She sat on the platform and pulled Zelinnia's sheet back out, adding in fine detail.
"I saw you talking to Mark. Everything alright?"
She reached down and rubbed her hand on Grogek's smooth head. "Just trying to figure out what to do with timid Jenny."
"Ah." He took her hand and kissed it. "You'll figure it out."
"I hope so. She's killing me."
"Just another one of your adult children." He grinned.
"Ugh, stop."
He massaged her hand. "Am I wrong?"
"No." She grumbled. "I guess I should go confront my problem child..."
She walked around the house. It was a small, simple, officer's living space. The furnishings were plain, and the only bits of life she found, were obviously Mark's. Jenny didn't even blip here. It was kind of sad, because she knew that Mark just wasn't that type. His wife should be celebrated throughout the house. She sighed.
The door opened and Jenny froze at the door. "H.... Hello?" She whispered.
Elunara stepped out. "Hello, little dove."
Jenny put a hand to her chest. "You scared the life out of me."
"How did you know I was here?"
"I... I don't know." Jenny blinked. "Just, something in my heart hurt."
"Hmm, I wonder if that's a remnant of how you lived." Elunara shrugged, but filed the information away for later.
"Why are you here?"Jenny sighed and put her bag on the table.
"Because I'm trying to figure you out." Elunara tugged out a chair and sat in it backwards. "Jenny, there is something in you, and you tamp it down and hide it because you're afraid of someone being offended. Look at this place; you haven't put a single piece of yourself anywhere in here. Go out, buy something for the fuck of it, and put it on a shelf."
"Are you here to yell at me again?" She sighed and sat down.
"There!" Elunara pointed. "There is the beginning of sass. That edge of annoyance."
Jenny rubbed her temples. "Elunara..."
"Jenny, I want the best for you." Elunara sighed. "I want you to live like a person, not a well kept pet."
"I just don't understand you."
"Because you don't understand yourself." Elunara sighed. "Tomorrow, you spend with me." She got up and walked out.
The following morning, Elunara popped open the door and eyed Jenny. "You're earlier than I expected."
"I came as soon as Mark left for work."
Elunara nodded. "Efficient." She jerked her head back, before turning and heading to get her board. "What's your favorite color?"
"Uh," Jenny blinked. "I don... I mean... It's... uh," She flailed her hands. "Purple?"
"Wrong answer." Elunara shook her head. "You're so afraid of giving the wrong answer; you'll lie through your teeth. I know you lived under that with your brother. You're around people that love you and care about you, we want you to be happy, and we want you to have your own personality." She slung her board over her shoulder. "We're going to play a game. I'm going to say something, or ask a question, and you will pop out the first thing to come to mind. Do not lie to me; do not assume I will get mad at you. For clarity sake, I will give you this hand sign," She motioned. "When I want your answer, and this one," She gestured differently. "When I don't. Got it?"
"Y-yes."
"What's your favorite color?"
"Red."
"Favorite flower?"
"Peacebloom."
"Why peacebloom?"
"I... uh, it's pretty?"
Elunara made a rude noise. "Wrong answer."
Jenny sighed. "When I was little, before ter-, my brother got mean, Momma and I would go to the meadows and pick peacebloom together and thread them through our hair." Jenny fiddled with a lock of her own hair. "When she was dying, her last request was for me to gather some up and put them in her hair. They... brought her comfort in her final hours. My brother hated them, called it childish and stupid."
Elunara kissed both of Jenny's cheeks. "We will let the healing begin." She took Jenny's hand and tugged her outside. "Next question, favorite men's hairstyle."
"Mark's." Jenny blinked. "That's a weird question."
"Keeping you on your toes." Elunara dragged Jenny around, rapid firing strange and unusual questions.
"What if I called you a dumb twit?"
Jenny recoiled as if slapped. "What did I do wrong?"
"Wrong response. You should get indignant and demand to know why I was being bitch. Someone insults you, don't go for "it's my fault" go for "explain your damned self". That's what I'm looking for."
"Oh."
"I will probably never know the full brunt of what he did to you, but I can tell you that I think you should discard all of it. Did he call you names?"
"Yes."
"Did he run you down and insult you?"
"Yes?"
"Did he hit you?"
"Frequently." She winced.
