!VIOLENCE WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER!
(Five months later: Astrid has been educating the Evers for about six months now)
"Miss Astrid!" An ever girl, 14-15 years old, sweet with her innocence gone; she's terrified and shaking as her voice blares down the hall to Astrid - who was walking to her office - "Yes?" Turning around, Astrid realises who this little girl is. "Lacey?" Astrid 's voice whistles at the best student, academically. Astrid always helped Lacey earlier throughout the year, now students have settled in, showcasing their true image; it was clear to Astrid the true intentions of the students, who would meet success, and who wouldn't. Seeing Lacey, an A+ student so distraught deceived her. "Are you alright, dear?" gracefully walking toward her best student, Astrid felt very saddened. Seeing somebody she was so proud of, frantic and distraught, rattled her the wrong way. "No!" tears rolled, "I'm" her breathing shorted, "No!" then sharpened, piercing the air again, "I'm not!" Lacey panicked as she stood still, looking somehow guilty. "Please calm down! Come with me?" Astrid's satin, blossoming with yellow dress, shimmied to the side with her as she offered to Lacey. Lacey immediately walked closer with her ballerina flats, lightly stepping alongside her dean.
"What's wrong?" A chair slid underneath the polished to perfection desk. Lacey peered, eyeing everything surfaced upon pristine white surfaces - from the desk to the towering bookcase behind Miss Astrid's desk - pinks, yellows and baby blues brightened her gloomy mood, after all, it was good to be back in an environment you were destined for. Staring at a rose boutique neatly tucked in a vase, Lacey's eyes drifted upward to those soft, attentive doe eyes of her dean. "Tell me, please!" Oh, I can't ignore Miss Astrid! She's done so much for me... Lacey's mind flipped sides, deciding who she should betray; her lovely dean or the other thing... the other thing is scary, maybe even dangerous, if she tells Miss Astrid both of them could be in danger. But if she doesn't tell Miss Astrid they'll both be safe, but Miss Astrid will worry. "It's Lady Lesso!" Suddenly, Lacey's thoughts popped and leapt out of crevices of her brain; now residing externally. Astrid's face flamed with fear and annoyance when she heard that name. Her other dean, her 'acquaintance', her 'idol' dean, the one she was meant to be trusting, somehow hurt her student. "What did she do?" Astrid leans further on top of the desk, palms rooting her position, triple ounces of seriousness in her voice. "I'm scared!" Lacey has a whine to her voice, a piercing one, physically piercing too - just like Lesso's cane - Lacey can almost feel Lesso's cane threating her, if she doesn't do this right. Astrid's eyes gloss over with hurt, watching her student this way. How dare she... she's the dean of evil, of course, but why would she go this far? How dare she even interact with one of my students! Astrid can hear Lesso's voice in her head, coarse and rough, defending herself: "Nevers and Evers are allowed to interact less restrictively now! Of course I'm inclined to this, I'm evil! I just couldn't help myself; this is what happens when you change an important rule. The Nevers get hungry for battle... so they start it." Oh! How she wishes Lesso's voice wasn't burnt inside her. "Ok, dear, you have to tell me everything. Lady Lesso should not be scaring a student this much, what has she done? We can sort this." Astrid raises a hand to Lacey's shoulder, comforting her to speak furthermore. "She beat me up!" Lacey rubs a purple bruise on her forearm, it smudges slightly. Not noticing what she was meant to, Astrid rips herself off her seat and takes Lacey by the wrist and marches down, penetrating her heels into the ground as she goes. Why the fuck is a 38 year old woman beating up a student?! What does this bitch think she's doing! She's such a menace!
"Lady Leonora Lesso!" A usually soft, soothing voice, screeched like an alarm, echoing and bouncing off the spiky pillars in the evil school's 'grand' hall. To no avail, no response to Astrid's scold. Tugging by the wrist, Astrid squeezes Lacey's wrist tighter as her anger stretches, expands and ticks - about to explode like a bomb, inside her. I am an Ever... I have to defend, I can't attack. I can't attack. I have to defend, I have to defend our rights. Each time she stepped, each time she thought any thought; her rage was closer to being set free, out of confinement. I can't believe I trusted that witch! Astrid was now coming to realisation... an Ever cares, loves and protects, a Never neglects, hates and attacks. I should've known... we could've never been close. We're too different. Why the fuck is this school allowing Evers and Nevers to be closer?! This is the whole entire reason Lesso was allowed near this poor girl. "Leonora Lesso!" Astrid stung once more.
Shadows near the end of the corridor portrayed a thin figure, long and lanky, stretching lengths up the jagged brick wall, the ebony black banking closer as it turns around the curves; to Astrid and Lacey who stand directly in the middle. She appears; that classic trench coat, dragging down to her ankles, buttoned all way up, flaming red hair seemingly going up in flames as it puffs away from her scalp, eyebrows arched scarily alongside a stone cold, pale face. Lady Lesso's cane pronounces herself close when it bangs against the floor, symbolising her presence. "I am here." Her eyebrows arch even more, twisting her full, slightly glossed lips into a dangerous smirk. "Oh! Look who it is!" A long lanky hand, scrawny and veiny from her anger clenches her collar. Lacey hides behind Astrid, terrified of the woman in front of them. "Lesso, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" An Ever, swearing, a forbidden sight, but predictable with Astrid's viciousness. "Hm?" Lesso opposes herself innocent in front of the two ladies. "Go on Lacey, show her!" Astrid ascends Lacey's pink sleeves up her arm, strangling her arm with anger as she examines the smudge, demanding a response from Lesso. "Oh! That!" Lesso's deep, dark voice intertwines with her soothing side and correlates a deep, smoky chuckle. "No worries, she can just go to the nurse! Or you, my Ever, can fix it yourself. What do you really expect a Never to do, darling?" Her words stall, creeping into the minds of those she's secretly terrified of in this instant. This little Ever girl better not bail out on me... Lesso queries as she sees the smudge appearing fainter as the young girl sweats apprehensively. "Lacey. Leave." Astrid whispers to her student; she immediately bolts when given permission, not looking back even once.
(!VIOLENCE BELOW!)
"Now it's just you and me, sweet thing." Pale hands with sharp grey nails trap Astrid's waist; being neglected as Astrid swerves, instead, grasping that same hand and tearing into the wrist with her own set of nails. "I'm not sweet, not after what you did to my student. You witch!" Astrid full-heartedly attacks Lesso, smashing her back against the sharp brick surface. "An Ever cannot attack, you stupid bitch!" Lesso screams in defense, her hair fraying up as Astrid smothers her head against the wall with one hand. "I don't fucking care!" She practically hisses at Lesso, angrier than she's ever been before, no remorse, but plentiful of force in her grip; motioning Lesso's wrist, strangling it, trying to snap it. "No backing out of this! Explain yourself!" Astrid screams in her face, peach lips producing not such peachy words. "I will-" The fiery red arched eyebrows relax, then pierce down again, throwing the opponent against the wall, turning the tables. "I will fucking destroy you." Lesso grabs Astrid's throat and digs her nails right in the centre, digging into the voice box; making Astrid's voice croaky, whiney and screechy. "No." Breathy and quietly, Astrid fathoms, banking for her own breath. "Speak up princess!" Lesso smashes Astrid further against the bricks, tearing the back of her dress open. The tearing noise tears Astrid's heart, tearing her logical thinking, she just screams, exasperated. "Shut up!" A rage comes over Lesso, injecting her with hot, flaming poison, like one from a viper, her eyes fume snake green. The green turning to Christmas with a spew of red, dousing Lesso's snow white skin, dripping down her cheekbones. Astrid, continuously coughs blood after Lesso smashed her throat in. Weak, frail and hopeless, Astrid had no chance... she fell to the floor. Lesso pulling her back up by the neck, hanging her above her on an old piece of wood that pokes out. Astrid's collar of her dress is near teared. Lesso continues to walk around her like she's an artifact at a museum, sternly speaking. "An Ever can never attack first... you know what this means?" Astrid solemnly and sadly nods her head. Lesso's fingers click, disrupting the ever long silence; Lacey appearing, again. Lesso stares up at Astrid, smiling and poking her cane on Astrid's stomach. "Now, my little helper, reveal the truth!" The cane waves in the air, flinging around with Lesso's dramatic gestures like one of an evil mad hatter. Astrid's eyes nearly bat closed, her world nearing black with exhaustion; noticing the black of Lacey's 'bruise' fading back into an olive skin tone. It's makeup! Noticing a similar shade on Lesso's eyelids, she is now realising. "Miss innocent is not so innocent, hm?" Lesso stands, proud, in the centre, eyeing both the girl and woman. "Oh wait, what one?" Her laugh intensifies. "Come here, Lacey, aren't you proud?" Lacey shy's off. "Don't even talk to her..." Astrid weakly scolds. Lesso, finding this all a joke; "No! You think you're so good, don't you? You think saving this little girl would do you good? Make you even better? It was all a test... you're so pathetic, you think you're such a good person. But no, guess what? Evers cannot attack, that's just what you did!" Now realising how fucked she is, Astrid bawls her eyes, collar ripping and shredding, dropping her to the floor, making her cry even more. "This is what you get when you don't obey me! I go the hard way..." Lacey tears with Astrid, like helpless Evers do; feeding Lesso's maniacal plans. "Lacey... go!" Astrid flicks her finger, lethargically; transporting Lacey somewhere safe with her powers and kneels, trying to stand to Lesso's dominance. "What the fuck did I disobey? How did I disobey you, Lesso! I did a lot for you..." Tears swell, everything swells as Astrid watches the world outside swell with cataclysmic puffs of fur, feathers and scales bursting in little clouds. "Stop killing the animals Lesso! You fucking psycho!" Lesso rolls her eyes, "I'm not telling you how you disobeyed me! You should know better! And no, I'm not killing your stupid little animals-" Cut off by Astrid, Lesso tumbles down to the floor, chest aching with a booting from Astrid's high heel. "You set me up! You wanted to get me in trouble!" A roaring sound from outside following a rushing sound, storming up in the air, making a breeze blow over the two aggravated woman. "Mhm." Lesso unphased, relaxes on her elbows, staring up at Astrid who appears to be glowing a gold and white hue in her eyes, slowly darkening. Astrid sensed something, something seeping into her, her soul was controlling something... anger arose her. "Tell me why!" Her once honeyed voice now salted. Lesso just ignored Astrid, making her hysterical. Astrid ascended, floating above Lesso, with power; seeping red and gold, flaming up, burning up, glowing with an angel like haze. She closed her eyes, focusing on the rage and hatred, the breeze harshening, brushing over Astrid as she displayed her emotions, painting them out in the real world through a stampede of life.
Packs of flaming red animals scurried out of the endless woods, hiding the gothic nature of the forest with the fury and rage of their hue. Lesso screamed and fiddled for her cane and drew it out, extending it to a length never seen before. Astrid floated above the pandemonium she caused, eyes closed, hands interlaced, fingers glowing red, aura black like the night. Her mind was in a trance whilst her world was in a stance, of mayhem - mayhem she onehandedly caused. "Astrid Widows! Control your power now!" Lesso scavenged her wand, peering up at Astrid who appeared to be transforming into some satanic being. The blood she painted upon Lesso's skin crawled over Lesso, racing back to it's host. Astrid, still in a trance, devoured her own blood, seeping it into her aura. Making her glow even more. Lesso, her finger glowed black. This is dark magic and an Evers defence mixed! Lesso scoured her mind for a solution whilst the stampede of hellish animals charged through the window, smashing the intricate designs of roses and skulls; beaming the first ounce of light in the evil halls for centuries. Fuck! Lesso's cane and finger both illuminated back, shocking Astrid with a lightning spark of magic, breaking her emotional spell; shattering the red into flames, collapsing like tainted glass. As Lesso squeezed her eyes closed, draining all her mentality and energy into breaking the curse of unexpected anger and rage, Astrid falls to the ground from about four feet. The rush of animals fade and shrink away into the air, leaving their hue behind, unblinding Lesso. "Astrid!" Lesso drops her cane - for once, falling to her knees as Astrid is bruised and battered, fainted from her own strength. "What have I done..." Mimicking Astrid from earlier, Lesso cries... breaking all rules a Never, especially a dean, should follow. A Never neglects, hates and attacks. I fixed... I- Lesso whines - even though she hates it, she sorrows for herself and Astrid... I betrayed the Nevers. I made Astrid betray the Evers, now she's making me betray the Nevers. Nestling her face into Astrid's neck she kneels, cries and squeezes Astrid's face. "Please wake up... I didn't mean all of this. I was just... so miserably jealous that you weren't giving me any attention." She cries and realises how pathetic she really is. I'm just as weak as an Ever, I hate to admit it, but I am. I cry until it hurts, each night. I wake up with the pillows stained from the salty waterfalls I cry, it's the only way I can bleed out my loneliness... and my desire. Looking down at Astrid and her soft figure, smeared with her own blood, back bruised and face swollen from tears; make's Lesso's eyes sting and her body swell with pain. Observing such a delicate woman in a breakable situation was heartbreaking to Lesso. And it's all my fault. All because I was too scared to tell her the truth. Her thoughts turn to mush, her skin feels like mush as it touches the mushy wounds on Astrid's face. It's all gone to mush. An Ever cares, loves and protects, a Never neglects, hates and attacks. Lesso chants over and over in her mind until she gets a 'solution'. Neglect can be anything: self neglect, neglecting the situation and solving it... it's not always all bad, I guess... if you neglect something, whatever it is; it's still neglect. All I have to do is ignore what happened and move on, right? "I'll neglect our past and this fight." Hands crawl upon Astrid's face, the hands of evil, caressing the skin of good. Years ago; this would've been forbidden, but, now... it's normal. A conscious heart and even the unconscious one, flutter together as warm and cold collide, skin on skin, fingertip gliding across powdery, soft facial features. A spark, a connection, zaps the friction - like the lighting on Lesso's fingertip from before. This time it isn't individual, it's a shared experience, a fragment of romance. Whether it be the warming physical affection or pure luck; Astrid awoke, feeling rather... starstruck. Her lips felt softened, and slightly sweetened with an essence of vanilla. Sweet, sharp pain of nails - whether it be accidental or not, stab into her back, feeling like Lesso's cane used to. Where even is Lesso? Still consumed by a haze, Astrid is sedated in blank thoughts, absorbing the current world around her, the previous memories sucked away with a kiss. Gobsmacked, Astrid's eyes shift open to strands of frizzed flames appearing her vision; not taking long to notice death herself smothering, plastering, perplexing unexpected affection on Astrid's body. Astrid finds her mouth taped shut with a wickedly graceful kiss, deepening and extending the further the streams of water drop from those wicked green eyes Astrid is fond of. "I'm sorry... please just come back to me, my princess." Sorrow words breaks the kiss briefly. What the fuck is going on? Astrid, mind swept from the past day's experiences, is unsure of everything; not knowing the true story and only remembering a wicked, menacing Lesso and her usual behaviour, is stunned. Motion touches Lesso's mind when Astrid's hand softens the tension with a sweeping of her swirled strands of hair. Lesso bites down on her lip for a second, thoughts breaking with realisation that there may be another sentient being awakening. "Lesso?" Quiet, breath stolen words punch out of Astrid's sparkling with sweet and salty lust, lips; it's secretly a shared love after all, just one of them doesn't know it. "You're awake?" Lesso scoffs back another round of heartfelt tears. "What happened?" Lesso, now realising her mistake; Oh fuck, the kiss removed her memory from today... this is either gonna be good or bad. "You just-" Lesso stop's, not even able to fathom her explanation. "I feel... strange." Astrid tips her light headedness on to Lesso's grasp. "How?" Concerned, she softens her touch on Astrid. "When you touch me, when you speak to me. I just want to kiss you..." Her voice has an octave of angst to it. "We're suited for each other." A smirk chimes. I truly am evil! That kiss poisoned her with my desires. One simple kiss, so powerful... Lesso's heart beats at her success.
"I'll take off my dress if you tell me the truth." Now serious and drained from her fake affection, Astrid threatens Lesso's with madness in her voice. "What? You don't have to do that... I don't want you to take off your dress! Stop blackmailing me!" Embarrassment floods the two pairs of eyes, wicked green turning into pale, covering the embedded truth. "Come on, Lesso, I know you want it." All teases now from Astrid's end. I need to get it out of her... she's being so easy lately, she's cracking. I'm cracking her. Nothing from Lesso as her face saturates electric red - like the electricity pumping in her veins, riling her up even more. "Tell me." Astrid's finger fiddles with the zipper, zipping it up. "Or no more kisses." Astrid glistens with pride; having an edge over the dean of evil excites her. "I thought you lost your memory... what truth do you need? I thought you were mine! I thought I had control!" The tipping arched eyebrows scrutinise Astrid's thoughts. "I lied about that. You really think I'd forget what you did? You really think your kiss would take my soul?" Lesso flinches back, hurt. Her foot slipping on her cane, causing her to fall to the ground like an idiot. "I'll tell you! Please! Just-" Her hand reddens with pain, her eyes redden with pain, her throat reddens with pain as the muscles tense and stretch, hosting a whine in her voice.
An Ever cares, loves and protects, a Never neglects, hates and attacks. Astrid now realises she cannot do this to Lesso, seeing her hurt makes her upset herself. I'm always gonna love this woman... I don't even think she realises. There's just something about her, I hate her; but I feel drawn to her. Maybe I'm just too nice, maybe this is why we cannot be. A Never is too powerful for an Ever.