#arc 002.

“ tell me about it. ” gods, he's exhausted. the fire crackles in front of them, and he sits with his legs pulled up to his chest. part of him wants to be alone with his thoughts, to try and make sense of the visions plaguing him, to try and discover exactly what he's done with the pledge he's made to save his sister's life. all of the visions showed the matron of ravens, and he assumes it's not a great omen. “ i'm ready for it to be over. how are you holding up? ”

her  gaze  is  towards  the  floor,  hands  clasped  behind  her  back.  she  resists  the  urge  to  look  up,  swallowing  thickly.  “have  you  ever  played  tic-tac-toe?  it  is  a  fun  game,  very  harmless.”  despite  the  fear  in  her,  she  gives  a  small  grin  ----  one  that  reaches  her  eyes  in  an  odd  way.  “i  have  also  played  go  fish.  would  you  like  to  play?”

❛ JUST HOW MANY PHOTOGRAPHS DID YOU TAKE? ❜ she laughed, thumbing through the stack, finding plenty of herself, more than what was necessary, no doubt. She turns a curious gaze to the woman she sits beside, blue eyes studious from beneath her platinum fringe --- she couldn’t help how SOFT she felt around Delphine. It wasn’t very common she was able to simply be herself, or trust that those around her sought no ulterior end. She, of course, still held her doubts, but if anything Delphine had proven herself loyal thus far. Quirking an eyebrow as she awaited a response, Lorraine began to smirk. 

“o-oh..?  hello.  i  am  mantis…”  she  greets  upon  her  entrance  to  the  common  room,  a  small  wave  and  crooked  smile.  “you  are..?”  she  was  familiar  with  children  being  apart  of  the  team  at  times  but  this  one  just  seemed..  younger  than  usual. 

“would  you….  be  willing  to  help  me  train  my  mind,  better?”it's  a  hestiant  question,  as  excited  as  she  is  for  the  challenge  of  breaking  through  a  wall-block,  she  isn't  sure  how  appealing  of  a  request  this  is  for  emma."you  do  not  have  to!  i  just..  thought..  you  would  be  the  best  at  helping…"

she  bites  back  the  grimace  she  wants  to  display.  as  much  as  she  tells  herself  she  doesn't  care  about  her  features  being  less  than  human,  she  knows  how  people  feel  when  seeing  her  for  the  first  time  —  or  multiple  times,  really.  “with  these  i  have  a  wider  range  because  they  sense  through  the  air.”  she  continues,  glancing  down  at  her  hands  now.  “but  through  touch,  i  am  able  to  experience  emotions  at  a  heightened  level  and  my  control  over  other  people  is  also  stronger.  that  is  how  it  works,  more  or  less.  how  does  your  arm  work?  it  makes  little  noises..  why?”  now  the  questioning  is  redirected  right  back  at  him.

there  is  a  hesitance  as  she  approaches,  small  cup  of  tea  in  hand.  she  brewed  it  herself,  chamomile  and  lavender.  her  own  favorite.  “you  seem  troubled,  dr.  strange….  may  i  be  of  assistance?”  she  holds  the  cup  of  tea  out,  tilting  her  head  in  greeting.  “what  is  the  matter?”

vax'ildan turns to look at her, lips pursed slightly. had it been so obvious? vex had noticed it, of course, but he'd expected that. he knew keyleth was observant, but he thought he was hiding it better. “ of course it isn't. ” he grumbles, turning to look at her. “ i'm having a hard time forgetting what happened to vex. i turned around for one minute, and percy let her die. i know she's alive, okay? you don't forget something like that. ” it had been just the two of them for so long — and he knows she knows that. it is weighing on him, too. it should be a good enough distraction for now. he doesn't particularly feel like sharing his visions with anyone right now.