[b]Before Uusha Enters[/b]

It's funny how an age difference can change over time. When you're six and a baby's just born, the gap is so vast it's impossible to bridge. You can do a little to take care of them, but your thoughts and your life are into exploration and adventure, perhaps into learning your first real skills and you're not near old enough to get your mind around what a baby must actually be feeling. 

When you're twelve and you're babysitting a six year old, their wishes and their dreams seem so simple. They can be rough and tumble and you're busy wondering about whether the Miller's girl who's almost fifteen was flirting with you or not and afraid that if you follow up on it she'll laugh at you because she's so cool and mature and she's taller and bustier than you because you haven't quite sprouted yet. 

When you're eighteen and they're twelve, they're still a kid and you're not, but at least you can start to share things, you can both talk to each other and you're at different points on the journey but it's the same journey and you might start to understand each other a little bit.

And when you're twenty four and they're eighteen, well there's a gap but it's not so far of a gap at all. It's someone else who's strong and skilled and you can see the routes that you've taken and the routes that they're taking and how they've already passed you in some big important things all at once.

So...you probably don't understand all of that Han, but you might understand that Giriel's hug suddenly gets a little tighter. That when you turn and glance up at her face there's a little bit of eye watering that might just be confusing, and a smile that's definitely pride even though it can't possibly be pride because you have absolutely no reference point for what a proud smile looks like directed at you. 

But then she says "you got strong, Han" and she's still smiling. She lets you out of the hug to wipe the tear from her eye, and takes a sip of her own tea and she's smiling.

And in her heart, Giri is wondering why she felt so angry just because her plans didn't work out. When here's little Han having her girlfriend stolen right out from under her and ready and raring to go. Giri's almost ashamed she was that petty. This storm was a lucky thing, really, and so was meeting her old friends.

[Comfort and support: 5+5+2=12. If Han opens up to Giri, they both get to select an option. Giri will write off Angry.]

***

[b]After Uusha enters[/b]

Giri finishes her tea and puts the cup down gently. There's a little tension in her stance, but not so much. "I'm sorry" she says to Uusha and she means it sincerely. That spirit had caused a lot of trouble and Giriel fully acknowledges that Peregrine is a better witch than she and absurdly better when it comes to Uusha's goals. "I found quite a lot. Ven kidnapped a priestess who's at least part goddess. We're going to help my friend here [i]gesture to Han[/i] get her back safely. And the waitress over there" Giri points to where Piripiri is sitting "overheard our conversation and apparently escaped from Kingeater Castle if you want to interview her about the defenses and all that. Also the whole tournament thing was hijacked by a Rakshasa who could be literally anyone including you, but I did stop it."

She delivers all that in a straightforward tone, then stops and refills her tea from the pot, taking another sip of the steaming cup. She's almost getting good at this. Apparently being a witch today means that everybody wants information from you. And more than just asking about how best to treat Daffodil's ailing cow. Giri's almost getting good at the delivery at this point.