The Woods are Just Trees

Phoebe was working nearly constantly lately. Or...well...as much as she could with the number of clients she had. Her hope that her clientele would rise had been greatly diminished by the sudden tensions between the Outlanders and Naturals. What Natural woman - who frankly was more likely to be expecting than an Outlander since their families hadn't been torn apart by a sudden arrival in a new place - would want an Outlander midwife to help deliver her child when literal mobs sought to subdue them? Even if she didn't have a personal issue with the newcomers herself, it probably wasn't wise to engage with an Outlander in business. Emmett hadn't wanted anything to do with her after the death of the Spire Demon after all...and he had supposedly really liked her at one point.

So she was out, prepping for the hopeful eventuality that she might have more work. She did have Miss Vai at least to attend to.

Despite recently planting a garden, her remedies still required some foraging. Her plants weren't even close to blooming after all and waiting for that just wasn't an option. So she was out with her little basket, picking some valerian root she had found. When she heard her name she started, looking up from where she was kneeled down by her work. "Oh! Hello Jigano." she greeted with a smile. But she lacked her typical vibrancy. She was subdued, dulled, melancholy - almost an entirely different girl from the one he had escorted into the underground.

"What brings you out here? she asked.