Chapter Text
"..Could I talk to you for a moment, please?"
The words echoed in Emma's mind, the same pleasant sound of the voice from the before hitting her already distressed heart. This time, however, her heart fluttered instead of stopping for a moment in fear.
Emma looks behind, her straw hat would've hit the person behind her if they were much closer. The person kept their distance, but a nice smile presented itself on their face.
The dancer's stare was all but mean or harsh, the gentleness in her question was all Emma needed to remain silent, as if she was that postman who could never find words in stressful situations.
"...okay."
Was all Emma could mutter out, the word escaping her throat with pain as if she had something stuck.
"Um, is it.. alright with you if we go to the garden?"
"I'd love that— erm, I wouldn't mind it."
The dancer paid no mind to Emma's weird answer, Emma's love for the garden known to everyone here. The dancer's hand left Emma's shoulder, but Emma still could feel her shoulder stay stiff for a minute more.
The road to the garden took little to no time, albeit the awkward silence between them stayed, Emma's eyes focused on the dancer. Her neat, tidy but curly dark hair and her pink outfit with delicate golden trimming and dangling beads, everything about her seemed... special. Perhaps it's because of Emma's interest in dancing. Her resemblance to the small figurine in the old music box Emma got as a gift was little to none, after all, her moves graceful as snowflakes falling down on a calm Winter day, but she wasn't a ballerina.
Ballerina or not, she held skill in her moves.
"Why did you need to talk to me?" Emma asked, cutting the silence short as she regained her composure.
"...I'll tell you in a moment," she replied, her eyes glancing around with paranoia, her body stiffened with Emma's gaze never leaving. "..It's.. nothing too important, really."
"Is that so?"
Emma's head tilted as she listened to the dancer, the thoughts about the music box and about a visit to Emily gone like a chameleon, blending in their surroundings as Emma paid more attention to the person next to her.
The door to the garden sat in front of them, still as ever. It was slightly ajar, albeit it wasn't a rare occurrence for someone to leave it slightly open. To close the door, you need some strength or it won't stay closed. Sometimes, the door remains open for days until Emma or Melly close it. One of the people tending to the garden was obviously Emma, her heart ached the second she saw how empty the garden seemed, how the emptiness filled her heart up until the gorgeous flowers she planted began to bloom like a kiss of death, fast but effectively. The flowers from her childhood, from her first home and from the first memories with her parents.
"It's just that..."
The dancer stopped, unable to construct a sentence with it making complete sense. The stone under their shoes made a distinct noise, the "floor" in the garden almost completely made out of stone, leaving some space for the soil for the flowers at the sides. In the middle of the garden laid a statue of a frog while water surrounded it, it was a fountain but the frog remained there nonetheless.
Emma looks at her, her hands behind her back as she listens with curiosity and alertness. The door behind her closed, wanting no one to overhear their conversation.
"..I've noticed how Kreacher bothers you. I don't like his behavior, I find him... creepy. There's been times where..."
The dancer trailed off, words running away from her brain as she spoke, leaving her silent for a few moments.
"I want to help you, Emma is it not?"
Emma stared at the dancer in front of her, the woman sat at the ledge of the fountain. Small splashes of water hit her tight, but mesmerizing clothing. Emma knew how annoying Kreacher could be, how weird and how stupid he could be. But him harassing others? Emma never noticed, she always thought Kreacher had some weird obsession towards her and only her. Emma didn't mind, she had a plan that she would carry out in a week or two, as long as no one else got hurt.
"My name is Emma," Emma replies, sitting next to the dancer. "Did Kreacher bother you?"
"He did," she answered. "But nothing much happened because I was with.. Joker at that time."
"I see,"
"Which... leads to another thing I wanted to mention to you," the dancer hesitates, but continues. "When we saw each other before our match, I and Joker got into a fight. I.. didn't feel particularly safe. And... its nothing bad, I just want some alone time from him."
Emma nods, not understanding why the dancer was telling her all of this. Did the dancer want Emma to do something with Joker, with Kreacher? Emma never minded doing others favors, but she didn't consider getting rid of Kreacher as a favor, but as a wish from God. After all, she got a sign, a dream. Who could you trust more than God?
"I understand, but is there a reason why you're telling me all of this?"
"There is," she admits. "Could we spend time? I just need an excuse to make Joker stay away, I could protect you from Kreacher as well."
Emma didn't need protection.
If anything, the dancer needed it more than Emma.
The dancer sounded just like the doctor, but something in her words appealled to Emma. Like the music from the small music box, mesmerizing like the flowers blooming behind the fountain.
"I'd love that."
The two soon traveled to a world they shared, their thoughts so similar like two drops of water. However, as Margaretha talked about her experiences in the Manor, Emma's eyes couldn't help but wander off to the daisies blooming nearby. Their white petals as white as the clouds, albeit not that tasty like the cotton candy clouds.
"[...] which lead to me covering for him, he's more than a little silly, I admit," Margaretha ranted, a relaxed smile on her face. "But Norton isn't that bad, is he? You seem to get along with him. If I hadn't known any better, I would think you two were siblings!"
Siblings?
Norton was anything but a sibling to Emma, although she did have some positive feelings towards him. Of course, it's just platonic. Emma wouldn't be caught dead falling in love with a greedy, rude prospector like Norton. His arrogance lead to many lost matches and many arguments between the survivors.
"Haha, you could say so!" Emma giggled, deciding not to burden Margaretha with Emma's hate for Norton. "I consider him... a friend I can rely on. Just like Andrew or Aesop!"
"..Aesop?" Margaretha asks. "I never thought you'd get along with him, he's... so gloomy and introverted. If I have to be honest, he's not any better than Kreacher. But of course, it's my opinion.
"I don't like how he stares at that postman or toy merchant, it doesn't seem like anything nice." she added.
Emma listened. Aesop was a freak of nature and Emma knew it, his cold and introverted personality made it seem like Emma, a bright and cheerful person, could never be that close to him. And yet, there they are. Aesop sometimes gives her a few tips, as if she was nothing more than a student of his.
"He's just awkward, don't mind him!" Emma replied, a bright smile appearing on her face. "What's your favourite flower?"
"Flower? They're all pretty, but I enjoy roses the most. They're a romantic symbol for a reason."
"Roses are truly beautiful..." Emma trailed off, fighting the urge to add something she would regret earlier. "I find belladonna a gorgeous plant, but daisies are alright too in my book."
"Belladonna?"
"It's a plant, a poisonous plant."
"Which means..." Margaretha stops herself from giggling, deciding to be a little silly. "It's technically a kiss of death, a toxic departure to the world you came from."
How poetic.
Emma nodded, agreeing with whatever Margaretha just said. Albeit Emma didn't understand it fully, why speak in words that are hard to understand?
"You could say it's a kiss of death," Emma says. "Or more like a sip of humanity. What's more human than to die?"
Margaretha stays silent, her eyes glancing at the ground before looking into Emma's face again. The shadow from her straw hat casted onto her face as the light sun rays hit both of them, effectively warming them up.
"Animals die too, plants as well. Would you call them human?"
"I find animals and plants more important than any human."
"More important than your family?"
"..No, but much important than a stranger."
"...your arm! Oh, you really need to see Emily, Emma."
*
The quiet, but rhythmic humming occupied the whole, tidy yet messy at the same time, room. The blonde's head moved along with her humming, her hands gently working with the music box on the desk full of various colourful things like a mosaic. Her two light braids dancing along, yet her blue eyes paid no mind to her lightly messy hair.
Various toys, gadgets filled the empty room, the colourfulness from the items brought a sense of joy to the dark, gloomy room. The same joy Anne never got to feel as a child, the same joy of gratefulness on a Christmas morning, the same joy of gifting her friends handmade items.
The strong sense of honey filled the air, as intoxicating as it was, the familiarity it held didn't bother Anne. The same routine of daydreaming of her friend as the said friend was quite far got broken by the music box.
The window closed, Anne could never muster up the courage or strength to fully open the window in the room. Perhaps it was a safety measure or Anne is a weakling. But the sun rays continued to hit the floor and Anne's face, brightening up the room.
Her right boot rythmically hit the floor to her humming, the music box appeared to finally be fixed. Anne stared at the reddish brown wood, the floral designs dominated with the colour purple and pink painted on the outer walls of the music box. On the top piece, the same piece that closed the music box, sat a gorgeous yellow rose. It appeared hand crafted, which interested Anne. Her fingers gently brushed the sides, the hard and firm wood as real as ever. Her fingers soon found themselves on the dark key, winding it up.
The music engulfed the room in a warm, welcome, familiar even, tone. The sound coming from the box brightened up the sun, darkened the night sky. It's beauty gifted from Apollo, the calm notes seemed as if created from the same fingers that created the world, adding a more powerful tune.
A gentle, but loud knock on the door caused Anne to jump. The melody still lingered in the air, even if it just stopped. Anne turned to look towards the door, the person soon appearing as the door opened.
Melly.
The veil covered her face, yet her beauty never left. The woman dressed in well-made, but quite basic clothes. The lipstick on her lips seemed new, as if just put on. The image of the smudged lipstick from earlier hasn't left Anne's memory however.
Melly looked at the music box. "You're still working on that?"
Her voice and movements screamed elegance, grace. But her warm smile never made her look like one of those snobby rich people in the manor.
"..Oh, yes.." Anne answered, glancing at the item. "But I've finished it just now!"
Melly stayed quiet, her gloved hands reached for the music box, gently holding it.
"I'll forward it to Emma," Melly said. "I'll be back in a moment."
"Why should you give it back?"
"Why shouldn't I?"
Anne lost the words she meant to say, remaining silent for moments. Glancing off to the side, her mouth opened.
"Well... Emma asked me to fix it.."
"Don't worry." Melly sighed. "I'll do it for you."
"...Thank you..?"
"Before I go.." Melly trailed off, the hesitancy in her voice yelled that something was wrong. "I want you to not accept anything anyone gives you. Not even from Emily."
"Why is that?"
"You never know what could happen in this manor, Annie. You should not blindly trust random people. An insect would never be able to backstab you, perhaps that why I trust them only.
"Please, do it for me. I have noticed some... things that shouldn't exactly be here, in the manor. And people here... are less trust-worthy and more unpredictable than a bear."
"..Melly." Anne wonders, fully turning her head away. "Fine, I'll be careful."
"Thank you," Melly replies with a lightly relieved smile. "Oh, before I go.. Make sure a bee didn't get lost in your room, I wouldn't want you to get stung."
"I will."