Title Here: Multi-fandom Writings

[minuseven]

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The raccoon man and three of his thugs corner her after she leaves the dungeon. They surround her, walking next to her, boxing her in. They close in, their bellies to her shoulders. She seethes. She hates them. She hates herself for not seeing them.

She's still wearing her blue mage facet. She's been using it, because she can use both her robes and her weapon more effectively. Surreptitiously, from beneath her hood, she checks her assailants. The results make her grit her teeth. Estimating their strength from how tough they are, it's clear she has no chances.

She's stronger than before, but she's not that strong yet.

Liliruca Arde
[Wind]
Strength 316 :: Stamina 321 :: Agility 154 :: Magic 555
[Thief 8](0): Find Passages
[Knight 10](0)
[Black Mage 8](0): Fire, Blizzard, Thunder
[White Mage 4](0): Cure
[Monk 3](0): Kick
[Blue Mage 9](0): Check​

One of them, she could take. Maybe. All four, no, never. Scum like them like to gather in packs. That's how they feel confident when just one higher leveled adventurer could break their teeth in.

Canoe puts a hand on her shoulder and guides her, shoves really, into an alley. "Lili. It's been a while. We haven't seen you around." He pats her head with too much force. "We were getting' so worried."

"Where's your pack?" One of the others asks.

That's what they want. Her money and things. She opens her mouth, closes it. Why is it so hard suddenly? "I- Li- … Lili got robbed."

"Ahahah, really?" They laugh. "You got robbed?" The thief got made by another of her kind.

"I don't believe it. Are you lying to me Lili? To your own familia?" Canoe isn't nearly as amused. His hands go for her belt, riffle around her neck and under her robes. She tenses, but all he wants is her money.

They have no luck. She is telling the truth. She did lose all of her important possessions. Her crossbow, her special pack, her potions, and especially the key to her hidden deposit box. She was left with only the things that didn't have any true value. They get her pouch, with enough money for the next couple of days, and a potion she didn't spend yet.

"Looks like she really only has this."

She's been so focused on growing stronger and exploring her skills that she hasn't been making more than the money she needs for the immediate future. And because she knows she's a less tempting target like that.

"Tch." One of them scoffs. "Just this? A real good for nothing supporter."

"Now, now." Canoe says, sickly-sweet, and that's scarier than anything he's done until now. "It's hard to be a supporter without even a pack. How about I help you out and get you one?"

It's a trap. A favor, a loan. But Lili can't refuse it. She can't refuse Canoe. If she did- "N-no." What is she doing?

"No?"

The feverish fire that took a hold of her heart is raging, trembling. She can't stop now. "No, Mister Canoe. Lili can buy a pack, she just needs a little more time to gather money and-" -slap-

A slap throws her head back. "Huh? Are you refusing my generosity?" His hand is raised.

She can't say yes. "Lili really can do this-" -crunch-

The next punch is harder, throwing her head painfully against the wall behind her. Canoe is spitting, shoving her, talking about how she can't make it without the familia. It's the usual. But the hit… didn't hurt nearly as much as usual. The girl watches them behind shadowed bangs, thinking that, if she used her new magic, maybe she could kill them.

Her incantations are so fast. After they turn around, she only needs a second or two. And then they'd burn to death.

But she wouldn't get away with it.

"And you never know what could happen in the dungeon." Canoe throws as a parting quip.

No, you never know.

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---

Lili, after using Check on 'em punks: ...but what if murder?
Whoooo, the new forum view is weird. I need to mess with the settings.

 

[minuseven]

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More power, that's what she needs. Is this what other adventurers feel, the ones who have talent? Well, now she's also among them and discovering that even talent plateaus. The difficulty of growing is exponential.

After getting her skills to a certain point, it becomes harder and harder to grow them. On top of that, goblins and kobolds on the second floor are worth only as much as the first's. She believes that further down monsters will grant her more excelia, but she has been hesitant to delve deeper. She's been to lower floors many times before, but always with the protection of a party and the guarantee of decent equipment.

Two of her skills are lagging behind the others. Aside from that, she's been taking most crystals instead of spending them on getting stronger. She's been conservative until now. But nobody gets strong by being careful and conservative. Her situation won't change if she keeps being careful and conservative. Every fiber of her rebels against taking risks, but in the end, it isn't much different than stepping into the dungeon alone for the first time, or hiding monster stones from her employers for the first time.

She descends to the third floor, the fourth. With trepidation, the fifth.

Here, things change, the dungeon shifting, and her profits as well. She sinks her blade into the back of a kobold, striking precisely at its crystal and taking the power immediately for herself. The results are different, greater. Twice as much as she would get in the upper floors.

She adjusts her plans accordingly. Now knowing how to keep growing, she returns above. She needs money for the day, before she invests tomorrow. The rest will go towards making herself strong enough to kill that bastard.

Barehanded, she tears into monsters, growing. It's so much easier as a monk, but it's the white magic she needs. It's much later than usual when she returns to the surface, and she hides in the shadow of the tower until she is sure that Canoe isn't waiting for her.

They could be waiting for her here, or at the guild, or wherever they think she is sleeping. There are a limited number of places she used to frequent. But not today. Even they have to work for a living. At least, they have others to bully and extort. Cynically, she knows they won't appear for a while, waiting for her to gather some money. But it still keeps her on her toes, scared of every shadow.

How bad is it that she's more afraid of them than the monsters? She really hates this world.

Liliruca Arde
[Wind]
Strength 420 :: Stamina 425 :: Agility 159 :: Magic 580
[Thief 8](0): Find Passages
[Knight 10](0)
[Black Mage 8](0): Fire, Blizzard, Thunder
[White Mage 5](0): Cure, Libra
[Monk 7](0): Kick, Focus
[Blue Mage 9](5): Check

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---

uhm. that's my buffer gone. i've really been struggling to write recently.

 

[minuseven]

When I woke up, I was riding in a carriage
Ћьԙ чұнћхинлԙнћ чұхчь рұчҩԙд ьхрѧьљї. Нхьидх ҩԙҁћ ьԙр ԙїԙѧ чљұѧԙд.

I'd just had a dream…
Ѧхид ѧьԙ ђуѧћ дрԙхлԙд х нигьћлхрԙ.

I dreamed it was
Дрԙхлԙд ұф ћьԙ дхї ћьхћ ѧьԙ ъхѧ ћхҩԙн.

In the dream, the and his retainers found me
Дрԙхлԙд ұф ћьԙ дхї ћьхћ ћьԙ Дұчћұр ћұұҩ ьԙр.

"Oh Archon, we've finally found you. The can't wait to you"
Хљхѧ, ћьԙ ѧхгԙѧ ҁрхїԙд фұр х нԙъ гұд. Ьԙ ԙхгԙрљї ћұұҩ ћьԙ ұҁҁұрћунићї ћьхћ ћьԙ ѧхгԙѧ ұффԙрԙд.

The began, and everyone smiled as they gathered around me
Рԙхљизинг ћьԙ Љићћљԙ Љұрд ъхѧ хћ ћьԙир лԙрчї, хрұунд ьԙр ћьԙї љұұлԙд. Ћьԙї ѧлиљԙд.

Finally, I got back on the , and
Ин ћьԙ ԙнд, Нхьидх ъхѧ љұчҩԙд ин бї ћьԙ бљхѧҁьԙлұуѧ. Нԙәԙр, нұ ұнԙ рԙхчьԙд ұућ ћұ Нхьидх.​

It couldn't be said that the Knave loved the homeland. The natural beauty of its landscapes, its hidden wildlife and its night sky were soothing. She even held a certain fondness for its people; hardy, loyal, of a temperament not dissimilar to hers. But in her cold heart there was no love for Snezhnaya, especially on such an overcast night.

Certainly not while traversing the coldest corridors of Zapolyarny Palace, so devoid of anything resembling emotion that even her Majesty's frigid abode was warmer. Had she had any other option, she would not be in the Doctor's domain, but minor discomfort was not enough reason to bother the Marionette for her facilities. The bottled flames had been extracted successfully, leaving no reason to linger in this place.

Her footsteps were loud on the marble and mosaic floor, but quickly smothered by the very air, echoless on the grand corridors this side of the palace. It wasn't worth thinking why these walls were more soundproof than others. Despite that, trained ears caught an uneven rhythm, an odd sound between dreary walls. She raised one hand, briefly, but did not stop, shifting only slightly the way her heels hit the ground.

The hurried pitter patter slap of barefoot feet, the huff huff puff of panicked prey.

At the turning of a corner, a small shape barreled into the Knave's knees. Despite their differing momentum, the smaller, lighter one of them was sent sprawling backwards with a cry. Utterly unfazed, the Knave considered her unfortunate assailant. Strewn on the floor like a discarded doll, a child shook. She noted her peculiar appearance, long, pointed ears and waist-length hair of a shade just a tone off Arlecchino's own; and her clothing, if it could be called such. A plain white shift, two rectangles of cloth tied together, stained by darker residues, ash, soot or grease.

She knew where she had escaped from before the child's eyes opened, terrified, horrified, looking up past the great white regalia with its black collar and numerous insignias. Starry green met black pits criss-crossed in blood red, glowing balefully down at her.

The Knave leaned forward and the child leaned back, shaking like a bird. Her fear did not dissipate as Arlecchino knelt down, reducing the difference between their heights. She cowered even more as a black clawed hand, adorned in silver jewelry and red talons, emerged from the folds of that coat and reached for her. Those fingers brushed her cheek and the round line of her jaws, briefly, gently, and painfully.

The child flinched away with a pained gasp, hands flying to her face to pat down the burning licks of flame that had begun to spread from that single point of contact.

"Mmm." The Knave finally made a sound, a deep, thoughtful hum. She had remained completely silent until this moment, only the slightest rustle of cloth betraying her physical presence in the hall. Her shadowed gaze dissected the child's countenance. Whereas before a small spark of defiance had trembled with fear and tiredness; a new primal, atavistic despair now shone in those eyes.

The Knave pulled back her hand, extending it sideways, curling her fingers in some obscure pattern. At her signal, the form of an agent stepped out from the shadows they had concealed themselves with a few moments prior.

The child on the ground jumped out of her skin. Searching the dark corners of the hall, she discovered another fatuus idling behind her, and realized she was and had always been surrounded. Frustrated tears shone in her eyes as she curled in more on herself, ready to run while knowing there was no gap in their encirclement. Motion from the threat in front of her, closest and most dangerous of all, had her flinch. She made herself as small as she could, drawing her arms in front of her face and closing her eyes instinctively.

That hand returned, bypassing her meager protection without effort and grasping once more the edge of her face. The burning did not. The worn touch of scuffed leather yielded against her skin, holding her jaw without force. The little girl dared to open her eyes, slowly, following the grey patterns on a white sleeve to the black and red, ill-fitting glove covering the skin that had harmed her.

"Come with me." Said the Knave when their eyes met again. Her fingers receded, hanging in the air between them. It was not an order, or a question. It was a statement, open like the hand offered to her.

The child on the ground stared into Arlecchino's eyes. There was still fear in her, and a rising hope, tempered by a distrustful frown and the heavy caution holding her limbs ready to run. A shrewdness not found in innocent children's eyes sharpened the gaze searching Arlecchino's cursed orbs.

There was nothing to be found. The dead, black pits of her irises did not even reflect her form, her existence rejected by the image of judgment. An omen if there ever was one.

"Or would you rather stay here?" The Knave's voice broke through the dread her eyes invoked.

The child closed her own eyes, taking a shaky breath. No, she did not want to remain in this horrible place. She took that hand, placing a bet on this unknown, letting herself be pulled to her feet.

The same cold eyes that had frozen her in place appraised her bare limbs and tenuous stance, something approaching disdain in their glow. Somewhat mystified, the child observed as the Harbinger, still kneeling, released the clasps holding shut her greatcoat. A tiny gasp escaped her lips as the Knave took hold of her by her armpits and lifted her body as if she were a simple leaf. Without thought, her hands grasped the Knave's suit as she was pressed against her body, held in one arm at the woman's side. The great coat covered her in darkness, blocking out the outside world, and the invisible weight that emanated from the flesh of the Harbinger settled like a heavy blanket over her.

"Be careful not to touch my skin." The Knave warned before she started walking.

She did not hurry her pace, or slow herself. She paid no attention to the death grip the child had on her clothing, nor even to her presence, bundled close to her shoulder. The agent that had provided her with his gloves followed her silently three steps back, more of a secretary and errand boy than his deadly skills would suggest. Her operative had already departed. She allowed herself one single exhalation, carrying into the wind feelings that had no place in the present.

The Knave left the frigid, desolate hallways. Beneath her wing, freezing at the sound of every footstep and word, expecting to be discovered or revealed at every moment, Nahida hoped she had made the right choice. The black fur of the Harbinger's collar tickled her scalp and ears, and the near scorching warmth of her body felt like being too close to a devastating wildfire. Nahida was so tired and so sick that all the things she was tracking, that she needed to be aware of, muddled into an homogeneous, incomprehensible mass. In the darkness every so often invaded by the northern wind, the fire was almost a comfort, like a bare fireplace. Children just needed to be careful not to get too close to the flames.

Nobody stopped them or dared to approach them, gazes finding reasons to avoid the Knave, and Arlecchino left Zapolyarny Palace as she always did. Without looking back, heading to the House of the Hearth.

---

Title sort of taken from Dark Souls II with the Fire Keeper's quote: "I am a Fire Keeper. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. The Lords have left their thrones, and must be deliver'd to them. To this end, I am at thy side." Which fits a bit with this situation.

 

[NooneImportant]

Forcibly Nahidadopted

 

[minuseven]

|2|

'Well, I can be half-grateful that old-Tetsuya made preparations.' He shuffled forward another bit as the line advanced. His cellphone had been left without a password, and his wallet had been easily visible on the bedside table. In between that and the hotel's spotty wi-fi, he'd managed to get enough information about himself and the world to not get arrested on suspicions of body-snatching. It was probably a thing in this superhero world.

"Next, please." It was almost his turn. Since he'd already been in the middle of Tokyo, he wasn't going to waste any time. In his flailing against an apparent horrible fate, old-Tetsuya hadn't changed his quirk at the registry. That was his first priority, since he was going to be training with it and didn't want any awkward questions asked. It would also be a good excuse to give if asked why he'd absconded to the city.

"Next, please." A truly spindly receptionist sat behind the glass. "How may I help you?"

Tetsuya was glad he'd trained himself not to stare at all the different body morphologies of this future. She looked like a stick-bug had donned human skin. "Hm, I'd like to make an alteration to my Quirk Register. Name and description."

"Quirk Registration changes will be reviewed before approval. Do you have a medical statement? Your ID please."

Tetsuya had read that changing the name or description of his quirk as an adult didn't necessarily require a new examination by a specialist. However, big changes to his registration could demand a new examination. This was likely going to be his case. He just wanted to get the ball rolling as soon as possible.

Previously, Tetsuya's quirk had been 'Embedded Orb', a heteromorphic-type quirk that was described as 'an orb embedded on the skin that can freely move over the body's surface'. Tetsuya's insistence it had a special power had, of course, been ignored by his guardian, doctor and authority figures. The proposed change was for it to be called 'Orb Shield', a possible change in classification to composite-type, and the description to 'attached shield that can change properties by absorbing substances through orb'. He wrote down a quick and half-invented summary of his discovery of how his quirk worked on the 'reason for change' field, and signed the papers.

Not a single notable emotion passed through the worker as she skimmed the papers and then filed it. "Expect an answer by message within 10 to 15 business days."

He left the government building with the weird feeling that such an extraordinary thing as changing his superpower description was the same as changing his address or renewing his driver's license.

Was there anything else to do here before he returned to Tetsuya's home? It was an urban area, so there wasn't a lot of materials he could collect to unlock new shield forms. He'd already fed the Shield several pamphlets from the hotel and the registry, discovering the Paper Shield. It required quite a bit more paper to unlock the form, so he was still limited to his starting form.

|| Discovered! :: Paper Shield (32%) ||

"Well, maybe there is something…" He opened up his phone and booted up a search. Thinking about it, there was one shield form he remembered well and that could be useful. Lucky for him, there were several second hand shops in the city.

'This shouldn't take too long.' He told himself as he stepped into the train. He headed straight to his desired location, making his best to not stare at everything and everyone. The future was simultaneously the same and completely different. 'Ah… I have to focus. If I don't dedicate all my attention to becoming a hero student, I'll seriously die.'

In theory, the shield hero's power was top class. Plus, as any game-like power that evolved its status, its growth potential was unlimited. The original power had a level cap, but not a status cap; and Tetsuya's version didn't even possess a level. That didn't mean he wasn't limited. The greatest constraint was time. No matter how many shields he unlocked, his base stats would remain the same until he mastered those shields. Mastery required experience: more time. He would need to spend his every moment with a shield he hadn't mastered yet.

To that end, discovering and unlocking shields was his first priority. The bookshop was useful for that. As a second-hand store, it had the usual: either old books that were worth something due to their age or newer books that had quickly been outdated. Like software manuals… and a surprising amount of manga. He ended up buying a hefty-looking but cheap guide for a software he'd never heard of, and indulged himself in a single hero-themed manga. For the price it had, he supposed whoever that had been had not become popular.

|| Unlocked! :: Book Shield :: SDEF+1 :: <Read I> ||

"Oh, a skill. Read, hm?" The shield looked like a plain, medium-thick hardcover book strapped to his forearm, the orb embedded in the cover. Tetsuya flipped through the manga before deciding it was worth experimenting. He hovered a hand over the closed volume. "<Read I>." His palm gloved very slightly, he had a flash of insight, and then he was reading the manga. The book was closed, he could even close his eyes, but his brain was still receiving the information crystal clear. He could even flip through it or zoom in for a closer look like he was actually doing the physical motions with the book.

Tetsuya's grin was malevolent. Sure, the speed of reading wasn't as good as his normal rate, but the skill was only Grade I. And well, now he was full of ideas. If he could read, could he not record? Write? Listen? And if he could do that, why not project or turn the volume up? Like that pro-hero. He shouldn't let his imagination be constrained. Different types of skills were also granted by the Shield and he had to make the most out of it.

But first, setting up for the night. He had old-Tetsuya's luggage stored in the Shield. Money was tight but enough to survive for now. To maximize it… in Japan, an internet caffe would be the best bet. He could research there too, and look for a part-time job to sustain him for the rest of the year.

Alright, he could do this.

---

Just been having fun with this story lately.

 

[minuseven]

|3|

For somebody who had wanted so much to be a hero, Tetsuya had left himself in a poor position to become one. 'To be fair, he never planned on anybody taking over after he was gone, but still… Should I be grateful he didn't blow the last of his money before offing himself?' For some reason, old-Tetsuya hadn't splurged everything he owned on food or drink or other things before he took the final leap.

He had, however, taken a train to the middle of Tokyo. Before that, he'd quit school, if the emails on his inbox were anything to go by. Little money, incomplete education, few if any friends and family to support him. Tetsuya had kept his, now, phone on. Nobody had bothered to call. There were a few old messages telling him to stop acting out and get back, but nothing more. He wasn't terribly surprised. He'd read the suicide note. The kid inhabiting this body had not been the popular type. If anything, he'd been the weird and intense obsessive kind.

"The only thing you left me was a body in good enough shape… I'd like to say that. But now my physicality is entirely tied to the Shield's system so that's a moot point." He grumbled to himself. "Aah, what a mess. Damn, damn, fuck."

He wasn't panicking. Yet.

Hisashi Tetsuya's eighteenth birthday had been the 28th of October. Two days later he'd been in Tokyo and 'unalived' himself. It was currently the last day of October. According to his research, the post-secondary institutions that had hero courses, the so-called hero academies, held their entrance exams in February and March. So far, so good.

However.

First and most importantly, Tetsuya had quit school. One of the requirements to enter a hero academy was, naturally, to have a high-school diploma. He'd almost despaired then and there, but, as someone who had a bit more experience with the bureaucracy of higher education institutions than a highschooler would have, Tetsuya went and read the small print. What he needed was a High School Graduation Equivalency Diploma. The dates for those exams were in August… and in November.

'So I just have to learn all the subjects that a japanese highschooler in the uncertain superpowered future would need to know. Biology is probably different too…' He'd gotten through university. He could probably study up in the remaining… two weeks.

So that was bad enough.

The other problem, more of a suspicion than something certain, related to the time limit he'd been given. It was too long. Effectively, his time ran out in September of next year. Why? After his research, he became aware of an ominous coincidence. Some hero academies also accepted applications in autumn. Apparently that was because the greatest hero academy of them all, U.A., didn't start their academic year on April, but in September like the western model.

U.A, with 99% of their graduates retaining their probationary licenses after one year.

U.A., with the acclaimed hero course that old-Tetsuya had wanted to enter so much it had been named in the last words he had written.

U.A., which started their term on September 1st. The very day the timer would end.

There were coincidences, then there were flashing, neon signs.

"Aurgh. Focus. First you need to pass highschool. Again." He grumbled to himself and got up. He stretched, put his phone in the Shield, took his wallet out of it, and left his cubicle.

He'd found himself an internet café more on the expensive side he felt, but only for his first night as Tetsuya. Moreover, it had a bunch of services free of charge that he was going to make the most of while he could. As he browsed the cup ramen section, he noticed the printer and remembered he still had a paper shield to unlock. His eyes roamed the area, looking for things that he could use to unlock good shields. After some thought, he picked up three things in addition to his ramen.

The first was just a soda. What interested him was the can. It was made of aluminium, so instead of chucking it in the garbage, he surreptitiously fed it to his orb.

|| Discovered! :: Aluminium Shield (2%) ||

The second was a small flash drive. It was cheap, but the possibilities intrigued him. So far, he'd deliberately kept the Shield from even analyzing his wallet and phone, afraid it would eat them by accident. While he could discover and unlock shields without losing the initial materials, it was less efficient than having the Shield consume them. The thumb drive was perfectly disposable.

|| Unlocked! :: Flash Drive Shield :: DEF+1 :: <Embedded System: Digital Memory> :: [Upgrade: Digital Memory] ||

He kept himself from squeeing at his new shield through sheer force of will. Rectangular and not a lot bigger than his forearm, it looked like his arm was covered by a gigantic USB drive with the central orb near his wrist by default. It was black and polished, without any great details, just that futuristic look expected from commercial electronics. It certainly didn't look very resistant, but he supposed that was what 1 DEF gave him.

What the Flash Drive Shield had were its bonuses. One unique and one not, which meant it could be used anytime after he mastered it! [Embedded System: Digital Memory] was more or less what it said on the cover. The Shield had now gained a digital data storage. Granted, it wasn't accessible until he mastered the Flash Drive Shield, but afterwards, he would be able to use that memory for any other systems the Shield gained in the meanwhile. That was why it was an Embedded System, and it confirmed that different shields could interact in some way.

'The next step would be to confirm it… if not my phone then, wait!' He remembered he did have something. He quickly rummaged around in Tetsuya's duffel bag. It was practically empty, all the clothes and heavy items in the Shield's inventory, and only outside to allay suspicion. But one of the things that had stayed in was his phone charger. 'Which is a modular electronic… thing!'

|| Unlocked! :: Power Adapter Shield :: MDEF+2 :: <Embedded System: Power Supply><Electricity Resistance +5> :: [Upgrade: Power Supply][Electricity Absorption I] ||

"Not exactly what I was expecting… maybe even better." The Shield's powers were inherently turned towards defense after all. But still, this gave him what was effectively a weak quirk on top of what he already had.

Quickly, he turned to the computer and opened a note to jot down the sudden ideas he had about more shields. Like batteries and cables, screens and… he should have not thrown away the ramen's disposable chopsticks. Too late. Regardless, before he forgot, he had one last thing he wanted to feed to the Shield. If this worked, it might be the linchpin that saved his life.

Tetsuya opened the bottle he'd gotten from a vending machine and put a handful of white pills in the green orb of the Shield.

|| Unlocked! :: Caffeine Shield :: SP+1 :: <Caffeinated III> ||

---

Don't know if we'll get to UA but if we do, I do like mixing things up sometimes. Not the characters, but the setting and stuff.
Making up shields is fun.

 

[minuseven]

There is a House unlike any other in Snezhnaya.

The door closed behind them, the flurries that chased after their footsteps breaking against the solid wood. The dark evening was replaced by the warm glow of the candelabra, and beneath a great white coat, Nahida jolted awake at the sudden transition. Beyond that great white coat that separated her from the outside was an atmosphere so very different from the cold that had permeated her being ever since she'd been taken to Snezhnaya; a feeling she hadn't felt in a very long time. Perhaps, a warmth that she'd only experienced in dreams.

Like a magician twirling a cape for a grand and miraculous unveiling, the barrier of cloth that isolated her from the outside world was lifted away. Nahida closed her eyes against the abrupt brightness, gripping the shape that held her aloft white-knuckled for an instant, before her tired mind remembered who it was. Perturbed, she froze in place, her eyes flying wide open, searching for answers.

An entrance hall greeted them, a well-worn rug spread over a diamond patterned scuffed stone flooring. One wall was covered by coats and jackets of all sizes, still dripping melting snow onto a long brass tin. A staircase in wood and wrought-iron ascended into a second floor and more. The chandelier above cast its artificial light over the teenagers who waited for them.

"Welcome home, Father." The two bowed quickly at the waist.

The girl between them straightened with a smile directed at the child eyeing them warily, sky blue eyes clear and inviting. "Somebody new?"

"No. A guest." The Knave stated as she handed her cloak to the boy, an older, more taciturn teenager on the brink of adulthood.

"A guest?" Both straightened their postures to a military precision, gazes appraising the child with newfound intensity and curiosity. "What kind of guest?"

"The kind of guest that's not to be bothered." The Knave chided, not raising her voice, its low timber carrying it easily to the ears of those it was intended for. "We've had no guests for quite a while, but there's no need to make a fuss about it."

"Yes, Father." Was answered in unison.

"Has everybody already gone to bed?"

"Curfew has been called. Only those who have late work are still up." The boy confirmed, cloak folded neatly over his arm.

"Very well, do not bother them. Helena." She called, and the girl stepped forward. Long black and red nails threatened to poke the pale digits still holding on to her suit and Nahida released her before she could be burned. She was lowered to the floor, where the girl gently steadied her. The child flinched slightly at her touch but did not avert her distrustful glower from the Knave and her cruel hands. "The House of the Hearth extends its hospitality. Helena will tend to you. Georgi, help your sister. Bring her to my office when you are done."

"Of course, Father." Her two children responded obediently and the Knave marched forward, leaving the three alone in her wake.

When her back had disappeared behind a closed door, Helena bent down to address their guest. Her light brown hair was tied neatly behind a wide, kind face. "Hello. My name is Helena, what's yours?"

The white-haired child looked between the two that had been assigned to look after her. "I'm Nahida." She eventually responded.

"Nahida? That's such a pretty name. Is it from Sumeru, or Natlan?"

"Helena…" Her sibling warned.

"I was just trying to make conversation." She stuck out her tongue at him.

"Father made our guest's well-being our responsibility." He murmured. "And she's clearly not well." His eyes were dull, stone grey and half-lidded under the light, but they cut to the heart of the matter. Their guest looked not much different from the orphans that their Father brought to join them, bedraggled and suspicious. Her clothing could barely be called that and her limbs were riddled with small scrapes.

It was fortunate, then, that the House had more than enough experience in the matter.
"Ah, sorry." Helena smiled at Nahida and let her decide her next steps. "How about this, would you like to clean up first, or to eat something nice and warm before taking a bath?"

The desire to cleanse herself became near overwhelming when the option was presented to Nahida. Every pore and follicle transmitted to her brain the need to utterly remove from herself all the things that had made up those awful spaces within the palace. The scents, the sensations, the very air of it created a dreadful aura, carrying with it the pleas of uncountable poor souls. From a supposedly sterile place, its ghosts clung to her like tar.

Her hands dug into the threadbare shift she was wearing, even that imposed on her, another symbol of what had been taken from her. Beneath it, her nakedness became an intolerable vulnerability. "A bath, please." She managed.

Helena beckoned with an open hand. "Sure." She led the way up the wrought-iron stairs, keeping a close eye on the smaller child's pace, but besides some initial stumbling, Nahida did not fall behind. As they reached the second floor, the flooring changed, the material becoming smooth, softer than stone and warmer as well. The snezhnayans were amused at Nahida's perplexed expression. "It's linoleum." Explained Helena. "It's a new material that got invented by the Fatui. Father arranged for the House to get some."

"It's a lot easier to clean than wood." Grumbled the boy. "Here we are. I'm going to get some clothes." He left the two girls in front of a non-descriptive door.

The washing room was communal. Several open stalls with shower heads lined one of the tiled walls, the water-marked metal shining clean. Another wall had a row of standing sinks and mirrors, a myriad variety of little soaps, bottles and brushes in neat rows on little shelves beneath them. But rather than any of those, Nahida's guide dragged over a dented copper tub, more of a large washing bowl than anything. It was just about Nahida's size, one of many small tubs, all nested in a corner.

"Alright." Helena said after she finished filling the tub. "Clothes off and let's wash you up."

And Nahida hesitated. She wanted to take a bath, to wash off everything and let the warmth of the water soothe her, but looking at the open hand in front of her, at those blue eyes…

"Oh, sorry." The girl's voice broke through the distance, making the smaller child startle. She rubbed her forehead with a strained smile. "I'm being an inconsiderate idiot again, aren't I? Here I can turn around," she did as she said, presenting her back to Nahida, "or close my eyes, or even go away for a while. Are you hurt anywhere? Can you take a bath by yourself? We can find some way for this to work!"

A small hand grabbed hers. "Thank you." The white-haired child looked up at her with star-eyes that belayed a wisdom beyond their years, and a tiredness to match. "I… I think I need some time for myself."

With only some reassurances and instructions given, Nahida convinced the teenager to leave her. Perhaps Helena was used to small humans that acted so much more grown up than they looked. Looking at all the things that surrounded her, so many of them in child size, Nahida knew with certainty where she was then. A House that took in all those left alone and adrift for the Fatui to collect.

Was she safe here?

It felt warm, she pondered as she let the hot water sink into her. She soaked in the warmth like arid desert soil, greedily taking all the comfort she could, unstiffening toes from the northern cold, scrubbing and washing away the past from her skin. Unmarred as she was on the outside, not even the water could do much about the fear and dismay that had taken root in the most inner recesses of her soul. She was all alone.

This place and its people were warm indeed, like being covered by the Knave's cloak. But Nahida wasn't a fool, and she had not forgotten how that black hand had burned her. They were also dangerous, and she couldn't be sure of when those claws would be turned on her as well.

Knock-knock, echoed on the tiled room. "Can I come in? I brought clothes." She entered at Nahida's affirmation. "Are you feeling better, warmer? A bath is just the thing, isn't it? Oh, have you washed your hair yet or can I wash it for you?"

Nahida's white and green strands floated on the murky water. "Nobody has washed my hair before." She said, grabbing tangled locks and looking at them as if she was seeing them for the first time.

"Well, can I be the first then?" The other girl kneeled by the tub, uncaring of the water on the floor. "Trust me, having your hair washed feels amazing."

It did. Careful, calloused fingers rubbed suds into her scalp, kept warm water away from her eyes, and untangled her hair. It felt like caring, the child thought as she stared at the water-spotted ceiling, blurring as a sadness she knew all too well was alchemized into a yawning gap beneath her ribs. A hand rested gently on her shoulder as she fought back the tears. These foreigner hands that treated Nahida with more care than the people of her homeland.

They helped her dry herself without intruding. They handed her long-sleeved tunics and trousers to choose from, and brushed her hair with a comb that was missing teeth. They anxiously fussed at the redness of her eyes. They cut fruit and broke the bread for her to eat. They were always looking to know if help needed to be offered. The hospitality of the House was made of meticulous hands and watchful eyes, smiles and gestures betwixt trained professionalism and empathetic friendliness.

They stopped in front of a dark wooden door, engraved with no particularly distinguishable patterns. The children gave their guest respect akin to gods, but now the time had come for Nahida to meet with their Father, and know what reciprocity would be expected of her.

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I wanted to get the nahida-arlecchino conversation here but i need to post or ill be too tired to write. guess ill up the chapter numbers by 1.