Cartwright

While they had hooked up back in the day, it’s not something that really happened anymore, especially since Odette had been born and they had become more of an actual family. At certain points she had cared for Odette like a mother would. After the Curse had happened she had found herself with more free time. Of course it did take a lot of work to build her lawfirm but having a job meant you also had time outside of said job instead of being a crownprincess, which was something you were at any time of day. 

So for the first few years of New Naraya she had spent a lot of time with his daughter, but that had also been the time where she had grown up. You might always need family but at the age of 16 you didn’t need your parents as much as you did when you were 5. But it did help them have a strong bond and she was glad that she had been able to prove that if anything ever happened to Carwright, she’d be there for his kid, ride or die.  “ You’re the best” she smiled and hugged squeezed him tighter before she let go and took the drink from him once it was done.  “ Mhhh” she almost purred at the taste. It was these small things, like him having her favourite drink at his place, her always having his favourite kind of pizza in her freezer that made the world feel more secure.

“ I was brought up to have more sense than a single person needs, I don’t mind sharing with you. But I’m not sure it’ll help us being good detectives…” she sat down in one of the more comfy chairs. “ You think it could be some left over Damhans? Coming back to finish us off?” 

Cartwright could see Lavinia get lost in her thoughts and he almost became ensnared in his own, wondering what had her head so high in the clouds. He stayed grounded however, the warmth of her body pressed against him keeping him tethered to the floor. Before he knew it the moment was over and his best friend let go to enjoy the drink he’d finished making. “Everything you dreamed of and more?” He asked cheekily, enjoying that he could still make mind blowing drinks even if he was more often the one receiving the drink rather than making it. 

“Boo hoo.” Morgana raised her brow playfully in return for his pout, a small smile itching at the side of her mouth. She walked to the counter that house her register, hopping up into the empty space, letting her legs dangle before her. 

“Conclave, council, all the same if you ask me.” Morgana sighed. She brought her hand up to her mouth, she was one to trust people easily- it was one of her greatest downfalls. “So, who are you anyway? I’m Morgana. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” She introduced herself with faux professionalism. 

Cartwright chuckled at the shorter girl’s spunk; for all her attitude and talk she reminded him a lot of his best friend and he was certain that like Lavinina, the shop keeper likely also had a heart of gold. She was helping him hide out, after all. “You’re feisty, i’ll give you that. Then again, most women I know are.” 

“Good, that means I don’t have to be nice to you.” Morgana winked as she crossed her arms. 

“Makes sense-” she rolled her eyes. “-they seem to be coming down hard on everyone these days, I wonder how long it’ll be until a mandated curfew.” 

“That-” Cartwright scoffed. “That is mean and now i’m definitely not buying anything.” Something akin to a pout appeared on his face as he spoke.

When he pulled out the cups she felt some tension left her body. She had arrived.  He was going to sit down with her and she could relax and leave all of her worldly responsiblities outside and just be with one of the few people she trusted.

She went over to him and wrapped her arms around him from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder, looking over it to see what he was about to pour her. “ Depends if you want me to go home or stay over.”

There weren’t many people she felt she could be close with, but  she could hug Cartwright and feel safe. “ I know it is, that is why I proud my own supply of sense with me, just in case I need it.”

“Stay.” Cartwright murmured, leaning his head against hers. The words would’ve sounded like a line to anyone else and their position screamed romantic but the two knew they wouldn’t cross those lines, that they were just two friends seeking comfort in one another. “I’ll make it extra strong then.” He replied, pouring a healthy dose of syrup into the water and stirring it. 

“ I’m always up for a drink. Do you have Elderflower?” Elderberry and Elderflower syrups mixed with water got her drunk easily. It wasn’t like she didn’t drink normal alcohol as well, but she just really prefered non alcohol elderflower syrup to get drunk.

She could see his point but had to disagree. “Yes, but on the other hand, an avalanche will hit you no matter how much you try to ignore it.” She countered. “ I’d rather be punched in the face than run over from behind.”

“You know I do.” Cartwright kept a small supply for instances like these; usually he and Lavinia went out but lately he was becoming more and more of a home body. He walked over to the cabinet and pulled out the syrup before filling a cup with water and gesturing to his friend. “How drink you lookin’ to get?”

“Then I’ll be able to rest in peace.” she joked and winked at him. She still hat put mechanisms in place in case something was to happen to her. He would be cared for and he wouldn’t be able to argue with her about it.

“’

She gave that idea a thought an gave a half shrug “  Would we ever be that lucky?” then she shook her head “ I’d rather find out either way. Walk towards the problem before it walzes over you while you try to sneak away”

Cartwright chuckled half heartedly at the joke. Truthfully, they both knew just how fallible people could be and he didn’t like thinking about his loved ones being gone. He was lucky to have been with Lavinia when the Curse hit and refused to entertain the idea that one day death would separate them. “It’s getting pretty morbid in here, huh? A drink might fix that.” 

“We’re supposed to be.” Morgana quipped. “-to coustmers, that is.” She chuckled. 

She wasn’t always on the right side of the law- so she had no room to judge. Morgana reached over, flipping the open sign to closed and too her sweet time pulling the strings to lower the blinds over the two front windows. “Fess up, did you steal candy from a child?” She asked jokingly. 

“Hey - I never said I had no intentions of buying anything,” He vehemently defended, as if she’d accused him of some other horrid infraction. 

“ Perish the though!” she said, acting shocked at the idea. “ I will make sure that my will states that someone has to bring you desserts. Think of me whenever you bite into a dognut and have jelly fall down onto your shirt and stain it.” It was a thing she might actually do. She was mostly kidding but since she had lost someone she loved, she did look beyond her immortality and wanted to make sure the people that remained would be cared for. Then she pushed those worries away and got serious

“ I know what you mean. I feel it too. I don’t know what’s going on but … something IS going on. Like we’re standing on the shore, watching the water get drawn into the ocean just to return as a natural disaster…”

“I think you’re the only lawyer I want bringing me anything,” He replied, shaking his head at the thought. Lawyers were tricky and he wasn’t the biggest fan of them in the slightest. “I do however promise to think of you every time I stain my shirt.”

Morgana raised a brow as the man practically threw himself against the wall, out of view from the window. “Yes, plants are all the same thing.” She said, her words dripping with sarcasm. She walked towards a dwarf tree that was situated on the other side of the entrance in a window, about the height of the man.

“This one’s great for hiding behind too.” She smirked, tilting her head at him. 

“Hey, aren’t shopkeepers supposed to be nice?” The nymph asked, humor anxiousness lacing his own voice. “And i’m not hiding, just - The guards happen to think I did something and I don’t have any way to prove otherwise, alright?”

“ Oh Lovely, I always miss you. You’re the light of my life. I’d crash and burn without you.” she was talking like she was being hyperbolic, but there was some truth in it. He was her best friend, she would be devasted without him and most activities were more fun when he was around. “ I was genuenly worried. I haven’t heard from you in a week. Well, properly. You always sounded busy. I wanted to make sure you’re not in deep trouble and too proud to ask for help.”

He’d grown used to Lavinia’s outlandish and dramatic declarations, but he felt the truth in her words and mirrored them twice fold. The only person alive whom he held more dearly than his best friend was his daughter. “Unfortunately I think i’d be the lost one were anything to happen to you. Can you imagine a world where i’d have to get my own deserts? I cringe at the thought.”

Cartwright shifted at her words, ashamed that his week of absence had bore no fruit besides leaving Lavinia in a state of worry. “Things have been quiet.” He admitted as if that were some huge infraction. “Normally i’d sit back and enjoy the peace but I don’t trust it this time. Been sticking my ear to the ground though and nothings come up so far.” 

“ I’m the boss, I can work whenever I want.” she said and walked over to sit down on top of his desk. “ And can’t I just drop by to make sure my best friend is still alive and not rotting on the botton of the ocean?”

“You know me better than to think my body would ever end up there and I know you better than to believe that poor excuse. If you missed me Livy,” Cartwright grinned and leaned against the counter across from her before continuing. “All you had to do was say so. Though I didn’t mind the intrusion of donuts.” 

Morgana tilted her head, thinking of what a plant that looked like that would be. “I- I don’t think-” She let her sentence trail off as she walked around the counter to a plant the same height he was describing.

“I’ve got this one, height wise- but I’m sorry I don’t have the plant you’re describing.” Morgana frowned. “We could do a little research if you don’t know the name, and order it from one of my suppliers?” She offered, trying to find a solution for the possible customer. 

There was a rustling outside and Cartwright shrank towards the wall to avoid being visible from the closest window. “I’m not sure the name, plants aren’t exactly my thing y’know?” He said with a shrug. “Aren’t they all basically the same thing?”