Chapter 7: Collapse (III)
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–8:30 am–
With a childlike enthusiasm, Astrid hopped into Arthur's room. Twirling around, she ran towards the mirror attached to the wall, beside the dressing table and looked at herself into it.
In her attempt at braving the winter chill of Bergen—which was much colder due to it raining in this city for more than 250 days every year—she was wearing a cosy, chunky knit black high-neck and a long red coloured open sweater. Accessorising thoughtfully, a chunky knit scarf hugged around her neck like a snake. Paired with corduroy black pants, the entire dress seemed to perfectly accentuate and compliment her features.
Grounding the look was leather ankle boots with a small heel. Picking a snug knit hat, she wore it over her loosely kept silver—almost gunmetal—hair, crowning her head. Her hair spilled down in a straight line before curling at the bottom.
She giggled as she looked at her reflection, a playful charm sticking to her aura itself.
Once she was done looking at herself, she happily ran towards the door. Just as she placed her hand on the handle of the door, the playful smile and the subtle hue of pink gracing her features vanished in an instant, replaced by a much more serious and refined look, losing the hints of the childish demeanour that she had displayed all this time around Arthur.
Taking the first step outside, she felt a chilling sensation slap against her face, a stark contrast to the warm cocoon of the room she had stayed in ever since she arrived in Bergen. She trembled for a moment before correcting the single crease in her inner-wear.
Looking to the side, she saw Arthur leaning against the wall of his room. He was looking down at the phone in his hand, its light illuminating his features in the otherwise almost dark ambience of his house. Feeling a presence right next to himself, Arthur slipped his phone into his pocket before looking to the side.
His mouth opened to say something, however, instead of saying it, he sealed his lips shut, pushing the words back. "Ready?"
"Yep!" Astrid replied, her tone betraying the icy facade she had worn all of a sudden.
Motioning with his head, Arthur told her to follow him. Falling closely in line, she started to follow right in his footsteps. His room was at the end of a long hallway with only two other rooms inside it. As they walked through this hallway, Astrid looked up, taking in the incoherent and antique designs carved into the roof itself. The slimmer of light illuminating the designs confused her even further.
"Curious?" Arthur asked, looking back.
"Kind of, hehe." She replied, sheepishly as she scratched the back of her neck. "I mean, you know— after all, I still don't know much about you. Or anything related to you." She voiced out, looking down. "Even though it seems like you know all about me."
Arthur didn't stop. But instead, he looked up at the ceiling with a meek smile. "What's the fun in me telling you by myself?" He replied, the smile never leaving his lips as Astrid focused her gaze on him. Tilting his head, he looked back at her. "If you REALLY want to know, you just have to ask the right questions."
"Then what is that you—" Astrid paused, swallowing a dry lump of saliva and then composed herself. She didn't want to act out of bounds. While it was true there were no boundaries set by Arthur, despite being in an inferior position, she knew what was right and what was wrong. After all, she had suffered since her childhood, she absolutely refused to let go of the only human who felt like home due to her own stupid curiosity. "—it's nothing."
"You know I will answer. Anything that you'll ask." Arthur replied, his voice soft. "Even if I think you're better off not knowing that aspect. I promised you something that day, didn't I?"
A pang went across her chest. Her memory flashed to 2 years ago. Bits. Small bits of it. Flashes of her memories she had chosen not to seal away. Shaking her head, she got rid of those thoughts.
"I know. And I am thankful you took me in. Even though you were still just a kid." She spoke. There was a slight tremble in her voice, followed by a light-hearted chuckle. "I mean, you—we—still are. But you get what I mean."
Smiling in return, Arthur nodded. "I know. So-" he paused, letting Astrid recollect her attention and direct it towards him. "-whenever you are ready, you can ask me. What am I—us. My family. Anything."
Astrid stopped just at the corner of the long hallway, making Arthur come to a quick stop as well.
"I think it does not matter." She replied, raising her head which made the loose hair protruding from the backside of her cap bounce upwards with a silky jiggle. "No matter what it is. You, your family. Your past. Everything. It has nothing to do with me. And nothing you did, or happened to you in the past has anything to do with me." The icy facade melted away only for a single second, flashing a smile. "All that matters is the present. You took me in when I was left by everyone. Labelled as a bad omen." Her right eye lit up due to the streak of sunlight suddenly flashing through the window that led to the lawn outside. "And no amount of subservience could ever pay for it."
Arthur hummed. "You make it sound as if I had turned you into a slave."
Astrid's lips curved into a sly smile. "Well, aren't I a slave? You just refuse to make good use of me."
Arthur cocked his head. "Well, I will try to work you to the bone next time."
The seriousness in his voice made the colour pale from her face. "Ahah—haha... wait, you are not serious about it, right?!"
"Why wouldn't I be? Of course I'm going to fulfil my only friend's deepest wish." Arthur replied with amusement.
"AAGH— Nooooo~" With a crestfallen look, her shoulders drooped down.
"Well, if it ain't Arthur." A foreign voice interrupted all of a sudden. "Our cute little runaway brother." The man who had spoken emerged from the other side of the wall was just as tall as Arthur, however, one look at his face and one could tell he was much older than him. "'Sup pookie."
"Don't call me that, Eric." Arthur spoke as he took in a breath, not even looking at him.
"Still giving the cold shoulder to your older brother, eh?" Eris retorted in a playful manner, extending his hands in a wide shrug. Just like Arthur, he had inherited alternating features from his parents, albeit totally opposite to Arthur, since Eric had his mother's golden blonde hair and his father's green eyes. He was about 3 inches taller than Arthur, standing at about 188 cm or 6'2''. "Man, you never change, oh?" His attention flicked to the side. "Ah, you. How are you, Ashley?"
"It's Astrid."
"Of course, Astrid, yes!" He smacked his lips. "That is what I said. Did you hear something else?"
"Of course not. It's just me being a little under the weather." Astrid replied, not bowing, but keeping her head a touch lower than usual.
"Oh? Man, you ought to take care of yourself." Eric commented and then walked towards Arthur. Placing his hand over Arthur's shoulder, he looked him in the eye. "I am just a few steps away from your room. If you ever feel like it—"
"I won't."
"Huh?"
"I won't feel like it, so don't feel bothered. I won't be coming." Arthur removed his hand from his shoulder as a rather sad look appeared on Eric's face.
"I see… Well, you know, just in case, if hell ever froze over, you know where to find me. I am always down for some quality bonding time." Ruffling Arthur's hair which was replied with a suppressed groan from Arthur due to the ruined hairstyle he had spent so much time on, Eric stooped lower and slipped something into Arthur's pocket. Lowering towards his little brother's ear, he whispered something before trudging away.
As he walked away, the echo of footsteps decreasing to pin drop silence, Astrid's heel made the next series of clipping sounds. "It was my first time meeting your brother… well, anyone other than your father."
"Hmm. Yeah. I am not very fond of him." Arthur groaned as he tried to correct his hair back.
"Ehhh? Why? He sounds like a sweet brother to you."
"It's just—" Arthur bit his words, however, after a moment, decided to say them anyway. "—he's just annoying. I don't like people such as him."
"But why?"
"If anything feels too good to be true, it most likely is." Arthur replied, gently knocking with his index finger on Astrid's forehead.
"Oww–" Rubbing it, she looked up at him, almost baring her fangs at him.
"Well, anyways, I think we should go." Disregarding the evil aura that surrounded Astrid as she conspired to attack Arthur, he spoke, taking his phone out of his pocket. "The sun will be up for only 5 hours today. I hope you can look around enough in that time."
"EHHHH!? ONLY FIVE HOURS!?" She blurted, her voice echoing in the eerily silent ambiance of the Olvasens' main manor. "We have to leave, Arthur. RIGHT NOW!" Panicking, she grabbed him by his arm before bolting out.
As they were leaving, Arthur sneakily slipped his hand into his pocket and took the thing out that Eric had slipped into his pocket. It was in a small wrapping with a note. He looked down at the balloon-like object wrapped in a light pink packing.
'Didn't know they sell individual balloons as well.' Arthur mused to himself.
Looking down at the note, he read it, mentally.
{Here's some contraception from your big bro, teehee~}
His brow twitched as he realised what it was.
This bastar—