Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Despair…

A total, utter lack of hope.

A simple word whose meaning seemed cheap to what it tried to refer to, a single word merely used as a quaint and impersonal description of that searing feeling of emptiness and hopelessness that takes over ones own body and wrecks it from the inside out like a hungry breast mauling its prey.

An emotion that could bring the worst in people, a poison that festered so deep inside and yet in such terrible silence, away from the prying eyes of the world before such sinful flower bloomed in all its glory.

Slowly or rapidly gnawing away at the morals or resolve of one person infected of it, leaving cracks where there before had been purity and kindness, and chips and dents where there had been peace and honesty.

A needle so small yet so sharp that poked and poked, its itch one that could not be ignored nor fought. A sting that could be found anywhere and everywhere, most of all...in the hearts of every living being.

Piercing them, wrapping around them, playing and toying with the souls that it tainted with its touch, leaving nothing but a cruel emptiness inside that could not truly be filled.

A terrible thing to experience through ones own flesh.., even more to see it happen with your own living eyes in the life of another. To see those faces and eyes that one knew or believed so….become ruptured and twisted.

Leaving nothing but embittered husks of their former selves

..

..

That was why everyone loathed such word.

Despised what it meant and what it brought.

And so it was normal for why everyone seemed to laud hope at every step of the way.

Calling it the strength of character against adversity, the perseverance of those who did not give up against a problem, that only through it could one escape the clutches of dark times and bring a better version of themselves at the end of that perilous road.

To have hope was to have dreams.

To hope was to wish and think the better of the world.

To hope was to lend a welcoming hand and smile to the world around you.

Lessons ever taught since one was little, repeated to nausea time and time again as one grows and gets older.

It was true that it may not been everyones cup of tea, but compared with the slimy darkness of despair it was a simple choice to surrender themselves instead to the light they called hope.

So easily..

So readily..

All without knowing that they were just two sides of the same coin. No truly understanding that too much of that same light they considered benign could make people do……..stupid things.

Take risks they otherwise would never have.

Blind and easily deceived by simple ploys playing in front of their eyes..

And when tragedy struck anyways, they would try to cling to that very same hope they had become drunk of until that very same moment. Tugging the cord to keep them afloat from the waters threatening to swallow them whole..only for their horror to realize that the rope they desperately clung to was rotten to the core before they hit the ground like a rock.

A tragedy that would plunge them deeper than ever in the heart of darkness they had tried to steer away like maniacs...and a scene that would repeat forever more given that no one seemed to appreciate the irony that blind optimism was just as dangerous as that they taught them against.

However, there was a lesson in those acts of folly.

One could not live in darkness without losing their minds...though they could not bathe in light forever without dangerous repercussions.

And so...a balance was needed.

Well, easier said than done when the smallest of changes could set everything down like some flimsy house of cards placed stupidly close to an open window in during a windy season and one no matter what they said, they had no real idea of what they were doing.

Why touch if its not broken, right?

The thought of how lazy and careless people still were on this day and age would have made her smile had her face not been already strained by pain and agony of broken bones and muscles bursting like popcorn.

A body that had taken more punishment that it could ill afford. Cold sweat sliding down the glistened skin of her face as she huffed, struggling for breath.

Perhaps... that was why in our vain and vast spades of imagination mankind had decided to make use of stories to explain through much simpler terms and ways the complexity of our own emotions and the terrible things they could do if left unchecked.

Warm or cold.

Fantasy or more subjected to reality.

Worlds after worlds of incredibly beauty were born to give answer and satiate our desire for the unknown with a tinge of our own craftsmanship. Telling tales of bravery or tragedy, of groups of individuals who in fellowship ventured through unknown lands and passed perilous test in their desire to move forward or of those lonely souls who had yet to leave the nest, their tales surrounded in the shades and lines of the mundane instead of the flippant colors of life and death scenarios.

Friendship, love, loss, lies, family and growth….like colors of a palette they were resonated with a life of their own on the sheets of paper. Some funny, others tear jerkers…, with their ups and downs, with their greatest moments and their lowest.

Showing hope and despair either with clear distinctions or muddling those terms into something new and yet so very much familiar.

There were even those stories were people were isekaid into other worlds, some so strangely similar to the ones they come from that it would take them decades to even find a difference. Others so inexplicable different that defied comprehension.

Or when they were reincarnated as the character of a story they had read or played at.

As a hero

A servant..

Perhaps the damsel in distress or just a secondary character that would help the protagonist reach their own happy endings instead of falling to fates cruel intents.

However she would be lying if she said that she didn't have a weakness for those tales woven with forces of good and evil. Where a cruel mastermind tried to toy with the life of others, trying to bring despair and destruction in their wake...and worse, make their victims become just as twisted as they were.

And at the cusp of their schemes most of the characters would either be crippled or die.

Her lips thinned into a scowl, once beautiful and seductive now broken and covered in both grime and dust. She could feel the prickling touch of warm blood slid down her wounds and drench her clothes, her body becoming heavier, weaker as the stench of iron reached her mouth and permeated the air.

Or at least...that was what it was supposed to happen if they had their way.

Sadly, as it was known for villains, things never truly went the way they wished they did and even the most calculating of individuals and the most prepared and rehearsed of plans could fall flat of the expectations wished of them.

Luck, perseverance and a generous dose of spite mixed with sheer ingenuity and the desire to live one more day foiling them more often than not...and so it was not unnatural that one of the characters would rise up and challenge those who had until that moment all of the control of the situation they had so enjoyed until that moment.

After that, it was common for a fight of wits or more often than not and all out brawl to ensue.

Where the Mastermind would lose.

And die.

Almost each and every time after doing some stupid monologue of how they were not so different or something, or just saying something to spite the hero one final time and inadvertently giving them the strength they needed to finish the fight on their terms.

It was always a banger of an ending, no matter how many times she saw it.

She tried to stand up, yet fell to her knees as her body gave out. Her mind starting to become numb and her thoughts heavy, her body shivering with the callous, intoxicating feverish touch of death stricken fear of two souls in one body instead of the cold breeze of the night sky glinting above their heads, the wind sleeping through the cracks and holes they had made through the structure.

However, sadly for her…., as she weakly rose her gaze from the broken cobblestones and broken glass shards littering the ground she was met with those cold yet blazing eyes she had come to yearn and know all too well during all these years.

Eyes shining with determination and the resolve to be free and away of these shackles place in her soul within these cold walls.

It made her feel both shame and pride.

After all these time, everything she had done, here she was finally witnessing the curtain call of a story and birth of another. One that would be cleaner and kinder unlike the one that came before it even after all the suffering and death that the girl had gone through.

She had always known this moment would come, and yet….it still left her breathless to see it develop before her eyes.

Unable to do anything.

To stop it.

Even slow it down…

She tried to speak, to scream, to shriek at the injustice of it all and do one final and even more pathetic show of desperation but her body felt too caught up on the moment, too tired and battered after years of degradation.

The only thing that left through her lips was that demented laugh that so many times she had faked while her eyes only able to show the madness and terror inside of her.

Staring right at those blazing Red X of Peruere that gazed at her with pained solemnity.

``Mother…….´´

Of all the people she could have replaced.

Of all the myriad of characters that existed in this world

Of all the convoluted, crazy things that could and should have happened to bring her to a place like this.

Why

Why...!?

``My answer…….´´

What had she done to deserve this...

``Is no….´´

Why did she had to come into this world as Crucabena...?

º

A/N

....Bonus image...

Chapter Text

``Made it out, did you? Hmm...you are stronger than I expected...´´

The voice of the Knave seemed cold, yet they denoted a playful, sadistic ounce of enjoyment to see the target of her attacks still standing. The blonde traveler still pushing through where her children had failed.

Children who by now could only lift their wary gazes from where their bodies were stuck or unable to further comply to their desires and wishes to fight furthermore.

Brave had been their stance….but no less foolish.

Her gaze then switched away from them, eyes carved with those red Blazing X staring down at the golden glint of defiance of the young traveler, a girl who could not be older than the boy she wanted as “King” refused even now to give up. Refused to yield before her might.

Was it out of friendship..?

For those that were cowering in fear behind them?

Or…..something else?

..

..

It was…..interesting.

And so, silently nodding at herself... a decision was taken as those unnatural eyes glimmered with murderous intent..and when they blinked, everything changed.

The air around them grew thicker and heavier to breath, weighing everything down with it as the world turned into dark, sharp shades of arterial red and the black obsidian.

The aura of endless murder and the apprehension of the end staining reality like a stain of ink over a small sheet of paper.

And at the center of it all, a crimson moon that glowered with a light not its own, drawing it in like a hungering void.

A monster that threatened to collapse the minds of any unwilling witnesses of said diabolical beauty. Yet, it only paled in comparison with the one that had brought such hideous sight into the waking world.

And then….things turned for the worse.

The knave making the gesture to start walking, only to deny reality as she glitched out from it, reappearing just a breath away from the blond traveler.

A gasp for breath slipping through the girls lips, yet only one that doubled in intensity when they realized something terrible was at play.

Surprise, shock, and horror running one by one or simultaneously inside Lumines head as threads of light climbed and wrapped themselves all over the stranger to this crimson world body.

Bounding her…..to the ground.

Forever.

``I cant...move..?´´

The blond traveler muttered with apprehension at the way her limbs refused to bulge an inch under this trap she had fallen into. However, said realization came to late to actually do something about it as the Fourth of the Harbingers stared dead-on her eyes with only the warmth and kindness of a crematory furnace could offer to a corpse.

Death itself slowly raising and then extending a blacken hand forward. Crimson, razor sharp nails that glowed with an untold promise of violence and pain growing closer.

Closer…

CLOSER….

..

..

``Still…...not strong enough to beat me...´´

º

º

``Jesus, what a way to finish a story arc….´´

Sarah sighed to herself more than anything, the brunette leaning against the back of her seat while she started to stretch her arms behind her back now that the main event was well and truly over and she had returned to the main menu.

Enjoying this momentary moment of respite after a well and lengthy play through. Smiling satisfied at the way muscles that had been stiff and tense for a while started to slowly loosen up and relax.

Like many she had been waiting for the chance to tattle the new content update that was going to pop up in Genshin in one of these days. Really interested to see what the side story about the illusive Knave would be about.

To be honest, it seemed that those sketchy leaks from those guys on the internet had been on point this time. A surprise to be sure, but not an unwelcome one.

Now if only they had been when Signora was around…

A fleeting frown appeared on her face at the memory of the dismay of that day when “best looking yazz queen step on me character” was offed with the swiftness a mother sees their child place a candle in the Christmas tree.

A terrible loss for the world….alas, life continued on.

``I guess that we cant have everything we want...´´

She muttered, shaking her head from such bitter thoughts before standing up from her chair. Walking away from her room as she made her way towards the kitchen, or in this case...skating around using the smoothness of the polished floor with her socks.

At least, as much as one could taking into consideration the boxes and bags spilled all over the ground.

It didn't took long before a pair of blue eyes closed to a half lid, investigating a rather poorly maintained and filled fridge. Huffing with resignation at the poor selection awaiting for her before she pulled out a children's apple juice brick and a half eaten and surely now cold box of cereals.

She really would need to buy something after this because she doubted she would be happy dining today a quarter of a half eaten frozen pizza. Looking at the clock on her wristband with a fleeting glance told her that she had four hours before the shop down the street where she made her purchases closes for the day.

Lets see if she doesn't forget this time….a sprint was never good before any meal or whatsoever.

With that done Sarah returned to her room, lazily slouching down on her chair and resting her legs over the table where the computer still waited for input. The delicate sound of the main menu coming from her headphones butchered a bit by the muffled sound of chewed cereal and uncivilized drinking of apple-juice.

What? It was not weird when she had nothing better than that..especially with how expensive was to pay a rent these days....

Still, it had been quite something the story.

After her devout on the previous Fontaine story line and that gorgeous design and personality that had glowed so bright during Signoras “funeral” how could she miss an opportunity to get her hands on such an interesting individual now that she was gonna be fully fleshed out...and clearly not because of how what an absolute meta monster she was gonna become as a DPS during what remained of the game.

The way she spoke with such smoothing calmness yet one that always seemed to be drenched in a passive aggressive demeanor left one always on their toes whether or not she was truly honest, was actually threatening you with fancy words or just joking around.

The way her character design had been weaved and written, chefs kiss….

Having a character that did not act the spoiled rotten kid like Scara or like Childe went towards the character raising a hand and sporting the “bro meet bro” moment of friendliness found in matching how well your fist lands in the face of the other was a welcomed change

Also, been the second best design character of the game helped a lot...

Having that aura of mystery that wrapped every single second of attention around her, making people question and wonder her intentions and origins. The way the characters acted so spooked, weary or just totally blindsided...

Did she say her design was gorgeous? Yes? Oh well….

So….yes, she had been looking forward to see where Genshin was thinking on taking such an interesting character.

And they had…....delivered...a date with the Knave?

Well, perhaps that was…..a bit of a crude over exaggeration of what had “actually” taken place but walking alongside her from place to place, listening to her worries, chat with her about several topics that could be considered mundane were the text book rules of going out with someone.

Yeah, yeah...it was to keep her away from the children and their makeshift plan to send Clervie away, but that WAS a date.

She would die on that hill.

However, about the rest of that story line….

..

..

..

``Urgh, what a BULLSHIT way to brush on my face that the main character is still not ready to face bigger challenges. ´´

She groaned as she lazily slumped against the back of her seat, ignoring the way it creaked under her weight, closing her eyes while she pinched the bridge of her nose.

It was not that it was unbelievable that the Traveler was weaker than other characters, there had been a ton of scenes where they had been knock out, pushed, captured and so on and so on. In a way...it was like the common gist at this point for a mere npc to kick the main character once before you were allowed to do your own thing.

Like genocide in the name of grinding materials...

But what on earth happened to all of the other powers that they had? Five elemental powers and its not shown even once in the entire fight the use of those elements? Just swing your trusty old dull blade..?

It was so strange and immersion breaking that she could not help but laugh a little at that. Strained as it was..

``I guess that sometimes one sticks to what is known and reliable..but urgh, its just hurts my brain trying to find a reason for that which does not consist in a plot hole..´´

She muttered while she dropped the empty box of cereal over the garbage bin, only for it to fall flat on the floor when it failed to enter into the overfilled trash can. Making her roll her eyes as she went to pick up and shove the thing this time deep into the trash can so that it would not fall out again.

``I mean, I get it, sometimes its necessary to write a line on the sand of where things stand and create dread or importance to the growth of the characters instead of making them appear like untouchable...but really? A scripted loss!?

That scene really irked her in the wrong way.

``I was literally cleaning house with her on that fight! She did not even hit me once...!´´

She whined childishly, raising and wailing both of her arms over her head while comical tears slid down her face.

``Come on! Was it so hard for the developers to leave a small bonus for effort? Like a partially different cinematic or just a little tiny achievement...!?´´

She was not asking much, not really, not at all..right? Right..!? A-after all, if you could get achievements just by stupidly getting killed by npcs...surely the other way around should work too, no?

For the screen to turn black and then show her character barely muster such a weak effort after all the dodging and attacking kinda hurt her pride.

There was also a different thing that nagged her about the entire update and story arc. Especially on the way that even though it was about the Knave, it had felt more a story about anyone else but the Knave. And lets not forget that the video that had been updated onto the web a week before the release of the arc had kinda spoiled most of the story itself...

The fight had been cool yes, but….that was a given with who was the one been challenged and how they had tried to hype it up

After a few seconds..., she closed her eyes, sighing loudly. Rubbing the back of her head with one hand while allowing the other to rest over her lap.

Kinda stupid of hers to get so overworked over nothing, really…, it wasn't like she had any right to nick pick at the things she didn't like like a bloody child. She was an adult for gods sake!

An adult that was still in touch with her inner child, but an adult alright…

..

..

Still, it would have been nice to get to know Arlecchino….a little more than the superficial view she got.

To know who were her parents and whether they loved her….or not.

To see how she got to the House.

To see her grow…

To watch her become closer to the people around her and develop her emotions one step at a time.

To hear her thoughts and opinions of the House of the Hearth, of Clervie….and “Mother”

It certainly would have been-

Her thoughts however were interrupted when a chiming sound reached her ears. Slowly, turning her head towards the origin of the sound, her eyes landed on her computer.

It was still running on the main menu like before….however there was something on it that drew her attention.

A window had pop out.

At first she had shrugged it off as some connection error and that her computer was asking for her to click on it to load out of the game. It was not unusual, sometimes the scammer of the second floor cut the connection of the line of wifi for shits and giggles and screw everyone over for a few hours.

However that line of thought changed when another window popped out.

Bigger...

Way more bigger and a lot more stranger than the previous one if the tittle that was been shown in full display on the screen was anything to go by.

“The Sins of the Hearth”

``Alright, that's…..something´´

She mused out loud as she eyed the entire thing. Her curiosity winning her over as she pulled her legs down from the table and pulled her chair closer. Who could blame her, she had always been down bad for ominous titles, especially with the blood splatters and grim looking building that appeared shrouded behind the Tittle.

Still, cool or not.., she had never heard about such a feature implemented into a Gacha game anywhere before, let alone just after a new story arc. Was it a bug..?

She quickly dismissed the idea, there was no way in hell a bug would look like this, too much effort for a mere error of data poorly adjusted.

However, instead of ignoring the entire thing as just some strange glitch or leaked out demo for some sort of project or something and just restarting the system or turning the thing off…...she clicked it.

Perhaps that was her first mistake.

The blackness of the screen and the blood splatters grew in size in an instant, covering now the entire screen as now an animation of lightning and crimson lights that tried to emulate blinking eyes appeared on the corners of the screen.

Glaring at her..

A soft and definitely not creepy childish tune starting to echo softly from the speakers of the computer, glitching out at times.

``Spooky….hmm, I like that´´

She said, morbid interest peaking up as she navigated through the screen, stopping only when the word gallery of characters appeared and clicked it. Immediately, the image of the screen switched to a set of portraits of several characters she had already grown used to….

And others that she didn't.

There was Arlecchino….stuck in a cold and bitter expression of resignation behind those Red X eyes, red like ropes tangled around the future Knaves body…..like a puppets.

Clervie was a must for a story like this.., the young girl smiling behind the grayish and broken portrait she stood..though her expression seemed strained and pained.

Crucabena stood there as-well…proud and arrogant, sitting on a broken throne on a desolated room.

And to the far left was even Freminet, the timid boy looking even more younger than what she remembered him, hiding...on what seemed a corner.

The way the characters were presented behind that shade of blacks and whites and the sheer emotions they denoted was a far cry from the stoic like expressions the rest of the characters had on the main character selection menu.

It felt...more real. Too real in fact.

However she ignored it again, considering it nothing more than just a aesthetic choice of the designers.

That was her second mistake.

Strangely, there were other characters as-well that led her confused, not the npc ones, but rather......why was Furina, Neuvillete and Wriothesley included on the character roster?

True, they were characters that were part of Fontaine for so long…., but what kind of relation did they have with the House of the Hearth? She did not know…, though she doubted that there was a more intricate reason to their presence there than just convenience.

It would be strange for the two most charismatic and known characters of Fontaine to not be present in a story of the nation of Hydro, if only in mention. The presence of the Duke of the fortress of Meropide however was something that she did not know..though she doubted that she would lose sleep because of it.

She shook her head after a few moments...preferring to focus more on the glowing option that looked more like broken glass tainted with something slimy and red dripping from it.

“Select your character.”

That rose an eyebrow from Sarah, prompting her to take a double take on the explicit words glowing on the screen. Did that mean that she was going to be able to play as one of them? That was definitely new...and more interesting than what she had expected.

However there were only three characters that interested her. Looking at Crucabena, she wondered what possible contributions could playing as her would grant her during the game.

True, it was not like she was thinking on starting with her….with all the ways the mental conditioning and degradation the other characters would go through would be far more interesting.

But..oh well. If she didn't like it, surely she could just start over, right..? She thought to herself as she pressed the former Knaves portrait.

..

..

..

..

That was her last mistake.

Chapter Text

There were two kind of people in the world when it came to wake up in the morning.

Those who had no problem with it in the first place and left the nest at the first hour of morning like a ridiculous bunch of flippant sunshine's that could smother the sun with the glow of their perfect teeth and happy disposition.

With their clean shaved faces and smelling of fresh cool vanilla, walking around with their broad, cheerful smiles plastered on their faces like a bunch of Legos while they welcomed a new day with total disposition and eagerness to do stuff.

And then there were the others.

Yes, the others….

Those who groaned and trashed around under the sheets like the living dead, unable to bring themselves up even if you hit them with a stick or two as they tried to grasp just five more minutes of sleep before they tried to murder the shit out of those bothering them.

What that had to do with her? Well…that was...because she kinda fell down on the latter group? Yeah, that was it.

Why?

What do you mean why..?

It was not her bloody fault that her body was built different and could not contribute to societies early morning stereotype of workers.

Urgh, it was such a hassle that people never seemed to understand what kind of battle was to even stand up from her bed when the very sheets seemed to turn to life and struggle against her, let alone do anything productive and coherent during those torturous moments where your brain was fried, your ability of speech was fucked and your common sense had gone out of the window as you stumbled your way out from your own room.

If you did not land on your face first that is.

Those times were the worst.

Luckily or not for her, that was why the alarm clock had been invented in the first place.

Which kid you not she had the utmost believe that whoever had ever had the poignant thought of building such a device had to either be a masochist who enjoyed waking into the insufferable ringing noise blowing just right next to you that could drive any soul insane after going through it day after day...or they were just down right insane in believing that there would be people who may change their tune and appreciate being violently pulled up from Dream land under the constant stream of mechanical ringing

But if it stopped her from getting fired then she was willing to make sacrifices...while also learning that it would be nice for her budget to just nail the damn thing to the table let she in a mad sleepy rage try to throw it at the closest wall.

There were so many dents that wall could take before it gave out..and she really was not looking forward to have another chat with her landlord. The old man had been kind to her, behind those layers of grumpiness there was a softy bear, but dear god how loud he could get when he got pissed.

..

..

..

However, this time, these moments of unconsciousness where the mind of the person drifted aimlessly through the dark depths of ones own mind until something or someone yanked them away from such ethereal embrace felt…. different.

She had no better words to properly describe it.

At times pouncing on her with what appeared to be a familiar touch, perhaps given the obnoxious sound scraping her brain asunder, but there was a strange sense of unease at the tip of her tongue. Its nature always changing…, not one been the same as the other.

Like hanging from a thread barely above a glacial depth. The air brushing like cold knifes against her….or swimming in a circling current in an endless void, her body wrapped in both a stream of cold and warm waters that played and pushed her either gently or rashly from one side to the other.

However, the one thing she could agree on was the strangeness that it brought her. Still, it did not matter for long, the numbness of her skull started to mildly dissipate around her as the minutes passed.

Like fresh winds been blown around her, they pushed away the weakness of dizziness that was so characteristic of her when been so abruptly pull out of her sleep as if they were a heavy mist.

Slowly changing the darkness of the void around her with a dulled, almost dim light.Things far away from her trying to take shape, colors fighting to be noticed and regarded, a fresh actual touch of something cold and ethereal brushing against her cheeks.

Dried lips twitching, fingers slowly flexing and coming to life after been left still for way too long, eyelids slowly trying to recede from their tight seals and grace the waking world.

But when she did…. there was only pain waiting for her.

..

..

It was too sudden.

Too sharp.

A hot, searing sensation of cruel agony flashing in her head from left to rights that caught her totally unprepared.

She closed her eyes almost by instinct alone. Her entire body flinching as if someone was driving a molten nail into her skull. The pain was almost strong enough to sent her back to the darkness she had come from.

Her sight was also hazy, blurry even which was not great with how her body felt weird and tired all of a sudden.

Heavy, especially on the chest….

Her eyes tried to open up again and again against the heavy weight her lids seemed now to have fallen prey to or perhaps it was the fear of further pain that kept the shut as they tried to get a better clarity of the world around them. Her mouth tried to speak up or just groan...only to feel the scratchiness of a throat that was suffering from dehydration.

Which was just peachy.

Yeah, not getting to a good start. Still, if one thing she was known for was to be stubborn, more so when poked.

``For fucks sake…., did I stop a truck with my forehead or what..?´´

She croaked weakly as she finally found the strength to slowly, yet methodically stir up and raise her head from a rather and delightful soft pillow. It had taken more effort than she had previously thought and so she took a moment to breath in...and out, baby steps…, yes. But it was better than nothing.

The pain was still a bitch though, something that she was reminded when she tried to tilt her head too fast to the side. Making her flinch and grunt.

Already annoyed by whatever the hell was going on she rose a hand to scratch or just rub the spot where the pain was most likely coming from…even though common sense would suggest to leave that place well left alone.

What she was not expecting was for her fingers to touch...a piece of cloth wrapped... around it?

..

..

[What..!?] / ``What…!?

She thought and exclaimed almost at the same time, surprising herself on the spot of how sudden...and weird her voice echoed from her own lips, however she paid it not much heed as she focused on what her hands were tugging at...which by now she had found was neatly and tightly packed all around her head.

Like a...ribbon or something?

``What..what the hell is this..!?´´

She muttered, confused as her fingers continued to touch and brush against...whatever the hell it was that was clinging to her skull!

Paper thin yet not easy to pull out…

Silky…, yet rough to the touch.

And clearly well wrapped around her head that it left no easy way to know where it started...or where it ended.

She frowned, not understanding what was going on. As far as she was aware, those were not her headphones that had decided to become paper thin and so tightly wrapped around her head and hair, nor she remembered putting anything of the sort when she was awak-

She stopped. Her thoughts pausing on their own.., her mind fumbling onto itself, growing heavy and...numb. Making her lose track of things.

When she..

..

Awa-…

..

When she was..

She was..

She bit her lip, jaws clenching while using a hand to hold her head in place as she grimaced both at the pain and frustration at her apparent difficulty to weave her thoughts in a correct and orderly manner.

Forget been hit by a truck, this was more akin to have a crowbar stuck in her brain and someone was twisting it without mercy.

Her frustration however led way to a particular increase in her concentration if only by the sheer stubbornest that it prompted.

It was then that she felt that something was terribly amiss.

Like an internal clock that had been running smoothly against the current finally starting to chip and creak, the sound of each gear echoing louder and louder with each passing second that one could no longer ignore.

And now that she was aware….the pieces started to fall one by one around her. Or in this case, that silent voice of her subconscious that was shouting like a madman at the back of her skull as if it was an angry baseball coach cursing the name of a rather lousy batter.

Since when did she went to sleep….?

That was strike one.

As far as she remembered, she had been standing right next to her computer. Nowhere near her bedroom or anywhere else for that matter...and she had been very fucking awake since she had been playing Genshin and having that moment of respite for a break.

She grimaced as she tried to wreck her brain for answers….something in which her body took no liking to and led her known in spades.

``Urgh, this is the mother of all migraines...´´

The last thing she remembered was seeing that option pop on the screen and just select it….so unless she had suffered a heart attack in which she had recovered by itself and then walked away back to her room on her own like a sleepwalker only to forget about it then...it didn't bloody made sense!

The dizziness started to recede once more, however...she found no peace of mind as the room started to become more clear to her, or perhaps given that she was finally paying any attention to it instead of having her fingers scramble over her face in some poorly attempt to ease the pain in her skull.

Finally her eyes catching on the frames and forms of furniture and colors of walls and ceilings. Of how the light of day streamed through an open window while a gentle breeze of cool air waltzed through.

The floors were made of a rare black marble that seemed to emulate a starry night, a set of columns could be seen around the round, stylish, embellished statues carved into them of significant beauty that would have made a sculptor worth their salt blush of envy.

The walls were painted in several shades and hues of whites, blues and violets, masterfully interlining with one another to a point like the waves of the sea or the ethereal clouds in the sky.

It was a lovely place..and that was without taking into account the several sets of furniture that were neatly placed within the room. Clearly made out of oak and several other types of woods given the difference in their color patterns or how robust they appeared to be and the sheer quality of their craft.

Chairs, desks, wardrobes, cupboards, bookshelves, you named it there was of it.

The place had to cost an entire fortune.

However whatever awe of joy she could find on it would be short lived, especially with how alien the environment was to her.

That was strike two..

This was not her room

This was not her home

A prickle of cold sweat was sliding down her skin while her hands tugged and clasped tightly at the sheets still covering the rest of her body as she had no idea where she was, and more importantly...who had drag her there.

Her eyes darted from left to rights, hoping and dreading at the same time that she would find someone spying on her from a corner, to watch whether her body was restrained in anyway by some sort of rope or handcuffs or chains to the bed or something like in those games and doujins she used to watch.

Cliche yes, and not very bright of her to assume reality had anything to do with fantasy….but right now she was running on what she was knew or was used to.

She found nothing.

Nothing a t all…

Well, that was something. The lack of clues puzzled her to no end….after all, if someone had kidnapped her then they were doing a terrible job at it by not restraining her as they should.

Though not like she would nag much about it, no thank you, she was fond on living.

And lastly….there was something wrong with her body. Ignoring the skull breaking pain, and the weight on her chest, she kinda felt….bigger?

Of all the things she could have come across in her deductions that perhaps should not have been on the priority list, but it had come nonetheless. She had never been the tallest gal she would begrudgingly admit, but….the floor seemed further away from her line of sight than before.

Not much mind you…, but enough for her to somehow take notice of said change before anything else.

It felt wrong…, but perhaps it was just that the bed itself was higher than what she was used to.

However, such thoughts were crushed completely a few seconds later.

Glancing down, she looked at her hand….and instead of finding the tanned skin of a girl that lived near the coast and took too much of a liking to the heat of the summer sun what graced her eyes was a pale, feminine and utterly graceful hand.

Where there should have been roughness and calluses from work only an endearing softness remained.

Where short and crude nails should be, large and brightly polished ones stood in their place. So clean that she could almost see her own reflection on them.

And where the muscles of her arms should have been, in their stead was a lithe stylish white nightgown that barely exposed her long and now apparently thin yet elegant arms.

A quick look to the other side exposed that the same had happened to her other arm.

Alright, this was bad.

..

..

Bad? Just bad!? No, screw that! This was a full blown panic attack….!

Hyperventilating, hands clenching tightly, eyes open wide and darting around in sheer frantic need of something no matter how small to deny what these strange events where leading her to.

She needed to see.

She NEEDED something to see what else had changed….or perhaps, as that small voice at the back of her head whispered...what had not.

She found the answer on an oval mirror that was clearly made to be gazed upon by standing given its sheer size.

Against her better judgment and whatever condition she had previously been since awakening, she quickly threw off the blankets still covering her and stood out from the bed. Her naked soles of her feet touching the cold, frigid floor as she stumbled her way in her attempt to rush to the dresser mirror.

Only to get one of her feet caught up on the edge of the sheets now spilled out on the floor and failing on her face with a comical yelp of surprise.

``Not... a happy landing...´´

She groaned weakly, not liking at all the way her face was pressed flat against the cold floor.

Still, she tried to ignore the throbbing of her head that tried to emulate the chiming of a church bell as she kicked away the blasted thing and scrambled as fast as she could to the mirror, brushing away with a swift yet albeit clumsy the strands of hair that seemed to obscure for a moment her sight.

Things fell down to the floor and scattered everywhere as she made a mad dash towards her target and grabbed the edges of the frame holding the mirror. She would have been worried about the shards that were now all over the ground...had she not been stupefied at the sight of the person glaring back.

A tall, beautiful young looking woman who was by far a head and half taller than she should have been, with a delight of an hourglass figure covered by the long and lithe nightgown that clung rather tightly in certain areas of her body...especially around her...generous assets.

Long, dark pink hair smoothly tied into a braided side ponytail that seemed to try to cover part of her face as it easily reached past her shoulders. Dark green-blue eyes that one could have found themselves falling with longing and desire alongside those scarlet lips of hers that seemed to accentuate her femininity even more.

And the cloth that she felt so tightly wrapped around her head? Well, that was actually a bandage.

It was a face she knew.

One that she had come to know not that long ago at that in fact through drawings or a screen….

And to be honest…. she would have called her breath taking, perhaps even cute if the image was not staring back at her with the same chaotic, despair filled frenzy that she was exuding at this very moment.

It took her a while to realize that she was not looking at some sort of ultra realistic painting or perhaps a person inside a magic box or something..

But rather... at herself.

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

No.

No, no., no.., no.., no.., no….

Not herself..

That face did not belong to her. It couldn't…! T-there was no fucking way! Because she was herself, she had always been herself, n-not someone else she was sure of it..!

Her heartbeat started to throb violently and painfully in her chest, her blood pumping faster inside her veins and the world starting to spin around her as if her mind was at the center of a hurricane.

Cold sweat now drenching her gown, the fair skin glistening as the droplets of sweat continued to slid down.

Her breath by then hushed and overworked..became hectic and shallow with each pitiful intake of air, driven further and further into a never ending pit as adrenaline continued to ran through her veins .

She fell to her knees, holding her head before pushing the dresser mirror away…. but the sight that trouble her so much was now imprinted in her brain nor it would ever leave her.

This was not the body she had been born with, the one she had been living and seeing it grown as the years went by.

There was too much going on.

It was too much.

With all the nonsensical chaos she had been sent in, the pain in her skull, the dizziness of a mind trying to grasp on straws to make everything try to make sense where it could not.

It was not surprising then that she choose to do the only thing that came to mind as her mouth open up widely.

..

..

She screamed.

º

..Bonus image..

Chapter Text

Her hand met her face with a slap as she tried to wake herself from whatever nonsensical horror she had found herself in.

The sting that followed through was neither pleasant or expected...and clearly failing to achieve its intended goal as she was still THERE. Only with a new addition to her face in the form of a red hand shaped mark.

That…..was not meant to happen.

Not at all.

The sensation of pain coursing through her face was almost a bit disorienting, not in the fact of how painful it was, which surprisingly...it wasn't. But rather how unexpected the reveal was.

Her hands came back to her face, slowly, almost shyly palming her cheeks, sensing the smoothness of her skin, fingers gently stroking the spots that now dully ached and demanded some sort of ease.

Alright, that idea had clearly not worked…..so it was time for plan B.

What was Plan B you ask? Well, it was rather simple to be honest. If pain was not enough then she needed to check again whether she was just deep within a dream or something. She was not very informed about those scientific thesis and information about what went by in the brain...she had heard that dreams were unstable.

They could be weird and full of discrepancies, which explained why people could sometimes dream of flying turtles that breathed fire and owned castles.

So.., with everything going on at the same pace of a roller-coaster perhaps now a few changes had appeared in her appearance by now and she could use them to find the relief that she was just dreaming.

Yeah, it was not much of a plan all things considered, hell it kinda sucked to be even considered a plan B…. more like a plan F negative or something. Sadly, right now she would take anything if it could make her feel better.

The other option was to throw herself out of the window...and that sounded a bit pretty violent and extreme.

Yeah, shocker...she was not someone freely willing to hammer herself in the head if it was not necessary, especially when most of those times her “real” body ended up graving something or just falling down her own bed as if trying to emulate the very same thoughts her “dream self” had in those very moments of panic.

Only far more crudely and sluggish...and ending in a few bruises here and there when you landed on a wall or two. So no, not a fan of that idea if it was shown this was somehow just a very deep dream.

..

..

But...what if it wasn't….?

She bit her lip. The thought plagued her more than she would like to ever admit…, even when she tried to push it away it still came back, rearing its ugly head at the corner of her mind.

Again..

And again..

And fucking again…

Like it was taunting her, having a laugh from afar at her thoughts which she had once believed private only to herself.

She looked at her hands, finding them trembling even as she tried to clench them tightly. Her knuckles starting to lose a few shades of color while a cold sweat started to slid down her forehead.

She shook her head, grimacing inwardly. Yeah, better not to think much about it.

She turned on her heels, wailing her arms and taking a few long and deep breaths, trying to slow down her now quickened heart as it throbbed loudly within her chest.

In fact, she should think of something positive instead of all these depressive and dangerous staff, like-like….like puppies and rainbows! Yeah, that...sounded alright if not a bit cliche. After all, who could not like those things..? They were cute!

A thin smile made way through her lips. She almost wanted to pat at her back for a job well done as she set herself to mutter those things out loud.

``Puppies and rainbows…´´

-.-

``Puppies and rainbows..´´

-.-

``Puppies and rainbows..´´

-.-

``Dead puppies and bloody rainbows…´´

..

She sighed, hanging her head between her hands in defeat.

``Fuck I suck at this...´´

With nothing else to do she awkwardly made her way towards the mirror she had so abruptly pushed away a few moments ago in her panic. Slowly though with a little of apprehension she grasped the edge of the dresser mirror, hands clutching tightly the smooth wooden frame of the object...before she pulled it back to face her.

Unwittingly she closed her eyes shut just as the entire length of the mirror was about to reflect her visage.., biting her lip in silence as she could not help but pray that it would work.

That it had to work.

Childish, perhaps…..but all habits die hard as she started to count to three in her head. Holding onto dear god that whatever happened, that it would be something good.

She took a deep breath.

[Three..]

Sweat started to prickle at her eyes before sliding down her chin.

[Two]

Her jaws clenched tightly.

[One]

Alright, now or never.

Just as the numbers reached zero she opened up her eyes, the light of day flashing out once more into her line of sight as she glared at what would be her own reflection with both anxious need and hope.

And….

..

..

Nop.

The face that was not her face was still there.

With those soft and kissable lips that could make people lose their focus, with that fair and pale texture of her skin that reminded her of fresh spilled snow which was still partially covered by that silky and smooth cascade of long, dark pink hair neatly tied into a braided side ponytail while a pair of dark green-blue eyes blinked time and time again as they inspected said reflection.

Once again, she sighed though this time more loudly.

``This is the start of a nightmare...´´

She mumbled, her voice barely audible through her lips while she started pinching the bridge of her nose, clutching her right hip with her remaining hand.

``I am Crucabena now...´´

Flinching at the implications of that very statement she spoke with that strangely pleasant sounding voice she now possessed, she heard herself say what should have been impossible...but there was no denying reality now.

No matter how fuck up or weird it had become in the blink of an eye.

She was now the Fourth Harbinger of the Fatui.

The master of the House of the Hearth.

And the Worst mother in existence that would make Cocolia look like a saint in comparison. The mere thought, the mere fact to even bear such an idea inside the walls of her mind making her gasp, aghast of such a horrific admission.

How joyful.

How nice.

How fair…

Of all the people that she could have become, of all the characters in this world of fantasy so far removed of her own she had become her.

A woman who groomed children into disposable tools of murder. A sadistic, insane menace that lied and schemed to pit her “children” against each other in blood games. A person who could not care two shits about her own daughter about going through all of that to the point of death and considering such a loss a boring and tedious thing.

Looking back at her own reflection on the mirror she could not help but frown and grimace at the person behind the glass. The magic of her appearance now gone as childish curiosity and infatuation gave way to something uglier...and darker.

The thought of sharing the body of this….this “thing” that she would have loved nothing more than to strangle with her own hands making her stomach churn, a burning bile slowly rising up from the depths of her body and leaving that scorching scent all through her neck.

Look at her…

Look at her put a show of a loving mother….yet truly not knowing the meaning of the word.

Look at her be so glamorous and attractive to the eyes of others, yet hiding underneath the callous inhuman nature that lurked just underneath such a mask.

``You know, when I had chosen to choose her character this was NOT what I had thought would happen.´´

She snapped out loud, anger and annoyance channeled at nothing truly in particular which only bothered her even more. The deafening silence of the large room and the gentle breeze of the morning winds was her only answer.

Just as expected.

It took her a while before she managed to find the strength to regain her bearing, small as it was…..there was no point in trying to fight against something that she had no control over with.

So she did the very next thing she could do.

Think.

If she was Crucabena...then it meant that she had to be in Fontaine right now. The nation of Hydro and justice….and over-sized hats and umbrellas strong enough to sent you flying miles up in the air.

The memory of a certain blond, sunglasses wearing girl floating in the air like a huge golden flower made the edges of her lips crease with a small smile. Yeah, perhaps that was just a gag the developers had made….but it surely would be amusing to see that happen.

Also, she should not be surprised to either hear about or even see other characters wandering around either in Poison or Fontaine proper like the gentle yet ever stoic Neuvillette and the ever flamboyant yet timid Furina at the courthouse…. or perhaps the bright and cheerful Navia down at Spina di Rosula headquarters in Poison. Well, baby/child Navia by now if her math was not that far off….but the point still stand.

She would still love to see what a baby Navia would look like though….

With her golden shiny hair and those glinting blue eyes looking at the world around her with curiosity and wonder. Oh dear how she would love to hold that sunshine of a girl within her arms and softly pinch that baby pouting face of hers

Her mind was all rainbows and sun-shines at that thought. Too bad that the camera was not yet invented yet in Fontaine.

Her face furrowed, lips twisting a little at that. She would have to do something about it or something, there were so many characters she would want to take a photo of and it would be such a waste not to.

``Perhaps I could take over the creation of the device itself or just help fund it...´´

She mused to herself, holding her chin as she thought about it for a while.

It would not be that difficult if she used it a messenger or decided to go disguised….and it was not like Crucabena was not well off.

The House of the Hearth was not cheap to maintain, let alone direct so many resources to these facilities and the children. She surely was rich to afford this…..and with the Fatui backing her up then it was not unlikely to think she could very well try to swim in Mora Mr Scrooge style.

And if all things failed she could just ask Sandrone. The girl had made a living talking android in the form of Katheryne, surely a box that takes pictures could not be that far fetched.

Now….convincing her to do that however would be a different kind of problem., but it wasn't like she would kill her for making such a simple question right? Right?

``Well, I better cross my fingers it doesn't come to that... ´´

She said, clasping her hands together in silent prayer before she decided to walk away..or stumble from the dresser mirror. Her head was still hurting pretty bad...but there was nothing she could do about that….like, was there even painkillers in the form of pills in this world?

Shaking her head she found herself staring back at a rather large and ominous wardrobe. In fact it was so large and tall that she almost found herself tilting herself backwards to actually see it reach the ceiling.

Why? She did not know….oh wait, you meant why she was starting at the wardrobe? Ah, well..for n-nothing?

Yeah, that was right...for nothing in particular. It was pretty big and had caught her eye for that.

…

…

Fine! She had always been curious about what kind of outfits the Knave that came previously to Arlecchino would actually wear. She did seem to be one for fashion, though not as much as Signora.

And...she also could not leave this room in just a nightgown….. SO THAT!

Taking a moment to take a breath she clasped the handles of the wardrobe...and pull it open. The hinges softly creaking in response as the thick polished frames of wood slowly revealed what laid behind.

..

``Alright, this…..was not what I was expecting´´

She mumbled as her eyes could not find a single trace of space not occupied by any piece of cloth. Row after row of dresses and shirts and other stuff painting a rather colorful scene before her.

Formal, semi-formal, for grand celebrations to more mundane yet still somehow stylish choices of clothing. All of them neatly piled or divided in groups of color, size, season and even hues.

The level of cleanliness and order surprised her her, especially with how much of a contrast it was with what she usually did in her own flat. However, not as much as what she found in a corner to her right, specifically inside a neatly shaped, rectangular looking box that felt out of the ordinary.

Were there jewel's...or rare gems insde perhaps?

Special gloves for hunting?

Rings..? Amulets?

Crucabenas own vision or delusion...? Stored away just in case instead of wearing it everyday?

The possibilities were endless, her curiosity leading her thoughts to multiply and peak up in interest as she went by to open the thing from its lids and..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

``Why is there a whip in here?´´

-.-

`` A collar and a…..rope?´´

-.-

`` Gods….that is a lot of rope..´´

She felt her cheeks heat up as she immediately set herself to put the thing back from where she had pick it.

She hoped it was for torture.

She really hoped it was.

Deciding to not waste any more of her time with whatever sick and deprave things could be still hidden in there she chose the piece of cloth that looked the same as what she had seen Crucabena wear back in the trailer. The white blouse under that black coat, paired with that grayish tie and brooch. A pair of black gloves alongside that long and black stilted skirt...which fitted her rather well to say the least.

Graving the thigh length boots and closing the doors of the wardrobe she made her way towards the dresser again to begin her task of picking a fresh pair of socks.

``Oh come on! Seriously..!?´´

She gasped incredulously upon inspecting the contents of the dresser, nothing out of the ordinary only for one of her fingers to clumsily slid onto a secret button and reveal a set of needless and razor sharp knives ready for use.

All of them long, and slightly ending on a curve at the very end to a point. And though the other half was mostly smooth, there were a series of sharpened edge notches near the base. It was almost like a duel edge in a way guaranteed that if you survived the initial stab, the removal would be far from clean.

She closed her eyes feeling herself age over time. Of course this sadistic woman would have weaponized her entire room.

What was next? Guns inside the bathroom walls? Axes coming down from the chandeliers? Spikes hiding underneath the floor?

..

..

You know what? She did not want to find out.

She decided to ignore them and not think much about what kind of uses the real Crucabena may had for those tools, eagerly pushing the button that had unwrapped them to her sight and concealing them yet again

In the end she end up choosing a simple yet practical white silky socks, a pattern of roses weaved around them.

``Alright, I am ready…...at least I think so´´

She muttered as she made sure that nothing looked out of the ordinary. However, nothing of this did not help her on her most direct and pressing problem.

What was that you ask? Well, simple…..she did not know whether this was before Clervie was thrown down inside this hell pit called “home” or after she was already dead.

You still don't get it? Ok, lets laid out it thick and simple….

The first one meant that she had time to make things better so that she at the very least could survive. She almost found herself bitterly laughing at such notion. Yeah, right...make things “better” tell that to the hundreds of children corpses this woman surely had or has even now under the carpet. Crucabena may had the looks of a young woman….but by the looks of she surely had been in power of the House for a long time.

Long enough to have a child of her own blood and flesh...and that was certainly not good for anyone's health...

Two: If Clervie was already dead...then she was beyond screwed, she really doubted she would fair any better than the real character against a rage hellbent meant to be Arlecchino.

True, the white haired girl had said that she had won because Crucabena did not have the will to go all out against her given how she was so hell bent in bending Arlecchino to her will like a puppet….but come on guys, how on earth was she suppose to fight a super child soldier of an ancient bloodline with an even more ancient and cool and terrific curse when she had never gone to self defense classes?

Yeah, no, it didn't look good for her...

So what could she do about it? If Clervie was alive then changing the canon was a possibility and a no brainer, she liked living after all thank you very much!

However…. could it be done?

It wasn't that she was against such a notion, gods forbid that these children deserved better….but Fate seemed to be ever prevalent in Genshin, not truly changing as it guided the people of this world towards uncertain endings.

No gods or mortals able to fight or shrug it off as even the divine were beholden to its cruel and uncaring rules.

After all, Fontaine was prophesied to be covered in the waters….and it happened no matter what the characters tried to do against such an outcome. A self fulfilling prophecy.

Now, if the canon story was the way the world was meant to be…. did that mean that Arlecchino would become the Knave no matter what? That she would die by her hands?

It was a chilling thought that disturbed her…one that made her lose her balance momentarily.

Crucabenas ending had been a violent one….flashy, but violent nonetheless. And since she was going to be in the receiving end of it this time….it didn't feel nearly as epic as it had before.

Yes, this time there was no prophecy going around and she doubted Celestia had a bone to pick with a mere mortal like a Fatui Harbinger….but if the scrip was already written for her in the skies…

Then she was fucked either way.

As if waiting for that pertaining thought a new wave of skull born agony now mixed with this fearful stroke climbing behind her back made her legs womble with weakness that for a moment she feared that she would fall on her knees on the spot. Forcing her to lean against the closest thing she could find. Her face grimacing with a scowl, half covered by her gloved hands trying to keep her head steady while her lips opened up and closed between shallow breaths.

Her lungs felt on fire.

She clenched her teeth, hands clasping tightly.

She hated this..

She hated everything about this.

The unfairness of her situation and the utter lack of clues that she was given about it to properly fix it or at least know what was going to happen next.

It kinda stink that she was not the protagonist of one of those visual Iseakis where a magic window popped out without effort with everything one would need to survive.

Yeah, that would have surely come in handy by now.

Too bad that she cant have nice things.

``Fuck…., what I am going to do? Hell, what I am suppose to do?´´

She racketed her brain trying to find an answer to it, but much to her disappointment she came out with nothing of substance. A lot of what ifs and what would be….but nothing truly certain to iron out into the paper what she could do without major complications.

She really wished the gods of this land could throw her a bone or something.

Like a signal.

She was not expecting for the dual doors leading to the room to open loudly on that very moment, hinges creaking as they were partially shoved open apart.

She was not expecting for a small, diminutive girl dressed with a small fitting white dress and a simple coronet of the same color over her head to stumble her way inside and almost fall flat on her face in the process.

And least of all she was not expecting for the small child to look so similar to her once she rose her head and glared at her direction. Eyes that glinted with muted fear melting away into relief once they found her.

It was only then that she realized why she was feeling that sense of familiarity with that girl.

``Mother…? Mother? Are yo-Mother!? You are awake!´´

``Shit...not like this!´´

º

A/N

....Bonus image...

Chapter Text

Surprises.

People say that they like surprises.

They laughed and giggled or just sighed with a tired smile on their lips and what kind of misdeeds would soon arrive, a mood of excitement always roamed the air when the words were mentioned among same minded peers.

After all, is it not usual to find at beginning and end of a prank that those well intentioned buffoons were always part of a group? The cackling of their young mirth always echoing all the way as they acted like children to enjoy life just like children would?

In a sense, if you blatantly disregarded the lack of brain power and that most pranksters were sometimes assholes then it was a fine way to disconnect from the perils of growing old.

However its universally known that there is a big fat lie in that statement.

One that should have been phrased differently for future generations in order to avoid someone thinking too hard on said matter one day while starting at the nothingness of a wall because they had nothing better to do.

And said correction should have been divided in two statements.

People “liked” to surprise others….

And “they” definitely hated to be the ones been “surprised”

Strange no? She had often wondered even why. Why such a controversy about something so simple? Was it not fair to be at the other end of the stick from time to time if you had no qualms of been a prankster yourself?

No..?

Oh, ok...

..

..

More or less, that was the short answer if someone had not noticed.

The long answer was that the lack of control, the lack of agency to be aware of it and what it would mean to the one caught with their pants down, sometimes literally was something that people loathed to be reminded, let alone experience at the expense of themselves for the joy of another.

Just like when the common Joe fell on their faces and the rest merely pointed and laughed at them instead of helping, making the entire experience really awkward for one side.

So...yeah, there was that.

However, when there was surprise….there was panic.

Sometimes more..

Sometimes a little less…

But it was there.

That accursed feeling of cold water splashing all over you yet lighting your blood aflame at the same time when something struck you from a left field.

A fight or flight response.

Ran away or fight.

A reaction born out of the perceived belief, either consciously or not of an imminent threat to the survival of one self quickly approaching. A last bid to DO something about what scenario in which one was whole unprepared for it before new information could be studied.

..

..

And yet….

Against all odds of probability and common sense..

She froze.

She FUCKING froze!

Her body became stuck in place as if her feet had decided on that very convenient moment to glue themselves to the polished floor like the branches of a tree.

Her entire body turning cold and rigid like stone carved into an eerily yet realistic shape of a woman who could do nothing, say nothing at the scene playing before her, gawking like a fool!

Watching the girl-no, watching Clervie of all people barge/stumble into the room and then ran up to her and throw herself at her.

Not out of fear.

Not out of hatred.

But sheer worry turned relief as her small, slender arms wrapped themselves around her waist as much as they could reach... while the girl buried her pretty little head on her stomach. Crying immediately if the muffled sound coming afterwards was anything to say about.

..

..

But... why?

WHY..!?

It hurt to see Clervie like this, but more so to know to what kind of monster she was showing so much worry for. So much love that would have never been reciprocated if the real woman had been here.

Her heart ached at the sight of the fresh bandages in her arms, just like if someone had drawn a blade through it. A feeling only made worse knowing deep down that those bruises had more than likely been done by the original owner of her body not that long ago.

Clervie deserved better.

They all did.

She tried to bit her lips, to clench her fists as she tried to come with a response, anything really to stop standing there like a mute...but could do nothing more than to feel her heart throb painfully fast inside her chest, threatening to burst out from there.

The cold sweat crawling up her back and the pain in her skull passing to a second place as she tried to stir her body to move.

However, it was a bit hard with the sheer proximity towards the source of her lack of control over her body, and the way the girl unknowingly screwed her with the way she tried to cling to her.

Her lips started to quiver with a bitter smile.

Funny, was it not? She had already come to terms with the reality she was now living in, strange as it was, and yet…., the mere sight of this girl had totally disarmed her.

To see her face.

To hear her voice.

To watch what had been once a cartoon now turned human hold her tightly.

To feel the soft, sweet scent of Lumidouce in her hair reach her. To sense the pressure of her small yet willing arms against her body, the warmth of her body pressed against her….

It had been too much.

Too much to take in such small amount of time.

Which was why she was extremely grateful that Clervie had not decided by then to raise her head and speak or ask her of anything.

Slowly, finding the strength to quell her weary heart as she reciprocated the gesture in kind. Her arms slowly tracing the air until they managed to envelope Clervie. Gently pressing her against her, wanting to let her know that she was not alone.

Not anymore....

She felt the girl flinch at the sudden presence of her touch, clearly not expecting any motherly show of affection from the likes of “her” not like she would blame her for it. However, she quickly gave in to it anyway, finding perhaps if ever briefly something that eased whatever ailed her.

Something that made this moment just a little less miserable...

She sighed inwardly, gloved hands stroking the loose strands of hair that dangled between her fingers. It was not much, nor it would ever be enough…..but it was the best thing she could give her at this very moment.

And so...they continued on like that.

Clervie didn't speak….and neither did she. Allowing her to let it all out rather than to let the girl bottle it up for later. She didn't know for how long they stood like that either. Time seemed a rather unimportant concept as long as they remained in each others embrace.

At least, it gave her time to think.., to wonder.

And there was one particular thought that nagged at her.

Why Clervie would have gone out of her way to come to Cr-to her mothers room so early at this hour? Felt rather out of the blue for a child of her age, there was also the fact that she had seem very surprised to see her awake at all.

As if she was not meant to be…

..

..

How strange.

It was only after a while that her crying stopped and she felt Clervies grip loosen up if ever so slightly. It was barely a thing, but she had been around children long enough to know what it meant.

Unconsciously she bit her lip, her eyes closing to a half lid as worry drew on her fair features. There was no more stalling it...but could she do it?

She was not proud to admit it, but she was afraid of what was going to happen next, of what could happen. It was not like there were some hidden dialogue options for her to pick through to make it better.

What if she made a mistake?

What if she made it worse..?

What if…..it was for nothing?

..

..

..

..

..

[Fuck it! There is a little girl in need of some love and you are going to stand there doing nothing!? Man up, girl! MAN UP!]

She berated herself in silence, deciding in that very moment to go all out or nothing, feeling the air fill up her lungs and her throat start to clench as a response of what she was planing to do. Not even deigning the opportunity for doubt to try to steer her hand away this time as her lips started to part ways with one another and-

``Clervie...are you feeling alright?´´

She finally heard herself say, her voice echoing softly through her lips to a point that she almost thought she had imagined it. However, the way Clervie started to slowly push her head away from her belly dissuaded her from those thoughts.

Those light green eyes slowly searching and finding her own, still tearful and reddish from crying...yet now looking at her open wide with a strange and puzzling expression that she could not fully understand.

Had she said wrong? No, not that she was aware of at least…

It was then that Clervie tried to speak, to twist her lips and say something….yet nothing barely audible came out, as if the very words themselves were scarcely willing to let themselves heard.

Realizing what it was, she slowly stroke the girls back while she started to kneel so that the two could be on the same eye level, not willing to force the girl to tilt her head up just to meet her mothers glare anymore.

Her long stilted skirt and cape softly and luckily for her shifting to accommodate her movement.

``Just breath in and out, ok dear? I know that sometimes it gets hard to speak after this...as if your throats gets clogged out and your words get stuck there, but is ok...just take your time´´

She muttered kindly, offering a gentle smile as she waited patiently for the girl to make her choice at her own pace. It was not long before she was watching her open her mouth and close it as she breathed in and out.

Clervies quivering lips were now gone, just as the tears that had left their mark on the pretty girls face were. Her nose was still red and she would need a handkerchief to clean herself...but it was an obvious upgrade from what she had looked before.

[Baby steps I guess…]

She thought to herself, slowly allowing her own arms to slid down Clervies back and head, releasing her almost fully from her grasp, yet keeping at least a minimum of contact by holding those lithe arms with her own gloved fingers.

``Are you feeling better...?´´

``...´´

``Clervie? Are you alright..?´´

``...´´

``Clervie?´´

``A-y-yes! I am feeling better mother..´´

Her dau-the pink haired girl responded with all due haste, rapidly shaking her head from whatever thoughts had been plaguing her mind, almost comically as her bubbly personality once started to resurface up again.

A similar reaction to that time when a certain white haired girl reminded her that spiders don't eat cake.

However, she didn't notice that quizzical expression still behind those eyes that shone so much like her as she sighed in relief. It really put her mind a little more at ease to see her back to be the kind and joyful girl that she was.

She also really looked cute when she smiled…..which was a bonus in her opinion.

Yeah, she really needed that camera idea rolling down the moment she got her chance. She would have tons of m- of “innocent” photos of these girls no matter what.

``That's good to hear, do you want to sit? I am sure that you must feel tired..´´

She said, gesturing with one hand to the bed right next to her. A look of doubt appeared on Clervies face, creasing the joy she had been feeling a moment ago.

``Ah, well..I-I would not want to bother you mother´´

Was Clervies meek response, one that she could not help but blink with confusion at what she had said several times before a streak of laughter made its way through her lips.

``Bother? You? Nonsense...come on, let he help you´´

``Mother? Wait, what are yo-´´

Before the pink haired girl could say anything else, she found her words cut short when she found herself lifted from the ground with relative ease. Her small legs wailing in the air for a second or two…..before she was placed right over the bed.

The mattress creaking a little bit at the presence of a weight over its surface, but nothing else.

However while Clervie was left confused, perhaps wondering why she had insisted on making her rest on the bed though not that her body argued with that decision as she sank a little under the cushy, fluffy blankets…. a different kind of thoughts were roaming her mind.

Thoughts that were better hidden away from the world in case the end of times arrived.

Thoughts that would threaten the morals and sanity of those capable of hearing them to darkest of pits.

..

..

..

[O.M.G...she is so light and soft! Its like picking up a plushy...thats so...THATS SO ADORABLE!]

She could not help herself but feel a light of radiance glow around her as she felt lost in the warm haze that were those thoughts.

Sadly, she had to fake a cough if only to revert back to a less daydreaming self.

``Better....?´´

Clervie could only nod her head, her hands now resting on her thighs as she stared at her with those pretty eyes of hers.

``I am glad to hear that, now...Clervie, I would like to make a question to you.´´

``A...me? A question..?´´

``You don't have to answer it though. You can always say no..´´

``I...can?´´

There was no words to overstate the frown forming inwardly inside of her. What kind of mother would berate her own daughter to a point that she could no longer consider even saying no to something.

Oh right..she was Crucabena now.

That explained a lot.

``Yes…, of course..´´

``Oh…, ok. What do you want to know mom?´´

``Why were you crying?´´

And just like that, whatever warmth that she had managed to build up seemed to break around her when she saw the girls eyes flicker with a hint of realization and dread.

Like a dog who had been smiling at its owner until it saw the stick hiding behind his masters back.

An expression that should not belong in such a young face.

``S-sorry...I should not have done that, you always said that I should be a big girl and I...I-I will try to make it right mother please just- oh no...your shirt mother, I ruined it..´´

Her voice seemed to further break down as she spoke, especially at that last detail. Looking down she realized that she was speaking the truth, somewhat…given that the spot where Clervie had smothered her head was drenched with both her shed tears...and mucus.

Yeah….she was not going out of the room with this shirt already.

[Still….to lash out in anger at a child for this? How low can you get Crucabena?]

She thought bitterly, this new found revelation souring her mood. Oh how she would have wanted to have a word or two with the owner of her body.

Too bad such thing was already out of the question.

..

..

Sighing loudly she placed a hand over her daughters head, the gesture making her flinch for an instance, perhaps fearing to be hit…. only for confusion to draw in the next second when she started to pat it.

Fingers playfully stroking those smooth strands of pink hair.

``Clervie...is ok, its just a shirt..´´

``W-what..?´´

``I have many more shirts, why should I care for this one?

She was not lying, if there was one thing this woman had in ample spades after been a bitch was clothing.

``Besides, it was not your fault..´´

Clervie merely stared at her with widen eyes, it was….weird? Well, it didn't matter, as long as she was not fearing for her life or blaming herself for anything it was good in her book.

There will be time when she managed to make a more compelling argument.

``Now, will you tell me? Please...´´

``I was just so relieved to see you ok after what happened two days ago..´´

She tilted her head to the side, her brows creasing with confusion.

``Two days ago? What do you mean? What happened..?´´

``You...don't know..?´´

``Eh...I would not be asking if I did.., wouldn't I..?´´

``That….kinda makes sense..´´

``So..?´´

``You…´´

``I...?´´

``You fell and hit your head mother…´´

The world seemed to freeze in that very moment. Her eyes widening while her breath hitched in her chest like a cold shudder. The gears in her mind becoming stuck on that word..

Fell…

She had...fell?

It was a preposterous thought….

Surely she could not be right.

And yet.

``What...?´´

She croaked weakly, not even registering the fact she had spoken loud enough to be heard. Yet it seemed that it was loud enough for Clervie to take it as her cue to continue.

``You were down the stairs…, your body was bent weirdly and you were...you weren't moving´´ The girls voice started to become hoarse and weaker, her arms trembling as she continued to evoke those memories ``You looked so pale and there was so much blood... ´´

Clervie lowered her gaze then, her small hands starting to clutch at the helm of her dress, her distress growing with each passing second that she remembered of that day still fresh in her memory

``I did not know what to do, you...you were so heavy and-and...Gerard said that you may have accidentally slip off and landed hard on your head in the process. You have been asleep ever since´´

And there was where the explanation ended.

She would have loved to hug the poor girl. To whisper calming words into her ear to ease her worry that ached so terribly at her heart.

That it was all fine.

That everything was going to be fine now that she was here.

But she herself was shocked by the revelation..and the pain that came with it just like an old would aching at the change of the air temperature. Gnawing at her mind with those sharp and seething cuts now that they made themselves known again.

Cutting deep….

So deep.

She clenched her teeth, feeling that iron after taste in her tongue not soon after.

[Gods…, now it makes sense]

The skull breaking agony.

The bandages tightly wrapped around her head now drenched in cold sweat and...something else.

The reason behind Clervies honest surprise to see her up and about...and why she was now inside the body of this woman of all things.

Pieces of a puzzle that had been flying before her eyes since she had awoken, yet only now she had the sight to put them together.

And the end result was not pretty.

Still, it had to be truly horrible for someone as kind as Clervie to find her mother laying on the ground, still, pale, unresponsive….and with a small puddle of blood underneath her head, dripping down the stairs like a crimson rain..

A terrific sight.

A shocking scene.

One that would forever haunt this girls mind for years on end, perhaps never leaving her truly alone if she was unlucky.

Cruel and evil as Crucabena had been, as she would ever be…. Clervie had always cared for her mother.

That was her most kind….and damming trait.

[The thought of losing her must have scared her...]

She almost teared up on the spot, feeling that burning sting at the edges of her eyes, but did her best not to show it.

She felt tired..

She felt angry...

She felt dirty….

She felt…

..

..

..

``Mother? Are you alright...?´´

The words echoed faintly in her ears, almost like an afterthought rather than the sound of a voice right next to her, the ragged sounds of her shallow breaths echoing far louder than that.

Her body felt hot and bothered, her thoughts becoming cumbersome as black spots started to form around the edges of her sight.

``M-mother?´´

There it was again, louder and yet more shakily than ever. She tried, gods she tried...but she could not bear to look at her in the eyes.

For if she did...she did not know if she could keep herself from breaking down.

``I am... just a bit tired.´´

``But you just woke up..´´

``I know...I know. Would you mind... letting your mother some time for herself?´´

``Mom?´´

``Please...just...just do it ok, sweety?´´

She felt Clervies eyes on her for what felt an eternity instead of a few seconds, but finally she took her cue to leave the room. Not fully convinced to leave, but not wishing to bother her anymore.

Which was just in time as when the doors sealed shut and the sound of her footsteps vanished from her hearing did the blackness of unconsciousness claim her again.

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful day outside.

The sun was shining bright over its absolute reign of blue and white on the horizon.., a rarity when it came to the known rainy days of Fontaine.

The flowers were blooming and the birds were singing their praises to the warm and gentle streams of light stroking the soil with its radiant gift.

A fresh, yet soothing breeze blew everywhere she could see, stroking softly everywhere it went, carrying with it the scent of spring and the joys it brought as she could get lost in the scents of lavender and roses.

All of it made better by the comfortable sound of children playing and laughing with one another with joy in their hearts in the background, their voices reaching her ears as she watched from behind the windows of her own office their cheerful and happy faces.

Warm…

Peaceful…

And the whole place filled with cute happy children...

What was not to like..?

She closed her eyes, focusing on the brief joy of having the light of the afternoon brush so gently against her face.

Sometimes it was easy for her to forget in what kind of situation she was in.

The pain in her skull persisted, though this it had lessened quite a bit, all thanks to the use of several pain killers that had been given to her to make things a little more tolerable.

The doses she had been put through would have put down a normal person...however it seemed that fantasy settings made the body of one a lot more sturdier than normal, that or Crucabenas body had been altered somehow to take it like a champ.

Though given that she had a part of her skull cave in and slowly healing away would probably need a good dose anyway. Now it was more like a weak haze..always at the edge of her sight, but never truly going from there to worse.

Which suited her just fine.

A part from that a few things had changed since she awoke from her last moment of unconsciousness.. Three things to be precise…

First, she had found she had a private office.

Shocking right..? Yeah, she still had some trouble believing that...

In fact, when she had first been aware of it she had dreaded what kind of appearance her own office would have. Which….was kind of warranted given the body she was now living in.

Would it be a large and dark area of the House which no one but a soul could enter under the penalty of death, were secrets flew like corpse flies?

Was it a secret attic covered with rows upon rows of intricate books with heathen information of Tevat or more terrific designs of torture and death, ready to be used in the next victim...?

Or perhaps it was down below a dark basement where most of the experiments on the children took place and the blood of the last victims still remained fresh on the walls, the chilling sound of the dead still echoing behind the thick walls..?

..

..

Ok, perhaps the last one was out of a slasher movie...but could you really blame her?

However, against all odds it was kinda of a nice place.

Not too shabby or luxurious or over the top, in fact it was a bit smaller than she had first believed, not even half as long and wide as her own bedroom had been yet not too cramp either which she was glad.

She had lived most of her adult life in a small flat and throwing her into all these massive open rooms was screwing her a little.

Still, looking around she could not deny that it was a pretty place to work in. The place was cozy and warm yet it still held a utilitarian aura to it that still was able to remind you of its purpose.

There were a myriad of windows that allowed for the sun of day or the moonlight to stream through and illuminate the entire area with their light while also allowing her to see the playground and gardens below where the children played or trained at times.

It was a bit rustic and old school, though without suffering in style and cleanliness, giving it a much needed sensation of proper authority like going to a the principals office. Only that it was this time Fantasy edition and super nice looking too to boot.

And it was all hers…

Nice.

Secondly, she had come to know that she had a personal right hand that worked diligently and follow her each and every-whim.

Yeah...that was a thing now.

Which...should have been obvious from the start given that she was now the Knave and the number FUCKING four of the Harbingers and all the yadayada things that came with that.

..

..

..

But…. the man did not seem to be Fatui.

Why..?

What made her think that was the case..?

Well…, she did not have concrete evidence, in fact she may as-well been pulling that out of her arse.. but did the Fatui allow for old men way pass their primes to serve as warriors?

Well, perhaps she was judging him too quickly, Melus of Spina was a fighter in his years, was he not? This could be the same...

Still, he was definitely a little older than the kind gentleman of Poisson was even in canon.

With not a single speck of any other color but white on top of his head or face, a matter that seemed to double down with the black tuxedo he was wearing. His eyes were tired and grayish, almost sinking a little bit on his face…while he walked around with that British grand father aura hanging over his shoulders everywhere he went.

He was defiantly not a fossil.

..

..

But he was getting there.

And...last but not least…. she had come to realize that she a lot of duties to attend to.

Speaking of which...her eyes opened up and reluctantly looked down on the piles and piles of papers and books and other things now stuck one over the other on the desk she was now working on. There were so many that sometimes she had trouble seeing the other end of the room.

It seemed that even if you were a Harbinger and you broke your skull no one seemed to be willing to do your part of the job and let it pile up.

[Urgh, life is not fair...even in another world I am beholden to paper work]

She groaned to herself, a thick cloud of depression hanging over her head at the thought of been chained here having to do all of this on her lonesome instead of doing something more fun...like playing with the children or drawing their cute little faces on a notebook!.

Gosh, it was so unfair.

Outrageous.

Nonsensical.

Could she not make someone else do it? Please? Pretty please? She promised it would be for a good cause. Mostly to let her lazy around, but a good cause nonetheless..

No..?

Anyone..?

Fuck.

Anyway, she was aware that Harbingers had a lot of things to do than just bask skulls, play one liners and scheme behind the corner of the plot...she got that already, ok? It was in the resume of any Bad guy evil organization..

..

..

But was necessary for the House of the Hearth to know what kind of “Theater plays” were going to take place on the Opera House..? What kind of waters Neuvillete seemed fond on drinking during the morning..? Or the exact weight on pounds to the most extreme of accuracies of the cakes Furina loved eating in the afternoon..?

Yeah...she had no idea of what use were those for.

Were the Fatui secretly British..?

Nah, probably not. Though it was not like she would understand either why the Arlecchino from canon thought that a handkerchief would come in handy for her operations in the future...or perhaps Lyney was just pulling the players character then, who knew.

Yeah, that feline that was not a cat was a tricky one.

That prick...

Still, if one blatantly ignored such little things there were some things she had come to learn from this.

Not the importance of her status.

But one never really knows shame when you try to slid down the floor in your chair, forgetting that it doesn't have wheels anymore and you end up falling on the floor with a not very professional yelp as a result.

..

..

Yeah….that happened.

Good thing no one was watching when it did though. The embarrassment alone would have Isekaied her to another world faster than truck-kun could if it could even find her in a world where cars did not exist.

With a sigh she tilted her head to the side, looking past the windows, her eyes regarding the children below once more. Watching them walk and run without a care in the world.

So close…

So close..

And yet so far away.

Small or big, gentle or rougher, shy or enthusiastic...they were all having fun outside on the large inner gardens of the House. Some basking in the shades of the trees, others trying to fish or just splatter water around on the ponds while others were merely chasing after each other playing knights and monsters.

Those youthful looks in their eyes

Those sweet smiles plastered on their faces.

It stirred something in her heart, like remembering something that she had long forgotten. Filling a hole that until now she had never realized had been left behind.

She also caught sight of a certain pair at one of the far edges of the garden.

Short, stark white hair with spots of black over her head, while the other could not be any more different with a long and smooth mane of light pink hair.

The two sitting over a thin makeshift blanket that was trying to emulate some sort of picnic. With one listening patiently while the other spoke and waved her arms around rather comically as if telling some sort of story while holding with her a certain bunny plushy that she knew all too well.

Her lips cracked into a smile.

Peruere and Clervie could not have been any more different...and yet it felt so fitting to see them together.

The moon and the sun.

One shining so bright and the other reflecting said light in her own little ways.

They truly were adorable.

..

..

..

..

..

..

The mirth in her eyes started to darken and the up streak edges of her lips slowly twisted away downwards.

If things followed the canon...then the two of them.

..

..

No.

No, that was not going to happen. She would do her best to keep that dreadful scene away from her mind.

``My lady, is there a problem? Is the pain returning? Do you want me to retrieve the pain killers again?´´

Her attention was once again drawn away from the window and the children below and back again those tedious sheets of paper still laying on her desk. Sighing loudly while she used a hand to rub her forehead.

Oh, what she would have given up to just get out of that chair and play with the two of them.

Alas...it was not to be.

Yet….

``No Gerard, I was merely lost in thought…´´

She mused, more to herself than to anyone else as she went to straight her back in place, flexing her fingers and clenching her hands for a few seconds.

For someone that had to work more often than not in front of a screen back then if was surprising that she found herself tiring of sitting here after barely a few hours.

She would need to bring some cushions if nothing else so that her ass would not feel so uncomfortable against the smooth yet hard texture of the wooden chair.

``Lost...in thought?´´

Was the soft, yet weary query that came from Gerard. His brows almost knitting themselves together in what she assumed was either confusion...or just amusement.

``Yes, about a certain matter..´´

She said, however when she noticed that the man was unable to bring himself to ask the question about what she meant with how divided he appeared to be between been fearfully respectful to wait for her..or pretending he was aware of what she was talking about.

How did she know that? Well, she... didn't? Well, that did not sound right now, did it? Still, for some reason it just felt that she knew that from the start. That it had always been like that for years and years on end..

[Ok, that does not explain much at all, did it…?] No matter, there was no point in focusing on that right now.

``As...are the children still worried about my situation….or where they even informed at all of their “mothers” whereabouts..?´´

``Oh...about that…´´

``Yes..?´´

``They... know enough´´

[Ok, what kind of half baked answer is that...!? I have seen more complexity in a burger from down the street!]

She groaned inwardly, yet put such thoughts away from letting themselves known in the outside.

Leaning forward, the gloved fingers of her right hand started to toy with a coin of Mora that rested over the desk. Her eyes watching the poor mirrored reflection of herself through its golden frame before her eyes lazily glared back at him.

``Oh? And what would that be..?´´

Gerard swallowed hard, carefully readjusting his tie before he placed his arms behind his back.

``They know you fell a little sick and that you have been bed ridden for just a few days and that it is only now that you have gotten better..´´

[So that is the current story going on, eh?] She thought inwardly at what the man had just said, rubbing her chin.

Nothing flashy or weird it appeared to be.

In a sense it was a rather simple and rather benign way to break it down her absence to the children who would have been worried if not confused about where their “loving” mother was.

Still...it left quite the sting to diminish such a heavy head trauma inducing wound to merely getting a little bit “sick”

Children perhaps were gullible….but she doubted they would not be able to put two and two together when the clues started to pile up.

``I suppose it would be detrimental to their peace of mind by properly informing them of what truly transpired.´´

``Indeed…, it is as you say. I made sure that the children would not feel too anxious of worried about it..´´

He answered with a quick, though courteous nod which pleased her nonetheless.

Though it was not much at least, that meant that the she would not have them breaking down her doors and launching themselves at her.

She then started fumbling with the sheets of paper in front of her, her hands pushing and moving some of them away while drawing others closer. She only stopped when she found a certain symbol that she was very much aware after dozens of hours of gaming in Genshin.

A golden cross plastered over the right corner of sheet. One with a circle that resembled an eye in each blade of the cross, the entire thing surrounded by either a circle or a series of claws if one looked at it from a different perspective.

She bit her lip, undecided with what to do with it before picking it up and then placing inside one of the drawers of her desk.

She would need to look into that one later.

Without prying eyes.

``You did well…Gerard´´

``Thank you, madam...´´

``However, I wonder…. are they still asking or requesting to see me?´´

``What?´´

``Is a simple question, is it not? I don't think it was that hard to comprehend..´´

``N-no, that was not what I meant my lady..just confused about the nature of it´´

The nature? Surely a mother is allowed to wonder about her children's present thoughts?

``Yes…she can…?´´

``Then..?´´

``I just thought that there was no need for you to worry about those annoying p-´´

``Gerard..´´

She coldly, yet paradoxically gently shut the man off with a single word.

Immediately, the old servant physically flinched, a bead of sweat starting to slid down his forehead as he set himself to rapidly shake his head left and right, only stopping to draw in a weary and haggard breath.

``Y-yes...madam, they have.. ´´

She didn't like to treat or even act the part of former Knave….but she had no other choice. They would either think her crazy or just cruelly joking around and wait either in fear or fascination when the other shoe would drop if she said she had no memories of her past self after the head injury.

Let alone say she was actually a soul spirited away Isekai mode into this very body through time and space

However, talking shit about the kids was a RED line she would not allow anyone to cross no matter what which made the sight of an old man quivering in his boots a little better for her own peace of mind.

..

..

..

She closed her eyes, sighing inwardly as she felt a migraine coming a mile away.

Still, acting that everything was the same with the only addition of having a frequent spams of skull numbing and crippling pain was bothersome to her….

But right now a necessity.

And so, her lips creased with what she hoped were a gentle smile, opening her eyes only to a half amused lid.

``That's much better, continue..´´

``As much as we may have eased their worries with the announcement of your waking and regained strength ….children are still children, they want their “Mother” to grace them with her presence, to bask in your affection and magnificence..´´

He was not wrong.

And yet she felt herself cringing on the spot at that last remark.

Soured as the mood had become she did her utmost best if only to avoid her face frown frowning way too much as if she had just swallowed raw a lemon or two down her throat.

If there was one thing she knew about Crucabena is that the only affection you would get from her was from the sharp end of a razor wire mixed with acid. Though perhaps the worst part of all was that this guy was even unable to even be convinced of his own words when he said that.

Props for even now trying to kiss her ass with such sweet words and all though...but it made her realize that this man was not one to be trusted for the time being.

It wasn't like he was a bad man, she didn't know him long enough to know that for sure...it was more like that the former Knave had surrounded herself with yes men and other things of the sort to have things rolling in the direction she wanted that made her question his words more often than not.

Which meant that she was surrounded by people of dubious morals at best give or take what the House was meant to do for the Fatui as a whole.

Which was bad.

How bad? Pretty bad…, ok? Don't ask for an exact number of bad because she had no idea nor where she would stat if she even tried to do something like that.

``I am sorry madam, it was not my intention to cause you any additional discomfort…, I should have quelled such silly thoughts from their minds´´

He glared at the man with confusion at first, before realization bleed in.

As terrible as misunderstanding were, gods she was glad he had missed the whole point of what had bothered her. Still, it seemed that she should be careful in making sure her emotions did not showed what she was thinking on that moment.

Gods...she was bad a this wasn't, she?

She shook her head in resignation.

``No point in crying over spilled milk Gerard…´´

``What..?´´

``Just try to remember that for the next time you make a mistake.., leave it be this time.´´

``Yes, madam..´´

``Still, I think we should do just that..´´

``W-what thing?´´

``To show the children that their mother is...fine of course.´´ She said with a smile.

``To show the-….you want to say hello?´´

Her smirk only seemed to grow wider at the dumbfounded look he was sending her way, which only made the man sweat a little more as a result.

``That would good for starters, yes…´´

She admitted, shifting on her seat a little bit. She had not yet come with a good idea of what to do afterwards though, but she will cross that bridge when it came to it.

It wasn't like she could avoid them forever….

``I...but your wound-´´

``Wont surely bother me, I am not a Harbinger just for the looks. I can put on a show if needed..´´

She said calmly before her eyes furrowed a little, her arms crossing and pressing against her chest.

``Besides, I merely fell a little ill, or did I not..?´´

She stated, her eyes seemingly glinting with silent aggression at the mere notion of him trying to state, trying to even DARE say the contrary. That seemed to be the final nail to put whatever confused thoughts he had in his head on hold.

Taking a step back he gave her a weak nod, placing one of his arms behind his back just as he started to bow before her.

``Of course, of course how could I not see that? My apologies for speaking out of place madam...I promise I will do better´´

She could not help but feel a bead of sweat slid behind her head at the scene.

[He really takes his job very seriously….or he is shitting himself]

She really did not know what was better or worse...or if she even could pity the man for it. What she knew was that she wanted to end this conversation, it had gone long enough as it was.

She sighed inwardly, before she allowed herself to smirk just a little wider, showing a little more teeth before clasping her hands together in super evil style like all those movies and cartoons she used to watch.

``You are forgiven...this time´´

[Please buy it. Please buy it. Please buy it. Please buy it. Please buy it. Please buy it...]

``Your are too generous..´´

[Yes! YESSS...! He bought that! I AM SO-]

``But if you want to do that, what should I do then madam..?´´

[FUCK!]

He could not just give her a moment of respite and not ask too many questions, couldn't he? Well, it didn't matter.

``You? For now nothing, however I will make sure you know if something does come out..´´

With the flick of her fingers he stood up, his eyes weary, yet an air of determination started to shift around him.

``I will be ready..´´

``I hope so, now...please be in your way..I have things to do here and I would very much prefer a little moment of privacy´´

``As you command, madam Knave…, I will make sure that not even the gods themselves disturb your work´´

He boasted out loud before he left the premises of the room.

..

..

..

..

..

With a final sigh she leaned down on her chair and brought both of her hands to her face, groaning loudly like a wounded beast.

``Urgh….good lord I thought he was never going to leave´´

º

A/N

....Bonus image...

Chapter Text

Something was wrong.

Something…. had changed.

It was a sensation that had made her jump out of her bed and then roam the room, her small legs carrying her back and forth before she end up looking past the window.

Since the very day Crucabena had disappeared from the sights of the children without warning to this very moment...the world seemed to shift into something else entirely.

At first....it was a sense of wrongness, of unease that poked at her skin like from within and without like an army of small needles. The inner clock of her mind already ringing loud and clear that the patterns had changed, that what little life he had experienced here was no longer the same.

Making her heartbeat spike at each shadow, sleep an illusive and bygone thought at night.

Then...at the wake of the second day it changed, again.

Turning from such dark thoughts into a strange sense of calm and peace, like pulling the covers of a curtain in fear of what laid behind...only to find that there was nothing more but an old and trusty wall like any other day before it.

The heart may still throb fast...but there was now some kind of reassurance to know it was all just your imagination. It wasn't hard to know why...

The presence of their “Mother” in the large halls and corridors of the House seemingly having lifted from her shoulders without warning.

The lack of utter pressure and darkness from what laid behind that mask of “motherly” love and “kindness” surprising her more than she would like to admit. As if the world was not complete without it.

But as the hours passed...such thoughts started to erode as-well.

It was...as if she could finally breath without a hand clutching her throat.

Like she had been standing all this time and had finally been able to sit down.

She didn't know what the opinion of the other children was, or if they had ever taken notice of that thing that lurked beneath the gentle eyes of their “mother”.

But for her….

It felt....nice.

However nothing lasts, good things first of all.

Peruere did not know what it was, or what it could be...only that she felt it hovering in the air. Leaving a murkiness behind, while at times it became clearer and...softer.

That strange unease had returned in her heart, yet one that did not chide in frantic pain or fear like an animal having a premonition of its end...but one that did with...curiosity?

She didn't understand.

She was never curious..period, so why did she feel that way?

It felt wrong.

It was wrong.

And so, a pair of red X eyes could only stare in silence at the way the twilight of the day died out into the night. How the bright, warm colors of the daylight bleed out in the horizon as the cold void and a mantle of stars took their place.

Left...to wonder now that she had nothing else to do.

``Perrie..´´

It felt that everything had changed when Clervie had shared with her the news of what happened to her mother. That tale that was strange and broken into blurry segments that either her friend would not tell her...or could not remember.

``Perrie..?´´

Neither that she would blame her for no matter what, especially with how much it had affected her.

Her inability to do something about that troubling her still.

``Perrie…!´´

Perhaps….that was what happening, that something else had happened to her, to their beloved “Mother”

``Perrie….someone there? Hello..?´´

But was it good….or would it be bad for them? That she did not know….and perhaps that was what was scaring her.

To feel this dread only grow larger and be unable to do anything about it.

``Perrie...!´´

As if been pulled out from the depths of the ocean Peruere was finally able to look away from the endless horizon that could be spotted from the window, switching her attention to her most immediate world as she pushed herself away from the window and the world that laid outside of it.

Her eyes finding if not down right stumbling with Clervies almost immediately, who much to her surprise looked back at her with what could only be a small frown, her arms out of view, crossed behind her back.

``Yes….?´´

``Perrie, did you hear what I said..?´´

She blinked, once then twice. ``You were calling my name..?´´

Clervie smiled, a bright thing as always yet one that was strained this time, one eye twitching.

``Yes, I was calling your name….but did you hear what she was saying..?´´

She said, now pointing to her side with one thumb at something else…. Her eyes slowly following the direction they pointed at until they stopped over the other person in the room that she had completely forgotten about.

A blond girl with two twin tails of hair softly hanging from the sides of her head and over her shoulders, just as young as them and clearly even more annoyed with the way she was tapping the floor with her shoe repeatedly.

``Oh….her´´

``...´´

``So..?´´

``...´´

``You didn't notice her, did you Perrie..´´

The question was laced with a hint of amusement on Clervies lips, eyes shining with playfulness though underneath the mirth there was a sense of worry behind the layers.

``No...´´

She admitted softly, making the blond girl shake her head in defeat before raising her hands to her head with a loud sigh.

``Urgh, I don't know why I even try. She probably wasn't even paying attention when I entered and said hello, what is this? The fourth time it happens?...´´

[Six time] She thought with a bit of apprehension at the own admission, however she did not say it out loud. It would not make things any better anyway.

``Sorry..´´

The girl took a step forward, and then another and another, stopping just when she was standing a meter away from her. Eyeing her with both a bit of annoyance before it turned into worry.

``Just...just tell me why, you zoned out on the spot. You are not sick, right?´´

``No I….was lost in thought´´

``On what?´´

``I...don't know´´

``You... don't know?´´

Luckily for her, she was saved from further interrogation by a pink haired menace who decided to jump herself between the two, extending her arms and wrapping them on each of their backs, slowly pushing them closer to one another.

Not a hug...but close enough.

``Then it may not have been that important.., don't you think Sarah? The sky at night is rather pretty, perhaps that was what caught her attention´´

Sarah merely looked at the two before she pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh

``Clervie that was clearly not what was happening..´´

``But what if it was?´´

``Clerv…, how many times I must tell you- in fact-...fine, fine, lest forget about that and focus on what I was saying before, ok?´´

That sounded like a good idea.

``What is going on?´´ She decided to ask, drawing their attention towards her.

``Big brother Zashiel came by our dorm room and told me that we are been called to the dining room..´´

``What..?´´

``The dining room..? Why? Dinner is not ready yet, no? Oh, could this be a surprise party? Is there going to be cake..!?´´

Started to mutter non stop the pink haired girl, tilting her head from left to rights as she did like a small pet would when presented with a treat. Peruere almost wanted to roll her eyes at the fact that the first thought her friend had was about food.

Sarah however gave a short shrug in return.

``I don't know, it may be...or it may not be...however I believe it may have to do with Mother…´´

It was then that she felt it again.

The way the world became a little more colder a little at that as an uncomfortable silence filled the room.

The dread and wrongness in the air that had been lingering at the corners of the room somehow growing thicker and heavier on the spot, and this time she was not the only one as Clervies expression fell as-well.

Flashes of that night that she came crying passing by her glittering eyes before she open her lips to speak albeit weakly.

``D-did something happen?´´

``I don't know..´´

``You.. don't know?´´

The blond girl shook her head, rubbing the back of her head. A momentary pause as her confident expression seemed to falter as-well.

``Well I mean... should it? I..look, I have just been told barely anything about it..´´

Clervie seemed to deflate and perk up at that the same time.

``Eh, I...well, that's a... no then?´´

``Perhaps? I mean it could be-...why are you fidgeting your fingers Clervie..?

``I-I, well... tehee…? ´´

``Eh..?´´

Watching the exchange she too would have the same expression of confusion if she had not come to know Clervies antics by now.

``Nothing at all I was just curious and I started thinking some things. Nothing too serious or depressing´´

``That's oddly specific..., and you Peruere?´´

She merely gave a weak shrug, she would rather kept her thoughts to herself for now.

``Oh, ok...anyway he told me and I thought I should tell you if he did not came here already. Don't be late, ok..?´´

And with that said, Sarah left the room, waving all the while before leaving the two of them alone with their thoughts and doubts.

And without Sarah around….the mask of genuine happiness and joy in Clervies eyes dimmed down.

Its light faltering...but not breaking.

Yet.

..

..

..

..

``Are you ok?´´

The question was left hanging in the air, but whether it was answered or not it was unnecessary.

She already knew.

``I-yes…..thanks Perrie.´´

Mumbled Clervie with a thin smile, her eyes closing in a little bit as she tried to rebound back to her happy self, trying to dissuade her worries.

Just like those nights she came back late full of bruises

She didn't like that

She took one step forward, then another...only realizing she was doing so when she found herself placing a hand over the girls shoulder, blacken fingertips brushing softly against the silky of her dress.

The gesture drawing the girls attention to her, emotional and conflicted green eyes meeting cold yet apologetic pair of red x

``You don't have to go if you don't want to…´´

``What.?´´

``If you want…...I can stay here..´´

``...´´

``With you...´´

It wasn't much.

Not at all, but it was all she could think she could do at this precise moment.

Looking at those green eyes of hers she had expected another refusal to come up, another attempt to play tough or something just like she tended to do when something bothered her and she had either the will of mind or strength to pretend otherwise

However what she was not expecting for was to find herself trapped in a hug, her body pressed tightly against the other girl when the lithe arms of her friend wrapped behind her back like a bear trap.

``Clerv-!´´

``Oh Perrie.., what I would do without you...´´

She tried to speak, or even maneuver around her grip but it was far easier said than done while having someone hanging from you. She felt her face heat up as she tried her best to not fall down the floor thanks to their combine weight.

She was too close.

Way too close for her liking.

However, whether she took notice of it or not or just divine providence, the pink haired girl freed her from her tight grasp a moment later. A guilty smirk plastered on her face.

``Sorry...I could not help it´´

``Please...don't do that again..´´

``No promises are made, Perrie..´´

Of course she would say that…...however it would not have been like her to do otherwise.

``Still, I am sure its nothing and I am just worrying about nothing, perhaps its just a secret party don't you think? Mother must want to bring everyone's spirits up..´´

She highly doubted that, but kept herself from speaking such thoughts.

``Are you sure you don't want to stay..?´´

Clervies smile faltered a little bit at her question, but just for a second..

``Of course! I am sure it will be something fun, you will see.., you and I and a lot of cakes!´´

A part of her wished she had the same bubbling cheerful energy her friend seemed to always had in ample spades, it would have made things a lot more easier for her when she found herself been led by the hand out of the room by a very enthusiastic Clervie and into the depths of the House.

Hearing her joke and mumble thing over and over again about cakes and parties, of how much fun they were gonna get.

She was a fool….

Still…..as rare as it was, a part of her, deep inside wished that Clervie was somehow right for once in her overly sweet hopes and dreams of a simple life. That maybe.., just maybe she was just overthinking things.

..

..

But life had already taught her to be wary of such thoughts.

ºº

``Go, set those tables on that spot that I already mentioned, and the chairs….don't forget about the chairs or you think that the children are supposed to sit on thin air..?´´

``Yes madam!´´

The back and forth sound of orders and furniture been moved through the efforts of a few individuals was all that could be heard within the premises of a rather ample and beautiful room. Where teenagers and boys and girls that had barely reached adulthood a year or two ago aided with the helping hands of some maids placed and prepared the room.

It was a rather peculiar if not down right unusual sight to see the utter dedication of those working and making sure the location was as prim and ready for whatever it would need to happen there.

Be it for slaughter or joy, they were doing their new given tasks with dutiful determination. Rapid, quick where the sound of their footsteps and yet not at all uncoordinated as one would have come to expect from such a sudden request.

Showing that they had done this many times before.

Though perhaps most of the shock of it was the fact that it was her who was behind all this ruckus of activity. She...and her idea to make a surprise party for the children.

To be honest it was a foolish thing she had come up on the spot, one that she should have known better on paper given that there was no actual need for her to do it as...the Knave.

However, watching them work so diligently even for something as trivial as this made her feel some sort of pride and some kind of reassurance to her choice.

Speaking of which..

Her body lunged forward just in the nick of time as the portable wooden stair one of her helpers, a girl from Inazuma who could not be older than her late teens was using buckled under her own weight and then swung away from its axis.

She would have hurt herself had not a pair of gloved fingers closed tightly around the hips of the young woman, before promptly lowering her down bridal style. It was surprising the fact that she held the girl like she was a toothpick even when though her arms were rather thin.

Looking down she could barely see the face of the girl given the way she was covering it with her hands, her face pale and redden at the same times.

[Oh you poor little thing, you must have been scared of falling...]

``Oh archons, oh archons I am so sorr-´´

``Are you ok...?´´

She asked, however her words went unheard given how the girl continued to mumble to herself again and again.

She did not want to sound rude or anything….but wasn't she been a little bit over-dramatic? Sighing.. she merely readjusted her grip so that she was not holding her with too much strength.

``Its fine, I got you..see?´´

This time she did seem to hear her words...but her only response was a look of perplexity behind the cracks of her fingers. Did she hit her head or something? No, right? Well at least she had stopped flinching under her grasp.

``Nothing...´´

She said with a shrug, freeing her from her grasp. After that she tilted her head up, eyes widening slightly when they noticed something

`` Oh, you were trying to reach that weren't you?´´

She said out loud, not really waiting whether she would gave her a response or not, merely tip toeing and graving the edge of a golden hook, easily dragging upwards on the right spot the rest of the drape where the girl had tried to hooked.

A nocturnal breeze just blowing right there and then through the open window and brushing with its cool air against her face, the first glimmers of moonlight starting to stream out from the clouds in the sky.

``There, far better don't you think..´´

“M-madam Knave...there was no need for you to bother yourself with m-with that..”

She turned around, crossing her arms against her chest while she stared at the girl with a raised eyebrow.

[First you fall? Then tremble like a newborn and now you nag? Please girl pick a line and stick to it...!]

``Why not? You were not reaching so I decided to help...´´

``B-but madam..´´

She closed her eyes, shaking her head softly while she started raising a placating hand between them.

``Nah, nah, nah...don't be like that, it was not a bother, now help the others ok?´´

``...´´

``Eh...are you ok?´´

``R-right away madam Knave!´´

Sputtered the girl, bowing up and down at light speed yet before she had the chance to say anything else she sprinted away from her to help the others.

She could not help but giggle a little at that, though this time she placed a hand over her lips to avoid been so obvious..

[Ah, look at them go with such enthusiasm, they really must be really eager to see this go through the right way..]

She thought, humming herself with approval. It was a nice thing to see.

She did not stood idle after though.

Soon, she walked towards the kitchen, her eyes roaming the room she had come to get acquainted not that long ago, her footsteps barely audible under the constant sound of meals been prepared and the scent of foods coming out from still working stoves and ovens.

It wasn't long before she end up piling up several plates on top of each other from several drawers, counting them in her mind before bringing them towards one of the already set tables, placing each and every empty dish over the soft and lithe table cloth.

She apologized on the way out to the chefs still working inside, not noticing the not-so-subtle glares she received in the process from the bunch, not did she when she started putting the things over the table one after the other.

Though to be honest….this was her first time doing something like this. Not her fault her previous flat did not allow visitors when it was so god damn small!

``M-Madam? Please allow us to put plates ourselves, surely this is... beneath you..´´

Came the voice of one of the “agents” of the House who had hurried himself towards her as if he had a rocket stuck on his ass. She could only offer an apologetic smile at him in return.

As much as she would have loved to lazy around...this body had too much energy as it was and she was starting to feel bad for just doing nothing but gawk at them going ham on their tasks.

``Oh please, you are busy as you already are...and I am already getting bored of just looking´´

``What..?´´

``Just a tic for tat..´´

``What..?´´

She bit her lip, rubbing the back of her head as she turned it around a little if only for them not to notice the flustered expression crawling on her face at been reminded that perhaps most of the slang's in her head did not exist here.

``Please be a darling and bring me those flowers ok...? Not the blue ones...´´

``Eh..I….r-right away!´´

And just like that the boy said almost disappearing in a puff of smoke….a little more and it would have been literally pulled out of a cartoon.

She had to fight down a giggle. It was a bit funny to see them all so work up for her idea to make the children happier today, but surely they were overdoing it a bit.

Case in point when she found three different bases of flowers almost shoved at her face by several people at the same time.

[Talk about been over achieving..]

She thought with a bead of sweat crawling behind her head. Still, that meant that she would not have to worry about been lazy later on.

``Oh, thank you...I had ask for one though..´´

Panic flared in the servants eyes as they looked at each other

``Though this works too, these roses would surely work best here..´´

She muttered as she picked the objects with the same gentleness one picks a bag of a supermarket and placed them at the center and sides of the table. Smirking to herself as she watched the set up already taking its intended shape while everyone else hushed whispers to one another.

Not like she would notice anyway...she was too busy wondering if the children would like the effort put into it.

Would it be to classy?

Refined?

Or perhaps it was way too simple for their liking after living for a while on the “House”..

..

..

[Urgh, I don't have a fucking clue of what child soldiers like or don't…]

Still...the entire ordeal was a far more entertaining that her failed attempt at been a pro at cooking.

º

º

º….A few hours ago...º

º

º

[Why!? Why is it burning...!?]

Was the predominant thought in her mind as she sprinted from one corner of the kitchens towards the where a once innocent looking frying pan was now a combustible menace.

How on earth simple oil managed to burst in flames in less than ten minutes of frying? And who knew someone in high heels could move so fast? Somehow she managed to do both nonetheless.

Too bad she could not sit there to wonder how.

Dodging buckets of bubbling goo that had been an attempt at making soup, tables and drawers filled with cutlery she end up lunging forward, sliding through an empty table at the end of her sprint like a cat just in order to reach it and end up pulling the thing out from the main source of heat as if it was a hot potato and it was about to blow up.

And almost end up burning her face and eyelids in the process when the damn thing flared up again towards her thanks to the sudden move and the new influx of air reaching it.

It still hurt like a bitch the heat slap on her face hit her or not though.

``Shit.., why is this happening to me!?´´

She immediately pulled it away, placing a lid over it to stop the fire from spreading, yet before she took another breath the oven clicked loudly, its gears chiming at finishing its job reached her skull while the scent of baked goods reached her nostrils like a brick.

``Oh thank god, the cookies are here..´´

She muttered in relief, clasping her hands together before she approached the thing, bending down to open it...only to find that the thing refused to bulge even a little.

She a second and even a third time..but it was no use.

``Oh you have to be kidding me..´´

Was it stuck? Now of all times..!?

Shaking her head, she clenched her jaw.., placing both hands over the handle and even placing one of her feet against the thing in what was not a very lady like manner before she tried to pull it again.

Hard.

Her back arching just as much as her head would allow while veins started to pop up in her forehead...until she found herself falling on her back, a headache on her head, a few angels floating around above her and a broken lever on her hand that seemed to laugh at her.

..

..

``Fuck my life...´´

º

º

º….Back to the present….º

º

º

The attempt to do something to help the cooks had been born out of good intentions and just sheer curiosity of what food actually look like in this world….but yeah, thank god and the almighty that nightmare is over.

However, as much relief could be found in that... it still had left a sour taste in her mouth the experience.

[Gods, have I become a lamer version of the Raiden Shogun…?]

The sound of footsteps approaching her gave pause to any further depressive thoughts of failed culinary skills down the line from her mind. With a sigh, turning on her heels she was met with everyone else looking at her, politely waiting for her attention as they bowed.

She was not yet used to….that

``Yes..?´´

``Madam Knave, we have finished..´´

..

[Wait! Already....!?]

The thought coursed inside her head like cold water splashing on her back. That could not be, even if they worked as a group that was way too fast! She looked around, waiting to see if they were just messing with her.

Only for her to be met with the tables set, the chairs were prepared, the decorations were propped just as if she was standing on an hotel.

[They really work fast, don't they?]

It was a rather freaky thought, anyway...it wasn't like it was a problem. Faking a cough in order to present a more composed front she regarded the group of expectant eyes glaring at her way.

``It is done then...I take´´

``Yes, we have prepared the room based under your instructions...is there something else you wish for?´´

Well, not really….like not right now yes?

Still...

``When are the children coming in?´´

``At ten o'clock madam Knave...just like you instructed the event to be carried out´´

Oh, right….

She had told them to do that.

Shaking her head inwardly she looked down at her wrist, wanting to check on the hour just in case….only to find that she was not wearing her cheap wristwatch that she had bought down the street several years ago from a vagrant.

There was only her wrist length gloves.

``..´´

``..´´

``And that is..´´

``About... now?´´

..

..

..

..

``Eh….?

She almost jumped to the ceiling when the doors leading to the room burst open when a literal wave of children stormed their way inside screaming for her.

Chapter Text

There were three things that one should ever fear and tread carefully if one had any regard for their own safety life if they were to ever be at the other end of said horrors.

The tax collector surprise knocking at your door when they caught wind of your… “freedoms” of not paying your debts.

The sharp sound of your mothers voice calling you sternly by stating your full name from the distance while she was pulling up her slippers ready for throwing.

And lastly but not least the sight of a living wave of children sprinting at you in some sort of unholy stampede of small limbs and heads approaching rapidly.

Terror number three seemed to be right on the menu for today, however.., unlike any other situation where common sense would call one to remove themselves from the clear path of collision at hand, this time she was not given such luxury.

Either be it because in the few moments that remained before they reached her did her legs choose a rather inconvenient moment to forget they could move….or because it would look rather weird for everyone else to see their “Mother” duck for cover like a World war II movie character.

To be honest, she did not know which one was worse...or funnier.

And so with half a prayer on her lips and a curse in her heart for whatever god was kindly listening by she clenched her jaw with a weak and wavering smile as they crashed on her.

Hard.

Like holy shit those little gremlins could do some damage if she was not some sort of named character right now as she felt her heels literally scratch the floor underneath as they tried to keep her steady if just barely from tumbling down.

“Mother! Mother! How are you...!?”

"Where have you been, Mother…..?"

“Mother! Are you feeling better....? Do you still feel sick?”

“Buah! Mother…..! Please don't scare us like that…, I thought we would never see you again”

She could barely breath, the air driven out from her lungs first with the tide smashing into her, and now surrounding her from every angle.

She tried to smile,...but she could only flinch with the ever back and forth of bodies pushing against her. A bead of sweat started to slid down her forehead, prickling her nose as it slid down as she tried to wiggle in futility against her fate.

[Please, stop…..don't turn me...into a sandwich…]

She groaned inwardly with a pained whimper at the way they tried to wrap their arms around her and squeeze as hard as they could.

Forget Peruere pulling the power of friendship card in the duel, she was gonna die right here and now by overly emotional children!

One by one, or all at the same time...a myriad of voices and cries echoed loudly within the room like a tempest thrown into a tea cup before then picking the damn thing and throwing it against the closest wall.

Yeah, perhaps not the best way to phrase it...but right now it would do!

It was hot and cold, rapid and cumbersome, all mixing in a blurry mess of arms, faces and cries from boys and girls of different ages and sizes went by uninterrupted as they tried to reach for her, tugging at her clothing with their little hands and fingers.

Holding her as if she would vanish in a puff of smoke

Clinging to her with the happiness found after a long path in darkness.

Smiling and crying for her….as the only thing they had ever known as a Mother returned to them once more.

It was…

It was a bittersweet scene.

Whether or not it was real, she would not lie that there was some strange sense of warmth to be the center of all of this affection, to know that all of these children were looking up to her, worried for the mother that from day to another had disappeared from their sights and they had been pushed aside from even letting them see her or heard of her.

They loved her..

They loved their mother.

But they loved a lie…

She unconsciously bit her lip, the pain flaring rapidly from the touch of her teeth against the soft flesh. Not enough to draw yet blood, but just the necessary amount to distract her of the way that line of thought made her stomach churn.

And so, after taking a moment to take a breath and pushing away any cartoonist thoughts from half a hundred anime's with this kinda of scene trope she rose her hands in a placating manner

..

..

And then utterly failed to contained her more simple chibi self as she then allow her arms to fall gently over their heads. Gloved fingers caressing and stroking with great care, playing with their hair.

Why? Why not..!?

..

What? That is not good enough of an answer? Ok, fine….it was a solid strategy to calm them down two at a time, not because she wondered and had some sort of motherly feeling been prop up on the spot ok?

..

Ah~, they were so warm, and the look in their faces….! No one had told her that children could act like a bunch of cats purring at the first show of affection.

No wonder they were so easily brainwashed into flesh puppets to throw and disc-

[No…]

[No…]

[Nop...]

[I am not going that way…., think of happy thoughts, yeah…..happy thoughts] She admonished herself from her annoying pendant instinct of letting those intrusive thoughts taint her fun with their cynicism.

Her eyes trailed around her the room, taking in the color of their eyes, the look and shape of their faces. Feeling how new and yet so familiar they felt to her, how uncanny and scary was to feel this ethereal certainty of knowing each and every little secret they held with the thought in her mind that this was the first time she ever met them in the first place.

The wrongness of it.

The warmth that there was.

The disparity of sensations, gripping her so tightly that it almost felt…...physical?

..

..

..

Nah, it was surely just her that was in the clouds. Her friends had always said she had a rich imagination and it was not like her current whereabouts were doing her any favors.

Yeah..that was...surely it. Nothing wrong with her at all, just her head doing too many double takes for her liking see? HAHAHAHA…!

The weight on her chest started to alleviate just a moment after, lifting its heavy burden from her as a broad and cheerful smile started to warp on her lips as she doted on the children. One not born of childish joy at been subjected to wave of cute chibi characters brought to life, but of relief…

A detail that was not left unnoticed by a certain watchful pair of eyes.

Her train of thought came to a stop when she got a brief glimpse of something at the corner of her sight and the prickling feeling of been watched. Not from the children already asking her to play with them or the servants who dutifully stood away to let her handle the tide of children, but something else.

Slowly, tilting her head in that direction, her eyes widened slightly when they found two more individuals that had entered the room with the rest, yet they had to approach like the others had.

And not because they were shy or anything…., well, perhaps one of them was.

Two children of white and pink, dimmed bleeding red and bright cheerful green…, black and elegant simple white, the warm sun and the cold moon that faithfully followed it.

She had to swallow a breath, her heart starting to pound a little harder.

Yes, she had watched her from a far through the safety of the windows of her office….but this was the first time less than a few scant meters stood between her….and the future master of the House.

Clad in that plain black shirt and shorts that showed those slim and little legs of hers that were so painfully white. The shadows below her eyes spoke of restless nights adding to what should have been an expression filled with wonder with a painful haunting look that she knew would never fade away. A stark contrast with the somehow beaming and smiling blur that was Clervie to her side.

It was an amusing sight that almost made the mood swing back to its festive nature, the girl clearly wanting to either comfort or emulate after her fellow friends on their show of affection to their mother only making the target of her attention her white haired companion.

As if she would be sad to be left out…

Clervie really was one of a kind.

Still, the fact that they had not truly approached her like the rest and instead were standing there...as if barred by an invisible wall between her and them should have been painful knowing or at least thinking on the reason behind it…

The callous lies covered with a soft voice…

The unreasonable and cruel beatings…

Or the darkness behind a heart so shredded in evil for so long until she was left with it just a few days ago.

..

..

Yeah, she would not have blame them for it, hell..she would have been weird out if they hadn't. That moment when Clervie had hugged her and cried in her room out of sheer relief probably been just the worry and fear of a gentle soul of losing the only blood relative they had washing away in sheer relief.

Now that such a thing was clearly not the case….then perhaps the fear of the darkness that they knew existed on her had come back.

That….bothered her.

However, the fact that they had entered holding hands and that they still seemingly held them, fingers softly intertwined with each others had completely washed away those thoughts just as fast as they came.

I mean, how could she not..!? That was so CUTE..!

Rainbows started to morph above her head as delusions of fluffy thoughts rampaged unopposed, stroking away the unease from her weary heart. Ah, it was nice to be alive. If she survived until the Traveler arrived in Fontaine she would make sure to copy a page of a certain feathery adeptus and embarrass Peruere like any good mother should in-front of guests.

That managed to break a laugh from her.

Oh yes… it would be a perilous trip, but one that she would do nonetheless if she could get to see the future stern woman blushing out of embarrassment.

Unbeknownst to her a strange and sudden shudder ran over said small white haired girls back.

[Well...enough of day dreaming., I have children to take care]

And so..

“Mother? What made you laugh..?”

“Well you see...I was thinking of a certain thing that I wanted to d-”

“Mother why are you wearing a bandage on your head?”

“Well...something did happen when I was-”

“Mother, did you fight a terrible monster?”

“If you could consider a monster a set of s-”

“Mother lo-”

“Children, please……..one at a time” She huffed with a shred of exasperation in her voice, a small twitch in her eye at the incessant chorus of voices.

[For gods sake, there is no way to start a conversation here is there?]

“But mom-”

“No buts my dears….”

She cut them off, her voice still tempered with a genuine softness...though one that she had to sharpen a little to make the point land as she slowly knelt to their size, not really wanting for them to tilt their heads up anymore if she could help it..

“I am so glad that you are all in high spirits...but if you all speak at the same time your poor mothers ears are gonna blow..”

“B-blow..!?”

They all gasped, eyes open wide and mouths left hanging in some sort of abject horror at the prospect of it coming reality in the following seconds.

One should not really found it funny, but they really were too easy to mess with….so sweet and gullible.

Still it was a good way to keep her hearing from going deaf through this menagerie. That she managed to keep her spine in the right place from their tight grip was just a bonus.

A surprise to be sure, but a welcomed one at that.

With an inward sigh she went to stand up a little bit, but a pang of pain went by, running through her skull. She bit her lip, a bit annoyed at the moment the wound decided to flare up to remind her of its existence.

“Mother, are you feeling ill? You look...a bit pale..?”

Spoke a short blond girl with a rather recognizable orange clip on her head, her name was Sarah and- wait...what? How did she k-you know what? Right now is not the moment to ponder on that.

Looking around she could notice that gone was the vibrant or cheerful sound of the children around her, their eyes looking at her with a palpable sense of worry like when a father buys them an ice cream but instead of answering why they did it they can not help themselves become lost gazing at the horizon.

[Shit, was it so noticeable?]

She wanted to take a brief look at Clervie and Peruere, but chose at the end not to.

“Me? N-no, not at all….just a bit caught on the enthusiasm of my brave little lions”

Honestly? It was not her best attempt with how her voice did crack a little at the end...

“Are you sure...?”

[Yikes, thanks for the vote of confidence…] She thought with apprehension, the words feeling like a stake ran through her heart. Nonetheless, she soldiered on with what she had in hand.

A brittle smile...

“I would not be here if I wasn't, right…”

It was not much, in fact it was down right cheap but that use of logic seemed enough to placate their present curiosity as they nodded and giggle with one another. In their minds the answer clear as day, if you were sick then you were bed ridden if you were not then you would be on and about. Simple as that.

She really would have to thank Gerard from pushing out that white lie later. Sighing inwardly, she rubbed the back of her head.

[One mess averted, a million more to go….]

Though looking over her shoulder at the special pair she knew that they….may not have fully bought that excuse. Good news were that they were finally approaching and merging with the rest of the group.

“Mother..?”

She tilted her head to her right, looking at a young boy of brown hair and eyes, dressed with a simple white shirt and a plain, sleeveless vest that matched his hair.

“Yes, Tomy..?”

“If you are fine now, then...that means you will continue reading tales to us..?”

“Of course, why would I stop?”

A wave of enthusiasm started to roll down at the news, it was as if she had never broke the back of her head in the first place.

“But enough of me, what have you lot been doing in my absence? Surely you did not acted naughty, right?”

She said amiably yet with a tone of playfulness, hoping to change the subject with something else. Placing both of her hands over her hips while leaning down just enough for her back to bend a little bit forward.

“No, mother…”

“Well, that's is good to know-...”

“Michael tried to set a cat on fire...”

..

..

..

[He tried to do...what?]

She had to blink several times as the nature of the sentence became harder to process in her mind. All while chaos started to brew once more into the room.

“What? NO! I was not doing that Sarah. How could you say something like that?”

“Yes you were..I saw you. Lying is an ugly thing”

“I was not, I was merely trying to make a fire-cat”

“A-are you listening to yourself.!? That is not the way to do that..”

“Says you...”

“She is right, that is not the way to do things..”

“Oh, quiet you Gary...”

[Oh, thank you...a responsible and right minded b-]

“Everyone knows you have to drown them first..”

[I regret my words...]

“Mother! Look at the necklace of bug heads I made from the garden”

The sight of a collar of different butchered looking bugs pierced and woven together by a series of threads where their heads should have been was almost shoved at her face.

It took her a moment to realize that...thing was the necklace he was talking about. Not some silly thing of paper made bugs drown with crayons...but actual fracking living bugs as if emulating after the second coming of Frankenstein!

She almost threw up.

The burning sting of the bile rising through her throat, yet unable to spill out as the muscles of her neck tried to clog the entire thing down, making the experience all the more bittern and unconformable.

“That….looks like.. it took a lot of... work”

“Yeah, but I never tire in hunting them down and ripping their heads one by one ehehehe.., the way their bodies squish, squish, squish when I get my hands on them.”

“R-right...I am.. happy for you?”

She muttered weakly, not really sure of what she was supposed to say to….that.

Still, if it made him happy, then who she was to judge him? The only thing she hoped was that he did not tried to upgrade his tendencies with other living beings in the future.

Then they would have a problem.

“Thanks Mother, wanna wear it? I made it for you..”

If someone had dropped a pin she would surely be able to locate it on an instant.

[Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT! You have to be kidding me, those things are still moving..!? Crucabena what kind of children were you grooming...!?]

“P-perhaps another day, is that fine with you sweety?”

“Ah, oh….ok”

[Please, don't look at with those eyes when you have committed war-crimes…., please not the puppies eyes]

She muttered inwardly with dread.

Steeling herself from the pained look in the cute little psychopath face she took a few steps back towards a particular spot of the room. It was easier said than done knowing the amount of eyes stuck on her back, but she did it anyway.

“Now…..I know that you have been worried, that you have been talking with one another wanting to know what may or may not have happened…...but you need to fret no longer for your mother is back.”

She took a moment to take a deep breath, hands clenching, fingers flexing before turning around, a practiced smile back on her face and an exquisite plate containing a large example of bakery of this world on her hands.

“But if words are not enough, I brought gifts to earn forgiveness. So……....who wants to eat some cake~?”

A loud chorus of voices and raised hands was her unanimous answer as the entire room came alive on the spot at such a joyful occasion.

Even a certain pair of red x looked at her with a spark of confusion instead of that dreadful apathy in which the girl shielded herself in while in the mind of a certain someone who was at the epicenter of this new found chaotic mess a different yet so similar line of thought was going through their head as they watched the event unfold.

Unable to keep down a gentle and true smile from breaking through her lips

Yeah, she could make this work...

º

º

She had been right.

Clervie….had been right.

It was a statement that Peruere still had some problem to understand let alone come to terms of how it had come to be in the first place.

But it had happened nonetheless.

Somehow, against all odds and what her guts had been telling her since the announcement had been made public….that bubbly cheerful girl had been spot on in her deduction.

Which was what had prompted her to look down at the large piece of cake that rested on a plate before her with a dumbfounded expression.

Its creamy and delightful form bathed in black and white, a slim yet perceptible red streak coursing through its interior separating the sweetest spots from the rest as if trying to emulate after her own appearance.

She could only look at it with a frown as if by doing so it would reveal it was something else than just a normal cake.

It made no sense, good things didn't happen for no reason. It was an unwritten rule.

It was how things worked.

The dread that had been bothering her these last few days and this strange summon to this room with the other children at this hour with no previous warning….even though the pink haired girl had tried her best to convince her otherwise, she had expected the worst anyway.

The moment the doors gave in as the rest entered the point of no return as her heart started to beat faster.

Either their “mother” had perished between the window of time that her friend had seen and spoken with her…..which would have totally devastated Clervie. Or they were meant to be punished for some reason or another.

A morbid thought… but one that had a modicum of truth, and with her luck she was sure of which one was going to become a reality.

..

..

Instead….., they got a party..?

She rose her gaze from her half eaten plate, trying to ignore the sweetness of the chocolate or the soft coolness of the cream towards the people around her, red weary eyes trailing on those she was sharing this moment with.

Children were laughing and talking with each other, some who had already finished their plates were playing or running on the floor, heedless of the words of the caretakers around them, there was even some sort of music been played by a disk at the far corner of the room as if they needed more to make the mood more festive than it already was.

Had someone told her this was what she was gonna get herself into….she would have thought that to be just another lie. One to placate their worries...but just another lie.

She had been wrong, but why..?

She switched her attention back to her plate, small slender hands closing in around the spoon she was holding. A part of her wanting to just carve another piece of it, the other warning against it.

Why had she been wrong..? Why was she when she still sensed the strangeness in the air, slowly prickling at her chest..?

Surely she was not imagining things…, right?

With a loud sigh her eyes soon found out the source of all of this on the right side of the room. The elegant woman sitting on a chair in order to allow Clervie to sit over her lap while the woman did the girls hair.

The two seemingly talking and laughing about something they had just shared between one another that she could not manage to hear. The way their lips curled into bright smiles instead of the shaky pretense of trying to play mother and daughter...tugging at something inside her.

Peruere bit her lip as she promptly stabbed the cake and brought another piece to her mouth as if the sweet taste of the sugary treat could distract her mind from these thoughts.

Their “mother”….

She felt………... different.

It was hard to say what exactly it was…., the others may not have noticed in their idolization, but it was palpable to her.

The platitudes and sweet words had always been at the disposal of their mother when she spoke to them in any way or form, smiling and offering some words of encouragement here and there to the children when they asked for it...loving the way they all fell in line a the smallest show of appreciation.

But those moments of warmth had been hollow things.

Crooked.

Tainted.

Like a mask that was nice to look at…, but fake nonetheless if you dared to look further into it.

And so, when she had been drag so unceremoniously here by Clervie in her enthusiasm and her desire to prove her that she was fine she had expected to see it happen again.

But not this time.

The pain flaring behind the depths of her eyes from the wound at the back of her head when she tried to fully stand up, the look of shock at the nature of the children's creepy and chaotic subjects of conversation, the relief, the gentleness of her demeanor, the playfulness of her voice….

It had been all real.

She had felt real.

There had been no lies, no deceit, no pretense...instead their mother had been honest, nervous and...even worried?

Worried of them..?

Of her..?

No, that could not be. It was a senseless notion…., but she had noticed the way her eyes had gazed at her, meeting briefly yet still long enough to feel her suspicions become vindicated yet all the more puzzled when the answer stared right back at her yet needed no words to make itself heard.

Why had there been sadness on her “mothers” eyes..?

º

º

It had been a rather strange few days for Gerard.

From the usual scrip of things as things continued like they had for decades with honest work and dedication to maintain the Hearth, to a down right spiral of chaos when his master became a victim of circumstance and sheer bad luck

Had he known that the annoying little shit that continued to pester around with her attempts of escaping would eventually led to such an unfortunate accident he would have killed her right then and there.

Picking her up, doing anything humanly possible to keep the master alive and cleaning the scene so that others would not find any clue of why she was so suddenly “indisposed”

After more than fifty years of service one would think that he was ready for this, but the amount of grief and stress he had gone through were not good for his heart.

The only thing staying his hand right then and there when he found the Knave bleeding down on those stairs while that brat cried nonstop like the idiot that she would always be was if Madam Crucabena would want to do the deed herself.

That….had been what he had expected to happen when she woke up. But now..

He stopped on his wandering, taking a moment to pull off his glasses and clean them with a some pocket handkerchief. Watching the frown on his old face through the reflection.

Now he did not know what to expect.

Head injuries were no laughing matter and this one was the worst he had seem that did not carry with it instant deadly consequences. However...perhaps the master wanted merely to placate the worries of the children which otherwise would only continue to grow if she continue to kept her distance.

He could not help but find a little of mirth on that line of thought.

Yes...that was probably it, a simple return to the status quo and the only thing she needed to do was show her face for a brief moment. Crucabena had always been efficient when it came to her work, and this was no different.

Then…..she had asked something of him.

And though the request had been a rather surprising at that in the context of the situation, it was one that he was more than willing to see it done with the utmost haste and competence he could muster.

A servants existence was to serve, there was no need to question anything that was requested of them.

Which was the reason why he was now strolling through the now mostly empty streets of Fontaine as the twilight had completely receded and the skies were now claimed by the arrival of the night instead of remaining by the madams side.

The guards patrolled the streets and their mechanical pets followed dutifully behind by the stirring though of cogs and pistons. The shops were either closed or finishing with their last customers of the day,

Some people were wandering as-well, some mingling their own business while others seemed to be far more content to enjoy the coolness of the gentle breeze blowing through the street as they either gazed at the starry sky for a moment before returning home.

Just another quiet and simple day in Fontaine.

Now, there was only one problem though.

..

..

What on the archons name was a god damn camera and where was he supposed to find one...!?

º

A/N

...Bonus image...

Chapter Text

"Perhaps, in time you will find what you are looking for. However, when the time comes...you will have to come to terms with the answer you found for yourself..."

That...was what Crucabena had said to her at the party. The words she had confided to Peruere as the simple celebration reached its cenit and everyone was starting to either clean up or leave.

All because she had still felt troubled by it all….

And "mother" had noticed.

The older woman approaching her and sitting to her side in the comically small chairs, bringing with in her gentle smile and that strange kind demeanor as she decided to kept her company while respecting her space….. instead of just barging away like she had expected her to, leaving her even more confused as she just remained silent...

Not in a bad way…, but awkward.

Like…

Like Crucabena did not know how to find her voice or the right words.

Peruere could only frown at the memory, a sigh leaving through lips as her eyes started to wander away from the book she was reading.

She could predict their "mother" before the incident, butshe couldn't understand Crucabenas new approach after it.

It felt….as if she was a different person, but that could not be because people didn't change….

At least, that was what she told herself.

And what did their mother meant by that..?Why did she said she was looking for something….? And more importantly, why would she need to come to terms with it if she ever found it..?

What….what had the woman seem through her?

It felt as if she had told her something important...but she had missed the point somewhere in between her needless worry and distrust of the changes on the House.

Still….whatever it was, she would survive.

She was sure of it.

"Perrie….?"

A rather known voice broke her out of her thoughts.

Silently, she tilted her head to her left. Spotting at the other end of the room a peculiar mane of pink-redish hair leaning forward, yet unable to hide those glinting eyes of her friend or that thin line that was her lips turning into a broad and relieved smile.

It did not took the girl long to made her way towards her, swinging her head softly from left to rights, allowing the current of air to blow past her mane and keep it afloat for a few brief moments.

And by the looks of it if her eyes did not deceive her….Clervie's small arms were also holding something behind her particularly big, but not small either.…

Her eyes squinted at that last detail...however her postured relaxed a few seconds later.

"Yes…Clervie?"

"Do you know where mother is..?"

She stopped... pondering in silence at the sudden question for moment...not because it was strange coming from the pink haired girl, but rather how serious she sounded behind the bubbly childish mood her friend brought with her.

It reminded her when Clervie had it her mission to make her laugh instead of remaining eternally silent to her antics. However, unlike that case she could not give her what she wanted as she end up shaking her head much to her friends visual disappointment.

"No…..why?"

She muttered at last, finally closing the book and focusing her attention to her friend. Stepping down from the ledge of the window from where her feet had been dangling from.

A puzzled look started to appear on the pink haired girls features, a hand scratching the back of her head as she digested her response.

"Hmm...I thought she said she went for a stroll...but I haven't see her in the courtyard…, how strange.."

Sometimes Peruere wondered if her friend could be any more dense...

"Perhaps she meant...outside the House"

"What? So soon? But what of her wound..!?

The image of her "mothers" pained and tired eyes and the bandage that was now wrapped around her head came to mind….however she did not posses the same sentimental drivelike her friend did as her face remained as impassive as before.

It wasn't that she didn't care….

It was...just her nature.

Clervie was perhaps just exaggerating the severity of what she witnessed that night….and even if the fall was as severed as she said, if Crucabena wanted to act tough in-front of the children either for her own pride or their own sake…..then there was nothing they could do about it.

It was a conclusion she had reached a while ago….and for some reason one that did not surprise her.

She tilted her head towards her friend. Clervie worrying about it would change nothing, would make nothing better. It was all nothing but a waste of effort and words…..

But she did not have the heart to say that.

In the end, with a heavy sigh she weakly shrug her shoulders.

"I..don't know.."

A frown appeared on her friends lips, the disappointment bleeding on her eyes as she cast her gaze down at the floor.

"Hm...I hope she is ok, I...I was pretty scared back then.."

Peruere rose an eyebrow.. "You wanted to see her...?"

"I-I well…..I. wanted to show her what I had been working on, I promised her that as soon as I finished I would bring her my drawings..."

Two red x's blinked this time, and though she did not show it she was rather confused at what insanity she had just heard.

"Perrie? Is...something wrong...?"

"Didn't she... ban you from doing that?"

"What!? No, she did not..! Where did you got that idea..?"

"I meant...giving her the drawings. Not making them..."

"Ah...that.."

..

"So...?"

"Well, that's the thing...mother said I could do it again. In fact she gave me an empty notebook from her desk so that I could draw with them and show what I came up with later.., pretty cool don't you think?"

Clervie said, beaming at her as she pulled the object that she had been keeping hiding behind her back. And... just as she had said before, in Clervies hands there was a peculiarly large notebook.

["Mother"….gave her that?]

She did not understand.

Why?

Why she would do that? She had been in the room when their mother had in sweet yet very certain words denied Clervies desires to gift Crucabena anything related to drawings.

Saying that as much as she loved them she was either too busy or that she had no space for them in her office...instead of just stating that she just loathed the idea of even considering putting those things on the wall.

And now she changed her mind? Why..?

It wasn't like she was against Clervie having a little more light in her life even if it was in the form of some boring drawings….but why do that? Why would Crucabena do any of that..?

She had to know.

"What drawing were you going to show her..?" She prompted out loud, surprising herself and her friend alike.

"Oh? You are interested Perrie? Its one from the party..."

Clervie then opened the notebook to show her a large picture colored with crayons that depicted…..rather roughly a scene that she assumed was the party.

..

No, by the looks of it Clervie had not gotten any better at drawings, which meant that it had nothing to do with "mothers" sudden change of heart..

Still….everyone was having fun….., everyone was smiling. Even their "mother". The woman's body no longer encased in dark and shadowy colors like Clervie used to depict her, but warm and bright ones at that this time.

The three of them standing together….

Like a family.

..

..

But did any of them knew what a family really was...?

"Is that….was that which you were so busy with before...?"

"Yeah, I had so much fun that I wanted to make a portray of it so that we could always look at it and remember that day with a bright smile..."

Peruere merely looked away, her eyes closed. tired. This talk about drawings and what ifs or reasons had led to Crucabena changing her mind about them was starting to bother her.

Should she had ask her mother what she meant back there?

"Perrie...are you sad..?"

She refused to meet her gaze.

"Did something happen…?"

She heard her ask, dropping the notebook on the floor and approach her before she wrapped her arms around her shoulders and gave her a small hug.

What use would it be to tell her when she would not understand..?

It was better if she kept it to her-

"Cake...? I brought some..."

..

..

..

..

The ghost of a smile started to appear on Peruere's lips

"Clervie.."

"Yes...?"

"You should not eat sweets every day..."

She really did not need to look up to catch on the horrified expression that appeared soon after in Clervies face.

"Wah!? Don't be like mother too...cakes are sweet and yummy, how could they be bad?"

Strange was it not...for her to agree on something with their mother.

º

º-….City of Fontaine….-º

Several miles from the House of the Hearth

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"Gods…., this place really is big…..."

Was the only thing she could hear herself mutter either in clear show of awe or fascination through her lips as her eyes were unable to sit still, wandering from side to side at the incessant stream of noises and things to glare and fawn over, almost as if fearful she would not catch them all.

Though... who could blame her?

She was literally finding herself finally walking with her own two feet on the very sacred ground a certain blond Traveler from who knows what corner of the universe came from would drop by in a rather close by future if things went according to canon

So...yeah, she may as-well be a child taking her first step in the toy store. The fact that she was not either freaking out or fan-girlling on the spot and blowing out her cover as the "true" Crucabena was on itself a spectacular miracle.

Still…..sometimes she felt like drowning.

Shaking her head inwardly, she took a moment to take a deep breath. A hand clutching just above her heart where she could feel it throb underneath the clothat an uncharacteristic fast pace.

Closing her eyelids as she took in the warmth of the sun beaming above in the skies and the gentle breeze of the morning reaching mid day blowing against her frame and toying with what loose strands of hair it could find, carrying with it that humid palette of salt from the seas surrounding the nation of Hydro.

For most onlookers she would look like a gentle and beautiful lady taking a brief moment to enjoy of peace before returning to her job. However, if they had been able to take a look in her mind they would have managed to get a better grasp of what was going on in her head.

It was then that her lips became a little more strained than normal.

[Oh Fontaine… why the fuck did you have to be so fucking big…..?] She thought with an inward grimace.

Oh, she knew already that it was unrealistic to expect a gacha game to develop an entire city worth of buildings and streets unless they were trying to see how much they could add to the platform meant originally for a phone until it blew up like those guys modding TNT boxes and exploding them at the same time just to see whether the graphic card survived or not.

However she had not been prepared at the sheer expanse of the city itself.

Why had she ever thought otherwise eluded what she was sure is that she should be feeling cramps in her legs by the hours of walking without end she had already gone through and the thought that she wasn't felt weird in so many levels.

Like Crucabenas body looked like a super model, one that was really really hot since she had managed to get a good look at it as the days went by on the House…. but one which barely possessed an ounce of hard muscle on it.

[I am smooth and slim like a peacock...so why am I able to bench weights like it is nothing..?]

It was by now a recurrent thought in her mind.

In fact, even now she was trying to get around the sheer weirdness that came from he irony of her body having no apparent muscle yet having super strength or shit like that. Because, well….if you thought about it that way., what did it that mean for characters who had a trained body mass? Like Childe…. or Arlecchino?

Did it matter at all..?

Or were they even more powerful than those plump and squishy like her..?

She held her chin with one hand, the ghost of a scowl warping on her lips. It was something worth considering, young Peruere did seem able to sent Crucabena flying just by sheer raw strength alone though...

She softly opened her eyes, those beautiful orbs glinting with a peculiar interest at that particular line of thought. True... it had never been revealed "in game" perse.., given that it was subjected to a more anime cartoonish style.

But..

Just maaaybe….

If those mature, strangely skilled body shaped artist pictures of fictional game characters online were anything to go by..., then her "daughter" in a few years would surely grow to be a super duper ultra-..

She hit the back of her head with her hand just as her pale features started to heat up with fluster.

[Stop, stop it..., bad Crucabena, bad girl, BADGIRL. Adopted or not, that is your literal daughter you are thinking about, don't you have shame!?] She hastily admonished at herself.

I mean, she understood where those were coming from….butfuture sexy dommy mommy goth girl or not, there were lines that should not be crossed.

She was now her mother for fucks sake!

With loud sigh in resignation at both her her unchecked imagination and those countless hours of unfiltered internet search she decided to focus her attention on something...more productive.

Which was why a few seconds later she started moving towards a flower post on the street.

Walking past the stream of people going on their daily businesses while angling the soft shaded parasol a little upwards in order to not accidentally slam it against a poor sap as she walked by.

Why a flower shop..? No particular reason to be just thought it would keep her focus on the present rather than in…. "fantasies"

Looking at it, she could not help feel a vintage feeling coming from it, a small thing of pots filled with either dirt or plants that would have been unremarked...and right next to the lot was a middle aged man dressed like one would expect of a plant vendor.

..

..

Only difference beenthe way his bald head shined brighter than a bowling ball.

Her eyes closed to a half lid at the sheer clarity. [Is…, is the light reflecting on it or its emanating its own light?] She mused strangely weird-out at the sudden ounce of fascination that she felt on that very moment about that..

"Madam, is there something I could do for you?"

The sweet and well mannered words of the man shook her out of her stupor.

[I...I was not caught staring right?]

"Oh, well...I-" She tried to speak, yet halted soon after, feeling her cheeks heat up once more of embarrassment before she managed toraise a hand to her lips as she went to try fake a cough."I wanted to take a look a the flowers…, they were so pretty from afar that I could not help but notice"

"Ah, you are too nice madam...but of course, of course….please take a look at my precious. I assure that you that you will be delighted by them..."

He boasted out loud, a smile from ear to ear stuck on his face as he said that before he started walking from left to rights as he started to gesture at the myriad of pots in full display.

A rather enthusiastic fellow, wasn't he?

"I have samples from all over Tevat. Fontaine, Liyuei, Mondstat and even Natlan….you ask I and may have it in my repertoire. From the Inazumian Dendrobiuns, Glazes Lilies... to the Rainbow Roses of our homeland.."

The mans passionate words resonated loud and clear, managing to even draw the attention of some passerby's in the process. Sadly... she really didn't know even half of the names uttered,

However….. there was a particular one that caught her attention.

A Lumidouce Bell.

"Oh? Did these caught your attention, madam..?"

She almost had to take a double step back when she realize the man had just cut the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

"Its... a rather pretty flower.."

He tilted his head to the side, yet before she said anything took a step back.

"Hmm...they surely are, though I guess that most people would think otherwise.."

"Well, I am not most people.."

That made him smile. "Well said my radiant sun that shines in my humble abode."

"What..?"

"Oh no, oh dear...did I failed to present myself? How could this be? Was I so focused on your blinding radiance that I could not remember to even present myself properly?"

A sweat of confusion started to slid down her forehead. Was this guy flirting with her….or he just liked to hear himself talk..?

"Then, without further delay let it be known the tremendous and significantcharacter of this enlightened individual standing tall on this beautiful an auspicious day we find ourselves having"

"Why does it sound you are quoting from a book or someth-"

She tried to say only for her words to be cut short when the man extended his arms to the sides on the spot, before he started to theatrically move from one side to the other.

"Voila! In view a humble vaudevillian shopkeeper, vicariously standing both as victim and master of fate"

He boasted out loud moving to her right, having pulled a blanket from the stand and using it like a... capelet?

"This visage of pride and vanity brought out of love and dedication from the will of the common man in a land of gods, dragging a long a permanent vexation standing vivified to vanquish these venal and virulent that pollutes our beautiful world.

He then twirled to the left, a hand at the back of his head as if stroking a mane of hair that….wasn't really there.

"A man that has vowed to bring vicious, voracious vindication through to those unaware of the beauty of their roles and the fun that comes with it like the palette of colors brought forth through the vibrant warm hues of a rainbow.."

With a final bow he stood up clasping his hands together in what would have been assumed a prayer like posture, a rose in his hands when before there had been none.

She had not see him even made a move towards the pots at all.

"And with that said, let me finally add that its my very good honor to meet you and that you shall call me Nicole Reyn…."

..

..

..

..

..

..

"Are you...like some crazy person..?" Was the first thing that came out of her lips.

He merely shrugged, almost chuckling at her reaction.

"I suppose that some people would say that..."

What the hell!? That wasn't reassuring at all…!

"Ah, I see..." [Yeah, this guy is TOTALLY insane...why did I thought it was prudent to approach him first of all things?]

It appeared that her maniac detector was rather rusty and in need of an upgrade because she REALLY wasn't looking forward to more meetings like this.

"Now, what would the nameof the beauty standing before me?"

"Well if you insist.."

"I do…"

There was something eerily wrong with the way he spoke those two words, something that felt a lot more twisted with the way his lips still kept on smiling. And yet...what would be the worst that could happen?

It wasn't like she was known among the populace of Fontaine nor lived in the city as it is.

"My name is Crucabena, though my friends call me Ena..."

She said with a practiced smile, offering her hand in a handshake..only to regret it when he caught it and kissed the back of her hand.

"Oh, such a fitting name for such a mysterious enchantress that draws the poignant allure of blood with that touch of innocence.."

"Wait..what!?"

"Ah, how lucky I am to cross paths with such a peculiar individual such as yourself…indeed a beautiful flower. I wonder how you will wilt as the threads move ever closer.

"Wait, hold on-"

"Now, with that out of the wayI am glad to see that there are people out there who appreciate them even though they are more prune to wilt than other species…"

She batted her eyelashes at the man. This guy was not a II Dottore clone right..? Right..!?

"Oh, ah...thanks I guess? Could I get a bouquet of them? Of the Lumidouce bells I mean..."

"Of course my lady.., just give me a moment"

She barely registered his words, watching him go back to retrieve a scissor or something from a box underneath a box to his side-.

"Extra! Extra! The Steam Bird newest addition to Fontaines daily summer season..! Spina Di Rosula starts building a new Aquabus route to Poisson! Here are President Callas words about it!"

Came the voice of a young man from across the street, speaking loud and clear through the crowd while waving a thick sheet of paper. Had that been everything she would have ignored him, but…

Callas?

Spina Di Rosula….?

The name of Navias beloved father may have been used a scant amount of times overall...but she still remembered the importance of said man in the future.

She made her decision. Without a second thought or care for the world she made her way towards the newspapers vendor. Almost shoving someone away in the process.

"Boy, a copy please.."

"Of course madam, here...it would be four mora."

"Take five and keep the change.."

"I-thats very generous of you..may the archons praise you.."

She merely waved back at him before opening the sheets of paper in front of her. It was her first time buying a newspaper in years...but it wasn't like she had a WiFi connection to search for information of what was going on around her anymore.

The main page was covered by the photo of a well respected and dazzling looking man given the eye-patch he wore. Her eyes then started avidly reading a what laid just underneath.

..

..

"So….it has started, interesting.."

The construction of the Line was something that would do a lot of good for both Poisson and the main Fontaine. That also meant that Romeouf and his faction had already formed and departed from the Spina in bad terms.

She would need to be wary of them, however they were nota direct threat to her if canon had anything to say about it.

However, they were small fray in the over all of the story. What mattered now was that it said that Callas was going to make a public appearance in a two week's time at the Palais Mermonia.

Meeting him was a must, perhaps... she could even strike a deal with him.

An improbable result...but one that worth tryi-

"Madam, your flowers…"

The voice of a certain bald man and the promptly shoved flowers in her line of vision made her blink more than twice as she cocked her head to meet the man.

"Oh thank you, that was rather quick-...eh?"

".."

".."

"Is there something wrong miss...?"

"I-no, well yes…?"

"Oh? What could it be..?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose before pointing at the very bouquet that had been offered to her in the first place.

"I was just wondering if it was not much trouble asking why you picked roses and tulips when I asked for the Lumidouce bell.."

She said, her eyes switching then from the still grinning man to the clearly wrong choice of flowers The red bright hues of the petals almost as if drenched with fresh blood that seemed to glow under the daylight, their thorns waiting to prick and draw the scarlet tide flowing underneath her skin.

It almost felt like a bad omen.

Had she made a mistake..?

"Oh my lady, there is no need to play coy with me, I know the truth.."

She took an involuntary step back, her breath hitching at her throat as her face lost all color. The wrongness of his mans presence clutching ever so tighly at her...

"W-What are you...sir, I don't understand"

"Oh dear, there is no need to be shy~…."

She clenched her jaw, the prickling touch of fear giving way to bitter annoyance.

"No, I am really not.."

The man did not seem to register her words, in fact, he seemed happier by them.

"When I saw that fluster in your gentle face and the fidgeting in your hands as you approached my shop I knew without a shroud of doubt that you wanted something for your special other.. "

….

….

She surely had to misheard him.

There was no way he had just said that.

"My special... what now?"

"Oh, it had to be fate that led you to my humble shop just like many other couples have before. The fact that you chose a Lumidouce as your firs pick merely a humble attempt o not be so direct with your feelings…."

"No, no, no, no...this is a misunderstanding-"

"Don't worry madam.., even if its not much I will support you in your desire to lead your lover into the next step of your adventure.."

He said with a wide grin, his teeth seemingly glinting like those anime characters she watched back home, especially when he gave her the old fashioned thumbs up pose while the other shoved the bouquet on her hands.

A comically large bead of sweat slid behind her head at the nonsensical theatrics as she was only able to give the man a weak nod in response at the level enthusiasm that was been shoved at her way.

What was she supposed to say to that anyway..?

Shaking her head inwardly and fighting the urge to groan the more than obvious attempts of the man to advice her on her supposedly love live she paid him what it was owned and left as rapidly as she could.

The further away the better...just..to make it sure.

It was only after she reached the Font of Lucile that she stopped. Panting and her chest heaving rapidly…...though perhaps it was all in her imagination.

"Gods…, he really was a stubborn fool. Like urgh, of all the people in Fontaine did it had to be me the one he made such a colossal misunderstanding...?"

She mused only to herself, ignoring the curious glances of the people wandering around. Like, where did he got that silly notion that I was on and about to buy something for a relationship?

Well….at least that problem was over now.

Looking down at the not obviously extremely expensive watch in wrist she at least she had some time to kill before-

"Madam..! I finally found you..."

He….came...back.?

With a sigh her eyes wearily closed to a half lid as she cocked her head to the source of that noise, findinga certain old well dressed man who was approaching through the main entrance of the Font towards her.

The two had come to Fontaine a while ago from the state where the House was located at.

It was not what she had planned, but the man refusing to let her alone until she fully healed was something that may have to do with the way things derailed into this.

However she had not seem him for a while after she managed to give him the slip

Until now that is...

[Once more to act like a villain in disguise….urgh] She thought with an inward grimace just as Gerard reached her.

"My lady, I have returned..."

Her lips twisted into a playful scowl just as she brushed her hair from her shoulder, sending a not so kind glare at the old timer. It was easier than expected, thinking of a certain shopkeeper worked wonders on making her look mad.

"Oh Gerard...fancy seen you here. I was wondering where you were.."

Gerard immediately straightened up. "My apologies, madam. I tried to do it as fast as I could but I did not thought it would take this long.."

"Well..Fontaine is a big place, so its to be expected that it would take you more time to explore the area than a little hamlet in the wilds.."

"True.."

She took a step forward, jabbing a finger onto the gentleman's chest. Her eyes never leaving his.

"Still, if you are here I take that you were successful.."

"C-correct..."

She had sent him in a goose chase to pick up gifts and toys in the name of bolstering the resources of the House of the Hearth. Someone else would have called her out on her bullshit or at least questioned how any of that would increase the productivity of the House.

But by the looks of the bags the man was carrying with him around, it had been a down right success.

[So this is how politicians feel, eh? Cant say I don't like it…]

Next time she should sent him to buy crayons and paper so that she could make some custom fairy tale books for the children. That tale the old Crucabena was so fond of about killing your own brothers and sisters in glorious arena combat was something that…..irked her a little.

With that pleasant thought in mind she pulled back her hand from his chest and let it land on her hip.

"Ok, good.."

"Good?"

She bit her lip. Shit, she had let that slip without thinking…

A frown darkened her features. "Were you looking for more praise? Are my words not alone enough for you anymore Gerard..?"

"N-no! Oh archons, no….I just-"

"Then the matter is settled."

She cut him off, leaving no room for rebuttals nor she expected him to try with the mortified look plastered on his face. She should have felt bad...but Gods, she loved she could just shut anyone like this. Super bitch move, yes, but oh well….if she had to play the part the who was she to deny it..?

With her part said she made turned around and made her way to leave the font….only to realize that Gerard was not following.

"Gerard..?"

"I..my apologies madam Knave, but there is something I must comment…"

Her eyes closed to a half lid.

"Something you say…?"

"Yes.."

"Oh...I see, and its important enough to warrant it some modicum of attention?"

"Indeed, it is about the institute…"

She tilted her head to the side, a little bit puzzled. What was he on about?

"The institute? What of it...?"

"Its about the news I brought you the other night… "

What? What was he talking about? The other night? As far as she remembered there had been nothing about any of th-

Her eyes widened when the realization struck like a pack of bricks. [Oh shit, the camera! I had already forgotten about that stuff…]

A dumb mistake, but given that her mind was still entangled with all the freaky nonsense that bald man had spurred out loud and her enthusiasm to finally see the city the real reason she had come here had...just fly over her head.

While she had a party with the children Gerard had gone all night wandering the city searching for something that could probably not be in development yet if she was wrong with the timeline.

And yet he had not just succeeded before the sun was up, but also managed to get a half asleep engineer to accept to have aflash meeting with a stranger

Scary.

"I take that it is time?"

"I am afraid it is…, however we could postpone the meeting for later if you so wish. I doubt a mere engineer would raise much of a ruckus to someone as esteemed such as yourself, madam…"

He wasn't wrong…, but delaying it would serve no purpose. Besides, she wanted a camera to make cute photos of the children and by extension Peruere.

And she would have it.

She shook her head. "No, I would rather get this done now rather than later. Lead me to him…"

"Your wish is my command, he waits at the Institute..."

Chapter Text

“Grandiose place the New Institute... is it not? However I cant say in good conscience that it fully matches the aesthetics of the Palais Mermonia..”

Were the eloquent sweet words of her servant towards the very building they were now walking within, the interior of the building in question felt ancient yet rather nice to look at the same time though, which was more than she had thought she would given the imaginary idea in her mind of the place from in-game graphics.

Ample grand halls filled with booths showing samples of the work of previous engineers long time deceased, large corridors heavily decorated with all sorts of details and different artistic designs made it feel as if she was walking deeper into a museum, while with the soft, yet incessant whisper of gears and pistons echoing from all over the entire structure gave it the idea that one was actually inside a huge clock.

Perhaps she was…

It would probably meet the insanity required of the flair of this world when taking into consideration the fact that they mixed the courts with a theater for dramas sake.

Ha...drama.

See the pun there..?

“You may be right, however one should take into consideration what purpose they were given before judging them on by the aesthetics..”

She muttered, lazily batting her eyes at Gerard as she tried to pick up an imaginary speck of durst from them if only to try appear as cool and reserved as she “.should.” be, earning a small nod in response.

“A rather pragmatic approach if there was one my lady..and one no less true for it.”

“Perhaps…., though that is my opinion and nothing more” She said with a weak shrug, brushing away the loose strands of her hair from getting on the way of her sight “Also...is it always so empty?”

She asked, cocking her head left and right about the utter lack of human presence in the entire thing.

True, they had come across one or two souls here and there, like the Officers back at the main door leading to the premises or some or two workers unloading or packing boxes from and into the carriages that were stationed in an open and empty hall that looked more like a repair shop than anything else

There was...people.

But where was everyone else..? Where did they go? Bingo..?

Ha! Another referen-...ok, she would need to stop. This was getting out of hand. If worst came to be she would be telling dad jokes in a few weeks time.

The meta jokes would destroy this world. Though mostly at the thought of Celestia coming down to crack the earth at how cringe they would be than anything else.

Luckily for her, Gerard was too busy been himself to even notice anything out of the ordinary from her as he shook her head.

“No, it usually is not. It seems we were lucky this time around... “

[Lucky..? This time..? I have the feeling I am not aware of some much needed context my good sir...] She thought to herself.

“Oh, I see….then we better hope nothing blows up while we are here..”

“Don't worry madam Knave, as insane and reckless the people working behind these halls tend to be…they have proven more often than not to be at least serious enough to place safeguards for their own safety. Nothing will blow up”

She rubbed her chin in deep thought at that. “Because of hard line regulations issued by the court of Fontaine to keep a safe and healthy work area...?” She inquired.

“More like…. a late by product brought with the economic necessity to avoid repeating previous accidents. Messier Neuvillete can be rather ruthless when it comes to fine madmen into oblivion..”

She stared at Gerard with a dumbfounded look in her eyes. That wasn't really encouraging. Like...at all.

At least the mental image of the Lord of Justice of Fontaine tired of the shit the scientist came up each and every time was strangely funny.

The expression in her face must have been rather telling if her butler started wailing his arms left and right in a panic frenzy.

“D-do not worry my lady, the seal doors leading to the experiment sites are rather robust. If something does end up blowing, we will be rather safe even if the entire building were to be shaken by the blast..”

She looked at him, then the floor before she decided to sigh loudly and tiredly. A finger pointed at the ceiling above them.

“The huge cubes in the air from the previous Institute we saw before arriving speak otherwise..”

“I...well that’s….point taken my lady”

Mumbled the old man, trying to come up with a response before giving up on the spot, his cheeks reddening with fluster and embarrassment that he tried to hide with a low bow.

The Fontaine Research Institute was a research center dedicated to the studying and developing of machines and energy for the entire nation of Hydro.

Going from the simple models of clockwork mechanism to the most convoluted of machines and kinetic cores,many of its inventions end up benefiting the greater populace of Fontaine one way or another, a stark contrast with the methods carried away by the fellow scientific nation of Sumeru and the ever knowledge hoarders that were the members of the Akademiya.

Perhaps the reason behind been mostly the fact that they were not there to educate the ignorant masses or exert any sort of control over it. Like, who thought that having only egg heads carrying the basket was a good idea?

True...if you ignored the floating cubes in the air hundreds of feet above the city landscape made out of elemental energy and rubble from what were once buildings, a product of a scientific experiment gone wrong….. then yes, the Fontaine style was far FAR better.

After all, sometimes you had to break some eggs to make an omelet. Yeah, no.., that wasn't a french pun.…

Or was it?

A few seconds later she found out she could not help but chuckle a little at her own joke.

“Madam...?”

Once more Gerard reminded her that she was not precisely basking in the pleasantries of her own company in order for her to goof around as much as she could, but instead forced to be the big bad girl he knew her to be.

Her lips pursed downwards at that, but not enough to darken the mood.

Taking a deep inward breath she shook her head, waving a placating hand to her left just like she had practiced.

“No, nothing at all….merely a thought coming to mind..”

Not very explanatory on itself, but it wasn't like she could just tell him what the joke was about anyway.No answer came back though, not verbally at least though…

However the listless eyes of the old man told that felt apprehensive for some reason.

Why? She did not know. Perhaps it had to do with the way he had been looking at each at every shadow, nook and cranny around them as they made their way into the building.

What had gotten his feathers so ruffled up she did not know…, but if he was not going to elaborate either then it probably wasn't something important anyway. Maybe he was just shy…? Yeah, probably not…. but one could dream right?

Little did she know that the worry of her servant was very much well warranted...

As they made their way inside her eyes found a floating orb encased in metal and gold, energy flickering at times with luminous sparks of elemental energy from a series of organized and color schemed tubes from the containment glass that held the otherwise volatile energy flowing inside the metallic contraction.

A simple thing for the people of Fontaine….but she could not help but marvel at it.

Perhaps it was similar to those electrode balls in science museums where people would get a snap from touching it….however the way the lights flowed and changed its shades as time went by was….oddly beautiful. Soothing her heart for some reason...like the tide waves of the sea...instead of just electricity just running amok inside a glass ball.

She had not realized that she had stopped walking...or that she had approach the thing in question.

Something that was not left unnoticed.

“Ah yes….the first Empyriam ocluss machine, its been a while since I last saw it.”

The words broke her out of her awe as she slowly tilted her head to the side. Finding Gerard not glaring at her, but having his chin raise up as he too watched the strange light-show in-front of them.

“You know this machine..?”

She could not help herself but ask, still a bit too curious about the entire thing…..and much to her surprise, the man did not question her odd decision either as he took a step forward towards it.

“All too well I am afraid...´´ He muttered, pulling down his monocle and cleaning it with a hand-chief before placing it back in its place ``Not a practical or useful tool for any sort of production or labor other than show off its ability to contain the very elemental energies flowing all over Tevat in a small yet pure form..”

“Oh, I see...”

..

..

..

[Oh I see?]

[Just Oh I see...!?]

[For goods sake girl, would it kill you t say something far more elaborated than that...!?]

Unbeknownst to her internal monologue the old man continued on rambling.

“It was rumored to be said that the when it was made people thought that its success was a product of magic...hah, could you believe that?”

She put a hand on her hip, finding the strength to pull her eyes from the glowing ball of light and back to Gerard.

“Well…, it is said that science and magic can be mistaken by one another when people no know better. Still..I do doubt that the gods had anything to do with it..”

Gerard chuckled curtly.“All too true, my lady. Gods are fickle creatures who don't meddle with those they consider lower than them...not unless they wish their end”

A bead of sweat slid behind her head. [Well, that is...oddly specific and depressing..]

“Though as useless as this thing is….I can not help but admit that I am fond of this ball of rusty bolts,

Her curiosity peaked at that, making hertilt her head to the side..

“Oh? Arather peculiar choice of words to describe affection wouldn't you say?” She said, a small smile warping around her lips, perhaps almost teasingly.

Gerard merely shook his head, though the motion this time was more guarded, more….refined as the previous dread that had possessed him bled away into some sort of solemnity.

His weary eyesstill focused on the glowing orb.

“Not affection perse my lady.....more like a misguided sense of pride..” He mused out.

That rose an eyebrow from her. Gerard merely nodded to himself, as if speaking to a memory in his head before he continued to speak regardless of her lack of vocal response.

“What is there to not feel proud of whenit represents that man kind can mimic the world around them with nothing but ingenuity, determination and with a bunch of scraps ….no need for vision holders or magic to do any of that when simple men can do better..”

[Wow, I never thought I would hear something as close as scientific pragmatic atheism in a fantasy world populated by gods…….color me surprised]

She thought. Not in a bad way though, much to the contrary, it was...quite refreshing.

Though...should she tell him that for now the only humans in Fontaine were those who were not of Fontaine given a certain and already corporeally dead goddess that would be offed twenty years later from now on? Which... by proxy meant that until a certain dragon handsome man flicked the lights nothing made in Fontaine was done by “humans”?

Wait.....she was from Fontaine. Did that mean she was not human..!? That she would dissolve and spent her days down an old rusty sewer in a communal relationship with spiritual communist..?

Urgh, her head hurt just by thinking of it…her feeble dented skull not capable of contemplating such existential question.

“Madam?”

“Nothing, just….just my head ringing bells..”

She muttered softly, wiping a stray of sweat from her forehead. Her eyes blinked for a moment unfocused, when had her skin turned so cold? It almost felt...dampened?

That was not good. Had the dose wear off already..?

She grimaced. It seemed that goofing around was gonna cost her dearly, again.

“If you are feeling unwell we can postpone this, no need to put your health in unnecessary risk..”

That….that sounded like a good idea, she did not understand why her body was starting to feel heavy and a good nap would do her we-she bit her lip, palming her face with both her hands.

No! For gods sake, right now it was not time to feel sick..! A camera and cute girls were waiting for her!

Ok.., that sounded quite wrong but you get the point..!

Without a word she stormed away from his side towards what appeared to be a reception isle in a smaller hall. It was empty, but she did not care as her attention was focused on the small reception bell left untenanted over the counter.

Which her right hand slammed right down once she was close enough to do so.

Once

Twice...

Thrice..

To be honest after the first few attempts she lost count of how many times she pressed the damn thing. The metallic chime lost in her mind as she just kept pressing like a Chinese lucky cat swinging its arm up and down.

And well…, soon enough someone did came by.

However,when her eyes first gazed up to take a measure of the man in question that had answered the call.The first thought that came to mind was….

[Wow, is it me or does he look like count Dooku..?]

Trimmed bear, short yet well taken care off silver hair at the top of his head and with an angular face and the eyes of a man done with existence was a rather well dressed and elegant looking bell man.

“Hmm...what a peculiar sight. I was not aware this halls would welcome more esteemed visitors to the Institute. Though I should remind that I am not that hard of hearing even at my age...”

She felt her cheeks fluster, pulling her hand away from the counter like a child caught stealing a cookie from the jar.

[Ok, I deserved that..]

“Now, with that out of the way is there something I could do for you madam..?”

[Oh god, he does.., he really does sounds like him...]

She shook her head, not willing to let such detail deter her from her objective just as Gerard finally reached her. However, just as she was opening her mouth to utter the right question…something else interrupted her.

“TALOSSSSSSSSSS…………...!”

The raging voice of a man descending from the stairs to her right startled her rather than the reckless show of seeing someone literally sprint stairs down with heavy greasy boots over a polished and smooth floor.

Taking a better look the man in question was dressed in a sleeveless green vest with a white collared shirt, black trousers covered with belts and a bag of tools hanging from his hips, slapping against his posterior with each step he took and a pair of old yet oddly futuristic goggles at the top of his head.

Tall, slim and almost sickly depending on your opinion. He was young…., though that stupid goatee hanging from his chin did him no favors. Making him look more like a madman rather than a prestigious scientist...or whatever he was.

“Urgh, not this again…” Grunted the old man under his breath, slowly raising a hand in order to pinch the bridge of his nose.

[Ok...that is not good]

Turning around to meet the incoming guest she did not have the time to ask what it was all that about as the man reached them in a flash, literally barging in between her and the bell man.., slamming both of his gloved hands down the counter rather loudly.

“Talos, you old bastard. You have been dodging me all day-..!”

“You buffoon, what do you think you are doing..!? Lower your voice, we are not in a market!”

Snapped Dooku 2.0 sharply, annoyance clearly in his tone. However it was not a warning their new “friend” seemed willing to heed...or just notice.

“What I am doing? The nerve of you old man, quit your excuses..!”

“By the gods, why did it have to happen in front of guests. Such fatherless behavior wont be tolerated, young man..”

“What did yo-You littl-you know what? It doesn't matter. Now to the point: Do you have the slightest idea of what day is today?”

“A Monday, Marious?”

She almost laughed at the unimpressed tone of the old bell man.

Clearly a master of giving sass….

“Don't get cute with me” Croaked Marious through his clenched teeth before pointing an accusatory finger at Talos “If you have any semblance of honesty in your head I suggest you give me what I want. NOW, before he arrives..”

“Don't you see I am busy right now..?”

“With what?”

“Is not a what, but a who you blind milk toddler..or have you not notice the guest standing right NEXT to you?”

With a contentious huff Marious finally turned around to regard her and Gerard after having waltzed between a while ago. However if she was hoping to get a reaction from him remotely positive….then she was for a disappointment.

Specially with the way his eyes shrunk under that heavy scowl. Like a person watching a living cockroach wave its antennae at him.

However, she did not let that dissuade her. If she was gonna chick out because a creep looked at her funny then she was shit out of luck if she was ever to meet a real piece of work like Dottore.

And so, with a gentle smile and with her right arm pressed gently against her chest she extended her left arm for a handshake.

“Hello, my name is-”

“Who the fuck are you..?”

She could not help but flinch a little at such crude and brutish interruption.

[Ok, stellar start for a conversation. Neat..] And people thought that reality could not emulate after cartoons..?

Sighing to herself she slowly retracted the offered hand that had been so painfully ignored back to her side.

And tried again.

“Greetings, my name is Crucabena and its just as that fine gentleman said, we are guests visiting the institute..” She said softly.

Marious rose an eyebrow, his head angling a few grades to the left, however his expression did not soften in the slightest. In fact an ugly scowl started to warp on his lips.

Glancing between her, Gerard and then back at him he puffed his chest like some sort of exotic peacock before he crossed his arms against his chest. His chin raise up high while his eyes glared down on them.

“Huh? Tourists...? Don't you lot have better things to do than come here to gawk and bother everyone else..?”

One of her hands started to ball into a fist, her jaws clenching.

[Well, that was just rude... Did your mother never tough you some fucking decency? No? Too much to ask?]]

“Look sir, I know things are heated up and that you are clearly bothered by something, so why don't we start over again?”

Perhaps the third try was the charm…

She had to try.

He glared at her for a few seconds too long before crossing his arms against his chest.

“Hmm...is that so?”

“Yes..”

“Well, tell that to someone who cares..”

The cloth in which her gloves were made off started to creak under the inhuman pressure they were subjected to, knuckles turning a deadly shade of white underneath.

[Ok, he really is starting to piss me off...]

However, while she kept her anger to herself. Gerard took a more proactive stance to it. And by that she meant seeing his face incensed with anger as he graved the idiot by the collar of his shirt and shoved him against the counter of the table with surprising ease by a man working a desk job at the Hearth.

Which….was pretty cool….and worrisome for equal reasons.

Why you ask? Well...it was rather simple.

One part of her was silently dreading what kind of repercussions would entail having a brawl in such a public place. The cunt was a dick, but with how the laws of Fontaine came and went she was way too young to be sent to prison.

The other reason however...well, it did not think that way. Not by a long shot.

What did she mean by that? Well….

[Yeah, YEAH! Get his ass Gerard. GET HIS FUCKING ASS….!!!]

She would never admit it, but it was kind of therapeutic seem an old man beat the shit out of a snob.

“W-what the fuck old man!? That's assault-..!”

Started to whine Marious only to find himself slap on the face by a fucking glove of all things before a fist dug itself into his guts for good measure. Drawing the air out from Marious lungs like one pops a balloon.

What was this..? A beating with class? If that was the case Gerard forgot the top hat….

Though not like she was arguing about it.

“Shut your trap, imbecile! The lady may have been kind enough to spare your insolence, but I wont allow this disrespect to continue any longer while I still draw breath. Now apologize to the madam.”

“Wait, what-..?”

“Apologize..!”

“And what if I don't?”

She brought a hand to her face, trying to cover the grimace forming on her features. Look, she was all out to stop this from getting any worse than it was, hell, this was pretty bad as it was.

But the flippant tone of this walking piece of dirt that just killed the mood of been a good Samaritan.

[For gods sake, is this guy for real? Can there be people this petty...?]

Oh, wait...that was a dumb question. Of course there were..!

“That would be a bad idea, sir..” Growled Gerard, launching one of his arms forward, grabbing the engineer by the throat, and then started to lift him up.

..

..

..

..

[Wait….]

[Wait, wait, wait, WAIT WHAT..!? What is this...!?]

[Is everyone here overpowered or something...!?]

While she was having a mental breakdown about how a living fossil was able to lift a man many times his junior like nothing Marious closed his own hand around the wrists that were keeping him in place.

Perhaps thinking that he could pull those cold fingers away from his throat...only to find that they were far more sturdier than they seemed.

“Oh? A... threat? Are you…. going to scare me…. by folding down…. and die….old man?”

Gerards face turned even more rd, veins popping out on his features. “Why you-!”

“Besides... What are you? Her father... or something..?”

“What are you, a child or something..?”

She found herself spatting, taking a step or two closer without knowing while making Talos grin subtly and the idiot to flinch with rage at her insolence.

This was far away from what she envisioned her day would go...but what the hell was his problem? She had tried to be patient and friendly. And for what? A scummy behavior from daddies dearest boy?

Fuck that!

She was about to do more than just exchange petty words with the cretin..but the sound a boot stumping the floor put such thoughts on hold.

“That is enough, everyone. Marious, my answer is no..”

Though anger still flared in the young mans eyes, Marious turned his attention away from her.

“I haven't even told you in detail what I came here for…” He said, his voice cracking with animosity though.

“You did, and even if you hadn't I would have known all the same. You are a predictable creature...”

“Nonsense..”

“And the answer is still no. You are not ready for that..”

“How may times I must tell you this old man? My skills have double since last I presented my project…!”

“And my standards have doubled since last we met…, boy”

She was still angry...but a sly smirk cracked her lips.

[Ok, he is definitely the iseaki fantasy version of Count Dooku, there is no other way to explain this... ]

Like, what were the odds..?

“Come on old man, don't do this to me! I have been breaking my back to pull this off..”

“The last thing you actually broke were several safety regulations, nothing as grandiose as you put it..”

“Urgh, how am I to work with Indenmitium if I am to be subjected to such crippling rules...!? It works! I tell you that my prototype does!”

“Telling is not showing..”

“I will show you if you were not so stubborn about it..”

“Enough of this, you are making a bad habit of making a show of ridicule in public. Now leave” Talos then looked at her “Miss….tell your man to leave him be…”

A part of her wanted to refuse, to just let Gerard have a go at him and smack the stupid out of Marious.

In the other hand...it would be a poor way to start business on the institute.

...

..

.

With a heavy sigh, she conceded defeat.

“Gerard.., release him”

He looked at her confused, his eyes pleading for an explanation as if she had betrayed his trust.

Sadly there was none she could give him.

“Just do it..” She said, shaking her head, tired. Not really wanting to meet those eyes of his.

And so he did, begrudgingly though, but did what it was asked..

Freed from Gerard’s grasp, Marious was not really all that thrilled about been spared from...whatever it could have gone down.

So no, he did not went out of his way to apologize or just ran away as fast as he could.

Nop, that would have been too convenient and boring.

We lived in Fontaine for archons sake!

Taking a step away, the inventor glared at them with murderous intent. Imprinting their faces to his memory before spitting at the floor in-front of them.

“This is not over old man..”

He then turned his head towards her..

“And you whore, I will make you rue the day you thought to stand in my way”

Snarled Marious through clenched teeth before he turned around and left with strident haste from where he came. The sound of his footsteps dimly echoing in the distance until they too...vanished from her ears.

However, gone as he was...her heart continued to throb painfully inside her chest.

For some reason she felt that she would be seeing that man sooner….rather than later one day. A rather ominous thing indeed...though one that she pushed away from her mind soon afterwards.

There were more important things to do right now….like talk shit behind his back.

“What a lovely person, so….does that usually happens..?”

She said bitterly, hands clutching her hips while still looking at the door from which the man had disappeared through.

“Sadly, it does...but please do not bother yourself with it. I have come to terms that reckless young men like him seem to have a short fuse when it comes to their work habits….and his less than stellar manners.”

“Ha…that would be a good way to put it..”

She muttered weakly, averting her gaze to the side. If said behavior was considered reckless then she would hate to know what was considered life threatening.

“However..such a show of violence is ill advice or wanted in these halls. I suggest you keep to yourself and ignore the man if you ever meet him again...or I will be forced to contact the local authorities”

[Wait, what..!?] She took a step closer. “Why are you saying that as if we were the initiators. He started it!”

“Your man threw the first punch though...”

[FUCK!]

“However, I know Marious, which is why I am giving you a second chance...instead of doing the deed already. I tell you this, because I know that others would not be as kind as I am to your plight..”

“But-”

“However, I would suggest you don't bring Mr Gerard with you to the Institute again if you plan for future...visits. To keep the peace of course”

“And what about that dip-shit...?” She muttered through her teeth, crossing her arms against her chest.

She was liking the institute less and less by the minute.

“Marious..?”

[Who else..!?] She screamed internally.

“Is he going to be punished...?”

“No, the only thing I can do is what I have kept doing for a while now. Deny his requests to present publicly his experiment.”

“So...he gets Scott free.., but Gerard is basically banished?”

“Basically..”

[Oh you litt-] She crossed her arms, glaring at Dooku 0.2 with a frown. “And if we bring this to the court..?”

People here brought up things out of proportion to the Lord of Justice himself, this would not be the first time.

“You could….but it would not end good enough for you to warrant it. More of a hazel of money and time than it is really worth, believe me...”

“You don't know that..”

“No…, but I do know that Marious has powerful backers even if you managed to pull the story your way..”

“And..? I have powerful friends too..”

Talos shrugged. “Then it would turn things messy if each other tries to mess with the other…, Fontaine power struggles and butt-hurt pride pissing competitions are way above my pay grade or my notice..”

[Nice way to say you don't care..]

It called into question what was all that about denying the idiot stuff…

“So...ignore him and be content with never seeing each other again with luck? Is that what you are saying?”

“I am saying nothing, just informing you in order for you to make an informed decision.....”

She bit her lip.

It wasn't fair.. This wasn't fair, but she could understand where he was coming from. Still, she didn't like it.

“I... understand...”

“That's good to know-

“However I would rather want to make some adjustments to that deal. Gerard can come here if I sent him to take stuff for me.”

Talos looked at her funny, like he had heard a rather strange joke that only he knew the punch line.

Oh, he was gonna know it real soon.

“Bargaining? Really..?”

She took a step closer, leaning over the counter as she placed both of her hands on the wooden edges of the table. Her eyes unblinking as they stared right into the soul of the aged bell man.

“Yes..do you got a problem with that?

“Well, let me think...like where do you think you a-”

A piece of table fell down to the floor, her fingers cracking the wood with ease. Spiderweb like cracks spreading further more at the same pace her knuckles started to turn white underneath her gloves.

“Do. We. Got. A. Deal..?”

..

..

..

..

..

After a few more awkward moments Talos rose both hands up in the air in utter exasperation. “Gods, I am not paid enough for this. Fine, as long as he does that then I have no problem..”

She closed her eyes in relief, taking a breath that she not known she had been holding as her shoulders slumped down in order to free the table from her iron grip.

“Good..”

“Now…., if it would be possible to stop breaking my stuff... what can I do for you?”

This time answered Gerard for her, his voice still a bit husky, but loud enough to be heard. “We came here to see a man named Lucas..”

“Him? Color me surprise.., that was not what I had expected you to say...”

“Well, we had acquire a meeting with the man to meet today at his office..”

“About what, if you don't mind me inquiring..?”

She rubbed the back of her head, though only stopped when she felt a pang of pain coursing through her skull because of it.

“Nothing too serious, sir, just a business opportunity about his findings…”

Talos eyes closed to a half lid. “So he found already an investor for his ideas, interesting...for someone that has more dreams than sense he does move fast..”

“More like a struck of luck that our path collided..” She answered with a nervous chuckle, earning a raise eyebrow from both elderly men.

“Hmm…, perhaps that would explain things. Strange enough I have not seen that fool come through the door this morning. Cant say I saw him leaving either yesterday…”

“…..?”

Talos eyes seemed to gaze at something past her, lost as they pondered something that only he seemed aware of. It did not last long though as he then shook his head.

“Still...we normally don't allow random visitors to come around for business opportunities with the members of the institute without warning the bureau itself, not even if the very engineer itself had said otherwise..”

The tone of his words was final.

She could feel her blood ran cold and her skin lose a few shades of color as she started to digest those words.

No…

NO!

Not her cameras! Anything but that..! Surely her dreams to embarrass old Arlecchino with compromising cute photos of her youth were not going to be denied just because some idiot forgot to do some paper work through the proper channels, not again-..!

An aura of depression starting to settle in around her.

“But given the poor show you were forced to witness….I am willing to let it slide. It would have been poor sport from me doing anything else..”

And just like that the morning sun shone bright above her head even though there was no window in sight while she felt her shoulders slump down with relief.

Gods, why did everyone had to give her a scare like that..?

IT WASN'T FUNNY..!

[I am not a vengeful person, but if you pull this stunt again I hope you get the OG treatment old man..]

After taking a moment to breath in and out her frustrations and the elevate blood pleasure bringing her to an early migraine she gave the aged bell man a small, though polite bow.

“Thank you kindly, sir...”

“Just doing my good deed for the day...”

[Good deeds my boot...]

“Anyway, here is a map of the institute. Don't worry, I have already underlined in red which direction you two should take to reach your destination..”

[Oh, that was nice of him...]

“If that ruffian of Lucas is still down there, make sure to remind him that the workshops are not living quarters..”

“Will do..”

She said, thanking in her mind whatever god was watching over her while happily shaking the Dooku look alike in eagerness before she went to drag Gerard along with her.

Not like he put much fight against it...

After a few change of directions they were led towards an elevator of sorts, because of course there were some of those in a fantasy setting. Though had someone told her earlier of them she would have been spared all those stairs from a while ago.

Well, beggars cant be choosers, could they?

Though by the shape of the thing it was more akin to a hoist than a proper elevator. The ride to the lower levels was smooth at least though...that was something.

She couldn't say the same about the new area in front of her though. Dark and humid, with an after taste in the air of burnt out powders. Nothing alike the clean and aesthetic pleasing designs from above.

Bare and to the bones would suit as fair description to this place.

“Madam Knave, I deeply apologize for what happened..”

She almost stumbled on her feet at the sudden sound of Gerards voice. “What, wait..what are you talking about now?”

She coed in bafflement, a little bit confused about what he was talking about right now. It was a bit hard to keep track

“If I had known we would come across such an individual I would have tied to make the meeting take place somewhere else....”

Oh..

That…

Well, if one thought about it he really had a hand on this little fuck up of a meeting of theirs with that cretin. Still, she was not that petty to tell him that. As far as she was aware he had been in the right.

That he had got in trouble for trying to defend her sucked, but she would not belittle him for that.

“Well, it was not something that you could expect to happen right? You are not a seer…”

“But I-”

“No buts…..you did nothing wrong.”

She cut him off at last with a placating hand, though unlike last time there was no pretend annoyance in her tone. She understood somehow that he felt to blame...but he really was not.

They just had bad timing.

“You….are too kind my l-”

He started to say, yet the words halted on his throat, becoming stuck like a lump as he pressed a hand against his chest. fingers digging against the fabric, clutching it tightly

A pang of worry started creeping into her heart.

“Gerard? Is something wrong..?”

She asked, yet when she tried to place a hand on his shoulder he tried to gently brush her away.

“I...its nothing. Please, don't worry too much about me...” He muttered between the huffing sounds of his breaths as he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the sweat from his forehead. “Its just that one is not as young as they used to be..”

His words were meant to be reassuring.... but it only made her feel worse. Still, she was not going to bother him anymore if he did not wish for her aid.

One had to respect the bro code...

With an inward sigh she leaned back, allowing her arms to rest on her hips for a moment. “Well, if you insist then I suppose you are right”

“Thanks...”

“Still, what a strange bunch…guess that when you are a scientist you have to be a bit eccentric or else you don't make the cut…”

“...?”

Placing a finger under her chin she continued on with a sly smirk.

“Guess that soon we should be calling this place a madhouse if the entry rates keep getting lower and lower..”

A dry chuckle was her answer, which….made her smile.

It did not took them long before they were met with a particular door at the end of the corridor. The dim lit lights of the lower-floors giving the area a more shamble and humid appearance than it should have...or perhaps it was the peculiar choice of dark greens for the floor that it had to do with it.

Hanging on the wall right next to it an old plank with a crudely written name on it.

º

-º ...Photography….º-

- Lucas-

º

..

..

..

..

“So...he is in there?”

She asked absentminded, more focused in inspecting the words engraved on the wooden plank.

You know, for been in a different world the words looked exactly like English. Perhaps it was that the same isekai magic that made Romans speak the same language of the Japanese without translators.

Yeah, probably not...but it was a curious thing to notice.

“Supposedly…?”

She turned around, a raise eyebrow.

“What is that suppose to mean? You don't know..?”

“I-I mean…..this is indeed the place where I found him last time..” Gerard tried to haste his reply.

However she was not yet sold on the idea.

“But you don't know if he is there now, is that it...?”

His silence was the only that she got. Shaking her head with a soft sigh of exasperation she shrug her shoulders.

“Oh, well...then what are we waiting for?”

She said rather cheerfully in order to lift up his mood as she approached the door, placing a hand around the rusted handle that stood between her and her goal, though she did not push it open yet.

Why? Well, truth be told she was feeling a little bit nervous at the fact that she was going to have a normal conversation for once instead of all of these attempts of people trying to please her for one reason or another.

Would the kamera be ready to pack and load...?

Would she need to actually spent time developing it?

Would this Lucas be an amenable character or just another dip-shit like someone that she knew about?

Would she be able to convince him to loan her or just down right give her what surely must have taken the man quite a long time to recreate?

..

..

Hmm….if one started to think about it there were an awful lot of ifs or what nots going by inside her mind of things that could potentially screw her entire trip here, not something that one would wish to keep a healthy line of thought.

Still...

[Well, nothing risked..nothing gained..] She mused to herself, shaking away her doubts as she clenched her hand over the handle and press it down all the way.

..

..

..

..

..

“Eh..?”

“Is there something wrong, madam Knave...?”

He heard Gerard ask, perhaps noticing that something was a miss though she could not really tell with her attention on the task at hand. His voice becoming nothing but noise lost in the distance.

Her hand tugged and tried to pull the lever down again and again, hearing the gears click inside the door frame with each and every attempt loud enough to be heard in her ears as something was been pulled and shoved somewhere…

And yet…

It didn't move.

[What its going on..?] “Is….is it stuck? Or perhaps he forgot we were coming…?”

She muttered confused as she stopped trying to press the lever anymore. Cocking her head to the side she was met with a similar look of confusion on the old man’s face.

“I-I don't know, I don't think even a lowly engineer would not dare walk out of a meeting with you my lady..”

[Yeah, now if we had not met that guy from before I would totally believe you..]

“Then...the door is broken, is what you are trying to say..?”

“Perhaps? Still, is quite strange...….last I remember it was fully functioning..”

[You don't say…..] “Hm…, I see”

“Madam, should we try pulling harder?”

Gerard suggested, she was almost going to nod her head when the memories of the cookie incident came to mind, making her grimace on the spot.

Yeah, no…..she was not looking forward breaking another door handle and her back while at it.

Her pride would not survive it as it was....

“I-…..I would rather not....” She muttered weakly.

“Then, would you like for me to search for a manager back in the reception room so that we may open the door..?”

It was surely the most sensible choice.., but it did left a bad taste in her mouth to go up and bother the second coming of Dooku into searching for a key. Especially since she was not sure if she could count with him to be “nice” to them again.

For all she knew he could consider this beneath him.

No, there had to be something she could do. She just had to find it.

Surprisingly, she did.

“No Gerard, I think I can manage by myself…”

“Madam? What do you mean..?”

A bead of sweat started to slid down her forehead yet a devious smile warped on her lips.

It was a stupid plan..

But perhaps stupid enough to work just fine...

“Its rather simple, really. We only need a key to open this troublesome door…”

“Eh, yes? That would be most optimal...however...we don't have a key, madam”

She cracked her fists, one after the other before he started walking again towards the heavily reinforced door.

“Oh, we do. In fact I have a key in the shape of my boot....”

“Oh, ok….that sounds like a good-Wait-WHAT..!?”

Chapter Text

Fontaine was a nation of a rather unpredictable climate, one either spent their days in a dry weather from the hot winds coming from either the deserts of Sumeru or the volcanic mountains of Natlan or the humid proximity with the ocean brought with it weeks and weeks on end of rain.

True, normal days were possible, but it mostly depended in which season of the year one stood in, and on the wind itself.

Which was why, even under the heavy toll of a particular hot day a soft breeze blew gently over the tree tops and the bushes of Fontaine, from the city to the landscapes around it, carrying with it a much desired cold stream of air.

Birds sang and flew from tree to trees under its cool embrace, leafs floated away as if enthralled by an ethereal dance within the sway of the currents while flowers tried to bloom under the brief, yet never ending strays of light punching through cups of the trees into the ground proper.

The heat was a bothersome thing for the creatures of nature as it was for the common people in their homes, and while the common people had technology to make due for it, the common wild animal could only try to hide under the shadows cast around them.

However, none had it easier than the small looking otters swimming in peace in every body of water bereft of the attention of people.

Floating gently in the calm waters of the lake and with their eyes closed most of the fluffy creatures appeared to be deeply asleep, letting the rummage of the waters carry them around.

Softly rocking them back and forth as if they were been held aloft by mother nature in a silent lullaby..

All...but one.

A small, smooth white haired head poking out from the depths of the lake before it made its way through the pristine waters instead of joining the rest of its kind, instead choosing to take a step on some rocks at the very edge of the pond they all where.

Small, cute looking paws carefully palming before fully stepping over the rough surfaces while the other held tightly a small shell. However, nothing deterred the otter from slowly making its way to the highest point of elevation, leaning its head down on the warm surface after hours of contact with sunlight.

Purring in delight and it started to play with the-

“Gotcha..!”

The sound of a flash could heard soon after the gentle yet decisive press of a button, the turquoise eyes of a small girl gleaming with anticipation as the flash easily captured the image of the small looking creature.

Charlotte could not help but smile at the product of her patience.

Another outstanding success.

Startled first by the momentarily flash of light and then the thump like sound that followed it, the Otter squealed cutely in confusion, its diminutive eyes blinking twice before it swiftly dived back into the safety of the crystal waters around it

Though not after a different shot from somewhere else caught the creature midway the attempt, capturing the movement its body started to hit the waters in time.

A few seconds later Charlotte came out from her hiding spot.

The pink haired girl slowly approaching the edge of the lake as she watched with no small smile at the otter resurface and swim back to its friends somewhere further away, the cute little things nudging and rubbing their noses with one another as it to welcome their friend before they set sail into deeper waters.

All while small smooth paws paddled the water away

“Gosh, they are so cute….” She squealed softly with stars in those pretty turquoise eyes of hers.

With those fluffy furs shaded like the colors of fresh snow and the soft blue takes of the ocean itself, with those little sad yet gentle eyes and those stark black pudgy little noses in what otherwise would be a field of white and blue.

What was not to like of those fluffy creatures?

The only best thing to make photos of them was to pet one.

Though, now that she was talking about, the only thing she wished different would be to have a camera that would actually make the image clearer in order to capture the essence of the target better.

She did not mind much though, but scraping her knees to get closer was not something she thought could be maintained constantly.

A rustling of leafs and bushes told of the arrival of her father a few seconds later. A tall, slim man carrying on his back a particular heavy looking tripod. The nicely groomed mustache over his lips twirling with delight as he approached her with a gentle smile.

“Well done Charlotte, you caught it just when the moment was ripe. You are getting better at this..”

Charlotte felt a warmth spread over her cheeks thanks to the praise.

“Though I don't remember ever teaching you to speak out loud a few instances before taking a shot...”

The smile that had been warping on her lips became twisted at the very end at that reminder..making her pout in return

“I..I was just a bit caught on the enthusiasm…”

Her father knelt to her eye level, a wishful look in his eyes as he placed a hand over the top of her head. Ruffling her pink hair in the process.

“Its ok…, that is one of your most endearing qualities”

“Father…!”

She gasped in embarrassment, yet she could not help herself from moving away from the soothing touch.

“Ah, what one would do to be young again...” Her father chuckled to himself before he shook his head “Still, I am pretty sure it was a good catch nonetheless...”

“Oh, but father, you took the photo when it was transitioning from ground to water…how I am to compete with that..?” She mumbled slowly into a whine.

The people around her said that she had a knack for it, and in a sense it was true. However there was something refreshing on catching up the movement of a living being instead of having the shape of their form static in a sheet of paper..

As if a flow of life had been blown on them even if the photons they used to take the photos were….kinda bad outside a controlled environment.

Too big to hide with ease from the local fauna.

Too heavy to carry around everywhere for long...

And the images always came in black and white...

However, amusement glinted in her fathers eyes, a sense of pride behind those gentle depths.

“Well, in no time you will get better than little old me. Soon you will be the one catching them on the spot...” Her father said as he started to raise up.

“R-really? Are you sure..?”

“What do I say about a reporters gut feeling..?”

“That one must always trust it..”

“That’s about right....”

She stared at him for a moment...before she beamed a broad smile in return.

“Thanks dad….”

The two then started walking away from the edges of the lake, back to retrieve the heavy machines for their photography work. However, as they did, they walked past a heavy rock dome in a clearing.

Nothing noteworthy though, just a big lump of rocks piled on top of each other by natural causes and clearly not by a huge hand of a god or something. Resting just across a small shallow looking pond of water.

However, she halted, her feet refusing to carry her anymore for as long her eyes remained fixated on it.

..

..

..

“Hum…..we met Lucas here for the first time, didn't we?”

She heard her father slow down his pace, and though she was unable to look at him in the eye she was sure he was thinking about it too.

“Uh? Oh...not quite, he was a dozen meters to the left...sitting on that boulder if I remember correctly..”

Her father corrected. He was probably right, for some reason those details were hazy in her memory of the time, perhaps given the fact that her mind had been focused on something else that day.

The first time she had met the older man had been here on the wilderness at night under the shade of the pale moon shining above them to guide their footsteps instead of using lanterns to light their path.

Why? Because artificial lights made for the quality of the photos become lower than they already were at night, and since they were out to catch glimpses of the natural fauna such sources of light would have scare them off.

However, the salmon pink haired girl had stumbled with him almost by accident, so focused on her surroundings that she had failed to take note of the rather visible adult sitting on a boulder.

He had looked tired, no…, sad. There had been sadness in his eyes.

Luckily once the two started talking something had lighten up in the older mans mood.

“Do you think he is doing alright..?”

Her father turned around, still a cheerful look on his face though one that changed once he took notice of her expression.

“I bet he is, why..?”

“Its been a few days since we last saw him...”

“Hmm..., I see. If you want we can always try visit him later tomorrow to cheer him up if you would like...I am sure you have many things to tell him”

“That would be nice.., thanks dad”

“It was nothing. Now, I think I saw a Pearl seahorse in the other shore of that lake across the valley a few days ago. Lets get closer to take a better picture of it. Are you ready..?”

Charlotte punched the air with one of her fist as enthusiasm once again flowed freely inside her veins.

“Always..!”

º

º-…New Institute of Fontaine…-º

Lower levels

º

Dear god…..he was gonna die here wasn't he?

Alone, in a dusty and unkempt workshop that seemed to contain more dust than books and exuded the same thrill a mirthless clown could bring from a deaf audition of spectators.

Those were not very hope filled thoughts to have at what could be considered the prime of his life, but when you got yourself stuck underground in a room by accidentally breaking the only key that opened said door when he tried to open it last night with no one knowing or perhaps not even bothering to check up on him did not left room to many happy thoughts.

Especially if one took into consideration that the cleaning crew did not particularly work anymore on the lower levels of the institute, all thanks to the megalomania of some very paranoid scientist who guarded their work with too much zeal.

Lucas could only curse at his misfortune.

Why..?

Why had he not thought of asking for a replacement in case he either forgot the one he got..or I don't know, have one spare on him to prevent something like this from ever happening...!? Why was only in moments like these when he had already screw up that he thought about it…!?

He groaned out loud at each belittling thought coming by in his head, slumping further down a worn down chair that creaked at each and every time he brought a pair of slim fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose or just wipe away the sweat trailing down his face.

With a defeated sigh he let his head hang low.

An aggravation that came from the barely working ventilation system connected to his workshop...one that he had fixed most of the time by having the door itself open to create whatever flimsy current of air was available to flow inside.

Now barred form that...well, he was left sweating like a pig like those first weeks when he got started here. And he didn't have the muscle mass to kick open in the opposite direction a heavily reinforced metal door. Which was just peachy..

“Oh Archons….I really don't know what I may have done in a previous life to spend my last renaming days here..…”

It just wasn't fair. There were so many things he wanted to do, that he had to do! Surely it could end like this?

He weakly rose his head up, a pair of blue eyes shyly, almost desperately staring at the ceiling above his head with a bleak expression on his face. Hands clasp together in prayer though he had never been a religious fellow.

“But could you throw me a bone or two, please..? Just for a tiny little bit..?”

..

..

..

..

..

Of course, nothing happened.

Lucas closed his eyes in abject disappointment. The young man had no more strength to curse or just get angry about things when they didn't go his way.

Not like it would change anything if he did. With a heavy sight he wiped away another trail of sweat.

“Oh dear, what I was expecting.…? When have the gods hear the wishes of a nobody engineer instead of people more important..?”

Slowly, he glanced at a small looking box over his table, different from the others in the room by the way it had been shaped. The answer to that was obvious..

It was a photography machine, but not those ugly, lengthy contraction that the photographers of Fontaine used that were so tardy and complicated to operate properly in the best of days.

His glared softened, a hand stretching forward and gently caressing the rough edges of cut and crafted wood and the slabs of iron that had been crudely drilled into it by his hands truly, taking in the bottoms that made for the controls and the cylinders attached to one side.

No…

This one was better than any of them….

No longer people would need to wait days and days on end in order to know if the photo they took had been done right. People would not need to carry so much weight around as they would be able to strap the machine to their hip instead of carrying that many leg monstrosity they called “Photom”

Urgh, the mere reminder of the many articulated thing made him grimace. It was just so impractical that it hurt how many steps one had to go through to actually use them.

Good thing that he had come up with a way to fix such a travesty.

Day or night, the quality of the images produced would not decrease, and last but not least... the images produced would no longer be encased in a monochromatic world of whites and blacks, but there would be colors as-well.

He took a deep breath, watching the droplets of sweat slid down his chin and fall one by one over the box in his hands

He had been breaking his back into putting all the necessary contraction and the math required of it to shove it down a small portable size...and yet, he had done it. Against all odds...he had done it. The first thing he ever made and did not stink of failure a mile away.

Bad as things were right now, he could not help but feel a little bit of pride fill his heart.

“At least...I tried to keep my promise, Charlotte.....”

He mused to himself, a small, thin smile cracking the stiffness of his lips as the memory of a certain pink haired girl and her father came to mind.

He closed his eyes, reminiscing of those days that….he may never relieve again if he never left this sauna of a room.

“Life really is not f-”

Click..

..

Click, click..?

[Uh...?]

CLICK..!

“Wait....”

Clack..?

“Is that...?”

..

..

..

Click,click,click,click,click ...?

His eyes finally start to widen to comical proportions when he realization strucks like a dome about where was that noise coming from.

As if poked by a needle on his arse he Standing on the spot from where he had been brooding until them. Sending the poor chair back as a result in a loud, chiming crash.

Something that went by unnoticed and unmourned as his eyes were focused on the handle of the door that was chiming up and down rather loudly.

“Oh god, the door….someone finally found me..!?”

Hope flared inside him like never before at the prospect of rescue from this hideous place for once and for all. Had the gods heard his prayers after all? If so he swore that he would religiously pray to them until his last breath in order to return their favor.

“Hey! HEY..! I am here...! Please, get me the hell out of here!”

He called as loud as he humanly could to whoever was on the opposite side of the seal door, hoping for any answer or noise to return as a result.

That they knew he was here.

That he was not going to be abandoned or ignored in this…..in this terrible place!

However, the last thing he expected to see was the reinforced doors which had so stubbornly kept him trapped in-there to fly off its hinges into the room as if punched by a literal god of war.

Something that was no small feat....

However, at the present moment, the only words he could give such strange scene playing before his eyes wer-

“Oh shit….!”

He yelped out loud in shock before his self preservation kicked in, barely managing to duck for cover as the entire door now turned metal bent projectile almost turned his head into paste.

It was a chilling fact feeling the entire thing whistle above his head as it was a bullet rather than a heavy metallic frame before eventually crashing loudly against the closest wall it could find.

Slamming into it violently and becoming embedded the same way an arrow would get stuck on a big, fat target. However, much to his dismay unleashing in the process a torrent of dust that filled the room, making him curse his luck between coughs as the hoarse dust got stuck in his throat and stubbornly refused to get dislodged from it

He grunted inwardly as he tried to swat away the dust with his hands to keep it from bothering him anymore in between fits of coughing. A useless endeavor if there was one…bur right now that was the only thing he thought he could do.

Luckily, he would not suffer it for long as the dust started to settle thanks to the soft current of damp air that started to pour into through the cavity on the wall the door had so tightly sealed.

The fog of dust and debris was slowly swept away, revealing the room around him once more.

The floor was littered with specks of thick dust and small pebbles the size of a finger, sheets of papers laying everywhere he could gaze. A large open gash carved into the walls where the door had been once before before been so brutality pulled out, and beyond it... the tall shape of the one that had rescued him..

It was all a bit surreal to him, but hey, he was not gonna nag much about it. With some luck he could blame the old man upstairs for giving him faulty equipment that led to this.

“Hey! Wh-whoever you are….thank you for that”

He muttered, surprising himself at how weak his voice sounded but decided not to think too much on it as he took his first steps towards the figure.

“I don't have much on me right now but….if you want I could pay for some drinks down at the closest tavern.

A loud crack reached his ears, he had stepped over a pebble.

“I mean, its not much but its the least I could do to rewar-….Oh.. my... fucking god…”

He started to say only for his voice to die on a whimper along side that new taste of confidence brought out by the adrenaline of almost dying that had been running through his veins until them. His eyes unable to look away from the source of his liberation as the dust cleared enough for him to view her in all her glory.

Unable to pry himself from that smooth, velvety mane of dark pink hair that cascaded down her shoulders like liquid fire, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of those wet, kissable crimson lips that seemed to have been drawn by the gods themselves, his legs shaking alone from the enthralling, innocent blush that colored her otherwise snow hued skin and the timid yet fiery gaze of her eyes.

Neither noticing the nervous fidgeting of her fingers or the older man behind her facepalming himself.

Perhaps he had indeed died here and he had not noticed ….because there was no other explanation to the fact he was looking at an angel.

º

º

Ok, it was definitely official.

This was a disaster.

A stupid, nonsensical, regrettable one at that. A mess thrown at her shoulders as if she had nothing else to do at the moment. Murphy's general laws of bullshitery was at its finest rearing its ugly head once more.

And all because she couldn't wait just a little bit more…

Even though she tried to hide it, Crucabena could not but grimace at that particular incriminating thought that was rendering merciless judgment on her conscience.

Poking at her like a child with a bat would poke a pinata.

Rough and painfully.

[Urgh…, nothing of this was meant to happen.] She whined in silence, biting her lip as a new wave of depression washed over.

It was intended to be a mere poke.

A well place kick like in the movies she had seem a million times over…

And with some half added math she had made in her head in between the seconds that led for her boot to slam against the door she had thought that the spot she had chosen to target would give her the results she was looking for faster.

Well….about that. It seemed she had got her wish. Just…. not in the way she had expected it to happen in the first place.

She brought a hand to her head, pinching the bridge of her nose as she shut tight her eyes.

[Sealed metal doors are meant to be hard and heavy, so why? Why earth someone thought it was a good idea to make blast seal doors so damnable feeble..!?]

She had been trying to kick it open, not blast through it like a knife through a wet tissue! Such notion was so ridiculous that she still had trouble believing, let alone acknowledging it had happened in the first place.

But it had…so what that made her? Low discount anime She-Hulk? At any other time she would have laughed at that.

She wasn't laughing now....

[Arrrrrrrrrrgh, my head hurts just to try put some sense into any of this..]

At least not all were bad news…

“My angel, are my hear not playing a trick on me? You came here because of my work..?”

Well…..mostly

With an inward sigh she rubbed the back of head trying to ease the headache eating her alive. They had been going at this for a while by now.

“Sir, for the last time I am not an angel, and yes I did..”

“Then goddess..?”

A sweat drop slid behind her scalp at that. [Gods that feels so cringe and weird.…]

“I... would prefer it if you didn't do that.”

A look of despair sparked in his eyes for a brief few seconds “I-then what about your excellency...?”

She rose a placating hand, this nonsense was way out of a left field for her.

“Just...Crucabena, sir..”

“Ah, but I could not dare speak so informally to someone as esteemed as you my lady…, I must convey my gratitude one way or another, my pride and honor as a man demands it!”

Nop.

This was not going anywhere…

She didn't know what was bothering her more, the glowing anime stars in Lucas eyes, or his stubbornness to drop the issue. With an annoyed sigh slipping through her wet lips she tilted her head to the side, switching her attention from Lucas to Gerard. Hoping for him to lend her a hand on this.

He glared back at her, staring for what felt like an eternity in silence before he gave her a reassuring nod. Making her sigh inwardly in relief.

[Oh thank god, he gets the message..]

“I guess that the man is right madam…, though what he lacks in sense he does in enthusiasm. Something I greatly appreciate”

[WAIT, WHAT!?]

“Gerard.., what are-”

“After the mess from upstairs from that rapscallion of Marious I believe I would rather hear this than suffer any more insolence, don't you agree madam..?”

A feeble smile was plastered on her face yet her left eye started to twitch with anger.

[Oh come on! In which side are you on dammit...!? This was not what I was asking of you...!]

“Wait, did you just said Marious..?”

Lucas sudden interruption stop her from voicing her displeasure out loud. Though it was the tone of his voice that caught her attention most of all.

“Yes..?”

“Marious... as the main mother fucker Marious the technician working on indemnitium..? “

[Great, I sense a story behind this…] She mused to herself in her head before she gave a weak nod in return.

Which only seemed to rile Lucas up all the more visibly.

“Of course that bad son of a lady would dare disrespect someone as gracious and kind as you my lady. Oh, I should have known he would do that, always thinking of himself as better than anyone, always flaunting his projects in everyone's faces, always acting as if he owned the-”

“AAAAAAAAAAANYWAY, lets not wander off topic any longer or I swear I will start going barnacles” She cut him off, rude as it may be she did not care “I came here because of your work of your project of photography. I. Want. To. See. It..”

“Oh, I….I am honored my g-I mean madam..” Lucas started to say, yet quickly correcting himself in the process when he noticed her frown.

[Better.., though it needs so work]

“But how did you know I was working on a project related to photography..?”

“Well that's-..”

“Wait, perhaps you are really a-”

She shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose “No, no,nononononono...you told my butlers a few days ago about it, don't you remember..?”

“I did…?”

[YES!] “Indeed, in fact it was you who said to meet us here today…, didn't he.. Gerard?”

“He indeed did...”

“Ah, yes...I did something like that” The engineer muttered at last, rubbing the back of his head with a gloved hand as the memory of that day came back to his mind, however instead of nodding he bit his lip “But…..”

“But?” She inquired, arching an eyebrow.

“Wasn't that meeting not schedule for Monday...?”

“Today is Monday…, sir”

He stared at her in confusion, brows so knitted together that they seemed to fuse into one. Then…. in denial, before horror stetted in. His face losing quite a few shades of color in an instant when reality hit him like a brick.

“Oh shit, it is...!? I-I my apologies madam, it seems that with everything I-”

“Forgot? Dully noted..” She said with a dry laugh “Now, can you show it-oh, is right there…”

She started to say, only for her eyes to land on the object of her visit. And well ladies and gentleman……..that at the left side of the only working table of the room was a camera, or Kamera as the OG version of Tevat would eventually called it.

She had to admit, it was….quite similar to the designs in game as she grab the boxy object and held it carefully in her hands.

[Ah..., at long last I have you in my grasp...]

It had taken a while and with some unnecessary touch of insanity to it but she had made it this far.

A maniacal look warped around her eyes as she clutched the Kamera tightly. The things she would do with this thing...eh, just you wait Peruere.

Back at the House of the Hearth a certain white haired girl shivered for reasons unknown to her, yet….

“Ah, please be careful madam...its a”

“Important, I know...” She said softly before turning on her heels to face Lucas, smiling kindly at him. “Its a beautiful thing, isn't it?”

A brush of heat started coloring the mans cheeks who tried to look away from her eyes.

“T-thanks...it m-means a lot.”

[Hum...cute] She thought to herself with a chuckle.

“I was wondering….would you mind if I were to ask you a business proposition about this machine..?”

“Me? Are you sure?”

“Well, there is no one else here but us chickens right?” She said placing a hand over her hip and leaning forward.

..

..

..

..

“What..?”

“Well you know...the saying?”

“I...I don't get it..”

She faked a cough, trying to hide away the pang of embarrassment from her voice.

“Nothing, just me saying things. So..?”

“Well, I..I would be honored” He answered, yet he sounded….not as cheerful as before.

“Huh? I thought that you would be happier to hear this...is something wrong?”

“Its just... I...I cant sell it to you…”

The gears in her mind came to an abrupt stop as she stared at the young man with a perplex look in her face.

“What..?”

“Sorry...I mean no disrespect madam, sir...its just….I made a promise..”

She blinked. What was he on about?

“A promise..?”

He nodded, stiffly. “Yes, to a..friend. She and her father helped me when I was down once, when I thought that things could not get better..”

“I...see?”

So I…wanted to give, to make something new and better for their work of photography. They helped me and I…”

“You wanted to reward their kindness with something of your own..” She answered for him. At least catching on where he was leading to.

“Yes..”

“I see…”

In a sense it was really cute and nice of him to try make up for his friends help.

Still...

“Still, that does not seem it would be much of a hazel for me or my request..” She said crossing her arms, which...prompted a far more puzzling look from Lucas as a result..

“Wait, what...? You...were not thinking on just buying my work?”

“No…well yes, but not just that mind you..”

“….?”

[Ok, that was not very self explanatory.. ] She belittled herself.

“Look, it is just as I said, I wanted to talk to you about a business proposition you dum dum..” She then leaned back, tilting her chin higher as if looking down on him, though that revealed a rather elegant neck in the process “True I wanted to take the camera and a go with it, but there is so much more that we could do with it “

“More..?”

“This...marvel you have built, its going to open so many doors towards the future” She muttered softly, caressing the box like thing in her hands. “Not just for a brief moment of time, but it will change the world in ways you cant even begin to imagine..”

Films.

Dramatic plays in theaters..

The day life news..

All immortalized in neatly photos in color with all kind of detail. Creating in the process a myriad of other professions that would pop out just to adapt to the changes coming and going. Not even her knew what kind of waves this Kamera would create in Fontaine.

She was not that kind of nerd thank you.

She took a step forward

“Imagine a world where everyone can enjoy picturing the world around them with the same splendor and beauty that it shows us instead of looking at a sheet of paper bathed in blacks and white?”

She then wrapped her free arm carefully around Lucas back while with the other she extended to the sides. The two bathed in a metaphorical spot light

“Capturing every inch of emotion, every speck of movement and fold in both person or animal, immortalizing such beautiful instances with the respect they deserve..”

“That's-..”

“With me backing you….you could make that dream true... “

“But..the expenses..”

“Would be all covered.., I am more than just my looks you know?”

Surely if something the House had in lack of

“But, but why? Why would you really do that for me..?”

“Why not.., you have worked so hard to create this..surely you deserve some praise?”

“B-but everyone says that it wont have a future, that I am just wasting my time..”

“But you never gave up, didn't you?” She asked softly, their eyes locked with one another.

Lucas stared at her in shock at first, unable to digest what he was hearing. And yet...after a few seconds he slowly shook his head. A glint behind those depths that had not been there previously.

Of confidence.

Of gratitude.

“See? Everyone are just fools…”

“Madam….I think I could die just now with a smile on my lips even if you were to tell me that you were joking..”

She scoffed at the sudden surge of dramatics. What was with everyone talking about dying..?

“Nah, if you did I would just slap you awake back to life..”

“Ah, and what a beautiful way to be reborn would that be..”

[Please don't make this any weirder than it has to be..] “So, do we got a deal..?” She said, taking a step back, placing a hand on her back while the other lunged forward for a handshake. One that was equally met in its sheer eagerness

“More than a deal…you got a lifelong partner madam..”

She smiled at him.

Yeah, this seemed the beginning of a productive friendship.

º

...A few minutes later...

º

º

YESSSSSS...

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS...

OH YEAH! SHE HAD FUCKING DONE IT…...!

Where some of the thoughts going by in her mind as she happily traversed back to the entrance of the institute while humming a song.

It was a rather thrilling experience, was it not? She had come here not really expecting things to go her way, in fact, they had not...but hey, who was laughing now? She got the proverbial hat of this adventure.

[Ha! Take that Murphy! I won this round..!] She thought with a wicked grin.

Had it been in her hands to chose she would have danced all the way out the building while showing the middle finger to whoever R.O.B had sent her here. Sadly with Gerard in tow and dragging with himself all the things she had told him earlier to buy she was forced to keep...a sense of demeanor.

Well, it didn't matter. She got what she came looking for. Like Cesar: she came, she saw, she won…

She could not help but smile at that. Tooting her own horn never felt more amazing.

Though perhaps it had to do with the fact that not only she was carrying the glorious Kamera in her hands, but also she had managed to get all the blue prints to make more of the thing. The patent, the reports to write down to who belonged what, all done.

And with the 40-70 percent ratio of wining she had agreed with Lucas then she knew that the Mora was going to fill a few too many pockets real soon. The people of Fontaine were suckers for new things,

And more so for useful things.

[Damn I am good at this..]

She thought, patting herself in the back as she made to reach the handle of the door leading outside of the institute inner grounds.

Nothing could go wrong now.

Nothing except then the door leading outside opening up inwardly and smacking her right in her face.

Yeah...everything became a blur after that.

Noises echoed dimly in the depths of her skull, something warm and slick slid down her lips and right down her chin. Shadows loomed around her, someone...someone was speaking, saying things or whatever.

However the only constant was the bitch breaking pain in her head. Life was such a petty bitch.

By the time she regained some of her sight she was left confused about why she was staring at the ceiling...or, perhaps, for how long had she been laying on the ground like a dead pigeon.

[Gods...what a lousy way to end the day..] She thought, yet that she struggled with.

Men...or perhaps women were walking around her, they were dressed in blue, wearing...top-hats? However she did not have long to delve in that line of thought when a gloved hand was offered at him.

Slowly her head tilted to the side, the effort taking her longer than she expected yet it did not matter as in time she end up meeting the owner of the offered appendage. When she did however...she felt.. a sort of deja vu.?

Strange…

Though perhaps it had to do with his face immaculate, god built face that was bereft of any imperfection or flaws. Like an angel that had been carved into stone and then given life he exuded a cold elegance that was double down by the sharpness of his features and the intoxicating way his eyes pierced her soul with the soothing touch of waves.

Well dressed, clad in blue, gold and silver and with two blue like antennae that descended behind his long silvery mane yet that did nothing to hide those sharp yet exotic elf like ears of his.

There was also the fact that his presence felt both reassuring and awe inspiring.

“Wow...aren't you a cutey? “

She slurred in her stupidity without second thought or shame, her brain cells still readjusting to the blow, neither not noticing the look the people around her, let alone the gentleman now gently holding her hand directed at her.

Was it shock...? Surprise? Well...she didn't really care. Hello!? She had a dent in her skull...!? She had a right to say stupid shit…besides, he was handsome so it wasn't a lie either.

Also, he had quite a strong grip though gentle by now...

..

..

Wait, antennae? Blue? Men in-Oh……...shit.

With a terrible gut feeling about this and swallowing with difficulty a lump that had gotten stuck on her throat she meekly rose her head to meet his glare once more.

And-

..

Y-yeah.

..

It was him..

..

What did she do now?

[Think, THINK you poor excuse of a dofus in space! What do we say to get out of this mess..!? What do I even do that doesn't suck..!?]

It had to be smart.

It had to be clean and smooth.

No half attempts ok? She only got one shot at this…

So...

..

..

..

“Oh….is that you Neuvillete...? Whatss-up...?”

Chapter Text

News:

Better of health but the Chapter is going to take a while

Its going to have a lot of fun, but not really knowing what kind of Neuvillete to write (the aloof one), (the serious one), or something in between its making things go slower.

1.6 k done.

º

Seeing Clorindes storyline and Alfabusa I thought that a chapter, not anytime though, but one day of Crucabena and other characters larping would be fun. Your thoughts..?

º

Once the chapter is done I will just switch this document with the chapter so its possible that when its done you wont receive a notification.

Chapter Text

Have you ever heard about the banana ice-cream scoops..?

Starting with a hot-dog bread where you place a banana, which you cut its insides in a long and steady horizontal cut before you add a series of ice-cream scoops of whatever flavor you would like to have. Sometimes you add syrup, or if you are feeling bold some spicy sauce along with it.

A mad lad of a bearded man with a hard on for killing capes would call it diabolical, but its nothing more than a peculiar choice of food for a hot day. Better than eating bats anyway..

Also it can be used if you are too tired to say the "Three strikes" method of things been too fishy, leaving you the chance to use a far more pleasing and elaborate graphic explanation of how fictional characters were piling mistakes after mistakes before they broke the camels back and it bit them in the ass.

Sometimes...literally.

Hmm...those E rated cheap slayer movies were a good example of those if she thought about it. Yeah, those were the times.

Anyway, what does this have to do with anything you say? Well….it seems that R.O.B was making its own banana ice-cream scoop of her own compilation of blunders since the moment she opened up her lips.

Like..really? "Oh….is that you Neuvillete...? Whatss-up...?" was the best she could come up with...?

Whhhhhhyyyyyyy…..?

Why on earth she had thought that idea was remotely good?

Like...who did she think she was..? Miles Morales..? She was certainly lacking more than on the tight spandex if that was the case...or had that been a Scary movie reference? It was hard to tell with these timelines...

No.., that had not been it.

The truth was that she had not been thinking at all from the very start. Not the right way at least, though given the context of things….was rather understandable.

Hmm…? Eh….? You don't get what is the problem? How? What part of the explanation you didnt get..? Ok, fine...lets fine other words to get the point across since it feels that she was getting nowhere with this.

..

..

..

She had a fucking bump in her skull god dammit...!

Another one to add to the one already present at the back of her head no less. And in such small spam of time from one another too.

Urgh, what were the odds? No, she would rather not know…, better that way than be given another reason to be miserable over than the pain already beating inside the blunted bone structure like a new organ about to burst.

Also, had she said already that part of her nose was crushed in the process?

Yeah, that was a thing...which had also been the origin of that warm, yet metallic brush of liquid sliding down her skin into her lips. Yeah, not a good way to end the day let alone start a conversation with the FUCKING Ludex Neuvillete.

She closed her eyes, sighing to herself for a moment as she felt the entire weight of this mess crush her weary shoulders.

With an inward groan she sighed, the migraine of the pain coursing through her skull dimmed down enough to let her think without wailing like a ghost, yet still painful enough to make her feel dizzy. It was hell on earth just to stay put and pretend she was fine

But she couldn't just say so..

Not when he was there.

In front of her…

Sitting in a chair that was so cheap and clearly not meant for someone nearly as tall or broad as him was given the fact that the most the cafeteria of the Institute could only offer were stools.

The scene was so stupid, it was almost ridiculous….and yet she could not help herself to do or say anything about it. Why? Well...SHE WAS TERRIFIED..!

This was not meant to happen! Things should have gone by slowly and steady...you know? Like the turtle and the rabbit in order to win the race? So why was this hunky stud of a man thrown at her path like one who tosses a rolling ball down the street, she wasn't speed-running to the final boss of the dungeon god dammit..!

With all of this nonsense thrown at her lap no wonder she felt like a mouse in-front of a beast that was about to gobble her whole..

Both in the bad way.

And in the good way…

…

...

Her cheeks heated up in sheer embarrassment a few seconds later, her hair somehow concealing her reaction to anyone else and saving what little grace she still held from been cast away by observant eyes.

She really was a lost cause wasn't she? Thinking on that of all things when she should be more focused on self preservation.

Shame…

Shame on her..

One should think of that in private...or in the second date, not in front of the very object of said desire. No matter if he had a six or an eight pack underneath that flashy suit of his.

Well, if you thought about it that was actually the case….him been a dragon and all. Though does that mean that he been a reptile has two dicks down the-?

[OK, STOP WITH THE LEWDNESS GIRL..!]

Gosh! What is it with me and my panties today and the heat coming from down there..!? Still, blatantly disregarding the true nature of the man standing before her and the fact that he could fight Gods and call it easy if the Lore was anything to go by….

Why was she alone the one having a bad time? Shouldn't he be more worried or at least showing how sorry he was about the prominent bump in her skull when he had accidentally imprinted the frame of the door into her forehead.

Instead the Ludex remained still like a statue as if nothing was going wrong while she was sweating buckets. With one of his gloved hands remaining idle over his lap while the other held gently a cup of water from which he brought to his immaculate lips from time to time in order to taste it.

His sharp, masculine jaw in all its splendor. The way he tilted his head to take a sip from the cup exposing the strong muscles of his neck while the loose strands of his mane dangled gently under the waves of air passing by.

[Gods, why did he have to be so handsome...?]

How were men meant to compete with this hunk of an Adonis brought to life..? Even the elf ears made him prettier..! It...it just wasn't fair, she wanted to roll down the floor and cry knowing this bastard had ruined her for other men.

At this point she knew for sure that anyone else would look rather plain in comparison, like bringing a maximus German Pint with its golden hue shining with the light of a well spent day to a meager cup of water pulled out from a plastic bottle.

Was this the power of the mythical figure of husbandos..? Scary…, no wonder people lost their marbles about their waifus too.

Taking a long deep breath, she prepared herself to speak to the man who had yet to speak with her after lifting her from the ground back there at the entrance and led her here of all places.

"Messier Neuvillete, is there something I could he-"

"Madam, are you feeling alright-"

She started to say, only to halt mid way when Neuvillete spoke at the same time. Their sentences fumbling together as they stared at each other with a mix of confusion. However instead of just keeping quiet, trying to process how that had come to pass…they just barging in each others sentences.

"I am sorry, I did not know you were-"

"I am sorry, I did not know you were-"

..

"I did not mean to-"

"I did not mean to-"

..

"Should I speak after you-?"

"Should I speak after you-?"

..

"This...is not what I was expecting to happ-"

"This...is not what I was expecting to happ-"

This scene would have been top five in a romantic comedy where the characters kept messing each others attempts at speech, especially with her ever redder face that she tried to hide in futility from his piercing eyes or with Neuvilletes frown turning into a perplexed expression of mild confusion and pity.

Though to who was directed whether her or himself. Not that it mattered, she wanted the earth to swallow her asap and spare her from this romcom nonsense. It was fine to watch it as a spectator mind you, but it was SOO embarrassing to be the one taking a role in it!

And so..., resigned to this fate of hers and the bells chiming relentlessly in her brain, she wallowed in self pity. Holding her head down with her hands as her face became dyed in bright red that even Little Red would feel jealous of.

Not noticing the brief glint of conflict in the Ludex eyes in the process

"My apologies…., madam. I did not meant to cause you any undeserved grief or anger.."

The gentle voice called her out of her thoughts, making her slowly raise her chin, her eyes peeking shyly through the cracks of her fingers. It was soothing like before, but there was a tinge of something else in it.

It felt like an eternity before she saw her reflection on the depths of his eyes, almost...becoming lost in them.

They weren't harsh or angry, the sharpness of his glare denoting not such an ounce of negative emotion at her. In fact, they were….sympathetic..?

He placed then a hand over his chest.

"I would like to express that...I am not use to have casual talks with others, my inexperience in things outside the courthouse and its rules causing you now...unnecessary difficulty's saddens me.." He said.

His lips curling downwards into a thin like, his beautiful voice almost breaking into pained solemnity, as if she had made her remember something sad all of a sudden before halting for a moment, his eyes darting towards the cup in his grasp and becoming lost in the reflection... as if unable to find the right words of what came next.

Or at least her skull dented mind seemed to perceive the scene as such.

It could have been anything.

"Adding to the situation that led to this event to take place…..please understand that I would understand if you had any grievances at my person..."

Event? Led place? What was he-Oh...right, she did get the gist of it now...

Slamming a door and almost breaking her nose, nah, down right breaking the poor thing in the process and knocking her down like a sack of potatoes was perhaps something that no one would feel happy about.

Except Dottore, that guy would surely eat popcorn at that.

Anyway, why had he not said anything about that before in the first place..?

Then it hit her.., that it was probable that as stupid as it sounded, he could be just as shy as she was and was waiting for her to break the ice..?

That was so cute as it was sad.

Sighing loudly and clasping tightly the cloth of her skirt with her hands he rose her chin to look at him with all the pride she could muster. Which...wasn't much at the moment.

"I-I am not angry" She muttered at last.

"Strange... your face clearly denotes clear signs of distress and the redness of your cheeks denotes no small amount of irritation.."

[Dammit! This man is too observant for all the wrong reasons..!]

At least it meant that he had not been ignoring her.

There was that.

"I-I...thats not it.."

However, what could she said to clear his wrong conceived worries?

That she was embarrassed out of her ass to hold a conversation after such a social debacle..?

Stupidly shy?

Or just horny..?

The last one felt more like a pang at her soul, but yeah, none of the options seemed that would end with a happy ending. It would be safer to throw herself at the core of the Death-star.

And no, she doubted she would "Somehow return" Disney style from that.

"Are you sure..?"

He asked, clearly wanting to know what she truly felt...to which she merely nodded. Not knowing if she could trust her voice at the moment. It was not much, but it was enough to put his mind at ease as he gave her a nod of his own.

It made her feel a little better with herself.

[Ok, you can do this…..just ignore the fact that you have made this conversation a thousand times worse a few minutes ago and that everyone is looking at you funny and take this chance to get to know him better.]

She repeated to herself in her mind, however, just as her lips parted ways to speak did another voice interrupt as one of those blue hat wearing guards came by.

"Ludex Neuvillete, I bring news from Maurice Juglar. The department director of Mathematics and statistics wants to welcome you to the Institute.."

[D'OH..! God dammit man, read the room man! I was here first!] She seethed inwardly.

However, the sound of a cup of water been gently placed on top of the table put any further bitter thoughts on hold as her eyes were drawn back to the source of her problems.

Those silvery eyes of his glaring at the tranquil reflection on the surface of the water.

"So soon? I had hoped that he would wait a little more to do such a thing..."

The Ludex spoke up, his voice calm and collected like she had expected him to be, and yet...it felt as if he was vexed by the news.

..

..

Nah, that could not be.

She was just imagining things.

"I...I think he got wind of what happened at the entrance and thought to take the initiate before the rest of his peers.." Was the hasty replied the agent could offer his superior, earning at last a glance from said man.

And oh boy dear fish boy had a masterful of a poker face.

"I see…I suppose he believes that his words may try to soothe my opinion on the recent events relating to what his department has been caught onto as of late, or perhaps it may be an unrelated matter.."

"I-I could not say sir.."

"..."

"Should I tell him that you are busy, sir?" The man asked, yet Neuvillete shook his head. Though as he did his eyes found hers for less than a second.

Somehow it felt like an eternity.

"No.., I am sure it wont take a minute."

Muttered the silver haired fish boy as he rose from the miniature seat. The woman that had been sitting to his side and just as silent as he had which had made her almost forget about her tried to rose as-well, however with a gesture of his hand she remained where she had been.

"Sir..?"

"I believe it would be in poor taste to abandon our guest here since we brought here in the first place.."

[Yeah, that would be a dick move...thanks Neuvi, but god dammit Murphy! Cant you let me have this round or what..!?]

"I understand...I will guard her"

She meekly rose a hand "Do I have a say on this? Not that I am against, but….is it truly necessary?"

"Don't worry madam….you are in good hands.."

Was the only thing that Neuvillete told her in what she assumed were an attempt at comfort before he marched out of the room, followed up by half a dozen members of the guards.

And so..

She was left to her own devices...

Finally freed from the leading character and all those pesky eyes and in their stead the cold and uncaring glare of the woman they had left behind and Gerard.. She really did not know whether that was a good thing or not.

With another inward sigh she decided to study her new found companion for the hour. And...surprisingly, she looked quite familiar.

She was taller than average, almost as tall as herself, though perhaps that was thanks to her heels.

The sharp angles of the tricorn at top of her head and the shadows it cast low over her otherwise clean features made her look gaunt and cold, while her hair that rested above her shoulder blades in what appeared to be a bob like cut glinted under the ceiling lights with the shades of arterial freshly spilled red.

She wore a short purple cape, flashy...yet not as much as she had expected it to be, in fact it screamed of extremely utilitarian unlike most fantasy capes that she knew off. Along with it a clean collared shirt could be spotted underneath a stylish black Victorian-era jacket, with bottoms of shaded gold and trims of silver decorating the cloth.

A work that would have sorely taken days if not weeks to accomplish.

Everything about her spoke of someone who took her job seriously.

Pretty, stylish and with an aura of confidence that seemed to literally create a fog around her….she was the epitome of femme fatale that said "mess around and find out"

She felt just like Clorinde, but colder. Perhaps too much. Or perhaps it was those boobs of her that were threatening to burst out of a thin shirt just like a certain and future champion of Fontaine that brought that thought.

[God damn...those are almost as big as mine.]

She mused to herself, unable to not look down at her own pair which were far more hidden from view. Anyway, instead of just remaining idle there and pretend she was just another set of decoration of the room she decided to open her big mouth.

"Hi…?"

"..."

[Ok, this is going to be awkward….isn't it?]

"Eh...I am sorry you had to remain here with me when you clearly wanted to be somewhere else."

She apologized, hoping that the woman was not actually upset with her. That was the last thing she wanted, especially when it was not really her fault. Her answer however... was the same as before.

Nothing.

Crucabena bit her lip, her pearly whites chewing onto the soft flesh with a pang of apprehension.

She hated this….the silence.

She always had hated those moments

"Nice weather we are having, right?"

"We are indoors..."

The woman answered at last, her voice echoing coolly in the air between them. A sharpness found in them that should have sting her, yet for her, it was a welcome contrast to this bothersome silent stand off between the two of them.

Now if only the pain in her brain would just fuck off…

Guess one cant win them all.

"Yeah, a pity that the cafeteria doesn't have windows leading outside, no..?

"..."

"So...you are Neuvilletes assistant?"

"I am not an assistant...I am a member of the Marechaussee Phamtom.."

"Oh, I see..like a stripper instead of a friend with benefits..."

"What..?"

"What..?"

º

º

º….Council of Crubabenas….º

Serious C: "You idiots!? Why did you say that...? What part of that sentence reminded you of a stripper..? Do you want to eat steel for dinner...!?"

Tired C: "I don't know! My head hurts to much, brain hurty..."

Funny C: "Don't you mean our brain, comrade..?"

Flirty C: "Well~ she does look appealing enough to warrant impure thoughts…., besides, do you really think dragon boy is a virgin by this point..?"

Serious C: Shut it.!

ºº

"I-nothing. Just thinking out loud.." She muttered, laughing nervously while rubbing the back of her head.

"I see..."

"So...you...are a bodyguard..?"

"Of sorts..." Was the laconic answer as the woman gave her a shrug.

"That's neat.."

"Neat..?"

"I mean….you must be...great at fucking-I mean fighting to be accompanying the Ludex around.." She corrected herself mid sentence, beaming a smile towards the woman in-front of her while she berated herself inwardly.

[Smooth Crucabena.., smooth. A bit more and you may hold neon lights to warn of your idiocy.]

Her companion meanwhile just... stared at her.

The ghost of a frown warping around those delicate features as those blue orbs attached to her skull glared back like a certain control devil at her next meal. Yeah, it wasn't good.

Still…..how the hell did people managed to glare at people without blinking? Wasn't that an anime thing only?

[Please, don't be mad.]

[Please, don't be mad.]

[Please, don't be mad.]

[Please, don't be mad.]

"Something like that.."

[Uf, thank god….she is not mad] She thought to herself, sighing in relief.

"Oh, you surely have a lot of stories to tell of your exploits. My name is Crucabena, but you can call me Ena..."

She said with enthusiasm as she offered a hand towards the woman.

A hand that was...left hanging much to her charring as her friend? Colleague? Individual she shared the room merely stared at it the same way a dog would at an intruder.

"What is it..?"

"A handshake.."

"I know what that is.."

"Then I don't understand your question.."

"What do you want..?"

"Your name silly, what else could it be?" She asked with a broad smile.

"…"

"So..?"

"So?"

"So.. what is it..?"

"Do I need to?"

She felt a stab in her maiden heart. [Wow, antisocial aren't you? Don't worry, mama has patience..]

"I mean...I would hate to call you that girl….or Lady boobs."

"Boobs?"

"Because those melons are so big-I mean...they are rather prominent in your figure, full of personality and love"

Neuvilletes personal body guard merely glared at her, though.

"Is this a new slang of Fontaine I am too smart to know about?"

She felt a droplet slid behind the back of her head anime style. [Jeez...nice way to call me stupid. Also, why do I have the feeling I have heard that before..? Is she breaking the fourth wall too?…..nah, I doubt that]

"P-perhaps..?

"Oh.., ok"

Now she almost fell of her chair.

[Ok, that was fast the fastest change of opinion of history…]

"Surprised..?"

"Yes-I mean no..!"

The red head merely stared at her with those cold eyes of hers, but the way her lips barely curled upwards made her realize that she was fucking teasing her.

[Dammit, she is another Clorinde..and a meany at that!]

With a sigh she clasped her hands together. "Ok, you had your fun...now, do you get what I mean..?"

"Hm...I see, that would not be very practical"

[That is the only thing that bothers you?]

"If a name is needed, then I don't see any reason to keep it a secret. Not like it is given the nature of my job as the Ludex personal guard.."

"Oh...so you were being petty.."

"Not petty, careful.."

"Riiiiiiiight...sister"

"I don't think we share blood.."

"Its a manner of speech.."

...

..

.

"Oh.."

"Yeah.."

A momentary flicker of redness appeared on the woman's features. Though one quickly quelled.

"If that is all…. you shall address me as Petronila from now on…"

Uh…that sounded like an important name for some reason.

She would need to keep that in mind.

"That is a pretty name."

"It is not.."

"Well, it is to me…"

She said with all the warmth and kindness she could muster as she smiled fondly at Petronilla. A brilliant light wrapping around her as she oozed positivism like it was no one else business.

Her new red haired friend however could not help but flinch and try to look away from such glinting spectacle the same way Tsun would try to worm their way out from revealing their feelings to the protagonist.

"You... are weird.." Muttered the Huntress, her cool, deadpan voice wavering for a brief moment.

"Hey, its not like I asked your breasts size.."

"I don't really know why you are so obsessed with my body..."

She felt her heart skip a beat...or was it beating faster? Gosh, these timelines were a mess.

"I-I am not..I am just... observant..?" She replied.

Of course, Petronila did not buy it for a second. She would have better luck selling a two dollar steak into a five star restaurant than pulling that off.

"Riiiiiiiight….observant"

She bit her lip, a vein popping in her forehead.

[Gosh, girl….did you really need to make me that dirty?] "I mean...its not my problem that you are so fucking dummy thick..."

..

..

..

[Oh no…]

"Miss Ena...what did you say..?"

º

º….Council of Crubabenas….º

º

Serious C: "Ok, we are officially dead….any last words girls?"

Tired C: "Wait...we were still alive..?"

Funny C: "We definitely cooked something good while we did.."

Flirty C: "Well~ I dont know about cooking, but I am sure I have the feeling where the boat is rocking towards to and it may feel good."

Serious C: "Why are you lot so horrible..?"

ºº

No

Not this again….

What was with her mouth today? ARGH her head! It hurts! IT HURTS..! It was as if the universe had decided to spit a blob of stupid into her skull and it was drilling her brains out!

"What is dummy...thick?"

A blanket of depression and self loathing came crashing down on her, doubled down with the way the woman seemed unsure of the words themselves.

[Please, why cant I die!?]

"N-nothing...nothing important, just that you seem to have a sturdy built"

"Oh, thats true indeed...I do train a lot"

"Yeah, train...those are...words.."

"Uh?"

"So….how do your hair to look so symmetrical?"

"Are you always this talkative? You weren't not when the Ludex was here.."

Crucabena felt her cheeks flare up, the reminder of that scene from not so long ago still having its sting in her pride.

"W-well I was nervous.."

"Obviously.." Said the woman, dry like a rock and yet it felt almost as if teasingly.

With a huff the Fourth Harbinger wailed her arms over her head. "Oh give me a break.., I felt like I was dying right there with big stud over there and you are not helping.

Petronilla stared her with a raise eyebrow. "Stud..? There are no horses here.."

At this point she really didn't know if she was been messed with or not.

"Right, I imagined that..so..about my question?"

"Is a rather simple affair. I merely used a sword and fire..."

She blinked.

"What..?"

"I said that I used a blade and cauterize the cut with fire in order to make sure it doesn't start growing right away."

She blinked again.

Was she dreaming?

..

No...she wasn't.

"W-why...would you do that...!?"

She wasn't someone that bothered that much with her own hair to be honest back in old life, but who on earth sets their head on fire just to keep a hair cut..!?

That was so cheap..!

If you don't like your hair just go bald like some Canadian anti-hero for gods sake..!

Petronila crossed her arms. "I don't understand what its the fuss about. It has proven easier to maintain while also making it more difficult for my enemy's to get a hold of me from which trying to eliminate me.."

It was meant to be a reasonable explanation, however she could only look at her in horror as a certain thought clicked in her mind.

She was one of those...a combat freak..!

She made the mental promise to make sure that Childe and her never met, the world will not survive them if they did. Also...why did it had to be red heads..?

It certainly put a bad stereotype for the years to come.

Shaking her head and parking that line of thought away from her focus she then went to speak the battery of reasons that existed to put and end to such barbarism. Only for a voice not her own to steal her thunder.

A soft voice.

A manly voice.

One that she knew all too well and that was so close she could feel the hot air tickle her ears or perhaps that was the fever talking to her as she felt a presence just right behind her.

"I apologize in her behalf.., madam Ena, but Ms Petronila can be rather eccentric though pragmatic in her choice of etiquette-.."

"JESUS CHRIST..!"

"No, madam Ena...its me, Neuvillete.."

"I know what I MEANT..!"

º

º

Fontaine

...Somewhere else…

º

The Palais Mermonia was not as grandiose as the opera Epicles, yet it was not made any lesser as the very heart of Fontaine. In fact, it was the actual main administrative building in all of the nation of Justice where all governmental systems resided, all neatly pack together.

From the Maison Gardiennage that patrolled the streets of Fontaine to keep the calm and peace of the nation in the name of the archon of Hydro, to the Maison Cardinalice that regulated the finances of every transaction of Mora or even the secluded and mysterious members of the Marechaussee Phamtom were based out of

Even in simple days there was never a stop of movement and work withing its walls. There was always something to do: a dispute to solve, an enterprise to fund or a crime or scheme to unravel through keen eyes that searched for nothing but justice

Their diligence alone been the organ that pumped the blood of order and stability through the nation

Though it was something that did not really matter to a certain light blue haired girl that rested comfy in an opulent couch while she ate a rather appealing looking cake baked just for her and the sweet aroma of recently brew tea to accompany it on the table.

Such delectable food.. surely such exquisite selection was equally delighted to be in the presence of the God of Justice. At least, that was the common rumor among the servants of the Palais Mermonia.

Furina could not care less though what the people thought or came up with, there was no such thing as bad drama..and besides she was too busy enjoying the way the sweetness of her meal expanded in her tongue anyway.

A feeling that she had experienced so many times before, and yet it never got old. The duality of her eyes glimmering with the fondness of warm memories that her favorite dessert brought to her heart.

Perhaps it was a bit lonely now without the presence of the Ludex to share these pastries with her...but it wasn't like she would lose some sleep because of it. The Chief Justice was not a person who could enjoy much what she called free time anyway.

So diligent in his work that days turned into nights inside his office before he was aware of it.

It really had been a tedious task trying to convince him back then to join her for tea. A small smile crept into her lips at that particular memory.

However, before she could get another spoon of her cake..something happened, or in better words, something didn't happen yet felt like it had. Strange, right? But she could not rub away that something felt kinda off.

Like a premonition of sorts.

One that did not seem to come from the whispering between guards or workers around the Palais Mermonia..but rather like a distant yet desperate wail in the air...or a curse of some sort.

What that had to do with her? She did not know...she just felt it somehow did.

"Lady Furina? Is there something the matter..?"

"Uh, I have the feeling that someone is talking about me..very, very far away.."

She mused out loud as she lazily rose her chin up in an attempt to look around at whatever could be the source of that feeling. Even though deep inside she knew she would not find it.

"Incredible, I never thought that a god could be able to hear the prayers of their people from such distances with such ease."

She blinked in confusion.

"What? How could I even-…."

She started to stammer around as she tried to make sense of the nonsense the man attributed to her, yet her words died out on the spot when she realized what she was doing.

With an inward sigh she stood up from her seat in an elegant, flawless fashion before she went to spread her lithe arms to the sides. As if she was about to welcome the heavens themselves.

Her eyes gently sealed, yet her bearing arrogant like a god only could.

And action repeated to the nausea by this point.

"Well of Course I did. Such feats are nothing to a god, let alone I, Folcalor. Wherever there is justice in the hearts of men, my gaze will be able to perceive the voices of the just..."

She heard herself say.

She heard herself lie.

"Ah, to be able to witness this...I am truly honored." The man said, clearly overjoyed by the illusion of might she had presented.

Trusting so readily.

So blindly...

If she could she would have grimaced at the fascination that was surely plastered on his eyes, one that there had been a time she had enjoyed too to bask over with.

Instead she opened her own and lowered her arms to the sides.

"Right...of course you are…now, please get back to work. It would not be fair for others if you were just to sit and gawk...not that I would mind the attention as your god"

"O-of course Lady Furina...!"

With that said the man readily left her presence, either following her words or fearing any real or imaginary possibility of him tempting fate by remaining a second more in the room.

Releasing a breath she had been holding, she returned to her seat. Picking her plate once more, ready to continue where she had left it.

Well, whatever it was... surely it wasn't something important to worry about.

Chapter Text

As far as Sandrone was aware, Fontaine had always been fond of their constructs.

Inventing them, building them, pushing model after model of creatures of steel and circuit instead of blood and flesh into more aspects of the nation until each and every facet of life that one could ever think of held one.

For life.

For law and order.

For construction.

And even death….

So many shapes, so many tasks...yet it took one just a mere glance to know why such a decision had been taken in the first place.

They were cold

Practical

Orderly

Methodical

And with all the commitment of an individual to a task, yet lacking the very flaws that the flesh brought with it.

..

..

She too was like that….

In fact, as the seventh of the Fatui Harbingers she was the one that seemed to represent such aspect to its finest point. In her eyes her "coworkers" were ridden with weakness, with unnecessary notions of honor and chivalry like the Captain or Pride like the Eight.

Even with all their powers, all their bluster...they all were still lesser than her.

Weak

Ignorant

Willfully pathetic..

After all, if they were so easily swayed by such radical and nonsensical notions and sentimentalism, how could they hope to become what they pretended to be as Harbingers of the world to come..?

It was a particular detail that Sandrone had taken pleasure and pride from for a long, long time...

Few were capable of understanding the song coming from chiming gears and clockwork running within the cold, smooth metal frames of said inventions like she did.

So, it was not a wonder that the Institute of Fontaine, the birthmark of its scientific progress was by far one of her most "chosen" places to visit in the Nation if not the entirety of Tevat.

It was perfect

Perfect

To its smallest, minute detail

Until that woman sullied it with her presence...

A shadow crept over Sandrone's doll like appearance as that particular memory started to overlap over her previous thoughts, making the already thin line that was her lips grow crooked and twisted.

Ugly..

Distasteful..

Filthy commoner blood...

That woman's mere existence disturbing the gentle chiming of gears and conduits with her annoyingly loud high heels echoing through the corridors.

Walking by with that sardonic, pretentious smile on her lips and those fake looks of surprise in her eyes at the sight of the buildings interior as if she ever had any interest about any of it in the first place.

Putting on an act of politeness in front of those around her, feigning weakness, behaving like a fool of a girl that did not who she was dealing with.

Trying to be nice

Kind

Even...gentle

..

..

Such spectacle sickened her.

The sour taste in her mouth poking at her like a thorn stuck in her side, twisting the once flawless expression of the Seventh with a deep frown and a murderous glare in her eyes.

She loathed the likes of her. Wasting time in theatrics and games against their betters when they should be groveling at her feet.

But the worst of all….

Was how the Knave had ignored her.

Sandrone bit her lip, frustration eating her whole as her mind ran thousands of scenarios trying to explain the reason behind such an insult.

How..?

How in Tevats name was even possible for someone to miss her while been carried by an almost three meter tall machine? Inconceivable..!

Even if she had been standing on the second floor of the Atrium when that woman came in with her faithful lapdog tailing right behind she should have been aware of her presence right away as she ventured inside the building. The old cretin surely had taken notice of her even though his master had not.

And in the process missed her own attempt to smugly look down on the harlot from her advantage point from above to showcase her own superiority to that of the unenlightened lump of flesh that dared trespass into these walls of order and logic.

Had she missed her out of bad luck..?

No

That could not be for luck did not exist in the first place.

No, the answer she sought was far more crueler and simpler than just mere happenstance getting in the way of her showing her superiority to that woman with her parlot tricks and flesh market industry.

Her small hands clenched tightly against the arms of the chair she was occupying now, cracking the feeble wooden surface with ease.

The Knave knew

The Knave had known all along that she was going to be there, that she was up there….her not noticing was merely a ploy to show how much the Fourth disregarded her as a threat.

Not even worth her attention.

Loud would have been her wrath right there and then...had she not been aware of the presence of a third party about to come by and stoop their noses too close for comfort.

A faint idea came across her mind then, that perhaps the Ludex would do her work for her. Especially given that he was first and foremost a conniving individual under that mask of politeness he wore to the public. Because in her mind, for someone to "partially" rule Fontaine for centuries unopposed would take a level of shrewdness to match it.

And so she make sure the Chief Justice met the Knave in the most problematic way possible. Surely with Crucabenas foul temper the mask she wore would fall and the Chief Justice would grow suspicious of the woman's black heartened soul.

And if not, then a little more of attention on her from the Gardes would at least keep her in check for a while.

It was a plan with no flaws and with minimal effort from her

..

..

But that…

Did not happen.

Instead the two had started playing doll house or something

And with the area overcrowded with gardes...it would have been extremely difficult for most to try slip through unnoticed under the vigilance of the Gardes and their mecha servants.

However even the Ludex himself could not plan in advance or even conceive that there were several ways to pry on a conversation without even been in the very same room it was taking place.

A terrible mistake….however could it be even called that when you didn't know who you were facing against? The Institute was her playground after all, so it was obvious that she would know all of its layouts.

Those that were free to the knowledge of the public..

And those that were not.

Yet this time not even that had been necessary to do so when the Ludex himself had given her the tool to spy on them so readily and without second thought in the form of each and every mecha that had accompanied the Chief Justice in his retinue to the Institute.

The world that was visible through the lenses of the machines having different shades and hues than those the living would perceive.

Cold.

Sterile..

Almost disjointed from the very air their creators breathed….but clean enough to get a good visual and audio reception to do their tasks.

And so they did.

Silently.

Their bodies of steel and gears standing at attention like they always did after given the right orders. Now they were only doing one more task.

The ghost of a small smile started to warp around her lips at how easy she had managed to peep through what should have been a closed area, a gesture that was not common sight on her but this time she allowed it to happen.

Sometimes she wondered what kind of expression would warp on the face of the ever so stoic elusive Ludex Neuvillete if each and every machine under the Gardes were to go out in a murderous rampage through the entire nation.

Sorrow?

Surprise?

Confusion..?

Or perhaps...just more apathy?

It was an enticing future, one that was as close to happen as long as she pressed a small little bottom on the side of the table in-front of her. However she had never gone through such decision given that it would have been a waste of time and resources for no gain whatsoever.

Though as time went by...such a concern did not seem to weigh as heavily as it first did.

Why? It was rather simple. The conversation between the Ludex and Crucabena was..

It was…

..

..

So fucking weird..!

Why were they talking about friendship..?

Hair..?

Apologies..?

Stripper..?

Body attributes..?

It made no sense, surely it had to be some sort of secret code that only the three of them knew about...but would not that mean that the three of them were working together..!?

It hurt to even consider that..

It was then that she came to the conclusion that she doubted she would ever find much information if she continued peeking, it was clear that the Knave had taken into consideration that she would try to try something like this and acted accordingly.

Mocking her with each and every senseless word and act she put on display, not really to disguise her true nature and misled the Ludex and his attack dog, but to her. The thought made her stomach church in anger.

Such blatant disrespect...would be punished.

One day.

º

….Back to the Cafeteria….

º

..

…

Well... shit

Crucabena didn't know if she was predestined to make a fool of herself by some unseen hand in the shadows... or if it was that damn blow in her head that was making her stumble at every step of the way like some kind of one time comic relief character, but she doubted she could do it worse than she was doing already.

It just couldn't be factually possible to stir the pot any further.

Oh wait..

She better cross her fingers in case she jinxed herself with such line of thought.

After all, speaking the name of the Lord out loud, in a world he did not exist, in the presence of clearly named characters who could only stare back in clear confusion was definitely not her proudest moment.

[Y-yeah...that...is the understatement of the century]

She thought with a bead of sweat sliding down her scalp at that particular line of thought, imaginary dark clouds of depression and shame hovering above her head at that very moment.

Still…

This wasn't fair.

This entire fiasco thrown at her shoulders was not fair in the slightest.

She had been caught wholly unprepared for such an ordeal like this, first with Petronilas antics, her own bodies stupid urges and then dear Neuvillete coming from behind silent like a cat while she was dying of embarrassment with Petronilla was like punching a dead horse.

It wasn't funny.

Just down right cruel.

With a sigh she rose a frail looking hand, slowly pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to swallow down her annoyance at this mess of her own making.

[Curse you R.O.B, I will have my vengeance one day…] She silently swore.

Who knew...perhaps who ever sent her here was listening.

The only highlights of the entire fiasco was that she somehow was spared any sort of scrutiny from the two after such clear slip of her tongue. How you ask..?

Well, that's the neat thing….

She didn't know.

What..!? That is not an explanation good enough for you? You want the real meat? Well buddie, you are shit out of luck because that its exactly what happened...

After her blunder they just looked at each other for a brief moment, the amount of tension she had felt built inside her lungs in what few seconds the silence that stewed between them becoming unbearable….only for it all to vanish in the most absurd of ways with Petronilla shrugging at the Ludex piercing eyes and Neuvillete seemed to...take that as his cue that it wasn't worth questioning her about..?

Yeah, great talkers these two were.., Socrates would have died a third time if he caught wind of these two block heads. Back home her friends would have teased her endlessly about it.

But not these two

Nop

She was not really sure yet whether she was happy about that or not, yet again they did not seem to be the kind of people that go out in Halloween and throw eggs at police cars so perhaps they were more mature and nothing else

Yeah, that was probably it..

Slowly, she sighed, feeling vexed both at the relief at knowing she was not going to be dealing with any pesky questions...and at the migraine throbbing in her skull from the still lingering sting of embarrassment from before.

[I never thought I would be happy to be surrounded by two more completely socially inept people than I…]

Kinda of a low bar to top over all things considered, but one nonetheless..

At least some apologies were offered.

That was something.

She tilted her head to the side, her eyes finding once again

To her credit the Chief Justice had been true to his word, the meeting with that...whoever it was guy he had talked about had been a rather brief affair, and now that he was back, the three were once again where they had left it.

Oh dear..

Oh gorgeous…

But hey, at least she had now a nice looking cup of iced tea.

Though it was that... or water.

I kid you not, but chugging hot leaf juice with all the grace she could muster felt safer than trying to pretend she had any idea how water from Fontaine tasted different than water from Inazuma.

Was that a reptile thing?

Had to be a reptile thing

Now….., speaking of men out of the water.

"I must admit that I held some reservations taking the context of things, but from what I could hear by the time I arrived I am pleasantly surprised to see that the two of you have become rather well acquainted with each other.."

Came the cool, yet gentle voice of the Ludex, breaking the proverbial ice between each other at last.

She felt her ears flared up of embarrassment when those sharp, intense eyes of his gazed at hers.

[Gods, why did he had to be so good looking?] It wasn't fair…though..., this time the effect felt a little more dull than before.

Perhaps she was acclimatizing herself to his gentleman allure and stud aura..

Wait, was that even a thing?

She shook her head inwardly because palming her cheeks would have been too much of a give away.

[Focus girl, focus….get your head out of the gutter for once...those thoughts are for the pillow to know and it alone]

Yeah...right now she had to tackle this conversation like one did a boss when your Estus Flack was empty. Slow and steady.

"Oh, that? It was nothing, Chief justice..."

"Please, madam Ena….just call me Neuvillete. Away from the matters of the court and all its duties I am just another citizen of Fontaine.." He said calmly, placing a hand over his chest.

Well, that was nice of him, kinda on point with his character back in the game.

Still…

Really?

Just another citizen? He who was the most important and relevant person of Fontaine, just below Furina?

[Yeah, keep telling yourself that stud...] She thought with an inward chuckle.

Still, such particular class of humbleness was rather endearing and perhaps attractive. Not like she would tell him that now.

Pretty men were dangerous.

Self aware pretty men even more so….

"Of course, of course Messier Neuvillete...though only if you do the same, all that madam business makes me feel older and I am just a gal on her prime..." She muttered softly as she rubbed the back of her head.

Also.., now that she thought about it, how old was she in this body? Uncle Hoyo had never said.

Well, it did not matter much right now.

As those thoughts were around her mind he studied her gesture for what felt an eternity….and yet his lips seemed to quirk upwards for only a moment.

A gentle thing

"I find it to be a rather agreeable request...Miss Ena"

She blinked. "Wait..really?"

He gave her a weak nod, the sharpness of his eyes seemingly becoming softer in her opinion for some reason.

Warmer even..

"Yes, I too think it would make things easier and far more amenable between us to converse like that..."

"Ah, that's..I-"

"Of course, if you still find yourself worried or unease because of me then I would apologize again for that..."

Apologize?

Him?

"N-no! There is no need for that..you are been too kind to me, there is no way in the world I-I would ever demand something like that from you!"

The words slipped out of her lips before she realized as she wailed her arms in a panic. Even though he was at fault for slamming a door in her face the more this conversation went, the more it felt she was the bad guy here.

It was all so distressing and confusing...that perhaps that was why she did not took on the way he glared deeply once more into her eyes.

And the thoughtful expression behind them.

"That is good to hear Ms Ena.., but please, if you do feel bothered, you don't have to pretend to the contrary.."

[But I am not pretending to be happy dammit!] She groaned inwardly, comical tears sliding down her face. Still.., it was hard to be mad at him when he was been so polite. As if fearful she would take flight if he dared raise his voice.

Which...she probably would.

One must watch out for the quiet ones...

Anyway, it wasn't that much of a bother really if the only thing she would have to suffer for a while longer would be harmless misunderstandings then she was not mad with the cards she had been given today either

There would still be time to fix things down the line.

"Thanks for the kind offer..., though I believe it wont be necessary. Apart from how abrupt our meeting started to be….I have no qualms about it"

[The bumps in my skull hurt like a bitch though...]

He nodded "I see...I am grateful to hear that"

"It..it was nothing, besides it was just an accident.."

It was like bumping into someone in a crowded office. It happened and it wasn't serious at all, so why worry about it? Its not like she would use that to blackmail him into-Bad girl, bad girl, don't you remember he can fold a space whale..!?

"Anyway, I must admit that when I first met Ms Petronilla I was a little nervous, but she soon proved to be a…" She started to say, yet end up biting her lip.

A hard ass..?

Sexy femme fatale..?

Complete humorless gal that had too much chest yet not enough lip service..?

The options poked at the edge of her tongue like the incessant need one felt to tell a really bad dad joke during a family outing. A jab that could only be found funny in the right place.

This wasn't it...

"Rather interesting character to speak with..."

She found herself saying in the end, her voice still weak yet slowly finding some strength to back herself up, perhaps given some comfort at the fact that it was not really a lie.

Still….she prayed he bought it.

At least Petronilla seemed to be conveniently ignoring them, her eyes set on the table, perhaps finding its cheap surface far more entertaining than the conversation at hand.

[Well, that is a bit rude]

The Ludex nodded approvingly though, placing the cup in his grasp gently on the smooth surface of the table.

"A rather fair assumption...and not necessarily away from the truth taking into consideration the peculiar nature of her character.."

She fought down the urge to chuckle when she heard a peculiar Tsk come from the Huntress at the way her boss described her eccentric nature.

It was kinda cute.

With a pleased smile she leaned a little bit forward, brushing away some stray locks of hair from her eyes while she brought up the cup of tea to her lips. It was not as hot as before, but the citric taste still remained just as strong.

For someone that had never liked it, it now tasted delightful. Was that an Isekai thing or just that Crucabena was more of a tea person..? If it was the latter then she admitted to be surprised since she had pegged the woman to be of the wine kind of evil mastermind. Tea felt a little too tame...and British.

Well, whatever it was...it surely was coming in handy now, it also helped that it was actually good and not those cheap leaf-juices that one could get at a cafeteria.

She took another sip and it almost send her to heaven.

Yeah, definitely better.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the moment. The simplicity of this scene, of how mundane it was.

It was...so soothing….

It almost made her forget who were the people sharing the table with her for a moment. Almost been the key word.

"So...what drove you here Neuvillete..?"

The words come out softly, pushing a certain question that had been hovering in her mind for a while now as she placed the cup down once more. Earning her a soft look from the man, with one of his brows seemingly rising just barely as he tilted his head ever so slightly, a curious semblance on his pretty looking face.

Faint..

But still there.

It somehow seemed to make him cuter in her opinion.

"Hm? Myself you ask..?"

[Gosh...why is your voice making me shiver..?]

Last she checked it was not that cold inside the cafeteria. She clenched her hands before letting them lean over the table's surface.

"Yeah, if I am honest with you... I was not quite expecting to meet you here in public of all places. You are after all...quite a busy man.." [Specially when Furina seems to throw all the work at your lap..]

A bit harsh of a judgment…however she had the nagging feeling that her little droplet was eating cake at this hour.

She just didn't know how right she was…

"So...surely its understandable that the thought of you leaving the court to come by here was certainly not in my mind.."

[Let alone that we would meet like some sort of anime gag scene..]

The Ludex nodded sagely.

"Of course...you would be mostly right miss Ena. The demands of the court and the ever pressing amount of charges and trials that are thrown out and asked to be held would take most of one's time.."

She nodded. So far, nothing wrong with that…

The fact that he did not sound displeased at all by been overworked was...weird to hear, but it surely was just a character trait.

Against popular belief...there were those who actually loved working.

..

Yeah.., workaholics were scary.

"Still, regular visits to the Institute are one of my duties as Chief Justice…take it as some sort of inspection"

She tilted her head to the side, a few stray fingers rubbing her chin in deep thought.

"Oh, that….makes sense.., w-wait..if you are here who presides the trials in your absence then..?"

Inspections took time

A whole crapload of time when bureaucracy got in the way of things..

And if there were so damn many trials it was unlikely that today of all places was vacant from any of the theatrics that the people of Fontaine loved to see as entertainment. Surely Neuvillete had not just left all things mid way to attend to this place, right.? Right..?

The idea was too strange and character rbeaking to consider to be true...still, she had to admit that the thought of Furina sitting on that oversize chair of the Ludex, trying to push forward a trial by herself instead of falling into hysterics was kind of funny

"Other judges of course.." Was his simple and kind reply as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Sadly, the feeling was not mutual as she stared at him as if he had grown another head.

..

..

..

..

..

"Eh..?"

º

º….Council of Crubabenas….º

Serious C: "Wait…, there are more judges than him.? When was that a thing...!?"

Tired C: "I mean..isn't that a given..? Why would he be the only one..?"

Serious C: "Because there was nothing like that in the game perhaps ..!?"

Flirty C: Oh my~, don't dell me that you thought that the Nation of Justice was only held together by one man alone? I mean..he surely could bench us with one hand but common on...just him? Really?"

Serious C: "…"

Funny C: "Oh my...YOU really thought that was the case...!?"

Serious C: "Shut it..!"

º

To say that she was surprised of what she had just heard would not do it enough justice.

It shouldn't have been so ground breaking…

In fact there was no way in hell that only he existed as the sole judge of the nation, such notion was so stupid that if it was true it would cripple somehow the nation in one way or another...like what would Fontaine do if the Ludex had to go to another nation for a few days or weeks for political matters..?

Yeah…

It was kinda self-explanatory..

Still, it seemed that even with that she could not help herself be caught by surprise by it anyway.

[So there are more guys working at the courts? Huh…, I was not expecting that] Thinking about it now she was feeling a bit dumb from not coming to that idea far sooner.

"By the look in your eyes….I take... that you were not expecting that..?"

She felt her cheeks flare up in embarrassment, her hands clenching yet her fingers fidgeting against one another as the polite, almost careful words of the Ludex brought her back to reality.

Shit, was she so easy to read..?

It would be bad news if she was...

[Come on, get a grip of yourself Crucabena...it was just happenstance for making such a peculiar question, nothing more…]

"Uh, n-o..not at all. Its just that when I hear about an ongoing trial the only man I think been capable to fill the role of the judge is...yourself.."

She wasn't lying to be honest.

Tall..

Well dressed.

With a cheekbones literally sculpted by a god and that gentle yet imposing aura that only a daddy could bring and make everyone listen to him while he seats in a god mode couch.

Trying to fix a nation of idiots who loved drama with patience. Even...when he did not understood himself fully.

He had earned the tittle of Chief Justice

And so, with that thought she rose her gaze, meeting his eyes to let him know that...which she was yet too shy to say.

And Neuvillete..

Neuvillete merely smiled..

A small thing...

Timid..

Pained..

A mirage perhaps induced by repeated brain injury…, but it felt real. And that was enough for her hear to flutter as he slowly stood up from his seat.

"You hold me in too much regard Ms Ena.."

No

She really didn't…

But she could not bear herself to say it…, not yet.

"And what about you, miss Ena?"

"M-me..?"

"I take that you came here to ask or look for something of the Institute.."

It was not a question, but rather a statement

Though one not hard to make given that no one came here to buy vegetables...yet

"Well..yes, but... no?" She muttered, fidgeting with her fingers.

He looked at her a bit puzzled, his face furrowing with a frown..only to soften when he realized that she was not been evasive.

Yeah, her wording needed some work.

"How strange, its the first time someone admits and denies something outside of the court in less than a minute..." She heard Petronilas voice from the side, the Huntress now leaning forward against the table instead of been willfully ignorant of their conversation.

The tone of the readhead deadpan as ever...yet the mocking undertone seemed to ring in Crucabenas ears for some reason.

Her expression became strained just as her left eye started to twitch.

Now she was been dissed by the red head? Now..!?

[Not cool girl, not cool..]

"I concur...what a strange chain of events have unfolded in such small amount of time.." Spoke Neuvillete this time, the poor man not really picking up on the sarcasm in the air

As usual...

Crucabena could only look at the man betrayed.

[Oi! I felt that!]

With an inward sigh she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Quiet you two..what I meant was that I did came here to get something of the Institute, just not for yourself..

"Not for yourself..?"

"Of course, after all it was a gift for my daughter..." She made sure to put a special emphasis on the last word. Though to be honest it was a gift from her to herself than anything else.

A white lie of sorts, no need to explain everything to everyone, right?

"You... have a child..?"

There was something cute to be found in the look of mild, numbed surprise plastered on the Ludex face.

She nodded. "A couple actually…rapscallions all, but a lovable bunch"

The fact that they were child soldiers went unsaid of course.

It would do her no good anyway.

"Poor things…" Muttered Petronila from the side with a deadpan tone.

"Quiet you Nila! Stop ruining my immersion..!"

"That..is not my name.."

"Tomato potato.." She muttered with exasperation, raising her hands with a shrug.

The huntress looked at her with a raised eyebrow "Why are we talking about foo now..?"

Crucabena almost groaned herself to tears.

[Gods, why did her skull have to be just as thick as her thighs..?]

The sound of a fake cough draw her attention back to the silver haired chief Justice

"Ehem.., I believe that we have gone out of course from the conversation at hand.."

"Right...sorry"

Neuvillete shook his head...amused?

Nah, that could not be right.

"There was no need, still...congratulations are in order miss Ena.

"Congratulations..?"

"Indeed, though I must admit that I was not expecting someone as young as yourself to be already married and with children is no less cause for celebration.."

Married..?

Young?

She..?

The words rang weird in her ears for a while.

She knew she looked hot as fuck...but did she look that young..? It was something strange for the Ludex to remark on like he had.

[Well, compared with him I must be a child so perhaps its just lizard brain doing his thing]

Though...now that she thought about it, how old was she anyway? Not her old self mind you, that she at least was aware of, but how old was Crucabena itself? Thirty? Forty? Fifty..?

She did not know

Not like character design helped much thanks to Hoyo's shenanigans, Ningguang was meant to be in her fifties like Cocolia and those two blondes were as pretty as a picture.

"Well, you know how life goes...one moment you think you have everything figured out and the next...boom, you have a family and children pop up all over the place,." She said, wailing her arms all over the place in order to explain things easier.

He gave her a weak nod. "I cant say I know what you mean...Ms Ena, however by the sounds of it you have found meaning on it..you are truly lucky.."

His voice dropped for a moment, his gaze becoming lost in he-no, in a point behind her she realized. His shoulders barely becoming a little sagged with...a heavy weigh that only he could see. Making him look vulnerable...the song of a certain crying dragon starting to echo in her mind.

She bit her lips..

It did not last long though as he returned to his old self a few seconds later.

Gently extending a gloved hand at her direction, open…, waiting..

She took it.

"I have heard that parenthood is a rather serious...yet beautiful aspect of life, I hope that you do your best for them..."

The words echoed practiced in her ears, yet she smiled back nonetheless. Even if it had become more brittle than before. Why? Because her heart was happy to hear his words..even...if her mind punished her with the reality that she kept behind closed lips.

He had meant well…

She knew that.

But it was hard not to flinch inwardly at the real Crucabena had done until then to all those children, to even her own flesh and blood...

Of the nature of the Hearth…

Of what the Fatui wanted and needed of the orphans….and what they would do to them to get what they wanted

Torture..

Experiments..

Social Darwinism at its extremes.

And so much more fuck up shit she was not aware of and was waiting a cross the corner to be found.

..

..

She was innocent of all those things.

She had done nothing like this….this woman whose body she now lived in had done.

Her hands...were clean.

And yet, somehow she felt dirty to be given such trust..

[I hope so too...Neuvillete, I hope so too..]

"Thanks, those words….mean a lot Neuvillete.."

"I am glad I could help...if only a little.."

She wanted to hug him

Gods she really did wish she could….

No longer for some deviant desire to feel that body up close...but just to shake off the mood-swing from such self deprecating thoughts from dragging her down. Yet between how bold such an idea would be...and how awkward it could result afterwards it was dropped much to her displeasure.

Instead a different idea took root inside of her…

Playful

Foolish

Bold

And one that was eerily related to the camera that had been left unattended on the side of the table for a long while with everything that had been going on.

If she could not act on her desires...perhaps she could get a memory to remember fonder times when these thoughts came by instead. And who knew...perhaps he would look at this moment much later in time with some fondness as-well

[Fingers crossed I dont get blown up into the sky like Team Rocket] She sighed, her shoulders slumping down before she straightened herself back.

A dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Yeah, I guess that not many people have given me the talk or even the simplest of courtesies about it so its nice to hear it once in a while.."

She said, pausing for a moment before taking a step forward, placing a hand over his shoulder. The fabric of his cloth shifting under the gentle pressure of her grip.

"Still.. thank you.."

"It was nothing.."

"Sure was, still...you don't have to be so modest with yourself.."

"Modest?"

The way the words echoed from his lips, how his once listless eyes now frowned with the ghost of confusion, how regal semblance tried to understand whether she was joking...or not yet unable to understand or settle for either.

It was amusing.

She wanted to see more, to poke at him, to tease if ever so slightly and see more.

Even though she shouldn't..

Oh dear she shouldn't...but since when had she known restraint?

And besides, for some reason she felt….confident. Something else inside of her pushing her forward to delight herself with this game.

And she was not in any haste to worry about what would that be...

"I mean... I am sure that as a father yourself you would know a thing or two about it.."

Neuvillete frowned, his body becoming a little more rigid yet the grip on her hand remained as gentle as ever.

"My apologies...Ms Ena, but I am not a father…"

"That is not what I have heard.." She said a bit more cheerfully, jabbing a finger on his impeccable chest, her heart finding a bit of glee at his reaction...or at the way she felt her finger was literally poking a wall of muscle underneath the proper cloth.

The frown in Neuvillete only seemed grow bigger at that yet he put no objections, a series of micro emotions raging inside those eyes of his.

She felt him put hand on her back, strong, wide..yet careful.

Not careful enough though when instead of pushing her away it only managed to get pressed a little more harder against each other.

"Ms Ena...I assure you that no matter what kind of gossip or rumors have been made around on the circles of Fontaine, I am not a father...nor I think I would k-have the time to be such thing.."

She tilted the head to the side, leaning a little bit closer.

Her blood running hot inside of her veins.

Her heart beating louder by now

"Are you sure~..?" She whispered as she drew herself closer to him, the warmth of her body feeling the coolness of his, lips still warped in a fond smile.

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, sometimes he tried to look away, but in the end he sighed.

"Yes.."

"My..so serious, it sounds as if you were judging me for some crime.."

"Madam Ena-…"

"Tsk, I thought we agreed on not calling me that.., that's hurtful.." She said with fake sadness before she gently pushed herself away from his touch.

"Still, you should never say never..times changes us all after all.."

A raised eyebrow was his answer.

It was better than nothing.

She cocked a smile "What? It wasn't really that bad.."

Petronila facepalmed.

"Ms Ena...would you happen to know who made such...baseless rumors?"

"Moi?"

"Ms Ena..please, slander, even if something as simple and perhaps harmless as such can still be held to account.."

"Well, that could prove a bit problematic, even for you…"

"And why would that be.?" His voice was curt, but not harsh.

She bit her lip. He really felt more manly when he was serious. [Gods...how you managed to be single for centuries you fool..!?]

"I mean...would you sent to prison all Melussines in Fontaine for such a harmless thing…?"

He blinked, not really expecting such a reply

"The... Melussines..?"

"Of course, who else..?"

"No, there must be a mistake, they are...wonderful creatures, but to consider me their father is a bit too much.."

She shrugged. "I mean..yeah, you are right...but you were the one that integrated to Fontaine society.."

"Oh? That…? It was just the best way to avoid clashes and hysteria from the people of Fontaine when more and more cases of people spotting the Melussines swimming on the sea came around.."

A fair explanation..

But she was not gonna give up just like that..

"You also help them find a meaning to their existence and find happiness among the people of the nation.."

He slowly pulled his hand away from hers, readjusting his tie.

His eyes trying to avoid her gaze.

"Like myself..., they were once new to Fontaine and its customs, many had doubts and dreams..I...merely gave them a helping hand..anyone would have done the same"

[Now that's a lie and you know it..]

Carol would be alive if that had been the case back then..

She shook that memory from her thoughts.

It did not suit the mood right now.

"You advice people on the daily to treat them with respect and love, watching over them from time to time and even going as far as to ask how their days have gone.."

He..took a step back.

He was not...sweating right?

"They…. are kind creatures, deserving of love and respect..."

She rose an eyebrow. "You made a law in which no one should ever address the Melusines as its..bur rather refer to them as properly as possible"

"It was...the right thing to do.."

..

..

..

"Did I say that you also go and visit them at their village from time to time, bringing gifts along the way…?"

The Ludex tried to open his mouth once more. To deny it again….yet this time nothing came out from his lips. His mind clearly wanting to say anything at all, yet his body refusing to say a lie.

The smile on her lips only seemed to grow wider.

It seemed that the all knowing Ludex did not know the answer to that particular part.

He then stared at his hands...confused, as if the answer would be found there. It took a long time before he rose his head once more and stared at hers. His stoic nature dulling the emotions he could express.

..

..

"They...consider me...their father?"

The look in his eyes would have been the funniest thing she had ever seem in her life.

Had she not taken a photo just right then and there.

ºº

When that hooligan of a scientist bothered his master he had felt worried.

When Gerard had seem The Ludex Neuvillete burst through that door he had felt dread.

When that very door had smacked his masters fair face he almost had a heart attack.

Why?

Why something like that had to happen during his vigilance?

There had been a million things that could have gone terribly wrong in that moment that he knew he would have been faster counting what would not happen to list them all.

Even if these last few days had shown a peaceful face of his master, he was well aware of the Knave's true temper. One that was as wrathful as she was a master of lies.

To be knock down on the ground in such a poorly manner by a man who never had the intention to cause such a scene in the first place was...well, bad to say the least. In fact he had almost thought he would see blood spilled on what had been a rather...peaceful day.

And yet...that didn't happen.

Somehow a miracle had occur before his own tired old eyes, because instead of lashing out, the madam had taken the Chief Justice's hand and walked alongside him like nothing bad had just happened.

Then they had gone to a secluded space to have a small chat and talked about so many mundane things that their meaning defied comprehension. So much that Gerard almost thought he really had died and the next thing he would see would be buildings made of cotton candy and rivers filled with wine.

After all...what other thing could explain the what he had seen let alone hear?

The knave acting flustered around the Ludex and his bodyguard like some sort of a school girl..?

The Knave sharing small talk between the two most prominent individuals of Fontaine like they were old friends..?

The stammering and the flirting..?

The jokes..?

It made no sense.

It was like looking at a complete different person all together from who he had come to know so well for so many years.

No sign of the malice..

Of the threatening aura of the madam..

Not even a veiled threat or insult laid out in the entire conversation.

And so, in Gerards mind, at the sight of these outlandish, yet never ending amount of evidence there could only be one reasonable explanation to what he was a witness of.

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

The Knave was truly the greatest actress to ever live...!

Chapter Text

º…..Beginning of part 2…..º

º

Snippet

º

“After everything you have done, after everything they will continue to do for their sick whims...how can you live with yourself? How can you be so arrogant and cold to your fellow man..?”

“When the next world comes, the sins of the past wont hold sway over Tevat. Surely even you can understand how more benign such a world could be..”

“A world built on the mountains of corpses of children whose only sin was to be born..? Your moral high-ground is nothing but hypocrisy..”

“Don't forget your place Knave, you and the House are merely tools for murder, nothing more and nothing less..”

“We are what you made us, Jester...and I am sick and tired of it”

º

º

º

º

º

The sun shone bright.

The birds sang and the flowers bloomed.

In days like these, kids unlike her should be playing in the fields at their hearts-content

..

What?

Her?

What about-Oh, ok, that makes sense. Hey! Stop poking alright! I am already getting to it you slow-poke!

Anyway, where was she? Ah, right, it was a great day to spend it at ones own leisure, so it was not that strange that the first thing she felt was-

Bliss…

Total, utter bliss…

That was the sentiment she was feeling after leaving behind the overly noisy and crowded streets of Fontaine and all their strange, curious and damn pretty characters behind a few dozen miles between her and them in order for her to finally take her well deserved peaceful rest back at the House of the Hearth...which mind you, wasn't something she had ever expected to consider.

Now though..it was clear why.

Away from bald, strange men selling flowers and spouting nonsense.

Save from any unsuspecting doors capable of smacking her square in the face again..

And finally but not least shielded from the gallant and blinding brilliance of any named character for that matter that could pop up like fungus in a forest at any given time. Yes Neuvillete, I am talking especially about you and your sharp features.

Well, ok...it was true that a part of her had wished to get a look at Furina. The thought of meeting the young looking girl been a prominent thought in her mind for a few days actually. After all, if the Chief Justice was better than what her wildest imagination could conceive, then the lead star of Opera would be just if not more stunning to gawk at.

The mere thought of the thrill of such fateful meeting was surely doing something fishy to her because oh, dear...she could almost picture her in her mind.

The way she spoke, boasting with pride or gentle..

The way she moved, like a carefree spirit having fun wherever she went.

With her soft white hair and blue streaks ending in a cute ahoge like an anime protagonist, all under a tall, yet no less impressive top hat that had made with love. With the myriad of ocean blue cut stone accessories sewed into her clothing that reminds one of fresh water droplets and the stylish sleeves that ended in those diva like gloves.

Or maybe she would fall bewitched of how pretty of her heteromorphic eyes would look once she set her gaze on them. She promised to the almighty and Jesus that she had no “ill” mannered thoughts in mind when thinking about those things.

Truly…

..

..

Well, perhaps just a little

º

...Court of Fontaine…

º

It was hard to describe it, but for some reason Furina felt a little more upbeat as she stared at the blue sky that extended far and way from the windows and the drapes that covered them of the Opera House, her lips wide with a smile more genuine than normal.

Was it the Music in the air?

The distant, picturesque clouds..?

Or just how nice the city felt today?

Whatever it was she felt beaming with a little more pride than usual, like when she stood under the praise of her fans.

It felt...nice

“You appear to be in greater spirits than usual…did something happened Lady Furina..?”

The soft, polite tone of the Ludex’s voice came as a reminder that she was not exactly alone in the room. The man having remained silent for a long while as he worked diligently on a series of documents, never raising his head with only the occasional interference of a Melusine bringing more papers for him to work with

Why she sensed a strange, awkward look in the eyes of the Ludex each and every time his gaze met those of the Melusine’s in question she did not know.

It surely was nothing..

Anyway, to answer the question poised towards her, she shrugged the only way she knew.

Dramatically

Brushing playfully her hair at the same time the sun shining through the windows bathed the edges of her form in a glowing like crown of light.

“What can I say, I have the feeling today is going to be a great day as the winds themselves whisper of musings only the divine could ever hope to perceive their greatness and magnificence…”

Unlike her usual crowd of fans, Neuvillete merely stared at her with a deadpan expression before he gestured to a pile to his side.

“Ah.., I see, if that is the case then you could help me with these papers from the last trial..Lady Furina”

Furina immediately paled after hearing that.

“H-help you..? Me?”

“Yes…, I have found myself distracted as of late because of a certain... matter.”

The words of the Chief Justice slowed down at the very end, a strange listless look settling in his eyes, not one of solemn melancholy...but confusion?

Before she could ask why he resumed to speak.

“As I see it a helping hand would speed things up, also..its been a while since I have seen you sort any documents related to a trial, it would surely do you good..”

To be considered in such high regard was no easy feat...and yet she could not help but groan and curse her luck.

[What part of having a great day you did not hear..!?] Like where in all that she had said meant that she wanted to focus on paperwork...!?

“A-ah, you see...the call to the stage calls me so I better get goi-”

“Lady Furina..” Started to say the Chief Justice, however it was already too late as she was already bolting through the door.

“Sorry my world needs meeeeeeeeeee, Toodeloo…!”

...

..

.

“And she is gone….again”

º

….Back to the House of the Hearth….

º

With a sigh Crucabena slumped down on her seat.

Sadly, she had the nagging feeling that if it had come to that her heart would not have survived the trip with the memory of Neuvilletes meeting still fresh in her mind.

What? You think that is an exaggeration? Then boy oh boy... you have seen nothing. Well, true... perhaps it was an Isekai thing but cuteness was a deadly weapon..and those two normally were in close proximity to one another.

It would be like dealing with Team Rocket “prepare for trouble, and make it double” kinda of thing. Only that instead of been two losers and one talking cat would be daddy Neuvillete and gorgeous Furina in front of her.

Yeah..

That was that…

Anyway, there was no need to cry over spilled milk, or was it Fonta now? Well, not like it matter much now though. She had not left Fontaine empty handed, and she was not talking about the camera.

Her eyes briefly stealing an amused glimpse at the portrait sized baffled horror filled look of the white haired Ludex at the prospect of surprise fatherhood that she had managed to snatch in that furtive shot from her camera back at the Institute. One which she had not been able to help herself from leaving it hanging on the wall just behind her like a trophy of sorts.

Yeap..

Worth every skull blasting ache…

And the quality of the shot, oh dear...that camera may have been a prototype but it was already paying its rightful due. The amount of money that she would get out of it was going to be astronomical, in fact she already had a bunch of dudes working on replicating the thing.

But the best part was the look of confusion of the servants of the House that passed by from time to time in case she needed something was just a sweet bonus. The poor bastards did not know whether to laugh their asses off or remain steadily afraid of her with what little of a poker-face they could muster.

Someone could call that torture..

But hey, if there were having fun behind close doors then it surely was not that serious.

She was surely having a blast at least.

With that line of thought concluded in a satisfactory fashion she closed her eyes and with a sigh, leaning back against her comfy chair, ignoring the way it groaned under her weight as she stretched her arms behind her back.

“Ugh.., home sweet home…..lazing around never felt so nice..”

Yeah, that was right.

She, the terrifying Knave, the woman who everyone thought was a master schemer, the one and only master of this “House” of lies built overt the corpses of children and innocent….was horsing around without a care in the world.

Shocking right..?

Nah, not really...especially if you knew her from her time on Earth.

Still, one would think that as a Harbinger she would have a crap load of things to do, good old paperwork, people to kill, children to kidnap, nations to burn..you know, the usual evil stuff the Fatui tended to do most of the time canon wise..?

Nop...

Not the case this time…

Sure, from time to time papers pile up on her desk with missives from some people telling her about stuff that was happening somewhere, or some guy whose name was way too long to bother remembering asking about for a favour or two (mostly about killing some poor sap in exchange of money) but hey...what could she had come to expect when people thought her to be the Antichrist with breasts..?

Anyway, it only took her to call Gerard to sort things out for her and the old chap would do so with a smile on his face. Which...was kinda weird but oh well, whatever floated his boat as long as the shit did not splashed back to her.

So yeah, there was nothing for her to pay attention but the children of the House themselves.

Not work

Not spying on people..

No brutal killing and shady stuff behind close doors..

Not some secret duper meeting between Harbingers where she would shit herself or just go fangirl on them.

And surely not that letter with that golden seal she had discarded the first time she entered her office.

..

..

[Wait.., what? A letter?]

Confusion dawned on her at that strange last thought fumbled its way forward into her mind. Where had that came from? No, that was not what was important because there was no-...oh, right...there was that one she realized at the end. Her memory reminding her of a certain object she had found the first time around in this very office.

“Uh.., now that I think about it... the letter, was it not-”

She stopped, scratching her head as her eye seemed to wander over her mostly empty desk, trying to find something that she could not quite spot just yet.

“Uh...a Fatui letter..?” She mumbled out slowly, almost shyly as if the thought of speaking out loud such revelation could cause bad luck to strike. Which of course, like any sane minded person would realize would not happen, right?

Right?

As the silence answered her she started to giggle to herself, and not manically of course….just..caught in the moment, yeah, after all it was not paranoia if the world was out to get you. Anyway, it was not long before she readily palmed her features with her hands to calm herself down.

“Ok, there is a letter of dubious importance that may or may not affect the plot….or my life give or take who sent it..” She muttered as she opened a shelf though she was met with just a small book, no important looking letter on sight. Not a good start all things considered.

She pinched the bridge of her nose “God, can you tell me how did I forget that in the first place..?”

As far as she knew it could be everywhere..

Lost inside a book.

Down in the trash…

Or Gerard took it by accident when she so gracefully offered her pile of work to him. So on and so on..

You lot got all of that? Yes? Good, because she was not gonna list them all again. In other words, there was no way she could find a simpler, cheaper manner to quicken the search for the damn thing.

..

..

Or was it..?

Slowly, she tilted her head to the side, her eyes staring at the ceiling. A dumb idea in her mind at that very moment. But who knew, perhaps it was stupid enough to work?

[Well, it does work in animes..so why not here too?]

Such logic clearly had no flaws...unless you were a sane working person with self respect that is.

No biggie.

Nodding her head after that she held her hands together in prayer. “God, you there? Or is it archons now? No, don't pay attention to that, so..could you lend me a hand I lost on my own..?”

..

“Not gonna say anything..?”

..

With a sigh she slumped her head between her hands.

“Shit..really? And here I thought I would have some sort of fourth walls powers, or just a perk or two given all the shit I will have to go through given in which body I am residing now but no, nothing, nada.” Sighing she readjusted herself on her seat “Well, it was worth a shot...”

As far as she knew this development didn't change things for the better..

It did not for the worse either though.

“Ok, given that no divine intervention is going to happen any time soon...I guess I should o things on my own. Great, anyway... where did I put the damn thing..?” She grumbled through her teeth, though it was mostly to herself rather than anyone else.

Given that she was not yet overly familiar with the furniture of the room, things were taking a lot longer to sort out than she expected. It was only after she opened half the shelves inside her desk and neatly inspected for whatever nook and cranny the bloody thing could have gotten stuck under that she was met with a peculiar envelop.

The Fatui crest firmly embedded in its still unopened cover, glinting dangerously.

Just like she remembered

“Oh, here you are…”

She grunted out loud, her voice harsh yet relief finally brushing at the very end as she placed the thing over her table. Staring at it with a bit of curiosity. The first time she had taken a look at it had been a while ago and a rather brief one. In fact, now that she looked at it with more care she noticed that there was a second crest on the backside of the card.

Was that...a Harbinger crest? It looked like one…

But which one?

She tried to think...but she came up with nothing. As far as she knew it could be anyone from the eleven of those crazies in the Jesters make belief friendship group and she didn't remember to who belonged each one.

Yeah, the whale was for Childe….but that guy was not even in the Fatui just yet. And the Moth and the black hand, the puppet and the Jesters mask where already known, kinda self-explanatory. But among the list of characters to who was the one that had the plague mas-

..

..

[Oh…]

[Oh shit... this is not good…]

“Not good at all...” She whispered to herself, her voice breaking at the very end just as her eyes grew lidded, glaring with a little more distrust the sheet of paper in her grasp as if it could slip from it if she stopped looking at it for a second.

It felt wrong to hold it

Worse to even look at it…

She bit her lip. Of everyone...it surely was not that “guy”, right? The thought alone make her stomach churn.

..

[Oh hell of course it was that guy! Who else? Superman?]

Huffing she dropped the sheet of paper on the table, bringing her hands up to rub her head as sweat started to prickle her nose. When she had decided to remain away from Fontaine, it was to avoid getting this red flags from main characters.

So why did they follow her here instead?

“Shit, shit, shit, shit...why me!? WHY!?”

This was not good.

The Doctor was the last person she wanted to have a correspondence with...ignore his looks and smarts, and the maniacal laughter that would make a twirling moustache villain blush, that guy was way to crazier than the sick bastard son of the joker and the mad-hatter in a tea pot thrown down a radioactive wasteland..!

ºº

º….Council of Crubabenas….º

º

Serious C: “Ok, this is bad….any ideas why he would decide worth it to send a message to us?”

Tired C: “I don't know, I hope he is not going to ask me for my soul no?”

Funny C: “No, of course not you idiot, he doesn't have that power….or does he?”

Flirty C: “I must admit that even though he can “look” cute, he is the last guy I would to ever be near with”

Funny C: “Oh? Why is that, not enough to your taste..?”

Flirty C: “ As if! He hurt Collei, I place the red line at that..”

Funny C: “Fair enough..”

Tired C: “Makes sense...”

Serious C: “Can we please focus on the main priority? Anyway, if the game is correct then he was a “friend” with Crucabena, no?”

Funny C: “Right….friend..”

Tired C: “That is...quite the stretch..”

Flirty C: Our emo soon to be goth daughter did say something like that though, no?”

Serious C: “Yeah, Could that mean that…..he just wants to say hello, as weird as it sounds..?

“..”

“..”

Drunk C: “You got a few screws loose mate, hip….. and not in a funny way..hip”

Serious C : “Where do you even come from!?”

º

º

Looking at the bloody thing she could not help but squint, her doubts about what she would find within once she opened the letter eating at her silently. As much as she tried, she just could not come up with an amiable reason for what the man would try to speak to her

Was it worrisome? Was it nothing? Knowing her luck it was probably the former...but until she decided to open the thing she would not know.

Decisions..

Decisions….

It was like that sensation of dread of sticking your hand through a box you did not know what laid in its interior for a game prize. There could be something good...but most of the times were pranks thrown at your own expense. To be a spectator in those shows was bloody funny though.

Still...she did not have the luxury to just drop the issue now that she had gone this far.

After what felt an eternity she took a last deep breath, her fingers exerting a little more pressure where the crest sealing the envelop was. Cracks forming on its shape.

“It better be nothing weird...or creepy” She mumbled through her teeth as she finally popped it open and pulled out the sheet of paper from within, and though she did not needed she put on a pair of classy glasses to help her read.

Why?

They made her look like one of those hot secretaries of some american movie that's why!

-{Oh my darling, my sweet connoisseur of the passions that this wretched world still denies to accept its been a while since I last heard of you and your work in Fontaine with those children that you so much cherish...}-

She stared at the written words with mild disgust and bafflement, wondering if she had to check her eyes in case they had just decided to stop working now.

Darling?

Sweet?

Children she-Crucabena cherished...?

She had come expecting eldritch horrors and she was instead bashed with pink paint and ponys as far as she could see. There was so much arse-licking and so much wrongness with those words that she felt ready to throw up.

[Please...don't tell they were fucking..] She groan to herself, a comically large bead of sweat sliding down her scalp as depressions tarted to set in at that particular thought.

Perhaps crazies attracted each other…

..

..

She shook her head, no, it surely was a different thing...the mad scientist was just trying to butter her up, there was nothing...intimate about that, right? With a sigh she decided to continue reading, even though she had the feeling that was a mistake on her part.

{-I must applaud your idea of proposing the idea of adoption of some of the orphan children that come under the protection of the Fatui, presenting loving families to the children to show that there are people out there wanting to give them what they have lacked until them, a family..it really makes things easier to work with them-}

That rose an eyebrow of her. “Oh? I did not know the Fatui searched for families that wanted to adopt children of the Hearth...that its nice of them….wait, work?”

That last part did not sound good in her head.

{-Sadly, all good things must come to an end because I am afraid that my tasks have met an...expected problem, for even though the body and mind of a child are easier to mould, they are still fragile things to work with….-}

Her hands started to shake, the letter creaking as her fingers clawed at it slowly, knuckles turning a deadly shade of white.

“What…? What the actual the fuck..!?”

{-So much whining and so much noise coming out of their petty little mouths...that I was not aware of how few remained at the end of the month, I am sure you understand what I mean…, of course you do.

She clenched her teeth.

{-Anyway, with that said, I was wondering if you could send me some of the dregs of your House, I promise I will reward you kindl-}

And it was right there that she ripped the letter apart and threw its tattered remains into the trash. A shadow of disappointment brewing behind her eyes as she bit her lip before

“Yeah, it was too good to be true…” She groaned weakly as she covered her face with her hands, something prickling at her eyes, something wet sliding down her chin while her stomach still churned at the news from the letter.

Anger, frustration, resentment…all those emotions were all running amok behind her sealed eyes, poking at her, wanting to be let out.

“God dammit…, god FUCKING dammit!”

Why?

Why did he have to be like that..?

How could he be so fucking carefree on stating such horrible things on mail? To Children no less!? And why would he even think that she would be happy to hear any of the details of what he was doing to them.

It really put into perspective what kind of person was Crucabena...prior to the accident.

And she did not like it.

Not one bit..

But the worst part was not what she had seen just now, but that he wanted her to sell him more children after he went through all the ones he got stuck under his basement? Her!?

“For gods sake, this is not a fucking supermarket you Geneva convention playful abolisher..!” She cried out, slamming her fist hand down the desk if only to bent out her frustration of it all, to hell if it broke in the process!

What she did not expect was for a wave of high concentrated magical water to burst in all directions in the process when her hand collided with the smooth surface of the desk, splashing everything in the process.

She blinked, droplets of water sliding down her now drenched brows and right into her wet shirt, her head slowly tilting to the side to look at her blueish glowing hand that was still crackling with power. The sensation of the energy leaving a soft, yet present tickling at the edge of her finger tips as droplets of water continued to fall down, one by one from them into the cracked desk…

She could not believe it.

Even though she had been transported into a world from a game. Made to live inside the body of a different person who was a superhuman in their own right and the very land she resided was filled with gods who were very much real.

She had never thought she could do anything so…

Remarkable.

“I can do magic..?”

She mumbled weakly, staring at her hand with childish fascination, watching how bubbles started to pop up from the energy pulsing in her gloves before floating up in the air, watching at her own reflection on them.

It was like a dream come true…

Slowly, carefully...she clenched her hand and as soon as she did the energy started to flow more visibly through her body, like a current was moving inside of her as all the bubbles in her hands burst out, quickly replaced by some sort of sparks with dark blues and whites that were rotating in some sort of vortex in the palm of her hands.

It did not stop until a sphere of glowing water the size of her head was resting in her hand, waiting to be fired.

She did not know how she did it..

Or how she somehow knew that something like that would happen afterwards if she were to flick just one finger.

By all means she should NOT be incapable of any of this, she was just a gamer girl back home not some sort of sorcerer or whatever the equivalent was in Tevat. The most complicated thing she knew was avoid life’s problems and not this weird ninjutsu stuff...

But it felt...so simple.

So natural

Like something inside of her driving to pull this stunt so easily as if she was breathing.

“Oh shit, I really can do magic…”

..

..

..

..

..

..

“Forget the induced mental trauma from mad scientist…., BEST DAY EVER..!”

º

º...Outside of the door...º

“Did you hear that..?”

“It was.. like a scream..?”

“More like a rage screeching roar..”

“The madam?”

“The madam..”

“Shit..someone must have screw up big time, we should leave..”

“Y-yeah...I don't want to be on the receiving fire of the madam even though she has been nicer these last few days....”

º

Chapter Text

º..Snipet..º

“Signora, how do you see all this...?”

“I turn around..”

“That must be exhausting…”

“Knave, don't tell me you came up with that joke all by yourself…”

“Nah, the best jokes can only come up when in great company…like yourself”

“Uhmf…..you are lucky I do not take your nonsense to heart..”

“Of course, of course my Tsundere dominatrix…”

“Eh?”

“Eh?”

ºº

º

When someone told her about mood swings a few years ago she had attributed it to something like cramps or shit like it. Simple stuff, right..? Nothing too crazy like other people tried to make it sound like in cartoons

Yeah, that was what it was suppose to be...but oh boy she now knew what they were talking about

After the revelation of her newfound powers her bad mood had gone out in a puff of smoke, the trauma of having to listen to the Doctors bad poetry never to be seem again, leaving behind a rather childish enthusiasm to try new things alongside a particular shot of adrenaline coursing through her heart.

Oh dear, the amount of pranks and jokes she would be able to pull off now…

R.O.B really made a blunder of putting her here if he had the smallest grasp of what kind of gremlin she could become with all of this power at her disposal.

In fact, it was such her enthusiasm that she could not help but giggle like an anime schoolgirl at the future prospects and things she would do with it, sometimes even going as far as to sing a tune or two much to the astonishing surprise of the servants wandering on and about in the House if the strange looks they sent her had anything to say about it.

Not like she had notice in the first place with her mind in the clouds.

Were they jumping the gun a little too early? Sure, but it was not rocket science the fact that she had started making loud noises by practising by shooting hydro blast after hydro blast all over the place in her childish enthusiasm and then she left her room so cheerfully and happy could make the servants put two and two together in the opposite direction of what had actually happened.

Which it didn't….

And with luck it will never do.

Still, who could blame them for having such thoughts? Not her though, because she is totally not picking on those social clues….right? Right?

Anyway, where was she thinking about, ah, right..Magic!

She could shoot fucking magic beams of water like a damn Pokémon through the edge of her fingertips like it would get out of fashion. Wasn’t that the coolest thing ever...!?

Without the shadow of doubt, it really was a great uplifting moment in her life.

How she had forgotten she could do magic in the first place given her Isekai status was a bit embarrassing if she thought about it for more than five minutes, but hey, cut her some slack, the average Joe does not wake up one day and come to terms they are the average Joe any-more!

It kinda put things into a new perspective if she was honest with herself. It also spoke quite a lot that she was a lot further away from her old normal self than she had first suspected, but hey, no biggie.

Everyone loved magic powers anyway.

Flashy

Cool..

Destructive..

You know, the usual when you could twist reality with the flick of your fingers without the need to be a purple giant with a glove complex. Good thing that big uncle Hoyo had decided to bring such devises in a more portable variety.

“Speaking of which…”

Her voice dropped for a moment as she muttered those words her gaze lowered down at two certain two hand sized pendants hanging from her hip that she had not been wearing before.

Small, round yet with a definite touch of elegance. Tapping at her side with each step she took, glowing gently like gemstones yet their beauty was one more ethereal in nature than just a mineral carved and placed in a stylish holder.

After waking up in a body not her own.

Walking out through Fontaine and became captivated by its marvels when they had been not that long nothing but fantasy,

Even the facts of coming across fictitious characters now very much real like Neuvillete or Petronila.

It was these two things that felt otherworldly, alien even…

It was a feeling that she could not quite place, but she could not help but feel both reverence...and intrigue of their nature.

One cold and silent, glimmering with a light that reminded one of a thousand winters, both of their beauty and their ruthlessness, a faint touch of frost slipping through its core into the air. The device was encompassed around a metallic holder in the shape of a heart, diamonds carved around its shaped form, glimmering with an intense light.

At its very centre….the unmistakable shape of a snowflake that glowed with pure white light in a misty blue-greeish hue...yet one that felt insidious to watch.

Tainted….by something.

Enclosed by a frame of gold and ruby’s the other object felt more like gazing at a deep ocean of blues and blacks that were mixed together into a pond that had no end to its depths and the secrets it held within.

The energy within...did not feel like it was cracking into the air like the other, but swirling endlessly, wanting to be let out like a tide-wave that could not be stopped, its form shaped into a tear...or a droplet of blood.

Ominous...yet not as creepy as the other.

If she had not been so engrossed by the breathtaking experience of, she would have thought that the owner had paid more money into decorating the two bloody things than their entire wardrobe. Knowing the luxury of Crucabena’s own living quarters, she probably was right on the money on that line of thought

Still, jokes aside...there was no doubt about it any-more, what she was holding now could only be what it appeared to be. A Cryo delusion and a Hydro vision.

Cool

Shiny

Amazing

The list could go on and on about what kind of thoughts circulated her mind about having these two beauties in her possession, things that she had found by accident...or was it? She almost recalled been drawn to their location in her office after….yeah, you get the gist. Still, not only they looked fashionable enough to make royalty blush...but she felt more safe by having them with her.

It was hard not to know why, if lore was correct, she was holding the equivalent of a nuke or two in this case in the palm of her hands when compared what vision-less people could do in Tevat.

[Sorry Teipe….you were a cool, but this is way cooler..] She made sure to clasp her hands in prayer as if trying to apologize for some sort of non existent sin for a second or two before she returned to her usual self

“Still….why does she have a Hydro vision?”

It was a question that had nagged her for a while. Were not Hydro users meant to be about Justice and stuff?

Perhaps she was wrong and that was a different vision….but if she was not wrong, then her head would continue to spin endlessly because she could not wrap herself around the idea that Crucabena was “just” or something like it.

“Unless is a sick joke thrown out for the metaverse by big uncle Hoyo….” She mused out loud.

It felt stupid to hear herself say that out loud, but as of now nothing could be discard as way too outlandish.

After all, who said gods couldn't have a sense of humour?

Also, had she said already that magic could make one’s body tingle? No? Ah, well….yeah, that was now a thing. How had she found that out? Well...by touching directly and a little too hard with her skin the artefacts..?

It seemed that as a native of this world and a Harbinger her body was used to that kind of power, hell it had been using it for years by now for sure. Her virgin mind however was not...

Now, normally…, when one comes into contact with a dangerous power source of any kind, like electricity when you stuck a fork through a socket or when you stick your hand in magic mumbo jumbo style vortex of energy anathema to the order of the universe…. the usual reaction to it is the clasic “pain-hurty-please don't touch kind of thing”

Its expected.

Its like the norm of things that makes sense.

Kind of stupid to even consider why someone would do those things in the first place...but sometimes we are curious creatures.

So, colour her surprise when instead of having her hands writhing in more than expected pain a literal magic battery, her brain and body had a glitch mid way, thanks to dissonance between her soul and her already tuned body and instead of pushing the pain receptors like any human would, they instead pressed the PLEASURE one’s instead.

..

..

Yeah..

That’s right boys…

That thing that you all perverts are thinking happened

She was lucky no one entered the room right then and there or they would have found her bent down against her desk, with her face sweating and panting like a college girl from one those cheap mature +18 netorare mangas from those shady webs on line.

Staring at the two objects she could not help but bit her lip with both shame and annoyance as one of her hands involuntary started looming closer to the lower ends of her hips, nearing where the warmth had taken her by surprise in that moment in time with a faint blush crept on her cheeks as she did.

If she closed her eyes she could still feel the sting-...she clenched her jaw, raising both her hands to her head.

“God dammit, why does these kind of weird up shitty things always happens to me...?”

It wasn't funny,,!

As far as she knew the best thing she could do was to make use of gloves until she got used….to the touch of magic coming inside of her body given how she had no problems in the reverse scenario.

Which meant...a lot more…weird up shit and embarrassment to go through

Not the worst outcome..but not one she was really thrilled about either. It was already a bitch to deal with her skull ache or to try to at least pretend to be a villain...but now she had to worry about magic molesting her..?

[Who the fuck designed that..!? In fact, how an I to face that with a straight face..!?]

Urgh, this was a mess

A regrettable one.

It surely was all R.O.B fault...

[That little shit, when I get my hand on him I am going t-!]

“Madam..?”

Soft and polite as it was, the sound of a voice not her own and so close to her startled her. Thank the Lord that the weakness in her legs kept her from doing jumping of fright, but it was just that.

With her heart still throbbing loudly in her throat she barely found the strength to tilt her head to the side, her gaze landing on of a meek looking girl in servants clothing that was waiting silently to her side. Small brown eyes glaring back at her, expectantly of a reply, yet with a hint of nervousness behind their depths.

A trickle of sweat started to slid down her forehead as she slowly started to try to get a grasp of the situation she had stumbled herself into.

How someone could sneak on her like that in a straight corridor?

For how long had she been there?

Had she just come across this corridor just now or she had been there since the beginning?

So on and so on, the questions did not seem to abate, for each one she answered two more came to replace it. The only thing she knew is that she had no idea whatsoever.

Still, she did feel familiar for some reason…...though she could not guess why just yet.

“AI-eh-?……..Yes?”

Crucabena almost physically cringed at how...lacklustre her own reply was. There were poor performances, and then there was that. Perhaps she was still shaken of been literally brought down from cloud nine.

With an inward sigh she prayed the girl would not question her and just...go away. Not that she had anything against her, hell no….she surely was a sweetheart working for the devil, who was sadly….her.She just….wanted some space to look more “Knave” like than goofy like.

“Madam Knave? Is there something wrong?” The girl replied again, a little more emotion in her voice, taking a step forward as she did, but not too close yet.

[Shit!] She cursed inwardly. Why nothing went her way, was that too much to ask?

“Wrong? I-What do you mean by that...? There is totally nothing suspicious happening here..” Crucabena’s words came out in a faint, erratic chuckle, gently raising a hand to her lips in order to muffled the nervousness from dripping into her voice.

º

º

º….Council of Crubabenas….º

º

Serious C: “Ok, can you tell me you bunch of vagrants why you decided to add suspicious to us denying been suspicious?”

Funny C: “Rude...”

Tired C: “Because that was what she asked us….was that not...the right answer?”

Serious C: “NO! For gods sake, have you no idea how to read the mood? We are now totally suspicious!”

Flirty C: “And Why is that..?”

Serious C: “Because only a suspicious person would say that they are not suspicious like this!”

Tired C: “But…aren't we like master liars..? Surely it would not be suspicious for us to make a lie about something which...makes it normal behavior?”

..

..

..

Flirty C: “That’s..”

Funny C: “Actually...”

Serious C: Genius..!”

º

º

As the seconds passed terribly slow after her reply, she had the nagging feeling that her words may not at the very least had not been believed to a T. How did she got that idea you ask..? Well, perhaps it had to be do with the way the young..mature? It was hard to know with how everyone looked rather young to her eyes.

Anyway, what troubled her was mostly the way the black haired maid with a hime style haircut stared at her for a few too many seconds of awkward silence. Sharp pretty eyes that reminded her of a doll blinking once, twice, thrice…

If she was honest at any other time she would have joked about it, comparing her to a computer trying to ran through a glitch. Luckily or not for her.., it was in that very instant that the maid straightened herself as if standing at attention before bowing her head ever so slightly at her.

“I see...I will see to it to make the necessary preparations to clean up your office from any blood left behind madam...”

[Wait, what..?]

If there was a moment to actually take a double take on what someone had said that had totally nothing to do with the vibe you were going with...then this one won them all. She could not help but stare at the maid as if she had grown a second head when presented with the absurdity of the situation.

Did she

Did she just said…

Yeah, she really did….., didn't she?

Of all the things that the girl could have come up with...she came with that?

[What the hell!? When did I said someone died! What kind of leap is THAT..!?] Crucabena had to fight the urge to just voice out both her confusion to the poor girl and the desire to fall on her back like in a cartoon.

This line of dialogue just made no sense.

And yet, for some reason she had the nagging thought that it was her fault somehow….or to be more precise it had to do with her “previous” self shenanigans.

Sighing inwardly, she bit her lip before she deigned herself to speak.

“I...I don't know where you came up with that, but I think there is a misunderstanding here..”

The black haired maid rose her head, a strange look in her eyes...as if not expecting to even hear those words.

“Madam?”

“Look….what I want to say is that no one has died.., ok?”

The maid’s expression seemed to falter for a brief moment, a barely perceptible change in her demeanour, but one that she managed to pick on. The young girl’s eyes squinting in deep thought before some sort of realization dawned inside of her as she rose back from her bowing position.

[Well, at least she seems to understand what I mean..]

“Ah, I see...then I will make sure to stabilize the prisoner so that you can question him further, madam..”

[The fuck..?]

A droplet of sweat started to slid behind the back of her head. This was starting to become ridiculous.

Had she not explained herself well enough..? No, no that could not be the case...there should no be room for doubt or error, so why she had come to that conclusion?

[Ok, third times the charm...]

“Look..that’s not what I meant…, not at all. I just came out of my office to get some air, nothing more..” She muttered again, her voice growing a little more tired as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

The maid recoiled back as if slapped by her words. A stiffness taking hold of the maids body, the poor girl losing a few shades of colour of her skin while a shadow of fear started to crept past those brown eyes like a child who had been caught saying something wrong in front of their mother

Not like she could ask her about it when she started nodding her head vehemently.

“Ah, how could I forget...my apologies madam, then I should bring salt to pour it on their wounds. I will deal with them as protocol demands...”

She almost flinched about the implication of the girls words.

[Salt? Protocol? Crucabena, what kind of maids you have working at your state...!? Don't tell me that everyone here is a sadist!?]

She could not help but despair at the thought, especially given that the girl looked too cute to be that evil.

It was that famous law of gaming: “if hot why evil?”

Also, now that she thought about it, wasn't she the same Inazuma girl that she had helped from falling down that portable set of stairs a few days ago? Where did that timid girl that could barely mutter a word went and left her with….this?

..

She closed her eyes.

The migraine was starting to get stronger.

“Look, no one has gotten hurt. No. One...”

“No..?”

[No girl, no...is it that hard to belief?]

Crucabena started waving her arms to the sides in sheer exasperation.

“No, truly nothing wrong has happened. I have not kill anyone, I have not beaten anyone to an inch of their lief, nothing, nada, rien, nitcht…! Why cant you understand that..!?” She snapped at the very end, though mostly out of confusion than actual annoyance.

That….was a bad idea.

Panic started to arise in the girls body, starting with a shiver before a total tremble started to take hold of her body, her legs starting to shake as fear took root.

“Oh-I, but I thought...the noises-”

“The noises?” She questioned sharply yet puzzled, her eyes closing to a half lid...yet the only thing she managed to get out of the maid as another half drowned terrified gasp.

Wasn't she been a bit...over dramatic? It wasn't like she would kill her or somethin-ok, she got the point.

[Dammit Crucabena, why do I have to clean after your messes?]

This had to be another of R.O.B ways to screw with her, or she was just that unlucky, which kinda sucked. Anyway, what did she mean by noises? She started scratching her chin as she pondered about what the girl had muttered.

As far as she knew the only thing that came to mind that was….

It was...

..

[Oh shit..]

Had she been that loud? Her cheeks started to redden with embarrassment as she pictured herself back at the her office and her joyful water blasting…. and the people outside mistakenly thinking something far more fishy and dark was going on.

Too bad that her embarrassment was mistaken by the maid for anger.

“I-its...nothing, please ignore a-anything that I said. I a-am so sorry to have bother you, p-please h-a-ave mercy on me mad-dam..”

Tears were starting to slid down the girls eyes, her voice breaking between sobs. Her legs that had been quivering in fright until that moment, now no longer able to held her weight, making her plummet to the floor.

It was a pitiful scene…one that only had herself to blame for it. If failure was her constant, then disappointment in herself was her emblem.

..

..

..

[God dammit….why does this happen always to me?]

º

º

Noriko had lived all her life in the House of the Hearth.

From her very first memory to this very moment, she had known nothing but the rules of the House with only her blood and ancestry to tie her somehow to Inazuma. Though she had never touched the soil of those foreign islands.

Fontaine was her home now….and as far as she had heard, she was lucky to not be stranded in a nation where the technology and the frivolities she had grown to enjoy was nothing a pipe dream.

The House offered her a place to belong.

A place to grow and nurture..

To be of service.

However, it was true that things had changed a few years ago.

The House had felt colder, emptier, some of the adults that she had seem had vanished, but she had been too young to even take a proper notice when the throne was passed to another. Not that it had mattered much if she had when her purpose remained the same.

To serve the master of the House.

Even when the coldness in the walls softened under the next king’s touch and turned her home in something pretty in the outside, the ugliness within continued to fester ever more.

Even when blood started to ran and be spilled on the floors and the mocking laughter echoed afterwards under the pleasant words of “training”

Even when punishments were given thoroughly and without mercy on her flesh. She had served dutifully.

As far as she knew, this was her life now. It was what it was always meant to be.

..

..

And then...that day happened.

She could still remember as if it happened just a few moments ago the strength of the Knaves grip on her body, keeping her from falling and hurting herself to the floor. When fear turned into something strange in her heart even though her common sense told her to be wary.

The only thing that she could remember been the warmth in the madam’s eyes as she gently lowered her back to the floor.

It had been the first time she had felt something like that been wasted on her, a mere servant, a nameless pawn....

And yet, she wanted more.

It was selfish desire, she knew it all too well, but the only thing she wanted was to be useful to the madam...if only to feel that sensation again.

So why...

Why did this happened to her..!?

She had tried to stick around the madam’s more often than ever before if only for her greatness to shed on her small form when she walked out that door or if she wanted something to be done asap she would be there to be of use.

So how things had ended up with her master looking at her with disappointment? How could she have conjure her ire upon her in such a disastrous way..?

The shame broke her...

And so she babbled for forgiveness even though she knew that was unlikely to happen. And when she saw the Knave raise a hand, she closed her eyes shut, raising her arms to protect herself.

It was unbecoming of a servant to show such fear in front of their liege, but right now she had nothing else but her despair to cling to as she waited for the strike to come.

It never did.

Instead, she felt something tug at her, gently pressing her forward against something warm and soft, the aroma of fresh roses reaching her senses, mixing strangely with the unchecked throb of her heart inside her chest.

Confusion dawned on the young girl. There was no pain, no sting from a whip….just a gentle touch that caressed her back and held her head against the crook of someone else's neck while a smooth mane brushed against her face.

When Noriko opened her eyes….she could not believe what it was.

She was been embraced.

The very hands that should have brought her harm, that should have struck true like many other times before were now holding her as if she would break at any moment. Strong as she remembered them, yet with a sense of love stronger than before, filling her heart with more than dreams and fear, but hope.

Wasn't this what she had wanted..?

“I cant forgive you..”

The words whispered weakly at her made her freeze. The dread that had vanish once again rearing its ugly head behind her back, she wanted to say something...but it was the following words that gave pause to such thoughts.

“Because there is nothing to forgive...”

She then felt the hands that held her loose their grip as her madam leaned a little back, allowing Noriko to see the fair features of her mistress. The hardness from before having softened out, her eyes not glaring at her with pity...but something else.

“W-why?” She croaked, wanting to know even if her voice had turn pitiful...but her mistress did not seem to mind.

“Because you did nothing wrong..”

“What?”

“I am sorry….you were just trying to help me, and I just kept on making things harder for you. I am really a bad master, aren't I” The words were filled with pained resignation as the Knaves gaze darkened.

A pang of pain erupted in Norikos chest.

No

It should not be like this…

The mistress should not be feeling bad because of her servants foolish mistakes.., of her own foolish thoughts that had deluded her to what the madam wanted of her. But what could she do about it when a part of her felt happy she was not going to be punished? That she felt yearning for this motherly touch the children in the House had...but she had been starved all her life of?

Yes, it was indeed foolish to think like that for one should know better to know that there was always another foot to drop when concerned about the Knave.

But this time she felt it was different.

She was different.

And so she allowed herself to believe.

“M-madam...”

“I am sorry...I have not even asked your name and here I am trying to make things better. How thoughtless of me..”

“Noriko..”

The words slip through her lips before she realizes.

“Eh?”

“My name...is Noriko...” She parrots, finding a small shred of pride at the fact that her voice was no longer quivering like before.

Her mistress stared at her for a brief moment, those dark green-blue eyes glinting with curiosity, those red lips perking into a thin, yet graceful smile.

“I must admit that's a pretty name….like of an anime protagonist.”

The last part flew over her head as her attention sorely rested on the first half.

“P-pretty?”

Her mistress thought her to be…..pretty? She...she really did not know what to say. She surely was just been nice to her, compared with her mistress she was surely nothing but an ugly thing.

Still...it did feel nice.

“Yeah, with that Hime haircut you do look like a princess…. has no one ever said that to you?”

“No..” She muttered with a bit of dejection, though mostly about the fact that she could not gi.

“Well, that is a bit depressing….” Mumbled the dark pink haired woman to herself before she shook her head “For what it is worth it... then all the better I was the first one to do so..”

With that said, Lady Crucabena rose from her semi kneeling position, a soft sigh slipping through the dark pink haired woman for a brief moment before she extended her hand towards her, lifting Noriko up from the ground.

“I know its not much...but take care Noriko, you can take the day free if you want...god knows you deserve it”

Noriko could only frown in confusion. Day free? What was that..?

However as she pondered about such strange terms that were surely far beyond her understanding... she noticed that the madam Knave had already started to walking away down the corridor. She almost went after her, but though it bothered her to part like this...she knew that she would be testing her luck to do so.

That did not mean that she could not do one little thing.

“Madam?”

She calls out, and though her mistress does not fully turn to meet her gaze, only giving her a side-glance, she does indeed stop.

“Yes..?”

.

.

.

“I-I hope you have a good day madam...”

A small smile warped around the edges of her mistress lips. “Oh, that’s so nice of you….have a good day you too”

º

….A few minutes later….

º

Of all the things that could have happened after leaving her office, none of this had been on her mind.

Not in her wildest dreams

After making sure no one was looking she had to lean against the closest wall she could find. The encounter an utter clusterfuck that was meeting and talking with Noriko out from whatever mess she had stumbled her ass on had left her emotionally drained.

It had started as some simple

Offer an apology.

Try to clear things out..

But before she realized it had turned into something more deeper, more complex….

She should have tried to keep in character, to not be so overly friendly...but she could not bare to be so cruel for her own sake. Leaving in a good note instead of leaving the poor girl to suffer from whatever ideas she had conceived of Crucabena did feel good though.

Would that change the world? She doubted that.

But perhaps….she could start something here, one step at a time..

..

She shook her head, almost scoffing at her own idea. Pushing herself against the wall and back into the empty corridors.

“Yeah, it feels a bit ridiculous to think about it...I mean...why would the world change just been nicer?”

She had never been a saint back home, never tried to pretend to…but she had never tried to be an obstacle to other people. She had always thought that if you didn't bothered someone, then they should pay you in kind.

A simple math...but one that she was content with. That had not stopped the world from going one year at a time closer to hell though.

The look in Noriko’s face reminded her of some of the homeless people that lived nearby her flat.

Beaten.

Broken..

Lost...

It had been a bitter reminder, and the fact that she had a hand on her anxiety attack, on purpose or not did not help matters. How many more like her there were in this world..? In this House..?

After a few more seconds on thinking too hard on that regard she came to the only logical course of action that she really did not want to find out.

“Ok, no….enough about depressive thoughts, I need sugar, and by that I mean cute little girls..”

..

Ok, that felt weird…, but you lot get the idea...ok? No need to call for Tevat social services on her….if they even exist…... do they? She would hate if they do and Dottore is the head poncho of the thing.

She felt a cold shudder ran up her spine at the mere thought.

It would be too cruel to be true.

Yeah, better not think too much on that. Anyway, what better way to cure herself of any of this blue feelings than go and find the best Cute Moe Moe battery that was at her disposal? And by that she meant go out for a long and enthusiastic walk to to search for Clervie.

She held her hands together in a fake prayer. “Pardon me for labelling you like that Clerv, but you are just too cute to not do so….” And besides, wherever Clervie went...Peruere would always follow. A two for one pack if you thought about it….

And she was all for it.

However as she tried to do just that, she had come to find herself in a pickle.

“Now, where would my dear cute loli darlings may be hiding..?” She wondered out loud, a thoughtful expression on her face. The Hearth was quite the big place and it wasn't like she could ask the servants to tell her where the children where. Not if she tried to avoid making another scene like with Noriko.

Her hands clenched a little more tightly in the face of that reminder, the leather creaking as it was forced to fold under the pressure. Like god dammit, were they really walking on eggshells around her or was that poor girl the only one? Yeah, she was the bad guy, but that did not mean that she was bad one now.

Was it so hard to ask be looked with a better light..?

..

That was a dumb question, wasn't it..?

With a sigh she just shook her head and brushed a stray lock of her hair away from obscuring her sight. She really had her work set out for her, didn't she? She thought with a slight pang of apprehension as she continued to stroll through the state.

At least the scenery she was surrounded 24 / 7 was nothing to scoff at with the Hearth’s great walls and ceilings for her to bask on, with the solemn yet fashionably carved emblems on each and every surface that her eyes could pry on,

The colours of marble and other rocks that decorated both halls and corridors while the sun shone gently through massive vertical windows that brought a sense of clarity that was hard to see even in the most stylish of Gothic churches while outside the lush green fields remained in peace when the children were not making a ruckus...

It was like a huge castle turned fantasy mansion if she was honest with herself. Or a cage….if one were to take the carved inward perimeter walls for what they truly were.

However just as she was about to turn on a knob of a door to her right... a sound stopped her in her tracks.

“P-….. lo...k! … l..…s li…. a fly..g..b...d .”

“Hmm..?” She tilted her head to the side, trying to catch if someone was coming down the hallway...only to realize that it was been muffled down by the thickness of the door frame.

“A b….d ….h n... wi...s...?”

The sound echoed again, lower than the previous one...but one that clearly belonged to a voice oddly familiar though why she did not know. Curious and with nothing better to do she slowly but barely pushed the door open, taking a look at who was inside. The act making easier to hear the conversation that was taking place.

“It does not need wings because its magical..”

“Then why call it a bird...?”

“Because its a bird Perry, duh?”

“….and the horns…?”

“So that it can cast magic of course..”

“Right….a wingless bird with..horns..”

Even though she did not know what they were talking about or the context of things, Crucabena could not help herself but grin with amusement at the sight of a certain duo were playfully bickering with one another as a certain pink haired girl held a sheet of coloured paper between her hands while the more pale looking child stared calmly at her friends antics.

Especially when Clervie pulled the supreme weapon right of the bat against Peruere. The forbidden puppy eyes Jutsu.

And gods she was good at it….

“Perrie? You…. don't like my drawing...?”

Peruere tried to stare into Clervie’s green eyes...yet it did not took more than five seconds before she had to look away, a flare of emotion in those red crossed eyes as she crossed her arms against her chest.

A barely perceptible shade of red at the tip of her ears.

“….yes…”

[Oh. My. God…...Tsundere detected!]

Like mother like daughter, Clervie smile continued to grow wider, a small mischievous glint behind that childish joy that she carried with her everywhere.

“But you don't sound happy at all.., why is that?”

“But... I am happy..”

“Nuh huh..”

“Nuh...huh?”

“Nuh huh…”

“What...is that?”

“It means that you must smile if you are to be happy...”

“Oh…..is that so?” The deadpan tone in Peruere’s voice spoke volumes how much that idea did not stick.

Clervie did not seem to mind though.

“Come on, let me show you a trick mother taught me..”

“Show?….What are y-C-clervie….!?”

She could hear Peruere’s vice with that tinge of confusion, only for her words to trail off target when the pink haired menace leaned just a little bit closer and started to use her hands to pry off a smile on Perueres otherwise emotionless face.

“Long and wide…..see? Now you are much happier...”

She did not know what was better, the fact that Clervie was such a sweet little thing...or that Peruere was allowing her friend to do that to her.

ºº

º

º….Council of Crubabenas….º

º

Tired C: “Cute...”

Serious C: Very cute...”

Flirty C: “Gosh…..lolis are the best..”

Funny C: “There are so many wrong things with that sentence...but I don't care...”

Serious C: “So we agreed they are the cutest thing in this world and we will kill anyone who harms them?”

Funny C: “Do you even need to ask..?”

Flirty C: “Cuteness overlooooooooooooading….”

º

º

A manly tear started to slid down her cheek as she watched Clervie follow in her footsteps like any good loli enjoyer should. She could do nothing but raise her hand in military fashion to show her respect from where she stood.

She already was…., but she would say it again if needed be.

She was proud to be her mother alright.

More so when it had allowed her the rare chance to make something out of it as she rose a certain camera that had found its way into her skilled hands and-.

“Bang..”

She muttered happily to herself as she took the shot, immortalizing that moment in time while also making another embarrassing memory for her to hang back at her office tomorrow first hour in the morning. A grin warped around her lips, she could not wait to see the baffled looks of the girls when they saw their expressions when they did.

Oh dear, it was gonna be glorious.

Or terribly bad.

It wasn't like anyone had ever tried to tease Peruere in her life.

[Huh….so this is how those explorers of old felt when going into the unknown? Neat]

The only bad thing was that she forgot to turn the flash down, because just as she finished the shot….the two girls turned at her general direction. Four pair of eyes taking less than a second or two to find her hiding behind the door leading to the room.

Each of them reacting with various levels of surprise in their expressions when they did as red and green met her own gaze like two startled deers. Clervie was the first to recover from the surprise though...or at the very least she was the most vocal about it.

It was always a bit hard to get a read on Peruere.

[That girl really has a good poker-face.., when she gets older I need her to play cards in a casino, I am sure we would-make some money out of it-Bad! BAD girl! Don't you have shame scheming into making your emo daughter play for money!?]

Though….when she got a little older that was a different story all together.

If she lived long enough to see it that is...

“Mother? Mother..!”

The enthusiastic voice of her daughter brought her attention back to the matter at hand as her little sunshine made her way towards her, her small legs carrying her rather swiftly as she took into a sprint and then jumped into her embrace without any worry whatsoever.

Small chibi arms wrapping around her hips as she felt the warmth of Clervie’s body pressed against her. Days of practise of having children throwing themselves at her having prepared her to swivel her body at the right moment in order to not lose her balance.

“How are you doing mother? You came here to play? There are so so many things I want to ask you about your travel outside..”

At the prospect of such endless wave of questions the real Crucabena would have chastised Clervie for been so noisy at the best of times. She however could only chuckled a little at the sheer enthusiasm and those eyes filled with life and wonder. Happy to see her.

The sight tugged a cord inside of her heart.

Clervie really was precious.

It was hard to imagine her been afraid of her the very first day she awoke in this body. She also looked a lot better, there were fewer bandages wrapped around her arms.

..

Well of course there were fewer..! She was not beating the living shit out of her own Isekai daughter! With that thought in mind she started patting Clervie’s pink haired mane with gusto, ruffling her head like one would to a cat. In fact she did not stop there with just here as she leaned a little bit forward and with her other arm pulled Peruere closer to her as-well.

The girl flinching at the touch of her hands messing with her hair without warning, but not fighting against it too much, though perhaps it was because Clervie was there too. It was hard to imagine Peruere was a girl who love head-pats in the first place.

Also….had she ever said that the texture of Arle’s hair was strangely smooth..?

No..?

Never..?

Ok, but please…. don't think too bad on her for such thoughts. The way the whites and blacks mingled between each rub of her fingers against her scalp was cool though.

“There, there…I am not going anywhere now. What have you two been up to, Clervie, Peruere?”

“Oh? We were drawing some cute animals mother with the notebooks you gave me...”

“Things…” The detached voice of Perure drew her attention for a moment at the way she seemed to try to correct Clervies statement who in return looked at her friend with a faint roll of her eyes.

[My...is she been cheeky right now? She is...she really is, a tsundere through and through...]

“But we were having so much fun.., you should have seen it”

[Oh, I saw enough already my dear, still...drawing…? Hmm...that bring memory's, doesn't it..?]

“Then its a pity I could not arrive any time sooner….what can I say I am not as young as I used to” She said almost with a bit of melodrama, earning a soft chuckle from her little girl, it was nice to see that “Though... perhaps you would be kind to show me your drawings now that I am here...?”

That made Clervie look at her a bit confused, though as she kept on patting her she did not pay it much mind.

“You want to see them..?”

“Of course….though only if you want to..” She said with a small smile.

“But you...-of course! Let me show you! Come on Per..lets show mother!” Whatever Clervie had started to say had abruptly come to an end when a wave of enthusiasm washed over her. Rapidly moving back towards her more stoic friend and pulling the girl by the arm to retrieve the drawings they had made.

The white haired girl tried to put some objection to it, but it was not like she could stop her friend when an idea got in her thick head. A rather amusing sight to say the least.

“Ah, what one would do to be young again...” She of course followed behind grinning like a fool, she was curious of how much use her little sunshine had given it for her own entertainment.

Little did she knew that Clervi sucked at drawing.

It was…a rather strange experience to say the least as she racket her to understand what she was even looking at in the first place while she tried to keep her confusion from been noticeable by the bundle of joy that was her daughter.

Was that a head?

Where were the legs?

And why did it look like it had been stabbed to death with crayons..?

She was very well aware of artistic freedoms and styles….but she had the feeling nothing of the sort was at play, it was like that avatar episode when Sokka could not draw the flying bloody Bison.

[Ah, those really were good old days, without meddling politics and no need to pay rent…..] Still, that did not distract her from matter at hand for long, kneeling to be at both Clervie and Peruere’s level she put her hand over that pink haired head.

“Clervie…?”

“Yes mother...?” Clervie’s cheerful voice answered back, her little green eyes watching at her a bit curious.

“Can I ask….what is that?” Crucabena asked at the end as she pointed at the drawing.

“A flying bird..”

Was the simple answer she received as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

“With no wings..?” She asked.

“And a horn..” Added Peruere from the side. The girl really was traumatized by that horn, eh?

“Yeap, do you like it mother..?”

Like it? That was a tough question, was it not? For someone like her who had wasted a year or two in arts the trace of the crayons felt like a stab in her heart. Even her worst anime drafts looked better than this..!

And yet..she could not bare herself to say that. She would really need to teach Clervie a few pointers on how to upgrade her A game though, that was a must for she refused to see the poor girl draw like this by the time she was up for marriage!

“It really looks cool, it shoots magic with the horn right...?” She inquired as she pointed with one finger at the small botched triangle slammed on the poor thing

Clervie rose her hands over her head with joy, pleased to see someone that could see what she meant.

“Yes..! It allows it to fly and have adventures with his friends..”

At that she rose a thin eyebrow, as far as she knew she had not seem any “creatures” in the drawing.

“Friends? And who may they be...?”

“Mr Tottles and Ms Poddless” Clervie said as she pulled another sheet of paper to show her...that made her immediately squint her eyes.

[Are those a turtle with wheels for legs and dog with books for a head?]

A driblet of sweat started to slid behind her back, this was not the next coming of Transformers in Tevat, was it? Not that it was bad…there were more original names in the world of imaginary literacy than poddless and tottles though.

“You really seem to have a knack for this, eh? Though...does it have a name..?”

“A name?”

“I mean if our horned bird does have a name, surely it does when he plays with his friends…..right?”

“Oh...I….I did not thought of one..”

“Hmm? Why...?”

“I...don't know, I was just happy making them that I did not think of it much hehe...” Answered Clervie softly, almost as if embarrassed while she started scratching the back of her head. Peruere seemed to roll her eyes at that, clearly a normal occurrence when dealing with Clervie long enough.

It was rather cute.

“Then your mother will help you name it...” She said with boasting pride, however, just as she said that the two girls stared at her with wide eyes.

[Ok…….? That's new, I did not say something weird again, didn't I...?]

The sensation of something tugging from her made her realize that Clervie had grabbed her hand, a strange pleading look in her eyes.

“R-really? You would...?”

“Of course sweety, anything for you. Pinky promise..”

“Pinky?”

“Promise..?”

She waved a hand in a dismissal notion. “Don't think too much on that. Now, why don't we call it Perry-2..?”

“M-Mother...!” Peruere gasped out loud, for the first time in her life hearing an ounce of embarrassment in her tiny little voice, probably at realizing what she had just proposed.

“Oh? I can do that..?”

“C-Clervie….!

The embarrassment led to terror as Peruere took notice in the mischievous glint in her friends eyes who watched the drawing with a new different light.

She, like any dotting mother would merely nodded her head.

“Yeap.., you can do that sweet heart..”

“Wow....., now I have two Perry’s…? Hey Perry, look at Perry-2! Isn't she cute..?”

“I-I am not cute!”

Like mother like daughter the two could not help but laugh while a red faced Peruere tried to protest in vain her displeasure.

The birth of Perry-2 would be remembered for decades to come, becoming a legend that only a certain few would remember.

º

....Noriko bonus image...

º

A/N

And here I wrap up the chapter, with a small hidden amount of Lore to it as-well. I hope you like it and comment on it what you liked the most or your theories. I thought it would be shorter, but here we are with almost 10 k worth of a chapter.

º

I may edit the chapter if I don't feel satisfy with it though.

º

º

Now, quick question to the readers: Among the Fontaine npc’s who do you think is most evil?

1- Vasher

2- Morris

3- Wriothesley adoptive parents

4- Someone else...

Chapter Text

Snipet

“I demand to be taken seriously..”

If there was a universal rule…..having Scaramouch nag at her and have his pretty emo face constantly stuck in a frown of disgust and annoyance because of her mere existence while also demanding her to respect him should be one of them.

And for her..

She rose her arms with a shameless shrug

“Nop..”

“Are you deaf? Kneel before your superior..”

As far as she was aware a four was better than a five, but oh well, it was not like he would listen to her, right?

“Nop, pint size puppet...”

She said again even more smugly, the smirk on her face only widening even further. For a construct that tried to sell out the idea that human emotions were lame an unsightly, he really could not but go back on his own delusions, couldn't he?

Guess that was what one should had expected from a cheap Uchiha copy.

All looks and no filling.

And so, like clockwork anger flared in the puppets eyes before he pointed an accusatory finger at her.

“H-how dare you..!? Do you know who I am..!?”

She rubbed her chin in deep thought. “A hat guy with mommy's issues?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Of course a simple human like you can not understand the greatness of someone like me when people like you swim in dirt and ignorance. I pity you Knave, you are as pathetic as anyone else in this world. And no, for the hundredth time you fool with a death-wish. I am not a “Hat guy!”

“..”

“Ha! So you do finally see reason human….it was about time, or don't tell me that you are so terrified you can even gave me a response..?”

“Nah… just a bit surprised for you to so readily admit to mummy issues, do you want me to give you a hug then...? Don't worry, this mama wont bit you...much”

“I am gonna kill you..” He cursed, raising his hands only for her to push his hat down his head, making it get stuck way below his line of sight.

“What? I cant hear you, I am too tall for the sound to reach my ears..”

“AAAARRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

ºº

Speech = “…”

Thought = [….]

ºº

It was not every day that Charlotte stepped on the halls of the Institute, with its large, cold halls, the air filled with the soft cranking echo of tinkering. For someone like her who had become enamoured with the workings of her dads camera it would have been one of the most interesting places to be in.

Sadly, that was hardly the case.

She could have come up with several reasons of why she had come to that conclusion and even place them in a neat holder for quicker review, however if she went to put things as simple as they could be then…….it was just not a destination close to home nor mostly related to her hobby of photography.

True, she had always had a bit of curiosity of what secrets laid within the building walls, who wouldn't? And though its entry was always open for whoever wanted to take a look at the intricacies that were built by the greatest minds of Fontaine…., to take a detour to visit it was not something that she could thoughtlessly afford most of the time.

Which….she used most of it either helping her father on his tasks from the nature magazine of the Steam-bird or learning things back at her school.

However, it was not that uncommon for her to accompany her dad there if he had some matters to attend there. And though she never had much to do there, she had always the chance to speak with Lucas about his inventions at his workshop at least.

The memory of the strange man she had come across that night in the wilderness by accident always brought a faint smile to her lips.

Peculiar as the young engineer seemed to be, he had always seemed to find amusement in her questions and had never belated her for her curiosity even once nor he had treated her like a child to simplify things, it made things far more enjoyable if she was honest, he also had a lot of books about Kamera maintenance which she usually took delight in inspecting for any new pointer to “crank up” the tools she and her father worked with.

Her teachers at school should take some pointers from him.

Speaking of which-…

“By the sounds of it it seems like you had your hands full..Lucas”

“You have no idea...”

Charlottes attention was immediately drawn away from her own musings and back towards the new source of sound in the room that made its difference apart from the chiming of the gears stuck on the walls or the hollow echoes from the ventilations shafts currently at work as her ears picked on the sound of footsteps approaching.

A pair of curious emerald eyes rising away from the book she had been reading until then, tucking it under over her lap before standing up from her seat, spotting in the process her father and Lucas coming out just in that moment from the deeper vault of Lucas workshop. With her father having his hand placed over the engineers left shoulder, tapping him gently in some form of reassurance.

She wondered why..

“Though by the looks of it you do seem to have managed to make it out unscathed, the clerk managed to find you in time I take?”

Lucas shook his head with a snort which drew an eyebrow from her father

“No, not really….”

“Oh..? What do you mean by that..?”

Lucas merely shrugged, taking a step forward before planting a book he had been holding onto over one of the metal desks on the room, a faint brush of dust flying away in the process.

“Not much….”

“Come on Lucas, surely you can give me more details than that, you really are killing my journalist pride here..”

Lucas rolled his eyes, though there was not even a hint of exasperation in his face.

“Galan...don't be so over dramatic.”

“Ok, fine….just give me a tiny little itchy bit and I will leave you be..”

Doubtful….but well, that was the kind of person her father was.

Stubborn to a fault...

“If you truly want to know then I will tell you that it was Lady fortune merely taking notice of my plight who decided to smile upon me, and what a sight it was...”

Charlotte tilted her head, curious about that choice of words. The way Lucas held himself, the glint in his eyes and the warmth in his voice….it spoke a different picture from the man he usually was.

As... if he was inspired.

Her father mirrored her expression...albeit more nuanced.

“So…...luck?”

As if stung by a beetle Lucas turned around on the spot, an incredulous look in his eyes before he shook his head.

“Luck!? Nonono...it was divine intervention I tell you..”

[Divine intervention..?] Charlotte mused to herself, a spark of interest glimmering in her eyes as she stood up from her seat and started walking towards the two adults while holding the book gently against her chest.

Like her father had taught her, her guts told her that something really interesting had occurred and Lucas was at the centre of it.

She was sure of it!

“Lucas, what are you talking about..?” Her father interjected, gone was his jesting tone, replaced by a more curious and disbelieving one.

“Ah, I get weak on the knees just thinking about that day. I should pray to Lady Furina afterwards. Archon knows what would have happen if she had not heard of my pleas for help and send me an angel...”

Her father frowned for a brief moment, blue eyes closing to a half lid. A stark contrast with the enthusiastic brown ones from the engineer.

“I did not took your for the poetic..or religious kind, guess one learns something every day. Still….an angel? Really?”

“If you had seem her you would surely feel the same way about her...”

“Her...?” She muttered aloud, a curious tinge in her tone as she glared at the two, the sound of her voice reminding the duo of her presence in the workshop.

“Charlotte? Oh, sorry I did not know you were here, how have you been..?” Lucas muttered surprised before he tilted his head to the side and whispered an annoyed glance at her father “Why didn't you tell me she was here, you dofus..!?”

Her father scratched the back of his head with a laugh. “I guess...I forgot?”

A comically large droplet of sweat slid behind Charlotte scalp at the sight of it, that was so typical of him when he became engrossed on an interesting topic. With an inward sight he tugged Lucas sleeve with her free hand.

“I am fine Mr Lucas…., thought to tag along dad today in case he needed some help...”

Her father had also made a promise a few days ago to let her tag along to visit Lucas at his workshop so there was that.

Unbeknown to the thoughts in her mind the engineer smiled at her. “That’s so nice of you..I am sure he is happy to have you here to rein him in from time to time..”

“Well, its not like I cant say no to her when she gets an idea in her head..” Her father said with feigned annoyance which made her pout a bit.

“I wonder where she got that from...” Lucas shot back with an amused glare.

“So...who was she..?” She asked, hoping to draw the conversation away from their playful banter and back to the topic that interested her. The only thing she regretted was not having a notebook and a pencil to write things down.

“Oh, she was an angel of a person alright. Kind, gentle, smart-...”

“Pretty..?”

She asked as she took a step forward, the words slipping from her lips before she realized….or perhaps it had been intentional, after all weren't angels mean tot be pretty? In her mind she had been making a mental image of how that person looked in case she ever met her.

What she was not expecting though was the complete and utter flustered look that settled on Lucas features as he registered her words. His ears were redder than some of the roses she and her father had taken photos on the wilderness a week ago..!

“I-I...ye-yes...she was really pretty”

Charlotte tilted her head, not understanding why her friend had started stuttering when just a few moments ago he was just fine.

“Mr Lucas, why are you stuttering? You are not sick, are you..?” She asked, worry creeping into her voice.

Now that she thought about it, the workshop where he worked did not look like the best place of all to develop his skills in engineering, and the ventilation shafts brought a cold brush of metallic air into the underground room.

“I don't think he is ill or anything of that sort, my daughter…” Her father chimed in from the side, his arms crossed while a knowing smirk on his lips.

Why? She did not know….

She rubbed her chin in deep thought. “I..I don't think I quite understand..”

The smile grew wider. “Ah, nothing to serious I am afraid. I think he was just a little bit smitten by the pretty lady in question.…”

Charlotte blinked confused. Smitten..? What that had to do with Mr Lucas stuttering just at the though of that person? It made no sense..

Then a thought dawned on her...what other use did the words smite on a sentence had than-.. “Wait, she hit you..?” She asked half incredulous half worried as her mind connected the dots.

Mistakenly of of course.

Though how could she know?

In her mind it was what now seemed to echo as the most logical thing.

Charlotte did not want to believe that though..., in fact the idea could have been beyond preposterous..., still, wasn't the role of a journalist to consider all options before finding the truth? Perhaps the stuttering did not came because of some sort of sickness, but actual fear of been bullied by “that person”?

Saying good things and lauding her actions could have been a way for Lucas to divert attention from the problem he was now trapped in. Yeah, just like those stories her father liked to read her to sleep. Of evil masterminds scheming in the background only to be discovered and stopped by valiant and intelligent detectives.

To be true it would both saddened her and angered her a bit though. Especially when she had started to think that Lucas new friend could be someone she could talk to if he thought so highly of her.

Somewhere far, far away from Fontaine...a certain Knave found herself sneezing time and time again, not really understanding why she had a strange feeling someone was talking about her.

Unbeknown of what she was about to do and taking a step forward, Charlotte put a hand on her chest while with the other she pointed at the ceiling, a look of determination in her emerald eyes.

“Mr Lucas, if that angel came here to bully you I Charlotte swear that I will do my utmost to help you bring her to justice!”

For a journalist always sought to bring the truth to the light, no matter who or what they faced. Or at least that was what her father told her someone in their line of work should always strive to be.

Still, surely now, with her encouraging words Mr Lucas would be less apprehensive of that angel and he would tell them more of what happened. What did not expect was for her father to fall on his ass laughing hysterically while Lucas brought his hands to his face both in exasperation and embarrassment.

“Oh archons….she thinks….ahahahahhahaha, she things your angel...huehuehue...she thinks she is...oh god this is too much for little old me”

“Charlotte!? Why would yo- She would never-Gala could you stop misleading little Charlotte like this for just FIVE minutes!?”

“S-sorry, sorry…. I could not help myself...she is just so blunt”

Barely breathed out her father between coughs, but with the wry smile on his lips and the fact that he was still chuckling under his teeth it did not seem that he was that sorry in the first place.

Still…

That did not explain why the two had reacted that way, baffled beyond measure.

Charlottes mind went into overdrive. Had she made a mistake..? No, that could not be! Her reasoning was sound…. but then how? How was this the reaction she received when it was the complete opposite she was expecting?

Perhaps….she had misunderstood something?

The thought made her blush into a pinker hue than her own hair, and so, she hurriedly turned around towards her fathers form, trying to find some sort of comfort or answer from him…...however the only thing that she found was the mischievous smile on his lips adding to a comical thumbs up sent her way.

“Don't worry Charl, when you get older you will understand…”

[Really dad? Urgh…] She could not help herself but pout at those dismissing words she heard way too many times for her liking.

“Why do I have the feeling that you are having fun at my expense...?”

“If I told you it would ruin the surprise...” Was the sly reply of her father before he started ruffling her hair with his hand much to her chagrin and embarrassment.

She really hated when he did that without warning.

“D-Dad..! I-I am not a kid any-more!”

“I am afraid that five doesn't scream much of maturity, my daughter...” He said as he finally stood up from the ground. “Anyway, I suppose I should thank her for helping you out of that room. Does she work here, Lucas?”

“No, she was visiting….in fact, she came to see me a few days ago.”

“She is a friend of yours then..?” She asked.

“No...but yes?”

Charlotte blinked

How could one person be someone's friend and not at the same time..? How was that even possible..?

Unless Lucas was making a jest….which would be strange she could not come to a reasonable explanation as to what he could mean. The bafflement she felt at trying to understand what her friend had just said must have shown on her face because she felt Lucas place a hand on her shoulder. Squeezing it gently.

“What I mean is that she is my new backer…..can I consider my angel a friend? Feels….weird saying it out-loud.., but perhaps that is what we are now..”

Normally Charlotte would have poked a little more about what he meant by that as she felt that his tone grew a little more softer...and hopeful at the end.

However there was a different thing that caught her attention first.

“A backer? Dad, what does that mean..?”

“It means that she is financing Lucas’s workshop and any of his expenses”

Her eyes widened in a rather childish manner. “Oh? OH! That its so great…does this mean that Mr Lucas will be able to do the things he wanted instead of worrying about those things any-more, right?”

The lack of funds had always been something the older man had lamented time and time again.

To think someone would

“Pretty much...” He answered with a weak nod….though she denoted that there was a far more sharper look in his eyes as she said those words.

It was an expression that told her that her father was in deep thought.

That something had not sit well to him.

“Dad? Is there something wrong..?”

“Its not that its bad….not at all, but it just feels that the timing of the events is a bit….convenient”

[Convenient..?]

Now that was a loaded word if there was one she thought to herself, looking at her father curious about how he had come to such conclusion. Sadly before she could inquire what he meant Lucas stepped forward into her line of view, hands clenched very tightly.

Yet trembling ever so slightly….

“P-preposterous, how could you say that about my saviour and muse!?”

“Lucas...”

“I would not be here talking you now without her dammit!”

Her father bit his lip, the fire that had been on his eyes dimming by a pained look of sorrow “Look, I am not saying she did wrong by helping you then, just that-”

He tried to speak up, but Lucas would not let him have it, raising his voice even louder.

“Hell, she did not need to stick around to encourage me to follow my dreams in the slightest, let alone fund them, but she did! She. Did..!”

“I KNOW...!”

“THEN WHY ARE YOU QUESTIONING HER MOTIVES..!?”

It was a brief yet intense moment of unease between the two men as they glared at each other for what felt an eternity. However their silent duel ended just ass fast as it came to be when Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose, the tension in his body growing lesser by the moment….

Though only to be replaced by a sense of tiredness.

“Come on Gala, because things happen at strange times does not mean that there is a conspiracy in the making..”

“My friend…. I was just saying what I feel…that does not make it reality. Perhaps I am wrong, who knows...”

A moment of silence brewed between the two after that, letting the words just spoken to slowly land around them. Only disturbed when Lucas shyly glared back at her father, his gaze devoid of the fire that had been there before.

“I know….”

“I know you do..”

Another moment of silence, one far more amiable than the one before.

“She is a good person..Gala..”

“I hope you are right, though once again….this is Fontaine we are talking about…”

A shadow of doubt crossed Lucas eyes at mention of those words, his lips closing into something akin to a tight cut carved on his face. The words muttered afterwards barely a whisper for them to hear.

“You don't have to remind me...”

“Perhaps... we could meet her..?”

..

..

..

“Charlotte?”

“Yes?”