The Straight and Narrow Might be a Long Shot

For some reason, the more the purple girl talks to Aresenn, the easier it becomes to share important things with him. His words about her enjoying stargazing has the girl shooting him a sideways glance while a gentle, thankful smile lightly tugs at her lips. Her attention turns to the sky and she gives the boy more information about herself that she normally wouldn’t share with… well, anyone. These are the deepest secrets of her heart and she is freely giving them to the fire-kissed boy as if he is the only wolf in the world could understand the mysterious workings of her soul.

Part of her screams to shut up and hide away what she kept so close to her chest for so long but, as she brings them to light, she feels a strange peace settle over her. Aresenn waits until she is done talking before he clears his throat and begins to speak; his tone is softer than before. Andy bobs her head in agreement, knowing that many of her siblings have already branched out beyond the Armada to start their own paths. The fact that he is listening, interested in the inner machinations of her mind and soul silently baffles the girl because, for the first time in a long time, she actually feels like she is being heard.

With a small sigh, she nods her agreement at his words about the stars being the family she chose but, to her, it goes far beyond that. It is impossible for her to voice just how deeply those celestial bodies are woven into the fabric of her being, as if she was born out in the inky heavens but forced to wear the skin of a wolf down her. Maybe, someday, she can sit down and try to give voice to all those complex feelings but, for now, she is thankful to accept that Aresenn is actually hearing to her.

The talk comes back down to earth and he shoots back the Princess word which has her informing him that she is more than just that. Finally, after a moment of hesitation, the girl shares her name, title, and what she is at heart. The boy’s tone is bold, adding some grandeur to her name and title that has her eyes rolling and a soft chuckle falling past her lips. Aresenn then asks if she likes be called Andy and dubs her ‘Drama’ which causes the girl to blink wide-eyed at him. Confusion, humor, and finally mild amusement crosses her features.

Blowing out a small sigh, the girl softly replies, “What does it matter if I liked being called it? Andy has followed me since the day I was born and it will probably follow me to my grave.” Andy strengthens her tone now that the serious part has passed and she infuses the next words with unvoiced humor, “You are the first person to call be Drama but, given our history, I can understand why that is your chosen nickname for me.” Eyes sparkle with joy as she moves out of his way, waiting for him to join her before once more leading toward the land of Aspens.

As they walk, the girl says, “You can call me whatever you like Hot Shot. So long as it isn’t something extremely derogatory or foul.” She looks at him, smirking at the boy a moment before turning to  look out ahead of them.  A few moments pass before Andy suddenly asks, “What about you Aresenn? What hobbies do you enjoy? Besides trying to get under my skin?” The last part is a joke but the girl really is interested in the red-clad boy, wishing to know more about him and what makes him tick. Maybe, if she can understand him better, the girl can figure out why she has become so intrigued by him.


"Andromeda Fatalis"