Closed [Stories in the Snow] Whatcha Doing? (Etori)

[Snowdrop Snowsong]

Timestamp: 17th, Winter, 513AV

Snowdrop sat at the front desk and was reading. There really wasn’t anything special going on. She was rather bored at the moment. Jack had gotten mad at her told her to help out in the front. It wasn’t her fault that a nib of a quill mysteriously, so happen to have appeared in his chair. To be honest with herself, she forgot to put it away. One thing that she always wondered was why they didn’t fire her yet. She could barely write correctly. Also she had a hard time reading some things. Snowdrop felt rather useless at times but Jack always says that it isn’t true. Yeah she annoying but wasn’t useless. She let out a sigh and leaned her head in the palm of her hand.

The library was eerily quiet. There only 2 or 3 people in the library, excluding Mr. Naturdan and Jack. She awfully bored at the moment. She couldn’t do any work to her hands being cramped. It was all Jack’s fault for making do all those pages. To be honest she was kind of glad, this meant no work for at least 2 days.

The young Vantha continued to look at the book that she was reading. Red eyes scanned through the words. She didn’t really understand some of the words but she got the gist of the book. It was about magic. Ever since that day long ago, she always was interested in magic. There was some type of magician that came to Avanthal. He stayed in the Snowsong Hold due to him being friends with her father. He was amazing with all the things he showed her those couple of days.

[Etori Whitevine]

Etori found herself standing at the front of Stories in the Snow. Whenever she had a thirst for knowledge she would come here in the hopes of quenching it. But today she wasn’t entirely sure why she had come here. She had plenty of books on medicine and medical procedures to read back in her Arvinta she certainly didn’t need anymore. But truth is, she did know why she was here. She just didn’t want to admit it to herself. With a sigh she stared at the entrance before she made her way through the welcoming door. It was much warmer inside the library than it was outside in the snow. Upon entering the first thing Etori had done was scan the room. Making sure there was no one she knew, or anyone who knew of her here… There only appeared to be three vantha pottering around with their noses in a book. Someone other than the squeamish vantha caught her eye. Just a few feet from her and the entrance was a desk and behind it sat a young girl. She was reading a book with an expression on her face that was mixed between boredom and adoration. Etori suddenly wondered what she was reading then it occurred to her she didn’t really care. After all that wasn’t why she was here. With a swift movement Etori drew the hood from her cloak over her head to help conceal her identity. She was used to avoiding people and to them avoiding her… but she didn’t want to risk being approached, and the best way to avoid that was to appear unapproachable. Once she felt no one would notice her she briskly walked by the front desk and the girl hoping she hadn’t caught her attention. She continued to make her way over to the shelves piled with books. Not totally sure of what she was looking for she began by searching in the “How to” department. The books seemed to be arranged completely out of order. She would have to do this the hard way…Etori started scanning each title and mumbling it under her breath. “How to Crave, How to Play a Mandolin, How to Cook a Feast Fit For Morwen, How to Shovel Snow…” She sighed deeply, the stupidity of this whole morning was beginning to wear her out. She was about to give up when she had finally came across the title she was looking for. She took the book from the shelf with a cautious movement. She then proceeded to peek around the library to see if anyone was watching her. No eyes, laid upon her. Or so she assumed. Feeling content she turned her attention to a large table meant for studying and took a seat. Placing the book in front of her she stared down at it and read its title. ‘How to Be Sociable’ “This is stupid…” she thought as she placed a hand to her face in frustration. Sure she was despite for some socialisation but she didn’t need people to know she was ‘this’ despite. And she certainly didn’t want to admit it to herself. She removed her hand from her face suddenly. “No…this isn’t stupid. This is why you came here…Just read the damn thing.” She muttered aloud to herself without realising it. It was a habit she was starting to hold close and it bothered her. People would fine her more strange if they heard her talking to herself. Etori took a deep breath before she opened the book to the introduction page and began to read. “I sure hope this helps…”

[Snowdrop Snowsong]

Some type of movement caught Snowdrop’s attention in the corner of her eye. Someone new had come to the library. To any other person they would have acknowledged what had happened and went about their business. Snowdrop, on the other hand, was a different type of person. She always wanted to know about everything, even the boring stuff. She looked up in time to see the person look away, but too late to see who it was. The person had already put on the hood before she was able to see who it was.

Maybe they were here to rob the books, she thought. Someone had broken into Tasty Flakes about 5 day ago. Unfortunately all the ice was melted. Hentry had a tantrum from not able to getting any shave ice that day. He stepped on her foot and poor little Bruce didn’t just wanted to get away from the little boy. The big sister was forced to drag the little boy away. One thing she learned was that Hentry was a strong 5 year old. Lucky for him, their mother was able to bake something up for them.
Sliding out of her chair quietly, she slowly stalked the person to the ‘How To’ bookshelf area. That did remind her that she needed to organize that section.

Carefully, she hid beside the shelf and looked around to see them. The stranger seemed to be getting tired with search for the book she wanted. It looked like she was about to give up before she pulled out a book and looked around. What looked like to be green eyes seemed to be searching for something or somebody. Snowdrop hid behind the bookshelf and waited for them to look away. The stranger walked towards one of the tables and started to read.

Noticing this as an opening, she got down on her knees and crawled toward the table. Her hands tingled a little from the extra pain but she didn’t care at the moment. Slowly she crawled towards the opposite of the table. Getting on her knees, pink eyes hovered over the table. The stranger was a girl with black hair. Tilting her head in confusion, Snowdrop went back down and crawled away.

So maybe she isn’t here to steal anything, Snowdrop thought. Snowdrop looked at the now identified person. She looked rather familiar, but the young Vantha didn’t know how that was possible. She knew everyone in the Snowsong Hold. Maybe the stranger was from another Hold, but that didn’t explain why the other looked so familiar. All of this confusion made Snowdrop’s head spin. She wasn’t used to solving things; most questions usually just made themselves cleared to her in an instant.

She walked behind the other female Vantha and looked over her shoulder, trying to see what she’s reading.

[Etori Whitevine]

The book was beginning to make Etori feel nervous and confused already. She was currently reading the first chapter entitled “How to approach strangers.” With a disoriented look across her face, Etori tried to comprehend what she was reading. “Smile politely and introduce yourself?” Etori mumbled under her breath as she read. She didn’t quite understand. The book made it sound so easy…but it wasn’t easy at all! And it occurred to her that she had never really tried this approach. Maybe she truly was clueless when it came to socialization. She was so focused on trying to understand the concept that she had stopped paying attention to her surroundings. Until, a pair of sneaky footfalls caught her ears and brought her back into reality. Etori immediately felt the sudden presence behind her. It sent a chill down her spine and without hesitation she snapped the book she had been reading shut in an instant. She then proceeded to slide the book quickly across the table so that it reached the edge of the other side and fell to the ground with a thud that cut through the quiet atmosphere like a bomb. She’d rather be kicked out of the library for vandalism and disturbance than have someone see what she was reading. It was embarrassing for her… degrading even. Etori suddenly felt angered that someone had disrupted her, that someone was trying to spy over her shoulder. She stood up from her chair and spun around on her heel to face the disrupter, ready to give them a piece of her mind. “Do you mi-…!” Etori’s words cut off as she saw the face of the person who had been peering over her shoulder. It had been the girl from the front desk. But that isn’t what surprised her. She felt a sudden pang of recognition. As if she recognized her face on a closer inspection. The girl seemed to stare at her with the same expression on her face. Etori’s mind wondered as she tried to recall where she had seen the girl from before…but nothing came to mind. She always had a hard time remembering her past, as if her mind had built walls and barriers around the memories that had caused her pain. Though she was curious…it wasn’t an everyday occurrence. It was odd. “Err…” said Etori as she stared at the girl in an awkward manner for what seemed like minutes but was only mere seconds. Etori tried to rack her brains for something to say…She was just reading about this! The most social thing to do right now would be to introduce herself to this…somewhat stranger. She had decided. Even though every part of her being was telling her to run away like the anti-social introvert she was. This was the perfect opportunity to try and apply what she had just learnt. Etori removed her hood from her head and took a deep breath to prepare herself. “Hello? I’m Etori... What might your name be?” She spoke with a somewhat hostile tone. Though she didn’t mean to. It was mere habit. “Now smile politely!” She thought before she pulled her lips back in an attempt to smile but it appeared as if she was baring her teeth like a snarling dog. She secretly hoped in the back of her mind that she was doing it right…just like the book had told her to do. Though deep down she wanted to flee but the curious gaze in the girl’s eyes sparked her own curiosity.

[Snowdrop Snowsong]

The book fell to the floor and resonated through the library. It wasn’t a loud thud, but a thud that you might want to look back and see what fell. She didn’t have to practically torture the poor book with that shove, Snowdrop thought.

She froze for a moment thinking she was going to be yelled. A chime went by no screaming was heard. After all it is a library, she thought sarcastically. Looking up at the woman with gray eyes, she noticed that the stranger was thinking.

Now that Snowdrop actually got a good look at the other Vantha, she looked very familiar. A headache stated to ring through her head she fought through her memories of life. Maybe she resembled someone that I used to know? Slowly but surely, a little girl’s face came to mind. The little girl looked kind of distant. As soon as the image appeared, it disappeared into the deep abode of Snowdrop’s mind.

The stranger had let out some type of stutter. Snowdrop looked fully focus at the female. The person in question had pulled off her hood; the 16 year old noticed the lady had green shimmering black. She looked pretty to the young girl. Maybe she’s not mean? Snowdrop smiled a little at the other person.

What’s her name? Did she have a boyish name? Oooo maybe she has one of those names that reaaallly long!
Snowdrop’s brain racked with the many question that bounced about in her tiny head. “Hello? I’m Etori...” the stranger spoke. Snowdrop looked at with light blue colored eyes. So the stranger’s name is Etori it didn’t sound exotic at all. Snowdrop looked down a little after Etori said her name.

The other Vantha seemed anger at her. Well you basically stalked the poor girl, her brain decided to give a reason. Well she looked suspicious , Snowdrop replied back snarky.
“What might your name be?” Etori continued. Snowdrop jumped looked up in time to see the deranged smile Etori gave her. She jumped back a little and looked back down. Stalking a person was one thing, but talking to someone was another.

She was a shy person and didn’t really know how to communicate that well. She continued to look at her feet, her toes started to wiggle in her shoes. “My name is S-Sn-Snowdrop,” she stuttered out. A blush heated her brown cheek.

[Etori Whitevine]

Etori had watched the girl closely as she received Etori’s greeting. She watched her jump away from her a little and stare down at her feet. The girl then said her name aloud with a hint of a stutter. Etori felt a wave of annoyance wash over her being yet again, as she realised her greeting mustn’t have been as friendly as she tried to make it out to be… She crossed her arms over her chest in a dejected way and looked down at the girl with a frown across her features. The annoyance was more directed at herself for never being able to get it right…but she also felt that the girl had taken it the wrong way…But who could blame her? At least she had given Etori her name. Snowdrop was it? Etori let the name echo in her mind, she could feel some kind of buzz at the sound of it. But still, it didn’t exactly ring any bells. Though the sound of it had felt familiar …Maybe she had heard that name in the past, surely it couldn’t have been too uncommon. “Well then, Snowdrop…Can you please tell me what you think you were doing sneaking up on me like that?” Etori asked with a somewhat emotionless tone. But the word Snowdrop had a hint of emotion in it as it left her lips. She tried to keep a kind of tough exterior about her to keep the stranger at bay. But that feeling in her chest that she wasn’t a stranger at all made Etori feel as though she wanted to embrace the girl. As if she had been a long lost friend or relative. The feeling came as a shock to Etori. She couldn’t exactly remember the last time she had embraced someone or even been embraced by another. Affection was defiantly something she was used to not giving or receiving. What was it about this girl, about this Snowdrop that made her want to let her guard down? Etori let out a sigh, she then unfolded her arms and tried to soften her facial features. Snowdrop looked innocent enough, surely she was just curious and didn’t mean to disturb her the way she had. And Etori didn’t exactly want to scare her away. She felt she enjoyed the interaction, even under the circumstances. “You startled me you know, you must be pretty light on your feet.” She said with a gentle smile and wondered if the girl would look back up at her, or perhaps she would walk away. Or maybe she would even kick her out of the library…Whatever she decided to do, Etori found herself silently hoping they could at least interact like this for at a little longer.

[Snowdrop Snowsong]

Snowdrop looked up between her bangs a little. She had forgotten to put her hair in a ponytail. After all how could she when Bruce was constantly following after her feet. It was as if he didn’t want her to go to work this morning. It wasn’t like she wasn’t like his puppy eyes were going to stop her, but it did break her heart to hear him whimper after her. She just wanted to scoop him up and cuddle him.

The 16 year old looked back down after seeing Etori cross her arms. That was a universal gesture of displeasure. She was one who couldn’t handle people being upset with her.

She started to wring her in nervously. What is she decided to tell Jack about her stalking. She couldn’t lose this job. Well Jack wouldn’t be fire her but would be quite cross with the young girl.
She kept her mouth shut when the older girl asked about her sneaking around. I couldn’t possible tell her that I thought she was some thief. That just wasn’t right. Oh am I supposed to dooo! Snowdrop inter battle soon came to a halt as she heard Etori unfold her arms and let out a sigh.

“You startled me you know, you must be pretty light on your feet.”

Snowdrop looked up with confused eyes, didn’t she hear the chair that knocked over. Oh well it didn’t matter. She smiled anyway, “really? My mom would always say that I’m clumsy.” Snowdrop now fully looked up at the other person.
“Your hair is really pretty,” she started to reach for it but stopped. It would be awkward to just touch like that, but there was a type of familiar with the girl. She just couldn’t place her finger. Can you place a finger on a thought? If so how? Snowdrop stopped in her complex thoughts.

“Can you place a finger on a thought,” she looked at Etori expectantly. Snowdrop waited for a moment and looked back at the other Vantha. “Wait, don’t answer that. It was a stupid question.” Snowdrop knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to make sure Etori didn’t think that she was weird.

[Etori Whitevine]

Etori’s eyes met with Snowdrop’s as she had looked up at her through her bangs. She appeared confused. By Etori’s sudden change in attitude perhaps? Then a smile appeared across the younger vantha’s face. Snowdrop spoke and Etori didn’t get the chance to respond as the girl’s next set of words took her by surprise. The random compliment had caused Etori cheeks to flush a deep red. “My hair is pretty..?” she thought. Etori couldn’t remember the last time she had received such a compliment…it made her feel shy. Then Snowdrop had went to reach out and touch her hair. Etori felt her whole body become motionless at the movement, she turned her head away from the girl with embarrassment. Though she found herself looking forward to the touch. For some odd reason. She assumed the action just reminded her of her older brother Saon. He would always ruffle her hair in affection after one of their childish arguments. He always won of course. Was it strange to look forward to a strangers touch? But…she was beginning to suspect this girl wasn’t a complete stranger. “I…” she began expecting the girl to touch her hair. A moment had passed and Etori felt nothing come she turned back to face Snowdrop to see that she had withdrawn her hand and appeared deep in thought. Etori felt a little disappointed. This too she found odd and dismissed it. Snowdrop looked at Etori expectantly and asked her if one could put a finger on a thought, she had been glad for the sudden change in subject. Her embarrassment vanished. Etori liked to think that she was well educated. Whenever she was asked a question she felt she always had an answer. But the question the girl had asked puzzled her. And not for the obvious reasons. She felt she had been asked this question before…but couldn’t quite remember where she had heard it. She tilted her head at Snowdrop who had dismissed the question soon after it had left her lips. Etori couldn’t let go of something that made her curious. The question rolled around in her mind. Then as if a light bulb had lit up above her head, or a faint memory had come to mind and vanished…she found the solution. All of a sudden Etori took her index finger and placed the point of her long finger against Snowdrops forehead. She hadn’t even been shocked by her own actions as it felt so natural with the younger vantha. “Like this?” Etori asked with a hint of a smile in her voice. Etori withdrew her finger from the girl after a moment. She began to feel a little silly. She cleared her throat awkwardly and looked down at the ground. Her boots became an interesting object to stare at for the moment. She hoped Snowdrop hadn't thought her weird for what she had just done... “What were you thinking exactly?” she asked a little curious.

[Snowdrop Snowsong]

It was as if Snowdrop’s mind was blown up. Of course you can put a finger on a thought. It was that simply, just put a finger on the forehead, where thoughts are stored. Snowdrop gaped at Etori with wide doe eyes. She must be really smart. But that action was really familiar to the young Vantha.

She remembered a girl jabbing her head with a finger, it wasn’t a jab that could hurt someone. But it was hard enough that the little Snowdrop had to step back a little from the sudden action. The other little had almost a smug look. Snowdrop almost tilted her head in amusement and confusion. Maybe this “Etori” was someone she knew when she was younger.

Snowdrop nodded after Etori asked about the action. It was absolutely right. She started to smile; there was a hint of something akin to amusement in the other Vantha’s voice. Etori started to look towards the ground and it almost made a frown come across Snowdrop’s face. Why was she looking down like that? It should be me doing that after asking a stupid question.

“What were you thinking exactly?” Etori asked.

Snowdrop’s thoughts came to a halt and she just started for a moment before giving the other her answer. “Well…I was thinking about how you seem super familiar and that I can’t figure out where I have seen you before,” she stopped and hoped her words didn’t slur together.

Snowdrop looked around the library, hoping that some type of distraction would appear. The book! She pushed that unfortunate book. She walked around the table to book that was laid about on the floor. Poor little book, she thought as she picked it up. It seemed to be an unused book. The 16 year flipped over the book to see the title.

[Etori Whitevine]

Etori immediately lifted her head in surprise at Snowdrop’s words. The girl standing before her had claimed to feel the same familiarity that Etori was experiencing. It was too strange to be a coincidence…And somehow it gave Etori goose bumps. She had thought back to the moment where Snowdrop had smiled at her gesture moments ago before she stared down at her own feet. Her smile had brought her a strange comfort, a comfort she was sure she had felt in the past. That was when a small girl’s face began to form in her mind’s eye. The image of the young girl was very hazy, but she could see that the girl smiled warmly at her, it made Etori want to reach out to her, to pull her close. As if the girl threatened to leave her and never return… Before Etori had a chance to try and piece this new information together she saw something catch Snowdrop’s attention and watched with curiosity as the girl walked over to the over side of the table and picked up an object. To Etori’s dismay she registered the object in Snowdrop’s hands to be that of the book she had been trying to read earlier without being caught. It was as if time had stopped. Etori’s eyes glazed over as she witnessed what was happening, Snowdrop was inspecting the book and its title. There was no denying or hiding it now. Etori felt her lips pull into a tight line and her hands ball up into fists at her sides. She suddenly felt deep anger. She didn’t want to be here, she didn’t want anyone to see her, to know her, to look at her. She decided in that moment that she would go back to being invisible. What was she thinking? Talking to the girl…she should have shut her out or walked away like she did with everyone else. She couldn’t let anyone in…no matter how lonely she felt or how hard it became. But still…that nagging feeling! That feeling of having known the girl at some point. It was almost an overwhelming feeling that threatened to cause some emotional breakdown to erupt within her. She needed to calm down and did so by the only method that seemed to work. She dived into her conscious and recalled that sweet memory of her older brother playing a song he had composed for her shortly before his death. The last song he had ever played for her. She saw him, Saon, singing and strumming his mandolin with a fond expression across his face. That sad yet calming melody. It calmed her, relieved her of the anger. With a deep sigh she pulled her hood over her head yet again. Without even giving Snowdrop another glance or letting the strangely familiar girl enter her thoughts, Etori gathered herself and headed for the exit. Desperate to flee the judgement she was sure she’d receive if she stayed there a second longer. She exited the library.