[Memory] All These Sweet Things You Have Left Behind

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A large forest in Central Anaxas, the once-thriving mostly human town of Dorhaven is recovering from a bombing in 2719 at its edge.

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Evandria Sericks
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Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2018 2:57 am
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Race: Galdor
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Sat Oct 05, 2019 1:01 am

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Empty. Her house felt glaringly empty. Which certainly made no sense at all. There were five servants that ran about the house, a cook in the kitchen, and half a dozen guards stationed in the building in case of another attack. Her house was not empty – in fact it had more people that it did most days. Still, she could not shake the weight of its emptiness as she glanced back into the house through its massive windows.

Evandria could barely stand spending any time inside the place she called home, so she spent most of them in the back garden. The young woman was perched on a crooked swing, the one that her father had promised to fix once they got home from Cellas Isle. She had never really spent much time in the garden before all this. It was her mother’s territory after all, where she would kneel on the ground with mud on the hem of her dresses, planting seeds that sometimes refused to grow. It was hot even with the sun getting shrouded by the clouds, but the girl stubbornly stayed.

It was preferable than the constant reminder that her house was now a puzzle that would never be finished. There were missing pieces that she could never retrieve again. The sun was going to set soon and if this was an ordinary day, her front door would open to reveal her father. Lutver Sericks would call out to his wife and daughter before whining about what a tiring day he had and how infuriating Secretary Hallidal was.

Today, it was an old woman who set the table. One plate, one spoon, one fork, one knife. A table for one. Evandria had refused to eat in the dining room for weeks, yet the servants still set it up like so. As if they were keen to remind her that she was all alone now.

“A delivery for you, Miss Sericks.”

It was only then that Evandria realized she had been staring at a rose bush for quite a while now. Her head snapped up as she regarded the unfamiliar guard coolly. “What is it?” Do not show weakness. It was what her parents taught her. She would like to say that she had honored their wishes. The young woman hadn’t let anyone see her cry. Not in front of those officers who told her the news, not during their funeral.

The man’s eyes softened slightly. “It is addressed for your father, miss.”

Her breath hitched. Her heart stilled. “Send it in.”

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Catriona Fraser
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2019 5:14 pm
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Race: Human
Occupation: Blacksmith
Location: Vienda
Character Sheet: Catriona Fraser: The Smithy
Plot Notes: Cat's Plot Notes
Writer: GingerJSM
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Sat Oct 05, 2019 1:48 am

62nd Of Roalis 2712
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Mr. Raynarus was certainly not a patient man. He was a fine teacher but when things needed to be done, he needed them done quickly and properly. That was his way. So as he frantically closed the lid on the ornate box that held his latest project and thrusted it into Cat’s hands, she knew better than to do anything other than what he told her.

“Do not look her in the eye. Show them the note, take your pad and pencil in case you have to improvise and I swear, Cat, do not screw this up. This is a grieving girl and I wouldn’t even send you alone except that I have thirty other things to do and not enough hours in the day to do them.”

He gave her a light shove in her back to propel her forward and she was off. Cat walked the streets hurriedly. She was wearing a light cotton shift with a blue smock over it. Her red hair had grown since she’d come several months ago. Cat only pulled it up while working around the forge. In the city she let it fall into her peripheral vision, acting as sort of blinders. She kept her head down and marched with purpose to her destination. Mr. Raynarus had scarcely allowed her to do more than run errands since she’d arrived but even he couldn’t deny that her nimble fingers had been perfect for placing tiny gemstones into the piece she carried. He had said that she would start working the forge next month, once he was sure she could be trusted...whatever that meant.

When Cat arrived at the house, it was crawling with seventen. The instinct to hide herself was so great that she nearly did just that. But she shook off the fear and told herself, I’m supposed to be here. I have a delivery from Mr. Raynarus to Miss Sericks. I am to deliver it to his hands only.

This was all laid out in her papers but she never made it that far. How could she know that a human with a box could appear threatening? Two guards accosted the 14 year old human before she even got close to the house.

Cat tried not to panic as she practically shoved the paper in their hands. They checked the box, and tried to say that they would take it but Cat hugged it to her chest and repeatedly pointed to the place on the note that stated it was to be delivered by her personally.

The two guards flanked her as the walked her around to the back of the house. She was, in a word, terrified. When she saw the Galdor girl, she kept her head down, focusing on the box as the note was passed to the girl.

“The delivery girl is dumb, Miss Sericks but she arrived with the package and this note, said to be for your eyes only.”

Cat looked at the girl as she read the note, but Cat still clutched the box in her hands, waiting either to be allowed to step forward or for the girl to come get it. At the risk of breaking the one rule she’d been given, not to look her in the eye, Cat stole a glance at the girl. She was beautiful, a little older than Cat but her face told a story. Cat recognized that look, of someone saving face by pushing their emotions far down. It was a face she wore every day.

Miss Sericks,
I was deeply saddened to hear of your parents’ passing. They were good people, loyal to their nation and you should be proud of all they accomplished. Your Father commissioned this piece to be delivered when you all arrived home. While I am sorry they will not see it, perhaps you can hold onto it as a reminder of the love they had for one another.
Sincerely,
Raynarus


As she read, Cat’s heart broke for her. Cat tentatively pulled away from the guards and they seemed to let her step forward, taking each step like it might be her last, until she was standing in front of the girl. She lowered her head and presented the box to her, wishing more than anything she could whisper words of solace to her. Instead all she could do was keep her head down sadly and wait.
Last edited by Catriona Fraser on Mon Oct 07, 2019 11:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Evandria Sericks
Posts: 59
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2018 2:57 am
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Race: Galdor
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Sun Oct 06, 2019 4:46 am

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The young woman expected a package or a letter to be brought to her, but instead it was a pale girl with fiery red hair. It was obvious enough that she had no field. Human. Younger than she was. Something flared inside her chest – both pain and anger – but died as swiftly as it came. The girl had nothing to do with her parents’ deaths. Those who were responsible… They were still running around while her mother and father were gone. Despite their kindness, all the things they did to try to make everyone’s lives better… The Resistance killed them anyway.

She took the note and read it. Read it again and again. She did not know how long it actually took but it felt like an eternity before the words settled in. Evandria knew about it, sort of. Her father had talked to her before about what he should get her mother for their anniversary. Lutver Sericks was not a romantic man, so he was quite baffled about what to give to his wife. She did not know what he decided in the end though.

Right, their anniversary would be tomorrow. Amidst everything, Evandria had forgotten about it entirely. They were supposed to be celebrating the 20th year of their marriage. Now they never will. The galdor stood as the human girl approached her. The slender hands that reached to the box were shaky, but she managed to take it into her grip. It was heavier than expected and she was not what to make of it. Her fingers glided across its surface. She was not sure she wanted to see what was inside. She was so close to breaking apart. Too close.

Tilting her head up, Evandria saw that the sun had begun dipping lower and lower. Her mother once taught her to look up to help prevent tears from spilling down. It certainly didn’t feel like it was going to work.

Evandria looked back at the girl as she waved away the guards. They seemed reluctant to go, but the cold gaze the Hoxian gave them would not allow any discussion. “Thank you for delivering this to me.” The less people to see her crack the better. She could already feel the tears burning at the back of her eyes. “What is it? Do you know what’s inside?”
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Catriona Fraser
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2019 5:14 pm
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Race: Human
Occupation: Blacksmith
Location: Vienda
Character Sheet: Catriona Fraser: The Smithy
Plot Notes: Cat's Plot Notes
Writer: GingerJSM
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Sun Oct 06, 2019 8:32 am

62nd Of Roalis 2711
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Cat kept her head down as she tried not to stare at the girl reading the note. At her thanks, Cat nodded and bowed her head, thinking that may have been her cue to leave. But then she stopped her, asking what was inside. Cat looked at her, puzzled. She could open the box...but maybe it was too painful. In order to answer, Cat had to fish for the pad of paper and pencil in the pocket of her smock. She hurriedly wrote, “Your Father commissioned a traditional Hoxian circlet.” Before carefully holding it out to her. She couldn’t remember the proper name for the item and she certainly couldn’t spell it. It also seemed so callous having to write things out in a situation where a quiet voice could be most comforting. Cat touched the scar that ran down her left cheek, watching the Galdor girl with sadness in her eyes.

Her heart broke for the girl. Cat had suffered much but her parents were alive and well in Bad Aisling. She couldn’t imagine losing them. With her chest pounding with sympathy and fear, she fell on her knees in front of the girl, and put her hands on top of the Galdor’s hands, on top of the box, looking up at her, and desperately wishing she could whisper words of reassurance. Tears formed in her own eyes, because if anything, Cat was a sympathetic crier. She needed only to see tears or just sadness and her own pain brought forth enough tears for them both. As she held the girl’s hands, she wasn’t thinking about her place, or her status, just the immense pain over losing someone she loved. And then she remembered, and jerked her hands away as though they were on fire. She could be killed for putting her hands on a Galdor, regardless of her intentions. How could she be so stupid?

Still, she stayed on her knees, now with her hands in her lap, waiting to either be dismissed, or arrested.
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Evandria Sericks
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Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2018 2:57 am
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Tue Oct 08, 2019 9:16 am

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Evandria pressed her lips together as she read the girl’s hurried handwriting. It was odd. The girl still hadn’t said a word, everything had been conveyed through notes. On a regular day, the raven-haired Hoxian would have been a whole lot more intrigued on that fact. Unfortunately, that day all she could think about was how her mother would have never seen what her father wanted to present to her.

Were the gods playing some sort of trick on her? Wasn’t it enough that they had taken away the only family she had? That now she was alone in this foreign land? Now, the world decided to send a reminder of what she lost. Of what it should have been if a handful of people hadn’t decided that her parents deserved to die.

Nilxa Sericks had always been especially fond of vipoxz. Evandria was probably eight years old when she first discovered her mother’s collection of circlets and tiaras, all showcased in a glass case. It was a part of their heritage, she would say. A bit of their history that they could carry all the way here to Anaxas. She didn’t really understood that at first. Evandria would refuse to wear them at Brunnhold, for fear of further teasing from her schoolmates. It was only when she had gotten older that she began wearing it with pride.

Carefully, she opened the box. There was no doubt that her father had spent quite a fortune to commission it. The vipoxz would have been the most beautiful one in her mother’s collection. She would have loved how the silver curved gracefully, the clear blue gem perched on the center. It was intricate, yet also

She didn’t need it. She didn’t need a jewelry. She wanted her mother back, not some beautiful trinket. No real thought when through Evandria’s mind as her hand moved on its own. Before she knew it, the vipoxz was already in her hands as her frustration built up. The cool metal bit into her skin as she gripped it tightly. She wanted to throw it. To never see it again. Perhaps it would lessen the pain. No more reminders of her parents.

The sudden touch on her hand stopped her. Evandria was too surprised to react when she saw the other girl already on her knees, eyes brimming with tears as she held her hand. The Hoxian knew that look, countless people had given her the same thing over and over again. Yet, the sight of a stranger seemingly weeping for her had a strange effect. It made her feel more vulnerable.

I am stronger than this. I am stronger than this. I am stronger than this.

After taking a shuddering breath, Evandria placed the circlet back into its box and looked back at the redheaded girl who was still on her knees. Better to turn her attention elsewhere before more of her emotions bubbled up. She reached down for her arm, guiding the younger girl to her feet. Perhaps she could busy herself with the mystery of the girl’s silence. “What’s your name?”
Last edited by Evandria Sericks on Tue Oct 08, 2019 10:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Catriona Fraser
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2019 5:14 pm
Topics: 8
Race: Human
Occupation: Blacksmith
Location: Vienda
Character Sheet: Catriona Fraser: The Smithy
Plot Notes: Cat's Plot Notes
Writer: GingerJSM
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Tue Oct 08, 2019 10:13 pm

62nd Of Roalis 2712
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Cat stood as she was guided up by the lady. At her question, she mentally smacked herself. They’d only introduced her as dumb, and maybe the girl didn’t even realize that it meant she couldn’t talk. She tore off another package of her dwindling notepad and wrote, “My name is Cat, Miss. I apologize for my silence but I am unable to speak intelligibly.”

Why had she not just said she couldn’t speak? And she could hardly scribble it out right here in front of her. So she handed off the note with a sigh. In the days following her injury, Cat had tried desperately to use her voice, still. And if one cared to listen long enough it was almost possible to discern her meaning. But it grated on the ear, her voice. Like a simpleton who’d had too much to drink and frankly it made her cry when she had to constantly repeat herself. So she’d stopped, instead relying entirely on the hope that most could read from her small notepads. Mr. Raynarus had mentioned she should learn signed Estuan and had sent off a letter for someone to teach her. But to that end, none had turned up. Now, as she watched Miss Sericks read her scrawlings, she wished terribly that she had some other way of communicating.

She looked down to the circlet in Miss Sericks hands. How was it that something that had only been an experiment in jewelry for Cat now held so much value here? To think that only two days before she’d been struggling with the fine piece of silver and the gems laid into its design, and now it was a symbol of love for two who were lost.

Cat had heard the rumors. That the resistance had killed them. There were many galdori that Cat wouldn’t mind the resistance bringing the sword down on, but these people she had no knowledge of. They were just some rich people who now left behind a rich daughter, who now was standing in front of Cat looking for all the world like she might collapse any second.

The longer she stayed the more worried she became. Her Master had informed her that she may wish for Cat to stay, may need the company. Here, though, was the conundrum. The formality of the written word made it impossible for her to say things off hand. It felt stupid to have to reach for a paper and pen to make small talk...and so she just didn’t make small talk. Instead she stood there, knowing better than to take initiative in a Galdor’s home...or even backyard.

She put her hands behind her back and rocked back on her heels like the 14 year old she was. True, she was far more mature than most kids her age but all the same, she couldn’t help but feel a little out of place here in front of this obviously older girl, who likely wanted little to do with her other than a distraction from her grief. She wanted desperately to break the tension, to just say to this lady exactly what she was thinking.

With a heavy sigh, Cat took back to her paper and wrote slowly this time, before handing it to Miss Sericks. “Would you like to get a drink?”

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Evandria Sericks
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Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2018 2:57 am
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Fri Oct 11, 2019 9:45 am

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Tilting her head slightly, Evandria looked at the redheaded girl up and down. Her name was Cat, the note said. Admittedly, it was rather odd to be the only one speaking. “Yet, you are able to write intelligibly,” she pointed out with a small smile. As curious as she was, it felt impolite to press on the matter. Cat’s reasons not to speak was hers. “Nevertheless, it is nice to meet you, Cat. My name is Evandria Sericks.”

Evandria was as unsure as Cat was about what to do next. She did not want to simply dismiss the girl, but there was no reason for her to stay either. Fortunately, the human girl seemed more decisive than her and offered more of her note.

The forwardness and spontaneity of her words – even if it was written – make the Hoxian break into a grin. She even almost laughed. It certainly made her next idea easier to articulate. “I could do you one better. What do you say about joining me for dinner? You do not have to say yes, but it would be nice to have some company. The dinner is too… big to be eating alone in. I will make sure that Master Raynarus know that you are here on my request.”

She didn’t how exactly how she thought of inviting the girl to eat. A galdor and human. There was something about Cat that made Evandria took a liking to her. It was rather difficult to explain. Perhaps it was her candor. The Hoxian was raised up to always be strong, so along the way she had learned to pretend, to act. The younger girl was different from her, but that seemed to make Evandria even more intrigued.

Countless people had come to her to offer her condolences, school friends and her parents’ associates. All of them probably knew her better than Cat did, yet they were all at loss on how to act around her. Evandria didn’t blame them – she probably would have acted the same way when presented with a similar situation. But the redheaded human girl was different… There was no calculation put in action and she could tell that this stranger genuinely wanted to ease her grief. It was not something you often see as an ambassador’s daughter.

With a reassuring smile, the older girl gestured at Cat to follow her inside as she hugged the box close to her chest. She could see that a servant was already preparing the dinner table. “My friend here will be joining me,” she announced with a wave.
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Catriona Fraser
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2019 5:14 pm
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Race: Human
Occupation: Blacksmith
Location: Vienda
Character Sheet: Catriona Fraser: The Smithy
Plot Notes: Cat's Plot Notes
Writer: GingerJSM
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Sun Oct 13, 2019 9:48 pm

62nd Of Roalis 2712
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Cat nodded gratefully, but also nervously. She clutched her notepad with white knuckles as the girl, who she now knew was Evandria, but it didn’t really matter did it? That wasn’t proper for a human and a Galdor. Though, neither was staying for dinner, if she were honest with herself.

She followed Evandria into the house like one would follow a teacher, hunched over her notepad and her head low just in case anyone assumed she may have forgotten her place. She hadn’t. In fact, there was no mistaking the strange glances the servants gave her as Ms. Sericks announced that her friend would be joining her. It wasn’t as if Cat could protest in the moment. How hard it was to be quick witted when everyone had to wait for your reply as though it were coming by carrier pigeon.

So she merely followed, giving the servants an obligatory nod as if to say, I, too, am aware that this is unusual and realize that this in no way makes me special. She tried very hard not to gawk at the lavishly decorated large mansion. She couldn’t help giving the occasional stare at a painting or a sculpture, before realizing she’d fallen behind and running to catch up with Evandria.
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Evandria Sericks
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Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2018 2:57 am
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Race: Galdor
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Sat Oct 19, 2019 5:35 am

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Despite the servants’ look of curiosity, the young galdori took it all in a stride. It was a look that her family often got. Anaxi cultures had always been different from what her parents taught her. While she had spent most of her life in Anaxas, her parents always steeled Hoxian ideas and habits into her. They were representatives of their nation, after all – they should act the part. Over the years, it became clear to her that race relations in Hox and Anaxas was quite different. There was no human servants in her homeland – in fact the two races were living quite separately. Galdori did everything on their own and that was how her parents raised. It was not an uncommon sight to find Nilxa washing the dishes after dinner, a habit she had since she was little.

As far as Evandria was concerned, the races were just… different. At least, that was what she liked to think. Her belief had been slightly shaken lately. Her parents had been killed simply because they were galdori ambassadors. They treated everyone fairly and tried to share Hoxian’s egalitarian views to Anaxas… But what did they get from the humans? Death.

She looked back to Cat, who was marveling at a large painting hanging above the fireplace. It was a beautiful rendition of a mountain range, the brushes of color stark and powerful. “That’s the Spondola Mountains. A bit of a reminder for my family about where we came from.” She wondered what the redheaded human thought of her. Would she celebrate the fact that the humans had ended another galdor life?

The dining room was just as ornate as the rest of the house. A mahogany table sat at its center, surrounded by seven matching chairs. It was already set up for two people and Evandria eased into one of the seats casually, placing the box on the table. “Sit,” she said to Cat, gesturing at the chair beside her. “No need to be shy. You have seen me almost cry, after all.”

Silence stretched between them as the servants brought the appetizer. A bowl of beef soup laced with strong spices from Hox. She appreciated the fact that the cook was trying to serve her the foods her parents used to make. Evandria wondered if Cat’s Anaxi palate would like it.

It was certainly a challenge to converse with someone who did not speak. “The vipoxz… It’s beautiful. My mother would have loved it.” Usually, Evandria was a lot better at making small talk, but the grief had weighed on her typical lightheartedness. The young woman still tried, though. “So, do you work at the blacksmith? Or are you a courier for Mr. Raynarus?”
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Catriona Fraser
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2019 5:14 pm
Topics: 8
Race: Human
Occupation: Blacksmith
Location: Vienda
Character Sheet: Catriona Fraser: The Smithy
Plot Notes: Cat's Plot Notes
Writer: GingerJSM
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Sun Oct 20, 2019 5:53 pm

62nd Of Roalis 2712
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Cat nodded, ever quiet, in response to Evandria’s explanation of the painting. She’d looked at it with envy. How peaceful it must be to live on a mountain, with nothing around you for miles except snow and stone. She could sit and be silent as the high winds blew through her hair and no one would have any expectations of her...maybe.

She followed Evandria to the table and couldn’t help but smile as she mentioned having seen her cry. Cat was a sensitive soul and did not judge the girl for her grief. When she first arrived, she’d been instructed in the ways of living as a human in Uptown. She bowed to the right people and for all intents and purposes, made herself invisible in the presence of her ‘betters’. But she could tell that Evandria did not hold to the customs set forth in Anaxi society. She wondered if her parents were the same. She wondered what they had done to deserve the wrath of the resistance. Cat had once written out a question to her Master, asking who the resistance was and what they wanted and she’d been rewarded for her curiosity with a smack to the back of the head and was told to never ever mention something like that again.

Cat stared down at the soup that was placed before her. She hadn’t considered this part. As a general rule if she ever ate soup she picked up the bowl and drank it, but she was pretty sure that wasn’t proper. So whether to insult her host by not eating it, or to insult her by eating it improperly. Still, Cat did know how to eat without looking like a monster. She carefully laid her spoon on the napkin and cupped the bowl in her hands, sipping as politely as one would sip tea. Her sense of taste was, for obvious reasons, not what it once was. But she could still tell the soup was heavily seasoned and she smiled nicely at Evandria, nodding her approval.

At her mention of the vipoxz, (so that’s what it was!) Cat smiled wider. She hurriedly wrote on her notepad in her lap. “I will tell my Master that. That will greatly please him.”

She could tell Evandria was struggling with what to say. Cat hadn’t had much social interaction at all since the incident. From hiding in her room at the farmhouse, to being spirited away to Vienda where she thrust herself into learning the craft at hand. As she struggled herself with whether or not to write a question to her, Evandria spoke again asking of her position with Raynarus and Cat went back to writing her reply.

“I am an apprentice to Mr. Raynarus. He’s teaching me to be a proper smith. Though I am very interested in the fine arts like the circlet. I was allowed to help with the gems on that one and it was very interesting.”

She took another sip of her soup, careful not to let it spill out past her lips and tried to think of something to say to this girl. All the questions she had were too improper. She wanted to know if this girl knew magic. She was curious about Brunnhold and, more than anything, she wondered if this girl knew...him. She certainly wouldn’t ask her about that. But the very idea of going to school with other kids her age had always fascinated Cat and her siblings so she scrawled on the piece of paper next to her and passed it to Evandria.

“What is it like going to school?”
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