It was a rainy day in Floralia.
There were already small puddles of water beginning to form, just from the first gentle shower. As time went on, the dreary weather seemed to worsen. Clouds were bunching together; it was almost as if Kracko was floating around somewhere in the distance. Usually, the skies were clear and blue. It was dark and gloomy from the clouds blocking away the sun from Floralia.
Thunder roared through the land. Everyone was home, or at least, inside a safe and warm shelter with some candlelight.
In the library, it was pitch black. All of the lamps were shut off to prevent the thunder from causing damage. The maroon curtains were spread out to view through the glass window. Inside it was cold; the only heat source being the small flickering candles. It felt relaxing to look out the window, blurry with running water against the surface outside. The thunder wouldn't rest.
Sectonia brought a blanket over with her, which was rather unusual since she only brought along one or two books she borrows and brings back. She didn't want her books to get ruined, so she just brought an umbrella and a blanket. Her blue umbrella was on a rack, drying off the moisture. Meanwhile, she sat near the window and watched the stormy sky by herself.
Pulling the thick cotton blanket over her head, she wrapped its entirety around her body and shivered. The rain really left an impression and especially chilly nights after it was finished with its display. Her hair was a bit damp from being caught up in it for a few minutes. She was waiting for Taranza to arrive, but he never arrived.
Her silver eyes gazed drowsily through the window. Her vision was blurred and distorted droplets running down the window.
"I sure do hope that he has an umbrella with him…"
By the time Taranza was done grabbing Sectonia's birthday present, he had been caught in the worst part of the storm.
Wind was spinning wildly around him, making his usually neat hair become an absolute mess. The spider boy held onto his coat to prevent it from flying off of his shoulders. Rain completely drenched him. He was close to making it to the library just as he promised to Sectonia before the storm.
He paced a little faster, making it underneath the roof of the library. His white hair was covered in water and it was an uncomfortable and unpleasant feeling. Taranza knew he didn't look the best now, but today was a special day. He couldn't just run away from Sectonia just because he was too embarrassed to express his gratitude towards her. That would give him the horrible impression of being a coward! He absolutely had to make a good impression no matter what.
Breathing in and out, Taranza wrapped his hand around the door handle and pulled it open.
It was much warmer in the interiors of the library considering the rain and the wind causing chaos outside. However, it was considerably dark and the only thing lighting up the entrance and some hallways were candles. He wandered around for a few minutes, not knowing where exactly he was going because of how dark it was inside. He looked in between bookshelves just in case Sectonia was in one of them.
He felt his heart sink, believing for a second that she didn't actually come over today. It did make sense; it was raining a lot outside…
As he made his way around the library, he found the counter that he usually was working in. Underneath the surface of the counter, he had an emergency candle lamp that he used during these type of situations. They weren't often though.
Taranza found a box of matches lying right next to it, and grabbed it. He lit the match and finally with the candle lamp, he could see what was in front of him now.
"Sectonia…? A-Are you there?" he called out into the silence. His voice wasn't very loud though.
He hesitantly walked to the other side of the library, noticing a small figure underneath some fabric. Taranza suddenly tensed up.
"Is that you?" he asked, unsure as he stepped closer.
He pulled away the blanket to reveal Sectonia asleep, her figure shivering without the blanket. She looked so serene and peaceful to Taranza. Her breathing was a slow rhythm. He placed the candle lamp onto the table near the slightly foggy window.
Taranza's face almost became as red as his scarf when he realized what he was doing. He was staring intensely at Sectonia while she slept.
Startled, his sudden movements had awakened Sectonia. She yawned and looked up at Taranza in confusion. Her drowsy nature made her more gentle and kind, though Taranza thought she was always kind to him.
She took the blanket into her hands, and wrapped it around Taranza's neck to pull him uncomfortably close to her face. This action made Taranza gasp in shock, nearly falling on top of her.
"...You didn't have an umbrella, didn't you?" she commented, using the blanket as a towel to dry off his snowy white hair. "It must have been freezing. You should warm up, Taranza."
"Of c-course!" he stuttered, noticing their faces becoming even more close as she rubbed the back of his head with the blanket.
After that (embarrassing) scene, Taranza's eyes wandered to the window. It was still raining, but it had quieted down. There was no more thunder, and it seemed more calm outside. The window was no longer fogged up and wet.
"Let's share the blanket, Taranza."
"O-Okay…"
The large blanket fit perfectly between the two spiders, keeping them huddled close together. Taranza's blush still didn't go away, noticing Sectonia almost falling asleep onto his shoulder. She was still tired, and the rain only seemed to increase her sleepy behavior. Taranza felt extremely calm and felt his heart warm up. He felt as if he was in a floaty dream. Taranza felt his body stiffen up as she sat closer to him, and even found one of his hands to interlace with her own hands.
The drip drop of the rain still continued on. The white haired spider smiled to himself as he trembled a bit with excitement, holding Sectonia's hand with a firm but gentle grip. His heart was beating so fast, and he felt as if his face was radiating with heat.
She had already fallen fast asleep on his shoulder.
"I did... what?!"
Taranza smirked almost, and he couldn't help it. The memory was now permanently stuck in his mind, and he could replay it whenever he wished.
"You fell asleep on me. After you woke up, you even told me that you waited for me to meet you here. Also, you held my hand and we were under a blanket for a couple of hours."
Her cheeks bloomed into a shameful blush.
"W-Well, I was tired and it was awfully cold even inside the building! You would've said the same, I bet!" she pouted.
He chuckled, watching her become a flustered mess.
"Oh, isn't today your birthday? I got you a present but… you were sleeping for quite a while."
Sectonia blinked and was caught off guard. "Oh, you're right. I don't know how i could've forgotten my own birthday. I guess it's just because I don't really… celebrate it. I'm kind of surprised… you even bothered to get me a gift."
Taranza looked confused. Her expression quickly went from thoughtful, to almost upset by this.
He felt an awkward, forced atmosphere suddenly make its appearance. He couldn't lose to something like awkward silence.
"I have your gift with me right now."
He reached into one of his pockets, rummaging through them for a moment to pull out a small floating hand mirror. It was completely golden, and looked brand new. It sparkled under the lights (since it was safe to turn the lights back on). On the very top of it, sat a crown. The sides had tiny golden wings.
"I used magic to shrink it, since it's a large present… I found it stuck and buried in some clouds."
With a flick of his wrist, the hand mirror suddenly doubled in size. It was way bigger than both of them, and it towered over their figures. Taranza let her admire her gift, beaming with overwhelming pride.
He watched her admire herself in the mirror.
Sectonia saw a rather short girl in the mirror. Her white hair was neatly styled, and yellow horns that turned orange at the tips were at the sides of her head. Up close, she could see her thick eyelashes. A red scarf similar to Taranza's was wrapped around her neck. Her outfit was just like his, but most of it consisted of a shade of purple. The only reflections of herself that she had seen were just glances from a window, or on the surface of the library that had shiny tiles for its flooring. Seeing herself up close and personal felt odd, but very satisfying. It felt like a breath of fresh air.
Something about the mirror pulled her in. It was almost as if there was some type of force attracting her attention. For a moment, she couldn't take her eyes off of her own reflection. It was almost if it was hypnotizing her, even.
"Sectonia, I want you to be happy and satisfied with your looks. Hopefully this mirror will encourage you to feel better!" Taranza noted. If she couldn't see how beautiful she was, Taranza believed that he should absolutely prove her wrong about her questionable attitude towards herself.
She turned to Taranza and smiled. Her eyes felt watery and felt drops of tears fall to the ground.
"Thank you… You have a big heart, you know. Nobody has been so kind to me and always has been my friend…"
Sectonia covered her face in embarrassment and tears. She was crying from happiness.
"H-Hey… Don't cry now…" Taranza replied, stepping forward to pull her hands away from her face gently.
She laughed through her crying and hugged Taranza tightly.
"I'll always keep it from now on!"
I'm sorry for suddenly not updating for a really long time! Writing is actually really difficult for me, and I often worry if anyone will even like my work... Same thing with art. Sigh.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter though! My other fanfic should be updated soon! (I update chapters back and forth between fanfics I hope that doesn't bother anyone lmao)