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“It’s odd, you know? I.. I never quite expected to stand in this courtyard with you again so blissfully..”
The voice beside her was almost muffled over the sound of chatter all around. Luna Nova was holding a graduation ceremony, as was custom when the seniors finally found themselves off. After the ceremony, a large party was held on school grounds. All the professors and students were capable of attending, so of course, the poor stir-crazy witches were intrigued with the idea of getting to freely use magic (with limitations of course), but they could parade about with their friends and just exist.. Chariot found a warm fondness in such a display as she gently pressed her shoulder against Croix as the older witch just continued to look around.
All of the events leading up to this point.. Surely, Chariot and Croix both assumed the woman would be behind bars or worse. Seeing as she was still allowed to freely roam Luna Nova though? The small talk her and Holbrooke had.. Chariot slightly lowered her head as she absentmindedly pressed further into Croix, the older witch slightly glancing down as her arm found itself wrapping around her shoulders.
“Is it really all that wise for Croix to freely roam Luna Nova? She nearly killed some of our students!”
Finnelan’s voice cut through the former silence as a bunch of the professors had been pressed away in Holbrooke’s office. The government had given them permission to do as they pleased with Croix, so long as her equipment was confiscated. It certainly was better to have a witch be held ‘captive’ here on sacred grounds in turn to out there with god only knows what resides in human prisons. The thought alone made a shiver run down Holbrooke’s spine as she let out a heavy sigh. Anne had been droning on for what seemed like ages and a bunch of the other professors didn’t exactly give it a rest either..
“For Arcturus’ sake, Headmistress, you cannot genuinely be considering having that..” The silence was loud and that was where Chariot picked her head up.
Seeing as Croix and Chariot were practically raised by everyone in this room.. Chariot narrowed her eyes at Finnelan, quirking her lips to the side as a way of telling the woman to choose her words carefully.
Seeing as nearly every set of eyes in the room were on both of them at that moment, Chariot just leant back in her chair, her fingers absentmindedly grazing the scar over her right eye she had graciously been given during the Noir Rod’s demise.
“I see the silence speaks for itself.”
A low chuckle left the Headmistress at the display between her pupil and Finnelan. With a soft hum, she clicked her staff against the floor, garnering the eyes of all the professors in a single action.
“Croix will be residing on Luna Nova grounds. Chariot will be overseeing her stay.”
The smug look that slowly came to Chariot’s lips at the look of bewilderment on Anne’s face.. A small chuckle was nearly choked back as she already heard the retorts and rebuttals that would go on to last them till sundown.
That had been that.
A single look had spoken thousands more in terms of everything all the professors had spouted on and on about when it came to the likes of Croix Meridies. Seeing as they all had a part to play in both of the infamous witches upbringing, Chariot honestly wasn’t sure what to have expected when she went into that room to attend that fateful meeting. Holbrooke was always lenient as far as she could remember, but when Finnelan garnished the attention of one professor? They tended to rally behind her quite quickly.. It was nice to have Professor Pisces and Nelson on her side off the bat though. The idle chatter before the meeting had certainly solidified Chariot’s trust in her fellow professors..
“You really think she isn’t gonna cause more trouble?”
Quietly asking the question as though she’d get backlash for it, Professor Nelson pressed herself into the corner of the bookshelf she leant against. Her arms were getting tired holding Professor Pisces fish bowl, but the older fish seemed to be going on and on as Chariot chuckled before her.
“She’s currently a cat that got their claws stripped.. Croix won’t be much of a problem.”
Her response had been quick and curt, those heterochromatic eyes glancing at Nelson as the older woman almost flinched despite the look holding no malice. The poor woman before her was absolutely battle-scarred.. Yet she still spoke about Croix as though she were the greatest thing to come out of Luna Nova. Well.. To be really fair, she sort of WAS, that was at least until the young Cavendish Prodigy graduated.. Those two could move mountains if they paired up..
“Well, if you say so, Chariot. We’ll back you, alright?”
A bright smile was given to the youngest of the professors, a thumbs up following in turn as the woman almost dropped Pisces on the floor.. Which.. Wow.. Who knew such vulgar language could come from a fish…
“Chariot?”
Gently nudging the younger woman as she seemed to press into her a tad bit too harshly, Croix rose a brow as Chariot snapped out of her recollections. Offering the woman a soft smile, Chariot just wrapped her arms around Croix’s waist, breathing in her scent as she hid her scarred features against her soft hoodie.
“Oh? Handsy all of a sudden?”
Purring quietly, Croix allowed her fingers to thread through bewitched locks of navy blue. She still wondered why the woman kept up the act.. A handful of people in the school knew and it wasn’t like people were exactly hiding it either.? Perhaps it had just sort of become a custom to the young professor.. Croix wasn’t going to press, but she certainly missed the fiery red she had grown up loving.
“I’m just happy.”
The words were soft, but Croix heard them all the same. Refraining from snorting at the declaration, she gently tilted Chariot’s head up so she could look into those beautiful eyes.. Even despite what the Noir Beast had done to her, Chariot’s radiant beauty was something akin to a dying sunset. Croix certainly couldn’t look away as her fingers came to slide out of Chariot’s hair, absentmindedly grazing the star like scar coating the woman’s right eye. It had glazed over completely by now, the faint shade of pink being such a contrast to the former scarlet red.. It suited her in an odd sense, but if Croix stared for too long she could feel the way her chest tightened. Guilt. Letting her fingers glide down Chariot’s cheek, she allowed them to slide beneath her chin, tilting her head up properly so she could keep holding her gaze.
“You normally tend to be, yes.”
Giggling at that, Chariot gently swatted Croix’s hand away as she had brought it back up to run over her eye, grabbing it before pulling it to her lips to give it a kiss.
“Pff, not normally thank you. I’ll have you know, most professors here still compare me to the depressed little teen I was once upon a time~”
Croix tilted her head up at that, almost looking disgusted at the thought before teal eyes rolled.
“Riight. Because the first thing that comes to my mind when I look at you now is the silly little girl I used to have to babysit around sharp objects.” A heavy sigh left Croix, but that momentary flash of pain in her eyes dissipated as Chariot heard her next words. “They’re always going to be stuck in the past. I’ve never seen such a stubborn group of women.”
Raising a brow at that, Chariot quirked her lips to the side, already watching Croix go to speak.
“Don’t you dar–”
“Ironic coming from you~”
Getting on her tip-toes to press her nose against Croix’s, the older witch just let out a soft laugh, nuzzling Chariot’s nose with her own before the woman lowered herself.
“They’re just stuck in the past is all I’m saying. At some point you need to learn to move on. The world doesn’t just remain as is for all of eternity.”
As Chariot listened to Croix speak, she couldn’t help but notice how her gaze drifted from her. Looking at the vast campus around them, a distant look overcame the former professor and a frown slowly came to Chariot’s lips.
“They need to learn that sooner or later or this school is going to wither away into nothing.”
Ideals like that is exactly what landed you in the position you’re in now, Croix..
But those words didn’t come. There was a time and place to have conversations like this, but in front of thousands of students in an overly populated area where their fellow professors had prying eyes? Chariot forewent the thought, her head slowly shaking.
“That’s not true.”
Immediately seeing Croix’s eyes snap to her, Chariot continued before the older woman could speak.
“Magic is a vast spectrum, Croix.. Regardless of the traditions or the science that will be put behind it.. In due time; It will thrive just as it did once upon a time. Patience.”
The next generation that they were teaching was bound to hold some extraordinary witches. Atsuko Kagari, Diana Cavendish.. These girls and their friends all had immense capabilities that Chariot still didn’t even know the full extent of! But she certainly didn’t look to the future with a guarded heart of hatred and former ideals.. It was never her style to begin with. Try and try as she wanted to try and understand Croix’s viewpoint, she just couldn’t. Talent was immense and Chariot had hope for the future regardless of if she had an ounce of control over it. They had their chance.. They still had their chance. It was just going to take a bit longer for them to understand how to regain their bearings and move forward from the latter events. As is.. Chariot still couldn’t fly..
Chariot spoke so passionately about it all.. Croix couldn’t help but be stunned into silence as she just sort of let the moment take it’s course. Chariot was right, as much as Croix didn’t care to admit aloud. The younger redhead was always such a burning ball of fire waiting to explode at a moment’s notice. She was brimming with positivity and this light that just refused to die.. Croix always envied that about her.
“R-Right..”
Hearing the stutter to Croix’s voice as it got subsequently quieter, Chariot rose a brow as a soft smile came to her lips. She was slow in her actions, her hand slowly reaching up to cup Croix’s cheek.
“Worry about the future later, Ma Cherie.. For now, we’re here in the present. The future is unpredictable, so why fret?”
It was slow.. But Croix hummed quietly as she felt that same hand gently pull her down to Chariot’s level, her body bending slightly as their lips connected.
“The future is what we care to make of it, Croix.. Together.”
It was subtle.. The implications though.. They spoke thousands of unspoken words throughout the years. Croix was never one for grand actions, but she did recall how she just picked Chariot up the best she could. Swinging the woman around and hearing the silly cheers of whatever cliques of students had been watching. It still amused her to every extent how the students were just enamored in their teachers' lives.. Still.. Things would turn around and the world would keep on spinning. The concept of whatever future they held.. Croix had always looked to the future alone. But the reminder she would never need to be alone again..?
Croix just looked into those beautiful, beautiful eyes.. And for a moment? Those eyes told her that whatever the future held in store for them? It would be alright. And it would be worth it.