[Action]

[albionchanged]

[Moving to a new town that's still very alien to what he remembers of the world is very very intimidating. But the forest farm is calming even though it needs so much work. Farming is in his blood so it's much easier to simply start pulling weeds and breaking rocks, chopping the small logs and working to clear a small plot for himself. So much easier than talking to strangers and learning less familiar things in town.

It also leaves him time to think about his decision to come here. And to talk to the rat hidden in his hoodie's hood.]

Do think that Kyle and the others will be okay now? I mean now that they don't need to look after me anymore?

Is that really your question?

[Esme pauses at the return question whispered near his ear and then resumes pulling the weeds.]

I don't know...maybe not completely. I guess I just wonder if I made a rash decision by coming out here. I'm worried, even though it's so nice here.

Don't be. You heard the woman. You can go back. And I think they'll miss you. They seem attached. They like you.

[The reassurance is comforting and Esme smiles, straightening and rolling his shoulders to work out some stiffness before his slouches comfortably and turns around without noticing that he's got company to see him apparently talking to himself.]

You're right, as usual. We should call it a day.

Comments

[alloutoflove]

[ To be honest, he's not the first boy she's met with an affinity for small furry animals hanging out on his person. That's honestly the only reason she doesn't immediately wonder if he's crazy, pausing to cock her head and look at him.

The farm she's sharing with her own small group isn't incredibly close, but it's close enough that they could be considered neighbors in a vague roundabout way. For a moment she considers just standing there and seeing if he'd try to make an excuse if he saw her there, then she pushes that aside and calls out, in a cheery voice, ]

Hello! Good afternoon!

[albionchanged]

[Esme jumps a little, turning toward her and blinking a few times. He gives a sheepish smile and waves. Rusty ducks out of sight in his hood, not wanting attention on himself.]

Oh, h-hello. I wasn't expecting visitors so soon.

[alloutoflove]

[ Oops. Another skittish boy? Maybe there was something to be said about the pitch to this place, where people can have some time and space to heal... Chisa fixes a bright smile on her face, the one that makes her seem friendly and harmless. ]

Ahh, it's more -- I don't live too far from here! So I was just kind of passing by... sorry for surprising you!

[albionchanged]

It's fine. I wasn't paying attention is all.

[She seems nice enough and Esme relaxes a little while making a mental note to stay more alert when he's alone. He pauses for a moment, considering the next thing to say.]

My name is Esme. It's nice to meet you, Miss.

[alloutoflove]

That's good though! You're getting into it!

[ She says, having been kind of slacking herself at the Actual Farm Work, but shh. She's been working around her home, mostly, to get it looking nicer and feeling more actually homey. ]

Ah-- it's Yukizome. Don't worry about the "miss" part!

[albionchanged]

[Esme is simple. Furnished and with a bed are all he really asks for.

That name though...he's never heard anything remotely close. It shows on his face too.]

You...ki...zoo...me...?

[He's trying. Really.]

[alloutoflove]

Not bad! Yu-ki-zo-me.

[ He's not the first person who's wrecked her name, but she has to give points for the effort. It's better than some of her boyfriend's coworkers have managed. ]

You'll get used to it.

[albionchanged]

[Well at least he didn't butcher it. His smile returns, less uncertain this time.]

I'll try. Um, how long have you been here exactly?

[alloutoflove]

Ahh, only about a couple of weeks. I arrived with some friends! So we were scoping out places that looked good to us, that sorta thing.

What about you? You look like you've been making some progress here!

[albionchanged]

Just today, actually. I felt it was better to start so I can plant soon.

[alloutoflove]

Hehhhh, not bad, not bad! That's the right attitude to have!

[ Is what she says, though: ]

I've mostly been cleaning up my place, so we haven't really started on the actual farming part yet.

[albionchanged]

There's nothing wrong with that.

[Well he is mostly doing this to not actually go into town yet, so somewhat avoiding things is a mutual thing right now.

Do you need any help?

[alloutoflove]

Ahh, well...

[ Yes, but that's kind of embarrassing to admit, especially to a nice stranger. She shrugs a little, rubbing the back of her neck, rocking on her heels. ]

Probably? Eventually! Right now we're still figuring out what all we need.

[albionchanged]

I used to live on a farm before now, so I might be able to help there.

[The offer is genuine. Things might be a little...well a lot, different from his time 400 years ago now. But farming can't have changed too much, right?]

[alloutoflove]

Eh? Are you sure? You don't have to put yourself out for that! Especially if you're doing this on your own... I mean it, when I say we're only getting started! I don't know how ready we are for anything!

[ Her home itself is flawlessly put together, but the land... hm... ]

Or, if you're going to help us, you should let me help you, too! I'm a good cook, and I'm the best at cleaning.

[albionchanged]

I don't mind. I enjoy the work.

[And really, he also kind of wants to have someone else to talk to when possible. Being helpful is a good way for that to happen, right?]

Help with cooking would be nice. I'm not used to most tools when it comes to cooking.

[alloutoflove]

Mmmmm... well in that case, fair is fair! You help me with this, I'll help you with that.

[ She doesn't have her apron, since she's going about, but she tugs absently at her skirt in the same way she would the apron, adjusting something not there. ]

I can teach you how to cook for yourself too, if you're interested! It really isn't hard, and you know your tastes better than anyone.

[albionchanged]

That sounds fair.

[Learning to cook won't be that hard, it's mostly just that picking up cooking 400 years later isn't exactly just relearning to ride a bike.]

When would you like to start?

[alloutoflove]

Mmmmm... we could start whenever! Now, even!

[ Chisa, weren't you headed home? Shhh, no, never mind that. ]

We're already here, though, so maybe starting with the cooking is better... ah, but our farm is kind of a mess... hm.

[anappleaday]

[ said company is standing near the entrance to his farm: a tall, scarred woman in jeans and a hoodie, idly fiddling with a bit of lace trim around the cuff of one of her sleeves— likely waiting for him to finish his current task or to be noticed, seeing as once he turns around she drops it in favor of raising one hand in a tentative wave.

(if he or his companion have the senses for it, they might notice one other thing: an illusion pulled over her head and face, rooted in the barely-visible symbols inked onto the ribbons tied into her hair near her temples.) ]

[albionchanged]

[It's actually the wave that grabs his full attention and Esme turns to face his guest fully. Something about her appearance seems...off. He doesn't have the experience to pinpoint it though and so he just makes a note to be careful.]

H-Hello, Miss?

[The one thing he's fairly certain of is that she can't be one of the Gentry. He's not getting the feeling of Wyrd from her.]

[anappleaday]

[ Promethean would be closer, but she very thankfully does not have to deal with outright Disquiet on top of the rest of her problems. ]

Ah— good afternoon? I apologize if I'm interrupting anything; I just wanted to drop by and say hello.

I'm genuinely curious where their CR will go already.

[albionchanged]

Oh. No, I was just going to take a break.

[He tilts his head like a curious pup.]

It's nice of you to come out to say hello. Er, my name is Esme Faulkner. Glad to meet you.

good news, she loves big sistering at skittish young men

[anappleaday]

Lilith of Larkspur— and likewise. I thought that since we're all more or less neighbors at this point, it wouldn't hurt.

[ that, and she's used to at least vaguely recognizing all the faces she sees and knowing roughly how they relate to each other, and while it isn't exactly uncomfortable for that no longer to be the case it's still an unnecessary additional point of unfamiliarity among everything else. changing the latter isn't something that's at all feasible here, with its lack of assigned groups and its larger population, but she can at least give the former a good try. ]

Well, Esme is perpetually skittish, so jackpot?

[albionchanged]

It's nice to meet you, Miss Lilith.

[Having a sense of who your neighbors are is definitely important. Relaxing somewhat, he gestures to the small farmhouse. He should try to be a good host.]

Would you like to come in for some water?

:3c also I'm so sorry for the wait, school starting + modding = me vanishing for a while...

[anappleaday]

[ huh. she doesn't particularly need it, but she can recognize the offer for what it is. ]

If it wouldn't be any trouble... it's kind of you to offer.

No worries, I'm distracted on my end too. ^^

[albionchanged]

It's no trouble. I was going to have a drink too.

[It's still a little weird to be able to drink plain water, but nice at the same time. He jogs over to the cabin and opens the door, stepping to the side so that she can enter.]