He felt even more vaguely smothered in the Greengrass home than he’d been before the dinner party. Retreating to his workshop felt a little like surrendering, but this wasn’t really his house anymore, they’d taken it over.
He didn’t really need to be down here this evening; the antidotes just needed another forty minutes to finish brewing, and Noble was confident enough in his skills that normally he would have at least considered going into the house to spend time with his siblings. Right now, though, he would rather watch the ingredients bubble together as he waited to bottle them than go inside to manage his expressions around the rest of them.
He hated this. He’d only really made it through the past year because he and Ford were on the same side, and their ongoing fighting — the sharpness he couldn’t manage to entirely edge out of his voice — had Noble miserable. Lying to his brother the way he was also grated, he didn’t like it — this felt different than lying about the Daffy thing, because that was at least partially for her. This was for Noble, entirely, and he couldn’t let go of it. He didn’t think he wanted to let go of it.
Noble looked up from the cauldron when he heard the door open. It had gotten darker outside when he was in here — the workshop, windowless and kept illuminated by balls of magical light, was sort of like its own biome — and he’d lost track of it. He also hadn’t expected to see Ford here, today, when things were still weird. Something had to be up with one of the girls, then. Fucking great.
“Hey,” Noble replied; he gestured vaguely at the stool for guests that leaned against the table where he sorted ingredients.
He didn’t really need to be down here this evening; the antidotes just needed another forty minutes to finish brewing, and Noble was confident enough in his skills that normally he would have at least considered going into the house to spend time with his siblings. Right now, though, he would rather watch the ingredients bubble together as he waited to bottle them than go inside to manage his expressions around the rest of them.
He hated this. He’d only really made it through the past year because he and Ford were on the same side, and their ongoing fighting — the sharpness he couldn’t manage to entirely edge out of his voice — had Noble miserable. Lying to his brother the way he was also grated, he didn’t like it — this felt different than lying about the Daffy thing, because that was at least partially for her. This was for Noble, entirely, and he couldn’t let go of it. He didn’t think he wanted to let go of it.
Noble looked up from the cauldron when he heard the door open. It had gotten darker outside when he was in here — the workshop, windowless and kept illuminated by balls of magical light, was sort of like its own biome — and he’d lost track of it. He also hadn’t expected to see Ford here, today, when things were still weird. Something had to be up with one of the girls, then. Fucking great.
“Hey,” Noble replied; he gestured vaguely at the stool for guests that leaned against the table where he sorted ingredients.
![[Image: JQOtKDt.png]](https://i.imgur.com/JQOtKDt.png)
set by Bee