Princess Tutu ficcage
since I promised ry_sabir that I'd post my Princess Tutu fic.. I need to re-write or get back to writing them since there's parts I'm not happy with. Three fics for the price of one
Lise adjusted the straps of her slippers, trying to still her breaking heart. Little fool, she thought, bitter tears streaking down her cheeks. Honestly, how could she think that a girl like her was going to compare to the icy beauty of Rue? Mytho loved her - well, as much as a man without a heart could love anyone. She smoothed her tutu, the white feathers staring up at her mockingly, reminding her, teasing her, to then, when, he, she, were two different people and they loved each other. She clenched her hands together, trying to will herself to stop thinking about this. Odette was dead. Dead and gone, never to be revisited. She wouldn't bind herself to a man like that again, couldn't, wouldn't. No, would not think about that again.
Rue glanced over to see the other maiden, the white swan to her black swan, for this production. There was this look on her face as she glanced down at her white feathers - it wasn't a happy smile. Girls killed to dance as Odette - and Lise seemed most.. disappointed, reluctant? Why did she picture Lise as ... Silly. Honestly, that was more of a fairy tale then the Prince and the Raven. Okay, so yeah, things did seem like that was happening. So.. maybe.. No, Father would have at least mentioned something about Siegfried's love - all the better to hurt him with, the part of her that was Kraehe mused.
Lise tripped as she made her way to the stage, her hands feeling the impact first, her wrists instantly throbbing. She whimpered as she just allowed the pain to wash over her, distract her from thinking about her heart. She felt a hand grasp her upper arm and pull her to her feet. A heated blush formed on her cheeks as she saw Mytho, holding her hands, gently rotating her injured wrists to judge how damaged her wrists were from that fall. She could see Fakir glaring above his head.
Mytho just continued to gently rotate the wrists, making sure there's no real damage to those delicate bones. He knew Fakir was glaring at her above his head, or was he glaring at him for focusing on someone that he wasn't supposed to. He frowned just a little as he noticed her left wrist wasn't moving the way it should. Yes, there was some damage. "Come," he said quietly, gently, as he began to guide her to the nurse to have her wrists tended to. "That was a nasty spill you took, what happened."
"I.. I don't know. I guess I was distracted," she murmured. She didn't want to mention that her past had flared up when she glanced down at her costume. She trembled a moment as something reminded her of what had been, all this concern - he had been like that *then*. She just had to remind herself that she wasn't going to fall for him again - not wanting to risk a chance of seeing her ending up drowning in a lake again (she still had nightmares from that). No, she mentally shook herself - this wasn't Siegfried, it was just someone who bore a resemblance to that prince. The prince that broke her heart, left her, abandoned her to her fate.
Mytho caught her as she stumbled again. Clearly, her mind seemed to be elsewhere, elsewhen. He squeezed her shoulder tightly, trying to pull her back from the past, bring her back to the present, to the now, to them. He just didn't want her lost to whatever she remembered. She needed to be here, with them, a with him snaked its way free (confusing the already confused young man). "Lise," he said, trying to snap but it lacked the emotion to make it a true snap.
She blinked her blue eyes, trying to focus on him but there was some sort of ghost hovering over him and it was so distracting, and oh so familiar, and she really didn't... Of course, the train of thought she was having derailed as she crumpled into his arms, unconscious.
Mytho didn't squeak - princes didn't squeak from surprise, but damn it, he had not expected her to downright collapse into his arms like that. He shifted her position in his arms, instead of merely guiding her, now he was carrying her bridal style (which felt oddly right and oddly wrong at the same time - like he had no right to be carrying her this way and yet at the same time, that he had the right) to the nurse's office. He gently lay her down on the first empty bed and waited.
~
Mytho wasn't surprised when Fakir read him the riot act for his actions. Of course, it was hard to be surprised when one didn't have a heart to coax the emotion out of. So, he stood there, listening, filing it away for later recall. Something about being stupid, that she was a big girl, that he didn't have to.. "Enough," he said flatly, finally.
Fakir blinked at the quiet command. Mytho never stopped him before, and so, very reluctantly, he did stop.
Set during the last episode
Lise tucked her knees under her chin, glancing over at the slumbering form in the bed near the window. She sighed quietly and continued her silent vigil over the cursed prince. Her gaze shifted to the door upon hearing it creak open. "No change," she said softly, knowing who it was even before they had fully entered the room. "He still sleeps."
Fakir nodded and made his way in. "How you holding up?" he asked, his gaze fixed on her and instead of his prince, the one he promised to protect.
"Hanging in there," she said, glancing over at the transformed prince and then back to Fakir. "The others?" Silently, she wondered when Beauty and the Beast merged with Swan Lake and what other cracked out fairy tale that Drosselmeyer was throwing into the mix. Personally, she thought he should have stuck to being the toymaker in the Nutcracker and been done with it.
"Ahiru, or rather, Tutu's pacing, trying to figure out how to get the heart shards without waking the Raven, which is proving to be difficult. Rue is sleeping in the spare room, the guilt of what she's done finally catching up to her. Autor's going over the original source material for this increasingly fractured fairy tale, well, as much as this fractured fairy tale had for source material and well," he paused and held up his injured hand. "Grateful that's not my writing hand."
She gave a small nod to show that she heard, though her attention had by and large shifted back to the sleeping figure.
"You eaten yet?"
That question drew her out of her silent, melancholy thoughts and startled her for a moment before she managed to collect her thoughts enough to answer the question. "No appetite," she confessed. "Besides," she continued softly. "I want to be here when he wakes."
Fakir blew out a sigh, more out of exasperation then anything else. "I'll get you something to eat up here if you're going to be that stubborn."
"No, don't. Seriously, Fakir, I don't think I could eat anything. Stomach's all tied up in large knots," she said softly. "Family relations be damned, but that relative of yours is a sadist."
Fakir dryly chuckled at her pronouncement. "You have no idea." He moved over to where she sat and stood behind her, resting his uninjured hand on her shoulder. "You know he won't be happy with you if he learns you haven't eaten."
"I'll deal with it when he wakes," she said, sighing quietly.
~
Ahiru glanced up at Fakir as he came down the stairs, looking exhausted and irritated in equal measures. "Something troubles you," she noted quietly, smoothing the soft material of her tutu.
"Yeah, upstairs sleeping," he gestured to the room he came out of. "He's still asleep and she's refusing to eat in the chance he wakes up and doesn't have anyone to tell him what's happened to him."
"She loves him," she said softly, regretfully since she too loved the prince but could not say anything about it, lest she disappear in a flurry of stardust and light. "If the Monster Raven were to ask for a pure heart to free him, there's no doubt in my mind that she'd offer hers up, just to spare Mytho this fate."
Autor glanced up from the book he was currently reading, dissecting, and nodded in agreement to the ballerina princess's assessment of the situation. "That does seem a likely scenario," he said quietly, not wanting to wake either the sleeping prince or the sleeping princess. "Although, she should be aware that as Rue is the Raven Princess, or was, that she'd be the more likely person to be chosen by Mytho to be his princess."
"And I would like to think that I would be able to choose who I want without the benefit of a fairy tale telling me the proper course of action," a voice said as it descended the stairs. The more raven then man being that Mytho had become glanced at the trio, and let loose a tired sigh. He wish he could smirk, but the beak robbed him of most facial expressions (luckily, glares still worked), especially since he caught the guilty looks the trio exchanged for trying to decide without his opinion.
"Lise?" Autor asked, noticing the girl hadn't come down with Mytho.
"Asleep," he said, eyeing the pot with a little contempt. He had no idea what was in it - but.. it did *not* look edible. Did *not* smell edible. At all. "Please tell me that's not fowl."
Autor blinked before shaking his head. "Oatmeal."
"Is it supposed to be bubbling like that?" he asked, peering into the pot to get a better look. Nope, still didn't look edible.
"Um.." Ahiru started, blushing to the roots of her hair. "So I'm not the world's best cook."
"Ah," came the raven's response.
~
Lise stirred hours later, propping herself up on her elbow. She yawned quietly and moved to get out of bed when she saw a pair of glowing eyes staring at her from the doorway. Her blue eyes widened and she froze mid-movement. She relaxed when the person fully entered the room. "Seriously, Mytho, are you trying to give me heart failure," she said, her hand resting on her breast - as if to try and steady the unruly organ hidden within.
"And did I succeed?" he asked dryly.
"I'm still talking, aren't I?"
Mytho gave a throaty chuckle at that. "Yes, I suppose you are." He made his way over to her side and settled down in the chair, or rather, perched on it, much like a bird would. It did bother him a little, that he was give into the instincts that easily.
She studied him as he sat there, her gaze softening as she took in his cursed form. She silently reached over and placed her hand on his wing, savoring the touch of feathers beneath her skin. "We will free you, Mytho," she said quietly. "Just have faith."
"Faith's all I have left."
She withdrew her hand and rose, settling next to him on the chair, her head resting even with his heart.
He wrapped his wings around her, holding her close to him. "Remember how we first met," he said quietly, trying to lighten a somber mood.
"Hm.." she murmured. She allowed her memories to drift back to that day. Had it truly been that long ago that they had been so young, so innocent, so *normal*?
"I will say this, if Neko-sensei even thinks about casting me as the Beast for the next time we perform Beauty and the Beast, I will walk out of the class," he grumped quietly. "It's not funny," he said, glaring down at the girl trying not to snicker in his arms.
"Your feathers are tickling me," she giggled, squirming in his grip. It wasn't her fault that her waist was one of her ticklish spots (it was a clear exercise in willpower not to laugh during class when the men would brush her waist with their hands during the various lifts).
"Ticklish, huh," he said, running his feathers up and down her waist, enjoying the results of watching her squirm, giggle, writhe in pure amusement. It felt wrong to enjoy seeing her react while he was like this, but this was one of the few times they were able to be together, given that everyone believed his newly restored heart (well, as restored as it could get without awakening and freeing the Monster Raven) belonged to the ex-princess of the ravens, not to this maiden that was with him now.
~~
Mytho sat in class, watching the ballerinas dance, his gaze somewhat focused on Rue (as he had been told to be by Rue) when his golden gaze drifted to the figure just entering the class. His lips curved upwards in a small smile as he watched her skittishly enter the classroom, whispering apologies in a delicately accented voice to Neko-sensei for arriving late due to her alarm clock not going off properly since it was set incorrectly since the time zones were different. There was something about that accent that stirred something in him - just what he couldn't remember. He rose slowly and made his way over to Neko-sensei.
"Ah, Mytho-san," Neko-sensei began. "Would you assist, Miss..."
"Lise," she quietly supplied, smiling shyly at the young man, a blush staining her pale cheeks a rich rose.
Mytho stood there, silent for a moment before nodding his agreement to the feline ballet instructor. He bowed gracefully to the young maiden and offered his hand.
Her blush deepened as she shyly took the hand and allowed him to guide her in a private dance before Neko-sensei, merely for him to judge which class she was going to be in.
~
Mytho glanced over at Lise, who was battling with the ruffles and frills of the period dress she had been stuck in for the small concert part of the newest program they were doing. Of course, not that he was much better off, looking much like a jackanape - knee britches, high socks, high collared jacket. All of which seemed familiar in some distant misty fashion, he knew he should know why but he'd be damned if he could remember. How did Fakir talk him into this? he silently pondered as he tugged on the loosely tied necktie. He approached her quietly, intent on doing something about her fussing. He grabbed her hand, staying it as she went to battle again against the frill collar her gown had.
Lise blushed a rich rose and shyly glanced away. "You look handsome, Mytho," she murmured quietly. "Although, you look positively ghostly, all that white and cream."
"The song they're having me do is set shortly after the wedding," he said dryly. "So of course I'm in white and cream."
She mock glared at him and stuck her tongue out at him.
"In some places.. that's an invitation," he said, eyebrow quirked.
She blanched quickly, having forgotten that little tidbit. "Oh, God."
Mytho chuckled at her reaction, shaking his head. He walked to the stage, letting her follow at her leisure so she could hear him perform. "No, stay. I don't care what you've said or done. Don't go away. Not now, when life had just begun. Come back! And be the woman who I knew," he sang, pleading to her off stage. "Help me to believe in you. What on earth am I to do?"
"She's gone, this vision who was not quite real. I must move on, despite the pain. The pain will heal. Oh, Lord, how could you let me love like this?" he cried, brokenly. "No one dies upon a kiss, and only fools believe in bliss. And yes, God knows I am a fool, a man deluded by his wife, a figure ripe for ridicule who's lived a vain and useless life. So be it then. I'll play that game! I do not give a tinker's damn. I'll be a fool, it's all the same. It truly doesn't matter what I am!" he cried, his voice breaking with the emotion that he had long since lost since the splintering of his heart those years ago. Granted, Tutu was returning his splintered heart to him - slowly and surely.
"God, no! I'm broken, but I'm still alive. And slowly, I will feel my soul revive. With time, I'll find a way to right this wrong -- If it takes my whole life long... Lord, I'll fight my battles all alone, but make me strong," he sang, watching her tear up offstage before watching her rush onto stage and embrace him tightly, weeping on his jacket.
He froze, not having fully realized how his singing would affect the young maiden. He awkwardly stroked her back, before relaxing and murmuring soothing sounds. "Methinks my wife is overemotional on this her wedding night, wot?" he said, trying to make it sound somewhat in character - even if nothing else was. "Marguerite" wasn't supposed to have heard that song, wasn't supposed to show this level of emotion until near the end of the musical - if judging by that soundtrack that Rue had been torturing him with for the past week.
The sounds of her quiet sobbing was the only sound that seemed to linger in his ears, before he silently guided her off the stage to compose herself before she sang her chosen song. "Shh," he crooned. "It's okay, it's okay. Shh." He couldn't make out what she was saying, her sobs, her tears were mucking up her speech. He assumed she was apologizing for something that just was not her fault - it pained him to think of her feeling guilty for something that was not her fault, that she hadn't done. She was just like him - and he was just like Fakir right now. "Little idiot," he said affectionately (or as best he could). "You aren't Marguerite. You've done nothing to warrant these tears." He gently reached over and wiped her tears away.
~~
"Let me be your wings, let me be your only love, let me take you far beyond the stars. Let me be your wings, let me lift you high above, everything we're dreaming of will soon be ours. Anything that you desire, anything at all, everyday I'll take you higher, and I'll never let you fall! Let me be your wings, leave behind the world you know for another world of wondrous things. We'll see the universe and dance on Saturn's rings. Fly with me and I will be your wings. Anything that you desire, anything at all," he sang, hearing her softly echo him with a "Anything at all". "Everyday I'll take you higher and I'll never let you fall."
"You will be my wings," she sang in counterpoint to his "Let me be your wings". "You will be my only love."
"Get ready for another world of wondrous things," he sang, smiling softly (or smiling as best he could) at hearing her echo him again, "Wondrous things are sure to happen."
"We'll see the universe and dance on Saturn's rings," they sang, their voices blending. "Heaven isn't too far," he sang, looking at her. "Heaven is where you are," she answered, looking into his eyes. "Stay with me and let me be your wings, you'll be my wings," they sang, their voices merging as she curled into his waiting arms.
"Literal or figurative," she asked, feeling a little playful.
"Both," he whispered, looking at her, longing hidden in his gaze. "If only.."
She gently kissed his beak, smiling softly, sadly at him. "No matter what. I mean it." She buried her face into his feathered chest, knowing that her love - wasn't what was needed to free him. But that was okay, no matter what. She'd force herself not to be hurt when the time came. She yawned quietly and fell asleep in his arms.
Fakir came up shortly and found him holding her tightly, almost afraid to let go, afraid that she'd disappear and his grip on his sanity would vanish. "You know the.."
"Fakir, at this point in time, I'm quite willing to hang the fairy tale rules that govern my life," he said, a faint raven caw in his tone. Even if his facial structure couldn't allow it, there was a decided wince when he heard the caw in his voice.
Tutu raced into the room, having heard the raven upstairs, her eyes widening, a quack nearly escaping her lips. A lily white hand rested against her breast as she tried to will her heart to steady. "You scared me," she breathed.
"Scared myself," Mytho responded, looking down at the sleeping maiden. "Tutu.. we need to finish what was started. I.. I can't go on like this." He shifted slightly so he could place her back on the bed and follow Tutu out of the room. "Fakir.. you know what you have to do," he said quietly.
Fakir frowned but nodded. "Of course," he said, glancing down at Lise, still sleeping, then up at Mytho's retreating figure. He moved to sit at Lise's side, stroking the hair off her face. "Please, don't end like Odette," he breathed, not wanting to even think of that horrifying concept.
Tutu had allowed Mytho to go ahead and heard Fakir's quiet plea. She could feel all her feathers flutter in an internal chilled breeze at the thought. She brought a hand up to her mouth, trying to keep her stomach from freeing its contents in a messy display. No, Lise would not end like Odette. She'd make sure of it. She hurried to Rue's room, and shook the girl awake. "Rue-chan," she pleaded.
Rue pushed herself up, looking up at the ballerina princess. "Tutu?" she asked quietly. "What?" Why did Tutu look like someone was...? Her mind screamed that Mytho was in danger, but the worried glance that Tutu shot in the direction of where Mytho had been - and hadn't she just seen his feathered form move by in that half sleep state she had been in? "Lise?" she ventured.
"Fakir.. He's afraid that she's the Odette to your Odile," she whispered, knowing that Rue would get the reference.
Rue's eyes widened and she sat up in a hurry. "I thought you were Odette."
"I can't say the words. It's what Drosselmeyer cursed me with. If I tell him my feelings, my true feelings, what I feel for him, I'll disappear in shoujo bubbles, or was it a speck of light?"
Rue paused for a moment, before shaking her head. "Drosselmeyer's on crack."
~
Lise was barely able to stand, having joined Tutu and Rue in the street. Her hands were resting on her chest, almost as if she was trying to still her unruly heart that was beating so strangely. She gave a tiny murmur of pain and winced, grateful when Rue joined her, supporting her. "My heart," she whispered.
Rue's own heart started to break as she watched her one time rival, her long time childhood friend, crumple into her arms, almost as if someone cut her strings. "Don't," she pleaded. "Mytho needs you." She glanced up just in time to see Mytho, heart almost restored (only one piece remained out of his reach - safeguarded by the ballerina princess, Tutu), fly up to the Monster Raven. "Lise, you have to tell him," she pleaded.
"But.."
"No buts, Lise. He loves you," she said. "He needs you more then he needs me. He always has!"
Lise glanced up at him, tears splashing down her cheeks. "Please, don't go!" she screamed, her hands resting against her unruly heart, trying desperately to stop it from feeling like it was exploding out of her chest. "Oh, God, please don't go!" she cried, crumpling to her knees. Was this what a breaking heart felt like, this feeling of sheer pain? "I've always loved you, Mytho! Ever since we met!" A heartbreaking sob escaped her and she curled up closer, wishing the pain would stop. "I'll always love you!" By now, the pain in her heart was so strong, she crumpled to the ground, frightening Rue.
"Lise? Lise!" She looked frantically up at the ballerina princess, seeing her bring a newly restored Mytho safely to the ground. "It's Lise!"
~
Lise settled in Mytho, wait, Siegfried's arms. She forgot that he had taken his real name back after the defeat of the Monster Raven. Still liked the name Mytho better. Siegfried only stirred bad memories of swans and curses and lakes and dying. She shuddered in his embrace before stilling.
"Something wrong?" he asked quietly.
"Swan lake," she muttered.
It took Siegfried several long moments to figure out what she had meant by her vague comment before he chuckled. "You're not going to end up like her, you know that."
"I know. Now. But then... Oh, God, Mytho," she said, turning to face him, refusing to use his real name, having been too used to his name that Fakir had given him. "It felt like I was dying all over again."
A faint smile did grace his lips, pleased to hear the name Mytho escape her lips - it felt more real, more him, then Siegfried ever did, had. He hadn't been that man in so long, he wasn't sure if he remembered what it was like to be him. "It's over. You're here, alive. And I'm with you," he said, stroking her dark hair. "No more curses, no more princesses turning into swans..."
"No more ducks turning into girls turning into princesses," she added softly, sadly, glancing over at the dock where Fakir sat, a transformed Ahiru sitting on his lap.
The grip on her shoulder tightened for a moment. "If Fakir is anything like him..." He noticed the odd flinch, and chuckled. "Well, not exactly like *that*..."
"May we never go through *that* again," she breathed. "I felt like Beauty and the Beast had a bastard love child with Swan Lake after you well..."
"Transformed into a Raven?"
"Eee-yeah."
Siegfried nodded in understanding. "We'll find a way to make things right for her, for them."
Lise nodded. "They deserve a happy ending. Especially with putting up with us."
"You mean me." He didn't intend to correct her, it just happened.
"I was trying to be nice."
Siegfried nodded again, sighing quietly as he thought of what transpired merely days ago. His heart still forced up feelings of regret (for hurting Rue, who had loved him, for nearly killing her, for forcing Tutu to chose between being human and being a duck) and other familiar and unfamiliar emotions. There, just right then, he could feel the pain of near loss welling up. The maiden in his arms, his grip tightened slightly, not realizing it. She nearly died. Again. He could see the bare whisps of the swan princess that she had been years, lifetimes ago. When was he going to learn to try and not kill Odette? She died once because he was an utter idiot - he should have suspected Rothbart had his hand in that, using his daughter... Although, looking at it through fresh eyes, he wondered how much of that was not his fault but the way Drosselmeyer set things up to attain his beloved tragedy. Guilt prodded him, however, reminding him that it was still his fault - no matter how much he wanted to candy coat it.
"You're brooding," she noted absently.
"With good reason. I nearly killed you.. again."
"Call me Odette one more time, and I swear, I'll shove you in the lake. That was me, a very long time ago. I've grown up a lot since then."
"Yes.. Odette," he said, teasing her. ..And ending up in the lake, like she had threatened. He let out a boisterous laugh. "That's my Lise." He climbed out of the lake, pulling her flush to him, ignoring her protests that he was getting her all wet now. He gently kissed her temple, smiling into her long dark hair. He had forgotten that swans had mated for life, rarely divorcing (well, ravens mated for life as well, but his bond to the swan was far more ancient then the one that the raven tried to craft with him.)
Set after the last episode, an AU of sorts. Lotti belongs to aislin_brunt and borrowed with permission
The fairy tale had ended, everything had gone back to the way it was. She had to admit that she was a bit sad that she hadn't been the one to free Mytho, Siegfried, she absently corrected herself, but he had cared for Rue. She sighed quietly, having just left ballet practice (one no longer run by Neko-sensei, since Neko-sensei had become a true cat once again). It was strange, she thought. After the defeat of the Monster Raven, there had been no ravens in Gold Crown Town. She gave another tired sigh before noticing *it*.
It was so small, that the bird could fit easily in the palm of her hand. She made her way over to it, carefully scooping up the *raven*. "Well, hello there," she cooed, oh so softly. "I thought you all left when he did." It didn't take her long to realize why this raven had been left behind - smaller then most and there was something about it. She studied it for a long moment before her lips curved upwards in a soft smile. Yes, that was it. The eyes - the perfect shade of amber. Just like his eyes.
She shook her head slightly, knowing she was being silly and yet.. and yet she wondered. "Well, I could use some company," she murmured quietly. "Would you like to stay with me, little raven?" she asked. A slightly stunned expression crossed her features when the small raven nodded in the affirmative - that yes, yes he would like to stay with her. "Okay, little one."
~
It was a fairly modest little house, one bed, one bath. Granted, it looked like it had seen better days but it was home. She set the small raven down on the table, before going to see if she had anything for it. "I should give you a name," she mused, not noticing that the raven was examining her pens and papers with great intent. "I just don't know what.. though.." her voice trailed off as she watched the small raven dip its beak into the inkpot and scratch something on a blank sheet.
Her eyes widened in horror as she saw what the raven had written. "Mytho?" she breathed. She could feel her legs giving out from under her as she tried to figure out why the raven - the raven with amber eyes, Mytho's eyes - was calling itself Mytho. She sat down, hard on the ground, trying to contemplate just what happened.
She wasn't quite sure how she found the strength to stand - only that she did. She drifted over to her phone and picked it up, dialing Lotti's number from memory. "Lotti, can you come over?" she asked, her voice strained. "I.. I think you really need to see this. Please."
She hung up after Lotti confirmed she was coming and turned back to see the raven, to see Mytho, scratching something onto the blank sheet. Her name. He wrote her name and she hadn't said it. He knew who she was. He *knew* who she was. Her breath came in a shuddery gasp as he preened himself, knowing she knew who he was.
"If.. if you're Mytho.. then who was it that left with Rue?" she asked, not sure she wanted to know. She gently reached over and lay a small finger on the raven's head. She drew back as soon as she heard the door. "This way, Lotti. He's in here," she called, guiding her friend to the room the bird, that Mytho was in. She looked at the raven, almost trembling.
The raven gave the newcomer the stink eye before dipping his beak into the ink and writing her name on the paper. The name Lotti followed by the name Fakir followed by girlfriend. He looked quite pleased.
"The most I said was your name on the phone. I didn't tell him anything else." She would have said more but the word my appeared before her name on the sheet and she nearly fainted.
Lise adjusted the straps of her slippers, trying to still her breaking heart. Little fool, she thought, bitter tears streaking down her cheeks. Honestly, how could she think that a girl like her was going to compare to the icy beauty of Rue? Mytho loved her - well, as much as a man without a heart could love anyone. She smoothed her tutu, the white feathers staring up at her mockingly, reminding her, teasing her, to then, when, he, she, were two different people and they loved each other. She clenched her hands together, trying to will herself to stop thinking about this. Odette was dead. Dead and gone, never to be revisited. She wouldn't bind herself to a man like that again, couldn't, wouldn't. No, would not think about that again.
Rue glanced over to see the other maiden, the white swan to her black swan, for this production. There was this look on her face as she glanced down at her white feathers - it wasn't a happy smile. Girls killed to dance as Odette - and Lise seemed most.. disappointed, reluctant? Why did she picture Lise as ... Silly. Honestly, that was more of a fairy tale then the Prince and the Raven. Okay, so yeah, things did seem like that was happening. So.. maybe.. No, Father would have at least mentioned something about Siegfried's love - all the better to hurt him with, the part of her that was Kraehe mused.
Lise tripped as she made her way to the stage, her hands feeling the impact first, her wrists instantly throbbing. She whimpered as she just allowed the pain to wash over her, distract her from thinking about her heart. She felt a hand grasp her upper arm and pull her to her feet. A heated blush formed on her cheeks as she saw Mytho, holding her hands, gently rotating her injured wrists to judge how damaged her wrists were from that fall. She could see Fakir glaring above his head.
Mytho just continued to gently rotate the wrists, making sure there's no real damage to those delicate bones. He knew Fakir was glaring at her above his head, or was he glaring at him for focusing on someone that he wasn't supposed to. He frowned just a little as he noticed her left wrist wasn't moving the way it should. Yes, there was some damage. "Come," he said quietly, gently, as he began to guide her to the nurse to have her wrists tended to. "That was a nasty spill you took, what happened."
"I.. I don't know. I guess I was distracted," she murmured. She didn't want to mention that her past had flared up when she glanced down at her costume. She trembled a moment as something reminded her of what had been, all this concern - he had been like that *then*. She just had to remind herself that she wasn't going to fall for him again - not wanting to risk a chance of seeing her ending up drowning in a lake again (she still had nightmares from that). No, she mentally shook herself - this wasn't Siegfried, it was just someone who bore a resemblance to that prince. The prince that broke her heart, left her, abandoned her to her fate.
Mytho caught her as she stumbled again. Clearly, her mind seemed to be elsewhere, elsewhen. He squeezed her shoulder tightly, trying to pull her back from the past, bring her back to the present, to the now, to them. He just didn't want her lost to whatever she remembered. She needed to be here, with them, a with him snaked its way free (confusing the already confused young man). "Lise," he said, trying to snap but it lacked the emotion to make it a true snap.
She blinked her blue eyes, trying to focus on him but there was some sort of ghost hovering over him and it was so distracting, and oh so familiar, and she really didn't... Of course, the train of thought she was having derailed as she crumpled into his arms, unconscious.
Mytho didn't squeak - princes didn't squeak from surprise, but damn it, he had not expected her to downright collapse into his arms like that. He shifted her position in his arms, instead of merely guiding her, now he was carrying her bridal style (which felt oddly right and oddly wrong at the same time - like he had no right to be carrying her this way and yet at the same time, that he had the right) to the nurse's office. He gently lay her down on the first empty bed and waited.
~
Mytho wasn't surprised when Fakir read him the riot act for his actions. Of course, it was hard to be surprised when one didn't have a heart to coax the emotion out of. So, he stood there, listening, filing it away for later recall. Something about being stupid, that she was a big girl, that he didn't have to.. "Enough," he said flatly, finally.
Fakir blinked at the quiet command. Mytho never stopped him before, and so, very reluctantly, he did stop.
Set during the last episode
Lise tucked her knees under her chin, glancing over at the slumbering form in the bed near the window. She sighed quietly and continued her silent vigil over the cursed prince. Her gaze shifted to the door upon hearing it creak open. "No change," she said softly, knowing who it was even before they had fully entered the room. "He still sleeps."
Fakir nodded and made his way in. "How you holding up?" he asked, his gaze fixed on her and instead of his prince, the one he promised to protect.
"Hanging in there," she said, glancing over at the transformed prince and then back to Fakir. "The others?" Silently, she wondered when Beauty and the Beast merged with Swan Lake and what other cracked out fairy tale that Drosselmeyer was throwing into the mix. Personally, she thought he should have stuck to being the toymaker in the Nutcracker and been done with it.
"Ahiru, or rather, Tutu's pacing, trying to figure out how to get the heart shards without waking the Raven, which is proving to be difficult. Rue is sleeping in the spare room, the guilt of what she's done finally catching up to her. Autor's going over the original source material for this increasingly fractured fairy tale, well, as much as this fractured fairy tale had for source material and well," he paused and held up his injured hand. "Grateful that's not my writing hand."
She gave a small nod to show that she heard, though her attention had by and large shifted back to the sleeping figure.
"You eaten yet?"
That question drew her out of her silent, melancholy thoughts and startled her for a moment before she managed to collect her thoughts enough to answer the question. "No appetite," she confessed. "Besides," she continued softly. "I want to be here when he wakes."
Fakir blew out a sigh, more out of exasperation then anything else. "I'll get you something to eat up here if you're going to be that stubborn."
"No, don't. Seriously, Fakir, I don't think I could eat anything. Stomach's all tied up in large knots," she said softly. "Family relations be damned, but that relative of yours is a sadist."
Fakir dryly chuckled at her pronouncement. "You have no idea." He moved over to where she sat and stood behind her, resting his uninjured hand on her shoulder. "You know he won't be happy with you if he learns you haven't eaten."
"I'll deal with it when he wakes," she said, sighing quietly.
~
Ahiru glanced up at Fakir as he came down the stairs, looking exhausted and irritated in equal measures. "Something troubles you," she noted quietly, smoothing the soft material of her tutu.
"Yeah, upstairs sleeping," he gestured to the room he came out of. "He's still asleep and she's refusing to eat in the chance he wakes up and doesn't have anyone to tell him what's happened to him."
"She loves him," she said softly, regretfully since she too loved the prince but could not say anything about it, lest she disappear in a flurry of stardust and light. "If the Monster Raven were to ask for a pure heart to free him, there's no doubt in my mind that she'd offer hers up, just to spare Mytho this fate."
Autor glanced up from the book he was currently reading, dissecting, and nodded in agreement to the ballerina princess's assessment of the situation. "That does seem a likely scenario," he said quietly, not wanting to wake either the sleeping prince or the sleeping princess. "Although, she should be aware that as Rue is the Raven Princess, or was, that she'd be the more likely person to be chosen by Mytho to be his princess."
"And I would like to think that I would be able to choose who I want without the benefit of a fairy tale telling me the proper course of action," a voice said as it descended the stairs. The more raven then man being that Mytho had become glanced at the trio, and let loose a tired sigh. He wish he could smirk, but the beak robbed him of most facial expressions (luckily, glares still worked), especially since he caught the guilty looks the trio exchanged for trying to decide without his opinion.
"Lise?" Autor asked, noticing the girl hadn't come down with Mytho.
"Asleep," he said, eyeing the pot with a little contempt. He had no idea what was in it - but.. it did *not* look edible. Did *not* smell edible. At all. "Please tell me that's not fowl."
Autor blinked before shaking his head. "Oatmeal."
"Is it supposed to be bubbling like that?" he asked, peering into the pot to get a better look. Nope, still didn't look edible.
"Um.." Ahiru started, blushing to the roots of her hair. "So I'm not the world's best cook."
"Ah," came the raven's response.
~
Lise stirred hours later, propping herself up on her elbow. She yawned quietly and moved to get out of bed when she saw a pair of glowing eyes staring at her from the doorway. Her blue eyes widened and she froze mid-movement. She relaxed when the person fully entered the room. "Seriously, Mytho, are you trying to give me heart failure," she said, her hand resting on her breast - as if to try and steady the unruly organ hidden within.
"And did I succeed?" he asked dryly.
"I'm still talking, aren't I?"
Mytho gave a throaty chuckle at that. "Yes, I suppose you are." He made his way over to her side and settled down in the chair, or rather, perched on it, much like a bird would. It did bother him a little, that he was give into the instincts that easily.
She studied him as he sat there, her gaze softening as she took in his cursed form. She silently reached over and placed her hand on his wing, savoring the touch of feathers beneath her skin. "We will free you, Mytho," she said quietly. "Just have faith."
"Faith's all I have left."
She withdrew her hand and rose, settling next to him on the chair, her head resting even with his heart.
He wrapped his wings around her, holding her close to him. "Remember how we first met," he said quietly, trying to lighten a somber mood.
"Hm.." she murmured. She allowed her memories to drift back to that day. Had it truly been that long ago that they had been so young, so innocent, so *normal*?
"I will say this, if Neko-sensei even thinks about casting me as the Beast for the next time we perform Beauty and the Beast, I will walk out of the class," he grumped quietly. "It's not funny," he said, glaring down at the girl trying not to snicker in his arms.
"Your feathers are tickling me," she giggled, squirming in his grip. It wasn't her fault that her waist was one of her ticklish spots (it was a clear exercise in willpower not to laugh during class when the men would brush her waist with their hands during the various lifts).
"Ticklish, huh," he said, running his feathers up and down her waist, enjoying the results of watching her squirm, giggle, writhe in pure amusement. It felt wrong to enjoy seeing her react while he was like this, but this was one of the few times they were able to be together, given that everyone believed his newly restored heart (well, as restored as it could get without awakening and freeing the Monster Raven) belonged to the ex-princess of the ravens, not to this maiden that was with him now.
~~
Mytho sat in class, watching the ballerinas dance, his gaze somewhat focused on Rue (as he had been told to be by Rue) when his golden gaze drifted to the figure just entering the class. His lips curved upwards in a small smile as he watched her skittishly enter the classroom, whispering apologies in a delicately accented voice to Neko-sensei for arriving late due to her alarm clock not going off properly since it was set incorrectly since the time zones were different. There was something about that accent that stirred something in him - just what he couldn't remember. He rose slowly and made his way over to Neko-sensei.
"Ah, Mytho-san," Neko-sensei began. "Would you assist, Miss..."
"Lise," she quietly supplied, smiling shyly at the young man, a blush staining her pale cheeks a rich rose.
Mytho stood there, silent for a moment before nodding his agreement to the feline ballet instructor. He bowed gracefully to the young maiden and offered his hand.
Her blush deepened as she shyly took the hand and allowed him to guide her in a private dance before Neko-sensei, merely for him to judge which class she was going to be in.
~
Mytho glanced over at Lise, who was battling with the ruffles and frills of the period dress she had been stuck in for the small concert part of the newest program they were doing. Of course, not that he was much better off, looking much like a jackanape - knee britches, high socks, high collared jacket. All of which seemed familiar in some distant misty fashion, he knew he should know why but he'd be damned if he could remember. How did Fakir talk him into this? he silently pondered as he tugged on the loosely tied necktie. He approached her quietly, intent on doing something about her fussing. He grabbed her hand, staying it as she went to battle again against the frill collar her gown had.
Lise blushed a rich rose and shyly glanced away. "You look handsome, Mytho," she murmured quietly. "Although, you look positively ghostly, all that white and cream."
"The song they're having me do is set shortly after the wedding," he said dryly. "So of course I'm in white and cream."
She mock glared at him and stuck her tongue out at him.
"In some places.. that's an invitation," he said, eyebrow quirked.
She blanched quickly, having forgotten that little tidbit. "Oh, God."
Mytho chuckled at her reaction, shaking his head. He walked to the stage, letting her follow at her leisure so she could hear him perform. "No, stay. I don't care what you've said or done. Don't go away. Not now, when life had just begun. Come back! And be the woman who I knew," he sang, pleading to her off stage. "Help me to believe in you. What on earth am I to do?"
"She's gone, this vision who was not quite real. I must move on, despite the pain. The pain will heal. Oh, Lord, how could you let me love like this?" he cried, brokenly. "No one dies upon a kiss, and only fools believe in bliss. And yes, God knows I am a fool, a man deluded by his wife, a figure ripe for ridicule who's lived a vain and useless life. So be it then. I'll play that game! I do not give a tinker's damn. I'll be a fool, it's all the same. It truly doesn't matter what I am!" he cried, his voice breaking with the emotion that he had long since lost since the splintering of his heart those years ago. Granted, Tutu was returning his splintered heart to him - slowly and surely.
"God, no! I'm broken, but I'm still alive. And slowly, I will feel my soul revive. With time, I'll find a way to right this wrong -- If it takes my whole life long... Lord, I'll fight my battles all alone, but make me strong," he sang, watching her tear up offstage before watching her rush onto stage and embrace him tightly, weeping on his jacket.
He froze, not having fully realized how his singing would affect the young maiden. He awkwardly stroked her back, before relaxing and murmuring soothing sounds. "Methinks my wife is overemotional on this her wedding night, wot?" he said, trying to make it sound somewhat in character - even if nothing else was. "Marguerite" wasn't supposed to have heard that song, wasn't supposed to show this level of emotion until near the end of the musical - if judging by that soundtrack that Rue had been torturing him with for the past week.
The sounds of her quiet sobbing was the only sound that seemed to linger in his ears, before he silently guided her off the stage to compose herself before she sang her chosen song. "Shh," he crooned. "It's okay, it's okay. Shh." He couldn't make out what she was saying, her sobs, her tears were mucking up her speech. He assumed she was apologizing for something that just was not her fault - it pained him to think of her feeling guilty for something that was not her fault, that she hadn't done. She was just like him - and he was just like Fakir right now. "Little idiot," he said affectionately (or as best he could). "You aren't Marguerite. You've done nothing to warrant these tears." He gently reached over and wiped her tears away.
~~
"Let me be your wings, let me be your only love, let me take you far beyond the stars. Let me be your wings, let me lift you high above, everything we're dreaming of will soon be ours. Anything that you desire, anything at all, everyday I'll take you higher, and I'll never let you fall! Let me be your wings, leave behind the world you know for another world of wondrous things. We'll see the universe and dance on Saturn's rings. Fly with me and I will be your wings. Anything that you desire, anything at all," he sang, hearing her softly echo him with a "Anything at all". "Everyday I'll take you higher and I'll never let you fall."
"You will be my wings," she sang in counterpoint to his "Let me be your wings". "You will be my only love."
"Get ready for another world of wondrous things," he sang, smiling softly (or smiling as best he could) at hearing her echo him again, "Wondrous things are sure to happen."
"We'll see the universe and dance on Saturn's rings," they sang, their voices blending. "Heaven isn't too far," he sang, looking at her. "Heaven is where you are," she answered, looking into his eyes. "Stay with me and let me be your wings, you'll be my wings," they sang, their voices merging as she curled into his waiting arms.
"Literal or figurative," she asked, feeling a little playful.
"Both," he whispered, looking at her, longing hidden in his gaze. "If only.."
She gently kissed his beak, smiling softly, sadly at him. "No matter what. I mean it." She buried her face into his feathered chest, knowing that her love - wasn't what was needed to free him. But that was okay, no matter what. She'd force herself not to be hurt when the time came. She yawned quietly and fell asleep in his arms.
Fakir came up shortly and found him holding her tightly, almost afraid to let go, afraid that she'd disappear and his grip on his sanity would vanish. "You know the.."
"Fakir, at this point in time, I'm quite willing to hang the fairy tale rules that govern my life," he said, a faint raven caw in his tone. Even if his facial structure couldn't allow it, there was a decided wince when he heard the caw in his voice.
Tutu raced into the room, having heard the raven upstairs, her eyes widening, a quack nearly escaping her lips. A lily white hand rested against her breast as she tried to will her heart to steady. "You scared me," she breathed.
"Scared myself," Mytho responded, looking down at the sleeping maiden. "Tutu.. we need to finish what was started. I.. I can't go on like this." He shifted slightly so he could place her back on the bed and follow Tutu out of the room. "Fakir.. you know what you have to do," he said quietly.
Fakir frowned but nodded. "Of course," he said, glancing down at Lise, still sleeping, then up at Mytho's retreating figure. He moved to sit at Lise's side, stroking the hair off her face. "Please, don't end like Odette," he breathed, not wanting to even think of that horrifying concept.
Tutu had allowed Mytho to go ahead and heard Fakir's quiet plea. She could feel all her feathers flutter in an internal chilled breeze at the thought. She brought a hand up to her mouth, trying to keep her stomach from freeing its contents in a messy display. No, Lise would not end like Odette. She'd make sure of it. She hurried to Rue's room, and shook the girl awake. "Rue-chan," she pleaded.
Rue pushed herself up, looking up at the ballerina princess. "Tutu?" she asked quietly. "What?" Why did Tutu look like someone was...? Her mind screamed that Mytho was in danger, but the worried glance that Tutu shot in the direction of where Mytho had been - and hadn't she just seen his feathered form move by in that half sleep state she had been in? "Lise?" she ventured.
"Fakir.. He's afraid that she's the Odette to your Odile," she whispered, knowing that Rue would get the reference.
Rue's eyes widened and she sat up in a hurry. "I thought you were Odette."
"I can't say the words. It's what Drosselmeyer cursed me with. If I tell him my feelings, my true feelings, what I feel for him, I'll disappear in shoujo bubbles, or was it a speck of light?"
Rue paused for a moment, before shaking her head. "Drosselmeyer's on crack."
~
Lise was barely able to stand, having joined Tutu and Rue in the street. Her hands were resting on her chest, almost as if she was trying to still her unruly heart that was beating so strangely. She gave a tiny murmur of pain and winced, grateful when Rue joined her, supporting her. "My heart," she whispered.
Rue's own heart started to break as she watched her one time rival, her long time childhood friend, crumple into her arms, almost as if someone cut her strings. "Don't," she pleaded. "Mytho needs you." She glanced up just in time to see Mytho, heart almost restored (only one piece remained out of his reach - safeguarded by the ballerina princess, Tutu), fly up to the Monster Raven. "Lise, you have to tell him," she pleaded.
"But.."
"No buts, Lise. He loves you," she said. "He needs you more then he needs me. He always has!"
Lise glanced up at him, tears splashing down her cheeks. "Please, don't go!" she screamed, her hands resting against her unruly heart, trying desperately to stop it from feeling like it was exploding out of her chest. "Oh, God, please don't go!" she cried, crumpling to her knees. Was this what a breaking heart felt like, this feeling of sheer pain? "I've always loved you, Mytho! Ever since we met!" A heartbreaking sob escaped her and she curled up closer, wishing the pain would stop. "I'll always love you!" By now, the pain in her heart was so strong, she crumpled to the ground, frightening Rue.
"Lise? Lise!" She looked frantically up at the ballerina princess, seeing her bring a newly restored Mytho safely to the ground. "It's Lise!"
~
Lise settled in Mytho, wait, Siegfried's arms. She forgot that he had taken his real name back after the defeat of the Monster Raven. Still liked the name Mytho better. Siegfried only stirred bad memories of swans and curses and lakes and dying. She shuddered in his embrace before stilling.
"Something wrong?" he asked quietly.
"Swan lake," she muttered.
It took Siegfried several long moments to figure out what she had meant by her vague comment before he chuckled. "You're not going to end up like her, you know that."
"I know. Now. But then... Oh, God, Mytho," she said, turning to face him, refusing to use his real name, having been too used to his name that Fakir had given him. "It felt like I was dying all over again."
A faint smile did grace his lips, pleased to hear the name Mytho escape her lips - it felt more real, more him, then Siegfried ever did, had. He hadn't been that man in so long, he wasn't sure if he remembered what it was like to be him. "It's over. You're here, alive. And I'm with you," he said, stroking her dark hair. "No more curses, no more princesses turning into swans..."
"No more ducks turning into girls turning into princesses," she added softly, sadly, glancing over at the dock where Fakir sat, a transformed Ahiru sitting on his lap.
The grip on her shoulder tightened for a moment. "If Fakir is anything like him..." He noticed the odd flinch, and chuckled. "Well, not exactly like *that*..."
"May we never go through *that* again," she breathed. "I felt like Beauty and the Beast had a bastard love child with Swan Lake after you well..."
"Transformed into a Raven?"
"Eee-yeah."
Siegfried nodded in understanding. "We'll find a way to make things right for her, for them."
Lise nodded. "They deserve a happy ending. Especially with putting up with us."
"You mean me." He didn't intend to correct her, it just happened.
"I was trying to be nice."
Siegfried nodded again, sighing quietly as he thought of what transpired merely days ago. His heart still forced up feelings of regret (for hurting Rue, who had loved him, for nearly killing her, for forcing Tutu to chose between being human and being a duck) and other familiar and unfamiliar emotions. There, just right then, he could feel the pain of near loss welling up. The maiden in his arms, his grip tightened slightly, not realizing it. She nearly died. Again. He could see the bare whisps of the swan princess that she had been years, lifetimes ago. When was he going to learn to try and not kill Odette? She died once because he was an utter idiot - he should have suspected Rothbart had his hand in that, using his daughter... Although, looking at it through fresh eyes, he wondered how much of that was not his fault but the way Drosselmeyer set things up to attain his beloved tragedy. Guilt prodded him, however, reminding him that it was still his fault - no matter how much he wanted to candy coat it.
"You're brooding," she noted absently.
"With good reason. I nearly killed you.. again."
"Call me Odette one more time, and I swear, I'll shove you in the lake. That was me, a very long time ago. I've grown up a lot since then."
"Yes.. Odette," he said, teasing her. ..And ending up in the lake, like she had threatened. He let out a boisterous laugh. "That's my Lise." He climbed out of the lake, pulling her flush to him, ignoring her protests that he was getting her all wet now. He gently kissed her temple, smiling into her long dark hair. He had forgotten that swans had mated for life, rarely divorcing (well, ravens mated for life as well, but his bond to the swan was far more ancient then the one that the raven tried to craft with him.)
Set after the last episode, an AU of sorts. Lotti belongs to aislin_brunt and borrowed with permission
The fairy tale had ended, everything had gone back to the way it was. She had to admit that she was a bit sad that she hadn't been the one to free Mytho, Siegfried, she absently corrected herself, but he had cared for Rue. She sighed quietly, having just left ballet practice (one no longer run by Neko-sensei, since Neko-sensei had become a true cat once again). It was strange, she thought. After the defeat of the Monster Raven, there had been no ravens in Gold Crown Town. She gave another tired sigh before noticing *it*.
It was so small, that the bird could fit easily in the palm of her hand. She made her way over to it, carefully scooping up the *raven*. "Well, hello there," she cooed, oh so softly. "I thought you all left when he did." It didn't take her long to realize why this raven had been left behind - smaller then most and there was something about it. She studied it for a long moment before her lips curved upwards in a soft smile. Yes, that was it. The eyes - the perfect shade of amber. Just like his eyes.
She shook her head slightly, knowing she was being silly and yet.. and yet she wondered. "Well, I could use some company," she murmured quietly. "Would you like to stay with me, little raven?" she asked. A slightly stunned expression crossed her features when the small raven nodded in the affirmative - that yes, yes he would like to stay with her. "Okay, little one."
~
It was a fairly modest little house, one bed, one bath. Granted, it looked like it had seen better days but it was home. She set the small raven down on the table, before going to see if she had anything for it. "I should give you a name," she mused, not noticing that the raven was examining her pens and papers with great intent. "I just don't know what.. though.." her voice trailed off as she watched the small raven dip its beak into the inkpot and scratch something on a blank sheet.
Her eyes widened in horror as she saw what the raven had written. "Mytho?" she breathed. She could feel her legs giving out from under her as she tried to figure out why the raven - the raven with amber eyes, Mytho's eyes - was calling itself Mytho. She sat down, hard on the ground, trying to contemplate just what happened.
She wasn't quite sure how she found the strength to stand - only that she did. She drifted over to her phone and picked it up, dialing Lotti's number from memory. "Lotti, can you come over?" she asked, her voice strained. "I.. I think you really need to see this. Please."
She hung up after Lotti confirmed she was coming and turned back to see the raven, to see Mytho, scratching something onto the blank sheet. Her name. He wrote her name and she hadn't said it. He knew who she was. He *knew* who she was. Her breath came in a shuddery gasp as he preened himself, knowing she knew who he was.
"If.. if you're Mytho.. then who was it that left with Rue?" she asked, not sure she wanted to know. She gently reached over and lay a small finger on the raven's head. She drew back as soon as she heard the door. "This way, Lotti. He's in here," she called, guiding her friend to the room the bird, that Mytho was in. She looked at the raven, almost trembling.
The raven gave the newcomer the stink eye before dipping his beak into the ink and writing her name on the paper. The name Lotti followed by the name Fakir followed by girlfriend. He looked quite pleased.
"The most I said was your name on the phone. I didn't tell him anything else." She would have said more but the word my appeared before her name on the sheet and she nearly fainted.