[ACTION] BACKDATED TO THE LATTER HALF OF JULY 28TH obviously I win forever

[blessingone]

[The backyard of House 34 is perhaps one of the calmer and more beautiful holographic worlds in the rather chaotic mid-event Luceti. The rivers and cliffs of Fallingwater provide a wide view of the forest and town below as the water tumbles into graceful aqueducts that sweep across the lowest portions. Only a handful of eggbears and peepit chicks might ruin the atmosphere, but they are much too weak to give trouble to even to a first-level adventurer.

And even those who cannot defend themselves may not find themselves in danger. A bird stands on the edge of the river, about half as tall as a human, with a feather nearly as long as his tall neck on its head and a tail about as long as his height. Rather than being aggressive to any visitors, he attacks the holograms when they come near and quickly dispatches them, before returning to the river's edge. He's not a hologram, but the pet of the girl he is watching. So try not to kill him.

Said girl is sitting in the river, knees drawn up to her chest, her head down. She isn't moving or making a sound. She isn't really thinking about much, either. She doesn't really want to.]

[NOTE (Legendia Main Quest spoilers, I suppose): So, the thread hasn't finished due to my standard tagging rate, but it seems that Norma is going to have spilled the beans that Fenimore is going to be fatally wounded about a second or two after she gets back from Luceti. So she's not exactly taking it well. As such, she will be extremely moody and a bit short-tempered. And she might decide to refuse to talk to people for really irrational reasons. I mean, understandably. But this is to warn people that Fenimore may get angry or just clam up entirely for reasons that are not the fault of the taggers. So, yeah. Apologies in advance. I keep having to do this for Fenimore. She'll be at least acting like she's okay in a couple of days (by which I mean she was already doing so several days ago), though.]

Comments

[lostinmyway]

Yes, that's right. You can tell your friends all your secrets, because they'll love you no matter what.

[blessingone]

...I see.

[She falls silent again. She thought she was starting to get an idea of how she should feel about Shirley not telling her, but now her thoughts are all mixed up. She feels in a vague way that it's partially her fault -- she probably would have flipped out if it had been Shirley telling her. Would that be violating the "loving no matter what?" Or is it...ugh, she has no idea what to think right now.]

[lostinmyway]

[Grune is silent as well, just keeping Fenimore company. She swishes her feet back and forth a little, enjoying the feel of the water slipping past.]

[blessingone]

[There will be silence for quite a while! At first, she tries to think it over, before eventually lapsing back into a more numb state. But, eventually, Fenimore will look at Grune.]

...Are you all right? [There's kind of a surfeit of monsters right now.]

[lostinmyway]

[Her response is immediate:] Oh, yes, I'm just fine. [In a few days, now….]

[blessingone]

[Maybe talking with Grune will take her mind off of this.]

...Well. Good. ...Be careful.

[But it might be a while before she's actually good at talking, and longer still before any energy gets back into her voice when she's sounding anything other than angry.]

[lostinmyway]

I will. [Her first answer is automatic. Her second is not.] You be careful, too.

[blessingone]

[It strikes Fenimore as a little unusual, but only on a subconscious level. She brushes off the feeling.]

I'm always careful. [Which, for the most part, she is -- often to the point of being overcautious.

She shakes her head.] You're the one I should be worried about. [Except all her worry is kind of self-preoccupied right now.]

[lostinmyway]

Oh, I'm just fine. You don't need to worry about me.

[She's watching you closely, Fenimore--or, well, as closely as she can.]

[blessingone]

Saying that isn't going to stop me, you know. [She sighs, her chin returning to her knees.] ...I guess you're right. Nothing bad ever happens to you, does it?

[She isn't openly bitter, but an undercurrent lies beneath her tone -- a small one, as Grune is a hard person to be bitter at, but it's still there.]

[lostinmyway]

[Unsurprisingly, Grune misses the undercurrent entirely.]

Hmm....

[blessingone]

Hmm. [She echoes Grune. After a moment, she unfolds from her curled position and leans back on her hands.

She shakes her head.] You're really lucky, you know that? But it's comforting, [a slight hesitation] mostly.

[lostinmyway]

Is it? [She's having a little trouble following Fenimore today.]

[blessingone]

A little. [She shakes her head.] Don't worry about it, Grune. It'll be okay. [She's probably going to be pretty mysterious for a while.]

[lostinmyway]

[She gives Fenimore an oddly evaluating look.] Are you sure?

[blessingone]

[It's a bit weird to get such a look from Grune, but she would dismiss it after a moment even if she were in her normal mindframe. In her current self-absorbed mood, it barely even registers.]

...Yeah, I'm sure. It'll have to be.

[lostinmyway]

[If Fenimore missed Grune's strange moment there, she'll definitely not see the briefly fuzzy expression that follows.]

All right.

[Normally, she'd leave it at that. But Fenimore still seems very sad. And so, paying no attention to her dress, she wades out into the river, bends down, and gives her a hug.]

[blessingone]

[She definitely misses the expression -- she doesn't even foresee the hug coming. For a moment, she's surprised, and then she tries to gently pull away from the hug -- not with much force, though.]

H-hey, Grune. I said I was fine -- it's okay.

[lostinmyway]

Yes, but it's always nice to get a hug from a friend. [And she's still not entirely sure you don't need it.]

[blessingone]

But I -- I guess so, but.... [She gives up her struggles and surrenders herself to the hug, even if she doesn't return it.] Maybe you're right.

[lostinmyway]

[Grune holds onto her for a while longer, then pulls back a bit.] There. Doesn't that feel better?

[She hopes it does. She doesn't want Fenimore to be sad anymore.]

[blessingone]

[...A little. There is healing in all Grune hugs. But not a lot, as Fenimore is still trying to keep up the emotional walls. They will probably help more later, after she's been able to work through some of it, but for now...]

...Sure, Grune. It does.

[lostinmyway]

[Grune smiles with the innocent satisfaction that came from helping one of her closest friends.] I'm glad. I hope you can feel all better soon.

[She gives her another hug, just for good measure.]

1/2

[blessingone]

[For the most of the second hug, she doesn't return it, but, after a couple of moments, she quickly turns to wrap her arms around Grune and squeeze for just a second. Then she lets go just as quickly and starts to back out of the hug as best she can from her position.]

[blessingone]

[She waves a hand dismissively, her bravado returned in full force.]

I told you I'll be fine, right? You don't have to worry about it. [But not all of it is bravado -- she feels a little better for Grune's care.]