~𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬~

~𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞~

~

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Step. Step. Step. Step. Step.

Tick, Step. Tick, Step. Tick, Step.

(Y/N) wanted to hold the old book over her head like an umbrella. As he paced around the room, Sci's footsteps kept in time with the endless clicking sounds that came every time the grandfather clock's narrowest hand moved.

His lecture was muffled by the obnoxious sound, and it drove her to a point of insanity trying to understand what he was teaching her, no less block out the clock's perpetual ticks.

The study was dim and dark, the thundering clouds of grey like pillows in the midday sky. Frigid cold air from outside somehow leaking in past the glass windows brought her shivers and chills as she focused all that she could on Sci's chicken scratch handwriting on the blackboard.

Since the day she had turned four years old, Sci had kept a desk and a blackboard in the far right side of the circular-shaped room; the side that faced the training green. From here, (Y/N) could see three, tiny figures dressed in blue, gold, and brown skittering around the damp green grass.

Their voices were loud enough to be heard even from the high-up room in the castle in which she and Sci resided.

She held back a wide smile, the boys all laughing and shouting as the brown and gold specks fought between each other with magical spells and conjurings.

Dream had chosen a frightening, electric bow of blue light as his weapon. From his quiver, he would draw an arrow, drawing it back against the bow's string. Letting go, the arrow whistled like fireworks as it soared through the air, crackling and hollering like a beam of lightning, its glow casting pale blue shadows against the cloudy sky.

Seconds later, a metallic clang screeched, its echoes jumping between the pristine, white walls of the castle that blocked off the massive square-shaped plot of land. Ink batted the arrows away with a shield, lunging towards his brother with a sword in hand.

Swinging it around, Dream rolled and somersaulted against the ground, dodging each one of the elder sibling's attacks.

For only training a few days, she had to admit, they were getting good.

She turned her attention to the gloomy overcast sky, frowning at it with dismay. Hopefully, it would disappear after a quick rain, leaving the stars to stick around for the picnic.

"(Y/N)? Are you even listening to me?"

A phalange tapped against her desk, grabbing her attention away from her friends down below.

"Huh?" She breathed, eyes flickering back to him. She knitted her brows, breaking her eye contact with him, waiting to be scolded for not listening.

Rather, Sci frowned, looking up at the clock's face, its little hand pointing to the four, the longer one on the fourth dash after the seven. He snickered, setting his book down onto her desk and pulling up a chair.

"I'm sorry, (Y/N). I've been going on a little too long, haven't I?" He grimaced at himself, folding his hands in front of him. "I should've known you needed a break."

(Y/N) gave him a pitiful smile. She couldn't help but feel guilty, knowing her reasoning for drifting off wasn't his fault, even if they had been going on a little longer than usual.

"I just can't stop watching them," she said, nodding out the window. "Ink and Dream have picked up on everything Blue's taught them so fast."

Sci tilted his head, peaking out the wall of glass at the boys down below.