Laurie
She couldn't stand it any longer. Abel Hughes, God bless him, was an incredible host. He was kind and caring, albeit a little short with her at times because of her nonsense, but he was doing his damned best. He was not the reason she couldn't stand to be in that house for another minute. No; she was just restless, like a bobcat in a toolshed. She couldn't begin to understand how anyone could sit still for longer than a minute, and she'd been sitting still for damn near a few weeks now! 

She'd be back in a few hours. She'd actually been feeling more up to things lately, and Abel had even let her sit in some of the other rooms than her assigned bedroom, which had been nice. But goddamn it, she needed to get *Out*... And maybe let Abel get a break from playing nanny. 

So, she'd left him a note on her bed and grabbed a walking stick and her cloak, throwing it on to defend against the cold. She'd forgone shoes for some reason and set out along the path away from the Hughes house and into town, looking for just about anyone to talk to. She was already enjoying the fresh, frigid air, as she sucked air in through her nose. It was still hard to move in some ways, but honestly, she was starting to feel better and better with each passing day, which she was so grateful for. She just hoped no one tattled on her to Abel before she got back... Especially about not wearing any shoes. 

||
Barbara
After the storm had blown its way through Briar Ridge, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake in the homes and hearts of residents far and wide, Marianne Wilburn couldn't put off a trip into town any longer. Truth be told, she waited a little too long. Sudden change was not her forte, and the blizzard had been yet another disruption in a long line of changes that had hit her home and heart as of late, leaving her unsettled and on edge. The last thing she wanted to do, though, was regress, slip backwards when she'd come so far in months gone by, so it was with a heaviness on her shoulders that she'd laced her boots and made her way down the trail to the town square. 

Between the butcher's and the tailor shop was when she laid eyes on someone she hadn't seen in a while. The last she'd heard of Dimitra Florakis, the woman had been attacked by a werewolf the night of the December moon, and (though she'd admit she hadn't searched) Marianne hadn't seen her since. With any luck, she'd been holed up letting her wounds heal. And now, she stood just across the street, barefoot but wrapped in a cloak, leaning on a sturdy stick and by the looks of things, entirely alone. 

Well, that simply wouldn't do. 

Marianne caught up to her in a few long strides, boots crunching on the gravel, and cleared her throat when she was a yard or two away, not wanting to send the woman into shock through creeping up behind her. "Dimitra." There was no question in her tone - she'd know that figure anywhere. "It's been a while. I was beginning to worry about you." 

||
Laurie
She'd made it to town square with little fuss about it, and now here came someone, hopefully not to flag her down or tell on her. She heaved a sigh of relief at Marianne, leaning heavily on her stick and tilting her head. "Oh, well, you know what? Not like some werewolf is gonna keep me down!" She laughed, though it was strained for the bandages wrapped around her throat and upper chest. 

"No need to worry about me— just out for a stroll in the fresh air!" She insisted. "Abel obviously knows, of course..." She trailed off, a mischievous smile on her face. "Well, I left him a note, of course. Just don't tell him I'm running around barefoot?" She snickered. "I just like to feel the earth, you understand?" 

She dug her heel into the solid earth, before she looked up at Marianne. "Don't look so worried," She insisted. "Smooth out the wrinkle on your brow, I'm perfectly fine!" Well, maybe not *Perfectly* Fine but... Well on her way, wasn't she? 

"I was planning on going into the woods, actually, if you wanted to join me?" 

||
Barbara
It was evident from the smirk accompanying Dimitra's words that the preacher did *Not* In fact yet know that she'd gone walkabout from her sickbed. But seeing as how the man wasn't someone Marianne considered a friend (and nor did she hold his position in much high regard, but that was an entirely separate concern), it didn't seem her place to go running to the church to tell tales on the other woman. There was no harm in a walk, surely? Though Marianne would have preferred to see her suitably booted for the cold, she'd heard many a time that fresh air had been known to promote healing, not hinder it, and she was no-one if not a believer in taking advantage of what nature had to offer to them. 

"I'm glad you're feeling better, in that case. And I swear, if he hears a word of any of this it won't have come from my lips." She smiled back then. "I won't worry, if you insist I mustn't. And it would be a pleasure to accompany you. It's a fine day for a stroll." She offered the other woman her arm. "Though I suppose I must see to it that you *Do* Return to Abel when you tire."

||
Laurie
She was delighted at Marianne's promise to keep quiet, a secret smirk growing on her face as she leaned on her stick. "He'll be fine if I'm gone for a little while. It'll give him a chance to relax and stop worrying over me," She said. She did feel guilty about it; Abel had hardly left her side, not even attending his congregation most services in favor of taking care of her. She wasn't sure how she'd ever repay him for the kindness... Though she didn't want to think about any of those negative emotions right now. She was supposed to be taking a stroll, and damn it, she was going to! 

She took a deep breath, sucking in the cool air, and glanced to Marianne as they began their trek towards the woods. She took the arm offered for support and exhaled a shaky breath. 

"I'm feeling much better," She assured her. "I think it won't be too long before I'm back in the game, if you know what I mean," She flashed her a toothy grin. "I miss my house... Though, sleeping in a house with other people has been nice. I hate sleeping alone." She shook her head. "But I miss my bed, my kitchen... My *Car*..." She sighed deeply. "You know? I miss all the little things, too. Like my bathtub, and the wood stove, and the family of squirrels that live in my attic." She pouted a bit, thinking quite hard. 

||
Barbara
"Oh, I know what you mean, you scoundrel." The smile came easier now, spurred by Dimitra's own grinning face, though Marianne couldn't help but wonder if the gesture tugged at her healing wounds. If it did, she didn't seem to care, as expressive as ever despite all that had happened to her. It seemed that the attack had done nothing to dull her spirit - indeed, if possible, she seemed feistier than ever, as though determined to prove what she didn't have to. 

Simply surviving the attack had been proof enough to the town that Dimitra was just as strong as she professed to be. Possibly even stronger. Strength didn't come from muscle and bulk. It was found further within, in the fire in a belly and the passion in a heart. Dimitra lacked neither.

Marianne would have liked to have been more like her, in another life. 

"I can understand that. I think I'd hate to be away from home so long, but then, I've always been a homebody at heart. You'll have Abel free you only to not spend so much as a moment in your own four walls. I know you. Wild thing." She was laughing through her words, though, thinking of the woman she'd met years ago, in the dark of the speakeasy, the winter of the year she'd moved home. Dimitra had been dancing then. She'd seized Marianne by the arm and dragged her to dance too until her feet were sore and her breath caught in her lungs. It had been the first time she'd felt *Alive* Since the accident. Dimitra had always had so much fire in her that Marianne had found the flames licking at her like firewood untul she caught, too. 

It felt like a lifetime ago, now they walked arm in arm up towards the trees. 

"You know - if he were to allow you home - you aren't so far from me. I'd visit if you'd have me, lend a hand around the house... If the squirrels haven't ventured beyond the attic and taken over your bedroom by now."

||
Laurie
Oh, how long ago those nights in the speakeasy seemed to be. How easy it had been back then; to spin and twirl and have no more care in the world than to worry about what you'd have for breakfast the next day. Dimitra yearned for those times again, instead of worrying about losing a limb or your *Life* To a dog with a need to kill. 

Walking this distance proved to be a little more difficult than she imagined, her chest tightening and her breath puffing out in the cold. She should've really taken it easy, but she was stubborn as all hell, and refused to admit defeat to anyone, if not to prove a point. 

"It's not my fault that I like to go places, see things! I'm a traveler, I'm not really meant to stay in one place for so long," She said, casting a wicked grin and letting a giggle pass over her lips. "However, I love guests, and you have no idea how much I'd love to host," She squeezed her arm as they walked along. Marianne had slowly but surely began to come out of her shell with her, for which she was grateful. Now, walking side by side for all this time, she truly felt like a friend she could trust. 

"I'll make dinner and you can make sure I don't fall on my rear end or pass out!" She said. "If the attics have taken the bedroom, it'll just be that way, I suppose. Not much I can do if they're cold," Dimitra laughed aloud at the thought. 

||
Casey
As the path grew rockier and Dimitra's shoulders tensed against each step, Marianne only held her tighter, squeezing her arm right back and hoping that the *'I've got you, you're safe'* Didn't need to be said aloud. She allowed her injured friend to set the pace, and steadied her, even as Dimitra continued to talk and laugh through laboured breaths as though she'd not a care in the world besides the here and now. 

"So long as you promise you won't go disappearing without a goodbye, I don't think anyone can begrudge you your travels and adventures," She sighed. "Just promise me you'll always find your way back! I need to hear your stories, they're better than any book I could find in the library. And you tell them in such a way it's like I've really *Seen* The things you've seen... Of course I'll come to visit. You couldn't keep me away if you tried, and you know it. If you're cooking, I'm handling the sweets. And the squirrels if I really got to."

Dimitra's laugh was contagious, and Marianne found she couldn't wipe the smile from her own face even as the trees around them began to thicken. "Did you have a destination in mind, or are we taking whichever path the wind blows us along?"

||
Laurie
Dimitra gave pause as Marianne spoke, and she bit the inside of her cheek. "Honestly..." She started and stopped, seeming far more serious than she usually did. "I've never stayed in place for so long before, you know? I'm used to breezing in and out of places; been that way my whole life until I moved here." 

Dimitra chewed her lip as they walked along. "I thought once I left here, I'd probably never come back." A pause followed and she looked around the forest a moment. "But I don't know if I could do it anymore. Leaving everyone behind would be like leaving my family... Again." She laughed, albeit weaker than she normally would. "But maybe I'll still travel. At least for a little while, so I can come back and tell everyone what I've seen." 

She puffed out some air and looked down the forked path they came upon. "I think we take us wherever the wind blows." She grinned and gestured down the left path. "Which I think... Is this way." It was full of twisted and gnarled roots, and she stumbled slightly and caught herself. "By the way, you're more than welcome to bring the sweets. Carina Templeton brought me a box of caramel creams that I've been savoring, it's taken all my willpower not to devour them all." 

||
Casey
"Take someone with you," Came Marianne's soft suggestion, as she allowed Dimitra to lead her down the fork in the path, uneven as the ground was underfoot. "There's so many people here that have never seen outside of Virginia. Or even outside of Briar Ridge at all. You could have a helping hand with your work, and perhaps it wouldn't feel so much like leaving it all behind if someone from home were with you. And you'd just *Have* To come back that way." She squeezed her friend's arm gently. 

"You know me. I've been cooking up a damn storm every chance I get lately, I'll make you anything you want. Though I can't promise I'll be able to stand up against Carina's caramel creams, they sound delicious. They'd not have lasted a day in my kitchen, I can tell you that much." 

A chill breeze whistled its way through the tree branches, blowing Marianne's hair in front of her face. "Ugh, I can't wait for this weather to be behind us. Give me springtime and all the work it brings over another frost, *Any* Day."

||
Laurie
Now there was a thought. "But who would I take with me is the question," She mused. "Would have to be someone okay with my line of work, so that's Abel Hughes out. Plus, he wouldn't want to leave the church in his apprentice's hands." Dimitra sucked her teeth in annoyance. "Carina wouldn't want to leave the general store..." She sighed in mourning. "Plus, she's finicky. She likes to be home, you know?" 

She looked to her side and squeezed Marianne's arm. "At this rate, maybe I'll have to take you along, won't I?" Dimitra laughed a little and walked alongside her. "I will miss those caramel creams when I go. I've been savoring them since I got them, it really does take every bit of my willpower to keep myself from devouring all of them." She cracked a wide grin. "In part, because they were a gift from my dear, sweet Carina. Call me a sucker, but I can't help but be a sap for a present from a pretty lady." 

Dimitra snickered and shook her head as they wound through the trees along the path. Her breathing was growing a bit labored and she had to stop a moment to catch her breath as she leaned on a tree for support. "I like the cold, sure, but I love the summer. Nothing like the feeling of the sun on your skin, warming you to the core... And skinny dipping." A mischievous grin crossed her lips. "I'm gonna drag you to the river again, you mark my words, Miss Wilburn." 

||
Barbara
The notion of an adventure by Dimitra's side was one as tempting as it was exciting. Though she wouldn't pretend she knew all the ins and outs of her friend's unscrupulous line of work, from the tales she'd heard in the dark of the speakeasy it sounded like lifetimes away from the tranquil mundane that Briar Ridge was - or at least had been. Fantasies of smoky back rooms and running from the law, meeting different strangers every night, dancing in the depths of bustling cities until the sun rose... What could they do in a world without the fear of monsters lurking in the shadows?

But there were monsters everywhere. And men could be the worst monsters of them all. 

"I'd go with you so long as you promised to bring me home in one piece." Marianne grinned. "You could make me go anywhere with a smile like that."

She took advantage of the pause in their walking to fix her hair, pulling a bedraggled ribbon from her pocket and tying it in a loose knot, a weak attempt to save the curls from the unrelenting wind. 

"Oh, the river... The moment the ice melts you won't be able to drag me *Away* From it," She insisted. "I've missed swimming. I've missed being able to do *Anything*, I wasn't raised for these horrid winters." When her family had been alive, they'd stayed far away from the country, warm in townhouses, every fireplace burning as merrily as the last. Curtains had been drawn over the windows, grand meals prepared and the outside forgotten. Even after all these years, she sometimes found herself still struggling to adjust to how biting the frost could be away from the city.

||
Laurie
God knows, Dimitra was sick and tired of monsters. She was tired of the ones who ripped at her throat and the ones who held a gun to her head. She always knew what to expect from the monsters that lurked in the woods of the holler; but man itself was unpredictable, evil, and selfish. That was why she carried a gun on her thigh, even know, just for safety reasons and nothing more. 

"I think you'd do really well in the city. You could so easily slip in and out of the crowds, soak in the bustling city centers... Oh, it's so fun Marianne, you've no idea." She squeezed her arm and cracked a wide grin as she watched Marianne tie her hair up. "Here," She said, taking a spare bandana from her pocket and reaching to wrap it and tie it, keeping flyaways out of her face. "How's it feel?" She asked her. The bandana was dyed red, a deep almost-burgundy color. It was her favorite, currently. "You look amazing, by the way." Her eyes sparkled. 

"You know, sometimes I enjoy the winter. I like snowball fights and hot coffee on a chilly night and... A reason to get snuggled up with someone is never lost on me!" Dimitra tipped her head back and laughed, coughing after and wincing. "Let's do it, then. In a few weeks, we'll go somewhere exciting," She said and dusted herself off as she stood, confident and beaming as usual. "I promise we'll be back for summer skinny dipping. Wouldn't miss it for the world," She winked and laughed.
Barbara
Marianne stayed still, closing her eyes as Dimitra's cold hands brushed her temples, tucked her hair behind her ears, tied the bandana at the nape of her neck. It wasn't a touch she'd shy away from - despite the icy fingers, it was sweet and familiar, like the sweep of the spring's first warm breeze, and though it made her skin prickle, she had no reason to shy away from it. When she looked back up at her friend, she couldn't help but giggle, shaking her head slightly to check it was truly secure. "That's definitely better. Thank you. Now I can properly see you smile."

She couldn't remember the last time she'd done any of the things her friend talked of spending the season doing. She was more inclined towards tea in the evenings, herbal blends to help her sleep, and around the time she'd hit her teens, Ma had become a lot stricter over the things that were expected of a young lady, and her chances at running amok in the snowy orchard with the Estep siblings had become less and less frequent until they faded altogether. And when it came to *Snuggling*... Well, she'd barely considered any kind of physical closeness after losing Julius. 

Not that she'd have minded it, perhaps. Here and there. But the opportunity hadn't often presented itself. 

Dimitra coughed, and Marianne was brought back out of her thoughts and into the present. "I can't wait. Really. I think I need to get away from all of this for a while." She sighed softly. "Are you sure you're still alright out here? We could go somewhere, get you out of the open."

||
Laurie
She felt so proud of herself, hands on her hips as she observed Marianne's hair tied up in her bandana. She did think she looked quite lovely. "Keep the bandana," She insisted. "It looks better on you than me." 

Though she coughed a few times, she shook her head and waved Marianne off. She couldn't come across as weak, but the icy air really did make her lungs burn just a bit. "I'll be fine, I'm tough as nails, you know?" She cracked a grin and straightened herself up a bit. "All I need is to convince Father Abel to cuddle up in bed with me, and then I'll have a perfectly good winter season," She wiggled her eyebrows a bit before she let out a laugh again. "Could you imagine? The pastor, cuddled up with me of all people?" There was a strangeness to her words, as she looked off into the distance. 

"I'm just looking forward to fully healing so I can get back to work. I really am getting stir crazy, and I hate sitting still. It's enough to drive me mad." Dimitra grimaced. "As soon as I'm healed, I'm dragging you to the city with me," She swore, pushing off the tree and setting off further down the path. 

||
Barbara
Tough as nails was just about the best way to describe Dimitra. If a werewolf attack couldn't keep her down, then surely nothing could. A little cold wind wouldn't stop her if she truly had her heart set upon completing her walk. 

Marianne laughed at the mere image of Father Abel cuddling *Anyone*. Admittedly she didn't know the man well (and was fine with keeping things that way, for she held no desire to spend much time in such close proximity with the church and all that came with it) but he always seemed to hold such contempt in his gaze that she couldn't imagine affection coming easily to him. "I'm not sure even your charm could make that happen, Mimi. I know you love a challenge, but I doubt he'd be willing in all but the most dire circumstance." A fond roll of her eyes, and she linked arms with her friend once more to help her traverse the rocky path. 

"That's a promise I'll hold you to. Some time away from the ridge would do me good," She decided. "But *Only* When you've a clean bill of health from the doctor. I shan't be the one to blame for stealing you away before that... Though I'll keep my own promise of visiting as soon as you're back home. You're more than welcome to my books to keep your mind busy."

||
Laurie
She flashed a wicked grin Marianne's way and she chewed her lip. "Oh, you don't even know the half of it," She said and laughed, tipping her head back as she did. "My charm does wonders on that man," Dimitra said, and it came out far more fond than she'd intended. 

"You know he was the first one at my bedside after my attack? Sat there praying his heart out, clutching my hand." She felt a throb in her chest at the thought and squeezed Marianne's arm. 

"...There is someone else I've been thinking about, too," She admitted. "It's bad of me, you know? But I don't think it could ever work out. With anyone, really— I keep thinking about being a domestic type and all, but..." Dimitra chewed her lip. "The people I like end up thinking I'm just a fool." 

She sighed and leaned her head, wild hair and all, on Marianne's shoulder as they walked. "I can't wait to get gone for a little while when I can. Away from... Pastors and pretty eyes and *Werewolves*..." She scowled. "I can't believe that bastard got me as good as it did!"
Casey
Marianne rolled her eyes. "I suppose if any woman could charm the pastor it *Would* Be you. My father used to tell me stories of snakes and those who could whistle them into doing their every bidding... Perhaps that makes you the whistler, and poor Abel the copperhead in the grass."

It made sense that Dimitra would have a string of admirers, and all the more so that she would feel as though she were forced to choose between them. She was the kind of girl that drew the eye in any room she walked into - at least, when she wanted to, though she was equally likely to pass unnoticed in the darkness. With beauty like hers, she could be the sweetheart of half the town without much effort at all. 

"There's no need to be making any rash decisions," Marianne advised softly. "At least not now. You've still enough healing to do that I doubt anyone's breaking down your door to demand your hand in marriage or something equally crazy." She let Dimitra lean on her, wouldn't have pushed her away nor let go of her for the world. "You'll be okay, I know you will. You ever want to talk it all out, get your thoughts out in the open and see if they make a little more sense when you've said them all aloud... I'll be there. You like your tea sweet, don't you? Explains how sweet your smile is."

||
Laurie
Dimitra shrugged a shoulder and sighed. "Am I charming or just beautiful?" She wondered. "Do they like me because of *Me* Or do they like me because they like to look at me? That's my question," She said softly. "I fall for these people, you know, who scrunch up their noses and tell me I'm a complete mess. People who like to live orderly lives with rules; and that's not me." Dimitra bit the inside of her cheek. "I could never be what they want. Rules and order are not something I know." 

Her eyebrows knit together sadly before she pushed it away. "It doesn't matter," She said softly. "Because you're right; I don't have to make any decision anytime soon. Maybe I'll have to come to yours soon and give you all the juicy gossip, though... Tea as sweet as you are." 

She bumped her with her hip and laughed, trying to force the tension out of her body. "You can't let me talk the entire time, you know," She said. "Now... What about you then? Hmmm?" She raised an eyebrow. "Give me something to work with, Marianne! I want to know about all your little gossip too, you know. I'm not about town anymore, someone needs to be filling me in."
Barbara
"You're definitely charming. Beauty comes second to wit and good conversation in any man worth his salt. Women... Well, I know less about them in that regard, but I'm sure any good woman can see beyond a pretty face too. And you've got much more to give than simply beautiful, Mimi. You've one of the purest souls I've ever had the luck of running into." Marianne smiled a little, and then, able to tell when a topic had run its course and Dimitra would rather move on from it entirely, pushed onwards. 

"Well, seeing as you asked... Francis came to the door a couple of weeks ago. He brought wonderful cakes, just like the ones his mama used to make for us when we were children, and we talked... And since then we have talked, and talked, and talked." Her cheeks coloured a little, but it felt nice to get the words out in the open - she didn't often get the chance to confide in anyone like this, and with Dimitra having been shut away recovering, there had been few in Briar Ridge she felt she could really share this kind of thing with it. Not that it was meant to be a secret, but it didn't feel like the kind of thing to be telling over a shop's counter or on the corner of the street, either. 

"He... He grew up rather handsome, I suppose. And trust me, I spent every summer chasing him through that orchard, and he was a sweet boy then, too. I was taken by him as soon as I knew what it meant to be taken in by a man, you know? We've been apart for so long I thought things would be different, but they aren't so far from how they used to be." Beet-red now, and giggling despite herself as she thought of Francis, she did all she could to press on. "What do I do now? What's the in-fashion way to show a man you're interested?"

||
Laurie
She was relieved for a moment as the conversation moved off of her and onto Marianne's own romantic entanglements. Her eyebrows shot up into her hairline at the name of *Francis Estep*, which was not unfamiliar to her. 

Interesting. She knew the Esteps well enough; they owned the orchards, they produced things that she could carry in and out of Briar Ridge. Primarily, she worked for the Coopers of course, but... 

"Well look at you, Miss Marianne!" She whistled and nudged her with her elbow. "Having cakes and *Talking* With an eligible bachelor like Francis Estep!" Dimitra raised her eyebrows a few times, squeezing their linked arms together. "He's handsome, alright. And a businessman, too. He'd be able to take good care of you... Financially of course, I don't know about any *Other* Way." A mischievous grin crossed her face at her own innuendo. 

"Now? Well, now..." She looked up to the treetops. "You could do what I do, which is outright make your feelings known. You don't have to say it as much as... Dropping hints." 

Dimitra kicked a rock down the path, using the side of her foot to do so. "Showing him lots of affection, complimenting him, asking to be alone together. Francis seems like the kind of man who wants to be the one to make the first big move, but God knows, all men are the same— and he'd be a fool not to fall for you, Marianne. So... You'll need to lead him to the conclusion that he *Must* Have you." She stopped walking and turned to face her, so they were looking at each other in the eye. "You could invite him over, make dinner. Accidentally brush your leg against his, just barely, and see if he presses his leg against yours in response. Watch his eyes, tuck your hair behind your ear, lick your lips. Then make your moves accordingly." She squeezed her shoulders and laughed. "Does that help?"
Barbara
Just when Marianne thought she couldn't flush any deeper, Dimitra let out what could only be described as a wolf-whistle, and though there was nobody around to hear nor see, the redhead's cheeks burned almost as brightly as her hair. "Mimi!" She whined, but it was impossible not to laugh a little too, as Dimitra launched into talk of Francis *Taking care* Of her, and of dropping hints and touching and *Flirting*, all things with which Miss Wilburn could only describe herself as woefully inexperienced. 

"I think I can do some of those. Not all of them! But some," She decided, deep in thought as they picked their way along the path and she tried not to dislodge the rocks beneath her feet. "He has nice hands, and strong arms. I've been making a point to try to hold them." She smiled. "He's just such a *Gentleman*. Always has time for me, seems to want nothing more than to sit in the kitchen together and listen to me talk. And I'm finding I have so much to say after all these years without any more than a wave and a smile. It's... Exciting, I suppose? I really never thought I'd get to experience that kind of thing all over again. Not after Julius, and the wedding plans, and... Well, you know how that turned out. I rather like not being a hermit after all." 

||
Laurie
"Ugh, gentlemen," She teased her with a fake eyeroll, a grin on her lips. "Aren't gentlemen just the worst? They never want to make a proper move! They want to sit around and gaze into your eyes, smile and not lay down their feelings for fear of coming on too strong!" Dimitra was only half joking, of course. "I believe you can do all of that and *More*, Mari."

They turned a corner and she spotted a patch of mushrooms, peeking up just barely through the cold grass. She stopped a moment to pick one up, before she was plucking them from the ground and stuffing them into the front pocket of her dress. "It's sweet, though," She said after a moment. "If he makes you happy... And in turn, you make him happy, then you don't need any other reason." She paused a moment, as if her own kind of realization was dawning on her. 

"And you should take risks. Because you know, of course, taking chances is important. You never know how things might go. You never know how things might change." She turned to face her friend now. "So you should really go for it. Totally and truly, take this newfound... *Relationship* By the reigns, Mari!" She insisted. "Before some pretty church-" She paused a moment to collect herself in her slip up. "Before some other woman decides to take her chance, you know?"
Barbara
As usual, Dimitra was right. It was one of the reasons Marianne liked to confide in her - she always knew what to say, how to make the world seem a little simpler. Things could get so overwhelming when one kept them to herself, Marianne was lucky, privileged even, to have a friend she could turn to before it all got to be too much to bear. 
And when she said she *Believed* In her, it made Marianne believe in herself. 

She knelt to study the mushrooms, winter oyster by the looks of them, and picked a few for herself, slipping them into her shopping bag. It always made her marvel to see what the forest floor had to offer for them, even in such harsh conditions. And if the mushrooms could be resilient enough to flourish even through the mountain winters, then the townsfolk could survive, too. They'd make it through, just as the cream-white caps of the fungi did. She made sure to only take what she'd need for the time being, wondering how well they'd turn out if she were to dry them on the stove. 

"He does make me happy, Mimi. I don't think it's much of a risk to take... And even if it were, I've spent so long avoiding risks that perhaps it's time to take one." She smiled, sitting back on her heels. "Thank you. I'm sure the next time I see you I'll have news on the whole situation."

||
Laurie
She had taken enough to cook for dinner tonight; she thought maybe Abel would like it if he came home to something warm on the stove, which was a terrifyingly domestic thought. 

"Then you deserve to be with someone who makes you happy," Dimitra said, straightening up and smoothing out her skirts as best she could. She looked to the sky and took a deep breath, before she just came right out with it. 

"What I was talking about before," She said, looking over at Marianne with a hope for an answer. "I almost certainly have deep feelings for Abel Hughes," She said softly. "But that's ridiculous, isn't it? Our lifestyles... Can you imagine? And I'm not going to become a pastor's wife proper! I'm not giving up my life!" She bit down on her lip in thought. "Can you just tell me that I'm being stupid about the whole thing and to give up?" 

She knew it wasn't the answer but she wished it could be. It would be less stressful that way. "I suppose... Things are just complicated when it comes to love. Too many uncertainties." She bit down on her lip before she cast her a smile. 

"But I demand a full report next time on everything." She nudged her with her elbow. "All the nitty gritty, dirty details," Dimitra laughed aloud at the thought. "Promise?"
Barbara
Marianne shook her head almost imperceptibly, the gentlest refusal she could manage. Dimitra having those kinds of feelings for the pastor... It wasn't something she exactly adored the idea of. But who was she to deny her friend a shot at happiness? At love? "I won't tell you that. If you're looking for someone to shut it down, I'm not that girl. I think... If he's important to you, then you should do what your heart thinks is right and good." 
She sighed softly. "Love, in all its forms, is woefully complex. All we can do is try to keep up with it."

A smile, then. "I'll tell you everything. I promise. Every sordid detail, from every time we touch to the things he says and does that make me feel like a teenager again."

||
Laurie
She bit down on her lip a moment and nodded, sliding her arm back through Marianne's. She wasn't sure what she should do, still. It was all so... Confusing. She supposed she'd just have to think about it. 

As they headed back along from whence they came, she looked to the sky with a heaving breath. "You'd better. I'll know if you're holding out on me, Mari," She flashed her a grin. "And you'll be the first to know if I make any *Moves*," She raised her eyebrows a few times and laughed. "As if that would ever happen," She shook her head and just smiled thoughtfully. 

"My legs are killing me," She said as they walked back towards town. "I don't know what I was thinking." Dimitra shook her head. "Would you mind walking me back to the Hughes residence?" She asked her.
Casey
Marianne took Dimitra's arm again with ease, making sure she was properly supported before they turned back down the track, their pace a little slower than before. She could sense that her friend was tiring, and when the admittance came that she was in pain, her worries were proven worthwhile. 
"Of course I'll walk you back, I wouldn't dream of letting you go alone." She only hoped she could get there and away without running into the pastor himself, but if he had been out long enough for Dimitra to slip away unnoticed, then perhaps he would stay away a while longer and allow time for Marianne to deposit her friend safely back in bed. He could remain none the wiser in regards to his patient's little jaunt back out into the world. "I'm not so sure what you were thinking either, but I learned long ago not to question you, see. Or at least, to question you as little as possible. Perhaps next time you venture out you'll consider appropriate footwear? Something to support your poor legs at least until you're fully recovered?" It was half a tease, half a genuine request. She did hope to see Dimitra again sooner rather than later, but that would require the other woman making a true effort when it came to her healing.

||
Laurie
She huffed out a little noise. "The lack of shoes is hardly the issue here," She argued. "I just don't think I should've taken such a long walk is all." She was a little breathless and wincing every few steps. Although, Marianne wasn't wrong. The ground was frigid and she couldn't even feel her own toes. 

"I'll consider it, however. For next time." Dimitra was not one for wearing much else besides what she usually did. She was so warm all the time, she relished in the cold too. "I'm going to make a broad assumption and say you don't want to come in for tea," She said, casting a look to her side at her friend. 

"Abel wouldn't bother you anyhow," She waved her hand around. "He's always around... And when he's not, he's at the church." She raised her eyebrows. "But he's been out of the church more and more. He's been so concerned about me, he won't leave my side most days. He's giving that poor assistant of his quite the load of work to do." She shook her head and cast Marianne a look. 

"But don't be a stranger, Mari. I wonder if people don't come to visit me because of where I'm staying... Though Rhett doesn't have any trouble with coming over to bother me." She snickered.
Barbara
Marianne simply nodded - she knew when it was worth pressing on against Dimitra's protests, and when to let her well alone, and she sensed that the topic of footwear was one she wasn't going to win the fight on. This damn stubborn woman knew what she wanted and even better what she didn't want, and no doubt if Marianne pushed back again she'd only be more inclined to venture out barefoot again even more. 
"For next time. Of course. And - no. I'll save taking tea with you for when you're back in your own home, sweet. Though I don't doubt you when you say he wouldn't cause a stir, I shouldn't think he'd take too kindly to my being in his home when I haven't darkened the church's aisle in years." She laughed a little. "He must have enough on his mind without having to add me to his list of most pressing concerns."

She paused, turning to look Dimitra in the face. "Rhett visits you at the pastor's house? You never mentioned that. My, I feel as though I haven't seen that man in months. How is he?"
Laurie
She rolled her eyes fondly and smiled as they walked along, eyes tracking the ground for any little shiny rock or interesting object. She had a tendency to collect little bits around town, keeping them in a little box in her room. 

"He wouldn't come and hassle you," She shook her head. "Abel isn't nearly as bad as you think he is." Or maybe she had a soft spot for him. His fire and brimstone talks went in one ear and out the other because frankly, she was too busy looking at the crinkle in his brow and the set of his jaw. 

Dimitra seemed surprised at Marianne's surprise, but laughed it off. "Oh, visit is a way to describe it. Crawling in my bedroom window at night is another. He's been sneaking me booze," She tilted her head back to laugh. "And we gossip and all. He's been... Better, got into a nasty fight with Alma but I think they've been settling it." She waved her hand vaguely. "That pretty boy is a mess, I'll tell you that." She grinned anyhow. "Like I said, you're more than welcome to come visit me..." She trailed off as the Hughes residence appeared off in the distance.
Barbara
"You want me climbing in your window too?" Marianne laughed. "It might go down better than my coming in the front door if the dear Father is around... I'm teasing, I promise. I believe you when you say he'd leave me alone. Though do tell him a lack of faith isn't contagious. And I don't intend to go poisoning any innocent minds with my suspended beliefs." She nudged Dimitra's shoulder lightly. "I won't say I'll never visit. But I'd also like to say I'll see you home sooner rather than later, and the moment you're there I'll be on the doorstep. With sweets and tales of my next meeting with Francis. That's a promise." 

She shouldn't have been surprised to hear about Rhett's nighttime adventures, really. It was well known that that man made his way about town, but at least his intentions with Dimitra seemed innocent - and even if they weren't, it appeared her thoughts were preoccupied with a very different man. What a web it was that had been woven, and how hard one would have to think to even begin to untangle it.
Laurie
Though she couldn't deny that her and Rhett had gotten up to no good once or twice, that was well in the past for both of them; thick as thieves, they were, on a purely platonic level now. 

She giggled and stepped up onto the bottom step of the porch and turned to hug Marianne around the shoulders, pressing two big kisses to her cheeks. "If you want to crawl in my window, by all means!" She clapped her hands together and looked over her shoulder at the door, a soft smile on her lips. "I'll let him know you said so," She turned back to Marianne with a warm grin. 

"I'm going to take the longest bath on earth and have a lie down," She told her friend, blowing her a kiss before she stepped for the door, pulling it open. If one listened closely, you could hear the pastor off in another room, cursing her name for having run off, and she laughed. 

"Bye Marianne!" She called through the open door. "And remember, seize Francis by the reigns!" She waved and shut the door up tight.