SO THIS JUST POPPED INTO MY HEAD LIKE A RANDOM LIGHT BULB IN THE MIDDLE OF WORK A FEW DAYS AGO AND I DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE IT AND THEN NEVER COME BACK TO IT, SO I DECIDED TO WRITE IT FOR Y'ALL AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
DON'T EXPECT MUCH FROM THIS, I'LL UPDATE WHEN I FEEL LIKE IT AND I'VE BEEN TOLD MY PLOTS SUCK SO IF YOU CAN BE PATIENT WITH ME THEN WELCOME AND THANKS FOR READING.
"Do you have any questions."
Class ended in five minutes and all Taylor could think was, an hour is too short for anything.
Since the start of the semester, Taylor had been looking forward to the part of Mr. Gladly's World Issues class where we'd start discussing capes. Now, she can only declare, it was worth the wait.
Surprisingly, it had nothing to do with Mr. Gladly as he was hospitalised a few weeks ago. Apparently, he had gotten on the bad side of the ABB. Taylor didn't technically hate the man, He was the sort of teacher who tried to be friends with his students, the sort who went by "Mr. G" instead of Mr. Gladly. He liked to end class a little earlier than usual and chat with the popular kids, gave lots of group work so others could hang out with their friends in
class, and had 'fun' assignments like mock trials.
He struck Taylor as one of the 'popular' kids who had become a teacher. He probably thought he was everyone's favorite. He definitely wasn't hers though. Not after everything he had done, or rather, failed to do.
No, what really made her day was the redhead standing in front of the class. The substitute teacher. Miss. Mimosa. She was quite a sight, at five foot six, and an hour glass figure enough to entice noble men. She was, in one word. Beautiful, if she didn't scream red flag. Her pretty face was undermined by her Asian features.
That was enough to keep most people with some self preservation from trying to get close to the teacher. Rumours were already spread around the school that she had ties to the ABB, some very unsavoury.
Taylor didn't care though, Miss. Mimosa was the only good thing in this dump of a school. She found herself enjoying every class, the redhead taught in.
It also helped that, unlike the other teachers, Miss. Mimosa actually punished Sophia and Madison when they pulled one of their stunts. They had left her alone for four days, and since then they only pulled minor pranks that she didn't even give time of day.
Taylor had originally found it suspicious, that a teacher was actually standing up for her and against the trio. Although seeing them in detention was satisfying, Taylor found herself waiting for the other shoe to drop. Except, it didn't. The redhead didn't even interact with Taylor all that much, simply treating her like all the other students.
She glanced over her shoulder. Madison Clements sat two rows to her left and two seats back. She saw her looking and Taylor smirked, Madison's eyes narrowed.
The teacher glanced up at the clock. Taylor followed her gaze. Eleven-forty-three. "I'll wrap up here," She said, "Now your homework for the weekend. Think about capes and the various ways, they have affected society as a whole. On Monday we'll have a presentation."
There were a series of groans, followed by the classroom devolving into noisy chaos. The room was filled with sounds of binders snapping shut, textbooks and notebooks being slammed closed, chairs screeching on cheap tile and the dull roar of emerging conversation.
The bell rang, and for once, Taylor was not the first one out. Madison shoved past her as she left the classroom, a gaggle of girls behind her.
In a few moments, the classroom is empty with only two occupants. Miss. Mimosa sat down, relaxed on her chair, setting her laptop on her desk and pulling out black bluetooth earpods.
She fiddled with her laptop some more, before realising that she wasn't alone. Her gaze left her laptop screen, and landed on Taylor.
"Hmm. Taylor. Is anything the matter?" She asked, her voice less stern, compared to during her lectures.
Taylor fidgeted as the redhead's gaze lingered on her. "Uhm... Is..." Her voice was low, just above a whisper. "Is it okay if I spend my lunch break here?" Her shoulders were stiff as she waited for the answer.
The redhead smiled. "Oh? Is that it? Of course. I don't mind."
Taylor let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Thank you." She smiled, picking a seat and bringing out her brown bag lunch to begin eating.
As she dug into her pita wrap, she noticed Miss. Mimosa retrieving a small flask, to go with her movie apparently.
Lunch was quiet, just as Taylor liked it.
With her lunch done, she crumpled her brown bag and disposed it. Silence reigned in the room.
Mimosa turned her gaze up to see Taylor unfurling a cardboard piece, and laying it flat on a table.
With nothing else to do for the rest of her lunch break, Taylor decided to put some finishing touches on her art project. Finally. An assignment that wasn't ruined by the trio. What a day.
With lunch break over, the rest of the day went just as quietly as it had begun.
Entering the bus headed in the general direction of home Taylor couldn't help but think. 'Too bad she's just the substitute. I wonder what she's really like.'
/
"A-and that'll be thirty dollars." The cashier wrapped her provisions, before setting them in a white bag.
"Thank you." Mimosa smiled at the female cashier who seemed a little unnerved as she handed her, her groceries. 'The ABB is really a presence here huh?'
The entrance bell rang as Mimosa made her way outside, smiling and ignoring the nervous stares she was getting from passers-by. 'I didn't think it was this bad. This attitude against Asians can't be healthy.'
She passed by an alley, spotting some teenagers who were clearly empire members, or as Mimosa preferred, empire sympathisers. 'The empire too.' Sigh. 'Maybe it's time we start patrol in Brockton Bay after all.'
She made her way to the bus stop, entering the first bus headed in her general direction, the chill of early spring, making itself known.
Her thoughts were on the city the bus ride home. From an outside observer, it was safe to say the city was on its way to destruction, and from what she's seen, there was a hint of truth there.
She sighed. 'I used to believe everything and everyone could be saved. But...' Staring from the window in the vehicle, she spotted a young girl being harassed by a few boys, with no one doing anything about it. And she said boys because they didn't look that much older than she did when she first joined the golden dawn magic knights.
"Driver. This is my stop!" She called out, and the bus immediately stopped. Coming down from the vehicle, she noticed the boys had moved Into an alley dragging the girl with them.
With a sigh, she walked in after them. The alley was dark, as the sun would soon set in an hour or so.
The girl was already whimpering as two of the six boys pinned her to a wall. Mimosa decided she had seen enough.
"I wouldn't do that." She voiced, and smiled as the boys flinched and the girl suddenly had a hopeful look on her face.
One of the boys turned to her and stepped forward. He was tall, slightly taller than she was, ragged hair, if it wasn't for his obviously young face she would mistake him for someone in his twenties. "Hah? Who the hell are you?" His voice was grating, a sign of someone who smoked. A lot.
She smiled, looking as friendly as ever. "Ah. Hello. Good evening. Could I ask that you let this young girl be on her way?"
Ragged hair snickered, and his boys snickered with him. Mimosa still smiled, hoping to settle this peacefully.
Ragged hair ceased his laughter and settled on a smile, his yellow teeth somehow visible in the darkness. "Well then, tell you what," His eyes roamed all over body. "We'll let her go," He licked his lips. "If you'll take her place. What do you say hotstuff?"
The boys behind him snickered again, amused, with some of them eyeing Mimosa with a lecherous look on their faces.
Mimosa's smile never left her face as she answered. "Ah. I'm really sorry, but I'm already seeing someone."
Ragged hair scowled. "Do I look like I care?" He stepped forward, his right hand moving towards her bossom. "We can show you a really good time."
An inch from her shirt and his hand stopped, held tightly in her grip. "Ack." He squirmed.
Mimosa sighed. "I guess not everyone wants to be saved." Her eyes turned cold, although under the darkness of the alley, no one noticed. Unfortunate... for them.
"What the hell are talking about bitc..." Ragged hair's voice cut off as she pulled his arm closer to her with her left hand, and grabbed his face with her right, smashing his head into the wall with a bang, all in a single move.
Ragged hair slumped, unconscious and the alley grew silent.
The remaining boys took a step back, eyes widening as they stared at their unconscious leader. Mimosa's smile never wavered, but her eyes had turned icy.
"You boys should probably leave now," she suggested, her voice dripping with friendliness.
The boys exchanged nervous glances before scattering, abandoning their unconscious friend. Mimosa watched them flee, her gaze lingering on the last boy to disappear around the alley corner.
The girl, still pinned against the wall, stared at Mimosa with a mix of fear and gratitude. Mimosa's expression softened as she approached her.
"Are you okay?" she asked gently.
The girl nodded, still sniffling. Mimosa carefully helped her off the wall and handed her a tissue from her pocket.
"Thank you," the girl whispered, dabbing at her tears.
Mimosa smiled and tucked a stray strand of hair behind the girl's ear. "You're welcome. What's your name?"
"L-Lily," the girl stammered.
"Well, Lily, do you have a way home?" Mimosa asked, scanning the alley to ensure they were truly alone.
Lily nodded again, and Mimosa walked her to the end of the alley, keeping a protective arm around her shoulders.
As they stepped onto the sidewalk, Mimosa spotted a patrol car cruising down the street. She smiled wryly to herself.
Perfect timing.
"Officer," she called out, waving down the car.
The officer, a gruff-looking man with a thick beard, pulled over and eyed Mimosa warily.
"Can I help you, ma'am?" he asked.
Mimosa smiled innocently. "Just making sure this young lady gets home safely, officer. She had a bit of a scare."
The officer's gaze flicked to Lily, a confused expression on his face before softening.
"Hop in, kiddo. I'll give you a ride home."
As Lily climbed into the patrol car, Mimosa leaned in to whisper, "Don't mention what happened in the alley, okay?"
Lily nodded, and Mimosa patted her hand reassuringly.
The patrol car drove off, leaving Mimosa alone on the sidewalk. She took a deep breath, letting the cool evening air fill her lungs.
She had saved one person today. But how many more needed saving in this broken city?
With a quiet sigh, Mimosa continued her walk home, lost in thought.
She finally reached the block where her house resided, trying to ignore the stares. She let herself into the house and headed straight for the kitchen to drop her groceries.
Mimosa began unpacking the groceries. As she stored the last item, she gazed out the kitchen window, lost in thought.
The kitchen's silence was broken by the soft hum of the refrigerator and the occasional tick of the clock on the wall. Mimosa's eyes drifted to the clock, her mind calculating the time.
Seven-fifteen.
She had just enough time to prepare dinner before Noelle got home.
The sound of the refrigerator being opened and a familiar voice brought a smile to her face, albeit painful. "Welcome home, Mimosa." The voice said.
Mimosa's smile faltered for a moment as she turned to face Asta. What had once been a bright and energetic demeanor was subdued, non existent, his eyes revealing only a tired look. He stood, hunched over the refrigerator, his grey hair was slightly longer now. His former bulging muscles were now more on the lean side. He wore a black sweatshirt and blue trousers.
"Asta," Mimosa said, emotion etched in her voice. "How was your day."
Asta's gaze met Mimosa's, a hint of frustration lingering in his eyes.
"It's been...interesting," Asta replied, his tone laced with weariness. He walked towards the kitchen table, easing into a chair.
Mimosa's eyes slightly widened, this was a first. "What happened?"
Asta waved his hand dismissively. "Just a minor scrape with some Empire goons, on my way back from the gym. Nothing to worry about."
Mimosa's expression turned bright for a moment, but she didn't press the issue. Instead, she focused on finishing dinner preparations.
As the aroma of stir-fried vegetables and chicken filled the kitchen, Asta's gaze drifted to Mimosa.
"You've had an eventful day, too, I take it?" Asta asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
Mimosa's eyes flicked to Asta's, a hint of a smile on her lips.
"Just a minor detour on my way home," Mimosa said, her tone light. "I helped someone in need."
Asta's gaze turned away from Mimosa's, a guilty glint in his eyes.
"Anyone I should know about?" Asta asked, his voice low.
Mimosa hesitated, unsure how much there was to reveal.
"Just a young girl," Mimosa said finally. "She was being harassed by some Empire sympathizers."
Asta's expression darkened.
"We need to start patrolling Brockton Bay," Mimosa said, her voice firm. "Probably tonight. I'll convince Noelle. We can't avoid the PRT anyway, and they need to know we're in the neighborhood."
Asta stared at her for a moment in complete silence, the only sounds, the sizzle of the vegetables in the pan. "...I see." His voice cracking slightly.
Mimosa felt a pang of pain in her chest. 'Oh Asta... My love.' she stirred the vegetables in the pan for a moment before turning back to him. "Would you..." She didn't finish the sentence, but the question hung in the air. 'Would you like to come with us?'
For a moment, Mimosa had hope. Maybe. just maybe. He would say yes... But.
Asta hung his head, hiding his eyes from her. The cracks in his voice, more noticeable. "I... I don't..."
But... It's been almost three years.
His green eyes were wet now, though no tears made themselves known. "Maybe not..."
Three damn years. Since they lost everything. Three years since they arrived in this magicless world. Three years since she lost her Asta.
He sank further into the chair, his voice almost a whisper. "I don't think I can."
The pain in her chest grew to a crescendo, and it took all of her willpower not to whimper right then and there. 'Oh Asta... It hurts seeing you like this.'