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54. the Pine
On Wednesday of the following week, a little over a week after Treech was finally able to come home, he resumes work at the lumber yard.
After Rachis had a long talk with his father, he stopped by a day after Treech’s and June’s visit to let them know that the man is willing to accept Treech’s offer — but only as long as the boy is not overexerting himself. Wounded deeply by his daughter’s death but knowing he needs to be strong for his son now, he caved after hearing the truth about what actually happened in the arena.
No one is to blame for the false information being spread. Even Birdie assures her little brother time and time again that misinformation can accidentally spread when people only pick up little bits of the truth, and that she’s sure there’s no malicious intent behind it. The only ones to blame are those who know they’re spreading misinformation about the boy, and his family and friends would be damned to let it slide if they witnessed it happening right in front of them.
But that’s just the problem. They don’t know how many people have heard the lies surrounding Lamina’s death, and while the girl was not known by everyone, Seven’s community runs so deeply that it doesn’t even matter. She was one of theirs, and betraying one of theirs can have harrowing consequences.
During the war, the Capitol feared Seven exactly because of that. They’re down-to-earth, humble, and easy to talk to, but a single drop of blood spilled on their end leads to disaster.
That aside, Lamina’s father felt so bad about June’s swollen nose that he sent over a bouquet of flowers for the girl. June was so touched that she almost cried and immediately put them in a vase upstairs in her and Treech’s room.
It's what she’s proclaiming it as now, although she can never quite get used to seeing him first thing in the morning. His warmth always engulfs her like a warm blanket, making it as good as impossible for her to get out of bed.
It’s a surprisingly cold morning that day; the sun has barely set when Treech, his father, and his little brother Buck are getting ready for work. His mother is awake as well, but that’s not common. Ever since she sustained her ankle injury and had to stay home, she has been making good use of the little extra sleep she could get until her younger children had to be up for school.
But today is special. It’s Treech’s first day back, and to say that he’s nervous would be the understatement of the century. He bounces his leg beneath the table the entire time he’s eating breakfast, often needs to be snapped out of a daze, and barely even touches his oatmeal.
He does, however, promise his mother he’ll eat sufficiently during the little lunch break they get. His father swears he’ll keep an eye on him (his wife makes him promise more than once that he will), and by the end of it all, Treech’s brother has a hard time containing himself. His amusement seems to outweigh his worry for his brother, but honestly, June almost feels like Treech appreciates it.
Treech has been fiddling with his sleeves, tugging on his shirt, and fixing his belt for the past couple of minutes now, even though June doesn’t think there’s even anything to fix. He washed up before breakfast, his clothes are clean and washed, and his hair is no messier than usual.
“You look fine, sweetie,” his mother reassures him. She steps next to her son and places a hand on his arm, gently running her palm over the fabric of his jacket in a soothing motion.
But before she can say any more, Buck’s voice cuts in as he squeezes past them. “Yeah, sweetie,” he quips, an amused smile spreading across his youthful face. “You look fine.”
June can’t shake off the feeling that mischief runs in this family’s blood. His older brothers are the worst, but she has witnessed more than enough banter between the siblings to know that snarky remarks are always at the tip of their tongues.
Treech sends an annoyed look after his little brother. “No one’s asking you, nuthead,” he calls out after him, earning an amused chuckle from his father.
His mother, however, sighs. “Buck, pull up your pants!” She rushes after her younger son. “Trust me, sweetie, you’re gonna flash someone like this!”
“Mom, stop!” Buck’s protests fall on deaf ears as he tries to wriggle away from his much smaller mother. “Everyone’s wearin’ it like this!”
Amused and relieved that the attention is now off him, Treech looks after his mother for a moment and stifles a laugh when she scolds his brother for his half-unbuttoned shirt and his absent belt before he turns his head towards June. She has a smile on her face, dimples creasing her cheeks as she visibly hides a laugh at the scene unfolding in front of her.
“Almost wish I could take you with me,” he muses, breaking the distance between them with big steps. He encircles her waist with his arm like so many times before and pulls her against him, his free hand cradling the back of her head. He’s still careful not to squeeze her too hard; the swelling has subsided, but her nose is still sore.
“Well, I could come,” she offers, although they both know she’s not entirely serious. Her chin rests on his shoulder, and she stifles a content sigh, wishing they could stay like this for longer. “But if someone hands me an ax, I’m afraid I might panic.”
He snorts. “You’re something else. You can wield a gun, but you draw the line at an ax,” he teases, running his fingers through her hair. He feels like it’s gotten softer ever since she came here. “But really, I’m not kiddin’. I’ll miss you.”
Her heart swells in her chest at his words, and she smiles, pulling away slightly to cup his cheek. “I’ll be right here when you get home,” she tells him, only to pause for a moment. She gives him a little smile. “Well, unless something happens and we take longer at the market.”
After all, his mother promised to take the girl out and show her around a bit more. With the men out of the house, the youngest at school, and Birdie at work, Treech’s mother insists she and June need to get some fresh air. She pushes away concerns regarding her ankle, and as far as June knows, the woman has already made a pretty long shopping list as well.
But she doesn’t mind. Spending time outside sounds lovely. Seven is changing her because she was never an outdoorsy person before, but she’s able to find peace here quickly. Going outside doesn’t fill her with anxiety anymore, only curiosity regarding what she might stumble upon today.
“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen, then. ‘Cause I wanna hear you tell me all about it,” he says. He glances at the hand resting on his cheek and feels his heart skip a beat when her thumb brushes over his cheekbone. He smiles. “You’re making’ it real hard for me to leave, sweetheart.”
As much as she wants to feel embarrassed, she tries to shrug it off. “You know I’d be more than happy to have you here, but like you said, you need this,” she reminds him of his own words, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “Something about going back to the real world?”
“You’re gonna send me off to everyday life with just a kiss on the cheek?” He exclaims, placing a hand on his chest as if he’s hurt. “Wow, you’re cruel. You’re finally showing your true colors; I knew you were too good to be true.”
June laughs and, with a shake of her head, leans in to kiss him properly. She’s still shy about doing that in front of his family, but since she’s not directly facing them, she doesn’t mind as much. They kiss, and it’s like the world around her just vanishes into thin air, the feeling of his lips on her own making the butterflies return.
She feels the hand on her waist squeezing her, and she’s about to move closer when a voice manages to get through to her.
“No wonder he wasn’t eating; he’s about to swallow her face,” Buck comments from behind them, awkwardly shifting his weight.
The couple breaks away from each other, and Treech scoffs. “You’re just jealous you ain’t got a girl to kiss,” he retorts, and he doesn’t miss the way June flushes.
However, he can’t help but feel a bit irritated. Every single time he thinks they have a moment for themselves, something or someone always comes in to remind him that they’re most likely never going to be alone in this house.
He loves his family, but that part he can live without. It’s not the same as being alone when they’re in his room either; either someone barges in or he can hear them. That alone is enough to kill the mood.
“Your time will come, Buckaroo,” Treech’s father says, putting his dishes into the sink. “But if you’re askin’ me, you’re too young for that anyway.”
“You married mom when you were seventeen!” Buck’s protest follows immediately.
“That I did,” he says, ruffling his son’s hair and walking past him, ignoring the grumbling he gets in response. “And I’d do it all over again,” he adds, leaning down to kiss his wife.
Buck and Treech both roll their eyes when their parents kiss, but June smiles at the sight. A love like theirs — that’s exactly the kind she hopes she’ll have with their son when they’re that age.
“You got everything?” Daisy eventually asks when they part, her loving gaze following her husband as he walks towards the door and grabs his jacket. “Gloves, lunch... axes?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the males say in unison, and June stifles a laugh.
“I’ll see you later, sweetheart,” Treech kisses her temple and pulls away reluctantly. “And have fun at the market; I’m sure you’ll love it. Mom’s real good at bargaining.”
His mother smiles, pinching her son’s cheeks as they pass her. “And I’ll teach Junie all ‘bout it,” she promises, brushing invisible dust off Treech’s back. “Have a good day!”
June joins the woman at the door, the sun barely rising above the gigantic trees surrounding them. Daisy gives her arm a gentle squeeze and smiles, watching the way her husband and her boys pick up their tools. There’s a sliver of hesitation as Treech grips the ax’s handle, but he eventually shakes his head, gives it a firm squeeze, and lets it rest by his side.
They wave until they’re out of sight, and from the looks of it, the boys are both listening to something their father is telling them, only to burst out laughing. Their laughter fills June with hope, and her anxiety regarding Treech’s return to work is put at ease at once. She smiles, and although she’d rather be with him, she knows he needs this.
“Well,” his mother says after a long while, looking up at the girl. “I’ll have to wake up the little ones and Birdie in a while. How ‘bout you go get ready so we can leave when they do?”
She doesn’t need to be told twice.
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June is surprised that they’re not heading in the direction of the market once they do leave the house. But Treech’s mother tells her that with the number of markets Seven has, not to mention the time they’ll have before anyone even returns home, it can’t hurt to go a bit further. June can’t say it’s what she expected, but she goes along with it because she’s curious enough to see what else Seven has to offer.
It turns out they’re taking a longer trip than she expected. Thankfully, they don’t need to walk long before a woman rides past them, offering them a ride on her carriage. And when she hears that their destination is The Pine, she immediately feels grateful to have Daisy by her side.
She’s not judgmental of the people that go to the black market either out of their own will or because they don’t have a choice, but it’s still unknown territory to her. As she hasn’t even seen the one in the Capitol, she doesn’t know what to expect. But she remains positive and hopeful — perhaps she’ll be able to find a suitable birthday present for Treech there.
They ride past a seemingly endless array of trees, but even though they delve deeper and deeper into Seven’s forests, the conversations remain light, and June feels at ease. By now, it’s slowly getting warmer, and she no longer feels the need to rub her arms so she doesn’t freeze. Her new boots, firm and provided by the local shoemaker, keep her from sinking deeply into the remnants of last night’s rain as she climbs off the carriage.
June is surprised. As it seems, Seven’s black market must’ve once been a warehouse of some kind. But unlike what she expected, it’s bustling even at this hour. However, she follows Daisy’s instructions and opts to cover her hair and parts of her face with a dark green shawl Birdie had given her, just to make sure no unwelcome faces spot them.
The atmosphere is light, but the activity does unnerve her slightly. Since they’re deep in the forest, it doesn’t seem like anyone is expecting to get caught. She sticks close to Daisy’s side, which isn’t all that hard due to her hurt ankle, and keeps her head as low as she can while still stealing occasional glances.
However, what does capture her attention is the Peacekeeper truck parked just outside. If not for its size, she might not have spotted it because, here in the depths of the forest, it blends in almost effortlessly with the carriages people are using to bring their goods here. It’s empty, which worries her, but Daisy insists this is normal.
She doesn’t quite understand, but when they slip through the entrance and she spots an officer receiving what must be a hefty amount of money from a salesman, it becomes all the more clear to her. It seems that, much like in the Capitol, Peacekeepers are weak to bribery everywhere they roam. She can’t help but wonder how the Capitol elite must feel about this, or if they even know.
Either way, the smell inside the Pine hits her at once. Spices, a generous amount of damp earth, and sawdust, not to mention the smell of food being cooked openly. The roof has clearly seen better days, as buckets are placed to contain the droplets of water that are still slipping through the gaps, and the ground is slippery no matter where she goes.
If it weren’t for its location, she’d almost mistake this place for just any market. One with a roof, but it doesn’t feel like she’s in a black market until she spots the first poached animals. Fish, but also birds that she has seen flying high up in the trees, rabbits, and other little critters, are put on display; some are even being prepared for anyone to see. Arrays of dried meat are spread out across the table, its smell mixing in with that of the vegetable stand right next to it.
Someone is playing the guitar a bit further away, and the sound quickly mixes in with that of a flute of some kind. But before she can look around, Treech’s mom gives her arm a gentle tug.
“Alright, sweetie, I’ve got some things I need to get my hands on. I need some flour ‘cause I wanna make a proper cake for when Treech’s birthday comes around, and I wanna take a look at the vegetables and meat for tonight’s stew,” she tells her, the prospect of some meat in her belly soon clearly delighting her. She looks up at the girl and holds her basket tightly before she asks, “Do you wanna stick by me, or do you wanna take a look around yourself?”
June contemplates it for a moment. As much as she still feels uneasy, she decides that she’ll need to accommodate if she wants to be able to live here for the rest of her life. “I think I’ll take a look around by myself,” she answers. “Because I’ve been thinking about what I should get Treech for ages. I want something special,” she confesses, and she feels her cheeks growing warm.
Daisy’s eyes soften, visibly touched by the girl’s care for her son. “Well, if you’re lookin’ for gifts, you might wanna head on over to ol’ Riff over there,” she says to her, pointing at a stand a bit further away. “He’s got the finest things, and his prices ain’t that bad considering where his stuff comes from.”
She then shows the girl the stand she’s about to head off to. It’s a bit further away, but June knows she’d be able to get there quickly. “I’ll be somewhere around there. Or if you’re done and you can’t find me, just head outside,” she tells her. “Don’t be afraid to talk to anyone, okay? I know this is the black market, but I swear everyone is friendly unless you give ‘em a reason not to be.”
June lets out a laugh, although she can’t deny that this also makes her nervous. “Okay, thank you,” she answers. “I’ll see you soon, then.”
She parts from Treech’s mother slowly, navigating her way through the crowd almost clumsily as she almost bumps into a few people, only to apologize profusely every time. Thankfully, Daisy is right, and she’s not met with many reactions — a few glances at most. She still feels out of place, but decides she’ll focus on the main task for now: finding a present for Treech.
It’s hard to miss the man Daisy pointed out to her. Riff is tall, and his appearance reminds her of Treech’s father in an instant. However, the most notable part about Riff is that he’s wearing an eyepatch, and he has a few years on the other man. He has a few more gray hairs, and his wrinkles run deep, but he has a smile on his rugged face as he entertains a customer.
June allows herself a peek and visibly perks up when her eyes land on what seems to be a sketchbook, almost hidden behind some old pottery. She looks at it as much as the distance allows, so much so that she doesn’t even begin to notice the other customer leaving. It’s only when she hears someone clearing their throat that she looks up, only for her face to flush immediately when she looks up into a pair of dark green eyes.
“You alright? You lookin’ at something?” Riff asks, his voice deep and gruff. “You’ve been starin’ for a while,” he points out. He clocks her quickly, recognizing that this is a new situation for her to be in almost right off the bat.
He knows his regulars. This timid girl in front of him is not one of them.
“Uh, yes, actually. I was eyeing the sketchbook over there,” she says, carefully taking a step closer. She points at it and watches as Riff bends down to look at the things spread out around his tables, only to point at the object in question as well. “Yes, exactly. It’s a blank one, correct? No one has used it before?”
“Who’d buy a used sketchbook?” Riff retaliates; however, he looks more amused than offended and lets out a laugh, only to cough into the scarf around his neck.
June shrugs helplessly. “Collectors of art, perhaps?” She muses with an awkward smile and tries to make light of the situation.
“Well, this ain’t the Capitol, darlin’,” Riff shoots back, his eyes crinkling in amusement when the girl falls silent. “I’m just messin’ with you. You lookin’ for somethin’ to draw with as well?”
She pauses. “I hadn’t considered that, but that’s a great idea,” she says with a nod. She tries to imagine what kind of pencils Treech might have, but she has only ever seen regular pencils around the house. “This might be a long shot, but something like charcoal pencils, perhaps? Or just regular colored ones; those would do as well.”
Riff hums. “I got just the thing,” he says. He bends down and pries a wooden crate beneath the table open with his big hand with such ease that it makes June’s eyes widen. Her mouth gapes open slightly when he pulls out a metal box and opens it, flashing her the colorful contents. “If you’re lookin’ for charcoal, I can’t help you. But if these are fine...”
“No, they’re perfect,” she breathes out. This is exactly the kind of pencil case she’d have as a child, and she almost regrets not using them more. She doesn’t question where they’re from. “I’ll take them. How much for them and the sketchbook?”
“That depends,” the man answers nonchalantly. He shuts the metal box and shrugs. “You lookin’ to trade or to buy?”
She furrows her brows in concentration. Treech’s words ring in the back of her head, and she looks up at him, forcing an unbothered smile onto her face even when a Peacekeeper stops near them. She feels like this might be some sort of test. That, or she’s really getting paranoid.
“Uh, trading,” she quickly says, rummaging through the pocket of her dress. She heaves a relieved sigh when her fingers land on the earrings, and she pulls one of them out carefully, flashing the man the pearl stuck to gold. “Will these do?”
“I, uh, think your mom would be really upset if she saw you giving those away,” the voice next to her says, and June freezes in an instant.
She looks to the side and then up, looking into a pair of deep, dark eyes that she hasn’t seen in almost two weeks now. A small smile is on his face, his head is shaved almost completely clean, and in the Peacekeeper uniform, she almost doesn’t recognize him. But she would recognize those deep brown eyes anywhere. Although he seems a bit surprised, she can’t deny that he looks overjoyed.
She would recognize that voice even if the world was crushing down around her.
“Sejanus!” She exclaims immediately, dropping the earring back into her dress. She doesn’t know what to say at first, but her entire expression brightens, thus making Riff keep quiet and raise his eyebrows. As if she’s trying to convince herself that he’s real, June reaches out and places her hands on his lower arms. “You’re—”
But as if realizing the same as him, she looks around until she finds a suitable hiding place. She figures it won’t look good for either one of them if they’re seen talking like this on duty, so she carefully maneuvers him behind a large stack of wooden crates. Once she's sure they’re alone and out of sight, she immediately wraps her arms around her best friend and squeezes him so tightly that it almost hurts them both.
“Y-You’re here!” Is all she manages to sputter at first. “I didn’t know you were! I thought you had gone off to follow Coriolanus!”
Sejanus finds it hard to pull away, and truthfully, he doesn’t even want to. It feels good to be greeted so warmly after a week of excruciating training. “I thought it’d be a bit early to send a letter. And I’ll be honest, I haven’t had the time to write yet,” he admits with a sheepish laugh. “It’s good to see you, June. Seven looks good on you.”
She pulls away and can’t fight the laugh that wants to escape her. She practically beams up at him and has to blink away her tears because she’s so overcome with emotion. After not being around her usual crowd for a while, seeing him mends almost all her wounds at once in a way only the presence of a best friend can.
“Thanks,” she says with a nod, letting her eyes sweep over him in his uniform. Visibly baffled, she looks up at him. “I don’t know what to say. I didn't think you’d be here, I—”
She takes a deep breath. “It’s wonderful here, but I’m so happy to see you,” she adds. “How are you? Is it as hard as you thought?”
“It’s tough,” he tells her honestly. “But it’s bearable. The people here are so... even to us Peacekeepers, they’re nice. I’m glad I came here; it was the right decision.”
Her eyes soften. She knows better than anyone that he never felt a sense of belonging in the Capitol, not with how everyone except for a few people treated him. “That’s good to hear,” she replies. “I like it here as well. But what about Coriolanus?”
The way Sejanus shrugs comes off as almost helpless. “I wanted to go after him at first, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about what you said. It wouldn’t leave my head, so I asked to be sent to Seven when they assigned me a District,” he explains, recalling the way his mind was working hard that day at the Recruitment Center. “As far as they’ve told me, Coriolanus has been sent to Eight. I know it’s a long way until there, but... if it’s anything like here, I’m positive he’s already found some friends.”
June smiles, but she doubts it. She shakes those thoughts off quickly, though. “I’m sure he has,” she quickly says. “But I’m sure this was the right decision for you. Sometimes you need to listen to your gut and do what you think is right.”
His smile brightens. He takes her in for a moment, seeing how much brighter her smiles have become as well, and he feels a wave of peace washing over him. “I mean, look at this place,” he says, gesturing at their surroundings. “It’s hard not to like it here.”
She nods in agreement. “Yeah, I think so too. I’m surprised they’re sending you recruits here, though,” she says. “From what I’ve heard, you tend to be sent to regular markets more often,” she adds, choosing her phrasing carefully. “Any particular reason, or is this normal?”
Sejanus hums. “I thought it was strange too, but we’re not here to keep an eye on the merchants. Illegal or not, what they’re doing here doesn’t seem to be their primary concern,” he answers. “We’re here for other… suspicious activity.”
He pokes his head around the crates and gestures for her to do the same. When she follows his gaze, her eyes land on a makeshift stage. A young man is sitting on a stool, and she finally recognizes where the sounds of someone strumming the guitar come from. A younger girl is next to him, blowing into what seems to be a flute, but it doesn’t quite sound like the kind June has heard before. Another girl in a long, loose flowery dress is playing a soft melody on the lyre, her gaze locked on something above her. She doesn’t even seem to take note of the little boy that’s running across the stage and from another taller girl.
A strange sense of melancholy comes over her, but she can’t quite figure out why until the young boy laughs. He can’t be older than ten, but his playful mannerisms quickly remind June of her own little brother, and she has to take a deep breath. His smile, his laughter, and his entire demeanor serve as a grim reminder of what she had to leave behind.
“Ah… I think Treech’s sister told me about them,” she eventually says quietly. The young man with the guitar doesn’t look up, even with the noise surrounding him, and he doesn’t pay the girl with the long black hair next to him any mind until she starts talking to him. “The Lumberjives, I think? Is that them?”
Sejanus wants to be surprised, but he can’t quite bring himself to be. It has been a little over a week; he shouldn’t be shocked to hear that she’s making herself familiar with the people other than Treech’s family here.
“Yes, that’s them. They’re on the watchlist,” he says, and his tone gives away just how ridiculous he thinks this is. “Apparently their songs have hidden messages for rebels in them, but... it’s kind of hard to tell when they’re not singing. They’re only here when they’re on breaks or in the evening.”
June bites back a laugh. “Well, at least you’re listening to some nice music while you’re on patrol,” she says, trying to make light of the mood. “But hey, the next time—”
She can’t get far because the sight of a Peacekeeper nearing their position makes Sejanus tense up.
“I should go before they notice I left the group,” he quickly tells her. He frowns. “I’ll still send a letter when I can, but if I’m off duty for a day or two, maybe we could do something? The three of us?”
Although she’s visibly disappointed, June can’t help but feel a warm feeling spread from head to toe at the thought of spending time with her favorite people that she’s not related to. “I’d love that, and I’m sure Treech would as well,” she agrees with a nod. She gives his arm a firm squeeze and says, “Go; I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
Sejanus smiles. “Thanks, June. I’ll see you around,” he quickly says and slips away.
June has to take a deep breath for a moment. Sejanus is here, and he’s here to stay, and she most likely has a birthday gift for Treech. That’s even more than what she was expecting to get out of her trip to the Pine.
She slips out from behind the crates a few seconds later as well and hurries back over to Riff, who just sends off another customer. “I’m sorry,” she quickly says, scrambling for an explanation. “We, uh, know each other. Long story.”
Riff raises his hands. “None of my business,” he quickly replies, and June suppresses a relieved sigh. “So, about those earrings... Is the pearl real?”
June looks up at him in surprise. “Well, I’ve never had a reason to believe it wasn’t,” she answers truthfully. “I’m very certain it’s real. It’s been passed down for a couple of generations.”
“Well, you never know,” he says. He cranes his neck slightly. “Just a second, I know a gal.”
He brings his hands up to his mouth and whistles loudly. June winces, and some people shoot him curious looks, but the biggest change is that the music stops playing at once. “Lyra!” He calls out across the market. No reaction follows, but she’s quickly able to determine that he must be talking to the girl with the lyre. But she’s not even looking at him. Her fingers are still moving along the strings elegantly, her head high in the clouds.
Riff tries it another way. “Reed!” He nods towards the young man with the guitar and then nods towards the girl. “Get her to come over here, will you?”
Reed blinks and shifts on his seat, leaning forward until his hand gently grasps the girl’s arm. This seems to be a regular situation, but the other older girl in the group is visibly irritated. However, Reed has a good grasp on the situation and manages to snap Lyra out of it, only to point towards the man and June.
Lyra blinks in surprise and shakes her head as if she’s trying to wake herself up. She pushes herself off her stool, sets the lyre on top of it, smooths out her dress, and gets off the makeshift stage with surprising grace. Her movements are fast and fluid as she navigates through the Pine, but her eyes nevertheless take in her surroundings.
When she makes it to them, the intensity of her eyes almost makes June blush. Her eyes are bright and various shades of blue that remind her of pictures and drawings of the ocean she remembers seeing before. Lyra brushes her hair out of her face, interlocks her hands behind her, and lightly bounces back and forth on the soles of her feet as she looks up at Riff.
“Yes?” She asks curiously, her voice as light as a feather.
“The little miss over here wants to trade, but we ain’t sure if her pearl is real.” Riff explains the situation as quickly as possible, not wanting Lyra’s thoughts to drift off once again. “Mind takin’ a look for me? Can’t say I’m used to people just having pearl earrings on them.”
Something about the look on his face tells her she wants the pearl to be real. And honestly, she hopes so as well, because she couldn’t live without being able to tell her mother that her pricey earrings were fake all along. It would be worth the look on her face, for sure.
Lyra leans forward, and June hands the earring over without thinking too much about it. Her eyes are warm and kind, and a flowery scent wafts over to her that puts her at ease. She purses her lips at first as she brings the jewelry up to her face, but her expression then brightens, a joyful smile spreading across her face.
“Yep, this is real! And so beautiful too!” She exclaims and looks over at June. “Last time I’ve seen one like this was ages ago! It’s lovely.”
Riff seems pleased. “Thanks, Lyra. If you want, I’ll see if one of my boys can remove the pearl for you to keep,” he says. “I think I’ll live just keepin’ the gold.”
She doesn’t understand why, but June has to smile as well when Lyra’s expression softens. “Thanks, Riff. I appreciate it,” she tells him gleefully. She drops the earring back into June’s hand and hums. “I gotta go back; they’re waiting!”
Riff watches as she takes off and shakes his head. “Lyra over there was born in Four,” he eventually says, clearing up any remaining confusion June had. “Nobody here knows the ocean and what’s in it like she does. She’s a bit of an airhead, but the kid’s got a good heart.”
June smiles. “So we have a deal?” She asks, heaving a relieved sigh when Riff nods. “Oh, wonderful. It’s supposed to be a birthday gift.”
“Lucky guy, you’ve got there then, darlin’. Or gal, whatever floats your boat,” he says. He opens his big hand and stretches his palm out for her, and when she drops the earring into his hand, he smiles as well. “I’ll take good care of it. If you feel like it, maybe bring the second one around next year?”
But then, he shakes his head. “Just kidding. But you definitely gave me more than what my stuff is worth, maybe I’ll give you a freebie or two next time.”
June laughs at his joke and feels relief wash over her once again. The man stashes the earring in a little leather pouch, which he tucks into his jeans, before he grabs the sketchbook and the metal case, handing them both over to the girl. “And you take good care of this,” he adds. “Maybe loosen up a bit next time, though. Almost had me thinkin’ you were sent by one of them Peacekeepers.”
She nods. “I’ll try,” she says. “But thank you; I’m sure he’ll love it. Have a nice day!”
She hears Riff bidding her goodbye as well, and she turns, her heart feeling light in her chest. She hugs the sketchbook and the metal case close to her chest, heading towards Daisy with a big smile on her face.
Finally, something that comes close to capturing how she feels. She really hopes he’ll like it.
ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ
i don't need to say it;
i think we both know
ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ
AND HE LIVES! SEJANUS LIVES!
fun fact: when i wrote his goodbye chapter, i still didn't know what to do with him. but i couldn't not bring him back; june needs her bestie! coryo can rot in Eight (i hope bobbin's parents have a go at him)
also: LUMBERJIVES MENTION. sorry, those of you that follow me on tiktok know all about them. they play a minor role here, but i will make them reocurring characters in my next treech fic, trust (it's in planning, so stay tuned!)
have a nice thursday! see you on saturday!<3
for coral fans: i also have a fic for her! take a look if you'd like!<333
memes!