Welcome to Gaia! ::

With the logbook looked over and the slowly gloomier reality of things settling in, Portia thought of the kind woman who still left books on her doorstep. How they knocked but never intruded or lingered to sneak a peek at her when she would retrieve the gifts that were left for her.

Looking over the recent stack alongside the newer pens and inks, her grey eyes focused on the well loved covers of each book and how they were taken care of even if they’d seen a lot of use. It was something that made her worry about the other even when most others she met on this planet just stoked the anger in her chest.

Getting up as she saw a flash of light outside, due to what she assumed was a larger bolt of lightning crossing the sky, Portia stepped out of the run-down home she’d been squatting in and looked out into the night.

It wasn’t often she left that place she’d claimed but the twinge of worry pushed her forward, even if she wouldn’t admit it to the human woman. This wasn’t something she felt this planet would know or understand, based on what she was slowly gathering from the books that she’d been flipping through and she knew she would feel better if she at least tried to warn them.

Stopping mid step, she thought about it even more. How would she describe something to them without changing their perception of her? It wouldn’t do her well to throw such incredulous ideas at the woman so she had to figure out another approach.

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With what was going on, Desiree had made good use of her time aiding with the creation of the shields as well as trying in vain to get Aloysius to rest. Neither she nor Liam had been able to get the long worn out general to take a break this entire time. It was hard to watch so she decided to check on someone else instead.

With a few more books carried in a bag slung over her shoulder, she slowly trudged through the rain beneath one of the large umbrellas that Liam and Aloysius used while bringing groceries in during a rainstorm. It was large enough for two, which meant no chance of her getting wet aside from when the rain decided to change directions.

It had been uneventful at first, at least until she thought she saw a large form walking through the rain near the alien woman’s home. “Hello?” She questioned before confirming things shortly with the figure approaching.

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Looking down, startled slightly as she’d been deep in her thoughts, what could maybe be called a ghost of a smile flickered over her face at the appearance of the woman before her. It took her a moment to realize, given the fact that she was hidden by a large umbrella, something she still hadn’t exactly come to use herself, but could understand why the rain bothered some.

“Hello, were you coming over in this weather?” Speaking with a carefulness in her tone as she watched them. Nothing seemed wrong with the woman and she noticed a larger bag than normal dipping out from behind them. Maybe they were dropping more things off, something she was used to, even if she hadn’t let them inside before.

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Keeping her focus on the condemned home further ahead instead of drawing too much attention to the alien woman, she nodded slightly before realizing they couldn’t see her beneath the umbrella with how much taller they were. This alien was even taller than Aloysius and didn’t seem to suffer from the same health issues that plagued them. It took some getting used to, considering that she had only seen them once before. More often than not she simply knocked and left gifts, only seeing a small bit of them while she was walking away.

“Yes, I brought more books and a few things. I apologize if I am interrupting anything, though. I can come back later if you need me to.” Being polite as she listened to the woman as well as the downpour of rain. The poor weather was for a reason, something she was unsure if the alien knew the cause of. Either way, if they were out and potentially looking for her, Desiree was more than ready to see what information they wanted to give her. There wasn’t that same closed-off feeling as before, though she wouldn’t call them friends or exactly friendly just yet. It was progress at least.

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Thinking for a moment as she shifted and watched as the pool of water on the brim of her hat dripped down toward the ground. With a slow shake of her head, she turned and beckoned for woman to follow. “Come inside, the rain can’t be good for you.” She took slow steps, leaving enough of a delay for them to follow her along with their poor vision.

Looking at the building that she had taken over as her home, she tapped her nails against the skull at her throat. “I enjoy those books and pens you left for me, it is unfortunate that one of them ended up vanishing. I believe somewhere through the floor, but I haven’t found it yet. "

With a gentle push, she opened the door into the candlelit home and turned to wait for the woman following her. Thinking on some of the reading she had done, she looked towards the furnishings that had been left in the building, which were sturdy enough, and she hoped they would hold her guest up.

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Well, this was a surprising turn of events, and Desiree found herself shocked for a moment before following along. Stepping inside the home, she noticed that it was worse for wear outside of the candlelit areas.

Keeping up with the taller woman, she followed their inclinations and sat across the small table in the side room where an old kerosene lantern burned. Wiping a bit of the rain from the edges of her clothing, she sat with the bag of books and things on her lap.

“I… well, I suppose I should give a proper introduction, my name is Desiree. I hadn’t wanted to seem rude since you never invited me inside before.” Speaking not with disdain, she fixed a bit of her hair before starting to pull things out.

“With the poor weather, I was planning on heading home quickly before it got much worse.” Which wasn’t a lie. She kept these little secret trips short so as not to draw much attention to her actions from the others at the manor or at the town home.

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Thinking for a moment, as she looked at the other woman, Portia nodded and cleared a bit more space for the new books. Perhaps she could agree with that, offering a name. “Portia, that’s what I go by. I apologize if I seemed rude for not inviting you in. I… have found people around here to be bothersome, so it has taken time for me to try getting settled in. Your gifts have… helped a lot, Desiree.” Running her fingers over the cover of one of the books, she was pleased with what she’d been able to learn between each new stack and lesson.

“I think it would be best for you to keep out of the weather; it’s dangerous to be out there alone in it.” Keeping things vague, she felt at least a bit relieved that the other was prepared to make the trips out in this short.

“The storm knocked my power out, it is something I need to manage, but for now, I don’t mind the candles. But if you want to wait for a little while, for the worst of the rain to pass, please tell me of what you’ve brought this time.”

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Internally, Desiree calculated how much time she could manage without compromising herself or anyone else. Externally, she nodded and offered a soft smile. “Yes, I think it would be nice to rest out of the rain for a bit. I can let you know what I’ve brought, and you can let me know what you might want to look into. I know things are different all over the world, in my home, the dishes and foods are so very different.”

Casually, she spread the new books out and pulled out the new pens and gifts to set aside as well. “Hopefully, your power comes back soon; the dimness doesn’t bother me much with my poor vision, but it can’t be good for your eyes.”

Thinking on things, she nodded once more to the mention of not going out alone. It would be a good way to test how well she would socialize with others. “Next time I visit, I may bring one of the people who help me sometimes with getting around town or grocery shopping. They’re such nice people helping little old me out. So let’s go over the new books. I look forward to this little visit with you this evening.”

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