[b]Fivefold Manifestations of Inner Strength, Second Mantra, Third Form:[/b] by being really really [i]reeeeaaaally[/i] scared of something, say, just as a random example mind you, but say there's this glass bead you filled with really super rare sunlight, right? And then it turns out the bead was [i]not[/i] glass, but rather some sort of ancient jewel? And it starts some sort of spooky magical séance thingie that it's absolutely not supposed to be able to do, you're pretty sure? Well! When [i]that[/i] happens (or something near enough like it, see?), you temporarily gain access to the full flow of your heart chakra, and can run backwards soooooooo fast that the human eye can't follow you! Probably!

"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry!" Yue squeaks from behind Hyra's shoulder as she's slowly crushed underneath a pile of disgruntled foxes, "It's not! Um! No, it, I've never, i-it's not supposed to do that, I swear! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, please don't be mad at me!"

It's nice behind Hyra. It's safe behind Hyra. It's warm here too, and if she clings hard enough she's positive that nothing bad can happen to her. She presses herself against the muscles in Hyra's back and feels the promise of invincibility beating through her body just as surely as her fright goes along with it. She's pretty sure it works like this. It has to work like this, right? The tighter she holds on, the safer she'll be. 

That's how the world works, ok? If it didn't, Cyanis and Kat wouldn't be clinging to [i]her[/i] back in turn. See? So it's fine. Nobody's being buried in roots and sunk beneath the earth to keep their secrets hidden forever or being twisted into weird shapes or struck by lightning or getting fed slightly stale cakes with sugar-free frosting, or any of the other worst possible things that might be happening right now! That's the power of the hug chain. Or proof that Rose isn't dangerous, but just sad. Or it's both. Or neither? No, no, definitely both. 

She relaxes into her guardian little by little, melting into Hyra's muscles like snow on a hilltop as she listens to the sounds of the fire crackling and Chen's explanations. Her fingers creep and curl down those tight, iron arms and past her elbows. They slither happily across her warm, taut abs and find her fingers sitting near her lap, and together they intertwine. Softness on strength. Under the light of the full moon, they... well, this is ok. She wouldn't mind waiting for this. She could be ok with fighting for this. If she had to. It's... enough. 

Yue closes her eyes, and smiles quietly. She might almost seem asleep, until the silence of the little space compels her to speak, without moving or even opening her eyes.

"I told you already, I'm not gonna be anybody's handmaiden. To be honest, I don't... mmmm, I dunno if I care about all of this princess stuff. I mean, don't get me wrong! You're [i]super[/i] beautiful and amazing and wowies! All the songs and stories and stuff? I love it all. Love you all, I mean. But, y'know? Before Lady Qiu there was, uh, whassername? I think? N'anyway nothin' about my day changed one bit when one came in and the other left. Well, until... uh... y-yeah. Point is! If she thinks I'm so valuable (I'm not!) she can at least be nice enough to come ask me to my face!"

Lazily, she opens her eyes. Shyly, she looks at Chen. Then at the ground. Then at Hyra. At Rose. At the ground again. And finally, back to Chen. Perched behind her, a fox begins to purr. Without looking, she couldn't tell you for all the jewels in the universe whether it was Cyanis or her Kat that was doing it. She blushes. 

"B-but if... d-do you really wanna be my friend? For, for honest? 'C-cause I'm not, um, 'cause nobody's ever asked me to... a-and you're so... [i]wow[/i], but if, if, i-i-if you meant it, then... o-oh. Shoot! No, one minute, I need to ask Kat. What do you think, flufflemuffins, is she on the up and up?"

Kat sneezes, a clear foxy sign of affront at being asked to perform physical labor. She yawns and makes a show of stretching, but Mistress is still looking at her, so she yips and does her very best scamper around the fire to hop sooooo dainty and ladylike onto Chen's lap. Her soft green fur shimmers in the flickering light as she snuffles and sniffs and makes exactly as many concessions to decency as is expected of a Lady in her position, but not a single concession more! Or less! But mostly more! Ehe! Ehehehehe! 

Her eyes twinkle. And Katherine Isabella Fluffybiscuits smashes her head into Chen's face with the full martial might of a young forest vixen, to Yue's delighted giggles. 

"She says you're clean. Then, sure! Let's be friends, Double Super Painter-Princess Chen of the Frozen... um... wh-what was it again?"