Golden: The Collection

Interlude IV: Party Planners

One week ago, Castle Solarex

After class was dismissed, Pea approached Willow. "Study sesh?" He prompted. She nodded vigorously. From there, they went to the library and set up camp. Ancient Plant wasn't a difficult topic, by any means, but it was always more fun to study with a friend.

"At this rate, we'll be fluent before the quiz," Willow was saying as she laid her textbook on a free table. Pea did the same. "Uh, did you just say quiz?" His voice was dripping with dread.

Willow laughed. "He never said it out loud, but sometimes there are things you can just feel. For me, this is one of them."

"Ah, so it's a pop quiz you already know about. Thanks for warning me of our impending demise, I guess." Again, she couldn't help but laugh. Pea found himself cracking a smile as well. "Are you excited to visit Nicholas later?"

"In Ancient Plant!"

"Oh. Uh, are you excited to visit Nicholas later?" He repeated, but that time in the not-so-different language. "I am. He asked me to come up with some designs, but.. I don't really know how to feel about them," Willow confessed in the same tongue.

"Did you bring your sketchbook with you?" Pea asked. Willow had two sketchbooks—one watercolor, for painting, and one for simply sketching. She often drew when she was in private. Pea had only glimpsed a few of her works, but never any of her watercolor paintings.

"Yes.." Willow surreptitiously opened the sketchbook she had kept concealed in her lap. Then, she handed it off to the elder peashooter. When Pea didn't immediately react, she started to spiral.

"I know it's not good. It isn't fit for a princess, let alone a peasant." Then, she face planted into her textbook. "I'm a failure."

"What? Willow, it's phenomenal." Pea glanced upwards from where he'd been investing himself in the concept art. "I could never come up with something like this."

"R-Really? You think it's good?" She gazed at him with wide, hopeful eyes.

"The Princess is gonna love it. I'm sure everyone else will think the same thing. Here." Pea gave the book back to her. Their study session was over an hour after, and Pea was off. Willow decided to stay behind to remind everyone else it was time to gather.

He was on his way to Nicholas' Mom's house in the village. Miss Salochin herself. When the proposition came up for Class S to become House Solarex, the parents were initially against it (save for Harmonia's, who longed for the acorn to stay as far away from as home as possible. The reason was unknown to Pea).

To compromise, Buckwheat offered them a house inside of the village. Oliver, Zale, and Nicholas were the only ones—other than Aureate, Stelora, and Harmonia—with present parents, so it wouldn't be much of an issue. Everyone else claimed to be orphaned, after all.

Every couple of days, Nicholas visited his mother. Today had been the only day he invited Pea and everyone excluding the princesses to join him. They all knew the Aureate's sproutage day was coming up soon. After everything she'd been through, it was Nicholas and Pea who initially came together to create a present for her. Then, word got out, and slowly, it got leaked to.. everyone else. It was fine. As long as the Princess, or Stelora didn't know.

They weren't sure if Stelora would keep the event a secret, see.

The house was small. More of a hut, really, but considering there was only one resident, it made sense. Pea just hoped it was roomy enough for all of them.

He approached the door, curled up his leaf blade, and brought it forward to knock. The door opened before he could, so he immediately put it back down. "Took you long enough, Peanut," Nicholas commented before gesturing for him to enter. Pea rolled his eyes at the use of his real name.