A/N.

MASSIVE SPOILERS for AJ:AA cases 4-1 and 4-4.

Don't read unless you've completed the game!

This is a companion piece to my other Thalassa story, "Are You Watching Closely?," so you might want to check that out. Here's why the story you are about to read was not added as a new chapter to the story that came before it.

My first story dealt with Thalassa's surgery and her reaction to it, but never detailed her memories. This one deals with what I feel are key events and feelings in her life - in this particular memory, the naming, birth, and raising of Trucy, and the love Thalassa had for Zak. As for this story, I was thinking about making it a multi-chapter affair - a whole collection of Thalassa's lost memories, all written in her perspective. I may or may not add onto it in the future.

I hope you like this work. If you enjoy it, feel free to review. I am always trying to improve upon my writing, and your feedback helps!

- I Brake For Franzy // AsakiPhreek


When I got my memory back, my secondary concern, next to the children (the mysteries about whom I had solved just recently) was Zak. He, too, was a magician, and a talented one at that. My father said he was born with a wand in his hand. I suppose that you could say that about all the Gramaryes - our troupe was top of the line - but my feelings for Zak extended beyond simple admiration. I was in awe of the man.

A little while after my surgery was completed and I had fully recovered from all that had happened, I was informed, by way of a certain grungy-looking pianist, that Zak was gone - the very thought of it brings a tear to my eye. The operation, which restored every part of my life I had forgotten, dredged up such warm memories - but they were all left to wither with the sudden news of his passing. At night, I shiver. My only company is the darkness in my unlit bedroom, a haunting reminder of the time when I used to be blind. And then, I try to remember.

Our wedding was held at the Gramarye Museum, and I recall that when it ended, each and every one of my pores cried out for his skin against me again. It did happen later, but to a much greater degree than I expected, and a child came out of it. I suppose it's a newlywed thing - let the family tree branch out - but that's what I wanted. It was another shot at forgiveness for abandoning Apollo. A second chance, a true test of mettle. That's what Zak wanted, too. "Why plant an apple tree and expect it not to bear fruit?" he asked. "We cannot let the Gramarye bloodline die, Thalassa; we cannot let ourselves die." Those were his words, and for some reason, I didn't forget them. They stuck with me from when I was pronounced Thalassa Enigmar, when I performed as Thalassa Gramarye, when I sang as Lamiroir, to when the operation went through and I was myself once again.

We didn't really think of names until we learned the child's gender. It turned out that we'd be having a baby girl. In the end, we called her Trucy. Zak laid the groundwork for the name. "She'll be beautiful, just like you, and matching your beauty...well, that takes a lot more than magic. It was impossible, until now. She's gonna have your eyes, I know it. She'll see right through you."

She'll see right through you. I chewed on those words for a bit, throwing them around to see if they would stick. She'll see through you, see the true you, truly see you. And then it came: Trucy. It was a flashbulb moment: the lights were fleeting, but the marks they left on your line of vision stayed for what seemed like an eternity. I carried the epiphany with me as I approached Zak with the name.

"I like," he said approvingly. "Kind of exotic-sounding, really. And there's nothing wrong with that at all. Please tell me, how many people are lucky enough to be named Thalassa?" And, to be honest, I couldn't think of anyone else but myself and a sea goddess, the latter of whom you couldn't really call a person. It made me a bit prideful, and I blushed.

Zak noticed my cheeks and let out a hearty laugh. "Why, people should say stuff like that to you all the time. That color looks good on you."

"You're starting to sound like Valant," I replied, but gladly took the compliment anyway.

There are no eyes like a Gramarye's eyes - that's what Zak always said, and he was right. Backstage, I would entertain him with very simple card tricks, those "take-a-card-and-don't-tell-me" deals. We did it for kicks - to a Gramarye, cards were like alphabet blocks; you could spell as many words as you'd like, but deep down inside you knew everything, and it was child's play. When I held up the chosen card, asking if it was indeed his, something tightened around my wrist. "No, not at all," he'd say firmly, and the pressure around my wrist would get even stronger, almost to the point of constriction. "You can't fool me," I told him, and pointed to the bracelet. At that moment, he'd laugh, and the bracelet expanded to its original state. The charade never got old. I think it was the thrill of seeing his stern expression - perfected by many years of tricks both impromptu and prepared - crumble into pieces.

That's what happened when Trucy came along.

It's not usually a magician's job to be surprised, but when Trucy entered this world, Zak's eyes widened more than they ever had. He took a liking to the child since she practically took her first breath. While other girls were playing with dolls, Trucy was in her room passing coins through handkerchiefs or trying to perfect the Si Stebbins order. She was her father's child, no doubt about it, but she borrowed a good deal from me, too. I tried to dig up another bracelet from my trunk, but she took a liking to wearing gloves and refused to put it on. Had I known that I would be shot near-fatally, I would have glued it to her wrist and told her to deal with it.

Most importantly, Trucy had taken an almost unhealthy liking to a pair of bloomers, which she affectionately dubbed her "magic panties." From this one thing is made quite clear: Trucy did not beat around the bush with names. A hat was a hat. A man in a hat was Mr. Hat, whether he was a Gramarye, a Blackstone, or even a Blaine. And, much to the chagrin of those around her, panties were panties.

As a mother, you could imagine my fright, but Zak didn't worry about it much. "She's little, yet," he said. "If you want this kid to be a magician, let her expand her repertoire with anything she finds." He let out a sigh. "...Even panties."

And so it was. Not by my or Zak's will, but hers. While we performed with hats and ropes and silken scarves, Trucy fooled with her magic panties. Despite her objections, we just couldn't let her onstage with them. It was a risk that wasn't really worth taking. Even Zak and I barely suppressed the urge to crack a bawdy joke or two.

But hey - we loved Trucy, with or without those freaky little bloomers of hers. And I still love Zak, with or without him near me. I have gained, and in turn, I must lose. Such is the ebb and flow of life - rising, falling, and crashing down. It is a wave, controlled by only the moon above and the ocean below, both beyond my fragile reach. And with the assurance that Trucy is safe and sound, I know I'm not riding this wave alone.

Let's just hope that she buried those panties well beneath the shoreline.


6.17.09

Note: There is a mention of Trucy trying to perfect the "Si Stebbins order." In layman's terms, Si Stebbins is a special prearrangement of an ordinary deck of cards, set up in sequence so that cards can be divined with simple calculations. It is also the stage name of performer William Coffrin, who popularized the system.