Extremum Judicium [Peregrine x Huntress]

Huntress

Feeding the wolves, don't you know better?
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
  2. One post per week
  3. Slow As Molasses
Writing Levels
  1. Elementary
  2. Intermediate
  3. Adept
  4. Advanced
  5. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Primarily Prefer Female
Genres
Fantasy, Supernatural, Sci-Fi, Modern, Horror, Mystery and Romance
Chains rattled. Snarls ripped through thick silence. Growls made the earth tremble. Panting breaths were followed by a racing heartbeat, gasps of fear following. Darkness. She could feel herself running, feet thudding against the damp ground as she whimpered. She could see nothing, but she could hear, smell and touch. Somehow, she continued to run, something eventually catching her foot and sending her flying forward. Her vision swelled with brightness; it was painful, the eerie red glow burning her corneas as she fell for what felt like an eternity.

…SPLASH…

Her screams were muted, eyes shooting wide open, a distant light rippling within a dark sea. Breaking through the surface with a gasp of life she looked around frantically as she tried to spot any piece of land, eventually she did. Swimming towards the distant piece of earth, she pulled herself up onto the grass, her body trembling. She was weak, tired, and cold. Slowly she looked up and ahead, stars shone through the canopy, pushing herself up to her hands and knees she crawled forward. Her right shoulder dipped, elbow bending as her hand had seemed to fall into some sort of hole, a ditch in the cold, wet dirt. Looking down with a grunt of confusion she pushed herself back up to her knees as she caught her breath in fear. Exhaling heavily through her nose, she looked ahead, right then left but the rattling soon came from behind. There was a snort as the woman swallowed back. Whimpering as she closed her eyes, she heard the same rattling of metal before it stopped. Exhaling in relief she smiled slightly with a small laugh, her fingers intertwined, hands clasped tightly shut.

…CLINK…

The sound echoed as time slowed. Her eyes shot open, her small cry of fear reverberating like the snapping link. Her heart thumped twice before burning hot daggers dug into her shoulder and pulled her away in the flash of a lightning strike.


Her gasp was long and drawn out as she shot up in bed against the roaring thunder outside. Rain pelted her window. The fair skinned woman was drenched in cold sweat, chest rising and falling rapidly as she looked around her room. When she finally managed to collect herself, she swung her feet over the side of the bed and dropped down to her knees, her elbows digging into the stiff mattress, trembling hands swiftly reaching for the rosary on the simple nightstand. Closing her eyes, she pressed her forehead against her coupled hands.

“You are our helper, Mighty One.
and you are no respecter of persons.
Help all your people
bought with the precious blood of Christ.

You are our fortress and defender.
No one can snatch us from your hand.
There is no other God like you.
In you we trust.

Sanctify us through your truth.
Your Word is truth.

Preserve us
and all your people
from injury and deceit,
from fear of the enemy,

from the arrow that flies by day,
and the trouble that walks in the darkness,
and grant us eternal life
in Christ, your Son, our Lord and Savior.”


The prayer had been hastily whispered, and she continued to repeat the words, her voice trembling heart still racing. It had been years since she had one of those dreams, this one had been different from the others. Something had changed, it didn’t feel right, and it had been utterly terrifying. She prayed into the morning, begging for protection from the darkness she had felt in her mind, hoping God would hear her and aid her.

Of course, she hadn’t managed to get back to sleep. She didn’t have time to sleep. There was work to be done. Donning her attire for the day, hiding away golden locks, the woman made sure everything was presentable before leaving her room. Prayer, Breakfast, tending to the children until evening prayer, then dinner and eventually sleep. Hopefully she would manage to make it through the night this time around.
 
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For you have received my order. Do you hear and obey?​

I hear and obey.


This is my purpose.


For which I was made.


I, your last loyal servant.


Shall see your will enacted upon the world.




“It’s nice of you to come by like this.”

The orphanage was located at the city’s edge, at the point where suburban neighborhoods started to transition to rural farms and empty fields full of tall, yellow grasses. As one of the charity organizations associated with the nearby university, St. Emiliani’s Christian Orphanage saw a wave of wannabe do-gooders at the beginning of every semester. However, by the middle of the semester the wave would always dry up, and Therese, the orphanage’s matron, was lucky to get four or five volunteers a month, until the second rush as students desperate for extra credit at the end of the semester would start to apply en masse.

That, Seraphina figured, was the reason Therese was attempting to smile so congenially at her now, despite the look of almost instinctual revulsion that the nun had given her when she'd first arrived at the orphanage. Sera shook her head slightly, causing a lock of long, black hair to briefly fall in front of her face. As she tucked it back into place behind her ear, she spoke.

“It’s no problem, I’m happy to help.”

In contrast to her fine features and rather thin physical form, Seraphina had a surprisingly deep and raspy voice. Add that to the fact that she was almost six feet tall, dressed in all black clothes, and was wearing heavy eyeliner and mascara, and it wasn’t particularly surprising that Therese unconsciously shifted backwards slightly as Sera stepped forward with a form held in her outstretched hand.

Therese received the paper, before clearing her throat. “Ah. Yes. Are you any good with children? Because Sister Frances is currently tending to them alone and could… use…” Therese trailed off before she finished her sentence, but Sera ignored her rather unusual behavior.

“That sounds good. Where do I go?”

Continuing to ignore Therese, who was looking like she was wondering why she would ever make the suggestion that a young woman who looked like she’d just finished rehearsal with a goth rock band take care of her children, Sera managed to extract directions from the nun, and then set off deeper into the orphanage.
 
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“Richard!” The woman called out as she huffed and walked over to the young boy who was tugging away at the stuffed animal that was in the hands of another child. “Richard! What have we said about sharing?” The woman firmly gripped the stuffed mouse before looking between the two youngsters. “Now, both of you will stop tugging and let go.”

“That’s not fair Sister Frances. I was playing with the mouse first and then he tried to take it from me!”

“I will hear none of it Nathan. If both of you can’t share, then the toy goes away. You cannot fight over such things. Have we not learned about this?”
Blue eyes flicked from one boy to the other. “I’m sure you two can find something else to play with and perhaps even share.” She nodded towards them. They both looked at her before looking at eachother and slowly nodding. Eventually running off. With a small sigh she stood up before shaking her head slightly. Approaching one of the shelves in the room, she placed the stuffed animal upon it before turning around to approach an adorable young girl who sat at a table drawing.

Taking a seat next to the child, the young nun smiled as she looked down upon the paper which was covered in a plethora of colours and vague floral shapes. “That is a very pretty drawing Cecelia.” She spoke up, the girl’s deep blue eyes locking onto the sister’s.

“Thank you Sister Frances. I really like going to the garden so I thought drawing a picture of it would be a nice way to always remember it.” Cecelia explained before returning her attention to the paper.

“I think that’s excellent. Keep up the good work darling.” She tucked a stray piece of dark blonde hair behind the girl’s ear before pushing her chair back and taking a gander at the room as a whole. Most of the children played peacefully with one another, or kept themselves busy with books or drawings. Of course there were a few rowdy ones here and there, Like Richard and Nathan, but the boys weren’t difficult to deal with. Most of these children were respectful and understood the rules. They had just been, unfortunate. Sister Mary Frances took pride in her work with them, caring for the Children and teaching them right from wrong. A soft smile pulled at the corner of her lips, her hands resting against her stomach as she watched for another moment.

Exhaling she turned around and immediately halted with surprised gasp. Her eyes slowly working their way up the form that stood before her as she swallowed back, eventually stumbling slightly as she stepped away from the figure. The Sister’s attention came to rest on fine and symmetrical features upon porcelain skin that was framed by deep black locks. Electric blue eyes finally met the opposing cerulean gaze. The thin figure before the nun stood almost a full head taller than her. Clearing her throat as she stepped back some more, a loud thunk following as the wooden table scraped against the floor. Sister Mary Frances’ hand had instinctually reached up to the cross around her neck until her collision with the table had forced her to reach down and steady herself. “Uh…” She chuckled with a small smile. “Hello there.” She cleared her throat and stood tall as she attempted to collect herself. Her left arm came across her stomach, her right elbow resting on the knuckles of her left hand as she took hold of her cross again. “Can I uh-help you m’am?” She raised a brow. “Are you lost? Perhaps looking for someone?” She shrugged slightly before breaking eye contact for a split second. Her attention quick to return to the rather intimidating woman.
 
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The orphanage was not large enough to allow Sera to get lost. Two lefts and one right later, and Sera paused at an archway that led to a shelf-lined community room. Worn out toys were scattered in one corner of the room, with a few small tables nearby. Unconsciously, Seraphina slowed at the entryway, her eyes lingering on the figure that stood near one of the tables.

She was dressed in a simple nun’s habit, the long grey tunic nearly brushing the floor. Strands of her blonde hair peeked out from within the white coif that covered her head. Even from here, Sera could see the tenderness in her eyes as she looked at the children around the room. And then those soft eyes swept across the room and landed on her.

And almost immediately widened in horror.

Seraphina smiled awkwardly, trying not to let any of her disappointment show on her face. This was their first meeting. It was… significant. But, of course, there was nothing that had ever been promised to Sera about it being special. Or even pleasant, for that matter. All the same, this was not how she’d imagined their first meeting going.

“Sorry,” Seraphina said gently, unconsciously pitching her voice up slightly in an attempt to not make herself seem any more intimidating than she’d already apparently achieved. “I didn’t mean to… startle you. I’m Seraphina. I’m… today’s university volunteer. Sister Therese said you might need some help with the kids, since you’re alone today?”
 
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With a small gulp back, and the tiniest of steps further away, Sister Frances managed to allow for an evidently awkward yet still obviously afraid smile to come across her lips, her nod slow but short as she let go of her cross and took a deep breath. A sigh escaping her as she tried to flatten out her dress. “Please.” She scoffed slightly as she looked away, a hint of colour coming to her cheeks. Her reaction had been rather embarrassing. “I’m easy to startle, don’t worry.” She explained with a small chuckle and waved the thought away. The woman gave her name and purpose, the Sister genuinely smiling towards the other. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Seraphina and thank you for coming out to help, it is much appreciated. Most of the volunteers that sign up don’t end up staying long, it starts to get difficult to handle all these little ones alone.” She sighed slightly and motioned for Seraphina to follow. “Have you worked with children before? Is that your field of study?” She asked as she looked up towards the other. While beginning to lead them through the room for starters.

“This is our common-slash-play area. When the children aren’t studying, sleeping or eating, they spend most of their time here.” She started. “Everything is fair game for them. Although some children tend to stick to certain activities. If there is any arguing or fighting over something, it is taken away. They know what sharing is, they should be capable of practicing it.” Sister Frances spoke rather simply as she looked from some of the children to her new volunteer then back to the room. “Will you be working with us consistently or is it more along the lines of whenever you can?” The nun asked. She was used to the volunteers coming and going, but in truth she kind of hoped that this woman would stay, her intimidating figure and aura could quite possibly help the children stay in check. Not that they had many troubled children here, but occasions did arise every so often.

Looking up towards one of the clocks on the wall, Sister Frances nodded to herself before looking back at the woman. “Supper is usually served at five-thirty. We always welcome the volunteers to stay and join us if they’d like, but most of them tend to leave before that.” She explained with a small exhale, her attention back on the kids. “There are washrooms down the hall in the direction you came from and also down this hall, which leads to the gardens.” She pointed to their right. “We do try to take the children down to the gardens at least once a day, assuming weather permits. If they are in class, their recesses are typically outside.” Clearing her throat she clasped her hands together as she watched the children. “Any questions Miss Seraphina?” Sister Frances took a moment before slowly turning her gaze up to the other, jaw clenched as the routine speech had come to an end.
 
Seraphina didn't press the distance between the two women, allowing Sister Frances to widen the distance between the two of them. Sera was gradually starting to realize that there was something improper with her appearance, at least by the standards of the people she'd met so far. However, there was nothing she could do about it now other than try to adjust to the awkwardness it was causing. This was in part because she couldn't suddenly go changing her clothes and hair, but also simply because she was quite fond of the way she looked.

Better to take it slow. Gradual. Gentle. It'd be alright.

"No, it's not my major," Sera replied, her black hair swaying once more as she shook her head. "I just transferred to the school, and took the volunteer course that... had the least number of applicants. I'm also the youngest in my family, so... I guess I didn't really think this through. But I'm a quick learner, I promise!"

It wasn't the best excuse Sera could have come up with, but she could hardly just walk in and boldly state that she'd chosen to volunteer here because it was where the Sister lived and worked. That wouldn't work out well, for anyone involved.

"But I've been heavily involved in volunteer activities for most of my life. It's how I spend my free time. So, while I can't necessarily promise consistency, I do intend to come by frequently. If you'll have me."

Wrapped up in trying to remember everything Sister Frances had just covered in quick succession, Sera didn't notice that her falsetto had fallen away somewhat dropped away as she spoke. If the nuns chased her away because of her appearance, then she'd definitely have to change it.

However, something Sister Frances said in her introduction had caught Seraphina's attention, and when she spoke, both her emotions and voice were firmly under control again.

"Do you think it's a good policy?" she asked, before abruptly realizing that the context for her question could easily be lost in the rush of information the Sister had provided. "That if they can't share or end up arguing, the activity gets taken away, I mean."
 
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Sister Frances listened to the woman and nodded with a small laugh. “It’s not that hard, don’t worry.” Her smile was soft. “Of course! We’ll have you as frequently as you like!” Another smile, this one was a little brighter, Sister Frances was excited at the thought of having some frequent help. “I don’t think the sisters will have any objections towards any sort of assistance around here. Especially with the children.” The smile remained as the nun turned to look back at the children.

As Seraphina asked a question, Sister Frances raised a brow and turned slightly to look towards her. Taking a moment to think about what was asked, there was a small pull on the right corner of her lips, a somewhat lopsided smile forming. The Sister went to nod but stopped herself with a small sigh. Hands clasped together as she locked eyes with the woman, somehow. “I wouldn’t say it’s something to strictly adhere to in life.” Her attention turned back to the children. “But I believe that it is a good way to teach the children compromise; and how to accept that sometimes, you can’t always get what you want. Sometimes you have to maybe do a little more to figure out how to make it work.” She explained. “But that’s just my opinion.” She smiled slightly and looked back up at Seraphina. “I’m sure there’s people out there that would make opposite statements. Some would probably say that everything should be shared and fair and others probably follow the notion of never share and keep everything for yourself. Selfishness I find is common in most people, in varying degrees of course.” Ending her small tangent there. Sister Frances nodded towards Seraphina. “Any more questions dear? Moral or orphanage related?” She chuckled with a genuine smile.
 
At first glance, it seemed like a very non-committal response, leaving far too much open to interpretation. Still, Sera smiled slightly, nodding her head.

In truth, she hadn’t been curious about the policy, so much as she had the Sister’s opinion on it. But, it wasn’t normally natural for someone to take a deep interest in the viewpoints and opinions of a stranger. Seraphina would have to content herself with what she had gotten.

There would be time to ask more questions later, once it no longer looked like Sister Frances was having to overcome a great tribulation to make eye contact with her. After all, it wasn’t as though either of them were going anywhere.

She had time.

“Don’t worry, I promise I’ll follow the orphanage’s rules regarding these kinds of things,” Seraphina assured. The last thing she wanted was for the Sister to assume her question came out of rebelliousness or a lack of desire to cooperate.

“As for other questions, I suppose there’s only one more.” Sera smiled widely, the motion causing the corner of her blue eyes to crinkle slightly. “What would you like me to do?”
 
The difference had been rather noticeable in a week. Having even just that single body out to help for a few days of the week had certainly eased the Sister’s stresses. The children seemed to like Seraphina too, for the most part. Some were indeed, a little hesitant to approach the slightly intimidating looking woman. But with time, Sister Mary Frances was positive that all would grow used to her presence. Assuming Seraphina stayed long enough for that to happen. A part of the young nun hoped that she would stay. The help was always needed. Should she not stay, it wouldn’t be a surprise in truth. They’d all simply have to wait and see.

Today, Sister Mary Frances had been relieved of her duty’s tending to the children as she had to head into town for a grocery run. Seraphina had mentioned that she would stop by to help so she had decided to wait for their volunteer to arrive before leaving.
 
Despite how simply it had all gone in the end, the last week had been both troubling and nerve-wracking for Seraphina. To anyone from the outside, it might just seem like a slightly strange young woman who strongly believed in community service, but for Seraphina this first week was far, far more important than that. After all, she wasn’t here to volunteer. She didn’t even belong to the school she’d so gracelessly stolen a volunteer application form from.

She was here for one reason, and one reason only. Sister Mary Frances.

Seraphina wanted nothing more than to become central to this woman’s life. To become her closest confidant and best friend. To be the person she valued most in the world, the person she trusted with her life. It was even more than a simple obsession on Sera’s part. It was literally the purpose for her entire existence.

But she couldn’t do that.

Sera was ill practiced when it came to social interactions, but she could say with absolute confidence that one of the quickest ways to convince someone to distance themselves from you was to become creepy. And it would be creepy to spend all her time at the orphanage. It would be creepy to come by every day. It would certainly be creepy to try and become intimate friends with someone she hadn’t even known for a week.

So she didn’t. She came by at a rate she believed representative of a busy college student who nonetheless considered volunteering a high priority. She received her tasks and completed them with all due diligence, before returning to the Sister to learn what should be next, and hopefully engage in a minute or two of pleasant chatter. A task that proved all the more difficult with the fact that the Sister still seemed more than a little bit intimidated by her presence, despite the fact that Sera went out of her way to appear as gentle as she could.

There was nothing for it but to hope that there was enough time to ease their relationship while things were still peaceful.

That’s why, when Sera heard that the nuns had to do a weekly trip to the grocery store, and that Sister Frances would be the one making the trip this time, Sera had been quick to volunteer to assist her. Buying enough food for an entire orphanage was an ordeal in and of itself, and while Sister Frances’ strong figure made her more suitable to carrying supplies than the average delicate nun, Sera still figured her help would be gratefully received.

That was why Sera arrived at the orphanage fairly early in the morning, far outside of her normal volunteering hours. However, as though the early hour meant nothing to her, Sera still showed up with her full makeup, purple lipstick, and asymmetrical eye shadow that had something like a spider web spreading out from the corner of her right eye. As she got close, Seraphina offered a wide smile to the Sister, who was waiting in front of the orphanage.

“Good morning,” Sera greeted, her voice slightly husky, before she cleared her throat and spoke again. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting?”
 
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Standing outside at a fairly early hour was rather calming. It gave the nun a better understanding as to why some of her sisters preferred to work in the gardens for as long as they could before winter came. The air was crisp this morning, it had a small bite to it, every time there was a breeze. Sister Frances seemed rather unphased by it, blue eyes taking in the nature that surrounded them, the trees that would soon turn into a plethora of autumn colours, making life more vibrant for a few weeks. She watched, listened and smelled.

The wind whispered its warnings of the coming cold, the earth following suit as it began to smell dry and cold. Birds overhead migrated south. Sister Frances’ eyes staring off into the distance as she allowed her senses to tell the story of what surrounded her. The clattering of chains had her attention, it was out of place, breaking her from the trance like state she had put herself in. Furrowing her brows, she exhaled sharply as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Goosebumps formed across her skin as she swore she could hear and feel the raspy, husky breaths beating down her neck. The growl started low, a terrifying rumbling sound that was deep and throaty.

Swallowing back the woman grew stiff as she shut her eyes tightly and clutched the cross around her neck. Mutters of a request to God to keep her safe and protected were repeated in rushed whispers. The sound of the growl formed into a snarl, it grew louder, sounding more enraged and irritated. Her forehead wrinkled as she frowned with a worried whimper between her prayer. A sudden dryness consumed her throat, coughing as she felt like she was being choked, Sister Frances reached up to her throat and opened her eyes, the prayer had been interrupted, a burning sensation wrapped around her neck as she coughed a few more times before it started to recede. Clearing her throat, she swallowed back as she tried to massage her throat. Her mouth had grown incredibly dry. She continued trying to soothe the sudden soreness.

The sister’s body trembled slightly, her heart was racing out of pure fear. Looking up towards the sky in disappointment she let out a small whimper but was quick to push the tears back and wipe away any that had escaped. Clenching and unclenching her jaw she stared at the dying grass beneath her feet. Why? She wondered. What had that been? What did it mean? Sniffling as she raised her head to look at the world around her again she caught the distant sound of a car door shutting, it echoed across the property and into her ears. Looking over her shoulder she caught the distant, dark figure. Sniffling again, Sister Frances did her best to maintain an untroubled composure. Watching the tall, lithe woman grow closer, the blonde half smiled and nodded. The jangling of Sera’s chains grabbing her attention as her eyes immediately locked onto them. A rather stern expression coming across her face as she clenched her jaw and tilted her head to the right slightly. She didn’t like the chains—bindings—or rather a part of her didn’t like them.

Realizing she was staring at something that may be odd to stare at, the sister looked up towards Sera. Something wild crossed her features for a split second as Sister Frances was quick to smile and nod towards the other. A shiver running up her spine at the sound of Seraphina’s voice. The reaction was uncalled for and ever so confusing. Her brain tried to process it, but the Sister decided to think nothing of it. “Good Morning.” She finally responded with a brighter smile. “Oh, no, no dear. I haven’t been out here long.” She reassured her with a shake of her head and hand, a small chuckle following.

“Shall we?” Sister Frances asked as she pointed towards the old Honda Odyssey that sat in the mostly unoccupied lot. It was an old model, most likely from the mid to late nineties. It was a light grey in colour, just light enough to notice all the imperfections, dirt and rust. But the Sisters could not complain about such a generous gift. It was large enough for them to be able to do their groceries or even fit enough of their own baked goods and stands to make their way to a local market for some fund raising. All the seats were currently up, as they approached the vehicle, Sister Frances opened the trunk to lower the back bench. “Hopefully we can get enough stuff to avoid any extra trips this week. There are quite a few worthy sales, let’s see how lucky we are.” She smiled as she looked towards Sera and shut the trunk.

Getting in the car Sister Frances buckled up before handing her trusty volunteer a stack of flyers and coupons. “Should we have to go to multiple locations that is fine. We do try to buy as much as we can in bulk items, it makes things easier in the long run.” She explained as she backed out of the parking spot and drove off the property. “We’ll start with the wholesale locations and then, should we need to go to any smaller stores we can figure that out.” Another smile and a nod as they were off.

“How have you been Sera? Are your studies going well?” Sister Frances asked casually. She seemed somewhat excited, and she actually was. The young Sister didn’t often get a chance to go beyond the property, so any opportunity that was given to her she would take. She liked to remember the brief life she had outside the orphanage and the convent. To somewhat interact with others was a nice change of pace. She knew why the Sisters didn’t often give her the opportunity to leave the orphanage, but every time she did get to leave she did everything she could to prove to them that she could be trusted with such tasks.
 
There was no way for Sera to miss the way that Sister Frances’ eyes lingered on the chains on her clothes, or the faint tension that radiated out from her form. If it had been any other situation, any other person, Sera likely would have assumed it was simply further condemnation of her stylistic choices. She’d seen similar looks from random passers-by on the street.

But Sera knew better. She knew why she was here, she knew why she had to get closer to the Sister. And her reaction to Sera’s clothes was only further evidence of something Sera had already known.

She didn’t have much time left.

Seraphina followed Sister Frances into the car, settling herself into the passenger seat and smoothly buckling up before she received the stack of coupons. If she had any thoughts about the old car, there was no trace of it on her face. In fact, as far as Sera was concerned, a car was just another car. She ruffled through them casually, committing some of the better deals to memory as she listened to the Sister talk.

“Sounds good,” she murmured in reply, before finally setting the coupons down on her lap, all lined up in as neat of a stack as she could get them.

“I’ve been good. Getting to volunteer again has been great for my overall morale.” Sera had set up a bit of a character setting for herself before she’d first arrived at the orphanage. She was a transfer student who’d come through in the middle of the semester, and had begun volunteering as soon as she’d stabilized at her new school. It was all a cover, of course, but it served its purpose well enough, which was to try and make her seem as normal as possible.

“As for everything else, it’s been busy, but I finally feel like I’m really starting to integrate. I should still be able to pass all my classes with good grades, even though I started midway.”

Like many towns with big universities, it seemed like much of the city had been built around the campus, like petals unfolding from a flower. St. Emiliani’s was far from at the heart of the city, but also couldn’t be called located on the outskirts, either. Regardless, it would be a short but busy drive to get them to the grocery store.

Idly, Sera rubbed at one of the chains that hung from her pants, feeling the cold, delicate metal against the tips of her fingers. There was no way she was going to be able to build a closer relationship with Sister Frances if she didn’t try and get a bit more personal. It was probably time to try and push a bit more.

“You seem quite happy, Sister,” Sera said, with affected casualness. “Do you like errands that much?”
 
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The sister laughed slightly at Sera’s words. “It’s not often you find a college student so interested in volunteering.” Her smile remained as she glanced over at the other woman. “Most students seem to be interested in partying and the fastest way to get high while not having their parents watching over them twenty-four-seven.” Her chuckle was subtle. “Let me know where the rest of your kind are hiding, we could use a group of you at the orphanage.” Another small laugh at her own joke. “Why is it that you decided to transfer schools in the middle of a semester? If I may ask of course. You don’t have to answer if you’re not comfortable doing so. As for my obvious showcase of excitement” Sister Frances glanced towards Seraphina briefly as they pulled into the parking lot of the local wholesaler. Pulling into a spot fairly close to the entrance, the sister put the car in park and undid her seatbelt. “I wouldn’t say I like errands that much but I do enjoy escaping from the orphanage every now and then. Don’t get me wrong, I love those children to death, and I care for my sisters but sometimes it’s nice to get a little break. Does that make sense?” She asked, wondering if she sounded absurd.

Getting out of the van she locked her door and came around to Seraphina’s side. Opening the door for her she pushed the lock down and waited for the young woman to step out of the car before shutting the door and leading them in with a cart in hand. “It’s always so incredibly chaotic here. I must say, I’m glad my visits to this establishment are rather far apart.” Her smile remained bright regardless of her statement. Stepping through the sliding doors Sister Frances seemed to know the lay of the land within the sea of people around them. She expertly navigated the aisles, pausing to double check any coupons and sales with Seraphina. The cart was slowly filling, mostly dry goods and non-perishables but soon they were coming up to the refrigerated items. Some cheeses were placed in the cart, mostly long-lasting processed things. Sandwich meats were next, followed by freshly cut meats. Scanning the products closely few things were selected before moving on to more dry and canned goods. Grabbing an assortment of canned soups and pasta’s that were easy to make as an emergency, Sister Frances started filling her cart. These were things that took time to go bad or expire, it was always good to have on hand.

Not paying much attention as she reached up to grab another can, she felt something cold against her skin. Instantly letting go and flinching slightly in surprise, Sister Frances bumped her cart before she turned over to look at the woman who was reaching for the same can. “My apologies m’am.” She spoke with a small nod and brief, awkward smile.

“Do you need this one to go with the rest of the shelf’s worth you took?” The woman was clearly unimpressed as she looked from the cart to the nun.

“I uh-” Sister Frances looked from the cart to the shelf and back before turning to look back towards the lady. “I’m sorry, do you need some more?” She asked as she reached for a few of the cans from her cart.

“As a matter of fact, I do. I’ve got kids to feed.” The woman spoke rather rudely as she tossed the single can into her cart and took the others she was offered.

“I understand miss my apolo-”

“Do ya now?”
She did a once over of the sister. How would you know what it’s like to raise kids?”

“I-well-”
Sister Frances stuttered as she wasn’t quite sure what response was appropriate, or if it was even worth it. Not that she was given much of a chance to say anything really.

“I’ve got five of them at home sister, a few cans ain’t gonna cut it. Come on now.” She held her hand out and motioned for the nun to hand her more cans.

Clenching and unclenching her jaw as sister Frances looked at the woman, she swallowed back and broke eye contact as she felt her chest tighten. Taking a deep breath and exhaling subtly the nun nodded a few times before turning towards the cart again. “Of course m’am.” She muttered.
 
Sera laughed slightly along with Sister Frances, rubbing one hand against the side of her face at the nun's indirect praise. "I'll try my best to keep an eye out, although I suspect such people would already have their causes picked out."

Not that she'd be able to find anyone anyways. It wasn't as though Sera was actually interacting with anyone at the college. But, for the most part, she agreed with the Sister's assessment of people in college. They didn't seem like the type who really cared for others outside their close friend circle.

"I've actually been intending to transfer to this school for a while," Seraphina continued, unconcerned about Sister Frances' question. She'd long since worked out her backstory, and was confident enough that she wouldn't flinch at such a simple question. "It's got one of the best Veterinary Medicine programs in the country, after all. But, well, life is complicated, and things rarely go as planned, especially in such a competitive program. I should have transferred in at the beginning of the semester, but things just weren't quite ready. I could either go now, or, well, a week ago, or wait until the start of the spring semester. That'd still be dropping me in the middle of things to some extent, and better to get going asap, right?"

Sera shrugged, clearing her throat and shrugging slightly. "I definitely understand wanting to get away from your day to day life for a while, though. That's kinda why I got into volunteering to begin with, and the work I do makes me feel fulfilled. Do you have any hobbies or things outside the orphanage like that?"



The parking lot of the store was already swarming with cars. Sera would have guessed that it would have been a lot more empty at this time of day, but it seemed like there was always a group of people coming or going.

Sera hopped out of the car almost the instant it came to a full stop, coupons still firmly clutched in her hands. However, she paused as she noticed the Sister approaching her door, before offering the other an apologetic smile for forgetting to lock the door. While Sera understood the theoretical nature of technology, the actual details of it were still a bit nebulous for her. It hadn’t occurred to her that this car might be old enough to lack automatic locks.

And, just like that, the duo ventured into the shopping market. At first, Sera kept herself close to the sister, relegating herself to something resembling coupon duty and running price comparisons. However, she quickly began venturing further afield as the two grew a bit more comfortable shopping together, Sera venturing off further down the aisle to snag a few nearby items they were looking for.

Of course, shopping was never a completely straightforward process, and it was only when they reached the canned pre-prepared meals that they realized the canned black beans weren’t kept with the baked beans. Sighing to herself, Sera waived the Sister forward.

“I’ll go get them. Should just be a couple aisles back, yeah? Maybe they put them with the canned vegetables. ...Are beans a vegetable? Whatever. You go pick up some soups, I got this.”

And, with those only vaguely dignified words of farewell, Sera hurried off to track down the elusive beans.

Sera hurried a couple aisles back, and began to scan the shelves, muttering the word ‘beans’ repeatedly under her breath as she searched. However, her self-imposed quest was interrupted only a few minutes later. Sera’s head abruptly snapped sideways, turning to stare in the Sister’s direction as though she was looking straight through the shelves. A frown crossed her face, and she set off only an instant later.

As she hurried her way back to the aisle where she’d separated from Sister Frances, Sera could make out the sound of raised voices. Her frown grew deeper. Finally, the sight of a middle aged woman with dyed, blonde hair in a bob cut, looking as though she planned to corner Sister Frances against the shelf.

Standing at the mouth of the aisle, Seraphina didn’t hesitate for an instant.

“Hey everyone! Take a look at this!” For the first time, Sera’s deep voice was put on full display. Her words seemed to echo around the entirety of the store, and could certainly be clearly heard up to a few aisles away. “This woman’s trying to steal from an orphanage!”

For a second after she spoke, the entire world seemed to freeze in place. At the far end of the aisle, a man who was searching through boxed noodles glanced down in their direction in surprise. The woman’s head also turned unconsciously in Sera’s direction, only to see the woman’s brilliant blue eyes locking her in place.

Seraphina moved forward slowly, long limbs creating all the lanky grace of a wild cat. Only a few moments later, and she was looming over the older woman, who momentarily seemed to shrink in on herself.

“I… I be-beg your pardon, young lady. Just who exactly do you think you are?” The woman seemed to be trying to collect herself, but Sera didn’t intend to give her the opportunity.

“I could ask you the same question. Look at you. Who exactly do you think you are, to be stealing food right from the mouth of orphans?”

“I have no idea what you’re…”

Sera smiled viciously, realizing that the woman had already thoroughly fallen into her pace. She cut the other off before she could finish talking.

“This is Sister Frances. She’s currently shopping for St. Emiliani’s Christian Orphanage, one of the most generous and caring organizations supporting children in our community. And you’re trying to take food from the poor children they care for?”

“She’s practically hoarding. I need—”

“Oh right,” Sera began, firmly cutting off the other woman once more. “You’ve got five children to feed. Isn’t that right? Try adding a couple dozen more, and you might be close to dealing with half of the amount of care this Sister puts out every day. But what was it you said? Oh, right. She couldn’t possibly know anything about taking care of children.”

“I… You…” The woman’s face was already beet red, and Sera could practically see a vein pulsing on her forehead.

“Got anything else to say?” She didn’t give the other a chance to continue. “I didn’t think so. You can leave now.” Sera stepped to the side, boots squeaking slightly against the floor.

The woman quickly hurried her way out through the gap Sera had created between herself and the shelf. It was only when she was a safe distance away that the woman turned around to glare at Sera.

“You nasty little devil-worshipper. Your parents must be so ashamed of you, treating one of your elders like that.” Seeming to feel she had redeemed herself, the woman then rushed away so quickly that Sera lost sight of her almost instantly.

Sera carefully glanced around at Sister Frances, offering a small smile. “I’m afraid I didn’t find the beans. Should we go look together?”
 
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Sister Frances flinched against the deep, spine chilling voice that exploded down the aisle, her head snapping in the direction of the sound as she swallowed back, three more cans of soup in her hands, a shudder visibly travelling across her form as she stared wide-eyed at Seraphina. Tightening her grip on the cans as she felt them shift in her hands, the sister almost seemed entranced by the young volunteer who stood at the top of the aisle, light beaming in from the large windows and backlighting her, almost making her glow. The nun’s stomach knotted, the sensation behind it was unknown to her, she was unsure of what it meant as goosebumps prickled across her skin.

Pop!

The surprisingly deep sound was startling for the sister. The wet sploshing that followed was worrisome. Her gasp had been subtle as she stepped back, her body colliding with the shelving unit, it shook ever so slightly as Sister Frances looked behind her briefly before staring down at the floor and spotting the saucy mess splattered across the linoleum, her shoes and just a tad on her tunic. “Oh dear…” She whispered to herself as she looked at the cans in her hand. One of them had burst, her left hand covered in sauce. Turning to place the two intact cans on the shelf, she felt a hard, blunt pain slam against her head, the process of her reaction, the sister’s right arm came up as she winced and then proceeded to fumble with a large can of chilli. Unable to save it from falling to the ground, she watched in worry as it slammed against the floor but survived with nothing more than a few dents. Looking at the rather crushed can in her hand, Sister Frances grew confused as to the cause of the can’s explosion.

Quickly distracted by Sera’s presence and the words being spoken between the volunteer and the rather rude woman, she turned her attention towards them. Blue eyes scanning the flustered woman before turning to look at Sera, irises darting across her features as she seemed to somewhat enjoy putting this woman in her place. Sister Frances dared not to speak; she wasn’t good in these types of situation. She had tried to avoid any sort of conflict or confrontation, hence why she had just agreed to give the rude woman the soup cans, Sera obviously wasn’t having any that. Her name had been spoken; she wasn’t a fan of that, but she could do nothing about that. The confrontation had eventually ended, Sera stepping aside as the woman rushed away in embarrassment. Sister Frances looked up towards the volunteer and then back to the retreating lady who chose to mutter some rather rude words about Seraphina.

Sera certainly had a look to her but that didn’t mean she was a devil worshipper. The words that came from that lady were uncalled for, unnecessary and rather judgemental. As Sister Frances leaned over to look passed Sera, towards the receding woman, her view was quickly obstructed by the college student. Looking up with a small sound of surprise and wide-eyed from the event as a whole, Sister Frances nodded in response to the smiling young woman. “Yes, perhaps that might be best.” She stated rather quietly as the PA system called out for a clean up in their aisle. Grabbing the two cans she had put back on the shelf, the Sister watched her step and took hold of the cart once again as they moved out from the aisle.

The whispers and ramblings were certainly distracting. She could feel all the eyes on them as they walked through the aisles, her grip on the cart tightening as, for the most part, Sister Frances kept her head down, stealing glances at a rather unphased Sera every now and then. “You— Uh…aren’t…are you?” the nun finally looked up at the young woman and narrowed her eyes in inquiry, her head tilting slightly. “I’m just thinking about what that woman said, as rude as it was. I want to say she was simply judging a book by it’s cover. Not that I care what your beliefs are, as long as you mean no harm to anyone. I was just more so curious.” Sister Frances’ cheeks started to tingle, the red colour slowly appearing across her skin, embarrassed for having to ask that question. “A-Actually you know what, never mind.” She shook her head. “It’s honestly none of my business. You have been nothing but phenomenal in helping us at the orphanage, where your beliefs lay don’t matter. I’m sorry for even asking. I hope I haven’t offended you.” Sister Frances clenched her jaw as she was quick to look away from Sera and simply focus on the task at hand, although with her cheeks burning bright red she couldn’t hide the embarrassment she felt.
 
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Sera didn’t react in particular to the splatter of soup that covered the ground, only paying enough attention to make sure that none of it was getting on her boots. However, she dug out a napkin from some unknown place when she was near the Sister, proffering it to allow the other to clean her fingers.

“The can must have been rotten,” Sera offered casually. Of course, she knew that wasn’t true. It was practically impossible. But the more mundane the solution the easier, sometimes, and it was a fact that rotten food could cause cans to explode. “It’s a good thing you didn’t take that back for the kids.”

The crowds of people that Sera’s loud voice had gathered had long since served their purpose. Arrogant people were never quite as brave when they were pressed under the weight of accusatory eyes. Sera boldly made eye contact with a man standing at the end of the aisle. “Thanks for your help,” she said flatly, flashing an unexpectedly blinding smile. “You can go back to your shopping now. No need to stare.”

Sera certainly didn’t regret lashing out at the crazy lady, but now she just wanted to finish their shopping and get the Sister out of the store.

Thoughts otherwise occupied, it took Sera a few minutes to catch up with what the Sister was asking her.

“I’m not what?” Sera asked, honestly confused. Her head tilted slightly to the side as she listened to Sister Frances ramble, before abruptly catching up with what the other was asking. Sera couldn’t help but laugh slightly, quickly stifling the noise in case the Sister thought her rude.

“Oh. No, I’m not a devil worshipper,” Sera replied, once again laughing slightly. “I believe in God, same as you. I dress like this because it feels the closest to my… true nature, I suppose you could say. It reminds me that I’m in this world for a purpose, and must always be confident in myself to complete my mission, when the moment comes.”

For one moment, the image of a six winged angel appeared in Sera’s mind. However, rather than being pale and cloaked in heavenly light, this angel’s wings were midnight black. A long, silken dress, as dark as her wings and hair, cascaded over her pale skinned form. Mentally, Sera shook the image from her mind.

“I’d always be happy to discuss myself with you, Sister. Curiosity isn’t insulting, it’s flattering.”
 
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As the two had walked, Sister Frances couldn’t help but look at the cans in worry. ‘The can must’ve been rotten’. She thought about Seraphina’s words. If that was the case were the other’s spoiled too? Should she put them back? After that whole ordeal? She’d look like a fool returning them. The nun had been distracted enough by the thought of serving spoiled food that she hadn’t really heard all of what Sera was saying to her. “Do you think the other cans have gone bad too?” She asked just as the young woman had finished mentioning that she had some sort of purpose in life and that curiosity is not an insult. To her at least. Sister Frances’ stress was evident in her features as she looked to the volunteer for reassurance. Her blue eyes wide, brows furrowed, forehead wrinkled. “Do you think I should put them back? How embarrassing would that be? After that whole situation with that mean lady…” She mumbled.

They had stopped in an aisle that should’ve had the beans they had been looking for. Scanning the shelves, Sister Frances sighed. “Maybe I could leave them here?” Another question. No, that’s wrong, you’d be giving the staff unnecessary work. Put them back where they belong. “Right.” She responded to herself with a nod. Reaching into the cart she began picking up the soup cans. “I’m just going to put these back, I don’t want to risk it. If one can was bad, they may all be.” She explained to Sera as she took as many cans as she could handle in her arms. “We do still need the beans though.” She motioned towards the shelf that housed all types of canned legumes. “We can make our own soup!” Sister Frances called out as she rushed down the aisle and back towards the scene of the crime.

Glad to see the aisle was fairly unoccupied, due to the cleanup, the Sister was quick to start restocking the shelf that she had emptied. Finishing with all the cans she had brought along she was quick to turn around and relocate Seraphina once again. Reaching into their cart for the rest of the pre-made soups, she filled her arms once again and prepared to turn around and take them back.
 
Sera glanced at Sister Frances after finishing her explanation, wondering if the young nun was going to take the invitation to ask her further questions. However, instead, she saw the woman's blue eyes staring fixedly at the cans in the basket, as though wondering if they were going to suddenly spring to life and bite her. Sera laughed lightly to herself, wondering what was running through the young woman's head.

It didn't take her long to find out. "I very much doubt it," Sera replied. "Generally you can tell if a can's rotten because it will start to swell or buckle. All of these look completely fine to me."

Her reassurance didn't seem to do much good. Just as they were getting close to the spot where Sera had abandoned her quest for beans and raced back to deal with the nasty woman, it seemed their quest would once more be interrupted. When the Sister took off back down the aisle with an armful of cans, Sera could only sigh and follow after her. Yet, somehow, before Sera had even made it back to the end of the aisle, Sister Frances was back, reaching into the cart.

Mentally, Sera winced. She'd been intending to make the exploding can seem somewhat more normal, not send the Sister into a panic over food safety. Hesitantly, she extended one hand, pressing gently onto Sister Frances' shoulder.

"You've grabbed a can of peaches, too," she pointed out, gently freeing the can from the Sister's grip and returning it to the cart. "If you want to return the soup we can, but you can't put all the cans back, alright? You can't rely just on fresh stuff to feed the entire orphanage."
 
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Feeling the cool touch seep through her tunic, Sister Frances froze in position, hairs prickling. She shuddered with an exhale, her stomach knotting uncomfortably as she looked over her shoulder at the younger woman. Her grip on the cans had been tight, she didn’t want to drop any of them on the way to the other aisle. Sera had managed to easily and somehow gracefully pull out a single can of peaches from her grasp, the nun’s grip shifting so she didn’t lose the rest. The young volunteer had stood fairly close to the sister. She locked eyes with the other, almost entranced by her gaze as she managed to follow the sharp features of the young volunteer, eyes scanning and registering every minor detail, lingering on dark lips for a moment before flicking back up. Her throat grew dry as she swallowed back, a puff of air escaping her nostrils. Her nod was slow as she couldn’t help but do a once over of their closeness. “Okay.” Her response was disturbingly breathy as her skin tingled with embarrassment.

Clearing her throat, Sister Frances brushed passed Seraphina and put the cans back in the cart. Clenching her jaw as she felt the warmth on her cheeks, the Sister pushed the cart ahead just slightly so that she could grab an assortment of beans from the shelves. Avoiding eye contact with the young woman for the rest of their trip within this store, Sister Frances also found herself keeping her back towards the woman as she felt burning heat beneath her clothes. The thought alone was embarrassing enough. She obviously wasn’t good at hiding it, so the least she could to was avoid looking at it, and by it she meant Sera. Why she had felt the way she had was something she couldn’t explain. It had just happened.

These things don’t just happen. She told herself. Shaking the thoughts out of her head, the nun hurried her way through the grocery store, grabbing whatever else was required while keeping her head down and her attention away. Paying for everything would be a challenge in and of itself, Seraphina had all the coupons, she would have to talk to her then, interact, stand close; maybe even have to make contact. She had to muster the courage to do so. As they waited in line to cash out, she steeled herself; repeating the same words and reminding herself internally why she had made the decisions she had. Who she now was and where she had come from. Those days were over, she was repenting. She was living a new life, forging a new path. She could not allow herself to be pulled into his clutches.
 
Seing the way Sister Frances momentarily paused in response to her words, Sera smiled gently. "Okay," she agreed, her eyes unconsciously lingering on the Sister's flushed cheeks. However, for the remainder of the shopping trip, that was the last glance she got of them.

At the very least, her reassurances seemed to have ended the Sister's can-based anxiety. However, Sera wasn't entirely sure she'd made things better. Not with the way Sister Frances was stubbornly avoiding eye contact with her now. Carefully chewing on the inside of her lip, Sera continued to repeatedly glance at the young nun as they shopped. Any time they made eye contact, more by accident than not, the Sister's eyes seemed to all but flinch away from her.

The two hardly exchanged words after that point, and those that they did were all shopping related. Do we have enough pasta? This looks like a really good deal on tuna. I found a coupon for this chocolate bar, should we buy it or do you think it'd cause disputes among the kids? By the time they finished, Sera could feel herself all tightly wound like an over-coiled spring. She still hadn't managed to decide whether or not she'd made some sort of mistake.

Up until this point, their relationship had been building up so well. Now it was... Sera wasn't entirely sure what it was. Occasionally, the image of Sister Frances' flushed cheeks would flash through her mind, momentarily causing her heart to warm. And then she'd glance over at the Sister, only to see her back turned and head bowed.

But shopping wasn't the moment to over-think things. It wasn't until they'd hauled the over-loaded cart back out to the car and transferred all the bags into it that Sera finally gathered her nerve to speak.

"I'm... sorry," she said, trying and failing not to stutter slightly. "If the way I handled the situation with that woman, or something I said, wasn't... Right. Okay. Good? Are you... doing okay?"
 
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