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ERIKA'S GARDEN - AFTERNOON
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Akire is tending, feeling, touching and nourishing the garden to an almost veritable mini-jungle. The not-quite-Erika hasn't admitted to herself she might not in fact be Erika, although the doubts are pretty hard to wave away. She lifts her hand to the center tree, conversing with it quietly: "...what do you think?"
Narrator: The tree either doesn't answer... or more likely, doesn't answer out loud...
Enxame: "I'm not ssure that a tree can give you the answers that you want, but, perhaps I can help you" A tattered cloak drifted into view from around the vegetation, only spindley fingers apparent from the ends of the cloak, their face concealed by a featureless white mask "You do not know who you are, and ..I fear that you need to know sssoon, for your own zafety" The voice is raspy, and shivering, with an odd echoy quality to it.
Akire looks about in surprise, then squints as she turns towards the cloaky figure, a wispy trail of green in her figure as she moves: "...what do you mean?"
Enxame: "I think you know, you are jusst afraid" The word rolls off "Fear is natural, but you ssshould not be so afraid" They drift around slowly, easy to track, but still needing a turn of the head to keep in view "You are not the one they call Erika, ass otherss have alsso seen, but....unlike thosse, We do not see thiss as a problem" They left the implication unspoken, about who may see it as a problem
Akire looks about for the shadow: "I... I know who I am." It's pretty obvious she's unsure, but she presses on: "I am only afraid because others would push me away..." She glances at the tree, HER tree, then back to the shadows: "...can you help me?"
Enxame: "It dependss, What do you want? If you merely wissh for one that does not think you lessss for what you are, then that you already have, if you wissh to fight back.." There's a small shake "I could only help sso much, I am another that only livess through obssscurity, if my nature waz known, I would be hunted, and sslain too. Ssso, Asssk, and I sshall tell you what We can do"
Akire hums at the thought, touching her hand to the bush next to her, making both the bush and herself glow: "This is my home. If..." She hesitates: "...i-if I am not Erika, living here... what can I do? Where can I go?"
Enxame: "Your plantss are your home, you have powerss, could you perhapss grow your home elssewhere?" They pondered aloud "Regardless of the how, I fear that you cannot sstay. Thesse people will value the life of the Erika they deem the 'real' one, even though, you sspeak, you breath, you think...they sshall label you 'fake', conssider you a threat"
Akire frowns at this, but finds herself agreeing: "...t-they would, wouldn't they... i-if I'm not the real deal, that means she's..." She looks aside: "...out there somewhere. And will come back."
Enxame: "You are real" They respond quickly "You are ass real ass any other, but you are right. The Other will likely return, they will not react well, I fear. Perhapss even blame you for their missfortune. You are not her, I think you are ssomething more, if you would only let yoursself. Thiss garden thrivess under your care, more than it ever hass. I can perhapss aid you, but I sshall not try to tell you what to do, the decissionss must be your own"
Akire nods, lifting her hand on a tall flower next to her. The flower blooms immediately upon Akire's touch: "This is my home", she repeats. She looks at Enxame: "If I can be more than just... this, what am I? Who am I?"
Enxame: "That iss not for me to ssay. Only you can decide what you are, or who you are. You're bond to the plantss around you is ssomething sspecial though, and you sshould not be torn away. Thiss is a problem I cannot ssolve for you. You musst find a way to ssave your home, and I sshall help, but thiss musst be your fight"
Akire nods slowly, looking around. Her expression hardens and the flower under her palm grows thorns: "...it seems I must. Defend myself, fight for who I am... whoever that is. I will not leave."
Enxame: "Do you believe you will win? You are outnumbered, they will come to you with ssword, and fire. They will label themsselves heroes for doing it" There is a soft inclining of the head "I fear retreat iss the path for ssurvival. There are placess beneath the streets that the light touches, that your plantss could retreat to, you could bring the light through the underground. It could be a haven, if you choosse it to be"
Akire harrumps, glancing up towards the sky: "It... it could be a solution. Not... not right, for me or the growth, but..."
Enxame: "If you wissh to fight, I sshall lend my aid to that, but I fear it would be a losing battle. There iss plenty of placess that thesse..interloperss have not seized yet, that you could have your gardenss. The choice iss, in the end, yourss to make"
Akire leans back on the biggest tree, sighing: "I... n-need to think about it. About me. About - what to do." She looks at the roots of the tree, looking perhaps not as hopeful as she felt not long ago.
Enxame: "I am alwayss available, ssimply wissh for my pressence, and I sshall be there" The various little parts of Enxame's cloak disperse, each part of their raggedy cloak a scrap of fabric held by a small insect, which disperse, butterflies fluttering away, as little beetles scuttle into the undergrowth. Enxame's way of saying, without words, that they weren't exactly a traditional 'person' either.
Akire blinks at the cloud of insects dispersing, surprised enough to jolt back: "O-oh. Huh." She turns to tree next to her: "Never seen that before, have you?" A quiet pause: "Yeah, it's weird. But what do I do?" She continues conversing seemingly alone for a while, not really arriving to a conclusion she likes.
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THE THIRSTY MINNOW - EVENING
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Emmeline sits in the mostly empty bar, sipping on a small glass of sherry. With Jennica engrossed in her current build at home, she figured she sould spend some time on the town to try to meet more folks still.
Elizabeth walks in, clad in a nice purple dress as usual. The skunk seems to be in a good mood, strolling to get a glass of wine before looking around, giving Emmeline a smile as she does.
Emmeline gives a friendly nod to the skunk as she enters. "Evening." She takes another sip of her sherry and takes a moment to adjust her light blue dress.
Elizabeth lifts her glass: "Mind if I join you on this quiet evening? This old lady has spent way too much time insider her own head lately."
Emmeline gives a nod to Elizabeth. "Of course." She's just seated most of the way down the bar , with plenty of empty stools on either side of her. "I'm in kind of the same boat. I feel like I haven't really met anyone here outside of work."
Elizabeth walks next to Emmeline, setting her glass on the bar before offering her hand: "Elizabeth Catherine. I think I have seen your work, your stall at the marketplace, yes?"
Emmeline offers her own hand. "Emmeline Stonehouse, and you'd be correct. My partner and I sell magical baubles and some non-magical decorations as well."
Elizabeth shakes Emmeline's hand briefly before sitting down: "Pleasure to meet you, then, Emmeline." She muses: "I have not really taken a look at what you sell, but mayhap I should one of these days."
Emmeline smiles. "A pleasure as well, Elizabeth. And judging from how you carry yourself, I think our products would be well suited for you." She finishes her sherry and, after a few moments of hesitation, gets a refill from the barkeep.
Elizabeth smirks slightly: "Can tell class from a mile away, hmm? So how worthy are your products, then?"
Emmeline blushes a bit, but doesn't lose a step in replying. "Well, I can tell a lady who likes to keep herself put together. As for worthy, well that depends on your tastes, I suppose, but everything is one of a kind and can be altered to the customer's liking, at least aesthetically..." She sips her sherry.
Elizabeth shrugs slightly, but keeps smiling: "Sounds awfully vague, but interesting. I shall have come a look eventually."
Emmeline smiles. "Please do. If I'm not the one there, it'll be Jennica. She's the magical brains of the endevor. She's a bit shy, but she's getting better with customers now."
Elizabeth nods with a smile, leaning on the table: "Magical brains, hmm? I used to have such titles, as well."
Emmeline blinks. "Used to?"
Elizabeth considers for a moment which true bits of her story to stretch, then shrugs: "I haven't been in Respite for all that long, is all. Left most of my influence behind in Sarn."
Emmeline nods. "Ah, of course... Well I'm sure Jenn would love to meet more magically adept folks. I'm about as magical as a potato."
Elizabeth lets out a small chuckle at that: "I'm not sure what I would know, but I already promised to stop by."
Emmeline sips at her sherry and sighs a bit. "I just worry about her. She's so talented and smart, but she wouldn't admit it even if you threatened her..."
Elizabeth takes a sip of her wine and smiles: "Some take longer to come out of their shells. I didn't, my teacher would mostly just accuse me of not listening and 'improvising too much', but... anyway, not sure where I was going with that."
Emmeline nods. "I suppose..." She shakes her head. "Sorry, I just haven't had many folks to talk to casually since I got to town."
Elizabeth smiles wryly: "I know that feeling." She lifts her glass with a smile: "It's a small town, though. Can't expect the same hustle and bustle as Glaushire or something."
Emmeline nods. "I suppose not. Not that I'm much for big cities either. Small cities are nice, though."
Elizabeth leans back on the bar, glancing around at the small handful of other patrons: "I don't know. I like the peace and quiet of Respite, myself."
Emmeline nods. "Yeah.. it's nice here. Enough folks around to not get bored, but not busy enough that you don't have any room to think. Also it's a lot warmer than the Vamasian Highlands."
Elizabeth gives Emmeline a slightly amused look: "That's certainly sure. You have come a long way, then. Not that I am anyone to say, having come from almost as far."
Emmeline laughs. "Yeah... we both like it a lot here. Warm, quiet enough, and nice and far from her family."
Elizabeth raises an eyebrow: "Family troubles, hmm? I guess that's a reason enough to take one's distance."
Emmeline nods after sipping down the last of the sherry. "More a disagreement... and basically we needed to get away from them or she'd feel too pressured to do what they want..."
Elizabeth frowns: "...I can see that..." She's momentarily distracted by a memory or another, before lifting her glass with a smile: "...be that as it may though, you're better off now, right?"
Emmeline gives a bit of a nod. "Well enough, yes. We have almost all our money tied up in the business though, so if it doesn't do well, well..." She trails off.
Elizabeth nods with understanding she has far too well, frowning slightly: "I understand. It's... precarious."
Emmeline refreshes her drink, though switching this time to bar's non-alcoholic punch. "Luckily, things are going well so far. We're not about to buy gilded statues or anything, though."
Elizabeth chuckles softly: "Gilded statues are way overrated anyway. They tarnish when you basically look at them funny, and start to look really corny after a while."
Emmeline laughs. "Oh I know. If I had that sort of money, I'd spend it on lovely flowers and a full time florist."
Elizabeth smiles, taking a sip of her wine: "A sound plan if you ask me."
Emmeline continues chatting with Elizabeth for a while, the two discussing home decor, dresses styles, and other such weighty matters until it's time for the cow to head home to bed.