"Come back to me, please! Don't go!" Astrid's words pour out of her dream; rising in the air like the sun rises directly in the room, warming up the coldness from before; birthing a new Monday morning. Abrupt words cause even more abruptness, startling the supposedly dead figure, awake. "Astrid?" Pale arms strangle Astrid's fear, holding her close in the true world. "I am here... what have you dreamt? What's going on?" Barely awake herself, Lesso even weaker than the night before, brushes the tip of her fiercely pointed nails on Astrid's neck. "No, it was nothing. I just had a nightmare." Squinting her eyes from Lesso's concerned face - she hates seeing Lesso this way, Astrid sighs. "Are you sure?" Lesso doesn't symbolise 'being convinced'. "Yes-" Astrid continues her sentence, talking and moving up and out of Lesso's arms. "Please stop worrying. You're not well." Astrid floats above Lesso's side of the bed, touching her face gently, examining the faded green of her usually emerald eyes. "I'm ok." Lesso handles Astrid's wrist, they stare deep into each other for a couple of minutes, Lesso's grasp tightening each time they blink.
I need to protect her.
I need to protect her.
Heartbeats synchronise.
But I can't. Not right now.
But I can't, I never could. But I have to, I have to right now. She could die.
Lesso's face looks guilty. Astrid's face looks apprehensive. But they do share one thing... an undiscovered lust.
That body; so fragile, so breakable. The body I'm only allowed to break.
Astrid's eyes leap to Lesso's flushed with sweat and red face. Going further down to her body, meeting her torso. Astrid stares, focused on all the intricate 'design' and makeup of Lesso's body.
Oh, how I wish I could rip that shirt off right now. How I wish she'd just use all her evil for the best reasons.
But not right now.
Not right now.
Lesso's eyes dwindle off Astrid's ballerina-like body, mind racing with the fact she has classes to teach later today. "It's Monday, my love." She says in a soft tone, one you'd expect to hear from some Ever. "I know." Astrid wraps her foot in her high heel. "You better get back to the Ever school, it's six, students wake at seven." Lesso sit's right next to her, hand enamoured by the feel of her thighs as her hands cuff them. "I will." The glass heels lift her slightly higher than usual, now able to hold her head to the height of Lesso's forehead. "Aw, look at that." Lesso's arms overlap, crossing loosely. "You don't have to go on your tip-toes to kiss me anymore!" Pushing herself through Lesso's barricaded arms, and dully sarcastic voice; Astrid centres inside them, kissing Lesso softly. "Oh, my pretty little thing." Lesso's weak voice rasps, making Astrid blush at the depths and darkness in her voice. Astrid feels her height expanding even further, heels dangling in the air, almost slipping off the with the looseness of her foot. She notices Lesso's hands clenching under her arms, boosting her even above herself. Lesso kisses Astrid's chest, lifting her in the air and spinning both of them around, giggling in a smoky tone to herself. "Stop that, put me down!" Lesso dismisses and continues hovering Astrid in the air, ocasionally pulling her close to kiss her. "I'm never going to stop loving you." She places one final kiss on her neck and puts her back down, feeling faint. Astrid sighs, tightening her corset, turning away from Lesso, not realising the dire situation she's being issued into. As straps of the corset squeeze against Astrid's waist, defining it; Lesso's eyes squeeze shut, defining her passed out as she lays weak and near breathless. The mirror pictures a reflection of Lesso in still motion, head smacked against the floor. Astrid gasps at the site, heart stabbing with wounds each time she glances over. I need to think fast. I can't let my emotions burn through my logic. Lesso's face, once burning with passion and a blushed pink - moments before, now stagnates a burnt out white, crackling like paper when it's met with flames. There has to be a cure... there has to be books about this in the school library. I could start by reading about that rose, the 'Never Ever' rose. It seemed to have a lot of importance to her. Maybe it could cure something... it seems powerful? Astrid had seemed to forget the disappearance of the rose; little does she know, it's being held somewhere. If she attempts to obtain it back, will she be held to?
"Lesso?" She shakes her one last time before retreating, acknowledging the fact she can't be late for her teaching. I can't just leave her here! But if I go alert the evil 'faculty' about her health, they'll know I've been hanging around! Astrid sit's next to Lesso, holding her hand, about to burst into tears before she get's an idea. I can put her in a more public area... like by the staircase, somebody will see her and freak out. Feeling stupid about this all; Astrid lifts Lesso's thin, lanky figure up. Attempting to cradle her gently. She props her up at the top of the staircase and nearly cries. Why am I doing this? This feels so wrong... but it's the only way I can get her help without directly exposing myself. If I just left her in her room, nobody would ever find her. Astrid quickly exits the school for evil, running over the arching brick bridge; leaving fog behind and entering a world of enchantment she hasn't seen since Friday. Her eyes glitter with all the flora and bright auras alluring around her. She has to admit; she prefers this side, but she'd do anything for Lesso... she'd do anything for the Leonora Lesso, she knows she would. Seven ticks on the clock just as the doors swing open, revealing grand halls, polished and shimmery with gold. Astrid deeply breathes and prepares herself for her first class to teach for the day: beautification, her favourite - because she can bribe the foolish girls with makeup to distract from her frantic mind.
"Why are only Ever girls allowed to be beautiful?" Innocent words of a preppy Ever sting Astrid's tongue as it motions to inquire a response. "Well. That's simple. It's how we attract the princes!" Astrid fakes a smile. The girls ebony curls swirl beautifully like her words. "But how come the dean of evil isn't ugly... all the Never students are?" Astrid sighs. Being reminded of the dean of evil in this time of her escape from reality, is not helpful. "I am not sure, dear." Her words thread through invisible emotion and tears. Lesso is beautiful because she breaks the morals and rules of the Never life, it's surprising how long she's gotten away with it. Students transfix on Astrid's mellow behaviour. "Are you alright, miss?" Ebony curls brush away, revealing diamond eyes glimmering in illuminance. Astrid stares directly at the girl, now she remembers her... Emily. Flashbacks from the stairwell, a feeling of being caught, those same peering blue eyes, manipulative and deceptive with beauty, covering malice. "It's ok Miss! Nobody will know your secret!" Emily's honeyed tone - the same as when she saw Astrid and Lesso kissing, pollenates every students mind with interest, minus Astrid; who stands in an apprehensive manner. Emily smiles one last A+ smile and works her hand in her notebook again, scribbling down notes, on top of baby pink paper. Astrid's embarrassment is forgotten as all the Ever girls glare at Emily's pink stationery, jealous. "Alright, girls!" Grasping their short-attention spans, "Please turn to page sixty three of your 'Magic and Science of Fashion', text-books. We will be focusing on the bedazzlement a ball gown can offer!" Astrid herself is zealous with joy as she eyes lacey dresses in the book.
Book, spread open, mind creeping open with thought, eyes wide open, heart slowly closing, eyes closing, book closing, coated with droplets of tears on it's leather cover. Astrid's hand traces the image on the cover, budding red, growing from the leather. Oh, Lesso... thinking of the frail woman who's either awake, or near dead right now, she's filled with sorrow, weeping into the cover of the book, her tears being heard by a nearby librarian. "Are you alright, dear?" A woman, silver hair, pink eye-shadow, a wise look to her but sweet and compassionate. Astrid's eyes trail off tears, focusing on the woman who stands above her in a concerned way. "Yes..." Hands stained with tears, the older woman's hands clasping them warmly. "No, no you aren't. You're the dean aren't you?" Astrid lethargically nods. "What's going on? It's peculiar for such a bright and lovely person to be so upset?" The librarians silver-ish eyes and silver hair tip down to the book, noticing the context. "The Never Ever rose?" Her hand tightens Astrid's even closer, with a stern but soothing voice. "Ahh, I see..." With one examination of Astrid's facial expression, she figures her problem. "You're in love with a Never?" Astrid turns red like the librarians nails that tap the desk. Astrid feels like all the towering, fifteen feet bookcases are toppling on her, crushing the life out of her. "It's okay, my dear. Your secret's safe with me. I'm just a librarian, nobody comes here these days anyway." Referring to her library, the librarian scoffs, seeming genuine. "How did you know?" Astrid lifts her face off the book, eyes melting the tears away as a bright ray of sunshine - the librarian, evaporates them with her positive nature. "Why would you be reading a book about a rose no student or barely anybody knows about?" Her face smiles, wrinkling somewhat like a prune with her ancient age. Astrid falls silent. "Love, I've been at this school for about seventy years. I see all walks of life and I'm telling you, only one other individual has ever read about this rose. And that was about twenty years ago." Astrid feels anxiety growing, she senses the librarian knows. "And that was your counterpart." Astrid's eyes widen, her jaw drops in her head, her head explodes with all sorts of things. "Leonora Lesso, Lady Lesso." Now she's fully exploded. "She loved somebody, that somebody was very similar to you... her name was Claire Widows." Astrid listens in shame, she knows the whole tale, she just has to wait for the shock. "Leonora is a determined woman, I've watched her with you. I know her well, she loves you, my dear." Astrid is shameful, honoured, petrified and sick to her stomach. She blushes, she cries, she screams internally. "She very much loves you, in-fact, she's addicted to you. She told me all about you. She told me about her issues, her weakness. I've been expecting you. I'm only here to help you fix all this, as you deserve much better, both of you." Just like the fifth time today, Astrid wipes her bipolar tears and sighs, ready to explain. "Lesso has fainted. She fainted this morning, I came back here as I had classes to teach. I decided to come here to find information-" The librarian throws the book into thin air, it evaporates with one single force. "How do I cure her? She's on the verge of death." Astrid extends her sentence. "A love potion?!" Astrid's eyes seem to display heart eyes as she thinks of doing such a thing. "Yes! Exactly! A cold Never, drained of all her abilities needs the care and revival of an Ever. Afterall, only an Ever can heal." Astrid winces back in her chair, hopeful to earn her lover back. "Oh dear, I can tell you miss her already!" The librarian winks. "I do, I really do. I feel unsafe without her, she always protected me." Exposing her own flaws, Astrid breathes heavily. "Her guard is down, you have to revive that in her." Astrid nods her head to the librarians statement. "Why aren't you against us?" Confusion washes over Astrid, she looks around in the brightly lit library with it's floral patterns sprawling up the pillar, pink sofas and yellow carpets centred in a marble like palace. "What do you mean, love?" The librarian summons a tea kettle out of nowhere, commanding it to pour a fresh brew of rose tea. Pink, steaming with heat liquid pools into dainty white tea cups. The librarian flicks her finger, startling rose petals to fall into the liquid out of thin air. Astrid takes the offer of the cup and holds it intertwined in her hand. "Well, I was meaning; why do you accept a queer relationship? I thought older people like you refused of it all?" Astrid's voice has a ring of uncertainty. "What! No! Not me! Astrid, my dear. Leonora is gorgeous, breath-taking even. She's a wonderful person - if you look past the evil. You can't just attack somebody's love because they're both the same gender? If you love her, you don't let anybody stop that. She's yours. You're hers, end of!" Not knowing if it's the heat of the freshly brewed tea or the fresh from heart words, Astrid's stomach tickles with warmth. "Thank you. I do love her, a lot. I always have." Astrid smiles, a genuine smile she hasn't smiled in a couple days now. "So, how do I make this love remedy, or potion, whatever it is?" The librarian put's her tea cup down and cups her hands. "Take this book, here." Her finger snaps and a small little book - smaller than Astrid's hand, ascends from the shelves. "Turn to page twenty seven, it explains the remedy, well potion, I guess." The librarian chuckles, resting back in the chair as Astrid takes handle of the book.
"The Never Ever Rose's Remedies."
"The Never Ever rose, a rare find. Legends say it grows in the gardens amongst thick, misty and pure evil forests of Never land. Some say it's a test for the Evers, a test of purity - if they steal the rose, they're trespassing, if they steal the rose they're inducing fake love, breaking a rule. Other's say it's for desperate Nevers, looking to help themselves. Whatever it may be, the rose has power. Power to heal your true love, or the opposite, to manipulate your true love."
"A cure."
"The Never Rose is a very powerful remedy. It contains a lot of detoxifying elements; to cure sickness and curses. A simple recipe to bring out the rose's powers..."
"One Never Ever Rose."
"A handful of warm, cherry infused water."
"Fresh honey."
"Sugar cubes."
"Salt."
"To successfully make the remedy; you need to make the remedy specifically. Start by boiling water, adding in cherries for the flavour. Then add fresh honey, fresh from a honeycomb. Sprinkle in two - three sugar cubes, then a dash of the finest sea salt. Stir until the sugar and honey melt."
"A remedy will help her physically, a kiss will help her mentally." The librarian peers at Astrid as Astrid peeks across from the top of the pages, lowering the book to her lap. "A kiss must have passion, meaning and love, you're an Ever. That's easy for you, my dear." Astrid smiles and slips the book under her beret. "Thank you so much." They both smile. "There's no use hiding your love anymore. The more you hide, the more your love will suffocate in the dark, you both will feel trapped. I'm telling you, please dear, don't hide it anymore." Astrid nods her head and quickly exits, thinking of the librarians final words but dismissing them out of fear. I need to find honey... that would be in the kitchen. Astrid heads deeper into the halls, near the back of the Ever castle to the kitchen. Little does she know, it will not be so simple to enter the kitchen.
Astrid continues a northward direction, pillars and smooth arches enveloping her. Past twinkling chandeliers, pristine pink-stained windows, and pearly white marble everywhere she looked, Astrid stood adjacent to the kitchenette. I've never been here, I have no idea what lies behind that door... her fingertip stings against a circular door knob, crafted with the finest metals. Her hands encase sleek brass, twisting and pulling to no avail. Fuck! Of course... It's locked! Astrid stands in bewilderment at what to do next. Glistening like a gem, the key hole appears it's significance; looking down, she notices the familiarity: thin slit, deepening at the bottom, empty and looking for a way to unlock itself. I swear the key Lesso gave me would open this. The key that brought me here, could help me whilst I'm here too... Astrid sighs and backs off, removing her hand from around cool metal, retreating it parallel to her hip as she strides back down nonchalant marble floors. Her eyes feel rich with lavish material in her current environment of the Ever school; slowly twisting green in a sudden when wooden wood slabs push open, enduring the outside nature. She breathes, and breaths rapidly whilst sprinting rhythmically into gloom and doom. Her melancholy booms as jagged, gothic-looking doors burst open to the Never school. Every eye lingers on her, they linger on the misfit, none of them are now misfits, Astrid's more outcasted than the misfits themselves. Pink, flowery, dainty dress drags across rough concrete, tearing at fabric little piece by piece. Ebony backgrounds her, knives, axes, all sorts of weaponry and a freshly gathered skull sits on top of the shelf, like a trophy amongst all the previous novelty items. A Never peels at his skin, disguising himself invisible when skin flakes to the floor. Astrid winces in horror, backstepping from her long, twisty path to Lesso's bedroom. She feels like she's in a Halloween maze, not a fun one either; more like the one's where you loose each other and are even more sensitive to the stupid monsters because you're a dependant imbecile. She can hear her blood squirming under her skin, she can feel her skin piercing as a Never shoots tiny little arrows at her, chanting: "Kill!" "Kill!", blending into the other dismay around, such as, "Ew, an Ever!" "What the fuck does she want?" Astrid tilts her head up, holding her index finger straight, about to scold the student for swearing until she realises: they don't care, they're Nevers, they won't listen to anybody let alone a dean who isn't theirs. Astrid's cells crawl inside her like the bugs underneath her polished heels, each time a bug crunches underneath her heel, it stains them slightly more red than the last time. Fixated on the bugs ruining her sentimental shoes, Astrid doesn't pick up on the fact a Never student towering over her like a pyramid and it's pointed tip with his teeth sharpened at the tip from filing on wood prior to. "Why don't we slowly stain her red too?" The boy's fists clash against each other whilst Astrid clashes further into him, feeling the solidity of his figure. She flinches back, huddling into herself as a defence mechanism. "She's like a hedgehog, with no spikes to protect herself." Another Never student, a girl, hair slicked back with it's own grease; bursts spikes out of her fingers. "Well, time to put some spikes into the hedgehog!" Over-zealous, they both inch closer to Astrid who is cornered, backing into a nothingness wall, no exit, no decoration, just pitch black like the blankness of her mind. The rest of the Never students cheer in delight; their first kill, their first victim. The fact it's somebody 'superior' to them and above them, feels even better. The boy and girl are determined, the boy and his ogre like appearance bash Astrid into the wall, holding her in place with a single finger. "It's going to hurt!" Infected with maniacal thoughts, the girl lashes her fingers across Astrid's stomach, carving into the dress, tearing the fabric, ripping it with ease. "This is just a demonstration of what's bound to happen to your precious, soft, little, powdery smooth princess infected skin!" Infected with princess behaviour and fear, she screams, the sweat seeping deep inside; like her screams hollering amongst wooden beams, bouncing off, travelling far. "I'm the dean! You cannot do this! You guys will have consequences!" Astrid attempts to alarm the Nevers zombie-rotted brains as they drool over the sadistic torture. "Oh, please. And what will our consequence be? Fairies biting our ass?" Roars of laughter like zoo animals ricochet, causing Astrid to cry further at all the loud noise and pain penetrating upon her skin's surface. "Quit it!" Penetrating her ears with certainty, a bold assertive voice croaks, bashing a once iconic object amidst the concrete, tracing it down the steps with feet stepping downward. Everybody, especially the Never students, specifically the two handling Astrid freeze in horror at the face they ought to be ill. Pale skin gleams, brighter than the white's of the petrified Nevers eyes as they bulge in apprehension. Twisted strings of hair point outward in a voluminous manner, burning up like a flame; so does her temperature and rage. Her eyebrows arch downward, her cane inches downward, beating against the floor. "What in the hell is going on!" Hair red like hell, face red like hell, she and her rage surpass the devils evil and hatred. She raises her cane, swivelling it in the air, poking every Never that stands in her way so she can reach her main targets. "Marcia!" The girls spikes shovel under her nailbed again, dripping blood as she screams, being silenced by the cane. "Julius!" The boys fists shrink in size, now the size of an insignificant pea in a pod. "Guards! Escort them to the doom room this instant! This- this is-" Baffled and enraged she cannot even glance at the two students - who are now being dragged by their own two fingernails, she instead lingers on Astrid, her face now softening, not even caring if people can notice her evil fade. "This is inexplicable!" Referring to Astrid backed up against the bricks, fabric tearing, skin tearing, blood pouring. "Lesso-" Astrid shakes, struggling to pour one single word out of her mouth. Astrid's skin is now as bloodied as a maroon rose, the same one she was attempting to obtain. Lesso drops her cane, dropping her evil and power alongside it. Her hands cling Astrid's waist, escorting her up closer to herself. "Come on, princess." She softly whispers, fulfilling Astrid with needed love. Lesso picks up her cane again and scowls at the nearby students who are astonished at this behaviour. She scoffs, poking them out of her way.
"I thought you were unwell... how are you up-" Muffling Astrid's' voice, a pillow barricades her words; Lesso places Astrid on top of her bed. "I was weak. I wasn't unwell. Have you not noticed? It comes in waves, right now I feel fine but I already feel like I'm loosing my strength because I've helped you. When I was yelling at the Nevers I nearly passed out too." She shakes her head and closes her eyes, sighing at her weak behaviour. "I just want to be back to my normal self. I want to be able to do my job, I want to be able to teach them. I want to educate them. They're turning horrible without me!" Astrid lifts her face off a fluffy dark pillow, blinking slowly as her eyes adjust to the dim light of Lesso's bedroom. "Astrid. Nevers usually aren't this bad... yes, they hate Evers but I've never seen them attack an Ever teacher, let a lone a dean! You know why they're like this, they aren't being taught proper discipline. No other teacher disciplines like I do." Lesso kneels on the floor, caressing Astrid's warm, silky hair. "Why are you here anyway?" Astrid flicks her head back to Lesso's question out of defence. "Because, I thought you were going to die. I talked to the librarian, I've got this remedy for this whole entire curse placed upon you. I needed the rose, so I came to get it, I didn't expect to be assaulted by the Nevers..." Lesso sighs out of guilt, listening to Astrid's words with pure emotion. "Baby, you knew it was in the midst of a school day?" Lesso stands up again, looking down at Astrid with some form of disapproval. "I wasn't thinking. All I thought of was you, I was worried about you. I don't want to loose you." Astrid blinks her fear back. "Oh, my dear." Cuddling Astrid with all her remainder of what seems to be a decaying strength, Lesso continues coddling her, gently smoothing her skin. Astrid smiles, closes her eyes and- I'm so glad I don't have to teach any more classes today. Rests upon Lesso; cold hands turning colder each and every second, the more she caresses, the more she depletes. Astrid's face stings with a tickle, reacting to Lesso's sombre nails, bleeding out all colour. Her gemstone green eyes, glaring with sparkles pulsate back to grey. Astrid sighs, eye's still closed as Lesso dies beneath her. Breathless, touchless, lifeless; beneath Astrid's lifeful mind and body, Astrid's head remains on her chest as she points toward the celling, watching the chandelier slowly twist and spin into obscurity as her thought is blocked by Lesso's absence. Astrid feels something she's never once felt, she hasn't felt Lesso's body so close, so up and personal. She tries to neglect her idea but instead bites her lip, her finger nails bite down into the dresses tie around her waist, she is failing to hold her words. "Lesso-" Unloosening the only thing securing her dress. Her head still pointed toward the celling, not paying attention to where Lesso really went. "Can we, please make-" She flicks her head back, screaming at Lesso's faint appearance as it lays in sorrow. "No!" Burying her head in her hands, scraping her nails against her forehead, inflicting pain to see if she's dreaming. "No!" Her hands drop revealing a ghastly figure: pale, skin sunken back, eyes wide open, flickering green, flashing a black glow. Scanning the room, in desperation for the bright red aura, the delicate velvety feel of it's petals; Astrid rushes off of Lesso's perished body. How did this happen so quick!? I need the remedy right now! Tears punish Astrid's thought, blanketing her clarity with a blur, the stinging and redness underneath her eyes off putting her from leaving the bedroom. Where's the rose? Walking, stumbling, Astrid smacks into a wall, halting her tears for a second, bringing back thought and memories. The school master... he has it! I remember those couple nights ago, he took it! He was with that Never boy and they were talking, he must still have it!
Astrid decides on her next move: head to the school master's office. She's a dean, she's allowed in there with ease, right?