Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

"Oh...um...I guess maybe I could sign them in your name?" Stephanie offers.

 

"Could you teach me how to write 'Matriarch' instead? Then every time I finish a painting I wouldn't need to go find you."

 

"I guess that could work." Stephanie says, taking out a pen and a few pieces of paper.

 

The Matriarch looks over.
"I don't mean to hurt your feelings, it's just that you and your friends seem busy already. I don't want to make that even more so."

 

@Nepeta Leijon
"I'm going to go check on the Inhibitor."
I tell Artemis and Crystal, flying up to check on it.

 

It seems to be running just fine, though its energy source seems to be running low.

 

"No, it's fine." Stephanie says, sitting down.

"Kay." Artemis says casually.

 

I eventually come back down.
"It's up, but it doesn't look like it'll last for long. I wouldn't want to waste your energy on something like this."

 

The Matriarch kneels, sort of, as she looks down at the paper.
"Thanks for everything, by the way. Just let me know what painting you want to keep, but only one."

 

"I think Aj's teams were working on a new version that should work better. Either way, restoring life to crops only to have them wither again does seem a bit pointless." Artemis says.

"I'm not sure if I can decide." Stephanie says, neatly writing out 'Matriarch' on the paper.

 

"Are they all good?"

 

"Yeah. To pick one would be to pick my favourite, but they all are." Stephanie says, drawing a line for the Matriarch to write on.

 

"Unless we're going to through a quick banquet, I agree."

 

"That means a lot! Maybe I'll just have to paint a new one and deliver it to you personally." She says happily, doing her best to copy the word, failing the first dozen times before slowly refining it into slightly sloppy but a distinguishable "signature."

 

I head over to Xlentia's room.

 

There's a huge sign in messy scratch-writing.
"Exploring! In Maralune if needed"
All the lowercase 'i's have hearts instead of dots. Oh, Xlentia...

 

I shake my head before heading to the Library.

 

Sapphire's outside with a few new puppets, though she seems to mostly be working on repairs.

 

"So, what should we do?" Artemis asks.

"Aw, thanks!" Stephanie says, writing out guidelines for each letter before the entire word.

 

The Matriarch practices each letter before going back to the entire signature, now looking like at least someone older than a middle schooler is signing the paper.