♚ Witch

★ { Being in Paralia was not exactly Grano’s cup of tea. It was too…quaint? Too boring, maybe. He didn’t have as much out here as he did back in his bedroom in Kairos, although that didn’t stop him from holing up in it to try and entertain himself. There wasn’t exactly much outside around here in the quiet countryside he’d enjoy doing anyway. He’d almost even prefer school to it.

Luckily, the opened plaza offered a gateway to relieve his boredom. More things to do, more things to see, and naturally he’d probably be able to buy his favorite thing in the world, a thought which automatically brought an excited smile to his face.

And so here he was, paper bag full of numerous boxes in his arms, a man on a mission. He had gotten what he wanted and wandered around for a bit, so maybe a stop for food and then heading home would be in order. The blond was eager to tear into the boxes already, but in a place like this surrounded by people? Absolutely not. They might get damaged, and he couldn’t risk that.

…Although, despite all his thoughts of their safety, that didn’t exactly stop him staring into the bag and humming rather than watch what was in front of him, resulting in a passerby slamming their shoulder right into his. Not enough to make him fall over, but enough for three of five colorful plastic wrapped boxes to tumble out onto the ground. A panicked look overtook his features as he immediately dropped and started putting them back in the bag, only managing to grab two before he witnessed someone’s foot heading right for the third.

Oh, no. } 

Of course, her first concern had been to make sure her children were safe. All four of the kids were old enough to be able to manage themselves so that if they were in trouble, they might have the sense to know to call her. However, Ultear was a natural worrier, not accepting that her children were capable of looking after themselves, and instead the most frantic, horrible thoughts plaqued her. What if something went wrong and they got hurt? Ultear did not handle guilt well, and the possibility of her child being in danger already made her stomach twist into knots. 

However, Ultear was able to keep herself from panicking, or at least appear so. Her first action was to look for them, and for her oldest son, she had a very good guess as to just where he might have been lurking. It was the same place the boy begged to be allowed to visit every time they visited the ranch, and if he was not there, then Ultear might have had real reason to worry.

It did not take long for her to spot him. The boy was sitting by his lonesome, which made him easier to spot. Scattered around him were toys, or as he always corrected her, his models. She almost, in fact, would have broken one of them if he had not corrected her first.

   ♚ "GRANO!" She called out to him, pulling him into his arms as she gave him a tight hug, one he did not ask for.

Paralia…? Surely there existed no untouched plain so expansive in Kairos, the city he’d watched change over years into an industrious center of business. Yet, to believe this was Paralia was to acknowledge that he had been moved miles from his home without his knowledge, sensation, or memory.

No evidence of others existed within his radius of sight nor did any headache that might have hinted to an irresponsible alcohol consumption the night prior. Noting that he had all his usual belongings on his person and wasn’t the slightest bit injured, he reached no concrete conclusion and could only sit silently bewildered.

When his phone began to vibrate his gaze broke away from the world he had been close to passing off as a dream, eyes blinking absentmindedly at the notification before the name of the caller settled. Digits slid across his touchscreen effortlessly as the woman placed on speaker, having already expected a rant of unreal proportions for his absence.

To his surprise, she was just as shaken by her circumstances, her frustration evident in the way he couldn’t manage a word. Considering the more vital details that spill off her anger— at the ranch, roads are blocked— he decided meeting was their best option.

After he’s given a chance to respond to her inquiry however, he paused, at a loss to even his own location.

   ♚ "You can not be serious…" She gave a small, exasperated sound. He had been her last measure, the one person she could always turn to and rely on, but now she could not depend on even him. Without a person or reason to place blame on, Ultear would only get irritated at nothing. 

   ♚ "Where in Paralia? Do you think this could be some sort of prank or joke? We have enemies, but this is beyond foolish." She could think of several words for what the situation was, but foolish was simply what came out of her mouth. Still, she could not leave him stranded. She moved to the wardrobe, which was smaller then the one she possessed at home but nonetheless filled with clothing. 

   ♚ "I am completely fine, or so I think. But I need to get back as soon as I can. I need to get back to the kids-" She stopped as he asked his question. Her memory was hazy, but she did remember what she had done before she had gone to bed that night. In fact, it had been a simple night in with her children, no partying or off with men she barely knew. No, and now that she remembered her adopted bearings she could feel panic setting in faster, etching away at her composure.

   ♚ "I-I was just with my kids. I have to get back to them. Just find out where exactly you are, and I will come get you. I'm getting dressed and I will be on my way."

"Woah, when did you get that?"

"Who did this to you?"

"How many time have I told you to be more careful?"

"You’re saying this was an accident?"

"What a shiner!"

"If you look like this, I’d hate to see the other guy."

"I’m not buying it, you don’t walk into a door and get a bruise like that!"

"Does it hurt when I touch it?"

"Let me kiss it better."

"If you don’t rest, you won’t heal."

"Another fight?"

"What happened to your face?"

"I don’t think your arm is meant to bend like that…"

"Let’s get you to bed."

"Let’s get you to the hospital."

"Why are you so calm about this?"

"You’re bleeding!"

"What are friends for, ey?"

"So, instead of helping you, they ran off the moment they saw what was happening?"

"You need to look where you’re going."

"I’m not accusing anyone, I’m just saying it looks suspicious."

"Do you want to tell me what really happened?"

"Don’t move! You’ll faint!"

"I’ve got some bandages, wait a sec."

"You’re the clumsiest person I know."

"I won’t let you be on your own, not when you’re like this."

"How could you be so careless?"

"I can’t even look at you, you promised not to get into any more fights!"

            ❝ When I was lost in the darkness, you brought me back to the light. ❞

The doorway was oak, thick brown wood which provided a sturdy rest for the boy’s figure to lean upon as he stood bag at his heel and eyes locked upon the person who had come to greet him at that late hour. The sun had faded long ago, the hour somewhere past three and the night chilly and whistling an anxious tune. The door was still open, just a way so that Jack’s shoulder was brushing it slightly, his frame filling the gap between home and the front porch. Home. That was where he had come back to. He was unused to that term, as silly as it sounded, but as he pulled down his hoodie with his free hand and ran a hand through tousled hair, it was the only thing he wanted to call it and the only place he wanted to be.

Ultear was fixing him with an expression he didn’t recognise, her nightly dressing gown hugging her figure and keeping her warm from the draft he was making by still standing in the doorway. She was smiling, warmly and as if he had been absent for years, instead of the few days it had taken him for the realisation of what he had done to settle finally upon his shoulders. He felt an idiot and had cursed himself with a thousand more deep cutting words, but he had still wandered home, his arms buried within the pockets of his jeans and his head bowed against the wind. Not that the chill bothered him so much. In fact it felt more cathartic than anything else.

                     ”I’m sorry…”

He hadn’t intended to peer over her shoulder as she scribbled their names upon the scrap of paper, but was torn as to whether he should have said something or otherwise and he watched her don his surname as though they were fated in more than just a quizzing partnership sort of manner. The next time she turned to face him, she would have seen a slight chuckle tug at his lips, the amusement of her bold action tickling his throat as he laughed off the slightest dabble of pink which had grazed his nervous cheeks. Nervous? Him? A man who dreamt of lions and dragons? Who painted pieces of art depicting vicious mountains and their storms and wide, open lakes where monsters were said to dwell. He who scaled cliff faces for fun in his youth and who had laughed in the faces of those who told him not to. Yes, he had aged and with that had followed that gulping sense of decreasing self-worth. And it showed as he avoided her gaze and simply took his seat.

    “Please, Arthur is just fine. And you needn’t worry. I’m sure you’ll do a damn sight better than I will at this thing! You’ve got champion quizzer written all over you.”

Despite that, the questions were easy for seemingly the pair of them. It felt as if any answer he was unsure of Ultear was there retrieving the pen from his fingers and scribbling her answers with a glamorous flourish of his wrist. Quite the charming intellect she was; scoring their points, making her well-crafted comments from time to time and generally making the entire experience that much more enjoyable. Luckily for Arthur, the history rounds were basic level stuff, the sort of thing he quizzed his 11 year old’s on. 

    “I should say the same to you! We do make quite the team, don’t we!” 

No question, merely an obvious statement. He beamed at her as the quizmaster read aloud the next question, however when he had finished, Arthur’s smile shifted. His cheeks flushed a little darker and he picked up the pen with the air of one rather obviously hesitantly. 

     ”Who wrote the best-selling novel and its sequels “The Voyages of Poseidon and The Pacific?”

A whole keg of beer was not something that would have been hard to purchase for someone as wealthy as Ultear, either. It was the thrill of winning that called out to her. After a lifetime of being looked down upon, Ul basked in the feeling of being triumphant. Arthur had just been a stroke of luck; a brilliant tool for her to fuel her vanity, even if it was a small boast to her ego.

However, this man was more then that, as she had begun to realize. He was more intelligent then she first gave him credit for, but as he had begun to answer his own set of questions and his own set of points, a small seed of respect was beginning to grow for her nervous partner. A seed that would suddenly burst as her eyes glanced over his next answer, and it all began to make sense.

    ♚ "I knew I had heard of you before! I knew it- I've read your book with my daughter before! Your picture is on the book sleeve and everything! I should have known!"

Of course she had seen his name before! It may have been awhile ago, but the book he had written had been a favorite of Ren's. And while the details of the novel were fuzzy in Ultear's mind, she knew she had thought it had been a better read then most. Mythology had always found a place in her heart, and she was more then delighted her new friend felt the same way as well.

    ♚ "You have to forgive me, I normally pride myself in remembering names! It was such a charming book, really it was! I should have known, what with you being so smart and everything!"

It was amusing to watch the blush on his cheeks grow darker and to listen to his tense rambling made her smile, responding in small, well meant laughs. He was so unlike what she was used to, and yes, she understood she barely knew the man. However, that did not stop her from enjoying his company. Still smiling as someone came by to take their answers, Ultear eyed the poor man as her mind began to wander.

TO: ULTY FROM: Jack ❅

TO: Jack FROM: Ultear

Where the hell did you get this sass from because I swear it was not me.

Tough it out then. I was just trying to help, but I can't keep pulling you out of school for no reason, unless you really don't like being under my care and want a new home.

But I'll find out.