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Luna returned the cleaning supplies inside the storage closet, and let out a satisfied sigh. It took several, grueling hours, but, she’s finally finished scrubbing the mess in the living room after one of her employers (she refuses to call any of them “master”, no matter how much they insist, or how much they threaten to take from her paycheck) had enthusiastically prepared a surprise party for her. Apparently, someone had told him that it was her birthday today (it wasn’t), and he had immediately jumped at the chance to arrange a party that was “fitting” for someone like her. Really, 3 years of living under the same roof, and he thinks she likes pink glittery confetti? She prefers green glittery confetti, thank you very much.
It’s not like she doesn’t appreciate the effort. It’s nice that they care enough about her to even celebrate her birthday, but when you’re going to be the one cleaning after your own celebration, it defeats any sense of enthusiasm she has left. Her employers don’t even offer to assist her in cleaning up! I mean, sure she’s a maid, it’s her job to clean after them. But, damn, they don’t pay her enough for this.
Well, at least it wasn’t as bad as her previous birthday celebration back when she was an imprisoned assassin, when Crissy broke her out of her cell and-
Luna paused. Ah, Crissy. She… doesn’t try to think of her often whenever they get separated. It does neither of them good when they think of each other when they get separated at all. It’s not that she doesn’t miss her, it’s just, well. It’s just difficult to harbor infatuation for your current paramour when you can’t stop thinking of a bright, soft smile, and gentle hands in your hair as someone braids flowers in them, even though you keep telling her to stop doing that, you’ve told her it tangles your hair, but-
Luna’s doing it again. Okay, let’s stop. What Crissy? Who is Crissy? Luna has never heard of this Crissy. She’s just a humble maid, who had the fortune of being taken into a luxurious household, and to serve her equally luxurious employers. A humble maid that still needs to figure out what to cook for breakfast tomorrow.
She heads to the kitchen and take stock of the pantry. Hopefully there are still eggs and bacon, she doesn’t think she can handle making anything complicated this week. But, knowing her more eccentric housemates, they’re probably going to make her cook a three-tier-waffle-pancake-omelette-sandwich. Or something.
The kitchen is dark and empty when Luna finally arrives, which is to be expected. Not only does no one else come here, but, most of her employers are very likely to be asleep, and if they aren’t, then they’re calling it a night and getting ready for bed. She wishes she could be asleep right now, but duty always calls. No rest for the wicked, Crissy would tease.
Luna sighs. Who was she kidding? She can’t stop thinking of Crissy, she can never stop thinking about Crissy. It’s not her fault! She just can’t help it. With the way that girl always gets herself into trouble, even though Luna tells her time and time again to put her head down and follow the script. It’s as if she can’t keep herself still. She always wants to do something fun, she says she despises the men They try to set her up with, complaining that they’re too boring, too controlling, too demanding. Not like you, Luna, Crissy will say as she presses faint kisses on Luna’s scalp. Things are always interesting when I’m with you. Whatever that meant.
But, admittedly, Luna does miss her, a lot. She misses the moments when Crissy would drag her into stupid situations, where Luna will have to drag them back out of. When Crissy would catch her eye in the crowd when she throws her bouquet, ensuring that Luna will be able to catch it. When Crissy would lift the hem of her dress and run from the altar, leaving her now ex-husband, and taking Luna with her. And Luna will always be a step behind her, even when They punish them, even when they won’t each other for multiple cycles (a foolish penalty They try to enforce, They know They can never truly separate them).
Luna smiles to herself. She remembers the first time they met. Back when their souls were younger, when they still didn’t know what they were truly made for. It happened on a rainy day, Luna was walking home from school and she had forgotten her umbrella. One of her classmates (she had already forgotten his name, he had nice brown hair, though) had offered to share his, saying they live pretty close to each other, but Luna knows their homes are a whole district away from each other. “It’s fine,” she replied. “It’s not raining very heavily, and my home is a few minutes away from here. I’ll survive.”
Her classmate had insisted, but Luna shut him down. What an annoying person, Luna thought to herself as she walked away from him. Now, she kind of wished she accepted his offer. Because the light drizzle from earlier turned into a whole storm, and now she’s taking shelter under a bus stop. It’s as if the universe was making her regret not sharing that umbrella with him.
Luna glanced at the downpour and the last street she had to cross before she could arrive home, and as she was about to make a run for it, she arrived. Walking calmly through the rain as if it were a trickle and not like a dam burst somewhere, Crissy approaches her, holding those trendy see-through umbrellas with flower decals. “Would you like to share my umbrella?” she asked.
There was no hesitation when Luna moved to accept her invitation. It just felt natural, as if Luna had expected Crissy to come along after all. The walk to her apartment was quiet, with Crissy only asking where Luna lived once, but it wasn’t awkward. Once they arrived at Luna’s apartment complex, Crissy simply gave her a cheery farewell and walked to wherever she was meant to go. And then, Luna thought that was the end of that.
Except, it wasn’t. After that fateful meeting, without fail, Crissy would stop by Luna’s classroom early in the morning to greet her, to ask her to eat lunch with her, or to simply talk about what goes on in her classes. She would also be waiting outside after Luna’s classes to walk home together after school. During school events, they would always stick to one another, despite being in different sections (Crissy would ignore anyone who speaks up about it, and Luna would still seek her out even when her classmates complain). Eventually, everyone in the school knew they were friends. Which, honestly shouldn’t have been a surprise, but it did come with its own problems. Because now, it meant all of the people who were interested in Crissy acted like Luna was her messenger. Like, when one of Crissy’s classmates approached her and asked her to pass on a love letter (well, he never said it was a love letter, but come on, what else could it be?).
Luna accepted it benignly, but when he finally walked away, she threw it in the nearest trash can. Seriously, be a man and give it to her yourself! Just because she and Crissy were friends doesn’t mean she’s her personal mailbox now!
Sometimes, guys would head to their usual meet-up spots during lunch, saying they wanted to talk to Luna. Luna sighs internally, knowing this was one of those romantic confessions. It’s been happening more often lately. She doesn’t even talk to or know any of these men! What do you mean they’ve fallen in love with her?! But, like her own personal savior, Crissy always manages to block any of those advances.
“I’m sooo sorry,” Crissy would smile apologetically, but anyone with working ears can spot the sharp tone in her voice, “but Luna and I already have plans today! Girl stuff, you know how it is. Maybe another time?”
And she would grab their empty trays, and Luna, and walk away without another glance. Usually, it would be the end of that. Most of the time, though, it doesn’t deter any of their suitors, if anything, it just encourages them.
One of them had the idea of breaking their friendship, an idea that he would come to regret, when Crissy found out about his scheme. In response, she had exposed his father’s company for fraud and planted a nasty rumor about him that he could never come back from. He had transferred abroad, last Luna heard about him.
And then… Luna doesn’t know how it happened but, somewhere along the way, she sort-of fell in love with her. And Crissy loved her back. Probably. The memory was a bit muddy, the only thing she can recall being a burning building, police lights, a sharp pain in her ribs, and Crissy’s bloody face as she tells her she loves her, loves her, loves her, over, and over, and over again.
After that, well, they were brought back, and they were made to live through these… lives? Cycles? Whatever these were. The only objective (which they had to learn through trial-and-error, because They weren’t nice enough to come down and tell them Themselves) they were really given were to “fall in love” and marry the first man that decided to show them kindness.
Of course, Crissy seldom follows it. She hates being chained down by rules or commitment, preferring to do things her own way. The last and only time Luna has ever seen her obediently follow it was when they were first separated. Crissy had only managed two cycles without seeing her before she had snapped. In the end, they returned to each other in a church for Crissy’s wedding. She had looked gorgeous on her wedding day, despite the defiance she had tried to hide behind her loving gaze directed at her husband.
Well, whatever, after that first time, Crissy somehow discovered that They could never separate them forever, and the leash They thought They had wrapped around her snapped. Crissy would then always find recklessly violent ways to either break her relationships, or break Luna’s own relationships (she still thinks fondly of that time Crissy had fed her lover to a horde of zombies as they steal his truck, even when they themselves later had been eaten by a horde of zombies).
And that’s enough reminiscing for the night. Luna exited the kitchen, planning to make a classic set of pancakes and scrambled eggs for breakfast tomorrow. She doesn’t care if her employers want anything else, that’s a problem for the Luna in the morning. Right now, it’s time for her to get at least 5 hours of sleep before she had to inevitably wake up to cook. As she was about to climb the steps to the second floor, she heard a knock at the door.
Luna glanced at the grandfather clock next to the staircase. It’s close to midnight, who could it be? Another love rival? Love interest? A villain? It’s difficult to tell with these sinister knocks that happen nowadays.
Luna didn’t want to open the door. It’s late, and she’s tired of what bullshit They were throwing at her in order to spice up the plot. But, if she didn’t, They’d probably throw something worse, and then she’d have bigger things to deal with tomorrow.
Steeling herself for the inevitable, Luna approached the front door and opened it. On the porch stood a girl, wearing nothing but a slightly dirty white dress and had small, yellow flowers littered in her hair.
“I’m sorry to have bothered you,” she murmured shyly, her eyes never leaving the ground, “but, could I stay here? Even if it’s just for the night. I’m being chased by evil men, and I don’t want to be captured again.”
Luna stopped to think. Letting someone take refuge in the house, someone with enemies no less, is dangerous. A logical person would have sent her away and let someone else deal with it. Unfortunately, Luna had already made her decision.
“Of course, miss,” Luna replied, opening the door wider. “Please come in.”
With the confirmation, Crissy finally met her gaze and smiled at her brightly. She entered and walked upstairs to Luna’s quarters, as if she had lived in this house forever.
Luna shut the front door, ensuring to lock it tightly for the night as she resumes the trek to her room. And the cycle repeats once more.