The Ghost of Home

Frankly speaking, you're not very convincing

"Frankly speaking, your acting could use some work but in the eyes of the inexperienced, it is plenty enough."

You wipe your sweat as you turn around to see the speaker: Gray skin with an incredibly unique expression on his face. He wordlessly gives you a bottle of water and you take it with hesitance.

"That's unsolicited criticism," you tut.

"That's correct," He agrees. When you look behind him, you can see the rest of the neighborhood around Wally, praising him for his performance. The grey man adds, "But for a beginner, you're quite good. Welcome to the town, neighbor. I am Frank Frankly. You're quite hard to get a hold of."

"Your name fits you, I guess."

"Thank you."

You awkwardly lean from one foot to another. That might not be the case if he was merely there to offer you water; he is now just observing you. Whatever the reason, the tension in the vicinity continues to grow, and you can't help but feel increasingly uneasy as the seconds tick by. Finally, he breaks the silence with a comment that seems to come out of nowhere.

"Where'd you come from?" Frank raises one side of his unibrow, "I'm sure you have a good reason to move into something as small as this."

"Oh...haha, about that–" You feel a sweat form. "I'm from the city! The smoke was getting too much for me, I guess. Uh, I'm a woodcarver! (you almost forgot about that one fact about you) I needed...easy-to-get resources...haha."

"..." Frank merely watches your expressions, "What are you nervous about?"

You need to work on your acting since you cannot for the life of you stop yourself from spewing out sentences, therefore Frank was absolutely correct when he stated that. With that book in his hands, he certainly seems clever enough to see straight through you. You peek behind him once again, hoping Wally can use his anti-privacy-mindreading powers to get you out of your situation but he looks too busy thanking his neighbors to even notice.

"...It's," you trail off before drinking your water again, "I'm quite shy, y'know? I'm not used to meeting...new people."

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry if I came off too forward." He readjusts his bowtie, "Julie asked me to tell you if you want to have a picnic in two days with us. She's too shy to tell that to you herself, which was surprising."

"I'll think about it. I'll call Wally to tell you guys, I guess." You begin to pack your things. Even if Sally urges you to stay for a while, you need some alone time. And rest. The grueling hours of rehearsing and the performance itself have tired your bones to dust but it did distract you enough from stressing out and about.

"I almost forgot you and Wally are a thing now," Frank rubs his chin in pondering. "But carry on. Julie and I will be waiting for your answer. Have a good rest."

Frank watches you successfully flee the star's house with just him as a witness. It begins to make sense that despite the tiny size of the town, you constantly manage to escape under their noses. To keep up with you, one must pay close attention. Very close attention. And frankly, Frank is a butterfly enthusiast.

Watching butterflies is a delightful hobby of his, but finding them can be a challenge. Finding, identifying, and enjoying the many kinds of butterflies in the wild. It's the perfect activity for anyone who enjoys being outdoors on gorgeous, sunny days– a perfect activity especially when you're best friends with someone as outgoing as Julie.

But he doesn't have to devote his whole life to chasing butterflies to enjoy them. By simply slowing down, you'll start to notice these insects all around you. To see is to go to the most obvious spots they will appear. The same practice is what made Frank the way he is: Organized and observant.