𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐌𝐘 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐗? | 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐦 𝐅𝐅 - HIATUS

chapter 11

"..Fitz?" Sophie guessed.

"Keefe," Tam said with a nonchalant shrug. 

"Tam," Keefe snapped back.

"..Marella was saved, so I don't think it's her. was Linh the  mafia?" Biana asked.

"You've all failed to vote out the mafia correctly. They remain on the loose. Villagers, go to sleep." Dex said. "Mafia, make your move."

Tam reached out and tapped Fitz, just because Fitz was a random choice and they weren't enemies, but also weren't really great friends.

"Angel, make your move," Dex announced.

Tam felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Villagers awaken." Dex said.

"Someone was killed last night." Dex said. "Tam and Fitz were going out to buy.. um, flowers.. for.. hypothetical girlfriends."

Tam made a face.

"Fitz was attacked and later died of wounds. Tam was interviewed by the police, but eventually was supposedly innocent. His story added up with the known evidence. Who do you think the mafia is?" 

Wait, so I'm innocent? He said supposedly, so.. I guess he's dropping very subtle hints. 

"Keefe." Sophie said.

"Keefe," Biana agreed.

"Tam!" Keefe retorted.

"Keefe." Tam muttered.

"Wrong. Keefe is out. Villagers, you've lost. You have voted out your Angel. Tam was the mafia." Dex announced.

"He- ohhh." Sophie said, tipping her head inquisitively. "I think that makes sense. He took out Linh so nobody would suspect him since she's the last person he'd kill. Smart." 

Tam stared at Sophie. He loved the way her hair ran down the sides of her face, framing the delicate outline of her cheekbones and lips..

"Tam?" Biana asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is there something that's interesting you? You've been staring in that direction for a while.."

"IT'S LOVEEEE!" Marella squealed, lifting her hands into the air, and her hair flying everywhere. "Who is it?" She said, jumping up and down.

Tam felt his normally pale cheeks go nuclear.

"L-Love..?" He whispered, almost frozen in place and bright red.

Sophie got up, and started opening and closing her hands in front of her face. "Like, is your heart feeling like.." she started to open and close her hands faster.

Tam shrugged, attempting to hide his flushed face. "..Kind of.." He said with a shy noise. Sophie stopped moving her hands with a closed-eye smile.

"Then maybe it is love!" She said. "Although I wouldn't be surprised!" She giggled.

"I've felt that way before. It's a little startling at first, but you get used to it." She flopped backwards onto her bed, her blond hair forming into kind of an elegant lion's mane around her head. She stared dreamily up at the ceiling, which was bathed in the morning sunlight.

The ceiling had plenty of jewels in it, in the shape of a swirl. But Tam suspected her dreamy stare was hiding something deeper than she was letting on. Tears were slightly forming in the corner of Sophie's warm brown eyes.

Something was wrong.

He walked over to her bed and sat on the floor next to her, taking her hand with a soft smile. "Sophie? You okay?" He gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, in an attempt to soothe her. 

His left hand was intertwined with her right hand, and her fingers started to slightly twitch as he rubbed his thumb against her knuckles lightly. 

"Get a room." Someone interjected, with a soft giggle. Tam whipped around and remembered everyone else was there. He immediately let go of her hand, went to the corner nearly the curtain, and curled up into a flustered and embarrassed ball.

Sophie fell off the bed.

Tam uncurled. "Are you alright?" He asked, standing up, walking over and then reaching out to help her up. 

She took his hand, got up, and immediately let go. "Thank you. Oh, and I'm alright- I probably should've started with that.. ssiiwhuahw-"

"What?" Biana asked. "That doesn't mean anything-"

Sophie spun around in circles, tripping now and then. "I know, that's the point, I really don't know what to say, but at the same time it didn't feel like a complete sentence," She said with a shrug, which caused her spin to become less balanced so she nearly fell again, but caught herself.

The door opened, and footsteps sounded. Tam looked over to see Elwin.

"Out!" he ordered. "Sophie has some arm treatment to go through. I hope she didn't strain it too much." 

"Bye!" Biana called, taking out her home crystal and holding it up to the light shining through the window. 

Elwin unwrapped Sophie's bandages, and applied some sort of foul-smelling poultice to the wound, wrapping it and soaking it with water.

"Gah! Elwin, what is that goop?" Sophie asked, fanning the air. 

"It's something made out of rare ingredients. Meant for serious infections, but it works for arm injuries like yours as well." The blue-gray eyed elf replied, wrapping the bandage around her arm. Sophie sighed in defeat.

"This stuff stinks, but.. It's fine." She said once Elwin left. 

Tam reached for her hand. "Here, if it helps.."

He bent a shadow from the corner, and broke it off from the rest of the shadow. Tam wrapped it around Sophie's arm, not tight enough to hurt, but tight enough to trap the smell inside.

"Does that help?" He asked, scratching his neck.

"Yep!" Sophie said with a smile. "Thank you!"

(stopping it here, you can rest peacefully without a cliffhanger)