Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sometimes you must do anything to survive. Even move in with the devil. So that was what Rose did when it came to it. Miss Barebone was evil incarnate, it didn’t take Rose longer than five minutes to come to that conclusion. But she offered a roof over the head and a hot meal for every urchin that handed out her damn flyers. Which was exactly what Rose needed, somewhere to lay low, and it didn’t get much lower than a derelict old church on Pike street. Her last boss, if you could call him that, had started to take a particular interest in her so to speak, and Rose had learned this was the time to up sticks and move on
She was a rare beauty… Unnatural, some would say, and Rose would be the first to agree with them. Her hair was nearly white, and her eyes the lightest color blue imaginable, the grace and bearing of a nymph. She had been called a freak for most of her childhood, until she had started to fill out. Then, suddenly, boys started to get interested in her. Men too. Soon she started to prefer the times when they had called her a freak, at least then she had been safe from their leering eyes and grabby hands.
Miraculously, or maybe not quite, she had managed to avoid getting caught by them.See, her rare beauty wasn’t the only weird thing about Rose. When she looked at people, she didn’t just see them as a person. Beside their normal appearance they would have an aura of colors around them, that would tell her how they were feeling. Sometimes she could even see direct thoughts, which came in handy.
In time she learned how to use this knowledge to manipulate people, using her charm to get what she wanted. In short she conned people for a living, with a sideline of blackmail. It wasn’t the safest line of work, but then again, she wasn’t safe to be with. If she got angry, people tended to get hurt. It was something she had learned to live with.
She had never conned anyone that didn’t deserve it. These people, usually men, were greedy, spiteful and full of hatred. Most of them had committed any number of sins, cheated others, and had treated like garbage. They deserved a taste of their own medicine. Rose saw her work as doing the world a favor by dispensing some justice. Karma was her middle name.
Really, it was. Rose Karma Le Mage. That was the name on her birth certificate. She was an orphan… Or at least she probably was. Her mother had died soon after she was born. The nuns had told her that her mother had loved her very much, but Rose had no recollection of her. All she had was topaz pendant, held in place by two gold wands. It was Rose’s most dear possession, one she never took off, even though it was hidden deep underneath her clothes.
As she got older she had tried to find her father, but she hadn’t even been able to find someone with the same surname as her. Her mother... All the sisters seemed to know was that her name was Veela, but they didn’t even know if that was her first or last name. It was like her mother had enchanted them, the otherwise precise sisters always became vague when she pressed them for information. Either way, Rose was alone in the world.
Which was fine by her. People were not that great on the whole. The nuns had been alright, mostly. They had given her a good education, and had been open minded than a lot of people she had met later in life. Or perhaps they just had had more patience.
The nuns had only cared for small children though. At the age of twelve she had been moved to a general orphanage. The matron had been Rose’s first brush with evil. The woman had hated her from day one, and had done everything to make Rose’s life miserable. After two years Matron had met with an unfortunate accident, just after she had locked Rose in the coal shed to “take off the sheen”. Rose had later been told that there had been a loud shriek from her direction, a flash, and matron had never been the same after that. Rose herself hardly remembered having been shoved in the coal shed.
Things progressed, Rose got a reputation, and was handed from one home to the other because of it. At the age of 15 she finally ran away. She found service in a large house, but within two months the two sons of the owner had been so enamoured with her, that soon she had had to flee. From there on it had been the streets for her. Scraping by on small scams. It was amazing what you could get men to do on half a smile. The last guy she had smiled at had been a very shady character though, and it didn’t help she had conned him out of $100. He could easily afford it, but he held grudges like no one she had ever met. She had barely gotten out in time.
New York was big though. It hadn’t been long until Rose had run into Mary Lou Barebone. Now it was against Rose’s nature to con women, they usually had it hard enough in life. But Mary Lou made her pause. Rose wasn’t sure if it was the fact that this woman had a brown aura that reeked of self-involved greed and hatred, or because she was talking about witches, and Rose immediately recognised her own powers in the description. Either way, she had to know more. She stayed and listened, whilst the other people around her tried to get away from this mad woman as fast as they could. As the talk finished up, Rose had stayed behind, and Mary Lou immediately spotted her. Well, she was kinda hard to miss.
She asked if Rose was interested in their work, and Rose had eagerly agreed. Dimwitted as this woman might have been, she seemed to possess a knowledge about a world full of people like Rose, and Rose wanted to know more, even if they were just fairy tales.
MISS Barebone, for Mary Lou seemed very fond of her unmarried and independent status, as if it was some testament for her alleged virginal status, was very keen to introduce her ADOPTED children, something she also liked to stress.
Despite all her time in orphanages she had never seen human beings as miserable as these three Barebone children. The eldest two had been beaten into submission, whilst the youngest still had a quiet defiance that would soon break. Chastity’s aura was a dull gray, a hollow vessel of worn out gloomy depression. Her life’s light was already fading, even though she had to be Rose’s age. Chastity had no will of her own. She did her mother’s bidding without question.
Modesty… Well, that name didn’t really fit her, she was a spiteful, angry, deceitful child. Then again, her real name was Anne Marie, and she hated her new mother for changing it. The child survived by telling herself that she was Cinderella in a fairy tale gone wrong, and she would soon get out of here. Rose felt for, her and hoped she was right and the child would be able to find her prince. Not that she believed in princes.
No hope surrounded Credence, and he was certainly no prince, the way he stood cringing, head bent down, staring at his shoes most of the time. He was the only man she had ever met who had not given her his full and immediate attention, which for Rose actually was somewhat of a relief. Looking at his aura was looking at a black hole of despair, with red lightning rods of pain flashing through them. Rose would soon understand why. Mary Lou beat him almost daily, finding fault with everything the boy did.
No, not a boy. A man, strangled by the apron strings of his mother. For Mary Lou was that woman. Rose knew it the moment they were introduced, the message was written all over miss Barebone’s face. The more she stressed the word ADOPTIVE, the clearer it was that this was her own son, a youthful mistake that she was only too happy to deny, all the while punishing the lad for reminding her of her indiscretion. Rose filled the tidbit of information for possible later use. After all, this was how she made her money.
Because there was something even stranger about the Barebone household than their chosen profession as false clergymen and street prophets, and that was where the funding for this venture came from. They were obviously as poor as church mice when you looked at the way they were living in a draughty church, but still there seemed to be an endless stream of freshly printed pamphlets into the house, and food to feed her urchin foot soldiers. These things cost money, and Rose could not for the life of her understand where it came from.
That was the second reason Rose stayed, besides wanting to understand more about these witches, against whom Mary Lou spoke out so zealously. If Rose had known how misguided the woman was and by whom the church was funded, she would probably have run from the house as fast as she could. But then again, Rose needed a place to stay...

Chapter Text

Mary Lou Barebone was perhaps very tenacious, but she definitely wasn’t very successful when it came to identifying real magical practices. Yeah, she could list thousands of so called magical offences, most involving turning things sour. But Rose soon came to the conclusion that the woman sadly, or perhaps luckily in Rose’s case, didn’t have a clue when it came to identifying real witches, which was really quite common for religious zealots. They were so hellbent on telling everyone else what to do, that they forgot to look at themselves. Or more likely it was never their goal in the first place. They craved power like a disease.
Mary Lou ran her church, the Second Salem Church, like a dictatorial regime. Everyone had to fall in line or they would feel the wrath of Miss Barebone herself,especially the children, whom she would threaten endlessly, but who would still come back. Between being scolded or starving, most would choose the first. Heck, it was part of the reason Rose was there. Mary Lou was more lenient on adults, as long as that did not include her own son, who got more corporal punishments than Rose had ever seen in her entire youth in several orphanages. For those who actually were members of the congregation, or at least pretended to be, she doled out stories of sin as if they were juicy bits of gossip. Then again, everyone was a sinner in Mary Lou’s mind, and they would burn an eternity in hell, especially witches.
The more Rose talked to Mary Lou, the more Rose started believing hell sounded divine, compared to an eternity in heaven with the likes of Mary Lou. At least it was warm, which this damn church never was. The roof leaked, the building was draughty, there was no running water and the toilet was a communal one outside, which Rose dreaded using, because, as always, all the boys in the neighbourhood had developed an eye for her. She was used to this, but when your drawers were on your knees, the last thing you wanted was a queue of suitors lining up outside the door. Mary Lou had already commented on it, and it was clear that she was jealous. Rose’s presence was attracting young men into her church that were otherwise uninclined to come in, though, so Mary Lou quietly tolerated it. The fact that men just came in to gape at her new guest, did not seem to bother Miss Barebone for now, but this could change any minute. Rose was skating on thin ice, and she knew it. Mary Lou thought of her as a whore of Babylon, and Rose was sure that when the novelty of her presence wore off, Mary Lou would cast her out like she was a she-devil.
So she dutifully read every piece of New Salem Philosophy Mary Lou put in front of her, remarking how it opened her eyes, which it did, but probably not in the way Mary Lou would have wanted. For the first time in her life, Rose started to understand the full extent of her powers. She wondered about those like her, and even more about their secret society in which they seemed to live. If that was so, and they were able to sense each other, why had no one ever approached her. Especially after she had blown up matron.
If this society was indeed so secret, maybe they did know, but just didn’t want her in. She would be forever trapped outside two world. Frankly that depressed her more than anything. Still, there was a chance that all that was written in these books was pure nonsense… But somewhere out there, there had to be other people with similar powers like her. More than anything Rose wanted to find them, and not be so alone.
Modesty came to bring her a cup of tea. Rose liked the girl, she reminded her a lot of herself. Bitter, angry at the world, but always defying her destiny.
“I don’t understand how you can read about those foul creatures,” the girl said. It was a line to keep her safe from her mother’s wrath, when in actual fact she, was curious.
“Well, it is interesting reading,” Rose remarked on a neutral tone. Like her as she might, the girl still couldn’t be trusted. Modesty craved attention, a kind gesture, and the only way she could get that from her mother was by feeding her a juicy bit of gossip, the sin of others, even if they were completely fabricated.
Modesty fretted in the doorway. “Don’t they frighten you?”
“Perhaps… But sometimes it is fun to be frightened!” Rose grabbed the girl by the waist, and tickled her.
A rare cry of laughter filled the church, so rare that it immediately attracted the attention of Credence who flew up the stairs to protect his little sister.
“What’s going on. Let my sister go!” A nearby chair rumbled under the vibrato of his voice and fell over. All cries he knew came from pain, so he was understandably worried.
Rose liked him better for it, and immediately let Modesty go. She wished to help him, though she didn’t know how. He was a grown man, he needed to run as far away as he could from this place, but his mother’s harsh words had stumped him. He believed himself less than the dirt under his own shoes, unworthy of anything good.
She wanted to reassure him somehow, give him confidence… He was a good guy. He was the first man to treat her with respect without wanting something in return. Despite the fact that he always got the brunt of his mother’s foul temper, he still treated others with kindness. He cared for his sisters, even when they clearly did not care for him.
“Get away, freak!” Modesty yelled back. It cut Rose like a knife, even more as she saw Credence flinch.
“Annemarie, that is no way to speak to your brother. He only came to see if you were alright, because he cares for you.” Rose used the name deliberately, knowing it would make the child listen.
It did. Her whole demeanor changed instantly. It was like something in the child blossomed. “How do you know my name?”
Rose immediately realised her mistake, but she was good in hiding her feelings. “I’m like father Christmas, I know everything.”
It was a lame explanation, but Modesty, or Annemarie, was desperate to believe something that didn’t involve doom and gloom, so the girl smiled again. “Say my name again please?”
Rose smiled. “Annemarie.”
“Again!” the girl begged
“Annemarie…. Annemarie, Annemarie you’re as cute as be,” Rose made up on the spot.
The effect was amazing. Each time Rose said her name, little sparks of pink and yellow burst from Annemarie’s heart. This girl had so little in the way of love, that just the saying of her own name, her true name, brought her more happiness than diamonds could bring a princess.
“Quiet,” Credence all of a sudden hushed them. “I think I hear mother and Chastity.”
His warning came just in time, for indeed moments later they bursted in.
“Thank you Credence,” his sister hugged him, very aware of the hiding this could have meant for both of them, and it caught him by surprise. A touch that was kind was not something he was used to. It also hurt, because his mother had lashed his back the day before, and he flinched, but Modesty didn’t notice and skipped away to meet mother.
“Are you ok?” Rose gently laid a hand on his back. Sometimes, when she concentrated really hard, her touch could be healing, though it wasn’t really something she had experience in. She felt the telltale tingles just before Credence shook her off.
“How did you know her name?” Credence was not going to be satisfied with tales of Santa Claus, and she didn’t know yet if she could trust him. Not wanting his mother’s wrath inflicted on anyone else he was likely to keep quiet, but there was no guarantee. She needed a better lie.
“Credence, go fetch water! And take Chastity with you.” Mary Lou shouted from downstairs.
That would give her time, but it also meant there would be less chance he was alone, next time he asked. Rose quickly followed him into the next room. “Why don’t I go with him? Chastity must be tired from being out and about all day.” It was her best shot, and it would handle things off right now.
Grabbing a pail, she followed him, as he steamed ahead. “Please slow down! I don’t like to be alone out here. You never know who might pop out of the darkness.”
“You could have stayed inside. I can do this alone if you would like to go back,” Credence answered.
“No I’m fine. I promised, so I shall. I’d just rather not be by myself.” She wrapped her arm around his, so he couldn’t get away from her.
He shrugged.“I doubt my presence will ward off many a man that has laid his eyes upon you. They all think I’m a joke.”
“Well, I think they would be mistaken. You are fine young gentleman, kind and caring,” Rose assured him.
He tried to pull away again, a surge of something unpleasant running through him. “No I’m not. I hate them. I hate them all.”
“You don’t hate your sister,” she pointed out.
“That’s different. Someone needs to protect her,” he explained.
Rose shrugged. “Still counts… And I daresay you don’t hate me.”
“But... you’re kind and lovely.” Rose could swear he blushed a bit.
“Not really. I’m only kind to kind people. Like you.” She kissed his cheek, a vague friendly gesture. The boy now lit up like a new dawn, she could clearly see it in the dark. He craved kindness so badly, even more than Modesty, but all he ever got was spite and punishment. Well, not from her, she would make sure of that. And not from Modesty either if she could get through to the wayward girl. Both of them needed love, and they were each other’s best chance of getting it.
Credence wasn’t distracted for too long though. He was smart, even if he didn’t believe it himself. “How did you know Modesty’s real name?”
The question she was dreading, but this time she had a credible sounding answer, or so she thought. “I used to live in her neighbourhood when she was very little. It was only a short while, so I don’t think she remembers me, but I remember her.”
“Right…” Credence doubted her, she could tell, but either way he wasn’t gonna tell his mother.
Rose couldn’t help wonder what he would have done if she had told him the truth. Somehow she felt it would have been a relief to him, which made little sense. She had to admit she had misjudged him that first day though, something which was very rare for Rose Even though Credence had been indoctrinated by Mary Lou his whole life, he wasn’t as compliant as Rose had first thought. Perhaps there was hope for all of them yet. Well, except for Mary Lou herself.

Chapter Text

The sunday ceremonies were horrid. There simply was no other word for it. Draconic sermons about all the evils in the world, especially witchcraft of course, and how it duped and damned mankind. It was enough to give Rose nightmares, but that wasn’t all. After this came the examples. A woman wishing for a child, asking help from a witch, and getting pregnant within six days after the visit, her belly growing in record time, but then dying as she gives birth to a devil. A man seeking riches, stumbling upon a witch who promises him gold. He gets everything he desires and lives a wonderful life, until he dies six months later in a dramatic robbery, set up by the witch herself. A man seeking a wife, and marrying an unnaturally beautiful woman, who of course turns out to be a witch who steals his life’s force, causing him to wither away and die within - again - those symbolic six months. All tales had in common that the subject had a very untimely death, having sold their soul to hell.
After that came the tales of witches themselves. This was what draw in the young men, because Mary Lou loved telling in vivid detail how young female witches danced skyclad around a bonfire, calling upon the devil and rutted with the evil overlord himself. Their eyes would glitter, and their mouths were salivating, as every once in a while, they threw a glance at Rose, no doubt imagining her naked. It repulsed Rose.
The sermons were basically like a free show for people that could afford little else in the form of entertainment. After all, even though a donation was asked, few were inclined to actually part with a few coppers. Almost none of the visitors believed a word of what was said, which frankly Rose found a relieve, but they came solely for the sideshow spectacle miss Barebone made of it, with her loud claims and promise of hell and damnation. At the very end she would let the neighbourhood kids, that would work for food the rest of the week, sing a hymn to the gathered congregation, led by Chastity, Modesty and Credence as shining examples of Mother’s piety. If Mary Lou only knew… Her favorite hymn was Onward Christian Soldiers, a song which Modesty had made several versions of, some to please her mother, and some that would have chilled her to the bone if she had heard the sacrilege... but which made Rose laugh.
Mary Lou had tried to rope her into seeing, but Rose had refused, telling her she absolutely could not sing. Which was true in a way. She could not sing… here. Rose had a beautiful singing voice - so beautiful is hypnotized every man that listened to it. She could probably make a fortune of it if she tried it professionally, but the effects had proved rather dangerous for daily use. Here it would get her burned at the stake for sure.
A lot of people who went to Second Salem church, just came just once, maybe twice to see what the fuss was about. Mary Lou’s repertoire was quite boring after you listened to it a few times. The parents of the children would sometimes come and see if they were okay, but many did not, and were just happy their kids were being fed by someone, as it saved them money they did not have.
One man however came to the ceremonies every week. But he didn’t stay. He came in for five minutes at the beginning, loitered a while in the back next to the charity box and left again. Rose had noticed him, because there was something off about him. When she looked right at him, she saw a well-dressed good-looking middle-aged gentleman that was totally out of place in this place. Pike street wasn’t the best of places, and the church definitely wasn’t the crown of the street. More like the rotting tooth.
When Rose did not look straight at him though, but just past him, something strange happened. Inside the dark haired gentleman’s skin was a lighter version, a slimy creepy creature that made her skin crawl. She didn't know what he was about, but either way he was up to no good. She would usually breathe a sigh of relief when he left again, but today he seemed to be lingering on . In fact at the end of the sermon he was still there, and she had the distinct feeling he was looking at her, no matter how she tried to hide.
Finally the children had sung and people were starting to leave. The man, whoever he was, was bound to leave with them now. Rose breathed a sigh of relief, making her way to the front, to be as far away from the man as she could. He seemed to be following her though, or at least heading in the same direction. It set Rose’s teeth on edge.
As she reached the others, miss Barebone immediately took notice of him… And addressed him, “Mr Graves, how lovely to see you.”
Rose had to fight every instinct she had, simply to stay put. There was something so very wrong with this guy, her subconscious was telling her to make a break for it. She hid behind Credence to stay out of sight, hoping against hope that the man didn’t see her.
“And you too, miss Barebone. You are looking lovely as ever. Who is this? Does Credence finally have a girlfriend?” There was no doubt he meant Rose.
Credence shriveled on the mention of his name, just like he always did.. Rose was fully exposed now, and it wasn’t just Mr Graves whose eyes were roving over her. Everybody who was still present seemed to have noticed the uncommonly well-dressed man, and now turned her attention to her. All in all it felt very unpleasant.
Then something near miraculous happened. Credence straightened his back, and turned round. It was a totally different man looked at her, with calm clear eyes. Rose realised she had never seen him that way. Neither had anyone else, it seemed by the collective sigh that went through those that had gathered.
“Yes,” he answered with a clear voice.
Gently, not possessively, without any sexual predatory thoughts which were oozing of the other men present, he put his arm around Rose. It was the most protective gesture that she had ever experienced, and her heart poured out in thanks to him.
Mary Lou however broke the spell immediately by starting to laugh loudly. “How silly you are. Rose, your girlfriend... Ha! Who would ever be interested in the likes of you?”
Credence grip tightened, he held his stance. Rose could feel his anger building, but was at a loss of what to do. If she sided with Credence, then that was it. Mary Lou would throw her out on the streets by nightfall, punishing Credence harder than ever. Though Rose really wanted to get out of here, right now it wasn’t a viable option. Last thing she wanted to do though was side with Mary Lou herself. The damn woman was despicable, and what did the opinion of Mr Graves….
Wait a minute, THIS was the benefactor Rose had guessed the existence of. This man bankrolled the entire organisation. This was the man she had wanted to meet, even though now she she wasn’t so sure. Well, the only thing she could do now was…
“Mr Graves, what a pleasure to meet you.” She curtsied ever so slightly, and let her charm do it’s usual magic. It did the trick. Credence relaxed. Mary Lou seemed to beam, so proud of her new protegé, and mr Graves seemed to become a little less slimy, though she could feel his eyes undressing her. She kept close to Credence and his protective grip didn’t leave her. If anyone was gonna raise his hand to her, he would protect her. This idea calmed her greatly.
She started having a conversation with the mr Graves about nonsensical matters like the weather. It wasn’t about what was said, but what he was thinking for her. She wanted to know how he thought about the church and if he was indeed the mystery benefactor she thought he was. It was hard to concentrate, but with Mary Lou only too eager to draw attention back to herself, Rose had time to study him up close.
There truly seemed to be two people lodged inside this man… She looked further into his thoughts and saw him enter a building where… impossible things happened. Strange creatures walked among humans, and objects would fly through the air. It looked like a government building on the outside, but inside… This was what was described in Mary Lou’s books, though it was far more complex than she had imagined. Rose doubted herself for a moment, wondering if her imagination had ran off with her after all. After all, she was sure now he was also the main contributor of Second Salem. Even though his mind wasn’t too clear about it, he seemed full of contempt for those around him right now, smiling fakely whilst he really saw them as vermin that needed to be extinguished. And she was sure he could do it too with one flick of his wand. It frightened Rose. Mary Lou however was beaming with love for what she thought was her saviour. Keeping close to Credence she slowly crept out of the conversation, taking small steps back until they both reached a side door.
“Phew….” she sighed as the door slowly fell shut, “That man… There is something nasty about him.”
Credence simply nodded. “I know.”

Chapter Text

What had started as finding a place to lay low for a couple of days, and perhaps shake the proprietor out of a few coins, was now turning into a mission of mercy. It had surprised Rose more than anything, she knew she was a selfish person who only looked out for herself. It was how she had survived her childhood. It was how she survived now.
Modesty, and even more Credence got to her. She saw her own desperation reflected back at her, and she wanted to help, even though she wasn’t sure how. It was not like she had a better alternative for them, she was hardly scraping by herself. Still, anything had to be better than being beaten by Mary Lou every day, mentally for Modesty and in Credence’s case also physically. In short, she wanted to them out of there.
There was one more sibling to the household, and Rose wondered more and more about her feelings, but she kept them guarded even more than the other two it seemed. So Rose tried to get Chastity to open up a little. If Credence had somehow managed to hold onto his humanity, despite having been put down, humiliated, and abused from birth, surely there had to be hope for Chastity. Either way, she needed to know her allies from her enemies in this household, if her plan had any chance of succeeding.
It was hard to talk to Chastity, she clung to Mary Lou far more than the other two. Modesty wanted a mother, but preferably not Mary Lou. She only sought her out when she had no alternative. Credence tried to avoid his mother as much as he could, which wasn’t a surprise, seeing everything he did eventually lead to a beating. Mary Lou had punished him terribly for what she had called “telling lies to mr Graves”, and Rose had felt horrible about that. She had wanted to take him in her arms and heal him… But it would have only resulted in another beating for him. Rose hated Mary Lou with every fiber of her being by now.
Chastity didn’t, Rose knew that much. Everywhere Mary Lou was, Chastity would shadow her. Even at night. Where both Modesty and Credence had their own matras up in the eves, and Rose had her own little nook too, Chastity slept in the same bed as Mary Lou did. At first, Rose feared she had taken the girl’s bed in a gesture of hospitality, but Chastity told her this wasn’t the case and her siblings eagerly confirmed this.
“Chastity and Mother are joined at the hip. She worships the ground she walks on,” Modesty sneered. Rose however didn’t see the girl as the best judge of character, seeing she rather took her protective brother for granted, so she was determined to find out for herself if there was perhaps another layer to the seemingly shy young lady.
It wasn’t easy, trying to pry Chastity from Mary Lou’s side long enough for a conversation. When Rose finally did get her alone, usually when doing chores like cooking or laundry, something Mary Lou had no interest in, the girl seemed unable to talk about anything that did not involve day to day chores, religion, or the terrors that witchcraft brought down upon humanity. Each time Rose tried to engage her in a different manner, ask about how she felt about her adoptive siblings, Chastity would give a dismissive answer and change the topic to one she was comfortable with.
Finally Rose resorted to reading her mind, which took a lot of energy when done this way. Yes, it was a talent she possessed naturally, but she had never tried to do so of someone that was unwilling. Most people didn’t hide their feelings, not really. True, they did not always speak their minds, but their thoughts were so much at the forefront that reading them was easy. Chastity however was a close fort. Either she had no thoughts at all, or she kept them hidden. It was a mystery, and if there was something Rose could not stand, it was that. So she pried away at the girl, but still she wasn’t getting any wiser. All she was sure of, was that Chastity seemed to adore mother. Really adore. She was in fact… In love?
Was that the key? Rose could hardly believe it. But it all clicked. She knew women loved each other. It happened far more often than society thought.
Still, for anyone to love Mary Lou … She was so mean. This however didn’t deter Chastity in the slightest. She saw it as strength, strength the girl herself did not possess, but greatly admired. Rose saw more, the things that went on in Mary Lou’s bed. No wonder she was the favorite. Chastity truly worshipped Mary Lou. They got up to things that were considered sin in church as far as Rose knew, not that she cared much for that sort of condemnation. Love was love…
Though this was scary. Mostly because Chastity had been adopted as a teen, and Mary Lou was her guardian. There was no chance Chastity would turn against Mary Lou though. Rose would need to be extremely careful around Chastity, the girl was terribly jealous of any attention Mary Lou gave to someone other than herself.
The whole reading left Rose exhausted. She was ready for bed. The first autumn storm wasn’t gonna let her sleep though, it was wreaking havoc on the roof. Roof tiles rattled. It wasn’t long till it started thundering. And then the heavens opened. The church roof was far from weatherproof. It didn’t take long until it started leaking, right above Rose’s head.
She sighed. Already exhausted, this was the last thing she needed. Raising her hand, she concentrated. This was far from her speciality, but it had worked before. Another big gust of wind rattled the slates… Right into place. The leak immediately stopped. Now that was magic.
She wasn’t the only one beneath the dodgy roof though. “Credence, my bed is soaked. Can I sleep with you,” Modesty cried about fifteen minutes later.
“It’s not any better here, Modesty,” was his dulcet reply.
Rose immediately felt guilty. But if she fixed their slates as well, that could possibly betray her true nature. “Annemarie, come here. It’s fine in this corner. You can sleep with me.”
The girl didn’t hesitate a second, and immediately crawled under the blankets with her. Credence however stayed put. Rain was pouring down though, and although she could not see him, she could feel Credence was cold and miserable as well, his blanket being soaked with rain.
“Credence, do you want to come here as well?” she asked gently. The idea that he was suffering just didn’t sit right with her.
“No… It’s not proper,” he replied.
“Who cares about proper? At least you will be dry and you can get some sleep. Come on,” she patted the bed, which seemed to convince him.
“I’m not lying in the middle,” an already drowsy again Modesty commented stubbornly.
Rose saw Credence back off again. “It’s fine. I’ll take the middle. You can be in front, and Credence can be on the other side again the wall.”
And so, for the first time in her life, Rose invited a man into her bed. Credence tucked in behind her. The bed, if you could call a mattress on the floor that really wasn’t to big, nor were the blankets. In order for them all to fit, he really had no other choice than to take her in his arms. His actions however were completely chivalrous, and soon she was enveloped in his warm embrace, as she herself held Modesty in her arms. To her own surprise, it felt like absolute bliss. Credence arms brought safety, just like they had when he had tried to protect her from mr Graves, She could stay here forever for all she cared… Though perhaps not here in this home.

Chapter Text

Mary Lou was in a foul mood. Well, she usually was. Rose noticed that after the first two days as her guest, Mary Lou hadn’t even tried to hide her temper anymore, but tonight seemed worse than ever. And she had something against Rose tonight, a slight irritation that seemed to be growing. Rose would be out of here soon. She just hoped by then she could convince Credence to come, and be able to somehow get Modesty to leave with them, though her being underaged with Mary Lou as her guardian made that nearly impossible.
“The flyers are late. Rose, can you go and see why they have not been delivered yet?” It was a command, not a question. She was expecting to adhere immediately.
It was after dark though. Rose had no idea where the printers was, or how to get there. This was a test. One she was meant to fail. It frightened Rose, but rather than let this show, she proceeded with caution. “Well, I suppose... I don’t where the are coming from though. than let this shm though?”
“Mother, I will go instead,” Credence offered immediately, standing up for Rose before she could protest. She loved him for it. She feared for him. Mary Lou wasn’t used to the word ‘No’… Definitely not from him. He was gonna be punished. Lastly it made things even more dangerous for Rose herself. His resistance would serve as proof for Mary Lou that Rose was a deviant spirit. There was nothing she could do about it though. Best thing she could do now was let Mary Lou think that she was a pushover.
Mary Lou was too busy arguing with her son though. Hands in her sides, at least he was safe from her blows, though… For now. “No you’re not, last time you went, it took them another two days to get them printed.”
It was like watching a boxing match, the way they danced around each other. Rose only comfort was that it showed that Credence DID possess the strength to stand up to Mary Lou. He was not backing down. “They were out of paper because their usual supplier had had a fire in his warehouse. Nobody got their orders.”
“Rose will be far better at it.” It was a nonsense argument. Even Mary Lou knew that. Not that that had ever stopped her.
Credence wasn’t having it. He never stood up for himself, but he would for those he cared about. Rose felt moved that his included her, but she wanted him safe. Going against his mother like he was now, would sure lead to punishment later though. “It’s a rough neighbourhood, especially at night. She can’t go alone, it’s too dangerous, mother.”
“She will be fine” Mary Lou stated, thinking thinking that would be the end of the matter.
It was… Of sorts.
“Yes, she will. Because I will be going with her,” Credence said.
He grabbed Rose’s arm and basically dragged her out of the house, hasting her along the dark streets. Behind them miss Barebone was cursing and screaming like a banshee.
“She is going to punish you dreadfully for this,” Rose said as he finally slowed down.
Credence frowned. “I don’t care. If it’s not for this, she will find another reason.”
If only she could protect him. “She should not be hurting you at all. You are a grown man, and you are doing nothing wrong.”
Credence went rigid. “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him,” he quoted dutifully.
Rose shook her head. “Tell me you do not really believe that.”
“It’s the bible quote mother uses to excuse her abuse. Proverbs 13:24. I used to believe it that she did it because she loved me. Then I realized she just was expressing her own anger. And she loves doing that on my back.” He pretended he was fine with it, but the pain in the statement was so raw that it brought tears to Rose’s eyes.
“So why didn’t you run away. Anywhere has to be better than here.” Her time here was almost up, she knew it. What had happened tonight could only would speed things along. But that was not the only reason. Standing silently by as Mary Lou beat the crap out of Credence, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could stand idly by. The anger she had felt as a child when faced with injustice was building in her. Each time Mary Lou hit Credence, it crackled beneath her skin. Rose knew instinctively that the raw power of her childhood was still there, she had just learned to control it better. Watching Mary Lou’s abuse it wanted out. But it wouldn’t do any good to either of them. Not unless she killed Mary Lou, or the woman would only become fiercer in retaliation. And Rose was no killer.
Credence was silent. She could sense a fear in him she couldn’t quite place, and softly stroked his arm trying to ease it away. She had felt it before, fear and power in one… As if he feared himself. It didn’t make sense though. He was the gentlest man she had ever met.
“Are you a witch?” he suddenly asked out of the blue.
This was about the last question Rose had been expecting. She stared at him with intent, scanning him. Was he turning on her after all? Surely he couldn’t be.
There was nothing to suggest he meant her any harm. In fact, he assured her by telling her, “I will never tell mother, I promise. But… There is something about you. I really wouldn’t mind of you were.”
“Why would you think I was a witch?” Even if he wasn’t dangerous, it was better to tread carefully with this family.
He looked straight at her. So this was what it felt like to be read by someone, she felt transparent in front of him. “You seem to know things. And your hair sometimes lights up in the dark.”
That accusation she had heard before, though it had been a long time ago. “I'm sure that's a trick of the light…It's so light, even if the smallest bit moonlight catches it, it seems to catch on fire.”
“There was no light in the attic on the night of the storm. When I wrapped my arm around you… It lit up. It was beautiful. Don't worry Modesty didn't notice. She was already asleep.”
She saw the event through his eyes now as he spoke. She couldn’t remember it ever being this bright, but then again, it was rather hard for her to notice.
Shoot, she had managed to avoid people from noticing that for years now, and even if they did she managed to convince them otherwise. Credence however was certain, and hard to move. What he had seen was almost impossible to deny. She had to try though. It would be safer for both of them.
“Are you sure? I mean how would that be possible?” she tried, hating herself for doing so.
Credence shook his head. “Please Rose… Don’t lie to me. You’re not very good at it.”
She had to laugh. She couldn’t help it. Nobody had ever accused her of that. In fact, because she knew what people wanted to hear, she was a great liar… Except with him.. She couldn’t somehow. “Well, that is something I have never been told.”
“That you’re a witch? I don’t care about that. Just be honest with me, so I can protect you. If mother finds out, I’m not sure what she will do.” His arms went around her, that feeling of safety and protection returning.
“Burn me at the stake if she can.” Rose whispered. It still wasn’t an admission, but denying it was becoming rather impossible. Part of her wanted to tell him, wanted that someone she could trust, and worse, she wanted that someone to be him.
“You saw that?”he asked surprised. “Just like you knew Modesty’s real name…”
She really had made a mess of things. And she feared he was getting the wrong end of the stick. “Well…”
“You didn’t live there,” he interjected before she could say more. “Modesty lived two blocks away from here before her parents died in that flu pandemic. If you had lived here at the time I would have remembered you.”
So he had known all along. “You knew I was lying… But you didn’t say anything?”
“I didn’t want to get you into trouble. Mother is a horrible person. I always thought witches would be lovely compared to her. Now I know for sure.” A smile played on his face, and she could no longer deny the effect that had upon her.
“Seems you have made up your mind about me. So what do you want from me now?” she shrugged.
He stared so deep into her eyes that she felt completely naked before him. And it was not entirely unpleasant. “Nothing. I just wanted to know. And I want you to know I admire you. You are so strong.”
Her heart fluttered. “So are you. It must take enormous strength to listen to Mary Lou all the time and not strangle her. Sorry… I shouldn’t have said that. But the way she treats you… Why don’t you leave?”
“I can’t.” The answer was simple, there was no further explanation, but it felt like something he was certain of. For the life of her she couldn’t understand the hold this woman had on him though.
She had to change his mind. “Sure you can. You don’t owe her anything.”
“I guess…” The forlornness in his voice pained her. He changed the subject. “Do I have another name? My mother, my real mother… She must have called me something other than Credence. It’s a horrid name.”
She saw the hope in his eyes. The longing for a mother that was not Mary Lou. Someone that, even though she was dead, had loved him once. Her last hope of blackmailing Mary Lou disappeared. It would kill him to know the truth. So she hoped this was a lie he would believe “I can’t see everything I’m afraid. I see thoughts, not pasts or futures. Modesty sings her own name to herself all day, afraid to forget it. It’s almost impossible for me NOT to notice. She misses her parents, her brothers, her sisters. But you… You would need to have a memory of that other name for me to know that. And that means I wouldn’t need to tell you. Sorry.”
“It’s alright. I understand.” She could see it was a blow nonetheless.
“We can come up with another name if you like? I mean… Well, Credence is a special name, but...” She understood his objections all to well.
“It’s the name of a freak. So I guess it suits me.” His shoulders slumped, his head was bent down again, as if she had just struck him.
She hated seeing him this downtrodden. “Don’t say that. You are not a freak. You’re… A knight. My knight. Lancelot!”
He smirked, “It sounds as weird as Credence.”
“Try being called Karma. It’s a bitch.”
“You are not called Rose?” he asked confused.
“Oh, l am, but Karma is my middle name.” It sounded ridiculous as she spoke the words.
Credence laughed.
“Hey, that’s rude!” She poked his shoulder in an amical kind of way.
The effect on Credence was different though. He immediately cringed. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry, you’re my only friend”
She mentally scolded herself. He wasn’t used to banter. “Credence, it’s ok. I know it’s funny. And you don’t mean anything with it. Not like kids at school.”
She saw the look on his face. If anyone was ever to understand her, she know he was going to. So she decided to tell him everything. “Yes, I was a freak too. Living with powers which I didn’t understand, and which freaked people out when I used them. I learned to control them… To use them to appease people. But then I got boobs, and I became a different sort of freak. One that attracts men like flies. Even when I don't want to. That’s why I don’t like to go out after dark. Darkness loosens the morals of men. I can defend myself if need be… But that creates its own problems. So I’m glad you are here. You treat me with a respect that is very, very rare.”
He blushed.. He tried to hide it, but to her it was clear as day. Mostly because his aura lit up with it. “Wasn’t Lancelot one of the knights of the round table?” he finally asked.
“Yes, yes he was,” Rose remembered.
“They did magic, didn’t they?”
She thought about it. “The wizard Merlin did. I’m not so sure about the rest of them.”
“I loved the idea of the Arthurian legends as a kid, but mother wouldn’t let me read them. Said they were full of heretic stories. Once I had found a book, but she found it and destroyed it.” The story came to life before her eyes as he told it. Credence had been so young.
“That’s mean.” Could she hate Mary Lou any more?
“You mother. I like the idea of Lancelot… Give, me a quest, milady” Credence took a deep bow, that made Rose’s heart flutter again.
“You sure you want to be in the service of a witch?”
“So you finally admit are one?” He had her there.
“I don’t know. I can do things that are definitely would be classed as witchcraft, especially by your mother. But that secret society Mary Lou talks so fondly about… I never knew that that existed until I ran into you guys. That’s why I introduced myself to you guys. Mary Lou spoke about skills I recognized in me, she talked about this brotherhood of Witches and I wanted to know more.”
“The secret society doesn’t exist? It’s just a fabrication of the Second Salemers?” Credence sounded as depressed about it as she was, when she still had thought it the case.
She knew better now, though. “No, it isn’t. I too started thinking it was all a hoax, until I saw into Mr Graves on Sunday.”
Credence reaction mirrored her own. “Mr Graves? But he sponsors our church.”
“I know. He also does magic on a level that is alien to me, and spends his days in a building that looks like a ministry for magical affairs. It’s.. weird. And dark… Whatever he is planning, it means trouble. And he is plotting something.” Though she wished she had a better understanding of what.
“You saw this just by looking at him,” Credence asked.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“What do you see when you look at me?”
She didn’t know what to say. Nothing that could comfort him, at least.
“That evil?” he asked worried.
She could sense fear in him again. “No. I see pain. So much black pain. But the core is a good white heart. There is no evilness inside of you. I see it, in the colors of your aura. An I’m never wrong.”
“But there is blackness in me?” he asked worried.
“Superficially. But there are different kinds of black. There is pain, like yours, and then there is evil intent… Which is a different kind of black. It’s hard to explain. But when I look at a man like Graves, he is black through and through. An evil man if I ever saw one.”
“So you’re saying Graves is a bad wizard.” It surprised him less than she would have reckoned. Mostly he felt disappointed.
“Basically, yes,” she confirmed.
That made Credence think. “Maybe only bad wizards get together and unite. Maybe that is why they never contacted us.”
“That would actually makes sense. But… Then Second Salem is actually right.” She wasn’t sure if she was happy with a scenario that proved Mary Lou right.
Neither was Credence. “I don’t know. Mother adores Graves.”
“‘Mother’ is not much better, her aura is brown, she is greedy, mean, and will do anything for her cause. Sorry Credence, I shouldn’t talk about your mother like that,” she said feeling bad.
“It’s fine. I know she is mean,” he assured her, and she could sense his guilt at the same time.
“YOU are not like that at all, do you hear me. You are kind and caring.” She wanted to grab him, and hold him until he realised how wonderful he truly was.
“Not always,” he said softly.
Rose shrugged. “Is anyone? I sometimes feel like I’ve been angry with the world since birth. I’m an orphan...”
“Like me?” he asked surprised.
She had to swallow, not wanting to lie anymore. “My mother died when I was a baby. I had all these powers and no one to ask about them. It made me angry a lot.” There. She had told him everything. And she wasn’t sorry about it.
He took her hands in his, and softly kissed them. It was a gesture of such reverence that she nearly started crying. “Thank you.”
“For what?” she asked, for once truly not knowing someone’s motives. All she could tell was that his care was genuine.
“Everything. You make me feel less of a freak,” he admitted.
“By being a bigger one than you?” she asked smiling.
He started laughing, a rare sight for him, and she couldn’t help feeling attracted to him even more. “Naw… I reckon I could still beat you there,” he remarked.
She laced her fingers into his, leaning her head on his shoulder. She was starting to like him far more than she should. Far more than was safe.

Chapter Text

More than ever it mattered to Rose to get Credence out of here To get him, and possibly Modesty to a place of safety. But it was Credence who got to her most. He protected her, asking nothing in return, not even her friendship, which he now had anyways, whether he wanted it or not. Like she had expected, Mary Lou had beaten him terribly for it upon their return. He hadn’t even flinched…
Rose had. Against her better judgement, she had let herself connect with him during the beating, and had felt every blow. It was useless, there was no way she could assist him or ease his pain, but she had not been able to help herself. Afterwards she had tried to heal him, but the lashes were too deep, and she had been too fatigued from the initial beating for it to do much good.
Rose really needed to watch her moves. Mary Lou liked her less every day, and she noticed the sentiment was being fed by Chastity who felt threatened by Rose’s presence. If only she could tell her that she couldn't care less about the Barebone mater and she was only too happy to take her siblings of Mary Lou’s hands as well, so Chastity could have her all to herself.
Today was going to be another day of handing out flyers. They were all ready to go when Mary Lou all of a sudden held her back. Rose felt that familiar tingle that she would feel when things were amiss, but there was no way she could refuse Mary Lou without raising more suspicion. As the others were sent away to go about their daily business, Rose felt even more uncomfortable. She focused all her attention on Mary Lou, ready to run at the first sign of danger.
Mary Lou was smiling like a cat who got the cream, as Rose settled back in her chair. Mary Lou made her a cup of tea, and Rose wondered if she should check it for poison. “Isn’t it lovely, just us girls? I was wondering how you were doing. How do you feel you’re settling in here, Rose?”
God, that was a loaded question if Rose had ever heard one. It sounded so innocent, but what Mary Lou really wanted to know was what the hell was going on between Rose and her son. Rose had to swallow hard before being able to answer it.
“Very well, thank you. Your family has made me feel so at home.” Technically that wasn’t a lie, Modesty was a sweet girl, and there were days Credence almost made her want to stay here for good.
“And how do you feel about the work we do?” Mary Lou said in a low voice. She was trying to toy with her. But Rose was still two steps ahead of her, and anticipated on the answers the woman wanted to hear..
“Oh, I feel it’s ever so important. There is so much darkness in the word.” Especially in this room, Rose silently added. A gentle smile never left her face, even though inside she felt like vomiting inside.
“Exactly… And no more than in my own children. That is why I adopted them. To save them. Did you know their mothers were witches?” So that was the big revelation Mary Lou was aiming for. Mary Lou had hinted about this all along, bragging about how god a Samaritan she was to take these poor souls in, despite the ‘wicked ways’ of their parents.
“They were? How do you know?” Rose feigned the right amount of shock that Mary Lou was expecting. It was nonsense, there lay no truth in her claims…. Modesty’s folks at least had been as common as muck. Coarse in their behavior, but loving parents. It wasn’t strange that poor Modesty missed them so. They were ten times better than Mary Lou would ever be. Not that that was much of an achievement.
“Take Modesty’s parents. They brought disease upon their neighbours. They all went ill after the family moved in, one after the other. And they spoke in tongues. I sometimes think they were ready to sacrifice Modesty to the devil before she came to me, She was such a tiny hollow eyed child. She looked like a little troll.” Mary moaned, as if it had been a great disposition to have had the child been pushed upon her, even though starved as the little girl had been, she had been put to work for ‘the cause’ in the first week.
As for Mary Lou’s claims of witchcraft. Coming from Germany, they still spoke the language at home. It might have sounded harsh and dreadful to the neighbours that were mostly from Ireland in this quarter, but it was not like they were saying satanic prayers.The big family had been too poor to get food on the table most days, so there was no money left for hygiene. Being in such poor health, they had been defenseless against the flu epidemic. In many ways it had been nothing short of a miracle that Modesty had survived.
“How absolutely horrid,” Rose said. It was what what Mary Lou wanted to hear… Along with how good it was to have taken in the little critter, but Rose couldn’t let the words pass her lips and let the words sound true. Even she had her limits when it came to lying. Maybe Credence was right and she was terrible at it after all.
“Now, Chastity’s mother…. She was a devil worshipper. Bride of Satan. All kind of creatures came to her house at night, begging her to relay their messages to the evil overlord. She would do so with her body and soul, practicing wild rituals right into the middle of the night. She was a right piece of work. But Chastity is safe now. Under the guidance of our church she will not go the same way. She is a devout Christian now,” Mary Lou told her.
Right, very devout… To Mary Lou. She could now see Mary Lou signing papers for her adoption. The papers had stated the reason Chastity’s mother had died. She had been a prostitute, that had died of syphilis. With the father being unknown… No doubt being one of her real mother’s clients, she had gone to the orphanage at the age of nine. With little hope of adoption at that age, the orphanage had probably jumped for joy when Mary Lou had taken her in.
Mary Lou had seen in her the perfect successor, and so far she seemed to be right, though Chastity didn’t really seemed to have the tenacity to burn someone at the the stake. Then again, seeing how dedicate the girl was to Mary Lou, Rose didn’t want to chance it.
“And Credence parents?” It was a mean question but she wanted to see how Mary Lou was going answer that one. Maybe it would make Mary Lou think about his father, her lover, and Rose could help Credence in that way somehow, by seeing who he was. Hopefully his father would be a better person than his mother.
“Well, Credence mother was a Veela. A temptress and a siren. Not human by any standard.”
“What?” A shock pulled through Rose, and she did her best to hide it. She felt confused and panic was flowing through her body though. She tried to scan Mary Lou to determine where this name came from. Had she known her mother? Did any of the others know? It wasn’t possible. Had Credence betrayed her? But not even Credence knew the name of Rose’s mother. And she still trusted him.No, it could not be him. Not the only person she trusted.
Rose’s skin felt on fire, and she felt in fear her hair would light up. It had never done so before, but magic was crackling through her veins.
There was a loud crash just outside the building. It distracted miss Barebone from closely inspecting the bewilderment on her guest's face, which was probably just as well.
“What was that?” Mary Lou said, springing into action like a hyena.
“No idea, why don’t you tell me more about Credence’s mother. She sounds a real character.” Rose was hearing herself speak. It felt like an outer body experience. She was looking down on her own body that was trying to act normal whilst her mind was racing around in circles. She needed to stop it and get a grip.
“Who cares about that stupid boy. That sounded like an explosion like an explosion…. Dark forces are afoot I tell you. I’ll be going out there, are you with me?” Mary Lou wanted to know.
Rose couldn’t do it. Right now she wasn’t even sure she could get out of this chair, because she was shaking internally. “Are you sure that is safe?” she uttered. Hopefully Mary Lou would just think her a coward. Not a… God, had she caused that explosion? No… Last time that had felt different. Hadn’t it? It was almost impossible to tell with the chaos that had currently taken possession of her mind.
“Witchcraft is never safe. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't fight it.” With those words Mary Lou rushed off, leaving Rose behind with her inner turmoil.
She tried to make sense of it all. Up till now, nobody had ever mentioned her mother's name except for the dear sisters at the convent…So how had Mary Lou come by it?
It was impossible that Mary Lou had read her mind… Unless Chastity or Modesty had powers that… Nah… If they knew their mother's evil thoughts there was no way. Was there?
There was a creaking sound behind her, which startled her even more. “Who's there.” Rose asked. She should have known, but right now she couldn’t focus and it seemed like her normal senses.
Credence stepped out of the shadows like a ghost. It was more than Rose was expecting Almost tumbling backwards, Credence reacted quickly and steadied her.
“Are you ok?” he asked worried.
“You startled me. Especially after that explosion.” She still wondered if she was responsible for that. It had been a long time since she had felt this out of control. But the tension in her body remained. If she had caused the explosion, it should have drained away.
“Sorry… I was worried about you. Mother is on a warpath. She doesn't like you being so nice to us. She doesn’t know about who you really are, but...” If Mary Lou knew, it wasn’t because of him. Rose was certain of that.
“Chastity hates me,” she explained.
Credence understood immediately. “Oh.. That makes sense. Be careful. She will eventually turn mother against you. Sooner rather than later. She only tolerates Modesty because she sees her as some sort of doll, I think. She hates me as well. I’m just not as easy to get rid off.”
If she trusted him, she could just as well ask. “You know who Veela is?”
“Not who. What. They are temptresses, if I remember correctly. Very strong in magic…. You’re a Veela.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement.
“Why would you say that?” Rose asked surprised.
Credence grabbed a strand of her hair. “Because of this. Veela hair lights up when doing magic. I remembered that was in mom’s book when I looked in it a long time ago”
What he had said so far was far from flattering. “Are you afraid of me now?” Rose asked carefully.
“What? No of course not. We are the same, are we not? Both Veela,” he stated happily with a smile on his face.
“Did the book say there were any male Veelas?” Maybe his father was one, because hi mother surely wasn’t.
“I don’t know. The book was written by mostly male witch hunters. They had lively imaginations. Just like Mary Lou,only with an obsession for the erotic. The book is upstairs if you would like a look. It’s locked away, but I know where the key is,” Credence offered.
Rose noticed it was the first time he hadn’t said mother, and wasn’t sure if she should encourage or ignore it. He seemed more confident and strong than she had ever seen him.
“I thought Veela was a name…. My mother’s. It was the only name the nuns knew. Veela La Mage”
“ La Mage? Wizard.” Credence stated.
Again Rose felt confused. “What?”
“La Mage… It’s French for wizard,” Credence explain. “Isn’t it?”
Why had she never thought of this? “It is. You’re right.”
“Come on, let’s look in that book before anyone comes back. Mother will probably be gone for hours, but if she sees the girls, she will send them home, especially Modesty. And she is no good with secrets… ” He led her to Mary Lou’s office, to a chest, that as far as Rose knew, had always been locked. With one grab under the desk, he produced a key, which he used to turn the lock.
The chest was full of books and magical artifacts. Anyone that opened it would have thought Mary Lou was a witch herself. Who knew, maybe she had been a wannabee, and upon the discovery that she had no magical powers, her feelings had turned sour and she had started hunting them instead. She wouldn’t put it past her.
Credence had opened a book, seeking for a specific text. “The Veela is a siren, with the magic to lure men to their doom. They originate from Europe, and especially France seems to have a rather large population. According to rumors Elizabeth Woodville, the woman that seduced and successfully married king Edward IV was a Veela, who used her magic to woe her husband, and to control the empire. A Veela has a light temper and a strong magic, that she can command without a wand,” he read.
“Anything about reading minds?” Rose wondered
He leafed through the book. “No. Sorry. But if you can seduce people, you have to know what they want, right?” Credence suggested.
Rose felt like her world had been turned upside down. She knew who she was now… Or rather what she was, but it had raised more questions than it answered. But there was no time to explore it further. She could sense Modesty and Chastity near now.
“They’re back,” Rose hissed, and Credence quickly locked up, as she tried to regain control of herself.
Credence noticed. He briefly wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her forehead. “You don’t scare me. I trust you completely.”
And then she lit up again. The boy had no idea what powers he had over her. Maybe he really was half Veela.

Chapter Text

Luckily Rose had gotten her glowing incident under control before anyone else entered the room. She could not deny Credency did things to her… That she loved him. She needed him to come with her now. There hadn’t been a moment yet to ask him though.
Coming back that evening Mary Lou’s state of mind seemed to have taken a turn for the dramatic, and the next day was even worse. Up before dawn, she seemed ready to mount a war against the ‘dark force which had brought the neighbouring flat down’. A simple gas explosion was not in Mary Lou’s repertoire.
Which seemed most likely. Timely as the bang might have been, Rose was sure it hadn't been her. As far as she was concerned, magic didn't just run away from you like this. Not without feeling drained. And Rose was feeling quite the opposite. Last night she had come to the conclusion that she needed to leave within the week. But not without Credence. She was gonna convince him to come with her. Today. If she had the chance to talk to him alone.
“We shall take this witch down! Who does she think she is, taking part of our beloved city down! We shall find her, and they shall be tried and prosecuted.” It was a fierce statement, which unsettled Rose. She had an idea of what Mary Lou meant be it, and it didn’t involve anything that was regularly considered as legal.
“Don’t you think we should leave this up to the authorities?” she suggested.
“My family has hunted witches for over two hundred years. I AM the authority!” Mary Lou screeched. It was clear that she was not gonna be convinced into changing her resolution.
“Two hundred years?” Rose knew she shouldn’t have been surprised as soon as the words left her mouth.
Mary Lou gave her a look of disdain, something that Chastity mimicked in the background. “You have been reading our pamphlets, haven’t you? A Barebone was for the first witch trials in Salem.”
Rose hadn’t particularly paid attention to that part. It got on her nerves, knowing that this was what Mary Lou had in store for her if she found out what Rose truly was. But again, she was hardly shocked. In her mind she started making a list of what she needed to do before she could leave. The top of that list: Convince Credence to come with her.
She hadn’t dared to look at him since yesterday, afraid that her hair would betray her feelings for him, something which would definitely lead to her being burned at the stake. As they moved out though, she made sure she stayed near him, ready to talk to him as soon as they found themselves alone. She knew he cared for her. She just hoped it was enough to convince him to come.
They came to the site where yesterday evening the building had collapsed, two blocks from the church. It was further away than Rose had expected by the loudness of the bang, though perhaps not surprising if you saw the amount of damage that had been done. One building had collapsed completely, another one was barely holding on. The street in front of the building looked looked like it had been dug over by a gigantic mole. It was dreadful, Rose really hoped no one had been caught in the devastation. Credence was beside her, and she could feel he was even more upset.
“Spread out. Spread the flyers. We will have a rally in front of here in two hours. Spread the word,” Mary Lou ordered not noticing either of them.
Credence grabbed a bushel and started moving away as far from the group as he could. Rose wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing. Inside he was in turmoil, Rose could sense it, though she didn’t know why. She didn’t dare to make eyecontact whilst the others were still there. Out of sight, he started running away from the group. She had to follow him now, or she would lose him.
Scanning quickly if anyone was missing her, she made a break for it. Credence was gone though. Almost aimlessly she started walking in order to find him.
It soon brought her to another part of town, a wealthier part. She could vaguely sense Credence but he kept on moving further and further away from her.
Crowd started to thin again, buildings here stood derelict. She was close now. All she needed to do was get into a street that seemed to be blocked by a bunch of rich well-dressed scum.
She could already feel it as she approached them, that even though they looked well-mannered, they were all but so..
“Did you see that freak? I mean who dresses like that nowadays. And that hair…” They all laughed with what looked like the leader of the bunch, a blonde gent in expensive clothes that was not old, but old enough to know better
“Yeah, and the stutter. P-p-please sir… Lemme p-p-pass,” one of his crownies said.
“Have you seen these flyers he dropped? Save America from witches. We should call him back here and hear him out,” they laughed even harder .
Rose knew she had found Credence, she just hoped he was alright. She needed to get passed them though to find out.
Of course they noticed her. If only because she was the only woman on the street. Rose looked as demure as she could, a bonnet covering her hair completely. Still, that hardly covered up her natural beauty.
“Hey pretty lady, I’m senator Shaw. Who are you?” the leader said. He grabbed her bonnet and pulled it off, her hair spilling free.
So this guy was a representative of the country. Rose shuddered at the thought. She had handled his kind before though. And she was in no mood to be toyed with. “Give that back and let me pass.”
“Not before you give us a kiss,” a crownie that grabbed her by the arm said.
Now her punches threw little weight. But her magic… For the first time she realised that Credence was right. She was a siren. And if she used that power she could have them dancing naked on town hall if she so desired. Which was just what she would have done… If the street beneath her hadn’t started to move.
It pulled her out of the grip of the man that was holding her, before throwing her on the ground. Behind her the men fell like dominos, the street looking something between a black tornado and a wild sea. Rose couldn’t quite comprehend it, all she saw was darkness.
Suddenly Credence swooped her up. She knew it was him before she could see him. They ran a couple of more blocks, before entering an empty building where he collapsed.
It scared her, more than the storm, or whatever it was, had done. “Credence are you alright.”
He had rolled into a fetal position, saying the words “I’m bad, I’m bad, I’m bad..” Over and over again.
“No you are not. Credence listen to me.” She tried to touch him, but he pushed her away.
“Don’t. Don’t touch me,” he yelled.
She had never seen him like this. Panicked. Confused. In pain. “Credence, you deserve so much better than this. Surely you desire a better life?” It was not how she had imagined asking him to with her, but now was as good a time as any.
“To be free of desire is to be free of sin.” It sounded like a mantra, like something Mary Lou would make him repeat day in, day out, until he was brainwashed.. Credence was not himself, he was scared and trembling.
It frightened her more than Mary Lou threatening to burn her at the stake did. “And free of anything that makes life worth living,” she tried to convince him.
“I can’t have desires. Wicked things will happen.” His head dove even deeper between his legs, and he started to rock himself.
“Everyone has desires. Let me comfort you. PLease.” she tried
“I don’t need anything. Stay away from me, you temptress.” He didn’t mean it. She knew that. So why did he say so
“Credence?” There was something, a secret.
“Stay away or you will get hurt. I can’t control it,” he warned her.
“Control what?” His mind was a blur, she couldn’t follow what was going on.
“Magic. Dark magic. Mother says it is wicked. It’s sinful. But it rages inside me. I need to control it or people get hurt. I let it out last night, and just now, and look what happens,” he cried.
Realisation started to hit her… How could she not have seen it. “This? This was you?”
“Yes. So for your own safety. Stay away. Run,” he pleaded with her.
“I’m not going anywhere. Not without you.” She looked into him, deeper and deeper. His aura started to separate into two. He was literally torn. “The blackness… It’s not part of you… Yet it is. How can that be?” The blackness was a separate entity, flowing around a white core now. It wanted to escape, but Credence was somehow controlling it, despite the fact he was trembling with fear..
“You can see it?” he asked shocked.
“Don’t be so surprised. You called me a witch yourself. But I hadn’t thought you would be as well. Why didn’t you tell me you were a wizard?” Her tone was relaxed, and she could see he was slowly calming down.
“Because I am not. I only have this one power which leads to destruction. I’m not like you who can read minds, heal people and move roof tiles.” He was still scared but at least he made eyes contact now.
Carefully she reached for his hand. “I bet you could. If you practiced.”
“Like that is ever gonna happen,” he snorted.
Unlike he thought, she wasn’t afraid of him, just that he would move away again. She felt his doubts“How did you keep this hidden? Living with Mary Lou, it seems almost impossible to keep secret.”
“Mother knows. She just thinks she has beaten it out of me a long time ago. It’s my earliest memory. I made my toy soldier march. Mother was scared and started cussing. She beat me until I lost consciousness. After that I started hiding my magic. Mother said I would burn in hell if I didn’t get rid of it, but I couldn’t. I could only push it away, but sometimes it bubbles to the surface and gets out of control. Like yesterday. And today.” Because of her, she realised. He had tried to protect her on both occasions. But he couldn’t control it.
It all started to make sense. Mary Lou claimed to descend from a long line of witch hunters, all carrying the Barebone name. If there was indeed a whole society of witches out there, then what better revenge on such a family than impregnating then one of their own. Seduce the young girl before she knew what was happening. It was cruel… Especially for the innocent child born from this union. Did Mary Lou know her lover had been a wizard? Or had it been a complete surprise?
Was Graves perhaps his father? Was that his interest in the society? No, that wasn’t possible. Mary Lou did not know Graves like that, if he was the father of her son she would not react as she did. And likewise Graves despised Credence, Rose had felt that for certain.
“Credence… You have to get out of here. Mary Lou is destroying you. One day she will beat you to death. You’re dying there.” She was sure that he would be alright once they were alone. Really alone. The Americas were big enough to find some place that was still devoid of other people.
“Maybe I shouldn't be alive. Nobody wants me,” he spoke softly. It tore at her that he really believed that to be true as well.
She wrapped her arms around him. This time he did not object.The darkness shrunk to the smallest on corners. “I want you.” In more ways she had held possible. Rose had grown to hate men over the years. But not him.
“The darkness inside me. It breaks out and it destroys things. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You don’t scare me, Credence Barebone. I have a few magic tricks of my own if need be,” she assured him.
“I can sometimes feel that power inside of me. Like I’m a bottle and the magic is a fizzing drink, and if it is shaken real hard, it explodes. Is it like that for you?” he wanted to know.
Rose shook her head.“No… I mostly see things I’m not supposed to see. I can move stuff with extreme concentration, and when people make me very angry or I’m in danger… Well maybe that is what you are talking about. The magic protects me like a shield. But it’s not nearly as powerful as yours.”
“That’s not what it does for me. Though I think if it did, Mother would just beat harder. She won’t stop until I bleed.” It was a grim conclusion, but he was right. Mary Lou would kill him if she knew. How could he stay there
“Get away from her. Stop letting her hurt you. Come with me. I don’t have much to offer, but… I won’t hurt you.” She wondered if it would be wrong to use her powers to make him say yes. It would be easy enough to influence him, but in the end... It needed to be his decision.
“I’m afraid might hurt you. If something happens at Second Salem...” They deserved it. He didn’t say it out loud, but that was what he was thinking, and looking at how horrid they were she had to agree with that.
“But you are never safe here, and you will never be. Please. I’m begging you. Come with me,” her eyes begged him
His pulse raced, his heart beating in his throat. He was scared. So was she, but not of him. Tightly she wrapped herself around him, burying her face in his chest, taking in his scent.
“Your hair is glowing again,” he remarked as his arm automatically enveloped her.
“That’s because I love you. I loved you when you held me that night. And I love you now. It’s not lust, not seduction, like that book says. It’s because there is no one I’d rather be with in the world than you,do you hear me?” she said, looking up into his eyes.
“I… I don’t know what to say.” His thoughts spoke for him though. He had a hard time believing anyone could even care for him, but loved her and she knew it.
“Say you will come with me. Say that you won’t let Mary Lou hurt you again,” she was begging him. He had to agree. He just had to.
“What if I can’t control the darkness? What if it takes over?” He was worried about her. Why couldn’t he just choose for his own happiness?
This was her last chance to convince him. “I don’t think staying here will help you. The darkness.. It shrinks when you are happy. It’s almost gone right now. My white knight...” She kissed him. Slowly at first, but then he took over, taking possession of her lips, and every other part of her. The outside world melted away and she knew… This man was her soulmate.
As they opened their eyes, the room looked like it was illuminated. And it was.
“You’re hair…” He ran his fingers through it, and it didn’t dim down. “It’s as bright as the sun now. If someone sees you....It’s to dangerous.”
She smiled. “I don’t care. I’m with you.”
“But you can’t stay.” Mary Lou was far too dangerous, and they both knew it. “I will come with you. We will leave as soon as we can. Tonight,” he promised.
He was doing it for her, but at least he had said yes. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes. We’ll move to the middle of nowhere. This is America, the land of unspoken opportunities. Maybe we should follow a goldrush. With your blasting capabilities, we are sure to find some use for them. Maybe if we….Wait… Sorry…. There is someone coming.” She had gotten her senses back, and now they were tingling. “It’s Graves. He inspected the street. He knows it’s magic.”
“Does he know it’s my magic?” Credence asked worried.
“No, you’re safe,” Rose replied, after feeling Graves out. His darkness frightened her, there was something so wrong with this man. He played his cards close to his chest though, she couldn’t tell what he was up to, but he didn’t wish well upon anyone.
Credence was ready to be her champion again. “I’ll distract him. You run. Your hair is still… shimmering.” He wanted to touch her, kiss her, but pulled back last minute, realizing it would lead to her lighting up again. “See you tonight,” he whispered instead… And then she glowed as she hid away.

Chapter Text

Was it possible to be on cloud nine, when around you there was so much sorrow and danger? Rose seemed to think so. After leaving Credence behind in the abandoned warehouse, she had headed straight for the train station. With the last of her money she bought two tickets West on the earliest train that was leaving tomorrow. She was broke. Tomorrow was looking absolutely uncertain. But she had never felt any happier than she felt right now. There was somebody in this world that understood and loved her, and she him. Soon they would be together. She couldn’t wait to tell him about her plans.
All she had to do now was make it through until tonight, and how hard could that be? Yes, Mary Lou was watching her like a hawk, but all she needed to do was pack her stuff, which wasn’t much and be ready to leave when everyone was asleep. She checked herself before entering the church. Smiling this much would be a clear giveaway something was up. No one ever smiled in this place.
Rose felt jittery, her heart swinging from one extreme to the other, not just because of what she was about to do, but also who she was about to face, because It was quite likely that Mary Lou was going to be mad. After all, she had missed the rally and lost her flyers when that creep of a senator had attacked her. She had also lost her bonnet, which in all likelihood was still there. Oh well, maybe if she spun it into a story of how she was nearly mauled, whilst leaving Credence involvement in saving her out of it, she could use up the last of Mary Lou’s sympathy for her. After tonight, she wasn’t going to need it anymore, and it was more than likely that Mary would hate Rose for taking her son from her. Not because she loved him, but because she saw her as property.
Thinking about Mary Lou made her feel resentful. Hurting her could only hurt Credence though. Giving herself one last mental check, she prepared herself to play the role of New Salem devotee one more time.
‘STAY AWAY ROSE. STAY AWAY ROSE. STAY AWAY ROSE. STAY AWAY ROSE. STAY AWAY ROSE. STAY AWAY ROSE. STAY AWAY ROSE.’ As she approached the door of the church, this message shouted in her head… In Credence’s voice.
The message was clear. She pulled her hand back just in time to duck into an alley behind the bins. It was still playing like a distress signal in her head. Credence, knowing her power was literally vibrating it from his body so loudly that she wondered how she had not heard it before. Knowing that there was something wrong was one thing though. But how was she going to let him know she had heard him and ask what was the matter.
She had never tried this, but she had to do something. Finding a corner where she was practically invisible for anyone walking by, she closed her eyes, and tried to make a connection with him.
‘Credence, I’m here. I’m here.’
It didn't work.
Focusing even harder she tried again. ‘Credence. I’m here.’
The running message in her mind stopped. She feared it just meant that his mother had caught him doing whatever he was doing to get his message across, and silently prayed he was alright.
‘Credence?’ she tried again.
‘Rose! You can hear me! I can hear you! Were you always able to do that?’ She could feel his relief, and it matched her own.
‘It’s my first attempt ever. Are you alright?’ It was her main concern at this time, though she really needed to focus on what had happened.
‘Yes I’m absolutely fine.’ It was a lie, she could feel he had already been brutally beaten, there were welts on his back that hurt, she felt them as if she had been beaten herself. ‘Mother found out I was trying to leave. Found me gathering my things, and directly decided you were all to blame. I tried to tell her otherwise but the more I protested, the more convinced she became you were behind everything. Not just for this, but for the explosions too. I want to tell them the truth...I tried telling them...’
‘But you are going to stop doing that, do you hear me, Credence. I forbid it. She will burn you at the stake.’ Rose immediately protested. She was safe for now. He was not.
‘Or burn you.’ he replied, ‘In which case I’d much rather have they would hurt me.’
‘They are not going to hurt anyone. You’re coming with me. Now. We would just need to make it through the night, I have tickets for the train tomorrow. Just blast your way out of there.’ She wasn’t gonna leave him here. Not when they were so close to a new live.
Credence wasn’t that easy to convince though. He was wavering. ‘I can’t. Not without leveling the church. I’m fine. She has locked me in a closet so I’m perfectly safe for now. Get away from here. Take that train tomorrow. I will follow you as soon as I can.’
‘Tonight? I can come back for you. We wait until everyone is asleep and I will do the same trick as I did with the roof. It works wonders on locks as well, I promise.’ She wanted to run in there and get him now.
‘I’m afraid I can’t let you do that. If you get caught…’ There was pain in his heart. He was changing his mind
She couldn’t let him, she couldn’t leave him. ‘Then we fight them. We’re witches, remember? Not just me. Both of us. There is no way they can hurt us.’
‘Mary Lou has more resources than you think. New Salem has chapters everywhere, and she is the head of the church. She won’t come after you alone… But if we both leave now… Mary Lou loves nothing more than revenge. I can stand EVERYTHING knowing you are safe, do you hear me Rose. But to think she will hurt you...’ This was Credence, this was why she loved him. Self-sacrificing to a fault. Literally.
She wanted to cry. Here he was, no more than twenty feet away at the most, but he could as well be on the moon. She knew he was right. But she couldn’t just leave him. ‘I’ll find something on the other side of town. I will let you know where somehow. Maybe you can meet me and then we will find a way to be together. Do you hear me? I’m not taking no for an answer here.’
‘You would be safer out west,’ he tried to convince her.
She wasn’t having it. He wasn’t the only stubborn one. ‘Maybe, but I am not risking losing you. You protected me time and again. Let me be here for you.’
‘I… You need to keep yourself safe though… It can’t be too close. They can’t find you.’ He was relieved she was staying, she could feel it. There had to be a solution.
‘I will, I promise. And otherwise you can come and rescue me again, my brave knight.’ She wanted to touch him, wrap her arms around him.
‘In December Mother starts to suffer from depression, and she drinks. It’s two months from now, she won’t be so obsessed with you anymore. We could flee to Europe, she has no connections there,’ he suggested.
It sounded like the perfect solution. ‘If Veelas indeed come from France I would love to go there. I can make money easily if I want to. Get myself into a few card games. We would have the money together in no time. I can wait for as long as it takes. Just promise you will come with me. You’re not safe where you are now. Mary Lou will punish you again.’
‘I promise, if you promise you will go now and keep yourself safe. Mary Lou can’t hurt me anymore. Her blows stopped hurting me a long time ago. But I need you to be safe as well. If she hurts you..’ He would topple the church if he thought her in danger. But he was right. It was safer though for all of them if he didn’t. ‘I will meet you by the subway station Tuesday evening around seven. We will figure this out,’ he promised. ‘Some day soon we will be together.’
His promise made her worry about his safety. ‘If you can’t get away then I will come back the next week. And the next. And the next. I’ll be there every Tuesday until you can leave here for good. You don’t come if you think it is gonna earn you a beating.’
‘The beating would be worth it.’ he replied wryly.
‘No it isn’t. I want you in one piece.’ Though she would still take him if he was in a thousand. She would piece back together again one bit at a time if she needed to.
‘I’ll do my best. I love you, Rose Karma LaMage.’
‘I love you too, Credence Barebone. Don’t you ever forget that.’ She wanted to hold him, kiss him, touch him. None of that possible right now though. She clung onto the hope they would soon be together.
‘You have to leave now. Mother has convinced other people that you are to blame, and they are almost ready to set out. There are lots of men in the house, men that leered at you in church. They are planning to capture you, and hurt you. Run. Now, and get away as far from here as you can.’
‘I hate leaving you.’ She wanted to cry, but to what use would it be.
‘And I hate you having to leave. But I will be fine. I will see you Tuesday. I promise.’ he tried to reassure her.
‘Only if you can get away. Stay safe. The darkness you have in you… Use it if you need to. Don’t let anyone hurt you. Especially Mary Lou.’ Knowing how stubborn he was, she feared for his safety more than her own.
‘I promise. Now please, run. They can get out there any minute now. I can’t let them hurt you. Go east… I’ll distract them for now.’
He loved her, and she… She had never felt like this for anyone. He was her soulmate, his presence steadied her, made her feel an inner peace and strength… And now she was leaving him. It was tearing her up, but right now she had no other choice. Getting up she heard his voice in her head ‘I love you Rose.’ Then the connection disappeared and there was a light explosion two blocks away.

She did as he asked. She ran for as long as she could, until she was in a completely different part of town. There she build a temporary new life for herself. Even if t was only going to be for a couple of months, she needed money to survive and make sure they had enough to get away. In the weeks to come she found herself a new place to stay, which wasn’t easy having nothing left but the clothes on her back. But she found somewhere good, with a blind older lady, who gave her a chance to practice her magic unseen. Rose had never practiced, had never seen her skills as something that could be honed, and used a state of emergency. Yes, her main power was reading minds, but she had always known instinctively she could do more. In meeting Credence… and Graves, she had gotten a better scope on her powers, and strangely it had driven her to explore them rather than shy away from them. When reports started to come in of strange sightings and inexplicable explosions around Pike Street, she knew Credence was doing the same.
He would try to meet her every Tuesday, but Mary Lou was keeping a stricter eye on him, meaning he had a harder time getting away, especially at night. Meeting during the day, whilst they were leafleting as a group was out of the question. The other kids were put on high alert, in case she was to return. He told her how Graves had contacted him to find whoever was responsible for these collapses. “But I make sure no one gets harmed in them,” he added.
She had made him promise not to tell Graves it was him, no matter what. The man frightened her still, and she was worried what he wanted to from Credence if he was ever to discover his true nature. Everyone, including his mother thought Credence was weak. Rose knew the opposite was true. He possessed a strength that would get him through anything, of only he would believe more in himself. But she would help him with that.
Rose missed Credence every day, his warm arms, his gentle touch, and the way he looked at her, not with lust, but with love. It was something she had never experienced. They belonged together Soon they would be together. She could wait forever if she had to, as long as she could hold him again. For now she just had to wait..

The End.. For now
Sorry for the wait, I wasn’t feeling too well last week. I planned to stop the story here, but well… I can’t quite leave it like this. So I will add a sequel that takes us into the station. Just a bit slower than I have written this. Thanks for reading this.