Chapter Text
Emira once again found herself rummaging through her dresser and pawing through her closet. She had always taken pride in her appearance, her mother had ingrained it, but she had never cared this much. But even still she never felt her nerves this jumbled and her heart beating as if it might jump out of her chest at any moment.
She knew Viney would like whatever she wore, that much was obvious, but it was their first real date today and Emira felt an overwhelming need to impress the brunette. So here she was again stressing herself in her closet at the vast amounts of clothes her mother bought that she’d prefer to burn instead of wear. She had always kept a small box hidden away under a rack of shoes of clothes she bought herself, hidden away from the scorning eyes of her mother.
She pulled out a black tank top with lace trimming along the hem and down her back in a triangular pattern. She paired it with a navy, black, and red plaid skirt that ended a couple inches above the knee. Modest enough, but strikingly different then she would normally be allowed to do. Slipping on some black ankle boots, Emira scrutinized her outfit in the mirror and happily found no flaws.
She sat herself down in front of her vanity and pulled out a tube of eyeliner, beginning to draw on a wing. The door opened violently, Em jerked the liner across her brow in surprise. In strolled her mother, dress trailing behind her menacingly and a tight, immaculate bun of green hair perched on the top of her head. Odalia’s disapproving gaze left blisters on her back and the click of her mother’s tongue solidified Emira’s unease.
“Darling what in Titan’s name are you wearing?” her mother gasped. Emira knew she was being mocked by the sharpness in her mother’s eyes and the sneer on her lips. Em opened her mouth in rebuttal but the raise of her mother’s hand was warning enough to stay silent.
“Where do you think you’re going looking like that,” her mother studied her. “Why dear, you look like a harlot.” Emira struggled to keep a scowl from marring her face, she knew talking back to her mother wasn’t an option if she wanted to see Viney later.
“Just to the market mother,” she said, struggling to keep her tone even. “I have a few things to pick up for school.”
“Lying to me Emira,” Odalia scolded her. “I thought I had raised a lady not a deceiving malefactor.”.
“It’s the truth mother,” Em spat out through gritted teeth.
“Strike two darling,” a syrupy smile crossed her mothers lips, while the woman's eyes held an unbridled resentment. “For your sake sweetheart, don’t get to strike three.”
Emira weighed her options as she held her mother’s gaze defiantly. Odalia knew that she was lying about her plans, but unless Ed or Mittens had said anything about her date, which she seriously doubted, then her mother shouldn’t know anything. How could she have found out?
“Dear I can see the wheels in your head turning, but I’m growing impatient,” Odalia smirked. “The truth. Today please.”
“I’m going out to dinner,” she finally surrendered. “With a friend.”
“Well I applaud you for the half truth, as it is progress,” Odalia kept a pleasant smile on her face. “You don’t look like a strumpet for just a friend dearest.”
“Are you implying that I’m a slut mother?” Emira asked tursely, hurt but not at all surprised.
“Well I am most definitely not implying you look like a halfway decent lady,” Odalia smirked. “I could just see you on a dirty street corner somewhere.”
“I’m sure you’d think that,” Em growled, tears that she refused to let slip burned the back of her eyes.
“Attitude dear,” Odalia waved her hand. “Whomever you’re meeting, I do not approve in the slightest if this is how you behave under their influence.”
“You don’t even know her!” Emira strained to keep her voice level. Odalia sent her a calculating look as if to strip her to the bone and twist her knife even further into Emira’s heart.
“Mother, the gardener forgot to color the roses violet again,” Amity’s voice sounded from down the stairs. Her mother sighed, temporarily neglecting her argument with her eldest daughter, rubbing her temples in frustration.
“I swear, why even pay the help if they do an unsatisfactory job,” Odalia mercifully turned on her heel and strutted elegantly out of Emira’s bedroom, leaving the door ajar behind her. As she got up to close the door, she caught sight of her father leaning against the wall by the staircase. Alador sipped from his mug disinterestedly, eyes unfocused and bloodshot, as if he had forgotten where he was. Em rolled her eyes as she shut her door, going back to her vanity.
She took in the sight reflected in the mirror, smudged eyeliner up to her forehead and a broken, almost dead look left her face gaunt. A gentle knock sounded on her and Ed’s shared bathroom door, but Emira made no sound of acknowledgement. Edric gently pushed open the door, Amity standing at his side.
“Em you’re going to be late,” Mittens said gently, picking up the makeup wipes from the vanity and handing them to her.
“If you don’t feel up to it, I’m sure Viney will understand,” Ed soothed.
“I’ve ruined everything and I haven’t even seen her yet,” Em chuckled mirthlessly, Amity and Ed exchanged a concerned look.
“Emira, just because mom is a bitter old crone doesn't mean she’s right,” Ed said. “We all know all she cares about is her social standing.”
“Dad isn’t any better either,” Amity added, hopelessness creeping into her own voice. “Not sure why he stays.”
“Doubt he could do any better,” Em said humorlessly.
“Okay we’ve all established that our parents suck,” Ed said. “But we can’t let them get in the way of our happiness anymore. We’ve lost our childhoods to them and the majority of our teenage years, we don’t owe them anything!”
“We’re here to help Em,” Amity said resolutely. “Now sit still while I fix your nails.”
“Think of us as your personal stylists,” Ed said excitedly, moving behind her to start braiding the underside of her hair close to the scalp, then wrapping the rest around the loose hair into an elegant ponytail.
In record time they were able to make Emira more presentable then she was twenty minutes ago, even managing to fix the disaster that was her makeup. Both her siblings looked reasonably proud of themselves as they ushered her out the main doors, keeping a watchful eye out for their parents.
“Thank you guys, it means a lot,” Em turned to thank them, earning matching bright smiles from her siblings.
“Honestly it was fun,” Ed chirped as Amity nodded. “We used to do this all the time.”
“Until mom said it didn’t suit a boy to be into ‘girlish’ things,” Amity rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, yeah, she’s an awful wench,” Ed waved his hand dismissively. “We’re all aware.”
“What if she finds out about Viney?” Emira shifted nervously, glancing at the empty windows.
“She won’t,” Amity reassured. “We’ll make sure of it.”
“But what if she does?”
“Em, you’re stalling
“But-”
“Sweet baby Titan in a thunderstorm, GO!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emira nervously wrapped her knuckles of the front door of the rundown abode, Viney had kindly warned her that her dad would be home. They were still in the early stages of their official relationship, even though they had feelings for eachother for a long time. Meeting her girlfriend's dad before their first official date was incredibly nerve wracking.
She steeled herself as she heard heavy footsteps approach the door and the lock turning. In the doorway stood a heavyset, but muscular man in his late forties dressed in a Construction Coven uniform. His brown hair was buzzed close to his scalp and instead of green eyes to match Viney’s, they were deep brown. He was at least a head taller then Emira herself and was slightly hunched over from obvious back pain. Despite his intimidating height he wore a warm smile and had an easy going look in his eyes.
“So ye must be the lass Viney’s been gaunnae on aboot,” he said, humor barely concealed as he glanced behind him into the house. “Ye must be Emira.”
“Yeah that’s me,” Em shifted nervously. “It’s nice to meet you Mr-”
“Nane of the formalities girl, call me Shamus,” he said with a laugh. “Viney’s still prettying ’erself up, come on in.”
He moved to the side and ushered her gently into the warm home, leading her into the living room. It was just as she remembered, a worn couch was pushed against the back wall with a ripped leather reclining chair to its side. A wooden coffee table was in the center of the living room and a bookshelf was pushed into the far corner. Shamus gestured for her to sit down as he retrieved something from the bookcase.
He placed a book with a worn binding on the table then settled into his leather reclining chair. Emira sent him a puzzled look, he leaned forward and pushed the book towards her. She carefully opened the front cover to reveal a myriad of pictures of Shamus and Viney at various ages. She studied the first picture with a delighted smile to see Viney, no more than a year old, pouting in her crib.
“Ah aye,” Shamus chuckled when he caught sight of the picture. “She was a crabbit as a wee bairn.”
Emira continued to study the pictures as Shamus offered little stories to accompany each. She even burst out laughing when she saw a fourth year Viney’s emo phase.
“She insisted on dressin’ black as the earl of hell’s waistcoat,” Shamus rolled his eyes. “It made ‘er ‘appy, so I needn’t object.”
“You really must love her then,” Emira said wistfully. Shamus raised an eyebrow and gave her a proud smile.
“Aye, I do,” he nodded. “And I can see ye care too. Now I ain’t gaunnae threaten ye like a screwball, no point of that. But treat ‘er well please, she cares aboot ye too.”
“I promise,” Emira said honestly and Shamus gave her a gleaming grin. They continued chatting for a bit, Em learned that Shamus loved Puddles as much as Viney did, even if he thought he was too big to ride the griffin. He also liked photography and also took just about every picture in the album himself, wanting Viney to remember all the times that they were able to do things together.
Viney eventually emerged dressed in ripped blue jeans over black fishnets, a black band shirt, with her red leather jacket over the top. Her hair was still held up in a bun with the red spiky band, fish-hook earring gleaming, and the only makeup she wore was mascara. Viney immediately looked at the book and blushed, while Emira found her face warming as well for completely different reasons.
“Da really?” Viney sighed. “Breaking out the baby pictures. I left you two alone for ten minutes!”
“Oh keep yer heid Viney,” Shamus exclaimed playfully. “Yer girlfriend was gaunnae see them eventually.”
“I didn’t think today would be that day Da!”
“Rubbish!”
Viney took Emira’s hand and helped her off the couch, kissing the taller witch’s cheek sweetly. Leading her toward the door, and whispered when they were out of earshot,
“You look stunning kitten.” Emira flushed not at all used to the pet name, but loved it more then she was willing to admit.
“You took my line cutie.”
“Ye two are sickenin’,” Shamus chuckled. “Now let me take a picture.”
“Da...”
“I dinnae want to hear it,” he said, positioning his camera. “It’s yer first date!” Viney rolled her eyes good naturedly and relented, wrapping her arm around Emira’s waist as the other girl wrapped her own around the brunette’s shoulders. They smiled brightly and tried their best not to blink at the sudden, harsh flash.
Viney left her side in order to quickly hug her father goodbye before taking her place at Em’s side, intertwining their fingers again. Emira raised her free hand to give Shamus a shy wave and got an impish smile in return. Closing the door softly behind them the two girls made their way down the street.
“Ready gorgeous?” Emira asked, not at all bothering to hide her excitement. Viney smiled brightly at her and leaned up to peck her lips.
“Of course.”