When Manon opened her eyes, she was staring up at a painting.
It looked like something she had seen long ago, a depiction of two lovers. One was a fair and beautiful woman, and the other was a handsome powerful man. The two embraced each other in a field of red tulips.
Except, in this painting, a faint crack ran through the couple, forcing them apart in a way that left the woman's head cut off and the man's arms severed.
Her mind took some time to register what she was truly seeing, stars dancing in her peripheral vision. Her dark eyelashes fanned away dust as they fluttered, her breath quickening.
Things began to come together, the vines creeping up and around the sides of the mural she was staring up at. Then pillars- 5 of them, white marble. Then the grapes. They were red and…oddly opaque. Manon was finally awake enough to smack her lips together, her mouth dry.
Turning her head, she realized what type of structure she was under.
It was a gazebo. Opulent and pretty, vines constricting the masterpiece with elegance. Manon's hands pressed against white marble flooring, cold and littered with soft green leaves.
The last thing she remembered was….the system giving her the new skill after almost murdering her for screaming at Remy. She didn't really remember what it was, though- just that the system had said something about how she could do what she wanted. With a soft grunt, the small girl stood up and looked around the vicinity.
She was in a small little grotto that had…so many fruits.
Not just apples, but oranges, pears, peaches, and more, all planted sporadically around a centralized pond the gazebo was located on the southern edge of. No one was around, and unlike earlier, there was no unsettling silence, no scary vibes, and best of all, no Remy.
She had no clue how long it had been, but guessed it had been quite some time as she saw the sun positioned much closer to the west than before. This made her all the more awake.
Manon stood up straight, teeth gnawing at her bottom lip. "Okay…um…" She paced in a circle around the gazebo. First, she needed to know what this new skill was to see if it would help her. She racked her brain for a way to even check. Colette had her true intent skill- so wasn't there a way to check it?
"Status Menu? Skill Menu? Open Menu?" She tried three options, each one a blow to her sanity. She tugged at her braid in frustration.
"Whatever, I'll head to the exit and deal with it later." Manon decided, and made her first few steps out of the gazebo before she was abruptly stopped by her favorite entity.
[Player 2 is the first to receive an exclusive custom skill. Therefore, you must create a command to open the skill window.]
What?
"What about Colette's True Intent?" Manon spoke to the window directly, uncaring of how crazy she appeared to be. She was a child right now- it could be forgiven. To her mild surprise, the system actually responded to her inquiry.
[True Intent is a temporary skill obtained by potion or shop item. It has one simple function and therefore has no skill window. However, Player 2's skill, while stagnant, is a permanent feature with many aspects.]
[Please set a command to open the skill window.]
Manon tilted her head. Just what kind of skill had she been given?
[Please hurry and set a command to open the skill window.]
Manon sputtered, unprepared for the way the system was rushing her as if it couldn't wait.
"Uh…Rolex."
[...Okay. Command has been set to "Uh…Rolex"]
"Actually, can I-"
[Opening skill window]
Manon shut her mouth as the largest window she had ever seen since being forcefully brought into the game blocked what seemed like miles of her vision. The window sparkled blue as usual, but with an additional sheen she couldn't really describe as anything but the surface of a black opal.
"What the fuck…."
[Exclusive Skill: Have It Your Way- Passive]
[Effects:]
[ALL NPCs now have AP system with Player 2 regardless of whether Player 1 has unlocked their AP system yet]
[As an effect, player 2 will have less instances of response choice window appearance, and will be able to respond how you like more often]
[When choices do appear, Player 2 may still respond outside of preset choices (custom response)]
[Any and all responses, custom or preset, regardless of the choice window appearing or not, can now raise or lower AP 5-10 points depending on the NPC's reaction- or stay the same.]
[If NPC reacts negatively or positively to Player 2's custom response, the penalty or reward is doubled if applicable.]
"Have it your way…" Manon murmured, the memory coming back to her. The way the system strangled her lungs from inside out, how it decided to reward her with a punishment, how it told her those words in the end. To have it her way. Manon's mouth was agape, her uncovered eyes wide as she reread the skill effects again, not sure if she should be jumping for joy for having freedom, or screaming and crying because of the cost.
"....You're a petty motherfucker."
"One who kept you alive." a familiar childish voice chimed in from behind her.
…
..
.
Colette and Antoni's eyes widened as they stared at the woman. Antoni acted first.
"Where is the sapling?" His golden eyes stared directly unabashedly this time. The ghost's form wavered under the child's gaze. Gold being a color she despised. Colette knew where it was. But she couldn't tell him or it would look suspicious in front of the ghost as well. Tatyana sighed, uncomfortable.
"...It's…" The boy ran a hand through his silky black hair, frustration mild but evident. He did not interrupt though, and maintained a calm expression. Colette looked between the two, her eyes empathetic, before she kneeled down by Tatyana's feet. The ghost's red eyes drifted over to the ginger girl, looking dull and lifeless. Colette rested her small hand over the woman's see-through one.
"Countess…If you meant what I think you meant, we need to depart as soon as we can before the orchard forces nightfall to come faster. I will still help you pass on. Please, tell us where the sapling is." She pleaded, eyes earnest as she looked up at the woman.
Antoni watched Colette, partially to not make the Countess uncomfortable, but also to study the redheaded girl.
Tatyana looked down at the little girl's hands.
"You feel much older than your age, little one. I find some comfort in it. Maybe we could have been friends." She smiled softly. Colette shook her head, mirroring the faint upturn of her lips.
"We already are friends. You confided in me, gave me advice, trusted me…and I need you to trust me one more time. I want to help you."
The ghost's eyes regained a certain sheen to them, akin to a freshly waxed apple. Red and succulent.
"Divine fruits are…created from pure love. When I died…I wanted to die remembering…" The ghost couldn't cry, but it didn't matter, her eyes were so sad that even Antoni pursed his lips. "Do you understand my words?"
Colette nodded, turning to Antoni. The boy gave her a small nod as well, before turning and making his way around the corner and up the stairs of the villa towards the bedroom. Colette turned back to Tatyana who watched the Prince leave.
"Let's go too. It'll be okay."
…
Colette walked up the stairs slowly, Tatyana leaning over her shoulder as she had earlier. The air was warmer as they ascended, the wooden stairs creaking softly with each of Colette's soft steps. The redhead could see sunset light beaming through the windows as they reached the top, a single door left ajar at the end of the hall.
As she approached, she started to see Antoni's shadow, dark and unmoving against the floorboards. The cherry red door was pushed the rest of the way open by her fingertips as she finally saw what Antoni had been staring at for the past minute or two.
..
.
The bedroom was extremely simple. Empty spaces on shelves and the vanity as if it had all been removed, as if something had been planned. The wisteria grew in from the windows, consuming all of the walls with rich greens and red.
As Colette's eyes gravitated to the bed, she finally saw her.
The skeletal remains of Tatyana Dales were a pure white, as if they had been purified. The bones appeared to have been in a certain position, and Colette could see it in her mind. She could see the form of Tatyana, young but sickly, depressed and hopeless, cradling the loss of her true love desperately as she cried herself to sleep for the last time.
She had seen this scene many times. But not after speaking to Tatyana herself. Not after knowing the woman for a mere 20 minutes. Not after hearing her story firsthand and comforting her. It was all different. And it felt much more real.
The golden sapling. It was a small thing, barely the size of Antoni's forearm, sitting upright in a small silver pot. Similar to that of a bonsai tree, the plant looked miniature, as if it were fully grown, with but a single golden fruit the size of a kiwi hanging loosely on the lowest branch, small leaves gently swishing from an unidentified breeze.
Light poured in from the window, the orange and pink rays illuminating the bed that had been the countess' resting place for over 250 years.
Colette felt…odd.
She felt like it was her lying there, her remains. She was reminded of how haunted she felt, how she questioned her own choices, how she felt like the only thing she could do was leave.
Tears fell down her cheeks unwillingly, and the girl was unable to contain the sudden outpour of emotion. Her lips pressed together firmly, feeling Antoni's eyes on the side of her face. The boy was ever the gentleman, offering her a handkerchief which she declined, dabbing at her face with the white fur shawl over her shoulders.
"We'd better get started." She smiled faintly at Tatyana before looking at Antoni. "Your highness, time is quickening within the orchard, we have to leave as soon as possible. I'll help the Countess pass- but I think you should go make sure Remy and Manon are safe." The Prince rose a brow at her, pocketing his unused handkerchief.
"Remington is quite capable." he began, but saw the severe worry in Colette's eyes. "But your smaller friend may not be. I'll take the sapling and head towards the exit with them." He agreed with a curt nod. "However Miss Colette…. I will have to come back for you if I do not see you within 5 minutes after guiding the others to the exit."
Colette could agree to those terms well enough. But there was one more thing she needed as she watched Prince Antoni reach for the sapling.
"Your highness…for the funeral- may I have the golden apple the sapling has yielded?" She requested, making the boy falter with a strange expression. She continued to explain her reasoning. "It's just…that fruit grew from the Countess' love. It would aid greatly in helping her pass as quickly as possible."
It was half true, as it would be the last remnants of Tatyana herself in the orchard. Colette…she wanted the Countess to at least have that, if she could not have anything else. The Prince looked as if he was going to reject her- but to her surprise, he reached over and plucked the fruit from its stem, placing it in Colette's palm as he turned to the ghostly woman.
The Prince then positioned himself directly in front of the woman rather than Colette, and kneeled in humility for the 2nd time that day.
"Countess Dales. I sincerely apologize for the actions of the Imperial family. We owe you a great debt I can no longer fully repay." He had his head down, showing his sincerity. Tatyana floated, eyes sharp as she listened to the young boy.
"However, I swear upon my name, Antoni Faye Dragomir Orléan. I swear to reestablish the House of Dale to surpass its former glory." He paused. "You may not be aware, but some descendants of your family are still in the Empire. I will make sure your memory is honored, and that the County is restored. So please, rest in peace."
With that, Antoni offered a moment of silence before standing up and retrieving the sapling.
"I will see you in no more than 25 minutes, Miss Colette." The Prince reiterated, before leaving the room.
Colette stared at the small fruit in her hand, her heart full as the sun lowered more in the distance, nightfall just beginning on their side of the orchard. She hoped Manon was okay.
"Let's get started."