Day Four - Favourites
The town of Margaret was besotted by love for that day was the day before Valentine's, and the people of the town found themselves outfitting the town with the decor that had been deemed appropriate for use by the two cousins of Lamia Scale. The townsfolk were enjoying the Spring weather, the sun high in the sky and not a breeze to be found - weather enough granted unto the folk by the Gods so that they may enjoy the fine weather. Though the Mage's at the Guild were not quite enjoying themselves as two of their own battled it out for the favourite love book that they had ever read. It happened every year, and every year Chelia and Sherry would pick a new list of books to be crowned 'the most lovey-dovey' of them all.
At the morning bell Lyon had rushed through the doors of the Gulid with a panicked look on his face, but had stopped silent when he noticed that no one else was panicking alongside him. Though that was quickly remedied when he screamed "Tomorrow is Valentine's!". There had, perhaps, been a period of seconds when no one moved a muscle, the information processing in their minds and the newer members of the Guild voiced their confusion as to why that would be a reason for his state of unrest - but the older Guild Members knew and immediately began to shift all of the items in the room towards the edges (dragging newbees along with them), until everyone was placed guardedly behind a fortification of tables.
One table was left barren in the middle of the room, and Ooba sat quietly (by herself) on the counter of the Guilds bar. The whole process took little under five minutes and when the cousins moved into the room with thunderous expressions their comrades shrank back from their walls in an effort to hide their concealment. "Drinks!" was snapped by one of the two, or perhaps by both, but a shivering newbee was thrown over the barricade to appease their wishes - and when the man fainted, Lyon was vaulted over by Jura. With a gumbled whimper Lyon trotted over to the bar and plucked glasses from Ooba, as well as bottles of wine. Sherry took the first drink from the wine, before allowing Lyon to water it down to a consistancy that would allow Chelia to drink it lightly.
"Where shall we begin?" Was asked by Chelia, the younger of the two. Really, Lyon thought, she was scary when she was calm. "Why not with the classics?" Chelia ran her finger over the spines of the "William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet." With a resounding sound, Chelia slammed the book onto the table to her right, as if daring her cousin to tell her she was wrong. "One of the greatest love stories ever told." There was pride in her voice, and she smiled lovingly up at Lyon. "Forbidden love, and attempts to do anything to get it."
"A story about a 13 and 17 year old, who end up killing six people." Sherry ran her plaqued pink fingernail over the pages of the book she caressed. "Austen's Darcy and Bennet. Her Pride and Prejudice." Sherry ran her finger over the spin, and the glasses that they had been drinking from also began to dance. "Such an epic pursuit of love, and how horrible of Wickham."
"Extraordinarily boring first proposal, and she said no the first times because she didn't like him." Chelia scoffed at her older relative, twirling a ribbon into a lock of her hair. "Love triangles. Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak." Chelia lifted a red-bound book from the two that were left and smiled at her cousin. "Lara, Yury Zhivago, and Tonya. War time love. He marries his best friend, but struggles to control his lust for a wartime nurse." Chelia had a sigh in her voice, and a breeze filtered through the doors to lilt her hair.
"He has children with three different women and then abandons them all." Sherry lifted her own book, a picture of a woman painted onto it. "Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy." Sherry slurped down a gulp of the wine as Lyon rushed to get another bottle, "Anna is bound faithfully in a marriage with Karenin but wishes desperately to love Count Vronsky. Her love becomes forbidden when Karenin refuses her a divorce!" Little hearts sparkled in the air around Sherry, and those behind the Iron Wall shook with fear. "Later Karenin let's them divorce, though he keeps their son, and Vronsky and Anna run away to Italy!"
"Yeah, and later they become deeply unhappy in their marriage." Chelia dismissed her cousins ramblings with a swipe of her hand, and her Magic ruffled the pages. "And Vronsky was her sister-in-law's suitor first. And then when she does get back there are lots of arguments, and she's really unhappy with it all." Chelia picked up her last book, a gargoyle painted to the front of it and with a loving hand stroked its cruel face. "Lastly, free choice. Victor Hugos Hunchback of Notre Dame." Chelia looked defiantly to her cousin. "My favourite." With a flourish Chelia set the book to the side and leant back. "Quasimodo and La Esmerelda; two gyspies from two sides of Paris." Chelia smirked at Lyon, and ran her fingers over his. "When La Esmerelda is charged with murder and with being a witch he swings from Notre Dame and saves her life, confessing his love. When Frollo has La Esmerelda executed despite the wishes of Sister Gudule and Quasimodo, the hunchback screams his grief and kills Frollo." Chelia leaned over the book with a blushing sigh, "Then, years later, when the tomb is opened, La Esmerelda's remains are discovered with the skeleton of the hunchback curled around her - and when they are attempted to be separated, their bones turn to dust."
"La Esmerelda was attacked by Quasimodo at the beginning and wanted to do everything to get away from him."
"But she still comes back to help him."
"She's married to Gringoire, and loves Phoebus." With a scoff Sherry ignored her cousins protests of "But only to protect him!" before waving her own copy of Wurthering Heights in the air, "Emily Brontë with her Heathcliff and Catherine. Two friends who later join in passion despite the anger of Hindley, and Catherine's infatuation with Edgar. Though, I suppose. Heathcliff's obsession with younger Catherine may be unsettling it is love after all!" Sherry looked at her cousin, a trumphant look in her eyes, "It was a disaster, but that shows the power of love."
"Technically siblings!" Was screeched into the air before the cousins began their fighting over their favourite, and the best, romance book of the year. Tables were taken from the walls, and cowering Guild Members were ignored in favour of launching the wooden structures at relatives from across the room as accusations were made.
"Lyon!" The Ice Mage froze in his steps, "You decide!"
"What's your favourite!?"