Some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun.

[baldrshand]

Who: Ethlyn and others
Where: Mostly around Aldrip
What: Open log for August!
Warnings: Probably thinking about her own death in here.


Keeping busy
[She's been feeling unsettled since last month's journey to the desert, so much so that part of her wishes she hadn't gone at all. That's not a very productive or mature feeling, in her opinion. Still it is there, dogging at her heels as she buys vinegar for the clinic, fruit for her kitchen, takes her boots to be mended after their punishment in the hot sands.

She's so focused on getting her tasks done that she's too busy checking her little list to realize she's about to walk right into another person--until it's too late to stop it.]

Oh no--! Sorry!!

More monsters more problems

[Ethlyn's already somewhat used to the wildness of the animals that live around town, but they've still been animals that she recognizes. She can handle precautions against wolves and wildcats and territorial deer.

What she's not expecting to see as she gathers medicinal herbs in the woods is a huge... mossy boulder... with eyes. And arms. And a froglike mouth. And disproportionately tiny little legs.

She's frozen for a moment until it lumbers past the clearing she's in, and then she backs away slowly.]

I have never see that before.

The voices

[Ethlyn is sleeping less than soundly in her room at the boarding house. This time the new arrivals aren't people--they're plants and animals, some benign and some frightening. Between that and other people's disturbing speculation on the plantlike colossus that attacked the town in May, she's been somewhat on edge.

She's sure it's only the remnants of a dream when she hears a familiar voice--but then it comes again as her eyes fully open. She hasn't heard that voice in months. The last time she did...

She's up and out of bed in a moment, pulling on her boots over bare feet, throwing a coat over her nightdress, her sword in one hand and her staff as she pelts downstairs and out the front door. Quan's voice, calling her name away towards the meadows, and she doesn't hesitate to hurry and find it.]

Quan! Where are you!

Wildcard!

[None of these starters suit? Hit me with your own, or hit me up in the discord, via PM, or @ compassinks to plot something out!]

Comments

[baldrshand]

Y-yes... [Oh goodness, how mortifying. Ethlyn's face is almost as pink as her hair as she backtracks hurriedly, clutching her to-do list so hard that it's crumpling.] Are you? Did I break anything in your shopping?

[What if she broke something! Oh no, it wasn't eggs was it!]

[mooglebow]

No, no, you're good I think! I thought I could see around everything, but I guess not. Sorry.

[She smiles a little sheepishly as she sets her own things down to help grab anything that Ethlyn may have dropped.]

...are you sure you're okay? You seem... [Hmm. Stressed? Distracted?] Like you have your mind on something else.

[baldrshand]

[A couple of things did tumble out of Ethlyn's bag, and she shoots Serah a grateful--and embarrassed--look as she bends down to pick up a handful of pencils and a notebook.]

It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention.

[Her hand goes still when Serah asks if her mind is elsewhere. The word no is ready to fall out of her mouth, but Ethlyn knows that isn't true. There's something, she just isn't sure how to put it into words.]

I guess I'm not feeling my usual self lately. I'm not sure why--I just keep thinking about what we saw in the desert. Were you there?

[mooglebow]

Ah...

[Serah sees the look on her face, and pauses her picking up of things to put a hand on Ethlyn's shoulder with a smile.]

I was, but... what did you see out there? If... you wanna talk about it, I mean. You don't have to if you don't want to, but I don't mind lending an ear if you do.

[Another reassuring smile; hopefully even just knowing that someone would want to listen would be enough of a balm for whatever was bothering the other woman.]

[baldrshand]

[Ethlyn returns the smile, though weakly. She doesn't think she can burden Serah with--with everything, but she can see that the offer is a sincere one.]

You're very kind. [She untwists her to-do list, which probably needs to be written on a fresh piece of paper to be readable now, as she contemplates what to say. She doesn't want to talk about what happened to her in another desert far from here, but she doesn't want to turn down the kind offer of help.] It reminded me of some--painful events from my homeland. And at the same time, it brought to mind painful events from here, as well. The specters and their brands, especially.