his smile , boyishΒ and perfectly sheepish has cast down at her . though she had pulled from him , leaving him achingΒ for closeness once more . if it were up to laurie , he simply couldnβt have let her go if he tried . due to their last conversation and exactly where it had led , he was relievedΒ jo was even speaking with him .Β β oh , woe is me . iβll be in need of consolation , i may never recover , jo . i simply may not !Β β a hand clutched to his chest , falling into the theatrical banter that was common for the pairing . it felt like no time had passed , that this simple exchange was following their previous pattern and laurie lovedΒ it .Β
β a frogΒ ? i was going for a deerΒ at the very least . long legs and all .Β β he stated definitively , with hands tapping at his long and leanΒ legs . surelyΒ deerlike in nature . now , in any other respect , laurie should have taken jo very seriously . though with the topic of amy , he genuinely believed her to beΒ jokingΒ , playing along with their charade . so .. he began to laughΒ . one arm over his torso as he allowed a chuckle to race through him .Β β iβm sure a nice bowl of fruit as a muse will do the trick . easier to paint .Β β rubbing of his eyes , brushing any stay tears of humor from his face , teddy answers the question with pride .Β β well , i had been in europe a few days . threeΒ to be exact . though .. then i woke up here . thatβs everything .Β β
Β Β Β γΒ ; Β Β Β Β β       »      βΒ Β Β Β Β Β Β Β βwhat misery it must have been !to have lived in this world for so long without your best friend.β the word felt bitter on her tongue, a cruel reminder of a foolish heart , haunted by now meaningless regrets and what ifs. yet, every cell in her body was still tied painfully to him, feelings withering and rotting inside her. she wouldnβt make the same mistakes again. allowing her feelings to take over her, risking to be hurt again, like last time. when she almost gave him the letter. instead sheβd left that festering wound untouched, no matter how much it hurt, begging to be mended. βsuch a pitiful boy ! β jo wiped a fake tear, wishing that nothing had ever changed. that she could bottle this moment up.
β iβm afraid i must disappoint you, teddy. but you did look like a frog, a very handsome one though .Β β she teased him but the lightness in her tone would fade soon afterwards. her brows knitted in a frown and his laughter barely returned.Β jo forced a tight smile, keeping the truth from being spoken as she watched him silently, waiting for the moment heβd finally realize. waiting for her heart to be dropped again like glass, leaving her splintered, alone while sheβd pick up the pieces. but the moment never came. β oh, of course β¦ i shouldβve known better - that actually happened to me , too β she swallowed down her guilt, only for panic to cloud her racing thoughts. βteddy, would you like to dance with me ? β
βsecret witch meetings?β that was definitely enough to catch hopeβs attention; she didnβt just believe in that stuff, sheβd practically lived her entire life surrounded by it. perhaps that played a part in why she felt a little more at ease as soon as sheβd entered the shop, though she hadnβt been able to put a finger on why, exactly β until now. it was familiar territory in a strange place, after all. βnot much of a secretΒ if everyoneβs talking about it, though,β she pointed, with a nonchalant shrug, as she eyed the spines of the books on the shelves before her. technically, hope hadnβt heard about those rumors until right now, but sheβd heard about the hype beforehand, and that was enough for her to stop by. either way, it was a bad kept secret. βnot sure why theyβre keeping it a secret either. what kind of cult is forming here?β
γ ; Β Β βΎΒ Β Β Β» Β Β Β βΒ Β yes, people call it that . β her features hardened with suspicion, studying the strangerβs face, picking up clues that might betray her intentions. for someone who apparently didnβt know about these meetings, she was acting unusually nonchalant, shrugging her shoulders so pretentiously lightly as if they werenβt breaking under the weight of her secrets.Β β youseem to be disappointed that so many people know about it. β inej pointed out, watchful eyes peering at her, anticipating her facade to crack .Β Β βwhat kind of book are you looking for ? are you looking for something specific ? β she asked,Β β cult?no, people claim these are just some harmless meetings β¦ unless you know more about it, am i missing out on something ? β
“i should so like to see it printed soon,” was all beth said, and smiled in saying it. but there was an unconscious emphasis on the last word, and a wistful look in the eyes that never lost their childlike candor, which chilled jo’s heart for a minute with a foreboding fear, and decided her to make her little venture ‘soon’.
“are you really here or are my eyes deceiving me right now?” grace questioned jokingly as she came to a halt in front of josephine, hand wrapped around a tulip glass filled with champagne that she’d grabbed from the bar earlier. the brunette’s lips immediately curled up into a warm smile, and being the friendly person she was, she engulfed the female in a hug. “i can’t believe you’re here!” she exclaimed, maybe a little too excited to see one of the few people she’d met here in lockhollow. “i was seriously starting to think i’d have to spend my evening here at the theater alone, but it’s so good to see you! how have you been? are you enjoying yourself and liking the new theater? tell me everything.” // @larcenys for jo march.
— — ♠ * “ your lovely appearance is blessing my eyes, your grace. ” she jests, her tone carrying a dramatic tone. she wraps her arms around her, barely caring about the champagne in grace’s hand, her dress would end up ruined anyway. “ your eyes are deceiving you, indeed ! it is my ghost which has come to visit you as i’m gonna haunt you for the rest of your life because you’ve decided to go out without me.” another dramatic heave escapes her lips, fanning herself as if she was about to faint“ why didn’t you ask me to accompany you ? you know that i’m always eager to be your plus one ! ” jo grinned, linking her arm through hers. “ oh, i’ve been busy, i’m still working on my novel and i thought i’d draw some inspiration from here. what about you ? i haven’t seen you for ages, it seemed like you’ve disappeared.” meeting grace reminded her of how much she’d missed her, regretting that she failed to contact her many times. “ the theatre is beautiful, do you like it ? ” it reminded her of what her life used to be like, back then when nights like these felt endless “ but i guess people are more interested about that strange metal disc, you don’t happen to know about it ? ”
his hands are instinctively in her hair , fingers having woven themselves into her curls as he clutches the woman close to him . his embrace was unbridled , which would ultimately leave to a heart more shattered than even before though teddy was more than willing to except this promised crestfallen fortune . jo was here . jo was holding him . jo was all that mattered , as it always had been . β it wouldnβt be as fun if you were able to find me ? what a bore of a game hide and seek would be if it was so simple . β his hold is fastened , almost unbreakable and his steady heartbeat had quickened to an almost painful state .
β i often brand that rescue as a team effort , i was simply the beauty of the operation . no brawn or brains . β he states jokingly , laurieβs hands had shadowed down to her forearms , maintaining the contact as though she would vanish into thin air had he released her entirely . his expression offers a flash of puzzlement , feeling as though her joke about amy had flown over his head . gullibly , he speaks . β why would i wish to call amy ? i think iβd rather speak to meg or beth if my favorite march proved unavailable . you know , marmee can be quite a busy bee . β
β Β β Β β Β *Β Β β oh is that so ? β a grin splits her face , childish glee returning to her features as she slowly separates from his embrace. teddyβs appearance had split her open. carved out a weak fragment of time, allowing her to indulge in memories thatβd resisted change for so long. and yet there was something irrevocably different in the way her happiness was fleeting. a knife against her heart , twisted by a set fate. β but iβve found you . βΒ silence weighed down the air, jo didnβt mean her eyes to linger for too long , her hand reaching out for his, seeking for his warmth again only to pull it back .Β βΒ iβm afraid youβve lost the game , β she feigned nonchalance masked by a dramatic exclaim Β β all your efforts have been in vain , my dear teddy ! you must not cry , my beautiful boy , iβll lend you my shoulder. βΒ
β you did resemble a beautiful frog , lying on the ice , legs and arms spread apart. β she teased him. β i know youβve always been fond of marmee but amy, she β¦βΒ her smile faded into hesitation , and her gaze dropped to his hands, their proximity a proof of her betrayal, β she really wants to see you, youβre her muse after all, sheβs been lacking some inspiration lately β¦ β how easily a selfish lie could slip through sealed lips of secrecy . shame riddled her as she buried her hands in her pocket, fingers curled aroundΒ paper, creasing it with guilt.Β β and beth she -Β β time never healed her, her voice would still falter and break every time. she just couldnβt talk about it. β teddy, how much do you remember ? β
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