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AJ leaned against the wall across from Drift’s dorm, five minutes early. She made sure she looked particularly cool and particularly casual to save her reputation from this folly, head cocked to the side, eerily similar to Flick as she waited; crossed arms and one ankle kicked over the other.
She was well aware that Drift was going to be five minutes late, and yet, here she was.
Just as she suspected, Drift came tumbling out her door, one hand sweeping her curls out of her face, “AJ! Morning,” Her grin radiant as the sun.
AJ’s crooked smile lost its usual bite when she looked at Drift, eyes helplessly fond of the earth mage, “Hello, Open book, ready?”
“Yep, Let’s get going, I have somewhere I wanna show ya,” Drift trotted on ahead. She had this natural elegance about her, steps sure and evenly paced, as if the whole world were a stage.
AJ bobbed along behind her for a while before catching up, walking backwards through the halls she’d long since memorized and out the grand entrance.
“Did you plan a whole itinerary for little ole’ me, Drift? How kind,” The decay mage jested, hiding a slight intensity as she eyed the taller woman.
“Well, you did say that your whole schedule was all for me, so I decided I’d make the most of it just this once,” Drift shrugged, watching the sun sparkle across the surface of the river as they passed over the bridge.
The pair walked for a while, amiable banter intermittent with easy going silence. They came to a stop beneath an old oak tree, far from the academy on the edge of a soft meadow. The gnarled branches reached out into the sky casting dappled flecks of gold and shadow across the grass below them. The whole forest felt alive, no sign of corruption on this side of the island. Somewhere far off, birds were chirping and bugs hummed, hidden in the underbrush.
Drift set her backpack down and laid back, hands behind her head as she sunbathed. One of her favorite things since leaving Thornreach had been the sun, the warmth of it. And it showed, her skin gaining a healthy glow, dotting with more and more freckles as the summer stretches on. AJ wanted to count them. She shook that thought away and took her spot beside Drift.
Aj’s bones seemed to relax into the ground, muscles untensing as she took a few moments to simply relax. A deep breath rose and fell in the quiet. Unfortunately, neither are good at staying quiet for long, “Drift,” AJ singsonged, flipping onto her side to prop her head up with one hand, “Did you really bring me all the way out here just to fall asleep on me?”
Drift’s eyes cracked open, squinted with barely concealed glee, “Well what were you expecting? Hm?”
“Oh I don’t know, I did say I’m down to do whatever you wanna today,” AJ smiled slightly too genuinely for her own comfort, “Thought that would be fun,”
“Awee, you not having fun? You bored already?” Drift mocked sympathy, nose scrunching up in a mischievous grin, “How can I make it more fun for you, huh?”
“Oh I can think of a few ways,” AJ quirked a single brow.
Drift scoffed, leaning in, “Yeah, I bet you can,” She pressed a soft kiss to AJ’s lips before pulling back.
AJ chased her for just one more, “much better, that’s what I’m talkin’ about,”
“Don’t go getting greedy now, hey,” the earth mage snorted
“Certainly not, I’m too humble and sexy for that,”
“Right, right, mhm,” Drift returned to resting, eyes closed, smile easy.
This close, with Drift so still, AJ could see the dark circles that Drift clearly wanted to pretend didn’t exist. She made a promise to herself to at least make sure Drift slept well tonight.
Once the sun had come to the peak of its arc and the heat began to rise, the pair returned to the academy, spirits high as can be. Drift playfully shoved AJ through the door, “I swear, One of these days I’m stealing that stick and you aren’t getting it back,” Pretending to be annoyed must have been Drift’s favorite activity at this point.
“No way, I’m guarding this thing with my life, Open book,”
“I will, I swear!”
AJ leaned backwards onto the garden door to push it open, stepping back to hold it open for Drift, “After you,” She spoke with a faux air of nobility, extending one graceful arm out into the garden with a lowered head.
AJ’s lopsided grin might be the best thing to grace Drift as of late, the small gap between her front teeth endlessly endearing to the princess. She’s perfect. What? Who said that?
“I showed you one of my favorite spots outside of the academy and now I would like to go to our favorite spot in the academy,” Drift meandered past AJ, a light blush dusting her cheeks.
“Yeah? And where is our spot, Drift?”
“The theatre,” Drift glanced back over her shoulder at AJ as they crossed the halls dripping in vines and flora. The air smelled fresh and faintly sweet in the art wing, easy to breathe. That was a luxury nowadays.
“Aw, did you want to recite something to me, Drifty?” AJ nudged the lady, practically glueing herself to Drift’s right side as they walked.
“No- no, I can’t do that, I don’t know what to say. I don’t know much other than E.T. word for word, AJ,”
“Did ya want to make out in the seats then?” AJ cackled. Even her laugh evoked the caw of a bird, head thrown back in delight as she looped her arm around Drift’s waist.
“No!! Freak- well… actually, wait we could though… Wait no, I wanted to watch you recite something actually, since you practice so much,” Drift reflexively jolted up the way a cat does when you place a cucumber near it before settling back down into her fake bravado.
“Yeah? You want me to perform for you, Drift? wow, what an honor,” the decay mage drawled. They stepped into the dimly lit theater and part ways, a stolen ‘ kiss for good luck’ shared between them before AJ took her place center stage and Drift sat in the rows of plush, old red velvet chairs.
AJ cleared her throat and took a deep breath as she thought of what to recite.
“I left no ring with her. What means this lady?”
The moment that AJ began her recital, the air electrified, not an ounce of distraction in Drift as her g̶i̶r̶l̶f̶r̶i̶e̶n̶d̶- fake girlfriend spoke, her rhythm quick and enunciation sharp as a whip.
“Fortune forbid my outside have not charmed her!
She made good view of me, indeed so much
That methought her eyes had lost her tongue,
For she did speak in starts distractedly.
She loves me, sure! The cunning of her passion
Invites me in this churlish messenger.
None of my lord’s ring? Why, he sent her none!”
AJ’s eyes flicked down to meet Drift’s, pacing the stage as she spoke. She seemed to take on a more serene sort of confidence as she recited well-worn lines, a little less jittery around the edges. She enunciated well, shockingly well for someone who didn’t grow up surrounded by tutors and literateurs. Drift had been consistently amazed by peoples’ abilities to learn skills on their own since leaving the castle, but there was something especially bright about AJ in a more subtle way. AJ was akin to the moon, luminant but not blinding.
“I am the man. If it be so, as ’tis,
Poor lady, she were better love a dream.
Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness
Wherein the pregnant enemy does much.
How easy is it for the proper false
In women’s waxen hearts to set their forms!
Alas, our frailty is the cause, not we,
For such as we are made of, such we be.
How will this fadge? My master loves her dearly,
And I, poor monster, fond as much on him,
And she, mistaken, seems to dote on me.
What will become of this? As I am man,
My state is desperate for my master’s love.
As I am woman (now, alas the day!),
What thriftless sighs shall poor Olivia breathe!”
Aj came to the edge of the stage, sitting on the ledge. Drift felt as though she couldn’t breathe, tongue heavy in her mouth.
“O Time, thou must untangle this, not I.
It is too hard a knot for me t’ untie.”
AJ ended her recital, words sickeningly sweetened as she beckoned her open book to the edge. That unbearably fond look in her eye, she couldn’t seem to rid herself of it. Maybe she didn’t want to.
Drift followed AJ’s silent request, coming to stand between the mage’s knees, “... It’s strange to be looking up at you for once,”
“Oh for fucks sake, Shut up,” AJ rolled her eyes, “That’s what you say to me? After I just recited a whole monologue for you, Drift?”
Drift only broke out into bright giggles that AJ had to pretend so hard not to be endeared by, to keep pretending to be annoyed. Her shoulders shook when she laughed, and her nose scrunched up in the most adorable way.
AJ shook her head, exasperated, “You’re such a brat,” she snickered.
“Man, you know, you aren’t the first to say that, Maybe there's a grain of truth to it,”
“Just a grain?”
“Yup,”
“Riiight, uh-huh,” AJ tilted Drift’s chin up, saying nothing, just looking at her face. This shut the earth mage up immediately. She admired the soft curve of her nose, the way the slightest flash of surprise crossed Drift’s eyes, the small pout that always seemed to find itself back on her lips when she wasn’t laughing.
“That’s what I thought.” AJ slid off the stage, landing on her feet, pressed between Drift and the stage, before sliding to the side in escape.
“What- hey-!” Drift was always quick to lose focus, head in the clouds.
“There’s somewhere I wanna take you actually,” The decay mage turned to face Drift, though they didn’t make eye contact.
“Oh, cool, where?”
AJ reached for Drift’s hand and led her back out into the courtyard and up the stairs. There was something so grounding about how it felt to touch Drift, especially when it was small things like this. Something simple, something lacking in transaction. AJ held Drift’s hand…. And that was it. She squeezed her hand just once. It’s real.
“Well, you know how Megii had been showing me the ropes with painting? I figured I’d like to give it a go with you,”
“I’m definitely no artist, AJ, I probably won’t make anything good,” Drift half laughed.
“Since when does that matter? It’s all about the process or whatever people say, besides, I’m not an artist either, not like I’ll be making the mona lisa,”
“I bet you could if you wanted to,”
“Aww, I appreciate the vote of confidence, Drifty,”
Just as the two enter the art room, a cloud drifts on revealing the most lovely golden lighting streaming through the window. It graces the both of them, a bit of deja vu for AJ. There was simply something magical about an art room. The room smelled of paint and something fresh and nutty that AJ could not place. It wasn’t familiar just yet, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. There seemed to always be a new piece popping up. She made a cursory glance around the room for more of Seamstress’s paintings, finding none, before leading Drift to the chest of empty canvases.
“Alright, pick your poison, Open book,” AJ grabbed a medium sized canvas for herself and Drift followed suit. She always had been more of a follower, huh.
The two set up their canvases beside one another, doing their best to recall Megii’s instructions. AJ stood, eyeing their canvas, the usual tilt of their head a telltale sign of thought. She peeked over at Drift. She caught the eye of the woman, who happened to be doing the exact same thing, paint brush in hand. Drift jumped a bit and scooted her easel so that she was more so facing AJ, blocking her canvas from view. Now that was interesting, “Whatcha doing, Drifty?” she crooned.
“Nothin’!” Drift answered much too quickly.
“Oh c’mon, can’t I know what you are painting?” AJ snickered, hands planted on their hips
“Nope!” She nudged her easel once more.
“Awee, why not?” she drawled
“It’s awful so far,” Drift burst out laughing, “You can’t, you’ll hate me forever,”
“Oh surely not, let me see,” It was too late, as AJ had already made her way over without a response. Oh, “...........Is that…… Is that going to be me? Aww Driift,”
“See?? Oh god,” The princess wrapped her arms around herself, shoulders still shaking with laughter and slight embarrassment.
“Hey no, I really like this black blob here, I’m really seeing the vision, Is that thing going to be Flick?” AJ points at an entirely separate black splotch of paint.
“....Yeah,”
“I’m sure she’s going to love this when she sees it, I’m going to need this for my room, Drift”
Drift huffs a laugh, “Yeah, You can have this, It’ll really compliment the poster,”
“Exactly, You’ve given me the perfect idea, I’m going to paint you too,”
The pair get to work, painting to their hearts content and definitely not occasionally flicking paint water at each other. The evening passes full of laughter and by the time the sun burns brilliant orange, casting long shadows across the classroom, the two stand in front of two…. Lovely art pieces, side by side.
“AJ I look like bigfoot, I can’t possibly have that much hair, let alone that volume, I look like a monster,”
“Maybe this is my artistic rendition of you on a humid day,”
“Oh my god, I’m going to kill you,”
“I don’t think you’ll have to do anything like that, I look positively dead, Am I in the shadow realm? What?”
“I didn't know that the black was going to get everywhere and make everything grey…”
“Right right… It looks like Flick took up permanent residence in my hair,”
“Maybe she did, Are my eyes really that big?”
“Well yes, of course, I look like I find something truly unacceptable, I thought I cleaned up nice today,”
“I think the jaundice is part of your charm,”
“I am hanging this up in my room as soon as this is dry,”
“So soon, huh? Is this going up in your loft so you can admire it each night?”
“Nah, I need everyone who comes to visit me to see how my dear Drifty sees me, This is amazing,”
“Oh god,”
“C’mon, let’s go,” AJ reached out for Drift’s hand again. The pair roamed the halls a while, enjoying their own company. The school was strangely empty today, making the trip across the school rather efficient. Soon enough, they made it to AJ’s dorm.
Drift took a seat at the bar and AJ hopped the counter, “A drink to round out our day?”
“Maybe just one,” Drift narrowed her eyes a bit, assessing the other woman. AJ seemed okay.
“Of course,” AJ grabbed the singular wine glass from her shelf and her own usual cup and set them down on the bar. She perused her selection before pulling out a red wine and pouring them both a glass.
“Cheers,” The clink of the glasses rang out clear as a bell in the quiet room. Drift swirled hers around a moment, watching the deep red settle before taking a sip like a proper noble, AJ having no such reservations. Ale was more both of their speed, but sue her for feeling just a bit fancy today. Today is worth celebrating.
“Cheers, “Drift sighed, settling her head atop a poised hand. She smiled like the sun, like AJ was worth smiling at. AJ wanted to prove her right. She wanted to be good for her.
“So, Did ya enjoy yourself today, Drift? You satisfied?” Aj tilts her cup towards Drift, an odd, unknowable look in her eye.
“Satisfied? I don’t think I ever will be, AJ, I just can’t get enough of you,” Drift took on that teasing tone she always did when she wasn’t quite brave enough, but she lacked the usual insults this time.
“Can’t get enough of me? Oh I’m so flattered, Drift, really,” AJ took a gulp, appreciating the dryness of the alcohol. It helped her. She bit back the challenge.
“Did you?” God her eyes looked so clear.
“I did,” Disgustingly earnest.
“I’m glad, I really needed this, I think, a break,”
“Yeah?”
“Mhm, It hasn’t been… easy, lately… AJ, I uhm, I have something I need to tell you, and I’m worried you’re going to hate me.. Can I tell you soon? I can’t ruin tonight,” Drift’s shoulders rose to her ears, the princess visibly deflating.
“Hey, hey, Yeah, You can tell me whenever you are ready, Drift, I promise,” AJ tilted her head, attempting to look at the earth mage’s face, hand reaching out half-way to touch Drift’s arm, “I don’t…. I don’t think I could hate you either, Drift,” She admitted quietly.
“Really?” Drift risked a look at her.
“Really,” Aj straightened up, “Remember when you asked to read my writing?”
Drift’s brow twitched in confusion, “Yeah, of course I do,”
“How about I write that poem for you, hm? I don’t do that for just anyone, you know,”
“Oh. Okay, uh, right now? Do I need to do something?”
“No, my - You just have to sit there and look pretty, should be easy for you,” AJ gulped the rest of her glass down and went to go grab her book and Quill. She sat atop the counter of the bar like a heathen and got to work.
It took a few moments for AJ to settle in and begin to write, but once she did, Drift couldn’t help but to be drawn to her. The way AJ slightly bit her lip in concentration, how her quill flicked every so often, the stray ebony strand that fell from behind her ear. It’s rare to see AJ focused, especially on something non-destructive. Drift hoped to see—
“You don’t have to stare you know, I’m not going to disappear if you look away,”
Oh. AJ was looking at Drift, amusement dancing around her intense gaze.
Oh.
“I wasn’t– I mean-” Drift floundered before deciding it was a lost cause. She downed the rest of her drink.
“You really are an open book, Drift,”
“....Maybe,” Drift stewed, lamenting the lack of drink to occupy herself with, face flaming red. She took a few minutes to look around at AJ’s dorm while the other finished writing. The bar, the warm stone hearth.. The pool table. She approaches the table, admiring the upholstery and the sleek wood. She’d never learned to play this game, never allowed to be anywhere that might have such a thing. What a shame. Drift wondered if AJ might like a partner to play against, if she’d teach her perhaps. A hand at the small of her back startled her out of her thoughts as she turned to face AJ.
“Drift, I don’t care what this secret of yours is, I know who you are… I care about you, whatever you tell me, We’ll figure it out,” AJ pressed a neatly folded paper to Drift’s chest, “Read this later, alright?”
The paper, from what Drift could see, was addressed simply as To Drift, written in slanted but very even handwriting. Drift had to wonder where AJ learned to write when it seemed that half the students couldn’t read, let alone write poetry. She held the letter gently, “....yes, we will,” She set the letter on the table, giving AJ her full attention, “Thank you,”
“Any time, Drift,”
AJ had been saying her name much more often lately, open book disappearing into silly moments and crowds. It was nice in a way, to be seen, scary in another. But to be brave is to not let fear hold you back, “You are beautiful,”
“I could certainly say the same about you,” Aj smiled, that wonderful crooked smile. Her hands find Drift’s waist.
Drift rested her arms loosely over the shorter woman’s shoulders, “I don’t want tonight to end,”
“Me neither, but at some point the clock will strike midnight, There’s always another night,”
“You and your fairytales,” Drift scoffed and pulled AJ close. Tonight they were okay. Tonight the moon filtered in through AJ’s window to travel across the floor as the two slept soundly in her loft.