To Live Again, For the First Time!

"I'm sure they were all very worried at one point or another, but at least now I create a little less trouble with my focus concentrated on one point," Grace spoke with a mischievous smirk that made her previous statements hard to believe.

It was taken with a grain of salt.

"Even so, there were still people who were unsatisfied, well you can't satisfy everyone, but you can try. All I can say is I've tried my best to balance both ends of the scale."

Grace sighed as if she had just released a great burden, or at least she had exposed one.

Emilin could tell that much.

In fact, she had noticed from the very beginning. There were her two separate appearances that if frozen in time, gave off completely different vibes.

There was her most prominent artistic, wild, unrestrained side, being both energetic and vibrant.

Her tied-up and dyed hair paired with her concentrated face when working, her confidence when talking about her own work, it was all incredibly attractive.

She glowed.

Then there was her other side, where everything was more restrained, calm, regal, and graceful.

Her hair was down, and the dyed parts couldn't be seen by others, giving one the impression of a very delicate youth. 

'I don't think either side is fake per se, just one is overshadowed by the other, and by separating the two, she was able to give each their own time to shine,' Emilin contemplated.

"You know, there are many people who shame girls who wear makeup, but if it gives them more confidence, then who are others to say? Is it even their place to do so?"

Grace spoke confidently, but with her current attire and clean appearance, Emilin found it hard to connect the two dots, after all, she really looked like an obedient reserved young girl who wore no makeup and wouldn't ever think of wearing any other than the nude or natural colors.

"As for those who claim to have been tricked after marriage after waking up next to a woman without makeup, I can only say to a great extent, they really brought it upon themselves."

"I mean, it already looks bad if you want to separate due to looks if you want to divorce just because of someone's appearance… it was already quite shocking that you had reached the point of marriage. Even if you want to go back on it, there would be a permanent record, and then what would be the reason for divorce? Deception?"

"If you don't like someone enough with and without makeup, then you shouldn't be together and ruin the reputation of everyone else who wears makeup!"

Grace concluded with a huff and gusto.

Emilin, who still sat there quietly couldn't help but nod in agreement, being thoroughly convinced. 

Even so, she wasn't an accurate source nor audience seeing as she had both never been in a relationship nor even been in close distance with anyone who was in a relationship to make real-life observations.

Either way, it was rather easy to sway someone like her, who had no real set foundations of knowledge when it came to these topics.

It was like telling a baby, this is how life works, 1+1=3, what can they say? How can they counter without knowing any other principles? 

How do they even know they can counter? 

What can they do other than to be thoroughly convinced? 

In fact, it doesn't matter if they are taught 1+1=2 or the greatest theory created by mankind, they will still have to be convinced in the same way and they will probably believe the two using the same standards as long as it's convincing enough.

Though of course if you have to use a bunch of concepts that the kid doesn't understand to explain the greatest theory of mankind, then they won't be convinced in the same way.

"Then why do you help others do their makeup?"

Emilin asked once more out of curiosity about this character.

Grace seemed very clear about what she liked and didn't like, what others liked and didn't like including which of those other people's opinions she cared about.

And then finally, she was able to find a balance between what other people like and what she liked, giving in at times when it was harmless and standing strong when it was a matter of her own principles.

She was a strong character

It was clear to Emilin that since Grace had said she fell in love with the feeling of being able to separate her two identities and control her own life not to mention do what she liked without restrains, but it was not so clear why she wanted to do that for others as well.

After all, Emilin still couldn't understand what could have changed someone's character so much and so quickly.

Grace had already admitted to having been quite the spoiled child, but from Emilin's perspective, though she was prideful and a tad arrogant, there was nothing that screamed spoiled about her.

How could one chance encounter of this sort change someone that much? Especially in their rebellious stage were 'being right' was more important than actually being correct?

Emilin pondered on the matter.

"Well others helped me discover this new world, so shouldn't I pull more people in as well?" Grace asked rhetorically.

"Sure, they say misery loves company, but I think joy loves it just as much, if not more," Grace said with an honest smile.

'Maybe these are her principles…' Emilin inwardly thought.

'There may have been parts that were not as related to that scenario in specific, after all, I'm sure that there were also other environmental factors such as her family, her genetics, her internal moral compass.'

As Emilin made more observations, she chided herself for being a little too nosy and then Grace for being a little too open, after all, Emilin was making a whole lot of assumptions about someone she had just met.

But there was just something about this candidness that made Emilin unable to not think about Grace.

Making her want to learn more and more about this character, and since she was so open about herself, Emilin subconsciously lowered her guard and was a little more open about her curiosity as well.

When it came to this, it seemed as if Grace had made a small analysis on Emilin's character as well.

It wasn't too much to say that she was a chatterbox, but something made Emilin believe that Grace wasn't always that chatty.

A feeling that made Emilin feel like Grace was a body of water that could easily mold to fit in with others while being herself.

Water was always essential, no matter where you went, though at times its value was hard to measure and tell, in the end, in the long run, you were bound to attach a value to it.

To those who wanted to discover the various aspects of water and analyze how they affected their daily lives, they were bound to attach a great value to this body of water, and as for those who only looked at its surface, finding that it looked the same as everything else, they were bound to miss this opportunity.

Emilin wanted to dive deeper.

The surface wasn't enough to satiate her curiosity and she didn't believe it ever to have been enough, no matter how much she minded her own business.

'I guess I just wasn't used to the dynamics of talking to others…'

In fact, minding her own business didn't even fit in with this situation anymore seeing as this was two people having a conversation, and not Emilin simply listening in on others.

"Then can you show me this new world too?"

There was much to be discovered in the small duration that was this short life of hers, but there was no more point in hesitation.

Maybe this was what she needed, to be able to separate her priorities.

There were just so many things she wanted to do, so many things she wanted to accomplish at the same time.

There was the her that cared for her family more than anything else in the world.

The her who want to accomplish something in this life with her own skills and not by simply using those that she had gotten from who knows where in her past life.

The her who wanted to make friends.

And the her who wanted to be remembered.

She had so many top priorities that it was mind-boggling and it was honestly hard for her to keep any one of them on track and on task with visible progress.

And each goal left her with so many things to fear, the Emilin that was her today had so many internal struggles with her own character which clashed with her goals.

Too many things worried her.

And so, the thought popped up, maybe if she could be someone else, to borrow the help of someone else who was also herself, she would be able to do things that she wasn't able to do simply as herself.

Truly opening the door to a whole new world, a whole new playing field.

And then there was Grace, who smiled kindly, playfully, invitingly, warmly.

"Then shall I welcome you first to my world?"

She teased Emilin shamelessly, but she wasn't joking at all. Okay, maybe just a little, but the offer was serious.

Next, Grace was going to invite Emilin to crash into her world.

[Rest assured she isn't going to crash and burn *wink*]