lucetilogs | Mission: Building the Future in Pagoda

More stuff than we bargained for, isn't it?

[It's impolite to tell someone they look tired. Fatigue is everywhere in the conversation, in Pilouette's smile and her shoulders and the drag between sight and recognition; Mia's sure she looks just as bad.]

You haven't been getting enough rest. [Although if she phrases it as an observation, it can edge around politeness.] I can't make you sleep, but I can refresh you a little, with your permission.

[Pilouette exhales quietly, trying her best to keep smiling. Any kind of relief would be welcome at this point. However, she knows that this is pretty tough on everyone and Mia is no exception. She's sure Mia has been making use of all her skills given the situation but she's got no idea what kind of effect using magic and synergy have on her.]

That would be great. But...It won't take too much out of you, will it? I-I mean, I can probably get enough rest just sitting here for a little bit.

[Somehow the monotony of going through her supplies was kind of calming.]

[Unlike the situation in Zompania, Mia has a firm hold on herself and her limits, and she's smiling and shaking her head.]

It doesn't take much of me at all. [All her years of practice and building up the stamina for this make it so.] Thank you for worrying.

W-Well, friends like, can't help worrying about each other sometimes, right?

[Not that she liked worrying or liked it when people worried about her, but it's only natural to be concerned. Still, it's good to know that Mia wouldn't be expending too much energy on her when there are so many more people who needed help.]

Then, I guess a little refresher would help...

Oh, I worry about my friends all the time. [Moving behind Pilouette, Mia puts her hands on her friend's shoulders.] Hold still a minute.

[Restore is a quick spell, a tiny one that's meant to restore Psynergy to other Adepts; Mia learned well before she knew what an Adept was that she could give some energy and strength back to anyone at all. It is refreshing like cold water after a tiring day. She might have used it on Pilouette once or twice before, come to think of it.]

How does that feel?

[Pilouette lets out a sigh as she feels energy flowing into her. The mental fatigue is still there but, it almost feels as if she had gotten a decent amount of sleep. Pilouette looks back over her shoulder at Mia, fiddling with her gloves a little.]

It's nice, thank you. I feel a lot better now. Um, i-is there anything I can do to help you out?

[After all, she would like to do something for her friend in return.]

If you plan to spend a while getting things organized, you can make up a few new kits for us to take with us around the enclosure. [Magic of all sorts can fail at any time, as stray Shifts make their way around and, for lack of better description, short out any healing or other spells.] Then you can sleep, or at least try to sleep.

[Mia is worried, naturally.]

[Pilouette nods. She's glad to be able to do something useful and even more glad to have someone asking her to do it. Though she's become more confident as of late, she's still more comfortable being directed than not. She begins to look over her own supplies to see what each kit needs.]

Got it. I'll do my best to make sure they've got everything a person could need! ...A-and I'll try not to stay up too late.

[Even if Mia told her to sleep, likely she'll just stay up making kits until she accidentally dozes off in the middle of one. Sleeping is much harder than it was before the draft.]

[Mia takes out her bag of supplies, to look through them and see if she needs to add anything; it is necessary and doubles as a great reason to stick around and watch Pilouette for a while.

She's a study in the endurance of people, this student of hers. Difficult tasks make her hesitate but do not stop her; suffering rightfully makes her sick, and then she turns and volunteers to face more of it. In certain small quiet moments, like this one, Mia gets the sense that she's at the fringes of someone extraordinary who just hasn't come to know it yet.

It would be very difficult to say as much to Pilouette without flustering her or sounding insincere, though, and Mia wisely keeps her mouth shut about that feeling whenever it comes up.

There is one particular lesson she struggles with, and struggles to get Pilouette to believe in, however.]

You know...you don't have to shoulder all of this alone.

[Caught a little off guard, Pilouette stops what she's doing and looks at Mia. After a moment she shifts her gaze off to the side.]

I know, but sometimes I want to. ...Just to make sure I can.

[It's not that she doesn't appreciate people helping her and supporting her but she wonders sometimes if she'll always need to be helped. Even though she's better at following orders than giving them and as scared as she gets when she's alone in bad situations...she wants to be able to support herself with her own two legs and sometimes she feels the need to prove to herself that she can handle things, that she has some measure of control.]

Edited 2014-07-31 09:58 (UTC)

[Eyebrows raised, Mia looks up, the corners of her mouth turning up just a bit in response to that answer. Pilouette is not looking at her; Mia decides not to wait until she does.]

I apologize for making an assumption like that. [What a mature, clever answer she gave. Back to plucking supplies from the pile, Mia moves a little more slowly, hiding her smile by turning it toward the table.] Please forgive my mistake.

Huh? There's like, nothing for you to apologize for, really!

[She turns to look at Mia. She doesn't see that smile, but Pilouette is glad that she didn't push the issue. It makes her feel like Mia understands what she means. She smiles a bit, sheepishly, and lets out a quiet chuckle.]

It's not a big deal anyway. I think that maybe I'm just the kind of person who looks like they need a lot of help or something.

That's not it. I don't like to see my friends hurting, if I think there's something I can do to help.

[And, because she is herself, Mia always thinks there must be something.]

So I forget, sometimes, that I can't solve every problem for everybody.

[A hard lesson, one that hammers back down every time someone in this enclosure dies.]

Well...well, no one can solve everyone's problems. There are just too many...

[And not nearly enough time.]

Still, though, you always do so much, even if you can't help everyone. It...It's kind of amazing, you know?

[She doesn't want to sound insincere; after all, she really means it. Mia's become much more than a teacher to her. She's someone Pilouette wants to be like.]

Thank you. That isn't the first time I've heard someone say that. [It never feels true.] Usually, I try to explain that all I can ever do is 'as much as I can'...and usually, it doesn't seem the other person understands what that means. But I think you do.

[After everything she's learned and seen and done.]

Really?

[It's rare that Pilouette is ever told that she understands something that others don't. In fact, this is the first time it's ever happened and it leaves her surprised. She thinks about it for a moment.]

Really, I think I only started to understand not too long ago.

[She smiles just a little. How long has it been since she thought that her efforts would never amount to anything and how much has she managed to learn in that time?]

You know like, that day that I asked for someone to teach me first aid? I'm really glad you're the one that answered me.

[It's been a long time since that day, nearly two years. Mia looks at Pilouette again. It is a teacher's privilege to watch her students grow and improve...but they don't all end up as close friends. There's a lot of warm affection in Mia's smile.]

I'm really glad you asked.

[Pilouette is feeling a bit better. The mental fatigue has faded away, just a little, and her smile grows just a little broader. As she works on the kits, she wonders if Mia knows how grateful she is to her, not just for being her teacher but for being her friend.]

...Maybe after we get back to Luceti, we can like, figure out when to do that thing. With the tarts.

[After all, she figures it might be a nice distraction after their time in Pagoda.]

As soon as humanly possible, if I have any say in it. We could do with a bit of fun.

[Mia is mutually grateful. If left to herself, she starts to forget how to get herself out of being a healer all the time, and now she has Zompania as proof.]

Like, totally! It's been kind of hard to have a good time lately, huh...?

[Not that she doesn't understand why. The events of Zompania have weighed heavily on everyone and she imagines that it's especially hard for a healer like Mia who is often tasked with saving the lives of others.]

I think lots of people could use some fun, you know?

I agree with all of that. [Hm. Mia folds her arms, thoughtful as well as defensive against potential dark musings.] What would you think about doing something a little more involved, then? Something like a party, but not very big.

A party but not really a party... [Pilouette thinks she understands. Something like a party but...a little bit more low-key. Just so people can have a little fun and relax a little rather than actively celebrating something, perhaps.] It sounds like a good idea. What did you have in mind?

Nothing until a minute or two ago. Kurt and the others are always trying to convince me to do this thing that they do, where they sit together on the couch and watch a- a movie. It could be something simple like that.

Oh! Something like that would great!

[She hasn't just watched a movie with friends since she was back home. Actually, when was the last time she even watched a movie? Now that she thinks about it, she hasn't done much of anything lately that could be considered just...hanging out with friends.]

Or maybe we could have like, a picnic or something! That might be kinda nice...

As long as we can count on the weather, a picnic sounds lovely. It ought to be something that doesn't require a lot of energy from everybody, hm?

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