Okay, That's it! You're coming with me! (Selina and Spade)

[Spade - Council]

And so, though it had been MANY years since she'd set foot in Nowhere the eldest daughter of Mama found herself having to leave again. But with her younger sister...

She didn't know she was holding her breath until the Gyspies whispers all around her came whisping into her ears. The dust rising up and attacking the air from each heavy step she took. Up until now the birth of Spade had been nought but a rumor. A whisper in The Wind. Seeing her heaviness in person now. And knowing she had been banned from Nowhere until now only gave those rumors truth. 

She shifted oddly a moment. A breathy wince pressing out her nose. She stopped walking then and all the Gyspies around just stopped and stared and kept their whispers going. Most thought she was tired or uncomfortable with the unfavourable attention. But if you paid close enough attention. It wasn't at all that. 

She didn't say hello to anyone. Just went straight to her old carriage and locked the door. Not even Mama got so much as a glimpse of her before she could hideaway. Spade collapsed once alone. No one knew. No one could help anyway. 

She reemerged when the sun was setting and the bonfire was preparing to be lit. Siting before Mama now who surprisingly was all but happy. Spade couldn't sit still. Shifting. Occasionally letting an audibly huffy pant from her nose alone. Closing her eyes as she resisted the urge to scratch. Clearing her throat and swallowing hard. Eventually, Mama's chastising and anger came to a slow stop. And her look of anger changed to one of concern. 

"Moonpie..." 

She couldn't even finish the question before Spade growled at the sound of her family's name for her.

"...Are you-"

"-No.

Or I wouldn't be acting like this."

Mama swallowed hard to get past the lump in her throat. Taking an audible breath through her mouth as if to speak as she approached her daughter. She reached out to give her a loving caress on the face. But Spade went out of her way to flinch away. Letting out an audible whimper at her own movements.

And so, Mama pulled back just as quickly as Spade had moved away. But once she saw the condition Luna was in she knelt down beside her and helped her sit up straight. "So the Rumors are true...What can we do to help?" 

"Nothing."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Spade sat near the bonfire. The music blaring and people dancing. Hours had passed since she spoke to Mama and she still hadn't seen all her siblings since then. One in particular. She had white hair when she'd last seen Selina. The wildflower who danced too close to the fire but never got burned. She looked around. Honestly, she was surprised she hadn't been tackled by her sister yet. She was even almost offended. 

She stood and found Mama. Most of their siblings had been with her in the pack. So none of them would know why Selina wasn't here dancing. The answer however not at all to her liking when Mama gave it. 

"WHO DID THIS!?"

Her voice roared through all of Nowhere.

And so, moments later she came storming into where Selina slept. Fighting how her body tried to shut down on her. Normally she'd have snatched up her sister with ease. Like a smooth Criminal. However, in her current condition, her grabbing Selina wasn't as easy as it might have been in their past.

It was a bit clumsy but she still grabbed her up and ran with her. And despite her fighting Spade, they made it extremely far from home. Back in the world of humans but still quite a ways from the Baron who had hurt her. She found shade from the moon in some random woods where she plopped her sister down. 

"You're going to tell me everything that happened. And then, we are going to get your mothers necklace back." 

[3tyfzix7y5tli]

She always looks forward to coming back to Nowhere. It will always be her home and though the people shift and wander they always come back eventually. Selina is no different. This time though her entire spirit seems different, tired, right along with the caravan she’s returning with.

Though she smiles at the children as they rush at her for gifts she has nothing this time for them and instead focuses on getting her people into the care of their healers. It’s not long before Mama corners her, demanding answers, she was gone for a long time.

She smiles through the questions, explaining how the caravan was arrested, how she was taken prisoner separate from them, but giving no more details no matter the pressing. She’s always been quite capable of being stubborn if she wants to. The only other detail Mama manages to pull from her daughter is that her birth mother’s necklace went missing while they were in prison.

She’s certain Mama will get details of their captivity from the others but, seeing as Selina was kept separate, none of them know what happened to her. They can guess of course, but none of them know for sure. She doesn’t seem inclined to tell any of them either, even the siblings that are around get a gentle smile and a hug from her and a non answer in return to their questions. She can hear the whispers, the curiosity, but she ignores it. Instead she returns to her private space and collapses in bed, happy to finally be able to get some rest.

Selina wakes suddenly with someone grabbing hold of her and, in her half asleep state, she immediately fights. Angry eyes flash in her mind as she attempts to escape the person grabbing hold of her until she takes a moment to realize the grip isn’t violent. Her bleary eyes clear and she stops fighting but does pull back against her older sister’s hands, looking at her with wide eyes. “Luna?”

Of course her sister doesn’t seem content to actually talk to her, determined to pull her off somewhere. Confused and tired, Selina pulls back against her, wanting nothing more than to collapse back into bed. “Luna, where are we going? What’s wrong?” No answer, instead Luna just keeps right on pulling her. Eventually Selina huffs, pouting at the older woman as she continues to carry her out of Nowhere. “Fine, don’t answer me. I’m going to take a nap, wake me when we get… wherever you’re taking me.” That does at least make the last leg of the journey easier.as Selina just closes her eyes and let’s Luna do as she will. Not like she wants to fight her sister that much anyway.

When she opens her eyes again she finds herself in the woods, back in the human world, the moon hidden through the boughs of the trees. “You dragged me all the way out here for that?” Her sharp words are cut by a soft smile as she scoots over to let her sister sit down with her. “We could’ve had this conversation back home. There’s nothing to tell. We were accused of theft and imprisoned.” Well that’s certainly an understatement but she’s not one to cause her family worry. She does make sure to keep her wrist obscured under her shirt, the angry mark still not fully healed from the iron burn. “As for my mother’s necklace…” she takes a deep breath, her smile turning a little sad at the edges. “I think that’s probably gone for good. Probably been pawned off by now, you know how humans are about gold jewelry.” She appreciates her sister’s concern, truly, but Selina is far more concerned about Luna. She leans against her older sister’s shoulder lightly, taking some comfort in her presence, but looks up at her. “And what about you? You shouldn’t have struggled to carry me. Are you alright?”

[Spade - Council]

With a huff, Luna sat next to her sister. Scoffing softly at her words. "If having this conversation at home was that easy you'd have told Mama already." She closed her eyes and steadied her breath. It was times like this she longed to feel the cool breeze that was flowing. But she couldn't. She tenses feeling Selina lean on her and almost pulls away when she hears her words.

"I'm fine!" 

She doesn't move away from her but she's tense still as she closes her eyes again. Hoping to calm down "I'm fine." She swallows hard and huffs, rubbing her face. She sits there a moment trying to calm down. She shook her and clicked her tongue. "You know I almost died when I joined my first caravan." She took one last deep breath as she searched the night sky for the moon. 

Always grateful when it wasn't full. 

"I never liked being a lupine." She dropped her head. "For a short time in my teens before you were born I actually hated that I was." She twisted her mouth as she thought. "I was afraid of myself and what I could do." She removed the necklace she wore and placed it in Selina's palm. "That ring is the first thing I ever forged." She took a deep breath because what she was about to say no one else no longer knew.

"If you notice there's a secret to it. It opens at the top." She stood up and looked around. "You'll find silver dust in its purest form in there." There was a moment she seemed so ashamed by that. Staring down at the ground as she rolled her lips together. "I was so afraid I'd hurt someone I cared about. That I'd lose my temper and lose control." She looked up and at Selina. "That uh... Came back to haunt me when my caravan was attacked and the count in charge of them all got my ring."

She growled as she exhaled faintly. "See we had managed to get away and I decided going back for the ring was pointless. After almost a year I had forgotten all about the ring. I thought we were safe until the count and his men came and burned our caravan down." She sat down next to Selina again and took her free hand. She placed it on the back of the corner of her jaw where a small invisible keloid scar laid. "He was wearing the ring as we fought and it burst open suddenly in the middle of everything and the silver blew out all over me." She twisted her mouth once again as she moved away from Selina's touch even though she was the reason Selina was touching her. 

She hummed to herself. "It wasn't until later that I realized I'd inhaled some of the dust and I began to burn from the inside out." She rubbed her face. "He kept my ring for almost a year. Just because he knew. He knew what I was and didn't even know about the silver it held."

"Humans fear what don't understand. And they covet any little thing they may get that's ours."

Her ear twitched as her eyes shot passed her sister. She stood up and took Selina's hand "we need to go." She pulled Selina to her feet without looking at her. "Moral of the story.  Whoever took your necklace still has it."

She leaned closer to her and spoke softly. "We have unwanted guests." She stifled the growl in her throat as she gestured her head to indicate that should start walking before she began to walk herself with her sister's hand in hers. 

[3tyfzix7y5tli]

Selina keeps her expression gentle as she watches her sister though she can’t quite help the small smile that comes over her at her huffing. Luna was never one to take a non answer for an answer, even when Lina was little and was attempting to hide her distress from everyone else. She appreciates it about her sister of course but sometimes it can be a little much when all she wants to do is curl up and sleep, not ready for the concern on everyone’s faces and not wanting to explain. “If there was something important to tell Mama that she didn’t already know, I’d have told her.” Not entirely the truth. They’d find what happened to her important. Lina herself is determined not to though. That she manages to remain steady as Luna tenses and half snaps is a testament to just how comfortable she is with her sister and her gaze is solid, never flinching as she tenses and huffs.

Lina knows some of her habits are considered strange, the way she can stare without blinking for long periods of time, though it’s something her siblings have grown used to. As such she’s not concerned about Luna being put off by her stare as she begins her story, remaining quiet as she begins what seems like a rather painful memory for her. She knows what her sister is doing, attempting to ease her into telling her what happened. Still, she appreciates the knowledge. She just wishes it didn’t come with such painful memories for her sister. The chain settles in Selina’s hand gently and she looks between the ring and her sister silently, waiting for her to continue her story.

If there’s one thing that’s always been true about Selina it’s that she’s quietly supportive. She’ll be there to allow anyone to rant and get anything they need off their chest without any judgement and sure enough there’s no judgement to be found in her eyes as she watches her sister pace around. After a second she finally speaks. “Why do you keep the ring now then?” Those eyes of hers seem perhaps sad but that might just be the moonlight reflecting off her face. She’s always been stronger at night but it also brings out the strangeness of her demeanor more. “I also don’t think you’re fine Luna. Look… I understand what you’re trying to do here. I do. But I’m home. I’m alright.” She doesn’t smile but it doesn’t change the sincerity behind her words. Apart from a burn that remains on her wrist she’s actually fine physically.

The sudden change is nearly enough to take Selina by surprise but considering it’s Luna she goes along with her without argument or hesitation, immediately walking alongside her despite the agitated reactions from her. “They may still have it but it’s not worth putting people in danger for. The guard around there is likely to hunt any Gypsy that sets foot in the territory because of us breaking out.” Her acknowledgement of Luna’s whisper is subtle, barely a blink of her eyes as she casts her mind out listening to the animals around them to get a clue as to who or what this unwanted company might be. It’s a frog that informs her of the stranger’s location and she squeezes Luna’s hand a little as they walk to let her know that she’s got a bead on the unwelcome guest.

[Spade - Council]

Luna rolled her eyes. 

"You're lying."

That was all she said and would say about the mater. She didn't want to pressure Selina into sharing with her. She wanted her to trust her with it. That was the real reason for her story. Show her sister she trusted her. So she may one day trust her too. In the past, these two might have had better trust between them. It had been a while though and time had clearly strained their relationship a bit. It didn't help that both women were evidently different now.

Luna took a burdened breath at Selina's question. Her words rattling around in her mind. Yet rather than answer she just gave her a stiff-lipped smile. One that was partially sad and never reached her eyes. The truth was she'd hate the answer. She might even see Luna differently. While Luna could handle everyone else seeing her in this different light there were certain people she couldn't handle. Selina was at the top of that list. 

"Well, they should have thought about the consequences of putting our people in danger before acting." 

Luna growl within her words was light but she had made up her mind. Clearly. Even if Selina decided she wanted nothing to do with this journey and managed to somehow get away from Luna, she'd still go forward with this plan alone. By now Luna knew her sister well enough to know how she was connected to nature and the animals all around them. She watched as Selina turned her ear to this critters and listened for whatever they offered. She felt her hand being squeezed a second later. 

A proud look sprawled across Luna's and a faint smirk grew. It was gone fast. Ruined by their pursuers. Truth be told, Luna already knew how many there were, where they were coming from and their distance by just listening and smiling the air. She stopped walking. Realizing running would just waste energy. She turned towards the shadows behind them. Placing Selina safely behind her. She set her gaze towards the darkness. Her gold gaze glowing in the night. 

"I can see all of you." 

Her voice boomed and pried them all from their hidden spots of darkness. She watched them closely. "Leave us or I kill you all slowly."

"And you... Shh." She glanced back toward her sister for a second. Being the one to squeeze Selina's hand as she returned her full attention to the men before them. Fully aware Selina had a mouth on her and that that mouth could get them into a fight. 

[3tyfzix7y5tli]

“Only partially,” she says with a smile, a small one, half meant as a joke.

Selina knows that her sister will take her avoidance as a sign that she doesn’t trust her but that’s not it at all, it’s just hard to explain to the sister who always looked after her that there’s nothing to be done for her this time. Sure they could go and seek revenge but it won’t change what happened, this is something time will have to soothe. Logically she knows she should confide in her family but she just can’t bring herself to trouble them with this, not when they’ve all been through so much themselves.

The look on Luna’s face when she refuses to answer the question should solidify that stance, in actuality all it does is make the girl want to wrap her sister in a hug, hold her tight and assure her that no matter what they’d always be sisters. Selina would never love her sister any less, no matter what happens or happened, no matter how Luna sees herself. How to put that into words though, especially without her sister pulling away?

Her eyes meet Luna’s again, the moonlight revealing the green hidden beneath the brown she uses to hide them, and she gives a soft sigh. “I see your mind's made up. I can’t very well let you run off into danger on your own now, can I? Especially not with what I saw earlier,” her cryptic words are cryptic on purpose, but not for Luna’s sake. She knows her sister is weakened, carrying Selina should not have been a struggle for her, especially considering Selina wasn’t really fighting her but she doesn’t want to just hand this information over to anyone who might be nearby.

She stops when Luna does, glowering slightly when Luna shifts her body protectively behind her, but she doesn’t protest. Better for these people to think Lina’s not a threat when the truth is quite different. Still, Lina doesn’t have the enhanced senses that Luna boasts and her wiry frame is not what one would consider intimidating, so she figures it’s best to let Luna glare them into submission as best she can. She’s just about to open her mouth when Luna shushes her, causing Lina to shoot her a look but she quiets.

“I’ve got your back,” is what she whispers to her sister instead, keeping an eye on the periphery to make sure some asshole isn’t trying to sneak around them from behind.

“What do you want?” her voice is softer than her sister’s but it carries no fear in it as she looks between the men.

[Spade - Council]

For just a second the person everyone knew as Spade reared her head as she growled in response to Selina avoidance. But she really couldn't judge when she was doing the same to avoid answering her questions. In truth, she was always just Luna even when to the world she was "Spade". It was just a side of her no one saw before. It was so different from what they knew and accepted they believed she wasn't even Luna anymore because she was so different. But she wasn't. 

No one ever paid enough attention to her. 

Luna shot harsh and stubborn breath from her nose when Lina realized there was no changing her mind. But she looked away a second later not wanting to acknowledge she wasn't alright physically. She'd been hiding that for a long time now but it was getting harder. Everyone relied on Luna more than they recognized and as her responsibilities built up the more her body got worn down. " You can be okay physically but mentally..." She tilted her head and clicked her tongue. 

The men that can be seen in the dark are all visibly confused when Luna notes she can see them all. Looking among each other to try and figure out how. Luna turns her head slightly when she hears Lina speak but her eyes never turn from the men. Glancing around quickly she counts five upfront and five hidden in the back. She couldn't be too sure though. They laugh in response to Lina's question. All of them and that gives Luna the extra intel she needs to confirm the number ten. "I count ten. But ask your little friends how many there are to be safe. I'll distract them." 

She glanced at every one of them. Making it clear she wasn't lying that she could see them all. "Haven't you heard the tale about us Gyspsies? " she smiled quite wickedly "There are many of course but all of them have a common element. And that common element will always hold true." 

"The Wind."

As she spoke The Wind blew and seemed to freak the men out. But one thing should've suddenly been very clear to any gypsy watching.

Luna wasn't controlling The Wind. 

Luna had no wind.

The Wind that was blowing now wasn't anything special. It was just a natural breeze she heard coming and timed her words right. She watched them "I know you've heard the stories of The Wayward Wind and its windwakers." 

"Do you really want to find out if the stories are true?"