previous chapter: lumine checks the tavern for damage caused by signora's fire, but casualties are minimal. she supports the business and is relieved when childe shows up unscathed. while no one is happy to hear her retelling of signora's actions, the best way to move forward is to become stronger.
Sparks flew as my sword clashed with Childe's, the metal reverberating close in my ears. I leaped back with another swipe of my weapon to release a lightning-quick Electro attack in his direction. He was barely grazed, but I never intended for it to land fully. Before Childe could advance, I sprung forward to collect the three abundance amulets produced from my elemental skill, feeling the charge grow as they hovered around me.
Childe's eyes curiously tracked the abundance amulets, and he asked, "What do you plan to do with those?"
"I guess you'll have to find out," I said before continuing to advance.
Childe with a bow was already a handful, but his swordsmanship escalated things. It was only fair to balance the scales—my elemental attacks against his extreme proficiency.
It took a bit of brainstorming with Aether, drills with Professor Guuji, and plenty of trial and error before I finally settled on what to make of my Electro skill. Already, I sensed energy returning after absorbing the abundance amulets. These past few weeks of training had been worth it.
Fully charged, I brought forth Geo and stomped hard on the ground. Large shards of ore exploded all around me. Childe couldn't dodge the attack no matter how agile he was. His stumble gave me time to take a breath.
"See? Unlike your claims, my combat is perfectly up to par even after splitting up my time between clubs."
That's how this impromptu sparring match began. He'd nearly dragged me out of sculpting club with serious concern over my "dwindling" fighting ability. Though, the marble slime I'd been working on wasn't much to look at. The more I tried to make it perfectly round, the smaller it got. My little stone mob had gone from watermelon-sized to that of a mere tomato.
"Let's make things a little more interesting and place bets," Childe said. "The first person to land a hit wins."
"I already landed a hit on you."
"That was a warm-up."
I shrugged. "Sure. What do you want?"
"When I win, you skip out on your next club and spend the rest of the day with me."
That was all? Out of everything he could have asked for, I expected way more. My next club lined up for the day was art, and though my absence wouldn't have a huge impact, missing out on Professor Kreideprinz's gentle guidance would be a bummer.
"Okay, but when I win, you have to join me in a club."
Childe didn't hesitate. "Deal."
"Deal," I echoed.
He confidently came at me with a fervor fueled by the stakes. Though we both wielded one sword, he may as well have two with how fluid his movements were. I could barely keep track of the blade and ultimately had to take on a defensive stance. My elements had their advantages, but strategically knowing how and when to use each one first required time to think.
Cool steel nearly cut through my skin—grazing my hair instead. My breath caught as the strands floated to the ground, and we both paused to stare at each other. Did that count?
He smirked. "Looks like I win."
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said in hopes to drag this on for longer. "I didn't feel a thing."
Childe chose not to protest, wordlessly brandishing his sword once more. His desire to fight was stronger than mine, but that didn't mean he'd let an excuse slide a second time. I had to figure out something quick. If gaining the upper hand proved too difficult a task…I'd just have to go low.
A few close calls later, I remembered a tip from magic club. Misdirection, or rather, a small distraction would do the trick. As dramatically as possible, I faked rolling my ankle and completely wiped out onto the ground. For good measure, I cried out to emphasize the non-existent pain.
If it was a minor slip-up, Childe would go in for the deciding blow, but a handicap like this would be a cheap shot for him. I heard him curse and come running over, weapon cast aside.
"Hey, what happened? Are you—"
I hooked my supposedly injured foot around his legs and pulled Childe down with me. Giving him no time to react, I rolled over on top of him and knocked my head straight into his.
"Got you," I said with a wince. The headbutt hurt me as well. "I win."
His shock quickly bled away to amusement. "I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't feel a thing."
"That line doesn't work here," I tutted. "But if you're going to be stubborn about it…"
The ends of my freshly-trimmed hair fell forward as I closed the distance between our lips. His hands came around me to prolong the kiss, but I broke away with a smirk.
"Did you feel that?"
"Maybe," he admitted smugly. "You'll have to do it again so I can be certain."
Well, I certainly wasn't about to give up after getting this far. It took a few more kisses until Childe couldn't deny my victory any longer, though he didn't seem upset by the outcome. Before we got too carried away, I had to remember that time wouldn't stop for us. This brief match had been a nice physical outlet after being cooped in all day, but the world of paints and canvases now called my name.
"You'd better capture my good side," Childe said.
"What are you talking about?"
"For art club."
"You remembered?" It had taken me a week to fully remember my club schedule. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not looking for a muse."
"Judging from the look of that rubble you were smashing in sculpting club, I beg to differ."
"It's supposed to be a slime," I said with a huff. "Anyway, I have a different club in mind for you. It'll be much more interesting—Autonomous Automatons."
"The robot one?"
"Robot club, sure. They're testing the combat abilities of some of the new prototypes, and it would be a shame if only I got to experience that fun. Plus, I've been working on a small robot of my own. It's not fully functional or anything—more of a doll. I made it for Teucer since you mentioned he liked that kind of thing."
Originally, I tried building it to be a robot that could walk on its own and have blinking lights to imitate an attack, but my wiring skills weren't there yet. Those circuits were tricky to work with—fizzing out all the time. Could it be because of the abundance of Electro within me? I would have to run a test with that in mind, but before my thoughts strayed any further, I realized how quiet it had gotten.
When I looked at Childe, his lips were slightly parted, and he wore a slack expression that starkly contrasted his heated passion for battle mere moments ago.
Confused, I asked, "Is the robot not ideal for Teucer?"
"Teucer would love a mini-robot. It's perfect. You're perfect," he said without missing a beat. "Thank you for thinking of my family, Lumi."
Childe talked about them so often that I knew his family members better than people I've actually met before. A blush crept up my cheeks at the compliment, and before I knew it, he pulled me in for one last kiss.
The second my foot made it through the door of the art room, I momentarily froze in my tracks at the unfamiliar sight. The usual setup of easels and paint jars was nowhere to be found, and I almost thought I entered the wrong place. Since the usual art club members mingled by the counter that lined the room's perimeter, my alarm faded fast. Seeing Professor Kreideprinz exit from the storage closet returned all assurance.
He carefully carried a covered canvas in his hands and placed it on the counter. Judging by the similar canvases that rested around us, I should expect something different from the watercolor practice from last time. Good. I hadn't been able to keep the paint from dripping and ultimately ruined my last piece. Though, without any paints to work with, it'd be difficult for me to grab any for later.
"I hope you've all had a productive day," Professor Kreideprinz addressed us. "As I'm sure you've noticed, we will not be branching out to our creative sides. Restoration is also an important component of art, and I would like to teach you the process."
One by one, he uncovered the canvases to reveal a collection of aged oil paintings.
"Believe it or not, there is a science to this. I won't let slide the opportunity to talk about my mutual interests. You see, there is a mixture of natural ingredients used to create the solvent that can safely remove the old layer of varnish."
By the time he finished explaining the basics, I believed everyone in this room just earned the right to bypass any basic science course. I nearly forgot the focus was on restoring artwork by the time Professor Kreideprinz reluctantly ended his lecture. Each painting was to be tasked to a pair of students. Problem was, the club held an odd number of us.
"As a forewarning, each of these pieces is from the academy's personal collection. No amount of value can be placed on them, so please take great care in the restoration process. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask."
Instead of worrying about ruining anything, I worried about who to partner with. Somehow, everyone had already paired up—even Timaeus. He once told me that he didn't care about art, only wanting to get in Professor Kreideprinz's good graces. It couldn't hurt to ask to be in a group of three, right?
Just as I decided to approach a very bored-looking Timaeus with his partner, Professor Kreideprinz brought out one final painting.
"I contemplated whether or not to include this piece," he said. "Though the others are priceless, this especially deserves utmost attention. Lumine, would you care to work on the restoration with me?"
Thank the archons—that's one dilemma taken care of. Now, I was free to stress over accidentally causing irreparable damage to the artwork. At least, with Professor Kreideprinz's direct supervision, the odds of that happening were significantly lowered.
The piece he set in front of us appeared to be much older than the others. Varying shades of yellow, brown, and green made up what looked to be an aged courtyard. I had no business appraising artwork, but its supposed invaluable status didn't stand out to me.
Following his lead, I chose a section of green and dipped a cotton swab into the solvent. Careful rubbing disintegrated the cracked varnish, and it turned out that the color underneath was not green but blue. The process was slow but fulfilling, and I oddly found it more productive than creating something of my own.
"How has Aether been?" Professor Kreideprinz asked, breaking my concentration.
A confused frown pinched my face. "Isn't he in your class?"
"I presume you're more aware of his well-being than I. He continues to be a top-performing student, but his extracurricular probation must be a difficult time."
It's true. Though Aether came around to accepting the grief felt over losing his activities, I still caught him sulking whenever I popped by his room or joined his rigorous study sessions at the library. With just about a week left, all he had to do was stick it through.
"Is his piece coming along?"
The cotton swab in my hand stilled as I processed the question. In the context of art, Professor Kreideprinz could only be talking about one thing. Except, he wasn't supposed to know about that.
"Excuse me?" I squeaked.
"You can collect any paint he may need after today's meeting is over," he said with a knowing look. "Just make sure to return the paintbrushes."
And here I thought I had been clever in smuggling a few art supplies after each club meeting. It had been my idea to give Aether a chance to still enjoy a bit of his life. The smile he wore each time I showed up with paint was worth the effort. Was it worth detention? Of course…of course…
Pumping remorse into my voice, I apologized. "Sorry I didn't ask for permission. Since it was Headmaster Dainsleif's order, I wasn't sure if club-adjacent activities would be allowed. You might've gotten in trouble if it came out that Aether experienced any part of art club."
I couldn't make out a single thought from Professor Kreideprinz's unblinking focus. Though his eyes remained on the painting, he had to be deciding on what to do with me.
Instead of a reprimand, he surprised me by saying, "Personally, I don't agree with the chosen form of punishment. No good can come from restricting self-expression."
Weeping tears of relief would overdo it, so I settled with nodding along and shifting back to the task at hand. My nerves calmed the more I uncovered the beauty that lay underneath what must be at least centuries of buildup. At some point, Professor Kreideprinz was called away by others who needed help, but I hardly noticed.
The restoration mesmerized me, so much so that I didn't even realize I'd begun to hum a tune until the professor had returned and asked me about it. Truth be told, not even I recalled hearing it before. The light notes matched the peace I felt when looking at the painting—crafted with a fine elegance that I never could have imagined on my own.
"What's this one called?" I asked.
"Dream Aria. Though the artist is unknown, I've dated it to be thousands of years old. Considering this, the preservation is exquisite. I've had a difficult time identifying what technique was used to do so. Either the genius never disclosed their practice, or it became lost to time."
From then on, he began to list the different methods of preserving artwork. Science once again reared its head, and I tried my best to absorb the information instead of being absorbed by the mystical sea of clouds at my fingertips. So, there was mystery mixed in with the beauty. My interest grew as time went on, but each minute unfortunately brought me closer to the end of today's club meeting. This project required many more hours—days, even—to fully be completed.
Professor Kreideprinz had one final message to give our group before dismissal. "Thank you everyone for your hard work today. We'll continue to work on these restorations on and off in addition to finalizing your portfolios for the Welkin Festival."
I lingered under the guise of grabbing paint for Aether, but I really wanted to stare at Dream Aria for just a little longer.
"It's suspected that Dream Aria depicts an image of Celestia."
I jumped when Professor Kreideprinz suddenly spoke. He placed three tubes of paint, primary colors, onto the counter next to me.
"This way, Aether can make any color he needs," he explained.
"What was that about Celestia?"
"We can save that for our next meeting. I sincerely hope you remain part of art club even after the headmaster's mandate ends."
He thought he could bribe me to stay by withholding information?
I smiled. "Of course."
Not one to give up so easily, I helped clean the room while casually asking for more about the painting. Expert in alchemy, art, and evasion, Professor Kreideprinz dodged each question with finesse and kindly sent me on my way to drop off the paint for Aether.
As always at this time of day, Aether was in his room. If I had to guess judging by how long it took him to answer the door, he must be in the middle of meditating.
When his face appeared, I waved the paint in front of it and stepped past him. "Special delivery. Oh, by the way, I've been caught."
A mat had been rolled out on the floor, and the smell of incense tickled my nose. The scent was fresh and floral. That's not right.
I frowned at him. "Are you using the same spirit borneol?"
"Lavender is exceptional for relaxation."
"But can lavender ward off the evils of the Abyss?"
"What was that about you getting caught?"
"Aether…"
"It's fine. I'm fine." He lightly knocked me in the head with the back of his hand. "You're such a worrywart. Maybe you should try meditating with me."
"I have every right to worry. It's hard enough balancing classes and all these clubs. Don't make me juggle an evil twin on top of that."
Aether sat crosslegged on the mat, his nonchalance evaporating with a deep exhale. "I'm sorry."
"For?"
"You have so much on your plate because of me. To be honest, I ran out of spirit borneol a while ago, and it's an exclusive product that takes a while to obtain. In the meantime, I've been working with what I could."
"Not your fault." I sat next to him and returned the head tap. "I might complain here and there, but I'm still having fun. Who doesn't like a challenge?"
His wish came true—I joined in on the meditation.
"No sinister thoughts?" I asked after realizing he never rejected the evil twin proposition.
"Does wanting to throttle Childe count?"
He laughed so easily with that, it was enough to clear my suspicion.
As far as I knew, meditating was meant to be a silent activity. That didn't stop the occasional quip and chuckle shared between us. It was during times like this that I remembered to cherish the moment. Just as the lavender permeating the air relaxed our bodies, my soft hum of a dreamlike aria soothed our souls.
hey..hey...how y'all doin 😀 fontaine has been an absolute banger so far. i hope everyone is having fun and getting banner lucky!
a whole 8 months ago i got laid off, but unemployment shall plague me no more bc i start a new job soon! i really tried keeping up with my consistent update schedule to maintain a sense of purpose, but the pressure to write began to burn me out in these recent months (as i'm sure you've noticed). rest assured, this story has quite actually never left my mind, and i will complete it if it's the last thing i do. bonus: the writing bug loves to bite when i have other responsibilities !
if you've been here a while, thank u for never backing away and never giving up 3 if you're new, congrats on having the plot fresh in ur mind omg
