[b]Mayzie![/b]

You’ve missed a lot tonight, haven’t you? No room for dramatic fights when you’re in the bathroom frantically trying to freshen up and catch hold of your thoughts careening about. And when you emerged into the tea-scented mists (which are, yes, tea mists, mists caused by the tea), you had a goal in mind. Your heart drew you closer to Eclair Espoir, and

And also Yuki of Yukisearth??

For a moment you stare at Yuki like a child who has met a clown for the first time: unsure of whether to bolt and run or break out into laughter. Not that you think Yuki is a clown. Civelia, no, of course not, ahahaha, she’s, not a clown at all, and, you cannot, given, the stakes of the heart, ask Eclair to organize the coat room while you swear Yuki to secrecy before you ask her to sign [i]The Tale of Yuki and the Mirror Star, by her Two Bestest Friends[/i]. The collector’s edition. You know, the book which you have in the vault where you keep most of the other possessions you’ve managed to draw close to yourself, patiently awaiting the day when you have a new apartment.

But no! You must be strong, Mayzie! Be strong for Eclair! Do not be distracted by the siren song of Yuki Edogawa (wow) being here!

“Yes, the – the mystery builder. Who I have a message for. You asked me earlier if we should… travel together.” You cannot, absolutely cannot be as candid as you wished, because Yuki Edogawa is right here (is she looking at you (oh no she noticed you looking at her (the only way to fix this is to pretend you weren’t looking at her this is so smooth))). “I don’t know if we can… walk the same road together forever. But you need someone to walk with you at least until you… have solved… the problem we were talking about earlier.”

You offer your hand, fighting your hardest to look her in the eye (DO NOT GLANCE OVER AT YUKI ([i]MISSION FAILED[/i])). You are blushing. You are aware that behind her mask she is looking at you as intensely as she looks at every enigma, every puzzle, every ball of yarn. How can you hold up to her? How can you be worthy of her while she loves those dragons?

Why are you hoping, vainly, Mayzie, that she will choose you at the end of the adventure?

But you have to try. You absolutely must. If you were to walk away it would shatter you like glass. You have to try to love her.

“...my funds are at your disposal,” you say, with such incredible romance. “Let’s solve your problem.”

[hr]
[b]Handmaidens![/b]

Aaaaand swap again, because one of you is going to run into Hazel “Chick Magnet” Valentine Fletcher on his way through the back corridors of the Chrysanthemum, the mazy staircases and closets where the staff are frantically working to get more tea, more fairy cakes, and more anti-Rot Star defenses at the ready.

Cards on the table, my dears: I think that this is where he gets to go on another [i]adventure,[/i] not by his choice. After all, Juniper needs to be saved, and Eclair Espoir has a villain to pursue, and can you even [i]imagine[/i] what it would be like for him to dance with Walking Elm? Simply ghastly.

Operation: Kidnap the Golden Fawn is go.

So who’s going to succeed where Rurik and Sayanastia have been having issues with the Very Unsubtle route?