A/N: Huzzah! Yet another chapter. With the omission of school from my life for the next few months, I've had more free time than ever. So the better to write new chapters. This one has a lot of Son of a Witch references. Well, places. If you've read it, good for you, you'll have a better idea of what's going on. If not, it's your loss. The better to read it before it's too late. Abasement is a word, it means mortification. If you don't know what that means, then, well . . .then I feel mighty sorry for you. Well, not really. Also, for your larks, I've put in a certain line that comes from the book. Guess it and you get extra ice cream points!
Disclaimer: C'est n'est pas a moi, mes amis.
On the next month, at the end of the day, I was casually strolling through the crowded halls with Celina, who, apparently, had nothing better to do, when we bumped into a short boy--who I guessed to be a Munchkin--who burst into apologies when he saw Celina. He introduced himself as Qor of Nether How. When he noticed me, his eyes widened an a look of shock and slight excitement came upon his face.
"I know you!" He exclaimed, making me wonder where he possibly could have seen me. Of course, there was no mistaking me with someone else. My particular skin colour wasn't one you spotted every day.
"How could you possibly know me?" I inquired, despite my ponderings. Then, without being able to bite it back, "I don't know you." I sighed in exasperation. Of course. A five year old's logic. What was even more vexing was that it made him chuckle.
"Don't you remember? Our elementary school? You flung that boy across the room-" He pressed, and when I scowled at the memories, he stopped. "But that was before. Long time no see, Miss Fae."
"Miss Faba? How charming!" Celina interrupted. "Is this a childhood nickname that's been developed?"
"You can't know me." I said to Qor, despite the inevitable truth. "Master Qor of Nether How? I don't recall." I was lying through my teeth, and he knew it well.
"Of course you do! You lived in, what was it called, Apple Press Farm. With your father . . .er . . ."
"Liir." I sighed, wary of this conversation already.
"Yes, him. Your mother, Candle, I think, came to visit occasionally."
"Candle?" Celina put in. "Isn't that a Quadling name?"
"Of course it is, Miss Celina, how could I ever doubt." I said to her before turning to Qor. "Now that you've reminded me of my lovely childhood, I'll remind you of yours. You were made, not born, from a potion of frog's legs, blood, and mud. You came out a disgusting old boar, but were taken to an old hag who spelled you to a human. Now you avoid genuinely beautiful girls at all costs, with only minor exceptions, because if a girl such as that so much as breathes on you, you will shatter into a thousand muddy pieces."
"Miss Fabala, watch your mouth!" Celina exclaimed, and promptly hid herself behind her sapphire glasses.
"Oh, who minds, at least his childhood was more eventful than mine. I grew up in the Vinkus and am accustomed to having sand in my shoes. Miss Celina here grew up in Gillikin, so you'll be far better off talking to her. Lovely dreams, all." And with that, I turned on my heel and stomped off to my dorm without a glance back, though I heard them bursting into conversation despite the din.
Later that night, I heard Celina enter our dorm with a clatter. I pretended to sleep, snoring a bit too loudly to be true. The clatter grew louder, and I heard her yell. I whirled around and saw her standing there, a satisfied smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She was smarter than she appeared to be. Despite my enthusiasm at her finally showing evidence of possessing a functioning brain, I fixed a scowl on my face and grumpily asked,
"Was that entirely necessary?"
"In fact it was, because you being the horrid thing you are, wouldn't respond, or even stir at any other sound." She replied, and smoothed her skirts as she neatly placed her rear on her quilted bed. "Qor told me you had other siblings. Care to share?"
"Why didn't you just press him for answers instead of tricking me into notice you in the middle of the night? It could have saved you a lot of bother."
"Because once he started prattling on about a number of things I can't recall, I couldn't stop him. He was like a wind-up toy." She said irritatedly, and I had to bite the inside of my lip hard so I wouldn't chuckle.
"Fine. I assume if I don't tell you now you'll wheedle it out of me soon enough." I finally agreed, and at my statement, she nodded to confirm my beliefs. So I continued. "I'm not about to tell you everything, because it might not be what you want to know. And I don't want to bore Miss Celina, would I? So I insist: ask away any questions that have been bothering you these past few hours." When I finished, it was as if a dam had broken in her mouth. Which made me regret my giving her the almighty permission.
"What's your older sister's and younger brothers' names, and how old are they?" Of course. The obvious question.
"My older sister's name is Lillanie, she's twenty-two. Moonshine is fifteen and Dolner is four."
"Okay. . .are any of them . . .um, er. . ." She mumbled, and I realized she was talking about my verdigris.
"Green? No. Lillanie's the charming, dusty rose colour that Quadlings are. Moonshine is pale as the moon, hence the name, and Dolner is a rather tanned colour without the help of the sun, almost brown."
"Ah." She nodded. "Why doesn't your mother stay at your home?"
"She's busy helping out at the Cloister of Saint Glinda, the mauntery. And the interrogation ends here, because my eyelids are getting heavier and heavier, and if I don't take care, they might fall off. Fresh dreams." I said. I fell back onto my bed, in my nightclothes this time. As my head touched my pillow, I yawned and fell asleep.
The next day I was out picking cherries for my taste when I spotted Qor up in the branches of the tree. I wondered what he was doing up there, especially off Briscoe Hall. His earthy brown hair was moving with the wind, and he was looking towards the girls' dorm windows. He hadn't noticed me.
"What are you doing up there?" I asked, startling him for a lark. He shook the whole tree as he fell lower and lower until he was on the ground beside me, twitching as if having a severe seizure.
"Wonderful." I continued, not bothering to pity him. "The trees are generous this year. Were you examining the rosy-cheeked cherries to see if they were spoiled or not?" He huffed and got up, brushing off himself.
"Yes, I was picking out the fresh ones from the spoiled ones." He said reluctantly, playing along with my pitiless game.
"Did you spot a cherry you favoured?" I questioned, pressing on.
"My cherry shall remain my cherry and mine alone, to no one else's knowledge." He replied, scowling.
"If you were to tell me, I could invite her here. Or, if you prefer the yelling of a housemaid to a conversation with your cherry, then a meeting with the lovely, currently cranky cook can be arranged. Both would give me something to do." I stated simply, and he sighed, defeated.
"Fine. Could you invite Miss Celina here sometime?" He asked, and I realized that that was who his cherry was.
"Alright then, but you'll be in my debt." I replied, and wheeled around smirking, and trudged down the pathway.
After four days of pressing Celina to meet Qor by the cherry tree, she finally agreed. So I dragged her there--figuratively, of course--on Saturday afternoon, while her Ama Yutt was out. Qor came promptly, no surprise there. I was sitting on one of the branches in the tree, swinging my bare feet to and fro. Qor prattled on about mushy things. Eventually, I decided if I were to chaperone them, I might as well listen.
". . .so I bravely ask you to-" Qor was saying.
"Brave?" I interrupted. "You're about as brave as Miss Celina's beaver-fur hat over there, cowering beneath her almighty wrath." Celina glared at me from her perch, and I clamped my lips shut, although reluctantly.
"As I was saying," Qor continued, "before we were so rudely interrupted, I bravely ask you to commit to some sort of a relationship with me that won't vex you endlessly."
"But it will vex her endlessly, and you know it." I put in, and it was his turn to send me a glare.
"Master Qor, I cannot commit to a relationship when we come from such distant places. We are far to different." Was Celina's excuse. "I come from the lovely Gillikin, whereas you were raised in the sandy, deserted Vinkus."
"See?" I said to Qor, refraining from childishly sticking my ruby-red tongue out.
"But Miss Celina, differences attract each other. You are the stars and the moon, the sun and the rain, the pfenix taking flight, the ornate butterfly spreading its delicate wings-"
"This sounds rehearsed." Now they both glared at me. Qor continued his ranting.
". . .the colourful autumn leaves swaying in the wind. Miss Celina, if you cannot agree to my request, I will surely die of longing."
"Or of abasement." I said, just as Ama Yutt came into the yard. Of course. Dear Miss Celina had jinxed it when she said she was out.
"What are you all doing here, duckies? And you?" She asked, pointing an accusing finger at Qor.
"I'll be going now." He said hurriedly, and marched back to Briscoe Hall.
"Don't let me catch you being here again, duckies." Ama Yutt warned as I jumped off the tree, miraculously landing on top of my boots, but squashing them in the process, and I put them on, then stomped back to Crage Hall while Ama Yutt was busy lecturing Celina about roaming around with boys.