"Two women sit at the table, one was an ordinary nurse and the other was a feared witch. Both are perceived as the outcasts; and both of them lost practically almost everything. They once met during a horrible tragedy, and now - after being summoned to deal with the nightmare problem - they're merely catching up with their lives. It's been a while since they saw each other after all.
"Mmph, it'sh been a while shince I ate shomething baked besides bread..."
"Tee-hee, Virgilia, are you speaking with your mouth full? Haven't your parents told you to not speak while eating?"
"Uh... I mwean... *Gulp*, sorry. I... Got too excited."
The nurse couldn't help but laugh. Back when they met, she saw the witch as a very dignified figure of authority... But now she can't help but see her as a bit of a more sillier figure. Must be a lack of socialisation kicking in.
"Anyway, you travel around the world, right? I can't imagine how taxing it can be..."
"Well, I am restricted to certain areas. Can't go abroad due to lack of finances. I... Do not earn much."
"Hmm... Why's that?"
"I'm not a licensed magician. And since I don't have a license, that means the contractors aren't obligated to pay me or my crew. Some do pay however, it's just we don't ask that much."
"Really? Is that okay?"
"Well, I am a WITCH of FORESTS, so I can provide for my troupe just fine... But clearly that results in us eating like beastmen. Foraging and hunting... We only bought bread for emergencies. Eating human-made foods is practically a luxury."
"Well, there is admittedly some charm in "gained" food. But hopefully you guys are properly washing your food, who knows what kind of bacteria are living here in the grime."
"..."
"... Seriously?"
"... It's a luxury..."
"Come on! It's a bare minimum!"
"Fine, geez. Is it really all that necessary? I grow mushrooms, berries and herbs myself."
"Where are you growing them?"
"... On dirt."
"Well here you go."
"... Alright, I'll consider it next time. But again, it is a luxury in part that we do not camp near rivers all that much, and I can't generate any water. Plus, none of us know the water magic."
"Alright, I see your point. Just saying though. Now if you stumble across a river, now you know what to do... As long as it's not too dirty."
"Can't win even here, huh?..."
Two women continued to leisurely chat about numerous things. The witch found the nurse surprisingly overbearing with how much she cares about her wellbeing, while the nurse found the witch rather withdrawn with how much she neglects herself. Nevertheless, they still enjoyed each other's company and kept a relatively light mood.
That is, until the nurse asked the question that has been on her mind since the beginning.
"... How did you stumble across my village? And... How did you know my sister. You were standing near my house and confidently pointed me towards her mangled corpse... It can't be just a coincidence, right?..."
"... I might've not known Charlotte all too well, but I knew her husband. We met on a journey together and he was my lackey of sorts. He thought of me as a great witch for saving him from adherents on that fateful day."
"I mean you are a great witch."
"Don't interrupt. One day, we visited your village and it was apparently holding a festival. I stood by the sidelines: such festivities... Don't interest me. But he was fully engrossed in them. And amongst the crowd, he and I saw a magician performing various tricks and he fell in love with her. He tried to ask me for advice, but what do I know. Eventually we split off and only later he would write about his daughter's birth - asking if I could at least visit him at such an important moment."
"Wow... To think we almost met that day instead. Well, you should've! I prepared day and night for our annual festival, being a resident errant girl!"
"Really? Are you... Not mad at being that?"
"Not at all. I liked helping my people. Besides... It admittedly made me feel better after feeling like I'm in my sister's shadow."
"Well. I arrived as requested and gave the family numerous charms. I would only visit the family in small intervals. Here I got to know them better, and that includes you to some extent. It was admittedly a good time.
But you already know what happened. Worst part I only discovered the disaster by pure chance. I called for the emergency cleanup services and the rest is history. These people... Deserve to rest."
"... So that's how it is... It's so awful... I never got to say goodbye to her... I just selfishly left her and look what happened!..."
"... Sometimes selfishness is a good thing. Trust me, there's nothing you could do. You would've merely become one of Bandersnatch's many victims. And look at the bright side - you saved her daughter at the very least. The one thing she left behind her. I believe Charlotte is more than happy that you're taking care of Catherine."
"... Still, it hurts. It hurts so much. I'm basically the sole survivor. All because I left everything behind... It's not fair..."
The nurse broke into tears as the witch watched. While the nurse may never know it, she too is practically the sole survivor of her village: the only one who was alive. Yet, the scars of that particular tragedy run so deep she isn't willing to tell anyone about it. And in her mind at least - it's better that people don't know, for better or for worse.
Yet, at least she's willing to tell her about the other tragedies.
After calming the nurse down and wiping her tears, reassuring that it was a blessing that at least SHE was alive, she ultimately tells her the ultimate truth about herself.
"... I've attached myself to so many people over the years. And most of them ended up dying. I once met a young man in the past and we fell in love. But then he passed away, leaving behind a child for me to bear. And so I became quite despondent; I didn't care for our child all too much - I only made the bare minimum: kept her fed, educated and protected. I expressed love to her, but it felt so hollow. It took me taking way too long on my research of flora for her to disappear, never to be seen again.
I've attached myself to other people after that, thinking I was capable of protecting them, only to fail again, and again, and again. What was ultimately fundamentally wrong with me was my yearning for struggle. I kept wandering aimlessly and sure enough, once I turn back I see corpses strewn around - all looking at me with the question
"How could you do this to us?"
And I kept falling for the same trap all over again. Getting attached to people only to mourn their passing. And so: as much as I had a good time with you, I would rather prefer for us to stay detached as much as possible.
The only surefire way I can protect someone was to stick with my troupe. Sure, my comrades still die in my hands, but at least it keeps me reassured that I indeed at least tried to save them. Tried to save them from AA certain doom. Because otherwise: I could only stand here and watch."
"..."
"Please. It's been nice spending time with you, it really was, but I don't want to have my soul torn apart once again. Most I can do is offer solace to those who lost something that they hold so dear."
"... Can I at least know that you're at least alive?"
"?"
"I know that it's very painful, but it'll also pain me if you just perish without me knowing about it. That incident has been a wake-up call for me which made me realise that life can be easily snuffed away. And you're a wandering magician. One day: you'll perish. One day: you won't be able to fight anymore. So please: even if we might not be close - at the very least, let me know your struggles. I'm a nurse after all: and I worry for everyone's wellbeing, including, no, especially yours."
The witch is stunned. It was the first time she ever thought not of the mortality of others, but of herself. She IS getting old. And the nurse is right: one day she won't be able to struggle anymore. She won't be able to walk the earth. She was self-medicating, but it feels like it can only delay the inevitable.
And so, before she leaves, she asks the question she was too afraid to ask.
"... How is Catherine doing?"
Onto The Next Chapter... UNFINISHED
Two women walk outside the hospital and head towards the flower field.
"I gather herbs from here on my off hours aside from the usual grocery shopping. This feels like a treasure trove of sorts!"
"Hmm... I can sense something odd about this flower field. Not something to worry about though. Perhaps it's one of those sacred spots."
"Sacred spots?"
"It's the spots where "impure" magic gets distilled, making them undesirable for daemons to reside in. Such spots are small in size and aren't as potent as you might think - as they themselves reject any potential residents, as anything built on those spots gets destroyed shortly after. They're more or less safe if you're a passing non-magician though - they're nice hanging out spots is what I'm trying to say."
"Wow... There's so much I still don't know despite living for a relatively long time now, huh..."
"Psssht. You're still young in my eyes."
"I'm 27!"
"Yeah, right. It is a miracle that this spot is nearby though: usually such spots are located far away, deep in the forests."
"By the way, Virgilia, why are you called WITCH of FORESTS?"
"Because I have mastery over plant life of the wild; forests specifically. Magicians like me have various specialties like that: some govern the general plants, some govern specific ones. As the witch of forests; I have more than simple control of plants - but mushrooms and trees as well. My powers are growing exponentially, yet the cost becomes higher and higher..."
"Hmm... Was Charlie a good magician?"
"... I would say decent. She is definitely not the person who was trained for combat. And I do value the raw power first and foremost, so from my perspective she is decent. I'm just a witch that lived for quite a while, not a magister of magic as a whole."
"Hehe~, I'm quite glad actually. That means she was a very diligent girl, considering she was the only magician in our village."
"..."
Two women sit in silence, basking in the sun. It was a bit windy as well, so it wasn't obnoxiously big either. Then, the nurse turns to face the witch, with a gentle smile on her face.
"I'm glad that I got to meet you, Virgilia. When no one was here to comfort me, you stood over me protectively. I know it doesn't sound too big of a deal when I say it like this, but it mattered a lot you know? Considering back then we were complete strangers... Though I suppose you did know Charlie by proxy."
"... I don't know Charlotte as well as you think, Carolyn. I may have visited the pair to check on them, but those are brief passages. I just had a general idea of you."
"But, you still cared enough to visit them. It's not like you were obligated or something. You aren't even blood related to them in any way. So that means you still treasure them very much."
"... You really do think highly of me, huh?"
"Hehe~, I guess it's my bias sparking, my sister is also a magician after all..."
"You haven't even seen what I'm capable of: what gives?"
"Well I think you're quite pretty. I think it's my first time seeing someone so beautiful..."
"... Okay... Well, let me give you a demonstration. I would rather not soil the sacred place, so I guess I'll serve as the soil."
From the tip of her index finger, a small glowing mushroom sprouted.
"It doesn't hurt at all. Usually it's very ill recommended to grow stuff on your body, but I have honed myself so much - it doesn't have any negative effects on me. I can also use my staff..."
The witch stands up and begins her incantation. From her old staff, various types of mushrooms arose and the nurse is left in awe.
"That's only a fraction of my power. Again, I really don't want to soil this perfect sacred spot. This hat of mine is also a creation of mine; it emits spores passively that allows me to detect numerous disturbances around me - kind of like a forcefield."
"Wow... That's so cool, Virgilia! You're truly amazing."
"Well, I am quite average, actually. I'm only good in 1-to-1 encounters; though my mastery does provide a lot of utility."
"Come on~, don't undersell yourself~! Just say that you're awesome, don't be shy~"
"... I'm awesome. Are you happy now?"
"Are all magicians lacking in self confidence? My sister was also quite hard on herself due to her capabilities."
"... Not really."
"Then you should up your ante! It doesn't hurt to be a little prideful, especially with a bod like yours~!"
"... I'll try."
"Great! Besides, it's very unhealthy to have low self-esteem. Brighten up and you'll live for eternity!"
"Haaah..."
In truth, there is an extremely good reason why the witch is drowning herself in self loathing - something she feels too scared and uncomfortable to share with a nurse. It's something that has been clawing at her heart for years. And it's something that has done irreparable damage to her soul.
But, seeing this young nurse telling her to love herself feels so unprecedented. Come to think of it, it's been a while since someone told her this - and it was during her darkest days, where she was basically throwing herself at life to take her away. In fact... Not many did tell her to love herself.
If she can at least keep this nurse away from the danger - perhaps she will consider it.
From the side of the nurse however, something inside her has awakened. For the longest time, she wanted to have a suitor - a man that could love her as much as she loved him.
But the problem is that she couldn't fall in love with anyone: everyone just seemed... Boring. She never understood the pining behind jocks, she never understood falling for nerds... She really couldn't fall in love at all. And sure as hell she isn't going to force herself to love anyone, she had heard too much drama already.
But there was something about that witch that clicked with her, especially now. Sure she is unusually cold, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the witch is simply trying to protect her. While she may deny it, the nurse can tell that the witch cares about her a lot and she is ultimately a very kindhearted person. And that's what she really likes about her - behind her aloof exterior lies a very gentle soul that has been unfortunately hurt badly in the past.
And while she may not be together with her, as it would be a losing battle to convince her to stay, she prays for her eventual recovery, when she will begin to value herself as a person.
Besides, admittedly, she is a massive eye candy. And her maturity only adds to the appeal.
"It's been fun spending time with you, but I'm afraid I have to return to my troupe. Without me, they might find themselves in grave danger."
"Speaking of troupe, before you depart! What are its members?!"
"Well, it is rotating, some leave, some come. I take in vagrants that were abandoned and used by the world. They're... Sort of like my children in a way."
"Aww... You're truly a big mama witch, huh?"
"Q-Quit with your nonsense! Seriously what's wrong with you?" The witch blushes and the nurse giggles "You're so cute, Virgilia. Didn't know such an aloof thing could be so dorky and adorable."
"S-Shut up..."
"Well, since you're departing, why don't we share one last hug?"
"... Sure I'll indulge you."
Two women embrace each other in the field of flowers, and the wind intensifies - scattering petals around. The nurse's heart thumps in her chest and she realizes how moonstruck she is. Yet it's not meant to be.
They soon depart and say their goodbyes, with the nurse hoping for their next meeting.