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LilGui_Guinaifen has posted a video!
Ever since working with Lil Gui and the others in the whole ghost—ahem, heliobus—incident, Stelle had started following all the friends she had made on social media. That meant loads more hours of content to watch, especially when it came to Guinaifen’s pages.
While it wasn’t as if Stelle had a lot of free time available given her duties as a Nameless, there were still instances in which she could relax, be on her phone for a bit and enjoy a few videos. Lil Gui’s were especially funny and kind of short, the best after a long day spent at work. Her channel offered days of entertainment in small doses and it didn’t take long for Stelle to get almost addicted to them.
And for her to also realize that there was something a bit interesting about the majority of those videos, too.
Glancing away from her phone for a bit, she noted that the Astral Express was in peace—a rare moment, one to be appreciated as it was. The seats were almost empty, with Himeko on the other side of the place reading a book and enjoying her coffee, a faraway look on her face. March had already retired for sleep and Dan Heng was more likely than not at his own cabin, reading and studying.
Welt was nowhere to be seen as well, perhaps doing his own studying or researching as they waited for departure, scheduled a few days from then. It gave Stelle enough time to interact with the locals without needing to say goodbye all of a sudden.
And well, if her hunch was correct, maybe it would be enough time for her to help a friend… and to decipher something or the other about Guinaifen too.
She clicked on the newest notification, lowering the volume in order to not upset Himeko’s musings. Nestling against the crimson couch, her back to the stars which hovered in the vast universe that reflected on her phone for a spell, Stelle got ready for another one of those funny little videos that the steamer was so good at making.
Although she had a hunch that March would be good at streaming too, she had to give it to Lil Gui: the effects were always amazing, her sentences on point. Everything about her acting was good, really engaging and all. After the few seconds that it took for the video to start, Stelle could see that that time it was no different: the red haired woman was smiling, her singsong voice announcing something or the other for her next adventures. It promised some fright as well as loads of entertainment.
“And of course, I wouldn’t be able to do anything without my fearless partner, Sushang from the Cloud Knights!”
The image cut to a close shot of Sushang holding her blade, brandishing it with a fierce expression. Every move was executed to perfection, the last take being one of the warrior smiling with pride while placing the sword back in its scabbard.
…
The image lingered on Sushang’s face for a few heartbeats more than it should, than it would be normal for it to happen on any given stream. Perhaps realizing it, Guinaifen pulled the camera back to her and said a few words with a bit of a stutter, though they were still well-delivered.
A few seconds later the scene faded to black, a few letters in purple announcing the name of the upcoming series. Stelle paid that no mind, however, not when her suspicion was cleared with nothing more than a singular take.
After all, it wasn't the first time she had seen something like that, to the point that it had almost become a pattern on Lil Gui’s videos.
Unable to stop herself, she clicked away from the reel and into the messaging app, searching for a certain someone’s contact as if her life depended on it. Well, hers didn’t, but perhaps that person would like to know what her perspective is on it.
Stelle_ron: She so likes you
Stelle_ron: Like, likes you
Cloud_Knight: what
Cloud_Knight: who
Cloud_Knight: ????????
Cloud_Knight: are you… talking to the right person?
Stelle giggled at the response, so like Sushang. The complete cluelessness regarding everything romantic, everything that had less to do with being a knight and more to do with living life as a whole. If Stelle had thought it a bit sad in the beginning, her opinion had changed a lot after their entire ghost shenanigans: it wasn’t as if Sushang had been brought up as a weapon, which could happen in warrior families.
She was just completely oblivious to most things that did not require a sword.
And as it seemed, that also included the fact that a certain someone was probably, possibly, most certainly head over heels with her.
Stelle_ron: Yeah I am, Sushang.
Stelle_ron: Now, someone likes you. Likes you. Let's focus on that.
Stelle_ron: who do you think it is?
Cloud_Knight: ...
Cloud_Knight: You tell mee???? You’re the one who started this subject all of a sudden
Cloud_Knight: In the middle of my evening practice no less
Stelle_ron: Drop that sword then
Stelle_ron: I can’t believe I’ll be the one to do this but
Stelle_ron: Lil Gui.
A few minutes passed until she saw the notification that Sushang was typing again. She couldn’t tell if the knight had finished her exercise sequence before answering, or simply been stunned into silence due to what she had read. Because of how clueless the other woman could be, somehow the Nameless was pretty sure her silence had been due to the latter more than the former.
Cloud_Knight: Are you
Cloud_Knight: We’re friends!!!!!!
Cloud_Knight: And besides, she’s
Cloud_Knight: Gorgeous
Cloud_Knight: Amazing
Cloud_Knight: Beautiful
Cloudd_Knight: Stunning, cute, charming, funny…
Stelle_ron: … sounds like someone is in love.
Cloud_Knight: :O I’m not?? And neither is she.
Cloud_Knight: You’re just seeing things when there are none. Besides
Cloud_Knight: What’s your proof that she likes me? Huh?
Stelle had to keep herself from laughing so hard that she would drop the phone. Did she really have to point out the obvious? But well.. that was Sushang, her friend, and she did want to help the two in some way or the other. She had seen them together quite a lot during their days chasing heliobi, had to admit they would actually be very cute as a couple if that was what they wanted.
It seemed like they might want it, so, what harm could it do if Stelle gave them a little nudge?
Hence the Trailblazer beamed, looked at the conversation with something like a tender smile—recalling the time that Himeko had told both her and March that perhaps there was something more than plain friendship between them—and continued typing.
Stelle_ron: I’ll give you one clue. Cause someone was good to me and did that as well when I needed it.
Cloud_Knight: I’m all ears
Cloud_Knight: or eyes
Stelle_ron: Ha
Stelle_ron: You sure you’ve been watching her videos recently?
Cloud_Knight: ?
Cloud_Knight: huh? Of course I watch her videos. Gotta support her with the views and whatnot
Cloud_Knight: why?
Stelle_ron: watch them again. The last three at least.
Stelle_ron: then tell me I’m not right
Stelle_ron: ;)
Cloud_Knight: okaaaaaaaay…
Cloud_Knight: If this is nothing but a prank I hope you know you’ll be my next training dummy
Stelle_ron: wouldn’t expect any less from you.
She turned off the phone, still smiling at that exchange. Hoping that it had been enough, that Sushang would see what she had missed but the world, and certainly Stelle, had not.
It would be too sad if a love that might be too beautiful was simply thrown aside like so.