Nina... Nina, Nina, Nina. You adorable little archer, you. Admittedly, another hard character to write. Yeah, it's pretty easy to guess her basic personality: She likes yaoi, hates her dad, can't talk to boys, likes stalking people, plays with puppets, and is possibly a gay porn enthusiast. Despite her being one of my favorite characters in Fates (enough for me to marry her, take that, Niles!), she, like many others, suffers from being...just a tad bit bland? Don't get me wrong! She's pretty well written compared to a lot of others, but most characters suffer from some kind of poor writing, including her, and (admittedly) even Dwyer. Still, her support with Dwyer is among my favorites, so I guess I have a few things to work with.
Anyway, a good challenge is always nice, so let's hope I make this one count! Enjoy the chapter, everyone!
...
Lately, Dwyer had begun to develop the feeling that he was being watched.
It started off harmless enough. Occasionally he'd feel someone staring at him from behind, but there'd be no one there when he'd turn around to look. It was a little bit creepy, sure, but nothing he paid too much attention to. He just logically attributed the feeling to a lack of proper rest, since his father has been badgering him with new assignments for days now. He figured that once he was finally caught up with all of his chores and was able to catch up on his sleep, the feeling would disappear and be forgotten.
But he was beginning to think that his lack of sleep wasn't the problem.
The feeling soon became stronger and more distracting. No matter what Dwyer did, or where he went, the invisible eyes were always there, watching him. It came to the point where he didn't even feel safe in the bath house anymore, and he could've sworn that he saw someone behind the steam watching him. He eventually told himself that he was simply being paranoid, but once he decided to bring Asugi into the bath house with him, just to have some peace of mind.
Unfortunately, that only proceeded to make the feeling worse, and soon Dwyer had to sadly ditch his friend.
Dwyer was beginning to grow sick of this mystery stalker, and he turned to anyone who would help. To his dismay, no one seemed able to chalk up a definitive answer. His mother somehow convinced Jakob to lighten Dwyer's load so he could rest more, but that did not hinder the invisible eyes. Velouria offered to track whoever it was that was stalking the poor butler, but by the end of the day she came back with zero results. The same thing happened when Selkie tried.
Eventually, Dwyer was reaching his wits end, and he was just about ready to turn in his resignation letter when his luck finally changed.
"Alright, Midori," the butler said, putting down his mop. "That's enough for now, you're free to go."
The young apothecary smiled brightly, and nodded. "Alright, thanks for your help!" She was about to leave when she turned back around, tilting her head. "Is that feeling still bothering you, Dwyer? Because I've been working on a potion that should be able to-"
"No thanks, Midori," Dwyer declined immediately, putting on a false grin. "The feeling's gone now, there's no need to nurture me." That was a total lie, but he had seen some of the things Midori put in her potions. He didn't really see how fish eyes were going to help him...
Midori bit her lip, as if she was ready to argue, but she sighed in defeat and nodded. "Well, if you're sure..." she murmured, before brightening up once more. "Thanks again for helping me clean the kitchen, you're the best!" She waved, and stepped out of the kitchen, closing the door behind her.
Dwyer sighed and leaned against the counter, the feeling immediately returning. The butler tensed up, and his hand reached into his pocket, fingers slowly wrapping around his lone shuriken. After days of preparation, he was finally ready... If the only way to get rid of this was to confront it head on, then he was going to take that chance.
He still had his resignation letter back on his bed, just in case.
His eyes carefully scanned his surroundings, and after a thorough search his sight settled on a barrel in the corner. Yes, whoever it was that was stalking him was definitely in there... He did his best not to stare at it as he walked towards the kitchen exit. "Well," he said to himself in a loud voice. "There's no point in staying here. Guess I should head back to my room now."
He exited the kitchen and closed the door behind him, immediately turning around with his shuriken raised high. It was faint and barely noticeable, but there was now a rustling coming from the other side of the door. Narrowing his eyes, he waited another moment before he threw the door open, hurtling the Hoshidan projectile with all his strength.
"EEK!" a shrill voice yelped, and the shuriken stuck itself into the wall. Dwyer quickly burst into the kitchen, and his eyes widened.
"Nina?!" he gasped.
"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!" Nina shrieked, eyes bulging out of her sockets, her hand covering her torn sleeve. "Why'd you try to kill me?!"
"What the-" Dwyer jabbed a finger at the daughter of Niles. "Never mind that, why were you stalking me?!" he hissed.
The archer huffed and crossed her arms. "I-I wasn't stalking you!" she protested, glancing away. "I was just...observing you, that's all."
Dwyer clenched his fists. "You were even watching me in the bath house!" he accused. "Who even does that?!"
Nina blushed and covered her face with her hands. "Okay, fine!" she growled. "So what if I was stalking you? Not my fault you're the most interesting kid here!"
"Aha!" Dwyer exclaimed. "So you admit it,you-" He stopped, and raised an eyebrow. "Most...interesting?"
Nina peeked at the butler through her fingers, nodding slowly. "Y-Yeah..." she muttered, removing her hands, a blush now covering her face.
"I'm a little confused," Dwyer admitted. "What exactly are you talking about?"
Nina sighed and hoisted herself onto the counter, sitting on it. "I've been...watching you for awhile," she started. "And during that time, I've noticed...certain aspects of you."
Dwyer tilted his head, having no idea what she was referring to. "Like?" he asked.
Nina played with one of her braided pigtails. "Well, at first glance you seem like kind of a lazy jackass, to put it nicely," she explained. Her eyes widened and she waved her arms around. "B-But as it turns out, you're actually a really kind person! I've seen how you go out of your way to help others, and how much people actually seem to like you." She turned away. "You're just...you're that kind of person that someone can turn to in their time of need, you know? It's one of the many things I can't help...admiring about you." Her face was a bright crimson now, and she was beginning to fidget around.
Dwyer, however, ignored it. "That doesn't sound like an actual excuse for stalking me, though," he pointed out.
"That's the thing, though!" Nina said. "I've...been having a bit of trouble recently, and I thought I could turn to you for help..." She scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "But I kept getting nervous, so I just stuck to stalking you..." She laughed and shook her head. "I'm not exactly the best at talking to boys."
"You're talking to me right now."
"D-Do you know how much effort this is taking?!" Nina cried out, throwing her hands into the air. "I'm freaking sweating, Dwyer!"
The butler simply rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "So you said you've been having some trouble," he reminded her, changing the subject. "So why not tell me about it? I'll try my best to help."
Nina blinked. "R-Really?" she gasped in disbelief. "You'll help me?"
"If you just tell me what's wrong, then yes," Dwyer said, his eye twitching ever so slightly.
"Oh, yes!" Nina took a deep breath. "Promise not to laugh," she said, her tone turning serious.
Dwyer rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to laugh," he told her. "Laughter isn't a word in my dictionary."
"Was...that a joke?"
"Just tell me what's wrong, Nina."
Nina was silent for a few moments, her eyes fixated on her lap. Dwyer was beginning to grow worried, admittedly, and took a hesitant step towards the girl. "Nina..?"
"It's me!" Nina cried suddenly, startling the poor butler. "I'm what's wrong, Dwyer!"
Dwyer took another step. "Nina, there's no need to be so harsh-"
"You should've seen what happened earlier today!" the girl continued. "Lord Corrin of all people caught me playing with puppets... Puppets!" She buried her face in her hands and shook her head. "It was so embarrassing! A-And I guess it made me think a little, a-and..."
",,,and?" Dwyer pressed, now next to her. When Nina didn't answer, Dwyer put a comforting hand on her soldier. "Nina, what next?"
"Do you think...there's something wrong with me, Dwyer?" she whispered. "I know my hobbies aren't considered 'normal' but I never paid much mind to it until today... Do you think that's why I don't have friends? Does everyone just think I'm that weird?"
Don't say things like that," Dwyer murmured, rubbing the girl's back. "You have plenty of friends."
Nina laughed bitterly. "Name one," she demanded.
Dwyer froze, and racked his brain for an answer. Finally, he sighed and shrugged. "Well...there's me?" he offered.
Nina lifted her head and stared at Dwyer, eyes wide and her cheeks pink. Finally, she smiled sadly and shook her head. "Maybe..." she mumbled, hopping off the counter. She began walking out of the kitchen, turning around and rubbing her arm. "Thanks for listening, Dwyer... I promise I won't stalk you anymore, sorry for making you uncomfortable."
Dwyer reached towards her. "Nina, wait!" he called.
The door slammed in his face.
Dwyer stared blankly at the door, silently assessing the situation. Finally, he groaned and ran his hand through his blonde hair. "How the hell am I going to fix this one?" he asked himself.
Better question: Why was he always the one who had to fix everything?
Dwyer began pacing the kitchen, clasping his hands behind him to stop them from moving. Out of all the problems he's been presented with, Dwyer could admit that this one was something he was struggling to find an answer to. Nina, despite wanting help, obviously wasn't ready to accept that help, which made the sleepy butler's job a lot harder.
He stopped pacing. 'Did I just refer to this as a job?' he asked himself, before shaking his head. Maybe he should give up his life as a butler and just become a therapist instead. That resignation letter may just come in handy after all...
He needed to get out of the kitchen, he realized. Sighing, Dwyer walked outside, noticing that it was just about noon. He smirked, telling himself that he had plenty of time to solve this.
One thing Nina said stuck out to him. Was it true what she said? Did Nina really have no friends? Dwyer had rarely engaged with the girl, so he wasn't aware of her social situation, but surely she had to have some friends, right? If an introvert like himself could have some friends, why shouldn't Nina? Yes, her hobbies were strange, but she was nice enough. Not to mention, she was actually extraordinarily beautiful, almost competing with Caeldori, if Dwyer were to be honest.
A light bulb went off in his head, and Dwyer mentally scolded himself for not thinking of it sooner. Perhaps that's what Nina needed: Friends! But the only question was, how was he going to help Nina find friends? Despite his own friends, Dwyer still didn't consider himself a social butterfly by any means...
"DWYERRRRR!"
Suddenly, the butler was tackled to the ground, tumbling across the field as Selkie clung to him like her life depended on it, furiously nuzzling her head into his shoulder. When he finally came to a stop, Dwyer attempted to pry the kitsune off of him. "Selkie!" he hissed. "What's with you?"
Selkie pulled away, on the verge of crying as she shoved the resignation letter in his face. "You're leaving?!" she cried. "Is this because of me?! Am I too rough?! I can change, Dwyer! Just don't gooooo!" She threw her arms around Jakob's son once again. Dwyer sighed and wriggled his way out of Selkie's arms.
"Of course I'm not leaving," he hissed, snatching the letter out of his bubbly friend's hands. "I've never seen this before in my life!" He proceeded to tear the paper to shreds, letting them fall to the ground. "Happy?" he asked her.
Selkie nodded, standing up and playing with her fox ears. "Sorry," she apologized.
"It's alright," Dwyer assured, brushing himself off. He suddenly remembered his task, and he asked, "Hey...are you friends with Nina, by any chance?"
"The yaoi fangirl?"
Dwyer blinked. "The what?"
"Hoshidan term," Selkie quickly explained. She bit her lip and shook her head. "I mean, I wouldn't mind being her friend..."
"But you're not?"
Selkie frowned, a truly rare sight. "To be honest, I'm not sure anyone is more than an acquaintance to her..."
Ouch, Dwyer winced. So it was true, Nina really was friendless...
"Why are you asking, Dwyer?" Selkie wondered, tilting her head.
"...because there's something I have to do," Dwyer vaguely answered. "I'll see you later, Selkie, there's someone I gotta find."
"Ooooh." Selkie grinned. "I know that look in your eyes, Dwyer! You get it every time one of us asks you for something!"
"Then go tell our friends to meet up by Lilith's temple in two hours," Dwyer ordered.
Selkie nodded and eagerly scampered off, leaving the butler alone. Dwyer watched her leave, before he made his way to his parents' living quarters. He knocked on the door, and soon his mother opened it, raising an eyebrow. "Dwyer?" she asked. "Is something the matter?"
"I'm in need of some guidance." Dwyer answered, entering when his mother made room for him.
Charlotte smirked. "Is my little man having girl troubles?" she teased, ruffling her son's hair.
Dwyer frowned and lightly pushed his mother's hand away. "I guess you can call it that," he half-agreed. "A...friend of mine is going through some identity issues, and I guess I want to do something to cheer her up."
"Awe~" Charlotte cooed, clasping her hands together. "You're finally starting to think about girls! You know, your father was worried that you'd end up swinging the other way, but I knew that-"
"MOTHER!" Dwyer yelled, his face red. Well, there went the rest of his dignity...maybe he shouldn't have torn up his resignation letter after all, if what his mother told him was the actual truth.
"Oh, sorry!" Charlotte laughed, sitting the young butler down on a chair. She pulled up her own and sat down, folding her hands over her lap. "You say a girl needs cheering up? Well, what you do really depends on your relationship with her. Are you two just friends, or...?"
Dwyer coughed. "N-No," he stuttered. "Just friends." He ran his hands through his hair. "Besides...I think I have an idea?"
"Oh?" Charlotte raised her eyebrow again, and leaned forward. "And what would that be?"
Dwyer sighed. "How do you...throw a...surprise party...?" he forced out, murmuring the last bit.
Charlotte caught what he said, and her smile grew. "A surprise party?" she echoed. "Heh...I didn't think you'd be the one throw a party, son."
Dwyer shrugged. "Neither did I," he admitted. "But since I'm apparently everyone's personal therapist these days, I have to do something to cheer her up."
"And a party is the way to go?"
"For this girl? Yes."
Charlotte leaned back in her chair, thinking for a few moments. "Well, Dwyer, this is what I would do..."
...
A few hours had past, and after explaining the situation to his friends, they all agreed to help him. The hours in between then and now were spent organizing the surprise party, which was being held at a tavern in a nearby village. It took the owner some convincing, but eventually the teenagers managed to snag the place for the evening. Now it was Dwyer's job to deliver Nina to the party.
"Nina?" he called, standing outside her tent. "There's something I have to say."
A few moments passed, before Nina stepped out of her tent, tilting her head in confusion. "Dwyer...? What are you doing here?" she asked.
Dwyer gave the girl a gentle smile, beckoned for her to follow as he stepped back. "There's something I have to show you," he explained. "It's at the local village not far outside the astral plane. It'll be a ten minute walk at most."
Nina just seemed more confused, but she eventually began following the butler. "Okay...what's going on?"
"You'll see," Dwyer cryptically replied.
The two walked in silence, eventually exiting the astral plane. In the distance, they could see the lights of the village, and Dwyer began walking once again. Nina caught up to him, and rubbed her arm. "Is this about what happened earlier today?" she wondered. When Dwyer didn't answer, she sighed. "I'm sorry about earlier, maybe I was just being stupid... Lord Corrin and I made up, so I guess everything's fine now..."
"Don't apologize, Nina," Dwyer told her gently. "I said I'd help you, and that's exactly what I'm going to do."
Nina stopped, and stared at the butler curiously. "What do you mean?"
Dwyer smirked and brought his finger to his lips, making a 'shushing' gesture. "C'mon," he said, walking once more. "We're almost there."
Nina bit her lip and followed, keeping pace with Dwyer's surprisingly quick strides.
Finally, they reached the village, and the archer was surprised when Dwyer stopped in front of a tavern. She slowly turned to face the butler, eyes wide. "You...brought me here for a drink?" she choked. "I-I-I don't drink alcohol, Dwyer..."
Dwyer ignored the girl and bowed, extending his arm towards the door. "If you'd do the honors," he said in the most butler-y voice he had ever put on.
Nina hesitated, but swallowed her slight anxiety down and nodded. She walked to the door, and placed her hand on the doorknob. Finally, she pushed the door open, and-
"SURPRISE!" came the large roar, startling Nina. Her eyes widened even more, and her hands flew up to her mouth. Everyone was there... Soleil was winking at her, Forrest was holding up a newly sewn dress that had the words Nohr's Best Retainer on them, Ophelia was waving, Shigure was prepared to lead a musical band, Asugi held a cake, Selkie and Kana were bouncing excitedly, Velouria was in the corner with a casual thumbs up, Hisame held a jar of pickles with a ribbon attached, and Kiragi was holding a newly forged silver bow with a tag on it that read For Nina. Tears of joy formed in the archer's eyes. 'Everyone's here,' she thought.
A hand was placed on her shoulder, and Nina turned around to see Dwyer smiling proudly at his work. "D-Did you arrange this?" she asked him.
Dwyer nodded, patting the girl's shoulder. "You see?" he asked her, gesturing to the crowd of teenagers. "You have friends all around you, Nina. I mean, look at us! We're all unique, we all have strange quirks, but we're all still friends. You're no different, Nina."
Nina was silent, before she suddenly threw her arms around the butler, hugging him tight. Dwyer hugged back awkwardly. The archer smiled and whispered, "No wonder I fell for you..."
Dwyer didn't hear what she said, but something told him it was something he wasn't meant to hear, so he didn't press it.
"Alright," he said, pulling away. "I already went out of my way to organize this, so you might as well enjoy it." Nina nodded, and eagerly went off to mingle with her new friends. Dwyer folded his arms and watched from afar, when Ophelia stepped over to stand beside him.
"You've changed a lot since we first met," she told him. "Can you believe it's been almost two moons since you've been recruited?" When Dwyer raised an eyebrow, the young mage coughed. "Months," she clarified.
Dwyer shrugged. "It's been that long? Huh." The two stood in silence, before Ophelia spoke once more.
"What a shame Mitama decided not to participate," she said. "Perhaps the darkness has begun to creep into her soul, latching onto her and preventing her from blossoming like the flower I know she is! We must rescue her, Dwyer! She must bloom!"
Dwyer scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Or she just hates me," he pointed out. "You know she and I never got along."
Ophelia sighed sadly. "Perhaps it's you who must break the darkness's hold on her, then..."
Dwyer shrugged. "Maybe later," he said, staring at Nina, who was conversing with Shiro. The archer turned to Dwyer, and smiled brightly at him, mouthing thank you. Dwyer smiled and nodded, before telling Ophelia, "But for now, I just want to enjoy this night."
...
I've decided to establish Nina as one of the few who is already crushing on Dwyer. Anyway, I'm rather satisfied with this, to be honest. I didn't want to go what can probably be labeled as the 'cliche' route, and have the theme of Nina's yaoi obsession be the main drive. After viewing some of Nina's support conversations, she comes off as someone who is socially awkward, and I decided to explore that. I kept her stalking bit from her support with Dwyer, because I felt like that could act as a result of her social anxiety, and not just another comedic trope. Granted, I kept some comedy in there, since this is a humor fic in the end with some splashes of feels thrown in. Also, sorry for the lack of Jakob, but I wanted to give Charlotte some spotlight, since it's been awhile.
Next up is Mitama's chapter, and something tells me that's gonna be A LOT of fun to write! After that, it'll be ending with Rhajat's chapter, and then we'll FINALLY be moving on to the main story. Yep, all of this was just a really long prologue XD The main story will continue to be episodic in nature just like always, but it will further explore Dwyer's growing relationships with each girl, and some other side characters as well (such as Jakob, Charlotte, and Asugi the official 'bro' of this story). It will also have have longer plots, that will probably extend to multiple chapters. Eventually, I want this story to end with everything wrapping together, and Dwyer in an established relationship. No sharing, just one gal ;P Who that will be, I have absolutely no clue. I might just leave that up for you guys to decide.
This has been a blast so far, and I'm thrilled that so many people enjoy it! I was honestly surprised when even ONE guy started following, I never thought this story would get off the ground. Let's all work together from now on to keep this story going, okay? :D Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!
(Now excuse me while I join 90% of America as we sigh in shame as the Super Bowl ends, DON'T JUDGE ME!)