SO YOU MAY REMEMBER,

"Um   ...   excuse   me!?   Sir?"   Sigrika   approached   the   other,   small   item   clenched   tightly   within   her   palm.   

"I'm   very   sorry   to   bother   you   but...   I   think   you   may   have   dropped   this?   Though   ...   things   were   pretty   crowded   back   there.   I   could...   have   the   wrong   person?"   with   that   said   she   opened   her   hand,   revealing   what   she   had   found

" hm ? " a high pitched noise as they spin around on a heel. the slippage of spare coin bag hadn't been an accident. inside a small drawing quietly rested ... a locating sigil if it were stolen. instead, to their surprise, it's immediately returned.

𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄  𝐓𝐎  𝐀  𝐅𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐓,  𝐒𝐀𝐘𝐔𝐑𝐈  𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃  𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐓  𝐓𝐎  𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄  𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓  𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐒𝐄  𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐕𝐄𝐈𝐋  𝐎𝐅  𝐌𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘  𝐒𝐇𝐄  𝐒𝐎  𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐋𝐘  𝐒𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐃  𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅  𝐈𝐍     —     the  admission  of  overt  caution  that  bordered  on  outright  paranoia  one  that  rang  true,  though  concealed  behind  lips  curled  with  sardonic  intent. 

❝   Not  at  all.   ❞  At  least  that  much  was  truthful;  frankly,  Qifrey’s  words  needn’t  stir  her  mistrust,  for  it  had  long  since  taken  root  already     —     her  lifelong  companion.  ❝   I  just  like  knowing  who  I  have  in  front  of  me.   ❞  

Friend  or  foe...  the  lines  had  irreversibly  blurred  for  someone  convinced  the  world  lingered  at  her  heels  with  teeth  bared,  who  believed  every  soul  sworn  to  ill  intent  and  malice  in  light  of  her  deep-rooted  pessimism.  ❝   And  people  who  work  too  hard  to  appear  harmless  are  usually  the  worst  ones.   ❞  

perhaps they're one in the same, the caution and insistence to know. a hum escapes them, hands thumb beginning to rub circles against the tip of their finger. were they working too hard to be unassuming? were they the worst one? no, no hardly factual. still, it'll be remembered for another which is certain to come— " i suppose there's a point in that logic. however, it then makes it difficult to differentiate people. everyone would be a threat then, no? " a philosophy qifrey, internally, clings to with fingers much smaller than those flexing now. it was hard to differentiate. it was hard to tell if a smiling face truly held warm intentions ... that exact smile curls onto their face.