A Katarina Vacation Arc
Katarina's next major interaction with her aunt Leona began thusly:
"Katarina dear, can I have some of your blood?"
"Um… okay?"
"M-mother! Why do you need cousin Katarina's blood?! A-as the knight protecting her, I cannot allow anything that would interfere with her recovery!"
"You can't stop me, daughter dear! She already gave her permission!"
"Well, if it– wait, I changed my mind! That needle's too big! THAT NEEDLE'S TOO BIG! Cousin Mashu, save me!"
"Please don't call me that, I'm a grown woman now!"
Thus came tragic battle where mother fought against daughter! Tea tray was wielded valiantly against huge brass needle as Katarina tried to stay behind Matthew while hopping on one leg.
Mother neglected to mention that aunt Leona had powerful Wind Magic. Fortunately, she was unprepared for Snake version 187.9! Katarina whipped it out of her pocket and into her surprised aunt's face.
"Run away!" Katarina cried, turning to roll away from her aunt.
Thankfully, this was unnecessary as cousin Mathew threw the tea tray in her mother's face, picked up Katarina in a princess carry for the second time that day, and ran for it.
Wow! That was twice that her toy snakes had saved her life! See everyone, all these years of practicing to throw it hadn't been a waste of time after all.
"I really hope auntie will have calmed down by lunch," Katarina commented as cousin Matthew continued to carry her.
"She won't cause a scene during lunch," Matthew assured her. "… probably…"
Still, Matthew didn't slow down as they continued to run down the hall.
"Hello mother, hello cousin Olga!" Katarina said cheerfully as they passed them in the hall.
Aunt and niece looked after the retreating pair with expressions that didn't so much say they'd given up as collapse into a heap on the ground while wailing in despair.
A moment later, Leona ran past, wielding a syringe with a large brass needle.
"Hello Mili, hello Olga," she greeted as she ran past.
For a moment, the two just stared after them.
"It's… good to be home, I suppose," Mili said, looking like she was questioning her life choices and had cutting contact with her family really been such a bad idea?
"I can't wait to go to the Academy," Olga said.
Aunt and niece looked at each other and realized they were in the presence of a kindred spirit.
"Olga…" Mili said, "do you know about the hidden reading room in the library?"
Olga blinked. "There's a hidden room in the library?"
"Oh yes, you just need to climb the ladder to the top of the shelves holding different editions of 'The Desire to Live', activate the switch there to unlock the door, go down to old Froderick's medical books, take off the candle next to 'How I Did It" and not get caught by the rapidly rotating book shelf," Mili said. "I'll show you. I spent many a day there hiding from your mother when she was on her ladder-making phase."
"We still have that huge ladder that leads up to the cliff with the golden pine trees," Olga said.
"Oh, I remembering being dragged into building that," Mili said, with an expression like one being told she had to enter the Bed of Chaos. "Almost fell to my death many, many times. But no, Leona gave me a harness, wouldn't let me die."
"We just gave it maintenance last month," Olga said, with an identical expression.
The two sighed.
"So, hidden room in the library?" Olga said.
"Right this way, my dear niece," Mili said.
"Lead on, favorite aunt," Olga said.
It was a while later before Mili registered what had been said. The sudden smile she had when realization hit was mildly terrifying. Fortunately, she was turned away from Olga at the time.
"So, why does aunt Leona want my blood?" Katarina asked later in the safety of Matthew's room. It was a very interesting room, somehow both girly and knight-y. Bookshelves full of Night Fall books, knight procedural books like the 'Darkmoon 99' series, the Devilish Count novels, mystery novels like the Arsonist Scrolls, and travelogue books like 'Journey to Ashina' shared space with armor stands holding different kinds of armor (cousin Matthew seemed to like purple), the closet full of dresses was matched by a closet full of different kinds of shields, and shoes shared space with high-heeled metal boots.
"Well, she's been hoping for new blood to make magic tools with," Matthew said, sitting across from Katarina. The other girl had called for snacks once they had sufficiently barricaded the room, and they were both enjoying some fruit cake. "Aunt Millidiana's letters mentioned you'd attended the academy and had Earth Magic, so she's been eager to get some of your blood to see if she could use it to make some kind of magic tool."
"Eh?" Katarina said, surprised. "W-what's a magic tool?"
"Oh, sorry, I forgot most people don't know," Matthew said. "A magic tool is a device that can use magic to do a particular thing. You need the blood of someone with some kind of magic to make one… although, uh, that's sort of a secret, so please don't tell anyone that's how they work."
"Oh, sure, don't worry," Katarina said. "I'll probably forget about it anyway, so you don't have to worry."
"Um, okay… anyway, mother has Wind Magic and sister has Fire Magic, and Aunt Henriette has water magic, but no one else in the family has Earth Magic," Matthew said. "She was hoping to get some of your blood so she could build a magic tool that used Earth Magic."
"Oh...!" Katarina said. Wow, was this new lore? She didn't remember Fortune Lover having magic tools in its setting, unless maybe they were the elevators and rotating staircases. "Wow, that's so interesting! But wait, why does she need to take so much?"
"Well, she's probably hoping to have large supply for after you leave," Matthew said. "Um, you're not leaving any time soon, are you?"
"Mother said we're going to stay for at least a month," Katarina assured her. "She says otherwise the trip just isn't worth it. Ugh, I hope Keith is taking good care of my fields…"
"Keith?" Matthew asked. "Who's Keith?"
"Oh, Keith's my younger brother," Katarina said proudly. "He's the best younger brother ever. He's actually mother's favorite, she's always telling me I should be more like him and listen to what he says."
Matthew gasped for some reason. "That's awful!" she cried.
"No, she's right, I'm not very good at being a noble," Katarina said. "I always keep doing the wrong thing and making mother really embarrassed. Though I think I might be getting better. Mother hasn't lectured me once this whole trip!" she said proudly.
"Oh… I suppose… that's good?" Matthew said hesitantly.
"Yeah, I think she's finally starting to like me!" Katarina said happily.
For a moment cousin Matthew just stared at her, then reached over and gave her a hug.
"Aw, I really like you too cousin Mashu," Katarina said, happily hugging her back.
"I thought I told you to stop calling me that!" Matthew wailed.
Though she didn't sound all that unhappy about it.
"Aunt Millidiana…" Olga said hesitantly.
"Yes, dear?" Mili said.
"Why does mother call you a little mushroom?"
Mili sighed. "Because when I was younger, during parties I stood next to walls in the darkest corners so I wouldn't be noticed or have to deal with people. But she means it with love. If you ask her, she says it's because I'm like one of Saint Elizabeth's mushrooms, which can heal people if you take in a little inside you. She said one of my hugs always made her feel better, though we were children then."
"Oh…" Olga said.
"Why do you ask?"
"Well… mother calls me her new mushroom," Olga said. "I thought she meant I was dark, gloomy and covered in swamp muck."
She stiffened as she felt her aunt sit beside her, arms going around her awkwardly. "As the first mushroom, I can tell you authoritatively that you mother has never, ever thought that," Mili said gently.
Olga looked away and most definitely did not cry.
At lunch, the first thing Olga did was walk up to her mother and give her a big hug.
"Oh! Is something wrong, Olga?" Leona said, her smile flickering a little to show her concern.
Olga shook her head, most definitely not crying. "No, just… felt like hugging you."
Leona smiled brightly, and pulled her in for her own hug. Naturally, everyone in range soon got into it, such that Olga found herself pressed on all sides by Adeths, Romanis, Arsenes and Claeses.
And she was most definitely not crying, everyone had just squeezed out water!
