#cynthia support

[minorindech]

maybe a kiss as a wittwe tweat? :0)

Oh, here was the source of all this stress.

“Cynthia!” Bernie whined, slamming her hands onto the counter of her booth. “H-how am I supposed to do this? This is so stressful...a-and you really think people actually wanna do these? Most people I’ve seen have just walked past! See, you aren’t even at your booth, you came over here to talk to me, so it...wait...wait you came here? Why did you come here? Oh goddess, did you come here for...”

Bernie gaped at Cynthia for a moment. She was here. At Bernie’s booth. Bernie’s booth for kissing. In front of it. Like someone who was waiting for a kiss.

Bernie buried her head in her arms and screamed, quickly.

“Okay! Okay. I can, um...sure. Yes. Yes? Y-yes...”

Bernadetta took a deep breath. Did she sound like as much of a mess as she felt like? She hoped not. Despite how strange this whole thing was, she had been kind of...glad? That someone had asked her to participate. She didn’t want to disappoint people, even if it did make her heart race in not the way that was probably intended.

Cynthia was nice though, despite how...loud and energetic she could be. So even though it was hard to meet Cynthia’s eyes, and it took her a moment of focusing on her hands to build up the courage, Bernie leaned forward and kissed Cynthia quickly, even managing not to scream or shriek when she stopped.

It was...nice? Yeah, Bernie thought so. She swallowed nervously. She didn’t think she was going to be able to look at Cynthia again though. “Um...y-you probably need to get back to your booth, right?”

[verseandrhyme]

oh, a stranger! and she's pink. good, this one would work on her. stumbling up to the pretty lady, her hands go to her hips and cynthia winks. which she has been told is with only one eye, not two eyes. one. she does not however open that eye the entire time. "hey there, cutie! do you have a name or can i call you mine?"

She is reminded so strongly of Soleil near instantly by the sudden approach that she almost groans her companions name in a familiar exasperation. She forces down the instinct though, grateful to herself when she turns to find a complete stranger standing beside her.

...one whom is only using one eye, evidently.

Mitama stares blankly at the girl for a pause, waiting to see if she’ll open her eye. She doesn’t, and Mitama sighs. “Mitama.” She answers calmly, brushing sand from the wrap around her waist as she stands to meet the other’s level. “And you may attempt to call me yours, but I prefer far prettier words than that of a tavern’s jester.”

“So, what buffoonery have you been partaking in that you require a healing hand? Clearly you bear some sort of misfortune on your face in the loss of your eye. How unfortunate. You are aware that even a most skilled healer would struggle to remedy that without any kind of scarring? Ah well. Sit down, I shall tend to your ailments.”

[minorindech]

make camp?

@cynthero | here

The surprise is enough to make Bernadetta pause and turn to look at her classmate curiously. She...wanted to come with Bernie? It made the noble feel a bit guilty that her first instinct was to wonder why. Bernie couldn’t remember many instances of talking to Cynthia beyond that one incident where her classmate had nearly jumped on her.

...where had that happened again?

Berandetta had been so quiet that whole week...why was she determined to stay quiet? She hadn’t felt that strongly since her father’s lessons...

“You...um...” Bernadetta shifted awkwardly. Her gaze flicked away from Cynthia quickly as she took a deep breath. It was silly to offer. She’d probably just say no. But then again, Cynthia did just say she didn’t want Bernie going off on her own...

“...I don’t mind if you come along. If you want? A-and you can uh, say things if you want. Following me seems a little...”

Eyes in the dark.

Stop.

Yell.

Mouse.

Why was she a mouse?

Ae-

“A little silly. We’re uh, classmates and all.”

[minorindech]

🎄 Door is suddenly thrown open. "YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE." Well, kicked open might be more apt as Cynthia barges in, breathing heavily as she comes like a kiss-seeking missile on her Yule Hunt when she finds one very terrified purple-haired girl she does not know backed into the corner. "Oh. You're not who I was looking for."

missed me missed me now ya gotta-

Her door flew open and Bernie’s blood went cold. She didn’t scream, just instinctively jumped to the furthest corner from the door and grabbed onto something solid as tightly as she could. The sensation of wood digging into her skin was familiar as she clung to the leg of the desk.

“No, I won’t go!” She shrieked, squeezing her eyes shut. Her voice was raw as it ripped through her throat. She balled herself up as small as she could. No gaps, harder to grab and drag. “You can’t take me outside I won’t go you can’t make me!” 

Bite? She could bite the if they grabbed her. She wasn’t strong enough to punch, and letting go was dangerous. Biting would do. Bernie ducked her head low, bracing for his attempt.

[minorindech]

it's confusing. interesting? intriguing? maybe just terrifying, actually, because it's bernie and bernie's scared of everything. ( although, cynthia can't really remember why. ) ignoring the nature of her clothes, cynthia drops into a low crouch. her right knee bent, left leg extended out as her fingers touch the ground; she takes a deep breath, then launches herself at bernadetta like a football player if football existed in medieval europe. if europe existed. this is fire emblem. "BERNIEEEEE!"

It's scary.

Except it's also not.

Everything slots in like it's not quite right. Like it's bathed in a blue light (that makes Bernadetta's skin crawl, that makes her want to scream and cry, she's sorry you know? She didn't mean to be useless, she didn't mean to let them die) that tints her memories and makes everything feel like it should be different. But it isn't.

She and Cynthia almost died, didn't they? And they wanted to...they took Bernie to...

Memories of underground and a strange civilization threaten to entrap Bernie in miles of rock and drag her deep down within memories that don't quite feel like hers (except they are, but there's things missing all the same now, she thinks). A scream breaks her out of it. For once it isn't hers. And for once she doesn't flinch.

Bernadetta blinks. Cynthia, loud as always (since when was there an always?) and full of life comes crashing into Bernadetta, sending the two of them crashing to the floor. Bernadetta grunts painfully as they land awkwardly, but thankfully not with too much pain. "Cyn-Cynthia!"

Bernie remembers...she remembers being scared. She remembers being so, so scared of the monsters in the dark and what they wanted from her. And she remembers Cynthia, just as scared but oh so brave...Tears start to spring up to Bernadetta's eyes. She wraps her arms tight around her classmate and hides her face against her as she starts to sniffle.

"Cyn...CYNTHIAAAA."

[minorindech]

there's the sound of sudden screaming as cynthia falls from, well, the sky. there could be no rock unturned! no thing untested! still, maybe, she should have prepared the test she did do a little better instead of just climbing to the top of their dilapidated shelter and, er, well. jumping. tumbling across the floor, cynthia rolls into a crouch and she leaps up to her feet. "fallin' still works!" head whips in the other girl's direction, pigtails whipping. "sorry, did i scare ya'?"

Screaming, screaming, oh Goddess why was there screaming?

Bernadetta flinched backwards as something (a body? a person? A CORPSE?) came falling down in front of her. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth immediately. Be quiet don’t scream be quiet don’t scream be quiet-

Cynthia?

Bernadetta wilted in front of her classmate. Why wouldn’t falling work? Her eyes darted from one end of the alleyway they were in to the other. Nothing was there, but she couldn’t be sure. Monsters could be anywhere, just waiting, and if they didn’t have any interest in them before, they certainly would after their stunt with the library!

Still. Cynthia had asked her a question. Bernadetta swallowed and nodded her head frantically in response. Yes, she had scared her - very much, actually!

[bloodthirstymoonstone]

@heroismdreams answered your ask: “Now what’s a pretty thing like you doing in a...

   A chill settled on her skin at the sound of his voice; like oil in water, slimy and toxic. Heroics and daring do’s could get you far in life, but even those weren’t always enough to override the part of the brain that was instinct and survival. And right now, that part of Cynthia’s brain was echoing with one word, louder and louder with each repetition : Run.

   An echo that only got louder when the sharp glint of fangs caught her attention, her brain now a chorus of that word along with several others that could make a bandit blush.

    “I -” She panicked, hesitated, didn’t her teacher once say that could get her killed one day? “ I’m meeting up with some friends!” Cynthia lied, putting enough force behind her words to where she could believe them, faking a smile as she went. “They’ll be here any second.”

   How far away was she from someone else? How quick could she get to the lancehead she kept in her pocket? If she kicked him, would it buy her enough time to run? If she screamed would anyone hear her?

     A good hero knows when she may need back up, and right now, Cynthia felt like she wouldn’t be safe until every single Shepherd was by her side.

“Friends, you say...?” Valter chuckled softly, daring to step closer to the girl. “Well, then... I’d better eat swiftly, no? Wouldn’t want someone interrupting my meal...”

She was scared, he knew. Terrified. The sound of her puny heart clamoring away underneath her rib cage was simply intoxicating. The scent of her fear, the waver she tried desperately to keep out of her voice... Simply divine. 

The lunge came with little warning, only outstretched claws, and a mouth stretched open wide, revealing teeth as sharp as daggers. He wanted -- needed -- her DEAD. Needed to feel her struggle fruitlessly against him as he pinned her and sank his venomous fangs into that lovely neck... NEEDED to feel the life drain out of her bit by bit as he greedily consumed his fill... 

And then afterwards... Well. Her body sure would make a fun toy...

[bloodthirstymoonstone]

@heroismdreams replied to your post: “So, I’ve been thinking...”

“Wait - can this maybe wait until after we have our final game for third place? Please?”

“Sorry, dear. I’ve lasted as much as I could. At the very least, I promise not to attack any of our teammates. Assuming of course that they do not PROVOKE me...”