliate. Its enormous fist barrels toward her—only to be intercepted by Lyney’s adorable cat, leaping to her defence with uncanny precision. The next two strikes follow in rapid succession. She raises her arms instinctively, bracing for impact, but both blows are deflected by the shimmering crystallized element encasing her like an invisible shield.

A soft chuckle escapes her lips when she finally lowers her arms. There’s still so much for her to learn and study once they’re freed from this nightmare.

Is that what this director wants? To break and bind them entirely? She shivers at the thought.

"I'm guessing our 'director' will be pretty unforgiving, for this finale." A glance at the soldiers on their side -- faces she feels she knows, and yet does not. It doesn't matter, she decides, because they're all standing together at the finishline.

he inhales, exhales, then opens his mouth to speak. “this war will end here,” lyney declares, expression falling sober. “this is not the time for long speeches. i am sure we have all known loss. but we have also found the strength to march on despite it. for our friends, or families, or lovers...”

lyney clenches a fist. “...this kingdom will be freed!”

It’s quite cruel how they hold much of these people’s trust only for their leaders to be unable to open up to them and do the same. It’s these soldiers who suffer the most with each loss, who celebrate the most with each victory, yet they’re the ones most clueless as to the true nature of this war they’re fighting for.

Her attention drifts to Lyney, and she offers him a subtle nod, acknowledging the truth hidden within his words. This war, this godsdamned stage, may have been written for them already, but their will belongs to them alone. No amount of script or unseen hand can ever dictate their hearts, nor shall she ever allow another to control their lives any more than they already have.

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Symptoms: When prodded, multiple station staff expressed feelings of déjà vu and hints of repetition throughout the day. Several recurring conversations with station personnel and researchers have been noted, with specific dialogue and actions repeated word by word. Specific events and conversations seem to reset in intervals, following a few certain patterns—most notably after power fluctuations or mechanical failures. Exact time of reset seems to be at random.

Hypothesis: A curio may be forcing a temporal loop, trapping personnel in the same day.

Himeko’s gloved hand tap, tap, tapped on the screen of her tablet, her brow furrowing as she hummed in thought. She had read through her findings for what felt like the hundredth time, each pass only making the theory seem more absurd. To be trapped in the same day, to be forced into a never-ending loop… It felt like a thing for movies, yet every clue only led to it.

She scrolled further down her notes.

Symptoms: Staff report of gaps in memory regarding previous conversations, tasks, or interactions from earlier in the shift. Several personnel show symptoms of exhaustion and confusion as they struggle with their tasks, resulting to a noticeable decline in morale and productivity. Some staff have expressed the feelings of “time dragging on” and feeling as though they were “stuck”, especially around routine tasks.

Hypothesis: Mental and emotional exhaustion caused by repeated resets, leading to high turnover and staff reassignment requests.

A curio with the capability to manipulate time or memory may be responsible. Further investigation is required to isolate and contain the suspected device.

She heaved out a sigh and pinched at the bridge of her nose, trying to steady her thoughts. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but the coincidences were starting to pile up. If this truly was the work of the curio, then she would have to find it and isolate it before the next reset, lest she wake up in the same loop with very few memories of her current findings. And if so…

The doors behind her hissed as they slid open, followed by a few steps, just as she remembered they would. Glancing down at her device’s digital clock, she pursed her lips into a thin line. 10:17am. Just like last time.

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This time, there would be no distractions—at least, she hoped not. Herta had expressed her reignited interest on the Cadence Glass, though, as usual, she’d only given very little reasons and a mix of half-explanations when inquired why. Himeko had learned long ago not to press too hard when dealing with her eccentricities, and besides, she owed it to scientist for having failed her the first time.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of light footsteps approaching. Turning, she saw the Express’s endearing conductor, waddling toward her. “Himeko, your guest has arrived,” they chirped, their ears twitching with excitement. “I don’t know how you’re always so calm when strangers board the Express. I’d be on edge if I were you!”

Ah, right. She’d initially expressed her worry that she may have to fulfil this request on her own at first, only for Herta to cut her short.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already arranged an escort for you. She’ll join you on the Express before you set off.”

Was all she said, providing her, yet again, with little to no details.

“Thank you, Pom-Pom,” she replied, smoothing the fabric of her coat as she followed the conductor out of her room. “And don’t worry; Herta trusts them enough to have them escort me. I’m sure they're someone trustworthy.”

Pom-Pom gave a skeptical huff but refrained from voicing further concerns, though, it wasn’t until Himeko stepped into the Parlor Car that she fully understood the source of her dear conductor’s apprehension—

Firefly of the Stellaron Hunters.

A quiet chuckle slipped past her lips, accompanied by a gentle, resigned sigh. How typical of Herta, she mused. Reputation, good or ill, mattered little to her so long as someone could deliver results.

“something is...strange,” lyney says as they make their way to the camp's makeshift stables. it is hardly his most intelligent observation, but it is one he feels the need to voice nonetheless. a glance toward miss himeko, a curious tilt of his head. “for one, i'm afraid we've never met before today, miss himeko—surely i would have remembered someone like you. and yet i feel as though i have known you a long time.”

“and another,” he continues, voice lowering as they enter the stables proper to greetings all around, “i have never seen horses like these, and yet i somehow know they are called pegasi.”

to a magician who is used to deceiving others, to be the one deceived instead is disconcerting. and to not know how it was done even more so. this is exactly the kind of trick that lyney hates—magic should be entertaining, fantastical. its purpose is to bring joy and inspire awe. it should be neither distressing nor invasive. as a magician, it is simply something he cannot abide by.

lyney shakes his head. “but let's discuss it further when we've reunited with the others. we're here.”

the woman stands hastily at their approach, trying to quickly wipe away her tears. it almost makes him feel guilty for interrupting. “your highness... and the advisor and mage general, too...” she says, bowing. “welcome to the stables... how may we help you?...”

“ah—please, there is no need to rise on our account, may.” he offers a sympathetic smile, gesturing for her to sit. “in fact, i meant to ask if there was anything i could do for you.” lyney's gaze drops to the feathers in her hands, expression dimming a little. “and offer my condolences as well. i know the pain of loss well.”

may's gaze follows his to the feathers, and he regrets the gesture all at once as her voice becomes quiet. “thank you, your highness… i…” she shakes her head, but it does nothing to clear the new tears gathering in her eyes—quite the opposite, in fact. “i still feel a bit bad… you lost so much recently… your father was… and here i am, weeping for an animal…”

she inhales sharply before continuing. “we pegasus knights, we choose a partner for life, and the bond we forge with pegasi is supposed to be irreplaceable. when the knight dies, the pegasus is usually released… and when the pegasus dies, the knight often… chooses to retire…” her voice falters at the end.

“but i can’t do that now, can i… we’re at war, and fighting from the skies is all i know…” finally, whatever resolve she still has begins to crack, and the tears stream down her face. “to continue to fight, i have to… i have to replace bluey…”

“nonsense, may.” miss himeko guides may to sit back down and wipe her tears; lyney offers her a grateful smile for it. “all of us lost so much, but this does not mean that yours is much less than anyone else's. you’ve lost something irreplaceable—a partner, a friend, a family member. bluey wasn’t just an animal; he was a part of you.”

miss himeko's hand squeezes the knight's. “i am sure the prince would agree when i say there is no need for you to force yourself into battle so soon. you deserve the right to mourn and take care of yourself.”

his father, huh... it is lynette's absence that threatens to tear him apart more than anything else. they had just been together at the festival before this—was she part of this production too? or did they merely use her name for the realism of it? lyney shakes his head. those are thoughts best contemplated another time. “it is as miss himeko says—grief isn't a thing to be weighed against another's. if i lost rosseland—” and here, his hat seems to rise just a little, a pair of curious eyes peeking out with a meow? he laughs softly. “—i'd be beside myself with grief, i think.”

a nod in agreement follows himeko's statement. “please, do what you must. before you are a soldier, you are one of my people. you will always have a choice—i will not force anyone to fight in this war.”

Still, despite her many worries, she voices none of it for now. There’s little else to grasp other than the unsettling truth before them: they’ve been thrust into a new reality, like characters in a fantasy movie, with roles they’re expected to fulfil.

Himeko despises nothing more than bloodshed and war, and as she listens to May’s raw, unguarded sorrow, she silently curses whichever gods cast them into this place, their words nothing but a temporary salve to the knight’s aching heart. Beside her, Lyney’s gentle reassurance and Albedo’s steadying words joins in to form a blanket of support around the grieving knight as they consider her request:

“I appreciate your concern, and your offer… But to me, your kindness is the very reason why I should do my best to keep going.” May says to them, sniffling one last time. “If I may boldly ask a favor… Would you perhaps… help me choose a new mount?”

“I'm certain his highness and my lady will help you pick a fine mount. In the meantime, may I see those for just a moment? I'd like to form them into something easier for you to keep.” Albedo answers, gesturing to the feathers in May’s grasp.

To which, their Prince responds with a playful, “Leaving all the work to us, Mage General? Were you not the one who asked to accompany me?”

“My dear Prince,” Albedo volleys back, something equally sly in his eyes, “I simply have full faith in your discerning eye. Make no mistake: I would not leave your side for the world.”

Lyney laughs quietly, shaking his head. “Fine. Let your clever tongue charm your way out of it, then. I'll allow it just this once.”

Albedo’s request seems to have shaken May, even if only for a moment, eyes casting down at the feathers in her hand.

“Um…” She considers the matter briefly, not entirely willing to—even temporarily—part with all she has left of Bluey. However, the kindness she has received so far could never possibly be repaid with a show of distrust. And so, she carefully hands them over, making sure not a single one of them falls to the ground.

The familiarity—and, dare Himeko say, intimacy—between the duo’s exchange doesn’t seem to be lost to May either, and as she, at last, hears May giggle, Himeko’s own lips soften into a small smile.

“I may not be as informed as a pegasus knight, but I have enough knowledge that I should be able to help. But of course, the final choice is always with you, May.”

“Oh, it shouldn’t be anything major. Just…” She hesitates for a second, but then continues as her eyes turn to the available pegasi gathered before her. “Pegasi are very intelligent, and they can understand emotion. If I am to find a new partner, I cannot approach them as a crying mess who they know doesn't want to do this. Please, help me and them both… stay calm. I don’t think I could do this alone.”

“How about this,” Himeko begins, careful, as she asks, “Tell us a little more about Bluey—what was he like? What made him unique? Maybe, if we understand your bond with him, we can help you look for similar qualities in a new partner.”

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In his mind he withdraws for a second. He stabilized his shock after his duo pinched the bridge of her nose and pondered. He did get the prompts correct, yes? He's sure it read the royal partner, ambiguous but romantic could have been one interpretation. Other than the decade-long perceived closeness of these characters, Ratio had little to go on. He's had colleagues he's known since his younger years, some nearing a decade in the coming years, but as acquaintances. His expression soured minutly at having to clear up this role using rhymes, but he quickly moves on.

The corner of Himeko’s lips twitched into a small smile, one she hurriedly bit back lest their audience would notice. “A joke, huh…” She trailed off, suspicion still clear in her voice as she narrowed her eyes at her partner. “Well, if you say so…”

Ah, so the ‘something seriously wrong’ written on the piece of paper handed to her was meant to be the result of an experiment gone awry. What an interesting role her co-actor had landed with, indeed, and she could only but wonder if all his words—these rhymes of his—were ones he’d prepared beforehand, or ones he came up with as he went.

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[GHWhWhWh 2024] When he had heard of what he must do, he felt his lips tighten at the edges. He was clever with his words and knew already how to potentially start, but the silliness he was bound to show to one of the Nameless outside of their resident jokester sent a bit of his courage down the drain. But he stands on the stage, and he gestures to his partner as he starts them off. The show must go on, he's too vain to slow down now. "Dearest friend, it's good to see you attend such an event to see me. It's been so long since we've met, and I'll assume that the fret and beset of my current linguistics is backset." He tried to make a cohesive sentence without coping out of simply making the final word his rhyme. Although stilted, he does keep a cadence almost rhythmic to match his few words. "Miss Himeko, I do hope this doesn't damper our clamour to share our cursory anniversary. It's been, what, a decade we've stayed friends?"

The next setting had worried her at first—though she may have had many suitors, Himeko had never truly had an experience in celebrating a romantic anniversary with a lover, but Dr. Ratio had surprisingly made it easy for her to go with that flow; the red-haired biting back the urge to snicker and laugh at his odd display before hurriedly getting into her role of, well… A concerned partner, for one, eyebrows meeting to the middle as she eyed the man from head to toe.

“Friend…?” She trailed off with a whisper, her voice filled with disbelief. “I—Honey, this whole time—” She cut herself off, taking a seething breath in as she pinched the bridge of her nose and made an act to massage the growing headache there.

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what she has done is disappear, of course—and she will have her audience keep believing that.

her 'student' continues to play the part well. if voices alone conveyed gestures in full, lynette's would be nodding as it echoes in the room, along with the music:  "one, two, and..."

POOF!

bright violet smoke bursts before himeko, seemingly out of nowhere, and when it clears:

"see? i knew you could do it."  scruffy wizard lynette says in the flesh, reaching to stroke her beard again with a hand that isn't there. ...oh?

it's not there. her hand. and lynette raises her arm, allowing the hemp robe sleeve to slide past her elbow. sure enough, the rest of the arm remains—just not the pesky hand.

“ M-My goodness! I am—I am so sorry, master! ” The clumsy apprentice cried at the sight of her teacher’s missing hand, hands scrambling through her spellbook’s pages while mumbling to herself. “ I-I can fix this—yes. Just the hand. Just the hand. Of course. ”

Raising her free hand, she began casting the next spell. Hand restoration. Nothing too difficult, surely, and with this she can prove that she was no longer a novice wizard!

In an instant, another puff of bright violet smoke appeared, and Himeko froze as she watched Lynette’s hand reappear. Thank goodness! A wide grin curled from her lips, eyes shifting up to meet her master’s and—oh. Oh dear, that was not supposed to happen. Her master’s nose, once an adorable, smooth button, had transformed into a round, tomato-red clown’s nose!

A feint snicker rose from the audience, while Himeko herself comically gawked at the sight before her.

“ Oh, no, no! I’ve got it this time. Really! Just a small tweak… ” Desperate to set things right, she hurriedly mumbled another spell.

The audience held its breath as another violet burst erupted, leaving the stage covered in lingering wisps of coloured mist. Lynette’s hand was restored, and her nose, thankfully, was back to its original form… but now, perched on her head, were two rounded mouse ears instead of her usual cat-like ones.

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when the lights break, lone spotlight beaming upon her hunched, cowled frame, lynette lifts her head... and strokes her long, white beard.

"don't worry. you're my student, after all," a scruffy voice rumbles from the full, hairy prop(?). the mist billows higher, higher, fogging the entire stage blue until the snap of someone's fingers—

"ta-da."

But then she remembered her role—the novice apprentice of a master wizard, who could hardly remember any spells and may have just made her master disappear for good!

“ Oh! Uhm… ” Her amazement quickly morphed into a look of theatrical panic, her gaze darting around as if hoping her master would reappear on her—his?—own. “ M-Master? I um, ” she stammered, her voice trembling as she wracked her head for the spell required to bring her teacher back. What was it again? Oh dear, oh dear.

Hurriedly, she glanced down at her spell book, trembling hands sifting through pages upon pages.

“ Got it! Let’s see um… ” A deep breath in, shoulders rising and, raising her hands, she squeezed her eyes shut.

Once again, a few melodic notes played to indicate the casting of a spell, tempo rising and rising until POOF!

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“ Okay, okay, okay, ” She murmured to herself, turning to her partner at last. “ It’s just a spell! I’ve got this. We’ve got this! And when this is over no one shall ever dare disobey your words. ” Her tone held a forced confidence, and even she wasn’t convinced by it, what with that wobbly smile of hers that barely masked her own uncertainty, but the wizard knew she needed to push through.

With a deep breath and clumsy push of her glasses back up, she closed the book, whispering a quick “ Ready? ” before raising her hands and tracing out a supposed pattern in the air.

On cue, a deep, eerie melody rang throughout the theater, lights slowly turning into deep blue as soft mist rose from the floor, swirling around the novice wizard’s feet and then—! 

At Himeko's cue, Bailu widens her eyes.

"A friend?"

She looks down at where her and Himeko's hands meet, then back up to the navigator's bright, golden eyes. There is a click that sounds, and the stage lights begin to shift once more, converging into their spot onstage and training intensely on the both of them. Bailu rises to her feet, then begins to walk to the other side of the stage. The lights split—a warm glow remaining on Himeko, and a white spotlight following Bailu.

My powers leveled mountains and made deserts into seas I've laid waste to countless empires and put cities to siege So though I'm happy to give you help and try not to drag things— It feels a waste to be a friend, when I'm a Hydro Dragon!

She unclips the gourd that had been hidden beneath her cape then, with a great sweeping motion, she sends an arc of water flying over the stage. Before it can hit the ground, she closes her eyes and—poof! It all turns into a cloud of mist. Bailu turns to Himeko, now standing at the opposite end of the stage.

I can brew your tea alone and trim the roses too! Oh, mademoiselle, please worry not there's nothing I won't do I just want to be useful again to save this little town! I've grown to be so obsolete It feels like I might drown!

Bailu is beginning to sweat—there's a light sheen over her horns. The lights are hot, and the songs are wordy… she'd love nothing more than to take a fat nap in the dressing room once this was over.

As Bailu struck her final “superhero” pose, gourd in hand and expression fierce, Himeko tilted her head, letting the silence linger for a beat before she responded right on cue, the piano’s pace shifting to better suit her lines. Whoever it was behind the keys, they were certainly doing a wonderful job.

A gentle hand on her chest, as though deeply moved by the dragon’s story, and a step forward into the warm glow of her own spotlight, Himeko began,

“ Oh, my dear dragon… such courage, such strength, ”  She began moving to the center of the stage to meet with her co-actress. “ Your powers are great, your strength unmatched. You’ve conquered storms and turned the tides… but here, no battle need be fought. Not when kindness and a friend’s hand could mean so much more. ”

The piano swelled softly, picking up her tone as Himeko’s voice eased into song:

A hero’s heart is noble, but friendship can be even more— What stronger power could there be than one who’s kind and sure? You say that you’d level mountains, that the seas obey your call, But all this lady needs, my dear, is a friend, that’s all.

Darling, power does not lie in strength and deeds alone— There's no need to help this town all on your own. The world could use a hero, but darling can't you see? Heroes alas, They come and go. But those who we befriend and love shall linger, As our memories together grow.

As her voice faded with the last notes, Himeko extended her hand, meeting Bailu’s wide-eyed gaze with a smile that was both kind and hopeful. “ My dear dragon, ” she continued softly, letting her hand linger in the air, awaiting for acceptance, “ you’ve done so much already. You don’t need to be a hero to be needed here. Sometimes, just being a friend… just being there, is all the power one could need. ”

The lines she had were quite… Cheesy and cliched, she’ll admit, and if there was a hint of red that peppered across her cheeks, her script would be to blame for it, but the Navigator couldn’t help but think it true at the same time. Hopefully, their target audience could learn from this. She chuckled softly to herself. All this, just because the gardener did not want the little lady to meddle with her lawn any longer.

"All by yourself? Why, that is nonsense, madam! I am strong enough to help you a thousand more days!"

She makes her triumphant declaration, looking out into the audience area. She lets her words linger in the air for a moment, for impact, then steps up onto the platform to share Himeko's light. Upon seeing her bent knees, Bailu quickly puts herself under the lady's arm and hoists her upward—as much as she can hoist given her stature, anyways.

"You are lonely, madam. Your body—" she pointedly looks at Himeko's legs, "—has failed you, and so has the rest of the world. Your garden no longer blooms. Your flowers, your bushes… they are very misérables. But you don't have to live like this. Not when I'm here…"

 After her line, there is silence. Blue eyes shift nervously around. Had she gotten the cue wrong again? Before she can throw another line in a panic, a lone piano note plays. Bailu nods, then takes a deep breath. She begins to sing.

Life in our little town has never been so kind We live through bad days everyday and say that we don't mind. But in our hearts we know the truth, we know the things we feel! So don't say no, dear mademoiselle— your 'no' cannot be real!

Oh. Oh. There was not much choice, was there?

She took a slow breath, willing herself not to cringe. Her eyes shut briefly in a silent prayer that hopefully, none of her Nameless companions were in the theater. Reluctantly, she lifted her chin, letting her voice start softly, almost as if testing the waters, as she took in the rhythm of the piano’s melody.

You say I look so weary, that my steps are slow and small,

A wince, though she’d push through, finally sparing her little co-actress from struggling any further as she stood back up, taking the young lady’s hand in her own instead so she could lead them around the stage—her barren garden, so to speak, just as she continued singing.

And that flowers here have faded in this broken, lonesome sprawl… But oh darling, can’t you see?  I’ve known many days like this,  These flowers may be wilting, and the sunlight may seem shy,  But I know how to tend them, let my spirit—

Playing along with her line, she placed her hands underneath Bailu’s arms and carefully lifted her to sit on the ledge of her garden as she sang, 

—lift them high.

At last, the tune of the piano seemed to slow down, nearing its interlude, perhaps.

I’ve never needed help before,  I don’t need another’s hand to help me through the door.  But if you insist, then I must say,  Perhaps a friend is all that I need today.

The piano played softly as she transitioned back to spoken word, the melody gently fading into something soothing and relaxed. She stepped closer, holding both of Bailu’s hands now, her smile warm and inviting.