The Abbey

[Outisakanobody]

"I don't think they ever notice if I'm there or not. But...what else am i to do?" Celeste asks, looking to Lib for answers and guidance.

[Bloodtrailkiller]

/Lekalis/

He winced; though he hid it as he looked above and past Grace, to the Bath-house door. The Ex-Lord's mind raced, surely she hadn't been so daft as to admit it as she had just then? Surely... Though, as Grace spoke true in response, it only cemented Tilly's admittance.

How swiftly the situation had spiralled out of control; how were they to focus now? For as much as he rued Florence's own clinical analysis, he could not deny how uncontrolled the immutable variables were becoming.
Lekalis looked down to Tilly, then to Grace and her apparent sass with a risen brow; how was he to remedy this.

Grace's tone was unnaturally biting; he hadn't expected such malicious rebute, his brows furrowed as he fought the urge to take a step back and make his surprise known.
"I did not know that being a friend of a friend begat such hostility." He huffed, not seeking to engage in a spat with yet another one of Tilly's friends. He couldn't help but harbor some self-loathing; was he doomed to be haunted by such ill humors?

"Bleeding from the eyes and ears often follows a hard knock on the head--" Lekalis proceeded, regardless, tapping his own noggin knowingly. Delving into his knowledge and studies, much of which were made fresh from Florence's own teachings,
"-- It may cause visions; ringing in the ears." He listed off with a light-hearted tone,

"You're vision... May have been made from my cloak--" He pinched the fabric, and then motioned to the various scones about the room,
"-- And the torchlight. Do you remember when we'd fallen off the stairs, fighting Fenrik? I wouldn't be surprised if you hit your head sometime around then." The Ex-Lord did his best to diagnose, as he assumed a spot, a far foot or so away from Tilly, leaning against the wall. Crossing his arms and offering a kindly smile and bow of his brow.

//

[relentless]

Libourg smiled weakly at her, and rose from the pew with a slight wobble due to his injuries. He then took a hesistent step around the pew, and walked toward Celeste.

"I think we could have a nice chat? Converse over wine?"
Libourg entices her with, hopefully, delightful options as he graced his free hand onto her shoulder, rubbing it affectionately.

"I already feel more free with that promise I made... so you won't see me wearing that armour... unless you like the look of a knight in, somewhat shining armour?"
Libourg teased, producing a small smirk and giving her a nudge on the shoulder playfully.

[Outisakanobody]

"Mmmaybe. But where? Not the tavern. I don't think I ever want to return there..." Celeste asks, fretting with her dress as she stressed over seemingly nothing.

[relentless]

"Mmmm.. I know a quiet place in the Abbey. A small garden, if you will, that resides in the center of the Abbey, exposed to the elements. Orchids and flowers, and a sweet scent gifted by the Flame to this place."
Libourg suggests as he takes away the hand, running it through his hair before resting it by his side.

"Though I suppose here would do? It's quiet, and a pleasant atmosphere, no?"
Libourg added with a rhetorical question at the end as he looked about.

[Outisakanobody]

"Hmm...that garden sounds nice. Shall i meet you there in, say, an hour?" Celeste asks, in slightly higher spirits already.

[Vanitypirate]

It was an exhausting thing to process, but exhaustion evoked calm, and a measure of calm was what she thought she'd need in times like these.

She felt limp, with both hands loosely curled around the bloodied wet-rag; at the very least, the blood from her nose seemed to have slowed.

"Come now. I know it's not normal." She rubbed her brow with rag-dampened fingers. It was an effort to sit upright, but she was feeling movement ease back into her bones, sure enough; it was almost enough to convince herself that this was a passing worry.

"Could we all just... quit bickering? Kindly?" She crossed one ankle over the other, looking up at them both; she had half a mind to stand, to be on even ground, but she found it more prudent to wait just another moment.
"I've seen well more than my fair share of abnormal things..." She tapped a long finger against her wrist.

"And I know that there's not a wealth of things you can do about them. Best to embrace futility, hopelessness, all that, and be on our merry way."

Tilly gave a small smile with her little jest, more for her own pleasure than the others', and leaned forward,

"This thing, head-injury, whatever it is, hasn't killed me, which I'm quite grateful for. I'm feeling better, too, which is another thing I can count myself lucky for." She nodded, and asked,
"Now then: could one of you fetch some water? From the well, preferably. Else, I can fetch something to drink myself. Just figure you two look a touch antsy."

[Outisakanobody]

Grace wanted to bite back at Blood, but refrained for Tilly's sake. But she wasn't going to be pushed around either. "Blood, as her friend, you can get her that drink, I am sure. While I, as a trained healer, take a look at Tilly's head to make sure she does not have any serious injuries that have gone undiscovered up until now." she says, taking more time to wipe away any remaining blood from her friend's head and not looking at Blood at all.

[Bloodtrailkiller]

/Lekalis/

He guffawed, and rose his brows in disbelief at Grace; before looking to Tilly with due incredulity before bowing his head,
"And so I shall; do keep in mind, my words. Though... I believe you'll find no physical wounds. The best course of action would be a set down, and some wine and citrus." He mused, taking a step back, as he did his mind went to imagine where a well would be. He remembered one frighteningly close to the Sanitarium, which he supposed would have to do, lest he go running out to the river once again with a pail.

The Ex-Lord echoed Tilly's laugh, smiling at her jest all the same as he considered her words; he could undoubtedly dispute in a verbal spat with the clothly Grace, though, for the betterment of his facial-structure and Tilly's own mind, he figured it be better to keep his caustic quips to himself.
"Ave; broken bones and bleeders, aren't we all?" He smirked and tapped his brow knowingly.
"Though, do try not to flirt with something that'll kill you too much while I'm off and away... Don't think half the people could pin the tail on an ass; much less toss a dagger between a man's eyes."

Speaking of such, he plucked up a bucket preemptively, one conveniently set beside a basin, before he positioned himself more properly away from Tilly; though he took a few steps forward and squeezed her shoulder affectionately, with another bow.

"I'll be back shortly." Lekalis assured with a small smile, as he took a step back with a huff; furrowing his brows as his mind muddled over what to do next. He'd half a mind to consult Florence about the development, though, fresh air and a pail of water for his Love had a chiefmost priority.

With that, he set off at a stride, out of the Bath-house; pail in hand, as he swung past the door and proceeded towards the exit of the Abbey.

[Lekalis exiting The Abbey to : The Hamlet Streets]

//

[Vanitypirate]

Tilly broke into a warm smile back at him, with his hand on her shoulder, although she felt fairly uneasy; how quickly the dynamic shifted, from a simple ally, to friend, to lover, and now this. With so little breathing room between each shift, it was a wonder how he willed himself to persist.
It was a terrifying feeling, this: she needed him to persist, now.

"It's a waste of a Sunday if nothing's tried to kill me by tea-time." She joked, again, although the words held some merit to them.

"Take care." She waggled the fingers on one raised hand at him in goodbye, then looked to Grace and rose her chin, so that the vestal might have a better angle for her facial examination,

"Now, tell me what's wrong with me, o' Crimson Priestess of the Light, Speaker of Sermons, Head of the Abbey..." She smiled, despite it all, although she was eager to find if this vision was just an offset humor. It'd certainly ease her own worries.

"And... thank you kindly, for everything-- the healing, the sermon... just being around, and all." She added after a moment of thought,

"I don't get to talk to you very often these days. You ought to know I still care and think about you. I came running right over when I heard you were about to hold a sermon."

Tilly would appear perfectly healthy, outward, without any breaks or dents in the skin, on visual examination. The facial bleeding would have stopped entirely by then.

[Outisakanobody]

Grace breathed out heavily as soon as Blood left and was out of the way. Grace's veneer of professionalism vanished, sudden tears coming to her eyes as she hugged Tilly overly tightly. "Tilly I am so sorry...about Roderick...about...oh I do not even know anymore...I...have missed being around you very much." she says, keeping the other woman in a tight grip as she was overcome with emotion.

[Vanitypirate]

Tilly leaned forward into the hug, wrapping her own spindly arms around her, to reciprocate on her own.
She realized how much she had missed this simple companionship, one in which she wasn't nursing the other to good health or saving them from jailtime.

"I... me, too. Things have changed so much." She rested her chin on Grace's shoulder, knee propped up against the bench. She had forgotten how much she had missed this rib-breaking hugs, in all honesty, and she squeezed back as much as she could in her own comparatively meek strength.

"I didn't mean to--" She confessed, her arms slackened.

"I drove him mad."

[Outisakanobody]

"Shh shh Tilly, no. None of that. I think you have said, it is...this place. This place drives us all mad..." Grace says, loosening up her hold and patting Tilly on the back softly. "If anything, I...he was my friend and I...should have been there for him..." Grace says, closing her eyes as actual tears fell more freely. She hadn't really mourned the loss until now, and it was catching up with her.

"I...I am so glad I still have you...You are all I have left..." she whispered softly.

[Vanitypirate]

Tilly sighed, and let herself sit a moment, with her brand-new breathing room and her arms draped about her friend. And, still, she leaned back a moment to smear her thumb across her cheek, so as to wipe the tears away in much the same way Grace had cleaned the blood, in this stasis of friendship.

"You're all lots of those people have nowadays, too." She smiled kindly at her, beneath that wide brim of her hat, "They need you as much as I need you."

"You saw how many people came to your sermon."

[Outisakanobody]

"I was...I was a little surprised by the reception...But you know you'll always be my first priority. Always." Grace says, speaking very earnestly to Tilly as she neglected to wipe away her tears.