PlayerOliver

When you were a kid, you lived with your grandmother in the small town of Silvertree, on the edge of a magical forest. Grandma is a witch, and she taught you how to use your magic to affect the natural world, too. “Magic is a part of you,” she always told you. “Learning how to use it means figuring out who you are.”

Now you’re 19 and on your own. After years of living in the forest while you perfected your witchcraft, you’ve returned to take care of your grandmother’s house and crow-familiar while she’s gone. Figuring out who you are feels more important than ever - not to mention, figuring out what Silvertree is. A lot is just as you remembered: the friendly generous next-door neighbors with a kid just your age, the proud town council, the quaint little shops with quirky punny names, the gentle shadowy forest full of magic.

Stone in the shoe

They meet your eyes with a smile. Then, after a moment, they say:


"A few days ago, I wouldn't have known who to ask to come with me. Then I almost ran you over with my bike, and the rest is history."


"To be fair, I could have heard that bike coming a mile away," you reply. Marlowe laughs even more.


"Well, yeah, that's true. Oh, but I've got my own bike fixed now, so I don't need my roommate's old one anymore. Not that I would've used it again after the other day. Probably a good thing—I think it's older than me."


They laugh again, before falling silent. For a moment, they just look like they're thinking.


"Most of the friends that I had have left town now," they say after a moment. "They either started college or they're working in the city. I go and visit sometimes, but it's not really the same. And, obviously, I've thought that—if I really wanted to make it as a journalist, I'll probably have to leave as well. Part of me has actually always wanted to leave. But…I don't feel like I can. Not yet, anyway."


They give a short sigh—but they smile at the same time, to let you know they're okay. Still, you have to wonder if there is something weighing on their mind that they aren't telling you about.


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