𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑠𝘩

@natshana​

dark eyes flicker up to him, wondering how she was to answer the question when she was not speaking to him. he lowered himself to bend in front of her and she set her eyes on the arrow, one that she was very familiar with in the making. it was her eyes that rolled up to meet his, that said ‘interesting’, and perhaps answered the question he had posed; she wasn’t angry with him, much of her life was spent worrying about his safety and this was her seeing that there was a very good reason she had to worry for him. she freed a small knife from her bag and shifted herself closer, she was going to need to cut the ends of the air to feel confident about sliding it out of him.

“i’m not talking to you right now.” luna breathes out, reaching into her pack on her hip luna sunk somewhat dramatically to sit down on the forest floor and she started to rustle within it and around its contents searching for what she needed. 

weird adventures.

luna had been fully immersed in her foraging through the woods nearby to her home; it hadn’t been long since she had been back home from travels and she realized that everything that they had to eat had spoiled and was in need of being tossed out. in the time they were away she wasn’t surprised by this really; they had been gone for over a week, but now she was growing proud of the basket she had managed to fill with berries and herbs, vegetables from her garden that had been her first stop, and the next stop would be checking the nets she had secured in the streams before she had gone walking to fill her basket. by now she hoped she would have caught a few fish at least, at least something for tonight, something that would tide them over until tomorrow when she would have more time before the sun set, to start at dawn and perhaps catch more. 

a few raspberries were stolen from her basket while she was working on picking them, raven preening herself happily in the branches above, comfortable and happy with a full tummy now, she seemed to enjoy being closer to home and kept taking back to the sky to sweep through them just to go back to the roof of their house, happy that she could do that, that they were close enough for her to fly to their roof and perch there, continue her preening and still be close enough that luna could feel her and raven could feel her too. she seemed just as happy to be able to stretch safely and feel comfortable in doing so. just as luna was to forage for them in the areas that she was used to. being that relaxed had her guard down it seemed because as she stood up from the ground and started to walk a little further, her skin jumped being called out to by a stranger’s voice. brown eyes found the culprit quickly and she froze in her tracks, her eyes looking over this stranger and how she was dressed, very differently from the way that luna was in her gray wool cloak. “i don’t know.” luna calls back, still frozen where she stood, her eyes lacking trust. “hood?” she inquires however, pulling her basket in closer to herself. “i suppose it depends on what you’d like help with, or the girl you say needs help, if that doesn’t happen to be you.”

faith kept her distance from the stranger. she really didn't want to intrude, and she figured she might look a little strange with how she was dressed. though faith wasn't here to harm people. she was young and naive and lonely when those things happened, but she was at a better place, and she supposed in her time behind bars, that helped her collect herself a little. she didn't blame the stranger for not trusting her, faith had just come out of nowhere and again was dressed weird and of course again, came out of nowhere. it seemed like this place was the woman's home, and faith didn't want to intrude on that, she didn't mean to, but again, she had no idea where she was. let alone what year she was in. perhaps once she figured that out, she could steal some clothes to make it look like she belonged in this world, and then figure out how to get back to her own. she nodded her head when the other told her she didn't know. "cool." faith replies back to her, shoving her hands in her pockets. she was so fucked. buffy was going to be pissed. they all were probably thinking she was off doing something dark. trust was a problem, and she could see that the woman in front of her didn't trust her either. not that she blamed this lady. she blamed the others though. "sorry, don't actually know your name." the bostinian says to her now, shrugging her shoulders, keeping her hands in her pockets.

strange encounters.

every time the woman moved it stirred the air and luna had the inkling to mind where she moved herself, for the sake of not getting too close. there was a cautiousness that she always kept herself to, but she noticed it more now in close proximity, something simply subtle and nagging in the back of her mind even with the inability to place it. luna turned her attention to raven when she could, wanting to soothe her. she knew raven and the little bird both would be just fine, just as luna would be. they were capable of withstanding hunger and fatigue and they could never easily truly run empty but there was the feeling of suffering that was hard to ignore when they were both this hungry and tired. she knew that they could press on and survive but she didn’t wish for them to know this discomfort. it made getting food and finding a place to rest most dire to her now and her fingertips soothed soft feathers. “the first?” she inquires, her eyes showing her slight surprise in that. “most village shops are running empty in other places, due to the illness. people are spending all their long-saved coin to try to gather food for their families in case their village is locked down.” it was terrible, the suffering that was spreading across the lands; she was doing the best that she could to reach as many as she could but she knew it would be impossible to reach them all. “i suppose lack of festival at the present time is a good thing.” considering the way the illness was spreading so quickly. “that is a shame though. spring is the best time for festivals.” because of the flowers, the new fruits and gardens growing abundantly to be feasted upon. luna placed the things she had gathered within the shop on the counter and she got her coins out to pay, her eyes looking to the woman, and her heartbeat somber in her chest making her frown slightly because the little bird was so sleepy and hungry against the side of her neck. luna’s stomach ached too. 

“i understand that. people aren’t very happy with things that stand apart from the way that they are.” the reason women and young girls even were being attacked the way that they were. her eyes weakened some hearing how her fatigue had been noticed. “i’ve been traveling for days.” so fatigue was to be expected with that. “no…not moving.” she shook her head. “bringing medicine but it’s not enough it seems, not for all. the crazy i don’t mind, and i don’t find crazy.” she offers up, shaking her head once more. “crazy is in the lynching mobs.” she thought, at least, not in the victims. the woman mentioned a rodent and it was then that she heard the little bird chirp inside of her head, which in turn and without much thought had luna automatically protesting out loud. “hey.” she says softly. “she’s not a rodent.” not that there was anything wrong with rodents, not in luna’s eyes, they were creatures. her hand moved to cover her palm over raven’s body. “she’s just hungry too.” she says more quietly, bruising color coming to her cheeks, she could feel the warmth spread. her hand gently pushed a few pennies across the counter towards the woman, knowing it was more than enough to pay for what she had, but it was questioned and her brows furrowed. luna didn’t need the money but she grew curious and tilted her head slightly. “perhaps…four pennies.” she tries, wondering if the woman would push pennies back to her. most real shopkeepers would be happy to be offered so much, but there was now a slightly innocent curiosity in her on whether the woman…actually went here. so she thought to try and see. it wasn’t like people to offer things for free, and the woman did seem bored here, maybe the business belonged to family or something and maybe she didn’t really spend a lot of time in here. “moving on? to where?”

anika was keeping her ears opened, making sure no one else was coming into this store. if they did, she would tell them she was closed, because she didn't think she could keep doing this. it was boring, and she figured she did the guy a favor, getting him out of this mundane place, and possibly some place more interesting. hell was interesting. with dancing toads on sticks, being roasted and screaming, souls wishing they weren't there. ah, she was missing out on so much. "yes. you're the first. possibly the last. hopefully." she says, offering the woman a gentle smile as she said these words. it might come out as a joke, but anika was not joking, she definitely wasn't going to be staying. "tired of being taken for granted." she says with an unneeded breath, her eyes looking to the woman's now though and she was nodding her head. that illness smelled of death, and anika kept her distance. it hurt her nose when she breathed it in, made her turn her cheek and walk the other way. there was no way she was going to end their sufferings. she'd heard the rumors of those people that were sick, and though anika was undead, she still didn't want to chance herself, her health let alone her nose. "i don't know why they're even bothering to keep those alive. it would be much better to just end their sufferings, and to stop it from spreading." it might sound cruel, but anika didn't think it was. end their suffering, and let the strong live. cut out the weeds, it's what people did in their garden's wasn't it? cut out the weeds, so the flowers had a chance to grow? "ah, but some people mostly the rich will still have their festivities. you've just got to know a rich person to enjoy them." she says to her, watching as she was placing things on the counter now, and anika stood up straighter, eyes looking over the things that she placed down. what was she suppose to do with all of these?

spring.

“you’re here to focus on anything that makes you happy.” luna says softly, giving a smile to the other girl. “but yes, if helping makes you happy, just as people will be more than happy to help you with things when you need a break.” she knew peyton understood that really…she could get into anything that she wanted any given day that she wished, everyone went where they wanted to be, doing something one day and then something else the next. luna had mornings with the children and then shay took over through the afternoons, they had time with peyton as well, and then the children were with the clan after that for evening meals and with luna for a little while after before their guardians took care of them for the night until morning again. there was always something to be done with the children, always wanting some kind of lesson or playtime, sometimes just a couple of the kids and they were adaptable in that way, always willing to scoop up two of them who wanted a story or maybe a couple of them were just ready for bed early. it took a village to raise children and in many ways, they all did a part in raising them through each and every day. peyton would know, if she didn’t already, then she would learn, that she could always spend time with the children and teach them things if she wished and that she was still free to do other things she found herself interested in. “there’s more old sheets in some of the storage rooms so if they run out of space feel free to go exploring with them and get them to help find more.” the little ones would love that too. 

she had her own preparing to do with some of them in the next few days, gathering baskets of flowers so they could begin their flower crowns for their spring parties later this week and there was a lot of baking that needed to be done. not right this moment, but over the next few days as well to prepare. others were already beginning decorations and the children’s artwork was included in that. “their painting could never damage anything. they can paint on anything they’d like. they know to ask before painting on anyone’s personal belongings of course.” but everything in their common areas…luna never minded what they chose to paint on. it could only make things better by adding color, in luna’s opinion, not worse. “if you’d like to. anyone can learn the nets or just step outside on the paddock and watch them being brought in.” she nods, certain there were plenty who paused their work for a moment to watch their catches come in. the kids especially liked seeing the different kinds of sea life they managed to catch each day. she had to move for a moment to help aspen wash her hands but once she was done she was sitting back down with her, letting the little one decide if she wanted to paint more or if she was finished for the moment. peyton it seemed was starting to help some of the others washing their hands off and she sat herself with aspen, seeing that she seemed to be done and happy with her painting and combination of colors that she had chosen. she heard the question on whether she wanted peyton to make sure they were all settled, the people they were going to the shoreline for tonight and she shook her head lightly. “some if you wish. but we have a containment process.” she says, shaking her head once more. yes they would all make sure that the people were settled but luna still had to make sure there was no threat to her clan when people joined them here, maybe weapons being something to worry about wasn’t likely but luna also protected her people from illnesses that could be brought to the rig as well and that was equally if not more important. “‘we’ll make sure they’re settled in. the kitchen will be working late tonight to make an influx of food so that we have enough to offer them when they come in.” she adds, “blankets and other supplies being rounded up to take down to containment will be helpful too.” and mostly the entire clan pitched in to such work. she nodded and gave peyton a soft smile given her willingness to help; it was appreciated. “i didn’t give you those. you chose to come here. opportunities are all self-given.” she murmurs, and she believed in that. it was something given with a soft smile and she pressed a kiss to the top of aspen’s head, before some of the others across the room beginning a game of chase had aspen pulling herself to her feet and tearing off with them to play as they began to dart around the room. “best get to gathering things and getting ready. it won’t be long now.” she pulled herself up to stand too, only moving a short ways to the door in the gathering room that opened to the infirmary; in here she was still close enough to continue conversation.

"working with the little ones definitely makes me happy." she says to her softly, as she continued to clean up after the little ones, who seemed to be done with the painting for now. she knew that people didn't seem to mind helping out, and that's what peyton liked about this place, how everyone was willing to help out with each other. peyton was always wanting to help where she could, but she also knew that she herself needed to rest, and some days she would be found napping somewhere, never in her room because she liked to fall asleep to the laughter, and the hustle and bustle around here. she smiled hearing luna's words, and she nodded her head taking that as a mental note. "i was thinking, of sewing some of the sheets together, and making a big wall with them. that way we don't have to cover ourselves in sheets, and plus, i think it'll look nice." she suggests, of course her suggestion was also said like a question because she also wanted luna's approval. perhaps that might annoy some people, peyton never just being confident in her thoughts, or that she was always seeking someone else's approval. but it was just how she was, she didn't want to overstep, or anything like that.

soft magic.

“of course.” luna gave her a soft smile, she didn’t consider thanks to be necessary but of course she understood the desire to give them and she appreciated that. she had the space so it didn’t put luna out in any way at all and she was glad the woman would be staying here where luna trusted it was safer than being out there on her own. no doubt she had witnessed what had been spreading through villages, both illness and prosecution. here was much safer. she didn’t think it likely the people within the nearest village would turn on her, she had lived here most of her life and they had, trading some things, medicines and crops, she had never harmed them or given them reason to fuss at her and so for the most part, almost entirely, she was left alone and her space was respected. there were plenty of other things for the people to be worrying about at the moment with the plague having bound them to their homes, though luna hoped for a speedy recovery as she had been able to deliver remedies to as many of them as she could manage. once they were better, she hoped they would simply be happy to return to their normal days and work that they wouldn’t dare look her way. “you came from a different direction.” luna tells her softly, turning her head to look west. “i live east of the nearest, if you had continued to walk that way.” she pointed off towards where the village was and then she smiled softly and went back to pulling weeds. “they’re healing. i’m hoping within the next week or two it will be safe to visit again, but for now…we have everything we need right here.” she promises with a reassuring smile. “that’s a nice memory, an important one.” she smiled a little wider. “my mother taught me to garden.” so she could relate to the feeling it stirred in her. “i suppose that’s perhaps common. women are often better in gardens.” she sighed, but it was the truth she thought. “more tenderness and patience for delicate things blooming.” her fingers gently pulled a weed from around the plants, clearing them away from encroaching on strawberry plants that were starting to bloom their tiny white flowers, fruit would grow from those flowers in another week. 

she listened to her, pausing what she was doing as the girl explained her gratitude for the earth, in a way that luna knew she felt herself too, but it was a touch different, it felt more of a tender subject to the girl and she very quickly understood. she gathered her magic was in a sense, rooted differently. wiccan. her smile remained soft across her features. “i try to be, it’s a little differently rooted in me but very much the same too. i understand the way that you feel towards what you stem from, the earth.” she smiled a bit more. “it’s always a good thing to be thankful for what aids you. i am too. being thankful is always a nice thing to feel and practice heavily.” being grateful could never be a bad thing. her brown eyes flickered to the little fox who let out a chirp in her impatience and she smiled lightly, before looking back to what she was doing with the weeds, needing to reposition herself a little bit to get herself in front of the next row of plants that needed saving so they could continue to breathe and spread out more. “they’re just hungry too. we all need to eat but…i do keep some plants growing in pots on the porch on higher shelves so that when they clear out the gardens…we still have other means of eating.” she chuckled lightly and looked to the fox again. luna reached to the top green of a carrot and she wiggled it up out of the soil and brushed the soil off of it, before she tossed it out into the grass towards the fox kit, the animal quick to take notice and run in to snatch it up and carry it a little further away. “at least they’re healthy i suppose.” eating their vegetables, not like the way kids could be difficult about eating theirs. “i just mean you can feed her anything from the garden that you’d like.” she says warmly. “are you hungry? you must be. crumbs are hardly suitable.” her hands brushed off on her pants and she pushed herself up to her feet. “i find it to be better. it’s quiet at least.” she smiled enjoying that quiet and then in the sky she heard familiar calls, looking up to the small black bird that swept above and wove between branches, then swept down to land on her shoulder, her wings flapping forward against the air to slow herself to a graceful stop against her. “time for lunch. raven we have a guest.” she moved her fingertip to stroke her feathered cheek. “and she must be hungry so it’s time to cook.” raven tended to be less trusting and more wary but…luna felt it was okay and that the girl was no threat so she moved towards the door. “you can come in and get settled, or stay here if you’d rather and i can bring food out here. it’s a beautiful day.” so either choice worked just fine.

tara nodded her head as she moved a little just so she could get the rest of the weeds without stretching. it was nice doing this, comfortable even, relaxing. she always did enjoy gardening, placing new seeds into the bed, and watching them grow day by day. adding a bit more, and placing those plants into the kitchen so she could use them in her food, or remedies. no one came to her home of course, but tara knew she couldn't stay with her father, knew that she had to run away. she had taken all the supplies with her, destroyed the flower bed that she had created, in case her father tried to get her cousin to do a locater spell or something on her. it was something that she didn't know her cousin could do, but it was something that she didn't want to chance. luna seemed nice enough that tara found herself to be comfortable. it was weird, how being comfortable with a stranger was. considering you were suppose to be comfortable with family, and tara definitely was not comfortable with that. blue eyes looked to luna hearing that she came from a different direction, and her eyes glanced to the west as the woman's head turned to look that way. "oh. i am glad i didn't continue walking." she knew walking into villages were dangerous, and tara definitely didn't want to get herself sick. she couldn't have anything slowing her down. "i'm sure someone is working on something to help those people out." though it might take them awhile to figure it out, but tara had been doing her best to help in anyway that she could. she smiled hearing luna's words on the memory of her mother, and tara was nodding her head gently. "i do my best to hold onto them." she breathes out to her, her eyes looking to luna once more hearing that her mother had taught her how to garden, that she supposed that was common. tara couldn't say that it wasn't, since of course the woman's job was to look after the house, and to cook for the family. "where is your mother?" she inquires gently, though her eyes portrayed that luna didn't have to tell her if she didn't want to. she was placing the weeds down beside her now, smiling while she heard her words. "better than a male just walking around on the garden stomping on the weeds." she says with a chuckle.

@natshana​ didn’t ask for it. 

the last thing that faith remembered was arguing with buffy on what they were suppose to be doing with the vampire nest. faith wanted to just go in, kill them all and then head home for a much needed snack. buffy on the other hand, didn’t think they were prepared. of course she had the scoobies to back her up on that, and faith really didn’t have anyone on her side. wasn’t something that she wasn’t used to after all. she never had anyone to back her up on anything. aside from willow’s girlfriend, who seemed to think they could handle it. it had made faith smile at that at least. but then the scenery had changed, and she found herself landing on her side. the sun was up, and she knew they wouldn’t be arguing about it if the sun was up where they had been. “what the hell?” faith asks, as she looks around herself right now, brown orbs trying to find where the hell she was. this was no sunnydale that was for sure. there was no paved roads, no cars whizzing by, and no scoobies either. “if red has done somethin’.” she mutters to herself, pulling herself up off the dirt now, rubbing at her elbow before dusting off her jeans, faith began to walk around the place. she didn’t exactly know where she was, didn’t exactly like where she was either. magic. she hated it. she didn’t understand it, but she hated it. especially now. 

miss you.

she was more interested in how aspen felt towards raven and what was on her mind when it came to her, more than she was ever going to say what she thought about the matter of aspen looking to raven in the ways that the little one looked to her. that was something that should never be of her choice, but rather only of aspen’s and what she found felt natural to her. she would never sway that for aspen so she listened to her as she carried her to the counter and placed her on her stool there so aspen could reach the counter well enough to help her bake. her eyes found her matching and she smiled softly hearing her out and learning about what she was feeling. “i think she would always protect you.” luna tells her softly, nodding agreeing that she could find herself feeling safe with raven. “i’m always going to be your nomi, no matter what you know that nothing changes that.” nothing ever would, no matter how aspen felt towards raven, luna was still right here and still going to be her mother. “no two nomi’s are ever the same, all are so important so i think…the more mothers the better.” she smiled softly and kissed the top of aspen’s head. “i won’t tell her anything. that is not my place, that is yours.” she tells her, pulling the lids off of the canister jars so aspen could pick what she wanted. luna moved to get out a bowl and set it down and then a few eggs, flour, sugar, butter, needed to make the dough before they added the things they wanted. “honey and lavender sugar cookies.” she murmurs, a soft smile on her lips. “i think there will be plenty to share.” she looked to aspen. “you don’t want to share them? you could show everyone how good you are at baking.”

strange encounters.

when the woman turned away to search for meat she had inquired about, luna’s hand moved to raven and she brushed her fingers over her feathers underneath the cover of her hood where raven was hiding and safe against the side of her neck. her fingers stroked her, soothing her. “we’re getting food.” she whispers to her, the pad of her thumb brushing over her tiny cheek. raven was staying so silent but she could still hear her and feel her and in her mind she could hear the soft little chirps raven’s mind was sending silently to her. her eyes moved back to the woman, her hand falling away from raven to help herself with holding the things she had picked for them already. luna had it all tucked into one arm and she used her other arm now to help, though easier was taking a few steps towards the counter to set the bread and cheese, the fruit down there so that she didn’t drop anything to the floor. the fish had been found and she thanked her and moved closer to where it is was to pick out some for her and raven, finding some wrapped. she chose that and took it to the counter too. “i suppose most women just tend to the home.” it was how it was, they tended to the family while the family was within the home. “you do look bored, but i can’t blame you. it is quiet in here.” she says, realizing that it was quiet the moment they had stepped inside. her eyes moved over the store, listening to the woman explain the plague hadn’t reached here, and she then wondered why the east end was a place to stay away from, but she didn’t need to ask because the answer was given. 

she watched her move back behind the counter and luna stepped in closer to where she had placed things but she still kept her distance enough because that odd feeling was still there and she couldn’t place it. “pointing a finger at you because you’re bored?” she asks, luna could spread the word that this shop was good for getting supplies and then maybe the woman wouldn’t be bored anymore. a package of dried jerky was offered to her pile and she nodded early. “very kind of you, thank you.” luna gave a small smile, and then she breathed out as she nodded. “the plague as well as the burning, the gallows, hanging, it was all happening in the villages near my home and then the plague swept in and those executions slowed some, because the plague began taking care of that for them by claiming so many lives. some of the lands are blackened with rot.” which luna knew…was more than just the plague, after the experience she and raven had the day before. “i’m a healer, medicinal purely.” she states. “we were delivering herbal remedies but i’m not confident they’re working.” that was a lie, luna knew they were working for those whose hands the cures fell into, but there would be no way to explain herself if she made it known how completely certain she was about that fact, so she decided uncertainty was a shield. she reached into the pocket of her cloak and started to pull out money, knowing about how much these items should cost her. she placed five pennies on the counter, she hoped more than enough.”

spring.

aspen sat in her lap every time that she came back with fresh paint on her hands but luna didn’t restrict her movements by holding onto her. she only pushed back a few of her curls here and there smiled watching her, while watching over the other children too. they were all very careful not to knock the paints over and they took their turns as they were taught without crowding one another too much or getting pushy with claiming space on the sheet the way children had been with things sometimes growing up, as luna recalled. there was no rush here, no need to stake a claim on anything, not bickering. at times there were little impatient sighs but the children didn’t lose their smiles to those sounds, they were just merely excited. “i’m with them the most, most days, but shay does plenty herself too and i’m sure she could use a break at times.” luna got her little breaks, if they could be called that, considering her breaks from teaching the children was more like her being needed somewhere else to help work that needed doing; it wasn’t entirely a break from task or chore or duty but shay tended to be around the children much more in the sense of…she didn’t work many other chores, her main focus was to be with the children during the days most of the time, she imagined she might appreciate a few days rest. “they would love to spend more time with you, i’m certain of that.” she smiles. “and myself and shay are always around, one or both of us. the children learn with others too, just around the rig learning different types of work from the others as well.” so no doubt peyton would have plenty of time with them. they were little busy bodies and full of energy and enthusiasm when it came to learning new things. leaning forward she kissed aspen’s curls and then leaned back to rest on her palms where she was sitting, watching the children spreading more colored handprints to the cloth. some of them started pressing their hands down with their thumbs together and then used a fingertip to put tiny antennas on a butterfly they created or they used their fingers to drag a small green stem of paint from their handprints to make small flowers. one was working on a sun but turning her yellow handprint a few different directions to form a circle. 

since peyton had come to be here she always noticed her enjoying lots of little things here and there, she seemed to enjoy the things she tried at least, so of course thought teaching her some more about baking might help her to enjoy it more but even if that didn’t work out, there was so much that peyton could try and she could change what she wanted to work on each day if she wished. living here was more about being helpful and focusing on the things you felt capable of contributing, as well as the things you simply enjoyed doing. “i’m sure we can find a time when the kitchens are empty so we’re not bothering anyone by being in there or interrupting any meal preparations.” she says with a soft smile, but then again it did kind of always seem as though the women in the kitchen cooked one meal and then by the time it was served and cleaned up after, it was time to start in on preparations for the next meal. still, luna was sure they could find time somewhere to have the main kitchen space for baking. “it’s a lot of watching them in the nets, how one net in the morning is dropped and pulling up our typical winter fish and then suddenly a net is pulled up hours later in the afternoon and there’s some of our warmer weather fish showing up in the nets, and then each day more and more, less and less of the colder weather fish, until they’ve all swum away.” storms luna loved too. she could relate to that enjoyment a bit. “winter is my favorite, and then spring.” she says, looking to the woman and then back to the children as they continued to rush past with paint on their palms. “i enjoy most of the seasons, they all offer something lovely.” she breathes out, before her eyes caught a small frown on aspen’s face and she looked to the messy paint on her fingers enough to know well enough by now, that aspen was no longer enjoying being messy. “oh no, here i’ll help.” she whispers to her, picking aspen up in her arms she gave peyton a small smile and carried aspen across the room a short ways so she could crouch with her beside a bucket of water and dip her little hands into it, using her own to rub the paint from her skin so she could be clean again, free to choose more colors or decide if she was finished. she helped her wash the paint from her hands and then she carried her back to sit with her again curled up in her lap, not holding her too tightly though in case she was still wanting to paint more. “you can always help with anything that you’d like, as long as you’re happy and enjoying yourself.” she looked to aspen with a smile and saw her smile too. enjoying their days and never going hungry was what they strived for at the very least. luna’s eyes moved back to peyton with a soft smile, the children were happy here, and safe, and she agreed with her, hence luna’s choice to live her life here and build this home to safeguard more people. “a few will be going over in the boat to help to offer reassurance. they’re going to be scared and they’ve lost so much already. you’re kind, the more to be there to help ease their worries the better for them.” she says, luna would be going as well and she asked raven to come with her too, because raven knew the feeling of stepping away from her clan just as much and that was no doubt still fresh in her mind. “there’s no word yet on how many are going to be there but we’re taking both boats.” the boats weren’t entirely big and only carried ten people safely at a time so if they needed to make more than one trip, luna didn’t want to leave others waiting on the shore for the boat’s return without some of them there to sit and wait with them.

she was smiling watching as aspen was sitting back into luna's lap once she'd placed her hands on the cloth. the younger ones now starting to draw colors on it. peyton's eyes were looking around the room, finding a place where she could hang the cloth. she could easily cut the sheet so both sides were shown when the children were done. her eyes then went back to luna when she began to talk, and peyton was nodding her head at her words, knowing that people at times needed break, though luna tended to other things on the rig, but even sometimes she wasn't to be found, and peyton knew that she was taking her time with her family. even when peyton didn't have much to do, she tended to go out to find things to do, and if no one needs her help, she was in her room, planning her day for tomorrow. "i'd be happy to give people breaks. that's what i'm here for, helping out everyone." she says to her now, smiling as another child was beginning to make something more than just hand prints on the cloth. she could tell that some of them were getting ready to finish up, and peyton knew soon she would be able to take the cloth off, and begin to hang it up in the room so the children could see their work. she'd even place their names underneath the paintings that they had created, so the little ones knew which ones were theirs, though they weren't like other children, they were very well behaved, none of them getting impatient, and they were all still laughing and having fun, so peyton knew they wouldn't take someone else's painting. they were good children, and peyton loved spending time with them, loved just sitting here watching them enjoying themselves. she loved the laughter that they gave off, the twinkling in their eyes, and she didn't see that on the main island, she definitely wanted to see it more. and she was getting to see it now, on the rig.  "i would love to spend more time with them, i love being around them, seeing their little smiles and seeing the twinkling in their eyes, listening to their stories." she breathes out to her now, her eyes looking back to luna, and she was nodding her head when she told her that shay and herself would always be around, and peyton knew that if anything she needed she could go to the both of them. "i won't hesitate to come find one of you if i need you." she says to her, not wanting luna to feel like peyton would hesitate, or try to do something on her own, and ending up hurting one of the little ones, she wouldn't do that though, peyton would never put anyone's life in harms way just for pride, she wasn't a prideful person.

"of course, i wouldn't want to get in the way of anyone or anything, or damage anything that they would need to use later on." she admits with a smile, watching as the little ones, were trying to get the paint off their hands, and she knew that they were either done, or they just wanted to place more colors on the cloth, but the cloth was becoming more covered, and looking down on it, she found that they wouldn't be having a lot of space to place anything else on it. her eyes looked to luna though, as the children were still attempting to place their hands on the cloth, but peyton knew it was about close to the time of cleaning up. luna was explaining about the fishing, and peyton was taking it all in, on how they put the nets down, how they pulled them up, and how they were having to see different types of fishes in the nets, it had her smiling just picturing the different fishes in the nets. "will i be able to see them bringing the fish in? i know its dangerous to be out there, and i would never want to be in the way, but i'd like to help." she says to her, smiling softly still as luna told her that winter is her favorite, and then spring, and she was nodding her head when she heard that most of the season had something lovely to offer. she had to agree with that, the seasons definitely brought something different for them, and she loved all the things that they brought together. "i can definitely agree with that." she says to her, before luna was off to help aspen, and she could see the other children wanting to wash their hands. "alright, lets go do that." she says, deciding to take the cloth off now, she was placing it over one of the aisles that were around the room, so she knew that the cloth wouldn't get wrinkled, and the paints wouldn't run off of it or get smudged. she followed luna with one of the children now, to help wash their hands in one of the tubs, the children lining up behind them so they could get theirs done. she was rubbing gently at their little fingers and palms, making sure she got all the paint off, before drying their hands, and then was doing the next child, while her eyes were looking to luna, seeing her carrying aspen back to where she was sitting, and peyton was finishing off the last child's hand now, placing a soft kiss to the top of his head, before he was running outside to play with the children. she came back in the room and picked up the boxes of paint, clearly the children were finished, and so she was cleaning them up now, rinsing the tubs out of the paint, while her eyes were looking to luna hearing her words. "i am happy and enjoying myself, really i am." she says to her now. "i've found that i can smile more freely here, than anywhere else." her village was burned down to the ground, there was no one left there, peyton had been out collecting berries when it happened, and she escaped to come here. "this is my home." she breathes out to her now, drying the bin that had the blue paint, and then went for the pink now, smiling as she could see the little one comfortable with her nomi.

soft magic.

she would be happy for the help and she gave the girl a soft smile when she knelt down now, luna’s hands returning to the soil where she had been plucking out the weeds to keep them from choking the flowering plants that were trying to stretch out and bloom more. she didn’t want them to die, this was their home and the weeds could choose somewhere else. some weeds were fine to keep around, at a safe distance from other plants of course, because some could be used in many remedies, but these….she went right back to pulling up and then her fingers soothed the soil around where she’d pulled. brown eyes looked to the girl to meet with her blue hue; she noted she had difficulty with words but…all sorts of people had difficulty with all sorts of things so she didn’t think or look differently upon her. luna at times struggled to even speak, she was quick to quiet herself when she was thinking too much or when she was sorting through a feeling, she always found herself hiding away in her mind and in silence until words came back to her naturally on her own time and when she was ready. she never apologized about that, so she was just as patient with others as she expected the same patience for herself. “i’m glad that you are.” being safe, she meant. “it’s safe here. no one seems to come this way often.” no one who lived in the area. luna had lived here in this area most of her life and by now…she knew who everyone in the area was and they knew she was here but they seemed to mind their own and allowed her to mind herself as well. “money is pointless really, especially now.” she says, all the neighboring villages were all but closed to visitors coming in, shops as well so there was no need for money with nothing there to be bought. “you can work if you’d like, but only on things that you’d like and enjoy.” she offers to her, luna spent her days doing work she enjoyed, she wouldn’t chore the woman with labor but if she found herself wishing to do something then by all means luna wouldn’t stop her. “anything that you’d like, the company is nice all on its own, so don’t worry about feeling in debt to me.” there was an extra room in the loft on the opposite side of the living space as luna’s so she saw no sense in it being wasted. she smiled looking over at the little copper fox kit that was trying to sneak in. “i try to trade when i can, or fish. i can hunt and sometimes in the winter it’s necessary but not something i find enjoyable. life is so precious.” she says softly, glancing back to the tiny life that was being sly as…well a fox at the moment, or thinking that she was being sly. “no i don’t stop her, or her siblings. i won’t share with weeds but i guess there’s plenty enough to give her.” she looked to the woman hearing her name and smiled softly. “luna.” she gives back, before she gestures slightly to the fox, creeping in more. “she got here at least before the rabbits.” they were the slower eaters and often visited the garden at night, nocturnal animals mostly; the little kit left out a chirp that showed her impatience and she chuckled. “you can give her anything you’d like if you want. just expect they’ll all be following you around for more later.” which was the truth, luna used to get her ankles nipped from time to time.

she could tell that this woman had patience. some people didn't, and didn't give tara the time to speak. they tended to huff and tell her to spit it out, which only had her stutter get worse. but this woman was very different from the rest of them, and tara found herself relaxing, as she began to help her pull the weeds out of the soil. she was careful to make sure they didn't get stuck on the plants though, not wanting to wreck them, but she was managing. she used to garden with her mother, who had taught her most of what she needed to know, before her time. she paused for the moment to pull her bag off her back, gently placing it down next to her, to not break the crystals that were inside, or to place it in the soil where the flower bed was. her eyes looked at the woman's face, hearing that she was glad that she was being safe, and tara bowed her head at those words, hair masking her face once more. it wasn't often that anyone would be glad that she was safe, some didn't care, some didn't want to know. "t-t-thank y-y-you." tara says now, her eyes connecting with the other woman's as she says these words. she was always polite, always saying her please and thanks when they were needed. "i-i-it doesn't seem like you live c-c-close to a village."

 tara muses, though again, she might of missed the village completely, she probably lives close by one, but tara was only going off what she had seen. "because of the plague?" tara asks, though she knew it was because of that. people closing down their shops, afraid of what they might catch if someone came into them. she'd seen many people traveling to the next village or so, begging the guards to let them in, that they weren't infected. it was sad really, and tara wished she could help them, but she wasn't sure if she could. she was trying her best to help, but only her best could go so far, especially when she was running out of ingredients to help those that needed it. "i like doing this. reminds me of days with my mother." she whispers to her softly, a soft crease forming between her eyes, but quickly it vanished. "there isn't a lot of nice people like you out there. i'm glad i stumbled upon you." she says to her now, offering the other a soft smile, before she continued to concentrate on pulling out the weeds, that the woman had kindly asked her help with. "life is definitely precious. sadly we need to survive. i always, when i can. w-w-when i hunt, i always give back to the lands. the small berries i might find. or even let a seed grow. to say thanks for what the land has given to me." she says to her though there was a blush upon her cheeks, knowing it might sound silly, but tara's magic came from the earth, and therefore, she always gave things back to it when she could. her eyes looked to the fox now, seeing the way it was trying to sneak up to get the berries, and she smiled when the other woman told her that she didn't stop her or her siblings. "you're very generous in nature." tara says, just noting how the woman doesn't stop those that need to eat to take what they want.

strange encounters.

her eyes moved from the woman to the items around the shop…the moment she felt she was given the permission to pick items; luna had only worried about having come in if the woman was closed so now that she learned she didn’t seem to be, she began to take cautious steps to look around, cautious of surroundings and the fact that they were stopping in a new place more than anything else, though she did feel an odd sensation from the presence of the woman. she couldn’t focus too much on it because the little bird tucked against her neck underneath her curls was more important to her at the present time. “i don’t, i haven’t been here before.” she says quietly, “but i can find things.” she didn’t want to burden the woman by making her have to show her around when the shop was fairly like others of its kind, it was easy enough for luna to locate some bread and a wedge of cheese, all wrapped up and protected, luna picked those two items up and then she looked to the berries that she was directed to and smiled, picking them up as well as a bit of raspberries in a small paper container too. “is there any meat?” she asks her curiously, while she was managing to find some things on her own she didn’t know if the shop had meat. “fish maybe or something that’s just smoked and dried so it won’t spoil?” she asks politely. she felt a little rumble of raven’s tummy and frowned, her worries increasing. a question brought her eyes to the woman, a question of where she was from, at least…whether or not she was from here…more accurately. “no. days from here.” she made it sound like it was much further than it really was, a day or two really, but by answering the way that she did luna knew it could be assumed that she lived anywhere from a few days to a dozen days travel from here. “do you live here?” she asks her, the woman seemed bored. “is it a slow day?” she asks her, wondering if it was always this empty. it was the words that came next that made luna truly pause and she felt raven tense a little against her, bringing luna’s hand up underneath her hood to subtly stroke her feathers. “the plague has reached here, then?” she inquires. “it’s worse where i’m from.” maybe that would make her seem more like someone to stay away from because of course it was known that people could carry the plague with them, so maybe it could protect them a touch from strangers if she worded herself carefully.

it was a good thing that this woman hadn't been here before. it meant that she didn't know the shop clerk at all, which was a good thing. he was bleeding out in the back and anika didn't think he was going to survive, though that wasn't her problem, perhaps he should have more blood in his body so he could survive. she had made sure he might live, but really, that was up to him if he had the fight in him. she didn't think so, so that was on him not her. a nod of her head was given when the other woman told her that she could find things, that was good. because if she asked anika to find things, she was sure she would get a suspicious look from her if she said she didn't know. ah, crap. she did ask her. "hmm." came the reply as anika was trying her best to think up an answer for the woman. though she asked for fish, and anika turned her back a little, just to sniff the air around her. sure enough there was that hint of fish that the woman wanted. she walked over to the freezer where the fish was kept, smoked and dried was what she was after. "well the fish are here." she says, pointing to where they were now. "though i don't know much about fish myself. my father did most of the fishing, while us women tended to stay inside and keep the fires going and the beds made." she says, it wasn't exactly a lie, though she wasn't about to tell this woman that she was a hunter like her father, or rather was. that wouldn't go down well.