The obnoxiously bright flair in all sorts of violet (violent?!) shades was not going to dissipate until she finally acknowledged its source.  And, while she had no desire for any exchange unless it was the DoorSmash delivery from the Groveâs finest salad bar, at least her children would be spared from the thunder-like flashes of strobe mesmer lights.
With just enough trepidation, she approached the narrow balcony. Her left hand rested on the wrought-iron surface as dainty fingers tapped on the cool metal, tiny lilac-colored light sparks emitting off her lacquered nails. Lifting her right hand, a glowing lavender orb forming over her palm, she beckoned for the fellow mesmer hoodlum to teleport next to her, whispering, âYou better have some Wintersday gifts to deliver if youâre going to bother me on my holiday vacation. Itâs not every day a girl gets to leave Oliviaâs Refuge and bask in cherry blossom-covered, snow-capped norn territory.â Â
The tired chronomancer grimaced in annoyance before porting a floor above, landing close enough to brush against Luxâs wool white robe. She took a subtle but quick step back.
âNo gifts. Just questions. And thatâs a lie. You take more vacations than Queen Jennahâs shoes.â  HIs voice was as gravely as usual, even though smoking was no longer a part of his undesirable repertoire ânew lungs and all. The cynicism and dry humor were ever present. Some things just never change. âThey asleep?â
By âtheyâ Lux understood he meant her children, who were vacationing with her in a luxurious chalet off the nearest waterfront snowy peak in Timberline Falls. Winter wonderlandâs splendor was a long-standing yearly treat, one she thought was well-deserved after settling in a desert shangri-la for freedom and autonomy. Whatâs the Larkspur and Rossi fortune worth if not to splurge on extravagant holidays, right? (Meanwhile, the growing woes of the Zephyrite and post-Scarlet Briar Lionâs Arch attack refugees in Oliviaâs Refuge need attention, but itâs Wintersday vacation. Entitlement is a privilege, or vice versa.)
âTheyâre asleep, and youâre intruding. Why are you here at this time, Aiden? The moon is annoyed that your paleness is outshining her. Sheâs already competing with the snow.â
âCouldnât sleep.â He opted to ignore her dramatic but brief diatribe.
Lux rolled those amber peepers like they were skritt casino slots filled with endless copper coins, âThen take a fucking Miss Pei sleep tonic, or have Cora knock you out with a spell. Unless, and Iâm guessing, you didnât come all the way over here for a sedative? What do you want, Aiden?â
âSomething doesnât feel rightâŚ.still.â
Lux kept quiet when he admitted what sheâd heard before. She could easily dismiss him like previous times, say something superfluously sassy to deviate his tension or intentionally rile him up about some triviality as a distraction. But tonight there was a hesitant restraint to her expected absurd antics and her taunting tongue.  She let her silence linger, a calm concession alluding that he should continue.
âYouâve told me you donât know, and I believe you.  River wonât even speak to me, because she knows Iâll know sheâs lying. Diana isâŚwell, Diana.  I donât think they told Cora anything at all.  ButâŚ.someone knows. And PhilâŚcanât. I am wise enough to not put him in that position, even if I very much want to.  Which is weird andâŚ..â  Those deep-set, jade eyes of his squinted as he stared at Lux, âProbably cast a spell to literally prevent me from asking him butâŚ.I get it. Healerâs oath and allâŚâ
Conversations about Aidenâs healing and recovery always made Lux beyond uncomfortable, to the point that she couldnât understand why her normally inquisitive nature prevented her from digging into the issue in spite of her own reserved suspicions. Maybe Aiden was onto the possibility that a memory wipe and mind block of sorts was performed? But no, it couldnât be. That would be unethical, and the Collective was all about following their particular ethics code.
âI donât think you should dwell on it, Aiden. I thinkâŚ.I think you should be glad that the Branded corruption didnât go any deeper and you were able to get the organ transplants.  Not everyone was that lucky after the battle.â Luxâs reassuring words, while sincere, had a droplet of doubt to themâŚand Aiden was perceptive to their masked uncertainty. Â
âBut you had to know. Or someoneâŚ.someone had to know.â
âKnow what?â Luxâs feigned innocence was old news to the savvy chronomancer.
âLux, justâŚÂ Donât. Who was it? Or who were they, for that matter? Whose organs do I have?â
A conspicuous wave of defensiveness swept over the flustered mesmer, and she hastily took a few more cautious steps back, âAiden, Iâve told you. I donât know anything about that! I came to see you while you were hospitalized, and took great troubles with security clearance since Iâm not Collective. Uncle Seb had to vouch for me! IâŚ.I really donât know anything about that. I donât even think my uncle knows!  Sage made the call! IâŚ.Iâm not even sure Cora knows!â
âOh, she knows. She must know.â He spit those words in an unusually bitter tone, devoid of the softness he reserved only for Cora. But he quickly backtracked, his voice relaxing to a moderate rasp, âAnd if she doesnât know, then they did something. To her, to me. To memory.â
âThat doesnât make any sense,â Lux countered, âThe Collective protects the integrity of what we mesmers are capable of doing. That would be against the very principle of why the organization exists. Iâm living proof of how far theyâll go to make sure we donât use our magic inappropriately.â
âYeah,â Aiden snorted, âYouâre quite literally living proof. You should be dead.â
Lux scoffed and dramatically tossed a long, honey-colored tendril off her shoulder, some strands catching against the thick (vintage!) fur framing her robeâs collar, âI reformed. I wasnât even mentally stable. I was pardoned. Anyway, why do you care where your heart and one lung and whatever else came from? Kidney? Liver? Youâre alive and thatâs what matters. Do them justice by living your best life.â
Her superficial words were no special comfort to Aiden, but they gave him serendipitous insight.  âYouâre not wrong. But they, theyâre speaking to me in a sublime way.â  His jade eyes lowered to meet hers, âI donât expect you to understand.â
âI also donât care? So if thatâs all youâve got tonight, please kindly teleport off my balcony and go back to Harathi or whatever centaur-infested lands you wander these days. Or are you and Cora still shacking up in Ebonhawke? How very edgy of you two. The market is still getting bombed. Separatists rampant. Thatâs so typical ofâ-â
But her unsavory quips were cut off when he suddenly vanished into a misty, violet cloud followed by a dim flash.
(She did care. He was the closest thing she had to a parental figure, dysfunctional as it may be. But sheâd never say that to his face. Sheâs a Larkspur, and heâs a peasant. Also, she still found him insufferably annoying.)
Later, after a sleepless night sodden with second-hand guilt, she waltzed to the oversized norn desk in her chalet suite and plucked her enchanted quill from its ink well. Not even bothering to summon her penmanship with magic and dictation, she started scribbling and sending off lavender-colored envelopes to multiple recipients:
Aiden is restless and struggling. He came by tonight, confused and asking questions. I think you should talk to him.
Iâm worried about Aiden.  You should check up on him.
Are you still keeping in touch with Elias? You know, the cute but kind of intense mesmer that I think is a Shining Blade friend of yours but probably top secret agent Mesmer Collective guy? Can I get his contact info? Asking for a friend. No, really.
Hi darling! So! Howâs everything? Howâs the baby? Oh wow, Wintersday is coming quick as Zephyr winds! We should get together soon and talk about the Wintersday Rurikton Roses event and such! Iâm staying in Timberline Falls, come visit! Itâs lovely out here! Iâll send a griffon for you and the baby, darling. Say when!
That poor, weak butterfly clockwork mail carrier would need oiling soon, or at least a visit to Rubyâs shop.
(( @lipstickmirage @alissabryliss-fairfax oh look I did a thing! ))