Author's Note:
Back to our newly scheduled programming. I almost didn't get this out on time. Deadlines and projects in the working world wait for no one. This week was absolutely goddamn hell. But this was fun.
COVID-19's been running my life upside down, like I'm sure it's doing to the rest of you. Hopefully everyone's staying home and staying healthy.
Maybe, I can help with your boredom. If you'll let me.
So, enough talk. Please enjoy.
EDIT: This chapter has been edited and rewritten for better reading.
"I don't mean to cause alarm, but we're going to be late."
"I know, I know!
Delthea's hands begged to differ, fumbling with almost every button of the last sleeveless blouse she was trying on. Clumsily and hurriedly fastening the last button, she quickly whipped aside the stall curtain and stepped outside, passing the dressing room threshold where Byleth was waiting for her, not sparing a second to look at herself on the way out.
After confirming her selection, the two briskly carried themselves over to the register. Before her was the sort of machine Delthea had never seen before. Before she had a chance to ask, Byleth quickly grabbed a black remote-looking thing and pressed it against the hem of her new blouse. She heard an audible "beep" as the price and name of the clothing appeared on the large screen in front of her. She was lucky this store carried Goneril apparel. The brand was renowned for its take on modern chic and offering it at a fair price. Stores back home didn't have such luxuries.
A prompt for payment appeared.
After sifting through her battered wallet and inserting the appropriate bill, the machine promptly spat out her change. It wouldn't do much for the void that had now appeared in her finances.
"Had we picked this store first, I'm sure you would have had more time to peruse the wares."
"... I'm well aware," Delthea grumbled, shoving the change into her wallet.
She had made the mistake of choosing the fancy stores the moment she stepped foot on sweet, sweet land once the boat docked. In her rush to get change into something more presentable, she got too ahead of herself. She forgot this wasn't like back home, where items, though lacking in pizazz, were cheap.
Everything here was so damn expensive!
Even the outlet she visited that one time when tagging along with Luthier for a business-related trip didn't sell things at this high of a level. And back then, she thought that that outlet was too rich for her blood. She had amassed a bit of a fortune before she left for this trip, courtesy of all the tips she managed to get from the inn's guests, particularly from a rather recent one, Jerry Something. She didn't catch his last name and she got in trouble for digging through the guest log trying to find out. The guest was peculiar enough for Delthea to risk receiving Luthier's wrath. But that's a story for another time.
The world beyond, the world that stood before her right now, was mighty scary indeed. And that wasn't even accounting for the other non-money related obstacles Delthea had to cross just to find the store she was currently walking out of, new clothes in tow.
From the moment they got off the boat, it was like Delthea had entered an entirely different world.
People were EVERYWHERE; as far as the eye could see, throngs of people moved to and fro. And she thought the Sunday markets back home were crowded. It was a miracle she didn't get lost immediately, in her eagerness to buy replacement clothes. The crowd threatened to swallow her up if she got careless.
It was a good thing Byleth was her guide. Thanks to him, they eventually got to the store they were currently at. Though, given the time they had lost, they'd have to leave very soon.
Upon receiving her receipt and concluding the transaction, Delthea quickly stuffed her previous shirt into the complimentary bag the store had provided as she made her way out of the doors. So occupied with stuffing the tacky tourist shirt, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going.
Something immediately jerked her back by the hand, nearly causing her to yelp. But before she could turn around to give the perpetrator a piece of her mind, some unbelievable force of nature whizzed right where she was just about to take a step.
"What the-?!" she cried out, shielding her face from the sudden gust that whipped at her, and she was not alone in that feeling. Waves of similar exclamations rebounded as whatever just passed her continued down the road.
"You should look both ways before crossing," a voice from behind her advised.
Finally turning, Delthea saw that it was Byleth, and he had been the one to pull her back just in the nick of time.
"I-I know that!" Delthea stammered sheepishly. It was then she noticed that Byleth was still grabbing her hand, doubling her embarrassment as she quickly whipped it out of his grip. She was surprised at how fast she was about it. Even Byleth seemed taken aback.
"S-sorry," she sighed, shaking her head, not feeling like herself. "You were only trying to help."
"It's fine," the boy replied coolly, glancing briefly at his hand. "The way is clear now. Our luggage isn't going to pick itself up. Ready to go?" He motioned for her to follow after.
Delthea nodded as she matched her pace and followed behind Byleth's heels.
She made sure to look both ways this time.
It was by this perilous journey through the sea of people did Delthea realize who absolutely screwed she would have been if she tried making her way on her own. It was damn near impossible to know where she was going with the sheer amount of people passing by. Her stature did her no favors either.
Because of this epiphany, Delthea stuck to Byleth like glue. His tall frame and broad shoulders made him stand above the crowd, like a lighthouse would to a weary ship in a storm. And like a guiding light, he slowly paved a way through the thick mass of people, sticking close to her. Delthea wasn't a fan of tight spaces but she would make an exception. Just this once.
Byleth then stopped briefly and motioned to something just beyond the crowd with his hand. "This way. Our luggage is being unloaded by the kiosk over there."
After a few suffocating moments, the two finally reached the kiosk, and just in time too. Delthea was able to make out her small gray duffel bag sitting atop some unruly-looking suitcases, along with some other pieces of luggage. It stood out like a sore thumb among the expensive-looking bags it was bordering. She reached over the sea of luggage and pulled her bag towards her. Once the bag was secure, she quickly stuffed the bagged t-shirt in it before slinging it over her shoulder.
She turned to Byleth. "Where's yours?"
Byleth raised a small black rucksack. He must have picked it up while she was getting her bag. It was unremarkably plain, just like hers.
"Right here."
"Okay, then," she announced, checking off her mental list, "now wh—"
"Excuse me!"
Before Delthea managed to finish, someone tapped her small shoulder, calling out to her in a cheery voice—undoubtedly female. Turning, Delthea saw eye-catching pink, twintails dancing in front of her, attached to a well-dressed, and equally eye-catching, girl. Dressed in not-too-loose khaki beige pants, a cream-colored sheer top , finished with a pristine white beret, the girl looked like she just came walking off of a runway. It was a shame her pretty face was awash with worry... Had Delthea seen her before? There was something vaguely familiar about the girl's face but Delthea couldn't put her finger on it. Maybe she had been a guest at the inn?
Delthea didn't know how to respond for a second as she turned her attention back to the girl. What sort of business did she have with her?
"Uh, can I help you?" she asked hesitantly.
The pink-haired girl nodded feverishly, her bundles of hair bouncing in tandem. "Yeah. I'm tryna find my suitcase. I've been looking through this mountain for the last ten minutes, and I was wondering if anyone could have seen it first."
"What does it look like?" Byleth asked, stepping forward.
The girl held a finger to her face, several fashionable bangles jingling along her slender wrist. "Well, for starters. It's really big."
Delthea glanced back at the literal mountain of rich people bags.
"Yeah, that doesn't really narrow anything down, Miss…?"
The girl blinked a couple times.
"Oh! Where are my manners?"
She cleared her throat.
"I'm Hilda! Hilda Goneril" She exclaimed with a friendly smile. She stuck her hand out to shake Delthea's but Delthea had suddenly grown rigid, like she had been electrocuted.
Hilda looked at her curiously.
"Uh, hello?"
Delthea's lips trembled, her eyes going wide. It suddenly all made sense why this girl was so fashionably dressed and why Delthea felt like she had seen the girl's face before.
"Goneril? THE Goneril?!"
Byleth looked at Hilda before turning back to the bewildered Delthea. "Does that name mean anything?"
Delthea's eyes looked like they were ready to pop out of her sockets. "You've never heard of Goneril?! They're one of the Three Titans of the fashion world! Someone as backwater as me has heard of them!"
"Huh," was all Byleth said, not a shred of surprise on his face, as same as before with the mouthwash.
Strangely enough, it seemed like Delthea was the only one freaking out.
She didn't understand. A legit celebrity, one countless people have heard of, seen, and worshipped, was walking amongst them. And yet, people along the docks didn't seem all that surprised at Hilda's being there. Sure there were few furtive glances that came her way, mostly from guys not much older than her, but no one seemed as surprised as Delthea was. They all carried along, taking their luggage, and minding their own business.
Delthea turned to face the pink-haired fashion mogul. "Are you really THE Hilda Goneril?"
The girl winked and stuck her tongue out, oozing self-confidence. "Guilty as charged."
Delthea almost couldn't believe her situation right now. First Byleth, and now an actual A-list celebrity?
"A-a-and you're attending Heroes Academy?"
Hilda nodded calmly, contrasting with Delthea's palpable excitement. "Yep. Sure am."
And now for the ultimate question:
"Does that mean you're a Channeler as well?"
Delthea heard Byleth's feet shift slightly behind her. Unlike before, he seemed interested now too.
Hilda looked at her and Byleth funny before sighing.
"Is this some sort of interview?" asked, her tone flat. Her gaze had become pensive as well as her eyes darted back and forth between Delthea and Byleth. "Are there hidden cameras here I should be aware of?"
Delthea shook her head rapidly, waving her hands about. "No, no! I was just wondering, is all. I don't really know much about Heroes Academy or channeling in general. Sorry if I came off too forward."
Hilda giggled, much to Delthea's relief, as she dismissively motioned with her hands. "Oh, calm down. I wasn't accusing you of anything. I just wanted to know if I needed to primp up a little for the cameras. Photos don't come out so well at this hour's lighting, though I'm sure a cute girl like yourself would be aware of that." She then looked at her curiously.
"I see you're wearing an item from our new summer lineup. It… looks good on you!"
"O-oh, thank you!" Delthea exclaimed, her eyes widening. Hilda was talking about her blouse! She had a keen eye. There were probably hundreds if not thousands of pieces of apparel produced by Goneril. The fact Hilda was able to identify a specific piece was nothing short of impressive.
"Though…" Hilda then folded her arms for a brief moment, her eyes narrowing. Delthea swallowed nervously. Was there something wrong? She didn't do anything to offend the girl, did she?
With deft hands faster than Delthea could perceive, Hilda quickly reached over to the upper portion of Delthea's blouse. And before she could ask, Hilda gave a smile and replied:
"One of your buttons was done wrong… That's better!"
Delthea felt her cheeks burn. What a great first impression. She looked like a baboon who couldn't even put her clothes on right. At least she wasn't still wearing that tacky tourist shirt. She shuddered at the thought.
"Still, I don't think you introduced yourself?" Hilda said, beckoning towards her. "You are?"
Gah! How could I forget!
Delthea stood up, straightening her posture like a soldier at attention, quick to leave her earlier embarrassment behind. Even though it was just saying her name, she felt a boatload of pressure.
"D-Delthea. Rivers! Delthea Rivers is my name!"
Hilda smiled warmly. "What a nice name." She looked over her shoulder. "And you'd be…?"
"Byleth," the boy said curtly. Strangely, he didn't give his last name.
"Lovely," Hilda announced before she rested her hand on Delthea's shoulder."And to answer your question, yes. I am a Channeler. Guess we'll be seeing more of each other at the academy, hm?"
Delthea was flabbergasted beyond comprehension. She was having a hard time believing it herself. Not only was she going to school with Byleth, but their class was about to be supplemented by one of the biggest names from around the world. And that very person happened to be Channeler just like her! Just what kind of school was this place to bring people of such standing?
Though Delthea's face was filled with awe and excitement at the prospect of attending school alongside a legitimate celebrity, Hilda's... fell a little short. It was unnoticeable at first—mostly due to Delthea excitement—but Delthea now took note of how Hilda was biting her lower hip faintly at the mention of the academy.
Hilda must have noticed her staring. A disarming smile quickly replaced the expression she wore prior.
"Something on my face, Delthea? Did I put too much eyeliner on?" she asked nonchalantly.
Her make-up was perfect. There was no way that someone like the Fashion Prodigy could make such a simple mistake. But before Delthea could point anything out, Byleth called over to the two from across the kiosk plaza. He had gone ahead of the two while they were talking.
"Is it this one?"
He must have found something that resembled Hilda's suitcase. How he was able to figure that out from the vague description Hilda gave boggled Delthea's mind. All Hilda had said was that her bag was "big" and not much else—
"Oh! You found it!" Hilda exclaimed, jumping excitedly
"What?"
Delthea looked to Byleth as well.
…
Actually, scratch that. What Hilda gave was a perfect description.
It was a large peach-colored suitcase with striking black lines running across its shell, perfectly complementing Hilda's outfit and appearance. It wasn't gaudily designed, but classy instead, just like its owner. The pinkish suitcase would've blended in perfectly alongside the countless other large bags surrounding it—if not for one strange quirk.
Attached to the body was a second shelled compartment that ran along its side, clearly housing something longer than the suitcase alone could handle. From the angle Delthea was looking, the suitcase looked like a chair put together by a novice craftsman—or a blind person—and belonged in a flea market.
Except, this ungodly looking thing belonged to one of the richest women in the entire world.
Delthea continued staring at the monstrosity as Hilda happily skipped her way towards the bag, winking a thank-you to Byleth. He curtly nodded in response, stepping aside. Almost immediately, Hilda struggled to untangle her suitcase from the myriad that surrounded it. Delthea casually made her way towards her, hands behind her back.
"What do you even have in there?" Delthea asked, intrigued at the suitcase's grotesque shape.
Hilda looked up from her shoulder. "Oh? This? Well, it's—Ah, before that. Hey, think you can help for a sec?"
Delthea knelt next to her. "What is it?"
Hilda pointed to a small, hidden bag that was squished between her suitcase and the other big one next to it.
"I think one of its straps got lodged beneath the wheel on your end," she explained, clicking her tongue in disapproval. "Think you can remove it safely?"
A chance to prove herself to THE Hilda Goneril of all people? This wasn't a chance Delthea wanted to miss!
Her eyes darted to the wheel Hilda mentioned. It was true. The small, grey backpack's right shoulder strap had gotten all tangled up with the bottom of Hilda's suitcase. It was one of those novelty bags with thin band straps that could be pulled to tighten the top of the backpack. In other words, too rich—and complicated—for Delthea's blood. She wondered what on earth the poor bag went through to end up in such a sorry heap. It would be a mess to untangle.
Byleth hovered next to her, eyeing the backpack disaster. "Need any—"
Delthea quickly shook her head. "No, I think I got this."
"Alright."
His tone didn't sound like he doubted her, but it didn't sound like he trusted her to get the job done either.
But she couldn't let this moment slip by! Not only was it a chance for her to prove to Hilda she was capable, but also an opportunity for Delthea to make up for that sorry display back on the boat. She hadn't forgotten her debt—which remained unpaid—to Byleth. She didn't want to rack up those interest rates.
Delthea gingerly fingered the knots and tangles of the bag's bands. She tried using her fingernails to dislodge the tight knots that locked the bag in place. It was like trying to shove her finger into a keyhole.
"Is… everything alright?"
Delthea turned to see Hilda looking at her, concerned. Delthea must have been making a weird face.
"Hm? Oh! Y-yeah," Delthea said, trying to play off as if it were no big deal, her hands working at a feverish pace. "Just gotta… undo these binds here."
She prayed that whoever owned this bag kept their receipt.
After several more seconds of persistence, several of the knots she had been fingering started to get loose.
Almost there!
Carefully, Delthea began to unwind the tangles from the spokes of the suitcase wheels, making sure to guide the bands in and out of each other, to ensure they didn't tangle again. Her fingertips felt like they were getting raw from how tightly she had been pressing them against the bands.
Soon enough, the last tangle was undone. The grey bag had finally been dislodged.
"Phew…" Delthea sighed, dusting off her sore hands as she set the freed bag on her lap. "That does it."
"Nice work!" Hilda cheered, slapping her on the back. Delthea winced. She didn't expect Hilda was capable of hitting that hard, not with those dainty, maidenly arms of hers.
"With hands like that, you may have a future with accessory work," Hilda said, praising her deftness.
Delthea never felt prouder of her noodly limbs—who had all but betrayed her back on the ship.
"Gee, you think so—Oh shoot!"
She forgot she left the bag atop her lap as she got up. This wouldn't have posed a problem normally, but with all the tugging and loosening Delthea had done with the bands, the bag had loosened open.
Its contents spilled out onto the floor below, causing Delthea to jump back a little. Thankfully, there wasn't all that much in it. Some notebooks, a neatly folded—but now undone—jacket, and a curious rectangular black case. The case in question clattered loudly against the concrete floor, attracting the attention of several people passing by. Delthea quickly reached for it to alleviate the commotion.
She had to check for damages.
To her surprise, the case was heavier than it looked. It was smaller than the notebooks that came out of the same bag but weighed nearly tenfold more. Whatever was inside, weighed a ton for its size.
It was a hardened black shell made of a material Delthea couldn't figure out. It wasn't metal, wood, or plastic, but it was probably pretty expensive. It was laced with a frame, which pieced the black outer shell together. Other than the gleaming silver frame, there were no other eye-catching designs on the case, aside from the latches.
One on end, there were two silver latches that probably served to open the case. Delthea was partially tempted to open it but the keyhole that was rested in between the latches dissuaded her.
She shook her head. Now was not the time to think that! She had to check for damages!
She glanced around the side that scraped against the floor. There was a small dent and a number of tiny scrapes that marred the black sheen of the case. Delthea breathed through her teeth, a sensation of foreboding hitting the pit of her stomach. It was the same feeling she got that one time she mishandled a guest's belongings. Lu almost made her quit working for that reason alone.
Hilda came over to her, eyes on the black case. "Is it badly damaged?"
Delthea nervously shrugged her shoulders. "Depends on who's asking."
"Lemme see it," Hilda said, motioning for Delthea to hand the case over to her. She obliged.
"Okay—whoa!" Hilda nearly dropped the case a second time. "What's inside this thing? Bricks?"
"Maybe."
Hilda didn't respond, but her eyes did. They were in full work mode. Different from the look she had before, her eyes taking on a much sharper, professional gaze. She inspected it for a few moments, flipping it around several times. She even rapped her knuckles against the flat side of the case. Delthea couldn't really tell what she was doing but it looked cool, so it had to be legit. This was THE Hilda Goneril after all.
"Well," she remarked after checking the case several times over, tilting it. "I have come to a conclusion."
Delthea looked at her expectantly, her heart pounding in anticipation of some good news.
Hilda shrugged her shoulders.
"H-huh?"
"I don't know." Hilda answered, grinning sheepishly, waving her hands for emphasis.
Delthea could feel her mental image of Hilda Goneril slowly begin to crack.
Byleth, who had been quietly observing the two the whole time, stepped towards them. His eyes were narrowed, transfixed on the black case, as if they were trying to drill a hole through it. Something about it must have rubbed him the wrong way.
"Mind if I see it?"
Hilda handed it over without delay. "All yours, pal."
Byleth took the case without hesitation. To Delthea's surprise, the weight of it seemed to have caught him off guard too. His brows furrowed for a moment when the case was relieved from Hilda and unto him. Shifting gears, he took his thumb and ran it along the side of the case, as if he were wiping it down. Delthea should have been looking at the case but her eyes started to wander elsewhere, namely Byleth's mouth. She wasn't thinking of anything indecent, I swear.
Curiously, Delthea saw Byleth open his mouth and close it several times, like he was murmuring something to himself silently. It was the same thing he did back on the ship, when he was treating her for seasickness.
Was it a bad habit? Or was something… wrong with Byleth?
"Looks like your boyfriend knows what he's doing."
An alien noise erupted from Delthea, sounding like a cross between a cough, laugh, and scream.
Hilda whipped out a handkerchief out of seemingly nowhere and handed it to her.
"Er, you okay there…?"
Delthea turned away, shooing away the handkerchief, assuring the confused girl that she was alright. To be frank, she was not okay. This line of dialogue was not good for her heart. But for some reason, she didn't want to deny what Hilda said either.
Boyfriend.
That word had a nice ring to it. But is that what she thought of Byleth? The two had known each other for only several hours at best. And Delthea wasn't the type to waltz into a relationship willy-nilly. She had standards!... Even if they were ticked one by one by this mysterious boy.
Hilda's chuckling broke Delthea from her thoughts. She looked at the giggling girl curiously.
"What's so funny?" Delthea asked.
Hilda gave her a sly look. "Oh, nothing."
It definitely wasn't nothing.
Delthea's face went red but she didn't turn away like before. Now that Hilda basically knew the truth, Delthea had to at least straighten things out.
"It's not like that."
Hilda grinned widely. "Whatever you say, Delthea. Though, if you aren't going to—"
"Hilda! There you are!"
A booming voice echoed over the air, rattling Delthea's—and everyone in a hundred foot radius—eardrums. It was deep and vigorous. Quite the manly tone. Shockingly, Hilda seemed unfazed at this auditory cannon blast. In fact, she just looked mildly annoyed.
Folding her arms, she opened her mouth.
"Baltie, where were you this entire time?" Her voice was fiercely stern. It made Delthea jump.
But she wasn't the only one. Hilda's voice was directed at a hulking figure that shambled towards them. Delthea had to rub her eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on her. It was an older boy—though calling him a man would probably be more appropriate. He sure as hell looked like one.
He had long, wild blaek hair that was slicked back at the top, making his hair appear like a mane of a black lion. His face didn't retain any boyish charm like Byleth's. Rather, it bore the ruggedness of a man through and through, and the glint in his dark eyes matched too. On top of looking so fierce, he was built like an ox.
The boy (or man?!) towered over the two girls, and was even taller than Byleth and had muscles for days. Delthea wasn't really all that attracted to ripped muscle men but even she was impressed by his physique. You could probably cut diamonds on those well-toned pecs and abs. His shirt was doing a poor job of hiding them.
And this man (or boy?!) winced at Hilda's voice. Baltie, or whatever Hilda called him, was being lectured by a girl who barely came up to his chest. The two began arguing about something. Actually, it was mostly one-sided scolding from Hilda, with the boy wryly laughing off the verbal onslaught.
A bizarre turn of events.
Just what is the connection between the two?
Delthea tip-toed over to them, amidst their tirade. She tapped Hilda on the shoulder.
"What is it?" Hilda asked in a gentle voice that betrayed nothing of the fierceness she displayed while arguing. This girl was a pro.
It was time to put that to the test (and give a little bit of payback).
Delthea pointed at the boy. "Is he your boyfriend?"
A mild look of distaste crossed her face while the boy erupted with laughter. Delthea didn't think what she said was all that funny but the boy gripped his sides as he hollered on.
"No." Hilda said curtly, leaving no further room for discussion.
The boy wiped tears from his eyes as he calmed down. "Phew! Man, if Holst heard that! Laughed so hard I nearly puked!"
"Baltie…"
He chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Whoops. Sorry. Not the most pleasant person to talk with." He turned back to Hilda, pointing a finger at Delthea. "Who's the cub?"
"Oh, hush up your weird pet names, Baltie," Hilda reprimanded, slapping him on the arm. Hard. Delthea could only imagine how much that would have hurt.
"This is Delthea. And that's Byleth over there. They're prospective classmates at Heroes."
A look of amazement came over the large boy. "Really? No shit?"
"Balthus Albrecht, I swear on my brother's name—"
"My bad, my bad." He apologized rather unapologetically. He came off as brash, but didn't seem rude or mean-spirited. Delthea knew some people like that back home. That was probably why she wasn't too taken aback. His muscles still freaked her out though.
Batlhus, his full name, walked on over to Delthea. "So, Delthea, you're a Channeler, too?"
Delthea nodded. Up close, the boy wasn't all that menacing, which assured her. Though his thick eyebrows made his glare seem intense, upon a closer look, they were actually warm and friendly.
He grinned excitedly. "Sweet. What's your affinity?"
… Huh?
"A-affinity?"
Affinity? What affinity? What was Balthus talking about? What does that even mean? She knew next to nothing about channeling! Well, she had to think of something! Balthus was eagerly waiting for her answer.
"It's… a secret."
A boldfaced lie. She had no idea what they were talking about. Delthea hoped her poker face was good enough.
Balthus went quiet, scratching the tip of his nose. He pursed his lips and nodded.
"I see."
Miraculously, that answer seemed to satisfy Balthus. He didn't egg her on further. Instead, a look of surprise washed over him.
"Oh, shit!" he exclaimed. It was so loud, even Hilda visibly reacted.
"Balthus!"
"Yeah, yeah. My B, Hilda," he said, "but forget about that for a sec. I completely forgot something else entirely!"
Delthea and Hilda held their hands to their ears. Hilda looked up at the boy with annoyance. "What is it now?"
"I was helping this girl out, and I was wondering if you could help her too."
"Ugh, you and women, Balthus Albrecht, I swear—"
Delthea would have missed her had she not seen Balthus pull the girl through the sea of luggage. She was shorter than both Hilda and Delthea, which was a record that Delthea reserved for children younger than her back home. The girl was wearing a large black hoodie sweater that was much too big for her. The sleeves outran her arms and came down to her thighs. Despite being in front of others, she kept on the hood, hiding most of her face. Strands of long white hair poked out from under the hood. By her rigid posture, this girl didn't seem all that pleased.
"Sorry about that," Balthus said apologetically to the girl. "Kinda got carried away for a sec."
The girl said nothing as she stood in place. Hilda looked at her with concern.
"Is she lost? Do we need to help find her parents?"
"No, actually she—"
But instead of waiting for Hilda and Balthus to figure something out, the hoodie girl walked past Hilda. She marched straight to where Byleth was standing. Delthea had nearly forgotten that Byleth was there the whole time, inspecting the black case. What business did this girl have with Byleth?
To Delthea's, and everyone's shock, the girl snatched the black case out of Byleth's hands without as much as saying a word.
"Hey! What's the big idea?" Delthea yelled. Even Hilda was shocked.
But the girl ignored Delthea's reprimanding. Instead, she went on to pick up the small backpack that was on the floor next to Hilda's suitcase, stuffing all the scattered contents into the bag. Slinging it over her shoulders, she trudged back to where the three were standing. Delthea could feel the girl's staring beneath her hood. The girl was gripping her backpack strap so hard, Delthea could see the white of the hooded girl's knuckles along the pale skin of her hands.
"Don't dig through people's things." The girl spat, her voice filled with venom. Before anyone could say anything or apologize, she began to storm away briefly looking at Balthus as she made her exit.
Delthea had a mouthful of things she wanted to say, none of them all that pleasant, but held her tongue when Hilda placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and shook her head. The pink-haired girl sensed her agitation.
"It's not worth it, Delthea," Hilda warned her. "Let it go."
"Yep," Balthus nodded. "What Hilda said, Rivers-girl."
"She has a proper name, Baltie."
"So do I, Hilda."
While the two bickered over the topic of names, only Delthea had noticed that the hooded girl stopped in her tracks. Far away enough for Hilda and Balthus not to notice but close enough to overhear them. It was then the girl turned around and stared at them, a certain malice emanating from her. No, that wasn't right. The hooded girl was staring at someone in particular. The glint of those near-hidden pink eyes were solely trained on...
... Me?
But why?
However, before Delthea could even come up with a reason as to why the girl was glaring daggers at her, the hooded girl bolted, melting in the crowd beyond the kiosk. In a matter of seconds, she was gone. Delthea didn't catch much of her face or her name. Delthea knew what they had done to the girl was not exactly in the realm of kindness and consideration, far from it, but the look she had received...
"Really blew the hooch on that one," Balthus sighed, straightening out his back. "But I guess she found what she was looking for."
"Don't beat yourself over it, Baltie," Hilda said gently. "It's me and my stupid suitcase's fault."
"I knew it was too big."
"Okay. Listen here, buster—"
As the two argued like an old married couple, Delthea looked over at Byleth. He hadn't moved from where he was standing. His eyes were glued to where the girl had run off to. He seemed to be saying something to himself again—his mouth was moving. Delthea went over to him.
"Something the matter?" Delthea asked.
Byleth looked at her with initial surprise. He was so wrapped up with himself, he missed her coming. Odd. He quickly shook his head.
"Nothing major," he said.
Delthea folded her arms. "That means that there IS something then."
Byleth didn't say anything. Instead, he reached down and pulled something up from under Hilda's suitcase. In his hands was a small leather booklet with a cute teddy bear sewn on its cover along with the initials: L.O.
It was likely a journal.
"She left this behind."
Delthea took the booklet from Byleth. In her hands, she felt how weathered the journal was, telling of its age. Some of the stitching along the spine and cover were loose and undone. The teddy looked like it had seen better days too.
But for someone to carry such an old thing around, it was definitely something precious. Something that couldn't be replaced with money. It reminded her of her own wallet. She had it for as long as she could remember. It was tattered and old, but it was worth more than the money it carried. And likely, this journal carried something precious within its covers.
"This is—"
Byleth nodded. "It fell out as she was putting everything back into her bag. She was in a rush and probably didn't notice."
Delthea sighed, feeling the weight of the worn journal in her hands. "Great. Not only does she think we are some weird luggage snoopers, but she'll also think we stole her journal. We don't even know who she—"
"Lysithea von Ordelia."
Delthea turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "What?"
"That's her name."
"How did you—"
Byleth held up his hand, looking as cool as ever while doing something so damning. In it, was a small opened envelope containing an ID card and a letter. In fine black ink, Delthea could make out who the envelope was addressed to.
To Lysithea von Ordelia, 2nd Place Winner of the month's Channeling Exhibition
Delthea felt a headache coming along.
Not only had they taken something from a complete stranger. That complete stranger turned out to be some Channeling champion! Delthea realized how lucky that they had gotten off earlier when caught red-handed. She turned to Byleth.
"Why do you have this?"
"Fell out of her bag."
Delthea groaned. "Then you should have told her tha—"
"Ooh, something fun happening here?"
Hilda joined the two next to the bags, a hop in her step. You would have never guessed that she was the one sort of responsible for this entire mess based on how she was.
"No, not really." Delthea grumbled, fumbling with the journal in her hands. "Where's Balthus?"
Hilda sighed. "Oh, Baltie bolted off as soon as we finished. He went after her. He looks all big and tough, but he's a big softie."
"So he's got a big heart."
Hilda grumbled. "I wish his brain was that big. Now who's going to carry my luggage for me?"
Delthea looked over at the unholy suitcase.
Yeah. That wasn't going to be fun.
"Anyway," Hilda said, changing the subject, "what's up with you guys? Sounds like you two were in a bit of a spat?"
Delthea shook her head. "No, nothing serious. Just…"
She looked at the journal in her hands.
Hilda peered down and bit her lip once she saw what Delthea held.
"That was that girl's, wasn't it?"
Delthea nodded.
"We know her name at least." Byleth chimed in.
"Which is?"
"Lysithea von Ordelia." Delthea answered. "I know, it's a mouthful—"
"Wait, what did you say?"
Delthea was taken aback. Upon hearing the girl's name, Hilda's eyes had gone wide.
"Lysithea von Ordelia." Delthea repeated.
Hilda then showed an anguished expression, groaning.
"I was wondering why she looked so familiar," Delthea heard her mutter. "Didn't think she'd be that short but…"
Delthea looked at Hilda uncomfortably. "Does that name mean anything?"
Hilda folded her arms. "For outsiders, not really. But for Channelers like us, the Ordelia name is huge."
Delthea's curiosity was now piqued. "Why?"
"They have strong Channeling blood." Byleth interrupted. "And she's quite the gifted one, they say. She's got quite the nickname too."
Delthea stared at him. "Forget about the nickname. How do YOU know that?"
Byleth held up the envelope again. "The letter inside. It details her accomplishments. She's quite the star as of late."
She gasped. "You can't be digging through people's things like that!" She shot forward to confiscate the envelope from him. As she did, Delthea felt something slip from the journal in her hands. A small white slip had fallen to the concrete ground below. It shone like a beacon against the dark concrete. Delthea reached down to pick it up.
Hilda looked at the slip in Delthea's hands.
"What's that?"
Delthea's face went pale.
"Uh, Hilda?"
"What's up?"
Delthea's eyes were bound to the slip.
"How do we get from here to the academy?"
Hilda scratched her cheek, resting her other hand on her hip. "Train. Why?"
Delthea furrowed her brows and bit her lip. She flipped the slip over for all to see.
It was a train ticket, with Lysithea's name on it.
And it was bound to leave in less than seven minutes.
(A/N):
Thanks for reading. As always, if you have any questions or criticisms, leave 'em below or PM me. Stay healthy everyone.
Have yourselves a damn good one.