forum Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. // OxO // ClOSED

Started August 24, 2022 by @EtherealDreamer

tune

Celeste went off, talking to some tanned boy with golden blonde hair and a scar on his chin and smiled as she did.

Aspen got up, carrying Arlo and walked over to River.
"Say hi to Arlo, River." She commanded.

(The boy Celeste met sounds a little bit like Jason Grace-)

River laughed when the dog gave a little bark to him.
"Hello again, Arlo," River said fondly, petting the puppy gently on the head.

( oh—)

Aspen let Arlo wriggle from her arms to Rivers and smiled brightly.
"Awwww," she said "you guys are so cute."

(Idk, that was just the first thing that came to my mind)

Arlo licked River's face, making him grimace a little bit at the texture of his tongue.
"Yes, very cute," River smirked, still holding the puppy but keeping him away from his face.

(you're right tho—)

Aspen took him back from River and sat him down.
"They have a couples dance every night," she told him, looking at Maya and Daphne wistfully. "Do you think someone will ask me to dance with them?"

"Without a doubt," River smiled. He had a small urge to ask Aspen if she wanted to dance with him, except for the fact that he had no idea how to dance. At all.

Aspen nodded with a tight lipped smile and gave him a small wave of goodbye, part of her had been hoping River would ask her to dance later, when the time came.

She trailed her way around the fountain, plucking a plump velvety rose from the hand of a flower vendor and trailed back to River, making sure all the thorns were off before sticking it behind his right ear and smiling.

"Thanks," he said, touching the rose gingerly.
"So, um, just fair warning before you answer, I have no idea how to dance. But, uh…" he looked at her, feeling a bit embarrassed by admitting that. "Would you like to go to the dance tonight with me? As friends?"

Aspen looked at him with round eyes, her face framed by the lilac colored rose sitting behind her left ear and the light green one behind her right ear.

"Sure." She agreed quickly, blushing furiously but hoping it didn't show too much. "As friends."

"Great," River said before frowning in concern. "Your face got really red all of a sudden. Are you sick? Sunburned?"

"no, just embarrassed." She stated boldy. "I've never been asked to dance before."

She turned to walk away, but turned back.
"Dancing is an intimate thing to me, so anyone who asks me, I'll probably blush, no matter what." She added quickly.

"Ohh, ok," River said with a nod. He glanced over Aspen's shoulder and smiled fondly when he saw Daphne laugh at something Maya said, the two of them looking at ease and happy.

Aspen followed his gaze and also smiled softly.
"It's nice isn't it, to watch two people who're obviously in love." She said wistfully, turning her gaze back to River.

"It'd be even nicer if the loop allowed that love to last," River replied, wondering how Maya endured that type of pain each and every day. He hoped he would never know what that felt like.

Aspen nodded sadly.
"Yeah, I think the people in the Chateau who fall in love with someone else also inside the Chateau are very lucky." She said wistfully.

"Definitely," River agreed. "At least Mrs. Finch lets the others in the Chateau go out into the modern world sometimes, to get books, games, and other stuff. That probably keeps them from being too bored."

Aspen nodded.
"I wonder if it's hard though, being elderly but stuck as a kid or teenager." She said aloud, staring off into the space behind River.

"It probably is, since no one would take you seriously," River said, looking thoughtful. The loop was interesting; it was a paradise, yes, but after so many decades could it just be seen as a beautiful prison cell?

Aspen pressed her plump lips together so only a bit of pink remained and turned towards him.
"Come with me." She said and then blushed and frowned "please?"

"Sure," River shrugged. "Where to?"

"Up there." Aspen said, pointing to a small cozy looking cottage tucked behind the inn, on a slight hill. "I want to see if anyone lives there."

River looked to where Aspen pointed and nodded. "Okay, sounds good."

Aspen linked her arms through his and looked down at him, the pale rose she sat behind his ear blocking one of his brows. She quickly looked away and matched her pace with his and began to make her way towards the cottage.

River stumbled a bit as he walked, not used to linking arms with someone while walking. He quickly got used to it, taking in the beautiful scenery around him.

Aspen did the same. She stopped sometimes to look at the flowers growing on each side of the path and bent down to sniff them before moving onward.

Finally, they made it to the door of the cottage.
There was a plaque in front that said The Virk cottage and Aspen bent down to read the words under it, reading out loud to River as well.

"This cottage once belonged to the Virk family, the teenage daughter, Reena, was murdered savagely by her classmates and the cottage stands empty because of rumour of her haunting. Every year there is a Rose festival to celebrate Roses, Reena's favorite flower. At the end of the night roses are placed outside the door of the cottage to show respect to Reena's memory." She read aloud and then straightened up.

"How terrible." She said honestly and untangled her arm from River's, heading forward and taking the rose from behind both of her ears and placing them on the doorstep of the cottage.

"Yeah," River said quietly, taking the rose from behind his ear and putting it next to Aspen's.

Aspen stepped back and gazed at the cottage.
"It must've been terrible for her parents." She said aloud.

"I'm just wondering what she did to get murdered by her classmates," River said, wondering exactly how recent her death was, looking at the plaque. Because if this only happened a couple or so years ago, then the homicidal classmates could still be around.

"Yeah," Aspen said sadly "though maybe she didn't do anything, people can be cruel."

She turned away from the cottage and wiped her eyes on her sleeve quickly before turning back around.

River stayed at the cottage a while longer. He was tempted to go inside, but after a few moments of hesitation, he followed Aspen.