[76]

[silversnowfall]

[On the 21st, Nephry wakes up young. Not so young as to know nothing of the world, but young enough that no real cracks have appeared in her beautiful vision of it.

Much of her day is spent navigating the strange and empty-feeling village without snow. Very few people seem to know what's going on, helpful signs or not. Nephry is not without the courage to ask around, but that's what everyone is doing. There must be a better way. That's how she gets lost in the library for much of the day, finding solace in stories from- other worlds? Other worlds really?

On the 22nd though she has found the only thing that really matters to her - the chance to be with Peony again, no matter how unusual the circumstances. Expect to see her exerting minimal effort to get him to go with her on a picnic. It's a thing she's read about.

Later on in the week, when she isn't spending every waking moment with her beloved or trying to avoid that other person from Auldrant on her trail, Nephry remembers something else she read about, never mind the few people who seem cognizant of mentioning it. Spirits. They sounded so much like the fonon sentiences, just with different names, and less...mystical and unreachable.

So Nephry finds herself both by the river in the southern part of the village, and north of her temporary home near a large important-seeming tree, sitting quietly and waiting for something to happen. When nothing does, it's hard to keep quiet.]

Hello? Is anyone there?

[[ooc: At the tender age of almost-23, Nephry is a romantic at heart and believes good things about the world and ties her hair up with a big ribbon. She is so in love with Peony that it might rot your teeth how sweet they are. And she's lost almost all of her cool diplomatic self.

Other days/times are totally cool in this post as well!]]

Comments

[wise_maiden]

[At some point during Nephry's travels through the village she may spot a particularly familiar hair color, here and there. And she may even have the opportunity to approach it, when the woman stops by a large building that could only be a school building, briefly kneeling to check on the plants there.]

[silversnowfall]

[Professor Nebilim is looking at plants on the ground.

Nephry stops mid-step, almost losing her balance. Does she approach? What if that's not really her at all, but- but the wrong Nebilim instead, somehow?]

[wise_maiden]

[She doesn't notice Nephry just yet, just humming a little bit - Nephry may notice that some of the plants that were looking dry and wilted no longer seem to be that way, all becoming greener and livelier as the woman moves on to check another stretch of flowers.]

[silversnowfall]

[She didn't know the Professor could do that with plants, but there weren't many gardens in Keterburg to practice on, either. Still, something seems off about this whole thing, and Nephry catches her breath before speaking.]

Professor?

[wise_maiden]

- Hm? [Even amongst her current students, not all of them choose to address her in this way - though the voice accompanying it is certainly more than familiar.

She had seen the way Jade - and even Peony - had looked at her - to know what prompted this confusion. It gives her pause, though she rises slowly, and turns. A much younger woman than Nephry expects greets her. Better to start off on even ground than jumping to assumptions, however.]

[silversnowfall]

[Oh. She's...oh.]

I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else.

[wise_maiden]

... It's all right. Is there anything I could help you with?

[silversnowfall]

Did you know her? Professor Nebilim. [Everyone in Keterburg did, but this is, after all, not Keterburg.] You look so similar.

[wise_maiden]

[What a loaded question off the bat. One that shouldn't have surprised her, but at the same time... how to answer this?]

Yes, we've met. [It's been a little while, so maybe that is safe to say.] She's passed away, hasn't she?

[silversnowfall]

Yes, years ago. You must have been very young when you met her.

[wise_maiden]

[In a sense, she had met her once when she was "young". But it's time to steer away from this topic.]

It was a while ago. Have you... heard anything about this place yet?

[silversnowfall]

Some things. It's nothing like anything I have ever known before.

[wise_maiden]

Yes... it's a strange place. Somewhere out of time, in a sense.

[silversnowfall]

Out of time? How can such a thing be possible?

[wise_maiden]

... Well, going into the explanation won't exactly help. But you've come across people whom you might have been far from originally, haven't you? [Taking a gamble from her interactions with Jade and Peony.]

[silversnowfall]

Yes. But time and distance aren't the same.

[wise_maiden]

... Fair enough. [They aren't, and she shouldn't have jumped them to a confusing topic to begin with.]

[silversnowfall]

So I still don't understand what you mean. I'd like an explanation if you're willing to give one.

[wise_maiden]

All I mean is - when you're sent back, you likely won't remember this location. It would be as if you hadn't left.

[silversnowfall]

Sent back? [She must mean back to Keterburg.] Why wouldn't I remember? This is so unusual.

[wise_maiden]

I'm afraid I can't explain the 'why'. Then again, for all we know, you might remember. It's hard to say. [Explaining, or not explaining the situation is becoming more complicated with each person.]

[silversnowfall]

If you can't explain, then how can you be so certain of anything?

[wise_maiden]

[That might be the best way to go about it. Let her just think she was some crazy woman who didn't know what she was talking about. In a week, this would all be over anyway, wouldn't it?]

Not everything has an easy explanation. Besides, I shouldn't have said anything about it. Nothing I've said is set in stone, after all.

[silversnowfall]

Nevertheless, you did say something about it. I want to know. Please.

[How could a thorough explanation possibly hurt? Broadening her understanding of the situation is the only avenue she thinks she has.]

[wise_maiden]

Well... you're aware of most of the differences about this place than you'd ordinarily find in Auldrant, yes? The wings, for one thing. And... don't you find it strange that no one really seems to know where they are or why they're here?