Thread: Born From the Earth (Ahren and Wingshadow)

Gnome blinked and slowly smiled when her father declared that she could stay. She was honestly a bit worried that she might have to set up camp outside or something, as there was clearly a disconnect between her line of thinking and these human's. If her mere presence was causing such trouble, how much more so would her living there? However, her fathers words dispelled her unvoiced concerns and she seemed thankful. You can call me No-ma if you prefer, Gnome shrugged, I cannot see why you would confuse me with a decoration. She visualized a front of a house with stylized versions of herself lined up along the front in various poses. The mere thought confused her. Why would anyone use her as a decoration? Was that intended to be a compliment? she blinked. Before anyone could reply, John's wife appeared at the front door, prompting him to address the issue before she came to her own conclusions. Gnome looked over at her brother and listened to him intently, not making any audible reply until he remarked how mysterious she was. You are the mystery to me, she remarked, I have traveled many miles. Spent many nights under star-filled skies... With only that locket to guide me. Yet, I have never seen something quite like you before. She pointed to her father then back at Luke, clearing up any possible misunderstanding of her words almost instantly, The resemblance is really uncanny. WHAT?! John's wife jumped back as if she had been stung, Why is this the first time I am hearing about this?! You expect me to just accept this? Can't we have DNA tests done or something, just to make sure? Calm down, honey... Just come inside and think this over, alright? John made a feeble attempt to diffuse the situation. Oh, don't you honey me! she walked past him and went straight for the kitchen, dropping the bags of take-out onto the counter before turning toward the purple-haired girl who sat at the table before her. Gnome looked up at her, and she looked back at Gnome. From just seeing here there, her wide green eyes staring up at hers she knew she could not send her away. Send her back to what? She couldn't possibly have been happy, all alone with only her birth mother and the harsh, unforgiving wilderness. What sort of person would she be if she sent her away? It wasn't her fault how she had come into the world, so what purpose was there to punishing her? She is pretty, Gnome pointed at her and glanced at Luke, just as her arms wrapped around Gnome's small body and held her to her own. There, there... I'm sure you are tired from your long journey. Stay here as long as you like, dear, she smiled and stroked her hair. Yes... I think she does like me, Gnome sighed. ------------------ a month later ------------------ Things were starting to get back to normal, with the whole door incident forgotten and John once again allowed to sleep with his wife. Gnome was given the old guest room, and after they bought her a bed, a desk, a dresser, and a few other essentials such as casual clothes, among other things she seemed to adapt well to life in the city. Sure, she still had some of her old odd habits such as sitting outside on rainy afternoons and unintentionally breaking jars when she tried to open them, but she was trying her best to fit in. She enjoyed going on shopping trips with her stepmother, often spending long hours picking out clothes for each other. Gnome had a rather odd sense of fashion, to say the least, but her surrogate mother was doing her best to reel her in. She bonded well with her father, too. She had an amazing memory and the two of them would sometimes spend long nights talking about ancient Aztec building practices. Apparently her mother had helped them construct some of their more impressive structures, at least according to Gnome. It wasn't entirely clear whether she was just making it all up or if she was being entirely serious. Gnome still didn't know quite what to make of Luke. She enjoyed the attention he gave her perhaps a bit too much, sometimes intentionally doing off-the-wall things just to watch his reactions. She had grown to act like an older sister, of sorts, who enjoyed playing pranks on her little brother as an end in itself. However, like with many things she did, this was primarily for her own amusement rather than a genuine attempt on her part to bond with her brother. When she wasn't out shopping with her stepmother or buying food at the supermarket, Gnome spent most of her time indoors. She seemed to dislike large crowds, particularly crowds of humans that she was unfamiliar with. She wasn't used to being around so many people, so this was understandable. The fact that she would often literally bury herself in order to hide herself from view was not quite so easy to justify. Gnome rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and groggily walked down the hall. She wore a simple nightgown, her bare feet pattering against the flooring as she made her way toward the kitchen. John and his wife were already up and getting ready to go to work, as she was still a late-riser. Some might attribute it to low blood pressure, but it was more likely due to her habit of staying up too late at night. She would spend hours looking at the stars through her window, even after being told to go to sleep.