Re: Easing Through Eaulir - 119 4A

by **Kara Winters** Wed Sep 09, 2015 8:19 pm

"Let me clean up first, otherwise I'm just going to get sand everywhere and in the food," Miyuki motioned to herself.

Indeed, she had a lot of sand on her, and she figured the others would appreciate not chewing on it.

"I'll be back in a few," she promised.

by **Nara-pyon** Wed Sep 09, 2015 8:55 pm

"No rush!" Lancaeriel grinned.

It took a while to prepare the meal, and they were pleasantly surprised to discover that in some of the oysters were smooth, glowing pearls (the suggestion was made that Amir get to keep them, since he had found them, but the boy gave a few to Miyuki, since she had helped). As Lancaeriel had predicted, a few of the group enjoyed the oysters (and crab) and Kaito and Shiro were ecstatic for the treat (as Miyuki had thought they would be).

There was one person who didn't seem impressed by any of these things, however: Andarien was still pretty down because despite how much effort he'd put into working with the Littinum they'd found, he was still unable to do anything with it.

"Perhaps all you need is to take a break from it," Shoneah suggested to Andarien, one hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "If you stress over it, you're just going to exhaust yourself."

"You could always ask your grandfather," Wren added. "I don't know if you're able, but I can try to show you how to communicate with a mirror."

"Don't have one," Andarien replied dully, poking at his food.

by **Kara Winters** Wed Sep 09, 2015 9:52 pm

"I have a mirror," Holly replied, "A full length actually, or would that be too much?"

She didn't know how this thing worked, and sort of imagined it worked the same way that screens on phones or computers worked in terms of how it would look.

by **Nara-pyon** Wed Sep 09, 2015 10:11 pm

"Probably too large," Wren agreed, "but thanks anyways. I have one in my room that I use to speak with my father. I can help you if you like, Andarien."

Andarien was still for a moment, and then he nodded and pushed himself away from the table. Wren moved to follow him and asked, "Do you know what your grandparents' bedchamber looks like?"

Andarien shook his head and sighed heavily. "Does that mean I can't talk to Neko after all?" he asked dejectedly.

"I can help," Earendil offered.

Wren smiled. "That will work. Come on, then, and we can get it started."

by **Kara Winters** Thu Sep 10, 2015 9:54 pm

"Go on," Lin told Earendil, "I'll stay here and help clean up. Give my regards to Ruel."

It didn't occur to Lin to wonder if Earendil would finally get that lecture his mother no doubt would give him.

by **Nara-pyon** Thu Sep 10, 2015 10:59 pm

"Will do," Earendil promised with a grin. Before he followed after Wren and Andarien, he turned to Miyuki and asked, "What about you, Miyuki? Would you like to talk to your grandparents too?"

It probably wouldn't be very exciting for her, talking about metal work, but he thought h should at least offer in case she was interested, rather than presume that she wouldn't be.

by **Kara Winters** Fri Sep 11, 2015 11:14 pm

Miyuki shook her head, knowing her brother, the conversation about the metal would be deep and long. There was very little chance she would be able to talk to her grandparents without having to sit through it. While it would be interesting, she wasn't sure she was up for doing that at the moment.

"I'll stay here," she told her father.

Or, maybe she would go talk to Shoneah since Andarien would be occupied.

by **Nara-pyon** Fri Sep 11, 2015 11:26 pm

Earendil smiled at Miyuki. "See you later, then. And don't wait up for us, either - knowing both Andarien and my father, this could go rather late."

And with that, he followed after Wren and Andarien, heading down the hallway toward Wren's bedroom.

The others set about clearing the table - at least the women did. The men headed off to go about their own activities.

by **Kara Winters** Fri Sep 11, 2015 11:38 pm

Miyuki helped with the clearing up before going off to talk to Shoneah. She tried Shoneah's room first since she and Andarien had been at the forge all day.

Even if it was a normal routine for them to be there all day.

by **Nara-pyon** Sat Sep 12, 2015 12:43 pm

Shoneah had indeed retired to her room for the evening, and she had already changed into her night clothes - a long and loose shirt that came to a stop just a little above her knees. It was plain, unstyled and undecorated, but it served its purpose. When Miyuki knocked at the door, she had been doing some stretches so that her muscles wouldn't stiffen overnight - it had been a long, hard day for both her and Andarien - but she stopped without complaint and slid her door open to see who was there.

"Miyuki," she smiled, a bit surprised to see the kitsune there. To her recollection, Miyuki had never - at least, not since Shoneah had first joined the group - sought her out to speak with her. A part of her wondered if she had left the kitchen too early, if perhaps she shouldn't have stayed a bit longer and helped out a bit more after dinner. Her perplexity showed on her face despite her effort to keep it to herself. "Can I help you with something?"

by **Kara Winters** Sat Sep 12, 2015 10:55 pm

Miyuki smiled and tried to be reassuring, "I just wanted to have a chat with you about Andarien."

And that was very blunt, but Miyuki figured she didn't have enough tack anyways to beat around the bush.

by **Nara-pyon** Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:04 pm

A shadow of concern flickered in Shoneah's eyes, and she slid her door a bit wider and stepped to one side. "Come in," she invited Miyuki, gesturing for her to make herself comfortable somewhere in the room.

Aside from her futon, there wasn't really anything to sit on, as her one and only table was covered with bullet-making materials.

Once Miyuki was in, she slid the door shut behind her once more so that they could have some privacy.

by **Kara Winters** Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:16 pm

"Sorry if I'm worrying you," Miyuki first started out, "Or for the bluntness because, this isn't something I normally talk about."

After all, she had never felt anything beyond family and friend love. Her little brother has clearly beat her to it, despite not knowing what he was feeling.

"But I wanted to talk about Andarien and your relationship with each other..." the kitsune backed up, "I mean, I know you're not in a relationship, but it's starting to become clear he really likes you... like really likes you, and well... you know Andarien. I don't think he even realizes it yet."

by **Nara-pyon** Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:32 pm

Relief washed over Shoneah as she realized that Andarien was all right, and then her mind focused on what Miyuki was saying to her. Memories flitted through her mind: Silas and Sandor, the Light Elves from Quir, teasing her and Andarien and calling her Andarien's girlfriend; Andarien's mysterious illness when she had gone with Daeron into the military camp in Illsbruic to find Jassin for Lashrael; the incredible music box that he had created for her in secret to help her with her homesickness ...

"If that is the case," she said finally, her face impassive, "he most vehemently denies it."

Despite her words and her lack of expression, her heart had begun to race. It didn't matter who made the suggestion or what form it took, Andarien always flat-out denied that there was anything between them. And while on the one hand she was glad that this was the case, it also, oddly, left her feeling, on occasion, disappointed.

by **Kara Winters** Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:50 pm

Miyuki chuckled, able to find a bit of humour in this weird conversation they were having. She put her hands on her hips.

"I love my brother to bits, but I will be the first to admit he is so emotionally stunted that everyone else will be married before he realizes he's in love."

Slight exaggeration, after all, there were several people among them who probably would not be finding a beloved anytime soon. Though if any of their non-elven travel partners did, Miyuki would be delighted all the same.

"He denies it because it doesn't recognize it," Miyuki pointed out, "We still have to walk him through his feelings when he's angry."

by **Nara-pyon** Sun Sep 13, 2015 12:02 am

"And upset," Shoneah added in a murmured, distracted by the thought. "Distraught, sad, annoyed ..."

She sighed and sat on her futon, crossing her legs, which were now almost entirely uncovered, since all she was wearing was her night shirt. It didn't seem to bother her, though.

"If I may be honest," she murmured, almost afraid to continue, "there have been ... so many people who have commented, made suggestions ... Daeron, Eron ... some of the others give us looks ... I hear things sometimes, when people think I'm not in hearing range ... and in Quir, Silas and Sandor absolutely refused to be convinced that there was nothing between Andarien and myself."

She spread her hands in a helpless gesture. "I don't know what to say. I truly don't. For my part, Andarien is the one person who has made my sojourn here bearable. Every time I'm at my lowest, he seems to know ... just what to say, what to do, to help me recapture my courage. I've had people comment to me as well that I seem to be doing quite well, being away from my family for so long ..."

Her voice broke, and she had to swallow to go on again. "Andarien is the only one who has seen me when I can't handle being here anymore, and he's the one who helps me to get through it."

She shook her head again. "But as far as I know ... for either of us ... that's as far as it goes. He is sweet, don't get me wrong, and I am very fond of him ... but ... really, he's still such a child ..."

She wasn't entirely sure if that last part was true, but it certainly felt like it, with how little he was able to get across about his emotions, or how much he even understood of them.

by **Kara Winters** Sun Sep 13, 2015 12:13 am

Miyuki took a kneeling position on the floor. While not as comfortable without a seating cushion, this was more do-able for her.

"Sliverbirch, please..." Miyuki began, "I'm not asking you to get into a relationship with my brother. If you do not feel the same, I respect that, but I do ask you talk to him about it and let him know how you feel. Like I said, he doesn't understand his emotions that well. When you were off finding Jassin, he was angry that he couldn't go with you, even though logically there was no other way. He worries about you, cares about you far more than just a friend. It's just... it doesn't occur to him that it's because he cares for you in a way that is different from caring for me, or our parents, or even any of our traveling companions."

In that way, Shoneah was right, Andarien was still very much a child emotionally. However, it was more like he thought differently.

"But he cares, and we still have many years left. You need to nip this in the bud now, rather than later, because even if he denies it, it's going to break his heart when you leave and he's not going to know why."

To which Miyuki mentally added and then no one will know what to do, because how do you convince a person like Andarien that he's in love?

by **Nara-pyon** Sun Sep 13, 2015 12:22 am

Shoneah lowered her gaze and kept silent. What could she say? She simply had no idea. And - this was something she would admit to no one but herself - she was afraid to face her own feelings, to find out what she truly felt. What if she did care for Andarien? She would be forced to make a very difficult choice - to either leave him or never see her family again. She didn't want to have to make a choice like that.

And if she didn't ...

"I wouldn't even know how to start a conversation like that," she admitted reluctantly. "How can I, if even I have no idea how I feel? I can't face his feelings, or ask him to do so, if I don't even know my own."

She had tried, a while ago already, to distance herself from him, but that effort had failed miserably. She didn't know if Andarien had noticed anything, but she hadn't been at all happy. Her homesickness had come back with a vengeance.

by **Kara Winters** Sun Sep 13, 2015 12:49 am

"I understand that," Miyuki nodded.

She wondered how even well functioning couples got their feelings out. It sounds so easy on paper, but in reality, Miyuki wasn't sure how that all even worked.

"At least think about your feelings?" Miyuki asked Shoneah, "Really think about them. You'll be traveling together for several more years yet, and on Andarien's part at least, it'll only get stronger. Whether or not he'll figure it out before our trip ends, I make no promises."

by **Nara-pyon** Sun Sep 13, 2015 1:06 am

Shoneah ground her teeth together. "Trust me," she murmured darkly, "I have been."

She just didn't like where her thoughts went, or the fact that she couldn't figure them out. And to be honest, this talk of 'several more years yet' was distracting her from the conversation. It had already been two years, and that was already far longer than she had ever wanted to be away from home.

She swallowed hard. "Look, I'll be honest with you. I have no idea if I can even sort my own feelings out. Between my homesickness and just trying to keep busy so that I don't think as much about not being home ... most of my time is spent just trying not to go out of my mind. I don't know when, or even if I'll be able to figure anything out, and if I do, it probably won't be on my own."

by **Kara Winters** Sun Sep 13, 2015 1:24 am

Miyuki sighed, between the two of them, someone's heart was going to break, or maybe both. If Miyuki had known the story of her parents, she would have thought the two made her parents seem functional.

"Is it because you're determined to go home?"

After all that had been Shoneah's goal since she started traveling. Eron, had seemed to stop caring after a few months. Though he had confided with Miyuki that he found the thought of teaching again after this very daunting.

by **Nara-pyon** Sun Sep 13, 2015 1:30 am

Shoneah opened her mouth to reply, but then she realized that ... she just didn't know.

She told Miyuki as much.

"I don't know, but I won't sacrifice love to return home," she said quietly. "My determination to go home ... I don't know if that has anything to do with it. Not the determination, anyway. I want to, yes, and I am determined but - it's not that my determination drives me, but rather that my longing to see my family again drives my determination. As yet, there's nothing here that I long for even half as much as I long to see my family again."

Though, now that she had voiced it ... the pull to return to her family wasn't quite as strong as it had used to be. Was she coming to terms with reality?

She sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm not making much sense," she murmured sadly. "Even to myself."

by **Kara Winters** Sun Sep 13, 2015 1:36 am

"You have had a lot of homesickness, and I suspect that's why you started spending a lot of time with Andarien in the forge room," Miyuki replied softly, "So I would understand if home was still on your mind. After all, I would miss my family too if I had to spend time away from them..."

But if her parents ever settled, Miyuki suspected she would still travel, it was just too hard to spend in one place now.

"That being said, maybe the first question to ask is, are you spending a lot of time working the forge to get rid of homesickness, or are there other reasons?"

Miyuki was at least half sure that Shoneah wasn't quite the workaholic as Andarien was.

by **Nara-pyon** Sun Sep 13, 2015 1:41 am

"Well, I do enjoy the work," Shoneah admitted without hesitation. "And I owe Andarien so much ..."

A light blush crept over her cheeks as she realized something else, and, looking at Miyuki, she added quietly, "It is pretty amazing, watching Andarien work, though. I mean, he's so ... talented."

Her mouth stopped there, but her thoughts kept going with things she wasn't sure she could admit, especially not out loud. Like how she liked watching him work through difficulties that he encountered, or the look of pure joy on his face when he accomplished something new, or completed a project. Still, she couldn't stop her eyes from flickering towards the music box he had created for her, that was resting in its place of honour on her chest of drawers.

by **Kara Winters** Mon Sep 14, 2015 11:21 pm

Miyuki smiled softly, maybe she wouldn't have to worry too much.

"Maybe you do just need to think about it more, without the added pressure of thinking about the future," Miyuki murmured thoughtfully, "After all, we have several years yet."

And who knows what will happen in those years. Maybe Andarien would have matured more by then, maybe Shoneah would have figured it out.

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