Chapter Text
Let me...tell you a tale.
Mm...
You'll let me, won't you?
Act I: Caught Together Again
“Deep blood red roses encased-alas! A sign of our perpetual love. A sign that beyond the grave our love still lasts, deep within eternal glass. Everlasting flowers shall bloom—in the garden we have left behind! For I truly believe…This place of ours shall soon be covered in twisted, enchanted vines.”
With finishing gusto the boy in light blue snapped the book in his right hand shut. For the boy had just finished theatrically reading aloud. Said book was a dulled out red leather-bound novel, titled “Everlasting Flowers”. The book’s contents describe a man and woman who meet after a series of coincidences. Now as friends, they then decide to marry each other for convenience. Only to later fall in love for real as they live their life in a mansion together. In their quickly-built life, said newly-weds continue to tend to the flowers and other greenery around their house until they grow old. Just as they’re in their dying moments, the lady proclaims one last declaration of love before they both pass away. It is then said that the moment after they both die, the house is immediately overrun by vines and plants. But most noticeably, flowers. Yes, many many flowers—a variety of roses and myosotises in particular—sprawl all over every inch of the plot until no huge patch of property is left completely void of anything green. As you can probably tell, the novel was a cheesy romance between a man and a woman whose fates were deeply intertwined. It’s just the kind of book you’d expect to find him reading.
“That’s it?” The listener started almost amused from being so baffled.
“There are but no more pages left, you see?” The storyteller had pronounced.
“What! Really? That can’t be the end—c-can it, Clarence?” The boy in green exclaimed.
“I honestly wasn’t expecting you to be so upset, Francis. You know there are a lot of other stories that are just as ambiguous near the end like this one!” Clarence replied cheerfully.
“Well of course you would say that! All you read is corny romance anyways! Honestly—when you convinced me to listen to you read another one of your weird romance books I was expecting an actually good ending!” Francis replied salty.
“Wha—The ending was plenty good! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” He huffed.
Francis Bennett and Clarence Moore are what you call childhood friends. It’s a classic case of parents being friends and that their kids have got to be the same! They’ve known each other pretty much since birth, so it’s no surprise they’re chattering away in the flower garden again.
The Moore residence.
It’s the place they reside in almost all of their time. In fact the whole Bennett family comes around so often it's almost like the two families share the same home. But in particular, it’s the garden in which these two boys choose to mingle.
Francis lowers his left leg to dangle slightly off the edge of the pavement steps in which he perches on. Clarence takes this as a cue to sit down right next to Francis where he places his book off to his right side. There is silence in the air as the wind gently sways a calm breeze everywhere. Despite the many visitors, the mansion is always surprisingly quiet besides the occasional noises of nature. The place itself is 4 stories tall, including the attic. Along with a basement as well. The home certainly suits a family as well-off as someone like the Moores. When you’ve known someone for all your life it’s no surprise that you can have quiet moments like these. No words are truly needed. Time continues to trickle away like the last drops of rain before the sun shines again, That is—until someone’s words break the silence.
“Hey! Yer two! Yer ought not to be here right now!”
A lady’s voice along with the click of her dark red heels rang through the garden and interrupted their quiet. As the boys turned their heads to the sound—they realized, It was Marie!
Marie Taylor, a lady in her early thirties dressed in maroon. Her gold jewelry twinkled in the sunlight as the ribbons from her hat fluttered in the breeze. Her dark brunette hair shone a rich tea color as it flowed along with her hat, hit in the sunlight. Her bright brown eyes sparkled all the same above her slightly tanned light beige skin. Her makeup was little to none today as her freckles were untouched. You know, Francis has always told her her face looked best with the freckles visible. As her dress and the ribbons on her hat flowed, the breeze soon turned into a wind and before her hat could fly away she grasped into it bewildered. She was the Moore family’s head maid. But that statement might raise a question, how come she’s wearing such an outfit? Why, she was on her day off of course! The Moore family doesn’t just hire without care, every servant is like a friend of their own. Every maid, butler, attendant, assistant. They’re all faithfully serving companions of the house. Marie Taylor in particular is adored by everyone, as she is seen often taking care of Clarence and Francis.
“Aren’t it 4pm? Isn’t it due time for yer swordsmanship lessons? Don’t tell me yer’ll are skipping!” Marie scoffed, bemused by the realization.
The two boys looked at Marie and back at each other and the mood got awkward real quick. Until Clarence spoke up despite Marie’s harsh glare.
“You must forgive me, Lady Taylor! I was just having a wonderfully immersive conversation here with Francis that the time just flew by!” Clarence says as he nudges Francis with his left elbow as if trying to tell him to play along. Despite Clarence’s abysmal act at trying to play it cool, he says it all with the most charismatic face he could muster. Francis on the other hand,
“Oh Lady Marie you misunderstand,” Francis begins. As Clarence turns his head to see Francis you could see that shimmer of hope on his face that Francis might just hit the point home so they would get no repercussion. That look—quickly fades.
“We were just definitely-totally-hundred-percent! Skipping swordsmanship lessons!” Francis says with the biggest and sweetest grin on his face.
“Haha!” Marie snorts, muffling her laugh. Hm? You ask what caused her to have such an outbreak? Why—the absolutely mortified look on Clarence’s face of course! Clarence quickly looks down to the ground grappling with the fact that Francis—yet again—refused to play his game of charades.
“Oh yer two.” Marie sighs.
Clarence knew what was coming next. See, Francis never really got in trouble for doing this kind of thing. Clarence on the other hand…
“Get to yer swordsmanship lessons, now.” Marie made clear.
Clarence dramatically dejected, proceeded to get up, pick up his book, and gloomily made his way out of the courtyard and into the estate. Now that Clarence is out of sight, the two turned their attention away from him and toward each other instead.
“Hahhhhh.” Marie said exasperated.
“He’s on his way to his lessons, so really, what’s on your mind now?” Snarkly he rubbed in.
See, everyone here knows, this isn’t the first time this has happened. In fact, this same kind of thing has happened so much—Marie has lost count.
“Yer’re really not a good influence on him, yer know?” She remarked.
"Yet, I’m always by his side. How would you know if I even ever affected him at all? Plus~ he can’t even focus without me by his side!” Francis replied cheerfully.
“Yerh. That’s why yer better get going too!” She miffed.
“Yeah yeah, I was on my way anyways!” Francis said as he picked himself up and started scurrying out of the garden to chase after Clarence.
“Bye, Marie!!!” He shouted waving his hands frantically whilst running backwards before turning his attention away from the lady.
Now. Marie thinks. I’m alone.
She lets out a breath of exhaustion. Her voice riddled with worry.
“That’s exactly what I mean.” She starts. “I can’t help but worry. If yer weren't always by his side, if yer up and left suddenly—even for the slighest moment...What would become of Clarence?”
“...”
Silence. The whole world gone quiet. True silence once again.