Eleanor remained standing, leaning against the tree until she was sure she wasn't going to fall down. Chloe's thoughts. And her own thoughts too, it seemed. She looked back the way they had come, into the forest. Far in the distance she could make out a glow that might have been the strange flowers...
"Mine were...I don't know. I wanted it, but I don't know...why..." She trailed off, her eyes narrowed, lips slightly pursed. Just more mysterious, never any answers. Finally she sighed before looking back at Chloe.
"You were hearing your girlfriend's name...and that Kirika girl's name, you said, right?"
Chloe fidgeted when asked that. She wasn't looking at the flowers or the direction of the forest right then. She was staring at Eleanor with a mixture of worry and other troubled emotions. "I think I understand, though what they offered me was ... easier to understand. Maybe, it is because I want something that is... rather basic." It was shameful to admit it, but the fact was that she was lonely, and two years hadn't been easy, and weren't getting easier.
Chloe raked her fingers through her hair when she saw blue eyes turn back towards her and she fidgeted in her spot again. "Yes... and two others, but if you will forgive me, Eleanor, I would rather not name them right now." For a variety of reasons. "I suppose I've been conflicted lately, and the flowers seemed to know it."
Yes, that was a roundabout way of letting her know 'what' was wrong without being specific about it.
"It's not my place to pry," she said with a shrug, pushing off the tree. Chloe's private life was her life. Admittedly knowing that Chloe was hearing names from her fake like and her real one was...unsettling. And the fact that there were other names...good lord. Chloe had complicated feelings, it seemed!
"Well. I guess it was...just throwing everything it has at you, right? To see what stuck."
"...sort of. They all stuck, or there wouldn't have been an effect. They all tempted me to be out there. One was really bad just now," she said, shrugging, looking right at Eleanor right then. She swallowed and closed her eyes.
"Two years ... is a very long time to be away from someone, Eleanor. And the other girl? She felt very real things for this Kirika. I remember those feelings. The other two?" A cough. "Sorry... if I name them, I don't really get to take those names back, do I? So, thank you for not prying."
Because not being able to take it back was definitely the problem right this instant.
Eleanor seemed to be thinking this over, her gaze back on the distant flowers now, eyes slightly narrowed. Maybe it was different for her, all she'd really felt for the memories she'd regained were...anger. Frustration. Curiosity maybe. Nothing like love or friendship.
What did that even mean, really?
"Well," she finally looked back, offering a thin smile. "I suppose it doesn't really matter, since we're away from there now. You certainly did a better job running from that I did." Her curiosity was a bit spiked now about all these feelings Chloe had, but she had no place to really ask about them.
Well, the 'love' for Kirika wasn't something she felt. It was something that the other girl had felt, but the feelings were memories, ones that felt real even if they also felt foreign to her at the same time. She refused to acknowledge them, even as she couldn't help that they were still there. God, what would happen if that girl appeared one day?
"It ... doesn't matter, no. I'm not going to let flowers decide when and if I say things," she said, nodding firmly. "And I wouldn't have gotten away if you hadn't stopped me in the first place. Don't sell yourself short, Eleanor."
She laughed and shook her head. "You still saved me. I don't care what the reason was... or we saved each other. But come, let's get out of this weather, back somewhere warm and safe, ok?" She motioned for her to follow. "I want away from those flowers and their whispers."
"I doubt we are the only one," though she honestly was just hoping that was true more than anything else as they headed into town. "But we will keep our eyes peeled, and if we do, we will play the heroines and drag them back to safety."
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"Mine were...I don't know. I wanted it, but I don't know...why..." She trailed off, her eyes narrowed, lips slightly pursed. Just more mysterious, never any answers. Finally she sighed before looking back at Chloe.
"You were hearing your girlfriend's name...and that Kirika girl's name, you said, right?"
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Chloe raked her fingers through her hair when she saw blue eyes turn back towards her and she fidgeted in her spot again. "Yes... and two others, but if you will forgive me, Eleanor, I would rather not name them right now." For a variety of reasons. "I suppose I've been conflicted lately, and the flowers seemed to know it."
Yes, that was a roundabout way of letting her know 'what' was wrong without being specific about it.
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"Well. I guess it was...just throwing everything it has at you, right? To see what stuck."
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"Two years ... is a very long time to be away from someone, Eleanor. And the other girl? She felt very real things for this Kirika. I remember those feelings. The other two?" A cough. "Sorry... if I name them, I don't really get to take those names back, do I? So, thank you for not prying."
Because not being able to take it back was definitely the problem right this instant.
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What did that even mean, really?
"Well," she finally looked back, offering a thin smile. "I suppose it doesn't really matter, since we're away from there now. You certainly did a better job running from that I did." Her curiosity was a bit spiked now about all these feelings Chloe had, but she had no place to really ask about them.
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"It ... doesn't matter, no. I'm not going to let flowers decide when and if I say things," she said, nodding firmly. "And I wouldn't have gotten away if you hadn't stopped me in the first place. Don't sell yourself short, Eleanor."
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"I only woke up because I tripped."
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"...We should see if we find anyone else wandering this way though. On the way back."
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"Let's go."