Ersia: Raven Dawn

"You look tired, grandma."

Lisabelle covered Eleanor with her blanket. She then holds her wrinkled hand softly to keep it warm. They were colder and much limpier than she remembers, and it puzzled her to guilt. Her grandma who always seemed to be strong and tackled many of the house chores alone with no help, is now lying as weak and fragile as an autumn leaf.

"I suppose I am," Eleanor smiled.

"You should rest. I will take care of the house and make you a new sweater vest next week."

"Trying new hobbies because now you are grounded?"

"For six months straight."

The two had a good laugh before Lisabelle left the room to give her grandmother more time to rest. Outside, she found Viena, peeking from a wall like a little goblin. It startled her a little before she came for her. Then, they stand facing each other for a moment without saying anything.

"What?" Lisabelle asked with a little tone of annoyance.

". . . Nothing."

"Really, what is it? Just say it!"

"No."

"You're getting on my nerves! Spit it out already!"

Lisabelle grabbed Viena's hands as the little girl wanted to run away.

"No! You'll hurt me like the lady!"

Viena's words struck deep into Lisabelle's heart. She knows that the misunderstanding happened because Viena was just a kid, but it just feels too hurtful not to be trusted by the very person she cared about. Thus, she slowly pulled Viena into her, as gently as possible. She hugged her just the same way her grandma did to herself.

"I would never do such a thing to you. You don't need to be afraid of me."

After a few seconds, Viena grabbed Lisabelle's hips. Lisabelle was so happy, thinking that they had reached a mutual understanding. However, suddenly Viena pushed her away while choking like she was about to throw up.

"You are so STINKY! Did you even take a bath this week?!"

"WHAT?! How dare you?!"

Reflexively, Lisabelle lightly slapped Viena's cheek. The little cried while holding her cheek.

"Wait - That was just! I didn't mean to-!"

"Huaah! You are a liar! You brute! You are a bad person! Papa . . .!"

Flustered, Lisabelle couldn't do or say anything when Viena was running away and leaving her for Randia. She just stood there, pulling her hair from frustration. In the end, she also sniffed her body and realized that maybe Viena wasn't so wrong. Since the special rehabilitation center was poorly maintained since it only caters to a few people, its condition was rarely monitored by the officials. That's why she didn't get too much stuff to live with. Even basic needs like soap were rarely available.

"Sigh. I'm such a mess. I need a good long bath before anything else," Lisabelle mumbled to herself.

---

 

An hour later Lisabelle come out of her bedroom and walks to the living room. There, she meets Viena who is munching on some peanut cookies while drawing something on a paper. Lisabelle then sneaks up to her to see more of what she's doing. On the piece of paper, she sees a lot of drawings of ingredients and vegetables.

"What are you doing?" Lisabelle asked.

Viena turned her head and immediately took her paper and pencils, before running to her bedroom.

"Hey!"

Lisabelle immediately catches up with Viena and holds her in her arms.

"No! Stay away!"

"Ugh! Let me explain! Look here! I'm as fresh as a summer apple!"

Viena turned around and Lisabelle pulled Viena and buried her in her chest, and it was exactly as she said. The floral-fruity fragrance of an apple orchard during its ripe harvest moon embraced her sense of smell. It's so good, relaxing, and succulent that it makes Viena stunned for a moment. She inferred that Lisabelle used the amber-colored bottle that was sealed tight on the upper part of the bathroom cabinet that she couldn't reach.

"I'm sorry for everything, okay?" Lisabelle puts stroked Viena's head with full affection.

Then, she pushed Viena's shoulder and went to her room for a moment before returning to Viena.

"Here, take this."

It's a white bunny-eared wool headband Lisabelle had made a long time ago but never had the chance nor the resilience for the embarrassment to wear. Viena takes it and waves it around. The ears are flexible and dance around as she waves them, but they always get back to their place without fail no matter what.

"Haha! It's funny!"

"What? You don't like it?"

"No, I like it! Are you really giving this to me?"

"Of course. I realized that it's hard to spot you in the crowds since you are such a shrimp. So, let's put this on to add some to your height."

Lisabelle put the headband on Viena. The little girl wiggles her head to wave the bunny ears. Seeing Viena being very cute, Lisabelle couldn't hold her feeling and her face slightly reddened in excitement.

"How do I look? Do I look weird?"

"N-No . . . It fits you perfectly. But how is it on your end? Is the headband comfy enough? I can make adjustments if it's too small or something."

"Hmm . . . Can it give a cool breeze like Miss Laura's coat?"

"Heh. You don't know how much a metagraph costs, do you?"

"The cooling magic stone? A hundred rios maybe?"

Lisabelle scoffed at Viena's remarks and crossed her arms.

"2 grands is the cheapest. The good ones cost 4 grand, and the top ones double that amount."

"E-Eight grands?! That's like nine months of work with decent pay! 18 months if we work with Papa!"

"Wha- 18 months? Uhm, anyway, now you get the overall idea. They are luxurious stuff, kid. You need to scratch your pocket deep for them."

Viena rubbed on the bunny ears with an estimating face. Suddenly, she hugs Lisabelle again for the second time today. Lisabelle was surprised and confused but she enjoyed Viena's embrace without complaint.

"Cam I heb the epul pewfume too?"

"The apple perfume? Oh, you mean the scented oil I used? Sure, just use it. If it runs out, we can always just buy more later."

"But I camt tek it. You pud it so haif om de selbs," Viena talked while burying her face in Lisabelle.

"You can't reach the bottle? but it's not even that - Sigh . . . What should I do with you, really? I might have said this already, but how come you are so small when your father is so big? Fine, let's put it on the lower shelf,"

As Lisabelle was patting Viena, the small girl suddenly removed herself away and put her arms akimbo. Her smile is brighter than any sun of the gloomy past week like she was marking a new chapter of life.

"Alright then, apology accepted. Thank you, Lily!" Viena grinned.

The cute gesture of gratitude definitely doesn't fail to put a smile on Lisabelle's face. However, as soon as her trouble with Viena is sorted, Randia calls for his daughter from the back door of the house. The two follow right after and they find Randia and the two officials, Alan and Gwen, gardening in the backyard.

"Papa! You called?"

Randia puts down his shovel and walks towards Viena, he stares at Viena's new headband and then glances at Lisabelle. Seeing Randia being quiet after calling for her, Viena tilts her head, questioning.

"That is a good headband."

"I know right?! Lily gave it to me!" Viena giddily replied.

"That makes you easier to spot when you are outside."

"I know right?! I said exactly the same thing!" Lisabelle giddily replied.

While the three were talking, Alan and Gwen, who were working on Eleanor's sunflower for reason unknown, were eyeing them. They looked at each other in disbelief.

"I don't remember seeing the young girl that talkative before," Alan remarked.

"Truly. Even the reports said that she barely talked three paragraphs during a week at the custody," Gwen added.

"The little one, was she also in the report?"

"I think so . . . but I don't really remember since she wasn't mentioned a lot. All that they said  was that she is the doctor's daughter."

"Hmm . . . ."

"Hmm . . . ."

The two puts their right thumbs on their chins.

"Well, whatever! What's done is done!"

"Yeah, let's just get along with everyone. We'll be staying for half a year with them anyway."

"And it's not like Lisabelle is actually a bad girl or something right?"

"Riiight. In the first place, it's hard to believe that a 15-year-old brat would beat an experienced soldier, even if they happen to be only a paramedic, right?"

"Riiight. You got a point there."

Thus, the two keep doing the garden while either whistling or humming a popular song of the city. The two like-minded decided to keep everything simple; they would do their job to monitor the house arrest and keep minimum accidents. Yet, since no rule states that they should be cold with the persons of the case, they will take it easy to make everything go accordingly and to prevent any beef with anyone in the doing.