Finding myself alone in a random town was surprisingly not that surprising, however, the way the overly jovial woman across the street started welcoming me ‘back’, was.
“It’s about time you showed your face, love, we were starting to worry, I’ll let me husband know you are here, we were so sorry to hear about ye dad” the woman continued on, being way too familiar for someone she definitely did not know.
Sneaking a look over each shoulder I tuned out the woman who apparently didn’t need a response or breath to keep rambling about how big I’d gotten and confirmed that, yes, this strange woman was talking to me, a girl whose parents had been dead for going on 20 years, and, yes, I have no idea where the hell I am. Come to think of it, I also have no idea who the hell I was either, which might actually be a bit more pressing.
The partially cobbled streets, ramshackled homes, and an abundance of foliage around me felt almost cosy and was such a stark difference to anywhere I'd been before that it was clear that something was definitely not right.
“..worry, i’ll go get our Gerry now.” I guess I missed whatever that was about but I didn’t really have time to contemplate as the woman returned quicker than she should have been able to with a large man in tow. His purpling nose scrunching up as he plastered a big smile on his face, one that looked so genuine I couldn’t help but return. This felt like a very fight, flight or freeze situation and I wasn’t moving or explaining the confusion so I guess I’m frozen.
“Little Violet! It’s been so long, we expected ya at least a year or two ago of course but we tried to keep your garden neat so shouldn’t be too bad, want a lift? Just got me cart fixed and av been meaning to try it out.”
“Um.. thank you?” Following this big man to his cart (an actual bloody cart?!) I can’t help but wonder if I'm just making kidnapping really easy. Look, I know how stupid this is, I'm very confused and have no idea how I got here so please, preemptively, give me a break.
To my surprise this guy didn’t kidnap me but it was hit and miss for a moment there when he pulled over to this tiny run down house on the side of a dirt road. Instead he almost bowled me over when he threw his arms out and gave a dramatic welcome home.
“I swear you used to be chattier, me girl, but I swear I used to be skinnier!” His raucous laughter startled me but I couldn’t help crack a smile as he brushed himself off. “Never mind that, things should be as your dad left it, maybe just a bit dustier. Me and Bernadette will be by at sun up, knowing her she’ll already be making ya enough food to last the week and I need ta bring ya dads will over.” The man’s gruff voice was actually quite calming once you got over the volume, giving off a gentle giant vibe and I already like him but at this point I’d been ‘aware’ for about an hour and I'd quite literally only said two words, I mean, like his wife, this man could hold a conversation with himself but I'm starting to feel quite rude.
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Deciding to maybe figure out what was happening before I lose my shit, I hesitantly latch on to the end of his nattering, “Sorry, sir, but what do you mean by will?”
I was immediately startled as the man, no, as Gerry, laughed again in response. “Ya can’t have thought he left you nothing. The garden, the workshop, and everything included as yours. Did you not see on yer status screen?”
Wait… what? Status screen? As soon as the thoughts finished forming there were words floating in front of my eyes and a bunch of long blinks and violent head shakes weren’t making them budge. Reading them somehow made me even more confused.
Violet Alchymia
Beneficiary of ‘The Garden’
Classless Lv 0
Skills:
None
Abilities:
None
Ok yeah this is fine, everything is completely fine, who is freaking out? Not me, obviously. Not Violet Alchymia, who is apparently me, and still NOT ME. But I’ve got to stay calm, can’t let Gerry know I’m apparently losing my mind. Good job I have a great poker face.
—
She did not, in fact, have a great poker face and Gerry was extremely concerned as the daughter of his closest friend who he hadn’t seen in three years began to frantically blink and shake her head with her mouth agape whilst ignoring his big hand waving in front of her face for a good five minutes. Her mouth then began to contort into an unnatural looking smile and she starts, in a voice similar to the Baker’s dramatic son who stressed every syllable “The status screen, of course, how could I have forgotten that. I am the Beneficiary of the Garden.” In fact it freaked him out so much that he sent off a silent prayer to the Goddess, something he wasn’t usually in the habit of but was definitely necessary right now.
—
Yeah I totally nailed that, he’ll never know that I don’t know what on earth that is.