Gemini Bookstore

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"Surprises aren't always a good thing," Tahlia said knowingly.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"This is true," Enna replied. "Have you had undesirable surprises recently?"

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"Not undesirable, no. More like completely unexpected," Tahlia said.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Are not all surprises unexpected?" Enna asked. She believed that was the defnition.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Tahlia laughed slightly.
"Well, yes. But sometimes there is an explanation as to why surprises happen. Other times, you are left to totally wonder."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Hmm," Enna hummed simply. Perhaps she didn't understand exactly what Tahlia meant. But it didn't matter. "But otherwise, things are well?"

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Tahlia nodded. "Yea. I just do my best to stay busy is all," she smiled slightly, not going to admit how lonely she really was.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Staying busy isn't always a good idea," Enna said, knowing how it could affect her friend socially and emotionally.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"Well, I don't have much else to do," Tahlia said.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"You could relax sometimes," Enna pointed out.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

'And do what? Come bother you? Not likely," she said with a little laugh.
"It's either read here or read at home. All while waiting for word from the council."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"You could," Enna replied, shrugging one shoulder. She didn't mind getting visitors, and it wasn't like Tahlia ever really bothered her. "I suppose you're right, however."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"About?" She asked.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Doing the same thing either here or there," Enna elaborated.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"It's what I like to do," she said with a shrug. "And with the council hung up on ruling who the next pack leader will be, I've got a lot to not worry about."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"What happened to the old pack leader?" Enna asked, since she couldn't recall...if she'd ever known.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"Other than no one other than the people who were punished knew who he was, I don't know. Something about him stepping down or dying," Tahlia said.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Enna raised an eyebrow. "So no one even knows what happened to him?" she asked. She supposed she understood a little about the leader hiding his identity, but not even knowing what happened to him?

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"Believe me, it's always been weird. But that's how it's been since I was little, even before I changed. The pack hasn't done anything outright to change it. But I bet the new alpha will enjoy showing off." Tahlia said. She gasped quietly as her eyes clouded over. She could see nothing, real or divine.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Enna fell silent, raising an eyebrow at how Tahlia was acting. She could recall long ago, Tahlia....had visions of some sort. But did she still? Instead of asking, she simply watched curiously.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

She shut her eyes tight and sighed heavily. "That did not feel good."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"What was it?" Enna finally asked, too curious to hold in.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"I couldn't tell you," Tahlia said, rubbing her temples. "Doesn't show me anything any more except for white emptiness. The strong ones end up leaving some behind, so whatever it was wasn't good."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Enna frowned a little. "But you have no idea what it was?" she asked. Not that she could help anything if they did know.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Tahlia shook her head. "I mean, sometimes it's related to what I'm talking about but it could be random, at least that's how it was before," she told Enna.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"So it could be about the pack....or anything? That's not very helpful," Enna said plainly.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"You're telling me," she said, sighing again.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Enna frowned. "Hmm. Well I suppose it's not something to dwell on then."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Enna was right and Tahlia knew it. But this one bothered her for the time being.
The sound of the door made her look up.
Soren stepped inside and closed the door quickly. The wind was chilling him to the bone.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Enna looked in the direction of the door, feeling like it was probably time for her to go. She wouldn't want to bother Tahlia while she was with a customer after all.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Soren cleared his throat. "Enna," he said, surprised to see her here.
Tahlia smirked slightly but said nothing.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"How convenient, you're here," Enna said. Rather than having to track him down later in the day. "I came into town, like I said."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Soren smirked slightly and gave a little chuckle. "You did, yes," he said.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Granted, it took a couple of months. Either way, I kept my promise," Enna said, sure that the length was the only reason he was laughing.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"And now I can't remember why you said you'd come, though I guess it wasn't all that important. After all, you're busy all the time with all your stuff." Soren wondered if his teasing would go over her head, but he didn't reckon she'd tell him either.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"There was no reason," Enna answered, completely missing any implied teasing. "You simply told me to come into town sometime and I finally found a reason."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"Restocking the lake," Tahlia commented at Soren's puzzled expression.
"Do you know who you're going to ask?" Soren said, not sure who had done it previously.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"No, I don't," Enna answered. "We'd been discussing it and Tahlia suggested asking Uncle Ben. Do you have another suggestion?"

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"The guys at the docks?" he said, giving a weak suggestion. "Except they'd give you fish from the ocean. So I don't know." Soren scratched his neck.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"The lake is saltwater, but there's not as much space," Enna said. Well, it wasn't actually saltwater, but it wasn't exactly the opposite either. More brackish.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"I think the lake used to be connected to the ocean, until the land cut it off," Tahlia commented.
Soren shrugged. "Then I suppose you could ask them. Though I'll bet Ben would do it much nicer."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"I don't really care about nice," Enna said honestly. "As long as they do it in a timely manner."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"Ben will be kinder to the animals," Tahlia clarified.
"What the point of delivering fish if you're so rough with em that half are dead or dying?" Soren asked Enna.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"I don't know. I'm likely to eat them eventually either way," Enna said in the same flat tone. "I suppose if they're rough with the fish there will be some unsightly bruising however...."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"Or less, because they're already dead," Tahlia said, shaking her head. She had taken out her phone and sent a message.
"We're just about to get food. Do you want anything, Soren?"
He shrugged, "Slonina cooking?"
"That was the plan."
"I could eat. After all, Break time is finally a thing again now that the holidays are over."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Right, the holidays are busy," Enna said as if she'd just remembered....which was true. "It's good I waited then."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"It was really nice in town," Soren said. "Almost everyone helped decorate townsquare this year."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"That's nice. I suppose there are pictures of that I could see later," Enna said.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Soren hadn't thought of that. "I guess you are right. I'll have to see who has it. Probably Meira."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"How is Meira?" Enna asked, since the girl had always been.....well she had never been a bother.