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

"Tell me about it," Rana replies, shaking her head. "That's great that you've been taking some time for yourself, though. I've been really worried lately that I'm not spending enough time with friends because I've been so busy, but I kind of realized how much I needed some time alone as well. I usually feel like I need to be doing something, so I still feel kind of guilty when I'm not doing anything; but you do really need that sometimes."


She glances towards the microphone in the corner again, and when you look around you see that a man with long hair almost to his waist, wearing a faded denim jacket and colorfully patched jeans, has started tuning the guitar. After a few moments he sits down on the stool, and raises a hand in thanks as a soft applause breaks out. After briefly introducing himself and telling the gathered customers that they can feel free to keep talking, he starts to play what you think is a folk song. Gradually, the coffee shop settles into a gentle murmur of music and conversation, and soon Rana turns back to you again with a somewhat tired smile.


"I've really been taking a break from any kind of activism for now. Not that I've given up on anything, because, no way; it's just been taking so much out of me, trying to run so much almost by myself. It was amazing how many people came to help protest on the day of the vote, and I'm so glad you were there too, Tobias. But even that was almost too much. I want to get involved again when I've had more of a break from, just, everything, but I'm really going to try not to do too much at once. I'm only one person, and I can't do everything."


"I never understood how you could do, like, half of all the stuff you did," Tobias tells her in a slightly awed voice. "I mean, I guess I just figured you never got tired, or…I don't know. I just assumed you were so good at everything it wasn't even a big deal."


Rana laughs, and gives a slightly sad smile.


"Yeah; I think that's how I wanted it to seem. I've always felt like I needed to be so perfect at everything, and I could never look like I was struggling. But sometimes I think it just made me seem like I needed to make everything my business, and I needed to try and help everyone. I think I annoyed some people with that. I didn't want to, obviously—I really just thought that's what I had to do, you know, because…I need to be like an even better version of my aunt, maybe. And because getting good grades and running stuff was my 'thing', I guess, so if I didn't keep doing that, and doing it even better, then it was like…who even am I?"


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