✶ ░ EVERLONG

          ❝ I could have never woken up. ❞ He mutters to himself , hands rusting on his forearms as he stares out into the sky. To say it’s an OUT OF BODY feeling is an understatement - it’s a mix of the disbelief that a whole entire month has passed and the type of ‘mid-connection’ feeling that comes with one waking up from a long slumber. Sam even has to wonder if this is even real , or if he’s dreaming , and frankly , he doesn’t think he’ll like the answer , either way. ❝ There - There has to be someone that isn’t just okay after this - A month passed. So much can happen in a month ,  and - we’re supposed to just - just accept this ?? What if - what if there’re people who aren’t okay ?! ❞ He finds himself nearly breaking down - both from the sleep still in his system , making him a tad bit sensitive , as well as the sickening feeling of all the lost time. It’s hard to accept this kind of thing ; he doesn’t want to accept it.

        Sam . . . Sam was never the one to get angry , per say. He was never the one to take enjoyment in starting FIGHTS , or keeping them GOING , or showing any sort of distaste for anyone else. But sometimes , even the quietest of mice can make the loudest squeaks , especially in the case where they felt frightened , threatening , or defensive. And that was now , a normally polite voice heated as he interrupted her phrase with - ❝ Casse toi ; ca suffit. ❞ Basically , piss off & that’s enough. Brown eyes , still soft yet holding a fire that he’d inherited from his mother ( but rarely ignitied ) , bore right through her as he asked ,  ❝ How could you say something like that ?? About other people ?? It’s sadistic and wrong. ❞

         ❝ Monsieur , ❞ ever the one to be either devil’s advocate or the mediator , his voice is soft and quiet as his eyes rest upon Wren ,  ❝ I promise you , this is not the normal. ❞ Of course it wasn’t ; but occurrences like these were rather . . . scary when they did come about. And Sam couldn’t do much except say the same thing - We’ll get through it , this is a rare thing. But how rare ??  ❝ They’ll find out why this happened - I can assure you that. ❞     

            ❝ Wolves. ❞ He repeated , an obvious slur to his words due to the fact he was still recovering from waking. Because of course , as it always does one when sleeps , it felt as if no time passed - but judging by the way he couldn’t seem to RECOVER , the grog pushed down onto him and reminded him that he received a month’s worth of rest. And he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that it wasn’t a prank. ❝ How are you so . . . awake. I haven’t - I haven’t even gotten to be - ❞ Yawn. ❝ . . . back to myself yet. ❞     

          He keeps himself busy so he doesn’t think - and ADMITTEDLY , considering recent events of arrests , stripping of magic , it’s entirely reasonable. Thinking about it just makes him SAD , so he’s trying his hardest to think of anything else but. Hence , why he’s going around switching the flowers in vases not only around the Prep school , but also common areas and the like nearby. But there’s also the muttering to himself - ❝ That couldn’t - is it possible ?? Is it legal ?? How could - it’s just - AH ! ❞ He’s not sure if it’s someone else speaking to him or doing as much as stepping nearby him that makes him jump and turn around - and he drops the vase momentarily , before catching it quickly with both hands and letting out a relieved exhale. ❝ I am so sorry , ❞ the butler tells the other , looking up with exhausted brown hues , ❝ is there - is there anything I can help you with ?? ❞   

            ❝ Staring ?? Oh , I - I’m so sorry , monsieur - ❞ Samuel bowed his head in apology , standing up straight once more and clasping his hands together. He admittedly got lost in the strumming , a feeling very similar to one he’d experience when playing on the piano or the violin. And the guitar , he always wanted to learn it , but concern would always arise if he’d be criticized in whatever reason for learning. Since , he had other things to focus on. ❝ May i ask . . . how long have you been playing ?? ❞

           Of course , he wouldn’t at all take a gracious offer for granted - but as well , he wouldn’t stretch it out. He could never. But he nodded , bidding a soft , ❝ Merci beaucoup , ❞ and taking another sip from the wine glass in his palm. And a tired loll of the head to the side as he allowed himself to ponder once more , until replying ,  ❝ . . . I do appreciate it , very much. I’m not - I’m normally not much of a drinker. But lately I think my stress levels are rising , so . . . ❞ He lifted the wine glass , before eyeing the small amount and shooting the rest back quickly. He needed that. 

           ❝ I could . . . I could use a break. ❞ He finally replied , looking up through obviously exhausted eyes at Halima’s face. A break was needed - maybe even a nap , but Sam was unfortunately not the type to treat his body with that sort of respect. A break would suffice.

            He wants to say yes. He wants to say yes and go out and have a nice time during a PICNIC and all - but this is Sam. Sam , who worried about everything. Sam , who has to ask a million questions and take twice the amount of precautions even for somewhere as harmless as Halloweentown. ❝ But what if - what if we’re not allowed there , Arrow. ❞ He asks , standing up straight and offering that same concerned stare everyone has seen at least once. ❝ It’s fun - I want to go , too - but I also am worried that you’d get in TROUBLE and that’s not fun. ❞

        ❝ Cloudy and gloomy . . . ❞ Sam repeated , allowing his eyes to drift from the other to once again run over the painting-like horizon , maybe squinting his eyes and wondering if a shadow of the Isle would just pop up in the distance. But he knew one thing  - the more and more he heard about the Isle , the more he disliked it , and the more and more he heard about life on it , the more he felt the need to . . . well , take responsibility wasn’t the word for it. But he wanted to fix the issue - REPAIR IT , make life better for people there who were only now getting chances. Despite the fact his mother’s name never went down in the stories , despite the fact he wasn’t a royal and instead a simple castle butler. Despite that. ❝ But yeah - the sun’s a great source of Vitamin D , and that’s why it’s so . . . comforting , I guess. But be careful , since also it’s , um . . . it’s also a producer of those UVB rays that can be damaging to your skin. Sunburn. And normally if you’re pale as a ghost like me , you burn . . . way too easily. ❞

        ❝ Huh - ❞ He had to look up , more than focused on the notes he’d written down - scribbled in the neatest French cursive but of course unrecognizable to anyone except he who penned them. He would answer - but then there was hesitance. How . . . was he ?? ❝ - I’m fine. ❞  Was his soft reply. ❝ Just - trying to make sure I remember everything on this paper. ❞

      Free time left him bored ; he’d still been trying to find new ways to keep himself busy - but that was a bit hard , considering that even thought he was TWENTY-THREE he still hadn’t figured out any hobbies. Any pasttimes . . . It was almost concerning. But one thing was of course the piano and violin , the latter of which he’d been tuning when Arrow approached him. ❝ Halloweentown ?? ❞ He asked , mocha hues drifting up to meet the other’s. ❝ Do we . . . can we get there ?? ❞

        A listless gaze stared into the burgundy liquid in Samuel’s wine glass , the twenty-three year-old feeling rather . . . out of it. That would be the best way to describe it , and nothing more ; despite the winter ending and a spell being lifted , the arrests - they didn’t make him feel good. And he’d rather spend his time not feeling good by indulging in a rare drink than feeling sorry for himself at home when he wasn’t even involved. ❝ Oh - ❞ He looked up , caught from his trance , and shaking his head. ❝ No , no - I won’t be long at all , mademoiselle. But thank you. I do appreciate it. ❞   

             ❝ It’s good for you , monsieur. Sunlight’s a valuable source of Vitamin D. ❞ He’s only interjected on impulse - the sound of another voice causing for Sam to respond immediately instead of thinking MAYBE he should exactly see who’s speaking before conversing with people he doesn’t know quite well. But granted , he’s friendly. It’s only natural he offers a reply while out on a walk - admittedly missing the heat a little too much after winter’s chill overstayed its welcome. A small sigh , one boot taking a step closer to the edge of the docks - now looking at small party boats in the distance probably celebrating the going of the winter , the birds flying close to the sun . . . A clear of the throat. ❝ Ahem , I mean , that’s just what I know. C-Common knowledge. ❞