ᴅᴇx ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴꜱ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ 「 ˢᵒʳᵘʸ 」

oneshot || the origins

Leto brought her to their base, they called it Alluveterre. He didn't need to read her mind to know what she was thinking, he gave her a little smile. She flinched back and wrapped herself in the cloak he'd given her. He pursed his lips and led her to Calla, "This is Calla and she will watch over you. Now, we need to meet the rest of my colleagues, the Collective."

He sent Calla away to go and get a room ready for Sophie. By the calmness on her face, he could tell that she liked Calla, and could have trusted her if she'd been in another life.

In the privacy of our meeting room we took off our disguises, he ate some Callowberries and Sophie jumped back, "Sir Astin?" He smiled at her, "The one and only, thought my name is Leto, but feel free to call me whatever you like."

Next to me, Juline—Squal—drops her ice and hugs Sophie in one of the biggest hugs he'd ever seen. Sophie sees her face and starts crying, backing away from Juline, not that he could blame her, from first glance Juline looks so much like her younger sister, Edaline. Sophie calms when she realizes it is just her aunt—if she could call her that—and hugs her back.

As for the crying, Sophie wasn't supposed to be brought into this world for a very long time, they were supposed to bring her in when she was an adult. Also after being burned everywhere someone touched you, it makes you want to flinch, and Juline just ran at her.

The Blur is her friend, Jensi's, older brother, Fernan Babblos. The Wrath asked not to participate in the unmasking, so he didn't come—he was right, he'd just freak the poor girl out more.

Tiergan is Granite and when Sophie saw him, she jumped off of Juline and swarmed him in a hug. He brought Wylie with him as well—Sophie saw him and hugged him, Tiergan accidentally said too much around her. She knows she ruined his family, the seventeen year old clearly didn't know what to think when she hugged him, but hugged her back. He told her that it wasn't her fault.

The door opened and instead of hiding behind anyone else, she clung to Wylie and it was so cute. If Leto wasn't spending all his time watching the girl he would have shipped them—despite the age difference, but stars, Sophie and the Sencen boy are wayyyyyy cuter together. Ship sailing.

Everyone, including the person at the door, broke down laughing. He reddened as Tiergan patted him on the shoulder, "Next time you talk about your inner fan guy, don't project it to the world, buddy."

But he didn't hear him say that because Oralie ran into the room, picking Sophie up and cursing her into her chest, "Thank the gods and stars, my daughter's alive.

//

"Did your grandfather tell you nothing?" Oralie told the panicked girl, "Grandfather?" She shrieked, I guess not.

"Being a Councillor meant I couldn't have kids, this was the only way. I love Kenric, but I was in love with someone else first, Gethan Ondsinn. The guy who tried to kidnap you, then tortured you." Sophie had this panic in her eyes that Oralie looked at her friend.

"He wasn't always like this, he was a man in love—it broke him when Oralie was chosen as next Councillor. He changed after that, he wanted dangerous missions, so we sent him as a spy. He liked the way all the power felt, he knew the Council was never going to change—Oralie couldn't do anything to change it—he wanted anarchy. But he doesn't understand that anarchy only lasts so long, till people get greedy with power." Oralie took over.

"He's not evil Sophie, he wants the best for you. His dreams are just too big for this world, he wants a life without scorn and prejudice, talentless living side by side with us, he didn't realize that was the whole point of creating you, my dear."

//

Stina burst into the room with tears in her eyes, she saw Sophie and the tears got bigger. "Thank the gods you're not dead! I'm sorry Sophie, I'm so sorry. If I hadn't said those mean things to get back at Biana, you would have never gotten kidnapped. Please forgive me." She watched Sophie flinch back from all her loud pleading.