Sādhanā walks into the outpost, taking in the encampment with a keen eye, trying to determine their numbers and strengths. It would be good to know what they'd have to work with, almost as good as knowing exactly what they'd be facing.
Patting Arista's back she looks at Rhy as she stands up, "Would you mind sitting with her for a bit love while I help Yerna with supper? Everything is just sort of hitting her at once and she just needs a friend right now I think."
"Sure. It happens to all of us at some point. Let's go sit for a bit ok Arista?" Rhadaya says leading the aasimar out of the kitchen and heading somewhere they could sit. "Sometimes you just need a break."
She merely nods as she wipes at her face with her sleeve while Rhadaya takes her somewhere she can calm down and relax.
Tesia looks at her wife and gives her a smile and a silent nod of her head as they walk out of the room. She knew Arista would be in good hands and she could concentrate on helping Yerna with supper. Going back over to her she says, "Sorry about that, I had to make sure she was okay. When she starts talking a lot like that it usually means she needs some time to process something and there's been a lot happening lately. So...what can I help you with? I'm not as adept in the kitchen as Arista, but I think I could manage making biscuits or peeling some vegetables for you if you need me to."
Walking out of the kitchen she says, "Could we...not go back to the main room? I...I don't want...everyone seeing me...like this."
"Biscuits sounds like a good idea. People will probably enjoy them," Yerna says to Tesia. "If you think vegetables would be appreciated, I have a few in that bin over there."
She points to a large bin with several drawers in the corner of the kitchen.
---
Sādhanā quickly finds out that the outpost consists of the single building and the four people here.
She nods and gets work as she makes the dough for the biscuits the way she saw Arista prepare it. Setting it aside she gets busy cleaning and peeling vegetables to have with the ribs. She seasons them and puts them in a pan to roast.
Going back to the dough she separates out several palm sized balls and drops them onto a greased sheet to bake in the oven as well.
Taking a page out of Arista's book she sees that her creations need a little help so she calls on some of her mythic power to spruce up her food.
Yerna notices the added effort in Tesia's cooking. "What did you do there? It seemed to enhance your ability for a moment."
She blushes slightly, "Well...we've fought many things on our way here and somehow after one of our fights we were....imbued with certain...mythical abilities. Some of the others are at a higher level than some of us, like right now I can only do minor things with the abilities that I have. I called on some of the mythical energy granted to me to enhance the food I was preparing since I'm still learning. If Arista were here, I'm sure it would have turned out amazing...but, I keep working at it and I'll get really good at it too someday." She says giving Yerna a shy smile.
"I'm quite certain that your efforts will turn out well. Cooking is not an endeavor where you should seek to outdo yourself constantly," Yerna says. "Once you have achieved a level of consistency, you should be happy with that and proud those few times you do better."
The android puts the ribs in a pan and puts a light glaze on them. "Cooking is very personal. It is not a competition."
She nods, "I know...we just don't always have the chance to sit down together to a real meal...so when we do, Arista and I like to make it special. We aren't really competing with each other. We just like watching people enjoy what they're eating. It is rather relaxing too though. One of those few normal moments we get to have when everything else around us seems like chaos."
"I understand," Yerna says. "We all strive for a state that is normal."
"It's just the little things you know? Like having meals with friends and people that you love, being able to sit around a fire and just relax and tell stories without worrying about being attacked in the middle of the night. You know...the little things we all seem to take for granted until we have to deal with ridding the land of evil." She shrugs slightly, "The company of our fellow travelers makes our journey a little bit more bearable though. Even through all the hardships and sacrifices. In the end, we know that we have fought the battle well and done our best and that's all that really matters."
"Sure" Rhadaya says putting a comforting hand on Arista's lower back. "Do you want to go to where you changed?"
Yerna nods, not saying anything. She starts cleaning up around the kitchen, until the biscuits are done and she puts her ribs in the oven.
She nods her head, "Yeah...there shouldn't be...anyone else in there...right now." She says trying to hold back the torrent of feelings she felt coming on for what seemed to her no apparent reason at all.
Tesia takes the biscuits and puts them in a bowl with towels keeping them warm until dinner was ready. She then goes about the kitchen and helps Yerna clean it up.
Guiding Arista into the women's room she sits them both down on one of the beds. "It's ok to be overwhelmed sometimes, it means you're human. Just don't feel like you need to bottle it up." she says putting an arm around the warpriestess.
She shakes her head as she tries wiping more tears away with her sleeve, "I...I don't mean to...it's just....we're so busy all the time and I never have time to stop and think about things. Then all of a sudden when things aren't quite so hectic....there are all these thoughts and they come out of nowhere...and all at once and I don't know what to do with them. Everyone....is going through so much...I just feel...I feel like I can't burden them with my problems or worries or whatever. So...we keep busy and I keep pushing stuff down, but eventually we're not fighting for our lives or someone else's and that's when it all comes crashing down on my head. And I know people love me and care about me and all that....and even though I am surrounded by those people...I somehow still feel so very alone." She says between fits of tears and choked back sobs.
Taking it all in, Sādhanā approaches Marae. "So what was the situation in Lysse when you left."
"Tense, as usual," Marae says, hanging up her sword and shield. "Nothing out of the ordinary, though. I mean, everything going on is...was outside Lysse's walls."
"Which is what exactly?" the magus asks curiously.
Rhadaya rubs Arista's back as she unloads her worries and feelings. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to have Tes right there and still feel alone. Her wife made her feel loved and comforted pretty much every second of every day, from the moment she opened her eyes. She knew that elves were...different when it came to emotions but...
Putting the thought aside she focuses on helping Arista deal with her despair. "You aren't alone. No matter what we all have going on, we've all got time for each other. If you're worried about anything, need anything, to talk, scream, a hug just find one of us okay?"
She nods as she tries to suck in more air and stop crying, "O...okay."
"Tarja, you can return home." He commanded as he took a seat.
Cyna inspects the arrows quality before she takes what she can to fill her own quivers and leaves the weapons shed. "Thank you. Would you like payment for them or is there anything I can do in return?" She asks.
Seeing Arista and Tesia take off to the kitchen, Alethiro decided to take a quick walk about the compound. His gear still weighing him down a bit. I really need to find a way to lighten this load. He thought to himself.
Getting back, he peeked in the kitchen and didn't see his wife with Tesia or Yerna. "Where's Arista?"
Tesia looks at him, "Your wife needed to deal with some suppressed emotions so she's in the woman's sleep area with Rhy. They're talking, but I'm sure she'll be alright to come out in a bit. Why don't you go see what everyone else is up to?" She says before going back to cleaning up the kitchen.
"Do you want to talk more about what's been bothering you?" Rhadaya asks quietly after Arista calms down a bit.
"It's just lots of different stuff." She says a bit more quietly as she looks down at her hands.
"Yeah, I think I'll go do that." Alethiro responded. Turning around, he left to find Cyna or Sādhanā.
"You know it really does help to talk about it right? I used to bottle things up too, but....it really doesn't help or you find yourself getting carried away on the battlefield."
Looking up at Rhadaya she adds, "Or jumping off of your friends back mid flight and getting her really upset at you?" She says quietly as another tear slides down her cheek.
Tesia looks up as leaves and just sighs as she shakes her head.
"Yeah, or things like that." Rhadaya says with a smile. "Don't get me wrong, it was pretty amazing to watch, but yeah. If you go into battle stressed there's a better chance of...making a choice you might not have made otherwise. Don't get me wrong I'm one of the most impulsive people, and I've been known to start fights that might not have been completely necessary but.... it's easier to deal with all the things going on if you unload the stuff that's bothering you from time to time, to somebody."
Jorg waves his hand. "If there's something going on in Lysse and you're going to help us, don't worry about paying for the arrows."
---
"Just bandits making the roads unsafe, a thieves' guild operating below our streets and monsters banging on the walls," Marae answers. "The guild is what bothers me the most. They seem to know something the Baron doesn't and they're not eager to share. A handful of murders of Green Circle members and the Baron's knights haven't been helpful in making them our priority."
"Hmm...almost as if someone's been weakening your resistance in preparation for something big. Well whatever it is we'll face it head on." Sādhanā says grimly. "How many people live in Lysse approximately?"
"Thirty thousand, give or take," Marae replies. "We have a census each year."
She nods, "Yeah....yeah I know. It't just we're almost always in crisis mode for one thing or another and I usually don't have time to stop and think about the things that are....but then, during times like this when we have a moment to breath is when a lot of it comes to the surface. I start thinking about everything, the refugees we rescued and how we're supposed to get them and a ship back to Daphine and her peoeple in time, getting Theon's sword fixed so I can finally try to find him, making sure the people of this land everywhere are safe...which has been turning out to be a never ending job, not to mention my worries about this pregnancy or what I might or might not be doing for this baby....feeling like I'm on a time clock to get everything done because in a little less than two months I'm going to be completely useless other than a stay at home mom as I get as huge as the house I'm in. I have to come to terms with the fact that I may never see my parents or my brother again....and that on top of everything else is just a little too much right now. Especially....especially when it feels like the person I should be able to talk to the most...is never really emotionally available for me. Or if I do try to talk to him about something he just....trivializes it and feels like he just pats me on the head and humors me or something. I don't know....maybe it's just the hormones....but lately I feel like I'm being taken for granted and I think that's the thing that's bothering me the most. Feeling like there's no point in talking to him about anything because he just won't get it, or he only seems concerned if what I'm worried about directly affects him."
She stops and shakes her head as if trying to clear it, "Like I said....maybe some of the things I'm feeling are just hormones and stress....but most of the time it feels like I can't even get his attention unless I'm lying on a bed naked in front of him. If it's something that he want's...then fine, otherwise forget it. It just...it feels like he doesn't really understand stuff when I try to talk to him about it and usually steers the conversation onto something else to get me to forget about what I'm talking about. The thing is....I don't even think he realizes he's doing these things and he never talks to me about stuff that's bothering him....even though I can clearly see it on his face. He just goes around pretending everything is fine and that just....it just aggravates the crap outta me." She says punching a pillow, "We're supposed to be partners Rhadaya....so why can't he treat me like one?" She finally gets out as she breaks down into tears again.