The Roles We Play

A New Friend

"It was supposed to be a simple walk to the park." Veruca muttered. So why was she chasing her pet bat, Gambat, through the town street? Ah that's right, the leash broke, and her pet just loves to make things harder on his owner.
As Veruca chases Gambat down, she quite literally bumps into a girl making deliveries with her uncle. In the midst of her apologies, Veruca makes a new friend with the girl who lives between the Spades and Clubs borders. And her name was Rowan Khanna.
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The streets of the country were bustling with activity. The shops were busy and the trolleys were packed with people trying to get to their destinations. Townsfolk were happily chatting amongst each other while going about their day.

"Gambat!" A young brunette girl shouts, running through the streets of the town. Overhead, a brown fruit bat flies, chirping as if taunting the young girl to chase after him. "Come back here!" The small bat chirps again, before flying off further down the street. A frustrated groan came from the girl as she picked up her pace, almost bumping into people, shouting apologies as she goes.

"This was supposed to be easy!" She huffed, holding onto the leash as it flailed behind her. "Taking your pet out for a walk shouldn't be this hard!" She huffed, looking up once more to see Gambat flying in the direction of the markets and shops. "Argh– Gambat, come back here!" The girl pushes herself to run faster, hoping to catch up with her pet. A groan left her mouth, she promised her parents that she would be fine.

~ An Hour Ago - McQuaid Estate ~
Elroy and Wilhelmina stood in the foyer of the estate, watching their daughter come down the stairs with a maid following behind her. "Mo stoirín, are you sure you'll be fine on your own?" Elroy, ever the worrywart over his daughter, was proud that she was being more independent. A nudge from his wife was enough to get him to stop. "Veruca will be fine, love. She's a McQuaid, after all. It's other people that you should be worried about." Wilma mutters the last part to herself. A soft chuckle escapes her husband's lips.

It's true that Veruca can be a bit of a troublemaker herself. After all, she took after her father and brother in that regard. But most people can tell that Veruca was more like her mother. Strong willed, passionate, and easily irritable. A few were unfortunate enough to face their wrath after an incident at her old school where Veruca got in trouble for punching a boy. Well the boy had it coming, he was bothering Veruca after being told to stop multiple times. And Wilhelmina had to come in, telling off not only the headmaster and teacher, but also the parents for allowing such behavior to continue.

"Of course, Wilma. After all, our little Vera has the McQuaid fire burning within her. You are old enough to take Gambat out on your own now." Elroy states, feeling proud at their daughter's upbringing. "Though, it would be best to stay out of trouble." He nods his head at Veruca, giving her a knowing look.

Veruca lets out a huff as she rolls her eyes, "Of course dad, I know already. And I'll be fine, I'll just head to the park down the street and come back. No detours." She turns her attention towards the maid, Jolien. In her hands, a bronze cage holding a small flying fox bat. The young girl lets out her furry friend, holding her hand out for him to hang onto. "Hey there, boy. Are you ready to go out today?" Gambat chirps happily, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Wilhelmina steps forward a small smile gracing her features, "Remember little one, put his collar on before you head out. Gambat may listen to your commands, but he still has the tendency to fly off on his own."

Veruca takes the leash and collar from her mother, "I know, mother, I know. I promise there won't be any trouble." She gives both her parents a confident smile. "Besides, it will be simple and easy." Wilhelmina narrows her eyes, but nonetheless nods at her daughter. Elroy on the other hand looks down at his daughter with beaming pride. "Okay, okay. I believe our girl has had enough of our nagging and worrying."