estdeus_innobis | Top off the tea... it lubricates the grey matter.

[Thursday, March 11th (Day 284)]
[Main Street in front of the Dormouse]
[Late afternoon, teatime]

Two more errands and I've completed most of them for the day. Every day should be this good and I look up at the sunny sky, wondering if the nice weather has anything to do with it. The Dormouse and the library are left on my list. Should I drop off my note and maybe get lucky enough to meet Mrs. Whitman, or should I go to the library and check out a few books instead?

The library can wait and tucking the note into an envelope, I stop near the steps of the Dormouse. Mrs. Wilson said that Mrs. Whitman's very pregnant so I don't think I'll see her today but it doesn't hurt to try. Hopefully, she'll get my note anyway. I heard that Romana worked here a few days ago so I'll just give it to her to pass along and maybe she'll get back to me.

I'm about to go up the stairs when I spot bright, blonde hair down Main Street. She looks like Leah. I wave and smile. It never hurts to be friendly, especially to pretty women, and maybe she'll have some tea with me.

[Open to Leah, and Romana if she likes]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"There's the park with the schoolhouse and the Abbey at the end of the road. People live around there too. There are also roads to some other places nearby."

I rub my chin thoughtfully. "The Abbey sounds like a good place to start. It's looks big enough. The Post Office too." I smile, suggesting, "You could investigate and find out."

After I tell her why I went into the salon, she asks, "Who else did you meet that day? I got invited into the bakery pretty early on so I didn't get to see the scarecrow. But I did have to stop the water from coming inside through the bottom of the door."

I stir my tea while thinking back and I say, "I met Romana, Kate O'Hara from the General Store, Kaeli Whyte and the woman from the salon." She mentions water and I wonder how close the bakery is to the river. "Water? It was a riot, not a flood. I don't understand."

She's quiet and then tells me, "I think I've seen your purple haired woman, but I don't know her name." Didn't she tell me her name? "I think it's Verite but I didn't get her last name. She's the one that let us into the salon."

I ask about her memories and she shakes her head, "No. No I didn't lose any memories but others did. Not everyone lost the same amount of memories, some people lost one or two things and others couldn't remember their names but could tell you something if you asked the right question."

"I knew alot of people were affected but I didn't think it was different for everyone." That's interesting and I continue with a smile, "I didn't know that. It sounds like it was really confusing but I'm glad you're okay."

Michael rubs his chin and says, The Abbey sounds like a good place to start. It's looks big enough. The Post Office too. He smiles at me and adds, You could investigate and find out.

I smile back and ask,"Are you asking me to do that?" If he is I'm happy to do it, I just want to know first that it's what he wants me to do.

He lists the people he met that day, all women and I notice he doesn't ay the name of the salon owner. But then he notices what I said about the water and asks about it. I bite my lip as I realize that I'm going to have to be careful what I say about it. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it at all.

Water? It was a riot, not a flood. I don't understand.

"It wasn't much of a flood but yes there sort of was." I contradict him gently. "It wasn't natural. Something, or someone, caused the water to rise from the ground or maybe melted the snow in the square so while it wasn't deep it was enough to start coming under the door at the bakery." There I think that tells what happened without letting on that I know more. That I know it was Nu who called the water, or that I was able to tell it to leave.

He remembers the purple haired woman's name as Verite with no last name. I nod as I would like to meet her properly someday and ask her about the changing colours in her hair.

I knew alot of people were affected but I didn't think it was different for everyone. I didn't know that. It sounds like it was really confusing but I'm glad you're okay.

"It was. I don't think people want to talk about it much now that it's over." I know that Maryk doesn't and he didn't lose nearly as much as Syl or some of the others.

I mention the Abbey and the Post Office as possible places for the knights on horse-back to come from and Leah smiles, "Are you asking me to do that?"

Thinking about it, I say pleasantly, "Yes, I am. I think it would be good to know where they came from and why they decided to join the mob that way. Do you want to take on the investigation? If you do, you'll probably get to meet them and that could be fun."

I list all the people I met during the riot and when Leah mentions a flood, I ask about it.

"It wasn't much of a flood...It wasn't natural. Something, or someone, caused the water to rise...so while it wasn't deep it was enough to start coming under the door at the bakery."

Not a natural flood? Okay, I'm beginning to see that 'not natural' may be normal around here. That doesn't explain what she said earlier and I ask, "Earlier, you said that you stopped it from coming in under the door. How'd you do that?" Is she special too, like that scarecrow-person and her friend, Hope?

I tell her that I'm glad she made it safe through the confusing riot and she says something really interesting to me. "I don't think people want to talk about it much now that it's over."

I take a sip of my tea and say, "Yes, alot of times people don't talk about stuff like that because they want to forget. If no one talks about, everyone can pretend it never happened." I finish my scone while shrugging. "That doesn't always work out but people try anyway."

He tells me that yes he would like me to look for the riders and explains why. Yes, I am. I think it would be good to know where they came from and why they decided to join the mob that way. Do you want to take on the investigation? If you do, you'll probably get to meet them and that could be fun. I smile back, happy that I was right that he did indeed want me to. It also sounds like it could be fun to investigate stuff like this.

"Yes! Yes, I would like to take on this investigation." I tell him.

I realize I've made a mistake, said too much, when Michael asks, Earlier, you said that you stopped it from coming in under the door. How'd you do that?

"Oh!" I say, looking down a bit then up a bit so I'm looking up at him from under the front of my hair. "That. I uh, didn't do anything special. I just sat in the water and waited til Edmund gave me a towel and told me to block the door with it." I hope Michael can't tell that I'm leaving so much out. I really don't want him to think I'm unnatural and then not want to be friends anymore.

"Yes! Yes, I would like to take on this investigation."

I smile wide and I'm glad she's excited about it. I'm excited too. "It's yours." I offer my hand to shake and I say, "Congratulations on your first official story assignment."

I ask for more information about how she stopped the water and I notice that she's acting strange. Her big blue eyes peek out from behind the curtain of her pale hair and I smile. Damn, she's pretty.

"Oh! That. I uh, didn't do anything special. I just sat in the water and waited til Edmund gave me a towel and told me to block the door with it."

Edmund? He might be her boyfriend so I ask, "Who's Edmund? I'm glad he gave you a towel because sitting in the water like that doesn't sound like it was helping too much." I think about her story and say, "If you need any help with your assignment, you let me know. This is your first one but don't worry. I think you'll do great."

His smile gets very big and he holds out his hand to me as if we'd just met as he says, It's yours. Congratulations on your first official story assignment. I put my hand in his hoping that's what I was supposed to do. His hand feels very warm. "Thank you." I reply almost in a whisper. I'm feeling very warm in my middle much like I did that day in the market after I almost spilled my drink on Syl.

When I try to give an explanation for the flood at the bakery I can tell he knows there's more to it because he asks another question.Who's Edmund? I'm glad he gave you a towel because sitting in the water like that doesn't sound like it was helping too much. I try to remember all the things that Maryk said about lying so I can try to not do them but it was a whole list of things and I think I may have already done one or two of them. So I make sure to look in Michael's eyes as I give my answer.

"Edmund's the bakery owner. He's the one who invited me into the bakery." I wonder what should I tell him about the water? I mean if it was anyone else sitting in the water it might not have done much except to slow it down a bit. But because it was me it put me into contact with the water so it could hear me when I asked it to leave. Is it taking too long for me to say something? I think it maybe is, so I need to say something.

"It did slow the water down a bit, but yes I suppose the towel was a better idea." I have to look away so I do, using my hand to brush my hair away from my face at the same time. I can see that he's thinking about what I just said and I hope he isn't going to ask what I'm lying about. Lying is so hard! How do other people, other liars, manage to learn to do this?

If you need any help with your assignment, you let me know. This is your first one but don't worry. I think you'll do great. I nod, and smile gratefully. "I will. Thank you again for giving it to me."

Top off the tea... it lubricates the grey matter.

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