𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲❥•𝑀𝐽 𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦•/𝒞ℴ𝓂𝓅𝓁ℯ𝓉ℯ𝒹/

🎀𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲🎀

"Here," Shoula walked over to Michael, who was now seated a little more upright. She handed him a delicate cup, containing a dark liquid that smelled very sweet. "Drink it, and it should help you feel a lot better," she smiled.

He stared down at it, not too keen on consuming it. Without a doubt, he was now in the middle of an era without a name, time, or date - for he could already see that the things around him were just...different. It was incredibly difficult for the outsider to understand, but for Michael, it's almost as if the experience had bestowed him with this inbred knowledge that he was in a place that was more mythical than it was real.

But even then, it wasn't quite mythical.

It was somewhere in between.

Between reality and fate.

"Go on, it's not going to kill you, I can reassure you," Shoula giggled, wiping her hands down over her dress before turning around to make her way back to the small kitchen space.

"I...know it won't...but it....doesn't look like the most pleasant of beverages," he chuckled nervously, gulping as he continued to stare at it.

Shoula spun around to look at him again, setting her hands on her waist as she stared intently at him, being reminded of a certain memory she held close to her heart. Michael looked up at her, another nervous giggle falling past his lips.

She rolled her eyes, walking back up to the bed, and settling in the space that was beside him. Gently, she took the cup from him, placing it a certain way between her fingers before cautiously lifting up to his lips.

The energy between them changed a little, and it was clear that the both of them noticed it. Michael felt understandably guarded around her, but for someone he had only just met - he was strangely drawn toward her. She felt...easy to trust, someone he didn't need to suspect of bad intentions.

In his daze upon becoming distracted by her features again, Michael hadn't noticed that Shoula had already lifted the cup to his lips - and he had started drinking it.

But even when he became aware that he was consuming the medicinal liquid, his eyes remained fixated on her, making her a feel a little bit conscious. After a few seconds, he brought his hand up to take the cup from her, allowing her to pull away.

"See?" she recollected herself after a moment. "It isn't that bad," she nodded to the cup in his hand.

Once he had finished the entire contents of the cup, he gave her a small, thankful smile. "I feel better already,"

"That's exactly what I used to say when I was a little girl, and my mother would do exactly what I did for you today," she drifted off into momentary thought, her gaze turning distant. "She would take the cup from me, and soothe me into drinking it..." she lowered her eyes, a sadness taking over them.

Michael noticed this, and despite the fact that she was a complete stranger, he felt the need to comfort her in some way. He extended his hand, placing it on hers. "Your....parents don't live with you anymore?" he inquired cautiously.

"N-No...they....are....no more," she choked.

Left absolutely mortified at the fact that he might have only aggravated the situation, Michael cleared his throat as a thousand thoughts raced through his mind - his conscience trying to pin-point the thought that would help him ease the heaviness in the room.

"I didn't....I didn't...know," was all he could come up with, heaving out a sigh. "I'm sorry,"

Wow, on my first day living out a potential dream, I screw it up beyond screwing up. How glorious.

Shoula quickly forced a smile back onto her lips, waving him off casually. "You don't need to be sorry," she rose to her feet. "They passed away a few years back - the wounds...ought to have started healing by now,"

The pair of them just stared at each other for a long moment, the both of them feeling a strange magnetism toward each other.

For Shoula, Michael was this handsome stranger that possessed a charm she couldn't quite understand. To her, he was someone that bore great knowledge to a world that she yearned to know; and for Michael, Shoula was this stunning young woman that had stepped out of one of his most untouched dreams, someone that exuded an infinite amount of love and warmth - possessing the kind of abundance that he yearned to experience.

When Shoula snapped back to her senses, she shook her head awkwardly, a slight blushing rising to her cheeks. There was no doubt about the fact that she found him very attractive - but that did not tarnish her intentions.

"Uh....I think you should get a bit more rest for the day, and since you're going to be a new temporary resident here, it would be my pleasure to show you around," you smiled. "We'll get you some fresh clothes, and help you find your feet again," she giggled as she spoke the last few words.

"Oh..." Michael grimaced upon remembering that he didn't exactly wake up with anything other than the clothes on his back. "I don't have..." he trailed off as his mind spun off to the irony of what he was about to admit. There had once been a time when he would never have needed to disclose that he hadn't enough money - and in the matter of a night, that had taken a complete turn-around.

However, it wasn't something Michael was complaining about. In fact, he was rather content with going where the wind took him.

Shoula had already predicted what Michael was going to reveal, and she made it a point to hold her hand up - telling him that he didn't need to worry.

"I know that you only had the clothes on your back when I found you, and I brought you here for a reason - because I intend to help you," she gave him yet another one of her reassuring smiles. "You'll see that Thornflower Valley works a little differently,"

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