L’Histoire
Eyes opened, and there she stood. Did a god suddenly create her, force her into being? Did someone erase everything inside to leave behind a blank slate? Did she do something to force all memories except her name from her mind?
Confusion ran rampant within the woman who suddenly found herself standing outside of a nearby town with no clue how she got there, what she was doing, or even where she came from. As if someone merely placed her there by chance she’d awakened to conscious thought with little to no understanding. By instinct her legs began to move, feet taking their turns leaving the ground and forcing her body into town in some half-hearted belief someone there might be able to help. A foggy veil refused to leave however, the girl wandering about the streets with her attention flitting about from one thing to another, yet feeling so far from the people and things physically close.
Questions danced like mocking jesters, their answers unlikely to come easily without effort that felt inhuman at the time. Eyes watched as these figures moved about, the townsfolk no doubt going about their day aside for a quick glance at the strange girl. Ears twitched as they devoured every sound they could – from activities to conversations – and Mao discerned a quick fact about herself: she could understand their language. Surely this meant she lived in this region, or nearby? Could someone know her here? Yet, judging from how the people stared with a glance above and behind her, they appeared more curious than welcoming. Not a single person approached her as she wandered about, occasionally stopping to observe the new portion of the crowd. Every little interaction fascinated her to no end, a wish to understand why they did what they did growing inside.
On her second day there, after spending a night on the edge of town, did someone finally walk up to her – more like into – the man unable to see her over the large stack of books he carried. Again it’d be instinctual to pick up one of the volumes that struck her moments before and begin to peruse the pages. Frantic apologies flew from the man’s mouth as he moved to pick up the mess, his hurried words halting as he realized her attention lay not on him nor the accident, but on the book in hand. Like a switch his attitude changed, forcing Mao’s attention away from the historic tomb as he babbled about something and ushered her along, much to the girl’s confusion. Out of all the people she’d walked by, why did this man see fit to interact with her? ’What a strange fellow,’ had been her thought at the time.
This rather excitable fellow brought her to the town’s library, his “work place” he’d informed her whilst placing the stack on the main counter. It would be thanks to him that Mao gained her first memory of “kindness” as he not only offered her a small job of helping him there – allowing her to read as much as she liked on the side – but a place to stay while she “got back on her feet.” He assumed the exotic woman to be a traveler or someone down on their luck, and Mao saw no reason to convince him otherwise if only because she didn’t recall her real circumstances. For a little over a month she helped this kind stranger keep the library in order, help around the house, and read voraciously whilst discussing the various books with him. She came to value his opinion, later realizing she “respected him” despite his odd tendencies and silly nature.
Change lurks around the corner, ready to drop in when people least expect it or want it. Content, Mao thought nothing of it when the man found her holding an emerald and questioned her. She saw no greed in his eyes, merely wonder where it’d come from, and surprise to learn she’d created it…she’d been creating them. Each bore a recording of a book, event, or length of time from her memories and allowed her to revisit them at a later date if she wished. It was simply something that came reflexively, an action so in tune with her body the short mage thought little about it. Again the man’s excitable nature struck as he raved and gushed, a little envious as he’d always wanted to take up magic and lacked any aptitude for it at all. This set him on the track of suggesting she join a guild to further develop these abilities – perhaps she could regain her memories if she could find some emeralds from before the amnesia? – and become someone truly amazing! As he went on a fanboy speech about the various guilds one caught her attention and she immediately agreed to find and join that one, much to his astonishment. When questioned as to why that one, her answer came as a simple, emotionless answer.
”I like cats…”
Well, it was part of the answer at least. Like so many things before it, instinctively, it felt right.
Sample: Mess Management? Maid Arrival?
