Commander House-sitter
Her head was thumping intermittently, slowly waking up her mind. This spurred her to try and open her eyes, yet her body was still too exhausted from whatever she did last night.What did I even do? she thought to herself, her eyelids still struggling to open. Her body felt like it was in worse condition, as if paralyzed in her sleep. Slowly the feeling of panic was rising, but it all dissipated when she felt a soft, wet fleshy material swipe across her face. She felt it again, slightly longer. Then again. Then again. Until finally, her eyes fluttered open.
She reeled when the bright sunlight peered through the open balcony, stunning her in place her eyes adjusted to the light. The sudden change in light made the thumping heavier, and fortunately for her, her eyes were slowly adjusting to it. After what felt like an eternity, she could finally see her surroundings. Her attention immediately fell on a purple ball of fur that was still, apparently, licking her face. She scanned the room; an apartment from the looks of it; and was thoroughly confused, more so than anything else, wondering how she ended up here.
"Ah, bonjour commandant. I see Nova's woken you up." She looked up to see a disheveled looking woman wearing an oversized aquamarine shirt standing over her. An animesque caricature of a happy looking loaf of bread was blazoned on it.
The aforementioned commander wanted to speak up, but she ended up coughing from how sore her throat was.
"Hold on, commandant. I'll get you a glass of water." The woman left her field of view, the sound of water pouring into something filled the otherwise quiet room.
The woman appeared in front of her again, this time crouching while holding a glass of water. "Here you go, commandant."
She took the glass and drank the water earnestly, savoring the cool feeling of the drink going down her water. When she felt that every last drop was finished she noticed the woman staring intently at her, an eerily creepy smile plastered on her face.
"Se sentir mieux , commandant?" she nodded at the woman's question, before opening with her own.
She coughed lightly. "Where am I?" she asked her.
The woman smirked at her, raising an amused eyebrow before standing up and turning to the dark corridor. "Luna! Your guest is awake!"
Luna?! the commander was now on alert, her mind trying to fully assess the situation. I'm in Luna's apartment? she still couldn't believe it. She tried her hardest in trying to remember just exactly what happened the night before, yet it was somehow buried in the deepest corners of her memories. She then shifted her attention to the sound of the approaching footsteps.
And sure enough, it truly was the Scourge of the Plains that was standing in front of them. Dressed in a blue cardigan over a tight black top, she looked at the commander's weak form, a smirk forming on her face. Luna glanced back at the other woman.
"Go take your shower, Mortred. We're leaving soon." Luna ordered.
The girl replied with a chuckle. "So early, Luna. Very unlike you."
"'Mene wanted to talk to me about something." Luna replied, a tired groan escaping her lips. "And whenever I leave, you're leaving too."
The woman named Mortred saluted to Luna, before leaving her with the commander as she went deeper into the corridor. The commander propped herself up on what she realized to be the sofa that she was sleeping on, seeing Luna take a seat in the one-person couch, propping her own feet on the coffee table.
"You look like shit, Tresdin." Luna stated, laughing at Tresdin's less than ideal form.
Tresdin could only laugh sheepishly. "I'm sure you'd be the same if you drank." The commander responded, before feeling the need to backtrack. "You're still, a teetotaler, right?"
"That's right." Luna replied, with some semblance of dignity. "You, however…" she left her sentence at that.
"Yeah, it's been rough." Tresdin said, clutching to the side of her head. "All of this didn't end up how I'd thought it'd be."
"I mean, to find the Great Commander Tresdin completely inebriated on the ground, just outside of Panda's Brew. Wow." Shame filled the commander, her dark skinned face forming a light tinge of red at Luna's description of her. "What a sight to behold."
"How did you even find me there? Wouldn't a bar be the last place you'll be in?" Tresdin asked, slightly demanding an answer.
"Would you believe me if I said that King Ostarion's wife called me to check up on you?" Luna said, barely containing the laughter that slowly infected Tresdin.
"Years ago, probably not. But now, I'm sure we can rely on a caring mother of two." Luna nodded at Tresdin's statement of their close former companion.
Tresdin opened her mouth to speak up, but was halted by Luna. "If you have any questions, I hope you don't mind holding them off till later tonight." She said as she stood up, the woman named Mortred appearing behind her as if anticipated. "I need to head off to work."
"Wait," Tresdin called out as Luna and Mortred made their way outside. "You're just gonna leave me in your apartment?"
"Sure. Akasha said that you're on leave, so I know you don't have anything busy planned. Plus, you won't be able to drink any alcohol here." Luna ushered Mortred to head on before her. "Oh, don't forget to feed Nova, okay? Bye."
Luna closed the door, locking it behind her as she left Tresdin to care for her apartment. The commander herself was flabbergasted; one moment she was catching up with someone she worked closely with, then the next the person in question just went and left her. She was also transfixed at what Luna's last remark meant.
"N… Nova?" she thought aloud.
As if on cue, a soft mewl came from the edge of the sofa. She came to see the same purple ball of fur, which turned out to be a tiny kitten, staring intently at her with her head tilted. The kitten waltz up to Tresdin, patting her paws on the commander's stomach. Tresdin melted at the sight of it, wondering how someone like Luna could care for a delicate creature in front of her.
Whatever thoughts she had, whether before or now, she decided on holding them back for the time being. Much to her chagrin, she set forth on looking after Luna's apartment and pet.
Luckily for her, she didn't need to do much, as the apartment was already well taken care off. The only thing she truly needed to keep an eye on was the small kitten that kept pestering her around the apartment, and finding the cat food was the first obstacle she had to jump over. When little Nova's attention was held for the short period, Tresdin settled with exploring the apartment, glancing at each room.
She walked to the end of the corridor where two doors awaited her. The door to the right was Luna's bedroom. Nothing was out of the ordinary, but Tresdin did notice a large stack of old newspapers. She'd never thought Luna as an avid reader back in the day. As Tresdin turned to leave, she noticed a photo frame hanged up on the wall. She walked closer to inspect it, seeing a taller woman standing between a younger looking Luna and an even younger brunette with her arms draped around them. The woman in the middle was smiling wide at the camera while the brunette's smile seemed awkwardly forced. Tresdin attributed this Luna, glaring scornfully at the camera with the deepest frown, arms crossed beneath her.
This was the Luna she remembered, not the one that openly greeted her with open arms earlier in the morning. It was because of her expectations of her former companion that she's now stunned beyond all measure at just how different she was. She shook her head in still astonishment, putting her thoughts on hold as she continued her tour.
She went across the corridor to the other door, expecting the other woman's room. Instead she got Luna's bathroom. Unlike the light purple tinge the whole apartment was putting, the bathroom was a clear white. Pristine. Definitely well taken care of. She must really care for this small sanctuary of hers. Tresdin thought as she set foot inside the bathroom. The round and large circular bathtub did catch her eye, surprised that an apartment like this would have such things. When Tresdin looked to the bath counters, she noticed a stack of clothes with a note on top of it. Her name was written on it, drawing her to it. She picked it up, reading the contents and smiling when realizing that Luna had prepared a clean pair of clothes for her. Glancing about, she shrugged to herself as she undressed, a hot shower near her mind.
With that out of the way, Tresdin made her way back to the main area. The living room was connected to the dining area, and the open balcony had the view of a college dormitory across the street with the rest of the cityscape beyond it. She took notice of the absurd amount of pillows and the blanket. She thought of how unlikely it was for anyone to give this much for an impromptu overnight guest. "Could her roommate be sleeping here?" Tresdin thought aloud.
With not much else to do, Tresdin went about her day sitting on the couch, with only Nova as her company as the kitten would often shift about around her, sometimes jumping onto her lap, being a general nuisance like all cats are. There wasn't anything much to do, and one way for her to pass the time was to drink. Of course when Luna said that she wouldn't be able to drink, she meant it; there was not even a single ounce of alcohol in the apartment, much to her annoyance. When the kitten woke her up later that day, she realized she had fallen asleep from sheer boredom.
Tresdin at least wished Luna would've told her when she'd be back, as she ended up waiting till 9 in the evening, with the kitten already asleep on a nearby pillow. Just when she was about to fall asleep again, the sound of keys turning, alerting her as the door opened. Luna and her roommate entered the apartment, looking tired from whatever they were doing.
"Can I take a bath, Luna?" Mortred asked, stretching her arms over her head.
"How long?" Luna asked flatly.
"A while." Mortred responded. "All the grime and flour isn't good on my skin."
"Fine, go ahead." Luna said. Mortred was in momentary glee before disappearing from the room.
"You took forever." Tresdin complained as Luna took a carton of juice out of her fridge before making her way to join Tresdin.
"Yeah, I'm sure Nova had some fun." Luna said with a smirk as she drank from the carton.
"I'm never house-sitting for you ever again." Tresdin said, only earning Luna's unabashed laugh.
"Good. I'm not expecting to find you sprawled out in the middle of the street again." Luna countered, silencing Tresdin. "So, aside from being a drunk, what've you been up to?"
Tresdin was glad for Luna changing the subject for her. "I've been touring the country under the King's orders."
"That sounds like fun." Luna said sarcastically.
"It's better than it sounds." Tresdin said, yet Luna's look of disbelief just brought them both to a fit of laughter.
They spent the remainder of the night conversing with each other, sharing stories as they caught up with each respective past. Tresdin hadn't felt this calm since after she punched the Queen in the face a few years back. She had not often admitted it, but she missed them. The two other people who understood where they came from. The three of them had stuck with each other for most of their younger years. It wasn't till Tresdin felt that they were crossing the line that she cut ties with them. Joining the army was her way of redeeming herself.
Unfortunately for them, all good things must come to an end. Both of them were just at Luna's door, still chattering about as they neared the end. Luna had an arm around Tresdin's neck, clutching the dark skinned woman in a jovial manner.
"Thanks for saving my ass last night, Luna." Tresdin said, trying to get Luna's arm off of her. "I probably would've been in a worse shape if I woke up in the middle of the street. Now, can you let go of me?"
"Not yet." Luna said, surprising Tresdin by bringing her into a bear hug. "Come back anytime, Tresdin."
"Thanks, Luna." Tresdin said as Luna finally let the commander go.
"I read about what happened in Stonehall." Luna said as she opened the door.
Tresdin just sighed as she exited the apartment, looking back at Luna. "What of it?" she was glad that it wasn't brought up before.
"I'm saying that you should stop by at Dark Moon from time to time. All that drinking is bad for you." Luna said.
"That's what you're on about?" Tresdin huffed, more surprised at Luna's words. "And what's this 'Dark Moon', a gothic hang out?"
"It's actually a coffee shop that I work as a barista at." Luna said, giving a motherly smile to her friend. "I'll assure you that my drinks will help you out more than any alcohol could, and your liver would be rejoicing."
"Luna, listen-"
"No." Luna said, cutting off Tresdin's own response. "Akasha told me you had problems, but she didn't tell me it was this bad."
"And what would some 'coffee' help with?"
"Trust me, it will. Especially when I make it." Luna said reassuringly.
"What happened to you?" Tresdin asked, reminded of how much Luna has changed.
"Time." Was Luna's simple answer. "And growing up."
"That's it?"
"And having people around to help you." Luna added.
Tresdin sighed, shaking her head as she conceded to her friend. "Alright, I'll come by. And maybe we'll talk about some other things later."
"Good." Luna said, slapping her hand on Tresdin's back. "You need to toughen up. You're a soldier, for God's sakes."
"I guess I should've done some working out in my free time." She looked at her watch, wincing at how late it was. "Alright, now I really have to go."
"Don't forget to drop by at 'Dark Moon', Tresdin!" Luna called out at Tresdin's retreating form, the both of them waving at each other as Tresdin left the floor.
Luna sighed to herself before locking the door behind her, seeing Mortred already lying on the couch, drying off her hair with a towel. She smiled at Luna as she was joined on her makeshift bed, bring her bringing her knees to her chest so she could give the barista more room.
"You sure have deep connections, Luna." Mortred commented offhandedly.
"Not really." Luna replied. "They just branched off to wherever."
"When you told her that you had people helping you, was I part of it?" Mortred asked hopingly.
Luna just shook her head as she eyed her roommate in feigned disgust. "Sure, let's go with that."
"You're so méchant." came the baker's sad reply, sniffling back an imaginary tear.
"Whatever you say, Mortred." Luna said as she got off the couch. "I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I trust you can take care of the apartment."
"When will you leave?" Mortred asked for confirmation.
"Before you wake up."
"Okay. I'll make sure Nova's taken care of!"
"Great. Good night Mortred." Luna said, disappearing into her room.
"Good night!" Mortred called out, draping the blanket around her body as she watched the late night TV show, waiting for her body to drift off to sleep on its own.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
man, we've been having so much of Luna these past few chapters. how about we step back and take a look at the other girls, eh? (nudge nudge wink wink)
thanks for reading!
