And we make mistakes, and they make us what we are; and we jump right in, and throw open our hearts; and we catch a glimpse of something magical
Nicknames: None really
Magic status: Mundus
Nationality: English
Ethnicity: White
Accent: Standard southern English, not too posh but well spoken (Lily James would be a prime example)
Height: 5′10
Build: Tall, willowy
Complexion: Fair
Eye color: Blue
Hair color/length/style: Naturally blonde but she has a sort of light brunette colour going at the minute, shoulder length, very straight hair
Tattoos/piercings/daily jewelry: A charm bracelet given to her by her dad
What would you find if you Googled them? Probably an article or two about her shop being burnt down a few years ago, maybe a digital copy of her parents respective obituaries
What natives would know about them: Moved to Swynlake at about 12 or 13 years old when her father married Rodmilla Tremaine; he died when she was about 14 so Ella stayed with her step-family. Had a shop called Rags and Bags for quite a while, but it was burned down in an attack from a hell hound. Recently had a baby, graduated university, and is now working at the primary school. Lives with Tiana Truitt and Aurora Rosewood.
Other: Has a two year old daughter called Willa, teaches Reception class at the primary, and two pet mice called Jacques and Gus who like to tag along places with her
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Dated 9th September 2023
"Well, go on then. Have a look."
Ella put Willa down, watching as she took a few tentative steps into the living room.
"This is our house?" The toddler asked, glancing back at Ella with a frown.
"This is our house." She agreed. "Or it will be soon. There's still some paperwork to do, but they said we could have a look today."
Willa scuffed her shoe against the floor, biting her lip as she looked around with wide eyes. "Why does it have to be our house?"
Ella sighed softly, following her daughter into the living room. "Because we have to have our own house. And look," She pointed to the french doors, the large garden beyond them, glowing pink in the setting sunlight. And at the end of the garden, the thick wall of trees, the beginning of Enchantra.
"The forest?" Willa chirped, her eyes somehow stretching even wider than before.
"The forest," Ella agreed, smiling softly, running a hand over her daughter's fine hair.
Willa seemed to be turning things over. She wrung her hands, then looked up at Ella. "Where's my room?"
Ella laughed, caught off guard, and held her hand out for Willa to take. "Come with me. I'll let you pick."
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Summary: Ella makes a deal with Grandmother Willow
Set 1st September 2023
Content warnings: None!
It had not been easy to get into the forest, not with the way things were now. She had no reasonable excuse for a permit, and her usual routes into the forest were being watched.
Luckily for her, the forest was expecting her. She had driven around to the other side of Enchantra, and had found a trail waiting for her, the trees bowing close together, their branches tangling in a sort of tunnel. She knew better than to question it; she followed the path the forest carved for her, carrying her towards its heart.
The branches of the old willow tree were so long that Ella was stepping over leaves and spindly twigs before she could even spot the trunk. She did her best to avoid actually stepping on them, not wanting to aggravate the tree spirit any more than she already had. Although whether or not she could feel all of these branches, Ella had no idea. But she supposed there was no reason to assume otherwise.
When she approached it, the trunk of the tree was smooth, seemingly lifeless. It wasn't until Ella planted her feet in the spongey moss and lifted her chin, saying, "I've come to make you an offer," that the tree's surface rippled, morphing into the face Ella recognised.
Grandmother Willow's expression was much colder than it usually was. "I thought my terms were clear, child."
"Nursery starts this week," Ella countered. "I can't pull her out now."
"Then we really have no--"
Ella held up a hand. She didn't want to disrespect a spirit as ancient as the old willow was, but she had to finish. "But there's a house for sale at the edge of the forest, in the farmlands. The garden backs right onto the treeline. She can spend the day in nursery, and the evening in the forest. All weekend, days off, holidays. We'll be on your doorstep."
The forest seemed to chatter around her, clicks and titters and yips from animals Ella couldn't see. She would be foolish to assume they hadn't been watching this exchange the entire time.
Ella could see her considering it. She took a deep breath. "If I take her out of school, it'll be investigated. She might be taken away from me. And then what?"
More titters, more snuffling from the canopy and the underbrush. Ella felt like she was caught in some kind of court drama, stood before the judge, trying to appeal her case. "She loves the forest. She'll be thrilled to come out here as often as she can. I'll accompany her, until she's old enough. After that she can come and go as she pleases."
The tree trunk creaked as Grandmother Willow frowned. "And if you don't hold up your end of the deal?"
"You'll know where to find us." Ella said, which wasn't exactly an answer, but she hoped it would be enough. She didn't want to agree on too many terms; she only wanted this little stand off to cease.
After what felt like an eternity, the willow's expression smoothed out. "Very well then. The forest will recede when the property is yours -- but if you break the agreement there will be consequences, young Ella. The forest won't forget."
Ella's answering smile was small, the nod of her head akin to a bow. "I don't expect it to."
When she left the forest she turned, looking back, and found the trees back exactly as they were, as if it had never let her in. She took a deep breath, making the short trek back to the car knowing she had a few calls to make, and a bit of bad news to break, too.
Tiana shook her head. She didn't see it that way at all. She hadn't been dragged into anything. She was part of this from the beginning, whatever it was, because she was friends with Ella. Being on her team, protecting her family, none of that was ever a question for Tiana.
"You don't have to be sorry. I know you'd do the same for me if the roles were reversed. And it's not like you signed up for this. Grandmother Willow is out of line. But we're here for you. Right, Aurora?" She looked at her other housemate.
"Tiana's right. We'll help which ever way we can. Just tell us how and when. We've got this. We always do." If they could save her from two different comas, how hard could fighting off a forest be.
"She'll be safe as long as we are here." Aurora promised and she could do everything in her power to keep that promise.
Ella felt the sudden and distinct urge to cry, which was silly, really, because Tiana and Aurora had helped her and Willa through much worse than this. But it was just how quickly they agreed, how unwavering they were in their support. She was reminded, as she often was, why she loved them as much as she did.
"Thank you," She said gently, offering each of them a watery smile. "I really-- I really appreciate it. I appreciate both of you."
"That's not going to happen," Tiana interrupted, sensing what Ella was going to say next and cutting her off before she had to say it out loud. Willa was not her daughter, but Tiana had come to care for her like a member of her own family over the past two years. Willa had already been taken once, and Tiana remembered that horrifying ordeal all too well. What it had cost all of them.
And yes, maybe Grandmother Willow had better intentions than a family of bloodthirsty vampires, but that didn't seem to matter much to Tiana. They weren't losing Willa again. Ever. Tiana would do whatever it took to protect her.
She glanced at Aurora. "Look, Rora and I are still trained at— at fighting, thanks to the Knights, and if it comes down to it, we'll do whatever it takes to keep Willa safe. I don't care how many sparrows the forest sends at our garden. Grandmother Willow can't keep this up forever. I think we just... wait it out. And if she tries anything, she'll have to answer to us."
Aurora agreed with Tiana. These girls had gone through so much together that they were a family. And Aurora would do anything to protect that little family.
They failed once and they wouldn't fail again.
"Same, I'm a lot stronger then I've ever been and maybe the forest will be against the forest but I can manage that. Anything you need from us, we'll be there. If you ever want us to pick her up and be aware of it. Or if you're worried just call one of us and we'll be right there."
She didn't know what she wanted to do about it, that was the thing. She couldn't see a solution that didn't involve her leaving town until the forest had calmed down - which would risk making things much, much worse - or giving in to Grandmother Willow's demands and losing her daughter to the forest for a year, right when she was supposed to start nursery.
"Thank you," She said, smiling gently at her friends, though it lacked any real warmth; she was too anxious, her stomach roiling and distracting her entirely. "I think... I think waiting it out really is the only thing for it. But if the two of you don't mind keeping an eye out, it would make me feel a lot better." The more eyes the better, in her opinion. "I really am sorry for dragging you both into it, though."
Tiana's eyes widened. So this might not be Aurora's, but Ella's magic. Or, rather, Ella's family's magic. Of course, it could be a coincidence. But considering they didn't have a lot of leads...
"Yeah, that is definitely crazy. She's three. You can't just leave her in the forest on her own," Tiana agreed. She had, of course, seen Willa's connection to the forest, the way she could communicate with the flora and fauna, how they all respected her. But she was a child. And even if Tiana had never been a mother (and honestly, she couldn't see herself becoming one in the future) she could not imagine letting a child roam free in the forest for a year.
And yet... if this was retaliation, what was happening to the garden and all over Swynlake (Tiana had already heard people gossiping about it at work), how were they going to stop it? The forest was infinitely more powerful than they were. And yet the demand was unreasonable. It was an impossible situation.
"You think, uh, that has to do with it?" Tiana asked, nodding her head at the window where a bird still perched behind the shade. "You noticed it too, right, Rora?"
Well. That wasn't what Aurora had expected. She truly assumed she had fucked something up again and Swynlake would out cast her for this, this time.
But that thought process was quickly dashed because Ella needed help, Willa needed help.
"Yeah, I've seen traces of the forest coming further into our garden and things like that. Would they really do that just because you don't want Willa to live there for a year?" There was one unreasonable reaction and it wasn't Ella's.
Ella was chewing her thumbnail still, a line between her brows from the frown that twisted her face. She would've liked to have said no - that the forest would never be so petty, that this had to be something else and nothing at all to do with her.
But she couldn't. Of course, she didn't know for definite that her argument with Grandmother Willow had caused the forest to creep closer, but the fact that it seemed to have started with their home and was spreading outwards... She couldn't deny that the evidence was there.
"I don't know. It's not just - it's a year minimum. They want her for longer, really." She took a seat at the table in an attempt to make resisting the urge to pace the room a little bit easier. It also meant she could put her head in her hands for a moment, remembering that morning in the forest. What Grandmother Willow said, how upset she was. Ella's stomach roiled. "Grandmother Willow was really angry," She said in a small voice. "And I haven't taken Willa back to the forest since it happened, because I'm worried if I do then they'll-- they'll find some way of--"
Of taking her from me, she thought, even though the idea of it made her a little bit sick.
Hearing all that was enough to uproot the self doubt that was blossoming in his mind. It was as easy as that for Ken, if Ella believed in him that, heck yeah, he did, too! Because why would he doubt her? She was the master sewer and his teacher, she knew if he was ready and he wasn't going to second guess her like that.
He also wasn't the kind of person who was going to sit in his room, stressing over something and keep it to himself. As soon as he had exhausted all his own trouble shooting, the first thing he would do was call her up on FaceTime and ask what he should be doing different. Why suffer? It wasn't going to earn him any rewards when asking for help was way easier.
"Thank you so much! That means the world coming from you," he told her sincerely, a hand touching his chest. Ken had the urge to hug her but doubted she would like that very much. "So...where do I start?"
It was nice to see Ken just own it. Ella really did believe in him, or else she wouldn't be giving him the job -- she wanted to make sure her friends were happy and had projects they were passionate about, but she still had to make sure that the play was going to run smoothly, costume-wise. And really, Ken had come a long way from where he was this time last year, when Ella had agreed to start giving him lessons in the first place.
But she was glad that Ken could take the compliment, and even happier that he was going to take on the roll. She smiled brightly, holding her portfolio of designs and measurements and all sorts of things a little closer to her chest.
"Well, it's totally up to you, actually. You can start from scratch and design something completely new, or you can look at past shows for inspiration, or just follow in the guidance in the pack." She nodded to the sheet of paper she had given him that sort of covered the basics for any performance of Grease. "But I'm honestly happy for you to do whatever feels right, although I reserve the right to make adjustments as we go."
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Aurora pulled up Willa into her arms giving her a nice big hug. She had grown so much in the time Aurora was gone she could only be thankful that Ella had tried to keep her memory alive.
And it felt good to be back for these hugs.
"Better, you wouldn't think I needed to sleep but I do think sleeping in my own bed helped." Aurora offered though she did kind of hate that she did have to still sleep.
Ella smiled gently, watching as Willa wriggled her way up into Aurora's lap. So much time had passed since they had last seen each other; Willa was a year older and so much taller, able to hold a proper conversation, about to start nursey. And yet it seemed like no time at all had passed from the way she went on, getting herself settled and looking around for breakfast.
Ella was already on top of it, of course. She slid over a plate with a slice of jam and toast on it, the toast cut into little finger slices. Willa was immediately engrossed, though she still didn't want to get down from Aurora's lap.
"Oh I'd love some, thank you," Ella agreed, reaching to grab her mug. "I don't think it's any surprise, though. About the sleep thing. I suppose with everything that was going on it wasn't like real sleep, was it?"
Tiana had just come in from the garden, which was in a state of chaos. The patch of weeds that Tiana had pulled back in the spring with Ella had returned with a vengeance, choking her plot of garlic, and to make matters worse, rabbits and mice were running all over the place. Not even Turnip's intervention drove them away.
She was going to go back out there, but only once she'd had a chance to drink some water and rethink her game plan. When Ella walked in, though, Tiana turned her attention from the back window. She looked concerned.
"Yeah, what's up?" Tiana asked, glancing at Aurora to whom she'd been complaining about the whole ordeal of the garden. Did this have something to do with her? Surely not, surely it wasn't that weird...
Aurora was still in deep thought when Ella had asked if they had a moment. Trying to figure out a way to help the garden. Of course she wanted the other animals to eat but that didn't mean they could trample over everything.
Besides she wanted to be useful to the girls.
Nodding her head at Tiana's statement, Aurora could only wonder what the three of them had gotten into again.
Of course it hadn't escaped Ella's notice, either. At first she had hoped the ever-growing population of rabbits in the garden or birds hanging on the powerlines next to the house was just her imagination. Paranoia - she was expecting to see them, so there they were. But it was getting harder and harder to ignore, and though she didn't really want to go back into the forest to sort it all out, she had a feeling she was going to have to head in there.
The thing was, she didn't know what to do. There was no compromise that she could see. Willa already spent as much time as she could in the forest, Ella made sure of that. She couldn't pull Willa away from her life in town, not when she was so young and needed structure, needed to be around her community. But what alternative was there? Some kind of solution that would make the forest happy and keep her daughter at home had to exist, but if it did… Well, Ella didn't know what it was.
And she was starting to doubt that she was in the right in the first place. Hence why she wanted to talk about it with her friends - and anyways, she had to warn them…
"I had a--" She paused, looking at the kitchen window just as a wren perched on the windowsill outside. She frowned, reaching over to pull the blinds down so that the bird was blocked from view. "I had an argument with Grandmother Willow." She admitted, folding her arms over her chest. "The forest wants Willa to stay there. Full time. For at least a year. That's crazy, isn't it? I thought that was crazy." She looked at Tiana and Aurora, biting her thumbnail as she worried.
