=== Alear & Hortensia ===
--- C ---


[Hortensia]
Hey, Divine One! What do you think?
[Alear]
Of what?
[Hortensia]
Come on! Am I cute? Sweet? Charming?
Use your words!
[Alear]
Sure, you're cute enough. Just like always.
[Hortensia]
That's all you have to say? I put a lot of effort
into being adorable, y'know.
[Hortensia]
The least you could do is notice!
[Alear]
I had no idea. Uh, forgive me for not noticing?
[Hortensia]
That's all I get? Hmph...
[Hortensia]
Ugh...
[Hortensia]
I can't believe that didn't work. A pouty face is
usually all it takes for people to be extra nice.
[Hortensia]
Do you have some kinda god training that lets
you see through fake crying, Divine One?
[Alear]
God training?
[Alear]
I don't think anyone needs special training to
see through an act like that...
[Hortensia]
Hey! Fine, then let me ask you something else.
[Hortensia]
How come you're not fawning over me?
I'm unimaginably cute!
[Alear]
I don't treat people differently just because
they're cute. Kindness matters much more.
[Hortensia]
Wrong! Being nice is great and all, but cuteness
is a huge advantage. Everyone knows that.
[Alear]
I see...
[Hortensia]
So, we'll try this again─only I'll be even cuter
next time, so you can't possibly miss it.
--- B ---


[Hortensia]
Hey, Divine One! What do you think of me
this time?
[Hortensia]
I went out of my way to be extra-super cute.
[Hortensia]
So, are you ready to concede defeat and admit
that you're completely charmed?
[Alear]
You certainly are cute. And I'm sure you put in
a lot of work for it, but...
[Alear]
I told you before that cuteness doesn't affect
how I treat people. Why are you fixated on this?
[Hortensia]
...
[Hortensia]
I didn't want to bring it up, but...OK.
[Hortensia]
My mother was one of the king's mistresses.
She suffered a lot of backstabbing in the court.
[Hortensia]
I never saw her upset, though. She took every
insult with a poised and graceful smile.
[Hortensia]
That smile secured her place in court. It even
won the king's wife over.
[Hortensia]
That's how I know charm has a power all its
own. And I'm gonna use mine the same way.
[Alear]
I understand. But can I ask you something?
[Alear]
Do you think maybe your mother had more than
just her own survival in mind?
[Hortensia]
What do you mean?
[Alear]
Maybe she did all of that in part so you could
learn to survive the court as well.
[Hortensia]
...
[Alear]
She must have known she couldn't always be
there for you. She'd want you to learn from her.
[Alear]
To me, that is real charm─what we do to help
the ones we love.
[Hortensia]
Mother... I never realized...
--- A ---


[Hortensia]
Here you go, Divine One─enjoy!
[Alear]
Did you, uh, cook me something?
[Hortensia]
Yeah! And it's got spices that'll keep you warm.
[Hortensia]
I also gathered some healing herbs for you.
Here you go.
[Alear]
Um, thank you.
[Alear]
This is all great, but...what's going on?
[Hortensia]
You said something that opened my eyes.
[Hortensia]
If I'm gonna be for-real charming, I need to
practice helping people.
[Hortensia]
I'm sorry for the way I acted before. Do you
forgive me?
[Alear]
Of course. I was never upset with you to
begin with.
[Hortensia]
I'm glad to hear that.
[Hortensia]
Everyone loved my mother because she was
both charming and kind.
[Hortensia]
I've got a long way to go to be like her.
[Hortensia]
But thanks for helping me figure that out.
[Alear]
You're welcome. And for what it's worth,
I think you're well on your way.
[Hortensia]
I have to wonder, though... If I do become truly
charming, inside and out...
[Hortensia]
How are you gonna keep pretending you don't
care about cuteness, Divine One?
[Alear]
I'll figure something out.
[Hortensia]
Ha! I dunno about that! I think you just might
change your tune!
[Alear]
We'll see.
--- S ---



[Alear]
You seem to be in high spirits lately, Hortensia.
[Hortensia]
Yeah, I am. Turns out being kind to people
makes them happy. And that makes me happy.
[Alear]
That does explain why you're constantly
surrounded by friends these days.
[Hortensia]
I guess so. Hey, hang on. What's that I hear?
[Hortensia]
Am I picking up a hint of jealousy in your voice,
Divine One?
[Alear]
What? Of course not!
[Hortensia]
Hehe, I can't believe the Divine Dragon's
actually jealous of me. What an ego boost.
[Hortensia]
But you have nothing to worry about. However
popular I may get, I'll always make time for you.
[Hortensia]
Because you're special to me.
[Alear]
I am?
[Hortensia]
...
[Hortensia]
AHH! All my graceful composure destroyed by
one moment of weakness!
[Hortensia]
Can we just pretend you didn't hear that?
[Alear]
Not a chance!
[Hortensia]
Merciless.
[Alear]
You were right, Hortensia. I was jealous.
[Alear]
I've always enjoyed our time together. I'm sad
to have less of it now that you're so popular.
[Alear]
Understanding all this makes it clear what
I need to do next.
[Hortensia]
That's...the Pact Ring.
[Hortensia]
You're giving it to me?
[Alear]
Yes.
[Hortensia]
I can't even begin to tell you what this means
to me. I'll treasure it forever.
[Alear]
I'm in awe of what a wonderful person
you've become.
[Alear]
So much so, in fact, that I feel I need to start
working on my own kindness just to keep up.
[Hortensia]
Don't be ridiculous. You've been amazing since
the day we met.
[Hortensia]
And you've only become even more amazing
in the time since.
[Alear]
Haha, keep saying that sort of thing and you
might actually convince me.
[Hortensia]
Good. The sooner the better.
[Hortensia]
Because if all that wasn't true, you wouldn't be
so special to me.