Vivara shrugged. "As well as can be expected."
"I didn't get much sleep, actually," Mercy admitted, scratching the back of her head. She smiled slightly. "I was up all night reading. I forgot how much I missed books, actually."
Vivara glanced over at Mercy, eyebrow raising. "You read?"
"What?" Mercy asked, smirking somewhat. "You don't think the Ultimate Hunter reads? I'll have you know that when I'm not out shooting, I find solace in a good book."
Harvey--her father's friend--would often read to her when she was little. They would sit in his room, sitting in his rustic green chairs, next to a huge window that overlooked the fields. It was a long time ago, but the memory was still so clear in her head. Her heart ached when she thought about it.
Years later, when Harvey's condition worsened, it was her who ended up reading to him. Whereas she used hunting to feel close with her father, she had books to feel close to Harvey. And now that she would never see him again...
Mercy sighed, closing her eyes. She didn't want to start the day off this way. Rubbing her eyes, she straightened her posture and forced a tired smile. "How did the two of you sleep? Well, I should hope."
"I slept perfectly, thank you," Graham's voice sang from outside the hallway. Just like every morning, he began dragging his chair through the door. "And I'm in a particularly great mood today."
As he came into the room, something atop his head shimmered.
Vivara stared at him. "Is that a tiara?"
"More or less. I thought of it more as a crown, but tiara works too," Graham replied, adjusting it so that it wouldn't fall off. "Do you guys like it?"
Eriko slipped in behind him, smirking. She took a seat next to Mercy. "Stole the jewels from Faqir, I assume?"
"Steal is a harsh word," Graham protested.