Poor Misguided Soul
Chapter 9: I Pinky Swear
Stepping into Diasomnia for the first time as Vanessa was enthralling. She loved the look of the dark stone castle, and moody atmosphere. Forever cast in eternal night, the dorm sat upon the cliffside and intimidated all who didn't belong there.
The wind picked up, and Vanessa adjusted the box she carried so she could fuss with her hair. She may be officially breaking up with Malleus, but there was no point in looking ragged while doing it. She strolled up the walk and down the main hallways until she heard voices in the common room. Her eyes cast down from atop the stairs, her face stoic, completely removed of emotion.
Sebek, Silver, and Lilia all glanced up as Vanessa made her way down the steps, alerted by her thick wedge heels clicking hard on the concrete stairs.
"What the hell do you want, Harlot? My master doesn't wish to see your face after what you've done." Sebek waved a hand erratically.
"And I'm perfectly content meeting his demands." She held up the box. "I cleaned out Yuu's old room and found a box with his name on it. Since as you said, he doesn't wish to see me, I'm handing it off to you. The lot of you can choose whether to give it to him, or destroy what's inside, I don't care which. I just didn't want to be accused of taking what doesn't belong to me." She set the parcel down and dusted her hands off. "My obligation has been fulfilled. Ciao!" She turned to leave.
"Wait, Vanessa." Lilia held out his hand. "Just a moment. I want to determine the contents of this box before you leave."
"Very well…" she turned back towards him but then eyed her watch. "Can we make it fast? My shift starts in thirty minutes and I'd like to change first."
"Of course." Lilia opened the box and blinked a little wide eyed. "This is…" Lilia picked up the random objects inside. There were a couple books, some photographs and drawings, a silk shirt, some sheet music, dried flowers, pieces of jewelry, and a Roaring Drago.
"Isn't this Malleus-Sama's most prized possession? How did you wind up with it?" Sebek demanded.
"Beats me." She rubbed her ear, his loud voice irritating her senses. "Can I go now?"
"Yes, everything seems normal. You're dismissed." Lilia waved her off and Vanessa headed back up the steps.
"I must return this to Master Malleus at once!" Sebek picked up Roaring Drago and hurried off to find his master.
"These must all be keepsakes from Yuu's and Malleus' relationship. She must have packed them up after their breakup." Lilia lifted a photograph with a sad expression. The smile Yuu had captured had been so carefree and genuine. A smile only she could bring out of him. "Poor Malleus. I wish there was something we could do for him."
"Should we return these items to him? I don't feel right destroying them as Vanessa suggested." Silver picked up the books and blinked in surprise when a letter fell out from between the pages. "Hmmm? What's this?"
Silver opened the letter, and read the inscription inside. His heart was given a small jolt.
"Father!" Silver passed the letter to him. "Read this!"
"Hmmm?" Lilia's eyes widened as well as he read the letter. "Well now isn't this convenient." He flipped through the book, realizing it was a journal she'd kept along with pictures and photographs of everyone she'd met. "I wonder if Vanessa was made aware of the contents of this box."
"Hmmm? She didn't seem to. Why question it?"
"Because this letter is essentially confirming Vanessa's statement that Yuu did choose this life of her own free will, and seemed to be content in giving up everything to do so."
"You're right, that is rather convenient. How shall we handle this?"
"Let us wait for Sebek. I want to gage Malleus' mood before revealing anything further to him.'
A few moments later Sebek returned with Malleus at his side. The young prince of Briar Valley held the tiny game in hand, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Something the matter, Malleus?" Lilia inquired.
"This Roaring Drago isn't mine. This is the second one Idia ordered for me to give a friend. I gave it to Yuu as a Birthday Gift last year."
"That would explain why it was found amongst her possessions… but that doesn't explain the puzzled look on your face."
"Yuu has been gone for months. The trick to this game is that you have to monitor them daily or they'll get sick and eventually die. The only way to return them to health is to reset the game entirely, which I intended to do but… this Roaring Drago is still alive and completely healthy."
"I see… so you're saying that someone has been taking care of Drago? The only person who should know how to do that without instruction is Yuu, right?"
"Yes… so it begs the question, who's been caring for it in her stead?"
"I wasn't going to show this to you right away… but given the circumstances I think you should see what else was in the box." Lilia handed him the letter and slid the box closer. Malleus took a seat and read the letter quietly to himself.
Dear Tsunotaro,
By the time you read this you will no longer be able to recognize me. If you haven't figured it out already, I've ultimately decided to make a deal with Azul to become one of the Fae. In exchange for this I'm giving up my most prized possession, my memories.
I know it may seem rash, and foolish, but ultimately I think it's for the best. As much as I love it here, in this world amongst my friends and classmates, I don't belong here. I come from another world, with different customs, and a different mind set. I tried so hard to fit in and be a part of everything but no matter what I did I always felt like a spectator… an outsider looking in. And since there doesn't seem to be any way for me to return to my world, I've decided on a fresh start; a new name, a new Identity, a new life. I don't know what kind of person I'll become without the memories of my home or my time here with all of you, but I hope it's someone you can befriend.
Even now as I'm writing this, I worry that everyone will come to hate me for what I've done. I've accepted that I may never get my memories back, but I don't want to just throw them away as if they didn't mean a thing to me. My friends, my classmates, everyone here at Night Raven College are my everything. You all are very precious to me, so I'm entrusting what's left of my memories to the person I loved and cherished the most. In this box are items that represent the best times I've spent in Twisted Wonderland. Please do me this kindness, Tsunotaro, and keep them safe. I don't know if I will ever regain what I've lost… but I look forward to making new memories with you and everyone else all over again.
Forever yours,
Yuu
P.S. Please don't blame Azul.
Malleus folded the paper neatly, and passed it back to Lilia. He set the box of items in his lap and looked them over one by one. His hands paused on the diary and he hefted it up into view.
"This is…"
"It's a scrapbook, isn't it?" Sebek suggested.
"I believe the correct term is yearbook. Yuu was a photojournalist and she was in charge of the school newspaper. I believe she and Grim made this one together."
Overcome by emotion, Malleus began flipping through the pages, admiring its pictures.
"Yuu mentioned she was making an album from our time at school together. She never mentioned it was finished." He stopped on a picture of the two of them, and felt his heart break all over again. "She loved it here. She loved her friends, her club, her place. I just don't understand why she would give up everything and everyone she cared about just to fit in."
"Are we sure Yuu really wrote that note? It could be Vanessa is trying to earn back sympathy points from you."
"No… Yuu wrote this. Every word, and every sentence is hers." He let out a sigh and hung his head. "I thought I knew her well… turns out none of us knew her at all."
"You only knew the surface, Malleus." Lilia took the book again and placed it back in the box. "There's only so much you can get from a cover. Sometimes you gotta crack one open to get the real gist of their story."
"You're right…" He lifted his head and stood up. "I need to speak with Vanessa… Do you know where she went?"
"She said she was on shift at the Mostro Lounge tonight." Silver informed.
"I'm going alone." He warned them. "No arguments. This is a private matter between myself and her. I want no comments from outside parties."
"If that's what you wish. You have ways to contact us if you need us." Lilia responded, holding up a hand to silence Sebek's rebuttal.
"Mmm, I shall return shortly." With that he vanished from sight in a twinkle of lights.
~ Mostro Lounge ~
"I don't have time for your sass, Vil." Vanessa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The pants she wore were skin tight and sat low on her hips. She paired it with a see-through mesh shirt, and purple vest. "I asked for your input because you're a seasoned performer, but I won't tolerate being bullied."
"You asked for my honest opinion and I'm giving it to you. Your voice may be good but you've got zero charisma on stage. You can't just stand in place and expect everyone to enjoy the sound of your voice." Vil flicked his fingers out. "If you want to capture the attention of the audience, then you need to have stage presence. Simple yet effective body movements can make or break a performer."
"The last time I did any sort of dancing during my stage performance I sent the crowd into a frenzy. I don't want to cause a riot." She paced the stage like a prowling cat.
"Then find a happy medium." Vil climbed the steps to join her on stage. He took the spare mic. "Sing the lyric again… but this time follow my movements as you do."
"Fine…" Vanessa took a step back and mimicked his starting pose. "...5, 6, 7, 8! You don't own me, you don't control me! I am not your toy, don't test me boy. I'm not here to bring you joy, or sadness, or save you from this madness…"
As she sang, Vil harmonized her lyrics and danced. Her brows rose up and she started smiling and mimicking his movements. She pumped more energy into the vocals and the lingering late night customers whistled and catcalled from their seats.
"Wow…" Kalim applauded with a wide grin. "That looked great. You two should do a show together!"
"It's not a bad idea…" Vanessa agreed.
"Talk to my agent… and at any rate if you think I'm bossy now, just try being in a group with me. These two know." Vil jerked a thumb to Kalim and Jamil.
"Good point, I heard about last year's VDC… but from the video feed you guys all sounded amazing." She shrugged. "At any rate, I'm glad you two could come. Why don't I show you around?"
"So the special performance you were talking about was…" Jamil looked around the practically empty lounge. "... your rehearsal time?"
"Yep, Vil requested to do it when there's not so many spectators. Though he doesn't care for the hours I keep.
"You're pushing my sleep schedule to it's maximum." Vil warned her. "If we're done for the night I'm going to bed."
"Sure thing, thanks for the assist! " She waved and hooked her arms around Jamil and Kalim. "So, you guys like the stage area? It's not very big, but it's enough for a venue this size."
"It makes me wanna dance on it." Kalim jumped up and spun around, throwing in some Bali-style arm movements. "I would love to perform here with the Music Club."
"I can arrange that." Vanessa declared and had Kalim beaming.
"Really?!"
"Sure. Azul has agreed to doing some open mic nights as part of the entertainment. I need to interview acts so I can arrange the proper time slots. Can you get the boys together for an audition next week?"
"I'll text them right now! Thank you Van-chan! This is gonna be amazing!" Kalim pulled out his phone and began rapid texting his band mates.
"Well you got him good and distracted." Jamil commented and crossed his arms. "This stage is pretty small for someone with your need for attention."
"I'm gonna take that as a compliment." Vanessa shot him a wry smile "I have a much bigger stage in mind for the future, but for now I'm still testing out my vocals and performance. There are certain things I'm trying out such as writing and composing my own music, costumes, body language, what have you. I've tested out a few of my songs but have gotten mixed results and I don't want too many people hearing me or knowing about my performances until I have a better grasp on my aesthetic."
"So what's the real plan here, Vanessa? Why all the secrets and hush-hush if everything you're doing is legit?" Jamil crossed his arms, still skeptical.
"None of it is hush hush except for the stuff you're poking into." She pressed a finger to his nose making him jerk back. "That contract is the only secret I have, and I will not just hand it over to the first person who asks."
"You've made that pretty clear from the beginning." Jamil sighed. "Sorry, I just have a natural distrust for Azul and anyone associated with him."
"As you should." She crossed her legs and bounced her left foot up and down. "I'm not asking you to trust me, Jamil." Her eyes became sultry and heavy lidded. Her voice purred out and her natural charm and allure pulled him in further… like trout on a baited hook. "I'm asking you to keep your nose out of my business."
"What are you doing?" He said it in a half daze, the siren's song ringing in his ears. He didn't sense any use of magic, and yet he felt himself stepping closer. He felt her fingers against his cheek, stroking it, and lost himself in her sea green eyes.
"I have nothing against you, Jamil. I know you just want to protect your friend. So I'll make you a deal…" her lips hovered over his. "If you promise to stay out of my business, then I promise not to do anything treacherous or unseemly against you and Kalim. Okay?"
"You promise?" He braced his hands on either side of her, unconsciously l icking his lips.
"Cross my heart…" she made a little 'x' over her chest, then extended her hand. "Do we have a Deal?"
"Mmmm yeah, sure." He took her hand, and snapped from his daze when he felt the surge of magic in his palm. He jerked his hand back in surprise. "What'd you just do?"
"Just sealing our promise." She held up her palm, the golden glow fading and she smirked. "Would you have preferred to seal it with a kiss?"
"You tricked me!" Jamil sneered. "What kind of magic did you-"
"Oh honey, that wasn't magic. That was you being a man." She jumped off the table and called out to Kalim. "We're closing shop now Kalim. Discuss the audition with your peers and send me a text with a time that'll work for you."
"Okay!" Kalim jumped down from the stage and got a look at Jamil's face. "Something wrong, Jamil?"
The Scarabia Vice dorm head grit his teeth, but stood tall.
"It's nothing… just tired. Let's go Kalim. Our business is over."
"Okay, thank again Van-Chan!" Kalim waved and Vanessa waved back with a wiggle of fingers. Once they were gone she let out a string of laughter
"Oh that felt so good. The look on his face was priceless." She cracked her knuckles, and tensed up a little. She felt someone watching her and rolled her eyes. "You can come out now, Floyd."
When she got no response she scowled and looked around. The place was eerily quiet. Her eyes narrowed and she made a slow circle before laughing again.
"I see now… how long have you been here, Malleus?"
"Not long…" His voice echoed before he appeared in a sprinkle of fairy lights. "I saw you rehearsing with Vil and waited til you were alone. Viper didn't seem too pleased with whatever you said to him."
"Rejection, followed by deceit… he's gonna be angry at me for a good long while. I prefer it that way. Let him keep his distance rather than poking his nose into things he shouldn't." She flicked her hair over her shoulder. "I take it that you got my care package?"
"I did… and I want to know how long you've had it in your possession."
"Since I moved out." She shrugged. "I was gonna hold onto everything, but it didn't seem right after what was said. Those memories were meant for you, not me, and mean a hell of a lot more to you."
"It does… I have a few questions I would like to ask you, but can we go somewhere more private? I don't want to keep your friends in a freeze frame for too long.".
"Mmmm, let's go into the office." She motioned him over. The minute the door closed behind them she heard a clatter and some voices. She locked the door to be on the safe side. "So… ask away."
"Let's start with this…" he held up the Roaring Drago. "Why is it healthy?"
"It's how I found the box to begin with. It was beeping like crazy and annoyed the heck outta me. I looked up the instructions on how to take care of it so I could shut the damn thing off." She shrugged. "It's your problem now."
"The letter…"
"If you think I forged it-"
"I know you didn't… I'm just wondering why you didn't give it to me sooner." He held the game to his chest. "It would have helped your case when we cornered you before."
"I wanted to plead my own case. I needed everyone to see that Yuu and I are two different people, and I wasn't about to just hand my life over just to appease other people. It's my life and my choice."
"So then why give it to me? Why not just destroy the contents?"
"Because Yuu existed…" she sighed heavily and tossed her hands up. "I don't hate her, I can't hate her because we're connected. We have different personalities, different looks, and different goals, but we share the same soul. I can't just pretend she doesn't exist or how you guys feel about her. It wouldn't be right."
"Is that why you gave me that yearbook?"
"Yes. That copy is the one she made for you specifically. I found several other copies with similar notes for each member of her friend group and Floyd delivered them to their owners earlier this evening." She poured a cup of coffee and rubbed it between her hands. "You guys get to keep that part of her. My memories of her may disappear, but she'll live on in yours."
"Vanessa…"
"Hmmm? What?" She sipped at her coffee.
"I want Yuu back. Now more than ever I realized I never gave our relationship the time and attention it needed to really thrive."
"A pity you realized that too late. What's done is done, Malleus." She scowled at him over the rim of her cup. "I already told you I'm not changing just to appease you. I'm happy exactly the way I am."
"I won't ask you to change… not for free anyway."
Vanessa's brow rose at the statement.
"Excuse me?"
"A key rule of magic is that a price must always be paid. The stronger the magic, the larger the price tag must be. So what is the price I have to pay for you to give up your contract to me?"
"Malleus-Sama!" Sebek shouted as he burst into the room. Behind him was Azul, Jade, Floyd, Silver, and Lilia who all looked annoyed that he interrupted them. "What are you thinking? You can't actually barter with this woman."
"Silence, Sebek!" Malleus snapped at him, lightning thrashed around the room causing massive static in the air. As his guard stepped back his temper cooled. Emotions stirred in his eyes and he closed them in order to hide them and compose himself. "I'm to blame, maybe not the sole blame but it weighs too heavily on my heart not having Yuu in my life. Therefore I must make the sacrifice. So tell me Vanessa, what price do I have to pay for you to give her back to me?"
"Well now… that is an interesting proposition." She tapped her fingers along the rim of her cup before setting it down. "Whatever it is will be very steep, are you sure you're willing to pay such a price?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure? It has to be worth my very life; extremely precious, something once gone you can never get back."
"I'm willing to make that sacrifice if it'll give me a second chance." He closed his eyes. "I would give up my crown to be with her."
"Malleus!" Lilia shouted now, taken aback by the claim.
"Oh no, no, no we wouldn't want that." Vanessa waved her hand. "You'd have no value if you gave up your title… hmmm in fact it doesn't have to be a material loss, but rather an emotional one. A soul, for a soul so to speak."
"You want my soul?"
"In a sense… but not to that extreme. Also I want to make sure that if I give up my life it won't be in vain… and that is gonna require a little insurance." Her eyes shifted to gold and she held out her hand. Malleus saw the golden aura radiating off of it and raised a brow.
"Isn't that spell a little advanced for you?"
"Nothing is too difficult if you take the time to learn it. Do you think I spend all my spare time reading, and traipsing about the library for nothing?" She wiggled her fingers. "You're not scared are you, Malleus?"
"No, but it does make me wonder where you acquired the magical energy for it."
"For what?" Silver eyed the glowing palm. "What kind of spell is this? Is it her unique magic?"
"No… it's ancient magic, the knowledge is absorbed through reading ancient texts and scrolls. Many of this generation don't have the patience to learn it." Lilia filled in.
"So what does it do?"
"It's the magical rendition of a pinky swear… but with higher stakes." She held her palm up. "Two people shake hands and make a promise. If the promise is broken, then the one responsible will be punished with some…. Minor discomfort."
"That's a pretty way of saying you'll lose a finger." Lilia crossed his arms.
"Malleus-Sama!" Sebek stepped forward to protest, but halted in his tracks when Malleus held up his hand.
"What are your terms?"
"I promise to concede my contract to you… but only if you can prove to me that you're still in love with Yuu, and have every intention of making her an honest woman." She wiggled the fingers of her left hand playfully.
"I've already made it clear to you that I'm in love with her." Malleus pointed out.
"You TOLD me, but you've yet to prove your commitment. Talk is cheap, after all. You can tell me every day for the rest of eternity that you're in love with her but I'll never believe you. Actions, on the other hand, speak volumes."
"So what must I do to convince you?"
"Bare your soul, Malleus Draconia…" Vanessa's voice purred to him, her eyes glinting with a brilliant fluorescent glow. "I sing, because it's where I can express myself freely. Whatever I'm feeling exudes from my voice and shares it with those that are listening. You know what I'm talking about, don't you Lilia?"
"That I do." Lilia spared her a smile. "It is the purest form of expression. If done properly."
"Exactly… The VDC is being held after the holidays. Azul and I have already acquired slots for ourselves to perform, and I'm sure we can convince the committee to acquire another slot for a special performance from the future King of Briar Valley."
"You want Sea Bunny to sing to the entire country about his feelings?" Floyd tried to hold back his laughter. "That oughta be rich. He can't even properly express himself on a normal level."
"Malleus-Sama happens to have a beautiful voice, you insolent-" Sebek snarled at Floyd, but Vanessa cleared her throat.
"As I was saying… I will acquire the slot for you Malleus, and you will perform a song that expresses your innermost feelings for Yuu. I and the entirety of Twisted Wonderland will be watching the performances so it's the perfect stage for your confession."
"Seems simple enough…"
"Perhaps, but as Lilia mentioned before, it has to be done properly. You can't just sing some pretty words and expect the audience to resonate with you. It has to be felt… right from the core." She lay a hand on her stomach. "Otherwise they're just more empty words." Vanessa jumped off the desk and circled him. "I want to be reduced to tears by your emotions… my soul shattering at your feet. If you can manage that, then you've earned the right to it."
He stopped her circling by taking her hand. He closed his palm around hers and siphoned the energy from her palm and branded it into his own, sealing the deal.
"Better acquire some tissues. For my feelings are not to be underestimated." He gave her hand a final squeeze then released her. He held his hand up, palm out and fingers curled. The brand on his palm glowed red, just as his resolve burned hot within him. "I shall give you the performance of a lifetime."
"Humph… we'll see about that."
