Hello readers! I just want to say, If you didn't know already, I have a co-author who has been wonderfully helping me out with various parts of this work. She is responsible for the Lunus scene in chapter 2, and is also responsible for the meeting in the Cafe. She wrote both those parts, but the rest was me, SniperTheNoodle.
That changes today though, This chapter was entirely written by my Co-Author, ToastyTerra, or ToastyAuthor on her FFN and Ao3 accounts. She's gonna be writing with me, from the POV of Nevica.
We're gonna try to keep it 50/50 with the Aurum chapters, but it might lean one way or another depending on the plot/workload at the time. There'll be a note like this to denote if she contributed to, or outright wrote a chapter. In any case, Enjoy!
Morning in Vale came with rain, a downpour that darkened the skies, many opting to stay home instead of going out. The city felt muted, silent, quiet, a strangely comforting stillness.
It was to the sound of rain hitting the roof of her room above the Changing Seasons that Nevica's eyes blinked open slowly as she sat up, her ice blue eyes flitting over to the window and groaning slightly. "Ugh… maybe I'll just stay in bed today."
She went to do just that, but just as her head hit the pillow, she heard her Scroll's text notification go off. She wasn't sure whether or not she should have been irritated or not, but she quickly found any irritation washed away when she saw who sent the text..
Baby Blue: "Just wanted to say thank you for yesterday, it was amazing! I can't wait to do it again."
Nevica smiled sleepily. 'I wonder if she's anxious over sending that.' She wasn't going to leave her waiting for a response, and so she reached out and grabbed her phone, bringing it up to her gaze and opening it to respond to Aurum's text.
Nevica: "I should be thanking you, it was wonderful."
Maybe a bit lacking in her usual flare, but she was tired.
It didn't take long for Aurum to respond, however.
Baby Blue: "I hope I didn't wake you up, it's so early!"
Nevica: "Nah, but I'm probably staying in bed for most of today anyway. Weather's too comfy."
That didn't mean she wasn't going to get up for a little bit to stretch her legs, though. It just meant she was probably going to be going to bed again not longer after.
To wit, she yawned before setting her Scroll down on her nightstand and rolling out of bed.
Her room had mahogany wooden floors and dark blue wallpaper, with curtains pulled over the lone window in her studio apartment, as it were. In a corner was a desk with a computer setup on it, nothing fancy, but it let her play any games that took her interest. The kitchen was open, a short walk from the main room that she slept in, and next to her bed was the nightstand where her Scroll rested, and against the walls were two bookshelves, filled only partially with books, the rest of it being filled with personal memorabilia, like framed photos.
The first of which held a photo of her when she was still just a child. She was smiling while standing between both her mom and her dad.
Her dad…
The smile Nevica wore in reality turned sad as she thought to her father. He had black hair like she did, with dark green eyes and a small smile on his face. He stood tall and strong, wearing his preferred outfit of his Huntsmen gear, a forest green cloak with its hood down over leather armor, combat pants, and black boots. Planted in the ground next to him was his weapon, a glaive with a blade on either side that Nevica remembered could break apart into two blades as he wanted it to.
'Ah… when he died…'
The family was devastated, of course. It meant that her younger sister Serina never got to meet her father, and it meant that Nevica had to help in picking up the slack left by his absence. She played as big a part in raising her sister as her mom did. 'And no matter how much I asked…'
Of course she had wanted to follow in her dad's footsteps and become a Huntress, it had been all she could dream of when she was younger. Yet, her mother was insistent on her taking over the Changing Seasons once she herself was ready to retire. 'She was scared, too. I can't blame her.' Losing her husband had made June that much more hesitant to teach anything that she knew, let alone let Nevica take up arms herself.
"But Mom, I want to be like Dad!" She had stated with such determination. "He was a hero!"
"Yes, he was, sweetie." June responded with the patience of a saint. "But it's too dangerous. You can do plenty of good by keeping The Changing Seasons open and figuring out other ways to help people."
Nevica had huffed and pouted and cried over it, but she didn't mind that much now, eventually she accepted her lot in life. Bigger dreams were for bigger people than Nevica Cadere.
Just as she was about to move away from the photo and head to the kitchen to grab a snack, she noticed something strange.
On another shelf of the bookshelf was her amulet, the family heirloom passed down from one Cadere to the next. The necklace's blue gemstone had always looked beautiful, but now it seemed to shimmer in what little light there was. Nevica had never seen this happen before, and so she reached out and picked it up, inspecting it closely with a hum of curiosity.
It only glowed brighter, lighting up the darkness of her room. She winced and looked away for a moment, before the light died down and she looked back. The necklace itself hadn't changed at all, but behind it, where it had just been sitting, there was what looked to be a leather-bound pocket journal, which was already open, somewhere in the middle.
Nevica drew her line for weirdness at 'glowing necklaces', but curiosity was getting the better of her. She hesitated to put the necklace down, deciding to put it around her neck for the moment. Her hands were shaking ever so slightly as she reached out and picked up the journal, reading the page it was on.
Cobalt Lilac Lazuli
Age: Four
A toddler, a cute one at that, the son of Aurum Lazuli. He's got something magical about him that you can't shake, but maybe that's just his mom…
Opinion on you: 'Nice Barista Lady'
Role: He's a toddler.
Nevica's hands were already shaking more than they were before, because she remembered not writing anything like this, nor would she have ever written anything referring to herself in second person. The text was not her own.
Hesitantly, she flipped to the page before it and read its contents.
Aurum Roseã Lazuli
Age: Twenty-three?
Aliases: R̷̸̸̸̶̸̷̵̴̶̵̴̷̷̴u̵̷̷̸̵̷̴̶̶̴̸̶̷̵̶b̶̴̶̸̴̶̷̵̵̶̸̵̸̵̸y̶̸̶̸̶̴̷̸̵̸̶̵̴̴̴ ̵̸̸̴̷̴̵̴̷̶̸̷̸̷̵R̸̶̸̴̷̴̸̵̴̵̴̷̴̵̷o̷̸̸̵̵̸̷̵̸̶̴̶̸̴̴s̶̴̷̵̴̴̷̶̸̴̸̶̴̴̵e̵̵̸̵̶̶̴̷̴̶̴̷̵̸̴
A young woman with wisdom and knowledge past her years, she's positively adorable, but also deceivingly dangerous. Nicknamed 'The Golden Death' by the public, very few would survive real combat against her.
Her aura is unlocked, and it seems like, though she has years of practical experience, her formal Huntress education isn't quite matching a normal graduate. This, however, is relieved by her enthusiasm to learn more.
Relation to you: Smitten
Role: Huntress, T̴̸̴̶̵̵̵̷̸̵̵̸̶̵̴i̷̸̶̵̶̴̶̵̶̶̸̸̵̵̶m̴̸̴̶̵̴̷̵̸̴̶̸̶̴̶e̷̷̴̶̶̵̴̴̴̶̵̸̶̴̵ ̶̷̸̸̸̶̸̷̶̵̴̷̵̶̵t̶̶̷̶̵̷̸̵̶̵̵̷̴̶̴r̷̵̴̶̵̵̷̴̶̴̵̵̴̶̸a̵̵̶̴̷̴̵̶̶̵̷̴̸̸̷v̸̵̸̵̵̷̶̸̸̶̴̵̵̶̴e̵̷̴̵̵̸̴̷̵̴̸̶̵̷̸l̴̶̸̵̴̴̴̵̸̴̶̶̷̴̴i̴̴̴̸̸̸̶̴̴̴̶̵̴̶̴n̷̵̴̴̶̷̷̷̶̸̷̷̶̸̸g̴̶̸̸̸̵̴̷̵̵̴̴̴̷̵ ̵̴̷̶̷̴̴̷̴̶̵̶̸̶̷h̶̴̶̸̶̷̷̴̷̵̶̶̵̶̵e̶̷̵̸̸̵̴̷̶̴̴̴̷̸̴r̶̷̵̷̴̸̶̵̴̵̷̸̴̷̷o̸̶̸̸̷̵̴̶̵̶̷̷̴̸̵, The S̶̶̷̷̵̵̸̷̴̵̵̷̷̵̵a̵̴̵̶̴̴̷̴̸̵̴̶̷̵̵v̸̸̷̷̶̶̵̴̵̸̵̴̶̶̸i̵̸̶̷̷̷̶̶̶̴̸̷̷̸̴o̵̸̷̶̷̵̶̵̷̵̸̶̴̸̸r̸̸̸̶̶̷̸̷̷̵̵̶̸̶̸ ̸̸̴̷̸̷̵̵̵̵̷̵̶̶̴o̴̸̵̸̵̵̷̴̵̸̵̸̸̴̴f̸̷̷̸̸̷̸̴̵̵̸̸̴̴̶ ̶̸̴̵̵̵̷̵̴̶̵̵̷̶̴T̷̵̵̶̸̸̶̸̵̷̶̸̸̵̶i̸̶̷̷̴̴̵̸̴̵̵̵̸̴̸m̴̸̶̴̷̸̸̴̸̶̴̴̴̶̸e̵̵̵̸̷̴̸̴̷̸̶̸̶̵̷l̶̵̷̵̶̵̶̶̷̸̵̸̷̶̷i̴̶̴̵̴̴̸̵̸̷̸̶̶̷̶n̵̸̷̷̵̶̴̶̴̴̴̷̴̸̴e̶̸̷̴̶̴̴̴̷̸̸̸̷̷̴ 12
Nevica couldn't make out any of the text that had been… smudged? Crossed out? Text, which just added more confusion and concern to this worrisome and mysterious journal. She could, however, make out the word 'Smitten', and if it weren't for the journal being so terrifying to her, she'd have been smiling.
But she didn't have it in her to smile, not when fear had her heart and mind in a vice. Instead, she began to flip through the pages, heading backward as she did.
Names appeared in the pages as she flipped, seen only briefly. Names of people she knew well, names of people she barely knew at all. Then two names that stuck out to her more than any others.
June Cadere
Serina Cadere
Then, finally, as she reached the first page, her blood ran colder, as if she had been thrown into ice water.
Nevica Cadere
A simple girl with simple dreams and simple goals. Will eventually become the owner of the Changing Seasons. Thus, she has a good business sense and is excellent at talking to people. However, she has a tendency to tell white lies if she believes it will make everything better. Her aura is not unlocked, and she is unskilled at combat. Thus, she wouldn't last long in a fight. Not much real world experience,her whole life has been her coffee shop until now. Has a high school education with tutoring from her mother regarding business. She would probably cry if you slapped her.
Old Role: Barista
New Role: Owner of T̵̴̶̷̷̶̵̸̴̵̸̷̷̷̸̸̴̸̴̸̶̴̪̩̗̲͖̥̘̗̜̩̲͊̃̈́͛̓͜͝͝ḩ̶̴̵̴̴̴̶̶̴̶̵̶̷̴̸̸̷̵̷̷̴̶̸̷̵̷̴̷̶̴̛̦͔͙͖̪̺̪̼̱͖̣͕̓̏̋̃́̌̈̋̚͘̕͘͘ě̵̷̶̷̴̷̷̵̸̷̷̶̷̵̸̵̸̵̵̶̴̢̪͕̦̖̙̹̺̞̺͚̒͐̔̆̃̇ ̴̷̴̷̷̴̷̷̴̷̵̸̴̷̴̵̪̪̱̘̺͆͆̏̐̌̄̓͘Ȑ̴̸̶̸̴̵̵̵̴̸̵̷̴̶̶̸̷̴̙̜̩͚̤̗͍̥̄͒͛̓̐͝ę̷̴̴̵̴̴̷̵̵̸̵̵̴̸̧̨̱̩̙̲͔̔͊͜ĺ̵̶̵̵̶̷̸̸̴̸̷̵̵̴̷̵̷̵̸̷̵̵̶̶̶̵̨̛͕͉̥̘̻͚̳̗͐̀̓̓̓̑̽̇̾̕ͅͅì̶̸̶̶̷̷̷̵̵̵̸̴̷̴̸̸̷̦͉͉͎̝̻̬̳͈̪͙͔̓c̵̴̵̷̵̵̸̴̷̷̵̵̡̖̲̰͚̋̄̄͝ ̸̸̶̶̶̴̷̶̸̵̵̸̸̴̷̶̴̸̵̙̹̤̑̿̆͛͊͛̏̍̃̑̋͜͝ǫ̷̴̴̶̵̶̵̷̴̵̶̵̴̸̸̵̷̸̴̸̸̷̴̸̛̫̯̬̟͖̪͉̯̜̠̊͛̍͐̑̓̊͗̕f̵̷̶̷̷̷̴̵̷̵̷̵̴̷̷̴̶̶̷̴̴̶̸̵̶̷̷̸̴̧̢̨̛͔̦̼̤̮̩̲̺̱͛͒̂̄̿̐̉̐̉͗͌͘͜ ̶̷̴̵̵̶̸̶̶̷̸̵̷̵̴̸̵̷̶̷̸̷̴̶̸̴̴̡̛̯̪̭͚̣̈́̈͑̂̽́͆̑͒͆͒̅̓̏̈́͝ͅP̴̸̷̷̶̵̵̴̶̵̷̸̷̴̷̵̶̶̴̶̘̯̗̦̻̥̱͐̈́̔̆̀̿͂̂͘͝ȓ̸̴̸̷̴̶̶̶̸̷̵̶̷̷̶̳̳͖̥̏̈́̌̈́̿͘͝ő̶̵̷̵̷̷̷̵̷̸̶̷̴̶̶̶̷̷̶̶̸̶̵̴̶̴̪͍͙̩̬̖͚͚̗̥͕͈̈̈́̌̑̊̀͜͝ͅͅg̴̶̴̵̴̴̶̴̸̷̵̵̵̶̶̶̷̸̵̵̷̶̴̸̶̴̳̤̬̮̮͍͉̻̮̱̟̝͔͐͐͗̄̅͂̏̋̽ͅr̴̵̵̴̸̴̵̸̴̶̶̶̷̴̴̷̷̜̮̗͎̪̟͈̹͚̖͌͊̅̚ȩ̵̴̶̴̸̵̵̷̴̵̵̵̴̶̷̶̸̷̷̵̸̸̸̷̶̸̷̷̴̻̤̳̹̰̖̪̲̰͍͚͌́̊͒̇͌̏͒̈́̓͂͜ͅș̸̶̶̷̷̷̵̶̶̸̶̴̵̶̴̷̶̷̵̷̵̴̷̨̨̨̤͍̮͕̦͎̼̪̝̦̯̘̎̈̀͆s̷̶̵̷̷̶̷̵̴̸̷̷̶̸̵̴̵̸̵̢͙͎̝͓͚̻͊͆̄̈́́͐͊͆͘
Fear not the winter. Embrace it.
Having had enough of this, Nevica snapped the journal shut and threw it under her bed before quickly removing the necklace and practically slamming it down back on its place on the shelf. Thereafter, she called out to nobody in particular, "I don't know what kind of joke this is, but it's. Not. Funny!" She clenched her fists, looking around as if suddenly someone would reveal themself as a practical joker.
But nobody came.
'You're just going crazy, Nevica.' She thought to herself as she shook her head dismissively. 'Whatever this is, it's nothing. I just ate something weird last night, that's all.' She stepped away from the necklace and shook her head. There was a small part of her that wanted to bring it up to Aurum, but she wasn't about to do that. Tell the girl she'd just started dating her necklace glowed and a journal appeared containing all sorts of information about different people, her included?
Nope. That was a quick way to grippy sock prison.
With a shake of her head, Nevica walked away from the situation, literally and figuratively, as she went to get something to eat.
Whatever it was that had awoken in her amulet, it was far too complicated for a simple girl like Nevica Cadere.
/-/
The day came and went, with the journal reappearing on her nightstand twice, and each time she tossed it under her bed, or in the trash. She was doing her best to ignore it—whatever it was, and continued to try her best to carry on.
She had just gotten a cute girlfriend she was really really into, why was she just now going insane? Couldn't it have waited a few years at least? At least by then Aurum would know that she wasn't insane normally!
But, at the end of the day, what could she really do about it?
Nothing. So, she tried not to think about it. Her mom had always told her that fretting over things she couldn't change was a good way to die from stress, and it was a philosophy that Nevica held close to her.
Instead, the next day, she set to work on whatever it was needed doing, just as she did every day. Working at the Changing Seasons was a joy to her, and so for the first few hours of work, she was almost able to entirely forget about the weirdness of yesterday. Instead of thinking about reappearing journals, she could think about getting people the things they wanted and going through the motions of her work.
However, after those hours, she began to notice something, or rather, someone.
There was a person with black hair that had bangs that went to just above their eyes, their hair rather fluffy and brushed to their left. Their eyes were a light emerald green, and wore a dark blue shirt under a lighter blue jacket, with a pair of simple jeans and blue sneakers finishing their ensemble.
They looked normal, but their appearance wasn't what caught Nevica's attention. Rather, it was how they'd been sitting there all day and, while having ordered things, hadn't made to leave. Instead, they kept… glancing at her, and writing something down in a journal of some kind.
However, just before Nevica was going to approach and ask them what they were doing, they stood and left. She shrugged it off, assuming that they were just one of those types that liked to write while sitting at a cafe, and returned to the rest of her shift.
Once it was over, however, she had a trip to make. Namely, she needed to go and get groceries for herself. It was going normally at first, getting her groceries was never supposed to be anything but normal. She greeted people she knew with a smile, and was almost done with her list when she remembered she needed something.
So, she backtracked, before her cart accidentally collided with another's. "Oh! I'm sorry-" Then, she saw who it was, the same person that had been at the cafe. "Oh, I saw you at the cafe didn't I?"
Their eyes darted around before they nodded just a bit too quickly, and they spoke in a voice that was not quite masculine but also not quite feminine as they said, "Oh, y-yeah. I've just been working on a… a story!" They laughed awkwardly. "Anyway, I gotta go. Seeya!"
Nevica furrowed her brow as they backtracked and disappeared down the aisle, but didn't think much of it. People could be strange if they weren't very accustomed to socializing, so she didn't really hold it against them.
Instead, she shrugged and grabbed a pint of cookie-dough ice cream and put it in her cart. Then, she remembered the journal she had and all of the stress she'd been having over it. She grimaced and looked around as if she were doing something that was incredibly secret before grabbing an extra two pints and continuing on her way.
She felt she was going to need all of that ice cream in the coming days.
…And indeed, perhaps sooner. As after she finished shopping and went home, depositing all of the items before heading out to take a walk around town (partly to make up for the extra ice cream, partly because she needed to clear her head). The streets weren't that busy at this time of day, in the evening, borderline on twilight, most people were already home.
That didn't mean there weren't people, of course. She lived in the Commercial District, so empty streets were almost never going to be a sight she'd see.
So, maybe she shouldn't have felt such concern when she once again caught the sight of that person who she'd already seen twice before. That was just the thing, though. She'd seen them twice before, on the same day and in different locations. So seeing them walking down the other street made her feel a chill run up her spine.
Maybe it was that chill that sent her across the street towards them, maybe it was a need to be sure that it was nothing. To be certain that this wasn't what she thought it was. The person seemed surprised when she closed in and put a hand on their shoulder. "Hey, I've seen you around a lot today. That's just a coincidence, right?"
They looked at her and nodded. "Y-Yeah, of course. Don't worry! I'm not some creepy stalker, I'm just new in town, so maybe that's why you're suddenly seeing me everywhere?" They seemed to be telling the truth, and Nevica knew lying like the back of her hand. So either they were a really good liar, or they were being honest.
For her sanity, Nevica chose to believe in the second one. She took a deep breath and let go of their shoulder before stepping back. "Sorry, I'm just… really high-strung right now, lots of… stuff going on." She decided that she might as well introduce herself to them, if she had gone so far as to confront them. "I-I'm Nevica Cadere, you… probably already knew that. Who're you?"
"Me?" They looked around before saying, "I'm… Ferran." They smiled. "Great to meet you! Now, uhm… I gotta go!" They pointed back, and before Nevica could say much of anything else, they hurried off, leaving her alone.
She clenched and unclenched her fists, breathing in deep and muttering, "It's okay Nevica. It's just a coincidence. That's all. Ferran's new in town… that's it." They turned away and crossed the street again. "This is nothing. It's all nothing. I can handle it." They continued to mutter to themselves as they went back on their walk, not really caring if anyone glanced at her. She was far past just thinking things to herself, she needed to hear herself say these things.
Be they true or false.
After her walk, Nevica returned to her home. Though she'd had a busy day, she wasn't quite done yet. No, she had to do her laundry. While normally this was no big deal—she had a washing machine and dryer just outside of her apartment that her mom had put there—the machine had broken down the other day.
Nevica considered telling June, but she didn't want to trouble her mom about something like that. Nevica knew that her mom would pay for the repairs, or for a whole new machine if necessary, but she didn't want that burden on her. No, Nevica Cadere was an adult, and she could take care of her own problems. If that meant saving up some extra money until she could afford to get it repaired, then so be it.
It just meant that she was going to be using a laundromat for a few days, or weeks, until she could get it fixed.
It was dark outside when she left to head to the laundromat. Luckily, it wasn't that far from her home, and so she didn't need to worry too much about her arms getting tired from carrying all of her laundry. When she got there, she found the place mercifully empty, and so she set about putting her laundry in and setting it to wash. Once she was done, she leaned against the back of an inactive machine and produced her Scroll, intent on just browsing until it was finished.
However, after about ten minutes, she heard the door to the laundromat open. She glanced over to see who it was, and caught sight of Ferran. At first, she didn't pay any mind. They were carrying their own basket of laundry, and so she just turned her attention back to her phone and continued to browse.
If it had stayed that way, then she would have simply thought nothing of Ferran's presence. She heard them writing something down, but she figured they were just working more on their story, or whatever it was they were so keen on writing. She'd dabbled in writing before herself, and she found she enjoyed it. She'd considered writing a book, but she had a bit too much to worry about in her day-to-day life to really dedicate any energy to it. So, in a way, she admired Ferran's dedication.
And then they started muttering to themself, seemingly unaware that they were doing so. Their words were quiet, but Nevica had keen ears, and given the relative silence of the building, it wasn't that hard to hear something that quiet to begin with.
"Black hair, that's normal… Pale skin, also normal."
Nevica resolved that they were writing down a character description.
"Interesting change in attire from the other versions… turtleneck is normal. Black skirt is different…"
That was getting way too close to what she wore, but still, Nevica refused to believe they were talking about her. Maybe it was illogical by this point, but she still clung to the belief, the assumption.
"Interesting to see the difference between the two… not a girl normally."
Nevica's blood ran cold.
How could they have known about that? How could they have any idea about who she was?
Nevica gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She then pushed off the machine she was leaning on and whirled around while slipping her Scroll in her pocket. "Hey! How do you know—"
But nobody was there. It was as if Ferran had never existed to begin with.
Her breathing grew shallow, but Nevica squeezed her fists. Squeezed so hard that she threatened to break the skin. "You're not crazy, Nevica, you're normal…" She turned back around and pulled out her Scroll again.
She turned on the camera and looked at herself, the worry and anxiety in her eyes all too visible. She felt her face, soft to the touch. She whispered to herself, "Am I not passing? Is it in my head? I thought I had this… I have this! I have too…" She sniffled as she turned the camera off, suddenly not wanting to look at her face.
She rubbed her eyes, fighting back the beginnings of worried tears. "I have too… It's who I am… I don't… I need to…" She hugged herself, her left hand on her right shoulder and her right hand on her left shoulder. She squeezed, trying to take deep breaths to ward off what crept under the surface. "Am I worthy of her if I can't? I need too… I am Nevica Cadere… I am Nevica Cadere… I am…
"...I am…"
/-/
Luckily for Nevica, the next few days passed without incident.
That didn't mean she wasn't plagued with thoughts of self-doubt and paranoia, that ship had already sailed. Even the fact that the journal hadn't reappeared yet didn't assuage it, because now she was just certain that she was going crazy and was, indeed, on the verge of just committing herself to a psych ward.
If she really was crazy, then Aurum deserved better.
But, for now, she was going to try and push back against such dark thoughts. Instead, she prepared herself for her date. She wore her usual black turtleneck and skirt combo. Maybe it was lazy to repeat outfits, and maybe it didn't give the best impression, but at this point, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to put together any other coherent outfit.
After making sure her outfit was good, and hesitantly putting on the necklace again to complete the look, she grabbed her purse and headed out. Her destination? Vale Central Park, one of her favorite places to relax and unwind on a nice day such as today.
When she got there, she made her way to where she intended to wait for Aurum and Cobalt (Nevica wanting to spend more time with him, partly because she wanted him to get used to her, and partly because she thought it'd be a nice way to spend the day). As for where she would be waiting, well, that was obvious. Her favorite bench waited for her not far from the entrance of the park.
It might be odd to have a 'favorite bench', but for some reason, Nevica had always liked it. If it were possible to feel a connection to a certain spot, then she'd have it with the park and the bench, but of course she knew that was just silly.
After she sat down, she took a deep breath before exhaling. 'Remember, Nevica. Stay calm. None of this… weirdness. It's just a date with the woman you really like. No randomly appearing journals, no glowing necklaces, it's all good. You're all good.' She had focused so much on her internal dialogue, that she found herself spacing out of reality.
Just in time to hear Aurum's voice call out, "Hey Nevica!" as she walked towards the park bench, little Cobalt in tow and looking very much happy about being in the park. Aurum was dressed casually, with a yellow hoodie that read 'SHADE' in red text, although the outfit was clearly part of a set,it seemed she wasn't wearing the full set that day. Instead, she wore a pair of blue jeans and black boots.
The sight of the two was enough to alleviate the worries in her mind as a smile crossed her features. She raised her hand in greeting as she stood and said, "Hey! You look great today."
Aurum blushed slightly and tried to play herself down. "P-Please, I didn't put that much effort into this…" She rubbed the back of her neck as she and Cobalt came to a stop near her. "Besides, you look amazing as always."
"Pfft." Nevica looked down at herself. "This? It's basically the same outfit I wore on our first date. I don't think that wins any awards." If anything, she was beating herself up about not putting more effort into it, but there wasn't much that could be done about it now.
"Well-" Aurum tripped over her words, having either forgotten that this was the same outfit, or she knew and wasn't sure how to respond. Eventually, she found her words again and said with a smile, "I-It's fine, you look beautiful no matter what."
Nevica blushed lightly and smiled, feeling a bit better about herself already. "I appreciate it." She brushed some hair out of her face before looking back. "A-Anyway, come on, I don't think Cobalt wants to stand here listening to us talk. We should go to the playground."
Cobalt tilted his head slightly, as if the idea of him not liking hearing them just talking was confusing. Yet, if he had any complaints, he didn't voice them. The boy was quiet, at least, around her he was, but Nevica couldn't blame him for that. Aurum, meanwhile, nodded in agreement, seemingly having forgotten they were supposed to be doing something. "R-Right! Let's get going, then."
Without delay, they began walking, with Aurum on Nevica's right, and Cobalt on hers, as the boy looked around and seemed to be trying to figure out what he could get up to. For all his quiet politeness, Cobalt was still a child after all, and a young one at that. Meanwhile, Nevica asked, "So, how's Vale treating you?"
"Oh, it's good." Aurum smiled with just a tinge of wistfulness. "I'm glad I came back here. It… reminds me a lot of what I loved about this place. Vacuo is nice and all, but Vale is… special." She looked as if her mind was somewhere far, far away. "I guess I've always carried a part of this city in my heart, even if I didn't know it. It just feels… right, being here."
Nevica raised an eyebrow, though a smile drew across her face. "So, it's your home? I don't think you mentioned that last time I asked you about Vale. Not that I hold it against you, of course." It wasn't exactly a major topic of discussion at the last date they had anyway.
"A-Ah." Aurum stammered, seemingly realizing that she'd gotten caught up in her own little world. "Y-Yeah, you could say that. Even if I haven't actually lived here in a very… very long time."
The way she said that just added more questions to the enigma of Aurum Lazuli. The way she said it, it was as if it'd been more than a lifetime. Nevica smiled at her and said, "Well, it's my home too. Maybe knowing I'll be here waiting for you will make your time back in Vacuo a bit better."
Aurum blushed, smiling sheepishly as she stole glances at Nevica, as if staring too long would mean she couldn't look away. "I'm glad. It's… it'll be nice to have someone waiting for me here." From the smile on her face and the look in her eyes, Nevica could tell she meant it.
They walked in relative silence after that, trading small talk while they made their way to the playground. Upon arriving, they turned Cobalt loose and let him go play. While he did, they took a seat on a park bench clearly meant for parents to be able to watch their kids. As they sat down, Nevica said with a smile, "He's a good kid, isn't he?"
Aurum nodded, smiling more contentedly as she watched him climb up the slide. "He is. He's quiet, but… he gets that from me." She giggled. "I was pretty quiet when I was young, at least according to…" She trailed off, and for a moment she gained that look on her face again. As if she were staring at something that didn't exist, or dreaming of people who simply weren't there. "...Family."
Nevica nudged her slightly, causing her to start as she was yanked out of her trance. "Hey, Remnant to Aurum. Don't get too caught up thinking about the past." She smiled gently. "That's the path to sadness, dreaming of what's long, long gone." She knew that all too well, even if it was likely not for the same reasons that Aurum would know that.
And it seemed she did, because Aurum once again nodded and looked away while softly saying, "I-I know. I'm sorry… sometimes I can't help myself." She pushed some hair out of her face. "Thinking about the past, I mean. It sneaks up on me." She took a deep breath before exhaling and smiling again, looking at Nevica. "...Thanks, though. For pulling me out of it."
Nevica smooched Aurum on the cheek, garnering a blush from the other woman. "Don't mention it, Baby Blue. I hate seeing you frown."
The usage of the nickname had the intended effect, as Aurum's eyes widened and she stammered. "A-Ah, d- uhm- I- Uhm…" Her face burned red as she looked away, smiling dreamily as she did. "Th-thank you, uhm… Snowfall?"
Nevica giggled. "That's a good one." It wasn't the first time someone had called her that, no, it was a common nickname, but that didn't mean she didn't like it. In fact, it sounded so much better coming from Aurum. She looked around the park with a small smile on her face while saying, "So, I was thinking that next time we could—" Then, her words were cut off, killed in her throat before they could leave.
Sitting against a tree, wearing what looked to be a dark brown trench coat, sunglasses, and a black hat, was someone she felt she knew. The outfit made it difficult to say for certain, at first glance at least, but she knew almost instinctively who it was. '...Ferran?' They were writing in their journal again, and while she couldn't tell exactly where they were looking, at this point she couldn't help but feel like she knew where they were looking.
She felt TV static encroach upon her mind, like ice on glass. She clenched and unclenched her fists as her ears began to ring.
'No.'
She knew what was coming. She refused. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 'I can't. Not here. Not in front of Cobalt. I don't want him to get scared. I don't want him to worry. I don't want Aurum to worry.' Seeing someone go through what she was on the precipice of could be terrifying, and she wasn't going to subject anyone to that.
"Uhm… Nevica? Are you okay?" Aurum's voice betrayed her worry, and Nevica saw it in her eyes when she looked over as well. "You were spacing out… is everything alright?" The concern was all too easy to hear.
Nevica would have grimaced if it wouldn't have looked so bad. She didn't want Aurum to worry. So, she put on a smile and said, "Oh, yeah. I just had something on my mind is all, kind of got side-tracked. It happens sometimes. Anyway, as I was saying, next time I want to take you somewhere nice, since it's going to be our last date for a while."
Aurum at least seemed to believe her, smiling slightly as she said, "You don't need to do that… I'd be happy staying home and watching a movie if it was with you." She caught herself and stammered. "A-Ah, I-I mean, i-if you were okay with it! Th-That'd… it'd… it'd be nice."
Nevica giggled, and Aurum's shyness erased the fear that Nevica had been experiencing in one fell swoop. "Anything you want, Baby Blue." Once again, Aurum blushed a dark red and looked away shyly, causing Nevica to giggle again.
Things relaxed after that, really Nevica was all too glad to have Aurum there. It made her feel a lot safer, knowing she had a strong Huntress there in case something happened. Of course, there was the question of what she'd do when Aurum wasn't there, but that was a question she could deal with on her own. She didn't want Aurum to worry about her.
Anyone worrying about her was the last thing Nevica wanted.
/-/
The date went well, in Nevica's mind. Better than well, she found that she loved every moment she got to spend with Aurum. The woman was just… so different from everyone else, and so cute besides!
She wondered how far this relationship would go. It was still too early to tell, but she hoped it went far.
Nevica, mercifully, had no more encounters with Ferran, neither at the park nor on the way home.
When she stepped into the Changing Seasons, she saw June behind the counter. She smiled at Nevica as she approached and asked, "Hey, how'd the date go?"
"Perfect." Nevica smiled, saying nothing more before heading into the back and then up the stairs, on her way up to her room.
When she opened the door, her heart sunk as she saw the journal once again on her nightstand. Except this time, it was open.
Hesitantly, she made her way over to it after shutting her door. She almost closed it without looking at it, but curiously caused her to peer at the page it was on.
Aurum Roseã Lazuli
Age 24?
Aliases: R̷̸̸̸̶̸̷̵̴̶̵̴̷̷̴u̵̷̷̸̵̷̴̶̶̴̸̶̷̵̶b̶̴̶̸̴̶̷̵̵̶̸̵̸̵̸y̶̸̶̸̶̴̷̸̵̸̶̵̴̴̴ ̵̸̸̴̷̴̵̴̷̶̸̷̸̷̵R̸̶̸̴̷̴̸̵̴̵̴̷̴̵̷o̷̸̸̵̵̸̷̵̸̶̴̶̸̴̴s̶̴̷̵̴̴̷̶̸̴̸̶̴̴̵e̵̵̸̵̶̶̴̷̴̶̴̷̵̸̴
A young woman with wisdom and knowledge past her years, she's positively adorable, but also deceivingly dangerous. Nicknamed 'The Golden Death' by the public, very few would survive real combat against her.
Something seems off about her, like she knows more than she should, or has some M̴̷̶̵̴̵̷̴̶̷̷̶̶̶̷a̸̷̴̵̴̵̷̴̶̸̶̴̸̸̷g̸̵̸̸̷̶̸̸̵̵̵̶̸̴̸i̷̶̶̴̶̷̴̶̷̵̷̴̸̶̸c̴̷̸̶̴̴̸̵̸̷̶̷̴̷̷a̶̶̷̸̴̸̴̸̵̸̵̵̵̴̸l̸̴̷̴̴̶̸̷̸̶̷̶̷̵̷ component to her you just can't quite put your finger on.
Her Aura is unlocked, and it seems like, though she has years of practical experience, her formal education huntress wise isn't quite matching a normal graduate, though supplemented by her enthusiasm to learn more.
Relation to Nevica Cadere: Infatuated (+15)
Role: Huntress, T̵̶̶̴̶̴̶̶̸̶̶̴̷̴̷̴̴̵̵̶̶̴̸̴̵̶̷̵̸̷̶i̴̷̸̴̸̸̶̴̸̴̴̴̴̴̴̵̷̸̵̵̷̷̴̵̵̵̵̵̶̵̷m̸̴̷̷̶̶̷̵̴̵̵̸̴̵̶̶̷̵̵̵̶̸̷̷̸̵̸̶̵̸̸e̶̴̷̶̸̸̷̶̷̶̵̷̵̶̴̶̷̵̴̸̵̷̶̸̷̶̸̸̵̵̸ traveling Hero, the Savior o̴̴̷̶̴̴̷̶̴̶̸̵̴̵̷̴̸̶̶̴̴̸̶̸̵̸̸̷̷̵̶f̴̴̴̷̴̸̸̴̴̸̶̷̷̵̵̴̶̵̶̶̸̶̷̵̴̸̷̴̶̴̶ ̴̷̴̶̴̸̵̴̶̴̸̶̶̸̶̷̷̵̴̸̴̸̶̶̶̶̸̵̴̴̴T̴̵̷̷̷̴̶̴̷̵̵̸̴̷̷̴̴̴̵̶̵̸̸̴̵̶̶̸̶̶̶i̷̵̶̶̷̷̴̷̷̸̸̶̸̷̵̴̸̶̵̵̷̸̵̶̵̶̴̸̵̷̶m̷̶̶̷̷̶̵̸̷̶̵̶̵̵̵̶̷̵̷̴̷̴̶̶̷̷̴̸̶̴̵e̸̷̶̶̴̵̸̶̵̷̴̶̴̸̷̴̴̴̴̸̷̶̶̴̸̸̴̴̴̴̷l̸̵̸̴̶̷̸̴̴̴̶̴̵̴̴̶̶̸̷̸̵̷̸̴̵̵̷̶̵̵̴i̸̷̶̵̷̵̸̵̵̷̴̶̶̸̸̵̸̶̷̴̷̴̷̸̸̶̷̸̴̶̶n̷̸̶̶̴̷̴̷̵̷̷̵̸̸̴̶̷̸̵̸̷̵̵̴̶̶̸̷̸̸̶e̸̷̴̵̶̸̷̷̸̴̴̶̷̵̶̶̸̶̵̵̵̸̶̷̴̴̸̵̴̸̷ 12
Nevica's eyes widened as she read the text, still unable to comprehend what had been seemingly corrupted or otherwise obscured. Her breathing began to grow shallow, and without thinking about it, she turned the page back to the first one, her mind slowly beginning to fill with TV static once again.
What she saw next only sealed her fate.
Nevica Cadere
A simple girl with simple dreams and simple goals. M̵̷̴̷̷̴̵̶̷̵̸̶̷̸̸i̵̴̷̵̶̸̶̶̶̸̵̵̵̴̸g̴̶̶̵̷̷̴̸̶̶̴̶̶̴̶h̶̶̴̷̶̷̸̷̷̶̷̵̵̵̵t̸̵̸̸̸̵̷̵̸̴̷̷̸̷̷ eventually become the owner of the Changing Seasons. Thus, she has a good business sense and is excellent at talking to people. However, she has a tendency to tell white lies if she believes it will make everything better. Her aura is not unlocked, and she is unskilled at combat. Thus, she wouldn't last long in a fight. Not much real world experience, high school education with tutoring from her mother, would probably cry if you slapped her.
Recently she has noticed something off about her surroundings, though she can't put her finger on it just yet.
She has also recently started dating one Aurum Lazuli, formerly known as R̷̸̸̸̶̸̷̵̴̶̵̴̷̷̴u̵̷̷̸̵̷̴̶̶̴̸̶̷̵̶b̶̴̶̸̴̶̷̵̵̶̸̵̸̵̸y̶̸̶̸̶̴̷̸̵̸̶̵̴̴̴ ̵̸̸̴̷̴̵̴̷̶̸̷̸̷̵R̸̶̸̴̷̴̸̵̴̵̴̷̴̵̷o̷̸̸̵̵̸̷̵̸̶̴̶̸̴̴s̶̴̷̵̴̴̷̶̸̴̸̶̴̴̵e̵̵̸̵̶̶̴̷̴̶̴̷̵̸̴, her relationship score is: Crush (97).
Old Role: Barista
New Role: Owner of T̸̶̷̷̶̷̸̸̸̶̵̴̸̴̵h̸̶̶̷̵̷̶̸̵̷̴̷̷̷̴e̶̸̴̴̷̴̷̸̸̴̷̶̷̴̸ ̸̷̴̴̵̷̵̸̶̷̵̶̶̷̷R̶̷̶̷̸̴̸̷̶̵̷̴̶̶̷e̷̵̷̷̵̵̷̴̶̴̷̷̷̸̶l̴̸̵̴̴̵̴̸̵̸̸̵̷̴̸i̵̶̴̴̵̵̷̷̶̸̶̷̷̸̸c̵̵̴̶̸̵̶̸̵̸̵̴̶̸̶ of Progress, G̵̷̶̶̸̷̶̸̵̷̶̵̴̴̴i̵̶̵̶̶̴̵̴̶̷̴̸̶̶̴r̷̶̷̷̸̷̵̷̶̸̴̸̷̸̴l̴̷̸̵̴̵̸̸̵̷̸̶̸̸̶f̴̶̸̵̸̸̵̷̷̵̵̵̸̸̶r̴̷̸̸̵̶̴̵̵̸̶̸̵̵̴i̸̶̴̷̷̴̷̶̵̵̷̸̶̷̷e̷̸̵̴̸̸̸̷̷̶̴̷̵̵̵n̸̸̶̸̴̶̷̷̴̷̶̷̴̸̷d̶̸̵̸̴̶̷̷̷̴̴̷̵̷̸ of Aurum Lazuli.
The static filled her mind, as if it had overtaken her being. Her hands felt weak as she dropped the book to the ground, using what was left of her willpower to kick it under her bed and out of sight.
'Someone—no, something is stalking me. What am I supposed to do?'
Her legs felt as if they were weighed down by cinderblocks. Her vision grew blurry as she sank to the ground, falling on her knees and then sitting entirely against her bed.
'I can't do anything. I can't do anything. I can't do anything.'
A dark, foreboding feeling clawed at her heart and mind, at her very soul. It dug its wretched and cold claws into her, and dragged her down. It refused to let go.
As if it was trying to drown her.
Her heart beat like drums, but the player had lost her mind. They didn't care for a rhythm, or a beat, they just continued to smash into the drums, over and over again. Steady and calm beating had long given way to this relentless cascading crescendo of malice.
'I'm going to die. Someone's going to kill me. I'm going to die. Whatever is doing this is going to wait until the time is right and then kill me.'
She had started to hyperventilate by this point, but there was little she could do to try and stop it. Her mind was still spiraling, the static still growing, the fog threatened to blind her to anything but the fear, the terror.
Her whole body felt as if it had fallen asleep, and though she began to squeeze her hands, curl her toes, and shift in place, nothing would wake up.
She couldn't wake up from this nightmare.
Her hands shook, her legs bounced in place, she desperately tried to claw something back, but she was already gone.
She hadn't registered the door opening, and she barely registered Aurum's worried voice as she called out to her. "...vica? H-Hey! Nevica!"
Was someone muttering something?
…Oh wait, she was. Nevica hadn't realized that she had been muttering to herself a repeated mantra. "I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die…"
She barely registered Aurum hugging her, and she didn't heed the woman's words as she said, "Nobody's going to hurt you! I-I won't let them!" but Aurum knew well that she couldn't always be there to protect her.
Aurum had no idea what to do. She felt she should have, she'd experienced this before, but trying to help Nevica with it suddenly sapped her ability to think.
There was really only one thing she could do, wasn't there?
She held Nevica tightly as her aura began to flare up. Aurum closed her eyes, and muttered…
"For it is in passing that we achieve rebirth…"
