Well she isn't actually wearing pants but meh))

~~~ ~~~

Another giggle escaped Astrid's mouth, a smile settling on her round face. "Of course I have a job silly, I forgot that it wasn't like that back then. Yea women are basically equal to men, though it definitely hasn't reach entire equalty, we are close though! And pictures aren't that magical, though mine do have a magical quality to them, that's what I like to say at least. I take pictures of places and myself for a living. It doesn't seem like much but it makes me happy, and it seems to make other people happy as well." Astrid shrugged, swaying back and forth on the balls of her feet, small fingers intertwined in front of her in an easygoing manner.

oOPs

=====

Nathaniel nodded, "That is a great relief. Some of my comrades made their best decisions when their wives made the choice for them."

The magic black box was strange, but it did not appear to hold the same magic for Astrid. Things really had changed, but that was to be expected. A few things had to have remained the same, though.... right?

=====

ts?

To when?

uhm

mb to when astrid comes back w some books? i really don't know...

Okay I got this))

~~
Astrid had promised to return the following day by noon. She knew she'd probably stay for awhile, so she had to get supplies. Snacks, a sleeping bag, her camera (of course), a wireless radio, and tons of water. On top of that, she got a ton of books from the library and the store. She'd bought books for Nathaniel so she hoped he appreciated her commitment to helping him pass on. After all that, she headed back over.

The hike to Nathaniel was long, but beautiful and definitely worht it. She'd even gotten to see a little fawn, a beautiful, brightly colored bird, and cute flowers and ancient trees. By the time she arrived, she was humming with excitement. She'd gotten a ton of good photos, and was super happy to help Nathaniel. Astrid pushed open the doors with a happy smile, "guess who's back." She dragged out the word with a smile, her butterfly blouse swishing at her waist.

Nathaniel has been doing his best to clean up a small portion of the manor - at least enough for Astrid to be able to lay down and store her stuff. The ground was relatively clear of dirt and dust in one space, and some of the smaller rocks were pushed off to the side. Nathaniel had some physical presence, but it wasn't enough to lift heavier objects. He might be able to do it if the objects weren't connected to the manor, but he had never been able to test that theory out. "Is this another one of the strange phrases? I can clearly see that you are the person who is back - there is no guessing involved."

Astrid beamed at Nathaniel's dim form as he spoke. Today, her pale hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail, with a pretty beige blouse on with a couple of pretty butterflies on it, this was accompanied by denim shorts. Finally, something other than a skirt or dress. Her boots were made for hiking and walking about, though she didn't know how much more walking she'd do.

"I guess it is, it's just a way of greeting. I say it a lot so get used to it." She flashed him another blinding smile, "but that's besides the point. I went to the library and got a ton of books. Honestly they're super heavy but I don't mind. Where can I set this thing down?"

She pulled her huge bag off her back, it was practically the size of her, and she looked at Nathaniel while holding it close to her. He could only see her eyes and above. Of course, somehow she still managed to look way to happy. As per normal.

Nathaniel turned in a circle, and pointed a ghostly hand towards another relatively clear location, "That should work. Many thanks for your effort and work, Madam Astrid." Once she set down the books, Nathaniel looked at them excitedly, "Would you mind much if I began reading now? I am oh-so-eager to learn what has happened to our world."

Astrid giggled at the ancient title, she would have to tell him that no one said madam anymore. Especially not for Astrid, it made her feel old and she was only 22, no where near old, that was like... 20 more years. At least in Astrid's standards it was, though it seemed like things had nee much different in Nathaniel's time. Especially since she definitely didn't look old and he was still calling her madam.

After being instructed where to set down her bags, she skipped over, though it was more of a waddle as they were rather heavy. She set down her huge bag and carefully took out all the books. Most were on history, but a few were on the now. They would explain what it was like in the past decade or two. Those were the books she had had to buy. She slid onto the floor, crossing her legs as she set out the books.

"Of course! But I'd recommend reading this one," she held up an older book, probably the oldest out of all of them. "This once talks about what happened here and after that. It'll explain a lot of things about what happened here, or at least what we thought happened here." Beans gently set the book down on the floor, wondering if Nathaniel could actually open it and stuff. She'd help him if he couldn't of course, as she hadn't read a good portion of these books and was interested herself.

Nathaniel concentrated and solidified his form to its max state. He tried to pick up the book that Astrid recommended, and was surprised to find that he could do that, "It might be because the book isn't tied to the manor. I can't move anything inside of the manor, even things that are lighter than this." An odd discovery, but one Nathaniel filed away.