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AJ sauntered the streets of Aboria, ‘taking in the sights’ though she was rally just trying to find Drift and Magpie. With every corner she turned, another face that she didn’t care for in the moment was seen. She had one mission in mind, and all these people were pulling her away from that.
First, it was Scott, “AJ, hey. Where are you off to in such a hurry?” The Ice Mage said with pursed eyebrows, a sense of slight worry in his tone. While he didn’t speak to her much, he still wanted to make sure she wasn’t putting herself in harm’s way.
“Oh, hey Scott! I’m going to see my lovely, amazing, beautiful girlfriends! Can’t I have a fervour to see the people I adore deeply?” AJ replied, a cocky smirk on her face, her voice one of pure smugness.
Without letting Scott get in another word, AJ was on her way again, mingling through the streets, going down a secret alleyway only to then find Shelby on the other end. “AJ! I didn’t expect to see you here! Where are you headed off to in such a hurry?”
AJ sighed softly, yet another person being a roadblock in her path. “Well, Windy One, I have two very important, very gorgeous, very impatient ladies waiting for me at the speakeasy.” There was a sense of impatience in her own voice as she dodged past the Mage and whisked away.
God, how many more people am I going to run into today? She wasn’t really watching where she was going, the direction to the speakeasy being like second nature to her now. Being too whisked in her own thoughts of her gorgeous partners to realise she had just run straight into the chest of Osteon.
The sharp sting of whither caught her off guard as she stumbled back, looking right at the Rider before her. “Dusky! Didn’t see you there.”
“That is alright, where are you off to in such a hurry, not to cause mischief, I hope.”
“Me? Osteon, you think so lowly of me! I’m on my way to bother my two favourite people in the world, and you, my friend, are in my way, so I must go.” AJ was really starting to get jack of running into people and disrupting her, she just wanted to see her partners! Was that too much to ask?
Finally, she got to the speakeasy, strolling into the room with the stance of someone that knew they commanded the space. She moved slowly, moving through each mana veil with the security someone that knew they were safe. Once she got upstairs, she heard the velvety and addictive sounds of their voices.
They were talking softly amongst themselves, laying lazily on the couch, Drift’s head resting against Magpie’s chest, the Woodland Mage running her hands carefully through the princess’ hair. AJ stood just on the corner, not disrupting the quiet moment they were having between each other, the two other Mages seeming to not notice that AJ was there.
A soft, caring smile spread across the Decay Mage’s mouth, drinking up the sight of her people being so comfortable, so freely themselves in a place reserved just for them. Slowly, she stood up from her resting position against the wall, stepping closer until she was right next to them, her hand coming up and threading into Magpie’s hair.
Her hand moved from her lover’s hair, down their face and to her chin, gently tilting their head up so she could see the Mage’s face. “Hey there, beautiful. Did you miss me?” AJ queried, though she already knew the answer, her face moving closer and closer until they were just a breath apart.
A fleeting kiss was pressed against Magpie’s forehead, leaving as quick as it appeared, shifting to stand in front of both Megii and Drift. Her gaze slowly raking from the former to the latter, her free hand moving to ghost against Drift’s cheek, pressing a matching kiss to the Earth Mage’s forehead. Her voice when addressing Drift quiet, almost imperceptible, “Hey there, Open Book.”
Magpie’s voice came first, feigning annoyance and disinterest, “I would never miss you, AJ. In your dreams…” Their voice being cut off abruptly when she felt the brief kiss on her forehead, her cheeks dusting a fair, rosy hue.
Drift, while not as obvious as Magpie, let out a small huff of air as she looked up to AJ, trying to fight the smile off her lips, though to no avail. “Hey, AJ. You’ve been out all day, was starting to think you’d gone missing.”
Drift’s arm raised, her hand wrapping softly around the girl’s wrist, trying to tug her into the pile they’d created on the couch. She didn’t need to say anything, one look from her and Megii’s eyes and AJ folded in an instant.
A comfortable silence settled between the three, AJ laying in between Magpie’s legs, her head resting near their belly button, her hand resting on Megii’s hip, running her thumb back and forth slowly, methodically. Her movements, while still being as caring as ever, were still controlled, holding that level of mindfulness she has for The Woodland Mage, making sure she was comfortable in her grasp.
~~~~~~~
Hours seemed to have passed, all of which had blurred together accompanied by the murmurs of their voices, all quietly conversing in harmony, all in tune with each other’s frequency in a way that wouldn’t make sense to anyone else. Drift had now been asleep for a long while, only AJ and Magpie being awake, neither of them moved, or tried to look like they even wanted to.
Slowly, AJ shifted her head, her chin laying on Megii’s stomach, looking up at their eyes like there was nothing else that mattered. She didn’t speak, or utter any sort of noise for that matter, for a few seconds before she spoke “Do you ever wonder if things were different? If we didn’t work things out?” The questions came out of nowhere, though it was clear they’d been weighing on her for a while.
There was a moment where Magpie didn’t know how to respond, their head shifting from looking at the bottom of the loft, to AJ’s face, tracking her expression before responding. Their voice composed, almost eloquently serene. “Sometimes, it’s hard not to really. I mean, I love you, AJ, but you’re a stubborn pain in the ass.” She paused, looking from Drift, back to AJ, then continuing. “I care for you both, a lot. I know there isn’t any doubt in that. I wouldn’t do it any different to how it did, though.”
“No?” The Decay Mage mused, a small, fond smile spreading across her face.
“Mm-mm. It was hard, long, we all got hurt during the process, but if anything, that’s why we work the way we do.” The Mage pondered for a while longer, their hand moving up to AJ cheek, their fingers tracing along her features. “We all understand each other in a way I don’t think anyone else does. We don’t depend on each other completely, we just… exist simultaneously. That bond we all have isn’t just built on emotion or need, it’s built on experience, security.”
AJ stayed silent, looking up to Magpie the entire time they spoke but once they finished, her gaze diverted, resting her head against Magpie’s stomach like she was before. A small hum came from her throat, then her final words for the night, “Thanks, Magpie… I needed that.” The raw honesty that came from her was something rarely shown but when it was, it was cherished.
“Always, AJ. Unconditional, remember?”
And with that, the night lived on, the streets of Aboria bustled with villagers and merchants, the sky chimed with wind and birds. None of that mattered in here, the only thing that did was the love, care and devotion they all had for each other.