How to become a sea witch

The rain falls continuously from the umbrella surface, from the leaves, and from any place that can be seen.Pedestrians were walking on the street with umbrellas of various colors, blurred by the heavy rain like a group of ghosts.

Over Lambert's shoulder, Bernice saw thick gray fog slowly moving over from a distance, devouring the already dim colors around.

The world is wet and muddy,? But his eyes...

She thanked her again with an appropriate friendly expression, and handed back the handkerchief in her hand, only to see that he was looking at her without blinking, so she responded in a timely manner with an obvious alienation and defensiveness The tone asked: "Sorry,? My memory is not very good. Have we met before? You seem to know me."

After being euphemistically reminded, Lambert blinked quickly, lowered his head and forced a smile, but tilted the umbrella in his hand towards the other party: "I don't think anyone who has seen your eyes will easily forget .”

His voice was not loud, even if it was a little blurred by the sound of rain, it could not conceal the sincerity in it.

Later, Lambert took out two bright red coral beads strung together from his pocket: "I had the honor to meet you at the cultural festival,? But maybe you don't have much memory."

Bernice looked at the two coral beads pretending to be puzzled for a while, and then suddenly realized: "Oh - I remembered, you paid for the vanilla cone for me." Trying to look serious, trying to call out the other person's last name, "...Mr. Greer?"

Without any hope that she would remember herself, even though Bernice's tone was obviously uncertain, when she really said her name accurately, Lambert's emotion was obvious It became more enjoyable, and at the same time it made the weird eagerness he was trying to hide all the more obtrusive.

"Yes... yes. I'm... I mean,? I didn't expect you to remember me." Lambert said, as if he was muttering to himself, with an abnormal sense of vanity in his voice.It seemed that this knowledge brought him an uncontrollable excitement, and the hand holding the umbrella was clenched so tightly that it even trembled a little pathologically.

Disturbed by his movements, the rainwater jumped off the umbrella one after another, scattered around Bernice, and hung on the ends of her already soaked hair and the edge of her skirt.

He looked like a night moth that had been struggling in the dead darkness for a long time, and finally saw a ray of fire.Patience suppressed by rationality and an instinct similar to survival, overly contradictory emotions struggled almost fiercely in every trace of his expression.

Bernice pretended not to notice the strangeness, and only replied with a friendly smile: "It should be, thanks to you that day."

It is also thanks to you that Thiago and Gabriel went to the bottom to find Rodriguez, and then pulled out her heinous crimes and flogged her corpse again.

If her whitewashing failed, she would throw him into a potion jar to make him into a stone, and then throw him into the endless sea as a stepping stone.Bernice gritted her teeth secretly, carefully controlling not to expose the hideous thoughts in her heart to her face.

"It's okay, this is what I should do." After finishing speaking, he seemed to realize that his attitude was a little too strange.But when he carefully watched the black-haired girl in front of him, he didn't see any repulsion or disgust from her, so he was slightly relieved.

Then, he began to turn the topic to a more ordinary direction, as if he was really just a kind stranger: "It seems that Miss Hardy forgot to bring her umbrella, do you need me to take you back? The rain will stop in a while No."

Bernice pursed her lips that were slightly wet from the rain, but she couldn't immediately realize who the Miss Hardy he was talking about was.But soon, she immediately recalled that this was a pseudonym she had made up casually at the beginning.

After thinking about it for a while, she shook her head and deliberately adjusted her expression to a vague sense of loss: "Thank you for your kindness, and thank you for holding the umbrella for me, Mr. Greer. But I don't want to go back yet, I just want to stay outside For a while, so let's meet again when we have a chance."

After finishing speaking, she stopped looking at Lambert, and only turned her empty eyes to the rainy and foggy estuary. She looked desolate and quiet, but she knew in her heart that it was impossible for him to leave.

Sure enough, after listening to her words, Lambert said without much hesitation: "Although I don't know what happened, I won't watch you sitting alone in the rain."

Hearing this, Bernice turned her head pretending to be surprised, her light green eyes were like two pieces of smooth and translucent emeralds, clearly reflecting each other's appearance: "So, do you want to sit here with me?"

Bernice was sitting on one side of the bench, while the other side was covered with rainwater and lay a few yellowed leaves that were shaken by the water droplets.

Lambert moved the corner of his mouth and smiled awkwardly, as if he felt that it was very impolite to stare at the other party all the time, so he wanted to look away from her pair of overly clear green eyes .

But in the eyes of the girl in front of him, there was a softer brilliance than this heavy rain.

Similar to Dakota, living brilliance.

After a few seconds of silence in a trance or hesitation, Lambert finally said: "I'd be happy to do it. But even in summer, wearing wet clothes for a long time will have the risk of catching a cold and getting sick. Besides, this place is actually far away from the Holy Grail. The Lane Theater is not far away, I am a staff member there, and I have a good relationship with Mrs. Kitteridge in the costume department."

Hearing this, Bernice could basically guess what he was thinking. At the same time, she also recalled the clothes worn on the victims, and suddenly had a speculation.

Those dresses were obviously handmade. Could that also have something to do with this Mrs. Kitteridge?

"So..." Before Bernice finished thinking, she heard Lambert say to herself in a very polite manner, "If you don't mind, I think she will definitely have something suitable for you , you can change it temporarily, or ask her to help take your clothes to dry."

"You work in the theater?" Bernice slightly opened her eyes wide, with just the right amount of joy in her expression, "I've always liked opera, and I went to St. Clair's to see a few wonderful performances before."

"You also like opera?" He murmured softly, and when his eyes fell on her, he was in a daze for a moment again, as if he was looking at another person through Bernice.

It seems that Thiago was right, Lambert will uncontrollably keep all information related to Dakota true, even in the opera manuscript he wrote.

While recalling the details about Dakota in the manuscript, Bernice consciously approached the girl she had never met with every answer, and at the same time, she fully expressed the surprise that was becoming more and more difficult to conceal from the other party. Take a closer look.

Therefore, when he proposed again that he could take her to the theater to change into clean clothes, and then go to the nearby coffee shop to continue chatting, she only hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

Mrs. Kitteridge in the costume group is an old employee who has worked in the theater all her life. She became the head of the costume group with her superb sewing skills when she was young. All the old-fashioned handmade costumes in the theater are made by her. .

Today, she has taken a back seat, assisting in the design and repair of every garment the theater needs.

"At that time, there were not so many machines. We made every stitch and thread by ourselves." The old woman with needle pads on the back of her hands and white hair was wearing glasses. Looking for clothes suitable for Bernice among the spare costumes that I don't know how to use very much, "Try this one, little girl."

Bernice took the off-white gauze dress with gentle color and a green ribbon handed over by Mrs. Kitteridge, and said obediently: "Thank you, Ma'am, this dress is very beautiful, you made it yourself ?"

"Yes, it's a pity that it is no longer useful. With all kinds of things produced by machines, which are fast and convenient, who cares about hand-sewn skirts?" The old lady sighed.

"But I believe that the value of this dress will never disappear." Bernice said very kindly, "And machine production can't completely replace the status of handicrafts, on the contrary, I think it will make those who really Beautiful things become more valuable, like those old but still classic operas.

No matter how many later works there are, they are still the most worthy of appreciation.And your hard work and wisdom in making these clothes is certainly not comparable to simple mechanical production. "

These words obviously benefited Kitteridge very much.After all, from the conversation with Lambert on the road just now, and the furnishing style of this office, Bernice can easily find that this is a traditional and conservative craftsman, and he also knows what to say to make the other party happy, and then A new incumbent who builds the foundation quickly.

Gittredge laughed happily, and urged Bernice to change clothes quickly, and at the same time found some exquisite headbands and small headgear: "After you change your clothes, I will help you with your hair. I used to have When I have time, I will also help in the make-up team, and the technique is still good.”

"I'm sure it must be," Bernice replied with a smile.

She quickly changed into a long dress, sat in front of the dressing table and let Kitteridge dry her long hair with great interest, and then skillfully tied it into an exquisite bun.

During this period, Bernice praised the other party's dexterity all the time, and at the same time pretended to ask casually: "I heard Mr. Greer said that he is very familiar with you, so is he also a member of the clothing team?"

"Of course not." Kitteridge replied happily, "He is an outside choreographer for the theater. It is said that he is a very talented young man, and he is also very polite to people. He is a good boy."

"That's it."

"However, he also has ideas about sewing, and often helps me conceive and design costumes for new operas."

"Then will he also help you make costumes?"

"Yes, I'll teach him some sewing skills too. Honestly, he's more attentive than many of the students I've taught."

As she said, she raised her head towards an unfinished dress on the sewing table: "More importantly, he is a supporter of handicrafts like me. Those clothes were specially made for the opera he wrote of."

"Really? What opera?"

"I remember it was called 'Three Days Later'."

Kitterich replied: "I have also read the script. It is a very good story. As long as the female lead is confirmed, I believe it will be formally prepared soon."

Actress?Isn't that the cast of Dakota?

In other words, it is very likely that Lambert will be the next target.

She was thinking that Kitteridge had completely dressed her up.After carefully appreciating his masterpiece and being satisfied that he is still young even though he is old, Kitterich nodded with a smile: "I have been in the theater for decades, and I have seen countless beautiful girls, but You are definitely the most outstanding one."

"It's also thanks to your dress and craftsmanship." Bernice praised in a timely manner.

Out of the gate, she greeted Lambert briskly who was standing alone on the steps.

Lambert turned his head, with an unbelievable sense of amazement in his eyes.

The off-white gauze skirt was quietly and smoothly wrapped around Bernice's slender body, and the green ribbon and the color of her eyes perfectly complemented each other, looming in the cloud-like skirt.The face without makeup is young and beautiful, but it is not indifferent at all, like the most enthusiastic flower, which is clear and moving without any extra modification.

Black hair and green eyes, this is all his cognition of beauty, and it is vividly presented in front of him at this moment.

For a moment, Lambert thought that the lover he was thinking of had really come back to life, and stood in front of him.

"I really should show Mrs. Kitteridge what you look like now, she will be proud of her craftsmanship." Bernice said jokingly, seeing the other party move her lips in a little embarrassment, as if He wanted to say something, but in the end, only the sound of rain resounded in the air.

"I heard from Mrs. Kitteridge that you're an opera writer, aren't you?"

"Yes……"

"So, can you tell me the story you wrote?"

"Of course you can, if you want."

They came to a coffee shop next to the theater and sat on the second floor by the window.

The waiter brought the menu and recommended the new seasonal vanilla cheese ice cream.In order to maintain her original setting, Bernice chose to accept the recommendation of the other party and ordered an ice cream, while Lambert ordered a cup of black coffee that she often drank.

Then, they talked here for a long time.

During this period, Bernice has been probing for more information about the night crow in a roundabout way.According to Thiago and Gabriel, only when the magic lamp is found and solved can this matter be completely over.

But whether it was intentional or not, Bernice found that Lambert was not particularly willing to mention the night crow, but was more willing to tell her some details about the relationship between the hero and heroine.

In this regard, Bernice had to listen very patiently, and occasionally echoed her touch and admiration for this profound love in a timely manner.

But in fact, in her heart, she was only horrified by this kind of love that was so strong that it could even destroy everything.

It was like a flame, burning in the depths of their souls.Even after hundreds of thousands of years, the body has been turned into loess by time, and the inscriptions have been worn away by wind and sand, but they are still together, eternal as ever, young as yesterday.

"Maybe each of us is born with a spark, and all the years we've been through, the grief, the loss and the torment, are the coolant that builds up on us."

As he muttered, his eyes remained on Bernice, making her feel a little shuddering, but at the same time she had to maintain a difficult expression of being willing to listen and being intoxicated.

"But as long as you meet that person, even if you are trapped under the deep snow, you will be resurrected in an instant."

According to the steps, Bernice should agree with the other party very much at this time.But she always thought of those innocent human girls who died because of this love.

Not that she was sympathetic, she was simply puzzled.Since she was very young, she has been puzzled by this question, why love, which is so beautiful and pure, often drives creatures to do some extremely cruel and even terrifying things.

In the hundreds of years by Ursula's side, Bernice has seen too many transactions related to love, and most of them ended in failure, which is enough to prove the fragility and untrustworthiness of this kind of relationship.It seems that when love is mentioned, suspicion, betrayal, lies, and hurt follow.

But at the same time, it seems to be stronger than any kind of magic, chaotic, and unpredictable.

In short, it is incomprehensible.

Bernice blinked her eyes that felt like they were about to turn around, and couldn't help asking: "But how do you know that the other party is definitely the person you are looking for?"

"If he really loves you, you'll feel it."

It was this kind of extremely mysterious answer again, and Bernice felt that she was about to lose consciousness. At the same time, she also regretted why she answered the conversation and pushed the topic to an inexplicable corner.

"In front of him, you are always special and have unconditional priority."

He said, "He will trust you, completely, even if everyone around him doubts or rejects you, but he won't."

Hearing this, Bernice was slightly taken aback.

"He will remember all your preferences, take care of all your feelings in every possible way, and will favor you without any reason under any circumstances.

He will protect you no matter what dangers you face or the ill intentions of others. "

I don't know if it was because the ice cream started to rise gradually, or if his words were too directional.When Bernice listened to his slow list, the first person that came to mind was Thiago.

Thinking of the time when he was in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, smiling to himself and saying "I have never failed to trust you"; thinking of the many times when he defended himself indifferently in front of other people; However, when she took the initiative to consider more and more thoughtfully for her.

It seems that...the things Lambert said...are all done by Thiago.

Made it for her.

She stared blankly at the ice cream that had begun to melt slightly in the spoon, looking very dazed.Until the ice cream was put into her mouth, the cold and sweet taste stimulated her nerves and brought her back to her senses.

She was obviously here to dig out information, but why was she being led away by the other party instead.

Bernice pursed her lips in annoyance, continued to stuff a large scoop of ice cream, and completely froze herself soberly, resolutely abandoned the weird thinking node that was stuck just now, and concentrated on thinking about how to ask more about the night crow information.

Noticing her interest in Nightjay, Lambert asked, "Do you like this character very much?"

"Like it?" Bernice shook her head, and at the same time secretly reviewed her eagerness just now, "No, I'm just curious. Because your story is very good and touching, it's almost like a real world, something that happened in the real world. However, without the night raven, maybe the second half of the story would not have happened. And to be honest, the night raven looks very mysterious, you know, the audience is interested in mysterious things. So, I am very happy Curious how it ends."

"Its ending..." Lambert was silent for a moment, looking out the window at the city where it was no longer raining, and said softly, "Maybe it will stay there again like it did before, waiting for the next one who is willing to sacrifice his life for him. Make deals."

Words that were too ambiguous made it difficult for Bernice to guess what the other party meant right away.Even when they finished chatting, left the cafe, went back to the costume department of the theater to retrieve the clothes that had been dried, and said goodbye to each other and agreed to meet again next time, Bernice still couldn’t be sure whether this sentence was just a random word from him , or otherwise.

After bidding farewell to Kitteridge and Lambert, Bernice wandered all the way to the beach with unfinished ice cream.

She was still wearing the off-white gauze dress with a green ribbon on her body, and the hair accessories on her head were not taken off.

It was a gift from Kitteridge, saying that instead of letting them be piled up in the cabinet to become moldy and old, it is better to let them be worn by the right person, at least not in vain of her painstaking efforts in making them carefully.

Gradually, the large bowl of ice cream finally bottomed out. Bernice threw it into the trash can and continued walking aimlessly on the deserted streets, gradually feeling a familiar lightness and dizziness like drunkenness feel.

At the same time, she saw a very familiar figure.

The white one was as clean as her deepest dream, with the freshness and icyness of sea water. It came from the other side of the street and hugged her who was about to fall because of stepping on the skirt, into her arms.

"Bernice?" Tiago frowned slightly, smelling the vanilla cream on her body, and immediately understood, "Why do you eat so much ice cream...Okay, okay, I'll take you back."

How could there be such a gentle voice.Bernice smelled the familiar scent of the other person, and felt as if she had plunged headfirst into the warmest ocean current and was surrounded by sea water everywhere.

The chaotic thoughts scattered all the memories in a mess, she tried to stand firm, and reported her achievements just now: "I just met... I met him, it's hard... ah, I'm going to sleep after talking so much if you wear it."

"What are you talking about?" Thiago supported her back and found that it was difficult for her to stand still, so he simply hugged her horizontally, let her lean on his shoulder, and asked in a low voice, "Who did you meet?" ?”

"That person... that is, Shalvide...not." It was all because of too much discussion about the role of Shalvide just now, Bernice felt that her tongue couldn't control her, and she couldn't express what she wanted to say at all. mean.

Yet Thiago understood.

His hand holding Bernice stiffened for a moment, his gaze shifted from her delicate and beautiful bun to the unfamiliar off-white long dress, and he said in a cold voice, "You met Greer, and then he gave you this Undressed and brushed your hair, didn't you?"

"Huh?" Bernice raised her head in a daze, and said vaguely, "I'm not...I asked about that, the crow...that's very strange. He said..."

"What did he say?" Thiago looked at her expressionlessly, and suddenly felt that the dress was so dazzling on her body, and an urge to tear it apart lingered in his thoughts repeatedly.

"He says……"

What did you say?

Bernice stared blankly at the beautiful face of the other party who was so close to Chi Chi, her face was as picturesque and unadorned with any mortal fireworks, and she was trying to recall that sentence in her mind like a paste.

What was that sentence that she didn't understand all this time?

"He says……"

"You love...love someone and let her know."

Confused thinking has been unable to self-examine whether this is what she really wanted to say, just grab a sentence and piece it together, let alone deal with the various emotions represented by the change in the other party's face after hearing this sentence. meaning.

"Really?" Bernice heard him ask.

Immediately afterwards, she was carried on the stone railing, facing Thiago's eyes.

Such a pure and tranquil blue, but because of the accumulation of too many deep-rooted emotions, it seems too depressing and uneasy.Like countless seawater bursting out after a glacier breaks, whistling and swirling in his eyes.

Bernice couldn't tell whether the roaring waves in her ears came from the sea behind her or the mermaid's eyes in front of her.

"And you know what?" he asked.

Even though he knew that Bernice was delirious now and would never remember this conversation when she woke up, he still asked her seriously.

"do you know?"

Bernice looked at him dazedly, feeling that she still had to tell him a lot of conversations with Greer, but her head became heavier and heavier, and she moved closer to the person in front of her, as if she wanted to kiss him .

But when he was about to touch the light red lips, his head tilted and fell on his shoulder.

In a daze, she had a dream.

Thiago in the dream is just an underage little mermaid, and every time he sees her, he flicks his tail happily, looking very cute and cute.

But that day, he was exceptionally quiet, even lying on the soft sea meadow a little sadly, as if he was worrying about something.

After Bernice noticed it, she casually asked what was wrong.

"The God of Light said that if I become the God of the Sea in the future, many of the things I cherish now will become meaningless. At that time, I will no longer have to worry about being unable to distinguish the various emotions and emotions of the creatures around me, because There's no need." He replied in a low voice.

Bernice was taken aback for a moment: "Is that so?"

She clearly remembered that her silence at that time was because she thought of her own situation.

If Tiago really becomes the god of the sea, once he knows that he is actually lying to him, what will happen to her?

It's just that this kind of silence completely changed the taste in Thiago's feelings.

He saw the expression on Bernice's face, but he couldn't understand what it was, so he said to her very seriously: "Don't be sad. I promise you, no matter what happens in the future, you are the one I care about most one……"

"Always have, always will be."