Pumpkin Spice Bread
Thank you @greyhands for letting me write this story! I didn’t know what to title it so I thought this should be ok. This is a story about her OC Nell and Asra as kids. I’m sorry it turned out so long but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!
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“We’re finally back!” Luka announced, opening his arms nice and wide welcoming the salty ocean air of Vesuvia into his lungs. The sun beaming back on his bright smiling face. “Sis, you should do it to, it feels so good to be back!“
“No, thank you.” Nell stated, sitting on the colourful steps of her family caravan in the comfortable shade. She peered over her book to watch the crowds, wary of the people passing them by. Some more than others staring at her twin brother as he took in great breathes of air as if he was breathing real air for the first time. Placing her bookmark securely onto her page and closing it she said “It’s embarrassing.”
“I should head into town and see the boys again!” Luka shouted, paying no mind to Nell’s words. “It’s been ages since I last seen them.”
Nell sighed. And, he’s gone. Stuck in his own little world, again. She smiled and headed inside to put her book away. It had been a while since they came back to Vesuvia and it was during the summer time that they’d come back. The air hot, the sun blazing, and the cool ocean water bright sparkling blue. What a beautiful view. After putting her book away and giving her thirsty plants plentiful amounts of water, she went to check on her grandmother who was sat hunched over her deck of tarot cards.
“Would you like anything to drink, Grandma?” Nell asked, leaning into view.
“Ah, Nell, just in time.“ She smiled. She guestured to the seat next to her and Nell obliged. This was the usual interaction she had with her grandmother, reading tarot cards so often made Nell an avid reader. She shuffled the cards, cut the cards into three piles, then waited for her Grandma to pick a pile.
“This time I want you to pick.” She smiled, deepening her wrinkles. She chose and spread the cards out on the table. “Now, pick three cards.”
Nell plucked three cards from the table and placed them in front of her, faced down. She gulped. It was her first time reading her own fortune. She turned over her first card, Justice; meaning cause and effect, fairness and karma. The second card, The Fool; beginnings and innocence, and the last card; The Magician; power, skill, concentration and action. Nell, confused, gazed at her grandmother, who’s eyes were sparkling with interest and wonderment. Before she could ask what the cards meant for her, she heard her mother calling. Standing up from her chair, Nell left a firm grip clasp onto her wrist. She turned seeing her grandmother place coins into the palm of her hand and then placing her index finger to her lips. “As a treat.” Her grandmother whispered and smiled a mysterious smile. Without another word she ushered Nell out of the room.
* * * *
Nell’s mother had asked her to go into town to buy some ingredients for dinner that evening and who better to come along than her brother, Luka. Going into town, the crowds where getting larger and larger, everyone slowly making their way into the market place, just like them, to buy necessities on their way home from work. The sun was still high in the sky and the heat just as blazing.
“It’s so hot!” Luka complained. Wiping the sweat from his brow. Nell was looking at the shopping list and looking through the stalls whilst saying “You should’ve brought your hat with you, you knew it was going to be hot.”
“But the sun feels so nice on my skin!”
“Then don’t complain.” Nell said plainly. She paid the merchant from her small brown satchel and continued to the next stall. Luka staggered behind her trying to keep to the shade. Nell felt him pulling at her sleeve, she wasn’t surprised to see him all sparkly eyed and pointing at the fountain in the town’s plaza.
“We should definitely cool off there!”
“We don’t have time.” She said. He pouted at her response. She loved her brother dearly but sometimes he could get a little out of hand. Sighing she looked at the shopping list and then back at the fountain. “Why don’t you cool off and I’ll finish up buying stuff for mum.”
“Really? You’re the best!” Luka said hastily and darted straight for the fountain.
“Meet me back here, ok?!” Luka waved at her without looking back. She could hear Luka’s old friends greeting him as he approached the fountain, laughter and joyous screams ringing in the air. How nice. She thought and continued with shopping.
With the last ingredient purchased, Nell double checked the list to make sure she didn’t miss anything. With it double checked she made her way back to the meet up point, hopefully Luka didn’t wander off anywhere.
“ ’scuse me, young miss.” A friendly merchant waved snapping Nell out of her trance, “would you like to sample my new recipe?” Approaching the stall, the lovely warm scent of spice and pumpkins filled her nose, her stomach growlsed lowly and her mouth began to drool as the smell intensified the closer she got. She looked at the small samples of bread on the stall front not many pieces were left as many people from the crowd wandered over, tried and bought the bread without hesitation. Unsure, Nell picked up a piece and ate it, the bread was soft and fresh, the fluffy bread melting on her tongue as the spices delicately and harmoniously with the pumpkin flavour flood her tastebuds, she’d never tasted something so amazing and delicious before. She looked into her money pouch and realised she didn’t have enough for both her and Luka and sighed disheartened. She placed her coins onto the table. “Here.” The merchant winked at her, holding out the loaves of bread to her, before she could correct him as she didn’t have enough for both he interjected, “It’s the last one, so you can have it, as a treat.” She beamed and thanked him placing both into her basket.
Patiently, Nell waited for Luka at their randevu point. She waited and waited but he wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Where is he? She thought and started to bite down on her thumbnail. The sun was still high in the summer but it was still getting late. Maybe I should go look for him- Suddenly, she glanced up to face the now packed market place the crowds like tidal waves flooding the once spacious streets. How was she suppose to look for him now?
Nell left a tingle, a feeling she only felt once before with her grandmother when they did card readings. Magic. She looked away from the crowds for a moment to take a breath.
“What’s wrong?“ A voice projected behind her. Jolting, alert, Nell twisted round to find no one there. Maybe the sun’s heat is getting to me. She turned back to the sea of people hoping to see Luka there but instead coming round the bend comes two guards, who spot her, raising a finger and shouted “There he is, there’s the thief!”
Panic rushed through her body and before she knew it she was running in the sea of people trying to get away. Luka, what have you done now?! Without thinking, Nell kept running until she couldn’t run anymore. Dead end. The guards were approaching their angry voices huffing “Nowhere to run now, rat!”
Nell felt cold sweat beading down her face. She was in trouble, even though she was innocent she still ran away. Suddenly she felt a hand cover her mouth and she was pulled into the shade, a veil of what she thought was smoke cloaked her in the shadows. Tingling. She dared not to breathe as the guards entered the alley. Pausing. Scanning. “Weird, I could’ve sworn he ran this way. Let’s check around the back alley way, he might have hidden somewhere…”
The hand lets go and the veil is pulled away. Nell’s heart was still beating hard against her chest. Turning to her saviour, her emerald eyes met a pair of dazzling purple eyes and white fluffy hair. “First time running from the guards?” He laughed, wrapping the loose part of his red scarf tighter around his neck. He wore such baggy clothing and his feet were bare and dirty. A street kid. He noticed her staring and just smiled warmly at her. She couldn’t help but blush, embarrassed.
“What were they after you for?” He asked.
“I don’t think it’s me they’re after, I think it might have been my idiot twin brother causing trouble again.” She blurted. She met his gaze again and blushed. He smiled. “Shall we look for your brother?”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that for me.” Nell blushed. There it is again. She thought feeling a tingling sensation as she watched the boy close his eyes and pulling on an invisible thread. He placed the invisible thread into Nell’s hand and beamed at her again. “The guards will be coming back here looking for you, I’m going to draw them away. You’ll only get a few seconds of invisiblity to get away, I can’t do anymore than that.“
He goes up to the tall wall looking a little pale, taking a deep breath he begins to float up, magic lifting him from the ground.
“W-wait!” Nell stammered going into her basket and pulling out a loaf, “I haven’t thanked-”
The boy still floating, raises an idex finger and quietly whispered “shhhh…”
“There he is!” A guard shouted, running straight passed Nell and towards the wall. Looking up the boy now looked like Nell, smiled at her and pointed outwards before running away the guard trying to scale the wall after him.
Nell ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, her hand tightly clutching the invisible string as it tugged her in different directions, until she was abruptly stopped as she slammed into Luka who shouted “Watch where you’re going- Oh! Nell, quick let’s get out of here!”
Before Nell could protest, Luka grabbed Nell with his free hand and they ran out of the market place and back home. Catching their breathe outside of their home, Nell pulled Luka’s ear and huffed angrily, “Not even a day, and you’re already in trouble with the palace guards!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Luka yelped, riggling away. She placed the basket of groceries down and took out the now cold loaf.
“It’s cold now, but I bought this for you.” Nell said with a pout. “But I don’t think I should give it to you seeing as you caused so much trouble.”
“I said I’m sorry, I was trying to save this little guy from death!” Luka growled, his belly growling louder. Nell blinked. Who? Looking at Luka’s shirt she noticed he had something hidden in it. A small little fluff ball who was badly hurt.
“Oh you poor little thing!” Nell said pulling out her handkerchief and wrapping it around the little guy. “Did you take him from the market?”
“Yeah, the stall clerk wasn’t bothered with him so I said I’d take him. He said by all means so I did.”
“You look hungry.“ Nell sighed, Luka ripped off a piece of his bread and handed it to Nell. It ate it in a hurry and looked up with tired and pained eyes. “Grandma will be furious with me if I brought him inside.“
“I’ll wait out here with him, you can get the medkit and pretend I’ve gone to play with some friends - we can sneak him inside tonight, noone will notice.” Luka said in a half whisper. Nell giggled and gently placed him back into Luka’s bread crumb covered arms. That won’t work, it never works. She thought picking up the basket and going up the caravan steps. “You still have to name him.” Luka sang. A name. Nell couldn’t help think of the street kid back in town who helped her get away from the guards. I didn’t ask for his name.
After handing her mother the shopping and making up an excuse for Luka, Nell asked her mother if she could have a small snack and read her book outside. Hesitant her mother gave her a small loaf of bread with cheese and a cup of water. Nell quickly picked up the medical kit and the food and made her way back outside. She nursed the poor thing and fed him what she could. He seemed happy slowly falling asleep in Nell’s lap. She took this time to tell Luka about the boy and asked if he knew anything about him. Luka thought for a moment but couldn’t recall a boy of his description in the group. As they talk the little fella fell fast asleep, hugging him in her arms the three of them made their way back inside before nightfall. “I think I’ll call him Paisley.”
* * * * *
With his feet dangling from the pier, the white haired boy shared his bread with his snake, watching the stars shooting across the sky, the ocean waves ebbing quietly under his feet. Every bite made him smile as his tastebuds were hit by the unique flavors of the bread. Every bite he thought back to the girl in the alley way. It was his first reward he ever got. A thank you for being.
“Faust, I think I’m in love with his bread.“
This is the first fanfiction about Nell and Asra as children (and Nell’s twin brother *wink wink* @willowwish64 ), and I can’t stop reading it again and again, this is so wholesome haaaaaaaa 💖💖💖💖 !! This is a true wonder to me, I’m so happy that my Nell gives inspiration to other artists !
Not only you draw gorgeous traditional artworks, @owlchemistart , but you also write beautiful texts !! Thank you SO MUCH for these two gifts, the artwork and the fanfiction, tonight I’m feeling like the luckiest person （*＾ワ＾*）
I’m adding the quick drawing of Nell as a child I made to use as a ref for this story ^^
