It was just a preliminary bond.
Compatible.
A thread, but nothing solid.
Still. This meant something.
Conrad's gaze shifted from worry to wonder.
Viper's grace came from the general.
"Bang!"
Conrad's head hurtled past and on the floor beside them, knocking him out and removing the skin contact between them.
"Sorry about that. My student's... a bit wrong in the head."
Viper smiled up at her stiffly.
Was that before or after you started punching him?
Aegean hair. Chestnut brown eyes. Soldier. Teacher.
Viper pulled themself up shakily, and if everyone thought it was from the fright from the violence that just transpired, they had no inclination to correct them of that misconception.
They glanced at the tufts of sunflower blond hair mixing with the blood on the ground.
Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Soldier. Student.
Really. Lal and Colonnello definitely hadn't struck them as Nazi.
"T-thank you, ma'am." They promptly scrambled away, leaving the commotion behind them, heart beating and feeling as if they'd come undone any minute now.
"Honestly, this guy... he's exhausting." General sighed to herself, hefting up the blonde to presumably drag him to the infirmary, muttering, "Just because he's mine, surely Leader knows it can't speak for his talents..."
"S-sir, where's the restroom?" Viper called out.
The man, being in a position to have seen everything, gave them a sympathetic look and pointed them exactly right beside where Mrs. Müller's office should be.
"Yes, thank you."
Locking themself in it, they put their back against the door.
"Ha... haha..." Viper moaned when they failed to brush off the numbness in their body by the power of laughter. Probably cause it was slightly hysterical.
Oh no. Oh no.
Don't tell them that- rather, please tell them that Colonnello just happened to be their compatible Rain.
They slid down, pulling up their knees, their coin between their chest and legs, trying to calm their breathing.
Click. Click. Click. Click.
After all- after all, Colonnello hadn't been initially part of the original set, only coming after Lal. If Colonnello was Viper's Compatible Rain, that meant that- then they were in an Elemental set, one that wasn't centred around the Sky. Colonnello hadn't been Checkerface's intended Rain, so then it could mean that Viper might have a chance to shirk it.
But... but Lal said he was hers.
And it looked as if they were only recent acquaintances, the Chancellor apparently foisting him off to her, probably so they could cultivate the sapling bond.
What would they do if the other Arcobaleno were their Compatible set?
Their chest hurt.
Viper... Viper was still in enemy territory.
They shook their head, staggering towards the sink, clumsily turning on the tap and splashing their face with it.
No. The Arcobaleno had a Sky, and conventional Elemental sets didn't need Skies.
Nothing was set in stone.
Viper brought a hand to their chest, frowning softly at their reflection in the mirror.
Pale. Bloodless. The kind that clearly couldn't be healthy.
Fair. Soft.
Striking.
Wide, young eyes.
Wide, scared, young eyes.
"Warm..." What a foreign sentiment.
It had been a nice warmth too.
They were always so cold.
Viper stood in silence.
They fixed their appearance with patient motions, thinking.
How many minutes had passed since they'd entered the building?
Seven. So there was still thirteen. They could work with that.
In their current state of mind, it was unwise to stay longer than necessary.
Double checking the door was locked, they closed their eyes and fell into Akasha.
They looked down.
An immaterial form, akin to their Flames.
The realm ran divided into two.
The plain that was the realm of dreams. A part of the Akasha still, where their mortal dreams played out, harmless and quaint and sometimes just a bit unnerving but still within the realm of their inherent individuality.
Then there was the river beside it. Water rushing down into some ether, the current strong and impossible.
It was clear too.
Beneath it's surface were baubles, the answers to the questions. The collective memories of every physical and emotional echo, everything that had been, everything that is, and -in the abyss- everything that ever would be.
It was not the Akashic Records true form, it had none, because there was never only one answer.
This was simply how they saw it, how their dreams had shaped the Dream.
They reached into the water with their form, dipping into the separate domain that had ran, was running, and would run its course through every events that came to be, breaking surface despite the tides.
They were immaterial here and they have to be careful as they reached in the water. Their form was so unstable that if they weren't attentive, the current could easily wash away pieces of them.
Viper asked their question.
They keep it simple. Recent enough that the memoirs would've stayed above, light and buoyant still, not buried under the weight of time.
They slip between the baubles, rummaging. The deeper they have to go, the more of themself they have to submerge in the water and the more of them they have to keep from floating away.
They could sense the answer.
They held it and pulled up.
The bauble broke and they emerged from the Records.
Viper picked up the tube again -when did they even drop it?
There were cameras here, but no Flame drain. No Flame interference and no key ID. Technologically bare compared to Delta's personal kingdom.
The warmth that had managed to thaw at them even a little had been doused and as always, they were left with the cold. They hadn't even recuperated all the way yet after the consecutive stunt they had to pull off in Delta's lab, and now it had returned digging into them all the more deeper -deeper than it had been in years.
Viper needed to keep their dips sporadic, with a time frame in between each session. It was like having to keep your temperature within a certain range. Too cold or too warm...
Too much cold and... well, Viper was never quite sure, but they didn't think it would end good for them.
The colder they were, the harder it was to keep their soul in one piece.
They hated the cold but it helped them keep a straight head.
Right this moment, the pros beat the cons.
Stretching out a hand with an amethyst, they let Mist Flames wound around it in a vague shape of a person. Their consciousness split, and Viper was staring back at a phantom of themself.
The puppet rushed into the vents, silent as a ghost.
Viper stepped back into the hall and peeked into Mrs. Müller's department with a shy smile.
"Yes, honey?" A woman asked after spotting them.
"Is Mrs. Mia Müller here? There's a package."
"Oh. Yes- I mean, no. She'll be back from her break in about," She checked her wristwatch, "Five minutes."
"Why don't you take a seat for a bit, son." A portly man called them over.
"Thank you, sir."
They mapped out the vents, up, and up, and up.
By their calculations, Hitler would return in two hours, the errand boy in thirteen minutes, and Mrs. Müller in four.
"Say, son. Are you a youth member?"
Puppet peeked into the office. Examining the walls, they determined it safe to phase inside.
"No, sir."
They didn't risk manifesting a visible body however. Unnecessary.
"Oh, why?"
They spread out, a thin blanket over every surface, seeping into gaps under hidden compartments.
"Didn't get registered in the center."
Their entire fog was their awareness, their eyes and touch simultaneously.
"You should, you should. You have a ma? A sis? As a man, it's your job to protect them, you know. You working as a delivery boy?"
Viper did not need to take anything and simply memorized as much as they could, piecing the intention of the German Chancellor.
"Sometimes. I do other things too."
"In the houses, the ports?"
They retreated.
"Once or twice, I clean gardens, cut grass, my favourite is to walk the dogs. I can't really do with the ports though." They counted, shrugging.
"Yeah, you don't look like you can."
"Hey, ease up with the kid!"
"Oh, no. I don't mean anything by it, son."
Viper chuckled, "I know, sir. I've always been weak since young. I've been getting better though, getting a lot of exercises lately too."
"Eat a lot too. You have to tell your pa that. Remind him that you're the one he's gonna have to depend on to take care of the women, so he has to give you food so your family can thrive."
Viper smiled and turned towards the entryway.
"There you are, Mrs. Müller." Her co-worker greeted her, "You've got a package."
"That so?" She noticed them as she set her coffee on her desk.
"Mrs. Mia Müller?" Viper approached her, twisting the cylinder and presenting her a parcel. "And please sign here."
After being thanked and then bidding farewell to the goodnatured adults, Viper exited the building.
Crossing paths with a slightly harried looking boy, they switched their luggage with his with a smile.
"Is Mrs. Müller, here? There's a package for her."
"Huh? Someone delivered it here already."
"What? But, I still have it here."
"Let me see that. Oh, hon. It's Mrs. Madler. She's on the second floor."
"Oh. Oh! I'm sorry for bothering you."
"No trouble at all, get on your way, then."
Hopefully, the Mrs. Madler would enjoy her random rose.