Summary: In a universe that could've been, soon after breakfast has been served to Ayako in her studio, Vy keeps finding someone patting her head. Turning around finds no one by her side, though, and it makes her anxious.

Note: This was originally written for Tumblr back on 3/15/2021, since panyum/Pan, Ayako's creator, loved the first short story. At the time, I wrote the first "Extra Day" while running late into the night, so I wasn't able to include Vy interacting with Ayako's love interest in Dantes. Thus, this short was born, both fixing the lack of interaction between Vy and Dantes while also letting me experiment with writing Dantes, since as of this note's writing (3/21/2021), I have yet to summon the Count of Monte Cristo in my Chaldea.

For now, for those readers who have been following this story, here's another extra in this AU of two Mastersonas coexisting together. Again, do note that this short is mostly unedited from its original Tumblr release.

The song for this piece is Stephan Moccio's piano piece titled Cadeau. I found it fitting for the Count when I wrote this, more so since I don't know much about him from the palpable lack of his presence in my Chaldea.

Please enjoy. :)

Extra Day 2: A Count's Favor

The first sign that something was going on was the soft touch of what felt like a hand on Vy's head. Now, she wasn't a stranger to the sensation of "head-pats" — after all, Ushiwakamaru still adored them and begged for the occasional pat when she passed by. Not to mention Vy's own short stature from her Vietnamese blood apparently making her the "perfect" patting height. Or, at least, that was what Caster Cu had said with a sharp-toothed smirk. Most of the male Servants seemed to agree if the usual pat after a quest was any indication, but this specific pat was different.

Light, far too brief to really register anything aside from long fingers (were they bony?), and almost wispy.

Vy had turned her head once the sensation had registered in her brain, glancing around for a few moments before anxiously tugging at one of the hems of her jacket in the Mage's Association Uniform. The shorts and stockings were comfy, but the orange was still something to get used to when the last time Vy saw this outfit, it was with—

I don't want to die!

Vy shook her head, squashing the urge to cry. Olga-Marie was still gone. All that was around her, all that was left, were the white halls of Chaldea.

"Am I overthinking things…?" left her in a soft mumble.

Of course, no one answered. There was no one around to answer. Supposedly.

Vy glanced at the area she had just left, her eyes lingering on the door leading to Ayako's studio in the distant horizon, before walking a bit faster to get to the others.

"Gotta hurry to get back and cook…!"

The next instance of that wispy headpat came after the most recent Ember Farming Daily Quest. Arturia, as the former King Arthur, looked less than phased at the damage she took once the battle was over, absently telling the Saber version of Diarmuid how they were no more than "mere scratches," but Vy's head wasn't entirely present in the situation to take in the full conversation. Mana drain was still mana drain, after all, as much as Vy hated to admit it.

Aya-san's still resting, so why can't I make it up to her a little more…? Gotta—

Vy still found herself slumping down to sit against a tree. Darn it…

But once Vy had ducked her head and closed her eyes to take the rare chance to rest for a small moment before the inevitable Rayshift back, the pat occurred. It was a few seconds longer than the first time, letting Vy take in what felt like a calloused touch as the pat rustled the hair she had set in her usual work ponytail, but once Vy raised her head to look towards the direction it came from, the touch disappeared.

"Vy?"

Arturia's voice slowly echoed in her ears, almost soothing as Vy turned to look up at the Level 100 Saber with her best attempt at a comforting smile. "I-I'm okay, Arturia-san, I'm okay."

Still, Arturia looked less than convinced as she dispelled one metal gauntlet with a shrug of her shoulder to rest a warm hand against Vy's forehead, undeterred by hair. With a soft inhale, Arturia then said, "You don't have a fever, Princess. Are you merely tired?"

"Kinda," Vy said truthfully, trying not to shrink into herself once Diarmuid, D'eon, and Saber Alter all turned to look at what was going on. "I dunno."

"What do you know, Princess?" Arturia entertained in a softer voice, kneeling to Vy's sitting height as she dispelled her other armored gauntlet to take one of Vy's hands in hers.

Vy felt a frown form on her face, both from guilt and embarrassment at being confronted, before meeting Arturia's earnest green eyes with a tiny, "I think someone's been patting my head."

Arturia blinked, a wind passing between them enough to jostle the gold crown sitting on her head. "Pardon?" she said after a moment, her grip on Vy's fingers slackening with the question. "Could you repeat that, Vy?"

"I-I really don't get it either, Art-san!" Vy knew she was blushing by now, but she still went on with a squeakier, "Whenever I seem to be looking elsewhere, I feel like someone's been patting my head, but I just. Can't. Find them!"

A somewhat troubled expression dawned on Arturia's face as she squeezed Vy's hand in hers. "Perhaps it is a Servant?" she offered, her thumb gently rubbing the back of Vy's hand in a comforting gesture. Vy couldn't miss how Arturia's touch lingered on her flower-shaped Command Spells. "The staff already pet your head enough for you to recognize them by now, can't you, Princess?"

"Aye, it's just this one hand…" Vy gestured to the top of her now rustled ponytail with her free hand, trying not to squeeze her eyes shut from some bubbling frustration. "I feel like I know it somehow, but I also don't! It started just after I visited Aya-san to drop off her breakfast smoothie, too!"

Arturia stared at Vy for a moment longer before pulling on Vy's hand, making Vy fall into a warm hug as a chin gently bumped the top of her hair. "I see," she said mildly, an arm winding past Vy's jacket to rub her back, "but as long as this hand isn't hurting you, Princess, I don't think you should worry. Knowing your heart, you'll find them soon enough."

"You sure…?"

"I am absolutely sure of it."

Even with her nose stuck in the crook between Arturia's neck and shoulder via hug, Vy couldn't miss how Saber Alter in the background turned her nose the other way, a scoff clearly audible even from her distance.

By the time everyone got back to Chaldea, Vy couldn't help herself. Even if she was cooking, the curiosity was tugging too hard. "Big Robin?"

Robin Hood didn't even pause in his action of cutting carrots, tossing his head in Vy's direction as a carefree glint shined in his visible green eye. "What's up, little sparrow?"

Vy tried not to sweat at the attention, admitting slowly past an anxious tug of one of her stray hairs out of her ponytail, "You don't happen to know any Servants in Chaldea that uses a Noble Phantasm like your No Face May King, do you…?"

The question was something that certainly got Archer's attention at this point, since he had stopped his vegetable cutting to throw Vy an incredulous look. It was hard to miss how his green apron was already close to flickering out of view in favor of his usual cloak and crossbow. "Who do I have to poison, little sparrow?"

ACK. "Th-There's no one to poison except the Demon God Pillars, Robin!" Vy blurted out for damage control, because sheesh, Robin's sentence almost made it sound like he was being serious. And knowing him — the seafood porridge Vy was still stirring would probably be neglected in favor of creating the means for some kind of comeback against whatever enemy he saw in his head. "A-And that's not what I meant!"

"Then what did you mean, little sparrow?" Robin continued, his voice lowering to a deeper pitch as he put the kitchen knife down, raising a hand to gently rest his palm on top of Vy's head. The apron on his person solidified again, leaving his weapons intangible to the touch. "Because if someone's messing with you, I know where the traps are."

Vy did her best not to pout, she really did, but by the time she was looking up into Robin's eyes, it was obvious he was still not backing down from his previous declaration as his fingers scratched the top of her scalp mid-ruffle of her hair. "I-I wanted to ask since I've been feeling someone new pat my head lately, that's all." Even if she didn't really know how to feel about it, she still leaned into Robin's hand anyway, finishing with, "Really, big Robin, I'm okay. I just wanna know who it is."

The statement was enough to make Robin momentarily freeze, his green eye widening for a moment.

The last thing Vy expected was for him to close his visible eye, exhale what sounded like a tired and exasperated sigh, and then suddenly retract his hand and thrust it past her neck. Any closer and something would've been cut. Instead, Vy felt the saliva dry up in her throat as Robin Hood said with an eerily cheerful smile in her direction, "Why don't you ask the person who's right behind you, Master?"

There was definitely a muffled curse at this point in time, nearly making Vy squeak herself as Robin pulled, and Vy only had a few seconds to glance behind her before getting a glimpse of shadowy wisps fading into the air, fluffy white hair, and long bony fingers.

Huh?

"A-Avenger?" Vy said slowly, blinking at the clearly ruffled Edmond Dantes coming into view as Robin Hood pulled him (via a tight grip on the wrist, too) out of whatever portal he had conjured to show up in the kitchen, both Servants muffling curses at each other. The curses were something along the lines of "Let go, Archer," and "No way in hell, jerk, you nearly scared my little sparrow." Well, it at least sounded like those phrases, unless Vy was hearing things again. "I thought you were with Aya-san…"

"Normally, yes," the Avenger bit out past a retort to Archer as Robin Hood let go with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. "But there's only so much observing I can take when my Accomplice refuses to leave her studio."

Robin Hood huffed out a tiny, "Typical," as Vy felt a nervous laugh bubble up in her throat from the sympathy. So Aya-san was still in her painting muse. Okay then. It was better than not talking to anyone at all, at least.

"So then, er, Avenger?"

The Count of Monte Cristo closed his eyes at the title, a deep frown set on his face. It was clear that he didn't like it, even with the shade the brim of his hat gave him.

Vy tried again with an (unintentionally) higher-pitched, "Count?"

Dantes nodded.

Vy did her best to sound as patient and open as possible as she went on, with his permission, with, "Why did you come here?"

In that very moment, Vy could've sworn Dantes' look towards her softened as he opened his eyes, almost like the times she found him staring after Aya-san. Then he opened his mouth with an equally soft, "You are a curious one, little flower."

Eh?

"Flower?" Vy echoed in confusion. "Me?"

"Flower? My little sparrow?" Robin Hood interrupted with an exaggerated puff of his chest. "You gotta be joking."

"I am not, Archer," Dantes shot to Robin Hood, crossing his arms in return. "I heard from my Accomplice how this little one's name in Vietnamese stands for some kind of yellow flower. I could not help but look out since."

"Aaaand, um," Vy got between the two Servants with hands raised, acutely becoming aware of sparks flying above her head, "what did you find, Count?"

The last thing she was expecting (again today, funny enough) was for Dantes to give her a small yet heartfelt smile. "Kuku," was the chuckle under his breath. Then he said, "You may be the key."

Vy slowly blinked at him, taking in the words in what felt like an eternity's wait when it was really only a few seconds. Barely registering Robin Hood's fake gagging behind her, she said to the Count, "What key?"

"…It is nothing, little flower," he said in the same voice, and he raised a hand to once again pat her head. Even if the touch was still wispy and far too faint to really take in the sensation, it was obvious he was identifying himself as the "mysterious headpat" to Vy now, and Vy felt her heart swell a few centimeters outwards. "Just allow me to thank you. My Accomplice wouldn't be where she is without you." Something shined in his eyes at that moment, something along the lines of what looked like love and concern before it was squashed by the darkness that was what laid behind his yellow eyes. "Do not leave her."

Even when Robin Hood was impatiently tapping his foot behind them, Vy knew her answer.

"Aya-san's my friend, Count. There's no way I could."

It seemed to be enough when the Count retracted his hand and brought it to his hat to hide his face.

Vy couldn't help herself. She proceeded to reach over and gently pat Dantes' head through his hat. An eye for an eye, or so they said. Sure, it took standing up on her tiptoes to do so, but once Dantes was looking at her again, she said with a warmer smile, "With that established, do you want to eat porridge together? We can get Aya-san to eat with us."

"You… You would mingle with me?"

"No," Robin Hood said.

"Yes," Vy said. She could faintly hear Archer put a palm to his face soon afterwards (even muttering something like, "Goddammit, Vy,"), but in the light of the moment, she couldn't care.

Even if Edmond Dantes wasn't her Servant, he was still a comrade, and considering how he looked after Aya-san more than Vy ever could, he was worth spending time with.

"If you want, let's go get Aya-san together, Count! I'm sure with you around, we'll get her to eat something!"

"How… bright of you."

They had a few steps to go, but it was progress!

Note: For the FFN version of this chapter, I'll just gently put the link to the artwork Pan made for me as a sketch commission featuring Robin Hood and Vy from the latter half. Please enjoy it after you take out the spaces and add the end of the url (starts with a c and ends with an m). :) writer-and-artist27. tumblr post/645958396799025152/image-description-a-digital-sketch-of-archer