Another Way

Chapter 36: Penumbra

The most awkward part of tearful reunions comes immediately after the tears.

As emotional as the meeting of the two villages was, the practical concerns of several dozen cartload's worth of gifts took over Newmoon's attention soon after. That didn't mean there was no talking or especially no affection—there was, even if not as much as there could have been—but that it had to take a back seat for the time being.

For the most part, everyone involved was entirely okay with that. Even excluding any malicious reasons, many visitors from Moonview didn't end up exchanging more than a handful of words with the other village. For some, it was because they were still unsure what to say after all that had happened; for others, it was a caring impulse that didn't want to overwhelm the already-rattled denizens of Newmoon. Some others still just... didn't know enough to say anything about anyone here. Sue didn't need to be a local to tell that Moonview had grown a fair bit over the past few years, and they would see the other village as simply strangers. Strangers more than deserving of a charitable act, absolutely, but strangers all the same.

As the Forest Guardian soon realized, Lilly was a part of that group as well. After Sue had gotten off the cart, Ginger asked the leafy dancer to take the cart full of berries further into the village, where it still sat. Once she was done, though, she—and Bluegrass, after he had emerged from their fruity cargo—dashed right back over to Sue, her sudden skittishness downright palpable for the psychic. Could've been the leftover tension in the air, could've been the unfamiliar territory. Could've been something else altogether.

With a nudge, Sue guided them both and Spark further into the settlement, both to have a quieter spot to themselves and to get away from the main thoroughfare. She considered bringing up what her friend was feeling right away, before deciding against it. Partly because she was already doing a good job getting a gradual grip on herself, going over what Sue had told her after the drunken celebrations a few days ago. Partly because the place was loud, and Sue really didn't feel like trying to raise her voice over the din just to be heard.

Which left waiting until others were done, and that much they could absolutely do—Spark?

Sue blinked after only seeing grassy dirt in the spot the lil' fox had been just moments prior. She looked around and caught just the tip of her yellow-red tail as it slunk behind some nearby bushes, stirring concern in her. It only lasted for about a second before both her psychic senses and the ears caught up, though. The former was keen to inform her that the vixen felt no less relieved than they did, mixed with an infectious dose of excitement.

The latter confirmed her hunch that Pollux, for all his stealthiness, didn't seem to be aware of the concept of keeping his voice down.

Before long, the grassy serpent's worries had calmed down enough to let him at least curl up behind the other two and wait out the rush. With just her and Lilly left to their own devices, the Forest Guardian scooted half a step closer towards the planty dancer, joining her in watching goods be unloaded onto basically every non-muddy flat surface in sight, rooftops not excluded. She hoped it wouldn't end up raining, and evidently so did the builders—except they were both capable and very willing to do something as a precaution. Ginger included once more.

If nothing else, it was amusing watching them cut an entire thin log into quarters in less than a minute, before using each split part as a stake and attaching one of the large canvasses the convoy had brought with itself to them. The resulting... sunshade was scuffed even by Newmoon's standards, but like most other things here, it would be likely reused for something else down the line. Sue had the slightest tingle of an idea that the builders only did all this to have an excuse to do something together after all these years. Especially considering Ginger's unusually energetic sawing.