Another Way

Chapter 15: Warmth

The planty dancer's reappearance was as surprising for Sue as it was appreciated, wide eyes giving way to a soft, giddy smile as she eyed out the offering consisting of another peach-like fruit presently held in one of their large, leaf-like hands. Barring Solstice and Sundance, they were the closest to her height out of everyone she'd met so far, the pink bloom that sprouted out from their forehead at eye level with the former human, the few missing inches of height partially made up by them attempting to stand on the tips of their yellow feet immediately afterwards, Sue's attempt to replicate that motion accomplishing nothing except making her briefly lose her balance. While she didn't end up needing it, the stranger's wordless readiness to help the moment it looked like she was about to trip over was deeply appreciated.

"Oh, sure! Thank you!"

To Sue's surprise, her speaking up seemed to take them aback more than her almost losing her balance, to a literal extent even, their white and purple legs backing up a step before they gathered enough composure to speak up again, much of the enthusiasm in their voice replaced with uncertainty-

"Y-you talk?"

The younger Forest Guardian blinked a couple times in response to the nervous question, very unsure about what was going on herself all of a sudden-

"Yeah! I-I don't know the language, and now Sundance is helping translate me."

Sue's remark had the dancer look with uncertainty over in the firefox's direction, with their gaze running into Solstice instead, the not-Mayor having no more of an idea of the reason behind the change in their emotional outlook than her pupil, speaking out loud shortly afterwards-

"Is everything alright Lilly?"

"I-"

As the freshly christened plant lady gathered her words, Sue felt uncertainty and a bit of worry start welling up inside of their thought process, wanting to help with it despite not knowing where it came from, prompting with the simple and unlikely to offend gesture of reaching her free hand for her to shake, putting on as confident of a smile as she herself was capable of-

"It's very nice to meet you Lilly! Thank you for the berries earlier."

Despite Sue having little confidence the outstretched hand would accomplish anything but confuse Lilly even further, her reaction was marked and positive, much of her nerves waning afterwards as she walked over closer- before interpreting the younger Forest Guardian's gesture as an awkward hug and going for it, her smooth, leafy body warm and firm in its embrace. Lack of any heartbeat Sue could feel was a bit odd, but that was the least of her concerns in the moment, the two mostly green beings soon completing their awkward, but no less tender as a result hug.

"N-Nice meet you too. I... I think you not talk, a-and... not care me not talk good."

Even with the ongoing translation, Lilly turned out to be a bit trickier to understand than expected, the most likely culprit of her not being experienced with the village's language making Sue's smile all that much more warmer and empathetic, the once human nodding approvingly-

"Oh it's absolutely okay, I'm still learning the language too!"

Contrary to what Sue expected though, her reassurance fell completely flat, Lilly feeling more withdrawn afterwards if anything, twitching as if to withdraw herself from the hug before thankfully reconsidering and attempting to explain again-

"No no, I- I know language, I understand. But... words, using words, very hard. F-for me. I sorry."

"Wh-why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong, you still were really nice to me earlier and now with the berries."