This is Clare, there is only one solution

"You and Christopher go and have a private conversation away from all of us." And that wasn't it. "Go on of you two go." Clare said ushering Vatarie to the door and waving you to go with her. When you reach the door to the corridor you and Vatarie are standing next to each other, she looks anger and confused. "I'd suggest the bath, cleaning yourself both metaphorically and physically." The door closes on your faces as she looks very proud of herself, her fondness for metaphor was a more integral part of her than you thought.

You look at Vatarie and she avoids your gaze. "I'm still me." You say reaching for her hand. She doesn't pull away and you interlace your fingers. "And I still love you."

She looks at you and swallows. Taking a deep breath though her nose and wrinkle it. "You smell too sweet." She takes her hand back and starts walking with you after her, dreading the part where you're going to tell her about your past life.

The silence as you walk gets more than a little oppressive. Holding a pace behind her you try to plan out your conversation. You'll start by asking her how she feels, asking if she needs anymore information about Clare, asking if you can do anything to help her.

As the door to the bathroom opens and Vatarie walks inside you open your mouth to begin your part. "Get in the bath." Vatarie orders pointing at the water.

You obey without comment. Having her take the lead was something you probably should have predicted. Stepping into the water you feel a slight tingle on your skin as the left over sugary substance is dissolved off. "Vatarie." You half turn when she stops you with hands on your back.

"Why didn't you trust me?" Her fingers are hand on your skin as she pushes against you. "I thought we, I thought I, I told you about my dad." Her voice is soft and fingers dug in a little, not painfully for you but if you had been anyone else it would be. You start to turn around. "Don't. I, I can't look at you, it," her nails press against you back and drag down. "Why did you tell Ana first?" Her hands leave your back but you don't turn to face her.

"Clare said," you stop yourself. "Because I was scared you'd reject me. I'm not Christopher. Christopher is just who everyone thinks I am." You take a very worried breath. "I'm not from this world. Clare and her sister, they grabbed twenty self-consciousnesses that died in other worlds and brought them to Calitian. I was in my twenties when I died then woke up here. I've been alive for more than forty years, and I was scared that you would reject me for that. Ana and Asune they wouldn't care about that."

"I would?" Vatarie asks as a hand gently rubbed your shoulders.

"You're the only one who actually likes me." Your mouth said it before you could think about it. Vatarie's fingers tense a little so you let your mouth take the wheel. "Ana sees me as power and that all that matters; Asune sees me as companionship and would never reject me; Edin see me as protective assertive control, he doesn't have to do anything he can just be; Delilah," your mouth falters a bit, "wouldn't see anything change how they feel about me; Oriana, Auria, Cynthia they see me as the embodiment of their belief I don't even need exist as myself for them. But you're the only one who actually care's about me." You turn around and see golden eyes looking back at you. "I thought it was power you liked at first, you liked that I was a challenge, then I thought it was my magic, that whatever it is doing to you," you cup her cheek and she pulls away slightly, "was driving you be with me, but then we got to spend time together without my magic and you liked me. You wanted me to be happy and you liked me. That night was the first time I was with someone who just with me as me, not as who they expected or wanted me to be."

Vatarie's eyes looked into your for a long moment then pushed you back. You let yourself fall into the water watching as she looks down at you. You float on the waters surface for a moment. "I love you." She says leaning down and pushing you under the water.

You watch her from under the water. Holding those golden eyes with your own as she looks down at you feel no danger. You say I love you and as the bubbles leave your mouth she leans into the water and kisses you breathing air into your mouth as she pulls up out of the water.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "You smell like you again." She opens her eyes and smiles softly. "But I'm not forgiving you that easily."

You smile back. "Sorry I didn't trust you."

"Me too." She floats back sinking up to her neck in the water as you sink down with her. "Are you safe?"

"Yeah. Clare and her sister don't want the champions to actually hurt each other." Vatarie's raised eyebrows and all of her aura were very clearly not believing you. You do however have what you are pretty sure is the proof of their not killing intention. "Their game, If I win Clare's sister has to do whatever Clare says for the rest of their time on this world." Vatarie's aura looks baffled.

"They're Goddess, and they are ..." She trails off when she see you looking entirely sincerely at her.

"making both Ana and Asune look virginal." You finish for her then start laughing. Vatarie takes a beat before laughing as well.

"This is insane." She says then laughs even harder. Her aura looks a bit more hysterical than healthy hilarity would allow.

Wrapping her in a hug you kiss her forehead. "Maybe, and if you don't want to -" You are cut off by her lips on yours.

"You finish that sentence and I'm putting you back underwater." She says as her golden eyes shine a bit brighter. You hold each other until you feel your heart-rates syncing up. "Anything else I should know?"