The Mask: Burdens and Reputations

Why

Hey guys!

We're back! And one day early, look at us, doing the bare minimum :)

-Twisted

The staff they were making for Yensid was a lot more complicated than either one of them meant for it to be.

Every draft they worked on became more and more intricate.

At this point she couldn't tell if she or Gil was the one driving the changes.

Gil always threw himself into his projects when he was worried, and he had more than enough to worry over.

They all were worried about the Spider and how that would be taken, but Gil also had his family to think of.

What would happen if Gaston attacked the Spider?

She cringes away from giant spider filled images.

Nothing good.

And Gil knew that could potentially happen.

Her gaze darts to where he was sitting, legs hanging over the edge of their forge cave as he worked to sand the driftwood smooth.

He seemed completely focused, intent to make the staff perfect.

She smiles before she picks up a gemstone and gathers another blob of molten glass.

She wasn't any better.

It was hard to picture something good enough for the man who encouraged her to follow her heart.

Encouraged her writing.

Mentioned writing to the King, as if it were the most normal of things to do.

Write to a King.

If it weren't for Yensid, would she have believed she could help?

Make a difference?

She already knew the answer.

No.

She owed him so much, yet all he ever asked from her was that she continue to be the best she could be.

And occasionally boil water for tea.

She snorts as she continues to weave the gemstone into the delicate glass strands around a larger fire orb.

Tiger eye. That's what Faustina called the beautiful amber striped crystal.

She glances towards the notebook, looking over the list of properties

This one was supposed to help with inner strength and power while defusing dark energy.

She never would have guessed rocks, albeit pretty rocks, held or at least promoted magical essences.

Or-

She crinkles her nose.

-why her father would have kept them.

Not that she was complaining.

The deal Faustina had with her father was-

Bizarre?

Completely.

It was also painful.

Like the deals with T hadn't been bad enough.

Pain lodges in her chest.

What did her father see in them that she didn't have?

"Poseidon fuckin' dammit!"