fandomhigh | Relationship Skills, Friday Period 3

"Today's class shall be about..." Yennefer sighed. "Conflict resolution. Because apparently you want to resolve your conflicts, not win a fight."

"She thinks winning a resolving a conflict means going scorched earth," Jaskier whispered in a way that wasn't at all a whisper.

"I think 'trying to see the other person's point of view' is pointless, is what I think."

Jaskier definitely rolled his eyes at that, but this was just how they got along. By being the very best frenemies. "Now, the book we found on this suggests using 'I feel' statements," he said. "Which are meant to help you understand the other person's point of view."

"Which makes even less sense than the last time we discussed 'I' statements," Yennefer said crossly, "because how is telling someone how you feel supposed to make you understand them?" It was called listening, Yennefer. You could try it.

"Well, maybe if you listened to them," Jaskier suggested as though he was reading that narrative!

Yennefer waved that off. "Whatever. I feel like this is a waste of time, but...practice your 'I feel' statements."

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"Not today anyway," Nell said with a smile. "But you can't rule out things like that here. People are always changing into all sorts of things."

Considering the cupcake, Marc asked, "So did Stark teach class when he was a koala?"

"Nope. Didn't even show up," Nell said. "Not that Koala Stark probably knew it was Friday."

"Better in time for the reunion," Marc said. At least Stark hadn't seemed to mind dealing with the weirdness of people being older.

On that topic, "You doing okay?"

Nell shrugged a little uncomfortably. "I'm okay. Just... thinking about maybes and talking to Liz... it brings up stuff, you know?"

"Yeah, Liz checked in with Steven yesterday," Marc said. Which was a nicely neutral statement which didn't give away any information about how Marc knew that. "You missing out on your future too?"

Nell didn't mind. She hadn't said anything to Liz that she'd mind Marc or Steven hearing. She shook her head. "Can't really remember much. And I don't believe it's a real future anyway. If'n I stay stuck here I'm not joining some government group and if I go home John and the church surely won't let me even work outside the house much less work for the government. And if I turn into a tree, they'd likely just burn me where I lay."

Marc gave her a look. "The burning thing's an option?"

"They burn witches," Nell said simply. "Some of the churchmen have argued for it for a while."

"How about you avoid that?" Marc suggested. Not that he thought Nell wouldn't consider it, more he was putting a preference out there.

"It wouldn't be top on my list of things to do," Nell said dryly. "It's why my mama and meemaw had me tested, but some still say - anyway. I'm a married woman there and that means I have some protection."

It would be a lonely life, just her and John, with no hope for children even. Just taking care of an increasingly elderly man alone for the next 30 or so years most likely.

"Even as a tree?" Marc asked. "How would they even know it was you?"

"Someone had to know it was me and tell me about it. Trees don't have any real sense of time," she said. "But I don't know. I have an extremely vague dreamlike memory of it and you saying I told you I was."

"But if they ever found out." She shrugged. "It wouldn't be good "

"Wild," Marc said. "Not many things make the avatar gig sound normal."

"Oh, I don't know," Nell said. "If it happened I don't imagine I did much as a tree. Not like you doing your avatar stuff."

"Didn't say busy, said normal," Marc pointed out. Though the lack of assignments from Konshu was worrisome.

"Normal is as normal does," Nell said with a smile. "Which apparently can meet you in a magic suit thing and me as a tree."

"Ceremonial armor," Marc told her. He wasn't upset, just clarifying. "Just easier to call it a suit."

Or it was until Steven misunderstood and turned it into a fashion disaster.

"Oh my. Ceremonial armor," Nell said. "See, now how can you compare something so fancy to being a tree?"

"Not like I saw what type of tree you were," Marc pointed out. Though if you asked Marc trees pretty much all looked the same. He could pick out evergreen ones from the others, but that was about it.

Nell was at a disadvantage here, given that she'd never seen his ceremonial armor before.

"Trees aren't shiny like armor," she pointed out, "though I will say I've never seen a suit of armor as lovely as a tree."

If Steven were there, he would've been excited to point out that he knew the poem Nell seemed to be referencing. But it was Marc so instead it was, "Yeah, not exactly made for the aesthetics. Happy to give you that one."

"Regardless, I don't think that life whoever she was told you'un about is likely. But it does make me wonder where I go from here," Nell said.

"You live your life," Marc said. "Can't let yourself get caught up in what ifs."

For example you could be Marc and deny anything about what you'd been told about your future.

It just seemed ridiculous, didn't it, Marc? Nell was right there with you.

"I can keep my job at the flower shop," Nell said. "I already asked. So I suppose I will just arrange place to live at one of the apartments as time gets closer. I don't have much except for my plants."

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