Foster-Keefe Oneshots

Obsidian

Hello! 

OK I'M SORRY THIS ONE IS REALLY LONG AND LOWKEY DARK BUT IT'S WHAT I WROTE SO. Also this is an A.U. (the rest is explained in the story) 

Oh and up there is Faded by Alan Walker, which I thought fitted the theme of the story so yeah. Enjoy!

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50 years

Councillor. The word whirled around in Sophie's head, creating a storm of emotion wherever it went. That was what she was. A councillor. She had to keep reminding herself, and she could barely believe it, but there Sophie was, sitting in her new residence. The election had been last week, the inauguration two days ago, and she'd moved in to her castle yesterday, replacing Councillor Liora, who had stepped down. Sophie felt for the wrought iron councillor's crown on her head, intertwined with silver and sporting a deep obsidian crystal.

Obsidian - an igneous volcanic glass, created by cooling lava.

The information came to mind almost instantly. It was one of the thousands of facts she'd buried herself in. Reading about volcanic rocks, well, actually anything nonfiction, helped her stop feeling, helped numb the pain. Sophie smiled coldly to herself. Her heart, too, had hardened from the soft, pliable, loving heap it used to be, into something far sharper and stiffer. Lava turned to obsidian, she liked to compare it with. It had happened over the years that followed his sentencing, as she got over the initial pain, betrayal and anger and let the nothingness take over.

A knock at the door shook her from her difficult thoughts, and she slowly stood, smoothing her intricate deep red gown. The door, with colours similar to her apparel, was carved from a deep mahogany wood, with a wrought iron door-knocker studded with the deep volcanic glass she knew so well. Sophie pulled it open, to reveal Councillor Oralie, complete with blonde ringlets and a blue dress. She smiled softly at Sophie, and the younger elf offered a half-hearted smile back. Oralie was the one person who understood what pain she had been through, though needless to say the other councillor had handled it far better than Sophie had. She'd shut down, retreated into herself, pushed everyone away, and become so coldhearted. Oralie had done the opposite, focussed on helping those who she could, and keeping a positive outlook. Sometimes Sophie felt bad about pushing her family away, felt jealous of how Oralie had managed to pull herself together. She was sure Keefe too would've stayed positi- nope. Sophie shut that thought down. Her heart was obsidian - she wasn't going to let herself feel.

"Hello Councillor," Sophie said, keeping her words devoid of emotion.

"Sophie, hi. Just checking to see how you were settling in. The castles are pretty big, so I thought having someone round to fill the silence would help too!" Oralie grinned. Sophie kept a straight face, not letting the disappointment in the other woman's eyes at her lack of response affect her. Oralie sighed. "Sorry, I'll let you have some space." She turned to leave, but Sophie spoke. "No, I'm sorry," Sophie said. "I just..." her voice cracked and Oralie's face softened with sympathy.

"You'd think that 50 years would help. But it really doesn't, hey?" Sophie nodded, glad someone understood, and gave Oralie a real smile that time. Then she remembered that she was supposed to be like obsidian and hardened her heart. "Well, come in if you want. I can, uh, put on a pot of tea..."

"No, no, it's fine. I'll leave you some alone time. Just remember that there are people who care about you and want to see you, right?"

Sophie nodded. "I'll come over tomorrow, if that works."

Oralie's eyes brightened. "Great!"

After Oralie had retreated down the path, Sophie fled to her bedroom and took down her carefully constructed facade. Tears overflowed down her cheeks as she let memories overtake her...