hiya guys sorry I haven't updated as quickly as I normally do...yeah. here's chapter 6
omg I couldn't resist calling this chapter The Gryffindor Room XD
okay Mabel is a bit hard to understand but her accent is, like, Scottish or irish or something... think of Hagrid...
anyway, plz enjoy and plz review!
Chapter 6
"Uuugh." Erza groaned and muttered to herself as she regained consciousness. Her head was swimming and throbbing like someone was whacking away at it with a hammer.
Red was all she could see. Almost a mahogany color but with a little more of an orangey tone to it. As her eyes began to focus, she realized it was the paint on the walls that she was seeing. Further observation allowed that she was in a queen-sized, four-poster bed with a gold and red color scheme – the duvet was gold, the ceiling and floor were a goldish-cream color, as was the adjoined bathroom. The walls were red, and there were several pieces of mahogany furniture, including the bed frame.
After a few minutes of lying and trying to figure out just what was going on, a rosy-cheeked, grey-haired woman entered the room, her minimal height only serving to further accentuate her 'apple-shape' to put it nicely. Erza immediately deemed her as a motherly figure, but knew better than to make judgments based on looks. She didn't trust this woman any more than she'd trust the whore or the informative they'd met in the pub.
Erza narrowed her eyes to slits and deepened her breathing as if she was still asleep. The plump woman shot her a stern look.
"Up-up now, lassie. That sort of tom-foolery won't escape old Mabel Maloney, no siree. A lifetime o' five young-un's o' my own, I know that pretense sleepin' when I sees it, aye."
Reluctantly, Erza sat up in the bed, surprised at the woman's observation skills. Though if she could be caught out by an old lady, then maybe it was Erza's skills that needed attention. Hmm, maybe she should add fake-sleeping to her troops' training sessions. Realizing it would make her look unfathomably stupid, Erza trashed that idea.
"Here, now. I've brought yeh some hot tea to drink. A good pot o' herbal tea never did anyone wrong, I allays say. If yeh can get it, yeh can drink it. Why, tain't blood runs in my old veins, nay. T'is herb tea right so."
She handed Erza a steaming cup. In contrast with the lavishness of the room – mahogany was expensive – the teacup was dingy and chipped on the lip, the glaze half gone. Erza didn't drink the contents – she still didn't trust this woman, but instead held the cup in her lap.
"Are you Porlyusica?" was the first question that came to her head. The woman frowned thoughtfully.
"Ah, no. I'd be Mabel Maloney, at 'cher service." She smiled brightly. "Porlyusica, Porlyusica." She muttered, tapping her foot, "Now where've I heard that name b'fore?" she paused for a moment. Then, "Ah yes, t'was that blue-haired lad with the funny mark so it was. Brought yeh here after dark last nigh', poor lit'l biddies yeh were, stragglin' tru Main Street. And I says to myself, says I, "Now, what's old Mabel to do but to take these lit'l 'uns in. They ain't got nowheres to go and I've got meself a nice two guest bedrooms. What's old Mabel to do but give 'em a meal and a sleep, eh?"
"Did he um, tell you his name?" Erza asked, caught a little off-guard by Mabel's description.
"Aye." She nodded solemnly. "He's…ehm, what was it again? Oh, yes, Niall! And you are Marian. Righ'?"
"Ehrm…yes. Marian. That's right. Marian Vix." Erza stammered. At least Mystogan had had enough sense not to give their real names. God only knew what that man would do on his own.
Mabel frowned. "I thought he said yer last name was Slumdoggy somthin' or other."
That bastard!
"No it's Vix." She corrected firmly. "Marian Vix."
"Well then, Marian Vix, I've –"
"How long have I been asleep?" Erza asked abruptly, cutting her off.
"Well," Mabel answered, "Ye got here last nigh' around, say five of ten, and now it's maybe…eh, four in the afternoon give 'r take."
"You let me sleep till four?!" Erza hissed, already throwing the covers back. Her tone might've been a bit too severe, for Mabel stepped back a pace. Then she seemed to remember that she'd raised five children of her own and her face took on a stern expression.
"No, no, no, back into bed wi' yeh. Yer not to be up gallopin' around now. Give yerself time to wake up, dear."
"All I needed was a good rest, Mrs. Maloney, I should –" It was Erza's turn to be interrupted this time.
"It's just Miss."
"I'm sorry?" Erza asked.
"Miss
Maloney, not Mrs." Mabel clarified.
"But you said that you had five children…" Erza protested. Mabel just winked.
"Who's to say old Mabel wasn't a bit o' a scandal in her day, eh?"
Erza opened her mouth, then closed it again. She kind of looked at Mabel for a moment before sitting back down on the bed.
"And speakin' o' those sortsa things," the old lady continued, "Yeh've got yerself a nice lad so you have."
"Wha…you mean Myst – Niall?" Erza asked disbelievingly. Then, "Oh, no, we're not – I don't – I mean it's not…like that."
"We're not I don't I mean," Mabel echoed, shaking her head, "Love is blind, dearie. Love is blind."
Weakly, Erza took a sip from the chipped cup. She must not be feeling herself today, as she couldn't come up with a snappy comeback to that one.
Pleased with herself, Mabel hobbled out of the room on her old lady legs. "I'll draw yeh a bath, dear, and I'll come getcha when it's ready."
Erza sighed just a little as she sunk down into the depths of the bathtub. It was one of those ancient ones that was like three feet deep, and the water in it was warm, contrary to her ice bath the previous morning. This bathtub happened to be in the bathroom that was adjourned to the red and gold room. Mabel had explained that she had inherited the house from her grandfather, and she had modernized everything save the red and gold room, which had been his favorite.
Thoughts of Mabel brought her to thoughts of Mystogan as Erza leaned back and stared at the ceiling.
Mystogan. Erza found herself making a mental list in her head.
Cons: He was a prince, he was arrogant (sometimes), he had that awful smirk, and he knew virtually nothing about living on the streets, and he was a sexist pig.
Pros: He was a prince, he was kind, he was handsome, he was not arrogant (sometimes), he was good with a machete, he cared about personal hygiene, he would carry and unconscious girl after she collapsed, he would lend a girl a cloak at his own expense, he would listen to a girl's ridiculous fantasies about fireflies, and maybe that smirk wasn't so bad after all...
Erza slowly came to the realization that there were several more pros than cons on the list. That put her in a bad mood.
See, he's not so bad. That little voice in her head said smugly. Erza glared.
"God I hate that man." She announced to the bathroom, as if saying it aloud would make it right.
"Talking to yourself, Marian?" Mystogan's amused voice floated from the other side of the closed door. What was he doing? Sitting out there waiting for her to come out of the bath?
God I hate that man.
Okay so I lied, no porlyusica, no happy. next chapter maybe? idk...
~ice-chan
p.s. don't kill snakes.
p.p.s. okay do if they're about to kill you...
