"No Arms! Hya!" *Axe chop* "I don't think dyeing my hair and dressing like Rulue will help. 'S not even a smart pass time!"
*Monkey disappointment* *Monkey suggestion*
"Hah!" *Hardy axe chop* "Schezo? Maybe? Yah!" *Hefty axe chop* "You might be onto something, Army. Stupid torture devices! BREAK ALREADY!" *Flame channeled axe chop* *Blizzard spell* Sil panted and planted the axed down to talk a bit.
"Maybe I should update my looks to that of a masked magic knight to change things up."
*Monkey question*
"Shut up, you don't even know Schezo. But let's be fair here. As if I know him better… I do like his style though…"
"Monkey suggestion"
"Bring up the Dark Prince up again and I'll have you locked for ages, simian."
*Sweating monkey*
"I do still like the idea. With some adjustments, I can have some armour, a cape. Things I feel really comfy in. I can have a mask, can go around helping folks anonymously. OO! If I go fully armoured then they could be like: "Oh, who's that handsome young knight?" PFWHHAHAHAHAHAHAAA! Fufufuh… I do have plenty of suits in a room. And it'll be great exercise." She shrugged.
*Monkey counterclaim*
"What do you mean I'm not helping my own case?"
*Monkey shifting the conversation*
"Eh. Good point. It'd be too clanky. Never liked the lack of freedom leg armor gives and I don't think my floating capabilities can support a full suit to reduce the noise… On top of not being trained in swords, so I'll a clanking, armoured warlock. I'll keep it on the back burner. I wanna try it. I can probably find a way around it."
"Welp. Back to work. GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" *Axe spin*
Chapter 43: This song and dance again?
Having successfully destroyed all the torture devices and should've them in the corner. A harmless pile of splitters, ash, sharp blades, and anything else to be disposed of later. And a different pile of remains to donate to the museum. Because frankly, that axe was just a tad too heavy for extended use. The Strong Club and Ace in Spades spells, enhancing her strength to make it easier did help but she did not how what the proper posture is to use an Axe and with extended time using it that has consequences you might not have thought about when you start destroying sophisticated instruments of murder.
Her back hurts is what I'm saying. She's napping.
When she awoke at noon she got a trash can and several cleaning things to fully convert this wine cellar/torture dungeon into a wholesome wine cellar/ wine cellar/ wine cell
"What should I make this cellar, Army?" Sil genuinely asked.
*Monkey retort*
"A secret walk-in closet?" Silvana gritted her teeth. "Not something where I can be locked into. What if I accidentally designate the go home spell here? I'm totally going convert that secret room behind the bookcase now."
*Playfully snarky monkey*
Sil grabbed a chair and sat on it with her legs between the chair's back. Leaning her arms on top. "Or I stop doing things I should stop doing. Like talking to you."
*Hurt monkey* *Dejected monkey*
Sil giggled. "Only kidding, bud. You had the right idea, just a room with not enough lighting. Maybe make a walk in costume closet for the whole crew."
*Monkey joke?*
"What!" Sil slammed. "Army. Just a reminder: If there's one thing I hate more than her. It's being imprisoned in the dark."
*Monkey beg forgiveness*
"You better…"
…
"You okay, Sil?"
"AH!"
Sil fell off the chair at the second voice. An actual second voice. Three figures climbed down the cellar ladder. Sil was maskless so thankfully it was Sig, Amitie and Lidelle. All looking a bit concerned.
"I thought you were clowning around. You really talk to Arms like that even in private?"
"You try not having Carby while you need to have Carby, Liddy." Sil pouted. Lidelle apologized. Sil turned her head to her favorite affection dispenser. "Sig." She frowned, keeping on a brave face hoping they don't comment on what she's wearing.
"Yeah?"
"Gimme back the key. I want my privacy back!" She caught the key. "Now." Miss Pierrot got authoritative. "How long have you been listening?"
"Nothing embarrassing." Sig winked. She trusted him.
Amitie had covered her mouth, the entire time since she laid her eyes on her boss. Said boss crossed her arms and glared into her soul.
Amitie dropped a sweat, she shifted her eyes left and right. She moved her hands away from her mouth. "Whaaat?"
Sil blew some air out. "Just say what you wanna say, Am." 'Don't make me regret ordering a kimono…'
"I'm back to Am?"
"Just say it."
"Okayokay. I was gonna say that you still have a bit of Raffine in you…"
"Haha, make fun of the clown everybody. At least I know how to dress myself…"
Sil muttered, glaring at Amitie. Amitie got a bit salty. Imitating Sil's earlier miffed pose. "Definitely some Raf in there."
"Not in a good mood?" Sig tried to de-escalate.
"What do you think! You guys stirred the chemicals in my body by surprising me!" They tilted their heads, Sil was quoting Klug. "And of course you guys catch me in a maid outfit!"
"Why?" Lidelle innocuously asked. The maid waited a bit.
"In case it isn't obvious I'm in the MIDDLE OF CLEAN UUUUUUUP!" She flapped her arms in frustration. Startling the wind controlling imp. "See these sharp tortured devices? My regular duds are expensive!"
"S-Sorry." Lidelle hid behind her ears. Seeing Lidelle like that did lower the temperature of the harlequin's black hole.
"N-No. I should be sorry that you guys broke i- Wow. Lemme rephrase that. (Even though it's not wrong in the slightest.)"
"Don't we get what you wanna say." Lidelle understood. "We know you're angry like this sometimes."
"Yeah."
"Basically how I met you, now I think about it."
Sig and Amitie backed up. Sil sighed deeply. "Honestly, I've noticed I've been a bit grumpy today too. Sorry, you have to put with me." Sil took a seat on the chair as she did before.
"Sil." Sig said a tad more assertive than… ever.
"You are worth it! Stop saying things like that. You deserve-"
"I know, I know, Am. But I can't stop myself much. I really don't get emotions like you normal folks."
"What do you mean?"
"I just don't understand it. Mine at least."
Sil was not crying. She was just contemplative.
"No gut reactions, please. But as Arle's doppelganger, I permanently have this idea in my head how I should be. But I never know, my subconscious is never sure if I ever reached that or not. You know, normal Doppelganger stuff, and that without any defects. Following me so far?"
*Slow nod*
*Nod*
"Uh-huh!"
"You guys wouldn't fault me if I was Silvana but I still had Arle as my personality, right? With the life I live now right?"
"'Course."
"Um… Is this a trick question, Miss Sil?"
"Don't be stupid."
Sil had a little wry smile. "My personality and interests are so different at this point with all this brainwashing."
"Sil?"
"Sil?!"
"Guys, it's okay." Her tone was enough to put it at ease. "Let's just not pretend that's not what I've been subjected to." Even if she was a bit in pain saying this. It's not one of those painless days.
Her friends looked a bit uneasy at her.
"What I'm getting at. Even through all the clowny traits I developed, I noticed my personality is way different then what Arle- You know what? I'm taking a shortcut to my point."
She took a big breath. She's still not crying. Pain yes.
"Not counting my different interests, being a recovered social outcast. Originally I thought I was defective because of my color scheme and preference, voic IREALLYHAVEWONTHEJACKPOTONTHEROULETTEWHEELOFBADLUCK,HAVEN'TI!" It's been a while she analyzed herself to a big extent.
Sig gave a gentle hug, Lidelle put her hand(?) on Sil's knee and Amitie glomped. All three of them did it to help their struggling friend. At least one of them had figured out she calms down from affection.
Her pain was quelled.
"You're not defective." Sig patted her.
"You're not a robot!"
"What's a robot?"
I digress.
"I'm okay, just ripped my heart apart. I'm really fragile… That was the point I wanted to make… No gut reaction please, but as a kill-and-replacing machine. I'm way too fragile. I spied on Arle my whole life. She barely gets basically like I get all the time." Depressed, but no tears.
"You did have it cruddy…" Amitie sympathized.
"Wanting to be different but wanting something else? Pff. I'd say so. I'm so different… I like it. That's the point. I hate being different, but that's also the point… I usually tune out the nasty don't like part, I guess it just doesn't work today… "
…
Sil materialized her mask to look at. She nudged her friends to stand in front of her. "I've meaning to ask something to everyone who knows about me."
The three basically all said sure. "I want you to answer first, Sig. And don't say something just to make me feel better. Goes for you two too. As well." They nodded.
"Ask. I'm ready."
"What's Silvana to you?" Doppel asked. Holding her with two hands close to her chest so both her faces when facing Sig. "Her mask or her face?" The emotion in her face voice rivaled Sig's.
"Oh… Um… Honestly. I always felt your mask was just a mask."
Sil was happy with that answer coming from him. She took the answer she wanted from him. She pointed her finger at Amitie. The blonde felt she didn't get enough time to articulate.
"Idon'tknow!" She paused a sec.
"This is a simple answer, Am…"
"S-Sorry… I got my answer now."
The jester signaled for her to say it.
"You're a peppy clown with a troubled person underneath. From what I read from that book lot's of clowns are like that. Which I won't be!" Amitie stood confidently. The outlook was admired.
"And you, Lid?"
"The face. I always figured that's who you really are. I don't mean an evil Doppelganger of Arle, but I know no one wears a mask unless they want to hide something."
Sil remembered those words when she told one of the many times she told Vento to be cautious. She was content with the conclusion each came to. "You guys aren't wrong." She subtly told in a backhanded way. "And that's kinda the problem. I don't which answer I find worse."
"You… want to be a Doppelganger?"
"NO! I MEANT THE ANSWERS! CLOWN OR PERSON UNDERNEATH! WH-WHY MUST YOu make me wanna… scream at… you, Sig…"
"Sorry."
"I don't care. I really don't know what's better. Which one do I wanna be? The mostly fake me: a happy clown. Or the real me but less crazy but still with all the baggage that comes with…"
"You're clowning is not fake, Sil." Amitie defended. "At least not anymore. I've been you in a few shows. And I know passion when I see it. You're really talented, Sil. Maybe you should be Pierrot in-training inst- Ignore me…" The blonde pulled her hat over her eyes. Not that it helped. That hat also looked embarrassed.
Silvana laughed out loud. Some negativity washed away. "Fufufufu. Seriously, Am? You're that into it you forgot who's who?"
"I-I talked like you for a bit when you're my boss and you give people pep talks."
"Fufufufuh~ Still, though. Fufufufu." Sil got up from the chair, chuckling. "I feel a bit better. Sorry to always be such bummer, guys. I never wanna be like this."
"We know." Sig assured her.
"You're rarely in the right mind. You could barely could your talking points straight."
"Thaaaanks, Liddy? You guys… I was gonna say I don't deserve you, but Mr. Straight Face won't let me."
She winked. "So I'm gonna leave it at you guys are my best friends."
"E-Even me?"
"Even you too, Lidelle."
"Got anything else to say to me? Maybe I can get a jokey mood again." Sil warmed up her Arm muscles out of habit.
Amitie volunteered. "You look adorable!" She gushed. "Especially with your hair down like that." Sig and Lidelle quietly agreed.
Sil's body stood exactly as she already did. Her face was blushing from embarrassment. Somehow she knew somewhere that Raffine felt like she won somehow. The look in her eyes said something akin to: I will make you eat this dress!
"Can I borrow that dress?"
"Why are you even here?"
"We came to remind you there's a girl's birthday party today that's in need of a clown." Sig said.
"Shoot!" The shock came over her face, she rushed to the ladder as she magically reassembled her Pierrot suit over the maid dress. "I thought that was next we- Have you been peeking in my agenda agai- Oh. Oh."
After all that talk, on the verge of potential relapse brought onto her by them. Now the tears came out. "I take it back. You guys aren't my best friends."
Her friends were confused.
"Hm… Nevermind, I can't think of anything better than a best friend." *Sniff*
Sig picked Arms up. Sil left him in the shock. "You're gonna celebrate too."
*Monkey cheers*
Author's Notes:
The opening skit's premise came out of nowhere, would you guys like to see a chapter with that realized? Sil trying out a full suit of armour and going around incognito? It won't be status quo. I already found a way to fit it snugly in the story. Warning, this might get stupid.
Next up: A yet another retelli Doppelganger Raffina.
