Side Chapter: Festival With Farrah (IV).
The rest of the day, the two enjoyed each other's company.
…
After the maid cafe they explored what other booths were available.
"Well then what's next on our list?"
"I could take you to the next booth there's a horror house, if you're a fan can we visit? Maybe a potion stall- I recently made a few friends there. Oh or maybe you'd want something exciting like um… broom riding? I'm not a professional but I've tried and it was very fun!" The heroine asks the side character on what activities they can tackle for the rest of the afternoon.
Even though Analissa has been feeling haggard and tired because of the toll on the play, she tries her best to keep smiling to give Farrah the best tour ever around their academy.
She doesn't memorize the whole academy just yet so she can just show her some of the parts that she knows.
"Um… I'm not sure." (Farrah) held her basket full of baked treats and observed the blonde girl carefully as Analissa's eyes wandered around the school grounds full of students roaming and laughing to themselves while checking out the other stalls. "Are you okay touring me around the academy? Maybe you have friends that would…"
Hearing the word friends made the heroine laugh, "Oh no I don't have many friends, only about two for now. It's Lady Evelyn and Lord Einsel, they visited the restaurant a few times but I'm not sure you remember them."
She puts up two fingers, having Lady Evelyn and Lord Ein by her side is nice. The whole high section is also warming up to her recently… Her selfless act of bravery of taking on the role of the prince made everyone change their attitudes a little.
Lady Serene Sinclair especially, her stares have been getting a lot softer towards her recently.
Losimer chirps angrily hearing that and pulls on one of the strands of her hair gaining her attention. He complains about how he was not included- how is it that a traitorous blue-haired boy was even counted on the friend list?!
"Tweet! Chirp, chirp!"
"Sorry! I forgot about Losimer- make that three. Don't be mad!" He really was similar to his master.
Both really easy to tease and to please.
"...I remember her." (Farrah) smiles seeing the heroine so happy but it was clear behind that happy expression she's forced to put on were tired eyes in need of sleep.
"So Farrah, where do you want to go after eating? I'll be touring around wherever you want to go, you know?" She pats Losimer as if soothing his little heart after being forgotten in her count of friends. "Don't hesitate to point out anywhere you want!"
Farrah lowered her guard and wanted to be honest with Miss Analissa. She's not good with crowded places- which is ironic since she works with a restaurant but then again she's taken up kitchen duties and enjoyed cooking for others.
"I-I…!"
She hesitated and considered ignoring these feelings…
But the memory of her grandmother's words echoed in her mind along with her usual warm smile. 'You've been smiling a lot lately.'
"..." With newfound strength to protect these feelings that she's never felt before, she wanted to be honest and finally ask what Farrah would call a selfish and bold request. "I want us to be alone. M-Maybe, um… just the two of us?"
The two of us.
Those words again.
"O-Oh!" (Analissa) almost steps back a little from the surprise, she blinks a little looking confused on why Farrah wanted for them to be alone together- she can do that for her but… "Alone I mean- it's sort of hard to find a place where we could be alone but um… I think I know of one. The academy's garden would be empty because of the festival. If you'd like, we can go there."
'She's recently not the only one requesting to have some alone time. Since when did I get so popular…?' (Analissa) was having an existential crisis on why people have been asking her to hang out recently. 'I haven't been much to the school garden anyways but surely I can get there.'
"You… I um… T-This must be a weird request but I just want you to rest." (Farrah) lowers her head a little, gripping into the handle of the basket, her face all red from the shame she's feeling. She would never ask anyone for anything, "I want us to sit down and enjoy the afternoon. I-I could tell… you're tired."
Losimer gazed down at the blonde girl, his eyes narrowing as he tried to read the emotion etched across her face.
"I-I'm sorry it's just that when I saw you at the play… you looked tired and um… I think you're only forcing yourself to look cheerful and happy for me. I just… I don't want you to push yourself." She confesses, scared that the girl in front of her might not want to hang out anymore after making that request. "I-Is that okay? I-I hope you're okay with it."
Farrah was so nervous she could feel her palm sweating and her heart beating out of her chest like a loud drum.
For many this might seem a simple task.
But for her… asking out the person you like to sit down almost felt like it was the end of the world.
"Sure! Let's go sit down somewhere!"
"...!"
Analissa scratches the side of her cheek, unable to lie towards Farrah because with the sudden role of being the prince got her social battery drained. "I'm actually glad you told me you wanted to sit down. I never expected for someone to notice how I was feeling. I think I get what you're trying to say, you're worried for me right?"
Farrah's heart calmed down, seeing Analissa's kind and understanding eyes.
"Thank you, I really appreciate it. So… let's go to the garden now shall we?"
===
The Garden
===
The rest of the academy was alive with the distant sounds of laughter, clinking stalls, and bursts of festival music- but here, along the garden path, there was only quiet. Pale stone tiles traced a gentle line through beds of enchanted blooms, their petals shimmering faintly in the hush, as if aware that this place was meant for softer things.
Farrah walked slowly, her fingertips trailing the edge of a hedge shaped like a sleeping gryphon. The roses beside it breathed a perfume tinged with old spells- warm, calming, a magic meant to soothe. Beside her, Analissa moved in step, the soft rustle of her gown the only sound between them for a moment too long.
Above, lilac vines wound through a pergola, casting lazy, moving shadows across the path. The air was cool here, and still. It felt like the garden itself had paused, holding its breath just for them.
Farrah glanced at Analissa, a nervous flick of the eyes.
Analissa smiled, not with her lips but her eyes. She hides her nervousness with it, 'Thank god that we didn't get lost. Good thing my memory is sharp, I remember walking along here when I first got reincarnated into another world.'
The kabedon was a nice memory.
"Well this is the academy's garden. There's a few benches where we can sit." They moved a little further to the edge of the garden and found a bench where they can comfortably sit resting underneath a tree. "Come sit down with me, Farrah. The flowers here are absolutely lovely."
"Thank you." (Farrah) sat down, body a little stiff as they took in the scene of the garden together.
Analissa stretches her arms and placed Losimer down to her shoulder instead of always nesting in her head. "I guess knowing Farrah I should've expected you to like gardens. They're peaceful, nice and calm just like you. There's a lot of flowers out here to admire."
"...I've only been to a few. Usually alone, this is the first time I've been to a garden with a good friend. These days I've only been seeing you at work… I um… wanted to see you more often." (Farrah) wonders in another life, what if she was a student just like her attending the academy?
Could they also stroll the gardens more frequently just like this?
"Mm… yawn… we definitely could hang out more often outside of work." (Analissa) mutters out weakly, her eyes wanting to drift off to sleep.
Farrah notices this and leans over slightly asking, "A-Are you sleepy?"
Analissa yawned covering her mouth and nodded. "A little… after the adrenaline rush leaves my body… I guess you're right I was pushing myself to the limit today. Acting in front of all those people made me… so… tired."
A sacrifice that she didn't need to make.
She could've just let the play roll out on its own, with its missing prince. However, seeing the whole class who also have worked hard… their noble status being on the line- if such issues were spread it would be investigated and many nasty rumors would spread.
Lady Evelyn… would be burdened by it.
"I… I did my best today…" (Analissa) murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
She didn't realize it herself, but her body was too tired- too warm from the sun, too lulled by the hush of the garden. Slowly, unconsciously, she began to lean. Her shoulder brushed against Farrah's, and then, with a quiet sigh, she slid the rest of the way down until her head came to rest there.
Farrah froze, breath catching.
"..." The weight was light, gentle, but it rooted her in place like a spell. She turned her head just slightly, enough to see the way Analissa's lashes had fluttered shut, how her brow-so tense earlier-had finally relaxed.
Farrah didn't speak.
She just sat there, still as stone, heart louder than any festival music in the distance.
"Chirp." (Losimer) who carefully flies down onto Analissa's lap starts getting comfortable as well. He was tired of watching over his master and the person she admires. He'll give the first watch shift to the scary yet kind muscular lady.
"You were wonderful today, Miss Analissa." (Farrah) also drifts off to take a short nap.
And somehow, the silence between them felt full- like the garden, in its quiet magic, had always been waiting for this moment.
===
One Hour Later
===
"Eh?"
"..."
Analissa was the first to wake among the three of them.
The moment awareness returned, her eyes widened- and her face flushed deep red as she realized she'd been using Farrah's shoulder as a pillow far too freely. Embarrassment surged through her, and she began to sit up in a fluster-
"Eh…?"
"Zzz…"
She froze.
Because nestled comfortably across her lap, wings tucked in and head bobbing slightly with each snore, was Losimer- sound asleep.
A soft squawk escaped his beak mid-dream, but he didn
't stir.
Analissa stared down at the slumbering bird, then glanced at Farrah still dozing peacefully beside her, and let out a long, quiet sigh.
"…I guess I'm the pillow now."
Analissa sat perfectly still, arms slightly raised, as if moving too quickly might wake either of them. She didn't dare shift- Losimer had nuzzled deeper into her lap, feathers puffed up like a content little furnace, and Farrah still leaned faintly against her shoulder.
Then, with a slow inhale, Farrah stirred.
"...Mmm." Her voice was quiet, hoarse from sleep. She blinked once, then again, eyelids heavy. "...What time is it...?"
Analissa glanced toward the garden's open archway, where the warm glow of late afternoon had dimmed into the cool blues of early evening.
"I... think we slept through most of it," she said, her voice hushed, not wanting to wake Losimer. "The festival's almost over."
Farrah let out a sleepy hum. "That's okay... We saw something amazing today, Miss Analissa."
Analissa turned her head, curious. "We did?"
Farrah smiled without opening her eyes. "Mmhm. This."
Losimer snorted suddenly in his sleep, one foot kicking the air before settling again.
Analissa stifled a laugh, and for a while, they just sat there- three unlikely festival-goers tangled in the hush of a fading day, surrounded by blossoms and warmth that lingered long after the sun had dipped below the towers of the academy.
…
There weren't only booths and stalls being coordinated and organized by students, there were also a few commoners and merchants doing their business inside of the school with proper paperwork.
Since the school festival's second day is almost over- many have started packing up.
"Tweet… tweet."
"Yawn… that was a good nap. Isn't that right, Losimer?" Her eyes looked around at several stalls closing when something caught her eye.
"Farrah wait-! I think I found something that you might like!" (Analissa) had to stop at one of the public booths after eyeing something that Farrah would like. "Can I take a look at this, sir?"
The man who was running the booth nodded with a smile. "You have a keen eye, miss. Please take a look at everything. I have these made weeks ago, I excel in jewelry making. This type of design seems to be popular with girls who adore animals."
They intended to look around the wares, "Considering that I'm touring you around don't you think we should get you a souvenir? My treat~"
Analissa excitedly browsed all the other jewelry with silver sculpted animals. Farrah liked animals, right? Maybe she should give her a little souvenir to not forget this day.
"This is a cute necklace that has a cat dangling on it, what do you think?" (Analissa) asks, pointing at the necklace.
"I'm not… really fond of cats." (Farrah) smiles her eyes browsing through the wares, until something catches her eye. "H-Hamsters…"
Analissa lights up hearing of hamsters. "Oh right, you mentioned before that you had a pet hamster growing up. What was his name again…"
Farrah nodded, lips curving in fond memory. "Hamham… You look just like him whenever you eat."
"T-Thank you? I think that's a compliment…" (Analissa) blinked, a bit flustered.
"If it's hamsters you want," The vendor gestures to his wares, "then you're in luck, miss!" She motioned to the table covered in tiny trinkets and charm necklaces, each more adorable than the last.
"You can browse all of them here. We've got loads of designs to choose from," The vendor continues, picking up a piece, "But if I'm being honest… my favorite is this little guy eating sunflower seeds."
"Tweet!" (Losimer) chirps his eyes locked into the flower seeds.
"Losimer," (Analissa) sighed, giving the bird a look as he pecked at a bead, "I don't think those are real sunflower seeds."
Farrah held up the necklace- a tiny, chubby-cheeked hamster caught mid-snack and couldn't help the grin tugging at her lips."It really does look like you, I love it." she teased, eyes dancing.
Analissa blinked, her cheeks flushing.
Farrah glanced at the necklace again, her expression softening.
"Well that's settled then," (Analissa) said, stepping forward and taking her money out of her inventory. "[Inventorium]. I'll take it, please."
Before Farrah could protest, Analissa had already handed over the coins to the vendor.
"Miss Analissa-"
Analissa winks with a playful smile. "My treat."
The vendor chuckled as they tucked the necklace into a small pouch and handed it over. "Thank you for your purchase. You two seem like very good friends."
"We are," Analissa replied without hesitation.
Farrah turned to look at her, something tender flickering in her eyes surprised, touched, and quietly grateful. She looked down at the pouch- then back at her. "I-I'll treasure it. Always."
…
Back home…
"Grandma! Look at what I got today!" (Farrah) showed her souvenir to her grandma and wore it even during work hours after.
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