#writing.splash

[aguahouse]

Day 1: Stars

It was a quiet evening, the sort of evening that pulled the chill from outside into the buildings despite the fire. The sort of evening that left Aqua pulling herself close, bundled up in front of the fireplace with Berry at her side. Aqua let out a yawn, glancing to the stairs.

Selkie still hadn’t returned from the roof.

Aqua shook her head, standing up and feeding the fire another log. Berry shook himself off, the fox following her into the kitchen, to the little stovetop. Aqua dug into the ice chest and pulled out some milk, before digging into the cabinets for the chocolate and some sugar.

It didn't take long for the milk to warm, for her to add in the chocolate, and the sugar as she stirred. She poured it into two mugs, setting them on the counter and grabbing a blanket. She draped the blanket over her arms and picked up the mugs, taking them gently up the stairs and to the ladder. From there it was a bit of effort to get them up, but she managed, climbing up onto the roof.

The air was chilly, and it made her shiver as she climbed through the hatch, setting the mugs on the worn down wooden roof. She stood up and followed the small worn patch across the roof, seeing the enderman sitting along the very edge. He was huddled in on himself, watching the ocean and letting out the occasional shiver. Aqua walked over, and he glanced up.

“It’s late.”

“It is,” she replied, holding out the mug, “it's also very cold.”

He frowned, but took it, running his fingers over the rim of the cup. She used her free hand to drape the blanket over him, sitting next to him.

“I still don’t know why you’re having me here.” Selkie admitted after a moment. “It’s not like I can’t find my own place.”

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “But it's not like we weren’t roommates before.”

“You weren’t exactly willing then.”

“But I am now.”

He took a sip from the mug, looking up at the stars.  “You ever hear the old stories about the stars?”

“Not really, no.”

Selkie frowned, “I figured, you wouldn’t. It’s more or less an enderman thing. There’s rumors about the stars. An entire world up there, just for us…”

“For endermen?”

He nodded. “Yeah, it's… it's something. The rumors, they… they talk about islands. Some of the elders talked about them when I was younger, and…” he shook his head. “They’re just fantasies, but sometimes they feel so real…”

“Maybe… maybe it is.” Aqua shrugged. “I don’t exactly know much about you magically inclined folks, but I believe it.”

“Magically inclined…” Selkie snorted. “You say the funniest things, you know.”

Aqua shrugged. “It’s true.” She ran her fingers through her hair, letting out a yawn. “I don’t know anything about magical stuff.”

“You’re magical too.”

“Nah. Just good with living stuff.”

Selkie shrugged at that, taking another sip of the mug. “Sure.” He glanced at Aqua, and the two met eyes. Selkie’s thin, orange ones narrowed a little bit more, and Aqua contained the small shiver that went down her spine. It was always a primal thing, thousands of years of evolution telling her not to stare directly into an enderman’s eyes- hybrid or not. Selkie smiled, then looked away.

“You’re cold, go inside.”

“You first.” Aqua huffed, and the enderman laughed.

“You aren’t built for subzero temperatures, Aqua. I am. Go.”

He pushed her gently and she pushed back, letting out a shiver. He was cold, but Selkie always ran cold. And she was freezing, yeah, but she wasn’t leaving.

“Only if you come with me. Berry will be very unhappy if we freeze to death.”

“I won’t-” he snorted. “Fine, fine.” He stood up, grabbing the blanket. She stood with him, following him back down to the ladder. She glanced back, at the Snowchester docks, letting out a small sigh. She then slipped down into the house.

This was a new start for both of them. And Aqua was gonna make it worth it.

--------------------

Okay I'm not one for post-writing notes but the sonas are my absolute beloveds and when I saw the challenge I had to go for it <3

Selkie is a sona by the absolutely wonderful @dingdinghq and the fandom is dsmp! This takes place around late January 2021, for timeline placements :D

[aguahouse]

Day 2: River

Melody lowered her hand, feeling the water wash over it. The chill gave her an involuntary shiver and she snorted, only pulling her hand away when the chill got to her.

"It's a nice river, isn't it?" Nick walked over, sitting on the banks beside her. She nodded.

"Cold, fast. Good water source."

He chuckled. "That's… yeah. It is."

"It's far from the CDC."

"It is." Nick gave her a glance. "If you're still trying to convince me to come back-"

"I'm not, I just… What you did was stupid. And you could've told someone else."

"There wasn't any time." Nick sighed, running his hands through his short brown hair. "Shelby needs medicine. Ghetto needs medicine. We can't just- just let them turn."

"And we won't. But you could've gotten killed. Could've gotten attacked by those strangers." Melody sighed. "I get it, they're important to you. They're important to me. But running off like that… you scared all of us."

"I know." Nick frowned, looking into the water. "But we caught the stranger. And he can tell us where Barney is."

"If we can get him to talk." Melody snorted. "We're not exactly the most intimidating."

"Liyel or Andrew probably could."

She snorted, pulling her hair back. She dug in her pocket for a band, tying her hair into a loose ponytail. "Liyel's tried already, and I doubt Andrew could do very much either."

"Maybe…" Nick sighed. "Mel, you've… you've been with us for a while. Since almost the start."

"I have, yeah."

"If anything happens… you'll take care of the others, right?" His voice quieted, growing almost resigned. Melody glanced at him, before shaking her head.

"Nick, I'm not- I'm not gonna lead the group without you. And you're not-"

"I know, I know. Just," he took a deep breath, "just in case, yeah? I trust you, and… and I'm not gonna stop. I'll leave for as long as it takes. I just need someone capable of taking care of them."

She straightened up a bit, pushing herself up to his level. "Yeah, I… I will. But I'm not letting you go off and get yourself killed, Nick. You haven't died yet." She reached out, grabbing his hand. "I didn't drag you from Greenfield just for you to die on me now, okay?"

He snorted, turning his head away. "Technically, Mel, I dragged you."

She laughed, letting go of his hand and standing up. "Yeah, yeah. You're a natural leader, it can't be helped."

She helped him stand, and with another glance back to the water, she led him back to Mousie's camp.

[aguahouse]

Aranea wrung her hands, running the box over her fingers, feeling the heavy felt.

This was stupid. She should just cut her losses, stash it far away so Esperanza would never find it.

She slipped it in her jacket pocket, pulling the black clothing closer to her and letting out a shiver. Winter was never kind to any of them, and Aranea found herself missing her room back at the ambassador house. Even still, she came to a stop outside the back of the general store, where Esperanza was sitting. The butterfly nodded to her.

"Late, isn't it?" Aranea looked away. "What's a butterfly doing out in the dark?"

"Could say the same about you." Esperanza hummed, leaning back. Her dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, showing her round face.

Aranea let out a cough, waving a hand. "Haven't you heard, dear? Spiders are nocturnal."

"Really?" Esperanza hummed. "Because I've definitely seen you go to bed at normal times."

Aranea chuckled, looking away. "No, no. All of those are simply delusions, darling."

Esperanza laughed. "Mhm." She leaned forward. "Y'know, I…" she paused. "I figured now would be as good a time to tell you as any."

"Oh?" Despite herself, Aranea sat beside her, hope blooming in her chest. "Good news, or…"

She shrugged. "Does a confession sound good?" There was a heaviness to her as she leaned forward, her wings giving an uneasy flap. One of them nudged against Aranea as it did, the golden shimmer following it back.

Aranea frowned, letting her hands sit in her lap. "Confession? Esperanza, I don't-"

"Just-just listen, for a second. And if you hate me afterwards…" she reached out, taking Aranea's hands in her own. "But I just… I don't want this to end. God, I don't…" she breathed deeply, reaching up and grabbing Aranea's face. "I don't want this to go back to how it was, after this is all over. I want you to stay. With us, with me."

"Esper…"

Esperanza pulled away suddenly, casting her gaze far down the street. "There. It's… it's out now."

Aranea pulled out the small box, running it over in her hands again. She cleared her throat. "Uh, Esper…"

"You don't have to say anything." The butterfly stood. "I know, it's awkward, I just-"

"I have a ring." Aranea rushed out, holding the box out. "For-for you."

Esperanza looked to her, staring at the box with wide eyes. She reached out, taking it with gentle hands, and opening it. A short gasp escaped her. "How… how much did this…"

"I called in a couple favors." Aranea shrugged. "Is it…"

"Its beautiful," Esperanza breathed out, "God, how did you even think of this…?"

Aranea shrugged. "Took inspiration from a few different sources. Try it on, see if it fits."

Esperanza snorted, pulling out the golden ring and slipping it on. Just as intended, it fit like a glove, the golden butterfly charm glittering in the moonlight. It was about as good as a replica as Aranea was hoping for, but the look on her face told her it was done well.

"It even matches my wings." She laughed. "God, I can't-"

"I want you in my life, you know." Aranea stood, grabbing her hand. "Forever, if I could. I don't even care who objects. I just…" she took a deep breath. "I love you, Esper. I could-" she was interrupted, then, by Esperanza pulling her into a tight hug. Her wings flapped erratically, sending them both plummeting into the snow. Aranea laughed, pushing Esperanza off of her, and the two burst into giggles.

Esperanza reached out, grabbing her hand. "So it's settled, then." There was a fondness in her voice, a finality Aranea wasn't used to. Aranea breathed out, staring at her golden eyes.

"Yeah. It's settled."

[aguahouse]

Tw for death, discussion of death, blood, and injury

Fic starts below cut

Aranea knew death.

She had grown up with it, reveled in its beauty. She had learned to fight as soon as she could walk, and had beaten her own mother in the combat.

It had been… a while, since she last drew blood. At least, not incidentally. Since she cruelly broke bones.

And maybe a tiny bit of her was satisfied, as she drove the tip of her spear through a delicate, shimmering wing. The protector hissed in pain, staff dropped to the side. She reached for it, but Aranea lifted a leg, stabbing the sharp appendage into her hand. She screamed, and Aranea chuckled.

"Don't fear, little one." She cood sweetly, parroting her mother. "You'll find peace soon, I'm sure."

The red-haired boy lunged for her, but she lifted her spear again, slicing open spyrs chest. Spyr fell to the ground, and she made short work of spyr, easily piercing spyrs heart. She lowered herself to her feet, her spider legs lifting upwards, and she walked to the fallen protector. She struggled to pull herself up, and Aranea sighed.

"You shouldn't struggle. You'll just hurt more."

"W…why…" the poor girl gasped out as Aranea came around to her front. She crouched down.

"Because, my dear, I'd rather end your suffering quickly. I'm truly sorry, Raine. But this must be done." Aranea lifted her spear again, driving it into the girls head with a sickening crack. Blood pooled around Aranea's heels. She ignored it, lifting her spear and walking away.

She heard running, just off to the left. She glanced over to the gardens, and started off after the footsteps.

It was trivially easy to catch up to him, cornering him by the large fountain. His sword was in his hand but he was shaking, and he flew up, lunging futility.

Her spear made short work of his left wing, tearing through the bottom of it as he got close, sending him tumbling to the ground. She slammed a leg on it, and as he moved it tore again, ripping the bottom trail off entirely. He screamed again, and she lifted her leg, reaching down to grab his shirt. She lifted him up to her face, but the words died on her lips.

He… looked like Esperanza. He looked too much like Esperanza, with round eyes full of fear and his messy hair falling past his ears. It was the same length hers was, back when they'd gotten married.

She dropped him, turning her spear around and slamming the other end into his head. He barely made a noise, passing out without much effort. She glanced back at the front entrance, to the corpses left in her wake.

She came for one thing. She was going to find it, now. Robert wouldn't stand up to her if she left, not like the others would've. She… she would spare him, this time. It wasn't honorable to kill a man like this, who couldn't fight her in such a way.

So she left him be, and searched the castle. Of course, it didn't take her long to find the ring, in her old room. She stared at the golden band, the intricately designed butterfly, the orange stones.

She was a widow. Should she not be entitled to her wife's prized possessions? She would take it as well.

But her real search ended soon as well, in the little basket by the beside. She gently lifted the blanket inside, checking to make sure she was there. Seeing the small spider curled up, asleep, she smiled, lifting it gently.

"Good morning, Hourglass." She hummed. "It won't be long until you have a home again… right by your mothers side."

She carried the basket out of the room, and it moved. She paused, and Hourglass sleepily poked her head out. Aranea smiled, running a finger over her tiny head.

"Go back to sleep, child… you're safe now…" The half spider make a little mrrrrp, her head falling back into the basket as she was comforted by her mother. Aranea made her way down the staircase, exiting the castle. She returned to the fountain, stepping past Robert.

She… she could take him with her, if she wanted. He was very young still, and so small, she could…

No, she couldn't. There wasn't room in her home for butterflies. And Robert… would only be a cruel reminder. She wouldn't chase after him, and he would not for her. So she left him be, placing her hand on the fountain and ordering it to take her to a safe place. It swirled to life, and she stepped through, feeling the rush of magic. She was dropped into a forest, and hummed.

This… this would do nicely. A fresh start, for her and Hourglass both.

[aguahouse]

Emerald watched the people walk past, drifting by on their way to jobs, their homes, and other various important things.

Caleb told her to wait outside while the others stood inside, talking to someone. Who, Emerald didn't know. She twisted her bracelet around, watching the lights flicker in and out around the people. She let the bracelet fall, and the lights dimmed, just to the point where the memories were nothing more than blurry photographs, and the emotions warped and slurred into meaningless color. With a groan, she laid back, splaying her arms across the sidewalk.

She stared up at the clouds, dividing the white globs into distinct shapes in her mind and ignoring the sounds of various shoes on the asphalt. It wasn't long until she pulled herself back up, rubbing her eyes and yawning. As she looked around for what she considered the hundredth time (though it really wasn't) her attention was grabbed by something different, a flicker of an unfamiliar light, coming around the side of the building. The warm orange-red color bounced into the street, and she stood, walking towards it with a curious head tilt.

"You… you know me…?" Emerald frowned, reaching out with a shaky hand. "You…"

At the corner of the brick and plaster wall, it separated from the larger building to the side, showing a rather dingy alley with a messy dumpster to the left, and a pile of discarded pallets to the right. She peered up, her vision landing on a boy, standing in front of her while leaning against a wall. He had red hair composed of what would be fluffy curls, but were dirty and tangled. His eyes were a certain green that mirrored what she saw back in the bathroom. They met each others gaze and she stepped back, glimpses of fuzzy memories and strange emotions making her pause.

The boy stumbled towards her, and she barely moved in time to catch him as he fell, letting out a yelp as he fell into her. She gripped his arms tighter as she lowered him down to the ground, a yelp escaping her as she dropped him.

"Emerald?" Nathan's voice called out, and she glanced back, towards the slowly emptying streets.

"I'm-I'm in the alley! Nathan help!" Her voice cracked a bit as she spoke, trying to drag the unconscious boy out of the alley. Hardly a second or two passed before Nathan was there, helping her pull the injured teen into the street. Her hold failed her and she fell backwards, falling onto the concrete sidewalk.

"Emerald…" Nathan frowned, laying the stranger down. "Who the hell…"

"I don't know but-but he knows me! Look!" Emerald grabbed his hand, gesturing to him. "He knows me! He-I'm in some of his memories! They're really blurry and fuzzy but-"

"Okay, hold on." He stopped her, reaching out and checking the boy. His white shirt was stained red with blood. Nathan let out a sharp gasp, immediately moving the stranger onto his back. "Get Kacie and Caleb, we need to get him back to the house."

Emerald frowned, running to the building and through the glass door. The high pitched chime of a bell rang through the front room, and she ran to the front counter, where the two older kids were talking to the lady sitting behind it.

"Ma'am, if you don't-" Kacie cut herself off with a yelp as Emerald ran up to her, pushing her way past Caleb.

"Kacie! Kacie, there's someone outside!"

"Em, what?" The blonde looked at her. "There's many people outside, it's the middle of town."

Kacie and Caleb looked up, before heading to the door. Caleb's talons made a distinct tapping sound as he walked, and Emerald reached out, grabbing his rough hand as she followed them. He looked down at her. With a shake of his head, he led her out to the street, where Nathan held the injured teen.

"I don't-" Nathan frowned. "I'm not sure what to do."

"Dan's back at the house, as are our supplies." Kacie crouched down. "Emerald, how long-"

"I don't know." She whimpered, shaking her head. "He's gotten really dim, but I don't-I don't know how bright he was before."

"We need to hurry, then." She picked up the boy. "He's light. Caleb, can you still fly?"

Caleb spread one of his large brown wings. "Should have enough for a quick fly to the house." He let out a small cough as Kacie pushed the boy into his arms.

"Then go. We'll catch up."

He nodded, taking off. Emerald shielded her face from the short gust of wind, and Kacie grabbed her wrist, leading her and Nathan in the same direction Caleb flew. Within the hour, they ended up at the edge of town, at a little building where the edges of the little settlement met the barren dirt. Caleb was already inside, and so Kacie led Emerald inside.

"Go to your room, okay Emerald? It's late."

"...Okay." Emerald wandered down the hall, towards her door. She placed her hand on the doorknob before pausing. With a shake of her head, she turned, heading back to Kacie. Kacie had moved to another room at this point, and Emerald checked one of the rooms. A huff of victory, and she slipped quietly into the room.

Nathan, Caleb, Kacie, and Dan were around the bed the stranger was on, Dan sitting in a chair with his crutches off to the side. He was checking over the stranger, assessing the wound and what all he would need. Emerald stared at the boy, before sucking in a deep breath as the individual memories faded into blurry after images.

She… she hadn't seen that before. Was he forgetting?

She pushed her way past Kacie and Nathan, who both spoke up when they realized she was there. She didn't hear them. She was focused entirely on the boy, the way his red light flickered between a calm, peaceful light red and a violent, angry crimson. She placed a hand on his arm with a deep frown.

"He… he's forgetting. His… his memories, they're-" her breath caught in her throat. "They can't, he- he knows me. He remembers me. He can't forget, he…"

She felt Kacie's arms wrap around her, pulling her back. "Em, Emerald, hey. It's okay."

"It's not, it's…" she let out a sob, pushing Kacie away. It didn't work, but Kacie still moved away, letting Emerald back into the corner. "He's not… he won't remember me… he was someone… he knew me, Kacie. He could've-"

"Emerald." Caleb crouched down, grabbing her shoulders gently. "Look at me."

Emerald wiped away tears, nodding shakily. Her breaths came out ragged and weird, and she sucked in a quick breath, tears threatening to fall again. Caleb wrapped his arms around her tightly, his wings pulling her in like a massive hug. She buried her head in his shirt.

"You're okay, Em… you're okay." He slowly pulled back, staring back with her with the large, brown eyes that were always truthful in some way. A stray bit of blue light floated past his face, giving his eyes a serene shine. "His memories will come back. Your memories will come back. We'll find your family, get you back home, okay? I promise you."

"You… you promise?"

"I promise." He reached forwards, cupping her round face in his hands. "Come on, Emerald. You've had a day, okay? I'm sure you're tired."

She nodded along, grabbing his hands and letting him lead her out of the room. She glanced back at the stranger on the bed, before turning and following Caleb back to her small bedroom. His light shone through the hall, basking the concrete walls in a blue glow that faintly reminded her of the sky.

He led her down to her room, letting her kick her sneakers off and climb into her bed, before gently kissing her forehead and leaving. When the door was shut she curled up, staring at the blank wall. Not a single light to comfort her.

[aguahouse]

Whoa new pinned post

Tag directory! :D

My own writing (once its all sorted) will be under "writing.splash"

Worldbuilding (when I get around to posting it) is under the "worldbuilding.ripple" tag! If its for a game/show/Fandom content, it'll be tagged with "aquas [fandom] worldbuilding"

My general oc tag will be "the protectors"! If you want my base ocs, without any aus or added content, check there! Ocs that aren't a base oc/belong to the protectors storyline aren't tagged this, and have the "not protectors" tag! If neither of those are tagged, assume it's a one off or an au!

Individual ocs will be tagged with "oc: [name]". All my current written for ocs will be tagged here, and I'll try to add any more. Guest ocs will be tagged with "guest oc: [name]" and au/alternate versions of my own ocs will be tagged with "au oc: [au] [name]"

Tags that aren't fic but still get oc tags are "core tags"! This is for funny memes, dumb shit that fits them, and other stuff!

Similarly, different story threads will be tagged with "World: [name]". These have a specific tagging system, and the current ones up will be tagged below!

Liveblogging will be tagged with "liveblogging.wave" from now on! Block that tag if you don't want to see my rambles of the show of the week

Asks will be tagged with "asks.bubble" and the url of the person who asked! If on anon, only the tag will apply

Personal ramblings (as soon as I get around to tagging the new stuff) will be "aqua.talks".

If I ever do art, it'll be under the tag "art.coral"

Asking me to tag things is always appreciated, and I'll try to accommodate ya'll as best I can with warnings. I'll try and update this post as I go along, so check back occasionally!

[aguahouse]

Kayla watched the people drift past, talking idly with one another. Looking at her, but not talking to her, talking about her in that awful way sponsors did.

"-beautiful hair-"

"-must be so strong-"

"-well I heard she can breeze through college level math already-"

"-shame she's cooped up here-"

Kayla dug her nails into her palms, silent as she stood.

"S-1."

Kayla looked up, her grip loosening. She straightened her posture, looking up.

"Good, good." The director smiled at her. "You've done fantastic, S-1."

"Thank you, sir." She could hear the sound of scales against tile behind her, and Krystal easily moved to her left side, curling her tail as to limit her space.

"K-1, aren't you supposed to be outside?" The director glanced at the golden eyed snake, who smiled.

"Everyone is inside, sir. I was told to return inside when there is no one left to greet."

"Good, good!" The director grinned. "Go find the head guard, tell him to secure the outside."

"Of course, sir." She slithered away, leaving Kayla alone with the director. He paused, looking Kayla up and down with keen eyes.

"You're tense."

"I'm…" she paused, unable to think of a response. She sucked in a sharp breath as the director let out a tsk.

"I need an answer, S-1."

"I-" she gritted her teeth. "I-it's the crowd, sir."

"You've been to these meetings hundreds of times, and you're anxious still?" He chuckled, his shoes making a distinct tapping sound on the tile. She latched onto the sound, anchoring herself to it.

"No, sir." Her next words came out a bit stronger. "There's something wrong with the crowd, sir. I can smell it."

The director leaned in. "Hm? What do you smell, then?"

"I…" she twitched. One of the guests left behind the scent of bitter almond. "One of the guests. The blue macaw, sir. He has cyanide on him."

The director's eyes lit up. "Good, good! You're very talented, Kayla."

Her ears picked up, and she allowed herself to smile, just a little bit. "Thank you, sir."

"Oh, of course." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're the best subject we have here. And you continue to perform past our expectations. You can return to your room. Get some sleep, we'll be sending you out on an assignment soon."

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "Thank you, sir." She left the meeting hall quickly, entering the white hallways of the lab. Her heart raced as she walked down them briskly, only waiting until the last hallway to sprint to her door, pulling it open. She pushed it closed behind her, sinking to the ground.

He called her by her name. She'd be doing well. She'd be doing so well. She let out a laugh, pulling her legs closer. She'd pleased him, and that was all that mattered, right? She ran her fingers through her hair.

God, she was exhausted.

She stood up, taking the time to change out of her formalwear and into more comfortable clothes. She slipped off the black jacket, setting it neatly on the coat hanger. She paused, before fixing it slightly to be more neat. Her red blouse was replaced with a gray tank top, and the slacks replaced with a pair of shorts. Both dress items were folded neatly and set on the dresser to be cleaned. Her heels came off next, set meticulously next to her boots. And once she was done, she collapsed into bed, burying herself under the covers.

She'd been perfect. Perfect enough to get an assignment. She wouldn't mess it up.

[aguahouse]

Kayla let out a shiver as she walked down the street, pulling her jacket closer to herself. She just… needed time to think is all. She could go back in a few hours, and she would. She just needed some fresh air.

Kayla stopped abruptly, looking around.. She was in a street she didn't recognize. in front of a house she didn't recognize. She walked to the mailbox, staring at the family name.

King… wasn't that Melody's last name? She glanced at the house again, staring at the lights on in the windows. Her and her family would be having dinner about now, wouldn't they?

She stared at the mailbox again. She just didn't understand. Melody got all the good stuff, and here Kayla was, alone. Melody got a family, a home. And all Kayla got was broken promises.

And yet… she couldn't help but feel happy for Melody. She had Sam, she had her parents. She was going to finish her degree, going to have a good life. And if Kayla couldn't have that, at least one of them could.

"Are you a mail thief all of a sudden?"

Kayla looked up, staring at the figure in the doorway.

"Oh, hey, uh…" Kayla stepped back. "Sorry. Didn't realize your house was right here." She let out a chuckle.

"You wanna come in? Mom's made a mean chicken salad, and we might need your help to tackle it." Melody shot her a toothy grin, and Kayla let out a laugh.

"Uh, sure?" She walked up to the steps, stopping just before them. Melody shot her a look.

"Well?"

"Alright, alright. You don't have to tell me twice." Kayla followed her up the steps, and into the house.

And maybe, just maybe, she dared to hope that something like this could be hers too.