#platonical

When one was underwater, it was hard to tell what the sky was up to. It didn't matter if it was storming or if there wasn't a cloud in the sky. When you were in the Great Hall, you hadn't a clue of it.

So far down, at the bottom of the sea, everyone was far too isolated from the free clouds above.

In the stone maze that the Great Hall was, the coldness of the water seeped into the walls. It clawed it's way deeper, even if most of the witches didn't notice.

Many of your books mentioned the weather. How it acts, how it changes, how it feels. Even how it affects the people living. Could it affect the witches here too? Could the rain above form the sadness in people's minds here?

Could it be raining now? Could it be that's why you're sad?

This perpetual sadness seemed to settle deep into your bones. It became an inseparable part of you. As if it was crawling through your veins, nestled in the pores of your spongy bone tissue.

It felt as if you were melting into your bed, laying there for so long. You thought of doing something. Your spells, work, reading... something. But you couldn't. Physically you could, but not mentally. Something was keeping you tied to your bed.

"Sweetling!" Beldaruit's joyful voice comes from behind your door, "Your dear master is here!"

You didn't even have to get up, the old man's sand illusion let itself in, opening the door and jumping inside.

"I was wondering if you want to come with me to the plaza. Master Bel would buy you some sweets in the cafeteria too!" he beams as his goat horned chair carries him closer.

Beldaruit often wanted to bring you out of your room. Lately, you wished he'd just leave you alone. What were you supposed to do at the plaza? Eat some sweets? You didn't want a cake.

"No... I... you can go without me," you mumble, bring your blankets closer to yourself.

"...hm. You don't want to go? But, sweetling, it will be fun!" the old man tries again, reaching his hand out to you. With his touch, he tries to soothe you and bring you out of your cocoon.

"No, I'm tired," you huff sharply, burying yourself deeper into the blankets. Of course, since your face was pushed into your pillow, you couldn't see the way Beldaruit's face fell. But you could hear the soft sigh he let out.

"...very well, my dear. If you're tired, get some rest. Please. You will feel better afterwards," that joyful voice of his came back, with a little quiver to it, "Master Bel will still buy you something, don't you worry!"

When you didn't reply, his illusion took a step towards your door.

"Sleep well, little one," he whispered as he left, the door closing after him.

Guilt swirled in your heart, annoyance in your mind. Your master sounded so upset. But why should you feel guilty? You just didn't want to go out today. How is that bad?

The grip on your blanket tightened. It's not fair. You were just tired. It's fine if you don't want to go to a stupid plaza!

It was almost pitch black when you opened your eyes, safe for the soft outlines of your bed. Right. You must've fallen asleep.

A creak forms as you sit up. Dehydration pulled at your senses. Overcome with dizziness, you whine softly.

What time is it?

No matter.

Hunger twisted your stomach, but even in your near starved state, you didn't feel like getting up. Sitting like this was exhausting already.

And thus, you lifelessly flop down into the mattress again.

This felt miserable. Why were you like this?

Your stomach hurt so bad.

Pushing your face into your pillow didn't help. It didn't ease the ache in your stomach nor the mess in your head.

What was up with you?

Why were you like this?

Why did it have to be you?

"Sweetling...?" a soft voice appears in the room, sending you into a jolt. You almost instantly sit up and look behind you. A soft glow from the opened door seeps into your room. A silhouette of a certain man on a goat chair before you.

"...my dear... ah, I...," Beldaruit's voice hitched. It was probably the first time you heard it do such a thing. Sometimes it lowered, halted, but it never was so heartbroken.

"I- Master- You're back...," you let out the first thing that comes to tongue, trying to ease the awkwardness.

"Not soon enough it seems...," he said almost imperceptibly, "Here, my little love, I brought you dinner. You didn't come down when the kitchen called you."

The old man came closer, the chair's hooves clicking against the floor before he stopped in front of your bed. He reaches out to your bedside table, turning on the magical lamp, letting in a source of low light.

"Eat, sweetling. You must be starving," the voice still comes so softly as Beldaruit hands you the plate. He doesn't wait for you to protest, to give him the plate back. His chair turns and comes back to the door, not to leave, but to close them.

Your gaze falls down onto the dinner. It was one of your favourites. You could manage this, no? So, you take the fork and try to eat, try to ease your master's mind.

Beldaruit came back to you, watching you eat. It soothed his senses some, but his heart was still full of worry. As he watched you, he felt it spread more and more. How could he let this happen?

"My sweetling, I... I know you... you do not fancy talking about your feelings, to put it simply. But... you see, my little love, I cannot let this go on," his soft voice stammers, "You see, I am your master. And hence, I must take care of you. I am here for you. I am here, for your ails of any kind. Be it bruises, or heartache. Let your master treat your hurts."

Your throat tightened and your jaw tensed. Your mind went blank as your eyes promptly locked onto the plate. You could hear the loud beating of your heart.

A tender touch lands onto your upper back. Beldaruit's hand rubs small circles into you.

"My dear," a painful sigh leaves him, "I know... I know you do not like it, but please... please, talk to me. Even the smallest crumb."

Perhaps your hold on the fork tightened, but not for long, as Beldaruit reached out with his free hand and eased the utensil out of your hand. He waits for a moment, seeing if you look at him.

"Breathe, sweetling. Just breathe. In and out," your master hums as he continues his rubbing, "It's fine. I'm not trying to attack you. You're safe. In your bed. You needn't talk right this second. Let's take it slowly, alright? Hm? My little love?"

Naturally, at the loss of your grip on the fork, your eyes followed it to Beldaruit's hand. And from there, they jump up onto Beldaruit's face. Just for a second. But it was enough to see his kind, and a really concerned, face.

"Please, eat some more. I was only worried you were shutting down, sweetling. Here," his palm opens up again, "Could you try to finish your dinner? Please, for this old man?"

Something in his sweet voice made your head cave a bit, nodding to his request. The fork was put back into your hand. As you began to eat again, you slowly eased into the moment.

Silence fills the room. Beldaruit doesn't urge you on nor does he ask you anything. He lets you be for the moment, just making sure you actually fill your stomach.

"I am sorry, my little love, I didn't bring you any tea. Ah, seems your old man is getting forgetful. Will you forgive him?" he gently jokes while you put the empty plate onto your bedside table.

"...'s fine."

"...are you fine, sweetling?

"... yeah..."

Beldaruit's sigh echoes in the room.

"I am sorry. I... I see that I have made a lapse in my judgement. I mustn't allow you to deflect this. Because," he takes a deep breath,"my little love, you aren't fine at all."

The world came crashing down. There was oppressive pressure on your heart, making it pound so wildly. No. No.

Why must he do this? Why can't he leave it be. Why.

"But that's okay. You cannot simply be fine all the time. Sometimes, you cannot be fine for a long time...," Beldaruit lowers his voice, "It must feel so lonely, right? So wrong. But, please know, your papa is here. And he-... I would never turn you away at this time."

His hands slowly loop around your waist, delicately tugging you closer. Despite his small coaxes into his lap, your heartbeat doesn't slow.

"Please. Let me be the support you need, sweetling. No more running away, okay? My poor heart can't take it anymore," his words turn into a whisper once he manages to settle you down into his lap.

His slender arms encircle you. The hold is tight and firm, but not suffocating.

You couldn't resist anymore. Your face went straight into the crook of his neck. And, without even knowing really when, tears roll down your cheeks, pooling against Beldaruit's neck.

"Oh, my little love... do not hold it in anymore. Cry. Cry as much as you need. I'm right here," he sweetly shushes you, "Oh... my little baby. Your papa is right here."

"I- I-...," you try, but a sob rips out of you.

"...yes? Do not worry, sweetling. I'm listening. There's no judgement here."

"I just- I don't know, M-... It- I-," you choke on your own sniffles, your breath hitching like crazy, "I- I am just- so... so tired and- and just... not- not good..."

Your words were jumbled, shaky and very simple. But that's all Beldaruit needed. He understood.

He understood just how much this must've been affecting you. Being so lost in your own feelings that you couldn't even properly identify. You must've been so lonely. Isolated, even from him.

"Ah, shh, shh. Breathe," he softly says, caressing your head, "I know. It's so tiring, isn't it? But, listen to me, my little love, it'll be okay. You know why? Because now, I am here. Your dear master. And I will never let you fall so far from me ever again."

The cries and sniffles made your body weak. You couldn't even hold onto him properly as your body rocked at the force of your sobs. Your breath often faltered. It was shallow and many times disrupted by you choking on your own saliva.

Beldaruit kept on holding you close. Impossibly close. His hold didn't ease, not even a fraction. The caress to your head never ceased either. It was a rhythmic reminder of his care.

"Shh, shh... breathe, sweetling. Breathe. Deep breaths. We can't have you passing out now," he murmured, pushing your head just a tad to the side, yet still delivering a little peck to your temple.

Thankfully, your breathing managed to even out somewhat. It was a slow transition from the hysterical and shallow hitches into deeper breaths. Still quite affected by your cries nonetheless.

"Hmm... it's okay. It'll be okay. I'll make sure of it. And, to start off! We must get you some warm tea and into a soft bed. Preferably, my bed. I can't leave such a little sweet thing like you all alone tonight, can I? That would be cruel," Beldaruit whispers, trying to bring you out of your sobs, "Shh, shh. Papa will make it better."

The chair suddenly moves, carrying your master and you out of the room. It trudges through the hallways straight to Beldaruit's quarters. The chair doesn't rush.

A lullaby follows you both as Beldaruit hums you a low tune. His hand is everlasting on your head, still caressing you.

"Here we are. Ah, no, no. Don't cry anymore, sweetling. Here... Let me clean up your cute little face," your master takes a napkin once he reaches his bed, leaning backwards to check your face. He brings the napkin to your face, soothing your crying even more as he wipes your tears.

"There... all better, hm? Did your heart lift? Even if just a little bit?"

"Mhmm..."

"Ah, yes? Ah... my sweetling...," Beldaruit is almost breathless, hearing your voice once again, outside of your sobs felt like a victory. It relieved his worries immensely.

"Good! That's how it ought to be. Now, go. Into my bed. You know this part very well. Get cozy, my little love," he ushers you off his lap, "Master will make you some nice lemon balm tea!"

Obediently following his commands, you crawl off his lap and lay on the bed, worming your body underneath Beldaruit's cover. You turn your head and watch as he pulls out his tea set and within seconds brews you a cup of tea.

As if on cue, you pull the cover back, allowing your master to shift himself out of his chair and onto the bed. After a few adjustments, mainly straightening out his legs on the bed, he leans his back into the horde of pillows. You promptly cover him.

"Oh! Aren't you just the sweetest? Thank you, taking care of me when you should be relaxing," he plants a kiss to your head before he hands you the cup of tea.

The soft "thank you", that you give him, makes him beam even more. His smile was widening more and more as you calm down.

"That's better. All better now. See? Master Bel would never turn you away. Never," he hums and kisses your head again. He can't help himself.

The lullaby comes back. Your master hums you the tune while you drink your tea.

Gosh, your eyes were so heavy.

Beldaruit felt the mounting pressure to his side. He knew you were losing your consciousness. But he waited a few moments more.

And when he saw the cup tilting, he took it and put it away. His arm brought you closer.

"Sleep now, my little love. Your papa is here. And he isn't leaving," the words echo in your head as you fall asleep. A tender kiss to your forehead is the last thing you feel.

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˗ˏˋ ★ ― QIFREY ‼

Flashes and lightning. Unnerving shakes sent straight into your heart. The fight in the sky was sudden. One minute you were sitting by your window sill, practicing spells, the next the world drowned in rain and lightning struck fear into you.

The thunder was so loud, it felt as if it made the Earth shake. Truly, your heart was trying to outrace the stress. Why must it feel like this?

Another flash illuminated the whole room. A few seconds later, a thunderous sound spreads all over the world. The rain was, of course, non-stop, beating against the glass window.

It takes another lighting and the horrible thunder for you to free of your frozen state. Suddenly, you realised you were chewing at the side of your cheek, your hands were crumbling the training paper from clenching your hands, and your body was shaking from small shivers.

And out of nowhere, immense fear tightened around your whole body. Until now, the loud strikes felt like an oppressive reminder of oncoming doom. Now, it morphed into a desperate need to run and hide. It was no longer a feeling of anticipation. It became intense panic that clouded your senses.

Quite haphazardly and jittery, you scurry out of your room straight to the living room of the atelier. You even take the stairs by two, even skipping the last three by jumping straight to the ground, for the reward of finding your salvation sooner.

But much to your dismay, your rescue is nowhere to be found – no person, no light, even the fire eroded into a small flicker of fire in the hearth.

Logically, the other residents of this atelier were somewhere in this building. They didn't just disappear from the face of the Earth, but the absence of a living being in the place you expected them to be, left you with the very same feeling. You're alone.

The panic settles deeper into you, spiking straight into your bones. Your frightened state worsens, your body shakes even more. The storm was bringing out your bad habits like fur from a shedding husky.

Your fingers find themselves in your mouth as you chew and bite at them, actually tearing off bits and pieces of your nails and dead cuticles around them.

No-one was here.

A loud, distressed whine comes out of you as you  desperately start moving, trying to search for someone. But even the kitchen was empty and dark.

Your heart might as well stop and let you drop dead, because this already felt like the worst possible scenario.

Another lighting stuck and the whole house filled with light, before another brutal echo of thunder. It felt horrible, helpless. So you simply gave up and fell down onto the floor, pushing your knees to your chest and shoving your face into your knees, you hid yourself. Your palms fly to cover your ears, while you pointlessly try not to sniffle.

Usually, your fear of storms doesn't affect you to such a devastating degree, but the absence of people truly set off an unshakable attack of panic in you.

Another whine is brought of you as your hands are forcibly pulled away from your ears, making you look up, all teary-eyed. Thankfully, the dear master Qifrey finally showed up.

"Oh, love... my, the storm really frightened you, didn't it?" his voice was light, so soothing. He was cooing at you as if you were a scared puppy.

"Come here, love. It's alright...," the soothing sound continues as the man wrapped his hands around your waist and pulled you into him. Naturally, you pushed your head into his neck.

Qifrey put his head atop yours as he softly shushed your cries. One of his hands was tightly holding you as the other drew small, but comforting circles into your back.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here. But the rain was so sudden and I was working outside. Master had to first hide away some tools so they wouldn't get ruined by the rain, you know?" he hummed.

Not that you really cared what he was doing. You just wanted him here. Needed him here. And so, Qifrey came and let you hold onto him. He was your lifeline after all.

"Shh, master's here now. But, love... I have never seen you this unsettled by the storm. What has brought this on, hm?" Qifrey's hand moved up onto your head, gently caressing you.

"I don't know...! I went downstairs and- and you weren't here...," the scared mumblings of yours made Qifrey's heart clench in sadness.

"I see... It really scared you, didn't it? Ah, I'm sorry, darling," his hand continuing to pet your head, "But master is here now, and he intends to fix all this. Would you like that, hm?"

Qifrey pulled back away from you a tiny bit, wanting to see your reaction. Once he saw you nod with that sad pout on your face, his eyes softened impossibly.

"Ah, you're just too cute for me, darling," he cooed at your adorable face before picking you up. He carried you to the sofa, setting you down and burying you in some soft blankets.

"There. Now, wait for me just a minute longer, okay?" Qifrey gave you a comforting smile while he quickly wiped your tears away before giving you a kiss on your cheek.

Your saviour retreated away from you. First, he threw some more wood into the dying fire, letting it burn anew. Then he moved to the kitchen, to no one's surprise.

"Master...?" you worriedly called once the waiting took too long and he was still nowhere to be seen, hiding behind the walls of the kitchen.

"Coming!" Qifrey immediately replied. After a beat, and some meddling sounds, your master truly did appear back in the living room, carrying a tray with cups of tea and assorted snacks.

He sat the tray down, and after checking on the fire, he slid his way to your side, bringing you back into his embrace.

"There, there. Everything is alright now," he hummed before giving you a kiss atop your head.

A deafening crash of thunder disrupted the cozy atmosphere.

The air was hit out of Qifrey's lungs at how fast you shoved your face into his chest. But he didn't mind. He was happy to be your sanctuary.

"Shh, I know... It's okay. It's okay, love," his steady hands came to catch you once again, "You do not have to worry. Olly re-enforced the protective sigils last week, so our little home is all safe. And we are too. Master will make sure of it."

˗ˏˋ ★ ― OLRUGGIO ‼

The dark was turning into a gloomy, bothering shade of gray too quickly for comfort. To go from such a joyous, sun-filled day into this bleak, upsetting darkness was just horrible.

Such rains usually invoke sadness and resignation in people. But to you, it easily slipped into stress, once thunder and lightning were mixed into the water droplets.

It was simply a worrisome amount of stentorian strikes of thunder and flashes of white. The sounds always loomed over your head, creating a feeling of doom, as if a guillotine's edge was hanging above you.

And so, when the beating of raindrops against the window was momentarily drowned out by the sonorous thunder strike, you immediately fell into despair.

Practically diving into your bed, you bang the frame against the wall. You did feel a bit bad, but only until another thunder struck and you scuttled underneath your covers like the scared little bug you were.

Even under the horde of soft material the strikes were just as unsettling as before. You, quite literally, hated this. You hated storms. You hated the fear that made you unable to go on about your day.

A thud resounds in the atelier, but not that of a storm, but the slightly irritated slam of a door by a grumpy master.

The various grumbles of "Ugh! Why's it raining so much?" and "I swear to the Wise Ones, someone's against me!" reach all the way to your bed. A little humourous, but again, only until the storm chose to ruin your fleeting state of ease.

"Argh! No, no, no...," a handful of nervous ramblings and swears were heard next, alongside some hurried stomps. Olruggio rushed up the stairs towards the huge window in his room that was left open.

A curse or two leave Olruggio's lips before his rushed steps travel up to your room.

"Kid? Are your windows closed?" he asks, but breathless, as he reaches your room.

"Kid?" the pure confusion in his voice made you giggle, making Olruggio look at the very you-shaped mountain of blankets on the bed.

"Oh... what'cha hiding for? Is it me? I trimmed up my beard the other day! I can't be that hideous anymore!"  he said as he crossed the room to your bed, curiously poking the bump upon your bed.

"No! No way, master! You're not hideous! I never said you were!" you loudly protest, while trying to keep your giggles at bay.

"Ah, but I remember one time, a couple of years ago-"

"That doesn't count! I was young and stupid back then!"

"Oh? And as opposed to what? Are you old and smart now?" Olruggio inquired with a teasing grin on his face.

"Stop being mean!" you chime up, pushing the blankets off in one single motion. Once your sight wasn't blocked by the darkness of softness, your hand stuck for gold, pulling on Olruggio's bear.

"God- ugh!" he promptly jerked his head away, "Unbelievable! You manage to pull on such small hairs? You truly have unruliness in your blood..."

Olruggio continued to grumble wordlessly while he scratched at the spot of pain. Weren't you just so mean?

With all this light-hearted banter, you almost completely forgot about the war of weather going on outside. But just as were your luck, the storm wasn't going away, nor was your fear.

A particularly thunderous lightning struck close to the atelier, sending a monstrous sound into your ears almost instantly. Your master could only watch in concern as you suddenly flinched and retreated back to the safety of the covers.

"Oh... right... I forgot you... hm, are you okay, sweetheart?" the displeased huffs of Olruggio stopped instantly. His hand came to gently caress your head.

"C'mon, let's go down. Being up here, in yer room, will only make you more aware of the storm," his voice was low, a soothing rumble.

Olruggio didn't really wait for your approval. He simply picked you up, alongside some of the blankets, and carried you down the stairs, while dragging half the covers against the floor.

You traveled in his arms all the way to the base of the atelier, only getting a glimpse at the suspiciously darker pillows by the window.

"Wait for me here, okay?" he mumbled as he set you down on the floor, leaving you like a discarded toy there, before he went up the stairs once again. That's a workout and a half for him, huh.

Not long after, a proper nest formed next to you. Cushions on the floor and against the cold stone wall adorned with blankets, pillows and snugstones tucked underneath them.

Olruggio watched as you crawled onto his self-made, provisional couch and settled down into its warmth.

Adding finishing touches, like the three scrapped Phantom Flame Balls as a substitute for a cozy fireplace, Olruggio could not feel more proud of himself for constructing such a comforting atmosphere.

He didn't dwell in his plan for too long. He didn't fancy trying to find out how much more stress your poor heart could take. Slipping underneath the blanket, your master sat down next to you. His arm snaked around you and pulled you closer.

"There. Now, yer all safe and sound," he hummed, still much pride to be found in his voice, "Here. Master bought something for ya."

Olruggio pulled a small carton box from somewhere beside him and set it down in your lap, letting you check its contents yourself.

Inside the box, you found two delicious-looking, glazed cinnamon buns. They looked way too good.

"Mhm! All for you! So eat up and forget about the nasty storm outside, alright?" a couple of encouraging pats, and one ruffle of your hair, came to your shoulder as Olruggio smiled ear to ear.

˗ˏˋ ★ ― BELDARUIT ‼

The days were gloomy and filled with never-stopping rain. Or so people said. The weather outside had little to, virtually, no impact on the Great Hall. So far underneath the sea, underneath a strong spell barrier, it didn't matter if there was a storm or a snowfall, for all the adults and children were simply unaware of it.

Therefore, with such reinforced protective spell barrier, everyone was surprised to feel the sonorous crashes of the powerful currents against the barrier. There must have been a mountainous, enraged storm beating against the surface of the sea.

Most of the adults living down in the Great Hall have experienced such a phenomenon at least once or twice before. But to a child like you, who had yet to feel the unsettling shakes vibrating through the stones, this was as if the ground had opened to swallow you whole.

A horrible distress befallen you when the disgusting sound reverberates through the walls once more. Why were you sentenced to this?

Looking around your room, you check if everything is in place after, what felt like, an earthquake. Everything seemed to be in place, in tact. Except for you and your growing panic that you wanted to ignore.

A self-soothing whine leaves you. Low and very queasy. You hadn't a clue what to do. The single thing you could think of was running to hide underneath the chair of Beldaruit.

But, a few... hours, or perhaps just minutes, ago Beldaruit said he had to go take care of some things. The panic from the unexpected horrid sounds made your head completely blank. You weren't sure if there was a possibility of him being back in his room.

A part of you didn't want to go check. What if he wasn't back? You'd just come to an empty room, stressed beyond belief, and then be forced to go back to your own?

The thought made you even more miserable. And thus, you did the next best thing and pulled out some parchment and magical ink.

The plan was simple – draw a spell that creates the very same smoke figure of your master that he himself uses. If you had the smoke figure, surely, even that could comfort you, no?

So, with another sound that made you feel like the roof above your head was about the cave in and fall onto you, you draw a spell. Or at least attempt to. You have barely learned any smoke magic yet. It was anybody's guess how he made those fake figures.

Feeling quite desperate, you tried many different spells, even putting your hand in the sand magic. The most notable attempt was the smoke figure that resembled a human quite enough that you felt proud of yourself, but too little that you felt like it was an incarnation of a demon.

It was useless. No matter what you tried, you couldn't create any stable smoke figure. Much less the soft and sweet face of Beldaruit.

Counting your losses, you accept the fact that no comfort will be found in your room and decide to risk the trip to Beldaruit's chambers. You hoped, that if he wasn't there after all, the horde of pillows would be enough to protect your body once the walls crumble and the stone comes falling down.

Beldaruit often told you to not run around the halls, you could slip very easily and break a bone. But this was a matter of grave importance, so you just had to rush. The matter was, of course, keeping your heart from catching a heart attack.

Thank the Wise you ran, because you found yourself in front of Beldaruit's door in less then three minutes. Which allowed you to simply scurry inside when the next hit against the barrier, that was so mighty, you thought one of the sea guardians of Tower of Tomes came to destroy the Great Hall, resounded through the walls.

Your body flew underneath the covers, hitting something in the bed.

"Oh! My, my! You scared me, darling! Are you testing out some new symph shoes and using my bed as a safe landing?" the nice, soothing chuckle of Beldaruit, that you longed for, finally reaches your ears.

But the reward didn't taste so sweet when you were still trembling, your face in the mattress, while the Great Hall is filled with those horrible quakes.

"...love? Ah, the loud thuds are scaring you too much, aren't they?" Beldaruit's voice turns into pure concern on the cue.

The answer he gets wasn't a vocal one. It was you weaseling your way underneath the pillows as the Great Hall moans underneath the currents once again.

Your face was pushed into Beldaruit's side, and one of your arms lay around his waist, your hand gripping onto his robe, but the rest of your body was covered by the soft pillows.

The old man's hand comes to lay atop yours, gently caressing it with his thumb.

"Shh, do not fret, my love. It's all okay. I know it sounds terrifying, but the Great Hall is safe. The barrier will stay intact, and we will stay safe," Beldaruit hummed as he tried to check over you, "Though, if you could, please tell me, where were you all this time? If you were this worried... why only come to me now? You do know I would never judge you for this, right?"

"I don't know! I thought you weren't back yet... so... so I tried making a smoke figure of you...!" you mumble, all way too scared and way too embarrassed.

"Oh? A smoke figure... ah, my poor child, you wanted my comfort but were scared you wouldn't find it in my room. Ah, please forgive this old man, he should've announced that he's back where he's supposed to be," Beldaruit free hand found your head, caressing it as well. His voice was filled with guilt.

"No, I-... I didn't mean it like that, master...," a whine escapes you.

"I know," a shush follows, "Even so, I feel responsible. My poor little one... here, allow me to remedy what I can."

Beldaruit's right hand freed itself of its duty and reached for his notebook. Soon, the room was filled with a soft, calming lullaby.

"Hm, come out, won't you? Lay your head on my lap, little one," his own voice was a lullaby of its own, drawing your head out of the cave of pillows onto his lap.

Now, with your vision unblinded, you could see the glowing notes dancing about in the room, emitting the delightful song.

"There's nothing to fear, my love. Your master is a great witch, is he not? How could I call myself one of the Wise Ones, if I couldn't even protect a sweet child like you?" a light smile played on Beldaruit's face as he looked down at you, his hand coming to cup your cheek.

"...you promise?"

"Of course, I promise. I will keep you safe. Always."

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˗ˏˋ ★ ― QIFREY ‼

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˗ˏˋ ★ ― OLRUGGIO ‼

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˗ˏˋ ★ ― BELDARUIT ‼

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˗ˏˋ ★ ― EASTHIES ‼

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