To Vanilla- I have spent months on this, your review made me SO HAPPY! Leo is Nidas, but Isa isn't Calypso, she might be later, haven't decided yet! Isa is Louisa, an OC of mine, Percy's twin sister. Crazy Lady is another OC, but Sally will return, just not yet! :D
"I'm sorry I made you both jump."
"My heart stopped!" Angea despaired, feeling her chest. "It's gone, it's go- no, it's OK." She sighed and slumped, relieved in Bibi's hands. "Wait a moment," she sat up again, frowning, "what are you doing here?"
"I heard an imp crossed over and… well, I had a few questions." The fairy hunched her shoulders, tucking her hair behind her ear. Angea glanced up at Bibi, seeing a steady scarlet blush work its way under her skin.
"I would like to go home. My heart cannot take much more." She flew up to poke Bibi in the cheek. "Be careful." She whispered and then she was gone.
"A friend of yours?" The fairy asked, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.
"I… yeah. Um, why… uh…"
"My name is Lody."
"B- I'm Bibi." Lody smiled.
"It's nice to meet you, Bibi. Do you mind if I ask you about something?"
"Um…" Bibi glanced over her shoulder. She could just run for it, but… her feet would not move. The mark on her wrist, it seemed to prickle. Her instincts warned her that to leave now would prove disastrous.
"Do you have somewhere to be?" Lody asked, voice soft. Bibi looked back, swallowing nervously. Up close, she could see how blue her eyes were, vibrant like the sky on a clear day; she could see more freckles than she initially realised; her hair, long and fluffy, Bibi had to physically restrain herself from trying to touch it. Imps, by nature, loved fluffy soft materials. It made for excellent nesting and warmth.
"No, I-"
"Will you be in trouble?"
"Well… as long as I don't cross back, but… I'm sorry, I just…" She shook her head. "What… what did you want to know?" It was Lody's turn to check over her shoulder. Her right hand came up to remove a series of bracelets and bangles from her wrist.
"This showed up about three quarters ago. It is not Fae."
"No." Bibi sighed, feeling her heart sink. "No, that is Imp."
"What does it mean?" Lody implored earnestly. Bibi uncovered her wrist, holding it out. Surprise burst over the fairy's features. She moved her hand closer.
"No, wait-"
But it was too late. The marks, they lit up, a gentle blue. From their original framework, lines sprouted, adding in details quickly, a rush before the artist forgot again. From the branches, water droplets ran, dripping into a lake. Between the Fae Tongue, Impish appeared.
Transfixed, neither girl moved.
"Wh-? But you're…" Lody clamped her hand to her chest. "You're a girl."
"It's different this side." Bibi retied her gauntlet, struggling to maintain a neutral expression. "I don't know what the Fae Tongue says; without it, the Impish is too disjointed to understand."
"They lit up." Lody breathed. "They lit up and the picture filled in." Bibi nodded. She just wanted to go home now. "That makes us-"
"I know."
"But… why? Our people, it's… it's never exactly been friendly, has it?" Lody started toying with her hair again. Bibi folded her arms and huffed. "Did you cross to… to find me?"
"I crossed to find answers. Grah and his buddies took me to your queen."
"She let you go?"
"Apparently she knows my mother." At Lody's blank look, Bibi expanded. "A water imp, like me. Isa." Lody startled, hands flying up to catch a horrified gasp. At Bibi's confused look, she whispered between her fingers.
"You don't know?"
"Know… what?" Lody mumbled something, her eyes closed, almost like a prayer. The air around her rippled and Bibi recognised the effects of spellcasting.
"I cannot tell you, it is not my place."
"Was it bad?" Lody said nothing. Feeling panic beginning to settle in her ribs again, Bibi quickly changed the subject. "What do we now then? The marks say-"
"I was going to ask you that." She gave a nervous laugh. "Well, I guess… if we didn't cross over, it wouldn't hurt to… I don't know, maybe get to know each other?"
"Even though I'm a girl?" Bibi quirked a brow, silently amused as Lody flushed crimson.
"I… well, I've never… boys, they're just so…"
"Not girls?"
"Yes!" Lody nodded as if her life depended on it. Bibi smiled.
"Imps, we don't mind, male or female. Personally, I prefer female, but… that's just me. You fairies are stricter on that sort of thing, aren't you?"
"I couldn't tell anyone!" Lody fanned her face, pouting. Bibi's heart skipped a beat. Oh no, she thought, she's cute. "At least I don't have that confusing me anymore though. How am I going to tell Mother? Ooh, Father will not like this. What happens if a fairy crosses over?"
"I think there's a curse out here. Someone said something about a certain spell that pushes Imp magic into a fairy and drives them crazy." Lody blinked, mouth a small 'o'. "That, or you get pushed back over to your side." She shrugged. "Depends on who you ask."
"I don't think I want to ask now." Lody squeaked. Bibi hummed in agreement, ears twitching.
"Uh oh." She looked back, scanning the trees anxiously. "I have to go."
"Everything OK?"
"Mama is going to kill me. Um…" She looked back. Lody smiled, extending her hand. Bibi hesitated, taking it when Lody wiggled her fingers encouragingly. "Thank you." Bibi said. "For… not freaking out or… well, you seem so nice."
"Um… thanks? Why do you sound surprised?"
"No! I meant… fairies, they… they hate imps and Grah and that, they were… I mean, you… oh, please strike me down." Lody marvelled at this floundering imp before her and found herself giggling.
"Well, thank you for not destroying me. But can I have my hand back?" Bibi looked down and practically threw Lody's hand back at her in her panic. "Aw, you are adorable. Shall we meet up tomorrow? On the third late shift?"
"OK." Bibi said, not sure why her mouth was speaking against her.
"Bibi!" The call echoed through the woods now. Lody heard that time.
"How keen is an imp's hearing?"
"Bibi!" Closer still.
"Tomorrow." Bibi found herself saying. "It… was nice to meet you."
"You too." Lody beamed. "Now go!" Bibi blushed and took off. That fairy was going to be the death of her and she had only known her for five minutes.
She found her mother talking to a small group of dryads, picking at her lip irritably.
"Mama." Isa whipped round.
"Bibi! By the moon, where have ya been? Thank you." She said over her shoulder to the dryads. They tittered gleefully and disappeared. Isa set down her lantern and held her arms out. "We've been worried sick, ya stupid thing, come here." Bibi smiled, sweeping into her mother's hug. Isa squished her cheek against her daughter's hair. "If ya ever do this again, I'm gonna kill ya."
"Aw, ever the loving mother." Isa tightened her hold, Bibi felt some of her ribs click. "OK, OK, you win!" Isa set her down, recovering her lantern, keeping a firm hold on her daughter's arm. She stared at her, awaiting answers. "Um… I have a confession."
"Hide the body kind of confession or take out the witnesses kind?"
"What? No!" Bibi shook her head. "Mama, no!"
"Mama, yes."
"No, it's… um… OK, so you know how some things are out of our control?"
"Mmm…"
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"No reason. Continue."
"Well, my, uh… I've got a new mark, but… it's-"
"Show me." Isa prompted, letting her arm go. Bibi bit her lower lip. "I'm not gonna tease you, I promise. That's ya Papi's department." So Bibi showed her, heart pounding in her ears. Isa peered at it curiously, lifting the lantern up to inspect it. "When?"
"Three quarters ago."
"Where?"
"By the lake." Bibi pointed. Isa nodded, not following her point. "Mama, I… I crossed." Isa tensed then, eyes rolling up to fix on her daughter's face sternly. "I'm sorry, but… I needed to know."
"Ya could've asked me!" She said fiercely. "They'd've killed ya over there!"
"That's the thing, Mama. They didn't. Because they knew you." Whatever Isa had been going to say died on her tongue. Her anger melted away and she withdrew, tapping her fingers on her chin, eyes scanning the ground. "What happened, Mama? No-one would tell me, but they all seemed…" Scared. The word, unspoken, fell to the leafy mush under their feet.
"Did you find the fairy?"
"Wh-?"
"The fairy." She indicated the mark. "Did you find her?" Bibi nodded. "Well? What happened? How did she react? Did the marks light?"
"Yes, they did." Isa nodded, having expected as much. Feeling her question was being ignored, Bibi sighed. "Her name is Lody. She sings."
"What did you think of her?"
"She seems… nice." Bibi said distractedly, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks again. Isa smiled at this, but said no more on the subject.
"Come on. Let's get you home."
"I'm meeting her tomorrow."
"At the border?"
"My side of it. And her on her side." Isa nodded, swapping hands with the lantern. Bibi fell in step beside her. "Are you mad I crossed?"
"I mad ya didn't tell me."
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to cause any trouble."
"Bit late now, Bibi."
Next chapter might be a while as not quite finished with it yet! (I was working on future ones, don't judge me!)