Stupid Cupid

See disclaimer in part 1

Roughly a week after the dragon-riding incident, the cold was back in the air, the periodic rains that hit the castle had become sleet, and it became rarer for anyone to venture outside, the only exception being the Imperial knights with dragons, who continued to exercise their mounts, even in the worsening weather. As outdoor exploits were no longer an option, the ladies of the Royal Army took to spending their time together in the tower.

"I can't believe White's Day is already just a few days away," Yggdra remarked, flopping back against the bed with a sigh. "Time really has flown."

"You are going to be inundated with gifts," Rosary informed her. "Since you insisted on getting practically every guy in the castle something, I'm honestly shocked that they're not all running around panicked at this very instant over you."

"I heard some of the guys talking, and it sounds like everyone Yggdra got candy for is doing a collaboration thing except Gulcasa," Kylier offered. "That's probably why there isn't mass chaos. Anyway, shouldn't you be more concerned with yourself than Yggdra?"

"What do you mean?" Rosary demanded suspiciously, giving her a sidelong glare.

"Well, you might not've meant it that way, but you gave Roswell his little apology present on Valentine's Day, so that means he's obligated to get you something now," Kylier explained with upraised eyebrows. "Didn't you think of that?"

"The last thing I need is you reading things into that. There wasn't any kind of ulterior motive. There just wasn't any other way I could get the message across without his running for the hills."

"Well, whatever. Aren't you wondering?"

"Roswell's got pretty good taste in gifts," Rosary informed her loftily, tossing her long brown hair. "Even if we haven't been in that habit for a while, I'm sure nothing has changed since then."

"I'm tempted to ask, but I know you'll just bite my head off if I do, so I won't," Kylier replied, then turned to the other girls. "What about the rest of you?"

"Whatever Russell decides to give me, it doesn't matter," Flone said with a smile. "Besides… there's no way he's ever going to be able to top last year's White's Day present."

"What did he do then?" Yggdra asked curiously.

Flone went pink and clasped her hands over her heart, sighing. "Last year on White's Day was when Russell proposed to me."

"That's so romantic," Elena said with a sigh of her own.

"Someone get me a barf bag," grumbled Rosary, shaking her head at her companions.

"Oh, you just shut it," Kylier said, tossing a pillow at the young witch. "Honestly, you act like some jaded old woman all the time. At least have a little respect for Flone and Russell."

"Fine, fine, however you want it. Although the 'old' part was definitely uncalled for." Rosary crossed her legs and leaned back, draping her long hair over the edge of the sofa. "So what about you? You said you gave Milanor something last year—what did he give you in return then?"

Kylier made a face. "Ugh. It's not that it's that big a deal, not now, but… ouch. Last year, Milanor's idea of a White's Day present was to invite me on a raid with his crew. Not that it wasn't fun or anything, but… it was absolutely the most unromantic date I have ever been on. This year, I don't care so much, so long as it's not some buddy-buddy, just-between-friends kind of present."

"That sucks," Rosary said with a pitying sigh. "So what about you, Yggdra? You worried about what Gulcasa's gonna give you, since the rest of the guys are doing their thing together?"

"It's like Flone and Kylier said," Yggdra told her, instantly going bright red. "It… doesn't matter to me. Anything is fine, anything at all. Just his getting me a return gift… would be proof that he accepts and returns my feelings. It would… really and truly be a blessing. Truly."

" 'Accepts and returns'…" Rosary shook her head, staring at the young queen. "Uh, are we talking about the same Gulcasa here? The one I mean is the Emperor of Bronquia whose life you saved not so very long ago, the one who goes stupid every time you walk through the same room as him, and who, may I add, turns exactly the same color as his hair every time someone brings up your name in conversation with him. I don't think there's any doubt at all in the 'returning your feelings' department."

"Oh… oh," Yggdra squeaked, and covered her face, abashed.

"Rosary-san…" Elena protested, flustered.

"Sorry, sorry." The witch grinned. "I know I should really stop picking on you, but you're just so funny when you're embarrassed… he's like that too. And that's good, you know—that even though the two of you have a lot of differences, you've also got a lot of stuff in common."

"You really think…?" Yggdra asked timidly, peeking through her fingers.

"Well, of course," Kylier said with a grin, reaching over to shove her in the shoulder. "Think about it for a sec. You're both orphans, you're both monarchs, you both inherited some really nasty responsibilities, and you're both the kind of people who'd go to any lengths for a loved one even if it meant disregarding yourself."

"You like a lot of the same things, and you even have the same favorite food," Flone put in, resting her chin on the heel of her hand and giving Yggdra a warm smile. "And from the looks of things, you two take real interest in each other's hobbies. You're a very lucky young lady, you know. Gulcasa seems to be something like my Russell—he's very devoted to those he's close to… just as much so as you are."

"And you already have such a deep understanding of each other," Elena added, laying a hand over her heart. "That's something I don't have with Zilva-sama yet. It makes me a little jealous…"

"Heck, you even both blush really easily, and you're both virgins—" Rosary began.

"Rosary!" Yggdra squealed, her face pure crimson, hiding in the nearby pillows.

"Hey, just because you've had sex, you don't get to pick on those of us who haven't!" Kylier snapped, flushing pink as she glared at the laughing noblewoman.

"A-and how do you think you can judge that of His Majesty anyway?" Elena demanded, squeaking in indignation even as she went redder than Yggdra.

"Pfft, can there possibly be any doubt?" Rosary asked flippantly. "Just the fact that he gets so embarrassed while he's around her is proof enough! No self-respecting man with experience would ever be so visibly unsure of himself with a girl around."

"Now, now," Flone said, giggling. "Settle down, all of you. Everyone's already excited enough without our getting into arguments like this."

Rosary rolled over on the sofa, snickering. "So sorry. I'll behave myself, I promise."

"You always say that, and then you never do," Kylier grumbled, throwing a pillow at her.

"Okay, so what else is there to talk about…?" Flone asked, shaking her head wryly. "…Yggdra, how have the negotiations been going? Since we don't get asked in, sometimes it's hard for us to find out."

Yggdra nodded into the pillows and sat up. "Well… today we were outlining part of the treaty that Lombardia wanted to resettle…"

---

"This… is bad," Milanor said bleakly, staring down at his hands as he sat numbly on the sofa.

"Very bad," Gulcasa corrected from where he sat next to the young thief.

"What is?" a third voice asked blankly. The guys all turned; they'd been joined by Russell, who was looking at them curiously with a white box under his arm and flecks of sleet melting into water on his deep violet hair—he'd just come in from a trip outside.

Roswell, reclining on the side of the door on the opposite side of the room, tried to smooth out a smile with little success. "These two are trying to decide on their White's Day gifts, and finding it difficult."

"We're just here to offer moral support," Nessiah added, walking around from beside the back of the sofa to sit on Gulcasa's armrest.

"Moral support, my ass," Milanor retorted, still staring gloomily at his shoes. "They're here to laugh at us."

"But you and Kylier have known each other for years," Russell reminded him, still sounding surprised. "Surely it can't be that hard…?"

"Says you," Milanor replied, looking up at him. "It's not like I can just take her out for dinner or something, 'cause even though she's not a vegan like Elena, she's pretty picky about what she can and can't eat, and she'll probably get mad if I try to give her anything I stole! I don't know what I'm supposed to give her that she'll like. Why's this stupid holiday such a big deal anyway?"

"I know what you're thinking, and don't," Gulcasa said with a sigh. "Take it from a guy who's grown up surrounded by girls, ignoring White's Day is relationship suicide. This kind of thing is important to the opposite sex."

Milanor just groaned.

"Where were you anyway, Russell?" Nessiah asked the Astral Fencer. "We sent Durant and Cruz looking for you, but you weren't anywhere they thought to try."

Russell held up his box and smiled. "I was just getting Flone's White's Day gift."

"Really? What'd you decide on?" Milanor wondered, looking up hopefully.

"This is a pearl necklace I know she's been looking at for a while," Russell explained. "She decided that we probably shouldn't waste money on it, but I know she wants it. I can tell she'll be happy with it."

"So, jewelry is a good idea…" The Silver Wolf grimaced. "But there's no way I could scrounge up enough actual cash for it. Man, this really sucks."

"That's very thoughtful of you," Nessiah said with a smile, ignoring Milanor completely.

"Thanks. Well—what about the rest of you? Have you got your gifts ready?"

"Rosary's is already taken care of," Roswell asserted with a soft smile. "I got things settled earlier this month, so I've nothing to worry about."

"Good for you, Mr. Foresight," Milanor said sourly. Roswell ignored him.

"I only had two gifts to work on this year, and the bigger project of the two—organizing the men for Yggdra's thank-you gift—was finished just yesterday. My other one is almost done, and after we're through here I'm going to go add the last few touches," Nessiah told Russell.

"I have one idea, but… it's so pathetic and cliché," Gulcasa said deflatedly, giving Russell a pitiful look. "I have got to come up with a backup plan."

"You two want some pointers, then?" Russell offered with a gracious smile.

"Please," Milanor exclaimed, turning pleading eyes on his old comrade.

"Well, unless a girl really, really loves chocolate, getting her some for White's Day is supreme bad taste," Russell explained. "That's what she got you, so it can be taken as both unoriginal and a rejection of what she gave, and besides, a lot of girls nowadays are too sensitive about their weight for you to give them food on a day like this. If she likes flowers, or you really know yours, you can do that, but if you don't know much about them, I'd advise to stay away from that."

"Why?" Milanor asked blankly.

"Well, the fact that you grew up in squalor may excuse most of your lack of knowledge, but I still have to call you on your idiocy here," Nessiah said loftily. "The general gift of a bouquet is most often interpreted as an apology offering, and even beyond that, each type of flower has its own particular meaning—a single red rose is commitment and fidelity, irises symbolize belief in oneself, an anemone is the disappearance of hope, orchids are a pledge that you'll always carry the recipient in your heart, and so on. Again, unless she likes a particular flower regardless of its meaning, stay away from them. Flower arrangement is way over your head."

As Milanor glared at Nessiah, Russell shook his head at the two of them. "…While Nessiah could definitely have phrased it a little more tactfully, he's still right. Jewelry is good, but it's expensive. If you want to be traditional, you can always give her a white ribbon, but that's also a serious promise of commitment, so you have to be sure before you offer one of those up."

"So… isn't there anything that I can do, since all of those seem to be bad for me to try?" Milanor asked with a groan, headslumping.

"Well… yes. Regardless of age and circumstances, it is really rare to find girls who don't like stuffed animals," Russell told him. "So if I had to recommend any one thing, that'd be it."

"Plushies?" Milanor repeated blankly. "That's what you really think I should…?"

"As long as you know what her favorite animal is—and I know you do—you can't go wrong with something that cute," Roswell said, raising his eyebrows at the thief.

"Yeah, but it's so simple. You guys seriously aren't BSing me?"

"There's a reason the twins have stashes of teddy bears still hidden in their closets. Those sure aren't Emilia's, after all. And you never heard that from me," Gulcasa said quickly. "…Ye gods, they'll kill me if they ever hear I let that slip…"

Milanor shook his head. "You guys have gotta be joking."

Nessiah leaned across Gulcasa to poke Milanor in the center of his forehead. "Scorn our advice all you want. If you don't trust us, go ask Yggdra or one of the other girls. They'll just tell you the same thing."

"Plushies," Milanor repeated, bewildered. "Who'da thunk it?"

"Evidently not you," Nessiah said with a derisive sniff, folding his arms.

"Shut up."

"Well, so long as that crisis is taken care of, I have to go get this wrapped," Russell told his audience, wiggling the box holding Flone's gift. "See you all later."

A chorus of "'Bye"s followed him out of the room.

"I should get going too," Roswell agreed. "Milanor, if you're going to get Kylier anything at all, you'd better get on it, so now you've got a plan, I think I'll point you to a few places you can get more help."

"Okay." The two of them headed off, leaving Gulcasa and Nessiah alone.

"…Well, it's good Milanor has an idea now, but…" Gulcasa said at length. "What am I, chopped liver?"

Nessiah shook his head. "Well… if you can bear with me for a little while, I'll see what I can do to help."

"Thanks."

"I have to stop by my workshop first, and finish up Kylier's gift. Then we can talk. …And it would help if you'd actually tell me what it is," Nessiah pointed out, gathering up his spellbook and heading towards the door.

Gulcasa stood up with a groan, looking evasively away. "That's because it's… it's just embarrassing, okay? I'll show you later, when you're done."

"You're coming with me," Nessiah said pointedly, and took the Emperor by the wrist, pulling him down the hall towards the Imperial tower.

"But you never let anyone into that place, especially not when you're cooking something up in there," Gulcasa protested, surprised.

"I'm making an exception because it's you," Nessiah replied, turning towards him with a brief smile. "Just don't get used to it. And don't bother me too much; this is delicate work, and I would hate to have to start over now, when it's almost done."

The two of them headed into the tower, then up to the story just above the top floor—Gulcasa's room—and into a smaller room near the tower's outer wall. The door was solid rowan with iron bands along the planks and a sheaf of creamy vellum pinned to the outside, with the message "Keep out or die horribly" proclaimed cheerfully with shimmery purple ink in Nessiah's beautiful calligraphic handwriting.

Once the two of them were inside, Nessiah closed the door firmly behind them and slid home two deadbolt locks afterwards. Watching, Gulcasa winced.

"Is it really okay for me to be in here?"

"Just the fact that you're asking me that tells me you're the one person I can allow in," Nessiah assured him. "Believe me, if I thought you'd be a danger to any of my works, you wouldn't be in here. I know you'll be careful not to touch anything important."

"Careful, he says…" Gulcasa said under his breath as Nessiah took off his tattered purple overrobe and draped it carelessly over a nearby chair.

The cramped stone room was a stunning array of brilliant clutter and barely ordered chaos. It was dominated by a stone table with rounded edges and a set of wireworking tools set slightly off from its center, alongside a small crucible, a pair of tongs, and a scattered handful of precious gems. Shoved into the corner was a drafting table covered in papers, sitting across the room from a small granite kiln. Along the small window's ledge hung an assortment of ankhs, all in different shapes, made of different materials.

"Those are…?" Gulcasa wondered aloud with a frown, staring.

"Oh—those ankhs?" Nessiah pointed, watching as Gulcasa nodded. "They're multipurpose, none as powerful or as destructive as the two I made for Verlaine. Back home, ankhs are used for lots of things, depending on the spells encoded within them. You could use them to store messages or healing or even a specific spell that can be used over and over… the infamous ones were power amplifiers."

"I… see." Gulcasa shook his head and continued looking around.

There were a few papers on the floor too, mostly scattered around an open chest that seemed to hold materials, as well as stacks of the tactical cards now used throughout Midgard for battle. It had amazed Gulcasa to learn that Nessiah had actually created all of those in use in his world, but he'd been forced to admit belief when Nessiah had pointed out his personal crest, the emblem of a crossed black and white wing, on the back of each one. It was the same symbol that appeared on the cover of the Revelation of the Gods, as well as on the flag Nessiah had always carried into battle.

As Gulcasa stood in silent wonder, Nessiah pulled something small and shiny out of the crucible on the table with a pair of tongs, then held them up to the light. "Beautiful," he murmured to himself, then dragged his chair from the desk over to the side of the table and swept his materials towards him, hunching over in his seat to work.

"You can talk," Nessiah told him suddenly. "It won't distract me."

"I just—don't want to be in the way," Gulcasa replied disjointedly. "…The work you do is really amazing."

"So you say, but this place is a makeshift workshop at best, something I could pack up in half an hour if I had to. The one in Flarewerk is much more suitable. Still, beggars can't be choosers, and this isn't something I can afford to run back to the capital for. And the quality of materials down here is far inferior to those back home. I'm limited by what I have in front of me. I could never… oh, I could never make anything remotely like the Gran Centurio down here."

"Really…"

"I poured my soul into that sword. Hardly left my workshop for a month, and that was just crunch time. Even if I ever could go home—I could never make anything like it again. It was my masterwork, and it took everything I had in me to create. And in the end, it just went to waste anyway…"

"Nessiah…"

"You don't have to bother. I'm fine." Nessiah paused, then set one strange tool Gulcasa didn't recognize aside in favor of another.

"You're not. I can hear it in every word you say. Thinking about your exile still hurts you," Gulcasa asserted. "Even now, you're… still calling that place your home. It's not something you can help, so don't act as though it's something you have to hide."

"…………"

"You'll probably never be able to tell any of us what actually happened back then, because it was too traumatic, but… when it gets to be too bad, you can always come to us. We're here for you."

"…thank you."

"Hey, would I do anything less for my genius artificer best friend?" Gulcasa asked wryly, leaning in as Nessiah held up the tiny object he'd been working on with a smile. "That's really beautiful, by the way."

"Spelled for luck, health, and protection," Nessiah said, and stood. "I have to wait a little while, then check again to make sure the seals took. In the meantime, you and I can see about your White's Day problem."

"Oh… oh yeah." Gulcasa had halfway forgotten about it, his worries eclipsed by the wonder of being allowed into this painfully intimate space—being granted this monumental marker of trust. With the rush of memory came the predictable rush of blood into his face. "But I mean it, this is seriously bad. It was all I could think of, and…"

"I think I'll be the judge of that instead," Nessiah replied in a mild tone, reaching for his overrobe and heading back for the door. "Come on."

Gulcasa hung his head and groaned, but followed Nessiah up the stairs and into his room.

"Now, where have you got this so-called bad gift I keep hearing about?" the blind mage asked practically, hands on his hips.

Too ashamed to speak, Gulcasa pointed towards the dresser.

Nessiah headed over to it, then shook his head. "Where—oh!"

Gulcasa shook his head, glancing around frantically. "It's—it's so typical and, and—it's so lame and stupid and nowhere near what I should be getting, and—"

"This is so sweet," Nessiah exclaimed, turning back towards his friend with a hand over his heart. "Gulcasa, I had no idea you were such a romantic!"

"But it's so…" Gulcasa protested numbly, at a loss for words.

"It's so perfect. I can't believe you'd think Yggdra wouldn't like this. She's going to treasure it forever. Even though you might think it's simple, or old-fashioned—it's proof that you really are devoted to her, and that's what she's truly looking for. No, you don't have to worry about anything. You're doing fine just like this."

"If you really think so…" Gulcasa said defeatedly, letting his voice trail off.

Nessiah walked back towards him and clapped him on the shoulder with a smile. "Trust the words of a friend who wants nothing more than to see you two happy together, with something like that, you cannot fail. Girls appreciate sentimentality, especially girls like the one you're going to give that present to."

"I hope you're right."

"I know I'm right. Once White's Day is over, nothing is ever going to stand between you two again," Nessiah said confidently.

Gulcasa just shook his head and didn't say anything.

But… when it comes to that, you are wrong. There is still something standing in the way of my living the life I long for. Something important.

…Something I can't even tell you.

"Don't worry," Nessiah told him suddenly, sobering. "Yggdra loves you more than anything. I know you've still got a lot on your mind… but she'll be able to accept that, and she'll help you through it if there's any way she can possibly do so. The same way I know you can do for her. Open up to her a little… tell her what's on your mind. You know… saying how you feel isn't a bad White's Day gift, either."

"…Maybe you're right," Gulcasa agreed, nodding. "Okay… I'll try it. When the time comes… I'll talk to her, and we'll see what happens."

"Good," the fallen angel said. "Well—I'm off. I've still got a few things to see to before White's Day comes, but I'll check up on you later, alright? After all, that's what friends are for."

Gulcasa smiled as he left. "…I suppose so…"

:TBC:

Notes on the text

Flowers: The meanings behind floral gifts are a little more complex than this author can fully grasp, too, so obviously Milanor hasn't got a hope there. The meanings of the flowers cited (iris, anemone, orchid) are explained in Spiral, Eureka Seven, and Final Fantasy: Unlimited. (See? You do learn things from watching anime!)

White ribbons: The symbolism of white ribbons is explained in DNAngel volume 3, and they're basically a lucky charm meant to make love last between a young couple. More of that will likely be explained in later chapters here.

Nessiah's workshop: He is an artificer, after all, and he's still been making things throughout the course of the game, so he obviously has to have a place to do it! Aside from their use as long-range artillery in Yggdra Union, Ankhs are utilized in various media for magical purposes—in Riviera, for example, they're used to encode spells—and they originate in Egyptian mythology as holy symbols of life. It is, by the way, true that Nessiah seems to have made the tactical cards used in YU—they all do have his crest on the back, which can be seen as well on the Revelation of the Gods and Nessiah's flag (visible on the Battle Order menu displayed before a Clash while fighting him or any of his resurrected minions).

Just what ARE Kylier and Yggdra's gifts?: Now, now, that would be telling! (dodges thrown cooking utensils) Heh, you'll find out in the next chapter or so. There's a REASON I've omitted most of the guys' plans.