Chapter 8
Occurrens
Author Notes
Uffff finally, chapter 8, with something you obviously have wait since the beginning of the fic, so I hope you enjoy it, see you soon.
And remember leave a review if you want :).
Declaimer: I don't own any characters from Little Witch Academia, I'm just doing this for fun.
She was on her way to meet the client her aunt had mentioned. Throughout the journey, she couldn't stop thinking about her situation, how to save her legacy, and not disappoint her mother.
She was dressed in a long dark blue dress, with low heels of the same color, and a small white coat tied around her neck. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and as always, she had the red ribbon on her right hand.
After a few more minutes, she arrived at her destination, a probably 5-star hotel, considering that all the clients usually flaunted their wealth. The chauffeur opened the car door, and she immediately got out, thanking the driver before walking towards the main entrance. Once inside, she headed straight to the reception desk, where a very attractive receptionist greeted her and indicated the location of the meeting. After their conversation, the young woman winked at Diana and handed her a card with a number on it. Diana felt slightly unsettled by this, but she quickly took the object and changed her direction, not before glancing back for a moment to find a smile directed at her, sending a shiver down her spine, urging her to quicken her pace.
It didn't take long for her to meet the designated person, and thankfully, the receptionist hadn't played a prank on her. "Good afternoon, Miss Cavendish," said the man, whose attitude from the beginning indicated that it was going to be a difficult conversation. "Good afternoon," she replied courteously. "Please come with me, Miss. There's a nice restaurant here, and I'd like to discuss the matter there." Diana wasn't enjoying this situation at all, but there was no way to refuse for several reasons. Two specifically, the first one is that she didn't want to deal with her aunt's scolding if things didn't go well, and the second one she knew that if she couldn't handle these kinds of situations, then ¿how could she expect to be the head of the Cavendish family in the future? She scolded herself mentally, put on a fake smile, and accepted the invitation.
As they were on their way, the man began to ask various questions, such as why she had come instead of her aunt, how the head of the family was doing at the moment, and inquired about her hobbies, school, and other personal matters. Being as audacious as always, she lied about everything she told the man. After all, she wasn't going to let her guard down in front of someone with such obvious intentions.
Upon arriving at the dining area, a waiter guided them to an empty table, and they were immediately handed the menu. As Diana scrutinized it carefully, the man raised his voice and said, "Miss, since you haven't chosen your dish yet, I highly recommend the smoked salmon; it is exquisite." Diana raised an eyebrow, unsure whether to order it or not, but finally decided to take the recommendation.
After placing their orders, the man continued talking, but Diana found herself looking around the surroundings and noticed that the place was quite busy. 'It seems that the reputation of this restaurant is true,' she thought to herself.
After a few seconds, their orders arrived, and the food smelled exquisite and looked marvelous. But before taking a single bite, Diana pulled out her wand, checked its battery, and then cast a spell over the plate. As the magic did its work and she saw that none of the food or drink changed color strangely, she picked up her fork and began to savor the dish.
The man, on the other hand, widened his eyes in amazement at the demonstration and asked, "What was that just now, Miss?" Pretending ignorance, she asked back, "What do you mean?" After a few more seconds of his scrutinizing gaze, she continued, "Ah, you mean the spell. Don't worry; it's nothing dangerous. It's just a little trick we witches use to check if the food is to our liking and won't harm us." She lied once more; the spell was actually a way to verify that the dish was free from any psychoactive substances or other elements that could threaten her life. Fortunately, as she could see, there was nothing harmful, and she didn't have to take further action to get out of this situation.
The man, accepting the explanation, began to savor his dish.
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Once they finished eating, they went straight to the matter at hand, "Well, Mr. Agnar, what prompted you to request this urgent meeting?" As if a lightbulb had switched on, the man's demeanor changed in an instant. He wore a somewhat peculiar expression, and this made Diana start to feel nervous. "Well, Miss, what can I say? It turns out that the artifact your aunt sold me turned out to be fake."
"Fake?" she responded, with a hint of doubt, as she knew that none of the relics her family possessed could be fake. Even though she didn't get along with her aunt, she was aware that she would never deceive a client in such a way. "Yes, as you heard it right, it turned out to be fake, and with all due respect, I request that you refund the money or there will be consequences."
"Wait a moment," she replied, "Could you tell me who confirmed to you that the item is fake?" He responded immediately, "A specialist I hired." Diana continued, "And was this specialist a witch?"
"Of course, she was!" he spoke, this time with a hint of anger. "Mr. Agnar, do you have the item available?"
"NO!" he responded again, raising his voice, not wanting to continue with this matter, which was starting to become dangerous. She spoke, "Then, sir, with your permission, I'll take my leave," as she stood up from the table to continue, "If it's not possible to see the item physically and corroborate your claim, there will be no further response. Have a nice day," and she began to make her way towards the hotel exit. She didn't have the patience to deal with that kind of person; she still had much to learn.
But unfortunately, the meeting was not over for the man. When he saw Diana stand up, he turned completely red and shouted, "YOU WHORES, YOU ALWAYS THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH EVERYTHING, THE GLORIOUS CAVENDISHES ARE NOTHING BUT A DISGRACE, ESPECIALLY YOUR MOTHER, THE PARALYTIC, WHO ROLLED AROUND WITH ANYONE TO UPHOLD THE PRIDE YOU NOW WALK WITH!"
Diana froze in an instant. She could tolerate insults to her name, her abilities, or her pride, but NEVER anyone speaking ill of her mother, the person who had given her everything in life. At that moment, all sense of etiquette and restraint faded away. She turned towards the voice and ran like a gazelle. When she was just inches away from the man, she clenched her fist and struck with a force she had never used before. She felt the bones in her hand seemingly breaking, but to her relief, the worst impact was on the other side, which was sent flying and didn't get back up. The whole place fell into complete silence, and when she lifted her gaze, she found herself face to face with something she never thought could happen in a million situations.
Amidst some curious onlookers, there was a small girl with red eyes staring at her with her hands covering her mouth, clearly displaying surprise.
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(One hour before)
The journey had been, at the very least, interesting.
As soon as they landed, she began to carry out the task her mother had asked of her. She spoke with some people who seemed to be in charge of taking them to the hotel. After this, they took the vehicle provided for their personal use and headed to the place. Upon arriving at the building where they were going to stay, they went directly to the process of receiving the keys to their room. They were attended by a receptionist who left Akko in awe. When she finally managed to compose herself, her face was red, and she might as well have been emitting steam from her head. She glanced at her mother, who looked at her curiously, and then back at the receptionist, who couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.
After calming down and exchanging information, they managed to get the keys to the room. They grabbed their suitcases and immediately headed upstairs. Once they found the right door, they entered and left their belongings. Haruko spoke and said, "Dear, if you want, go out and explore the place. I'll meet you downstairs in the dining area in half an hour." Akko looked at her and replied, "Mom, that's not much time." "Do you prefer to stay here then? I have to attend some calls from the head office in Tokyo. It's going to be boring," the older woman responded. The little Japanese girl just shrugged and said, "It doesn't matter, I'll accompany you. I'll watch some TV while we wait."
And so, while her mother attended to her respective partners, Akko channel-surfed for a while. She came across all sorts of things – American movies, documentaries, and a peculiar comedy show that she couldn't quite understand, but at least it helped pass the time. As a Viking comically stumbled into a table, she started to daydream about the excitement of this new challenge she had encountered, what the future held for her, and how she would put everything into practice once she had become a professional.
In that little mental journey she was taking, she stumbled upon a pothole, and that was the memory erasure she was about to undergo. Instantly, many questions started to arise. What would be erased? Were there going to be any side effects from undergoing such a spell? What would happen to the time she was experiencing right now? Would that also be erased? Her heart started to race, and a flood of thoughts overwhelmed her as her breathing became heavier. Luckily for her, the half-hour had passed, and her mother snapped her out of the stupor, "Akko, it's time, my dear." She shook her head, trying to push those thoughts aside, and it worked for the moment. She took a breath, stood up, and left the room with Haruko.
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The restaurant was of very high class; you could tell from the moment they took the first step. A friendly young man took their names and led them to a table where apparently two of the foreigners they would have to translate for were coming. While waiting for the menu to be brought, Akko looked around a bit. It was clear that there were wealthy people there; every garment seemed to cost a fortune.
During this process of evaluating the social status of others, Akko noticed a head of hair with a somewhat familiar color. But just then, the waiter returned with the menus containing the dishes they served. She immediately put the other matter aside and focused on looking at the dishes. Everything sounded exquisite, but something seemed a little strange: there were no prices listed anywhere. She turned to her mother and asked, "Mom, why is there no price on the food?" Haruko, who was about to order an appetizer while waiting for their guests, responded indifferently, "Don't worry about that, dear; the company covers all the expenses." Akko was a bit surprised but accepted it easily. "Alright, then I want this, and this, and that!" The older woman furrowed her brows and said, "Please, Akko, there are limits."
And so, after some pouting that was taken with indifference, they waited until the two men finally arrived. Everything was going smoothly without any problems. Akko translated everything the men said and responded to them according to her mother's instructions. Just as they were finalizing the details, a man's scream was heard in the distance. Everyone froze, except for Akko, who, curious as always, approached to see what was happening. And there she found someone she never thought she would encounter at this moment and place. She still looked as beautiful as ever, "obviously nothing would change within a few months," she told herself. That porcelain skin, that hair resembling an emerald, and what to say about her eyes, those damn eyes, always filled with an indescribable blue fire that sent shivers down her spine.
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She couldn't believe it. Akko, the person who had been driving her crazy since she left Luna Nova, was standing right in front of her.
The whole matter with the man and the relic went out the window; her complete attention was on that girl. She didn't think twice and started walking towards her as if she were drawn by a magnet, but with each step she took, she felt the Japanese girl trembling, as if she were afraid of her.
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She was getting closer, and with each step she took towards her, her heart raced faster. She began to tremble uncontrollably, as if the mere presence of the English girl was hurting her, and she didn't understand why. Just moments ago, she had different thoughts, completely contrary to something negative, and that's when it all came back to her – the cold and disdainful looks, the total indifference to her attempts to get close, the insults from her two friends that she had ignored.
Starting in her mind, a bombardment that went from bad to worse.
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She saw Akko trembling even more, like a newly born lamb. Diana began to hesitate, but something inside her told her that if she didn't seize this moment, there wouldn't be another like it in this world. She walked slowly, avoiding any diner in her path, until she finally reached Akko and hugged her.
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The memories were distorting into nightmares, and reality and fiction became indistinguishable. She had to escape somehow; she couldn't bear it any longer. Her mother was nearby. She would go to her, tell her that the food didn't sit well with her, and that she needed to return to the room. The meeting didn't matter anyway; they had already finished, and Haruko could handle those final details.
There was already a plan in place, all that was left was to execute it. But just as she was about to spot her target, she felt arms wrap around her, and her subconscious knew exactly who it was. The familiar scent of English tea engulfed her, and everything crumbled. The bad memories vanished, and the plan lost all its significance. She settled into those arms as if it were the most natural thing, and returned the embrace.
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After a few brief seconds, she felt the embrace tighten, and something inside her mind clicked. Involuntarily, she drew herself closer and sensed the earthy scent that eased all her nerves. She had found a sense of peace that she hadn't felt since her mother had left.
They continued like that for a few more minutes, enjoying each other's presence. It wasn't until she heard a small gasp coming from Akko's chest that they released each other. Diana saw how red Akko's face had turned, and she was struggling to say something, but no coherent sentence came out of her mouth. She watched as Akko took a deep breath and said, "I've... umm... I... ARGHSH…haaaa… Diana, we need to talk, but I can't do it right now. How about we meet at this hotel tomorrow?" Diana understood her intentions and without saying anything in return, nodded her head. "Great, then I'll see you tomorrow," and she saw the auburn-haired girl run off to a table farther away, where she met with a woman who bore a strong resemblance to her, which caught Diana's attention a little.
"Ermmm, Miss," a waiter was calling her, "We need you to come and help with the unconscious man on the floor." Oh, right, that nuisance. Diana cast a final glance at Akko, turned around, and headed to sort out the mess she had gotten into. But this time, she was accompanied by a rather unusual smile on her face.