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| Ivy Dewshine: | Ryouko Hirosue |
| Adonis: | Ueda Yuuji |
| Randoruun: | Ryoutarou Okiayu |
| Quinn: | Ota Shinnichirou |
| Hiko: | Hekiru Siina |
| Jonothan: | Masami Kikuchi |
| Arlen: | Akira Kamiya |
| Gray: | Hikaru Midorikawa |
| Yamatako: | Megumi Ogata |
| Mrs. Dewshine: | Ai Orikasa |
| Emma: | Aya Hisakawa |
| Solomond: | Akira Ishida |
"Ow!"
"Shh!"
Ivy slapped a hand over Jonothan’s mouth as she clung close to the wall near the front door.
"What are we hiding from?!" Quinn asked. He and Jono were forced to follow Ivy’s example.
Ivy shook her head. She snuck over to the door, and quietly opened it. It wasn’t creaking, thank goodness.
"Ivy!" Emma cheerfully walked over to her sister, "You’re up unusually early!"
Ivy forced a gasp down her throat. She swallowed, "E-Emma!" he speeding heart began to slow…
"Solomond has been looking for you!" Emma didn’t notice Jono and Quinn clinging to the wall nearby.
"Tell him I have to run some errands." She opened the door the rest of the way.
"Oh?" Emma smiled, "Could you pick up some roast hen from the delicatessen for dinner?"
Ivy tried to breathe normally again. "Sure thing."
"Thank you!" Emma smiled and rested a gentle hand on her older sister’s cheek. "You’re such a help!"
Humming gleefully to herself, Emma left the room to go back to the living room to knit by the fireplace.
Awfully cheerful today…Ivy thought, Her night with Cal must have gone well. She turned to Quinn and Jonothan, and nodded.
"What was that all about?" Quinn asked as he followed Ivy and Jono out the door.
"Nothing important…" Ivy lied through her teeth, and closed the door behind her.
Both men rose their eyebrows, but each made the decision to let it drop.
Ivy made the decision to avoid Solomond at all costs. She hadn’t had the time to think over the night before, and she really didn’t want to.
"Hmm…" Quinn and Jonothan examined Ivy’s guilty expression.
"You’re doing this to weasel out of something." Quinn said with a note of certainty.
Ivy’s mouth was ajar. Her shocked expression gave herself away.
"Ditching some chores, are we?" Jonothan adjusted his glasses in an uncharacteristically mature fashion.
Ivy closed her mouth, and her shoulders relaxed. They don’t know…thank goodness… She smiled, and laughed as convincingly as she could. "Y’got me. Can you guys keep a secret?"
"Ah, my dear…" Quinn put an arm around Ivy’s shoulders, "Silence comes with a price."
Ivy felt a glare sneak onto her face. "And what price would that be?"
Quinn squeezed Ivy’s shoulders encouragingly. "Why, lunch of course!"
Ivy let out an exasperated sigh. "Geez, you’re impossible." She shrugged and began walking.
Quinn smiled to Jonothan, who quietly chuckled. The two men followed.
The streets were busy. That’s one thing that never changes in Ageis. It was a large port town, full of trading and exotic exports. Also being a college town, there was a fair share of cute college guys. Cal Chandler was one of them.
Cal made regular stops at the general store every week. It was usually a Friday or Saturday. On those days, Emma would always come to the store to help Ivy with her chores.
Ivy’s younger sister may be the homemaker of homemakers, but she was worthless whenever she came to the marketplace. She really only came to gaze at Cal from afar, so the labor was never intensive.
"I’d expect you’d want to see the college here, Jono." Ivy walked next to Quinn, and looked past Quinn to the doctor, who was to Quinn’s right. "Didja go to college here?"
Jono shook his head. "Planned to. But I never did."
Ivy blinked and "hmm"-ed. "Why not?"
Jonothan hesitated to answer. "Lots of things." His soft face went cold at the memory that Ivy sensed was going through his mind.
Ivy turned away from him, wondering if the memory was about Joy. I hope his heart heals someday…Ivy looked to the street signs. I don’t want him to be sad forever…
The three crossed the street at the intersection. Ivy's eyes were downcast as she heard the horse-drawn carts stop to let pedestrians cross the right side of the street.
The two men stepped onto the curb, and Ivy set a foot on the curb, and gasped. She spun around, and began running back, "We're supposed to go left!" she hollered.
Quinn and Jono bolted after her, and just barely missed being run over by the cart resuming its path.
This caused a quick riot at the intersection, and the men heard shouts aimed at them as they followed Ivy across the correct street.
"Couldn't you have waited?!" Jonothan scolded Ivy, catching his breath. "We almost became a foot-mat for that horse!"
"Sorry…" Ivy nervously smiled, "But we were going the wrong way." She pointed down the street they now faced. "The college isn’t too far now."
"I think you intended to hurt us." Quinn folded his arms. He teased, but he sounded dead serious. "That way you could flirt with the doctor that would treat us."
Ivy stood aghast at the comment just made by the swordsman. She cracked up, and slapped him almost too hard on the back, "You’re a gas, Quinn." She walked ahead of them, "C’mon, I have other things to do today! I can’t spend it all babysitting you."
Quinn laughed to himself nervously, slightly wincing with pain. He looked to Jonothan, who smiled nervously at him.
"You asked for that one." Jonothan said in a low voice.
"Bah. Only because it made you nervous." Quinn’s smile had a bit of cockiness while saying that. He began to follow Ivy.
Jonothan’s jaw dropped at that, and he caught up with Quinn. "That’s untrue!!!" he hissed.
"She’ll hear you." Quinn said under his breath, raising his eyebrows.
Jonothan whined deeply in his throat, and looked ahead, a pouty expression on his face. He looked to Ivy through the corner of his eye. She had a beaming disposition. Probably glad to be home, where she could make an attempt at getting things back to normal. Her light-blue sweater bloused nicely, and went well with her white denim slacks. She had her hair done now. It looked much softer now, with her brown locks softly curling around her shoulders. She looked much older with her hair done. Well, not terribly older…but more her age.
Ivy and Quinn stopped simultaneously at a corner. Jonothan quickly did the same.
"Hmm…" Ivy folded her arms, and shifted her weight to her left foot.
"What?" Jonothan asked Ivy.
Ivy held her chin, and tapped her foot. Her brow furrowed very absorbed in whatever she was thinking. "Hmmm!" she grew a bit louder with the second hum.
"Why’d we stop?" Jonothan said with more persistence.
Ivy cheerfully giggled, "I got us lost!" she playfully bapped herself on the head, and stuck out her tongue foolishly.
The two men gawked.
"You what?" Quinn quietly asked, his eyes slightly wide.
"In your hometown?!" Jono gawked.
"Sorry. I don’t come this way often…" Ivy tried to remain calm, "Ageis is a big town." She sheepishly muttered. "I usually center my sense of direction around the general store I worked at…"
"Well, let’s ask for direction." Jonothan sighed, shrugging.
"No! No!" Ivy stood in front of Jonothan, blocking him from heading into a post office. "I can find our way! Just lemme think a sec!"
"Don’t make us force you." Quinn walked up to Ivy, a threatening tone in his voice.
Ivy sent Quinn a deadly glare, and stood her ground.
Jonothan and Quinn each took one of her arms, and dragged the squabbling girl into the post office.
The customers in the tiny area all looked at the conspicuous scene Ivy was making. The young merchant at the counter looked up, sending a warning glare to the troublemakers.
The two men glared to Ivy, who went silent, and nervously smiled to the guys. The men released her, and she brushed off her sleeves. Collecting herself, she maturely walked up to the desk, and smiled. In a soft voice, she politely asked, "Excuse me, but could you tell me how to get to the general store on 3rd and Prue from here?"
The merchant gave Ivy a blank stare.
"C’mon, the general store? Third and Prue?" Ivy’s voice grew impatient. "There is a general store there, y’know…"
"There was." A woman next to Ivy spoke up.
Ivy turned to the woman, and blinked, her eyes wide. "Wha…?"
"It’s not open anymore." The woman continued. "The old couple that owns the store found it ambushed, so they haven’t re-opened it. It’s still not fixed."
Ivy swallowed. "It…it isn’t?"
The woman shook her head. "They’re afraid to."
Ivy jerked back to the merchant, a look of intense worry on her face. She put her hands on the edge of the counter, and leaned onto it. "Please tell me the directions!" she begged.
"You’re not far. Turn left at the end of this street, and you’ll be on Prue. Go down two more streets, and you’ll be on 3rd." The woman once again answered Ivy’s question.
Ivy looked to the woman, and nodded in gratitude. "Thank you…" she calmly stepped away from the counter, and turned around, not even glancing at the guys.
Jono and Quinn followed Ivy out of the post office.
Ivy walked a few paces ahead of the two guys. Her eyes were focused on the street signs above her.
Jonothan persistently began to ask Ivy questions. "What’s wrong?" he waiting for an answer, but grew impatient, and asked again. "Ivy!" he jogged to her side, and asked over her shoulder, "What’s the rush?"
"No rush…" she breathed, but kept her swift pace and concerned expression. She stretched her neck out to try to get a better glimpse of store signs. "We’ll be at the college soon, don’t worry."
Jonothan and Quinn exchanged glances, both reading each other’s eyes. They both silently agreed to remain silent.
The time they took walking down Prue to reaching 3rd couldn’t have possibly dragged on longer, Ivy observed. She slowed down when she began to see familiar signs…a toy store, a candy shop, a tailor…shoemaker…and a blacksmith.
Quinn noticed Ivy draw in a breath as she slowed by a stringed instrument store: Demagne’s Strings. Quinn brought the sign to Jonothan’s attention.
The doctor wondered if Solomond’s family was the owner of the store. How many other Demagnes could there be in this town?
Ivy walked past the store, not bothering going in. Her feet slowly dragged to the building next to it. It was a clean white, trimmed with dark brown woodwork. The door was closed, but the shutter above the doorknob was wide open, like it always was in the light hours.
Ivy tried to walk past it, but her legs grew heavier with each passing moment. Her legs ceased all movement in front of the door, and there she stood.
The boys took notice immediately, and they looked to the sign above the seventeen-year-old girl. Their expressions didn’t change as they read the sign. They had no reason to. They weren’t surprised. They knew by Ivy’s body language that this was the place. This was where this saga all began.
Ivy had a straight face. She walked to the doorway, and rested an open palm on the wall. She looked over her shoulder to the men.
They both had serious faces, and they looked straight back at her.
Ivy gave them a gentle smile. Jonothan noticed the girl’s sad eyes, which pricked his heart.
"Would you be upset if I went in for a sec?" she spoke, hardly loud enough to hear.
"No." Jonothan softly replied.
"Do you want us to wait outside?" Quinn’s voice was equally sympathetic.
A smile tugged at Ivy’s lips once again. "If you want." She faced the door, and put her left arm through the opening in the shutter. She unlocked the door from inside, and walked in.
Thanks to the white walls inside, the sunlight lit the room well. Everything looked the same. Ivy heard her hollow footsteps on the wooden-planked floor. Some of the planks creaked beneath her weight. She looked over the shelves. The jams and jellies were as she left over the shelves. The jams and jellies were as she left them; neatly color-arranged, starting with reds, such as strawberry jam and cherry preserves…then oranges…apricot, peach…and so on. She walked up to the shelf, and stood on her toes. Jonothan and Quinn walked in silently, and saw Ivy reach for the apricot jam.
Ivy stared at it, and didn’t take her eyes off of the label as she walked over to the counter, made of old, faded wood. She reached for her coin purse, when she saw the arrows that were aimed at her that fateful day about a month ago. She backed away, the memory returning to her in tiny flashes. She spun around, and saw the indention in the wall behind her.
Her scream echoed in her head. Her heart sped up to the speed it was on that day. She became light-headed, and she turned around again to observe the rest of the damage she caused. She saw shards of glass in another direction, a broken shelf and bottles behind the desk---her head began to ache in remembrance of the blow she took from the shelf and bottles—and she stepped back again, almost in a panic, and turned to the busted back doorway from her flee with Adonis. She rose her head and saw the empty hooks on the wall where the family sword should be residing. But she stole it. And she never used it, even when she could. She spun around again aimlessly, and froze when she saw Jonothan and Quinn watching her.
She once again stepped back, and stared at the men, at a loss for words. But she so desperately needed to break the silence.
"When this happened, I had no idea…" she meekly smiled, and fidgeted with her coin purse, "…just what I was about to get into…" she let out a quiet laugh aimed at herself, and her eyes lowered to her coin purse, "But I guess no one would, huh?" she turned around to face the counter, and opened her coin purse, and counted out thirty-six silver pieces.
"What I mean is, I thought it was the beginning of one of those fairy-tale love stories that never really happen." She set the coins on the counter, "Y’know…the kind you hear before going to bed." She turned around, "Man, was I off." Ivy put away her coin purse, and pushed some hair behind her shoulder.
"Do you want to go home?" Jonothan asked.
Ivy’s eyes widened, as she looked to Jono, "But what about the college?"
"I’m not going anywhere. I can see it another time." Jonothan smiled convincingly.
Ivy looked to Quinn, who smiled in agreement. She looked at both of them "Thank you. At least let me feed you guys lunch."
Quinn smiled, "How could I refuse an offer like that?"
Ivy smiled, and she took the jar of apricot jam. She followed the men out. She turned around the give the store a final glance. Her heart sank. She was really hoping it would have been repaired, so she could work again, and try to get her life back on some sort of schedule.
Ivy stood outside, and faced her right, the way in which they came. "There’s a nice restaurant on the way back. It’s practically my hangout." She led them down the street. She turned around, and smiled at the two men. She walked backwards as she talked. "I hope I’m not making you guys worry."
"It’s a little hard not to." Quinn replied calmly, "Sorry, we’re not totally selfish people."
Ivy didn’t know how to reply to that. She turned back around, and looked at the store signs. She gasped, and froze in her tracks. "No!"
The men stopped behind her, and looked up, wondering what she was so passionately opposing.
Ivy began to run down the sidewalk, towards someone.
The men followed her, and caught up with her as she stood in front of a huge building (at least, compared to the other stores. It was approximately the size of an average house.) Men were putting up a "For Sale" and "Out of Business" sign.
Ivy ran up to one of the men, "Excuse me!" her voice sounded very upset. "What happened to Finch’s?!"
"Closed down about three days ago." One of the men answered. "Mr. Finch is focusing on the textile business. Has no time to manage this place."
Ivy stood back in utter devastation. The last familiar aspect of her hometown, all of Ageis she held dear, has drastically changed. Her family, her job, her restaurant, and herself…all were unfamiliar. She felt isolation fall on her once again. Exactly like when Kei died. Angry tears stung her eyes. She put a hand to her forehead, and she paused. She suddenly threw h er arm down in pure frustration, and angrily paced away.
The men followed her at a short distance. After they were about a block away from the restaurant, Ivy stumbled, and threw herself against a wall, crying.
"Too much, too much…!" she cried, hugging her arms tightly. "There’s someone out there, and he’s trying to make me fall apart!!!" she clutched her head with both hands, and crouched over, sobbing. "It’s too much! Too much!"
Jonothan took a step towards Ivy, but froze when he saw Quinn ever so subtly lift his hand.
Ivy wished that the cold sidewalk would open up and swallow her. She wished that, where Kei was, she could be taken to him. She wished she could turn back time and change it all…
By the time she got to that wish, her crying died down, and she felt herself gain a bit more strength in her body. Enough to regain walking, anyway. She straightened up, and wiped her eyes.
"I’ve put you two through enough of this…" Ivy took her coin purse, and put it in Quinn’s hand. "You can’t lose with the restaurants on this street. To get home, just turn right when you reach Myrtle Avenue. My house is the fifth on the right." She didn’t smile this time when she apologized, like she usually does. "Sorry, you guys. You don’t want to be around me when I’m like this." She turned around, and began walking down 3rd.
Quinn looked at the coin purse, and then to Ivy.
Ivy flinched when she felt the heavy purse hit her in the back of the head. She spun around, tears in her eyes, but a hilarious scowl on her face. "Are you insane!? You don’t hit me after that!!!"
Quinn folded his arms, and sent Ivy an unamused glare. Jonothan was just as shocked by Quinn’s action as Ivy was.
"I bet you think you’re pretty clever to try that approach on getting out of paying for our lunch." Quinn’s voice was seriously confident, "Trying to make us feel guilty is really a cheap trick."
Ivy gawked, "Wha-?! But I wasn’t--!"
"So we’re going to bug you all the way back, and you take us out another time." Quinn walked over to pick up the coin purse, and dropped it in Ivy’s hands, smiling.
Ivy looked at the coin purse in her hand, and then to Quinn, confused. After a pause, her eyes widened just barely, and she smiled. "All right."
Jonothan smiled when he saw Ivy smile, almost relieved. He walked up tot Quinn and Ivy, putting a hand on Quinn’s shoulder. "Shall we head back?"
"Yeah." Ivy nodded, a sincere smile on her face. "Yeah. Let’s." The three were silent the entire walk home. Ivy tried not to think about the past month's events, but no matter how often she tried to get distracted, the memories haunted her. Emma cheerfully greeted the three when they got home.
"You’re home early!" Emma smiled, walking up to Ivy. "How was the college?"
Ivy shoved past Emma quickly, not even acknowledging her. Emma let out a tiny breath of surprise, and watched Ivy rush upstairs to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her.
"…Ivy?" she quietly muttered, putting a few delicate fingers to her mouth. Emma looked to the two men, hoping to get an answer from them.
The two had remorseful expressions on their faces. Emma quickly looked away from them, and hurried upstairs after her elder sister.
"Ivy?" Emma quietly rapped on the door to her bedroom. "Ivy?"
There was silence on the other side. Emma carefully listened for any tiny signs of crying—a sniff, a hiccup…but she heard nothing.
"I’m coming in," Emma gently said, putting her hand on the doorknob. She paused, listening once again for a noise from Ivy. Then she opened the door just a crack, and peeked through. "Ivy?"
Her older sister was curled up on her bed. She sat up in a tiny ball, and hugged her knees tightly to her chest. Her back faced Emma, and she stared out the open window in her bedroom, at the sunny sky. The brisk wind blew the hair off of her neck, and Emma felt goosebumps on her arms.
Ivy was slowly swaying side-to-side on her bed. Emma walked a step closer, and Ivy let out a tired sigh.
Emma froze, and folded her hands into her apron. Her soft brown eyes softened even more with a maternal compassion. "Talk to me, sister." She breathed.
Ivy’s eyes moved to Emma, but the rest of her body remained still, "About what?"
"Don’t say that!" Emma’s voice rose a bit, but it remained graceful and demure. "What is bothering you? Don’t try to contain it." She rose her right arm and her voice rose more, "You’re making everyone worry, especially Mama and Papa!"
"Making me feel guilty won’t make me open up, Emma!" Ivy snapped back, finally changing her position.
"Then what will, for goodness’ sake?!" Emma’s volume rose to the same as Ivy’s, and it rose into an argument.
"When I’m ready to open up, I will!" Ivy shouted, "All the worrying in the world won’t change that!"
"Then you’re being selfish!" Emma replied, her brow furrowed, and her eyes were sad, "I would think that this experience would have humbled you some, but it seems I was wrong!" Emma’s volume lowered, "What will it take, Ivy? Not even death phases you?!"
Ivy’s eyes widened. She was taken aback by her younger sister’s strong and severe words.
Emma stared at Ivy for a moment. She looked almost like she was going to cry, but not tears were in her eyes. Her bottom lip didn’t quiver. She turned on her heel, and slowly walked to the door.
"Don’t you see it?!"
Emma’s footsteps ceased at Ivy’s cry. She turned halfway, and saw Ivy’s tear-stained face.
"Everything’s changed! I was so glad to be home, where I could live a normal life again, and continue things like this never happened!" Ivy’s voice was still loud, "Solomond moved in, the general store is trashed, and Finch’s is closed!" Ivy sniffed, and wiped away some tears, "And you’re about to be engaged, and you’ll be gone too!"
Emma turned the rest of the way, and listened still, as her older sister’s words almost became inaudible.
"I wanted something exciting to happen…and…and…" Ivy hiccuped, and took a breath, "I-I-I…I began to enjoy th-the change too much! And…and…!!"
Emma rushed to her sister’s side, torn to see Ivy in such despair. She threw her arms around Ivy, and burst into tears. They clutched each other tightly, and cried on each other’s shoulders.
"We still love you, Ivy!" Emma said through her tears, "You can start over!"
"I don’t want to…!" Ivy whimpered.
Emma cradled Ivy in her arms, and tried to calm her own crying down, along with her older sister’s. She ran her long, slender fingers through Ivy’s hair, and sighed.
"I’m so scared!" Ivy clutched Emma tighter.
"I hate to bring this up…" Emma softly spoke, "But Solomond is looking for you."
Ivy held her breath for a moment, and buried her face in Emma’s chest.
"Has he asked you?" Emma asked. Ivy nodded silently, "What are you going to do?"
"I don’t know!!" Ivy’s high-pitched whine was muffled in Emma’s sleeve, "It’s so confusing…"
"That boy needs to learn to slow down." Emma smiled, and stroked Ivy’s hair.
"But he’s right!" Ivy looked up, "I’m almost eighteen, and I’m not engaged yet!"
"Just because most girls are engaged by eighteen doesn’t mean you have to be." Emma said encouragingly.
"Easy for you to say." Ivy muttered, "Cal is bound to propose to you any day now."
Emma sighed, and stood up, leaving Ivy on the bed, "Just don’t rush yourself into anything."
"I won’t." Ivy smiled. "Thanks, Emma."
Emma smiled back, and turned around the face the door, but not quick enough to miss Ivy’s smile fade. She didn’t turn back to Ivy, but instead walked out of the room.
Closing the door behind her, Emma let out a worried sigh. She looked up when she saw Quinn and Jonothan approach her.
"How is she?" Quinn asked.
"She’s going through a lot." Emma wrung her hands nervously. "I really can’t blame her for breaking down like this. She’s in a lot of turmoil." Emma looked to Jonothan, whose worried expression was not well hidden. In fact, it was almost grief-stricken.
"Why don’t you go see her?" Emma stepped towards Jonothan.
"Huh?" Jonothan shook out of the daze he was in, and looked to Ivy’s little sister.
"The door is unlocked." Emma smiled gently. "Go on."
Jonothan tried his best not to look surprised. He nodded, and walked over to the door. He took in a breath, and held it in as he opened the door.
Closing it behind him, Jono spotted Ivy, who lay on her stomach on her bed. She was looking at her palm. Jono couldn’t tell what was in her hand that grabbed her attention, but he gathered the courage to break her concentration.
Outside, Emma and Quinn stood in the hallway.
"He loves her?" Emma quietly asked, her eyes on the door.
"Yes." Quinn answered. "Yes, I believe he does."
"Hmm…" Emma turned around, and began walking down the hallway. "That’s a shame."
"Hm?" Quinn turned at that, and followed Emma. "Why’s that?"
"Because Ivy’s going to marry Solomond." Emma turned to Quinn, "Solomond is in love with her. He told me."
"Oh?" Quinn walked next to Emma, "Well then, we have a problem."
"You might." Emma’s tone was cold, "But I want Solomond as my brother, and I think he’d make Ivy very happy."
Quinn was a bit shocked and Emma’s words (and tone), but he did his best to hide it.
"Oh, my!" Emma gasped, and laughed at herself, "That was horribly rude of me! I apologize!"
"N…not at all." Quinn looked at the blushing girl. "If my opinion amounts to anything, I find Solomond a well-intending young man. But he’s a bit young to provide for a wife, wouldn’t you think?"
Emma’s smile faded, and she turned to Quinn, "Are you implying that Solomond isn’t prepared to be a husband?"
"I suppose so. Yes." Quinn calmly replied.
Emma’s brow furrowed, a bit threatened. "And your blushing boy could do better I’m guessing, sir?"
"I shouldn’t speak for him, but I believe so." Quinn answered, amused by Emma’s reaction.
"Oh! That’s right!" Emma held up an index finger, and smiled. Her eyes lit up, "Your friend is a doctor, isn’t he?"
"Indeed. Top of his class." Quinn folded his arms triumphantly.
"My, my…" Emma reached the stairwell, and sighed wistfully, "That would be hard to beat…"
"Hm!" Quinn rose his eyebrows, and began to go down the stairs, when Emma put her spread out hands in front of him, her palms facing towards him.
"But!!" Emma’s voice was confident, in spite of her softness, "Try to beat ten years of intimacy! That dear doctor couldn’t convince my sister he’s in love with her within one month of meeting her!"
Quinn’s brow furrowed as he searched for a rebuttal.
"I think you’re forgetting a very important aspect of this matter."
Emma and Quinn both heard a voice at the bottom of the stairwell. Emma spun around, and a smile spread across her face. Quinn looked over Emma to see the silver-haired boy she spoke so fondly of.
"Solomond!" Emma happily said. "Ivy’s home!"
"You’re both forgetting, the choice with ultimately be Ivy’s." Solomond kept a straight face, "Never would I dream of forcing Ivy into marriage. And although I’m sure your friend couldn’t possibly love Ivy at the level I do, he wouldn’t force her into marriage either, I’m certain."
Emma’s smile faded.
"It’s Ivy’s decision to make." Solomond cracked a smile. "And I vow in the end, it will be me."
Quinn rose his eyebrows, impressed by Solomond’s almost-admirable confidence. Emma smiled again in childish admiration, and ran down the stairs to Solomond.
"Brother-dear, would you go out and get some roast hen for dinner? Ivy wasn’t able to pick it up." Emma took Solomond’s arm, and smiled wider.
Solomond looked down to Emma, and smiled back. "Of course. Do you want me to get it now?"
Emma shook her head. "You can wait an hour or so."
Quinn felt a little worried for his friend. Should he tell Jonothan of this "threat"? Even Ivy’s sister was in on it.
Emma glanced up to Quinn, and got eye contact with him. She gave a sideways, almost cocky smile, to show her triumphant victory.
Quinn signed to himself, and shrugged. He walked down the stairwell, and past the two. It wasn’t his fight, anyway. But still, he deep down hoped that Jono was getting something accomplished upstairs…
"Solomond proposed to me last night."
Ivy’s words gripped at Jonothan’s heart. She looked up to Jonothan. "I heard you come in."
"…uh…" Jonothan’s throat ran dry.
"I didn’t say yes, of course." Ivy continued, as if reading Jono’s mind. "I didn’t say anything…"
Jonothan swallowed.
"That’s why we had to sneak out this morning. I’m avoiding him." Ivy rolled onto her back, "Pretty immature, huh?" she paused, and sat up, looking to Jono, "Don’t you have anything to say?"
"I…I…" Jonothan stammered, "I came to check on you."
Ivy smiled slightly, "Thanks. But really. Is everyone worried? It’s a general reaction to say it, but…"
"I dunno." Jonothan answered, shuffling his feet, "But I am." He felt his cheeks turn a light pink.
"Mm…" Ivy sighed, and leaned on her pillow. "That’s sweet…"
Jonothan blushed a bit more.
"Say, Jono…" Ivy sat up again, "Who did your braid?"
"Hmm?" Jonothan reached back and touched his jet-black braid. "I did."
"Nice! Nice!" Ivy politely clapped. "Could you teach me?"
Jonothan put his hand back to his side. "C-certainly."
Ivy got off of her bed, "S’about time I learned…" she pulled out a chair at her vanity, and offered it to Jonothan.
Jonothan took a seat, and pulled out the band that held his bread. He ran his fingers through his hair a few times, and pushed it behind his shoulders.
"Hmm…" Ivy sighed as she brushed it out with her fingers, "I envy you…your hair is gorgeous."
Jonothan blushed, flattered. "Thanks."
"It’s so thick…" she gathered it together, and separated it into three parts, "I can never get my hair to do anything…"
Jonothan felt a bit nervous from her compliments. "But your hair looks nice."
"But I have to work it, Jono." Ivy began to braid Jonothan’s hair, and it began to slip through her fingers, "Dangit!" she lightly tugged on a handful of Jono’s hair.
"Ah!" Jonothan winced.
"Ack! Sorry! Sorry!" Ivy gasped, dropping the braid, and it fell loose. "Shoot!" Ivy hissed, and combed her fingers through it again.
Jonothan laughed, "This reminds me of when Joy--!" he caught himself, and blushed.
"Hmm?" Ivy looked to Jonothan in the reflection of her vanity mirror. "Go on."
"You don’t mind?" Jonothan timidly asked.
"Of course not!" Ivy smiled. "Why would I?"
Jonothan paused, "Nnh…"
"Did Joy braid your hair?" Ivy smiled, starting his braid over again.
Jonothan took his hair, and quickly began to braid it. He stood, "Say, why don’t I braid your hair? It’d be easier to teach you."
Ivy blushed a bit, shocked at Jonothan’s sharp reaction. "Sure…" she sat down, and handed Jonothan a brush.
Jonothan began to brush her hair, and broke the silence, "You have the basic idea…" he parted her hair, and began to braid it. "Just go slower…be patient."
Ivy groaned, "Be patient! Of course!"
"Hmm?" Jonothan looked at Ivy’s frustrated frown in the mirror.
"That’s what everyone tells me when I have a problem!" Ivy handed Jonothan a rubber band. "I’m seventeen, almost eighteen, and not engaged! ‘Be patient, Ivy! Be patient!’" Ivy’s voice got a pitch higher at the quotes, "Nothing exciting ever happens to me! ‘Be patient!’ they said!"
Jonothan smiled, and tied the band around Ivy’s braid, "There." He rested it on Ivy’s shoulder, "See?"
Ivy stroked her braid with admiration. "It’s lovely."
"Once you get it right the first time, you’ll practice it and get faster." Jonothan said, "But you have to get it right first."
"Okay, okay, I give…" Ivy sighed in defeat. She stood up, and pushed in her chair. "Y’know, Jono, I think it’s sweet that you still cherish your memories of Joy." She walked over to Jonothan, and adjusted his braid so that it lay just so on his left shoulder, "Please, just don’t hang on to her for the rest of your life. You’ll make yourself miserable. She’s happy. Isn’t that what counts?"
"Of course." Jonothan quietly muttered, his eyes plastered to his feet. I hope you’re telling yourself the same thing about Kei…he thought.
Ivy smiled. "Good." She sighed, and spun around, her braid hitting her back, "Now what should I do? I can’t hide in my room forever."
"You tell him whatever is on your heart." Jonothan said with a note of confidence. "Honesty is always the best policy."
Ivy turned back to him. Her hazel eyes were honest. They showed exactly what was on Ivy’s mind, like a window to her soul.
Jonothan stood there, feeling convicted. The honesty of her eyes seemed to taunt him, saying: "Isn’t that funny? You’re telling me to be honest, and here you are, lying so casually. How about that?"
There was much more her eyes said, and Jonothan was afraid to look longer. But still, he refused to look away. "I still love Kei." They said. "I could never love you like I loved Kei. I’ll never be the same. I want Kei. I want him back, and you can’t give him to me."
Jonothan tore away from the stare then. He turned to the door. Taking the handle, he spoke a final time before leaving.
"Honesty is the way of no regrets. If you tell the truth, you can rest in knowing that, even if it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to." He opened the door, and walked out of Ivy’s room.
Ivy watched the door close door close behind him. She blinked, and thought out loud for the first time in awhile. "I seemed to bother him. Is it Joy?" she turned back to the open window in her bedroom. The cold breeze lightly blew. The sunny skies of the morning were turning gray and dull. Ivy walked to the windowsill, and took the windowpane.
Smells like rain…Ivy inhaled the air before closing the window.
"YAAAAAH!!!!" Hiko shrieked when he saw lightning from a window downstairs. He dashed to Mrs. Dewshine’s side, and buried his face in the skirt of her dress.
Mrs. Dewshine had a smile on her face all too loyal to the female members of the family. She held the poor Hiko, and soothed him "Now, now…it’s just a little thunderstorm."
"Hey, kiddo." Adonis plucked Hiko away from Ivy’s mother quite casually.
Hiko glared straight into Adonis’s eyes.
The dragon held the kinder by the back of his collar, "Aren’t you a bit old to be afraid of lightning storms?"
Mr. Dewshine turned a page in his book. He was reclining in a large chair next to the fireplace, "Give the lad a break."
Hiko gave Adonis a smug smile, and crawled back into Mrs. Dewshine’s lap.
Adonis shrugged off the matter entirely, I tried. He turned to Randoruun, who shared the sofa with him. "Hey, Rando."
Randoruun looked up from a book. "Hmm?"
Adonis rested his elbows on his knees, and leaned forward, "Any idea where Arlen and Yamatako are?"
Randoruun went back to his book, "How would I know?"
Adonis straightened up, "I dunno…"
Randoruun turned a page in his book, "Why not ask the younger sister? She seems good at keeping track of everyone around here."
Adonis looked over to Emma, who stood by the doorway with Solomond.
"You don’t expect her to answer you tonight, do you?" Emma’s voice was low.
Solomond stepped into some shoes, "Of course not. But I wanted her to know how I feel."
Emma handed him a tiny pouch of coins. "Did you say you love her?"
Solomond took the pouch, and paused. "No…not yet."
Emma sighed, and lightly hit him on the shoulder, "What’s wrong with you?! No way she’ll ever say yes if she doesn’t know you love her!"
"I was going to wait for the perfect time…" Solomond opened the door, and stepped out, "You think it’s gonna rain soon?"
"Yes." Emma stuck her head out of the doorway, after Solomond walked out, "Solomond, I wouldn’t move too slow if I were you. The doctor has feelings for her, and she’s confused right now, so she might…"
"I figured as much." Solomond smiled to Emma, "Don’t worry, Emma, I have him in consideration. You just worry about helping her heal, and getting engaged yourself."
Emma beamed, and nodded. "Of course. Be quick getting home. This storm looks severe."
Solomond nodded, and turned around towards the delicatessen.
Emma drew her head back in, and closed the door quietly. She turned around, and jumped when she saw Jonothan in front of her, holding up his umbrella.
"What him to get soaked?" his expression was much more relaxed than before, "He’ll catch a cold."
Emma blinked in realization, and snatched the umbrella from Jonothan, "Thank you!" she threw the door open, and ran down the walkway, "Solomond!" she called, but stopped at the end of the walkway, seeing the silver-haired young man was already gone. She sighed, and walked back to the house, her arms hanging at her sides. She handed Jonothan the umbrella, and forced a polite smile, "Thanks anyway."
"Sure." He took back the umbrella, and watched her walk away.
Quinn came to Jonothan’s side at that point. "Don’t take it personally. She sees you as a threat."
"Why?" Jonothan kept his voice low.
"She wants Solomond to marry her sister." Quinn casually said, watching for a reaction from his friend, but saw none. "You know?"
"Ivy told me." The young doctor replied.
"Hm." Quinn smiled, "Plus one for Quimby."
Jonothan smiled, embarrassed, "Cut that out."
"Is she coming down?" Quinn asked.
"I can’t be sure, but…" Jonothan turned to Quinn smiling. "I think so."
Quinn winked. "Nice job."
"It wasn’t me." Jonothan modestly blushed, "I think it was Emma."
The two men glanced over to the girl, who was excusing herself into the kitchen with Mrs. Dewshine.
They went back to their conversation, when they heard Ivy come down from downstairs.
The men all looked up to the stairwell, except Randoruun, who continued reading.
"Well, it’s about darn time!" Mr. Dewshine set down his book.
Ivy smiled sheepishly, "Evening, Daddy."
Arlen walked in from the kitchen, and got eye contact with Ivy, "You’re finally down! The girls are starting dinner."
Ivy bent over to plant a kiss on her father’s forehead, and straightened up. "Oh! Of course! I’m coming!" she headed towards the kitchen, but was grabbed by her braid by Randoruun.
Ivy almost fell back, but yanked her hair out of the elf’s grasp in a fury, "What was that?!"
"I forbid you from going in there." Randoruun kept his eyes on his book. "It’s too painful to see you destroying your mother’s beautiful kitchen."
Ivy fumed, "You!! You almost messed up my braid for that?!"
"Who did your hair, Ivy?" Hiko asked.
"Huh?" Ivy stroked her braid, and pointed to the doctor, "Jono."
"Hmm…!" Adonis rose his eyebrows.
The other men did the same.
"S-stop that!" Jonothan blushed furiously.
"Why are you guys humming?!" Ivy shouted, "Don’t you have anything better to think about?!"
Thunder quietly rumbled again. The sky was getting much darker now. It wouldn’t matter much, however, for dusk was upon them.
"Ivy, could you start lighting candles, please?" Mr. Dewshine asked.
Ivy nodded, "Sure." She got a long twig next to the fireplace, and stuck it into the fire to light it. She let the candle on the coffee table, and blew out the twig. She proceeded in lighting the candles in the living room as she intently listened in on the men’s conversation.
"So," Mr. Dewshine straightened up a bit in his chair, "What are your plans, now that you’ve safely returned my daughter to me?"
"Finding a new house would be nice…" Adonis glanced over to Randoruun, expecting an affirmative response.
"We lived on the city outskirts, if you recall us telling you so." Randoruun subtly added. "Adonis and I have been living off of my inheritance for awhile. I’m planning to become a chef soon, however, since Arlen and I have been discussing restaurant possibilities."
Arlen nodded, "I managed a bar in a town about twenty miles from Ageis. Yamatako and I have enough savings to start a joint ownership. And Yamatako can probably pull a few strings to get resources as well."
Ivy paused briefly as she heard Arlen. She lit a triple-wicked candle on a table near the stairs. She remembered Finch’s closing. She struggled to contain her sudden excitement, but succeeded in keeping quiet. She knew better than to interrupt her father’s conversations.
"You?" Mr. Dewshine turned to Jonothan.
Jonothan got nervous, as this was the first time ivy’s father addressed him individually, "I…haven’t entirely thought it out just yet, but I’m going to see into attending the medical college here, and see about some work."
"We all left everything we had behind." Quinn said. Ivy looked up, and saw the he was addressing her, "Except me." He gave a wide grin, "I was just doing my duty. I’m still fulfilling it. So I’ll see what must be done to stay here."
"I’m glad to hear you all have plans." Mr. Dewshine gave a small smile. His neatly-trimmed mustache seemed to tickle the apples of his cheeks, "Just please, don’t feel you have an obligation to this family."
"What, are you trying to get rid of us?" Adonis gave that sideways smile that caught Ivy’s eye when she first met him.
Mr. Dewshine gave a hearty laugh, "Ivy, would you mind getting some more firewood from the porch?"
Ivy lit the last candle, "Not at all!" she promptly headed outside, before Jonothan could offer his umbrella.
The rain was heavy now. The waning crescent moon was not visible through the dense rain clouds, so it took a moment for Ivy’s eyes to begin adjusting to the darkness.
The rain was cold. The frigid winter wind added to the discomfort Ivy experienced as she blindly groped her way around the porch.
Lightning flashed in the sky, its fluorescent illumination giving Ivy sight for a split second. Still she yelped, not regarding the service it just did.
She continued searching for the pile wood, when she lightly hit her hand against a soft, soaked cloth. She drew the conclusion she wandered too far, and was near some of the potted plants that were wrapped in blankets, to be protected from the bitter frost.
Lightning gave her sight once again, and this time, she saw a face. She drew away quickly, and her heart began to race. She once again saw nothing, but her mind’s eye could view clearly…she remembered a pool of blood, a knife, and dead eyes…dead eyes in a breathing, pulsing body…
"You’re here…" she whimpered. "You came back to kill me!" Her head began to throb menacingly. Her arms were frozen stiff, and—
"Ivy! Get a hold of yourself!"
The imagery in Ivy’s mind suddenly vanished. Lightning flashed again, fully lighting Solomond’s drenched form.
"Sol…" Ivy’s heart skipped a beat. "Sol…"
His familiar face looked distressed, "What’s gotten into you?"
"Solomond!" Ivy made an exasperated cry, and folded her hands over her mouth. "Oh! I was so scared!" Tears mixed with raindrops on her face, "I’m so scared! I’m so scared!!!" she turned halfway, and gave a single, exhausted cough, and she covered her mouth to choke down her cries.
"He’s gone, Ivy. He’s gone." Solomond’s voice was soft and full. He watched Ivy’s silhouette lean against a wooden pillar supporting a small roof over the doorway.
"He’s not Solomond, he’s not…!" Ivy’s quiet utterances were almost drowned out by the pounding the raindrops made on the roof. "You never saw his eyes…when they look at you…" she rested her head against the pillar, and turned to face the street, "He just killed people, Solomond. Even when he was helping me, he didn’t give them a chance. He didn’t give it a second thought. Like it was a natural thing…"
"He won’t kill you." Solomond’s stance was erect. He stepped closer to his best friend, and his voice went low. "Even if he was here, I’d kill him first for breaking your heart."
Ivy looked to her comrade’s silhouette. Lightning flashed once more, and she once again had to adjust her eyes to the darkness. She was moved by Solomond’s words. Is that it? She thought. Is that what I want? Will that make me happy? She felt Solomond’s breath on her left cheek. It sounds so right…
Solomond rested a palm on Ivy’s cheek, and lightly brushed Ivy’s lips with his.
It feels like happiness…
Ivy put a few fingers on Solomond’s jawbone, and closed her eyes. She relaxed her mouth as Solomond slid his arms around her, and pressed harder on her lips. However, emotional warfare was taking place in Ivy’s mind.
Is this happiness? It’s not like Kei. Was being with Kei happiness? How could happiness end like that?! Happiness is supposed to be forever…!
Solomond pulled away his kiss, and stared at Ivy. He couldn’t see her clearly, but…"Are…are you crying?"
Ivy’s eyes opened. She quickly drew away from Solomond. Indeed, her chest was contracting, and her eyes were flooding with tears.
Killing…no matter how much he deserves it…I don’t want…or do I?
Solomond rested his hands on Ivy’s shoulders, and stepped closer to her, until Ivy could feel his warm breath on her forehead. "I love you, Ivy!"
Ivy painfully flinched, and kept her head shamefully lowered. "Please don’t say that."
"Don’t you want to love me?!" Solomond squeezed her shoulders tighter.
I want…I want…Ivy shook her head violently, and she looked up to Solomond, "I don’t know what I want!" she shook Solomond off, and he released her without hesitation.
The girl’s back hit the pillar. She slid down it, and sat at its base. She hugged her knees tightly, and cried into them, "I don’t know…!"
Solomond silently stood above her, silent. Thunder rolled, and lightning flashed.
"There’s no use in rushing you." Solomond gave an almost defeated sigh. He knelt across from her, and rested a hand on her knee.
Ivy sniffed, and lifted her head to look at him.
"I’m sorry for making this harder than it needs to be." Solomond sincerely said, and gave her a soft, long kiss on the forehead. "I’ll keep my distance and let you sort things out."
Ivy watched Solomond stand. "What will you tell them inside?"
"The truth. You broke down again, and you want to be left alone. I think they’ll understand." Solomond picked up the roasted hen he set next to his feet.
"I’ll be in in a moment." Ivy replied. "Just tell them I dropped the pile wood, and I didn’t want any help."
"I shouldn’t lie." Solomond replied.
"I don’t want to worry them more than I have already." Ivy said. "I know I’ll probably make them worry more for awhile still, while I cope with this."
Solomond paused, and sighed. "Alright." He headed in, "Don’t take forever."
"I won’t." Ivy hugged her knees tighter.
"I do love you." Solomond quietly said before opening the door.
Ivy paused, and answered, "I know." She watched Solomond go in, and stood. Her battle inside continued as she got the wood, and as she went through dinner, and she realized she would have to come to terms with herself before falling asleep that night.
That time outside…that was the first time she pictured him since that fateful day a month ago…
Ivy crawled into the sheets of her bed. The feel of them had a creepy unfamiliarity to them, as though something was out of place.
It’s not like she purposely chose not to think of him. Because purposely forgetting him would still leave a trace of him in her mind. He was just subconsciously emitted from her thoughts.
Until tonight. Now, no matter how hard she tried, he was stuck in her mind. Her empty, hollow feeling was stronger than ever before.
Ivy threw her head back on her pillow, and let out a frustrated cry. She covered her eyes with both hands and sighed.
"Leave me alone!!!" she cried out, and rolled onto her stomach, and buried her face into her pillow. She screamed violently. "Leave me alone!!!"
That’s the moment Ivy realized it. It was eating away at her soul. This agonizing torture…it was all his doing. She began fighting the possibility so hard, but she knew it was the truth. Deep down, she knew it.
She had to do something about Gray.
End Installment Two