[Center][h2]The Talk[/h2][/center] The midday heliopolis poured through the windows of Hermes and Xiaoli's house. Middle spring scents were in the air and today Hermes found them pleasant. The popping of cloudlings had increased, the spring cohort being born from the sugary blossoms. The Dreamer bit her finger as she thought to herself. She sat on a nicely made wooden chair, slouched ever so slightly and deep in thought. What was Xiaoli thinking, she asked herself. The events of the morning were terrifying and in her mind, not quite justified. She was well aware Xiaoli had said she'd never do it again, but it still sat funny in her stomach; what if something really had happened, would Xiaoli have an outburst of violence? She shuddered at the thought, especially when she placed the scenario far in the future. [I]”Pop.”[/i] “Yeah,” Hermes didn't even bother to look at Poppler, “I just don't want to upset her.” [I]”Crackle.”[/i] “Of course I'm mad, that was ridiculous and dangerous,” Hermes looked at the cloudling incredulously. There was a gentle ‘Zzt’ and Hermes sighed, “You're right.” The Dreamer scooted off her chair and slipped on her sandals. Tightening the clasp, she scurried out of the room and into the hallway, almost ramming right into Xiaoli. Xiaoli barely managed to slow down in time to avoid collision, having to lift the stone tray with tea cups in her hands far above her head. She blinked once or two. “A-are you in a hurry?” she said carefully as she lowered the tray to chest level again. “No,” Hermes shook her head, “Sorry, I was looking for you.” She eyed the cups, “Tea?” Xiaoli nodded faintly. “Y-yeah… I just thought, y'know, we could eat lunch.” She put on a somewhat forced smile. “I made sweet grass and walnut salad, too, though I left that one on the table in the main house. Would you like to join me?” “That's sweet of you,” Hermes gave her a half cheeked smile, “Sure, I wanted to talk with you anyways.” Xiaoli nodded a little frantically and turned on her heel, balancing the tray with uncharacteristic clumsiness. She led Hermes out of the family house to the courtyard, which she crossed at a northwest diagonal until she reached the still unfinished paveway to the northern house. The two followed the path to the central slider doors, which Xiaoli slid apart to reveal the neatly furnished dining room sporting a low table with a wool-upholstered pillow on each side and a sweet little pink flower in a vase on its top. The walls each had one painting on a wall-tall, metre wide paper sheet - one of them a painting representing the mushroom forest; the other, the tree-eater plains. The leftmost wall had shelves with bowls, plates and cups shaped and fashioned from rocks of varying colours and compositions, and the rightmost wall had a small clay oven with space on top for a pot - which in this case was a stone basin topped with a small steamer basket. Xiaoli put the tray down on the table and walked over to the steamer. She lifted the lid off and extracted two woolen towels. She replaced the lid, walked over to Hermes and offered her a hot towel. “Here - for your hands.” “O-oh,” Hermes tangled with the tiny towel and cautiously sat down on one of the pillows. She squeezed the warm towel in her fist and looked around, “You’ve been busy, huh?” Xiaoli smiled. “Nothing less than perfect! Of course, I’m not even close to done - I’m thinking at least two more paintings on each side, then perhaps I’ll cover the wooden floor with a carpet - or possibly a reed mat.” She poked her chin pensively and shifted between the floor and the walls. “I think reed mats will be best, actually - oh! But that’s for a later date! First, lunch!” She skipped over to the shelves, grabbed two bowls and two sets of chopsticks. She then shuffled over to the table, placing down Hermes’ bowl and cutlery before her own. “Please, have some salad!” she insisted as she placed out tea cups. Hermes looked at her bowl and then the pile of sweetgrass and nuts. She sighed, her stomach brickwalled with what was on her mind. Furrowing her brow she looked up at Xiaoli, “Hey, Xiaoli?” The river girl gave her a smile as she poured tea, then sat down. “Hmm? Yes?” Hermes put her arms over the table and held out her hands, “I have something on my mind, and I need to put it to rest.” Xiaoli’s brow furrowed and she looked away. She picked up her teacup and sipped it sheepishly. “The tea is better when it’s hot…” Hermes’ palms fell on the table and she dragged her arms back. She pursed her lips and sighed, “Right.” She took her cup and sipped at it tentatively, “Its- it’s good tea, Xiaoli.” She sighed into her cup and placed it back down, “I just want to talk about it, don’t you? We can get it out of the way and then we can go back to being happy.” Hermes whined, “Please, Xiaoli. You’ve been avoiding me since this morning.” Xiaoli’s lips pressed against each other and she frowned at the floor. She grabbed the teapot and refilled their two cups. She looked briefly at Hermes, then back to the floor. “A-... Are you sure you wouldn’t like some salad first?” Another sigh and Hermes rubbed the side of her face, bringing her fingers to pinch the bridge of her nose, “Sure.” Xiaoli’s smile returned briefly and she pinched a few stickfulls of salad onto Hermes’ and her own plate. She took a bite of walnut and let out a sigh through her nose. After swallowing, she gave Hermes another curt glance. “Did it taste alright?” Hermes looked up from her plate, swallowing after a lethargic chew, “Yes,” She sighed, “Of course it does. You always make wonderful food, but--” She looked off to the side, “I’m not Shengshi, I’m the mother of your children.” She fiddled with the now cool towel, “We can’t avoid each other and we can’t avoid talking about our problems.” Xiaoli kept her eyes on the tea in her cup. She sucked in a deep breath, then another, then let out a sigh. “Alright… Let’s talk, then.” “I know you said you’d never do it again already, but that was really scary, Xiaoli,” Hermes jumped right in as if she had been holding it back, “It was very scary, and-- and it wasn’t a healthy reaction. I just want to make sure you really won’t react like that again, I want to make sure that something isn’t wrong because I-” Hermes groaned as a tear fell, she wiped it away, “Sorry, I’m not even sad-- it’s the,” She shook her head and continued, “I just want us to be as healthy and happy as possible, and this morning you gave me a lot to worry about. I know I was being anxious and my words started it, but..” She shrugged and rubbed her eye, “I don’t know.” Xiaoli’s eyes still looked down, but she raised a fist to wipe away what one could assume were tears. “I thought I explained it this morning - the knowledge within that book, the possibility of the twins taking your life with them on the way out… It felt like the cave again, Hermes.” She looked up and to the side, shooting the outside a furious scowl. “... The thought of your life in danger, it--” She took a deep breath and let out a hacking breath. “For a moment after you said that you may not--” She swallowed. “--I felt like the world was mocking us - I could not hold back.” She paused. Hermes slouched, “Okay…” She seemed to think for a moment, “But Xiaoli. In the cave, there was an actual threat that could be dealt with through fighting. There was none of that here, and I’m not saying you can’t be mad or sad, but,” she paused, “You can’t be so violent, especially with this new world we are entering; that’s why it bothers me. That sort of violence isn’t healthy for any of us, and I never seen you that way before -- I just want to make sure that that was the only time I ever will.” “And it was!” Xiaoli said in frustration. “I already said it was a one time incident this morning, didn’t I?” “I guess I’m just not over it, yet.” Hermes folded her arms, “Just… just promise me again, one more time. Please.” Xiaoli closed her eyes tightly and blinked some watery beads away. “Did you think I would hurt you?” she mumbled somberly. “You really scared me, I didn’t know what to think,” Hermes sat up, “You punched a hole right next to my head.” Xiaoli’s face paled and her mouth gaped slightly. “So-... So you actually thought that--” Her eyes welled up and she lifted a hand to wipe them dry, but could not seem to dry them completely. “Wh-why… Am I like this?” she whimpered. “Have I scared you before, Hermes?! Have I?!” “No, Xiaoli,” Hermes sighed and slouched again, “You haven’t, and I know you’d never hurt me on purpose.” She closed her eyes and held out a hand, “Can you- come, come here.” Xiaoli let out a curt sob and swiftly crawled around the side of the table to sit next to Hermes and clung to her arm. “Hermes, I--!” She coughed and sniffed. “I promise! I promise to never do it again! I promise--!” Her word was interrupted by another cough-like sob. Hermes rubbed her back, “I know, Xiaoli.” She made a slant with her lips as she thought, her brow furrowed, “Xiaoli, can I ask you a question?” Xiaoli looked up with wide, glinting eyes. “H-huh?” Hermes looked down with concerned eyes of her own, “You don’t… You don’t.” She exhaled through her nose, “I don’t know how to say this.” “What? Hermes, I don’t what?” Her brow furrowed in uncertainty. The dreamer chewed on her thoughts for a little before finally saying, “You don’t ever treat me like you’re my servant… do you?” Xiaoli blinked and pulled back. “Would… Would that be a problem?” she asked quietly. Hermes blinked back, “Well,” she said slowly, “Remember how you said we are equal? We are partners.” Xiaoli let out a sigh. “W-well, yes, but--” She took a deep breath. “--it feels better for me to think that way. Don’t get me wrong - I don’t think of you as a master! You are my partner - my love - my equal! It’s just…” She took Hermes’ hand and squeezed it. “... I don’t mind being servile.” Hermes squeezed her hand back, “But… just never put me before you or on a pedestal. We are equal in this, Okay?” “Equals, yes!” Xiaoli replied. She pouted a little. “It’s just how I am, Hermes… I consider you my equal, of course, but I cannot forget that I am a servant at my core. It comes as naturally to me as, well, breathing comes to you.” The dreamer breathed a little, as if punctuating a point to herself. She sighed and nodded, “Okay, I trust you; just as long as it stays healthy.” Hermes paused, “I do like all the little things you do, too.” Xiaoli smiled faintly, even releasing a quiet giggle. “If it helps, I really like doing those little things, too.” Hermes let out a long exhale, a small smile forming on her lips. In one fell swoop she tugged Xiaoli into a hug and squeezed, “Please don't ever avoid me again.” Xiaoli froze momentarily before her arms eventually wrapped themselves around Hermes’ back. “I--” She took a deep breath. “I won’t… I promise.” [hider=Well, that was heart-breaking...] Hermes is sits on bed contemplating how to talk to Xiaoli about her Kylo Ren rampage earlier that day. Upon deciding, she exists the bedroom and nearly collides with Xiaoli, who was just about to invite her for tea. They head over to the dining hall, where Xiaoli proceeds to ignore and avoid any and all of Hermes’ attempts to talk about her episode. Finally, Hermes manages to break through, and Xiaoli says she feels the need to murder something whenever Hermes is threatened. Hermes finds this hella scary, though, so she’s like “can you not?” to which Xiaoli answers, “I can not.” Afterwards, the Dreamer asks Xiaoli if she sees Hermes as a master. Xiaoli says that she sees them as equals, but that she can’t really help being servile, as it’s kinda her thing. They hug and make up. [/hider] [hider=Prestigio] 24+3=27 [/hider]