castlenim | I saw rise in the heat settle soft and as pure as snow

I saw rise in the heat settle soft and as pure as snow

[This, honestly, took a lot of work. More work than some of the battleplans, but admittedly the machinations of the Victorian nobles are predictable. The only thing Talulah knows about the northern territories is what she's gleaned from her father's journals.

Edward Artorius apparently had a decent enough relationship with the ruler when he'd been alive, and since the wendigo race of Sarkaz live for a very, very long time, perhaps any goodwill towards her parent might be extended to her.

She has also gleaned the northerners are not unreasonable; they've crossed paths during various skirmishes at the border, and they ignore all rebel forces once their own task is complete. Talulah has made it very clear no one from her side is to engage with any other party that isn't either obviously Victorian, or strikes first, and it seems the courtesy is returned.

That said, isolationist policy is hard to overcome, and what she's asking isn't a mere favor. To be embroiled in civil war in another country is an idea most people would scoff at, but...the north has undoubtedly seen the writing on the wall for what will transpire after the dust settles. Victoria's appetite is ever unsatiable.

The Gaulish castle she walks through is a testament to that. It's nothing but ruins now, good for little else besides neutral territory. She's brought two members of the rebels with her, two with a calm rationality suited to negotiations. She'd be fine going in alone, but, well...if Talulah saw another group's leader sitting all alone during a meeting that was meant to be a peaceful talk, she'd think there was an ambush waiting.

Still, no matter how rational one is, curiosity tends to win out, and she can hear her escort party gossiping even behind their masks. They're wondering if the northern princess is as beautiful and strong as the rumors say. If she's half as strong as that Cautus she'd seen once during a border skirmish, then her alliance would be more than a boon.

By her estimation, the meeting time is near, so she supposes she'll find out soon enough.]

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No, I just finished. It's why I couldn't reply to your message right away.

[Talulah smiles at Yelena's return greeting and leans more against the counter. She also notices the way the other's gaze is flitting around, but she's not entirely sure about the cause. Her outfit isn't what she usually wears, so maybe that's it.]

So we can hang out if you're not too tired from the trip over here.

[ an unexpected wave of relief washes over Yelena after hearing Talulah's offer. she's been not so subtly fixated on what Talulah meant by her invitation; it's a kind gesture, obviously, but she hadn't been sure if Talulah's company came with it. this is partially a work trip for her, and this may be one of only a few times where Talulah's free from her responsibilities, but Yelena's still comforted by the offer. ]

No, I slept most of the way. Have you eaten? I was going to get lunch, if you wanted to come along.

[ under most circumstances Yelena's poker face is unshakeable, an act that's almost second nature to her, which could be why she doesn't seem to notice her ears flattening back as she speaks. ]

Sure, lunch sounds good.

[She does notice the other's ears going back and that's...weird, isn't it? She hasn't really known Yelena to emote like that, and Talulah wonders if she has misstepped somehow. On the other hand, Yelena is also straightforward and has never had a problem telling Talulah when she's messed up before. So she doesn't bring any more attention to it.]

The hotel's restaurant is pretty good, but do you want to get some in the city? I actually haven't had a chance to explore much yet.

That was my plan. I'll never hear the end of it if everyone back home thinks I spent this trip hanging out in the hotel.

[ she says in a tone that indicates she received some well meaning, but very real threats over the possibility. Yelena gets it, even if it seems like she should be the one who decides how to best spend her vacation time. ]

I can leave whenever. My security won't bother us unless they spot something dangerous or need me to settle an argument.

[ with the amount of guests and staff milling around them in the lobby, it's hard to tell where it comes from, but Talulah might catch the sound of a laugh half-disguised as a cough from the sidelines. ]

Is that what you usually do on vacation?

[Not that Talulah really has much experience in resort towns, either, but she personally is glad for a reprieve from being cooped up in the hotel when it seems as though there are many more interesting things in the town. Not to mention, the frankly ridiculously sized pool attached to her suite got old faster than she expected.

Now that they've decided to go outside, Talulah moves to put on her hat and sunglasses. She hears that sound the moment she finishes, and looks around curiously, before turning her attention back to Yelena.]

Mine will pretty much do the same, so we can go right now. Are you in the mood for anything in particular?

The seafood here's supposed to be good, right? I'm not picky, as long it's someplace I can get a coffee or tea.

[ Yelena pulls the brim of her hat down more as they exit the temperate lobby head out into the sunny afternoon. their hotel is in a prime location with a picturesque beach a few minutes one way and an upscale entertainment district in the other. several of her friends recommended places to eat, but the ones who have been to Siesta before are from noble or rich families, and mostly rave about restaurants that have had viral moments on social media. ]

I don't mind eating and walking either, I haven't gotten a chance to stretch my legs too much since we landed.

[ a wayward ocean breeze ruffles Yelena's hair, still worn down and loose. the heat of this place barely registers to her, but the humidity is another matter. she'll probably have to put it up once they get into the shade again— she'd been reminded no less than a dozen times about how easily she sunburns before the trip. ]

There's a lot of stuff like Colombian-style diners, too.

[From the brief glances Talulah had gotten from the cars she's ridden in and the recommendations from the staff and representatives.

The heat and humidity are strong, but Talulah's just happy to be out of the hotel and into the sun, finally.]

How about we walk around until we see someplace with nice patio seating? Everyone keeps raving about the views of the water and the old volcano. Might as well enjoy them while we eat.

Colombian food ... they do burgers and lots of sweet stuff, right?

[ that's the stereotype, anyway, which is most of what Yelena has to off of. Colombian immigrants aren't common in Ursus, and besides chain restaurants, she's never tried much of it.

Talulah's suggestion of walking until they find somewhere with a nice view and good outdoor seating sounds reasonable, and Yelena hums in assent, turning her attention to picking out a place that meets those requirements.

that becomes significantly harder to do as the sidewalk fills up with other tourists. there must be some event that's beginning or ending, because within the span of a block, the foot traffic around them balloons to a sea of people. Yelena doesn't jump to any wild conclusions yet, but there's a real chance of losing track of Talulah in the increasingly packed crowd. without thinking, she slips her arm into Talulah's to lock them together, a move she's used with friends a million times before. ]

We should cross the street. There's less people on that side.

And barbecue.

[The moment Talulah also begins to worry she might lose Yelena in this sudden surge of people is the same moment she feels Yelena link their arms together. She's startled for a beat, mostly because she hadn't been expecting it, but she reciprocates easily by adjusting her arm so they're both comfortable as they walk.

It's always nice when she's able to be close to Yelena, and besides that, it's a little nostalgic. She did this with her schoolmates when she was much younger.]

Sure. [She moves through the crowd to hop off the sidewalk and cross the street when there aren't any big box trucks or convertibles flying by. Yelena is faintly cool to the touch, even through the barrier of her sweatshirt.] I can't believe it's taken me this long to ask, but has anyone ever forced you to be their portable air conditioner or cooler before?

[ with the heavy foot and vehicle traffic, it seems reasonable to keep her loose hold on Talulah for a little while longer after they're able to cross the street. up they can start to see the source of the sudden crowd, a tiny stage being broken down while a band signs various items their fans thrust at them over the arms of bodyguards. they look vaguely familiar, but Yelena's attention is redirected by Talulah's question. ]

Most buildings in Ursus don't have air conditioning. [ it's not that common in Victoria either. Talulah was born in Lungmen though, and Yelena's heard about how miserably humid it gets there. ]

If we need to cool something off, we throw it outside. I'm only useful as an emergency cold compress for injuries and fevers.

And here I thought I could commiserate over being used when nobody has a light.

[Talulah doesn't sound that put out about it, and she also doesn't move to let go of Yelena's arm, even if the street they're on is now comparatively much less crowded.

She squints in the direction of the makeshift stage and the band, and to the swell of people now roaming off to find the next exciting thing.]

It's hard to imagine, but it's apparently going to get even more lively here at night.

Yours sounds like a better party trick.

[ and nice move to pull on someone you're flirting with. Yelena regrets that thought immediately, stomach twisting like she swallowed a moldy heel of bread when her imagination unhelpfully conjures the image of Talulah leaning in to offer a flame to another bored young noble at a stuffy Victorian social event. whether or not Talulah has used her arts like that is none of her business, and if she tightens the link of their arms a little, there's no deeper meaning behind it. ]

Hm? Oh, yeah, I heard that too. [ she's delayed a few seconds in response, failing to recover from her inane daydream in time to seem unaffected. ]

I got around a dozen recommendations for bars and clubs when I asked people back home. I was kind of surprised— we do that in Ursus all the time, just with shittier weather.

You think so?

[She's not sure what to make of the obvious lull in conversation. She doesn't think what she said had been that odd, right?

She also doesn't know what to make of Yelena mentioning that she's gone to those bars and clubs all the time, either. It's her prerogative, of course, but it's a lot easier to get close and intimate with someone at a place like that than with a little arts trick.

Talulah is not going to think about that, or the very obvious logic of what it means if she goes to a club or bar with Yelena now. This trip is meant to take away some of the stress that's been steadily accumulating. If she goes back to Lodinium worse off than when she left, she'd never hear the end of it. So, all she does is unconsciously follow the tug of Yelena's arm and shift a little closer.]

Well, maybe there's something to it if you got all those recommendations. Did any of them sound interesting?

[ fortunately or unfortunately for Talulah, Yelena doesn't think she's revealed anything especially notable. young people with a modicum of disposable income who find themselves living through an Ursus winter have limited options for passing the time, and inevitably fall into that age old tradition of getting wasted with their friends at various alcohol distributing establishments. Yelena doesn't actively seek it out, but she doesn't hate it either, and has long resigned herself to being dragged along as an express pass to skip the line whenever her friends want to go out. ]

They mostly sounded gimmicky to me, but there were a few ... one of those famous hot springs has a bar in the spring, I guess, which could be fun.

[ she's still unsure of how much Talulah plans to split her time between work and play, and whether she'd want to spend her precious free time checking off tourist attractions with her. Yelena's past the point of denying that she's hungry for Talulah's attention, and that's— not that abnormal between friends is it? she'd do the same if she were here with some of the Yetis. yeah, it's probably fine. ]

Why? Did you want to check them out?

Yeah. It'd be a shame not to while I'm here, right?

[Mostly, she just wants to spend her free time with Yelena, be that at a tourist trap or elsewhere. It's not the entire reason she invited her on this trip, but it's definitely a major reason.

The road they're on is drawing closer to the water, and at the end of the block, Talulah sees a two-story building with pretty flowering vines along parts of the wall and balcony railing. Promising, if it turns out to be a restaurant or cafe.]

The hot springs sound kind of fun. I would've suggested the fireworks on the beach, but that's guaranteed to be too crowded.

Okay. Let me know when you're free.

[ Yelena's expressions can be hard to read, minor shifts in a clear sky that could portend an oncoming storm or nothing of note, but the slight smile that tugs at her lips is impossible to mistake. ]

I do want to check out the beaches ... but that has to wait until tomorrow. My swimsuit's kind of old, and when my stylist found out she begged me to get a new one. [ she doesn't personally see what's so bad about her basic one-piece, even if it is from her senior years of secondary school. ] And some "actual vacation clothes". She leaves me alone most of the time, so I promised I'd take care of it before I went anywhere too public.

I'm free this evening if you want, but...you're saying you don't have anything to wear?

[Talulah doesn't have all that much room to speak when it comes to fashion. She just told the right palace staff and the tailor what she preferred, and her outfits had been coordinated and made up for her, swimsuit included.]

Okay, shopping can be our activity after lunch. Speaking of, does this place look good?

[The building Talulah spotted before does turn out to be a restaurant, complete with open-air balcony seating that appears to have a perfect waterfront view.]

I brought plenty of clothes. It's the crown's public relations people who've been on my case to look a certain way when I'm in public lately.

[ ever since grand dukes of Victoria officially surrendered, the attention Yelena's gotten both inside and outside of Ursus' has skyrocketed. she'd been a curiosity with potential to some global players before, and now those who wrote her off as Buldrokkas'tee's charity case have been forced to reassess their views.

which has partially translated to getting scolded about going around a resort town dressed like a gym rat.

she also doesn't entirely get why Talulah would want to come shopping with her, but she's not about to turn her down. it might go faster with two people anyway. ]

Yeah, this looks fine. [ the menu displayed on a board out front isn't very long, which means they're not trying to pad it out to attract the most people, and they offer iced coffee and a few tea drinks. ]

A certain way? Sounds like the same thing as when my staff tells me I should be wearing seasonal colors.

[Meanwhile, Talulah's now in an even better mood than the nice weather and being free from playing politics for a little while brought on. The prospect of helping Yelena pick out clothes feels...nice, for a reason she can't put her finger on. Maybe it's because it's something she's aware friends often do, but she's never really gotten the chance herself.

Regardless, there is luckily a table free when Talulah asks about it, and the chipper zalak server leads them up the set of stairs in the restaurant that leads to the balcony seating. She leaves them with menus, promising to be back in a few minutes, before disappearing into the restaurant's main building again. Talulah briefly ignores those to look out over the water and the rest of the city.]

Hm. Maybe this does live up to all the talk.

[ Yelena slides into her seat and places her order the same quick efficiency she applies to everything else in her life. after the waitress leaves them, her attention wanders to the views around them. picture perfect blue skies dotted by fluffy white clouds, ocean waves rolling in the distance, colorful buildings crowded together like party-goers in a packed festival— you can't get more idyllic than this. ]

Can't say I've ever seen anything like this. Not outside of a movie.

[ the wind picks up again, reminding Yelena of her earlier plans. she takes her hat off and pulls a hair tie from her pocket, fingers going to brush back the long strands into a ponytail. ]

Have you been stuck inside a lot? Diplomatic meetings can drag on for hours.

Yes. Practically since I got here.

[It had been exhausting not only to listen to everyone chat about nothing much at length but also field the subtle and not-so-subtle attempts at sussing out where Victoria's new queen stood on certain matters. And if Talulah could be easily swayed to another side. The price of being the ruler of a world superpower, she supposes.

The memory of being cooped up in conference rooms and offices is becoming less of an issue the more time she spends in the sun and sea breeze, thankfully.]

But things seem to be going well enough, so far. I hope you haven't been as busy as I have.

No. I've had a lot of down time recently.

[ with the bulk of Ursus' forces withdrawn from Victoria, Yelena's role as a commander had come to an end. the official word is that she's being granted a well deserved rest, and that's not untrue, but everyone closer to the royal family of Ursus knows it's more about the losses Ursus suffered during the final push.

several of the Yetis Yelena had left behind perished during the march into Londinium. the presence of her father on the field had sent several Victorian generals into a spiral, issuing suicide orders to their men to destroy as much of the city as possible before the invading forces could take it. the resulting chaos claimed the lives of soldiers on both sides, many of whom defied orders trying to prevent the destruction and save lives. her friends, born with her on a squalid little spot of land in the far tundra, had died heroes. in a way, all of the Yetis who hailed from that pit were living on borrowed time. they were supposed to die as children, and instead found themselves living the kinds of lives their families wouldn't dare imagine.

the dream simply ended. that doesn't make it hurt any less. ]

But ... I think it's fine if I tell you, since they would've sent the message to your people by now. [ she pulls her hat back on, movements a little more subdued than before. ]

I'm being put forward as the primary candidate for our Victorian diplomat. If your office approves it, I'm moving to Londinium after my trip here ends.

[After the dust had started to settle, Talulah had been thoroughly briefed on the losses from all sides. It didn't take much for her to tally who had taken the biggest hits, and the implications.

Dreams and ambitions like Talulah's don't come without sacrifices. This she knows, and it isn't something she can afford to regret when she's sitting on the throne now. But she can't forget, either the lives snuffed out in the name of her ideals or the debt she feels she can't ever truly repay.

Speaking of such a debt, there are certain members in the Victorian government who hate nothing more than Talulah's connection to Ursus. It's nothing that's outright stymying her current efforts, but if she wants to keep having an amicable relationship with those who believed in her when no one else did, she can't ignore them either.

Of course, what Yelena mentions is enough to kick all other thoughts of politics from her mind.]

What? They could have told me before I came here.

[She smiles, brightly. It is for work and very important government goings-on, but she also couldn't stop herself from being happy at the prospect of Yelena being closer to her, no matter how hard she tries.]

I can't see why they wouldn't. [Even with the naysayers.] But I hope you know what you're getting into with the weather.

[ a strong emotion swells inside Yelena when she sees Talulah's reaction to her news. she hadn't known what to expect, but a small, irrational part of her had hoped for something similar to what's playing out in front of her.

it's a good moment for the waitress to return with their drinks, giving Yelena a few moments to recover before she blurts out an answer she'd regret later. ]

There's always some kind of review for this stuff, even if it's just for show.

[ she stirs her iced coffee with her straw, forcing herself not to go too fast and reveal how her nerves have started inexplicably fraying beneath the surface. ]

And that's why I'm here, isn't it? I'm getting one last chance to experience sunlight before they ship me off to your wet, gray city.

Don't forget about all the fog.

[Talulah drops the wedge of lime into her drink, something with coconut and citrus that she heard is popular, before taking a sip. She'd had her fill of coffee and tea from the morning meetings.]

But I'm glad to hear it. I hadn't even realized you were an option for that.

[In fact, Talulah had already assumed it would be someone older and already used to diplomacy in Victoria. Not to mention, she knows Yelena has her own responsibilities in Ursus.]

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