Her Special Girl

As the group of four split up to gather rose tinted flowers from across the field, two ladies stayed within arms reach of each other while exploring the east end of the garden.

Adalyn, who carried a parasol, was doing her best to shield her soft pale flesh from the harsh rays of the evening sun. It may have been a hot day, but no true lady would let light be victorious over a healthy complexion.

On the contrary, Yamin was more than satisfied to bask in the warmth of solar energy. Her skin was naturally smooth, but clearly taking on an ever so slight tan from all the time she’d spent outside. As a stardust user, her power depended on taking in as much light as she could.

“Isn’t it a lovely time for a walk?” Yamin spoke up.

Adalyn shared a smile. “Of course! But I’ve always tended to prefer the nightlife.” she shrugged. “You get more action those hours.”

Yamin’s head darted toward her

“Action?” her brow raised curiously.

Adalyn snickered. “Of course! People seem to be so much more active at night. Maybe it’s because the daily deeds of life bring them down, and a little excitement lifts them back up.” she said with an exaggerated hand of desperation over her forehead. “But y'all prefer the dark too, don't ya’? Those stars must be mighty shiny on a clear night.”

“I do like the stars.” Yamin looked up, eager for the daylight to fade so she could gaze up at them.

“See? You like the night too.” she held her head high, proudly finding common ground with her. “No matter the reason, night just seems so lively.”

Yamin couldn’t argue that night time was when she felt most confident and active, but in a twist of irony, she usually spent it alone, on a blanket looking up at the twinkly sky.

“Maybe we can share each other's hobbies a bit, if Y'all would be ever so kind.” Adalyn suggested. “I wanna see every star from here to the high heavens above.”

Yamin’s face lit up with excitement, then she stopped in her tracks and shook her fists up and down like an eager child.

“Oh! Really? I didn’t know you were interested in that!”

“Of course! My brother seemed to have so much fun watchin’ it with you when all y'all were kiddies. Colour me a bit nostalgic.”

It was such a lonely experience for Yamin, but her love and wonder for the celestial beyond kept her sitting out in a dark field and looking up all night. Hearing yet another person was interested in joining in on the peaceful fun made her all the more merrier.

“Maybe y'all can invite that Victor boy to enjoy your company. Smooching under the stars is so lovely!”

“S-smooching!?” Yamin blushed. “Adalyn, he's not…!”

Adalyn enjoyed watching Yamin’s shyness boil over, cackling with satisfaction.

“Why didn’t y'all tell me you had a crush on a fancy boy? You've gone and made me so mad.” Her playful tone portrayed sarcasm rather than anger.

Yamin held her head low with a dejected smile, radiating an air of shame around her.

“I didn’t think it was actually going to happen.” she admitted. “I knew if I told you, you’d get your hopes up. Or worse...”

“My hopes? What's wrong with hopin' that a darlin' little thing like you gets married?”

Yamin deeply blushed at Adalyn's wedding comment. Although, a part of her was just as longing for that experience.

“This is what I'm talking about… You're already preparing for our wedding. Which isn't happening.”

“Darling, you're practically my little sister and a very special girl. Of course I'd be plannin’ big things for you.”

"You think I'm special?" Yamin asked, almost stunned at the premise.

"Of course I do. Your the most special girl I've ever met."

Yamin didn’t know how to process such a flattering comment. Coming from Adalyn, such praises felt mighty indeed. Rather then disgrace the complement with her bashful nature, she turned away to try and find an excuse to change the subject.

A particular bunch of flowers held a noticeable patch of pink on it. Yamin, hoping to divert the conversation, kneeled down to search for the pink flowers they'd been looking for.

“Finally! found some!” she cheered, taking up a pair of scissors and preparing to cut the flower at their stems. “There's gotta’ be at least ten of them here.”

But as Yamin attempted to bend down to quickly pluck a few, a cord on the ground tripped her feet up.

“Ahh!” she screamed as she fell into the flowers. She was grateful the flowers weren't roses. “Youchy…”

“Oh dear!” Adalyn cried out, immediately attempting to help Yamin back up. “Somebody took a mighty nasty tumble.”

“Ouch… Thanks…” Yamin said, taking a seat on the path and inspecting herself for any bruises or marks.

While she was carefully looking over her person, Adalyn noticed that Yamin's backpack had come open during the spill. A mysterious book had fallen out and landed in the flowers, open to a particular page featuring a little dark colourd gremlin, along with some odd looking script.

“What's this?” Adalyn reached out her hand, feeling a warm sensation build around the book as she went to pick it up.

It took seconds for Yamin’s mind to register the danger that the book posed if Adalyn touched it. She dove at her and pulled her back from it.

“My goodness!” Adalyn gave a mean look to her. “Why so handsy over such a silly book?”

“Um…” She had to think of an excuse quickly, not exposing the demonic nature of such a terrible curse she'd been rot with. “It’s my diary!” Yamin snapped her finger.

Adalyn gave her a blank stare before snickering.

“Well, now I want to look at it all the more!”

“No!” Yamin shook her head. “Um…”

“So suspicious…” Adalyn gave her a worried look. “Y'all haven't been jotting down naughty things in this, have you?”

Yamin knew it was best to keep the book a closely guarded secret, even from someone like Adalyn.

“No.” Yamin replied, unsure how much of a lie that truly was. “Just, don't tell anyone about this…okay? Promise me.”

“Mmm…” Adalyn put a dainty finger to her own chin, slyly smiling. “Fine. I guess I can keep your little secret book for you.”

“Thank you…”

“But You'll owe me one,” Adalyn turned and nonchalantly shrugged, plucking a single pink flower from the bunch, then cutely put it up to her nose.

“Fair enough,” Yamin agreed, shoving the book back in its place, relieved that no harm came from the cursed artifact.

“It sure is, my lil Yamie,” she winked, continuing their search for more flower buds to pluck.