Chapter Text
Ellie?” Millie slipped into the closet office. A single candle danced in the corner of the desk underneath a hurricane lamp. The woman in question was hunched over her oakwood desk, scribbling out something on a piece of paper. “Whatchya doing?” Millie snuck in a bit closer. Ellie glanced up, her grey eyes heavy.
“Just-” she paused, covering her mouth to yawn “excuse me. Just some work for the council. They sent even more than normal, well, I guess this is most likely new normal.” She mumbled, placing her head down on her arms on the desk. The wood worked suspiciously well as a cool pillow. It felt odd to display such weakness in front of her partner, but miss Nightjar was too tired to care. She had been moving for days on end, and hadn't slept more than ten minutes two days prior. Thankfully, Ymbrynes don't need but two or three hours of real rest a night, but multiple days of being awake would take a toll on anyone, especially after her ten minutes tease of a nap a day ago.
“You okay? You look utterly exhausted” Millie's voice floated above Ellie’s head. She nodded, but barely murmured a response as her eyes fluttered shut. “Mmm sorry” she mumbled, trying to lift her head again “I'm just-”
“Your just retiring for the morning. I will handle breakfast.” Millie informed her sternly but sweetly as she lifted Ellie out of her desk chair. “You poor thing…” Millie murmured. Ellie wasn't even trying to fight her at all,barely awake as it was. Just as an extra precaution, Millie had wrapped her in the quilt that was on the back of her desk chair to avoid her hands touching her, to which Ellie seemed to be thoroughly enjoy.
After the five quietest minutes Millie had ever experienced in her life, she found herself standing between there two rooms.
“I suppose I should take her into her room, but she keeps her door locked….” Millie thought. She pulled out the three keys on her pocket watch chain where she clipped them,examining the only key she had never used, a small, rather faded brass key that was missing a piece of the top clip. Miss Thrush balanced miss Nightjar in her arms, then stuck it in.
“C’mon…..there!” She grinned, opening the door. She readjusted Ellie, holding her much closer as she stumbled around the room. From what little light the just risen sun provided, Millie could make out the shadow of a bed cuddled in the corner of the room, a seeming heavy canopy covering it.
Miss Thrush beelined for it, getting Ellie on it as soon as possible so she didn't wake up. “There” Millie covered her up. Ellie brought her legs up as soon as possible, knocking something on the floor from off the bed.
“What is this?” Millie’s hand sunk into something soft and fluffy, but weathered with age. Millie held it up in the light of the full moon outside. A small, limp orange cat stuffed animal with a fake red collar that had the words “Tansy boy” embroidered into the collar on stained yellow thread sat in her hands. The blond woman blinked a few times, then looked at Ellie who was fast asleep. “She still sleeps with a stuffed animal!?” She cupped her mouth to hide her giggles, but placed the cat stuffed animal right beside Ellie on her other pillow, then moved it closer to her shoulder. “Oh my goodness that's precious!”
“Good night Ellie” Miss Thrush turned to walk away, but then pulled the other blanket at the edge of the bed over the woman. Ellie cuddled into it, her eyes fluttering but returning to a steady sleep quite fast. Millie ran her hands through her curls, then stepped back out, closing and locking the door. “She really does look so docile when she sleeps…”
“Who does miss?”
“WHAT THE- James!” Millie whipped around, staring down at the nine year old. She trembled, grabbing her chest. Was it normal for her to be this startled by a mere child? Miss Thrush calmed herself for a moment, taking in a few deep breaths before proceeding, then bent down to his height “Jameson, what are you doing out of bed?”
“Miss NJ was acting off in the kitchen earlier tonight, so I came to see if she was asleep yet.” He explained, rocking on his heels.
“How precious he cares for her like that” Millie thought as he continued.
“And I won't go to bed for a little bit anyways miss!” James explained. Millicent thought back on it, but realized he was correct, it was only 5 am, and the boy usually didn't go to sleep until around 8, then usually got up at about 2 or 3 in the afternoon.
“Alright, got me there.” Millie grinned “But what do you mean acting off?” Having to fall back and sit on her butt instead of relying on her ankles. James followed suit as if they were about to play a game down on the floor.
“She was looking up orphanages and bridges in the area, and she kept eating handfuls of these little disk things that looked like checkers!” James reported as if he was a little soldier. Millie sat for a moment thinking. Checker pieces?
“Checkers?”
“Yeah, like pastel colored checkers!” He exclaimed. “I've seen er’ eat em before, when she was real stressed about you coming! She ate a whole pack of em, then cleaned the entire house like a madwoman, and prepared the meal for the next 2 days in advance!”
Miss Thrush thought for a moment as the wind from the open window jostled her hair. “Because of me?” She asked curiously.
“Yeah! She was awfully upset that they were sending you here!” James explained as he got up “but I got to go do my morning chores before bed!” He waved as Chester, his faithful shadow appeared behind him, tipping his hat to millie, or what she assumed was his hat. “Also can you tell Miss I would prefer the strawberry flavored medicine this morning when she wakes? The wild berry one she got for me to try is kinda yucky. Thank you!” James jovially skilled down the hallway, disappearing into a shadowy corner.
Miss Thrush got up also after he left, chuckling at the idea of Ellie eating checkers. She was sure James was mistaken, surely they had to be something edible, but why was Ellie examining orphanages and bridges? “The two don't go together one bit!” Millie spoke to herself as she turned to go downstairs, pulling her wavy honey hair into a bun. The house was quiet and cold, but refreshing as she stepped down into the kitchen. None of what James claimed she was doing was in sight, but yet Millie felt a tug in her heart to believe the little boy.
“Maybe the council gave her more work? Or there's a new child? Or ….hmm” Millie thought, but let her mind wander elsewhere as she opened the kitchen window and propped it up with a piece of wood, looking outside “at least nothing can go wrong tonight! Just a small meeting with the other ladies, and oh-” Millie turned towards the stove, opening the side grate to allow airflow in “hopefully a good night's rest afterward, that would be an excellent birthday present” she yawned. “At least Ellie can get some good sleep.” She grabbed the broom and started to sweep, humming an old forgotten song.
—-----------------
Ellie tossed and turned in her bed, mumbling sporadically as she kicked around. She had only had a peaceful dreamless sleep for about twenty minutes, now the nightmares had started to fester into her mind.
“Elliot…. Elliot please!” Her words felt blisteringly painful as she whimpered. Her dark brown hair had come loose of its low bun, splaying itself out a long the room as she coiled up into the corner of her bed subconsciously
“Please?” her words cracked as sweat started to bead on her brow as she throttled the blankets. Her nightmare crescendoed as she woke up squeezing the blanket with all of her might. In her panic she frantically braced to hit the floor, something commonplace when she fell asleep at her desk.
“Wait….” She forced her grey eyes to open and focus, only to see the top of her black bed canopy. “How did I get here? I didn't come up here did I?” she mumbled, reaching for the pitcher she kept on her nightstand, but finding the glass she kept on her nightstand was full.
“Did Millie do this?” Ellie asked herself as she drained the entire glass, poured another and drained it too. Her mouth felt like a field going through a drought. She placed the cup back down, then collapsed back into the warmth of her covers.
“Oh….Tansy” Ellie took the stuffed cat into her arms, squeezing him tight. The scent of lemon overtook her from the stuffed animal as she held it close to her chest. “Thank you God.” She mumbled, then swung her legs over the side “please let me find those children” she prayed as she stepped into the hall, opening her watch, finding it to be 7:48 AM “ack I got to get that cake from the bakers, and get ready for Dorothy’s therapy this morning, Harriet and Shiloh's this afternoon,” she groaned “and look for those children…”
—-------------
“Nothing can go wrong tonight, seriously or Miss NJ will have our heads” Auggie explained to the group. The morning had already come and gone like a leaf in the autumn wind, bringing much work up on the older kids. Shiloh had to attend her therapy session with Miss Nightjar at 2, which would keep the woman occupied for at least an hour, but it meant Shiloh wouldn't be available to help in between the daily lessons that Miss Thrush was inside preparing.
“Well, at least we have the pumpkins set out.” Harriet huffed as she placed the last one down. How had she gotten saddled with August again? Not that she was complaining, well, maybe a little. Being around him made her rather self conscious, but she couldn't put her finger on why.
“Auggie!” Dorothy was suddenly in front of them, bouncing up and down. He looked over, grinning at the sheet amount of cups and silverware Jameson and Chester were trying to balance in their arms. “We got the cups! And Miss Millie didn't suspect a single thing!”
“Did you take the entire kitchen without her noticing?” Arthur asked gently from where he was sitting beside a tree, his Bible nestled in his lap. When he wasn't turning into a grimbear, the man found a sweet fondness in reading and studying.
“Well yeah, Miss Nightjar only has like three fourths of a set of dishes!” Dorothy rolled her eyes. “Did you get the cookies from the baker?” She ran over to him while August helped Jameson unload the cups and plates.
“It did happen to get the cookies, and something else.” He closed his Bible and stood up. Dorothy blinked, waiting eagerly for whatever the “something else” was. Arthur fished into his haversack, unearthing a bag half full of colorful sweets
“some penny candy for you and yours to split” Arthur held it out to her “I even got some of your favorite black licorice, they had it this time” he explained. Dorothy’s eyes grew to the size of saucers as she waved excitedly at him, in place of actually hugging him.
“Thank you so much Artie!” She bounced, fishing out a piece of licorice and biting off the end, savoring the taste “thank youuuu!” She handed the bag off to James who took out a soft caramel. “We'll take it to where Rora and Rosie are guarding the clearing from the birds and squirrels trying to eat our pumpkins!” Dorothy declared, then ran off excitedly. James nodded in thanks, then speed walked off after her.
“You really are phenomenal with kids.” Avaram commented as he put up some streamers he fashioned out of an old Orange cloth he found down in the cellar. Arthur shrugged, picking up his Bible and stuffing it back in his bag “Does that come with being a grimbear?” Av asked curiously.
Arthur shrugged again, running a hand through his teddy bear brown hair. “Probably” he said, holding up one side of the streamer for him. “But I always dreamed of being a dad.” He mumbled unconsciously. Avaram nailed the streamer in, not sure how to respond to Arthur's comment. It was simply a sad reality that he never would be able too, but the man, when not a grimbear, would have made one of the best fathers Avram could imagine.
“I'm-” Arthur froze up, transforming into a grimbear, his clothing torn on the ground. Avaram stared down at the bear, who sniffed the ground, but then wandered away mindlessly towards the stream.
“Sad isn't it?” Auggie commented as he put down the last pumpkin on the table for carving. “He’s such an upstanding gentleman.”
Avaram nodded, looking to where the bear used to be “yeah, he is awfully nice. I feel bad for him” he shuffled down the ladder, finally having finished. He adjusted his suspenders, cinching them a bit tighter. “Anywho, have you seen Rosie?”
“Oh yes, she is with Aurora and Oliver, she is helping Aurora with her “look out” duties.” He chuckled. “She was very eager to help us.” August explained “said she would move some stars “all pretty like” for us tonight.” He said as he finished with setting out the last of the silverware and cups. None of the cups matched as everyone seemed to have their own favorite, but there was something oddly comforting about the mismatched cups and half broken silverware.
“Fine of her to offer that” Avaram placed his hat back on his head “I'm going to go get Rosie and see if she needs any help with her schoolwork from this morn’. Would rather her get it done before the weekend and party tonight. Ain't we so blessed this is happening on a Friday instead of like a random Tuesday?” Avaram said as he turned around "See ya soon!”
“That is a surprisingly good point.” Auggie pondered for a moment. “I'll need to eat before this goes down too…”, looking at the table where he just set out the cookies Arthur was able to secure. “What kind of cookies are these?” He asked curiously, taking two in his hand
“oatmeal cookies.” Someone yelled over. August looked around to see Avaram walking up to the house with Rosie, the younger girl holding a handful of some type of sweet. August smiled, then pocketed the two cookies in a napkin.
“Where are you Etty?” August murmured, looking around the small clearing and all of the flowers were budded around them with ever flowing stems of green, despite it being late October outside the loop. Only the varieties of peculiar plants and trees Harriet and miss NJ has planted were actually getting crisp and orange around the loop like normal plants would. “Wait, why do I need to see Harriet again?” August paused. Why did he need to go see her? Everything was done for the party that night.
August turned, jamming his hands into his pockets as he tried to rewire his thinking, but the two cookies touched his hand “oh…….well…..” he pulled them out “I can't eat these why did I stick them in my pocket?………maybe Etty would like them?”
–++++---++
“Ellie? Sweetheart?” Miss Thrush stuck her head inside her friend's Office. Shiloh had ended her therapy session thirty minutes ago, and Miss Nightjar had yet to emerge to help make supper. It has been an awfully quiet evening, but Millie also didn't want to disturb the children who were supposedly all playing a game out in the yard.
“ellie-” miss Thrush peaked in to find Miss Nightjar face down at her desk, an inkwell spilled into her hair and half up her cheek. After double checking that the poor woman was okay, Millie quickly felt her Anxiety devolve down into humor at the scene before her.
“I can't laugh, I can't-" Millie snorted behind her hand, taking a moment to laugh outside the door before finding her way to the desk. “Ell, hey,” she shook her by the shoulder. Miss Nightjar jolted awake, her eyes wide as her hands gripped the sids of her chair like she was about to fall.
“Eleanor hey! calm down!” Millie pulled up a chair beside her, grabbing a rag from the nearby shelf where Ellie tossed it up two nights ago. “You just fell asleep at your desk” the blonde haired woman dabbed the rag in the small water bucket on the side of the desk. “Here let me get the ink off your face” Millie gently slid Ellie's chair out. The woman before her was oddly quiet, staring around the room like it was foreign to her. “you fell asleep again.” Millie repeated gently while she wiped her cheek. Ellie blinked a few more times then nodded, muttering a curt apology.
“There's ink in my hair, isn't there?” the nightjar mumbled, reaching up and touching her skull where the ink was smeared, a good bit coming off on her peach colored glove. Millie nodded sympathetically, looking down at the desk to hide her smile
“Why are you so sleepy these past few days?”Millie finally got all of the ink off of her friend's pale cheek. Ellie shrugged, rubbing her eyes. “I don't know,” she lied. Millie stood up, wiping off the excess ink on her apron.
“I'm gonna tell the council to stop it with this excess paperwork. Clearly it's too much for you!” miss Thrush said defiantly, leaning back in chair and throwing the rag out. Ellie shook her head, pulling out some Necco wafers and sticking a Clove flavored one in her mouth
“It's not that. I've just been really busy with things. The changing of the seasons is always busy.” Ellie waved her off but stood up also. “Now I have to wash my hair again! And the water on the stove is bound to be freezing by now!” She hissed more to herself than Millie as she took another wafer and stuck it in her mouth “forgive me, you can have some if you please.” She slid the paper wrapped candy over to her partner.
“Oh those must be what James was talking about!” Millie stole the package off the desk “necco wafers? Didn't these used to be called hubs or hub wafers or something like that? Man I thought they stopped making these!” She giggled , setting them down “I used to eat all the Lemon ones before my brothers could. Used to make him so angry to” she reminisced, a smile on her thin lips.
Ellie nodded, not offering a comment, rather seeing off in her distant memory. Millie gave her a glance, but chalked it up to her being so sleepy. She leaned forward and stole two of the lemon flavored wafers and ate them both at the same time “James, poor boy actually thought you were eating checker pieces”
Miss Nightjar stretched her arms above her head. “Checker pieces? Well, I suppose they do look like that” she picked another one up, rolling it between her fingers. “Sometimes if I can't get in dinner or aren't hungry when I'm actually serving dinner to the children, I just eat a few of these.” she explained. “awful habit I know, but..” she trailed off, sticking another wafer in her mouth.
“No judgement here, I eat way, way more than my fair share of sweets .” Millie chuckled. why don't you go take a bath, I'll start getting the parlour set up for tonight’s storytime?”
“yes please” Miss Nightjar glanced at the clock “already 4PM” she felt her smile dropping. She was supposed to be picking up the cake from the baker in 30 minutes!
“I also didn't see them at all today” Miss Nightjar mumbled to herself, thinking about Eloise and Grant, the two children she met the day previous. She spent hours searching for them in the frosty hurling rain, with a few nice orphanages on hand she vetted herself to take them to. The black haired woman huffed, pulling on her long peacoat. “I just need to make a quick pharmacy run, I forgot James ' medicine.”
Millie turned back from her spot in the doorway, tilting her head “are you sure? I saw some on the counter?” She inquired. “He said to ask if you could give him I think berry over strawberry or something like that, anywho, there is some on the counter” Millie finished as she rebuttoned her sleeve cuffs.
“No, I need to go!” Ellie thought as she shook her head. Miss Nightjar pursed her lips, unsure how to dig herself out of this trench. “He has a new one!” She spit out before she could think better of it. Why could she never formulate good lies on the spot?
“Oh, alright then” miss Thrush shrugged. “will you be home before supper?” She asked curiously. Miss nightjar gave a curt nod, calculating the time it would take her to get there and back with the cake. It would definitely run into supper time, but that would also help her surprise her with the cake after supper. Plus, Ellie knew she couldn't push the children off of supper again, yesterday was already chaotic with how late dinner was pushed, but that left the issue of the children worrying that she wasn't eating, and Auggie certainly wouldn't be pleased if she didn't. “Don't save me a plate.” Miss Nightjar mentioned, her mind made up
“Don't?”
“No don't, my stomach is tad upset. Tell the children I retired early please, I'll just come home and go to bed.” She lied. “Too many wafers.” Miss Nightjar grabbed her basket, slapping on a signature smile as she tried to move past Millie, who held her arm out to block her from leaving. Ellie froze in the doorway, glaring at the taller woman.
“Why don't you stay here then? You can just take it easy until supper?. I can make you some broth and then go down to the pharmacy during supper and grab his new medicine?” Millie stepped back in, examining her partner and taking her basket before she could think better of it. Maybe Ellie was simply sick and that's why she had fallen asleep twice at her desk? “Fatigue is a symptom of anything and everything.” Millie reasoned in her head. “I'll go! You stay!” Miss Thrush tested the waters, hugging Miss Nightjar who froze up, but didn't push her away like normal.
Miss Nightjar did feel as though she was going to be sick to her stomach now, however. How did Millie turn her “foolproof” plan on its head? Better yet, why couldn't she think of a solid reason to not let her go into town?
Miss Thrush swiped her hat off the coat rack, placing it atop her Gibson girl bun and pinning it in place. “I'll be home soon, and once supper is over, if you would like, I can draw a bath for you.” She moved towards the door “you uhm…..you still have a good bit of ink in your hair.” Millie said sheepishly as she tipped her hat down “go take a rest Ellie.” She waved, running off and disappearing into the waning sunshine of the afternoon.
“Why'd I freeze!?” Ellie seethed after she finally regained her senses, storming back into her office “how in the world am I supposed to get that freaking cake now!? No other Ymbryne can get here in and hour let alone 30 minutes!” She fretted, looking in the mirror. Dark circles sat nestled under her eyes, outlining her gaunt cheeks with an ugly hue of purple. Her hair was still slathered with black ink, and at least a 3rd of it had come loose and splayed down out of her bun.
“I'm truly just simply pathetic aren't I!?” miss Nightjar covered her face, leaning back on her desk. “Why did the one surprise I try to do end up like this!?” She snapped towards no one, just her own reflection “for goodness sake I couldn't even help her enjoy her birthday, now she's running fake errands for me!” She pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Ell?” August stepped in the open door. Her head whipped to the side like she was a hunter stalking her prey.
“That wasn't an open invite” she grumbled wiping her eyes.
“Don't care. What's got you all fretful hm?” August asked curiously, hopping up on the desk beside her. She wiped her nose, then got up to shut the door and rejoined him on the desk.
“I needed to go into town and get Millie's birthday cake. I went back to the train and got the recipe of her favorite midnight cake, then special ordered it from that bakery in town,who promised me they would have it done, but she overbooked herself because apparently everyone needed to have a freaking wedding today, and my cake was supposed to be done yesterday! I planned on having it yesterday, and then I went back this morning, and it wstill wasn't ready!” she paused to breathe while August waited patiently, messing with his fingers.
“and I was supposed to go back right now, and I didn't want to offset supper, so I told Millie to serve it without me because I wasn't going to eat anyways and I had to go get a prescription, and then she offered like a nice person to go and get the medicine I was lying about, and then she just left, and I can't leave you all here to go get the cake if she's not here, and I feel like a horrible friend because nothing is working out the way I wanted it to!” Ellie finished, taking a hearty breath. Her blood pressure certainly did not appreciate her strong emotions one bit.
“Okay, okay” August had to take a moment to process the information. “Why don't me and…..Etty go get the cake? It will only be an hour out of the loop tops?” he explained. Miss nightjar shifted, looking back at the two of them in the mirror.
“I uhm…….that would be really, really helpful” her voice dropped to a whisper “are you sure you're okay doing that?” She asked, wiping her eyes. Auggie nodded, hopping off the desk “yeah, I'm sure we will be fine.” he winked “just relax Ellie. You stress out too much to be healthy, just ask for help.” he teased.
Miss NJ rolled her eyes, but still broke a weary smile “you really don't know how much this means to me” she grabbed her teacup and took a small sip “thank you” her eyes fluttered as she took a sip.
“I do, actually” he said as he put on his coat “you've never had a friend like her before, and you light up when she's around. You're trying to keep her happy, I see you.” August teased. “I'll go get Etty, you just take it easy……and is that ink in your hair?”
Miss nightjar glanced away towards her window where the sun was nestling behind the trees, who's Etty?” She asked defiantly with a smug smile.
August turned on his heels, his face turning bright red. “Just a nickname for Harriet. Gotta get a move on though, sun is setting earlier each day!” He hollered, skittering towards the door. Miss Nightjar watched him go, then lit a candle on her desk as she pulled out the small wrapped box that had Millie's
“the sun sets at the same time everyday, it's a loop!” She called. “And it seems, perhaps, you've found a new certain type of friend too…..” she looked down at the reflection of her eyes in her tea, swirling it a few times “Etty” she smiled.
—-------------------
“attention everyone!” August called out into the clearing where the party items sat waiting. Most of the children had gathered, as only an hour and 30 minutes remained. Shiloh was bouncing with excitement, fixing each streamer to look perfect.
“Alright, so Miss NJ actually bought a cake for her.” August explained to the group a few shared whispers echoed as they all looked around at each other. “Me and Harriet have to go pick it up, sense miss Millie went into town. So overall, I need you all to behave and remain here until we all get home okay? And……Rosie or Dorothy?" His brown eyes settled on the girls seated at the edge of the light violet patchwork quilt. Both girls were up in an instant, ready to receive his command. August bent down to Dorothy’s height, beckoning then in closer.
“Can one of you go make sure Miss NJ is okay? She seemed to be a bit sleepy, and she spilled some ink in her hair” August explained. “She might need you to help her haul some water up to wash it out.
Dorothy nodded, looking at Rosie “I got it!’ she exclaimed “I'm gonna make her more okay then she's ever been before!”
“Go with her” Avaram whispered to Rosie, handing her her walking stick. Rosie chuckled, then turned and started walking. “Was planning on it” Rosie communicated telepathically, following behind Dorothy who was excitedly rushing towards the house.
“im going with you?” Harriet snuck up beside August unintentionally causing him to flinch.
“Sorry!”
“No, no, that was on me.” August quickly excused his behavior “if you would like to?” he held his arm out like he had watched his own father do with his mother before they both passed away
Harriet felt her heart flutter in a way she didn't even know possible. “O-oh thank you!” She stammered, taking his arm”your too kind” she took his arm, huge smile donning her face. Soon the party would start, and hopefully everything would work out, and they could all be happy? Maybe Harriet could even ask Auggie to dance?
“Maybe….?” Harriet thought, squeezing his arm just a smidge tighter. “Just maybe….”