Disclaimer: I do not own Genshin Impact nor the front cover (Source/Link in my profile)
Short A/N: It bothers me that there's no Oz tag so I put in OC in his place instead, also next chapter of "Reise einer Prinzessin" is still undergoing polishing and a bit of reworking with the dialogue, hopefully it will be done in May before Eula banner comes.
-Corvus/Viator Story Quest-
-Extra Act II-
~Herz einer Prinzessin~
(Heart of a Princess)
Friendship level: 10
Affection level: 1
"What does it take to rile a princess? ...If you must know, it is those who cannot recognize my true identity. But it is no great loss, for solitude is the noble's lot, so long as I do not lose the nobility of my soul.."
Inside a certain room of a well known adventurer, famed for her unique way of speaking and extravagantly flamboyant acts that leave her spectators in awe or dumbfounded, who was also a self proclaimed Princess hailing from another world.
Who, at the moment seemed to be in a frantic state, nearly jumping around all corners of her room like a child on sugar rush.
The usual cleanliness of her moderately sized bedroom appeared like it was swept by a tornado, as if sent by Barbatos himself, dozens of books and magazines of different proportions and kinds littered her wooden floor, and a large pristine ten foot mahogany closet to the far side was left ajar as numerous identical looking dresses were scattered haphazardly on her bed.
The sole occupant didn't seem to take notice of the chaos in her own surroundings, and seemed to be absorbed in a book that had a "safe" pinkish hard cover but rather provocative in its contents.
"...What am I supposed to do with this?"
Her eye was glued to a single page, staring at it in disbelief.
Fischl was so bewildered that she even broke out of character despite of her practiced and choreographed lines.
It was supposed to be easy, said the page, basic even.
Then why was it so difficult for her to comprehend?
According to the "guide" she was currently reading, which came straight from Mondstadt's library and courtesy of the ever seductive librarian's recommendation, it said that it was the most trivial and essential thing to do for the large demographic of females her age.
Well it was her, a top investigator of the adventurer's guild who happens to have an IQ much higher than most people, with a vocabulary so vast it could dwarf the entirety of the biggest mountain in Dragonspine if it were to be converted in sheer volume, and that was not including her being able to make work of any foe in ten seconds flat with either the pointed end of her arrows or fried to a crisp by her trusty Oz.
She didn't want to sound pretentious but the majority's criteria didn't exactly fit someone like her.
So, why was it her fault that she had zero experience when it comes to modifying her appearance?
Who would've thought that someone so extra like her, who oozed elegance and grace with edginess that only she could pull off, ended up being inexperienced in the art of beautification for a seemingly customary event?
Something like prettying herself up, or as the book quoted "lace up to ensnare your sweet darling!~", for a date with the traveler for example.
Of course it was never going to be that easy.
'"~How to secure your man's heart on your first date~" is absolutely worthless!'
The twin tailed blonde nearly threw the damned book against the wall with enough force to puncture a hole through it, but decided not to since she's fully aware how terrifying the librarian could get if someone were to mishandle a borrowed book.
It was closer to those tabloid trash than being an actual helpful guide.
While the book itself contained information that was of value, sort of, it was filled to the brim with so much libidinous suggestions that her young mind could only handle so much of.
It was mocking her, she was sure of it.
The so called "guide" was like a crappy DIY journal that came from one of the sappiest romance novel she'd recently read, where the lead's stereotypical best friend was the one who came up with it and sold it to the protagonist, proud that it's the sure way in preparing for a date when in reality it isn't.
And worse, she almost fell for it.
So she did the next best possible method and just glared at the "book" hoping that she'll burn a hole through it.
Tossing it as gently as she could somewhere in the pile on the floor, she sat down on a spot where there wasn't any single one of those useless articles and sulked helplessly.
Being all dolled up, complete with sparkly make up and colorful fancy dresses that the masses deemed as the suitable standard for a date, who were they kidding?
The concept of it all was so alien to her.
Normally she wouldn't get so worked up and finicky on such unnecessary things like some lovestruck maiden.
The problem is, at the moment she is a lovestruck maiden.
It still wasn't public knowledge at present, and after their date she'll have to publicly show that they were an item before any wench could any ideas and place their claws on him, that her and the traveler had officially become a couple.
Well maybe except for her parents, they might go ballistic if they find out their precious daughter is involved with an otherworldly traveler who may or may not be a godly being in disguise, though she'd have to break the news to them eventually, until then she decided that for now it wasn't the best time, luckily they weren't home for the most part so she wouldn't have to worry about it.
And while it was exhilarating, it was also nerve wracking, exhilarating because she was experiencing new emotions she wanted to explore, nerve wracking because of the uncertain future.
It had been a week since she and Aether started going out, everything was all well and dandy, if her giddiness while squealing into her pillow for the nth time since then weren't any indication.
Her desire of going on dates and doing other couple-y stuff, l-like holding hands, were coming true.
Looking back, four months had passed since she had gotten to know the traveler, they went through their fair share of adventures together that were memorable.
Seeing breathtaking sights, discovering lost ruins, solving ancient puzzles, searching for treasures, fighting a huge wolf every week for "training", defeating weird huge electro cubes or electro hypostasis as they were called to increase her power, doing commissions together.
To the little moments like camping under starlit nights, eating out in restaurants and raging if Paimon eats up their share, buying and reading books in silence as surprisingly he liked reading as well, or just straight up chatting about how their day went no matter how mundane.
And even the most intimate, vulnerable moment of her life, where she bared her true self to him, which now she holds very close in her heart.
In the short time they were together, they certainly became close, and now established a bond that only both of them could share.
She felt like she was on cloud nine after he accepted her confession when she assumed that she'd get rejected, she thanked whoever archons out there who spared her the heartbreak.
It made her wonder when the traveler came to like her, was it eventually like she did or a late realization? She'll never know.
Her single eye trailing to the stand frame that stood on her small table beside her bed, her distress was quelled a bit at the sight and she couldn't help but crack a small smile.
It was a "photograph" housed inside it, as the latest term suggest, it was taken with the wonderful invention of the Kamera that the traveler had received from the Feiyun Commerce Guild.
It was an image of both of them standing atop Qince peak, the serene and almost mischievous smile on the traveler's face contrasted with her awkward one, her pose stiff and rigid as she had one arm clinging onto his lower torso tightly because of the tall height they were in, she recalled that he wanted their first photo to be on the highest place possible with his fondness for the skies and flight, and while it made her uncomfortable standing hundreds of feet above flat ground, she found that she really didn't mind.
She held fond memories of their first taken photo together, even if did made her nervous at first.
And speaking of the mysterious traveler.
Aether had invited her yesterday for their first date, it took her by surprise too because it was rather spontaneous.
She was swamped with the not so difficult task of food delivery in Starsnatch cliff, completed in a few hours time, and when she got to the commission reception by evening there awaited the traveler who sprang up an invitation on her and left in a hurry before she could even respond.
It elated and horrified her simultaneously.
Elated at the fact that her feelings were not as one sided as she thought it was, and that he was seriously willing to be her boyfriend with his initiative.
Horrified because she was left with no time to prepare.
Hence her current situation of a personal agitation of being inept in the beauty department.
It was the main reason why she sought out a variety of guides and books since early morning, anything that may help her in any way in regards on ensuring a good date, from etiquettes on what to say during a sunset or setting the mood, appropriate replies that'll counteract his potential sappy one liners, which she was sure he had in spades with how frequent he reads romantic novels, to the one book that basically told her she had no feminine affinity that nearly made her attempt in combusting the wretched thing into flames for being so inutile.
She had no difficulties with the dos and don'ts, she was pretty confident that she would excel well in that area, what her only hurdle was that she couldn't do anything about her physical appearance.
'l don't know how to make up, but most importantly, what am I supposed to wear?!'
Just like that, her reprieve was short lived.
On the outside she looked perfectly fine, but internally she was on the verge of a meltdown.
Her mental state was equal to that of a garbled mess, her eye constantly roamed around her room, as if searching and awaiting a miraculous solution to her resolve her crisis.
And nothing came, not even a sign.
All her life she spent obsessing and dedicating to the fictional character she loved to roleplay, she only ever had asymmetrical gothic dresses in her wardrobe that would match with her princess ego.
Which meant that she had no other kind of clothing available.
Not even a plain blouse or a sundress, excluding her pajamas and spare dresses, which all were gothic in design.
She did have one "special dress" that she had custom tailored a few weeks ago, though even that had the same design motif as her usual ones, hence it fell under the same category so she believed that it didn't count.
She was so absorbed with immersing herself into not only her character, but to the numerous works of fiction since childhood all the way up to her current years that she had forgone her sense of fashion all together.
In conclusion, nothing, zilch.
Not having anything fancy to wear besides her usual gothic dress, and she couldn't smear make-up on her face properly even if her life depended on it really left her unsettled.
She initially had the idea of teleporting to Liyue to buy some exotic clothes there, anything that could spice up her fashion, but then she'd take long choosing what to wear and with her limited time, she would be unable to choose properly, so she scrapped it.
Just when she needed to get appropriate wear for her date, misfortune struck her like a lawachurl slamming its shield in her face.
Because for whatever reason, every clothing store in Monsdadt also decided to close for the day, and it was not even the weekends.
She could seek a makeup artist to help spruce her face, but then she doesn't know any artist in town let alone anyone who could, and even if she did it would take much longer than clothe selecting.
To make matters even worse, she never used any kind of cosmetics, not even lipstick or eyeliner so she had no way of putting some flair.
It was ironic, the clothes she preferred wearing and still do suddenly became a terrible choice in the context of going out on a very important occasion like her first date.
Adding now that she was barely qualified to apply any mind of beautification on her face.
She was left at an impasse.
She wanted to leave her beloved traveler dazzled by her while they enjoyed a fine meal as they furthered their romantic bond, and while she felt perfectly fine the way she is, somehow she deemed that what she has at present didn't impress him enough.
And the date was in an hour, just before sunset.
Despite the decent amount of time she had, she didn't know where to start.
Well she did have a plan in mind at first, and that was involving the "special dress", but she feared that he wouldn't like it, which is why she started rummaging through her own closet in hopes of finding better alternatives.
The amount of pressure, confusion, self deprecation and everything in between made her want to pull her hair out.
"ARGH!"
She marched up onto her disheveled bed, and unceremoniously plopped herself down to it, not caring if the delicate dresses that were sprawled all over it fell to the floor.
Grabbing the nearest pillow she could get her hands on, she smashed her face right into it, letting out the loudest frustrated scream she could muster.
It alerted the bird perched on her desk, who had been closely watching her since the beginning of her internal strife.
"What seems to be ailing you mein Fräulein?"
Grumbling, she turned to the sentient electric bird, who despite not having any discernable facial expression she could tell seemed very concerned.
"...An obstruction that this poor and unfortunate soul couldn't hope to conquer, Oz." She lamented as she stared at the ceiling, her eye drooping a bit.
"Pardon me if I can't provide any advice in that regard to your feminine tribulations, a familiar such as myself have no knowledge when it comes to a maiden's dilemma, did you perhaps ask another fellow female who has experience for guidance?" the raven suggested.
Now that she thought about it, she did ask for input earlier.
The Monsdadt librarian for one, and she was left a blushing mess upon receiving "dating tips" from the older woman that was borderline scandalous, and while she did give some genuinely helpful ones like the proper etiquette and what not, other than that Miss Lisa wasn't much of a help to her.
And of course, as much as how close she is to Bennett, the boy known for his terrible luck was far too busy adventuring to even care about the intricacies of romance.
Outside of a few people who she was actually acquainted with in the Knights of Favonius, the closest who she considered to be her best confidant besides Oz was her lover, the traveler.
Her parents? She knows that it will not end well when she starts seeking for advice regarding dating all of a sudden, especially given how overprotective her dad could get or how her mother wouldn't let her hear the end of her ire on "savage boys" once they find out that she and the traveler were a thing, at present they only know that both of them are comrades in the adventurer's guild, she'll keep it that way for now.
Which meant that she was on her own.
She could only groan in response.
The bird shook its head and flew over close to her and sat atop the edge of her bed.
"If I may interject milady, I believe that you're being too, how should I put it, quite fussy with something so inconsequential."
She was about to retort, but found that she couldn't deny it.
The way she was getting all so worked up for such fleeting notions, it was so unlike her.
Yet she still worried about shallow inconveniences anyway.
Sitting upright, she fiddled with the hem of her dress, a new habit she'd picked up whenever she felt anxious.
She removed her eye patch and stared at her long time companion in the eyes, pursing her lips, she took a deep breath.
"It's just, I really don't want to ruin this Oz, I know I never placed any kind of importance on such superficial things and that I'm only digging myself down a bigger hole the more I worry about this, but this is different, I don't want to screw this up badly by remaining ignorant of my childish appearance yet I'm sure I'll end up doing so anyway with my lack of foresight, I want to be more appealing but it seems that the best of what I can do to achieve it is not enough, what if Aether doesn't like me showing up at our first date in this or that? I know I sound like a hormonal teenager but I really want him to like me more, but I can't for the life of me fancy myself up like that nun idol everyone adores or miss Lisa, I mean it's not like I don't want to wear this kind of outfit anymore, but then wouldn't it be inappropriate for such a thing like a date? Do you think I should start speaking "normal"? I fear that the traveler is secretly annoyed by it all so do you think I should just discard my usual way of speaking? Also I can't really use make up and might end up looking like a clown, do you think I should just ask someone to it for me? I, ugh, I just don't know Oz. I'm so torn and lost, what do you think I should do?"
By the end of it all, she was panting.
Her rambling had left Oz exasperated.
Seeing her face of innocence, pleading and hearing how desperate she sounded, filled with the child-like uncertainty that he'd never thought seeing on her, it made the raven sigh.
Two different identities, though if there's one thing they have in common, is that both have the tendency of drawing out their sentences.
This was someone he had not seen in years, and it managed to resurface all because of the traveler, he silently mused.
What he was seeing was a regular teenage girl, and despite of it being someone of the past, the lonely girl who immersed herself in fiction, it was Amy, who was absent for most of her life as she had kept her in the deep recesses of her mind, slowly and surely she had slipped through the more she had become emotional.
His purple gem like orbs twinkled at the thought.
"Well, the fact that you've never even once fell back to your signature archaic speech during all that, this must be very special to you." he joked.
The blonde in turn only nodded meekly.
Oz stared at her, he only meant it in jest yet she took it seriously, the confirmation that she wasn't playing around made him lose all pretense that he had been keeping on for years.
"I'll be frank, I really can't do anything that may be of help, I am but your humble familiar afterall, and while I agree that this is an important event in your life and that it shouldn't be taken lightly, I do think you're being too hard on yourself." he began.
"I'm not going to tell you how to be you, in the end what matters is that the decisions you make is something you're comfortable with."
Seeing as how she didn't react, in fact she urged for him to continue with so much anticipation, he sighed.
He had to carefully choose his words, he thought.
""Stay true to yourself" so to speak, I know it's cliche but it still rings true, and I believe the traveler isn't as materialistic when it comes to something trivial as physical appearances or keeping up formalities, and no matter how weird, or "childish" as you put it, what you present yourself to the traveler in the end doesn't matter, if he didn't care before then why should he now? what makes you think he'll judge you for what you want to wear or how you act?
"You are the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, such mortal misgivings shouldn't be of essence to you."
He softly continued when he saw her expression become downcast.
"...And I think that even if mein Fräulein is now changing, because I'm well aware the moment you met the traveler, you began to speak less cryptic and more comprehensible even without my translation, you became willing to be with others without maintaining a facade of the Prinzessin all the time, and just generally more like Amy than Fischl, but I believe you're not fully over giving up being the Prinzessin, hence why you're torn and confused on how you'll present yourself, she had become too much of a part of you to discard now."
The bird paused, his voice then took on a lighter tone.
"Besides, He wouldn't even be dating you if he didn't thought of you as someone who's weird already, in hindsight, it is perfectly in line of your character, you needn't worry about his opinions regarding your appearance."
"..."
"..."
"T-That's! It's n-not!-"
The blonde immediately blushed and began sputtering incoherent profanities at his last remark, but had shut up immediately when the bird took on a smug look despite his non existent expression.
All she could do was concede.
'When did he get so cheeky? Or am I missing something?'
"...It is aggravating that such pertinent streak still resides within, Ozvaldo von Hrafnavines." Fischl relented with a look of annoyance.
The pout on her face made the bird chuckle.
"Well yes forgive me for reading you so well, but you really can't deny the truth in them milady." he said as now landed on top of her folded knees.
Staring into his eyes, she could now see the concern and worry in them, making her retort die in her throat.
"Hmm."
For that he was correct.
What he said made her contemplate her current internal state.
Fischl used to believe that no one will ever understand the scope of her loneliness, how that once optimistic child who had an unquenchable thirst for the fantastic worlds locked inside pages, only to be twisted and turned by the people who deemed her too different, it resulted in her being casted out for immersing herself in the works of fiction.
It was that sense of loneliness that She placed so much love and passion into investing her Prinzessin personality, it was like her dream coming to fruition, so it truly hurt her when the only people who she held close to her heart wanted her to dispose of it at a drop of a hat.
Everyone had prejudiced her whims of being a princess, from her peers and adults alike, but for her own flesh and blood to turn their backs on her dream? She felt the world collapse on her and from then on she had shut herself from it.
It would make her sound spoiled and privileged but the Prinzessin meant everything to her.
Contrary to the lonely journey she expected when she chose to remain as the Prinzessin, she was pleasantly proven wrong once the outlander came into the picture years later.
It all began to change when she had met the traveler, and from there her life had taken a different turn.
He taught her things that she didn't know despite of her intellect, brought her into dangerous but meaningful adventures that she only ever seen in books, and now holds close to her heart, introduced her to many wonderful people who she would proudly call comrades, made her witness to sights and places that words on paper couldn't bring justice, confided and entrusted her secrets and insecurities with, and, most of all,
He showed her that her outlandish views aren't so outlandish after all, that her radical belief in the existence of worlds and universes in the perspective of the Prinzessin wasn't farfetched.
When they first met, Aether didn't make fun of her nor avoided her, sure he was weirded out with her grand introduction and patterns of speech, but he didn't say anything negative about the way she spoke and acted.
In fact he was more confused than he was judgemental, eventually he came to understand how her unique language worked and somehow found a way to decode them quickly, which he totally didn't need to do because it was her choice to be cryptic.
His numerous travels to unique worlds beyond anything she could imagine, with all the stories he'd blabber on the fair share of weirdos he met along the way that made her tame in comparison, she often wondered how she stacked up against everyone he'd met so far.
Maybe, maybe that's why she was so bothered with how she appeared to him recently, why she's doing all of this hassle.
She wanted to be ahead of the curve, to make him focus on her and not anyone else.
She wanted to stand out in his eyes, someone who he'll hold in very high regard.
For all she knew, he had met plenty of beautiful girls already, not just in teyvat, and while she it doesn't bother her in the slightest, she felt the desire to be his one and only.
Since he chose to date her, she forced herself to adopt such high expectations.
It was selfish, but just this once she craved to be the center of attention given by her cherished traveler.
Because the traveler had shown her that the world wasn't so bad.
He gave her the glimpse on the possibilities that are endless, and she found herself wanting more.
Fischl believed that fate allowed them to meet each other, and she'll forever be grateful that she had the chance to encounter someone like him.
Yet, she felt like she was inadequate in the grand scheme of things, the traveler was a unique presence in the world, like a lone golden star shining brightly in the night.
She wanted to leave an ever lasting impression on him, for the time when he has to leave will inevitably come.
Hence why she was going out of her way to leave her comfort zone, to try something new.
She was content on being the Prinzessin, it's just that after her discovery of the fickleness that is love, she started to truly consider things she willingly neglected in the past.
She desired that when he does leave this world, he'll always carry a memorable piece of her in his heart.
Still, she was now made aware that she was biting more than she could chew.
Thankfully her ever loyal familiar managed to smack some sense into her.
Despite her doubts, Oz was the only one she could fully place her trust in, and he knows her all too well on a personal level that not even the traveler knows, so his claims had truth in them even if she refuted them.
It gave pause to her endlessly running train of thought.
Aether already liked her, and despite her inane desire to get him to like her even more, she felt that if she compelled herself to be more appealing it'll only comprise her in the end.
She scanned around her environment and truly noticed the result of her overthinking.
The dresses that were sprawled on the floor, these were the garments that shaped who she was today, and for her to carelessly leave them crumpled along the ground, it made her feel ashamed.
The books and guides that were also littered, most of them contained things that were related to the shallowest pieces of information, something that again she shouldn't even bat an eyelash on.
Finally, she looked into the large mirror that stood on the far ends of her room, and saw that the person being reflected on it barely resembled the Prinzessin at all despite her being in her clothing, her eyes were aimless and her expression troubled.
Something that the Prinzessin shouldn't be.
It was then she knew that her foolishness wouldn't get her anywhere, and she would've gone with it if it wasn't for her closest confidant.
All the excessive worrying, the self consciousness, Oz was right, it was unlike her to be superficial on such sentiments.
Especially something as trivial like physical appearances or following normal etiquette, it shouldn't even phase her.
She was so caught up in the web of her own affections which brought out insecurity, that she nearly forgot one important aspect that made her who she is.
She is the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, Amy or Fischl were just names, it is but her identity, mortal standards were beyond her.
Nothing could ever change that.
Changing herself to fit the standards because she wanted to impress the traveler when she didn't have to, she might as well committed character suicide instead if that were the case.
And the last thing she wants is for her to relinquish the Prinzessin in the process.
For the Prinzessin was now her ideal but true self, this was the identity that she willingly lives under.
Mustering herself, she placed her eye patch on, and recollected herself as quickly as she could upon her epiphany.
'I'm such an idiot.'
She cleared her throat and faced her familiar that was still atop of her knees, who all this time was awaiting her response.
"A-Ahem, I shan't burden myself with insignificant supposition any longer lest I be deprived of rationale. Despite the insufficient endeavour in emulating what a typical female would appear during such customary affairs, say Oz, do you wager that perhaps the traveler will be bewitched by the "special dress" that your's truly had handpicked?"
The way she spoke was her usual speech, but at the same time was unlike her with how honest and straightforward it sounded.
It greatly relieved and amused the bird.
"Agreed, lingering on such unnecessary beliefs and notions will lead you nowhere, and yes I believe he will love the dress that you personally had tailored for the date, mein Fräulein."
"A-Again! I only d-did it because I w-wanted a new dress!"
This time, the raven laughed loudly, making the blonde pout once again.
"B-But do you think it'll suit me?" She whispered, and the bird couldn't help but chuckle.
"Of course mein Fräulein, anything the prinzessin preferred to wear would surely leave anyone, especially the traveler, mesmerized."
It seemed to work, as her face began to glow with confidence.
Despite her returning into character, her previously anxious demeanor still persisted, her fingers still fiddling with the hem of her dress as the biggest indicator, which the bird couldn't fault her for.
He perfectly understood that these were feelings that she hasn't fully explored.
"I think that for now, you should focus on your preparations for the date with the traveler, and again it should be how you want it, not the ones these guides and books forced you to do." Oz said.
She shakily nodded, straightening her dress, the bird guided her slowly as she stood up from her bed.
The bird then flew and returned to his spot on her study desk.
"Also, I think it's about time to clean this mess, mein Fräulein."
It only took her a total of fifteen minutes to tidy up her room, and by then Fischl felt light as rain.
The numerous dresses that were scattered around were now properly hung back inside her closet, and the piles of books she borrowed from the library, which was to be returned by tomorrow because she didn't want to lose brain cells by looking at them much longer, and to avoid divine judgement from the librarian, they were neatly stacked accordingly on her desk.
It was as if all the conundrum she herself caused earlier was but a fever dream.
'I actually feel a lot better now...'
Before, she felt really anxious, like everything wasn't going to work out.
Now, the heavy feeling was mostly gone, as if a weight had been removed from her chest.
It was a strange feeling to say the least, minutes ago she felt like was going to lose it.
She even assumed that she would have to do a serious heart to heart talk with her own familiar for hours, when in reality it was only a reminder of what she nearly forgot.
She had gone through all the trouble of finding alternative ways to "improve" her looks, yet in the end with the way it was resolved, and now she had stuck by her original plan before her insecurities got in the way.
Thus, she concluded that being in love made her weird, like not her usual weird weird, but a weirder weird.
Really, she had nothing to worry about except for the date itself, she was going to stick with her initial plan in mind, yet...
"W-Wait! What if he thinks weirdly that I'm wearing the "special dress" out of the blue?"
Turning his head in her direction, Oz only laughed at her innocent question.
"Well you'll just have to see what he thinks then." He teasingly said.
Her face flushed again.
Usually she had some kind of reply but at her current state, for some reason her brain just couldn't squeeze out any other creative come back, so she settled with an annoyed pout.
It's confirmed, being in love made her stupid.
She stood in front of her mirror, and removed her eyepatch, observing herself, her hair was a mess and her face looked horrendous from the stress.
'I look like I've been slammed face first by a pyro slime.'
Removing the clips that held her twin tails in place, she placed them on top of the small table.
Mindlessly, Fischl then walked towards the bathroom.
An hour long bath would do the trick she supposed.
While she still had an hour and a half before her date, the short talk with her companion certainly helped ease some of her nervousness and gave her a much clearer mind, still that didn't mean that the anxiety she was feeling fully dissipated.
She needed to put some color into her face, all of the emotional distress she felt today most likely robbed her usual radiance, all she had was face powder she bought from the general goods earlier to make her look presentable, it'll suffice she hoped.
Finally, she'll bring out the "special dress" she had personally tailored for, and while it was expensive and may not be appropriate, well at least for the usual standards, she prayed that the traveler would like it.
"Wait, mein Fräulein."
She stopped her entry into her modest bathroom and turned inquisitively to her familiar
"Word of advice, don't overthink it, just let things pan out as it should." he said.
His voice then turned sheepish.
"Also it just occured to me that I have just been delegated into, what you call it, your counselor so to speak, it's strange to say the least when I'm but a loyal subservient familiar, and this "normal", out of character speech is making me uncomfortable so I hope that in the future, the less of these paradoxical instances, the better."
This time, it was her turn to laugh.
An hour later...
"...Hey, Fischl?"
"Hm? What catches your inquiry dear traveler?"
"Something seems different about you today."
"O-Oh? Is my complexion by any chance too ghastly, or is there something amiss on my aspect that I may have overlooked?"
"I can't really explain it but..."
"T-the scant allure perhaps piqued your heed?"
"No, but..."
"D-Does the manner of my attire not tickle your fancy?"
"...No?...What? You...You look very good in it, but no that's not it."
"W-What is it then?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"T-Traveler? W-Why are you l-looking at me like that? A-Also y-you're t-too close."
"Hmm."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...A-Aether...?"
"..."
"..."
"Ah! I got it!"
"W-Wha-"
"Hold still Fischl."
"..."
"...M-My f-face, w-why are y-you t-touc-"
"I noticed that your eye patch is on the wrong side, so there I corrected it~"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...S-Such transgression of the highest order wreaked upon m-mine constitution by this insolent otherworldly dense protagonist stereotype mustn't be left with no retribution."
"Hehe, I'm sorry for making you-
"W-Wait why are you taking out your bow? P-Please don't point that arrow at me.
"H-Hey I'm sorry, please don't charge it up."
"H-Hello? Fischl? I-I said I-I'm sor-"
"AHH!"
-Corvus/Viator Story Extra Act II End-
Friendship level: 10
Affection level: 1