Back at Nevermore, tears were still falling from Misaki's large, mesmerising golden eyes, as the beautiful petite girl hid away in her alcove in the thick stone walls.
She had loosened her waist length, silky, soft, thick black hair- untying her two long braids, as keeping them tied firmly paired with her crying, gave her a pounding headache.
The young girl put her hands to her face- covering it. Her chest couldn't stop hurting.
Why? Why now? After all these years? When I can't even remember their faces...
Images of her parents' smiling faces filled her mind, but their features were a blur.
That woman at Uriah's Heap...she said that I looked like my Father...
Father...Mother...I miss you...
The undeniable truth sliced at her heart. The reality that they were now gone forever.
She heard the approaching clicks of heeled shoes against the stone.
Someone's coming...!
Hurriedly, she wipes away her tears and blows her runny nose into her small pink silk handkerchief given to her by young Master Saturday on her tenth birthday. The soft, cool fabric had an intricate design on it, and keeping it with her had always comforted her and reminded her of him. She could still remember his expression when he gifted it to her...
"Welcome home, Master Saturday." her soft and naturally melodic voice greeted him when he stepped into the huge double doors of his mansion.
The beautiful young girl was standing by the end of the grandiose curved staircase with her hands clasped low in front of her and her petite head bowed obediently, her pale eyelids lowered slightly. Two waist long braids trailed somewhat loosely and gracefully in front of her small shoulders, a big black bow was placed slightly slanted on top of her shiny, silky black hair, and she was adorned in a modest maid attire.
Her dress stopped just before her knees, covering it slightly. The majority of it was black, with two puffy short sleeves, but the pretty, frilly, shapely apron was white, and so were the ruffles on her short sleeves and the rim of the dress.
The little girl had on thin white stockings and a pair of fancy, white lolita-aesthetic inspired heels. The beautiful shoes had an overlapping white lace bordered leather strap with a golden buckle on the side that ensured that the shoes stayed firmly on her small feet. Towards the front of the shoe a line of delicate wide, thin strip of lace covered half of it, slightly covering a bit of the exposed skin.
On top of that strip of lace, there was the most eye-catching ornament of the whole shoe: a delicate pure white leather bow, its ends left long and neat. A small chain of six pearls were fastened to the bow's centre- left hanging with a white tassel (with a golden rim) in the centre between three pearls on each side.
On one of her wrists, there was a slim, long black ribbon, draped loosely for an additional delicate and pretty touch, contrasting against her snow white skin.
Her attire was undoubted carefully handpicked by the Head of the house: Mortician Addams. The man wanted everything in his house to be in its most aesthetic form, and Misaki was easily one of his most beautiful pieces. (The other one was his eldest son, but even at such a young age, the boy had never let his Father dictate his life.)
*Note: Child Misaki would've been much smaller than shown in the picture above.
The handsome young boy with floppy but neat black hair, shining clever obsidian eyes and pale, smooth porcelain skin approaches his maid, a small black slate in hand, wearing his school attire, which consisted of: a handsome black suit, vest and tie with a crisp white shirt and short trousers.
The young boy stopped in front of the little girl.
"It's for you...happy birthday." said ten year old Saturday, looking away from her, a flustered look on his usually cool and detached face as he handed Misaki a small package wrapped in the softest pastel gift paper with a thin piece of string tied in a bow at the top.
The young, pale, floppy black haired boy noticed how the girl's large, mesmerising golden eyes lit up, and the soft blush that formed on her usually pale, porcelain cheeks as she gently took the small square from his cold hands.
"Thank you, Master Saturday." she said softly in her gentle melodic voice as she held it close to her chest, lowering her pale, delicate eyelids.
"Well aren't you going to open it?" he asks coldly, to which she widened her large, mesmerising golden eyes.
Silently, she pulled the bow loose and unwrapped the delicate paper, revealing...a soft pink silk handkerchief, with the most delicate lace patterns sewn on its fabric.
"It's beautiful...thank you Master Saturday." she says softly and melodically, staring in awe at her new handkerchief as she bows her head once more.
Saturday's eyes dart to look at his little maid, as he scrunches his eyebrows, vexed.
She was still a bit dazed as she finished gently blowing her nose. The seemingly sudden appearance of a woman before her made her jump.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." said a lively voice.
"Ah..." Misaki was lost for words as she took in the ethereally beautiful woman before her. It was the same woman that came to Uriah's Heap. She was a person that was impossible to forget, with her delicate, mesmerising silver eyes, luscious, small red cherry lips, pale smooth porcelain skin and long, shoulder length black hair that was as silky and shiny as a raven's wing. Instead of it being in a bun like last time, she had it loose. As if she was in such a hurry that she forgot to tie it. Thought Misaki, as she observed the woman's slightly messy hair.
She still wore a similar business-like attire like last time, sporting a black long sleeved shirt with the top button undone, but not enough to expose her collarbone, likely for comfort, a small silver, arched necklace, a medium length, black formal work skirt, thin black tights and black high heels with just a touch of decoration at the counter and unique, sculpted heels.
"Oh...have you been crying my dear?" she asked with concern as she stroked Misaki's head comfortingly as she looked at the girl's puffy red eyes. Despite this only being the second time that Misaki had met her, the young girl still felt an undeniable sense of familial soothing.
Why was that? The young girl asked herself.
"Who are you? And why do you know about my Father? Were you two acquaintances before?" before she knew it, the burning questions spilled out, with no sign of stopping until they were answered. Her voice was still gentle and soft, but it held an intense quality that she didn't know she was capable of producing.
Why do I feel this way? This warm but painful feeling...
The woman gave her a sad smile, but it was immediately replaced by a straight, pearly toothy grin as she removed her hand from Misaki's head.
"My name is Aurora deeesu." she replied playfully in fluent Japanese as she made a peace sign with the hand that was just on Misaki's head before, the other hand rested on her waist. "And I'm your faaabulous Aunt!" She finishes enthusiastically in Japanese.
Misaki's eyes widened.
"About the other stuff, well...you don't need to worry about all that for now." she placed her hand on her chin in a thinking position as she looked upwards at the high stone ceiling.
"But my Father-" Misaki began.
"We were schoolmates you know?" Aurora said brightly as she cut her off, giving her a mischievous wink.
She reminds me of a school girl...Thought Misaki absentmindedly as Aurora practically swooped in and started hugging her. The young girl was so surprised that she didn't move, her slim arms remaining at her sides.
"My beautiful little niece is all grown up- aah~ how fast the times pass!" the woman gushes as she fondly rubbed her cheek on the back of Misaki's head.
"Ahh, let me take a closer look at you!" Aurora pulled back and held Misaki's shoulders with her pale, slim hands, a big smile on her face that lit up her features.
"Are you my Mother's-"
"Sister! Yes, younger sister. Her only younger sister." The woman gushes as she nodded excitedly, once again cutting off Misaki's soft, melodic voice. "Not like her heartless older brother." she then mumbled, though it was too soft for Misaki to hear.
She pulled Misaki in close and hugged her tightly, as if afraid of letting her go.
Misaki felt tears well up inside her hot eyes once more. And as the woman pulled back, the tears quickly slid down her cheeks.
"Oh dear! I made my darling niece cry! Tissues, tissues!" the woman said in a panic as she hurriedly turned out all her suit and skirt pockets in an effort to find them. She pulled out a small black leather purse, a small container of mints and a surprisingly great deal of fluffy grey pocket lint but nothing else.
"No..." Misaki's soft, gentle voice stopped her in her tracks.
"What was that my dear?" her lively voice was full of concern as she continued rummaging.
"I-I'm happy that you're here...is all." Misaki said softly, giving her Aunt a small but genuine smile as she wiped away her tears.
The sensation was so foreign to her but it wasn't unpleasant. It was her first smile in eight years. She felt her cheeks heating up slightly, and her heart thumped against her small chest.
"My..." for once the woman was lost for words. "How beautiful..." she said softly, admiring the mesmerising and ethereally beautiful girl in front of her. There was something in the girl that made her beauty unmatched, even against her own. It was something internal, a pure force that shone radiantly, magnified by her soft smile.
"Time's up! Time's up, lazy bum!"
The moment was gone as the very annoying sound of Aurora's alarm went off (it was the high voice of a man speaking in Japanese, but altered to be extra screechy). It made the woman jump slightly and Misaki's smile faded as a clouded, glassy look appeared in her large, golden eyes once more.
"You're...not staying?" the girl asked forlornly. Her voice was quiet and sad, as she stared at the cold, smooth stone floor.
That sad expression came again into the woman's mesmerising silver eyes, but Misaki missed it as her gaze was on the floor.
"Oh! By the way, did you enjoy my little gift?" Aurora suddenly asked brightly while her alarm kept going off in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.
"Gift...?" Misaki's soft voice trailed off as she recalled that mysterious and heavenly package.
"I hope you enjoy this little gift. Love, A."
The young girl's shining golden eyes widened. "That was you?" her soft, gentle voice rose a little in surprise, making it sound more melodic than ever.
Aurora smiled and winked.
"It was the most beautiful dress I have ever seen...Everything in it was magical. Thank you." the girl replied softly.
Aurora's eyes started trembling, and she made an "I'm about to burst into tears" expression.
"If you don't leave RIGHT NOW you 'bout to get yo ass whooped!"
"AHHH! I KNOW!" the woman screamed in exasperation as she took her iphone out of her suit's inside pocket and tried to turn the alarm off. Despite her many attempts it continued to run its mouth. Misaki noticed sharply that it was a very old model, it couldn't have been more than an iphone 4.
How odd...The girl thought.
"OHHHH you little-" she fumed at her phone. "Whatever." The woman suddenly grabbed Misaki by her small shoulders and pulled her in tight, giving her yet another bear hug. Her face was full of regret and sorrow, and her silver eyes wavered, though Misaki didn't see it.
"Misaki, remember this. No matter how cruel the world may seem, I will always love you." her lively voice had taken on an indescribably gentle tone. "And so will your Mother, from up above."
Misaki's throat felt tight, and no words came out of her mouth.
"Always."
After that hauntingly beautiful final word, the woman pulled back, still with that sorrowful expression, turned around, and went on her way.
"Mother..." Misaki said absentmindedly as she watched the woman's figure become smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing, feeling more confused than ever before. She suddenly felt the cold swirls of wind around her once more, as if the woman was a ray of sun that warmed the one in her presence, and her parting gave room for the chills to set in once more. Somehow, the woman's answers felt more like the opening of new mysteries than the final piece of the puzzle, a tragic puzzle that had started so many years ago.
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