In between the lens and light (closed to Flamebird)

[Flamebird]

It was cold. She hated the cold.

Felicity rubbed her hands together as she walked through the filthy streets of Tylmerande. Trash riddled the mud slushed streets. She sighed, struggling with the sights of poverty and despair as she passed the sight of a thin, bony prostitute trying to woo a more well off man. She hated this. She hated this world of injustice and woe. Even as a child, she felt a rage inside screaming for change. It still burned in her now.

New Brookshaven was far better off than Tylmerande. Her lover Leoric and their adopted daughter were likely either cuddling by a fire or environment training on this dreary, rainy day. It had stopped raining a while ago, but contaminated raindrops pitter pattered and dripped off poorly kempt wood beams and stone walls. Tylmerande was a disaster.

"E-Excuse me, sir?"

The cloaked redhead turned in shock over being called sir. Below her, on the ground, was a begger - no, merchant with a pitiful crate of withered fruits sat. "May I interest you in fresh fruit? Grown from my garden!"

Felicity paused. Her first question was on how on earth she was mistaken for a man! Then, she looked down. Her sleeveless gambeson revealed her muscular, scarred arms, but was so heavy and loose that her, well, assets were not that obvious. She also wore a cloak over her head, hiding her more feminine face and long, red hair from visibility as well.

But even more than that, this man was in need. She gazed down at the thin, wrinkled, pathetic fruits... and smiled. Not even lowering her hood, she pulled the needed coin and more out of her pocket and handed it to him, "Keep the change."

He eagerly accepted the coin while Felicity pulled an apricot out. A thin apricot with the pit physically able to be felt, but an apricot. She stuffed the likely too ripe fruit into her pocket and continued along. Sometimes she wondered why she still cared about others, but she did.

Eventually, she made it to the tavern where things were... booming. A ministral played music with a small crowd gathered around, many more patrons hung around the roaring fires to warm up after the cold rain. Some were drinking, partaking in likely illegal drugs in plain sight, or flirting around to find love. Felicity sighed, pulling her hood a bit tighter over her head. Yeah, she was hoping the men here would mistake her for a dude too.

She almost immediately saw the signature white coat in a corner. Felicity smiled slightly, walking over and scooting around a blind man and his loyal hound to get to her target. Shinsou Vaan Osiris. Her mentor, the man who literally saved her life on multiple occasions. She owed so much to him. Yet, she felt owed as well. As much as life in New Brookshaven, and with Leoric, had kept her from training, she and Shinsou still desperately needed to train. Yes, Felicity trained with Leoric daily and was thankful for that, but Shinsou...

Felicity sat across from the telgradian at the table, finally pulling down her hood and revealing her face. "Well, Tylmerande is way different than I remember it being as a child. This place is in shambles."

Felicity pulled out the borderline inedible fruit and started playing with it like a toy, tossing it from one hand to another. Meanwhile, a serving girl approached and asked, "Greetings, miss. Will you be having anything?"

The half neanderthal blinked for a moment, then smiled and nodded, "A loaf of bread, just the whole thing. Oh, and a pint of apple cider, non-alcoholic."

Felicity feared losing control under alcohol, fearing it would make her already unstable powers worse. Ironic, with how Felicity's lover was an alcoholic.

The girl nodded and turned to leave. As the order was being attended to, Felicity turned to face Shinsou and sighed, "I'm pretty much always hungry these days. I've noticed bread makes me feel fuller though. It's hard having a ferocious metabolism in times like this..."

She noticed she was still playing with the apricot and smiled nervously, stuffing it back into her pocket. She looked back to Shinsou and smiled, nodding. "So, how are you?"