Some Days Are Better Than Others (Tag Esmeralda)

Tulio's headache was back again, and worse than before. He felt his brain pulse with pain in time with his heartbeat and it was getting out of control. He had been writing non-stop for the past five days, finally getting an idea for a play. He had wanted to keep going, but his hand had finally started cramping pretty badly and he had decided to try and get some fresh air. But now, ideas and characters and plots were spinning through his head like a hurricane, and even though his hand still hurt, he wished he could write it all down. He sighed, leaning against a tree as he closed his eyes. He almost wished Leila was here to distract him, but his mind was too crowded too conjure her up right now, one of the many disadvantages of having a friend that existed only in your head.

Esmeralda placed a hand over her groaling stomach and whined liek a child. She hasn't had a deacent food for days! Damn it, people sure got stingy with all these preparations going on.
She pouted and leaned aginst a tree not noticing the man leaning agsint it as well on the other side.

Tulio had slowly become more drowsy, so when he finally heard something like a growling sound, he gave a little yelp and clumsily jumped to his feet, thinking that a wild animal had stumbled upon him. But the only thing he saw was some young woman, who had a hand over her stomach. Oh. It was her stomach that was making that noise. "Oh. Sorry, forgive me. You...startled me." He cleared his throat, trying not to seem to abnormal.

Esmeralda blinked when she heard yelp behidn her and looked arund the tree, seeing the other man first now.
"I did? Sorry, my stomach tends to do that," she smiled. "Startling people I mean."

Tulio gave a little laugh. "Forgive me. I'm not usually so...jumpy." He swallowed, that dull pounding still in his head. It was hard just to focus on the conversation. "Hold on, I think I may...have some...food here..." He spoke distractedly as he patted his pockets, hoping he had something for the woman. She did sound pretty hungry. He gave a "Aha!" when he pulled out a piece of bread. "Sorry it's not much, but..." He shrugged as he held it out to her.

"That's alright, I'm usally hungry," she stated and watched him take out something from his pocket. She took the piece of bread and insepcted it closey, giving Tulio supicious glances. "It doens't seem to poisoned," she mumbled and started eating it slowly.

"The only time I poison is when I feel like killing off a character," Tulio joked, laughing a bit. "People may hate me for it, but hey, that's the job of a playwright, I suppose." He gave a little shrug.

Esme blinked at the man again. "You're a playwriter?" she siad excited, ehr mouth full of brad at the momnet. "Wow, i always liked to go the theater, but I always get kicked out. Could be beaucse I don't have the money but aw wll. Can't get everything in life."

Tulio nodded. "Mm-hmm. I'm writing up something as we speak. A murder-mystery. Should be very interesting." He gave a little grin, although it turned into a frown when Esmeralda mentioned getting kicked out of the theater. "Hmm, I hate to deny anyone who wants to enjoy theater work, even if they don't have the cash. Maybe I should offer some discount tickets." He tapped his finger against his chin, talking more to himself than anything else.

She titled her head, still smiling to herself as she wondered how it'd be to see a play without getting kicked out before it even started.
"That be really helpfull actually," she agreed. "At least to people like me. And mayeb you got get some specail seats where the other visitour won't kick or spit at me?"

Tulio frowned. "People do that? I need to have a word with the manager. That's not good for publicity." Tulio never paid attention much to what was going on in the theater when he was being seated. Being a playwright and what-not, he had a special box-seat. If one of his plays happened to be performing, he was backstage, making sure everything was in place and that all the actors had their props. It was hectic, but it was always worth it if the play did well. "I'll have a talk about proper etiquette inside a theater. Maybe put some posters out front. That oughta get people's attention."

"Wow, you sure took that seriously," Esme sounded slihglty surprised. "Not that I appreciate it though, thanks. It be nice to foronce go somewhere without being called names or whatever," she laughed like she had no problems in the world whatsoever.

"Was I...not supposed to?" Tulio asked. He had always believed that people of all types should enjoy the theater, which had gotten him into some trouble in the past. But now that he had some fame, he could get away with it more, and he enjoyed seeing the looks on the other playwright's faces when he got people off the street into his plays. "Why do they treat you that way?" he asked, curious. Esmeralda didn't seem to different from the other poor people running around the kingdom.

Emse laughed at him, as if what he just asked was funny. "If you don't alreay know then I'm happy and wouldn't want to tell ya," she shrugged, sitll smiling. "Let's just say I'm open minded for most of the people eher."

"And they consider that a bad thing?" Tulio asked. "Better to speak your mind than keep your mouth shut all the time, in my opinion." Tulio had always been a firm believer in that. It was the only way to make it big in the theater world. Sometimes, you had to speak your mind to make people see things from your point of view, see why you think you're made for this character or why this play will be a huge hit. "Too many people keep their ideas to themselves and it stifles their creativity. And without creativity, art starts to die."

"Wow. That was deep. At elast for soemone like me who doens't know anything about art and that stuff," she laughed again, patting him ahrd on the back.
"Well, who cares what people think? I never have and i'm happy enough as it is," she msiled brightly. "It's just being human being afraid of things they don't understand or can't explain. Guess I'm just part of that category."

"Oh. Sorry. Didn't mean to get all...philosophical on you." Tulio had a habit of rambling when it came to things like that. It was good for writing, but not necessarily for conversation. "Can't explain?" Esmeralda was getting more mysterious by the minute, although Tulio kind of enjoyed that. Guessing who she might be or what she might do was a good distraction for his brain. It made the pain dull down a bit, at least.

"Weeell, sicne you seem kinda weird yourself, maybe you wouldn't mind someone like me," she mused, playing with a few strands of her hair. "You know how everyone fear witch craft and stuff like that? Apparnetly i did something, cna't remeber what though, that made people think I'm a withc myself," she laughed, as if the whole things was just some joke and nothing to worry about. Even when that reputation has caused her to run and hide her whole life, being hated for soemthign she never did. She still took things pretty well.

Tulio laughed. "These days, weird is one of the kinder words used to describe me," he said. At least Esmeralda didn't seem creeped out by it. When she told him what she was, or at least, what people thought she was, some surprise showed on his face. A witch? Seriously? For a split second, he was reminded of Leila, the biggest sign that he was out of his mind. If people saw him and Esmeralda hanging out, would they take his craziness as a sign of witchcraft too? It was one of his biggest fears. But how could he avoid her? She was a nice person, and seemed to enjoy talking with him. And he had always upheld the belief that if someone had a good heart, then they were worth being with, regardless of their status. "You don't seem to mind too much," he said. Here Esmeralda was, still happy, despite being though of as a witch. Tulio, on the other hand, was scared to death of someone finding out that he saw things that weren't real, had conversations with an imaginary friend. Maybe she could teach him how to be braver about that.

Esmeralda just shrugged. "Feeling sorry for oneself won't get you anywhere would it?" she stated and leand against the tree. "And why would I stop enjoying life just beaucse of some stupid rumor? Yes I may be poor and all that, but I still got it better then most other people. I'm free as a bird and healthy, I an talented in the sutff I like and have poeple who cares about me. WHat's there to be so sorry and afraid about?"
Yeah, she mayb eb hated nad attacjed form time to time, and she loved getting herself into danger. But ti her, it was just part of life.

Tulio nodded. Esmeralda spoke wisely. Most people usually let their sorrow consume them, let their misery overwhelm them. Yet Esmeralda didn't let it get to her at all. Sure, she had some bad things, but by focusing on the good things, she was able to handle it all. She at least had family and good friends to make her happy. Maybe, in some ways, she was wealthier than Tulio. Sure, he was a famous playwright, but friends were hard for him to come by these days. He rarely had someone to distract him from the stress of rehearsals, or from Leila's chilling laughter in the middle of the night. A nice place to live couldn't give him that comfort. He swallowed, feeling melancholy all of a sudden. "That's a good way to live your life," he said, clearing his throat when his voice came out croaky. "No doubt you'll have happy memories to look back on."

She titled her head and gave him a curious look. "You alright there? You seem a little... off somehow?" she smield sheepishly. "Not thta it's any fo my buisness buuuut if you're havign headache or something I ahve some good herbs for that," she smiled.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just...thinking too much." Tulio ran a hand over his face, sighing a little. "I'm not sure if my headache is the...normal kind people get," he said. How could he explain it in a way that made sense? Did too many thoughts in one's mind bother other people like it did to him? Or was it just another symptom of his crazy brain?

"Hmm, I knew an old lady who did that to. Thinking to much I mean," she recalled. "She always ahd these werid headaces... Aw well, sorry I tend to talk to much, so I'll shut up now beofre I make it worse for you," she laughed and nudged him playfully. "Well, something I can do at least? You gave me bread after all."

"Oh. Really?" Tulio wondered if that same old lady had heard voices in her head like he did. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part. He had never met anyone like him before and it unsettled him a bit sometimes. "No, no, talking is, fine. Really." He smiled at her. "It helps, distract me."