His View

ShrrrhhhHhhhshr.

The sound made his mouth turn up slightly with pride as he listened to her trailing along Belinda him, the new gloves lightly making contact with the craggy cave as she followed. He hadn’t felt pleasant from the moment he’d remembered their reason for being summoned back.

It was an average morning walk as the leaves had flown by when he’d received the message.

!driht rebmetpeS rebmemeR

A straightforward meaning immediately caused him to frown in annoyance. After searching for her for quite some time, he finally found his partner returning to the dorms with Lady Elodi. He had casually reminded her of a nonexistent meal they had planned and slipped her the real plans on scrap paper.

It was no coincidence he left out the original message “Remember September third” and instead shortened it to

Sum.

D=(32*2 + 12-8)/2-32

T= (12+1*3+27-12)/2

He knew that while simplifying the message this way she most likely wouldn’t notice the date. He figured he would be unhappy thinking about it enough for the both of them.

Summons, meet two days from now at 15:00

Even though he was sure she’d have been able to solve the equation, he was still worried she would be distracted by a certain new friend of hers. This thinking was what had led him right into the hallway scene. She was playing with a clay doll as some boy he doubted she’d ever be bored enough to talk to, flung his grimy paws towards her.

Though he would have much rather have landed a few more hits on the guy he backed off and even remained calm about the bystanders watching uselessly. He had even surprised himself by helping Lady Beatrice even though her cowardice was especially evident at that moment. He guessed that she was heading to the room to retrieve her coat but she didn't have the time. Since she hadn’t switched to her thin shawl, he wouldn’t have to worry that she’d be cold, still wearing Constance’s clothes.

Still, there were many things to be aggravated about. He couldn’t shake the infuriating fact that he’d been oblivious to this situation. He had no right to blame her for the way things had gone but he felt upset nonetheless that she consistently left him out of the loop. He couldn’t piece anything together with his lack of information and that only increased his frustration.

Did she know that boy or was that unprompted? Does any of this have to do with that girl she’s been hanging around? If I knew anything about her plans would that even have improved my ability to aide her?

It was like a cacophony of questions and it didn’t help that the girl was unusually quiet. He guessed from a few glances back at her, that the concerned expression she wore meant she was most likely worrying about something. She most likely wasn’t aware of his thoughts at all.

The situation in the bookstore hardly quelled any of his feelings, however, he did regret his words to Neil after seeing his face drop.

Only when there was nothing to be heard but her hands dragging and her feet tapping along behind him that his racing mind calmed… That is until she brought up the gloves he’d given her.

He was equally annoyed by her comparison of his actions to Neil and by his reaction. He didn’t know how to respond other than stating,

“It’s that day again, in any case.” He hardly paid attention to her repeating his words and instead, internally scolded himself for considering that she might abandon him for Neil.

It's completely nonsensical, she'd never be allowed to work as a clerk under the grandparent's gazes and Neil couldn't be a SELL individual. It isn't as if she said I was useless. Even so, if there's someone more agreeable and she ends up leaving me, what should I do?

They reached the worn wooden trapdoor. As usual, the jovial shine of the SHOP above was already bleeding into the darker pathway below. He lifted out his hand to knock but paused taking a moment to look back for approval.

She nodded back at him, permitting his movements. “Go on, at least I’ve gotten two gifts I enjoyed today.”

He nodded, turning back a rapping firmly on the planks. The lapse in response certainly displayed the celebratory attitude of the day and yet, he nor the girl were amused. He continued past the bustling tables, conditioned to find Cami so his partner could lift her spirits with sweet lies as usual.

As they strode over, it was hard to miss the various black and white banners around and gifts strewn on every surface. Children ran around the dining hall happily and the young members were leisurely laughing among themselves, older SELL individuals were eating, gifting, and cheersing each other. He noticed the back door was open and it seemed the enjoyment was spilling onto the back lawn as well. In any case, he wasn’t interested in their party but he understood the joyous bunch.

His memories before his partner and SELLERS were simple, hunger, exhaustion, bitterness, blood, and biting cold. If anyone asked how long he’d been abandoned or how old he was, he had no answer. That was most orphans' experiences on the streets after all. There was no doubt that those in the organization gave so much importance to the day because they had no other point in the year they could justifiably take a break.

The boy noticed their target. The small straw-haired girl wasn't far away so he took quicker strides. He was anxious to get this over with, first, Cami, then Grandpa Ed. Hopefully, they would get away after that. For a second he thought of the clerks, being able to send well wishes through passing agents sounded a lot more tolerable.

He snuck a look at his companion.

On second thought while I'm not thrilled about all this ruckus, without it I'd be rather lonely. It seems neither of us will become clerks anytime in the near future.

His attention was called to a girl he vaguely recognized darting out in front of him. His colleague yanked him back, and he narrowly avoided bumping into her instead.

“Oops! My bad.” She backed up as if that would reverse the near collision. She took a piece of her chestnut-colored hair and twisted it nervously smiling. It seemed she was scanning him up and down curiously.

"Has anyone ever told you that you'd look more attractive if you were just a few inches taller? I mean your tall and all but it is a shame."

He frowned, hoping she’d go away on her own.

She scowled, "Hey, I gave you an apology and a compliment. Are you not going to apologize for practically running me down?"

He had a lot of thoughts about this, one being that her comments could hardly be complimentary and another that she'd run in front of him. Had he the energy he might've said something but he almost felt it'd be a waste since he had the feeling she wouldn't listen.

His partner stepped in front to speak with the girl.

“We’ll apologize as well, since it’s rather eventful here, all the more reason we should focus on where we’re stepping.” Her voice was a relief to him in the uncomfortably lively situation. He bowed his head slightly as an apology. The girl in front paid no attention. As if a lightbulb went off in her head she clapped and pointed at them.

“Oh! That's right, just short of attractive and the other is super skilled! I haven't seen you two in a while, I'm telling you we could've been close if it-“

“Flint! I told you I would win, and get this; turns out that we’re going to…” The green-eyed boy who had interrupted was just as reckless as her. He rudely stared between them and her but without saying anything whispered in her ear. Then he hurriedly pulled her off and they went back to their merriment.

I suppose our SELL matches are made for a reason, they were equally careless. But, Flint?

He glanced at the girl beside him, worried that the mention of a fire starter, especially now, would have caused her grief. Instead, she had a grin on her face as she watched the chaotic pair run off.

“It’s quite humorous that those two choose to call each other Flint and Steel.”

Ah, I think they might’ve been in our SHOP room at one point when we were younger. Either that or they worked alongside us in training.

He refrained from seeking attention from other SELL individuals, and thus he also found it difficult to pay them any mind. He had gotten into many skirmishes because he wouldn't respond to the others or as a result of his lack of concern for their matters.

He responded sarcastically,

“Humorous is an interesting choice of words.”

“You have to admit it’s laughable to name yourself in such a way. They're quite honest to admit they're the cause of "fires" others have to put out.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Although it wasn't forbidden to have a name, it couldn't be traceable. A few SELL individuals had nicknames, but he’d never considered having a name. She seemed fine calling him without one. Now he wondered how it felt for her to have forgotten hers.

They made their way around the groups socializing and reached Cami, who was talking to a few other children who looked around her age. As they approached, the other kids glanced back at him before scampering away.

“You really ought to fix that habit by keeping such a serious look all the time.” He would’ve given her an irritated glance but she had already stepped in front of him, crouching down in front of Neil’s sister to reveal some sweets. He folded his arms and leaned against the wall, prepared to hear today's white lies.

“Did my brother get these for me?” The child’s face was bright with excitement and expectation.

He could see guilt in her face as she nodded back at Cami. Then she reached out to pat the girl but Cami swiftly covered her hair, moving a few feet away. He shifted his gaze towards her, slightly perplexed by this sudden avoidance.

Cami stood firmly, her hands on her hips, an earnest expression replacing her excitement.

“Big sis, can’t you tell I’m all fancy today? You can’t just act like usual.”

"I see..." His partner said surprised by this action.

“Big sis?” She already has an older brother, no need to tie down someone else with false relations.

Apparently “fancy” to the little girl was a newer vest, skirt, and one hair accessory. He was about to look away, but the bow she had been protecting caught his attention. It featured a glinting purple orb, completely contrasting the rest of her plain outfit. Narrowing his eyes, he noticed the fabric of the bow was rather luxurious as well albeit a bit worn.

Where would an orphan have acquired such an item?

His partner's initial surprise at the girl's actions subsided and she smiled before tapping the girl's nose gently.

“This is still okay, isn’t it?”

Cami looked as if she was deep in thought for a second before responding,

“Hmph, I guess I’ll let you this time. My hair is off limits, Neil said I should be careful with this bow and keep it safe. I’ve taken care of it forever and that's why it still looks lovely on me.

She did a spin, her pride inflated as she spoke. It was clear to him at least that her prized possession would have been in better shape had she not been “taking care” of it.

“Oh I see, your brother bought it for you.” His companion was still in the mood to humor the child, so he relaxed again on the wall, watching the ruckus around the room while they talked.

“Well not exactly, brother said it was from mom.” She kicked the floorboard in front of her.

SELL individuals tended to refrain from saying anything about their personal life before SELLERS, but it wasn't common for anyone to have any family remaining when they joined. If they did share, it would be repetitive since most would sound like his story or like this one now.

Their mother must be long gone. I shouldn’t have bothered being suspicious about that shy boy, he had nowhere to go just like everyone else... I still don't like him.

The two girls talked for a bit before Cami was sucked into a nearby group's conversation about something or other.

He bounced up from his position as they were left alone and followed his partner towards the back door where the sound of hearty laughter grew as they approached. The source of the sound was Grandpa Ed. His lips were curled up as far as they could go, his mouth opened wide and the bellowing laughter flowed out. Grandfather Richie was standing among some older members and Grandmother Cal was nowhere to be seen. She was probably managing the work that had fallen on her as a result of this celebration.

Grandpa Ed noticed their presence and opened his arms wide,

“Haha! You rascals finally decided to show, huh? You look as if you were forced to be here with those downturned mouths.” He glanced at those around, knowing his booming voice had reached their ears. They responded with awkward chuckles and began focusing on things like the color of the lawn, or whatever was in their mugs.

The boy noticed her eyes roll before the girl sighed and moved forward, partly blocking his less-than-happy expression from Grandpa Ed's view.

“We were held up by a couple of things.”

Boisterously chortling at this response, the old man looked from her to the boy, his joyful expression remaining.

“I didn’t mean things so seriously, no reason to respond as if you're being scolded. Today shouldn’t be a time to be all perfunctory anyway.”

She narrowed her eyes, “On the contrary, today’s as good a day as any to show respect and remain cordial with one another.”

Her words were cold but still, she kept things fairly brief. He on the other hand wanted to utilize his voice for once to drive the point further.

“I find it hard to believe anyone can be that dens-“ He was cut off by a sharp shove to his ribs, and a quick side look from the girl kept his mouth shut.

The old man’s smile disappeared temporarily before he covered it back up with a giant beam.

“I see you two are as close as always, no one can tell what you’re thinking except for each other, huh? I tell ya, boy, you've got the fierce look down but it's a shame you choose to be kept by my granddaughter's side like that.” He nodded his head in the boy's direction but never quite directed his eyes at him.

While Grandpa Ed grouped the two of them as his “family”, he spent more time awkwardly thrusting blood ties at the girl than he ever bothered with a conversation with the boy. Even in a comment that appeared to place him above the girl, the real meaning was probably closer to "You can keep frowning all you want, but at the end of the day you're only a follower hiding behind her."

“Don't mind my partner's rash comment, he was referring to an unrelated matter. If you’d like for me to disclose my thoughts, I’m at your disposal.” He watched her robotic response with no hesitance.

He half-consciously rubbed his arms, goosebumps crawling up them along with the tension among the two.

“Come now, no need to be so stiff, don't leave an old man hanging!” His arms were outstretched and he approached the girl. Any sane individual would have been able to tell from the start they did not have a relationship where this kind of action was warranted. Grandpa Ed on the other hand, probably lived in a different reality. It wasn’t until he was about 2 feet away that the old man concluded the girl wasn’t going to hug him back and switched to a back pat.

He backed away, his chuckle revealing some embarrassment.

So he's aware to a degree then, I presume.

She grabbed a mug and went down the line saying cheers while he stood by Grandpa Ed. The old man repeated a whole prologue to his prime SELL days and acknowledged the boy's presence among his listeners a few times. Maybe fifteen minutes had passed and it seemed her duties were over with so the boy looked towards her for direction. Since they’d greeted the old man, and he showed off their false affection, he was sure his partner wouldn't be in the mood to stick around longer. Sure enough, she stepped back and made a quick motion at the door as if to let him know they would be leaving soon. He made his way to her and then she addressed Grandpa Ed,

“Well if there’s nothing else, I think it would be best for us to take our leave.”

He frowned, “Do you have to be this stubborn? You only just arrived.”

The girl took a deep sigh and crossed her arms, the boy could tell she was irritated by this obstacle.

“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I believe we have to get back. After all some things come first over keeping you company.”

She had a point in theory, but the boy thought that if she’d been entirely correct, they wouldn’t have had to show up in the first place.

The old man’s face twitched with his frustration. He spoke again sounding exasperated.

“Does it have to be like this every time, Amara?”

It was silent. The others nearby looked at each other with various expressions. A few listeners who were closer to Granpa Ed's age gave knowing glances, most others seemed to be questioning his words. The boy's head whipped to the side, staring at his partner with confusion and surprise. The girl he’d known for so long showed an expression he hadn’t seen before. The face went from shock to a more complex look, hovering between hurt, revelation, and outrage.

She blinked several times, her eyes looking a bit more watery. She grabbed the boy's hand, and took a stride towards the inside, before turning back and voicing harshly,

“We’re leaving, I’ll pretend I didn't hear, but please refrain from letting me remember more than I should.”

He could only imagine what happened next because she had dragged him to the trapdoor and they had already entered the darkness of underground once again.

What does Amara mean? Is it her name? Why did she make that face?

“…I said, the orb!” He practically jumped as her hand fell on his shoulder, shaking him for the second time.

“Oh.” He fumbled in his pocket, the orb finally flinging out of his pocket on the floor. He picked it up making sure it wasn’t cracked anywhere before tapping it to expand the orb. Its glow returned and they began walking. This time she walked in front of him, nearly disappearing into the dark every few seconds.

“I’m guessing that brain of yours will keep on running until I speak?”

“Most likely.”

She laughed wryly, and then turned to him, the light finally illuminating her.

“At least you admit it, it must be killing you to not know. That name... was my mother's, I’d thought that was forgotten completely but I guess not. Peculiar how memory works that way, right?” She smiled but it wasn’t as bright as he was used to seeing.

“Oh.” He wasn’t sure what to say, nor could he relate to her emotions.

She just a sound in the dark ahead again, “What? Did you lose your voice after keeping quiet for so long?”

He looked away from her direction and suddenly was embarrassed by his lack of comforting ability.

Wait, there’s still…

He perked up, “But Grandpa Ed said-“

“You mean the fact he called me by her name? I’m assuming it was a slip of the tongue. They must’ve fought often for her to have cut him off completely. Anyway, it could also be that it’s September 3rd.”

Makes sense.

That one day a year at SELLERS, it was common to see members happily communing, giving gifts, drinking, and eating together. The backstory was simple. When Grandpa Ed had taken in his only blood relative, he decided it would only be right to celebrate the girl. It didn’t matter that this meant they would be celebrating the day after her mother's death. He even called it a celebration of his daughter and granddaughter all in one, or so the girl had told him. Grandpa Ed must've thoroughly enjoyed himself that first time with all the SELLERS visiting because it quickly became an annual tradition. To everyone else, this was a good enough excuse to forget their worries and enjoy themselves. By this point, it was hard to know whether newcomers even knew the day's origin.

“Sorry, I knew this day was getting close, but I didn’t get you anything. Maybe, I wanted to pretend it wasn’t coming as fast…”

She trailed off and he was glad he finally had a response for her.

“It wasn’t as if I’d requested you to give me anything.”

“I could give you a nickname like those two back there, how about something like web or magnet? Since you’re committed to sticking to me!” She laughed at his disgust.

He hid his slight grin that this seemed to cheer her up. Personally, he had no problem with whether or not she called him, “Hey you”, “Oswald”, “Web” or anything else. However, if his expression would change her mood, he could act.

She was skipping now, her curls bouncing with her steps. “Ooh, or I could purchase a fancy little bow for you to carry around like Cami.”

“I doubt you’d have the funds for something valuable, stains or not.”

Honestly. She’s at it again, so hopefully that’s a good sign.

“I know… it did look too nice for a commoner family. Hmm, what if I bought a cheap ribbon for you to put in your hair? You'd follow me anywhere right?” She ran up, patting his charcoal hair as if deciding where to place said accessory.

“I hope you aren’t serious, following you is one thing but just because I humor you doesn’t mean I’d willingly become your doll.”

She shook her head with false disappointment. “Well, that’s hardly entertaining. I think Neil might have agreed to even put on a dress and yet the one who keeps me company won't even wear a little ribbon."

“Neil isn’t aware of how uncomfortable a corset can be, along with all those layers….” He groaned, “No need to buy me a ribbon when you’ve already forced me to try on over half of the disguises we’ve accumulated.”

She snickered, her white teeth sparkling in the light as she walked backward.

“You always look so darling in them!”

She turned trying to hide her enjoyment.

”Darling?!” He covered his mouth as his raised voice echoed down the cavern's length. His cheeks became cherry blossom pink and he grumbled to himself.

It only took a few seconds but soon her laughs permeated the air, filling him with the warmth that he had been missing.

Not a bad way for things to go on September 3rd, she did tell me about her mother. If I’m there to support her in some capacity, I suppose I don’t need to know every detail right away. Still, if she’s going to keep acting in secret I’ll have to stay close enough to be of help to her.