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augustmoon259 · 1 year

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"Enchanted" Nancy Tremaine x Prince Edward

Nancy Tremaine was a hopeless romantic.

It had all started when she was growing up. As a child, she was acquainted with fairy tales of princes and princesses, magical creatures, and the romances or adventures of storybook heroes. Nancy liked the idea of marrying a prince and living happily ever after, just like those princesses.

But as she got older, that idea became less of a possibility, and more of a fantasy. The boys, and later men, that she dated, weren't princes - not even knights. And Nancy herself felt like she wasn't suited for the role of a fairy tale heroine anymore.

Fairy tale heroines didn't struggle through high school, and then college classes, to earn a degree in fashion design. They didn't have to work themselves to the bone getting their business off the ground, and then making sure that business stayed afloat.

Nancy wasn't that little girl who wanted to be a princess anymore. She had become a self-sufficient woman, the manager of her own design studio. She would be fine on her own, which was why she didn't need a prince - just someone who respected her.

Perhaps that's what drew her to Robert.

He was kind towards Nancy, but theirs was not a whirlwind romance. Disappointing as this might have been to a younger her, Nancy was satisfied with Robert. They both knew exactly what to expect from the other.

Which was why it was all the more shocking, after she arrived at Robert's apartment one morning, to find an unknown woman sprawled on top of him.

Nancy had left angrily, taking the cab to her studio. Robert sent dozens of apology texts afterwards. Part of her understood that Robert wasn't that kind of guy, but the other part didn't want to listen.

When a pair of doves, bearing heart shaped roses, and a ticket to the King and Queen's Ball, surprised Nancy, she was even more astounded to discover they were from Robert. The rest of Nancy's anger faded away, replaced by anticipation for the upcoming ball.

She and Robert danced, and generally had a good time. Nancy thought it'd be the end of the matter, until the redheaded woman, Giselle, showed up with her date Edward. And even though they had just met…

Nancy knew that he was like everything she imagined a fairy tale prince to be.

He graciously asked for her hand, and invited her to waltz with him. Nancy enjoyed dancing with Edward, but she couldn't help observing Robert and Giselle. Nancy politely excused herself, then proceeded to switch dance partners. She could tell though, Robert's mind was elsewhere.

The rest of the night's events happened in a flash: the arrival of Edward's step-mother, Giselle's poisoning, and finally, the defeat of the evil queen.

Not only did she have to accept that magic was actually real, but that Robert was happier with another woman. And they were perfect for each other! It was true love's kiss! How could Nancy argue against that? Giselle was even willing to fight a dragon to save Robert!

Yes, the best thing Nancy could do was wish for their happiness. But where did that leave her? On the floor of the ballroom, holding onto Giselle's forgotten shoe.

"Why so sad, beautiful lady?"

Edward kneeled and tilted his head slightly, his expression perplexed.

"She forgot her shoe… figures."

Nancy smiled ruefully at Edward. For a moment, he looked at the shoe in her hands, and then gently took it into his grasp. Edward gazed at Nancy, as he asked her,

"May I?"

She nodded, confused, but gave Edward her permission. To Nancy's amazement,

"It's a perfect fit."

Edward took her hands in his, and helped her to a standing position. Nancy looked at Edward, who was gazing at her with wonder, and she knew that she must be doing the same.

✦✦✦

One wedding later, Nancy Tremaine had officially become the new Queen of Andalasia.

Nancy could hardly believe that everything that had happened wasn't a dream. But when she woke up the next morning and pinched herself, she was still in bed with the most charming man she'd ever met.

She smiled, as she looked at the soundly sleeping Edward.

After the marriage and the after-party celebration, they had retired to the royal chambers. Contrary to her enthusiasm when following Edward to Andalasia, Nancy now felt calmer as the excitement wore off.

Of course she still felt delighted about being in a fairy tale, but Nancy had things to do before enjoying her happily ever after.

For one, she needed to sort out her affairs: the design studio, her apartment, the paperwork and legal procedures…

Nancy groaned, as she imagined all of the work that had to be done, just to make sure she wouldn't end up on New York's Missing Persons List.

Evidently, her groaning was loud enough to wake up Edward, as she could feel him stirring beside her. Edward yawned, rubbed his eyes, and then propped himself up to gaze at Nancy.

"Good morning, my beautiful queen!"

"Good morning to you as well, my handsome king."

Nancy smiled, but then her happiness faded after remembering that, yes, she was the queen now - which meant more work that needed to be done! Edward noticed Nancy's distress, and gently questioned her.

"My love, what's wrong?"

"Well, I… I was just thinking of my home, Edward."

"Your home? The kingdom of castles in the sky?"

Nancy looked puzzled for a moment at what Edward could be alluding to. Then, she felt a light bulb go off in her head.

"Oh, you mean the buildings! Yes, I was thinking about New York City."

"What an odd place it was! So many steel beasts! And yet, no one seemed happy when I freed them from the clutches of those nefarious creatures!"

"Okay, if I'm understanding you correctly, which I'm pretty sure I am, you're talking about cars? Or buses? And how exactly did you free them, Edward?"

"Why, stabbing the beast with my sword!"

Nancy sat up in shock, her eyes wide, after she heard Edward's response.

"Oh my God, Edward! You can't do that! Someone could have gotten hurt!"

"But Nancy, they were unharmed!"

"For goodness sake, Edward, of course they were! Those weren't beasts! They were armored carriages used to transport people!"

Nancy sighed, trying to relax herself. She closed her eyes and opened them again, glancing at Edward, who had a kicked puppy look on his face. Nancy couldn't stand to see him unhappy, so she decided to forgive him. But she would make sure that Edward was well informed the next time he visited Earth.

"Well, it's hardly your fault that you don't know what cars are. But promise me you'll never attack someone with a sword again, okay?"

"I promise, my love!"

Nancy giggled at how quickly Edward bounced back. She wondered how to explain to Edward what was on her mind.

"Anyway, I was just thinking about what I needed to do back home. If I don't deal with them, I can't stay with you in Andalasia…"

Last night, Nancy and Edward had talked with each other until they both fell asleep. Edward had apologized to Nancy that they could not go on a "date" before marrying each other. So they proceeded to talk about their likes and dislikes, their interests, and other topics that came up in their conversation. Nancy was happy that Edward was so different from Robert.

Robert was a good man, but it was hard for him to open up to her. Nancy now understood that Robert was coming off of a bad marriage, and a partner who had left him alone to care for their daughter. As for her, she was a busy career woman, who was also dealing with the unexpected loss of her single mother.

At that time, Nancy and Robert functioned as the stable presence that the other needed in their lives. But it wasn't the right moment for them to fall in love. Maybe that's why it was so easy for Robert to fall in love with Giselle, and for Nancy to fall in love with Edward.

"So, if magic exists, you wouldn't happen to know any fairy godmothers, would you, Edward? Or even just a fairy?"

"As a matter of fact, my dear Nancy, there's something I would like to show you later!"

Edward and Nancy got out of bed, and rang for the servants to help them prepare for the day. After getting dressed, Nancy joined Edward in the dining room for breakfast. Once they finished, they briefly met with a royal advisor to hear about the ongoing work in the castle, now that Narissa was gone.

Finally, Edward led Nancy to a nondescript door in the castle. When he placed his hand on its surface, there was a flash of light, and Nancy could see something akin to a lock being opened.

Inside the room was a wand on a dais. The wand was sculpted from golden brown wood, with ornate carvings on its handle.

"Wow! Is this a magic wand?"

"Not just any wand, but an Andalasian Wishing Wand! Or simply, a Wand of Wishes."

"You can make wishes? Edward, that's wonderful! Are there rules on how to use it?"

"Only that you must be a true son or daughter of Andalasia."

"That's too bad then… I wasn't born in Andalasia…"

Edward chuckled, and Nancy blushed, as she wondered what Edward thought was so funny.

"My dear, but you are a daughter of Andalasia! You married me, a son, which makes you a daughter of Andalasia."

Nancy gasped, as she realized that Edward was right.

Walking up to the dais, Nancy gingerly picked up the wand, and gave it an experimental wave. Deciding to start with an easy wish, she remembered her phone, which she had thrown away during the wedding.

"I wish… I had my phone, perfectly still intact."

For a moment, nothing happened. But then, Nancy could feel something materialize in her hand, the one that wasn't holding onto the wand.

She gasped for the second time that day. In Nancy's hand was her old phone - not a single crack to be seen!

"It works! It really works!"

Nancy jumped into Edward's arms, and he responded by enthusiastically hugging her.

"Thank you so much for this, Edward! With a magic wand, anything is possible, even in New York!"

She stepped back, and anxiously met Edward's gaze.

"Will you be alright while I'm gone? Can you manage things in the kingdom alone?"

"It's a daunting task, to be sure. But that's what the royal advisors and council are for! To support the king and queen of Andalasia."

Nancy saw how confident Edward was, and knew that she had nothing to worry about. She gave Edward one last embrace, and then wished that she was in New York.

✦✦✦

According to her wish, Nancy found herself standing in her apartment.

Everything was just as she left it, right before she had gone to the ball with Robert. Nancy decided to change out of her queenly dress, and into a more casual outfit. Afterwards, she dug through her belongings to find her important documents.

Nancy had wondered what to do regarding her design studio. Not only was it a product of years of hard work, she had to consider her employees who would be out of a job if Nancy suddenly retired.

This left Nancy in a predicament. If the design studio was here to stay, then who would manage it?

Someone who'd know about Nancy's circumstances… Someone who was aware of magic. More importantly, someone who had a keen eye for fashion.

Only one person came to mind - Giselle. Nancy had noticed that the redheaded woman looked beautiful, in her purple halter dress, the night of the ball. Perhaps it was a stretch, but Nancy didn't exactly have many options at the moment.

Gathering her documents in one arm, Nancy left to head towards Robert's apartment. When she got there, Nancy steeled herself, and then knocked on the door. She waited in the hallway, until she heard footsteps approaching.

"I'm so sorry, I'm a bit busy at the moment… Nancy?!"

Robert stood at the door, with a shocked expression on his face. He was wearing a business suit, with the jacket off, leaving him in just a dress shirt.

"Hi, Robert. Mind if I come in?"

"O-of course not…"

Robert moved aside to allow Nancy into his apartment. She looked around, searching for Giselle, and stopped at the sight of a certain man.

"You're… Edward's manservant, Nathaniel?"

"Oh! My lady, how nice it is to see you again."

Nathaniel stood up from the couch where he had been sitting, and bowed at Nancy.

"Um, you don't need to do that…"

"Don't I? Are you not Prince Edward's beloved?"

"How did you…?"

Nancy was surprised that Nathaniel was aware of her and Edward's relationship.

"I saw you two at the ball. You returned with him to Andalasia."

"…Nathaniel told me about what happened with you and Prince Edward. I'm - I'm sorry for hurting you, Nancy…"

"It's okay, Robert. I'm happy for you and Giselle, truly. I've had some time to think about our relationship, and, well, I think we're better off as just friends."

She gave Robert a small smile, and Robert smiled back uncertainly. Nancy walked towards a chair in the living room, then sat down. She noticed that the table in front of the couch was full of papers. Nancy questioned Robert, and he explained that he was working with Nathaniel to get him citizenship in the US.

Nancy realized she had forgotten that Nathaniel, Giselle, and Edward weren't US citizens. Without that, Giselle couldn't manage her design studio.

She asked Robert again, how long it would take for all of the paperwork to go through. He shook his head exasperatedly, and said it would take months at the least. He also had to worry about Giselle's citizenship. Nancy smirked, and took out the magic wand in her purse.

"I think I have the solution to both of our problems."

"Is that… a stick?"

Robert looked skeptical, until Nancy wished that Nathaniel and Giselle were citizens of the United States. On the table appeared passports, birth certificates, and other documents for both Nathaniel and Giselle. Robert examined the passport for Giselle, and was amazed to find that it looked like a real passport.

After he finished examining the passport, Robert stared at Nancy and the wand in her hand. Not knowing what else to do, Nancy put the wand back into her purse.

"So, magic wishing wand… it says a lot, that this isn't even the weirdest thing that's happened to me. How do we know these documents are real though?"

"Well, you could try looking them up on the internet? Try looking for when Giselle 'graduated' high school."

Robert took Nancy's advice, and grabbed his laptop to look up the school that Giselle had "graduated" from. He found a yearbook on the school's website, and when he opened it, he saw Giselle's photo along with the other graduates.

"Hold on… so the magic wand altered reality?"

"It's true, Sir Robert. In my mind, there exists memories that did not exist before. And a life that I previously had not led…"

Nathaniel seemed to be somewhere else, as his gaze focused on something that Robert and Nancy couldn't see.

"If that's happened to Nathaniel, then Giselle…"

There was frantic knocking on Robert's front door, and Robert hurried over to open it. Giselle was panting, and Morgan worriedly stood by her.

"Oh, Robert, it's terrible! I arrived here with Morgan after going out to the park, but when we came back, I felt a sudden rush of memories! But, but, they aren't my memories! At least, I don't think they are! So we ran up to your apartment as quickly as possible, and… oh my!"

Giselle covered her mouth when she spotted Nancy, and Nancy awkwardly stood up to wave at Giselle.

"Hi? Sorry about that! I kind of made a wish for you and Nathaniel to have new lives here on Earth…"

"Really?! Thank you so much, Ms. Nancy!"

"Please, call me Nancy - oof!"

Nancy's breath left her lungs after Giselle enthusiastically hugged her. They separated, and Nancy could feel herself taking in oxygen again. Meanwhile, Giselle was eagerly examining her shiny new passport. Nancy remembered the documents she had brought with her.

"I have another surprise for you, Giselle. You see, I'm a fashion designer, which means I make clothing for other people. And I run my own… shop. I sell the clothes I make to people who want to buy them. I need someone to take my place now that I'll be living in Andalasia, and I think that person should be you."

Giselle raptly paid attention to Nancy's words, and she covered her mouth again when she heard this shocking news.

"M- me? B-but, how can I accept, especially with what happened at the ball…!"

Giselle was crying, both tears of happiness and regret, as she felt underserving of Nancy's generosity.

"No, please don't cry Giselle! I'm doing fine now! Robert and I have agreed to just be friends, and Edward gives you and Robert his blessings."

The redheaded woman brushed her tears away, and smiled at Nancy. She whispered her thanks to Nancy again, and then went to the bathroom to wash her face. Nancy handed Robert the documents that she had brought with her.

"Here you go, Robert. This is everything you need for the design studio. I've included the deed of transfer of business ownership, which I've signed and dated. You'll need to get Giselle to sign it, and then go to have it officially notarized."

"This is amazing, Nancy! You've done so much for all of us today…"

"Like I told Giselle, you really don't need to thank me. Besides, you still have a lot of work ahead of you. Teach Giselle how to run her own business, and also how to live in New York. Oh, and please don't let wild animals near other people without properly sanitizing and training them first."

Nancy frowned when she remembered conversing with the woodland animals at her wedding. She learned from them more about Giselle's past, and how she was an orphan abandoned in the forest to be raised by them.

Giving Robert, Nathaniel, Morgan, and Giselle one last goodbye, Nancy headed to her (former) studio. It would still be open today, since she left her assistant, May, in charge of running the place whenever she was gone.

Arriving at the studio, Nancy greeted the secretary at the front. Then, she went to find May, who was deep in a conversation with one of the designers.

"May! I have great news to share with you!"

"Nancy?! Oh my gosh, what are you doing here? You weren't supposed to come in for a couple more days!"

May looked pleasantly surprised to see Nancy.

"Yes, yes, about that… something happened at the ball, something big."

"You're telling me! I heard all about it on the tv! Man, those actors did a really great job with their performances. And that dragon was soooo realistic!"

Nancy was amused to hear that everyone at the ball thought the events of the night had been fake.

"That's big news, yes, but not what I want to talk to you about. May, I'm leaving the design studio."

"What?! You are?! Isn't this too sudden….?!"

May grabbed Nancy's hands, and squeezed them anxiously.

"I know how this sounds, but you were right May. I never actually gave up on my dream of finding a fairytale prince. And, well, I've found him. He's different from Robert, in all the right ways. For once in my life, I want to be spontaneous. And hey, if this doesn't work out, I can always come back to New York."

Unbeknownst to May, Nancy was being literal. If things didn't pan out in Andalasia, Nancy could always go back to Earth, maybe even start a new business.

Nancy and May shared a heartfelt embrace, as May wished Nancy the best in her future endeavors. Nancy thanked her, and told her about how she'd already found a replacement for the studio. That being said, it would take months for Giselle to be ready, which was enough time for the employees to finish the designs from customers who had already ordered. Meanwhile, the studio would no longer be accepting new commissions from customers.

May was not only in charge of the employees, she would eventually help Giselle adjust to her new role as boss.

Before going back to her apartment, Nancy walked to Home Depot to buy a pair of high visibility safety vests, and hardhats. She and Edward would need these whenever they visited New York through the wishing well/ manhole. Nancy also went to a clothing store to buy a casual outfit for Edward.

Nancy ate a small meal for herself, and then returned to her apartment.

Glancing around, Nancy smiled mischievously. She knew that she would have to return the wand when she was back in Andalasia. For now though, there was one last wish she could make.

"I wish my purse was bottomless, so it could fit anything I wanted inside, without affecting its appearance on the outside."

Nancy waited for the magic to be cast, and then got to work stuffing things from her apartment into her bag. Books, articles of clothing, technology - everything she wanted to bring with her, she stored inside her purse.

Deciding that this was enough, Nancy held onto the wishing wand, and wished that she was back in Andalasia.

✦✦✦

Time passed, and Nancy adjusted to her rule as Queen. Running a kingdom was like running her design studio, except on hard mode.

She ensured that everyone had relatively equal opportunities, that the kingdom's budget was being handled appropriately, and that non-human creatures could have a say in what laws and ordinances were passed.

Nancy also learned that in Andalasia, no one ate meat. Nancy was glad that she was already a vegetarian back on Earth. It was actually rather enlightening for her to learn that animals in Andalasia weren't like animals back on Earth. There weren't any carnivorous animals at all, and even animals who appeared to be carnivores, like owls, could subsist entirely on fruits, veggies, and plants.

She had a theory that the magic of this fairytale world made it so animals evolved differently, and that they could live in harmony together.

Because animals here were able to communicate with humans, humans needed to trade and barter with them for supplies. For example, if one wanted wool, they would barter with the sheep. No animals were domesticated as livestock in Andalasia. Some preferred living in the wild, while others didn't mind interacting with humans.

It was fascinating to Nancy, and she enjoyed learning new things everyday. While it was easy to deal with the animals, it was harder for Nancy to reason with entities like dragons or trolls.

Trolls, as it turns out, liked to chase humans. It was a sport for them to pretend to scare humans into thinking they'd eat them. This led Edward and other "troll hunters" into actually believing the trolls would eat them, if they didn't catch them first. After tying the troll up, they'd send the troll to do work like mining.

Nancy was frightened when she met the first troll Edward had caught since her time in Andalasia. She reminded herself though that this was unlikely to be the last time she'd meet a troll. So she steeled herself and attempted to communicate with it.

To her surprise, the troll actually spoke to her. He answered slowly and awkwardly, but Nancy could understand him. So Nancy decided to ask him questions, like why trolls "ate" humans. Apparently, no one had ever actually questioned a troll.

The troll, named Fred, told Nancy that trolls liked to chase things. It was in their instincts to chase after fast, moving objects - like humans. Nancy inquired after what happened to the trolls in the mines, and she also found out that the trolls actually liked mining. It was good for them to focus on the labor intensive work, as it required them to use their strength.

So it was really a big misunderstanding all along! Humans and trolls didn't communicate, which was why people misconstrued an activity of the trolls as trying to eat them. Trolls needed an output for their natural instincts, but otherwise, they could be well meaning citizens of Andalasia.

Nancy brokered peace with the trolls, and gradually, more trolls integrated themselves into jobs like law enforcement.

A year passed, and Nancy was proud of herself of how much progress she'd made in that year. She was a queen who was respected and loved by her people, none more so than her husband Edward.

Nancy was grateful for Edward being by her side, as they learned how to rule the kingdom together. Edward knew when to be prideful, but also when to be humble and earnest. Nancy could not forget how he and other "troll hunters" had apologized to the trolls for hunting them (and vice versa).

She wanted to do something special for Edward, since it would be their one year anniversary together.

Edward had shown Nancy his "memory tree", which was a tree planted in the royal gardens. It contained all of the memories of the royal family. Memories of what they held near and dear to their hearts.

Nancy planned to meet Edward at this tree, and do something she had never done before in Andalasia - sing.

She wasn't a bad singer, but Nancy had only ever sung in school choirs and parties. She didn't think that she could pull off what everyone from Andalasia did so effortlessly - proclaiming to the world about her innermost thoughts and desires. But for Edward, she would try.

On the night of their anniversary, Nancy led Edward to a table she had set up underneath the shade of the willow tree. They dined together, and laughed about their memories of the past year.

Nancy gazed at the wonderful man who was her husband, and she could feel something stirring in her heart. In that moment, she knew what she would say.

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augustmoon259 · 1 year

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Masterlist of AugustMoon259's Fanfiction

Oneshots

"Enchanted" (2007)

Nancy Tremaine x Prince Edward

"Your Smile is a Trap" & "The Strongest Florist"

Crossover

"Unholy Blood"

Pureblood!Fem!Vampire Reader x Hayan Park

"Meta Runner"

Fem!Reader x Masa Shimamoto

"Sort the Court"

King/Queen!Reader x Royal Advisor

"Encanto"

Mirabel Madrigal x Male!OC

"The Once and Future Nerd"

Self insert OC

"Summoned! to an RPG World"

King Carlos x Necromancer

Multi-chapter stories

"Hetalia" Summary: In a world where you're not needed, alone, and forgotten, what is there left to do but disappear? Canada is gone. The countries have given up looking for him. The appearance of a girl with strikingly familiar violet eyes 18 years later changes it all.

"Spider-Man: Spider-Verse" movies

Author Links

Quotev Ao3 Wattpad FF.net

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augustmoon259 · 2 years

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"Summoned! To An RPG World (LitRPG)" Sean de Courcy x Necromancer

The world after Sean de Courcy (King Carlos, as the Twenty Five Kingdoms knew him) and the Necromancer united together to kill the gods was hectic.

Once Sean had briefed the citizens of Greyland on the death of the gods, and the Necromancer did the same to the Kingdom of Lost Souls (to much applause and celebration), they worked together on gathering the leaders of the other kingdoms to discuss what would happen in the future.

When the other leaders were informed that their gods were dead, there was a mixed reaction from them all: some were horrified, others were furious, and some still refused to believe it was true.

Yet none of them could object, or they'd be victim to the combined might of Sean and the Necromancer, and their allies: the dragons - who now resided on the moon, the giants - freed from the curse that confined them to the shadows, the dwarves of Grimlar, the vikings of Jomskar, and Cantreth horse riders.

With the demise of the gods, and their eternal game laid to rest, there was no longer any incentive for the kingdoms to conquer one another. No gods who would lead their loyal followers into a new age. No, the age that had begun now was for everyone.

Sean and the Necromancer agreed to return autonomy to the kingdoms they had conquered: Rockguard, Trolland, and Southway. Those kingdoms they had destroyed - Underworld and Langia - would remain as they were, uninhabited and abandoned.

Hailand, Kaia, and Northway were still reeling from the recent loss of their rulers, and had hastily elected replacements instead. The rest of the kingdoms would operate as they had so far done.

Never would the inhabitants of the Twenty Five Kingdoms enslave one another, nor torture, and sacrifice each other to gods that no longer exist.

After the gathering of all of the active leaders of the Twenty Five Kingdoms, Sean and the Necromancer were busy in their respective roles: the Necromancer was overseeing the reconstruction of Nekis after it was besieged by Hailand and Langia, and Sean had taken to traveling.

Greyland's capital, Carrick, was safe, with its defenses having long been fortified, and many of the giants, including the homoioi of Jekas, Lysegetus, stationed there as well. Greyland had an overabundance of food, with Sean having invested in irrigation, farming tools, and new trade deals with other kingdoms.

The death of the gods, and the death of Greyland's goddess Miya, meant that a church was no longer necessary as a place of worship. Instead, the now "redundant church" was simply a home for the clerics.

Regarding the matter of what to do with the clerics, paladins, druids, and bards in his kingdom now that they no longer had Miya to provide them with divine spells, Sean was in a dilemma.

To find the solution to that problem, as he had done so far with great success, Sean remembered his past life on Earth.

On Earth, one of the games Sean had gotten to try out was Dungeons and Dragons. Sean recalled that it was possible for classes like clerics, paladins, and druids to achieve divine power from a cause they passionately believed in, as opposed to a deity.

For clerics and paladins, their cause was to uphold goodness and justice in the world. For druids, it was a perfect harmony with the natural world. And bards? To sing songs of legends.

So Sean would take his team of those with high levels, and they would go together to hunt monsters. With their experiences earned from war, it was easy to hunt, sometimes entire groups of monsters. Sean found his theory was correct, and that they would still earn new skills with each level up.

He doubted that any other kingdom had figured this out, devastated as they were by the loss of the gods. They did not know how to function without the ability to commune with their deity.

While a few remained in Carrick (Valeria - his Ranger who had been brave through and through despite her fears, Brother Raymond - the Summoner who preferred to be in an alchemy lab, and Abbot Hughes the Templar), the rest of the party followed Sean.

Lord Arval (Paladin), Figus (Bard), Jacintha (Sorceress), Isabelle (Rogue), Hernán (Warrior), and Leonora (Cleric). Sean felt proud of his party and all that they had accomplished together.

They traveled the Twenty Five Kingdoms, hunting monsters together, and visiting individual kingdoms to restock on supplies and food. Sean would read reports from his spies, in order to stay on top of new developments.

And speaking of spies, how could he forget about his lover, Sicaria? The assassin was still in the Kingdom of Lost Souls, training new assassins.

As much as Sean missed her, he understood that she had a duty to protect the Necromancer and only when someone took her place would she be relieved.

Time passed, and finally, Sean was able to reunite with Sicaria in the Kingdom of Lost Souls. They spent much needed time together rekindling their flame.

During their separation, Sean missed Sicaria, but there was someone else he missed too: the Necromancer. Sean realized something; he missed playing chess with the Necromancer, their conversations together, but also the man himself.

No one else in the world, not even Sicaria, had killed gods with Sean. No one else did he introduce the game of chess to first. No one else had looked at him with heartfelt warmth like the Necromancer did.

Many times, Sean had remarked how handsome the Necromancer was. Is it possible, he loved the Necromancer too? Not as friends, not as allies, but as he did Sicaria. Would the Necromancer accept his feelings?

This world had accepted Sean, had embraced him even as an outsider summoned from another planet. But do they accept love regardless of gender?

Sean consulted Sicaria. He confessed that he was confused, that he had irregular emotions for the Necromancer, her ruler.

And Sicaria, stoic yet honest and caring Sicaria, chided him. Told him how silly it was that he'd even be worried about this matter...because if his heart loved someone, whether they be man, bird, dwarf, or orc, it is love all the same.

She knew how close Sean and the Necromancer were, so she was unsurprised to hear that Sean loved him. If there was anyone deserving of Sean other than her, it would be the Necromancer.

Sean, mollified by Sicaria's answer and that she would still remain by his side despite loving another, resolved to confess when next he and the Necromancer were alone.

The Necromancer and his friend, Sean de Courcy, were seated together in the Necromancer's office in his capital city of Nekis. They were preparing to play another game of chess.

The Necromancer could see that Sean was nervous.

"My friend, is something the matter?"

"Shamas, how do you feel about making a bet?"

"Curious. And what will I win if I am victorious?"

"If you win, I'll give you something that I've only ever given to one other person."

"Is that so? And if you win, Sean?"

"I get another day to steel my nerves."

"Steel your nerves...?"

"We...we should get the game started, right?"

The Necromancer was incredibly interested to know what had his usual lion-hearted friend as meek as a mouse. He therefore put all his efforts in winning the game, and finally, he triumphed.

Victory was almost as sweet as seeing Sean blush.

"My friend, are you blushing?"

"I...can't control it. Now that this is actually happening, I don't know what to do."

"Well, to begin with, may I have my prize...?"

"Your prize...your prize is...my heart."

"C-come again?"

Now it was the Necromancer's turn to blush.

"I'm sorry, I should have asked if you were even interested in men in the first place. You are the first man I have loved as well. I don't have a basis for this...it was easier with Sicaria...but she is a woman..."

The Necromancer was wringing his hands together, and looking anywhere else but at Sean. It's true, he admired and respected his friend, this man who would rush into battle to defend him, who has never once wanted to betray him.

Even when others warned Sean that the Necromancer was evil, that Sean would be brought to ruin by their alliance, that he'd watched all of his loved ones suffer in hell, Sean remained resolute.

If the Necromancer sometimes thought of running his hand through Sean's long hair, or taking rides together on top of Goncendor - the horse he had gifted Sean...that was his business alone.

"Shamas, I...understand if you want to reject me."

"No!"

The Necromancer found himself blurting out a reply before he could stop. Sean looked shocked, as he had never heard the Necromancer raise his voice or yell.

"Sean de Courcy, that is not what I want. What I want is to be closer with you, closer than we already are now. But I...am a cautious man. I can't take a leap of faith like you. If we were to be together...as lovers...I don't want to reveal it."

"Is...is that what's on your mind? Because I thought you'd outright refuse me!"

Sean was laughing now, a breathless laughter filled with mirth and joy.

"It is not funny! I...I have serious reservations about being in a public relationship with you. The world already fears me as a necromancer. I do not want them to look badly upon you if revealed you have a male lover."

"Okay, okay, I get it. We don't need to say anything. We can keep it secret. To the public at large, Sicaria is my only lover."

"That...is suitable. And what of Sicaria? Is she truly fine with this?"

"Of course! She's happy that you love me, and I love you."

"But...she does not love me, nor I her, in that way. I respect her as a subordinate, confidante, and friend, but I do not love her intimately as I do you."

"That's okay too! Back on Earth, we have a term for this. It's a polyamorous relationship. I can be in love with both you and Sicaria, and you can like each other, but you don't have to love each other."

"Thank you, my friend, for telling me. Or would your prefer I call you...my dear?"

"I'd like that. I'd like it a lot!"

Sean took one of the Necromancer's hands in his, and after getting a nod in response, he kissed it.

"There's also something else you should know, my beloved. I...am not a man of primal urges. I have no need for sexual activity."

"I get that too. You're asexual!"

"Asexual...?"

"Yes, it means that you're not interested in having sex at all. For me, I'd be bisexual. Bi, meaning two. So I'm interested in both men and women."

"I see, that is most enlightening. Is everyone from Earth this openminded?"

"Sadly, no...but where I'm from, an island named Ireland, it is one of the most openminded places on Earth about these things."

"That is wonderful. I know I have asked you this before, but do you miss Earth?"

"I do. But I wouldn't trade everything I've experienced here for anything. Because, it led me to you."

Sean and the Necromancer shared a tender moment together in which they rested their foreheads upon the other's.

For the rest of their lifetimes, they devoted their lives to maintaining peace in the kingdoms, between human and non-human races. Sean's investment in education and literacy inspired other kingdoms to do the same, as well as sanitation and health. Before he died, Sean officially introduced pizza to the cuisine of the Twenty Five Kingdoms.

Sean left Greyland in the capable hands of his and Sicaria's son. He would be immortalized in the ballads that Figus composed.

Sean de Courcy, King, warrior, god slayer - this and many other titles, was buried next to Sicaria, the Assasin Queen, and Shamas, the Necromancer, ruler of the Kingdom of Lost Souls, and an honourable man who always acted in good faith.

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augustmoon259 · 2 years

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For I shall already have forgotten you CHAPTER 12: The Hidden World

Story summary: In a world where you’re not needed, alone, and forgotten, what is there left to do but disappear? Canada is gone. The countries have given up looking for him. The appearance of a girl with strikingly familiar violet eyes 18 years later changes it all. Table of Contents.

Madeline’s alarm woke her up the next morning. Rubbing her bleary eyes, she yawned. She was still getting used to the time difference between North America and Europe.

After brushing her teeth and freshening up in the bathroom, she took Kumarie with her to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She figured that it’d be okay for Kumarie to be there, since Arthur was not awake yet. He was especially tired after the previous day’s ice skating.

As much as she loved pancakes, she thought she’d try to make breakfast without them for once. Madeline found a recipe for a full English breakfast, and got straight to work cooking it.

Thirty minutes later, Madeline was done. She set the table for her and Arthur. Then, she decided to cut a piece of her sausage and feed it to Kumarie.

“How is it?”

“It’s yummy!”

She smiled after hearing Kumarie’s enthusiastic response. Madeline waited for Kumarie to jump into her arms and turn back into a stuffed polar bear, before heading to Arthur’s bedroom. He had instructed her where to find it during the tour of his home. Madeline knocked on the door, and waited. There were some brief shuffling and rustling sounds, before the door opened to reveal Arthur, whose hair was even messier than usual.

“Good…” Arthur yawned. “...morning, Miss Madeline.”

Madeline giggled seeing Arthur's bed hair.

“Morning to you too, Arthur. I made breakfast, but I’ll give you some time to tidy yourself up, or not...I think the bedhead looks great on you.”

“Ah, that’s...thank you very much.”

Arthur ran a hand through his hair, in an attempt to make it neater.

With their greetings exchanged, Madeline returned to the kitchen to wait for Arthur so they could eat breakfast together. She fed Kumarie more of her sausage while waiting. Soon, Arthur made his appearance, having managed to tidy up his hair after all.

Breakfast was passed with idle chatter, compliments from Arthur on Madeline’s cooking, and the rustling of Arthur’s newspaper as he enjoyed his tea. Madeline briefly considered making a cup for herself also, but she supposed she was too much of a coffee person. In the meantime, orange juice would do just fine.

Madeline brought her dirty plates and utensils to the sink in order to wash them.

“Here, let me help you with that!”

Arthur hurriedly stood up from his seat, and made his way to Madeline’s side.

“I appreciate it, Arthur.”

“No need for thanks! In just two days, you’ve done so much for me: taught me how to ice skate, cooked wonderful meals, and you’ve been a lovely conversation partner.”

If Arthur was not so concentrated on washing the dishes, he would have noticed a tinge of red on Madeline’s face.

“So, what’s next on your to-do list for the month, Miss Madeline?”

“Well, I don’t know if you’re aware, Arthur, but your home is surrounded by quite a large forest.” Madeline’s lips were curled upward in a joking smile.

“Haha, yes, I have indeed noticed that particular fact.”

“You’ll understand me when I say that I’m curious to see what’s in that forest...”

Arthur paused in his scrubbing after he heard Madeline’s remark. “Is something wrong, Arthur...?”

“...No, nothing. I’m...worried, is all. Will you be alright in the forest by yourself?”

“Of course! My father would take me camping and hiking when I was younger. To this day, I still enjoy exploring the outdoors and observing nature.”

Her voice had taken on a melancholic tone towards the end of her speech, after mentioning her late father. Madeline could scarcely believe that it had been half a year already since his passing.

“Your father...?”

Arthur looked confused at this tidbit of information.

“That’s right. My father. He was an accomplished outdoorsman himself.”

“And...where is your father now? Does he not travel with you?”

“Oh no, the contract I signed mentioned that I’d be traveling alone, right? Even if I could bring someone else, my father would be unable to join me because...he’s no longer a part of the living.”

“I’m...sorry to hear that. And I apologize also if I’ve reopened wounds from his death.”

“No worries. I’ve had plenty of time to come to terms with it already.”

Their conversation gradually gave way to silence between them, as they dried the last of the dishes. Madeline decided to interject with a question that had come to mind during their talk.

“Arthur, do you mind if I borrow a container to pack a snack for later?”

“Certainly. For something like that, you don’t even need to ask for permission from me.”

“That might be, but I wouldn’t want you thinking something stole your containers.”

Madeline grinned at her joke, knowing that magical creatures were very much real. Oddly enough, Arthur also had a mysterious smile on his face.

“If such things exist, I wouldn’t be the one they’d steal from.”

“Really? Your mansion and I would disagree.”

Both of them were laughing now, their earlier silence having been long forgotten.

Arthur decided to get some reading done in his library while Madeline went on a walk in the forest. Madeline packed leftover sponge cake from the arctic roll she had made for dessert yesterday. She also grabbed a bottle of milk to drink while eating cake. She exchanged phone numbers with Arthur, so that she could call him in case she got lost, before exiting the mansion.

The weather outside was as chilly as it had been since Madeline arrived in London. If she were not already used to the much colder temperatures in Canada, she would be shivering.

Instead of her usual red overcoat decorated with maple leaves, today she was wearing a green parka with a fur collar.

“Okay Kumarie, I’m going to put you down, and then you’ll lead the way!”

Another reason Madeline was not worried she would get lost is because she had Kumarie with her. Polar bears have a very strong sense of smell, so Kumarie would guide her back to Arthur’s if Madeline went off-course. She followed Kumarie through the woods, taking pictures of anything that caught her interest. It was the middle of the day, and the sun high in the sky cast shadows along the ground.

The cold made the trees barren without their leaves, but life could still be found. Madeline could spot birds, squirrels, and other critters. She found mushrooms growing in the forest debris, or the bark of trees. Madeline decided to pick the edible mushrooms to cook for dinner later. They’d be perfect for a dish like mushrooms on toast.

“Hm? Kumarie? Why did you stop?”

Kumarie had been steadily making her way through the forest, with Madeline trailing behind her. Other than waiting for Madeline to finish taking photos, or picking mushrooms, Kumarie did not stop for anything.

“Did you spot something - Ah!”

Madeline finally took notice of what had Kumarie occupied: it was a fairy ring. To be precise, it was a ring of mushrooms that people had taken to calling “fairy rings”. She had come across fairy rings in the past, although she had never met an actual fairy. Thinking of fairies made her wonder about her friends again: Inkblot the raven, Sneak the turtle, Susan the Sasquatch, Oggy the ogopogo, and Woodstock the owl.

“Where are you guys…”

“We’re right here, duh!”

“Wha-!”

Whirling around, Madeline recognized a familiar corvid perched on a tree branch.

“Oh my gosh! Inkblot?!”

“Don’t forget about us!”

Emerging from behind a tree was Susan, with Sneak appearing from another one. Woodstock landed next to Inkblot, and Oggy was being carried by Susan. Madeline lifted Kumarie into her arms, as she was surrounded by her dear friends.

“Where have you guys been…?”

“Here!”

“You mean, in the forest? Why would you be in the forest…?”

“Because we were with them!”

“Who’s them… ?”

Madeline was once again surprised that day as unicorns, fairies, gnomes, and a flying mint bunny materialized in front of her.

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augustmoon259 · 2 years

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"The Once and Future Nerd" SI!OC

A self indulgent SI!OC (self insert original character) oneshot fanfiction for @onceandfuturenerd podcast. I made a cover as well. I edited the original logo and added a blue bird for the OC.

I wake up to the sound of someone making an obnoxious racket, slamming their hands on what is probably a keyboard.

"Who the fuck keeps making all that noise...?"

Groaning, I lift my head from the table.

Wait...table? The last thing I remember is falling asleep in my bed. Definitely not a table.

"Oh! You're awake! Sorry for, um, waking you up!"

"You’re a nerd, can’t you just reroute the encryptions or some shit like that and shut up about it?!"

"...Oh, I see. You must have been taken in by the popular misconception that everyone smart knows how to hack a computer. Or that computer hacking is magic...or that encryptions are a thing that can be rerouted."

My head is still spinning in confusion as I try to make sense of my surroundings. I look around me, and I seem to be in some kind of library. After my examination, I turned my attention to the voices I heard. There was a blond haired girl in a cheerleading outfit, a boy in football armor, and another bespectacled boy who was sitting in front of a computer.

The blonde haired girl looked apologetically at me, while the two boys were still arguing with each other.

"And who are you people?"

Still none too happy about being abruptly awoken, my question came out more biting than I intended.

"I'm Jen, and that's Billy and Nelson over there. And you're Anne, right? Um, the new girl?"

"New girl?"

"Yeah! It's your first day here, right? It must suck to have detention on your first day of school, huh?"

"Detention?"

Suddenly, I felt a splitting pain in my head as I cried out. I clutched my head tightly, closing my eyes, as memories of someone else's life flashed by: "Anne", the teenager. She's sixteen years old this year. She's an orphan, but was adopted by a family when she was younger. They recently moved to Pennsylvania.

When I opened my eyes again, Jen was by my side, worried. In her hands, she was holding lipstick and a compact mirror.

"Hey, are you alright? Do you need some aspirin or something?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks. There is something I need though. Can I borrow your mirror?"

"Huh? Oh, sure I guess?"

Jen handed me her mirror, and as I examined myself in it, the reality sunk in for me. Anne was a Thai girl, with light brown skin, auburn hair, and dark brown eyes. Nothing like my old appearance.

How did this happen?! I went from being an adult to a teenager?!

Wordlessly, I handed the mirror back to Jen.

"Thanks again. And what'd you say your names were? Jen, Billy, and Nelson?"

"Yeah?"

Oh god. As if my previous realization that I had just possessed the body of a random teenager wasn't bad enough, I knew those names. I knew three teenagers with those exact names from Pennsylvania.

They were in a podcast I listened to before falling asleep.

Shit. I was in The Once and Future Nerd.

As if right on cue, thunder flashed outside the library's window, and the next moment, the power went out. I heard everyone around me panicking and searching for their lipstick (Jen), a flashlight (Nelson), and whatever the hell Billy was doing.

Meanwhile, I found a backpack next to my side on the floor. Knowing what would happen next, I hurriedly strapped the backpack to myself, just in case.

The lights came back on, and I watched as everything played out the way it did in the podcast. Nelson found himself looking at Jen's butt, Billy gets mad at Nelson, Jen gets between the two's ensuing argument. I expected all of this, but what I did not expect was the lightning bolt that burst through the window and immolated Jen, Billy, Nelson...and me.

Annoyingly, once again, I was the last to wake up. At least this time, I wasn't the only one who was unconscious.

I imagined the other three were not in better shape than me as we all stood up, battered and bruised.

"Don’t worry, Jen, I used to go hunting with my uncle. Now the sun’s setting that way...And the moss is growing that way...Which means...wait..."

"I don’t know if you can go by that. I think we read in bio class about lots of things determining moss growth. Didn’t we?"

"Actually, while it's true mosses will grow on any hard surface, including the sides of trees, they prefer to grow on North-facing surfaces because they like the darker, more humid environment. If you don't see any moss growing on trees, also check on rocks."

I blinked, stunned by my sudden outburst. Judging from the reactions of Billy, Jen, and Nelson, they were similarly shocked.

"What the fuck? I thought Nelson was the only nerd around here! And you're a girl too! Don't you have better things to do, like makeup and shopping and shit? Then again, you're Asian. Are Asian girls nerds too? Thought that was just the guys."

"Hey, babe, that was kind of uncalled for."

"As a fellow marginalized member of society, that was, in fact, 'uncalled for'."

"If I had better things to do, would I be standing here listening to your misogynistic ass?", I snapped.

My day just keeps getting worse and worse. Possessing the body of a 2013 Pennsylvania teenager, being transported to another world with three other teenagers, and one of them is literally a dumb jock?!

Who doesn't get character development until he's slapped in the face with a fever dream of his abusive dad?!

Crap.

Reminding myself of Billy, Jen, and Nelson's sad backstories made me feel guilty, and when I feel guilty, I can't also stay mad at Billy...ugh, fine. I'm the adult here, even if I no longer look like it, so I need to act like it instead.

Because I had momentarily been lost in my thoughts, I was brought back to the current circumstances by Jen's startled gasp.

"Did you guys feel anything? I coulda sworn this log just moved..."

Fucking hell. Even though I knew we would be fine, I still couldn't let Jen get hurt.

"Everyone, get away from that log!"

I grabbed Jen and pulled us away from the log as fast as I could.

"Anne, what - "

The "log" uncurled itself and lifted up its head. A massive serpent with tree bark-like skin now looked down on us, poised and ready to strike. I knew what was going to happen beforehand, but even I couldn't stop myself from trembling. It's not everyday you come face to face with a giant snake that could easily devour three or four people in one go.

Finally, to my utter relief, the arrow from a certain elf embedded itself in the eye of the serpent, which dropped dead after.

"What are you doing out here? And what in Selbirin are you wearing?"

I was relieved that Anne wore practical clothing, unlike what the other teenagers were wearing (aside from Nelson). She was wearing a blue hoodie, jeans, and sneakers.

While Nelson moved to get closer to Yllowyn, Jen, Billy, and I observed from afar as he started cutting away at the serpent's neck with his knife. I knew the resulting conversation with him would be awkward, if nearly choking Billy to death was "awkward", so I was ready to step in when I was needed again.

Billy and Jen stayed where they were, and I could hear them whispering.

"I can hear you perfectly well."

"Okay, lemme guess. You’re in some kind of a militia or something."

"My clan has a proud military tradition, if that’s what you’re asking."

"...Nelson, honey, you wanna take a few steps back from the heavily armed klansman?"

"And I bet you and all your kin can trace your lineage - "

I elbowed Billy in the gut, and watched with some Schadenfreude as he bent over and coughed.

"What the hell was that for - "

"Ahem, what my friend here meant to say is, could you tell us where we are right now?"

"You’re in lands claimed by His Majesty, Gunther Guernatal, High King of the human realms of Iorden."

Yllowyn looked perplexed, whether at what had just transpired, or, more likely, the fact that four human children were dressed strangely and had no idea as to where they currently were.

"You think you could point us to the nearest town without going schizo on me?"

Billy had recovered, and I found myself disappointed that he was already back to spewing dumb remarks - like that one.

"I’m heading that way myself. I suppose I could escort you, since you’re obviously in no place to defend yourselves."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means you were very nearly a serpent’s supper, human. Speaking of which, as long as you’re heading back to town with me, would you mind helping me with that?"

So that's how four teenagers, an elf, and a dead serpent made their way to the nearest human village. Billy and Nelson dragged the body of the serpent with leather straps, Yllowyn had its head under his arm, and Jen was walking ahead of us.

And where was I?

...Also dragging the body of the serpent. It was surprisingly doable. Maybe it was because it was easier with three people than two, but Billy wasn't even complaining about the weight. Speaking of Billy, this jerk, he had no objections when I offered to help drag the snake. So when it's Jen, he acts all macho, but with me, another girl, he doesn't bother?

Well, to be fair, I also elbowed him in the gut, so...

Again, I was lost in my thoughts, so I didn't pay much attention to anything until we came across the boulder in a crater, with dried blood.

"The hell is that?"

"A very easy way to kill a bear, if you’re a dragoness looking to feed her young."

Oh. OH. Oh my god, that's right. There were fucking DRAGONS in this world too. Fucccckkkk.....

Another hour later, and another hour of hyperventilating about how I'm in a fantasy world with evil cults, necromancers, magic, and terrifying creatures, we made it to Guernatal City.

"Listen, Mr..."

"My name is Yllowyyn."

"Yellow ween? Your name’s Yellow Ween?"

"Yllowyyn."

"Okay, well, pleased to meet you. I’m Jennifer. Thank you for walking us back to town."

"Yes, yes. Merely doing my civic duty as an officer of the King’s court."

"I can’t believe this asshole’s name is Yellow Ween. How many ass-kickings did you get in school?

"Mr. Yllowyyn, if you could point us in the direction of Lackawanna, Pennsylvania, we’d sure appreciate it."

"I’ve never heard of it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I find the three of you very odd, and I don’t care much for your company."

Okay, rude. But, can't blame the guy for thinking we're odd. We are pretty odd, and he doesn't even know we're from another world yet, or that one of us is the Anointed One, and another is the Stormbringer...

Yllowyn handed Jen a coin purse, and left just like that.

"Hey Jen, do you mind if I hold on to that coin purse?"

"Oh! Sure!"

"Thanks."

No way am I letting Billy lose all of our money just because he's too stupid to recognize when he's being scammed.

"Let's go look for some food. There must be a market around here selling fruits and stuff."

"What, fruit? Are you kidding me? Why can't we go to a tavern or something?"

"Shut the fuck up, Billy. In case you've forgotten, we still need to go home, and we can't do that drunk."

And, not that these three knew it yet, but we would be arrested by the king's men on account of being "suspicious". I don't want to waste money on beer when we wouldn't even be able to drink it.

Eventually, after stopping a passing villager for directions, we did find a market, where they were selling fruits and vegetables, among other things. I bought a few apples for the four of us to eat. They were smaller and not as sweet as apples back on Earth, but they were apples. And they only cost a five coins. I still had 70 coins left in the purse.

I waited, while the other three were still looking around the market, for the guards to appear and apprehend us. Sure enough, I heard a commotion, and armored men with pikes came marching at us. By the time they herded us back to the castle, I had finished eating my apple.

I'll admit, being held captive in the dungeon is probably the low point of what I've experienced today, but it's nothing compared to what we'll have to go through later in the story.

Eventually, the jailer came to take us out of the dungeon. After leaving our belongings behind, we were led up several flights of stairs and out into a small, walled-off courtyard in between the dungeon and the castle proper.

"Wait here until someone comes for you."

The jailer headed back towards the dungeon.

"I can get us out of here."

"Nelson, I know what you're thinking, but playing all of the Legend of Zelda games doesn't mean you're an escape artist."

"Wha - how'd you know I've beaten every single Legend of Zelda?!"

I smirked, "I didn't, but I assumed you did, what with how video games seem to be your life blood. But back to my point, Nelson, you see that? That is a guard tower." I pointed above us to the tower that overlooked the courtyard.

"Oh shit, it is -"

"Nelson, this is a castle. The King's castle. There's no way they would miss something that obvious."

"Thanks Anne, you really saved us from being shot at with arrows or something."

"No problem."

The jailer returned, and took us to King Gunther's throne room.

I've been able to identify the characters so far either because they told me their names, or they're literally non-human, like Yllowyn. And for Gunther, he's obviously the old guy sitting on the throne, and the similarly aged man on his right must be Brennen. But as I look around me at the unfamiliar faces of the nobles staring at us - with hostility, curiosity, fear, etc., I had a hard time trying to spot that asshole Ardel Redmoor, or even his sister Arlene.

Well, I guess he'll reveal himself eventually, considering how arrogant he is.

"Oh great, it’s Weenie."

"Thank you for the floor, your Grace. As you can see, their attire is completely unfamiliar. And you can take my word that their manners are equally alien. Furthermore, if you’ll look at the puny one, you’ll see he wears tokens of Garedian around his neck."

Gasps broke out throughout the court. Crap, I forgot to tell Nelson to take off his d20 and put it in his pocket or something.

"I swear to God, Nerd..."

"Silence!"

"Your Grace, I would have brought them to the court’s attention sooner, but I had been out hunting and did not hear of Her late Majesty’s tragic demise until I returned."

"I understand, Kalth’yr."

King Gunther turned towards us.

"Where are the four of you from?"

I interrupted before Billy could say something unintelligent and get us all in trouble, again. The king was still waiting for an answer. I stepped forward from my position in line with Jen, Billy, and Nelson.

"Your Grace...I think there's a more important question than where we're from. It's who we are. You all seem to think that we're enemy spies, but I think the man sitting next to you has a different opinion."

I switched my gaze to Brennen, who had not taken his eyes off of us since our entrance.

"Is this true, General?"

The King turned inquiringly to Brennen.

"It’s probably nothing, your Grace. But I may have had a dream about these four."

Hold on, four? Why four? I'm not the Anointed One, not the Stormbringer, not even the Stormbringer's boyfriend! Yeah, I'm from Earth like Billy, Jen, and Nelson (albeit a different Earth), but why am I in this dream with them?

A very, very old priest in purple robes, with a golden disk on a silver chain around his neck, spoke up.

"What sort of dream?"

"I was in danger, and was rescued by birds. Of the same colors that these four wear."

There it is again! Four! Why does Brennen keep mentioning four? And the same colors? I'm not wearing red or gold!

"General, had you seen these strangers at any point before these things were dreamt?"

"I had not, your Eminence."

"And have you ever heard of the scrolls of Baradir?"

"Time is of the essence, Bishop."

"They are writings, your Majesty. Their veracity has been refuted by the Elders, but they have not been declared outwardly heretical. The writer speaks of a time of Garedian’s reign. An Anointed One will save us from the dark times. The prophet of the Anointed One’s coming will be a great warrior, and the sigil of the Anointed One will be a bird."

The Head Priest actually got straight to the point. I thought this was when a younger priest was supposed to interject, but my presence must have changed things. Having one extra person makes the situation more urgent, maybe?

"You can’t expect us to give weight to this prophecy, Bishop. You said yourself that the Elders refuted it."

Ugh, there's the slimy bastard. And he looks every bit the petulant man child the story made him out to be.

Alright, after some ridiculous back and forth, with me trying to keep myself in check before I go and deck this fucker in the face for trying to have me, Jen, Billy, and Nelson executed, Arlene finally speaks up.

"With respect, your Grace, what harm can they possibly do from within the dungeon?"

And then there's more back and forth conversation. I'm trying to keep a poker face on while all of this is happening, but I really just want to skip ahead to the part where Jen, Billy, and Nelson travel with Brennen and Yllowyn. And I guess me now too. I'm not staying here with Ardel running the kingdom and there's nowhere safer then by the main characters' sides.

Sure, Jen burns herself trying to cast lightning, Brennen gets wounded and sick until he gets healed by the elves, and that's not counting all of the emotional and mental turmoil we'll have to go through, but...

Shit. I'm gonna have to become a murderer, aren't I? God damn it, god damn it, GOD DAMN IT.

My train of thought is derailed by one of the King’s soldiers bursting into the hall at a full sprint, struggling for breath.

"Pardon, Lords...Traft’s army crosses the Black Mountains. Fifty thousand strong. Foot, horse, bows, and siege engines."

After King Gunther orders the nobles present to leave, and our group of four follow Yllowyn out the door, we wait for Gunther to finish conversing with Brennen. Once they're done, we head back inside.

"For your own protection, you will accompany General Brennen on his journey. Now, have the four of you any supplies that might be of use?"

"The tall one was carrying armor of some sort when I found them. And the blue one had some sort of bag."

I roll my eyes at hearing Yllowyn call me "the blue one". Wow. The puny one, the tall one, now the blue one? Truly, Yllowyn is a master of nicknames. He could give Billy a run for his money, that's for sure.

Nelson, Billy, Jen, and I left the throne room with Yllowyn, while I glanced back briefly at Brennen and King Gunther.

One last conversation later, and I knew that the next time Brennen would see Gunther would be under very unfavorable circumstances, Brennen rejoined our party of five. We stopped by the dungeon to reclaim our belongings, and then Brennen led us to the secret door, located near the sewage site.

Ugh, this stinks, literally!

"We are headed 30 miles north."

"We’re walking?"

"Even if we had horses, do any of you know how to ride?"

I found myself answering before I could think better of it.

"Well, I do."

Everyone looked at me with confusion written on their faces, an expression which I had come to get used to lately. I don't even know where this knowledge comes from, so how am I supposed to answer anyone else's questions? Anne, just what life exactly have you lived prior to me possessing your body?

I shut my mouth up pretty quick after that. Yllowyn and Brennen were still observing me warily, but the topic soon shifted towards our destination: the College of Armstrungard and the wizard Ba’a lo-Ky’yr.

We walked until late morning. Billy, Jen, and Nelson complained profusely about walking (no, it was pretty much just Billy...), but strangely enough, I still didn't feel tired. Oh yes, I certainly felt fatigue, but not nearly as much as a 16 year old should.

It was all coming together: dragging the serpent, horseback riding, hiking for long intervals.

Clearly, Anne was a very athletic teenager. Billy and Jen are a football player and cheerleader, respectively, but they're not as strong as Anne. Why? Is this an effect of me being a traveler to two worlds and not just one? Not to mention I haven't eaten anything in ages! Billy, Jen, and Nelson are exhausted from lack of sleep and food, but I didn't even feel the pang of hunger.

We made it to a frozen lake, where Brennen decided it way safe enough to set up camp for the afternoon. Yllowyn went to hunt for food, and Billy decided to go...take a dump.

"Billy, I fucking swear, if you do not bury your shit after taking a dump, I'll do a lot worse to you than elbow you in the gut."

Billy looked suitably afraid of my glare, and I was satisfied when no giant cockroaches besieged our camp.

I took the time to finally examine the backpack I had brought along with me during my impromptu trip to Iorden.

The brown cotton backpack blended in perfectly with a medieval setting. It had small slots on the side and additional loops on the bottom. Inside the backpack, there was a leather-bound notebook, various pens and pencils, a calculator, a water bottle, a granola bar, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, a box of band-aids, earphones, a portable battery charger and a Samsung phone.

I opened the notebook and found various sketches and doodles of animals...wow. Anne is actually not a bad artist.

Yllowyn came back with a plump goose for us to eat, and we picked it clean.

I stayed silent during Billy, Jen, and Nelson's conversation with Yllowyn and Brennen, waiting until the general dismissed everyone to go to sleep.

"Um, General Brennen?"

"Aye?"

"Can you tell me more about the dream you had? About the birds?"

"Aye, alright. There were four grey birds, one wearing a crown on its head. There was a red bird, a gold bird, and a red and golden bird. But the eighth and final bird...it was special. A small white and blue bird. Unlike the others, it stayed by my side and was the only bird to approach me."

"I see. Thank you for telling me, General."

"You should rest too. We'll be up again in a few hours."

"I will."

I found a place a little ways off from where the others were resting. I chose a spot where the ground was relatively soft. Sighing, I rummaged through Anne's backpack and found her smartphone and her earphones. Then, I arranged her backpack as a makeshift pillow to lay my head on, while lamenting the loss of modern day conveniences like sleeping bags.

To be honest, I didn't think much about it earlier, but there were lots of useful apps on a phone, even without a data connection. A voice recorder, a camera, a flashlight, photos, videos, and music...

Turning on the phone, I was glad to see that Anne still had a good amount of her battery. She must not have been one of those kids who used their phones during class. God only knows what she got into detention for then.

The first thing I checked was the media app for photos and videos. I scrolled through them, and I saw Anne doing various activities: camping, hiking, riding horses, boxing. Geez, Anne's family must have been loaded if they could afford to pay for horseback riding lessons, outdoor trips, and sports. Why the hell did they move to Pennsylvania of all places?

Anyway, my guess was correct. Anne was already an athletic teenager before I was teleported to Iorden with Jen, Billy, and Nelson. Did her body...mutate? Uh, magic perhaps? Jen became a mage after coming here, so it could be possible.

My body wasn't tired, but I couldn't say the same for my mind. I saw Anne with her family in those photos, and the crushing guilt came back full force. Just why did I come here? What is my purpose? Is Anne back in my old body?

I needed a break from it all, so I navigated to Anne's downloaded music library. She had good taste in music. One of the bands she listened to was...Young the Giant. I liked Young the Giant, too.

It was 2013, so Young the Giant had yet to release their albums other than their first one.

That's fine.

There was one song in their album I could play until I fell asleep.

I placed Anne's earphones into my ears, as I listened to the emotional lyrics.

youtube

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augustmoon259 · 2 years

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England, trying and failing to ice skate. :)

Read chapter 13 of my fanfic for more England ice skating content: https://augustmoon259.tumblr.com/post/675570218081419264/for-i-shall-already-have-forgotten-you-chapter-13

Table of contents: https://augustmoon259.tumblr.com/post/620885299114000384/for-i-shall-already-have-forgotten-you

#england #aph england #arthur kirkland #aph hetalia #hetalia fandom #hetalia axis powers #hetalia #aph #axis powers hetalia #ice skating #fan art #fanart #aph fanart #hetalia fanart #axis powers ヘタリア

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augustmoon259 · 2 years

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For I shall already have forgotten you CHAPTER 11: ICE SKATING

Madeline woke up in the morning, in a state of confusion - a regular occurrence for her these days. The sunlight peeked through the curtains of the bedroom’s windows, indicating that the sun had already risen. Soon, she would have to do the same.

She recollected what had happened in her dream last night. After she had met “Arthur”, he had taken her to a place far away...on a ship that rode the waves of the seas...

Except for her magical creature friends, Madeline had never told anyone about her dreams. There was Alfred, who had helped her calm down after a nightmare, but even he did not know the specific contents of that nightmare. She had briefly entertained the thought of visiting a psychic, or a medium, any manner of person who could possibly explain to her why she was having these dreams. But she had quickly given up on that idea. Many things could happen in that scenario, not the least of which being Madeline would be scammed out of her money.

Still, she wished that there was someone in the world she could talk to about all of this.

With a sigh, Madeline got out of bed. Kumarie and Scone were already awake. She remembered that Kumarie got along quite well with Bucky the cat. Scone, while less playful than Bucky, liked Kumarie too. Scone was licking Kumarie with his tongue. Unless she’s mistaken, Madeline thinks that this is a sign of affection from cats. How adorable!

She was honestly surprised at how Kumarie had gotten along with Bucky and Scone so far. She thought that Kumarie would be more aloof towards them, considering Kumarie would sometimes get jealous of her other magical creature friends.

And speaking of her friends, she had not seen them since she left Canada. Madeline was used to them following her around, so it was odd she had neither glimpsed nor heard a sound from them since she arrived in London.

Madeline heard a knock on the door.

“Come in!”

It was Arthur. He was holding Scone’s food and water bowls in his hands.

“Ah, Miss Madeline, you’re awake. I’ve come to feed the little bugger. It’s his morning meal time after all. I came by earlier to see if you were up yet, but you weren’t, so I decided to let you sleep in longer.”

“That’s thoughtful of you, Arthur. Thank you - Wait, did you say you came by earlier? How long ago was that?”

“Oh, just enough time for me to make breakfast. I know you said you wanted to cook the meals, but I figured you wouldn’t mind this one time.”

“Yes, that’s quite…generous of you Arthur…”

Madeline was already regretting waking up late, and when she later saw the state of the pancakes on her plate, she almost cried in distress.

After a thoroughly dismaying breakfast (for her, not Arthur), Madeline was all too eager to start her day, so she could forget what she had just eaten.

“So, Miss Madeline, do you have any plans for today?”

“Well, I figured it’d be nice to start off the month with something simple. Maybe ice skating? I hear London has some amazing rinks this time of year.”

“I see you’ve done your research! You’re quite right. We have ice rinks at Hampton Court Palace, Somerset House, and Canary Wharf, just to name a few.”

“Hampton Court Palace? That is King Henry VIII’s former palace, right?”

“Right again! Could it be, you want to go there today?”

“Now that you mention it, I’d love to! It’d be really cool to explore the palace while we’re there as well.”

“You’re in luck! It just so happens that I have a lifetime membership to Hampton Court Palace, and many other historic palaces, and I can bring a guest along with me.”

“Wow, that is lucky! I figured you were an avid history lover, considering your home, but I didn’t know you had a lifetime membership too.”

“A history lover…yes, you could say that.”

Arthur had a thoughtful look on his face that Madeline could not quite decipher.

“Um…let’s hurry and head over to the palace!”

Madeline quickly redirected their conversation back to its original topic. She followed Arthur out of his home, stopping at the entryway when she heard a meow. Madeline turned and found Scone sitting on the ground, looking up at her sadly.

“Aw, Scone, don’t worry. Your owner and I will be back soon!”

She scooped up the cat into her arms, petting him gently, while whispering into his ear softly, “You’ll keep Kumarie company while I’m gone, right?”

Scone meowed again, in what she believed to be an affirmative tone. Behind her, Madeline could hear Arthur muttering angrily.

“You traitorous cat…”

Placing Scone down on the floor again, Madeline left with a final goodbye and then got into Arthur’s car. The ride to the palace, much like yesterday’s car ride, was silent between the two of them, with the sound of music in the background. Madeline liked having more time alone with her thoughts though. Alfred is a great friend, but she knew when she was driving with him for example, he’d be striking up a conversation every other minute.

Meanwhile, Arthur’s calm contrasted greatly with Alfred’s exuberance.

Once in a while, Madeline would steal glances at Arthur. He was too focused on the road to notice when she would do so. She was glad, because it’d be hard to explain her actions. In fact, she was doing this to confirm a suspicion she had.

In the dream last night, it seemed like she was meeting Arthur for the first time. This doesn’t make sense though, because Arthur looked exactly the same as he does in real life. When it came to Alfred’s situation, she saw him as he grew up in her dreams. She met him when he was a child! Madeline rationalized that maybe she had encountered Alfred when they were both young, and she forgot about him for some reason, so her mind made up dreams instead.

For Arthur, there was no such explanation. How could Arthur have not changed at all? He was not that much older than Madeline and Alfred, and in his early twenties.

Her head was spinning trying to come up with a plausible theory. The problem was that she didn’t know what was real in her dreams, and what was fake.

The forty minute car ride passed in the blink of an eye, and Arthur and Madeline arrived at the palace.

They spent all day there. Arthur had so much knowledge that Madeline didn’t even need to ask the tour guides to answer her questions. Arthur could answer them just as easily. The sun had set by the time they finished exploring the palace, and the sky was dark.

Madeline and Arthur walked to the gardens, where the ice rink was located. The palace was now illuminated in red, yellow, and blue light. It was a beautiful sight, one that Madeline was sure to take a picture of. They rented skates, and Madeline eagerly stepped onto the ice. Her recent stint teaching hockey at the ice rink back home had made her yearn for the ice again. She waited for Arthur to step onto the ice with her.

“About that…ah, I’m ashamed to admit this, but…I’m not actually good at ice skating….quite abysmal, really…”

“Is that so? You don’t have to worry Arthur! You have nothing to be ashamed of. There’s lots of people who don’t know how to ice skate!”

She gestured around her to emphasize her point. There were indeed plenty of skaters on the ice who were just beginners. From young children being accompanied by their parents, to brave individuals who were falling on the ice repeatedly.

“Come on! I’ll teach you! But you need to get on the ice first!”

Arthur was still hesitant, but with some more coaxing and encouragement from Madeline, he got over his fear, put on his skates, and wobbled onto the ice unsteadily.

“Great! Now try taking small steps towards me. Lift your foot, put it down, and then lift the other foot. Remember to bend your knees and keep your hands out for balance!”

He attempted to do as she instructed…the key word being “attempted”. Arthur was bending his knees and holding out his hands, but it was clear that balancing himself on the ice was easier said than done. Madeline could predict his fall right before it happened, and she speeded forward to catch him.

“Are you alright?”

Arthur’s face was flushed - from embarrassment, exertion, or both. He covered his red face with his gloved hands.

“Yes, I…I’m fine. Thank you for catching me.”

“Well, I wouldn’t be a very good teacher if I let you hurt yourself before I taught you how to properly fall on ice, now would I?”

Madeline switched her hold to grasp Arthur’s hands in hers.

“Try the small steps again…except this time, let yourself fall, and do exactly as I do.”

Arthur did as he was told, as he resumed his arduous quest to become an ice skater. Against all odds, he managed to succeed, if being able to no longer trip on ice was the threshold.

“I knew you could do it, Arthur! High five!”

They high fived. Arthur was dangerously close to toppling afterwards, but he steadied himself and resumed his stance.

Checking the hour on her phone, Madeline decided that they should call it a day and return to Arthur’s home.

“Let’s head back now! Good job, Arthur!”

In the midst of congratulating Arthur, Madeline was genuinely proud of him. She didn’t expect Arthur to have learned the basics in such a short period of time.

“I…I couldn’t have done it without your help…”

His face was flushed again, but certainly not from exertion.

“Would you like something sweet as a reward after dinner? I think I saw in your recipe book a bunch of recipes for desserts? Something called an ‘arctic roll’ sounds really delicious!”

“I’d…like that.”

The night was cold, but there was only warmth in their hearts.

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augustmoon259 · 2 years

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"Encanto" Mirabel Madrígal x Male!OC

Headcanon where, after the mountains were split, this "exposed" the town of Encanto, but not entirely. That is, the town is still hidden from the outside world, but it is now able to be discovered by those who need a safe haven/refuge, like Alma and the other refugees did fifty years ago. Canonically, Encanto is set in the 1950s, since Alma and her husband Pedro most likely fled during the Thousand Days' War, which took place from 1899 - 1902. Encanto takes place fifty years after the miracle was created. My story takes place post-movie ending. The period following the 1950s in Columbia was still very turbulent, since La Violencia, a violent civil war, had just ended in 1958. And there was still in-fighting/civil conflicts going on, up until the twenty first century. My male OC is someone who has been displaced, having lost his family in the conflicts as well. The time period is only relevant to provide context to this story/my OC's background.

An important note about the ages as well: everyone is six years older (so Mirabel is 21). Male OC looks like an older Miguel from the movie Coco, and can sing as well. But this is NOT a Coco crossover. The time periods are completely different (Coco takes place in 2017), and the location is different (Coco is set in Mexico). Also, my OCs name will be...Marco Diaz (no, this is not a Star vs the Forces of Evil crossover either). I just want to use a name other than Miguel, and Miguel's original name before the creators decided to change it was Marco, so why not? And Diaz is actually a common Columbian last name.

Content warning for mentions of violence and death in this oneshot. POV of the oneshot is from Mirabel's point of view. I couldn't find an "un poco loco" cover that I liked, so I was only able to find a video with an "un poco loco" + "remember me" cover. Please turn off your sound/video when the "remember me" cover starts playing. My OC is only singing "un poco loco". The English cover starts at 0:58 (58 secs) into the video.

o - o - o - o - o

Encanto. Enchantment. A lot has changed about my small town and the residents of it.

Six years ago, I, Mirabel Madrigal, ended up saving my town, my home, and my family, after restoring the "miracle". Even though the magic was saved and everyone returned to their daily lives, things weren't the same as before. In our own family Madrigal for instance.

Luisa didn't work as much as she used to. That's not to say she doesn't work, but she doesn't burden herself like she used to do. She's no longer just "the strong one", the one everyone depends on to do the heavy lifting. No, she's learned to not take on more than she can bear, to share her load with others and not force herself to do everything just because she can.

Isabela isn't "the perfect one" anymore, and never have I been more glad she opened up to me six years ago. She looks so much happier and free than when she was still under Abuela's control. After discovering she could grow more than just pretty flowers, Isabela has been experimenting with growing crops and produce. The town has never had such a bountiful harvest!

Dolores and Mariano are still going strong. In fact, they've recently gotten engaged! Hehe, it took them long enough...

And me? Well, I'm preparing to be the next head of the Madrigal family! Trust me, that took me by surprise as well. But after saving the miracle, Abuela decided that there was no one better fit for the role. I've been learning the ins and outs of being the leader of the village too.

Which brings me to my next point...

After the magic disappeared, the mountains protecting Encanto split open, connecting us to the outside world after having been isolated for fifty years. We didn't think much of it back then. We had all just assumed that when the magic of Encanto returned, our village would remain hidden.

But we were wrong.

People started showing up. Outsiders. Not just any outsiders, but refugees.

Abuela didn't like talking about her time before Encanto. Aside from the pain that memories of Abuelo's sacrifice brought her, thinking of the turmoil and upheaval of that time upset her.

Here in our town, we don't talk about the outside world. The other elders aside from Abuela were just as tight lipped about their lives before they came to these mountains. There was no point in wondering about a world we no longer had access to anyway. But that was before the mountains opened up. Before these runaways and outcasts found their way here, to Encanto.

They were more often than not families. Mothers, fathers, children. Or those with no one by their side at all. No matter who they were, they had the same weary and tired expressions. Carrying nothing except what was on their backs, they had fled their original homes to find a better and safer place to settle. In fifty years, nothing had changed at all. The outside world was still violent and dangerous.

So what else could we do except help these poor souls? We built new homes, grew more food. And, I'll admit, it was funny seeing these newcomers' reactions to my family's magical abilities.

That doesn't happen in Encanto. It can't, when the residents have lived here all their lives and seen all there is to see.

And that's how we adjusted. We changed, adapted to the arrival of these new settlers. At first, we were all panicking about the possibility of our town being revealed to the outside world. But then we saw that it was always refugees who arrived, people seeking a haven and shelter. Not just anyone arrived in our town. No soldiers, no criminals, no one with less than pure intentions. Only those who had already lost everything, with nothing to gain.

None of the refugees ever left. They always decided to stay after we helped them. So the population of Encanto grew year by year.

Life continued like this for six years. I had nothing to worry about, other than my new duties as the family head, and village leader. Things were peaceful for me...until the arrival of one Marco Diaz.

o - o - o - o - o

It was a day like any other. Which was strange, considering this was the day I'd meet someone who was not like any other.

"Hey, how's it going! Love what you've done with your hair, by the way! Oh, is that a new dress?"

I was making my rounds around the town, greeting the townspeople I came across.

"Woah!"

Someone had run up to me, panting and gasping. I recognized them as one of the persons on guard duty, that is to say, they would come by the river every day and check if new refugees had shown up.

"Mirabel, we need your mother at the clinic! Urgently! This man is in bad shape!"

"What?! Oh no, I'll get her right away!"

From the sound of their voice, it seemed like the matter was urgent. Occasionally, we would have refugees who would faint from exhaustion and the like, but never any in critical condition. I wonder what had happened to this man to get him to the point where he needed urgent medical care. I ran back to Casita as fast as I could. Luckily, Mom was in the kitchen when I found her.

"Mom! They need you at the clinic! They found a refugee in critical condition!"

"What?! Well what are we hanging around here for?! We have to hurry!"

Mom left the dishes she was washing, and ran with me to the town's clinic after grabbing a few of her arepas con queso that she had on hand.

When we got there, we were led to a room where a man was lying propped up on one of the clinic's beds. He had numerous bruises all over his body, and he was bleeding.

"Sir! You have to stay awake! You can't close your eyes!"

There were people there who were trying to keep the man awake, as he fought to keep his eyes open.

"Thank goodness! Julieta Madrigal is here!"

My mom hurried over to the man's side, placing an arepa in his mouth and encouraging him to eat it. The man, despite his waning consciousness, seemed to hear her, as he bit the arepa and swallowed a small bite. The change was instantly apparent. His bruises started to heal one by one as he ate more and more of the arepa con queso. When he completely finished it, all of the bruises on his body were gone and he was no longer bleeding.

Now that he was healed, I examined his appearance. He looked around my age, and he was, admittedly, quite handsome. He had tan skin, black hair, brown eyes, and a beauty mark below his nose. He wore blue jeans and brown leather shoes...and a sleeveless white shirt. It was quite a strange shirt. I had never seen men in Encanto wear sleeveless shirts like his.

The man, who was now fully conscious and alert, looked around himself in desperation.

"Who are you people? Where am I? Why am I here? Where are my belongings? And where is Dante?"

Dante? Who's Dante? Someone that was with him?

Bark!

I and everyone else turned our heads toward the entrance of the room. A dark blur rushed inside and jumped onto the unknown man. Everyone was startled at the sudden appearance of this...animal? It was some kind of four legged creature...skinny, almost hairless, with wrinkled brown skin and long legs. There was a tear on its left ear. It had its tongue sticking out, and missing teeth. It was wagging its tail as it stared at the man happily.

"Dante!"

So this was Dante! It was kind of cute! Not really what you'd think of when you hear the word cute, but it was charming!

"We are so sorry. We tried keeping him in the other room, but he ran out. And here are your things, sir."

Someone gave the unknown man lying on the bed a suitcase and a...guitar case?

"Thank you. And everyone here can just call me Marco. Marco Diaz."

"Well, Marco, it's nice to meet you! My name is Mirabel! Mirabel Madrigal! And this is my mother, Julieta Madrigal!"

I took the initiative to introduce myself after he did so. Everyone in the room went around doing the same.

"I'm the town's leader! Welcome to Encanto! Now that you're feeling better, how about we get you up and running? You can meet with some other refugees, and they'll explain everything to you and get you set up with lodging. Do you have any special skills? Or a trade you'd like to learn?"

"My family...no, I...was a shoemaker..."

He was trying to hide it, but I could sense some hesitancy in Marco's words. Did he...lose his family too? He wouldn't be the first. Many of the refugees that came to Encanto had lost family and friends along with their homes. I could ask him for the details later, but what was the most important was getting him settled into Encanto.

"How about I stay with Marco and show him around town? Mom, you can head back to Casita. And everyone else, thanks for your help today!"

Just like that, everyone left after saying their goodbyes, leaving me alone with Marco and Dante. I could finally ask him the questions I had been holding back since I was too embarrassed to ask them in front of everyone else.

"What kind of animal is Dante? What's that weird shirt you're wearing? Why do you have a guitar with you? Why did you have so many bruises?"

Marco looked caught off guard at the rapid fire questions I asked him, but he still tried to answer them one by one.

"Dante is a xolo dog. I wouldn't expect most people here to be aware of what kind of dog he is, since his kind is not from Columbia, but from Mexico. Um, the shirt I'm wearing is called a tank top. And that guitar is my guitar. And I had bruises because...I'm sorry, I must have looked terrible, didn't I?"

Marco looked apologetic, but then he clenched his fists and glared at them in anger.

"Those damn bastards...why did they have to come to my town..."

"Who?"

I had an inkling of who he was referring to, but I just needed to make sure...

"They...they killed my family...burned my hometown down...and I couldn't do anything to stop them! I was in another town entirely...and then they came to the town I was in...and I tried to stop them then...but where did that get me? Just a bruised ego and battered body..."

"So...these people...they came to your town, and you confronted them, but you got beaten up as a result?"

"Yes...I'm sure they thought I was dead...throwing me and my things away...if Dante wasn't there to guard over me until I woke up..."

"And how did you get here? To Encanto?"

"I don't know...I...wandered for a long time. I had no food and water...I was...so hungry...I just kept going....hoping to find somewhere, anywhere else...and then I collapsed...the bruises on my body were too severe. The last thing I saw was a butterfly. Then I was here, in your clinic, with people begging me to stay awake...and I ate your mom's...arepas...hold on..."

Marco widened his eyes in realization.

"How did...your mom's food heal me? I was sure that I was dying!"

"Oh, haha...this is something you have to see to believe."

In all the confusion, I had forgotten to explain just what was so special about Encanto.

"Let's go outside!"

I grabbed Marco's hand and took him outside the clinic. His hand had calluses on them, maybe from his guitar playing? Dante followed us eagerly.

"Welcome to Encanto, where things are quite literally magical!"

At that moment, Luisa was walking by with a pile of donkeys on her shoulders.

"Hey Mirabel! New refugee?"

"Yep!"

"Alright, get him situated soon. I'll see you later for dinner! Time to return these guys to their owner...."

Luisa left, leaving Marco with his mouth gaping open. Ah yes, that's the reaction I've come to expect.

"What? How is...was that your sister? How did she carry...?"

"I'm part of the amazing Madrigals! And...well, I usually have a whole song about this, but hey, why don't I just give you the abbreviated version?"

Marco was still in a daze as I told him about everyone in my family and what they could do.

"I thought it was weird when you didn't know what a tank top was...but then I find out your family is literally magical...a town named Encanto...that I've never heard of before...magic...it all makes sense!"

"Yes! So, I still have to get you situated, but you're welcome to stay here if you'd like!"

"I...well, it's not like I have anywhere left to go..."

Marco was back to looking dejected again. I didn't want him to wallow in his own despair, so I grabbed his hands again, both of them this time.

"Hey...I know that no one will ever be able to replace your family, or anyone you knew in the past...but, I want you to know that I'm here for you. Everyone in Encanto is. There's other refugees as well...people who have lost their hometowns just like you...you don't have to be alone. You aren't alone. You don't have to bottle up your grief. You can let it all out."

Marco was silent, before he closed the distance between us and...hugged me. I could feel drops of liquid on my shoulders, and slight shaking as Marco sobbed while holding onto me.

"Thank you Mirabel. I needed someone to tell me that."

o - o - o - o - o

And, things were back to being peaceful in my life again. Save for the presence of Marco. Marco had adjusted to living in Encanto. I think talking to the other refugees like I had suggested helped him. He took up shoemaking, like he said he would, apprenticing under our own resident shoemakers. And I was pleasantly surprised that he was quite good at making shoes. Marco got to know everyone in town as he fitted and made shoes for them.

As for me? Well, I...grew attached to Marco. There were plenty of handsome boys and beautiful girls while I was growing up in Encanto, but none of them made me laugh like Marco did. None of them could tell stories about the outside world, which I had grown curious of with the presence of more refugees, like he did.

I had thought that the outside world was all bad, full of terrible people. But that wasn't the truth. There were good people, like Marco, like the other refugees. Encanto would always be my home though.

In the time I had gotten to know Marco, I had never actually seen him playing guitar. He told me that he had left his family's hometown in order to pursue music. But I had yet to see him sing, much less even strum a guitar.

Was he still feeling guilt over being unable to prevent his family's death? That he left his hometown in order to become a musician?

My heart broke for him, but unlike his other trauma, this was something personal to him. Something he could only solve on his own.

When I started spending more time with Marco, I would be teased at home, by Luisa, Isabela, Camilo...even Antonio! Just because he's the first guy who I've spent prolonged periods of time with, and who is not a family member, doesn't mean I like him that way! Or do I? Gah, I wish I knew!

Why is it so hard to have a crush on someone? Not knowing if they'll return your feelings? Did Dolores feel like this too? But Mariano was technically engaged to Isabela at that time...and Marco isn't engaged to anyone (although he had admirers, much to my chagrin)...

Should I just tell him? But if he doesn't feel the same...this was one of the few times I regret living in a town where everyone knows everyone...

I could always just hide away in Casita...and never come out...like Tío Bruno....

No! No! Bad Maribel! I can do it! I can confess my feelings! And...even if he doesn't feel the same, I will still be friends with Marco! Because...our friendship is stronger than...a crush...

So I gathered up my courage and asked Marco to meet me at the river that night.

Alright, here we go Mirabel! You can do this! I psyched myself up by breathing in and out quickly.

"You can do this! You can do this! YOU CAN DO THIS!"

"Mirabel."

"Gah!"

I whirled around to see Marco, with a wide grin on his face.

"Were you nervous about meeting me?"

"Yes. Well, no! I mean, uh..."

I cursed at myself for getting tongue tied at this exact moment.

"It's okay! I...was also feeling nervous meeting you tonight. Because I have something for you."

Marco set something down on the ground, and I realized he had been carrying his guitar case the entire time.

"It took me so long to pick up my guitar again...but I wanted to...because of you...because, Mirabel, you're special to me."

Marco took out a beautiful white guitar, with a grey checker pattern around the edges, and inlaid with gold. He tuned it, before beginning to sing.

youtube

♫ What color is the sky ¡Ay, mi amor! ¡Ay, mi amor! You tell me that it's red ¡Ay, mi amor! ¡Ay, mi amor! ♫

♫ Where should I put my shoes ¡Ay, mi amor! ¡Ay, mi amor! You say put them on your head ¡Ay, mi amor! ¡Ay, mi amor! ♫

♫ You make me Un poco loco Un poquititito loco The way you keep me guessing ♫

♫ I'm nodding and I'm yessing I'll count it as a blessing That I'm only Un poco loco ♫

♫ The loco that you make me It is just un poco crazy The sense that you're not making The liberties you're taking Leaves my cabeza shaking You are just Un poco loco ♫

♫ Un poquititi-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-to loco! ♫

I listened with bated breath until he finished singing.

"Marco, does this mean...you like me? Romantically?"

"Yes...I have for a while...or maybe even the first day I met you...but Mirabel...do you...feel the same way?"

"Are you kidding me?! I was psyching myself up because I didn't think you liked me!"

Marco had placed his guitar back inside its case, leaving his arms free for me to jump into.

"Of course I love you! Of course!"

He spun me around and laughed. I knew that somewhere, Dolores had probably heard all of this, and had maybe already told the rest of our family, but I didn't care. The only thing that mattered to me in that moment was staying in Marco's embrace.

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augustmoon259 · 2 years

Text

"Meta Runner" Fem!CEO!Reader x Masa Shimamoto (One-sided!Derek Lucks x Reader)

Before I was born, my parents founded Cyberato Inc.

In the changing technological landscape of the twenty first century, they established one of the most successful and lucrative tech companies in the world. Cyberato Inc. is known for popularizing "green tech", also known as green technology. My parents saw the impacts that climate change was wreaking on both the environment and people, so they sought to create a company that could reduce technology's impact on the planet. They started out creating light bulbs that would last longer and longer, before moving on to bigger projects like creating hover cars.

The automatization of the workforce industry and outsourcing to robots and artificial intelligence was also a concern for my parents. They made sure that the employees of Cyberato Inc. would always be treated respectfully, and provided free training and education to employees as well. Cyberato funds public schools, universities, and colleges, in order to cultivate the next generation of engineers and scientists.

Through the tireless efforts of my parents, Cyberato Inc. became a well regarded company, both by businesses and the common masses.

After I was born, I came to understand all of this. I came to understand the legacy I had to live up to, but also what I had to surpass.

I was always a smart kid, as the offspring of two of the brightest minds in both the scientific and business communities. I excelled in anything I was given, and was quickly labelled a "prodigy". My mom and dad were not like other rich and affluent parents who were inundated with work and could not spend time with their child. So I was lucky to have loving parents who were present all throughout my childhood.

My life sounds like a dream, and it pretty much is, except for one thing. Even though I was a prodigy, I was not homeschooled. My parents wanted me to go to a regular school to experience social interactions with students my age.

It sounds nice in theory, but in practice, I never really hit it off with other kids. For one thing, since I was so smart, I found it difficult to interact with my peers, and vice versa. Teachers treated me better than other students, and I think this made them jealous. Although, because of my family's reputation and background, I was never bullied, I did feel lonely. Therefore, I found solace in video games.

Video games were becoming more and more popular at the start of the twenty first century, and not much has changed over the years in that regard. In fact, today, video games are so dominant that entire cities have been built to accommodate this popularity. In the past, you couldn't make a living being a professional gamer, streamer, or entertainer. Now, those are pretty much the only occupations kids will talk about.

Speaking of video games, around the time I graduated high school, a man by the name of Derek Lucks revolutionized the industry by introducing his new invention: the Meta Runner arm. It's a cybernetic arm that can be implanted in a person in place of their real arm. With their new cybernetic arm, they can play video games faster and better than the average person.

When he introduced the Meta Runner arm, it wasn't an immediate success. People were hesitant to become "cyborgs" just to play video games. But the appeal of video games wasn't to be underestimated, as soon there were thousands of applicants to be Meta Runners.

Only a few people could become the first Meta Runners. After they became Meta Runners, and more information was available on the processes and logistics, more people became convinced.

Lucks founded his own company, TAS Corp. Pretty soon, he got offers and collaborations from other businesses. There were companies that refused to work with him though, and that included Cyberato Inc. My parents were weary of Lucks and TAS Corp.

Time would prove my parents' suspicions correct. Allegations were emerging of TAS Corp: unfair contracts given to Meta Runners, abuse of power by hiring mercenaries and private military contractors, and more.

None of the rumors had concrete evidence to back them up though, and on the surface at least, TAS Corp remained a powerful and influential gaming tool production company.

Despite the success of the Meta Runner arm after it became available to the public, most people were barred from becoming Meta Runners, simply because of the high cost of acquiring it. Most people were still using regular gaming equipment and gear, not Meta Runner arms.

After graduating high school, I went on to study at a top college in the country, and became invested in making my own inventions. Then, after graduating college, I officially became the new CEO of Cyberato Inc. I decided to move the company headquarters to the new gaming capital of the world, Silica City. Once I moved there, I opened a new branch of the company for gaming tools, to directly compete with TAS Corp.

I invented biodegradable and recyclable technologies, like wooden computer chips, batteries made from cardboard, etc.

My time as the new CEO of Cyberato Inc. was going smoothly. I'd be the first to admit that I was a workaholic, so I got my work done quickly and efficiently. For the most part, I enjoyed my work, and was satisfied knowing my parents had less on their plate, but there were some aspects of my new position I did not enjoy. Meeting with stockholders and investors, being underestimated because of my young age, and the parties.

Corporate parties are nothing more than an excuse for snooty businessmen and women to throw extravagant celebrations, rub elbows, and try to wring the most benefits for themselves out of the other attendees.

And of all parties, I was invited to a TAS Corp party.

I got out of the limo and thanked my chauffeur. He tipped his hat off in goodbye, before driving off.

Looking up at the towering building before me, I let out a sigh of resignation. If I could choose not to be here, I would, but in order to protect the company's reputation (and mine), I had to show up, at least just to exchange pleasantries. My parents had refused to work with TAS Corp, but things were different now that I was in charge. I was being put under more pressure to collaborate with TAS Corp, yet I had neither denied nor assented.

I walked up to the front entrance. There were two guards placed on either side of the door. Handing my VIP invitation over to them, I waited for a minute or two as they examined the invite to make sure it was not a fake. After receiving a nod in confirmation from one of the guards, I entered the building, where a security escort was waiting for me. He guided me to an elevator, and I was told to take it all the way to the top floor.

Waiting for the elevator to arrive at my destination, I closed my eyes to prepare myself for the inevitable.

Disembarking from the elevator, I came up to another door, where there were two more guards in front.

"Welcome ma'am. We hope you'll enjoy the party."

"Yes, thank you. I'm sure I will."

If the guards were somehow able to notice my sarcasm, they did not comment on it. After all, their job was just to greet guests, not make small talk.

They opened the door, and I stepped inside.

TAS Corp went all out for their parties, just like all of their affairs. There were tables on opposite sides of the room filled to the brim with food. The remaining side of the room, the one not containing the entrance where guests entered from, had a wide stage. Waiters were walking around offering drinks to the guests on platters. After I entered, all eyes were on me. How could they not be, the way I was dressed?

The gown I wore was a spaghetti strap, dark red, and floor length. It had sheer sleeves, decorated on top with floral appliqué. The right and left sides of my gown were decorated in a similar manner. Other than that, I wore red butterfly earrings to match my dress.

"Ah, I see the guest of honor has arrived. So glad the CEO of Cyberato Inc. could join us here today!"

Inwardly, I frowned. Guest of honor? I turned towards the stage where the voice had come from. It was Derek Lucks. He was obviously older than when he had founded his company, but other than a few more lines on his face, he still looked remarkably handsome.

"Now that everyone is present, I hope you all will have a wonderful night! Drink, eat, be merry! We're not here just for business, we should enjoy ourselves as well!"

With that closing remark, Lucks left the stage to a round of applause. Everyone began conversing with one another, and a few people started heading in my direction as well. I grabbed a glass from a nearby waiter, and took a sip. Thankfully, the drinks at the party seemed to be non-alcoholic.

I made light conversation with the other guests. Soon enough, as I expected, Lucks made his presence known.

"Apologies for interrupting what I'm sure is riveting conversation, but may I have some alone time with the CEO?"

Of course, no one would reject the host of the party, so the others left after wishing us well.

"I'm sincerely grateful you could make time out of your busy schedule to come here tonight, CEO."

Gently, he took ahold of my hand that was not holding a glass, and left a kiss on it.

"Likewise. Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Lucks."

I repressed my surprised flinch after Lucks kissed my hand, and kept my tone civil and polite. Lucks looked at me with what I could only describe as curiosity and intrigue in his eyes, like he had found a puzzle that he was itching to crack open and solve.

"I thought you might not make it. You are the CEO of Cyberato Inc. after all. And only at the age of twenty three! Truly an impressive feat."

"You're flattering me, Mr. Lucks. How could I miss a party by my fellow CEO? The CEO of TAS Corp, our only rival in Silica City?"

"And what a worthy rival you are! Though perhaps that may change in the future?"

Lucks had a smirk on his face at the implication in his words. He was implying that our companies would collaborate in the future...but could he have possibly meant that we...me and him? Together in the future? I clutched the glass in my hand tighter. Business marriages and marriages of convenience were not uncommon in the industry, but I wanted to avoid that so I could marry someone I love, like my parents.

"That is yet to be determined."

"Hm, yes...after all, who can predict their future?"

Lucks still had that annoying smirk on his face.

"But let's not focus on the future right now. Let's focus on the present! Are you familiar with Meta Runners, CEO?"

"Who isn't aware of them? I doubt anyone at this party doesn't."

"Right again, CEO. But have you met a Meta Runner yourself?"

"I can't say I have." This was true. I didn't have many friends, and my acquaintances were not Meta Runners. I had seen a fair few in Silica City, but I didn't approach them. I stuck to watching Meta Runners on screen, during live streams and such.

"Then this is the perfect opportunity. My company has recently assembled a team of three new Meta Runners! Let me introduce them to you."

Lucks offered his arm, and I reluctantly linked our arms together. He guided us to three people I had never seen before. The crowd around them dispersed as we got closer. True to his word, they were all Meta Runners. Two of them were a man and woman around my age, while the third was an eighteen year old girl.

The eighteen year old girl had carmine colored hair with orange streaks in a messy ponytail with burgundy eyes. She wore a short-sleeved white jacket with blue threads and a black undershirt, black pants with a white belt, and black boots.

"This is Belle Fontiere, our most promising new rookie."

The woman around my age had bright long fuchsia hair, pale fair skin, and a slender build. She wore a black tank top and dark-blue shorts with a navy hoodie tied around her waist, as well as black tube-socks and thigh-high black leather boots, and a necklace with a sky-blue pendant.

"This is Lucinia Porter, an experienced Meta Runner."

The man around my age had dark, shaggy hair, thick eyebrows, brown eyes and some facial hair. He was around the same height as Lucks, and taller than Belle and Lucinia. He wore a collared long sleeve black shirt, with blue streaks on the sleeves. He also wore gloves, and dark cargo pants that had similar blue streaks as his shirt.

"And last, but certainly not least, is our Meta Runner team captain, Masa Shimamoto. Everyone, this is the CEO of Cyberato Inc."

"Hey, how's it going?" Belle acknowledged me with a casual, laidback greeting.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss." Meanwhile, Lucinia was polite and flashed me a charming smile.

"Your eyes are like the ocean; I could swim in them all day." Masa gave me a kiss on one hand like Lucks had, but unlike then, I did not flinch. Instead, I smiled back in response. Belle was gagging in the background, while Lucinia was trying to hide giggles. And Lucks...Lucks looked displeased.

"Need I remind everyone to be on their best behavior around the CEO? Now, while I take care of some matters, there better not be any more remarks like that from you, Shimamoto. And Fontiere, ignore the urge to make a laughingstock of yourself, please."

"Yes sir..." all three Meta Runners chorused. Finally, Lucks left, and it felt like a breath of fresh air after having been trapped in a tight space.

"Ugh, what's with that guy? He's got a stick up his ass 24/7."

"Belle!" Lucinia was giggling again and reprimanding Belle, but it was clear she didn't mean it.

"Hey. I have an idea. Why don't we ignore everything he just told us to do and leave? Come on Lucinia. Lover boy over there can stay with his crush."

"Hey! I don't have a crush - " Masa attempted to stop Belle and Lucinia from leaving, but they were too quick for him and disappeared into the crowd of people.

"Why, Mr. Shimamoto, I'm offended. Do you know how many men, and even women, have wanted to date me?" I gave Masa a teasing smile, as he looked embarrassed and rubbed the back of his head.

"I...don't know what got into me. I, uh, am usually not this forward with women, especially, um, pretty women..."

"So you do think I'm pretty?" I had an even wider smile on my face. Masa was handsome, like Lucks, but his attempts at being forward with me were endearing and cute, instead of being unwanted and crude.

"Yes...but I'm just a Meta Runner...and, well, you're a beautiful and talented CEO...."

"Hey, for being just a 'Meta Runner', you've got my attention."

"Really?" Masa had a hopeful smile on his face.

"Really."

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augustmoon259 · 2 years

Text

For I shall already have forgotten you CHAPTER 10: Dinner and Dreams

When Madeline stepped into Arthur’s home, she felt as if she had traveled two hundred years into the past. Alfred had plenty of antiques in his home, but the interior was still decidedly modern. Meanwhile, Arthur’s home looked as if the only modern aspect of it was the electricity.

The mansion’s outward exterior did little to prepare her for its inward grandeur: staircases that went up to floors and rooms yet unknown to Madeline, chandeliers that sparkled and illuminated the foyer she was currently standing in, an abundance of wooden carvings on the railings and statues in the hallways.

As she stood there, still in awe, Arthur interrupted Madeline’s wonderment to guide her to the kitchen.

“Ahem, right this way please. The kitchen is just around the corner.”

The mansion’s kitchen kept elements of its original classical design, but it was clear that compared to the rest of Arthur’s home, his kitchen was renovated in order to accommodate present-day technology and appliances.

“Did you remodel your kitchen? It’s different compared to the rest of your home.”

“Yes, I did! I also rebuilt the bathrooms too. Appearances can be deceiving; I assure you, Miss Madeline, my home has the latest electrical and plumbing systems. Can’t very well have all of my place stuck in the nineteenth century, can I?”

“You have a very beautiful home, Arthur.”

“Thank you, Miss Madeline.”

Madeline could see that Arthur was quite proud of his home, and he had every reason to be.

“Before we begin, I should ask, do you have any food allergies, Miss Madeline?”

“No, I don’t.”

“That’s great! I have the perfect dinner for tonight. I’ve gotten a new cookbook recently. There’s a great recipe in here for a roast dinner…”

Madeline discovered another one of Arthur’s passions, other than rock music and interior decorating: cooking. But, as she was also quick to find out, Arthur’s “cooking” was not quite suitable for anyone else to ingest but him…

“Arthur, are you sure that’s the right thing to do? The recipe says the potatoes only need to be in the oven for an hour…and I think you might have added too much salt to the beef…!”

“Nonsense, I’m sure I read the recipe right! I skimmed it over before we started! Miss Madeline, don’t worry, you’re talking to an experienced cook!”

“Ah, but...I-I think that’s more than enough flour for the pudding…! A-and, eggs…! And milk…! Oh dear…”

Cooking could be stressful, this was something Madeline was already aware of. But cooking with Arthur Kirkland was a nightmare. Madeline was at her wit’s end running around the kitchen and making sure that everything was cooked on time, not too burnt, nothing would overflow or spill…all the while, Arthur was blissfully unaware he was doing anything wrong.

Finally, after two excruciating hours, their dinner was ready to be served and eaten. Madeline was filled to the brim with relief, only to remember that she’d have to endure Arthur’s cooking for an entire month…

“Arthur, I really, really am glad you are so eager to cook our meals, but perhaps I should be doing the cooking from now on? I’ll ask for your help if I require it…”

“Miss Madeline, are you quite sure? I do think we made a great team!”

“No, I am sure. Cooking our meals is the least I can do to repay you this month!”

“Haha, I admire your enthusiasm!”

Yes, enthusiasm. He admires my “enthusiasm”. That’s one way to put it!

“I’m surprised! This is the best my cooking has ever turned out! Usually it’s at least a little burnt or soggy or wet or dry or…”

How is he even still alive when he cooks like this?!

“Um, how about we go ahead and start eating…?”

“Oh! Yes, we should…around this time, that little bugger should be awake as well…”

“Who…? I thought you lived alone, Arthur?”

“I do, I do, but this one isn’t a person…”

“Do you mean…”

Meow! Madeline looked down to see a cat with bent ears. The white cat had a large patch of orange fur extending over much of the left side of its face, over its left hind leg/ lower back, and over most of its tail. The cat also had thick eyebrows like its owner…?

“His name is Scone. He’s a Scottish Fold cat. He likes to nap after his morning meal, and then he wakes up in the evening to beg for more food…”

Meow! The cat, now known as Scone, kept pawing at the bottom of Madeline’s pants. Madeline bent down to get closer to Scone. Scone kept waving his paw in front of Madeline, and Madeline surmised that Scone wanted to shake her hand, so she did exactly that. Scone meowed satisfactorily in response.

“Ah, the little bugger is never this friendly towards me…he only wants food…”

“Pfftt, I’m sure he does care about his owner...He reminds me of you.”

“Is it the eyebrows…?”

“No…well, a little bit, but he’s a little gentleman, just like you…”

Scone the cat reminded Madeline of Arthur. He was a polite cat, but if Arthur was to be believed, he also enjoyed naps and begging for food. Arthur was a polite man, but over the span of today, she found out that he also liked punk rock and was a disastrous cook. It was much easier for Madeline to get along with Arthur now than a few hours ago.

Arthur went to one of his kitchen cabinets, opened it, and took out a can of cat food and a cat bowl. He took out another bowl and filled it with water. After filling up both bowls, he placed them down for Scone to eat and drink.

“Now that I’ve fed the little bugger, it’s time for us to feed ourselves…”

The kitchen in Arthur’s home was spacious enough to also fit a small dining table and two chairs. Arthur explained that he had a bigger dining room in his mansion, but since he lived alone other than with Scone, he preferred to eat at the smaller dining table in his kitchen.

After dinner, Arthur took Madeline on a tour of his home. Arthur’s mansion had half a dozen bedrooms, a grand library, a music room where he kept his guitars…Madeline felt that even after a month, she could still probably get lost in Arthur’s manor.

While she was preparing for bed that night, Arthur came to say good night, along with Scone. Arthur was carrying Scone in one arm, and a pillow in the other.

“Hope you don’t mind, but Scone here wants to sleep with you tonight. I caught him dragging his pillow to your room.”

“Awww, of course I don’t mind! If I’m being honest, I wouldn’t object to the company. It’s very…empty here. It’s a lovely bedroom, but there’s just so much…space! I don’t know how you manage to live here by yourself, Arthur.”

“I’ve gotten used to it…Scone is enough company for me…”

“Good night, Arthur…”

“Good night, Miss Madeline.”

Arthur left Scone and his pillow in Madeline’s bed, while convincing himself that he was not, in fact, jealous of his cat. Madeline turned off the lights, and snuggled into her sheets.

“Hey Scone, would you like to meet someone?”

Meow!

“This is Kumarie!”

Of course Madeline would not leave Kumarie back in Canada. The stuffed bear-turned-polar bear shook Scone’s paw, like Madeline had earlier. Scone did not mind the other animal’s presence in Madeline’s bed.

“Sweet dreams Kumarie, sweet dreams Scone…I hope I’ll have a sweet dream too…”

She dreamed that she lost someone. She couldn’t see them, couldn’t hear their voice, but she lost them all the same. Someone was handing her over to another person.

I must be in Matthew’s childhood again.

Madeline had gotten used to dreaming about Matthew, although it had been months since she dreamed of when he was little.

What’s happening to Matthew this time…?

“So you’re Matthew, huh? You look too much like that damn frog for my taste, but it's not your fault he got to you first…”

Frog? What “frog”? There are frogs in my dreams now?

“From now on Matthew, you'll be my responsibility. I’ll take care of you, and I’m gonna be so good at it, you can forget all about that stupid frog!”

Who is this…? Who took care of Matthew like this…?

She looked up at the person towering above her, and she saw that it was…Arthur!

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augustmoon259 · 2 years

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For I shall already have forgotten you CHAPTER 9: Arthur Kirkland

The flight from Madeline’s local airport to London took ten hours. She had left during the afternoon to make it to the airport early, checked in her luggage, got her boarding pass and went through security. Then she waited for her plane to be ready to board as she ate a snack.

Luckily for Madeline, the other passengers around her were polite and didn’t make much noise or bother anyone. During the long flight, Madeline passed the time reading, listening to music, and studying up on where to go or what to do in London. She had managed to get in a few hours of sleep, although she still felt tired. Perhaps it was because she was in the air and not on the ground, but she did not have dreams - whether of “Matthew” or any other random dream.

It was also afternoon when Madeline arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport. After disembarking from her plane, she followed the flow of people to the airport terminal. She had to reclaim her baggage, and also go through customs. Finally, she was ready to leave the airport.

Madeline looked around for a person holding a sign with her name on it. She wasn’t told much in this regard about who’d be waiting for her; she had texted Alfred to see if he knew, but all Alfred said was that they had “bushy eyebrows”.

Then, she spotted a man with a poster board that had “Madeline Williams” handwritten on it. The man had short, messy, golden blond hair, and a slender body. As she approached the man, she noticed he was around the same height as Alfred (5’9” or 175 cm). He was dressed in a grey double breasted button trench coat, with side pockets and cuffs. He had on black gloves, a lighter grey scarf wrapped around his neck, and black trousers with matching winter boots.

“Hello! Um, I’m Madeline Williams?”

“Oh! Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, miss. My name is Arthur Kirkland.”

Standing close to Arthur now, Madeline noticed that Arthur did in fact have bushy eyebrows like Alfred claimed. However, that did little to detract from his handsome features. In truth, it brought one’s attention to his beautiful lime-green eyes.

“Please follow me, Ms. Williams. The car ride to London will take half an hour.”

“Ah, I see. I’m glad the ride there doesn’t take too long. And you can call me Madeline. Ms. Williams is a bit too formal, no? Especially since I will be lodging with you for a month.”

“If that’s what you prefer, Miss Madeline.”

“Thank you, Mr. Kirkland. Or should I call you Arthur?”

“Arthur is fine, Miss Madeline.”

Madeline kept quiet the rest of the way until they made it to the parking lot. Arthur’s car was a dark blue convertible Mini Cooper. Madeline put her suitcase and her backpack in the trunk of the car, and then sat in the front passenger seat after fastening her seat belt. Other than sitting on the left instead of the right, it was no different from a car back home.

Arthur kept the inside of his car well cleaned and organized. She could not tell if this was what he was usually like, or if he had only cleaned it in order to make things more comfortable for her. Either way, she appreciated that his car was so tidy and neat.

“Would you like me to put on music to listen to?”

“Sure, go ahead! Um, I don’t mind if you’d like to play music that you like...er, well, music you listen to on car rides! If you listen to music! Um, you don’t have to if you don’t!”

Arthur had a small smile on his face as he observed Madeline momentarily stumble over her words.

“Hm, if you insist. I hope you will tell me if you don’t like my taste in music.”

“Oh no! I couldn’t. Well, there’s no music genre I particularly hate. And even if I did, I’m your guest and you’re my host. Please don’t let me stop you from enjoying music you like!”

“Haha, don't worry. I myself mostly listen to rock music, especially punk rock.” She was surprised to hear this. Arthur looked like a “gentleman” on the outside, and he was, but he also had aspects of himself that weren’t obvious at first glance.

Arthur took out his phone and after inputting a few commands, a rock song started to play in his car. Arthur drove his car out of the parking lot, and once they were on the road, continued his conversation with Madeline.

“So what music genres are your favorite then?”

“Hm, I’d say indie genres? Or alternative genres? Like indie/alternative rock, indie pop, pop rock, stuff like that? And, I suppose soundtracks are in a genre of their own? Movies, game soundtracks, television?”

“Well, what a coincidence that you enjoy rock music as well, Miss Madeline.”

The ride to Arthur’s home was silent between the two of them, but not an awkward silence. Madeline would occasionally interrupt to ask about a certain song playing in the car, what the name of the band is, etc., but other than that, there was a comfortable atmosphere between them. Madeline thinks that some of Alfred’s sociability must have rubbed off on her, or perhaps it was because of her own efforts recently in being more amiable with others. Admittedly, her first meeting with Arthur was also less embarrassing than Alfred’s. She hoped she’d never have to do something like duct tape a person in front of Arthur!

After half an hour, the Mini Cooper arrived in front of Arthur’s home and Madeline was flabbergasted. Alfred’s house was one of the biggest and nicest homes she had ever seen, but now she saw a home that could only be described as a mansion in every sense of the word.

The sun was setting, and the warm rays basked the mansion in an orange and red light.

“Well, I don’t know about you miss, but I’m famished. What say we go inside and make ourselves dinner?”

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augustmoon259 · 2 years

Photo

Awww, this is so cute! A unexpectedly cute pairing! <3 It's not art, but I wrote a oneshot crossover of The Strongest Florist and Your Smile is a Trap, if you're interested in more content for The Strongest Florist. :)

now kiss

#the strongest florist #hwang jaeho

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augustmoon259 · 2 years

Text

The Strongest Florist x Your Smile Is A Trap

Lily Cha was having a terrible day.

It all started earlier at school. She was used to being ignored by others because of her intimidating appearance. The only reason people even looked in her direction was because of her incredibly beautiful neighbor Kiyu. In other words, they would gossip about her and Kiyu’s relationship: the bully and her victim, boyfriend and girlfriend, etc. Lily knew it wasn’t Kiyu’s fault, but it was still annoying for someone like her who only wanted to be left alone.

That day, Lily was minding her own business as per usual, until two of her classmates went up to her to ask her a question.

“Um, Lily, are you…”

Lily remembered these two girls. They both had shoulder length hair, but one of them had bangs while the other did not. The girl with bangs was Somin, and the girl without bangs was Yijeong. These two girls (mostly Yijeong) were the beginning of her and Kiyu’s troubles.

Somin was attempting to finish asking her question, but lost her nerve the longer she was faced with Lily’s menacing aura. With an “eek!” of terror, she quickly hid behind Yijeong. Yijeong looked nervous as well, but managed not to run away or hide like Somin did.

“Um, so, we were wondering...are you related to Jaeho Hwang?”

“What?”

The question shocked her, of course it did (who randomly asks a person if they’re related to someone else? Lily didn’t even know these two that well, and she wasn’t inclined to get to know them better with how inconvenient they had made her and Kiyu’s lives at school). But what really surprised her was who they mentioned - Jaeho Hwang.

“Why are you asking me that?”

Lily knew that she was nervous and trying her best to be calm, while to others, it probably looked like she was sending them her most terrifying death glare.

“Um, uh, we’re sorry, it won’t happen again! Sorry for bothering you!”

Whatever liquid luck that had allowed Yijeong to face her seemed to have disappeared, as she quickly grabbed Somin and they left Lily’s vicinity soon after.

How did those two know I was related to Jaeho?

She needed to get to the bottom of this, and there was one person who she knew would be knowledgeable of what was going on. Lily found him talking to a few of his other friends, but he parted ways with them when he caught sight of her.

“Lily! What’s up? You don’t normally find me first; it’s usually the other way around. And where’s Kiyu? I haven’t seen him at all today.”

This was Honggu, her second friend she made after Kiyu. He could be loud, overconfident, and easily excitable, but she found that his presence grew on her, much like Kiyu’s (except he didn’t make her go blind just by looking at him).

“Honggu, I need to ask you about something. And Kiyu is doing something important today with his grandma. He didn’t tell me what.”

“Oh, okay. So what did you wanna ask me?”

She hesitated, unsure if she wanted to continue, before deciding that answers were more important at the moment.

“Do you know who Jaeho Hwang is?”

“Jaeho Hwang?! Do I know him?! Who doesn’t know him?! He’s only the biggest name in New World right now!”

Temporarily blindsided by Honggu’s enthusiasm, Lily took a moment to collect her bearings. I’ve never seen Honggu this excited before, and that’s saying something.

“What is this New World you’re talking about?”

“HUH?! You don’t know what New World is?!”

Honggu looked incredibly disappointed in Lily.

“No, which is why I asked you.”

“Oh, right…” Here, Honggu had the decency to look embarrassed, before perking up again. “New World is the most popular virtual reality game right now. Everyone plays it!”

“Including you?”

“Yes! And, ahem, not to brag, but I’m pretty good at it. I could even go pro one day!”

Coming from Honggu, this is most likely an exaggeration, but Lily decided not to burst his bubble. Now it was Honggu’s turn to ask Lily a question.

“But why do you want to know about Jaeho Hwang?”

“He’s my cousin.”

“Oh, I see. He’s your - WHAT?!”

If this was a cartoon, Honggu’s jaw would have dropped to the floor. As it stands, his mouth was wide open in disbelief after Lily’s shocking revelation.

“You…! You’re…! Cousins….?! B-but, how?!”

“Our dads are brothers. My dad and Jaeho’s dad had a falling out over my dad deciding to open a flower shop though, so I haven’t seen Jaeho since then.”

“Wow. So you haven’t seen him in years?”

“I think so. He was a high schooler and I was still in elementary school.”

“Aw man, life is so unfair! One of my friends is an ex-idol trainee, and the other is related to the King of Elysia Flower Garden?!”

Lily imagined mushrooms growing out of Honggu’s head...With the characteristic enthusiasm he was known for however, Honggu soon bounced back.

“Please Lily, you have to let me meet Jaeho-nim!”

Honggu’s face was uncomfortably close to hers, and looking at his pleading face was too much to bear for Lily.

“Fine. But I’ve never even played New World before. Or any virtual reality game.”

“I can teach you! I have a friend who knows how to get a New World capsule for cheap!”

“Okay. I’ll let you teach me, Honggu.”

“Yay! Now allow me to tell you more about New World…”

So Lily listened to Honggu on her way home as he told her about New World’s character customization (or rather, the lack thereof - character customization was locked, so her appearance in the game would mimic real life), character classes, different locations and kingdoms, etc. Lily had never really played too many video games, but even she would admit that New World sounded interesting to her.

“Tomorrow is the weekend, so I’ll contact you whenever I can get my friend to get me a deal on a capsule. See you, Lily!”

“Bye Honggu.”

She waved goodbye to Honggu before entering her apartment. Lily’s dad was waiting happily for her when she closed the door.

“Dad? What’s going on?”

“Lily! You won’t believe what Mrs. Ahn got for you!”

She saw Kiyu and his grandma waiting for her as well. Kiyu looked shy and blushing as he always did when he was around Lily, and Mrs. Ahn was smiling contentedly.

“Kiyu? Mrs. Ahn? What’s this about?”

“Oh, Lily my dear, I have wonderful news! Today Kiyu and I went shopping, to reward him for adjusting to school and making new friends. I hear that games are all the rage these days among the youth, especially the...what do you call it? V-R-M-M-O? So we went to buy one of those capsules for Kiyu, and the worker there was nice enough to give us a 2 for 1 deal!”

“That’s great Mrs. Ahn, but what does that have to do with me...?”

“The extra capsule is for you of course!”

“I...I don’t know what to say. Thank you Mrs. Ahn.”

“You deserve to have some fun in your life dear! I do hope that this will help with that.”

Mrs. Ahn hugged Lily before leaving with Kiyu. Lily talked with her dad for a while before checking out the new capsule in her room. It was every bit the advanced, high tech capsule she imagined it would be. Lily heard a ping from her phone as she got a new notification. It was a text from Kiyu.

Kiyu: Do you like your new capsule?

Lily: Yeah, I like it.

Kiyu: Then, maybe we can play together? (*´∀`*)

Lily: You play New World?

Kiyu: Ah, actually, no...It’s my first time.

Lily: Oh. Let me text Honggu. He plays.

Lily sent a text message to Honggu on her, Kiyu, and Honggu’s group chat.

Lily: Hey, Honggu. Kiyu went shopping with his grandma today and they got a free capsule with their purchase of one, so they gave the extra one to me. Since neither Kiyu or I have played, can you teach both of us?

Honggu: Wha??? How lucky are you Kiyu?! As if it wasn’t enough you’re so beautiful!!! ｡ﾟ( ﾟஇ‸இﾟ)ﾟ｡

Honggu: Okay, I’ll teach you guys. Meet me at the Kruma Desert tomorrow! It’s the easiest area for newbies!!!

Lily: Ok. See you guys tomorrow.

Kiyu: Okay! Good night Lily!!! And you too, Honggu. :)

o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o

Lily woke up and did everything she usually did in the morning: brush her teeth, eat breakfast with her dad before he left for work at the flower shop, etc. Except today, she would be playing a virtual reality game with her friends. Honggu had texted her and Kiyu what his ID was in the game, and told them to “whisper” him when they logged in.

The inside of the New World capsule was fairly comfortable. When the game booted up, it asked her to choose a server and starting area. After doing so, Lily had to enter an ID for herself. She had spent some time thinking about it the night before, and asked her dad for some ideas. He suggested “Sida” [seed-ah], from a genus of tropical plants and flowers.

She typed in “Sida” as her ID, and closed her eyes as a bright light flashed in front of her. When Lily opened her eyes again, she found herself in a desert town, surrounded by other players. Lily observed her new appearance: fingerless black gloves, a plain white collared shirt, brown vest, black trousers, leather boots, and a belt with a small bag attached to it.

“Honggu, can you hear me? I just logged on.”

“Lily? You named yourself Sida?”

“Yes. You’re not going to say I should have come up with a better name, are you? Because I don’t want to hear that from someone who named himself AwesomeGuy.”

“Okay, point taken. Head to the Kruma Starting Hall! I’m already there with Kiyu.”

She thought things would be different in the game, but it seemed like her intimidating presence carried over from the real world too. Players avoided her, and even the NPCs were wary of approaching her. Lily hurried to the starting hall as fast as she could.

“Honggu, where are you? I don’t see you. There’s a crowd of people blocking the way.”

“Lily, check behind that crowd!”

By this point, she was beginning to get annoyed, so her “glare” was now genuine. It was enough to clear a path in the crowd. Lily recognized Honggu, who was wearing a set of armor, and Kiyu, who was wearing a starter outfit like her. Lily was able to look at Kiyu within the game, perhaps because he wasn’t as shiny as he was in the real world.

“Why are there so many people here?”

“Well, I guess you can say it’s Kiyu’s, or rather, Navi’s [nav-eee] fault.”

“Navi?”

“Yes, that’s the ID I chose. It’s a name that means ‘kind to people’.”

Kiyu was smiling, thinking about all the fun he and Lily would have in New World.

“ ‘Kind to people’? That’s weirdly fitting for you.”

Kiyu blushed at the apparent compliment from Lily. Honggu, feeling like a third wheel, interrupted their conversation.

“Okaayyyy....Anyway, let’s hurry and get you two started on a quest! We should leave here as soon as possible. Kiyu is attracting too much attention with his looks.”

Honggu guided Lily and Kiyu out of the starting hall, and got them started with a beginner’s quest. He bought them weapons to use for fights.

“Do we really need to fight?”

“Kiyu, this is a MMO. You need to fight monsters for quests, and other players too.”

“I’ll repay you for the weapons when I get money.”

“Nah, what are friends for? Besides, Lily, you’re already letting me meet your super cool cousin!”

“Lily has a cousin?”

“YES! Jaeho Hwang! The amazing King of Elysia Flower Garden! The legendary spirit gardener! The only player who managed to survive Luxy Forest and befriend the elves!”

“Are elves in this game not friendly?”

“Oh right, I guess I should have mentioned this sooner if we’re meeting your cousin, haha. Yeah, elves of New World are notorious for hating humans.”

“Are you serious?! How am I supposed to meet my cousin then if the moment I step into his kingdom, I’ll be killed by bloodthirsty elves?!”

Lily angrily frowned at Honggu. Honggu was now trembling in fear, and hurriedly prostrated himself on the ground to beg for Lily’s forgiveness.

“I’m sorry! It’s just that, I hear that the elves aren’t killing humans that much anymore! Nowadays, they are forcing people to do labor instead!”

“Is that supposed to be better?”

“Yes! Humans are doing construction for Elysia Flower Garden! While we’re doing that, we can ask to meet Althea, your cousin!”

“Fine. I suppose that’s better than outright being killed.”

Honggu could have wept tears of joy as he got up from his prostrated position. Kiyu had been nervously watching Lily and Honggu, off to the side. After they finished their argument, Kiyu asked Honggu how to do this or that for the quest. Honggu continued teaching Lily and Kiyu the basics, until they successfully finished their first quest.

“Woohoo! Now it’s time to visit Luxy Forest!”

“How do we get there?”

“By walking through the desert! Kruma Desert is right near Luxy Forest, we just have to walk through all the empty desert first!”

“You’re making us walk through a desert? In that case, why didn’t Kiyu and I just choose Luxy Forest as our starting area?”

Lily was gritting her teeth and glaring daggers at Honggu.

“Eeep! I - I just wanted you guys to start off in the easiest area first and get some experience…! Luxy Forest isn’t just filled with elves…! It also has dangerous wild animals…!”

“Honggu, whatever enemies we come across in the desert, you’re fighting them alone.”

“Ahahaha, w- whatever you say, Lily…”

That’s how Honggu found himself battling enemies without any aid from his friends. By the time they did make it to Luxy Forest, Honggu was panting and gasping. Kiyu had wanted to help him, but Lily prevented Kiyu from doing so.

“Let’s go find those elves. They can’t be hard to miss. They’ll probably be ordering around the other players.”

Lily led the way into the forest, Kiyu behind her, and Honggu at the rear. They didn’t run into any dangerous wild animals, contrary to Honggu’s claim. If there were a lot of new players in Luxy Forest, it was most likely that the enemies had been killed so they wouldn’t kill the newbie players first. The elves couldn’t lose their source of manual labor, after all.

The three friends finally came across a group of humans cutting down trees, watched over by elves. The players spotted them first.

“You three! Are you here to join the Forever Luxy Association?!”

“More immortalians? Ugh. If it weren’t for Althea-nim….”

“I agree with you, brother. But wait, doesn’t that one immortalian look strange?”

“Which one? The one that looks like Althea-nim, or the beautiful one?”

“....wait. WHAT?!”

The elves rushed towards Lily and Kiyu.

“Look at this one! Doesn’t she glower just like Althea-nim?!”

“And look at that one! There’s no way he could be an immortalian! He’s not an ugly monkey like the third one!”

“Ugly monkey?!”

Honggu had regained enough energy to be offended upon hearing the elf’s comment.

“We need to bring them to Althea-nim! Quickly!”

“Yes! But leave the ugly one behind.”

Honggu’s spirited protests were ignored, as the elves took Lily and Kiyu to Jaeho. Jaeho was having a meeting with Samantha and May on the ongoing construction of Elysia Flower Garden when they were interrupted by the elves.

“My deepest apologies for disturbing your meeting Althea-nim, but we have an emergency! We found these two immortalians in the forest!”

“More players? What’s so strange about that -”

Jaeho’s words caught in his throat when he caught sight of Lily.

“...Lily Cha?”

“Uh, hey, cousin Jaeho.”

When two socially awkward people meet, who just so happen to also be cousins who haven’t seen each other in years, the combined awkwardness is enough to stop any conversation from continuing. Fortunately, there were less socially awkward people in the room.

“Ah, you’re Althea’s cousin? Younger cousin, I presume?”

Lily was startled after being addressed by a pretty red-haired lady. She had a spaulder armor covering her left shoulder, and a purple cape that extended to her right. Her hair was in a high ponytail, and she wore a casual but form fitting outfit.

“Oh, uh, yes, I’m Jaeho - um, Althea’s, cousin.”

“Is your friend an angel?! There’s no way he’s human!”

The other lady who spoke up was a cute, pink haired woman. Unlike the red-haired lady, she still had on the starter outfit, but with some armor equipped. Currently, she seemed to be starstruck by Kiyu’s appearance.

“Ah, forgive my friend here, she likes pretty things...my name is Samantha, and her name is May. May we know the name of your companion, Ms. Lily?”

“Oh, his name is Kiyu, but his in-game name is Navi. And please, just call me Sida.”

Kiyu had yet to make a single sound because of Jaeho. He had gotten used to Lily and her dad, but Lily’s cousin Jaeho was more intimidating than them combined.

“I-it’s nice to meet you all.”

“So, uh, Lily, since you’re here, do you want to catch up…?”

“Um, yeah, I’d like that, cousin Jaeho.”

“Is it just you and your friend, Lily?”

“No. Well, I had another friend come with us. His name is Honggu. But he’s with the other players in the forest. I think they called themselves the Forever Luxy Association…?”

“Right, those guys…”

“He wanted to meet you actually, cousin Jaeho.”

“Meet me…?”

“Yeah. You have a lot of fans, don’t you? It’s kind of why I wanted to meet you again after all these years. These two classmates of mine asked if I was related to you.”

“What?! How do people already know we’re related?! How did they even track you down?!”

“I don’t think the general public knows. I think it’s just those two girls. They must have seen my scary face, and saw yours, and thought we were related. But they ran away after I didn’t answer their questions. I think they’ll keep it to themselves. They didn’t tell other students at my school about Kiyu at first either, before his identity was revealed.”

“What do you mean, his identity was revealed?”

“Oh, Kiyu’s an ex-idol trainee.”

“What?! Seriously?!”

The three adults in the room shouted in surprise after Lily’s laid-back remark. Jaeho placed a hand on his forehead in exhaustion.

“I don’t see you for years, and suddenly you’ve got an ex-idol trainee boyfriend…”

“We’re not in a relationship!”, both Kiyu and Lily shouted at the same time, although Kiyu looked less embarrassed at the thought than Lily.

Samantha and May mumbled to themselves inaudibly, “They’re totally in a relationship…”

“Cousin Jaeho, you’re one to talk! You’re the king of your own kingdom!”

“Sure I am. But that’s no big deal. I didn’t plan on being a king, or even some legendary spirit gardener. I just really like flowers and wanted to open my own flower shop. Oh by the way, make sure to thank your dad for me. He’s part of the reason I never gave up on loving flowers.”

“Dad! That’s right, I’ll have to tell him about meeting you…”

“Yeah, same goes for me. Maybe it’s about time we got our dads to talk to each other again. My dad’s still dedicated to being macho and thinks a real man should be working out at the gym and not taking care of flowers, but...he’s been surprisingly okay with all of this. That’s probably because of my mom’s influence too. She was pretty upset about my dad and your dad’s falling out…”

“Aunt Hwang? Glad to hear my favorite aunt is still as amazing as she always is…”

“Haha, she’s your only aunt, kiddo.”

Jaeho and Lily passed the time getting each other caught up in recent affairs. Meanwhile, May and Samantha went with the elves to fetch Honggu from his torture manual labor. Honggu was all too happy to accept a volunteer position in Elysia Flower Garden. He had cut enough trees in a few hours to last a lifetime. The elves had not succeeded in killing Honggu, but he died and went to heaven when he finally met his hero Jaeho Hwang.

At the end of the day, everyone said their goodbyes and logged out of New World. Lily had taken a break for lunch, but then she logged back into the game, met Jaeho, and wasn’t aware of how much time had passed after that. It would now be time for dinner, and Lily’s dad was already home.

Lily decided to rip the band-aid off and tell her dad right away that she had met Jaeho in New World. Her dad was understandably dumbfounded upon hearing his daughter’s revelation, but was happy to hear that Jaeho was doing well for himself. A few years ago, he had wanted Jaeho to apprentice with him at his flower shop, but his brother had disagreed, which led to their fall out. Privately however, he did miss talking to his brother. They were like polar opposites, but they always had each other’s backs. Being treated unfairly by others made it so that they only had each other to depend on. While his brother took to working out and becoming stronger in order to cope, he tried his best to make a good impression on others. It was one of his teachers who suggested he join a club, so he joined the gardening club. Not only did he discover a passion for flowers, he also made lifelong friends at that club.

Lily was aware that meeting Jaeho would bring more changes to her life. While she was talking to her dad, Jaeho would be doing the same with Lily’s aunt and uncle.

New World wasn’t just a new world for her, it was also...a new beginning.

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