When Shanoa first sees her, trapped in the crystalline cage of Albus' glyph, she pauses a moment to wonder is this what beauty is?
The effects of the spell linger and she cannot see her rescuer. She feels warm arms and a cold breastplate as a woman's voice vibrates through her chest and explains what has happened. Later, as Shanoa leads her down the mountain pass, arms casually whirling into otherworldly weapons, eyes unblinking at the flying undead, she admires her.
"You're not like any woman I've ever met."
"Oh?" she says as she takes her hand, leading her into a solid wall of gray fog.
***
When they return to the village, she pulls a ring from her finger and offers it to Shanoa.
"I would like to repay you. Take this, perhaps it will bring you luck."
Shanoa's eyes flick from the ring to her face, unsure, before she takes the offered gift, four pale green stones in the shape of a clover.
"I would offer you something finer," she apologizes, "but I'm afraid someone raided the shop in my absence."
"Thank you," she says quietly, as she puts the ring on her finger.
***
Laura scarcely has time to wonder why she has returned before she reaches into a pouch, pulling out gems one after another, an emerald the size of her thumb, dozens of rubies and sapphires that sparkle like dragon scales, a diamond the clarity of which she has never seen, much and more.
"Where did you get all these?" she breathes. "You're not giving them to me?"
"You needed gemstones. I had no use for them."
"But these would fetch you a fortune! And wait, a woman with no interest in jewels?"
Shanoa does not respond.
"But then, you do dress like you're in mourning… are you a widow?"
"No."
"Got a man in your life?"
"No one I'm capable of caring for." There is silence for a moment before Shanoa asks, "What about yourself?"
"There may be someone... but I'm no good at talking about myself," Laura answers evasively. "If there's no mourning and no man keeping you down, you could dress a little nicer. I'm sure Monica would make you something. She's always babbling about the beautiful angel that rescued her."
"Beautiful angel? Am I beautiful?"
Laura wants to say yes, but she doesn't. She doesn't say anything.
"Did Monica make your dress?" Shanoa asks.
"Yes."
"Then perhaps I will ask her to make me something. I very much like the way it falls off of your shoulders."
Laura blushes, a habit she has been out of since she was a girl, and reddens further as Shanoa's eyes scrape from her aforementioned shoulders downward, her lips parted in an unspoken question. Her dark eyes return to her face, where they rest for a moment before she turns to go.
"May the light go with you," Laura murmurs breathlessly as the door closes.
She reaches behind the counter for her cards. Her reading of that morning suggested that she would find love, but she had not expected a woman. She draws the first card from the deck: the Queen of Swords.
***
When she returns she is resplendent in a high-waisted gown that accents her slenderness.
"Beautiful!" Laura exclaims, "Such a waste of a lovely shape, before. Still… you don't smile much. You should! Men would be lining up at your door."
"I do not smile."
"Don't smile…?" Laura's heart falls at the cold proclamation, though she tries not to show it. "That's… odd. Hmm, what can we do about that?" She turns to her wares to find the combs encrusted with Shanoa's sapphires and rubies. "Perhaps these will make you smile without even knowing it?"
Shanoa makes no response, so she moves in closer to tuck the combs into her dark hair. Tempted by their closeness, she plants a soft kiss on one milk-white cheek.
"I thank you," Shanoa says softly. "However, one cannot stir emotions that do not exist."
"No," Laura shakes her head, flustered. "I must be doing something wrong. Perhaps if I had some Alexandrite? But… you must have emotions, or why would you do so many things for us villagers? All those gemstones you brought me? And the pictures you drew for Daniela? She showed them to me, they were beautiful! They can't have been made by someone who feels nothing."
"Perhaps…" Shanoa whispers, "I could not shed a tear for Albus, and I felt no hurt when Barlowe tried to kill me. And yet, even though I learned all I was fighting for was a lie, I feel I must find Dracula, I must defeat him. Perhaps that is something of my emotions that lingers."
"Dracula," Laura breathes, "So that's what you're hunting."
She says nothing more, only pulls her close. Shanoa stays with her that night, but is gone in the morning, a handful of polished onyx left in her place.
***
Shanoa returns to the village with emotions zigzagging from sadness to joy and back again. Albus, her best friend, her would-be brother, dead, but victorious in death, Shanoa freed and Dracula defeated. The landscape has chosen joy, spring returning under the long-forgotten sun, and Shanoa decides to be joyful with it. She has lost the only home she ever had, but she thinks, she thinks she has found another as she clutches the gleaming shard of Alexandrite.
Her heart beats rapidly as she knocks on Laura's door; apprehension returned with everything else.
"You're alive!" Laura exclaims as she opens the door.
Shanoa holds up the legendary jewel, brilliant in the newly-returned sunshine. She can't help but smile as at Laura's amazed gasp.
"It really exists!" She sees Shanoa's face, and her smile, and stands transfixed. Shanoa's smile widens into a grin as she loops a hand around her waist and pulls her into a kiss.
***
Shanoa lays in nothing but the jewels she found for her. A belt of onyx around her hips, emerald bracelets at her wrists, a shower of sapphires from her ears, the ruby combs in her hair, and a long chain of diamonds from her neck, the largest and finest nestled between her breasts. Above it all, the Alexandrite crown shines on her brow, Laura's finest work and fit for any queen. Still, she thinks as she pulls her in close, all these are merely a setting for the most beautiful and uncommon of jewels, Shanoa's smile.
Well, I blame konami for this, as Order of Ecclesia features the very attractive and very busty jewelry shop keeper telling the very female protagonist some things that could definitely be construed as flirting.
If you have any thoughts at all, review, it keeps me doing weird things like this. ;)