#Anarcia

[sapphire-to-the-rain]

frozen peaches on a black eye with Anarcia pls 🤞🏼🤞🏼

marcia in full scary protective gf mode (she’s worried sick)

[la-grande-dames]

"...and anetra is just a fucking kickass, incredible person."

[sexynetra]

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY

Someone sit me down and make me finish the intro to chapter 8 I cannot keep coming up with new excuses to do other things 😭

~~~~~~

“No. Absolutely not.” Anetra crinkled her nose, holding the long wool coat an arms length away. It might as well have been radioactive, the way she physically recoiled from the Barbie pink coat. Marcia looked unimpressed, arms crossed.

“It’s 27 degrees out, and you’re trying to go out in just a sweater. No. I am not taking you to the emergency room for hypothermia because you’re too much of a baby to put on something that isn’t your style.

Anetra’s cheeks went red and she dropped her arm, the coat dragging against the floor. “That’s rich, coming from you. I think you’d shoot me dead if I told you to wear anything besides those prissy Gucci three piece outfits.”

“They’re Chanel.”

[missjanjie]

no thoughts just marcia in anetra’s mug

[holywaterzzz]

anarcia screenshots for the gays

[eyeslikewatercoolers]

anarcia for darts au 🎯!!

“Okay, so aim a bit above the bullseye, and throw it with a flick of your wrist,”

“That’s it?”

“Yup, go for it,”

Marcia was slightly off the bullseye, but much closer than she was before. The girl she met at the bar was good, hit the red center nearly every time.

Anetra was good at conversations too, they have been talking for a few weeks now. Now Anetra was showing her the infamous dart board that hung by the door.

“Nice job, blondie.” Anetra winked at her before taking a sip from her drink. “Guess I’ll owe you that drink soon.”

After a few more throws, Anetra excused herself to the restroom. Marcia ordered herself a vodka soda while she waited.

The bartender handed her the drink and gave her a small flyer. Marcia gave the woman a strange look as she glanced at the flyer.

Manhattan’s Best Dart Team for 5 years! Come join us today!

“That girl has too much pride to invite you to her team,” the bartender told her. “We have practice on Tuesdays at noon here, you should come,”

Before Marcia could say anything, she was met with the bartender’s sleek long ponytail. She quickly hid the flyer in her purse before returning back to the dart board.

“Ready for round two?” Anetra said behind Marcia, nearly making her jump.

“Yup, bring it on.”

The rest of the evening, Marcia debated her plans for the upcoming Tuesday.

[moonshotsx]

good morning to ME and my anarcia feast

[orionsstory]

that kind of devotion | anarcia (7)

yayy chapter seven is here :) as always, don't forget to check it out on ao3 !! and leave a comment if you liked it teehee

---

For the next two weeks, Marcia found herself texting Lotus every waking moment. During breaks, during dinner, any free time she had was spent laughing at her jokes or smiling at a picture she sent. She got to find out she loved ducks (through the several pictures she sent of the ones at the nearby park- Marcia didn't mind though) to her favorite song (Boss Bitch by Doja Cat, a song Marcia had found herself listening to nonstop lately). If she was lucky, Lotus would even call her after her patrol, and the two would talk for hours. They mostly talked about their day and the investigation, but sometimes Marcia would slip in a story about her growing up, or Lotus would tell her a story about Sasha. The two had grown much closer in the past two weeks, getting along like a house on fire.

Even now, she was sitting on the couch texting Lotus. She giggled at a text the other girl had sent before she was drawn out of her thoughts by someone nudging her leg. "I need to sit down too, you know." Luxx rolled her eyes as she sat down, handing Marcia her food. "Put your phone down and eat, you've been glued to that thing lately. It's your one day off and you've ignored me the whole morning!"

Marcia takes the food from her, "I'm sorry! It's just so...exciting! We've pretty much gone from talking a few times a month to every day, it's hard not to be so engrossed."

"Aww, she's down bad." Luxx teased her.

"No, I'm not down bad. I'm a lover."

"Marsh, that's the same thing."

"It's totally not! Well...maybe a little. Whatever..." She flushed in embarrassment, rolling her eyes. Luxx chuckled at her,  "Isn't that sweet, you know I haven't seen you this excited over a girl since that one in college...what was her name again?" Marcia cringed at the memory, she had to admit she may have the tendency to fall for people quite easily, but Lotus wasn't the same.

"That's not the same thing. Lotus is different."

Luxx raised her eyebrow, so she continued, "She shows genuine interest in me. She cares about my theatre stuff and how my day is. She texts me pictures of cute dogs she sees because she knows I'll love them. She's...thoughtful. Also, she didn't forget my name after one date, so she's already leagues ahead of Caitlin."

Luxx laughed, "Oh my god, I forgot about that! What did she call you again? Maria?"

"Miriam. She said she knew it was some old lady's name."

"Oh my god, she was awful. I'm so glad that lasted like, two weeks."

"You and me both. Anyways, what were you thinking of doing?"

"Well, since we're all getting together after your show tomorrow, I figured we could just lie low today. We could go to that coffee shop you like and people-watch."

Marcia was sold. "You know me so well, Luxx."

"Of course I do. We've been friends for like 10 years, it'd be sad if I didn't. Now let's go, I want to get a good spot before it gets busy."

-

They arrived at the small shop, setting their items down on the counter facing the biggest window. Marcia took a seat, taking out her drawing supplies as Luxx went to grab their drinks. It had been a while since they had been able to do this- they used to do it all the time in college, watching the people pass by and wonder about their lives while they worked on essays or assignments. They would wonder about their own lives, and what the future would be like. Marcia likes to think her younger self would be proud of where she is now. It makes her smile.

"One tea with honey for you...and an espresso for me!" Luxx hums as she sits the drinks down, sliding onto the seat beside Marcia. She brings out her own drawing materials, peering out the window.

"I missed this. Feels like it's been forever since we've done this."

"I know, it feels like we barely have time anymore. I guess that's what it means to be an adult."

Luxx nodded, her pencil sketching across the page. "Such is capitalism. Ugh, I'm so antsy to get this collection done. We're almost ready to go into production, so my stress is mostly over."

"Oh, I'm excited to see the collection! You're taking me to see the show, right?"

"Who else is going to be my plus one?" She laughs, taking a sip of her drink. "Oh yeah, that's good. Fuck, I've missed good coffee. The office coffee is so shitty, Marsh. Oh my god, it's horrible."

Marcia smiled, opening her own sketchbook as she began sketching some of the people outside. "For a luxury brand, you would think they could afford a better coffee machine." She laughed, scribbling in a woman's dark coat. "Maybe they'll get you a new one for Christmas."

Luxx rolled her eyes, "Please, don't give me hope. Irene keeps saying she's going to fix it and improve it herself but we've been so swamped she hasn't had time yet." She looked up for her next target before selecting a man with a dog. "Look at that dog- isn't it cute? Ugh, I wish I was better at animals. It looks like a rat."

Marcia leaned over to look at the sketch, rolling her eyes. "It looks great, you're being dramatic. That is a cute dog though, what a baby." She cooed, snapping a picture of it before she sent it to Lotus. "How is the collection going anyway? Weren't you guys almost done like, a month ago?"

"Well, we were going through final revisions, but they decided to scrap some of the looks so we had to come up with some new ones. I'm hoping this will be the final round though. I've got some of the early concepts for designs in here though." She answers, flipping through her sketchbook to show Marcia some of the designs. 

She always admired the other girls' aesthetic, Luxx's usual grungy and dark designs had seemed to translate perfectly to spring fashion. Desaturated colors and skirts with purposeful rips and tears turned a skirt into the shape of a flower, an impressive feat. Marcia had seen Luxx make gorgeous designs that weren't her aesthetic, but these ones were special. She always loved it when Luxx could show her passion through her designs.

"Dark forest...what a theme, right?" She softly chuckles, flipping back to the sketch she was working on. "I like it though. I think it'll be our best collection yet."

Marcia proudly smiles, returning to her own sketch of some scenery. They sketched in comfortable silence for some time, Marcia having stopped sketching the people outside and started sketching Lotus. She didn't mean to, it was just sort of a habit at this point.

"That's really good, is that Lotus?" Luxx asks, leaning over. Marcia nods, her face tinged red. "Is she coming to your performance tomorrow?"

"No, but she's coming for my first night as Elle. I'm really excited, I hope she'll like my performance- I've been working so hard on it. God, I hope it goes well, what if I choke?"

"You won't choke. You were like, born for this. You're gonna kill it."

Marcia smiles at her, "Thanks, Luxx."

-

Luxx volunteered for dinner duty that night, allowing Marcia a moment to herself. To debrief, to prepare herself for tomorrow. She felt the nerves creeping up, like they did for every show she had done. She had to remind herself that it was going to go well, that she was going to do well. She focused on the warm water of the shower that was beginning to turn cold- maybe she had been in there longer than she thought.

She stepped out of the shower, wrapping her hair in a soft pink towel before beginning to dry herself off. It was nice, and for a moment she felt calm as she blow-dried her hair, the muffled music of Ariana Grande playing in the background. 7 rings was interrupted by the ringing of her phone, Marcia clicked off the hair dryer as she answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, doll." Lotus' voice came from the other end. "Are you able to talk?"

Marcia hummed, "For a little bit- Luxx will kill me if I miss dinner." She wrapped her soft pink robe around her as she left the bathroom and entered her bedroom across the hall. "I thought you're usually on patrol around this time of day?"

"I am, but it's always a slow start. Thought I'd talk to you until I get a call."

She softly smiled, "Well, I won't complain about that. How's your day been?"

"Pretty standard. I'm hanging out with my coworker soon, but other than that nothing of note. But enough about me- you're gonna be on Broadway tomorrow! How are you feeling?"

"Nervous. Excited. I can't tell- I think it's both." She chuckled, "I know I'll probably do well, but it's just those pre-show nerves, you know?"

"Nah, I know you're gonna crush it."

"But how do you know? What if I...I don't know, trip and break my arm or something."

"I think you'd still perform, even if you had to be in a cast. Don't worry. Besides, isn't the saying break a leg?"

Marcia softly sighed, a smile creeping onto her face as she rummaged through her dresser for her pajamas. "Yeah, it is...and you're probably right. I'm way too excited about this. I just can't believe it's finally happening!"

She heard a faint buzzing on the other line, vaguely recognizing it as the sound of a call.

"Do you have to go?"

Lotus sighed, "Yeah. I do. I'm sorry. Hey- break a leg tomorrow. You're gonna kill it."

Marcia smiled. "Thanks, I will."

She heard Lotus laugh, she could practically see the other girls smile in her head.

"Atta girl."

-

The next morning was a blur. She remembered waking up to a 'break a leg ;)' text from Lotus and eating breakfast with Luxx, but time seemed to fly by after that. Her usual subway ride seemed to take five minutes, and their rehearsal that morning felt like it had happened in a second.

Now, she was in the dressing room with her castmates, all giddy and excited for the show. She applied the last of her blush and made sure her costume was perfect, waiting in the wings with the rest of the ensemble for the first number to start. Many were excitedly whispering to each other, the air in the theatre felt electric.

"Who's here for you tonight, Marcia?" One of her castmates and friends, Plasma, asked her.

"My friends and one of my cousins- we're going out afterward. What about you?"

"Some of my friends- and my mom, she flew in from Texas to be here. I can't believe it's opening night!" She excitedly shook Marcia's arm, causing her to smile.

"I know. Oh! There's the house lights, we're going!" She excitedly whispered, taking her place in preparation. She felt the anxiety returning to her chest, taking a deep breath as the curtains drew open.

They began their first number, which went as perfectly as it could. Marcia hit all the right steps, all the right notes, and stayed in character the entire time. She felt the anxiety in her chest dissipate after the first number, it turning into a feeling of joy. She felt good going into the second number, which turned into feeling great for the entire first act. During intermission, she and Plasma celebrated their success, which meant excitedly talking about the show while they made costume and makeup adjustments for the second act.

The second act also went spectacularly. She could tell the entire cast was bringing their all, and the audience could too. Every time the audience laughed or cheered her drive became stronger, causing her to perform even better. By the time curtain call came, she was exhausted- but proud. As she bowed with the rest of the ensemble, she could hear Luxx's cheers above the rest. She couldn't see her group because of the house lights, but that was enough to put a smile on her face. 

She's able to get out of her costume and makeup fairly quickly, only delayed by her and Plasma geeking out about the show- releasing the remainder of the energy they had for the night. Eventually, she gathered her things and left, signing some things for a few fans at the stage door before spotting her friends.

"MARSHALL!" Luxx squealed, tightly hugging the other girl. Marcia giggled as her friends swarmed her, excitement filling the air. Jan raved on and on about her vocals and dance moves, her cousin was a fellow theatre nerd and they often spent their childhood watching different musicals (and poorly reenacting them). Robin, although less experienced in the theatre world, complimented her performance and gave her a bouquet- which Amethyst almost crushed as she pulled the group in to take a photo.

Marcia feels elated as the group returns to her apartment, giving her time to change into a sparkly mini-dress. She quickly shot a text to Lotus before coming back out, rejoining the girls who had also changed. They took a quick shot of some tequila they had lying around the house before heading to the nearest gay bar.

-

"My girlfriend said she and her friend are a few minutes away," Robin yelled above the noise, trying to keep Amethyst from getting swallowed up by the crowd. "I'm making them get us drinks- what does everyone want?"

The girls shouted out their various drink orders to Robin, drowned out by the club's music. The lights strobed and Marcia could feel her body vibrating from the bass. She danced with Luxx and Amethyst, letting herself go and focusing on having fun- she deserved it, after all. She felt her legs growing sore, but it didn't bother her. She would regret it in the morning, however it wasn't anything she couldn't deal with.

They only stopped dancing when Robin squealed, throwing herself into the arms of a girl who had just walked up. "That's Aura," Amethyst shouted so they could hear, the other girls nodding along. "Who's that beside her?" Marcia asked, referring to the girl who had appeared beside Aura.

She was wearing a short red dress and a leather jacket, and her long light-colored hair was straight and worn down, with some bobby pins to keep her bangs back. She looked like she had some darker streaks in her hair, but she couldn't be too sure with the blaring club lights. From what Marcia could see, she had a pretty athletic build and a scar over her left eye. She felt like she knew the girl, but she couldn't place her finger on why.

"I guess her friend," Amethyst whispered in her ear, "She's hot, right? Is she glaring at us though?" Marcia turned her attention back to the other woman, Amethyst was right- she did seem to be glaring, but she couldn't even clearly see the girl because of the flashing lights.

"Can't tell."

Aura and Robin finally broke apart, allowing Aura to shift her attention to the other girl.

"Oh! This is one of my friends, Anetra!" The other girl nodded her head in greeting. "She doesn't bite, she just has chronic RBF." Aura laughed, Anetra rolled her eyes and playfully elbowed her. Amethyst introduced herself first before Marcia did- she noticed the girl's eyes widen a bit before returning to normal. That was strange, did she recognize her too?

She was going to talk to her more when Aura pulled her away to go get the group's drinks, putting a pin in her plan. That was fine, she'd just talk to her when she returned. However, Anetra didn't return. Aura came back alone, balancing the drinks in her arms.

"Where'd Anetra go?" Luxx asked, taking her drink from Aura.

"She got a call while we were waiting at the bar- came back and said there was an emergency and dashed out. She seemed stressed about it."

"I hope she's okay..." Marcia worried, "Poor girl just got here."

"I'll check up on her later, she's a tough cookie so I'm sure she'll be fine."

That was the last they talked about it, the rest of the night was a blur as they danced and drank until their feet hurt. Marcia tried to tone it down so she wouldn't feel as miserable tomorrow, which worked to some degree. She and Luxx left around 1 am, both deciding to be somewhat responsible. She quickly changed into her pajamas, almost passing out the instant she hit the bed. She shot off a goodnight text to Lotus, who still hadn't answered her last message, which was odd. She worried something may have happened, but she pushed that thought to the back of her mind- she was just paranoid.

[biblewaterzzz]

[sapphire-to-the-rain]

Slept in braids for Anarcia !!!!! :)

marcia loves her protective hairstyles!!!

[gggoode]

well well well i bet you thought you'd never see the day, me writing something other than crygi who is she x i love showing versatility

~~~

Marcia didn't exactly like the subway, but she found ways to enjoy it.

Sometimes she got to see the rats. That also included seeing people who weren't used to the rats freaking out about the rats.

Mostly she just enjoyed people watching.

There were lots of tourists, obviously. People lugging heavy suitcases and scrutinising the map while they tried not to get toppled over by the train's movements.

There were the performers and buskers, doing their damnedest even as most of the passengers just averted their eyes and tried their best to ignore them.

Her favourites were probably the most boring. The regular people who were just going to work or whatever, but those were the people she knew. Not by name or anything, but she saw them often enough that she recognised them.

There was gym girl who always had a cute matching tracksuit. The woman with twin babies who were now twin toddlers, but they were so well-behaved and they always had cute outfits. There was a man Marcia had never seen without his trumpet case, but she wasn't convinced that it contained an actual trumpet.

Her very favourite was the one she was closest to counting as her friend, though. It was stupid, since they'd never even spoken, but one night Marcia had been sitting and trying her best to ignore a creepy man who was leering over and wouldn't stop talking to her.

She was wearing headphones but not listening to music so she could hear every horrible sleazy word he was saying. He was undeterred by her obvious discomfort, but he was definitely deterred when She came to sit beside Marcia, giving the man a stony glare.

He'd shambled off to the other end of the carriage and gotten off the train at the next stop.

Marcia had given her a grateful smile. The woman was so hot that it was almost funny. She was tall, slim but strong-looking, had a pale scar running through one eyebrow, and was wearing a leather jacket and chunky platform boots.

Marcia usually would have been intimidated but the woman looked much less scary when she grinned back at her, a little lopsided but very cute.

Cute. The woman would probably kick Marcia's ass if she knew she was thinking of her as cute.

But she put in her headphones and settled beside her, and so began their new tradition. Marcia learned that the woman got on the train two stops after her. She was almost always wearing all black, and she'd never seen her without her leather jacket.

Every night she got on at the same carriage and came to sit beside Marcia. Every night they'd exchange the same little smile, nothing more, nothing less.

If there wasn't a seat beside her, the woman would sit opposite. One night the train had been totally rammed and the woman had stood by the door, but when Marcia looked up and caught her eye, she still grinned at her.

It shouldn't have given her butterflies but god, it did.

The train was quiet tonight which was nice after a stressful day at work. Marcia settled into her usual seat and put her headphones in, music quiet enough that she could still hear the clatter of the train over the top of it.

She tried to ignore the now-familiar flutter of excitement as the train pulled into the second stop after hers. Some nights the woman wasn't even there, and it was really embarrassing when Marcia got excited for nothing. Nobody knew about her little infatuation, but she always felt herself going red anyway.

The woman was there. Marcia ignored the way her heart started beating faster at the sight of her.

Tonight something was different. She was squinting as she got on the train, and seemed a little unsteady on her feet as she made her way down the carriage.

She sat beside Marcia as usual but she didn't smile at her. She just hunched over and pressed her hands over her face.

Marcia swallowed. She didn't know if it was normal to freak out so much over this. If it wasn't Her, if it was just some random passenger she'd never encountered before who was clearly in some kind of pain, she'd definitely ask if they were okay.

So she steeled herself as she removed one earphone and touched the woman gently on the shoulder. The leather of her jacket was softer than she'd expected.

"Are you okay?" she asked, speaking up enough that she'd be heard over the noise of the train but hopefully not shouting in her ear.

The woman was still for a moment before shaking her head. "Migraine," she said.

Marcia nodded even though the woman couldn't see her. She thankfully wasn't afflicted with migraines but plenty of her friends were, and she was always prepared. "Do you want a painkiller?"

The woman peeked at her out the corner of her eye, still shielding them from the train's bright fluorescent lights. "Don't they say you're not supposed to accept pills from strangers? Even if they're pretty girls?"

"Oh," was all Marcia could think to say. She couldn't see her reflection but she knew her face had gone the same colour as a tomato. "It's just aspirin."

"Yes please," the woman agreed, and there was a little smile on her face now. "I dunno if I'd count you as a stranger, anyway. Even though I don't know your name."

"Marcia," Marcia said automatically as she dug around in her bag for painkillers. She hoped the woman wasn't looking as she pulled out her silly fluffy bag shaped like a bunny and unzipped it to get the pills.

"Anetra," Anetra said. Of course she had a name like Anetra.

"It's nice to meet you. Officially," Marcia said, handing her over the painkillers. They'd just pulled into a station so Anetra quickly popped two of them out of the packet and into her mouth. She swallowed them dry and Marcia felt her own throat dry up in sympathy. "You want some water? I promise I don't have any diseases. That I know of."

Anetra snorted and nodded, clearing her throat. "I really didn't come prepared today."

Marcia dug out her water bottle and tried not to be embarrassed that it was covered in little yellow ducklings. Usually she liked cute stuff but it made her feel like an idiot next to Anetra. "I'm impressed you're even on the train. My roommate gets migraines and she's kind of pathetic about it."

Anetra was taking careful sips from the water bottle. Whether that was because she didn't want to spill it on the moving train or because she didn't want to put her lips on the bottle too much, Marcia didn't know. "I'll be pathetic about it when I get home, don't worry."

Marcia laughed quietly. "Do you know what causes them?"

"Usually hunger or dehydration," Anetra said, screwing the cap back on the bottle and offering it back to Marcia.

Marcia waved her hand. "Keep drinking if you're dehydrated."

Anetra seemed vaguely amused as she unscrewed it again and took another sip. "I think it's mostly hunger. Today's been crazy and I didn't get time to eat properly."

Marcia didn't know what possessed her to be so bold. Maybe it was Anetra's comment about pretty girls, or maybe it was the fact that they'd been sitting together all this time and she was kind of worried that after tonight they'd go back to their usual silence if she didn't make some kind of move.

So before she could think too much, she was saying, "there's a really good dumpling place right below my apartment."

"Yeah?" Anetra said.

That wasn't an invitation. That was just a statement that didn't mean anything or have any bearing on Anetra's life. If anything, it was like Marcia was just bragging about it. So she cleared her throat to try again. "It's only a couple of minutes away from the station. And it's super quick, you'd have your food in like five minutes."

That still wasn't an invitation but Anetra shifted positions just enough that their shoulders were touching. "If I went to get food there would I have company?"

So Anetra had a migraine and she was still better at asking her out. Marcia nodded eagerly anyway, just relieved that she'd managed to get her point across. "Yeah! Of course. It's just a takeout so we can go upstairs and eat it at my place."

Anetra gave her that lopsided grin she was so fond of. "My dad would be so disappointed in me. Accepting pills from a stranger then accepting an invitation to go to her apartment."

It startled a laugh out of Marcia. "I'm not gonna kidnap you," she promised.

"I'm not worried," Anetra shot back. "I think I could take you if you tried. Even though I've been charmed by the cute water bottle and the little bunny you keep your pills in."

Marcia couldn't even find it in herself to be embarrassed. She'd charmed her.

It felt like no time before they were rolling into her stop. "This is me," Marcia said as the train slowed down.

"I know," Anetra said, because of course she knew. They'd been riding the train together for weeks.

But for the first time they got off together, voices echoing back and forth in the stairwell over the noise of the train as they climbed towards daylight.

[sexynetra]

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY

Ring ring, who's there? New content 😈

~~~~~~

Marcia loved auditions. The dancing, the singing, the competition. It was better than any drug.

She dropped her bag down by the mirror, starting to stretch as she sized up her competition. Jan was there, of course, lycra-covered arms wrapped around Jackie’s waist. Plasma, a fellow freshman in her improv for theatre majors class, was sitting on the seat nearest to the door, rifling through her sheet music. There was another girl, Marcia couldn’t remember her name – Rhys or Rose or something like that – laughing with Alyssa about something. And Anetra –

Anetra.

[missjanjie]

love that anetra lives rent free in marcia’s brain too

[habeascorpseus]

HELLO ANARCIA SHIPPER ?? omg now i need to see the internal anarcia fanart EXTERNALIZED !!

sighs ill share the art

[eyeslikewatercoolers]

would u do either “calloused palm against soft cheek” or “six missed calls” for anarcia 🙏🙏 (OR BOTH?)

I've been thinking a LOT about this one anarcia fic I found on wattpad about princess Marcia and commoner Anetra in a medieval setting. So here's my little rendition of an Anarcia medieval au (with some alchemy/magic)

Marcia tightened the strings of her cloak as she stepped into the smelter's shop. She heard the fire from the smelter and a hammer hitting the iron into horseshoes. It was loud, dark, and smokey inside.

These men could care less that she was the princess from a far-off land set to marry their king. But she couldn't risk anyone seeing her.

Marcia walked up to the large man in the corner of the room, who sat at a desk with inventory scrolls. Before she said anything, the man looked up at her.

"She sent Georgie about six times yesterday, you know," He said as he continued writing.

Marcia nodded solemnly, remembering the duck following her through her line of ladies in waiting. She couldn't give the familiar any attention, the castle staff would start to question her.

"Can I see her?" she asked, looking where the door was supposed to be. To most, it was a plain black wall. But Marcia could see the faint silver outline of the door.

The section of the door turned sideways and a figure with long dark hair peaked out. "Thank you, Father. She can come in," Anetra said plainly as she returned to her chambers.

The wall turned back as Marcia stepped through. Georgie gave her some welcoming quacks from his small pool as she took off her cloak. She held it awkwardly as Anetra went back to her desk.

Marcia stepped quietly to see what Anetra was working on. There were glass beakers with different ingredients, some smoking and some freezing.

Anetra didn't look up from the mixtures, "The general store is out of flax flowers," She said as she stirred a blue liquid with a slight shimmer. "Can you help me?"

Anetra finally looked at her, her eyes slightly pleading. Marcia hadn't done much magic since moving into the castle. Only when others wouldn't notice, like perking up flowers or fixing a loose chair.

She had to be careful, this kingdom did not take to outsiders very well. Her old kingdom thrived on magic and alchemy, but they were small and poor. Her parents sending her off for marriage was their only option.

Marcia stared back at her, unsure what to do. She felt her magic weakening day by day, using it less.

"It's okay, this is a safe place," Anetra held Marcia's check in her hand, encouraging her. She felt the callous on Anetra's palm against her soft cheek but wanted to melt into the touch.

Marcia held out her hand and concentrated. It took a minute, but a small blue flower grew from her palm. She deeply missed practicing magic, reminding her of her home village and family.

Anetra kissed her cheek, "Thank you, my love," she said as she plucked the flower from her hand.

Marcia sat and watched Anetra work on the concoction. She mixed and stirred, eventually pouring the mixture into a glass bottle. It was a deep purple, with a slight yellow shimmer.

"Drink this," Anetra handed her the bottle, and Marcia gave her a puzzling look, "Trust me, it will help you," sincerely.

Marcia sipped on the liquid, but it tasted awful. She finished it with a soured face. Within a minute, she felt lighter and her soul felt brighter. It was like how she felt in her old kingdom when magic was in abundance and she could freely practice her craft.

Marcia smiled, "How long will this last?" she asked.

"Sasha said about half a moon cycle, at least," Anetra explained. She handed Marcia the letter from her friend who lived deep in the woods.

That would end right about the time of the wedding, seeming like it would give her enough time to plan an escape with Anetra. She knew Anetra hated this village, feeling like an outsider in her own birthplace.

Marcia heard the church bells outside, signaling it was the top of the hour, "I must be going, I'll come back after the Queen's tea tomorrow, I promise," She tied her cloak around her neck and searched for the door.

"Think about it, okay?" Anetra said as the wall turned. "We can be free together, in your home kingdom," she nearly pleaded.

Marcia looked across the shop, "But I promised my family..." she trailed off.

"They would hate to see you losing your magic," Anetra pointed out.

Marcia could not argue with that, knowing that was the truth, "I must be going, goodbye Anetra." she quickly moved through the shop as the wall turned back around.

But Marcia's head was filled with thoughts of her and her lover practicing their crafts freely, living in a place that would never shun them.

[moonshotsx]

i will take the crumbs 😭