Gidget
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Post by Gidget on Jan 29, 2022 6:01:24 GMT
Another sleepless night... Just one of many. She couldn't remember the last time she had willingly gone to bed at a reasonable hour and woken up like a normal person. Two or three hours, that seemed to be the most she could ever sleep at one time, and even those few hours came less and less frequently these days. It was as if, ever since her surgery, she needed just a modicum less of her own energy to actually function... which meant that sleep wasn't as valuable or necessary anymore. That, however, was conspiracy theory bullshit. She ran her delicate fingers along the ugly, gnarled scar mostly hidden by her hair, feeling the raised bumps from whatever stitches they had decided to use to sew her up.
Showering was a necessity before she left the house, every time. She usually couldn't remember the last time she had showered (it was the last time you went out, dummy, she thought viciously to herself), and she had to maintain SOME degree of presentability... even if there was no way this girl would ever know that she was the strange, mysterious, suave online persona that she had communicated with. Nobody ever suspected that tiny, female, awkward, angry little Gidget could be the infamous Gears, master of security.
This seemed like such a small fry sort of job, though. Protecting identities online? From what... their measly little credit cards being stolen? The last time she had managed a website of such... low expected traffic... Hell, she was still living with her parents at that point. In fact, she felt like one of her siblings was even at home for some reason. That... That was a lifetime ago.
.......there had to be a catch.
Why was some small business owner in a nothing, nowhere city contacting one of the great hackers of the deep web to.... build their website? Maintain their security? Protect their customers?? There had to be SOMETHING more to it. Her first assumption? .... Drugs. They had to be selling drugs under the guise of some holistic, herbal bullshit... but she could find nothing about the proprietor - Faythe, her name was - that would suggest any sort of malicious intent. Of course, those were always the BEST people to front major operations. Drugs... She nodded to herself in the slightly reflective window of Faythe's store. It had to be drugs. She was just here to prove it to herself. Duh.
The tiny girl looked to be no more than a child. She was short, severely malnourished and underweight, and her skin was sallow and pale in the sunlight. She had deep bags under both of her eyes, and her lips had been chewed. Another nervous habit. Of course, she didn't help the look by donning a sleeveless jacket over ANY outfit she wore, its hood usually pulled up to fully expose the long, decorative imp ears that bounced with every step. She kept her tiny hands tucked into the pockets of that jacket, using the privacy of the hidden compartments to gingerly tap each fingertip against the pad of her thumb, rhythmic and repetitive. Some days, the simple action was the only thing that allowed her to stand outside like this, with the sun beating down and the air so empty that it hurt her lungs. She took a deep breath before shoving her way into the store, keeping her head down.
There was no real reason for Faythe - or anybody, for that matter - to associate the tiny bean, so angry at the world, with the genius mastermind that was Gears. Her online persona was so different from who she was and how she actually felt, that it was often like putting on a play every time she responded to an email. And yet, there she was, trying to keep her face hidden as she scoped out the next potential customer.
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Faythe Lyveaf
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But I did not fall, I hope something good is coming.
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Post by Faythe Lyveaf on Jan 29, 2022 7:49:17 GMT
The front of the store was wide open and only closed by raising and lowering garage like doors. With the front of the store being lined with potted plants getting plenty of sun to rows of more plants through the center which required less sun. There were rows of pipes that worked as a dripping irrigation system going through the inner tables upon the left side of the store were gardening supplies including tools, pots, and soil. On the right were shelves with books in a section, seeds in another, plant surplus items and in the back of the store had crafted items of Faythe’s own work including teas, cosmetics, medical supplies and supplements with different purposes. As well as packets of dried plants of any thing she had in stock to allow creativity for other customer needs.
Faythe herself was at her register with a pair of glasses on and typing away rather quickly on some document a recipe she recently created and noted down its metrics. She was no stranger on how to use a computer but she was no pro. She could market her own business which absolutely had multiple social media profiles on a variety of them which “the famous gears” would have no doubt found a few if she decided to look. Faythe wasn’t hiding her work.
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Gidget
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Post by Gidget on Jan 30, 2022 2:42:55 GMT
Gidget kept her face half hidden by her hood, the imp ears hanging down past her shoulders. She buried her hands in the pockets, her sallow skin so pale it almost seemed to glow. She felt so out of place here, surrounded by delicate, living things...
Were plants living? Did they really qualify? She realized then that she genuinely had no idea. She knew they could DIE, which obviously implied that they were alive in the first place, right? But did they... think? Feel? Was there anything to them aside from the technical necessities to live or die? She stopped by a random potted plant and stared at it, hard. Her violet eyes were alight with intensity as she attempted to determine whether or not it was looking back at her, whether it KNEW she was staring, and whether it UNDERSTOOD that.
She had briefly recognized that another person existed in the same space she did, but as her thoughts slowly began to round the corner into paranoia, the other disturbingly pale female faded from her thoughts.
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Faythe Lyveaf
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But I did not fall, I hope something good is coming.
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Post by Faythe Lyveaf on Jan 30, 2022 3:27:24 GMT
“Hello and welcome!” Faythe called when she saw someone enter out of the corner of her eye but when she moved her computer aside and looked up she didn’t seem to see them.
“Hello??” She called out again. Sometimes a stray cat wanders in because of her Catmint, or commonly known as Catnip. She stood from her chair and from their she got a better eye view and saw someone looking at her plants. She sighed a soft bit of relief and sat back down. “Let me know if you need anything!” She called out again.
She looked at the time and her actual appointment seemed to be late. Which made little difference to the tall pale woman but it was a bit of concern.
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Gidget
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Post by Gidget on Jan 30, 2022 13:27:40 GMT
Gidget startled slightly the last time Faythe spoke, having been so lost in her own thoughts and her own mind that she hadn't actually registered the first couple of comments, or when the woman called out to her. She was so hyper-focused, trying so hard to think enough that the feeling of the air, the openness, the exposure, would be kept at bay. She didn't recognize how quickly her thoughts were racing through her mind, or the slight shake to her arms and legs. That could have very easily been generalized weakness: she couldn't remember the last time that she had eaten. Obviously, the shakiness was from her own decisive choice not to eat, and not from some uncontrollable fear that threatened to overwhelm her.
She turned to stare at her for a moment, watching to see if the woman would relax back into her seat. That must be her... the shopkeep. The one who had reached out to her and asked for such a... menial task. It seemed so odd, going to somebody known for making and breaking intricate, government level security.... and asking them to maintain the privacy of a personalized clientele. It definitely wasn't outside the realm of possibility, but it was just.... so strange. Why wouldn't you go to a local retailer or something for a job like that?
Gidget didn't make any move to wave or really acknowledge Faythe in any way, her thoughts continuing to pile up as she tried to add her observations of the woman to the growing pile of "what to process.... later..." Instead, to Faythe, it would look almost like this tiny, malnourished, punk of a child was just.... staring at her. If she looked closely, she might see the way every breath was a physical effort, the slight coloration along her chest and lower neck as the blood rushed just beneath the surface, the way her eyes looked like dull violets as she struggled to hide the anxiety. But that would only be if she looked closely.
After a long, awkward moment had passed, Gidget remembered - rather suddenly - that she was having a rather nice, paranoid conversation with herself about the plants right there next to her. She glanced them over for a moment longer and then turned to walk stiffly towards the counter.
Come on, Gidge, you got this. It's legit just another person. You've talked to HUNDREDS before, and this one, you've already gotten to know thanks to the internet. It won't be that difficult.... Gidget continued to give herself her best attempt at a pep talk her entire walk to the counter, which shouldn't have taken her nearly that long. When she finally managed to make it up there, she kept her gaze averted, though she wasn't entirely certain why. Perhaps it was the openness of the shop, the way the doors operated, and the overabundance of natural lighting.
Yeah... Obviously, all of those things singularly, and not any of them combined. Oh no. Never that.
"I... am here.... to, um. See about some... plants?"
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Faythe Lyveaf
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But I did not fall, I hope something good is coming.
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Post by Faythe Lyveaf on Jan 30, 2022 14:00:35 GMT
Faythe looked at the frail little thing as they got closer and immediately thought maybe she had a personal question of her own to ask.
“Alright dear… what are you looking for?” Faythe would put business before personal questions first. “
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Gidget
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Post by Gidget on Jan 31, 2022 0:56:57 GMT
Gidget was trying to catch her breath, to keep her panic pressed down as tight as she could possibly manage, her eyes darting back and forth as she tried to figure out where the smallest, tightest little space might be, when she heard it... That term. Dear. It sent little bitty chills of disgust down her little bitty spine, and she snapped her teeth together with an audible snap. Dear. Darling. Dearest. All of those stupid terms of endearment that people over-used, often intentionally... and often with the most absolute of malice. She could still hear her mother and all of her little hen friends, clucking away at the breakfast table, always with something to say.
But they all always called her dear or darling, as if somehow, that made it all better.
She hunched her bony shoulders up to her ears and stared hard at the ground by her feet. She wanted to snap, to say something snarky or cruel... but it was like no words would come to her lips. She opened her mouth, fired and ready... and nothing came out. Her breath had caught in her throat and she stood there, awkwardly, for another long moment. Finally, when she realized that talking would be a problem on its own, she pulled a hand out of one pocket and just pointed randomly at the plant she had stopped, that had inspired her original paranoia.
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Faythe Lyveaf
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But I did not fall, I hope something good is coming.
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Post by Faythe Lyveaf on Jan 31, 2022 5:08:35 GMT
“Did I upset you?” Faythe bore a rather confused look and searched her desk. “I apologize if I said something… could I offer you a free sample of something? I have some hard candy, balms, lotions, perfume, tea blends, and smokable blends…”
She didn’t know what to say to this person who had their hair ruffled.
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Gidget
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Post by Gidget on Feb 2, 2022 3:05:57 GMT
When Faythe altogether refused to acknowledge what probably seemed like an idle point, Gidget thought she might lose it. This place was way too open, there was way too much natural light... and this woman was trying way too hard. She hated when people did that, when they thought they could wash away a hundred words with some half-assed apology. The offer for free things, while something she might have taken advantage of were she in her right mind, meant very little to her in that moment. She had a mission, and right then, it was probably the only thing that kept her rooted in place.
"I..." she finally croaked out. Her frustration began to build, starting to war within her tiny chest against the anxiety and the phobia. Which would win out? When it came to Gidget, would a legitimate, chemically induced psychological condition be strong enough to cripple her and bring her to her knees... or would her stubbornness overwhelm science?
"I... want to... know what kind... of plant that is?" She couldn't quite get up the courage to look Faythe in the eye just yet, but she was not going to go down without a fight... not even against herself.
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Faythe Lyveaf
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But I did not fall, I hope something good is coming.
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Post by Faythe Lyveaf on Feb 2, 2022 3:21:48 GMT
“Um…” she stood. “Well, come and let’s take a closer look.” Faythe felt like she was losing grip on the situation and went over to her plants where the girl meant. The area was warm due to the sun lamps and it was a whole tray of small thick leaved and sturdy plants.
“These are my cactus and succulent buds… they are hearty inside and out. Don’t require a lot of attention and care. They are independent and full of drive to grow in the harshest of climates. Some bloom incredible flowers like that particularly prickly pear there. But you can even forget to water them for a few weeks and they’ll be fine.” She patted the front of herself to smooth out her cloak which didn’t look like it needed smoothing. “Is there something you need that you are looking for in particularly? A open maintenance friend? A bit of color? Something to freshen up the living space? Or maybe you’d want something that would be good for a garden?”
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Gidget
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Post by Gidget on Feb 2, 2022 5:04:01 GMT
She should have known better than to point anywhere, but especially closer to the door. The sunlight pouring through mocked her, glittering off of the well-kept pots and bouncing off happily, shining at her. She edged closer, trying to look like she was following Faythe... but it didn't help that she was, quite literally, creeping sideways in order to minimize the amount she was exposed. The outside world was oppressive and overwhelming... Why did it have to feel like she was about to float off, disappear, be pulled asunder by the absolute force of NOTHING?
She eyed the open space warily, knowing she had no choice, at this point. She kept a rather large distance between herself and the shopkeep, trying to pay some kind of attention to what she was saying. After the word "prickly," however, her mind began to just idly buzz, drowning out whatever else she was saying. Blah blah blah, looking for... blah blah blah maintenance... something about living... Garden... Gidget had no idea what she was supposed to be thinking about, instead staring rather intensely at the particular plant in question.
Why? Why did THAT have to be what she was looking at when her mind started to turn to paranoia in order to cope? Why did she have to be so close to the entrance/exit/open fucking wall when she actually paid attention to something? Why did....
She glanced up, realizing it had been a while of quiet.... When had Faythe stopped talking? She swallowed around the painful lump in her throat, and then pointed at the plant again. "Ah... Just... that I guess?"
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Faythe Lyveaf
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But I did not fall, I hope something good is coming.
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Post by Faythe Lyveaf on Feb 2, 2022 5:34:23 GMT
Faythe stopped and saw the girl shutting down for blips and moments. She paused and waited and thought about what to do.
She looked around and noticed there was no one in the shop.
Faythe looked at the bubble about to pop before her with a great amount of worry. She decided a pause was in order, a gentle look washed over her face and she took the moment. “Would you like something to drink and a seat? I have a table over there or in the back which is mostly stock that isn’t ready for the sale floor and it’s kind of cramped but if you need a quiet moment…” she waited to see how Gidget would react but leaving the statement open.
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Gidget
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Post by Gidget on Feb 2, 2022 9:26:10 GMT
Gidget almost immediately opened her mouth to refuse the assistance, to all but demand the woman be more professional and just help her get her stupid flower (it isn't a flower, Gidget...), but then, yet again, a word froze her in her tracks.
Cramped...
Never had such a simple, stupid word sounded so beautiful. Gidget was, more often than not, a person of science, math, and numbers. Words held very little value for her. But in that moment... "Cramped" might as well have been the solution to some complex math problem she had struggled with her entire life. She snapped her jaw shut with an audible clacking sound and nodded, having to physically stop herself from looking desperate.
Yeah. Cramped. Cramped sounded nice.
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Faythe Lyveaf
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But I did not fall, I hope something good is coming.
Posts: 98
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Post by Faythe Lyveaf on Feb 2, 2022 9:50:59 GMT
Faythe sighed some relief and her smile grew. She had a sign that she picked up and placed by the entrance and used a chain to connect the doors. It was a lightly suggestive closing for when she was out to lunch without having to bring everything in and close it all the heck up. Anything she didn’t want stolen was locked away anyway.
“Alright you can follow me.” She pointed to the back of the store and she would lead the way.
She opened the door to the storage room which was about as big as the front and Gidget would be able to see along the wall a full table of growing flowers just budding through with their own water system and lights. Along the wall could have been soil and other materials used for gardening there was a locker which was jar to see the tools she would have. The back door was open which held more rows of plants actually buried in the ground at a quick peak.
and to the left she could see a living space it was very clean and highly decorated with paintings of still life’s. the lights chained and were hung from one end of the room to the other. It was dimly lit the table Faythe spoke of was in the corner but she could see everything if she sat at it a small two person table by the bookshelf. There was a door far to the other end which was likely a bathroom and a shower if she took a guess. A full kitchen with a wide sink and a fridge. There was a shelf that held rows of books on medical and pharmaceutical related content. Also plenty on gardening and harvesting plants for all sorts of reasons.
On the table Gidget would see a pair of kissing salt and pepper shakers of a German couple in traditional embroidered clothes. There was another small table shelf by a well made bed which had craft supplies stacked away. A crocheted blanket hung out unfinished over the top.
“What can I get you?” Faythe waited for her to get comfortable before asking.
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Gidget
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Post by Gidget on Feb 7, 2022 4:07:58 GMT
As the woman led the way through the little shop, Gidget kept her shoulders pulled up and tucked practically against her ears, her steps stiff and awkward looking as she tried so hard to process what she was seeing. It was like the world around her was a blur of colors and shapes but she couldn't quite make them match anything she knew, personally. It was extremely frustrating to feel like she was a toddler again, trying to shove things in random holes just to see what matched. She had grown out of even that stage significantly earlier than most of her peers, learning to match like to like with a general sort of ease... So why was this so difficult for her?
The rooms became smaller and more cramped. The walls were there, pressing in and making the air feel so much more breathable. The colors started to make more sense, swirling less and becoming more defined, identifiable. It was going to take her a moment to actually relax, but as they finally came into the little living quarters, the tiny, angry midget was able to focus her violet gaze on Faythe, at the very least.
She glanced around the area, and her expression gave away nothing.... possibly because she was still not totally sure of what she was seeing. Some sleep deprived, dream starved part of her brain asked her if she was in the home of a woodland creature, or if the fae themselves had come to kidnap her... but she shoved those ridiculous questions down before they could quite reach her paranoia. Instead, she shoved her hands back into the pockets of her jacket, which forced her shoulders to release some of their tension. She glanced around at everything, though lines were still blurring in most places.
It wasn't until about a second after Faythe spoke that it registered in Gidget's mind that somebody had addressed her. She jumped slightly, as if startled, and turned to try to get her mind and eyes both to focus on Faythe at the same time.
It took her another couple of seconds before she was able to comprehend what exactly was asked of her. She blinked, and a look somewhere between confusion and a strange repulsion touched her tiny features. What could she get-- what the hell was she talking about? Another silent second stretched on before it was like a lightbulb went off above her head. "Oh...oooooh, okay," she said, mostly to herself. "Um. I... dunno? Uh. Something... with caffeine. A lot of caffeine...."
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Faythe Lyveaf
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But I did not fall, I hope something good is coming.
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Post by Faythe Lyveaf on Feb 7, 2022 8:27:08 GMT
Faythe relaxed seeing your he girl come together a wider smile grew on her face. One that was of actual happiness this is what she studied and worked for.
“Do you prefer tea or I have a few of the… carbonated kind. I don’t drink them but a lot of customers get warm under the heat lamps or when they come to rest up front I like to offer something. This is my home after all… even my customers are my guests.” As she spoke she went to the rather wide fridge which held many of her work products, prepared beverages or snacks, but. She also had meals frozen and labeled with names and dates. Things with rice and soups and vegetables mostly. But she pulled out a couple of the carbonated drinks, it included a cola and a real gamer fueled drink. Both popular brands and easy to pop open if the girl didn’t decide to chose tea.
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Gidget
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Post by Gidget on Feb 8, 2022 19:53:30 GMT
Tea. Gidget blinked slowly, rolling the foreign word over and over in her mind. Tea... Of course she knew what tea was, but...
"Tea... like... from... Texas?" She stared at Faythe with obvious confusion. She was only vaguely aware that there were different kinds of tea, but she assumed that they were all basically the same thing: that weird, way too sweet, almost flavorless black beverage that people drank in the south while sitting on their porch swings, with their gun just an arm's length away.
Gidget looked around as Faythe stood before her fridge, trying to take everything in. It looked... weird. Everything looked weird. Given, her own home was a tiny, empty apartment in a mostly abandoned building in the part of town where homelessness and violence were fairly commonplace. She stuck out there almost as much as he stuck out here. When she glanced back, she caught sight of the energy drink, and her eyes lit up. She had about two dozen of them in her own fridge, but she didn't recognize this flavor. Something new? A little noise, almost a squeak, passed through her before she realized where the sound came from.
She walked over to Faythe, and it was like watching her become a different person entirely. Confidence seemed to flow into her, more and more, with every step. Shoulders that were hunched and pulled up to her ears began to slowly lower to a relaxed position. Hands that were balled tight and stuffed deep into her pockets pulled out and her fingers unwrapped, the deep indents from her fingernails visible even from a distance. Her eyes, once clouded with fear, cleared, the violet shade brightening visibly.
She reached out to take it and it looked, for a moment, like she was about to snatch it free from her. She stopped, freezing, a hand just an inch away from the can. She glanced up at Faythe, then back down to the drink... and then slowly back up, a weird, awkward child's way of asking for permission without saying a word.
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Faythe Lyveaf
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But I did not fall, I hope something good is coming.
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Post by Faythe Lyveaf on Feb 9, 2022 0:26:57 GMT
“That’s usually iced black tea which I do have but…” Faythe noticed the girls noise and it paused and she decided not to go on a knowledgeable tea rant. She open her fingers to just a couple holding the rim on the can and handed it forward to the squirrelly girl. Faythe worried any sound or sudden movement would scare her off. But she gave Gidget the permission she needed to accept Faythe’s offering.
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Gidget
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Post by Gidget on Feb 9, 2022 1:44:09 GMT
Gidget was quick to snatch the can then, and slid back a few sly feet. It was strange, seeing such a weird, awkward, tiny little girl be so... graceful. And it only lasted a brief moment, as she brought the can - unopened - to her lips. She rested her teeth on the rim thoughtfully, turning that violet gaze to Faythe. It was... uncomfortable. This place, this woman, these plants. It felt like somebody was watching her, just as it had out in the other room... but at least, here, she was surrounded by the unforgiving walls, able to block out the vast emptiness she related to the outside.
There was a sharpness in those eyes that belied the moment that had just passed between the two of them. For a second, she looked innocent, child-like. It was almost as if she weren't jaded or callous. And then, it was like the real world hit her, all over again, and she remembered that she didn't trust people. She narrowed her eyes at Faythe for a second, then pulled the can away from her lips, tapping the top of it idly.
"What, teas come in different colors, now?" she muttered sarcastically, trying hard to hide the interest and curiosity that she usually felt in regards to any new information. She fought it back down like a living thing, using her hatred as the beating stick, and hid it all behind a facade of rage. It was easier that way. "What's next... green tea?"
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Faythe Lyveaf
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But I did not fall, I hope something good is coming.
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Post by Faythe Lyveaf on Feb 9, 2022 3:53:46 GMT
“Yes, and they can be made with flowers and herbs which can create a vast amount of fun hues; including pinks, purples, and reds.” Faythe though to take a seat she had a rather Grandma looking chair with a knitted cloth draped over the back. From there she had a little tablet which was plugged into the wall to see the cameras of the front store. “Did you come here to ask about plants, I can answer anything you’d need to know?”
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