The Claire Moa Temple was quieter than usual. There was not a whole lot to be done in the temple itself, and most of the residents were off helping around the towns in Lunatea. Due to this, the priestesses that were still around were all relaxing in the temple gardens, soaking in the wonderful day.
The High Priestess was walking with her protégé Leorina through the grounds to take advantage of this pleasant weather. Tat had also joined them, floating a little way behind and giggling at the priestesses that passed by, as if some vague thing about their outfits amused her.
In the time since the festival where the two had declared their feelings for each other, Leorina had finally taken the plunge and returned to the Claire Moa Temple, returning to her old role of priestess-in-training, and even wearing a similar outfit to that which she had worn long ago.
It felt strange to be back, even a little scary, and Leorina did not fully feel comfortable with it. Still, it felt right to her that she was here and healing old wounds. Not to mention that it had given her and the High Priestess considerably more opportunities to spend time together, which is why she had grown a little bit more comfortable with being called 'Leo' instead of 'Leorina'.
That being said, they did try and make sure their affections did not intrude too much on their work. Such behaviour would not be becoming of the High Priestess and the people under her care, after all. And of course, she was putting in the effort to still make time for Tat as well, hence why she had invited the flying cat to spend the day with her.
"Such a beautiful day." The High Priestess said as they walked along, watching the priestesses enjoy the sunshine. "Goddess Claire is truly kind to bless us with such weather."
"Perhaps." Leorina replied, tinkering with a gizmo from her airship the Crimson Iris, a vessel which she mostly kept around for her own pleasure rather than sky piracy these days. "But good weather will eventually end, to be replaced with bad weather."
"And bad weather helps to cleanse the ground and grow the fields." The High Priestess replied with a smile. Leorina still tended to view things from a pessimist's perspective, but she was doing a lot better and seemed more secure than she had been once upon a time. "Such is the cycle of the weather that Claire brings, Leo. Both good and bad bestow their own blessings to the world."
Leorina couldn't help but smile with a little snort. The High Priestess did this quite a bit, dropping sagely quotes about her faith and philosophies. Leorina didn't mind it too much, even if she thought it was a bit silly linking all that happened to their Goddess in some way.
Still, she did sometimes wonder if Claire had shown her favour in giving her a second chance in life like this…
"Sun, rain, it's all the same to me." Tat cut in, not wanting to be left out of the discussion. "Now snow, that's where it's at. Any weather that lets me throw things at people is instantly superior."
Nearby, a group of priestesses were sitting around a tree, Lolo hanging around nearby with a concerned expression. All their eyes were on Leorina and the High Priestess as they walked by. The eldest among them, seemingly the ringleader of sorts, was a priestess with shimmery golden hair. She was standing in front of the group and was frowning in the pair's direction with a determined glower.
"Are you going to ask her or not?" One of the priestesses said to her.
"I'm telling you, Juli, it's a bad idea." Lolo cut in, a grave expression on her face.
"Why? It's a fair point of interest, Lolo!" another priestess chuckled.
"Maybe I just don't think it's an appropriate thing to bring up to her; not when we were all told to try and make her feel welcome." Lolo said back, trying to stick up for her friend.
The golden-haired priestess named Juli looked on as the pair walked past and sighed, her mind made up.
"Hide behind that ill-conceived command if you must. I do not intend to let it stop me."
Lolo grimaced, but before she could speak up, Juli had already moved from her position and was walking over to Leorina. The other priestesses got up and followed a little way behind, not brave enough to get closer due to what was about to happen.
"Juli, no." Lolo called out, but the priestess wasn't listening and tapped Leorina on the shoulder to get her attention. "Excuse me." she said.
Leorina looked round when she heard the voice, a slightly worried expression falling across her face. She had been trying to socialise more at the temple, especially with help from Lolo, but was still quite worried that her past as a sky pirate would cause them to dislike her.
Juli looked at her with a slightly smug smirk. She was a gifted priestess with an exceptional talent as an evangelist, imparting the teachings of the temple to the people of La-Lakoosha. However, she had also gained a reputation for being abnormally radical in her worship of Goddess Claire and for not caring about whether she hurt people's feelings with her words. Just by looking at her sanctimonious expression, Leorina felt put off.
"Can I help you?"
"Yes, I think you can." Juli said, subtly moving into Leorina's personal bubble. "Much has been made about your return to the temple, but perhaps you can shine a light on something that many of us have been wondering about: What happened to your tail?"
Leorina seized up when she heard this, her eyes widening as a pit opened in her stomach.
"I really don't think this is appropriate…" The High Priestess said quietly, her eyes narrowing at Juli with indignation. Tat too had grown agitated, knowing enough about the subject to know that it was not something Leorina would want to talk about.
"Nothing happened." Leorina muttered, shaking a little but otherwise not betraying any emotion. "I don't see how that matters to you, anyway."
Juli chuckled a little. "Is it not obvious? I want to know how you managed to lose it. I mean, you must have lost it. La-Lakooshans are not born without them, after all."
Leorina remained quiet, simmering quietly in her rising frustration. Tat hissed at Juli, a wordless instruction to stop which went unheeded.
"A touchy subject, perhaps? I suppose that makes sense, when you are trying to pretend the last several years never happened. Let me guess; you cut it off to look more dangerous. Or perhaps you went and got it blown off while you were causing chaos as a sky pirate-"
Where Juli's voice had previously feigned casual conversation, now venom was beginning to audibly drip from her words. Suddenly, Leorina threw the gizmo in her hands hard to the floor, causing the High Priestess to gasp in surprise. She got in Juli's face, the almost tranquil anger on her face hiding the building rage behind her eyes.
"I have no intention of telling you anything about that, so back off."
"Yeah! Go suck a lemon, you viper!" Tat yelled at Juli in support of Leorina.
"Leo… don't…" The High Priestess said quietly, placing a hand on Leorina's shoulder. Her tone was stern but concerned, urging her not to do something she would regret.
"And why not?" Juli said, rising to Leorina's anger and sizing her up. "Are you so deluded as to think we would not know that you hacked it off like some angsty child? How can you expect to be one of us with such a constant reminder of who you really are?"
"Juli, please, I think you've said enough!" Lolo yelled out as she pushed through the group, unable to stand seeing Leorina being ganged up like this any longer.
"Leo…" The High Priestess repeated, knowing how much inner turmoil would be swirling in Leorina's head in that moment. Tat was staring at Juli with so much hatred as to practically burn a hole through her.
Leorina's face remained defiant for a moment longer before tears began to stream down her face and she bolted towards the doors to the temple.
"Leo, wait!" The High Priestess called out in concern. Just then, a loud screech rang out from behind her, and she had to whirl back around to hold Tat back from attacking Juli.
"LEMME AT HER! I'M GONNA KILL HER!" Tat screeched while squirming in the High Priestess' grasp. "NO ONE TALKS TO MY FRIEND LIKE THAT!"
"Tat, calm down!" The High Priestess cried out, trying to prevent things from getting physical. "This is not how we solve things here. Please, go and find Leo for me."
Still seething, Tat finally nodded and calmed down, the High Priestess releasing her grip as she flew off to find Leorina, casting a final vengeful eye in Juli's direction. With that situation solved for the moment, the High Priestess rounded on the group before her, minus Lolo.
"That was a horrible thing to say!" she nearly yelled, her usual exterior of serenity cracking somewhat. "How could you think that was an appropriate thing to ask of her?!"
Most of the group were clearly regretful for going along with the whole affair and not doing anything to stop it, lowering their heads in shame, but Juli remained defiant, as if all she regretted was not saying more.
"I have no intention of putting on an act for a former outlaw! Not when I am being forced to live alongside them!"
The High Priestess swallowed the righteous anger she nearly let out in response to that, turning in the direction that Leorina had run in.
"I will deal with you at a later time…" she said as she began to hurry off after her protégé.
Once she was out of earshot, Juli snorted derisively. "I should have expected that from her. Do you not see the eyes she keeps giving that criminal? They are in bed together, I'm sure of it!"
"JULI!" Lolo shouted, unable to keep her frustration in check. "That is not for us to gossip about!"
"With all the lessons we have been given about purity and abstinence in the worship of Claire, it is completely hypocritical." Juli said, completely ignoring Lolo. "I am certain that there is a passage in Claire's teachings somewhere that condemns this exact thing, if only I could find it…"
Throwing up her hands in exasperation, Lolo finally left in a huff, unable to stand Juli's words a moment longer. A few others in the group followed her in silent agreement.
It was no secret that Juli was vying for the High Priestess role sometime in the future, and while it was still some distance away since she was quite young and only a recently christened priestess, she was already acting as though she were the superior priestess among their number, and that her word should be final. The growing influence she had over the temple's inhabitants was only exacerbating things.
Such a habit would surely get her into trouble sooner or later…
…
The High Priestess strode through the temple looking for Leorina, quietly fuming at the audacity of Juli for speaking to her in such a way. She had been reluctant to grant her the role of full priestess, having sensed a worrying amount of pride and ambition from her, but many of the other high-ranking priestesses and leaders of La-Lakoosha had insisted upon it due to her talent in proselytising, which they argued made her a valuable asset regardless of her temperament.
Incidents like this only reinforced the High Priestess' conviction that it had been a mistake. Juli was so disrespectful, the complete antithesis of what a priestess should be, and she would be damned if she let her get to a high-ranking position with an attitude like that.
She tried to calm herself as she looked for Leorina, keeping her ears open for her and checking where she could usually be found with no luck. She grew increasingly worried as she searched, not sure if she had run out of the temple altogether.
As she approached the main throne room, she almost walked into Tat, who was looking into the room with a grim air.
"Ah, Tat." The High Priestess said with a concerned air. "Have you found her?"
Tat nodded and pointed inside, so the High Priestess looked in. She could hear a quiet sobbing coming from behind the throne. As she walked inside, Leorina's priestess hat lay abandoned in the middle of the room. Picking it up and holding it close to her chest, she quietly approached the throne and looked behind it, seeing Leorina huddled behind it, quietly crying.
"Leo…?"
Leorina barely acknowledged her presence but managed to respond, her voice distorted through sobs.
"P…please… I just… want to be alone…"
The High Priestess looked around, concerned that Leorina's crying might attract unwanted onlookers, and quietly spoke again. "I understand, Leo, but this feels too public for your needs. Please, let me bring you somewhere quieter."
Leorina shook with emotion but slowly looked up at the High Priestess, her face wet with tears, and finally nodded, taking her hand and allowing herself to be gently bought up to a standing position. As she helped her shakily to her feet, the High Priestess addressed Tat, who was looking at the scene with concern. Her expression indicated that she did not often see Leorina like this and was unsure how to respond.
"Tat, there's a communal kitchen not far from here. Would you mind making a calming drink for Leo?"
Tat nodded, grateful to be able to help, and flew away to make something. Holding Leorina's hand, the High Priestess led her out of the throne room and towards her private quarters nearby.
Closing the door behind her, the High Priestess turned to Leo, who had moved to sit down on a couch in the middle of the room. "You may stay here as long as you need to come back to yourself. Tat will most likely arrive with some tea in a short time. If you wish for me to leave you alone, I shall do so."
Leorina looked over to her slowly, the idea of being alone suddenly seeming unappealing, and shook her head. "No… I… want you to stay…"
The High Priestess nodded gently and moved to sit down beside her.
"Would you like to discuss this?"
Leorina looked down, a bitter expression in her eyes. "I knew it would be like this. It doesn't matter what I do or how hard I try; people will always hate me. I'll never be accepted here."
"I will make sure that Juli is punished appropriately for this." The High Priestess said, her eyes only briefly showing the anger she had felt towards the words which had been said to Leorina, but the moment soon passed, and they became kind again. "But I have observed many of the others, and they are happy that you have been redeemed and returned to us. I once heard a priestess-in-training giving thanks to Claire for bringing you back to her light."
Leorina seemed at least a little assured by her words, but she could not bring herself to fully believe it. "There will always be at least one. One person determined to keep me from being anything but a criminal… and she just had to make it about my tail…"
The High Priestess placed a hand on Leorina's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "No matter what they say, you not having a tail does not make you less worthy to stay within these walls. Regardless of what happened to it-"
"I did not cut off my tail!" Leorina blurted out, seemingly as a reflex, before remembering who she was talking to and burying her head in her hands. The High Priestess kept her hand on her shoulder, letting her continue.
"It's still there… it's just…" Leorina trailed off.
"Did something happen to it?" The High Priestess asked. "Is that why you try and hide it away?"
Leorina nodded, taking a deep breath as she finally began to explain herself, having previously told herself that she would never reveal this to anyone.
"When I was young, soon after I had foolishly left the Claire Moa Temple to follow my own path, I began to view my tail as a symbol of the life I had left behind, and of everything I had thrown away. I could not stand to have it as a constant reminder of what I had done… so one day I tried to cut it off…"
The High Priestess raised a hand to her mouth in shock, her eyes filled with worry at the suffering Leorina had gone through. Despite this, she said nothing so as to not intrude on Leorina's raw mental state.
"But I couldn't do it. Trying to remove it was agony, even moreso than the pain in my head that it gave me. I tried more than once to finish the deed, but eventually I gave up and just hid it away… acting like it didn't exist…"
"So that you could feel that you were finally free…" The High Priestess deduced as Leorina nodded in confirmation.
"Leo… what is done is done, but those days are far behind you now, and you have returned to a better path. You no longer need to hide your tail from anyone…"
Leorina shook her head, her eyes filling with tears again.
"I'm too afraid…" she managed to choke out. "I do not know if I can let anyone see…"
The High Priestess considered her options. Keeping Leorina's tail hidden was clearly still causing her a lot of pain and stress… perhaps what she needed was assistance in taking that first terrifying step…
"May I… help you to free it from its hiding place?" she said quietly, testing the waters.
Leorina looked up at her, clearly scared to say yes after so long of keeping it hidden from the world… but she could not bring herself to say not to the High Priestess, the one she cared about so much, and she finally nodded.
Smiling encouragingly, the High Priestess slowly bought her hands down to the base of Leorina's spine, feeling the slight shape of her tail under her uniform, tucked away. Slowly, she began to reach through and bring it out, letting it curl from the hem of Leorina's dress.
Leorina's breath quickened as she felt the High Priestess hold her tail and quietly inspect it. It was not unlike Lolo's, with a tuft of red hair on the end rather than ginger, but this was not nearly as well kept. She could see the substantial scarring near the base from where Leorina had tried to remove it, as well as other scuffs and scrapes from years of sky battles, the hair unkempt from being hidden for so long. And yet… she did not mind.
"How…" Leorina said quietly, afraid to ask. "How bad is it…?"
The High Priestess smiled as she gently cupped Leorina's chin and leaned in to face her. "On the contrary, Leo… I think it is a beautiful tail. It is a part of you, and I accept it as such."
Leorina's eyes filled with tears at her words, almost unable to believe it, even while knowing how caring the High Priestess was.
"I promise you, Leo, I will see to it that your time under my care in this temple is a happy one. I do not want you to be afraid of us. In time, the other priestess will grow to accept you as part of our own… and they will accept your tail as just a part of who you are… a clever, brave, beautiful woman…"
A slight smile crept on Leorina's face as she felt the High Priestess' love wash over her, her own love in return beginning to show as she slowly began to draw closer to the High Priestess, unable to resist the urge to just…
She moved forward, her arms outstretched as she pulled the High Priestess towards herself. The High Priestess hummed quietly as she returned the gesture, both closing their eyes as they brought each other into a loving cuddle.
And as they hugged, letting the moment last, their tails slowly intertwined, coiling together in an intimate embrace.
Two lovers, together…