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There was a woman in the clearing.
It was Sciel who had spotted her first, thinking that she had gone insane or was probably hallucinating. She called the rest of the group, and together they looked from above the cliff they stood on.
And indeed, there was a woman in the clearing.
A living, breathing human besides themselves, and the man from the beach was on the continent.
"What do we do?" Sciel turned to the others.
None of them had an answer to that; they had seen what the man from the beach was capable of. Who was to say that this woman would be any different?
"She's just standing there," Maelle commented
"So was the man on the beach before he walked toward us and slaughtered our comrades," deadpanned Lute
"You want to jump her?"
Sciel turned, baffled by the unsaid suggestion
Gustave frowned. "We could learn a lot from her."
He gestured toward the woman
"She's not wearing an expedition uniform."
Maelle frowns. "So what?" she tilted her head. "You think she just...lives here?"
"It's possible," Sciel chimed in, "We don't know if the former expedition survived and decided to live the rest of their lives here."
"Even if that were possible, who's to say their children would survive?" Lune raised an eyebrow
"Well...the gestrals exist-" Sciel began
Lune gave her a dead look. "You think the gestrals could raise a human child?"
"I'm trying to stop us from possibly attacking an innocent woman!"
While the two bantered, Maelle stared at the woman; something felt...familiar. She noted that the woman wasn't dressed for the continent; she wore a skirt of all things and was barefoot, which would only lead to injuries.
But more than anything, she couldn't shake that feeling off.
Her head felt like something was trying to drill into her skull; she raised a hand and rubbed her forehead as she felt a migraine forming.
"..you okay?"
She blinked and turned to stare at Gustave, who placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a concerned look.
"Yeah..." she nodded and shut her eyes, "I just...there's something about her."
"Hm?"
She winced, "It's probably nothing", she shook her head
"So what are we going to do?" she looked at the rest of them.
The three older expedition members shared a look, and Gustave and Sciel nodded before turning to look at Lune. The asian woman couldn't help but sigh before she shook her head, "Fine. Fine. But if we die, I'm killing you again in the next life."
"We can live with that!" Sciel grinned
As they traversed down from their camp, the feeling only grew and grew.
It was less of a drilling feeling and now more of a hum; it was calm and soothing, and Maelle found herself unconsciously leading the charge.
For what reason?
She had no idea.
All she knew... was that she needed to meet the woman. To talk to her. To see her.
Maybe that would make the feeling go away. Or maybe she'd get an explanation for why she was feeling like this.
As they reached the clearing, Maelle found herself stopping at the sight of the woman.
She was standing, back facing toward them; three Nevron were in front of her, almost surrounding her, but Maelle noted that they weren't attacking her and instead murmured at her presence. She couldn't understand anything they were saying.
Gustave, after a brief moment of hesitation, stepped forward.
The woman paused and turned around--Maelle felt the air leave her lungs.
"What..." Lune whispered under her breath
"Holy-" Sciel looked between Maelle and the woman.
Maelle couldn't blame them; she herself couldn't believe what she was seeing. The woman had a striking resemblance to her.
Her hair was long, an auburn color that seemed to almost glimmer in the light, and her skin was a warm peachy color; she wore a pinstripe shirt that had seen better days, suspenders, and a high-wasted maxi skirt that was just as torn up as the rest of her attire.
But what drew her in more was the stunning dark grey eyes that gazed at the four of them.
There was nobody in Lumiere who had that eye color, only Maelle did.
The other kids always made fun of her for that, but now, there was someone else who did. And all the young girl could do was gape at her.
"...Who are you?" Gustave finally managed to murmur out loud.
The woman didn't answer the question, and after staring at the three older expiditon members, leveled her gaze toward Maelle.
Maelle doesn't know why, but she instinctively stood straighter, rolling her shoulders back like a soldier awaiting orders; it was confusing and weird and stupid, but she couldn't stop her body from doing it. It felt as if, suddenly, against her will, it had a mind of its own.
The woman's lips twitched; it was subtle, but Maelle could just feel the amusement behind her calm facade.
...it was a bit embarrassing.
(It was more embarrassing when she couldn't stop herself from blushing)
The woman took a step forward
"Hey-" Gustave tried to interject--they couldn't move.
Maelle watched as her fellow expeditions were trapped where they stood.
Sciel grunted but couldn't do much other than move her mouth to talk and her eyes, and Lune, who had flown in the air ready to attack, was now on the floor with her head raised slightly, while Gustave had an arm extended toward her.
"Maelle-"
She was the only one who could still move.
The sound of feet moving and stepping on grass made her turn around swiftly, only to freeze when she realized the woman was directly in front of her,
Once again, without her consent, she did something weird; she glanced away from the woman.
As if part of her couldn't look at her...or as if part of her wouldn't look at her.
"Look at me, won't you?"
The sound of a suave and calm, almost devoid of emotion, voice stopped all train of thought
...there was something familiar about that voice.
Before she could stop herself, her eyes glanced toward the woman.
Hands rose and cupped her cheeks. Maelle's eyes widened at the touch; the hands were calloused and rough, and she could feel small scars on the woman's fingers; she clearly worked with her hands.
The hands, though rough...were soft and gentle
"My, My...They were right. You do have my eyes."
The woman cradled Maelle's face as if it were the most precious thing in the world. In that moment, Maelle found herself wanting to stay there. In the warmth of this stranger who gazed at her with cold eyes, yet was filled with so much love.
In that moment, everything disappeared.
Gustave, Sciel, and Lune were all but gone in her world; the only person that mattered was right in front of her.
On pure instinct, Maelle leaned into the touch, closing her eyes and all but nuzzling into the woman's touch.
A soft chuff left the woman's mouth, but she couldn't care less.
This was the best physical contact she had ever received; even Gustave's hugs were nothing compared to this.
Maelle opened her eyes. The woman had never looked away from her and just continued to gaze at her as if she was the most important thing in the world to her, as if she was one in a million.
It all felt so...weird.
"I know you don't remember me," the woman said, almost cooing at her as she stared at her softly
...remember her?
Did Maelle know her? Had she known her back in Lumiere?
Was Sciel right? Could she be like her? A young expedition member who survived everything?
...w-were they something else?
Were they family-
"But I never forgot you."
The firmness in that word made her blink, and she couldn't help but give a small, shaky smile.
When had her eyes been filled with tears?
...why was she crying?
The woman chuckled, using her thumbs to clear the tears away, and just stared at her
"It's so very strange...isn't it?"
Maelle found herself nodding at that
It was. It was all so strange.
"It's as if I'm looking at my own face right now."
She wonders if she's going to have the same facial structure as the woman in front of her; she wonders if one day she would have the same confidence she has, or if one day she would be as strong as she clearly was.
Maelle hopes she will one day become strong like her.
Her hands raised and grasped the woman's wrists, holding her back as best she could.
Before she could react or move away, the woman's arms raised and hugged her to her chest.
Maelle's eyes widened, and she all but nuzzled into the woman's chest like a spoiled infant; she didn't care that the rest of the expedition was watching her act like a touch-starved child. She needed this, she wanted this.
"And I have never been happier to see myself."
The woman's arms tighten around her, and she all but melts into her arms.
"...you always were a greedy little thing, weren't you, little shadow?"
Maelle dignifies that response with a hum and only proves the woman's point by hugging her waist tighter and somehow managing to nuzzle deeper into her chest.
Thump, Thump, thump, thump.
Went the woman's heart; they were like drums--like thunder crashing from the sky.
So strong and loud.
Fingers ran through her hair, and she could feel the woman kiss the side of her head.
It was different than when Emma did it or even when she allowed Sciel to smother her with affection; this felt different, it felt better
They stood there for who knows how long, Maelle all but swallowed by the woman's hold, and the woman still hugging her close; she noted that the woman was murmuring something out loud, but she couldn't understand what she was saying.
"Mon Dieu, tu m’as tellement manqué."
"Tu as grandi. Je suis fière de toi."
"Tu es encore si petit… Je ne réalisais pas à quel point tu étais petit avant… toujours si petit"
But, as quickly as the moment began, it ended just as fast.
The woman, slowly, painfully pulled away from Maelle; Maelle found herself chasing the feeling, but stopped when she once again cupped her face. She stood there, hands on her side as she stared helplessly at her
"Who are you?" she asked, once again asking the question Gustave did when they first approached her
It was subtle, but she could see the hurt in her eyes once she said those words; she found herself kicking herself for even opening her mouth and asking such a dumb question.
But before she could say anything, more specifically, apologize, she was stopped by the woman, sighing
"You still don't remember, hm?...damn Aline," she hissed the name
Aline...why did that name make her squirm?
The woman gazed at her and spoke, much more softly, "Who I am isn't important".
She opened her mouth to argue, because it was important; she needed to know who she was!
"Shh," she was stopped before she could even say anything
"Focus on your journey-" she began to turn, Maelle tried to move, only to be frozen as well. "-when you reach the end, when you reach the paintress...maybe you'll remember, and maybe we'll reunite."
A pause
"I'll be waiting, Petite étoile."
All Maelle could do was watch as the woman walked away, the Nevron walking -not toward or after the woman- but simply away from the expedition.
The moment she could move, she ran after her--she was gone.
No matter where she looked, she couldn't find her.
Eventually, she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder
"...are you okay?"
It was Gustave
"She left," she spoke, voice hoarse. "Why did she leave?"
"I don't know," he shrugged, "Maybe she thought it was what was best."
Maelle frowned. "I didn't want her to leave."
"...do you think she's-"
"I don't know," she shrugged helplessly, "...but I wanted to know. I wanted her here...I don't know why."
They were quiet before Gustave gently pulled her along. "Come on, Sciel and Lune are waiting."
Maelle looked over her shoulder, as if she could find the woman by doing so...there was nothing there.
She sighed
"Okay"
Maelle wanted to find the woman. She wanted to know who she was, how she knew her, and what their relationship was.
But more importantly...she wanted her to stay.
"Wow. She really likes you."
Clea leveled Verso a blank look as she adjusted her hold on the sleeping six-year-old in her arms; thanks to the weight of her child sister, Clea wasn't able to sculpt or even sketch. Hence, the reason she was so annoyed right now.
And Verso wasn't helping.
"She's only here because I stepped in when Maman tried to scold her again."
Verso winced at that
"She still hasn't gotten better?"
Clea shrugged, "Each person grows at their own pace," she leveled Verso a look. "You struggled, as did Papan. She'll learn eventually...we all eventually do," she mumbled the last part under her breath, but with a simple glance toward her brother, she knew he heard her
He was staring at the ground with an upset expression.
Verso didn't say it out loud, but Clea knew his heart didn't belong to painting; it was captivated by music. Her little brother dreamed of being a musician.
The number of hours he spent behind his parents' backs as he taught himself how to play a guitar or the longing looks he sent instruments whenever they passed their displays; she had contributed, of course.
Despite not saying it as much as she probably should, she was proud that Verso was trying to find his own path instead of trying to follow the path their parents deemed them to follow.
Alicia, who was at this point all but nuzzled into her hold, just hummed and buried her face deeper into Clea's neck
Verso smiled
"It's nice to see you this nice with her."
Clea scoffed, "I'm not a monster, Verso."
"You can be cruel at times, Clea."
"I do it so she learns how the real world is."
"Or you do it to protect yourself, too."
The silence that followed was tense
Verso eventually sighed, "I'm just glad she has you around to protect her."
"You protect her, too," she pointed out
"Not in the way you do." Verso stared at her. "It's different."
It was. But she'd sooner die than admit that out loud.
He leaves after that, leaving the two sisters alone; Clea looked down at the young girl and held her close, and in a moment of selfishness, kissed the top of her head, knowing it was going to be one of the few moments she'd ever express her love toward her sister.
That pure innocence would one day fade, and she'd be trapped in the pressure of their mother's expectations as well as society's cold grasp.
There was no escaping that.
As the years go by, a newfound distance grows between them.
Clea is pulled deeper and deeper into the painters' council, having little to no time to enjoy whatever childhood would have remained, and Alicia is left in the shadows, their mother's strict teachings blooming self-doubt into the young girl.
Having the opposite effect they had on Clea.
Alicia doesn't rush toward her for protection or comfort, and though Clea doesn't physically show it, it hurts to know Alicia was too afraid to come to her as she used to before.
Every time she watches her sister run to Verso, it's another stab to her cold heart, but she lets it happen.
Verso was always the more comforting of the two.
But when Alicia finds herself fancying writing, she immediately knows it's going to end wrong.
Aline and Renoir don't know about it; they think it's just a hobby, something to keep her mind and hands occupied.
But Clea knows better than they.
Aline and Renoir may have given birth to her, but Clea may as well have raised the girl.
They don't know that when Alicia finds herself involved with something, it isn't just a hobby. It's something she puts every effort into.
It's what sparks their argument, one of the last times they truly talk before the fire.
"They believe in me!"
"They're using you, you foolish girl," she had hissed back
The writers and painters had been in a war long before Clea was born; they didn't do 'friendships' with painters. They wanted something, and they were using Alicia to get it.
"They aren't!" the girl stomped her foot. "They see something in me, something that YOU never did."
Clea growled, "You're a fool. It's going to get you hurt!"
"Why do you care?!" she shot back, "You're not my Maman!"
It goes quiet.
Clea knew that, she did...and yet it still hurt to hear out loud.
Alicia's eyes widened, and she reached forward, "Clea-"
"I'm not," her voice came out cold, making Alicia wince
"I'm your sister. And I'm telling you: Be CAREFUL", she leaned forward, "Because whatever comes of this...it will all be on YOUR shoulders."
She regrets those words.
Especially when it all burns down.
Verso dies, their parents mourn and lose themselves, and Clea sits beside her bedside the entire time.
She cries when she knows no one is allowed, allowing herself to craddle the girl.
She's angry at everything.
But she spends the time murmuring soft words to the girl
"I'm sorry".
"I'm here."
"You're okay...You're going to be okay."
It's not enough....
But for now, it was all she could give.
Outside the canvas, the Mistress drops her hand.
Her hands are shaking, her breath uneven, and her eyes shaky and filled with unshed tears; she refused to cry, she couldn't show weakness.
Not now.
Her eyes locked onto Alicia, who stood there with her hands on the canvas. She ignored her parents and sighed.
The Mistress allows herself a small moment to reach over and hug her still body.
"They'll pay...I swear it," she growls her words at the end.
For Verso.
For Alicia
They'd pay for it. All of them would.
No amount of Bloodshed would stop her until all the writers who contributed to their pain were dead.
With one last squeeze, she let go of her.
The Mistress swiftly spins around, beginning to leave the room and continue on toward her mission.
That brief moment of weakness was just that...a brief moment of weakness.
It would mean nothing in her war against the writers.
No matter how much she longed to stay by her side.