To Fight Against Fate

The day of Meadowyar's harvest festival was a brisk one as fall had fully settled over the land, cool winds nipping at each inch of exposed flesh, bringing with it the fantastic smell of countless food stalls preparing for business. The town was lively as people filed out into the fall air, chattering in excitement about what they wanted to visit first.

Priscilla was so fucking excited for today, for the chance to experience a real life harvest festival, and she hurried Illnyea as fast as their feet could carry them towards Arnold's house with their final bundle from the Thornewood manor in their arms. The plan was to leave tomorrow with the exodus that would be trailing out of the city post festival, and they slipped their bundles into the carriage as they passed.

They had picked out their outfits yesterday, but decided to get ready for the festival at Arnold's house to cut down on the chance of running into their parents.

Arnold opened the door with an unimpressed expression, but Priscilla had come to learn that was just his default face, and brushed past him with a breezy, "Looking sharp, Arnie!"

The enchanter sighed, muttering something about annoyingly chipper children, but didn't deny the compliment. He was wearing a crisp, starched vest that matched the color of his green eyes over a cream colored undershirt, a gray ascot tied under his collar, and a pair of dark slacks.

Priscilla waved hello to Mr. Ordan, who was sipping a mug of something warm based off the steam that wafted from it, winked at Kavil, who beamed back, and flipped the bird at Sulaiman while sticking her tongue out at him just because he deserved the hassle. The way Sulaiman sighed and flipped it right back made Priscilla's smile grow as she and Illnyea took over Arnold's bedroom.

Illnyea had thought for a long time last night about what she wanted to wear and Priscilla had done her best to offer suggestions without prematurely clipping Illnyea's fashion wings by forcing her opinion upon her sister.

Once Illnyea decided the one piece she wanted to wear no matter what (a high waisted multilayered dark red-brown skirt), they built an outfit around it. They added in an additional white underlayer to the skirt to combat the cold, along with a pair of leggings. A wide, corset-like belt kept the skirt tight around Illnyea's waist, with a light green shirt that had white flowers embroidered along the collar and spread down like creeping ivy to where it was tucked into the skirt. The outfit was completed with the blue coat Illnyea had found, and she beamed at Priscilla as she twirled around, enjoying how the fabric rose up around her.

"Your turn," Illnyea insisted, grabbing up Priscilla's clothes and hurrying her into them.

Priscilla wore a white dress with a low neckline that went straight across her breasts and shoulder with long, flowing sleeves that flared dramatically. A gold layer went over the dress, with inch long straps that drew the eye nicely to the necklace resting on Priscilla's collar bone, the one Sulaiman had found for her. The black leather bodice she had found made her waist look damn good, and the short black boots made her calves look killer. Asha was in the classic fingerless glove mode, and the artifact radiated something akin to smugness, tightening with satisfaction as Priscilla struck a pose for Illnyea, who laughed and clapped delightedly.

Priscilla did have a decent amount of flesh exposed around her shoulders and back, but she didn't care because, as the infamous quote goes, "A hoe never gets cold."

They still had to do their hair, but that could be done in the living room, so they relocated, linking arms with each other as they strutted back into the common area.

Sulaiman and Kavil had been in the midst of conversation, but glanced up when they entered.

Kavil cut off in the middle of a word as he stared, eyes wide and going a little slack jawed. He shook his head as if shaking off a trance and stood up, saying, "Priscilla, you look stunning, and, and Illnyea you great too."

"I know," Priscilla said, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she preened. It was one thing to be confident about yourself because you knew you looked good, but it was another to hear genuine admiration in someone's voice as they complimented you.

"Thanks, Kavil," Illnyea said, detangling herself as she sent an amused look at the healer. "You look nice too!"

Kavil's outfit was a lot simpler than either of the girls, but Priscilla had insisted on a brief shopping trip earlier in the week to expand his wardrobe so he wasn't cycling through the same five outfits over and over. He wore a deep purple tunic with yellow flowers embroidered along the seams over a simple white shirt, gray pants, and his regular pair of boots.

Illnyea pushed Sulaiman off the couch so Priscilla had space to sit behind her. Sulaiman wore the simplest outfit, a plain, loosely fitted olive green shirt, tan breeches that tucked into his boots, and a thick brown coat. When Priscilla glanced at Sulaiman as he straightened, she saw that his gaze was lingering just below her chin.

But when Sulaiman realized she was looking at him, his gaze snapped up like nothing had happened and he turned away from her.

Before Priscilla could make a snarky joke about where her eyes were, Illnyea insistently placed a pair of red ribbons and a hair brush in Priscilla's hands, batting her golden eyes in a silent plea.

With a huff of laughter, Priscilla began to comb Illnyea's hair to make sure there were no snarls.

"What do you want to do today?" Illnyea asked, fingers tapping along her thighs like she couldn't contain her excitement.

"Go to every food stall that smells delicious," Priscilla said, tugging the brush through the end of Illnyea's hair before splitting the hair into two equal parts.

"I like the sound of that! We have to visit the bonfire in the park when they light it, and let's dance and watch the harvest gods' play afterwards."

"Then it's a plan," Priscilla said firmly as she began the braid properly. "Food, dancing, and the appreciation of theatre is a wonderful way to spend our day."

"Shouldn't we ask the boys about their opinion?" Ilnyea asked, her voice wry.

"Nah."

Illnyea's laughter rang out like a bell and Priscilla smiled in satisfaction, though she did chide her sister for moving while she was trying to keep the braid tight.

…

Kavil settled on the other side of Sulaiman, standing closer than he normally would dare, but decided if he was asked, he'd defend himself with the excuse 'I didn't want anyone to overhear us.'

Sulaiman was not as sneaky as he thought he was as he glanced at the necklace resting in the divot of Priscilla's collarbone. Maybe he was thinking the same as Kavil, that the necklace highlighted the delicate lines of her neck, and wondered what it might be like to brush his fingers against her soft skin.

But Sulaiman said nothing as the girls happily chatted with one another and Kavil could only get so much entertainment from watching his friend do nothing.

Kavil leaned in, standing on his tip toes with his lips just a few inches from Sulaiman's ear as he whispered, "You could have just told her she looked pretty with the necklace."

Sulaiman stiffened, hand coming up to cup his ear.

"I thought nothing of the sort," Sulaiman hissed under his breath, though the slight flush that bloomed at the tops of his cheeks like dawn's soft rise betrayed the truth.

Kavil gave his friend a flat look, though he was secretly pleased he had gotten some payback for the teasing Sulaiman had given him about learning how to cook.

"You're not that good of a liar," Kavil teased, rolling his eyes when Sulaiman shot him an annoyed look.

Petulance radiated off Sulaiman as he crossed his arms, and Kavil knew that he could never tell his friend that the gesture was simply adorable under this circumstance, like he was trying to seem tougher than he was.

"You should keep such observations to yourself," Sulaiman said, his expression most definitely a pout no matter what Sulaiman might claim otherwise.

Kavil snorted, mirroring Sulaiman's posture. "I don't think I will."

He half turned, intending on joining the girls before pausing. Kavil looked Sulaiman up and down over his shoulder and said, "By the way, Sulaiman, I don't think I've told you yet that you look fetching in that color."

Sulaiman's jaw dropped open and Kavil felt a curl of satisfaction settle in his belly as he went to sit next to Priscilla, asking how she did that particular braid.

(Behind them, Hans and Arnold watched the entire interaction unfold.

"Were Kai and I ever that bad?" Hans asked in a hush, sounding amused and fond in equal measures.

"You two were ten times worse," Arnold snapped and Hans laughed.)

"What were you planning on doing with your hair?" Kavil asked, giving into the urge to reach out and run his fingers through a loc of Priscilla's red hair. It was soft under his fingertips, so soft that Kvil wished he could touch it forever, even though he knew that was unreasonable.

Priscilla hummed, giving a half-shrug and evidently not caring that Kavil was playing with her hair. "I'll probably just put it in a ponytail or something."

"You don't want it braided?" Illnyea asked, sounding a little disappointed by the answer.

"Braiding someone else's hair is far easier than braiding your own," Priscilla said, looping another strand of Illnyea's hair into the complicated braid.

But Priscilla's answer wasn't a no – just an excuse why she wasn't going to do her hair.

Mischief sparked in Kavil's gut as an idea took hold, and he didn't see any reason why he shouldn't do it. It wouldn't hurt anyone and, in fact, probably would make everyone happier even if they wouldn't admit it, and Kavil very much enjoyed making his friends happy.

Kavil looked up at Sulaiman, who had drifted closer but was still hovering on the side of the conversation, like he was holding himself back.

"Sulaiman," Kavil said, lips curling into a grin his aunt said could charm the wings off a wyvern, "why don't you braid Priscilla's hair?"

Priscilla looked startled, her hands stilling momentarily as she stared at Sulaiman, who seemed equally surprised by the question.

"You don't have to do that," Priscilla said as she glanced away, "there's a bunch of uneven strands that'll make it hard." She spoke in a rushed way, the words nearly tripping over each other like she couldn't bear being a burden and inconveniencing someone else, but once again, Kavil noted that she didn't say no.

Stolen story; please report.

Kavil had noticed that Priscilla had the tendency to shy away from asking for help, opting to be self-reliant and assuming she had to do everything on her own. He thought that was a habit born out of being raised by her sorry excuses of parents rather than it being her true preference. The only way to break that habit was to keep offering help, to show they cared about her, cared enough to do small, simple gestures for no other reasons than it would make her smile.

The surprise faded from Sulaiman's expression as he looked at Priscilla and Kavil saw the slight narrowing of Sulaiman's eyes that suggested his contrarian nature was about to rear its head.

"Are you suggesting that I would do a bad job?" Sulaiman asked, his tone dry.

Caught off guard again, Priscilla shook her head, saying, "No, but – "

Sulaiman was already walking over to the couch and plucked Priscilla's signature green ribbon from the pile. There truly wasn't enough room for all three of them to sit, but Kavil happily perched onto the couch's arm to make room for Sulaiman.

"Hold your head still," Sulaiman commanded as he sat and gathered up Priscilla's hair in his hands expertly.

Illnyea glanced back and laughed at Priscilla's stunned expression at this turn of events.

"Don't let Sulaiman distract you so much that you don't finish my braids," Illnyea said playfully, "I can't walk around with only half my hair done."

That seemed to snap Priscilla back to her task.

"I would never let that tyrant stop me from my noble task," Prisicilla said stubbornly as her braiding resumed at twice the speed. Sulaiman rolled his eyes but said nothing as he concentrated on bringing Priscilla's hair under control.

Kavil watched the train of braids, satisfied and only a little disappointed that Sulaiman didn't have long hair so he could join in.

…

The scent of flowers was strong on the breeze as they stepped out of Arnold's home to join the festival, the sounds of music and laughter floating like dandelion fluff over the city. Arnold and Mr. Ordan had said they would wander later about at their own pace, so Priscilla wished them a merry goodbye before she threw open the door and stepped into the chaos.

They hadn't even entered the festival ground proper, but Sulaiman wasn't a fan of how many people were already crowding the streets, packed in like arrows in a quiver, brushing up against each other constantly, and he dreaded having to wade into the throng. He was here for his friends, however, and his discomfort could be placed aside for today.

"I know Illnyea wants to see the bonfire and the theatre in the park later," Priscilla said, scanning the area with fierce green eyes, like she was overlooking a battlefield rather than a crowd of festival goers, "and I want to stuff my face with every tasty thing we come across, but what do the two of you want to do?"

Kavil hummed, his eyes alight as he tried to take in everything in sight, putting a steadying hand on Sulaiman's shoulder as he went onto his tip-toes to see over the crowd. His hand was warm, even through the fabric of Sulaiman's cloak, and his fingers curled around Sulaiman's shoulder when his balance almost failed him.

"I second the food plan," Kavil said, "and I want to hit the market district to see what sorts of spices they have there – the cookbook mentioned a few I hadn't heard of before and I want to see if I can find them there."

Sulaiman smirked at the reminder of Kavil's new obsession and the true reason behind it, but he chose to not tease the other man at the moment. That could be done later, when the others hadn't all turned their expectant gazes toward Sulaiman.

Truthfully, all Sulaiman wanted to do today was quietly fade into the background, perhaps find a book or two that sounded interesting for the road and eat something small and sweet, but he had planned on letting the others guide him rather than take the initiative. His skin still prickled when they walked about, the weight of every casual glance in his direction as heavy as a shackle around his neck, his instincts ready for someone with a bone to pick to drag him kicking and screaming out of this nice little fantasy where the world was kind to people like him.

Searching for an answer, Sulaiman's gaze fell upon a stall nearby. It was heavily laden with flowers of all different shapes and sizes to adorn oneself. Some were twisted into crowns of metal wire and petals to rest upon one's brow, others into clips to hold one's hair, but it was the least common type that held Sulaiman's attention.

A mask.

"I want to go there," Sulaiman said, gesturing towards the stall with his head.

Priscilla was the first to spot it and she lit up. "Oh hell yeah!"

She turned like she was about to dive into the crowd, but paused, cocking her head as a thought struck her. Priscilla turned and held out a hand towards Illnyea.

"We need battle buddies," Priscilla said seriously, "so we don't get lost."

Illnyea laced her fingers without hesitation, her smile light and free of worry. If there was one good thing that had come out from Sulaiman giving Priscilla a chance, it was the way that Illnyea was so obviously happier to have a sister who reached out her hand first.

Sulaiman started when he felt someone touch his hand and glared at Kavil, who batted his eyes right back, unrepentant as he tightened his grip.

"Let's go," Kavil said, pulling forward before Sulaiman could protest. Kavil's touch chased away the fall chill, the warmth of his fingers causing something within Sulaiman to relax in satisfaction. It was a strange reaction that Sulaiman did not know what to do with, so he just focused on not bumping into anyone.

It was a blessedly short walk to the stall, and the others descended upon the merchandise like a flock of bats upon nectar. Illnyea seriously considered the options before holding out a white and gold flower crown with dangling, delicate lacework to Priscilla, who happily bowed down to situate it upon her head. Illnyea wrapped the lace around Priscilla's braid, and when she finished, Priscilla held out a pink and white crown for Illnyea's approval. Kavil quietly contemplated what was before him before Illnyea came over to start holding up different flowers by his face to figure out which one looked best on him.

Sulaiman picked up his quarry, turning it over slowly in his hands.

The mask was made of a combination of leather and dark metal with small, blooming blue roses along its side and false sapphires scattered across to catch the light. A long blue ribbon would help tie it to his head, and it seemed that flowers had even been stitched onto that too, proving once again that Meadowyar was far too obsessed with plants. The mask would cover his forehead down to his nose, shadowing his eyes, the beacon that proclaimed to the world that he was a Muloian, so perhaps they could get through the day without incident.

It was surprisingly light in his hands, so it shouldn't be bothersome while they were walking and should help keep him a little warmer. Sulaiman never much liked the cold, hated how it made him feel weak, hated how it reminded him of the dark days of when he had to fend for himself on the streets, hated how the memories of the past soured his present.

When Sulaiman looked up, he saw that Priscilla was looking at him, an odd expression on her face, like she was debating saying something but couldn't decide.

Before he could question her, Priscilla stepped forward and quietly asked, "Do you need help putting it on?"

Thankful, but unsure why the feeling was so strong, Sulaiman nodded and held the mask up to his face. The leather was cool against his skin, contrasting the warmth of Priscilla's fingers as she tied the ribbon off, her fingers brushing against his scalp and skin on the back of his neck in a way that sent shivers down his spine.

She pulled back, tugging at his shoulder for him to turn, and he did so without complaint. Priscilla slowly looked over the view and the weight of her gaze dragging across Sulaiman's face felt heavier than that of a stranger's, not in the way that it made him uneasy, making him not quite uncomfortable as it lingered and he became more aware of how he held himself.

Sulaiman couldn't tell you why he said his next words, perhaps it was Kavil's annoying insinuations from earlier, perhaps it was a flight of fancy or madness, but he opened his mouth and asked, "How do I look?"

The look in Priscilla's green eyes grew sharper, not quite predatory, but assessing in a way that made Sulaiman feel the same odd warmth she had inspired in him when they had pretended to be lovers and she sat upon his lap feeding him grapes. Why he thought of that now, he did not know, but he was glad for the mask because it would hide the flush of his face.

"You look gorgeous," Priscilla said finally, her words firm like a king's declaration.

Sulaiman could not help but stare, the blunt words of praise taking him off guard.

Kavil had apparently decided upon a purple and pink flower crown for himself, it snugly resting on his curls as he burst into the conversation, throwing an arm around Sulaiman's shoulder (even though it made Kavil had to stand awkwardly tall).

"What do you think of his shirt, Priscilla?" Kavil asked, his voice holding a mischievous lilt as he was uncaring of how close he had pressed himself against Sulaiman's arm, so close that Sulaiman could feel the curve of his hip.

"It looks great on him," Priscilla said promptly, eyeing his chest appreciatively. "The color goes great with your skin tone."

"I told you so," Kavil whispered, his breath hot against Sulaiman's ear, and Sulaiman wanted to be done with this conversation now because he felt like he was about to combust.

"I think I smell the fry stall!" Illnyea said, dramatically sniffing the air and pointing down the street.

Priscilla immediately disregarded the conversation to whip her head around and Kavil let Sulaiman go too as they both sniffed the air.

Sulaiman let out a slow sigh of relief and saw that Illnyea was staring at him, a smug expression on her face that suggested she had done that on purpose to free him but expected for him to repay her later. He nodded back his gratitude and they followed the fry-obsessed pair to the, admittedly, tasty smelling stall.

…

Illnyea was having the time of her life, so happy that she felt like she could float right up off the ground and sail across the sky like birds on the wind currents. Traveling about the harvest festival with her friends and sister was everything that Illnyea had dreamed it would be.

It felt like every time they rounded a corner, there was yet another food stall that Priscilla wanted to try. They had first stopped at the fry stall, but then they encountered stuffed squashed blossoms filled with diced meat and onions, then a shot of yellow soup topped with blue flowers like a reverse sky, then they found a giant loaf of bread stuffed with steak, peppers, and so much cheese that needed four people to be finished. They made a brief pitstop to get the fizzy drinks that felt like small sparks of electricity running down your throat and Priscilla groaned in pleasure, sucking it down with surprising gusto and ordering another immediately. And then they came upon the area with desert stalls, and Illnyea lost count of how many things Priscilla had them try, though Illnyea's favorite was an embellished wreath cookie with candied flowers, crystallized ginger, and some sort of chopped green nut Priscilla called a pistachio.

Where Priscilla put all the food she ate, Illnyea wasn't sure, but Priscilla was always ready to try something new, eyes always sparkling with excitement as she let her nose lead her. Illnyea had eaten at the first stalls with gusto but realized that pace wasn't sustainable, and pulled back to take tiny nibbles of what Priscilla bought. Sulaiman mostly stuck to tasting the sweeter treats, and Kavil leaned towards the savory, so between the three of them, Priscilla wasn't eating alone.

They finally made it out of the merchant district and into the market square, where a majority of the games were set up.

The flower toss was a favorite of Illnyea's and she was vibrating with excitement as she marched determinedly towards it. It was a simple game, truth be told, but it had been the first thing that Illnyea had come across when they first moved to Meadowyar, so it held a special place in her heart. The goal was to toss a beaded flower into the garden holes and beat your opponents to win a small prize, and if you were tied after five shots, it went to sudden death. Illnyea knew the game inside and out and she was excited for an easy win.

Priscilla was busy eating yet another pastry with a thick, meaty filling, and Kavil was taking occasional bites from it, staring intensely like he was trying to figure out how to make it himself, so it was just Sulaiman who lined up as Illnyea's sole competitor.

Sulaiman had enough practice from the many times he'd been forced to play this game that he gave Illnyea a bit of a challenge.

They both nailed the first four shots, the flowers sliding neatly into the holes.

"Go 'nyea!" Priscilla cheered from the sides, having finished her food.

"Go, Sulaiman!" Kavil cheered beside her with a grin, earning an elbow to the ribs for his trouble.

Illnyea shot her best friend a challenging look, and though the mask made it hard to see his exact expression, she could tell from the curl of his lips that he had just found extra motivation to win. She really did need to figure out what exactly was brewing between the three of them, but that wasn't important now – what was important was Illnyea winning.

Five shots both landed in the hole, then six, then seven, and Illnyea debated using an underhanded trick to knock Sulaiman off his game by whispering that he just wanted to look good for their audience. She decided against it in the name of fairness and they both landed the eighth shot.

As Illnyea was pulling her hand back to line up the ninth shot, intent on winning the small fox plush for Priscilla, Illnyea swore that the edge of the coat she was wearing shimmered unnaturally, giving off a silver glow that pulsed in time with her heartbeat. Startled, Illnyea's aim was off and the flower went sailing over the hole, missing entirely.

Sulaiman landed the flower in the hole, and turned towards Illnyea with his fist raised in victory. Illnyea grabbed the coat and pulled it up to the light as Sulaiman claimed his prize, but there was no sign of what just happened.

Shaking her head, Illnyea decided it must have been a trick of the light, and watched as Sulaiman picked out a deer from the pile of prizes and held it out to Kavil.

"For believing in me," Sulaiman said.

"His name shall be Lala," Kavil said gravely as he took the deer.

Sulaiman grimaced and Priscilla threw her head back to crackle, and Illnyea sensed this was yet another inside joke shared between them, but the small pang of jealousy was easy to push aside as she joined the circle.

"Why Lala?" Illnyea asked and Sulaiman groaned, reaching up to pinch his nose and aborting the movement when he remembered he had a mask on.

"Why, I'm so happy you asked," Kavil said, his eyes crinkling into mischievous half-moons. "Let me tell you about the exciting tale of Scylla and her consorts."