Turn Your Smile My Way

Things were still awkward, the feeling of abandonment he was left with was still raw but he also knew he couldn't keep sequestering himself away from the world. Even if he was all alone, only his siblings and father remained. Even Resin who had held him when he'd finally broken down was gone, and Emile was convinced the same was true of Bowen, dead somewhere just like her mother. And his mother... and sister. Maybe it was easier that way, if he didn't let others get close to him it meant he could stop hurting when they inevitably abandoned him.

Still, he knew his father at least wanted him to stop shutting himself away. So he wouldn't, he'd shoulder the bag his father had gotten him for his first birthday and go out to try and make something of the rapidly warming weather. He moved to the courtyard, turning his attention towards the large marigolds starting to bloom, one of the few plants he could remember from that healing lesson that felt a million lifetimes ago. They were mostly still too young for him to begin harvesting any of them, instead, he turned to checking their stems and the soil they grew in, nervous that the cold of spring had done permanent damage and would leave them with little usable for the coming months.

That was at least until a voice he didn't recognize called out to him. At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, the ghost of Resin come to visit. But as she drew closer the differences became starker. The unknown woman was too young to be Resin to start, a good pair of eyes and a light dappling on her coat where Resin had none... It was hard not to feel grief once more flowing through him, it was a constant pain, a wound that refused to heal. He had so much to mourn for and no proper outlet. She approached him right out and Emile couldn't help but skitter away a few steps, his ears pulling back as she explained who she was. His dad sure did seem to have a lot of friends.

"Chchchchchcecking how the Mari-ri-ri-ri-rigolds are gr-gr-gr-growing... Tttttthe cold did a num...ber on the earth." He said, his tone guarded and though he glanced at the flowers at his paws he mostly kept his gaze on the woman. "W-w-w-w-...hat kind of fr-fr-fr-friend?" He asked, doing his best not to let his tone take on an edge... something he failed at.
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