Some changes had to be done for this chapter. Originally it was supposed to contain the full Menvil arc, but it ended up a bit too large; the first segments in particular were supposed to be 2000-3000 words maximum but ended up bloating to over 8000 without the authors notes. Think of this more as a 'bridging' chapter and the last lighthearted one for a while - After this is Menvil then directly after that the Albion war, so there's not going to be much room for lighthearted antics. This is a last hurrah so to speak.
Don't worry, I'm writing the next chapter as we speak, though since it's a bit more fast-paced it might take a while. I'm going to try and avoid writing the God-awful fighting scenes in favor of something else so wish me luck.
Raziel sighed, allowing himself to relax as he sat in front of the bonfire. Opening himself to the fire was painful, but the superficial interaction required for healing himself and refilling the Estus flask seemed to pose no risk; or at the very least it didn't cause the parasite to rebel and attempt to destroy him. He wasn't sure how far he could push this exactly but it wasn't as if it mattered what risks he took.
Besides, it was too late to worry about health problems now.
"...I had forgotten how relaxing a bonfire could be." He closed his eyes and released a relaxed breath. It had been months since he'd left Lordran - decades if he counted his years in the kiln - and the simple pleasures of a bonfire had been forgotten in his time here. The warmth covered him, but it wasn't painful. It felt as if he was wrapped in a blanket, shielding him from the outside.
Across from him, Cattleya let out a giggle at his somewhat bizarre actions. They'd been spending a decent amount of time together, though it was more out of convenience than anything else - The teachers here were oddly withdrawn, seemingly reluctant to reciprocate her attempts at conversation. If she had to make a guess she would have attributed it to the war and approximately half the staff leaving to participate in the conflict. Headmaster Osmond was keen to make her acquaintance, but she...wasn't particularly fond of the old man.
She saw where his eyes lingered and she didn't like it one bit. Thankfully Beauregard and Mr. Kibbles weren't there; they could be so overprotective sometimes.
As for him, she didn't really know the reason. He was avoiding his maid friend and he only returned to little Louise's side whenever she needed him. Maybe it had something to do with the handsome young man trying to charm her? She was open in her wish for her beloved little sister to find love of her own choosing, but she sincerely hoped she knew what she was doing humoring a priest in such a manner. Mother and Father would have such a fit once they realized she was so close to a man of the cloth.
She watched him pick up a thick flask and press it close to the sword. She had no idea what the flask contained, and his explanation of 'It is an Estus' didn't exactly answer any of her questions. Regardless he seemed to enjoy it immensely given the amount of times he drank and continued to 'refill' the small bottle.
"Can I have a taste?"
The sudden question caused him to freeze. Cattleya's expression still retained its usual cheer, but he could make out the curiosity in her eyes. He supposed it was a normal reaction - He didn't really eat or drink anything despite his new sense of taste and yet he gorged on the flask as if it was a fattened pig. The fact that it continued to refill itself on the bonfire would have made the average human curious.
Still, he didn't know how the Estus tasted to normal humans. Oscar called it 'An Undead's favorite' but how and where the liquid originated was unknown to him. He didn't think it was toxic, but the taste might not be pleasant.
But she was curious all the same and he did owe her.
"Here." He leaned forward and handed her the glowing orange bottle.
She looked down at it curiously, playing with it in her hands. The bottle was warm, but beyond that there was nothing distinguishable about it save for its glow. She raised to her nose and sniffed; nothing, no smell at all. What in the void was this thing? Giving him one last unsure glance she took a deep breath and pressed the bottle against her parted lips.
Bitter. It was really damn bitter.
"Ach! Ach!" She coughed and spat out the offending gray liquid. Raziel watched her drop the bottle and picked it up carefully as she continued to stick her tongue out in disgust. The animals around her were roused from their sleep, looking at their master worriedly as she all but rubbed her tongue with her hands to wash away the taste. It wasted worse than the entrails she was forced to chew on as 'medicine'.
"Pft!" Damn it, he shouldn't laugh! Louise would be mad at him if he found out what he did. It wasn't his fault; she was the one to ask him for a taste, but knowing his master she would be adamant that he had forced her to drink the foul substance.
"Haha...hahaha." Closing his eyes, he turned away from her halfhearted glare and tried in vain to muffle his laughter. He didn't know why, but her reactions were amusing to him. It reminded him of the rare times that Louise allowed her guard to lower, when she didn't resort to yelling and stamping her foot when things didn't go her way. He certainly found it more appealing than that painted on smile she always wore.
"That's...That's not fun- Ach!" She coughed again. God, the taste was clinging to her tongue. How could he drink something so foul? It wasn't blood, that much she was sure of - It didn't smell like it and the few times she tasted it from nursing scrapes and wounds it tasted of iron, not...whatever in the helheim he had in that bottle.
"You asked for it. I did not force you." He continued to cover his mouth, though she already knew he was smiling underneath it, "Though I will apologize if it pleases you. I did not know how humans would react to the taste. To other Un...others of my kind, myself included, it tastes sweet. We do not taste food and drink like you do, so it is one of our few pleasures." He neglected to mention his renewed taste buds. It would only complicate things.
"I guess I'll never understand Vampires." She sighed, petting Beauregard's snout, "You're different from Daphne and Amethyst, but you feel somewhat similar. How do you describe it..." She tapped her chin, "You feel older than you are...an old soul, if I'm remembering correctly. Daphne and Amethyst are at least eighty years old, but they don't look like it, huh? Still, there's something about them that you can tell they've seen a lot."
"Hmm..." He was tempted to tell her about his Undeath before squashing the thought. Nice as she was he couldn't exactly trust her with that information. Him being a different variation of Vampire was close enough to the truth that he didn't need to worry about correcting her.
A large striped cat of some sort left Cattleya side and bounded over to him. His first instinct was to run but he knew by now that all the animals here were controlled; given that none of them tried to kill the other despite their differences he had to assume they wouldn't suddenly attempted to maul him.
The cat looked him up and down briefly before stalking closer to him and curling up in a furry ball. Raziel looked down at it warily; was it sleeping? If so why did it bother getting closer to him?
"Oh, Mr. Kibbles likes you!" She clapped her hands happily. Her pet tiger was curled up next to him; that was his way of inviting affection, "He usually doesn't like people, but I guess he likes you since he's doing that." She leaned forward excitedly, "Go on, pet him! He's inviting you to!"
"Uh..." He looked down at the overgrown cat. Yes, he could certainly see that this thing was cute - the stripes and orange fur were particularly eye-catching - but behind it cuteness he could definitely see the teeth and claws that could tear through skin like paper.
"Come on, he won't bite~" She urged, "He looks intimidating but he's a real sweetheart once you get to know him."
"...If he bites my hand off, I am forcing the Estus down your throat." Swallowing his trepidation he reached a hand out to the striped animal. As soon as his hand made contact with the creature's head the room grew silent; even the animal's stopped their incessant sounds to stare at him. His hand still atop its head, the tiger looked up to stare at him with its fierce eyes.
"Hrrr..." It let out a soft purr and nuzzled its face into his pants leg. Raziel sighed in relief and continued to pet the warm fur. Others would have found the large animal intimidating, but he found it cute. Though that had more to do with him considering the animal small by his standards; large would be the size of Sif the great wolf or the Gaping Dragon. Compared to them it was practically an infant.
"See? He's a sweetheart." Cattleya giggled at the sight. Her friends usually hated the visitors when they came; the arrival of the healers inevitably meant a day of painful tests and 'remedies' that left her feeling worse than before. Barring members of her family they had began to equate unfamiliar visitors to her pain. It made her happy that he could get along with her companions.
"I have spent days here. They must have grown used to my presence..." He stopped petting the tiger's head and allowed himself a smile. He didn't know how how she had managed to convince the headmaster to allow her 'friends' here but somehow she had and now her new room resembled the pen that her previous room already appeared as.
He looked down and frowned. Days...days he had spent his time here, trying to avoid both Louise and Siesta. Louise wanted to know what was wrong with him, but there was no answer he could give that would satisfy her while Siesta...his face turned red; he didn't know how to answer her. He was dying, he had irrefutable proof of that now, so...should he just tell her that it was impossible? Reciprocating now would just lead to pain for them both.
Argh, he didn't know! This never happened to him in Lordran; friendships were sincere but fleeting and romance was never in their minds.
Seeing his sudden change in mood, Cattleya suddenly spoke up, "Hey, I want to show you something." She gave him a teasing grin in response to his questioning look, "Come on, you'll see! It's really nice."
"I don't know..."
"Come on, it's not as if you're doing anything." She stood up and offered him a hand, "I promise you won't regret it."
"...Fine."
She led him to the dining hall. Raziel looked around warily as she produced a key from her pocket and jiggled it into the lock. He'd explored the academy before, but a few places remained locked to him. While he expected the vault or the storage rooms to be sealed, it did confuse him that this room of all things would be under lock and key. It wasn't as if there was anything there worth stealing.
Still, Cattleya certainly seemed excited by whatever was inside. He stepped behind her, trying to ignore the rising feeling of uncertainly. He didn't know what it was that she planned to show him but he could at least assume it was nothing dangerous. Barring that staff he doubted the school contained anything truly dangerous.
Speaking of that staff, he wondered if it was still there-
"Come on, don't just stand there." Cattleya looked back at him before stepping into the darkened room.
Blinking, he followed the woman into the dining hall and waited as she closed the door behind her. The wide hall was dark, the only light the being the blue glow of the larger of the twin moons. He didn't like coming here during the day: There were nothing but students and servants; the former would occasionally stare at him, silently telling him 'You don't belong here', while the latter were difficult to talk to while they were in the middle of work.
"Why do you have a key?" He looked back at her.
"I'm a temporary teacher, so they gave me a key for the hall," She held up the gray key and flashed a smile, "I was looking around the school and I stumbled into them."
Sometimes he missed having his master key, "Them? There are others here?" Did she mean the servants? He was under the impression that this place was sealed to everyone come nighttime.
"Yep." She giggled, "They told me that the dining hall was off limits during the nighttime but I got curious so I checked inside."
"Who are you talking about?"
She looked past him before giving another giggle, "I think I should let her introduce herself."
He was about to ask her stop speaking in circles before he felt something tapping his boot. Looking down he nearly jumped back as he saw what had walked up to him - A doll only a few inches in height, molded into the shape of a girl wearing what appeared to be a shepherd's dress. It looked up at him, its face stuck in a wide smile as it offered him its right hand.
"What...is this...?" He looked back at Cattleya. She was smiling, though her eyes weren't focused on him. Following her gaze he found even more of the dolls, all clustered together into a single group. Similar to the first one they were a mixed group of molded males and females dressed in a variety of attires ranging from priests to knights to even monarchs.
"Ms. Cattleya...what is this?" He looked back at her, ignoring the doll tapping at his feet.
"They're called Alviss." One of the 'knights' walked up to her and she patted its head with a smile, "They're not awake during the day, but at night when no one's around they come out to play." The knight bowed to her and trudged back to its friends, "They've been here for years, longer than the headmaster even. No one really knows why they're here but they were here before us and they'll be here long after we're gone."
"That is not what I meant." The 'shepherd's' tapping was growing more insistent. He had to resist the urge to nudge it away, "Why did you bring me here?"
She beamed at him coyly, "You'll see. Oh, but don't ignore her." Her eyes shifted to the small doll at his feet, "She just wants to make friends. Come on, shake her hand! Then I can show you what I brought you here for."
"Uh..." He knelt down to get a closer look at the doll. It certainly appeared to be nothing more than a doll, but the way it moved was different to that of Guiche's golems. It wasn't more lifelike, but it was...less practiced in a manner of speaking. He could see it offering its right hand to him while its feet were tapping against the ground impatiently. They had no controller, at least not any that he could see.
"Shake her hand. She won't bite," Cattleya urged behind him.
Obviously reluctant, Raziel stuck out his right hand and took the Alviss' hands in his own. The hard material that made up its hand was cold, but not uncomfortable. He could feel the gargoyle trying to force his hand up and down in a handshake; a gesture he reciprocated. This was...silly. He was shaking hands with a doll at the urging of a Firekeepeer while the rest of its friends watched him.
Sometimes he had to wonder when his life had turned to absurd.
After a few more seconds of shaking hands the doll pulled itself back and skipped back to its friends. Despite the fact that the constructs were incapable of speech he could tell that the...beings were close to one another. He briefly wondered on the origin of the constructs - Had someone built them? If so, for what purpose did they do so? If they were meant to be servants then why did they hide from others during the daytime?
He saw the shepherd look back at him and wave a hand. Sighing, he raised his own hand and waved back. Whatever the reason was these things were certainly pleasant enough.
"I think she likes you." Cattleya nudged him teasingly. His response was a withering glare, "Just kidding. The Alviss are friendly by nature and as long as we don't hurt them they won't hurt us." He doubted they could hurt anyone even if they tried, but he still nodded at her warning. He wondered if Louise and Siesta knew about the existence of the constructs.
"So this is what you wanted to show me? I admit they were fascinating, but-"
"Shh, it's about to start."
Biting his tongue, he held his questions in as he looked back at the Alviss. They were beginning to move around, placing themselves in specific positions with precise movements. He scanned the crowd quickly but he couldn't make out the figure of the shepherd in the pile of bodies.
And then they started dancing.
Raziel blinked, trying to process what he was seeing. The dolls were dancing, though not in the way he would have expected for being constructs in a noble venue. They danced around in a circle, their movements relaxed and carefree. No practice, no precision; it reminded him of the dancing he saw at the wedding in Tarbes. The Alviss continued to dance in a circle, somehow managing to avoid bumping into one another even as they danced in a chaotic cluster.
He finally managed to catch sight of the shepherd, if only for a brief moment. He saw the 'female' being twirled around by what appeared to be a king before it was lost in the crowd once more. The sight of it all was...odd, almost like a dream even. Dolls dancing in barren hall, the only light that illuminated them being the looming twin moons. He'd seen bizarre things, but this was still odd regardless of how he described it.
"It's nice, isn't it?" Cattleya's question jolted him out of his thoughts, "I ran into it by accident a few days ago, and I've been captivated ever since." She took a moment to clap at the performance, "I've never seen anything like this, even before my 'sickness' took hold of me. It's enchanting, wouldn't you say?"
"It certainly captures your attention," He conceded. It was a mesmerizing performance at first glance, but it only served to remind him of the events at Tarbes and the price they all had to pay for this war. It was the first time Louise had killed anyone, and now she would be forced to do so again in a few days time.
He wondered...would she be okay once he was gone? Hopefully after he passed on she would summon someone more fit for her personality.
Seeing his uncomfortable expression, Cattleya sighed. She thought seeing this would cheer him up, but he seemed determined to make himself miserable. Still, she owed him for the 'cure' he had given her so she wasn't going to leave it at that.
"Let's join them!" She spun around cheerfully, placing her hands behind her back and leaning forward teasingly. He looked at her in confusion, "The more the merrier, right? The Alviss don't mind us so I don't think they'd care if we joined." She offered him a hand, "Come on, it's better than standing around here, right?"
"I...do not dance." He looked away, crossing his arms in the process. The last time he had danced had been with Siesta, and that wasn't much more than stepping on each other's feet.
"Are you sure?" She pressed. "You don't need to know how. The Alviss don't care."
"I am certain," He replied, more forcefully this time.
"Fine..." Cattleya pouted and turned her back to him. Taking a moment to take off her boots, she smiled at the feeling of the cold stone beneath her feet before she stepped closer to the dancing constructs. Despite her sudden intrusion the small figures wasted no time in forming space in their circle for her to join. Cattleya danced past the opening they gave her until she stood at the center, the dolls surrounding and continuing to dance.
Her dancing was...less than spectacular. It was to be expected: He doubted she exactly had the time to practice proper dancing considering that she had difficulties even going on a light run before her Humanity was stabilized. Still, he had to bite his fingers to keep himself from laughing. Her 'dancing' essentially amounted to spinning around in circles and raising her hands up and down as if she was a bird. Granted she still managed to somehow make it like sort of graceful in a way, but it wasn't how he imagined a noble of her stature would be dancing.
Despite this, the smile on her face was genuine. She was having fun with it.
"Join us, Sir. Raziel!" Her laughter was almost deafening in the still hall. He could see the Alviss turning to stare at him; did they understand what she said?
"I told you before that I do not-"
He was drowned out by a significant portion of the dancing Alviss suddenly making their way to him. Before he could even consider running they already surrounded him, pulling or pushing him to where the pinkette was continuing to spin happily, her bare feet slapping against the floor as she stood on her tip toes. They were imitating her now, copying her crude 'dancing'.
It looked silly.
He could have kicked them off, but something kept him from doing so and soon he was stumbling in front of the older woman, the Alviss dancing around him in a circle. Cattleya giggled and took his hand in hers, trying to make him 'dance'. Raziel debated whether to humor her and get it over with or just step over the Alviss and leave. It wasn't as if anything was forcing him to stay.
"Come on, you don't have to worry. Nobody's watching." She raised his hands, moving them in odd positions. He gave her a flat stare, "What's wrong? It's not just that you don't like dancing, is it?"
"No...but, we will discuss it later." He shook his head, "Ms. Cattleya, I appreciate-"
"Cattleya."
He blinked, "...What?"
"Call me Cattleya. None of this 'Miss' formality."
"Um...fine. Cattleya..." She beamed, "I...appreciate what you are trying to do, but this...dancing will not relieve me of my problems. I have enjoyed talking to you these past few days, but- Ah!"
He let out a yell of surprise as a group of Alviss pushed his legs, causing him to trip into the older woman. Cattleya's face scrunched in effort as she caught him, trying to keep them both balanced. He was light, but even without her sickness she still wasn't the strongest person and since she didn't have time to ready herself she almost tripped as he stumbled forward.
"What the? Little bastards..." He snarled. As he balanced himself and turned to leave Cattleya took hold of his hands again.
His first instinct was to push her off, but the disarming smile she gave him allowed him to calm himself, "Raziel, please calm yourself. They didn't mean you any harm." She loosened her grip on his hands as he nodded, "Like I said before, they're not mean-spirited. They probably just thought you were shy and that you needed a nudge." She giggled. They had taken that part a bit too literally.
"I am not shy; I simply do not see the point of this mindless dancing-" He let out a growl of annoyance as the Alviss pushed him once more. They were asking for it, "Listen, I do not-"
"Just humor them. One dance." She held up a finger and winked, "One dance and they'll let you go. Sounds like a fair deal, right?"
"Not really..." He took another glance at the clustered circle. They were all staring at him now; what in the abyss were these things? "...But if you insist, then I accept your offer to 'dance'.
It was certainly a...remarkable experience, he would say that much. He did his best to copy Cattleya, but given how much she was laughing it was quite clear that he only succeeded in making a fool of himself. Despite her insistence that she was laughing with him rather than at him - a bold-faced lie if he ever saw one - he couldn't stop his face from flushing in embarrassment. Dancing was something he wasn't exactly used to nor did he think he ever would be.
"You seem to be having fun," She teased, circling around him. He didn't bother glaring at her, moving instead to step away from her to give himself some space, "You've been smiling for a while now."
"It is just your imagination." He turned to cover his mouth. Yes, he found the inane activity...fun. Though really anything that could distract him from current events was appreciated. He still didn't appreciate being forced into this, however.
"No need to be ashamed. We all need a moment to act like children." She leaned in closer, her smile mischievous, "Don't tell anyone this, but Eleanor still keeps her dolls with her and plays with them when no one's looking. Although...the types of games she plays are sort of weird. That whip of hers gets some use-"
"I did not need to know the witch's habits," He turned away. She was far too close, "If you are so insistent on helping me then..." He swallowed nervously, "I need advice. Despite being sheltered in your household it is clear you are of a sound mind." She raised an eyebrow. He was speaking in complicated words; Eleanor did that whenever she was embarrassed about something. She still remembered when she described the Count of Burgundy as 'A peon whose pedigree was only a mask for his vile nature as a pathetic leech who could not stand on his own two feet.'
"Advice? Well, if you think it will help, then of course!"
"Ah...right." He rubbed the back of his head. Thankfully the Alviss seemed satisfied by his previous 'performance' and no longer continued to push him, "I am having...what did Guiche refer to it as? Um...'Troubles with those of the feminine persuasion'?"
"So...you have girl troubles?"
"...In a manner of speaking. It is not how I would refer to it as, but I suppose that description is accurate enough." He sighed. He couldn't believe he was doing this, but he had little choice - He couldn't ask Louise and Colbert didn't seem like the type to know about these things. He could only hope that Cattleya knew about love from whatever books she read. What else could she have been doing in those ten years?
"Why don't we sit down for this?" She suggested. At his nod she grabbed his hand and led him through the dancing Alviss, carefully making sure not to step on any of them. When they reached one of the tables they sat across one another.
Taking a deep breath, he began his explanation, "Siesta, she is...a very special friend to me. The first one I had when Louise first summoned me..." He put both hands together and put them under his chin, "When I was first summoned Louise and I were not...close. I understood the extent of our relationship, but beyond serving her as her Familiar we did not have what you would consider a 'bond'. That came later."
"She was your first friend. I can understand that."
"Well...yes." He nodded, "I do not know why she befriended me, but I owe her more than I can say. She made the days here...tolerable." He coughed. Better he didn't tell her about the events with Guiche and the Count, "I spent a lot of time with her and despite having no reason to she put up with my...eccentricities. I will admit at times that it felt stifling...but it was preferable to her abandoning me."
"I don't really see the problem here. Unless I'm missing something?"
"Ah...well." He gulped. He had to be careful with how he said this, "A few days ago she...ahem, confessed to feeling more than platonic friendship for me." His face was red, he knew it. He made sure not to look at her; she was going to giggle like a madwoman if she saw it, "And I...I do not know how to respond to this. I...I h-have had no previous experience with matters such as this."
"Ohhh, I get it!" She clapped her hands, "She confessed to you that she's in love with you? Is that right?" At his nervous nod she once again sported a grin, "Oh, this is just too cute! I've read stories like this before."
"Th-This is not funny!" His attempt at a snarl was rebuked by the girl's amused laughter, "Fine, if you are not going to help me then I will deal with it myself-"
"Oh, would you calm down~" She covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, "I just found it amusing, is all. You're not the first person I've helped with things like this."
"Really?" His expression made it clear he didn't believe her.
"Yep. Though I'm more used to helping people confess than the other way around." She raised a single finger and twirled it in a circle, "Little Louise was the first one. She'd deny it now if you ever asked her but when she was younger she had a crush on one of our retainers. The man was already married and with child, but she didn't let that deter her. She said that 'I really like him and true love conquers all!'. It was cute." She shrugged, "Poor Richard didn't know what to do when Louise started demanding flowers and other tokens of affection from him."
"You are making that up." He rolled his eyes.
"Oh no, cross my heart and hope to die." She made cross gesture in front of her chest, "Little Louise stopped eventually when mother and Eleanor scolded her but before that she would come to my room everyday for her 'love strategy meetings'."
"You should not have humored her then." He crossed his arms. He knew he sounded petty, but he wasn't in the best of moods and revealing this to her wasn't doing him any favors.
"Hey, if you want my advice then stop it with the attitude," She scolded lightly.
"Rgh...fine. My apologies."
"Good boy." She patted his head, earning her another glare, "Now, back to your predicament - First things first, do you like this girl?" He opened his mouth to anwer but she spoke over him, "And I don't mean 'As a friend'. Could you see her being your lover?"
"W-Well, Siesta is undoubtedly my closest friend so...yes?" He shook his head, "Wait, no...maybe? Argh!" He smashed his head against the table, "I do not know. Affectations such as this were never an issue in the land where I once called home." He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling blankly, "This...'romance', I never once thought that it would involve me as a participant rather than a viewer."
"Why don't you try going out with her then? See where it goes after a few months?"
"That...That is not possible." He sighed, "I do not have time to 'test' this. I..." He chose his words carefully, "I am leaving Louise's employ after this war is over. I am going back home..." It was only a half-lie. He was going to die, so he would either cease to exist or - and he rather doubted this - he would leave for some kind of afterlife. Either way he would be where he belonged - Among the dead, which the Undead called home.
"You're leaving?" Her smile faltered for a brief moment, "Well...Louise is going to miss you."
"...I will miss her too." He clenched his fists underneath the table, "But enough of that. As I said before, I cannot 'test' this and 'see where it goes'. Does this mean I should reject her?"
"Hmm, that I don't know." She tapped her chin, "Even if it's temporary, cherishing the time you do have is still worth it. Not everything has to be thought of with the long future in mind, especially something like this. Sometimes...Sometimes you just have to take a risk."
"I do not know if I can do that to her. She...She wants a family. A husband, children, a life. I...I cannot give that to her no matter how much I might wish it." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "What about you? Would you love someone even if you know you will have to let them go?"
"I already have," Her smile was melancholic, "I was engaged to Wardes before, but I never loved him...not truly, anyway. I appreciated that he attempted to treat me as an equal. but I could never love him. I'd been in love with someone else at the time, someone I knew I could never have. It frustrated me, I will admit. I would stay up at night telling myself 'Stop it! You know it can never be!', but...I never stopped. Folly of youth, I suppose."
"How did it end?"
"It never started." Her laugh was forced, "It was an unrequited love, and near as I can tell those don't get happy endings." She tapped her fingers on the table before letting out a sigh, "I'm sorry, I made this more depressing than it was supposed to be."
"No, it...was calming, oddly enough." He gave her a small smile, "I did not expect that you would be able to solve my problems; perhaps what I needed more than anything else was an excuse to talk about it." He let out a frustrated breath, "I...I will have to reject her. I care about her, but I cannot give her what she wants. She...deserves someone who can make her happy. Once I...leave, she will move on."
"It's not that easy. Sometimes I still remember..."
"It is better than clinging to false hope..." He muttered, "R-Regardless, you have been helpful. Not just with this, but talking with me for the past few days, this foolish dancing with the Alviss...thank you."
She giggled at his reddened face, "You're adorable; you remind me of Daphne." She ruffled his hair, "Both of you are Vampires, 'creatures of the night', but when it comes down to it you're both just a couple of softies."
"I am not-"
"Now, now, there's no shame in it," She interrupted, "It's cute, really. You're acting like Daphne when she was in love with mother," Her smile faltered for a moment, though it was ignored as Raziel looked at her in disbelief, "Oh, yes, she was in love with mother before. I saw it when I was younger; she tried to deny it, but it was rather obvious for all to see. She's moved on...I think. It'd be awkward if she didn't; Amethyst and her are our Godmothers so if anything happened to mother or father we're to turn to them for help."
"...Your family is weird...though I cannot fault the Vampire for her tastes..."
She was about to reply before she noticed the Alviss had stopped dancing. Noticing her silence Raziel turned to look at the group of constructs just in time to see them moving towards a pillar and trying to pull something out.
"Hmm, somebody else was here? I didn't notice," Cattleya mumbled.
"...Stay here." He stood up and drew his knife. He didn't know who it was, but he had to be prepared for anything at this point. Whoever they were they were hiding rather well; he didn't catch any footsteps, and his hearing was better than most. As he drew closer to the pillar he took one last look at Cattleya. If there was a threat then hopefully she could run to the door.
He turned to the other side of the Alviss and raised his knife only to be met with a staff inches away from his nose. Looking down he caught sight of the shocking head of blue hair and blue eyes gazing flatly back at him.
"...Tabitha." He pushed away the staff and lowered the knife. Her appearance was surprising, but not threatening, "...What are you doing here?"
"Heard noises. Maybe thieves." Her soft voice was nearly unintelligible due to the Alviss' clanking movements, "Came to investigate. Found you two. Tried to leave. Alviss stopped me." She nudged one of the little dolls with her feet but the rest continued to push and pull at her, "Shoo. Go away." She nudged harder, but this only caused them to double their efforts to get her out into the open.
"How long were you here?"
"Long enough." He raised an eyebrow. A blatant non-answer, "Do not worry. None of my business. Will not talk."
"Nothing happened," He scoffed, "Cattleya and I were-"
"Raziel, who is it?" Cattleya's call reminded him that they weren't alone.
"Uh, nothing. Just...Just a classmate of Louise," He looked back at Tabitha. The girl was gazing at him blankly though she made no attempt to speak for herself, "She...heard noises and thought there were intruders. It is nothing." Again her expression didn't change, so he had to assume that she took no issue with his explanation. Raziel took a few steps back before Cattleya called to him again.
"Oh, well if she's here then let her take a seat. The more the merrier."
"I do not think-"
"I accept." Tabitha's voice didn't reach the older woman, but she stepped away from the pillar all the same and made her way to the table. Raziel stared after her briefly before following after her. In the short time he'd known her it was clear that the bluenette didn't talk to anyone besides Kirche, and even then only sparingly. To accept Cattleya's invitation was suspicious.
Tabitha sat across from her and Raziel chose to stand, watching with morbid curiosity as the the two opposites tried to talk to one another.
"What's your name?"
"...Tabitha."
"Raziel said you were little Louise's classmate?"
"...Yes."
"How well do you know little Louise?"
"...Not well."
Raziel slapped both hands to his face and released a soft groan. He wasn't a paragon of social interaction himself, but this was pathetic. He could see Cattleya visibly trying to fish for topics but the younger girl continued to answer in one-word replies that made it difficult to continue talking. He saw Cattleya giving him a confused look which he replied to with a shrug.
"Uh...well, what are your hobbies?"
"Reading?"
"Oh, me too!" Cattleya clapped her hands together and smiled, "What kind of books do you like to read? Maybe we could exchange novels. I like a good romance or adventure book myself but as long as it's interesting then I'll read it."
"Romance and Adventure...not interested." Cattleya seemed to visibly deflate at the blunt refusal, "Prefer more practical books. History...strategy...textbooks...spell incantations...enchantments..."
"Hmm, I've read a few history textbooks. Looking at the past can be a fascinating exercise."
"...Which books?" Tabitha's eyes widened ever so slightly; small enough that he wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't looking so closely. The girl was intrigued.
"General history. My father taught us all about Tristanian history when we were younger so I was interested in foreign history when I was younger. I had a lot of time to spare due to certain events, so books were one of the few things I could use to alleviate my boredom. I know a lot of about the history of Gallia, Albion and Romalia. Not so much about Germania, though; father didn't like us reading about those."
"...Anything else?"
"Anything else? Hmm...do research articles count?" At Tabitha's nod she continued, "If that's the case, then yes, plenty! My sister is a researcher in the Vandabona research institute and she previously earned experience in the Oriz Magic Academy. Whenever she was home at the estate she would show me what she was working on. It's all rather complicated, but I guess I know enough about them."
"Golems? Gargoyles?" She pressed. It was doubtful she could get new information but she had to try.
"Um...let me think." She paused and bit her lip, "Hm...oh, there was one case that sticks out!" She glanced at the Alviss, "Some of the researchers were fascinated on the mental processes of Gargoyles and Golems and how they're controlled. Earthstone Golems, for example, can act like humans provided the incantation is provided properly. They were doing research on whether it was possible to transfer minds over to Golems. Trade a vulnerable human body for an immortal one made of metal, in a sense."
"Searching for immortality..." Raziel muttered. Why did humans crave eternal life so badly?
"...Seen something similar." Tabitha mumbled. Earthstone Golems used as puppets to fulfill an old man's wish. A desperate Mage who transferred his mind to that of a Minotaur in order to cheat death only to fall prey to its base instincts. That damned woman also controlled her pawns using some kind of archaic magic. If she could figure out her source she could finally cut the stringers.
"It's getting late." Cattleya yawned, "I should go back to my room before the others worry." She stood up and bowed to them both briefly, "I'll see you two tomorrow, I hope?"
"...Thank you for talking with me," Tabitha mumbled quietly.
"It was the least I could do. You're to thank for little Louise's life, after all." She gave her a questioning look, "Louise told me about what's been happening with her in the past month. She told me that a 'Tabitha' helped her out a lot. I assume that's you?"
"...Yes."
"Then I have to thank you again for keeping my little sister safe. You can talk to me whenever you want so just visit whenever you're feeling lonely. My room is at the end of the hall on the second floor in the faculty dorm."
The pair watched her leave silently and waited until her footsteps faded. Without the presence of the pinkette they were bathed in an uncomfortable silence, the only sound being the occasional clacking of the Alviss that still continued to dance. Raziel glanced at them; most of them were going back to their place on the shelves and only a handful continued their chaotic dance.
"...An odd woman," Tabitha spoke.
"I suppose." He shrugged, "She can be...difficult to understand, but she means well...I suppose." He shook his head and stood up. If he was absent for too long then Louise would begin asking him questions as to where he was going. Ever since she found out that he was irreversibly Hollow she disliked losing sight of him for more than a few hours; she seemed to be under the impression that somehow being separated from her meant that he would Hollow faster.
"You're leaving?"
"Yes. Louise is adamant that I not be gone too long-"
"Not what I meant."
Raziel's grip on the chair tightened and he circled back to look at her. Her expression still retained its usual apathy, but her eyes seemed to bore through him. He did his best to mask his own expression.
"What do you mean?"
"Leaving Louise's employ. Going back home."
"...How long were you listening?" She didn't reply. He clicked his tongue, "Fine, if you are so curious: I am dying."
"Why did you not tell her?"
"She does not need to know," He scoffed, "I see no reason to lie to you and it makes things more simple." He gave her a wry smile, "I will be unable to assist you with healing your mother. You will have to find another way on your own."
Her eyes narrowed, "You can't die. Not yet. I need you."
"You mean you need this." He raised his left hand and let the abyssal energy consume it, "Either way you have no luck. When I die the Dark Hand dies with me. You can try to take it, but that would only mean your death and the doom of your mother. Look for another way."
"I've tried." Her voice was noticeably more strained, "I can't. Not anymore. No other way. Only your method works."
"Then I have nothing more to give you." He looked her in the eye for a moment before pulling out a large clump of Humanity from his pack, "Take this." He wouldn't tell her where he got it from. She would only cause trouble for her if she knew.
She looked suspicious at the sudden gesture but accepted it all the same, "What do you want for it?"
"Nothing." He rolled his eyes, "I am dying, as I just told you. Whatever debt you owe me cannot be repaid in what little time I have left. Take it and do not bother me any more."
Tabitha stared down at the last clump in her hand. It was a temporary solution, she knew that, but it gave her the possibility of a permanent cure. She looked back up at him and nodded. If he wasn't going to help her then she would have to find out how to get this 'Humanity' on her own.
Cordelia sighed to herself as she looked out at the inky blackness surrounding the school. Sentry duty was always the worst of the assignments, in no small reason due to the fact that absolutely nothing happened and they were forced to sit still for hours upon hours with only the occasional animal call as their companions. She and Sumia were the unlucky ones who drew the short straws which meant that they were going to be the ones who had to sit on their asses rather than on a warm bed.
She let out a yawn and leaned back on the wall. Next to her Sumia made no attempt mask her boredom and was contenting herself with picking apart flower petals. The young woman assured the rest of them that it was a form of fortune telling and that if she did it correctly then it would lead to good fortune. She scoffed; relying on fate and good luck would get them nowhere. It was only through training and dedication that they could prove themselves worthy.
"Sumia, pay attention!" She reprimanded.
The brown haired woman's eyes widened and stood up at the sudden scolding. Cordelia shook her head as the other woman nearly tripped and grabbed the wall to balance herself. How the klutz had managed to pass the training still astounded her, but she had seen her in combat and was still astounded with how graceful she could be when in a fight. If she didn't know better she would have attributed it to magic.
"Cordelia, what's wrong?" She asked, finally managing to balance herself.
"Nothing, but you need to pay attention. We're here to be sentries, not pick apart flowers."
"The others were sleeping on sentry duty and nothing happened," She replied, "Besides, I just got a good fortune. There's no way-"
Sumia's eyes widened and she fell forward. Surprised, Cordelia caught the other woman and gasped as she caught sight of the blood seeping from her throat.
"Oh God, Sumia! What-"
Her next words were drowned out with strained gurgles as she felt something slice at her neck. Letting go of the brunette she placed both hands at her throat to try and stop the blood flow. A..A wind blade spell. Enemy Mages; she had to...she had to warn the others.
She only managed a couple of steps before the blood loss finally caused her to collapse. Through her fading vision she could see masked figures stepping past her, ignoring her struggles. One figure stopped in front of her and knelt down. She let out a gasp and reached a hand out but all she managed to do was grab weakly at his boots before the darkness finally consumed her.
Looking down at the deceased musketeer, Menvil let out an amused laugh. If they were all this easy then this was going to be disappointing. Oh well, at least the boys would have some fun.
Once again, apologies for this essentially being another 'filler' chapter, but the Cattleya segment kinda went overboard from the original plan. For those worried that Cattleya's been getting too much attention - Don't worry, this is going to be her last major appearance since she's not joining them for the Albion excursion. Which means of course we're going back to Louise and Raziel centric chapters again. Louise has been getting the shaft recently so hopefully the next chapters will shift the focus back to her. Readers seemed to like Cattleya so I thought she deserved some focus before she's put on the proverbial bus.
Spirit of Justice - I appreciate you reading even though, like you said, you don't no much about FOZ :) I was always wary about writing this fanfic since the two media have little to nothing in common and finding readers who liked both would be rare.
OshiroNai - Oh, that. Well, for the purposes of this fic the Dark Hand is more streamlined - It's shown that he can take all a person's Humanity in one go rather than having to fist them to death to get individual clumps; he did it to the bandit chief in the 'Jolly Cooperation' chapter.
SubSuper - Fun fact: According to Spacebattles the Tsukaima Elves live only to 200 years on average, meaning that as a Half-Elf Tiffania has a lifespan of 100; better than humans, but not as OP. Also, I doubt Fouquet would allow her sister to date him :p
And yes, of course Julio is the Giant Blacksmith :P Clearly no one else has the swag to get all the ladies like Mr. 'I hath shiny shiny'.
Mingyu - Julio's motivations are unknown as of right now and Raziel attacking him whenever he blacks out proves that whatever beef they have that Raziel is no helpless victim and it's two-sided.
Loyaltothelegion - Fascinating theories, but let's just wait to see where this is all going :) Though you have to remember that he killed Manus via time travel and I'm not just using DS2 lore, but primarily DS1 lore where the sisters didn't exist.
Karolus - Uh...what's with the self-harm threat?
NH - Thanks :D Yeah, writing Louise and Raziel's segments were the easiest since unlike Siesta there was no undertone of romance between them and therefore no awkwardness of writing regardless of what they did. The chances of them undergoing a relationship upgrade are zero to none, though; it would muck far too much with their established relationship and make writing future segments difficult since I'm not very good at writing romance.
Remvis - Hey man, I don't mind rambling: Long Reviews are why I keep writing and they're very appreciated :D
Now, first things first you mentioned age: Raziel's age is very hard to gauge since whether the years in the Kiln actually 'count' is a matter of debate. He was pretty much dipping in and out of sanity due to the pain and time had lost meaning to him. If you count them then he's over a hundred years old, but if you don't then he's practically an infant at 1-2 years old. Raziel himself doesn't seem to know since despite his complaints about being 'older' than Louise he talks with her and others in her age group like she's an equal and does the same with Colbert, Daphne and Amethyst who are of the older age group. The only thing he doesn't like is being treated like a child.
As for romance - I'll be honest, writing serious (non-comedy) romance is difficult for me since I don't want characters to be strangled by the red string. It took me hours just to write the segments of Siesta and Raziel interactions but 30 minutes to write out the entire segment with Colbert where they discuss plans for making airships. You decide whether the interactions with Cattleya in this chapter are romantic, though given how bad I am I can pretty much guess your answer is to be a resounding 'No'. I wanted them to be at least friends and Cattleya's more forceful personality - insistently dragging Raziel out of his angst - to be a contrast to Siesta who believes that Raziel wangst is part of who he is and that she should respect that. She does the same for Tabitha, so it's not exclusive to him.
Kishinokurobi - Well when you're fighting a war you have no business being involved in; blacking out and attacking people; and find irrefutable proof that you're dying then you're not going to be in a cheerful mood. Wangst is always annoying, but he doesn't really have much reason to be happy nowadays. I'll try to tone it down though so it'll be less annoying.
What do you mean 'fighting like Dark Souls'? Dark Souls is made of varied playstyles. Being a fat tank who can't dodge is just as viable as being a naked Sorcerer who cheeses people with spells. Dark Souls fighting styles usually amount to perfectly time butt stabs for warriors, which would be stupid as hell in written format. And he did beat Fouquet's Golem using DS tactics: He used a falling stab to get to her and then used Pyromancy to destroy her Golem. He relies on brute strength and tanking damage, which is as viable in DS as being a rolling ninja would be. He also forgoes a shield in favor of using guns and throwing knives, so there's that.
As for the last question: Amusing as it was, I doubt he thought about children. Hell, he may not even want sex considering how addled his mind is. At best he'd hold hands with her or put his head on her lap. A kiss if you're REALLY pushing it, but his wiener is not getting any action so no need to worry. Besides, Henrietta is a queen and he doesn't like her so it's not just princesses. He just dislikes Henrietta as a person, title or no.