#was kind of going for a parasol vibe maybe something to explore in a more detailed style with Edwardian fashion influences later

[maretriarch]

please sign my petition to make drawing homestuck in public something you end up on a registry for

[tetrakys]

Troise Allumettes - Chapter 2

“Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!”

I turned around and saw it running towards the forest.

“Stop… Please!”

I was running as fast as I could, trying to catch up with it, but it was too fast. Too far away.

“I shall be too late.”

Trees everywhere… where did it go? I stopped, breathing heavily, trying to glimpse a white shape in all that brown and green. But it was too late, I was too late. Why did it… he have to leave me? We didn’t have nearly enough time. My sight started to blur and I felt warm tears on my cheeks.

I crouched on the ground, not caring about soiling my clothes, and started desperately sobbing. It wasn’t fair… I had just found him. We were supposed to be together forever, that was not how the story was supposed to end.

I was a mess. Resting my forehead on my knees I let the world crumble around me.

“Alice?”

Nothing made sense anymore.

“Alice?”

I suddenly felt a small soft paw on my leg.

“Candy?”

I froze. A kind voice said “This is not the end, Candy.”

I raised my head and finally saw them, the eyes I yearned for, one gold and one green.

“This is just the beginning.”

Drrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!

I suddenly opened my eyes. I was in my dorm room, lying on the bed. The alarm on my phone was ringing, I just turned it off and stayed there for a while staring at the ceiling.

The dream was already slipping away from my memories, but I could still feel the dread and despair. I didn’t remember what was going on but I knew that something, maybe someone, was missing. I was grieving. I touched my cheeks, yep, wet. Never a nightmare had left me so shaken.

I looked at the time and groaned, my alarm was set up early so that I could go looking for my ID card, which I had lost somewhere, before classes started. I granted myself a few etra moments in bed. Yeleen was still peacefully sleeping.

Today was the night of the concert, Castiel’s concert. Famous and unapproachable Castiel, I wandered how he had become. We were sort of friends in high school, even though I wasn’t sure our relationship could be properly defined as friendship. We kept teasing each other and nine times out of ten I found him annoying as hell, but now I knew that I probably had a small crush on him. I didn’t realise at the time, and nothing came of it. We had had many adventures together, some carefree and funny, others a little sad. I remembered when his evil ex came back in town sniffing around him and my friends. At the time everyone turned their backs on me, thinking I was jealous. By the time they realised what a snake she was it was too late for me. Eventually Rosa, Alexy and a couple of other friends took my side but I had already suffered a lot, no one had supported me from the start.

Shaking my bad thoughts away, I finally got up and ready for the day. After my lectures I was supposed to go shopping with Rosa and Alexy and then meet her at The Snake Room around 9pm. Alexy was also going to be there but he had a date with a guy called Morgan, a date he had managed to get only thanks to our meddling. We were all very invested in the outcome.

I eventually found my ID card in the toilets room of the Arts building, of all places, and no thanks to the always charming admin officer. It was too early to go to my archaeology class and I wasn’t really in the mood for breakfast, so I decided to wait on one of the benches in the quad. I was soaking in the feeble November sun when something caught my eyes, someone had left there a small black notepad. Taking it in my hands I observed its nondescriptive leather cover, I had never seen it before but somehow it felt strangely familiar. I was just about to open it when I heard someone call my name.

“Good morning Candy”

“Hi Chani, how are you doing today?”

“Pretty good” she said smiling “I spent a quiet night in listening to Rammstein and Sepultura”

“Ah nice, but I am more into Symphonic metal.”

“I know, I know, you have a sort of elegant goth vibe going on, very classy.”

I wasn’t exactly a goth per se… but I did love wearing corsets.

“I, on the other hand, am into thrash and death.”

“You are way more adventurous than I am, my friend” I said nodding.

“True that, now if you’ll excuse me madam, I’ll be exploring ancient catacombs while you gently sip your tea shadowed by your embroidered parasol.”

We both burst into laughter.

“Come on” she said “a long day of exciting classes is waiting for us.”

I groaned and followed her, placing the notepad in my bag without thinking.

The Snake Room was packed. Looking at the entrance from the opposite sidewalk I could see a huge crowd of people drinking and chatting with each other. A wave of nausea run through me, damn social anxiety! I could do this, no one was looking at me, no one cared about me, I could easily blend in.

Repeating encouraging words I headed towards the entrance when I abruptly stopped in my tracks, was that… Nathaniel? Talking with that strange guy! The one who had assaulted me the first night back in town. What the hell was Nath doing with him? They seemed to be arguing.

That really hurt, Nath talking with that guy after knowing what he was about to do to me. After saving me from him. Forcing myself not to think about it, I entered the club.

Lights were dim and music was in the background, luckily I was on time, the band still backstage. I made my way in the crowd and spotted Rosa next to the bar.

“A beer and a lemonade” she was telling the bartender.

“Make it two beers” I said, then surprised “who’s the lemonade for?”

“That would be me” someone behind my back replied. I turned around and, I wasn’t sure why, my heart skipped a beat.

“Candy, you are finally here!” Rosa said smiling “Lys is joining us tonight, hope you don’t mind.”

Lysander… Leigh’s brother, I hadn’t seen him since the whole ghost fiasco a couple of weeks ago. He was as tall and handsome as I remembered, wearing a long dark coat and a white shirt underneath, he looked like a Victorian era prince. I remembered the discussion I had earlier today when Chani accused me of secretly being a classy goth. With the cherry blossom embroidered corset and vaporous knee length skirt I was wearing, I looked like a doll.

He was slightly smiling at me, silent. He really was a man of few words.

“Hi Lysander, how are you doing?”

“Good thank you, I hope you are also well.”

“You probably don’t know, but Lys and Castiel are old friends” said Rosa.

“Really?” I was surprised.

“I met him at a concert years ago when I was in town visiting my brother.”

“He is going to write Castiel’s new album” she exclaimed proud, jumping on the spot.

“No Rosa” he sounded like an older brother scolding his brat little sister “he just asked me to help him with a few song’s lyrics.”

“Either way it’s a great opportunity for you, Castiel is getting really famous lately, this collaboration could open you many other doors, you may end up working for a record company!”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves” he added patiently “I am only helping out a friend.”

We suddenly heard an electric guitar playing from the backstage and the crowd went wild.

“It’s starting!” Rosa shouted over the noise “come on!”

She took me by the hand and made way toward the centre of the room.

I wasn’t very tall but I head a clear view of the raised stage, meaning I had a perfect view of Castiel when he eventually got on it. After playing for a bit with his back to the crowd he finally turned around and… oh yes, it was Castiel all right. I felt a smile form on my lips. He looked a little older but in a good way, more mature. And his voice… I had heard him play before but never sing, he was incredible.

The crowd, mostly girls, some wearing questionable shirts with CastieLove written right above their chest, went crazy. They were screaming and jumping all around pushing me on every side. I suddenly was shoved from the back with such strength that I lost my footing and was sure I was going to fall head first on the floor. I closed my eyes trying to ready myself for the impact, but the floor never came. I felt strong arms circling me at my waist and a hard chest at my back.

“Are you okay Candy?” Lysander spoke to my ear.

Time froze and all I could sense was his strong body enveloping me and his breath on my ear. I nodded and murmured a thank you that I wasn’t sure he had been able to hear over the loud music. After lingering for one long extra second he removed his hands from me and stepped back.

I was sure I was as red as a tomato so it was probably a good thing he couldn’t see my face. I spent the rest of the concert being acutely aware of his body and his movements. I need some air I thought once the last song was over.

“I am going to the restroom I said to Rosa” knowing she was going back to the bar to get the nth refill. I literally fled the room and got into the bathroom queue. It took a while, and I was just about to go back to the main room when I felt someone grabbing my elbow.

“Hi” he said.

“Castiel!” I exclaimed surprised.

“I didn’t know you were back in town” did he sound a little annoyed?

“Yes, I came back for my fifth year at Anteros, how did you know I was here?”

“I saw you from the stage”

We were surrounded by girls staring at us, trying to get the courage to approach him. One of the girls was Yeleen, she was looking at me seething.

“Look, do you mind if we talk somewhere private?” he said with some urgency in his voice.

“Sure.”

He lead us to a small room in the backstage, full of cables and instruments, there wasn’t much space for us so we just leaned against a wall. Now that I had a chance to properly look at him I noticed he was even more impressive up close, he amained an aura of success but also nonchalance and confidence that was so typically him.

“I really enjoyed the concert” I said with a smile.

“Thanks.”

“I never imagined you were so famous we had to hide to talk.”

“Yes, well, that’s kind of the flip side. But that’s mostly because this is the town we started in, more people know us here, it’s not the same everywhere.”

“Still, I am impressed. You were great, even better than what you used to do in high school.”

“I hope so” he laughed “in high school we were beginners. We are just starting to get the hang of things.”

“You have a great presence on stage, the music is fantastic and I am sure that now that you have help writing, the new songs will be even better.”

“What do you know about this?” he asked surprised.

“Oh, I know Lysander we watched your concert together.”

He looked utterly shocked.

“I mean” I rushed to explain “I came with Rosa, and since Lysander is Leigh’s brother he tagged along.”

Why was I trying to explain myself? And why did I suddenly felt so very embarrassed? He, on the other side, seemed to slightly relax at my words.

“Well, we should go back so I can say hi then, most people should have left the club by now.”

He looked outside the door and left the room, leaving me standing there like an idiot. I followed him.

“Caaaaaandy”

I heard a very drunk Rosa calling me from the other side of the room, she run to me and hugged me, laughing.

“Look who is there, Cassy!”

Cassy?

“Cassy!” she shouted skipping towards Castiel and Lysander who were talking surrounded by a group of girls.

“I see someone is having fun” he laughed.

“Haha she must have overdone it a bit at the bar” thankfully the place was mostly empty now.

“I just had a couple of drinks, and you were great I danced a lot!” then she added in a serious tone “Cassy look who is here, Candy! Aren’t you happy to see here? I always thought you were made for each other, you should get together, so we can go on double dates and…”

I stopped her before she could make the situation even more embarrassing.

“Come on Rosa, let’s go get some air” pulling her by the sleeve towards the exit. I felt someone next to me and saw that Lysander was coming with us.

“You can stay here and catch up with Castiel, I’ll deal with Rosa.”

“You can’t, she is wasted. I am going to carry her home.”

“I am fiiiiiiiiine” she protested while stumbling.

“We can take her home” a voice said. It was Alexy who started laughing at the sight of drunk-Rosa. He was with Morgan, things seemed all right between them but I was going to ask for a full recap of the evening as soon as I got him alone. We agreed to leave Rosa in their capable hands since they were heading to another bar close to her apartment and Lysander and I headed back to the dorms.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go back to the bar and talk with Castiel?”

We had been walking together in silence for the past couple of minutes.

“We talked already.”

I tried to object but he swiftly added “Castiel is not my current priority, we are going to have plenty of chances to catch up now that we are both in town.”

Did he mean I was his priority?

There were so many questions I wanted to ask him, he was a real mystery, but I didn’t want to scare him off. Falling back in a comfortable silence we quickly arrived at the gates of the campus, I was a little disappointed, I wouldn’t have minded spending more time with him. I saw him looking at something he had hanging from a chain at his neck and noticed it was an ancient looking pocket watch.

“Wow this looks really beautiful”

“Thanks, it was my grandfather’s”

“I have never seen a real vintage one up close.”

He looked at me for a second, then he said “Very well, come here then.”

He took me by the hand and pulled me against him. With one hand he raised the watch so that I could look at it up close, then he put the other arm around me and, leaning his head close to mine, he pointed at the watch.

“It’s just like a normal watch but there are stars instead of numbers, can you read the time?”

“Ten past one” I replied nervously, feeling his arms embracing me again for the second time in one night.

“I shall be very late.”

“WHAT?”

“I said it’s getting very late” he replied a little surprised by my sudden outburst. Geez… What had gotten into me?

He stepped away and said “Thanks for spending some time with me tonight, I know I am not the most talkative person…”

“Don’t worry, really, I find it refreshing, I am not very talkative either. I love being silent together.”

Damn me and my stupid ambiguous mouth. But he was smiling and nodding

“I know what you mean.”

He turned around “Aren’t you coming in?” I said surprised pointing at the gates.

“N-no, well…” was he blushing? Then it clicked in my head.

“You are going back to meet Castiel, aren’t you?” he looked away, embarrassed “You came all the way here just to accompany me.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply you can’t take care of yourself, but these street are not as safe as they seem and…”

Putting a hand on his mouth I interrupted him before he could say anything else.

“Thank you, really.” He was so tall that I had to stand on the tip of my toes “You are a true gentleman.”

Then I realised I had basically tackled him, my hand on the mouth of a guy I barely knew. A kind, charming and really attractive guy, who was looking at me taken aback. Damn me, was I ever going to stop acting ridiculous in front of him?

But then he relaxed and I felt him smiling. Taking my hand in his and bowing his head a little, he draw his lips closer and left a small kiss.

“Good night.”

This time I didn’t stop him when he turned around and left. I just kept staring at him until he crossed the street and blended in the shadows, disappearing from my sight.

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