"And these right here are Imperialis lilies~."

Beryl spoke cheerfully, lounging atop a small pile of cloth as Kiyomi sat beside her. After accepting her attempt at becoming a 'role model' Beryl chose to start simple. Moving on from the braiding lesson, Beryl decided to share one of her hobbies with Kiyomi that she'd enjoyed alongside her friends in Va-ren. Flowers.

"Oooh, the colors on this one! It looks like the ones on the ice-cone stand!"

Beryl expected Kiyomi to respond in a half-bored, patronizing tone after opening the book of flower pressings and illustrations. In part, this was expected because of Kiyomi's compatibility with Vaughn. To Beryl's surprise, Kiyomi's attention was enraptured far more easily than expected, almost as if her own personality shifted in a matter of moments. 

“What’s this one called?” 

Kiyomi tapped the next page as it hosted a rather detailed illustration of another flower, it was a flower that was non-existent in the area. 

"Hmm? That's a Snapdragon." 

Beryl watched as her friend's face morphed at her words. The expression gave the impression that Kiyomi was reminiscing. A soft smile adorned her face that Beryl had yet to see in any instance so far as if Kiyomi directly hid it. 

I miss them... Aisha... but Kiyomi is nice. I'm glad that, of all places, we were brought here.

Beryl thought shortly before bringing her eyes back to the page alongside Kiyomi, thinking back to her friends she'd had before the move happened. 

 

---

 

Snapdragons... Ma grew them... Pops was never a fan because he thought they looked tacky. Adorning the walkway to the front door... the windows of the house. To go back and relive those times... 

My mind was clawing back in time, forcing me to reminisce as a comforting feeling floated about in my chest. These emotions, as far as I could tell, were strictly my own. Remembering the comfort of my Mother, my Stepfather, and my Sister. Strangely, it wasn't bitter-sweet, it was simply an appreciation for the memory. That I could recall it; that I could recall their faces in such a situation. While the effect may not have been Beryl's intention, I imagine she caught that expression before I shoved it away. Regardless of it, she was happy. Therefore, I was happy. 

Now that I think about it, there’s a disconnect from what I expected.

I shot a sidelong glance towards Beryl as she turned the page, beginning to ramble on another flower pressing.

“This one is some kind of rose that grows seasonally in Morus-“

What I’d grown up viewing as stereotypical ‘girl’ things aren’t exactly established in this world. Or, at the very least, regionally. Adventuring, politics, military, and magic seem to all be diverse enough fields in regard to women. Without ever experiencing this world so far, I would have assumed at least two of the three would have been predominantly male. As for personal interests, my view may be skewed. From what I’ve witnessed, children are unable to really express hobbies or activities outside their ‘family units’ here. There may have never been any pressure to appear ‘female’ as of yet. I simply need to grow into it. That old fictional character may as well have been a role model for me here.

Beryl turned to the next page, pointing to a section to draw my attention to it. 

‘Adventuring’ is the common profession here. In short, hunting, farming, gathering, trading, and defending the routes, crops, and farms. It’s all frontier life. This is the easiest place I could have woken up in to adjust to mentally.

I rejoined Beryl's place in the book as she continued, sure to keep pace with her.

That makes me wonder, though, why flowers? Beryl grew up in a different region, and this is the first time she’s talked about any kind of hobby outside of personal grooming, playing, or magic.

Just as Beryl began turning the page, the urge to ask managed to overcome my ability to stay silent and listen. 

I’m too curious.

"Say, Beryl, how exactly did flowers become one of your interests?"

Beryl continued turning the page as I asked, placing it firmly in place and raising her hand from the page. For a moment she hesitated, before sitting up and dropping her upper body's weight back onto her tail. 

“Well...”

Beryl’s expression shifted a number of times before settling, her thoughts on what to say possibly holding her back on her response. Her tail flicking back and forth for a moment, Beryl sighed before continuing.

“We were too young to join the older kids when doing anything. The wild was dangerous, and the only thing we could ever do was play pretend or with some cheaply made dolls... one of my friends, Aisha... she really liked to collect flowers. Her mother was a Florist so- You know what that is?”

Beryl lifted her head as she asked. With a nod, I pressed her to continue her story.

Beryl's opening up, just listen...

“Well, we had a lot to do after her mother allowed us to take wilting flowers. This book was the first one we made... Aisha drew the illustrations too. Before Mother Sophia started teaching me magic, I spent most of my time with her and the other girls looking for the best one of each flower we could all find. It took us a while, but we eventually found most of them."

Sitting up, Beryl stretched her arms before yawning and sending shudders throughout her body.

"We never finished it though, we're actually short one... because it grew here."

Beryl leaned forward over the book, shifting one hand under the back to hold it carefully as she turned each of the pages to the opposite side. There were some three dozen pages before turning to the last one, a page that held only a handful of scribbled words from a pen. 

Azure-lace flower, select blooming season should be-

Beryl unceremoniously closed the book, cutting off any view of the seemingly mundane notes. Looking to her, just a view from the side alone projected a solemn frown. The only thing shifting this expression was the sudden glimpse at myself, followed by a very evident attempt at hiding discomfort as she forced smile. 

Her friend- her friends. I mean, I knew Vaughn wasn't all. Its just-. I have to remember what exactly forced them to move here.

"Enough of that though." 

Beryl cleared her throat as she carefully moved the book to the side, sliding it under the bed and out of sight. 

"Kiyomi... I'm kind of tired. I think I'm gonna take a nap again."

Beryl's yawn was obviously feigned, it was easy to pick up on the fact she wanted some space.

"I'll leave you some water on one of the tables. Sleep well, okay?"

I offered as Beryl moved to pull her body back onto the bed. For some reason, I felt possessed to actually hug her. 

Don't be stupid. Just give her the space... that's what she needs... right?

Fighting the urge to act on the previous thought, I moved to the door while picking up a loose Nugget that'd been roaming as I made my exit. 

The goal is to cheer her up. I just hope I don't disappoint her.

With a click, the door shut behind me, and I began the walk that led back into the open floor of the Adventurers Guild. As I did, a loose thought pried its way to the surface with a whisper.

"Let's ask Mama for help-"

---

"FUCK!"

A table was tossed aside, scrolls, books, and maps that once littered its surface were scattered as if no more valuable than fresh garbage.

"Why? Why are the clans still so split on this?!"

Danae cried through grit teeth, holding back tears of frustration after the hours of deliberation between herself and her adjutant whilst still fully adorned with her armor.

All the work, for naught? Are we destined for a constant uphill battle? Sure, the core clans know we're alive now. But what good does that do us If none of them will help?!

Thoughts of hopelessness ran through Danae's head as she pulled a chair from the corner of her war tent, her blue hair obscuring her eyes from the mess she'd just created.

"So much work... "

The Oni leaned back into the ragged piece of wooden furniture, looking to the ceiling with her tail idly swinging side to side behind her. She was frustrated over the difficulty she'd maintained ever since their new territory had been secured. Whilst her Mother was leading raiding parties on the coast, as well as facilitating the storage of food from the sea, Danae was in charge of securing their territory village by village through either conflict or diplomacy, and by extension, spreading news of their survival. 

"A lot of fucking good that will do us. Tch."

With a click of her tongue, Danae brought her head back forward to rest on her knuckles as her elbow glued itself to the arm of the chair.

Sister...

Thought after thought returned to her. The efforts she and her Mother made, the loss of everything they had. But out of all that, some semblance of their old lives remained through one girl, and her retainer. 

"Kiyomi, I pray all of our efforts see you home... before it's too late."

Danae spoke aloud as if speaking to a person that actually stood in front of her.

"Will we recognize you when we are reunited?.. Will you recognize us?.."

The question flowed from her lips, the images of a spry, cheerful girl running about still clear in her mind. Her little sister, the only one of shared blood between her Mother and her Father. Kiyomi was Danae's only full-blooded, and remaining sibling. That fact alone drove Danae to continue on. However, time was beginning to weigh on Danae. She was only just a fresh adult as she and her sister were separated, not but sixteen suns; Danae had no concept of time to compare to her mother, Elexis, just yet.

"May I intrude, madame?"

The worn voice of a middle-aged woman pried its way into the tent. 

"Sara, how many times do I tell you not to address me in such a way?"

Danae rolled her eyes as she leaned back once more, the heel of her boots upturning small chunks of the exposed soil. Greeting her upside-down view as the door to the tent spread open, a rather tall, pale, blue-eyed demon entered. Her figure was all but hidden by a furred cloak that wrapped over her shoulders. Her Horns were those of a ram, blackened, graying towards their tips; Only one of which stood at full strength, the other was broken off near its base. Her hair was nearly waist-length, black as a raven and only being broken apart by an occasional white streak. 

"I apologize, but I am unable to. Even at your mother's behest."

Sarah lowered her brow with a faint nod as she moved further into the tent, a flow of cold air following behind her. Her hooves made a muted thud with each step, the only true hint at her concealed size other than her height. Moving to the center of the tent, Sarah kneeled, reaching the same head level as Danae whilst she sat.

Centuries old and you still can't take the smallest of requests. Stubborn old goat...

With the prying eyes of the elder demon plastered upon her, Danae could only sigh as she broke her composure and brought a hand up to rub her temple. 

"Anyways, Auntie Sarah, where do we stand with information? Anything of Morus outside of our regular escalation of battle?"

Danae looked on at her sister's former retainer, expecting no more than an excuse or answer of 'all the same, unchanged'. Yet this time, she found herself raising a brow at the elder demons' answer. The words they'd been waiting for came, the signal that they could begin moving towards an offensive. 

"Skirmishes have been reported along the western and southern borders."