Lucca and Magus were sitting in the den, or rather, one of them, and had been doing so for hours. Magus seemed content enough with this, as he had a rather large book to occupy his time with, but Lucca did not have such a luxury, and was currently sitting upside-down in a chair in hopes that it would either alleviate her boredom, or that the blood rush would render her unconscious. She had already been staying with Magus for two weeks, and she couldn't believe how dull it was, and today it was somehow worse. The silence stretched on, and Lucca, having nothing better to do, stared with curiosity at the man before her. The minutes ticked by, and after what seemed like an eternity, Lucca made a rather studious observation.
"You know…from this angle, it actually looks like you're smiling. It also looks like you're hanging off the ceiling, but at least you're smiling."
Receiving no response except a slight twitch of the eyebrow, Lucca sighed. After a few more minutes of silence, she began to bob her head to some unheard song. Magus, still ignoring her, turned the page of his book, a noise so out of place amidst the silence that had gone unbroken for so long, with the exception of Lucca's random bit of conversation, that it seemed unnaturally loud. This, of course, did not go unnoticed by Lucca, and, fearing that the silence would break what little was left of her sanity, she began to hum.
It started off quietly. So quiet, in fact, that Magus wasn't entirely sure he was hearing it. As the minutes ticked by, however, it steadily grew louder. Determined to keep reading and not let Lucca have the upper hand, Magus continued to ignore her. The humming went on, and was soon joined by the sound of her tapping her feet together to the beat of her song, causing him to dig his fingers into the aged binding of his book, leaving slight indentations in the leather. When that didn't seem to be quite enough to appease her, Lucca started to drum her hands against her stomach at alternate times of her feet tapping, all the while still humming her tune. A tune that Magus was starting to think he should know.
Finally, Lucca replaced her humming with actual words, and Magus realized with a sense of horror what it was.
"I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves. I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves and this is how it g-"
A loud shattering sound echoed throughout the room and down the hallway as a vial of something- Lucca tried not to think of what it might be- that was standing on top of the table next to her exploded, sending shards of glass everywhere. Startled, Lucca fell out of her chair with a yelp, landing flat on her back and almost knocking the wind out of her. It was only after her initial shock had subsided that she thought to look at Magus, and noticed that a rather smug look had been pasted onto his face.
"Jeeze, you could have just asked me to stop you know," she said, rising up off the floor with a slight grimace as she rubbed her now sore back. "You didn't have to try to give me a heart attack."
Magus, still trying not to acknowledge her existence, turned another page, but it didn't get by Lucca that his smirk had grown even nastier. Dusting herself off, she was not on her feet for long before a dizzy spell overcame her. Coupled with the severe head-rush she was experiencing as a result of sitting upside-down in the chair for so long, it was enough to make her fall backward. Right onto Magus' lap.
At first she hadn't noticed where she was, due to the fact that she still had black dots dancing behind her closed eyelids. However, when they cleared and she opened her eyes fully, it was to the face of a very annoyed Magus. Narrowing his eyes at her, he looked her straight in the eye, glaring for all he was worth.
"Um," she stated, trying desperately to find something to say. Her inability to do so was not only due to the fact that Magus being angry made it very hard to think of a way to defend oneself, but also his close proximity, and exactly where she was, made all thought leak out of her as she remembered the…events that had brought her here in the first place. So, paralyzed as she was, she could only continue to stare at him.
Of course, Magus was never one to be unable to say what he needed to.
"If you're quite through staring, Lucca. Get. Off."
Breaking out of her stupor, Lucca hastily scrambled off of him, nearly falling again in the process. As she pointedly looked in any direction that wasn't his, she noticed that the substance inside the vial that Magus had broken had eaten away at part of the table.
"Well, gee. Nice way to way to ruin your furniture, genius," she spat, furiously trying to hide her blush as she walked over to get a closer look at the damage. As she did so, she noticed that there was a small, slightly furry, gray ball in the middle of the ruined wood. Though it was against her better judgment to do so, Lucca tried to pick it up, only to find that it was thoroughly stuck to the table.
Looking back over her shoulder to ask Magus what it was, she suddenly felt something wrap firmly around her finger. Letting out a small shriek, Lucca jumped backward, wrenching her finger out of the little thing's grasp.
"What is that thing?" She asked, holding her hand protectively to her chest and staring at the seemingly harmless ball on the table. Magus, who had already risen from his seat to keep Lucca from falling again-though this act had gone unnoticed since her mind was occupied with other matters-strode calmly over to the table and the tiny ball on top of it.
"Ah," he said after a while. Lucca noticed that he kept his hand far away from it though. "It's a Rolly egg."
"That's a Rolly egg?" she exclaimed, staring warily at what she considered her attacker.
"It would appear that the fluid in that vial was preserving it, and now that it's out, it embedded itself into whatever it could to keep itself from rolling away."
"But why did it grab me?" she asked, still not trusting it.
At that, Magus sneered, and Lucca didn't like the looks of it.
"Well, it had to identify its new mother."
"Its new what?" she shouted, unable and unwilling to comprehend what he had just said. "Why would I be its mother? I had nothing to do with it! I didn't even know what it was!"
"It's simple. Rollies identify their parents while they are eggs by touching them. It makes it so they'll know who their parents are when they hatch. Once the egg knows someone as their parent, it will follow them around until they die, a bit like birds do. That's why Imps always had them." Taking a quick glance at the Rolly egg sitting so innocently on his table, he sneered again before saying, "I pity it, actually, for choosing you."
"Excuse me?" She exclaimed, temper flaring up immediately.
"Face it," Magus began, arms crossing over his chest while he looked down on her, "you're not exactly mother material."
"No. I'm not," she said, eye twitching slightly, "but I'm going to have to learn soon, now aren't I?" She yelled, pointing at her abdomen. That simple reminder was enough to wipe the smug look off of his face, and Lucca was glad to see it go. If it hadn't, she probably would have smacked it off. However, such a reminder was also enough to make the room lapse back into silence, and this time it was heavy with awkwardness.
"So," she said after a few minutes, clearing her throat, "how long until it hatches?"
"A few months," he began matter-of-factly, as if nothing had been said to make him uncomfortable. " It will depend on the weather, really, and how cold or warm it is. Since it's fall right now, I wouldn't expect it to until mid spring."
"Great," she sighed, wondering how long it had been since she had her hair cut last as she blew a stray strand out of her eyes. "Just what I need. A clingy pet." Quickly glancing at it, she noticed it quiver slightly, and she couldn't help but feel a little queasy at the sight. "Do I have to do anything to it, or does it grow on its own?"
"The egg will grow on its own, but the Rolly itself will need constant attention." He said, putting his book back on the shelf. Turning back to her, he smirked again before saying, "You see why you shouldn't touch things when you don't know what they are?"
"I'm not the one who broke its container, now am I?" She said defiantly, hands placed firmly on her hips.
"And I wasn't the one singing that obnoxious song." Leaving it at that, he strode out of the room, pausing only long enough to say, "Coming, Lucca? Or have you figured out the castle yet?"
Knowing there would be no further discussion on the matter, she gave the egg one last glance before following him out of the room. As she watched him walk down the corridor, back straight and head held up high in a way that was supposed to show his superiority, only one thought ran through her mind.
It was going to be a long seven months.
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"C'mon, Crono! Hurry up"
A young woman, strawberry-blonde and positively bubbling with energy, bounded across the field and toward the bridge that connected the mainland to the small island that held Lucca's house. Stopping at the foot of the bridge, she turned around and yelled to the young man following her. "We haven't seen Lucca in forever. And I have to let her know how the wedding's coming along!"
The young man she was pestering was currently trying to balance several boxes, while simultaneously trying to keep up with his over-eager fiancé.
"It's only been two weeks, Marle," Crono replied, catching a box before it could fall to the ground and placing it at the top of his pile. With a frown, he added, "And did you have to bring so much material? Wouldn't a few scraps have been fine?"
Giggling as she watched him struggle with the boxes, Marle reached up and grabbed a few of the one's on top.
"Well if someone hadn't insisted that it would be ungentlemanly to let the lady carry a few boxes, it wouldn't seem like so much." She said, giving him a coy smile. "Besides, this way she'll be able to see how the material looks when it's loose and flowing." Wrinkling her brow slightly and pouting, she continued. "And how can you say that it's only been two weeks? We never keep out of touch for that long."
"She's probably caught up in some invention of hers and doesn't even know that it's been two weeks. You know how she gets," he reasoned, though even he had to admit that two weeks was kind of long.
"Well, I'll feel better when I see her. Maybe we can help!" Marle exclaimed. At the mention of the word "help", though, Crono grimaced. He loved Lucca dearly and was always willing to give her a hand when needed, but the only help he could ever give was to be her personal gerbil.
Finally reaching the door, Marle knocked briskly on the door and waited for an answer.
"Besides," she said, readjusting the boxes in her arms, "Lucca could probably use a break if she's been working for two weeks straight."
The door opened, and both youths were surprised to see a very haggard and weary looking Lara on the other side.
"Hi, Mrs. Ashtear!" Marle exclaimed, giving the older woman one of her most beaming smiles.
"Hi," Crono echoed, trying his best not to let on that he was a little unnerved by Lara's appearance, which deviated greatly from her normal pristine and alert self. "We're here to see Lucca. Is she home?"
"Marle, Crono," she said, inclining her head slightly in greeting. "It's good to see you both again, but I'm afraid she's not here."
Crono and Marle exchanged glances, both surprised that Lucca wasn't at home since she rarely ever left. They were more concerned, however, about Lara's curtness toward them.
"Oh," Marle began, trying her best to seem pleasant and not at all concerned. "Do you know when she'll be back? I want to talk to her about our wedding."
"Oh, yes. Your wedding," Lara said thoughtfully, and Crono and Marle thought she would warm up to them again at that point. She was always so glad to hear that Lucca's childhood friend was getting married. However, her almost dreamy demeanor was replaced almost immediately with a scowl as she said something that confused them both. "At least you have your heads on straight and are doing the right thing before jumping into bed together." At this, Marle blushed, and Crono shuffled uncomfortably.
With a sigh, Lara added, "Anyway, I'm not sure when she'll get back, but…" she paused, almost as if she wasn't sure whether she should continue or not, "I'll let her know you came by." She added this last in a hurry, almost as if it pained her to say it. "Thank you for stopping by, but I really must be going now. Taban's not feeling well, and I need to get back to him. Good bye."
With that, she closed the door, not even giving the two of them a chance to return her good bye.
Later, as they walked down the path that led into Guardia forest, Marle finally voiced what had been on both of their minds since they had talked with Lara.
"What was that all about?"
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It was past midnight, and Lucca, greatly desiring cantaloupe, had made her way to the kitchen. Without getting lost, she was proud to say, completely ignoring the fact that her room was only a little ways down the hall. She was having trouble finding what she wanted, though, and was getting a bit grouchy during her search.
Even his stupid kitchen is huge, she thought with a frown.
"I know it's here," she mumbled to herself, tossing an orange to the side as though it had offended her. "I saw it this morn-Aha!"
Holding the cantaloupe up as though it were a prize, she quickly found the knives and proceeded to cut it open, almost greedily beginning to devour it once it was cut. After a couple bites, Lucca looked at the slice of cantaloupe thoughtfully.
"It's missing something…" she murmured, looking around the kitchen in hopes of discovering what it was she needed. Finally, she spotted it; garlic. A strange combination, she'd admit, but darn it if it didn't sound good!
Snatching it up, she began to literally dump garlic onto the cantaloupe. By the time she was through, the once full container was more than half empty. Biting into her creation, her face showed absolute bliss as she chewed, a little bit of juice dribbling down her chin.
"Mow vat 'its tha svot!" she exclaimed with a mouth full of melon. Still munching on her food, she sat down at the table. She was almost finished when Magus, who had obviously not slept at all, if the fact he was still dressed was any indication, but looked no worse for wear, entered the kitchen. Stopping, he looked at Lucca, then at her plate. He didn't say anything for a moment, only staring at Lucca's food while she continued to eat it ravenously.
"Is that…garlic?" he finally asked, eyes still focused on what sat before her.
"Uh-huh," she said after swallowing, not waiting very long before shoving another piece in her mouth.
"On a cantaloupe?" Now he was looking a little disturbed.
"Yup," she confirmed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Wan' shum?" she offered, holding a piece of it out to him.
Looking at the offending fruit as if it had sprouted a few heads, he replied with obvious disgust.
"Why would I want a piece of…that?"
Shrugging, she said, "Your loss," before shoving the last piece into her mouth. Satisfied with her meal, she pushed her plate away and sat back comfortably.
"So!" she chirped, obviously in a good mood now, "Why are you still up? The crickets scaring you?" She asked jokingly.
"I'm always up this late, Lucca. You're just too busy snoring to notice."
"Well, sor-ry, Mr. Grouch!" she snapped, picking her plate up and going over to the sink. "Normal people tend to actually sleep. I would have thought you would, too. Or are you just that much better than us?" Lucca asked while washing her dish.
"No, but when you spend most of your life avoiding being killed by the only things you can consider family, you get used to not sleeping," he said bitterly.
"…Oh," was all she could think of to say to that as an emotion that could be considered a mixture of guilt and pity sunk into her. Quickly drying her plate and putting it away, she turned back to him, biting her lower lip slightly.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered, not really knowing if she wanted him to hear or not. He did.
"Don't be," he ground out as a shadow passed over his features, making him look more like a demon than a man.
She hated to see him like that, angry and haunted by memories of his past. It did more than scare her when she saw just how inhuman he could be, it crushed her heart with pity. If he knew that, he would probably be angry, saying he didn't need her pity and he would shut himself away even more. She didn't want that, because as much as she hated what happened to him as he thought about his past, she loved that he would tell her about the things he tried to bury away, rare as such tellings might be. She didn't understand why she did, it just seemed important. His inner torment was enough to make her want to cry at times, so she couldn't imagine what it was like for him.
"You're staring again, Lucca." His words cutting through her thoughts, she blushed slightly at being caught thinking about him.
"Oh, um…you, uh, have something on your face?" It was more of a question than a statement, and she turned around quickly so that he couldn't see the lonely tear that rolled down her face unbidden.
"Hmph. We both know that's not true," Magus said, getting up and crossing his arms over his chest. "You just like to stare," he added with a smirk.
"I do n -Ack!" While she was trying to whirl around to face him again, her feet got tangled up in each other, and she fell forward. To her great surprise, Magus caught her.
The way he caught and held her was almost like an embrace, and she couldn't help but get butterflies when she was in his arms. Looking up, their eyes locked, and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to wipe away the shadows that swirled in the crimson depths of his eyes. He must have seen something in her eyes, too, because his face softened just slightly and the shadows became less prominent.
He shifted her in his arms so she was more directly in front of him, and she was certain that he was going to kiss her. She wasn't sure what brought it on, but he had the same look on his face as he had many a time when they kissed that one last, almost desperate kiss before parting ways in the mornings. It was the look that made her believe she might just be able to help him. His head lowered slightly, and anticipation swirled in her stomach.
Or at least she thought it was anticipation. Jerking back just before their lips met, Lucca's hastily eaten meal came back up. And went onto Magus' boots.
Inwardly groaning, his thoughts were similar to what Lucca's were earlier that day.
It was going to be a long seven months.
A/N.: And there you have it! Chapter six. And I was evil about it, too. No kissing yet, you two! Man, this took forever to get out, huh? Unfortunately, that might be how it is for awhile, because, as it says in my profile, I am currently getting ready for college. …Someone hold me. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chappie, I sure had fun writing it. I'm not sure exactly why I did, it just seemed like it was more fun. Please, please, please don't be mad at me. I don't mean to take so long. But I love you all for being patient! Anyway, review, please! I'll love you always and forever if ya do. Well, more, anyway. :D