Strike an average between what a woman thinks of her husband a month before she marries him and what she thinks of him a year afterward, and you will have the truth about him.
-H.L. Mencken, A Book of Burlesques, 1916
Warning: Spoilers for Seven Nights at Clarabella's, Inner Craving, and Atonement.
…
"Attention, passengers!" a conductor announced over one of the loudspeakers in the car as he was passing through the train to collect tickets from the passengers. "Have your tickets ready!" Striding forward towards the cabins with occupants seated inside them, he knocked on each of the doors he passed by to let the passengers know he came. Opening their doors, they turned over their tickets to him as he gave thanks for said tickets. A few of them actually had train cards for multiple trips with three different kinds of subscriptions available: one for a weekly basis, another lasting a whole month long, and the last being good for an entire year. Once the timeframe for these was up after the period of service they provided, the cards were no longer good unless renewed at stations throughout the Gray Garden. Each type of card cost a certain amount proportional to the value and usage, with tickets being the cheapest to yearly train cards as more expensive. Even so, the prices were fair under the circumstances of payment each option required, so it was not all that costly for passengers regardless of how much they had to pay for a ticket or a card to ride the train.
Looking at a card handed to him by a Nephilim shopkeeper from Gray Village who was on a return trip after conducting some business with another shop in another town to verify it as legit, the conductor smiled and gave his thanks before handing it back. Performing the same process for other passengers in this car, he eventually finished with them and continued along his way into the next car. This daily responsibility was part of the routine as the demonic conductor and two others in the same occupation like him had to handle four of the passenger cars each in a train which had twelve cars in total for them. A caboose was included to store some larger luggage like items stored in crates, whereas the engine of this locomotive drove along the tracks at the head while the drivers controlled it. Two additional dining cars were added for the passengers, plus one kitchen car where chefs prepared food for the other employees and passengers. All in all, it was a pretty long train.
This wasn't the only kind of train in the Gray Garden, for in addition to the passenger trains were cargo trains which delivered heavier equipment and industrial products throughout the world. These were constructed for the purpose of carrying goods and items along trade routes, this cargo consisting of both national and international items acquired from various commercial networks. It was necessary to have them, for the cabooses on passenger trains certainly weren't big enough for storing such goods. Passenger trains would've been slowed down and would've caused accidents; not that accidents were a problem because the railways were safe and had powerful railings which were quite strong enough to prevent the trains from derailing. Even explosions weren't a problem because the engines were built with safe materials and were powered by magic instead of numerous other factors like in other locomotives in foreign worlds. Although some goods were carried in the caboose depending on how small they were, larger items were always placed onto the larger cargo trains because that was the general purpose of such trains built to handle that kind of luggage. The difference was quite evident in their construction, a critical aspect that determined this distinction.
Walking into the last car as the train was entering a tunnel, the conductor went about getting tickets and checking cards for the next several cabins. Approaching the final one, he knocked upon the door as he had done numerous times already before this one. He could hear sounds of an object being put down before the cabin's occupant—there could've also been others, but he only heard a single passenger inside—stood up and walked over to open the door. It slid to the side, showing a young angelic girl in a green and red sailor uniform with crosses on many spots of her uniform as well as a diamond pattern evident on her tights. Brown hair flowed past her shoulders down to her upper torso as bright red eyes blinked when she opened the sliding door to address him. "Yes?"
"Your ticket, please, young lady—unless you happen to have a card?" the conductor asked.
"I do have a card, here it is," the young angel responded, showing him her card which was a yearly subscription. Letting him verify it before taking it back, she then thanked him once he had seen the card and wished him a good evening before the pair went about their separate ways. While the conductor returned to his duties, the angelic girl returned to her seat in the cabin. It was a rather cozy cabin like all the others with the seat also serving as a kind of mattress with a pair of pillows in case she needed to sleep; however, the train was going to be arriving in Gray Village quite soon, so there was no need for that despite being a little tired. The seat opposite her was empty, but there only if other passengers were joining her, and the curtains had already been drawn over the window because it was getting dark out. Her stomach was growling a little, yet she could wait a little longer to get home and put her things to the side before getting dinner ready tonight. Afterwards she could then unpack her things before catching up on some school assignments she might've missed.
Placing her laptop back onto her lap with the charger plugged into an outlet so it would not run out of power, Macarona brushed locks of her hair out of her eyes as she continued to read over the notes she'd taken from one of the books she purchased in the Flower World. As she personally knew Rosaliya Phantomrose, the Flower Devil, Kcalb and Etihw had asked her to lead Grora there with Ater and Arbus so the cat demons could see what the world their parents lived in was like for them. Since Grora had been involved in the incidents regarding their parents, she went with them; the older angel felt responsible for what happened to their parents and also for her abuse of the cat demons, so this was part of her atonement to them for everything wrong she'd done to them. That was a very sweet gesture, one that was needed because Grora had already begun to redeem herself.
While the older trio were there, Macarona stayed with them and Rosaliya as part of the tour they received from the Flower Devil. They got to see a good portion of the land, and once it ended the kitties wanted to return to Skrevera for some time to stay there with Grora in tow. That village had been reconstructed to what it once was before Liliya destroyed the place in the past, the quaint little settlement being among a ruralized pasture of meadows and valleys near several forests where woodland spirits resided. There were also other nature spirits and elementals in the vicinity too as in other parts of the world—in fact, such entities were everywhere throughout the entire world.
As the trio went back there after visiting it and other parts of the Flower World, Macarona spent some more time with Rosaliya learning more about the world, its history, and culture. Some books were presented to her such as a bestiary of the demonic inhabitants, other creatures, and the spiritual beings; and a manuscript on all the various rituals the people performed on a daily basis and also for ceremonial purposes. These were just a couple of those several narratives she received from her friend, and she also witnessed a few of the pagan rites be carried out by priests, clerics, druids, and shamen. Unlike other worlds that allowed both men and women to utilize skills of the same class in the class system, the classes were more specific to each gender in the Flower World. Priests and shamen were male, whereas clerics and druids were female. The several nomadic tribes they saw in addition to urban and rural practitioners also had classes, many of whom had originated in different worlds like warriors, archers, scouts, myrmidons, and mages specializing in the Mancy system of magic depending on the regions and territorial terrains they referred to as their home.
The Flower World was such a serene world that it reminded Macarona of the Gray Garden. The only differences were the absence of angels in the former; cultural, religious, as well as social components of the Flower World which made it a pagan world of traditional values and beliefs; as well as that world's time zone being largely centered on the past. By contrast, the Gray Garden in comparison was a paradise with both angels and demons along with Nephilim; some similar social and cultural aspects with a choice of following any peaceful religion and customs so long as it did not cause any trouble or chaos; and an advanced time zone with civilizational advancements. Even so, both worlds were very much alike and different in several elements that they were both similar.
As the train neared Gray Village, she raised her arms to stretch them and yawned. Opening one of her suitcases next to check if she had everything, the young angel smiled once her eyes had finished going over the clothes she packed for the trip there and back. Moving onto another, there were some miscellaneous items and a couple books she also brought too. Included with them were the others from the Flower World, and she took out one on the foreign world's dialects for a simple look at a few of the pages before putting it back, making a mental note to continue studying it. She had managed to learn some words of one language and how they were pronounced, but she'd need to continue practicing to become more fluent. It was a challenge, but not too difficult since the girl was quite a natural when it came to other languages—perhaps being a descendent of Rigatona, her ancestor, helped too in that regard. In any case, she kept checking her things to make sure she had everything in place and was eventually satisfied knowing she still had everything which was good as she didn't want to lose anything, especially the few souvenirs from the Flower World: the books and a necklace with several small rune stones, tiny stones, and various charms on it. The necklace was a gift of friendship from Rosaliya for good luck, protection, and fortitude in tough hardships.
"Attention, passengers!" a conductor called over the loudspeaker again. "Gray Village will be our next stop! Gather your belongings before you disembark!" After hearing the reminder from him, Macarona pulled back the curtain slightly to peer out the window and gaze upon the town as the train approached. She could make out some of the buildings in the market district by now with the streetlights shining down on various spots to light the way for anybody still out at that time of night. Some stores might've been closed by now with a few others still open, and even restaurants were also staying open to cater to customers eating out for dinner. The thought of restaurants made her a bit hungrier than she already was, though Macarona elected to eat at home tonight. Although she could've simply gone out, she was slightly exhausted and preferred to head home instead.
Packing her laptop into a suitcase while collecting her stuff, she stood and stepped over to the door. Opening it, she crossed the threshold and shut it behind her before heading to a doorway on the car. Joining a demon and Nephilim who were waiting together by the same doorway, she didn't interrupt their dialogue about a fishing trip the pair had gone on since it would've been rude of her. Macarona knew some relatives in her rather large extended family liked to fish and hunt as others also worked on farms and plantations. Her family had plenty of ruralized roots with a few urbanized roots including her, so it was only natural for others to think of them as bumpkins from the rural regions. Even so, her family was quite civilized for bumpkins like everyone else alongside their rustic charms. Whatever the case might've been, Macarona was certainly proud of her family and loved them dearly just as they all loved her as well. She relied on them, and they relied on her.
Once the train came to a stop and she disembarked onto the smooth, brick platform, a deep breath of fresh air mixed with the smell of freshly baked bread from a nearby bakery that produced some delicacies even this late in the evening was the first thing Macarona took in while sauntering forward. "Ah, I'm home…" she murmured quietly to herself with a smile on her face, averting her attention to her wristwatch when she stopped briefly to change back to the Gray Garden's national time zone for this region. This world had several time zones like the other worlds, and she needed to configure her wristwatch to the correct one. Glancing over at a nearby clock hanging up outside on the platform, Macarona saw it was eight eighteen and converted the time to that since she wasn't following the Flower World's time zone anymore. In that other world, time was much different as Macarona felt younger in the Flower World than here due to the effect it had on her body. It wasn't like the Weather Season World governed by Elux and Reficul where the time was pretty much the same as this world which the young angel could easily adjust herself to. That was the matter about time in other worlds: adjusting to it could be like regulating to different time zones in one world.
At the very least she returned safely and was still in the final stages of acclimating to time here. Her body was already alright and gradually became accustomed to these changes as time was passing at a fair pace. In light of being a little tired, Macarona felt she could go to bed at a normal timeframe and wake up the next morning fully rejuvenated—or mostly refreshed for another day.
Strolling over to a set of stairs leading down towards the street, the angelic girl walked and descended them to a sidewalk. Continuing on her way, she passed by several shops including ones she frequented such as The Auburn Tulip. The lights in several of these stores were off and curtains were drawn over the windows, some still being done while the train's whistle blew in the distance behind her to indicate it was now heading out for another town or the train yard it was stored at. A couple were still open as she looked into the windows to see what was on display, and a few of the employees even waved to her. Waving back while returning them a smile with eyes shut, Macarona went about her own business as she allowed them to continue theirs. Exiting the market district as another shop closed for the night as indicated by the owner locking the door, the young angel was making her way towards the residential district when she came across one of her teachers nearby.
"Ah, Macarona, hey, what's up?" Lowrie asked amiably as he approached her, noticing her while ambling down the sidewalk with both hands in his pockets. "You're back already? I thought you were going to be away for a little while longer. How was your trip to the Flower World?"
"Good, thank you, it was really nice seeing Rosaliya again," Macarona responded, smiling at him as the two of them stopped to chat for a bit. "I could've stayed longer, though I cannot hold off on my assignments for school. That's why I had to come back, though I can go back for another visit. Were there any assignments I missed while I was away so I could catch up to other students?"
"There are a few things we've sent via mail so you can get to them. It's a good thing you've got this weekend to finish up the ones that are really necessary," the bird demon replied, reaching an arm forward to gently examine the necklace around his student's neck. "That's a nice necklace you've got there? Were there any other souvenirs you brought back from the Flower World?"
The angel nodded. "Yeah, this and some books. Why? Were you thinking I should take the stuff in to show everyone?" she inquired, thinking that was an idea her teacher was thinking of. It was a thought; perhaps she could if given permission to do so, hence why she asked about it. This was also something she had done after her trip last year to the Weather Season World as well.
"You could if you want," Lowrie remarked to answer her inquiry. "I'm sure everyone will be interested in hearing about your trip to yet another world. You sure do get around, Macarona."
"Thanks, I suppose you could say that, though I should be getting home to unpack and rest. It was a long trip back," Macarona commented as she left. "Have a good evening, Mr. Lowrie!"
He nodded and waved as she left. "Thanks, you too, Macarona! Oh, one more thing…"
"Yes?" the angelic girl asked as she turned to face him again. "What is it, Mr. Lowrie?"
"Word around town is that somebody's looking for you," the demonic teacher commented as he began to give a brief explanation about the matter to her. "I don't know who it is to be honest, but this person sure seems to know you. Some of the other students mentioned this in class today."
"Someone is on the lookout for me?" Macarona asked rhetorically. "Hm, I wonder who the individual could be…Well, I'm sure I'll find out tomorrow at best. It is a Saturday, so I could take some time to wander around town in search of whoever it is. It was nice chatting with you, sir!"
"Yep, same here! Now if you'll excuse me, I must be meeting some friends for dinner," he replied, waving goodbye again just as she waved back at him to end the conversation they had.
Turning around after separating from her teacher, the young angel shut her eyes to wonder who had been searching for her. "Someone looking for me…" Macarona murmured quietly, more to herself than anyone else in particular—a couple other residents were walking down the sidewalk too, though they didn't hear her. They may have been neighbors from around the block who might have been busy with their own affairs which was why she didn't interrupt them. Still, she found it odd there was an individual seeking her. Lowrie would've told her who it was if it was somebody she knew from around here, meaning it wasn't one of her friends from Gray Village. It also could not have been someone from her family since Lowrie had an amazing memory and had met each of her family members before when she first moved to Gray Village and also at one family reunion at her house. Pondering on this person's identity, Macarona came to the conclusion it must've been some other associate of hers, likely another friend from a foreign world. It definitely couldn't have been Rosaliya as she saw her in the Flower World, and Queen GriRea was attending to affairs as the ruler of all underworlds. Mercury was far too busy with her own work under Elux as well. That left only three other individuals: Sin, Rane, and Lil. Yet Lowrie would've told her that the former two would've been seeking her because he was originally from their world, leaving only Lil if the demonic lady managed to sneak out of the Devil's Kingdom. Either her, or somebody else entirely.
Sauntering down the sidewalk with her luggage in hand, Macarona was slowly coming up to her house at this moment when a peculiar sight caught her attention at once. When she departed for the Flower World with Grora and the cat demon twins, she left all the lights in her home off as a gesture showing she wasn't home. She even had the blinds and shutters closed too, plus she drew the curtains over each window and checked to make sure everything was off. Yet the lights in both the kitchen, living room, and a guest room from the looks of it were all on with the curtains pulled back and the shutters and blinds on each window were wide open. There was even smoke coming out of the chimney, meaning somebody had to have thrown a couple logs in to set them ablaze. An odd display suggesting she was home—earlier than expected, though she just got here today now.
There was no motive why someone was in there to make themselves at home. Macarona's friends knew where the outside key was hidden to unlock the front door in the event they required something they sought to borrow from her, and they even had permission to do so and leave a note to explain what they took and why even if the object in question was returned soon after. Some of her family members in the other towns knew her friends and could go to them for the key if they've considered going in, whereas other relatives could've called to learn about her friends and the key.
Steeling herself for something bad in case it was probably an intruder considering how the Land of the Sun was hostile to the Gray Garden during the last invasions, the young angel narrowed her eyes in determination and quietly walked over towards a flower pot near the shed on the home's left side. There was a plastic plant inside with some false dirt attached to it, its appearance making the thing look like a real plant to deceive any intruders who may have had sinister intentions rather than good purposes. Pulling the piece out to check if the key was there, her eyes widened slightly. "The key's still here?" she inquired to herself in surprise. "But then…how could anyone enter the house without it?" Rifling through her own pockets and even her suitcases to check if she still had her own house key, Macarona found she certainly did have it which eliminated the idea of someone pickpocketing her for it. Not only that, but all the windows really had been closed; they were even locked like the front and back doors. How could somebody have gotten in under those conditions?
A thought crossed her mind as she suddenly averted her attention to the chimney. That was the only access point into her house. Anyone with wings could've simply flown up. But that…was also unlikely since hardly anybody couldn't fit into it. A small child, perhaps, one who might have gotten scared inside. Yet little children might not have known a chimney could've been used to go into somebody's house. They probably didn't have much experience flying, so that removed them from the list of suspects. Maybe somebody used magic to make themselves small to get in, which was not all that hard to consider. Perhaps that was the case, and Macarona seemed to be leaning to side with that idea if nothing else came to mind. It was the only notion she could think of now, and all she needed to do was put a face and a name to the unknown individual intruding in her home.
There were two ways to go about initiating the confrontation with whoever was inside. She could've gone right in without utilizing stealth, or she could've gone for a stealthy approach. There was no telling who was inside, and Macarona was sure none of her friends or family would ponder on whether to throw a surprise party for her return. It wasn't necessary, and she also felt sure none of her otherworldly friends would've done the same or something else entirely either. There simply had to be a reason why whoever was in there stayed in there and made themselves at home without her knowledge of the individual, who he or she was, and what he or she was doing there. No matter who it was, Macarona had to confront the intruder and hurried to the front door when another idea occurred to her. Maybe it was Soa, having come back to try and eat her again…but then again, she heard Raspbel's doppelganger had become neutral—sort of, if chaotic neutral was truly neutral.
The angelic girl shook her head, shutting her eyes as she mentally prepared herself. Opting for a quiet entrance instead of just barging in, Macarona inserted the key into the lock and unlocked the front door. Carefully opening it so the thing wouldn't creak on its hinges, she could hear sounds from the television already and figured the unknown intruder had turned it on. While that might've alleviated some of the tension, Macarona still didn't know who was here. Cautiously entering, her feet hardly making any noise on the welcome mat inside, the young angel knelt down to take both mary janes off her feet to avoid making more noise. Quietly setting her luggage down by the door, she stepped forward slowly and shut it behind her as silently as she could. Turning her back to the wall, leaning upright against it, the angel sidled up to the corner and peered around it. She heard a familiar tone of voice humming in the kitchen, though she couldn't be certain of who the individual was. Continuing to sidle towards the kitchen threshold, Macarona quietly darted into it to find…
…herself blinking in surprise at the sight of the supposed intruder. "Lil?!"
Standing in front of the stove wearing a violet black dress with muted pink hair flowing all the way down to her legs was the demonic lady in question. She turned to face the angel, that facial expression of excited joy on her face not at all an indication of surprise. If anything, Lil seemed to have been expecting her because she was certainly happy to see a close friend of hers whom she'd likely known would be returning around now. Most likely she was the person searching for her as the lady's behavior likely suggested that. "Oh, hey Macarona! Welcome home! It's been a while!" Lil beamed happily, preparing some dinner for the two of them to eat—well-done steak with some mashed potatoes and a side of spinach—as a sort of welcoming party for her. Of course, it was just the two of them here since nobody else was invited. Taking a couple moments to come forward to greet her young hostess who was still very much bewildered to find an otherworldly friend at home before her, Lil seized Macarona in a hug while laughing happily. "Oh, it's so good to see you! I've missed you so much! How was your trip to yet another world, by the way?" This question was put forward after she had finished embracing the angelic girl to get some oven mittens since Lil placed something into the oven too—specifically the corn muffins she was baking for the both of them.
Macarona simply blinked, still in a state of surprised shock at finding Lil in her kitchen just when she had already arrived home. While she was grateful for the lady's hospitality—even though this was the angel's house—towards her, her bafflement outweighed her gratitude. "U-um, the trip was good, thank you," she managed to at least answer that inquiry. Her first word was stuttered as it also could've come across as a sign of nervous tension she may have been feeling, though there was no reason for her to even feel that way. Macarona was surprised, not nervous, yet she couldn't help but stutter that word anyway due to her bewilderment. Nonetheless, she was also pretty happy to see Lil too regardless of the circumstances since they were good friends. "Nice to see you too," Macarona remarked, her shock eventually receding as the kitchen phone rank while Lil went back to the stove and continued preparing dinner while the young angel went over to answer the phone.
"Ah, Macarona, could you get that?" the demonic lady asked. "I'm a bit busy right now."
"Already on it," the angel replied and picked up the phone, holding one end to her ear and the other up to her mouth so she could talk through it. "Yes, this is Macarona speaking? May I ask whose calling, please?" she inquired politely to which the caller on the other end responded to her.
"Well, well, if it isn't one of the four heroines herself," the other individual said, revealing herself to be none other than Etihw since Macarona recognized her voice. The Goddess giggled, a sign she was in a good mood—if she wasn't overworked due to escaping work on purpose. Maybe it was because she was glad for a short break from it by calling Macarona. "Hello, Macarona, who do you think it is? It's me, Etihw. How are you? Was the trip to the Flower World satisfactory?"
"It certainly was," Macarona responded, leaning against the fridge door as Lil headed into the dining room to set the table. "I had a great time with Rosaliya; it was swell seeing her again."
"Yes, I well-aware the two of you seem to be good pen pal friends," the Goddess chuckled, putting forth another question regarding Grora and the cat the demons. "How about Grora and the kitties? Did Ater and Arbus enjoy visiting the world their parents were originally from in the past?"
"They were doing well last time I saw them before they left for Skrevera. After they did it was just Rosaliya and I, so the two of us caught up on affairs in our respective worlds. Although I didn't mention our neutrally strange allies, I did speak about some other things like those previous invasions. She sends her regards and best wishes, and is glad we've survived that serious incident."
"Ah, good, and you've made it home alright?"
"Yep, I just stepped in a couple minutes ago, actually. How are you doing, Miss Etihw?"
An exasperated sigh of irritated frustration came through the connection, followed by noise of somebody purposely banging her face on the table out of annoyance. Yet Macarona even heard the sound of several small wheels at the end of a chair's legs roll back. Subsequently was the sound of feet plopping up on what may have been a desk or a table. "Swamped by work…" the Goddess growled, hissing that comment out before she must've turned her head to yell at someone. "It's all your fault, you idiots! I was having so much fun picking apples with some good friends of mine!" Her childish demeanor only made Macarona smile and giggle at Etihw's expense even though that was rude. She couldn't help it, however, even as she heard Kcalb make a logical retort back at her with an instruction to hang up and keep working. "I'm talking to Macarona, a good friend of mine! She won't make me work the overtime like you morons do!" That received another logical retort.
"Sorry if I'm keeping you from your work, Lady Etihw," Macarona apologized as Lil came back in, apparently having heard that part of the conversation since the demonic lady was laughing too with the young angel. "I've got to go now since I've got company over. I'll talk to you soon."
"Wait, don't hang up yet, Macarona, I can still afford a few minutes to talk!" Etihw replied, more in protest of duties she was procrastinating from on purpose for what might have been longer than necessarily needed for her. Still, she managed to bring up some gossip from around town that had apparently become quite a rumor or so that day. "I heard from Kcalb somebody was searching for you? Do you know who this lady is? Is she a friend of yours from somewhere, perhaps? Maybe somebody from your family? This individual's not too dangerous at all is she? Did you meet her?"
"As a matter of fact, I did, actually," Macarona replied as Lil cupped her hands around her mouth, unable to resist the temptation of shouting out a greeting to the Gray Garden's Goddess.
"HI ETIHW!"
Etihw must've blinked in surprise, slightly startled by the lady yelling as she probably just fell out of the chair. "O-oww…hey, wait, Macarona, who the hell was that screaming through just now? Is that the lady looking for you, or is it one of your other friends or someone?" she inquired.
"Just Lil," the young angel answered her inquiry with a simple answer identifying the lady.
"Lil, huh?" the Goddess responded before a sudden thought popped up in her mind because she made a realization upon hearing the demon's name. "Wait, wasn't she one of your friends from another world whom you met last year at that little get-together Sin threw at Reficul's house? The lady whom you said was married to Satanick?" Her second question came out sounding suspicious, and she was right to feel that way because of what she knew about the Gentleman Devil. Macarona knew as well, though she trusted Lil to the fullest extent whereas Etihw was careful about the lady.
"Yep, that's her, alright. She was in my house, actually, where I found her."
"At your home?" Now the Goddess was really getting worried, and she had to turn to speak with Kcalb again when he must've spoken up about the demonic lady. "She said Lil is in her house, Kcalb…No, I don't know why, I didn't ask that yet! You do realize what this means right, knowing Satanick's wife is in our world?!" It appeared she was getting agitated at the thought of somebody from another world not allied to theirs because it could've meant yet another world—mainly a hell to be specific, particularly the Devil's Kingdom—would've invaded. Although they could've held faith in Fumus to help them solve this problem if it became a lot worse than they initially thought, it was also possible this was not going to be an issue if this was a simple visit Lil was paying to be with Macarona for a short while. The young angel believed Lil wasn't going to cause trouble, and she knew she needed to try and alleviate the legitimate fears and concerns Etihw was raising during the conversation. Kcalb must've also been wondering why Satanick's wife was in their world too.
"Don't worry, Miss Etihw," Macarona attempted to assure her it was alright. "I'm positive Lil's only here to visit for a bit. I'm sure everything will be fine, just leave this to me, alright?"
"Look, Macarona, I'm okay with you meeting this woman outside of our world if she does not harm you or try anything suspicious towards our world in general," Etihw clarified that for her since she was genuinely worried about the angel and this world as a whole. Macarona understood, and she was thankful to the Goddess for caring about such matters because of the possible threats. However, Lil was a close friend of hers from another world, and she didn't want to run the risk of offending her accidently or otherwise since that could've sparked tensions between this world and the underworld Lil was from. "Though I'm not too comfortable knowing she's within our world."
"Just calm down, Miss Etihw. I don't want to turn her away since she's a good friend. Still, I do understand your concern and shall be careful if it'll please you. Not only that, but she can hear what you're saying." Saying this, she watched as Lil gave two thumbs up to show she was alright, fully aware that her presence in the Gray Garden was a sensitive matter that had to be handled very delicately. The demonic woman grinned too while shutting her eyes, so that was also a comfort.
Realizing her mistake for voicing her concerns that loudly over the phone, Etihw breathed deeply to soothe her nerves since she knew what she said could've led to conflict with the Devil's Kingdom. She didn't know Lil was totally fine with it yet, however. "Alright, very well, I trust it's something you can handle on your own. You've helped defeat Ivlis before to stop his invasion, so it may be fine as you say, especially since you're Rigatona's reincarnated descendent. If you claim she'll not be a threat, I trust you. Nonetheless, I would like for you to bring Lil to the castle at once tomorrow so I can speak with her with Kcalb and Wodahs to determine the purpose of her arrival."
Macarona nodded as Lil simply smiled. "Sure, I can do that. Lil understands the matter."
"Well, in any case you can never be too careful. Hopefully this doesn't end on a sour note. I wish you good luck until then, and I can only hope you'll be safe alone with her until she goes to the hotel if she's staying there—unless she happened to find a spot for herself in your house."
"I know, but thanks again, Miss Etihw. We'll see you tomorrow morning," Macarona said. "Have a good evening," she then added too, hanging up the phone after saying goodbye to Etihw.
"Sounds like one of your leaders is real excited to see me too," Lil remarked as the angelic girl turned back to face her after she hung up. There was not a single hint of sarcasm or malicious intent in her tone of voice, and the grin plastered on the demon's face showed she was just joking.
"It's okay, I'm sure Miss Etihw and the others will officially welcome you with open arms tomorrow," the young angel uttered with a smile of her own now that her surprise had receded. An important matter that still had to be inquired into was the matter of what Lil was even doing here—and also how she managed to get into the house without a key. Of course, Rosaliya had once stated that Lil was a vampire demon when the two of them spent a weekend in the Weather Season World at the home of Sin and Reficul. Perhaps Lil had some vampiric powers enabling her to bypass any doors, windows, or the like. Yet these notions would be addressed over dinner since Macarona felt it was time for them to eat. However, the food still needed to be dished out and she also neglected to get the mail because she'd been distracted by Lil's presence in her house. "I'm just going to run out to my mailbox to get the mail. Could you get the meal ready while I do that and return, Lil?"
The demonic woman smiled with a nod. "Yep, sure thing, Macarona!" she replied, getting right to that while her angelic hostess headed back out into the hallway and returned to the entrance. Putting her mary janes on, she strode outside for a few moments towards the mailbox. Opening it, Macarona pulled out a bunch of letters and junk mail and began to flip through it for organization. Setting the important stuff into one stack while the other pile consisted of the junk mail sorted into it, the young angel returned inside and placed them onto a hallway table by the vase on it. "Dinner's ready!" Lil called from within the dining room as Macarona removed her mary janes again before heading through the hallway to find two sets of dinnerware set out in front of two seats across from each other. "I hope you like it! I've got a lot of culinary experience from making meals like this!"
"It sure does smell good, Lil," Macarona said as she took her seat across from the demonic lady and picked up a fork and knife to cut into the steak which was covered in some gravy. Popping a piece into her mouth as a smile formed on her face, she shut her eyes and gave Lil a thumbs up of approval since she loved the taste of steak garnished by gravy and garlic. "It tastes swell too!"
"Thanks, it took me ages to get the recipe right the first time I started preparing it!" Lil said and started eating with her. "All those failed attempts and partial successes certainly paid off for a long run of this and other dishes! Believe me when I say I can make almost anything with ease!"
"I'm positive you can," the angel commented as she wanted to get to the heart of this matter by speaking with Lil. It certainly was nice to see the demon again after quite a while, so it would've been good to catch up as she'd done with Rosaliya. She remembered having offered Lil the chance to come and visit the Gray Garden before, but wanted to know what the reason was for the occasion to make for some conversation between them. "So, what brings you here, Lil? Another getaway to have fun with some of the other ladies and I?" she inquired, wondering if that was Lil's motive.
"You could say that's one, though I'm actually here for another reason. You remember me mentioning my dipshit husband, right?" the demonic lady asked, to which Macarona responded by nodding since she was taking a bite of the mashed potatoes. Still, she did recall the fact Lil must've not really liked her husband all that much. The angel heard some things about him from her, though knew they weren't very pleasant especially as Lil called him a dipshit. "Well, long story short, we had a fight. I asked him for more power and he outright blatantly denied my request immediately!"
"The two of you argued over that?" Macarona inquired rhetorically, drinking some soda as she imagined what that must've been like. Specific details of the conflict were not given additional elaboration, though she didn't need them because she could imagine how it turned out. "He refused to provide you what you sought, and in anger you left him after an intense argument. Whether this is a separation or a full divorce is unclear, but you came to me for aid and a place to stay, correct?" Her deductions were correct as Lil simply nodded, huffing in rage directed towards Satanick since he simply didn't consider her demand. However easy or hard it may have been was unclear, though Macarona knew acquiring power and keeping it must've been difficult. "Not to disagree, but power can be hard to wield effectively. He might've felt it was something he had more experience with."
"Experience with, yes, though I've got that too; I am his damn wife after all," Lil retorted, though her anger wasn't directed at Macarona which the angel could understand completely. That was why the angel allowed Lil to complain all she wanted about Satanick. "I know my way around political affairs in the Devil's Kingdom no problem, but his stance towards me receiving power?" Here she looked up at Macarona and began to speak in a haughty tone of voice and acted that way too as a means of mocking and criticizing her husband's argument. "You can't have power because you're a woman, this is a patriarchal society. Bah." Lil took a sip of her own soda to rinse down a bit of spinach. "Hell, GriRea's a Queen and she's more powerful than him since she isn't confined to or restricted by his laws because of her position. I wish I had power too so I could help improve our underworld, but no, that dipshit husband of mine tells me to piss off when I ask him politely."
"Surely there are some things you can do in your position, right, Lil?" Macarona inquired, seeking to cheer her foreign demonic friend up. "I mean, I know this might be naïve, but it cannot be all bad being the wife of a Devil. There must be at least some benefits someone like you can be reaping from the position." Her statement was true in a sense, but not entirely as she acknowledged.
"Very few actually, such as getting to know contacts in high places and wearing the stylish dresses fashionable among the upper classes. Hell, even my status itself gets me some fame around the Devil's Kingdom—somewhat, but not entirely due to the patriarchal elements of the society." She took another sip of soda, washing down mashed potatoes now. "Even other underworlds don't know of me that well. Of course, I can totally understand that because I don't travel abroad often. The only times I do are to see friends like you and get away from the restrictions burdening me."
"And the problem is because you feel you don't have enough power to exercise your rights freely," the young angel deduced, making another statement that got right to the heart of the issue.
"Exactly, Macarona, that's the issue on my mind, and also my primary reason for coming," Lil went on as they ate, having explained herself well enough so her angelic hostess could acquire some pieces of the puzzle from her and fit the rest in on her own. She smiled happily, grateful that she had a great friend like Macarona. "Thanks for cheering me up, by the way. I know what power I have is small compared to how much my dipshit husband's got, but at least it's still something."
"It certainly helps to count what blessings you have whenever you feel a need to dream of more and wish for it to become a reality by putting in the effort to try," Macarona added, happy to have been of help to the demon. "You're also very welcome, and I'll be happy to let you stay here for however long you feel is necessary and needed to think of a solution to solve this problem."
"Thanks, I've already located a guest room for myself and I've already finished unpacking before," the demonic lady commented while taking a bite out of a corn muffin. "You're the best!"
Macarona giggled. "I sure do get that a lot from my friends."
"You deserve it because you're such a guardian angel, Macarona," Lil complimented her.
"That too," the angel smiled, the remark also being quite true since others did say that about her like Lil said. It made her feel needed which she was thankful for because she loved to help out whenever she could. The thought of feeling special was there too, but Macarona was very humble when it came to notions of that sort. She might have been the reincarnated descendent of Rigatona and had helped stop an invasion the Flame Devil had undertaken into the Gray Garden, though she preferred to be a normal girl even if she did also associate with individuals of upper classes in the other worlds she knew of. Essentially those three aspects made her special and unique, but she was always preferring a more modest perspective of herself. Still, it was nice to be appreciated and also acknowledged for her deeds and efforts too which made her stand out to be remembered. Not that she really made that a big part of her life in light of realizing the thought and accepting it as a part of who she was. Macarona took in another whiff of the meal to clear her mind of such matters. She was mentally fussing over this, so she decided to occupy herself with another question for Lil. "So, how were you able to get in here in the first place? The key I've hidden outside was still where I'd left it." Macarona didn't mind informing the demon about that since they were very good friends.
"There was a key?" the lady inquired rhetorically, though shrugged it off because it wasn't a major concern to her. "Oh, well I wouldn't have needed it anyway. I've got vampiric powers for that, having some at my disposal such as turning into mist and bats. Pure vampires have more skills and abilities than I do, though I possess other traits they don't which gives me certain advantages."
"Like what for example?" Macarona asked, taking a keen interest in this topic.
"I can turn into bats and mist faster for instance. However, I can't become a giant bat pure vampires could turn into as well—the same goes for becoming a wolf even if I may act like one at times," Lil explained, going over the subject of hybrid demons as a lecture to give the young angel with a specific example of something. "It's all part of a job description that hybrids follow, a very general job description if you're already aware of them and what they could potentially do."
"I know of hybrid demons and Nephilim, a lot of both whom I know and are related to. It's a topic I'm familiar with, yes, though are there any other benefits in your case, Lil?"
"I get to enjoy the rays of the sun without burning!" Lil smiled happily, liking that benefit. "I suppose you also know that pure vampires can't handle being out in daylight amongst any other weaknesses in general and depending on the specific type one's dealing with. I suppose you might say I'm like a Dhampir, vamps who've been born from the union between a human and a vampire; however, one of my parents was a demon so I'm not a Dhampir at all even if I'm similar to one."
"Indeed, there are plenty of benefits hybrids can enjoy that pure beings cannot," Macarona stated the truth to that, the reiteration serving to cement this fact as what it was. Seeking to discuss another topic now that she figured out why Lil was here and how she entered the house regardless of whether she needed a key or not, the young angel put forth an inquiry pertaining to their fellow associates in the demon's Network of Peers. "What about the other ladies we know? Will they also come over at some point to provide you with any additional support you require to solve the issue?"
"Nope, I tried them all; they're all far too busy with their own affairs to tend to mine."
"What do you mean? I'm sure they'd come help you."
"They would most definitely come in a flash—or as soon as they can mosey on to me," Lil commented with a shrug, not minding their pace so long as they came to help her. "Her Majesty's opinion of me is not very high even though one of my aims is to change that; she believes I should simply know my place and stay put in it. Kind of rude if you ask me whether she's in my network or not, so I can't really rely on her. I know Killie was supposed to join us at the last gathering, but her son fell sick with the flu and she had to stay back—you haven't met her yet, but I'll introduce you the next time she comes. She's a harpy, the wife of the vampiric count, Yatsuzaki, and is also the mother of Killisaki, the sole heir to his father's entire fortune and estate if Yatsuzaki passes. It would be difficult getting Mercury too, what with her own problems and responsibilities for Elux. I've even tried getting through to Sin and Rane, but they're both currently touring the underworlds together for their job as they're searching for more products they can buy, sell, trade, and whatnot; Refi would likely refuse me unless Sin says it's okay, but I know she's too busy with work to even entertain me. I've even tried our cute little friend, Rosaliya, though she was entertaining others as I found out when Hanahata informed me of said guests in her domain for the time being then."
"Oh, I believe she must've been referring to me and some associates of mine over from the castle," Macarona clarified the last detail. "I went to the Flower World and introduced them to her and they stayed behind for a while as two of them had parents who used to live there in the past."
"Well, that explains why she was busy, though she'll probably continue to occupy herself, finding other tasks that need tending to in her world. Hanahata confirmed as much after my call to Rosaliya was bounced over to her," Lil murmured aloud to comment on that. Considering the fact she already met the Flower Witch when she went to the Flower World, Macarona didn't need any further elaboration on who she was. Yet the demonic lady elaborated on another detail she uttered instead. "Killie pretty much said the same thing everyone else did, but more to do with her family since she's helping them with their own affairs." With a sigh as they finished eating, Lil leaned an arm on the back of her chair and shut her eyes. "Everyone's busy these days, it seems, Macarona," she said somberly, saddened by how little support she had in her own problems. "You've been my last resort mainly because I don't have your number. Although I do understand your reason behind that and accept it, I'd still love to add yours so I can confirm if you'll be available or not. This was a pleasant surprise for us both, though I was really worried you wouldn't have had time for me too like the others. My only option was to come right over after sneaking out of the Devil's Kingdom, and I had no way of knowing you could've been available until I heard you were returning today."
Macarona frowned as she listened to the issues Lil was dealing with, feeling how sad she'd been because of how lonely the poor lady must've been in this crisis of hers. Lil was usually quite upbeat and happy, though now she seemed defeated. Macarona knew she was Lil's only hope right now if everyone else was preoccupied with other business of theirs. The demon came to her since she wanted aid, and it felt wrong to turn her away after she'd come so far and checked with others to see if they could also help accommodate her. That was why Macarona made the decision to aid her. "I can make time for you, Lil; you're welcome to join my friends and I in our endeavors. I've got to handle assignments for school just like they do, but you can certainly hang out with us when you want to when we're free. Plus you're welcome to stay for as long as you need to as I've said." Her words brought Lil comfort as the demon beamed happily, leaping from her seat to head around the table so she could embrace Macarona in a hug as a gesture of thanks for the support the young angel was providing. Macarona was always willing to help anyone in need, and she would give Lil all the support the demon needed in order to help Lil overcome these serious problems in her life.
"Thank you so much, Macarona! You really are a guardian angel! Lil replied gratefully as she was so happy to have finally secured the aid she desperately needed. "This is going to be fun!"
"It certainly will," the angelic girl remarked. "I'll introduce you to my friends tomorrow as we show you around Gray Village and Blancblack Castle while you're with us. You'll enjoy that."
"I already am, my angelic friend, I already am!"
This really would be an enjoyably fun experience having Lil over as it was already a blast.
…
And so begins another chapter fanfic for the Gray Garden! I thought about uploading this to the site on New Year's Day, but I figured I'd go ahead and just publish it as it is done. There will still be more to the story, though the first chapter is going to be the final thing that goes up in 2015 with the rest being worked on in 2016. I wish you all a Happy New Year!
With regards to the quote mentioned at the top, I found it on the Quote Garden when I was looking up some quotes related to marriage that could probably be implemented. This one was the best I found because I feel it may describe Lil's perspective of her husband from a non-canon standpoint. Allow me to explain my interpretation of this quote: before a woman marries someone, she may have an impression of who the suitor is and what he's like. It may be a positive, neutral, or negative impression based on what came across to her in a bond the two of them shared prior to marriage. After they're married, the woman's perspective might change, or it may just stay the same somewhat if not entirely. Regarding the average, any of the impressions and feelings she may have felt in addition to any thoughts could be combined with the same aspects after being married to form a conclusion based on both. However, the possibility of this being a comparison and contrast is still valid because things might change, both before and after the marriage which might lead to similarities and differences. It could also be said about men as well regarding the flipside of this concept. I could be wrong, but it's my interpretation as I said and it's why I think it may fit Lil's opinion of her marriage to Satanick from a non-canon perspective. If you have any thoughts on this, please feel free to share them too if you're interested in this idea and wish to discuss it with your opinions.
I've also given the world governed by Reficul and Elux a non-canon name as well.
Anyway, once again I'd like to wish you, the readers of my stories, a Happy New Year!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Gray Garden; it's owned by Mogeko.
Edit: Due to a similarity in what could be a few principals of this story, I'd like to also add that this was an idea I'd been wanting to do for quite a long while ever since I first began to write up ideas for Gray Garden and Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea fanfics. I forgot to mention this at first because it hadn't occurred to me at the time, but there are a few things in this story that might be seen as similar to bookwormgirl69's fanfic, In Between White and Black. I don't know when bookwormgirl69 thought about writing that story, as I only know that I've been planning An Otherworldly Marital Dispute for around a year or so now. I know bookwormgirl69 probably didn't get the idea from me because In Between White and Black was likely published before I thought about putting up a list of my ideas, so bookwormgirl69 might not have been aware of this story because the idea hadn't been posted in forums along with my profile page. I do apologize for forgetting about this since this could come across as me plagiarizing a few aspects from bookwormgirl69, though I assure you this isn't the case.
