I Draw My OCs a Lot.

Yet, as much as you wanted to protect him, you knew you couldn’t do so forever. It broke your heart every time you saw Tartah coming home upset. His silver-washed eyes led to other witches telling him that he couldn’t be a witch, to solely focus on creating pens. Whenever these moments happened, you would comfort him, offering him encouragement. 

You especially remembered one specific day, when he returned home and shut himself in his room, refusing to come out or let anyone in. Through the door, you heard his cries of frustration, as all you could do was stand there, helplessly, as he isolated himself. In that very moment, you made the decision to finish your studies and become a full-fledged witch.

This would allow you not only to teach but to find a spell that could help Tartah’s silverwash eyes, or at the very least his spirit of hoping. 

With that, you said your byes to Granda and Tartah, departing Kalhn, traveling to the Great Hall to continue your studies and broaden your horizon of knowledge under another witch’s atelier. 

While you were away, you sent letters back home whenever you could. Every time one arrived, Tartah quickly wrote one back and impatiently waited for your reply every time. Granda often laughed, seeing how greatly he missed you, despite the fact that he constantly says he didn’t.

The years passed, and by the time you reached your late twenties, you finally passed your final test. Now officially becoming a witch.

You missed your home, the shop, and Granda, but most importantly, Tartah. Now, after years, you were finally able to return home. 

You traveled through the nearest windowway and used the levitation spell on the bottom of your shoes to fly the rest of the way. When you arrived at the front door, you knocked and stepped inside. “Granda! Tartah! I’m home!”

No sooner had you closed the door than the sound of hurried footsteps rushed down the stairs. A moment later, Tartah threw his arms around you and hugged you tightly. “You're finally back.”

You simply stood there, placing a hand on the top of his head while the other rubbed his back gently. You notice how much he’s grown since the last time you saw him. When you left that day, he was but a wee child, now he was twelve years old. 

For a long time, neither of you said anything, holding each other in peaceful silence. Eventually, you both went to see Granda. For the first time, you were reunited as a family once again. You ate together, spoke about what happened while away, and even showed some of the spells you created.

As days passed, you helped around the shop. Fortunately, you remembered most of the components and how they are made. Making it easy to settle back into your old routine. But that said, once the shop was closed and you retired to your room at night, you would dedicate your time to finding what could bring you closer to achieving the goal that made you become a witch in the first place. 

Books, notes, and old research would be sprawled out on your desk and floor. But it didn’t matter if it meant finding a way to help Tartah.

Today, the shop was closed, you were on the second floor crushing herbs, while simultaneously reading through a research book. You waited for Tartah to return from running his errands. That's when you heard the sound of the door being ‘reconstructed’, signifying his return, as he only had the doorknob. 

You started walking down the stairs, “Tartah were able to get th-”, your words stopped in your throat. 

You froze in the middle of the stairs, and at the bottom, you saw two unrecognized figures. It was a white-haired man with a small blondish-green-haired girl. 

“Oh (Name),” Tartah said. “They're here to see Granda.”

For a moment, you were silent, only staring. A wave of embarrassment grew within you. Since you hadn't expected visitors, you were dressed in your comfortable house clothes. Worse, the man was no less seen as handsome in your eyes as you both stared into each other's eyes.

You manage to regain your composure, “O-Oh right.” You gave a polite smile, carefully hiding your inner panicking, “Granda’s on the third floor. I’ll show you the way.”

Turning around, you head back up the stairs with the white-haired man following you. As you made your way to the Silverwood tree towards the next set of stairs, you couldn’t help but feel his gaze on you. 

You diverted your eyes from him, thinking he was judging you. Streams of thought would only make your embarrassment worse. Neither of you took the initiative to break the silence. Only the sound of your footsteps filled the air.

After what felt like eternity, you reached the third floor. “Granda, this man is here to see you.”

Without turning around in his floating chair, Granda spoke, “Why, Qifrey. Don’t ya know we’re closed today?”

The man, Qifrey, would answer in a serious tone, “Yes. Apologies.” 

Your Grandda would turn around with a grin, “Only teasin’.” He would then shift his gaze between you and Qifrey. “Ah, I see ya met me, Granddaughter (Name).”

With those words, Qifrey looked at you once again. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he spoke to you with a gentle voice, “Please forgive me for the sudden visit. It wasn't my intent to cause you any discomfort.”

It surprised you, catching you off guard. But you hurriedly raise your hands, “No, it’s completely fine. I’ll take my leave now.” With that, you went back down the stairs. You felt his eyes linger on you once again as you descended. 

Rather than going straight to the first floor, you decided to stay on the second floor to clean up the mess you left earlier. The work desk had crushed herbs, puddles from the juices, and the tools were stained.

Letting a sigh escape as you began to clean the mess. As you did so, you could faintly hear a different conversation between your Granda and Qifrey. Their voices were filled with a serious and cautious tone. But you couldn’t exactly hear what they spoke.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ❀⋆｡˚✧｡˚⋆❀ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Qifrey stood near the rail as his eyes lingered carefully on you through the small gaps between the branches of the Silverwood tree that allowed him to see you on the second floor.

Suddenly, Mr. Nolnoa spoke, "Don't think I’ll give yah me blessing so easily just cause I’m her Granda.”

That made Qifrey head snap immediately towards him, “No, no, that's not my intention at all, Mr. Nolnoa.” A bead of sweat would appear on his face.

Mr. Nolnoa let out a laugh, “Don’t think I didn't notice you lookin’ at her.” He would sigh and look down at you before continuing, “She recently returned home after years. Completing her duties to become a witch.” 

Another sigh would escape him as his expression would soften, “I think Tartah would be less willing. As he was raised by her, practically becoming a mother to the lad.”

Qifrey’s attention was fully taken as he listened carefully to how Mr. Nolnoa fondly spoke about you.

Mr. Nolnoa would then turn back to the tile on his desk, “Now then, let's get back to what ya came here for. You’re wondering about the Casting Seal on those paving tiles, aren’t you?”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ❀⋆｡˚✧｡˚⋆❀ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Once you were satisfied with your cleaning, you headed downstairs to begin cooking dinner. You also wanted to make a little treat for the children. 

You turned the corner, and you saw Tartah carefully wrapping bandages on the young girl’s leg. 

You smiled as you waved at the girl. “What a cute little witch you are. I’m sure you’ll become a wonderful witch when you're older.” 

Immediately, the girl had stars around her, radiating with happiness, “Y-you really think so?! Thank you so much!!” She then became a little flustered, “Oh! Right. My name is Coco, Miss.” 

You giggled. “It’s nice to meet you, Coco.” You walked past Tartah. “I’ll begin dinner and make you two treats. How does that sound?” 

Tartah nodded as Coco's smile somehow grew wider. With that, you open the door to the kitchen and leave it open. There, you began preparing honeytree tarts topped with berries.

Just as you finished, a sudden bright flash engulfed the kitchen entirely, blinding you completely. Instinctively, you used your arms to block your eyes. At the same time, you heard the sound of glass and wood tumbling down and the sound of Coco yelping. 

Then just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. 

You hurriedly ran back to where the ink dyes were. Thankfully, none of the jars broke, but they were scattered everywhere, including the labels…. 

“Tartah!? Coco!? Are you alright!?” You quickly dropped to your knees, helping them regain their footing. 

“Thank you,” Coco murmured, guilt in her eyes.

You carefully examined Tartah and Coco for any injury. Fortunately, they weren't hurt, and you let a relieved sigh escape you. “Thank goodness”

You looked between them. “I’ll go check up on Mr. Qifrey and Granda. I’ll be back quickly, alright?” You said as you hurriedly headed upstairs to the second floor.

You called out to the third floor, “Granda! Mr. Qifrey! Are you alright!?”

From above, you heard Granda’s voice shout back, “Yes, we’re fine, lassie.”

Relief swept over you, but something still felt...off. Briefly hesitating, you turned back downstairs. 

As you turned the corner, you heard Tartah shout in frustration. “I can’t tell the colors apart!”

Your eyes widened, and you quickly made your way to the children. There, Coco held two jars as Tartah looked away from her. 

Slowly stepping forward, you took the jars gently from Coco’s hands and placed them down somewhere nearby. You knelt in front of her, placing yourself between her and Tartah. “Coco,” You said with calm and gentleness, “How about we go outside, yes? You needn’t worry about this mess. I’ll take care of it.” 

You stood up and gently led Coco towards the front door. Once outside, you carefully picked her up and placed her on the low brick wall. 

“Coco, please stay here.” You said calmly but with some firmness. “I’m sure Mr. Qifrey will be outside shortly.” 

Coco looked at you with a saddened and worried expression. 

You let a low sigh escape you. "The reason Tartah got upset is because he has Silverwash Syndrome. You didn’t do anything wrong for wanting to help him.”

You pulled her into a gentle hug, and her smaller arms immediately wrapped around you. She was trembling a bit as her eyes became watery and blurred. You held her, wiping the few tears that escaped with your thumbs. It went like this for a few minutes until she fully calmed down. 

You pulled back from the embrace with a reassuring smile. “I’ll bring out some of those tarts I made, alright? No need to be sad now.”

Coco nodded as she slowly let go. You went back inside, and you saw Tartah still standing there looking down at the jars. You felt a painful ache striking you. You walked closer to him and opened your arms. Tartah immediately wrapped his arms around you, and you gently patted his head as the other held him. 

After a short while, he lets go. You then go into the kitchen and get seven small boxes to put each tart in. While you were finishing up, you heard the front door click open and close. You quickly put the box in a paper bag and ran outside. You see Qifrey walking away while carrying Coco perched on one of his arms. 

Before they could go far, you spoke, “Wait! Mr. Qifrey!”

Qifrey stopped in his tracks and turned around to face you. You held the paper bag. “These are for Coco. They’re tarts. Of course, you can have some as well.”

Qifrey’s eyes widened in slight surprise. “I appreciate it, I wasn’t expecting any gifts today. Oh, and no need for the formality, just Qifrey would suffice." 

Coco reached for the bag eagerly. “Thank you so much again, Miss!”

You smiled and waved as you saw their figures fade away. Once they were a good distance away, you returned inside, shutting the door behind you. Tartah is at your side as you both walk back to the dye room. 

You both see Granda kneeling down and picking up the jars. You quickly helped Granda, picking up the jars and matching the labels you already knew belonged to which. 

Tartah apologized to Granda as he picked up a stool and placed it near you. “Was that light caused by a spell or something? One of Mr. Qifrey’s?”

Your Grandda would stand up, “What, now? A light?” he turned to face you and Tartah, “I don’t recall any such thing.”

You and Tarta froze, your mouths slightly parting in shock, worry worn on your faces. “Grandda?” you both said at the same time.

The afternoon would continue like normal, as if nothing had happened. However, you and Tartah shared a similar tension. 

The next day, the shop was open, and Granda was talking to a customer on the second floor. Meanwhile, you and Tartah were on the third floor speaking in hushed voices, “You saw the light too, no? I’m not going crazy, am I?”

You shook your head as you continued to look around Granda’s desk. “No, I definitely saw it. I even went upstairs to check up on him, he told me he was fine.”

Tartah nodded, remembering your shouting while he was downstairs. Your brows furrowed together, not being able to come up with answers or even a clue of explanation.

Then Tartah spoke, “There’s no way Granda could’ve missed it. Perhaps Mr. Qifrey knows the real reason Granda forgot….” 

You nodded as you placed a tool back onto the desk. Then Tartah finished his thoughts, “Or perhaps he is the reason.” 

That caused your eyes to widen and snap your head at Tartah, “What…?”

“He was the only one up here with Granda, no?” 

You were silent as you lowered your gaze. You know he’s right.

A few more days would pass. Currently, you are waiting for Tartah to return home for dinner. You worried as he normally would be back by now. The food on his plate slowly became cold. You look up, “Granda, do you think Tartah is alright?” 

Granda would look up from his plate with a smile, “Don’t fret, lassie. I’m sure he’ll be back any minute now.” You nod at his reassurance.

But then minutes turn into an hour, then an hour into several. As the sky became darker, Granda also began to worry. You stayed awake late into the night, stressing and worrying about Tartah’s whereabouts. 

Morning arrived, and you and Granda went on the ferry. There on the dock, you saw three figures standing. As you got closer, you realized it was Qifrey, Coco, and Tartah. You impatiently decided to leap onto the dock before waiting for the ferry to fully come to a stop, almost tipping the ferry in the process. 

Granda shouted from the ferry, “Oi Lassie!”

But it didn’t matter to you as you hugged Tartah tightly. Relief washes over you. But shortly after, you pulled back and angrily scolded him, “Where have you been all night!? Do you have any idea how worried I was!?” 

Tartah looked at you before looking down, murmuring, “Sorry,(Name). Sorry, Granda.” You sigh as all that anger goes away quickly. 

Qifrey watched nearby in awe, gazing at you like there was nothing else. It wasn’t until Nolnoa snapped him out of it that Qifrey explained what happened at the hospital. As they both spoke to each other, Tartah abruptly interrupted them, “Oh, that's right. My question. I wanted to ask about that unusual flash of light that appeared the other day.”

However, that's when Qifrey and Granda simultaneously said “Flash of light?” with confusion written on their faces.

A chill ran through you, a feeling set in, a bead of sweat appeared on you and Tartah, “Never mind.” You both walked away, a good distance from them, as they continued to speak. However, you felt like someone was staring at you. 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ❀⋆｡˚✧｡˚⋆❀ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Nolnoa “At least don't make it obvious.”

Qifrey regains himself, “I assure you, it’s nothing like that, Mr. Nolnoa.”

Nolnoa would shake his head with a smile as he turned to get back on the ferry. 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ❀⋆｡˚✧｡˚⋆❀ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

You and Tartah were in your own world, more confused than before. But you both silently agreed that you’d both have to look into it on your own. That's when Granda’s voice cut off your thoughts, “Tartah. (Name). The ferry’s leaving.” 

Tartah quickly ran to get on. You turned to walk over when you felt a hand gently grab yours. You turned and saw it was Qifrey’s.

“Before you leave, I wanted to thank you for the honeytree tarts. My apprentices and I greatly enjoyed each one.” He said with a warm smile on his face. 

You tried to keep your composure, “Oh, I’m glad. I can always-” 

Qifery took your other hand, holding both in his. He looked deeply into you. “I would be charmed if you would visit my atelier.”

Heat rushed inside you as he continued, “We’ll be eagerly awaiting your visit, (Name).” Then he lifted your hand and placed a gentle peck upon your knuckles before he let go.

Coco was happily observing with sparkles in her eyes, while Tartah looked slightly uneasy.

All you could manage was a nod, “R-Right,” as you hurriedly stepped onto the ferry. 

As the ferry left, Qifrey remained gazing at you. You couldn’t look away either, as Coco and Tartah shouted at each other.

~Lilly's