LuLuBooBird

Chapter 4

“I didn’t say kill. I said bury.” Leonora hisses. Bury? Alive? “She can’t get upset if he dies in the process, right? That technically wouldn’t be my fault.” It definitely would though?! (Emma)

Chapter 5

“It means that If you don’t kiss me 78 times before midnight, then you’ll owe me 156 kisses tomorrow.”

Clarissa blinks at the absurdity, and Leonora grins slipping the paper from between Clarissa’s lax grip and adding another line.

“79.”

Chapter 6

“Wait! I have a question.” Clarissa interjects hastily. If they were going to talk about this anyway, maybe they would have some insight into Leonora’s parting words earlier. “What does it mean when someone says, ‘I’m too gay for this right now’, before walking away?”

Chapter 7

“Somebody really has to do something about that.” Not her. But somebody. Who knows how long it will take for them to start burning sacrifices in their sacred flame?

Chapter 8

“There doesn’t need to be a book.” She grumbles. Just tell me you like me and want to kiss me. But that would be too easy, wouldn’t it? Clarissa had already received that confession, though. Just not the way she wanted it.

Chapter 9

“What about my kisses?” Leonora asks.

“There are no more.” She gasps. Clarissa’s lips still work. There can still be kisses.

Chapter 10

In fact, during their very first conversation, Leonora had asked her a question so rude, so childish, that Clarissa immediately began to doubt her sanity.

The summer heat was waning, yet the sun was high in the sky. Clarissa stood in the garden wearing a golden dress. Why this is important you may ask?

Because it was here that she met Lady Lesso for the first time. Tall with red hair that glowed fiercely in the sunlight, beautiful with a confidence in her posture that would be nearly impossible to replicate. Clarissa had shaken away her nerves, introducing herself to the woman with a pleasant smile. Lady Lesso had stared for a second before doing the same. For a fleeting second Clarissa could have sworn that the woman smiled back, a natural genuine smile, not a smirk or a haughty grin. 

It’s gone as fast as Clarissa can blink. No doubt a trick of the light, because within the next few seconds, Leonora crushes any errant positive thought Clarissa might have made the mistake of drawing up about the woman.

Lady Lesso had looked her over curiously, pursing her lips and tilting her head before saying something that made Clarissa’s jaw drop.

“Do you think that if I planted you in the garden with the rest of the sunflowers, you would grow to be a respectable height?” Really?! A respectable height? She knew that they were adversaries, of course, Ever’s versus Never’s blah blah blah, but that was entirely uncalled for. It was demeaning even!

And Lady Lesso had asked with such a serious expression to boot. I mean, what was Clarissa even supposed to say to that?! Something equally rude, of course.

“Just because you have the height of an ogre doesn’t mean you should have the manners of one.” She had responded, and Lady Lesso had looked mildly impressed.

“Hmm. Catty.”  

Clarissa had fumed about it for the rest of the week. All she had wanted to do was enjoy a lovely afternoon in the garden, and instead, she was insulted!

There began their unending disagreement. Lady Lesso would remind her of their height difference at every opportunity. About how tall she was and how short Clarissa was, and each time Clarissa would deny it. Mainly because she is not even short!

(2)

They have an unfortunate run in the library one afternoon as well.

The library isn’t exactly full that day, but all the ladders are either occupied or out of service. This is a problem because she really wants to check out a new book. Unfortunately, the book she wants is about one shelf too high. Clarissa finds herself on pointed toes leaning heavily against a bookshelf, and yet, somehow, it’s just out of arms reach.

Clarissa jumps but only manages to touch the spine of the book and push it further away. She groans, leaning her forehead against the shelf. This is—

“Do you need assistance?” Clarissa almost gives herself whiplash when she turns to face the voice. There, Lady Lesso stands, green eyes staring at her in amusement.

“No. I got it.” She says shaking her head. The book is right there; she can definitely reach it. And now that she knows Lady Lesso is watching, she has no choice but to do so. 

Five seconds later, she realizes the situation is now both futile and embarrassing. Especially seeing as the book is further out of reach than before.

“Are you sure?” Lady Lesso asks with an impolite snicker.

“Yes. I’m sure.” She responds through gritted teeth. She’s just started considering climbing the bookshelf to reach when Lady Lesso snorts, stepping closer. The redheads hand falls on Clarissa's hip almost casually as Lady Lesso’s other hand touches the book.

This sudden proximity means that Clarissa not only has to tilt her chin all the way up to look Lady Lesso in the eye, but she can also smell her perfume. Pine and pecan with a hint of honey. A winning combination, given the sudden insistent beating in her chest.

Lady Lesso takes the book off the shelf so easily that all Clarissa can do is frown, yet the woman grins at her all the while. Once the book is securely in Lady Lesso’s hand, she holds it as if waiting for something, all while looking at Clarissa expectantly.

Clarissa just purses her lips silently. She doesn’t reach for the book, already knowing that the woman would just as soon hold it over her head as she would hand it over.

“Do you want me to give it to you?” Lady Lesso asks, waving the book around like some sort of prize. “Maybe if you ask politely—“

“Oh, I just realized. That’s not the book I want.” Clarissa says, lying through her teeth. She really does want the book Lady Lesso is holding, but not enough to bow to her terms. Especially not when she can come back by for it later.

“This book?” Leonora asks, raising an eyebrow. “The one you spent an eon reaching for? All of a sudden, you don’t want it?”

“That’s right. I want—“ Clarissa blindly grabs a random book from the nearby shelf. “This one.”

“…1001 Deadly Poisons and the Best Dishes to Hide Them In. Really?” Lady Lesso looks at her disbelievingly, half-amused, and Clarissa decides to nod her head. 

“I need some new recipes.” She says, shrugging. Hopefully, Lady Lesso will put the book back, and Clarissa can go get the now-available ladder. 

The woman stares at her long and hard before smirking. “Okay, well, I guess I’ll take this one.”

Take this one? Surely she isn’t talking about Clarissa’s book. No. Perish the thought. “What do you mean?”

“I came here to find that.” She says, pointing to the book in Clarissa’s hand. “But if you’re checking it out, I guess I’ll have to make do with—“ Lady Lesso looks at the title with a faint grimace.

“1001 Tea Recipes and their Best Dessert Pairings,” Clarissa says before shutting her mouth firmly. 

“Yes. It seems… nauseatingly delightful. Informative.” Clarissa glances between the two books hesitantly.

“Perhaps we can trade.” She doesn’t need a book on poisons, and she doubts Lady Lesso has any use for a book on tea. 

“Perhaps not,” Lady Lesso snorts. “I can reach that book at any time, Professor Dovey. I don’t think you’ll ever be able to reach this one, seeing as you already hit your growth cap.” The woman gives her a falsely sympathetic look.

Clarissa’s eye twitches. Thrice.

Her irritation is no doubt palpable, but Lady Lesso pays it no heed.

“Why don’t you say ‘Lady Lesso, thank you for grabbing that book off of the tall shelf for me. I’m so short I couldn’t reach it and too prideful to ask for help,’ and I’ll give it to you.” Clarissa… will not be doing that. Instead, she walks away, now determined to check out the book on poisons. If Clarissa can’t get what she wants, then Lady Lesso surely can’t either.

“Or better yet, just admit that you’re short.” Lady Lesso says, trailing behind her. “I think that’s an acceptable compromise.” It is not an acceptable compromise. Not in the least.

“I’m not short.” She insists, pausing just long enough to give her a stern look. The fact that she has to look up does nothelp her point.

“You’re saying that like you really believe it. Adorable.” Lady Lesso gives her a cheshire grin, and she can feel embarrassment flooding her face. Clarissa sputters, at a loss for words.

Adorable?! She’s a woman grown! Not a bunny rabbit or a puppy. She’s older than Lady Lesso for Storian's sake. The woman should be showing her respect. She makes sure to express this point with a severe frown.

Clarissa ends up leaving the library with a new book. Granted, it's not the one she wanted, but she learns to appreciate its teachings.

For the next few months, Clarissa spouts relevant information about poison pairings when Lady Lesso is eating within earshot. She also refuses to return the book to the library out of spite. 

Clarissa renews her rental as often as necessary and keeps the book locked tight in her desk drawer. She’s read it cover to cover, after all, but it’s not going back to the library until she can get her hands on the tea recipe book.

Unfortunately, Lady Lesso is of the same mind. And neither book is properly returned to the shelf for a very long time. A very long time.

(3)

Throughout the years, Clarissa and Leonora argue over many things. For some inexplicable reason, height becomes a returning point of interest. This can really only be blamed on Lady Lesso's nature of an arachist.

Fortunately, Clarissa learns. When she has a problem reaching something (and that happens very rarely), she uses a summoning spell instead of allowing Lady Lesso to hold said thing over her head. It doesn’t always work, though. It’s only natural that some items resist the call.

Like the golden apple hanging off of a limb on the tree in front of her, she wants to make a turnover or two, and a golden apple is always a special treat. Clarissa can’t quite reach it though, and climbing is out of the question. She can’t even use earth magic as it might disturb the tree's roots. 

Clarissa reaches for it, really reaches, but the attempt is futile. Biting her lip, she wonders if she should summon a step stool to give her some much-needed height.

Who else but Lady Lesso would show up to witness her distress? The woman doesn’t quite sneak up on her. She hears the approaching footsteps, after all. But she had hoped that if she ignored the woman long enough, she would return from whence she came. It does not work out the way she hoped.

“Professor Dovey, you seem to be struggling.” Lady Lesso observes much to her chagrin. She is struggling. That much is obvious. The audience doesn’t help at all (it never does, actually).

“Can I help you?” Clarissa asks, turning to face the taller woman with a frown. She hadn’t expected anyone else to be in the forest so early in the morning.

“I think I’m the one who was supposed to ask that question.” Nope. No help is needed here. Clarissa shakes her head, and the Never snorts, stepping closer as she speaks. “You know, I heard that there’s only one golden apple that fruits on this tree every year.” Clarissa stiffens, glancing between the apple and Lady Lesso. Surely she isn’t thinking of—

“Is that so?” Clarissa asks noncommittally. She tries not to show on her face how much she wants that apple. “Curious.”

“Yes.” Lady Lesso nods. “And yet each and every year when I get here, it’s missing.”

Clarissa shrugs. She looks forward to her yearly apple tarts, and it’s not her fault that Lady Lesso is slow to the punch. “Well, you know what they say about the early bird.”

“Yes, but now I’m thinking of a new saying.” Lady Lesso responds, grabbing the apple and tugging it from the branch with a near-silent snap. Those few inches Leonora had on her made all the difference, Clarissa silently acknowledged with a frown. “The tall woman gets the apple, the short one… well, doesn’t.” Leonora drawls lowly in her ear before leaning back with a grin. Clarissa will admit only to herself how much she enjoyed the close contact, however brief.

Lady Lesso starts to toss the apple, catching it in her every few seconds without breaking eye contact. It’s infuriating. Even more infuriating is how impressive the nonchalant action is.

“I’m not short,” Clarissa states, because what else is there to say? She’s not getting the apple this year, that’s for sure.

“You are.” Lady Lesso says, nodding her head. “Perhaps I’ll give you the apple if you admit it.”

Perhaps? It’s almost guaranteed that if she gives in, Lady Lesso will take the apple anyway. That would leave her both apple-less and embarrassed. “Lady Lesso, you may be taller than I am, but that doesn’t give you the right to look down on me.” She says with a frown.

A poor choice of words in retrospect.

“Professor Dovey, I can’t help but look down on you given our vast difference in height.” An over-exaggeration by miles. It’s what? Six inches at most. “I’ll give you the apple if you admit that you’re short. Promise.”

Lady Lesso waves the tantalizing fruit in her face. How bad does she really want this apple? Is it enough to set aside her dignity?

Clarissa squints, trying to find any trace of falsehood in the woman’s face.

“I—“ She starts, and Lady Lesso raises an expectant eyebrow, awaiting the words. Clarissa exhales sharply. No. No, the golden apple is not worth her dignity.

“I… hope you enjoy your apple.” She says, and it’s not true. Not true at all. Hopefully, there’s a caterpillar rooting around somewhere under the skin.

“Hmm.” Lady Lesso doesn’t press, instead brushing past Clarissa on her way back to the school. “I will.” She says, shooting her a parting smirk.

Clarissa picked a different apple that day. In fact, she picked five, all well within reach. And she has a pie instead of tarts, and it’s almost as good as her usual treat. Almost.

(4)

Clarissa doesn’t quite recall when they started using each other's first name, but once it starts, it never stops. She hates to admit how easily Leonora’s name rolls off her tongue. How much she enjoys hearing her own name falling from Leonora’s lips. It’s pleasant. Usually.

“Clarissa?” Leonora’s voice catches her attention one day as she’s sitting in her office. The woman had shown up at her door at an inopportune time, and Clarissa was having a hard time focusing.

“Hmmm?”

“You’re looking at that bookshelf like it personally insulted you.” It had personally insulted her. Mainly because It is withholding the key to one of the closets in the groom room. For some reason, someone —a student who shall not be named— had thought that was the best place to return the key.

It was definitely not the best place to return it, seeing as Clarissa couldn’t reach it!

“Is there a reason there’s a chair sitting next to it?”

“… no.” Yes, actually. Because before Lady Lesso had come knocking at her door, Clarissa had been in the midst of reaching for it. Honestly, it was as if the woman sensed when she was having— 

“Are you sure?” Leonora asks, tilting her head curiously.

“Yes, I’m sure. Why don’t you tell me—“

Leonora walks over to the shelf with a purpose, and Clarissa feels her expression getting more tense with every step. She quickly follows, but Leonora runs her hand across the top of the bookshelf before Clarissa can stop her.

“Wait—“ she grabs the woman’s arm, but it’s far too late.

“Got it,” Leonora says, holding the key in her hand. Clarissa stares at Leonora and the key, then Leonora again.

“I’m not short.” She says defensively. She might as well get it out of the way, seeing as that’s how this conversation always goes.

“If you weren’t short, you would not have been able to reach this without the chair.” Leonora is still holding the key, still looking at her expectantly. Could Clarissa get it replaced instead of dealing with this?

“Would you just give it to me?” She pleads. For the first time, she asks for Leonora’s grace in a matter of high importance. Hopefully, she can get it back without—

“Would you just admit that you’re short?” Leonora responds in the same tone as she does the unthinkable.

She pats Clarissa’s head, no doubt ruining her hair in the process! The nerve of this woman!

Clarissa bats the offending hand away and glares. She’s determined to project as much displeasure as possible to the taller woman. Leonora just grins harder.

“I’m getting it replaced, so it doesn’t matter. You can keep that if you want.” Clarissa decides it and speaks it at the exact moment. She’s not short!

“… you’re not serious.” 

“I am.” Clarissa doesn’t care if it costs her a kingdom and a half; she’s not giving in to Lady Lesso’s demand. Not now, not ever.

Leonora blinks at her for a second before cracking a smile. “Alright. I guess I will. But only if you’re sure you don’t need it.”

“I don’t. It’s yours.” Clarissa made her bed. She might as well lay in it. It has nice thick blankets and comfortable plush pillows, and most importantly, she’ll sleep well knowing Lady Lesso didn’t get the last word. “Now, what were you saying about—“

“We can have this conversation later. I need to put my new key somewhere safe.” Leonora interrupts her as she walks away, sliding the key into the pocket of her suit. Clarissa watches her swift departure, mouth agape.

So basically, Leonora had only shown up to ruin her evening. Typical.

Fortunately, getting the closet lock replaced doesn’t cost a kingdom and a half. It does, however, cut into her frivolity budget for the season.

If you ask Clarissa, though, it was entirely worth it. Especially since she got a deal on a second lock replacement. For an entire week, Lady Lesso has a problem opening her office door before she finds a new key on her desk.

That has absolutely nothing to do with Clarissa. Nothing at all.

(5)

Rafal fell, and it was determined that she and Lady Lesso were going to be sharing the schoolmaster's old office. They would be co-deans. An interesting proposal that they had both accepted. Clarissa had promptly made a plan.

Her stuff would occupy the lower shelves. Leonora could have the high ones. This would ensure that she would never ever struggle to reach something within Leonora’s field of vision. She had even moved in extra early to make sure that her stuff was in the right place.  It all fell apart with the introduction of Lady Lesso.

Clarissa really shouldn’t have been surprised.

When Clarissa gets to the office the following day, she realizes, to her immense horror, that nothing is where she left it. Leonora is already there, clearly waiting to see her reaction.

“What did you do?” Clarissa asks despite already knowing the answer. All of the stuff that she had purposely put on low shelves was moved up to the high ones. To the shelves, she was purposefully avoiding. And the lower shelves are now occupied by Lady Lesso’s affects.

“You already know what I did, Clarissa,” Leonora says, with that annoyingly endearing familiar grin.

“Why?” Because that’s the natural follow-up. What in the world could have possessed her to—

“A tall woman such as yourself shouldn’t have any problem reaching those items. Right?” Her eyes snap from the shelves back to Lady Lesso, and she fumes. 

“You know—“ she bites her tongue, taking a deep breath. “I’m not tall, Leonora. You know that. I know that. We both know that.”

“Because you’re…” the woman trails off pointedly, no doubt expecting Clarissa to finish the sentence while admitting defeat.

She would build a new, even lower shelf with her bare hands before she said those words to Leonora. Clarissa presses her lips together as she makes a plan. All she has to do is move everything back to where it’s supposed to be. Right? It’s that easy.

“Average. I’m average.” Clarissa says, straightening her spine, and Lady Lesso shakes her head. “And I’m moving my stuff back to where it belongs.” She says seriously. She means that, too. This joke had gone far enough.

“Be careful,” Leonora responds, giving her a mysterious look through glittering green eyes. Be careful?

“Why?”

“Well, you haven’t gotten to the best part yet, Princess.” The best part? She squints suspiciously at Leonora, raising her finger as it glows. Her spell doesn’t work.

“You put anti-summoning charms on my stuff?” Clarissa demands, approaching Leonora with angry footsteps. 

The redhead shrugs, circling Clarissa nonchalantly. “Well, it’s all so fragile. I would hate for anything to break.” Meaning she’ll either have to carefully move everything by hand or ask Lady Lesso for help. “Do you need some assistance, perhaps? You know, getting everything back where it belongs.”

“Nope. I got it.” She says firmly.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m certain.” Her nails dig into her palms as she silently seethes.

“You know, if you weren’t so short, you could strangle me with no issue. You look like you want to.” Leonora informs her of this, pausing in front of her with an amused grin. The woman is looking down on her, always looking down on her. It’s infuriating.

“I’d very much rather kick you in the shin,” Clarissa admits, trying to brush away her frustration. This is fine. It would take an hour at most, and all she needs to get is a step ladder.

“What so we can finally be at eye level?” Lady Lesso snarks back with a laugh. Clarissa doesn’t kick her in the shin. Storian does she want to, but she refuses to stoop to violence.

Clarissa does, however, build her own damn shelf. She’s so impressed by her new skill that she redoes Leonora’s shelves, making sure that they’re all just a little bit crooked.

She feels a little joy inside whenever she spots Leonora staring at the shelves with a slight frown after something tips over or falls off. 

(+1)

Leonora had compared Clarissa to a sunflower the day they met. It wasn’t an inaccurate statement, seeing how the woman glowed the sun's rays reflecting off of her golden dress. How bright her smile was. It made Leonora feel like the sun was beaming up at her instead of down. She thought Clarissa was pretty, a sight for sore eyes, yet somehow, her words were unable to reflect this feeling.

Looking back, her statement kind of sounded like a threat and an insult wrapped all in one because it seems that Leonora can’t even compliment someone without being mean.

“Do you think that if I planted you in the garden with the rest of the sunflowers, you would grow to be a respectable height?” She had asked. It’s genuinely no surprise that Clarissa hadn’t appreciated the comment.

Truthfully, Leonora knows that Clarissa isn’t that short. But the important thing is that she’s shorter. Clarissa has to look up at her when they’re talking, trading barbs, or facing each other. She likes it. She especially likes catching the fairy off guard trying to get something just out of reach.

It’s the same song and dance every time. Leonora will ask if the woman needs help, and Clarissa will deny it with a straight face. ‘No, I don’t need help,’ or ‘No, I got it,’ or even Leonora’s favorite, ‘I was wrong; I don’t need that. You keep it,’ Knowing good and well that in the few seconds since Leonora has retrieved the item, her needs haven’t changed in the slightest.

Yes, Clarissa had wanted that book. Yes, Clarissa had wanted that golden apple. Yes, Clarissa needed help getting that key off of the top of the bookshelf. And, yes, Clarissa definitely needed help moving her stuff back down after Leonora had put it on the high shelves (And really, she just wanted to see how far the woman would go not to ask for help). Yet Clarissa never backs down. She’ll grumble, frown, and give Leonora a withering look, but for some reason, she refuses to even entertain her helping hand. Said helping hand does come with strings attached, of course.

"Just admit that you're short, Princess."

"I'm not short!"

She had called the woman adorable one time. Just once. And the Ever had firmly informed Leonora that she was both older and wiser, and far too old to be called cute. That didn’t help her case at all, really, because Leonora thought the lecture was adorable as well, though she had enough sense not to say that aloud. Not with the subtle yet very effective ways Clarissa does her revenge.

So yes, Clarissa is pretty, and Leonora knew that she was attracted to her from the moment they met. And some might say that Leonora’s attempts at flirting with Clarissa by holding things out of reach are less than effective and they would be right. But it would never get old. And she doubts it will ever stop working either.

Until, of course, one day it does.

The day Leonora found ‘1001 Deadly Poisons and the Best Dishes to Hide Them In’ sitting right on Clarissa’s desk. The book that had been missing from the library for ages was sitting right there. The second she picks it up, Clarissa protests. 

“I can’t believe you!” Leonora says, just as Clarissa reaches to grab the book from her hand. Futile seeing Leonora’s advantage in height. She holds it up high out of reach, yet Clarissa still stretches for it, leaning on her shoulder as she jumps.

“Leonora!” Clarissa frowns, still reaching for the book. “You’re playing unfair.”

“I’m playing unfair? How many years have you been holding this book hostage?”

“I’m not holding it hostage! I just renewed my rental on that.” Clarissa responds hastily. “And you’re one to talk. What about '1001 Tea Recipes and their Best Dessert Pairings', huh? I never got to read it because you never returned it to the library.” True, but for some reason, she expected better from Clarissa.

“I never returned it because you never returned this,” Leonora says, shaking the book in her hand pointedly. But now she can read it, and she can still withhold Clarissa’s book. At least until the woman admits that she’s short.

“Give me that book, Leonora. I’m serious.”

“Let me think about it. No.” The redhead steps back, cracking the book open as she does so. She doesn’t want to break away from Clarissa’s embrace, but reading the book right in front of her face would be good for her spirit. 

Leonora doesn’t anticipate it. She doesn’t think Clarissa does either, considering the look on her face when they land on the carpeted floor. The woman had tackled her, knocking them both over. Leonora is still trying to catch her breath when she realizes her situation. Clarissa is on top of her scrambling for the book, and all she can do is watch her mouth open in surprise. For the first time since she can remember, Clarissa is looking down on her. The sun is beaming down on Leonora because the blonde grins victoriously when she catches hold of the book.

Leonora smiles back, chuckling at the unbelievable situation. Clarissa meets her eyes, then falters, losing her already precarious balance. Leonora can only grab her waist so that they both don't go tumbling over.

“I umm.” Clarissa breathes, a bit distracted as their noses brush. “I’m looking down on you, Leonora.”

She nods in response, licking her bottom lip. Leonora wants to kiss her. She really wants to kiss her. Yet Clarissa doesn’t move, still staring at her wide-eyed and in shock.

“Honestly, Princess. Is it that important?” She asks, lifting her head from the floor so that their lips brush. Clarissa leans down to meet her, and for the next few minutes, the book is forgotten.

When Clarissa lies beside her on the carpet, finally coming down from her newfound temporary advantage in height, Leonora can’t help but say it.  “Admit that you’re short,” Leonora demands, turning to face her fully. They’re holding hands now, fingers linked, palms together. It’s almost as intimate as their kiss.

“Never,” Clarissa responds with a grin, leaning in for another kiss. Leonora doesn't hesitate to respond in kind.

~~~