Chapter Text
Chapter 1;
When will we begin?
Pain… darkness… fear…
Heart beating loudly, so loud that you could hear it, feel the throbbing through eardrums. Feel as though your head was going to burst.
Then this sickening laughter cuts through the noise, a man’s laughter, before an eerie sinisterly bright white smile becomes clear through the darkness.
Aurora woke up with a gasp, a cold sweat shining over her fair freckled skin. Panting heavily as she peered out the window of her floating vessel. The deep blue dark skies were just starting to break with lighter colors, the sun hadn’t even risen yet. Aurora hated mornings like this. Waking up from her nightly terrors only to find her home empty, cold even… It felt lonely. Aurora shook her head to banish the thought and the night terror along with it to the deeper parts of her mind, her pastel pink bed mussed hair flailing with her movements as she did.
It was still very early this morning, even still, Aurora stretched out her arms, her iridescent fairy like wings soon were to follow in stretching out, though still a bit limp with exhaustion seeping into her bones. Shaking off the siren’s call of her warm bed and the want of sleeping just a few more minutes as she grabbed her glasses and placed them a top her freckled nose, she slipped from her comforter cocoon to start her day early. Taking a quick hot shower from the left over heated water tank she had pumped the night before. Brushing her small white fangs and teeth, then brushing out her midlength pastel pink hair (she was in need for a cut with the shaved sides and back becoming fluffy again while it had grown out) before tying that up into a short braid, showing off the shaved sides and back of her head as well as the long twisting golden horns atop her head.
Aurora sat in her small kitchenette of the merchant ship, a warm fuzzy robe covered her body to fight off the last of the chilly early morning air. Drinking some hot cocoa, and letting out a soft sigh of content at the brief peaceful moment she had to herself while she enjoyed the sight of the sun rising up over the deep blue waves and the sky lighting up with the most wondrous of pastel colors as if it were one of those expensive paintings mounted in an art museum. A soft smile tugged at her lips, setting down the book she had been reading that was filled to the brim with tales of fantastical adventures and romance, hesitant to break away from the fantasy of the story and get to her chores for the day, but she knew it wouldn’t ever get done if she didn’t start now. She washed her remaining dishes, wiped the soapy water from her clawed hands then headed to the main deck of the ship, taking it out of auto pilot for now to set the course for the day. As a merchant who lived alone on such a vessel, she had gotten certain upgrades in order to help lighten the load. Once the log pose on the auto pilot workings of the ship had been set to the closest island, Aurora had raised her merchant flag for the day to allow other merchant ships and Marine vessels know that she’s not a pirate, not a threat and had the permission to move around the seas. She had to go to Sabaody next week to get a new license and flag to be able to travel and sell her wares in the new world. Which very few merchants do anymore, let alone lone wolf merchants. Mostly due to all of the dangers that came from the new world. However, it also brought many more higher paying clients. And that is exactly what Aurora was looking for in order to get her own stable shop. Somewhere she could settle into for a while and probably travel for fun and less for business.
Aurora soon docked, taking her wares to the sectioned area she had rented from the town in the market. Which they were thankfully very kind and helped her set up even. Some also bought some small gifts for their loved ones as her first customers of the day. Probably trying to calm her nerves, which she was grateful for.
It was becoming closer to mid-day by this time, Aurora was getting ready for the last few customers before she could take her lunch break, however another had approached her stall. Which meant that her packed sandwiches, chicken curry over rice, and picnic strawberry dessert would have to wait just a tad longer. Putting on her sweet smile and speaking in a warm tone to greet her newest customer. “Afternoon sir, welcome to my wild side sweets booth. How may I sweeten up your day?” Aurora greeted in a practiced but cheery tone. The man said nothing for a while, eyeing her displays of sweet treat and dessert themed wares. Among them were animal plushies, fragrant candles, soft body butters, edible sugar scrubs, and even some jewelry pieces. His keen eyes combed over her selection before picking up a cake themed body butter, his deep eyes taking in the details of Aurora’s unique features. It made her shift slightly uncomfortably so, he then handed her the jar of body butter. “This will do.” He told her, she slowly nodded as she took the jar and opened a pink paper bag. “Would you like this gift wrapped sir?” She asked slowly, starting to get back into the flow of her customer service conversational skills. “Yes, if you will. Thank you.” The man replied, which she quickly got to work, carefully wrapping the jar in sparkly pastel pink tissue paper, taping it closed with a cute cake themed thank you sticker and placed in a small free gift of a sugar scrub that had the cake batter flavor. A silky soft ribbon tied the present together before she had then placed the gifts into the bag. “That’ll be 300 berris sir.” (Around 3.00 usd) Aurora explained to him, waiting for him to hand over the money so that the purchase can be finalized, but he didn’t make a move to reach for his wallet, nor did he reach for the gift bag. For a while he just….stared at her. As if he was studying her. Aurora couldn’t help but shift again on her feet uncomfortably, her iridescent wings folded down against her back nervously before she cleared her throat to try and gain his attention. Trying to be polite as she could be while this man was making her uncomfortable by just staring at her. She had a hard time usually making direct eye contact with others (something she’s been working hard on to try and combat it) but this was worse. “Rome…” The man suddenly stated making Aurora cock a dark brow confused and smile uncomfortably. “I…I’m sorry…what?” Aurora asked him confusedly, he cleared his throat almost awkwardly at this. “My name is Rome, ma’am. Figured I should give you my name since I’ve been awfully rude in not introducing myself earlier, probably made you a bit uncomfortable too with all my staring, but… I couldn’t help notice that you don’t seem to be from around here, huh?” The man, now known as Rome, introduced himself finally. He had a bit of an accent which Rory couldn’t quite place. But his introduction made Rory slightly less guarded then she was before and she brushed it off with a light smile. Her tense shoulders and wings relaxed a bit.
“Oh, no, not at all. I get that a lot actually. You’d be correct. I’m a traveling merchant, have been since as long as I can remember. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rome. I’m Aurora McConnell. This gift for someone special I take it?” Rory asked, trying to make light conversation as she gently placed the wrapped gifts into the bag and set in her business card with the transponder snail number she had within the bag and it’s contents. The man slowly nodded in response to her question. “Aurora, that’s a mighty fine name you got, suits you just fine. And yeah, you could say that. It’s going to mama.” Rome explained, ah, so he’s a mama’s boy then? Or perhaps it’s a birthday gift? “Well then, I hope that she likes it. And I hope that you come again to see my wild side sweet booth.” Aurora replied, hoping to soon get to her lunch break. “Oh, I’m sure I’ll be back…. And, hope this ain’t too rude of me to ask but, why is it called wild side sweets when you ain’t got anything to eat?” Rome asked, he didn’t seem to want to leave anytime soon and it was starting to make Rory suspicious again. For a man who didn’t say much than a full sentence when he showed up, he sure was chatty now. “Oh… uhm… I travel too much anymore to actually run a café, but that’s the dream. Hopefully soon. I’ll be able to fulfill it.” Rory explained to him politely just as a little girl came running up to the stall. “Oh, I’m sure you will. Thanks again, ma’am.” Rome stated before handing her a pouch of berries to pay and took the gift bag. Disappearing into the crowd as quickly as he appeared from it. Rory didn’t even have time to consider how odd that interaction was as the mother of said little girl was already at the little girl’s side trying to help her pick out something for her friend’s birthday.