Chapter 50: Meeting the aunt.
Akko entered the Astronomy tower with a wide, shining smile on her face, a light skip in her steps and sparks of joy twinkling in her eyes. All in all, she was like a little Sun that, instead of exuding light, radiated happiness. Professor Ursula took notice of this fact and tried to suppress her own smile and curiosity, but… well, it wasn't easy after an entire two weeks of her student skipping out on their daily lessons in order to spend time with a certain prodigious witch instead. Not that she blamed her, of course; she would have done just the same at that age.
"Ursula-sensei!" Akko greeted her enthusiastically. "I missed you so much!"
"Did you?" Ursula raised an eyebrow. "Something tells me you've been too busy to miss me as of late."
Akko could only smile sheepishly and rub the back of her neck, not wanting to admit the truth.
"It's okay Akko, sit down." The professor reassured her, gently patting the second chair on her desk. The girl immediately obliged and also helped herself to the tea that had already been placed in front of her. "Now tell me… I assume things with Diana are going well?"
"More than that!" Akko immediately answered, like she'd been waiting for her to ask this exact question. "Diana is amazing! She's smart and beautiful and pretty and kind and chivalrous and… a-and… I just… I can't get enough of her! Is that normal?"
"I suppose it is." Chariot laughed. "I myself did feel something similar when I started dating Croix. It was like an obsession."
"I know! And it's amazing and terrifying at the same time!" She exclaimed.
"Terrifying?" The professor questioned.
"Yeah… I fear what would happen if we ever broke up." She admitted with a shy expression. "But… I mean… that won't happen, right?"
"I certainly hope not. You make a great couple." Ursula answered sincerely.
"Right? It's like we're made for each other!" She agreed enthusiastically. "Ever since that day at the Cavendish mansion, I've felt like there's some sort of connection between us that goes beyond what would be considered normal. Maybe something magical?"
Ursula took a sip from her tea as she chose her next words carefully.
"Magic can't create love, Akko. I assure you that what you feel for Diana has nothing to do with magic."
"Yeah, I know! But like…" The girl gestured with her hands and arms as if trying to express something she couldn't put into words. "We revived the fifth word together! And we met one of the Nine Olde Witches, so… I don't know, maybe I'm crazy but I feel like such events intertwined our destinies."
"I wouldn't say you're crazy." Ursula chuckled. "I guess it's normal to feel like that when you're a teenager in love, but… relationships don't work like that, unfortunately." She sighed. "I myself revived the fifth word with Croix as well, but… we still ended up going on different paths and spending ten years without seeing each other."
"But… you still got back together, right?" Akko tilted her head like a confused puppy.
"Yes, but… what I meant is that unlocking a word together or restoring magic doesn't exempt you from having to put the actual work in the relationship if you want it to work out."
"I… I suppose that makes sense." Akko conceded. "But now I'm curious… how did you two unlock the fifth word? I mean, neither of you are really 'traditional'."
"We really aren't." She smiled with nostalgia. "And you know? I didn't even learn the true meaning of the word until you told me. For the longest time we just thought it had something to do with history and traditions."
"Yeah, you both said something like that when I asked." Akko smiled as well.
"Alright then… I guess we do have time for a short story before we continue with your lessons." Ursula knew she was being too soft with Akko, but since she'd improved her grades lately she figured it was alright to spoil her a little bit. Especially when they hadn't spent much time together in weeks.
"Yay!" Akko threw her as up in the air in celebration.
"But afterwards we're gonna study numerology."
"Aww…"
It was the last week of February; the cold winds of winter were slowly receding to give way to a warmer climate that brought with it the promise of spring, and the animals from the forest around school had gradually started to come out of their burrows to be seen again. And me? Well, I'm myself going through a rebirth process of sorts as well. I'm about to turn eighteen years old and legally become an adult! And what better way to spend my birthday than with my aunt?
Since I've already met Croix's mother, it only seemed fitting that I'd introduce her to my aunt as well, which is why I had the wonderful idea to invite her over to my house in order to celebrate my birthday together. We took a day off from school and are going to stay for only three days, but I guess that'll be more than enough for my poor girlfriend, who hasn't stopped having second thoughts about this whole situation.
"Relax, Croix." I said, hanging upside down from my broom so that my face was directly in front of hers, in an attempt to make her laugh. "She'll love you! I mean, you're gorgeous, and smart, and great at magic, and you're a technological genius! Seriously, what's there to not love about you?"
"Thanks, Cherry." She smiles gratefully before moving forward slightly and placing a kiss on my forehead. "But you really shouldn't do that in the Leyline; it's dangerous."
I humph at her chastising, but straighten up anyways and resume normal flying, positioning myself directly next to her. That's when I notice she's gripping her broom like her life depended on it and has her eyebrows furrowed in concern, so I purse my lips and decide that I need to reassure her once more.
"You know? My aunt is pretty chill! She likes movies and videogames and new stuff, so I have no doubt you two will get along really well."
"She's not a witch, right?" Croix asks, still looking straight ahead with her gaze lost like she's thinking very hard about something.
"Nope! She's just a regular magicless human." I giggle. "Which is why she's allowed to have a car, and a TV, and a cellphone."
"There are no magicless humans, Chariot." Croix rolls her eyes, but a smile still appears on her face. "And I still think that the whole 'zero technology' rule in the witching law is stupid and outdated."
"It is what it is." I shrug. "I've never been good with technology, so I really don't mind. But I also have to admit your creations are kinda cool, even if I don't understand all that magitech stuff."
"Well, you don't understand basic traditional magic either, so that's hardly a surprise." She flashes me that odious smirk she always uses when teasing me, so I simply blow her a raspberry and focus on the endless tunnel of green magical energy ahead of us.
As much as I love Croix, sometimes she's a bit of a pain in the ass. Not that I mind her teasing much, but sometimes I wonder if she truly means what she says. But… she already knows I put a lot of effort into learning magic, right? She knows I have a complicated history with it because I didn't have someone to teach me, so… she must see I'm not just a lazy klutz with bad luck, or else she wouldn't want to date me. Plus, I have the shiny rod… which is better not to remind her of.
"You have that look in your face." She comments after a while, breaking the somewhat-tense silence that had settled between us.
"Huh?" I turn to look at her, meeting unexpressive eyes hiding behind a pair of clear glasses.
"You are thinking too much." She explains. "And that's never a good thing when it comes to you." Again, she smirks, teasing. So I just frown and look back to the horizon.
"I'm just being stupid." I say after a while, deciding not to bother her with my childish concerns. After all, I know she loves me, so why am I having second thoughts?
"Oh, my! How rare." She laughs, having said that in an ironic tone. Damnit, she's teasing me more than usual! And I'm getting upset for no good reason.
"Croix!" I protest, but just in that moment, we emerge from the Leyline. The sight is a familiar one; a relatively small town to my left and to my right miles and miles of cultivated vineyards. Granted, spring has yet to come, so most of the grape plants still don't even have leaves.
"I don't suppose you live in that town, do you?" Croix sighs as she pulls out something from her satchel. It looks like one of her metallic contraptions.
"No, my house is like… an hour from here, going by bus." I answer with a grimace.
"I thought that would be the case." She nods. "Thankfully, I prepared for such eventuality." As she says this, she turns around and attaches the metallic thing to the end of her broomstick, just before the bristles, and presses a button on it. Immediately, the previously cubic thing opens up and starts unfolding itself, stretching until the broom has two thin metallic wings with small turbines at the ends. Like those of the planes. "This will allow me to fly to your house." She explains, a proud smile making its way on her face.
"Amazing!" I respond, smiling as well. "I really wasn't looking forward to taking the bus."
"Here, tie this to your broom." She says, tossing me a rope. I quickly obey and, once I'm done, I see that Croix has tied the other end to the back of her own broom, connecting them both. "Good, now jump here." She says, scooting back and patting the space in front of her as a silent invitation. "Once we're away from the Leyline the turbines won't be enough to drag your broom with you on top."
"Isn't it the same though?" I ask, yet I still do what Croix said; so many years of practicing doing pirouettes over my broom make this task a piece of cake. "I mean, if you wanted to hold me close, you just had to say it." I smirk as her arms slid around my waist, teasing her for a change.
"I don't expect you to know anything about aerodynamics." By her tone of voice, I can perfectly picture her rolling her eyes. "But now that you mention it… yes, it is a big plus." As she finishes speaking, she leans in even closer, so her chin comes to rest on my shoulder. My breath hitches instantly and a heated blush spreads trough my face as I also feel her breasts pressed against my back.
"I-I…" I clear my throat as I try to come up with a somewhat dignified response. "I'm pretty sure that two girls flying on a broom with wings still breaks the laws of aerodynamics."
"It does." She chuckles. "This thing works partially with magic, but is way more efficient on its use than a normal broom, so I'm fairly certain we'll be able to get to your home using only my broom's energy. Or at least close enough."
"I-I see…" I hum, only barely paying attention as my mind seems to be much more concentrated on taking note on how close we are. Honestly, I feel like I might combust at any moment now, and we've only just arrived! Why does she have to have such a strong effect on me?
We arrive to my home about half an hour later. We had to walk through the vineyards for a while, but it was fine; we got to appreciate the beauty of France's Champagne, even if it's not as beautiful as in spring or summer, but there's a certain calm in it, with the sun warming the fields enough to keep the cold away, but not to suffocate us, and the birds chirping happily on the threes. There are also zero mosquitoes, so that's good. And I even managed to convince Croix to take my hand as we walked! Mainly because there's no one around here (she's still rather shy when it comes to public displays of affection).
We stop in front of my house and look at it for a moment, mentally preparing to get in. It's a small cabin, having only two floors made of grey bricks and red roof tiles. The door is wooden, and next to it there's a small shed for my loyal mare, Étoile, but… where is…?
"Étoile!" I exclaim as I rush to greet her when I see her coming around the corner, no doubt alerted by the sounds of our steps. She is just as I remember her; tall and strong with pure white fur except for her mane, which is blue-ish, and I waste no time before hugging her briefly and gently patting her head as she nuzzles against me and huffs trying to show me affection. I feel kinda bad for her, because before I went to Luna Nova I used to take her on walks every day; now my aunt does so, but only on weekends. The rest of the week she sets Étoile free so she can roam about our (admittedly small) terrain. She has clearly missed me a whole lot.
"Another familiar?" Croix exclaims. "Honestly, at this point I don't even know why I am surprised."
"She's not a familiar." I roll my eyes. "She's an ordinary horse."
"She has blue hair!"
"Well… supposedly she descends from a unicorn that was gifted to us by the Cavendish family during the golden age of magic." I add, remembering the stories my grandma used to tell me.
"Right. Completely ordinary." She responds, her voice dripping with sarcasm. I decide to just ignore her and keep petting my mare, but in that very moment, the front door of my house opens and my aunt comes out.
Aunt Deneb is tall, having a few centimeters on me, also has bright red hair, but hers is waist-long, and her eyes are green. She has fair skin, almost completely covered by freckles, and her complexion can still be described to be on the thin side, even if she has been consuming a little more food than necessary in the last few years (her obsession with cheese is truly unmatched), which has resulted on her gaining a couple of pounds. As usual, she's dressed rather casually; just a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt with the white silhouette of the Eiffel tower in the middle. And she's smiling radiantly as always.
"Chariot." She says calmly as she opens her arms in a silent invitation for a hug. "Welcome home!"
"Aunt Deneb!" I exclaim before letting go of Étoile and practically tackling her on a hug. She isn't surprised by this, however, and is able to stay on her two feet as she hugs me back.
"I missed you so much!" She says as she squeezes me a little tighter. "I just can't seem to get used to you being on a boarding school."
"I missed you too." I respond, letting go of her and stepping back. "But… now there's someone I want you to meet." I add before turning around and looking at my girlfriend. "Come." I say to her, switching to English. Quickly, Croix approaches so she's standing by my side. "Aunt, this is Croix, my girlfriend. Croix, this is my Aunt, Daneb."
"It's a pleasure, Miss du Nord." Croix answers in a rather formal tone, offering her hand for my aunt to take.
"Please, just call me Daneb." She answers, shaking her hand and smiling fondly. "So… you're the famous Croix I keep hearing so much about! Honestly, I think I figured out Chariot's feelings for you long before she did, with how she was always gushing about how wonderful you are, or how pretty, or how smart, or…"
"A-Aunt Daneb!" I cut her off before she can embarrass me more in front of Croix, feeling heat rise into my cheeks. "Uhm… didn't you say you'd be waiting for us with déjeuner ready? The food's gonna get cold!" And with that, I walk past her and enter my house, though she still addressed my girlfriend once more before they joined me.
"Don't worry, I'll tell you all of Chariot's embarrassing stories over lunch." She said mischievously, no doubt winking at her.
"They can't get more embarrassing than some of the things she's done at Luna Nova." Croix replied, in a teasing tone, clearly intending for me to hear. And I'm not proud to say that the teasing worked and my cheeks got hot to the point I thought my face would catch fire. Oh gosh! How on Earth did I think this was a good idea? How am I going to survive lunch?!
"… And then she fell off Éclair, in front of the major, no less! And he ended up covered in mud, and she then tried to clean it all off with magic! Let's just say that, since then, Monsieur Lambert has had a spiky hairstyle." My aunt finishes recounting yet another embarrassing story as Croix nearly falls off the couch with laughter, while I groan and bury my head between my hands. Again.
They've been like this for hours. We had lunch, then my aunt decided to show Croix her new Wii and they spent most of the afternoon playing videogames and talking about me. Sure, they tried to include me into the conversation and teach me how to play, but aside from the fact that technology has never really been my thing (or interested me, for that matter), I really didn't want to give my version of the anecdotes they were telling because it was even more embarrassing than what they remembered. So I resigned myself and just listened and watched them interact.
I didn't think it possible, but it gets even worse when my aunt starts telling Croix about the years she spent in New York after quitting college. My girlfriend seems a little too interested on what's on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, and her eyes practically shine with stars as my aunt describes the great metropolis with its complex subway system, towering skyscrapers and more cars than one could count. And Croix tells her that she's been seriously thinking about going to college on another country and that the United States, being the center of technology and innovation, could be a good option.
My stomach twists at her words. Why didn't she ever tell me about it? The United States are too far away! I don't think there's a direct Leyline to them either. How would we see each other if she goes? Maybe she wants me to go with her? But what about the seven words?!
All of these questions swirl inside my head, and my girlfriend no doubt notices because she then puts away her Wii Remote and holds my hand in a reassuring gesture. I look at her gorgeous eyes and search an answer in them, but she just mouths "Later" and proceeds to tell my aunt about her efforts on enhancing technology with magic.
Needless to say, the answer is less than satisfactory, but I really don't want to cause a scene right now; not when both Aunt Daneb and Croix seem to be having so much fun and getting along so well. But honestly? I'm a bit jealous. And I feel terrible about it because, like, I want them to get along, I really do, but… I know I'll never be able to be as interested in technology as they are; that Croix and I will never have a conversation like those she can have with my aunt. I mean, I guess I could make an effort to try and understand better what's basically my girlfriend's dream, but… I don't know. I feel like if I become interested in technology, I could end up forgetting magic somehow and becoming a… well, not a witch. Like my aunt.
It sounds awful, I know, considering she's the one who raised me, but I never wanted to be like her. She tried to have me live a 'normal' life at first; completely devoid of magic, saying that it was obsolete. She said I should get interested in the wonders of the modern world, like computers and cellphones. But I was having none of it, and so she gave up and took me to Luna Nova, to let me decide if I really wanted to maintain that connection to our obscure family past.
Yet, she never gave up on trying to make me just like her. Sure, she let me play around with magic and all, but… she also bought a car and drove me to school every day, despite my insistence of using Étoile. She bought a TV, a proper phone, a computer, and, more recently, the internet. And soon enough, our charming little house in the middle of the French vineyards became modernized. All except my room and Grandma's study, thanks to my insistence, but I still feel she isn't happy about that. Maybe she would have preferred if I was more like Croix.
"Chariot?" My girlfriend's voice snaps me off my thoughts, and I see that my aunt has already gotten off and has gone to the kitchen, likely to prepare dinner. I blink, as if trying to rid of the painful thoughts that were clouding my mind, and see that Croix is looking at me with concern. "Are you okay?" She asks.
"I… uh… I just…" I stammer, trying to come up with an excuse, but just end up sighing when I find none. "Uhm… I'm fine. Why don't you go with my aunt? I'm sure she'll be happy to show you how the microwave works." I try faking a smile, but judging by how Croix frowns, it doesn't work.
"So that's what this is all about?" She raises an eyebrow. "You're jealous?"
"W-what?" I somehow manage to stutter out.
"You know, your aunt is cool and all, but I'm not really into older women."
"What?!" I repeat, dumbfounded. "N-no, that's not… I didn't… I-I…" Croix's laughter interrupts my clumsy attempts at formulating some sort of coherent phrase, and then my ears burn in embarrassment when I realize she was joking.
"I know, I know." She chuckles. "You're jealous for a different reason, right?"
"Well…" I bit my lip, unwilling to admit the truth. "I just… I've never really been into technology, or anything that wasn't almost exclusively magical, so I can't really follow a conversation about the 'modern world' like you two."
"I see…" She hums in thought, and purses her lips. "I'm sorry. We should have been more considerate and included you into the conversation."
"No, no! I'm glad you can finally talk about these things with someone who understands you!" I rush to say. "And I bet my aunt is also happy to be able to relay her experiences about the 'normal world' with someone who's a lot more enthusiastic about it, but…" I deviate my gaze, not even sure about what I want to say. There shouldn't be a 'but' here. I should be happy for them, period. I should.
"Chariot, it's okay." Croix says, gently taking my other hand. But I just stare at our joined fingers, unable to look at her in the eye; to admit out loud the awful thoughts that keep appearing on my head. "I know what it feels like; to not be what your parents want you to be."
My chest tightens at her words, remembering when I went to her house and saw how strict and traditional Mellea was about the usage of magic; how her birth mother hadn't even bothered to seek her until after 19 years, and yet expected her to just go along with her whole religious thing. "But unlike my mother, your aunt loves you for who you are. I don't think she would change a thing about you if she could."
I know she has good intentions, but Croix doesn't really have the whole story. I know my aunt loves me, but I also know I disappointed her the moment I chose to study magic. Still, I just shrug, feigning I accept Croix's words.
"I guess." I say.
"And… I wouldn't either." She adds after a hesitant pause. This finally makes me look up to her eyes, finding her face flushed, but her teal orbs pointed directly in my direction. "I mean, I recognize that you're too stubborn sometimes, and incredibly reckless, and clumsy, and you act before you think half of the time. And I wished you were more into magitech, and I really hate your utter disrespect towards the Ancient Magic." I flinch at her harsh words, even though she didn't say them with malice. But they aren't really helping right now. "But… as a wise witch once said: Love isn't blind; I still see your flaws. I simply don't care."
I blush bright red at her words, and at the tender tone in which she said them, and suddenly I'm too flustered to respond beyond a squeezing of her hand and a few pitiful stutters. Then I clear my throat and say the first thing that comes to my mind.
"Y-you just made that up!"
"I know." She chuckles. "But it sounds better to say that a wise witch did."
Before I can protest further or maybe just keep stuttering like an idiot, she suddenly closes the distance between us and her lips meet mine in a brief and chaste kiss. But before I can think better what I'm doing, I reach out, circling her neck with my two arms and pulling her close once again, kissing her like there's no tomorrow, like we're alone in my house. She's hesitant at first, but then she relaxes into my embrace and kisses me back, sighing happily as we move our lips together.
I can practically feel the love radiating off of her with every stroke of her lips over mine, every movement that brings our bodies closer; every caress her hands leave on my sides. This is what I needed; to feel loved and accepted. Just for who I am, with my dozens of flaws and my weird obsession with ancient magic even though I'm very disrespectful of traditions. I needed to know that my girlfriend loves me despite my lack of interest in her technological creations. I needed this warmth, this closeness, this level of intensity in our kisses, this…
We hear someone coughing awkwardly and we instantly pull away and move as far from each other as we can, practically jumping out of our skin. Of course, when we turn to the direction of the one who coughed, we see my aunt, with one of her hands on her hips and the other forming a fist near her mouth.
I blush as I realize she just caught us salaciously making out on the couch.
"I know you're both hormonal teenagers, but please refrain from doing such things in the house. Especially if I could walk in at any moment, okay?" She scolds us, though there's a hint of amusement in her voice. "I mean, kissing is okay, but keep it chaste."
"Y-yes, Aunt Daneb." I stutter, feeling as the blood creeps into the tips of my ears. Croix is too embarrassed to say anything, however, and her face seems to be trying to match the color of my hair.
"Alright." She nods in satisfaction at my answer. "Now, dinner is ready! No ramen though, as per Chariot's request." She laughs, no doubt enjoying seeing Croix's indignant expression. "But if you eat everything like good girls, I'll give you some wine." She winks, like that's a mischievous thing to do, even though we both can technically drink as much wine as we want and it wouldn't be illegal. Not in France anyways. I mean, I live in a vineyard! I've been drinking wine since I was a child.
"We made it ourselves, you know?" She adds.
"I do hope Chariot is better at making wine than at brewing potions then." Croix finally speaks, though she does so in a teasing tone.
"Hey!" I throw a punch at her arm, but she gets up from the couch on time, effectively evading it as she laughs and follows my aunt to the dining room. I shake my head and chuckle a little too before joining them too.
I don't feel so bad anymore. It really helped to talk with Croix about my discomfort, and I guess dinner will be better now. And maybe tomorrow I can show her the wonders of the technology-less world and the rural life. Perhaps I'll also see if she can understand some of my grandma's old books. Oh, that would be wonderful!
A/N: Funny that the 5th word arc starts in Chapter 50 and will be 5 chapters long lol. I promise it wasn't planned! XD
Anyways, hope you liked it and that you leave a comment/kudos if you did. I really do appreciate all your support.
See you in two weeks!