A Favor for Nostalgia [Solo/Job]

Amaryllis stretched out her limbs and followed the directions the old man who ran a bakery to get to Miss Fass’ which was located outside of the village. The poor woman rarely made it to the village unless she was accompanied by one of her friends or she had the energy to make it the church service once a week. She was still confused on the directions, but she was able to located Miss Fass’ time echo and follow the old woman’s week old path backwards to her home.

She followed the trail to the front of a small cottage which was kept in decent repair, but was an echo of what it was compared to the home Miss Fass grew up in. At times when a memory of a place is intense enough it can distort the way in which a place appears; however, as far as Amaryllis was concerned only someone who held a place or object with enough sentiment and herself could view said place or object in the same way. Miss Fass’ sentiment towards her home was of the nostalgic kind which resulted in Amaryllis seeing that instead of wilting wildflowers she caught sight of lilies and irises which had been planted in a clean, orderly row. The paint on the door wasn’t peeling and majority of it the wooden base; it was freshly painted a charming pale color which beckoned its tired residence to return and enjoy the evening meal after a day of work.

Amaryllis jerked her body harshly sending the echoed image back into the time stream and took in the current state of the cottage. This place is orderly and held together by minimal repair, she stated to herself in the act of a reminder of the present. She walked up to the door and knocked gently, “Miss Fass.”

Amaryllis awaited only a few minutes before an elderly woman eased the door open and waved her in. The woman managed to stand an inch or two higher than Amaryllis despite the fact she was hunched over with old age. Miss Fass had graying blonde-brown curls which were kept in a short haircut and she wore subdue colors which were suitable for someone who spent times outdoors tending to plants or taking walks. Overall, Miss Fass had a sensible air about her.

“Don’t mind the mess. I haven’t been able to get around to sweeping the floors and such,” she replied with the shake of her hand.

Amaryllis nodded politely and sat down on a nearby stool. The area was relatively pristine save for the dust and dirt which had built up on top the floors. “My name is Amaryllis and I’m from Fairy Tail in Magnolia Town,” she introduced herself, inclining her head.

Miss Fass returned her greeting with a nod and sat herself besides Amaryllis. “Thank you for taking my request dear,” she began with a smile. “I’ve been wanting to reread this book for the longest time and it should have been returned just this week. Did you know my mother used to read this book to me every night before bed? I even used to have a copy, but it sadly got lost at some point…”

She kindly nodded every so often with her expression attentive and softly sympathetic to the old woman’s memories. The wave of nostalgia surrounding this woman caused the inside of her home to distort for a moment in Amaryllis’ eyes and she spotted a warm fire and a young girl and mother reading besides it. She had to concentrate at staring at the old woman and not at the echo dancing in the corner of her eye. “I’d be more than happy to find the book for you. Give me the title and I’ll be sure to come back before as soon as possible.”

Miss Fass clasped her hands together and pulled out a piece of paper. “Here you go dear. Return as soon as you can and tell that sweet librarian hello for me,” she instructed and waved her off.

With the title in hand, Amaryllis bowed goodbye to the old woman and made her way back to the village library. “I might be able to look at a few books myself,” she considered and hurried back.