Flashback Make Believe Doctor (Leila)

[Ana Sol Starris]

Summer 28th, 507AV West Street It had been a particularly swelteringly hot summer day with cicadas buzzing in the air and the nearby sounds of the sea competing with them on occasion. Hub bub of hustling and bustling around the city was a common tune that played itself out as well, with children playing, and the sailors yelling and attending to their ships. Over all a very normal day, and a rather boring one for Neilles as she sat on the strongest branch of the tree rooted next to her house. Leaning against the trunk with her arms crossed and raised up behind herself, and acting as pillows for her head. Staring up into the leafy green trees leaves, buds here and there forming, and late for the summer season while all the others provided a increasingly delightful shade. Warm rays of Syna's light filtered through the trees branches and leaves, giving Neilles the appearence of one darker than usual, speckled with sunlit dots. It was calm, and serene, peaceful, if only it was like this every day, with no father to yell at her, no demands, or curses, orders, and chores, life was good if only for a short moment. Hoping that it would be forever. An itch began to tickle the inside of her nostrils, wiggling and worming its way up the nasal cavities and forcing her to take a sharp inhale of breath, once, twice, thrice, with a final "Achoo!!" The force of the sneeze was enough to make her head throw itself forwards, and her balance wobble on the branch, gasps of surprised accompanied by flailing to retrieve precious balance on the branch made her a little louder than she wanted to be. There was always someone watching, or hearing, and so far no one had noticed her from down below, and here she was unwittingly drawing attention to herself. Hopefully people would just go on their merry way. Neilles grasped the branch and the trunk to steady herself, sighing in relief, and then sniffing as a bit of snot dripped down the front of her lip. Disgusting. She pulled a hancherchief out of one of her skirt's pockets and dabbed her nose with it, groaning, she didn't particurarly like summer. Illness for her just seemed to rear its ugly head far more during the summer season, than any other season combined.

[Leila]

Leila was in her mother's room, standing in front of a large mirror, sweltering in the heat, as her mother tightened the corset of her dress. Leila hated wearing clothes like this, they were so tight, uncomfortable, made moving and breathing uncomfortable and made her sweat all over. But according to her mother, today was a special day, for she was supposed to meet for the first time a suitor, the son of some merchant. She hated the idea, she didn't want to meet some spoiled brat, for that's not who she is. Leila didn't expect much though, she wasn't even pretty. Her breasts barely existed, as she saw the slight curved mounds in the mirror. Her mother reminded her often that they would grow one day, and that they would be a great gift and tool for her and her husband and her children. Leila wasn't quite sure what that meant. Ever since Leila started her womanly tide many days ago, her mother was working even harder to find a suitor. Leila hated her womanly tide, but her mother told her that it was a curse and a blessing, for it allowed babies to be born. "You're a woman now, a proper woman Leila," her mother had said when Leila had woken up with bloodied sheets. After her mother had laced her up to the point of barely breathing, she brought out this dress she'd had made from Ahnatep silk. Very fancy, or at least mother thought so. It was sleek, designed to hug the little breasts and hips she had, without being too flashy. There was a modest neckline, no extra frills, and was a deep violet color. It ended just below her ankles, and was light, swishy, more like a flow of falling water. Leila had to admit, she felt pretty looking at herself in the dress. But her favorite feature dangled around her shoulders, her auburn curls. Her mother had spent most of the morning teasing the curls, making each one just perfect, to accentuate how pretty she was, without making it her dominating feature. "Okay you're all done Leila, wait here while I get everything ready for his arrival." And with that, her mother was gone for a while. Leila was still burning up, so she went over to the balcony, to get some air up here on the second floor of her parent's home. She leaned against the wooden rail, at an odd angle courtesy of her corset, enjoying the breeze that passed between her house and the neighbor's. Then she heard a sneeze come from a small ways before her. She squinted, looking for a person, across the way, down below, there was no one. Then she saw them. A dark figure in the tree. She kept looking, realizing it was a girl, sitting in the tree. Curious, Leila called out to her, "Hello there, why are you in that tree?"

[Ana Sol Starris]

"Hello there, why are you in that tree?" a voice came to Neilles' right. Gold orbs followed the voice slightly upwards to look through the branches and leaves, at the girl next door. Blinking repeatedly as she tried to come up with an answer right away but only stared, uncertain of what to do, what to say, how to act with another. It all fled her mind completely, they lived in the same street area but the levels between eachother were quite vast, very evident. But then again she had never been allowed out of the house in the first place without parental supervision, or at all, accursed illness, she wish it would just dissappear. Another itch began but she bit it back, swallowing what saliva there was in her mouth before speaking. "I'm in the t-tree.. Because.. uh...Because.." Why was she in the tree, in the first place? Neilles glanced over to her own window, the shutters still very much open for her to escape into. Somehow the idea of escaping, and hiding in her small room was a very appealing idea indeed. I'm in the tree because.. In the tree.. Because.. I want to be? Shaking her head into a nod, as if confiming her answer to herself first, before saying it allowed. Turning to look back at the strange girl, Neilles scooted closer to the trunk so when she began to fiddle with her fingers, she wouldn't immediately fall backwards, fowards, sideways, and right side upways "I....I want...to...be in the...tr-tree... Because, I can be." Another nod, affirming it vocally to the girl, slowly, as if to be doubly sure with herself on what she was saying. It felt good to be able to say she could do something, and no one would yell at her for it, becoming very glad that her father worked the morning and afternoon shifts. Speaking up a little louder, as if unsure if she should be, she fiddled with her fingers some more nervously "why....are you not...?" This tree was lovely and strong, she never understood why anyone else climbed it.. Leaving it lonely.

[Leila]

Leila giggled at the girl's strange answer to her question. Leila already liked her unknown friend in the tree. She was jealous, Leila had never climbed a tree before, she didn't even know if she could. Her mother had never let her, and there weren't many trees in Zeltiva anyways. "I wish I could. But mother would kill me if I tore this dress. She said she spent a lot of mizas on it. And I can't take it off of myself if I wanted to anyways." Leila wondered how old the girl was. She looked older in the face, but had no breasts that mother said was a sure sign of womanhood. Leila's were barely existent, and yet they were bigger than the girl's. Leila had never noticed her neighbors before, wondered if they were nice people. Were there other kids over there as well? "She says I have to wear this so I can meet boys to marry. But I don't want to marry anyone, boys are gross. There was this one I met, shorter than me, and fat. So fat and sweaty. He was mean and bossy and rude. And he smelled weird! Why would anyone want to marry that? So what's your name? I'm Leila, Leila Hughes!" Leila wanted to join the girl in the tree, but was afraid of getting in trouble. Her mother was a mean, spiteful woman, sharp as a sword, and driven to move up in life. And Leila was her means to do so. But Leila had lately been rebelling against her more and more, starting to realize that she didn't want what she wanted. And this was one of those times. "If you could come up here and help me out of this dreadful outfit, then I could try and climb that tree with you."

[Ana Sol Starris]

"That sounds..awful.." Neilles said quietly in response, her own mother before passing away seemed to have been doing the same thing, though there were moments when her mother had been desperate to find her a husband. Once she had asked why she had been so determined to get rid of her, and her mother had only told her that it was to place her in a better household. One that could take care of her better than she, or Neilles' father could. Neilles was still very confused by the statement, and had to wonder if it was due to the family strife they were constantly in. Though she also had to wonder why her father never liked suitors coming near. Gerron absolutely hated other men, and potential husbands, he seemed to have made it his personal duty to scare them away from both Neilles, and Oreia, a sister long since gone. Having of fled to some city called Syliras. Leaving her behind. How this Leila Hughes seemed to treat Neilles without suspicion, was beyond her, it made her nervous, but enlightened with mixed feelings. Some nights there might have been yelling, there might have been odd crashes, and bumps in the night. Leila didn't seem to take into account the ruckus her father sometimes caused, maybe that was for the best, Neilles look down at her hands again, twiddling with her thumbs "Neilles Catrabuch.." It was a quiet voice, with less of a stutter "I don't go no.. higher.. than this branch.. Its the only branch near my window.." as if to point out the opened shutters, she looked back to her room longingly. Now getting the distinct impression she shouldn't be in the tree in the first place, mother would have had a fit as high as the sky if she saw Neilles perched precariously on a trees branch. Though Nephile wasn't here.. anymore.. So it didn't matter in the first place. Neilles looked back up to Leila with a questioning gaze. "I won't get in trouble, will I?" She asked, wobbling to stand on the branch closest to the nook of the trunk. Holding onto another strong looking branch and peeking her head out from below it. This feels dangerous.. I shouldn't be up here.. But.. Oh! I know! I could get onto her balcony and then I wouldn't be in danger.