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Valentine's Day. The day when love is in the air. And also the time when the Swamp of Love receives more visitors than usual, after all, even though Starr Park has several places that sell Valentine's Day products, the Swamp of Love is the only attraction dedicated to couples themselves.
Angelo would have been enjoying themself gossiping with Willow about brawler couples this time of the year, if it weren't for the drama their two friends were creating. After much insistence on their part, they had finally convinced Alli to deliver the letter to Willow, and she actually did, which is a miracle; Angelo was half-expecting her to give up halfway through.
However, now the two are avoiding each other. Alli is afraid to face Willow again and be rejected, and also because she is embarrassed, meanwhile Willow is even avoiding talking about Alli; so far she hasn't mentioned to Angelo the letter the stalker gave her, probably assuming they didn't know about its existence, which goes against the siren's usual behavior. If it were a letter from anyone else, she would have told them at the first opportunity.
Angelo is getting tired of this; the two haven't spoken in months, making the atmosphere between them quite awkward whenever Angelo mention it, or even when they don't. So it's time for them to put their cupid skills into action.
Bringing the two together in the same environment wasn't so difficult; after all, they can't avoid each other if they don't know when and where the other will be. First, they called Alli to the break room so they could have lunch together, lying to her that Willow would be eating somewhere else when she asked, of course. Then it was just a matter of texting the siren, inviting her to take a lunch break; they know that when Willow is stressed, she tends to give couples little scares and forgets to eat. Willow replied that she would finish another tour with the last couple of the afternoon and then take a break for lunch.
Angelo and Alli are in the break room; they had just finished lunch and were now simply sitting on the sofa chatting and gossiping. Although Alli isn't the type to gossip like Angelo and Willow, she knows a lot about everyone, more than her trio companions. The fact that she's also friends with Colette, another stalker, helps with this, making her a good source of information.
“Do ya know Lily? The plant girl from the Enchanted Woods?”
Angelo nods. Although Lily is somewhat of a shadow in Starr Park, you rarely see her. But since the Swamp of Love is practically side-by-side with the woods, Lily is occasionally seen in the vicinity studying the plants, never actually entering the swamp itself. Clever of her.
“I know her. Yesterday I saw her near the swamp waterfall; I was going to greet her, but she disappeared as soon as she saw me.” Angelo said in a fake sad tone, pouting. “I'm not that scary, am I?” They puts their hand on their chest, feigning hurt. He leans towards Alli, batting their eyelashes.
She snickers. “Ya ain't, ya dag.” She gives them a light, friendly punch on the shoulder. “But anyway, as I was sayin', I was just walkin' around–”
“Stalking others around.” Angelo corrects.
“Fair dinkum, but not exactly! I was just...uh...” She scratches the back of her neck, somewhat embarrassed. “...Eyeing the visitors?” She gives a crooked, awkward smile, showing her fangs.
“Sure you were, darling.” They say in amusement. “And where does Lily fit into all this?”
“Oh right!” She returns to the original topic of the conversation. “I was near the Biodome when I saw Lily hiding in the bushes, watchin' Bea from a distance.”
That's interesting, to say the least. Lily is such a reserved and self-absorbed person, minding her own business, that it's hard to believe she would behave this way.
“I didn't expect that from her. But I assume Starr Park now has a third stalker.” They laugh, amused and a little surprised with this information. To which Alli also laughs. “And have you discovered any other dirty secrets about our dear Lily?” Angelo leans closer, genuinely curious to learn more about the flower girl's peculiar hobbies.
Alli opens her mouth to speak, but is interrupted by the creaking of the door opening. This catches the attention of the two, who turn to look to the side, seeing Willow's figure in the doorway.
Willow is calm and even a little tired, but her calm and neutral expression morphes to one of surprise and apprehension when she meets Alli's gaze, who turns her head in the opposite direction from the gondolier so quickly that Angelo is sure they heard a snap. Willow seemed ready to turn and leave, but Angelo is quick to get up from the sofa and fly towards the siren; in the blink of an eye they are already beside her, holding her shoulders.
“Willow, darling, you arrived just in time!” Angelo flies behind Willow, still holding her shoulders and pushing her into the room, successfully thwarting her escape attempt. “Alli and I were just gossiping a little while ago about other brawlers' dirty secrets. I know how much you love this topic.” They says it in an exaggerated and suggestive tone, while the static noise of their eager flapping wings makes it clear how happy the mosquito is.
Willow notices Alli flinch when Angelo mentions her name. The siren doesn't need to be a genius to know exactly her friend's intentions; she slowly turns her head to look at the cupid with a dark, angry expression, her brow furrowed and her narrow, bright yellow eyes staring into her friend's soul. If looks could kill, Angelo would have been obliterated, but luckily they're already used to Willow giving them that kind of gaze.
Unfazed by Willow's deadly glare, Angelo continues pushing her closer to the sofa and only stops and steps back when their friend lunges to bite his hand. They flies higher to avoid another possible attack.
“As much as I'd love to stay and gossip a little longer, unfortunately I have something more important to do right now.” They flies towards the door, but before Angelo can leave, they turns and faces Willow directly, whose frown has only become more menacing, but they doesn't care. “Meanwhile, you two can talk for a bit. I'm sure you'll love the things Alli discovered.” They says it again in a playful tone, but they emphasizes certain words so that the mind controller understands the message.
They leaves, closing the door behind them, leaving the two alone to sort things out. Willow's eye twitches, her lips curl and part to reveal her clenched, pointed teeth, even though Angelo is no longer there to feel the threat of her frown, and even if they were, the siren knew it would be useless anyway; Angelo isn't afraid of her, unlike a certain timid mechanic. Willow turns towards the sofa, but Alli wasn't there. She knew the alligator girl hadn't run away because otherwise the siren would have heard the creaking of the door. After all, that door is anything but silent, and there's no other conventional way out. Willow doesn't doubt that Alli might have jumped out the window, even though there are some bushes with poisonous thorns outside the only window in the room. Alli is simply careless like that.
Willow considers taking advantage of the fact that the mosquito didn't lock the door to leave. However, she knows that Angelo won't leave her alone if she continues to avoid Alli; it was obvious that they would notice something was strange between them and that they would interfere.
The siren takes a deep breath and walks towards the sofa with calm, silent steps. Although Alli is very good at hiding, there are times when she's very nervous and doesn't think twice before hiding in obvious places. She looks behind the arm of the couch and sees the alligator girl curled up in a ball, her hands protectively above her cap as if she were expecting to be hit on the head.
God, she's so pathetic.
Because of her position and also because she has her back to Willow, Alli doesn't notice her presence before she speaks. “There you are.” Her voice is indifferent, but it was enough to startle Alli.
She lets out a strange, high-pitched shriek and leaps up, turning and staring at Willow with wide eyes, her back hunched like a deer in headlights. But what stands out most are her flushed cheeks, so painfully obvious.
Alli clears her throat and gives an awkward smile. “Uh...G'day.” Her voice comes out slightly shaky and she gives a small, shy wave.
However, Willow does not greet her back. “We need to talk.” She says it straight out, in a firm and decisive tone of voice, leaving no room for disagreement, without beating around the bush.
The alligator swallows hard and lowers her head. “R-Right.” She lowers her cap to hide her face. This was the moment she dreaded most.
Willow always feels something in her gut whenever she sees Alli, someone much taller and physically stronger than her, shrinking to appear smaller in her presence. She knew the reason long before the mechanic handed her the letter, sometimes even abusing this knowledge to ask Alli for favors; she likes the feeling of having control over someone without needing to use her powers.
“Sit on the couch.” Willow commands and Alli promptly obeys like a dog.
The siren felt a wave of satisfaction seeing Alli obey her without a second thought. God, it would be so easy to just manipulate her, say she loved her too, only to later, when Willow got tired of her, say she only used her and see Alli's hurt and sad expression, maybe she would even cry. But obviously it wouldn't be that easy, there had to be something to thwart her fantasies, and that something was her stupid heart. Seriously, why does she even have a heart?
The two remained in an awkward silence for several minutes, neither of them having any idea how to address the elephant in the room. But the one who was most anxious and uncomfortable was Alli, who shifted restlessly in her seat on the couch, occasionally glancing up at Willow, who remained standing in front of the sofa, arms crossed and a serious frown on her face, which by this point seemed permanently etched into her expression. She even looked like a mother scolding her daughter for biting her schoolmate.
Until finally Willow decides to speak. “What prompted you to give me the letter?”
Alli flinches at the mention of the letter, but the question itself was somewhat unexpected. She raises her head to look at Willow, or at least tries to; she can't meet the siren's eyes for more than half a second.
“W-What?” The alligator says confused.
“Alli, I've known you for a year now. And I know you would never have the courage to give me the letter without some kind of... external incentive.” She says it in a low, threatening tone. She's clearly angry, but even so, Alli can't help but think how fucking hot this is.
“W-Well...” She presses her index fingers together, her cheeks more flushed than before, eyes slightly widened, avoiding Willow's at all costs. She gulps and tries to steady her voice to avoid stuttering this time. “I loved you from...since the first time I saw ya. And y-yes, I would've never had the courage to confess my feelings if it weren't for Angelo encouragin' me.”
Just as she expected. The way her cupid friend was acting made it obvious they was responsible for this mess. That fucking traitor.
“And what makes you think I didn't already know?” Willow says bluntly.
“Huh?” Alli tilts her head slightly to the side in confusion.
Willow sighs in exasperation. “Alli, you might be a good stalker, you might know how to hide really well, you might be good at literally anything. But you're terrible at being discreet about what you feel.” She massages her temples; she can already feel the beginning of a headache forming.
“...Oh...” Suddenly, Alli becomes very self-aware of herself and the situation. The knowledge that Willow knew from the beginning hit her like a punch in the gut.
Once again, another awkward silence falls over them, this time ten times worse than the last. Alli wants nothing more than to sink into a swamp lake and stay there forever, while Willow feels the urge to take out her frustration and discomfort on someone, preferably on some couple who are far too happy for her liking.
But, incredibly, the stalker finds the courage to break the silence. “I-I'm sorry...” The siren raises an eyebrow, prompting Alli to continue. “I knew I didn't have a chance. Ya don't like romance and stuff, and yet I insisted and ended up being a drongo for bothering you.” She feels her chest tighten and her eyes burn as tears well up in the corners. She lowers her head and cap to hide her face; the last thing she wants is for Willow to see her cry, although knowing the gondolier, she must feel her sadness. Which makes Alli feel even more foolish for not considering Willow's ability to literally feel other people's emotions.
To say that Willow doesn't find pleasure in feeling the alligator girl's pain and sadness would be a lie; she's always been like that. Feeling the pain and fear of others filled her heart with joy and made dopamine rush through her veins, making her stronger as a swamp siren. Her kind has always been greatly feared by humans and even by other sirens species, and even though she's a hybrid, her powers still function like a normal swamp siren. However, it would also be a lie to say that a small part of her heart wasn't bothered by feeling the other woman's sadness. However small that part may be, it still managed to cause significant discomfort during her moment of sadistic pleasure.
Why?
Why did this happen?
How did this happen?
Why did she let this happen?
These are the questions that had tormented Willow's mind since the day she realized she had developed feelings for Alli. At first, she tried to convince herself that she only wanted to take advantage of her obedience, or feed on the great source of feelings that the shy woman could offer her, but the truth is that there were other feelings embedded in her heart, feelings that she could not remove without causing serious side effects.
The mind controller hates being weak in this aspect. But she tries to convince herself that she's only doing it to ease the discomfort in her heart and not because she's going to be merciful to Alli. Yes, that's definitely the reason.
“Consider yourself lucky then.” Willow holds Alli's chin and forces her to look into her eyes. Seeing the tears streaming down Alli's face is so satisfying, and it would be even better without that pang of discomfort. But as they say, you can't have your cake and eat it all. “I won't reject you.” She whispers as if saying those words aloud were forbidden. And perhaps for Willow, that's exactly what it is.
Alli's eyes widen, she opens her mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. She begins to doubt if she really heard correctly.
“However, I want to clarify a few things.” She tightened her grip on Alli's chin, her sharp claws threatening to pierce the alligator's skin. “Just because I didn't reject you it doesn't automatically make us girlfriends. I still hate the concept of dating someone, especially someone like you. I'm only doing this for my own benefit, do you get it?” She says in a low, serious tone, her grip on the mechanic's chin is strong enough to hurt, but Alli isn't bothered by it in the slightest; in fact, the whole situation is insanely hot and even absurd. She can hardly believe that Willow, the woman who managed to lodge herself in her head without needing her powers, isn't actually rejecting her. Of course, she made it very clear that they aren't girlfriends and that they won't date, but still, that's enough for Alli.
Not trusting her mouth to speak, Alli simply nods. Her face is extremely red and her heart is pounding like crazy now, almost the same feeling as having run for miles without rest.
“Good.” Willow releases the other woman's face and steps away.
All this has left the siren without an appetite, but she knows that if she doesn't have lunch now, she won't have another opportunity to eat. Valentine's Day is a misfortune in the Swamp of Love: too much work, too little rest, and too much mushiness for her liking.
She goes to the refrigerator, gets her lunch, and heads to the sofa; she likes to eat cold food. Alli moves to the side to give Willow more space, she sits down, and begins to eat in silence while the alligator girl watches her eat. The gondolier is already used to her trio partner's eyes on her, but what bothers her is the silence. When she's with Angelo, the atmosphere is never quiet; they always have something to talk about, but with Alli, it's always the same awkward silence. This makes her remember what Angelo said about the stalker discovering dirty secrets of other brawlers.
“Don't just stand there staring at me in silence, and tell me what you and Angelo were gossiping about before I arrived.” She says it in a half-commanding tone, but her voice is calmer, which eases Alli's tension a little.
“Alright mate!” She says in a cheerful tone. “I was walkin' near the Biodome when I saw Lily...” She begins to ramble on about her discovery, now more relaxed.
Willow listens attentively while she eats. The awkward atmosphere between them had long since faded, and now everything seems like just another ordinary Monday afternoon—no letters, no confessions, no conversations about feelings or love, just chatter about other people's lives. This isn't as bad as the siren had expected.
Angelo realizes that their attitude had an effect; Willow and Alli stopped avoiding each other like the devil avoids holy water. However, it wasn't the satisfactory result they were hoping for; the two aren't dating, something predictable coming from Willow, but it's still disappointing to see their best friend ignoring her own feelings.
Why don't those two bitches just get a room already?
It seems they'll have to talk to Willow directly.
It was the end of their workday when Angelo approached Willow after she returned from her last ride.
“Willow, darling, can we talk for a bit?”
“Can't we do it tomorrow? I'm exhausted!” She complains while trying to massage a sore spot on her shoulder.
“You know very well that we won't have time. Brawlentines is tomorrow and you know how busy that place is going to be.” They chuckles when they sees the gondolier's mortified expression.
“Ugh! Don't even remind me! This week was already awful enough, and now in the Valentine's Day it's gonna be even worse!” She massages her temples.
“But that's what I want to talk to you about.” Willow looks at them with curiosity, but also with suspicion. “First, let's address the elephant in the room: your relationship with Alli.”
Willow automatically frowns. “Angelo, I swear to the gods that if you–”
The cupid silences the siren by placing their index finger in front of her lips. “Nah ah ah! Let me speak first, honey.”
Willow tries to bite her best friend's finger, but they are quick to move away and start flying around her. Like the annoying mosquito that they are.
“Look, I know you feel the same way about Alli. And there's no point in denying it, 'cause just like you, I can also feel when someone is in love.” They stops flying around her and now simply hovers in front of her. “And even if I didn't have that ability, I've known you long enough to know when you don't like someone and just want to use them.”
Willow remains silent; deep down she knows it's true. No matter how many excuses she makes, the truth remains crystal clear, and even trying to hide its brilliance, it can still be seen with a closer, more attentive look. Oh, if only she could just feel nothing at all.
Angelo knows it will be difficult to change their friend's mind because of her distorted view of love and also because of her aroace ass. Obviously, this isn't entirely her fault; after all, Willow comes from a species of monsters known for being one of the cruelest in the world, which feeds mainly on the feelings of other beings. Being aroace is the least of it; the problem is that she's a swamp siren who believes she should only feed on negative feelings.
“Look, I know that the whole thing about your kind is precisely feeding off the pain of others to strengthen yourselves, but you know that you can also feed off Alli's love. And besides, it's not as bad as you think it is.” Angelo lands on the ground and holds Willow's shoulders in a comforting way. “Just give it a try, I promise you won't regret it.”
The gondolier narrows her eyes. “I don't trust your promises.” She sighs. “Okay, I'll think about it.”
Angelo smiles and gives Willow a side hug. “That's my mean bitch!”
Willow rolls her eyes and shoves her friend away. “Shut up! I'm still mad at you for not telling me you knew about the letter and for encouraging Alli to give me that crap!”
The cupid pouts. “Aww, why? Was the letter really that bad?”
Now it's Willow's turn to hold her friend's shoulders, but unlike Angelo, who did it as a comforting gesture, the siren does it as a gesture of disturbance and discomfort.
“Angelo, that was the cheesiest piece of shit I've ever read in my entire life.” She says seriously, her eyes wide, as if whatever was in that letter had truly disturbed her.
“Really? Can I read it?” They smirks, their eyes shining with curiosity.
“NO!” She screams in exasperation. “I threw that trash away!” She turns around and goes to her locker to get her things.
Angelo may only have one functional eye, but they swear they saw Willow's cheeks turn slightly pink before she turned her back on them. This makes the cupid chuckle and his wings flutter happily. Now they just need to talk to Alli.
As expected, the day was exhausting. Willow couldn't stand dealing with the couples anymore; her head ached, the hand holding the lamp ached, her legs, which had barely had time to rest, ached, and her tired eyes, weary from sleepless nights, were almost closing. She wanted nothing more than to get home and sleep.
She goes to her closet and upon opening it, she finds an envelope with a heart-shaped sticker.
No, not that again.
Tired, she picks up the envelope and opens it, taking out a note. And yes, as she suspected, this is Alli's handwriting.
Hi, Willow!
I know you must be tired and stuff. But I wanted to go on a date do something special for you.
If you can and want to, meet me in front of the waterfall that leads to the Enchanted Woods.
Love you ♡
🐊
Willow is convinced that Alli has a slight obsession with drawing alligators on letters. She sighs; she's tempted to ghost the shy mechanic, but Angelo will nag her if she does, so she has no choice.
She leaves the letter in its previous spot and closes the closet. The siren decides she won't go home first to get ready; she's too tired for that, and also because she knows Alli won't care what she wears.
The path to the waterfall is more peaceful than the path to her house; few monsters roam this part of the swamp, mainly because it's very close to the Enchanted Woods. However, despite the danger this represents, this proximity between the two environments has its advantages. The place practically flows with magic everywhere; the water in the lakes glows brightly with a bioluminescent green light, illuminating the surroundings and making Willow feel more at home.
The gondolier arrives at the waterfall, and wow, this place is more beautiful than ever; it's been quite a while since she last came here. Some of the flowers she used to tend are still alive with their vibrant colors, although some have withered and died. The bluish bioluminescence coming from the Enchanted Woods reflects in the green light of the waterfall cascading into the swamp, creating a beautiful contrast between vibrant green and deep blue.
Then she sees Alli's silhouette with her back to her, but wearing different clothes than usual. From what Willow could see, the alligator girl was wearing a white hat with a rose stuck in it, a white suit, and white pants; however, what stood out most was the color of her hair, a very vibrant pink.
Willow approaches the other woman, who hadn't yet noticed her presence. She realizes that Alli's back is slightly hunched, her shoulders are tense, and she appears to be holding something while looking down at whatever it is.
“Well, it seems you never cease to amaze me.” The mind controller says, half teasingly and half amicably.
Again, Alli lets out a strange squeak and jumps at Willow's voice. She turns to look at the siren, her face flushed and her eyes wide.
The stalker gulps. “H-Hi Willow.” She smiles awkwardly and waves shyly at her. Now Willow can see what she was holding, and it's a bouquet of flowers.
The siren frowns and narrows her eyes. “Ugh, are you seriously going to give me flowers knowing that I don't like that kind of tacky stuff?” She says accusingly. She was beginning to bitterly regret having come to this "date" and not having rejected Alli at the first opportunity.
“Oh no, no, bloody no!” She waves her arms frantically while shaking her head fiercely. “This is just part of the visual aspect. The folks at Supercell were offering Brawlentine's skins for the brawlers and well...” She covers her flushed face with the hand that wasn't holding the bouquet and turns her face away. “They gave me this...” She whispers so softly that if Willow weren't close enough, she wouldn't have heard.
Willow analyzes her outfit from head to toe; even though the look is quite exaggerated, it doesn't look bad on Alli, except for the pink hair, which is too extravagant in Willow's opinion. The gondolier notices that Alli is wearing a necklace with a frog pendant that looks very, very similar to her lamp.
At this point, Willow thinks the entire universe must be mocking her now.
“Okay, but what is this "something special" that you wanted to do for me?” She makes air quotes with her fingers, showing disdain for the situation.
“Oh! Yeah right!” She takes her hand away from her face and starts searching for something in her pockets.
She pulls two wooden objects from her trouser pocket and hands them to the gondolier. Willow takes these objects and, upon closer inspection, reveals two sculptures: one is a sculpture of the siren herself, with all her features and even proportions precisely sculpted and meticulously detailed, showing her holding her lamp, also with its details accurately reproduced; the other is a miniature frog-shaped copy of her lamp, similar to the pendant on the necklace Alli is currently wearing.
The mechanic anxiously taps her index finger against the base of the bouquet she's holding. The chances of Willow not liking the gifts are high.
Alli swallows hard. “D-Did you like it?”
The alligator seems to have snapped Willow out of some kind of trance; she blinks a few times, trying to process what Alli said, her cheeks flushing pink, but she tries to hide it. The gondolier puts a closed fist in front of her mouth as she clears her throat.
“It’s not bad...” She looks to the side, trying to partially hide her face.
Alli's eyes sparkle and her little tail begins to wag happily. Luckily for her, her tail is small enough not to be noticed by someone facing her, otherwise she would die of embarrassment.
“I have more things to show ya.” She tilts her head a few times, indicating for Willow to follow her.
They walk a little until they reach a river where one of the Swamp of Love-themed boats is "parked"—which is actually more like beached. They approach the boat, Alli stops beside it and lowers her head slightly in a kind of bow as she extends her arms toward the boat, signaling for Willow to get in first.
The siren wants to laugh at this silly act of chivalry, but she bites her lip to hold back. She gets into the boat and sits down. The stalker then pushes the boat until it's in the water and jumps in, getting her shoes and a bit of her trouser leg wet, but she doesn't care.
Alli starts the boat and it begins to move slowly down the river. She picks up a box that was on the floor of the boat and offers it to Willow.
“I hope you like it, I made it myself.” She smiles shyly.
Willow picks up the box and removes the lid, her eyes widening and sparkling at the sight of her favorite types of cupcakes: whipped cream mixed with grapes and lemon frosting, topped with flies and cicadas like confetti. Without a second thought, she grabs a cupcake and takes a bite, letting out a small, satisfied moan as her taste buds are treated to the bittersweet, yet slightly more bitter, flavor of the cupcake—exactly the way she likes it.
She shoves the rest of the cupcake into her mouth, puts her hands on her cheeks, and closes her eyes, savoring the taste. Completely forgetting that Alli was still there.
The shy mechanic giggles. “Glad ya liked it!”
Willow almost choked when she heard Alli's voice, coughing slightly to try and hide her fright.
“Well, you're not as bad a cook as I expected.” She turns her head in the opposite direction to hide her flushed cheeks.
“In fact I am, Sheila.” She scratches the back of her neck, embarrassed. “I burned the cupcake batter several times before getting it right, not to mention I kept fucking up the whipped cream and frosting.”
Now Willow laughs, a sound that Alli loves to hear.
Checking the time by the position of the moon, Alli realizes that the time is approaching.
“The final surprise will happen shortly now.” The alligator warns.
A few minutes after Alli said that, the water and the green light of the swamp began to change to a fluorescent pink. Willow's eyes widened; she had already heard rumors from the other swamp sirens about this strange event that happens at midnight after Valentine's Day. Many legends and myths were invented by the swamp monsters trying to justify the cause of this event, many involving a possible god who created the swamp. However, one thing is certain: the magic that flows from the place at that time is beneficial to the swamp sirens. Willow never had the opportunity to witness this event; she didn't even believe it was real in the first place, and she never wanted to find out, always being too tired during the week and on Valentine's Day to want to check if the rumors were true or not. But now? She could feel the magic of this place flowing directly into her body; her body was literally glowing with the same pink color as the water. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and lifted her head, feeling lighter, and all the pain and tension in her muscles from this week simply dissipated quickly.
Meanwhile, Alli watched the event in amazement. Willow looked absolutely stunning, and the mechanic had never seen the other woman so calm and relaxed. Apparently, trusting Angelo's suggestion had been a good idea, even if they weren't entirely sure if the rumors were true.
However, as quickly as it appeared, the magic of the place dissipates, the light and water of the swamp turn green again, though glowing a little fainter than before. And Willow's body stops glowing, but that same feeling of warmth and comfort still lingers in her mind and body, and she was healed of her aching muscles.
The two women are quiet, but for the first time it's a comfortable silence; neither feels the need to break the calm of the moment. Everything just seems right, as if they were destined to be there from the beginning, alone with each other in that boat and on that exact river. Willow doesn't believe in fate, but this time she allows herself to believe that all of this could only be the work of fate.
“Thank you, Alli.” She says softly, startling the alligator.
“...Huh?” Is she listening correctly? Did Willow really say thank you?
“For bringing me here.” She turned to look at Alli. Her expression was calm, and she had a small, gentle smile on her lips, one she very rarely showed, only when she was with her tadpoles. “I really appreciate everything you did tonight.” The words flowed from her lips far more easily than she'd expected. Perhaps it was a side effect of the post-magical healing ecstasy, but who knows? Willow didn't care about that now.
Alli felt her heart about to burst with happiness, and her tail turned into a mini-motor from how fast she was wagging it. If this was a dream, she wished she would never wake up, but by pinching/scratching the scales on the nape of her neck, she deduced that it was all very real. She grinned from ear to ear, showing all her sharp teeth.
“I'm so stoked ya liked it, ya have no idea.” She unconsciously leans her body closer to Willow.
“To be honest, I have.” Willow can feel Alli's joy, and that's incredibly satisfying too. Maybe Angelo was right, maybe she doesn't just need to feed off Alli's feelings of pain and sadness. “The trip was nice and all, but I'd like to go home now. I need to get at least six hours of sleep so I don't wake up tired tomorrow.”
“As you wish m'lady!” Alli turns off the boat's engine and jumps into the water to push it back to land.
The gondolier gets off the boat holding the gifts the alligator girl gave her. At the same time, Alli jumps out of the water, her clothes and hair all wet and messy with the mud from the swamp water. Willow chuckles at this.
“What are ya laughin' at?” She tilts her head to the side.
“Nothing, except for the way you already managed to ruin your outfit on the first night you wore it.” She gestures towards her clothes, which for some unknown reason are only wet and dirty and not see-through even though they are all white.
Alli lowers her head to see the damage to her outfit. “Oops, guess I wasn't made to wear this type of clothing.” She approaches the other woman. “But anyway, can I walk you home?”
The question catches Willow off guard. But it's not exactly unwelcome. “Sure.”
The alligator has to suppress a cheerful bellow.
The path to Willow's house was calm, and the two chatted occasionally, but the atmosphere between them was already lighter; whatever that magic had done had improved the siren's mood.
They arrive in front of Willow's house and say goodbye to each other. But before they part ways, Willow does something that surprises both her and Alli: she pulls the mechanic by her shirt and kisses the side of her snout, very close to the side of her mouth.
The mind controller steps back and walks quickly to the front door of her house. She opens the door, but before entering, she turns towards Alli, who remains standing in shock in the same spot.
She giggles a little at this. “See you tomorrow, Alli.” She goes inside her house and closes the door.
Alli lets out a cheerful sound, and some deep, guttural bellows form deep in the back of her throat; she tries to muffle her crocodilian sounds by covering her mouth, but it doesn't help much. Good thing Willow isn't here to hear.
But she can still feel it.
A voice inside her head reminds her. This makes her jump into the water and swim quickly away.