Wardrobe

Villager: Kiara

As you approach the village greenhouse, a small manta ray bat with a red squirrel on her shoulder exits the building with the sound of a ringing bell. As soon as she looks up and notices you, she lets out a little 'eep!' and looks like she'd very much like to bolt back into the greenhouse. She gives the door a glance, before taking a couple of deep breaths and turning back to you.

"S-sorry. I...I didn't see you there."

"I'm Kiara, a-and this is Holly. I work in herbalism, under Camellia's guidance. I...really like working in the greenhouse with her. It's nice."

"O-oh, y-yeah, I can fly. I fly through both the air...and the sea. L-like a manta ray, a-actually. I'm...like Ephemera like that. I-in flying, n-not in looking like a s-swimming manta ray! She's, she's really nice though. Lots of people here are."

Kiara ducks her head, fidgeting nervously.

"Um. Did you...want to talk about anything else?"

"Hobbies? Um, I like playing games with Aurora, Evan, and Priya. Th-they're my best friends, you know? And, they're trying to help me get, um, out of my shell, so to speak. I...I also like working with plants. P-plants are nice. They don't...they don't judge. They're quiet, and they just...listen, you know?"

"B-Belphegor?!"

Kiara squeaks, before looking around almost frantically, as though making sure the demon in question wasn't there.

"H-he's...he's really mean. I don't like him m-much. J-just, don't tell him that...p-please?"

You assure her that you won't, and she breathes out a sigh of relief.

"Th-thank you..."

"How am I liking O-Ouroboros? Everyone here is so nice...I used to live i-in Oceandome, a-and my teachers and cl-classmates were so, so mean. Th-they didn't...they didn't really like me. I-I got yelled at a lot. E-everyone here though, they don't do that t-to me. They're a lot more patient with me than anyone else has ever been...I r-really, really like it here, you know? A-and Camellia lets me retreat to the greenhouse i-if I have to get...if I get overwhelmed."

Kiara starts tearing up at this point.

"E-everyone here is so nice to me....w-well, not B-Belphegor, but he's n-not very nice to anyone."

A small smile unexpectedly spread across her face.

"Ouroboros - th-the spirit, I mean - Belphegor didn't think much of him at first. But he, he made him made once, a-and...w-well, th-that was the first earthquake we'd ever h-had. O-ouroboros is...really strong."

"P-plus, i-if Belphegor is e-ever bothering me, both Zinnia and S-Sora told me I-I can come to them. O-ourboros and Tienyo too."

Kiara giggled quietly.

"Th-they're the only ones B-Belphegor is a little bit s-scared of. B-but you, you didn't hear that from me, hehe!"

"A-anyway, I um, I think I- I should go now, I'm supposed to b-be hanging out with Aurora right now. S-see you later, m-maybe!"

With that, the shy little bat quickly took to the air, the squirrel nimbly swinging from shoulder to back, leaving you alone. She really does look like a manta ray swimming through the sky, rather than a bat flying through the air.