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[cache_coeur]

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”Allô, mon amie! Je ne suis pas disponible pour le moment, mais laissez-moi un message et je vous rapellerai dès que possible! À bientôt!”

CODING

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[twin_blade]

[ That smile is incredibly disarming. Vax is pretty sure she knows it, too. ]

Are you sure? It's not much to look at.

[ Vax never did anything to make it feel like a home, but it's a place to rest his head. ]

[cache_coeur]

[Does she ever. Her eyes are still smiling at him even when she lifts her glass to drink.]

I'm sure I've seen worse.

[twin_blade]

[ At least he can say his place is clean. ]

Well then, you are welcome any time. I don't want to rush you, of course.

[ She might still want her meal. ]

[cache_coeur]

We have all the time in the world.

[No sense in letting food go to waste.]

It’s so funny, it feels like half of the people here live in those little apartments, and the rest are either in the woods or in sprawling private estates.

[twin_blade]

[ Vax hesitates to mention he's also in the woods half the time, or some other place he feels comfortable. ]

It's convenient, I guess. And it feels.. temporary. Even though I've already been here a year.

[ And yet, he still lives there having hardly changed a thing. ]

[cache_coeur]

[Sciel just smiles. She’s no stranger to camping, but she likes a real bed, too.]

It is! But isn’t it nice to have a home base? A place you can make yours, even if it isn’t forever?

[twin_blade]

[ Vax shrugs at the thought. ]

Before I got here, I had lived on the road for a long time, moving from village to village. Taking up space in inns or camping.

[ It's what he's used to. ]

We had a home, briefly, but we were driven out when dragons attacked Emon. Here, everything always feels so different. Even the apartments.

[ It's hard to make it feel like home. ]

[cache_coeur]

[Sciel listens, watching him carefully. Sounds like habit, nothing about preference.]

Would you want one, though, if it felt right?

[twin_blade]

Sure, if it did, but I don't like the idea of asking Echo for anything.

[ So he never has, including items from home. Vax doesn't want to bring things from home and feel comfortable here. He wants to see all of them get home, if that is their wish. ]

[cache_coeur]

Why’s that?

[Surely everything here is from Echo, asked for or not?]

[twin_blade]

[ Vax sighs and sits back in his booth seat. ]

It just feels too much like cooperating with our guard. Some things we can't help but take.

[ He gestures at the table with food on it in front of them. ]

But making a request feels too much like I'm fine with this arrangement when I'm not. It's probably stupid, I know.

[cache_coeur]

[Oh, Vax.]

I spent my whole life under an “Echo.” I don’t think it’s stupid to assert yourself against her. But this isn’t the first time you’ve brought this up –– your dissatisfaction with having to be here.

[twin_blade]

[ Vax smiles weakly. ]

I guess I can't speak of this world positively, except for the people I've met.

[ And he's only just begun to make friends fairly recently, despite being in Etraya for such a long time. ]

[cache_coeur]

I'd like to hear the story of how you came to feel that way, sometime, if you're ever up for telling it. This place is far from perfect, but it seems... comfortable, at least.

[twin_blade]

[ It's not much of a story to tell. ]

I've felt that way since I arrived. We're not granted the chance to speak to Echo. We just have to believe what we're told. I've never been very good at that.

[ He's far too stubborn to take things at face value. ]

[cache_coeur]

Do you feel similarly at home? Can you speak to anyone there that has an impact on your life, the path it takes?

[No judgement.]

[twin_blade]

[ She needs to stop making so much sense. ]

Not generally. Or.. not until just before I was brought here.

[ He has actually spoken to his Matron before coming to Etraya. ]

But this is not the same. We were told an entity we cannot communicate with is going to determine the fate of our universe and so many others. And we're expected to play her games with nothing else to go on or even a chance to try and solve the problem. We might look for a way to save everyone if we were given the chance. Instead our time is occupied by nonsense.

[cache_coeur]

[Gently:]

I don’t think there’s a universe out there where there isn’t some force greater than humanity. Maybe it’s a god, or a spirit, fate, or nature itself, but there is something. I’ve watched people rail against the Paintress my whole life, and that was upsetting enough –– I don’t know if it’s better or worse that we couldn’t talk to her, or ask her questions.

[She cants her head a little.]

Is this nonsense right now, Vax? What about last week?

[twin_blade]

[ Right now? ]

No, of course not.

[ That's an obvious answer, and Vax is quick to give it. ]

And last week was.. well, the fog was horseshit. It didn't even have to happen, but we were made to suffer, anyway.

[cache_coeur]

Mm. There’s no real excuse for what was done to us last week, but time and time again, I saw people stepping into help others. Sometimes relative strangers. Even if I lost any trust in the people who brought us here, I know I’m with many, many good people, and can rely on them. I certainly enjoy your company.

[twin_blade]

[ Sciel gets a fond smile with that. ]

And I enjoy yours. With everything I hate about this place, the people here are the best thing about it.

[ Vax has to admit she has a point, though. ]

I guess I could try to.. be a little more comfortable, though.

[cache_coeur]

[She smiles, too, and she nudges his calf under the table with the top of her foot.]

You could try. And if you find it a little difficult… I’m happy to give you some encouragement.