Cassie

  Lia had sat herself calmly on one of the beds as Cass spoke, still shaped like and Observer. She had gone more and more still the further her story progressed, but by soon began to move again. She began to wriggle and slither across the room until she made it over to Cass by the window, climbing onto the windowsill.

  Once she made the arduous journey over she started to change, her form shifting little by little until her mouth mimicked a human’s. It was always strange to watch, but Cass didn’t find it nearly as strange as she had when it had begun.

  “You liked me from that long ago?” Lia asked, her voice soft. It was certainly strange hearing from a little squid, but it was still a nice voice either way.

  Cass’ grin was wry. “Yep. Maybe not quite the way I do now, but in some form or another I liked you ever since we were kids. I just didn’t realise it for a while.”

  Lia seemed to consider something before crawling up Cass’ body and settling in her lap, turning out to be surprisingly warm. She nodded, her head wobbling a little. “Okay. Go on then, tell the rest. I’m invested now.”

  Cass smiled a little. That was the Lia she knew.

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

  At age fifteen, Cass was thoroughly besotted.

  Many would say that it was impossible to tell at such a young age, but something in her told her that her slowly growing feelings for her friend were no passing fad.

  Of course, she did nothing about them. Even with Jenna’s advice slowly developing into ‘tell her, you silly girl’, she simply couldn’t work up the courage. However, that didn’t mean she wasn’t putting in work to ascertain where her friend’s affections lay.

  Jenna had decided at some point that the two of them were meant to be, and that her daughter had simply failed to notice her love for Cass. Cass herself liked the idea of this, but she knew that this simply wasn’t how it worked.

  Cass wasn’t sure if Lia liked girls at all. She wasn’t totally sure that Lia liked anyone, for that matter. She had never really expressed any interest in anyone, regardless of body or personality. As Cass had discovered during one jealousy-wracked experiment when she was fourteen, even actively setting her friend up didn’t lead anywhere.

  Still, Cass always trusted her gut, and her gut said that Lia felt something for her. She had caught a couple of sly glances that she wasn’t even sure Lia knew she was sneaking in, as well as more than a couple of considering looks that she didn’t know the meaning of.

  All of this was to say that Cass wasn’t giving up hope. She was totally fine as things were, honestly. They spent a lot of time together as it was, and that was enough for her. Nonetheless, she wasn’t slowing down her plans either.

  She had put together a little evening walk for the two of them, lit by the setting sun through a natural trail in the woods that Lia spent so much time in. She hoped that it would be romantic, or at least entertaining, and that she could make yet another step forward in breaking down the walls that Lia had built all around herself.

  That was one of the biggest obstacles between the two of them getting together. Seemingly subconsciously, Lia had a whole castle’s worth of defences between herself and the rest of the world. She never let anyone touch her except her mother, she barely spoke to anyone else that wasn’t Cass or Jenna, quite frankly she only even went outside to hunt or for sword-fighting lessons.

  The other wall was Mother. Their relationship had been getting more and more strained recently, with Cass spending more and more time outside the house and putting up with far less of her mother’s instruction. She knew how her mother operated, and having a rebellious child made her look bad, which only worsened the struggle. Still, there were some costs she simply had to pay.

  She watched carefully as Mother entered the room. She had grown colder since Dad had died, although she still buried it well in public. Nonetheless, she had grown to be more and more demanding of her only daughter’s future. Despite her insistence that only the simple things in life could be trusted, she cared far too deeply how others saw her, and that was a rift that Cass simply couldn’t cross.

  Mother sat down across from her daughter stiffly, her gaze stern. “Cassandra. I hope that this is as important as you say.”

  Cass took a deep breath, her eyes screwed shut. There was the tone that grated on her so much, the one that was reserved for her and her alone.

  “It is, don’t worry,” she said. This conversation would either help to fix their relationship or damage it further, so she had to phrase this right. There was no getting through to Mother when she settled on something, so her words needed to be calm.

  “There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about for a while, Mother.”

  Mother raised her brow archly. “Really? What a rare occurrence for you to actually speak to me in private. I had thought you had forgotten how.”

  Cass gritted her teeth. She hated how beloved her mother was by the community, given how she acted in private. Still, if she could salvage their relationship then she would.

  “Well, Mother. It’s more of a confession if anything. You may be shocked, so I would like you to brace yourself.” Cass kept her words measured, despite her roiling mood. She missed how easy it had been to talk about this with Jenna.

  Another eyebrow raise, followed by a hand raised to beckon her onward. For all that she talked about liking the ‘simple things’, Mother really could act like a prissy noble sometimes.

  Cass took another deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Mother, I am not attracted to men. I prefer women, and would ask that you take this into account in the future.”

  Mother said nothing for a while, eventually reacting exactly how Cass had feared. “Who filled your head with this, daughter?” She scoffed. “Was it that girl you spend so much time with, the one the others insist is the spawn of a demon? Or was it that craven old wizard you used to visit?”

  Cass stood, frustration bubbling under the surface. “Nobody ‘filled my head’ with anything, Mother. Almon is not craven, he is a genius. And Lia is no demon, she’s wonderful! She’s smart and sweet, probably kinder than you ever could be! I can think for myself, and I know myself better than you ever could!”

  Mother spoke calmly, but her eyes were hard. “Watch your tone, Cassandra. Perhaps I spoke out of turn, but that is no excuse for disrespect! You have no need of this idle sin. This childish fantasy of yours will fade in time, when you learn how the world works. We will not speak of this again.”

  With that Mother stood and left, silence billowing in her wake like a dark cloak. Cass stood for a moment, torn between seething anger and mournful acceptance. She wished that it could be another way, but part of her had let her mother go already. It hurt either way.

  She took a long, deep breath and glanced out the window, seeing the sun had begun to set.

  Shit, I’m so going to be late!

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  With no time to spare, she rushed out of the house to Lia’s house. She still had something to look forward to today, no matter how badly this talk had gone.

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

  Walking through the woods with her friend, Cass couldn’t get her mind out of the rut it had been stuck in all evening. What she had hoped would be a fun, slightly romantic walk had turned out awkward because of her. She hated it, hated her mother for causing it and herself for forcing it onto Lia.

  Speaking of, her friend had been silently walking with her for minutes now, just watching her. She had a way of thinking that Cass had never been able to understand, where she just took in everything for a bit. She seemed to just retreat into herself and process things, and it seemed like she was doing that again now. Yet rather than herself, she was focused on Cass.

  “What’s wrong? Where’s upbeat Cass gone?” She finally asked. Cass felt bad again. She knew how much Lia hated awkward silenced, yet here she had dragged her into one.

  She sighed. “I’m fine. Sorry.”

  Lia tilted her head and took look at Cass. “No, you’re not.”

  That was it. Just like always, she didn’t press or insist. She claimed no control over the conversation beyond a simple reminder that she was here to help, if needed. It was this kind of thing that made Cass love her so much.

  Wait, love? I mean, I guess so. Maybe. I hope so, anyway.

  “I… I had another fight with Mum,” she admitted.

  Lia knew a little about their disagreements, but she didn’t know what they were about, nor the extent to which her mother changed when they were alone. It just felt too… personal to talk about, even with her. When she heard about what she did know though, she didn’t ask, or offer solutions. She was just there to let Cass vent and comfort her when she needed it. It was nice, to have someone there.

  “Ah,” Lia said. “Okay. Bad one?”

  Cass nodded, which prompted Lia to stop walking.

  “Come here,” she said, which Cass promptly did. They ended up under an old oak tree, broad of trunk and thick of canopy. Lia had stopped directly underneath it and gestured to Cass to stand in front of her.

  When Cass came to a stop, Lia said nothing. It looked like she was trying to figure out exactly how to word something, which could mean a lot of things.

  Eventually she reached out a hand and took Cass’ in hers. Then she did the same with her other hand, completely contrary to what Cass had expected. She was so surprised by this act that she said nothing, giving Lia the time to speak.

  “I think,” Lia started haltingly. “If she’s tough on you, all that happens is that she gets to find out how tough you are. You’re great, and you have me. You’ll be fine.” With a small smile, Lia fell silent.

  Despite the slightly awkward phrasing, Cass was touched. Lia was right, she was tough, and she did have her. She would make it through this, no matter what Mother thought.

  She squeezed Lia’s hands lightly. “Thanks, Lia. That means a lot.”

  Lia nodded. “Good. Now go back to being all energetic, moping doesn’t suit you.”

  Cass laughed. “Yes, my lady,” she responded, to a laugh from her friend.

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

  Lia wrapped her tentacles around Cass’ waist as she told her story. They were surprisingly comfortable to have embracing her.

  “I didn’t realise that was the start of the whole thing with your mum,” Lia commented. “I thought that came a few months later.”

  Cass shook her head solemnly. “Not really. Mum tried to forget it happened for a while, but I couldn’t endure it any longer. Every time she tried to set me up with some boy from the village it stung, so one day I just stopped bothering. I know she cares I just wish that she could accept it. I don’t know, maybe it’s selfish.”

  She sighed and squeezed Lia a little, which got an ‘eep’ of surprise. “Either way, I’m glad you held my hands that day. It was really nice.”

  Lia shrugged as best she could as a squid, rumbling a little like she did as a bug. “Same. It’s weird, touching people has always been a bit… iffy, I guess. Still, you’re good.”

  Cass grinned. “‘Good’, am I?”

  “Yep. Really good,” Lia added.

  Cass chuckled and shook her head again. “You want to test that theory?”

  Lia shifted an eyebrow onto her squid-like face and raised it, removing it again afterwards. “Are we not?”

  Cass grinned again. “I mean more like in the crypt,” she rectified, revelling in the sudden burst of movement from Lia’s misty colouration. It was almost hypnotic the way it moved, pink and teal smoke twisting in on itself as each fought for domination.

  “A-as an Observer?” Lia finally got out.

  “Probably not,” Cass responded. “Unless you really want to, anyway.”

  Lia shook her entire body and drew back her tentacles, shuffling off Cass’ lap and onto the floor. Cass watched in interest as her friend’s form moulded into that of her human form, which she believed Lia called ‘Lia Prime’, a name that she definitely hadn’t giggled at when she first learned of it.

  Lia stood, once again a human, and looked Cass dead in the eye. For her part, Cass simply gazed upon her, caught up in the moment. Then Lia seemed to realise something and flushed dark green, her skin agitating further as she clutched for the bedsheets to cover her form.

  “Sorry about that,” she said, her words rushed.

  Cass arched an eyebrow. “Trust me, no apology necessary.”

  Lia’s face flushed even darker, but to her credit she didn’t shy away. “Y-you were saying s-something about a kiss?”

  Cass couldn’t help but chuckle a little, reaching out and taking her friend by the shoulder so as not to send the wrong message. “Damn straight I was. Unless you don’t want to…” she trailed off. It was a little mean, but she couldn’t help the tease.

  “No! I mean, yes. I do. Um. Please.” Lia stuttered, which Cass decided was objectively adorable. It wasn’t like she herself had any more experience with this kind of thing, but Lia was just truly not suited to flirting.

  “Well, if you insist,” Cass muttered, leaning in. Lia moved in to meet her, their lips meeting for just a moment in a brief kiss. It was far shorter than their first, but no less impactful, and when Cass leaned back her cheeks were dusted with red to match Lia’s green.

  “Good indeed,” Cass murmured. She sighed and sat back against the window, the chill glass suddenly a necessity.

  Lia looked a little shell-shocked, so Cass decided to end her story there. There wasn’t much more that Lia didn’t already know anyway, beyond a few dozen failed attempts to confess her love.

  Finally Lia regained her bearings, bringing her gaze squarely to Cass. “I think it worked,” she said softly.

  “Pardon?” Cass asked.

  “Your story. I don’t doubt much about us anymore. Well, I do, but the doubts don’t seem to matter much anymore,” she admitted.

  Cass smiled sincerely. She was glad that she had managed to distract Lia from the many doubts that she knew must have plagued her, even at the cost of reliving some harder times. Lia had the ability to worry about most anything if given time and reason, so she knew something like this must have weighed heavily on her.

  Lia, still in human form, collapsed backward onto the bed she had stolen the sheets from to preserve her dignity. She sighed loudly, like some huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She looked exhausted, and Cass knew how much Lia liked sleep, so she decided not to comment.

  Much to her surprise, however, Lia pulled herself back up again, settling in a sitting position against the wall. She looked surprisingly nervous, which from Cass’ perspective meant only one thing.

  “Cass?” She asked nervously.

  “Yes, Lia?”

  “I, uh. I have something to admit. I think that, um. I… you see, well.” She stumbled over her words, clearly struggling to get it out. As much as she wanted to make a snarky comment, Cass had been in her position several times and not even made it to this point, so she held her peace.

  Lia paused and took a deep breath. “Cass, I need to tell you this.”

  Here it comes.

  “Okay, go ahead. What is it?” She said, barely stifling her grin.

  After a moment more, Lia’s words burst from her like a broken dam. “I think that I love you!”

  Cass let the room fall into silence for a beat before taking the opportunity she had been waiting for ever since that evening in the ruins. “I know,” she said with a wide grin. “You weren’t trying to hide it, were you?”

  “You WHAT!” Lia yelled, before realisation struck her and she made a horrified face. “OH. Oh gods, this is payback, isn’t it? I didn’t know!”

  Cass laughed. “I know, but still. Not too pleasant, is it? You share a secret that you’ve struggled with and suddenly you learn that she already knows.”

  Lia collapsed backwards onto the mattress. “By the hells, I am so sorry. That was awful.”

  Cass shot her a triumphant look. “Isn’t it! Apology accepted, by the way. Oh, that is the stuff, though. Wow.”

  Lia paused in her mourning for a moment and raised her head. “Did you actually know, or was this all a punishment?”

  Cass raised an eyebrow. “I mean, not for certain, but I definitely had my theories. Honestly, I’m happy with this outcome.”

  Lia sighed and let her head fall back against the bed. “Really? How? Where did I mess up?”

  Cass chuckled. “Honey, your eyes change colour half of every time you look at me. Pale purple is my new favourite now, completely unrelated.”

  “Wait, so you knew literally the entire time!? Who did I kill in a past life for this to happen?”

  Cass stood and walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge and placing a hand comfortingly on her friend. “You’re fine, don’t worry. I mean, I would have mentioned something already if I was uncomfortable, right?”

  Lia locked eyes with Cass she parsed her words. “Wait, so that means that you…”

  Cass smiled, the expression small but genuine. “Yep, ‘fraid so. Love you too, dumbass.”

  so satisfying to finally get it down. Then get it down three more times, because you bet I rewrote this chapter a ton.

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