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 Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 10:47 am
When the two left the lab, Holle clung to Nina's arm as she made her way toward Noah's pickup. By no means was Holle heavy—she was akin to a balloon knotted about her arm—but the Raevan's excited bobbing made it difficult for the brunette to walk. She internally chagrined; part of her wanted to gently tell Holle to float on her own, but she knew upon one sparkle of those purple eyes, Nina would let the newborn Frei climb all over her.
Discipline was going to be difficult in the future.
Thankfully, Nina was bereft of Holle's excitement when they arrived. The Raevan released her grip from Nina and torpedoed toward the truck, pressing hands and face to the glass to smile widely at the man inside. Noah jerked back when Holle did this, giving a scared glance to Nina. Nina shrugged a shoulder, indicating she had no idea what else the little Raevan was excited about.
"Nina, Nina!" Holle cried. "Who's that? Is that family, too?"
Nina opened her mouth to answer, but Holle twirled back around toward the truck, and shouted the question at the window. Noah jumped again, but upon collecting his bearings, inched a finger toward a button on the driver's side door and rolled the window down.
"P-pardon—?"
"Hi, I'm Holle!" she shouted, clasping hands onto the car door and leaning inside. "This is my new guardian, Nina!"
"Oh, uh, I-I know—"
"Who're you?!"
"Ah—" Noah jumped a third time. Poor thing. By how this was going, Nina expected him to have a heart attack. "I'm, uh, Noah? I'm Nina's—"
"Are you—?!"
"Friend."
"Oh." Holle's excitement seemed to be whisked away by the wind in that one moment. She turned her head over her shoulder and frowned at Nina. "He's not family, is he?"
Nina shook her head. "Unfortunately, no, he's not, but he is still a very good friend, Holle," she said, smiling gently. "In fact, I consider him family."
This very statement skyrocketed Holle's mirth. "Oh, oh!" she cried. "So he's like family! It's nice to meet you, Noah!"
"It's, um, nice to meet you too, Holle..."
The Raevan turned around to seemingly beam that Noah said her name, but Nina was quick to step in and usher her inside the vehicle. They'd honestly be there all night basking in Holle's sunny disposition if the conversation continued the way it was going. Thankfully, the conversation was somewhat quiet the drive back to Nina's apartment; save for, of course, the Raevan marveling at everything she saw. Nina was too tuckered out socially to say much, and Noah appeared to have clammed up with the force of the Frei. Interactions in the future were going to be interesting between the three, as evidenced by today.
Parking before the apartment complex, Nina unloaded with Holle in tow, and let the Raevan run off and ogle the building as she turned to bid Noah goodbye. He crinkled a brow at Nina and ducked his head when she looked at him, awkward as ever.
"Sorry she's so, uh, intense," Nina said.
"It's okay," Noah said, scratching the back of his neck. "She's just excitable. Or something. I like her. Just, uh, next time, maybe ask her to, uh..."
"Tone it down?"
"Y-yea..."
"Duly noted," Nina said, looking to her kid again. She had her head stuffed into one of the bushes that lined the path up to the apartment's entrance, studying something. "I should get her inside, so see you later, Noah."
"See you, Nina," Noah said, nodding his head. Then a little more firmly, upon glancing at Holle, "And good luck."
Noah's beige pickup grunted when he reversed, but it then sailed smoothly down the road and off into downtown Barton. Nina waved him off, before looking over to Holle who still had her head in that bush.
"Hey, Holle," Nina said. "C'mon, let's go home."
"Home?" Holle piqued up from the bush, leaves crowning her head. "Where's home?" When Nina cocked her chin toward the apartment building, Holle's eyes grew wide, and she drew in a sharp breath. "We live there? It's so big! Nina, our home is so big!"
"Not the whole building," Nina corrected, walking up beside Holle and offering her arm. "We live in a room in that building. Actually, it's better if I show you. Come on now."
Holle clung to her guardian's arm and was led up into the lobby, into the elevator's doors, and then down the corridor to Nina's apartment. Her excitement seemed to deflate when the brunette's words rung true, but it doubled in severity when Nina opened the apartment. Once again, Holle released her and hustled inside to take in the interior as Nina locked the door.
The Frei twirled in absolute delight before clasping hands to her chest and sparkling at Nina. "Oh, Nina!" she cried. "This is home!"
"This is home, yes," Nina confirmed with a nod. Simply saying the word choked her up; yes, this was home now. Not just an apartment, not just a room in a building, home. Holle made her once drab and lonely apartment feel like home. The thought almost made her spill tears.
Gods, don't tell me I am getting sentimental at this age...
"Nina?"
"Huh? O-oh, yes... Home." Nina quirked her brows and smiled. "Would you like a tour of your new home?"
"Oh, would I ever!"
Predictably, Holle squeaked or oohed with mirth at each room or item Nina explained. As she had practiced, Nina laid out some very basic ground rules as well: dishes go in the sink, the stove wasn't to be touched unless express permission was given, don't leave food sitting on the coffee table, turn the television off if you're not watching it, and so on. Holle nodded her head to Nina, but her rules seemed to go in one ear and out the other.
Discipline was going to be very difficult in the future.
When it came to rooms, Nina introduced hers first. "This—" Almost immediately, Holle's eyes sparkled, and she hustled forward, twirled, and then beamed at her guardian.
"Nina, is this—?!"
"Is my room," Nina finished, to which, once again, Holle's smile waned. Trying to recover her happiness, Nina added, "But we are here for a reason. Look there, in the back."
Nina indicated the bookshelves in the back of her room and beckoned the Raevan over. "I'm not sure what you think about reading, but"—Nina swept her hand over the books—"I'm a bit of an avid reader myself. These are just some of the books I've read, and if you'd like, you're free to take anything from this shelf. As long as you return it, of course." Her finger slid over the alphabetical titles before landing on the one she was searching for. Pulling it from the shelf, she flashed it at Holle. "This one here is called Frau Holle. It's where your namesake comes from."
Holle's eyes grew wide and, when Nina offered it to her, the Raevan tentatively took the book as if it were too fragile to be held by another pair of hands. "Nina, this is my book?" she asked.
Nina deigned to correct her, but instead, she nodded her head. "Yes, sweetie," she said. "Your book. This is the second gift I'd like to give you."
Holle pressed the book to her chest and let out a small breath. "My book. My book." The reality of it nearly shook the Raevan to the core. Looking to her guardian, she threw her arms around her, and laughed right beside her ear. "My book! Thank you so much, Nina!"
Nina chagrined. Gods, she was never going to get used to this happiness. It left a warm thrum in her chest that felt alien, like it didn't belong. Or like a missing piece being wedged in that small, open nook in her heart. The one missing piece.
Gods, I am getting ******** sentimental at this age...
"You're welcome," Nina said. "But we aren't done yet. I still have to show you your room."
When Nina presented Holle her room, the shine to her eyes seemed to fade a bit when she saw it wasn't as big as her mother's. However, when Nina seemed a little disappointed at her disappointment, the Raevan recovered her excitement smoothly at the behest that she had a room to call her own.
"Sorry it isn't well-furnished," Nina apologized. "I wasn't sure what you would like, so I just gave you the barest essentials: a bed, a desk, and a shelf. I hope that is fine."
Holle's wooden wings fluttered in delight. "It's perfectly fine, Nina!" she cried. "I love my room!"
Despite her reassurances, Holle continued to cling to Nina's arm as if weary to explore. Even nudging the Raevan came to no avail.
"Don't you want to take a look around?" Nina asked.
"I... I-I would, but..." Holle trembled. "T-there's a monster..."
"Monster?" Nina's eyes followed the Raevan's line of sight to a brown, heavy-looking lump on her bed. The brunette blinked, before laughing lightly. "Holle, that's not a monster. That's Vigo."
"V-V-Vigo?"
"My—our—pet cat. Why don't you say hello?"
Holle pried herself from about Nina's arm and floated over toward the ball of fur. She looked him over from all angles; even dropping down low to level a stare at him, but Vigo still did not budge. Nina muffled a small laugh at this; it was truly too cute. Then, against her expectations, Holle slipped her hands into the lump and picked Vigo up.
Red alarms blared in the woman's head; Vigo wasn't the cuddliest of cats, and picking him up without clear signs that he wanted to was the easiest way on the feline's blacklist. Surprisingly, however, Vigo didn't jump from Holle's grip. Instead, he dangled lifelessly from Holle's outstretched arms, before he slowly opened his eyes to reveal a pair of chartreuse orbs against a backdrop of deep, deep brown.
Holle looked giddily at her mother over her shoulder. "Nina, I think he likes me!"
Well, it was more like tolerated, but she agreed with a just nod. "I think so, too," she said.
Their evening together was quiet. Holle's initial excitement tuckered her out by eight, so Nina put her to bed, and enjoyed a glass of wine before heading herself by nine thirty. Sleep seemed to escape her, however, as just as was giving her mind away to unconsciousness, a brightness invaded her eyelids. Nina snorted awake in a frenzy to look upon the silhouette of a disembodied torso floating near her bedside. For a second, she thought she was being haunted, but soon she remembered she was a mother and that was her kid wasn't exactly a whole person.
"Holle?"
"Um, Nina?" she said. "I, um, I can't sleep."
"Why not, sweetie?"
Holle glanced around nervously. "It's... It's too quiet."
Ah.
It didn't take Nina long to understand her. Heck, she was a kid once; the fear of an unknown room and its stillness, the uncertainty, was surely frightening. Pushing herself up to sitting, Nina sighed with a smile, and said, "How about I read your book to you? Maybe that will help?"
Holle's interest piqued and she gave Nina a dimpled smile. "Okay!" she cried.
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Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 12:21 pm
The clinks of a metal whisk whipping eggs, the hiss of sizzling meat in a pan, the sudden pop of a toaster; there was something serenely enchanting of such domestic sounds that Holle found herself sagging into her propped up hands across the kitchen counter. The various smells left little to the senses considering her very particular palette, but the Frei still found it so fascinating what different foods Nina was allowed to eat. Tonight, it was breakfast for dinner; eggs, bacon, toast—"a meal fit for a queen" as she had put it.
Holle fluttered her eyes open at the slide of a plate onto the counter, and she stared in awe as Nina forked servings onto it. Nina's eyes caught the Frei's when they opened, and a small smile lit up her face.
"Ever the curious one, aren't you?" she asked.
Holle flashed Nina a dimpled smile. "Oh, yes!" she cried. "There is just so much to learn! To see! To smell! To hear! To touch! I wish I could know everything!"
A light chuckle resounded from Nina as she moved from the kitchen to the kitchen table. Holle hovered after her, and settled into the seat adjacent to the brunette. It took Nina a few days of convincing her to remain there; previously, the Frei's curiosity had her invading the woman's personal space, and there was no way Nina could eat with Holle leering at her food. Yes, teaching Holle the right way did take many tries, but she listened in the end. Only after a message was stressed to its limits, it seemed.
"Well, you have a lot of time to discover everything," Nina said. "There's no need to rush."
"Oh, but Nina, I want to know everything now," Holle pouted, jutting out her bottom lip. "I've been stuck here since the day I was brought home. Can't I come with you to work? Explore the apartment complex? Go somewhere instead of waiting, waiting, waiting?"
Nina sighed. "I wish I could, Holle, but there's still a few items to work out before you can start school. And you would, but..." Nina stuffed a piece of bacon into her mouth and chewed before she finished. Adding she didn't quite trust the Raevan yet to be on her own would probably sour their blossoming relationship. Instead, she said, "Doesn't Rosa talk to you? She's been watching you all of this time."
"Rosa's boring," Holle huffed. "All she ever does is concentrate on her Su-dock-koo. Even Su-dock-koo's boring!"
"Reading's boring, too?"
Holle clammed up, puffing out her cheeks. "No, reading isn't boring, but I've already read everything."
Nina looked at her, wide-eyed. "Already?"
"Yea." Holle slumped down onto the table. "Only the books with pictures, though. The rest are just words, words, words. They're also boring!"
Nina sighed. Right. There was no way Holle could've made it through so much reading material in such a little number of days. Not that it would surprise her if she did; some of her students were incomparable geniuses to their pupils.
"I'll try to get some more books suited to your interests soon," Nina said, hoping that offer would pacify the Frei. It didn't, as Holle crinkled her nose. "Well, if it'd make you feel any better, you can meet a not-boring person soon."
Holle's interest was certainly piqued at this prospect. She pushed herself up from the table and beamed at Nina, eyes twinkling. "Oh! Oh, who is it, Nina? I must know!"
"That'd be your auntie Remi," Nina said, shoveling egg into her mouth. "She's still looking for some time to take off, but when she does, she wants to take you shopping. She's very excited to meet you."
Despite saying this, Holle seemed doubly excited to meet her. She bounced from the table and twirled, beaming at Nina once again. "Auntie Remi!" she cried. "So she's more family! Just how much family do I have?"
A flash of her mother's face came to Nina's mind, but she dismissed it with an internal rebuke. "You still have yet to meet your grandpa and grandma, but they're... away," Nina lightly lied. Gods, she hoped that wouldn't come back to bite her in the a**. "I'm sure they'll be excited to meet you, too."
The brunette was tempted to rattle off on extended family she hadn't met in generations if only to see Holle squeak and squeal with mirth at the chance of meeting them. Her cheerfulness was infectious. After the Frei had her moments, she settled back into her seat across from Nina, and giggled.
"Oh! Oh yes, Nina, there was something I wanted to ask you," Holle said. "Since you're my guardian, wouldn't that make you my mother?"
Nina blinked, nodding slowly. She'd no idea where the Frei was going with this.
"Then shouldn't I call you "mama"?" The Frei tilted her head. "In one of the books I've read, there are "mamas" and "papas." It said they are "guardians" to "children." So you're my mama, right?"
The brunette swallowed thickly, a small heat rising to her cheeks. Okay, so, she knew eventually she would be recognized as the Frei's mother, but for it to happen so quickly? And in such a mundane fashion? It cemented everything Nina had both hoped and feared in that one moment: She was a parent, a mother, and now her child was recognizing her as one. Gods, she wanted to collapse in embarrassed bliss.
"Y-you can," Nina said, dropping her fork into her plate and pushing it aside. She'd suddenly lost her appetite as butterflies filled up the excess in her tum. "Or you can keep calling me Nina. Either is fine."
"I like mama more," Holle said, giving two just nods. "Because you're my mama, and you're the best mama in the world."
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Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2017 9:51 am
Quote: Yes... Yes, she was definitely lost. If there was one thing Nina learned about Holle, it was that the Frei liked to wander. A lot. She'd look away for just a moment and back again, and Holle would be half a football field away collecting peculiar stones. It was enough to drive the brunette up a wall. So consider her luck when, despite her constant reminders to stay within sight, Holle wandered off again. Nina frantically ran about the park; eyes dark with worry as she tried to seek out her kid. Yet, Holle was no where to be found... 🌱 No, she was definitely not lost! ...Right? Nina had instructed Holle to remain where she could be seen, but how could she when such a peculiar song could be heard down the path? The Frei glanced at Nina twice, before slipping off toward the source, eyes sparkling with curiosity. I'll only be five minutes! Promise!But five turned into ten when she enjoyed the music of an organ grinder and their monkey friend. Ten turned into twenty when she joined the jovial company of an evergreen. Twenty turned into half an hour when she wandered along the path, reveling in simply being outside. It didn't quite dawn on her how lost she was until the chill hit her core, sending an awful tremble down her arms. Nina had told her she was sensitive to the cold, and should try to remain indoors until spring, but only now was Holle realizing how right she was. A gust blew passed the Frei, causing her to hug her shoulders and wish for the warmth of inside. I... I have to get back to mama! she thought, floating in the middle of the path and looking about frantically. But... where is she?
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 4:31 am
"Wait, wait, wait! Mama, there's a day dedicated to just giving people gifts?"
"Well, not necessarily, sweetie. You can give gifts to others anytime, but Christmas is—"
"But I didn't get you a gift, mama!" Holle's big, round eyes bored into the brunette's as her bottom lip trembled.
Nina sighed. She wanted to reassure the Frei, tell her she didn't need a present because Holle was the only gift she needed, but the thought was so mushy it nearly made Nina gag. There was no way she could say it. Instead, she smiled warmly to Holle, easing the Frei's frown off her face.
Suddenly, a flicker of realization crossed Holle's eyes, and she clasped Nina's hand in both of her own. She bounced merrily in place, and cried, "Oh, but I don't need a gift, mama! You're all of the gift I need!"
Nina chagrined. Gods that be, how could she say something so forward with a straight face? It made the next bit a little difficult; Nina felt as if she was ruining a heartwarming mother-daughter moment as she beckoned Holle with a tug to her room. The Frei let herself be carried along from the living room to her guardian's room, and gasped to the sight in front of her.
Piled on top of Nina's bed was a sizable mound of wrapped presents. Holle immediately let go of her guardian's hand and zipped toward them, picking up box after box and reading the tag on each one. She then turned to the brunette and beamed giddily.
"Mama, my name's on all of these!" she cried. "Are these gifts for me?"
Nina nodded. "Some of them are from me, most of them are from Remi. Your auntie says she has more for you, but those—"
Holle dived onto Nina, causing her to stumble back a step as she caught the brunette in a tight embrace. "Oh, thank you! Both of you!" she said. "I'll cherish each and every one of them!"
Nina sighed. "You're welcome," she said. "Merry Christmas, Holle. Why don't you open them?"
Holle bounced back, nodding vigorously. "Which ones are yours, mama?" she asked.
"The purple ones, with the silver bows."
"Then, I'll begin with those!" Holle said, grabbing an armful of boxes and settling on the bed. "I can't wait to see what these are!"
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 8:09 pm
Rosa never spoke to her. She was as silent as the grave she neared; contented to scribble numbers into boxes and make sure Holle didn't set the apartment on fire. The Frei disliked her "babysitter" (and was also a little frightened of her; was she going to squash Holle under her bum?) and actively avoided her; choosing to stay to her own room or Nina's until her guardian finally came home. Yet, that afternoon proved to be a rather dull one, and Holle had grown oh so very bored of reading the same books over and over and over.
Fingertips skimmed the bindings of the books she dubbed the "fun" section, as they were the easiest to read and had lovely pictures to look at when words jumbled together after long periods of pouring over them. Beyond the left side of the bookcase was the "unfun" section; heavy tomes with many, many words and little to no pictures. Or, if there were pictures, they weren't very creative ones. But she dared to brave their contents as long as they offered something in the form of entertainment.
The first book she pulled from the shelf was a somewhat weighty textbook, decorated with a disembodied head haloed by a spectrum of color. As she ran her finger over the embossed lettering, Holle sounded out, "peas-choo-log-ee" and frowned as it seemed to be the most boring title in the world. She stuffed it back into the shelf from whence it came and opted for another. This one read, "early childhood deevee-lop-mint." It sounded far worse than the other!
This pattern continued for some time; the Frei would pull a book from the shelf, feebly attempt to sound out the title, and then put it back in its place when it didn't pique her interest. Eventually, Holle finished one row, and concluded searching the others would end in the same way: dissatisfaction. She splayed herself out at the bottom of the bookcase and sighed. The Frei had gone as far as to wish for a lecture from Nina instead of just laying there if it meant at least having one person to talk to. There was also the idea of calling or texting her, but she knew Nina wouldn't answer. Nina never answered.
Holle rolled her head, sighing again. She stared blankly into the nook beneath the bookshelf; a smaller section for probably paper and supplies. However, it seemed Nina had made it her own; lining up small baubles and trinkets in a neat little row instead. However, it wasn't this decorative touch that caught the Frei's attention—it was a small book tucked away in the back. Holle pushed herself up and stretched her arm beyond a statue and odd desk toy (careful not to disturb them) and plucked the book from its spot.
The dusty book was turquoise in color, with a dark brown edge. Its pages were thicker than the average book's, and when Holle read the title, it was a word she knew immediately: memories. The word tickled her heart, but was dashed away for a moment when she heard the apartment door open.
Had she lost track of time? Was it already four o' clock? Oh, who cared! Nina was home!
The Frei launched up to floating and zipped out of the room, the book pressed to her chest as she went to greet her mama. Nina was barely finished bidding goodbye to Rosa before she was overcome with the surge of force known as Holle. Dark arms tangled about Nina's shoulders and squished her tightly, tugging her inside after she kicked the door closed.
"Welcome home, mama!" Holle cried.
"Hey, sweetie. Good to see you," Nina said, dropping her tote bag onto the sofa after the Frei released her. "How was your day?"
Holle huffed indignantly. "It was so, so, so boring," she said. "I had no one to talk to!"
Nina furrowed her brow, unzipping her coat. "You didn't try talking to Rosa?"
"I don't like Rosa very much..."
"Oh, Holle," Nina sighed. "Don't say that... Rosa is a very nice person."
"Yea, but she doesn't talk to me. Like, ever! Even when I talk to her!"
"Guess I'll be having a word with her..." Nina said, mostly to herself. She turned to her tote and withdrew an armful of papers, but cocked her chin toward Holle as she moved toward the kitchen table. "Never mind Rosa for now. What's that you've got there?"
Recalling the book in her arms, Holle glanced down to it, and followed her guardian to the table. "I found this while looking through the unfun section," she said.
"Unfun?" Nina blinked, before realization dawned on her. "Oh, right, right. The textbooks and stuff. What's it called?"
"It's called "Memories." I didn't get a chance to read what it's about, though."
Nina paused from leafing through her papers and furrowed her brow again. She extended her hand, indicating the book, and Holle obliged her by handing it over. The knot to the brunette's face loosened when she realized what she was holding, a small smile spreading over her features.
"Oh, this isn't a book, Holle," she said. "Okay, well, it is a book, but not one for reading. It's called a scrapbook; you put photos in it."
"So you took pictures of your memories and put them in that book?"
Nina opened her mouth to protest, but her voice stilled. Well, Holle wasn't wrong, but it seemed easier to show her. Beckoning her closer, Nina flipped open to the first set of photographs, and watched as the Frei's eyes grew wide.
"That's a baby," Holle said. "Why do you have a picture of a baby, mama?"
Nina chuckled. "That's me," she said.
Holle drew in a sharp gasp. "You?" she said. "But that must've been, like, forever ago!"
Nina frowned slightly. Way to make me feel old... Instead, she said, "Well, yes. I may not be a spring chicken anymore, but I was once a baby, just as every other human."
Holle peered at the photo again. "You were so tiny..." she said, before indicating the second picture. "And only slightly bigger than tiny here. I-if this is you, I mean..."
In the second photo, Nina was about two. She smiled brightly at the camera, pulling up the fringe of a bright pink tutu. "Yep, this is me, too. All of the pictures in this scrapbook are of me, actually. I think I put this together when I was about twenty-two? It was after I graduated college. It's only halfway filled"—she flipped through the pages—"even though I planned to fill it with shots from my vacation in Russia. Guess I forgot about it... Ah." She stopped on a page bookmarked with a graduation tassel. "Here's where I'm fifteen and sixteen, about how old you look if you were human."
Amethyst eyes glided from one page to the other, drawing comparisons. On the left, Nina gave a half-moon of a smile to the camera; sleeves rolled to the elbow as she kneaded a ball of dough the size of her head. On the right, her smile had faded to a stiff pursing of the lips in either distaste or deep thought as she considered something beyond the scope of the camera. Holle hadn't caught it with the first set of photos, but the truth seemed evident now as it was laid out bare before her. Nina's left arm was absent in the second shot, drawing concerns as to where it had disappeared to.
Nina seemed to sense her curiosity, and said, "When I was sixteen, I lost my arm in a car accident. It was damaged beyond repair, so it had to be removed."
The response deflated Holle. "Oh," she said.
Nina's brows rose. "What did you think happened to it?" she asked.
"I don't know... I-I thought you just never had an arm. I thought it just fell off or it'd grown in or something..."
Nina snorted, repressing a laugh. Well, that was certainly a far more creative answer than she expected. "What made you think that?"
Holle indicated her lack of a lower half, noting it'd grown in eventually, and Nina inclined her head to that line of thinking. Well, at least it made sense. The Frei peered at Nina's left side, and asked, "Did it hurt?"
This question caught her off-guard. Nina wracked her brain for a moment, but the memory escaped her. As it always does. "I... don't remember," she admitted. "It's been a long time."
"Oh... Okay."
The air between the two of them tensed, causing Nina to shift uneasily. She flipped ahead a page in the album, indicating a newer set of photos. "Here's me in college. I looked a little different here. Well, more than just a missing arm, at least."
Holle's eyes widened at the sight, grabbing the scrapbook from Nina to get a better look. "A little?" she gawked. "Mama, you look like an entirely different person! You hair is black! You're wearing all black! A-and... your lips? They're also black!"
"Ahhh, yea..." Nina scratched the back of her neck. "I went through a major goth phase in college. It died when I graduated."
Holle tilted her head. "Goth phase?"
"Ehh, I'll explain it to you later."
Holle put the scrapbook back onto the table, and Nina flipped the page. "This is the last one," she said. "I think this was taken before I went on vacation. Looks like we were out shopping."
"Ah, you look the same here!" Holle said. "I mean, you look younger, but your hair's the same as it is now!"
"Yep, au naturale. Cut shorter because it was easier to manage. Combing longer hair's a pain with one arm." Nina hummed out a note. "Well, that was a nice little trip down memory lane. I'm going to put this back, okay? I have a few tests to grade, and shouldn't dawdle anymore."
Nina clapped the album shut, but the force of doing so caused a photo to shoot out from between the pages. Holle caught it before it glided off the table, and glanced at it as Nina did. The one in the photo wasn't Nina or even human; it was of a young girl, about twelve years of age, with unkempt green locks plaited in a loose braid. Small, triangular wings spread out above the girl's shoulders. She struck a grounded pose while holding out a peace sign, beaming vividly at the camera. Excitement bubbled up within Holle as she studied the girl's wings, wondering what type of non-human she was. When she looked to Nina for an answer, she stalled at the shadow of dread that passed over the woman's face.
"Mama...?" Holle asked gently. "What's wrong?"
"Huh? Oh... I-it's nothing, sweetie. Nothing at all..."
"A-are you sure? I mean, when you saw this photo, you looked—"
"I mean it, Holle. It's nothing."
Holle shifted uneasily. Nina's firm tone was enough to turn her away from the topic at hand, but the Frei's curiosity was winning, and she pressed the matter. "Mama, who is this?" Holle asked as steadily as she could. "Do you know her?"
Nina's features darkened. She took the photo from Holle and turned it about as if searching it for the right words to say. "Yes, I do know her," she finally said. "Her name's Gretchen. She's the daughter of an old friend."
Holle looked concerned. "Did something happen to her?" she asked. "You look really sad, mama..."
"No, nothing happened to her," Nina said. She almost explained it was the memory of Sheldon that hung like a weight on her shoulders, but she withheld the desire to do so. It was troubling enough talking about the accident that took her arm with Holle, even if it was only glossed over. "We just haven't talked in, well, years."
Holle gasped. "Years? That's so long, mama! I can't even think about not talking to you for a few days, let alone years! What happened?"
Nina sighed at the memory of the herald's tear-stained face. The shiver that passed through her shook the memory away. "I said something insensitive," Nina said. "I thought it would make her feel better, but I was wrong." Nina opened the scrapbook and put the photo back. "It was a simple, foolish mistake, but it cost me much."
Nina rose her seat and made her way back to her room, album in hand. The sudden sullen, dismissive nature Nina took with the topic of this Gretchen person bothered Holle, and she caught the brunette's forearm before she took another step. "Mama, you have to apologize!" she cried. "Then you wouldn't look so sad and she'd be your friend again! That's all you have to do!"
Nina's shoulders slumped, and she looked back to Holle with a somber smile. "If only it were that simple, Holle," she said. "Unfortunately, it isn't. It's... a little more complicated than that. I'm sorry, sweetie."
This was the final thought Nina left with Holle before she separated herself from the Frei. This wasn't enough for Holle, however. I can't just leave this as it is! she thought. I have to do something!
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Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2018 7:40 pm
"I'm going to be gone an hour, Holle. Are you sure I don't need to call over Rosa?"
"No, mama, please! Don't call her over! I promise I won't get into any trouble, so please trust me!"
Holle hastily pushed her toward the door despite Nina grounding her heels into the wood floor to prevent the Frei from simply flinging her out of the apartment. The brunette quirked a brow at Holle, but a single flutter of those amethyst eyes were enough to pacify Nina for the moment. Letting out a deep sigh, she brushed away Holle's hands, and pointed to her phone on the living room table.
"Remember, if there is any trouble, I'm just a call away. Your phone is charged, right?"
Holle rolled her eyes, turned, and grabbed her phone off the table. She pushed the screen up to her mother's face, pointing to the corner reading 85%.
"Yes, mama, I charged it last night. It's only an hour. Now would you go? I don't want to keep you!"
Suspicion rose within Nina again as she wondered why Holle was so eager to have her leave, but she was met with one final shove and click of the apartment door in her face. Giving in, Nina fixed the tote on her arm, and trotted toward the elevators. Oh, well. Whatever the Frei had planned, it was harmless at most...
All right, I only have an hour! Holle thought, zipping into Nina's room. Let's see what I can find out about this Gretchen person while mama is gone!
Despite her possibilities, there was very little for Holle to explore. It wasn't that her options were limited, but that she'd already searched close to every inch of her guardian's room. Nina was transparent with her things, letting the Frei come and go as she pleased. The very idea Nina was hiding something felt alien, bordering on rude. Nina never hid things. Just... never elaborated on them.
A sting of guilt hit Holle's chest as she floated in the doorway. Am I doubting mama? Is this a bad thing? Hm... No... No! It isn't! The Frei slapped her cheeks. If I don't try and solve this, mama won't make up with Gretchen. She has to apologize so she won't look sad like that again. With two nods cementing her decision, Holle floated in and got to work.
Holle combed through Nina's room thoroughly, making messes only to right them again. Every pile of books was neatly fit back onto the shelves, articles of clothing strewn on the floor were fixed on hangers and hung back up, boxes that were dumped out where packed back and put away, and anything toppled over or askew was fixed right-side up. Her search turned up nothing, and the energy going into it tuckered Holle out.
She flopped back and splayed on Nina's bed, mind whirring from the lack of progress. There's nothing, nothing, nothing! Holle thought. Besides that picture, I haven't absolutely nothing to go on. The Frei rolled her head about in dismay. What am I going to— Oh?
Holle pushed herself up to floating and stopped before her mother's laptop. Nina had only shown her the basic essentials when it came to working her phone—like dialing 911 or her number—so her knowledge of anything beyond that regarding technology was moot. Even turning on the television took some effort, there was so many buttons! However, Holle had seen Nina "search" things many times, like recipes or videos, and a bulb blared in the Frei's head that she should search this Gretchen person. Maybe it was the answer she needed!
Holle shakily reached a hand out to the laptop, nervous to defy one of Nina's rules to "not use things without express permission", but was halted at the sudden creak of the apartment door. Suddenly, the Frei bolted from the room, under the impression her guardian simply knew of her rebellious thoughts, and was quick to make amends before the the suspected inkling blossomed into something worse.
Just as the figure was through the door, Holle spread her arms and clamped tightly onto them. "Welcome home, mama!" she cried, stilling the fear in her voice, but choked back a sudden yelp when the figure's broad chest rumbled out in pain.
"Huh? W-wait, you're not mama!" Holle flew off the man, staring wide-eyed at him. She jabbed an accusing finger in his direction. "Noah!"
Noah caught his breath, hefting up the large box in his hands. "What?" he shot back.
"What are you doing here?"
"Carrying this heavy box to drop off for your mom. Why else would I be here? Certainly not expecting random hugs from my friend's kid!"
"What's this about hugs?" Nina pushed her way in passed Noah and dropped her tote on the couch.
Holle floated over and yanked her arm childishly. "Mama, Noah's being a weirdo!" she cried, pointing accusingly at him again.
Nina narrowed her eyes at the young man. "What... were you doing, Noah?"
Noah stiffened ramrod straight. "Hey, hey, it was her! She thought I was you coming through the door and lunged at me with a hug! Honest!"
"Is this true, Holle?"
The Frei squirmed under her mother's scrutinizing gaze. "Yea, I guess..." she said. "If that's how Noah puts it, I guess it's right."
Nina sighed. "Well, whatever. Let's let bygones be bygones, yea?" She panned her eyes from Holle to Noah, expecting some kind of offhand comment from either of them, and was satisfied there was none. "So with that over and done with, Noah, do you mind putting that box on the kitchen table? Holle, in it are some books for you."
The Frei's wings fluttered excitedly. "Books? You got me new books?"
Nina smiled. "Of course, I said I would. Check them out."
Noah slid the box onto the tabletop and brushed a hand tiredly across his brow. He made a small noise when Holle bumped into him to dive into the box, rolling his eyes in the undeniable belief he'd never understand where she got her energy from. When Nina gestured for him to sit, he obliged, and was offered a cold can of lemonade for his efforts.
"Hey, treat those books good, would ya?" Noah said to Holle. "I had some fond memories reading those as a kid."
Holle gave him two nods, dropping the ones she held back into the box and snatching up another pair to read their backs. Nina settled into the seat across from the Frei, cracking open a can of lemonade for herself.
"All of those?" she asked.
"Well, not all of them," Noah said. "Some of them are from Grazie."
"Oh? Been a while since I've heard about Gretchen. How is she?"
Holle's attention was immediately piqued. Gretchen! she thought. Mama just mentioned Gretchen! Does Noah know Gretchen? The Frei leaned deeper into the box, feigning disinterest in their conversation, but continued to listen intently to their exchange.
"She's fine... Tala's on her a** about rent since she came up short again. Kinda expected though, since this is the fourth month in a row she's footing the bill."
Nina's brow furrowed. "Gods, that sounds awful. What about that roommate of hers? Ezra, right? She's covering his half, too?"
"Yea. Grazie said he's going through a rough spot, like a really bad episode, and she doesn't want to push things. And it's not like Karina can do much, just being his familiar and all. So all of it falls on her. Again." He exhaled deeply. "But I hate seeing her like that, y'know? She works hard enough as it is. I... I just wish I could do something for her."
"Well, you can, Noah."
"Eh?"
"Did you ever think about, I don't know, asking her out somewhere? Taking her to a movie, or dinner, or an amusement park, or somewhere to clear her mind? If only for a few hours?"
"Ah... N-no, Nina, I can't do something like—"
"Oh, come on! How long as it been, Noah? A year? A year and a half?"
"Two..."
"And you still haven't told her how you feel! Aren't those feelings an absolute burden to carry around?"
"Y-you're one to talk! Remi told me you haven't dated in, like, a decade!"
Nina grimaced, and fell silent. She drummed her fingers irritatingly on the tabletop, before letting out a breath, and saying, "I'm not telling you how to live your life or anything, Noah. You just deserve a little bit of happiness, and so does she. You're the perfect match for her... If we looked passed your awkwardness, at least."
"Gee, thanks," Noah said, rolling his eyes.
Suddenly, the air grew sullen, and Holle rose from the box with a slight panic as the two had stopped talking. Noah looked huffy, and Nina shrugged a shoulder when Holle urged her to continue.
"U-uh, Noah! Noah, tell me more about Gretchen?" she said, desperate to entertain the topic herself. "Mama and I found a picture of her yesterday, and I've been really, really, really curious about her."
Noah leaned back in his chair, giving a glance to Nina as if she spurred the topic. She simply gave a shrug again, indicating it was all Holle's idea.
"Well, what d'you wanna know?" he asked. "I don't know everything about her, but we've been friends for a while, so I still know a bit."
Holle suppressed her excitement, and asked, "Does she still look like a kid?"
Noah looked to Nina for clarification, and she said, "In the photo, she was a child."
"Oh, no. Grazie's not a kid anymore. She's like you guys... Y'know, growing in months rather than years? She's about seven now, but she's already an adult."
This deflated Holle's initial excitement of meeting someone her own age. Nevertheless, Gretchen still had connections to Nina, and this mystery wrapped in an enigma had to be solved.
"She's not human, right? Since she had wings?"
As if on cue, Nina pipped up to answer the question. "That's correct, but she's not a Raevan. She's a being called a Herald. Can't quite say if she's a type of angel or is an angel, but she was reborn with an object offered to her to remake her wings. In this case, bamboo."
"Mama, you really know a lot!"
Nina cleared her throat. "I had to know a lot at the time..."
"Yea, you had plans to adopt her, right?" Noah said. "But then—"
Nina glared daggers at the man, choking Noah back to silence. Holle's eyes widened at this revelation.
Mama was going to take Gretchen in before me? she thought. I-if mama had adopted her, would I... not be here?
Holle hastily shook the memory away, aware she was jumping to conclusions. "Does she live nearby?" she asked a little forcefully.
"Ah... Not really? She lives in Durem."
"That's not far!" Holle cried. "That's not far, right, mama? You can see her if you want to!"
"A-actually, it is pretty far," Nina said, flinching. "You know how busy I am with work. I don't really have time to see her..."
Holle fumed. "Then... me! I can see her!" If the Frei had a foot, she'd be stomping it in frustration. "Noah, when are you going to see her?"
The Frei had shunted Nina into her own bubble, focusing her entirety on the man before her. He fidgeted beneath her intensity, goading Nina to jump in. Much to Holle's chagrin, she did, and her mundane tone irritated the Raevan somewhat.
"Holle, why the sudden curiosity?" she asked. "Is there something you want to ask me?"
"I... I...!"
How could she explain that all of this was for her sake? To make her not look sad again? Nina was the most intelligent woman the Frei knew, but my oh my was she dim when she couldn't pick up on her intention. At least, that's what Holle believed.
If only you knew! But if I try and explain this to you, I know you'll dismiss it. I know you will!
Though tensions were high and the moment was ripe, Holle saw the purse to her mother's lips, and decided she'd have to pursue this another way. Forcing a dimpled smile, Holle said, "It's nothing, mama. I just thought Gretchen was an interesting person and wanted to know more about her." She looked to Noah next. "That's all, really."
This pacified Nina for the moment, but Noah was questionable. Realizing he was going to get in the middle of something, he rose from his seat, and dismissed himself with a light goodbye to the two Swans. Realizing she should do the same, at least to meditate on her next plan of action, Nina placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled gently.
"Remember, Holle: If you have any concerns, whether it is about me or something else, you can talk to me."
"I-I know, mama," Holle said, smiling sheepishly. "I know I can."
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Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2018 7:49 pm
"Damn it, Holle. What's your damage?"
It prickled the Frei to know she wasn't on the best terms with Noah. He would tolerate, even be friendly, in the company of Nina, but they could never be left alone together. He became jittery, nervous, as if Holle was going to eat him whole. Frankly, it was tempting if only to rid her life of the one person who didn't quite like her. Too bad her diet was purely vegetarian.
Outside on the balcony was the only place Holle could drag Noah without raising more suspicions in her guardian. Though it was quite nippy, the excuse of food was enough to only have Nina glance up from her tests. The protests from Noah and cries of help as Holle tugged him along were completely dismissed by the brunette.
Sliding the door shut behind her, Holle jerked sharply around to look upon Noah, and crinkled her nose when he visibly stiffened. Her glare remained fixed even as she floated before the man, but fell when there was simply no use making a mountain out of a molehill. There were more pressing matters besides trying to appease the man before her. Nina's happiness came first, a prospective friendship with Noah came second, third, maybe even fourth.
"Noah," Holle said, ignoring now he snapped to attention, "I need to ask something of you."
Noah glanced to the side, leaning against the balcony's railing. "Depends," he said. "What are you asking for?"
Holle exhaled slowly. "I want to meet Gretchen. Since you know her, can you introduce us?"
"Is this about last time? When you were, like, adamant to find out more about her? Why are you so curious?"
"B-because!" Holle cried, wincing at her volume. "She was important to mama, but mama only ever looks sad when she's brought up. Mama's too nice to be making a face like that, so I want them to apologize to each other and become friends again."
Noah sighed and crossed his arms. "Are you sure it's okay for you to be sticking your nose into your mom's business?"
"Yes!"
Noah was silent for a lengthy moment, considering. "Okay, then. You can meet her."
Holle blinked. "Really?" she asked, expecting reluctance or even an outright no.
He shrugged. "Yea, sure. I don't see a problem with it. It seems important to you, but don't you think you're, I don't know, stirring something up?"
"What, exactly?"
"You know there's some bad blood between Grazie and Nina, yea? She's at least told you what's it's about?"
"No, she hasn't told me anything... But I have to make things better. If mama won't do it, I will!"
"Huh." Noah rubbed the back of his neck. "I think you're opening a can of worms with this, but if you want to meet Grazie, fine. I'll call her up sometime today and see if she wants to hang out, okay?"
Holle felt a thrum of relief overcome her chest. "Oh, thank you, Noah!" she cried, grabbing his hands and shaking them giddily. "Thank you so much!"
Noah wretched his hands away from the Frei as if she were a hot flame. "Q-quit it!" he stuttered out. "I'm just gonna help you this once!"
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Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:09 pm
When Noah offered to take Holle up to Durem for the afternoon, the relief that washed over Nina was so strong, so palpable, the man wanted to reach out and hug her out of pity. He didn't dislike Holle, not in the least, but the energy that radiated off her in droves was enough to tire him out. He could only last a few minutes in her company; imagine being her parent? Nina truly was an admirable force.
"I'd really appreciate it, Noah. Thanks," Nina said, rubbing a hand across her temple. "Maybe I can finally get to those tests... I've only managed to grade a few."
"Hey, anything I can do to help. Take a nap while you're at it, too. You look like s**t."
A soft laugh came from the brunette. "I can imagine," she said. "Just keep her within sight, okay? She likes to wander off."
"Can do. Might even invest in one of those child leash things to make sure I don't lose her."
"Oh, Noah..."
Nina punched his arm lightly in jest, and when she turned to sit at the kitchen table, Holle had emerged from her room in a thick winter coat and about six scarves coiled around her neck and head. Nina withheld a laugh; only the Frei's eyes were visible from the mass of serpentine cloths.
"Sweetie, are you sure you need all of that?" Nina asked.
"Mama, you said it'd be cold!"
"I did say that, huh..." Rising from her seat again with slight reluctance, Nina trotted over to the Frei, and began unwinding the scarves about Holle. She left one, and dutifully knotted it to a comfortable tautness about Holle's neck.
Noah could only observe from afar. While his mind first amended her for being able to do much with only one arm, another voice echoed beyond it at such a simple gesture.
Nina makes a good mom. I hope she realizes that.
🌱
"I'm just telling you now, this isn't going to go as planned."
Holle looked over to Noah worriedly. "You mean we're not going to meet Gretchen?"
"No, I don't mean that. She's probably gonna be pissed with me when we see her." Noah said all of this as his hand winded the driving wheel to the right, parking his pickup into the only spot available. The other remained closed about a latte, making the Frei wonder how he could talk, drive, and not spill the steaming drink at the same time. "She won't get mad at you, though. Promise."
This still worried Holle. She didn't want to make things worse between Noah and Gretchen, especially at the behest of the complications between her and Nina. One to wear her emotions like a badge, Noah read Holle's concern, and eased her with a small smile.
"It's okay. I'm used to her being mad at me. Don't worry about it."
The two walked the length of the block to reach a potion shop nestled between a corner store and laundromat. Holle bundled herself against the cold, but dared not give in to the reflex of grabbing onto Noah's arm to drag her along. Though he was being uncharacteristically nice to her now, the Frei still didn't feel comfortable enough to do so.
A little bell jingled when Noah and Holle entered the shop. The Frei's eyes grew wide when she saw the assortment of potions within. Shelves sagged from the weight of an innumerable amount of bottles and jars against the wall. Some glowed, others vibrated, one seemed to whisper for Holle to open it and set it free, while others, despite their mundane appearances, held incredible concoctions within. However, the one thing that stood out like a store thumb among the fantastic clutter were a pair of wings and long stream of hair at the back of the shop.
Barely looking over her shoulder, the figure said, "Welcome to Roland's Assortment of Magical Ingredients. If you need any help, just let me know."
Noah cleared his throat. "It's just me, Grazie. Came to say hi."
The Herald stiffened, and then turned around to furrow her brow at the man. "Noah? Didn't I tell you not to bother me while I'm working?" She held a bottle in her hand—a bulbous vial containing a harvest mouse's nest floating in honey—that she placed on the shelf beside her to approach him. "It's not even my lunch break yet."
Noah gave her a sheepish smile and offered the latte in retribution. The knot to the Herald's brow loosened at the sight of the drink, and she took it from Noah with a dip of her head. Apology accepted, apparently. She took a loud slurp that made Holle wince, and this sudden movement caught Gretchen's eye.
Slowly, she lowered the cup from her mouth, and said, "Oh. Uh. Hello. I didn't see you there. Can I help you?"
"Huh? Oh, right, right. Grazie, this is Holle." Noah guided her forward a bit to put her before the Herald. "She's—"
Anxiousness burbled up within the Raevan's chest, and she blurted out, "I've wanted to meet you! I'm Ni—"
"Ni-new to potion making!" Noah suddenly put a hand on Holle's shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. "She's a friend of a friend, and wanted to get into potion making, but didn't know where to start. She's, like, really into it, right?"
Holle nodded her head vigorously. "Y-yes! Yes, I am!"
"So I told her about you, and where you work, and she got super excited. Wanted to meet you really badly, so I brought her along to check out the shop. I hope... that's okay?"
Gretchen was quiet for some time, exchanging glances between the two, before shrugging. "Yea, sure," she said. "What're you interested in? We've got a lot of stuff... Antidotes, love potions, ethers... Even some laxatives if that's your thing."
Holle's mind stalled. Here she was, actually making conversation with the Gretchen, and she wasn't sure what to say. Her eyes studied the Herald, overtaking the use of her mouth.
Gretchen was tall; she towered over little Holle and was even a head above Noah. The Frei had to strain her entire head up just to see her face. She was also undeniably pretty. Even though the Frei had little interest in looks, Gretchen was certainly a step above the rest.
She's like a model! she thought. Like the ones in those magazines!
Gretchen blinked when her question went unanswered. "Uh, Noah? Is your friend okay?"
"A-ah, yea! She's just flustered! She's never seen so many potions before..."
"Huh? Oh, oh, oh, y-yes! What Noah said! So... S-so many potions! I, um, I haven't made up my mind yet...? I-If that works!"
Gretchen's expression spoke volumes with awkwardness, but she let it slide with a sigh. Instead, she beckoned the two to the register in the back, if only to leave the entrance clear.
Noah took charge of the situation, seeing as Holle choked up whenever the Herald so much as looked at her. Their short meeting played off casually; Noah talked of Gretchen's day, she rattled off a bit on potions again, and the Frei pretended to have a deep interest in them despite her knowledge being relegated to them being weird drinks in vials. Eventually, their talks tapered off, and Gretchen began to shoo Noah away, in case Roland, her boss, came back and mouthed off about her lack of work.
"W-wait!" Holle cried before both her and Noah left the store. She clasped her phone in both hands and shoved it in the Herald's direction. "C-can I get your number? I-I mean, if I ever have any questions about potions, I'd love to ask you!"
Gretchen quirked a brow, but sighed with a small smile. "Yea, sure," she said, taking the phone from the Frei. "You can text me whenever. I'm not much of a talker."
For some reason, just this bit of correspondence made Holle's enthusiasm fly through the roof. She felt as if she made great progress, despite only meeting with the Herald once.
🌱
"Hi, mama! Bye, mama!" The Frei zipped into the apartment, waved frantically at her mother with phone in hand, and then straight into her room with a slam of the door. Noah shook his head disapprovingly behind her.
"Guess you guys had quite a day, huh?" Nina said, beckoning Noah over to sit.
"Yea. Holle's just... Well, she's Holle. What can you say?" Noah dropped into the seat beside her at the kitchen table, cracking open a can of lemonade from the fridge.
"So..." Nina returned to her paperwork. "How's Gretchen?" Noah choked on his drink when she asked this. As he peered at her guiltily, she rose her brows at him. "What, you think I didn't know? Noah, I'm not that dim."
"I-I never said that, but Holle and Grazie... I-it wasn't my idea!"
"I know, I know. Holle probably asked you, right?"
"Yea."
"Mm... I figured. Well, it gives her something to do."
Noah eyed her. "You're taking this surprisingly well. Isn't she, like, threading on some seriously touchy ground?"
Nina sighed. "She is, but again, she's Holle. Once she puts her mind to something, she's sure to finish it. We've only been together a short while, but I've noticed that, at least. Admirable, in a way. I wish I had a inch of her motivation."
"But Nina, you're a really hard worker."
"That's it, though. Just work. I'm terrible at things, too. I have a knack for ruining my social life." Nina gave a dry laugh. "Who knows... Maybe Holle can do what I haven't been able to for years. Make amends and move on."
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 9:03 am
Nina should've expected something when she came upon a trail of dirt in the lobby, but when the path continued after she exited the elevator and down the hallway, she instantly knew Holle was behind the mess. With pursed lips, she guided herself as easily as she could to her home, and frowned when the dirt clumped up as the bottom of her apartment door.
I'm... so glad I didn't choose to lay down carpet...
Once her door was open, her frown deepened. Her apartment looked more or less the same, save a potted plant—the same one she'd never paid mind to until now—was in the middle of her living room. Holle was slumped behind it, seemingly tuckered out from the effort put in to move it.
"Holle," Nina asked gently, "why is there a ficus in my living room?"
The Frei popped up to floating, her ribbon unfurling out from under her. "Mama!" she cried. "W-welcome home!"
"Holle, please answer my question."
"Oh! Oh, uh... You mean, them." Holle presented the plant as if they were an honored guest in the Swan household. "Mama, meet my new friend! They don't have a name, but they wanted to come live with us."
Nina let out a sigh. Really, what else could she do? Once again, Holle was presenting a situation that was both curious and childish. What moral imperative could she impart to the situation that didn't make her out to be a total authoritarian of a mother or a passive, enabling parent? There was really no in-between at this point, considering the Frei stole the plant.
Dropping her tote onto the couch in the living room, Nina plopped down beside it, and considered the Frei and her new plant friend.
"Holle, we can't keep your new friend," she said. The deep frown that etched onto the Frei's face spoke of her displeasure. "The plant belongs to the owner of this apartment complex, not us. Someone will notice it has gone missing eventually."
"But, mama!" Holle's arms wrapped around the pot of the ficus protectively. "They're so lonely, mama! I can't just leave them there!"
"And how do you know they're lonely, Holle?"
"They told me!"
Nina's lips parted in an attempt to rationalize the situation, to ask the Frei how in the world the plant spoke to them, but her mind stalled on the realization of powers. That's right; powers even served to be a form of contention for her even before Holle came into being. She spoke to previous owners before about them manifesting. But this cast an entirely new light on their situation.
"How... did they tell you, Holle?" Nina asked. "Did they actually speak to you?"
"K-kind of...?" Holle said. "It wasn't through words, i-it was through, like, a feeling. It's as if I knew they were lonely when I got close to them."
"Have you been feeling it for a while?"
Holle shook her head slowly. "Only until recently. Sometimes I think I would feel something, but it'd go away... But recently, I've really been feeling it... Is there something wrong with me, mama? Do I have to go back to the lab?"
Nina winced. Ah, she was asking too many questions. Holle's eyes were drawn wide with worry, and her curious probing, while answering her concerns, were only making the situation dire. Still, there was a charm to all of this; an innocence of a child wanting to right a situation immediately. Admittedly, it pulled at Nina's heartstrings.
"No, no, sweetie. You're fine. You're just fine. It just seems your powers are finally coming in."
"Powers?"
"Mhm, I've spoken with a few guardians whose own Raevan went through the same ordeal. It can take time for you to discover what you can do. In this case, it seems you have an empathetic connection to plants."
"You mean I can understand how they feel?"
"I would think so, yes. Can you tell me what you feel from them now?"
Holle glanced up the length of the ficus and then back to Nina. "They feel, um, comfortable. They like it here. I think they want to stay, mama. Can they stay, mama? Please? I'll take care of them if I have to!"
There were those eyes again; wide and pleading for Nina to agree, and once again, she did. "I'll... talk to someone," she said. "See if they don't mind if we keep them, okay? But you have to remember to water them... and maybe even consider a few friends for them so they won't feel lonely when you're not there."
A sparkling smile spread on Holle's face as she fluttered her wings happily. "Thank you, mama! I'll take great, great care of them!"
"I know you will, sweetie... I know you will."
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2018 9:15 pm
Nina and Holle had talked at length of what to do about her powers, especially when another manifested along with the first. An unusual tugging could be felt at the base of her neck now. Before, the Frei was only conscious of it, but now, Holle was always aware. Her constant pointing at nothing and sitting with a compass discovered the Frei always knew the direction of south.
"Mmm, it's probably a result of your essence: southern moss," Nina said. "It must've triggered along with your first. How curious... At least I don't have to worry about directions anymore with you here."
Holle laughed along with her mother's jest, but these new revelations didn't sit well with the Frei. Nina's ability to see these powers as beneficial seemed wrong. Just plain wrong. She didn't know how frustrating it could be!
Well, mama's only human. I can't blame her for that, Holle thought, rolling about in her bed and staring down the ficus near her shelf. She had placed it in the one spot where the sun hit brightest, and she could feel happiness radiate from it. It almost lifted her mood, but when the Frei turned away, the empathetic connection was broken.
Expecting her to understand is difficult, though... It's just... Holle rubbed the back of her neck. It's really annoying! I don't want to always be aware. Go away, go away, go away!
She lamented her circumstances. Who could understand her strife? Nina was out, only on account of how supportive she was. Noah was a definite no. He'd probably think she was doubly weird. There was only...
"Gretchen!"
The Frei snatched up her phone and pulled up the Herald's contact information. If there was one person she could talk to right now, it was her; though not the only non-human the Frei knew, she was certainly the easiest to get into contact with. The idea of calling or texting any other Raevan didn't sit well with her; what if they thought she was weird, too?
T-they might even think little of me, the Frei thought, the mental image of implacable bands pointing down at her menacingly shaking her to her core. "Oh look, it's the girl who can't control her powers! She's so weak!" Ahhh, I can't even bare to think of that!
Tapping slowly at her screen, Holle sent off a text to Gretchen, eagerly awaiting a response:
Quote: Holle: Hi, Gretchen!! It's me, Holle!! Do you remember me?? Gretchen: yes i do. you came by the shop with noah. it hasnt been that long. whats up? Holle: I wanted to ask you a question if that is all right... Holle: It isn't about potions, though. Gretchen: sure shoot. Holle: Since you're a non-human like I am... Holle: Do you have any special powers?? Gretchen: powers? yea i can make bamboo live for a little longer. up to a year at most. Gretchen: thats about it. its minor and i havent found a good use for it yet. whyd you ask? Holle: Oh, that's super cool!! I'll remember that if I ever buy some bamboo for my room... Holle: I ask because my powers started to come in... It's kinda weird adjusting to them. Holle: Did you have trouble adjusting to your powers, too?? Gretchen: hey thats great what can you do? to be honest i didnt have problems getting used to mine. Gretchen: but i'm a herald and youre a raevan. it might be different for both of us. Holle: My mama says I can understand how plants feel, and now I am always aware where south is. Holle: It's so weird, and my mama said my powers might get stronger over time or with practice. Holle: I don't look forward to that... Not at all!! Gretchen: youll be okay holle lol. i understand how awkward it can be. its a weird transition. Gretchen: just take it one day at a time okay? noah mentioned you were young. Gretchen: you have a lot of time to figure everything out. but if you ever want to talk just text me. Gretchen: i gotta go now my break is nearly over. drop by the shop again even if isnt about potions okay? Holle: Yea, sure!! I definitely will!! Thanks, Gretchen!!
The lack of a replied goodbye likely meant Gretchen was gone, and the Frei felt a little lonely. Her opinion of the Herald wasn't the highest when she first met her; though she was knowledgeable about her workplace, she seemed distant or indifferent to the Frei's company. Something about her texts were more open and genuine. It made her wonder again of what her mother had done to strain their past friendship.
I want to ask her so badly, Holle thought, pushing herself up to floating and approaching the ficus. She tipped the watering can on her shelf into the pot, and a gush of water flooded the soil. The Frei felt a small rush of mirth fill her chest from the plant, and she pushed it down with a huff of unease. But at the same time, I also have my own stuff to deal with... Why is everything so frustrating?
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 10:42 am
Mystical MeanderingsHolle, Nina + Ryder, Reuban private
Quote: Holle's nose crinkled. "Mama, I can't believe you ate a fish! That's so, so, so gross!" Nina stopped walking and blinked at the Frei clinging to her arm. "Sweetie, you scooped a handful of moss off the side of the road once and tried to eat it," she said. "Yea, that's because I was hungry!" Holle harrumphed. "And you made me throw it away because it "wasn't sanitary." It was perfectly good moss, mama! I had to wait until we got home to eat something. It was the worse." "I—" Oh, what the use of arguing? Holle would build her justification until the conversation came full circle. If there was one thing the brunette learned about the young Frei, there was no use putting up with disagreements. Either Holle was right, or the opposite party would always be wrong. "Well, let's get home now. It's getting quite cold—I know how awful of a toll cold has on you—and I have a few papers to grade." Suddenly, there a twinkle to Holle's eye, and Nina inwardly groaned. Oh great, she found something interesting. "Wait, mama, I found something interesting!" Holle cried. She stretched her finger out to a store across the street and bounced excitedly. "Let's check it out!" "Uh w-wait, Holle, I have papers to grade—!" Too late, the Frei had already looked both ways before crossing the street and dragging her guardian along. Well, it was more along the lines of a light tug; Holle wasn't strong at all, and Nina could stop her by simply jerking her arm back. Despite her chagrin, Nina let herself be pulled along. It's not like she could truly say no to Holle's mounting adventurousness. Once before the store, Holle zipped in, but Nina lingered outside and took in the front. "The Mystic Herb, huh?" she muttered, propping her arm on her hip. "Holle sure knows how to pick 'em..." Entering, Nina was accosted by the entirety of the Frei pulling her in. "Mama, this place in fantastic!" she chirped, wings fluttering. Nina gave a sheepish chuckle. "Sweetie, it's only been four seconds," she said. But as she scanned the entirety of the shop and took in the rustic, mystical air, Nina couldn't deny it was a quaint little establishment.
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 10:47 am
Holle devoured books like she did the bits of moss and berries Nina would buy her for meals, and it wasn't long before the Frei began to bore of the activity. It wasn't that she'd come to dislike reading, but there was a bothersome, repetitive notion she noticed in all of them: love. Love, love, love; everything ended in love.
"The princess would marry the prince, have babies, and then live happily ever after," the girl drawled to her mother. "The knight would dedicate himself to the maiden, giving up a life of adventure and curiosity and fun for the sake of love. It happens all of the time, mama. All of the time."
Nina looked at the Frei over the rim of her glasses. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to settle down and have a family, Holle," she said.
"I know that mama, but it happens all of the time!" Holle slumped onto the kitchen table. "Some people would be happy with something like that, but not me. What's wrong with just saving someone for the sake of goodness? Why does everything have to be out of love? I mean, I wouldn't marry someone just because they saved me! I don't even know them yet!"
Nina's lips parted to rebuke her, but she withdrew when she realized that, honestly, Holle had a point. "Well, you don't have to marry someone," she said. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to." Holle's lips parted in awe, surprising Nina. "What? You've never considered it as an option, sweetie?"
"N-no!" she cried. "I thought, like, one of the requirements to grow up was to marry someone."
"I'm not married."
"But I thought you hadn't grown up yet."
"Why would you— Oh, right, my arm. You thought it'd grow in eventually."
Holle nodded twice to confirm this, causing a small laugh from Nina. She was curious as to how the Frei's thought processes worked, though once again, the correlation made sense. Kind of.
"There are a lot of people who aren't married, sweetie, and lead perfectly normal lives," Nina said. "If you don't want to marry in the future, there's no pressure to do so. But let's cross that bridge when we get to it. You're still young."
Holle hummed and nodded her head. She used to argue vehemently with the woman when she pulled the youth card on her, but soon, she learned to give in. True, there was a number of things she didn't understand yet, but that didn't stop the voracious curiosity in her to know. Just as she couldn't contain it, neither could Nina. It was frustrating, but dismissing it would have to do for now.
Instead, Holle asked, "Mama, why aren't you married yet?"
The muscles in Nina's throat jumped. "I don't have anyone... special in my life right now who I'd wish to marry."
"Don't you want to?"
"Of course, after we've been together for some time."
"Then why don't you find a special someone to marry? It shouldn't be that hard, mama!"
Nina winced. Ah, she admired Holle's ability to speak so freely on the matter. You're young, she wanted to say. You wouldn't understand until you fall in love. If you ever fall in love. It was a heated reply, however; Holle would certainly want to dig deeper, psychoanalyze her in that innocent, childish way of hers. Even if the Frei didn't understand the complexities of relationships, her probing had a way of getting answers. Out of her mother, at least. She'd have to thread gently.
"For some people, it may be that easy," Nina said steadily. "Not for me. It takes time for me to find someone to love."
"Why's that, mama? I think you're a nice person. I'm sure someone out there would love you."
"Yes... They probably would, but it's... me. It's me that's the problem."
"What happened, mama?"
"I... was hurt. I was hurt by someone before." Nina bit the side of her cheek when she admitted this. The words came out before she had a chance to think, and by the worrisome look in her daughter's eyes, they reeled an explanation out of her before she could close the floodgates. "Someone I loved loved someone else. I really cared about her, so when she didn't care for me in the same way, it hurt quite a bit... So much, I haven't loved someone else in... years."
"Do you still love her?"
"I don't know." Nina leaned back in her chair. "I think I got swept away by her. She was the first person to accept me fully. Not like your auntie Remi—she's a great person—but in a different way. Remi accepts my problems, but she... She accepted my flaws. Understood I was a person. Human. It's difficult to explain... I'm sorry."
Holle's brows were knit together, trying and failing to understand the complexity of her mother's words. To her, her mother was an easy person to understand. When she was upset, she was stern. When she was happy, she smiled. When she was tired, she moaned and groaned until magical coffee made her happy. It wasn't difficult at all!
"Mama, I think you're, oh how do they say it, uhh... I think you're "making a mountain out of a molehill," whatever that means," Holle said. "Aren't you just afraid because you were hurt?"
Gods, she sounded like Remi, but the Frei was right. The answer was plainly obvious, but Nina didn't want to budge from it.
There's a comfort in giving up. I don't have to put in any effort if I just accept where I am.
What bothered her most, however, was that it was her daughter lecturing her on how to be a person. Shouldn't it be the other way around? When did Holle get so wise?
"Y-you're right," Nina admitted. "It takes time to heal, though."
Holle puffed out her bottom lip. "Now I think you're just making excuses. Didn't you say it's been years? Mama, that's a long time!"
Another long sigh came from the woman. "I can't even find excuses with you, huh..." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Okay, okay, how about this: I will consider dating. Consider it, and if I find someone I click with, I'll make an effort to continue. How about that?"
"That's the spirit, mama!" Holle cried excitedly. "I'll be rooting for you! If you find someone, I have to be the first one to know!"
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Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 11:40 am
Ah, Valentine's day—a lonely day for lonely hearts. For the last decade, Nina would spend the day at Remi's; gorging herself on cheap wine and bonbons until she would pass out a third through their second cheesy romcom to dreams of a nonexistent future with Andrea or to embracing a toilet while emptying the entirety of her stomach's contents (usually the latter). Unfortunately, the auto shop had been working Remi to the bone, and besides being the shoulder to her complaints over texts, Nina hadn't seen her. Though she missed her best friend dearly, and more so their yearly routine of complaining incessantly at the lack of chemistry between a film's two romantic leads, Nina knew to give Remi her space. She didn't want to add to the stress of an already angry Brazilian.
So her devices were left to the company of the mirthful little Frei wrapped about her shoulders. Holle expressed great dislike of the holiday once Nina explained it is "usually about romance," but seemed to turn it around with great joy when she artfully declared that Nina, unsurprisingly, was her Valentine as there was no one else Holle loved in the world more than her mama. It was one in an umpteenth array of sweet gestures from the Frei, and Nina still wasn't sure to be touched, or frightened at the Frei's remarkable ability to say such embarrassing things with a straight face. Her feelings coagulated into a odd combo in her chest as the Frei raced about the apartment gathering materials to make her love tangible.
"Hey mama, do you like pink or, uh, darker pink?" The Frei held up both sheets of construction paper to Nina, making the brunette wonder which one was considered the darker pink. She indicated the sheet in Holle's left, if only to have her continue her work. Holle scrutinized it for a moment before nodding her head twice and drawing a squiggly heart with a marker.
Nina's attempt to peer over from her side of the table was suddenly met with the Frei covering the entirety of her work with her arms. "Uh-uh, mama!" she cried. "No peeking!"
"I'm just curious as to what you're making," she said. "You're working very hard."
"That's because I want it to look good." She clicked her pair of scissors twice. "I think presents should have their all put into them. If they're being made for someone, of course."
"And if they're bought?"
"Then they should have a lot of thought put into them." Holle's tongue jutted out the side of her mouth as she turned and snipped the shape. Hunks of pink paper fluttered to the floor beside her chair. "Presents are special for a reason." A dash of glue and glitter created a colorful, glimmering mess on Holle's side of the table. "There!"
Nina quirked her brow. "Oh?"
"Not yet, mama! Not yet!" Holle cut a haphazard hole in the middle of the barely dried paper heart before dropping it back on the table and disappearing. She returned but a moment later with the bundle of fur known as Vigo hanging from her outstretched hands like a weighted bag. He blinked slowly at Holle when she put him on the table, and did so again when the Frei pushed his head through the opening in the valentine.
"Ta-daaa!"
Holle flung her hands to the cat, smiling widely. Nina couldn't hold back her laughter; Vigo looked absolutely ridiculous in his pink, glittery getup. Despite his lack of reaction, Nina knew he seethed with contempt at Holle's attempt to make him a valentine gift.
"Thank you, sweetie. I absolutely adore it," Nina said.
"You're welcome, mama! Hey, hey, you should totally take a picture!"
Nina's interest was instantly piqued. "You're right. Give me a moment to get my phone." She scuttled off to do so, reminding herself all the while to send the picture to Remi later.
She's going to get a kick out of this.
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:18 pm
Screaming. There was so much screaming. Why was everyone screaming?
Oh, right—the two loudest people in Nina's life had finally met. Holle clung to her aunt Remi like she was her only anchor to life, giving her her widest dimpled smile as she was covered in kisses by the woman. Nina stood there and committed to her motherly duty of wiping off lipstick marks from the Frei's forehead and cheeks as Remi and Holle chattered restlessly.
"Nina, girlie, why didn't you tell me my niece was so sweet?" Remi asked, before she was overcome by a giggly hug from the Frei. "She's an absolute doll!"
"Mama, why didn't you let me meet auntie Remi until now?" Holle cried. "She's amazing!"
Nina's eyes shifted between the two, her jealousy masked by a chagrin. As if she was going to outright admit her daughter never awed over her at such length. She almost wanted to pout.
Wh-what's so great about Remi, anyway? You... just met her...
"So, girlie, where we headed? It's my first day off in a damn long time, so let's go someplace good."
"Mm... How about Spice and Coffee? We haven't been there in a while."
"Sounds like a plan!"
"Oh, oh, oh! I want to sit next to auntie Remi!" Holle bounced up and down as she clung to her arm.
Nina pursed her lips and began walking. "Of course you can, sweetie," she said.
I-it's not like... I expected you not to.
🌱
Nina sighed and clutched her forehead in frustration. "I told you not to give her any, Remi."
"I wasn't going to after you said so, but she wrenched my arm back!"
Holle pouted and crossed arms across her chest. "This wouldn't have happened if you just let me have a little bit, mama."
Meat, potatoes, curry, and rice was splattered in the area between Nina and Remi, ending like a jagged green scar across Holle's lavender blouse. While not the best way to open up their first meal together it what felt like forever, Nina studied the mess with a chagrin; it was evidence of Holle's excitement, pure and simple. She'd bore witness to it time and time again in the past with the Frei.
If Holle doesn't make a mess, if she is careful with something, there must be a problem.
"Sweetie, your food is controlled for a reason. I won't take a chance with something outside of your diet yet. Please go and clean yourself up. The bathroom's in the back."
Holle pushed herself upward. "I was already going," she replied, giving her wings a flap and pushing herself in a steady float to the back of the restaurant.
Nina watched her leave before her eyes leveled on Remi's. "What?" she asked.
Her eyes crinkled from a mischievous grin. "Heh..."
"What?" Nina repeated.
"You're mom jealous," Remi replied.
"What? No, I'm not "mom jealous." Whatever that means."
"You totally are. It's written all over your face. You're jealous of me. Of how Holle is clinging to me. You're totally mom jealous!"
"I am not."
"Oh Nina, there's nothing to be jealous about! Holle's like a little kid given a toy—she's excited just to have something new. You don't have to beat yourself up about it."
The brunette's eyes narrowed at Remi, before she pushed curry about on her plate. "As I said before, I'm not," she said. "Holle, she... She's been testy lately. I don't know why."
"Did you ask her?"
"Yes, I did. She said nothing's wrong. She's been pretty forward with telling me things lately, but..."
"Maybe she's reached a point where she is keeping a secret?" Remi took a sip of her drink. "Is that what you're getting at?"
"Yes."
"Does it bother you that much?"
"A little."
Remi sighed. "Well, I guess it's a natural response to it."
Nina furrowed her brow. "To what?"
"To her growing up."
Nina pursed her lips. "It's only been a few months, Remi..."
"So?" Remi leaned back. "She's not a baby, Nina. She may be a few months old, but she can still mature in that time. Eventually, she'll be old enough to make her own decisions and live her own life. Cling to other people besides you. Are you going to look on sadly as you have been, or are you going to push her forward into being her own person?"
Nina harrumphed. "We haven't seen each other in weeks, and our first talk is a lecture? You've some nerve, Ms. Thurston."
Remi gave a dry laugh. "Hey, even I can get philosophical at times. You didn't answer my question, though. What would you do?"
"Encourage her, obviously. I'm not going to hold her back."
"Even with your reservations?"
"E-even with my reservations."
Remi chuckled. "You really love her, huh?"
Nina joined in. "Maybe I am a little attached."
"Well, I'm glad." Remi smiled. "When you smile, it's not... how to say... It's not crooked. It feels genuine, girlie. I feel like Holle was what you needed in your life."
By this time, Holle had floated back from the bathroom, frowning down at her blouse. She scrubbed at the stain with her nails, as if trying to scratch it out of the material. Nina's attention snapped to her when she was beside the table.
"Oh, it won't come out!" the Frei cried. "I really liked this top, too..."
"Curry is a serious stain. It might not come out in one go. I'll take care of it when we go home, okay, sweetie?"
"Okay, mama," Holle nodded her head, before turning a beaming smile to Remi. "So, can I finally have some curry, auntie?"
Both Remi and Nina turned to the Frei, furrowing their brows. "Holle," they reprimanded.
🌱
"Bye, auntie! Byeee!" Holle waved both her hands vigorously from the point Remi parted from their company until she got in her car and drove away.
Unlike the Frei, Nina watched her go contemplatively. Despite their brief meeting in so long, her best friend did leave her with some things to consider. The weight of them hung about her shoulders, leaving her mind slightly muddled.
"Hey, mama, aren't we going?" she asked, wrapping hands about her arm. "Noah's probably waiting for us."
Nina paused, looking down into the Frei's face. For a moment, she didn't want to move; paralyzed by the weight of those questions. A prodding finger to her cheek brought her back to her senses.
"Mama?"
"Oh, uh, sorry. I was caught up in something. Noah. Right. He should be up the block." As she turned on her heel and began to walk, Holle willing let herself be pulled along; hardly a weight on the woman's bicep. "Sweetie, did you have fun today?" Nina asked.
"Oh, yea! Today was totally fun!" Holle cried, fluttering her wings happily. "Auntie Remi is sooo cool! I can't wait to meet her again!"
As the Frei continued to chatter restlessly about her seemingly favorite relative, Nina couldn't help but internally sighing.
Even with her inevitably growing up in the future, I'm happy now. She looked to Holle talking animatedly with her hand. And so is she. That, in the end, is what matters most.
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2018 8:52 am
As a mother new to the process of, well, mothering, Nina wanted to spend all of her time with her child. Holle was the most interesting person she'd ever met; she could spend hours marveling at the Raevan as she, in turn, marveled at everything else. The last few months had been the most blissful of times in the brunette's life, so when an impromptu invite to go drinking with the other teachers came up, she was vehement to turn it down. It was only by gentle goading by Harriet that she accepted; the woman mothered her at the worst of times, but knew socializing and actually putting in effort to make friends with her fellow co-workers would do her some good.
And, unlike Cynthia-Maria, Nina was reluctant to let the woman down.
So after exchanging a heated glower and sigh with Harriet, arranging for Holle to stay with Remi for the night (she felt her heart thud when she heard the Raevan cheer over the phone), and reminding her best friend to put out food for Vigo, Nina tossed some papers into her bag and carpooled with the others to their regular bar. Despite the small talk made, Nina hated every minute of it; she could tell most of the occupants were forcing themselves to endure her company.
The swill and slush of tasteless, cheap beer drowned out the dullness of the night. Unlike her sober self, Nina wasn't a social butterfly when she drank; she was comfortable in the company of people she knew, not those she exchanged pleasantries with in the morning and at the end of the workday. The typical Friday group, consisting of about six or so lush heads, had nearly doubled that night; it seemed they had invited out the recently employed as well.
Through her drunken haze, Nina could make out three of them; the annoyingly placid Laela Whittaker, some forgettable face named Morty, and the greenest of the bunch, awkwardly friendly Danielle "Deni" Crow. Laela and Morty were in a heated exchange (or was Morty making passes at her with every line, and Laela wittingly turning them down?) while Deni bobbed her head absently off to the side. Nina felt sorry for her; she was either a third wheel, or so new to the world of teacherdom she didn't know how to throw in her two cents.
Their looks connected when Deni flickered her eyes away from the conversation, offering Nina a sheepish smile. Something is that expression stirred her, and Nina beckoned her over to the empty bar stool at her right. Deni obliged her; bidding a quiet apology to Laela and Morty before half-jogging over to Nina's side of the bar.
"Ms. Swan," Deni greeted, an edge of either nervousness or relief to her tone.
"Just Nina," Nina replied, taking a swig of her beer. "Is it fine to call you Deni?"
"O-oh, yes! It's fine! Totally fine!" Deni's laugh was light and squeaky, making Nina think of a balloon slooowly having its air released. "Everyone else does so, um, it's fine."
"Mm." Nina could only manage a nod, leaning into her beer for another drink. She hadn't even said anything of value yet, and the newbie teacher was already making her feel awkward.
C'mon, Nina. You're the senior role here. Work with something.
Nina glanced to her bottle and then to Deni, searching about the bar for any hint or sign of something alcoholic. Though she knew little of the other woman, Nina expected something colorful or fruity and jam-packed with liquor. Instead, she spotted nothing.
"Not much of a drinker?" she asked.
"Ah, no... Well, sometimes, but I decided not to drink just in case someone needed help getting home."
"Mm." Nina wasn't quite sure what to say next. Was conversing always this difficult?
"That's noble of you," she said.
"Y-you think so?" Deni gave a dry laugh. "Ms. Whittaker said I was being too soft."
Nina glanced to the blonde, who was now huffing at a disappointed looking Morty. Something about the exchange had shifted from subtle flirting to outright anger. The tension was palpable even on her side of the bar.
"I don't think anyone's going to need help, though," Nina said. "There's always Uber."
"Oh! Oh, yes. Right. Uber. I forgot about Uber."
Deni looked as if she had trouble finding place for her hands, and settling for sitting on them and hunching her shoulders. The gesture reminded Nina greatly of Noah. But the brunette opted to slugging down another drink before she commented this. Then the thought of how stupid of saying such a thing ate at her, and Nina downed the entirety of her beer. A desperate nod to the bartender saved her with another.
Gods above, I am s**t at this "casual socializing." Why did I ever agree to this? Why? Why, why, why?
"Uh, Ms. Swan—I mean, Nina?" Suddenly, Deni pushed herself up into Nina's line of sight, her eyebrows drawn up curiously. "C-could I ask you a question?"
"Huh? Oh, uh, sure."
"Well, um..." Deni's hands found their way back onto the counter. She slid a coaster back and forth idly, eyes trained on it as if questioning its existence. "I wanted to ask your opinion of something. You've been working at Magnolia a while, right?" Her answer was a stiff nod. "What's it like? I-I mean, comparing the you of then to the you of now? Is it different? Did things change? Did you change? Was it a hard transition? Did you like how different you became? I'm just—" Deni's hand flew to her mouth, covering it as if she just said the most offensive thing in the world. The corner of Nina's lip twitched at the motion. It reminded her of a child being reckless, so caught up in their curiosity their mind was swept away.
In other words: Holle. It reminded her of Holle.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Ms. Swan—Nina. Nina, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to probe you with so many questions, but I'm new here, and I'm just so nervous, and I don't know if I'll be good and, and—"
"It's fine." Nina's simple statement quieted Deni. She looked to Nina like a deer blinded by headlights. "You're just want to know, yes? Nothing wrong with that."
"Right, um. Yes. Thank you."
Nina leaned forward, giving each of Deni's questions good thought; a sip here or there taken to encourage the process. "I was nervous," Nina began, "because working at Magnolia Academy was my first real job. I was green, barely three years out of college, looking for work left and right. I was, gods just saying it makes me sound pretentious, but I was determined to find a job to make a change. To teach non-humans and become that great teacher that could look up to. What a farce it was, but I clung to it. I was young, but I can't fault myself for thinking that. I still believe it, though that change is in different ways." Like not faulting homework; if they don't do it, it is just one less assignment for her to grade. "I was rigid then, but not so much now. Kinda happens when you've held this job as long as I have."
Deni blinked owlishly. "You've worked at Magnolia since you were hired?"
Nina nodded her head. "Mhm. I mean, I'm not going to foot around the truth, the pay sucks. Private academy or not, we just don't get enough students to warrant good pay. There was always a chance to work other places, to move up, but it didn't appeal to me. I like Magnolia, despite never having pocket change." She chuckled at her own feeble joke, but all it summoned from Deni was an uneasy smile.
"I wish I could relate," she said. The coaster was now being turned over and over in her hands. "All of this... has been a big transition. The last few years, really. I went back to school because I thought it would do me some good, to become a teacher, but it feels... It's different, but not the good different I thought it would be. Does that make sense?"
"Mm. I think it does."
"Before this? I painted houses. And before that? Tasted wine. I've folded shirts, hocked snacks, made beds. Walked dogs. Cleaned windows. Packed shelves. Bunch of other jobs, trying to find something of interest. Purpose. And now I'm here, and I don't know if it is the right choice, and I just had to ask you, and, and—"
Deni covered her mouth again, and Nina sighed. She did that a lot, huh?
"You don't have to be so uneasy around me," she said, a small smile gracing her lips. "I'm not going to bite your head off for just talking."
That simple reassurance released considerable tension in the black-haired woman's body. Like a marionette snapped from its strings, her body hunched forward, and she gave a breathy laugh. "Right. That's right. You don't really come off that way..."
"Pardon?"
"Oh! I mean, the other teachers. They said you were, um, aloof. That you didn't talk much. Were really uptight about your work. At least, that's what they said when I asked them about you."
"Oh." For some reason, it wasn't their opinion, but the notion that Deni asked about her that made her shift in her seat. "Is that right?"
"Y-yea. But for the matter, I think they're wrong. I think you're very easy to talk to, Nina. You're much, much nicer than I thought you'd be. N-not that I thought you'd be mean! Not at all!"
Deni's smile was tender; drawn up brows and lips parted to reveal a crooked smile. Nina bit back whatever it brought up in her, muttering a small, "I see," to Deni as she turned her attention to the bartender. She signaled for another beer, but when they noticed she was still nursing her current, rose a quizzical brow. The deep purse of her lips was all it took to have a full bottle placed in front of her, Deni's mouth drawn to a curious O as Nina slugged it and her unfinished one in seconds.
🌱
Nina threw her head back and barked out a laugh, her mired sensibilities turning Deni's jest into the funniest joke in the world. Their conversation dissolved into a myriad of topics over the course of an hour, bouncing between the safe formality of work or the weather to in-depth discussions of items Nina never thought anyone would find interest in.
Having watched the same shitty zombie movies? Preferring snow over the sun? Pastrami sandwiches for breakfast? Describing a great fear of planes? Comparing lukewarm coffee to poison?
Nina hadn't talked so much in, well, her entire life, and the more that was shared, the more her calls for beer grew. What was once a few beer bottles turned into too many, Nina barely having room to move before the clink and slide of glass against glass and wood was heard. In contrast, Deni kept to her word and didn't have a drop of alcohol, her area only occupied by a, now untouched, coaster. That didn't stop the sheepish concern she gave Nina, despite trying to partake in her inebriated revelry.
"Y'know, I don't really drink like this," Nina admitted, her shoulders still trembling from humor, but seemingly not of the previous joke. "I only drink around Remi. She knows what I'm like when I'm drunk. Truly drunk. Druuunk-drunk. I only came to this ******** thing because Harriet wanted me to." Nina hiccuped out a laugh. "I thought I'd have a quiet evening of a beer or two, go home, call it a day and sleep, but then, youuuu." Nina leaned over toward her and wiggled her pointer finger in Deni's face. "You came over and ruined eeeverything."
Deni grit out a stiff smile. "P-pardon?"
"I only called you over here because you looked so lost. Like a puppy. A lost puppy, sitting there between those two... those two airheads trying to fit in. I felt sorry for you. Call me an a*****e, but I did. But next thing I know, you're here making me actually talk, and smiling, and ugh! Ugh!" Nina threw her hand up before faceplanting onto the counter. "I don't need to be feeling this way right now. I just ******** met you. Damn it."
"N-Nina? What a-are you talking about?"
"Hey." Nina turned to her, leveling a glassy-eyed stare at the woman. There was something both unnerving and vulnerable about the brunette's eyes, something Deni couldn't attribute wholly to alcohol alone. "Is that offer still open? Would you do it?"
Deni blinked slowly, confused. "Huh?"
"To help someone go home. I wanna leave, like, now."
🌱
Nina and Deni's departure were given half-hearted goodbyes when they left the bar, as if it was expected of them. Nina stumbled dumbly as Deni hooked her arm over her shoulder and supported the brunette's right side, muttering small concerns like "Careful!" and "Are you okay?" before they were even to the sidewalk. Nina ground heels into the cement, jerking Deni to a stop as she asked for Nina's address to call an Uber.
"Hey, you. You, uh—"
"Deni?"
"Yea, Deni. Deni, how old are you?"
"Thirty-four?"
"Oh." Nina swallowed thickly, her head swimming. "You're strong for a thirty-four year old."
"Well, um, you're kinda light, Nina."
Nina gazed up to her. "And tall."
"You're, um, kinda short, Nina."
"Right, right..."
Deni sighed, thumbing through her phone again. "Nina, I need your address if I am going to take you home. Could you tell me—"
"I mentioned it, right?" Nina said, clutching a hand to her temple. "That I don't really drink like this? 'Cause I really don't. Honest. Hooonest. I actually hate being drunk, but can handle a beer or two—"
"Nina," Deni shook her gently. "Your address. I need it."
"Oh, oh, riiight. It's, uhhh, hold on. Gimme a sec... A-aster Apartments! Yea, yea, Aster Apartments. I live in Aster Apartments."
"Okay... Do you know the address?"
"Aster Apartmenets. I said that."
Deni sighed. "Okay, fine. We'll work with that." Deni thumbed the location into her phone, hefting up Nina as she typed. "And the apartment number? So I can take you up there?"
"604." Nina slurred the four, laughing at the way she sounded.
Deni grimaced. Something inside told her she shouldn't let her coworker ever go drinking again. Ever. "And your keys?" She confirmed a ride, and waited for the Uber's arrival. "I mean, the key to open your apartment?"
"Silver"—Nina hiccuped, and laughed again—"silverrr key, red rubber thing on it."
"Okay." Deni mentally noted all of this, confirming the keys hanging off the brunette's purse. "Let's just get you home, okay?"
🌱
Their Uber driver was patient; even offering to help Nina into the car when she seemed to have trouble simply bending her knees to get inside, even when guided by Deni. Deni gently dismissed the driver's offer out of a the sudden responsibility she overtook; she'd feel too guilty securing the help of another when she was the one that agreed to take Nina home. She was her charge now, after all.
Eventually, Nina was in the car, and Deni soon followed after. After vocally confirming the driver knew where Aster Apartments were, they turned the wheel to the road, and drove off without a hitch.
Five minutes into the drive, Nina nodded off, sliding along the backseat when the Uber driver made a turn and bumping her head onto Deni's shoulder. Deni had readily ignored the touch until Nina cozied up to it, manifesting both a desire to push her off and keep her there at the same time. The latter eventually won out, and Nina remained using Deni's shoulder like the comfiest pillow in the world until the Uber pulled up to the telltale apartments.
After thanking them, Deni spent another five minutes fishing Nina out of the car, as the call of sleep was stronger than the one to move. Deni labored pulling a drifting Nina through the lobby and elevator, but managed to make it to the sixth floor and before Nina's apartment with great strides.
Shoving the red key into the lock, Deni pushed the door open and slapped around looking for a light switch, but was surprised to see the entirety of the apartment illuminated. A figure at the kitchen table shifted at the sound of movement, and a single amethyst-colored eye fluttered open to look to the door.
"Mama? Are you home?"
Deni froze in the entrance of the apartment as the figure hovered upward and stretched, her mind blanking when she registered the lack of a lower body. Suddenly, the figure jerked from a panic, and hovered over to them with surprising speed.
"Mama!" Holle cried, glancing between Deni and the dozing brunette. "Mama, are you okay? Is she okay?"
"Huh? O-oh, yes! Yes, she is. Your, um, mom? She just drank too much."
Holle sighed heavily, splaying a hand to her chest. "Oh, okay. I was just... I was worried. I didn't think mama would come home this late."
Deni smiled gently. She had a lot of questions as of then, but staved them off temporarily. "Can you help me?" she asked Holle. "I want to get your mom to bed, she's really, really tired."
Holle nodded her head vigorously, already extending her hands to take the smaller woman. "I can hold her while you open her bedroom door," she said, pointing to the one room farthest from the entrance. "That's mama's room."
"Thank you." Deni hefted Nina over to Holle's hands, prepared to open said door, but jumped when the Frei's hold on her guardian suddenly failed, and she collapsed to the floor with her.
"Oh, oh gods! Are you okay?"
"Y-yea!" Holle pushed herself up as the brunette continued to sleep, seemingly undisturbed by the fall. "Mama's heavier than I thought..."
"How about I bring her to the room and you open the door?" Deni asked, smiling sheepishly. She didn't want to chance a fall like that again.
"O-okay, that does sound like a better idea."
Holle kept vigil from the door frame to Nina's room as Deni tucked her in. She paused but a moment to look upon the brunette's face when she took her glasses off, thinking just for a moment that Nina had the face of a child as she slept. The thought made her smile as she turned and pulled the door shut behind her.
Now in the company of what Deni deduced to be Nina's "daughter", she fidgeted nervously, though the same couldn't be said of Holle. The Frei's eyes were now twinkling, a dimpled smile brightening her face.
"So, um, I should go—"
"No, wait!" Holle suddenly grabbed her hand and held it with a gentle, but firm embrace. "You can stay for just a little, right? Just a little bit!"
Deni glanced aside, suddenly unsure how to contain such a heartfelt request. She couldn't just say no right, even if she wanted to? Emotion pooled in the Frei's vivid eyes, summoning guilt in Deni's breast. She relented and nodded her head, earning an even brighter smile from Holle.
"Great! Have a seat, have a seat." The Frei motioned to the kitchen table. "I just wanna ask a few questions!"
"So, are you one of mama's friends?" Holle leaned against the tabletop, chin nestled comfortably in her hands. "I've never met you before!"
Deni shook her head slowly. "N-no. Actually, I just met your mom today."
"Oh, ohhh. Then you're mama's new friend!"
Holle said this with such conviction that for a moment Deni believed her. She reeled the instance back when she reminded herself they had only talked for one evening, and only an hour at that.
"What's your name?"
"Danielle Crow, but most people just called me Deni."
"Deni." Holle said her nickname with two nods; cementing it to memory, it seemed. "My name's Holle. Holle Theresia Swan. Normally I'd also introduce my mama too, but you already know her."
This drew a smile from Deni. "Yes, quite. I got to know her a good bit tonight."
Suddenly, Holle's hands slapped the tabletop as if triggered by the topic. "Mama's super cool, isn't she?" she said, sparkling. "She's knows a lot and is really easy to talk to. Sometimes she lectures for so long, but she hasn't been doing it a lot lately, so that's fine by me."
Deni chuckled. Gods, who knew Nina's daughter was so cute? Letting curiosity get the better of her, Deni asked, "If you don't mind me asking, but what are you? Nina made no mention of having a daughter, even if we only talked for a while. Have you been with her long?"
"I'm a Raevan," Holle said, puffing out her chest. "A Frei actually, which means I'm still young, but I'll grow eventually and get a stomach and legs. Mama and I have been together for a while, but not for a long time. Only a few months, even though I think that's a long while."
Deni hummed. She'd never heard of Raevans, but the topic intrigued her. Something within her sparked the need to bring it up with Nina later, if only to talk to her again.
Again, huh? Deni thought, glancing to her watch. Never thought I'd think that.
"Hey, so, um, I should go. It's getting late. It was super nice meeting you, Holle. Keep an eye on your mom for me, okay?"
"Yep!" Holle said, giving two nods. "Mama will be well taken cared of under my watch!"
Deni smiled again as the Frei opened the door for her. "It was nice to meet you, Deni. How does mama say it... Don't... Don't be a stranger!"
"Oh, I'm sure we'll see each other again," Deni said. "In fact, I would love to."
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