Finches: Eclosion

Refusal, Promise and Nuisance: Part 2

It was a good twenty minutes before Mia was seated on her favorite bench looking at the pond and fountain, the lights illuminating the park gorgeously. She had already texted James she had made it before settling into the quiet trickles the water made as it connected with the surface of the pond. It calmed her entire being, reminding her of the first time she had seen it with James, the memory seeming incredibly distant. She had been visiting with Temperance as James had been too young to take care of a small child and go through his training with CORP. Yet, no matter how busy or tired James had been, he had always made time for her, exhausting himself each time she visited to not miss any time with his little sister. It had worn him to the bone but James hardly cared, always telling her that her smile reminded him how important what he was doing was. Of course, she still didn't entirely know James' plans however what she did know was he was on the 'good side'. No matter what anyone thought or said about him, or what he had to do, Mia knew for certain everything James did was for her and people like her, just like Robert. It made her proud, knowing her brother was risking so much for so many. Though, it also made her angry, hating that other Arcanes demonized her brother so profusely.

Amidst all that, there was also fear, a terror that only seemed to show itself the older she got, growing fiercer with more understanding. She knew some of the risks now, but not fully, of what he was doing, that death was the best case scenario for what he'd be sentenced with. She hardly cared that she was also part of it as her mind was focused entirely on her brother's safety. While Robert had raised her as well, Mia saw James as her father too, their bond so much deeper than one label could ever hope to capture. He was her family, her protector and her rock, James filling the role of everything that he could for her while simultaneously maintaining his cover too well.

Sighing with the weight of her thoughts, Mia slunk back in the bench, wishing she had changed rather than skipping out of the house as fast as she could, forgetting her coat in the process. The night wasn't cold but the wind certainly was uncomfortable, chilling her slightly with every blow over the crystal clear water. It was when she folded her legs to the side, covering them as much as she could with her dress, did she hear footsteps approaching. Turning to see who it was, Mia almost screamed as a boy's freckled face was much closer than she guessed it would be.

"Whoa! Atom! S-Sorry!" the boy spluttered, looking just as shocked as she was, taking a leap back. "I...man you're pretty," he exhaled, gripping at his incredibly short cropped, pink hair.

"Ex-Excuse me?" Mia asked, still pulling herself back together from her small fright, not fully hearing what the boy had said. "What did you say?"

Mouth hanging open, the boy raised his hands defensively, blushing profusely. "I uh, I asked if I could sit," he lied, pointing to the bench beside her. "So can I?" he asked quickly, not giving her room to contradict his words.

Nodding, Mia lowered her legs making room for the jittery, yet oddly mellow boy, eyeing his appearance curiously. "I'm Amelia, but everyone calls me Mia, what's yours?" she asked politely, cocking her head to the side. "I like your freckles by the way," she giggled with a smile, her own, incredibly dark ones, seeming to dance with the small joke.

"S-Stacks," he stuttered, pulling at his collar, flushing again her laughter. Far from his usual brazen self, Stacks seemed to be recovering, finding it difficult to be anything but nervous around Mia. "It's-It's a weird name I know," he blurted before the eventual came, knowing what everyone would say about his name.

"But you're a little weird, so it fits," Mia said simply, her words not at all sounding like an insult. "I like it," she laughed, repeating his name softly. "It's not regular like mine. Mines nice enough but my best friend has a really pretty name," she assured, knowing she couldn't share the name 'Mika' as gorgeous as it was to her. "He lives in the library over there," Mia pointed, leaning slightly on Stacks' shoulder to see the library's roof. "The librarian is his uncle."