oh well I saw you at the doctor's, waiting for a test

[unweaving]

Who: Aranea Highwind, ???
Where: various
When: May
What: A catch-all
Warnings: none – will update if needed
[Open]



[ Early in the month, her time is taken up by finally setting up the... surprising stock that was delivered to Britches and Hose. She makes an effort to keep things tasteful, at least; shuffling of shelves and the addition of a folding screen to section off the collection of sex toys from the rest of the merchandise, so that people who are just there for pajamas or a sports bra don't suddenly get an eyeful of more than they bargained for. It's a display area more than anything else; one of everything on the shelves, all numbered so people can make a discreet request at the counter and have it brought to them if they're feeling shy. Further into the month the class factor is probably lowered at least a little by the proprietor's black eye, the angry purple-red of it shading through blue and green to a sickly yellow as it heals, like the world's crappiest mood ring.

After the Mayor's little announcement, the accompanying memories, and one very busy day for those trying to keep the network clean of subversion, she leaves the store to her staff more frequently. On those days she's in the bookstore, with an increasing look of frustration as she searches through books and publication dates, with occasional glances to a plasticky card she keeps mostly tucked into shoulder bag. Looking for something and clearly not finding it. Or very occasionally just at home, where anyone who comes calling might catch a glimpse of the cb radio she hauls out occasionally to flick through the channels and find – so far – nothing of importance. But on the days she's in the store, a small sign appears in suggestive proximity to the Official Notices:

Questions? We're happy to talk.

The rest of her time is given to checking in with people she knows. Social calls, except that the most likely topic of conversation is that something in this town is rotten and the stink is starting to be unavoidable. ]

Comments

bookstore!

[votively]

[The way Aranea is searching would be more than enough reason to strike up a conversation—Lunafreya spent a lot of time reading and researching as well, but getting to know the people here was just as important to her as learning what she could about this place, so sating her curiosity and chatting her up would have been an easy thing to do regardless.

But before she can even say anything, the face gives her pause. It's familiar, and unlike all the previous times when she felt like she knew a face but couldn't remember how she knew it... She knows this one. And she knows why she knows it.]

Excuse me... [She isn't afraid of whatever reaction Aranea might have to her, but she isn't sure what to expect nonetheless. She might not even remember her at all.] It's been some time, hasn't it?

[If she didn't remember, it was fine. That would be enough for her to know that she probably should, eventually.]

[unweaving]

[ It shouldn't come of as much as a surprise at it does. She's seen Ignis miraculously not-blind, after all, and talked to Prompto enough to figure out that his last memory of home is from a lot earlier than hers. Still, it's a hell of a thing to see the Oracle alive and kicking instead of... well, stabbed and drowned, or whatever.

Still, she's had years of making good money out of keeping the shock off her face when shocking things happen. There's a brief blink and a slight lift of her eyebrows before she smiles and gives a little bow that's basically just a slight incline of her head, somehow sarcastic and utterly genuine in the same motion. ]

Lady Lunafreya. Always a pleasure.

[ It's in the same dry drawl that she says anything these days, with the notable exception that she means it. ]

[votively]

The pleasure is mine, Ms. Highwind. [She'd address her by her title, but... Well, they ~weren't supposed to talk about he past~ and all. Much as she didn't care about getting into trouble, she'd at least put a little effort into not getting caught speaking openly with someone else. There was no need to drag her down, too.

On the other hand, though her own words lack the sarcasm, how much of a pleasure it truly is would be up for debate. She recognized Aranea, but she didn't know her well enough to know where they stood.] I apologize, I had no idea that you were here.

[It was good to know there were others, Empire or not.]

[unweaving]

You have no idea what a relief it is to hear someone call me that. But Aranea's fine. And don't sweat it.

[ When will she stop being mad about the Sheriff calling her "Mrs Argentum"? No time soon, that's for sure. But seeing Lunafreya takes a little of the sting out of the way things have been going so far - it makes the fact that she'd chosen not to tell anyone about the other woman's death seem a lot less important. It raises a lot of other questions, though. Whether she's been here long enough to get her memories back, whether she knows. Hard things to ask in front of cameras. Unless - ]

Hey, I heard you were in an accident. That true? How long ago?