That meant several things but to Delilah white, that meant one thing most of all: boots! She had been thrilled when she could pull them out and even more so when she realized she could still wear them to the girls outing they were on today.
It was perfect weather to do something she hadn’t done in ages and hadn’t even dawned on her until she had picked up an apple at the store and growled at the price tag. Even getting Mercy and Sita to come alone hadn’t been that difficult.
What had been a challenge was finding the orchard once the GPS decided ‘you had arrived’ and dumped them into the middle of nowhere.
“Alright!” Delilah chuckled as she climbed out of her car and gazed towards the trees. “I think it’s safe to say that THIS time, we have arrived!”
She was smiling as the door shut behind her and she started to walk towards the gathering area. “Not that a little adventure wasn’t worth it.” She had to admit the pumpkin pie they got at the stop over for directions at the pumpkin patch was...overly worth it.
---
Mercy had been rather excited for this little outing. She was enjoying having actual friends, and so she had taken great pains in picking out her outfit for the occasion. Something that spoke of preparedness, but also kept her looking youthful. The last thing she needed was some older guy hitting on her. Not that Delilah or Sita would let that happen, but still, she wanted to get through the day with minimal embarrassment.
Slipping out of the car, she smiled at Delilah, and closed her own door behind her as she kept her bag on one shoulder. “A little adventure is good for the soul they say,” Mercy said with a wry grin. She was looking forward to this.
She started to follow Delilah, turning back to wait a bit for Sita to join them. “Don’t you agree Sita?”
---
She had been so excited when she had received the call from Delilah, asking her if she wished to go on a outing to the orchard. She had said yes near instantly, of course. She having had to get ready in a snap for when they came to pick her up.
She sat now, looking around the area that they had finally ended up in, she watching as Mercy and Delilah filed out of the car. She was next, and as she placed her feet on the ground beneath her she smiled. It was nice to be on solid ground once more.
She looked to Mercy as she was addressed. She took a moment to adjust the shawl about her shoulders and then cocked her head slightly. “Adventure is good for the soul...yes. Also good for the body. The fresh air will do us all well. And the laughter we have had will make us healthier in the long run.”
She moved up to the other two, she placing a hand on Delilah’s shoulder. “I cannot thank you enough for, yet again, thinking of me in this great adventure we are on.”
---
Ginger leaned forward where she was sitting and looked toward the sound of voices, taking another bite of doughnut, cinnamon and sugar sticking to her lipstick, but she honestly didn’t care. You could not care about a lot with fresh, Apple Cider Doughnuts. Her fosters were inside shopping for quilted trivets and potholders, and probably debating that pretty table runner, and a lot more goodies, but there was time to kill, and apples to pick, and it was going to be a great day.
“Cute shawl!” She called over in the direction of the girls piling out of the car. It was cute, and comfy looking, though she didn’t think she could personally pull off the shawl look, outside of the occasional shawl neck on her sweaters. She’d stick to her chunky sweater coat and river driver.
She thought about offering them doughnuts, but just took another bite of hers instead, twirling the end of her vibrant braid loosely with one finger. Man though she wouldn’t mind trying on the hat the girl in plaid was wearing though.
---
The way Mercy said that made Delilah stick her tongue out at the girl. So she had gotten them lost...more than once. Oops!
“Sita, please, no need to thank me. You are a dear friend and it’s as you said...we all need to get out of Destiny City and live a little. I’m just glad you put up with me.” As she smiled towards the two, a part of her wished there was one more with them. She missed Mei but the girl had other things going on and the truth was, she worried about how Mei would take what she wanted to some day propose to Mercy and Sitara. But that was still in the future. No need to worry now…
Today was for their enjoyment. Mercy and Sitara had gotten so much thrown at them in such a short amount of time. Now, Delilah wanted to spoil them. She adored her friends and even if she was going through an identity crisis, they didn’t need to deal with that.
“Now...where do we go from here?” Delilah commented, hands going to her hips as the sweater dipped off her shoulder slightly. She had seen the woman sitting there munching on something but she had not thought to bother her. That was until the woman spoke up and there was hardly any mistaking that the words were directed towards Sita.
Smiling, Delilah gave her a nod.
---
Mercy’s lips remained in a slightly teasing smirk, ready with another playful jab at Delilah when another female voice, calling to Sita obviously, drew her attention. Turning towards it, she placed a hand lightly on her hat, raising a brow at the other girl who’s hair rivaled her own to matching the apples of the orchard in color.
“Well we could start picking apples,” She supplied to Delilah as she eyed the girl who had complimented Sita. “Barring that, we could check out the shop?” She doubted there would be much to draw her eye but still.
“Nice coat!” She called back to the fellow redhead. “Where’d you get it?” She even waved the girl over, hoping she would close the distance so she could get a better look.
---
The young, Indian, woman smiled and blinked as she heard the other woman in the distance shout out to her. She was not used to being noticed, and certainly not for her clothing. She gave the redhead a nod, watching as Mercy called her over.
She then turned to Delilah, her hair moving about her shoulders as she did so. “I am not use to being noticed. But I thank you all the same.”
The smell of apples and cinnamon was strong, she breathing in deep. The thought of all the treats and caramels...Oh she wanted to try them all. “I like the idea of going to the shop. Mercy...you and I could split a candied apple! I cannot eat a full one...my teeth will hurt if I do!”
---
“Um, I forget.” Ginger admitted. “Kohls or something I think, my fo…. My mom got it for me.”
It might not be on paper, but it was official enough for now, and they were working on the rest. She hopped off her perch, snagging the bag of doughnuts as she headed over and offered them out.
“Caramel apples are great but you have to try these things.” She offered. “Apple cider doughnuts, they make them here in the shop. We’re getting extra to bring home, but man they are great. Hi, I’m Ginger by the way.”
---
Delilah didn’t know what got her first: the sight of them or that heavenly smell. Did it really matter in the end?
“Those smell like heaven. A fall heaven but still…” Delilah smiled looking into the bag but not reaching out or in without a clear invite. But it was clear she was going to have to get a bag herself. “Those seem perfect.” Eyes finally flickering back to the girl’s face, the raven hair woman offered a warm, welcoming smile. “I’m Delilah. It’s a pleasure Ginger. This here is Mercy…” She motioned to the girl clearly eying Ginger’s coat. “And the one who can wear things all of us can only dream about is Sitara. It’s our first time out here so as you can tell, we are a bit...well…”
She looked back at the girls.
“In need of direction of what we should sink our teeth into before we OD on apples.” She laughed, eyes once more going back to the bag.
---
Mercy too, eyed the doughnuts, but would not reach without an actual verbalized invitation. They did look delightful, but she knew better than to reach her hand into someone else’s bag and partake without explicit invitation. It was goche and rude and not at all ladylike. If that meant missing out what smelled like the promise of heaven… well… She’d at least have her dignity.
And dignity was more important.
She did however, nod her head at the answer. “I’ll have to take a look and see if I can find one, it’s really cute!” She said with a small smile as she did her best to hide how much she was coveting that jacket. It would go with so many other things in her wardrobe! She’d have to find one, or one like it!
At Sitara’s mention of candy apples though, she grinned. “I’ll be happy to share, if only to make sure I don’t get too much sugar, dentist has been yelling at me about cavity potential so I really need to watch my intake…”
Even if sugar and caffeine were all that were keeping her going as it was anymore. Thank you late night patrols.
When Delilah introduced her to Ginger, however, she actually did a small curtsey in place out of instinct, which, in jeans, did not have the same effect as wearing a skirt or dress normally did. But they were picking apples, so anything that was not pants related was a no go near ladders ever.
---
Sita had grown accustomed to blushing every time Delilah pointed out her clothing. It wasn’t really anything special, just a knitted shawl and pants, but all the same, the woman made it seem like she was a model.
“Delilah is too kind to me. There are many things that i cannot wear, and one day I will prove it to her.” She kept her head held low, looking out at Ginger before smiling softly.
“It is a pleasure to meet you Ginger. You are very kind to be so very welcoming of us so very soon after meeting us.” She had noted the other two not partaking of the doughnuts. She too could smell them and it was making her stomach rumble.
“If we stand here any longer though, I might attempt to eat Mercy. I skipped breakfast for this trip.” She giggled and looked to the other red haired woman, giving her a wink before blushing again and hiding her face in her hair.
---
“Well let’s stave off going all Walking Dead. I don’t like the odds of being a girl in that kind of dystopian-gun-world.” Those things were always nonsense in her book. Guns were all well and good but they ran out of ammo, no one ever started cremating the bodies, and they pointlessly punished farming and crafting as being insufficiently manly, in the theory that there would be an endless supply of Walmart's somehow stocked with seasonal gear to raid for a new set of grubby clothing. Anyway, last time she’d checked there were no cider doughnuts in the Walking Dead ‘verse. “Have a doughnut.” She shook the bag slightly in invitation, not missing the stomach rumble. “These definitely make up for skipping breakfast. I mean unless you’re allergic to something, in which case they might not, but I don’t think they’re going to run out anytime soon.” She joked.
---
“Hell will freeze over the day you prove to me you cannot wear something Sita.” Delilah smiled with a wink at her friend. One of these days she would prove the woman had no reason to hide in her modest shell. Sita was beautiful inside and out and it just took some time and a good hammer.
Mercy though knew she could dress like a goddess. Her little fledgling problem was else where and dear lord she was struggling to crack that one. Something inside of her scared her too. Sometimes, Delilah found herself worried that Mercy would...snap...
“And if it should freeze over, hopefully it will take the zombies with it and anyone who tries to use a gun over an ax. Mythbusters proved that one and I’ll stick by it over trying to prove them wrong.” Delilah held up a finger as if proving a point before smiling with a laugh. “Why don’t we slip into the shop then so we don’t steal Ginger’s doughnuts? Because I think if she keeps this up we are going to take her up on the offer and finish them….” She eyed Mercy and Sita. “Okay, at least I will…”
“Ginger, would care to join us? I think we would love a second option of what is good and what is only so-so?” There was a smile on her face. The girl was sweet. Different but still, something about her seemed comforting to the raven haired woman. And she was glad Mercy and Sita seemed to feel it as well.
“Did you happen to see Apple Butter in there?”
---
Mercy had worked very hard to form her saccharine shell, moreso now than before the events that had led them to charging straight into what could only be described as the very mouth of hell, and she was very much loathe to get rid of it. Because, if she did get rid of it, she would not be the upbeat and darling fledgling that Delilah had initially met and become friends with. Being Sabine had changed many things about Mercy. Things she wasn’t about to admit to Delilah right then. There wasn’t the time for it. There was too much going on and at stake for her to slow down, or stop and admit that she had a problem. So she soldiered on, for better or worse. The nightmares were getting fewer and farther between, so she supposed there was some hope at recovering without having to admit she had a problem at all.
It’s what made the whole… Nick… situation so undeniably painful and frustrating. Had she been a normal 15 year-old-girl, she could have just contented herself to playing the slow game, and let him take his time and see how things worked out. But Mercy was not a normal 15 year-old-girl. Not only that, but there was a draw to Nick, like a magnet. Being around him felt… warm and fuzzy and just… pleasant. She didn’t know if it was his unassuming nature, or the fact that he was oddly shy around her, but in the end, it was a moot point. Try as she might, drop what hints she could without coming right out and saying it, the boy was either too obtuse or just plain not interested.
And that hurt - a little. Part of her felt relieved that she wasn’t going to inadvertently put him in danger.
All of this of course, was why she had taken up Delilah on her offer to head out of the city for the day, and explore the orchard. She needed the fresh air, the crisp breeze, and just some time away from the situation to parse as much of it as she could together without worrying about accidentally bumping into Nick and feeling the impulse to do something stupid, awkward, or both.
It was Delilah’s invitation to Ginger to join them that finally shoot Mercy from her thoughts, blinking for a moment as she tried to catch up on the conversation, hoping she hadn’t missed anything or someone had spoken to her directly.
“Yes, come with us!” Mercy practically begged the other redhead. “That way I’m not the only red one in the bunch.” She added with a grin, taking off her hat to reveal the rest of her red locks done up in a quick - if somewhat messy bun.
“Besides, you probably know where they keep all the good stuff.” She added with a small conspiratorial nod. “You can be our guide.”
----
Sita pulled a face at Delilah, knowing that all of this was in good fun. They certainly needed it after everything that these last few months had dealt them. She would be the first to admit that she still felt the effects of that battle, and it had taken her some time to get back on patrol.
There were still nights when her dreams were covered in blood. Her clothes, her hair. She shivered and closed her eyes, almost stumbling forward as her thoughts rocked her.
“oh! I am sorry.” shy bit her lip as she looked up to Mercy. She did not know why, but like herself, the redhead seemed in her own headspace.
She reached out a hand and placed it on Mercy’s shoulder. “one firecracker is enough, but i do enjoy ginger being here.” She playfully winked at her friend, giving her a large, shining smile.
---
“You know, good question! I saw some kind of apple blossom honey and I think a salsa, but I didn’t think to look for apple butter. Why don’t we go take a look? She gestured toward the shop. “Sounds like fun though! I’ll join you!”
It might backfire, but who knew if you didn’t try, and the other redhead looked looked like she could use a quick hug, or maybe someone who could take the Hit-like-a-girl bat to her problems.
“Us redheads have to stick together, right?” She joked, flashing a broad grin.
They seemed like cool people, nice so far…
--
“Apple Salsa?” Delilah’s face twisted into something weird as she tried to understand the combination. “Now what in the world would you put that on. Nachos are out.” following the direction had pointed out, Delilah began a slow stroll over towards where people were gathering.
So lost in her own mental debate about what apple salsa could be used for that the raven haired woman was hardly paying attention to the direction she was walking in.
Over the basket of apples she fell into a face first lump on the ground. Apples bounced and rolled in all directions as Delilah mentally scanned her body. So her face was in the dirt. One leg was caught on something. Her bag had smacked her in the a** before she was pretty sure spilling...yep those were her keys that had hit her in the head...and some kid was crying ‘Mommy! She spilled my apples!’
Attention could be nice. This...nope.
---
Mercy was completely shaken from her daze as she turned to follow Delilah and then proceeded to watch her friend go head over applecart - literally. Wincing, she cringed as she moved quickly to Delilah’s side, hissing a bit. “You okay?” She asked, checking her friend to make sure she was okay before turning to start scooping what apples she could into the basket that she’d tripped over. Well, after she’d unwedged it from Delilah’s leg.
“So, so, sorry,” She said, bowing her head as she tried to get the apples back in the basket. “Had a bit of a spill, nothing to see here!” She was doing her best to try and keep people away from her friend so she had time to recover some of her dignity.
Well that could have gone better…
---
Sita was drawn from her thoughts by the sound of Delilah falling head over feet over a bushel of apples. She blinked and even before she could move to help the other, Mercy was there and Sita could calm.
“Delilah, you need to pay attention.” she giggled, recalling the instance of her falling head first into Mercy’s breasts not so very long ago.
“we all seem to not be so very good in our feet as of late. Though i am the one that is suppose to be blind.” she looked to Ginger, she moving to stand at her side.
“i do think you killed her brain with the idea of sweet salsa.” she glanced to that dark haired woman. “in India, we use alot of sweet in our savory. It is not so very strange”
---
“I think they had a Barbecue Sauce too… but that sounds really tasty. I haven’t gotten to try Indian food… my dad insists he gets heartburn if there’s too much pepper in dinner.” She laughed, good naturedly. “My mom puts hot sauce on her pizza though. Especially if she wants him to stay out of the leftovers, since he’s supposed to cut back on midnight snacks. Doesn’t keep him out of the ice cream though.” She sighed, and that one sigh indicated a lot that ice cream might have come in shorter supply since that battle started. “You gotta watch out for the stuff though, there’s apples and pumpkins -everywhere- inside, you can barely turn around some spots without nearly clipping a pie or an cheese display. If you feel any better I nearly fell into the sweatshirt rack trying to get to the check out with my doughnuts.”
--
With her hands coming up to her sides, Delilah pushed her upper body upward and spat out some of the dirt or was that grass, from her mouth.
Looking back as Mercy helped clean up, Delilah tried not to turn the color of an apple herself.
“I'm so sorry. I was in my own world and…” her hands grabbed her keys that went flying. “Sita, my chapstick is by your foot. Would you grab that please?”
Her legs came up and she shifted her bag, checking to see what else went flying. For a moment she was calm and composed. Then she turned her back upside down and dumped everything out onto the ground.
Shifting through it all, her eyes shot up and looked with fear at Sita and Mercy. “My pen…”
----
There were very few words that were spoken that would make Mercy actively panic. Delilah managed to find two that were both outwardly innocuous by normal standards, but all too terrifying to those who were in the know. Eyes went wide as she looked at Delilah, mouthing the words back to her silently before once more she was scouring the area, making small circles in a desperate attempt to find her friends missing pen.
To a casual observer, Mercy was probably acting a bit strange, getting so hectic over something so easily replaced as a simple pen. But Mercy knew it wasn’t any simple pen that Delilah had lost. No.
It had been her Henshin pen. The one means by which she could be identified as a senshi to an outside observer short of powering up herself. Even then, to the normal person it would appear to be a simple ornate pen. Mostly ornamental. But to those in the know… It was the source of Delilah's ability to become Super Sailor Phact.
Something the recently upgraded Super Sailor Sabine was not going to see get lost or stolen. So she started her search, fanning out for Delilah in a spiral in the hopes of finding the wayward writing device before it was picked up by the wrong person…
---
Her pen...Sita’s eyes grew large as the situation sank in. She was instantly looking about the area, trying not to look too panicked as to not confuse Ginger.
She knelt down and gathered up the lip gloss. She then moved to Delilah’s side, she whispering softly. “it is not near me but we will look the fool if we look to hard for it.”
She moved over to the apples that the other had fallen over, glancing inside the bucket and through the surrounding area. How in the world would they explain the urgency?
---
Must be -some- pen. Ginger could only imagine, largely picturing something with… she wasn’t sure… personal engraving maybe? Some kind of favorite gift? Or something really expensive, like an… hell she wasn’t sure. Jewel crusted fountain pen?
“What’s it look like?” She asked, trying to peer around. It might be buried in apples, or have rolled under one of the carts and displays… and she stooped down to look for it under exterior displays.
---
The panic on Delilah’s face was clear as day as she watched both Mercy and Sita process just what she had meant by those words. She was dazed, head spinning as she tried to go through her steps. It had to be when she fell. Which meant it could be…. Her head turned around and looked at the growing crowd around them….anywhere.
But Ginger’s voice made her blink and she turned back to look at the girl. As if trying to understand what the red head was asking, Delilah almost slipped with a ‘My hens…” The words caught in her throat. If this woman clearly didn’t have a clue about the importance of a pen, then maybe, just maybe, she was lucky enough not to be part of this war. Best to keep it that way.
“It’s a memento.” She finally managed out. “From an old friend I haven’t seen since they gave to it me.” She tried to breathe. “It looks rather strange honestly. Red and white. The top is shaped like a star. Once you see it...you can’t miss it…”
Delilah was about to open her mouth when the sound of a little boy no more than six cried out “Mommy look what I found! It’s a magic wand!”
---
Mercy’s head had whipped around as soon as she’d heard the younger voice make its loud declaration, she ducked and wove through the crowd and once she got eyes on the boy and verified the “wand” was indeed Delilah’s pen, Mercy knew she had very little time to act.
Giving the boy’s mother a warm and respectful smile, she closed the distance between them until she was close enough to address the boy directly. She crouched down then with a smile, bringing herself to the boy’s height.
“Hello,” Mercy said in a chipper tone and a warm smile. “That’s a really, really cool magic wand you have there.” She added, eying the pen in the boy’s hand. “You know, it's funny… You see, I’m friends with a Good Witch, and she has a wand just like that one.”
Her hand pointed at the pen in the boy’s hand, but before he could clutch it closer she pulled her hand back, her face falling a little. “But, you see, she lost her wand, and now she can’t do magic. We’ve been looking all over for it. You see, she’s on a quest to stop some Bad Witches… But without her wand she isn’t able to do anything…”
She watched the boy for a moment and bowed her head. “But there are rules, and since you found the Wand of Stars, you are entitled to keep it… which is why I propose a trade.”
Even as she spoke, she had reached behind her neck, undoing the necklace she wore, and holding it out on its chain in offering. “I will trade you my most prized possession. This pendant was gifted to me by The Lord of Unicorns, and is very, very lucky. It also keeps away monsters, and marks you a forever-friend to all unicorns. It is a very powerful magic… I will trade it to you for the Wand of Stars.” She said, her voice kept low and conspiratorial.
“Please, we need that Wand to complete our quest. If my pendant is not enough, I will even trade you my hat.” She said, reading up to remove that from her head. “Not quite magic, but it looks cool.”
With that, she waited, Items held out in open trade.
---
Sita heard the voice of the young man at the same time as the others, her heart sinking as she knew this would be no easy task.
She managed a smile, however, as she saw Mercy take the lead and head over to the child, working what seemed to be magic, to convince the young boy that she could be trusted with the gift.
She moved to Delilah's side, her hand going to the woman's shoulder to calm her. She knew she had a calming effect on most, and Delilah had always calmed around her. “Mercy has this, my friend. I did not know she was so good with children.” She gave a weak smile.
---
“Man I hope the twerps mom comes over and makes him give it back… she shouldn’t have to trade her stuff.” Ginger was maybe a hair less charitable than Mercy was on the matter, raising an eyebrow at looking the child over with a calculated expression. Granted, kids could be kind of bastards, so to speak, and she doubted she’d missed having her own moments, but she’d gotten away with… well a lot fewer.
“Although compared to some of the kids I remember I’m impressed he picked up anything that could be remotely construed as girly.” She added, with a wry twist of the mouth, waiting to see if she should step in. She might not be able to get away with simply lifting it out of the kids hand in a pinch, but she could sure as hell get up in the mom’s face, she figured.
---
Delilah’s hand came up and rested on Sita’s as she tried to nod. “I...didn’t either?” Delilah added eyeing Mercy as she leaned over the child and offered the unicorn necklace. “Ginger, what you don’t know is Unicorns to Mercy is what oxygen is to the rest of us….I’m going to owe her big time if this works…” Her voice was sketchy. “I just don’t think I can play the part of a ‘Good Witch’ if I needed to. I’m not covered in sparkles and rainbows….”
The child though was completely focused on Mercy. When the strange woman had approached, he had pulled the ‘wand’ closer to him before eyeing her with caution. As Mercy spoke, he gazed down at necklace then back up at her. “Magic Wand could summon the unicorns.” He said with certainty. “I could get my own then if the Lord of Unicorns visited me…”
A quick look up at his mother could see she was watching the exchange out of the corner of her eye. She wasn’t ready to step in just yet as she had her attention pulled by one of her older children throwing an apple at someone.
“Why don’t I help you on quest then?”
---
Mercy felt her heart drop. Generally, she would have argued that summoning the Unicorns would likely bring down the wrath of their lord. But the boy was probably younger than her brother, who was nine. In all likelihood such political points would be lost in translation, so instead, Mercy did the only thing she knew rarely failed.
With a sniffle she wiped at her eyes as they started to brim with tears. “Our quest is a long and dangerous one,” she sniffled. “I have been away from home for so long. I am sure you would not want to spend forever on a quest, not knowing when you see home again? Your mother would miss you and be sad.”
Wiping her eyes again, she placed her necklace in the hat and held them both out to the boy.
“Please,” she took a knee, bowing her head low. “Please, I, Princess Mercy of Aernorth, beg you. Please, trade with me so that I can go home, and see my family again.” She said, voice wavering as she sniffled once more. Looking up at the boy with sorrowful tear rimmed eyes. “Please…”
---
It took every last bit is restraint that Sita had to not go over to Mercy and tell her not to give up the necklace. She knew what it meant to the woman, and the fact that a child would get such a gift because they were being a brat, upset her greatly.
She leaned in close to Delilah, she whispering softly to her. “Mercy should not need to make this trade, Delilah. I am going to talk to the child’s mother. She should force him to give it back. It is only right.”
She actually made a move toward the woman before the other could protest. If there was one thing she was good at, it was dealing with parents.
She was not certain she would close the distance in time. But she just could not sit by and watch this happen.
---
“Wow… ok brat lord….” Ginger muttered, narrowing her eyes a little at the boy. “I mean she’s trying really hard to see it but I think the little punk is holding out for a cash bribe.” Something she didn’t plan on doling out. “I could just grab it…” She offered, blandly, folding her arms across her chest and eyeing the situation. “I mean it would be MEAN but what’s he going to do? Say ‘that mean lady took the pen I found that belonged to someone else and gave it back to her?”
She didn’t like this situation, but she didn’t know what exactly to do about it either. Maybe she could back up Sita or something if she needed it.
She tugged at the sleeve of her sweater, frowning at the revealed hint of the scorpions tail and the cactus flowers, and kind of wished things were that simple to solve as they’d be for the scorpion. Sting it or don’t. That easy.
---
The words that came out of Mercy’s mouth made Delilah’s heart both sink and skip a beat. How had she not picked up on it sooner! She was referencing her mother’s book! For Mercy to go that far...of she could just hug the girl.
But it had distracted Delilah long enough that she only just noticed Sita sneaking off to the side where the mother was clearly struggling with another boy. A quick glance showed the mother had noticed Sita but was dragged back to the child trying to pull her earring out. Some kids…
But Delilah shook her head. “I think Sita might have the right idea. If the mother will even listen…” She spoke softly to Ginger, though she was biting her lip. That pen was more than a magic wand. That pen brought her together with more people in her life that she loved and adored. That pen gave her the ability to protect them in means no one else could….”Sorry. We just met and you are seeing me frazzled…”
At Mercy’s drop to her knees, the little boy’s eyes grew large! “Princess?” He spoke, with a shock as she gave her ‘title’. THAT seemed to make his smile grow. But he glanced back at the pen, eyes taking it in for a moment before handing it over to Mercy. “Princess.” He said softly. “I’m sorry….maybe one day I’ll have my own adventure.”
---
Mercy took the pen with a solemn nod of her head, placing the hat down on the ground as she slipped the pen into the pocket of her shirt.
“Thank you, I know you will,” Mercy said, wiping the tears from her face with a smile. “But a deal is a deal, sir… I cannot take the wand without rewarding you in kind.”
With that she dumped the necklace out of the hat, and with practiced fingers she placed it over the boy's head, clicking the latch in place. Then she leaned in a gave him a soft peck to the forehead, a thing she had done to Nathaniel when they had both been smaller, and then slowly rose, placing her hat on the boy's head.
“I knight thee,” She said with a smile. “Go, and do good as a Knight of the Horn, a Unicorn Knight. I thank you for your service.”
She gave a low, practiced curtsey then, and spun back toward the others, moving to intercept Sita as she made her way back.
“Leave it be,” she said gently, guiding her friend back toward the others. “It was my choice to make this trade. This boy will never forget the day he helped a princess… let him have this.”
Let him have a few more moments of playful innocence, her eyes begged Sita, even as she turned with a smile toward Delilah. Pulling out the pen and holding it out to her.
“Your pen,” she said with a smile. “Safe and sound.”
---
Sita was stopped in her tracks as she saw Mercy coming back towards her. She was more than a bit displeased that her friend had given away one of her own treasures to the child.
“Mercy...you know there were other ways” she placed a hand on the other's shoulder, walking back to the group. “though...i do understand why you did it. “
She took a moment to reflect on what had happened, letting it go moments later. She crossed the distance to Delilah, she smiling softly as she received her pen back.
“crisis averted...thanks to princess mercy.” she winked and did ebay she could to lighten the mood. She was very skilled in the art of the positive. “come on Delilah..there are apple doughnuts with our names on them.”
---
“OK can’t lie… that was adorable.” Ginger admitted, with a grudging sniff. “I was kind of waiting to have to go be the wicked witch and go just grab it from the little bugger.” She admitted, adding jokingly. “I mean I’m good at making boys cry but usually they aren’t that young and there’s more bruising involved.” She made a pantomime of boxing at the air, to clarify what she meant. “Knight of the Horn huh? You’ve got a knack there.” She added to Mercy.
“Will it be terribly disappointing that they use a regular old cookie cutter sort of setup to make the holes in the doughnuts instead of bribing unicorns for the job? But then that’s probably inefficient. If I was a unicorn I’d probably eat them when no one was looking.”
---
Delilah almost felt tears as she wrapped Mercy in a large hug and pulled her tight. With one arm, she broke free and pulled Sita in as well. “Thank you both. I owe you both more than you can imagine.” Delilah pulled back, smiling at each one before catching Mercy’s eyes. “And you I owe even more. Name any item of clothing and it’s yours. I’ll make you an entire wardrobe if you want! “ If she remembered how to sew. How long had it been?
Finally she looked back at Ginger and smiled at her. Without warning, she hugged the redhead as well. “Thank you. I know we just met but it still means the world to me that you would go out of your way to help. I hope you will let me take you out for coffee sometime. Or at least let me buy you a fresh bag of apple doughnuts. Even if they make them the cookie cutter way. It would be under unicorns to work the frier.”
But with that, she looked back at Sita and Mercy. “First round of whatever you want to eat is on me.”
---
Mercy accepted the hug. She would have turned all the offers of reward down but she knew better than to do so. Delilah wouldn’t have offered if she wasn’t in earnest, and it would have been rude to decline such a gift from Delilah. She smiled and bowed her head just a bit. “It’s really nothing, Delilah, I know you guys would have done the same for me.” She said with a small laugh, but then she remembered that Ginger was there, and she turned and nodded her head to the other red-head.
“Thank you, I know it seems odd, but Delilah’s had that pen for ages, and it means a whole heck of a lot to her. It would have been devastating for her to lose it.” She smiled at Ginger as well. “I will second Delilah’s request for coffee sometime. Though, we really should all just exchange numbers if you don’t mind.”
She’d of made a comment on how Unicorns would have just eaten the whole kitchen and been done with it, but Delilah pretty much had it covered all the same.
“I think, I’ll settle for a bag of those doughnuts though if there are any left…”
---
Sita took the hug that was given to her, she Sighing and giving Delilah a soft kiss in the cheek. She knew the other was stressed, knew what she had to be feeling, and she was glad she could help in the smallest way.
“my friend, i only wish i could have done more.” she smiled softly and looked to Mercy as she suggested that they all exchange numbers.
“Ginger, if you would like mine, i can certainly give it to you. Mercy and Delilah already have it” she winked and giggled, actually getting out her phone to remember the number as she walked with the others toward the building.
---
“Heck yeah I would!” She didn’t begin to understand the significance of the pen, it didn’t look antique or expensive, but she didn’t think it was the kind of thing someone would have gone after with that level of passion either without some personal value, so who was she to judge?
“I wanna hear how to become a knight of the horn.” She joked, with a wink. “Or not. I’m probably not the unicorn type.” She admitted. “But hey, if you want you can call me Cookie.”
She knew it wasn’t that far yet, but she had a good feeling about this, and she was going to trust her instinct on this one.
“My friends do.”
Torvil
serpentsong
Ryuthulhu