Chapter 21 : Newcomer
Unfortunately, any tracks that could have been left by whoever dug up the lantern had already been washed away by rain before Clover and Beatrice found out.
"They could be anywhere by now!" the latter pointed out as the cabin in the woods came into view.
"What are you talking about?" the Woodsman's voice came from nearby.
He appeared to have been working outside, as he still had his axe in hand.
"Nothing important, Father", his daughter told him. "Are you done with your work?"
The old man nodded and then accompanied the girls inside.
All three made and ate dinner together. It was only after adult and teens went to their own rooms that Beatrice said to her girlfriend :
"'Nothing important'? That wasn't very creative of you."
"I didn't hear you come up with anything better."
"I thought that talking about it any longer than that would have been… pretty counter-productive. If you say something's not important but then keep talking about it, no-one's gonna believe you."
Clover nodded and started getting ready for bed. Her partner followed and soon joined her under the cover to cuddle together. Beatrice rested her head on Clover's chest and Clover caressed Beatrice's hair.
"Bea? There's something important I have to tell you…"
"What?"
"I love you. That's all."
"That was so cheesy… but I love you anyway."
They went back to the mill the day after. Beatrice and Clover sat at their usual spot on the riverbank, and the dog soon joined them to lie in the dirt next to his master. The latter scratched him behind his ears absentmindedly.
"So, we have no idea where to start and we can't talk about it to your father", she said. "We're off to a very good start…"
"My father has had more than enough lantern and Beast-related stuff in his life", Clover stated.
Her partner said nothing since she couldn't argue against this.
With her free hand, Beatrice took her girlfriend's and they stared at the flowing water, listening to its calming sound without saying a word. Clover rubbed the back of the other girl's hand with her thumb, and she responded by squeezing harder.
Beatrice eventually let go, but only to take her partner's face in both her hands. Seeing the other smile, the girl in blue pulled Clover towards her, closing the gap between them and touching her lips with her own.
Then the dog stood up, gave one bark and bolted right into the woods nearby.
The girls parted and stood up.
"What is it?" Beatrice shouted. "You better have a good reason for this!"
The dog soon reappeared, followed by a person that seemed to be in their twenties. They wore a grey long-sleeved top and black trousers whose cut and material were pretty uncommon in the Unknown but, from Beatrice had seen, were used a lot in the other world.
"S-sorry", they apologised, "I was just…"
"Let me guess", the girl in blue said. "You're lost with no idea of how you got here."
"…How do you know?"
"It's not the first time this happens around here", Clover explained.
The stranger looked even more confused.
"That's the Unknown for you", Beatrice added. "But don't just stand there : follow us to my home."
The girls guided the newcomer to the mill, where they were quickly introduced to Beatrice's mother.
"Please do take a seat, young… lady…man…" she hesitated.
"Just call me Myung, m'am", the stranger sighed.
"Yes. I'm very sorry. Please take a seat, Myung, I'll take care of everything."
Myung sat down at the living room table and Beatrice's mother disappeared into the kitchen.
The two teenagers sat with the new guest, soon joined by a couple of Beatrice's younger siblings.
Myung nervously pulled on their long sleeves as they waited at the table. They were completely lost, and not just in a literal sense.
What was this place? How did they even get there? They didn't even remember going in the woods in the first place. And why were these people all wearing Regency-era clothes?
Well, except this one brown-haired girl, but her attire still looked pretty old-timey. They just weren't sure what time period it was from.
They looked around, trying to ignore the two little kids staring at them. The house itself looked like it was from the past too, and they couldn't help but think something was missing… Oh, yes, lightbulbs and stuff like that. There wasn't any.
"Hum, sorry, but… do you have a phone here or…?" Myung asked.
"What's a phone?" one of the kids asked.
"Ok, so you guys really don't- Did I time-travel somehow?"
"Time is… a bit strange here in the Unknown if that answers your question", the brunette replied.
"…That raises even more questions", the newcomer pointed out.
The other shrugged.
"By the way, how should we address you?" she asked. "Besides your name, I mean."
"I use they/them pronouns."
She nodded, stood up, said something about going to look for her father, and then left the room.
"At least that went pretty well", Myung thought aloud. "Usually people don't just accept my pronouns that easily."
"Believe me, we've had to accept a lot of things", the teenager in the blue dress told them, "and you're literally the least weird one here."
"And… is that supposed to be a good thing or…?"
She shrugged in response.