#msthunderbolt

[gentleaureole]

After the literal dust settles and that cowardly sorcerer makes a run for it, Mae jogs up to the priest. She wrings her hands around her healing staff, her usual buzz chastened by the way she hadn’t done nearly as much as she’d wanted in the chaos.

“Phew, thanks for the assist back there! Guh, this was supposed to be my big healy debut, but I left so many people hanging…”

With a huff, she shakes her head as if to throw off the last of her regrets. Even a relatively sobered Mae still brims with visible enthusiasm, which she now fixes on the man before her, eyes glimmering with amazement at the memory of his smooth save.

“But you. You just swept in all cool and schwoom—” here she balloons her arms out in what’s supposed to be an imitation of his healing spell. “—like you didn’t even have to think. It was awesome.”

“I’m usually all focused on zappin’ fools that I get kinda tunnel visiony, but I guess healers need to keep the bigger picture in mind, huh?”

Rhys meets her halfway as she approaches, tired and a little bit sore but really no worse for wear. He's missed these long battles and marches.

"It was really no problem," he replies with a kind smile. "I used to be a healer for a mercenary group so I've had a lot of practice in battles like this." Little can shake him. Even this sandstorm in all of its terrible tempest has barely made him lose focus.

"It takes time and practice, so don't be too hard on yourself. I'll be here to help, and Sara is a healer as well. You're not alone. When I'm overwhelmed, it always helps me to take a deep breath," he inhales, drawing his hand up along his chest as he does so, and then breathes out as his hand lowers, "and then look for where I'm most needed. As healers, we're the peace in the storm. Though, since you can fight, sometimes taking out our enemies first so that you can have the space and time to heal can be a good idea, but as healers we do tend to need to step back from the action."

He's sure he's talked too much so he tries to wrap it up. "I'm sure you'll find your rhythm as we go."

[serraic]

Mirages on the horizon, dizziness on the deck—Mae thought she knew her way around a boat well enough by now to avoid these common pitfalls. But when she sees anoter pair of pink pigtails rounding a corner, she thinks her eyes deceive her.

She even puts her hands to her own head, to make sure she's still herself.

Then, bounding after the hopefully-not-a-mirage, she calls out.

"Hey! Heeeeeey! You—my bad—" She skirts a sailor lugging crates, shrugging off the nasty look she definitely earned. "Your name's not Mae, is it? Because that's my name, and if it's yours too then you'll have to excuse me because I will freak. Out."

... Another one??

You know, before coming to Garreg Mach, Serra would have thought that while she was perfectly fashionable and beautiful, she was, like, at least a little bit unique in the wholeness of her appearance. But this is now the second time she’s run into a girl who could be mistaken for her at a glance, and this time, it’s like, much worse. Because this Mae kind of looks to be her same height, and stature, and that sweet, baby doll face...

Ugh! Again?!

But Serra’s been working on herself. She’s trying to be more friendly. Less confrontational, even when a girl is utterly gorgeous. She has Erk after all, and has nothing to worry about. It’s not like he’s going to disappear with the first Serra lookalike that comes walking down the road...

... Just in case, she makes a mental note to make sure he never meets Miss Mae, here.

Now, if it turns out this girl is a healer just like her... that might cause some problems. How could it not? She’d be, like, stealing her whole thing!

“No, it’s Serra! Which I’m told means princess.” Unnecessarily catty. So, she guesses she’s not fully reformed. Can anyone really blame her entirely, though? “Mae is a pretty name, though! I guess it fits well with a girl of our stature.” Oh, goodness, wait, what if this girl, like, ranks at court?? Maybe Serra can’t do this. Maybe it’s too hard to be nice to someone who looks just like her.

No, no. Remember Hilda. They, like... danced once. It was nice. She can do this. She can do this...

“What a pleasure it is to meet another cute girl! I’m a Saint Elimine cleric that works at the infirmary at Garreg Mach. It’s lovely to meet you, Mae.”

There... she’s doing it... she’s doing it!