"I am NOT wearing that dress! No matter what you say!"
"..." It was here, this specific room.
She had helped someone changed their clothes here. For what reasons?
Their current clothes were too plain and lack aesthetic someone their age should have.
Plus, their current clothes weren't suitable for the event they're about to attend.
Due to that, she herself had bought them a dress that would most definitely fit the occasion.
...seeing as to how she could easily remember that it was a dress, she could now confirm that it was definitely a small girl.
If she was not certain before, she could be now.
Danjin's hand hesitantly waved towards the jacket hanging inside the closet, as if her very touch would turn it into ashes.
But after a dozen seconds of hesitation... she dropped her hand. '...I don't deserve to hold it.' Her instinct had told her.
Due to that, she closed the closet shut, letting the piece of clothing lay in there untouched.
Her gaze turned towards the outside, the bustling noises of the masses that doesn't sound like it would dwindle any time soon unless the Carnevale ended.
'...4 days. That's quite a lot of time before the Carnevale would start. But I don't think this issue would be resolved by then.'
After all, there's almost certainly no way she'd be able to beat the thing that had messed with her memories' frequency.
Perhaps, unless they themselves allowed it, she wouldn't have gotten any lead whatsoever.
What are the chances someone is actually leading her here?
Leading her to this conclusion?
'Quite high. But I don't know their motives.'
Why her specifically? She had just arrived in Rinascita the day before, and now it's like she's forced to complete a mission that's not even remotely supposed to be hers.
'...What am I thinking, I'm the one that think this mission can't be denied. While in reality, I can just turn my back anytime.'
"Phew." A sigh escaped her lips.
As the wind blows, she heard the voice of Phoebe from downstairs, calling her for dinner.
Without hesitation, she turned around.
[Wuthering Waves]
"...This place." It was a very bright and cheerful location. Red flower petals flew across the sky, painting a picture of a perfect atmosphere.
The wind's breeze were strong but not overwhelming, just enough to make anyone feel secured.
And this place was also...
"The kind of place I imagined I'd go to when I die." Katsuri muttered to herself.
"Of course, you're also still here with me. What else should I have expected, huh?" She complained towards an intangible being.
"How lucky of you to be right. If you weren't intangible, I would've choked you when you first appeared." She threatened.
Pushing her negative thoughts away for now, she looked at her surroundings.
This place, it had a certain nostalgic feel to it. As if she had once longed for its existence.
...And she did.
While looking around, she took notice of a big tree, seemingly standing in the very center of this artificial space.
Most of the petals and leaves on the tree were red, with only the minority staying green.
But it did not reduce the aesthetic it hold, it was still a very mesmerizing sight.
With the sunlight brimming at just the right light level, this is the most peaceful place she had ever visited in her entire lives.
Perhaps, too peaceful.
But then, she took notice of a black hair from behind the tree trunk.
It was an eerily... familiar back.
Without a moment's notice, she made her way closer towards the only other individual she knew was here.
And the closer she got, the more surprised she became.
"That's...!"
"...?" The girl, hearing another voice, turned immediately jumped and went into hiding behind the tree trunk.
Katsuri could hear the girl muttering something along the lines of: "Huh? Why is there more visitors? I didn't invite anybody...!"
But Katsuri didn't waver, she simply called out to the familiar girl. "You! Your name! What is it?!"
"Another person asking for my name? What kind of sins have I committed to have people asking for my name every 3 days? Please god, forgive me!"
'Oi, stop rambling to yourself like that!' Of course, she didn't actually say that out loud. Otherwise, this timid girl would most definitely ran off.
But the thing is... this timid girl... "Hey. Listen to me for a second."
"..."
"Look at me, then you'll know exactly what I am thinking of." Katsuri quietly said, but she was sure the other girl also heard it.
From behind the tree, a black hair peeked out, following it was a face that would only appear on a mirror.
Cold, seemingly empty stare which held no emotions.
Black hair, black iris.
Unblemished skin as if she had never seen the sunlight.
These descriptions, they could only be returned back to herself.
But there's one thing missing. Her blue jacket, it wasn't being worn.
The girl's face from behind the tree had its eyes widened as she also took notice of the other individual inside this space.
It was like a parallel was born, but in the exact same timeline.
'Katsuri' and 'Faith' looked at one another, only separated by a tree trunk.
This standoff happened for a couple dozens more seconds before 'Faith' turned her gaze downwards, seemingly losing her energy as she took notice of what 'Katsuri' was wearing.
"...I see, I became a slut, huh? I'm sorry, gramps."
"Oi, just because I am wearing a dress that reveals a little bit of my shin doesn't mean that I am a slut... you? Me? Agh, whatever! In any case! This dress was forced onto me, ok! I didn't personally pick it, just so you know!" Katsuri retorted.
"...I also became a busybody?"
"..."
Although Katsuri was speechless, she felt like she really needed some clarification on some things before she would actually allow 'Faith' to talk down to her like this.
And that clarification is...
"Hey. How old are you this year?"
"...Why the sudden question?"
"I just wanted to know. I'm sure you're curious too, no?"
"...Tell me yours first."
"Only if you promise me to tell yours afterward."
'Faith' paused for a second before nodding her head. "Sure."
Katsuri pressed a hand onto her chest and looked straight ahead, facing the girl who was the exact same height as she is, practically her clone.
'As I thought, my growth became stunted then.'
"I am 16 years of age this year."
"...Huh? 16? But I'm... I don't remember being a slut back then...?"
"Oi, I am not a slut! Just tell me your age already!"
"...I am a forever 25 years old."
Katsuri heard faith muttered. And as if the puzzle pieces came into place, she scrutinized the appearance of her 'future self'.
'...As I thought. This is a future version of myself that didn't get transported inside Solaris 3.'
Once again she lamented at the fact that this timeline is absolutely a mess.