The Baroness With the Golden Buns

    Warm weather has come to the mountains! Which means it is time for the Baroness to get to work. And by work it shold be understood that it is still honeymoon time and Elly has officially retired from the dangerous. She's strolling near the castle, holding a basket and wearing a light, flowing robe that mostly conceals the fact that she's wearing a bikini today. It's very unusual behavior for the Baroness, but the landers seem to be growing accustomed to her little oddities. Plus, she is a priestess to the goddess of fertility. Modesty is bad business.

    She will pause near the gate, looking up at the hills with care. She has the look of someone trying to find something that is not particularly easy to find.

"Lady Bombast?"

Uta's greeting comes out of the blue, as it is usual to her having slipped into her Avatar's natural Spriggan sneakiness, and not really thinking about it. She sometimes just seems to appear out of nowhere.

What is different from the Spriggans of Yore, however, is that she is kind of tapping and rubbing her hands together in that embarrassed pose pangolins are so famous for, head bowed and looking up. "I... Uh... Fuka sent me on a mission to enjoy the pleasures of life, and... but..." Look down and away. Scratch the back of her head. "Well, uhm, I was wondering if I could tag along since..."

Pause. She finally straightens her head and looks at Wake straight on, "...well, you said you were retiring, and relaxing, and I thought, hey, maybe if I tag along I can learn something about relaxation too?" Clench that fist. "I can do this! I will work very hard at relaxation until I've achieved it!"

    Elly is surprised by Uta's sudden appearance. She does not show it in an indecent way, but there is the slightest sign of her shackles glowing as she started to use light artes. But that comes and goes so fast!

    She turns to look at Uta, pauses for at least a second or two, and then says, "I will help you, certainly! But first. We hug!"

    She gives Uta a moment to brace for warmth and then embraces her affectionality. The new greeting which is totally normal and used for everyone honest is shared. Someday, she hopes that Uta will master the art of the hug, too.

    "I have just the place to demonstrate to you the art of relaxation. Since you are an adventurer, you will be happy to know it's a secret, scenic route we will be using. I think I showed you the entrance to the underfalls, but there is another, similar path hidden in the tower. Also, it is imperative that you are prepared for the challenges of relaxation. Do you have a bathing suit?"

    Talking and walking can happen at the same time, of course, and so Elly deviates from her original route to something very special. It is Uta, after all, so it has to be among the most special and lovely of views!

Uta's hugs improve over time. Slowly, but steadily. To her credit, she's got the technique down pat in an amazingly short amount of time. It's the reluctance that still puts a damper on the experience. But even that one decreases at a steady, if slow, pace, becoming less intense at each successive iteration.

The great path of Talking and Walking at the same time has begun. A great journey begins with a single step and a single word, simultaneously, and Uta has done both. "Secret! Scenic! Route! Three of my favorite words!" Uta's eyes widen at the revelation of just -what- awaits her, as she begins to walk in the direction Wake leads her towards. Ecstatic Spriggan noises, which sound like a 'Oooooh' mixed with a squeak of anticipation. "I shall live up to the challenge!" Clenched fist. Burning shounen determination. Intense stare towards the future.

"Yes! But no. But...", Uta answers Wake's question about having a bathingsuit, alternately excitedd, crestfallen, and conflicted.

"Gwen gave me a one piece suit this year, and I own a couple in different styles from last year, but-" She flicks her menu open, and begins scrolling through it, "-I... I think I don't have it with me? Must have left it somewhere. My cart? The Slime Labs? Gwen's house?", she frowns, as more and more inventory entries are scanned.

    Elly, being the ultimate girl scout, has a lot of ideas. She will try empathy, first. Which will likely have interesting results. "Well, honestly you don't have to wear one. I know there are only some tan lines that Tae likes."

    She does not get into too much detail. Uta will hopefully not overthink that one! Either way, the path there is not terribly difficult. Elly leads the way to the tower and then goes into its basement. A gate is unlocked and then another and soon they are outside, following a hidden pathway under the falls. While there is a safety rail, there is nothing that prevents a constant spray of cool water from them as they go. Plus it is obviously loud.

    "IT IS NOT A LONG WALK FROM HERE!!" The Baroness can really project when she has to! She has a bounce in her step, thinking ahead. "WE ARE GETTING HERE A BIT EARLIER THAN I ORIGINALLY PLANNED, BUT IT SHOULD BE PERFECT ANYWAY!"

The Secretarial Sylph awaits. In that she's busy putting the final touches to a delightful little picnic. There is a spread of a cloth, and there is an ice bucket with something in it. There is a little picnic hamper. She does not seem to be ready to Relax, however, being still in her little almost-suit, standing and brushing down her skirt to thoughtfully study the little arrangement, and she looks pleased.

Then, she starts to trot down the return path the other way that the two are going, pausing as she sees them. A smile to Wake, and an amused look to Uta as the Sylph waves, the water stopping at a small shield conjured from the wand stuck in her hair

"Tan lines? What do tan lines have to do with- Wait. Wait!"

Uta rushes to catch up with Wake, alternating between looking ahead and down at her menu.

"I AM SURE I HAVE AT LEAST ONE SOMEWHERE. HONEST," Uta continues, apparently still scrolling through the menu over the roaring and playful froplets of the waterfall. As a Sage of Song, it seems, she also has the art of voice projection down pat. "IT WAS RIGHT HERE!", Uta continues, as her frown of concentration conveys just how hard she's working at relaxing. "UNDERWATER QUESTS HAPPEN. I MUST HAVE ONE SOMEWHERE JUST TO BE READY..."

All that focus of concentration, however disappear at once when she sees the Secretarial Sylph. "Oh, hey, Ayame!", she waves, wagging one arm left and right like a dog's tail.

    Elly practies the time-honored tradition of pretending not to hear things that are inconvenient. Fortunately, Uta did find her swimsuit in the end, but really, way out here, only birds can see them anyway. Well, and people with telescopes, she supposes.

    When they get closer to Ayame, she will bounce forward and demonstrate her hugging once more! She gives her secretary a bit of a warning. The arms go wide. It's possible to evade her, but the sheer pouting such an act will draw is a thing to be feared.

    "Hello, Ayame! Is everything ready? I am glad we are prepared for an additional guest. I found Uta! She needs help relaxing. I think the first thing to learn about relaxation club is that there is no relaxation club. We just happen to be three women in beautiful swimsuits sunbathing, chatting, reading, and generally just having a wonderful, warm day together."

Ayame regretfully accepts the hug. It's a matter of propriety. She returns it briefly, and squeezes, as she talks around Wake "Hello, Uta. It's very good to see you. You're joining the Baroness in her sunbathing, then?" She smiles faintly, returning her eyes to Wake as she released and steps back.

"I'm afraid I don't have a swimsuit, Baroness" She notes with amusement "I've avoided Gwen sufficiently to manage that" And then, to Uta, a trifle amused "But I know someone has at least something like a bathing suit, if she's having difficulty finding that. Look under T, Uta. Or possible D, for Dance."

    "Hmm, so if you did, hypothetically, have a bathing suit that fit your measurements perfectly, you would definitely join us in the sunbathing?"

    Ayame probably can sense danger. Elly would not just get one made for her secretary, though, would she? That would be quite unusual!

    "Regardless, I do hope you will stay with us. I would truly enjoy some time to talk about something other than work. And you can help me show Uta the art of relaxing. Which of course requires that one not try terribly hard."

"I ... didn't say that, Lady Bombast. I'll be pleased to sit with you as the two of you enjoy the sun, however" Ayame navigates deftly through the twin options of That Trap and Wake's Pout, both of which hold potential sadness for her.

"Oh no, my lady. Relaxing is terribly difficult." She says serenely "Why, some people practice it for a lifetime and still never get it right. It's so tremendously important, so I suggest you both settle on the cloth now, and don your bathing suits. The sun will be coming around the rock at any moment!"

    Elly tilts her head, studying Ayame for a moment. There is an amused glint that Ayame is able to see. "You are really good at handling me. I apologize if I sometimes prove very uncomfortable to be around. You know how I feel about you, though, I hope."

    She does not expand on that here, though. Instead, she slips out of her summer robe and neatly folds it.

    Emerging into the sun, the path ascends a staircase cut into the rock. The spot is a moderate island of stone that is in the midst of the waterfall. The falls are still obviously loud, but not being under them does much to allow conversation to happen. Around this outcropping are stone walls, made to ensure no one inadvertantly dives off the side.

    "And here we are.. Ayame, thank you for setting everything out already. You take far better care of me than I deserve, honestly."

"Nonsense, Lady Bombast. You work so very hard for the people of Eas" Ayame says, taking the robe and setting it aside as she guides to the two to the spots laid out to soak in the rays "And it's very important to us all that you have your mind set up at it's best, including the right to rest" She assures.

"And being a personal assistant means just that!" She says brightly "Don't worry. I've some little writing to do. Pleasure, I promise" She assures, as she sets out a small table, and a clumsily made pen, stacking papers atop it

    "What I should say, Ayame, is that I appreciate you. You mean the world to me, not just because of the work, of course. You are far more important than that to me and to Tae. I hope you do find plenty of time to relax in whatever ways you enjoy."

    The Baroness will settle down. She opts for tanning the front, first. Scandalous hinting aside, she doesn't show any sign of pushing the envelope on tan lines just yet. Hard to get others to relax if she is stressing them out, after all.

    "So it is very simple, really. But it is a bit difficult, as well. To relax in this way, you just lay down, close your eyes, and try to calm your mind by giving it stillness. If you need help, I can talk you through some of the things I like to do. My head often needs clearing."

Uta flails and flushes red at Ayame's suggestion. They both know what she's talking about. Enough that it takes some time for her to recover.

"Oh, you need not worry about measurements!", Uta beams. "If you don clothes throught the -menu- as opposed to putting them on physically, they will automatically be adjusted to your anatomy. Race, sex, shape, size... It's an amazing system like that."

There is good old Uta, innocently rattling off information that might put someone in trouble.

...that was innocent, right?

.../Right?/

Ayame's eyes narrow, and her wings buzz fractionally a moment, before the secretarial sylph recovers herself enough to merely smile and begin to write in a smooth, cursive hand, practicing the loop and flow with the pen, before she glances up and chatters with an even tone.

"Ah, but that requires having them to hand. I do wonder where you got that piece! If you even remember." She reassures "Though if you find such relaxing, perhaps you should enjoy it, here, as you relax" That idle verbal prod.

"Oh, well, yes, but you can easily be handed one. Then you can menu-equip it," Uta states, matter of factly. See? She learned how the menu works! She's such a good gamer!

"Piece? What piece?" Uta blinks at Ayame. She looks down at herself. "Oh. This piece!", she says, gesturing towards the slime-pattern two piece swimsuit with fantasy trimmings like rings and little metal decorations. And, of course, a magic wands dangling from each of her hips.

A sigh. "Gwen." She looks down, and with a hint of guilt, she mutters, "...it's got /slimes/..."

Once she's settled on the cloth, she stares ahead of herself. "Ok, relaxation. I can do this. I can do this!", she says. She inhales. Slowly. Eyes closed.

Hold breath.

Exhale.

Repeat.

"No, dear Uta. The piece you wore at the festival" Ayame says with a bright maliciousness "You should at least show the Baroness. She might want to hire you for something sometime!" A little wink and a chckle "But the swimsuit is very fetching. You look adorable. And of course it has slimes. That's how we know it's yours" She reassures.

And settles. Scratching out slow letters.

"Uh, you like it? I can lend it to you if you want!", Uta offers. "As said, it'd adjust automatically. And it already comes appropriate for winged races! I don't want to hard all the slime-related paraphernalia. In fact, it would be nice to spread the interest! Hm." She taps her chin. "Am I getting typecast? Perhaps I should branch out into different obsessions!"

Uta dismisses Ayame's words about the piece at the festival. "I am not carrying that one around! Space in the inventory is not infinite, you know? I've accumulated a bunch more items since then, and I have to drop stuff off all over Yamato. And that piece is definitely not something one needs on a daily basis!"

"No, I'm quite good without it" Ayame smiles, crossing her legs as she continues the slow scratch of the pen as she listens and considers "NO, I suppose it's not. Which is a shame. You were quite darling in it" She reassures

"Now do lay down. Think of things. I suppose it's not unlike trying to capture a strange mood, except in reverse. Think of ... nothing. Which is hard."

"Failing to think of things is my foremost skill!", Uta boasts. That fist, clenched again. Burning intensity in her eyes. "Just look!"

Sitting down, now cross-legged, she holds her index fingers vertical, barely touching her knees. Inhale.

Slowly lie down, extend legs....

And there you have it! Uta completely stretched to her full, not-so-impressive length, lying down, eyes closed.

Exhale.

Silence.

...And that's it. She doesn't move. She doesn't say anything. She just... exists.

    Elly listens to this exchange, but also does not quite listen. She is pretty experienced at clearing her head. Habit leads her to catch herself, though, as she was just starting to reach behind her back. This prompts her to instead prop herself up on her elbows.

    "If you want to relax, and cannot clear your mind, focus it on something simple and plain. I like to start by focusing on parts of my body, bit by bit, and breathing slow. It helps me relax. And in the end, my mind is blissfully empty."

    She looks over at Ayame, watching her write. She doesn't ask what it is she is writing, but simply observes. Eventually, she will lid her eyes and let out a relaxed sigh. "If you struggle, it might be a good idea to talk about what is stuck in your mind. That helps, too."

"I'm writing to my sister" Ayame responds after a moment "I find it helps. And Kuroyuri likes to hear what I'm up to" She explains with a small smile "You both look quite at peace. Feel free to enjoy the snacks and chilled wine I set out"

Uta still stands silent. Still. Unmoving.

"Look, the only reason why I did the slime dance in a tutu is because I was in the Mujou Strange Mood that led me to go down the Novasphere Pioneer of Monster Handling path, and people managed to trick me to get into it, okay?"

Cue appropriate reddening. Annoyance? Embarrassment? Who knows. In any case, that was apparently what Ayame was referring to. And, possibly, what's stuck in Uta's mind.

Right now, at least.

    "A tutu? Interesting."

    That's the only reaction from Elly. She is not going to press that matter. She does find it an odd thing to worry about, though. Considering all the weird things people do in this world, a tutu seems rather par for the course.

    "I am glad it helps you, Ayame. And I think some wine sounds lovely, really." And so, she will fetch it. "How many will I be pouring for?" she asks, looking to Uta and then Ayame.

"Pour three, I think" Ayame smiles "And then when we all decline, you won't feel guilty for drinking all three" She tells Wake with a glint in her eye.

"It's a fun thing to tease Uta over. I wrangled her quite a bit in that strange mood. I feel I deserve that from her, at least"

Uta flicks a hand. "Yes, things... happened during that Strange Mood. The Slime Ballet wasn't even the weirdest. It's all a blur but..." A frown.

A sigh. "RELAXATION!", she exclaims, loud. "Just a little bit, thanks. Possibly with some snack."

"Is sunbathing a form of bathing?", Uta randomly blurts out. "And if so, since it does not involve water, is it a form of dry cleaning?"

Wait, what?

Sometimes Uta's brain goes strange places.

"Say hello to Kuroyuri for me. Haven't seen her in ages. What's she up to these days?"

    Elly gives Uta a look. "Sunbathing is just basking in the sun and getting tan, silly. Tanning is optional. And generally not a great idea in the world before. It is bad for the skin."

    She sets to pouring wine. Three glasses, as requested. Though these are not all for herself, but served to Uta and Ayame. She is not a lush, after all.

    "And here I thought my secretary was so very innocent, and you were giving Uta a hard time all along?" Elly smirks and settles, for now, on her knees as she drinks. "I of course never cause any trouble with flirting, innuendo, or anything else."

"She's exploring" Ayame explains with a smile "She keeps mostly out of trouble I write to her and tell her about Eas. She has fun, I think. She doesn't like to be too involved - just wants to enjoy the world, you know?"

"And yes. You're dry cleaning the dampness off your skin" She says with a straight face

"I am innocent. But teasing is fun. And sometimes deserved. Like at your wedding" She says with a straight face "I had to fight to get away from that bouquet"

    "I generally am pretty open with things, and innocent and teasing can go hand-in-hand, don't you think? Besides, I am.." Elly sighs softly, picking the right words is taking effort. Eventually, she just says it.

    "I am not one to easily hide my sexuality. At least not with people I am interested in. I flirt readily, but I try to restrain myself to flirt with intention and meaning. So that if I am just complimenting, I can do that with a fun, flirty way, but if I have more than just compliments that I am offering, that too is conveyed. Tae and I share this trait, I think. Which is why we work so well together, and why our relationship is as strong as it is, despite many differences."

Apart from a casual remark of, "I have found basic Pharmaceutical recipes for plant-based sunscreen-like oils, as used in this world. The one that works best is based on white sesame, that grows in the south of the Fourland Kingdom. I suppose someone could devise better ones though...", she trails off

Uta seems to have gotten the hand of relaxing by now. Horizontal. Still. Silent.

Imperturbable.

"Wait, have you been flirting with me?!", Uta asks as she bolts upright. "I- I am not good at detecting such things! Oh goodness!", she panics, red in the face. Look left. Look right. "Nobody ever flirted with me! I don't know how I'm supposed to respond!"

With accelerated breathing, she flicks her menu open, and shimmers her squishy red stress ball into existence. Torment it.

Because that's her go-to response to maybe-flirting: squeezing stress balls!

    Elly has to turn to give Uta a long, curious look. "Uta, dear. I am not flirting with you. I adore you, but I have no intention of inviting you into my bed." She sighs softly and reaches out to pat her friend on the arm.

    "And I mean no offense by this. You are wonderful. Someone will, if you favor them, be incredibly lucky to be with you. But to me, you are... hmm. Were my life perfect, and if I could have had a child when I was young... I would have liked her to grow up to be like you. So optimistic, curious, successful, and friendly. Just to list a few truly admirable traits that you have in your repertoire."

    She will take a drink of wine at that point. Of course /after/ wafting its scent. She loves the scent of wine even more than the taste itself.

Uta lets out a sigh of relief. "Sorry for implying anything like that, Baroness. It's just that..." General gesture in the distance. "As said, I'm not good at picking up clues."

Some silence. Eventually, she catches up on the rest of Wake's explanation

"Oh. So... -that- is what you mean with 'Flirting with Meaning.' It's, like..."

Silence.

Uta looks down, and hides her expression, but one can catch a glimpse of blushing and embarrassment before her visage is concealed from view. "It's funny. It seems like almost everyone considers me their daughter in this world," she mumbles, scratching the back of her head.

"Like... Rylen, Xander, Morri, Uther, You... I'm... uh... humbled, I guess. Such... sheer numbers!"

And then, still looking away, "But honestly, you should have aimed higher! I would think that your daughter should be based on the Adventurer who achieved the most in this world: you. Only Adventurer I am aware of to have her own castle and noble title. And if we're talking optimistic, curious, successful, friendly... you really take all those words to a completely new level. She should really be like you. Which... I suppose, a daughter is supposed to be?"

    "I do not know what the others feel, but I think you are an amazing person, Uta. You change the world in so many ways. If anyone is the hero of Elder Tale, it is you."

    The compliments coming from Uta get Elly to lower her eyes. It is a bit embarrassing, but in a good way. "A daughter is supposed to be herself," Elly replies warmly.

    She sighs gently and thinkins for a moment. "I am very pleased with the things I have achieved with my friends. But the greatest of those achievements is simply to have my friends with me. To know so many good people. To get married, too! It was impossible until I came to this place."

"Hardly!", Uta exclaims, at the suggestion that she is the Hero of Elder Tale Online. "When anything of interest happens? I'm never there." She begin gesturing, while looking away, gaze lost in the distance, "Tower pushes? Waves of Calamity? World-relevant events? I'm missing every single one of them! What kind of hero misses all the story beats of their own narrative?", Uta comments, not... angry, or anything like that. More... matter of factly.

There is some silence at Wake's last statement.

Uta thinks. Ruminates. Then moves to sit, in the seiza position. Slow. Mindful.

"Elly," she finally says. Slow. But warm. "Do you believe that this world is real?"

More silence.

"Do you really, really, -really- believe it? Or do you just really, really, -really- want it to be real?"

There is no reproach or rhetoric in those questions; only honesty: rather than trying to make a point, Uta is asking for real.

    "It is real, Uta," replies Elly gently. "As real as anything I have ever experienced. But you touch on an interesting point. After all, in the dream before, scientists said that it was very likely we were living in a simulation. Some people worry about that sort of thing, but ultimately, it is irrelevent."

    She smiles at Uta, then, and goes on. "You are real to me. And the dome of my perception is all I can or will ever know. I am no Goddess, but my perceptions are all the reality that can ever exist for me. Is there more? Is there not? That is faith. I like to hope that there is much beyond what I can perceive."

    She sighs softly, looking out over the cliff into the vast expanse beyond. "But even if there is not, is this place not lovely enough? For me it is. In a few hours, Tae will come join us, as well. To hold the woman I love, even for a moment, is that not all I could ever need?"

Uta stands up, with a sigh. Slow, mindful.

She covers the distance that separates her from the Baroness, and stands next to her. "No doubt about the place being lovely," Uta comments, hands behind her back. Once again, she listens a lot and says little. "Fuka might be right," she finally says, with a sigh. "I seriously need to stop overthinking, and need to just relax. Figuring out the nature of our predicament has been draining me. I should just... I don't know, take a break and smell the coffee."

She walks back to the towel and leans down, but this time in a proper carelessly sprawled manner rather than in the stiff 'playing dead and hamming it' pose she had before. "Soak up some sun and enjoy life a bit. Tell worries to come back in a couple hours."

And with her hands behind her back, she closes her eyes.

And smiles.

    "A break has been earned."

    Elly watche Uta lay down with a calm smile. She will join her in repose a moment later. And surreptitiously do what must be done to avoid those tan lines. Privacy has its benefits.

    Elly does not doze off, though. She is not sleepy. She just waits for Tae to show up, whiling away the hours focusing on the touch of wind and waterfall spray on her skin, and the warmth of the sun.