[Action/Voice]

[elongatedsmile]

[Once more the Malnosso had changed her. She hated it when they did that. She still wasn't sure how, but it was frightening to be so small and vulnerable again. More than that it left her thinking of her home and family left behind. How were they doing? Were they all alright? She knew they must be. She was just one dragon after all. The world back home would not stop turning without her.

So why did she ache as she thought about her home now?

She tried to distract herself. Moving around the different community buildings as she would need to move back into one soon. Winter was coming and she did not want to sleep through it with the Malnosso about. She visits the grocery store where she'll help herself to some of the raw meat that is there. It doesn't taste as good as the stuff she catches, but it will do again for winter.

Yet, her mind keeps falling back towards her home. How lucky she was that her body adapted well to the changes she went through growing up. Not all born with mixed blood was so lucky. Her mind spent a lot of time focusing on her mother too. Is this what the humans called homesickness? It's awful and she decides to pull out her journal to find out how they dealt with it.]

Those who miss your homes in this world. How do you fix it?

[After some time walking around town she'll be heading back to hang out near the lake.]

Comments

[Voice]

[lostinmyway]

[Ah, homesickness. It isn't something Grune feels very often, both due to her happy nature and because she has so many of her friends with her here in Luceti, but...she does still feel it.]

Sometimes I go to the special garden and look after the flowers I planted for my friends. I think about happy memories, and then I'm not sad anymore.

[Voice]

[elongatedsmile]

[She thinks about the advice. Tries it for all of a really long two seconds before giving up.] Thinking of these memories do not make me stop missing them.

[Voice]

[lostinmyway]

Hmm.... But if you concentrate on the good times, then you won't be able to think about how much you miss them.

[At least if you can't hold more than one thought in your head at a time, like a certain someone.]

[Voice]

[elongatedsmile]

The good times? I was not focusing on the bad times. Will that really work?

[Voice]

[lostinmyway]

I think so. It always works for me.

[Voice]

[elongatedsmile]

I wish to see them still when I think of the happy times.

[Voice]

[lostinmyway]

I do too. I think we'll always miss our friends a little. But it's wonderful to remember that you're loved, isn't it?

[At least, she thinks so.]

[Voice]

[elongatedsmile]

I liked it better before without these feelings.

[Voice]

[lostinmyway]

[Her surprise is evident in her voice. Normally Grune's tone doesn't vary much, but this is worth the exception.]

But weren't you lonely before?

[Voice]

[elongatedsmile]

No. I was not. [Okay, she was, but never in a way that she could not cope before. The experiments by the Malnosso have kick started them once more.] I have not longed for the physical contact of my mother in many seasons.

[Voice]

[lostinmyway]

[A bit more softly:] But you miss her right now?

[Voice]

[fierybluebird]

Last year when I was homesick, my little brothers threw me a pirate party for my birthday with things I like. It helped.

[Voice]

[elongatedsmile]

A pirate party? What is that?

[Voice]

[fierybluebird]

Like a regular party, but with extra booze and pirates and it goes until everyone gets bored.

[Voice]

[elongatedsmile]

A party? [She considers it. She's not exactly sure what 'booze' is. Must be some sort of pirate thing.] Is the booze a medicine to make the feeling go away? Does it only work for humans?

[ voice ]

[rashness]

Not not sure you really fix something like that.

[ voice ]

[elongatedsmile]

You do not? Yet, you do not always seem... [She pauses trying to find the right word.] ...alone.

[ voice ]

[rashness]

[Him personally? Probably not] Well, probably 'cus I've got friends here and just try my best to be doing stuff.

[ voice ]

[elongatedsmile]

Friends. So do you replace the people from home? [She's not judging. If that's what she must do it will be hard, but she's never thought to try it before. If that is what is required to live and be strong she will try.

She would just like to be sure first.]

[ voice ]

[rashness]

No?

[ ... ] You don't replace people. You can't replace people.

[ voice ]

[elongatedsmile]

Is that not what you do? When you lose a friend you find another one that will take the place of the one loss. [THE NUMBERS! THEY ADD UP! 1-1+1=1 It's just science!]

[ voice ]

[rashness]

No - you just find other friends you could have. Nothin's replaced, 'cus it's not like you forget and it's not like the importance of one of the other's lowered or anything either. So it's more like when you don't have anyone, you try to find someone.

[ voice ]

[elongatedsmile]

But if you do not replace the friends then will it not still hurt? [Not that she has any idea how to replace a friend or if he could.]

[ voice ]

[rashness]

...Yeah, sometimes. When you're thinkin' about it or you got a spare moment. But people gotta work with that.

[ voice ]

[elongatedsmile]

I wish for it to not hurt anymore. That is what I wish to fix.