Lunise sounded a low, agreeing hum as she stepped back up to Meesei. "Given the previous arrangement, I would call this a much better situation." She wrapped her arms around Meesei and pressed her close. "And if [i]you[/i] think you will be tortured, perhaps you might put yourself in my shoes." She smiled and rocked Meesei slowly from one foot to the other. "You were not the one lead around by the woman you love for the whole afternoon without being allowed to hold her, much less when that same woman was nude for half the time and being her usual incredible self for more than the other half."

The hypnotic length of Lunise's sentence ended with a look in her eyes. "I do not think we shall be going anywhere else, tonight," she whispered.

[hr]
In the silence before Do'rhajul spoke, Sabine stepped herself over to a bench to sit down and lean her face forward on her palm.

"My mistake was trying," she proclaimed. "I am exhausted. People kept trying to get my attention tonight. With the pressure to...be a hero, I do not know, I was drained. And I still tried." She lifted a hand incredulously. "Meesei speaks to all the clan leaders and does it right. She never gets upset or loses her patience! I cannot do that. I am not good at it."