Speech = "…."
Thoughts = [...…]
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º…Snipet…º
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Carl ran….he ran for dear life, never looking back for even a fucking second let the shadow claim him too like it had the others. The sound of screams and fighting still echoing behind him, louder, almost as if the very sound of snuffed screams chased after him.
Archons tits! Why? Why was this happening when things had been going so well..!?
Smuggling things here and there, pick up stuff and load it in other containers before the Gardes and their pesky mechs took notice. A simple life, boring at times...but one that paid the rent and some more.
Sadly no one told him that the fucking boogie man that had been terrorizing all crime in Fontaine for the past few weeks was gonna crash their fun tonight..!
It was too quick
Too sudden
But even in his frightened state he could still recognize the bonking sound of a bat been put to use into the skulls of his fellow fiends.
And so...
He ran...
He ran as fast as his could take him, with his beating heart threatening to burst out of his chest and sweat pricking down his nose and chin he ran. The next thing he felt was the world shaking him off balance as a rope pull him up, letting him hang like a piece of meat though not before letting him slam his head against one of the metal containers, letting him dazed and confused.
And then...just as his line of sight was coming back...he saw her.
The black caped crusader that was tormenting criminals under the cover of the night yet vanishing without a trace before the first hour of light. With the metal bat coated in blood and that skull mask that covered her face.
She surprised him when instead of swinging that bat against his defenseless form she stopped barely a breath away from him….he was caught twice again by surprise when he found himself staring at a hand extended at him.
"Wanna shake hands with the skeleton~..?"
"Wh-who are you….?
The masked female vigilante leaned closer, clasping his jaw with an iron grip as she brought him closer to the predator like grin that warped on her exposed lips before she whispered the words that would confuse him and terrify him for decades to come.
"I'm batman..."
º
º
º-….City of Fontaine...-º
º
You know…
Even though she had already been to Fontaine once before, even if briefly during its day time when she came here to visit the Institute and all the shenanigans that came along with it….she had not expected to see the city so different and yet still so amazing during night time.
The trickle of carriages had dwindled considerably to brief chances here and there and the people wandering about had decreased slightly as-well..but the whole mood about was a different beast.
There was no hurry.
No hasty steps or people running to places to work.
No crowds of people barely mingling to their respective destinations along the endless chatter from the people either eating at the feet of the streets in those cafes or open restaurants and those walking the streets. The women dressed similarly that during the day, yet those overly and exaggerated hats were gone, their hair let loose to cascade behind their backs.
Young pairs of men and women, some from here..others clearly foreigners walking closely to each other, holding hands while they laughed at things that only they were privy to while not far from them children of all ages mired the streets and alleys with their laughter and curses as they played simple games that old people from back home would have been used to when they were young.
Clearly denoting that school time was over unlike when she had come here during the Morning-Afternoon.
All while gentle melodies played by musicians bled through the air all over the city.
Even the buildings looked different from where she stood as the light from within coated a particular image that she was awfully familiar with. Yeah, for a world that did not have or had even began to develop electricity it damn felt like she was back home as the light from within the stores and the lamps shine bright around her.
..
..
She bit her lip
The mirth from her lips died while the smile on her lips became a little more strained… if only for a moment.
Yeah…, it did feel a little like home. Shaking her head she decided to push away such thoughts from her mind, trying to focus more on the now rather than anything else. This was going to be a special day… better think of it that way. Like….would she meet other characters like Neuvillete as-well as Callas? And if so….would it be too much to wonder if she could make the fish-dragon man blush?
An absurd thing to think about when you remember that she could barely withstand those sharp cheek bones of his...
But oh well..it was not like she thought she could come here to such and important event wearing the normal clothes that she used back at the House... or those that I sullied with Hilichurl blood.
She felt a shiver of unease at that particular memory.
So.., it was no brainier that she had to go for an….. "upgrade" in her wardrobe.
Luckily for her, her room had an ample list of choices from which to pick from at her own leisure.
Sadly...she had zero taste in fashion, a weakness she had drag from her original home so it became necessary to call Noriko for aid. Surprisingly...the black haired girl was more than thrilled about lending her the necessary help to find the right dress that would suit best for the occasion.
And oh boy that girl had a knack for this.
That or her sense of taste was still trash and anything offered to her looked good in her eyes.
Maybe both?
Anyway..., the super tight, open legged black dress with the criss cross halter pattern for her more than prominent cleavage and side-boob that hang in place only because of the black choker on her neck they were connected to alongside her now bare shoulders, gently covered with a loose thick white fur-coat like one of those old fashion commercial and the black elbow gloves that slid out of her wide sleeves would surely make her look the part for such an important occasion.
And clearly not because she wanted to get a reaction of a certain pervert to make her "talks" go more smoothly.
Or try to make a certain Dragon boy get flustered
Not that she would mind much if that indeed end up happening though.
It was about time to get even with those men for using their looks as weapons against her for once, and what better way than when she had her head lock in on the game..?
Yeah..
That sounded a bit shameless..
But meh, who cares? When in Rome do as the Romans do, and Fantasy Gacha anime land should be no different.
However, when she finally made her way towards the Fontain of Lucine and the adjacent area where the event was going to take place she did not find any of those two. Instead she was met with a shit ton of Gardes, mechs, the common citizen as-well as a few tourist here and there drawn by the event.
And last but not least there was..
Was...
..
..
"Are those food stands..?"
Of everything and everyone standing in front of her that last detail may have been the least important thing to focus on all things considered..., and yet she could not help but ask out-loud as she noticed the colorful rows of tents and carts and the sweet aroma of food that came from them.
It did remind her of home, of all those cheap, low cost street vendors, albeit more steam punk version of them.
A surprise to be sure...but a welcome one even though she did not know why they were there in the first place given the nature of the event. Surely there was a law here and there that would not look favorably on such a set up.
The fact that the Gardes and their mechs were not doing anything gave pause to such thoughts
Specially given that some of the clients were Gardes themselves.
Perhaps... this was just some of the world-building that was never included in the game proper now brought to life in the most literal meaning of the word as she was now part of this world as one of its characters instead of a disembodied player looking through a screen.
It made her wonder…
What else was different from what she remembered..?
"Indeed madam Knave…, from time to time when something like this airs out a lot of merchants and business set up shop in order to scrap some Mora" The collected yet clearly cheerful voice of Noriko coming from her left brought her attention back to reality.
The black haired maid may not have been the most sensible choice to have tag along her...but she was one of the few people she enjoyed her presence. The fact that she was cute, had a soft spot for her and the girl was… a bit too much willing to go to hell and back for her if she so wished may have played a part on that choice though.
"The young lad its right...such practices are common in Fontaine, even though you would expect they shouldn't.."
Came off Gerard to her right, the old man having been her second choice to accompany her here. Funny enough, even though she had still her doubts about the man, a part of her felt at ease in his presence.
No idea why though.
Gerard rubbed his chin with one hand while the other remained behind his back "True, there are some laws that forbid this…. but not even the Gardes bother to enforce those when they are barely active a few hours after the events are done.."
"Well, with how much love for spectacles Fontaine has.. even if they place low prices the benefits would surely outweigh heavily whatever expenses they have with their little set ups..."
"That...would be very accurate madam.." He said with a weak nod
Perhaps she could try her luck in this market as side hustle….set up a few shops here and there and make some quick money. Surely it would not be something too hard if these people could manage it without the interference of the law.
She paused for a second to think about it
And..
..
Yeah, no…
There was no world where she could mask such idea as a Fatui military operation with a straight face if asked WHY. Besides, who its going to buy from a stand where the vendor its a Fatui Skirmisher in battle regalia...? The people of Fontaine liked weird things...but surely that would be crossing a line. Right..?
[Guess that the idea of making ice-cream will have to wait...bummer]
She thought with a pang of dejection before an idea popped up. Why go the psycho difficult road when….perhaps she could pull that idea with incognito agents..? Nah, forget the presence of agents at all, just hiring plain old normal people should do the trick.
A small smirk warped around her lips before she pumped a fist up in the air.
[Hell Yeah~! That sounds far more plausible and easy…! Fontaine be ready because here comes my Legal and clearly not Shady and completely "original" monetary enterprise..!]
It wasn't like no one here would know what a chain of fast food restaurants were. Certainly, a creepy red haired clown in another Universe was smiling at the prospect of her idea getting closer to reality.
"Its something wrong madam..?"
She shyly lowered her hand as she was once more reminded that she was not doing her antics in private.
"No.., nothing of the sort.." She mused before she shook her head, trying to push away the painful reminder that ice-cream in summer time was not going to happen until next year to the very least "So...ever tried one of them?
Noriko tilted her head in deep thought before she shook her head.
"No madam Knave.."
[What...? Oh you poor thing..] There was nothing more fun in a medieval Fantasy land with gods, magic and Steam Punk mechs than to buy junk food on the street. What was this girl doing with her life-Ah...right..Fatui groomed child soldier remember…?
"I see...wanna try one of them Noriko?"
The maid blinked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.
"M-me?"
"Eh..yeah?"
Who else could she be referring to..? Superman..?
"I-I would never dare such a thing my lady.."
[Dare? Oh please...I am not going to smite you down for just wanting to buy something for yourself..!] With a sigh Crucabena put a hand on her hip. "But you were looking at them with such interest, are you sure..?"
"Yes! To be at your side its reward enough.."
Was the readily and clearly NOT fanatical response that she got. A comically large droplet of sweat slid behind her scalp at such a declaration. [That's...nice I guess, but not what I intended. Guess that we are doing this the hard way…]
"Go.., your master commands you to go and have fun and I will not accept any attempts to stall. Pick something to eat, or buy something for the three of us if you want, but go out there and buy yourself a treat.."
"But I.."
"Surely you would not disappoint your master now, would you~?" She did not wait for an answer as she held the girls hands with her own "Here, take this more with you..have fun" She said just as she lend the girl a small bag with Mora for her troubles.
"You are too kind..."
"Me? Kind..? Nonsense, I am just been pragmatic...now shush girl.." She said as serious as she could, as if that had been an insult to her pride as a Harbinger even though deep down she knew that her lips were curling upwards.
It really was hard to try to be tough when you were not predisposed to it.
Or the person in front of you was a sweet heart
The girl did not reply back this time though much to her surprise and satisfaction, either wising up or finally getting the gist of what she was trying to do as she quickly nodded, bowed and then ran towards the closest food stall she could find.
A faint smile on her lips all while at it.
[Ah...they grow so fast…] Crucabena sighed with a pang of pride in her chest.
You know, even though she had the feeling that the girl and herself were not that different from one another age wise.. it was moments like this that made her realize that it was more like dealing with another child.
That look of wonder..
Of sheer child-like fawning curiosity…
She could not help but tease her about it like a big sister would.
"Are you sure to sent her off like that..Madam?"
"Why..? Worried about her Gerard.." She asked back with a playful side eye to the aged man to which he shook his head, his gaze still locked looking at where the maid had disappeared to...before looking back to her.
"No...not really…, just trying to think of a reason why you would encourage that girl to wander off her duties so easily..."
That made her rise an eyebrow.., did she made a mistake somewhere?
"I take that you disagree with my decision…?"
"Whatever your command I will obey.."
That made her eyebrow rise even higher though at the end she just shrugged.
"Well, if you say so~.."
After that they then wandered further into the square, passing through the ever growing crowd of people. Her gaze landing on the now empty stage that soon would come up to life with the star of the event itself and the podium from which Callas would speak to the crowd.
Nothing too fancy, and yet….felt rather imposing, powerful...almost as if foreshadowing the character of the man that would be behind it….and the changes that he would bring forth to Fontaine.
..
It was then that an idea came to mind.
Slowly, her gloved hand slid down her ample chest. Fingers carefully disappearing into the beautiful and juicy crack of her exposed cleavage before they pulled out a small like book. The benefits of this body never stopping in paying up as she started to write down something along the scrawls already on the pages.
"Madam? What are you writing..?"
"A few ideas I came up with..."
"Ideas..?"
"Things to do, things to change….though if you wish for me to skip the details you could think them as things to improve at the Hearth. Especially about our recruitment and training goals when it comes to the….children"
"Additional training..? New test? More elaborate punishments..?"
Even though she tried not to, Crucabena cringed at how easily the man could talk about such things.
Especially the last part.
"Well….not really..."
"I...don't think I follow.."
She shook her heard with a pang of amusement though it was short lived.
"Well, it would be presumptuous that all of them will become seasoned k-warriors…" Her words cracked at the end, the mere thought of considering the children into soon to be killers leaving a repugnant taste in her mouth "By creating a more diverse and reaching baseline of work we would make them develop in other directions that could be of help to us…"
Of course, she had chosen to remark that last line for she had the nagging suspicion that charity would not be openly accepted. As on cue the folds on Gerards face multiplied ten fold, silver eyes like her own narrowing, holding her words in silent contemplation.
Considering them.
"How..?"
Crucabena bit her lip, not out of worry or dismay...but to stifle down her own enthusiasm from showing too much.
She had to play the evil lady role after all.
"Simple, we focus on what they are better at...what their interest draw them to. Their intelligence and abilities should not be boxed in such narrow directions as just combat and...endurance, children have a lot of different perspectives that old people no longer do...things that could be exploited into greater talents.."
She then flipped a page of the notebook.
That was probably a bunch of bullshit...but she would die on her hill if she could not make things less painful for everyone at the House. She waited for a gruff, a growl of approval or a nod from the old man...but Gerard merely remained still.
Looking at her with a strange look in his face…..or maybe something behind her..?
[Did I say something wrong..?]
Not knowing if that was the case or if he was just waiting for more to be said she tried to convince herself that it was the latter.
"Some could help us on our taxes, writing documents and establishing portfolios that could aid them in more office line works, some could help me prepare my perfumes so that they become aware of not only the process of elaboration, but the materials needed for other concoctions that could be of use.."
"And what about...what they are already learning.."
Gerard finally spoke, his tone as-always.
But it felt….guarded
Curt..
"It will continue...but it wont be the primary focus of the Hearth. Remember Gerard, we must spread our wings, expand our reach..if not someone else will do so and take that from us.."
[Sorry Arle...I am stealing your idea a few decades too early. Hope you don't mind..]
..
..
..
..
"I understand master.."
Crucabena left out a breath she had not known she had been holding.
[Oh thank god he gets it..]
"With this new system we will be able to spread our numbers more rapidly and effectively not only through Fontaine..but to the four corners of Tevat, conquering the nation from the shadows."
"Yes thats-" [Wait WHAT...!?]
"I must admit that I had my reservations at first, changes do happen when a next Knave takes charge like when you took the reins of the House from the matron, Madam...but something like this? Unheard of.."
[Oh my god...]
"And yet….I know can see that its just a small part of a great scheme of a scale I could not have imagined.."
[He didn't get it...]
He really didn't
A small cloud of depression started to hover above her head as she could not begin to understand where she had gone wrong. And why-no..HOW in gods forsaken name had he taken her words and thought for a GODDAMN second that what she meant was world domination..?
What kind of leap in logic was that?
WHO DOES THAT….!?
"However, I...have a question about this idea madam. Especially about the conflict it creates with a past accord we had.."
[Oh come on...now what..?]
Trying to feign a calm demeanor...or as calm as she could anyway she tilted her head to the side, silver eyes meeting the old mans with a peculiar glimmer.
"A question you say…"
"Yes.."
"About that.."
"Yes, about that…"
"That topic.."
"Indeed that topic.."
She started to feel a bead of sweat slid behind her scalp by that point. [Please...don't ask me what is my master plan after the conquest of Fontaine. Don't make me pull an Ainz here…] With a heavy inward sigh she too a step forward.
"Could you elaborate what that problem would be about? There are so many things I have to deal with that they tend to blur together.."
A big fat lie
But right now she was reaching for straws..
"I...I am sure that my words would fall insufficient to express your expectations..."
[Dude! Stop pulling a Demiurge! I don't have the bone density to pull an Ainz and survive…!]
"Do. It. Now…." She growled through her teeth.
Now it was Gerards time to sweat.
Though..much to her credit he did not ran or look away.
"If... we do this marvelous changes….what would happen to the children the Doctor tends to receive from our end..?"
A sourness started to rise up in her throat.
A coldness gripping her heart in an iron grip that she had felt not that long ago.
"We talked about this already…" She spatted, her voice barely a whisper yet the vitriol rearing in through clenched teeth was almost too much to bear for her.
Why? Why was he bringing this up again..? In a moment like this a festive mood should have been the norm instead of throwing her way that thorny subject. And yet, much to her disappointment Gerard did not seem flinch at that and make a U turn, instead the look in his eyes softening...but still holding strong.
"That was about the cursed Child-"
"Peruere.."
"What..?"
"Her name...is Peurere.." She reiterated again, more strongly, her voice straining.
"Madam-"
"Use. It..."
She barked coldly, clenching her fist so tightly that her knuckles started to creak.
She hated this..
She hated the fact that he was dehumanizing the poor girl and expecting her to agree with it.
Why couldn't they give her a break? Why were they so fixated in alienating that poor girl? Thing? It? Cursed? She didn't care if she had black hands, X pupils in her eyes or ancient blood running through her veins, she was a KID for fucks sake! She didn't need idiots throwing more trauma at her than she already had..!
"My apologies madam...I spoke out of place.."
[You don't say..]
"But believe that my worries about the Doctor are justified, this is different thing entirely than what I talked about my..."colleagues" intentions."
"No it isn't.."
"Madam, there could be repercussions.., what would Lord Dottore think-"
"I care two shits about what he thinks" She cut off the man on the spot as she jabbed a finger on his chest, catching him by surprise with the way his eyes opened wide "The House is mine. MINE, and their children are not pieces of clay to torn apart and use like building blocks in whatever monster he is cooking up in that basement of his."
The reminder of that cringe love letter of his was bad enough. Was Gerard really telling her to amuse that mans antics?
No
She refused…
Even if the Dottore in question were to be a nicer version of the man she refused.
However, just as she was going to point that out she noticed the golden glimmer of one Mora on the ground. Between huffing and cursing through her teeth both Gerards stupidity and Dottores existence she knelt down to pick it up.
She was not expecting that when she did would hear seven loud thuds to her side.
Curious if nothing else by the sudden noise, she rose her head up...only that when she did she took notice of a few pairs of knifes stuck on a wooden plank right next to her. The blades still bobbling from the impact from their shallow cuts on the wooden frame.
The novelty of the moment drained away the anger, leaving room for idle curiosity.
"Hmm….the wind must be pretty strong today if it can fling those things so easily..."
"The wind?" Parroted half gasped Gerard...though she merely shrugged at that.
"Yeah..you don't have the slightest idea what you can find flying when a strong winds passes by.."
Try to
Shaking her head she decided to continue on her merry way. However, just as she took the next corner-
"Oh no! The fire burn the rope! Watch out for that box..!"
A man with a sailors cap warned, drawing her attention to a rope angled upwards to her left that had been hanging a box like container in the air until the flickering flames of a torch placed way to close to the entire thing had eaten away the ropes.
Only to fall a meter away from her side.
It sure did crack the pavement like a rotten egg, but apart from that she was left more or less completely unscathed.
Talk about dumb luck, eh?
"Eh..sir, you should try to make sure to keep fire from combustible objects like..you know.. ropes?" She said to the baffled man, however the sailor did not respond back to her though, merely glaring in complete astonishment at the slim space between her and where the box had landed.
Almost as if he was confused that she was not freshly pumped tomato sauce on the ground.
Which she found quite rude.
Luckily for the soon to be berated man, Gerard intervened.
"Madam, I don't like this..."
"Hmm? What? No one got hurt.., [almost...at leas-]
"Watch out! The Lion has escaped!"
Like a broken clock stuck on a loop another voice cried out from afar, and case in point a few moments later she was met with a big ass feline staring down at her.
[Oh cool...there are Lions in Teyvat..]
..
[OH FUCK! There are Lions on Teyvat..!]
However, just as she was about to raise her hand to defend herself...the Lion that was about to pounce on her….started rolling on the ground? Waving its tail left and right..? Making cute faces?
Was she high in morphine again..?
Of course she did not remember that she had forgotten to wash away the smell of catnip from her time feeding the cats in the House.
For some reason events like that started to happen time and time again.
Bird cages opening up as they passed.
A carriage going out of control
A plant pot falling almost over her head.
So many strange things going on….and all happening around her near vicinity? She was not becoming a Bennet now, was she..?
Anyway, Gerard seemed to notice the strange chain of events happening so at some point he decided to call it quit while he was able to. Saying something about testing the food stands or something like Noriko was doing. To which...she did not believed him for a moment. However she did not stop him, merely waving him off as he too disappeared into the crowd.
She took notice that a girl in a wheelchair that was been pushed by a mech was glaring at her from the side, to which she waved her hand in kind. However the kid merely sent her a death glare and turn bail faster than her eyes could follow.
"Well….that was weird..."
Ignoring that oddity she end up scurrying away from the limelight of activity that was the main street and sneaked into one of the alleyways that led to the square without no one noticing. The voices of the people wandering about dimming down as she hid from prying eyes and even more bothersome ears.
"You can come out now, he has left..."
She whispered, seemingly to herself if nothing else in the dark lighted alleyway and the cold breeze blowing by between the cold walls of stone and cobblestone.
However what came next would make anyone hold that thought.
"As you wish...my lady" A gentle voice replied back behind her with the singsong tune of a melody.
Turning around she was met with a woman walking out of a diamond shaped portal.
A mirror Maiden
The very same one that had come to defend her "honor" that time with Callas. Yeah.., that one, the very same one that was walking at her mommy style, wide child bearing hips swaying in a very "suspicious" manner as she approached at her. For some reason the idea of a pole materialized in her mind in that moment.
"I almost thought that the old man caught of my presence…his senses are sharp.."
There was a faint sense of praise in the masked woman's words
How peculiar.
"He is an old man in a job where people die young….its no wonder he learned a trick or two.." She said with a dismissing tone though internally she would be found smirking. It was everyone's dreams to said cool lines like that when given the chance.
"I guess you are right.."
"And...now that we are talking about tricks. I take that you heard our little conversation.."
The woman stopped, tilting her head to the side, the smirk on those plump lips never fading as she placed a lone, slender finger over them.
"Did I..?"
The answer made her rise an eyebrow.
There was something extrinsically amusing of how nonchalant the reply from the Mirror Maiden was, as if a friend trying to tease her with a show of fake ignorance over a scene they had just stumble upon. However, a more twisted side of her rejoiced at the wits of the woman as to what her words had truly been.
Nothing had happened...and so there was nothing to comment on. Crucabena could kill someone in front of the woman and the answer would be the same. Nothing had happened…...unless she told her otherwise. Blind loyalty was scary indeed.
And yet...for such a twisted individual she was quite mellow with her.
Sometimes the Mirror Maiden had asked if she could have the honor to do her hair, or pick her clothes for her walks...other time the woman would be heard calling Callas a pervert for staring at her beauty but also calling him a fool if he did not do so.
A girls gal in all but name...
Sadly she could not joke with the woman now, no share jest and talk about more mundane and girly things like she would have wanted to do with the mirror maiden like asking her to show her the face and the eyes behind that visor she wore all day.
By anime logic she was sure that they would be gorgeous.
To have such a tight body fitting outfit with so many spots showing the creamy flesh underneath and having those plump blue colored lips exposed yet never showing the eyes belonging to that face was too much teasing for her.
But no..
She could not do that..not yet anyway.
Instead she had role to play, the one of the conniving, cruel master talking with perhaps an even crueler servant.
"I have something for you…, make sure you and those you chose for this job are capable to handle it as per my instructions.."
She said as she pulled a hidden letter from the notebook she had been writing from before, the hue of the paper the same as the pages of the book, which had allowed her to push it inside without the chance of anyone noticing.
The Mirror Maiden Gracefully took the offered envelope with those deft fingers of her.
Never asking what it was or why like any other sounded individual would.
Instead, the Fatui woman readily hid the thing away in the most secure location of the entire Teyvat, that thing located between the space of those tightly pressed breasts where it disappeared from view under that creamy, soft exposed cleavage.
The way the flesh giggled faintly at the new addition making her bit her lip.
[Dammit….it should have been me, not It. ITS NOT FAIR!]
..
..
Hmm..?
Right..sorry..
That was not the point of this, was it..?
Anyway.., going back to the main topic...there was a reason why she was doing this.
It was about time she started making bigger moves in the story. Start trying to make bigger changes to it than just sit at the House and slowly play at monopoly when she could do something to help the NP-the people that would otherwise suffer.
She had to find Wriothesley. She needed to know where Elisa, the lover of Morris was living she needed to find the secret lab of Vasher if she wanted to have the clues to throw him into the slammer for good. Finding out where Chevreuse was or where the famed magician that would teach his tricks to Liney and Linette was a secondary objective, though one that she too hoped she would manage in time.
Still...it was too much ground to cover up by herself and too little time to move...given that she did not know ifs she even had time in the first place.
But, when a bird had told her that the Fatui under her command where getting restless under the comfort of the House an idea sprung in her dented skull. A long shot at best, but a rather bold and useful one if proven correct. And if the psychopaths at the House wanted to her biding then who was she to deny them.
She would get Callas to help her as face to the public and the Legion of Fatui at her beck and call would help her stop the ill fates that awaited those poor innocent people if she did not act. She just had to be patient...and everything would fall into place
"It will be done before you realize it my lady..."
"I hope so….for your sake"
º
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º...Somewhere not that far away...º
º
Somewhere in Fontaine…
Not very far away from where a certain "idiot" was fumbling about on her own, over the ample space of an open rooftop that had been prepared to look or less like a small personal garden was a peculiar someone that was actually doing the same.
Albeit in a far more intimate and professional way of "Horsing around" though if you thought about it as mismatched pupils shaped like little droplets glinted with a mild playful touch of mischief.
"Yeah….this is the spot~.."
Mused with glee a cheerful voice to themselves without a care in the world. The wind blowing gently above her dual colored head, toying playfully with a cute looking ahoge while the distant sound of music from street musicians reach up and high the now late, darkening skies.
The Iudex offer had been a kind one.
One to be expected perhaps nowadays given how long they had known each other…
But a kind one in her eyes nonetheless...
Sadly, it was not to be….not that it wasn't like it was the first time either though.
…..hmmm, thinking about it made one wonder. How many times such a scene had played out? Ten times..? A hundred times? More..? After five centuries living alongside the Chief Justice she was sure she had already lost count by now
Now, when faced with a continued list of refusals some would have felt bothered...or just give up. Funny enough the Iudex did not seem to think that way. Who knew...perhaps if she were to ask him he would have a neat list of each and every attempt written down.
Furina sighed a breath of amusement as she leaned back on her seat, stretching her arms above her head.
Anyway, there was more than just a lack of desire of been another participant of the event that Neuvillete had tried to convince her to go.
It just…
It just wasn't her thing
This had of course NOTHING to do with her trying to skip work of any kind Hahahahah that would be hilarious. Her? The great and magnificent God of Justice Folcalors that presided all over Teyvat and with the inherent greatness of her status and wisdom to even judge the other gods themselves afraid of work? Absurd…..
Yeah..it was nothing more than a willful prank if anyone came to that conclusion if ever.
It just happened that there was a PREDISPOSED order of things on which she distributed her heavily duties.
Eating pastries, relaxing and having tea always came first.
Then hard work.
Which of course Neuvillete would gladly offer himself no questions asked to do for her which led her to enjoy life a while longer. Anywayyyy…..…...Songs, theaters, grand spectacles that shook the foundations of the nation with how colorful and breathtaking they were was what she liked to spend her time.
Building bridges and making speeches about such simple topics held neither the interest and drama Furina so much loved. Perhaps during her first tenure days as an Archon she had done that kind of stuff, thinking that it was what was expected of her...but as the years piled up she had just...grossly left it to the side.
Not that anyone seemed to care much when the limelight of the scene shone so brightly yet so briefly to the hearts and minds of her fellow citizens. Which...suited her just fine~
And so, here she was…., away from working. From the unnecessary fuzz and buzz in the form of interviews and noisy reporters with their pestering questions.
And from the ever rising waters….
As that last detail passed through her thoughts the gracious smirk on her lips that could have only been present in someone as great as she was became….strained.
"No.."
"No, nonononononono..."
"I am not going to have that "thing" ruin the gracious and wonderful mood I am having. That would be a tragedy beyond compare that would drove me to tears...literally and figuratively..!"
She groaned out loud as she raised and waved her arms above her head in protest, a scene that would have not look that out of place from a child nagging to their parents when they learned that today's soup was their least favorite.
Luckily for her, she already had in hand the right tool to quell such distress to her sweat and gentle heart. A delightful set of freshly made tea..and cake
Lots of it~
"Ah~….what I would do without this taste of the divine"
Furina moaned as the annoyance from before melted away just as quickly as the sweet flavors did on her tongue one spoonful at a time. Comfy leaning down on the prepared couch she had brought with her here mismatched tear shaped eyes gazed at the darkening skies and the stars glowing in the vast horizon.
Their glimmering just as beautiful as the first time she had the chance to gaze at them. Glimmering like jewels in an endless canvas of cold black…and with the never ending life of the city below the vastness of the sky, the gentle warmth of the city lights bled upwards with an uncharacteristic beauty. Like threads of silky divinity, the dimming light of twilight became more scarce by the moment...and yet not even for a moment it became an obstacle to this sight.
It was a beautiful thing
Breathtaking even.
So why…
Why were her eyes becoming so listless..?
A strange weight on her chest made her lips to start to curl downwards, the sweetness of the cake briefly forgotten. Sighing with mild exasperation she tilted her head to the side, a rant already midway to be heard as she went to nag about the unfairness of it all to her fellow companion...only to find nothing to her side.
Ah..right…
The Ludex was busy with work….again
The dejection of boredom crawled ever forward, making her sigh with disappointment. "Ah...if only she had someone here to share a moment like this…"
A shadow of sadness passed before her eyes, however…, before it could take shape into something more worrisome she pushed away, deep, deep inside, just like she did with all of those things that brought her discomfort as a practiced lie came forth to soothe her.
Her? Needing someone to be with her? Why would she? She was a god…..she was above such simple, mundane things. If she even dared to do that she would undoubtedly steal the thunder of the poor person, the poor things. Besides, she was having fun. See?
The fact that she was here on her lonesome was merely because she knew that from here she knew that she could get the best that would surely light the sky at the end of the event. Ah, wasn't she the smartest? The brightest? The best that was and would ever be..?
Yes~
Yes she was~…
She could not help but chuckle loudly at that. And the best part of all...? She had prepared a little something~ for her own amusement for the speech and Neuvillete knew nothing of it.
Yep~
Not even a whisper
Which meant that the element of surprise was hers and hers alone to enjoy.
"Ah~I can barely wait for it~..."
What it was? Nothing too serious, just a prank~…..
One colorful enough to "light" up the ceremonial mood of the speech into something more jovial and amusing to her maiden heart than whatever practiced politeness would have awaited her had she chosen to join the Iudex offer though.
Mostly consisting on a set of hidden flashy fireworks that some of her aids would set off at the very end of the process to light up the skies of Fontaine in all their glory much to the surprise of the entire city.
Flashy spirals.
Bright red suns..
Stars
Balloon's like fireworks...
There was even one that had been designed to explode in the air and create a brief yet glowing caricature of her face for all to see. And she would enjoy it all and the utter show of shock in Neuvillete's face from the distant comfort of her place with the little help of a certain pair of binoculars she had bought a few hours prior.
The the playfulness of her usual self returned once more as she stood up on the sofa as if some sort of glorious throne while some strange light seemed to shine over her like a stage spotlight for some reason, chuckling to herself with a wide smirk on her lips
It was a brilliant, BRILLIANT plan...!
However before she could continue to chuckle away in the future joy she would receive from her dastardly evil plans, something….else put an abrupt stop to it. That something been the brief yet surprisingly strong blow of wind that hit her from behind.
It did not much though….but knock her hat off her shoulders.
Wait…
Her hat..?
The sudden lack of weight over her head and the sensation of the wind toying with her hair catching her by surprise before she realized what had happened, her eyes shrinking in abject horror followed by a muffled cry of outrage at the sight of her trusted head-wear floating away from her grasp.
"Hey, no NonNONONONONONO NOT MY FAVORITE HAT...!"
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A/N
Here is another chapter, it took some time to get it out as I have been busy now as of late but hope you enjoy it and have a fun time. Review or share your ideas if you like, the more the merrier.
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I was hoping to make it a 1 chapter, but seeing that speeches, even short ones are not my strong suit I am left to cut the chapter in two. Callas speech, Neuvillete and more moronic situations will follow in the second part.
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patrickregalado : She will and oh god lets pray it does not end up in more misunderstandings between any other powerhouses or factions. Though seeing her track record so far….that is unlikely.
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grifman275 : Archios and company are going to have a lot of chances to make themselves shine between gritty-comedy moments, after all, life in the Fatui its never boring, least of all when your boss is a menace….(though mostly to herself). I imagine now Archios cursing one day in his usual fashion and having the misfortune of saying it just at Clervies and Perueres hearing range...oh the Horror that day would turn out to be for the man.
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Furina may not shine much in her love of food unless its cake or tea given the fact that she does not care if she eats pasta for months on end, but fashion like things like perfume and clothing are some of her favorite things to buy.
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I am not good for naming conventions so the desing name for the Perfume shop its still in the air, not that Genshin proper makes it easier when Chiori's shop its just a Boutique with her name added to it (Chiori Boutique). The names I have come across were Egerias Tears - Egeria Boutique – Verdant Wind – House of Wonders – The Garden of Eden – Black Rose. If there are better options I am open to suggestions.
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Imagine making a perfume from Neuvi's sweat and then patent it as hydro dragon essence XD. Lore wise I am pretty sure that even as a fluke Pantalonne would be interested.
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Actually, I do have an AO3 and Watppads accounts so I do know what you are talking about, though my stories there don't have as much traction as in here in FF for some reason.
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I do agree on most of what you said about Scaradouche...except the fact that he as Scaradouche does not exist anymore, he is the Wanderer now. He did not receive what we would consider Amnesia, no, the memories he received that were attributed to his past self were distorted and more made into a children's story. The past him was erased and something new was left in its place. I think he even made sure to remind the player that he does not remember who he is, but he gets the gist from the Book containing his story of what happened.
Or at least that is what I remember, its been a while since that patch so I may be getting something wrong.
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I was thinking that Signora its going to be a hell of a difficult encounter with our lovely Knave, (Pretty face? = Check. Huge exposed cleavage? = Check. Long elegant exposed legs? = Check. Queen-Tsundere dom vibes? =Check).
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We should be glad that Mauvika wont have any part on this story so far for the time being, because I doubt that Bena would survive the Flaming leather tight muscle mommy archon in an even hotter Bike without blowing a casket. If she were Signora and Arle would have a strong contender to the position of best Pyro girl.
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I am surprised that there are so many funny parody pervert Aether animations out there, but only one animation style creator that uses Pervert Lumine. I think that I now know what kind of Lumine I am going to use for the story when it gets her turn to shine.
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One last thing that I don't understand is how do Visions are obtained. All characters have different explanations and Lisa's was the most simple of all "I wanted one and then got it". However, while there are characters with Visions, with Visions and Delusions, could there be one that has 2 Visions..? By logic alone it should be feasible in lore.