Chapter Text
No matter what anyone said, when or why, it was a singular fact that no one was able to change. The fact that she loved her dearest to the death – no matter how many years, how many millenniums she just wanted her love happy. For them to live together and die of an old age.
She hated seeing the blood run out of her lover’s body, seeing the eyes being filled by emptiness, showing that she wasn’t there anymore. She hated it, it made her want to cry her eyes out - shout curses into emptiness, shout at the god, or whatever there was to make them go through this cycle again and again and again-
But the pain never stopped. The cries she cried were for nothing, the curses were shouted at the darkness. In the end no matter what happened, she always loved her, whenever they were together as
Maureen and Karyn,
Olympia and Beileag,
Valentina and Ruth,
Hibiki and Nanako,
All the others
or Maria and Katarina.
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Maureen never was anything else expect a child of a bastard, a dirty daughter of a noble, who went and forced women in the slums. After all, what was even the worst that could happen to him? Everyone turned blind eye to the slums. After her mother died from an illness that could’ve easily been fixed, had they had the money for the medicine - Maureen was alone. Alone in the slums, afraid they would be caught for what they stole to live. That someone saw her in the streets and decided to sell her, keep her locked in a cage until she entertained her buyer. The though made Maureen tremble, she didn’t want that. She hated her life, but she hated death.
“Hey kid, you alone?” one humid afternoon she heard a clear voice above her, making her flinch and jump back. The voice held no malice, nor did she sound amused. Simply curious. “I’m looking for an old lady, a seller who sells plants. Would you happen to know her by any chance, since I’m assuming that you’re not a tourist”, she asked light-heartedly, making Maureen finally look up. The woman looked like she was maybe 19, few years older than her but not a lot.
Her black hair was up in a loose bun, few strings of hair falling on her face and shoulders. Seeing her basic, cheaply made grey robe that reached her ankle, and the roughness of her hands, it was clear that the woman was no noble in any means. However, seeing the beautiful body that had noticeable curves, it was clear that the black-haired woman wasn’t starving. Lucky her. The most breath-taking part about her however were the blue eyes – they were clear blue, and shined while having stars in them. The woman held her gaze strongly, not wavering nor showing weakness. It made for some reason Maureen lose the feeling in her legs, and feel her heart thumping.
She was so different from the undergrown female that Maureen was, with her hair that reached her shoulders looking like dirty brown - even though it should be blonde. Her moss coloured eyes were dark, not showing any light. And her clothes were ripped apart., some old slave clothes she had stolen.
“...The old hag only sells illegal plants. What are you, going to get high off some random drugs that no one knows their origin?” Maureen asked more harshly than she wanted, but she still didn’t trust the woman.
The weirdest part happened next –
the black-haired lady began laughing like there was no tomorrow at Maureen’s words, with her shoulders jumping up and down. “D-Do not worry miss, I’m not here to get high of meds. Besides, I'm too strong for me to be caught in by drugs, just look!” she began talking after calming herself somewhat, and flexed her left hand, showing non-existing muscles. For a cherry on top, the black-haired lady winked with brash smile. Maureen was wordless – everything on her mind had just disappeared by this strange act. “Then, miss, why are you looking for her?” She stared at the woman with the moss green eyes wide open, not knowing what to say.
The woman smirked, and whispered “I’ve waited for an introduction!” while doing a small hooray for herself. After that she straightened, and tried to look like the lady Maureen first assumed she was. “You see miss, I’m a medicine maker. I’m trying to make a strong medicine for a specific illness that needs that plant, but since it’s often used for wrong purposes, it has been made illegal,” the woman explained in womanly matter and gave a small curtsy, all while smiling how well she did.
If Maureen wasn’t stumped before, she definitely was now. “...The old hag lives down the street, when you turn left and walk twenty meters straight - before seeing an old cottage with blown-out roof. Turn to right and take a small side-street. Her house is the very last run-down house, where she usually keeps two cone cows at the doorjamb,” Maureen explained briefly, only to see the painful expression in the blue eyes to understand that the black-haired lady was going to get lost completely. “...Do you want me to show you the right way?” the blonde asked awkwardly. At that the woman brightened, before crapping Maureen’s hands; “Yes please!”
During their walk together, the black-haired lady chattered all about the medicine, her cabin at the forest, her being alone and et cetera, not even thinking that blabbering all of this to a complete stranger wasn’t perhaps the best idea. “What about your parents?” Maureen tried to put something in between, only to realize that was a such a rude question. Just as she was about to apologize, the black-haired woman signed in. “Long gone, they weren’t there even in my earliest memories. I was growing together with my grandfather, who taught me everything I needed – from medicines to basic knowledge” The woman smiled dearly at Maureen, before sadly turning away, smile turning into a bitter one. “Now he’s gone too, only leaving me the forest cabin and his medical reports”, the woman sighed.
Maureen didn't know what to do, was she supposed to comfort the black-haired lady? “Ah, were here”, she automatically said when she noticed the two cone cows. The black-haired woman clasped her hands together cheerfully. “Here weee go!” she spoke with high energy, before stomping forward. “Bye-bye, little street woman! I truly loved our conversation!” she spoke happily, and gave her a small – Well, huge wave, that started from her shoulders.
The blonde didn't know what to do, she just suddenly started getting melancholic from the lady leaving, never seeing the woman again – the one who had made her forget her thoughts and walls. Before Maureen even realized, she ran after the lady, crashing at her side. “Miss, what’s your name?” she asked firmly, staring straight for the first time properly into the woman’s eyes. “Huh? It’s Karyn...?” she asked questioningly, after being caught off-guard.
Maureen crabbed the woman’s hands, and squeezed them hard. “Well then, miss Karyn”, she spoke with clear voice, unwavering. “Please make me you apprentice!” Maureen accidentally shouted, and gave a deep bow.
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“Maureen, wake up”, Karyn softly patted the green-eyed blonde, who groaned in her sleep. She softly opened her eyes. “Ah-- I fell asleep while studying”, Maureen gasped when she noticed what was going on, and lowered her head apolitically. “I-I’m sorry, Master! I promise to do better!” Maureen cried. Karyn Huffed. “Geez, didn’t I tell you to stop with that master business?” We’re besides only two years apart, there’s no need to be so formal with me”, she smiled warmly, and ruffled the blond hair roughly. Maureen felt her face to light up. “I- I won’t. Not until I’m worthy of being someone close to you”, she started quivering still face red, not looking Karyn at the face.
“Hmm... But aren’t you already at the same level with me? You learned to cook way better meals; you take care of the housework, make clothes and help me take care of the medical field. You’re already so awesome, it would be bad if you took my spot you know!” Karyn laughed jokingly, while patting Maureen on the shoulder. “Well anyway, go to bed, you will only get back pain in that chair. Getting sick would only slow the process of you catching up”, the black-haired smiled a wide grin, and stood up from the stool that was put beside the table.
“Sweet dreams, my Maureen”, Karyn gave Maureen a soft peck on the top of her head, which froze the blonde completely. After a few seconds, Karyn realized what she had just done, and jumped back while being completely flushed. “Ah uhm--- Th-that was a goodnight kiss! You know, from your teacher to congratulate you in studies!”, she quickly explained, making hand signs with her face still red. She quickly made her way out of her pupil’s room, before stopping at the door. “Oh, and uhm, Maureen...”, she said at the door, after breathing for a while. It made the blond jump back a little, before humming that she was indeed listening.
“Sweet dreams, seriously. Go to your bed”, Karyn gave her a cheeky smile, cheeks still red, before slipping out of the apprentice’s room. Maureen sighed, hitting her head against the desk. “I wonder if I can sleep after that...”, she muttered, feeling the redness in her face. The heart thumbed in her chest like crazy, like the frogs that hopped in the field after a rainy night. She squeezed her fists. Maureen was truly happy, and loved being here.
Most of all, she especially loved her.
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“Wha--- Master, how did you get a wound like this!” Maureen spoke shocked, before she immediately grabbed items from the medicine cabin. “Geez stop being so dramatic, it’s just a small cut!” Karyn tried to reason, showing that she did indeed just cut her right index finger. “But it’s still bleeding, so it wasn’t just a light scrape--- Besides, with you working at the field and making medicine, it could easily get infected! You know that, Master!” The blonde argued, sitting opposite of Karyn. She took the black-hair’s hand, and began cleaning the wound.
“What were you even doing?” Maureen questioned her master, who flickered her gaze away. “It’s the day you came here, --Ouch! -- so I thought I could surprise you and cook breakfast today”, she explained, looking away embarrassed. Maureen’s hand stopped abruptly for a while, as she took those words in. “Geez, you’re too sweet sometimes, Master”, she continued in the end, wrapping the finger in bandage. “Do you even know what that means for me?” Maureen muttered slowly, only for her to hear.
“Hmm? What was that?” Karyn asked curiously, looking at her apprentice. The silence continued for a while, before Maureen raised her head up. “Hey Master, I’ve been here for a year at this spot, right?” the girl asked a very obvious question, looking at her teacher. “Yes, how so...?” The black-haired woman answered, weirded out by such an odd question, that’s answer Maureen already knows.
“In three months, when the autumn leaves are falling the most, I turn eighteen and will be recognized as an official adult”, she spoke quietly, but this time Karyn could hear her. “I will work hard to be your equal, so please, look at me then”, the blonde wished for with a hopeful sound, having a slight melancholic feeling to her eyes. “What are you talking about? I’m already looking at your direction, aren’t I?” Karyn asked confused, starting to worry that she’s misunderstood something. Again.
“...No, you’re not”, answered Maureen, leaning over to reach Karyn’s hair, that was left open after washing up this morning. She ran her fingers through the silky black hair, leaving a tuck of hair between her fingers. Softly, Maureen kissed it. “...I love you, Karyn”, the blonde spoke in a heart-struck voice. She quietly looked up at her teacher with half-lidded eyes.
Karyn was frozen for a second, trying to gather what had just happened. After about ten seconds had passed, her face flushed red in matter of seconds. “W-W-W-Wait a m-minute? Are you sure? You- When- How?” the black-haired shouted, trying to make sense through the muttered words, however failing badly and not making sense even to herself.
Maureen chuckled softly, and let go of the peace of hair that she was holding. “You don’t need rush it immediately - after all, you got three months to think about it”, the blonde smiled at the blue-eyed woman, slowly even her cheeks getting red realizing how soapy her confession was.
“Wha-- That’s not enough time at all!” panicked Karyn, who still couldn’t make any other sentences. “Well, it’s got to be enough. After all, I’ve already struggled with my love for almost a year”, Maureen said before she could stop herself, and with that both fell silent as their faces burned in bright red.
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Karyn was feeling nervous, and she barely looked at where she was going. Since the autumn brought tons of harvest, she had a custom to go to the closest village during the Harvesting Festival. She usually stayed for two days, returning back home late at night. This year was however different, as she wanted leave very early in the morning. After all, it was Maureen’s birthday.
“Ah, excuse me black-haired woman”, Karyn heard a brash voice somewhere and stopped, expecting that it was directed at her. Against a vegetable stall stood a tall, good looking man. Or well, his face was a bit off, mut everything else was fixed to the point and polished. “You’re that medicine maker’s grandchild, right? The Lady of the Forest?” asked the man snobbishly, looking at her from different angles. “Ah yes, I am indeed the current medicine maker. How so, would you like to order medicine? In that case, please send a letter to the cabin-”, the woman answered, slightly sneering at the name ‘The Lady of the Forest’. Before she could finish speaking however, she was cut off.
“Eh, I guess you’re good enough, you’re a quite beauty”, the man said rudely, as he looked at the black-haired woman from every angle. “Pardon?” Karyn was confused, and very disturbed by the man’s peeping. “It’s your lucky day. I Am Franchis, the second son of this village’s chief, and a low-ranking noble. And well, you see I am looking for a fiancée”, the man explained briefly, before getting on his knee. “While you’re not the cutest, you’re still quite a beauty. Plus, you’re a favourite in this village, marrying you would put me in better position of receiving the rank from my father”, Franchis told while holding his hand out for Karyn, who was both surprised and disgusted at the same time. The difference she was getting between Maureen and this Franchis was like day and night – which only proved what she had known for a quite long time, but was just too scared to acknowledge.
“I am extremely sorry mister Franchis, but I am not currently trying to get married. Please understand. Now if you excused me, I have urgent business and need to return”, Karyn quickly said, before taking her hand away by force and quickly walking out of there. How annoying – but at least she got confirmation.
Franchis tried to grab her, but couldn’t rush after her – that was way below him, a noble’s son. Behind him, he could hear women whispering and men laughing. “Dammit, fucking woman made a fool out of me”, he bid his tongue.
Karyn got quite close to her home in the forest by a passing milkman, and only had to walk for three kilometres. The trip back had taken two hours all together, as she was reaching home at mid-day. Already from the afar, she could see the younger female hanging bedsheets, trying to get the last uses of the warm sun before the colder winter.
“Maureen!” shouted once she had gotten into the hearing distance, and the blondie’s attention turned to her. She hurried to set the laundry basket down, before she sprinted towards the black-haired woman. It was quite a cute sight. “Mas- Karyn!” the blonde shouted back, and hugged the older warmly. After fifteen seconds they pulled apart, looking at each other happily. “Ah... Regarding about that time three months ago... I, uhm... What is it?” Maureen asked, suddenly turning very shy. Karyn laughed, and cupped the shorter one’s cheek, and turned it upwards.
They met halfway.
The kiss was a shy one at first, their teeth clashing together - before they relaxed into the movement, both melting together, moving together. It was everything either of them had ever wanted. It wasn’t technically perfect, a disaster maybe even, but to both of them it was the most perfect thing ever. They both loved it, lived for it. Wanted to stay in the touch longer, but eventually pulled apart. “You know, during your time here you’ve grown both physically and mentally. I truly love you, Maureen”, confessed Karyn wholeheartedly. She took few strands of her hair, now long enough to touch her chest, and kissed it.
“...That was even more sappy than my confession”, laughed Maureen, and kissing the black-haired on the left cheek. “Oh shut up, you’re the one who brought up the whole hair kissing stuff”, rolled Karyn her eyes, before they both laughed. “But geez, even after eating all that food, I’m still shorter than you by a half head”, The blonde grunted, raising to her toes to compare the height difference between them. “I mean, you didn’t get enough nutrients growing up as a child or the early teenage years, I can see why”, explained the older, and smiled. “No worries though, with this height you’re perfect to be the little spoon!” Karyn happily exhaled, before picking Maureen up.
“Wait no, no, no, you’re going to drop me!! Karyn!” Maureen gasped in panic, and tried to hang to her lover’s body as closely as possible. “No worries, did you forget about my muscle arms? It’s going to be okaAAAAYY---” as Karyn was speaking, Maureen shifting her weight caused Karyn to fall to her butt in the flower wield. “Oh my god--- Are you alright Karyn?” Maureen sighed in worry. “Urgh, don’t think so. Could you come closer?” Karyn asked wholeheartedly, to which the blonde of course responded, thinking that she was going to help the black-haired girl to stand. Only to be pulled down, onto the taller female’s lap.
“Wha... Karyn!!” the younger yelled, face red after falling on Karyn’s chest. “Sorryyy, I lied”, laughed the girl, before pushing both of them rolling to roll in the wield. In middle of all of that, Karyn’s hair opened.
They both snickered, and kissed once more while being surrounded by dandelions.
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Maureen woke up hearing loud voices outside the window. That’s... odd. It wasn’t even animal noises, but sounded like... shouting? She softly untangled herself out of her lover’s embrace, which alone was hard, and walked to the window.
“...Mmh, Maureen, what are you doing?” spoke Karyn sleepily, rubbing her eyes. “There are men outside our house with torches. What’s happening?” Maureen sounded serious, which caused Karyn to stand up and walk to the window. “That’s-- Those are villagers! Why are they here?” gasped the dark-haired woman, and took few steps back. What was happening?
“...I’m going to question them, since it’s probably safer. They’re here probably because of you”, the younger quickly started walking away, before the older latched onto her arm. “No, that’s too dangerous! Who knows why they’re here, but this is my grandfather’s house, so of course I am going to-” before Karyn could continue till the end, the front door was broken apart. In came a... priest? And a knight first, both holding weapons. “Wha- What do you think you’re doing?!” questioned Karyn, voice shattering.
“What, or course bringing the punishment to the witch”, a voice came from the masses, and out of that stepped no one other than the village chief’s second son. “For our entire village to be eating poison that a witch created!! And not only that, but for her...”, Franchis glanced at Maureen. “...To seduce this beautiful woman, who could have a happy marriage, into bedding with a witch. How truly disgusting”, yelled the man in snobbish tone, before turning towards the knight; “Seize her.”
With simple movements, the knight pulled Karyn away, while the priest spoke to Maureen that the devil has been beaten, and now she can happily marry. “Maureen!” Karyn yelled with her might, trying to reach her lover, trying to fight the knight – For no results. “No, no, please, we haven’t done anything wrong! Karyn!” Maureen yelled back, trying to push the priest before stumbling to the floor. This wasn’t the happiness she wanted.
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When the execution was happening, the leaves had already fallen from the trees. The weather had become colder. Maureen wasn’t sure what she was feeling, maybe it was nothingness, maybe it was everything – she just wanted to get rid of everyone and everything, to live in peace with love on darkness, to hold Karyn in her arms for all eternity. Why couldn’t that happen?
She had gotten a front seat, or rather forced into one. She was spacing out, tired of weeks of nothing but fighting, and she just wanted to suppress the reality. Before she started hearing the cries of her lover in the distance. It was real. This wasn’t a long dream, it was reality. Karyn quickly came into the view, being roughly pulled behind.
She was wearing a simple white prayer shirt, that didn’t hide the bruises she had received at all. Most of all, her hair had been cut short -- as if someone had just pulled her hair, and slashed a sword as closely as they could without ripping her head open. The priest opened his scroll, and began speaking.
No – This couldn’t...
“Karyn Reuben’s daughter has been proved guilty of doing a witches’ job”
Stop this already “She has poisoned the medicine she created, slowly killing us while playing the saviour”
Everyone here knows that isn’t true, why are they still doing this? Does that dirty low-ranking noble’s child seriously have that much power? Or are they just so ignorant that they don't care, that they just don’t want to inconvenience themselves?
“And on top of that, she seduced a marriageable woman into her tricks, and didn’t allow her to escape”
Ah, I forgot the true world with her.
Everything was doomed from the beginning.
That noble who ate mother like quick meal,
to those who tried to search for children on the streets just to sell--
Everyone is rotten.
Only you are right in this burning fire, the only one who can create happiness even for a beast like me.
The rest of the world can burn in flames.
Maureen couldn’t do anything expect watch. Watch as everything she loved was taken, no matter how many she tried to speak to the priests, struggle against or attack them. They only spoke about spells and witchcraft. She was so tired.
When Karyn was pulled roughly into the ground, Maureen couldn’t even help but to choke on her painful tears, wanting to curse the earth. She saw how the executer raised his axe--
It happened at mid-day, in late autumn.
Maureen shouted, fought against the knights to get to the head – nothing else mattered to her, then to at least to have a final touch of her skin. To cradle her in the blonde’s arms, all while she cried poisonous tears.
Maureen bid her back teeth, the one she had hidden some bitter poison under. And just like that, she fell asleep beside the head, stroking her lover’s cheek.
Ah-
It seems like the first snow is falling