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Tetia didn’t even notice the blood for the first twenty minutes of her day, caught up in her excitement for the Second Test as she was, until she went to the bathroom and uncovered the murder scene that was her underclothes.
Immediately, she froze, the color draining from her face. Conflicting emotions sparked in her mind, all ranging from panic to terror to humiliation, and she couldn’t decide which was most appropriate. The only thing she could manage was to hurriedly layer herself with toilet paper and grimace past the twisting of her stomach. She’d left the other girls on their way to eat breakfast at the mess hall, but she couldn’t find the will to rejoin them anymore.
Master Qifrey had told the girls about this– a period– and assured them that it was perfectly normal, safe, and (in response to Richeh) wasn’t a terminal illness that led to eventual death. Tetia knew she was bound to get it at some point, being twelve-almost-thirteen in age, but she hadn’t expected to be the first out of her atelier sisters. She’d always assumed that the more mature Agott would be first, and that maybe then she could tell her what it was like.
It turned out that bodies didn’t always take after the mind. And now, with Master Qifrey still recovering from his injuries, she didn’t have anyone to confide in. Unable to leave the stall, Tetia clenched her skirt in her fists. She was all alone, unless…
Unless–! That’s right, Miss Sinocia would know what to do!
Gathering her resolve, Tetia crept out of the bathroom awkwardly. She didn’t feel ready to tell Coco or Richeh or Agott about this yet– somehow, it breached a personal boundary that only now was she aware of– but she knew she could put her faith in Miss Sinocia. Surely, as both a lady and a doctor, she would understand.
And yet Tetia found her steps uncertain on the cobblestone floor of the Medical Spire. What if things got weird? She didn’t know Miss Sinocia that well. What if she suddenly treated her differently because of this? Her bravery crumbled the closer she got to Sinocia’s room, where she’d told the girls to knock if anything happened.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she knocked three times. If she got too scared, she could just make something up, like having a stomachache. It wasn’t untrue, anyway.
After waiting a minute, she knocked again, but there still wasn’t any response. Seeing that the door was unlocked, Tetia opened it timidly and peered in, but the room was completely empty. Miss Sinocia was probably away making her rounds, Tetia decided, trying to keep herself rational. A voice behind her interrupted her musings.
“Tetia? You’re up early.”
Tetia yelped and shut the door. Her intentions were harmless, but panic pumped through her anyways. Olruggio stood before her, yawning, with messy hair and bags under his eyes. He’d probably been by Master Qifrey’s bed all night.
“What’re you doing here?” he asked, in lieu of ‘good morning’, adjusting his slipping cloak.
“Master Olly! I– um–” Tetia fumbled with the air. Could people tell that she was on her period just by looking at her face? That wasn’t how it worked, right? “I was just looking for Miss Sinocia!”
“She’s not here right now,” said Olruggio. “Do you need something? I don’t know my way around here as well as Sinocia, but I might be able to help. Are you not feeling well?”
“I’m–”
She thought about lying, but was struck by a sudden wave of queasiness, and thought better of it. “...Yeah.”
Furrowing his brow in concern, Olruggio bent down to properly meet her eyes. “What are you feeling?”
“I feel a little nauseous,” she admitted, “And my tummy kind of hurts.”
“Do you think it’s something you ate?”
“No,” she said hesitantly, afraid that he would somehow discover the real reason.
“Alright,” he said, gently herding her toward the bedroom. “Sinocia gave me a few tonics yesterday that should help with stomachaches, so let’s get you that.”
They open the bedroom door, and Olruggio sits her down on her bed.
“And I know that you girls were planning on following around Beldaruit today,” he said, “But I think you should rest first.”
Seeing that Tetia was opening her mouth to protest, Olruggio added firmly, “A witch can’t properly draw– or brainstorm– without good health.” Tetia thought that was rather funny coming from him. “You can join them when you feel better.”
She nodded, a little deflated. Patting her shoulder, Olruggio left to fetch the tonics.
Tetia squirmed while she waited. She couldn’t help that all her attention funneled to her bottom. It was just so horribly wet-feeling. To think that she’d have to face this every month from now on only intensified the buzzing in her ears. When Olruggio returned with a green bottle and a spoon in his hand, Tetia quickly stood up, all too eager to escape her confusing tangle of emotions.
STARS!! Bad idea!!!
Things only got worse when she turned around– why, she couldn’t say– and saw the small splotch of red painted against the crisp white bedsheets. Her face flushed an equally bright color, and her mind became a flurry– how could she cover it up without anyone seeing, and oh my goodness she’d just gotten it on the bed what would she tell Miss Sinocia, and had Master Olly noticed?
Judging by the way his eyes widened in realization, he had, and it caused a flood of overwhelming humiliation to wash over her all at once. Unable to bear it, she dashed out the door and into the hallway, ignoring Olruggio calling her name.She leapt into a room down the hall labeled “Linen Closet” and shut herself in the darkness. The piles of blankets, towels, and spare robes helped conceal her, muffling her ragged breathing. Once she made sure to crouch instead of sit on the ground, Tetia buried her face in her knees, wallowing in the horror of it all. Oh stars, had that really just happened?? She was done for. She would live here in this closet forever and possibly never see the light of day again.
After a few minutes, the pounding of her heart began to die down. In its place, the crying began.
Why does it have to feel so bad? Why does it have to hurt?
She wished Master Qifrey would wake up and hold her and tell her it was okay, because he knew what it felt like. Because he’s shared this pain before.
Through her silent tears, she heard footsteps coming toward her. Sniffling, she scooted deeper into the closet. The footsteps stopped, and she heard someone sit down heavily. The door creaked against their weight.
“...Are you alright?” asked Master Olly after a few moments.
She nodded, then remembered that he couldn’t see her.
“Yeah,” she mumbled.
He shifted against the door. Tetia imagined him figuring out what to say next.
“D’you want to talk about it?” he asked softly. When Tetia didn’t respond, he said, “That’s okay. Can I come in?”
She thought about it for a second. “Yeah.”
The door creaked open, and Olruggio’s concerned face peered in, seeking her out in the darkness. It was all she could do not to break down again, seeing how genuinely worried he was, but she wiped her eyes and willed herself to meet his gaze. Despite her efforts, a single stubborn tear rolled down her cheek, and that was all Olruggio needed to see for him to crawl in and embrace her.
“Oh… sweetheart,” he said sympathetically, “It’s okay, it’s not embarrassing.” That only made matters worse for Tetia. She cried freely now, trembling uncontrollably in the Watchful Eye’s arms, not even knowing why anymore. All she knew was that he held her in the exact same way he has before, in the way that someone would hug a person that they loved, not someone whose body was disgusting or shameful or messy.
“W- why…?” she said between her hiccups. Her question couldn’t fully formulate, but her point got across.
Olruggio only rubbed her back, because he didn’t know either. Tetia clung to him, because that was all she knew how to do, and that was how she weathered out her storms— with someone else. So rarely did she put herself on the receiving end of affection. She gave out hugs like candy or smiles, and kept her sorrow to herself.
When her sobs were finally reduced to hiccups, Olruggio waited until her grip on his sleeves loosened before lifting her onto her feet.
***
Back in the bedroom, Tetia waited as Olruggio went to find Miss Sinocia. When she returned, her doe-like eyes wide with concern, she gave Tetia a hug, a change of clothes, plenty of different sanitary products, as well as a chocolatey treat. With eyes still a little puffy and wearing a clean new dress, Tetia pulled the blankets off her bed and dutifully stuffed them in the laundry barrels Miss Sinocia had directed her to, which were especially made for blood stains.
Now she sat on a bare mattress, Olruggio’s black and blue cloak draped across her shoulders. Its heavy velvet material helped ground her and keep her warm, and she also held a SnugStone against her stomach, which eased her mild cramp. Miss Sinocia handed her a spoonful of tonic; it tasted vaguely sweet, and cold.
“How did you know where to find me?” she asked Olruggio, who sat nearby, giving Miss Sinocia back the spoon.
“Actually,” he said, “Qifrey used to hide in closets pretty often, back when the two of us were apprentices in the Great Hall. One time I found him in that exact linen closet you hid in to avoid his annual check-up. I just though you might’ve had a similar idea.”
Miss Sinocia clucked at the mention of avoiding check-ups. “Oh, that Qifrey. He used to be such a troublesome child. Quiet, and a sweet boy, but troublesome.”
“Sometimes I’m not sure he ever grew up at all,” sighed Olruggio, seemingly exasperated, but his eyes glimmered with an affection that Tetia only ever saw when he spoke about Qifrey.
Tetia was silent for a moment, then asked, “Did you… ever help Master Qifrey? When he used to have his period?”
“I sure did,” he answered. “In fact, he forgot to bring pads around so often that I made it a habit to carry some around for him.”
“Oh,” said Tetia, and she wondered why she hadn’t considered that before. Master Olly’s been close to Master Qifrey for years, way before his surgeries. It made sense that he was used to it. It wasn’t like she was the only one in the world who got periods.
“And Tetia, if you ever have any questions or concerns, just let me know, okay? Anything at all,” said Miss Sinocia, stroking Tetia’s hair briefly. “I go through it every month, and so does Ermile, Miss Luluci, and practically every other lady in Estus. We’re here to help.”
She looked the young girl in her eyes, her expression softening. “Thank you for telling me.”
“Thank you for your thanks,” replied Tetia, a small smile rising to her lips. Miss Sinocia eventually left to go tend to Qifrey, and Tetia found herself itching to go join her sister apprentices. If she went now, they would probably still be waiting, worried, in the mess hall.
“Can I go find the others?” she asked, already on her feet. She had a fast recovery, both physically and emotionally, and her queasiness had for the most part subsided.
“You sure you’re feeling up to it?” asked Olruggio skeptically, putting back on his cloak.
“Yep! I’m Teti-all-better.”
“If you say so,” he replied. “Just don’t get lost, yeah?”
“I won’t!”
Tetia stopped in the doorframe, midway through adjusting her cap on her head. Then she turned around and ran back to Master Olly, giving him a tight squeeze around the waist. He startled at first, then returned her embrace.
“Thanks, Master Olly,” she said, and it crossed Olruggio’s mind that her smile could light up a room brighter than any of his contraptions could.
“Anytime,” he said a little gruffly. “I’m just sorry that it was me you had to put up with.”
“Don’t be sorry, Master Olly!” Then she showed him a small foil-wrapped ball. “Can I eat this chocolate Miss Sinocia gave me?”
He shook his head, his lips tugging upward. Tetia knew he was thinking about what Qifrey would say (“Breakfast before desserts!”), but she pouted extra pleadingly.
“Please?”
“Alright, fine, but just this once.”
“Yay!!” she skipped to the door, the treat already in her mouth.
“Don’t forget to eat a proper meal!” he called after her, but she was already halfway down the hall. He shook his head again, and after waiting a moment to make sure nobody tripped or fell, he walked away to check on Qifrey.
***
The blue tinted light filtering through the window cast dappled shadows on Qifrey’s face. Olruggio made his way down the stairs and to his bedside, setting himself down on his designated stool.
“You’d better wake up soon,” he murmured, “Or you’re gonna miss it all. Those four are making amazing strides without you, and… Tetia needs you, you know.
“Oh, and another thing.” He felt the newly repaired pair of glasses weighing down his skirt pocket like a stone, or a secret. “Once you’re up, we gotta talk.”
Qifrey's eye stayed closed; his chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm, like a summer breeze swaying the branches of a willow tree. Olruggio gently brushed away Qifrey’s fringe of snowy hair and planted a very soft kiss there on his pink, webbed scar.
Like a spell, exhaustion took over his body. Slumped halfway on top of the bed, he fell asleep right next to his partner.
***
When Tetia found the girls, they were fidgeting with their cloaks and tassels, breakfasts getting cold in front of them. Except for Richeh, whose bowl was scraped empty. Tetia was not offended.
Coco’s face lit up when she saw her approaching them. “Tetia!! Where have you been?”
Agott’s tension visibly melted. Still, she tried to mask it with a curt, “What kept you for so long?”
“I already ate,” announced Richeh.
“Hi guys!” said Tetia as brightly as she could manage. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I was just…”
She paused. There was no point in hiding it from her roommates. Besides, they were her closest friends, and friends told each other important things. The words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop them. “I actually just got my period.”
Tetia gulped. The girls looked at each other for a long moment.
“Does it hurt??” Richeh asked first, her brows knitting in concern.
“Not at all!” Tetia told her, relieved to break the silence. “Well– sometimes it makes your stomach hurt. But the actual– uh, blood– doesn’t hurt.”
Coco put her hand on Tetia’s. “Are you feeling alright?”
“If you need to rest today,” offered Agott, “Just tell us.”
Tetia’s eyes glittered with emotion. “I’m okay,” she said, voice a little wobbly, putting on a brave face for them. Because it wasn’t a scary thing, and they deserved to know that. “Now come on, let’s impress Lord Bel with our awesome magic!!”
The girls cheered in agreement, buzzing with anticipation for the day ahead, while Agott reminded them, “After we eat!”. Tetia didn’t miss the way her ears flushed pink with excitement anyways. Seeing her sister apprentices surround her as one of their own, Tetia felt her anxiety unravel itself bit by bit. It hit her that nothing really changed about the way they treated her, and nothing really changed about her, even if parts of her began to mature. She could almost forget that it was ever a big deal.
“Thanks, guys,” she whispered, under her breath. Yes; thanks to Master Olly, and Miss Sinocia, and Coco, and Richeh, and Agott, she knew she was going to be okay.