#for me its faust. she gets on my nerves. sorry. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

crowtrinkets · 3 years

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New Words

Asra and the Apprentice (during their rehabilitation) take a day trip. The events leave the Apprentice feeling insecure of their speech problems. At this point, the Apprentice can speak only a few words and can walk but does so with a cane. This is the said fic prompt that was keeping me awake at night lol.

Quick warning: Minor assault scene but nothing major or graphic

Word Count: 4560

AsraXGen Neutral Apprentice/Reader

My eyes flutter open as the sun shines through the window, shielding my eyes from the bright warm light, I sit up. I can hear Asra idly humming in the other room. He must’ve woken up early cause he knew how excited I am. Last night Asra asked me if I wanted to go to the beach. Although I could not physically voice my excitement I enthusiastically nodded telling him I would very much like to go. Ever since I awoke to Asra and Faust not too long ago, nearing a year, give or take, I have struggled to do basic tasks. Since then I have learned to walk, although I use a cane to keep me balanced. And I can speak a few words but I’m still struggling. Asra will read to me some days so I can expand my vocabulary until I can read and speak for myself. It's not easy but I’m eager to learn. I reach over and grab my cane to help me stand, Asra walks in and gives me a smile.

“Well good morning,”

“Hello,” I respond. I can pronounce good, but morning is what always gets me, so we opted that hello can be a place holder for many words. Good morning, hey look over here, welcome back and even goodbye sometimes. I remove the kettle from the stove and carefully pour the hot water into the cups preparing the morning tea Asra and I always have. Once I was strong enough to hold the kettle Asra was always conveniently away when I woke, so that I was the one to make the tea. We both grab our cups and Asra puts out his arm so I can steady myself as we walk to the table. Sitting down I take in the aroma of my drink.

“Tea,” I mumble to myself as I raise the cup to take a sip. Although my vocabulary is short I try to say the few words I can as often as possible as a way to practice.

“So are you sure you still want to go to the beach? The sand might be tricky for you to walk on,” Asra looks at me over the rim of his cup. Although he’s already dressed I can tell he would willingly change back into regular clothes and stay home.

“Asra,” I give him a glare. I spend the majority of my time upstairs alone and engaging in “physical therapy” as Asra calls it. It's boring and I hate it, I want to see more of the city but I can't leave without Asra. If I were to get lost I wouldn’t even be able to ask someone for directions.

“Okay, okay. Beach today it is,” He gives me a quick smile before looking into his cup smile disappearing into the empty mug. I scrunch my brows in worry but before I can call his name, getting his attention he starts. “I’m going to grab some things to bring with us, you go ahead and get dressed,” he then stands and leaves to find some beach-worthy supplies. After putting our cups in the sink, I grab my beach clothes and change behind the partition in the corner. Our home above the shop is small but Asra makes sure I have the privacy I need. Once I'm dressed I put on my cover-up and do up the buttons. I poke my head around the partition but my vision is blocked by.. straw? I hear Asra let out a giggle.

“I got you a hat, it’s a sunny day and we can't do with you getting a sunburn,” I fix the hat so it’s sitting properly on my head and give Asra a look. I’ve never burned while going out, although whether it is due to the fact that I simply don't burn or Asra mothering me I will never know. Asra picks up a bag and I can see a few items poking out. A blanket, a canteen, and what looks like to be some sandwiches. He probably prepared them while I was still asleep.

“Ready to go?” Asra gives me a smile. To which I respond with a nod.

—- As my apprentice and I steadily make our way down the stairs I can't help the impending nervousness that boils in me. Their hands are placed on both my shoulders as I walk in front of them. Their motor skills have improved immensely but walking is still sometimes a struggle for them. We sometimes go to the market but we can only ever be out for about an hour. This is why I make them stay home and do exercises to build their strength. But I could tell being home all day was getting to them. Large crowds make them nervous but one can only spend so long alone especially when they can barely speak or read for entertainment. My nerves begin to grow until I hear their quiet voice in my ear.

“Asra,” I look over my shoulder at them, flushing slightly when I realized we’ve reached the end of the stairs and have been standing there for an awkward amount of time.

“Ah sorry, I was a little lost in thought” I move out of the way so they can walk ahead of me out the door. I follow behind silently.

“Friend okay?” Faust pokes her head from my bag and looks up at me. I give her a short nod and turn around to lock the door of our shop.

“Ok, time to find a gondola,” I turn to walk toward the town square where most of the gondola drivers park but I feel a hand grip my arm stopping me in my tracks.

“Walk?” My apprentice gives me a confused look. I thought I told them last night but I guess it slipped my mind.

“Well, walking on sand is hard enough and I didn't want you to tire yourself out before we got there so taking a gondola most of the way makes sense,” they scrunch their eyebrows and I see their bottom lip poke out slightly. They’re pouting, I could so easily tease them but opt not to.

“Walk!” They wave their cane in the air slightly, signifying they can walk just fine with their cane. But that doesn’t convince me otherwise, I worry they’ll get too tired and we’ll have to take a gondola anyways. I rub my hand on the back on my neck and think for a second.

“How about we take a ride there, but on the way back we can walk, sound good?” They scrunch their nose as they think about my proposition, making a grunted thinking noise before they huff in finality. They give me a distinguished nod acting as though they were not just pouting a second ago.

“Ok, sounds good to me,” they give me a smile and we walk towards the town square. I find a gondola man and drop a few miscellaneous shiny items in their hand, then requesting they take us to the East Docs. The ride is peaceful and quiet, Faust makes her way around my shoulders so she can watch the sights go by just as my apprentice is. Their wide eyes scanning everything we pass by with awe. The East Docs and beach areas are used the most so the lingering ash from the Lazaret was cleaned up, unlike Ash Beach. The east beaches are small but people usually stay away because it's so close to the south end. Hopefully, my apprentice and I can enjoy a peaceful day alone.

Once we reach our destination and exit the gondola my apprentice's face lights up, I rarely see their genuine smile, and when I do it's always a treat. We approach the shore and I scan the area. There are only a few people here, perfect beach day scenario. I see my apprentice step onto the sand and wobble a little, leaning on their cane for stability and I reach out and grab their arm to help. They give me an embarrassed look, it takes every muscle in my body not to make an I told you so face. We back onto the cobblestone and I place my bag down, removing Faust from my shoulders and placing her onto my apprentice's shoulder. Both of them tilt their heads in confusion. I crouch down slightly my back facing my apprentice.

“Get on, I’ll carry you,” I hear a short squeak come from their mouth but before long I feel them climb onto my back. Arms around my neck and legs around my sides, I place my hands on their legs to hold them up. Once I know they're secure I stand up straight feeling them cling to me for dear life, retrieving my bag I waltz out onto the sand carrying my oh-so-precious cargo. —- The last thing I expected out of today was to be on Asra's back. I also did not expect the sand to be so slippery and full of rocks making it hard to balance let alone walk on. I was silently praying thanks that Asra offered to carry me, maybe for more reason than just the one. I'm used to being in such close quarters with him but being on his back I’m realizing how good he smells. He smells like the tea we had this morning and sage with a hint of cinnamon. It’s almost addicting. I poke my head out from his right and I look around. We’re actually at the beach! My heart flutters in excitement as we near closer to the shore.

“Getting excited are we?” I suck in my breath flushing, oh dear, Asra must be able to feel my heart thumping on his back. I nod slowly, the brim of my hat dancing on top of Asra's fluffy curls. He stops walking and looks around. “This spot seems good.” He crouches down again allowing me to climb off his back, his scent leaving with him. I angle my cane to help me standstill as I observe the shore. Asra reaches into his bag and pulls out the blanket, spreading it out onto the ground. Taking my hand he helps me sit and promptly plops himself down next to me. We both let out a sigh as we look out onto the horizon. Asra reaches into his bag and pulls out two sandwiches handing one to me. I put my cane behind us and open my sandwich taking a bite. We sit in silence eating and drinking in our view of the Vesuvian shores. After swallowing my last bite, I lay down on the blanket and stretch my arms above my head. My hand swipes over something other than sand though. I grab it to get a better look, it's a seashell. Or at least part of one, its broken in half but it’s still beautiful regardless. The brown stripes running across remind me of a ribbon I saw once in the market place.

“Found a seashell?” Asra leans over observing my find. I nod and hand it to him. “Yknow we can go look for some more, ahh I don't know if I can carry you and look for seashells at the same time though,” I flush at the thought, I can imagine how ridiculous it would look. “I am also not fond of leaving you alone to go look for some myself...” Asra trails off when an idea strikes me.

“Faust,” I say looking at her as she pokes her head from the sand. Asra looks to her and then me and nods.

“Alright,” he pulls Faust from the sand and holds her up to his face so she can look at him while he speaks. “Ok Faust, I'm giving you an important task, stay here with MC while I look for seashells, protect them from harm,” I chuckle at Asra's theatrics as he hands Faust to me. What could possibly be dangerous about a beach? Asra gets up and jogs down to the shore and I wave as he leaves.

Once Asra leaves I undo my cover-up to let the sun hit my skin, setting it to the side and watching Faust turn it into her bed. I begin to scan the beach, there aren't many people here. I see a small family, two parents, and two children. They run about the shore squealing with excitement. I find myself thinking about family and whether I have one when I feel a headache creep up on me. I shake my head trying to will the pain away. Asra taught me to meditate when I feel a headache coming but sometimes they get too intense and I need Asra's help, and he’s not here right now. I look around the beach again trying to distract my thoughts until my eyes fall upon an island in the distance. I’ve heard people talk about this island, the name escapes me but I know people are scared of it. I can't remember why though. I continue to stare at this island, feeling utterly enamored with it, almost like I can't take my eyes off of it. My headache starts to slowly crawl up the nape of my neck but I can't manage to look away.

“Hey! I'm talking to you!” The voice breaks me from my trance and I look up at the man standing above me. I don’t recognize him. He’s standing very close to me, and he doesn’t seem to be dressed for the beach so what is he doing here?

“H-hello,” I stutter out. He has a nasty look on his face. Something about this man makes me uncomfortable.

“So you can talk, What's a pretty thing like you doing alone here?” He bends down slightly leaning over me even more. My heart starts to pound as I realize, he wants to talk with me. But I can't, I start to frantically look around for Asra until I see him. He’s further down the beach leaning in the water digging in the sand.

“Asra,” I try to shout but my voice is hoarse and quiet.

“Asra?” The man follows my eyes and sees Asra in the distance. “Oh, what is he your boyfriend? Well, he's not a very good one for leaving you all alone,” the man crouches down to my level getting closer to me. “Why don't you ditch him and come with me?” I lean away from the man and slowly shake my head. “What you’re too good for me or something?” The man's voice starts to become more hostile as he leans closer to me. I continue to lean away trying to will my voice into appearing, if I could speak I would tell this man to leave, but I can't and he isn't leaving me alone. I need help. Suddenly he grips my shoulder.

“C’mon can't you speak or something? Don't you know you have to answer someone when they ask you a question?” His grip on my shoulder becomes tighter and it starts to hurt the panic in me starts to swell and I act suddenly.

“No!” I scream and shove him away from me sending him onto his back. The man quickly scrambles to his feet and looks down at me once again. His face is red and his breathing is harsh and heaving.

“Little shit!” In that moment he kicks sand into my face. I start spluttering wiping the sand from my eyes. I feel something cool and silky run over my leg and I hear a scream. I manage to open my eyes and see the man thrashing at Faust who is wrapped around the man's leg, squeezing. My heart starts to race, this man could hurt Faust, my friend, and more importantly Asra's friend. I grab my cane from behind me and sit upon my knees swinging my cane at the man nailing him in the side.

“NO!” I yell once again, I’ve never said that word but my fear trumped any other emotions at that moment. The man falls onto the ground.

—- The waves are cool as they wash over my legs. I’ve managed to find quite a few seashells I'm sure my apprentice will love. I pick up a purple one and place it in my pocket. I look around at the ground again and see possibly the biggest seashell I've seen so far. It's similar to the one they found, white with brown stripes. I'm sure they’d love a complete version. I lean down to grab it but the wave beats me to it bringing it away with the current. At that moment I think I hear something.

“NO!” I stop in my tracks. That wasn’t who I thought it was... was it? No, it wasn’t MC they haven’t been able to pronounce their own name let alone “no”. When they get annoyed they usually say my name in an annoyed tone. I look back at the sand trying to find the shell the wave washed away but then I hear Faust’s voice.

“Friend! Help!” I whip my head around and scan for our spot and I see it. My dear, shy, friendly apprentice, swinging their cane? Onto a man? Are they beating a man up? Panic swells in me and I race up the beach. I can hear them yelling and sobbing “no” as they whack the screaming man senseless, Faust unravels from the man's leg and approaches me, I grab her placing her on my shoulders, and approach the scene.

“Hey, hey!” I grab their cane mid-swing and they flinch facing me. The moment their eyes meet mine however they relax, their eyes red from crying and their breath heaving from swinging. I ignore the man groaning on the ground and keep my apprentice's attention. “What happened,” tears swell their eyes and their voice comes out croaking.

“Faust.... Asra” they point to the man's leg and then point out to where I was standing. Their breathing is heavy and their voice is hoarse. My heart aches to see them so distressed. They grab their shoulder mimic someone tightening their grip. They then grab sand and point to their face with their other hand. I don't know what happened but I think I understand, I hand Faust back to them and look at the man who has now recovered and stands. I glare at him and he stumbles back slightly.

“Don’t you know when someone says no it means no? Get out of here before I call the attention of the guards,” there are no guards in sight but the notion strikes fear in the man who leaves without a word. I crouch down and catch my apprentice by the hand, the moment we meet eyes the tears start flowing, I pull them into an embrace and rub their back shushing comforts into their ear. I watch the man approach the street and flick magic his way, causing him to trip into a large burly man walking in the street. I think he still needs to learn his lesson. I look back at my apprentice pulling away before witnessing the man's unruly fate. They sniffle and look down at Faust who is wrapped around their hand.

“Faust,” they give her chin scratches and look up at me.

“You’re safe now, well maybe you were never in danger, who knew you could swing that cane so hard, maybe you don't need as much physical therapy as much as I thought you did” a snort comes out of them and they try to hide their laughter behind their hand. “Let's go home now” my apprentice nods back at me grabbing my hand as I help them to their feet.

—- Asra folds up the blanket and packs our belongings as I button my coverup. I recount the events that just happened. I may have been able to defend myself but this never would’ve happened if I could just tell that man to piss off. I feel the lump in my throat return. Squeezing the handle of my cane in my hand as I try to bite back my tears.

“All packed up” Asra's voice catches me off guard. He lightly places his hand on my arm and gives me a warm smile. “Hey, you didn't do anything wrong, that man had it coming it was unfortunate he had to face the wrath of MC the mighty warrior equipped with a cane and a fearless snake," Faust pokes her head out from my should and bleps her tongue out at me. I smile at Asra's encouraging words, but I don’t think he understands why I'm really upset. He leans down again so I can climb onto his back and he walks back to the streets setting me down once were on stable ground. Faust climbs from my shoulders and onto Asra's as I walk close to the docs looking for a gondola.

“Hey, I said we could walk home didn't I?” Asra smiles at me reminding me of our deal from this morning. I nod and follow him towards our shop. Our trek back home is quiet, it’s usually quiet due to my lack of speech ability, but it’s especially quiet as we walk along the cobblestone streets. The afternoon sun still illuminates the streets but it slowly falls behind the buildings as we go through the city.

“So you learned a new word today,” Asra catches my attention. Yea I guess I did, and with this new word comes me repeating it whenever possible so it sticks in my brain. I take a deep breath and stop in my tracks. Asra gives me a confused look.

“NOOO-” I yell as loud it as I can. My new word. Asra jumps and puts his hand over my mouth trying to stifle his laughter”

“Mc, please! People are gonna think you're being attacked” he whispers, laughing between words.

“Asra,” I muffle under his hand, poking him in the shoulder. We then hear feet rushing towards us.

“Guards!” Asra picks me uplifting me by the legs, practically throwing me over his shoulder, and my arms find his shoulders, anchoring me in place. He takes off running both of us giggling. Asra runs behind a building and sets me down, peeking around the corner to make sure we weren't followed. I don't understand why he ran, he simply could've explained the situation but I guess his mischievous nature got the best of him. He laughs between breaths. Turning to face me Asra puts his hands on his hips to scold me but his smiles betrays his stern persona.

“Why would you do that? You really are just attracting trouble wherever you go,” Asra's smile is warm. But he’s right. My inability to speak has now become a danger. If Asra could use magic to make me speak I would request it in an instant. But this is something I had to do for myself. I have to be determined and try my hardest. I fiddle with a loose button on my coverup, trying not to recount the panic that swelled in me because I couldn't ask the man to leave. Asra is now giving me a concerned look, I can see the sadness behind his eyes when he looks at me like that.

“I was only kidding MC, I don't think your THAT much of a trouble maker," his attempt at a joke makes the corners of my mouth upturn ever so slightly. "hey how about we get something to eat, maybe soooome” my heart flutters, is he gonna say what I think he is. He taps a finger to his chin pretending to ponder, smirking at the look I give him. “Pumpkin bread?” I nearly jump, nodding so quickly my head may roll off my shoulders. “Well then,” Asra puts his arm out for me to take “shall we?” I grab his arm and we walk toward the marketplace. —- My apprentice and I waltz through our neighborhood arms linked together, and I’m able to carry their weight and keep them balanced, so they rest their cane’s handle on their arm. I would be lying if I didn’t admit I was utterly terrified when I saw the event that took place. I also would be lying if I said I wasn’t proud that they defended themself, especially Faust. When I left them alone I exaggerated my instructions to her but she knew there was a sense of seriousness in my speech. We approach the stand of our favorite baker.

“Well if it isn't Asra and- oh you look a little worse for wear,” I look at our appearance, I guess we do look a little disheveled after our day, scaring off creeps and running from guards. Especially my friend on my arm, sand coating parts of their skin from earlier in the day. Their face still a little puffy from all their crying.

“I think we’re deserving of some tea and pumpkin bread,” the baker gives me a knowing look and turns to fetch us our treats, my apprentice lets go on my arm and steadies their stance with their cane.

“Tea,” they nod and walk over to their usual seat. I sit on the stairs next to their stool. The baker approaches us with two cups and hands us our own respective drinks. I take a sniff of the warm brew. It smells of berries and mint. Taking a long sip I feel my whole body relax. I see my apprentice let the stiffness of their body ease from the corner of my eye as well. The baker returns with two loaves of our favorite pumpkin bread and leans on a table looking us up and down.

“Seems you visited the beaches? Fun day?” My apprentice tenses once again. Taking a slow bite of their bread and nodding slowly. I quickly think of ways to change the subject.

“Yes, ahh yes I actually found quite a few seashells if you’d like to see,” I stand and reach into my pockets pulling out all the shells I collected from the beach and placing them on the table for the baker to peruse. We converse back and forth trying to determine which shell belongs to which sea creature. I can see my apprentice from the corner of my eye, they continue to eat their bread in silence looking down. I can tell they don’t want to be asked about our day. I won't dare ask them to tell me what exactly happened today, but I feel that they are shaken up about more than just what happened. That's when I hear it though. Their small voice uttering something. The baker and I turn towards them in awe as they attempt to speak.

“Puh... pump... kin brrr... brrread,” they look up at us beaming eyes misty. Then they open their mouth again. “Thhh... hank.... yyy- yyyou” I look over at the baker, we come here often so he knows of my apprentice's situation, he wipes a stray tear from his eye and smiles back at them.

“You are very welcome,” the warmness in my heart flutters. Seeing them improve fills me with pride, and it brings me even more joy to see them smile, my dear, kind, friendly apprentice.

#the arcana #the arcana game #the arcana asra #the arcana faust #the arcana mc #the arcana fic #asra the magician #asra alnazar #crow writes

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chantealalune · 4 years

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Love Like Yours Fest @lovelikeyoursfest

Day 1 Catch-Up: Start of Something New

“Fool in the Rain”-An Asra x F!mc Laura short story

Asra hums and drums, slouching over the top of the counter with a sleepy Faust around his shoulders. Eyes closed and face smushed in his hand he groans, “My love, is anyone really going to come in today with this hurricane going?” As if on cue, a loud clap of thunder roars outside. “Danger Air!” Faust squeaks.

I smile to myself as I continue tidying up the shelves and displays along the walls, “It is raining harder than usual that’s for sure,” picking up one of the moonstone orbs, a carefully buff a smudge from its surface “But we still have a few charms and ritual kits ready for pick-up. I would hate to keep anyone waiting out there if we were to be away.” Satisfied with the presentation of the items I turn to face him.

“You’re welcome to go rest upstairs though. I don’t mind at all.” I saunter towards him and gently rest my forehead against his. He closes his eyes and pecks the tip of my nose making a thoughtful sound. I flush a bit and laugh softly.

“I know,” he sighs happily pulling away to look at me “but I always loved waiting out storms with you by my side. It reminds me of the first time we met.” he gently squeezes my hand.

First time we met?

“I thought you told Nadi and her sisters that we met when she first came to Vesuvia and I was pushed into your booth.”

“Well technically that’s the first time I saw you, but we actually didn’t talk or ‘formally’ introduce ourselves then.” he clarifies looking up at the ceiling.

“Yeah, you were probably too starstruck. And here I thought Muriel was the shy one.” I smirk coyly as he blushes.

“What?! No! I mean- how was I supposed to say anything when the famed goddess next door was suddenly on my table.”

“I only kid. Anyways if we didn’t ‘meet’ then, when and how did our first meeting go?”

Asra looks to the side while using his free hand to scritch Faust’s chin, “Hehe..yeah, it’s kinda a funny story. Er, a bit of a long one-” “Crimes with Asra!” Faust perks up, dodging Asra’s hand. “Faust!” he feigns betrayal.

“Haha, what? What does she mean? Oh gosh Asra, what did we do?” I give a loving, skeptical look and squeeze his hand.

“Oh no no! You didn’t do anything at all I swear it was all- well.. like I said it’s a bit of a funny story.” He smiles sheepishly looking at Faust for some grain of mercy.

“All right then,” I let go of his hand, “how about I get us some tea and you can tell me at the table” I smile as I walk through the warm yellow glow of the kitchen entrance next to the opening of the counter.

“Yes please!” He all but sprints after me. Immediately pulling out the wooden chairs for us to sit in. Faust slithers down his arm and into an empty Prakran fruit bowl for a nap.

I gently rouse the stove salamander and place our copper kettle over the ignited flame. As the water heats up, I pour my favorite Chai tea blend into two mismatched clay cups. Taking out the last of the week’s cream and some ground hazelnut for fix-ins. A few minutes later our tea is brewed and ready. I hand Asra his cup before placing mine and sitting down, rubbing the top of Faust’s head.

“This is really nice, thank you.” He takes a sip, giving a satisfied ‘mmm’ of approval “Oh, but before I start- please let me know if you’re feeling any headaches or pains. I know, I know you are ‘infinitely stronger’ now and you haven’t had a spell like that since the night at the fountain but you know I’ll always worry.” he warns somberly.

“Of course, thank you.” I reassure and pat the top of his hand before comfortably leaning back into my chair and taking the first sip of my drink. It’s nice and spicy, perferct for the cooler weather.

Asra takes another quiet sip before going into the story, “When we first met it had been about a year since Muriel left the arena and him and I moved to the woods. We lived off the land okay but going to the markets for things was inevitable. So I had been selling charms, masks, readings, y’know the usual crowd drawers. Like I mentioned to Nadi I had set up my booth behind the shop once and that’s how I met you,” We smile cheekily at the last bit.

“After that first time I saw you, I just- I couldn’t get you out of my head. I had to see you once more at the very least just to know it wasn’t a dream. So from then I would constantly hang around the back or within the streets just hoping to catch another glimpse of you. Maybe even work up the nerve to talk to you. It worked eventually, we would see each other as you would come and go to the markets. Sometimes you would come and look at the wares I had that day” he smirks mischeviously, “Really I think you were scoping out the competition and got distracted by my charm. I certainly did with you, at least.” I giggle

“Oh shush, you... You said the shop was originally my aunt’s, didn’t she see you at all? Did I ever say anything?”

“You didn’t of course, you have always been the same friendly flirt. Honestly, I think we were both excited to find another student of magic around our age. Even your aunt didn’t say much. She never did.” he looks to his tea with a sad smile.

“Why? What was wrong with her?” I say through a slow sip.

“I don’t think you ever told me the full story, but there was certainly talk around town. When you came to Vesuvia, it was to take care of your aunt. She was becoming increasingly sickly and could barely manage the shop anymore. In exchange she promised she would teach you everything she knew about magic, when she was up to it of course. You didn’t mind though, you always said you were excited just to live here. You guys were very close, but I digress. She saw me enough from the bedroom window, always with a stern look and intense gaze just like yours. I always thought it was intimidation or that she was sizing me up. Now that I think about it though, she was just waiting.”

“For what?”

“One of us to make the first move, I guess” he laughs.

“I guess I can relate, I’m waiting to hear how our first meeting went. All this build-up and you’re starting to sound like Julian.”

Asra playfully rolls his eyes smearing a hand over his face “Oh please, that’s the last thing I want. Don’t worry, though, I’m almost there.”

“Okay..”

“So anyways, your aunt did scare me off just a bit. I thought she was going to tell you something- she didn’t of course. But I still made it a point to rotate my selling grounds, going to different markets every other day. On top of that I even sort of demoted myself to something like a ‘door to door snake venom salesman’. What a sight I must’ve been, huh? A disheveled, gaunt, 17 year old kid and his snake selling crude twig charms and sigils for some coins to buy the morning’s bread- or sometimes yesterday’s. It was rotton work to put on that ‘mysterious vagabond’ act for hours everyday but it brought food to the hut so it didn’t matter.

“One fall it was incredibly stormy, just like this kind of weather except it wasn’t even letting up. I mean, it went on for days. Of course no one wanted to stick around the markets long enough to buy whatever I was selling. And I couldn’t go back empty handed so I just wandered around the city all day, going up and pitching to anyone who bothered to answer. Still, no one bought anything. I was tired, hungry, cold, soggy, wet, hurting, you name it! I felt so defeated and I knew Faust wasn’t exactly comfortable at the time. It was already too dark and still pouring buckets to try and make it back to the forrest on my own so I knew I was going to stay the night on the streets again. I was starting to walk back to the borders of the city, that way I wouldn’t be too far from the forrest. But I stopped in my tracks when I saw the shop. I though ‘maybe this one, maybe they’ll be willing to buy something, or at least maybe I can stall enough to get out of the damn rain for a while’ but when I tried the door, it was locked. Even after I knocked, too. That did me in, I felt so silly and alone. At one point I even slumped to the ground against the door. Knees to my chest and arms encircled tight as I tried to keep me and Faust warm. I probably looked pretty pathetic but I didn’t know what else to do.” His voice begins to quicken pace as he remebers the desperation of the situation. I put my cup down and take his hand in both of mine.

“Oh, my love, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, it gets better. After a few minutes of moping while watching the rain. Faust noticed the window we were sitting under was open and-”

“Asra Alnazar! You broke into my shop!?!” I cry accusingly.

“No! It was Faust! Yes, you Faust! As soon as she saw the window was open she cried ‘warm for Asra!’ and slithered in too fast before I could catch her” Faust hisses at the snitching before recoiling herself tighter to face the wall.

I start to giggle and pet her gently.”Oh Fausty, that is absolutely something you would think of. No wonder you and julian got along so well.” She slithers out of the bowl and closer to me to spite Asra, who can’t help but smile and chuckle.

“I tried to stop her, Laura, I really did. But she had already made her way to the ground and was drying or warming herself up on one of the rugs. I called and called for her in an intense whisper but to no avail. You know how she gets. I even tried to levitate her back but she was too determined and I was too weak to focus. So I- I did go through the window. BUT ONLY TO GET FAUST! I swear.

“And I mean, you’ve seen me. I’m not like Muriel or Ilya but when I was younger I was pretty lanky so getting in was actually really hard.”

“You fell on your face didn’t you?” I prompt dryly

“Hahaha, yeah I actually did and it hurt too. I fell on a bag of sharp twigs and wood floor for magician’s sake!” He woundedly admits.

“Of course as soon as all this happend, We heard footsteps running down the stairs. I jumped up and grabbed Faust as we tried to unlock the door but I was panicking too much to undo the spell. That’s when we whipped our heads around and saw you glaring wided-eyed from across the room with a ball of glowing energy in each hand. I swear I have never been more scared in my entire life. I don’t think I’ve seen you more scared or surprised in both of your lives. As soon as you saw Faust though, you relaxed a bit and you remembered us from the market.”

“Did I say anything?”

“Yeah, the first things you said were ‘Who the hell are you?!’ and then when you saw Faust slither out of my arms again and to your feet you picked her up and said ‘Oh, hello! it’s just you guys’ And well from there the rest is history.”

“What do you mean ‘the rest is history’ ? What else happened?! What kind of a story teller are you?” I tease.

“I mean you asked what I was doing and I explained the whole situation, we laughed and I offered to leave but before I did you grabbed my sleeve and stopped me. You told me that I was not allowed to go back out there until I was full dry, I had some tea and rest, or the rain stopped. You gave me, fresh shirts to wear that you said belonged to your aunt, but they fit decent. Then you made us some tea and let faust warm up by the stove. We ended up talking practically all night, about ourselves, magic, Vesuvia. and-”

I lean over the kitchen table, to kiss him. Slowly and lovingly with one hand supporting his chin. The warmth and spiciness of the tea lingering between us as we pull away. “And the rest is history.” I smile before we lean into each other again.

#love like yours fest #asra x mc #its your story now #asra alnazar #asra x laura #faust #the arcana asra #the arcana faust #the apprentice #the arcana apprentice #the arcana game #the arcana

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convenientalias · 5 years

Note

A prompt for POTO: something about Christine learning to love music again after the main events (let's assume it's hard for her to love it now because she basically associates it and her own musical talent with Erik). Can be gen, R/C or C/C.

It is 2 AM where I am but yes that is definitely a good idea. Thanks for the prompt!

Here, I cross-posted to AO3.

Raoul was never a good singer. Not that he was badeither; he simply lacked the training. He liked singing, though, would oftensing without really thinking about it, one reason he and Christine had gottenalong as children.

It broke Christine’s heart to tell him to be quiet.

The first couple times she simply asked him, and heobeyed with an embarrassed if slightly confused smile. The cabin they weresharing on the ship was small. He must have thought it was just her nervesacting up. Well it was, just not the way he probably assumed. She didn’t hatethe sound of his voice, but he’d picked up scattered tunes from the opera houseafter hanging around there with her too often. And she’d just run away from theOpera Populaire; why would she want to think of it?

When she finally snapped at him, it was because theexercise he was absently humming wasn’t just one that all the singers used butone that Erik had taught her personally. “Will you be quiet for once, Raoul?Dear God!”

Raoul was taken aback. And as was typical of him,rather than submitting to the appearance of anger, he instantly becamedefensive. “I don’t see that there’s any harm in my humming once in a while,Christine. I’m not that loud.”

“You’re not that melodious either,” Christine said. “You’renot a trained singer, so why play with scales? Don’t put on airs like you’reUbaldo Piangi.”

“There’s no harm in it,” Raoul repeated, crossing hisarms. “For that matter, why haven’t you been singing scales?Shouldn’t you keep up with your practice?”

“I’m not going to be an opera singer anymore,”Christine said, “I’m going to live in Sweden and be your wife, so what does anyof that matter?” When she saw he was taken aback, she said, “Fine! Keep onsinging. I’m going to get some air.” And she went out onto the deck.

They’d talked many times before about how she wasleaving Paris and her life as an opera singer behind. She’d always focused onthe life she would live instead: A peaceful life, in the land of her birth—certainlya more respectable one, having a husband instead of singing on stage for herbread, and the fact that the husband would be Raoul was something straight outof a fairy tale. And even more than that, she’d thought about the fact that shewouldn’t be afraid anymore.

But even out at sea, having left Erik far behind(even had he wanted to, he couldn’t swim the ocean and climb onto the boat,could he?), the fear had not left her. She found herself watching dark cornerscarefully, and starting at sudden noises. Other times in broad daylight herheart would race endlessly for no reason at all.

She didn’t mind talking about Erik, or the events ofthe past few months, with Raoul. They had talked about it often. It felt safe,somehow, to talk about Paris and Erik as if they were far past, now onlydistant memories to pick apart into little innocuous bits. But then he’d dosomething like a hum a line from one of the operas and she’d feel as if shewere still in her room at Mamma Valerius’s house, and Erik was somewhere justout of sight, listening to her recite and watching, always watching…

She shuddered.

Later she’d apologize to Raoul. And she’d explain,maybe. If she could. He always tried to adjust for her needs, so he’d adjustfor this odd one too. If only it didn’t make her seem so weak! That was theworst of it. Raoul could sing as cheerfully as he wished—she’d seen him singingalong with the sailors’ chanties, some of which he already knew—and yet she, aprima donna of the best opera house in France, could barely stand to sing anote without cringeing.

In Sweden, Erik should have seemed distant. Instead,he seemed closer than before. In Paris, she had known when to expect him—at homeand at the opera house mostly—and had had some sort of idea how to avoid hissight as well, even though it hadn’t always worked. On the ship, with landnowhere in sight, she’d felt somewhat separate from any mortal world. But onland and in a strange place, everything seemed dangerous. Erik might well beanywhere. Of course she knew he wasn’t. He’d said he was letting her go, andshe believed him. Her dear teacher.

Only, she could know he was nowhere near and stillbelieve he might appear at any moment at the same time.

Raoul had stopped singing when she was around to hear,which was most of the time. They currently were living in a house of the Daaes,small but decent, in separate rooms since they still weren’t married. Causing abit of gossip in town, but gossip hardly bothered Christine. She liked to thinkpeople might talk about her being involved in a scandal that had nothing to dowith murder or ghosts.

At home there was no music. When she went out,though, there was no way to always avoid it. Beggars singing in themarketplace, or sounds emanating out of bars and public houses. And then in herhead, she’d hear Erik’s critique.

“That man! Frogs sing better—no, that is almost acompliment—howling cats sing better. Can you believe he has the audacity to askfor money for that? He’d do better to stand with his hat in his hand and hismouth firmly shut. Now, dear, this is why I always tell you not to mistakevolume for quality—aren’t you glad for the tip? You’ll never sound like thatrogue, but only ever have a voice of the sweetest honey, singing the loveliestnotes. My voice from your lips.”

That’s why I don’t sing anymore, she thought to herselfonce, because he’s not here and he’s taken his voice back with him…

This frightened her in a whole new way. She went homeand tried singing scales, testing if her voice still worked. She found that ittrembled, but it grew stronger little by little. No, she still had her voice.But she could feel him, Erik, standing behind her, listening carefully.

Clapping broke out behind her when she finished herscales and she jumped, turning around quickly. It was Raoul, standing in thedoorway of her room with a smile on his face.

“I haven’t heard you sing in a long time,” he said.

She smiled nervously. “Well… I just thought I’d seeif I still had the knack.”

“Still have the knack! Darling, as if you could everlose it. You’re the best singer in the world. I love hearing you sing.”

Impulsively he hugged her. She hugged him back. Raoul…He’d been out in the garden, and smelled of dirt and labor, which was a littlefunny for a vicomte. His enthusiasm for her voice was reassuring in a way, oldand familiar. He’d always liked her music, after all, even before Erik.

Then he said, “You can’t imagine how happy I was whenI saw you singing at the Opera Populaire. I recognized you immediately with theballerinas, but when you sang I knew I had to get up the courage to go see you—youhad the voice of an angel.”

She stiffened.

He realized his mistake immediately. “Christine, I’msorry, I know—I didn’t mean it like that, Christine, I’m sorry…”

She pushed him away and smiled off his apologies. “Don’t.It’s me, I’m being ridiculous.”

The voice of an angel. Raoul had always loved hersinging, but now, she thought, it was ruined. Refined, of course, as Erik sawit, and as she couldn’t help but see it too. Everyone in Paris wanted to knowwho her tutor was. Everyone in Paris thought she was brilliant. But it was avoice somehow dirtied, too, perverted, no longer the voice Raoul loved, nolonger her voice at all, even if she could still sing with it. It was not hers.

She didn’t sing again for days. Yet, having sungonce, she couldn’t quite stop herself again as thoroughly as she had on fleeingParis. She sang quietly when no one was around, scales and opera pieces sotto voce. Dirty music withwhich she perverted her home, yet she loved it. She loved singing.

She’d loved Erik, for a while. But loving him hadhurt. She liked to think she didn’t love him anymore, and he had no hold onher. Yet there he was, in her beautiful, ugly voice. There he would be untilthe day that she died.

The one thing Christine regretted about leavingFrance was that she had left behind her father’s burial ground.

(There might have been other things she regrettedabout leaving France, but this was the only one she would admit to herself.)

She couldn’t head down to Perros-Guirec to visit hisgrave, so when the mood took her to pay her respects, she instead went down tothe seashore and sat on one of the rocks. Perros-Guirec, with its cold watersand pink granite, was not so different from here. It was a good place to mournand pray and feel her father’s presence.

“I will sing to you,” she said, when she had run outof prayers. She took a deep breath. “Gentle flowersin the dew, be a message from me, and to flow’r that is rarer, and moreprecious than you… though fair you be.”

Lines from Gounod’s Faust, from Siebel’s song. Howoften had she practiced this song, guided by one she thought was the angel ofmusic. And she had kept faithfully to her practice out of filial piety; herfather had sent him. Or so she had thought.

“How my life I surrender, with your beauty sotender…” She paused for breath. How out of practice she was, to need breath!And her voice was hitching. “How my life I sur…”

How she had surrendered her own life! And not to herfather’s wishes, nor how her father would have chosen.

She curled into a ball on top of the rock, knees pressedagainst her chest, and broke into sobs. Even here, trying to speak to herfather, she was faced with her own foolishness, with the tarnishing of herlife. Yet she would have liked to sing to him. He had taught her music first,had been her first teacher.

“I will do it!” she said suddenly. She got to herfeet. “He cannot stop me. I will sing for you, papa, like you taught me to do.”

The song that she sang then was nothing so refined asGounod. It was a folk song she had learned long ago, a song of a sailor lost tothe sea and his mourning wife who would miss him forever. She hadn’t learned itfrom her father, but somewhere else—in town maybe—but they had sung it togetherbefore. She sang it as well as she could, though the waves drowned out hervoice to some extent.

When she was done she stared out over the waters. Achill took her. It was bad luck to sing about drowned sailors when her ownRaoul was a sailor of sorts. Not that he was off at sea. He was safe at home.Suddenly she had the urge to go make sure, to be with him…

She blew a hurried kiss to the ocean and raced offdown the road back to her cottage.

Sometimes when Raoul started humming, she would stopand listen. He was not always humming songs from Paris. Some of the songs hehummed she didn’t even know, and she would ask him about them. He wouldapologize, and she would tell him not to.

Sometimes she practiced her scales and sometimes shedidn’t. Erik never showed up to scold her or praise her either way.

Sometimes she sang.

And one day in town she saw a violin in a store,selling for less than she would have expected. Though she and Raoul did nothave all that much money saved up, she asked if the store owner would take hermoney and give her a little credit. The Daae name was good in town.

She brought it home and presented it to Raoul withmuch ceremony.

“But Christine, I’m not in practice. I’m not really aviolinist anymore.”

“There are plenty of fiddlers around. I expect we canget someone to help you. Besides, you’re probably not as bad as you think.”

He placed the violin in the crook of his neck andraised the bow. Carefully he scraped it against the strings. She winced at thesound. “…I think it needs rosin.”

“I think I need rosin.”

“No, you need practice. But soon you’ll be playing aswell as ever. It will be nice to have music in the house again.”

He smiled a little sheepishly. “Well, maybe. We’llsee.”

Someday she would be ready to sing around him, too,maybe even around other people. It would come in time.

#raoul/christine #christine daae #i wrote a thing

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russdoc · 7 years

Photo

A collection of only a few logs of messages from Murdoc Faust Niccals to Russel Hobbs Jr between 2012 and 2014. Most of these are, er, left unanswered. Continue with caution. (also on ao3)

[LOG 1]

[08:14] Long time no see big drummer boy

> I know, I know. You miss me terribly. Spare the details.

>Have you checked your mail? You might see a little package sent from yours truly

>I can't exactly spell it out for you across the interwebs, babe, with all of these thousands of bots watching. I've been listening to these tech geeks and while their fashion sense is abhorrent they have raised a few good points about what I can and cannot let go uh. Leaking on here.

>What I'm trying to say is that once you've checked your daily mail UK I do expect to be...hearing back from you. In person, that is.

[15:47] And please don't feed me that “hurrr I don't no how t reed a mahp!” crap because if I remember correctly YOU were the one that got on MY case about getting lost in Vegas and somehow ~magically~ got us back in Miami.

>You were so proud of yourself it made me gag.

> Take the map and get your butt in gear, Hobbs. You get lost in the middle of the ocean I'm sure as hell not searching for you.

[23:22] I mean. The map behind the cocopuffs cereal I sent you! Very difficult. I always end up making the monkey drown. Hopefully you can take him to shore, Russ! Haha.

>You know what forget it that monkey deserves to fucking drown. I hate his stupid face.

[23:55] Fuck it.

>If you're not on my beach in a month, Hobbs, I'm making this album without you.

[LOG 2]

[17:33] I'm going to assume from your silence that you're right on your way then. Good choice.

>This album is gonna be fooking wild, Russ. La Soul is back, I got snoopy the dog on board and even Womack man himself! What a banger.

>I actually feel sorry for you, man.You're really missing out.

>See you x

[01:12] the x was a typo

[LOG 3]

[09:14] These cyberfreaks tell me the connection is “beyond excellent” here but clearly that's not true if I'm being ignored by you like this.

[LOG 4]

[12:55] Lisfen, Rus, I know you're big deal is being the shy, qieut one in the band but honestly tht shtick is starting to wear thin on me.

>answer me asshead

>you realy wnna play ths game huh

> Fine. Fcuk u 2.

[LOG 7]

[19:23] Christ I wish you were here.

> Not because I miss you

> These fucking dolts don't know the difference between their left and their right when it comes to music.

> If you were here you'd slap some sense into them

> With a fish

> Get it because we're on a beach

> Cmon that's hilarious

[LOG 13]

[16:03] I've already got a song that needs drums so you better move it drummer boy.

> you wouldn't want me use the drum machine again do you

> you know the fans fucking hate that thing

> everyone wants acoustic but I can't exactly deliver when you're not here

> it's not for me

> it's for the album

[LOG 16]

[07:13] you're lost. Admit it

> I get it. It must be hard doing anything without me

> the album is going great without you. Fantastic. Amazing.

> Splendid

> Groundbreaking

> Inspiring

[10:33] pls get here soon

[LOG 20]

[11:18] Russ if you don’t get here soon I’m gonna pull out all of my beautiful hair

>and it’ll be a tragedy for everyone

>do you wanna be responsible for that, hm? The loss of murdoc niccals’ gorgeous locks? The world would be in tears

[21:09] it’s not like I’d expect an egghead like you to understand

[LOG 24]

[14:49] wtf did you need all of these hats for

>you never wore them when we went out to the club

>a shame really. They make a fella feel real classy

>they smell like you too.

>like coconuts

>you’d think I’d be sick of the smell since I’m on this island

>but its you, russ

[17:22] I didn’t type that.

[LOG 30]

[13:55] this fooking island man

> I must say I'm very proud of myself

> I made it all pink. You'd like that yeah

> I didn't make it like that for you

[17:18] it fucking stinks tho

> like, its literally all trash

> I gotta get super extra drunk just to numb it lol

> luckily I got all these hats too lololool

[23:59] how do you delete messages that have sent

> FUCK WRONG TAB

[LOG 36]

[12:57] wanna know what 2d’s doing with that mask

>👋👺

>😏👌👈

> 👅🍆💦

>wanna know what I wanna be doing

>🛁🍆🍑🚿 >🔥👌👈😫💥💦 >🍴🍑👈

[15:47] cmon these are genius

[16:02] I want your 🐓

[16:18] the internet is a wonderful place

> I want you to 👏 my 🍑

[20:18] god I'm bored

> I hope you know you're responsible for this

> if you were here 💋 my 🐓 I wouldn't have to resort to this

[LOG 43]

[15:38] russsssss were r u

>I'm sso drunk right no lol

>2d got a waterlemon for a head snoops soo gud at party trix you'd lov him mmnrydk

>whops

>I hope ur safe on ur way here

>pls talk 2 m

>zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

>I'm sleeping

>zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[LOG 45]

[00:00] god I'm such an asshole

[LOG 50]

[02:44] I'm sorry I didn't visit after noodle disappeared

> or called

> I thought you hated me

> which is understandable

> and I didn't want you not wanting to see me

> so I just avoided you

> which is shitty, I know that now

> you were hurting. We all were.

> and I left you like a coward

> but I'm sure

> I'm sure you're doing good for yourself

> I just wish we were um

> friends. like we used to be.

> I got in a bad crowd, Russ. Like I always do.

> but this time I'm not sure I'm gonna recover that easily

> and I ju

> I think what I'm trying to tell you is that I'm sorry

> I'm sorry

> if this island is still standing when you get here

> I hope you know that. At least

[LOG 67]

[18:07] D kept babbling to me about this dumbass dream he had

>where you showed up but with noodle

>he’s convinced it’s true. The fucking nerve of him

>can you believe I have to deal with this shit

>he’s the only other company I have around here since the collabs esc

>left

>I bet if you were here you would’ve shook some decency in him lol

>fuck its so boring here without you

>now that I think about it there’s really not that much about this place

>i mean

>you can get some plastic trees

>and me, of course

[20:02} oh wait that’d make a wicked lyric

>at least there’s one good thing from you ignoring me like this

>hurry up fatass

[LOG 88]

[07:23] I'm sure you know about her already

> cyborg noodle, that is

> pretty impressive, right?

> looks just like noodle.

> talks like her. plays like her

> honestly, she kinda weirds me out sometimes

> sometimes I think

> maybe she's the real noodle

> and she's gonna kill me. For what I did. At any moment

> and I think of shutting her down

> but then she looks at me and I sense this...Fear, maybe. Like she understands. And I feel bad. So I don't.

> like I feel sorry for her. Maybe because she looks like noodle helps too.

> or because she's the only other person or, well, thing I can talk to on this miserable beach

> I don't know why I'm telling you this

> maybe it's because you're the only other person I can talk to too

> not that you ever answer lately

> like a broken robot

> haha

> went full circle didn't it

[08:03] I'm so lonely

[LOG 102]

[00:17] I'm convinced that a shark ate your phone or something

> so I don't feel the least bit scared about sending you anything anymore

> I love you

> it hurts a lot not saying that

> so typing it is the best next thing

> I love you

> I hate this fucking island. I hate it more than 2D. But I'm waiting and I'm hoping that you'll come to me. And I'll play you this wicked album and maybe you'll love me again. I'm always so close to finally taking it too far with my drinking and throwing myself into that boogieman’s arms and ending it. But I just wanna see you one last time.

> I love you.

[06:18] for once I'm hoping you didn't read that

[LOG 119]

[22:12] I thought inviting de la soul onto the album would really spice things up

>instead we got some fucking jingle about jellyfeet or whatever

>ugh

>it wouldn't be that good if it was all just sad songs I suppose

>I guess I'm more angry that I can't come up with anything as poppy as that lately

[23:00] aw fuck it this song grew on me

> you ever tasted jellyfish? I'm kind of tempted now…

> we can have some when you get here

[LOG 155]

[05:17] Hey remember that one time Noodle got mad at us because we were mixing “our” cereal with “hers”

> so we went out and bought specific branded stuffs

> and then YOU got mad because you thought I ate yours

> but I didn't

> 2d did

> asshole admitted it to me last night.

> not that you would believe me anyway

[06:09] oh fuck

> that was like, 8 years ago, wasn't it?

> holy shit

> I feel so old

[06:15] I miss you

[LOG 176]

[03:55] 2D keeps looking at me with his wide white-out eyes and it makes me so angry because those are your eyes

>But I'm not looking at your face

>I didn't think it was possible for me to hate him even more but here I am

[LOG 177]

[13:33] who am I kidding

> everything reminds me of you

> I hate it so fucking much

> I think I'm losing my mind

> its been what? A year? A little over a year? And I'm still hanging on the hope that you'll appear out of nowhere

> and whisk me away

> I think I'm really hitting the lowest point, Russ

> It's finally caught up with me

> please

> giygcyuvyrsdhijkbijuygre

>auj

[LOG 205]

[11:27] I'm sorry for all of that. Jesus. I'm such a mess.

> I don't know what to do anymore

> I think

> I think if you've somehow.

> Somehow missed all of these messages. And stumble upon them now.

> I want you to know that um

> I want you to delete them.

[LOG 212]

[09:57] welp. These live shows are a fucking sham.

> I don't even know why I bother.

> you know what I'm just gonna fucking kill them.

> I hope those weirdos are reading these messages

> so they know I'm coming for them

> 2d is no help. Whimp can't even knock tin can over when she's asleep

> that's what I call cyborg noodle sometimes. She likes it

> if you were here you would've knocked albarn into another planet with one swing

> I think I swooned a little at the thought of that

[10:34] I know you're out there. Somewhere. Those tech geeks showed me on their drones

> I mean, you look forty times your size but they're speculating its just the camera

> sure

> hey, Russ, if you've turned into some kind of whale, could you visit 2ds window for me? I think he'll love it

[LOG 239]

[00:36] you know

> I slept with plenty of people since we separated

> but tonight was the first time

> I imagined it was you

> it made me sick. Not gonna lie

> I think you ruined sex for me

> that sounds way more sinister than i intended

> i guess what i’m saying is that i would sooner vomit on strangers than not be with you

> is that romantic enough

> answer me whale man

[14:22] my whale man

> i like that

> i mean i wouldnt ever use it again

> like ever

> but yknow

[LOG 240]

[23:44] i chnged my mind

>i crid on d2 shouulder toniet.

> that was my lwst pont

[LOG 254]

[19:27] (external image)

> (external image)

> shit second last was sent on accident

> please don't think my dick looks like snoop doggs manicured nails now

> though that would be epic

[LOG 260]

[22:19] not to sound gay or anything

> but the sunset today was fantastic

> the purple blue pink kind

> i hope you got to see it wherever you are

> i mean

> it would’ve been nice if you were HERE

> but yknow

[23:55] or maybe if I was there.

> shit

[LOG 277]

[17:29] I'm feeling a lot better lately

> I mean, I'm still drunk and hating everyone

> but ever since the album has been officially done

> I've been working on this radio show

> have you heard it? Its pretty good

> its mostly me talking to myself but yknow

> I've gotten quite good that

[LOG 283]

[18:59] that's it

> I'm dumping this laptop

> and this phone

> and you

> I'm not gonna wait around anymore, Russ

> when you show up, you'll show up

> but don't expect me on my knees grovelling for you like I have for the last pathetic two years of my life

> it was good while it lasted

> and if you miraciously happen to open your messages and see this then I hope you know there nothing you can do to stop me

> sayonara baby

[LOG 284]

[19:37] holy shit

>holy shit

> is it working??

> i think it is

> so um

> a lot just happened huh

> you’re alive

> and so is noodle

> we didnt have much of a warm reunion huh

> not at all what I imagined at least

> i’m so relieved you’re alive

> i havent cried in a long time but that

> im so glad i didnt die

[20:00] im gonna try and find you, ok?

> ive sat around for long enough

> see you soon

[LOG 299]

[12:56] haha

> guess who got himself in hot water

> that’s right

> im gonna be in the slammer for a long time

> a real long time

> and I just

> i know this is probably too much to ask

> but if you can

[13:00] wait for me

> i love you

[LOG 300]

(/RUSSEL HOBBS/ CONNECTED)

(08:15) i love you too

#russdoc #mussel #god this is so self indulgent im sorry #time to be a lame tool yet again on this blof #idk why i feel like i need to clarify this but #its ok to rb

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overhere-series · 7 years

Text

Over Here: Chapter Five

Having a buffer is so lovely. Here you go! Next chapter goes up this coming Saturday if I remember among all of the laptop and self-care shenanigans that day. Love you folks!

Do let me know how you think things are going or share if you enjoyed it enough!

Marcy Faust takes both travelers by the hands and drags them toward the path, Hazel and her brother close behind. She makes her siblings look downright anti-social, twittering about how much they’ll like the kid’s mom and their food and every single detail about her and Mason’s day prior to finding the hole. The only thing keeping Cass from clamping a hand over the girl’s mouth is the thought of Hazel going bear over it.

Besides, Marcy’s story takes on manic speed when they come to the half-withered horse thing and its voice. “And Mason and me weren’t scared yet until we got under and it was so pretty with all the metal and Over There things everywhere but we did get scared when it got asking for our names, because we know what the stories say but it kept asking and asking and got scarier- but I was smart! I told Mason ‘don’t you tell’ and then you came and-”

“Breathe, Marce,” Hazel says.

“You were very wise to hold onto your names,” Winston assures. “And courageous, especially when a fragment requests them.”

The smile he offers only encourages Marcy to take one on, too. “Yeah! I told Mason not to say my name or his name, because I heard from my aunt you can lose your name if someone else gives it away-”

“Not possible, I’m afraid. You can only give away your own name, never another’s.”

Cass blinks but continues on. Already the list grows longer and longer for all the questions she’s got, but it’s all she can do on their walk to hide the tick in her jaw and the stiff steps to help her knee.

When they arrive the Fausts lead them to a private kitchen upstairs, the one in their home above the restaurant. It’s all tapestries and wall to wall cupboards, small and cozy and definitely better than the dining room below. They’re told to wait and then left be at a table in the center.

At the Fausts’ retreating backs, Cass eases into her chair. Her knee thanks her for it. Now seated and idle, though, Winston twitches, raking his hands through his hair, drumming his long fingers on the tabletop. Cass squeezes her eyes shut to ignore it, but eventually the tap-tap-tap of his nails and the bounce of the vase acting centerpiece grates on her ears.

“You wanna cut that out?”

“We need to be going and-”

Cass kicks back in her chair, arms folded. “Oh yeah, you really wanted to get out of here when you signed us up for this,” she mutters, throwing a wave over the room. She tries to keep her voice down but keeping her tone to a raspy half-yell takes more effort than she’s got left.

“That’s different,” Winston says.

“I don’t know, I didn’t get any input when you decided to play hero. Guess we’re even for that now, right?”

“Cass, this isn’t-”

“Except for you trying to sell me to a freaking monster back there. Want to explain that one to me, birdbrain?”

Winston quits drumming on the table. “Yes, that. My apologies, but I had to think quickly, you see. You should have come with me from the start,” he says. “The plan might have worked better, actually, though it’s amazing enough to believe the fragment fell for the scheme as it was. With a bit more preparation it could have been fun indeed.”

He’s got a wistful smile Cass doesn’t like one bit. “Yeah, no. That was the exact opposite of fun.”

“It made a decent plan, even if it relied on our friend being so very broken. And you proved yourself rather capable in there. All the same, I’m sorry I didn’t ask your thoughts. I just wanted to work quickly so we could be out of here.”

“We can’t just bail, they sort of owe us,” Cass shrugs, even if her jaw pangs a little from her low words. Under the table her foot bounces up and down. Just a little time to feel better and then they could get moving without making it worse.

But Winston straightens in his seat. “That is not why we do this.”

“What’s with the ‘we’? I’m not a warden. We’re not doing this again.”

“If the need comes I have no choice. It’s my job. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you much earlier, I just hoped things wouldn’t-” He pauses, closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. “I hoped it wouldn’t be relevant so soon. Which reminds me,” he adds, “I need to scribe the others so they don’t worry.”

“Other wardens?”

Winston lays out his map and bottle on the table in front of him. The map sketches out four main countries, Ellis just beneath a group of mountains with a coast running its lower border. Haven’s marked with a big black dot on the far east of it. “Yes. Our work isn’t about reward, Cass. It’s about doing what must be done.”

“Poetic,” Cass says with a roll of her eyes. “Well, I’m not honor-bound or whatever. I got hurt helping them. I say we reap the benefits.”

“You could be, with time. Some training with Jermaine and Rissa and you’d- wait, why didn’t you say you were hurt?”

Before she can answer, his bare foot prods hers under the table. Her skin crawls, not just from his touch but like warm water spilling down to wash over her leg. Said comparison doesn’t thrill her. She shivers but the sting of her scrapes smooths away.

“Fascinating,” Winston says.

Cass stiffens. Being called fascinating, the way science experiments and unexplainable deadly accidents are fascinating, doesn’t endear her to the bird any more than his touchiness does. “Keep your magic to yourself,” she rasps.

“You’re no longer injured, yes? At any rate, it was not my magic.” His hands spread over the map, tracing the lines with his fingers.

“What’s that mean? Did you like pull out of the air or something?”

“No, I pulled a fair bit of it from you.”

“Like I had some on me.” Magic from some tree or other living thing, powdered on her like pollen. It’s not a question, just an explanation- even if she can’t see it, he claimed it’s everywhere.

Winston looks up from the map with a deep breath, folds it like he’s closing his mind on it until he’s handled the conversation. “From within you. Honestly I’m surprised the fragment noticed what little you have or it’d never agreed without a name. I wish you would have told me earlier or you wouldn’t have had to walk with your knee as it was.”

“Back the hell up to where you said I had magic in me? You said seeing magic,” she hisses. “You never said anything about making it.”

“I told you, magic is a fact of life here. It’s a system in the body, necessary as the heart or the brain. You don’t will its production any more than you can the blood in your veins. From the moment you fell here the roots have been forming around your nerves-”

“Magic equals life just sounded like some fancy fantasy BS! What is this, a virus? You’re telling me there’s nothing I can do?”

“Well, I can bind the magic in your vessel to slow the effect. You’ve got to keep me informed of how you feel, but… generally, yes. You’ll be able to control the magic in your body once it’s there, but there’s not much even I can do once you’ve developed an inclination. I must say, most otherlanders are much more pleased about it.”

Cass can’t deny to herself how much the idea pleases her, just a little bit. The same part of her that wanted to know what lay behind the gap once and for all, but look how well following that voice turns out. The heat in chest pulses out, humming through her spine and out as far as her fingertips in a ripple. Basically she’ll get magic powers. Something the little kid on the bridge always wanted.

Whether she wanted them here and now or not.

“So, what? I don’t get back in time, I turn into a bird or something?” How’s that for controlling jack?

“It’s quite possible, should that be how the magic decides to express. I doubt you’re therian as I am but taking other forms is just a single way the magic could adapt. Guiding magic in other organisms, controlling materials of life- changing yourself or the world around you. It’s personal as a name.”

Cass forces down the heat in her chest and plants her feet on the floorboards, ready to run. Get out before things get crazier than they already are. “Can we go back to the part where I can stop it? How long do I have?”

“Days, likely.”

“And we just wasted an afternoon here.” She tries to ignore how she factored into it, wasting even more time retracing their steps back.

“I wouldn’t call it a waste, Cass Douglas. We have time. Breathe.”

“I’m fine. I just don’t have time to sit here and you just put us off tracking knowing I had a time limit. What’s wrong with you?”

He chuckles, opening the map again. “I’m well aware of our time. I’ll try to keep you better informed, but it’s my duty as a warden to handle this sort of thing. Hopefully we won’t encounter many more incidents like this but I’m afraid our barriers are only going to get weaker the further we are from Haven.”

“Why’s that?”

Winston blinks, like he’s forgotten what he’s said. “Well, the amalgam we keep the barriers with is in Haven. The further the magic extends from the amalgam, the weaker its effect- with a whole country, quite a lot of room for holes and errors. We’re at the edge of Ellis as it is but even so, it shouldn’t be happening so soon.”

Cass flinches with the return of Marcy, who gives her a tap on the arm. “It’s ready! You want to come to the kitchen down there?”

“What’s ready?”

Marcy pulls on her arm again and they both rise to follow. With all her focus on the conversation, Cass had mostly ignored the combination of smells wafting up the stairs. Cheese, bread, some sort of fishy smell she remembered from camping on the coast with her parents...

They come to a table against a few barrels lining the walls, on them two plates with bread bowls on them. Marcy sits them down with a flourishy little bow. Cass takes a seat as the rest of the Fausts circle the table with chairs of their own. The aunt, the “guard” Perrin, a few more ladies who’d been cooking and might have been a couple.

“It’s lunch soon anyway so we thought we’d treat you,” the aunt says. “Perrin insisted, and you can’t sway them when they get an idea like this.”

Perrin puts an arm around each traveler, tears in their eyes. On first glance they look pretty feminine, but they just seem to go by guardian instead of Mom to the Faust kids. “You save my babies, you’ve earned a free meal.”

Cass eyes the bowls and tries not to blush. Or be tempted by the food, but by the time everyone’s seated Cass already has a spoon in hand. It ends up cramped, but she can’t care less.

Fortunately magicians don’t have a blessing and she can dive into her bowl with as much gusto as Marcy and Mason. Maintaining her level of activity requires calories and lots of them. The soup melts in her mouth, the bread stiff enough not to get soggy before she finish off the goods inside but not stale.

The Fausts listen while they recount the thing from the pool, although Hazel and Winston are careful to tiptoe around the parts that might frighten her. Cass pitches in with her kick to the thing’s face once they get there, which got a nice chorus of ew’s.

“I’m glad no one was hurt,” Perrin pops in. They stare into their bowl, tapping a foot under the table.

Winston ate half the bowl before anything else, but keeps drumming too like he’s waiting for a Faust to untie him from his chair. “It’s the least we could do.”

“We do need to go soon,” Cass adds. Not too eager-sounding, she hopes.

“Warden business?” Dani asks. A knowing grin crosses her face for the two guests. “Always curious when one of you longcoats come to town, but you didn’t look the kind until you said something.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, my dear.” His tone’s playful, amused even. “But yes. For that matter, we need to tend to a bit of closing business now. Thank you very much for your kindnesses today.”

There’s some hugging and promises from the kids not to go running off behind the barriers again, then they got the okay to finally leave. Yet again Cass tries to look miffed about stopping, but the kids’ reactions are too good when she winks at them on her way out the door. The last thing she catches is Marcy’s grin and Mason’s big ol’ saucer eyes.

“So where next? Clemence?” she asks the bird as they go roughly along the same path they’d come. For all the time-wasting they still got a map and a meal out of the afternoon. Time seems to work the same here as it does back home, so that leaves them a few hours before dark and the rest of the evening for travel. Not much in the grand scheme, not if she knows she’s got a timeframe on this trip.

They continue back along the stream, Winston keeping an eye out for the opposite shore. “To finish our business, yes?”

“You mean the hole? Why? That thing’s trapped, we’re good to go.”

“The hole’s still there,” he says. “I still haven’t scribed Finch to close it, and light won’t stop our fragmented friend for long. I wouldn’t like to see their attempts to take anyone else. Would you?”

“Alright, alright,” she says. “Back there and then back on track again, though. Right?”

“Right,” the bird agrees. He keeps his hands at his back as they walk the way they’d come, back through the mud and carefully across the stream where they found the hole again. He stands there a moment, considering the tunnel worn through the bushes.

“Would you like to come with me or would you like to wait?” he asks, peering still further inside.

Cass stares at him. What is this, a test? At least he’s asking her this time rather than just ditching her, but knowing what lies behind that tunnel doesn’t make her all warm and fuzzy about going this time. She gives the bird nod and watches him disappear into the bush.

Then she stands there and gives it a little more thought. The bird doesn’t see her coming this time. She can get the chance to see what he’s up to when he doesn’t think she’ll be watching, and to see the kelpie again at a safe distance.

She looks into the hole and lets out a groan, teeth grit together. Fine. Still growling she gets down on her hands and knees and crawls.

#chapter update #about to keel over so i'm posting now instead of in the morning #because nothing is waking me before seven that i can tell you #writing #over here series #ya fantasy #fantasy #finally getting out of this town

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