After bidding Mr. Dagda goodbye I started to walk alongside my compariot. She seemed as though I would grab her at any moment, my back her chariot to be. Yet I did no such thing! Instead I just walked alongside her with a smile.
Going for a casual walk with a friend was always a good way to spend time together. You could talk, enjoy the scenery, start playing a game of some sort . . . plenty to do while on the move!
"Say, my dear companion, shall we delay our return with a joyful walk?" I leaned over into her with a smile, and she got just slightly redder before she let out a huff.
"Fine then, I'll allow you to accompany me for a moment." Her words were a bit haughty which caused me to pause and my eyes to soften as I stared at her, which only seemed to make her even more embarrassed.
"Belle are you doing alright?" She only talked like that when she was stressed, right? She blinked at my words then her eyes widened.
"You remembered . . . ?" Her cheeks dimmed in color as she looked confused for a moment.
"Well of course! I may not have the greatest memory, but when it comes to my friends I'll never forget the important details!" I struck a pose as I pointed at her chest. My brain only had room for two things!
Rank 9: Resurrection - While within the presence of the Fool Arcana, all of their Parameters are increased.
Power of Friendship and Power of Stabbing! Everything else didn't really click, but that was alright. I didn't need to be the best, I just needed to be me!
She silently stared for a moment before she gave a small smile to me while her eyes flicked away.
"I'd like to go on a walk with you." She twiddled her thumbs slightly as her eyes turned up to me.
She was too cute! Her pretty red eyes, soft white hair, she was just too much!
Was she even aware of how cute she was!?
My companion needed to know! She could get any friend or partner she wanted with a look like that!
"Belle, you're super cute!"
Isabelle Cranel POV
He cared, and not in a superficial way. He remembered that small detail before he even considered me a friend.
He truly was special, he complimented me without venom, he remembered my faults and made sure I was doing well, he cared. He did not 'care' like my 'grandmother' did.
No. This was a different kind of value. This was not caring for me in pursuit of what I can provide, but instead a love. Yes, he loved me. A smile bloomed upon my face at his words.
"Belle, you're super cute!"
I was, wasn't I? Ah, there's my pride again. I suppose my 'grandmother' did teach me a few parts of herself, didn't she? Was I princess in the castle being whisked away by the hero from the evil queen?
Not exactly, for I was just as evil as the queen.
My heart softly beat in my chest as I considered actively seducing him, yet I decided that for the moment I would hold off. He did not deserve to be manipulated in such a way.
I stared at his smile and I felt as though I could tell him anything. He was an open book, his heart on his sleeve. He truly was one of a kind. However if such a thing was an accident, then surely it would be fine?
Of course if he developed feelings for me, how could that be my fault?
"Thank you, you're quite handsome yourself you know."
Whoops! A small slip of the tongue! My hand snaked towards his waist and I pulled him close with a smile. Another minor slip of the hand, nothing I was actively trying to do of course!
Much to my annoyance however he just gave me a hug. It let out a small sigh as he lifted me in the air and did a spin and set me on the side of the road, not in any danger, but no longer in his arms.
"Belle, the time has come. Let us move forward!"
Indeed.
However I paused mid step. Why was I intent on seducing him? Could it be . . . no. I gritted my teeth as I realized something. Was I the one who had been seduced? This was stupid. He was stupid. Or more accurately he wasn't fair!
You can just seduce this heroic young lady and get away without taking responsibility!
"Belle . . .? If there's anything bothering you, you can tell me! I'll always have your back!"
It was getting late and as I gazed at the setting Sun in the distance I realized something. We were alone. Just the two of us. All alone.
"Andrew . . . can I tell you something?"
Andrew Ariti POV
"Anything." Was it time for Belle's mysterious backstory? She gave me tragic hero vibes at this point, and I'd met similar people in the past so it wasn't too far of a stretch.
"I-"
She started to speak, but I HAD to cut her off!
"WAIT."
She raised an eyebrow as I frowned.
"I can feel someone watching us."
It was really weird. I could tell someone was looking at us, but I had no idea where they were! They weren't invisible, well, probably at least. More like someone was scrying on us?
It was like I was being watched by a camera. It really was a strange feeling.
My eyes turned towards the sky and I found myself staring at the massive tower in the distance while Belle clenched her fist in annoyance.
Freya POV
"How intriguing." I softly swirled the glass of wine in my hand while I watched him. The radiant soul I hadn't encountered ever before. This soul was not one who had been reincarnated from our world, or at least I had never seen this soul before.
To think, in all my years, you escaped my gaze. I wonder, are you the one I am searching for?
An Emerald Soul, radiant, with ever moving threads swirling inside. Stars, beautiful stars, a Soul that reached out to others and formed a deep Bond that could not be repeated by any being I had seen before.
Not a bond of control, but one of Love. Deep, passionate kindness. The soul of a warrior, a Hero.
"WAIT."
He held up a hand right as things were getting interesting with that girl who looked oddly like the Silence, with a personality oh so similar as well.
"I can feel someone watching us."
What? My eyes narrowed as I looked around the area, but I could see no one. Who was he even referring too- then his eyes panned up to where I sat and my form moved backwards in my chair.
Maniacal laughter broke from my throat.
"You truly are amazing!" I softly lay a hand on the side of my face as I stared deep into his eyes. What a beautiful person. To sense my Love from so far away!
However I could see the Bond between the pair starting to meld on a deeper level as he held her hand and pulled her away. Such a sight bothered me.
It was wretched that he was not doing such a thing with me.
I was tempted to call Ottar and have him slaughter the girl, but I resisted for now. She would die, but not today. When she fell, when everyone in his life was torn apart, I would be there. Syr would be there, and become his one and only.
Yes. That would be perfect.
Won't you allow me to break your heart, so that I may take it all for myself?
Such a compassionate Soul.
I know you will forgive me in time.
Andrew Ariti POV
"Alright, whoever that was is gone now." My eyes peeled back over to Belle, who wasn't in the greatest state and was clearly tense.
Belle had already drawn her knife, poised to tear someone's throat out but I put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her deeper into the abandoned building. I sat her on a stool of the abandoned bar, and then rested next to her.
"We're safe now . . . though I'm not certain if we were ever in danger." They didn't seem hostile . . . well they did for about half a second but even then it wasn't directed towards me at least. I wasn't sure about it being directed at Belle though . . .
"How could you sense whatever that was?" Her words were terse, she was confused and slightly angry.
I just shrugged. I had Hestia to thank.
"Your passionate desire to tell me what was on your heart ignited my heart and senses in order to fully pay attention to you. I just so happened to catch someone peeping on us because of that."
She seemed to calm down slightly as she pocketed her knife. She leaned against the counter and let out a small laugh. Her smile grew wider as her eyes narrowed slightly and her eyelashes fluttered.
"You truly do have a way with words Andrew, such a unique individual in this City is rarity. Or so I've heard." She leaned closer towards me, to the point I could feel her breath on my face. It was warm, and for a fantasy world with probably a huge lack of hygiene it didn't smell bad somehow.
Sort of just smelled like cherries. Weird. Fantasy logic I guess?
Damn it, how am I going to brush my teeth? How am I going to floss? Truly I am cursed! A shame, a shame.
"Well thank you Belle! I wouldn't say it's my greatest skill, but hearing it from you makes me have more confidence in my speaking prowess!" Compliments made me feel good! There was just something special about someone you loved saying a nice thing about you!
Compliments from people I didn't know didn't really affect me that much, but that didn't mean I'd be rude and just ignore them! She lightly kicked her legs as she leaned her back on the dusty bar, then she looked upwards and through a hole in roof.
She was staring at the moon and I squeezed myself a bit closer to her. She was probably a little bit cold, but the truth was I just liked being physically next to her. She was my treasured companion, I wanted to be with her!
She slowly draped an arm around my shoulder, and she pulled me closely while not meeting my gaze. My face was about an inch from hers as she stared at the moon.
Then she spoke with a dead calm.
"Andrew." She whispered it in my ear before turning to me, a blush no longer present on her face. Only seriousness in your eyes. "If I once had a goal, the thing that pushed me forward in pursuance of the ending I sought, and that goal no longer felt important to me . . . what should I do?"
I looked into her red eyes. They quivered slightly under my stare, but she needed to hear what I was about to say.
"Is your lack of pursuance towards your goal from fading desire, or has something else taken its place?"
"I've realized it's not what I truly desire. Yet, I've done so many things while chasing it that I'm not certain if I should quit entirely."
Damn. She's getting the sunk cost fallacy beam!
"A Great Sage once told me of such a conundrum." She seemed to raise her eyebrows in slight shock, before she focused completely on my words. "I'd once faced a similar problem as well after all. I desired to master the bow, yet no matter how hard I trained I faced no results. I had poured three years into such a weapon, and nothing had come of it."
"I didn't know what to do, I was lost. All that time burned away and for what? Nothing. At least that's what I thought to begin with." My voice was soft, this truly was a tough time in my life. Nearly getting burned out from how much I worked on the bow, only to gain nothing . . . well I used to think that at least.
Her eyes widened as I continued, hanging on the words of my tale.
"The truth is that nothing in this world only has one application. I failed to master the bow, but I learned something few people in the land I hailed from were capable of doing. I could sense incoming projectiles before they were even fired, I knew the intent behind someone preparing a shot, and I knew how to avoid it." Reminds me of that time I got shot at and just dodged everything by predicting every incoming attack. That was a wild day. The mafia is scary!
"Just because your goal has shifted, doesn't mean that time was wasted. Even if you feel as though you gained no skills, you still gained experience. I'm not certain what your goal was, or what your new one is now, but I trust you're smart enough to figure something out. You're smarter than me at least." I gave her a light smile, and she turned away with a blush. Then she let out a breath. A faint smile danced on her lips, yet I could sense the fear behind it, as though already expecting my answer to her follow up question to not satisfy her.
Or perhaps for my rejection to slam into her like a train.
She would find such a thing never present within me.
"What if my previous goal was horrible, what if it would hurt countless people, and what if those thoughts and pains still remained?"
"You can't commit a thought crime, Belle. The only thing that matters is that you, despite having those bad thoughts, made the active choice to resist your darker urges. That takes real strength." I bit my lip and looked straight at her. "The truth is, I'm not like that Belle. I don't get those dark and scary thoughts, the truth is, I'm lucky." The Great Sage knew much, for she had struggled with such a thing as well. Both of them were strong. Much stronger than I needed to be.
The Great Sage also taught me about how bad thoughts aren't inherently evil. They just need to be managed well . . . what were those two things she said?
Ah, I remember.
"Everyone is so much more than the worst thing they've ever done. You aren't just someone who faces those heart wrenching thoughts Belle. You're my friend. You're Hestia's dear child, and most of all you're trying to be better."
She held me tightly now, soft tears raining from her face upon my shirt as I held her as well.
"Belle, is it better to be born good? Or to overcome the evil within through sheer force of will and the treasured companions around you? I believe that while it's better to be born good, it's far, far, more impressive to have that darkness and overcome it, or at least push in the direction of what you believe is right despite the suffering you go through."
She was bawling into my shoulder now, her nails digging into my skin, but they could not pierce my flesh.
"But Belle, I refuse to let you be a martyr. I'll help you overcome this, I'll help you feel safe from yourself, and comfortable in your own mind." She pulled back with a gulp, yet I pulled her close and smiled.
"We can do this, together." Her face moved towards mine causing me to be a bit confused, then she did something really, REALLY weird. She started rubbing her cheek against mine while her face was scarlet red!
She really was a rabbit!
I knew it!
Isabelle Cranel POV
GOD FUCKING DAMMIT! Why couldn't I just kiss him! His words had already soothed my rotten heart, restoring it to a state I once thought impossible, yet here I was unable to tell this hero how I felt.
No. I'm saying it. I'll do this. RIGHT NOW!
"I love-" However his words caused me to freeze
"You're my Sister Belle. I'll always be there for you. No matter what." He paused for a moment then continued with a slight chuckle and a faint blush. "I think I know what you were going to say . . . but I love you too, Belle."
Ah. I feel like I'm in Heaven right now.
A blissful laugh creaking out of my mouth. Madness tinged on my lips, at the man I fell in love with seeing me as a Sister.
Oh I was certain I would change that.
If it was the last thing I did.
Then the darkness took me, the last thing I saw as my consciousness faded was my Hero softly pressing my hair to the side as he lifted me in his arms.
His arms were strong, of that I knew. Yet in this moment I couldn't help but feel as though they were the softest pillow in the world.
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