Fables || A Tyler Galpin/Female!OC Fanfiction
Chapter One- The Coffee Shop
Laura Acantha is a student at Nevermore academy. Unsure of her true identity, she aims to live a life of solitude and quiet. But everyday the forest draws her more and she yearns for answers.
The last thing she wanted to do this semester was get distracted from her true goal, but sadly, fate calls. And fate won’t let her hang up.
2:00pm Jericho Town Centre
A sharp, cold breeze blew through the small town of Jericho. It was a Winter's day, with frost so thick it coated every surface like an inch of snow, but without the magic and joy snowfall brought.
On this Saturday, Laura was swiftly marching through the town square. She felt thoroughly frozen through, despite her large coat and numerous layers. Moving faster still, she continued forwards, into the direction of the local cafe.
The Weathervane was a popular spot among locals. It housed hot coffees, steaming teas, delicious cakes and anything else a cafe could possibly offer. And on this day it seemed to be a favorite spot to seek refuge from the icy cold of the outside climate. Laura hastily stepped inside the cafe, and instantly felt a warm, comforting air drift through her. She let out a sigh of relief before moving forward to join the back of the queue. The calming atmosphere was so great that it seemed as if no worries could reach you here. It was like a completely different world from outside.
The people in front of her moved to wait at the side for their order. She stepped forward and examined the drinks menu. Lattes, cappuccinos, expressos, americanos. So many choices and yet her mind went blank. What were the differences between these all?
Just as the panicked thoughts in her head began to swirl, a boy, around her age walked up to the counter. He was tall, at least in comparison to her, with curly light brown hair.
“Welcome to the Weathervane, what can I get for you?” A friendly smile adorned his face, and she smiled back.
But as she began to speak she realised that she hadn’t quite figured that out yet. She stared back at the menu and the worries returned to her mind. She just wanted a coffee, why did it have to be this complicated?
After a few moments, he spoke again.
“Do you need a minute to decide?”
“Oh no, it’s okay” Laura replied with an awkward laugh. “Can I just get a nice coffee?”
“Well I wouldn’t give you a terrible coffee.” He said, a true smile forming on his face this time.
She laughed in repose and he continued, “Okay so how much milk do you like in your coffee.”
“A fair amount… but not too much.”
“Okay, I guess I can work with that. Any sugar or syrups?”
“Just a bit, but don’t cover the coffee taste.”
“Okay, I’ll whip something up for you. It should be ready in 5”
She stepped to the side of the counter. The other customers had their order now, and she was the only one at the counter. For such a popular place, there were a surprising amount of seats open, and Laura was already eyeing a table.
The boy was busy at work making her drink. She didn’t know why, but her eyes seemed to keep wandering over to him. She watched him intently, until he turned around to present her drink. From the look in his eyes she could tell he noticed her staring. It was a bad habit of hers.
She walked over as her drink was placed on the counter. “Oh! I haven’t paid yet. How much is it?” She said, pulling out her purse.
“Don’t worry about it, it’s on the house.” He replyed, pushing the drink towards her.
She took her drink and thanked him, before walking over to a small booth in the corner of the cafe. She placed down her drink, a medium coloured coffee with a small amount of froth topping it, and pulled out her botany notebook. Botany was her favourite subject.
She took the subject at her current school, Nevermore Academy, on the outskirts of Jericho. As far as she knows it’s the only high school that teaches botany.
She was good at it, no doubt, but still always studied and revised to keep her spot at the top of the class. Her time would probably be better spent focusing on other subjects but alas, this was fun.
Whilst sipping on her coffee, she took notes on plants that can be used as poisons, and their antidotes, drawing sketches as she went. Plants were her thing, however only one person other than herself knew why.
She noticed the boy from before come up behind her, and pause for a second before speaking. “Are you done with your cup?”
“I’ll just take that for you then. Would you say that it was a nice coffee?”
“It was great, thanks. No actually, it was perfect.”
A smile lit up on his face. “Glad to hear it!”
“I’m guessing you need to clear this table for other customers.” She said, picking up her notebook.
“Oh, no!” He quickly returned. “It’s fine, you can stay here and study if you want.”
“Are you sure that would be okay?”
She pulled back out her notebook and he walked away, back behind the counter.
She continued her studies for an hour or so more, before packing up her things and preparing to leave. But just as she was on her way out she was stopped by the boy again.
“Yes, I’d better be getting back to school now.”
“Okay, I’m Tyler by the way.”
“And you are?” He asked, curiously.
“Well Laura, I hope to see you around here again soon.”
She gave him one final smile before opening the door and facing the bracing cold once more. As she left a dark-haired girl wearing Nevermore uniform entered, causing her to stare for a moment. She swore she had never seen her before.
She exited out into the wintery outside world. Her steps grew determined as she fought her way through the ice and frost to return to the building she called home.
4:00pm Jericho Woods, opposite Nevermore Academy
The forest had a harsh climate this time of year, and yet it never seemed to bother her. Here she felt as if she was enclosed in a safe haven. It almost felt like home.
Laura was perfectly aware that it was strange to feel this was about a forest, and in fact that was the very reason she was there. To investigate.
Birds chirped around her, coming closer. They seemed to call to her, and she swore she could understand them. The frost-covered trees rustled in the wind. She could hear movement in the distance, someone else was in the woods. Just as she thought that, she heard voices approaching. They were moving closer and growing louder. Hiding behind a tree to stay unnoticed, she listened in.
“All right, issue a warning. Keep hikers out of the woods. Don't approve any more campfire permits for the foreseeable future.”
“What do you want me to tell the press? You know they’re going to be swarming like mosquitoes in July.”
“Tell them it’s a bear attack.”
“You don’t believe that Sheriff”
“No I don’t. Whatever did this wasn’t human. Look, I know these murders are connected to Nevermore. I just can’t prove it yet. So until then, it’s a goddamn bear.”
Murders? In this Forest? She almost couldn’t believe it, and not because of denial that murder could happen here, but the fact that she didn’t know. She feels like she knows everything that happens within these woods and this slipping under her radar felt impossible.
9:30pm Ophelia Hall, Laura’s dorm room
Laura was drawing at her desk alone in her dorm. She was surrounded by the masses of plants, flowers and vines that she had been growing for the 3 years she had had this room. A plant had never died in her care.
The window was open to allow a small breeze for ventilation. But she could also here the people talking below her small balcony. Their voices grew loud and panicked.
“Did you hear?! That kid Rowan. Wednesday said he went insane and was killed by a monster at the funfair.”
Well this evening just got a whole lot more strange.
~Sorry for any formatting issues! This was pasted from google docs~
