Qifrey and the girls get cornered by some Brimcaps and on starts talking. The reveal that the are the witch that experimented on Qifrey.
They reveal his past to the girls, the silverwood experiments how they put him in all different scenarios to see what would make the tree grow, how they tortured him to see what would make the seed shrink.
“the goal was to see if we were able to kill a silverwood tree, but you were a failure. And the knights were closing in so I left you for dead. Buried alive in a coffin deep under ground, whether you suffocate, drowned, starved, or the tree took you I didn’t care. But I didn’t think you’d live. I’ve been watching you. It’s incredible how long you’ve kept the tree at bay.”
The girls are horrified and Qifrey is trying to sad to make this witch shut up but he won’t risk the girls. They know now. No what a failure he is. Know that he was an outside that started learning magic at age 8 with no memory. That he was cursed to die if he ever loved the to much.
It’s a t this point Olruggio knocks the witch away with a fire spell. He had arrived earlier and was trying to sneak as close as he could to get a good shot without hitting Qifrey or the girls but was taken in by the story as well.
Qifrey now knows Olly is there and but before the two can do anything the witch is back up and on them. Asking if Olly would like to know just how Qifrey’s been staying alive. Qifrey is yelling at her to stop. Which to his surprise she does.
“You know there was always one experiment I never got to run on you. I always wondered if watching everyone you loved died would be enough to kill the silverwood seed. I couldn’t test it on you cause you didn’t love anyone but now…”
and she lays into the all. She as them pined and about to die when Qifrey tells an offer.
“Just take me! Run every experiment you want. No one’s stayed alive with a silverwood seed as long as I have. That has to be valuable to you. Take me. I won’t fight or run. But let them live.”
The girls and Olly are screaming at him but the witch accepts. Taking Qifrey away. He gets a short moment to say goodbye, telling the girls he loves the and begging Olly to take the teaching test and keep the girls safe. To not look for him.
And then he’s gone.
Obviously Olly and the girls are going to look for him.
While Qifrey is being experimented in again he gets put with Custas, Tartah, and Ininia.
He and Custas have a good talk. He understand Custas rage but it shouldn’t have been directed and Coco and Tartah. He explains how their hands were tied with the threat of having their own minds erased if they told him about magic. Explains Coco’s history and the lose of her mother. It’s not perfect and Custas is still upset but Qifrey makes him and the other two an offer.
“If you want to learn magic you need to start with the basics. And you have a fully lisenced teacher right here willing to help you.”
“Why would you help us?”
“Because you remind me of me.”
In between torture sessions Qifrey is training three new apprentices. He sees the abuse between Ininia and her master and declares that the students have a right to pick their master and he would take her. The Brimhats tell him that’s not how they do things and that if he wants to claim the three as official students he’s going to have to fight for them.
Fight and win he does.
Slowly the three warm up to him and start looking for a cure to 3/4 of their groups silverwood affliction.
Meanwhile Olly has not stopped looking for him.
The girls are technically learning under Beldaruit now but they are helping with looking for Qifrey or reseating silverwoods.
By the time the two groups reunite it’s been some time and together the two groups are able to figure out how to ride Qifrey and the others of the Silverwood tree.
Just in time for the knights of morales to show up and try and take Custas, Ininia, and Tartah away. Qifrey defends them Tartah was abandoned by their society for a condition he couldn’t help, Inina had a horrible master and just needed guidance. Were they really going to punish a boy who just wanted to stand? It’s a tense conversation and a lot of yelling but they finally allow Qifrey to keep hir three new students with the understanding that if any forbidden magic happens from this point forward, all four of them are getting their memories erased.
This is not edited. I have not give it a full read through yet. There are going to be mistakes and I’m going to change things here and there. If you want the official version wait a few days and it will be on my AO3. If you don’t care that it’s a stream of consciousness and want your update now, here is chapter 3
Dinner had ended and the girls had made their way to bed after spending the night quitely studying. As hard as the two guardians of the Atelier tried to keep up appearances the girls could feel the underline tension. Though neither man would acknowledge it.
Agott, bless her, had called it an early night and had forced the others upstairs. Even after that though Qifrey busied himself with cleaning the kitchen and Olly pretended to be working on some spells in his palm quire. They kept this up until they were sure the girls were in the rooms and not spying on them from the stairs.
Finally Olly could wait no long and cleared his throat. “Care to join me.” He asked, turning his head to where Qifrey was wiping down the table for the 7th time that night.
Qifrey’s body went rigid. It was a common enough request between the two. Normally he would turn his head and see Olly standing there, loop chalices in one hand and wine bottle in the other. But tonight was different. When he finally turned his head to look at Olly on the couch, there were no loop chalices, no wine, not even his charming smile. Just his oldest and dearest friend watching him with worried eyes.
Qifrey took in a fortifying breath. “I suppose I’ve made you wait long enough.”
Olly watched as Qifrey made his way over to sit next to him on the couch. Every step was that of a man walking to his death. When he sat he kept a careful distance between the two of them.
“Hey,” Olly called softly, placing his hand on Qifrey’s shoulder. The man flinched violently causing Olly to lift his hand away. “Will you please look at me.” Olly’s heart was already in peace. He didn’t know it could shatter more. Then Qifrey looked at him with this quiet acceptance, this look of abject defeat. Olly refused that. This wasn’t the end of them. “I think we need to establish some ground rules before we begin.”
Qifrey took in a shuddering breath. “Yes, yes that is a good idea.”
“You said yesterday that if you ever felt to comfortable, safe or loved it could kill you right?” Olly asked to make sure he understood the rules of their conversation.
Qifrey straightened up. “Yes that is correct.”
“Then if at any point in this conversation you think we are getting to close to any of those. If you think this could-” he cut himself off. Olly already hated this but he need more information. “If this could hurt you, just tell me to stop and I will. I won’t push. I might see if we can change the topic, but if we need to stop completely we will. I won’t risk your safety for the sake of my own curiosity or knowledge.” Olly made sure to hold eye contact with Qifrey. This was important. He wasn’t going to let Qifrey die.
Qifrey could already feel the silverwood creaking in his bones. His Olruggio, always looking out and caring for him. But it wasn’t close to bursting out. He could have this conversation. “That should work.”
Olly closed his eyes and blew out a breath, “Okay, okay let’s do this.” He turned his attention back onto Qifrey. “Yesterday you told me you were in love with me but you didn’t give me the chance to tell that I-”
“Stop!” Qifrey’ hand shot out to cover Olly’s, his head dropping to break eye contact with his friend. “Please don’t say it.”
Olly stilled. His hand trembling in Qifrey’s grasp. He couldn’t even tell him he love him back. The thing he had been dreaming of doing for years, and he couldn’t do it. No that was a selfish thought. The most important thing was keeping Qifrey alive. Olly would figure out what was done to him and find a way to undo it. Then once Qifrey was safe Olruggio would spend the rest of his life telling Qifrey just how much he loved him.
“I figured that would be too much. I’m sorry that was selfish of me.” Olly apologized ready to move on.
Qifrey tightened his hold around his hand. “It’s not selfish! And please don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault I can’t…” he trailed off unwill or unable to finish his statement.
Olly wanted to comfort him, but he needed to stay focus. “I have some questions about how you managed this.” He waited for Qifrey to give a small nod before he continued. “For our whole friendship,” Olly looked down at his lap unable to look at Qifrey when he answered his question. “All these years, have I been killing you?”
He heard Qifrey’s quick intake of breath. “Olly.” He practically whined out his name it was an injured sound, and it was all the confirmation Olruggio needed.
“I knew it.” Olly stood up abruptly to pace the room, leaving a distressed Qifrey on the couch.
“Olly.” Qifrey quietly called him slowly reaching his hand out towards him but Olruggio couldn’t sit at this moment. Couldn’t be comforted by the man he had been slowly killing for years.
“All of it. Our friendship. Our adventures.” He reached his hands into his hair as he pace pulling on the strands.
“Olly no.” Qifrey’s voice was watery, but Olruggio barely heard it over his own roaring thoughts.
“Every contraption I made for you. It’s all been killing you. I’ve been killing you.” Olly couldn’t stop his racing thoughts. The crushing guilt he had carried with him all day.
“Olly please.” Qifrey begged as he started to stand up. Olruggio hadn’t noticed the movement but his body stilled as the last horrifying realization came to him.
“And I became your watchful eye. We planned our lives together. I never wanted to be anywhere else.” He pivoted quickly to face Qifrey. The taller man was now standing before him. His hands clenched together over his heart as tears streamed down his face. “Would it have been better for you if I wasn’t here.”
“No!” Qifrey finally couldn’t take anymore. He rushed forward and placed both hands on Olly’s shoulders. He didn’t pull him into a hug, Olly assumed that it would be to much. “No you haven’t been killing me.” Qifrey paused for a moment thinking over his words. “Everything about you makes me feel safe and loved, and I know that you make so many wonderfully kind contraptions to make my life easier.”
“Qifrey,” Olly cut in, “that sounds exactly like the emotions you said would kill you.” Olly watched as several emotions played across Qifrey’s face.
“Yes, all of those emotions can kill me. But I want you here.” Qifrey rushed to explain himself. “It would be easier to stay alive if you weren’t here but then I’d be miserable. You don’t have to worry about me I have a system in place to keep me alive.”
Olruggio had so many mixed emotions on what he was learning. On one hand, Qifrey wanted to be with him. Had openly admitted that he would be miserable without him. Getting Qifrey to be honest with his emotions was like pulling teeth, and Olly now understood why. But add that to the fact Qifrey confessed to being in love with him yesterday, Olly wished he could scream his love and devotion back to this man. But he couldn’t, not without killing him.
But his own emotions don’t matter right now. Qifrey’s safety did.
That brings up the other two things he just said.
‘Don’t worry about me.’ Olly’s not giving that idea the time of day. There has never been a moment since he met Qifrey that he wasn’t worried about him. How could Qifrey ever think that he wouldn’t worry about his DYING best friend. If he wasn’t so in love with this idiot, he… he didn’t honestly know what he’d do, he couldn’t even think about hurting Qifrey on purpose.
Moving on to the third thing. ‘I have a system.’ What did that mean?
Olly reached up and gently guided Qifrey’s hands from his shoulders. Bring them to rest directly over his heart. “What system?” Qifrey broke eye contact, Shane coloring his features. Olly gave his hands a gentle squeeze. “Qifrey, what is the system you use to keep yourself alive?”
Qifrey still couldn’t meet his eyes when he answered. “Guilt.”
Olly stilled trying to understand what his friend meant. “Qifrey you’re going to have to give me a little more than that. What are you guilty about?”
Slowly Qifrey raised his head. “Everything. I’ve take so much from you.”
“No you haven’t.” Olly instantly tried to sooth him. He didn’t even think about it, it was his natural state of being, caring for Qifrey.
“Yes. I have. I have taken everything from you and I can’t even tell you about it.” Qifrey’s voice shook as he lowered his head to rest on their joint hands. “Please don’t ask me to tell you, I will but I’ll-”
Olly’s heart seized. “Then don’t. Take whatever you want from me and keep it forever. I never want to know. I’d pay any price to keep you here.”
“Olly.” Qifrey’s voice was shaky. He had moved on of his hands out of Olly’s grasp to hold his missing eye as if he were in pain. “You don’t know what I’ve done.”
“And I don’t care. Not about me.” He paused watching Qifrey’s trembling frame. Was this to much comfort? Was he killing his beloved right now? The need to switch topics. “But I do care about the girls.”
Qifrey’s trembling slowed but he still didn’t raise his head. “The girls?” He repeated back in an unsure voice. “What about them?”
This was the part of the conversation that Olly truely dreaded. “Why did you take on apprentices? If you knew this was your fate, why would you take them on. It’s obvious how much you adore them.”
Qifrey blew out a breath. “For so many reasons. It started as Beldaruit’s idea. He thought I’d be good at it, give me something stable. And at first I thought it was his way at getting back at me for my own apprenticeship, for how much stress I must have added to his life, how much harder I must have made it for him. I didn’t want to take on students just to use them to stay alive. To have such a turbulent relationship with them that my curse wouldn’t activate. I couldn’t do that to a child. Couldn’t make them suffer for my own well being.
Then he told me that while he was stressed he never regretted taking me in. He was stressed because he cared about me and didn’t want me to get hurt again.
That, the idea of caring for someone so much you worried about them constantly. I could do that, after all,” he let out a soft chuckle, “I already worry about you everyday.” He finally tilted his head up to look at Olly through his bangs.
“Oh please.” Olly’s response was gruff. “I barely do anything that you need to worry over.” He could feel his cheeks burn.
Qifrey looked back down again as if picking his words, before settling on, “You do burn yourself quite regularly.”
The two shared a small chuckle. Before Qifrey refocused them. “When we started planning to build the atelier, all of my leads on the Brimcaps had dried up. I thought there was no chance of getting answers. That maybe I could live the rest of my life here with you. Taking care of my students trying to be the person you always wanted me to be. Until the peace of it all finally did me in.”
“Qifrey,” Olruggio’s voice was wrecked.
“Then Agott came along, and I loved her from the start and I was terrified. What if she got hurt? What if she hated me? What if her mother changed her mind and wanted her back? Then Tetia joined and how could I not adore her just as much as Agott. But I was terrified. They both need me in completely different ways and I could never be enough for both of them. And the Richeh and Coco, and I love them all. I love them all so much, and every day I’m terrified. What if I fail them?” Qifrey let out a shaky sigh. “I’ve already failed them. I’ve failed all of them.”
“That’s not-” Olly started to interject. Clutching Qifrey’s hand tightly to his chest.
“It is true. I can never be what they need. Tetia loves hugs and physical affection but the only way I can hug her is by mentally reminding myself how many times I’ve failed her. Richeh and Agott need a stable environment with an adult they can trust. I could die on them at any moment and throw them right back where they were. And Coco, I can’t protect her.”
“Qifrey.” Olly let go of Qifrey’s hand with one of his to cup Qifrey’s cheek. “You haven’t-”
“Olly.” Qifrey cut him off. “I have and I will continue to fail them. And that guilt keeps me alive.”
Olly stilled. This was awful. Qifrey, his Qifrey, who loved their girls more than anything. Who had suffered more than anyone should ever have to. WHO had built himself up from scratch at the age of eight. Who despite it all was still so kind and gentle. Who thought he was a failure. That he failed their girls everyday, it couldn’t be farther from the truth. He was so patient and gentle with their girls. He was one of the best teachers Olruggio had ever known.
And he couldn’t tell him any of this. He wanted nothing more than to gather Qifrey close and tell him how perfect he was until Qifrey could see himself the way Olruggio saw him. But he couldn’t do that. It would kill Qifrey.
Plugin need to move this conversation along. Need to start finding answers rather than heart break.
“So guilt and worry keep you alive?” He asked to clarify what Qifrey needed.
Qifrey gave a subtle nod. “Guilt, worry, anxiety, stress, I need to feel these things. If I don’t then...” He trailed off not wanting to finish his sentence.
Olly nodded and then thought back over their conversation. Trying to see if Qifrey had give him any more clues he could work with. “You said when we started building the Atelier that you had run out of leads. Is Coco a new lead?” Olly hated the idea and hated that he had to ask.
Qifrey blew out a deep breath. “Yes and no. It is the first time forbidden magic has been used in four years. The forbidden spell, the magic picture book. It was the first lead I’d had in years. I wish I had gotten back to Coco house sooner. I wish I could have saved her mother as well. She doesn’t deserve the tragedy she’s lived through. But I’m not sorry that she’s here. That she’s my student. And while I wanted to use her connection to the Brimcaps to find them I never thought they would come after her the way they have. If I had known I still would have taken her in, she deserves to be protected and cared for, I just wish that her presence didn’t put the rest of you in danger. I’d do anything to keep you all safe. I would give up my chance for answers if it meant, Coco, Agott, Tetia, Richeh, and you were safe.”
Olly never should have doubt him. There was a time he thought Qifrey might just be using Coco for her connection to his past. But it seems Qifrey truly was focused on the future, all of their futures. Olly knew Qifrey would sacrifice anything for the girls.
And Olly would sacrifice anything for Qifrey and their girls.
“Do you believe the Brimhats have a cure for what is killing you.” There it was the million dollar question.
Qifrey locked eyes with him once again, before leaning his check into the plan still resting on his face. “They are the ones who experimented on me. If anyone has a cure or a starting point to create one it’s them.”
It all made perfect sense to Olly. His desperation to chase any trail the Brimhats left behind. But he couldn’t let Qifrey keep going like this. Things needed to change. He needed a plan.
Then I came to him. It was so painfully obvious. Qifrey would hate it. But what’s that a good thing?
“Alright,” Olly said. He gave Qifrey’s hand a quick squeeze to get his attention back on him. “I know how we are going to handle this.”
Qifrey sucked in a quick breath his hand clutching to Olruggio’s as if he thought he’d disappear forever if he wasn’t actively holding him. Olly thought back to Qifrey’s prior statement. ‘I have taken everything from you’ and for the first time in the conversation Olruggio wondered just what Qifrey meant by that and why he looked so horrifyingly terrified and guilty right now.
A question for once they were done with this mess. Once Qifrey was safe.
“You are going to tell me every lead you have on the Brimcaps. Every piece of information you can give me.” Qifrey started to squirm, “if you can’t physically tell me then write it down and I won’t tell you when I read it. You will never know what I do and do not know. Will that work.” He watch Qifrey think over the offer for a moment before giving a weak nod.
“Yes that might just work.” Qifrey sounded unsure and Olruggio wasn’t going to risk him on something that might work.
“Will it work if I tell you that from the moment you give me the information you are no longer hunting the Brimcaps?” Olly watched Qifrey still before he ripped himself out of Olruggio’s hold taking several steps back.
“Olly I need to go after them. I need answers. I-”
“Need to be here for your students.” Olly cut himself of. Qifrey stilled all the energy seeming to leave his body. “You will stay here and keep the girls safe. You will live the life we planned. Teaching, cooking, caring for the girls. The things I know make you happy, things I know will keep you safe.”
“Olly I think you’re forgetting by the problem here.” Qifrey said cocking his head to the side as he tried to puzzle out his best friend. “Those are the emotions and activities that will kill me faster.”
“Not if we balance them with guilt and anxiety.” Olly continued to lay out his plan. “I said you wouldn’t be chasing after Brimcaps anymore, I never said I wouldn’t.”
Qifrey’s face pale as he shook his head. “No.” His voice was quite with disbelief. “Olly you can’t! What if you get hurt? What if the Knights of Morales catch you?” He moved forward to place his arms on Olly’s shoulders his grip tight. “They will take all of your memories of magic. The world needs Olruggio of the torch. The girls need their watchful eye. I need my best friend!” His voice had become more and more panicked as he went as tears started to trace down his cheek.
Olruggio wrapped his arms around Qifrey’s waste and pulled him close drawling a sob out of the man. He wished he could offer him comfort, wanted to promise him anything as long as he stopped crying. Olruggio hated when he cried, hated even more that he was the one that made him cry. But comforting him wouldn’t help right now. So he spoke the truth instead
“And I need you.” Another sob escaped Qifrey’s lips as he buried his face in Olruggio’s neck. “So I’m going to hunt for a cure. I’ll search until the ends of the world. I’ll hunt every Brim cap down. I’ll take one every risk, every injury.” He reached his hand up to Qifrey check and pulled back just enough so that Qifrey had to look at him. He needed to look at him.
“And you are going to care the guilt that I’m out there fighting for you. Every time I leave for a commission you are going to have to deal with the anxiety of wondering if it’s a true commission or lead I’m hunting down. You’re going to have to deal with the stress of knowing what I am doing and knowing you cannot help me. I don’t want you to help me.” Tears spilled down Qifrey’s face at every word. “Now that you know what I’m going to do with the information you have on the Brimcaps, can you give it to me without it hurting you?”
Qifrey’s voice was rough from tears and wobbled. “Yes. But Olly I don’t want-”
“You don’t want me to do this. Qifrey I’ve spent the majority of our lives knowing you were hiding something from me. Knowing that you were doing dangerous things and you wouldn’t let me help you. I know exactly how anxious and afraid I was for you. Now I have an idea what’s happening and I can help you. I’m going to help you. And normally I would say, ‘well face this together’ but you need anxiety and fear to stay alive. This is the best way I can give you those emotions while keeping you and the girls safe.”
The two stood there in silence for a moment. Both coming to terms with their new arrangement.
“There is nothing I can say to change your mind is there?” Qifrey phrased it like a question but they both knew the answer.
“Not unless you have another idea that can keep you safe and find a solution to our problem.” Olly wasn’t going to be swayed.
“Why. Why do you always sacrifice so much for me.” Qifrey’s voice was tinged with disbelief and despair. Olly leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss to his forehead.
“You know why.” Olly then thought for a second. He knew how far he was willing to go for Qifrey. If the only way to save Qifrey was to use forbidden magic. If the only way to counter whatever forbidden curse they placed on him was to undo it with forbidden magic he would use it. It was one of the main reasons he didn’t want Qifrey searching anymore.
With Easthies as head of the Knights of Morales, Qifrey would always be under suspicion. Easthies had never liked him, thinking the outsider drenched in dark magic had no place in witch society, and his opinion of Qifrey had only grown worse with age. He didn’t like Olruggio very much either but he wasn’t under the tight scrutiny that Qifrey was unless he was being questioned about Qifrey. He was less likely to be caught or accused of forbidden magic.
Even if he was able to find a cure for Qifrey that didn’t involve the use of forbidden magic, looking into Brimhat ‘research’ (if the experiments on Qifrey could even be called research) would get him in just as much trouble as using forbidden magic. And hunting down Brimcaps without telling the Knights would also land him in hot water. The girls needed at least one of the adults taking care of them to not be risking their lives, memories, and magic. Qifrey would be the safe one for once.
Olly wasn’t stupid. He’d keep all of his findings written down and hidden. He make sure the journal had a spell that would only allow himself or Qifrey to read it. If he failed and got his memory wiped then Qifrey could keep all the progress he made.
But if he got his memory wiped he’d lose Qifrey and the girls forever. It was a risk he was willing to take. But just incase.
He held Qifrey tight for a moment longer, trying to memorize the feel of him in his arms. Finally he let go and put some space between them. His hands still lingering on Qifrey’s sides but they were no longer pressed together. “Qifrey.” Said man looked at him, his tears were starting to slow and he look devastated already. “If I do get caught by the knights and get my memories erased,” Qifrey’s I filled with panic and his hands tightened on his shoulder but Olly push forward.
“I won’t remember anything. They will take all of my memories of magic, and I’ve know about it my whole life. I’ll be all alone in a world I know nothing about. If that happens.-”
“It won’t.” Qifrey was firm. “It won’t happen if you don’t do this.” Qifrey must have seen the determined look on Olruggio’s face. There was no talking him out of this. “It won’t happen because you won’t get caught.”
“But if it does, promise me something?” Olly asked as he brushed his fingers through Qifrey’s hair.
“Anything.” Qifrey hands were tight on his shoulders and his voice firm.
“Promise me you’ll find me. Tell me that you know me.” He stilled them thinking over his next words. “Do you think the memory wiped he’d, knowing I’ve lost all of my memories for you would be enough guilt for you to be able to tell me you were my husband? That we could live the rest of our lives together with me believing I lost my memories in an accident and you knowing the truth. Would take be enough to allow you to be happy for the rest of your life.” He paused again as Qifrey let out another sob. “Would being married to me make you happy.”
It’s Qifrey who pulls them into a hug this time. “You have no idea how happy that would make me.” He stilled as the two of them just held each other for a moment. The next time he spoke it was quiet. “I think it would. That would be enough to destroy me for a life time.”
Olly held him tighter. “Well then. We have our backup plan.”
Olly waited in the living room for Qifrey to return. While Olly knew he wasn’t going to be getting any sleep that night he hadn’t expected Qifrey to spend the whole night out. He was worried that their conversation had killed him. Was one conversation enough to make Qifrey feel comfortable enough to die?
He wanted to chase after him. Grab a guidance orb and follow after his missing friend (were they officially more than friends now?) but he had promised Qifrey he would let him go. That he would give them space. Space is hard to give when the person you love could be dying.
Olly tried to shake the thoughts off. Qifrey wasn’t foolish enough to tell him all of this, to break 15 years of silence if he wasn’t sure he could survive it. He wouldn’t do that. Not with the girls depending on him to be alive come morning. Not when Olly needed him like he needed air in his lungs.
But what if Qifrey had miscalculated. What if he thought he could share the load, and he thought wrong? What then? Is there any way to undo their conversation?
Olly stilled. There was a way to undo their conversation. If the only way for Qifrey to live is for him to forget then-
The door sung open.
Olly jumped to his feet to come face to face with a soaking wet Qifrey. Dawn was just starting to break over the horizon and there Qifrey stood in the last gloom of the night looking for all the world like a disgruntled, dripping cat.
“What were you doing out there?” Olly demanded as he came up to him.
“Oh Olly, you’re still awake.” Qifrey tried to play off his own arrival but Olly was having none of it.
“Of course I’m still awake.” Olly snapped as he pulled his link rings from his pocket. “I’ve been worried about you all night.”
“Ah. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you worry.” Qifrey was the picture of guilt as he refused to meet Olly’s eyes.
“What did you do throw yourself in the river.” Olly stated as he started to raise his hands up to press his link rings together only to freeze.
Qifrey hated being wet. While it rained last night it wasn’t enough to get him this soaked. If he could die from being to comfortable… did he go out there and throw himself into the river, the thing that terrified him the most, to counter act the comfort and love he felt from their conversation?
How long had he been doing things like this? How many times has his friend purposely mentally tortured himself to stay alive. I was found buried alive and slowly drowning in a coffin. Did he relive that every time he got wet?
And was Olruggio about to undo all his hard work by drying him off. Was Olly making it harder for Qifrey to stay alive?
Qifrey’s hands came up to gently incase his own. He didn’t realize how bad his hands were shaking until Qifrey grabbed them.
“Olly,” his voice was soft and gentle. “I really am quite cold would you mind helping me dry off.”
Qifrey never asked for help. Olly always just bullied him into accepting it. But things were different now. Qifrey could die from his comfort and care. No, that wasn’t new was it? Qifrey’s life had been in danger far before the two of them had even met. But Qifrey had been managing the danger since they were 13. He knew just how much care he could manage. So if he says it’s okay, then…
Olly locked his link rings together and started the process of getting Qifrey dried off. Qifrey closed his eye and sighed, “Thank you.”
Olly didn’t know how to respond. So for a moment the two stood in silence. It was only broken by the sound of shuffling upstairs. The girls were waking up. Qifrey needed to get started on breakfast. Olly need to get to work on his plan. The day needed to start. The moment needed to end.
“Qifrey.” Olly called finally getting his friend to look at him. His eye was full of resignation, defeated before the battle truly began. Or maybe he was tired from fighting for so long alone. It didn’t matter. Olly was going to take up the fight for him. “Tonight, after the girls go to sleep, we need to talk.”
Qifrey looked down unable to hold his gaze. “Yes I suppose we do.”
———————————————————————————
Qifrey spent the day riddled with anxiety. Which he guessed was a good thing. Normally telling Olly left him feeling so safe, and Olly still made him feel safe. This time was different though. They had never gone this long between Qifrey confessing any part of his secret and erasing Olly’s memory of it.
Normally it was over so fast. One of them confessed. Sometimes it was Olly his love spilling over until he had to verbalize it. Sometimes it was Qifrey, in an act of pure selfishness, unable to lie to his beloved any longer. Sometimes the confession was skipped entirely with Olly asking to many of the right questions and Qifrey unable or unwilling to lie to him.
It didn’t matter who started it or how. The conversation lasted somewhere between 2 ticks to 15 ticks. Around that time the silverwood would start to push through Qifrey’s skin. It was over. Olly or Qifrey would erase Olly’s memory and they would move on.
But this time was different. Qifrey had carefully hidden the truth from Olruggio. Every part of that conversation was strategic. To give Olly everything he could without crossing the line into silverwood growth. But he was only able to do that because he had control of the conversation.
Tonight Olly would have control of the conversation or at least less than the 0% Qifrey tried to give him last night.
What if he asks the right questions again? What if he gave Olly just enough information to figure it out in his own? Olruggio was brilliant, the Star of Ghodrey, give enough of the puzzle pieces he would surly put them together. He was smart enough to fill in the blanks.
If he knew the truth and confronted Qifrey with it he’d have to erase his memories again.
But this time Olly would have know for 24 hours. Would he be stealing a whole day from Olly this time? The guilt of taking a few moments from him was enough to keep Qifrey alive form months. The memory of each moment he stole piercing his heart for the rest of time. But to steal a whole day? There is no way he could play that off as Olly falling asleep.
Every moment that Olly knew was another moment that Qifrey will have to steal in the future once this eventually goes wrong. How long could they keep this delicate balance? A day? A week? A month?
The longer the time the more terrifying it was to Qifrey. How could he take that many memories from his love?
This was a horrible selfish plan. He never should have done this. He hadn’t thought out the long term consequences.
And he knew deep in his bones all this worrying about weeks and months didn’t matter. All Olly had to say tonight was that he loved him back and Qifrey might just plant roots right there. He knows Olly loves him but to hear it always made him feel so happy and safe.
But what if Olly didn’t say that tonight? What if by some twisted miracle they made it through the day? What then? The idea of taking a full day of Olruggio’s memory was already unbearable. How could he take two days. He couldn’t even imagine robbing him of a week or more.
That’s when a cold feeling settled in Qifrey’s bones.
This was the end.
He didn’t realize it when he set out on this little experiment. He hadn’t thought of the long term consequences, something he had been trying to teach his girls to do he had failed to do himself. In all honesty he had expected this plan to fail. But now they were closing in on 24 hours of Olly knowing more of the truth than he had ever been able to keep before. It was both wonderful and terrifying.
And Qifrey couldn’t take that from him. Not this time.
This time he would make sure Olruggio knew just how much he adored him. He’d give their girls all he had. Because when Olly eventually says through three wonderfully curse words, or when he finally speaks Qifrey curse allowed, this time it would be over.
Qifrey wouldn’t erase his mind this time. He couldn’t make Olly sacrifice that for him.
It’s strange how he was both calm and terrified of this decision. On one hand he was relieved that this is the end. That he won’t have to hurt his family anymore.
On the other hand he is terrified to leave them. Coco needs his help to save her mom. Richeh need help finding a solution for Euini. Agott’s mother had practically blacklisted her, no other master would take her on. And sweet orphaned Tetia abandoned by everyone in the system. His girls needed him. But he knew Olly would step up for them.
He knew it was unfair and selfish for him to do this to all of them. But he couldn’t strip Olly of so many memories not when he himself knew what it felt like to have so much of his life missing.
He was terrified. Terrified to die. To leave them. Of what would happen when he was gone.
Maybe that terror would be enough to keep him alive. The knowledge that if the tree started to grow that this would be the last time. Maybe that terror would be enough to counter balance whatever Olly had to say tonight.
Qifrey trying to tell Olruggio and edited version of the truth (rough draft)
Part 1 -> Part 2 -> Part 3
After months of having Coco around. Of watching the girls continue to do the unimaginable. Coco always thinking of an out of the box solution. Richeh’s ‘if it’s something you can’t do, change it to something to can’ mind set. Tetia’s positivity and belief that there is a solution to everything. Agott’s learning how to take the rules as they’ve been set and bend them to her and her loved ones benefits.
His girls. His wonderful ingenious creative kind girls.
And from them he gets a horribly hopeful idea. One that festers over months. He thinks about his situation with Olruggio. The sky’s kindest and brightest star. How he knows Olly loves him. How he hates that he can’t give him more. How he can’t even tell him that he loves him to without dying.
But what if there was a way he could?
When did the tree start to grow. In all of their past confrontations. All those conversations that ended with Olly erasing his own memories. What was the moment that made the tree start to grow?
He narrows it down to two scenarios.
Whenever he tells Olruggio about the Silverwood tree. The relief of telling Olly the truth.
When Olruggio accepts him. When he forgives him. Tells him he loves him.
So he comes up with a plan. It’s a horribly bad plan. One that probably won’t succeed. But how many plans have his girls pulled off that had no chance of success? As Coco says they can always try something else.
He carefully weighted the risk verse the reward. If this didn’t work, if he told Olly what he believed he could safely tell him, and he believe wrong, if the silverwood started growing anyway what happened then? He would have to erase Olly’s memory again. Something he hated doing. But if there was even a chance he could tell Olly how he felt. Let the man he loved more than anything, except their girls, know that he wasn’t alone in his devotion. Qifrey wanted to try. He desperately wanted to give Olly every thing he could.
He doesn’t think that this will work. Honestly he thinks this is one of the most selfish ideas he’s had in a long time. But if there is a small chance of it working. Of him being able to share even a bit of the truth with Olly. He can’t move on with his life until he tries.
He plans it out meticulously. Olruggio has a large commission he’s working on. Qifery didn’t want to risk having this conversation in the middle of such an important and stressful commission. It was already a selfish plan he couldn’t risk it going poorly and wiping Olly’s memory when he was in the middle of a commission. He had had to do so before and his friend had lost precious time waking up confused and forgetting half of his sudden solution which he had come up with right before discovering Qifrey’s secret.
Qifrey had planned a lesson that had lasted the whole week. Challenging the girls and having them work together to create a spell that could levitate a group away while also keeping them warm and dry. The idea came from the wagon crash and flooded river rescue where they had first met Curtis. The girls were excited to come with an idea that would have saved the day faster than Olly and Qifrey had. Coco was focused on saving not just the people and animals but also their supplies and livelihoods as well.
The lesson required group work and highly specialized seals that could also be drawn unseen. It was truly a test of all of their knowledge. And he had planned it perfectly that they would finish it the same day Olly finished his commission. That night for dinner they celebrated. Qifrey made Olly’s favorite main course while making up all the girls favorite sides. The girls were excitedly telling Olly about their spell, all talking over one another to explain their triumph.
After dinner and spending some time together, Qifrey sent the girls to bed. He knew they would sleep well. They had worked themselves hard for a week and would get a good nights rest without trying to solve their teacher’s complex problem. This was perfect as it meant he had the opportunity to talk to Olly alone.
“Olly would you like to join me for a drink?” He watched Olly’s face lit up. It had been too long since the two could spend a moment alone together. Drinks in hand the two sat on the ground in front of the fire.
Qifrey listened as Olruggio told him all about his commission work and how he had figured out the problem. Normally Qifery would give his friend his undivided attention but tonight his mind was struggling to find away to broach the topic he so desperately wanted to talk about. His distracted presences didn’t go unnoticed.
“Alright. Out with it. What’s troubling you so?” Qifrey snapped his head up at the sound of Olruggio’s voice his friend was staring at him. It was the same look Qifrey had seen a million times before. Olly’s eyes were focused and his lips turned into a slight frown. It was the face he made when he was trying to solve a problem. When one of his contraptions or spells wasn’t working right, or when he was close to figuring out Qifrey’s secret.
This was a bad idea. But if there was a chance…
Qifrey finished his drink before setting down his loop chalice. “Olly I have something to tell you.” He turned to face his dearest friend head on and watched as Olruggio’s back straightened up and he pivoted himself to face Qifrey as well. Olruggio finished his own drink and set down his loop chalice as well giving his full attention to his friend.
Now that the conversation was started Qifrey was terrified and back-footed. Where did he go from here? He closed his eye and took a deep breath to settle himself. Before looking back at Olruggio.
“You’re making me worry. Whatever it is-” Olruggio beat him to the punch trying to sooth his friend. Qifrey couldn’t have that. Not tonight.
“Olruggio.” Qifrey’s tone was sharp, cutting his friend off. It was rare that he called his friend by his full name in these stolen private moments. Olruggio shut his mouth cutting off his own thoughts to allow Qifrey room to speak. In a gentler tone Qifrey continued. “There is so much I want to tell you. But I can’t tell you everything. It’s not safe.”
“What do you mean?” Olly cut him off panic in his tone. “What isn’t safe? Are you in danger? Are the girls? Qifrey let me help you.” Olly reached across the space between them to grab Qifrey’s hand only for him to jolt away from his touch.
“Olly!” The two stilled Qifrey curled into himself thinking about how horrible of an idea this was and Olruggio reaching out to him with pleading eyes. After a breath Qifrey steadied himself again. “I will tell you everything that I can but only if you can do two things for me.”
“Anything.” Olly’s hand was still extended out waiting for Qifrey to reach back. And wasn’t that their whole relationship. Olly reaching out and Qifrey denying him at every turn. Not tonight. Tonight Qifrey would give all that he could.
“First, I need you to listen. No interruptions. No questions.” If Qifrey was going to survive this conversation, if Olly was going to remember it, then he couldn’t let Olly reassure him at all. This had to be a one sided conversation.
“Okay. I can do that.” Olly said with a slow nod. Qifrey highly doubted that. Olly was so inquisitive, it’s what made him a good inventor. But hopefully this promise would allow him to curb that. After all it’s not the first abused promise between the two of them.
“Second, once I finish you need to let me go-” Before Qifrey could continue there was an iron grip on his wrist. Olruggio had lunged across the space between them, his hand locked around Qifrey’s thin wrist, his eyes wild and desperate.
“That’s not happening. Ever.” Olly was about to continue when Qifrey cupped his cheek with his free hand.
“You promised to listen. You need to let me go outside. We’re both going to need time to process what I’m about to tell you. I want you to promise me you’re going to give us that space. That time to work through our thoughts.” Time so that I can go outside and make sure I’m not going to turn into a tree in the living room. Time for me to get away from this emotional powder keg and prepare for how to handle all the questions you might have. All the questions I can’t answer.
Olly’s breathing calmed as the panic left his eyes and his grip loosened. “Oh.” He closed his eyes and leaned into Qifrey’s hand on his cheek. “I can do that.”
Qifrey felt the silverwood creaking in his ribs and quickly pulled his hand away. Olly looked back at him with a fair amount of hurt but also understanding. As far as he knew Qifrey didn’t like to be touched.
“Ok, then let’s begin.” Qifrey righted himself and Olly followed his lead to sit back up placing the careful space back between them. “Where to start… I guess at the beginning.” Qifrey turned his head away from Olly. Watching him while he spoke would kill him for sure.
“Olly you were the first person I ever loved. You taught me how to love. It’s because of you that I was able to love Beldaruit. That I am able to love our girls.”
“I don’t think that’s fair.” Olly started to try to interject but Qifrey plowed on.
“It wasn’t until I was 13 I realized I was in love with you.” Qifrey heard the sharp intake of breath. “And I have been my whole life” Qifrey was cut off as Olruggio lunged forward to press their lips together. It was a miracle that Qifrey was able to get his hand up in time to block him.
For a moment they were still. Qifrey leaning back on one hand while the other rested around Olruggio’s mouth. Olly arms resting on either side of Qifrey his body resting between his legs. His sea blue eyes opened to look at Qifrey in confusion. “You promised you’d listen.” Qifrey gently reminded. Slowly, reluctantly Olly pulled back, but not before pressing a lingering kiss to Qifrey’s palm. Qifrey’s breath stuttered in his chest. This was truly a terrible idea.
Qifrey sat back up, it was time to get to the painful part of this conversation. Preferable before he planted his roots into the floor boards.
“Olly I… I can’t give you any more than this.” He said gesturing to their living room. Their home. “This life we built, the girls. I can’t give you more. No matter how much I might want to.” He made the mistake of glancing at Olruggio. The man was watching him with open devotion that slowly morphed into a look of worried determination. It was the look he got when he was trying to fix Qifrey, or the girls, problems. A horrible look for the conversation they were trying to have.
“Why?” Olly asked. “I will take anything you are willing to give me. But if you want more and I want-”
Qifrey squeezed his eyes shut to not have to look at the earnest and pleading look on Olruggio’s face. “Olly interrupt me again and I’ll stop.” Qifrey hated this. He could feel the silverwood growing. They were getting too close to the delicate line he drew. This was a horrible stupid idea.
Olly shut up immediately. His body stilling but his eyes still desperately searching Qifrey. Slowly Qifrey blew out a breath, his body slightly untensing.
“I don’t think I ever told you the full story of how I came to be at the great hall. I was found in the Forest of Thristas, buried alive and slowly drowning in a coffin.” He heard Olly’s shaky breath, most likely recontextualizing Qifrey’s fear of water. He beloved friend knew he had been found with no memories and had connection to the brim caps but didn’t know all the details. It was one of the foundations of their friendship, his willingness to accept Qifrey as he was, to not push for the answers Qifrey didn’t have. “It wasn’t until later I learned what they were doing to me.”
“Your memories.” Olly quietly mumbled to himself trying to hard to keep his overworking thoughts to himself.
“Are not back. I still have no memories of that time. But I found records of their experiments on me in the Tower of Tomes.” He looked up in time to watch all the color drain from Olruggio face at the mention of experiments being done on him. “They have robbed me of my past, and their experiments continue to rob me of my present and my future.”
Olruggio’s hand flew out once more to claim Qifrey’s wrist. He looked at Qifrey with open desperation. He didn’t need to voice his questions for Qifrey to be able to answer them.
“I’m dying. If I ever get to comfortable, to safe, to loved.” Slowly his hand came up to cup Olly’s face. “Then it’s over. I can’t give you more. I can’t tell you more. It’s not safe. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Qifrey removed his hand from Olly cheek and started to stand up. Olly clinged desperately to his wrist moving to his knees to keep his grip. His eyes welling with tears. “Qifrey-”
“Olly. You promised me. You’d let me go.” Qifrey needed to get away. Need to leave with the guilt of making Olly cry before Olly does what he alway did. Reassure him. Love him.
A sob wretched its way from Olly but he forced himself to let go.
Qifrey moved quickly to the front door. It was starting to drizzle. Good. He closed the door behind him and activated his sylph shoes and took off. The river wasn’t far. He could throw himself in. The shock and fear from the water should be enough to shrink the silverwood. The silverwood that was ready to rip from his skin at any minute.
———————————————————————————
Olly sank to the floor. Qifrey loved him. For a second the world was perfect. He wanted nothing more than to gather his closest friend in his arms and kiss him. Return his own confession.
Then Qifrey told him the rest. He was dying. The brim caps. They had tortured him. Stolen his past from him. And it wasn’t enough. They were still torturing Qifrey. His heart ached.
All this time. The obsession with the brim caps. Qifrey wasn’t chasing his past, he was trying to save his future. Their future. The girls’ future. And Olly never knew. How could he say he loved Qifrey when he never even noticed he was dying?
Qifrey was dying.
Olly breathed. He had to focus. What was it Qifrey said. “If I ever get to comfortable, to safe, to loved.” He thought back over their lives together. All of his contraption, if they weren’t a commission they stemmed from his love for Qifrey. The link rings to dry him. The glow stones to light his path, as his eye struggled to seeing in the dark. The water repelling seals in his cloak. Even the snug stones to help him sleep. Everything he had made was made with the intention of showing Qifrey how much he loved him. To make him more comfortable. To help him feel safe.
And all along he had been slowly killing him.
In order for Qifrey to live he had to be uncomfortable, scared, and unloved. Olly couldn’t do that.
The brim caps experimented on him. What did they do. Qifrey said he couldn’t tell him anymore. That it wasn’t safe.
But what else had he said.
“I found records of their experiments on me in the Tower of Tomes.”
The Tower of Tomes. Qifrey had know all of this since they were 13 and had hidden it from him. Olly shook his head. That didn’t matter now. The Tower of Tomes had answers. Answer Qifrey couldn’t tell him. Would the relief of sharing his burden fully with Olly do him in? Then Olly would find out the truth from the Tower. He wouldn’t tell Qifrey. Make up some commission in the great hall and then take a window way from the Great Hall to the Tower.
He would find out what they did to Qifrey. If he could learn what they did maybe he can find a way to reverse it. Maybe he could find or create a cure. No one deserved to feel happy safe and loved more than Qifrey and Olruggio was going to find a way to make it possible for him.
But right now he had to come up with a plan to keep him alive. He needed more information. How much happiness was Qifrey allowed before he died. He knows he loves the girls. There was no doubt in his heart that Qifrey adored their girls. So if love would kill him how was he still alive when the girls loved him just as much as he loved them. When Olruggio lived every day of their lives completely devoted to him. How was he still with them? What about their lives made him feel uncomfortable, unsafe, or unloved? Olruggio hated the idea that Qifrey felt any of those emotions inside of their home but he couldn’t be upset when those emotions were keeping Qifrey alive.
He needed more information. As painful as it was to let go of Qifrey he was thankful for his friends forethought to give them space after the conversation. He need to think. To come up with questions that would give him the information he needed but not cross the necessary boundary’s Qifrey had to keep himself alive.
Tomorrow night he would ask his questions but tonight he will wait. Wait for Qifrey to come home. Make sure he’s safe. Or as safe as he can be right now. Tomorrow he will get the answers he can. Then he will plan his trip to the Tower of Tomes. And from there he will find a way for save Qifrey.
Olruggio finding out about the tree from the brimcaps.
Olruggio is traveling on his way back from one of his commissions when he is approached by a brimcap.
He’s on edge especially when they start taunting him about the atelier. Calling him the “watchless eye.”
His head is working with possibilities. Was there an attack while he was away. Are the girls okay? Is Qifery okay? He’s trying to demand answers the the brimcap won’t stop prattling on and he’s about to rush home when the brimcap says something interesting.
“It’s hard to watch what you can’t remember.”
And Olruggio isn’t a fool. He knows there are some holes in his memories. It’s been driving him nuts for longer than he wants to think about. But what does this brimcap know about that.
The brimcap continues on knowing they now have his undivided attention. “Harder still to protect something when you know nothing about it. When they barely know themselves.” Olruggio’s heart freezes up. This brimcap is talking about Qifery and his missing memories.
“What do you know about that?” Olruggio, for all that he wanted Qifery to give up his search for his past and live a safe life teaching their girls, knows he couldn’t forgive himself he he didn’t at least try to get this information for him.
The brimcap cackles. “Would you like to know?” In there hand a worn and used journal appeared. They lazily throw it at Olruggio. He fumbles but catches it. “I’d suggest reading that before you get home. Hate for you to forget again.” And with that the cackle and disappear.
Olruggio is unnerved by the whole thing. And he doesn’t like the implication that his memory of this would be erased by someone at home. Though he has some suspicions. He can’t leave the book unread. He still has a long way to go before returning to the atelier. About another day of travel. And while a large part of him wants to fly through the night and get home to make sure everyone is safe he also needs to know why this book is before he gives it to Qifery.
He makes it to a nearby in and cracks open the book.
It’s a detailed log of all the experiments the brimcaps ran on Qifery. Olruggio reads through it in mounting horror. Realising what his friend has gone through. Part of him wants to burn the book. Another wants to hunt down all the brimcaps responsible for his pain. Another wants to throw himself into research about how to remove a sivlverwood seed from a host.
But then the book gets some how more horrifying. The hand writing changes. The dates take a large jump forward in time. It’s dated after Qifery was found and brought to the Grand Hall.
The entry tells of how Qifery found the truth in the tower and everything that followed. Olruggio finding out. Qifery’s tree growing. Olruggio making his way into the tower and then erasing his own memory, and finally Qifery returning to normal.
Olruggio has to stop reading for a moment. He’s horrified at what he’s found. He wasn’t angry with Qifery in any way. No he wanted to rush home to the man he had adored for his whole life and tell him that he would fix this some way. But then he remembered what he just read. Comfort makes the tree growing. He can’t let Qifery know that he knows.
Then a worse realization comes over him. The journal had an entry about Qifery after his rescue. He was still being watched!
Olruggio grabbed the book again and continued, praying that was the last entry. It wasn’t. There were several more data points logged. Several more accounts of Olruggio finding out Qifery’s secert, Qifery transforming into a tree, and Olruggio erasing his own memories so that Qifery could live.
He noticed that none of the recorded occurred inside the great hall or, thankfully, inside their Atelier, their home. This was good because he was sure that Qifery felt safest in their home. He had probably had ‘incidents’ in their home but they weren’t recorded. This means the Brimcaps weren’t watching them inside their home or the great hall. But they still knew far too much about Qifery. They were far too close to his friend.
But that begs the question. Why would they share this book with him? And what should he do with it now?
If he goes to Qifery he would get his memory erased again. Qifery would be dealing with this alone again. He can’t let that happen. He needed to start looking for a cure for his friend.
But why did the brimcaps give him the book? Were they hoping to make his solution of getting his memories erased harder to do? Were they hoping that he would find a way to remove the seed and they could learn from his own experiments without having to get their hands dirty? Was it even a really journal or was it just a way to distract him. He wasn’t sure but he had his work cut out for him.
Don’t let Qifery know that he knows. Can’t get his memory erased again
Start looking for a way to remove the silver wood seed
Figure out a way to stop the burn hats from spying on them.
I just started WHA I’ve read volumes 1 and 2 of the manga but I’ve had the newest chapters spoiled for me.
Heartbreaking idea that popped into my head after reading.
At the end of the story, once Coco learns the spell needed to reverse the spell on her mother, and the Silvertree seed is removed from Qifrey. It’s all over and seems like a happy ending.
But to undo the spell on Coco’s mother. The spell has to be cast right on to her mother. This counts as casting a spell directly onto a person. Forbidden magic.
Qifrey and the others are trying to find another solution but Coco just wants her mom back. She smiles and tells them it will be okay. She cast the spell and her Mom is back but so are the Knights of Moralis.
The catch Coco and want to erase her memories. The others argue but Coco stops them saying she knew the consequences and accepted them.
The knights take her memories of magic. But it’s more than that. They take her memories of being Qifrey’s apprentice. She will not remember any of her new found family.
Her and her mother both believe they were both caught in the crystal spell. That it was a random attack by Brimmed caps.
———————-
The others are devastated. The were all made to leave Coco and her mother before they woke up.
There all grieving together when Richeh asks a question of Olruggio. “Do you remember any other the memories Master Qifrey made you forget?” Qifrey and Olruggio had already talked through they shared paste once the silver wood seed was removed. He knows about all the times that he or Qifrey had wiped his memory.
“No. I can remember the moment leading up to it but never the memories that were wiped.” Olruggio wished he had a different answer. That he could tell the girls and Qifrey that his memories came back once he was told about them. That Coco’s memories would come back if they just talked to her. But that wasn’t the case.
“What about muscle memory?” Agott asked. “Does the spell erase muscle memory.” Coco had spent so long drawling spells the motions has to still be there. Even if her mind forgot her body still knew how to be a witch. If they could get her to preform one spell than they could take her back in as qifrey’s apprentice. She’d have to take the test again but hey they could have Coco back. A different version of her but Coco.
——————
This is how Coco and her mother’s store gain several new regulars. A cute married couple and their three adopted daughters who always seem to need some new piece of clothing.
Coco’s mother is glad to see Coco getting along with girls her age. Especially after the spell they were under. She was trapped in stasis but Coco only had continued to physically age even though she had no memory of what happened. It was all so weird. So it was good to see Coco make new friends.
For Coco the group seems weirdly familiar. But she’s never seen them before… right.
Meanwhile Agott, Tetia, and Richeh are all trying to get Coco to accidentally draw a spell. They can’t show her one and ask her to copy it. Thats forbidden. But is she accidentally draws one then that’s just muscle memory.
Qifrey is worse than the girls as he desperately wants his student back.
It’s Olruggio who gets Coco to accidentally draw a spell. (He won’t admit to being just as desperate as the others to have Coco back)
