KINDRED. ━ enola holmes. ( ✔️)

II. FAMILY FEUD.

             Thick, heavy oxygen pumped in and out of her lungs, a reassurance that she was still there. The feeling of ghoulish eyes on her making her shift uncomfortably under the pressure of their gaze. She could do this. She could make it through the rest of the day. There was no couldn't. Only could. Couldn't seemed more reasonable to use in this situation, though she tried keeping her mind on optimism, something she wasn't particularly good at. Her hand reached hesitantly to the doorknob. It would open back out into the hall.  Did she want to go back out there? After whatever it was happened? She knew she had to at some point, whether it be now or later. After a minute of thought passed by, she settled for now. The cold metal came in contact with her skin, and she fumbled with it for a moment before the door opened, sending a beam of scorching light through the closet. She stepped out quickly,  sure that if the light would cause the things inside to crumble. 

               A series of footsteps that she hadn't noticed before audibly stopped. She closed her eyes shut out of anticipation, waiting for the mockery to begin. "Vivienne?" Her right eye opened at the sound of the familiar voice. A woman with ash colored hair, perfect posture and a flamboyant mint dress stood in front of her. She internally thanked fate for making it someone she actually enjoyed talking to. 

               "Aunt Agatha," Vivienne called are she ran into the arms of the older woman who let out a soft chuckle. "Oh thank god it's you, and not someone like Aunt Delores, that'd be horrifying."

            "I know, I'm much better than the devil in pink," a humorous smile traced her lips, "Would it be bold of me to ask what you were doing in a broom closet?"

             "It would be very bold, very bold indeed. If you must know I was catching a breath, since there's nowhere else to go for one, because, well..." the younger of the two trailed off, meeting the honey colored eyes of the older one.

              "I'd like to think that in a house as big as this one that there's another space that isn't a closet to hide in, but I guess I was wrong."   A moment of silence filled the air, before she continued on again. "Well, then, let's go join the rest of the family." 

               A bitter taste filled Vivienne's mouth at the thought, though she followed anyway. Her flats clicked against the floorboards, her hands running across the wooden carvings. Agatha and her conversed and caught up, though there wasn't much to talk about. Through the letters they sent they'd always been up to date on each other's lives. Small things didn't make it into the letters, and those things were the main point of conversation. Vivienne world admit that it was slightly awkward, even if she was closer to Agatha. She could only imagine how awkward it would be to talk to her other relatives she hadn't been in touch with. 

             As they got closer, she could hear the arguments, compliments and hidden insults that her family made. Now she felt terrible for the help, who must have been absolutely frazzled and drowning in the work. Both she and her aunt had stopped conversing by now, total silence being more preferable. As soon as they arrived in the room where all her family sat, they went their different ways, both sitting at separate ends of the table. 

            Most of their family paid no mind to them, all too caught up in their own conversations, though a few gave swift nods, or murmured hellos. The windows making their features glow in the sun. 

          "My lord, Agatha and Vivienne, that took forever. Where were you two?" A plumper man, with soft features and rosy cheeks- Uncle Beau, asked. His voice was soft, but laced with slight aggravation. Vivienne didn't blame him for being mad, seeing as he'd spent months planning the get together and now she'd shown up fifteen minutes late.