Books aligned the walls miles high, oak wood dusted in years of knowledge and forgotten memories. The guilds library rested underground, besides the basement but in larger volume, many more tables and an old couch with space to fit seven people. Sitting in one corner of the room, a pile of leather bound books over the table, was Levy Mcgarden, her blue hair held back by an orange bandana. Her stomach rumbled, her fingers tapping the pen in her hand atop the table, Levy's lips worried in study.
The night had just begun, the dark sky barely showing between the high windows of which poked out at ground level of the outside building. Stomping of footsteps were many in harmony as the guild doors closed, mages and visitors alike disbanded to their own homes to enjoy the sanctity of a well needed rest. Levy hadn't the opportunity though, not with her estimation of time for how long it would take her to decipher the message left from the hand of an older woman in need of translating a letter her late husband had given her on his death bed.
The woman told Levy tales of how her and her husband use to write each other translated messages for secret meetings. How they would use long lost languages in attempt to hide their love from their families that did not approve of such a relationship. So many years had passed since the last messages they had gave each other, however, and soon enough, she had forgotten the language they used as well. It was young love in a time that some could not be trusted and so Levy understood very well of the significance translating such message could be to the woman. She accepted the job on steady feet, fingers tingling with anticipation and a gentle but excited smile, telling the older woman she would translate this very last message between lovers as quickly as she could.
So she slaved over the paper before her, red markings written over the original text in places she believed to have partly translated already. Without a hint of the language used though, Levy was caught searching through several amounts of old writing, some dating back to the age of dragons. Levy's frustration rose as another character on the sheet did not match those in the leather books she had open. Her lips pursed, brows narrowed whilst a tired whine escaped her and her stomach began to rumble again.
"Levy! You're not giving up?"
A creaking noise announced that the library door was opening, a new guest entering. Along with the familiar voice of Lisanna Strauss was the alluring scent of what could only be a tasteful treat. Lo and behold, what Levy see's in Lisanna's hands as she looks up is a tray of freshly baked bread, bowl of beef stew and two glasses, one of ice cold tea and another of long lasting heated warm coffee for the night.
"I knew you'd still be here!" Lisanna chimed, her chin tilting with her ever sweet smile, blinding enough to challenge the moons rays. "I thought you may need some dinner since I haven't seen you upstairs for a while."
"Ah, thank you!" Levy made space on the desk as Lisanna strode toward her, moved aside books she had used from one pile to the floor, setting them aside to replace on their rightful shelf after her job. Lisanna was careful as she bent to place the meal down, strands of her white hair falling in front of her sight. She hadn't seemed to mind though, her fingers brushing the loose strands back behind her ear, her lips curved upward with her usual friendliness.
"How long are you planning on staying here?"
"The whole night." Those three words came out mindlessly, without thought as Levy chewed on her lip, attention still drawn to her task at hand. Lisanna simply blinked at her, her hands clasped together, mouth down turned in worry. She took a breath, mouth opening to continue on the conversation before Levy realized her mistake, dropping the pen in her hand in favor of waving her arms in placation. "I-I mean… only if that's okay with y-you! I wouldn't want to impose! It must be getting late! Of course, y-you'd want to go home too!"
A soft chuckle interrupted Levy's humorous babbling, the sound turning to giggles and then full on laughter with Lisanna holding her stomach in tears. Levy must have been a sight to behold, flustered beyond normal. Levy didn't let her guard down often, never made a mess of herself without any one else's help but here she was struggling to keep her composure in the early night. Lisanna quieted down, her cheerfulness full of sweet understanding and charity.
"It's fine, Levy. Just make sure to take breaks. We don't need our script mage falling asleep on the job." Lisanna shook her index finger in the air, smiling once again before she turned back to the main hall, needing to clean up and lock the entrance.
Levy sighed, her shoulders slumping, palms falling flat on the wood table, back arched with her head down. She contemplated her task once more, listed out the many translations she has already tried, went over in her mind each character used and their country of origin. Levy promised she would give the woman positive feedback and she wasn't going to put this aside or wait. The rumbling of her stomach roared again, her organs shivering and aching for a bite, a demand Levy could not hold off any longer with her arm reaching out to part the bread she had.
Hours had gone by, the clock tower ringing three past midnight, yet Levy was undeterred, the gears in her mind working overtime. She would pace the library, search the collection of books row by row, read with gale-force reading glasses to speed up the process of distinguishing difference in communicative culture. She studied like a literature student would if they came from a wealthy family and were enrolled into a school of higher learning, underfed and overworked. Though she would of course nibble on the food brought to her earlier by Lisanna, albeit slow and disinterested.
Eventually her legs tired, her head drooping as she read page by page of western languages, stretching from the new tongue of Alvarez to the long forgotten cultures of Alakitasia. Connections were starting to be made, new information scratched out on parchment, the message rewritten over and over again with alternate characters. Still something was missing, a piece of unrecognizable lettering that could not of come from either Fiore, Alvarez or any of the other neighboring countries.
A disgruntled noise was trapped between Levy's tightly shut lips, her eyes tired, her limbs crooked and aching in all the wrong places. She hadn't moved positions in nearly forty-five minutes, her bum planted on the worn cushions of the libraries couch, her legs trapped under a low coffee table, body hunched over in unsuitable curves. She groaned, reaching for the barely touched mug of coffee Lisanna had provided her long ago. As soon as the rim met her lips, the dark liquid flooded her mouth and an unwarranted taste made its way to the back of her throat. Levy lurched forward, her mug almost spilling as she tore it away from herself, the bland taste of cold caffeine dancing upon her tongue in stumbled choreography. The concoction woke her though, if only for a little while longer, her half lidded eyes slipping back toward the papers before her.
The library door creaked open once again, the pitter-patter of feet matching the heavy rain outside. The room was nearly dressed in pitch black now, the candle lamps flickering on their dying wax, the temperature dropping with the late hours. The open door shed more light than the ill invisible moon and candles alone, provided illumination beyond the brick walls. The footsteps edge closer, Levy not raising a brow at the dip in the couch beside her, not noticing how the old mug was replaced with a new one and yet the blanket hung over her shoulders weighed a light load.
"How is it going..?" A soft voice resounded from beside Levy, gentle hands squeezing at her knee reassuringly. Peeking up, Levy was met with Lisanna's patient eyes, her welcoming stare and caring persona. She truly was the little sister of the guild, someone with a big heart and loving attitude, a face well known and well cared for. Levy smiled back, fatigue dampening her resolve, causing bags to form under her eyes.
"I almost have this message translated. I just need a little more time and a look at that hidden meanings analogue." With that said, Levy reached out over the counter, knocked down the used mug, the lukewarm beverage spilling on the floor with Levy letting out an undignified squeak and Lisanna rushing to wipe the floor with the sleeve of her coat.
"Ah! It's fine, Levy! Just keep doing what you're doing."
Levy couldn't help the guilt that ate at her, the knowledge that Lisanna was losing sleep and doing extra chores because of her. There was little Levy could do now about it, would probably succeed in creating a bigger problem if she stepped in to help. Levy sighed, her lips pursed, fingers idly playing with the corners of the analogues sheets, wrinkling them and then smoothing the edges. If there was anything best for Levy to do, it would be to finish this job and stray from Lisanna's way.
With new found motivation, Levy puffed out her cheeks, bent over the coffee table and scribbled out each word with precise translation, every definition matching the original meanings, characters rearranged in complete sentence structure. Not a thing would be lost to Levy's eye, no translation mistaken for she was going to get this right. Coffee and sleep deprivation egged her on, had her working faster even without the gale-force reading glasses as she was spurred on by a need to satisfy those relying on her. The old woman had a wish that needed granted, Lisanna a bedtime that was well past due and herself a calling to close her eyes.
Lisanna sat back down on the couch, an arm's length away from Levy as she looked over the small girls shoulder at the work already accomplished. She took notice of all the crossed out definitions, the marked off languages, some of which she couldn't pronounce. Lisanna marveled at Levy's intelligence, her ability to do so much in such a small amount of the time and ferocity at which she worked. It was as if she left no stone unturned, every possible connection sought after and put into effort to solve. Lisanna chanced a view of Levy's face, her hair tangled from scratching at her scalp, tongue jut out to lick her pink lips or replaced by white teeth that chewed. Her skin was paler than usual, no doubt an effect of the long stressful hours studying.
A yawned escaped Levy's lips, her hand rising to cover the action, eyes crinkling. She hadn't had much more to do now, the last of her studies starting to match with the other, translations, definitions and meanings interlocking into one fluid message. Levy's eyes grew, a smile developing on her face as the pieces began to connect. Ink smeared as she brushed the pen back and forth on parchment, stains appearing on her knuckles and wrist, a clean cut note written in a language Levy could now decipher. She marked every character, circled the correct translations, opened up the leather bound book on indigenous lands and created a finished product.
"Done!" Levy cheered, her arms out stretched with the finished message in hand. What a lovely piece of work it was, holding so many simple meanings, significant moments that may have listed out the way two young hearts fell in love. Levy's cheeks dusted pink just reading it over, her brown irises deepening in understanding, swallowing up written emotion. One thing still pulled at Levy though, desire and warmth, things that she desperately needed.
Lisanna hadn't a chance to read the message before the lump of a body fell onto her shoulder, the flutter of a sheet gliding toward the ground. Blue blurred her vision, her chest pushed back as the weight continue to fall its way into her lap. Lisanna sat still, her eyes blinking as she watched Levy sleep, curled up into her lap, hand tugging at the fabric of her pants. Lisanna yet out a sigh, sweat dropping from her brow, lips wobbly in an awkward smile. Levy deserved the rest though and Lisanna truly didn't mind, her own self tired from waiting so long, checking in on Levy every so often. She pet the shorter girl's hair, combed loose strands away from her cheeks and gazed down at Levy with such content.
Soon Lisanna had dozed away to dream land herself, torso slumped over the couch, Levy's head still pillowed over Lisanna's lap. Soft snores mixed with the outdoor rain, bodies curled up to keep their selves warm and translated message laid out unceremoniously on the libraries floor.
What others believed to be abnormal, never ever was.
For our hearts wanted who are hearts wanted. No matter how blind our eyes.
We sought for each other's comfort, snuggled up in silent moments in which only we inhabited.
Our love was plain. Was never extravagant or open for all to see.
We simply were and simply are.
From my first intake of breath to my very last and far long after, you were my pen and I your notebook to be written in.
With all the dearest love, my wife, I shall see you on the other side in harmony.