Two weeks later…
"I LOVED Lugdunum*!" Obelix mused, rubbing his stomoach. The trees were starting to look familiar, and their chatting had died away as they neared their village. But at his remark, Asterix looked up at him.
"Yes, great city!" Asterix confirmed, smiling. They had taken their sweet time with the town. The romans had become very interested in their journey, and had tried to find out the purpose behind it. The very first one who asked, Asterix had told they were testing out ingredients for another ragout, since Caesars laurels hadn't been as tasty as they'd hoped.* Of course the romans had attacked, as had the patrols after them. Obelix had been delighted. Fight a roman patrol, supper. Fight a roman patrol, dinner. Rinse and repeat. The best part was that the romans had finished by accepting Asterix' joke for thruth. Obelix gave him an approving look.
"You've definitely recovered those lost pounds," he told Asterix. "Maybe even gained a few. You might have to lend me a boar or two during the banquet tonight."
Asterix rolled his eyes. But it was true. They had had a good week of messing with roman patrols just for the fun of it, and since they were only doing it to distract them from their true purpose, he had had no plans to make, he had enjoyed their gastronomic discoveries with an enthusiasm that levelled Obelix' own. It was not like he had been skin and bones before they left, his mom had made sure of that. In fact, it was surprising Obelix could see the difference. He really kept close watch over him, though apart from the moment when Tulius had woken up, Obelix had never strayed from his child-like airy enthusiasm druing their trip. It made Asterix wonder….
"I wonder if Phyllis will be at the village," he started.
"Why wouldn't she be?" Obelix said, a hand above his eyes to peer around for boar in the bushes. "I do hope Dogmatix will not stay at home with Goliath everytime we go on adventures, I missed him."
It sounded so careless, but it meant so much. Goliath would not be there to keep Dogmatix company if Phyllis wasn't around. Obelix counted on her to stay for a very long time.
"It really wouldn't bother you?" Asterix asked him. "If she stayed?"
Obelix shrugged. "If we still can go out like this…..to tell you the truth, I barely notice you and her are together. I had this idea it would change a lot…."
"That's because we aren't." Asterix said. As unexperienced as he was, he believed he would have realized it if he was in a relationship.
Obelix looked genuinely surprised. "Why not?"
"Believe it or not, but I also have this idea it will change a lot. And besides, I don't even know if Phyllis wants to be together with me. She likes her freedom. And we argue a lot."
Obelix shrugged again. "We argue a lot too."
It was true. Obelix didn't feel it as a bad sign, and between them, it wasn't. For them. But Asterix knew there was a big difference between their bickering and the insecurity-fueled miscommunications between him and Phyllis. It had changed when she had first kissed him. Before, their arguments had been fiercer, but they had hurt less.
"I just never know what she's thinking," Asterix said. He felt his nerves rise as he thought about seeing her again, and he knew they would work against him.
Obelix looked down at him. Asterix was biting his lower lip in frustration. Suddenly he remembered something.
"She thinks your still mad," he provided. Asterix raised his eyebrow. "About what?" he asked, wondering how Obelix even got that information.
Obelix shook his head, making his braids sway around his face. "I didn't get it in the first place, remember."
Asterix remembered. Obelix wasn't going to be a big help.
"She took it quite serious though. You never would have gotten that goodbye kiss if I hadn't helped," his large friend continued, a little smug. He poked Asterix, knocking him off the road in the process.
Asterix wasn't going to ask. He was dying to know what else they had apparently talked about, but at the same time he wasn't sure he wanted to hear it at all. They were nearly at the village anyway.
…
"They're back, they're back, they're back!" Cacofonix' sprinted down the loose wooden stairs of his treehouse, agile like a squirrel. Of course, he did the trip several times a day, but it still looked a bit dangerous. Phyllis had opened the door of Getafix' hut as she heard his schrill voice, and noticed that the other villagers were also streaming out of their huts, flocking together in the middle of the village and chatting happily. It was early afternoon, and it was a bright but chilly day. The days were getting shorter as well. Winter was coming soon.
"Is it always like this?" she inquired, as Getafix followed to stand in the doorway next to her.
"Pretty much….though Cacofonix is extra enthusiastic since he sees an opportunity to sing"
"And he never gets the chance?" Phyllis knew that Cacofonix' singing was atrocious, but she still found it a bit sad. He COULD play his instruments. It was only his voice that was terrible.
"A few times a year, we put parsley in our ears and let him sing."
Phyllis snickered. Getafix looked sidewards at her. Her black was hair fastened in one loose braid, revealing her face, and she wore a creation of Impedimenta: a simple light green sleeveless dress. It had a typical gaul design, but the borders on the top and the end of the skirt were black instead of white. Impedimenta has also sewed her a top in the same design, to go with her riding pants, but it would take quite a while before she could try that combination out. Riding was strictly forbidden at the moment, and she wasn't even allowed to walk for more than the distances specified by Getafix. Phyllis had followed his guidelines with an obedience that he had rarely seen from her in the past. Now she gave him a pleading look.
"You can go," he told her knowing that she had already been out for quite a while this morning. She should rest, but he didn't have the heart to tell her. Besides, It would alarm Asterix that something was going on before they could even talk to him. He grabbed her shoulder. "Walking will do, no running!"
Phyllis gave him an indignant look. "I wasn't going to run, I have some self respect." But in all honesty, her pace would have been a lot faster than the leisurely stroll that Getafix initiated towards the village gates. Phyllis was a bit anxious. They had been gone for quite a while. At first, she had been glad, because her helpless state was NOT something she wanted to share with them. Especially with Asterix, who she didn't want to parent over her. By now however, she was a little worried something had gone wrong. They ended up at the rear of the village crowd, but Getafix carefully steered her through the other villagers, guiding her to a position next to Vitalstatistix and Impedimenta, who beamed at her. She was happy to see Phyllis up and about. Getafix let go of her as he could see Asterix and Obelix walk up to the gates.
…..
Asterix saw his own apprehensive feelings mirrored in Phyllis' fine face as they approached the village gates. But she smiled. She looked more nervous than anxious, and it was a feeling that he quickly adopted. Nothing had burnt down in their absence.
Phyllis walked towards them as soon as they crossed the gates, and Obelix grinned at her. He extended his arm to give her a friendly shove.
"OBELIX! NO!"
Getafix saw the entire village around him jump at his outburst, retreating from him as if they were the ones being reprimanded. Asterix stared at him with eyes wide as saucers, and Obelix looked positively mortified, his hand stuck in the air inches from Phyllis right shoulder. Who had taken a quick step back to avoid it. Getafix hurried up to her. He took her left shoulder and pulled her back a bit in a protective gesture. He sighed as he noticed that Asterix frowned deeply at his action.
"What's wrong?" Asterix asked.
He glanced at Getafix' hand, concluding that touching Phyllis was not dangerous. So Obelix' poke had to be dangerous for HER. But while Obelix sometimes forgot to be careful with doors, he never forgot to be careful with his friends. Although he held back a bit less on Phyllis, considering her powers…..which had to be failing her, he concluded. It still did not seem to cover for Getafix' alarmed tone.
Phyllis could see Asterix working out his own answer, and she wondered if it was worse or better than what she would be telling him later. She glanced at Getafix, who nodded. "You can go. But no touching!"
He waved his finger at Obelix to emphasize what he meant, and when he turned to Asterix, he realized it sounded completely ridiculous. It didn't matter. The little gaul wasn't looking at him.
"Let's go outside for a bit," Phyllis told them, making Vitalstatistix huff.
"USUALLY, there is a report when our warriors return from an adventure."
Asterix rolled his eyes. "We went to Lugdunum, dropped Tulius off and had some roast boar. The end."
He guided Phyllis outside, holding her shoulder so lightly she could barely feel it. Obelix looked a bit doubtful, until she beckoned him to follow. He did, but he kept his distance. He knew something had to be very wrong. Getafix rarely ever sounded like this. The last time Obelix remembered their druid panicking like this, he had been at the bottom of an empty cauldron ot magic potion.
They settled in the dunes, accompanied by a strong fall wind that made the waves rise and the haulms sway. By the time they had walked the short distance, and had sat down, Phyllis'careful movements had become painfully obvious.
"You're ill," Asterix stated. He felt his heart race.
She nodded. "I have been for a while. For quite a long time I guess. It took me months to recover after Mesmerons' attack, but I felt it was normal given how much power I had given to fight him. Turns out, it isn't. It is eating away my own energy. And since I don't fuel my energy with that of others anymore, it was well on its way to becoming fatal to me." She wished Asterix would look at her with the simple worry she got from Obelix. It was far harder to read what Asterix tought. But she had a pretty good idea.
"I didn't know," she continued quickly, not giving him a chance to cut in. "I knew I was tired, but…I was so scared about losing you, and then when Tulius arrived here and I realized you never would have even met Valerius if it wasn't for me…of course I felt horrible. I didn't realize it was more than that."
Her words knocked away the anger he had felt about being left out once again. Because he HAD known about all that. He had tried to talk it out of her head, but he hadn't fully succeeded, and he didn't honestly expect to.
"What do you mean, fuel your energy?" he asked.
"When I fight, when I am stronger than I normally am, I can focus my own energy to achieve that, but it is very tiring, and in the long term, pretty dangerous, apparently. But I can also take energy from others. It just has side-effects. I get all their happy thoughts as well…." Asterix nodded, he had understood that much already. He hadn't known about the energy however.
"You dropped Mesmeron's staff…." He said slowly. That had no doubt contained lots of energy.
"I've never used any other power than my own after that fight, and it left completely drained me of what I still had stored," she completed.
Asterix stood up shaking his head, going over all the moments she had used her powers after that.
"You healed me after looking after Profondus and you were already exhausted," he remembered. He had been jealous, and it had led her into depleting her energy even further. He felt terribly guilty, and at the same time, he was fuming that she had allowed him to make that mistake. He tought back on the fight with Mesmeron.
"And months to recover! We thought you had a COLD! You healed me after fighting Mesmeron! You used energy just to give me happy dreams." He almost spat it at her, so angry in his concern that it startled him to see both Obelix and Phyllis flinch. When she didn't stand up, it somehow angered him even more, because it emphasized just how bad a state she was in and he felt his stomach sink as he wondered what it meant.
Phyllis took a deep breath, shaking a bit. "I LOVE you! Off course I did all I could! Besides, don't berate me for the dreams. It was Obelix' energy that covered that."
"I don't CARE!" Asterix' exclamation lost force with the sea breeze that seemed to soften it, and he was glad, because it sounded terribly insensitive, especially considering Phyllis' first words. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
He sat down again "I mean: what is going on? How are you…can you recover?"
The pure concern in his eyes made up for his earlier anger.
"Yes," she said, causing a wave of relief in Asterix' chest. "But it will take time. Getafix is monitoring me like a hawke over a field mouse, as you could see. And …. I'm letting him. I think it's best." She saw both Asterix and Obelix nod forcefully at that. Getafix could help. Of course.
"I told you to take his advice," Asterix said. At least that idea hadn't caused more harm.
"I listened," she simply answered. She gave him a slight smile, relieved when she saw it returned. Asterix thought it over. "Getafix will get you back on you feet. I'm sure of it," he said, encouraging both her and himself.
"The rest of the village already knows all this," she continued. "They know I'll be staying for quite a while. What they don't know yet, and that's why we're sitting here, is that Getafix is going to teach me the secret of the magic potion."
Asterix blinked. Obelix just nodded.
"I can't have magic potion anymore," he said, a trace of regret in his voice.
Phyllis smiled. "I know. Quite an intriguing story isn't it? You just happened to walk into Getafix'hut and taste it? You had to be quite tall as a six year old, if you could reach over the edge so far that you toppled into it."
Obelix colored a bit. He had heard this before. And his response was the same it had always been. Complete and utter silence. He knew nothing.
"What does that mean?" Asterix cut in, taking hold of Phyllis' lower arm. His grip was still very light, but she could feel the tension in his hand radiate from it. He eyes were fixed on it as she answered.
"It means I will learn to make the magic potion. And it means I'm staying."
"Can I have magic potion if…." Obelix inquired
"NO!" Asterix cut him off, staring daggers at him. "It will be just as dangerous for you as when Getafix makes it!"
Obelix straightened up a bit. "Because Mr. Asterix says so? Let her answer!"
Phyllis shook her head. "He's right, Obelix. We haven't even started yet, but Getafix made it crystal clear: no potion for you."
Obelix looked slightly disappointed. But he was used to it by now, so his mind drifted away. "You said you used my energy for the dreams. Can't you use it to recover? I have energy to spare…."
Phyllis and Asterix both stared at him.
"It's not that stupid," he said defensively.
Phyllis smiled. "No it's not. And it's sweet. I'll ask Getafix about it."
"I don't think it will work," Asterix said doubtfully. "Obelix'energy comes from the magic potion. If that could help you, Getafix would have given it to you already."
"So basically, I'm useless save for the potion part?" Obelix retorted, sounding a bit hurt.
Asterix looked startled. "I just meant that…" he trailed off as he noticed Obelix got up. "I'm going to check on Dogmatix." He marched away, leaving them behind in considerable clouds of dusty sand.
Phyllis could see Asterix follow Obelix' with his eyes, almost getting up to go after him, then remembering her. He fell back into the sand, looking positively miserable. He turned to her. "I didn't mean it that way. If it works, wouldn't taking the magic potion be safer anyway?" It almost sounded like a plea. Phyllis grabbed his hand.
"The magic potion can enhance my powers, but it can't cure me. And I'm a bit scared of using it anyway. I could use some more energy, maybe. But it won't undo the damage that taking to much at once has done to my body. Time is the only cure for that."
Asterix didn't respond. He still felt perplexed.
"You're probably right," Phyllis said, shifting a little closer to him. "It just sounded a bit...like you considered Obelix and the Magic potion to be the same thing."
"I don't!"
"I know. He's a bit sensitive." She poked him with her elbow. "You for one, should know that."
He sighed. "I know. But still…If I already can't talk to my best friend without insulting him, I'm wondering what will happen talking to you."
"Well, lucky coincidence, I'm not sensitive. I COULD blow up at you for ignoring what I just told you and yelling at me instead, but I won't, because I know you're upset."
She felt his arm around her, pulling her closer, and she leant in on his shoulder. "Thanks," he said in to her hair. "It's ….you scared me."
"I know," she answered. "I'm working on it. Well, Getafix is, I'm just doing whatever he tells me to do. Including making magic potion, apparently."
She felt Asterix shake his head, his chin slightly ruffling up her hair. "That's HUGE news….why haven't you told the rest of the village yet?"
"We wanted to tell you first. And Obelix. Actually, if my health hadn't plummeted like this, I would have wanted to talk to you before I decided anything. Because it matters to me, whether you think it's ok I'm staying. But then I remembered that you've always tried to stay out of my decisions, and that this probably wouldn't be a different matter. I still thought you should hear it first though."
She paused for a while. "And I would still like to know what you think," she added. She knew that Asterix would never interfere in a decision made by Getafix, especially about the magic potion, unless he was explicitly asked to.
"I think he has been planning it for quite a while," Asterix said. "He has spent a lot of time with Manilla, and he held you back when we gathered ingredients back at the Forest House. Actually, I assumed you two talked about Manilla." He felt Phyllis shake her head in denial. "We talked about you," she said. "About how you knew all the ingredients by heart, but didn't acknowledge it."
Asterix tightened his grip around her a little. "I know very well that I know them by heart, unless there is some hidden ingredient in Getafix' golden sickle. I'm pretty sure there is one actually, but since it doesn't need to be collected…. I want to be able to help out when there is little time to prepare the potion. So I mesmorized them. I just don't want to be responsible for making it. Obelix would have to keep the romans busy on his own."
"He rather likes that," Phyllis commented.
"That doesn't mean it can't be dangerous at times."
Phyllis nodded. "You've sort of avoided the question though." She pulled back a little to look him in the eye, regretting it the moment she did. He had never reached out to her first, apart from the moment right after his capture, and she treasured the fact that he had done so just now.
He investigated her face, noting that despite her stiff movement, she actually looked less drawn and tense than before they had left. Whatever Getafix' treatment was, it appeared to be working.
Finally he answered: "I've wanted for Getafix to have someone to share the responsibility with for a long time. I guess I feel a bit guilty that I don't want it myself, but you know now why I don't. I would never be able to wait at ease while Obelix and the others faced the romans. So I guess I'm wondering if you can. If you will be happy in that role?"
His eyes were still fixed on hers, as if he was trying to read the answer from them. But she knew he wouldn't find it.
"I want to live. And I want a second option to defend those I care for, because my first option is obviously not limitless. That includes the village. If you ask me whether I would feel at ease as sort of a female druid, I'm not sure."
Asterix nodded. He had trouble picturing it as well. If he did, her image from the Forest House's opening ceremony came up, and he had felt little at ease back then. Of course, it had made her part of an environment that was much more serene than their village.
Phyllis continued: "But that's not what Getafix asked. He asked me whether I would want to learn how to brew the potion, and whether I would be willing to keep the village safe with it when he isn't around. It will take time before I can do that, and hopefully, it wil take a very long time before it is necessary. I want to learn how it works. It's a challenge. And I like living with Getafix. He's fun, when he's not worried. He knows so much, and he doesn't care if you swear when you drop something."
Asterix smiled a little at her last comment. But he was a bit distracted by what came before.
"You'll be living with Getafix?"
"Yes. I don't think he plans to let me be unsupervised in the near future. I don't care much, it is practical when we start training. I'll have my own room. I've asked him whether he isn't afraid I will rearrange his herbs, but he says he doesn't care."
Asterix knew why. Getafix had no idea where he stocked most of his herbs. For a druid with so much precision requiring knowledge, he was seriously chaotic.
"He probably hopes you will," he joked half-heartedly. He had been figdgety over were Phyllis would be living if she stayed, and it surprised him to realize he was pretty disappointed that it had already been decided.
"I think so too," Phyllis agreed. She realized he was no longer looking at her, and that he was actually biting his lower lip. She shook her head as she realized that the wings of his helmet had dropped a bit. Such a give-a-way.
"Mr. Asterix, could it be that you are disappointed by my living arrangements?" she taunted, smiling at him.
His face colored."I…..I'm glad that you're staying. Very glad." He wanted to say more, but found he couldn't.
"It'll give you some time to figure out how you feel about me," Phyllis offered.
"I KNOW that. I just have a little trouble imagining it in everyday life," he countered. She raised her eyebrow.
"Ok, I have a lot of trouble imagining it," he admitted. "Also I don't know what you expect our relationship to be like."
"I don't know what you expect it to be like either. At the moment, I would be very thrilled just to know that you are willing to find out."
He grinned: "I am."
She beamed at him. "Fantastic." She observed the sun for a moment. "We should get back though. I don't want to miss the banquet, and if I don't get my powernap, Getafix will never let me go." She sounded a bit regretful.
Asterix stood up. "And I have a sensitive best friend to make up with. But I'll drop you off first." He bended down, scooping her up in his arms. He swayed the tiniest bit getting up, alerting her that he had no magic potion in his system. Despite that, she snuggled a bit closer before saying: "I can walk. It's pretty far to Getafix' hut"
Asterix shook his head. "I think I'll manage to carry my own girlfriend, thank you very much."
Phyllis smiled, closing her eyes. She wasn't going to argue that.
The End.
Only it isn't J. Well it is, but I have two half-finished parts that play a little in the future, and I will still add those to this story. Two epilogues. Why have one if you can have two, right. One will be about Phyllis and Impedimenta's friendship, the other about … I am not going to spoil that one J.
One will play a few weeks after this, and one a few months after it (that one actually plays in spring, which is fun since I always find it weird to write about another season than I am currently in.)
And after that, I'll probably take a break, since I am writing a dutch blog at the moment to have a text portfolio for job interviews. It is very time-consuming. It might take a while before the epilogues are finished too. I might write some shorter things though!
Thoughts? It is weird to write Asterix in a relationship. I found it very important to establish the relationship so it wouldn't interrupt Asterix and Obelix as a duo. Phyllis really needed to be able to stand on her own for that. And fit in the village. After my first story, I felt like she did, and I could try it out. I really imagine the adventures of Asterix and Obelix continuing like always, and Phyllis visiting the Forest House quite often. I do love her very much. She was originally a character in an original story that I only have the outlines for. But compared to today, she was sooo boring. (She didn't have powers let alone failing ones, she was patient, she was all sorts of normal things.) Today it feels like I somewhat know how she ticks. If I ever work out an entire original story, I just know Phyllis will be part of it.
I still like to play with the universe that I've created, so if apart from the epilogues that I have planned, you would like to see another one-shot in this story (or apart from it), I would be happy to think of it and maybe write it. It might take me some time, but it would be a great break from my writing efforts in dutch!
