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Bakery duty had been thrust upon the Ashen Wolves, with little care or recourse for their protests - even when Hapi warned that the dull clock-watching that baking cakes involved would inevitably cause her to sigh. They were simply forced into the role as, apparently, the other houses were all busy inside their classrooms.
It was here, as Balthus claimed he could bench press a fridge and Yuri tested the weight of the kitchen knives he was not usually allowed access to, that Constance's mind began to wander. One useful skill she had learned from her sunlight afflicted personality was the ability to tune others out and focus on her own thoughts. Crafting peach sorbet, she let herself become absorbed in her thoughts. Mentally, she travelled back to Nuvelle territory, before things all fell apart. She had fond memories of baking with her mother, creating desserts and pastries that they would then share out with other local families.
And, her heartbeat quickening, she remembered late evenings spent with a neighbouring brother and sister. She remembered the boy - quieter, grumpier - placated by sorbet, sitting alone with a book about war tactics on a bench. More vivid memories, though, were the sensations of another girl's hand touching hers for the first time. Of gentle squeezes, of shy glances, and of racing pulses. She remembers blossom falling around them as they giggled, taking an extra risk to then hug, to wrap arms around eachother, for their knees to touch, and for their gestures to speak more than words could.
Constance didn't know then how to describe the swell of joy and anticipation in her chest. But feeling it again now, the memories gained depth and clarity. Forcing herself back to the task at hand, she savored those fleeting moments of first love, no longer lost in time. They had remained - hidden yet whole - waiting for her baking once more to set them free.
She knew that the girl she remembered had blossomed to be her, beautiful, classmate Mercedes, and the boy now presented himself as Professor Jeritza. Neither of them had yet acknowledged their shared past with Constance. She understood the need for a fresh start, and had promised internally to respect that. However, as she continued to cast ice spells on peach slices, she felt possessed by the urge to reach out and deliver the sorbet to Jeritza.
--
Despite herself, Constance found herself hesitating outside the Blue Lions classroom, the tray of peach sorbet hovering in her hands. She had promised herself to respect his and Mercedes' wish for a fresh start. Yet, she could not ignore her compulsion to deliver the sorbet to Jeritza, her sensitive childhood friend.
She closed her eyes, memories again washing over her - laughter floating through blossom-filled air, Mercedes' knees brushing against hers, fingers clasped tight. The bittersweet nostalgia filled her chest.
Opening her eyes and moving forward, Constance saw Jeritza sitting alone behind his desk as usual. Mercedes chatted with Annette, unaware of Constance's presence. Constance watched them for a moment - her first friends, her first love - now strangers. Though the memories lingered, their lives had diverged. Who they were to each other now remained unspoken.
With a sad smile, Constance set the sorbet on the Professor's desk. "For anyone who wishes some," she said to no one in particular. Annette clasped her hands and grinned, proclaiming she was going to dive in, oblivious to Mercedes and Jeritza's sudden discomfort. Constance was still able to pick up on their feelings, though - and she turned away, walking back towards the kitchen.
---
Constance excused herself from baking duty not long after she returned, feigning nausea, and sat in her room, heart heavy with memories and a sense of loss. She tried to shake off the feelings of nostalgia and longing, reminding herself that Mercedes and Jeritza had moved on from their shared past. As she lay down on her bed, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her door, and a knock followed.
Figuring it was Hapi returning her apron, Constance opened the door immediately. To her surprise, Mercedes stood in front of her, looking nervous yet determined.
Constance fought the urge to slam the door shut, but instead stood aside and gestured for Mercedes to come in. As she entered, Constance took note of the way the air seemed to shift with her presence, and the way the sunlight filtering through the window cast a warm glow on her features.
"Constance," Mercedes began, pausing as she seemed to weigh up her next sentence, "I wanted to thank you for including Jeritza in your gesture. It meant a lot to him."
Constance could see the gratitude in Mercedes' eyes, but also a hint of something else - a lingering hesitance, perhaps. "I'm glad he enjoyed it," Constance replied, her voice neutral. "I hope he felt included."
Mercedes shifted her weight from one foot to the other, seemingly nervous. "Constance, can we talk for a moment?" she asked, her eyes searching Constance's face for a response.
Constance hesitated, unsure of what to say. She had been avoiding this conversation for so long, but now that Mercedes was standing in front of her, she knew she couldn't keep running away.
"Okay," Constance said, her voice softening. She gestured towards her desk chair, inviting Mercedes to sit down. "What do you want to talk about?"
Mercedes took a deep breath, her hands clasped in front of her. "I wanted to say thank you for everything. I know things ended abruptly. I should have told you we were moving. But I've never forgotten the good times we had together," Mercedes said, her voice wavering slightly.
Constance felt her heart skip a beat at Mercedes' words. She had never expected this kind of sentiment from her former friend, especially after all this time.
As Mercedes spoke, Constance took in her surroundings - the way the sunlight danced across the room, the scent of lavender on the sheets, the sound of Mercedes' voice as she spoke of their past memories.
"I remember the times we spent together, and the way you used to make me laugh," Mercedes continued, a nostalgic smile on her face. "I know we can't go back to the way things were, but I still wanted to acknowledge the memories we shared."
Constance found herself nodding in agreement, a sense of relief washing over her. She had been holding onto these memories for so long, afraid to acknowledge them, but now it felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
"I'm glad we can still look back on those times with fondness." Constance agreed, smiling slightly. It was an uncomfortable situation, but they were adults, and Constance was able to retain enough composure to approach the situation as such.
Mercedes nodded, a small smile of her own appearing on her face. "I'm sorry things ended the way they did. I hope we can move past it and be friends again."
Constance felt a warmth in her chest at the thought of rebuilding her friendship with Mercedes. "I would like that," she said, her voice soft.
Mercedes smiled, a sense of relief evident on her face. "Me too," she said. "Thank you, Constance. For everything."
Constance just nodded, feeling a sense of comfort in the silence that followed. The two of them stood there for a moment, basking in the warmth of their newfound understanding. Eventually, Mercedes broke the silence.
"Well, I should get back to the classroom," she said, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "But let's catch up soon, okay?"
Constance nodded, feeling a small sense of hope for the first time in a long time. As Mercedes left, Constance took a deep breath, taking in the way the room seemed to shift once again with her departure. She felt a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to reconnect with her former friend.
--
Constance and Mercedes did not become instant friends, nor did they fall into their old routines of silent hangouts. Time had changed them both, and what was once so easy in their youth now felt unimaginable. They did, however, smile at eachother when they passed eachother in the corridor. Jeritza, too, even waved at Constance in the dining hall once.
Constance remembered something Balthus had once said when she was discouraged about her progress during training - small changes were still changes.
--
Manuela hosted a workshop on love languages that the Ashen Wolves had decided to attend. It was mandatory for students to attend at least one workshop over the week, and they felt like this would be the least awkward one for them to attend as a group.
As the classroom filled up and Constance took her seat behind Yuri and Balthus, she realised with a sense of frustration that Hapi was not coming. Manuela had stated that students would take part in partners, and as Constance scanned the room briefly, she saw only one other student sitting alone.
Mercedes.
Of course.
She could not stop herself feeling nervous as she saw Mercedes looking back at her. She hesitated for a moment but then decided to take a chance and approached her former friend. "Hey, do you want to be partners?" Constance asked, trying to sound casual. She was certain she had failed.
Mercedes looked surprised but pleased. "Okay," she assented easily, smiling at Constance and pulling out the chair next to her.
As Manuela delivered her introductory preamble explaining the concept of love languages, Constance felt a sense of nostalgia wash over her. Memories of her family flooded back. Her mother, constantly providing acts of service with her baking and the loving attention she imparted unto Constance, and her father, always complimenting her.
Constance inhaled shakily. She tried not to think about her younger days too much for this exact reason - it was deeply upsetting to think back and compare how her life is now. Being around Mercedes, and Manuela speaking of quality time, made Constance feel as though she'd been punched in the gut.
Unfortunately for Constance, as much as her and Mercedes had both changed, they still seemed to have an innate emotional understanding. Mercedes moved closer and looked at her, eyes full of concern and care. "Constance, are you okay?" she whispered.
Constance paused, not wanting to show vulnerability but finding it hard to lie with Mercedes looking at her so earnestly. "It's bringing up memories of my family. Before everything fell apart," she said quietly.
Mercedes reached out and gave Constance's hand a gentle squeeze. And Constance hated how her heart skipped a beat when Mercedes' hand squeezed hers. A simple gesture from a person known to be universally caring, yet within Constance it had provoked a whirlwind of memories and feelings within Constance.
Though so much had changed between them, Mercedes' touch still carried an echo of what once was - stirring remnants of joy and longing within Constance that she had long buried. She fought to contain the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm her, taking a slow, steadying breath before squeezing Mercedes' hand in return. A simple gesture of gratitude and companionship, yet one loaded with their shared history, both beautiful and painful.
In that weighted moment, Constance caught Mercedes' worried gaze and saw her own turbulent feelings of nostalgia, regret and hope reflected in kind. They shared a solemn smile of understanding before letting go, turning their attention back to the workshop at hand.
"Let's just focus on the present," Mercedes said, smiling warmly at Constance. "Learning how we can show love and care,"
Constance smiled back, feeling a glimmer of hope. "That sounds nice," she said quietly.
They turned their attention back to Manuela, who was now discussing the importance of acts of service as a love language. Constance listened intently, thinking Hapi would appreciate this style of affection.
The two girls listened attentively for the rest of the workshop. Mercedes encouraged Constance to talk about her family and their shared past, and Constance felt grateful for the outlet - to discuss her past with someone who understood. She realised, at the end of the session, that Mercedes had hardly said anything, encouraging Constance to air out her thoughts and feelings instead. Once again, Constance felt touched by Mercedes' show of kindness to her, despite their awkward start to things in the Academy together.
She vowed to thank Mercedes for her time today.
--
Constance decided to create the perfect gift for Mercedes to express her affection. She decided to use her magic to flood Mercedes' room with roses - Mercedes' favourite flower. She spent hours in her room researching magical apparitions to use in the spell, ignoring Hapi's persistent requests to hang out.
"Oho! My genius knows no bounds!" Constance clapped her hands together as she reviewed the final draft of her spell. She ran off to Mercedes' room, as thanks to Yuri she knew that the Blue Lions were assisting Manuela with decorating the academy grounds. Constance began casting her spell, envisioning roses raining down upon Mercedes in an enchanting cascade of gratitude. However, in her excitement, Constance mispronounced a word, warping the spell.
--
When Mercedes returned to her room that evening, she was startled to find it engulfed in a sea of rolling, perfumed blooms. Roses covered every surface, piled halfway up the walls and completely burying her bed.
Constance rushed in from the corridor she was lurking in, looking both apologetic and amazed at her spell's results. "Mercedes, I am so sorry! I had wanted to thank you with a few roses."
Mercedes began to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. "Constance, how in the world will we clean up this mess? What are you thanking me for?"
Together they began pulling roses from the piles, trying to sort the intact blooms from the damaged ones. Constance's magic quickly vanished any ruined flowers. The task proved enormous but they worked side by side, sharing laughs and soft smiles.
Finally, after hours of effort, the last rose was banished. Mercedes and Constance collapsed onto Mercedes' now-rose-free bed, exhausted but grinning.
However, as they lay there side by side, Mercedes and Constance both became aware of their close proximity on the small bed, and an awkwardness engulfed them. They turned their heads to smile at each other, but an uncomfortable tension filled the air.
Mercedes sat up, clearing her throat. "You have quite the talent for magic, Constance,"
Constance sat up as well, nodding eagerly. "Indeed! I vow to improve my pronunciation for next time."
Mercedes laughed. "There need not be a next time. Your gesture was gift enough. But, Constance, you didn't tell me what you wanted to thank me for."
After a few moments of awkward silence, Constance cleared her throat and started to speak. "Well... you listened to me, today. It was nice to talk about my family with someone who understands."
Mercedes smiled softly at her. "Of course, Constance. I'm always here to listen."
Constance looked down at her hands, twiddling her fingers nervously. "I know we haven't been on the best of terms lately, but I want you to know that I still consider you a friend. And I'm sorry for anything I might have said or done to hurt you in the past."
Mercedes reached out and placed a hand on Constance's arm. "I appreciate that, Constance. We've both changed a lot since we last saw each other, and I think we can start fresh from here."
Constance's eyes lit up at Mercedes' words. "Really?"
"Really," Mercedes confirmed with a warm smile.
Constance felt a weight lift off her shoulders at Mercedes' forgiveness. "Thank you, Mercedes. I'm grateful for your kindness."
Mercedes squeezed her arm gently. "Anytime,"
They sat in comfortable silence for a few more moments before Constance stood up. "Well, I should probably get going. But let's hang out again soon, okay?"
Mercedes nodded. "I'd like that."
Constance left the room with a smile on her face, feeling grateful for the chance to reconnect with her former friend. She couldn't wait to see what the future held for their renewed friendship.
--
Friday. The last day of classes before the White Heron Ball craze would engulf the Academy. Balthus was planning what to wear with Hilda, Hapi had decided not to come, Yuri was Yuri, and Constance secretly wanted to go, but had no one to go with.
As she sat mulling these thoughts, she was surprised to see Mercedes running towards her, out of breath.
"Constance! There you are!" Mercedes called out, gasping for air.
Constance turned around and saw Mercedes rushing towards her. "Mercedes, what's going on? Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.
Mercedes caught her breath before speaking. "Constance, I need your help. Annette noticed something was on my mind and she told me to go and ask whoever I'm thinking about to the ball. And, I was thinking about you," she explained, blushing.
Constance felt her head spin at Mercedes' words. "Me? You want to ask me to the ball?" she asked, surprised.
Mercedes nodded, still blushing. "Yes, I do. Will you go with me?"
Constance couldn't believe what was happening. After all that had happened between them, Mercedes wanted to go to the ball with her. She felt a rush of emotions flood through her, happiness, excitement, and fear. "Mercedes, I-I don't know what to say," Constance stammered.
Mercedes looked worried. "Oh dear. I'm terribly sorry, Constance - I know we have only just rekindled our friendship, and here I go, asking you to be my date..."
Constance shook her head. "No, it's not that. I just - do you mean you want to go as my romantic partner?" she asked, feeling embarrassed.
Mercedes smiled warmly at Constance's endearingly dramatic terminology. "I don't want to put pressure on you. I know we didn't address this," she gestured between them, still not wanting to name the feeling, "when we were kids. But I would be happy go with you, romantically, or platonically, whatever you are comfortable with," she reassured her.
Constance felt her fears slowly dissipate. It was up to her to decide what kind of relationship she wanted to rebuild with Mercedes. She didn't want to lose her friend, again, but she also didn't want to squander the potential opportunity for something more. It just felt awkward to address the feelings that they had skirted around for so many years.
"Mercedes... I have always had those kinds of feelings for you. I'll be honest, I'm scared of going through this with you again," Constance admitted, feeling vulnerable.
She didn't admit that seeing Mercedes being kind to her friends around the monastery made her heart surge with something - maybe admiration, maybe more. Nor did she admit that watching Mercedes gleefully skip around hand in hand with Annette filled her with a strange sense of jealousy.
"I understand. We can take things slow and see where it goes. And if you decide that you just want to go as friends, that's okay too. I just don't want to let our connection dissipate like it did all those years ago, now that we've found eachother again," Mercedes said, reassuringly.
Constance felt a sense of comfort in Mercedes' words. The older girl had echoed her thoughts exactly. So, Constance agreed to attend the ball with her, a sense of excitement but also fear rushing over her as they discussed their plans.
--
Constance and Mercedes entered the ballroom together, and the eyes of the Ashen Wolves landed on them in surprise and admiration. Mercedes bit her lip. The attention made her uncomfortable, but Constance seemed thrilled to be the center of her classmates attention. They found a table and sat down.
Mercedes spotted Jeritza lurking in a nearby corner, crossing his arms. She turned to Constance. "It seems my brother is chaperoning us, as usual,"
Constance's eyes widened. "How vexing! We do not require-"
Mercedes giggled. She was glad Constance was acting her normal self, and thankful to Jeritza's unusual behaviour for allowing this. "Do not mind him. I'm just glad he's trying, in his own way."
When the music started, Constance took Mercedes's hand, leading her to the dance floor. They whirled around the room, and Constance felt her nervousness melting away. The ball, the uncertainty of their relationship - it all paled in comparison to the familiar joy of simply being with Mercedes.
After several dances, they returned to their table, flushed and breathless. Jeritza had disappeared. Mercedes laughed. "It seems my brother has deemed us sufficiently chaperoned."
Constance chuckled and shook her head, feeling surprised as Mercedes took her hand and met her eyes softly. "Thank you for humouring my brother. I know he is not the easiest to deal with. And thank you for being by my side, tonight."
Constance's expression turned tender. "There is no place I'd rather be, Mercie,"
As they gazed at each other, Mercedes blushing at her childhood nickname, they both hoped that this was the beginning of something truly wonderful. A connection which they would honour, acknowledge, and explore, together.