Heart wasn't sure what to think of the Madame's offer at first. Though she did feel it would be easier than finding a place to live alone, especially if she needed to return home for any reason. Shortly after the two had left for the evening, Heart found herself alone with their employer, still sitting quietly at the elaborate dining table.
Finishing off the last bit of her creme brulee, the dame of the mansion placed down her spoon down in the bowl. As a canine bulter took their plates, Lucille looked over towards the avian. "Ah do hope that was to ya liking. Mah sous chef takes great pride in his work after all."
"I can tell," Heart replied as she sipped the glass of milk provided for her. She tried to look around the large room, and glanced at the communication device on her wrist.
Behind Lucille stood a large hearth, out during this warm weather but it was easy to tell it would hold quite a fire during the colder seasons. On the walls paints of scenic landscapes and historic events were displayed. One painting though, over the fireplace, had the depiction of a family, quite likely Lucille's ancestors. A stout fatherly man, a tall motherly woman, a rambunctious looking boy, and a meek and timid looking young girl, who was the spitting image of the kitten she saw earlier, though with hair and eyes like the crimson clad woman before her. "So, Ah understand ya have some rather... unusual gifts. Tell me, if Ah'm not prying too much... how did they develop, if ya can remember? Any little bit can help me figure out how to help ya out." *She stated.
Heart thought carefully on how to answer without unveiling too much. After a while she attempted, "It seems I was born with the ability to heal with my singing...but this," she gently gestured to the sapphire she wore, holding it up, "This has brought on new abilities that I need to control better."
"Hmmm... very curious... if ya don't mind, may ya bring it over here? Ah would like to take a good look at it." The feline requested, the ice blue eyes shining softly in the dim light of the hall.
Heart clasped the gem in her palm, quite nervous of anyone taking it from her for a number of reasons. So she stood and walked over to the Madame, shakily removing the sapphire from her neck and placing it in her palm, mentioning, "It was a gift."
The ruby tipped fingers of the madame gently grasped the gem, as she held it aloft, examining it. A smirk crossed her face, before she placed it back into the duck's feathery palm. "Very interesting indeed... Now... what would these abilities be deary?"
Heart quickly closed her fingers over the gem before setting the clasp securely behind her neck again. "It's hard to explain..." she said while looking around, "May you look away a moment please?"
She gave a nod, before turning to face the opposite direction. "Do let me know when ya ready hun."
Heart grasped the necklace, and as she did, a light would dazzle anyone looking directly at her. When it faded, she spoke, "Okay."
Heart would be standing before the Madame in one of her concert outfits this time, an aura enveloping around her. To someone that didn't know, it would mask her identity somehow.
"This is part of it." She then looked around and tried her best to focus on her hands. As she did, a soft sparking would begin to emerge.
Looking back to Heart, the cat raised a brow, and brought a hand to her chin. "Now, that is rather interesting! Tell me, do ya know the extents of ya powers so far?"
"Not really," Heart admitted, "I only learned about this recently, both this and my singing..." she was visibly nervous on saying more, but had to if she wanted help. "I don't know if you would have heard what happened to Duke L'Orange a few months ago?" She ventured, planning her words carefully.
"Oh yes, the movie star no? He was mugged by some ruffian cads... a shame, he had such lovely eyes... at least he has the one left." She answered, looking over the sparkling attire the duck was in.
Heart grimaced at the remark about his eyes. She found her voice enough to admit, "I...I was there that night...I startled the attacker with this energy, and Duke...he lost so much blood...he almost..." it were as though she were seeing it all over again, trembling and all. She gathered her composure, "If I hadn't been there...he would be..."
Scooting the chair back, the large noblewoman patted Heart on the shoulder, a soft, concerned smile across her face. "That must've been an awful ordeal... good thing ya were there then."
"He's a good friend of mine. We met once as kids and had been catching up over time when we met again a few months ago; and then somehow, I stumbled into all of this. I thought maybe you could help me control it better?"
"Well of course! Ah just need abit more first hand experience with it, but Ah'm more than certain I can help ya out with this deary..." She stay silent for a passing few moments, allowed the two to breath. "So, deary.. ya care to see ya new quarters?"
Heart changed back and gave a nod, "Yes please." With that she began to follow behind the elaborately dressed feline, taking in her new surroundings as they went along. She occasionally looked up at the very confident Madame of the manor.
As she lead the way, the larger woman's tail swished behind her. The bell skirt of her dress bounced up and down with each step, as the lamps on the walls illuminated the halls. "Ah do hope this isn't all too much for ya hun."
Heart thought over the last few months, digging her heels in so to speak. "I can't really worry about that even if it was," she said, "and...now that I've awakened, so to speak, to these things...I can't just go back to sleep as it were. Nor do I want to. There's someone I want to help, and as I am now, I simply can't without endangering them."
"Hmm... quite a predicament ya find yaself in. Such great power does often proves to be a great burden as well." She replied, bringing the young duck woman to a door. Pulling a key out, she unlocked it, and revealed the room with. It appeared to be a bedroom that was furnished as if a young noblewoman would call their own. Raising her arm, Lucille smiled. "Welcome home deary."
Heart's jaw nearly dropped at what was being presented to her. She gripped the strap of her bag, carrying her few belongings that she had brought with her, not knowing how long she would be away. Suddenly she felt even more sheepish than she had been to begin with, being used to their apartment back in Anaheim, or visiting Duke at his. And it showed as she attempted to step into the room, but faltered, "...Are you sure? I'm not...I mean...this is so much..."
"Oh, Ah know, it's just a guest room. Hmm.. perhaps Ah should have the staff spruce things up a tad bit.." She commented, rubbing her chin as she pondered, watching as Heart stepped in.
"No, this is too much," Heart attempted quite sheepishly, "Really." She looked around still, clearly a fish out of water. Before setting her bag down, she unzipped it and pulled out a folding frame. She opened it like a book, and looked around for somewhere to place it.
There would be a bedside right next to the canopy bed. As Heart sat, the plush cushion sank underneath her, the smooth silky sheets soothing to the touch. The big cat strolled in, and waggled a finger at Heart. "Ah insist! Ya going to be working for me, so, Ah need to make sure ya are well taken care of."
Heart placed it down, and beside it one other. The left side of the frame held a photo of her brothers and herself. The right held a group image of them and their friends, the six of them smiling before going out on the ice. The frame standing beside it was smaller, and held a photo of her and Duke at a party together shortly after the incident that took his eye. She looked at all of their faces with a sigh escaping her beak. "Thank you," she managed politely.
Raising a brow, the cat walked over, and took a seat next to Heart, the bed shifting to accommodate her additional weight. "Hmmm... if ya don't mind me asking, who are they now?"
"Oh? Of course," Heart replied while gesturing to the Ducks in the frames one by one. Starting with the left side and the white feathered drake, "This is my older brother, Wildwing; and this is my older twin, Nosedive. They're both a part of the hockey team in Anaheim now." She moved onto the group photo, starting with a tan feathered duck, "Canard, here, is in their team as well. He's been Wildwing's best friend since elementary school. This is Tanya, Wildwing's fiance. She helped me with some of the gear I brought with me. This is Mallory, she recently joined the military. And this is Check, but we all call him Grin. He just became the master of a dojo in Anaheim, and helps teach kids how to skate and play hockey." Then she glanced at the stand alone photo, and tried to figure out how to explain it.
"Mah mah... ya have quite a varied circle of friends! Speaks highly of how you're willing to work with people rather different from yaself... A very valuable asset."
"You think so?" Heart smiled, glancing at the group of her friends in the photo, "We've been there for each other...through thick and thin. Since we met as kids, to when..." Heart paused briefly, "to when my brothers and I lost our parents...and now with an ever changing life."
At the mention of Heart losing her parents, Lucille's face grew softer, as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ah... can sympathize with that, hun. Ah lost mah own parents at a young age as well... it is not an easy ordeal to go through."
Heart nodded her head, "Wildwing took on a lot for us, but Dive and I supported him every step of the way. Our group, we're sorta like a family now." She then glanced over at the photo from the party, a sigh escaping her once more, "I wish I could have helped more though... it's weird being away right now..."
"As ya said, ya need to learn to better manage ya gift... and Ah'll be happy to help ya with that... So, ya mentioned ya know Duke L'Orange? Ah must ask, what is he like in person?
Heart blushed through her feathers, "Duke?"
She nodded her head, "We actually met as kids once...but we met again recently when I started singing, and have been sort of acquaintances since. He's very sweet, and brave..." Heart then told Lucille about him saving her before her first gig at a club, "He's very encouraging too...but...with what happened to him, and..." she tried to word it carefully, "I just wish I could have helped him more..."
"Hun... Ah sure ya did all ya can. Sometimes that's the best we can do." With that, she gave Heart a pat on the shoulder, before getting up off the bed. "Now dear.. unless there's anything else ya wish to talk to me about, Ah'd suggest ya get some shut eye. Ya had a very busy last few days after all."
Heart gave a nod...but then paused and asked, "What do you know about The Order of the Light, may I ask?"
As she headed out, she froze in her steps. Turning towards Heart, her soft blue eyes grew cold as she narrowed them. She flexed her fingers, as her tail swished behind her. "Simply put dear... while they may do some good for the world, they are not all that they seem... why do ya ask, pray tell?"
Heart's eyes seemed to narrow at the mention of what "good" they do, as she replied, "They are the other reason I am here right now...apparently they don't believe what I have is a gift...and they tried to take it from me. I couldn't risk telling my brothers and involving them."
"Not shocking... no pun intended huh, but... they do seem to have it in their heads they know what is right, despite being... what's the nicest way to put it... ignorant on such matters." The motherly cat crossed her arms over her chest, and closed her eyes as she said this.. before letting her expression soften. "But, while ya here hun, ya safe from such... zealots."
Heart glanced at the photos, particularly at the one from the party and looked a bit troubled at that still. "My brothers don't know exactly where I am, or why I left beyond wanting to learn my magic. Wildwing looks up to the hero aspect of the order, and I didn't want to ruin that for him." It quickly became clear that Heart was very not used to being far away from them, and in such a huge place. Realizing this, she shut her Beak with a quick, "Sorry, I'm keeping you up with this..."
"Oh, nothing to worry about dear. Ah tend to keep up through the night anyways." She waved off the concern with a tsk. "As for ya brother... do check up on him... Ah'm sure he means well, as do most members of the Order do... but... there are things about them that don't quite align with their image, if ya catch mah drift."
"I know exactly what you mean, and he's not apart of them. I just don't want to take away his view of them...but then again, if he knew what they tried to do," she put a hand to her throat, "Big brother would come out." She gave a bit of a smile, despite hinting at the extraction the order had been willing to perform on her.
She gave a nod to this, and sighed. "Quite a predicament indeed... well, Ah will let ya get some shut eye. Do have a good night, and if ya need anything, just let mah staff know."
Heart gave a nod, "Thank you. Good night Madame Lucille." Once she was certain that the feline was far from earshot, Heart began unpacking her backpack, placing her few outfits into her lent dresser. As she went to change into her sleep wear, she would notice the communicator on her wrist buzzing. Looking to it, a bit if a smile curved her Beak as she answered the message she found.
The next morning would come, and there was a soft rapping upon the bedroom door of the young duck. The sun's light shined into the window, and outside Heart would hear the songs of the critters of the swamps.
Heart sat up with a bit of a jump, having forgotten where she was in her sleep. Once she remembered, and heard the knocking, she half tumbled out of bed in fear she was urgently needed. Untangling herself from the quilt, she answered the door while still in her sleep shirt and leggings, "Yes?" Her hair was half in her face, pulled loose from the ribbon she wore.
Standing before her, a tall, grey furred canine with a curly mustache stood. Dressed in the traditional attire befitting the head butler of the house, he have Heart a kind smile. "Good morning, young lady. Madame doeswish you attend to breakfast this morning, if there is no issue with that. It will be ready shortly, and I will be waiting out here for when you are prepared in case you require a guide to the dining hall, if you so wish."
Catching her breath, Heart gave a nod, "That sounds good, thank you. Just let me get dressed."
With that, she closed the door again and went to get dressed. She changed quickly into clothes that were still not quite fitting for matching those of the manor, but they were better than sleep wear. Dawning a long sleeved, burgundy shirt, and a long black skirt, Heart returned to the hallway while readjusting her ribbon.
"Is this suitable?" She asked.
On her wrist was the communicator she rarely took off, and around her neck was the sapphire. At her other wrist were the gear bracelet and wristband from her brothers.
The butler gave a nod, and gestured with a white gloved hand for her to follow him. "This way please, madame and her young ward awaits you."
With that, the dog escorted Heart through the mansion, leading her back to the dining hall she was in the night prior. At the head sat Lucille, wearing a crimson gown that was flowing even on her figure.
"Good morning shugah! Please, take a seat, Ah hope ya like crepes." She motioned to the seat to her right, with a covered plate in place. To Lucille's left, Samantha sat eagerly devouring a her breakfast.
Heart did as instructed, taking her seat and being as polite as possible for her hostess. She did smile when she saw the kitten, giving a pleasant wave to her. At the wrist of that hand, was the communication device, and only now did she see the good morning message waiting to greet her. She made a quick reply with a bit of ease washing over her, before saying, "Thank you again for all of this."
"Oh, it's nothing hun! Ah just hope ya are enjoying yaself here." Lucille answered, delicately cutting a portion of her breakfast.
"Gooph morninph!" The kitten exclaimed, before her Aunt waggled her finger at her.
"Manners deary, one doesn't speak with a full mouth, and don't eat so fast that ya can't savor it."
At this, the young girl swallowed, and repeated herself. "Good morning!"
"Much better hun."
Heart stiffled a giggle, trying hard not to encourage the small child in the wrong direction. "Good morning, kiddo," she greeted as she thought of how much she missed Nosedive now. Still she smiled and introduced herself, "I'm Heart Flashblade, it's nice to officially meet you."
Wiping abit of strawberry sauce from her mouth, the little witch smiled. "I'm Samantha! Nice to meet you too Miss Flashblade! I heard you can do magic! I can do magic too! Well... I'm still learning, but I can show you!"
"Tut tut sweetie, no magic at the dining table. Ya know what happened last time... the noodle incident..." Lucille chimed in, before leaning over to give Sammy a pat on the head.
"I'm still learning too," Heart replied, "it's exciting isn't it? What kind do you make?"
Sammy nodded rapidly. "Yu-huh! Aunty Lucy's been teaching me and helping me learn how to use it! And... umm... I'm not really sure yet! I can make dancings balls of light, and I can make things float, and make things that aren't really there, and and an-" The kitten began to sputter off, her mouth moving faster than her brain can keep up. Lucille gave a chuckle, before dabbing her lips with a handkerchief.
"Mah dear Samantha is still finding her footing with magic, but she certainly does show great promise."
"That's incredible. I have trouble with the few things I've become intuned with," she winced slightly at her own pun, "You see, my music can heal, or so I've found. And this," Heart gestured at the sapphire, "Seems to give off some sort of electricity. When it was given to me, I was told it must have bonded with me to even give off a spark in the first place."
She thought back to when she'd first used it, forcing a smile to not alarm the nearby kitten.
"Ooooh cooool!" The witchen said with awe sparkling in her emerald green eyes. A clock began to chime, signaling it was now on the hour, to which Lucille turned towards the young girl. "Ya better finish up now deary, Ah believe Geoffrey has your lessons ready for ya, and ya don't want to keep him waiting."
Heart watched as the white furred child finished her meal and went to the lessons awaiting her. This left Heart to eat her own meal beside the Madame, while every so often glancing at the communicator to see nothing added. Giving up for the moment, she enjoyed her meal while committing to memory where she had been in the manor so far, and how to find those places without an escort.
Taking the last bite of her meal, Lucille placed her utensils down, crossed across the plate. Momentarily, a servant came up to take it away, along with Samantha's plate. "So, when would ya like our lessons to begin dear? Would ya prefer to take a few days to rest up, or shall we get started?"
"Oh, I guess that's up to you?" Heart replied as she finished her breakfast, being sure to swallow her last sip of milk before speaking.
"You're the teacher, after all," Heart mentioned, "So I am at your mercy, so to speak."
With a little smirk to that last comment, Lucille pulled herself up. "Very good ya feel that way. Come with me, and Ah would like to see just what ya can do in person."
"Alright," Heart replied as she followed behind the Madame.
When they reached their destination, Heart stepped aside and changed via the sapphire once again. This time she requested the stealth based outfit from the job she had recently been on. She looked to her instructor, "What do you want to see first?"
She had brought Heart to the parlor, a glass chandlier over head and several chairs and lounges pulled away to the walls, barring one that sat at the edge of the carpet. Lucille took a seat, before intertwining her fingers together and leaning forward, "Now... ya said ya magic can change ya appearance... what's the limits of that now?"
Heart glanced down at what she had changed into, "It seems to gift me attire, catering to what I need. Though it also seems to fool others that aren't aware it's me, sort of cloaking me with some sort of aura. The order didn't know who I was when they saw me in my normal attire, despite having just gotten a hold of me several minutes prior."
She was trying her best to explain it, without giving too much details on who else it nearly fooled.
Giving a nod, she closed her eye, as if in thought. "Tell me... while it disguises who ya are... can ya change who ya look like?"
"I don't believe so, the aura seems to mask me instead," Heart replied, "I guess I could change my hair color or add different shades to my feathers, things like that."
"Hmnmm... very well then. And ya said ya can control electricity? Can ya do a little.. demonstration?" With that, Lucille snapped her fingers, and Stryx emerged from the door, with a table lamp in hand. He placed it on the table, and offered the plug to Heart.
Heart took the plug in hand and tried to focus on it, causing the lamp to flicker on and off as she did. Although, other nearby lamps would also lower in brightness before turning fully on again. Then she stopped, "I'm still getting used to it." She placed the plug on the table beside the lamp, "During the incident, I sent a bolt at Duke's attacker, but I think adrenaline took care of that."
"Hmmm..." The cat replied, mulling things over. "That can be rather useful... now finally, ya said ya can heal the injured with ya music? Stryx... if ya would deary..." The owl gave Lucille a nod, before heading over to a set of drawers. Pulling it open, he placed his hand within it... before slamming it shut on his fingers. Despite how painful it looked, his face betrayed no sign of suffering or even discomfort.
Heart still jumped at the abrupt injuring of the owl. She tried to then compose herself, walking over to the feathered figure and looking over his hand. She tried to humm a tune, attempting to summon the magic that had healed before. Yet this faltered abit at first, before she saw the bruising trying to form on his fingers. At this, as she sang a soft lyric or two, the bruising washed away as though it had never been there.
"Please don't hurt yourself again," she did requested politely when she was done.
At the sound of her magic, the owl's fingers would start to mend. Flexing them, he gave a nod to Heart. "Thank you, Miss Flashblade." Followed by one to the dame.
"Indeed, thank ya hun! Ah just needed to see it work in person. Ah must admit, sometimes my methods may seem a tad... unusual, but, do trust in the fact there is a reason for what Ah do."
"Still, I don't know how often I can do this," Heart replied, "It seems to come and go. Fortunately it's been reliable enough in more dire circumstances, but I don't want anyone just hurting themselves to test it out." She now stood, facing Lucille, "So this is what I can do thus far. The electricity based magic has been useful for utility use, such as shutting down the lights when the order had me, and.." she paused carefully, "and hiding me during that."
"Very good. Now... tell me shug, ya mentioned reliability... do you know of anything that may offset ya abilities? Anything that could be used against ya?" The cat asked, taking note of everything Heart stated.
Heart thought back to the times before, "Not that I am aware of. Even if I can't sing, any sort of music made by me could heal another, whether I humm, drum my hands, or even snap my fingers. As for the electricity magic, I was told this necklace once belonged to a storm dragon and it's power bonded with it, and now me. If anyone took it, it wouldn't work for them; but I don't intend on letting that happen to begin with. The aura does allow those that know it's me to see past it, such as you, my two partners, my brothers, and..." she caught herself, "my friends."
Stroking her chin, she took this in, "All in all, this is very useful hun. With this information, Ah think Ah can start to set up something for ya to test ya skills with... but for now, ya are dismissed. As Ah mentioned before, do make yaself at home."
"Thank you," Heart replied while changing back.
"Do you know what the next job might be?" She asked, "and may I ask why you need these items lifted for you?" Heart was barely aware of the terms she had naturally picked up from him.
"Oh, Ah'm still deciding on that... and as for why Ah need them... Ah simply just want to expand mah collection, and make sure they're in the hands of somebody who can... appreciate what they truly are."
"Like the mask in my family?" Heart inquired, venturing careful, "I mean, the order, the reason they got a hold of me in the first place, tried to take our family heirloom and destroy it. I managed to get it back and escape them, but they weren't thrilled about it. Since then it's been growing clearer that there are things in this world that need to be kept out of the wrong hands, like theirs?"
With a smirk, Lucille gave a nod. "Certainly hun... and don't ya fret, Ah understand the mask is in the right hands."
Heart was firm in her reply, not rude by any means, "Yes, as it belongs with my brother."
She gave a smile and said in a lighter tone, "Sorry, after what almost happened, I am a bit protective over it. My own magic was nearly the cost I paid trying to get it back. I do appreciate having someone else to talk to about this, that understands..." she stopped and took a breath, realizing it really had been a lot to take in within a short amount of time.
"They just don't get it," she added sharply, "Any of this. They just want to wipe it out because they don't understand it, or the good it can do. The mask was said to protect us against dangerous foes, my magic can heal others, and saved his life, but they would never see it that way."
Lucille took a very quiet moments, before she took a deep breath, and responded. "It's simple really... they don't understand it... and what people don't understand, they fear, and fear fuels hate... and to justify their hate, they claim to have some noble cause behind them."
"There are those out there far more noble that don't wear shining armor," Heart retorted before taking another deep breath, trying to ignore what else almost happened that night. Though it was clear this event fueled her resolve, bringing her to be where she was standing at the moment.
The cat gave a nod, before getting up from her seat. "Sadly it is a rare few these days... infact, it's always been rare... Now, if ya will excuse me, Ah do have some personal business to attend to. Do enjoy the rest of ya day, and Ah will see ya at dinner deary."
Heart gave a nod, shaking herself from her frustration. Once left alone, she began to explore the massive home, trying to map it in her head. While she looked upon portraits, she began to wonder what her own family was up to. Later on she would call to check in of course, but it was far different from being across the hall of their apartment. Though as she wandered, she also found her head doing the same, thinking in detail over the night leading her decisions. The echoing halls didn't bring any further comfort, until they rang with a signal from her wrist.