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Diana Cavendish was a shining star. She had wealth, beauty, power, fame and a level head to manage it all responsibly. She was the face of the magical world, and wherever she went paparazzi and fans followed.
“The greatest of the Nine New Witches! The proof of modern magic’s viability! The saviour of magic in every imaginable way!” They’d say, as they bombarded her eyes with camera flashes and screams of her name.
Oh how Diana loathed those reporters.
There was nothing that Diana hated more than when people gave her mindless praise, as if they truly knew who she was. There were very few who could claim to know what made Diana’s brain tick, and even less who’d actually make the claim in the first place.
What Diana hated the most was that all the praise was going to the wrong person.
Akko was the greatest of the Nine New Witches. Akko was the proof that modern magic was viable. Akko was the savour of magic in every way Diana could consider.
Akko was Diana’s saviour, at the very least. If they were going to attribute Diana to saving Magic, then saving DIana herself should be an even greater act.
As the two had gotten older, and gotten together, Akko had been forced to learn a few things about herself. One being that while she loved performing, Akko was not built for the world of Celebrity Drama.
Someone had gotten in Diana’s personal space a few too many times while trying to hound her for answers to some inane question, and Akko gave him a firm shove when he refused to back off. If it had been one of their friends, they’d have just laughed and apologized. But to a reporter, it’s much juicer to play up the ‘assault’, and from then on, Akko was labelled in the media as Diana’s rough and possessive guard dog girlfriend, a drama queen more focused on screaming and dancing than her own partner.
Diana wouldn’t listen to a word any reporter said of course, she knew that her girlfriend was everything but violent and uncaring. Rather, Akko cared far too much, and Diana loved her for that. But while Akko never admitted it, Diana knew the reputation was weighing on the girl. Akko had wanted to become a celebrity in her own right, and she had seemingly lost that opportunity for good, now that the media saw her as the one blight upon the grace of Diana Cavendish’s perfect soap opera life.
Currently, they had been attending some big shareholder party where Diana was planning on making some notable deals to buy back property that Aunt Daryl had sold away in the years while she served as de facto head of the house.
However, about halfway through the party, Akko had gone missing…
—
“Akko, darling? Where are you?” Diana called as she wandered through the less occupied wings of the mansion the party was located at. Akko hadn’t been at the food tables, in the bathrooms, or in the garden, so Diana was running out of places to check. The last spot that Akko would normally go to when she was at events like these was…
“Oh, there you are.” The balcony. Akko was silent as she watched the birds flying across the horizon, so Diana continued to speak. “You had me worried.”
“‘M sorry…” Akko mumbled out, voice muffled by her sleeves, as Diana realized her girlfriend was in far from a good mood. There were dried tear tracks on her cheeks, and her body had a tremble to it.
“It’s alright, Akko. What’s wrong? If anyone touched you, I swear I’ll—” Diana already had her wand out, deadly serious, when Akko cut her off.
“No, no. Nobody did anything to me, it’s my fault. I—” Akko hiccuped, finally facing Diana as her eyes filled with fresh tears and her face opened up into a loud sob, the way she had done for as long as Diana had known her whenever she got overwhelmed. “I wanna be happy for you, but it’s so hard to pretend that I can’t hear what they say! I don’t wanna break up with you!”
Out of the corner of her eye, Diana noticed a photographer sneaking down the hallway to the balcony for a scoop. Normally, Diana would let the paparazzi do as they pleased, rather than incur the media’s wrath, but now was not the time. With a twirl of her wand and an incantation, the photographer’s lens cap was glued onto his camera, and the doors to the balcony were shut and locked, with a soundproofing spell for good measure.
“Why in the world would you break up with me?” Diana questioned, answer already sickeningly obvious in her mind.
“Ev-Everyone’s saying it!” Akko pulled her phone out of her pocket and showed a handful of comments on some news article about the latest bit of Cavendish news that the media sharks had snatched up.
MagicLover123: I hope Diana dumps that red-eyed weirdo soon! Diana’s too good for her!
Peace&Love_<3: They’re gonna break up soon, my horoscope said so.
JohnJones87: Diana’s too classy to be with some foreign girl like that. She needs a proper man to help her on the right track!
“S-See?” Akko cried into her palm, like the hate comments were an authority on her own life. “Everybody hates me, and not like how I was unpopular in our first year at Luna Nova, they actually hate me!”
Scrolling to the side, Akko showed Diana her Private Messages on the same website that the article had been found on. Diana didn’t need to read very far to see what Akko implied. Actual death threats from so called fans of Diana and her magical lineage filled the screen. Many of them even involved the commenter declaring that Diana should be with them rather than Akko, or at the very least that Andrew should be with the Cavendish heir.
“Akko, why do these people get to decide whether we’re together or not?” Diana questioned, her blunt tone barely hiding the fury lacing her words.
“B-B-Because…” Akko seemed at a loss, her hiccuped sobs stopping for a second. “I’m jus’- just dragging you down cause I’m too loud and rude! You’re a beautiful wealthy hero, and I’m just a goofy street magician with no manners. It was fine when we w-were kids, but you grew up, and I’m still the same dumb old Akko! All I did was get a little chubbier.”
For the record, Diana liked the chub, maybe more than she’d like to admit. But that wasn’t what needed clarified at the moment. “Akko. Respectfully, I don’t give a damn about the opinions of those people. They are not my friends, and they are not yours. They don’t care about me, and they don’t want what is best for me. If I had been the one to shove that reporter—And I would have shoved him, if he tried to do anything to you—then the headlines would talk about ‘the crazed heiress and her pet’, and all those comments would be about ‘saving you’ from a violent aristocrat like me. That’s how the news and internet drama works. They want a narrative, not the truth.”
Diana leaned in and took Akko’s hands in hers, pressing a kiss to Akko’s forehead. “If you want to break up someday, then I will respect your wishes, and I hope we can still be friends after that. But I don’t want you to make that choice—or to think I’m planning to make that choice—because of some internet bandwagoners who think they’re my type.”
Akko had a small smile on her face, trying to hold back more tears. “A-And what is your t-type?”
Diana moved forward, dipping Akko down in a romantic swoop, soft hands clasped gently on Akko’s sides. Diana’s heart did flips at Akko’s delighted squeal at the gesture. “My type? I think you know it~” Leaning in, Diana whispered her next sentence, so that truly nobody could hear it except for who it was intended for. “Lovable, enthusiastic, kind hearted, indomitable, with messy brown hair and a tendency to wear her skirts too high…”
Diana pinched Akko’s waist with a smirk. “Plus, I like them when they have a little bit of meat on their bones~”
“Dianaaaa!” Akko giggled out, wiping away her tears. Akko leaned in to pepper Diana’s face with kisses. “You’re too sweet!” Akko’s face fell a bit, back to its uncharacteristically somber expression. “Really, you’re too sweet. I love you so much, but… I’m holding you back. It isn’t just the comments. I overheard one of the businessmen you were planning to get your property back from. He said he’d never let his business partner with a…” Akko gulped a bit, not wanting to say the last word. The slur was implied, however.
Instantly, Akko got to watch in real time as Diana’s eyes hardened to the steely glare that only people that Diana truly despised were ever affixed with. “Who?”
—
Sir Lionel Hemingway the XII was a very serious man. He was also a very short man, both in size and temper. He believed that party tricks like magic were a disgrace to civilized living, and that the two young women that wore the garments of witchcraft and so brazenly clung to each other in public were clear signs of the lack of dignity being displayed in that department.
Unluckily for the old fool, Diana was rather short of temper herself. There were very few things that could get Diana to drop her mask of cold indifference and get her to show some emotion, and making Akko feel bad was one of the most serious offenses that could cause it.
“You.” The heiress’ voice sounded from behind Mr. Hemingway, and in an instant, the lights of the ballroom dimmed, flickering as energy seemed to surge through the room. While Diana disagreed with anyone who said someone other than Akko was the greatest witch of their time, there was one category that Diana was irrefutably at the top in.
Diana was the most powerful witch of the modern age.
With magic flowing through the Earth, and Yggdrasil renewed to spread its invisible roots across the world, that meant that those with enough magical power could channel that power through things that weren’t just wands.
Silverware began to float through the air, the crystal chandelier on the ceiling thrummed with power and emitted an offputting hum, the tasteful candles’ flames danced and cast tall shadows across every surface… and Diana stood in the middle of it all, glaring at Lionel with eyes of steel.
“Wh-What is the meaning of this, you devil?” The portly aristocrat scoffed, sweat beading on his forehead as photographers snapped photos and partygoers cowered. “If you mean to attack me, I’ll sue you so hard that you’ll fall off the face of the earth alongside that ruffian dy-”
Diana’s glare hardened, and time seemed to freeze in place for a moment as Mr. Hemingway decided he’d rather not finish his sentence.
Water magic had always been the branch of magic that Diana was most skilled in since childhood, and as such, her connection to the element had boiled over from her fury. Her eyes glowed a deep blue as a punch bowl exploded and the pipes under the floor began to leak frothing water out onto the floorboards, which moved out of the way of the Cavendish to keep Diana dry while the rest of the guests’ shoes were soaked.
Diana had not spoken since she found the wealthy man, but finally, she reached out and grabbed him by the clip-on tie, scoffing in his face. “Trust me, I don’t care in the slightest what you or your money have to say to me. You have crushed my love’s spirit, and you think that I feel any desire to restrain myself? Sir Hemingway, I would pay out of my own pockets to allow you to find out how we witches settle disputes like this.”
“Diana!” Akko called from across the ballroom, running into the chaos filled room. The water parted around her much like it did for Diana, leaving a path for the first generation witch to reach Diana.
Akko’s arms embraced the heiress, and Akko pressed her face into Diana’s shoulder, her whole body shaking. “Please, Diana, stop it. He isn’t worth it. Let’s just go home, please?”
The water in the room swirled around Diana and Akko, forming a bubble that prevented anyone from hearing what they said. Diana released Lionel and turned her gaze to Akko. “But… My dear, he has been so horrid to you.”
“And now everyone’s just going to think you’re crazy like me!” Akko shouted, tears still in her eyes. “How are you going to fulfill your dream of getting your family’s wealth back if everyone thinks you’re violent and unstable? You already saw what they think of me, and all I did was push someone! What will they say about you flooding a party and threatening a fellow aristocrat?”
“Akko.” Diana cupped Akko’s cheeks in her hands, and leaned forward to kiss her girlfriend’s head. “Let them hate me. My dream hasn’t been to regain the family fortune, we already have enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of our lives. I would never sacrifice my honor to get needless income from these kinds of people. My dream is to spend the rest of my life with you, and to never stop loving you and protecting you. You changed my life and defended me even when you thought I hated you. So I wanted to protect you this time.”
Upon seeing Akko’s expression only look sadder, Diana decided to acquiesce. She had already roughed the Lionel up enough, it was time to focus on comforting Akko, in the privacy of their own home. “Very well, my love. Let’s go.”
The light returned to normal, and Diana cast a high level restoration spell on the ballroom, making it as if she had never performed the act in the first place. Secretly, she also purposefully cast the spell in a way that it would ‘restore’ all the cameras to being as they were before they had taken the photos of Diana and Akko at the ball. Diana didn’t care if the idiots on the internet thought ill of her, but it was clearly something that brought Akko a lot of worry, so it was Diana’s responsibility as a good partner to prevent that worry from ever being justified.
—
In the limousine, Akko and Diana were silent while Anna drove them home. Diana was worried that she had gone too far, and perhaps Akko was mad at her, or worse, scared of her.
But, Diana should have learned by now to stop trying to predict Akko, as the brunette leaned over from her seat and kissed Diana’s cheek. “Thank you for standing up for me.”
Diana smiled softly, and nuzzled Akko in return. “Of course. You would have done the same for me.”
“Do you think your restoration spell is really going to stop them from telling the world what you did?” Akko still seemed unsure, and Diana’s heart ached. How had Diana failed to notice Akko’s spark being this dulled?
“After what I did, I doubt any of them are going to take the risk to incur my wrath.” Akko nodded, seeming somewhat comforted by the statement, but she still seemed down, so Diana decided to keep talking. “When we get home, is there anything you’d like to do? That party was a failure, so I owe you a proper date without any snobs around.”
Akko chuckled, some of the light returning to her eyes as she cracked a joke. “Well, there’ll still be one snob around. My favorite snob~”
Diana playfully elbowed Akko, smiling back. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Hmm…” Akko blushed a bit as she pulled her wand out and waved it a bit, letting magical glitter emit from it harmlessly, the dancing lights mesmerizing. Diana always found Akko’s ability to make even the simplest of spells seem beautiful to be inspiring. “Do you think I could put on a magic show for you? I’ve been practicing a lot, but I haven’t really gotten to actually try my act for anyone…”
“Of course, dear.” Diana took Akko’s hand into hers, and gave her partner another few kisses. Diana never got tired of kissing the lovable goofball that she knew she’d marry someday. “I’ll cancel my meetings tomorrow, and we can stay up as late as you want.”
Akko finally gave a full smile, a huge grin full of genuine joy that Diana couldn’t help but blush looking at. “Thanks, Diana. I love you!” Akko pulled Diana into a huge, bone-crushing hug, and Diana took that opportunity to breathe in the scent of the brunette’s hair.
“Mmm… plums…” Diana breathed out.
Akko blinked. “Did you say something?”
“NO!” Diana’s blush worsened as she realized she had said that aloud.
Akko just breathed out a laugh and patted Diana’s back reassuringly.
After that, the two sat in a comfortable silence on the way back home, where no one else would be trying to get in the way of their love.