Skullgirl Repose, Grand Cathedral Ruins
April 30th
Marie sat on the edge of her bed re-reading the Book of Etiquette. The day was like any other, relatively boring and quiet but peaceful, just as Marie liked it.
She was able to get through the entirety of the book in one sitting, getting it done before the day was over.
What was most surprising about the day was the Player's absence, he hadn't stopped by to do the usual check in with a snack of some kind so it was quieter than usual, but it made no difference to Marie; she went about the rest of her day doing whatever else she had lined up.
May 1st
The next day, Marie was in the middle of doing 'chores,' sweeping the floor, vacuuming, dusting, and making her bed. She deliberately made a messy environment to practice and hone her maid skills, going as far as to find new ways to throw the room in disarray just to speedrun the process to see how fast she could get it done.
After going through all that, Marie checked the time and saw it was late in the day and the Player didn't show up again, but that didn't matter to Marie since she figure he was probably busy with personal matters.
She thought nothing of it and went about her day.
May 2nd
Marie sat on the floor while configuring her unique vacuum cleaner that doubled as a scythe, the Skullgirls' iconic weapon of choice when drawn to defend.
In the middle of her examination she turned to the door and gives it a curious look. There was nothing but silence now that she briefly paused her tinkering.
It was late in the day, there was no question that she wouldn't be having company.
May 3rd
Marie was once again in the middle of cleaning, more than usual and admittedly she was using it as a distraction.
Despite how much she was cleaning she wasn't being as attentive to her work and was making errors she normally would've been on top of, such as leaving dust on the ground, leaving cleaning supplies lying around, and looping between two chores she had already done rather than going down a list of unattended work.
She often found herself looking toward the door between cleaning cycles, but nothing came of her longing gaze, she remained the only soul present.
May 4th
Yet another day where she was alone, Marie sat at the table with her elbows on the surface and her fingers locked together and placed against her mouth.
She stares at the door and waits, not saying a word but her head was full of thought.
Marie gently exhales through her nose when it became clear nobody was going to walk through and greet her.
May 5th
It was a late Thursday night and Marie spent a good portion of her evening in thought, wondering if the Player was sick. An entire week had gone by and she didn't hear from him.
Going off the grid with no former heads up was unlike the Player to a questioning degree.
Was he sick? Busy with a new job? Furthering his craft with synchronizing? Spending time with his loved ones? She didn't know and that's why she was so curious, he would've told her, granted, he never owed her anything and Marie knew that, but it was out of character for him.
She didn't want to jump to conclusions that something bad happened, and even if it did she always knew the Player to overcome whatever trials their world threw at him, true to his role, so her concern would've surely been misplaced. If there was an issue then chances were he conquered it by now, surely, and he had Filia and Squigly at his side, prominent figures in his life whom he shares powerful bonds with. He wouldn't need Marie's help, or at least that's what she told herself.
Overtime, as Marie reflects in her free time, she started to believe his absence was her own fault. Whenever he stopped by to see her she was never as welcoming as she should've been, even though she didn't mean to.
That had to have been it - she was the problem and she drove him away.
Skullgirl Repose, Grand Cathedral Ruins
Year 1: December 25th, 10:23am
Marie began her morning with deep meditation, sitting on the bed with her legs crossed and her hands cuffed.
She was able to physically rehabilitate herself and made a full recovery.
Sensing a familiar presence at the door of her secret chamber, Marie opened her eyes before they could even knock.
Knock, knock
"You don't have to knock," she said with the echo in her voice.
The door opened and the Player stepped in. "Morning, Marie," he smiled and waves at her.
"What are you doing here?"
She was still bad at greeting him, same old Marie never ceased to make him laugh.
"Is that any way to greet a guest? Manners, Marie. Manners."
"I didn't mean to sound cold, I just wasn't expecting company."
Considering that he regularly visits without warning, the Player figured Marie would've been used to it by now, or at least come to expect him at any given time.
"No? Well, that's tragic."
"Why's that?"
"Because it's Christmas. You shouldn't spend it alone. With that said; Merry Christmas and happy holidays! If you're into that kind of thing."
"It's Christmas? Huh, I didn't realize. You came all the way here just for that?"
He digs into his coat pocket and pulled out a silver accessory embedded with the word 'ALWAYS' on the front.
He approaches the bed he gives Marie the charm.
Marie inspects the charm, confused as she didn't understand what it was for, but the design intrigued her the more she studied it.
"What's this?" She asked before looking at him.
"One sec."
He reached into his jean pocket and took out a matching charm, on it reads 'FRIENDS,' he combines their two pieces together and they form a heart.
'ALWAYS FRIENDS'
"Isn't that cute? It's a present. I got it from a small shop at the last minute. It's not much, but it means a lot. If you ever feel alone just know that I'll always have the other half with me and once we're together we make it whole. Its cheesy, but it gets the point across."
Despite what he said about the gift being cheesy, the thought of this act of kindness touched the heart Marie swore she lost to darkness.
Marie stares at their united charms and then back to the Player. "You...never cease to surprise me," she faintly smiled.
The Player sat beside Marie on the bed and pulled her into a hug without warning, surprising her.
It didn't matter who or what she was, nor did it matter how the world viewed her, the Player knew who she was and what she meant to him.
He provided her love and care, truly showing that she mattered and wasn't alone.
Marie didn't know how to react and sits in silence, wondering why he cared enough to go this far for her.
She found herself hesitating to wrap her arms around him to reciprocate.
"You're still too nice," she said calmly.
"I know, but that's what you like about me," he playfully teased.
Marie didn't have a response for that, but she shook her head and chuckled softly at him.
She didn't need to say anything to show that she was grateful, deep down the Player felt she was happy to have someone on her side and that's what mattered.
May 16th
1:45pm
Present day, Marie gazes upon her charm while remembering what it was meant to symbolize.
The longer she looked at it, the emptier she felt.
There was this sinking feeling she felt in her chest and recollects how she acted in the Player's company; being monotone, dismissive, and seemingly uninterested in seeing him.
She was driven by the sole desire to exterminate the Medicis and for that she often came off as cold and uncaring.
Marie wondered if what she was feeling was loneliness.
Despite how distant she may have seemed, even while unintentional, the Player unconditionally cared for her enough to take time out of his day to have Marie reconnect with her humanity by doing mundane things like sitting to chat, eating food, telling her jokes, stories, and overall just giving her company.
Now that he hasn't bothered to show up for more than 2 weeks with no indication of returning, Marie clutches the charm and closed her eyes.
'I guess I can't blame him for not coming around anymore.'
Just thinking of it made Marie's hand tighten. She lost Patricia already and now the only other person she had in her corner disappeared.
Just as heartbreak was on the horizon, something clicked and caught her attention.
Marie looked toward the door with prolonged intrigue on her face.
She got up from the bed and power walked to the door, opening it to find the Player reaching his hand out to knock.
"...Oh! Wasn't expecting that. Hey, Marie!" The Player greeted her with a smile.
Marie doesn't respond at first and maintains her gaze until she blinked. "H-Hi," she responds softly.
"It's been a while."
"...Yes. It has."
"Heh. It's good to see you. You wouldn't believe the life altering week I've had, but never fear! I'm still the same old me," the Player held up a bag of food for them. "See? I thought you might be hungry."
Marie didn't respond and continued looking at him as though she couldn't believe her eyes.
"I know you still don't need to eat, but-"
"No, I'd like that. Let's eat," Marie welcomed him and stepped aside to let him in.
This was new, something the Player almost couldn't believe, it was surprising to the point where he was silenced while looking at Marie with puzzled amusement.
When he entered the room Marie closed the door behind them.
She walked to a small cabinet just off to the right and grabbed two plates and matching cups along with silverware. She sets the table at the center of the room and the Player sits the bag down.
"My, aren't we getting fancy?" He snickered playfully.
Marie paused as he comments and stands upright, unsure what to do. "Are we? That wasn't my intention. We could just sit on the bed as we usually do. I just thought-"
"No, no. I was just playing with you because this is all new. I welcome the change, this is great."
"I see. I'm...happy you like the change. Um, would you like some tea?"
"Please and thank you."
While Marie went to fetch the teapot and tea leaves, the Player got the food ready.
He took out multiple plastic containers and spread them out on the table.
Marie's chamber didn't have a stove so she had to manually heat the water inside the pot herself, and she did so using her bare hands - channeling Theonite into her palm to generate heat that boiled the water in seconds and got the pot whistling.
"Hot damn, it's done already?"
"Yes. I heat it myself. It takes no time at all."
The Player saw the blue glow on the sides of the silver teapot and put the pieces together for himself. "Aah, that's a pretty neat way to use your powers. Convenient!"
"It's nothing special. So, um, how was your...day?"
"My day?"
Marie nods and pours the tea she made into his cup.
"It's been pretty good so far, can't complain. I appreciate you asking, Marie. How about you?"
"Um. It's...about the same as always. Just me," she pours herself a cup after his was full.
"Until I come along and ruin your peace, amiright?"
He was clearly joking and throwing a jab at himself for always butting into her life, but the regretful grimace on Marie's face made it obvious she took it seriously.
"You never ruin my peace. I, uh, I enjoy your company."
"You do? Wait. You do? You really do?"
"Yes. It makes me feel good. It's nice to have...someone around who isn't your enemy or subordinate."
Marie was being uncharacteristically open and talkative, the Player was not used to this at all and had trouble determining if this was truly the Marie he's come to know.
It had been a while since they last saw each other, so their time apart suddenly being remedied with the Player's arrival and his unchanged nature made their reunion feel like it was on fast forward.
Marie had to scramble to try 'fixing' herself, hence why she seemed so different to the Player.
In hindsight, he knew exactly why she was being so open and he snickered.
"...You seem distracted. Is it because I've been missing for 2 weeks?" He casually asked with a smile.
"Huh?" Marie looked up to him, distracted, which caused her to unintentionally overfill her cup which made the tea spill.
"Marie, the tea."
She looked down and saw the mess on the table.
Marie immediately inclined the teapot to sit it aside. "Darn it," she grabbed a wet cloth and cleaned the spill.
"Aaaw! You missed me!" He teased.
"I did," Marie answered sincerely.
"...Wait, what?"
"I've missed you. Is that surprising?"
"...Whoa. I- Wow. That's... Huh. Was not expecting this today. Well, um, yeah. Kinda," the Player was truly taken aback by Marie's honesty. He almost couldn't react to it. "It felt like you weren't interested in establishing a friendship since you had so much on your plate with the Medicis."
"I've done a poor job expressing my gratitude and I apologize for that."
"You don't have to apologize. To be honest, now that you're saying all this and giving confirmation, I'm happy!"
"Why?"
"I've been under the impression you were sick of me coming around this whole time, but it turns out you did like having me around! That makes me happy!"
"I have a hard time showing my feelings because of everything I've been through. I don't mean to be distant and cold, but my heart has been tainted with so much darkness that it's beyond any hope of salvation."
"Don't say that. There's light in you, that's why you've been able to resist the Skull Heart's corruption. Count your blessings."
"Even still, it's hard for me to genuinely be happy and show it."
"...I know it's hard, but that's why I try making time to see you. I always come here hoping to make each day better, even if it's just a little bit."
"And you have. Not seeing you for so long made me realize how much of an impact those acts of kindness had on me. I was beginning to think you didn't like being around me anymore for my demeanor."
"Of course not. I wouldn't abandon you like that. Sorry I worried you, I got caught up in something bad."
"Medici trouble again?"
"No. I haven't seen those guys in a good while and I'm hoping it stays that way. This was something totally new, some scientist got wind of synchronizing and wanted to force it out of me to make bioweapons powerful enough to kill you and future Skullgirls. I was kidnapped and experimented on for a week and I spent another week recovering from all the drama."
As he went on with the explanation, Marie's expression gradually declines to concern. "Recovering?"
"It wasn't a pleasant experience. I was pretty much tortured throughout-"
Marie's eyes widen as she immediately flashes back to her life before becoming the Skullgirl, memories of her time as a tortured slave surfaced and her hands tremble.
What made it worse was remembering that her best friend got the worst of it, so hearing that the Player, the only friend she currently had, was subjected to torture slowly poisoned her mind with intoxicating hatred.
The flame on her back ignites as her emotions briefly went berserk, opening her soul to a bit of corruption.
"Marie?" The Player called to her before long.
Hearing him snapped Marie out of her silent episode and the flame calmed itself.
The Player's voice anchored her because it served as a reminder that he was still with her, unlike Patricia whom she tragically lost to similar means.
"Sorry, I...got distracted," Marie said calmly despite her inner rage initially flaring. "So, what happened...?"
"After all the experiments and what not, my friends came and got me. The guy tried stopping us with a bioweapon he created using Skullgirl blood but we beat it."
"Skullgirl blood? How were they able to get that?"
"I'm not sure where he got it from, all I know is that we destroyed whatever he had left so he won't be making weapons that can hurt you anymore."
"...If I had known you were in danger-"
"Don't worry about it. Most of the world still thinks you didn't survive your assault on Medici Tower, if you came out of hiding to fight for me that would've started a witch hunt. That's the last thing we need."
"But it wouldn't have affected you. I would have to deal with it."
"Marie, stop. You know I wouldn't let you fight an angry mob. If anybody came after you I'd be fighting too."
"Hmm. Fighting for a Skullgirl? That's new."
"Oh! Speaking of Skullgirls, guess what? I was able to reach Queen Nancy before all that nonsense happened."
"You were?"
"Yep. I was able to focus and get to the metaverse on my own, that's when I ran into her. She said she felt her daughters presence and followed that feeling to me. She was really nice despite her creepy Skullgirl form."
"Interesting," Marie gripped her chin with her index finger and thumb.
"Right? I'm still working on trying to fully understand how it works, but I don't want to bore you with the details. Besides, I want to eat!"
The Player the lids from the containers and reveals each of the three containers contained different food.
"This is dinner Sienna made on Sunday, we've got fish, macaroni and cheese, salad, and biscuits! Hope you're hungry. Well, you don't need to eat but...ah, you know what I mean."
"I do," Marie nods and sat at the table.
"I warmed it up before coming over so you can dig right in," he explained while making a plate for himself.
"It looks and smells delicious."
"It is. That's why I'm so excited for you to try it. Usually I bring you junk food but you need nourishment. Not only that, I was beginning to feel that I was spoiling you with nothing but treats. Can't have a spoiled Skullgirl now can we?" He playfully chuckled.
A smile surfaced on Marie's face although it was barely noticeable.
She took her fork and used it to set her plate, once dinner was prepped she broke a piece of the fish and takes a bite.
"...Mm!"
"Hm?" The Player looked at her with a stuffed face.
"It's good," Marie confirmed just above her usual monotone voice.
The Player swallowed and smiled. "Yep, Sienna's the best. Filia and I wouldn't survive without her," he scooped up some of the mac'n'cheese and had another fill. "Mmm! She would've made one hell of a wife for some lucky guy. I wish there was a way to reverse that zombified form she has. I'd really for her to have a chance to live a normal life."
"She seems content with what she has."
"There are still limitations. She can't really be outside too much because people will eventually catch onto her condition. They'll put 2 and 2 together and that'll create panic."
"Oh, right. That makes sense. Good awareness."
"We try to keep it as consistent as we can, but we've done pretty well so far. A few hiccups but that's all."
Marie took another bite of her fish and thoroughly enjoyed it going down. "Have there been any issues with living conditions?"
"What do you mean?"
"I imagine living with an undead could be difficult."
"Surprisingly, not really. It may seem unethical or unsanitary on paper, but there have been no issues. She doesn't smell bad, she's not cold when you touch her, her body isn't falling apart, and she doesn't eat people. Thank god Canopy is a work of fiction that allows us to bend the rules to avoid troubling realism and potentially disturbing facts."
"...Huh?" Marie inclined a brow.
"Huh?" The Player mimicked her.
"...What?"
"Hm?"
The Player and Marie silently look at each other from across the table but Marie was the only one of the two confused, meanwhile the Player played ignorant to her bewilderment like he wasn't the cause of it.
"Say, Marie?"
"...Yes?"
"I always wanted to ask; what's with the maid appeal?"
Marie looked down to her clothes and then back to the Player. "Before I became the Skullgirl I often dressed as a maid because it made me appear older than the other orphans and they would listen to me like I was their mother. I guess, these days, it just gives me a sense of comfort."
"Aah, I understand. I was just curious as all. The Victorian maid look really suits you. And that book you always read is to help keep you educated in maid services, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Tell me more about that."
"...You want to hear about basic maid etiquette and the various practices it takes to professionally qualify?" She questioned, doubtful his curiosity would reward him with an interesting story.
"Yeah, of course."
"That's an entire book worth of content."
"That's fine. I've got food to keep me fed, so we don't have to worry about that."
"...But you'd just be sitting there as I ramble on."
"Sitting here and asking questions while getting better acquainted with your interests. You're my friend, right? I could listen to you talk about things you're passionate about all day because it makes you happy. I'm happy when you're happy. So it's not like it'll be a drag."
Marie was speechless and he spoke with casual conviction. Someone who just wanted to listen and understand her, it hit like tidal wave that she wasn't prepared for and she was genuinely surprised to hear it.
Because of that, the two had dinner over an insightful lecture.
Although Marie was still hesitant to bore him with extended details, the Player remained open and was thoroughly engaged with hearing everything she had to say in regard to the appeal of maids including history, fashion, expectations, mannerisms, and so on.
5:27pm
A good few hours into the day, the Player and Marie had long finished their dinner. All the containers the Player brought over were empty and he was in the middle of packing up to head home before it got too late.
"I'm still mad I missed your birthday. Damn," the Player shook his head in disappointment.
"Really, it's fine. You were busy with your own problems, and besides, it's not your fault. Besides, I never told you so there was no way for you to know."
"I know, I know. Leave it to all my friends to always give me a pass."
"Because it's really not a big deal," Marie casually assured.
"I guess, but you know me, always going above and beyond. It's cool though, I'll make up for it."
It's like it went in one ear and came out the other, but it was so on brand for him that Marie couldn't hold it against him so she instead smiles to herself and shook her head.
All the containers were neatly placed in the bag and the Player turned to Marie. "Okay, I'm all set. Time to start heading back. It was really great getting to catch up again, Marie. If there's anything you ever want to eat or try just let me know and I'll pick it up for you. We can have whatever you want...so long as it's within my budget."
"I appreciate whatever you bring, I'm not picky. But I should be the one thanking you. You're the one always going out of your way to see me."
"Yeah, but you've been there when I needed you and you're always willing to lend a hand. It's the least I can do. Basically, we always got each other's back," the Player chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I don't know why we always act like we don't already know that."
That little laugh he did was contagious, Marie lifts her hand to her mouth and giggled softly. She didn't seem to realize that she softened up to the point of freely expressing humor.
"Okay, see ya," the Player waved and turned to the door.
His goodbye brought Marie out of that joy and she watched as he walked to the chamber's door.
"...Bye," she lowered her hand to a motionless wave before dropping it to her side.
They had nothing but good times today and Marie couldn't have been more grateful to have him back after going through such a harrowing experience, but there was still something on her mind, something she wanted to know out of curiosity given that it had been quite some time, and more often than not, people change and she wanted to know if he still valued what she treasured.
She nearly lets him leave without acting on her desire to get an answer but steps forward. "...Wait," she nearly reached for him.
"What's up, Marie?"
"...Do you, um-"
"Hm?"
"By any chance, do you still have your charm?"
"Charm?"
That was a question Marie was hoping she wouldn't hear. He must've forgot, but she didn't blame him.
She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out her half of the friendship charm. "It was a long time ago, but you bought this for me as a gift. You said that...if I ever felt alone just know that-"
"I'd have the other half," he finished her sentence with a smile.
The Player dug into his shirt at the collar and pulled up his half of the charm, revealing to Marie that he wore it as a necklace.
Seeing the charm got a soft, almost mute, gasp out of Marie.
"Never leave home without it."
Of course he had it, the Player looked at Marie with an assuring smile knowing she cherished the two pieces because of what it was meant to symbolize between them.
His smile was a promise that she never had to worry about him forgetting that.
Before Marie could say anything, the Player removed the charm from around his neck and brought his piece to her.
He held it up and waited for her to meet him halfway.
Marie initially stands at a loss, but she quickly picked up on the gesture and looked down at her half of the charm set.
She levitates off the ground to make up their height difference and brought her half to the Player's, completing the two halves to form a heart: 'ALWAYS FRIENDS.'
Before long, the Player brought Marie into a hug as their goodbye for the day, much to her surprise.
He was careful to watch his arms to avoid getting burnt, he gently pats her upper back, just above the flames, knowing she went two weeks thinking she lost another friend while blaming herself for it.
Beyond the hardness of being a Skullgirl, there was still semblances of humanity within her and it shows Marie was a damaged girl who just wanted a friend in her empty world.
In his embrace, Marie slightly inclined her head and peers her eyes up to his face.
The Player's expression conveyed sullen remorse for her quiet pain, he closed his eyes and rests his cheek on top of her head.
He placed one hand on the back of her head and kept it there in hopes of comforting her.
Marie lowered her head and blinked, showing mild confusion because of her emotions. She lifts her hands on both sides of the Player but hesitates to wrap her arms around him.
Fear was stopping her from fully embracing their friendship.
Whenever the Player affirmed their status she was reminded of her happiness with Patricia and when it was taken from her.
The pain lingered and the thought of going through it all again terrified her.
At the same time, the Player's disappearance, and knowing why, helped her see beyond that, it gave Marie the emotional push to finally confront her fears and take the first step to reclaim her happiness.
She fights with herself a bit more, still forcing herself to reject, but she ultimately conquers fear when she finally reciprocates the gesture by wrapping her arms around him.
Marie hugged the Player for the first time in their once strained friendship.
When she did it, Marie felt a soothing warmth in her chest and she didn't know why, but she didn't need to. She didn't want it to end and indulges herself, resting her face in his chest and clearing her mind of doubt and worry.
A/N: I forgot to post these last few chapters on this site when they were originally due. I don't be knowing if people still read this story on this site so I end up forgetting I even posted Wonderful World of Skullgirls here lol. Sorry about that.