tomorrow will come [louie]

After everything that had happened -- everything from his mother disappearing to the intentional destruction of his relationship with his father to the kidnapping and sudden return of his mother four years later -- Elias and his father decided to take a much-needed retreat from their lives and invest time in getting to know one another again. This came in the form of a backpacking trip through Amelia, just the two of them.

While Elias hated leaving his mother again, and felt quite anxious that she may be gone by the time they returned, he could no longer live his life drowning in fear all the time. He had spent so much time imagining and preparing for the worst -- most of which didn't come true. Not to mention, all that he could worry about and attempt to plan for, he'd learned, would not actually help him much in a real crisis.

Surprisingly to him, surviving such a horrific and traumatic event had made him stronger and more confident rather than making him more paranoid and fearful. He wasn't sure how or why his mind was reacting in this way, but he was grateful.

Henri had packed everything he'd need (and some things for Elias too) before traveling with his son back to Martha's Vineyard, where Elias could grab his own clothes and other necessities. The two had spent the day on the island, where Elias showed Henri some of his favorite spots and they met up with Finley for coffee. From there, they officially started their journey with their first stop being the neighboring (though quite distant) island of Annerb.

Henri had told Elias again and again that they didn't need to venture through Annerb, especially considering the recent trauma he'd suffered there, but Elias had insisted. He'd grown up hearing stories of the beautiful scenery, local markets, and sense of community that his father had temporarily found on Annerb after he and Elias' uncle had escaped from their own kidnappers. All Elias knew of the island was isolation, pain, blood, confusion, anguish...he wanted to see a different side of it all. He wanted to heal not only his relationship with his father, but with himself and what he'd gone through -- and he felt that the only way to do that was go face it all head-on.

So here they were, carrying all of their belongings on their backs as they walked through a somewhat-busy local market toward the middle of the island. This was their second day on the island; they'd spent the first day finding waterfalls and lush forests and beauty that Elias could never have imagined would exist on the same island as the barn he was trapped in. His father was soft and kind and encouraging with him, which was exactly what he needed.

But he also needed some food. His mouth had dropped at some of the produce that locals were selling -- fruits he'd never seen or heard of, sizes that blew his mind, and even some veggies that reminded him of his Aunt Paisley's gardens.

Henri, who was also sifting through his own memories that had led him to this exact island decades ago, loved spending time with his son again. It almost felt like the last four years had been a bad dream.

"How about this?" Henri said, taking a large piece of purple fruit into his palm. The piece was so large that he could barely hold it with one hand.

"What is that?" Elias asked with a laugh of disbelief as the seller herself laughed and mentioned that the two men were obviously not from the island of Annerb. She started to tell stories of lore regarding where the fruits came from, which gods were fabled to have created them and why. Elias was in awe of his life, not despite what he'd been through, but somehow because of it. Had the kidnapping never happened, would he have ever reconnected with his father in this way? Would he have ever come to Annerb at all?

Louie was in the market today, shopping for food and supplies for the family. Usually, she and Nea would do this together, but her cousin was nowhere to be found when Louie left. So in an annoyed huff, Louie had grabbed the reusable bags, filled with goods to trade, and headed out to town.

A small satchel full of coin bounced and jingled on her hip as she trotted down the street. Luckily it wasn't too much of a long walk to town, maybe thirty to forty minutes at the most. It just depended on the weather really. Today was an unseasonably warm day for a winter on Annerb, and Louie was taking full advantage of the short day. It was nice not having to bundle up in layers upon layers like she usually had to.

When she finally made it to the market, she began her usual routine. A lot of the clio working there knew who she was, and asked her where her cousin was. She'd reply the same way for each of them, a sigh and a slight pout, she's a bit under the weather, she'd tell them.

After what felt like a million vendors, greetings, and questions about Nea, Louie was almost done. All she had left to do was buy some fruits, and she'd be on her way home. She couldn't wait. Though her body was use to heavy lifting from hard farm work, the full bags really were starting to take their toll on her.

She didn't notice the father-son duo at first, but once she approached the stand she was taken slightly aback by the boy ogling at the purple fruit that she wanted to buy. She was immediately entranced by his curly hair and nice smile. Louie's cheeks flushed pink. She wasn't use being physically attracted to men. Her family always warned her that men were bad, and only wanted one thing from her. She couldn't look at him any longer.

"Hi," she said to the vendor, feeling suddenly very shy. "You know I can't leave town without one of those," she laughed lightly. "Gramma would have my head!"

Elias turned to the young woman that approached them as they conversed with the fruit vendor, and he felt his entire world come to a roaring stop. Something about her radiated warmth, humility, kindness -- he felt a wave of goosebumps run its course over his body. As she laughed lightly, the curve of her smile made his heart flutter. When she mentioned her 'gramma,' he imagined what her life must be like here on the island with her family. Who were they? Who was she?

Henrik, who was seemingly oblivious to his son's fascination with the young girl, laughed along with her as he lightly tossed the strange fruit into the air and caught it again. "Well, we've certainly just learned a lot about this fruit and I can understand your grandmother's concern," Henri said with a charming smile as he reached across his son to hand the fruit to the girl. Finally, he noticed that Elias seemed frozen and lost in some daydream, so he gently nudged him out of it.

Elias immediately blushed and Henri noticed the boy might need some...help. "My son and I are visiting the island for the first time, and we've never seen some of this local produce. You seem to know your way around the market -- anything else you wouldn't leave town without? Best to hear it from an expert rather than try everything blindly." He nudged Elias again, a bit more conspicuously this time, as a sort of 'you got this' to his son as he tried to start a conversation that Elias could hopefully jump in on.

The vendor smiled warmly at Louie. All the vendors knew the Bloom girls. “Hi Lou!” She had chirped. “Where’s that cousin of yours?”

Louie of course, mumbled the same response she had given to all the other vendors, but she felt so awkward and shy, all she could do was pretend to be really interested in the woman’s wares.

She took the fruit from the older man hesitantly, her cheeks flashing pink again when she saw him smile. Even the father was attractive. Louie wished that she could just die right there in front of them so that she wouldn’t have to look at their handsome faces anymore. She returned his smile, though shy, and reached into her little coin pouch to pay the vendor. She shoved her fruit inside one of her bags then turned her attention back to the duo when the father continued to talk to her.

Henrik wrote:“My son and I are visiting the island for the first time, and we've never seen some of this local produce. You seem to know your way around the market -- anything else you wouldn't leave town without?”

Louie considered just giving him some vague answer and then scurrying away, but when she glanced at his son, something inside of her awoke. A feeling that she never felt before, something was calling her to this guy, even though she didn’t understand it.

“Well,” she replied, sounding and feeling a little more confident. “A few stands down there’s this bakery, best cinnamon rolls you’ll probably ever try!”

What in the Amelia are you doing? Aldous squeaked. He was in the form of a small field mouse, snuggled in the little bend where her neck met her shoulder. Your grandmother will beat you if you’re late!

Louie knew he was right, but something about that boy made her not care. “I can take you there,” she said. “If you want...”

Elias was convinced that this girl could convince him to eat dirt. For all he knew, that was what she suggested -- his thoughts were in a flurry and he was overly aware of what he was doing with his hands. What was he doing with his hands?? Did she notice??

"Elias loves cinnamon rolls," Henri said, messing up his son's already messy hair and officially snapping him back to reality as he realized how embarrassing his dad was being. "Why don't you go check those out? I'll look around and find something for our dinner later."

Elias looked at him in disbelief. "Are you sure?" he mustered. This was supposed to be their trip, just the two of them, backpacking across Amelia...but he wasn't about to turn this down. There was something about this girl. He needed to know more about her.

"Yeah, buddy. I'll catch up with you later. Come find me when you're done," Henri responded, thanking the vendor with a nod and heading in the opposite direction of the cinnamon rolls.

Left alone with probably the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, Elias turned back toward her nervously, but he at least tried to be a bit more personable. This wasn't going to go well if he couldn't even manage the courage to talk to her.

"Yeah, that does sound really good. Lead the way," he said, his arm extending the direction she'd suggested for the baked goods. He trailed off though as he tried to address her, and suddenly realized they hadn't introduced themselves to one another -- he hoped his trailing off would lead her to tell him her name. He was desperate to know it.

Louie watched the two of them interact and felt a little jealous. She wasn't as close to her parents as these two seemed to be. Most of their relationship consisted of disappointment, lectures, and occasional punishment that usually lead to beatings. She was lost in thought until the father started to walk away, and became extremely self conscious when she was left alone with the boy.

Elias wrote:"Yeah, that does sound really good. Lead the way,"

"Uh," she stuttered. "Uh, yeah let's get going!"

Louie grabbed her bags and turned, thankful that she didn't have to look at him anymore. Making eye contact was hard. She felt so stupid and embarrassed. Why couldn't she be like the more confident girls she'd see around Annerb all the time? Even her cousin radiated more confidence than she did.

She felt Aldous nudge her neck with his little nose. Tell him your name!

Oh yeah.

"Uh, the name is Louisa, by the way," she said, while glancing back at him over her shoulder. "Louisa Bloom...but you can all me Louie."

Really, Louie? She thought to herself and her daemon. You're gonna give him your whole name? What a dork he probably thought she was. Presumably, he told her his name too, but she became too lost in her thoughts again to hear him.

Louie glanced down at her outfit, a long floral dress, with black galoshes, and a long brown coat. The coat was bulky on her small frame, and she inwardly sighed, wishing she had worn something different today. Her thoughts were interrupted when the scents of the bakery hit her nose. She smiled and turned fully around to face him. "We're here!" She told him, "I um...I'm sorry but, I didn't catch your name."

Gods, she was such a loser. He probably wished he had just stayed with his father. She wished she had just ran away when she had the chance.

Elias followed the girl, who we soon found out was called Louie Bloom. Wow, she even had a really cute name.

"I'm Elias Kappo-Selway," he said, mentally kicking himself for saying his long last name. She had a cute and short last name, of course she'd say it -- but (while he loved his last name and the parents he got it from) his own was a bit clunky. He should have just said his first name.

But as they approached the bakery, he was given a second chance:

"I um...I'm sorry but, I didn't catch your name."

Phew. "Elias," he said simply. There we go, he thought to himself, thankful to get that re-do.

The smells radiating around them were truly brilliant. Sweet, savory, rich breads, fresh fruits, custards -- there seemed to be a bit of everything in front of them. He wanted to try it all.

"So the cinnamon rolls are the best here? Everything looks so good, wow." Every time his eyes settled on a new baked good, he changed his mind about what else he wanted to try. "I should get something for my dad," he thought aloud.

“Elias,” she said aloud, testing it on her tongue. “I like it!”

Louie stood next to him as they peered at the baked goods together. She liked that he was thinking of his father, even after they parted. Maybe she should get something for Nea and her snot-nosed little brother, too.

“You have to get the cinnamon rolls,” she emphasized. “You just have to!”

She giggled at herself, thinking it silly how dramatic she sounded. Being distracted by all the tasty treats was keeping her from focusing all her attention on him and she liked it that way.

“I guess I should be honest,” she said. “The cinnamon rolls are just my favorite.”

Louie giggled again, then ordered a cinnamon roll for herself, a cannoli for her brother, and a slice of apple pie for Nea. Once the two of them received and paid for their orders, they went to an empty table and sat. Louie became very aware of how close they were sitting, and she blushed, feeling very shy again. She started nibbling on her pastry, staring at it as if it were the most fascinating cinnamon roll she’d ever seen.

“So uh,” she stammered. “What brings you to Annerb?”

"Cinnamon rolls it is then," he said with a nod and chuckle, ordering a cinnamon roll for himself, one for his dad, and a couple extra tarts and goodies for the days ahead.

As they sat down, he definitely sat too close to her -- but she didn't move or shift away, which was a good sign, right? He blushed a bit too as they sat in a short silence, though it was anything but quiet in his racing mind. He picked apart the cinnamon roll's layers as she asked the question,

“What brings you to Annerb?”

Well, that was quite a long and horrific story that he maybe shouldn't tell a beautiful woman that he just met. But he didn't want to lie, either...there was something about Louie that made him want to open up to her immediately, like they'd known each other forever.

Who have I become? he thought, laughing at himself internally. Elias had never been a romantic. He'd barely even kissed anyone! The only girl he'd ever kissed was Finley, which he was still confused about, and the only other thing he'd done was have semi-consistent probably-casual sex with his even more confusing roommate. But here he was, on an actually really cute maybe-date? with a stranger who made him feel at home.

"My dad and I are um, taking this trip," he finally started, trying to decide how much to tell her. He didn't want to be weird and vague, but didn't want to overwhelm her either. "It's been a really rough few months, so we're taking some time to backpack through Amelia. Annerb is our first stop." He nodded and shrugged casually (in a sort of 'that's pretty much it' way), looking to her as he finally put a piece of the melty cinnamon roll in his mouth.

He immediately closed his eyes in pure joy at the taste. He felt like he temporarily left his body and ascended into some Amelian-version of heaven.

"Gods," he breathed before opening his eyes and blushing from embarrassment. "Sorry, I just...that is an amazing cinnamon roll. It does not disappoint." He smiled and ate another tear of the roll with a huge smile on his face. His dad was going to love this!

Louie listened intently as Elias explained his trip with his dad. Envy hit her like a jolt of lightening. She wasn't very close to her father. He had been disappointed that she was a girl, and she never went a day without him reminding her of his disappointment. Then when her younger brother was born, it got even worse. Her father has favored him since day one.

She smiled at him when he took his first bite of cinnamon roll. Her first time had been pretty similar. "See?" She inquired. "What did I tell you!"

Louie pulled off a chunk of her roll and popped it into her mouth. She chewed slowly, savoring the flavor before swallowing and speaking again. "I'm so jealous," she admitted. "I've never even left this island."

Though she wanted to so badly. Louie was just afraid. She was afraid of leaving the safety of her island, afraid of all the settled clio out there. They could kill her if they wanted to. So easily. She didn't even want to think about Elias being settled, though she was sure that he was. She couldn't think about that right now, or she probably would run away. She was enjoying herself far too much to be afraid. Something inside her told her that he would never hurt her, but at the same time she heard her grandmother's voice, warning her about men and settled clio.

"Where do you live?" She asked, hoping to keep the bad thoughts at bay.

"I'm so jealous," she admitted. "I've never even left this island."

Elias' eyebrows shot up in surprise as he chewed his delicious cinnamon roll. Sometimes he forgot how lucky he was, having a family that had traveled so much of Amelia and having an overloridian as an aunt. Even before he moved to Martha's Vineyard to go to Redfern, he and his family had been across the world on little trips.

Before he could say anything (or, more specifically, while he was debating what was appropriate to say to her without coming off like a privileged ass), she asked him where he lived, which was much easier to handle.

"I'm from, erm --" he started, but his mouth was still full. He put a finger up to non-verbally say 'one second please' as he finished chewing and swallowing the entire mouthful of food he'd just ingested. "--sorry. I grew up on Nadar, but I go to Redfern on Martha's Vineyard. So I guess I live both places." For the past few years he hadn't been "home" to Nadar much, as he'd been avoiding his father, but he'd be spending a lot more time there now that his mom was back.

He considered talking about some of the great places on Nadar, which he had access to because of his aunt's status as an overloridian, but sometimes talking about his aunt sounded like bragging and he didn't want to make Louie feel uncomfortable.

"Is there anywhere you'd want to visit if you could?" he asked casually. "I've been to a lot of different places, maybe I could tell you about them. If you want, I mean." He smiled warmly as he ripped off another bit and put it in his mouth. The more time he spent with her, the more comfortable he got. He was still nervous, but in a fluttery-butterfly type of way, which made him feel all warm and fuzzy.

Louie giggled when Elias motioned for a moment while he chewed his mouthful. He could be blatantly picking his nose, and she'd still think that he was cute. She laughed at herself internally. She never imagined ever being in this situation. A date! Kind of. They had literally just met, didn't know anything about each other, and yet something about him kept drawing her to him.

Elias wrote:I grew up on Nadar, but I go to Redfern on Martha's Vineyard.

Louie sighed, a whimsical-like look on her face. "That sounds really amazing," she replied. "I would love to explore everything some day."

She was, of course, expected to stay on Annerb for the rest of her life. Just like her grandmother, her mother, her father. She was destined to die on Annerb Island.

Elias wrote:"Is there anywhere you'd want to visit if you could?"

"I think that I'd want to visit Deilig the most," Louie replied. "I mean...I know it's like, dark, or whatever, but I've never seen a city before...it just sounds, elegant."

Louie had heard other clio talking in the marketplace about all the different eilemaidens. However, Deilig piqued her interest the most. Dark obsidian roads and buildings, night clubs with flashing lights, the night life just sounded so appealing.

Elias listened intently to Louie as she spoke, practically day-dreaming out loud to him about Deilig and Amelia as a whole. He wished she could tag along with him and his dad on their trip.

"I've been to Deilig once or twice," he said, thinking back to years ago when he and his parents had gone on a weekend trip. "My mom is from Dahlin but she settled as Deilig, so she wanted to show me what it was like there. It is dark in a lot of ways, but not dark like evil, ya know? It was gorgeous. So much stuff to look at everywhere!"

He was going to bring up how nuts it was that a somewhat recent Deilig overloridian had waged war across the south, but he never knew who was directly impacted by the war. For all he knew, Louie may have lost close family members in that war.

Not to mention that war wasn't exactly a romantic or uplifting subject to bring up...better keep it more positive than that.

Louie bit her lip nervously. So there it was, his mother was settled, so that meant he definitely for sure was settled. She wanted to ask him what eilemaiden he had settled in, but decided that she didn't want to know. She wanted to pretend like Elias was just like her, only free. At least, for now. She tried to focus on his face, on her cinnamon roll, on anything other than her nerves and pounding heart, but that word kept buzzing around her head like a swarm of bees. Settled.

Focus Louie, Aldous nudged. He hasn't hurt us yet, has he?

Louie imagined herself nodding, but didn't actually move her head. Her daemon was right, if Elias was evil and wanted to murder her with his eilemaiden, he would have done it by now, right?

"I hope I can see it someday," she replied, pushing her fears to the back of her mind. She started to say something else, but noticed a clock hung on the wall that was basically screaming, your'e late!

"Oh Gods," she yelped, jumping up suddenly. "I have to go!"

Louie shoved the rest of her cinnamon roll in her mouth, and began to chew furiously as she began to gather her things. "My grandmother is going to kill me!" She said through a mouthful of pastry. She started to turn away before remembering the bewildered looking boy sitting at the table. Her cheeks immediately turned scarlet and she swallowed the rest of her roll. "Are you busy tomorrow?" She asked, feeling bold. "I'd love to take you around the island some more...as long as I didn't scare you away!"