"He fought with a what?" Jean muttered with her forehead creasing in concentration. She massaged her eyes. Her fatigue must be worse than initially thought if she read that right.
With the moonlight dawning the world in the sun's absence, her office chandelier did not give the needed clarity as her eyes bore themselves into the page with intensity. Rereading there was nothing wrong with her. She triple-checked, setting it near her candelabrum as close as possible without setting it aflame. According to witnesses from different sources, one of them being an alchemist under the Investigation Company, John weaponized a shield by hurling it like a throwing axe… that he even used against a mitachurl!
She slapped the file on her table. No… it must be fatigue. She's lost it.
Three quick knocks on the door interrupted her thought.
"Might I intrude a moment?" A muffled voice came from the other side of her office.
"Albedo, is that you?" She might get the answers she needs. If not, then clues to John's identity and origin. While she had no suspicions of his severe head injury that led to his amnesia (and mercy on him if it worsened from his recent one), that didn't ease her reservations. However, it's nothing more than mere curiosity inclined to his… exotic fashion.
Among other things.
"Come in." The door clicked open as the chief of the alchemists let himself in, his arm holding a clipboard. Strangely, Albedo was not wearing his usual hooded coat, but a dark, plain robe instead.
"Perfect timing. Has the Investigation Company finished their analysis of our… is that John's coat you're wearing?"
"I'm sure you're wondering why." Albedo said straight and simple, if not a little stressed as the recent times demanded extra workloads, "The answer is that it'd be more convenient for a demonstration than it would've otherwise. Observe."
Albedo connected the two ends of the hem as he pulled the tab.
Ziiiiiip.
Jean's mix of confusion and surprise washed away her fatigue.
"Fascinating, isn't it? This fastening mechanism bonds two sides seamlessly." Although stress from the hours of labor spent producing Klee's specialty gunpowder, that did nothing to numb his astonishment.
"… I admit I find this novel." Jean puckered her lips to the side. "But I don't understand how this is relevant."
"This should help." Albedo offered a magnifying glass. Jean stood from her chair and walked to him, receiving the glass kindly. "Inspect every serrated "teeth" and you'll find why."
"Could you do… that again?" Jean fixated on each serration. Albedo tugged the hem of the jacket down to keep the zipper taut and straight, and with his fingers pinching the zipper tag, slowly he pulled up and down as it clicked and chittered. The uniform and equidistant teeth from two sides conjoined once the tab passed through them and vice versa… which was nothing short of a wonder.
"It'd be a titanic task for human hands to make this, as each tooth must be perfectly identical to interlock." Albedo reasoned. "Hence our rationale that this must be machine-made from mechanized nations, which led to our conclusion that he must be either Snezhnayan or Fontainian if we're to ignore his facial features."
Jean's eye concentrated on every tooth, each as small as a grain of wheat. She admired how it all worked so… effortlessly. She could compare this precision craftsmanship to clockwork imports from Fontaine.
"Apart from this mechanism, the density of the weave..." Albedo paused, rethinking his angle of approach. Clothes should be the last of Jean's concerns. "Perhaps I should stop here. I believe we don't have the luxury of exploring weaving techniques, but I think you already get the notion-"
"Jean! You have to try this!" Kaeya walked in bombastically. Jean noticed Kaeya was holding his cavalry boots with one hand, then turned her attention to… John's exotic shoes in substitute. He showed off by "jogging" on the spot. "It's these shoes. Weird design aside, there's just… something off about them."
"Huh. So you're the one who took it." Albedo's cold deadpan caused Kaeya to giggle softly, "I was going to bring that to my lab for material analysis had I had the time."
"Which you don't." Kaeya grinned cockily, his words sliding in a sing-song. "I knew you were busy restocking munitions, so I thought, why not test it in the meantime? And don't make it sound like I'm a thief when it was your team who took it without a certain someone's consent."
Albedo groaned in mild annoyance at Kaeya's hypocrisy. "Well it was you who seconded the investigation, and the maids had his clothes-"
"Ah-ah. Doesn't matter." Before Albedo could retort, Kaeya pulled off John's sneakers like a child showing off a bug they found to their parents. "Since you're already wearing his jacket, then you really should try this next. You'll know what I'm on about."
Kaeya wore back his boots, while Albedo untied and pulled off his; there was no harm entertaining Kaeya, whose enthusiasm only fueled his curiosity about what makes John's shoes so special.
"Oh…" Done tugging the shoes as firm, Albedo sauntered around to get a feel. While the shoes did not perfectly fit, it was secure enough. The paddings, the grip, the flexibility. There was nothing else like it. For shoes that have thick soles, it was counterintuitively weightless while granting comfort miles beyond what leather shoes cannot accomplish.
… Are these even leather?
"The ergonomics are… unexpectedly excellent," Albedo exclaimed a little too excitedly. "Compared to this, if I instead use our standard issue footwear, I might as well walk barefoot."
"Seeeee?! I spare no mora for my things and here I thought I had the best!" Kaeya removed his furred half-cape and unbuttoned his blouse. "It's simply an otherworldly experience, isn't it? Now, my good man, can I try that jacket in exchange?"
Perhaps Jean should also try it? If these two Captains are giving their praises, then it must be a must-have experience…
Wait.
No.
She coughed twice with exertion, giving them both a half-amused glare. Her arms crossed with ilk. "Did you enter with nothing else in mind, Captain? I hope you brought something more important."
She picked up all Kaeya's top wear. She didn't need to put it near her nose to discern the scent that was anything but Kaeya's cologne. Of course, the Cavalry Captain treats this siege as any. Leave it to the romantic hedonist who knows how to destress.
"Oh but of course. I was about to tell you that John just awoke-"
"You couldn't have told that first?!" Jean slapped Kaeya's blouse to his chest as she jogged to the doorway. "One of you call Lisa!"
The other two followed post haste.
"Seriously, you have to try the shoes!" Shouted Kaeya, putting on his clothes in a rush. Albedo followed behind while forgetting his boots.
…
"He's waking up… I think. I'll inform the captains." A man's voice resounded in John's ears in a way that made him think he was underwater.
His first instinct was to move his hand to his throbbing headache. His fingers felt fabric, which led him to think it wasn't migraine. But he can't recall what caused it. Maybe this time, he really was struck with amnesia. Whatever. It'll come back anyway.
"Ahhhh…" John stretched his arms until they made a pop.
With a glance around the room lit by wall torches, he saw he was in a patient ward where all bunker beds were occupied, and he didn't want to know if the dudes whose arms hung down were dead next to him. There were two guards in full plate armor with brass linings, engrained with the Order's coat of arms, standing beside the doorway.
"Ey yo sup dudes." John giggled goofily. He felt a little funny, like coming out of the room after a dental operation. He threw random gang signs with giggles, deranged as a rabid rat. The guards posed defensively thinking he was casting offensive magic. Whatever he's doing, they're not comfortable being around a deranged lunatic capable of fighting monsters.
"Chu mind tel'n me where'm?" His voice cracked midway like a teenager, which did not ease their fright. Then he recalled something else. Wasn't he supposed to receive his wage yesterday? "Ofuck. My-pay. Hertha? Oi! You! Ya'll nn where'n mefuch?"
"Ah... So our dear hero finally awakens… ish." The cavalry captain walked in along with the other two, cracking a smile as John made a fool of himself.
"Shir?" With one arm, John copied their salute from memory.
"Drop the- Haha!" Kaeya laugh-scoff with a playful grin, amused by John's poor attempt at their salute. "Drop the sir. No need for formalities. That cryo abyss mage didn't do a number on your head now, did it?"
"Mhmmm… neyowp?" His head drooped to the side haphazardly.
Everyone exchanged looks.
Lisa's shoes clacked on the stone floor. She jogged into the room with beads of sweat and heat on her face. "Oh thank goodness you're awake, cutie. A part of me is greatly worried that you have fallen into a coma." She unbandaged his, well, head bandages. "John? Dear? I'm aware you're feeling odd. It's the bandage. It has magical properties that numb your nervous system. Its effects should come off right about… now."
His head became clearer as memories flooded like a broken dam.
"… John? You do remember us, right? You're staring like we're not here."
John's eyebrows creased from the flooding memories. He said flatly with no expression, "What happened to that fluffy bastard?"
"Fluffy bastard." Kaeya parroted. "Ha! That's a new one. But uhh we lost 'em. When Sara told us you were out there… fighting with a shield, we hardly believed her. So uh…" His eyes turned guilty, scratching his head behind, wincing his eye. "Haha… had we arrived earlier you wouldn't be here right now."
"So how are you feeling, cutie?"
"I'm feeling alive, thank you for asking." His bluntness made them weakly chuckle. He inspected everyone else in the room. "Hey… you. Those are mine." John pointed accusingly to Albedo's shoes with a slight scowl. They're the only kicks on his person since his transmigration. One of the few mementos from Earth to which he can never return. "Give those back, kid."
"Oh! My apologies." Albedo knelt to unshoe. "I can explain everything if you let me."
"Creep." John deadpanned. He wasn't usually judgmental, but he deliberately agitated them to study their reaction and behavior. "Is it normal around here to wear what's not yours?"
"It's all a misunder-"
"Yeah, Albedo. That is sooo unkind of you." Kaeya's grin became cocky, his eye half-closed in a playful demeanor. "As far as definition goes, borrowing without consent is no different from thievery. Oh but of course, a genius like you knows that already."
Albedo groaned like a dog in pain, head stooping forward as if his neck muscles were anesthetized. "You're making this worse."
"Am I?" Kaeya played it off innocently, his eyebrow arching like a cat stretching after a nap. The cliched comparison of a cat toying with a mouse seemed fitting for the cavalry captain. "Well, I'm not exactly as smart as you, so forgive this humble captain and his lack of… intellectual decorum."
"Kaeya..." Jean groaned hoarsely, facepalming.
"If everyone could excuse me…" Albedo undressed and folded John's jacket, placing it on John's footside. With only socks, Albedo half-jogged out with a deadpan on his face. "I'll go back to Jean's office to get my boots, then I'll be in the workshop to transport explosives."
… Interesting dynamic. John surmised with a stone-still expression. Kaeya's a troll. The other guy… gives off a researcher vibe. Then there's Jean. If this is a common recurrence, she's not as uptight as I think if she tolerates this kind of behavior.
If he recalled right, Amber did mention that they weren't exactly aristocrats, though he's curious how exactly it diverged from his understanding (or the lack of it) of the nobility system.
"Hmm. Whatever."
"Is it just me." Kaeya paused, taking a mental note of his rather stone-still expression. "Or do you usually shrug off everything like nothing?"
John scoffed, lazily bobbing his head. "You'd be right. But I'm just tired. It's that simple. "
"Ha!" Kaeya claps twice. "How straightforward. I'm starting to like you."
"Flattered," John said flatly, feeling a little playful, glancing at Kaeya's boob window and his fabulous blouse, then back to his eyes. "But I'm straight."
"Wha- huh? I did not mean it like that." Kaeya laughed awkwardly. "I was merely appreciating your blunt nature, but… ah never mind." He turned to the doorway. "Jean, I have an ice bridge to freeze for our messengers and skirmishers, so if you'll excuse me. John, maybe we can have a drink after this is all over? Hmm? Well, see ya!"
"So…" John hoped to break the ice. "Uhh… how are you?"
"I think we should be the ones asking that." Lisa sat beside the bed with a look of worry. "Has your memory recovered, or did your amnesia worsen?"
… Be careful. Magic exists here. She's a magician. She can do magic. She could be a walking magic lie detector. John kept silent. What would happen if people learned the truth? Millions of hypotheticals flooded his mind. He answered truthfully. "No idea. I've never had amnesia before. Besides, you people are the ones who diagnosed me."
"That's… fair." Jean cupped her chin. "Do you at least remember which country you hailed from?"
He bobbed his head from side to side. He frowned a little. If there was nowhere to hide, then he could hide in plain sight, like a soldier in a ghillie suit hiding on the plains. "Besides this city, I don't know any places in Tevyat. You could say I might as well have appeared from nowhere."
"Can you remember where you lived?" Lisa hoped John would deny it.
"I do, but I don't know if it even exists at all. You could say it's like I never even lived in this world." John answered without answering.
"… Do you even remember anything at all?"
... Take your time. They're not being impatient, he reassured, treading for a careful answer. "… Like what? How can I recall what I don't know I have?"
"What about your past? You remember your name, at least. John Smith, isn't it? Are you a smith?"
"I… don't think my last name has any meaning." John looked at his hands and then showed them to Lisa. There was not a spot of callus. "I don't think I've been in a forge before."
She forced out a hoarse giggle. His words painted Lisa a pensive look. "Oh my, this is worse than I thought."
He felt like a ballerina dancing in a rice paddy sprinkled with anti-infantry mines while under machinegun fire. But he kept his cool. Like ice melting in the summer heat, but still cool. Very cool.
Jean came up with a question, one that she braced for the worse. She recalled Amber's report; he was the only one she rescued and there was no one else in the vicinity. She breathed in, hoping for the best. Softly, she said, "John… what about your parents? Or friends? We can help you contact them."
"I..." John's stony expression showed genuine cracks. This time he was being real. "I don't think I can ever see them again."
"Oh, gods." A small gasp escaped Lisa's lips, whereas Jean took a sharp breath taking in the shock. "You poor thing..."
…Honestly, with their compassion, he felt a little ashamed about hiding the truth. But her empathy isn't completely misplaced. He just wished that everyone he knew could carry on without him. John thought about what could change the topic. And then an idea came, he suppressed a playful smirk to keep his facade of innocence. Maybe he'll act like an idiot, or twist their words and attack their character, or improvise. Whatever works. He imagined what would happen if they suspected he was some spy from whatever nation was out there. So for now, masquerading as the town fool seems to be the best action.
"Yes, I am poor. I'd appreciate you do not shame my financial situation."
"No, I mean…" Lisa facepalmed, whereafter a short moment followed by something of a mix between a sigh and a chortle.
"Your reaction tells me I said something odd, didn't I?" John bored his eyes straight into Lisa's. "My apologies. Considering my situation, I'd say it's a miracle I can even talk the same language as you are."
"A miracle would be an understatement, but I fully concur." She nodded slowly. "You've got quite a unique character, don't you, sweetie?"
"Sweetie?" John faked a confused expression; it was subtle, barely raising an eyebrow by just a millimeter and tiling his head by two degrees to the left. Like a cat, he licked the back of his hand. Everyone got confused. "I am salty, like… salt, which very much does not taste sweet."
"Did you literally just-" She bore her gaze on his eyes. He was really serious. She covered her mouth to smother a snort. Others looked at him funny, but all were nonetheless amused.
"Of course I did. It's making me curious why you think I'm a sweetie. I don't want ants crawling all over me." John's deadpan was neither suspicious nor incriminating. But inside he was laughing. "I can only guess you tasted me while I was asleep earlier. Did I taste sweet that time?"
If Jean was sipping tea behind her desk she would have spat on the documents.
"Wait, I- Huh?!" Lisa did her best to stifle the laughter bursting in her chest. Her composure was crumbling, and everyone was baffled by the absurdity. She shrieked, "I did not! It was an expression! Not a literal descri-"
Lisa threw her head forward and laughed a little loudly. She slapped John's shoulder as she gave a squeeze, whereas Jean facepalmed, grinning wide a mile.
"I said something strange again, didn't I? My apologies."
"You may have-" Lisa coughed like she had a fishbone stuck in her throat. "You may have lost some common sense, but at least that can be mended in time."
"I'm not that ignorant." John frowned a little. If he pushed a little more, people would think he's some clueless idiot with social skills on the negative. "Quite a hypocrite of you, don't you think? Common sense dictates you don't just lick someone."
Lisa's chest kept rising and falling from her sharp wheezes. Her cheeks reddened, and her jaw started to sore. "John, no. That's... Oh, you're hopeless."
…
The importance of a Cryo vision holder within the Knights of Favonius cannot be overstated. Considering the city only has a single bridge connecting to the outside world, having the ability to turn water into walkable ground grants freedom from many angles.
Kaeya could sneak groups to wherever needed across the map. He checked the platoon hidden under the veil of darkness. Their Favonian armor would've glistened under the moonlight had it shone a little brighter. Their only discernable features were their bows and swords on their silhouette as they treaded the icy bridge from the city's pier to the eastside shore.
Their goals for tonight were plenty, and they had time before sunrise. But firstly, they have to make contact and coordinate with Eula's contingent and combine power. They should have gathered info on where and when they could cut off reinforcements from adding to the main army.
"Everyone's accounted for, Cap'." Amber's peppy cheer was accompanied by the knights saluting in formation.
The last of the knights stepped off the ice bridge as it crumbled a moment later.
"The distraction should start about... now." Kaeya looked at the city wall's dark silhouette. The archers atop the battlements released a volley of fire arrows. The scene looked like a burst of shooting stars raining from the heavens.
End
Edit: Feb 16, 2024 - bit of editing and rewriting
March 17, 2024 - oh wow. Still editing after a month of release. Anyway, did some minor edits. Again lol.