#because everything is either

[keen2meecha]

First snippet!! It seemed appropriate to celebrate the occasion by showing (part of) Melissa’s first encounter with Ace and Virgil! Catch Ace switching from ‘ominous stranger’ to ‘irresponsible uncle’ in the blink of an eye and Virgil being just a little bit of a bastard! (Also contains one of my favorite Virgil-Ace exchanges, although there are many to enjoy)

Taglist (lmk if you wanna be added/removed): @adaparkwrites, @magic-is-something-we-create, @nothingisliteral, @aelenko, @reininginthefirewriting, @magicalwriting, @cianawrites, @humour-and-hyperfocus, @ahowlinwolf, @alcego-writes

Image Transcript Under The Cut!

[“I see.” The man lowered himself into a crouch, presumably so that he didn’t have to lean down quite so much to look her in the eye. Because of the porch railing, she could only see half of his face through the gaps. “And what is it that brings you to our particular neck of the woods? Silverwood is hardly a place for youngsters like you to wander alone.”

“Oh, it’s not that bad,” She recited reflexively. “Really, the forest is fine, so long as you treat it right.” 

“Is that so?”

“W-well, yeah. Isn’t… don’t you know that? You live out here too, after all…”

“I wasn’t aware it was common knowledge, that’s all. People are so quick to judge that which they don’t understand. And with that judgment usually comes things like fear… and violence.”

The hairs on the back of her neck began to rise, and she resisted the urge to step back. There was something about this man that unnerved her, and only being able to see half of his face only worsened that feeling. It was a distant, vague feeling, but unmistakable. Like coming face-to-face with a childhood nightmare.

Ridiculous, of course. Her childhood nightmare certainly hadn’t featured this sleepy-eyed man still in his (red, silk) pajamas.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the man letting out a loud oof and falling on his backside, rubbing the side of his head resentfully.

“Whoops,” A voice said unapologetically - a new voice, delicate and soft like the finest part of a feather, or a cat’s silken fur.

It belonged to a boy her own age standing at the top of the steps, pulling a backpack onto his shoulders, and it didn’t take her long to put the pieces together. He must have accidentally - or not so accidentally, judging by his tone - hit the man with his backpack as he swung it up.

“How many dictionaries do you have in there this time?” The man demanded.

“Three.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

Their bickering continued, but Melissa barely paid attention. She was too gobsmacked as she processed that she had somehow managed to find Virgil Argyris’ house.]