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journal-of-an-outlaw · 4 years

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Price to be Paid - Chapter 24

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That night the gang gathered to celebrate Jack making it home safe and sound after his ordeal with Angelo Bronte. Crates of beer and other liquors were brought out, the fires roared full and bright, and a weight seemed to be lifted from the shoulders of everyone as they settled into the surroundings of Shady Belle.

Except for you, who couldn't stop thinking about the letter you found from Mary.

All this time. They had been writing back and forth for however long and about god knows what. Maybe she just needed help or someone to vent to, their story was still classified as a mystery to you. But never once had Arthur mentioned her or made you think that she was still a part of his life.

Javier strummed the guitar and caught your eye. His eyebrows danced when he asked you to sing and you agreed quickly, needing a distraction from the way your thoughts were headed. This was a party after all, might as well have fun. The two of you spent almost an hour around the warm flames of the fire, dancing and singing to entertain the others. Jack loved the attention even if Abigail was unwilling to let him go. You understood; Jack was her whole world and he had only just gotten back after the terrifying ordeal.

You walked around after the music had ended and others wanted to sing admiring the love these people shared and the many ways it was communicated. Sean pulled Karen into his lap and whispered something, most likely dirty, in her ear causing the woman to be taken over by a fit of giggles. Hosea and Dutch stood as watchful figures from the porch. Lenny was tapping his foot from his spot on guard duty and humming along when he thought no one could see him.

“YN! Where’s that fiance of yours at?” Tilly called from her spot next to Mary Beth and you sat with them.

“That’s something I’d like to know. Saw him earlier, wonder where he got off to?”

Mary Beth looked at you with bright eyes. “Maybe he’s hiding, planning something big for you!”

Clearly she had a few drinks in her as she rocked back with laughter. You and Tilly shared a glance at her reaction and chuckled along, enjoying the carefree way her hair rolled around her shoulders.

You left them and wandered back inside, calling out for Arthur. It didn’t come as a surprise when you got no answer, standing alone in the big house that was falling apart around you.

A small cheer went up outside and you walked out to find Arthur hitching his horse up, waving off those greeting him and tipping his hat as he walked in, embarrassed at the extra attention from his drunken cohorts. Dutch slapped his shoulder with encouraging words and Arthur stopped for a moment before spotting you standing on the porch.

You tried to hold the memory of the letter in your mind as you stared him down, but the moment his face broke into a smile you knew you couldn't fight it. Arthur was many things; kind to those in need, fiercely loyal to the gang, loving and caring to you after all those months of hiding his feelings, and something inside of you said he would never cause you harm. Brushing the thought of Mary aside for the night you let him scoop you into a hug once he ran up the steps and held on tightly, inhaling his scent of tobacco leaves and leather.

“Sorry I ran off darlin’, Dutch needed something from town and I thought I would be back before now.”

“Wasn’t too long. Just enough time for me to worry about my fiance, but ain’t nothing new there.”

Arthur growled low in your ear and pushed the doors behind you open. After confirming that no one was around he laid you back against the wall and held himself against you. His hands swirled your hair between his fingers and he looked at you hungrily, eyes darting to your lips and breath coming in short. A warmth pooled in your belly at the glint in his eyes.

“Arthur, everyone is right outside they might -”

“They won’t.”

The slow smile that spread across your face broke him and in a heartbeat he pinned you to the wall in a kiss, one hand lazily roaming your hips while the other gently cupped your cheek. You grabbed each side of his leather jacket and swirled one finger against his chest in the hair that peeked out before pushing his shirt open a few buttons to fully explore. You found your way down and rubbed the bulging spot in his jeans, laughing lightly at his response. Arthur groaned against your mouth, bucking his hips in response to your touch.

“Why, Mr. Morgan, so quick to arouse! Whatever could that be for?”

He hung his head into the crook of your shoulder and sighed. “Got this woman that fills my head with thoughts that are pure torture and sin. Have to watch her walk around, knowing what she sounds she makes when it’s just me causing the noise. After all that, when I finally get to touch you? Sweetheart it’s hard to not...well, you know.”

A blush worked its way up his cheeks as he pulled away from you. You knew his mind would quickly turn to shame so you grabbed his hand and pulled him away; through the house and up the stairs to the room you shared together.

“I’m, I’m the same Arthur. I didn’t mean to tease you. Anytime I find myself dreaming of you...it’s not decent.” You laughed with your arms crossed and watched for his reaction. His eyebrows shot up at your words but he kept his gaze on your face as you spoke. “I’ve never felt like this Arthur, like at times I might burn up and die if you don’t touch me right that minute. It’s crazy and wild, but I hope it never goes away. Wouldn't trade you for anything in this world.”

Arthur’s blue eyes sparkled as you approached him and he hung his arms around your waist. “How’d an ugly old cowboy like me get so lucky with a woman like you? Maybe you hit your head harder than we thought leaving Blackwater.”

You chuckled. “I’ll happily spend the rest of my life convincing you you’re more than you see, Arthur Morgan. I hope you know I’m in for the long haul.”

“Well,” he grabbed your hand and kissed below your engagement ring. “I’m glad you know what I meant when I asked you to marry me.”

You threw your head back laughing, feeling happy and aglow inside. The conversation would have continued if a voice down below hadn’t started to yell for Arthur to come join the group, leaving you to sigh. “One day, we won’t be dictated by everyone around us.” Arthur agreed and followed you out.

Hosea greeted you both with a beer, smiling and starting some idle chatter. Arthur and he discussed his run into town, and you could have sworn once or twice Hosea’s eyes cut to you before speaking but it may have been the beer warping your thoughts and perception.

Sean was leading the group in an Irish song about being back home in Donegall and motioned for you to join, eager to have another voice in the mix. You smiled and raised your beer to decline his offer as you enjoyed resting against Arthur for the time being.

“You ever sing Arthur?”

He shook his head. “Nah, wouldn't subject anyone to that kind of torture.”

“Sure he does!” Grimshaw pipped up next to you. “Heard him humming along when he does chores or helps out, thinks no one is around though.”

You laugh as Arthur tipped his head down. Clearly it was something that he didn’t want to be pressed on any further.

The night continued on with a beautiful sparkle. Everyone was relaxed and happy as the music filled the air to cover the melody of crickets and frogs coming up from the swampy bayou. The drinks flowed freely and the sight of Abigail holding little Jack again was enough to put a smile on just about everyone’s face, even Charles who wandered over every so often on guard duty. Dutch had declined making a speech early on in the night and stuck to his resolve, Molly close by his side as they drank and talked. It felt like it had been ages since the two got along for more than a few minutes and you could see how young Molly looked as the scowls and crying stopped. You felt like a real and proper family for the first time in ages and it warmed you that things felt semi normal.

Javier approached you later on with a bottle in his hand. “YN! Have you seen Miss Tilly? I have a question but can’t seem to find her anywhere.”

You shook your head. “Last I saw her was with Mary Beth going on about something, Arthur may have but he’s over talking to Lenny and Sean.”

The two of you looked over at the sound of roaring laughter and Lenny nearly falling off of his chair. Sean was bent in half, laughing harder than you had ever seen him while Arthur wiped tears from his eyes in between speaking. He must have been telling some story to the younger men as there was a lull and he leaned in dramatically to tell the last line and off they went again. Javier muttered something under his breath and you laughed along, happy to see them all enjoying the evening. After a few moments of chatting Charles came up to tell Javier they were switching for guard duty, much to Javier’s pleasure. He nodded to you and headed off towards the perimeter of the camp.

“Seems to be a lively mood tonight.” Charles looked around the group as he spoke.

“Everyone is lighter, we got Jack back and it’s a good time, I think. Dutch hopefully has something up his sleeve and I’m so happy I could burst. Not to talk about it all the time.” Charles smiled at you as you continued to gush about camp and being happy with Arthur. He understood you meant it out of love and not to overshadow anything else going on.

“Just hope we can get out of here soon. Being in the swamps makes me anxious. I’ve seen gators out there as tall as me and twice as strong, I have no intention of going near that water anytime soon.”

You shuddered at the thought. The swamps had not called to you while staying at Shady Belle and you hoped to keep it that way. “Something about the way they move. Give me the creeps.”

“Speaking of creeps,” Charles muttered to you. Micah walked into camp and held his arms up like a king greeting his subjects. No one met him the way they did Arthur hours earlier and his face soured into a scowl. Dutch called out a greeting but it was only met with a wave before he made his way to the fire to sit down by Bill. The two of them scoured and slumped in the corner while the rest of the camp carried on lively.

“Hey! Bring me a drink.”

You looked at Micah as he called over to Charles. Standing frozen you began to worry how this would play out. Micah yelled again, this time including a slur which was met with protests from those sitting nearby. Charles tensed up and you laid a hand on his arm to try and keep him away but by then Arthur had sauntered over. His eyebrows narrowed at the sound of Micah’s voice.

“Just ignore him, Charles He’s trying to make himself feel powerful.”

Charles nodded but his hands balled into fists as Micah continued to yell. Finally he burst.

“Get your own damn beer, you coward!” Charles smashed his bottle on the ground and huffed his chest, breathing heavily. Micah stood and began to stalk over but not before Dutch stopped him in his tracks.

“Enough! Micah, take a walk. The rest of you relax, there’s not much that can bring down my mood like infighting.” He shook his head, looking around the group. “Really. Tonight is a celebration, let’s keep it that way.”

You let go of Charles and watched him stalk off to the other side of camp. Arthur sighed beside you. “Here’s hoping he gets lost in the swamps.”

Laughing, you dug your elbow into Arthur’s ribs as he raised his bottle. It was a good thought but you didn’t want anyone to hear his nasty thinking. It was one thing to know Micah was disliked by the group, but another to be the ones actively voicing that opinion.

The rest of the evening carried on in a much lighter mood. People continued to sing and dance even after Javier retired his guitar for the night. He wanted to spend some time out on the docks and enjoy the moon and the stars. John and Abigail got into it for a bit, biting remarks coming one after another until Jack told them to stop and they seemed to sober up. Up until that point their normal had been to disagree, but you hoped moving forward things would change. Hosea retired early, as well as Grimshaw and Uncle leaving most of the gang gathered in clumps around the house. At one point you thought you saw Mary Beth and Tilly run off together, but no one could find them by the time you went to bed. Kieran had just left for guard duty when Arthur tugged on your arm to head upstairs. Never before had you been so grateful to see your mattress, even if it was just too small for the both of you.

The sun crept through the broken blinds the next morning to greet you. Knowing you should get up but not wanting to, you rolled over and snuggled into Arthur’s side to block out the sun. His snores drowned out any thoughts you had of sleeping in for a while, but you eventually stood and stretched to start the day. The beauty of the sun shimmering through the leaves and broken bits of paint drew you outside into the morning light. You picked off a piece and held it in your hands, admiring the way the dew settled so gently on its edges. As you enjoyed the moment a sound caught your attention, and you could just see two figures pressed up against the wall of one of the small structures out behind the house. Stretching as far as you could over the railing, you caught a glimpse of Tilly’s yellow gown as she and the other person moved out of your sight. A giggle floated through the air and you froze, knowing what kind of sound that was. Tilly wasn’t alone, but she definitely wanted to keep up the illusion and not be found.

You smiled and made your way downstairs, pondering about who the lucky person could be. More than once you had caught Javier speaking in hushed tones to Tilly and thought they would be very suitable together, she seemed to bring a softer side out of the passionate man.

But that thought was dashed as Javier greeted you from the gazebo at the front of the property. He was cleaning his fishing pole after returning from a short trip with Hosea. A box of perfectly gutted fish sat next to him and he lightly sang until you approached. Javier was a perfectionist; making sure that each stroke of his blade was worth the effort he put in to move it.

“Morning, YN! Why the face? Something wrong?”

You shook your head, looking around the grounds. “Not wrong, I just thought I knew something but turns out I was wrong. I didn’t have anything figured out.”

“Ah, now I see. And what is it you thought you knew?”

Javier was a proud man and your friend, and you didn’t want to upset him by saying an assumption that was clearly so far from true. You leaned back against the railings of the structure and crossed your arms. “It’s silly. You’ll just laugh at me.”

“Nonsense!” he cried while dropping his fishing pole. He gave you his full attention. “How about I promise not to? Make you feel better?”

Just as you were about to confide in Javier, a soft giggle interrupted your thoughts. From around the back corner of the house Mary Beth walked alone with a flush in her cheeks and a smile across her face. You watched her as she seemed to float by, ignoring everyone who passed in favor of the thoughts moving around her head.

You tilted your head, thinking, when something seemed to settle in place.

“Oh!” You whirled around to face Javier who looked conflicted, eyes darting between you and Mary Beth off in the distance.

“YN, just let it go, don’t say anything you -”

“No, Javier don’t worry!” you smiled. “It’s not, I just saw Tilly out back and thought it was you with her! That’s why I didn’t say anything. But you knew, didn’t you?”

Conflict flashed across his face as he watched you. “I...yes, fine, I knew. Tilly came to me to confide and talk about it, she felt like it was wrong from what others have told her in the past. But...love isn’t wrong, it should be taken and cherished in any form it’s sent. And Tilly is one of the best women I’ve ever met, reminds me why I’m in this gang in the first place.”

“Javier, that was beautiful. And please know I would never say anything to her, the secret is safe with me.”

He sat back relieved and smiled. “Some people don’t get it. Glad you’re a good one.” You chatted for a few more minutes before your stomach gave you away for being starving, and you left Javier to sing again once more. Breakfast had just been served and you wanted to go wake Arthur.

The door pushed open slowly and you found Arthur kneeled down by the bed. He faced you with a smile that melted your heart and you sat next to him, gently squeezing his shoulder before greeting him for the day.

“What are you doing down there, cowboy?”

A smile tugged his mouth to one side at the nick name. “Need to head into the city for a few hours, trying to find something though, ain’t where I left it.”

“Is it by any chance a letter? Perhaps from Mary Linton?”

Arthur had a dark expression on his face for an instant. “You found it.”

“It was on the floor of our room, Arthur, but I thought you would talk about it with me instead of just running off. Is that who you’re going to see? Mary?” Your voice was quiet but steady as you spoke. The emotion coursing through your veins didn’t have a name yet, and you couldn't tell if the beating of your heart came from fear or something else.

“I...she wrote me for help, YN. That’s all.” Arthur avoided your gaze as he spoke. “Mary and I go back, way back, and I swear this is the first time she wrote me in years. I found her in Valentine when her younger brother got involved in something stupid, and now it sounds like her family is in trouble again. I don’t like being yanked every which way, but I owe her.”

“Is that all it is?”

Arthur drew in a sharp breath. “Of course! You think I’m running around behind your back?”

“No,” you looked down at your hands. “But from what she said it didn’t sound like it was the only time you had spoken of late. I get keeping people from your past, Arthur. I’m not mad. I just wanted to hear it from you.”

“I promise, YN, there ain’t anything to tell. Years ago, we were engaged but her daddy knew better than to let his only daughter run off with an outlaw and put his foot down. We tried to stay in touch, didn’t work well. Kept fighting and bringing up things neither of us wanted to discuss. So I told her that if she knew what was best for her to never write again. Turns out she married some old fool; we both moved on.” Arthur shuffled around while talking, clearly a sign of talking of uncomfortable subjects for too long. “Like I said, first time I heard from her in years was needing help back in Valentine. Her brother joined some group, she had me convince him to leave and go home. I’ve always been good at scaring people into doing things they don’t want to and she knew it. I’m not looking forward to going into town, but I don’t like to leave people in need.”

You snorted and thought to yourself before responding. On one hand, it made perfect sense that Arthur would help Mary. She was a single woman in the city with nowhere left to turn, and wasn’t in a position to make it publically known she was in need of assistance. Women who ran families did so at a detriment to themselves, for every move was over analyzed and ridiculed at the first sign of weakness. On the other hand you didn’t want Arthur spending time with someone he used to love and wanted to marry, even if that was years ago. It felt invasive and you made up your mind.

“Arthur I...I don’t think you should go.”

He looked at you surprised. “This ain’t really up for discussion here. She needs help and I’ll see her off.”

Your heart started to pound at the impending conflict. You had always had a small temper and you felt it rise as you spoke, unable to hide how much this choice had hurt you.

“But as your fiance, I thought we would talk about it. Look at it from my point of view; a woman who was engaged to you suddenly wants your help? Right after we get engaged?” Your voice kicked up in volume and you heard the heat in your words. “And what if this isn’t the end of her requests? Will you always just run off after her and leave me here?”

Arthur stood in front of you with a dark look in his eyes. It was times like these that you knew why Strauss sent him off to collect debts. His deep blue eyes had seen many things in their lives and knew how to bend the will of the person before him. It would be terrifying to face this man and hope to win.

As he spoke his shoulders rose in anger. “As my fiance you should trust me, and know I’m making the right call. This ain’t about you, sweetheart, you best leave it alone.”

The use of your favorite term of endearment felt like a slap across the face and you stood to match him. You were unsure of why you spiraled so quickly into anger about this but you felt your hands shake as you balled them into fists at your side.

“Don’t call me that. And answer the question; will you always be running away from me?”

“Only if you sound as shrill as you do right now!”

You took a step back. “What is wrong with you? That’s all you have to say?”

“I’m not...god dammit.” Arthur rubbed his eyes and turned away. “I didn’t mean that, I just, you two get in my head and it -”

“Don’t you dare lump me in with her, Arthur Morgan.”

Your voice was low and cold. The mood in the room shifted from quick, fast anger to something much more permanent and heavy. Arthur turned to face you and it was all you could do to hold his eyes and not burst into tears. This was your first fight over something real and tangible, not the silly squabbles that were fixed with a few words and a smile. At first this thing with Mary was nothing more than a question as to why the letter was hidden away like a secret. But now it felt like you were defending yourself as Arthur’s choice over Mary, which you knew was utterly ridiculous.

Wasn’t it?

He took a deep breath before continuing. “YN, I didn’t mean for this to go so wrong. All I wanted was to help out someone who needed it, and things got all messed up. Please know, darlin’, I would never run away from this, you are exactly who I need.”

It was sweet; a plea and a lifeline that should have ended things right then and there. You should have smiled and sat down to talk about the situation like adults and explained your point of view. But something about that route felt too easy, a way out, so you pushed it to the side and threw your caution to the wind.

“It sounds so nice, doesn’t it?” Your tone caught Arthur’s attention as something was clearly wrong. “That I’m exactly who you need. Wrapped up with a little bow. But there’s something missing, and it’s clear in the way that you want to help Mary. We cannot live together in your life, Arthur, you either have to bury the past and move on with me or ignore what we have for what used to be. I won’t fight you on going to see her today, I don’t like ultimatums. But know I won’t stay if I know your heart is divided.”

With his hands on his hips he walked the length of the room. He picked up a photo and stared, lost in the memory for a moment before setting the frame back down. For a few more minutes Arthur silently stalked the perimeter gathering his thoughts as he went. You felt like your heart was about to leap out of your chest from the way it kept time with his footsteps.

Finally, he broke his silence. “Did you misunderstand me the day I proposed?”

“What?” you sputtered, completely thrown off.

“I asked you, as a woman, to be joined to me, as a man, for better or for worse.” Arthur stridded over and stood before you. “There’s no division in my heart and I won’t stand here and be accused of loving another woman. Now, I’ve done some pretty bad things in this life, but breaking my oath? My word? I would never do that. You know loyalty’s all we got sometimes. As long as you’re going to act like a child, you’ll be treated like a child, so you’ll forgive me if i ignore the nonsense coming out of your mouth.”

You moved to block Arthur as he began to leave the room, but he continued without a glance back and ignored your protests.

“Once we’ve had some time to cool off we can discuss this, but I don’t trust myself not to say something I’ll regret later.” With a tip of his hat he left, the door swinging closed behind him and ended the argument.

In a fit of rage you picked up the nearest photograph and hurled it at the wall, rejoicing in the way the glass shattered into a thousand little pieces. It was satisfying to see something physical to represent how you felt inside, angry and still unwilling to let go of your side. Never had someone had such an affect on you, not your father or your mother or even poor sweet Henry. Arthur Morgan affected you so completely it was enough to make you scream. It made you feel powerless and fully in control at the same time, which when you thought about it too much made your head spin from the beating of your heart and the blood pulsing in your veins.

You stood still to calm yourself down and watched the sunlight pass through the leaves outside the window. They swooped and swayed in the breeze, and thinking of them brought you back to a normal level of thinking. You sighed looking at the damage from your outburst and began to clean up the tiny shards so no one would be hurt later. When you turned the picture over you let out one barking laugh, for you had serendipitously selected the photograph of the woman who brought you to this place; Mary Linton.

The door opened slowly after a soft knock. Abigail stuck her head in and saw you hunched on the ground looking at the broken picture.

“Oh, dear I’m sure we can fix it. Here, let me see the damage.”

“Oh,” you sighed, “it runs deeper than you can see.” You handed her the picture and watched her face intently. At first Abigail was surprised, then confused, and she finally settled on angry.

“Ah. I see she’s finally crawled back out of her hole and wormed her way into Arthur’s life again.” She brushed off the bits of glass and picked up the rest in her skirt, dumping the trash out of the window. “I wasn’t here last time, obviously, but John said she nearly broke him. What a vile woman coming after him now! He’s got you, he’s happier than I’ve ever seen him and she just wants to ruin that.”

Part of you agreed. The selfish, small part of you that wanted to hate this woman because she simply had poor timing. It was the same part that made you lash out at Arthur instead of talking about it, as he so fondly said, like a child. You told Abigail about everything that had happened from the letter to your fight and she listened intently, always paying attention to you.

“She ain’t evil, Abigail. She’s a woman in need. And honestly I should be grateful that I’m with someone who sees the good in the choice he made. Imagine if it was you or me asking, reaching out to someone we knew could get the job done no matter what, for help. Would you want to be turned down just because they’re with someone new?”

Abigail stood by the window, mouth opening and closing as she tried to formulate a response.

“I made a mess of things just because I got a little jealous. Do you think I should go after him?” You watched your friend smile.

“I want to say you should never chase a man after a fight. That it’s his job to come around to your side and see he was wrong, but we both know my experience lies with someone a little less brainy than Arthur.” She moved back to lean against the window frame. “You’re more adventurous than me, YN. You’re brave and smart, so I think we both know that you’re going to go after him and set things right. I’ve always admired your ability to put goodness first. I never got a chance to see that way of life, but I’m sure glad you did.”

You swept Abigail into a hug, laughing. How lucky had you been running into her? She had told you before she rarely befriended people, but something about you made her change her ways in Blackwater and you had found a true life friend. That was something you would always be grateful for.

“Alright then, it’s settled. I’ll head into Saint Denis and track Arthur down so I can apologize for being a total ass.”

Abigail laughed and squeezed your arm. “Well, you’re a lady so I’d say you only have to apologize for being half an ass. Never let them know when he’s seen the whole thing. Sets a standard."

An hour later you were riding off with Charles who had agreed to your plan. He had a need to go into the city anyways, despite hating the place, and thought he knew a good place for you to start your search. Arthur had taken the letter to Mary so no one knew exactly which hotel she was at but there were only a few which meant it would be easy to locate.

"A friend told me to head towards the old market, the one in that alleyway. Not sure why but said I would find it interesting. I'll take you to Arthur on the way."

You didn't reply beyond a nod at the strange request Charles had. The gang often found themselves running errands without knowing the full purpose. It was hot in Saint Denis and you regretted putting on the long dress you had chosen to impress Arthur. Although the colors were beautiful the multiple layers seemed to grow in weight the longer you sat on Eclipse's back, sticking to your skin with sweat.

Charles led you down a maze of streets and you found yourself lost again in the wonder of the city. You knew most of the group hated to be in the pit of civilization because it threatened their ideals and way of life, but you loved the pulsing vibrancy that radiated from people walking down the street and the bustling of change in the air. It felt like each building had a story, good or bad, and was only waiting to be listened to so its secrets could be told. It was exactly what the gang hated that drew you into the melting pot of Saint Denis.

“You say a friend of yours led you to the marketplace? And who might that be?”

As he dismounted, Charles grunted. “Just someone I met who I can trust. He lives in the city, travels around and gives information when he can.”

The two of you stood at the entrance of a street market. Behind you, the train yard was loud and busy with the metal screeching of brakes and shouts going to and fro. You took in the sights and the smell with a deep breath.

“You like it here, don’t you?” You nodded back at Charles. “I can’t stand it. Feel like I can’t watch my back, someone’s always there watching.”

“There’s so much life!”

In the market itself were about a dozen or so stalls, all decorated with bright colors of rugs and food being sold. People shouted their wares and you were tempted to stop and sample a few, but one look at Charles quieted that option. No matter how wonderful everything was around you, Charles Smith was unshaken in his resolve to be stoic and rocklike in appearance.

“I like the feeling of freedom, how it moves in the people. There’s art and education and all of the things I never had sitting right at their fingertips.” You were quiet for a moment as you contemplated the city again. “It’s not jealousy, if that’s what you are thinking. It’s the opportunity to make your own decisions here, to know that you would be allowed to fail and grow. It’s, well, it’s true freedom if you ask me.”

“Not everyone is free here, though, do you know that my child?”

You had made it through the market without anything catching Charles’ eye and as you reached the exit a voice called out to you. A monk in long black robes stood against the stone wall holding a bowl out to you with a few donations thrown in. He had a kind face with lines around his eyes and mouth that deepened when he smiled. While a full beard covered his jaw and neck, his head had been shaved and shone in the midday sun.

“I’m sorry?”

“Well, while you and I are able to walk around and enjoy this beautiful freedom, some are starving and will have to fight just to get by. Are you able to donate so that they won’t go hungry tonight?” The man gently extended the bowl towards you and without any hesitation you dropped in a handful of coins. The man’s smile widened and he put the donation tin down before extending his hand.

You introduced Charles and yourself. “Brother Dorkins, a pleasure to meet you.”

“How are you getting on out here, Brother? Enough food to last?” Charles’ gruff voice spoke behind you and at first you thought he was being sarcastic. But he had a soft look in his eye and you could tell he respected the Brother for using his life to help those less fortunate.

“These are a somewhat apathetic lot, I’m afraid.” Brother Dorkins peeked around the wall into the market as if he was checking on something. You shared a look with Charles before he spoke.

“Our uh, mentor says that America is designed to induce apathy in people.”

“That’s a wonderful insight!” The monk crossed back over and stood in front of you. “He must be a wise man, your mentor.”

“He’s probably the best of the lot of us.” You replied. Charles hid a smile behind his hand as you winked in his direction.

“That’s wonderful. The, the thing is I’m...well, poverty will always be with us, but slavery I-I thought we had banished that.” Standing on his toes Brother Dorkins looked over the stone wall back into the market. You started at his words and saw a flash of anger in Charle’s expression.

“Slavery?”

“Saint Denis is acting as a staging post for shipping slaves off to some of the islands.”

“Where are they coming from?”

“South, mostly Mexico. You should take a look for yourself, I’ve heard that the pawnbroker down the block around the corner, the one with the green door, well they say he sells more than forlorn trinkets.”

Like a bullet Charles took off, shoving through the crowd to get to the pawnbroker. You cast a sympathetic look back at Brother Dorkins and promised to return shortly after dealing with the supposed slavers. Part of you wouldn't believe what you had heard. Slavers? In this day and age? But from the way Charles was dead set on putting a stop to it you realized it must be a reality for people who didn’t look like what folks thought of as ‘American.’

Just as you rounded the corner Charles put an arm up, holding you back. Silently you looked on to see what slowed his war path when you saw him. Holding who you could only imagine was the pawn shop owner pinned to the wall, Arthur hissed a threat out between clenched teeth as a woman stood nearby, peeking around the corner onto the encounter.

“What’s he doing?” Charles shook his head as his eyebrows pulled together in confusion. A few moments went by and finally the shop owner pulled something from his pocket, slamming it into Arthur’s hand as a pass to be let go. Your fiance dropped the man and stalked off down the alley towards the woman as the owner ran back into the green door, slamming it behind him.

“Probably got roped into helping someone...retrieve something.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” you chuckled. The scene disturbed you but it was something you were going to have to deal with later. You walked behind Charles towards the store.

A small bell rang as you entered the cluttered shop. Only a few rooms wide, the shelves were packed to the ceiling and it was a wonder anyone found what they were looking for. Books were next to pictures and boxes of jewelry in odd arrangements and made no organizational sense. It got worse the further you walked, and around the corner you saw the man from the alley wiping his brow.

“Oh, customers. Well if you’re going to buy something, be quick about it and if not, get out.” You placed a hand on Charles’ arm at the man's words and walked up to the counter, leaning over and resting your head in your hand.

“I’m looking for something...special.” You began. The man was still flustered and not paying attention and for the distraction to work he needed to be watching you.

“This is a full shop you must be more specific,” he snapped before finally turning to face you. You batted your eyes and leaned in close to block the view of Charles snooping behind you.

“I was thinking of a necklace, something long and daring. Can you help me out? Want it to hang down to here…” the man’s eyes trailed down your bust as you dragged a finger south to keep his attention. “What do you think?”

“I, umm,” he fumbled with the handkerchief in one hand and his glasses in the other. “I think, hey! You, get away from there.”

As the owner moved around the counter towards Charles you stopped him with the sound of your pistol hammer clicking into a loaded position. He looked down at the cold metal being pressed into his midsection and jumped back, confused about your quick change of appearance. You shrugged, a small smile playing on your lips.

“What on earth is going on here? Is this a robbery?” You shook your head as a loud sound behind you made you watch Charles. He had found a secret doorway behind a bookshelf and dragged the structure away to reveal a set of stairs. He nodded at you then headed down. A sigh escaped from the shop owner before you hushed him, bringing your gun up a bit higher to level with his chest. He must know what was going on.

Not five minutes later Charles emerged with two other men speaking quick Spanish to each other. As the trio left the main room a thought occurred to you.

“Actually, we’re robbing more than your slaves,” you spit out. “Give me the cash in your register and know that if my friends and I hear of more trouble you’re causing that it will be your last. People aren’t objects, you sack of shit.” With the cash in your hand you finally left, feeling good about what you and Charles had accomplished together.

Your victory was short lived however as Charles grabbed you by the shoulder and practically dragged you back towards Brother Dorkins on the other side of the market.

“What the hell!” You hissed.

“Don’t look back, he’s here.”

You rolled your eyes. “We saw Arthur together, ain’t a bad thing to be out -”

“Not Arthur,” Charles looked around before pushing you and the freed slaves at the monk. “Your father.”

“He’s here?” You could feel the blood race through your veins as the adrenaline pumped faster through your body. Your heart kept time with the footsteps all around you and it was suddenly hard to focus.

“Brother Dorkins, you were right. We broke them out and took the cash. Here, please,” Charles handed over the wad of cash you had secured. “Not to cut this short but she has to get out of here.”

The monk nodded solemnly. “God works in mysterious ways, my friends. I see the trolly coming around the corner, perhaps that’s a good escape?”

You nodded. “Charles, go with Brother Dorkins, make sure he gets them out of here safe. I’ll meet you at the end of the line.” He nodded and patted your back, taking one last glance behind you before leaving down the street with the other men.

You anxiously walked towards the approaching street car and flagged it down, desperate to be hidden and out of sight. The driver slowed and waved you up. Just as you took a seat next to a young woman your father walked out to the street, looking around to where you had just been as two of his agents turned back to wade through the market. You ducked down to hide your face, apologizing as you pushed up against your poor neighbor to keep yourself safe. After the trolley moved down around the block you sighed and leaned back.

“I am so sorry, ma’am, please forgive my brutish behaviour. I was trying to escape someone I knew, my father actually.”

At first her dainty features were pulled together in annoyance. It was deserved, you had shoved yourself into her seat and hidden in her dress without saying a word. But after you apologized she softened and laughed lightly.

“I can tell you a thing or two about trying to outrun a father, must be some womanly rite of passage in this city. But all is forgotten.” She fanned her face gently as the afternoon heat hit its peak. “I actually just had a run in with my father myself, chased him all around town just to end up back where I started. What is it about men that they think they can outsmart us?”

You laughed, the tension quickly leaving your shoulders. “Must be something to do with the fact they sired us, like a paternal bond they will forever lord above us.”

“I agree! Although I’ve never heard someone talk about it so boldly as yourself. You sure you’re alright, miss?” You nodded. This woman was sharp and you instantly liked her. It probably had something to do with her not screaming as soon as you sat down and confessed you were outrunning your father.

“I’ll be fine. Truth be told this isn’t the first time I’ve had to hide from him.” You paused for a moment before speaking again. “I probably shouldn’t say that to a stranger.”

At that she held out her white gloved hand in an introduction. “If we’re going to continue to share secrets we can do away with the strangers part. You might as well know my name. I’m Mary. Mary Linton.”

#price to be paid #rdr2 #fanfic #red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan #i'm so dumb and I literally forgot to post the text #smh #female reader

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mimiplaysgames · 4 years

Text

Beloved Memories, in Notes (Vol. VII)

Pairing: Aqua/Terra Rating: T (for horror elements) Word Count: 11,074

Summary: His mission was to be her friend, but she didn’t want any. Terra and Aqua meet. Terra is 9, Aqua is 8.

Read on AO3

A/N: This chapter was always going to be the angsty one of this collection (kind of, it ends well). This specific story is honestly my favorite in this collection, and I’m so excited to move on with it. I’m very proud of the ending to this tale, and I just want to be able to cover it lmao.

****

A Tale of Stars, Pt. 2

It was hot, and it sucked.

There was still hay sticking to Terra's arms after he brushed them all off, his sweat just as sticky as the humidity that clinched him. The Master was in just as much of a grumpy mood.

Cows always made Terra laugh though, and Abigail's moos were a welcome cheer for a morning that could either go really well or really badly. Terra needed to be on his best behavior, for this was his very first mission - and he barely even started real Keyblade training.

He already had a to-do list to make him successful. The first step (and the most important): to be Aqua's friend.

But this was also the hardest.

Aqua was in the backyard, pumping water into a pail out of an iron press, before dragging it back to the Widow Tweed's quaint farmhouse, with Tod the fox tailing her feet closely. He noticed that she barely gave either of them the courtesy of a glance when they strolled out of Abigail's barn.

An owl stood at a tree watching them, and Terra didn't know which was weirder: that an owl was out at dawn, or that it enjoyed the company of a sparrow and a woodpecker.

Mrs. Tweed handed them their breakfast (plain old sausage with a sprinkle of salt), and Terra only finished half when Aqua appeared again, hair in classic long pigtails as usual, with Tod following her like he was her best friend. She straggled toward the woods in a daze that made her seem more like a zombie than anything, as if this was the most basic routine for the most basic day and she didn't know what else there was to do.

"You should join her," he heard the Master say.

Terra chewed on his meat with spite. "She doesn't like me."

"She does not know you as a person."

"Still hates me."

"Then she'd be the fool," Eraqus said with confidence. "To pass judgment on mere glance would say much about her and nothing of you… You still have your responsibilities, however, so you must try."

Terra stopped a piece from reaching his mouth, his fingers grasped tightly around his fork. "What if she says no?"

"Then you respect her decision."

A more frightening possibility crept into his mind. "What if she says yes?"

"Then you join her." Like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Terra stuffed as much sausage into his mouth until his cheeks almost burst because he hated all the answers and pouted at his Master. It didn't work.

"Continue with that and your cheeks will sag," the Master grinned.

The image of long flabby cheeks terrified him, so brave Terra faced his fears, swallowed all the sausage at once (which hurt), and raced over before she disappeared into the trees. This was still a mission, and he was still being tested.

"Aqua," he panted, and she at least treated him with the decency of acknowledging his presence. "Are you going out to play?"

"Yeah," she said lowly. Honestly, she looked super-exhausted, despite that it was morning.

"Can I join you?"

She turned and left him behind. "Sure."

Now what was Terra supposed to do? Follow, he supposed.

Aqua walked with the grace of someone who memorized where all the uplifted tree roots would snag her, barely putting any thought of where to step her feet while Terra took an extra second or two just to make sure he wouldn't trip. Tod led the way, excitedly rushing onward only to have to come back because they were going too slow for him.

They walked in silence - Terra didn't know what to talk about.

Toys - does she still have any? Pets - I don't know a thing about them, much less foxes. School - well, we obviously don't take the same classes, and I don't study math, so we can't even talk about something we hate.

Her silence sucked just as much as the heat, and why, oh why did Terra have to deal with this?

They reached a pond, where a creek ran the end of its trail into its reservoir, and willow trees overlooking the surface and dragonflies dancing on longrass.

"Do you want to skip rocks?" Terra asked. "It's really fun."

She sat on a log, bringing her knees to her chin and saying nothing in return.

Tod went ahead and buried his nose in the crooks of pebbles that littered the ground, sometimes yipping at something he found, which were mostly uninteresting - frogs, maybe.

"It's really hot," Terra said, and he didn't know if she agreed - she said nothing.

"Maybe we can swim?" he asked, and immediately blushed. Normally he'd strip to his shorts but he probably shouldn't be asking girls to take off their clothes to go swimming with him.

Again, she said nothing, her eyes drifting off into some made-up land. Terra had never seen a child, even at the orphanage, who looked this horrible.

The adults running the orphanage always said that having parents was the best thing that could ever happen, and that each child could have a pair as long as they behaved well. Terra never really wondered if having them (or losing them) would hurt just as much, too.

It was suddenly too quiet. Tod stopped his hustling of innocent forest insects, and slumped his shoulders while he waited.

He and Aqua looked the same: abandoned.

Finally, she spoke. "Copper is late."

"The hounddog?"

"He always comes," she said with a tighter grip around her knees, like she was remembering a punishment.

Copper was late and Tod was sad about it, too. That was what hurt them: missing someone.

Aqua huffed, willing whatever cloudy thoughts that haunted her to go away and stood up with her head held high, marching deeper into the forest. If Terra didn't know any better, he'd say that she was ready to punch somebody.

He and Tod followed, and it turned out that they hiked somewhere uphill, where they eventually reached a rundown farm within several acres of empty land, half-neglected and half-loved.

She gasped - Copper was there, a rope tied around his neck for a leash, where the weight of an empty barrel kept him grounded. Nearby, a much, much bigger gray dog snuggled in his own barrel and snored.

The children sneaked up to the wooden fence that marked the beginning of the forest and the end of this farm's territory. Aqua held Tod closely, quieting his fidgeting and stopping him from racing across to the dogs.

"Mr. Slade is so mean," she whispered with disdain. "He's always trying to keep Copper and Tod apart. Who would do such a thing?"

It was still Terra's opinion that a fox and a hound were strange friends indeed considering their nature.

Maybe he expected Aqua to know better, and yet here she was on the verge of going back to hiding in her mind.

Well, his mission was to be her friend, and he read in books in that friends made each other happy. If she wanted Tod and Copper to play together, as weird as that was, then he was going to do just that.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, Tod squirming more in her arms.

Terra had lifted one leg in between the logs barring up the fence, and ducked under to get to the other side. "I'm getting Copper, what does it look like?"

"Chief will hear you."

If she was talking about the snoring dog, then he didn't know what she was so worried about. Terra was training to be a Keyblade Master, after all, what was a mangey old mutt going to do?

"I can sneak."

"You're going to get in trouble," she barked like a mean teacher.

"No, I won't."

"Yes, you will."

He liked her less when she talked.

"Calm down." He dismissed her with a wave and crept, keeping his body close to the ground as he waddled over, the grass patches taller than him. This farm really needed a lawnmower.

Aqua huddled behind a bush, watching him closely and mumbling small prayers to herself as she kept a firm hand around Tod's snout. She worried too much.

Terra, on the other hand, crawled confidently - he was more afraid of Mr. Slade catching him in the act than of an old, tired dog sniffing him out.

He chose to do this for her, and was going to see it through.

Copper was very smart and perceptive, understanding the consequences of being caught by a large quadruped such as Chief, so he shied away from Terra at first.

Of course, Copper was still a young puppy, and the moment Terra followed through on some unspoken promise of releasing him from his prison, he yipped.

"Shhh," Terra said, ever so gently holding Copper's snout. He held his breath for a few seconds, Chief wiggling and kicking his feet from the sudden noise -

Only to go back to sleep.

Terra was more relieved than he wanted to admit. "Don't you wanna play with your friend?" he whispered, and started to head back to Aqua and Tod with the puppy riding in his arms.

But then Chief finally got a whiff, and finally started barking.

Chief spit, Chief noticed exactly who was in Terra's arms, and when he did, Chief lunged with a loud growl. Terra's heart jumped straight up into his throat at the sight of such carnivores, and he swallowed it back into place.

Luck smiled on him though, since Terra only managed to escape because Chief, too, was leashed.

Aqua immediately bolted back into the thicket, with Terra and a pup in his arms following closely, the bark of an angry, old man inching closer, throwing a gunshot for a warning but even then, that faded into the background, too.

*****

Tod and Copper reuniting turned Aqua into a different person - though she was still stuffy, ungrateful at worst, as she yapped about how they were teaching these little innocent animals terrible lessons that could get them into trouble later on, and wasn't this considered dognapping, blah blah blah.

(Honestly, it wasn't dognapping if they were going to return Copper, right?)

But - and that was a huge but - Aqua was at least more willing to talk, more brave to look him in the eye when she did (he realized she had very large, bright eyes, making it hard not to stare).

Who knew that all he had to do was steal someone's pet to open her up?

He could have snarked back by saying that she wasn't a perfect princess either since she was now happy that Tod and Copper were together, but he kept his mouth shut.

She did make some good points, after all. If the Master ever found out what he did, he'd fail the mission.

But... if he didn't do this for her, then she would definitely refuse to be his friend, and that meant he failed, too.

Ugh, Mr. Slade shouldn't have been a jerk in the first place because he made Terra's life miserable (and everyone else's included).

As Tod and Copper rolled in the dirt, Terra kicked a rock and said, "No one should know."

She fiddled with her apron, her dress sprawled over the log they sat on. "Okay. I won't tell a soul."

The worst feeling was keeping this from the Master, and Terra never expected this would ever happen in his entire life.

Was it worth it?

He didn't know. He knew he felt content when Copper approached him with a wagging tail, when the pup crawled onto his lap for a short snooze, alongside his best friend Tod, who helped himself to Aqua's lap.

They looked peaceful, like they had been given a second chance at something important to them. Terra felt like he was a hero, which was always what he wanted to be… and the Master did always say to do what was his heart told him was right.

So would he really get into that much trouble if Terra argued that this was the right thing to do?

Maybe.

That uncertainty was too much of a risk, and Terra didn't know how to feel.

It suddenly dawned on him - this was his first secret that he shared with someone else. Anyone else in his entire nine-year-life!

Wait, it wasn't like they actually promised to keep it to themselves - they merely agreed to never speak about it. She gave him a simple nod when she complied, afraid of the consequences that would chase her if it ever got out. It was not a pinky-squeeze, not a handspit, or a blood oath.

He understood perfectly. This was about survival, not friendship.

*****

By evening, Mr. Slade blamed Tod for the dognapping - he didn't actually see the fox though, and therefore had no basis for his arguments.

The Master's presence was imposing enough to shut it all down. Eraqus was so much taller than Amos Slade that a shotgun to the chest didn't really diminish how intimidating he was, and since everyone thought of him as an investigator, his dismissal of the Case of the Missing Puppy was final.

By morning, it was time for Aqua to go back to school, and Eraqus offered to take her (for protection protocol).

The three of them traversed twisted, muddy backroads to the town square, since the main road would take her right by her destroyed house and it was best to avoid all of that for now. It would have been a pretty stroll, tucked away in the forest trees with the sun shining through the canopies, if it wasn't for the heat. Terra couldn't wait to leave this world and never come back.

It didn't help that Aqua wasn't very receptive to Eraqus trying to open conversations with her, and it left Terra feeling like he had to start back at square one all over again. It was a wonder how the Master didn't feel so personally attacked by her silence.

Being such a small world where everyone knew everything, the people in town cast looks on Aqua as they walked by, whispering gossip and identifiers as they pointed to the girl whose parents were brutally murdered in a town where such things never happened.

When they approached the schoolhouse, children gathered in the windows to look down on her as she crept closer to the entrance, and while Terra couldn't hear what they were saying, they were absolutely riled up like she was a spectacle at a zoo. It was rude.

Since Terra couldn't join her because he wasn't a student, Eraqus took him to the public library - a small wooden thing that was pathetic in comparison to the castle's massive archive.

Eraqus left him behind so Terra wouldn't be in danger, since he was going straight to the outskirts of the town to investigate the last sightings of the demon wrecking this town apart, appearing as a man seemingly named Ardyn.

The Master had only one request: "Let us not kidnap any more puppies today, shall we?"

Terra feigned innocence. "Sir?" When that didn't work, he continued, "Yes, sir."

Equipped with only one ceiling fan for reprieve (it barely worked to keep him cool), Terra busied himself to a number of random books; a good Keyblade wielder spent his time studying about the world he was investigating, as it helped him fit in better.

He tried really hard to be quiet - really, he did. He was the only one there aside from the librarian, a young woman wearing a bun and glasses that made her look older. But he did a spectacular job at being noisy even though it wasn't his fault; the wooden floorboards under him just wouldn't stop squeaking with every step he took.

It turned out that Terra didn't have to be so respectful with keeping up the integrity of the library - a young guy marched into the library, his muddy boots stomping like crackling whips onto the wood beneath.

Immediately, he and the librarian hit it off like they were flirting, and Terra wondered why he ever tried so hard being quiet.

Much of the talk was boring - news of someone's married cousin, and whether she had time Saturday night to go look at some horses… Hopefully she realized that this guy chatting her up was the lamest of the lame and she wouldn't agree to it.

She dodged his question entirely by changing the subject, acting like she didn't hear him. This was where it got interesting - she brought up the subject of the murderer, and asked the guy if he heard anything new.

"Yer tellin' me you didn' hear?" he gargled. His teeth were yellow. "They found the preacher's daughter."

The librarian hesitated. "Is she…?"

He shook his head. "All mangled up by the river. Funny thing is the fog's still rollin' when it shouldn'." He wasn't creeped out about the death, but acted like he was important enough to deliver such news. "Word is she was covered in oil when they found her."

The librarian at least had the decency to be upset. "The poor thing. Who found her?"

"That investigator comin' from the city." They were talking about the Master. Terra pretended to read, with one stack of finished books to his left, and a dwindling shorter stack of unread ones to his right, but he inched a little closer to listen more. The man continued, "If he hadn' found her, she'd continue ter sit there and rot."

Images of the Master finding a dead body burned in Terra's mind. Eraqus was strong, always had been - a hero had adopted Terra the day they met. But suddenly it scared him to think about the Master following Ardyn's trail.

"Makes me wonder," the man continued, his finger lifted in the air as if to make a point, "if Jim Bob'll get his fair share."

"Jim Bob, was that the one who beat his horses?"

"Is that what you 'eard?" He pulled on his suspenders. "Ha! I 'eard he poisoned 'em."

"Well, I don't believe any of it. Jim Bob loves his horses, I figured that nastiness was the work of that creeper."

"Did ya hear? Jim Bob claims the creeper doin' all of this lives in his paintings. Crazy loon. And 'pparently the creeper fancies hisself a fedora. Can you believe that?"

The librarian leaned forward, making sure she heard correctly. "You don't say?"

At this, Terra stood up, and the two adults suddenly quieted, as if their conversation was too inappropriate for a kid.

Not like Terra cared, waltzing up to the front desk with a very specific task in mind.

"Ma'am," he began, giving her a smile. "May I ask for a book about fedoras?"

She blushed at the proof that he heard their every word. "W-what are you needing, exactly?"

"I want to know what one looks like." Terra smiled wider, ignoring the way the man cleaned his own teeth with his tongue.

The librarian nodded quickly, like she had just been given orders by someone very important, and rushed off to find a book from a nearby shelf. She did Terra the favor of flipping through it for him, handing it over with pages showing off hats: fedoras, some with large rims, others short, all of them with similar dips at the top.

"You're a very smart boy," he heard her say, making him look up.

"Thank you, ma'am."

She squealed with glee. "And so very polite, too, they don't make kids like you these days no more." She leaned on her hands, looking down on him from her desk. "I've never seen you 'round here before."

Terra cleared his throat. He was instructed to tell very specific stories should anyone ask. "I'm from the city, miss."

She leaned further at the sound of his answer, like he was just as much of a specimen - it reminded him of the way people gawked at Aqua. "You don't happen to be the investigator's son now, are you?"

My dad?

That was right, if anyone asked, he was supposed to agree. Eraqus was so focused on proper obedience that the most proper way to address him was always "Master," and Terra wondered if it meant he was doing something bad if he lied about their relationship.

Was he, really, if he was lying for a mission?

Either way, it made him feel good to say yes.

*****

When school was over, Terra had instructions to find her.

He'd spent so long being the only kid at the Land of Departure that seeing a mass of children rummaging through the school grounds was like a punch to his heart, reminding him of the orphanage. It made him wonder how the ones he left behind were doing… did they find parents? Did they still hope for some or did they give up? What about Miss Quistis, the lady who ran the orphanage - was she still there? She always smiled.

Terra spotted Aqua, surrounded by other girls and one boy, who asked her incessant questions and ate all of her answers. Aqua was either uncomfortable or shy - he couldn't tell.

This was where Terra was completely useless, making new friends. He was going to be a Keyblade Master, a hero and savior to anyone who needed help, so sure, he'd be brave in the face of danger, or in the game between life and death.

But he remembered the lesson he kept facing again and again at the orphanage: other kids didn't want him around.

So he did what he thought he'd never do again: sit on a bench by himself and watch the others talk and play ball.

He was already so good at staring at rocks that he didn't notice that another child approached him -

Aqua, with her hand extended. He almost thought she wanted him to save her from her nosy friends, but he wasn't going to be fooled that he was necessary in a predicament like this.

"Come play with us," she said.

What was that about being a savior when she was the one to save him?

He was shaking when he took her hand, and didn't know if he was shaking harder as she led him through groups of wandering kids that broke off into their own cliques. Mostly he just stood there when she introduced him to her friends, and needed verbal permission to play skip rope with them.

Terra was smart and got the hang of it, and let himself enjoy some of the games - that is, until the other kids gaped with eyes wide open at someone behind him. The yard surrounding the school dulled into silence - and it wasn't because the kids went home.

Some pudgy kid with a round face, a mean look, a swollen eye, and oily hair approached their group, and with such vigor that everyone else made space for him, like he was king and they were terrified of him, and he knew he terrified them and he took pride in that.

"Looks like the cursed girl is back," he chipped in, and no one had anything to retort.

"Shut up, Pap," Aqua snarked, and the other kids stared in shock.

"Best be on the lookout or else being 'round her will curse your parents, too," he said with cackle, searching for nods of agreement from the other children nearby. He was a giant of a child, definitely a head taller than Terra.

What was most surprising was how literally no one mentioned how cruel that was to say - it nearly made Terra want to punch this Pap in the face… but adults always punished him for getting into fights.

Aqua's lip quivered for a moment before she went cold. "The only reason why no one went after your dad was because his breath stinks. Who'd go near him?"

Pap's face twitched at the sound of giggles from the other kids. "You know," he said with a crunch of his knuckles, "Preacher said your parents must have sinned an awful lot to get what was coming to 'em."

Terra searched for any adults who might be watching. There was no one.

Pap continued his crap. "So yer one to talk. I normally don't hit girls."

"Try me!" Aqua shrieked, pushing him like she didn't care in the world what could happen to her.

That pissed Pap off.

He went ahead, fist in the air for a clean strike.

Despite urging him on, Aqua scrunched her fists into her skirt, like she didn't know what she got herself into.

Terra had no choice.

Grabbing the fist, twisting the arm over, and tripping Pap by the ankle came so fluidly, so naturally, that all the children blinked once just to realize that his huge butt landed on the ground before he even got close to Aqua.

"That was easy," Terra smirked, now standing in between an idiot covered in dirt and Aqua.

It was easy. No one compared to Master Eraqus.

There were some loud gasps and name-calling from the crowd, followed by silence.

"Y-you don't belong here, ain't got no reason to-" Pap's surprised stutters and the drool coming out of his mouth was the first sign of him turning his heel and leaving them alone, yelling something like "I'mma tell my pa!" before he disappeared.

The crowd dissipated slowly, giving Terra and Aqua stares like they were the next most dangerous thing. Like they were freaks, even though Terra had just stood up to the one bully terrorizing them. Why? Not even her friends wanted to be near her, acting like she wasn't even there.

Aqua sniffled behind him, but she just left him alone when he asked if she was okay, taking a place on a bench near the road.

Maybe Terra was used to that by now, but he followed her, paying no mind how she refused to look at him. "Don't think about Pap, he's stupid," he said.

"He is stupid," she croaked, before raising her voice to a yell. "And school is stupid and everything is stupid."

She glared at her lap and Terra didn't know what to say. The other children eventually left the school in droves, some walking together to wherever they've decided to go, while others had their parents pick them up.

"Who usually picks you up?" Terra asked after a while, hating the silence.

Aqua raised her head to meet him in the eye. She didn't cry, but she looked like a pet anxiously waiting at a windowsill for its owner. She looked like Tod.

"My daddy."

Terra didn't have a good reply to that. Eraqus wasn't around - Eraqus wasn't around, and a horrid thought lurked in his stomach. What if they were both now left alone here for good?

It lasted for merely a second. Thankfully.

"I apologize for my late arrival," the Master said, which didn't matter. He still came and Terra found his breath again. "Would any of you like treats? Maybe some flavored ice for this dastardly weather?" He wiped his brow with a handkerchief.

Aqua didn't reply, but reached out to hold his hand with both of hers, and hid her face in his robe. Terra was still processing whatever it was that made him nauseous.

Eraqus smiled but acted like nothing out of the ordinary happened. "I am quite fond of lemon flavor myself."

******

The walk back to Mrs. Tweed's farm seemed longer, and the Master filled it with random stories of the games he used to play as a child. Terra had heard some stories about the past before, but Eraqus left out certain key details that would have marked him as a foreigner to this world, and one day Terra would have to do the same.

Aqua didn't say much, just gripped the Master's hand tightly as she followed him, her eyes lazy and missing, like the road she was staring at didn't exist.

It didn't matter that she never spoke back, the Master kept looking over his shoulder to see if she was listening, smiling at her like she gave him acknowledgement of his words.

Then, she stopped on her feet, and the Master complied. By now, the sun was halfway down to setting.

"I told them," she whimpered.

"Told who what?" the Master asked.

"I told my parents about the bad man."

What dropped first was the Master's smile, then he knelt before her. "The bad man?"

"Mm-hmm," she nodded. "We met him at the summer fair. At night. He sat at a table drinking ale and we passed by him. He asked about me, and my parents answered some questions like I went to school and I danced."

"Was that all?"

She shook her head. "I told them he was bad."

Eraqus cocked his head, more attentive than ever. "How did you know this?"

Her face contorted, her brows scrunching into wrinkles and her lips bending at the center. "I just knew he was bad. I pulled on mama and told daddy to stay away, but they said I was rude."

Then the first tears Terra saw on her face fell, and she struggled to breathe. "They didn't believe me," she said.

She wailed, the most horrid sound Terra had ever heard, and it was so loud that it filled his ears and invaded his chest, and he nearly cried from it, too. It hurt to hear it and it hurt to think about why.

Eraqus picked her up, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist, with words that said, There, there, you are safe and sound, safe, safe, safe, as they trudged down the road, leaving Terra to carry her bookbag.

She was limp, all her energy seeping into sobs on the Master's shoulder, and all the noise she made frightened the rabbits and the birds nearby.

******

Since they got back, Abigail fussed hard like the air was suffocating her.

"She's doing a little better," the Master observed when he found Terra alone in the barn, brushing the cow, which really helped her calm down.

But now it was Terra willed into silence, Abigail's chewing of hay filling the room.

"Are you alright?"

Terra nodded. "Is it true you found the preacher's daughter?"

Eraqus' nostrils flared and he inhaled. "Word surely spreads far in this world. Yes, Terra, I did."

The Master took his place on a short stool normally setup for milking, but instead of fetching a pail, he rubbed on the hairs of his mustache with his thumb and forefinger.

"This man, if he could still be called one, is very predatory… I saw him today."

Terra nearly dropped the brush. "What?"

"Ardyn, I came into contact with him at the horse farmer's home. It's become a dreary place. Even with the sunshine, the halls of that house stay dark." Eraqus cleared his throat and took the milking pail, though he did nothing with it. "A terrible thing, the darkness. Being near it for too long will compel anyone to commit atrocities they otherwise would not do with a sane mind." He raised a finger at Terra, ready to lecture. "This is why you must never tread on that path, lest you want regrets, Terra."

"Yes, sir."

"Ardyn had found refuge within the oil paintings across the farmer's house, and I've chased him. He would appear and disappear at a whim, taking occupancy in frames he didn't belong… until he stepped out of one."

"And then what happened?" Terra asked quietly. "Did you fight?"

Eraqus nodded, and Terra's stomach dropped. "Unfortunately, he melted into his own shadows, escaping." He took a side glance. "I do not believe this beast is blind like it describes in my records."

"Sir?"

"Terra, do you remember your lessons about the nature of light and darkness?"

Of course he did, he was a good student. He recited, "Light attracts darkness, and darkness will hunt down the light. They are designed to recognize each other."

"Yes. Yes, indeed." Eraqus stared at nothing, gathering thoughts before he put them to words. "Aqua's intuition in recognizing the darkness only asserts my suspicions - I believe he hunted her down for the immensely bright light within her."

"... Why did he go after her parents?"

"Hmmm… the more I ponder over it, the more I see why the records have him labeled as blind. As a hunter, he is barely decent. When I fought him, nothing about his movements and his aversions to my presence gave me the impression that he couldn't see. It was more of… he can sense light when it is near. It alarms him but it deceives him. What I have noticed is his breath, it is so deep when he fights it as though he is drowning."

"So he sniffs the light when it's around?"

"In a way. He approached Aqua's house in daylight, when she was in school, so it would be sensible that her presence would be smeared all over her home, where her parents resided unaware."

"Then why doesn't he find her now?"

Eraqus, pensive and tense this entire time, sighed, like he just remembered that he was talking about human beings. "She is grieving. We all have light and darkness within us, Terra. Grief and rage will cloak our very best selves, and while she is under that state, it hides her from him.

"This is why," Eraqus continued, needing Terra's attention, "it is important that she understands there are others who care about her. To give her inner light a chance to shine again, and remember what it feels like to be happy. A dark mind lends to a dark heart and too much of that will warp her. Do you understand what I am saying, Terra?"

"Yes, sir. I've been trying to make her smile."

"Good. I know I can count on you." Eraqus' smile was brief as if he didn't have the time for it. "As for the preacher's daughter, unfortunately I believe she was mere collateral. A source of light that he found confusing, and he attacked her as such. There is so much darkness to be found in many worlds, Terra, and they wear many faces but this is the most gruesome that I've seen in my lifetime."

So Ardyn could find anyone with enough light, and just… end it all.

"Why?" Terra choked. "Why would anyone do that?"

Eraqus rubbed his student's head. "The reason will differ for each, but it is all senseless and primitive."

The tears were hot and Terra wasn't strong enough to stop them.

Eraqus reached to hold him, alarmed at the sight. "What has gotten into you? Are you frightened?"

Terra sniffed quietly and nodded, using his forearm to wipe his face.

"What if you die?" he squeaked.

"Terra, look at me." He was gentle, but firm. "I will not die."

"Aqua's parents died. And the preacher's daughter."

His Master sighed, rubbing Terra's arms before brushing his hair out of his tear-stained face. "Terra… they had no means of defending themselves, but I am very different. You have no reason to fear. Dry those tears."

He swallowed. "Y-yes, sir."

"If this is too much for you, I can send you home where you'll feel safe."

"No, sir." He stared at his Master's shoes. Under no circumstances did Terra want to go home, abandoning the mission, wondering for days if everyone was okay. And Aqua was so sad, today. "If I leave, then Aqua will be all alone, and I want to be brave."

"You possess an extraordinary amount of courage, capable and necessary for any true Keyblade wielder." Eraqus leaned over to make sure that Terra understood correctly. "The amulet I gave you, Terra, do you still mind it?"

"Y-yes, sir." Terra hurried to pull the knotted, looped cross from under his shirt. "I don't even take it off for a bath."

"Very good. You remember what I told you?"

"If anything-" He swallowed. He didn't want anything to happen. Now he wanted to go home and have Eraqus all to himself. "If anything happened, I need to stay calm and find you."

"And it will protect you. Be mindful of the fickleness of protection spells, Terra. They are powerful but they expire."

"Yes, sir."

The Master wiped Terra's face with his robe, and brushed through his hair with his fingers. Then he took the pail near him, ready to take on Abigail. "You are dismissed, Terra. Take some fresh air outside." He gave a smirk. "Let us hope the next time we speak of such evils, you would be a stronger, braver Keybearer ready to take on the challenge."

"Yes, sir."

******

Dragging his feet on the ground as he welcomed the cool breeze that hit his face, the vastness of the stars above him made this world seem bigger than it truly was. The forests beyond faded into darkness, the shadows mean under the moonlight.

At least Aqua was there, settled in the grass where Tod curled on her lap, his bright red fur the only spec of color to be seen in a night like this one. She was watching the forest but she was not really on her guard, like she didn't consider that something dangerous could be hiding where she couldn't see.

She wasn't crying anymore but her face was still puffy, and Terra took a spot next to her. She nudged over to give him more space, lending him a half-smile as a greeting. The grass was soft but itchy, too tall and in need of grooming.

"Everyone at school now knows me as the girl with no parents," Aqua said, eyes downcast with her hand sunk in Tod's vibrant red fur, and a tone that said she'd rather be known as literally anything else. She sounded tired, too - sick of being sad.

"I don't have any parents either."

She gaped at him with a pity he didn't comprehend. "Mr. Eraqus…?"

For once, Terra shook his head. "He's my teacher."

"Oh…" And there she was again, sad, and he got the notion that it was for him even though he didn't need it. "What happened to them?"

"They gave me up when I was a baby," he said simply. He lived with this knowledge all his life; it wasn't a big deal. Well… it kind of was. All the children went through a phase at some point that maybe they didn't deserve to have a family. But it really wasn't that big of a deal. It wasn't. "I grew up in an orphanage… but I have Master Eraqus now. Everything's great."

"But you live with your teacher."

"The best teacher ever."

She quieted. "...Do you even go to school?"

Terra didn't know what to say. He was supposed to talk about Eraqus being his father this entire time that he didn't have backup answers. "Sorta. I'm his only apprentice. We live in a special academy up in the mountains."

"Really?" She eyed the West, toward the direction of what these townspeople called mountains in this world. "Where?"

"Uh, very far away."

"Hm. So is it a lie that you're from the city?"

"No!" He said too quickly. "I come from a city - a really big one. All the buildings there are taller than your mountains here."

She gave him a… snooty look. "There's no such thing as a city like that."

"Yes, there is."

"No, there isn't."

"It's true," he pleaded. She was such a hard nut to crack. "Okay fine, there's more to it but... can you keep a secret?"

She lit up. "Yeah."

"You have to promise not to tell anyone, or I'll get in trouble."

"Cross my heart."

If she put her heart on the line, then she was serious. "The Master and I aren't from around here."

"Well," she scoffed, "duh."

"No, I mean…" He waved to the sky above them, stars twinkling like they wanted to be noticed. "We're from very, very far away."

It took her a second to think about what he was saying, then she rolled her eyes. "Are you saying you're aliens? That's ridiculous."

He laughed – it wasn't the response he expected, but it wasn't exactly the wrong interpretation either. "Kind of? We are from a distant star, and we flew from there."

"Pfft."

"I'm not lying."

"Sure, you're an alien."

Why she had to be such a snob at all times, he didn't know. Still, Terra felt like a complete idiot – here was someone finally willing to listen to him, to share a secret with and be his friend, and he blew it. He hated the silence penetrating between them now.

Aqua suddenly threw her hands in the air, as if she had enough exasperation to last her the day. "Aliens are supposed to have green skin, okay? They look like bugs, with antennas, and they're bald-"

Like she was the expert.

She said it in a way as if asking him to prove her wrong, and he swayed right back into smiling. Maybe he didn't blow it after all.

"There's more to the stars than you think," he said smugly.

Aqua crossed her arms and studied him for a bit.

What she said next surprised him - not because she believed him, or because she had her own secret to tell, but because he never really experienced someone who missed him before.

"Does that mean you'll have to leave soon?"

Those brief moments where she was smiling were so short.

"Maybe…" And Terra found himself sad, too. "Yeah. When the Master catches Ardyn, we'll have to go back home."

He didn't know if she was going to cry, but she didn't. She turned her nose up at him.

"You can't leave."

"Why not?"

"Because you're my friend now, and I won't let you."

Terra laughed because he had no other reaction. He didn't want to leave either, but he didn't say that out loud. What he realized instead was why she was so attached to Tod and Copper staying together: friendship meant a lot to her, maybe even as much as him, even though he didn't have any.

"We should find Copper tomorrow," he said. "It's wrong that they're separated."

She lit up. "Tod is lonely without him."

And Terra didn't want Tod to be lonely. "We could think of ways to get him back so we aren't caught."

"Promise?" She leaned near him, scanning his eyes for his oath.

Terra traced over his heart with one finger, and swore his first promise to someone who wasn't Eraqus. "Cross my heart."

******

After school the next day, Aqua minded her chores with such focus and speed that she finished earlier than expected and sought out Master Eraqus in the barn.

When she asked, "Mr. Eraqus, can Terra come out to play?" it was proof that yes, Terra did have a new friend. She was ready for the woods, replacing her dress with overalls and an excitable Tod by her feet.

Eraqus of course was pleased to hear that and sent Terra a smug grin before agreeing, which was probably the first time that Terra could remember being let go from his chores early.

Finding Copper was easy, and getting him out wasn't as hard as anticipated. Amos Slade relied too much on his intimidations, apparently, because Copper was there just the same. It took stealing a dog muzzle to contain Chief's barking so no one would be alerted.

Terra felt bad. He promised Chief that they'd all come back, even though Aqua told him that Chief hated Tod and wasn't nice either to anyone either.

Little Copper though was delighted.

And it turned out, babysitting small animals was tiring, and the two of them still went at it with their games while Terra and Aqua took turns lazily guessing the shapes of clouds.

They even talked some more about what he did as Eraqus' apprentice: what kind of classes he took, how far into defense training he had progressed so far, and whether he ever had to tolerate something dumb like math.

His answers were pretty honest except he never once mentioned the word Keyblade. It was a Keybearer's most important clause to keep that secret.

Watching dog and fox toss and tumble, practicing their survival skills on each other, gave Aqua a peculiar idea.

"Can you teach me how to fight?"

"That'd be fun. You're gonna show Pap's who's boss?"

"It's something I've always wanted to do, but Mama said it wasn't ladylike. It's too ferocious."

Terra stood up, at the ready. "It's not hard."

She hopped to a stance, her hands already in lifted. "Then show me."

"Well first…" He grabbed her wrists and brought them closer to her face. "You need to always protect yourself, and this will make it easier."

Then he lifted one open palm. "Try hitting me."

She threw her fist, and it smacked enough to sting.

"Ow," he whined.

Aqua's knuckles were already red from one punch, and she winced.

Terra shook his hand to relieve the pressure. "You hit hard, which isn't bad, but you're also hurting yourself." He lifted his other palm to spare the first. He remembered the way Eraqus spoke to him when he taught, going back to his earliest lessons. "Try thinking about your strength coming from your back, and use that to direct the punch."

It took several times, and Terra often switched palms for her to strike (it helped ease his pain). But Aqua took his lessons much faster than he expected, honestly, finally getting the proper amount of force in her punches without expecting her fingers to break.

"We use the same advice in ballet," she said.

"Really?"

"It's to make sure you're in alignment and you're moving properly."

"Oh!" He dropped a hand after she finished another throw straight into the center of it, now leveled off so that it didn't sting him anymore. "The Master and I talk about that stuff all the time. I didn't think it'd be useful in dance."

"Pfft." Suddenly she leaned off her focus on slugging and stood as straight as a rod. "Observe."

With feet turned out and a curve at her elbows, Aqua started to… well, bend her knees repeatedly.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"It's called a plié," she said as though he should know better. "Try it with me."

Turning out his feet was more uncomfortable than it looked, and he copied her movements, even when she brought one arm out to her side and swept the other across and over her head.

It looked easy to copy and honestly he got bored, but she started laughing -

He realized he never really heard her laugh before. It sounded like small bells, with a sparkle to her eyes. She looked different, alive almost.

"What's so funny?"

She mimicked what he was doing: hunched over, with his arms so curved that it looked like he was about to scratch his side and his head. "You look like a monkey."

"I do not."

He gave up, stomped his foot on the ground and swore to himself that he'd never dance again.

"Aww," she breathed, swallowing the rest of her loose laughs to regain some composure. "I didn't mean it that way. We can try something different."

"How about this," he interrupted, with a finger to command her attention. "We do a little competition and whoever wins gets to decide what game we should play."

Terra already had an idea in mind where he was sure he'd win.

"That sounds fun! What should we do?"

"Whoever does a handstand the longest wins."

Initially, he expected her to be intimidated, but she replied with, "That sounds easy. Let's do it."

It sunk his stomach, but he knew that he was good with this, so he should still be fine.

They bent over, and on his count of three, they lifted their legs into the air and balanced on their hands.

The blood rushed to his head, but he'd done this so many times that he breathed through it.

"Should we count it out?" he heard her say, his gaze somewhere off to the forest where Tod and Copper took a break from their roughhousing.

"What?"

"Count it out, like how many seconds it takes to do this?"

What was harder than breathing was talking in this position. "Nah."

"Okay." She sounded like she had no struggle in the world. "I used to take lots of gymnastics. I really miss it."

He really wished she would stop talking so he could concentrate on staying still.

"Cool," he muttered.

"I had a teacher who thought I would do well in competing," she continued, "but Papa wanted me to stay in school."

"Okay," he huffed.

"I've always wondered-"

He groaned, falling over onto his stomach into the thick grass underneath him, his head light. She glanced behind her, and with a smirk, gracefully went back on her feet and looked over him.

"I win!"

"Obviously."

"And I choose the game of…" She took a finger to her chin, very proud and very dismissive of his utter disappointment. "Hide and seek."

"Seriously?" He was going to refuse because he had pride and hurting it made him fume.

"I won, so we have to play. But Tod and Copper stay with you."

"Why?"

She waved her arm at him, already on her way, like he asked her a silly question. "They'd give my location away, and I'm not gonna let you cheat."

"Fine." He buried his face in arms against a tree and started to count out loud, listening closely to the direction of her steps so he had as many clues as possible; he was going to find her so quickly, she'd know immediately that he was worthy of respect, and she shouldn't ever laugh at him again.

"... Eight, nine, ten. Ready or not, here I come!" he yelled, the branches and bushes that surround him lightly swaying to a song he couldn't hear. The wind was just as gentle, leaving him alone to hear his own breath.

Copper sniffed the air, and Terra had the sinister thought of asking him to track her down - but that would be cheating, and Terra was better than that.

When he started his trek, the animals took notice. Tod's ears perked a little too much, like trying to decipher a sound that was garbled.

Terra went down the trail he believed she took. "Aqua?" he called - this never worked in hide and seek, but maybe it would trick her into giggling.

Tod and Copper followed closely at his ankles, never running ahead, never falling behind - which was weird, wouldn't they immediately react if she was nearby?

"Aqua," he called again, listening in for any ruffling.

It was quiet, like the forest was dead despite its lush green vitality, despite that it was daylight.

At this point, Tod's fluffy tail curled underneath him, and Copper dagged himself too close to the ground, chasing a scent in the dirt that took him in circles.

At this point, Terra spotted an owl - an owl - up at this hour, watching him like he was prey.

Getting into a staring contest with an owl was useless, and the longer Terra looked at her, the more he realized that she was waiting for something to happen.

The owl hooted, and against such quiet, it was thundered in his ears. Tod and Copper perked up at the warning -

And split from him, sprinting so quickly it was like they had to win a race to be allowed to live.

"Wait a min-"

They were gone, the owl leaving with them.

Aqua probably would yell at him for losing them.

If he'd ever talk to her again, that is.

"Aqua?" he called again, desperate for an answer. Praying that he'd find her fast, tripping over loose tree branches, hearing nothing but the noise of his own footsteps.

"Looking for someone?"

The voice came from behind.

A tall, tall man watched him with a diabolic smile. Wavy hair to his shoulders the same color as wine like it begged to be touched, thickly dressed in messy layers like he was homeless, like he was cold (it was way too hot for that).

Terra's heart beat and it went cold the moment he noticed the large-brimmed fedora.

"I-" Terra swallowed. A Keybearer was supposed to be brave. "I'm not, mister."

"Hmm," the man named Ardyn rubbed his chin. "I was wondering if you could point me in the correct direction," he said, words clearly pronounced and laced with an amusement that'd never die even if threatened. "I seem to have lost my way."

Terra nearly asked to please not hurt him, he didn't do anything wrong. "Town's over that way, mister." He pointed north, away from the Widow Tweed's farm.

Another voice rushed to his side. "Terra, don't!"

It was Aqua, breathless when she grabbed his hand. Her pupils shrunk to the size of flies, and she whispered to his ear, "It's the bad man."

"Aha!" Ardyn exclaimed like greeting an old friend he forgot about. "How long it has been to see you, Aqua." Ardyn slipped off his hat and bowed his head to give her a more respectful greeting.

Aqua shuddered, her grip on Terra's hand cutting off circulation to his fingers.

Terra didn't know what to do. This man looked bigger than his Master, and Terra never defeated his teacher in hand-to-hand combat before.

So he froze.

Worse - the moment Ardyn straightened out, his face was different: glowing yellow eyes, black oil seeping from them and from his scalp and from his mouth. He was already a dead man who spoke.

"It's been a pleasure," he said as he wore his hat again. "Good night, sweet child. Sleep will certainly hurt less."

Terra gripped her hand back.

Aqua hid behind his shoulder.

Ardyn raised a palm, the glow of magenta and black puffs of smoke electrifying at his fingertips.

Terra looked away, shut his eyes, got closer to her.

It hurt. It was sore like a dull hit to his chest and it banged loudly -

But he flew, with Aqua grabbing him by the waist and flying with him, as the blast threw them background and they used the momentum to float away, past the trees, past Tod and Copper who were still running, until they were dropped to the ground, rolling in a mess of fallen leaves.

Terra was alive, and finally he breathed. They were near Mrs. Tweed's house, her chimney sticking up above the trees.

He scurried to his knees and fiddled with his necklace, pulling out the knotted symbol. It disintegrated into dust after carrying them here.

The plan! Stay calm. Find the Master. Immediately he stood on his feet, and slipped on leaves.

The mission! He still had to protect the mission. He turned heel and went back to Aqua.

"What was that?" he heard Aqua mumble. She was still picking herself up, removing leaves from her hair.

"Magic. C'mon." He grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her, running as fast as he could.

"Master!" he cried when they got near the farmhouse, Tod and Copper yipping from their fright.

Abigail fussed and she was loud enough that they heard her from the barn. In the distance, Chief wouldn't stop barking. The wind howled, and the clouds darkened. A gunshot ruptured in the distance.

Eraqus stepped off the front porch, telling the widow to stay indoors. "Step inside," he instructed Terra and Aqua. "And stay inside."

"Master-"

"Now."

Another gunshot, closer this time.

Copper and Tod followed them inside the house, rushing under furniture. Mrs. Tweed locked the door behind them as Eraqus continued his way into the field. Terra climbed the kitchen counter to take a look.

"Stay away from the windows!" she commanded, and Terra jumped off to head upstairs.

"Wait for me," he heard Aqua squeak but he paid no attention to her.

He rushed through the upstairs hallway, into the master bedroom, right to the windows where he threw the curtains open.

Moments ago it was broad daylight but now it threatened to storm.

Eraqus summoned his Keyblade in a crackle of light, Ardyn now creeping close.

The demon hunched over, the oil dripping out of his coat-sleeve. Sparks of purple light surrounding him, and the ghosts of swords and axes and cleavers swirled in the air in a cycle, a record of ages that passed by for how long this thing had been living.

He used them to strike the Master, slicing and dicing and scratching metal with metal.

Deflected, far enough to strike a tree nearby the second-floor window and Terra and Aqua had to duck.

"Your Master is a sorcerer?" she asked.

It wasn't incorrect. "Eh?"

"I read about them in books," she said as they peeked over the windowsill.

"Shh."

Eraqus summoned chains, gold and blinding and huge, to whip Ardyn - it was the coolest thing Terra had ever seen him do.

Ardyn said something indecipherable, and with a yell, Eraqus summoned something larger: a giant warp that swallowed the demon away before reshaping into a giant keyhole in the sky.

One that the Master promptly locked, the sound of the turnkey snapping everything into silence.

The sun fought through the clouds, and the wind calmed slowly.

Eraqus trudged back to the house, holding his arm as he dismissed his Keyblade, and he limped enough for Terra to bolt back downstairs, leaving Aqua to follow him once again.

The house was messier, like it survived a small earthquake with books toppled over and desks in the wrong position.

He found the Master settled on a loveseat while Mrs. Tweed rushed to get him water.

"I was unable to vanquish him," Eraqus said through large breaths. "But he has been barred from ever coming back to this world."

"Miracles do exist!" Mrs. Tweed exclaimed as she handed him a mug. "Bless you, good sir. I never in my life expected such a spectacle when you showed up around here."

"Miracles," the Master repeated. That was going to be the story for the rest of time to these people, of a man who came from nowhere to perform miracles that saved the town, Mrs. Tweed being the only witness to a harsh storm that raged and died in a matter of minutes.

Terra sat closely to his Master, not to take his hand or to hug him, but to listen to him calm down.

In the chaos, Terra didn't realize that it made him scared to watch Eraqus march his way to battle. Knowing now that everything was alright, it took all his strength to look like he wasn't overwhelmed.

Now the people of this world were safe, and Eraqus was the hero. The thing about his Master was that he showed no fear in the heat of battle, when Terra nearly wet his pants earlier. If he was ever going to get better, he had a long way to go.

Mainly, Terra was just happy that he still had family at the end of it all.

"I want to do what you do," he heard a small voice pipe up.

Aqua stared hard at Eraqus, determination on fire in her eyes, awed and fierce and hopeful.

The Master wasn't surprised by her admission. "You want to save people?"

"Yes," she said simply.

Mrs. Tweed threw her hand to her chest. "In all my life-"

"I want to banish demons," Aqua continued.

"That sounds perfectly unsafe," Mrs. Tweed said.

Eraqus chuckled. Terra thought that he may have succeeded his first mission because it gave the Master what he wanted - a new, promising student. "It can be a dangerous life, but I assure you that she would be safe with me."

Mrs. Tweed eyed Terra, suspicions mounting in her mind. "The young boy, he is…?"

"Yes, ma'am," Terra said. "I'm his apprentice, and I'm training to do the very same thing."

"Aqua," Mrs. Tweed implored, "you are certain?"

A sad cloud hovered over Aqua's eyes before dissipating in an instant. "Thank you so much for taking care of me, Mrs. Tweed… but I've been called a hippie all my life for my name. I don't belong here. I never did."

Eraqus stood straighter, interlacing his fingers and addressing the widow. "I only take children who have no families nor a place to go, children who I am certain will perform spectacularly."

Aqua leaned forward with a hand to her heart. "Please take me. I'll be a good student. I can do ballet and gymnastics, I'll make perfect grades and-"

"You have a strong heart," Eraqus said to her with a warm smile.

She blinked, not understanding what he really meant but she nodded anyway.

And Terra saw it - or felt it, he wasn't sure. It was like a tug to his own heart, a flash and a tickle before it faded. This was what Eraqus was talking about.

He saw the light within Aqua, a warm, strong embrace, like he was meant to feel safe with her and meant to keep it protected.

It was pretty even though he couldn't really see it.

And Terra wondered if he emanated the same. He thought that one night when he tried to bring it out of himself and he couldn't, and how he went to sleep wondering if he had it at all.

He wondered if his was as strong as hers, and if he was doomed to fail because it wasn't.

******

Aqua said she cried more than she expected when she said goodbye to Mrs. Tweed, even though Terra never saw anything.

She was stronger when she said goodbye to Tod, rubbing the fur on his chest a little while longer because she never wanted to forget the way it felt.

"Do you think they'll stay friends forever?" she asked Terra.

If she was talking about Copper… "Of course they will." A fox and a hound were opposites by nature, in a violent cycle that would never end but friendship was supposed to be strong and indestructible, and Tod and Copper were the very best of friends. Nothing would tear them apart.

"Always stay together, okay Tod?" she whispered to the fox, before giving him a quiet farewell.

This was a few days after the battle with Ardyn. By this time, people started visiting the farmhouse to ask Eraqus all sorts of questions: if he was a magician, if he was sent from the heavens, if he was the devil, if all the demonic stuff was nonsense, if the murderer was killed…

Either way, Eraqus respected the laws of the world and they all had to wait until papers were written, agreed upon, and signed for his protection over Aqua as one of his own.

Today was the day to finally take her to the Land of Departure. She didn't have much: one pack of luggage, and one hard, gray folder.

When Terra asked what was inside, she said it was the only picture of her parents that survived the fire.

The three of them hiked into the woods. She started asking the basic need-to-know: what a Keyblade was, the eternal fight between light and darkness, where the Land of Departure was located -

"We're going to fly there, right?" Aqua asked.

Eraqus shot Terra a look, now that she admitted that she knew information she wasn't supposed to know.

"We are indeed." Eraqus stopped the hike, halting the other two behind him, and bent to his knees. "I have one question left for you, Aqua."

By the sound of his voice, Terra knew he was testing her.

"In the deepest part of your heart, why is it that you want to wield the Keyblade?" he asked.

She took a moment, the folder with her parent's photo wrapped in her arms. "I want to make my parents proud. I want to make sure nothing like this ever happens again to someone else."

By the way the Master nodded, she passed. "The Keyblade is a powerful weapon, Aqua. You are still young, and you won't be able to conjure your own for a few years, but you must always know that your strength is bright and strong. It is not to be used for purposes of vengeance."

Aqua nodded. "Revenge feels yucky to me."

With that, the Master was relieved. He patted her head. "Admirable. When we arrive at the castle, you will spend the rest of the day for leisure, but tomorrow we will start your first formal class."

She beamed, and Terra remembered similar excitement at the thought of starting classes with Eraqus, too. He used to be called a nerd for liking school.

"We're going to be students in the same class," she said to Terra, like she was looking forward to it.

Terra didn't know how to respond. Class was class, students were students. Friends were… they acted like they cared. "Uh, yeah."

"I can't wait, Mr. Eraqus," she said. "I'm going to make the best grades."

"W-wha?" Terra stuttered.

"First I must start your bequeathing, Aqua. Come." He gestured to her over by the nearby creek.

"This is going to be fun," she said to Terra before hopping over.

He watched the bequeathing, similar to how he went through it for the first time years ago, when the Master summoned a giant key and spoke a few fancy words. The energy from the magic passed from the weapon through his fingertips, up to his heart to ignite something that Terra later realized was probably always there.

The Keyblade was picky about who it chose and it chose Aqua today.

What it'd be like to wake up to a new person in his home, Terra had no idea what to expect. They would play and swap stories, he'd have a new fighting partner. Maybe he'd be allowed to go into the woods without supervision.

Something about it bugged him, though. Was it possible that he could be kicked out of the academy if he didn't measure up? What if Eraqus liked her better and liquified his adoption?

What would happen once Eraqus found out that her light was brighter than Terra's?

Suddenly, having a friend sounded like more trouble than it's worth.

To be continued...

This chapter makes references to the Fox and the Hound (1981).

#terraqua #terra #aqua #eraqus #ardyn izunia #the fox and the hound #kingdom hearts fanfic #kh fanfic #LOOK WHAT CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD #my fic

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rena-rain · 5 years

Text

Miraculous Hogwarts AU (First Day)

“Adrien.” Gabriel Agreste called out his son’s name as he was about to step onto the train. Adrien turned to be greeted with his fathers hands on his shoulders and steel-colored eyes boring holes into his soul. He received no further warning than that before being pulled into a rare, rare hug. Adrien froze for a second then relaxed into the embrace.

Far too soon Mr. Agreste pulled away. “Be good, son.”

“I will, Father.” He gave him one last smile then stepped onto the train.

He opened a door behind which sat a small girl with pink ribbons in her black pigtails. She wore muggle clothing and sat curled up in her seat, staring out the window. An unusually red tawny owl was perched on her knee.

“Hey.”

His voice made her start. “Um. Hi.”

“Do you mind if I join you?”

“Sure, yeah. No! That is I don’t mind, I mean - go ahead?” The girl’s cheeks went pink and she seemed to shrink into herself even more. Adrien guessed she was a muggle-born; she was alone, clearly nervous, and seemed pretty out of her element.

He smiled and took the seat opposite her. “Thanks. I’m Adrien, by the way.”

“Marinette. Nice to meet you, Adrien.” She put her feet down and stuck her hand out. He shook it.

“Likewise, Marinette. So, are you excited to finally see Hogwarts?”

“I guess so. This is all so new to me I don’t really know what to expect. My parents are, well, they don’t have magic, you see.” So he was right. “I guess you grew up waiting to go to Hogwarts, huh?”

“Yeah. Pretty much.”

“I thought I heard some other kids talking about houses? I thought we were going to live in a castle.”

Adrien grinned. “Houses as in groups inside the school. A house is kind of like one big team, and they compete against each other. You get sorted into a house depending on your personality.”

Marinette’s eyebrows scrunched together in concern. “The professors separate us then pit us against each other?”

“I - I think it’s more like having a place to belong even on the first day of school. Each house is named after one of the Hogwarts founders: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Everyone in my family has been a Gryffindor for generations.”

Marinette hummed thoughtfully. Before she had a chance to respond, another girl opened the compartment door. She wore muggle clothes too, but the button-down oxford and jogging pants combination clashed so that it was clear she grew up in witch’s robes. She had rich red-brown hair, soft ochre skin, and a cute mole above her right eyebrow that made her look permanently sassy. She had an owl cage tucked under her arm and dark-rimmed glasses threatening to slide off her nose.

“Oh, thank god, all the other compartments are packed. Can my friend and I join you?”

Adrien looked to Marinette, who said, “Of course. Are you a first year, too?”

“Yep. I’m Alya - one sec.” She leaned out the door into the corridor. “Nino! I found a place!”

She sat down, and another boy came in right behind her. He was already wearing black wizard’s robes. “Thank you so much, dudes. We barely got on the train before it started moving.” He held out his hand to Adrien, who was closest to him. “I’m Nino, by the way.”

He shook it, smiling. “Adrien. And this is Marinette.” Marinette gave a shy little wave.

“Whoa, sweet bird, dudette. I’ve only seen a color like that a few times before!” Nino switched seats so he was closer to Marinette and held out a finger. “May I?”

“Sure.” Nino stroked the owl’s head delicately. It closed its eyes contentedly.

“She likes you.”

“What’s her name?” Alya asked.

“I’ve been calling her Tikki. Is that a dumb name for an owl? I’m sorry this is all new to me.”

“Nah. I once heard of an owl called Pigwidgen. You said new? Are you a muggleborn?”

“Uh, yes, yes I am.”

“Well don’t worry,” Alya wrapped an arm around Marinette’s shoulders, making her smile. “We’ll get you all caught up, right boys?”

They both responded in the affirmative. Marinette respondes, “Adrien’s been telling me about the Hogwarts houses.”

“Oh yeah? Have a guess where you’ll be sorted, pretty boy?”

Adrien sighed. Alya’s face and voice were good-naturedly teasing, but he’d long since tired of that nickname. “My whole family’s been Gryffindors for generations.”

“Dude same for mine and Hufflepuff.” Nino gently shoulder bumped him. “Maybe we’ll break the pattern.”

Alya snorted. “Nino if you’re not a Hufflepuff I’ll eat my wand.”

“Why’re you so sure?” Marinette asked.

“Hufflepuff is the most inclusive house. The founder only wanted her students to work hard and be fair, and Nino’s scolded me for taking some of his ice cream.”

“If you wanted a double scoop then you should have bought a double scoop!”

The compartment door slammed open, startling them all. A girl with brand new, jet black robes, red earrings, and a high blonde ponytail posed in the doorway. Unfortunately, Adrien recognized her as Chloe Bourgeois, and old family friend.

“Adrikins! Where’ve you been? I’ve been looking all over for you. Sabrina and I have a compartment farther up the train. Let’s go, no need to hang out with these losers.”

Marinette folded back into a ball, making her body as small as possible. Nino glowered, and Alya crossed her arms. “Watch who you’re calling loser, you brat.”

Chloe gasped. “Do you have any idea who I am?”

“Chloe - ” Adrien tried. But she interrupted him.

“My daddy is the Minister of Magic, for your information!”

“Oh who cares?” Startled, Adrien looked to see Marinette clasp her hands over her mouth, apparently just as surprised by her outburst as he was.

Chloe sneered. “If you know what’s good for you, you should. He’s the most powerful wizard in Britain.”

“Most influential, maybe,” Adrien said.

“Et tu, Adrikins?”

Marinette huffed. “Just get out of here. No matter who you are, you don’t get to talk to us like that!”

“Ugh. I’m over this dumb compartment. Let’s go, Adrien.”

Adrien glanced between his oldest - and only - friend, and the three kids who’d been friendlier with him in five minutes than Chloe had in five years. “I think I’m staying. You go ahead.”

“Fine.” She huffed off and the compartment door slid shut on her wake.

Alta crossed her arms. “That girl’s a piece of work.”

“She’s a lot.”

“Let me guess: she’s sweet once you get to know her?”

Adrien thought for a second then shook his head. A faint call in the corridor from the sweets trolley witch reached his ears and he jumped up. “Trolley’s coming, you guys want anything? My treat.”

Marinette and Nino started.

“Oh no you don’t have to”

“I’ve got a little pocket money here”

“Are you two seriously turning down free candy? Guys, he’s offering!” Alya looked perplexed.

Adrien opened the door. “I’ll just get a bit of everything.” He was out before they could make any more protests. Adrien figured they should introduce Marinette to as many wizard of sweets as they could.

As it turned out, Marinette loved the licorice wands but was appalled by the Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.

“Why on earth would anyone want a glass-flavored sweet?” she exclaimed. Adrien hid his chuckle behind his hand.

Alya shook the box, peering inside. “It’s about the dare. And pranking your siblings. I convinced my little sister that a dirt-flavored bean was chocolate. I swear, she was so mad, pink sparks burst out of her ears.”

“Speaking of,” Nino scooped up a couple chocolate frogs, tossing one to Marinette. Adrien had just stuffed his fourth into his mouth. “You gotta try these, they’re the best chocolate in the world and they come with collector cards!”

Besides the ribbeting noises while she swallowed, she seemed to like the chocolate frogs a lot more. She examined the that came inside. “Ooooh, I’ve heard of her! I got Morgana. She was a real witch?”

“As real as a salty ghost,” Alya replied. Marinette gazed in wonder at the card in her hands. Adrien gathered his chocolate frog cards and held them out to her.

“Here, you can have mine, I don’t collect them.”

Her face flushed. “Oh. Oh! Um, th-thanks Adrien that’s sweet really. I mean, that’s really sweet, thank you.” She grabbed them from his outstretched hand and huddled back into her seat. For the thousandth time Adrien cursed his heritage. He didn’t want a cute, nice girl getting nervous around him just because of how he looked.

Marinette was rifling through her chocolate frog cards. “There are witches and wizards on here from throughout history...some are even still alive...why are they all wearing the same thing?”

Nino frowned. “Huh?”

“Look at the chocolate frog cards, the robes hardly change at all. Isn’t fashion a thing in the wizarding world?”

“Of course it is,” Alya said. “It’s just not as finicky as muggle fashion.”

“The clothes just never change...that’s so odd...”

“Wizards are very traditional,” Adrien explained. “Magical artists and designers tend to focus on preserving our cultures and histories.”

“Well, that doesn’t mean you can’t accessorize a bit,” Marinette pointed out. “There’s so much potential here. I wonder if I could get a dress form at Hogwarts...”

She pulled a sketchpad out of her purse and began drawing. They were rough, quick sketches, but Adrien could tell the moves were well practiced. With a few strokes of a...not a quill, what’s that writing thing called?...whatever it was, a few quick lines and he could see the clothes she imagined like a projection from her mind.

Adrien noticed Marinette worked with the tip of her pink tongue sticking out the corner of her moth. He decided he definitely wanted to be her friend.

Adrien had been called up first for the sorting, and had been sitting with the deliberating old hat on his head for ages. Marinette checked her watch. Six minutes had gone by. “Is this normal?”

“No.” Alya sounded fascinated. “If the sorting takes longer than five minutes we call it a ‘hatstall.’ It’s supposed to be incredibly rare.”

“I wonder which houses he’s deciding between.”

“I don’t know. That boy’s hard to get a read on.”

Her watch was approaching the six minutes and thirty second mark when she heard the hat boom out its choice. “HUFFLEPUFF!”

Alya snorted. “Chloe does not look happy.”

Marinette watched Adrien find a place among his new house mates. They hugged him and ruffled his hair and the lines of his robes became yellow. He already seemed to glow with an alluring, metallic shine, but the big smile on his face made him ten times more beautiful. Marinette shook herself when she realized she was staring.

Chloe Bourgeois got sorted into Gryffindor after a comparatively brief stint on the stood. She proudly and happily strutted to her table as scarlet dripped down her robes.

When it was her turn, the hat blocked Alya’s vision and the hundreds of eyes staring at her. A rumbly voice spoke in her ears. Or was it directly into her mind?

“Mmmm, interesting, I sense fire in this one. Very brave, very stubborn, very noble. But you are a cunning one, as well; I sense great ambition in your heart.”

Alya’s chest clenched. That sounds like a Slytherin thing. But you said brave...

“Little fox, you would thrive in Slytherin or Gryffindor. You straddle a line of values. Ahh, I see you’re another Cesaire.”

You remember sorting my sister?

“And your father. You have their passion in your blood. You all are deeply magnanimous. But you, oh you’re so very clever and resourceful. I’m inclined to place you in Slytherin, if you have no objection...”

...I don’t.

“Very well. Welcome to the house of SLYTHERIN!” The sorting hat shouted the last word to the whole hall and was lifted from her head. She slid off the stool and walked to the table applauding raucously. As she sat and older students shook her hand and patted her back, she watched in wonder as the trimmings of her robes shimmered and turned emerald green.

“Oh, yes, I know precisely where you belong.”

Is it Gryffindor? Marinette dreaded the notion of living in the same place as Chloe Bourgeois.

“I can see your dreams, young lady. You may look all sugary sweet to the outside world, but you’re scrappy. You hunger for your destiny.”

All this was news to Marinette, but she didn’t protest as the hat called out “SLYTHERIN!”

In a daze she found a seat next to Alya. She nudged her. “Girl that was fast. You wore the hat for maybe five, ten seconds?”

“It was very adamant I be sorted into Slytherin,” Marinette confused. “Yours took longer.”

Alya pinched her thumb and forefinger so they were a centimeter apart. “I was this close to joining the Gryffindors.”

Marinette smiled. “Well, I’m glad we’re in the same house.”

They watched as one by one the other first years got sorted. As Alya predicted, the sorting hat barely touched Nino’s head before it bellowed out HUFFLEPUFF! He scooted next to Adrien and gave him a big hug. He looks good with yellow on his robes, Alya thought.

Ko-fi

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writer-dreams · 5 years

Text

Love Potion (Part 1) (Draco Malfoy x Reader)

Hello, the first part to Love Potion has arrived!!!

Prologue / Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / End

Update Tags: @celestialceci @marvelobsessedteen @imaginesforthepeople @danidomm @marvelrose @vogueworthy-barnes (Can all of you tell me if you want to be tagged for the rest of this series?)

House: You choose

Blood Status: You choose

Warning: Possible swearing

Note: The reader in this story is female/uses female pronouns

Word Count: 1,867 words

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3rd Person POV

Day 1

Y/n woke up the next morning and immediately wished she could stay in bed all day. She would much rather stay in her comfortable bed than go out and face Malfoy. She was afraid to go to the Mess Hall and see her new ‘boyfriend’. The word alone made her gag. Memories of last night flooded her mind and she knew that no matter how much she tried to convince herself, she was now in a relationship with Draco Malfoy. Y/n groaned and face palmed. Why did she take the dare again? However, Y/n knew that the Hogsmeade trip was today and she definitely didn’t want to miss that. Gathering up all her courage, she finally managed to pull herself out of bed and get ready for the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/n arrived at the Mess Hall and anxiously looked around for Draco. She spotted the platinum-blonde male already seated at the Slytherin table with his friends. He was already looking at her and he gestured for her to sit next to him. Y/n forced a smile and willed herself next to him. As she sat next to him, he wrapped an arm around her and grinned at her.

“So, Love. I wanted to ask you something.” Draco started. “Now that we’re dating, I think its time for our first date. What do you say? You and I at Hogsmeade?” He flashed her a charming smile that almost made her breakfast come back up.

Y/n gulped and looked around, her eyes catching on the Weasley twins, who were grinning wickedly and making kissy-faces. Y/n felt her face grow hot and she flashed them a not-so ladylike gesture. She turned back to Draco, who was still eagerly waiting for her answer. Y/n forced a grin and rested her head on his shoulder.

“That sounds wonderful.” She managed to choke out.

“Wonderful. I’ll see you then.” He smirked, giving her a kiss on the cheek and exiting the Mess Hall.

Y/n’s face flushed a deep red when she heard the twins howling in laughter. She turned back in fury to see the pair rolling around on the floor, loud and obnoxious laughs escaping their mouths. Y/n pulled out her wand and prepared to cast a charm on the two.

“Silencio!” She shouted. Suddenly, no noise could be heard from the mischievous twins. Both looked incredibly surprised and attempted to talk to each other but to no avail. Satisfied, Y/n pocketed her wand and calmly walked out of the Mess Hall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Hogsmeade trip arrived much faster than Y/n had liked. Before she knew it, she was out in the freezing weather, walking with the rest of her classmates to the village. She walked next to Draco, their fingers intertwined with each other’s. She made a note in her head to wash her hands thoroughly afterwards. She shivered in the cold weather, cursing herself for not being better prepared for the cold. Draco noticed her shaking figure and starting taking off his coat. Y/n raised an eyebrow at this.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“You’re cold.” Draco said, wrapping the coat gently around her, letting it hang off her shoulders. The wool coat wrapped her in an immediate cocoon of warmth and the smell of his cologne.

“But aren’t you cold too?” Y/n asked. The coat was nice but she wasn’t getting over the fact that it was Draco’s. Honestly, she just wanted it off her. The Malfoy she knew would never have given anyone something like this. Plus his cologne was suffocating her.

“I’m not. But even if I was, I would be willing to suffer just to see you happy. What kind of a boyfriend would I be if I wasn’t prepared for that?” He smiled softly at her.

Y/n faked a grin and leaned against his arm, continuing the walk to Hogsmeade.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When they arrived, Draco dragged her away to Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop, claiming that he needed a new quill. While he was talking to Scrivenshaft, Y/n was quite bored and looked around the small shop, hoping to find something interesting. Her gaze landed on a beautiful (f/c) quill. She had never seen something such a brilliant color. She stepped closer to it, admiring the feather pen.

“Ah, it seems that you have taken an interest in our Peacock quills. Yes, that one is actually one of a kind. Taken from the most beautiful bird and dyed a deep shade of (f/c). It takes a very long time to make and no one has ever been able to perfect the shade like that one.” Scrivenshaft exclaimed to Y/n.

The girl was now more interested in the quill and turned it over, looking for the price. When her eyes landed on the obscenely large number, she cringed. Did she want to be able to afford the rest of her Hogwarts supplies or buy a quill? It was far too expensive and she quickly backed up and made her way back to Draco. He was already almost out the door and Y/n followed him out.

“Wait, I forgot something.” Draco blurted out. “Stay here, it won’t take long, Love.”

Draco went back into Scrivenshaft’s shop and came out later with….nothing. Y/n was confused and slightly irritated that she waited for nothing.

“What did you get?” Y/n asked curiously.

“Nothing.” He simply answered. She looked at him suspiciously for a few moments but decided to let it go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two made a stop at Honeydukes, where she saw Fred and George. She narrowed her eyes and asked Draco to buy some candy for her while she went to take care of ‘business’. He nodded and walked off while Y/n stomped over to the red-haired twins. The twins smirked when they saw the fuming girl marching towards them.

“Hello, L/n. Fancy seeing you here.” George chuckled.

“Indeed. So how’s the relationship going? Gone on any dates? Received any kisses or gifts?” Fred winked.

“Oh, shut it, you twats.” Y/n rolled her eyes.

“Don’t get mad at us now, you still have 6 days in that relationship.” The pair reminded her.

“Good, now you know how long you have to live before I kill you. Once these 6 days are up, I’m gonna hex you into next year!” Y/n threatened.

The two shrugged before smiling. “It was nice talking to you, dear Y/n, but it appears as though your new boyfriend is looking for you.” Fred teased. Y/n turned to see Draco watching her, patiently waiting for her to finish her conversation. She nodded at him and looked back at the twins, who were trying not to burst out laughing. Y/n scowled at them and stalked back to Draco.

“Goodbye Ms. Malfoy~” The red-haired twins called after her.

Y/n’s face grew tomato-red and she saw that Draco had a stupid teasing smirk on his face.

“Ms. Malfoy, hmm?” He hummed in amusement. She could practically feel the cockiness oozing from his words.

“Shut it.” Y/n snapped at him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, Draco brought her to the famous Three Broomsticks to warm up and escape from the cold weather. The pair sat down at a table while Draco ordered them some butterbeer. Waiting for the drinks, there was an awkward silence between the two. Draco smiled at Y/n and put all the candy he bought on the table. Her mouth dropped and watered slightly just looking at all the sugar quills, chocolate frogs and other miscellaneous goodies.

“You can have all of it.” He said.

“All of it?!” Y/n asked in disbelief.

“Why not? I got it all for you anyway.” He flashed her a loving smile. Y/n smiled back at him, not a forced one, but a real, grateful smile. She started eating some of the candy, offering some to Draco, who playfully declined.

“Y/n, we’re dating but I feel like I don’t even know anything about you. We only ever communicated when we were fighting as rivals. I want to know more about the girl I love so much.” Draco said.

“Well. My name is Y/n L/n and I’m a (Hogwarts House). My parents are (M/n) and (D/n).”

“You’re missing something…”

“Oh? And what would that be?” Y/n inquired.

Draco leaned in closer to her, his grey eyes shining, his lips inches away from hers. She could smell green apple and peppermint in his breath.

“You're my girlfriend.” He leaned in and tried kiss her but Y/n turned away in time, allowing him to kiss her cheek. She still wasn’t about to kiss the git. Sure, he had been nice today but it was all because of a potion. Once these 7 days were up, he would go back to hating her and what was the point of trying in this relationship if it had a set deadline? Draco pulled away, slight hurt in his eyes. Feeling guilty, Y/n hugged him and pressed a small kiss on his cheek and another one on his jaw. He smiled and pulled her in closer.

Their butterbeers arrived at the perfect time, because Y/n wanted to get out of his arms as soon as possible. The hug felt nice, but it was given by Malfoy. She sighed, not wanting to think about that anymore. The stared at the frothy liquid in her cup, noticing that Draco kept looking at her from the corner of her eye.

“Can I help you?” She asked quietly.

“I…I wanted to give you something, actually.” He replied.

Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. It was white and had a shining gold ribbon tied intricately around it. He opened the box to reveal the (f/c) quill from Scrivenshaft’s. Her jaw dropped and she looked at him in disbelief.

“You…bought that?!”

“Of course.”

“I saw the price for that! Why would you spend so much?!” Y/n exclaimed. Draco put the box on the table and slid it towards her. He then took her hands gently into his and looked deeply into her eyes.

“Because I love you.”

Y/n was taken aback slightly. She almost believed him but then she remembered the potion. Don’t get too excited. It’s just the potion talking.

“Thank you, Draco.” She kissed his cheek and saw how his face flushed a deep scarlet color.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the rest of the day, the pair talked with each other over some cups of butterbeer. Y/n told him stories of her childhood, about her parents, about school and was pleasantly surprised to see he wasn’t laughing at her or making fun of her. He was really listening and paying attention to every single word she said. Afterwards, he payed for the drinks and the two walked back to Hogwarts. Y/n found it oddly comforting to hold his arm and feel the warmth of his coat around her. His cologne was more pleasant now and she realized her smiles haven’t been that fake lately.

I’m not in love with him. He’s just becoming more bearable to be around. Besides, the potion is causing this. It is an improvement from everyday Draco though.

She beamed at the blonde walking beside her. Maybe that dare wasn’t so bad after all.

**********************************************

Hello everyone! Thank you for reading Part 1 of Love Potion. I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry if it wasn't as good as the first part. I wrote it and tried to publish it but then my stupid computer crashed and the story was lost. Speaking of the first part, thank you so much for all the support I got on it. I have decided to make 7-8 parts to this fanfic, one for every day. If you have any requests, feel free to ask! Until next time.

-Jade

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crappierpasta · 6 years

Text

Hollow

She was beautiful.

She and I would sit with my laptop for hours on end, looking for the scariest things we could find. It was an odd relationship, but it worked. Something just clicked when I was with her. She was the love of my life and my best friend. Nowadays, I would give anything to have her back.

She knew of the things I had seen. She dismissed it. Ah, Jordan, it's just your mind playing tricks on you. I wonder if she still thinks it was just my mind.

Really, she was always worried about me. I suppose that when you look at it from her perspective - the perspective of one who hadn't lived the way I had, who hadn't seen what I had seen - it would rationalize her train of thought. Sometimes, I wonder if she thought me insane. I know there were some times she did. The love in her eyes when we lay together, when we made love, and when we scared ourselves silly... I kjust knew that it was because of that love I would never lose her. She was mine 'til death did us part.

I really don't know how to describe the things I see. Beautiful, lumbering, graceful, damned, hateful, loving... I wouldn't be wrong in saying slender, and that's no allusion. Just as damned as the drunk that walks down the street from the bar each night, scratching his sickly face and adjusting the worn hat on his head, only to have it fall on its slant once more moments later. Just as loving as a mother to her kin.

They are us, essentially, with long, cracked-looking limbs and expressions that can be both grotesque and beautiful. They are young and old, just as we are, and they are all greatly varied. They are the walking souls that never lived, not unborn and not undead. I've been seeing them for three years now, in numbers just as great as humans. They are their own society, treating us as though we do not exist. They do not behave as we do, however. I told her and saw fear in my eyes - not of the beings of which I spoke, but for myself and my mental state of being. She loved me, but... alas, she couldn't see. Seeing was believing.

There was a day, about two months ago, when I walked with her. The same walk we'd walked a thousand times before. We lived on a circular road and often made the loop together while talking. I'd noted that, although the loop was our usual route, there'd only been one route we'd completely avoided in all those months we were lovers. It was the road the mayor lived on. Bowater. This particular day, I suggested to her we walk up through Bowater. I'd never gone far enough to reach the end of the street in question. She devoutly refused and explained that there was a night long ago when she was followed down that road by a large, black, burly figure of insurmountable height. Knowing what I've seen, she also dismissed anything of paranormality. I was unconvinced, but I left well enough alone and we continued on our usual treck.

I really should have seen it coming, but we were so vulnerable.

Julia called me one night... or, rather, morning. Around 3AM, to be precise. She told me she was scared. She was seeing and hearing things. She needed to talk. I stayed on the phone with her for two hours, trying to calm her down as much as possible. I did my best. It almost worked. She was dozing off and I was happy to hear it. I was tired, too. Then... a thump. It was almost a footstep, but not quite. I couldn't hear it well over the phone, but I could tell it wasn't a footstep. Okay so... Julia. Back to her.

After the thump, I heard her stop breathing. I panicked and called her name twice. She cut me off the third time with a scream. I heard a commotion. I heard her running. I heard a door slam and lock, then more running and moving curtains. I spoke her name a couple of times more.

"Julia?" I asked. "Julia?" "Jordan, don't go," came the reply. "Please don't go." "It's okay. What's wrong?" "She's out there. In the hallway." "Who's in the hallway, Julia?" "I don't know who's in the hallway, Jordan. It's just a she. It's white. It smiles with its eyes. She smiles. She." "Julia, calm down. Calm down. What is she?" "I don't want to talk about it, Jordan. I can't describe it. I just want to forget. Talk to me, Jordan. Talk to me, please. About anything. Just not that."

There was a reason I wanted to know. I wanted to know because I've never ever seen one in a house... until the night before that. What I'd seen was unlike everything else.

Everything else had remained very humanoid to an extent. This was... like a mafia murder gone wrong. Like someone had stuffed her body in a suitcase and left her alive to grow that way. Her face... Her face was smiling. It was a sickly black, toothless grin with wide, white bloodshot eyes. A black object that looked to be a horn with a ball end extended slightly from where her nose would have been.

What sickened me was that her face was hanging - literally - from this ball-ended horn. It was like a child's halloween mask. The gap between her face and head was held together loosely by blood-soaked skin, stretched to purple like tiny little slimy rope ligaments. Her face wriggled and spun loosely, hanging by the ball end and ligaments. It made small squelching noises as she moved. Her arms stretched under her legs and bent with four joints each, to become hind legs of some sort. It was like some kind of sick, disfigured child was trying to play leap frog. Her legs were relatively normal, though I couldn't see them well under the pure white dress she wore. The last defining feature of this thing were the three grotesque humps protruding from her back.

It was on my porch. I'd gone to use the washroom and decided to use the kitchen light on so I could find the bathroom light switch (our bathroom connects to the kitchen for some reason). I turned on the light. Everything was fine. I went to the bathroom, finished my business, and walked over to turn the kitchen light off. I was greeted by the sight of that thing as I neared the porch. It looked up, its head lulled sickly to the side, and it smiled at me. I was used to seeing things, but the sight of this creature sickened me so badly. I felt that instead of hitting the switch and making a run for it, I'd have to run to the toilet to puke. I followed through with the former, however, and kept my door locked for the rest of the night. I did eventually fall asleep, but it was light and restless.

I was sure Julia was seeing exactly what I had the night before. I couldn't pressure her about it, however, or I'd scare her even more. I spoke gently to her and calmed her down. Soon, she drifted off to sleep, allowing me to finally sleep myself.

The days went by. Julia still refused to go near Bowater. There was a new path she was trying to stay clear of, too: a trail we always used to cut through to the park. She was hiding something. I resolved to find out what. I spent most of the days with her. The sweet summer air was a welcome change from the rain we'd been experiencing. I tried to ask her about that night, but she refused to talk. She wouldn't say a word about it. We went to my place. She wasn't excited about our scary hour anymore, so we just cuddled. I swear to God there was never a moment that day that I doubted she was the love of my life.

We went our separate ways that night, parting with a long, lingering kiss. It was another reminder of our promise to one another. I told her to tell me if anything happened. I'd be over in a second if she needed me. She did. After all, I only live across the street. That night, she didn't say a lot online. I tried to elicit conversation, but was met with nondescriped ooh and ahs. Around 1:30AM, she went offline. At 2AM, I got a text. I sighed with relief that it was her. The content of the text, however, made me uneasy.

"Im going for a walk, sorry"

I looked out the window, toward her house, and saw not a single light on. Not even in her room. I noticed her front door was open and watched as she walked - or at least stumbled - out, cloaked in her long, pink jacket. It was far too large and hot to be wearing on a summer's night. I couldn't see her face very well. I tossed on some shoes and ran outside just in time to see her nearly disappear on the loop of that circular road. I walked fast, keeping my distance and keeping quiet. When she stopped, I felt fear.

She was standing in front of the trail. The one she'd avoided so heavily. She stood there for a good five minutes and almost moved to go with her before noticing she was no longer alone.

One of the things walked out of the trail. This one was different as well, but nowhere near as grotesque as the one I'd seen before. This one wore a wooden mask. It was what I would have called a plague doctor mask. The long "nose" of the mask descended to its chest and it was, otherwise, cloaked in black. A long, skinny arm reached out of the cloak and Julia reached toward it, holding something in her hand.

No.

No no no.

It wasn't a hand she held out.

It was a foot.

My heart stopped. I knew. I just knew. I'd never bothered to question the way she walked, as though drunken. I never bothered to look at her feet or her hands. I looked down and, sure enough, there were two hands with spindly, long fingers stretched over the road in the streetlight's midst. My heart stopped and broke at the same time, for I knew that the face I looked at was that of my beloved. My beloved. My Julia. I yelled. I yelled with so much force and anger that the plague doctor himself flinched. Julia turned and I got my first clear look at her face.

Scared.

Regretful.

Dead.

The plague doctor walked up behind her, grabbing the jacket from the front, as if hugging her, and tore it open. I was greeted by the girl-thing from the night before, her body cozily hugged by my Julia's ribcage.. for a spine, neck, and head were all that was left of my beloved. I cried. I cried out, to myself and to the things that killed her. I cried with rage and heartbreak - loudly and angrily - and began to run. I ran toward them, glaring at that detached face and waiting for its stupid fucking grin to fade. I glared, waiting for the satisfaction I'd get at seeing the fear in its bloodshot eyes before I bashed its fucking skull in.

It smiled widely.

I made it under the streetlight, merely ten feet away from the thing sickeningly cradled by Julia's body, when I was grabbed. I spun around to see nothing, but when I looked to my side there was a bony, blue hand holding onto my shoulder. I looked up and there was another of them. It was hanging from the streetlight, a noose tightened around its neck. Its face was blue and cold, like the rest of it, and it was smiling. Unlike the girl-thing, this being had no eyes. Rather, it had a crazy, wise glint in its empty sockets. Its feet were suspended feet above my head, but its arms were disgustingly long. Long enough to grab me.

I tried to run, to continue towards the killer, but those fragile-looking limbs held me in place. I looked up again and cursed that stupid fucking thing for keeping me from killing the killer. It merely smiled and smile that would have looked encouraging on a normal old man and, for the first time, I heard the voice of one of them. It spoke as it smiled, in an old man's soft voice. It spoke but one word before tossing me a good five feet back. I landed on my side and a sharp pain shot through my body, temporarily paralyzing me. I got up and they were gone. All that was left was the hollow body of my beloved, on the ground and staring up at me sadly.

I ran. By God, I ran. I ran home, snuck inside, and went straight to my room. I soberly reflected on everything I'd ever done with Julia. I reflected on all of it and smiled. That morning, I awoke with the firm belief that my beloved was alive and all of it was a bad dream. I phoned her, to let her know how much I loved her and how thankful I was that I'd met her in the first place. Her father picked up. He told me her body was found two hours ago by the park trail. I hung up and proceeded to break down. It's been a month since she died and I still think of what the hanged creature told me that night.

One word.

Samhain.

Written by Jordan.

#Creepypasta #Hollow #Creature #Unexplained #Murder #Jordan

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spicelupin-blog · 6 years

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L.Lovegood: Important

(I headcanon Elle Fanning as Luna btw that’s why I used this gif, but to each, their own ya know)

Luna Lovegood. Golden Trio Era.

Summary: Luna Lovegood is the most important person in your life and she shows you how important you are to her.

Warning: SMUT!!! Reader losing virginity type situation.

Genre: Smut and very fluffy

Pairing: Luna Lovegood x Female Reader

Words: 2297

Requested by @fleurhermione : Hi I was wondering if I could get Luna lovegood smut were your both in the same year (5th year) and dating and your a Hufflepuff and you take your relationship to another level (first time together) and it’s sweet and sensual and just really loving and passionate and sweet. Fluff at the end. Please and thank you so much 😊

I couldn’t blame them. Befriending a timid baby-faced eleven-year-old that is decked out in yellow and black wasn’t everyone’s priority. Nonetheless, I found myself disheartened by the lack of attention. In a letter, my mother suggested approaching someone myself. She said that if waiting around was getting me nowhere, then why not?

That’s how I ended up in the seat next to Luna Lovegood on the third day of Transfiguration.

“Is anyone sitting here?” I inquired as I fiddled with a loose strand of hair.

The girl looked up at me with blue eyes the size of saucers. I glanced at her desk, noting the upside down magazine that laid open in front of her. I heard some of my dorm mates talking about her before. They were calling her an airheaded freak yet, I didn’t find her reputation off-putting.

Luna’s lips formed a kind smile. “Not at all.”

I smiled back and moved to sit down.

“Ooh, watch out!” Luna warned, hurriedly grabbing my arm to prevent me from making contact with my seat.

I stared at her questionably with a cocked brow. “Is something wrong?”

Luna simply brushed off something that I could not see and gave a sigh of relief. “There. Much better.” She gestured for me sit back down.

I tentatively sat down, as though I was expecting another outburst. But Luna was calm the rest of class. Later, she told me that a tiny drowsy creature was napping in my chair, and she was trying to save it from being crushed.

When I was eleven, I thought Luna was strange. I would sometimes get embarrassed when she would have an outburst over some nonexistent creature, and other people would turn to stare, gawk and often times laugh.

Flashing forward to the third year, I was no longer embarrassed by Luna; in fact, I started to find her outbursts adorable and endearing. I didn’t even bat an eye at other people’s laughing or taunting because I was too wrapped up in Luna.

While all the older students were off dancing the night away at the Yule Ball, Luna and I decided we would create our own fun. The teachers were busy with the ball, leaving the halls vacant of authority. This allowed Luna and I to snag a basket of goodies from the kitchens without a hiccup, and take it to our favorite alcove.

The alcove was always empty as no one really knew of its existence. This made it perfect for our picnic.

“Okay, I got one.” I giggled, already laughing at the joke brewing in my head. Luna and I were playing a game. One of us had to fill our mouth with pumpkin juice while the other told a joke, and whenever you spat out your juice from laughing you had to give the other person one of your chocolate frogs. So far, I wasn’t doing too hot.

Luna filled her mouth, shooting me a thumbs up.

“What do you call a group of unorganized cats?”

Luna shrugged.

“A cat-astrophe.” I grinned, laughing at my own joke.

Luna’s face held back a wide grin, yet finally succumbed to a string of giggles. “Not fair!” She squealed while wiping the pumpkin juice from her face.

I was stilling laughing, now holding my stomach. “What isn’t fair?” I said through my gasps for air.

Luna pouted as she slid my prize towards me. “Your laugh is contagious. I can’t help myself from at least smiling when I hear you laugh.”

“Excuses, excuses.” I sang while waving my treat around.

Luna shook her head. “I can’t help it. When I hear your laugh it’s like hearing the best thing in the world. Like hearing rain hit a roof or a breeze ruffling leaves. It’s crisp and fills your body with light. Your joy is contagious.”

I listened to her talk, feeling a bit bashful by the end. “Thanks…” I played with my fingers, my cheeks turning pink.

Luna scooted to sit next to me on the wall facing the window. The stars were lit up amongst the falling snow and you could faintly hear music playing somewhere below. I felt Luna grip my hand with her soft milky fingers.

“Y/N?” She asked softly. For the first time since I’ve known Luna, she seemed unsure.

I raised an eyebrow. I could feel a familiar butterfly expanding in my stomach when Luna tough my hand, but looking into her eye I could feel it explode.

“I need to tell you something.” Luna began, sounding a bit nervous. “It’s important to me. So please just listen. Even if you don’t like was I say.”

“Of course, Luna.” I nodded, urging her to continue by squeezing her hand.

Luna’s eyes fixed on our joined hands. I began to think she was lost in thought when her head snapped up and suddenly her lips were pressed to mine. My head swam with a million thoughts before settling on one: this is way better than the Yule Ball.

With that, my eyes fell shut and I allowed myself to melt into Luna’s soft lips.

Fourth year seemed to trudge on. The school was so tense with the threat of Dark Magic, and the even more prominent threat that was Professor Umbridge. The Dark Lord might have been alive a gaining strength, but to every Hogwarts student, the only real danger was a detention with the pink toad.

“She the worst!” I barked out. I was pacing in front of the large rock Luna was propped on. Luna had been listening attentively to my rant about Umbridge for a good chunk of time, yet her observant eyes did not falter.

“How dare she put students through this?!” I gestured to the words engraved on my flesh.

Luna shuddered. “She’ll get what she deserves. I’m sure of it.”

I shook my head, plopping down on the grass by Luna. “When? She’s a Ministry puppet so she could get away with anything.”

“Life is funny.” Luna responded, and I knew that was Luna’s way of saying, “Everything will work out.”

I leaned my head on Luna’s shoulder, and she leaned her head on the top of my mine. Most students were inside eating dinner, but Luna and I decided to skip. We hadn’t had one of our traditional picnics since October, and we figured it was about time. Instead of staying inside we set up by the Black Lake. We didn’t want to be caught by Umbridge or Filch when the whole of the DA was in deep enough shit.

“Luna?” I asked softly.

Luna made a noise of acknowledgment that was muffled due to her face being nuzzled in my hair.

“Did you hear about Harry and Cho?” I internally sighed at how gossipy my question sounded, but trust me it had a point.

Luna nodded, moving away from my hair enough to be heard. “They snogged before Christmas, right?”

“Yeah and I asked Hermione if they were dating, and she said it wasn’t her place to answer,” I explained while twiddling with a loose string on my Hufflepuff scarf. I felt the rare awkwardness between us rise.

“Hermione doesn’t like gossip,” Luna shrugged, then narrowing her eyes at me. “I thought you didn’t either. Are you feeling okay?”

I looked away as my cheeks grew heated. “I’m fine. I just… I don’t know. I want to know something.”

“And what is that, Y/N?” Luna enquired in an airy tone.

I took a deep breath and let the question fall out with it. “Are you my girlfriend?”

Luna raised her eyebrow like she was surprised. Her reaction only made me continue my nervous rambling.

“Because I think you are, but I’m not sure. We kiss and cuddle, but was am I to you? Because I know what you are to me.”

“…and what am I to you?” Luna asked in a gentle voice that lulled my rapid heartbeat into a docile patter.

“You’re my best friend. You’re the only person who’s ever authentically loved me unconditionally. You’re the most fascinating person I’ve ever met, and I aspire to radiate the effortless confidence you do. You’re the most important person in my life.”

Luna flung her arms around my neck and pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around her in response and allowed her to knock me to the ground. She let go and hovered above me, whispering, “You’re the most important person in my life, too.”

Before I could respond, Luna pressed a soft kiss to my lips. I let my hands wander down to grip her hips as the kiss began to get more intense. Luna’s body seemed to melt into mine as her hand dug into my hair. We were attached to each other in a way that only my dreams had ever conjured.

Even though we were close I wanted to be closer. I let my legs fall open, and allowed Luna’s hips to settle in the freed space. Feeling her warm body pressing into my own that way I couldn’t help the little moan that escaped me.

“Y/N…” Luna whimpered, breaking away to look at my face. Her pupils were blown wide leaving only a blue ring around the darkness. “I…”

“I want you, Luna,” I whispered in her ear. I shiver ran through both of our bodies. “Please, do something.”

Luna bit her lip and nodded. “Let me know if you want to stop.”

“I won’t want to,” I swore, wrapping one of my legs around her hips. “But if you feel weird at all…”

“I’ll let you know, honey,” Luna mumbled as she leaned in to kiss me again.

The snogging made my entire body heat up. I felt a pool of heat at the bottom of my stomach, and soon I couldn’t help rubbing myself on Luna.

“Please, Luna…” I whined, soon finding myself humping the air as she pulled away to kneel between my legs. I watched her soft hands run from my ankles to the hiked up hem on my skirt. The stopped at the hem that was resting just below my panties.

“Are you-?”

I cut her off by cupping her face and pecking her lips tenderly. “Do it. Do anything. I’m yours.” I promised, running my thumb over her cheekbone with as much affection as humanly possible.

Luna pecked my lips in confirmation and then proceed downwards. She gripped the hem of my underwear and pulled them down my legs. She took both my knees and spread my legs with her eyes locked between my legs.

“Wow…” She mumbled.

I blushed. “Is it okay?” I didn’t know how to not make this awkward.

Luna answered that by leaning forward and running a long lick up my folds. I felt my body surge forward and my body clench. I let out a soft moan as Luna’s tongue spread my fold apart and began prodding around. I could tell she didn’t know exactly what she was doing, but I was more than happy to be her test subject.

Luna pulled back for a moment and stared at my spot for a second before bringing a hand up to replace her mouth. “I’ve done this before to myself…” She muttered like she was trying to convince me she knew what she was doing. “That hand part, I mean.”

I nodded and felt one slim finger enter me making me gasp. It wiggled around before being joined by a second finger, and the two curled forward. I felt something inside me tingle intensely and I moaned loudly. I hoped no one had skipped dinner too and was nearby because then I’d have a lot of explaining to do.

“More,” I moaned, lodging my hands in Luna’s silky blonde hair.

Luna complied by attaching her mouth to a bundle of nerves. She pumped her fingers in out while sucking the sensitive flesh. I moaned and felt my body go through waves of pleasure. I felt pleasure from Luna’s mouth and fingers, but also from everything said earlier.

“You’re the most important person in my life, too.”

The strongest wave of pleasure overcame me. My entire body seemed to clench around Luna’s fingers and I let out a final cry. Luna continued her movements until I was lying limp on the grass.

I looked down at the beautiful girl. Luna’s white-blonde hair was in disarray and her fair skin was tinted with a flattering light pink. Her eyes seemed to be full of glitter and shone brightly in the newly arrived moonlight.

Luna grabbed my underwear which had been hanging on one of my ankles, and pulled them back into place and then readjusted my skirt.

“You seem sleepy.” She noted with a giggle.

My eyelids were growing heavy, but I reached for her anyway. “It’s your turn.”

Luna shook her head. “You’re too tired. I can have my turn when you don’t look knackered.”

I nodded, not having enough energy to argue. Luna laid next to me, and we watched the stars. As my eyelids finally fell shut, I mumbled, “I love you, Luna.”

I heard whispered in my ear in that wonderfully airy voice, “I love you too.”

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sincerlyyme-blog · 7 years

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To The Moon and Back (Evan x Reader) HOGWARTS AU

BASED OFF THIS HEADCANON

tw: none!

words: 4.3k

author’s note: hey everyone! so i know that i haven’t uploaded a fic in a literal month, and i am so sorry. this fic was sort of rushed because of my guilt haha. so its not the best. but i hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

The summer heat beat down on Evan’s skin. The sun rays were crisping his pale complexion, torturing the freckles on his back. It was the middle of July, and young Hansen still had yet to receive his letter. It was all that his relatives spoke to him about. At every barbeque, Thanksgiving dinner, and holiday; it was to be mentioned. He was of age to attend Hogwarts. And it seemed like that’s all they cared about. They never asked him how he was, what he enjoys doing, or if he likes school. They asked him what animal he would bring as a messenger, what house he thought he would be sorted into, what classes he would enroll in. Much to their dismay, Evan had no idea. If he had to be honest with himself, he was more worried than excited. The anxiety crawled under his skin, thinking about leaving his mother alone in their big house. His mother, Heidi, was a healer. She used her wizardry to help the sick. But Evan knew that no spell on Earth would mend her broken heart, for when he left for Hogwarts.

He pondered over these thoughts whilst he sat in the big oak tree, on his front lawn. His right leg sat beneath him whilst his left leg curled up towards his chest. He gazed out onto the dry lawn. The summer heat was unbearable this summer, drying every crop in sight. He wondered how his mother would manage to mow the lawn, water the plants, and weed the garden while he was away. He wondered what she would do with all of her fall vegetables – possibly freezing them in a stew for when he returned. He wondered who would make her tea and tuck her into bed on her hard nights. He wondered who would tuck him into bed and make him tea on all of his hard nights. He wondered about all of these things.

“Evan?” his mother’s voice broke him from his thoughts.

Evan peered from over the yellow branch, glancing onto the ground. Heidi’s golden hair camouflaged into the dead grass. A smile grew on her face, looking at the boy she raised with love and care.

“Thank goodness you’re up there! Climb down and help me with dinner.”

The house was silent. Heidi and Evan stood shoulder-to-shoulder, cutting vegetables. The sound of the leaky pipe in the bathroom created white noise. Evan wondered if he would have enough time to fix it before he would have to leave.

“So, I spoke to Martha- you know Martha Beck, don’t you? Anyways, I was speaking to Martha and she said that the letters were delayed by a week. But you should be getting yours soon!” Heidi spoke with a large grin.

Evan trained his eyes on the zucchini that he was chopping. He felt his mother’s eyes burn into him. He glanced up for a second, meeting her eyes. He nodded meekly and returned his gaze to the cutting board.

“Evan, honey, what’s wrong?” she set her knife down, throwing her tea towel over her shoulder.

“Nothing, really, it’s nothing,” Evan spoke softly. His eyebrows furrowed as he attempted to cut the next slice evenly.

Heidi took her son’s hand into her own, lowering his knife to the counter. He refused to look at her. He trained his eyes on his hand, where the knife used to be.

“Evan, I know that change can be scary. Especially after, well, after your father left. But this will be good for you,” she searched for his eyes.

“It’s not- It’s not that simple, mom. I’m worried about you,” his gaze finally met hers, burning with fear.

Heidi’s eyes softened. Her smile faltered. She mumbled something along the lines of ‘oh sweetie’, whilst pulling her baby boy into a bone-crushing embrace. He hiccupped a sob into her shoulder. He was petrified. And so was she.

In the 1980’s, Hogwarts was just like any other private school. The hallways were hung with drapes, the windows shown beautiful stain glass artwork. It was a beautiful school. Inside the walls, alas, was nothing special. There was drama, teen romance, galas and balls. That is where Heidi met Evan’s father, Eric. It was a bit risqué, the two of them being from different houses. Heidi was a Hufflepuff, whereas Eric was a Ravenclaw. They met at a quiddatch tournament.

Heidi pushed her glasses up her nose and clutched her hands to her scarf. Her roommate, Julie, had told her the funniest joke. Heidi’s nose scrunched and she let out a soft snort. The two girls were giddy over the first Quiddatch match of the season. They watched as the older girls kissed their boyfriends, wishing them goodluck. They even watched their potions professor pick his nose. The two girls were as hyper and giddy as could be.

“Hey, Heidi! Want something to eat?” Julie pointed over to a small food vendor.

It was the first time in history that a Quiddatch match was sponsored. A small chain near Gringotts had opened for business, catering sports foods. Heidi could smell the buttery popcorn and it made her mouth water.

“Yes! I’m starving,” she mumbled, nodding her nose further into her scarf for warmth.

Her and Julie had picked out their favourite treats. Julie bought a chocolate frog, jelly beans, a soda, and a package of chips. Heidi, on the other hand, chose to purchase a small popcorn and a slushie. The game was about to start and the seats were filling up. Julie pinched onto the back of Heidi’s arm, pulling her to the bleachers.

Eric sat at the bottom of the bleachers. He was decked in his robe, wearing all sorts of Ravenclaw merchandise to support his house. He sat with his friends, Jobe and Marvin. They were speaking to each other, gambling as to who would win.

Julie found the perfect spot on the bleachers, tugging Heidi down a little too abruptly. The buttery bag of popcorn slipped out of Heidi’s hands, tumbling through the air. The savory treat ended up all over Eric’s lap. Heidi was mortified. Jobe and Marvin howled in laughter.

Eric walked Heidi back to her room that night. She apologized over and over. Eric laughed softly each time, telling her that she had no reason to be sorry. The air became a bit more brisk. Eric’s sandy locks looked coarse and his thick-rimmed glasses fogged every time he would breathe into the collar of his robe.

Eric kissed Heidi that night. Their lips formed together like petals on a rose. They hummed together in harmony. Fitting like a puzzle piece, Heidi knew that this single kiss would blossom it a romance. And it did. The romance took off in secrecy. It was forbidden for two houses to cross romantically. Their relationship consisted of hushed kisses, dates in the dark, and secret love letters. Heidi knew that it wouldn’t have worked out. I mean, how could it? Heidi knew that a love so forbidden would not pull through. But she hoped. Heidi prayed to the heavens that Eric would be the one to hold her hand down the aisle, when signing a lease to their first home, when creating a family, when sharing their last words together.

Eric’s last words to Heidi were in a U-Haul, pulling out of their driveway.

Evan had received his letter to Hogwarts last month. He was in his bedroom, double checking that he had packed everything. Heidi was downstairs, ironing his good shirt. Evan was roaming around the house, dressed in his white under-shirt and khaki pants.

“Mom, have you seen my-“

“Under the sink.”

“What about my-“

“Yes, honey, I packed it,”

“Even my-“

“Yes, that too!”

It was a nerve-wracking day. Baby-boy Hansen was flying from his mother’s nest, ready to explore something greater. Heidi was the most excited. She grabbed his hand in the car, telling him all the great things that he will encounter at the school. She told him that he was smart, kind, and important. Most of all, she told him that this year will be a brand new start.

The Hansen’s arrived to Platform 9 ¾ just in time. The train was about to depart. Heidi and Evan lugged all of his belongings onto the stow-away cart. The adrenaline and excitement of it all consumed Evan’s thoughts. It was almost as if his brain was on over-drive in order to protect his sanity. His panic was dammed in. But the dam broke when he met Heidi’s glazed eyes.

Heidi was a cryer. No matter the circumstance. It could be at a movie, song, commercial, or puppy. But something was different this time. The look in her sad eyes seemed unfamiliar to Evan.

The line that they stood in was flowing rather fast. The boy and his mother clutched onto each other for dear-life, savoring their last moments together. Evan’s turn rolled around to board the train. Just as he set a foot onto the platform, Heidi pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

“I love you, Evan.”

“I love you too, mom.”

“To the moon and back?”

“To the moon and back.”

The train ride was long and noisy. Groups of excited teens all screamed in excitement, making it hard for Evan to find peace. His owl, Lucy, was sat on his lap. She hummed in her cage. Evan smiled, sticking a finger through the bars and stroking her chin. He had had Lucy for a while. Even before applying to Hogwarts. Heidi had purchased Lucy for him to calm his anxiety. Lucy was his best friend. As he continued to pet Lucy, the sounds of the train died down around him. He seemed to dissociate himself from the crowd, putting himself in a zone of peace and serenity.

It was hard to navigate through the train. All of the seats were crowded with teens. Many of them swearing and swishing their wands around. When you boarded, you did not have anyone to sit with. Though your parents were both Ravenclaws, they never associated themselves with other wizard families. All of their friends either didn’t have children your age, or they didn’t have children at all.

You searched through the train cabins until you landed on one in the back. Inside was a boy, petting his owl. He was all alone.

“Hey, do you mind if I sit here?”

The boy jumped at the sound of your voice, his head banging into the wall. “Oh, uh, yeah. Sure!”

With your belongings in hand, you snuggled into the chair across from him. You settled your owl’s cage into your lap, as well. The boy’s owl cooed at your own.

“This is Eugene,” you smiled softly, gesturing to the feather friend in your lap.

“Lucy,” the boy murmured, mimicking your actions.

The boy was cute. His hair was gelled back, and his blue shirt was buttoned up all the way. His cheeks were pudgy in contrast to his skinny frame, and they were tinted a shade of pink. You smiled, admiring his stature.

“I’m Y/N,” you stuck your hand out, waiting for him to shake it.

The boy reached his hand down to his thigh, wiping off his sweaty palms. “I’m, uh, I’m Evan. Evan Hansen,” he took your hand and shook it gingerly.

You smiled at him softly. You could see in his eyes that he was nervous. You wondered if he was always like this.

“So, Evan, where are you from?” you snuggled further into your seat.

Evan proceeded to tell you all about his hometown. Everything from his house to his favourite coffee shop. He began to ramble, telling you more about his family than you had orginaly wanted to know. He only mentioned his mother. Your curiosity got the best of you.

“Do you have any siblings?”

“No, uh, not that I know of.”

“And your dad-“

“He’s not around.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, no, no. It’s, um, it’s okay. Really. It’s just that-“

“You don’t want to talk about it?”

He nodded meekly.

“That’s okay,” you murmured back softly. “You don’t have to talk about anything that you’re not comfortable with.”

Throughout the rest of the train ride, you and Evan got to know each other a little bit more. You opened up to him about your family. You explained that even though your mom and dad were both still in the picture, there were faults in your family. He listened to you, nodding. You felt like he understood. Evan piped up a little later, explaining his anxiety. He told you about last summer, when he broke his arm. You shed a tear. So did he. Evan told you about all of his fears. And you told him yours.

The train came to a stop on the tracks. You hadn’t realized how much closer you were to Evan, compared to when the train left the station. Your head was rested on his shoulder, and his thumb was just barely grazing the back of your hand. The two of you – reluctantly – stood up. Collecting your things, the two of you stumbled off the train.

You could not believe the sight in front of you. The large, gothic castle was your new home. It was amazing. Maybe the most beautiful building you have ever seen. Looking to your left, you searched Evan’s face as he drank in the sight before him. He was just as amazed as you were.

The crowd of teenagers swam into the main dining hall. There stood the head professor. The tension in the room was thick. The chatter died down between adolescents as the man welcomed everyone. He began to explain the process of the sorting hat.

In the man’s pale hands, he revealed a brown hat that held a frown at the crease. He introduced the hat, explaining that it would decide as to what house you belonged in. You could hear Evan’s breathing become heavier. You reached behind you and gave his hand a small squeeze. The man began to read in a non-alphabetic order.

“Jared Kleinman.”

“Ravenclaw!”

An abundance of teens, draped in blue robes, cheered at the top of their lungs. Some of the older teen boys slapped their hands against the wooden tables.

“Kevin Price.”

“Slytherin!”

As if on cue, the group of green minors hollered. The process carried on.

“Alana Beck.”

“Gryffindor!”

“Michael Mell.”

“Gryffindor!”

“Racetrack Higgins.”

“Ravenclaw!”

“Evan Hansen.”

You gasped, spinning around to meet the blue-eyed boy. He was frozen in place. You were smiling ear-to-ear in attempt of encouragement. Pressing your hands to the center of his back, you began to push him in the right direction.

“Evan,” you hissed. “That’s you! Go!”

Evan darted his eyes around the room before clambering up the stairs. The man sat the sorting hat on top of his head. The dirty canvas hat began to grumble in thought.

Evan began to panic. He was hoping for Hufflepuff. He had to be Hufflepuff, right? If not Hufflepuff, then definitely Gryffindor. He would even be fine with Slytherin. He could become equipped to the green robes. Evan was not religious, but for the first time in a while he prayed. He prayed that he was not sorted into Ravenclaw. He prayed that the sorting hat could see that Evan was, in fact, nothing like his father.

Evan had held an intense pre-judgemental impression against Ravenclaws. It was all to blame on his father. Evan couldn’t bare the thought of being sorted into the same house that his father was in. He was panicking. The familiar feeling of his throat closing crept up. Oh please, please, please, please-

“Hufflepuff!”

The group of golden peers roared for the sandy haired boy. Evan felt like he could breathe again. You watched as his nose scrunched in happiness. He lifted his skinny legs and used them to jog over to the swarm of yellow friends. They engulfed him into their arms. You were so happy for him.

“Y/N L/N.”

You gulped. You were not sure as to why you were nervous. Glancing around, you could feel the eyes of your peers boring into you. Just as you sat down, you saw Evan, standing with his new friends. He gave you the biggest smile. You felt confident again.

“Hmmm, Y/N L/N. The child of M/N and D/N. You have the sweet qualities of a Hufflepuff. And the perseverance of a Gryffindor,” the hat began to speak out loud.

You looked up from your lap. Anxiety washed over you. Evan searched your eyes from afar, digging his nails into the hem of his shirt.

“You have the wit of a Slytherin. You have the intelligence of a Ravenclaw. In fact, you could settle in any household. But as I look further into your history, I see that you come from a long line of Ravenclaw’s.”

Evan sucked in a harsh breath. His heart dropped into his stomach. This couldn’t be true. It couldn’t be-

“Ravenclaw!”

You whipped your head upwards, smiling from ear-to-ear. The professor took the hat off your head, allowing you to scramble over to your new friends. They all cheered, pulling you into a large circle. You could not stop smiling! Standing on your tiptoes, you peered around looking for Evan. He was nowhere to be seen. Your smile dropped the slightest. You knew that you could always find him later.

Evan could not believe it. You were a Ravenclaw. The one thing that could have gone bad, did. He didn’t know what was worse: the possibility of him being in Ravenclaw, or the fact that that’s where you belonged. The sorting hat put you there. For a reason.

Evan let out a long huff, pulling his suitcase behind him. It was heavy and tough on his bird-like arms. He found his way to his new bedroom. Puling open the door, another boy was standing on top of a bed, hanging up a poster.

“OHMYWORD, YOU’RE MY NEW ROOMATE!” the boy had unruly hair. He wore a white button-down shirt and a black tie.

“Uh, yes, that’s- uh, that’s me,” Evan winced back at the slightest, due to his roommates volume.

“I’m Arnold! Arnold Cunningham,” he jumped off the bed, shoving his hand in Evan’s face.

Evan shook his hand, noticing the boy’s dopey smile and outrageous sweat stains. Evan introduced himself quietly.

“We are going to be the bestest of friends!” he almost sang, grabbing Evan’s arm.

Evan laughed nervously, pulling away and brushing his arm off. He glanced around the room. Arnold was already completely unpacked. Above his twin bed, a Star Wars poster was hanging proudly. Evan almost shivered at the sight of the storm troopers. He felt like they were watching him.

“What about you, roomie? Did you bring anything special?” Arnold jumped onto his bed. The curls on his head bounced.

“Not really,” Evan mumbled, “I just brought the essentials.”

“Boring,” Arnold shrugged. He rolled over on his bed, laying on his stomach. Using his free arm, he grabbed a comic book out from his shelf.

Evan sighed once again. His stay at Hogwarts was supposed to be a fresh start. He couldn’t help but feel lonesome for home. Unzipping his suitcase, Evan began to put his belongings away. After unfolding his toothbrush from a Ziploc bag, he noticed an unfamiliar picture frame, sitting at the bottom of his suitcase. He reached out and picked it up. It was a picture of him and Heidi. They were both smiling, sitting at the bottom of a big oak tree. Evan ran his fingertips along the bronze frame. A single tear slipped from his eye.

School was difficult. Learning spells and potions seemed easy, but you found yourself struggling. They had moved you to an intermediate course for spell-making. As you walked through the big doors, you recognized a few kids from your house. They were draped in the same blue robe. Further down the line, you noticed a face that you remembered. His sandy brown hair and gold robe were too unforgettable.

“Evan!” you called out, smiling wide.

The anxious boy’s head snapped in your direction. He didn’t smile. You felt your heart drop into your stomach. You were off-balance. Striding over to his spot, you tried your best to not let your smile become dim.

“Hey, how has your first week been?” you searched his eyes, sitting in the seat next to him.

“Fine,” he mumbled almost inaudibly. He didn’t even look at you.

Lowering your head, you attempted to meet his gaze. “Um, hey! What about your roommate? How’s that going?”

“Fine.”

“Evan, are you okay-“

Suddenly your professor strode in, and you could feel Evan loosen up a bit. It was hard to focus on the lesson when all you could think about was how Evan was treating you. Your professor began the lesson with a simple spell. The curriculum was very interactive with students. This lesson in particular was a simple “swish” and “flick”.

The purpose of this spell, and movement of the wand, was to lift a feather in the air. Your classmates all began to do the demonstration. You did it perfectly! Next to you, Evan was struggling. You watched from the corner of your eye. He was swishing his wand the opposite way.

“Hey, Evan, can I help you?”

No response.

“Well, you’re swishing your wand the wrong-“

“I know,” he mumbled very softly.

“Here, let me help you-“

“I don’t need help-“

“Well, you clearly do. So, please, let me help.”

Reaching out your hand, you placed your grip on his softly. You tried to show him how to swish his wand. He snatched his hand away from yours. He squeezed his eyes tight, huffing out with frustration.

“I said, I don’t need help!”

The classroom broke into a deep silence. All eyes were on the two of you. Evan was staring at you. His ears and the tip of his nose were burning red. You could see the anger and fear in his eyes.

Your professor spoke up, “Evan, is there a problem?”

Before your professor could finish her sentence, Evan had dropped his wand on the floor and ran out of the room.

Evan’s feet carried him to the lonely corridors. His breathing was quick and tight. Tears blurred his vision. He slid down the corridor wall, letting out a sob that wrecked through his entire body. He was so embarrassed. He didn’t know who to blame. He was mad at himself for getting so worked up. He was mad at you for being in Ravenclaw. He was mad at his father for so many reasons. He wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

Your professor had granted you permission to leave the classroom and make amends with Evan. You jogged around the area in search for Evan. The sounds of his sobs echoed off the high ceilings. It was there, against the corridor wall, where you found him. His robe was hugging his skinny frame, engulfing him into black and yellow satin.

His head was tucked between his knees. Slowing your pace, you approached him slowly. You sat on your knees in front of him, laying a delicate hand on his shoulder. ‘

“Evan, I know that I was dramatic back there. But can you blame me? I have no idea what I did wrong. Did I do something?” you spoke softly, as if your words could leave bruises on his small shoulders.

The boy quivered underneath your touch. He lifted his head out from his knees. His cheeks were blotchy and his eyes shadowed a deep maroon.

“I-It’s hard to, to um, explain. It’s more than… more than what you think,” he hiccupped.

You smiled sadly, scooting closer to him. “Then tell me,” you whispered.

“I can’t be around you anymore,” he mumbled into his sleeve.

You felt your heart break.

“You’re a Ravenclaw. And I just… I just can’t be around Ravenclaw’s,” he looked over your shoulder, too afraid to look at your face.

“Evan... I don’t understand. What do you mean?” you could feel your voice trembling.

“Y/N, I can’t- I can’t speak to you. You’re a Ravenclaw for a reason. The sorting hat picked you to be a Ravenclaw-“

“Evan, I don’t understand-“

“Ravenclaw’s are terrible. They rip families apart. They say that they love you, then they leave. They lie. They say that you are special, then they leave. I can’t, Y/N, I can’t keep doing this-“

“Evan, where is all of this coming from?” you practically shouted over his rambling.

“My dad! Okay?” his voice bellowed over yours. And just as quickly as it grew, it began to shrink, “my dad. H-He left us. And he was a Ravenclaw.”

You engulfed your blue-eyed boy into a hug. His skinny frame trembled against your embrace. Just like when you were on the train, Evan told you his worst fears. He told you that he was scared. He was scared of falling in love with you. He was scared that you would leave him like his dad did. He was scared of laying his trust in you.

Pulling away from the blubbering boy, you gazed into his eyes. He looked into yours, and flickered between them and your own trembling lips. You pressed a passionate kiss to his mouth, holding him in your arms.

“I’ll never leave you, Evan. I promise,” you whispered, resting your forehead against his.

“Do you promise?”

You nodded, “I promise. I love you so much.”

“To the moon and back?”

“To the moon and back.”

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drawbauchery · 7 years

Text

(short fic by facetiousfanboy!!!)

Yana and Bell had been in a relationship for a few months now and Bell had decided it was finally time for Yana to meet the girl she took care of, a girl named Peridot. Yana arrived at Bell’s home in the early afternoon and parked her car. This would be the first time she ever actually spent any period of time in the lawyer’s house. Bell had always insisted they have their little rendezvous at her apartment so they would be away from prying eyes. But now they were taking their relationship to the next level, and so here Yana was, ready to meet Bell’s family and learn more about her life outside of the courtroom.

Yana spent a few moments in the car composing herself as she looked at the house. It was pedestrian, a simple single story with three bedrooms that looked like any number of other houses. The only feature which distinguished it from the others lining the street was the handmade wind chime hanging on the porch and a little stone frog by the door. Yana thought the frog was cute. She took another moment to prepare herself once she reached the door by running her fingers through her hair and straightening her clothes. She often did this before presenting cases in court, and this was no different, she would present herself to this girl, win her approval, further her relationship with Bell, and come out the victor just as she so often did in her cases. She took one last moment to adjust the necklace around her neck, a silver chain which held a square yellow stone, before ringing the doorbell.

She only had to wait a few moments before the door was opened by a girl in her teenage years who was dressed in a black shirt with an alien face on it and gym shorts. She had short messy blond hair and glasses which had a green tint. She looked Yellow over.

“If you’re selling something we’re not interested.”

Yana blinked in surprise. Maybe she shouldn’t have worn this skirt and jacket. “Um, no, I’m Yana, a friend of your mother’s. She should’ve said something about me coming?”

Peridot’s frown deepened and she raised an eyebrow as she looked Yana over again. “You’re Yana Zircon?”

Yana couldn’t help but get the feeling like she was being judged. “Yes, that’s me.” She was trying not to get upset. She was a professional, and professionals never let emotions affect them under any circumstances.

“Really, you?” She sounded skeptical.

Of course even professionals could get annoyed from time to time. “Yes, it’s really me. I have my I.D. if you’d like to see it. Now may I please come in?”

Peridot put a hand on her hip and seemed to consider closing the door for a moment before stepping back and pulling it further open to allow the other entrance.

Yana stepped in, quickly pulling off her shoes and jacket. She set down the suitcase she had brought with her and looked around the house. It was simple just like the outside. There were a couple of pictures hanging on the walls, an open kitchen to one side and a breakfast alcove which had a table in it. The living room had a couch that looked big enough for four people and an entertainment setup for the tv. There was a hallway on the right which led to the bedrooms and bathroom. She could see those later.

Peridot closed the door then cleared her throat. “Wait here, I’ll get Bell.” She left her in the entryway, disappearing down the hallway and entering one of the rooms. Yana couldn’t hear the conversation she had with Bell beyond a few muted sounds. Peridot came back a few moments later and stood before her again with her hand on her hip.

“She’ll be out in a little bit, she’s just finishing up. Can I get anything for you? Water, soda, iced tea?” She offered.

“Water is fine.”

Peridot went to the kitchen, grabbing a glass from one of the cupboards and filling it. Yana followed her into the kitchen and accepted the glass, sipping it down slowly.

“So how long have you two been dating?” Peridot asked, folding her arms.

Yana nearly choked on the water but she was able to play it off as clearing her throat. “Oh, Bell and I have been going out for about three months now.”

Peridot adjusted her glasses. “And do you care about her?”

Yana was a bit surprised by this line of questioning. “Of course, she’s a wonderful woman.”

Peridot leaned back against the counter. “Yes she is. And I’ve seen her hurt before.” Peridot narrowed her eyes at Yana. “And I don’t want to see it happen again.”

Yana was taken aback by this. Was she being threatened by this girl? She barely even knew her and this was completely unexpected. She had dealt with criminals who were more level headed than this young lady. She was about to open her mouth and say something when there was the sound of a door closing and Bell appeared from the hallway. Her hair was in its normal comb over style but she was wearing just an oversized shirt, pajama pants, and her circular glasses. She smiled as she approached the two, completely unaware of the conversation they had been having.

“Well hello there Yana.” She kissed her cheek, giving her a quick hug as a way of greeting. Yana happily hugged her in return.

Bell then turned and kissed Peridot on the cheek as well. “Hello to you as well Peridot.”

Peridot blushed and wiped her cheek. “Bell, please don’t do that, I’m not a kid anymore.” She crossed her arms again and pouted.

Bell smiled and ruffled her hair. “I know, but you’re still my little girl.” She looked to Yana.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Thank you for coming. I’m glad you could make it.” She looked between the two. “I take it you two have already met then?”

Yana nodded. “Yes, we’ve been acquainted.” She was able to keep her face neutral. “You have a lovely home by the way.”

Bell blushed lightly and smiled. “Thank you, it’s not much but I like it.” She looked around. “I’m sorry I couldn’t greet you when you arrived by the way, I was finishing the work for an upcoming case.”

Yana raised her hand to stop the other. “It’s perfectly alright. I understand, sometimes I get caught up in work too. You know that.”

Bell nodded. “Yes, I suppose I do.” She glanced at Peridot who was looking at the floor with her arms crossed while still pouting. She sighed and looked back at yellow. “So, would you like the tour?”

Yana nodded. “Yes, I’d love one.”

Bell smiled and looked to Peridot. “Peri, can you give her the tour while I get started on dinner?”

Peridot sighed. “Fine.” She gestured around. “This is the kitchen.” She went through it, pointing out various objects before moving on. Yana followed her. The young woman led her through the laundry room, living room, office where Bell had been working, and then the bedrooms. Bell’s bedroom was simple, it had a queen-sized bed with a wooden headboard and lamps sitting on tables on either side. The right side was apparently the side Bell slept on as the table there had an alarm clock, eyeglasses case, and a cup for water. It also had a picture on it of a young girl with blond hair who was laughing and raising her arms in excitement. Yana immediately recognized the child in the picture as Peridot.

The two went to Peridot’s room next. Once Peridot had the other in her room she closed the door and turned to Yana. Yana frowned down at her. “Is there something you want to tell me?” She expected a full confrontation now that they were alone.

Peridot frowned. “I looked you up after Bell told me you started dating. She talked about you a lot before then actually. You’re a good lawyer, one of the best according to her, but she also talked about how you teased and baited her.” Peridot pushed her glasses up her nose. “I don’t care what kind of a game you’re playing, if you hurt her, if you do anything to her.” She walked closer, narrowing her eyes up at Yana. “I’ll do everything I can to make you regret it.”

Yana took a step back. “Peridot wasn’t it? Let me assure you of one thing. I care very strongly for Bell, more than I ever have for anybody else. I would never cause her any harm and I have no intention of doing so in the future.” She sighed. “I don’t know if you believe me or not but let’s at least pretend like we can get along for this weekend, for her if nothing else.”

Peridot blushes and looks away. “Fine, for her.” She walked to the door and opened it. “That concludes the tour unless you want to see the garage.”

Yana shook her head. “No, that’s alright.” She looked around the room, taking a moment to take it in. The room was messy with clothes strewn everywhere and various other objects mixed in with them. There were a handful of stuffed animals in it and one or two aliens, including one which had a hat and bowtie and looked to have been stitched by hand. There was a desk which had a computer on it as well as a drawing pad and drawing utensils. Yana walked out of the room and headed back towards the kitchen.

Bell was sticking a meatloaf into the oven when they returned. She quickly closed the door and set the timer before stretching, raising her arm high over her head and letting out a noise of satisfaction.

Yana walked up behind her and hugged her, not caring if Peridot saw them. Bell was her girlfriend and she was entitled to cuddles.

Bell jumped when Yana hugged her and blushed as she looked back at her. “I thought I asked you not to do that.”

Yana smiled mischievously and kissed Bell’s cheek. “I’ll make it up to you later.”

Bell’s blush darkened and she had to clear her throat to keep herself from making any other noise. “That’s fine, just please remove yourself from me for now, I’d like to get something to drink.”

Yana pulled back and leaned against the nearest counter, picking up the glass she had set down earlier which still had some water in it. She sipped it.

Peridot watched them, blushing lightly. Bell filled a glass with iced tea and sipped at it. “Now, what should we talk about while we’re waiting for dinner to cook?”

Yana hummed in thought. “Well how about what you’re working on?”

Bell hesitated before speaking. “Do you know the Amethyst sisters?”

Yana nearly choked on her water. “That group of delinquents? What have they done now?”

“Some of them are being falsely charged with destruction of property. I’ve been assigned to defend them.” She stated.

Yana nodded. “Why would you do that?”

Bell glanced over towards Peridot who was blushing and fiddling with the bottom of her shirt nervously. “Because they asked me to.”

Yana was confused but she shrugged. “Alright.” She turned her attention to Peridot now. “And what do you do?”

Peridot looked up at her. “I’m in High school. I study and draw and spend some of my spare time blogging.” She stated.

Bell smiled. “Yes, her blog has over 500 followers now.” She was very proud of her. “And you should see her drawings, she’s a very talented young lady.”

Peridot nodded, blushing. “Yeah, they like my posts.” She looked away. “Um, what about you?” She looked at Yana.

Yana smiled. “I’m a lawyer like Bell, however I mostly handle prosecutions.”

Peridot crossed her arms. “So you attack people?”

Yana lost her smile and had to blink a few times as she processed what the youth had just said.

Bell frowned. “Peridot that was rude! Apologize now!”

Peridot’s frown deepened. “I was just asking a question.”

Bell put her hands on her hips. “I don’t care. You will apologize to her right this instant young lady!”

Peridot groaned but lowered her arms to her sides and turned to Yana. “I’m sorry.”

Yana hesitated before speaking. “It’s alright. I’ve heard people say worse things about me.”

Bell and Yana talked about the house and the history of it until the food was cooked, then they ate. Peridot talked about her latest projects, how she was drawing a commission for one of her followers and that it was of a character from some show. Bell talked a bit more about her case before her and Yana began swapping court stories.

After dinner the trio decided they wanted to watch a movie. Yana was given the choice since she was the guest and decided on an action movie. Yana and Bell sat on the couch while Peridot took a seat in the reclining chair.

As the movie progressed Yana put her arm over Bell’s shoulder and crossed one leg over the other, smiling as she pulled her girlfriend closer. Bell smiled too, leaning against her. They got quite comfortable like this, relaxed and completely enjoying each other’s company.

Peridot noticed the other two getting closer and began to become quite perturbed. She didn’t trust this woman with Bell and she wasn’t going to stand for this. Peridot got up at some point near the middle of the film and walked to the two. They looked up at her in confusion.

Peridot turned around and promptly sat between them. She then wrapped her arms around Bell and leaned against her. Bell smiled and put an arm around Peridot, tenderly rubbing her back.

Yana scowled at her. Peridot in turn narrowed her eyes at the woman and only pulled herself closer to Bell. Yana knew this was going to be an uphill battle but she wasn’t one to give up easily and she would get Peridot to accept her, one way or another.

#facetiousfanboy #submission #fics #THANKS SO MUCH FOR SUBMITTING THIS AGAIN DUDE #i love it #i love peri's sass and protectiveness #i love the fact that she's actually bell's daughter #i love the reference to that comic of peri squeezing herself between them #i hate that i forgot to upload it all that time ago #but #aslkfns #<3<3 #human au #mom zircon au

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friendshipcampaign · 7 years

Text

Plans Are Bad

The conversation that happened between Ditto and Daisy after Rooster Bramble’s room. The second half gets a little into nuts-and-bolts planning territory, but at Scribe’s recommendation I just posted the whole thing :)

Daisy seemed to hold herself together as she saw Rooster out, making sure that the guard outside saw that "Bramble" was, as far as he could tell, still in bed. As soon as the door shut, however, Ditto saw her hands trembling. The tremor seemed to move out from there, spreading from head to toe.

Ditto hesitated a moment before talking. With the door shut, she figured she could let the illusion wear off. She'd stay in bed so that she could put it up quickly if someone was going to come in.

"Hey, um, Daisy?” She said, “Are you doing okay? You're shaking a lot over there."

Daisy started at Ditto's voice, stared at her a moment, then looked down at her hands.

"I--I don't know," she managed. Her legs suddenly seemed to buckle under her, and as she sank to the floor Ditto threw away the idea of staying in bed and hurried over to her.

After a moment, Daisy looked back up. "Is this a curse?" she whispered.

"Is what a curse?" Ditto asked.

Daisy held up her shaking arms. Her eyes were wide and terrified. "I can't--I can't make it stop," she said. "And I can't breathe right. And--"

"It's not a curse." Ditto said. "It's...it just means you're scared. But you'll be okay, I promise. It'll pass."

She held out a hand, wishing she knew Daisy a little better, wary that she'd just startle her more. Distantly, she took a little comfort in the knowledge that her small stature tended to make her less intimidating to humans.

"Can you hold my hand?” she asked “It...it might help a little."

Daisy reached out. At first her grip was tentative but Ditto gave her a little smile and a nod it, and it tightened like a vice. Daisy was small for a human, but her hands were big and strong and calloused from work much tougher than the duties of a lady-in-waiting. Ditto covered one of those hands with her other one.

"You've got a good grip. You're stronger than you look. That's pretty cool." She bit her lip. It had been a very, very long time since she was around someone who was panicking like this, and she tried her best to remember what helped. "I know you're scared. But you're gonna be okay. I've got a bunch of powerful magic, and I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you."

Daisy made a choked little laughing noise. "You're already wanted for treason," she said. "And I--I heard--you almost died when your friends escaped--there's no way--" She paused and inhaled so deeply and tightly it seemed she was trying to fight her own lungs.

"Please don't lie to me," she said at last.

"Ehh...yeah. Fair enough. Sorry." Ditto looked down and winced. "Okay...maybe I'm not that powerful. But...I'm still here. And while I am, I still won't let anything happen to you if I can help it. ...Do you believe I'm telling you the truth there?"

If Ditto hadn't been watching so intently she might have missed the tiny nod. Daisy gave her. She nodded back.

"Okay. Good. Um...maybe...try to take some slow, deep breaths. It's okay if you can't do it. Just give it a shot. I'm gonna breathe deep and you can try to breathe deep with me. Okay? You think you can try that?"

Daisy nodded again, and followed along as Ditto breathed. She kept shaking, but the look of glazed, uncontrollable terror slowly faded from her eyes. Ditto kept up the deep breaths for a while, deeply relieved that they seemed to be helping. She pated the back of Daisy's hand.

"You're okay. You're gonna be okay." She said

"I'm not," said Daisy. She squeezed Ditto's hand tighter. "But maybe Bramble will be."

"I hope so.” Ditto said. “Thank you for trusting us with her. I know that was probably hard to do. We'll do everything we can to fix what's happening to her."

"I know." Daisy took one more deep breath before standing up. "You should get back into bed. We don't know when someone might come by."

Ditto nodded and climbed back into the bed. She smiled weakly at Daisy. "This is all pretty far out from what you signed up for when you took this job, huh?"

Daisy laughed. "My Ma said I could handle it because I was so good at looking after my little sister. It's all been . . . much more complicated than I expected."

"I bet. ...I guess noble children are different. Or...they're not different, but their lives are. The creepy stuff Rooster says about her family sure seems to back that up."

Daisy walked over and poked at the fire. She didn't touch the complex stack of wood that Rooster left.

"I'm glad Lady Greatbrooke managed to make her own way in the world," she said.

"She did. She's tough...But she's fun, too. Even when she really, really seems like she needs a hug, she has a sense of humor about it."

Ditto remembered how Bramble told her she was sorry that she hadn't been able to fix things, and how she put herself between Sister Lamphead and Voski. She wondered, maybe, if that was a noble thing...maybe if you grow up being told your family is important and in charge you feel like you're responsible for everything. Or maybe it wasn't nobles. Maybe it was just the way some people were built.

"...She and Bramble are alike sometimes, I think." Ditto said.

"Bramble would try to infiltrate a fortress disguised as a boisterous lumberjack," said Daisy, smiling. "At least, if you could convince her not to march straight in the front door."

"And believe me, it took a lot of convincing to keep Rooster from marching straight in the front door." Ditto said.

Daisy smiled and nodded, and poked at the fire again. Her shaking had almost stopped by now, but Ditto could still hear the poker clattering across the coals. "What are you . . . going to do?" she asked.

"Could you, uh, be more specific?"

"About . . . Bramble, about . . ." Daisy gestured at Ditto curled up in bed with Coila's mysterious quilt tucked around her, ". . . this, about whatever's happening in Soreth."

Ditto took a deep breath. She idly conjured a bug in her hands, then turned it into a ball, then a quill, then a frog, then nothing, her legs fidgeting as she talked.

"It's hard to say, when we don't know everything yet ourselves. And...well....there's things we've already learned about what's going on that...might upset you more if you knew them."

Daisy kept turning over the embers of the fire. "I'll already hang for a traitor if they find out what I've done," she said in a tight little voice. "I don't know how much more upset I'm going to get."

From her spot in the bed, Ditto reached forward with Mage and and placed it on Daisy's shoulder, squeezing it gently. Daisy stiffened momentarily, then turned to meet Ditto's eyes.

"There's a curse. It's what's hurting Bramble. And I'm pretty sure lifting it is going to mean getting that thing in the circular wall in courtyard out."

"What Sister Calma's doing," said Daisy. "All that stuff about blocking out the Fae . . . it's making it worse, isn't it?"

"I think so. There's some kind of ancient pact going on here. We still don't know what it all means, but all this . . . ." Ditto gestured to the castle around her. "It's making things worse. I think we only have a few more days before it reaches a point where it pops."

Daisy nodded and placed the poker back in its stand. She put her hands in her lap, nervously twisting a corner of her skirts over and over.

"Ditto," she asked, "Is Bramble a changeling?"

For a moment, Ditto froze completely. Then she plastered a huge grin on her face and chuckled.

"What? No! I mean. Maybe. I mean, I don't know. I wasn't there! I mean...." she sighs. "Probably yes? The Laird thinks she is. But--" Ditto couldn't stop or slow down the words pouring out of her mouth, they just kept coming and coming, picking up in intensity. "If she is, it shouldn't change anything about her. She didn't have any choice in how she was born and she's the same person she always was. She's just a kid and this isn't...she didn't do anything, you know?” Her voice rose and took on a pleading edge. “It doesn't change anything if she is, does it?"

"Shhh!" Daisy whispered, glancing at the door. They both froze, waiting for some response from the guard outside, but nothing came.

When Daisy responded, she was careful to speak in a bare whisper. "It changes more things than I can count," she said, "But it doesn't change my mind."

Ditto covered her mouth and nodded, relieved.

"Bramble's sister, Rose..." she whispered, then hesitated.

"Was she caught up in this too?"

"...She's still alive." Ditto said. She hadn't been sure, hadn't been planning at first to tell Daisy this part. But now...now she was sure.

Daisy gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth., holding like that for a long time.

"How?" she whispered through her fingers.

"She's been cursed too, but the curse got to her first. And it's different with her than it is with Bramble. She's not sick. She's just. Well . . . ." Ditto twiddled her fingers together, careful to keep her voice down this time. "She's . . . sort of a dragon right now."

For a moment Ditto feared that Daisy was going to faint. She seemed to be trying to say something, but all that came out was an incredulous squeak.

"A dragon?!" Daisy hissed once she'd calmed down enough to form words. "How--why--"

Suddenly her eyes widened with realization.

"She's the dragon in the mountains! But . . . your friend . . ." She shook her head slowly. "That's why Bramble wouldn't believe it."

". . . It was . . . it was mostly an accident. Even Erwyn--" Ditto just barely caught herself before she added 'doesn't blame her.' Even if they could trust Daisy, it didn't feel right to tell her that part without the others agreeing to it, particularly Erwyn.

"--Wouldn't blame her,” she finished. “I mean. He'd understand. She just reacted out of instinct. She didn't mean to hurt them." She paused. " . . .We've been talking to her. She can't talk with words, but she can speak to me the same way you could earlier, when I was using magic."

"Is . . ." Daisy paused and shook her head again. "I almost asked 'is she all right?' but of course she isn't. She's a little girl. She should be . . . running around on the battlements with Bramble, leading me on some goose chase around the castle. Not this."

Ditto nodded. "They both talk like this is their battle to fight. And maybe it is just because it was given to them, but they're just kids, even if one's a dragon. They need our help . . .whatever's in the courtyard, I think getting it's the first step to lifting the curses on both of them. It's probably the key to most of this. It's just been . . . pretty hard to get to."

Ditto recognized the look on Daisy's face. She last saw it when Daisy was standing in front of Bramble's door and threatening them with the poker, her terror just barely overcome with a wave of determination.

"All right," she said. "What do we do?"

Ditto stared at her for a moment. She was . . .very much not expecting that. She took Daisy's hands and squeezed them. She took a deep breath.

"Okay. Before we do anything too crazy, let's figure out what we have to work with. Could you go out and see what things are like in the courtyard right now? When I was there last there were a bunch of workers and wood and Sister Lamp out there and that seems like a whole lot to sneak past."

Daisy drew in a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and nodded.

"You're doing great. You're the best. Seriously." Ditto lay back down refreshed the illusion.

Daisy picked up a pitcher of water that was sitting on an elaborately carved chest by the window and dumped most of it out. She checked that Ditto's illusion was working, tucked the blankets closer around her, and heads over to the door.

"I'll be back soon," she said.

Ditto nodded, then realized Daisy couldn't see her nodding because of the illusion as she turned away. Daisy's knuckles white where gripped the pitcher, she opened the door and stepped outside. Ditto could hear her have a brief conversation with the guard, and then her footsteps faded into the distance.

It was probably only two or three minutes before Daisy came back, but it felt like much longer. She didn't look good, barely making it inside the room before sliding down to the floor and staring ahead of her with a glazed expression, impressively managing to keep from spilling the pitcher. Ditto hurried over and took her hand again.

"Daisy? You still with me, hon?"

"They got away," Daisy said, still staring at nothing. "That's the important thing."

For a moment, Ditto didn't understand. Then she did understand and wished that she didn't. She groaned and slid down the wall next to Daisy.

"...How bad? No, wait. Don't answer that yet. C'mere."

She got back to her feet and tugged gently on Daisy's hand. "Come sit down on the bed at least. It's more comfortable than the floor, and I should probably stay ready in case the door gets opened."

Daisy let Ditto lead her over to the bed without protest. Ditto climbed back in, and Daisy sat down beside her, hugging her knees to her chest. Ditto leaned into her a little, trying to be comforting, fidgeting a little with the edge of the blanket.

"...In your own time." She said.

"It's . . . chaos . . . down there," Daisy spoke slowly, as if she had to winch every word up out of a deep well. "Lady Greatbrooke . . . Sister Calma found out. Somehow. They fought. I . . . they can't have found out about Bramble or we'd be in the dungeons already."

Ditto quietly groaned. "...Do you know if...was she hurt?"

Daisy shook her head. "I don't think so. She . . ." She let out a terrified, high-pitched little laugh. "She attacked Sister Calma with an axe! Not . . . not badly. And then she lit the gate on fire. And she got away."

Ditto turned the far-less terrified laugh that came out of her at the mental image of Rooster chasing Sister Calamity around the courtyard with an axe into a cough.

"Okay. Okay. Well, she got away, then. That's good. Nobody died. Also good. And Bramble's safe, we can assume. Which is also good. So. Good. Overall. For the most part. Could be worse. Does Bramble get...a lot of visitors? Does the Laird or Sister Calma ever come in to check on her or visit with her?”

Daisy nodded shakily. "Calma's come here often since she fell ill. She . . . keeps casting Protection From Evil and she gets upset when it doesn't work. The Laird . . . doesn't visit much."

"Okay. Well, hopefully she'll be occupied with the whole...axe...business for now. But that means I probably can't keep up this fake Bramble thing for too long. It'll fall apart if she shows up for a visit, and that'd be...pretty bad."

Ditto considered. Daisy was being brave, but that doesn't change the fact that she was terrified. This was out of her depth, and pushing her too far seemed like a bad idea. The two of them alone wouldn't make a very formidable team . . . but if Rooster had already been found out, she was not likely to be able to get back in easily, and the others were probably occupied.

She could send word to them somehow, but if she stayed as Bramble too long she'd be caught. If she left and they tried to get in again, the guards would probably, not entirely inaccurately, think they've kidnapped Bramble and be on the lookout for them more than before. And they had to get that seed out sooner or later. This might be their best chance.

Ugh. Ditto did not want to be their best chance. She really, really didn't.

"Okay." She took a deep breath. "So. First order of business. Let's talk about protecting you if the worst happens."

"All right," said Daisy. She didn't sound hopeful.

"Have you ever seen someone who had a charm spell cast on them before?"

Daisy shook her head

"Well, if we get caught--and I mean, hopefully we'll avoid that but let's just prepare for the worst--I'll yell for you to cause a distraction. And when I do, just...do that. Run around in circles, make noise, knock things off shelves, whatever. Act like you're doing it without thinking. If they try to restrain you, let them. If they ask you about me, act like I'm...I'm just your new best friend and you can't imagine that I could be actually doing anything bad."

Ditto made a point of talking calmly and slowly, giving Daisy time to absorb what she's saying. "Keep that up for a few minutes, then act kind of...disoriented and confused. When they ask you what happened, tell them that I cast some sort of spell and all of a sudden you just...trusted me, and you don't know why. Sister Calma'll probably know what that means. I tried to cast it on her earlier so I wouldn't be surprised if she already suspects I can do that."

Daisy nodded. "All right."

"Hopefully we won't have to use that plan. But. You know." She put on a brave smile and rubbed her hands together. "Plan for the worst and hope for the best, right?"

"What sort of best are we hoping for?" asked Daisy.

"...Best case scenario, we get close to the thing in the courtyard without arousing suspicion. I get it out without being caught. We get back someplace secluded without being noticed. You dump me out a window or something and I run the heck away from here without being seen. Then you go back to this room and scream because Bramble's gone and she's definitely been here all this time, and no one is suspicious."

Daisy laughed a little at that.

"I know,” Ditto shrugged. “But you asked for the best-case scenario."

"I did." Daisy seemed to be feeling better. Still scared--it would be a miracle if she wasn't--but she smiled down at Ditto and leaned closer to her. "Time to plan for something that isn't the worst, then?"

Ditto nodded. "Okay. Here's how I see it...there's at least six steps here. Step one is getting me close to that wall without arousing suspicion. Probably the easiest one. Step two is me getting in there. That's harder...I can get close with magic without being seen, but once I get really close to that wall the magic's turned off, and the only way I can get in is by climbing over the edge, so I'll be visible and exposed. I'll need a really good distraction in that moment or we'll have trouble."

She paused. "Though, well...we might have a pretty good distraction available. But I don't know if it'd be enough....especially if there are a lot of people in the courtyard."

"What do you mean?"

"...Well. Rose. She wanted to help...and apparently she can cause a lot of cold and wind around the castle without getting close enough for the archers to hurt her. I've sort of got a way of guiding her to one place or another. Maybe if they thought the castle was under attack from a dragon, they'd, you know, look in that direction. ...Even then, I imagine it'd require some sneaking. And maybe some help from you...you could get the attention of anyone who was headed in my direction?"

"I can do my best." Daisy paused. "I . . . have a very loud scream? Would that work?"

"Screams are good. They get a lot of attention." Ditto paused. "...We might also have someone else on the inside who'll help us. He's actually helped us a couple times already, he's just had plausible deniability till now. But he knows about Rose. So we can probably be sure he's on our side."

Daisy looked around, startled, and for a moment it seemed like she was expecting a cloaked and hooded figure to emerge from the stonework

"...It's Revik.” Ditto said. “He's been helping Rose and Bramble, and the lady. He could probably help with keeping eyes off me...and maybe back up your story if you're caught."

Daisy's eyes went wide as saucers. "Revik? But he's been here since before my Granny was born!"

"Yeah, he's probably way better at this 'being subtle and secretive' stuff than we are."

Daisy nodded. "Good . . ." she said.

"So. One way or another I get up in that wall. ...There was scaffolding around it when I was out there before. Did you see a platform or something near the top of the wall that I could use to get over it? Assuming I could get up there."

"There's the platform above it, and the scaffolding's still there. It might be a bit of a squeeze, but you're probably good at that."

"I am!" Ditto smiled. "Okay, that's good news. So. Assuming I get in without a disaster occurring, as I understand it the thing I'm looking for is a seed. Probably buried in the ground. I should probably get a trowel or something. And a pouch. And . . . and a pen and paper because I think I want to write a note. If I can get that thing out of there, I might be able to get it to the others even if . . . well, even if I don't myself get out. Which for the record, I am going to be trying as hard as I can to get myself out."

Daisy took Ditto's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"If I can get out of the anti-magic area around that wall without being seen,” Ditto continued, “and if you can be standing nearby with an open bag or something near you, getting out of the courtyard should be easy. I'll just magic myself into the bag and tell you to pick it up and carry it someplace away from there. ...Is there maybe a...I don't know, someplace where trash gets thrown out, or a window near a less-guarded wall or something that you could sneak me out through?"

Daisy nods. "There's the rubbish dump by the kitchens, and I don't think the back wall will have many guards. But how big a bag do I need? You won't fit out the windows unless you can magic yourself smaller somehow. I--is that something you can do? I've never really spent time with a wizard before."

"No...not yet, anyway. It'd have to be big enough to fit me...I don't suppose there's an excuse you or Revik might have to be carrying around a bag that size? Maybe it's rubbish or laundry?"

"Laundry, yes . . ." Daisy looked around. "We've got most of the castle's linens stockpiled here."

"Good, good. I can be laundry. I'm very good at being laundry. Once I was a soiled dress for a week and a half." Ditto said, her voice deadpan, hoping to make Daisy laugh . It worked. The girl let out a chuckle that seemed genuine as much as it was a release of tension.

"Okay. If you can get me to an exit I can fit through that isn't very guarded, I can get the seed out through a friend, and then just...book it, run like the wind back to the cave. You can go back and act like Bramble was kidnapped during the dragon attack. And hopefully...well. Hopefully once we get that seed thing out...Bramble and Rose will be okay? I've got all my fingers crossed." Ditto paused. "...You should call Revik. Ask him to bring...I don't know, something for Bramble? I think if we're gonna pull this off, we'll need all the help we can get. And maybe he knows something we don't."

"I'll ask him for soup," said Daisy. "That makes sense. Bramble . . . she hasn't eaten anything in a while."

Ditto's stomach clenched at that. It wasn't surprising, certainly, given the state Bramble was in, but it was still upsetting to hear. She squeezed Daisy's hand a little tighter.

"Right...well, if the door's gonna be opened I'd better lie down and put on my face." She said.

Daisy nodded, but before Ditto lies back she leaned down and kissed her cheek. Then she jumped up, smoothing her skirts and blushing as she went to stand by the door.

"Stay safe," she said.

"You too." Ditto replied.

Daisy nodded emphatically, took a deep breath, and headed out the door.

#daisy #ditto #downtime #anxiety queen #poor daisy she's a sweetheart

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