The Best Part of Waking Up

    Retirement from the 'big matters' and combat has not emptied the Baroness' calendar. If anything, it has made it rather more organized, even strict. Still, she keeps her own hours, which frequently results in late night work and late rising.

    Last night, Elly vanished for hours. After her last meeting, she simply wandered off, checking out some of her favorite spots around Eas. Sure, there are some risks with that, but few high level threats remain, and the baroness is quite good at sneaking about.

    Nobody knows for sure when she returned to her bed, but she did, and she has slept in. With no meetings until the evening, it seems she's simply being alllowed to be lazy in her bed. But it is almost noon, and the sun is shining, the wind is moving the gauzy curtain that stands between her and the garden, and all is right for the world.

    

It falls to the Secretary to wake her. Or at least, bring her a pointed brunch on a tray, along with the morning's memoranda, knocking discretely and ensuring Tae is elsewhere before she unfastens the door and hips it open, stepping in for the bed and clearing her throat "I thought you might be hungry, Lady Bombast. You did miss breakfast" She notes, setting up the tray for Elly

    For a moment, the baroness pretends to not wake up. After all, the bed is at that magical temperature where she cannot tell where her body ends and the fluffy blankets begin. It is magical. She does open an eye though, after a while, to watch Ayame set out the tray. It is a great way to wake up.

    And so she does sit up, and makes a show of stretching. Her hair looks beautifully messy, and her pajamas slide just enough to tease and invite but not so much as to expose anything inappropriate.

    "Good morning, Ayame! Mmmm, and I am hungry, yes. Come sit on the bed with me as I eat. Are you hungry or thirsty?"

"Thank you, no, Lady Bombast. I ate a few hours ago" There's a prim disapproval in Ayame's voice, as she sits on the bed, smoothing the skirt and crossing her legs as she tugs the pen from her bun and sorts several of the papers out, setting it atop them meaningfully.

"I trust you slept well. Or exceptionally poorly. One or the other, really" She says with a faint smile

    "How one sleeps is less important than how one wakes," replies the Baroness softly. She has no reaction to the disapproval. It amuses her. "And I woke up to the most lovely of visions this morning. It was you! Bending over to set the tray for me. You are so important to me, and of course to Tae, as well."

    She eats, but at her own pace. She wants to talk. She also openly appreciates the waay Ayame controls her posture and arrays her clothing upon sitting. As a student of etiquette herself, she can understand and appreciate just how well it is done. And yes, she so obviously feels Ayame is attractive.

    "I made it to one of the peaks yesterday, and I watched the sun set, then I watched the stars. It was so beautiful. I closed me eyes and spent a long time just listening and breathing. And then, just breathing. Every breath has its own taste. It's own feeling."

    She breathes in deeply, allowing her eyes to close. Then she exhales and sighs. "Do you ever just live, Ayame? Just breathe?"

"On occasion, I suppose, but I tend to prepare for the future, and that necessitates controlling the present, Lady Bombast" Ayame says after a moment "I'm afraid relaxing isn't something I typically do - I'm always thinking of the next steps, the next duty, the next arte. After all, someone must" She flashes a small smile.

"I know. You both mean much to me" She says seriously "I care deeply for you both, and I was thrilled at the wedding. It was a true delight."

    "Someone must," replies Elly. She sighs gently and takes another bite of her brunch. Her expression is complicated. Her voice shows the calm joy that is her usual these days, but her eyes hint at tenderness and at sadness.

    "It is not my mission to make others do things, but I am inviting you to join me in relaxing. It does not have to be right now. I suspect you are displeased with me, and I would make that right, first. I love you far too much to sit by and leave something unaddressed."

    She continues to eat, taking delicate bites. It allows her to converse without disruption. And she is, of course, hungry, as well.

"Not at all, Lady Bombast. How you spend your days is your concern" Ayame smiles "But I'll be sure to act as a link to the rest of the world for you. But you're right, in that I don't relax well. It's never something I've been good at, and one reason, I think, that Uta suggested me as an aide and secretary."

She gives a little sigh, closing her eyes a moment "But I'm not displeased with you. Amused, perhaps, and finding it appropriate to point it out. But not displeased"

    "I see. But it is true to say that by becoming a leader I have also taken on responsibilities. And I will trust you to show me the same love I show you. By holding me accountable and reminding me that there are things I must do. I will not be upset with you for doing that."

    She looks thoughtful for a time and eats in silence. There is obviously something on her mind. Well, obvious to those who know her. Finally, she says, "I appreciate having you with me, Ayame. I hope that your work here is rewarding and gives you a sense of connection and meaning. At the same time, though, I value you as, well, you. I will help you as much as I can in relaxing. We can start very simply and go from there."

"I understand Uta has that goal, Lady Bombast" Ayame says with a small smile "I do. But I assure you, I'm sure fine. You don't need to concern yourself with me. Not all of us - need that downtime. I assure you, it's something that actively bothers me. Business and activity are the things that keep me calm and centred. So please, rest assured that I am happy, and that I am at my best when I am occupied."

    Elly laughs softly. "Uta takes it very seriously. But she is so ardent about so many things. She is a sweetheart. And yes, I understand. I did not need rest the way I do now earlier in my life."

    She looks at Ayame, weighing something, and then turns aside from the meal. She has efficiently eaten her fill, it seems. She arches her back, letting out a soft sigh. "I need to get ready. Ayame, can I trouble you to brush my hair?"

"Of course, Lady Bombast" Ayame smiles, slipping to sit at Elly's side, and taking up a comb to tame the wild bedhead with slow, smooth strokes, one hand on her shoulder.

"Uta's a dear. She cares so deeply about everything. I wonder what she'd do with indifference, you know?"

    "I imagine there are things that she is not terribly interested in. We all have the things we care about, and people that we want to stay close to." As she speaks, she will reach up to touch Ayame's. "I have learned a lot from her and others. Particularly about asking for help. I admit, it has been a difficult lesson. I do not want to trouble anyone, but my heart is lighter and warmer when I let people do kind things for me."

    She turns her head, smiling at Ayame. "Like this. There is more to my life than getting things done."

"I'm glad for you" Ayame smiles gently, squeezing Wake's hand softly "But it's not the same for us all. I'm ... content to be busy. TO help" She assures, continuing that slow stroke of the brush "We don't all need to be the main figure of a tale. Some of us are good just being at the edges"

    "It is not the same for all of us," agrees Wake. "This is my change. I want to be more than whatever thing I am working on. I will not stop working, though. I will administer the orphanages in the root cities, invest in them, show the children that they are loved, and gather teachers who can do what they love and through it, make the world a bit better. I am excited by it, Ayame! But I am also excited about appreciating things."

    She pauses and draws in a breath. "Like the scent of your hair. Are you using a different shampoo or perfume?"

"Ah, yes, Lady Bombast" Ayame admits "It was one of the recent ... the new trading routes, and they had lilies, and I thought I'd try some of the essences. They're quite reasonable" She says with a quick nod

"But I do understand. I want to see if I can help set up the Guardians for Eas proper."

    "Guardians? You mean like a Root City has?" asks Wake. She is rather losing herself in the stroke of the brush through her hair. It is hard to focus on anything else, really.

    "The touch of the bristles on my scalp feels amazing. Oh, and the lily scent. It suits you. They are beautiful flowers. Of course you outshine them, but I cannot fault them for that."

"That's the idea" Ayame smiles gently, continuing the soft brush, grazing the tines of the brush over the scalp "I think it would be good, yes?" And a nod "They're my sister's favorite. It's why she names herself Kuroyuri here"

    There is a long break for thought. Elly is extremely patient this morning. Well, technically it is probably around noon, now. The wind is getting a little more ambitious, and it frequently pushes its way past the curtain and warmer air spills into the bedroom.

    "It is time to see... what the outfit of the day is," she explains suddenly. "Oh, also, when will your sister be visiting? It would be fun to see her."

    As Wake speaks so casually, she is slipping out of her pajamas and then carefully setting down the suitcase for The Right Clothes. She pauses before looking inside. She has made a ritual for this. She claps her hands three times, then shuts her eyes and bows her head, as if in prayer.

    "Give me something sweet, give me something nice, you only work once a day so there's no use asking twice!"

    She laughs and pulls open the suitcase once her little rhyming ritual is done.

A sundress; in black, printed with lilac lilies. Light and sweet, with Wake's signature slit to the thigh and slightly more fitted than most. But still, something for the warm weather, to flatter and relax in

"I don't know, in truth" Ayame smiles, looking at the relic wiht amusement "We all do these in our own ways"

    "I hope you can entice her to visit you! There are plenty of places to explore in these mountains, not to even speak of the underfalls, though I am a bit wary of them at times."

    Elly slips into her dress with a smile. "I make up the words each day. It amuses me, and sometimes I suspect they have some influence on what comes out. Other days, though, I get whatever the relic's wicked sense of humor deems appropriate. When it churns out more scandalous garments I find it a bit harder to trust. Though nobody else seems to mind."

    She spins and faces Ayame, leaning over with a grin. "Speaking of which, how do I look? Is it just pretty, or am I going to get you blushing with this?"

"Not quite blushing" Ayame smiles, moving to help Elly adjust and fasten it, smoothing it out and carefully brushing her hair out "But you do look wonderful. And that's why I so rarely use mine. It seems to want to embarrass me!"

    "Mine has long since figured out that I tend towards rising to any occasion. Tae loves it, though, when it does something inappropriate. Though, from a proper perspetive, I imagine it is never truly inappropriate. It is just producing The Right Clothes for a different time of day, you might say."

    Wake is accustomed to the experience of getting help dressing from Ayame by this point. She still uses it as a chance to flirt and tease, but it seems that her ability to get her secretary to blush has diminished over time.

    "You know, I wonder just what has been achieved with that statue that we all poured so much energy into. I had hoped to hear something back by now. Are you interested in making the journey to go see it?"

Ayame is skilled at concealing her blushes. They only show when Wake isn't looking. This is the true power of Professionalism. And possibly long exposure to both Wake and others.

"I'd love to" She nods warmly "I put some work in as well, and I'd be delighted to see what sort of thing resulted. I'll make sure we're ready to travel and meet you downstairs?"

    Elly is not sure if Ayame is truly saying they will just take off and go now. But she interprets it that way. Cause it sounds quite fun. A little dangerous, but very fun.

    "Yes, I like that idea. We can get ready now and figure out the rest as we go. I will let Tae know. We are going to have a proper trip together! Just the three of us!"

    What honeymoon is complete without a perilous ocean crossing to a land of war and danger? Sure, Elly has no intention of getting anywhere near a fight, but there's definitely some risk here.