Love's Entrapment
By: Sokai
Disclaimer: I, Sokai, do not claim ownership to the workings of W.I.T.C.H. - I leave that honor up to Elisabetta Gnone. Nor do I own Das doppelte Lottchen ("The double Lottie"), or, as it was later renamed, Lottie and Lisa, written by Erich Kästner. However, I can and DO claim to own this story, its inspired ideas FROM each aforementioned creation, in addition to any featured original characters - Specifically, Alazne and Kalila.
Note: Ohhh, my God. I'm BACK. Squeeeeeeee! HeHe Sorry for the massive, two year vanish, but MAN, has Life been super busy, and, in all honesty, really, really, REALLY stressful and 'dark' at times for me personally, although things are THANKFULLY finally a lot better! Well, still busy and stressful at times, but meh. What can ya do, ya know? =) I'm just glad my Muse is finally, FINALLY making sweet, sweet love to me again lately, so I've been able to return and hopefully update the rest of my stories (which have either been written out a while ago, or were always within my head for 'centuries,' but busy schedules and my Muse being cheeky and not helping me put it onto paper . . . er, computer, prevented things from moving forward)!
I was going to say more, but I am so freaking tired at the moment, so I'll probably just update my profile page, while letting you read this chapter! LoL
Oh! One more thing? Missed you, my Lovelies! =)
This chapter was created/written in November 2010, and re-edited in July 2016.
Chapter Two
Being a sleep-away camp for blossoming adolescents, an institution which was, for all intents and purposes, fairly modest at best, the sudden appearance of a rather lavish looking stretch limousine pulling up onto its grounds was an event in and of itself.
Further attention was being drawn from the camp's various, newly arrived inhabitants especially when the male driver hurriedly vacated from his seat and rushed to open the passenger side at the far right end of the vehicle in order to let out a young woman who, in all honesty, resembled a cross between that of a famous person, in addition to a Greek goddess of sorts.
Clad within a flowing, white colored floral one-shoulder chiffon dress, which beautifully contrasted against her olive skin, and wavy, shoulder length caramel tinted hair swept up into a loose bun and neatly hidden beneath a canary colored headscarf, the woefully out of place female truly did give off an air of ethereal ascension as she continued to effortlessly seize the attention of those around her . . . which, evidently, seemed to be quite all right with her, based upon the growing, confident smirk spreading across her flawless visage.
Of course, it also didn't hurt that she literally was a celebrity. . . .
Quickly placing an over-sized pair of fashionable sunglasses over her vibrant, teal colored eyes in order to further conceal her identity, she then placed one of her well manicured hands protectively against the blatantly protruding stomach upon her otherwise lithe frame, and smiled thoughtfully down upon it.
She then allowed her other, formerly free hand to be delicately enclosed within her patiently awaiting limousine driver's own, as he gingerly assisted her out of the vehicle.
"Thanks for that, Marshall – As always, good looking out," the brunette stated jovially with a soft, tired sigh, the previous smile upon her face growing larger within amusement at the blonde, uniformed male before her, as his pale face suddenly turned a bright red. "D'aww, no need for embarrassment and modesty, my good man. After all, you've been my trusty butler and friend for what, nearly four years now? The time for awkwardness and all that jazz has long been over! And besides, with Martin away on business and me steadily becoming the twin sister of a beached whale, thanks to this growing bump of mine, who else was going to help me waddle out of the car?"
"Um, hello? Another, fully able bodied human being sitting right here, thanks, Aunt Irma!" a young female voice suddenly coolly remarked from inside of the lavish transport, before the door of the left hand passengers side slowly opened up and a relatively tall, gangling looking preteen emerged from it.
"Hmm . . . good point! Then come on, then, Al, m'dear, and take over for poor Marshall one last time, before I reluctantly let you go to get lost within this kiddie jungle before us," the undeniably pregnant woman apparently known as Irma remarked with another smile, although her eyes quickly began to betray her as they became a bit glassy.
Clearly, the thought, the act of releasing her tomboy of a niece into the custody of this so called 'fine establishment' (as was advertised upon its website when she'd first learned of the younger girl's interest within going) was not sitting too well with her.
Sure, she had volunteered to drop the young 'tween' off in lieu of the girl's mother, although mainly so that it would be ensured that it'd be in style, thanks to Irma's fancy mode of transportation and growing celebrity status.
"Think of it as a great conversation starter!" was what had been the young movie actress and model's immediate reasoning toward the suggested gesture a few weeks ago, as soon as she had seen the look upon both her niece and her mother's face.
As though it had been quite the shocker, really.
While Al, or Alazne, had only known her surrogate aunt for twelve, soon to be thirteen years, her mother had known Irma for nearly double that, and was, by now and by 'rights,' well aware of the woman's overall antics and disposition.
There really was no excuse.
Especially given how much like Irma Alazne was taking after in a way, at least where being the center of attention, quirky sense of humor, and general delight within sneaky mischievousness was concerned . . . much to her mother's dual delight, as well as dismay.
I wonder if my bio-baby will be anything like Al . . . like me, Irma thought briefly with a soft smile and light sniffle, her frequently out of whack emotions, courtesy of her pregnancy, continuing to get the better of her. Nah. The world can barely handle the two of us as it is. Most likely he or she will take after their straight-laced daddy. . . .
"Aww, gee –! Again, Aunt Irma? How much longer until the baby comes, again?" Irma could hear Alazne suddenly tease at her side, having already rounded the lavish limousine and stood proudly next to her with a playful smirk upon her oval shaped face. "These girly mood swing moments – And this balloon of a tummy – have gotta go, already! I'm missing my partner-in-crime!"
Irma quickly wiped away the few tears which had managed to escape from her emotional eyes from behind her sunglasses before affectionately ruffling the smart-alack of a girl's mid-back length, strawberry blonde and slightly wavy hair, a frequent habit they were both keenly aware the younger girl could not stand.
"Yeah, well, wait until you fall in love, get married, and have a child, kid. Then maybe you'll feel differently about having a 'balloon' of your very own!" she stated eagerly, knowing full well that the topic of love would elicit a sour reaction from her niece, as evident upon her face in that moment. "And anyway, I can't help it on the emotional front, sorry. Even if I weren't pregnant right now, I'd still be feeling this pretty bummed that my partner-in-crime, like you just said, will be gone for eight whole weeks!"
"But you were the one who helped convince Mom that it was a great idea in the first place, and also that it'd be nice to deviate from the usual vacationing with Grandma Susan and Grandpa Dean out in California around this time," Al pointed out with a slight huff, biting back her brief annoyance over having her hair messed with.
While she was never really one to care much about fancy maintenance where it was concerned, the only individual she ever tolerated fussing with her hair was herself, especially given its massive length. And, as it was, the tight French braid her mother had insisted upon styling it within before leaving, "seeing as I know you enjoy running around and going wild," as she'd reasoned, was increasingly grating on her nerves.
Sometimes she wondered why her mother wouldn't just let her cut it, already.
Seeing her honest-to-goodness doppelganger growing increasingly vexed over her aunt's continued choice of physical affection, Irma let out a light chuckle as she dramatically raised both hands into the air within defeat.
"Whoa, whoa! Calmmm down, hon! I'm backing away from your precious, precious hair – Well, not honestly, because it's pretty difficult for me to go forward these days, let alone any fancy 'tricks' such as backwards, to boot," she declared with a cheeky grin, gaily poking fun at herself and current physical state before continuing. "And anyway, just because I'm the one to have given you your first, real taste of freedom away from your 'rent – You're welcome, by the way – doesn't mean that I'm still not going to miss the crap out of you, dudette. . . ."
At this, Irma's temporarily forgotten butler, Marshall, suddenly chimed in, the fairly young man stepping forward from his previous place in front of the limousine's trunk, as he had been busying himself with the preteen's luggage.
". . . . I do have to admit, myself, Miss Alazne, that I'll be finding it a bit odd not to have my usual Ludo opponent around to compete against . . . hopelessly," he quietly confessed with a small smile, his default, reserved nature in place a moment before immediately melting away as the young girl in question suddenly catapulted herself into his awaiting arms.
"Aww, God, y-you guys! You'd totally better scram – Now, b-before you threaten to throw me into the car and drive me all the way back to the airport! A-And ix-nay on the Alazne-way! It's 'Al,' thank you very much," Alazne half groaned, yet half giggled out, her peaches and cream complexion turning crimson within uncharacteristic embarrassment as she felt faint tears forming while she continued to freely hug her aunt's employee. She then paused a moment before finally releasing him, and looked up with what was honestly one of her trademark smirks. "Maybe while I'm gone, though, you can use this time to practice at not stinking so much at the game! And maybe while I'm here, I can see if I can't find some other poor sucker – I mean, worthy adversary, to help alleviate them of the burden of a heavy wallet!"
At this, Irma promptly clamped a hand over her niece's mouth and shushed her, before both she and Marshall shared a knowing grin.
"A-Ah, shh! You don't want to let the whole world, namely, your mom know that I've been letting her 'tweenage' daughter basically gamble against various members of my staff, do you? She'd absolutely have my hide, and maybe even revoke both my auntie and mom-to-be 'badge!'" she confessed with a growing smile, unconsciously stroking her swollen stomach upon removing her other hand away from Alazne's mouth.
"Ohh, for sure! I could just hear what she'd say, too: 'You've managed to turn an otherwise innocent pastime and fun game into an underground, seedy bracket, Irma! Your shenanigans are always getting you into trouble!'" Alazne mirthfully teased within agreement, although her heart was secretly beginning to ache a bit for home the more the trio continued to carry on.
No way am I letting Aunt Irma know, though, before she really does stuff me into the limo and then both she and Mom decide never to let me out of the house ever again, or something, she mused with a quick roll of her hazel eyes, before letting out a gruff exhale of resolution.
"All right! Enough chitchat, you guys! I'd better hurry up and join the natives and let them know I'm just like them – Despite the flashy entrance, thanks for that, Aunt Irma," Alazne jested as she made a move to retrieve the rest of her baggage from the trunk, maneuvering around both adults, who previously had her sandwiched between them.
She was honestly about to attempt a clean break from the pair by simply walking off with nothing more than a wave goodbye, not wishing to drag on their emotional departure any longer than was necessary. Alazne was evidently not so lucky, however, as Irma let out a swift, although quite loud whistle, drawing even further attention to themselves than they had already since their arrival.
"Hold it, Speedy! As much as I'd love to continue being the 'irresponsible aunt' – And also love to ignore your attempt at leaving without so much as a goodbye – I'm gonna have to follow through with my last solid for your mom for this journey and bust out -"
"- Nooo, not another -"
"- List! Yes, list. You knew it was coming, you knew she totally gave me one, relax. It's happening, so here we go," Irma carried on without missing a beat as she playfully dismissed the anxious tomboy before her, who now clearly wished to simply begin her summer excursion, already.
"But I mean, come on, though! We're already here! If you – If she wanted for me to make sure I had everything, then why not just do so, y'know, back at home before I left?" Alazne huffed, dramatically dropping her two, blue colored suitcases onto the gravely pavement beneath her as Irma calmly unfurled a white piece of paper pulled from out of one of her dress's pockets.
"Yeah, except she did, but as always, you weren't listening, she told me. Besides, it's probably from all that constant inventory checking she's gotta do at her vet practice that just makes her always go into 'auto-list making mode' for things, babe! 'Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it,' as she likes to say," the brunette celebrity remarked with a roll of her eyes over the other girl's clear distaste of her admittedly sometimes a tad-too-serious mother's micromanaging habits. "Anyway! Let's do this! 'Vitamins?'"
"Except for the fact they taste horribly and I probably won't take them while I'm here, check!" Alazne grumbled with a light sigh, lightly grimacing at the thought of having to swallow any more of the metallic tasting, multivitamins her mother insisted she ingest every day at breakfast.
Irma, knowing that her niece's statement most probably deemed to be true, merely smirked as she continued on.
"Sunblock?"
"Check."
"Lip balm?"
"Check."
"Insect repellent?"
"Checkaroonie."
At this, Irma momentarily looked up from the neatly written list within her hands as Alazne simply gave a small shrug.
"Just keeping things lively, go on," she stated with a smile, blindly reaching back down to retrieve her belongings as her aunt resumed her narration.
"Bandanna . . . sunglasses . . . hats . . . well, we know you definitely packed that, Miss 'Addicted-to-Wearing-Every-Hat-on-the-Planet.' Anything to get us to stop fussing over your gorgeous locks, huh?" Irma teased in between continuing to rifle through Alazne's 'all too important' summer camp list. "Uhh, let's see . . . right! Deodorant . . . toothpaste . . . the usual toiletries, yadda yadda. . . . Ooh! This one's very important: Stationery?"
Alazne vigorously nodded as she began to lightly tap one of her sneakers against the ground within growing impatience.
"Yep, uh huh, got it all, I think, Aunt Irma! I made sure to pack all of that, and some family photos to help gather some inspiration of what to write to you guys with the thousand pound pack of the fancy-schmancy stationery you bought and personally stuffed into my suitcase just last night! So, see? I did listen, after all!" she replied with another grin, her relaxed nature returning as Irma folded up the piece of paper and playfully pushed the younger girl's shoulder.
"Ha ha ha . . . yeah, well, you'd better use that 'fancy-schmancy' stationery and write home every day, or else I'm coming back here with a vengeance!" she lightheartedly threatened, before a soft sob just managed to regrettably escape past her ruby tinted lips as she then pulled Alazne into one final embrace. ". . . . Missing you already, sweets. Have a freaking blast, all right?"
Alazne smiled warmly at this as she gingerly hugged the older woman back, essentially also hugging her future surrogate cousin within the process. This time she didn't bother to stop the tears, which had now returned, from falling down her cheeks.
"Ugh . . . who knew I'd end up being such a crybaby about this, huh? Me, the super outgoing and independent one. . . . B-But . . . I am going to miss you, too, Aunt Irma. All of you," the preteen replied with a light squeeze around her aunt's round waist before releasing her and stepping back, her now quivering smile somehow managing to broaden nonetheless as she gazed upon the two adults before her who were honestly like family . . . who were."Now, I really do need to go and find my bunk, or else I'll end up sleeping under the stars tonight! I'll see you in eight weeks, Aunt Irma and Marshall!"
". . . . See you in eight weeks, Al-My-Pal," Irma answered softly, referring to the already retreating girl by her personal nickname for her, as both she and Marshall then watched on within emotional silence.
I didn't honestly think it'd have been this difficult to let her go . . . although now I can better see why there wasn't really that much of an objection for me to be the one to take her. . . . she thought within realization over Alazne's at times overly protective mother's ultimate decision to allow her daughter to not only travel alone by plane, but also allow the girl's 'zany' aunt pick her up and drive her the rest of the way.
Irma smiled gently over the continued thought as she watched until Alazne became effortlessly swallowed up within the sea of excited, soon-to-be campers. She then turned around to face the ever quiet Marshall, who merely nodded at his employer within dual acknowledgment and understanding.
". . . . Well . . . let's head back, then, Marshall, and get a head start on these next lonnng eight weeks," the brunette stated with a sigh, carefully walking back to the reopened passenger side door to her limousine.
A quick, sudden afterthought then occurred to her, as she then gazed fondly down upon her stomach once more.
". . . . Don't even think about asking your father and I to go away to summer camp when you're older."
- End of Chapter Two
(A.N. Yayyyy, done! Um . . . honestly, I'm literally falling asleep every few seconds here, so my mind's a blank upon anything worth mentioning, post-A.N. here. LoL I just hope you enjoyed a grown up, super preggie Irma, the 'flip side' personality this time within the other twin, versus Kalila's more, initially shy, yet quirky side seen within chapter one, annnnnnnnd I hope ya stay tuned for the next update! =) )