Moonlark Turned Evil

Special Chapter 1: Confiding over Dishes

This oneshot occurs during the Australia arc that I didn't do anything about.😅

It feels super rushed, so I'm going to fill in some of the gaps there.

Also it's, like, REALLY late but this is a celebratory oneshot for getting to 10K views... Literally a month late lol but yeah...

Um so this is after Keefe forgives her for going along with kidnapping Dex (end of chapter 18) and before the Elys' invasion of Eternalia (middle of chapter 20).

I wrote this on a passing whim, so it's kinda messy, but it was so heartwarming to write!!!! I'm definitely going to put more oneshots in the book, mostly for practice. Anyway, enjoy!

"So," Sophie declared, turning on the tap and testing the water. "Tell me about yourself."

Fitz unfolded the towel, shaking it out. "About myself? What should I talk about, then?"

"What your hobbies are, maybe who your crush is . . ." She wiggled her eyebrows in a comical way that made them both laugh.

"Well, I like spending time with my older brother, Alvar. You've met him before—he brought you to the Lost Cities. And I like Biana, too, even though she's annoying."

They both grinned as Sophie started washing the soap off the dishes.

"My dad's great as well, but he hides stuff a lot," Fitz admitted, accepting the first plate and beginning to dry it. "I get that he's an emissary, and that he's involved in a lot of confidential stuff, but it's just . . . frustrating, I guess."

He put the plate away in the cupboard.

"And while we're on the topic of secrets, Alvar's definitely not any better. He rarely comes home, and he seems like he has a bad relationship with my dad. I don't get it though, because I remember they used to be a lot closer."

Sophie's gaze seemed to darken a fraction as she handed him a dripping wet cup.

"What about Della?" Sophie asked.

"Mum? She's amazing. I'm lucky to have a family like mine. Especially compared to Keefe," he added quietly, putting the cup away. "I've met both his parents, and neither of them are very . . . how to put it . . . parent-like?"

Sophie hmm-ed, scrubbing at a particularly annoying speck of dried tomato sauce. "What about your feelings about yourself, then? Is there anything you want to dump on your friend, just to get it out?"

Fitz glanced at her in surprise. He shut the cupboard door, picking up a spoon. "I guess," he muttered.

She elbowed him in the ribs. "Go on, spill." Seeing his half amused expression, she pulled back. "But only if you want to."

Fitz opened the drawer. "No, I think it'll help a bit if I can tell someone what I'm feeling. I've never really been able to talk to anyone, y'know?"

Sophie gave him a small smile, a sign that she was listening, even though she turned back to the sink.

Fitz let out a heavy breath. "A lot of people expect me to be perfect. The Vacker name is something I'm proud of, but it feels like it's a shackle that's been fastened around my ankles since the day I was born. Some people say I'll follow my father's footsteps and become a trusted emissary, some say I'll go further and become a Councillor. People try to come near me to take some of the Vacker glory. I never had a real friend until I met Keefe."

He shut the drawer, the knives and forks inside chiming softly against each other.

"A lot of people think being a Vacker is all fun and games, but in reality, it's nerve-wracking. Dress extravagantly, and people will say you're showing off. Dress simply, and people will mock you. Anything and everything you do has the potential to derail everything. Because every single light is trained on you, just waiting for you to make a mistake."

Sophie understood Fitz more than the Telepath realized. The title Moonlark was a cage, the name Ales was deadweight she was dragging along with her. The people who followed her, the people who created her, the people who were trying to kill her . . . all of them were waiting for that moment when her guard dropped and they could swoop in a snatch up everything that was left.

"There are so many people out there who have gone through so much worse than me. Sometimes it makes me feel like I'm overreacting. My selfish pain isn't anything compared to Keefe's. But . . ." He shrugged, forcing a smile. "I dunno, it just feels like a big deal sometimes."

Sophie smiled, gently touching his shoulder as she handed him the last plate and turned the tap off. "It's true that there are people who have gone through more than you. But you have a right to worry about yourself without thinking that you're selfish, or overreacting. And if there's anything you need to talk about, I'm here."

The words that Gethen had spoken to her, when she'd spilled her fears to her mentor. Instead of calling her soft, like she'd worried he would, he'd just pulled her into a hug and whispered into her ear.

She'd learned to trust again, despite everything that happened to her.

Fitz returned the smile. "I'd love to hang out with you more, if it's not annoying."

She held out her hand, fingers curled. "No problemo, Fitzy. We're friends."

Fitz bumped his fist with hers. "Friends," he agreed.

And somewhere along the way, Sophie had forgotten that she'd started the conversation for the sake of her mission.