XVIII. A Day of Leisure Pt.2
Guiche de Gramont, despite his cool and collected outward appearance, was very much annoyed at the moment. His good cheer from earlier in the morning was all but gone, as he had spent the past few hours pointlessly wandering the streets of Tristania. The whole day had been pretty much wasted with pushing through throngs of dirty commoners, all the while listening to Malicorne's annoying, whiny voice as he complained about all manner of annoying annoyances.
This is such a travesty of justice, he thought to himself as he continued tromping through the crowded streets, his rotund and weary looking classmate in tow. He and Malicorne managed to find the livery that Louise and her elegant, captivating familiar had secured their horses in, but when the two dashed off to find the women (in a planned effort to "accidentally" run into them) Guiche could detect neither hide nor hair of them. He and Malicorne searched through all the popular boutiques, cafes and restaurants that all young and single noble ladies were known to frequent, but alas their quarry remained ever elusive.
And I was supposed to be spending this lovely, sunny day in the company of the alluring Ms. van Winkle! Guiche sighed overdramatically, continuing to mentally espouse his misfortunes. Instead I'm stuck breathing the same foul air as these commoner trash, sweat staining my expensive silken shirts, and all my sufferings for naught since I've caught nary a sight of the beauty that is my beloved dark-haired siren. Oh, God! Oh, Founder! Why must you punish me so?
Guiche's internal monologue was cut short when his companion's nasally voice piped up from behind him. "I'm hungry! Guiche! We haven't eaten since breakfast!" complained Malicorne as he tried to keep up with his friend's hurried steps. "Plus I'm tired! We've been running around the city for hours! I'm... I'm not used to all this physical activity!" The chubby young nobleman paused to take some pained breaths before continuing his griping, this time with a voice sounding even more shrill than previously. "And why am I the one who has to carry these things?"
The blond glanced back to see Malicorne lifting two large and heavy stuffed animals in his arms. The toys were almost as big as Malicorne himself, each one carefully handmade and crafted of the finest materials. One was a bear, brown and with a charming smile expertly stitched into its cute snout, whilst the other was a white rabbit, complete with floppy ears and shiny black glass eyes. As soon as Guiche saw them in the front window of a high-end toy store they were passing, the nobleman knew that he had to get them. They were the perfect gifts for the two girls they were chasing.
One of the dolls would serve as a peace offering for Louise. Hopefully it would get the shrew to calm down and be more agreeable. The other, of course, was for the lovely Rip van Winkle, whom Guiche was sure would love the gift. All girls loved cute things, right? Plus, the toys were expensive, to boot, which made such presents even better!
The two stuffed animals cost him two New Gold and 40 silver écu, a princely sum for sure, but frankly such an expense was a mere trifle when compared to the prospect of winning his beloved's heart. Oh how he loved the thrill of the chase! Guiche grinned as he pictured his lovely raven-haired songstress falling for his dashing charm, but of course since the lady Rip was a worldly older woman, she wouldn't show him how smitten she was just yet. Oh no, a sophisticated and experienced lady such as herself would know all the ins and outs of the exciting game that was adult courting. While a young teenaged girl may giggle and fawn at such masculine attentions, a mature woman like Miss van Winkle would act confident and poised, remaining aloof and playing hard to get all in order to inflame his male ardor.
"Oh God!" Guiche bit his lip, clutching his hands to his cheeks and all but squeaking with joy. Oh how wonderful it was to be involved with an older woman!
"G-Guiche!" Malicorne's concerned voice cut into his daydreaming. "Are you alright?"
"Aha! Of course!" The blond fop coughed into his hand in embarrassment, his cheeks a bright red when he realized that he had been letting out happy, girlish squeals in the middle of the busy street corner. Thankfully they were in the artisan's quarter of the commoner areas, and thus there were no nobles of worth around to have seen such an embarrassing display.
"Come on, Guiche! I'm starving! Can we please just get something to eat already?" As if to add more weight to his request, Malicorne's stomach chose that moment to growl rather loudly. "See? My poor tummy is screaming for help!"
Guiche sighed. "Calm down, my friend. I, too, am quite famished. But, as I told you before, we will take our repose whence we find Miss van Winkle." He paused before adding, "Oh, and Louise. Her, too."
"But-"
"Then, and only then, will we take our respite! To do otherwise would be unmanly." Guiche nodded, confirming to himself (and no one else) that he was right.
"B-but... but..." Malicorne looked at his friend, eyes beginning to water.
The blond rolled his eyes at the other boy's pitiful display. He was wondering whether it had been such a good idea to bring his corpulent classmate with him on this excursion. Despite the fact that Malicorne was a good friend, the poor boy really didn't do too well with women. Not to mention that he was a soft sort, and not used to physical hardships such as himself. But Guiche knew that the boy was necessary for his plans, as he was the perfect sacrificial lamb for the dragon that was Louise de La Valliere. He knew that the Zero didn't like him very much, despite the fact that he had left her alone when the other students would tease her mercilessly. In all honesty, he had believed her treatment by the other students to be rather unfair, and thought it quite improper for other nobles to be treating one of their own in such a manner. Of course, he would never risk his own social status to defend the pariah of the school, even though he often felt sorry for the girl on occasion. Perhaps it was his association with Montmorency that had incurred Valliere's ire? It was no secret that his former girlfriend was one of Louise's most persistent tormentors.
Regardless of the reason, in order for him to successfully woo the lovely Rip van Winkle, Guiche had to get close to her. And without Malicorne serving as an adequate distraction, Louise would never allow him to get anywhere near her delightful familiar.
Guiche was about to tell Malicorne to suck it up and be a man, the usual spiel designed to rile the other boy's tattered male pride, when his eyes suddenly caught sight of a flash of pink from the crowd across the street. His eyes widened when he recognized the short form of Louise Valliere, unmistakable with her bright hair color and Academy uniform. "There they are!" Guiche pointed, catching Malicorne's attention.
"Seriously?" the rotund boy asked, looking towards the direction where his friend was pointing. "Where? I don't see..." Suddenly, the chubby boy's eyes widened as something else caught his sight. "Holy cow! Is that Valliere's familiar?"
Guiche's own eyes flicked over to where his friend was looking. Time seemed to stop as his heart began to pound harder in his chest when, at last, he managed to finally catch sight of Louise's familiar.
"Oh, Lord... my humble, mortal eyes are too unworthy to be seeing such glory," he muttered aloud, completely enraptured and uncaring as to whether or not Malicorne had heard him. Thankfully for the blond fop, his friend was just as confounded by Rip Van Winkle's new appearance. Gone were the bulky and unflattering garments. Gone were the clunky boots, oversized coat, and billowy trousers. Although the dark haired woman was still wearing black clothing, her current ensemble was much better fitted to her thin, athletic form. He was reminded of the sight that greeted him many a night ago when he first saw the dark haired woman in that elegant blue gown; she looked absolutely radiant in the moonlight, but even now in the harsh light of day, though her pale features were hidden under the shadow of her blue parasol, the youngest Gramont still found her to be quite the breathtaking sight. Guiche's vision wavered and he suddenly felt dizzy, but thankfully the young nobleman remembered to breathe and thus was able to avoid fainting.
"Dang, she really cleans up well," Malicorne stated aloud as he shifted the heavy stuffed animals in his arms.
"Come, Malicorne!" he called out to his friend before rushing across the street towards the two women.
"R-right!" The amateur wind mage stuttered as he followed.
It only took a moment for Guiche to find the two in the crowd, and once he did he flashed both girls with his most radiant smile. "Why, Miss Louise! Miss van Winkle!" The blond greeted them. "Fancy meeting you two here!" He made sure to perform his patented Guiche Hair-flick No. 24 for them; that move always got him admiring glances from many of the First-year girls.
Sadly, the females in front of him looked less than thrilled.
"Um... h-hi!" Malicorne greeted as he stumbled in behind his friend.
Louise frowned. "Guiche? Malicorne? What are you two doing here?"
The blond gave the pink haired girl a bright smile, ramping up his charm to over 120% of normal, way past the regulation safety limits. "Oh, we were just enjoying the sights of this fine city. You know, perusing the shops. Sampling the fine cuisine. Savoring the atmosphere of our great kingdom's capital." Guiche then did a Guiche Hair-flic No. 53, or as he liked to call it: The Widowmaker. He made sure Rip saw it from the best angle. "I must say, if you don't mind me saying so, you two ladies are looking quite captivating today." He turned his eyes towards Rip and gave her a regal bow. "Especially you, Miss van Winkle! Are those new clothes? Well, they definitely suit you much better than your former wardrobe, though don't get me wrong, you looked quite fetching in them as well!"
"Um... danke?" Rip was so confused. When she had sensed Guiche and the chubby boy rushing towards them from the crowd, she had thought that the blond fop had finally snapped and was going to create several of his freaky golems to attack her. Instead, he was doing... this.
Looking at his smiling face and fluttering eyelashes, the vampire knew that she would definitely have preferred it if the blond had just attacked.
"Okay, Guiche," Louise stated after rolling her eyes at his antics. "Just what are you up to?"
She really didn't need this right now. Louise had been enjoying herself today so far, and if she wasn't mistaken, so had Rip. The two of them had no time for Guiche and his schemes. He obviously wanted something, or else he wouldn't be acting so nice. Although the blond fop had never truly treated her badly like the other students at the Academy, he never condemned the bullies or came to her defense either. He was also an unrepentant playboy, utterly shameless at his blatant flirtation with anything in a skirt. As far as Louise was concerned, the guy was an enemy to all women.
"Oh, er, uh..." Guiche thought quickly, trying to remember the exact wording of the spiel he had come up with in order to get into the Valliere girl's good graces. Unfortunately, seeing his beloved in such flattering attire kind of short-circuited his brain. God, he felt like smacking himself. Come on, brain! He mentally shouted. He knew this! He'd been practicing the speech he was going to give all night!
Finally, his mind had caught up with his hormones and the script in his head became open to him fully. The blond nodded, mentally commencing Operation: Dragon Slayer. Guiche's smile suddenly vanished, only to be replaced by a serious frown. Louise blinked, as she wasn't used to the young cassanova's face being absent of the goofy smirk he always wore. The blond boy sighed, his hand going up to his hair to brush it back and away from his face, a perfectly executed Guiche Hairflick No. 6. "I swear to you, dear Louise, that I am up to absolutely nothing malicious. You see, I have been for the past few weeks on a journey of the soul."
"Journey of the soul?" Louise's voice seemed less than convinced.
"Indeed! I have been meditating upon my actions and behavior as of late, and to my shock I have found myself to be quite lacking."
"You don't say?" Louise rolled her eyes.
"Quite." Guiche shook his head, then directed what he hoped was an apologetic look towards the two women. "Louise Valliere! I have acted most... ungentlemanly in regards towards you. Although I have never once tarnished your name nor have I ever mocked your magical abilities, I have to shamefully admit that I have let others do so. In the eyes of a nobleman and a soldier of Tristania, such inaction is the same as complicity!" Guiche suddenly whipped out his rose wand and held it up high into the air, causing many of those passing nearby to flinch with worry. "From now on, I, Guiche de Gramont, swear to never behave in such a callous manner ever again!"
Upon his declaration, many of the common tradesman walking nearby began clapping. Some were snickering and mocking in their display, though many were unused to such gestures from nobility so they cheered the boy with approval. Guiche, ever the lover of attention, bowed to their praise.
"Uh... what?" Louise muttered. Was Guiche serious? She would never have expected him to behave so... decently. He didn't seem like the type to apologize for past wrongdoings. She frowned when she remembered his odd behavior in Old Osmond's office a few weeks back, on the day he had lost the duel to Rip. For some reason Guiche had taken full responsibility for the commotion, even seeming quite pensive and depressed about it. At the time she never would have expected Guiche the playboy to do such a thing either; could it be possible that he was genuine in his regrets now as well?
"F-fine," Loiuse stated, crossing her arms and allowing her stern frown to lessen in severity. Although she was still frowning, it wasn't as grim as it had been a few moments ago. "I... accept your apology. I'm just hoping it's genuine."
"Oh, it is, Louise. That, I assure you," Guiche stated in all seriousness. Although he wasn't really that sorry, the truth was that he did feel some sort of pity for Louise and always felt a little bad for not defending her when he could have. Oh well, he'd make up for it now, with the added bonus of getting closer to her beautiful familiar!
"Well... good." Louise nodded. He definitely sounded genuine. Well, regardless of whether he was lying or not, he had made a solemn vow to stand up for her. As a noble, he was honor bound to adhere to it. At least with Guiche de Gramont in her corner, the teasing she suffered in school should ease up a bit.
Guiche then turned his head to glare at Malicorne. "Ahem," he said to his friend. "Don't you have something to say as well?"
"Huh?" Malicorne asked in confusion before suddenly remembering. "Oh! Yes, of course!"
Louise, whose severe look had somewhat softened while she had spoken with Guiche, quickly directed a devastating glare towards her chubby classmate. Malicorne withered under her fierce look.
"I'm sorry!" He shouted, bowing low while clutching at the two large stuffed animals in his arms. "I really am! Please forgive me!"
"No! No way!" Louise all but snarled. "Guiche I can understand, he never once picked on me. But you?" The short pink haired girl stomped over to the absolutely terrified boy and began jabbing a finger at his chest. "You always pick on me! Every day I have to hear your annoying, whiny voice telling me how useless I am! Of how I'm a Zero! Well, forget it! You can take your apology and shove it!"
"W-what?" Malicorne sputtered. He glanced down at the furious girl in front of him before turning his eyes away and looking at the ground in annoyance. "F-fine! Don't take my apology, see if I care!" He shut his mouth and looked away from the fuming pinkette. Usually, the chubby boy would have left it at that, but it had been a long day and he was tired and grumpy. Thus, even in the full fury of Louise Valliere, he continued to speak his mind. "B-but don't you dare act like you're any better than me!" Malicorne's eyes shot up, directing an accusing glare at the pink haired girl. "You pick on me, too! Calling me fat! And saying my voice is all girly and that I sound like I have a cold all the time!"
Louise's hackles shot up, and she was sorely tempted to draw her wand and blast the annoying boy in front of her. "Well I only do that because you keep picking on me, Common Cold!"
"Windward! My runic name is Windward!" Malicorne shouted. Eventually, he shook his head, then wiped at his nose with his sleeve when it started to get runny. "See, Guiche. I told you this was a bad idea!" He said to his friend, who had been watching proceedings with a frown of his own. "Didn't I say this wouldn't work? Didn't I tell you that even if I did apologized that Louise the Zero wouldn't listen, 'cause she's just a m-mean b-b-b..." The rotund boy's face scrunched up, turning a shiny bright red, before he finally managed to spit the word out. "Bitch! T-there, I said it!"
"Malicorne!" Guiche said, totally shocked. He had never heard his friend say a bad word before let alone call a girl one.
Louise sputtered in outrage. "H-how dare you!"
But Malicorne's tirade wasn't finished and he continued, this time turning his angry eyes back to his pink haired classmate. "And for your information, you called me fat and a loser before I ever picked on you!"
"What?" Louise had been in the process of drawing her wand, but stopped at the boy's declaration. "Liar! No I didn't!"
"Yes you did!" Malicorne began wiping at his face again, but this time it was because his eyes were beginning to leak heavy tears. "Last year, during Basic Conjuration! When your spell blew up and sent Alistair to the infirmary. Everyone made fun of you and you ran out of class. I... I kinda felt bad for you so I went and found you sitting in the library. I tried to be nice, I really did, but do you remember what you t-t-told me?" The boy glared at Louise, all the while his accusing eyes continued to pour out angry tears. "'Leave me alone, you fat loser!' Yes, that's what you said. 'I don't need pity from a simpleton like you!' Do you remember that now, Louise?"
Louise gaped at Malicorne, shocked at what she was hearing. She had never in her life seen a boy cry before, let alone speak with such pain and sadness in his voice. What made it all the worse was the fact that what Malicorne had said was true. She remembered back in First Year when the teasing and the insults and the hatred had just gotten so bad that she ran away. She left her classroom and hid in the library so that no one would see her cry. Despite her lack of magical talent, she was still a noble and her pride would not allow her to show such a weakness in front of anyone. She had only just managed to clean up her face when Malicorne had shown up and tried to comfort her. At the time she was embarrassed, and thought that he had seen her crying. She also felt that his concern was false and that he was just trying to play a joke on her or something. She remembered insulting him, though she couldn't recall her exact words. She never truly thought she had hurt him so badly, but obviously she had. Louise bit her lip, realizing that she had done so without even caring; she never thought about how her words could have affected the boy. She felt like such a hypocrite; all this time she had been complaining about her treatment, of how mean and vicious her classmates were, but in truth she had been just as bad as they were, hadn't she? Her wit and her tongue were just as sharp as the other students, and she often insulted them back with just as much venom as they had her. Her stomach felt queasy upon the realization that her temper often got the better of her and she had insulted other students who, just like Malicorne, had attempted to befriend her.
Oh my God, Louise gasped. In her anger and fear, she acted out against people who were just trying to be nice to her, and in turn possibly alienated herself to the entire student body. Her stubborn pride, her temper, all of it just made her situation worse. Her cold, petulant attitude had turned possible friends and supporters into enemies, and thus made it easier for everyone to hate and insult her.
"I am a bitch," Louise muttered in disgust. She glanced up from the ground and looked at Malicorne, who had tears still steadily flowing from his eyes. She felt her own begin to water, and before she knew it she had rushed up to the chubby boy and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Malicorne stopped his weeping, surprise gripping him as he suddenly found himself being hugged by a crying girl.
"I'm s-s-sorry! Y-you were right! I'm so horrible!" Louise wept into his chest. "Please forgive me!"
This just caused Malicorne to go into an even bigger sobbing fit, and he returned Louise's hug, wrapping her in both his arms as well as the fluffy dolls he was holding. "I'm s-s-s-sorry, too! Please be my friend! Whaaaaa!"
Throughout all this display of raw emotion, Rip and Guiche stood on the sidelines completely and utterly silent. They watched the other two wailing into each other's arms, their shocked faces and gaping mouths unable to form words.
Finally, after about five minutes of watching Louise and Malicorne blubbering at each other, Rip spoke.
"Vell, zis is awkvard," the vampire remarked.
"Yes," Guiche said, coughing into his hand. "Yes, it is."
The two of them continued to watch silently as both former enemies bawled and apologized at each other.
0
"What the hell is going on over there?" Kirche asked as she leaned further out from the wall she and Tabitha were hiding behind.
"Crying," the blue haired girl stated as she continued to watch Louise and Malicorne's waterworks. "Think they made up."
"Well, that's sweet, I guess," the redhead sighed, then moved back into the shade of the alley they had ducked into when the two of them had caught sight of Louise and her familiar a few minutes ago. She leaned against the brick wall and reached down to rub at her sore calves. Her poor legs ached fiercely, as she had been on her feet all day chasing after Tabitha's two targets. Although she had told her friend that she'd help her, it was still quite the chore to follow those two all over the city. What was even more aggravating was the fact that Louise and Rip weren't even up to anything sinister like Tabitha believed; in fact, from what she saw the two were merely here to shop and enjoy the sights. So far, she and Tabitha had watched them stroll through the city, eat at a cafe, and even shop for clothes. Kirche had been quite surprised to see that Louise's familiar wasn't as homely as she first appeared once the tall girl had actually started wearing some decent clothing. But regardless, the redhead wasn't worried. Cute though she was, her slim physique was still no match for Kirche's devastating sexual appeal.
"Moving," Tabitha said aloud, snapping the redhead out of her reverie.
"Oh?" The Germanian sighed, then eased off of the wall and readied herself for more hours of walking. Damn, her feet were killing her!
Suddenly, she noticed Tabitha tensing up. "Tabitha? What? What is it?"
The shorter girl clutched her staff tightly in her fist and her shoulders began to tremble, though whether it was from fury or fear Kirche wasn't certain. "She knows."
"What?" The redhead leaned her head out of the alley, trying to spot what had her friend so riled up. "Who? Who knows?"
Kirche's blood ran cold, her breath hitching in fright when her own startled eyes were met with Rip Van Winkle's cold blue ones. There, across the street from them, the dark haired familiar was staring directly at her. A frightening grin was on the woman's face, and her dark blue eyes all but shone from the shadow of the parasol over her head. Guiche, Malicorne and Louise were still talking amongst themselves, but the familiar's attention was completely on them.
What was more frightening though, was the look she was giving them. Kirche didn't know how, but she was certain that the dark haired woman knew that the two of them had been following her and Louise this whole time.
"S-she knows," Kirche stated, unable to keep the tremble out of her voice.
0
Well, that was fun.
Rip turned her attention away from the two female Academy students who were hiding across the street from them and instead focused her eyes back on Louise and the two boys. It probably wasn't the wisest course of action to show her two stalkers that she was aware of their presence, but she couldn't help herself. It was just so God damn satisfying.
The sniper had to give the two teenagers credit though; they were very good at tracking targets through a heavily congested urban environment. They even managed to do so while remaining hidden from visual identification. Unfortunately for Kirche and Tabitha, Rip didn't need to see them to know that they were there. Her psychic sixth sense, along with her vampiric nose and hearing, were more than enough to warn Rip of their presence.
Hopefully now that she had let the two girls know that she was keenly aware of their spying, the nosy little brats would take the hint and leave her and Louise alone. Of course, from what she knew of Tabitha and Kirche, both students were very stubborn and would most likely keep on their trail. Rip hoped for their sake that they would be smarter than that; if push came to shove and the two little fools discovered her secret, then she had no problem ending their pathetic lives. Although she had nothing against Kirche, she wouldn't bat an eye if she had to kill the Germanian. Tabitha was a whole other story; Rip would very much enjoy tearing that irritating little girl's throat open.
The vampire's dark thoughts were interrupted when something large, white and very fluffy was pushed in front of her face.
"Here, you go, Miss van Winkle," Guiche said as he held up a large stuffed rabbit towards her.
"Um, vat?" Rip obviously missed an important conversation, one involving why the irritating blond fop was giving her a stupid child's toy. She glanced over at the other two in their little group and saw that Malicorne had handed Louise a similar stuffed animal, only hers was a rather large bear. The pink haired girl looked absolutely ridiculous holding the gigantic thing up, as it was so big that it was almost her size.
"Like I was telling Louise," Guiche stated with that annoying grin of his, "Once I saw these two displayed in that toy shop's window, I just could not resist buying them. I'm keen when it comes to knowing the tastes of others, you see, and I just knew that these adorable items would suit the two of you most perfectly!"
Rip flicked her eyes back towards her summoner, and she could tell Louise was less than thrilled by the gift. It was obvious though that the girl was still trying to remain on friendly terms with her new "allies" so she wore a strained smile on her face as she tried to hold the large bear up without toppling over from its sheer size and weight.
"Yes, um, thanks a lot, Guiche," Louise stated, a small tick of irritation appearing in her eyelid. "That was... very thoughtful of you."
Rip sighed and looked back at the stupid rabbit staring her in the face. Her blue eyes softened a bit as she stared the toy in its big, fluffy face, noting with discomfort the large, black eyes and little button nose. For a few minutes it seemed like a very intense staring contest was going on between woman and rabbit; sadly, it was the woman who broke down first.
Okay, she had to admit, the thing was pretty freaking cute. It was a bit embarrassing, but she always had a weakness for cute things; her room back at Millennium H.Q. was stuffed to the brim with plush toys and dolls that she had bought and/or stolen over the years. Her beloved alarm clock had also been a product of such ventures.
"Danke, Herr Gramont! This vas most kind of you!" She shifted her musket over to the hand that was holding her umbrella, then lashed out the empty arm to snatch the large stuffed toy out of Guiche's grasp. "I shall cherish it alvays!" She told him with a wide grin as she hugged the rabbit to her chest.
"Aha... ha... ha..." Guiche's dopey grin got even dopier, his cheeks flushing bright red upon hearing her praise. Yes! She smiled at me! He thought happily, his heart soaring through the metaphorical clouds.
Louise, on the other hand, only looked at her familiar as if she had grown a second head. "Seriously?"
Malicorne saw that the pink-haired girl was having trouble holding the large bear in her arms and moved to assist. "Here, let me carry that for you!" He said happily as he plucked the toy from her arms.
"Thank you," Louise told him, with a little difficulty. Her brain was still having trouble processing the fact that Malicorne wasn't one of her enemies anymore.
"S-so," Guiche spoke up when he had calmed down somewhat. "Where are you two ladies headed now?"
"Um, well, I was going to take Rip to the weapons' shop to buy a sidearm," Louise told him. She frowned, expecting the blond boy to complain about such a droll task.
"Oh? What a wonderful idea!" Guiche said cheerfully.
"Is it?" the pink haired girl asked, a bit surprised that Guiche of all people thought so.
"Indeed," the blonde said while theatrically smelling his rose wand. "As powerful a warrior as the lovely Ms. van Winkle is, one can never be over prepared and have too many weapons. Having a backup to her main firearm makes a fair bit of sense." And, of course, it would be a great opportunity to score more points with the raven-haired beauty when he buys her the most expensive sword in the entire shop!
Louise frowned. Although she was glad that Guiche shared her opinion that her familiar needed a secondary weapon, she still didn't trust him completely. He also kept calling Rip "lovely" or "charming" and other overly flowery compliments. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought he had a thing for the older girl. But she knew for a fact that the fop looked down on all commoners, so that couldn't be it. She looked over at her familiar in order to get what her opinion on the matter was, but she was annoyed to see that the dark haired woman wasn't even paying attention to them; she was too busy cooing and playing with the stupid stuffed rabbit. Honestly, how old was she again?
"Well, let's go then," Louise huffed and began marching forwards in the direction of the weapons store. She didn't really know what Guiche was planning, but she figured it didn't matter; she had gotten his solemn vow to help her out, so that was good. Plus, she was certain Malicorne at least was genuine in his desire to be friends, so it wasn't a total loss.
Ha, I have another friend, Louise thought, a small smile turning up the corners of her lips. She was on a roll today.
0
The weapons shop was a small one-room affair, with most of the wall space devoted to holding racks and racks of weaponry. At the far corner of the store was a counter from which a greasy looking merchant sat. His beady eyes bore into the three young nobles who entered, scrutinizing them with a greedy leer. He was slightly more weary of their female bodyguard though; despite the dark-haired woman's slim frame, the way she carried that giant musket spoke to her familiarity with the weapon. She must be a skilled marksman indeed if she was capable of wielding such a large firearm.
The big white rabbit she was clutching in her other arm kind of threw him off though. Why the hell was she lugging around such a ridiculous accessory?
"Ah, welcome to my shop, dear Lords and Ladies," the merchant said in a polite greeting. "How may I help such fine young nobles today?"
He watched each customer in turn, his sharp eyes appraising them slightly. The thin blond pretty boy stood at the center of the room, glancing about with his nose up in the air and acting as if everything in the shop was beneath him: typical noble idiot then. The fat boy carrying the large stuffed bear merely looked lost and slightly nervous in the presence of all the sharp implements around him: a pathetic mama's boy then, and obviously not one who would buy anything. The short pink-haired girl confidently strode up to his counter and slapped her hand upon the hard wooden surface. Jackpot.
"I am here to buy a sidearm for my, uh, servant," the girl pointed to the woman in the dark clothing behind her. "As you can see, she is a marksman, but we are looking for a secondary weapon for her. A pistol would be preferable, but perhaps a sword or dagger would do as well."
The merchant turned his attention to the dark haired bodyguard who was slowly perusing his wares. The woman's blue eyes from behind her spectacles looked quite bored as she moved from shelf to shelf, trying to find a weapon that would suit her needs.
"Well," the man rubbed at the heavy stubble on his chin, "I don't got any pistols in stock since I mostly sell blades."
"I see," the short girl said, sounding slightly disappointed.
"Well, show us what you do sell," the blond remarked as he approached the counter with a slight hint of irritation in his voice. "And do make it quick. We are in a hurry, and money is no object if that is what you're so concerned about."
God he wanted to slap the little dandy. Instead, he merely pasted on a polite smile as he spoke with false servility. "Of course, my Lord. Forgive my impertinence. Let me get you the best blade in my shop." He went into his back room and grabbed one of his cheaper pieces from a large pile of identical swords. They weren't really meant for fighting with and were purely for the purpose of decorating one's trophy room, but he figured the three noble twits wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a real blade and an ornamental one. He felt kind of bad for the dark-haired woman though, as she was the one who had to take the sword into battle. But that's what she got for working for such annoying brats.
"Here you go, Lords and Lady," the merchant grinned as he placed the sword onto his counter. It was a fancy piece and heavily ornamented, its hilt a highly polished gold encrusted with cheap precious jewels. It was heavily engraved, with a scene of the Founder Brimir fighting off waves of elf soldiers. Although it was made on the cheap and not meant for battle, the item was still a very pretty sword and looked quite expensive to the uneducated eye. So of course the three nobles in front of him were absolutely enraptured with it.
"It's so beautiful," the pink-haired girl stated, obviously awed by how shiny the useless piece of junk was.
"That, my good merchant, is a very fine weapon indeed!" The blond's eyes gleamed, totally enthralled by the fake jewels in the hilt.
"Oh, yes! It's definitely high quality," agreed the chubby boy. "My uncle has one just like it hanging on a wall in his library."
The merchant paled, but thankfully his years in this cut-throat business gave him the skills to counter any obstacle to a sale that he ever encountered. In other words, he lied through his teeth.
"I very much doubt that, boy," the merchant stated with utmost fake confidence. "This blade is one of a few pieces enchanted by the famous Gallian alchemist, La Gisselle. It can not only out-cut and out-pierce any other sword out there, but it's light as a feather!" To prove his point the man picked up the wall decoration with one hand, then swung fiercely to show its weight. The three little idiots seemed quite impressed at how fast he was able to swing it; the blond even remarked with awe about how light it was. The merchant almost rolled his eyes. Of course it was light! It was made from the cheapest metals available. He didn't tell them that, though.
"Okay, how much?" the little girl asked.
"Two thousand New Gold," the man told them with an unflinching smile.
"T-two thousand?" The blond boy gaped.
"That's enough to buy a manor house!" the female noble almost shouted. She was exaggerating, of course, but her words still brought the point across.
"Indeed, my Lady. But as you fine folks know, quality comes at a high price. This sword is a rare piece, enchanted by La Gisselle himself! Only a fool would part with it for any less!" The merchant told them. "Besides, I thought you said price was not a concern," he added with a barely disguised sneer. He watched with hidden glee as the obnoxious blond boy flushed in embarrassment.
The young girl bit her lip, then turned to address her servant. "Rip! What do you think." She pointed to the useless sword on the counter.
The female marksman took a quick glance at the sword in question before turning away to continue browsing the various blades on the walls."It's pretty, I guess. But I don't know ze first sing about swords. I suppose it'll do."
Before the pink haired young noblewoman could say anything, the blond fop spoke up. "Well, then, if Miss van Winkle is satisfied with the sword, then that's all we need to know. We'll take it!"
"B-but, Guiche!" The girl sputtered. "It costs way too much!"
"Oh, don't worry about it, dear Louise. I shall cover the cost." The young nobleman smiled as he flicked his hair back. It took a lot of willpower for the merchant not to roll his eyes. A lot of willpower.
"What? No, Guiche! Two thousand is far too much!"
"Louise, please. I insist! Think of this as a way for me to make amends for my past misdeeds."
The pink-haired girl bit her lip, obviously not liking the idea of having someone else pay for her servant's sword.
Said servant spoke up. "Come now, Louise. If ze boy vants to be such a gentleman and pay for ze sword, then vhy not let him? I'm sure two thousand gold is but a trifle vhen compared to the Gramont family's vast fortune."
"Quite right," the blond arrogantly agreed.
"F-fine," the girl, Louise, said. "Thank you, Guiche."
"Think nothing of it," the blond gave her a cheery smile as he fished out his coin purse.
Easiest two grand I ever made. The merchant was all but laughed inside.
"Pardon me," the servant spoke up again, catching the shopkeeper's attention.
"Yes?"
"Tell me, do you carry any bayonets in stock?"
The merchant almost salivated at the prospect of selling more of his wares. Although he wouldn't make as much as he did fleecing these noble idiots, he'd still make a small profit from offloading some of his less popular wares. The vast majority of his customers were swordsmen, so he didn't get to sell too much of his more exotic weaponry.
"Yes, I do. They're right over there near the partisans," the man said as he pointed to the back wall near some pole arms and a bucket of the store's discount swords.
"Danke," the woman said as she moved over to the shelf. She scanned the items for a moment before picking up one of the socket bayonet to examine it more closely. The weapon had a foot long triangular blade and was made from fine Germanian steel. The woman put down the stuffed rabbit along with a parasol the merchant didn't notice she was carrying, then expertly affixed the bayonet onto the barrel of her large gun. She then strode to the center of the room where there was more space and began a series of practice drills, ones where she thrust the firearm forwards, using the sharp end of the attached blade to pierce imaginary enemies. The merchant was quite impressed with her moves, as the jabs and thrusts the bodyguard performed showed much training and discipline in their movements. He didn't notice the small glow coming from the back of the woman's left hand, just beneath the thin fabric of her white gloves.
"Ve'll take zis as vell!" the bodyguard stated with a wide grin on her face. She obviously enjoyed her new toy.
"Very well, madam," the merchant returned the smile. Ka-ching!
Unnoticed by all within the shop, inside the barrel of junk swords, a small sigh sounded.
So bored, one of the ancient blades may or may not have thought to itself.
0
Night had fallen upon Tristain's capital. With it, the once busy streets became vacant as the city's inhabitants retired for the day. Usually, it took much longer for the streets to become deserted and the time would have been well past midnight before the they got as quiet and still as they were now. The current hour was yet to strike nine in the evening, and yet the dark streets were completely absent of life.
The reason that everyone avoided being outside at night was the rumor that there was a killer stalking the streets of Tristania. Although nothing official had been released to the general public, the rumor mill had it that there was a deranged maniac running around in the dead of night killing random strangers and hacking their bodies to pieces. Many even claimed that it was a vampire that hunted through the dark alleys as the bodies of the victims were found completely drained of blood. The dark rumors were reinforced by the fact that the guard had enacted a strict curfew for all citizens to return to their homes after nightfall. This city ordinance was backed by royal decree, so even nobles were not exempt.
Such a fact was the reason that Rip Van Winkle and her group was still within the city's walls. After leaving the weapons shop with her new sidearms, Guiche had convinced everyone that stopping at an expensive restaurant to eat an early dinner was a great end to their grand adventure in the city. If one was to be honest though, the blond had only managed to convince Malicorne. She and Louise were all but ready to head back to the Academy, but the chubby boy had insisted claiming that he was starving. Louise, trying to remain on her new friend's good side, reluctantly agreed, and so Rip was forced to spend over an hour listening to Guiche prattle on about pointless, irritating things while Malicorne stuffed his face and Louise tried not to look bored as she ate.
"Miss van Winkle!" Guiche stated during dinner when he noticed that she was not eating. "Is the food not to your liking?"
The vampire glanced down at the plate of glazed chicken with truffles and forced herself not to vomit. She simply smiled at Guiche and told him she wasn't hungry. The truth was, she was starving. Having to throw up every morning for the better part of a week had all but emptied her of blood. She needed to go on a hunt, and soon, or else she would begin to lose strength and eventually fall into a coma. Despite popular belief, not feeding wouldn't kill a vampire; if the lack of blood was severe, then the creatures (both the natural and artificial versions) would collapse and plunge themselves into an unnatural sleep from which they could only awaken when fed. So even though death wasn't in her future if she did resist drinking, the prospect of going into an endless sleep until she was fed or injected with blood was a one that did not appeal to her.
After that rather awkward dinner, the group found that it was early evening outside the restaurant. When they tried to exit the city, the three teens and one vampire found their way blocked by the guardsmen who informed them that a curfew had been instated and that they could not leave the city until daybreak the next day. When Guiche tried to raise a stink by throwing his noble weight around, one of the city administrators was brought out. The older nobleman then threatened to inform the Academy, as well as Guiche's parents, of the group's inability to follow simple rules governed by the queen herself. That shut the blond up mighty quick, and soon the group was escorted to an expensive hotel where they were told to spend the night.
This small complication actually served to help in Rip's favor. Since she was still in the city, it would make feeding that much easier. Being a simple commoner, she wasn't allowed to sleep in the same room as Louise. Even though the pink haired girl tried to explain that Rip was her familiar, the high class establishment refused to make exceptions. The vampire outwardly put on a look of sad dejection, one that was probably a bit too convincing since it made Louise livid at the hotel management. The short girl was so mad that she had even threatened to write her parents and complain about the treatment she had received. Thankfully, Rip managed to talk her summoner down from doing anything too drastic. She helped Louise get ready for bed, and the poor girl was so exhausted from the day's events that she had almost fallen asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
"Rip," she said sleepily as the vampire began tucking in the covers. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry? Now vhat do you have to be sorry for?" The dark-haired woman smiled as she sat down on the bed.
"Today," Louise mumbled as she began drifting off. "We had so much fun... but I let stupid Guiche and Malicorne tag along. I'm sorry... for ruining it... and..."
"Hush, Louise," Rip told her in a gentle voice. "I had a lot of fun today. Even vith the fop and ze butterball with us. All that mattered vas that we vere together. I enjoyed zis fun little vacation. We should do it again sometime."
"Mmm," Louise smiled as she closed her eyes. "I'm glad."
Rip leaned over to kiss the girl's forehead, but her movement was brought to a sudden halt when a memory popped into her mind. She remembered being in a similar position, in someone's bedroom, leaning over and kissing that someone on the forehead as the person slept. That person... she... smiled as Rip remembered stroking the blond strands of hair away from her face.
Blond hair stained red.
The vampire leaped off of the bed. She backed up until her back was pressed against the far wall, her gloved hands clutching at her pale face.
"No, no, no!" Rip hissed softly as she slid down to the floor. Not now, not now! She didn't want to remember! Please, God, don't let her remember!
"I love you, #######!" said the girl with the blond hair. "Don't be sad!"
"Nein, nein, nein," Rip wept into her hands. "Please, please... please... I don't vant to remember..."
She reached down into one of the pouches on her belt and pulled out a small silver case. Inside...
Three pills left.
No. Rip shoved the pill case back into the pouch as her other hand wiped away at her wet cheeks. No, she could take this. It wasn't too bad yet. She knew she had to save the pills, to ration them. She knew that from now on the memories would only get worse. And worse. And worse. Until she remembered everything. Until she remembered who she was, and remembered the reason as to why she had made herself into a monster.
The vampire glanced over at the still figure on the bed, glad to see that Louise was still asleep and had not seen her fall apart. Good. She wasn't in the mood to answer any of the girl's questions, the ones she would have to answer if ever her summoner saw her in such a state.
Rip stood up and grabbed her musket from the corner of the room she had left it in. It's length and weight had increased with the new bayonet attached, but she was quickly adapted. She felt the familiar runes activate, and looked down upon the glow emanating from her left hand. It was soft, but the light was definitely visible behind her glove. She moved her eyes back to the room's corner, and saw the stuffed rabbit along with her new parasol and the ridiculously expensive sword Guiche had bought her. She wouldn't need them for what she was going to do.
The vampire stretched her mental awareness outwards for several kilometers and almost salivated upon feeling all the living, beating human hearts outside in the city. They were like bloody red apples hanging from trees in an orchard, all ripe for the picking.
Tonight she would hunt. Tonight she would feed. Then, maybe, the blood would keep some of the memories away.
Rip moved to the hotel room's window and pulled it open. Her nose caught the scent of a city full of humans, all warm and comfortable and asleep in their beds. It was a veritable feast for a monster like her.
Before she left, Rip turned her head to look back on Louise. She watched the pink-haired mage for a moment, almost smiling at how innocent and safe her young summoner looked. She wondered if she would find someone out there in a similar state, sleeping snugly in their beds, innocent in their slumber and wrapped up in the safety of their blankets. Rip wondered if she would even take a moment to pause as she had now, or if she would simply leap forwards and begin feeding.
"My soul is dead," she whispered to herself. She desperately wished that it were true.
No one saw the dark shape leap out of the window. No one saw the dark shape land onto the pitch-black, deserted streets below. Everyone in the city was asleep. The only exceptions were the few guards who patrolled the streets in the night, looking for a killer that they knew nothing about.
Oh, and the monsters. Monsters never slept. Not really.