ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ's ғɪʀᴇ

penny’s breath hitched when he touched her face, like she’d been holding it in without realizing. her hands came up automatically, fingers wrapping around his wrists, grounding herself in the warmth of him. for a moment she didn’t say anything just leaned into his palms, eyes fluttering shut as his words sank in.

when she opened them again, they were shining.

“you don't know how badly i needed to hear that,” she admitted softly. her thumb brushed over his skin, slow and reverent. “i talked with the agent this morning...”

she swallowed, a small, shaky laugh slipping out. “and all i keep thinking about how this place is where i found you. where i found… me. and i was terrified that wanting more meant i wasn’t grateful for what we built here, bar..”

penny pressed her forehead to his, voice barely above a whisper. “but hearing you say it like that... like it’s allowed to be scary and good at the same time? it's really nice.”

she pulled back just enough to look at him fully, eyes searching. “wally and me talk... you know the guestroom we stayed in for christmas last year?” her grip tightened slightly. “they said we could stay there for a while until we find a place and we start working.”

a small, hopeful smile curved her lips through the tears. “that is if you actually want to come with me?”

———  change  was  something  that  barely  feared.  for  most  of  his  life,  he  lived  in  the  past.  he  lived  in  the  stories  of  yore  because  they  felt  like  a  safe  escape.  the  past  was  a  place  to  be  treasured,  not  buried.  with  change,  you  often  forget.  you're  propelled  into  something  different,  new.  elias  had  been  different  and  new  once  upon  a  time.  barley  was  terrified  of  going  on  an  adventure  but  he  would  have  done  anything  to  make  ian's  dreams  from  true.  he  had  also  promised  a  young  barley  many  years  ago  he  would  never  be  afraid  of  anything  ever  again.

in  leaving  the  comforts  of  the  shell  he  created  for  himself  he  gained  something  more  -  purpose.  he  found  a  life  that  he  could  call  his  own  and  be  proud  of.  he  found  someone  who  loved  him  wholeheartedly  for  who  he  was.  now  that  person  was  asking  for  support  in  a  dream  that  felt  unachievable  at  times.  of  course,  barley  was  going  to  support  her  every  step  of  the  way.

❛  how  did  the  talk  go  ?  ❜  he  asked,  eyes  shining  with  excitement.  ❛  you  can  still  be  grateful  for  what  a  place  has  given  you,  but  still  want  more.  i  think  it's  safe  to  say  ...  elias  wasn't  going  to  be  our  forever  home  yanno  ?  it  was  perfect  for  a  moment  in  time  but  we've  learned  all  we  can  here,  faced  dangerous  perils  and  found  more  than  what  we  ever  hoped  to.  you  are  too  bright  to  be  contained  in  one  place  like  this.  ❜  a  gentle  thumb  caressed  her  cheek.  barley  never  imagined  he'd  find  a  love  like  his  parents  had.  someone  who  was  understanding  when  the  world  thought  you  were  difficult.  barley  never  felt  like  a  loser  in  penelope's  eyes;  he  felt  seen.  he  only  hoped  that  he  had  extended  that  feeling  to  her  in  this  relationship.

❛  yeah,  i  remember.  nice  guest  room.  the  bed  was  soft  !  ❜  that  bed  had  given  barley  some  of  the  best  sleep  of  his  life.  he  practically  melted  at  the  thought  of  being  in  it  again.  ❛  oh  man,  that's  nice  of  them.  i  mean,  i  would  hate  to  say  no  to  wally.  i  think  they'd  get  mad  if  we  said  no  right  ?  ❜

he  looked  down  at  penelope  with  a  look  that  could  only  be  described  as  pure  devotion.  a  smile  of  his  own  graced  his  lips  as  he  grabbed  both  of  her  hands  in  his.  ❛  penelope,  i'd  follow  you  to  mordor  if  you  asked  me  to.  i  think  it's  time  for  us  to  start  a  new  quest.  ❜

ariel loved the idea of a new year, a fresh start. it was an excuse to begin again, to redirect, to plan. admittedly, though, she hadn't thought too hard on resolutions this year. everything seemed so bleak coming into the year, what with the winter storm shaking the city. but, of course, now was as good of a time as any to come up with some.

"i think i want to bake more this year," she decided. "a new cake each month - i will need to start collecting birthdays!" she grinned up at her friend, sat in a small seating area next to the bookshelves. "any ideas on how you'll bring your characters to life?"

———  barley  was  once  told  that  the  key  to  making  life  bearable  was  having  little  things  to  look  forward  to.  whether  it  was  reading  a  new  book  or  meeting  with  someone  you  loved.  resolutions,  in  his  mind,  offered  a  chance  to  be  a  thing  to  look  forward.  great  change  didn't  need  to  occur  for  a  resolution  to  be  great  but  finding  joy  out  of  it  seemed  like  a  non-negotiable  to  him.

❛  that  sounds  like  a  great  idea!  your  baking  skills  are  about  to  be  cake  boss  level.  ❜  he  laughed.  ❛  if  you're  starting  now  my  was  ...  is  november  30th.  so  next  year  remember  that.  i  like  chocolate  cake  !  ❜  barley  hadn't  exactly  thought  how  he  was  going  to  bring  his  characters  to  life  quite  yet.  of  course,  he  had  ideas  but  nothing  solid.  ❛  well,  d&d  is  basically  storytelling  right  ?  i'm  not  wordy  enough  to  write  a  book.  and  i'm  not  that  talented  in  drawing.  i  mean  i  can  do  it  but  more  practice  is  needed  ...  video games  could  be  cool  ?  a  nice  mixture  of  the  first  two  things  i  said  if  you  think  about  it.  ❜

penny was sitting at her vanity thinking about the call with wally from earlier. she was sat there looking at her reflection, face twisted as she tried to come up with the words. she never really thought it was hard to talk to barley, but she was about to ask him a lot. for a huge change. something she didn’t want to do on her own.

wally called and they had gotten her connected with an agent in los angeles. there was a huge opportunity for her career… but it would mean leaving elias. moving away from where they started their relationship and home.

she was so worried… because what if he didn’t want to go with her?

she picked at the edge of the vanity, thumb worrying over a chipped bit of paint she’d never bothered to fix. the room felt too quiet, like it was waiting on her to mess it up. barley was in the other room, she could hear him moving around, the soft thud of drawers, the low hum of something familiar. normal. safe. it made her chest ache.

penny stood up before she could talk herself out of it. she didn’t let herself rehearse again. rehearsing only made it worse. she stepped into the doorway, watching him for a second longer than necessary, memorizing the way he existed here like this place had grown around him.

“hey baby,” she said first, voice softer than she meant it to be.

she leaned against the doorframe, arms folded tight like she was holding herself together. her heart was pounding so loud she was sure he could hear it. “can we talk for a minute?” she added, already knowing how heavy that sounded.

she crossed the room when he looked at her, stopping a few feet away. close enough to touch, far enough to breathe. her fingers twisted together, knuckles pale. “i got a call earlier,” penny started, eyes flicking to the floor and back up again. “from wally.”

she paused. swallowed. the silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable, and she hated herself for dragging it out. but she needed him to understand that this wasn’t just news. it was fear. it was hope. it was everything tangled together.

“they… they connected me with someone. an agent. in los angeles.” her voice cracked just slightly on the city’s name. “it’s real, barley. like really real. meetings, contracts, all of it.”

she laughed once under her breath, because it still was crazy to say out loud. “it’s the kind of thing i’ve been waiting for my whole life.”

penny finally looked at him fully then, eyes glassy but determined. “and i'm scared..."

———  The  sun  had  risen  as  it  always  did,  casting  a  bright  glow  as  it  creeped  through  the  window  of  the  apartment  they  shared.  There  was  nothing  out  of  the  ordinary  happening  for  Barely.  He  stumbled  through  his  usual  morning  routine.  The  only  thing  that  got  shaken  up  was  the  breakfast  he  chosen  to  make.  He  opted  for  a  bagel  this  morning  as  opposed  to  his  usual  cereal.  He  was  prepared  for  another  mundane  day.  Which  wasn’t  terrible.  Barley  would  take  the  mundane  and  boring  if  it  meant  there  was  safety.

Elias  had  changed  drastically  in  the  last  year.  There  were  promises  of  peace  but  that  promise  had  yet  to  be  followed  through.  As  much  as  Barley  loved  this  city  that  had  become  his  home,  he  knew  that  realistically  for  someone  who  wasn’t  magical  he  couldn’t  protect  the  ones  he  loves.

Those  were  thoughts  Barley  tried  not  to  dwell  on  too  much.  All  the  hypothetical  what  ifs,  it  would  only  caused  spiral  with  no  actual  solution  in  sight.  It  was  easier  to  face  the  world  with  optimism.  He  had  run  away  once  when  his  father  was  sick  and  vowed  that  he  would  never  run  away  from  a  problem  again.   

He  had  they  day  off.  These  types  of  days  usual  consisted  of  spending  as  much  time  with  Penelope  as  he  could.  Their  time  spent  together  was  rare  with  Barley  picking  up  more  shifts.  He  loved  his  job  at  the  comic  book  shop  too  much  to  ever  quit  but  he  knew  that  if  he  was  to  give  the  life  Penny  deserved,  they  needed  more  money.

Currently,  he  was  in  the  middle  of  putting  laundry  away.  If  his  mother  could  see  him  now,  she'd  surely  shed  a  tear.  At  the  sound  of  Penny's  voice,  he  immediately  turned  to  face  her  with  a  smile.  It  faltered  somewhat  when  she  said  they  needed  to  talk.  Normally,  when  that  was  said,  the  implications  weren't  good,  but  Barley  did  his  best  to  keep  anything  negative  at  bay.  ❛  Yeah,  sure.  What's  up  ?  ❜  He  asked  as  he  took  a  seat  at  the  edge  of  the  bed.

Barley  hung  onto  every  word  that  Penelope  said.  He  nodded  along,  eyes  widening  some  as  the  realization  dawned  on  him.  The  opportunity  that  Penny  had  been  waiting  for  had  finally  come.  Her  big  break  was  finally  here.

And  it  was  outside  of  Elias

Silence  hung  between  them  for  a  moment  as  Barley  digested  the  information.  After  a  moment,  he  got  up  and  walked  closer  to  lessen  the  space  between  them.  The  elf  reached  for  his  love's  face,  holding  his  entire  world  in  his  hands.  He  took  a  moment  to  study  the  features  of  her  face.  The  glassy  look  in  her  eyes  made  her  look  even  more  beautiful.  Barley  wanted  to  remember  this  moment  before  their  lives  changed.

❛  It's  going  to  feel  scary.  It  always  does  when  something  you've  wished  for  comes  true.  ❜  Barley  was  scared  to  see  his  dad  again  after  the  phoenix  gem  brought  him  back,  but  it  was  closure  that  Barley  didn't  know  he  needed.  ❛  This  is  what  you've  been  waiting  for.  Wally's  handed  it  to  you,  wrapped  up  all  pretty.  No  more  weddings  or  bars.  This  is  it.  This  is  your  moment,  and  I  ...  I  am  so  happy  the  world  is  going  to  see  the  star  I  already  know  you  are.  ❜

"i have no idea what that is. it sounds...lord of the rings-ish?" she tried, before a book swiped her shoulder and she hid again with a yelp.

she melted into the floor, back pushing against the shelf of comics behind her as if she could melt into that too. her hands were over her ears, trying to grab an inch of concentration. the last thing she'd expected to do that day was get a pep talk from a random (albeit kind) stranger about her faulty powers. think about a giant bubble! she was about to think 'poor guy', wondering if she'd just added to what she guessed was a stressful day, but he genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself.

"...facetiming might take a bit too long," she said, shaking her head. "okay. nothing to it. giant bubble." trying to focus on one book at a time was like trying to focus on just one fly in a swarm. instead, she focused on an area. she glanced at the net in his hand. just like that. a net.

"one...two..." violet held her hands in wait, "...three!" she thrust her hands forward and a larger force-field appeared 🫧 — grabbing about ten books in mid-air and knocking aside two shelves of comics in the space it occupied. she shrieked. "crap, i'm sorry!"

———  ❛  almost  in  a  similar  realm!  it's  like  to  dnd.  ❜  the  elf  grimaced  at  the  hit.  he  felt  guilty.  barley  knew  that  this  wasn't  his  fault  but  this  was  his  store.  he  should  be  able  to  keep  magical  books  in  check  !

when  it  came  to  training  ian,  the  knowledge  he  spared  was  from  his  beloved  game.  barley  wasn't  a  hero  trainer  by  any  means.  he  was  merely  a  lover  of  magic.  as  someone  who  didn't  have  powers,  his  power  was  that  of  encouragement  -  and  awesomeness  of  course.  his  efforts  worked  with  ian.  the  situation  was  different  but  perhaps  he  could  help  this  stranger  with  her  powers,  even  if  it  was  just  for  today.

❛  yeah,  you're  right.  he  might  be  busy  too.  then  he'd  ask  how  all  this  happened.  ❜  he  chuckled  to  himself  thinking  of  his  brother.  the  distance  never  got  easier.  ❛  exactly  !  just  think,  uh,  light  thoughts  ?  bubble  thoughts  ...  bubbly  thoughts  !  ❜  his  excitement  was  getting  the  better  of  him  causing  barley  to  ramble.

crouched  behind  his  own  counter,  barley  watched  in  anticipation.  he  didn't  know  her  very  well  but  barley  had  nothing  but  complete  faith  in  her  abilities.  when  the  force  field  appeared  barley  shot  up  with  an  excited  '  wooo  !  '.  his  arms  raised  in  the  arm,  punching  it  but  also  getting  smacked  in  the  process  by  a  rogue  book.  the  pain  was  forgotten  as  fast  as  it  came  because  his  attention  was  now  on  the  giant  bubble  before  him.  ❛  don't  apologize  !  we  can  clean  that  up  it's  cool,  man.  that  was  amazing  !  you  did  it  !  ❜

"...what?" violet's voice came out hollow, stunned. a gust of sharp wind had blown her scarf off her neck, and in the second it took to grab it...in the single motion she'd made to wrap it around her neck again, the scene changed.

maybe she'd taken a wrong turn. but even just thinking that felt wrong, and laughably naive. the hairs on the back of her neck prickled, and it felt like the cold was seeping right through her boots and up her legs. she stomped her feet a couple of times and focused on the only other person she could see.

she walked past the confused comic store guy — bailey? — just to see where he came from. "the cocoa crawl..." she trailed off, trying to remember the crawl she'd done earlier. "no, this isn't it, there's no cafes here, this is — it's not where i was," violet thought aloud, finally looking back to him. "i was...i was at the observatory. the telescopes. this is...this is the ice-skating rink." violet pointed behind him, the rink's glowing runes suddenly looking ominous in the blanketing storm. "h-how did we...?" she didn't finish her question, hoping he had the answers.

———  the  air  felt  bitter,  like  it  was  tinged  with  something  dark.  it  wasn't  just  a  winter  storm.  underneath  the  frost  and  ice  lay  something  twisted.  it  unnerved  barley.  he  had  never  faced  a  storm  so  harsh.  he  had  braved  winters  before  but  nothing  to  this  extent.  it  almost  felt  like  the  weather  change  was  a  warning.  the  last  call  before  everything  shifted.  barley  felt  his  imagination  was  running  wild  again.  it  had  a  tendency  to  do  that.  the  stories  he  concocted  in  his  mind  somehow  made  the  reality  he  lived  in  make  sense.  if  he  could  tie  it  back  to  what  he  knew  then  he  could  understand  how  to  go  forward.

but  for  once,  barley  had  no  knowledge  to  fall  back  on.  this  was  uncharted  territory.  he  had  never  felt  so  lost.  normally  he  was  one  to  come  up  with  solutions,  even  if  they  were  considered  to  be  hair-brained.  right  now,  he  was  coming  up  short.  the  icy  fog  gave  way  to  a  figure  in  the  distance.  barley's  heart  leapt  in  his  chest  for  a  moment  until  the  figure  came  into  focus.  his  worries  melted  like  the  ice  on  the  ground  when  he  saw  violet.

❛  the  observatory ?  ❜  barley  asked,  brows  furrowed  in  confusion.  ❛  that's  the  opposite  way  of  the  crawl.  if  you  were  just  there  ...  how  did  you  get  here  so  quickly  ?  ❜  his  head  was  spinning.  he  turned  and  violet  was  right,  the  ice  rink  was  next  to  them.  how  could  that  be  ?  barley  was  nowhere  near  it  prior.  ❛  okay,  something  ...  something  weird  is  going  on  but  if  we  can  handle  magical  flying  books  coming  at  our  faces  we  can  figure  this  out.  where  were  you  wanting  to  go  ?  ❜

Sora blinked at the sudden question, his breath curling in the freezing air like a tiny cloud. He hadn’t expected company, much less a lost man mid-sugar-craving detour. But there was something about Barley’s confused tone and chattering teeth that made Sora’s usual warmth kick in right away.

He offered a sheepish smile and rubbed at the back of his neck. “You’re definitely close, I think. The cocoa crawl was just past the last lantern post, but…” He looked around, noting the odd shift in the air, the kind that felt more like magic than weather. “Okay, yeah-this does feel off.”

———the sudden shift in the atmosphere had chill curling up barley’s spine. He didn’t know what to make of it. Perhaps magic somewhere had gone awry? If so, the elf wondered why there seemed to be something sinister underneath it as opposed to light, playful feel of a simple mistake.

This held gravity.

This felt threatening.

He tried not to think too much into it and chalked it down to the weather in Elias shifting. Today was supposed to be a day filled with joy. barley couldn't allow fear to cloud his judgment. "Right? I could've sworn I could smell the cocoa but now everything seems so ... far." His gaze lingered at the distance. The road before them seeming to warp and shifting, stretching like a funhouse mirror. "Maybe I got the directions wrong. That wouldn't be too shocking."

penelope’s whole posture melted the second she heard barley’s voice, that familiar, gentle tone unwinding something tight in her chest. and when he pressed that small kiss to the top of her head? yeah, that undid her completely. barley had saved her before and she trusted him in a way she didn’t trust many people. he was her nerdy knight, whether he liked the title or not.

his comment pulled a giggle out of her, the kind that bubbled up before she could stop it. “you’re right,” she said, amusement tugging at her lips, “they wouldn’t get that far.”

she turned away from where she’d been standing, grabbed her coffee, and crossed the room to sit beside him. the moment she settled next to him, her head found his shoulder like it belonged there.

“i don’t know…” she murmured, her voice smaller now, thoughts heavy. “i hate to think people are evil enough to keep someone for that long.” she let out a slow, tired sigh. “but you’ve seen how people can be in the underland. nothing shocks me anymore...”

———  in  the  quest  of  bringing  his  father  back,  barley  never  anticipated  to  find  love.  this  little  life  that  he  had  carved  out  for  himself  was  quaint  but  it  was  his.  and  he  would  fight  for  it  tooth  and  nail  if  he  had  to.  despite  being  a  mythical  creature,  barley  was  as  ordinary  as  they  came.  he  may  have  saved  penelope  once  from  a  hades  disaster  but  barley  wasn't  so  sure  he  could  do  it  again.

still,  he'd  do  anything  to  keep  penny  safe.

her  laughter  warmed  his  soul,  like  the  sun  itself  was  shining  down  on  him.  if  barley  could  bottle  up  a  noise  and  keep  it  forever  for  rainy  days  it  would  be  this.  ❛  not  with  a  dynamic  duo  like  us.  ❜  his  features  were  soft,  as  they  always  were  when  he  was  around  penelope.

as  they  sat  there  in  their  small  little  apartment  in  old  elias,  barley  allowed  himself  to  actually  think  about  what  was  happening.  pretending  was  a  key  component  of  his  coping.  it's  what  he  did  with  his  father.  he  fell  into  old  patterns  when  things  were  difficult  to  digest  -  like  people  going  missing.  a  war.  a  battle  between  magic  and  gods  he  didn't  ask  to  be  in  the  middle  of.  it  was  a  lot  to  process.  at  times  it  was  easier  to  live  in  his  corner  of  the  elias.  ❛  i  don't  think  i've  ever  seen  true  evil.  i've  only  read  about  it,  played  games  involving  it.  i  dunno.  i  don't  want  to  think  that  either  but  ..  where  there's  evil  ..  there's  good  and  it  always  prevails  doesn't  it  ?  ❜  it  had  to.  ❛  i  think  they're  scared.  people  do  unthinkable  things  when  the  odds  are  stacked  against  them.  ❜

"holy whAT?" she exclaimed. she kept her hands covering her head, safe in the spot she'd found, but still very much confused. "no, i —" violet held her hands out in front of her, trying to make a book-sized force-field, but it flickered in and out of their vision before she gave up, covering her head again. "i - i can't! i'm sorry!" she answered in a panic, shaking her head.

when a magazine flew by, the papers hit the back of her head and she yelped. "yeah, i was — ! i was looking for — !" she stammered, closing her eyes to try and concentrate on what he was saying. "for — ugh, never mind, i can't remember, there's too much going on!" she watched him try and stand up to do a pose, and it was probably the crazy amount of self-confidence, but he really did manage to catch a book. violet let out a triumphant laugh, quickly cut off by a pop figure box flying towards her. "HAHA, yes!! — AHH — okay, can you please go get your brother? he can do, like — an undoing spell or something? rewind? hit pause?"

———  ❛  oh,  yeah  !  it's  something  from  quest  of  yore.  ❜  barley  explained  as  if  it  was  common  knowledge  among  people.  the  scene  unfolding  before  him  felt  all  too  familiar.  he  could  remember  when  ian  had  been  insecure  with  his  powers.  with  a  little  push  in  the  right  direction,  ian  was  able  to  unlock  his  true  potential.  barley's  methods  were  questioned,  rightfully  so,  but  his  unwavering  support  came  regardless.  ❛  relax  and  focus!  i  know  it's  easier  said  than  done  with  books  flyin'  around  you  but  think  about  ...  think  about  a  giant  bubble!  and  the  books  gettings  trapped  in  it  !  ❜

he  desperately  listened  for  a  response.  each  time  he  thought  one  would  come  it  was  cut  off  by  a  disturbance  from  a  book.  ❛  i'll  circle  back  around  once  all  this  is  over  !  ❜  truthfully,  barley  was  having  the  time  of  his  life  fighting  these  books.  it  wasn't  ideal  and  certainly  didn't  paint  a  professional  picture.  anyone  else  could  have  found  this  magical  mishap  more  of  an  annoyance  but  in  the  midst  of  all  the  uncertainty  around  him,  this  moment  mishap  turned  to  a  moment  of  joy.  ❛  oh,  uh-  ❜  his  smile  faltered  slightly.  a  pang  of  sadness  weighing  his  heart  down  at  the  thought  of  his  brother.  like  a  switch,  he  quickly  turned  his  usual  jovial  disposition  back  on  and  shrugged.  ❛  i  would  so  do  that  but  he  moved  back  home.  if  i  facetime  him  maybe  he  could  help  ?  i  haven't  tried  that  yet.  ❜

barley’s grin pulled one out of eric too, even as he shook his head at the absurdity surrounding them. only barley could turn a full-blown magical disaster into something that felt like a side quest in an RPG.

“‘prince eric of the seven seas,’ huh?” he repeated with a snort, rolling his shoulders like he was about to give a motivational speech to a battalion. “alright, fine.”

a comic launched itself off a nearby shelf, dive-bombing straight toward his face. without missing a beat, eric grabbed the broom he’d snagged earlier, swung it with dramatic flair, and smacked the book out of the air like he’d trained his whole life for this moment.

“pretty sure i’ve survived worse things than homicidal comic books,” he added, watching the defeated issue spiral to the floor in a flutter of pages.

another burst of enchanted chaos erupted down the aisle, books zipping around like caffeinated pigeons, and eric stepped in beside barley, broom held like a sword.

———  magical  mishaps  were  a  common  occurrence  for  barley.  it  was  odd  given  he  help  no  abilities  himself.  yet,  magic  was  drawn  to  him.  it  was  almost  some  cruel  joke.  the  one  thing  he  loved  was  something  he  would  never  get  to  experience.  he  was  destined  to  be  waiting  in  the  wings  and  never  chosen.

❛  you  need  a  title.  i  think  it's  fits  don't  you  ?  ❜  the  elf  looked  at  his  surroundings.  if  he  were  to  go  into  battle  he  needed  some  for  of  protection.  the  recent  supply  of  kids  armor  seemed  like  the  perfect  thing.  it  was  comically  small  on  him.  the  shield  looking  closer  to  a  frisbee  rather  than  something  of  protection  but  it  would  have  to  do!

awe  sparked  in  barley's  eyes  as  he  watched  eric  jump  into  action.  it  was  like  his  game  had  come  to  life  before  his  very  eyes.  nowhere  on  his  quests  did  he  deal  with  rouge  books.  however,  the  idea  was  now  planted  in  his  head  for  his  next  session.  ❛  what's  the  worst  thing  you've  survived  ?  ❜

eric ducked just in time, the enchanted comic whizzing past his head and smacking into a shelf with a thwack! that sent a few more volumes tumbling loose. he froze, then slowly straightened, eyes wide and mouth curved into a grin that was way too amused for the situation.

“uh, yeah, totally normal tuesday,” he said cheerfully, brushing a bit of paper dust from his hair. “you sure this isn’t, like, a new immersive store experience? ‘buy one comic, battle for your life to read it’?”

he stepped forward, dodging another book that zoomed by like a caffeinated pigeon. “oh man, this is amazing,” he laughed, grabbing the nearest broom and holding it like a sword.

———  a  small  'ah  man'  left  barley's  lips  as  he  watched  the  comics  fall.  the  store  was  only  getting  worse  by  the  second.  when  he  finally  figured  out  how  to  get  the  books  from  flying,  there  would  be  a  giant  mess  to  pick  up.  barley  wasn't  looking  forward  to  that.

❛  i  mean,  this  feel  like  elias  normal  doesn't  it  ?  ❜  magic  mayhem  seemed  to  be  a  daily  occurance  in  old  elias.  ❛  oh,  man  i  wish.  can  you  imagine  how  cool  that  would  be!  it's  not  that.  i  think  this  shipment  somehow  got  enchanted  before  getting  delivered.  now  i  have  comics  literally  flying  off  the  shelves  !  ❜  he  laughed  at  his  own  joke.  not  before  moving  out  of  the  way  as  books  flew  every  which  way.

violet screamed, her hands flinging into the air as the book zoomed towards her — but, in an instant, it was captured by one of her force-fields.

just big enough to hold the book in mid-air and keep it still. she stared up at it in shock. "oh, my gosh. ohhhhhhhh, my gosh, it's actually staying! it's actually worki — oh, CRAP—" she yelled, as the force-field flickered and the book went zooming around again.

violet ducked down near a shelf, her hands covering her head. she'd gone into floyd's on a whim, struck by an idea for her father's future christmas present. but the chaos of the flying books had every thought leave her mind.

"uhm — i — did you ask a question? did you do this somehow, are you telekinetic or —" she looked at the net in his hand. "— a — a wizard or something?!"

———  ❛  holy  tooth  of  zadar !  that's  incredible  !  ❜  the  elf's  eyes  widened  in  awe.  his  amazement  would  never  cease  when  it  came  to  elias.  every  day  there  was  someone  new  exhibiting  powers  he  had  never  seen  before.  ❛  wait  !  can  you  do  that  again  ?  that  was  so  cool  !  ❜  he  had  intended  to  make  his  ways  towards  her  but  a  book  came  flying  straight  for  his  face.  so,  barley  opted  for  hiding  behind  the  counter.

he  dared  to  sneak  a  peek  after  a  moment.  the  chaos  was  still  ensuing  in  the  comic  book  shop.  he  could  think  of  a  few  spells  that  would  help  stop  the  books.  the  only  thing  is  that  barley  didn't  have  the  magic  to  create  those  spells.  it  was  one  of  those  moments  where  he  wished  ian  was  still  here.

❛  yes  !  i  did.  i  asked  ah  !  ❜  he  ducked  again.  ❛  i  asked  if  you  needed  help  finding  something.  ah,  no.  i'm  not  a  wizard.  my  brother  is  !  i'm  more  of  the  mentor  to  the  great  wizard  !  full  of  vast  and  important  knowledge  of  ye  old  yore  !  ❜  barley  rose  to  his  feet  to  strike  a  heroic  pose.  with  his  net  up  in  the  air  he  was  able  to  finally  catch  a  book  as  it  flew  right  into  the  center.

open starter, location mun's choice. (0/5)

penny stood with her arms crossed, leather boots tapping a restless rhythm against the floor as she sank deeper into thought. she couldn’t believe what was happening. people actually going missing. and someone as wonderfully talented and beautiful as her? well, obviously she could be a target.

“thankfully, i know karate,” she muttered to herself. “i’m a purple belt… those criminals won’t know what hit them.” her gaze stayed fixed on the wall, jaw set with dramatic determination. “imagine trying to capture me. pfft.” she scoffed, finally turning her head toward the other person. “have you heard this craziness? people going missing? insane!"

———  ❛  you'd  karate  chop  them  in  the  neck.  that'll  teach  them  a  lesson.  ❜  barley  stood  behind  his  girlfriend  to  give  the  top  of  her  head  a  kiss.  barley  had  been  doing  what  he  could  to  keep  his  mind  off  of  the  whole  missing  people  ordeal.  it  wasn't  the  healthiest  coping  mechanism.  he  knew  that  but  what  could  he  do  ?  if  something  were  to  happen  he  knew  that  he  could  defend  himself  or  penny  and  vice  versa.

❛  you  wouldn't  let  them  get  far  and  neither  would  i.  ❜  he  set  penny's  iced  latte  in  front  of  her  as  he  took  a  seat  beside  her.  in  his  hands  was  an  energy  drink  he  had  been  nursing  for  a  few  hours.  ❛  what  do  you  think  they're  doing  with  them  ?  i  wonder  ...  how  long  people  have  been  going  missing.  if  it's  been  a  few  months  they've  been  hiding  it  real  well.  ❜

“rolling with the punches, i can do that. probably, i guess we’ll find out.” he shrugs, though his brain was already running through all the possibilities of how rolling with the punches might not be his forte. milo eyes the red apple, feeling as though it might be a little too perfectly red and therefore untrustworthy, but says nothing — he’s rolling with the punches.

“it’s my first time at something like this, and i’m still in one piece, which i’d consider a success. still can’t quite shake that new guy feeling, no matter how long i’ve been here, though, you know? or, maybe you don’t, you seem like the kind of person who’d fit in anywhere.”

———  barley  shrugged  his  shoulders  slightly,  humble  in  his  response.  it  was  instinctual  in  him  to  be  protective  even  if  the  advice  wasn't  the  best.  "his  humor  colored  that.  ❛  it's  not  often  i  give  barley  pocket's  of  wisdom.  so  i'd  consider  yourself  lucky  today.  ❜  he  smiled,  his  usual  humor  coloring  his  tone  as  it  did  the  advice  he  had  given.  ❛  shit,  that's  a  good  point  ...  there's  gotta  be  some  sort  of  apple  test  they  can  do  to  see  if  it's  poison  or  not,  right  ?  ❜  with  all  the  magic  surrounding  someone  was  bound  to  tell  if  an  apple  was  good  or  not.

❛  yeah,  i  think  you  can  do  it.  you  just  gotta  believe  you  can  do  it.  which  i  do,  so  if  you  need  me  to  believe  enough  for  the  both  of  us  i  will. ❜    the  caution  and  uncertainty  milo  had  reminded  barley  a  lot  of  ian.  in  that  moment,  he  felt  his  heart  squeeze  a  bit  at  the  memory  of  him.  for  the  better  part  of  his  life  he  had  been  ian's  champion.  he  still  was  and  offered  that  rousing  support  to  anyone  else  who  needed  a  confidence  boost  -  milo  was  now  included  in  that.

barley  nodded  along  as  milo  spoke.  he  pitched  a  reddish  apple  with  yellow  hues  speckled  across  it's  skin.  this  one  looked  not  tainted  to  him.  ❛ staying  in  one  piece  is  a  great  start.  i  get  it.  i  think  ...  you'll  feel  like  the  new  guy  for  a  while  until  you  find  your  place.  ❜  the  elf's  smile  softened  a  bit,  a  sadness  hidden  behind  his  usual  cheery  disposition.  ❛  the  people  back  home  would  beg  to  differ.  it  feels  easier  fitting  in  here  because  everyone  is  so  ...  different.  like,  it's  not  a  bad  thing  to  not  fit  into  a  certain  box,  if  that  makes  sense.  even  if  you  feel  a  little  lost  or  yanno  new  there's  someone  here  who  feels  the  same  as  you  do  and  that  how  you  find  your  people.  ❜