Tale As Old As Time

The Forgotten Lake

Yooa's eyes lingers at the fantasy creatures collections. Her eyes drifted to a card that has a creature with large white dove like wings , what looks to be an angel. It's wearing a white elegant robe, holding a staff while pointing it to the sky. Light shines from above it, making the creature look ethereal as ever. But Yooa's mind only registered what her mother had told her about. And just like that she's back to worrying about her mother's mental health.

Nanami called Yooa's name, and she swings to her side. Nanami approaches her with ice cream on her hand, coming from the ice cream stand outside of the Fantasy Store Yooa is in. Nanami eyes the shop's name before looking strangely to Yooa. "A Fantasy Store? I didn't know you were such a mystical geek." She said smirking, passing by Yooa and started to study the cards sprayed out on a wall, that shows all existence of mystical creatures. "Guardian Angel." She reads the info on the card. Then she moves on to werewolves, dragons, vampires, and the rest of them.

Jiro who had just received his ice cream, came into the open shop and stood beside Yooa. "Hey, you seem tense." He said while he studies the shop collections, that has all tons of stuff related to mystical creatures, including games, cards to play with, and their official t-shirts. Yooa instantly changed her mood to calm as he noticed. "Oh yeah..I uh- It's my mom." She runs her hand up and down her arm. Jiro gazes at her before giving her an ice cream- a strawberry ice cream that he's been holding on his other hand. Yooa chuckles, she took it with a smile; amazed that Jiro remembered her favourite flavour. "You really don't have to buy me one."

Jiro shrugs, "Considering how tense you were since we ate at the restaurant awhile ago, I figured you could use some sweet relief." Yooa thanked him anyway and Jiro winked as a reply.

Nanami who just finished reading all the cards turns around with a quizzical face. "I'm having troubles understanding centaurs." She said, and tilts her head in a thinking way. "Considering that centaurs have torso's for both human and horse..do they also have two sets of lungs, two hearts and just two...everything?"

Yooa looks over to the centaur card, and acquired a new knowledge that its a half human and half horse creature. She also had a question now. "And..do the human intestines connect to the equine intestines for...crapping?" An honest question came out, and Jiro tiredly looks to the both of them.

"Okay lets-" Nanami waves her hand in the air frantically cutting Jiro off- "That also means centaurs has double the nipples!" She gasped at her own statement. Yooa noticed the shop owner behind the counter nodding his head with an agreeing expression. He's been listening from the start. Jiro had enough and brought them out from the store.

The sun started to set.

They walked down Duka Road, chatting about their everyday lives, joking like always. Nanami stopped several times as they walked, to look at flowers planted outside of people's yards. She seems amazed at it, and her eyes shimmer with light everytime she talked about them. Yooa figured she missed out on something here. So she asked, "Have you always liked flowers?" Nanami turns to Yooa after witnessing a Snake Plant planted outside on a villager's garden. Her smile genuinely shows, wide and bright. "Yes!" She turns again to point to the Snake Plant giddily. "That's one of mine." She told her. Yooa gave a confused look.

"We forgot to tell you. Nanami owned a flower shop. She's a flowerist." Jiro who was patiently waiting behind talks. Yooa had always thought Nanami wanted to be a veterinarian. She had always liked animals, even likes to donate money to dog shelters whenever she had the chance to. Nanami smiles, knowing exactly what her friend is thinking. "Time changed, things get harder to get. I didn't have the amount of time and money to pursue a medical path." She says that but her tone remained calm and relaxed. "I like it anyway, I'm at my hometown--comfortable and stress free. What's more a simple girl like me could ask for. Besides-" She approaches Yooa and Jiro, and then pokes them both on the ribs, they flinched. "-I got my family here." She said, and chuckling nervously realizing that sounded cheesy. Yooa somehow froze at that, and she stood there with a straight face. Nanami turned around and walks ahead, urging them to come. Jiro pats Yooa's shoulder, snapping her back to reality, before they both followed Nanami close behind.