Spring 1 Monday Time: 7:00 Weather: Sunny --- Eli sat on her bed, fully clothed and somewhat damp from a long shower she had just took, hand skimming through a worn wallet. Cards, most expired and trash, littered the innards, as well as a few bills and coins. Just enough for at least two more weeks in the Inn. Eli sighed and glanced out the window at the town, and a quiet plea to the Harvest Goddess she had been told about, asking for courage and luck. For a moment, job hunting was the only thing to think about, but the motivation that took hold of her mind quickly passed when the need to sketch something made her fingers itch. Fear was good inspiration. Eli quickly leaned down to her satchel again, pulling out a thick and rather old sketchbook, plastic baggy filled with colorful oil pastels, and an old camera. She shoved everything, including her wallet, under her arm and turned towards the oak door that lead outside. The hallway outside her room was dimly lit yet ornate, the plush carpet underneath soft against covered feet. Eli really did love the inn, it was so quaint and quiet, and meals came free with the room. Eli had managed to secure her home on the second floor, which was pretty high considering the place only had three floors, and enjoys waking up everyday to a well furnished room and friendly atmosphere. The only misfortune she had ever encountered here was the rude, stormy awakening this morning, and perhaps the somewhat intimidating owner, worker, and patrons. They weren't all that bad though. Eli lowered her head in thought as she slowly wandered down the stairwell towards the lobby, thinking of the kind husband and wife that allowed her to stay for so little payment, and the punk worker Gaku with his amazing music and bluntness, and the beautiful Izzie with her lovely blonde hair and joking attitude. Eli lifted her free hand to her own still damp blondeness, running her fingers gently through the thick stands with thin lips until she hit the tiled floor of the lobby. Eli's eyes scanned the large room, looking expectantly for Marie or Rob, but instead found Gaku, who looked half dead sitting behind the counter. Her payment for the week was due, but neither of the owners were there to accept it, she would have to leave it with the punk. Eli gulped down anxiety, quickly blanked her faces, and quietly approached the counter, slipping a few bills and some coins out of her wallet. Her mouth opened, but words failed to appear, and she simply stared at Gaku for a few moments, lost on what to say or do. Eventually, she lifted the somewhat shaky, money-filled hand up and placed the bills on the counter, eyes staring directly at his' with an unfathomable, emotionless expression, "This is the... Money for my time in the Inn." her voice was soft, somewhat hard to notice. She stared at him for a moment longer, then bowed her head and uttered a quick 'goodbye' before turning on her heels and practically sprinting out the door into the cool spring air. Her feet carried on through the town, passed murmuring groups and tipped flower pots, towards the base of Mount Edelweiss. People had gathered in the town square, but Eli vaguely noticed as she jogged by. Perhaps the Mayor was holding a meeting about the storm from before. Ah well, nothing for her there. No, she was focus on getting to the woods that surrounded the base of the mountain and Flora Falls. There was a particular knotted dogwood tree that was fresh in her head and she had a startlingly strong urge to sketch the tree before it bloomed fully, and this certain tree was located just beside on the outskirts of the falls. Eli eventually ran out of energy and slowed to a steady walk, and by this time she was already out of the town and on the dirt trail that curved towards the mountain. The familiar murmur of the river sounded somewhere beyond her sight, and dew-licked grass glinted beautifully in the morning sunlight. Eli appreciated the quiet, serene nature around her with a soft smile, head bowed to stare at her boot-covered feet that left behind small footprints in the sandy pathway, forgetting the anxiety she had just experienced a few minutes before. There was, however, a disturbance in the peace. Eyes on the back of her head, a small presence but definitely there. Glancing about while continuing her slow stride, Eli found that she wasn't being followed, and although she had seen a small glimpse of light just out of the corner of her eye she couldn't find the source at all. Not wanting to go off task looking for what was most likely nothing, she decided to ignore it, and continued on until she was surrounded by trees and the soft spray of the falls. The knotted trunk of the dogwood sat just on the cliff of Flora Falls, surrounded by stone that was cracked and filled with growing grass and flowers. Bright pink buds and green leaves covered the looming branches, and Eli walked forward, making herself comfortable against the large, mossy trunk, opening her sketch book and pastels. This was how she had spent almost all of winter, curled up against a tree or the earth, sketching or painting or photographing the beauty of the valley, surrounded by silence and nature and not her past. Memories of her rude awakening and awkward chit-chat with Gaku vanished as she let out a soft sigh and began to leave wide, elegant strokes on the rigid paper that lay flat on her lap.