Moonlit Vows
—
Reisalin
And so, Empel and Lila went their way, leaving the place to us both...
« They sure will be surprised to see us back with these new boats Empel made as a training for his alchemy experiments. »
I glanced at her, her smile, her green eyes gazing upon the now distant wooden boat. She's waiting for them to disappear, for us to be alone.
There. The horizon made them both fade in the blue sea.
Now, her lips stiffen up, and she almost looks as if hiding in her gold hair
« I'm sorry, Reisalin, she made sure not to make her voice sound too low for me to hear, I thought a lot about what I should say, and I couldn't find anything that worked.
— Don't apologize. I thought the same, but here we are. We asked them to be the last one to leave for a reason. We know they are on our side. »
I wouldn't want Tao or Lent as the person I'd confess to. Such things can't go well with true friends. Even more when I look at how we've lived together pretty much al our lives.
Still questioning herself, is she? Her hands on her chest, and her breath strong enough to be heard over the mild wind.
« So... I tried to not show her I noticed... Your dad gave you the right, I took mine... Let's start our sleepover, right?
— You took yours? Won't your mother be angry?
— She won't. »
The look the woman gave me is a proof she won't say anything.
Just thinking about that, I insisted to get into the Atelier, not even taking care of whatever we would be doing. Klaudia followed me, her steps far gentlier, yet far heavier...
That night, the one after we fought in the Underworld for a last time, she told me what was clotted in her heart... I thought a lot about it. Not only because I have to answer, not only because I feel the same and I'll definitely tell her that. But also because I don't want us to be lovers. She'll head back in a few days. That's the only time we'll have, and she will be unable to join me a last time. Even when I see her off, hidden somewhere where only I will be able to see her.
That's how I see it. I won't cling to anything, I won't fool myself, and I won't make a fool of her. She might even be aware of what I wanted to do. Recently, my feelings were showing, and I believe in her insight.
« Do you want to do something in particular? I asked
— Uh? I thought you had something in mind. »
Well, seems like we're still pretty far from being able to open up the bottle.
« I just thought about something, you see... »
I made her follow me, and I pulled out the map we rolled into a corner of the main room.
« I made you work on the Volcano and the Maple Delta, right?
— Uh? Yes, I remember having a hard time finding the prettiest pictures. Theses places were really impressive, and I didn't know shooting in bright places would be this difficult...
— At least, your pictures are always nice. What do you think of all these places we've travelled to? »
Pynnor was eerie and fascinating; Meteor Castle is the first place she actually fought as an official party member; she was shaken by beauty of the Sunken Mine's ruines...
« What about Kurken, then?
— It's... Bland. »
Uh ?
« Kurken Island's people clutches to their tradition, they live as if the world outside didn't matter, and they're affraid of strangers... Their autorities only take interest in ways to fill up his wallet... You sometime have to run after goats who invade the ports. The houses there are all old, and you have to call the local witch to fix them up... »
I tried to stop her, but the more she reached the end of this description of he island, I could witness the smile draxing on her lips.
« You forgot that everyone who stays in this island too much end up being twenty years older than they actually are, and also that they get grumpy because of a little change such as the way the wind blows.
— That, I thought it was too much to say. Kurken is lovely, for someone who doesn't have any time to settle anywhere... »
She stopped, her eyes fixated on me, I saw she was inspecting my body
« Hey! I'm not going to be turning fourteen so soon!
— I was just imagining it! Grumpryza, Greisalin...
— You're still young when you're fourteen, sheesh!
— But then, you'd look sixteen if you live on Kurken, right? »
… Eh, she got me.
I pretty much choose our activities looking around the place; we had the set the table for tonight, then I told her I wanted to use the pizza oven too, so we collected some fruits in the garden, the evening's gleam making it hard not to mess with the bugs around here. She was having fun with a ladybug she found. I also offered her to try alchemy out, but even though she tried, I might have overlooked the basics and how to explain it. Well... I can make gems from pretty much anything, so this isn't... A problem.
And so the night was already here. And we ate our pizzas on front of the window, looking for the first stars of this late-summer night.
Moonlit Vows
—
Klaudia
She was indeed focused only on the night sky. When we started looking for a star, the sky was still tinted with deep blue. The first starts we saw weren't gleaming enough to go against the moon's light.
« Is it a full moon day today? I asked
— I don't think so. I think it's in about two days. Not that I can see what part is missing, though. »
Two days...
« I'll be sure to look at it, then...
— Yup. I will too. »
She sighed, repeated it in a soft tone
« Are we still going to deny it? That I won't be here anymore by then?
— I'm not trying to act that way. I hope you'll find a lot of fun things to do, and I'm sure you'll meet great people.
— That's what merchants life is, after all... I intend to follow in my father's footsteps, you know?
— Eh... Once again something I can't understand. I hope everything will go your way. »
She glanced back at the moon, now fully above our heads. She tried extending her arm towards the window, but then her jaw dropped, and both her arms stretched along with her yawn...
« That thing is contagious, Reisalin.
I couldn't properly sweep away the tears my eyes were holding
— Maybe we should go to bed, then.
— Already? It's our last night together! »
I yawned a second time, but Reisalin didn't catch it.
« I'm good with my feelings.
That's what she says
— Am I, though?
— Do you expect something else, tired as you are?
— I'm not tired, it's just how a yawn can just... »
Sheesh, stop it already!
« I'm not tired. I can go on.
— You won't get much from a night you'll crash falling asleep.
— Reisalin. I'm alright. »
I glanced back at the almost full moon, hopefully she'll stop harassing me
« Tell me, then. What you had in mind.
— It may be the last time...
These yawns are the worst
— It's ok. Don't say more, I know it. To me, you're tired to the point you can't think properly. And I know I wont hold it much more. You don't want to lose your last night? Come. »
She pulled my arm. I didn't try a thing.
She had already put two blankets on the ground, near the window
« I was wondering who would be sleeping where, she explained, and I just thought we'd fight to choose who would do what. So I got rid of the bed, and I stacked everything there.
— But I'm not...
— Yeah, yeah... You want to spend an all-nighter doing whatever... Look, it's easier to move inside blankets than on a bed, so you'll do whatever once you get into it. I'm pretty sure you'll just fall asleep in the instant, though. »
She inspected the place
« I'll switch the light off once we're ready. Do you have a change of clothing for the night? I didn't see you putting anything aside when you arrived.
— I don't... I... Hadn't thought about that.
— Either you were really planning an all-nighter, or you're the kind of person who just sleep without anything on, then. You wouldn't sleep with the clothes you wore during the day, trust me.
— Why not?
— I know you wouldn't understand. Maybe you've forgotten, who knows... Anyway, just sleep the way you want. I'm going to take comfier clothes, but I only have my change... »
She tried to avoid my eyes, and sighed
« You want it, maybe?
— Uh? No... I don't think so... I don't know if I can wear it, anyway. »
She didn't answer, and went fetching for her clothes.I wonder if it is also one of those outgrew clothes... Or something she made with alchemy, maybe ? Like these switches that turns of every lights in the Atelier.
I guess I'd better hide myself under the blankets while she's not here... My clothes shall go...
Light went out in an instant. I pushed my clothes to the side of the blankets... Well... The moon still manages to pierce through the night.
In the shadow, I saw Ryza's feet draw closer ; my eyes tried to creep up towards her face, yet I couldn't due to the darkness hiding her figure upper than her torso... I couldn't help but notice this sort of bulge on her pants... Also, a part of the shorts she wears over them is showing she wears underpants... Concealing?
She hurled herself on the top of the blanket, and rolled herself inside. Her blushy face peering out of it, looking for my eyes
« You saw. Don't lie to me, now.
— I did... Reisalin, are you–
— I'm a woman.
Blunt... Her voice is shaking
— Hey... I didn't mean that. Of course you are... Now I can't find my words... »
She's tense...
« All I wanted to say was that I always wondered why you were wearing these outgrown clothes, exposing your body, when you try to hide it whenever you don't have control over it. »
Now I sound weird.
« You wanted to give me a chance to understand that complex of yours, right? »
She didn't answer. I could see her face relaxing...
« Reisalin, I have a hunch I will try to connect back with you someday... How do you think our bond will be, by then?
— I have no idea... I can't really imagine us being friends anymore... Not right now...
— I don't know when I'll be back... I know what you're thinking "what if things change, and how would they", right? »
She didn't answer back... I waited a bit, working my courage,
« I've got an idea. Rather than closeted lovers, why don't we part ways as true lovers? It's weird, but maybe it will have a meaning. Like, when you're... Looking at the moon... You were right... I'm tired and can't sort my thoughts... I guess... I'm sorry if it's weird... »
Even the rays of moonlight started to leave the room, as the glittering veil was no more prying by the window... At this moment, I felt like the biutterflies growing in my stomach were about to burst, I couldn't help but feel strange
« Hey... Are you still awake? »
My voice couldn't reach. I'm not even sure I could really say it, as my throat was way too sore to even utter anything...
Maybe she fell asleep, now that what was weighting her down has been lifted from her shoulder...
Crawling within the sheets, my hand searched for hers. Her body is pivoting to sleep on her stomach, her head probably buried in her pillow now...
I found her hand.
… Sleep well, Reisalin...
.
.
.
That smile I saw when I woke up accompanied me all morning long. I can still picture her half-awake, a silly grin and messy hairs expressing so much for me. She heard everything. She took my hand while I fell asleep. At some point, the moon travelled to the window right over us, and she said I was still unconsciously claiming her hand while I was asleep.
We went back to Kurken with the alchemic boats, and once on the island, Reisalin promised me she'll work on her complexes, on the things she was afraid of, on the many things she didn't know. She believes there is a way for me to acknowledge her as a woman...
« Why would I need to acknowledge you?
— Because that's kind of the only way for me to become Reisalin Valentz. »
… To acknowledge her as my woman...
Author note : Greetings ! This chapter is done, and it looks like it's the very last... To be honest, I wanted to write a last chapter, for a single shot, but in the end... I think I had way too much trouble writing as these two characters all along. I hope you could enjoy this messy attempt at writing an OS. I think I've done too much english fanfics by now, that it may be the cause it was so hard to put words together, or to accept this kind of mediocrity... I really had everything in mind months before I started this project, but now I have axed three chapters from the final product, and I had to create a scenario more than a drama-oriented series of one-shots... I won't be able to get my hands on Atelier Ryza 2 before long, so even if I start watching a playthrough right now, I don't think I'll be able to write decently the story that follows this one. I hope that, if the time come and I can properly write as either Reisalin or Klaudia, I'll be able to repent with a new story! Until then, I hope you all enjoy everything you'll be reading ~