Where Irene finds herself in another land called Aerst

 

 

a/n: If you’ve read this before, no you haven’t <3

 

 

 

 It was never in Irene’s intention to travel this far away from Echrin, her land—her home. She wasn’t even planning to be rebellious. But sometimes staying in the same place for too long can bore you up to the point of rebelling. Don’t get her wrong, Irene is not a traitor and she’s not planning to be. She just wanted to explore things outside of her land where she is more than just a pretty face and a naughty individual who goes around casting spells on random people as a prank. Stepping out was good, it was great, felt like a breath of fresh air—except for that one bull’s poo right outside of the border but nothing she can’t handle—once she walked out from there.

 

You see, Irene had a lot of plans. First, explore, maybe try some foods, maybe lounge around, making friends if she feels like it. But what Irene never saw coming was her standing right in front of a big white machine filled with toys in the land of Aerst, two lands away from Echrin. Everything was fascinating. Unlike her land, Aerst is a little more diverse and well…peaceful. it’s much more human-like rather than Echrin which was filled with overly-proud male creatures who prides on status.

 

But scratch that, scratch those creatures because she’s here for a good fun time. The people were nice, as long as they don’t see the mark around her neck, they wouldn’t know that she’s from Echrin. It was widely known that the people of Echrin are quite…feisty, and intimidating. So most people tend to stay away from such kind but then again, they’re not really that bad. Perhaps it’s just the common misconception.

 

But anyways, back to the machine. Irene never thought she’d be so fascinated over something to trivial, so useless, so…Aerst-like. And to Irene, if things caught her attention, you can bet that she’s going to spend some good amount of time on it until she’s satisfied. So, here she is, playing with whatever this goddamn thing is called. But she can figure that out later, she’s here to do one thing and one thing only,

 

To conquer

 

And win.

 

 

“WOOHOO! ANOTHER ONE”

 

 

 

Irene jumped, pumping her fist to the air, startling the people around her. But who cares? She’s winning. She had won about five toys now—or plushies, as what the fellow Aerst people explained moments before she started playing—and she’s very pumped up on winning more. Like why get one when you’re talented enough to win a 100?

 

 

“Wait, no, a little bit. Just a little more! JUST A LITTLE MORE COME ON HOLD ON”

 

 

Irene groaned when the plushie fell off just inches before winning bucket. She huffed and played again, but when she reached for the pocket of her coat, she realized that she was running out of changes. She stepped aside for a moment to count on how many changes she has left when she felt a presence behind her. When she turned around, she saw a— small? – woman stood just right in front of the big machine and she didn’t even get a chance to speak when said woman swoops in and steals her plushie prize in one go

 

STEALER?! THE AUDACITY. I PAID FOR IT

 

 

“AHA!”

 

 

Said woman cheered and took her – Irene’s – prize. Irene can swear to every human god out there that she felt like choking the hell out of this petite blonde woman who had the AUDACITY to steal her plushie. HER toy.

 

Obviously, Irene won’t let her off so easily. Said woman should be glad they’re not in Echrin or else she’ll be burnt down to the ground right now

 

 

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!”

 

 

Said petite blonde woman looked up and she could swear that she saw Irene’s eyes burning through her soul. If hell could swallow her whole right now, it’ll be right at this moment where she’ll perish. But she’s hoping for the best. In Aerst, violence is a rare occurrence. She’ll have some time to run. Probably now. Probably right now

 

But yet she is still sitting

 

 

“Uh, I’m picking up my prize?” said woman answered

 

“Excuse me? Your prize??”

 

“Yeah”

 

“That’s mine!”

 

 

Irene spoke and she saw how the said petite blonde woman frowned before standing up. Irene was literally shaking because in Echrin, nobody messes with her. Nobody can even look at her in the eye. And yet here she is, about to go up against a petite blonde woman who is probably few centimetres shorter than she is. This…this…Aerst…peasant

 

 

“I won this prize” petite blonde woman frowned

 

“But I paid for it!”

 

“I didn’t see you standing there before.”

 

“It was because I was standing at the side trying to count my changes”

 

“Well, that was your fault for leaving it unattended. Now it belongs to me”

 

 

THE AUDACITY

 

 

Irene wonders if the people of Aerst have always been this rude. Well, the people she met before who told her about how the big white machine works were nice, and few of the other people were nice. Just this particular petite blonde woman who did not seem to falter upon Irene’s presence.

 

 

“What the—I command you to give it back to me!”

 

 

Petite woman scoffed

 

 

“Command? Who do you think you are?”

 

“I’m Irene!!”

 

“And I’m Wendy. And Wendy does not take commands”

 

 

Irene gasped and cussed internally, just staring at this tiny…Wendy…person who seemed to be brave enough to start a fight with her. Irene wondered how such small tiny person like Wendy could be so feisty

 

Oh well, it’s like a certain somebody

 

 

“Why you little turtle—how dare you come before me” Irene gritted her teeth

 

“I’m not a turtle!” Wendy yelled back

 

 

Irene didn’t give a single damn and immediately marched forward and snatched the plushie from Wendy’s grasp. Wendy was about to snatch it back but Irene was fast enough to tuck it under her clothes

 

 

“HEY I WON THAT” Wendy said

 

“It’s mine!”

 

 

Irene had decided to protect her new toy with all her might and she’s not going to let some random Aerst villager take it away from her. She may not know what this big white thing is called but who cares? She fed that thing and she won that thing and rightfully, the thing should be hers. Not some stealer who swooped in and stole what wasn’t hers in the first place. Oh, the audacity of this tiny woman to step in her supposed-happy bubble and ruin her happy moment.

 

Like that certain someone who stepped in someone else’s land without anyone’s permission.

 

Specifically, someone from the land of Echrin.

 

 

“I will burn your soul down to the ground don’t test me”

 

 

Irene said, gritting her teeth. Oh, this Wendy girl really picked the wrong person to fight because Irene can really feel it in her palms that it was starting to heat up. Any more annoying and irritating remarks from Wendy, she probably won’t hesitate to go all Lord Zuko on her.

 

Wendy, however, gasped at such statement. But had no plans on backing down

 

 

“Ha! In Aerst it’s illegal to use fire in broad daylight” Wendy smirks

 

“Then I’ll do it at night”

 

 

Is she an idiot?

 

 

“I would like to see you try—ow! WAS THAT REALLY FIRE?!”

 

 

Wendy held her forearm, staring at Irene incredulously. She couldn’t believe that this woman would actually try to harm her and for what? For some plushie. A plushie that anyone could actually buy from any random gift shop. That goes to Wendy as well, she could’ve just left and bought an actual, better-quality toy but yet here she is.

 

Oh well, winning from a clawing machine hits different.

 

Waste a 100 on a clawing machine, get a toy; worth it. Buy a toy that cost a 10 on a random store; a waste of money

 

It do be like that sometimes

 

 

“Play somewhere else before I burn you”

 

 

Irene told her in a low whisper. Oh, this is a threat alright. Honestly, she didn’t actually burned Wendy, she just did a little something on Wendy’s skin just enough to feel a little sting. That’s probably enough to keep the petite woman away for now.

She heard Wendy scoffed before walking away from her slowly, mumbling up a storm and string of curses along the way. She saw the way Wendy mocked the way she talks as the woman finds herself standing in front of a machine just few metres away from her.

 

 

It’s good. Distance is good

 

 

But Irene wasn’t done. She was still a little pissed from the fact that Wendy had tried to steal her toy away. Irene looked at Wendy, who was busy filling in her changes—or whatever that circular silver thing is called. So, Irene decided to cast a little spell on few of the machines so Wendy won’t be able to win any prize

 

 

That’ll teach her how to behave.

 

 

 

 

“Okay, was this your doing?”

 

 

Irene turned to the source of voice and saw the petite blonde woman huffing and looking very frustrated standing right next to her. Irene smirked internally, thinking she had taken control of the situation and teaching Wendy a lesson. But like the Echrinian she is, she decided to play dumb

 

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about” Irene ignored and went back to her game

 

“Yes you do!”

 

“No I don’t”

 

“I didn’t win a single thing after you shooed me off!”

 

“You’re probably just bad at it. That’s not my fault”

 

 

Irene shrugs and ignored her again. Wendy took a really deep breath before glaring at Irene. She told herself to calm down before saying anything reckless or Irene might do some weird things to her skin again and she’s not up for that.

 

 

“I want to play at your machine” Wendy spoke

 

“No”

 

“And why is that?”

 

“Because it’s MY machine”

 

“I don’t see your name on it!”

 

“I don’t see your name on it too!” Irene yelled back

 

“You kept winning so there must be something wrong with it!”

 

 

Wendy was really this close to choking the life out of this stranger

 

 

“Have you ever wondered maybe you’re the problem??” Irene scoffed

 

“No, YOU’RE the problem here ever since I was off at a different machine, everything goes wrong! Because of YOU”

 

 

Wendy slightly pushed Irene on the shoulder with her index finger that caused the latter to stumble back a little, said plushie fell off of the winning bucket. Irene, a constant winner like we all have seen, of course got a little pissed at this. Oh, she was so close. So close to winning another one. If it wasn’t for this…this…Aerst.

 

 

“Why you—how dare you push me!” Irene exclaimed

 

“That’s what you get for cheating!”

 

“I wasn’t even cheating!” Irene said again “All I did was cast a little spell on certain machine!”

 

 

Wendy gasped

 

 

“So you DID do something. I knew it!”

 

 

Irene rolled her eyes

 

 

“And honestly you’re very suspicious. First, you burned me—”

 

“—heat you up” Irene interjected

 

“BURNED, and then you did this spell thingy which in Aerst, is also a rare occurrence although not illegal, and you’re wearing a goddamn scarf in this hot weather. And for what reason?!”

 

 

Wendy ranted and went closer to pull Irene’s scarf out of spite. Also because her soft caring heart was also a tiny bit worried that Irene might sweat to death or something. But what she didn’t expect was to see a mark—more like initial—that says EC on Irene’s neck just sightly above her collarbone. And Wendy, who reads a lot, actually recognise such mark and such initial

 

 

“Why do you have a symbol that looks like Echrin?” Wendy questions with furrowed eyebrows

 

 

Irene got a little worried and immediately pulled her scarf back up to cover it properly. And when Wendy noticed that Irene was a little jittery, she gasped

 

 

“YOU’RE FROM ECHRI—”

 

“SHH”

 

 

Irene pulled the latter and covered , looking through her surroundings to make sure that nobody heard what Wendy was about to say. It’s not like anything would happen, because no one actually dare to mess with an Echrin. But perhaps Irene just wanted to stroll around somewhere without having people keeping their distance because they’re afraid that she might harm them.

 

Just like what she did to Wendy

 

Not like that’s anything serious, but oh well

 

 

“Keep it down!” Irene whispered

 

 

Wendy pulled Irene’s hand away from and stared at her in shock

 

 

“What are you doing here?!” Wendy whispered back “Are you trying to steal our land???”

 

“WHAT? NO! I’m just here to play this”

 

 

Irene pointed at the machine innocently. Wendy gave her confused yet blank look

 

 

“What are you actually doing in Aerst?” Wendy stared

 

“Just to stroll around, nothing much” Irene shrugs

 

“You got kicked out of Echrin didn’t you”

 

“No! what the . I just want to go out and have some fun” Irene said

 

“Fun all the way down to Aerst??” Wendy spoke “Aren’t there any types of entertainments in Echrin or something”

 

“If you’re talking about boring parties for high end brats then no”

 

“Must be boring”

 

“Yeah, like you” Irene pointed out so casually

 

“Hey you’re in my land!”

 

 

 

 

Wendy honestly could’ve just walked away when she found out who Irene really is. But yet here she stands, as she watched Irene went from one machine to another looking very very interested

 

 

“Seriously” Wendy started “Out of all things in this land, you’re fascinated by a freaking claw machine?”