#<- bearie im speaking directly to you dont look in his tag if you dont want spoilers

[unironicallytes]

It's WIP Wtuesday!

Aka, I don't remember what day it is but want to share a WIP. I just got home from a trip where I ended up writing a lot during plane rides, so here you go! I've included Zath's hover-text asides as smaller, bracketed text at the bottom. For context, Zath and Lu have just arrived at the Cheydinhal Sanctuary, where they've run into Mathieu and Antoinetta.

Awkwardness ensues for ... multiple layers of reasons.

Speaker wordlessly passed me his travel bag while he addressed the pair, clasping his hands together and offering a gracious smile. I exchanged a quiet nod with Mathieu, who flicked his gaze from Lucien for only a second to acknowledge it. Then, I dipped into our room to set our things down. I caught snippets of the conversation as it continued behind me. “I did not expect to be home so early,” Speaker replied. “But when I arrived, I received word from Sanctifier Ocheeva about your progress and was able to make it in time.” Of course, that wasn't actually our reason for visiting, but you have to admit, it was pretty convenient. “You seem to be adjusting well. You look much happier than when we last spoke, and I'm quite pleased to see this. Do tell me how you've been.” Perhaps he expected a few sentences at most, maybe ‘I’m doing wonderfully, Speaker, I love being cooped up here reading in the chapel, thank you!’ or something along those lines. I don't think he expected for Antoinetta to deliver him a full, *autobiographical account of the past month. How did she even have so much to say? An Initiate’s life in the Sanctuary was the exact opposite of exciting. You were not permitted to leave before being baptized - in fact, if you tried to leave or even object too strongly, you'd be sent **‘home’. So, a Sanctifier sat your ass down and taught you our scripture until you could repeat it forwards, backwards, and sideways. That was it! You couldn’t even train with weapons yet! It was over a decade ago for me, but coming from a life bounding around the mountains of Valenwood, I found the process excruciating. The same apparently could not be said for our newest recruit. I hid my smirk as I returned to Speaker’s side. Antoinetta was still going. A glance at Mathieu told me he too was suppressing joy at witnessing our leader’s discomfort. The corners of Speaker's lips had remained politely upturned, but his smile’s genuinity had begun to erode with his patience, of which he had very little to begin with. “ … and I’d never known vampires were so kind! Sanctifier Vicente has been such a terrific mentor. Did you know he's been to Vvardenfell? What am I saying, of course you probably know, haha! I've only heard stories of Morrowind, but I've always wanted to see it in person. Brother Movis says it's not the best place to work though, that’s a shame!” The way she, a fresh-faced recruit, chatted so casually with what was essentially a high priest of our order was admirable in an absurd way. She was remarkably illiterate when it came to reading a room.

[*What? Fine, I know what you're probably thinking, but it's acceptable when I do it, because my commentary is so much more interesting.]

[**The permanent one. With Father. Please, we're not just going to let you go back to your last place of residence if you decide "actually this isn't for me, I'd like to quit now." Once a Speaker gives you that password, you're past the point of no return.]