THE ARCANE ORDER (KoTLC fanfic)

"What is telepathy?"

"What is telepathy?"

Sophie could feel Skrael's strange eyes search onto her own. What he was searching for, she knew not. But she learned to just let him do it, after all, there was no harm done by his peculiar hobby. Sophie quite enjoyed the feeling of his gaze meeting hers.

"You, little bird, are very foolish, aren't you?"

She puffed her cheeks at his response. Why was he so difficult to deal with? All she had done was ask a sincere question. It was him who mentioned that foreign word in the first place!

"...Sorry..."

Skrael raised an eyebrow, "What are you apologising for? You did nothing wrong."

Sophie blinked, confused, "But... you looked kind of angry-"

"Angry?!", a laugh, Skrael was laughing, "Hahaha! If you think that was anger, then you truly are a foolish little bird!"

Sophie didn't undestand completly. But from what her little six year old brain could prosses, she now knew Skrael wasn't mad at her.

A smile creeped to her face at the thought. 

"Don't take what others say too seriously, my little bird. I was just teasing you."

She blinked hard in response, "So, when others say mean things, are they just teasing me?"

"Who said mean things to you.", a frown appeared on Skrael's face at the mere thought of a positive answer, "My little bird, if that ever happens... Imagine the worst thing you could ever imagine happening to them, then close your eyes and walk away."

"The worst thing? Isn't that a bit... mean?", there was nothing but inocense in Sophie's eyes, she was clearly going to take whatever Skrael answered to heart.

A smirk played on his lips, "My little bird, what is mean? You can decide for yourself what is good or bad. If they were bad to you first then there is no problem in returning the blow~"

Sophie stared at him for a moment, taking in his words.

A bright grin spread across her face, "Is that so?", he nodded, "Okay then!"

Skrael smirked in return, "Now, about your earlier question...", Sophie's head literally snapped in his direction as he trailled off the sentence, "Well, that is what that little ability of yours is called."

"...you mean my thoughts reading?"

Skrael patted her head, playing with some loose strands (that was also a habit of his), "Mhm, ecxactly what you just said."

Sophie gulped. Ever since she told Skrael of her abilities, a question she dared not to voice out never escaped her mind. Bracing herself for whatever was to come, she asked.

"Skrael, why can't I read your thoughts..."

Silence hung around them. But this silence, unlike most of which they shared, was not peaceful. Sophie bit hard onto her bottom lip, so much she felt the pain despite the numbing cold. She knew she shouldn't have asked, she shouldn't have-

"The reason... you are not yet ready to know the asnwer."

She blinked hard. Sophie had expected anything but that. Wasn't he going to get mad at her? For being nossy?

Turning her head to meet his eyes, Sophie's eyes widened at the sight of Skrael's rare smile. "Just don't ask", he said, "I will tell you in due time."

Her eyes shinned, Sophie was just grateful Skrael didn't get mad at her. She nodded her head aggressively as an answer. The silence they shared then turned back to being a comfortable one.

Sophie lowered her gaze, and began playing with the snow with a stick. Skrael didn't say anything, and merely continued to pat her head while she consentrated on whatever she was doing. It looked like a drawing, of a snowman. 

"...Do your want to build a snowman?"

Skrael's voice interrupted the peaceful silence they were sharing. Sophie raised her gaze slowly, not sure what to expect. She hadn't known Skrael for long, but the few weeks they shared together was enought for Sophie to know that Skrael didn't ask questions. Specially if they were regarding a play thing.

"...that's a song."

"What?"

Sophie hands covered immediatly moved to cover her mouth when she realised what she just said. "Ah, it's just... there's this movie, and in the movie there's this song..."

"I see.", Sophie merely nodded, and lowered her head again, thinking their conversation was over, "What's the name of this... movie?"

She blinked hard. A question and an atempt to continue the conversation in a day? What was happening to him?

Mentally, Sophie wondered if Skreal caught a cold or a fever. After all, he did spend quite a lot of time outside, with only his signature black robe on.

Shaking those drifting thoughts away from her mind, Sophie hurried to answer the cold boy's question, "Eh... It was called... Frozen- I think."

Not think, she was sure. Frozen was one of Sophie's favourite movies. She watched it a lot lately, the reason being how Elsa reminded her of Skrael sometimes. Just the ice itslef reminded her of him. Whenever she felt cold she was reminded of him and felt the cold no longer. It was weird really, she didn't know what was happening to her.

"Frozen... does anyone freeze to death in that movie or something.", someting similar to interest shinned in Skrael's bright yellow orbs.

Sophie didn't get too faced by his interest. Skrael did seem to take joy in very peculiar things. What was the term again... sadistic? Well, it was okay, Skrael was good to Sophie, he was her only friend, so it didn't matter. 

As long as he stayed by her side, she didn't care.

Sophie was a child, there was no adult around who knew her thoughts and therefor tell her they were wrong. The only opinion she considered to affect her was Skrael's, and as metioned before, he wasn't quite sane himself. Very much the opposite, actually.

And so, Sophie's mind continued to be damaged. Little by little...

Illusion is sometimes all that keeps us sane