Since that moment in the fortune room, Menat's mind tended to wander to places, it hadn't been in before. Something more intimate but mostly in the realm of blissful happiness. Her feelings for Charlie started as fascination and curiosity but eventually transformed into something deeper.
There was no one like him; cool, clever, and kind with a warmness to him. Menat would gladly be the person who embraced that warmth in his heart. The place from which he came was cold and dark, but she'd do her very best to light the way for him. She'd be good for him? She hoped so! She was willing to bet, he could be good for her too.
The fluffy clouds of beatitude which Menat found her head flying amongst quickly vanished when Rose tossed some water in her face. Momentarily, she sat disoriented until she saw her mentor with an empty glass in her hand, water dripping from its edges.
"Welcome to earth, dreamer. Now would you please fetch Maggio? We have a meeting to attend," Rose pursed her lips, subtly annoyed as she put the glass down and began setting up the coffee machine, which only went to good use for special occasions. A meeting with a representative from the Divination Association was one such occasion. For good measure, she filled a kettle with water for tea.
Oh yes! That meeting! Menat never remembered to ask Rose what the meeting specifically was about. Or why it was important that she and Maggio had to join. Normally, it was just a choice because said meetings simply discussed events or happenings in the community.
Rose was pretty well-respected, having risen through the ranks for her years of diligent work, facing the menace that was M. Bison and generally being a valuable member. She was not quite at the same level as the chairman or members of the Association's board but rumors often mentioned, it was only a matter of time before she'd join their ranks.
What a dream it must be to join the upper echelon of the divination community. Maybe that was what the meeting was about! Menat instantly gathered herself before racing out of the kitchen and towards Maggio's room. Without knocking, she flung the door open, startling her fellow apprentice, who lay on the bed, reading a ''certain'' magazine, he kept hidden under his pillow.
He nearly fell over the edge of the mattress, throwing his pillow at Menat when she ducked and announced. "It's happening! Get dressed!"
She didn't stay to make sure he did so in a timely fashion, closing the door and rushing down the hallway again, descending into the wine cellar and its other room. Curiously, or not so, Maggio had given a doormat to Charlie that read ''Knock first or fuck off''. Menat couldn't help but bristle every time she saw it.
Of course, she didn't knock, forgetting about it in her quest. She opened the door and skipped inside, seeing Charlie stand by one of the shelves to rearrange the objects, he had accumulated over time.
"You should probably stay clear of the kitchen for the next hour or so. It's happening," Menat stepped closer to him, her eyes falling onto the snow globe next to an Ouija board, still in its box. Charlie nodded and pulled her close, gently, quickly, and kissed her. He tended to do that when she least expected it. The need to say screw it and just stay with him became nearly overwhelming, surging like molten iron the second his mouth closed over hers.
Unfortunately, it was over too soon, but probably for the better. The way, he looked at her filled her body with warmth as she was fairly certain that he had been the first person to look at her like that. Menat smiled and cupped her face, feeling very blissful to face the day but slightly worried that her lovesickness would cause her to zoom out during the meeting.
"You better hurry," he said as he finished the rearrangement, a faint but easy smirk resting on his face.
"Will do, soldier!" Menat did a salute and Charlie nearly dropped the snow globe, parting his lips to say something, only to sigh when she skipped out of the basement with a smile and a wave.
Soon, she was back in the kitchen, seeing Maggio and Rose seated by the dinner table. And the representative. He was a tall older man with a hard expression and a steely gaze hidden under glasses. Menat had seen him when he was slightly younger and had blonde hair instead of white.
In some alternative universe, he could have been Charlie's father. That thought was enough to ease Menat as she sat down, greeting the man with a nod while she served some tea for herself. The representative wasted no time getting things started, pulling his briefcase onto the table and opening it.
"Now that we are all gathered, I think it is best if we get into the thick of things immediately. It's about a complaint filed against you. Moreso your apprentices," he said with no emotion whatsoever as he put a stack of paper on the table, next to his coffee cup.
He passed the papers to Rose who picked them and skimmed through the details. Meanwhile, Menat and Maggio sat frozen, frightened with the former folding her hands into her lap, staring down at the table. Her chipper mood seemed to crumble into anxiety.
Who could have been filing a complaint about her and Maggio specifically?
"Abusive, unethical, and inappropriate behavior…?" Rose looked up from the paper, raising a brow that spoke volumes of skepticism.
Ignoring her disbelief, the representative leaned back in his chair, hands firmly clasped together in front of him. There was no emotion in his face or voice as he responded. "Yes. Vega never goes into details so on behalf of the board, I'm here to hear your side of the story and perhaps find a way to fix your professional relationship with him. This is to ensure he will sponsor us again."
Rose had always been good at hiding her emotions. Despite her skepticism, she maintained a professional and dignified disposition, even as she challenged the representative's reasoning. "I thought we could do without his founding."
That was not a question, more so a stated fact like she was echoing the Association's own words right in its face. Whatever the representative thought of this confrontation, was hard to determine but he wasn't too keen on facing the steely gaze from Rose and so he shifted his eyes to Maggio and rested on Menat, who felt as if he was outright targeting her.
It had to be like that if Vega of all people had been the one to file the complaint. All in all, a complaint should always have been in relation to divination or something, not personal squabbles. To think Vega would do something so petty was almost comical if Menat didn't feel so affronted.
"We can but its absence is felt. We believe that something severe must have occurred since it offended him so," the representative said and Menat felt the intensity of his stare.
She shuddered as she recounted the encounters with Vega, the date, for lack of a better word, its sabotage, the fight with Charlie, and the phone call that went horribly. By the end of it, she found herself shaking, not quite able to portray the emotionless mystique and grace like Rose no matter how much she tried.
The representative kept staring at her, unwavering, scrutinizing. For longer than what was comfortable, he did not say a single word to her tale, and the silence was allowed to drag on. Not that this entire situation wasn't awkward, to begin with.
"Yeah, but Vega is a cock-not a nice person! It wasn't Menat's fault that he laid a move on her and then picked a fight with our friend!" Maggio, the holy angel of mercy and protection, interjected but cowered under the weight of a stern stare from the representative.
"The complaint would suggest otherwise. If you wish to make up for your mistakes, meet with him personally and settle this matter. Do your best to endear yourselves to him this time," he said sharply.
To this, Rose began silently fuming. It was the way her jaw clenched as she put the paper down and her eyes seemed to darken. Menat had seen Rose annoyed many times before but rarely did she see the woman furious. Needless to say, it was a frightening sight. Rose's lips thinned a bit as she leaned forward, freezing displeasure laced in her voice. "Would it not be wiser to let me handle this?"
"Not unless they fail. As the complaint is launched against them specifically, the board found it best to let them mend their mistake. Vega is willing to invite them to one of his estates nearby. Here's the address," the representative pulled out his briefcase again and retrieved a business card. He swapped it out for the stack of papers, gathering it and putting it neatly in his bag as if it was made from glass.
He left shortly thereafter, not even putting his cup in the sink, let alone drinking from it. After the meeting, there was an uncomfortably tense air in the kitchen as everyone went to wash up and ponder on the situation. Vega had invited them to his playboy mansion; Menat would be excited if it had been anyone else and for any other reason. Now she felt corrosive dread that ate away at her joy from earlier.
"Well, I guess I better go schedule bus tickets then…" Maggio muttered from the doorway, eventually shuffling his feet across the floor to take him to his room. Now alone with her mentor, Menat began to wonder how she should prepare and talk it out with Charlie. No way, Vega would let him come with them lest he was itching for getting punched in the face again.
History was doomed to repeat itself for those who never learned.
"Menat, I'd like you to call Charlie from his dungeon. There's something I wish to discuss with the both of you," Rose called her apprentice away from the realm of worrisome thoughts.
Menat stood for a moment, blinking, as the words registered. She nodded and headed out of the kitchen to the wine cellar. For once, the door wasn't closed and from its opening, she spotted Charlie sitting on the bed, nose deep in a book which struck her as familiar, although she didn't try to figure out the details.
He looked upwards from the pages, his expression mulling over how defeated she looked. Words didn't need to be expressed from then on out as he rose from the bed, leaving the book behind, and nearing her side. Menat let out a quick breath and took his hand, leading him from the basement to the kitchen where Rose stood, pondering the business card.
"I've been thinking about things. Soul Power no longer works on you, and you've changed" she said, once she looked at Charlie. He lingered, musing on the last few months.
"You'd be right," he said after a long pause. "I feel better regardless of if it's used or not."
"…Do you know the following quote; We feel most alive when we are closest to death?. I have a feeling that it's quite literal in your case."
The words felt like needles piercing Menat as she swallowed lest she let out a strained gasp. She shifted her gaze to an incredibly uncomfortable-looking Charlie. He ran a hand through his hair. "…I guess."
Silence filled the room for a bit before Rose turned her attention to her apprentice. "Menat, you must be aware of this too."
She was. She had been aware of this for ages. She tried to push it away, pretend it wasn't the truth, and enjoy the happiness she had found. Not face the fear of the inevitable.
"Charlie is my…friend," Menat said softly. He was more than just a friend but that was beside the point. "I am aware but I can't help but get worried, Master."
It was a miracle she managed to say that, let alone look at Rose directly as she felt like the world around her began to crumble. While obviously not as skilled as her mentor, she had somehow been efficient in hiding her emotions – she hoped. And yet, she had a sneaking suspicion she had been somewhat conspicuous. At least for Charlie as he posed a surprising question. "Hey, Rose. Mind giving us a moment? Alone?"
"Very well," Rose stood up from her chair, leaving the business card behind. From the sounds of things, she went upstairs, leaving Menat alone with Charlie. A tense silence settled in the Kitchen, interrupted by soft sobs by Menat when she couldn't contain herself anymore. She bit her lips, trying to keep her voice down, even as she stood, her entire body shaking.
"There's still time left…there's s-s-still…" she snapped her lips shut, closing her eyes as the tears streamed down her cheeks, falling onto the carpet and leaving dark spots. She knew this. She knew all of this, and it hurt all the same. It hurt too much.
Her restrained cries filled the room with the faded but fresh memory of the truth, which they had been so desperate to forget. A bitter pill of the inevitable. Menat felt herself sinking deeper into grief, only dimly aware of Charlie putting his hands on her shoulders.
"I tried to ignore it. If I could just pretend and push it away, I could be happy with you for a little while. But the thought of you gone…every day… ugh I hate it," she clasped her hand over her mouth, muffling her sobs as she trembled. There was nothing they could do about it, she ought to realize, even as it unraveled her from the inside out.
"You said you were gonna make it the best time ever, right? So continue doing what you do." Charlie traced her jaw and pushed her chin upwards.
"I…" her voice was brittle and quivering as if her throat snapped itself shut. And so, he pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her.
"Even if it's the end soon, at least we had some good times. So, thank you for that. I don't want to go either but if I do when the sun rises tomorrow, I can do it with an easy mind because you made me feel human," his hand stroked her hair then as Menat buried her face into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry… I guess Master's words just hit me hard because I didn't want to think about it. And now I can't stop thinking about it," she shuddered, feeling the urge to crumble where she stood.
"Nine of Wands – perseverance. Don't apologize. Stay strong and stay happy… there's still time so let's make it great. We're gonna live like it's the last day tomorrow."
Charlie shuffled a bit when Menat looked at him in surprise. "I read about the Minor Arcana."
For some reason, that made her happy in this bleak situation. She was quiet but her crying had not subsided. Still, she held onto him as if they'd be ripped apart at any moment. And right now, it felt like that.
"Thank you, Charlie. Guile wasn't kidding when he called you wise," she said gently, wiping away remnants of tears. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she was smiling again, even if it was a meek smile. Her heart was still bleeding but a little less so.
"Are you okay?" Charlie asked softly, brushing his thumb against her warm cheek, catching a stray tear in the process. He pulled her close then until their foreheads touched and she closed her eyes.
"Mm-hm. You're great. I'm so happy to be with you…" and that he was alive. Feeling the warmth of his body, the heat from his breath, the edge of the gem pressed against her forehead. His nerves twitched like every living creature. His presence was beyond reassuring. She wanted to bask in it for the time they had left. Enjoy every moment until the end.
"Oh my. Looks like I walked in on something," Rose's voice suddenly spoke from the doorway to the kitchen, causing Menat to jolt away from Charlie as if he had been magma. She jittered, looking at her mentor then at her…well, boyfriend, and then at the floor, heat rushing to her cheeks. A hand landed on her shoulder, pulling her towards Charlie's chest.
"You made her upset," he said as if trying to protect her from Rose of all people. For a moment, tension filled the air as Menat struggled with where she should look or what she should say. Silence passed, then interrupted by Rose chuckling, lighthearted and warm.
"It would seem that your relationship is much deeper than I thought it was. As long you two…uhm…" she paused and then shook her head. "Never mind. I hope you're happy together but if Maggio finds out, neither of you will ever live it down."
"Ah, Master…" Menat began, still unsure of what to say but for different reasons. In actuality, Rose's opinion had only been a minor worry but to hear her acceptance was a nice dose of sugar on top of this incredibly bitter day. The arm around Menat's shoulder was another splash of sweetness. Rose walked towards the sink and the paper towels, taking a piece, and handing it to her apprentice.
"Dry your eyes, Menat. Don't spend your quality time upset and think of the memories to be made."