Spring 1
Monday
Time:
5:00
Weather:
Cloudy

---

On the first day of spring, it was cloudy. Long, bleak clouds swarmed the supposed to be clear sky, casting Lily of the Valley into a state of darkness similar to night. The same brisk winter air still covered the valley as it did three days before, and the threat of icy rain or snow became ever more evident as the dark clouds swirls above in an ominous fashion and dampness coated the soft greens and pink of the half-blooming vegetation with beads of water and ice. It wasn't usually this cold on the first day of spring, at least, not around this particular valley. Not only was it cloudy and cold, though, it was also windy. Horrible, short bursts of air traveled across the land, smashing against windows, rattling doors. They happened in small, varied sections, but obviously there, and the wind's sudden harshness was enough to awake most of the valley's inhabitants. Those who had lived forever in the promising land exited their homes with stricken but not entirely worried faces. They held themselves tightly against the cold, covered in nightgowns and slippers and caps, muttering among themselves in a quiet harmony.

Perhaps it was just a left over storm from winter, they thought, nothing to fret about.

Peony Fields blew rapidly in the sudden wind, the half-grown golden grass moving in rapid waves similar to the ocean that churned with gray roughness just out of sight. The farms that had planted themselves securely on the fertile land creaked with each gust, and the soft sounds panicking animals formed from Sunflower Stables, to which their caretaker, Sally Root, responded by running awkwardly from her home to the barn, wearing nothing but a nightgown and robe while also carrying the weight of her pregnancy. Further on, Glowing Fern Forest shook against the storm. The soft greens and pinks and white of the newborn leaves and flowers shrunk back and wilted, too soft for the harsh winds which brutally pushed through them. Below, the river was gray and slow, with no actual water to push it quicker through the bed, and many branches floated on the surface, littering the ocean with the forest's wreckage.

The beach was constantly shifting, small sandstorms often swirled up and fell from the grainy white ground. The ocean lapped angrily at the shore, gray waves spilling, receding, and spilling periodically, towing in discarded branches and shells. Robbi Yung watched from his shop's dock, slanted eyes showing tiredness and worry as he traced the ocean until locking eyes with the town, which showed signs of restlessness. Lights gleamed from windows and sleepy faces peaked out from behind curtains. Wood houses creaked together in an awful harmony. Some eyes that were locked on the sky wandered towards the large mountain, which jutted so far up that it punctured the black clouds like a needle.

And then, the sky screamed. A loud, thunderous sound that rocked the land, stunning those who were awake to stillness and awakening those who were still sound asleep. All electronics throughout the valley began to flicker and buzz, white noise and static filling the ears of those inside. A flash of white skipped through the air, striking Mount Edelweiss' summit, and then with another crack of thunder the storm vanished, black clouds swirling into one large vortex before being cast out into nothingness. Silence fell over the valley, and after moments of stillness, people finally let out soft laughs and smiles, reassuring themselves that it was nothing. Those who were still tired turned back in, and the lights of the town began to vanish. The sun just barely peaked over the plains, and a new warmth was spreading throughout the land, perking up the flowers and trees and grass, calming the raging sea, as well as the towns folk. Everything was alright once more.

---

Eli was one of the many to be awaken by the violent bursts of wind. She had been curled up comfortably on her bought bed, covered by the thin sheets which came with the room and a few shirts and dresses to keep warm. Dream images swirled in her mind, flowers and grass and pastel colors and hands and tight dresses and wine and city lights and forests flashing like a kaleidoscope before her shut eyes. And then the banging started. Like a thousand doors shutting and closing, or as if something was banging against glass. Eli lurched forward, instantly pulled from her drowsiness by the loud noise that filled her room, and let out a small gasp. Her eyes, wide with fright, wandered across the small, well furnished inn room, hand slowly reached to her nightstand to rip an old-fashioned lamp up into her grip. Eventually, she found herself staring at the curtains that barely covered the single, wide framed window in front of her bed, and the idea of someone breaking into the inn became lost in a muddle of curious thoughts.

Why is it so windy? her eyes narrowed as she replaced the lamp and slowly stood up, stretching. The banging stopped for a movement, and Eli found herself approaching floral pattern fabric, and she gently pulled it away and awaited the harshness of the morning sun, but was instead met with darkness. She glared out at the clouds and the land below and her eyebrows arched in surprise when she saw many people glancing out in the exact same way. The apartment above the cafe across the way, Daisy Cafe, was lite brightly and the somewhat familiar face of the owner was down in front of her establishment, staring up at the sky with mouth a gap and eyes wide. Eli followed suit and stared profoundly at the swirling mass of clouds above which imitated the kinds of summer storms she would see back at home. Her hands began toying with the window's lock, and once she managed to pry the worn latch and force open the pane another gust of wind appeared, filling the room with sudden coldness and the smell of the sea. Eli tripped backwards at the pressure of the wind, blond hair spinning madly behind her head while her short night gown crushed against her body, and a small cry escaped her lips. Similar calls and curses sounded down below, but Eli could barely hear, instead her ears were filled with the sound of flapping fabric and roaring wind. The curtains wrapped around her limbs and lashed at her fiercely, leaving the sting of fabric on her arms, and Eli pulled back even more until she was sitting on the trunk in front of her bed.

"Strange, I wouldn't expect such a storm after that winter we just had..." Eli muttered to herself, thinking back to the first day she arrived, where the land had been covered in glistening white and the sky had been a crystal-clear blue almost everyday. In fact, it had been warm enough for plants to start growing just two days prior, why the sudden drop in temperature? The wind had ceased once more and Eli sat back, staring out the open window blankly as she tried to clear her ears of the buzzing sound and think of what to do. Her mind suggested checking the weather, and she half turned until she spotted her sling bag, which was then ripped apart as she dug for her small, some-what old fashioned radio. Eventually, she pulled out the small box and began fidgeting with the dials, clinking through channels of static and music until she heard a monotone voice drone from the speakers. Phrases of 'sunny' and 'warm' drifted from the radio and Eli scoffed, glaring at the box with sudden distaste,

"Yes, obviously it's sunny and warm." sarcasm and malice dripped from her voice, "Jesus, stupid-" before she could finish her thought, a crack of thunder rattled the inn, and Eli let out a loud and sharp yell. Her body clenched up tightly into a ball as shivers of fear made her tremble, and the radio slipped onto the floor by her feet, screaming out an electronic song of static, and the room flashed white once. Eli held herself tightly, arms wrapped around her knees as her face clenched tightly, tears threatening to spill as another boom of thunder rattled the room.

And then it was perfectly quiet.

The radio hummed a soft, Spanish song, but other then that, it was quiet. No sound from outside or below. Nothing at all. Eli lifted her head slowly, locking eyes on the open window, and her breath hitched when she realized there wasn't a sign of the storm left. The sight of the sun in the distance managed to calm her down enough to allow her to move, but not enough to stop shaking, and with slow steps she slowly approached the window and jammed it closed. A sigh, soft and haggard, escaped her lips and she jumped slightly when the radio changed stations one last time, to a man speaking about traffic in the city,

"It is currently six o'five and..."

Eli leaned down and clicked the dials until it was silent once more, then turned to her bag, lazily shifting through outfits, too frightened to fall asleep.

Spring 1
Monday
Time: 5:26 AM
Weather: Cloudy

---

The harsh weather ravaged through small little Lily Town, trees banging on windows as they are blown left and right through the violent storm. It was a bit of an oddity that there was such a harsh storm in the beginning of Spring, more so considering the weather of the previous two days, but Gaku didn't mind as he managed to sleep through most of it. That was until Robert Starr, the head honcho of the Aster Inn and Gaku's boss, came knocking on his door. Well banging his fist would be a better term, which doesn't come as too much of a shock considering the Inn was in a time of crisis.

"Nooo really.. Five. Just five more minutes.." Gaku tried to mutter at the sound coming from the door, drifting back and forth between a state of consciousness.
In a stern and proud voice, Starr tried to inform Gaku on the situation at hand. "We don't have time for five minutes, Gaku. There is a storm outside and we need your help to make sure the place doesn't collapse on itself."

Now rolling out of bed, Gaku looked at the clock. It read around 5:30 AM, almost 4 hours before his shift starts. "Robert are you trying to pull my leg over here? My shift doesn't start until ten, and it's like, a quarter till six here."

Starr, disregarding Gaku's reason, slammed his fist on the door a couple of more times. "I don't care, you're starting early today." then with a lighthearted laugh that sounded like it came from a bear, Starr tried to convince Gaku. "If you help out now, I might even treat you to a special meal tonight! I know you don't get out much, a little social activity would never hurt!"

This was serious. Starr never tries to convince Gaku of doing something, he usually just demands it. After rolling out of bed, literally, he found struggling to untie himself from the sheet covers restricting him as he laid on the ground. But once he got past that, he went out of his room and started stumbling downstairs to see what all the fuss was about. "I hope it's nothing too serious."

This was the case, until half way down Gaku stopped and came to his senses. "Wait, pants. I need pants. Right." He rushed back upstairs and into his room, took off his silky white tee and threw it on the ground, something he will attend to later. Changing into his usual spring attire, he made his way for downstairs again, meeting face to face with Mr. Starr and his wife.

"What's the problem boss?"

"The problem is this storm. It's not a typhoon or anything, but we want to make sure everyone will be alright. Marie and I are going to check outside the Inn and with the townsfolk, and we need you to man the counter."

"That's it? Consider it done." Gaku replied with a sigh of relief. At this time of day, watching over the counter is the easiest job in the entire store. Nobody really comes in or out at this time, so there isn't much work to be done. Gaku would try and apply for the early morning shift normally, if he didn't have to wake up so late.

After the Starr couple left in a hurry, Gaku went behind the check in/out counter, settling into the seat that rested behind it. He began to rest his head against the desk in front of him, letting out a yawn. Starting to slip into sleep again, Gaku tried to stay awake as he watched out the window, the storm beginning to settle down.

"Today's going to be a long day." Gaku muttered to himself.

Monday, Spring 1
5:00 am
Cloudy

---

A violent storm raged outside his home, but Henry hardly noticed. He was still soundly lost in dreamland, flying on the back of a talking cow named Billy. Having grown up in a city, storms were hardly different than car horns and construction noises. It wasn't until his window shattered and the winds came howling through his small house that Henry fell out of bed with a "Gyagh!" Landing in a tangle of bedsheets, he quickly struggled to work his way out of the mess and scrambled to his feet.

"That's some storm!" Henry ducked back down and pulled a large wooden slab out from under his bed. "Always be prepared," he muttered to himself as he hoisted the slab up over the window. Four small wooden hooks stood waiting, and the slab slid neatly over the window, cutting off the winds instantly, though the incredible sound could still be heard from outside. Henry turned to take stock of his house; like most smaller houses, his was all one large room. Some pots and clothes had been scattered by the wind, and his small dining table had been knocked over. "Ah, man..." Henry sighed, head slumped in defeat. Suddenly, it snapped up, his demeanor suddenly far more serious.

"The potato field!"

Henry burst out the front door, still in his night clothes, as the wind nearly blew him off of his feet. He kept himself steady - barely - and managed to get to his field. Some of the crops were almost ripe, and the food was paramount to keeping his farm alive. Grabbing a nearby tarp, Henry rushed to set up a shelter for his potatoes. After ten minutes of epic struggle, Henry laid the last stone down to keep the tarp in place. It wasn't pretty, but he had managed to save most of his field. With a sigh, Henry glanced up at the sky, and his mouth fell open. This was no storm; not like any he had ever seen, anyway. The clouds were swirling unnaturally, and the lightning was terrifying to look at. A bright flash struck Mount Edelweiss, and then the storm was suddenly no more. Henry kept staring, deeply concerned by what he had seen.

"That was no storm..." he said solemnly. He had never seen anything quite like that before, and certainly nothing that had vanished into thin air. There must have been more to it. Still, as long as he had no leads to follow, he had no way to find out what it was. Henry sighed. "As long as it doesn't happen again," he decided, "I guess it's alright." He turned to look back at his potatoes, still covered up by the tarp.

"Ah man..." he said. "I have to take that down now. And after all that..." With a sigh and a shake of his head, Henry took down the tarp and let his potatoes free. He kept the stones nearby though, just in case. He glanced through his window. His house was still a disaster. "...Err... I can clean that later," he decided. He glanced at his watch: it was about 6 am. With a shrug, Henry decided he might as well stay up. He took three steps toward town before realizing he was still in his night clothes. With a start, he rushed back inside to get dressed. Today was already promising to be an interesting day.

Alex was not a morning person. She was also not a 5 am person. To her, there was all the difference in the world between the two. So when she groggily turned over to stare at the clock on the her bedside table, trying to find an angle that let her see past her plushy dog and flower vase, she stared at where the clock should have been – yet she saw no blue neon glow. The banging continued on her window, and did nothing to stop her increasing annoyance. She realised after an entire minute of staring at her table that the clock was, in fact, covered by a book. That’s right. The glow from the clock always kept her awake, so she always did that. Trying to drown out the noise which would undoubtedly induce a migraine at any moment, she reached over to pull down the book.

She couldn't seem to reach it, and her tired stupor meant that she managed to get everything except the book. She accidentally shoved Kujo, her plushy toy dog, to the ground, along with several coins, and almost her flower vase, but the book just always seemed right out of reach. The frustration grew, and in a ditch effort, lunged forward. Not only did she get the book, she managed to hit literally everything else on the table. With a crash that was drowned out by the storm, her lamp, alarm clock, flower vase, small pile of books, wallet, water bottle and smaller plushy toy cat-- Sir Fluffens, Esquire -- all smashed into the floor. Alex laid there for several seconds, trying to fully comprehend what just happened.

“Eh?” was all she vocalised, before groaning inwardly. With the energy of a sloth, she slowly crept out of bed and glanced at the 5:27 on her fallen clock. With another groan, she started the arduous task of putting everything back – everything was arduous to her at 5 in the morning. After she completed that, she stumbled to her wardrobe and pulled out her sleeping gown, wrapping it around herself and moving to the window. Pulling aside the curtains, she grimaced at the window visibly rattled in front of her, as if it almost threatened to outright rip off. Thankfully, the glass held, but she wasn't sure the same held true for the town. The weather had been fine the past couple days, so what happened? Just a freak change of weather? Well, obviously. What else would it be? On this thought, she turned and collapsed back on her bed, finding no more merit in contemplating the intricacies of the town's erratic weather.

Except the damn window kept rattling. And she was already awake. With another groan, she pushed herself up, and questioned when she last had to wake up this early. There wasn't much point to it, so she always slept it. It helped that her job entailed evening work. She sluggishly moved downstairs, being careful not to stumble in her early morning stupor, and moved through the hallway to the living room / kitchen.

“—it’ll be a lovely day, they said. It’ll be a sunny day, they said,” the annoyed voice of her father from the kitchen. “Winter would just disappear as if it were never there, they said.” She moved into the living room to see her parents sitting at the couch, watching the TV. “Hm, yes, I can see where they were coming from.” The room had a full view of their garden through a large window, so the effect of the wind outside was easily seen.

“Mornin’,” she tiredly said, moving to the pantry to get some cereal.

“Ye’ Gods, I didn't think it was biologically possible for you to wake up this early,” her father remarked, actually having to speak louder to be heard over the roaring thunder.

“Eh? What? I don’t think that’s a thing.” She blinked, confused.

“Don’t pay any attention to-” her mother started, but was interrupted by the single loudest boom of thunder she had ever experienced. The electricity shut of completely, the lights turning off and television going black, and the three of them just stewed in silence as the world suddenly and randomly got a whole lot quieter. Her mother broke the silence. “Huh.” Back to silence, save for Alex’s quiet munching of her cereal.

“Well, that’s done. I’m off to bed,” her father swiftly said as the conversation ran dry, her mother nodding in response. Both of them left the room, leaving her to contemplate if getting breakfast was the wisest choice. Now she felt like she couldn't go back to bed at all.

Well, she had until evening before she actually had to do anything, so set herself to just walk around town for some sort of idea. Finishing her cereal, she changed out of her pajamas and dressing gown, and into a long-sleeved shirt with a grey wool jacket and scarf, and a pair of jeans. She made she to do herself up with make-up, and to check that any traces a beard was not there -- all in all, make sure that nobody would be confused on what gender she was. She left the house and started walking to the general direction of the bar – she wanted to see if the storm actually did any damage. She hoped not.

It was cold in this place, wherever it was. Dark too, but not quiet. A persistent banging, strident and annoying, sounded a harsh rapport over the sound of violent wind. The sound of wind swelled and thinned from howls to whistles, and the accompanying banging led to a cacophony of riotous music that did nothing to please the ears of the listener. He was comfortable, balled up in his covers the way a burrowing animal would be, and it took Everett a moment to realize he was awake, and the deafening symphony he heard was coming from outside his window. He lurched up crookedly, arms restricted by his bed coverings. As he moved, the blankets fell away from his protruding collar bones, and he shivered. It was not supposed to be this cold in spring, he thought uselessly and tiredly, not fully awake. He realized the cause of his awakening, the raucous clatter of his flower box against his window frame. He shrugged out of his cocoon without much difficulty - a life spent as a violent sleeper left him used to the battle of limbs and sheets - and swung his legs over the side of his bed. The floor was cold against his bare feet.

Everett ran a hand through his tousled hair, it's lavender color accentuated by the dreary light that filtered past his plain blue curtains. As much as he was disturbed by the weather, he reminded himself that they did reside in the valley of a large mountain, and such areas are prone to sudden and violent weather patterns. He didn't think much of it at that moment. He yawned deeply, looking to his clock and seeing the time, decided he might as well get up anyway. He probably wouldn't have much luck falling back asleep. He stood after the decision was made, and groaned as he disentangled himself completely from the sheets and his bare torso was exposed to the cold. He swept up his robe as he strode lazily to the window, pulled it on with another yawn.

At the window, he looked out. The sky was a terrifying shade of dark gray, swirled and intermingled with tendrils or both lighter and darker clouds, giving the sky a truly ominous appearance. The whole town shook in its wake, trembling and rattling in the powerful gusts. His building was no exception; the wooden frame before him convulsed under the pressure. He waited until a particularly harsh gust subsided, and then quickly cracked his window and quickly dashed his slender hands out, bring in the flower box easily. He closed it again, and the action was followed immediately by another forceful gale. His flesh was raised in goose-flesh from the exposure, and he stuffed his hands under his arms and shivered. The air had felt damp, and smelled of salt. He peered into his garden-box, relieved there seemed to be little irreparable damage; it would grow back. He straightened the box against the sill, and stepped back.

He made it to his bed before he heard the crack of thunder. It was easily one of the loudest, most jarring sound he had heard in a long while, if not ever. The resounding echo off the mountain was even still something to be heard over the wind, and he wasn’t surprised, but yet not prepared, for the following lightning strike. Almost his entire apartment, which consisted of just two rooms, a main room with an elevated and screen off bed area and a bathroom, lit up in an ethereal white light, making insidious shadows out of the furniture and Everett himself. He stopped cold, shocked for a brief second, and then slackened. The only thing strange about this lightning was its magnitude; it was nothing he wasn’t used to. Still, he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. He returned to the window.

As he stood there, gazing at the sky with a look of contemplation, he was most enraptured by the sight of the clouds turning in on themselves. The entire mass circled around a reverse whirlpool. He stood, transfixed, as the entire undulating storm slowly disappeared from sight; collapsing from an all-encompassing sheet, to a large obstruction, to small dark cloud, and then, lastly, nothing.

Everett had never seen something so magnificent in its mystery. An intellectual by nature, this strange events had his mind racing at the possibilities and meanings of the phenomenon he had just witnessed. He blew a long breath out of his nose after he stood in silence, eyes lifted to the sky just outside his thin window. He opened the window, slowly at first, half expected the winds to blow, the sight of the vortex having been an illusion, but the air was calm, and when he repositioned his planter’s box, it sat against his window without protest. He shook his head and closed the window once more.

Looking to his clock, he saw that it was not lit up. He knew it was around five or six in the morning, and sighed. This was an interesting morning, indeed, he thought as he dressed.

Spring 1
Monday
Time: 7:00
Weather: Sunny

---

Eli sat on her bed, fully clothed and somewhat damp from a long shower she had just took, hand skimming through a worn wallet. Cards, most expired and trash, littered the innards, as well as a few bills and coins. Just enough for at least two more weeks in the Inn. Eli sighed and glanced out the window at the town, and a quiet plea to the Harvest Goddess she had been told about, asking for courage and luck. For a moment, job hunting was the only thing to think about, but the motivation that took hold of her mind quickly passed when the need to sketch something made her fingers itch. Fear was good inspiration. Eli quickly leaned down to her satchel again, pulling out a thick and rather old sketchbook, plastic baggy filled with colorful oil pastels, and an old camera. She shoved everything, including her wallet, under her arm and turned towards the oak door that lead outside.

The hallway outside her room was dimly lit yet ornate, the plush carpet underneath soft against covered feet. Eli really did love the inn, it was so quaint and quiet, and meals came free with the room. Eli had managed to secure her home on the second floor, which was pretty high considering the place only had three floors, and enjoys waking up everyday to a well furnished room and friendly atmosphere. The only misfortune she had ever encountered here was the rude, stormy awakening this morning, and perhaps the somewhat intimidating owner, worker, and patrons. They weren't all that bad though. Eli lowered her head in thought as she slowly wandered down the stairwell towards the lobby, thinking of the kind husband and wife that allowed her to stay for so little payment, and the punk worker Gaku with his amazing music and bluntness, and the beautiful Izzie with her lovely blonde hair and joking attitude. Eli lifted her free hand to her own still damp blondeness, running her fingers gently through the thick stands with thin lips until she hit the tiled floor of the lobby.

Eli's eyes scanned the large room, looking expectantly for Marie or Rob, but instead found Gaku, who looked half dead sitting behind the counter. Her payment for the week was due, but neither of the owners were there to accept it, she would have to leave it with the punk. Eli gulped down anxiety, quickly blanked her faces, and quietly approached the counter, slipping a few bills and some coins out of her wallet. Her mouth opened, but words failed to appear, and she simply stared at Gaku for a few moments, lost on what to say or do. Eventually, she lifted the somewhat shaky, money-filled hand up and placed the bills on the counter, eyes staring directly at his' with an unfathomable, emotionless expression,

"This is the... Money for my time in the Inn." her voice was soft, somewhat hard to notice. She stared at him for a moment longer, then bowed her head and uttered a quick 'goodbye' before turning on her heels and practically sprinting out the door into the cool spring air. Her feet carried on through the town, passed murmuring groups and tipped flower pots, towards the base of Mount Edelweiss. People had gathered in the town square, but Eli vaguely noticed as she jogged by. Perhaps the Mayor was holding a meeting about the storm from before. Ah well, nothing for her there. No, she was focus on getting to the woods that surrounded the base of the mountain and Flora Falls. There was a particular knotted dogwood tree that was fresh in her head and she had a startlingly strong urge to sketch the tree before it bloomed fully, and this certain tree was located just beside on the outskirts of the falls. Eli eventually ran out of energy and slowed to a steady walk, and by this time she was already out of the town and on the dirt trail that curved towards the mountain. The familiar murmur of the river sounded somewhere beyond her sight, and dew-licked grass glinted beautifully in the morning sunlight. Eli appreciated the quiet, serene nature around her with a soft smile, head bowed to stare at her boot-covered feet that left behind small footprints in the sandy pathway, forgetting the anxiety she had just experienced a few minutes before.

There was, however, a disturbance in the peace. Eyes on the back of her head, a small presence but definitely there. Glancing about while continuing her slow stride, Eli found that she wasn't being followed, and although she had seen a small glimpse of light just out of the corner of her eye she couldn't find the source at all. Not wanting to go off task looking for what was most likely nothing, she decided to ignore it, and continued on until she was surrounded by trees and the soft spray of the falls. The knotted trunk of the dogwood sat just on the cliff of Flora Falls, surrounded by stone that was cracked and filled with growing grass and flowers. Bright pink buds and green leaves covered the looming branches, and Eli walked forward, making herself comfortable against the large, mossy trunk, opening her sketch book and pastels. This was how she had spent almost all of winter, curled up against a tree or the earth, sketching or painting or photographing the beauty of the valley, surrounded by silence and nature and not her past. Memories of her rude awakening and awkward chit-chat with Gaku vanished as she let out a soft sigh and began to leave wide, elegant strokes on the rigid paper that lay flat on her lap.

____________________________
Monday, Spring 1 | 6:05 AM | ☁
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Her grandfather once told her that she was born during a thunderstorm. He saw it on television, he said. They were reporting about the freak thunderstorm that raged down in the metropolis she was born in, thunder and lightning and rain crashing violently around the newscaster as he braved the streets. He went off on a tangent after that part, rambling about how dirty the city streets looked and how lucky he was to be living in a peaceful town, until she prodded him to finish the story. There was a big smile on his face as he picked up where left off, telling her this was the best part. He got a call from her mom, you see, the first one he'd gotten since he learned about her impromptu wedding. The reception was bad because of the constant bouts of thunder, and the call had gone in and out, but there was one thing he could hear clearly.

"As soon as you cried, I saw in the news that the thunder started to lull and the sky started clearing up." At this point, he'd jumped up from his seat in excitement and gestured wildly at the ceiling. "I kept telling your mom, that you chased that darned storm away."

Izzie was pretty sure her grandfather made up about eighty-five percent of the story, but she likes to think it was all true. It sounded pretty awesome, didn't it? And besides, she's had a strange fascination with storms ever since she was little, and having that sort of backstory as an explanation made it cool.

✲
Ever the heavy sleeper, not even the incessant and violent howling of the wind through the window, carelessly left open two nights in a row now, managed to rouse the sleeping Izzie. Strong gusts bit at her exposed skin and tussled her long blonde locks wildly, but still she remained in deep sleep, the small smile on her face indicative of the happy dream she was having. It was about the grand tale of her birth, as fantasized by her grandfather, nonsensically mixed in with an action movie she had watched the day before. Izzie lay sprawled across her plush bed, limbs contorted in what could probably be a yoga pose, half of her body teetering at the edge of the mattress. If she moved even an inch to her left, she would be joining her blanket, kicked off the bed after only being asleep for two minutes, and find herself in a more intimate relationship with the carpeted floor. It wouldn't be the first time it happened. She can't even count how many times she had woken face down on the floor, back too sore to move and a small bruise forming on her forehead, but suffice it to say, it sucks.

Izzie's room was a sight to behold, looking very much like the aftermath of a tornado. Gaku was lucky he didn't have to clean her room, or he would probably cry from all the work that needs to be done. Strewn along the length of her room was foliage brought by the wind, twigs and leaves and dust decorating nearly every inch of her room. Papers (mostly sheets of music and sheets of hastily scribbled song lyrics) that used to be on her desk danced across her room, and at least one or two must have gone out the window.

It was only when the sky began to rumble that Izzie began to stir. As thunder roared, like a proud lion prowling the gray skies, her blue eyes shot open and a huge grin spread across her face. Excitedly, the blonde jumped off her bed and ran to her window to look out at the sky, with nary a concern at the chaotic state of her room—it's been through much worse. Without so much as a second thought, she quickly slipped on her slippers and bolted right out of the room, still dressed in her sleepwear, a set of matching pink shorts and sleeveless top. Her room was right next to Gaku's, and she passed by Robert Starr on her way out, laughing as she heard him banging his fist on the door to wake Gaku up.

After stepping out of the inn's entrance, Izzie was slightly disappointed to see no rain accompanied the thunder. She paced along the front of the building, head tilted up as she hoped even the slightest hint of a drizzle, and smiled as she caught sight of the streak of white that lit up the sky. This was unusual as far as storms went, but Izzie still reveled at the clap of thunder that followed. It was a shame that the storm vanished just as abruptly as it had appeared.

"Isabelle!"

Izzie turned at the familiar voice of her boss, who she realized was just across from her, standing outside the café as she checked out the weather. She hadn't noticed her there at all, and she had automatically flinched at the use of her full name. Her boss had taken to calling her by her whole name whenever she was about to scold her, so she developed a certain wariness at the sound. Izzie waved and grinned sheepishly at the older woman in an exaggeratedly cutesy manner, hoping to appeal to her friendlier side, but she wasn't having any of nonsense as usual.

"Stop fooling around and get dressed." Rebecca told her curtly, hands on her hips in a manner Izzie was more than accustomed seeing. "You have the morning shift today, don't you?"

"Roger, ma'am," Izzie said, playfully saluting before she did as told and ran back into the inn. She knew better than to get on the cafe owner's nerves so early in the morning.

The lobby was no longer empty upon her return, but she was surprised to see that it was neither Rob nor Marie manning the counter. They must be doing some work on the inn, because they usually don't let Gaku handle the counter so early. Peering up at the boy, she couldn't help but laugh at the obvious grogginess that crossed his features. How very typical of him. She had half a mind to sneak up behind him and give him a friendly (and super helpful, of course) scare to wake him up, but someone else had approached him before she could. Eli, who she liked to think as one of her prime targets (a rather elusive one, at that) in her quest for fun, arrived at the lobby around the same time she had, but she ran off immediately after handing Gaku her dues. Izzie hardly got a word out before the other blonde disappeared out the door, leaving a bit of awkward tension in her wake. Amused and just the slightest bit confused, Izzie approached her friend at the counter, leaning against the desk as she playfully bopped the older boy's nose in greeting.

"Hey there, lazy," Izzie said, grinning widely. "You're up early~"

Then, gesturing behind her with her thumb, pointing to where Eli had just scampered off in a hurry, she narrowed her eyes teasingly and leaned in conspiratorially. "So what did you to Eli?"

___________________________
Monday, Spring 1 | 7:00AM
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

The sun was vacant to the Island today, no light truly pans through the clouds and as much as Rosemary enjoyed the sky how it is, there would be no good business today. No one really came in when it rained. Church the night before was very empty due to the snow that previous evening and even the sleepy little town expected the day after would be a bit of a quiet one.

Sliding free from her bed, she moves to her dresser to groom herself and greet her grandmother for the day- a single picture sitting upon the vanity adorned by the pearls she would wear on the sunniest of days. "Good morning Nanny" she says in her dull, tired voice. pressing a kiss to her hand and sliding it onto the frame, she goes off to shower and prep for the morning.

In good time, maybe a minute or so late, the closed sign was switched to open and Rosie migrated herself back to the desk to enjoy some quiet time before the normal hustle and bustle of the day began, usually with the occasional foreigner or even just a traveler passing through. The expectation of someone to come in during this day was however short-lived in her mind- it quietly shifted to a sigh and sliding her head onto the counter.

"No one is going to come in today if the weather is crumby like this..." she moans and grumbles. a Quick moment of despair fluttered in for a second. "Oh wait..." she perks up a little. "It's new year's day... isn't it....wait... Alice isn't manning the tailor desk..."

---

The Door bursts open with a thud before the annoyed Rosie marches to the window and thrusts open the curtains- the screams of a slightly younger woman curdles across the house and out into the street as sunlight breaks into her eyes- trying to readjust to the sudden invasion of her room. The sudden throwing and tossing of pillows and other objects directed at Rosemary were in vain- each pillow was caught or knocked to the floor with simple gestures before dainty and pathetic coughs erupt from the mound of blankets regurgitating the cushions.

"Get up"
"Nuuu"
"Get. up. now"
"I said No!"
"It's not my fault you were up late last night with my brandy"
"But it tastes good! I only get to drink once a year..."
"Get up now, Alice! Get to your station"

A pillow was taken and smashed across Alice's face before Rosie leaves the room, and shutting the door behind her. Alice groans, rolling from the bed onto the floor and off to the bathroom. Emerging from such fully dressed she moves out to the store front, sitting in her chair and stares groggy eyed at the order she needed to finish today- a wedding dress ordered from the city with special instruction to include fine details, ones she was afraid to do at first. Taking her needle and one full pull into the fabric, Alice began her work, humming a little tune to herself while Rosie returns from the back, book in hand and sits into her own position. The store, now open for the first day of the year lay open for patrons, and happy to be of the town's- or anyone's for that matter- service.

Spring 1, Monday
Time: 5:00
Weather: Cloudy

---

Isis had fallen asleep out on her porch reading. Normally she was an extremely heavy sleeper. But this night was different. The wind blew her hammock around knocking her to the ground. Which woke her violently. She rubbed her head and look around trying to figure what had happened. It soon became apparent that a massive storm was coming through. The clouds had taken on a weird black and gray color. They where circling around in the way a shark circles it's prey. A loud bang rattled the windows of her home. She quickly got of from the floor and rush to her beloved glass greenhouse as another came roaring through out the town. The rain poured down and the wind made it harder to get the short distance she had to go. She thought in her head what she could do to protect her little abode? As she finished the sentence the wind came rushing through pushing her back and bursting the glass that surrounded her lively hood. She screamed as a pieces of glass shard grazed her face. Not so much because it hurt but because her babies wore being torn as the glass fell to the ground. It all happened so quickly that she did not know what to do. She fell to the wet ground while tears and rain ran down her face.

The rain stopped and Isis looked up at the sky. It was as if nothing had happened. She wiped away the tears and rain that lay on her face. Isis got herself up, took a deep breath and walked to where the damage had happened. She looked over what the storm had caused. All she could see was glass every where and bent metal. Kneeling down she took a closer look at the rose bushes by the doors of the greenhouse. The glass and rain lay on top of the leaves of the roses. Now that the sun was out it created a rainbow effect that was quite beautiful and she smiled. The roses had not bloomed yet but, the leave where okay. She ran to her shed and grabbed a broom sweeping off the glass and water. As they fell to the floor they looked like little rainbows falling. She looked at the blooms of some holly they where also okay. She smiled and laughed at herself. "This is a flower that represents hope." She said to herself. She quickly started cleaning of all the flowers one after the other, "All are okay." She sighed in relief. Some had some nicks and cuts but nothing that couldn't repair its self. By the time she had gotten through them all it was seven o'clock. Isis looked down at her baggy overalls that where still sopping wet from the storm. She had not even noticed. She let out a loud laugh and said to her self. "Well I guesses I should change." She headed in to the little cottage that was both her home and shop. Went up the stairs and took off the wet clothes and started to prepare for the day.

Spring 1
Monday
Time: 7 AM
Weather: Sunny

---

Gaku sat around, thinking of what Robert said to him before the new year. Lost in thought, he didn't even notice the sudden change in weather, as he was off in his own little world.

"You have to be a little more confident in yourself kid. You aren't as bad of a guy as you think you are."

These words rang in his head, as he tried to make sense of them.

"What does he mean by confident? I'm acknowledge my faults, and I take them with stride. What's wrong with that?"

He didn't get it. In a way, he didn't want to get it. The way he handled things was easy, and it worked. Before he could think about it any longer, a thin and pale figure stood above him, shooting him a blank and emotionless gaze. He looked up too see who it was, suddenly being met with a voice.

"This is the... Money for my time in the Inn." chimed a soft voice. It was Eli, having a stare down with Gaku. And as she said, in her shaking hands laid the money. He always wondered where she got the money. He was about to bring it up, but before he could she put the money on the table while bowing her head, uttering a goodbye as she turned and made a mad dash out the door.

Gaku gave a little sigh, shrugging off the encounter. He doesn't mind that kind of action around him, and has gotten used to it, he's more surprised then anything that she actually managed to hand him the money. As one went out, in came another. "Oh boy, here comes the Queen herself." Gaku said to himself. It was none other than Izzie, someone Gaku would consider friends with, which can be a bit rare. She wasn't actually a Queen, but he sure felt she was treated like one. Liked by mostly everyone in town, charming and exciting, had the personality of fireworks, and was kinda cute on top of it, or at least a lot more of a looker Gaku felt he was. If there was yang to his yin, it would probably be Izzie. The complete opposite to him in more ways than one. Gaku tends to wonder why such a girl would be friends with him at times. She leaned against the desk, greeting Gakus face with a tap on the nose.

"Hey there, lazy," Izzie said, grinning widely. "You're up early~"

"Hey to you too Princess." Gaku said shooting a smirk back. "Don't remind me. The old man is out checking on a few of the townsfolk about the storm. So I'm in charge while he's away."

While saying this, Gaku was already moving the money off the counter, bringing it to the bottom shelf under the counter. There was a little metal box where the owner kept most of the money before he could do something with it. He simply put in the lock combination, threw the money in there, and placed the box back where it came from. He figured he will tell Mr. Starr about it when he gets back later.

Izzie made a gesture behind her with her thumb, back where Eli ran off.

"So what did you do to Eli?"

"Don't ask me, she just threw her rent money at me and left. Speaking of which, where's yours? Are you going to make us wait forever as usual?" Gaku replied, smiling a bit at the last part of his comment.

Gaku broke eye contract, looking over her body from head to toe and realized she's still wearing what seemed to be what was sleeping in, making the same mistake Gaku made earlier this morning. "I guess all princess can't be perfect. Maybe a better nickname would be 'Lazy Princess.'" he laughed to himself. "You should probably go put something on before you're arrested for public indecency."

Monday, Spring 1
5:00 AM on a Cloudy Day
~The Borderline of the Broken Storm~

It was a cloudy, windy, stormy morning, with the first day of spring announced with the exhilarating squalls of a springtime tempest. The wind howled in short intervals, rattling the budding branches of the forest that surrounded Fiora Falls. They sounded skeletons, waltzing to the tune of nature's cacophony. It was a wild expression of nature, but some of that charm was lost from the lack of leaves on the trees. There was no rustling that mimicked the rain that was soon to come, and only a cool morning dampness chilled the air. No heavy rain yet. Heaven's doors had yet to open upon the Valley.

Brent had been awake an hour prior, occupying himself with a combination of campfire tending and coffee-brewing. Lately, he'd been having trouble sleeping, and such a problem had brought him the much needed time to catch up on e-books in his backlog. Making good of a bad situation was his way of life, after all, and while his insomnia has dulled his senses and killed off his ability to think sharply in the morning, a cup of instant coffee and a cold shower in Fiora Falls was enough to set him straight for a day of part-time work and full-time research. But today was a storming day, and he'd always wanted to take a bath in the rain. After all, if he did that, the young man could finally say something along the lines of “I'm perfectly clean. Just took a shower during that morning storm~!”.

He snickered at that thought, as he began to assemble a tarp over the warm fireplace and second-hand lawnchair. Stretched out tightly by aluminum poles and secured with bright orange spikes buried into the soil, Brent made a small prayer for his roof not to be blown off with the wind, so he had a nice open area in which to dry off his sleeping bag and pillow. Winter was a bad season for him, ultimately. He hadn't expected the snow to fall that quickly, and before he'd known it, Brent had sprained his ankle and caught a fever, spending his time bundled up and sweating inside his tent for ten days. The sickness wasn't even some sort of Winter Spirit Curse, so it wasn't like he had anything fun to write about in his blog.

And after that, his sleeping bag had stunk for days.

Grinning away those memories, and enjoying another wild gust that scattered sparks and threatened to toss his lawnchair into the darkening skies, Brent took a deep breath of the refreshing volatile wind. The atmosphere was full of energy now, crackling with the tension that promised a dramatic bolt of lightning. He stepped out from the cover of his shelter, stretching out with a great big yawn as his kettle whistled. This early in the morning, the only things on TV and the radio would be weather, news, and infomercials. The first storm of Spring, though, that was some nice entertainment to season his coffee with.

And like that, on top of the mountain, heralded by the scream of banshees, a jagged blade of light found its mark on top of Mount Edelweiss, followed by an explosive boom, and then...the storm vanished, the clouds collapsing into a vortex and then disappearing. Not dissipating, but simply disappearing.

For a moment, Brent was silent.

Then he laughed, a mix of shishishis and hehahas, as the Harvest Goddess decided to show Lily of the Valley a warm sunrise instead of a spring storm.

A few minutes later, as he was sipping on coffee while soaking in morning rays, Brent realized that he probably should have at least taken a picture of what had just transpired.

---

6:30 AM on a Brightening Morning
~Ice-melts Water-falls~

It was still a bit chilly, but Brent wasn't a skilled kindler of flames for no reason! After spending thirty minutes vigorously washing his heavy winter coat and sleeping bag, he was finally ready to soak in the wintry chilliness of the cascading falls. With a smoldering fire nearby, ready to be ignited into a healthy blaze, as well as a good hour-and-a-half before he had to get started with finding jobs and maintaining connections, Brent was prepared to enjoy his Zen time as much as he could.

Everett would probably have more than a few words regarding his lack of fear of hypothermia, or ailments related to temperature, but the explorer was fine with that. He got a fever last time because he was careless. By next winter, he'll train his cold immunity until he could do a marathon out in the mountains, naked. That was his New Year's Resolution. He'll change his Ice Resistance into Ice Nullification!

Humored with another silly idea, the young man insured that the embers were still lively and smouldering under that tent of twigs, before promptly stripping off all his clothes and casting them dramatically aside, flinging them onto the rocks that circled the water falls. It was all in the atmosphere, after all. With the same lack of hesitation that he had with going full-nudist in the wilds, he then jumped into the lake, plunging himself into the near-zero waters.

For a moment, there was a numbing shock, as his mind was utterly white.

Then, in the next instant, it was as if he had been struck by lightning, a shock of adrenaline pouring into him. Blood rushed through his body, and his heart pounded madly as he kicked off the bottom of the lake and exploded outwards, a geyser of white water following him.

And then, the coldness settled in once more, but this time, it was a cold that only served to sharpen and calm him. His heartbeat slowed, settling into a regular rhythm, before, with deliberate steps, Brent slipped under one of the gentler parts of Fiora Falls, partially engulfed in the curtain of water.

Ice-melt cascaded over him.

White noise drowned out the material world.

Pulsating blows massaged his body.

Cold mist covered his eyes.

And, like a Buddhist monk, Brent achieved a state of almost perfect tranquility.

“The mind is everything...what you think, you become.”

“Well, actually, I'd be really damn happy if I could change just by wanting to change, but holy crap, this is way too painful to be meditative!”

And with that, he hopped out of the waterfall before anything really bad happened, settling for floating along the current instead, bobbing up and away from the white mist.

It would appear that Brent would require much more training before he challenges Fiora Falls once more.

Alex couldn’t help but feel like she had wasted an opportunity. First time awake at half past five in the morning, and she does not a whole lot with it. Moving through the town, she tried to assess the damage done by the storm – as far as she could tell, it wasn’t too bad, but at the same time, she never went up to people to actually directly ask them. Which probably would have been a lot smarter. As nothing was really open, she just went back home and changed out of her winter clothing, and made sure to brush her hair again. Apparently, the storm was largely deceptive of what the temperature would actually be, and changed into her spring clothing – a cream blouse with a tan and light jacket, with a knee high black skirt. She stared at the mirror and tried to detect any discrepancies. Standard fare.

She checked her watch: 6:35. Considering that she normally got up at 10:30 -- at best -- this was an incredibly jarring experience. But it was an experience! A chance to grow as a person! To conquer the social world and her quest to becoming a charming bartender!

She realised that she was standing with her fist raised triumphantly in the air, and suddenly felt incredibly silly. A deep crimson blush made its way to her face despite being completely alone, so she ceased her stupid shenanigans and left the house to go do something productive for once.

7:05am : Isis’ Flower Shoppe : Sunny

Alex stood out in front of the flower shop, and quite honestly, wasn’t sure what she was doing. Looking to the side where the greenhouse was, she could see it had taken a bit of damage from the storm. She wasn’t quite sure why, but this made it all the more awkward for her to actually go into the shop. Alex would often try her hand at planting flowers at the start of a season – so her trips to the store were infrequent, just a few times a year, maybe more if she was having some trouble. The problem was, this meant that every trip to the store was an arduous task of unfamiliarity. She had stopped being nervous about going to the bar a while ago because she literally went there nearly every single day to work. While she had managed her previous visits to the shop before, those visits were usually at a time of day when there were other people in the store – and when the greenhouse wasn’t damaged. She wasn’t sure why that last bit was important to her mustering up courage, but it was somehow.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled her courage!... to… walk into a… flower store. A sudden wave of discouragement swept through her. She wondered just what the hell was wrong with her. It had to change, or she doubted she would even be able to function as a human being.

Stepping into the store with a new-found depression, she found Isis, the friendly, lightly pinked hair florist. She glanced around the store briefly, and tried to put on a smile – although her nerves were now slowly increasing with every step towards the woman. She wouldn't be able to accurately pinpoint why. “H-hi!” she said, trying to sound less nervous than she was. “So I, uh, figured I would…” she trailed off as her mind blanked. Why would it blank? Why did it have to happen now? What was she doing here again? “Flowers!” she suddenly blurted out, and realised how utterly stupid that must have seemed, her face now blushing madly. “R-right. I'm, uh, getting seeds. For planting.” Why did she say that last bit? What else would she use them for?! “Any… um, recommendations? For this season?"

Spring 1
Monday
7:10
Sunny

---

Soon, Eli's hands were pink. On her lap was a swirling picture of the tree above her head, bright pinks and browns and pale greens collided and formed an image of beauty and almost realism. The tree trunk was a strange, abstract concoction of Eli's mind, though, for within the multiple shades of brown were a few, thin gashes that resembled lightning scored the piece, zipping from the middle of the tree down into the roots where it vanished all together in the pale green of the grass. Words could be seen lightly scribbled in the grass and new leaves, millions of small letters that seemed incoherent at first but actually formed sentences, like 'gone' and 'dark and 'light. 'The final memory of this morning. She glared at the cuts in the trunk and the many mistakes in the picture and the words, then let out a small sigh and tugged the paper from the sketchbook.

"Trash." she muttered, disgust dripping from her voice. She held the paper forward, staring at it with angry eyes, and before she could crumble it into a ball of nothing a small gust of wind pulled it from her fingertips. At first, she just watched it tumble onto the grass a few feet away from her, half-ready to just get up and leave it to the forest, but the idea of littering such a pretty land made her feel rather sick. Eli slowly rose to her feet and wandered over to grab it, but once again a gust of wind picked it up before her and pushed it through the forest. A curse escaped her already open mouth and she turned back to gather her things before she followed it, ignoring the thorns and bushes and branches that tugged at her legs. The paper glided gracefully, despite it's heaviness and the added weight of oil pastels, and always seemed just too far ahead to grab. In the distance Eli could make out the faint roar of Flora Falls, but she was too focused on the paper that was just out of reach to actually realize how close it was... Until the forest opened up into a spray of white water and air. Eli flinched back against the cold, her hand moving automatically over to protect the sketchbook beneath her arm, and watched with a face of bleak sadness as the paper blew right into the falls, disappearing beneath the white waters and crushing breeze. A sigh filled her chest and the feeling of absolute disgust in herself took over the feeling of serenity she had before, and with the last of her motivation to stop this dumb piece of art from tainting the land she glared into the water and river below. The slim white of the paper was floating quickly down the rapids, looking as though it would never stop, but as if the stars had finally aligned in Eli's favor, it snagged up against a stone and stuck. A whoop of victory echoed from her throat, and with her head buzzing with cheerfulness. Perhaps, she could climb down and snatch it up before it begins to break apart, the exercise would do her good and plus, maybe they'll be something inspiring down there. Her eyes glanced downwards at the ledge, and from where she stood it was much too steep and smooth to scale, so she began to walk along the cliff side, looking for a safe place to begin her descent.

Eventually, Eli found a suitable spot to begin climbing down, a bumpy, not as steep edge that was only a yard or more away from the rock that had captured the picture. The large sketchbook under her arm was shoved between her teeth along with the plastic bag of pastels and pencils, while her camera dangled around her neck loosely. The drop wasn't that bad, she could easily just throw everything down there, but Eli found that she couldn't risk dropping anything as most of the stuff would shatter upon impact on the wet stone below, and with that final thought, she swung her legs over the edge and slowly scaled her way down the cliff side. There were plenty stones to cling to, but their slickness was rather disconcerting, and at times Eli could swear that she was about to fall back and break her neck. It would be a lie, though, if she said that she wasn't enjoying herself at the moment. It felt like a mini adventure, running through the woods, scaling rocky ledges, and it was all caused by a piece of crap art blowing away. Fate works in strange ways. Soon, the ledge ran out and Eli was standing (rather unsteadily) on the slick, river carved stone. She removed the objects from her mouth and stretched upwards towards the sky, finally feeling a bit more relaxed and cheerful, despite her now aching muscles and multiple stubbed toes. The paper was still splattered against a rock in the middle of the river, but Eli found that her gaze was being drawn pass the stone, towards a rather breathtaking scene. The river curved, gently, along a well molded path, and the white spray from behind allowed the light to magnify and bounce around. The way was crystal clear and practically gleaming in the morning light gave Eli such a shock of inspiration that she simply dropped to her knees, flipped open to a clean page, and started sketching, eyes wide with awe.

---

"Oops."

After countless minutes of drawing, Eli finally snapped herself out of the trance of inspiration, and drew her sight to the rock again. She slowly placed the half-finished drawing at her feet, along with her pastels, camera, and boots. Stepping stones dotted the water's surface, leading to the stone that held the paper, and with small, nimble steps she slowly made her way across the freezing river to the larger rock. After getting into a rather comfortable squat on the top, she reached into the cold water and finally wrapped her fingers around the dreaded picture. It practically split in her grasp and when she pulled it up to examine it there was hardly any picture left. Good. She finally crumbled up the stupid thing and shoved it, still dripping wet, into her pocket, ignoring the sudden uncomfortable feeling of wetness on her leg, and turned to return to the shoreline, collapsing onto the ground with sudden laziness as soon as she made it back. She half-crawled half-dragged her body over to her pile of art stuffs and then flipped onto her back, staring up at the clear sky with a look of thoughtlessness.

And then she flipped the sketchbook into view and stared for awhile at her picture, lips drawn into a straight line. It wasn't bad, no, in fact it was kind of pretty. The blues and greens and grays went together nicely, though a bit of contrasting could be in order, and the river did look like it was moving. However, there was something... Off about the whole picture. As if there as something that shouldn't be there. Looking closer, she noticed a dash of pure black, along with gray highlights and a bit of flesh color... A body? Instantly, Eli sat up and stared down the river, her mind quickly rushing to conclusions that perhaps it was someone deceased, dumped and left behind. Her eyes, too focused on drawing the scene, must not have been comprehending it. Eli felt her hands tighten around the edge of the book and with sudden curiosity she stood once more and crept down the stone river shoreline, bare feet smacking against the slick stone, until she saw, again, the shock of black hair, just behind an outcropping of stone. The body, some unknown boy, was floating down the river gently, still breathing (gladly), and it seemed to be completely nu-

Oh.

Eli felt her head slowly turn the other way, and she crept backwards until she was completely hidden behind the outcropping, her face a bright red. Her right hand was slapped tightly over her mouth, holding in a mixture of shouts and laughter, while her head slowly lowered into her knees. Somethings were not easily forgotten.

That would be one of them.

Spring 1, Monday
Time: 7:05
Weather: Sunny

---

Isis took off the soaked clothes and tossed them on the floor. In her bathroom. She turned on the water and got it as steam as she could. Isis jumped into the shower. It felt good and she did not realize how cold she was until she had the steamy water hit her skin. She didn't want to leave. Her brain coming more to reality realized all the things she had to do and jumped out, wrapping the towel around her, she quickly blew her hair dry and pulled part of it into a braid. She went to her closet and looked through the colors most of what she had was still winter, but they where all still bright. She threw over her head one of her yellow strappy dress that was in the back of her closet and a white sweater. Running down the stairs isis started to straighten up the store as Alex waked in. Isis always thought she was a beautiful girl but Alex seemed to act unsure of herself. Isis wished she could let Alex see how amazing she was but she was not sure how just to do that. Alex started to speak.

“H-hi!” Alex said broken.
She seemed to be nervous for what ever reason, Isis could not quite put her finger on. She remember her a little when they where in school together. She was alone a lot. Isis wished she would have befriend her then. Alex continued on.

“So I, uh, figured I would…”

“Flowers!” Isis noticed Alex start to blush.

“R-right. I'm, uh, getting seeds. For planting.”

“Any… um, recommendations? For this season?"

Isis smiled the friendliest smile she could with out it looking like she was trying to hard. "Of course Darling, not a problem." "In seeds I have lavender that will smell wonderful once it starts to bloom, butterflies and fireflies love them!" "Lavender will bring lucky to the one who cares for it and when given show love and devotion." "When worn represents grace, elegance, and romance." "Also if used right has healing powers." "I would also suggest Princess Blush, which when given shows true love." "Lady bugs love them and are sometimes used in love potions and perfumes." "When worn shows true beauty and I would also suggest the Glorisosa Daisy." "It brings happiness to all around when worn attracts butterflies also and show pleasure and bliss when given." As Isis spoke she pointed to the flowers as she talked about them. She had gathered them in a bright red ribbon and set them in a vase. Isis looked at Alex and smiled. What do you think?

____________________________
Monday, Spring 1 | 7:10 AM | ☁
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As Gaku explained how the whole Eli encounter went, Izzie felt a slight pang of disappointment. Her lips quirked into a slight pout and she inadvertently clicked her tongue. She had hoped there was more to it (a forbidden tryst she's trying to keep secret! an under-the-table job! a mysterious figure from her past had come and she needed Gaku's mad fighting skills to keep her safe but he's too lazy to help!) but she supposed her overactive imagination was getting the better of her once again. Eli was just behaving as usual. It also meant that Izzie was even more determined to get her to open up to them. She will get through to her eventually, of that she was certain; she just needed to find the right way to approach her. Everything she had done so far have all been futile, and she didn't seem any closer to breaking down her walls than when she first started. Perhaps she just wasn't pushing hard enough?

Izzie snapped out of her thoughts when Gaku had brought up her late-payment-streak. Her lips twisted into a sheepish grin. Ever since she started lodging at the inn, she hadn't managed to pay the rent in time. Not once. She smirked at thought of holding the record for late payments, ignoring the fact that such an accomplishment wasn't something anyone should be proud of. It's not like she does it on purpose, though. Sometimes, she just can't help herself, and she ends up buying more cakes than her budget allowed. They're just too good! Thinking back on it now, she was pretty lucky she had such a fast metabolism—it crossed her mind more than once that she would have long been overweight if it weren't for that. And… wait, what was she talking about again?

Oh, right. Rent.

"You might have to wait forever and a day on this one," she joked, winking. "But seriously, I'm still short fifty, so I'll get back to you on that soon."

Gaku then pointed out that she was still in her sleepwear, poking fun at her messy state. Izzie looked down at herself, like she had to check whether he was lying, then without missing a beat, she spun around theatrically, as though she was showing off a brand new outfit (the kind that took three paychecks to purchase).

"Whaaat? I happen to think I look quite decent right now!" she said as she put her hand on her chest, in a feigned offended manner. "If want real public indecency, you should go talk to Brent."

Izzie burst in a fit of giggle as she remembered what she had happened upon just the other day. She didn't think much of Brent's… unusual means of sanitation. It honestly seemed like a pretty fun thing to do, and she just might try it one day. Not everyone seemed as accepting of his habits, though. Izzie could recall the incident clearly. At the time, there was a woman taking a leisurely stroll with her son, following the winding path of the stream to the lake. Izzie was taking her usual route to her grandfather's when a high-pitched scream broke through her eardrums. The source wasn't too difficult to spot. Shrieking louder than she thought possible, the woman had clamped her hands tightly around her son's eyes in a panic. Through some display of miraculous (or possibly just adrenaline-born) strength, the woman picked up her son and practically slung him over her shoulder, then seeing Izzie laughing uncontrollably just a few feet away, the woman pulled her along and carried her away as well. 'Keep your innocence intact!' she kept yelling like a battlecry.

She was just about to recount the hilarious incident to Gaku when her eyes caught sight of the antique wooden clock on the wall behind Gaku. 7:10, twenty minutes until her shift! "Oh, crap! I have to go get ready now. Be back later!" Izzie turned and rushed off to the staircase, expertly dodging other residents that blocked her path as she raced to her room.

✲
It took her ten minutes flat to finish her morning routine. Izzie sat on her bed as she finished brushing her hair, opting to put it in a high ponytail to save some time. She'd usually take more time to style her hair, but she was running late enough as it is. Walking up to the mirror hanging above her desk, Izzie glanced at her reflection and did a quick check. Rebecca was particularly strict about the uniform, and she had given her enough 'you must look presentable' lectures that it finally stuck with her. Her hair was all set, and she only needed to move the flower scrunchie that held her ponytail slightly to the right, to show off its design. She smoothed out the skirts of her uniform, freshly laundered just the night before, and adjusted the ribbon around the collar so it wasn't skewed.

"Alright, good to go!" she told herself, nodding at her reflection in approval. She slipped on her beige Mary Janes and grabbed a small orange messenger bag that had everything she might need for the day. Humming happily, she went back down to the lobby and stopped just long enough to call out a farewell to Gaku.

"See you in a bit, Mr. Rockstar!"

____________________________
Monday, Spring 1 | 7:30 AM | ☼
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The café was usually empty during the mornings. People stopped by to get their morning fill of coffee and some pastries (today, cinnamon-pecan buns seemed to be the popular choice) to go with it, but they were usually in and out before long, off to start another day of work. Izzie tended to be bored out of her mind during this time. She tried to keep busy, cleaning where it seemed dirty, fussing over the café décor to make them look nicer, but it usually only takes all of fifteen minutes. Rebecca was busy prepping for the lunch rush hour, and she was strictly instructed not to bother her. Izzie volunteered to help in the kitchen once, but she was never allowed back in afterward. Let's just say there was some mix-up with salt and sugar, and if Rebecca ever suffers kidney problems, then it would be entirely her fault.

With nothing else to do, Izzie sat at one of the empty round tables facing the café’s entrance and basically stared at the door. She sang to herself as she waited, making up nonsensical lyrics to the catchy melody she heard on the radio just the night before, and wondered whether it would be a slow day today.

Alex nodded along as Isis listed off all the recommended flower seeds, what they represented and symbolised, what bugs they attracted, etc, without even a single hint of hesitation or pause. It just flowed from Isis’ mouth as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Well, she had gotten used to other people doing that by now. She wasn’t sure how they managed.

Honestly, she probably would’ve just gone ‘welp, I’ll take all of them’ if she didn’t think it would be weird. It probably wasn’t weird, it was probably a common practice among flower enthusiasts, but Alex never got anything more than just one type of flower. The first time she started planting flowers, she only tried one type. There wasn’t any reason for it, but the trend persisted because she merely got into the habit of it.

But thankfully, Alex calmed down considerably over the course of Isis’s explanation. It was often how conversations went with her and people who she already knew – high stress start off and gradual cool down as she finally subconsciously realised that these were people that she talked to often.

“My, um, my Mom used to plant the, uh, Princess Blush ones when I was little. She really liked them for… well, some reason.” She paused for a moment, and in a vague moment of confidence felt like she should continue onwards. “Um, she never planted much else, really. She’d always bring me out and ask me to help, and, um, would put them on my shirt.” For a moment, she felt she was rambling, but she rarely had moments like this, so she wanted to savour it, and gave a little genuine smile for the first time in the conversation. “Heh, I think everyone at the club centre thought it as… well, weird that I wore a flower.” On a roll on a roll on a roll…! ”Actually, I think my Mom stopped planting them when I started calling myself--…” When she started calling herself a girl. She stopped right before saying the rest of that, trailing off before she made a stupid, clumsy mistake. The implications started to sink in, and she realised how stupid she must have looked randomly stopping midsentence.

“Uh, just… nevermind,” she said, reverting into quiet mode, the spirit she got from almost successful conversation running completely dry. “I’ll just… take some Prince seeds.”
Alex paid for the seeds and thanked Isis in a new-found slump, she left the stop without much more words from her. Moving incredibly slowly, she tried to think of what else there was to do in her rare morning awake early. She could’ve gone to the café, see if Izzie took a shift this early… Staring out at the town, any enthusiasm to go speak to people had now been eradicated, so she quickly discarded that idea.

She just went home. She’d just go read a book until the bar opened.

Spring 1
Monday
7:30
Sunny
_______________
Everett's following morning routine, in light of the previous excitement, was pointed uninteresting.

His shower went by without incident, and he dressed and ate breakfast without interruption. He walked down the white staircase from his apartment's front door to the clinic below, as always, and started his computer and turned on the lights the same as any morning. He was relieved, however, to find that there seemed to be no more damage to the property other than a few crooked shutters. He straightened the dark green shutters, which contrasted the pale green of the building's siding, in the work of a short moment. The only other difference in routine that came this morning was a small sojourn out of the clinic so early.

The doctor in Everett pushed him out the door, dark thoughts of the comparison of hardy buildings shaking in the wind to soft bodies being ripped apart by flying debris clouding his mind. As he walked from the clinic, he passed several buildings, most of which appeared undamaged. The brunt of the blows from the storm had landed on easily replaced windows and just as easily repaired gardens, as opposed to the could-be catastrophe that would have been a person. Everett sighed, and shook his head as if to clear the heinous thoughts from his mind. He went past the flower shop, after having seen Alex go inside a little after leaving his front door, and saw that, sadly, the storm had come upon their greenhouse with abandon, demolishing the structure without mercy. The corners of his mouth pressed into a frown, but as he looked inside he saw Isis conversing with Alex in what looked like pleasant and peaceful colloquy,

Everett straightened from the stupor he had crouched to while looking into the quaint shoppe. Taking a steadying breath, he comforted himself with the knowledge that had there be any medical emergency, he would have been fetched in some way. Still, he strode forward instead of back, passing the cafe, and waving with a smile to Izzie inside. No damage there. Past the cafe and to the inn, their property seemed relatively unscathed, and found himself nodding absently as he completed the circuit of town past the general store and found no serious injuries. When he arrived at his front door, this time passing from the other side.

He stopped, hand on the knob, and peered down the street. Debris, such as glass and wood and much uprooted plant life, littered the path in a random chaotic pattern. He felt a tense sensation in his chest, and recognized it with a slight scowl as anxiety. Everett knew once he went through his door nothing else would distract him from himself for the rest of his day, and he would be left jittery. Restlessness plagued him on days such as this, and he shifted from foot to foot as he thought about how much time he would later sitting at his desk and shaking his leg while looking out the window for something that was not there. Another sigh passed his lips, and he entered the shop before another moment of hesitation kept him for getting to work.

Monday, Spring 1
7:20 AM, Floating Around Fiora Falls
~Ping Pong Circulate~

It was an excited 'woop' that brought Brent Roless, the vagrant of romance and discovery, out of his state of tranquillity, as he floated, submerged up to his chin in the ice-cold water. His legs were crossed, as if he was sitting...except he wasn't. In a show of almost superhuman balance and breathing control, an ability manifested by the state of Zen brought by immersing him in the flood of winter's tears, Brent was sitting on water itself. It was almost like levitation, a miracle brought forth by intense focus, and yet, complete dissociation from the real world.

Needless to say, the 'woop' that broke his unthinking concentration also made him sink once more. His nose fell below the waterline and the lack of oxygen woke Brent up in full, his amber eyes opening intensely, his nostrils flaring out as it shot a spray of mist. Uncrossing his legs and kicking against the riverbed, he rose upwards in an instant, water droplets following his lead. With a twist of his head, his wet hair sent the white spray of the river upwards, sparkling in the morning light. Countless water droplets glistened like small jewels, accentuating his well-toned, one-pack body as his hands rose upwards, sweeping his hair out of his eyes and against his skull. An accompanying breeze chilled him to the bone, but he turned towards it, stretching his arms outwards, as if embracing it. The sharp, biting coldness felt nice, and with a sigh, the young man fell backwards, back to becoming one with the cold water.

By now, his body was accustomed to such temperatures, and he felt like it would be alright to doze off a bit longer. All considerations regarding the oddly human sound he had heard before disappeared from his mind. After all, it was early in the morning, and he doubted that any children were up and about.

And anyways, Brent wasn't shy about his body in any way. After all, humans are naturally naked, and all things considered, the amount of time that humanity's ancestors have stayed almost-naked was longer than the amount of time than they have spent fully clothed. As long as his basic masculine reflexes in regards to the possibility of reproduction don't arise, he's only a nudist, not a sexual offender.

So it's totally fine to take it easy and float about a bit longer~

---

7:40 AM, Finishing the Bath
~No Wind No Win~

Another twenty minutes was spent doing nothing, and Brent's fingertips were well beyond wrinkly by then. It was actually sorta creepy looking at them, and with that, the explorer took it as his cue to leave. Admiring the natural scenery around him one more time, before making a resolution of also taking a midnight dip later on, he plunged the entirety of his body into the water, curling like a cannonball, holding his breath as long as he could. The ice-water wrapped him, bading him to stay just a bit longer, but all nice things must come to an end eventually. He had a job to do, after all.

Or, if nothing else, he needed to find a job to do.

Without a shred of hesitation or reluctance, he rose out of his giant bathtub, and with practised steps, navigated through undercurrents and slippery rocks, before reaching dry land once more. His foot casually stirred the smouldering embers of the fireplace he had set up previously, and with a crack and a rasp, small flames eagerly licked at slim sticks. The kindling was soon devoured, nurturing the flames until it became a warm fire. Practice made perfect, and Brent had many chances to practice before. By now, he's got the mystical art of fire-making down to a science.

Except the warmth of the fireplace, however comforting, ran counter-intuitively to his New Year's resolution of becoming immune to the cold.

Thus, with a sigh, he stepped away from the bubble of warmth he had constructed, and stood out, waiting for the wind to dry him.

It didn't, for the last dregs of the storm at dawn had departed, leaving , and it was with some relief that Brent could let himself dry normally, his frozen skin thawing as he put his springtime clothing on once more.

Trousers, a collared shirt, and a windbreaker tied around his waist, as well as a tough leather satchel that carried most of the essentials for orientation and wilderness survival.

Oh yeah, and boots.

With this outfit, Brent could literally do any job, from that of a rugged outdoors huntsman, to a busser in a high-class restaurant, charming the noveau riche with his stories of adventures in far away lands. Except such jobs didn't exist, so he'll probably just have to settle with something in...

“I'll try the cafe first then. Need a canteen of ice tea for the day as well...”

Monday, Spring 1
Time: 7:50
Weather: Sunny

---

The man had gone, after a bit of splashing around, and Eli tried her best to bleach the memory from her head, still somewhat red-faced as she sat in the corner of the rock out-cropping. The stone was freezing, not yet blessed with the warmth of the spring sun, and were covered with light green moss that seemed to be dripping with water. Wetness spread across her back uncomfortably, but she refused to move until she was certain the black-haired guy was unable to see her, and when he finally was she slowly stood up and sped back towards her boots and art supplies. The damp air was getting rather tiresome, and after she had put her socks and boots back on and managed to shove everything under her arms, Eli began to search for an easy way out of the gorge. Not wanting to head to where the nudist had been floating towards, she instead wandered towards the main falls, drifting slowly on the slick stone underfoot while her eyes scanned the beautiful scenery.

"Crap." her lips pursed, eyes narrowing. The walls around the main lagoon were much too steep to climb, especially with all the crap she was holding onto. No evidence of stairs to climb or tunnels to travel by, just smooth walls and new-born greenery. Eli scoffed and turned, but froze, the creeping of anxiety and fear clutching at her insides. What if that man was down that way, and what if he sees her O Gawd. Eli clutched her things between tight fists, mind in turmoil over the want to get out of the stupid ravine but fear of running into a nudist stranger. 'No, no, getting out should be a main priority, no need for stupid fears to bring you down', her mind instructed, trying to keep itself rational. Eli blinked once, then with a brisk nod spun around and nearly stomped back down the river.

It felt likes hours until Eli found a spot where the stone walls were short enough for her to simply pull herself over, but in reality a whole ten minutes had just droned by. Trembling ever so slightly, Eli kept one eye on her back while she slowly maneuvered everything over the small cliff, and once her hands were entirely free she jumped up, fingers digging into a mixture of grass and mud as she quickly pulled herself up and over the edge. Still no sign of the naked guy. Good. A chuckle bubbled in her throat at her own fear, but she swallowed it quickly and gathered her belongings, eyes glancing around the small clearing she had manage to find herself in. There was the softest sound of bustle, perhaps the town was nearby, and just out of her sight was a large body of water, a lake perhaps. Eli grew curious, having not seen the lake before meant that it was probably full of beautiful things to draw, but no. The sun was finally rising high and it was probably a good time to go job hunting.

But...

Eli walked slowly away from the river, towards the sound of whispers and bells and yells, but again she felt somewhat hesitant to speak to people. Her head was feeling a bit foggy, and her chest felt tight, perhaps another time. Yes, another time, she had enough money for two more weeks at the inn she could find a job some day other then today. Another excuse, but Eli found that she was the best at coming up with excuses, and with that final thought she allowed her legs to give. Items scattered across her lap, sketchbook flipping open while her pastels and pencils scattered across the sandy grass while her hair pooled delicately around her head. The warm spring sun stained her skin, and grass and newly-bloomed flowers tickled her hands gently. Lily of the Valley was so calming, it was a nice place, Eli noticed, for someone who likes the slow-paced life.

"Perhaps a nap will do me some good..." Eli whispered to herself, arms reaching to prop her head up while her eyelids fluttered and then closed. She was asleep within seconds.

---

(Time Skip)
Monday, Spring 1
Time: 13:00
Weather: Sunny

13:00 at the Cafe
~A Rugged Indoorsman~
The morning, after that relaxing ice bath, was spent as productively as it had always been. While the cafe WAS dead as a dog in the morning, Brent had picked up some basic weeding work for the grounds of the Inn, and was rewarded for that with brunch-time chicken soup. It was nice, knowing that he was a common enough face around Lily Town that people knew exactly what sort of 'currency' to pay him in. After all, one could not eat gold, but they COULD eat food. And soup was even better, because it was both something that is eaten and drunk, making it the ultimate food-thing. Not to mention that you can eat it on the go, simply by putting it into your water bottle or whatever and drinking it. Or you could use it as a dip, and make boring, dry bread into a tasty midnight snack.

Of course, it didn't change the fact that Brent still needed to get enough work done for a large dinner. Winter was flu season, but spring didn't have nearly as much incidents in which the townspeople fell ill, so he wouldn't be able to get any supply demands from Everett. Fishing was boring, and only a last resort, so he'll never do that until he's half-starved. And the bar wasn't even open until later in the evening.

The cafe was going to be busy during lunch time anyways, so there wasn't a smidgen of doubt in Brent's mind as he marched to the Daisy Cafe. He was clean enough for restaurant work, after all, considering he had taken extensive measures to make himself presentable, even after four and a half hours mucking around in the dirt, cursing the nightmarish roots of weeds. With the ringing of a bell signalling his entrance into the cafe, the Jack of All Jobs, and Master of Exploration said with a grin, “Good day, ladies, I'd like to order a job today. For here, of course!”