If there's one truth about the world, and like, honestly there's a whole ton? For example! Brunch is just an excuse to put salmon and waffles on the same plate. Your keys are always in the last place you check, unless you forget you found them and keep checking. The sum of the square roots of the short ends of a right triangle are equal to the square root of the hippopotamoose. The louder anybody is about how they are a 'butt person' in discussions of the cutiest things about girls, the more likely it becomes that they are embarrassed to admit they like, or like that they have, small boobs. And so on. 

But if you had to pick just one? Like, one truth that to be the most truestful? It's that nothing ever goes quite the way you expected it would. Like, even when you think you adjusted what you were expecting, the truth's just a little different, y'know? Even if what you were expecting is that you wouldn't know what to expect. Yue thought, back before she got to Ys, that Qiu would be doing something amazing and grand and secretly kinda thrilling. Then she saw the reality of it, and changed her mind. But she thought at the very least it'd be easy to come here and yell and chew her out and be mad and stuff. 

Yue touches down on the ground as light as a feather in a shopping bag caught in an updraft. Her dress is just the same as it's ever been, really the only costume she can ever imagine needing to wear, but as it flutters in the Ysian winds she feels so majestic and full of life and power that it feels like somehow [i]she's[/i] the conquering princess here. It's a fluttering, flittering little thought, here and gone  about as fast as she can notice it, but it's there. She sighs, and sheathes her sword for the first time all day. She reaches up behind her and sticks the sheathe in the special straps she bought to hold it while she was down in the market a minute ago. There was a surprisingly high demand for her sunlight over there, ok? She stands there for a moment, right in front of Qiu, without even a tiny wobble in her legs or the teensiest pinch of fear on her face. And then she sighs, and fishes around inside her bag. 

Never once. Never [i]once[/i] did she stop and think that Qiu might be up here feeling sad. Idiot. Little dummy! Her fingers close around the container for another, more secret weapon that she prepared without ever knowing how or why it might be needed. Anyway it's like I said, stuff never goes quite how you picture it. But a lot of the time, you're more prepared than you think.

"Uh... hi."

Yue's smile is a little bit flustered. Now her leg twists nervously behind her while she frantically tries to figure out how close she's supposed to get in a moment like this. Is this too threatening? Not enough? Should she... should she hug her? Goshies. Threeshard princesses are a puzzle. 

The first step is tiny and uncertain. The second is a little bigger, and the third drags along right after it. Four-five-six, she's face to face with the woman who upturned her entire life when she sicked a demon army on her for funsies. Who chased her out of house and home and said all sorts of meanie-tyrant stuff right to her face. And who still, [i]still[/i] hadn't given her a straight answer about why any of it ever happened. 

Yue's fingers close around the weapon in her bag. Her eyes glint like sparkling steel over a lake, sharp enough to cut down any foe. In this moment, at least. Invincible if you ignore the tremble in her hand, that's our Yue. She pulls her weapon from the bag. It's tupperware. She reaches out and puts the plastic box in Qiu's hands. But she doesn't take hers away; it's her opponent's choice to accept the offer or not.

"I, um. Made eclairs this time. I read about them while I was in the Sky Castle, see. They're not, I mean, I don't normally do anything this, that is, I'm a lot better at cookies, but, um, y'know, I just thought, like, maybe uh, I mean. Um. Th-the point was that I... oh gosh. No, I just. Erm. If I, well like, just did the same as before, y'know I'd, you'd, it'd be, like, right? You wouldn't... think I'd grown. Is that arrogant? That feels arrogant. I'm sorry. They're not... very good, anyway. I mean, you, be glad you didn't see the first try, I kept opening the oven 'cause I was worried about burning 'em and I guess it turns out you let out all the steam that way? And you... need that? I guess? The guy who's kitchen I borrowed was suuuuuper mad at me. Almost kicked me out. Had to promise I'd clean the whole kitchen after just to get him to let me try again. Did you know dust comes to life if it gets stuck under a fridge for more than a year? Whole little towns grow under there. They'll fight you!"

Yue giggles, and then out of nowhere stops. She blushes, and looks at the ground, ashamed and miserable.

"Sorry, forgot. You're a princess, you've probably got, like, a dozen people to do this stuff for you. Probably? Or no wait, you're a triple princess even so it's probably, uh, three dozens. Anyway I've seen your kitchen and it's cleaner than I left this one. I'm not made of mops. Erm. W-well. If you, if you want these. Here you go. There's. Um. Pistachio and coffee. Uh. Lemon and lavender. Mango and chocolate. And maybe... oh, please. Not that one. That one's a... a joke. I thought. It's. Uh? Peanut butter and... (oh goshies gosh), and tr-trout. Trout. I saw trout yogurt and I just, it was so funny! So I! Well. Yeah. Don't eat that please."

One step back. Two steps back. Three. Yue leaves the container with Qiu and sits on the nice soft ground to watch the battle unfold. Her back is turned to what should be the most terrifying opponent anybody could ever face. But it's like it hasn't occurred to her to worry about that. There's no threat here, that's what she's saying. You can come at her, Qiu. She thinks you'll miss. Or!

"So. Yin, huh? Princess Yin. What's up with that?"

[Comfort and Support: [b]11[/b]]