09 Titanium

The Hearth manages to find a moment to breathe... and to bathe. 
"I don't care what kind of player you are: you're here because you want to have fun."
----While Fleuvienne and Oresta head to her family's baths, Gale questions Sientelle about House Iselsi. How can they learn more about the Vendetta, or get into contact? The Wood aspect proposes trying to find her birth mother in the West; before that, she'll write a report about Seven-Fingers' attack, with help from Gale Whispered, of course.
Meanwhile, Pyres opens a letter from his sister, Maral. She admits that he's given her much to think about, but that she still believes he's allied himself with forces that wish to bring down the Realm. She'll be waiting for him to explain, "where they last saw each other". "Convince me, or I'll destroy you," she claims. Pyres immediately begins to work on expressing his feelings and worldview to his sister through dance, before being invited to bathe with the rest of his Hearth. 
He tells his hearth about Maral's letter, not committing to going to visit her as of yet, although Gale is able to discern her love for Pyres shining through. Oresta provides sake to the group, and Gale heads up to bed with Sientelle, but not before challenging her to Gateway: the Obscure game. Gale begins to lose to Sientelle, over and over, becoming more and more frustrated because "if she's not winning, she's not doing her job," until finally, she's able to break Sientelle's defenses. 
After Pyres bids his Hearthmates an intimate goodnight, Fleuvienne takes it as an invitation to visit his bedchamber, and the two find themselves entwined together in passion. Meanwhile, Oresta speaks with her father, learning that her mother is always asking questions about her; the Earth aspect also receives an anonymous note with a coupon for a show, a steak dinner, and an address in the Imperial City. (It would seem that Quick Rat may just have found his way to safety after all.) 
The next day marks the beginning of the last stage of taking down Vieren's legacy: Gale Whispered and Sientelle infiltrate Cathak Cainan's pavillion and find Vieren's original will, along with a token of the Regent Fokuf. Interestingly, it seems that Vieren had originally intended to leave some of his wealth to Cathak Pyres, but amended his will (no doubt after the events there). Oresta and Pyres make inroads with the Magistrate in charge of investigating Seven Fingers' death, and importantly make sure that House Peleps is not blamed for his actions. 
With so much accomplished, "all" that's left to do is to put the final nail in Vieren's coffin....
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Category:EXA-Ep