The Lifestream Incident

It's been two years. Two years I've felt alone. Two years I've watched them rebuild and continue living like nothing happened.

Ainsley paced around her room, straightening the area Kan-E-Senna had given her in the wake of her grandfather's demise; the teen remained tucked away behind Old Gridania, where she could sulk in peace and quiet. While the Elder Seedseer did her best to console the girl, Ainsley couldn't move on. Her mother wanted her to come home, to rejoin her family. However, bitter as she was about everything that had occurred regarding her birth, Ainsley had lashed out and told her parents that it was too little too late. Once she ran out of things to put away or rearrange, she stood in the middle of her room with nothing but deafening silence for company. The feeling of being lost soon overwhelmed her as it always did, and fresh tears began to spill down her face as she fell to her knees in anguish.

It wasn't long before the sound of soft sobbing attracted the attention of Raya-O-Senna, who had been visiting the Conjurer's Guild when she heard the unmistakable despair of her best friend emanating from the rooms in the back of the guild. This is where the novices were housed and since the calamity Ainsley. Raya-O and Ainsley had gotten close when they were younger, Raya-O only being two summers older than her. She knew how hard the girl had been taking her grandfather's death and did her best to come to see her and distract her when she could. The sobs got louder the closer Raya-O got to Ainsley's room. She quickly rapped her knuckles on the door, resisting the urge to just burst in. The sobs stopped suddenly, sniffles following shortly after.

"Give me a moment, you caught me indisposed," Ainsley answered, her voice shaky and rough.

"I was on this side of Gridania, so I thought I'd come to see my favorite girl," Raya-O replied, shuffling her feet as she waited for her friend to answer the door, "take your time dear, I haven't anything else planned today. I was going to spend it with you if you agreed." It took several minutes, of which there was a lot of sniffling and nose-blowing, but eventually, Ainsley opened the door. She was disheveled, a striking difference from her normal neat and tidy appearance.

"I wasn't expecting you Raya-O, how are y-..." Ainsley stopped without finishing her sentence, taken aback by Raya-O throwing her arms around her in a tight embrace. After a moment of stillness, Ainsley raised her arms, gently returning the hug. The warmth coming from her friend was such a comfort.

"Whatever is wrong Ainsley?" Raya-O stepped back, studying Ainsley's eyes. "Please tell me if there is anything I can do for you. I want to help." Her friend's face was puffy and splotchy. Her normally sky-blue eyes were red-rimmed and swollen, she must have been crying for a while now. This room was kind of tucked away, and it made sense that the novices would leave her alone. So of course no one would bother her even if they did hear her crying.

Ainsley sniffled, a tear escaping the corner of her eye. "I'm just homesick." Her eyes trailed down, avoiding her friend's gaze. "It's not like I don't appreciate having a home here. I am forever thankful that your sister let me stay here after the calamity. She had a whole city full of people to take care of, and she still took me in. It's just not the same, I miss my old life." Raya-O took a chance to look around her friend's room. Despite Ainsley just rearranging the once spotless living space was now disorganized, clothes spread around, the bed unmade. This was not at all normal for Ainsley; the girl who was once obsessed with ensuring not a hair was out of place before she left her room.

Looking back at her friend Raya-O wiped away her tear with her sleeve, embracing her friend again. There were many things she could think of that could distract Ainsley, shopping, gathering materials, practicing conjuration. All things she had previously tried though. It was good to distract her for the moment, but it was just temporary. She needed something that might actually help her, not distract her. One thing came to mind, even if it might be a bit risky. "I have an idea. Why don't we go back one more time and let you get anything you want from your grandfather's home? Maybe having some familiar things here would make it feel more like home." Releasing Ainsley she stepped back again, a soft smile painted across her young face. "Make it feel less like an inn room, and more like your own room. I know you have gotten most of your things already, but maybe there's something left behind that will comfort you."