[homophonic] catchall for valerie

[dendroculi]

VALERIE

code

Comments

week 2, saturday

[dendroculi]

[goes to find valerie a bit after the trial 'cause uh... girl your emotions... your punch...]

Valerie... are you alright?

[huntressinred]

[ she is trying to keep a leash on it, but she's kind of radiating a lot of anger and hurt. but through grit teeth: ]

I'm fine.

[dendroculi]

[her gaze flicks to the hand valerie punched the wall with]

...your hand...?

[huntressinred]

[ she brushes over her knuckles--definitely reddened and roughed up a bit, before tucking that hand out of sight ]

I can heal it.

[dendroculi]

[...]

Are you sure...? I don't mind helping...

[huntressinred]

Why?

[dendroculi]

Because whatever was done to you and your feelings, that wasn't right.

You shouldn't have to deal with the consequences of a curse on your own.

[huntressinred]

I'm the one who punched a wall, not some st--

...not some curse.

[dendroculi]

Yes, you did. But the curse didn't make things any easier on you, did it?

[huntressinred]

[ in a small voice, feeling very tender: ]

...no.

[dendroculi]

[softly:]

Then I would like to help make things less difficult. If tending to your hand would help, then...

[huntressinred]

...fine. If you really want to.

[ holds out her hand while she just kind of. looks off in a corner, still v sensitive. ]

[dendroculi]

[she nods, then, and pulls out her phone to take a selfie and lines valerie up in the frame.

when she clicks the button, her eyes, the leaf in her hair, the green streak in her hair, and the green decorations on her dress all glow. valerie will see that her injury is still there in the photo, but it's no longer there on her person.]

...there. I hope that feels better.

[huntressinred]

[ blinks in surprise at the whole process. Then looks down at her fist and rubs her fingers over the knuckles. ]

...yeah. It does. Thanks, Nahida.

[ her feelings soften just a little bit. appreciation and...what's that? just a teensy bit of fondness. don't acknowledge it lest it disappear. ]

So do you...just have that photo of my busted up hand forever now?

[dendroculi]

You're welcome.

[she smiles, then looks at her phone.]

I could probably delete it, but... it's good to keep proof of these things, I think. It's not likely to happen in this situation, but if someone were to cast suspicion on you next week because they expected to see scrapes on your knuckles but didn't see any, I could prove that it had been healed well before whatever happens in our next trial.

[huntressinred]

Oh. That's...pretty smart, actually. Thanks.

[dendroculi]

[she smiles]

Hehe. You're welcome.