Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In the dark, stone halls of The Cell, there was usually an eerie silence, save for the footsteps of the guards making rounds. The ominous glowing of magical runes - mostly blue, but also red in certain high-security areas - usually cast long shadows everywhere. The architecture was bland and uniform, not too dissimilar to a castle, though without windows or even tapestries to liven things up.

This state of affairs usually gave the place the feel of a tomb more than a prison... which was not incorrect in the Archivist’s opinion. After all, it was not like she and the others had ever been going to be released willingly. They were meant to rot away in here until the end of time, Or at least until their captor was satisfied and had learned what they wanted from them. But at that point... she did not believe for a second they would be let go alive.

But even just killing them was not something that would have happened anytime soon. She had been in there for... what? Two millennia at this point? Two and a half? Nerissa and Bijou had been there for far longer than that, too. It would probably be thousands of more years - maybe even eons - before such a point had been reached, she was sure. By which point, even the twins would likely have had their spirits broken by their time here. Their poor gem-girl was already well on her way to reaching that stage, as well, thanks to the burdens she-

Shiori blinked, stopping her run before she reached the next corner. You’re getting off track, she admonished to herself, quickly deciding to compartmentalize this. Taking a deep breath, she brought out one of her bookmarks from her coat. The plain gray rectangle, made of a material that felt like plastic, seemed unremarkable at first. However, that soon changed as she concentrated... and the veins in her arms darkened into an inky black, moving toward her hand like a river. And once it reached her hand, the bookmark glowed with yellow, intricate lines - an eye at its center.

Releasing a breath, she brought into focus her current tangential thoughts - not a proper memory or information, but the effect would be the same. With a small mental push, she let it “flow” into the bookmark, feeling it fade from her mind. The eye glowed brighter for a second, becoming a darker shade as well. A moment later, the thoughts were disconnected from her mind, and the bookmark stopped glowing, though the yellow lines remained.

Sighing, she stored away the bookmark again, glad to not be distracted by... whatever it was she had just been thinking about. She... thought it involved the others? The idea was severed from her mind, though, and she did not let herself try to remake it. Instead, she went back to her beginning thoughts - how silent The Cell usually was... which was not the case anymore. Not with all the alarms being sounded

The Archivist could not help but smirk as she stood there, catching her breath. She looked around the brick hall she was in, taking the normal blue glow of the runes that had kept them trapped there... ones that no longer worked. Oh, they were straining to, but even though most were hidden from direct sight by alcoves, she could tell how much they were flickering. It was to the point that the magical fires above, hanging from chains on the ceiling in bronze braziers, were actually becoming the dominant lighting for once.

It had not been too difficult to ensure those were not affected by the blanket magic suppression she had put around the place. While The Cell had been remodeled to allow for televisions and other electronic devices in recent years, most of this place’s lighting was still from the early days. She had not wanted them to be reliant on flashlights from the guards, so she had made modifications to not affect pyromantic runes.

...Those were the only runes currently working, though. The rest were now worthless, and would remain so for the next several hours. It was extra time she hoped they did not need, but it helped not to have a tight window to get out. What mattered, though, was that the ingrained magic in this place was shut down. No explosive sigils, or beams that would freeze or shock them, or anything that would disrupt their innate and learned abilities. The only thing that might work was any defenses that used fire, but she had deemed it an acceptable risk.

In other words... they had powers, and their guards did not. At long last, after so many centuries of planning... they had a chance to be free.

That thought put a new spring in the Archivist’s step as she got back to running. This... this was it. Everything had been planned out for this. The others had the layout of this place imprinted into their heads thanks to her, and would be heading to the area she had designated. Once there, they would create their exit, and then... they would make a run for it.

The details of what would come after were... admittedly very murky, but she did not dwell on that. Right now, they needed to focus on getting out of this place. Once they were out, they would lay low and find a way to leave this Realm - getting as far as possible and never looking back. Between them all - especially her collection of knowledge - she was sure they would work something out!

For that, though, they needed to get out of this terrible, oppressive prison. She frowned as she slid around another corner, worried about the others. While the guards had lost much of their magical gear, they were still tough. They also had a few mages that, similarly to them, would not be affected by the rune suppression. Yet even so... she knew deep down they would be alright. Together, they would finally achieve their freedom! All factors had been accounted for, and they were prepared for anything thanks to their own preparations.

...Well, except for one major factor. But their captor should be far away from this place, unaware of what was happening. She had timed this all carefully so that it would hopefully not interfere. Once they were away, she would hide them from its gaze. Even imprisoned, she had managed to pull together the knowledge of how to do so.

And if it found them before then... she tried not to think about it - her hand even going for another bookmark before deciding better of it. Such thoughts were disturbing, but she needed to be ready in case it did happen. Her plan for that was very much a gamble, but there would be no choice then. Because if it got them again... the unfathomable things it would do to them-

Shiori was brought out of those thoughts as she turned the next corner... where two guards were running in her direction one meter. Despite wearing full-plate black armor, the alarms had drowned out their clanking until they were all face-to-face. They stopped, their surprise evident even if their faces were hidden in knight-like helmets. But they quickly recovered, one pulling a sword - evidently not having had time to get anything else now that it was inert of magic - and the other opening the holster on his pistol with gloved hands - no plate.

Her gaze hardened immediately, her hand darting into a different part of her coat. From there, she pulled out what looked like a small gray stamp, like one might use for a wax seal or to imprint a logo with ink. It was already covered in ink on its golden end with a rubber-like base, so she wasted no time in pressing it briefly against her wrist.

After that... her whole being changed.

A shudder went through her, her body briefly feeling like it was being molded like clay. Her lanky form was suddenly more... muscular. Her hair, while already short, became cropped. Her clothing also morphed, becoming a black inky substance, which made the two others pause before trying to strike, clearly weary. This proved to be a mistake for them, though, as the ink settled on a new form... and that was her own set of plain leather armor, protecting her torso and legs. Even her stamp altered, becoming liquid briefly, then turning into a silvery dagger.

The Archivist would have admired her work, if her head was not so... foggy . Another shudder went through her as her thoughts slowed, her memories feeling like liquid, becoming so... fuzzy and... and...

...A second later, she blinked, realizing her mind had gone blank there. She was briefly confused... but as she saw the knights in front of her, she growled and remembered. These swine! Who did they think they were, trying to stop her and her merry band of misfits from stealing the crown from this castle? These riches would go to the poor peasants that they had taxed beyond reason!

As the best thief in the kingdom, she swore that these false protectors would not stop her.

The two corrupt knights recovered from their shock, one more readying their weapons. Her eyes darted to the one pulling out a firearm - an import from foreign lands, she knew. Knowing their dangers, she quickly closed the distance before he could raise the device, her dagger flashing by. Its tip scraped the weapon and knocked it out of the other’s hands, breaking as it landed.

He did not get the chance to retaliate as Shiori stabbed upward through a chink under his helmet. A gasp left him, gurgled as the blade went through his chin. She pulled back her now bloody weapon, turning away from him as he fell to the ground. She gave him no mind as she twirled upon the other knight, who had turned to her and was swinging his sword downward.

Scoffing, she ducked under the swipe and used her dagger to deflect it away. The other blade nicked one part of her arm, but she ignored the small sting. She moved in close to him, forcing him to stumble back to try and use his sword properly. She did not relent, however, as she moved down and stabbed between the joints on the side of his knee.

The man screamed in agony as her weapon went in deep. The iron smell of blood started to fill her nose as she pulled it out, letting him fall to the ground on his hands. He did not lose the grip of his sword, to his credit... but he did not get a chance to rise and use it. By the time he was lifting his head, she was behind him and had put her dagger to his throat. There was no scream this time as she cut open his throat, crimson liquid flowing down the front of his armor now.

The thief took a few steps back, watching as both knights almost in unison fully collapsed to the ground. The first one was very still, indicating he had succumbed to his wound. The second was still twitching, though, weakly clutching at his throat. She could almost imagine the metallic taste of his own blood in his mouth as he drowned in it.

She felt nothing about the death, though, merely huffing as she wiped the blood off of her dagger onto her armor. It was the fate they earned for blindly following such a corrupt monarch. And what chance did they think they had against the best thief of her group, who had killed men twice their size? Especially since they were so clearly untrained for proper combat?

A bunch of meatheads who thought they would make a name for themselves, she mused. It was what made the most sense. But they had paid the price of such folly. Now, all she had to do was make her way out of this castle while avoiding other knights, and then meet with the others. One of them would have the crown - Mococo, if it went as planned - and once they traversed the land to a far away from the lord’s jurisdiction, they would sell it and use the profits to-

It was then that the ink-stamped symbol on her wrist - something she had not even noticed - rippled suddenly. Then it seemed to crack despite being imprinted on, before puffing away in a black mist.

Shiori gasped and shuddered, feeling her body morph and change again. Her head pounded as her clothes and dagger became ink once more. The fuzzy feeling over her mind returned, but this time it was accompanied by a proper headache, her brain coming to terms with what had happened. Her life as a thief slipped away like liquid, save for the last few minutes, and a different one - of knowledge pursuits and magic - returned to her.

She shook her head, standing steady as her clothes became normal - a bit bloodier now - and her dagger returned to being a stamp. Faded remnants of the other life she had imprinted over herself remained, but she knew it was fake now. It was nothing more than a persona she had crafted for herself to aid in a fight when needed. There were nine other stamps in her coat that would help her in doing this, too - all with their own stories and histories for her to become in a pinch. Used a fourth of the ink on that one. Not bad, but I’d best be careful. I can’t waste all of these just reaching the entrance!

As she put away the spent stamp, she let her eyes linger on the others, all strapped in securely. She wondered for a moment if it might be worth doing a more thorough application now for a transformation that would last much longer. She was left vulnerable while changing, after all, even if only for a few seconds. The current generation of guards there were complacent and untested in real combat. But not all would be caught off guard like that, and while she had gotten lucky and run into some newbies, it seemed, others could give her more trouble.

However, she decided against it. While she had modeled each persona so they would see the guards as threats and recognize her fellow inmates as allies, each had its limits in capabilities. Beyond this, they were also loose characterizations with basic histories for her brain to fill in. They would not understand the reality of the situation and might not know how to get them through the final stretch of the breakout... And all would lack the ability to deal with their captor if it arrived.

These stamps were simplistic compared to what she could make with more time. However, even with centuries to prepare, getting resources for just these had been difficult. The previous suppression on her abilities had also not helped. They would have to do, and she was not going to risk being locked into any one “life” and compromise this escape. She would just have to keep a better ear out for others and use them ahead of time.

...The Archivist hoped she would not run into many more guards, though. She frowned, glancing back at the two fresh corpses she had made. None of the personas she had made were “designed” to want to kill or enjoy it... but it seems they could be quite ruthless. Not that it affected her too much, or had expected a bloodless escape. Plus, these were hardly innocent people. They knew full well what they had perpetuated for them all, and their providence of entertainment in later centuries did not absolve them or their predecessors.

Still... it made her wonder if the others would fare alright with doing so themselves. Fuwawa and Mococo... they were no killers. And the other two had been surrounded by death they had unintentionally caused. Nerissa might be alright, but Bijou...

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to turn away. There would be time to deal with that later. Right now, she needed to keep moving. Everyone else would be doing their part, and as the ringleader, she especially needed to be on point! No more tangents or lamenting. We need to go, or we’ll lose our chance. They won’t let this happen again so easily if we fail.

With this in mind, she began her sprint once more, planning to rendezvous with a certain gem-girl. As she moved, though, she got out another bookmark from her coat. It would be best to forget about that little tangent about the others' killing to keep focused, she decided. She also planned to put the death of those two guards into this as well to minimize the chance of the topic coming to mind for now. There would be time to review and remember both afterward.

It was difficult while on the move, but she began the process, the bookmark glowing yellow in her hand. She began to push those memories away into it, praying in the back of her mind that the others were handling themselves so far... and that the entity that caught them really would stay away.

-------

After so long being in The Cell, Nerissa had almost forgotten just how... powerful her voice could be. So many measures had been taken by the guards to ensure she could never use it on them - physical and magical devices alike used for this. If she so much as hummed for half a second in their presence, they would punish her for it and use their protections. Any chance she had to express herself was in extreme isolation, and even then she could never do it fully.

It was easy for her to forget at times that she was supposed to be a sound demon... but there was no forgetting that now.

There were the more obvious ways, of course, such as when around the next corner she was met with another guard. The woman had clearly heard her coming and was already kneeling on the ground with a rifle. The moment she clocked onto the black-haired prisoner, she was already turning the weapon to let off a shot.

The sound demon, however, was quicker in letting out a high-pitched wail from her throat. The soundwaves it produced were almost visible due to their strength and the magic behind them. With a shrill sound, they passed over the guard and blew her back several meters. The shot went wide as the woman landed on her back in a heap. They attempted to rise, but the escapee was already upon her. Throwing off the helmet of the other, she quickly punched her in the face, making her head smack hard against the floor and causing her to fall unconscious.

Taking a deep breath, the raven-girl rose back to her feet. She tossed aside the helmet in her hands, truly impressed with how useless Shiori’s ritual had rendered the armor. They had relied too heavily on runes for them, which had made up for several weaknesses in the stuff. The joints, normally protected by barriers, were now highly exposed. And as just demonstrated, it was not hard to pull certain pieces off.

There was not a lot of time to be thankful for that, though. Looking around, she saw the rifle had landed not far away, and she moved over to it. She picked it up, hoping it was still functional. Unfortunately, though, she could tell that her attack had broken too many pieces off. The barrel was also warped enough from trying to fire in her soundwaves to potentially cause issues. These probably lost a lot of magical reinforcement, too.

She sighed in frustration, letting the firearm go. It was not that she had any particular skills with the weapon she could take advantage of. She was locked up long before these types of ranged weapons existed, in fact. And it was not like she wanted to use it regardless. A few guards were probably going to die for her and the others to escape, but while she held no love for them, she was not interested in gunning down all the ones in her path.

The problem was... well, that her throat was killing her!

Nerissa brought a hand up to feel at it, swallowing thickly as she tried to relieve the soreness. The power in her voice was meant for more... subtle magics, rather than blunt attacks. The loss of one of her horns millennia back only exacerbated that problem. That was the third time she had used it like that, and if she did it any more, she might have a harder time completing her part of the plan.

Knowing her options were limited, she decided to go for a different approach. Taking another breath, she spread her wings on her lower backside, beginning to flap them. She had been hesitant to fly around at first, even with the high ceiling. She was out of practice, and if anyone shot up at her, evading would be difficult. Still, she would have to risk it to avoid more direct confrontations and rely on how high the ceilings were to help.

In seconds, she was in the air and was soaring through the maze of halls. As she expected, her path was unsteady, and for the first few corners, she needed to overcorrect to avoid hitting a wall. However, even after four millennia, she apparently still had enough natural instincts to keep a decent altitude. The more she flew, the easier her movements became, too.

It was still not as steady as the days before her imprisonment, but... she had missed this. Perhaps as much as being able to use her voice freely. There was no fear of being shocked or prodded for stepping out of line. No threats over her head to demonstrate parts of her abilities to their captor in controlled ways. This... she was doing for herself. For the friends she had made in this place. To never have her powers abused again.

And to help achieve that... she needed to retrieve their “contraband.”

It was why her path was on a detour from the area they would make their exit at. She happened to be the one closest to where their stuff was kept from when they were captured, so the task was given to her. A few particular items were special to them: complex “story stamps” from Shiori, among other things like a special bag that was important for them; magical gems from Bijou that could be used as magical focuses taken by... various means (many unpleasant); The twin claws of Fuwawa and Mococo that they could channel devastating attacks and other abilities through.

...And her tuning fork, which she would need if she wanted to fight off any more guards without compromising her voice.

The sound demon continued along her path, following the directions in her mind courtesy of the Archivist. To her immeasurable luck, she had not run into any more guards with guns. She did soar over one or two, but they only had swords and other melee weapons. Other than that, though, the hallways were very scarce, even considering the limited personnel there. Guess Fuwamoco did their job right. Too many of them had been deployed to their area by the time the rest of us were out of our cells, just like Shiori predicted!

It was a rather ingenious, if simple, bit of coordination - the hellhounds breaking out first once defenses were down. If there was any one thing they were the best at, it was making noise and drawing attention to themselves. (Their words, not hers.) The twins were tough enough with all the runes deactivated to be able to hold them off for a long while, too, she knew from her interactions with them.

Still, they would not last forever without backup, or their claws. It was that reminder of how everyone needed their stuff back to make this escape work that made her fly faster. She clenched her hands, scanning the stone halls for what she was looking for. She passed several ironclad doors, but they were not what she was looking for. She kept her eyes sharp, knowing from her mental map that she was close-

-and then, in the next hallway, she found it. Even without having known the location, it was easily spotted with the steel sign above the door labeled “Prisoner Contraband.” The entrance was wide open, as well, and from within she could hear footsteps and rapid talking as she landed quietly next to it. There seemed to be two people in there, the best she could tell.

Rather than being upset by their presence there, though... the raven-girl smiled due to it. She had been hoping for this, because she could guess very well what they were doing... and what they would have.

Creeping up to the door, after making sure the hall was empty, she peeked into the room. There, she was met with a small room with few decorations. Two braziers in the walls provided the only illumination, as the runes in there had all seemingly failed entirely. That, she knew, was thanks to certain ritual components they managed to get into there over the decades - mainly special gems Bijou made sure they harvested and scriptures from Shiori. Now, all the magical locks in there, whether using runes or not, would be worthless inside.

That was why there were currently two guards messing with the five very large chests made of lossium. The red underworld metal showed signs of being worn from the inside out, their magic-nullifying properties not having been enough to contain the power of the ritual. The men were scrambling and checking the normal locks on each, ensuring they were still secured. They also had chains scattered on the floor, scrambling to wrap them around the containers to secure them better with additional locks. They had only barely gotten started, it seemed.

And on their hips were the key rings for them.

The raven-girl smirked, eyeing the scene before her. Using those would obviously be preferable to brute-forcing them open. It would be quicker, and she would not have to worry about accidentally damaging the others’ things. Plus, by the time her voice could get her into all of them, her throat would likely be bloody.

That meant dealing with the guards, though. A good shout would probably take them both out easily, but it might also damage the keys and warp the locks. Fighting them directly would not be preferable, either. They both only had swords in their hilts, but that was of little comfort. Without her tuning fork, she was not very good in a brawl. Even if she won, too, who knew if they might injure her wings or stab her legs?

Thus... she would have to use a different sort of ability for this. One she felt demonstrated her power far greater than a wave of force. Not flashy in any way, but could solve many situations with just the right notes to help with her... influence.

She paused for a brief second, though, nearly frowning for a second. These two... were human. And memories of when she had last sung for a large crowd of their kind, along with several other mortals, came to mind. The way those lands had been bathed in red because of her negligence. The insane screams that had gradually grown quieter with every minute... Fewer breaths being drawn among them...

The event still haunted her dreams at times... but she blinked hard, banishing such thoughts. She knew, after the tests their captor made her do, ironically enough, that her singing did not have to drive humans mad. She could not even summon enough strength to do that now, thanks to her missing horn. And even if she could, she knew how to control the magic in her voice to prevent that.

She had her time to process that tragedy... and the others were practically relying on her to use her power.

And so, with this resolve, Nerissa took a deep breath... then began to sing. She used no words, her melody light but strong. She had always taken pride in her singing voice, and despite her sore throat, her notes were still coming out smoothly. With the addition of channeling her powers into it, though, it also took on an ethereal quality that made it all the more... enchanting. Both figuratively and literally.

With the alarms still ringing through The Cell, the guards did not seem to notice her song. The notes and their magic still reached the men's ears, though. It was evident in the way their movements started to slow down and their words started to petter out. While their faces were currently hidden, she could imagine how slack and relaxed they had become. She even swore she could see a violet-pink glow from where their eyes were within, indicating her roots were sinking in well.

As much as she was worried about the others, she took her time weaving her mesmerizing tune. She spent a few minutes singing her mid- and high-pitched notes, keeping an eye around the halls for anyone new coming. Ensnaring people unaware was one thing, but a person knowing they were being charmed would not be as easily swayed.

No one came, though, and once the two stopped moving entirely, the sound demon believed her work was done. Letting her melody die out, she took a moment to smooth out her clothing, knowing that how she looked and held herself was just as important as the magic itself for this. Then, with a sway to her step, she went inside the room and smiled at them, her voice seductive. “Hiya, darlings.~”

The two men were partially brought out of their stupor, turning to her. Instead of going for their weapons like they should have, however, they gasped and shuffled back, looking quite embarrassed. One of them looked her over with an almost reverence before speaking. “M-miss Nerissa! You... what are you...?”

Before even a sliver of suspicion could creep up, the raven-girl strode up to him. She teasingly traced her finger along his chest plate, giving him half-lidded eyes and a fake pout. “What’s the matter, dear? Are you... not happy to see me?” She took pride in how convincing her act was, only enhanced by her charm over them.

The man immediately jumped, shaking his head and holding his arms out placatingly. “No! Of course not! I...” His eyes roamed her body again, his voice becoming wistful as he reached toward her slightly. “Gods, you’re... so lovely. How have I never...?” The other man stepped a bit closer, too, evidently in agreement.

Nerissa giggled, taking a playful step back. As fun as it was to mess with these stupified guards, though, she could not waste much more time. So, she put her hands behind her back and gave them her best warm looks. “Well... I have to say I’m a little hurt you’re only now realizing this.” She grinned at how they slumped at this, knowing she had them. “But... I might be willing to overlook it if you can get me and my friends’ stuff out. Give some kisses as a reward?~”

Their body language conveyed how giddy they were now. Practically tripping over themselves, they began to undo the chains they were setting up without question. Once those were all removed, they then undid the conventional locks on the chests. In less than a minute, every normal seal on them was undone, and the chests were opened up.

The sound demon stepped around them and looked inside. Each one contained their stuff, all kept separated for each prisoner. As expected, one was filled halfway with gemstones of iridescent colors of various qualities. Two were mostly empty, with the main items of note being the blue and pink claws of the twins in each. Another was filled to the brim with ink vials, ink stamps, papers with crazy-looking scrawlings, a small gray book, and a worn, leathery black bag with a strap and loose flap

And the last... She felt her chest stirring seeing her tuning fork again. She took out the blue-black staff, her fingers rubbing over its grooves and feeling the magically preserved flowers upon it. While she had used it a few times in her imprisonment... there was something different about holding it, knowing it would never leave her side again.

She might have gotten lost in her admiration for a few seconds longer... if the guard from before did not remind her of their presence. “Are... you satisfied, my lady? You of course can’t give it back to those low-lifes out there, but the horde is yours otherwise.” He stepped closer, his tone hopeful. “Did... we earn that kiss?”

...The raven-girl did not move for a second, focusing on one particular part of his words. She turned, giving him a sweet smile that was considerably more forced this time. “Of course! I’ll kiss you as promised... with the tip of my fork!”

The man could barely get out a “Wha-?” before she swung the prongs against his helmet. The weapon glowed with dark blue, demonic symbols as it made contact, his body suddenly wracked with strong vibrations as he fell down. Before the other could speak or snap out of his enchantment, she struck his head as well. They both ended up on the ground, choking out sounds as they writhed, unable to stop their shaking no matter how hard they tried.

She sighed, her weapon powering down again for the moment. Truthfully, she had planned to let them wander off safely - maybe peck their helmets... but no one called her friends “low-lifes.” They deserved some uncontrollable shakes for a while. (It was still less painful than anything they put her through.)

Letting them continue to groan and plead, she focused back on the chests. She went to Shiori’s and grabbed her bag, opening it up... and was met with a seemingly endless dark void. While the once-human kept a few things on her person like her book usually, most of her stamps and “special stories” she stored in this extra-dimensional space. It was virtually limitless in scale... and would help with getting most of their stuff out of there.

She began to shovel several stamps into there, along with gems from the chest next to it. But while she did put the Archivist’s book in there, she did not touch Fuwamoco’s claws. Only the duel-hair-toned woman knew how to properly retrieve items inside - hence why the guards did not use it to save space - and as said before, the hellhounds would need them. Even with everyone moving quickly, she was more likely to run into them first, given their paths.

She could not get everything, but she tried to shove as much of the rest of their stuff inside as possible. They all could not afford to wait on her much longer, not to mention those guards she passed would find and catch up to her eventually. Once they did, she needed to use her tuning fork to fend them off and run with what she had.

She could only pray the others would hold out until she got to them... Especially Bijou.

-------

Unlike the others, for the Jewel of Emotions, the prospect of freedom brought... mixed feelings. Ones that had made her question if she would join them on the outside.

On the one hand, she hated The Cell just as much as any of the others. She had been there the longest - seven whole millennia - and had experienced the cruel treatment of those early guards more than anyone. She had cried so much as they chipped away at her body and took her gemstones by force, as well as due to the constant beatings. (It had not even always been because she tried to squirm away - they just thought it would please her captor.)

The current generation was not as vile as that, giving her much more time to heal between “collections” and only using force when needed. But they still tore at her body regularly, even if they did not take nearly as much. She could feel the phantom cracks on her skin from their efforts, though - the feeling of missing limbs and other parts from the early days, too. Plus... the invasive, greedy way they rubbed at her body during it... At the places they had broken her especially, putting fingers into her wounds... How violated she felt afterward...

So, she should want to escape more than any of the others. Indeed, it was those memories that had spurred her into running down the halls now. Her hard feet echoed on the stone floor, moving as fast as her small body could manage. She could hear guards shouting behind her, shots ringing out from a few guns they had. Yet still, she kept moving, fearing how they would handle her... Touch her.

But even as she ran... she wondered if it would not be better for the world if... she remained trapped there.

The gem-girl grimaced, scrambling around another corner as her chest gem pulsed like a human heartbeat from the exertion. She knew she should not be feeling that way. The others, especially Nerissa, would scold her and try to banish such thoughts. She... she had done nothing wrong! She had not wanted to cause such a plague of madness wherever she went. If she had only been able to get away from them entirely...

...But even so, it was still her presence that had caused it. Made those poor humans whom her emotions were based upon go crazy and slaughter one another. And unlike the sound demon, she had no control over the mental influence she had over them, seemingly. Even here, where there was practically constant nullification of that power at all times, it wormed its way into the guards. The way they handled her was proof of that.

To go out would be to risk twisting more human souls simply by being around them. Even living in the underworld or another distant realm would not spare all of them. So... she had truly considered staying there. Letting her cursed existence remain trapped in this prison and never harm another innocent person. She had been resigned to that fate, in fact, after her first millennium there.

But then... the others had arrived over time. Nerissa first - the gentle, kind way she had held her when they were brought together having been so inviting and... relaxing. Then Shiori, who had helped pick apart her mind and help her cope with those travesties before The Cell. Even Fuwamoco, despite only having been there for a few centuries, had done wonders in making her feel truly happy again. (Mococo even let her pet her ears when the treatment of the guards to her got too much.)

Those memories made Bijou smile as she made a straight dash down a long corridor, more shots ringing behind her. It had taken time, but... they had reignited hope deep inside her. That whatever life she might have outside of this place was not a doomed one. That she could have people that would protect her as a person - not just hoarding her for power and wealth. Who would love her not for their own gains, but because... they enjoyed her company.

She had no clue if it would actually work once they were out... but she could not deny how desperately she wanted to at least try it.

The pleasantness was short-lived, though, as a bullet finally connected with her shoulder. She winced, slowing down a little as the force made her stumble. She could feel the small, splintering crater that was left in her solid but flexible skin from it. (Or, well, the top layer of rock and crystal that covered more within.) It stung, but the damage was rather minor and would heal up with a few hours of rest. I hate whoever invented rifles on Earth.

Unfortunately, her momentary slow-down was apparently enough for those chasing her to close the distance some. Her chest gem pounded, a wave of fear washing over her. Turning her head to look back, she saw four of the guards gaining on her - two with guns, one with a sword, and a mage who, unlike the others, had on black robes with a hood and a large wooden staff... One tipped with a jagged gemstone he had gotten from her.

The mage smiled cruelly as they drew closer, barking orders to his compatriots. “Grace, knock her to the ground. Expose her central gem, then shoot it to hell. She’ll be in too much pain to resist us!”

They had all probably known that already - he was just trying to scare her. And to his credit, it worked... but not in the way he probably hoped. The gem-girl was certainly panicking now, but on top of that was a desire to not let her friends down. Her abilities were crucial to them getting out of there, so if she was caught, the others would very likely be, too.

She could not let that happen - would not! Not when they were so close. Not when she knew if they failed here... they would one day feel that emptiness she did all that time ago. Picturing that on any of their faces - the twins especially...

Without overthinking it, she quickly twirled around and thrust out her hands. From them, a white light built up, and a moment later it lanced out. The woman with the sword did not have a chance to dodge as she was struck, the force of the beam causing an audible groan and cracking of her armor. She was pushed far back, the attack dissipating as she was sent a good twenty meters away. She fell back-first against the floor, skidding for another meter or so before falling still.

The other three, including the mage, looked at their fallen ally with shock for a second. They evidently had not expected the silver-haired woman to lash out with so much power. Even she grimaced a little, wondering if that attack had killed her. Despite everything they had done to her, she... she never wanted to kill someone herself. Not after bringing it to so many people by merely being born...

When the rest snapped their heads back toward her, though, she suddenly found it easier to ignore that dilemma for now. Freak out when you’re out of here! Finish this quickly, or you will have to start killing!

Before the other two could raise their pistols, Bijou held both her hands apart, this time red light building up in them. They shot out as two orbs this time, making contact with their weapons as they got ready to fire. The result was the bullets within superheating as the whole firearm for both of them glowed a searing orange-red, causing them to explore in their hands.

They stumbled back, their armor protecting the rest of their bodies from more serious harm. Their hands, however, now had charred gloves that had been burned through to cause blistered skin beneath. The scent of burned flesh wafted out as blood dripped from their palms from the shrapnel as well. They were not down yet, but they would not be doing anything for a few moments longer.

The mage growled at this, sending her a hateful glare. Being this close, she could isolate the emotion clearly, feeling its intent within her deepest parts - what for a human, would be best described as the bone marrow. She knew definitively that he was not angry for harming the others - not really. It was how such actions humiliated him. Perhaps he was hoping for a clean capture so that he could get further promoted by this place’s overseer.

But no matter the case... she felt his deep desire to pulverize her for this transgression.

It was feeling these things that allowed her to react in time as he raised his staff. The gem on top started to glow with a deep red, and a ball of fire started to form above it. A somewhat cliché pyromantic move, but an effective one nonetheless. Between his own power and the added enhancement of the focus, the blast would be enough to break her to pieces and overwhelm her senses with heat.

...It seemed he had forgotten where he had gotten his focus from in the first place. The gem-girl, doing her best not to tremble, looked at the fragment that had been taken from her. Before too much power could be added from it to the spell, she reached out her mind and gently “felt” its current state, wincing at the pain it was in. Still, she kept her projected command soothing. It’s alright, little pebble. Just go to sleep. You can rest instead of serving the bad man...

Being a gem, even from her, it did not truly think or feel. But even so... she got a faint sense of gratitude as her influence helped it start to rest. It then stopped glowing entirely, becoming a dull gray that made it seem more like a shiny stone.

This all happened in less than a second in real time. The mage looked shocked at this development, but it did not stop his spell. The ball of flames still formed, though it was not as large as he had probably hoped. Yet even so, he snarled at her for her action and sent it her way nonetheless.

Rather than run, Bijou charged into it, coating her body in a barrier of blue light. It was not that strong, but it still protected her from most of the concussive force of the blast that washed over her as the ball made contact. Flames swirled around her, feeling their blazing heat that would burn normal skin. But while the sensation was unpleasant to her, she was only lightly scorched in a few areas as she pushed through the foul smoke left behind-

-only for a hand to grab her by the throat once she did.

She gasped, being thrown to the floor as the surprisingly strong mage pinned her down. He dropped his staff and started using both hands to try and choke her out. While she did not technically need air, the act of strangling still caused her immense pain, perhaps due to her being formed by humans. She struggled, trying to get out of his grip as she instinctively tried to breathe, causing her more agony.

...And then, she started to feel sick as she felt his emotions, revulsion filling her. It was an all too familiar sensation - the madness; the greed. That glee of those brought low by her curse at having her in their arms to take advantage of every last piece of her. The desire to drink upon her magic until her perfection permeated them. Even with just one person, it always felt like she would drown in these feelings - being forced to understand exactly what she did to them.

His eyes met hers, revealing that all composer before was lost - had probably just been an act. All that was left was an insane stare, supported by a grin that was far too wide. His voice came out with a mad sort of joy, as if he was about to burst out laughing. “You... you can’t just take your powers from me! They’re mine! With you, once my term in this place is up, I’ll be able to become the most powerful mage there is! All will see my brilliance!”

He leaned right into her face, his breath against her lips revolting despite it not stinking in the slightest. “You’re the key! With you... Can’t you see how much I can have with you! You must give me more of you! You must !” One hand released her neck, trailing down toward her chest gem. “I... must have pure samples. You’re staying here, and I’ll build a mountain of your pieces! Until all will see my radiant majesty-!”

Before he could finish his mad rambles, or touch her central gem, Bijou struck her hand to his chest... which was covered in yellow light that rippled like lightning.

True to its look, the attack sent a powerful shock through his system, making him spasm violently. It allowed her to push him off of her, scrambling to her feet and grabbing the discarded staff. The man only had time to raise his head, sending her one last desperate look, before she slammed the gemmed tip against the side of his head, knocking him out cold.

The gem-girl stumbled away from him on shaky legs, trying to take some deep breaths. She blinked hard, trying to banish away the abhorrent emotions that had washed over her. To not get swept away in them and... think it was somehow wonderful to feel as he did. Such ideas never lasted long if they got to her, but... being formed by their feelings had these effects at times. At least I’ve gotten better at pushing those away over the years...

When she opened her eyes, though, she was reminded of why she could not linger on that plight. The two guards whose hands she had ruined had recovered well enough and were no longer reeling. They were looking between her and the unconscious mage, seeming shocked at what had transpired. Yet despite the fear and dread that radiated off of them and into her being, they still took cautious steps toward her, one carefully shuffling toward the dropped sword of the first woman.

Bijou frowned, holding her new staff defensively in front of her. She wonders if they thought she had broken the mage’s mind on purpose and would do the same to them. She was actually kind of surprised that they had not succumbed to her charm curse by now. While she was sure there were runes around to help with that, none of them should have been working. Perhaps they simply had stronger wills?

It did not matter, of course. Whether they went crazy or not, they were still going to try and stop her. Such thoughts made her tap into her inner magic again, raising one hand. She got ready to build up another physical blast-

-only for two blue beams to streak by her and hit beside the guards’ feet. In seconds, thick ice had built up around their legs and onto the surrounding floor like a small hill. They gasped at the sudden cold and being immobilized, struggling to get free. But they had not gotten the sword, and did not have metal gauntlets on account of having used guns, so they could only pound uselessly at it with their fists.

Surprised at this, the gem-girl turned around... and a few meters at the end of the hallway she found Shiori standing there. Though, instead of her normal black and purple jacket and corset, she was wearing long, gray robes that seemed stained with ink. She also had on a tall, pointy witch’s hat with a similar appearance, and holding a small wooden wand, its tip still glowing blue from the attack. The strange new attire made sense, however, as the short woman saw an ink print on her wrist that seemed to slightly pulse.

Once she was sure the guards would not be moving, the Archivist (or witch-girl right now) turned her gaze to the Jewel of Emotions. She ran up to her, smiling brightly and talking in a slightly higher pitch. “Bijou! Oh, it’s so good to see you! I was sure the evil head of this castle had already stolen your magical powers!”

Bijou took a moment to process what her friend currently thought was happening. Rather than be annoyed or trying to correct her, though, she could not help but smile at seeing the other using her powers so freely again. She shrugged, playing along. “Oh, well, you know - they gave me some trouble, but nothing is going to stop a powerful witch like me!”

Shiori giggled, giving a teasing smile. “Wow, someone’s confident today. You and I will definitely be graduating into full witches first, though, that’s for sure!” She turned around, waving for her to follow. “Now come on! We need to rendezvous with the others! We’ll escape this terrible dark mage yet!”

Laughing, the gem-girl quickly started running to keep up with her friend. If she remembered correctly, this “character” would only last a few minutes longer at best, given what the Archivist told them. But while it lasted, she was trying to think up some fun conversations to have - maybe hear what kind of witches she thought the others were.

After dealing with that mage... she needed a bit of levity. She kept a grip on her new staff, though, knowing that the fight was not over. She tried to mentally prepare herself for that even as she started asking questions to her friend. Soon, treatment like that would be behind her, and she... she could be happy with everyone.

...So long as their captor did not show up, anyway.

-------

Fuwawa knew that the others had been worried about their part of the plan. Even Shiori, who had suggested it, had expressed great concern over their safety and had offered to take some of the heat, too. But Mococo had been adamant about letting them handle this on their own. The once-human’s resources were limited due to the prep needed for the disruption ritual, Nerissa needed a big opening to reach their stuff, and Bijou... had been through enough. The two of them were more than willing to make their lives easier by setting off the initial alarms.

That was not to say they were blind to the dangers of this, of course. The Cell did not have too many guards, mostly relying on its magical defenses to keep them in check, not to mention their captor’s own power. But they had known they would still be dealing with several of the hundreds there - armed with swords, guns, and a few with magical powers. Several tons of metal, hundreds of shots of gunpowder, and several spells would be brought down upon them, and indeed had been. It was overwhelming odds that would make most people think twice.

...At least, that would be the case if they were human, or even just regular hellhounds. As it was, though... she thinks they had learned by now it was not the prisoners that had the worse odds right now. The several unconscious bodies on the floor of this hall were a testament to that.

The blue-twin almost felt bad for them as another man charged her, sword ready to swipe at her. From behind, her animal ears twitched as she heard a rifle cock to fire. It was rather dangerous to be doing the second when the woman’s ally was so close to her target, but they probably thought they had her this time, or that her powers had depleted.

Yet before either could attack, she took a deep breath. A second later, a light blue aura coated her, feeling like a fluffy blanket to her, as their movements seemed to slow down. She stepped to the side to avoid the initial man’s swing as well as the path of the bullet. She then began to sprint at the woman pulling the trigger of her gun, the muzzle flash forming at a snail’s pace. She took a moment to ensure the shot was not going to be fatal to the sword-wielder. Once she had, though, about halfway there she let her aura drop.

The sound of the shot was painful to her ears, especially as it ricocheted off of the man’s armor. It managed to pierce enough, though, to cause blood to splatter from his side. The rifle-wielder recoiled in slight shock at what had happened and her ally stumbled to his knees, clutching the wound. Before she could recover, however, Fuwawa grabbed the weapon and tore it from her hands with ease. Then she held it by its barrel and used the back to smack the front of the other’s helmet, knocking them prone.

Both guards groaned, too disoriented or injured to get back up for a few moments. The hellhound looked between them as she shouldered her new weapon, trying to imitate how she always saw the guards handling them. She knew she should probably knock them out properly before they became threats again. She had been leaving quite a few of the last few people like this, and she knew those others would be catching up soon.

However... she was getting tired. Even as her tail wagged with high energy, she was heaving a little as she breathed. It was not just how much she had been using her aura enhancement. Defeating so many people without her claws was not easy work, even for a demon against mostly humans. She had also not been in a proper fight, sparing or not, since she and her sister were imprisoned six centuries ago, which did not help.

As such, she decided to conserve her strength more as the two waited for their backup to arrive. She shouldn’t be too far away by now, right? she questioned, moving to the guard still trying to stop his bleeding. He shuffled away as she neared, clearly having learned that an attempted swipe would not work. She left him alone, though, as she kicked his dropped sword by the hilt several meters away.

The weapon landed near the line of guards who had formed a blockade at the other end of the hallway. One glanced at it as it settled down, but the rest continued staring straight forward, glaring at the scene before them. Two more lines were behind them, creating a thick wall of people braced and fully on guard - about thirty to forty currently. Without their weapons, the twins would have a hard time getting through them - might even get overwhelmed enough to have cuffs put on them and dragged back to their cells.

Sighing, she looked over to the side, where the sounds of more combat were happening. “Hey, Moco-chan?”

Her sister did not answer for a moment, being a little... preoccupied. A more burly guard than the rest was trying to wrestle with the pink-twin and force her onto her knees. A mage was also taking up position behind her, wielding a staff tipped with one of Bijou’s gems. (Her animal parts twitched with momentary anger, knowing all too well how that was likely collected.) Electricity sparked at the tip, indicating the incoming attack. For a normal prisoner, this would probably be the end for them.

Mococo, on the other hand, looked more annoyed than anything. Looking between her two assailants, she took a deep breath, digging her feet into the ground. Then a pink aura surrounded her body, enhancing her. Rather than move quicker like her sister, though, the effect of the change was seen in the way she suddenly... lifted the strong man, sweeping him off of his feet with seemingly no effort. She then tossed him behind her like he only weighed as much as a feather, right into the mage who could only yelp as they both landed in a heap. Any chance of recovery was lost as their spell went off, too, shocking them both.

Sighing, the pink-twin stretched her arms as her aura dissipated. Looking to make sure no one else was coming their way, she then jogged over to her sister. Once next to her, she gave her older sibling a small glare. “You didn’t want to help with that at all?”

“You beat them in a few seconds,” Fuwawa pointed out, unable to help but smile as her sister pouted at this.

“That didn’t mean you couldn’t have at least tried!” Mococo whined. “And we’re in the middle of a breakout! Aren’t we supposed to be watching one another’s back more than ever?”

Giggling, the blue-twin reached over and rubbed her younger sibling on top of her head with her free hand. “Heh, okay, I get it! I’ll do more to help you with our next attackers.” Her eyes softened. “I... just wanted to give you a chance to show off is all. You’re still the better guard dog, it seems.”

The pink-twin blinked, evidently surprised at the sudden praise. She looked away as she stepped back, crossing her arms as if it would hide her embarrassment. “What, because I threw one guy?”

“Because over half of the people we’ve knocked out were done by you, and you’re not out of breath yet,” Fuwawa replied, gesturing to all the bodies in this hall. There were plenty of others they had left on their way there, as well, that had been taken out by her sister. They had both trained to be protectors, but the younger sibling had always been better at fighting. Which did not mean she herself was bad at it, but... it was clear who took the lead there.

And as much as Fuwawa liked to tease her sister... she felt it was appropriate to compliment her here. Not just because she was doing a great job, but also so that... she might stop feeling so bad for not saving her older twin from being captured initially. To not see that guilt anymore in her eyes once they were out. Though... who was she to judge, given her own terrible feelings for a while after that, too?

Maybe getting out would help them both in that regard...

Mococo considered the compliment for a few seconds... then sighed, nodding slowly. “Okay, I... I see your point. Thank you.” She looked at her sister shyly, smiling a little that made the other hellhound’s heart swell with joy. Her gaze soon became more questioning, though, her eyes also continuing to scan for more threats. “Anyway, weren’t you just asking about something, or...?”

The blue-twin straightened her posture, having almost forgotten about that. “Oh, right!” She gestured to the rifle resting on her shoulder, then the blocked end of the hallway. “I was wondering if you thought we should try firing a few shots into their defensive line over there? See if it’ll break?”

That made the pink-twin raise an eyebrow, looking baffled by the suggestion. “Haeh? We’ve never fired a gun before! Isn’t aiming more complicated than it seems?”

“Yeah - that’s why I’m asking you if it’s worth the risk!” Fuwawa said, pointing toward the wall of guards. None of them had guns themselves - just swords and a few large shields. “If we use it, they can’t counter us unless they charge at us! And whether they do or don’t, it might make enough chaos for us to break through, yeah?”

Mococo paused, considering the argument. Her frown only deepened, though, as she glanced at the rifle, her animal ears pinning themselves to her head. “But... we might accidentally kill someone using that... won’t we?”

That also got the blue-twin to frown, unable to help looking down at the ground. Her eyes wandered to the man still on the floor, more focused on breathing and his bullet wound than stopping them. There was quite a bit of blood from that attack, but it was not necessarily fatal. So long as he kept pressure on it and it got bound in the next couple of hours, he would probably be alright.

But that was from a grazed hit. If she fired into the blockade, there was no telling how severe of injuries she would cause. Even if she tried to aim, there was a good chance she would cause plenty by accident due to her inexperience. She might even land between the holes of their helmets and kill them instantly!

It was not like this was ever going to be a clean escape for any of them - the twins were optimistic, but not that naive. And some of their attacks and self-defense might eventually cause death for a few of these people. But... this would be a deliberate attempt to cause harm. In hand-to-hand, they could try to minimize the harm they did and go more for rendering them unconscious, but this...

Her grip on the gun tightened, trembling slightly as her tail drooped. Yet even with how uneasy she was increasingly feeling, she still attempted once more to push the point. “They... they would deserve it, no? You know how they used to treat the others. The tortures they endured. These guys would have had it coming if I... ‘hit’ them.”

The pink-twin sighed, her gaze almost pitying. “None of these humans were involved with that. Their ancestors might have been, but does that really mean they deserve to be punished for what happened before their time? Isn’t the beating we’re already giving them penance enough for all of that?”

“...The others have probably killed a few by now,” Fuwawa pointed out, though immediately winced, realizing she was almost using them as a scapegoat to explain herself. The people who were helping them leave this place before such horrid treatment could rise again in the next few centuries. To spare them from such a fate...

“And that’s their business,” Mococo stated, seeming to sense her sister’s moment of regret as she rested a hand on her shoulder. A determined glint entered her eyes. “But I for one don’t want to intentionally kill anyone like this. It should be in defense of others, and because we truly had no choice.” She grinned, using her free hand to jab her thumb into her chest. “That’s who we are - we’re guard dogs! Protectors! And now’s the time to prove it!”

It was then that steps were starting to approach from the other end of the hallway, The sisters looked that way, seeing four fresh guards approaching - all sword-wielders, and two with shields. The blue-twin glanced at her gun one more time, knowing this was her last chance. She could either drive these guys back or attempt to break the line so they could try running. All she would have to do was point in a direction and fire...

...But her younger sister was right. Being guard dogs might not be a bloodless profession, but that did not mean they had to make death their first option. She could not just forget that out of worry. So, taking a deep breath, she smiled and tossed the weapon to her twin. “Well, in that case... can you disarm that for your big sister? I need a club and don’t want a discharge.”

“You could have kept that other guy's sword,” the pink-twin pointed out, rolling her eyes. Nonetheless, though, her pink aura returned as she gripped where the ammo cartridge was... then tore it out like it was weaker than paper, breaking the whole firearm. She even casually twisted up the barrel for good measure, before handing it back as her aura dissipated.

Nodding gratefully, Fuwawa hefted her weapon, getting into a battle stance alongside her twin. She might have been getting tired, but she was more than capable of pushing herself until everyone was safe and sound! She got ready to summon her own aura again, watching as the new arrivals got within about seven meters of them-

-only for a black and blue shape to turn the corner in the air behind them and rapidly close the distance. Then, before the sisters’ surprise could alert them, the figure thrust a long staff with twin prongs at the end in their direction, glowing blue. From it, a powerful soundwave cone launched at them, widening as it left the weapon to encompass them all.

The intense ringing it caused was agonizing to the blue-twin’s dog ears, which she tried to cover with her free hand as she cringed. But even as her eyes squinted from the pain, she watched as their would-be assailants fell to their knees as their armor and the ground shook intensely. Their screams were drowned out by the waves, many throwing off their helmets and dropping their gear to cover their ears... But given the blood leaking from them, it was probably too late to save their hearing.

A few seconds later, the waves stopped and the area stopped shaking. The four guards crumbled bonelessly to the floor, several gasping as they failed to continue screaming. It was then that the figure above landed among them... and by the look on her face, the sound demon was not impressed. “Maybe next time you won’t loudly proclaim how you’re going to hurt my precious doggos while running to them. Fucking assholes.”

Recovering first, the pink-twin started beaming at the sight of her friend, running forward to meet them. “Nerissa! You’re okay!”

Said woman smiled back as the hellhound approached. She leaned against her tuning fork with a black bag and some other stuff in a cloth under her other arm. “I think I should be the one saying that. I know you guys said you could handle this, but... damn! I saw the trail of beaten-up guards you left - made it pretty easy to find you.”

After cleaning out her ears a little more, Fuwawa approached as well, pouting a little. “Well, thanks for the help... but did you have to be so loud about it? The alarms are bad enough!”

The raven-girl chuckled sheepishly, holding her weapon a little closer. “Heh... sorry. It’s just been too long since I’ve gotten to use this in any capacity. I’ve been trying to brush up on all the abilities they rarely let me use.”

Mococo glanced at the still-gasping guards. “It was effective, at least. I’m amazed that’s a feature, though. I thought you weren’t a warrior?”

“Well, my dad was very insistent on my safety,” Nerissa explained, spinning her staff on the ground. “He added a bunch of powers to this to cause harm on top of what me and mom wanted for more ‘passive’ use. And, obviously, it’s been quite helpful since, so points to him!” She grinned. “Though, my own toy isn’t the only thing I brought...”

With that, she tossed over the bundle of cloth to the pink-twin. Her sister stepped closer as she unwrapped it... and both of their eyes lit up at seeing their claws. The blue-twin immediately dropped her makeshift club and took hers, She ran her fingers along the non-sharp sides of their three blades, all a sparkling blue and connected by invisible magic. Already, she swore she could feel her inner aura rumbling within at the return of their main enhancers and channelers of their powers.

They were proof of their initial training being done... and she did not want to lose them again.

Holding back happy tears, she slid the weapons into place over the back of her hands and wrists. They “locked” into place, almost immediately forming a connection to her inner abilities. They also gave a sense of vigor that washed away much of her earlier fatigue, making her want to bounce in place. She felt like she could fight a million of these guards now!

Mococo evidently felt the same, given how fast her tail started wagging as she put hers on, too - identical, but pink instead of blue. The younger sibling beamed up at the older demon. “Thank... thank you so much! I...” A small tear fell down her cheek as she admired her claws. “We... Guard dogs are never supposed to have their weapons stolen while they live. Losing them like we did to this place...”

Fuwawa frowned, moving over and rubbing her back. The sound demon also looked at her sadly, lifting her tuning fork off of the floor and onto her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Mococo. It might not be the same, but trust me - I felt bad losing my weapon, too.” She looked past them, her eyes hardening. “But if you’re implying it was a dishonor to you... how about we ‘regain’ it by beating up the people who kept them from you?”

The twins looked behind them, taking note of the line of guards. They had not moved to engage this whole time, appearing to have decided to stay on defense in case the raven-girl used that soundwave attack again. But while some people with guns were finally joining in at the back of the line for range and areal control... they were tense. A few in the front even tried to shuffle back, recognizing the weapons the hellhounds now had. Even the guards the older sibling had not properly knocked out were now scrambling to the far wall, not wanting to get caught in what was about to happen.

The sisters glanced at each other... then gave fierce grins. The blue-twin crouched low for a charge, holding her hand out to her sibling. “A fight sounds good. But this isn’t about regaining honor. That’s just a bonus.”

The pink-twin nodded and took the same position, reaching over and clasping her sister’s hand. “Yep! This is about all of us making it to safety. So, let’s show them what us demons can really do and meet with Shiori and Bijou, yeah?”

With that, the two flared their auras, their claws in particular glowing brightly as they were enveloped. They seemed to cause the rest around their bodies to flare up, almost appearing as a fire wisping off of them. Fuwawa could see the world slowing down, her heart hammering in her chest in anticipation-

-and then she and Mococo combined their auras from where they were holding hands. In barely a second, their colors changed from blue and pink to both being vibrant purple. They not only felt each other's strengths mixing... but their minds and souls, too. Their memories intermingled, and both could feel one another's bodies, as if they were one person controlling both. They saw out of both of their eyes, felt the other’s heartbeat... In short, they were perfectly in sync in about every way possible.

They could not maintain this state for too long unless they wanted to tire themselves out. But for getting to the meeting point?... They both figured they could hold it long enough for that. (Plus... they wanted to savor being this “close” again.)

They made eye contact - their eyes both purple now - and smiled. Then, they looked at the guards who were now more openly terrified, and moved in unison, now both able to use the blue-twin's speed. And in seconds, their jailors were being tossed about, yelling and scrambling to regain control... but it was futile, even before the raven-girl got involved, too.

-------

The Cell was, to put it lightly, far too large for keeping just five prisoners. It was a large fortress whose design was more seemingly for hundreds to thousands of people. Many areas went unused, and a few were sealed off due to this, as well, since there were not nearly enough guards to cover everything. It was a point of speculation among the girls whether it was due to reusing a building that had existed before... or if there were plans to greatly expand the personnel and convicts under their watch one day...

Regardless, it meant that getting anywhere took a lot of time and walking. In certain ways, this also played into the guards' favor, since it meant that they had plenty of areas to trap any escaped prisoners into. It also meant they could keep the prisoners deep within the complex far, far away from any way to the outside.

But that, like many things, was built on the assumption that the magical defenses were working. Without them, so long as one knew where to go, getting to any of the outer sections would be relatively easy. In such a case, any guards not sent to deal with them would likely prioritize the main exits to the place. They might even try to set up lines further outside of the prison near them, hoping to regain the use of their runes.

That was why the escape point Shiori had picked was not any of the obvious ways out... and instead, one that was unintentional. A flaw in the design of this place she had gleamed after stealing countless maps and imprinting them into her mind. And considering how dusty that one had been that revealed it to her, she was confident the guards did not know of it.

This was what led her and Bijou to enter this particular chamber as they turned one last corner. It was a large, circular room, whose roof was high enough to seem incredibly small and far away. They came in on a balcony, which had a spiral staircase that led down to the floor several meters below on one side and higher up on the other. Exactly opposite to it was another balcony of similar design, illuminated by braziers just like theirs. There were three other entrances on the ground floor, but higher up only appeared to be smaller rooms with wooden doors.

The place was as ordinary as the rest of this place, and seemed no different to several other towers that were around... but she knew better. Going to the banister, her eyes immediately locked onto a blank wall below, mentally double-checking her directions. The hallways below perfectly lined up, though, and she even recognized some scuff marks from those few times she was brought out this far. There’s no doubt about it - this is it. And it looks like no guards are here yet.

Behind her, the gem-girl was catching her breath - at least as much as someone without lungs needed to - leaning on the staff she stole. She then came up next to her and peered over the stone barrier, following her friend’s gaze with interest. “Is... is that it?”

The Archivist nodded, gripping the banister as a myriad of emotions filled her. “Yeah... that’s it.”

Bijou continued staring, her eyes starting to glisten. Her next words were slightly choked up. “We’re... we’re actually here. We’re really going to...”

“Yeah,” Shiori said again, not trusting her voice to say much more than that. Her eyes were starting to feel a bit wet, too. As confident as she had been that they would reach there... To be standing so close to their freedom... Almost free of the cold fortress that had made up so many years of all of their lives...

It took everything in her to not let her tears fall. She could cry like a baby later, but right now the others were relying on her to be strong. So, after blinking her eyes a few times to clear them, she turned to the stairway heading down while taking a deep breath. “No point in standing to admire it. Especially when a flood of guards could be on us at any time. Let's start heading down, and-”

She took a few steps to start heading down, but before she could reach the stairs, she winced, stumbling slightly. Her muscles had suddenly cramped up a little, and her skin also felt too hot and cold at the same time. Her head also swam, forcing her to move back to the banister and lead against it.

The gem-girl yelped at this, moving over and putting a hand on her arm, voice slightly panicked. “Shiori?! Are you okay?!”

Swallowing, the Archivist did her best to nod as her headache continued. “I-I’m fine, Biboo. Just a... little dizzy.”

Bijou’s eyes hardened as she frowned. “Don’t you dare use that nickname to hide your pain!”

Grimacing, Shiori looked away, her grip on the barrier turning her hand white as she fought for composure. “That isn’t what I...” She sighed, shaking her head. “Look, I really am alright. I’ve just... ‘changed’ myself a few too many times in a row. It’ll pass in a moment.”

The hand on her arm tightened as the gem-girl looked at her with concern. “Are you sure?”

Shiori nodded again, looking back at her friend while giving her best smile. “You can fuss over me later - I promise. Right now, though, I’d appreciate it if you went down and confirmed that the area is clear. I’ll be right behind you! This isn’t going to keep me down.”

Bijou looked her over one last time, not seeming entirely placated. But even so, she nodded back to her before letting go. She then went up to the banister and climbed over it... before leaping into the air. Instead of dropping like a stone, though, she began to float gently down, her metallic pink wings shimmering as they allowed her to fly.

Sighing, the Archivist began to make her way down the stairs, keeping her hand on the banister and ignoring the shake in her legs. Truthfully, she had hoped to use an ink stamp she had created that would give her bird wings to glide down, too - more so to look cool than because it was needed. But they had run into more patrols than she thought they would, and some had used a couple of the few defenses still working. (Turns out there were indeed plenty of fire runes meant to attack and burn them.)

It had resulted in her completely using up three of her stamps, and nearly two-thirds of their overall ink. But of course, the main issue was the rapid number of changes and reverting to normal in a row she had done. As adapted as her body and mind were to her particular brand of transformation, and the other ways she had found to numb the pains of that kind of magic, she had her limits. If she pushed herself much more... it would not be fatal, but she would be left as deadweight before too much longer.

Save it for an emergency, she told herself as she went down. They were almost out, anyway, so that should not be too much of an issue. If they had any people try to follow them, she was sure the others would insist on defending her, too. She would be better off cultivating her inner magic reserves in case of... it showing up.

Thankfully, they seemed to be in the clear regarding that. Trying to take courage in that, she made it to the lower floor where the Jewel of Emotions was now standing in the center, eyeing the halls leading in. She made her way over to the short woman, her stride becoming more steady with each second. Already, her aches were going down to more manageable levels. With a bit of luck, she would be hit with another sudden spike by the time this place was a spec on the horizon.

Noticing her approach, the gem-girl shrugged at her and gestured to the entrances. “I haven’t heard any armored footsteps over the alarms. But... I also haven’t heard any barking or singing.” Her eyebrows knit together as she glanced back at the halls. “You... don’t think they got caught again, do you?”

Shiori shook her head, crossing her arms as she looked as well. “I don’t find that likely. The guards don’t have any protection against Nerissa’s singing anymore, so she should be able to disorient them too much if nothing else. And Fuwamoco... well, you’ve seen how they ‘play-fight’ with one another.” She chuckled. “I think they’d need a full army of fully powered magical soldiers to bring those two down!”

“...Or the overseer of this place,” Bijou mumbled. Her breath suddenly caught and she looked around fearfully, as if just mentioning the entity would make it appear.

Eyes widening at this, the Archivist put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Hey, it’s not going to get you! If it knew what we were doing and was going to stop us, it would have done so by now!”

The gem-girl paused, the gesture seeming to calm her down some, However, she still eyed her with an unreadable emotion. “You... don’t sound too sure about that.”

Shiori looked down, not... having a real response to that one. Before she could try to say anything else, though, the sound of clanking metal started to come from the left-most hallway. Both tensing, they turned in that direction. White light built up in Bijou’s hands, while Shiori held out one of hers as a pool of ink seemed to ooze out of her palm, becoming an amorphous blob that wiggled there.

A few moments passed, the sounds getting louder. The sound of metal became more pronounced... but the once-human started to notice something odd about it. While there were definitely footsteps, there was also the sound of... scraping. The kind that happened when plates were hit by other weapons, she believed. And while it was difficult to hear over that and the alarms, she also thought she defected the faint sound of... flapping wings? And... the only person there she knew had those was-

It was then that loud screams could be heard, followed by a crash. A second later, two guards flew into view around the corner, very clearly thrown, and hit the wall hard. They fell to the ground, groaning but otherwise not moving. A few more clashes were heard out of sight, and then the sounds ceased.

...Until there was more running - not from plated boots, but from people in normal shoes. And a second later, the two familiar forms of the twin hellhounds came around, their bodies tinted by wafting purple auras, the sight making the other two dissipate their prepared attacks. Coming in above them was also a certain sound demon, wings flapping as she had her glowing tuning fork ready for any threats she saw.

When she saw who was greeting them, however, the black-haired woman gasped, then smiled. She lowered her weapon, which stopped glowing, then descended down in a path that let her land right in front of the other two. Once onto her feet, her expression only lit up further. “Shiori! Bijou! I’m so glad you made it! Fuwamoco wasn’t sure if they drew enough attention away from you guys.”

The guard dogs caught up then, their auras still going and eyes purple, too, as they nodded and spoke in unison. “We were worried about the mages in particular. We only encountered one or two on our way here. We worried that some of them...” They trailed off, noticing the magic staff on the Jewel of Emotion’s back. They frowned. “I... guess that was the case, wasn’t it?”

Grimacing for a moment, Bijou then quickly shook her head and did her best to smile. “It’s okay. I... kind of figured a few of them would try to get me. I’m their greatest source of power, after all.” Her tone was clearly meant to be joking... but the way she looked down and the slight waiver to her voice ruined that effect.

Sighing in sympathy, Shiori decided to step in, clearing her throat to get everyone’s attention. “Well, don’t worry too much about it. I helped protect her, and you both did everything I asked of you regardless. This plan was never going to go exactly as we all would have hoped.” She smiled softly as she looked between them all. “But we all made it here, so let’s all just be grateful about that. Alright?”

The others exchanged looks, a few - particularly the twins to the gem-girl - wanting to say more. Slowly, though, they all nodded their heads in acceptance, their postures relaxing. They all had done the best they could, and it had been enough to get them all to this point. There was no point in moping about the smaller details - at least, not right now.

As everyone was calming down, taking a breather from the mad dash there, Nerissa suddenly perked up, looking at the once-human. “Oh, right! I have your bag, Shiori! I was able to get almost everything of yours before I had to get moving.” She pulled off a familiar black bag and handed it over to her friend.

Smiling widely, the Archivist gladly accepted the item, opening the flap and putting one hand inside. She focused her thoughts on particular items, and nearly sighed with satisfaction as her fingers brushed against most of them. A few papers with notes and rituals were missing, but she did not mind that part. Those could be restored by looking through some of her bookmarks - all of which she had not had on her also present inside.

What truly made her want to weep, though, was the presence of all of her stamps. Her chest swelled, feeling some of her most prized among them. The characters for herself she had made - the lives she could be. All of them were there for her to become. Even all of her “special stories” were there, the idea of “reading” them again further exciting her.

That was an indulgence for later, however. Quickly trying to shake off that line of thought, she then focused on getting out one book in particular, and a moment later pulled out her gray book - an important part of her change from being human. She slid it into the small holster on her side before nodding at the taller woman. “Thank you. I... could not imagine making so many of those stamps from scratch again.”

The sound demon smiled warmly at her. “Of course. I certainly wasn’t going to leave any of those behind - you talk so highly about them.” She looked over at the shortest member of their group. “I also shoved a bunch of the gems they took from you into there. There were still some left when I had to go, but they all seemed to be pretty weak and drained.”

The gem-girl nodded. “Given the experiments I felt them doing on my pieces, I’m not entirely surprised. I would... probably prefer that they were destroyed, but I know you didn’t have time.” She glanced away. “Besides, if they broke in a way that unleashed their magic, they might...”

“...Have made me go crazy?” the raven-girl finished for her. When she got a nod, she shook her head, moving over to pat the other woman’s hair. A determined glint entered her eyes. “You don’t have to worry about that happening with any of us. And we won’t let anyone we meet, who does go crazy before we can break your curse, hurt you. Understand?”

Seeming a little in awe at the declaration, despite everyone having said it to her before, Bijou smiled weakly at her, nodding back. The twins also nodded, once more speaking together. “You don’t need to worry a bit! You’ve got the best demon protectors you can ask for with us! Bau Bau!” They both struck a pose as they said this last part, their clawed hands held out slightly before them as if they were going to pounce.

The others giggling at this, Shiori looked between the two in amusement. “You know, as interesting as this is to see - and I have plenty of questions about it! - do you... need to be in sync anymore? I thought Mococo said she could handle breaking the wall down without this? Not that it matters, I guess, but you don't need to strain yourselves.”

...The hellhounds blinked, looking at each other as if they had forgotten their minds were currently melded together. Chuckling sheepishly, they gave a quick apology as they closed their eyes. A moment later, an invisible force seemed to pass through the space between them, their auras wavering. Then, they turned from purple to blue and pink for the older and younger sibling respectively, before disappearing entirely. They shivered, and an expression best described as loss passed over their faces, but it was only brief as they started beaming again, eyes opening and back to normal as well.

Once they had adjusted to being separate again, Fuwawa grinned timidly. “Um... sorry if us being synced was a... little weird. It’s just been so long since we did that, even for one of these people’s tests. I think it was... three centuries ago the last time we did it?”

Mococo nodded. “Yeah. We had missed it so much we... kind of forgot about conserving our energy for a moment there.” She shook her head, standing straighter while pounding her chest. “But there’s no need to worry! I’m still plenty ready to help tear down a wall!”

“Good - because I don’t want to strain Bijou too much with this,” the Archivist said. She then softened her gaze. “And don’t worry, it wasn’t that creepy. You two manage to make it look cute, honestly!”

Nerissa nodded in agreement. “Definitely. There’s no need to hold back on doing it once we’re out. If it makes you both happy...”

The twins beamed brightly at this, their tails wagging rapidly. The sound demon laughed at the sight, while Bijou continued smiling. For Shiori, the sight of them all happy like this was a delight to see, and increased her anticipation. When they were all brought together for tests before and making secret plans, there was always a heavy air over everything. Even when they were happy, the treatment they endured there always ensured there was a veil of misery that would be at the edge of their perception.

But now... the idea that they were almost free was truly settling in. Those clouds were parting, letting everyone enjoy such good feelings without fear of them being snatched away by this place’s guards and overseer. It was not exactly healing from their experiences there... but it was the start of such a process.

As much as she would love to admire it more, though, she knew they did not have time to waste. There were still guards running around who would not be blocking the main exits. There were plenty she had left alive but immobile or unconscious, too, which she imagined was also the case for everyone else. (She might have killed two, at least... but she was not sure. She had stored the encounter after first running into them into a bookmark for some reason.) It would not be long before they got themselves put together and tried to follow their steps there.

Thus, taking a deep breath, she turned and started to march toward the blank wall she had been eyeing. She called out behind her, making sure her voice was authoritative despite still feeling a little out of it. “Well, as much fun as this prison break has been, it’s about time to finish it. Mococo, get ready. Bijou, do you still have enough power? Nerissa’s tuning fork might be able to get us through if she pushes it.”

The pink-twin gave an affirmative cry, running past her and toward the spot imprinted into her brain. The gem-girl, meanwhile, rushed up beside the once-human while taking the staff off her back. “I definitely can! My reserves run deep - what I’ve done so far has barely drained it at all! Plus, if I use this, I can give my blast some extra ‘oomph!’”

Accepting this answer, the Archivist stopped her stride and let the short woman run ahead. She joined the hellhound by the wall, who was scratching it lightly with her claws. The other two soon stepped up beside her, keeping a safe distance from what was about to happen. The raven-girl, though, got her staff ready, pointing the prongs at the ground as it glowed again.

After a few moments inspecting the area, Mococo eventually took a few steps back, breathing deeply. She looked back at Bijou for confirmation, who quickly nodded, getting her staff ready. The tip of it, which had been gray, soon sprang into iridescent colors, glowing with power. At the sight, the hellhound grinned, turning back with her claws ready.

A second passed... then the pink-twin was enveloped in her pink aura. Then, her claws began to glow brightly, pulsing erratically and actually seeming to cause her arms to shake. She wound up both her arms, backing up a good meter from the wall. With a swift motion, she slashed her weapons in an “X” fashion in front of her-

-and two large, pink slashes cut through the air, taking much of her aura’s energy with them. They collided with the wall with such strength that the entire room shook. Deep marks were etched into the stone after the resounding boom that followed, thousands of tiny pebbles flying everywhere along with tons of stone dust as the barrier buckled inward.

Mococo then dived out of the way, clearing the gem-girl to aim. She pointed her staff at the already partially collapsed wall, the tip glowing with bright white light far greater than her hand attacks from before. Then, she unleashed a beam that also sent tremors through the ground where she stood. It collided with the ruined wall, and everyone became blinded by the explosion that followed, also loud enough to make Shiori’s ears pop.

As the blinding light faded, she blinked a few times to clear the spots and looked around. The wall was currently enshrouded in a thick dust cloud, obscuring the damage. She could make out Bijou standing there, though, breathing deeply as she slumped and leaned on her staff, the gem still colorful but no longer glowing. Mococo was but a faint shadow moving within the debris, but she was standing back up, too, her mouth seemingly covered by thick cloth as she coughed.

The dust has not enveloped the duel-hair-toned woman, however. This was thanks to a thin barrier of visible sound waves that had formed in front of her, making a high-ringing tone that was almost melodic. This was courtesy of Nerissa, who had jabbed her weapon against the ground, the shaking tuning fork creating the defense. Fuwawa had also taken to hugging the other demon from behind for extra protection, her animal ears pinned to her head from all the noise. She quickly recovered and let go, though.

Dusting herself off, the Archivist took a step forward, nodding to the sound demon to lower her barrier. Her friend did so immediately, then took a deep breath, the glowing symbols on her tuning fork seeming to respond to it. She made a sweeping motion with it, and in response, the dust was all blown far to the sides by a quick wave of air. It barely affected the pink-twin or gem-girl as it swept over them, revealing them to be a bit dirty but otherwise fine.

And... it also showed the fresh hole in the wall. One that led into a wide cave that was shrouded in darkness... but had a clear light at the end - a small circle at this distance. A tunnel once meant to one day be a secret passage until the plans were forgotten. That they would collapse behind them once they were through. One that led out into a path filled with cragged rocks that would hide their running from watchers high above.

A wide smile formed on Shiori’s lips, this time unable to stop some tears from sliding down her cheek. The others all slowly started to dawn similar expressions of amazement. It... it was right there. At long last, they could leave this place. And despite the uncertainties of what will come afterward, it was clear all of them were about ready to break into a full sprint out. She was already taking a few steps forward, in fact, about to start yelling for them to follow her-

-until suddenly, a yell came from above... but not one made by any living thing with a body. No, this one almost seemed to reverberate into their very beings in a way that was difficult to explain, but was unpleasant. As if it was heard by their souls rather than their ears... and made worse by the blanket of oppression that the being's very presence set over the room.

Everyone froze, eyes blowing wide open as all joy instantly vanished. Shiori recovered the fastest, looking up at the ceiling far above, nearly forgetting to breathe. She was almost in full denial, despite her building dread telling her otherwise. It... it could not have returned there. Not now! Not when they were so close!

After a blink, her yellow eyes began to glow as her vision was altered, her surroundings taking on a misty quality. It was a trick she had practiced in her time there, allowing her to see into higher planes of existence that partially overlapped their reality. So that she would never be caught so off guard as when she was captured and be able to see such an assailant coming. A trick she had hoped would not be needed that day-

-and yet... she saw it. (Not a he, she, or even them - it hated those terms.) Up there, swirling around in what could best be described as an iridescent, thick cloud. Except the way its form moved made it almost seem like it was made of limbs that were bent and twisted into shapes that made no sense and made her nauseous to stare at directly. This body was also impossibly big, seeming to fill the space above and more - both fully in her vision and stretching beyond it all at once. And parts shot out almost like hands with too many fingers and made of colors that she should not be able to see.

There was no denying it. Their captor - a literal god - had returned early. And it had clearly taken notice of their breakout attempt.

Countless orbs that were not orbs came from its cyclonic form, like prisms with too many facets, “peering” down at them. An angered rumble emanated from it as it took them in, muttering words that made her head pound, so much of its meaning completely incomprehensible. But a general impression was able to be discerned... One that promised suffering. The waves of its rage - too great to fully understand - washed down over them with such power that had it been palpable, they would probably have been crushed flat instantly.

The Archivist looked at it a moment longer, her heart constricting. She dared to glance at the others... and her heart was officially pulverized. They could not see the god like she could, but they evidently felt it above them - perhaps could see some small pieces of it. She saw how Fuwamoco were trembling, whimpers coming from them as they shuffled back and their animal parts pinned tightly to their bodies. How Nerissa had a tight grip on her tuning fork, trying to remain strong but unable to hide her horror. And Bijou’s absolute terror... and the way a spark seemed to be fast leaving her eyes, as if already resigned to her fate like when she first met her.

They all thought this was the end... but she refused to let it be. Her hands clenched at her side, a fire igniting within her chest and chasing away her fear. They had gotten too far for this to be simply ripped away from them. No matter how hopeless it now seemed, she would get them out of there. Let them get away from this hell!

...At least, the others would be able to.

Shiori felt the god rush down toward them, its form nearly enveloping them in an instant. At that same moment, however, she had reached into her bag and pulled out a stamp - marked with a red handle instead of gray. Its rubber-like end already covered in ink - never drying until after it is applied - she then quickly thrust it out, and pressed it against the higher immortal’s form.

While physical attacks were dubious against their kind, the stamper nonetheless imprinted onto the god despite mostly being on a different plane. A second later, the magic took effect, and suddenly dark, murky “clouds” spread through its form, seemingly trying to erode it inside, outside, and otherwise. It screamed, the noise nearly mind-breaking as it recoiled away from her touch, pressing itself into one of the nearby halls as it tried to recover.

She knew she had only bought them a couple of seconds, but that was all she needed. She rushed in the god’s direction, hoping the ink still on there would be enough. This is the only thing we have to hurt it. I might not be able to kill it, but if I can wound it enough...

It was a long shot for her... but her safety was not the priority right then. She looked behind her at the others, who had been temporarily knocked out of their fear by the shock of what she just did. She did not let them gawk, however, as she yelled at them. “Go! Run out of the tunnel and seal it behind you!” She sucked in a breath, sending them a deeply apologetic look as her eyes watered. “Don’t ever turn back... and keep running until you find a way out of this Realm.”

At first, they did not understand... but soon, her words settled in. Bijou eyes widened, looking ready to protest... but then Nerissa put a hand on her shoulder. When the shorter woman looked at her, the demon’s face was the picture of regret, but... also an unhappy understanding. A silent conversation passed between them, and the next moment... the gem-girl’s face crumbled, but she gave a stiff nod despite her tears.

The twins, of course, took it far worse, like she expected they would. Fuwawa gasped, seeming more afraid now on her behalf. “Shiori, no! You can’t-”

“There’s no time to argue - go!” the Archivist shouted. Taking a quick look back at the god, she saw how it had nearly expunged most of the corruption from its form. It was going to try and attack again any moment now, she could tell.

Mococo shook her head, her tears flowing openly as she tried to voice her denial. “No way! We’re in this together! You promised-”

She tried to run toward the once-human... but Nerissa wrapped her arms around her, lifting her off the ground. Bijou did likewise for the other sister, her wings and chest gem glowing brightly as she expended much of her magic to make them hover. With one final, sorrowful look toward their friend, the two nodded to her... then turned and began flying through the tunnel. The hellhounds screamed and protested, pleading to be let go and for her to follow them. But while they thrashed, they did not dare hurt the others in their group to get free, leaving them to be whisked off.

Shiori sighed heavily, finally letting her own tears fall. She gave a silent prayer that the twins would not hate the others for taking them away. There just... was no other way, and she hoped they would eventually accept that. After all of their bonding in The Cell, they... they deserved to be happy together. To experience their new life, whatever it might be, as a group.

She only wishes she could have joined them like they planned...

 There was no time to consider that further, however, as the god yelled more incomprehensible words. It tried to extend itself past her to catch the others, several of its “hands” trying to grab at them. She did not give it a chance to get close, though, as she thrust her stamp at the parts of it that came past. It was only for a brief moment before it recoiled once more, but she managed to force a large section of her ink into it anyway. She made her corruption go mainly into the parts of it that got past her, halting its attempt as it was forced to retreat from the tunnel entrance.

There was no time for satisfaction at this, unfortunately, as its countless orbs turned their gaze onto her. She gritted her teeth, shuffling where she stood as she eyed its form, now all swirling around her. It was just out of reach of her now, but if she could just make a few more impressions on it-

A “limb” suddenly surged out and crashed into the floor, bringing up debris that it soon swallowed up. Her mind spun at being able to witness it mold the once solid stone like clay into several large balls with its abilities - even shifting its composition some in seconds. It then hurled them toward her, making her curse as she dove out of the way. She tried to keep her path near the cave, knowing she had to do her best to defend it so that the others could flee. She quickly went to stand-

-only to be struck in her back by several strings of more mist-like tendrils, which then dug into her soul rather than her body.

The Archivist gasped, her whole body seizing at the oppressive feeling that filled her. It was like her mind was being physically strangled and her very emotions prickled with hot nails, causing an agony beyond human description. She desperately tried to fight it, even with the haze of pain making it difficult to think clearly. She very stiffly tried to move her arms, which spasmed as they tried to obey her commands.

It was futile, though, as one of the stones she dodged was thrown hard against her back shoulder. She yelled, falling to her knees and tasting bile in her mouth, which dribbled to the floor. All of her senses being assaulted by so much pain made her want to hurl more, but she tried to swallow it down. She kept a death grip on the stamp, once more trying to will her hand to move.

The god either sensed her intentions or was already prepared for that, however. One of its hands carefully gripped her below her wrist, yanking her whole arm outward. She hissed, both from the motion and the grating feeling of its body as it made itself partially physical to keep her held tight. Soon, more hands grabbed around her arm, then the other and her legs. She tried to pull free, but her muscles were no match for its strength.

In no time, the god had lifted Shiori into the air, held by dozens of its hands all over her body, including her torso and head. She growled, trying to flex her hand holding the stamp to get it. Even with her head stuck in place, she could feel it tentatively trying to extend into the tunnel once more. It seemed to be cautious of the others having similar tricks to her, but that would not stop it from quickly overwhelming them like it had her. Twelve seconds... That’s how long it took to end up like this. More time than I had any right to last, honestly...

But she had to last a little longer. She continued to try and move her hand, bending the stamp closer to its form. The grip on that arm tightened enough to nearly stop circulation, evidently trying to get her to drop her weapon without directly touching it. But even as numbness began to spread, she continued her struggle.

Being so focused on the task made her flinch as she noticed that several of the god’s eyes were suddenly right in her face. From them, more thin clouds reached out, a bit more white than the others still in her, and stepped into her mind. She ground her teeth together hard, feeling the intrusion on her mind as it tried to peer deep into her mind beyond her surface-level thoughts.

She knew what it was looking for. It was trying to figure out exactly how they had all escaped, as well as any backup plans she had. How much it would actually understand her “lower” thoughts would not matter, either, once it passed them on to the guards. It and them would then put measures in place to prevent this ever again, along with several other tortures that were sure to come, too.

Once it was done... she would never be able to escape for millennia to come, or perhaps eons... or ever. And if it caught the others again and threw them back in...

The Archivist started screaming, starting small but growing in volume. She mentally tried to force its influence back, her mind far more resistant to such attempts than most people. The god did not take kindly to this, however, and began to exert its power on the rest of her body, too, the points it was holding her glowing orange. She shut her eyes tight, feeling her body starting to be made partially unreal. Another thing she tried to will off, but it was so difficult to with how much pain she was in.

She squirmed, already imagining how it would begin pulling apart her body in ways impossible for a sword or gun to. She tightened her limbs, yelling one last time as she tried to get free. But she could feel it about to begin twisting her muscles; her mental defenses starting to crack, too overwhelmed by everything; her fingers starting to loosen on the stamp which was so close to making contact.

...Even if she managed that, though, she knew she was done for. More tears out of frustration and shame fell down her face. Please... be safe, everyone, she silently pleaded. Hoping they had made it through the cave and were now running with all of their might. That her efforts, however in vain, had bought them enough time to-

And then there was another powerful presence suddenly in the room. One that crashed into the god and made it scream in pain again. It pulled back, releasing Shiori before it had done any alterations to her. She yelped as she fell to the floor, barely protecting her head as she smacked against her side painfully. She groaned, still feeling the phantom pains in her soul and the physical ones across her body. Weakly, she lifted her eyes to see what had happened.

...Then she blinked several times, unable to believe what she was seeing. Because now... there were two gods in the room. The new one “stood” between her and her captor, its form expanded as if to shield her. Despite having the same mist-like form, there was something ever-so-slightly different about how it appeared that was hard to put into words. A difference that let her see where each one started and ended.

But even without that... as bizarre as it was, the new god also seemed to make its form... humanoid in shape. The way it was projecting itself was also different - far more comprehensible than the other one. Yet the same godly power rippled through it - perhaps greater than her captor’s.

And then, its orbs - seeming far more like real eyes - turned and glared at the other god. To her shock, its form began to tint red - or that was how her eyes perceived it. It was an indication of anger... but unlike her captor, this showed it was far more personal to it. That it was not merely inconvenienced, but was deeply enraged.

A state only confirmed as it “spoke” lowly and with venom... and to her further surprise, she was able to discern a full sentence from it. {Stay... AWAY from her!!!!}

With that, the new god rushed forward, and they began to clash. Their forms folded, twisted, and collided in such ways that if the Archivist had still been human or any more sane... she thinks her mind would have shattered. Yet she could not look away for a long time, her eyes drinking it all in. She watched their bodies be torn and then pulled back together; making strikes that connected in ways that made no sense; yelling so loudly from their pains her brain wanted to melt.

She tried to push herself up, but was too tired and sore to. She once again gritted her teeth, trying to force some strength into her body to try inching away. Her stamp was somehow still in her grasp, but she only knew that by looking at her arm splayed to her side. She could not feel it at all, and she could now tell her shoulder was bleeding from the stone earlier. And her soul...

One of the gods’ iridescent limbs suddenly broke from the battle, which was rising toward the ceiling, and hovered over her. Sucking in a breath, she recognized it as the new arrival, but that did not make her relax. She tried to move away, but all she could do was whimper as it touched her on the shoulder. It was... a softer presence than her captor’s - almost like human skin. But a second later, she felt its influence enter her, a white light emanating from the point of contact.

She shut her eyes, trying to get ready to protect her mind again... But it did not try to probe there. Nor did it try to cause her pain. On the contrary, her body was filled with a... pleasant sensation. It was almost euphoric as it seemed to gently fill her body and soul, her pain becoming more distant. It took everything in her not to moan as a shiver went down her spine as it worked.

Shiori was not sure how long this lasted, but eventually, it did retreat. She shook her head, pulling herself to her knees. She looked at the limb still hovering near her, narrowing her eyes. She got herself to her feet, trying to figure out what it had just tried to do as she held out her stamp threateningly. She was not about to be caught off guard by this god, no matter how nice its power had felt. When she had no clue what it had just tried to... to...

It then clicked for her as she looked at her raised arm... which she could feel again and move! Blinking in shock, she looked across her body, realizing how... great she felt. Her soul in particular no longer felt rended, she realized. Her shoulder and the spot she landed still felt injured, but even those had been numbed to more manageable levels.

After patting herself down, she looked again at the limb, partially gaping. Did... did it just...? But why would it...? Why is it even...?

...And why am I suddenly feeling bad for thinking of this god as an “it?”

No more time was given to comprehend the situation. Her captor gave a particularly angry yell above, attacking with more vigor. The new god gave its form of a hiss as one strike caused its body to “bleed” - a golden smoke diluting into the air. In response, it began to distort the air around them, objects of strange shapes that the once-human could not fully perceive, being on the higher plane, but emanating a sense of danger. The other seemed surprised by this, too, its orbs darting around, projecting what, best she could tell, was... fear.

That idea almost made her smile, after all it put her and the others through. Before she could react, though, the tendril of the new god wrapped around her waist. She gasped as it lifted her into the air, about to use her stamp out of instinct. But then it spoke to her, words once more comprehensible as they entered her mind, a bit monotone now. {You and the others leave at once. I can feel them hovering at the end of the hill’s tunnel, arguing about something - I presume you. Get somewhere safe and... if I’m well enough, I will try to come find you.}

Shiori looked at the limb holding her, knowing it was as good as looking anywhere at a god’s true form. “What? Why? What do you want from us? Why did you just heal me? How am I understanding you so well? What… what is going on?!”

{I wish I could answer all of your questions, but there is no time.} the new god replied. Sure enough, the other god seemed to be making its own objects in retaliation, making this one an approximation of a grunt. {You must go. I am sorry that I cannot be more detailed, and... I must admit you have no reason to trust me.} It then gave her a small squeeze, almost resembling a reassuring hug. {But... please at least hear me out when I find you. I promise you that I... I mean you no harm. I want to help you - I swear it upon my name.}

The Archivist frowned, a feeling of... truthfulness being projected from this god. Their bodies were practically made from their minds and emotions, so lying was difficult for them when one could see their higher forms. Still, what they constituted as meaning no harm could often differ from mortals and lesser immortals alike. This declaration did not necessarily mean anything - it revitalizing her also potentially a way to lure her into false security. All of this could just be some godly power struggle.

Its words also made her snort humorlessly, thinking there was a mistranslation there. “Your ‘name?’ Gods don’t have names, last I checked.”

The god was silent for a second... but then replied. {Omegaα. A pleasure, Miss Novella.}

Shiori blinked, then looked at the being incredulously. “What did you just call yours-?”

It was then her captor yelled, and the entire building shook. The limb holding her moved, and the god - or Omegaα, apparently - yelled at her. {Go! Now!}

With that, the Archivist found herself being hurled down the hall, firmly in its grasp. She screamed as air rushed past her, moving so fast that she swore her lips and cheeks rippled from the force. In seconds, the light at the end of the tunnel rapidly expanded, opening up into a far expanse of gray gravel fields under an overcast sky. The form of her friends came into view - Bijou trying to block Mococo from rushing back in on one side and Nerissa and Fuwawa arguing on the opposite one - all still misty in her vision.

The limb stopped all at once after she was out of the cave’s mouth, making her lurch. She got one last sense of an apology from the god, before it proceeded to drop her, making her stumble on her feet. The limb then retreated back toward the prison, where she began to notice bright lights of colors - some that were supposed to be unperceivable, she felt - flashing at that end.

The others all jumped as she was deposited, looking at her with open-mouth surprise. (Considering they would not have been able to see the tendril, her arrival was probably all the more confusing.) Mococo backed up from Bijou, looking her up and down like she had seen a ghost. “Sh... Shiori? How did you...?” Her words trailed off, her eyes a mixture of emotions as they seemed to get a little glassy.

Shiori... did not know how to respond to that. But a sudden rumble that made them all nearly lose her footing quickly distracted her from answering. Looking down the tunnel again, a fresh wave of dread washed over her. The flashing was getting worse, and the air down there was truly starting to warp now. Two gods are fighting down there... Beings who can bend reality in so many ways and exist somewhere above us. And with how angry they were at each other... the fallout of it...

Her breath catching, she stumbled back, looking over at Nerissa in a panic. “C-close the tunnel! Quickly!”

Startled by the sudden demand, the sound demon looked down the passage, too. Once more, she could probably not see everything the once-human was, but whatever was visible to her made her eyes widen with fear, too. Moving back, she brought forth her tuning fork, the prongs beginning to vibrate violently and its symbols brighter than ever. Then, she struck the ground, and an explosion of force was sent out before her.

Cracks quickly formed along all of the cave’s surfaces, spreading deep inside. They crumbled and grew wider gradually, and then, eventually, the roof caved in altogether. Tons of stone and dirt fell down and filled the space, burying everything inside. Soon, several stones and pebbles filled the mouth next to them and spilled out, brushing up against their feet.

The sounds of the collapse soon stopped... but the ground still shook. Swallowing thickly, the Archivist looked up above at the outside of the prison some distance away. It was... the first time she was seeing it like this, some part of her realized. That same part wishes she could appreciate just how far its walls seemed to stretch off into the distance. How so little of it was actually above ground from the plans she had poured over. How it seemed to lack any form of courtyards - completely enclosed. Hell, she wishes she could pause to admire how it truly did seem like a castle from the outside, too!

But she could not. Not when looking at the tower they had come from, which seemed to be shaking harder than its surroundings. When even from there, she swore she saw bits of brick crumbling off. When from the new holes, more of the flashes were coming out, so bright it made her eyes sting, and the air continued warping and made the building seem... wrong. Like it was a half-finished painting come to life.

She blinked hard, making her eyes stop glowing and returning to normal sight, the world no longer misty. Many of the distortions were still present, but it did not make her head hurt as much. She looked around at the others. Nerissa had fallen to her knees, leaning on her weapon as she caught her breath from the exertion. The others, meanwhile, seemed lost and scared, not appearing to know how to react to anything happening.

Shiori felt bad, knowing they all had to be exhausted by this point. But they could not afford a slow pace right then... and standing there any longer was not going to end well. Thus, she ran up to the raven-girl, trying to pull her to her feet. “Get up! I need you to carry me! Bijou, carry Mococo, too! We can’t wait! This whole place is-”

That was as far as she got before the top five stories of the tower erupted in a multi-colored cloud. They all jumped, then froze at the piercing scream of one of the gods as more rubble fell to the ground. Not from anger, but from deep, unfathomable anguish. Which one it was, she could not tell... but even without her vision, she saw shiny platinum-colored clouds starting to paint the sky, moving in ways that defied normal behavior.

She did not know much about gods exact biology... but she knew this part. To be bleeding like this in this color instead of gold, and to be visible to normal eyes... one of the gods had been wounded deeply. In a way that went beyond the marrow in most beings’ bones. A rare sight... and one that was making the rest of the tower melt and shatter gradually as the “blood” spread, reality coming undone there.

She could only stare for a long moment, not sure what she should say - how to feel. Even her mind was blank of any thoughts or tangents. Even among some of the more questionable rituals she had dared to do, what she was witnessing here...

If there was anything to be thankful for right then, though, it was the way it finally got her friends moving. Nerissa suddenly seemed to have a second wind, putting her staff on her back and wrapping her arms around the Archivist. Without a word, and her heart pounding hard enough to be felt by the other, she immediately took off into the air, wings flapping hard as she focused on speed. She was high in the air - visible to any guards out there - but... they both appeared to know they had other things they would be worrying about right then.

Bijou was soon flying right beside them, carrying Mococo, their eyes still wide with terror. Below, the duel-hair-toned woman could see a bright blue blur as Fuwawa used her aura to run on foot, trying to keep up with their path despite the jagged formations around her. All of them were heading in the same direction, though, toward the craggy plains that made up this land.

They were finally free... but there was no cheering right then like there should have been. No laughter or smiles. Shiori hoped the others at least felt satisfaction deep down, but she knew they were more focused on getting far away. Their celebration would have to wait.

And her... she had a lot to consider. Including how to tell the others that they had been saved by one god by another... as well as figuring out what it wanted with them. (Though, despite herself... a small piece of her heart hoped it was not the one who had just been injured so badly, and that such sentimentality was not misplaced...)

Chapter Text

Sad as it was, none of the escaped convicts had ever really seen the world The Cell was on. They had all been thrown in while they were unconscious, and there was not so much as a spotlight above anywhere for them to see the sun. None had any real clue what it looked like beyond a few off-handed comments from guards nearby.

They had taken their turns speculating what it might be like. Fuwawa had been optimistic in saying that the guards were only trying to break their spirits and that everything would be lush and nice. Mococo had at least believed the area immediately around the prison was bleak, but otherwise agreed with her sister. Bijou had hoped for some lovely rock formations, given how much it was mentioned, and Nerissa had said she did not care so long as she could feel sunlight on her skin. (A bit funny, since the underworld did not have a sun.)

As for Shiori... she had gotten a bit of a picture of what to expect when she found the documents that showed her the tunnel. And... she wished that the answer was not what the pink-twin thought, but spread much farther than they could possibly have expected.

Even after hours of flying, by the time they had landed to rest... only gray fields surrounded them. Some were gravel, and others were covered in dark grass, but even now, it stretched out for as far as any of them could see. There were indeed rocky formations, but they were crude and did not add to the scenery. Even the sky had remained perpetually cloudy, with no end to the overcast even as the world dimmed some to show it was afternoon now.

The Archivist sighed, looking out from the small shelter they had found. Two rock formations on either side met at the top to form a roof against any rain. The area underneath was several meters long and wide, giving them plenty of room to move. But most importantly - it was open on both ends, which would help them run if anyone found them.

Though... she thinks they all knew deep down that would not be needed, after what they saw.

Taking her eyes away from the outside, she looked at those currently in there with her. Mococo had elected to go out scouting, just to be extra sure they were alone. Even without being followed, who knew what sort of wildlife might be around? Just because everything seemed dead and lifeless, did not mean they should take chances.

As for the others... they were slumped together against one of the walls. Fuwawa was fully asleep, her chest rising and falling steadily as she snuggled against Nerissa’s side. Said woman was only barely conscious, each blinking of her eyes showing how heavy they were as they seemed to droop more after each one. And Bijou, who was tucked on her other side... Well, she did not sleep like the rest of them. So while her lack of breathing was disconcerting, the shiny white color her body’s gems had taken and closed eyes indicated she was just “recharging.”

Shiori felt pity for all of them. They had run a lot farther than she had originally planned for them to on this first day on the run. For good reason, granted, but it had taken its toll on all of them - the blue-twin especially, who she knew would have preferred to join her sister as backup. If it was up to the once-human, she would let them all have this well-earned rest for going far and beyond for everyone’s sake.

...But she was not sure they could. Not when a god had promised to come find them out of a desire to “help.” Looking back out again, she blinked her eyes, making them glow as she looked back into the higher planes of existence. Yet scanning the now misty landscape, she saw no signs of an iridescent being trying to approach.

That whole encounter still played back in her mind, leaving her uneasy. Just... why had this other god come to their aid? Why now, and not in the millennia many of them had been trapped in there? Why did it have a name?

Was... it worth hearing it out, instead of trying to drive it away? Their options seemed rather limited at this point in terms of where they could go. But even as her mind tingled, that familiar urge to learn sparked by this god’s odd behavior from all she understood about them... she wondered if the risk was too great. (And there was every possibility that it had lost that fight, and it would be their captor that eventually came looking for them...)

Sighing heavily again, the Archivist shook her head and rose from her position. This internal debate had gone nowhere these past several hours. And it was not solely her decision to make - the others deserved to have a vote in what to do. She may have led their escape, but she was no official leader by any means. This was too big of a choice for her to dictate alone.

I’ve kept them in the dark long enough, anyway, she also reasoned. She had not said a word about this new god’s arrival or what had happened in the tower after they left. It was not out of distrust, but... they had been so stressed, she had worried they would have gone into a frenzy if she had said anything back there. Now, though, she thinks everyone would have a cool enough head to talk about what to do.

All of this in mind, and hoping they would not be too mad about her small delay in informing them, she approached the small huddle of people. She quickly turned her eyes back to normal so as to not arouse suspicion immediately. Then, she crouched down in front of the sound demon, waving her hand in front of her half-closed eyes. “Hey, you doing okay? How are the other two doing?”

The raven-girl blinked, seeming slightly more awake at her sudden presence. She quickly gave a tired smile, though, and patted both of the other girls on their shoulders. “They’re resting up fine. Fuwawa’s been especially cuddly, which has been... nice.” She sighed contently, letting her head rest on top of the hellhound’s. “I see why she’s the ‘fluffy’ twin. If only they had let us all sleep together back in The Cell. I would have officially gotten as close as any demon could to the heavens!”

Shiori giggled, rolling her eyes. “I’ll take your word for it. I’m sure keeping us separated for sleep was so we would not be able to coordinate an escape all that well... not that it stopped us!” She frowned slightly, glancing back at the opening. “I don't know why they bothered, though, given the ‘lovely’ surroundings.”

Nerissa frowned, too, turning her gaze that way as well. “Yeah... Makes you wonder where all the guards came from. There doesn’t seem to be even a village for miles!”

The Archivist shrugged. “There’s probably a teleportation circle somewhere close to or in The Cell we didn’t know about. It would explain how they get some of their supplies so fast, as well as how they got so much anime and stuff from Earth.”

The sound demon hummed, then gave a lopsided grin. “Is it too late to go back and try to find one of them? I for one would love to visit Japan - get a hold of as much of their music as possible. We did have to leave most of our entertainment behind.”

Shiori giggled, smiling back. “Maybe we can find a route there eventually. I’d certainly be down to rebuilding my Sherlock collection!” She sighed. “But we both know trying to leave this Realm through one of their methods would only make it easier for them to track. If we can’t find a teleporting pedestal here soon, we’d be better off making our own circle from scratch.”

“Assuming we don’t starve to death or die of thirst,” the raven-girl pointed out, once more gesturing to their barren surroundings.

“Oh, I can solve that,” the Archivist reassured, waving her off before pointing to her bag. “One of my stamps will make me a conjuror who can create a bunch of food and water for us! A few, actually! I might tweak one a bit so that I’m guaranteed to recognize you as my faithful companions, but that shouldn’t take too long.”

“...It’ll be normal food, right?”

“What, you don’t want fresh calamari or sushi from a tentacle pulled directly from the Ancient Ones’ Realm? So picky!”

Nerissa rolled her eyes, seeming in equal parts amused and disgusted. “I’ll pass, if it’s all the same to you.” She rested against the wall, taking a deep breath as her eyes continued to wander. “But seriously, I don’t know why anyone would come to this place. Like, what is there to even see or do? It’s completely inhospitable!”

“Quite a few Realms are, honestly,” Shiori commented, mentally going through her catalog of what she had studied about the subject. “It’s typically Fire and Ice Realms that get that reputation, but there are a few among others like this, which I assume is an Earth one - the element, not the world - that also have problems sustaining life. But just because you and I can’t properly live here doesn’t mean other species can’t. There really might be lifeforms that have adapted to this climate and can survive.” Her eyes went to Bijou, smiling slightly. “We might be in the presence of one such being, in fact.”

“Nah, she’d miss her coffee too much,” the sound demon argued, making them both laugh. Once they calmed down, though, she looked over at the Jewel of Emotions and gained a more somber expression. Her gaze went to her shoulder in particular, wincing. “Are... you sure there isn’t anything you can do for the shot she took?”

The mention of that injury sobered the Archivist up. She shuffled closer to the gem-girl, looking at the injury partially hidden under her clothes. While the short woman’s skin might have seemed like flesh, the cracks that now marred her back, originating from a bullet hole, broke that illusion. Visible beneath was a slight glowing, mostly white currently, though unlike her chest gem other colors were leaking in. The light shifted almost as if it were blood running through her system. It’s a good thing she doesn’t bleed like us, though...

It was hard to look at, even if it was not very gory. However, she could only sigh as she reached out and lightly rubbed the area, feeling the smooth stone-skin. “I wish there was, but I don’t have a persona that can meld stone ready, and I’m not well-practiced in that sort of magic myself. We got the casing out - all we can do now is let her heal naturally. It shouldn’t take too long for a wound like this, at least.” Even as she said this, she swore she could see the ends of the cracks sealing very slowly. Given a day or two, it should be mostly gone.

The raven-girl was clearly as unhappy with that answer as she was, but she sighed and nodded. “Okay... And how’s your shoulder doing?”

Shiori shrugged, backing up from Bijou to touch her now bandaged arm under her coat. The taller woman had wrapped it up almost immediately after they had safely landed, along with a cut that had also been on her arm. (Not that she remembered getting that one, not having accessed the bookmark about that first encounter with the guards yet.) “It barely hurts. Nothing feels broken, anyway. I’ll make myself a proper potion or something for it later.”

“If you’re sure,” Nerissa said. She then gave her friend an impressed look. “It’s incredible that’s the only injury you took from our captor, though! I mean, I thought when we left, you were going to be...” She trailed off, stiffening as she appeared to regret her words and grimaced. The implication was clear to them both, though.

The Archivist sighed, shaking her head. “Don’t take any blame for that. I told you all to flee. It was the best for you all’s safety.”

The sound demon nodded slowly, despite still looking upset. “I... I know. But even knowing how stupid it would have been... a part of me wanted to join Fuwawa and Mococo in trying to protect you. So that... we’d all get to enjoy our freedom.”

“Which you almost ruined for you guys by staying at the tunnel’s entrance,” Shiori pointed out lightly, though still gave a small glare. Even though everything had worked out, if they had not, and the god had extended its influence to the others while they had been arguing...

The raven-girl huffed. “I figured the plan was still to collapse it behind us to stop the guards. I should have realized how determined the twins would be to try and get back to you...” She looked at her friend and grinned, though it was slightly tinged by fear. “Still, you really showed that god what for, huh? You seemed so resigned, but I guess whatever you had up your sleeve really worked out!”

The Archivist opened her mouth... then blinked, the comment making her realize how side-tracked she had gotten. She let out a small groan, pinching the bridge of her nose. In the privacy of her own workshop or whatever place she settled down before being imprisoned, she would not care about how scatterbrained she could be. Times like now, however, made her want to throttle herself when there were important things that needed to be addressed. (No wonder she made so many of her other personas more focused...)

Taking a deep breath, she looked her friend in the eyes and spoke before she could get distracted again. “What I had didn’t work out - not well enough to save me, anyway. It... was something that showed up after you left that got me out of there. Something that... might either be another problem or... some help, if we’re willing to trust it.”

Nerissa blinked, a bit more weariness disappearing from her face. She frowned at the duel-toned-haired woman. “And you’re only mentioning this now because...?”

“Because I didn’t want you all to fly and run off in three different directions in a panic,” Shiori stated, pointing to all three resting escapees.

“You have that little faith in us to stay together and coordinate when scared?” Nerissa questioned, though her tone was mostly joking.

The Archivist, however, maintained a serious one as she shook her head. “In most circumstances, I would trust you. Hell, if it was only our captor to worry about, I might still have faith. But with what showed up...” She sighed, rubbing a hand down her face. “If I said anything at the time, I’m certain you’d have taken us miles away from the others before you even had an inkling that you had done so.”

The sound demon blinked, the humor quickly dying from her eyes. “...That bad, huh?”

“Potentially,” Shiori emphasized. “I genuinely don’t know what to make of what happened. But right now, I need everyone awake to talk about it. So can you help me with these two? This could be time-sensitive, and I’ve delayed long enough.”

The raven-girl frowned deeply, but eventually gave a long sigh and nodded. “Okay... Gods, we can’t even catch a break now that we’re free, huh?”

The Archivist’s eyes softened, patting her on the shoulder. “Hey, just stay calm. I’m sure we can work this out.”

Nerissa met her gaze, giving a wry smile. “Shiori - I don’t think any of us will be able to relax until you feel comfortable enough to go on one of your tangents without feeling bad about it. Even your more... cursed ones. That will officially mean we’re safe.”

“...Fair enough,” Shiori conceded. She then held up a hand to make her friend pause for a moment, before reaching into her bag. She concentrated on looking for one type of item in particular that would help with this. It would be very old at this point, but the expiration dates on it were ridiculously long thanks to some special bottles she got from a wizard one time who did temporal stuff. (She should create a proper stamp sometime to try out a bit of that type of - focus!) That made her hopeful that they were still...

Her fingers brushed against one of the vials. Grinning, she pulled it out, revealing a potion with a thick yellow liquid inside. The presence of sparkles within also indicated that it was still good enough to drink as well. Tapping near the cork, where a glowing blue hourglass symbol was, she held it out to the black-haired woman. “Here you go! Taking a small sip of this should help wake you up for the next several minutes. Don’t down the whole thing unless you don’t want to sleep for the whole day, though! Or want to burn off that energy by doing various magic.”

The sound demon accepted the bottle, smiling a bit more naturally now. “I didn’t think you’d keep something on you that’d make your insomnia worse.”

“Hey, making stamps takes a lot of energy sometimes,” the Archivist defended, shuffling to be more in front of Bijou. “I’m serious about not downing it all, too! Just because you wouldn’t be able to sleep doesn’t mean you won’t need it!”

The raven-girl nodded, working on opening the bottle as she started to shake Fuwawa awake. Taking her eyes away from them, the once-human focused on the gem-girl. She had not stirred a bit from her earlier touch - sitting so still as to be mistaken for a statue. It took a lot to cause the short woman to jolt up from her slumber, according to her. Unless you were breaking her apart, she could “recharge” through most events... which had unfortunately happened to her many times when she was hoarded by humans.

Shiori, of course, was not going to use that method. Instead, she gently reached out and gently rested her fingers on one of the smaller gems surrounding her central one. Being mindful to not graze that larger one even slightly, she closed her eyes and began to focus on her emotions. She brought forth some happy memories to her mind, such as when she got a complicated ritual to work and every time she completed a complex stamp.

The joy of those times made her heart rate pick up... and those feelings transferred to her friend. The smaller gem soon started to pulse with shades of yellow and pink, and slowly, they crept into the rest of the gems. A smile started to tug at Bijou’s lips, her body finally shifting a little bit. Her chest started to move again after a few minutes, too, if only so she had some breath to giggle with.

This continued for a while as the silver-haired woman seemed to become more alive. Then, after all of her visible gems were the same yellow and pink, her closed eyelids started to twitch. Her breathing leveled out, and soon... her eyes opened. There was some weariness from the sudden wake-up, but otherwise, she looked rather serene - exactly what the Archivist had hoped for.

Once the gem-girl was awake enough, she finally noticed the hand resting near her central gem. Her cheeks tinted pink, giggling as she lightly swatted it away. “Geez - I thought Nerissa would be the first one to try waking me up like that once we were out.”

“I’m sure she’ll do it next time we need to have a meeting,” Shiori answered. Looking back at the sound demon, she saw that she had successfully gotten the blue-twin to stir as well. She was gently pressing the bottle she gave her to the hellhound’s lips, coaxing her to take a small sip to wake up more.

Bijou frowned a little, her gems starting to change into their usual shades of purple, though with the pinks of her happy awakening still lingering for a while. “Meeting, huh? So... something’s come up, then?”

The Archivist sighed. “I should have brought it up a while ago, actually. I figured you’d all needed the rest, though... and some peace.”

The gem-girl nodded, not seeming put off by this. “Alright, then. Better late than never, right?”

Shiori raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t annoyed?”

“...I’m just glad you’re still here,” Bijou admitted quietly, looking down somberly. “That you’re even around to have a conversation of any kind.”

That made the Archivist’s expression fall some more, gently resting her hand on top of one of her friend’s. “Biboo...”

Taking a deep breath, the gem-girl attempted a smile that did not fully reach her eyes. “I know - there wasn’t any other choice. Like I just said - I’m happy you’re here, and that’s what matters.” She pulled her hand back and stretched her arms, only slightly wincing at how it caused shifting on the cracks in her shoulder.

Shiori once again sighed, but did not say anything that might lower the other’s mood further. Gods knew - one especially for causing it - she had suffered enough in The Cell. So instead, she decided to pivot the conversation briefly as the other two continued waking up and they all waited on Mococo. “So... do you need any caffeine, or...? Since I’m not sure my potion will work on you.”

Bijou giggled, shifting her sitting position to be more relaxed. “I don’t technically ever need caffeine. It’s a psychological thing from my connection with humans. Even before coffee, they had plenty of ways to wake themselves up.”

The Archivist smiled back. “I can still make you a cup if you want it. I know you weren’t done ‘recharging’ yet.”

“With what kettle or coffee maker?” the gem-girl questioned, looking at her curiously.

Shiori patted her bag in response. “More so a combination of a few personas I have to make some water and beans, then ground and heat them up.”

Bijou’s eyebrows furrowed. “I thought you said you pushed yourself too much earlier with those transformations? Don’t you need more rest, too?”

“I can handle a few more right now if needed,” the Archivist promised. The last few hours had given her time to recover her strength physically. Mentally as well, though that had also been largely healed by whatever that new god had done to her. She had a few more transformations in her to help out.

“I’m still going to pass,” the gem-girl reiterated. Her gaze went to their surroundings, letting out a long breath. “It’s... good to know you can do that, though. I wasn’t sure how I would get drinks like that otherwise on account of... well...”

Shiori was confused for a second, and nearly voiced it... but the answer to her unspoken question quickly struck her. Coffee was largely cultivated in settlements that had humans in them - had originated from their worlds. To go somewhere to buy a brand directly would therefore mean there was a good chance they would run into some, and that...

Guess that puts a wrench in the Japan idea, she also mused humorlessly. Sighing, she tapped the Jewel of Emotion’s shoulder, getting her attention. “We’ll get you a workaround, Biboo. You won’t have to be afraid of driving humans mad anymore soon enough - we’ll make sure of it.”

“I... I hope so,” Bijou said, swallowing thickly. “I think they... Humans aren’t all bad, you know? You’re proof of that, even if you aren’t one anymore. I’d love to spend time with some and... get over my fears there. Do be able to exist without worrying about destroying their lives.”

“You will,” the Archivist promised again. She then giggled a little. “I’m... not sure I’m the best benchmark for how good humans can be, though.”

“I think you’re nice, not a saint... or ‘normal,’” the gem-girl clarified, giving a small, teasing smile. The topic still seemed to weigh heavily on her, but after all these millennia talking over her trauma with the others... it seemed recovery was still going nicely.

Satisfied with that, Shiori smiled back and nodded. Any further talk, though, was soon shut down by the sound of footsteps outside of the shelter they were in. They, along with the other two - now far more awake - paused as they took in the approaching steps. Once they were closer, they were then accompanied by a small humming toon. It was a code they had agreed on for patrols before they made their escape, but even without it, the voice doing it told them exactly who was coming.

Everyone easing up, the duel-toned-haired stood up, dusting off her clothes as she got ready to greet Mococo. She stepped over briefly to Nerissa to get her potion back, knowing the other hellhound would be tired, too. Once it was back in her hand, she left the others to speak among themselves for a while as she stepped out from the rock formation.

Around the corner, she watched as the pink-twin approached, her posture a bit slouched but still seeming on high alert. Her eyes were also glowing slightly, thanks to an intricate symbol drawn on her cheek. It allowed her to look into the higher planes of existence like the once-human, allowing her to be on guard if their captor made an appearance. For this reason, she also had the red-handled stamp on her so she could escape and warn the others.

It seemed they were in the clear, though, given Mococo’s lack of panic. The Archivist gave a small wave once she was right next to her, glad to see that her patrol was uneventful. But even so, she decided to verbally confirm this. “Any signs of trouble?”

The pink-twin shook her head, pointing back behind her. “Not even a little movement in any directions, guards or... otherwise. But also no wildlife, so...” Her animal ears flattened, her cheeks heating up with a little shame. “I’m sorry, but... you’re going to have to take care of us for a while with your magic.”

Shiori rolled her eyes, sending her a smile. “Mococo, you don’t need to apologize for that. I’m more than happy to!”

“But I know your ink is limited right now!” Mococo argued while pouting, pointing to her painted cheek. “I don’t want you wasting it on giving us protections or transforming too much if it can be helped! Me and Fuwawa would gladly hunt food for everyone if we could! We had plenty of survival training!”

“And once we’re out of this Realm, you can hunt us food all you’d like,” the Archivist reassured, hoping to placate her friend. “But right now, I can cover us for a while. Besides, my ink isn’t so low as to be a problem right now. I can even make more - I still have a few resources left I can mix with the kind my body produces.”

The pink-twin continued to grumble, crossing her arms as well. Still, she eventually nodded and let the situation be. It was touching to her, though, that the hellhound was so eager to ease her burdens. But it also shows how lucky they are I made it out. If they were forced to track this place with as little food as we managed to smuggle out...

Further thoughts on this, however, were cut off at the sound of someone else leaving their shelter. Looking back, she saw Fuwawa quickly closing the distance and moving past her, before stopping right next to her sister. “Moco-chan! How was your patrol? You didn’t go out too far without me, did you?”

“Never!” Mococo said, seeming to gravitate toward her sibling’s presence. “And it was fine. All the flying in the air gave me enough time to give my legs a rest and catch my breath. I was in tip-top guarding shape!”

The blue-twin whined a little, rubbing the side of her leg. “I wish I was that lucky. My legs are still so sore! Even if I had the energy before, I’m not sure I would have been able to join you.” She looked sad for a moment... then grinned as she quickly wrapped her sister in a hug, acting like she was trying to climb onto her. “I guess you’ll have to carry me for the next one! Crouch down so I can get onto your back!”

The pink-twin gave a startled cry, trying to push her off. “Wha-! Nooooeh! Stop it! I’m younger than you! Isn’t the older sibling supposed to carry the other?!”

“It was only by a few minutes! We can be considered the same age!”

“That is never how this has worked! You’ve held being older than me over my head growing up and now! You can’t just switch it!”

The two continued struggling with each other for another minute or so, both taking turns trying to climb the other. Shiori, meanwhile, could not help but laugh as she watched the exchange. Those two never liked to be separated for too long, and when they were forced to, it was a guarantee that they would tease one another upon being reunited. Fuwawa especially liked to embarrass Mococo and rile her up. But that did not mean that the latter did not get the upper hand on the former at times, too.

As amusing as the exchange was... it also caused her to feel a warmth in her heart, too. Their rambunctiousness had been around since they got locked up, and in the centuries they spent there... it had not faded. There were no deep traumas from either before getting locked away or during their time there. They had weathered their time there, keeping one another strong.

They felt sad that they could not protect one another from capture at times, she knew. And they had some low points caused by punishments from the guards. The most effective of those had definitely been when one sister was locked into an isolation cell for months, and the rest of them got to see how depressed the other got as a result. Not knowing how their sister was doing and unable to hear so much as their voice all that time.

But still, once they were together again, they quickly picked themselves back up. Those punishments, along with other tortures, had not broken them. They had come out of this situation better than anyone could have hoped... and the others would likely always feel relief at this accomplishment. In setting them free before their hearts were crushed.

The Archivist, at another time, would not have minded watching them play like this for a few hours, just to feel happy for them. However... she was trying very hard to not get sidetracked again, and she knew the other two were waiting. Thus, she cleared her throat, trying to get the sisters’ attention. “Alright, that’s enough, you two! Now, how about you both go back in and sit down? We need to talk about something. Also, Mococo, drink a sip of this - and I mean that literally! Gods know you’re hyper enough.” She held out the potion still in her hand as she said this, shaking it a little.

Taking the vial, the pink-twin nodded as she and her sister separated. “Okay! I hope it isn’t too serious.” She sent her sister a small glare. “This isn’t over, though.”

“Of course it isn’t - I haven’t gotten my ride!” the blue-twin teased, making the younger sibling groan.

Giggling, Shiori turned around to lead them in... but was stopped by two hands grabbing each of hers from behind. Confused, she looked back to ask what was wrong-

-and was promptly hugged by both of the hellhounds. Yelping a bit at the sudden contact, she stumbled as the two of them nuzzled her back. Mococo in particular held her very tightly, and when she separated her face from her friend’s coat, her voice was slightly wavering. “Also... I know it’s a little late, but please don’t try to sacrifice yourself like that again. Or at least... let us try to protect you next time. It’s our whole job.”

Fuwawa nodded, her tone similar. “It’s not fair that you almost got locked up again. You’ve been so attentive to everyone, and it’s because of you we all got as far as we did. We... we don’t want to lose you like that.”

Guilt filling her gut, the Archivist bit her lips, hating how she had made them worry. All she could do, though, was grip their hands as they stood there. “I... I’ll do my best. I don’t... want to see any of you get taken again, either.”

It was not exactly a promise to do as they wanted her to, should the need come again. Still, it seemed to be enough to the twins for now, who gave her one last squeeze. After this, they let her go and rushed on ahead, with the younger sibling opening the potion to take her sip. Even as they rounded the corner, their momentary sorrow seemed to already be vanishing as they talked to each other, their tails wagging.

Shiori sighed as they went out of sight, pinching her nose. That moment at the tunnel was probably going to stay with everyone for a while to come. Not that she could blame them - she had been terrified about her own fate, too. But after everything they had all gone through together and the choices lying ahead of them... Nobody ever said that a prison escape and its aftermath was easy, but she wishes it did not have to hang above them all so much.

There was nothing to be done about it, however. All they could do was try to make do with the hand that had been dealt to them. With that in mind, she shook her head, doing her best to concentrate on their current issues and to leave that event behind them for now. Then, after taking one last glance around to ensure no one was coming, she walked back to the others.

Nerissa and Bijou were in the same place as before, but the former must have gotten up, as she had retrieved her tuning fork and had it held in her lap as she kept her eyes closed. The latter, meanwhile, was chatting with Fuwamoco, who had taken up spots on her other side. The pink-twin was directly next to her, while the blue-twin peaked over her sister’s shoulder as they discussed things.

As the Archivist approached, she heard some of what the gem-girl was saying. “...it like to see into the higher planes?”

Mococo shrugged, lightly rubbing her dried symbol and blinking her glowing eyes. “It’s... odd, mostly. Everything has a misty quality to it - even you guys. I swear if I look closely enough, too, I can see a small light in the center of all of you guy’s bodies. One that’s filling the rest of you.”

Bijou hummed with interest. “Really? Anything else special about it?”

“I don’t know - I guess yours is... kind of like a hot stone?” the pink-twin offered. She glanced down at where her sister was leaning against her back, and gave a small smile. “Me and Fuwa-chan’s souls also seem to try to be reaching out to one another where we’re touching.”

That made Fuwawa giggle, seeming to lean more against her sibling in response. “Of course it is! As if there’s anywhere else me or my soul would rather be than beside you!”

That made Mococo roll her eyes, but she smiled fondly at her as Bijou beamed at them. As for the sound demon, her eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated on something, her hand resting on her weapon. There was a moment that passed as a... ripple seemed to pass between her and it, the metal wavering-

-and then it was consumed in a flash of blue, ethereal flames. When they dissipated, the tuning fork was gone. Yet when the raven-girl opened her eyes, she seemed delighted by this outcome, smiling widely. “Yes! Finally! Mom and Malpha would be so proud that I re-attuned on my own!”

Shori stopped before the group, looking at where the weapon previously was. “I was hoping we wouldn’t have to worry about lugging that around. And that I didn’t have to stuff it into my bag to make that happen.”

“What difference would it have made?” Nerissa questioned, leaning back against the wall. “Doesn’t it have near-limitless space?”

“I was more thinking about the inconvenience of getting it to you in a tight situation,” the Archivist explained while rolling her eyes.

Fuwawa nodded to this, holding up one of her arms, emphasizing the claws. “Well, no need to worry about me or Moco-chan, either! We reattuned to our claws while we were setting up here! Not that they really bother us when they’re out!”

“And we want to be ready to pounce immediately if we’re attacked!” Mococo added. She then held out the potion toward the once-human. “Here’s this, by the way. I’m... not sure I liked the taste, though. It was like... banana and watermelon?”

Shiori shrugged, taking back the vial. Pleased to see that everyone appeared to had followed her one-sip instructions, she put it back into her bag, then took a deep breath. She clapped her hands together, glancing around nervously. “Right, then... So... I’m not sure what... the best way to tell you all what happened is.” You might have if you focused more...

The others looked at one another for a moment, before the sound demon spoke again. “You... said it had to do with how you got away from our captor, right? Some sort of help you got? Well, then, just tell us about them!”

“Yeah, that’s kind of the part I’m stuck on,” the Archivist revealed, unsure of how to ease them into this revelation.

Mococo tilted her head, frowning while leaning forward. “Just say it! We promise not to freak out!”

Shiori gave her a look, making it clear she did not believe her. Yet even so... she was not sure she had a better option than just being blunt about this. Thus, with a heavy sigh, she gave the short answer. “I was saved by another god - one who was not only comprehensible in what it was saying to me, but said it was here to help us.”

...The others all blinked, their blank surprise evident in their now wide eyes. They looked at her closely, as if expecting her to burst out laughing and say she was joking - that they really were all safe. But as she stared unwaveringly back, apprehension began to show on their faces. More glances were exchanged between them, confirming to one another that they all heard the same thing.

Once that all settled, Bijou spoke up next, her voice slightly shaking as she shivered lightly. “You... you’re sure it was... another god?”

“If only there was any doubt for me to have on that front,” the Archivist murmured.

That made the gem-girl gulp, looking down as terror crept onto her face. Noticing this, though, Mococo was quick to move over to her and put her head in her lap, twitching her ears. “Biboo! Don’t panic! Just pet my head, okay? Everything is going to be fine!”

Taking a shaky breath, the Jewel of Emotions slowly nodded. She ran her fingers through the hellhound’s hair, seeming to absently gravitate near the ears. It made the pink-twin squirm a little, but otherwise stayed still, accepting the treatment despite her usual protectiveness of that area. It slowly helped the short woman to relax again, some of her panic receding.

Once she had calmed down enough, Bijou let out a breath, pursing her lips. “I... I’m sorry. I know I probably shouldn’t be acting like this so soon. I just...”

Fuwawa frowned sadly at her, animal ears drooping. “Given what you’ve said about your early treatment from our captor, I don’t think I blame you...” She then cleared her throat, trying to give an optimistic smile. “But! - we might not be in danger! Just because one god hurt us doesn’t mean this one will!”

“Not intentionally,” Nerissa pointed out, rubbing her hand along the gem-girl’s back to further help her. She shook her head, looking troubled. “I don’t want to be pessimistic about this, but... well, gods aren’t exactly known to understand even regular immortals all that well. Not even ‘God’ over in the heavens is supposed to be all that easily understood by the primordial angels.” She huffed. “Not that it stops them from ‘spreading his message’ to others. But my point is that this new one could intend to help us, but have a warped way of viewing it.”

Shiori nodded. “That was my line of thinking too at first.” She sighed, rubbing her forehead. “But... again, I could understand it a lot better than I ever could our captor. It was also the one who brought me to you guys, too, which... I can’t deny was helpful. And the fact that it had a name, too...”

This earned her weird looks like she expected. Even Bijou seemed confused enough to brush aside her fear a moment before. “A name? But gods don’t have names! You told us that yourself from your research on them!”

“Apparently, I didn’t look closely enough into them,” the Archivist responded, unable to help the bit of sarcasm that bled into her tone.  Everything she had read, though, had indeed confirmed that gods did not give names to one another - they were too “above” that. As incomplete as her work on them before being captured had been, she knew this was incredibly atypical behavior, to say the least.

Mococo looked at her curiously as she continued being petted. “Are you sure it wasn’t lying to you?”

“It could have been,” Shiori admitted, even with the sense of truthfulness she had felt at the time. “But... the whole encounter in general was... It...” She groaned, rubbing a hand down her face as she tried to figure out how to explain herself. They needed a clear picture of this to make their decisions properly, but she was fumbling with how to convey the impressions she got from this new god. Why was she overcomplicating this for herself?!

The others all clearly noticed her self-frustration, sending her worried looks. They did not know how to help her out, though... until an idea seemed to strike Fuwawa. Ears perking up, she glanced at the half-black-haired woman’s bag and coat. “Um... do you want to just bookmark the memory and let us ‘experience’ it? It might save us time.”

The Archivist paused, eyeing her uncertainly. “Are... you sure? I know how... weird it feels for you guys to do that.”

The blue-twin nodded, looking more determined. “We can handle it, Shiori! Just like when we got our mental maps of The Cell! Besides, this way you don’t have to worry about a misunderstanding, right?”

The rest of the group pondered this, but slowly, the other three began to nod. They sent her encouraging smiles to further emphasize the point - even Bijou, despite still being shaken. Shiori analyzed them carefully, ensuring they truly were confident in this. When none of them backed down, though, she sighed and relented. A few memories aren’t going to kill them... but I should be careful of how much of that encounter I put into this.

Reaching into her coat this time, she pulled out a blank bookmark. With a deep breath, she concentrated, and soon her veins turned black and inky as they traveled to her hand. The bookmark glowed yellow with the eye symbol at its center, just like in the prison. Then, she concentrated on the encounter with the new god - starting exactly when she was saved and ending when she was deposited outside. (There was no need for them all to experience the full agony she went through before that...)

There was always something fascinating to her about this process. It was like she was seeing the full line of memories like a long, continuous picture all at once. But unlike a photo or drawing, it came with a whole set of physical sensations, emotions, and other thoughts at the time. It was perhaps even clearer to her like this than if she had let it go on as a normal memory, subject to the mind’s natural decay, warping, and revitalizing.

Then she pushed the “picture” into the bookmark, feeling it all flow out of her like a trickle of water. She shivered as the process completed and the bookmark stopped glowing. It was... strange, not being able to recall what she had just put onto there. Like, she could infer the information this time based on the conversation they were having, which she did remember. But that also highlighted the break in her memory all the more, feeding her curiosity.

There... had been another god? What had she just been thinking that made it so different from their captor? What was this name that was just mentioned? These questions and more flooded her mind - all over memories and information she had just cut away from herself. And knowing you had forgotten something and being unable to recall it no matter how hard you tried was a feeling all of itself! It could be quite maddening if one were unprepared for it.

...But luckily, she was plenty insane already, so that was fine!

Still, the conversation would not be productive if she no longer knew this stuff. Thus, with another breath, Shiori focused on the bookmark and “pulled” on its power this time - making it glow green now! She felt the memories inside - their contents building up as that same picture in her head, which she now recalled! At first, it was more like she was skimming a book, where the words would probably fade if she did not pay more attention. But with another tug, she made them a part of herself again, the inky veins running in reverse to before. 

She sighed blissfully as they re-filled the hole in her head. The bookmark still held a copy of the memories, however - its lines now green. (It was really helpful that that happened - that way, if she ever saw one with yellow lines, she knew she had forgotten to re-add something! Unless, of course, it was deliberate, but she tried to keep those separate.) In there, her experiences would never fade or decay. They could last a practical eternity, barring she did something to break it - a process only easy for her, luckily.

The Archivist handed it over to Nerissa first, who accepted it cautiously but gratefully. She rubbed her fingers along its surface, obviously a little hesitant despite having chosen to do this. But a moment later, with steady breaths, she closed her eyes, and then the bookmark started glowing again. Her body spasmed a bit where those black veins appeared, but she otherwise appeared calm as they went up her neck and added the memories to herself.

...At least, until the contents finally hit her. Her eyes blew open and she gasped, her free and instinctively going to her shoulder while her whole body briefly convulsed. Shiori winced in sympathy, knowing she had just experienced those last moments of pain before the new god had partially healed her. She wishes she could have done something about that, but it was incredibly difficult to separate feelings from memories, even after millennia of practice, and she often failed to regardless. All she could do was walk closer and put a hand on her other shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

After a few seconds of steadying her breathing, the sound demon closed her eyes and nodded, indicating she was fine... mostly. Her hand was not trembling, though, as she handed it over to Mococo so that the other three could use it, too. They seemed more worried than before, which was fair, given how their friend had reacted. Yet they did not try to give it back to the once-human, either, as they prepared themselves.

Letting them be for now, Shiori focused on the black-haired woman. “Are you doing okay?”

“Y-yeah,” the raven-girl managed, putting as much strength into her voice as possible. “That was... a lot more intense than getting that map imprinted.”

“Not a lot of pain associated with stealing old plans and looking over their every detail, huh?” the Archivist asked, smiling some.

The joke succeeded in getting a chuckle from Nerissa. “That’s true, I guess. But... gods, how do you handle adding bookmarks like that back into your head? You seemed satisfied just now when you did it!”

“Because it was my own memories that I just took out,” Shiori explained, patting her shoulder comfortingly. “You added foreign thoughts and ideas that did not originate from your head, and therefore not having a baseline to latch onto. Not to mention it involves experiencing it as though you had my body, which can be quite... disorienting, if not uncomfortable, to parce with. It only gets worse the longer the stored memory is and how much sensations were involved.”

“...And I’m guessing that’s the simplified explanation?” the sound demon asked.

The Archivist shrugged. “What can I say? Mental magic can be a jumbled mess.”

The raven-girl giggled some more, rubbing the side of her head as the thoughts seemed to settle. She also hummed for a second before smirking. “Hm... well, I guess the benefit of the body stuff is... If you ever wanted to improve your fantasies about being with someone, then...”

Shiori merely rolled her eyes, giving her a small shove. “If you don’t stop with that, I will rip that memory back out from you!”

“I’m kidding!” Nerissa said, holding her hands up in surrender. Her face, though, became serious rather quickly as her eyebrows furrowed. “But... the pain aside, I can... see what you meant. This god acted... differently than our captor.”

“Be careful to not let my transferred feelings on it influence your view on the matter,” the Archivist advised. Her eyes roamed over to the others, where Mococo had completed the process and Fuwawa was finishing up hers. They both had grimaces, displeased with the pain she had to go through. But they were calming down as they tried to contemplate the memories, too. Their reactions were much more subdued, too - likely due to being used to melding their minds together.

The bookmark was handed to Bijou, who out of all of them looked the most uneasy about doing this. She did start focusing enough that the magic could start working - black lines appearing on her arm where veins should have been. When they reached her neck, however, she... recoiled. Her breath stuttered, scooting herself more against the wall at what she was experiencing.

Having a good idea of what this was about, Shiori sighed sadly, moving closer to her. As the sound demon continued rubbing the short woman’s back and the pink-twin snuggled her lap, the half-white-haired woman put her hand on her arm holding the bookmark, her voice gentle. “You don’t have to complete the process if it's too hard for you. You have far too many memories of pain from our captor’s hands. Just ‘skim’ the information if it’s easier.”

The gem-girl bit her lips, before nodding slowly. “Okay... But... what this new one did doesn’t seem... bad?” She looked at the bookmark, as if it would give her answers. “It... had a whole conversation with you, just like you said! That can’t be something it did without practice, right? With how incomprehensible our captor was...”

The Archivist hummed, having considered this, too. It would take considerable effort from the god to make its words and intentions more discernible to lesser beings like her. That it did this for longer than a few seconds - even appearing to do so instinctively when confronting their captor - indicated it was used to this. Something that not even the god who ruled over angels allegedly bothered to do beyond cryptic visions.

So... did this god want - perhaps even like - for people like them to understand it regularly? What would influence it to do so? What caused it to be so different from their captor and all the research she had-?

“Wait,” Nerissa murmured suddenly, drawing eyes to her. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her thoughts practically visibly turning in her head. “That... name. Omegaα... where have I...?”

Mococo lifted her head a little, also appearing deep in thought. “Yeah, I... that seems familiar, actually. Doesn’t it, Fuwa-chan?”

Fuwawa nodded in response to her sister, rubbing her chin. Shiori and Bijou, meanwhile, all looked between them in confusion. Yet even so, the former felt her intrigue being tingled at. “Wait... are you saying you might know of this god?” If that was the case, then it would probably help their decisions greatly.

“Maybe?” the sound demon said, her tone not exactly confident as she scratched her head. “I mean, obviously I never met it - I would remember having an encounter with a god before! But... I feel like there was an offhand remark once or twice I heard? If I didn’t hear the name specifically, I probably never would have recalled it.”

The twins hummed in agreement, their tails swishing on the ground. Bijou frowned, still seeming lost. “Well, I never heard the name before.”

“Neither have I,” the Archivist agreed, looking at the other three. “Was it involved with demons in some way? Or the underworld? It must have been if all three of you know of it!”

“No, that’s... not quite right,” the raven-girl insisted. She closed her eyes as she concentrated. “It was... I think I heard about it in relation to some other group. Out on... Earth?” She groaned, shaking her head. “I don’t know - I think it was my dad talking about it while we were eating once. About recent developments there involving an immortal who-”

Further words were cut off as Mococo suddenly sprang into an upright sitting position. She gasped, her eyes sparkling as recognition finally came to her eyes. “Wait! The Council - Calli’s sister! That’s where I heard that name before!”

Fuwawa also gasped, grasping her sister’s arm and shaking her in excitement. “Oh, right! It was overseeing them, wasn’t it? It was so off-hand, I nearly...!”

Everyone else looked between them with varying levels of interest and confusion. Though Shiori, ever eager to pursue knowledge, was quick to recover and ask questions as though this was one of her research topics. “Wha... What ‘Council?’ And who’s Calli and her sister?”

The pink-twin focused on her, smiling brightly. “Oh, Calli was the best! She was the top apprentice to Death himself when we were down in the underworld! We sparred with her a few times as part of our training! It was thanks to her we began to learn how to deal with weapons with a lot of reach, and necrotic powers!”

“She would talk with us for a bit afterward, too!” the blue-twin added. “She was so easy to get along with. She couldn’t always keep up with our energy, though... and got a bit flustered if we broke her ‘cool’ air.” Both sisters giggled before she continued, her animal ears perking up. “And one thing she used to talk about was her sister - Bae! A progenitor immortal, who came into being right after the gods did! The Embodiment of Chaos!... I think.”

Mococo chuckled sheepishly in agreement. “Yeah, we... got too into playing with Calli sometimes to properly listen to that stuff. But I know she was part of a larger group of other immortals - also from those early days, and more recent! And Omegaα I’m pretty sure was mentioned as having helped look over them! We haven’t thought about it in centuries, but...”

Even as the once-human tried to process this, it appeared that Nerissa also recalled what she had been talking about more from the twins’ words. She snapped her fingers, eyes lighting up. “Wait - that was it! My dad was discussing an immortal concept that had appeared on Earth a few millennia before then! For... civilization, I think it was? I don’t recall why he was talking about it or where Omegaα came up, but he said it was a ‘promising development’ for the humans of that world.”

Shiori looked down, attempting to file all of this into her mind. So this Omegaα was somewhat known. Not directly as compared to this “Council” the others were discussing, but it confirmed this was not a name that came out of nowhere. Furthermore, they had direct contact with lesser immortals, which would facilitate the need to be somewhat comprehensible. And given that some of them had lived for nearly as long as it had... it would explain the practice it had.

It still could have been another god trying to impersonate them, she considered. However, a gut feeling told her that was not likely. The fact that the behavior she had seen did not show up in most documents about how gods worked indicated how rare such communication skills alone were for them. What were the chances that another god that could do so happened to show up there? Plus, what would it have gained by lying about its identity?

...None of that addressed the main issue, however. And, looking intently at the three demons, she tried to see if their third-hand knowledge had anything to give on that front. “Did you hear anything else about it? Whether Omegaα was... benevolent? Or at least tried to be?”

The group paused, exchanging looks. Eventually, Fuwawa shrugged. “I mean... Calli never mentioned her sister being upset with Omegaα or anything. That counts for something, doesn’t it?”

Nerissa, on the other hand, could only sigh. “I’m afraid I don’t have much more to add. I barely even remember that conversation beyond what I just said.”

Bijou, who had been contemplating all of this, too, looked between them all with trepidation, her hand still on the bookmark. “Well... it did act nice in this memory. I think we might be trying to find ways to judge it too much out of fear... me especially.” She sighed heavily. “It would help if we knew what its exact relationship with this Council was, though.”

The Archivist grunted, agreeing with the sentiment. They had more pieces to work with now, but it was still hardly anything. The demons had nearly forgotten the mentions they heard of this other god, for crying out loud! They lacked any direct answers to-

A voice then suddenly spoke from one of the open ends of their shelter - tone a familiar monotone. “They are my students and children. Or, that is the approximation everyone always tells me.”

Everyone tensed, and then a second later all jumped to their feet. In no time, they had all taken positions facing where the voice had come from. Fuwamoco took positions right in the front, their claws crossed protectively in front of them. Nerissa had also summoned her tuning fork in a burst of blue flames and was pointing it directly in that direction, its runes glowing. Bijou was floating in the air, her arms building up white light despite her slight trembling. None unleashed an attack yet, but a salvo from them all was ready.

Shiori had ended up in the center of them all, one hand going into her bag. While the pink-twin still had her best stamp to use against a god, she had a few others that would have some effect. Mentally trying to remember how much ink those all had, she peered at the area the voice had come from, ready to look into the higher planes to spot it-

-only to stop as she realized... a figure was already standing there. At which point it also caught up to her the voice had been spoken, not projected into her mind... But it had definitely been the same one regardless.

Yet, once more against everything she knew of their kind, here this one - Omegaα - stood with a physical body. It had long hair that seemed silver at first, but every movement caused several colors to shine out. An iridescent, triangular halo was above its head, which sported an admittedly pretty face with pale skin and bright red eyes that seemed to be shifting around the irises. They wore long white robes with long sleeves, and their left arm was robotic and made of gold and white metals - black bone visible beneath glass portions.

It would have been a very regal, beautiful look, she was sure... if not for how injured the god appeared, too.

Much of the white robes were torn and stained red with blood, as if were human. A cut on its cheek continued to bleed, too, and landed on its collar. The robotic arm was dented in a few places, the glass cracked and splintered. Even its halo occasionally wavered, like it was going to start sliding away at any moment.

Not a hint of pain was on the god’s created face, though. Nor did it show in its voice, which continued to be rather blank in tone, while... taking a step back from them, raising its hands in a stiff, but recognizable gesture of peace. “I apologize. I... did not mean to cause you distress. I was not sure how else to make my presence known, however.”

The others all exchanged glances while keeping an eye on the new arrival. They did not lower their weapons yet, but... they did make their stances less threatening as they tried to gauge this. There was a tense moment as both sides looked at one another, not knowing how to proceed.

Eventually, though... Mococo’s eyebrows furrowed with concern the longer she stared at this Omegaα. She lowered her claws more, taking a cautious step forward. “Hey, are... you okay? Your form is kind of...”

The Archivist looked at her friend for a second, before remembering she was currently also seeing this got on the higher plane right now. Blinking, she started to do so as well to see what the other had noticed. When she looked, much to her amazement, she saw that the god had condensed itself mostly into this physical body. The true misty form overlapped with it, intermingled as to be functionally the same. There was quite a bit, though, that continued swirling around this central point - particularly the head, where two orbs were visible. (How the body was not obscured by this was not something she would question... for now.)

This also revealed the state of its wounds. The red blood in their reality was revealed to be its golden blood, oozing from several wounds not visible through its created clothing. A bit of the leftover bits of its mass was also leaking it into the air. There were also a few points along both that were... off in their colors, which she instinctively knew would be the equivalent of bruises and small bone fractures. (In fact... the metal arm overlapped with a “scar,” she realized - the mist muted and not moving right there.)

But... nothing appeared to be “broken.” And, more importantly, it was not leaking any platinum mist anywhere... meaning it was their captor that had been deeply wounded. Overall, it had come out much better from that fight than she would have expected from a clash between two reality-bending entities. Not in good condition, but still...

For now, though, she decided to blink and simply look at the proclaimed Omegaα with normal vision to help her concentrate. She slowly removed her hand from her bag, but continued to eye the god carefully. “She’s not wrong. If you were human, I’d wonder if you might bleed out.”

Omegaα shook its head, its normal hand moving to rub the metal arm. “There is... no need to worry about this. I will recover quickly enough.”

“...I’m not sure I’d call it ‘worry’ yet,” the Archivist admitted.

The god blinked, then looked down, their voice still unreadable but... softer now. “That is fair, given your previous circumstances.”

Shiori frowned, looking closer at its face... and nearly gasped as the entity’s feelings were projected into her head when she caught its eyes some. It had to have been the extra material she saw - exposing its feelings like if she had maintained her higher vision. And from them... she got the sorrow it felt over her words, yet also how it understood them.

It did not stop the pang of guilt she felt, however, as foolish as she felt for feeling that so soon.

Apparently Mococo did not have such hesitance, though, as her animal ears and tail drooped. Her guard dropped entirely, taking another step closer as she wrung her hands together. “H-hey, don’t be sad! We, uh... we were just talking about how you seem alright! It’s just... caution?” Her voice trailed off with that last word, looking down awkwardly.

Nerissa raised an eyebrow at the hellhound’s back. “You can tell it's upset?”

“Look at its eyes - it’s leaving its feelings open,” the Archivist informed her and the others. She pushed her way through the group to stand ahead of them now, taking a spot next to the pink-twin. She gave the god a once-over before addressing it again. “You must really want us to believe you - I’ll give you that. While I admittedly don’t have many examples of interacting with you all, I was under the impression you did not like exposing your intents in any way.”

Omegaα looked between the front two, appearing to take a bit of strength that two of them were no longer poised for an attack. (It cared about this that much? It was not like the others could even actually hurt it.) Standing straighter, the impression of a small smile was projected from its eyes. “It was actually an unintended effect when I made this body. It brought me nothing but joy when I learned of it, however. Knowing that the Council, their friends, and my coworkers can understand my feelings.” It paused, a hand going to its face. “I am... not good at forcing physical expressions. It is a deep shame of mine.”

Shiori was not sure what was more bizarre - the reminder, once again, that this god had made a face for itself, or that it cared it could not properly emote with it. There was no denying it, with the sense of frustration she got from it. Not knowing how to respond to that, she coughed, scratching the back of her neck. “Um... it looks... nice, at least?”

She could practically feel the deadpanned stare on her back - either from Bijou or Nerissa. The latter, though, apparently decided trying to give a few compliments might help ease the atmosphere, and moved closer to her. “Yeah... it’s a very... neat form you have? Or... I mean, did you work hard on it? It seems like you did!”

Their words seemed to work, as Omegaα gave them a small bow. “Thank you. I am told often it looks very pretty and feminine. Many beings of all origins seem very taken by the curves I gave myself as well as my hair.”

The Archivist blinked, less so about how happy it projected it was at their words and more so the descriptors. “You actually use the word ‘feminine’ to describe yourself?”

“It is more so a label that was given to me by others,” the god admitted, raising its metallic arm to look at. “If that is how they view this body, I see no reason to complain. Many have even taken to calling me a female, which I have taken some liking to. Though I give no judgment to any who view me as a man or assign no gender.”

...Shiori stared blankly at it (or... her?), and the others did as well. This did not match up with how their captor viewed itself at all. There was no way it would have entertained using gendered pronouns even as a deception. Yet here was this one so readily accepting the ones given to it by lesser beings. That in addition to having all but said it liked others - not just them - being able to read its/her intentions.

There... was no denying it, was there? There was just too much evidence: it/her saving the once-human; its openness to projecting its feelings to them all; the lack of condescension so far to them for not being gods; just the fact it was talking to them instead of overwhelming and taking them by force. Omegaα... was trying to be friendly to them. To offer genuine help. And given how comprehensible it she had been... was there not a good chance the offer would not harm them?

Whether they would accept further help was another matter entirely... but there was no reason to be so hostile, was there?

Giving a long sigh, the Archivist let her arms hang loosely at her sides. The tension she had harbored since leaving the prison seemed to drain out of her, letting her truly feel how weary and tired everything had left her. “Stand down, guys.”

Everyone’s eyes snapped to her. The twins seemed the most fine with the order - Mococo especially, given how she could “see” the god’s emotions better than anyone at the moment. Though Fuwawa had apparently been catching on that Omegaα was not a threat, too - or perhaps she had been optimistic about this from the start and just needed her signal.

Nerissa and Bijou, on the other hand, were more uncertain. The former was looking at her with a great intensity, even after playing along with the compliments - perhaps trying to see if she had been influenced in some way. And the latter... it was hard to tell what exactly she thought, but her eyes and voice still conveyed how scared she still was. “Are... you sure?”

Even Omegaα was blinking at her, a sense of surprise projected from those otherwise blank eyes. “You do not need to lower your guard on my behalf. I understand that you all must still be suffering deeply from my fellow god’s torture. If being armed makes you feel better-”

“I’m not exactly interested in threatening someone trying to be genuinely nice to us,” Shiori told it, before looking over at the sound demon, but addressing all of them. “She’s being honest. You all know that I’m not exactly easily charmed or controlled by anything except my own magic. If she had tried to compel me or you all, or tried to bring up a sneak attack, I would have known. Have you seen or felt anything, either, Mococo?”

After the hellhound shook her head, the duel-toned-haired woman nodded. “Well, there you go. If all Omegaα wants is to talk... then let's hear her out. What comes after will be up to us.” She gave the god a firm look, her next words more obligation than feeling they were necessary now. “Though if this is a convoluted deception... I won’t let you take any of them easily.”

Omegaα’s face twitched - an attempt to grimace, given the feelings it projected next. “I will not force anything upon you, as much as I hope you will accept what I wish to offer. You... have suffered long enough. I shall not add to it in an attempt to offer you what salvation I can.”

The escaped convicts all looked at one another one last time. And then... the twins both sighed, the blue-twins guard finally dropping. They looked at the god and smiled, with the pink-twin running up to the god to hold out her hand. “It’s good to meet you... Miss?... Omegaα. I’m Mococo!”

The god stared at the offered hand, her surprise evident even without needing to make eye contact. However, she then tentatively grasped it with her own, shaking it robotically. “Believe me, Miss Mococo - the pleasure is all mine.”

Fuwawa chuckled as she watched the two interact. Nerissa also stepped up more next to the Archivist, slowly lowering her tuning fork as she looked at them curiously. “Well, she’s... quick to do that, huh?”

Shiori gave an amused snort. “Are you really shocked with those two?”

“I guess not,” the sound demon admitted. “I’m actually wondering if it’ll take them even an hour before they start hugging i- her... assuming this all goes well.”

The Archivist giggled at that, getting a smile out of the raven-girl. When she looked over at Bijou, though... The short woman had lowered herself to the ground, and had dissipated the light in her hands. However... she was shuffling around anxiously, with her hands clasped together before her in a protective manner. Yet she also seemed to be consciously aware of these actions, an air of shame around her.

The once-human frowned, knowing this had to be hard on her. Even if her friend recognized there was no danger... her experiences were not brushed off easily. (She would be lying if the hairs on the back of her neck were not standing up, too.) Luckily, Nerissa noticed her state as well and was quick to wander over, crouching and pulling the Jewel of Emotions into a side hug. It seemed to do the trick well enough, her posture slouching some.

Satisfied with that for now, Shiori turned her attention back to Omegaα. She stepped up to her, gesturing for Mococo to step aside, to which she complied. Clearing her throat, she did her best to give the god a professional look - not exactly something she was well-practiced in, but she knew she was the unofficial spokeswoman for their group currently. Like at The Cell, they needed her to be composed and direct. “So, then - how about we get to discussing why you’re here, exactly?”

The silver-haired woman nodded. (It was definitely going to take some time getting used to thinking of a god as a girl.) “Of course. I know that my sudden arrival must have been quite shocking to all of you.”

Bijou scoffed, though not quite unkindly. “That’s an understatement. Where exactly did you come from? What - did you just so happen to be in the area right when we were all making our escape?”

The Archivist sighed. “Not... how I would have put it. But... she’s not wrong. I still don’t get how you were so ready to save me.”

Omegaα’s monotone voice did not change, but her body, minute as it was, did convey something akin to... shame. “I... was not here by coincidence, no. I was... waiting within the area of your prison for a few days now - just after a few weeks of discovering its existence.”

That got her some confused stares, with Fuwawa speaking up. “‘Discovering?’ You didn’t know about us before from your fellow gods?”

“...No, I did not,” Omegaα said, and for the first time since arriving... anger leaked into her dull voice. Her hands shook and clenched in an expression of her rage, too, as she looked down. “I believe they knew I would take... offense to what you were going through. That I might ‘not understand’ thanks to how personally I looked after the Council and grew attached. ‘Tainted’ by such lowly perspectives that-!”

Mococo came up and grabbed their flesh hand, then, her tail swishing nervously as she smiled. “Hey, it’s okay. We’re out now. There’s no reason to get worked up.”

After a pause, the god released a small breath - the action feeling more heavy than it looked. “We both know that is not true... but thank you for the attempted comfort.” She met Shiori’s eyes again, projecting her apologeticness to her. “Please believe me, though - I would have tried to do something if I had known well before now. I wish I could have a few weeks ago, too - made it so you could escape sooner. But your prison was warded against gods other than your overseer.”

Nerissa raised an eyebrow as she shuffled herself and the gem-girl closer to the conversation. “Our captor was worried about other gods stopping it?”

“...Only me, I’m sure, even if none would ever say it directly,” Omegaα responded quietly. “I do not say that to paint myself in a good light - it is merely the unfortunate truth of most of my kind. They do not interfere with the efforts of others of us in your reality, even in disagreement. Some might have even aided in helping your captor recapture and prolonging that ‘experiment’ further.” Her face twitched again in an attempted grimace. “If any other than myself had been around... you would likely be dragged halfway back to your prison by now.”

That certainly drew a shiver out of most of them. The sound demon coughed, appearing quite disturbed. “Well... lucky us, then?”

The god gave a stiff shrug. “That, too, may be considered an understatement. But regardless, while they may not ever admit to the wards being for me, they stopped me from doing more than taking position outside of your prison.” Her eyes returned the the half-white-haired woman. “At least, until your ritual managed to disrupt those along with the runes - I suspect they drew from the same source of power. When one failed, so did the other.”

Shiori hummed. “Or maybe the guards put them all down as runes. If it worked for us, then why assume it wouldn’t for you?” She tilted her head, frowning deeply. “But whatever it was... I guess I’d have been screwed if it didn’t work out that way, huh?”

Omegaα looked away for a moment. “Your efforts were commendable, but... yes, very likely. Your technique to hurt my kind was well-crafted, but not refined enough to win most fights with any, sadly. My relief was immeasurable when I found I could enter that space, having charged in out of instinct when I saw your... position.”

“Gods have instincts like that?” the Archivist asked, her desire to learn creeping up on her.

“...I have more so inherited them from the Council and some recent friends of mine,” the god explained, her blank voice somehow conveying pride at that.

Shiori could not help but chuckle at this. Her face soon hardened, though, as she looked past them and out at the gray expenses in the direction of The Cell. “Speaking of it, though... is your fellow god going to start heading this way anytime soon, or its mortal ‘help?’”

The expressionless face of Omegaα managed to enhance the seriousness of her response as she shook her head. “The guards to that prison shall cause you no more issues. They were... persuaded by seeing an enraged deity like myself tearing apart the walls of that place to decide to all retreat. Those leaders I caught up with also promised to never dare to look for you ever again. Given the wealth I know many of them have collected through generations of this work, I believe they felt financially compensated enough to finally give up their vigil.”

Nerissa sighed at this. “Not sure how I feel about them coming out like kings and queens for helping make our lives hell.”

“Neither do I,” the god admitted. “But I had not the time to address it. What matters for now, however, is that they have been thoroughly intimidated out of trying to find you.” She paused, her hands twitching. “Besides... the god they served is no longer in a... viable position to lead them. Nor to hunt you, in a similar vain.”

That managed to catch everyone’s attention. Shiori frowned, noticing the way the silver-haired woman was now avoiding eye contact - hiding her emotions. “What... exactly does that mean? Is it... dead?” She could not say that would bother her, though... even after everything, she was not sure it would make her feel good, either.

...Omegaα hesitated for a long moment, slowly crossing her arms as she continued to look away. It almost convinced her that she had killed the other god, until she finally responded. “No, the... other god is not dead... Though I... I...” She swallowed lightly, though given her limited reaction range so far, it felt pretty significant.

The rest of them exchanged worried glances - even Bijou seeming to sense something was very wrong. Though... the one who looked the most concerned was Mococo, whose glowing eyes were likely allowing her to receive projections of exactly how the god was feeling. She grabbed both of her hands this time, looking at her anxiously. “Are... are you okay? Take it easy! What... happened after we left? We saw the tower exploded, but...”

Another long pause followed this. But eventually, the god answered her... and her otherwise toneless voice trembled as she did. “I... I crippled them.”

...Everyone stared at her, no one clearly knowing how to react. Shiori dared to take a step closer. “Meaning...?”

“If... if they were human, then the equivalent would likely be... rendering them paraplegic,” Omegaα explained, voice remaining unsteady. “Perhaps even partially quadriplegic. It is not an exact comparison - they are still capable of movement. However... much motor function and control of their abilities had been... I rendered...” Her breathing stuttered for a moment as she blinked heavily.

At this, Fuwawa joined her sister in holding the silver-haired woman. She wrapped her partially in a hug, patting her on the back. “Was it that hard to see?”

The god took in a breath before responding. “I... I am not sure that... is accurate. I am... more in shock at myself than anything. In my fury, I did not properly process my actions until after I was done. And I still believe my fellow god deserved punishment for their despicable actions against you all. But... they were still one of my kind. Even with the doubts - even despisement - I have been harboring against them more and more, I...”

She paused, this time giving a small sigh. She stood taller, gently pulling away from the twins as she shook her head. “I... I should not be putting this all on you. This is something more appropriate to talk to those closer to me about. Do not concern yourself over my problems in... processing what has transpired. Simply take heart in that you shall not need to concern yourself with that god anymore.” She finally looked back at them, eyes projecting a relieved care. “I am at least glad you have all come out of your escape with minimum harm.”

Shiori frowned, not convinced that Omegaα was doing as well as she was trying to play off. However, she also got the sense the other would not discuss it anymore if she tried to push the topic, so she reluctantly let it drop. She’s not wrong, either. As kind as she’s been so far, we’ve only just met. What can I even say to make her feel better?

Still... she did feel touched, in a weird way, that this god had protected them from their captor so ferociously. And if what she said was true... then they had nothing to worry about from that place again! The humans had abandoned it, and the other god, in whatever way being crippled truly meant to their kind, apparently could not capture them and put them in a new one. No one was on their trail... and no one would follow them wherever they went.

Such thoughts appeared to be dawning on the others, too. Nerissa suddenly perked up, looking at Omegaα with wide eyes. “Wait... so that’s it? There’s no more danger from them? We’re... officially home free?”

Bijou’s eyes widened as this registered, a wave of fresh hope entering her eyes. The twins also exchanged looks, their tails starting to wag excitedly. Even the Archivist could not ignore the fire swelling in her heart at the idea... of their problems being over...

...It was quelled somewhat, however, as the god released a small sigh. “If only it were that simple... but I am not sure it will be that simple for you without additional aid.”

The group tensed, turning back at her. Mococo’s animal parts twitched as she looked at her unsurely, swallowing a bit. “What... do you mean? If our captor can’t get us anymore, then-”

“Just because they cannot... unfortunately does not mean that another couldn’t instead,” Omegaα replied, hands once more twitching as they half-clenched. “In particular, if they were able to convince others of our kind that it was necessary. That you all’s freedom would only be a danger to them all in the future. You all do still harbor the innate potentials to kill any of us, after all. A possibility that, on its own, causes them terror regardless of if you would do so or not.”

Shiori looked at the ground as she considered this, her eyes narrowing as dread started to creep up on her. “So... you're saying that a new god - perhaps several of them - may start hunting us? And they would have the capabilities of creating a new prison?”

The god looked down, too, her lips pressed into a thin line. “I’m... afraid so.”

The Archivist sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over her face. The rest of the group also looked deeply troubled by this, their prospects looking bleaker. It was not as though they had not expected their captor to come looking for them. She had been making plans to hide them all from it, and had been fairly confident in how effective it would be once she had the right materials. It would also hopefully give her time to perfect her methods of harming them for protection's sake if they were ever eventually found by it.

But... several gods looking for them? She was not sure her method would work under so much pressure. And even if it did for a while, if they were ever found, how could they possibly fight so many? Dealing with one alone would be hard enough even with more viable ways to harm them. Even just two, however, was incredibly dubious in terms of their chances.

In short, if Omegaα was right... their freedom would be short indeed if enough of her kind pursued this course of action.

After how hard they worked for this, however... she was not about to let that happen. This was only further solidified as she saw Nerissa consoling Bijou before she could spiral into any sort of depression, and a defiant stare shared between Fuwamoco. There was no way any of them were going to let this be how it ended. There... there had to be a way around this! A way to make it so that these other gods would not do this...

...Which was probably the main reason Omegaα had come, she realized. She had not even known she would be able to interfere and help their escape itself, after all. Quickly locking gazes with her, the once-human looked at her pleadingly, hoping this assumption was right. “Tell me you have a way to prevent this? That’s the reason you came - isn’t it?”

She could almost have wept in relief as the god nodded. “Of course. I believe I have a solution that would make the others of my kind stay their hands and leave you be. Not all happily, necessarily, but they would trust that things are resolved in this way.”

The group looked at her with rapt attention. Mococo in particular was nearly jumping in place as she leaned closer to her. “Well, what is it? As long as it won’t harm any of us...”

“Quite the opposite,” Omegaα responded, then flourished her hand outward as if presenting something to her side. “For my idea - or rather, my girlfriend’s - was that you come to Earth with me... and join our Vtuber agency!”

...Shiori, along with the others, had to blink several times. Of all the things she could have expected as an offer... that had not been one. “I’m... sorry?”

The god blinked, too, before her eyes sent out her embarrassment to them. “Ah... My apologies. I had not considered that you had no context for that. And I had believed I was doing so well in maintaining this conversation...”

Nerissa recovered some then, shaking her head while raising her hand. “Wait, so... rewind there. You want us to go join an... agency? For... Vtubers? What are those?”

Fuwawa held up a finger questioningly. “And... what was that about a girlfriend? Is it another god? Are they friendly, too?”

“A human, actually,” Omegaα said, clasping her hands in front of her. “A-chan is my boss for a company called Hololive, which is one of many groups that host Vtubers on Earth. And as for what they are, they are meant to be regular streamers who use a virtual avatar while they broadcast to an online audience. Though, ours don’t always use the models, since they’re based on their real appearances. Games tend to be the most popular thing many due, whether in an agency or independent, but they can do a variety of entertainment like music.

“Many of the major agencies have especially garnered attention for the usage of mythical talents. Which is not to say normal humans are not employed, but Hololive and others have attracted many with magical origins from both Earth and many other Realms. This includes the Council, who have taken residence as the Second Generation for the EN branch, where I help manage them. And all of our talents, along with those of several other companies plus independents have congregated in one town in the last few years. It has become an interesting... ‘melting pot,’ I believe the term is, of people of incredibly different backgrounds.”

Interested glances were shared between most of the escaped convicts, along with varying levels of confusion... However, Shiori was not quite there yet. One part at the beginning had her reeling, her brain kicking into overdrive. “You... work for a human? Who is your girlfriend?”

Omegaα nodded as if that was not a bombshell. “Yes. She’s quite the lovely person, and a hard worker. We have worked hard to make our relationship work despite the differences in how we perceive things, and-”

“You let a human dictate how you work?” the Archivist asked again.

The god’s eyebrows ever-so-slightly furrowed. “Yes...? She understands the operations of the company and the technology used for streams and 3D performances better than I do.”

“Okay, but... even if she knows more, you didn’t want to put yourself in charge?”

“What logic is there in someone with less qualifications in the required fields being in charge?”

“No, I- Well, yes, that makes sense. But I mean... you’re a god! And you not only work under a member of a ‘lesser’ race, but dating them?!”

“The dating part only started at the beginning of the current year on Earth, but yes. Is there... an issue with this? A-chan has taken care of the inner-company policies on workplace relationships that needed addressing if that is what you are concerned over.”

“I... I...” Shiori stood there, stuttering for a few moments. But eventually, she tried to take a deep breath... though could not help grabbing her hair and pulling it some. As much as all of that... fascinated her, she knew this was... not the time or place to pursue it. (It felt incredibly unfair, however. She had been keeping those impulses in check, but... come on! There was so much to learn from those tidbits about this atypical god! A story she was dying to hear! Why was she being teased like this?!)

Slowly, she released her hair, doing another quick breathing exercise for good measure. Then, looking at the silver-haired woman again, she prayed her eyes did not look wild as she got back on track with a strained voice. “N... Nevermind. How about... Can you explain what this has to do with helping us?”

If Omegaα suspected anything about why she just acted like she did, she did not mention it as she nodded. “Of course. You see... A-chan knew how much it meant to me that you all were brought to safety somewhere. And it is by good fortune that we are currently looking for two more Generations to add to our roster - a third one for EN, and one for an entirely new branch.

“The latter’s hiring process is coming along nicely, and we should have a full roster for them in the coming weeks. But as for the EN branch... she has offered to allow you all to become that whole Generation.” She glanced away briefly. “In my observations of you all... I did notice you all spoke English without the use of translation magic. And I imagine your recent entertainment options have given you some familiarity with using computers and such devices.”

The Archivist rubbed her chin, considering this. All of that was true enough. They had all taken time to learn the English language - a way to pass the time at first, which later came in use for them when they got some shows and video games from there. And they did know how to use computers, albeit with limited functions. (There was no signal to that Realm, so no proper internet.) They had even learned a bit about fixing such devices with how slow the guards had been to help there.

“By being a part of Hololive, you would have a way to financially support yourselves and have what I believe will be a fun job for you all,” the god continued. “They are very open to letting you continue pursuing your own agendas outside of Vtubing work - we have witches and adventuring groups alike who do so! The Council certainly keeps up with their normal duties while under them.” She stopped... then stiffly began to wring her hands. “And... being there would give the illusion that you are... observed.”

Nerissa caught on immediately, realization dawning in her eyes. “Because... you’re there. So it would be like we are still under a god’s supervision.”

Despite this not being said in any real negative way, Omegaα still flinched slightly, facing away more. Her emotionless voice started to waver again. “That would... only be how the other gods would interpret it. You would be able to have as much or as little contact with me as you’d like! You’d all have your own managers who would help you with matters in the company, and-”

Shiori raised a hand to try to get her to calm down. “We get it! I certainly don’t doubt your kind wouldn’t know the difference, if our captor is anything to go by.” She let out a sigh. “I... won’t deny that I’d probably prefer it that way. You... seem nice, but-”

“You need not explain yourself,” the god reassured, though that same sorrow from before was projected from her eyes as she turned back. “You have been very cordial with me so far, but I do get that your experiences in the prison shall not be forgotten overnight. Again, the amount of interaction with me is your choice.” She took a small breath. “And it will be convincing to my kind. They know my... protectiveness over the Council. Me bringing you there would be a sign that I do not see you as actively hostile.”

The Archivist nodded, starting to understand the logic. It really did seem to be a perfect way to kill two birds with one stone. Not only would other gods not pursue them like this, but they would also have a stable place to live. Once they understood the particulars about Vtubing, they could use it to make money and just... live.

Plus... she had to admit - being able to play games, among other things, for a living sounded like a good deal. And looking at the others, they seemed to be leaning that way, too. Fuwamoco’s eyes were alight as they considered this, and Nerissa’s face gave away her intrigue - probably due to the mention of music. Though... Bijou was a little hard to read, her face blank, but she would address that in a moment.

First, though, she wanted to clarify something, looking at the silver-haired woman again. “I must say, your offer is... quite tempting. But just so we’re clear... what will you do if we refuse to join your company, either now or if we decide it's not for us once we get there?” While she was no longer suspicious that the other would harm them, she still felt this was worth addressing.

The sound demon also piped in, patting the gem-girl as she brought up another potential issue. “And what about Biboo? You said all of this was on Earth, yeah? That means lots of humans, and... well...” She grimaced, not completing the thought for the short woman’s sake.

“I am aware of her... ‘charming,’” Omegaα said, obviously trying not to mention anything too directly, either. (It was good she appeared to have a grasp of how trauma worked.) “There are people with magic in town that I believe can help with that. I am confident they could find ways to suppress it. And even if... problems arise, many non-humans around there can help you protect her that will not be affected.”

Her hands continued to fiddle with one another. “And as for if you refuse to join... I still believe you could live there. Many other jobs would be available for you to take - open to mythical hiring, too. My presence should still dissuade my kind. Or if you wish to go somewhere else, I can also help facilitate this. There are former residences from the underworld that could help you get there in town, for instance, given many of your all’s demonic backgrounds. If you are willing to brave the risks, then that is your choice.”

It was a satisfying enough answer, Shiori decided, glancing away as she continued to ponder this. The entire offer was... more generous than she would ever have thought possible to receive after their escape. (Hell, if this were a book, she might complain about how too convenient it was.) Not only could they be taken away from this Realm to a potential new home, but they could also leave there if they did not like it? With access to many other worlds opened to them there as well, from the sounds of it.

She knew where her answer was leaning... but she also knew it was not solely her decision. Thus, she cleared her throat, standing up straighter. “I think... that’s all we need to hear for now.” She gestured to the others. “Can you give us time to discuss it? It should only take a few minutes.”

“Take as long as you need,” Omegaα replied, stepping back. “I shall linger in the area while you make your decision. Merely concentrate on my name to call me back once you have come to a consensus.” She hesitated, but after some internal debate, she looked down and said one last thing softly. “I... do hope you will accept some form of aid from me, though. You... you deserve the respite after what you endured.”

She lingered for a moment longer, looking at the escaped convicts - a protective care projected from her eyes. Before more could be discerned, though, she... dematerialized, the air and her body rippling as she vanished. The once-human could imagine without looking how her higher form was retreating into the sky, though, given how Mococo’s eyes watched in wonder at something invisible to the rest of them go that way.

Once she was gone, the Archivist gestured for the others to gather closer. Once everyone was standing and in a little circle, she sighed and crossed her arms, her eyes watching all of them “So then... you all’s thoughts on this?”

Nerissa shrugged, leaning on her tuning fork which she had not de-summoned. “Well, I guess the first thing is if you think she was being truthful with everything. I didn’t notice anything off, but even if she was not influencing our minds...”

Before Shiori could respond, Mococo jumped in while shaking her head. “She wasn’t lying! I could literally feel how truthful she was just by looking at her! I was actually almost overwhelmed with how worried she was for us, too. Like, when she was talking about what the gods might do to us... she was genuinely sickened by it.” A shiver went down her body, her animal ears drooping.

Fuwawa stepped beside her and patted her on the head, then looked at the rest of them. “So we know that she believes what she has said. So the question is... do we want to be part of this ‘Vtuber’ group?”

The once-human sighed, tapping her fingers against her arm as she thought about how to voice her thoughts “Well, I’ll be honest - it almost feels like we’d be idiots not to at least go to this town. If her presence will deter the other gods, then... we would be able to live our lives however we want there. And if any still try to get us anyway, we know she can defend us. Maybe some of the people there can, too.

“As for the Vtuber offer... I’m rather neutral currently. It sounds interesting, and if it won’t interfere with my research and practices, then all the better. I’m not quite sure yet I’ll accept, but if she’s getting us out of here, listening to her girlfriend about the position seems like the polite thing to do.”

The sound demon sent her a smirk. “And I’m sure the not-so-subtle interest you showed in learning about their history has nothing to do with it? Nor what would draw so many mythical beings to do this job?”

Shiori shrugged, grinning sheepishly. “My hunger for knowledge is insatiable - it’s both a great motivator and an annoyance.”

The others giggled - even Bijou, despite still looking lost in thought. Once they calmed down, the once-human eyed them again. “But I can deal with a hit to my studies. I’m only going there if all of you want to give this a shot. So what are you all thinking?”

Even before she had stopped speaking, Mococo was raising her hand and jumping in place. “Oh! Oh! I want to go there! Being a streamer sounds so fun! Playing games and making people smile while doing it? That sounds like a fantastic way to make money, and it makes people happy while we do it!”

Fuwawa nodded vigorously, putting an arm around her sister’s shoulders. “Yeah! And we can also act as protectors to the people of that town! You never know what unsavory people might come by to take advantage of those other talents! It can be a real chance to put our skills to use! Or there might be some who are willing to spar and play with us!”

The pink-twin gasped excitedly, and soon the two were prattling off to each other about all the activities that might be in that town. Shiori, once more, felt a warmth in her heart at seeing them so eager about this. They were not weighed or influenced by the potential threats they still faced - all they saw was a way to play and have a good time, both for themselves and others. And if it came down that someone tried to harm them while they were there... well, they all knew full well it would be a mistake they would come to regret once the hellhounds got involved

Her gaze went to the raven-girl next, silently asking her question again. Said woman hummed, scratching the side of her head. “Well... I think it’s worth a look, too. Plus, if we’re on Earth, that Japan trip might become a reality one day!” She giggled for a moment... but then her expression became more somber. “And, if there are people from the underworld there... they could help me get into contact with my family. They must have been worried to death these last few millennia!” She bit her lips. “Or even... think I’m dead.”

The Archivist grimaced, nodding in agreement. She had not even considered Nerissa’s family and how they factored into this. Hopefully, she would be able to do more than send a message - perhaps she could visit them despite the uncertainty around other gods, or vice versa. (Fuwamoco probably also wanted to check in on their parents, too, as she thought about it.) Though it did also mean there were more benefits for her to go along with Omegaα’s offer, so that was another vote for.

...But there was still one more person whose opinion was up in the air. She looked at Bijou, who continued to look off at nothing. A deep sympathy settled in her heart, knowing out of everyone, this decision was the most difficult for her. This move would involve being around humans, who she hated driving insane and... even feared at times due to how they acted when driven mad. As cheery as she could be, and in her opinion be a good entertainer... she had known so much pain in her life. Was... this something she would be able to do?

Without thinking about it, the Archivist stepped up to her and crouched to her level. She took one of her hands, rubbing the back of it softly while giving the gentlest smile she could to her. “Hey, what are you thinking there? And don’t be afraid to be honest. If you don’t want to go to this town... we’ll think of something else.”

The gem-girl swallowed, not meeting her eyes for a time. A few seconds of silence passed, where even the others quieted down to pay attention. When the short woman eventually looked up, she seemed uncertain. “You... you all sound so excited by this, though.”

“But we also don’t want to make you upset,” Shiori countered. “And we can find other ways to let Nerissa’s family know she’s alright, before you ask.” Her eyes flickered over to the twins as she said her next words. “We’re a team, Bijou... We’re in this together.”

Bijou looked away again, parsing over those words. Then, after taking a deep breath... she turned back and gave a shaky smile. “Okay... But I... I’m willing to go there.”

Nerissa knelt beside her, one hand moving to her back. “Are you sure, Biboo?”

The gem-girl nodded, even if it was a little hesitant. “Yeah. I... the job sounds like it could be fun. I mean, if I’m streaming online, then I don’t have to worry about driving my audience insane, right? There’ll be plenty of safe distance between me and them.” She gave a long sigh. “And who knows? Perhaps Omegaα is right and some of the magic users there can help my... condition. It’s worth a look, isn’t it?”

Shiori spent another moment studying her friend, making absolutely sure she was certain about this decision. But while she found traces of fear in her eyes... she could tell she was not going to back down from this. And, honestly... she respected that. The Jewel of Emotions did not want to let her past trauma control her life. She wanted to see what opportunities awaited her with her newfound freedom, and that included braving the unknown despite her uncertainties.

And besides... they would make sure she had nothing to be scared of. Not now, or ever again.

Taking a deep breath, the Archivist stood up, looking around at her friends one last time. “So we’re all in agreement?” She gave everyone a chance to speak... When no protests came, however, she started to smile, shrugging casually. “Then... I guess that’s that.”

The others all smiled as well, that hope from earlier returning. Not willing for it to go to waste this time, she stepped a bit away from them toward one of the openings, then closed her eyes. She concentrated her thoughts, trying to follow the god’s instructions. Omegaα! We’ve come to a decision!

A second later, the silver-haired woman materialized in front of her, expression and tone as blank as before. “You managed to do that correctly upon your first try. I’m impressed.” She paused, her eyes projecting a myriad of emotions - mainly anticipation. “And... what is it you decided?”

Shiori shrugged, feining nonchalant, before softening her gaze. “It’s not a guarantee we’ll join this ‘Hololive’ of yours... but we’ll go with you to check it out. We all agree the job and place to stay would be nice... and anything’s better than this desolate place.”

If the god found that joke funny, she did not get any indication of it. Instead... she was more so hit with the strength of absolute joy and other positive emotions that were projected into her mind. A smile even pulled at her lips... and a tear dripped down her non-bloody cheek. She was almost certain she would have hugged her, too, if not for being aware that they were not fully comfortable with her, yet.

But the silver-haired woman did still bow, their voice wavering from the strength of her elation. “Thank... thank you. You shall not regret this - I’m sure of it! I’m sure everyone in Hololive will be delighted to meet you!” She straightened back up, gesturing to a nearby area. “If you will join me for a moment, we can begin setting up a teleportation circle. I arranged with one of our talents - Shion - to create it before I left. I can conjure the materials required to set it up, as well as let you analyze the plans if you still have any doubts about my intentions.”

The Archivist nodded, though she did not think that last part was necessary by that point. She looked back at the others, motioning for them to stay put. “All of you sit down and get some rest. That potion most of you took should wear off in a little while. Get plenty of sleep, and we’ll leave first thing in the morning. Got it?”

She received various words of confirmation from the group, who all moved to start doing as she asked. Looking back at Omegaα, she gave another nod, and then the two started to walk to the suggested area to get started. Her heart trembled with suspense, wondering just what they could expect on the other side of this portal once they were all ready. She had no clue what type of mythical people she could expect to see, or if this potential job would work out. They all could be getting excited over nothing.

But no matter what was coming... they would face it side by side with each other. Trying to create a new, happier story for them all...

Chapter Text

If Bijou was being honest... she had been nervous about using this teleportation circle that Omegaα had instructed Shiori to build. Not because she believed it would take them somewhere bad. Even with how she felt being around the god, she knew she was trying to help. Nor was it because she worried that her friend would mess up the preparations. Out of their entire group, she was the one who understood spells and rituals the best, even without needing to be a different persona.

It was just that... she had never been teleported before by one of these circles. All she had ever trusted were the pedestals that used naturally formed links, and even then it had been sparingly (and not just because of how hard finding an open one was). The only exception, she imagined, was when she was brought to The Cell, but she had been unconscious then. She just felt... better about established routes than any created through artificial means.

And yet, when they all woke up the next morning and went outside to see their ticket out of there... she knew she would have to set that aside.

I wish it looked more “solid,” the gem-girl lamented as she looked at the large, painted circle - two meters in diameter. It was blue, with many intricate lines connecting to smaller circles with unique runes in them. She believed most were fey in nature, but there were some strange phrases written as well that Shiori had said were in “Latin” - another language from Earth like English and Japanese. Beyond this, ten glowing rocks (not from her) were placed around the perimeter as well - half purple and half red.

It did not exactly give the impression of being... concrete, she supposed, like pedestals were. But then again, after some of the prep she helped with to disrupt the runes in the prison, she knew looks could be deceiving. And if wizards and such used these all the time, then they had to be at least somewhat safe, right?

...Still, she was not eager to be the first to go in. Not alone, anyway. Thus, she looked around at the rest of the gathered escaped convicts, tapping her fingers nervously. “So... who wants to go through first?”

Shiori, who was crouched beside one of the red stones and fiddling with it, did not look at her as she shook her head. “Well, it’s going to have to be one of you guys. I need to be the last one through so I can make this operate for you all, and destroy this end behind us.”

Nerissa looked at her as she said this, pausing her small strides around the perimeter. “I thought there was no risk of us being followed?”

“I’d rather be safe than sorry,” the Archivist responded as she tapped the stone, which caused it to let off red sparks. “If there is even one overzealous guard who is trying to come after us, then I’ll be glad to have done it. I don’t think Omegaα and her girlfriend would appreciate any random passersby going through, either.”

...The sound demon blinked, looking incredulously at their barren surroundings. “ What passersby?!”

“We’ll never have to find out,” Shiori responded in a serious tone... though her wide smile gave away her amusement at the reaction.

The twins, meanwhile, were crouched nearby, squirming as their tails wagged with pent-up energy. Fuwawa was tapping her hands on the ground in front of her as she pouted. “Is it almost done, though? The sun hasn’t broken through the clouds here once! I’m dying to see one in again!”

The Archivist raised a placating hand as she tapped the stone again, this time all of the painted lines of the circle pulsing briefly. “It’s almost finished! I had to give these things time to charge up overnight is all. Omegaα conjuring them from where she had stored them caused them all to be depleted, and that energy helps to make sure they’re set up properly.” She attempted to move the stone again... but it stayed in place this time, as if suddenly glued to the ground. This appeared to satisfy her as she grinned, standing up and walking the perimeter now, too.

Mococo, who was tracing patterns in the dirt with her finger, looked at the once-human curiously. (Her eyes no longer glowed, the ink symbol on her cheek before having faded overnight.) “Why exactly did that happen?”

“That is... not something I quite understand myself,” Shiori admitted, eyebrows furrowing slightly. “There’s just a weird interaction between her taking things with her into the higher plane - being dematerialized from ours - and then reversing the process. It can also cause damage to them even when she’s being careful. I... think she carried a lot of extra supplies with her just in case, due to that.”

Bijou shivered a little, hugging herself. “I’m guessing that’s why she didn’t just grab us when she went on ahead?” They had been told by the duel-toned-haired woman that Omegaα had left before they woke up to head back to Earth, since she could not use the circle herself. Whatever teleporting gods used to get around the universe had a long range, but it also apparently took time across Realms, not being as direct of a line, so she had wanted a head start. She would be waiting for them on the other side, though, to greet them.

“Yeah... I don’t want to imagine what that can do to a living person,” the Archivist said. She then paused, rubbing her chin. “Though, maybe if there was a way to protect yourself... It’s not like many other gods would help with developing and testing such a thing. It could be possible if-”

“Focus!” Nerissa called out to her, rolling her eyes but with a fond smile.

Shiori blinked, then shook her head. “Right! Circle!” She looked across her work, then nodded to herself, smiling now, too. “But actually, it looks like everything’s done. Just need to...” She crouched again, letting her finger rest on one of the lines... and this time, the entire circle started to glow a bright blue - sparkly wisps rising from the various symbols. The stones also began to react, their light increasing for a few seconds, decreasing another few, then repeating the cycle.

The twins gave gasps of wonder, before grinning and clapping at their friend. Fuwawa was quick to say her praises, too. “This looks amazing, Shiori! It’s so much like the ones back from the underworld!”

The Archivist chuckled sheepishly at the praise. “Thanks. I’ve had a bit of practice with making some for more personal transports. It wasn’t hard to follow how to do it for more people.” She gestured to the stones with a grin. “Anyway, the slirtev stones will give us enough juice for five consecutive teleports, so... whenever you all are ready.”

Bijou frowned, looking at the circle again. Again, she trusted her friend, but even with magic stones involved, she was still weary. Not to mention... what if there were humans also waiting directly on the other side? How closely behind would the others be able to follow if she started to drive those people mad? She could already picture the horror they would have if they found her being clamored over upon arrival.

...And she did not want to hurt another human - not so soon after their escape. It... it was not their fault they ended up like that. She could not bear it if her first impression upon arrival was that of making the people of this company they were visiting minds break and-

“We’ll go first!” came the sudden cry of Fuwawa. She was already hopping to her feet as she said this while trying to drag Mococo up with her - though the latter had been getting up just as quickly already. “I can’t wait to finally meet new people who aren’t always constantly wearing armor and not wanting to play with us!”

The pink-twin was nodding rapidly, now taking the lead as she pulled her sister along into the circle. “And I want to see colors! Plants and cool buildings just like from our travels! If Earth is half as pretty as the animes’, too, then I want to see it!” She was shuffling with barely contained glee along with the blue-twin by the time they reached the center of the circle. “Come on! I’m gonna lose it if I have to see this place any longer!”

Shiori had a hand over her mouth as she laughed at their enthusiasm while also trying to interact with her creation. “Alright! Calm down! Just give me a second!”

Nerissa soon walked up beside the gem-girl, and the two of them watched the scene before them. The twins, much to their credit, did start standing still where they were, aside from their tails which wagged so fast as to be partial blurs. The Archivist, once she had calmed down as well, continued to rub along the lines of the circle, the action not seeming to do anything at first. But soon, the short woman noticed that the stones had stopped their slow pulses and now all appeared to have a ball of light inside of them. It matched their colors at first, but soon they started changing into a bright white.

Once that process completed, Shiori closed her eyes, muttering something under her breath. The stones once more reacted, with four in particular - two red and two purple - having their balls shaking more and more within. Then, as her friend completed her incantation, those lights quickly shot into the ground! The next instant, the circle glowed more brightly... and then a large pillar of blue light shot into the air around Fuwamoco.

It was spectacular to behold, the light appearing almost crystalline and rising nearly fifteen meters, the tip tapering off like a flame. The twins looked around themselves excitedly, cheering as the prismatic shifting of the pillar intensified gradually. Soon, the glow obscured them entirely, and the air seemed to rush around the area, making Bijou grab her dress to stop it from flapping too much.

Then, with one last flash, the pillar vanished altogether... and the hellhounds were nowhere to be seen. The air also had a faint scent of ozone to it now, along with the stones whose light had been used now being dull. Aside from this, though, the spell had not affected the area much at all, not counting the settling dust that had been kicked up.

The sound demon, who was rubbing her eyes from the flash (the gem-girl was more adapted to viewing those), soon blinked at where the sisters had been. She gave a low whistle, looking over at the once-human. “Huh. I have to say - that was impressive. I... don’t remember the circles from the underworld being so bright, though. And there was less fire effects.”

“Demons probably had different materials that they use for several parts of this,” Shiori responded, dusting herself off. “This is a fey version - they’re all about being beautiful and flashy with their magic. Or just tied to nature, but it’s hard to do that with teleporting.”

Bijou hummed, tentatively stepping closer to the edge of the circle to inspect it. “I... think I like pedestals better either way. They’re a lot more subtle, and you don’t have to worry about ‘charges’ or whatever.” She gave a faux glare toward the raven-girl. “Too bad some people sealed a lot of them up tight.”

Nerissa raised her hands in fake surrender. “Hey, I had nothing to do with that - my parents and siblings kept me far away from those last conflicts! And the angels and dragons sealed several of them, too!”

The Archivist shrugged at them. “My vote is on natural rifts, if you were curious. As unstable as some can be, you can just... walk through them, more or less. A shame two Realms have to be so ‘close’ to one another in order for them to form. It’s why I learned how to do this.” She shook her head, tapping one of the glowing blue lines. “But anyway... next?”

The gem-girl paused, though she was not as nervous as before. Not only had she seen a demonstration that the circle worked, but now her most stanch protectors were on the other side. She had nothing to fear from the magic or who might be waiting there. Nothing was going to harm her.

...Still, with her cheeks tinting red (how they did that without blood was beyond her), she timidly grabbed one of the sound demon’s hands. She looked up at her, hoping her eyes were not as pleading as she felt they were. “Can... we transport together?”

Eyes widening at the request, the sound demon soon recovered and gave her a warm smile, squeezing her hand. “Of course, Biboo. It’ll save time, too, anyway, so we might as well, yeah?”

Bijou knew her friend did not care about that. It was just a small way to help the short woman not feel as self-conscious. I guess my fears about this are still showing on my face. Or maybe she feels it from the gem on my hand. It was a small thing, but she smiled at her nonetheless for trying, her paranoia from earlier quieting.

She had faced her fears once by leaving The Cell. She could do so again... so long as she was with them.

With this belief, the two of them went to the center of the circle. Shiori nodded to them, then closed her eyes as she began the process again. The stones all once more began to form white orbs within themselves, then four began to shake as she started her quiet chant. Soon enough, those lights shot into the ground, the circle glowed brighter, and the pillar of light engulfed them.

It did not feel all that bad, the gem-girl decided as she moved her hand through the prismatic effect. Aside from a bit of a static-like feel to the air, nothing felt unusual about being in there. raven-girl did not seem bothered, either, as she took a deep breath to brace for what was about to happen. The spell built up its power around them... and then they were consumed by the flash.

She had no clue how long she was blinded, but it only felt like a few seconds. In that time, she felt like she was floating, with no sense of up or down. She felt no sensations across her body, including her healing wound and where she held Nerissa’s hand, as if it did not exist. She did not even really think - all she could comprehend was the brightness. It was the usual experience of this kind of teleportation, but instead of disconcerting, it felt... peaceful.

Soon, though, the light that filled her vision seemed to vanish all at once. After a few blinks, she became aware of herself again, taking a moment as her body seemed to start feeling again. A quick tug with her hand confirmed that the sound demon was still beside her, too, before she turned to look. Her friend gazed down at her, too, and they exchanged smiles.

She then started to properly take in her surroundings. They appeared to be in a... room of some sort. It sort of resembled an office space from some Earth shows and anime she watched, which made a lot of sense, she supposed. The white and light blue walls, though, did not have any pictures or decorations on them, and no furniture was on the gray carpet. The fluorescent lights above and the large open windows along another wall provided plenty of illumination, though.

Whether this room had been used for anything or not before was a mystery. Anything inside, however, must have been cleared out to accommodate the teleportation circle they were standing in. It resembled the one back where they came from in many ways, but this one had no stones around it, and was only one meter in diameter. Perhaps it was due to it being designed to only receive people and not send them out, but she did not know enough about this sort of magic to know.

And the last thing she noticed was the other three people in the room. Two were Fuwawa and Mococo, who had their faces pressed against one of the windows as they gaped at whatever was out there. The third one, meanwhile, was Omegaα, who was standing near the sisters. Her face was as blank as before, but even only just being able to catch the corner of her eyes, Bijou got a projection of how pleased she was at their amazement.

She also looked a lot better than yesterday. Her clothes were not nearly as bloody, and the cut on her cheek was only dripping lightly. Her metal arm was also only lightly scuffed now with only a single crack on the glass showing her black bones. It seemed that her kind really did recover quickly from injuries... which made the gem-girl wonder what needed to happen to cause a “crippling” like with their captor. I should leave questions like that to Shiori...

After watching the hellhounds a moment longer, Omegaα looked over at them, an impression of a smile projected. She walked over, then gave a respectful bow, tone as flat as before. “Welcome, Miss Nerissa and Bijou. I hope you both got plenty of rest the night before?”

The raven-girl nodded, bowing back. “We did, thank you. I hope we came here at a good time for your company.”

“There is no need to worry about that,” the god reassured. “While it is a little later than it would have been where you were, it is also morning hours here. There shall be plenty of time to give you an introduction to Hololive, as well as potentially meeting some of the rest of EN, so that you may make your decision.”

The gem-girl glanced around, noting the door that led out opposite to the windows. “Right... And is the room far, or... have a lot of people along the way?” Her free arm subconsciously crossed over her chest protectively, her chest gem giving the sensation of quivering like a heart.

Omegaα paused, then met her eyes directly, feelings of sad reassurance sent out. “The walk is not far to the interview room we have. Most of the staff will be in their offices right now, too, and are unlikely to run into us directly. Any that do, I will redirect before... anything may happen. For now, your only direct interactions shall be with me, A-chan, and her assistant Nodoka. They will be prepared with nullifications for your charms, too.”

Bijou nodded slowly, trying not to squirm. A part of her did not like that the silver-haired woman would be accompanying them in the interview... but she also felt ashamed of that. She knew it was not fair to her to feel so apprehensive - the god had been nothing but kind so far. It was because of her that Shiori was safe, and now she was offering them a place to potentially live. She had done nothing so far to deserve being distrusted.

Yet... she could not ignore the other’s godhood, as unfair as it was. Her experiences under her captor were etched deep inside her mind, and being near another of its kind, who could do the same things it had, set her on edge. Despite not wanting to feel that way, she could not push those emotions down entirely. Hell, the only reason she was probably still functioning was because her friends were nearby. If not for them, she might have been hyperventilating or something.

The god clearly knew it, too, with how she took a small step away from them. Understanding was projected from her eyes like yesterday... but so was a sense of sorrow. It only made the gem-girl feel worse. They both did not like this situation between them... but it was how things were. Only time was going to ease things up for them, though who knew whether that would be months, years, or even centuries?

It was almost funny - the Jewel of Emotions not being able to control her own despite her wishes...

Omegaα appeared to pick up on her worsening mood - or perhaps her weird god-eyes let her read her emotions like anyone touching her gems. But either way, she stepped to the side and gestured to the window space beside the twins. “Would you like to have a look at the town? It would be better than standing there and waiting for the circle to force you away once Miss Shiori transports in.”

Nerissa, who had been glancing between the two, nodded at this and gave a mostly natural smile. “Sure! You can drop the ‘miss’ stuff, though - there’s no need to be so formal!”

The god seemed to ponder this, then nodded back, her hands stiffly clasping one another. “Of course, mi-... Nerissa.”

With that settled, the two newest arrivals went over to their friends letting their hands finally slip from one another along the way. As they drew near, Mococo finally tore her eyes away from what she and her sister had been staring at. She grinned broadly at them, pointing and tapping the glass rapidly. “Guys! You need to see this! This town is... I never thought I would get to see one like it so soon after the escape!”

Bijou raised an eyebrow. Seeing the hellhounds so excited about... anything, really, was not unusual in the slightest. However, there was a certain sparkle to her eyes this time, not to mention a breathlessness to her tone. Wondering what was up, she came next to the window and peeked out-

-then felt her eyes widen at what she saw. It... was not like anything she had seen before getting locked up. There were buildings across the street made of bricks and metal that rose several stories, but had an artificial air to them rather than being handcrafted. They were just too neat and refined to have been done by humans, as she knew very well, but not in a way that was caused by magic. No... these, she suspected, had to have been done with machines. Signs in front of them indicated what kind of businesses were inside, like another office and such.

The roads were also paved with black concrete in a much tidier fashion than she had ever seen, and the sidewalks looked good as well as people walked by. Even as she watched, metal contraptions painted all kinds of colors - cars, she knew from her shows - drove along with rumbles partially hearable from this fourth story. There were plenty of other electrical devices around, too, like street lamps and what she assumed were phones in the people’s hands. (She was actually seeing them in person!)

There was plenty of nature to be seen as well - trees planted into the sidewalk and small gardens in boxes in front of some high windows. Further down the street, she also saw the entrance to what appeared to be a park, where she saw a person with a dog walking into. Birds flew through the sky, drawing her eyes to see the blue sky - not a single cloud in sight.

It was... the gem-girl was not sure how to describe the sight. She knew that it had to be rather mundane by these humans' standards, given how casually they were walking below. She had seen pictures of similar views both in animation and certain shows they were allowed to have in The Cell. From those, too, she knew there were far prettier things out there on Earth. Plus, she, as well as likely everyone else, had seen plenty of impressive sights before their capture.

And yet... something about seeing just this street made something stir in her chest gem, too difficult to describe. It was more than having been deprived of anything even close to it while locked up. It was also seeing the progress that had happened while they were gone in person. Their first real look at the world that gave them their entertainment from the last few decades. Watching a place that was just... living.

The only word she could think of to try and capture what she felt was being... “sentimental.” A broad term, perhaps, but it kept her looking nonetheless. It seemed to do the trick for the three demons, too, who watched the street with doe-eyed attention. Even she could overlook her worries about humanity as she watched two - a man and a woman - jog by with headphones on. It felt like she could get lost and let her eyes roam for hours, a smile playing at her lips... and tears building up in her eyes.

...She did tear her eyes away, though, when a flash came from the circle... and in the next instance, a soft boom came out and pushed air everywhere.

A bit startled, she and the others turned, noticing that Shiori had arrived... and that she had a bit of soot on her. There was also a bit of black smoke that had apparently followed her through the teleporting, which billowed to the ceiling and put a small layer of ash on the carpet. The circle flickered below her, too, before it suddenly seemed to... dull, becoming useless, she imagined.

The Archivist did not seem troubled in the slightest, though. On the contrary, even as she spat out a bit of soot from her mouth, she had a big smile on her face. She dusted off her hands, looking around the room. “Well, that’s that taken care of! Pretty plain room to enter into, but I’m not complaining! It’s somehow more colorful than those planes.”

The rest of them did not respond for a little bit, inspecting the mess their friend had brought in. Nerissa in particular raised an eyebrow at her, leaning next to the window. “Dare I ask what exactly you did to destroy the other side of the portal? That also still let you get here safely?”

“I think all that matters is that the other side is gone,” Shiori replied vaguely, now brushing off her clothes.

“...So it wasn’t entirely safe, was it?”

“Hey, the worst that would have happened is that I was off trajectory a bit by... a few hundred meters at most? But I timed everything right so that wouldn’t happen! I didn’t just blow it up haphazardly!”

Fuwawa tilted her head, sniffing and scrunching her nose from the ashy smell in the air. “Then... why are you so dirty? And... the smoke...”

The Archivist grinned cheekily. “I said I didn’t do a ‘haphazard’ explosion. Not that there wasn’t one at all.~”

The blue-twin and sound demon both looked like they wanted to comment on that, but after a moment, they just sighed and relented. Mococo and Bijou, meanwhile, could not help but giggle at both sides. The latter actually took this as a good sign - if the once-human was starting to truly indulge in her crazier antics, however slowly, then things must have really been looking up for them!

After shaking the worst of the dust off of her, Shiori then bound up to them, stepping next to the twins by the window. She started to look out as she stretched her arms a little. “But enough about any explosions of any kind! What exactly has you all stood over here? Is there a horse galloping on water, or-?”

She stopped short as she looked at the street they had been viewing, her eyes widening. Relaxing a little more, she gazed around with a similar wistfulness to the others, beginning to smile more naturally. “Oh... well, would you look at that? Industry really took off around here, huh? I had wondered if those shows had exaggerated some things about towns, but...”

“Some of them definitely did,” Fuwawa commented, forgetting about her complaints as she smiled, too, and looked back out. “I kind of wish we got to see the more Japanese-style ones like in anime. But this is pretty enough.”

“That’s just more things to look forward to!” Mococo argued, her hands tapping the window sill rapidly. “How can you even complain about this? Look at those cars! And the pets people are walking! Look! I’m pretty sure that’s a dalmatian over there!”

Nerissa laughed, her eyes moving up to the sky. “I, for one, am just finally glad I can see the sky and sun again. Those were always my favorite parts of leaving the underworld on trips with my family. Aside from hearing songs from locals, of course...”

The four continued to look out at the street, pointing out new things to one another. The gem-girl was smiling more broadly at this point, taking a glance out as well. And this is just one part of a whole town! I wonder what the rest of it looks like? She was ready to keep indulging in this view, though, and was about to do so...

...But then, in the corner of her eye, she noticed Omegaα and paused. Turning to her, she noticed that the god had her head tilted down, but kept looking up at those looking out the window. It only allowed for brief glances at her eyes, but even from those... a powerful sense of heartache was projected. Her hands were also clenched at her sides as they trembled slightly. And... was that a tear sliding down her face?

The gem-girl was shocked and confused by this reaction at first... but the reason for it soon hit her, making her wince. It must be... difficult, to see five women taking so much joy at seeing a random street like it was anything impressive. Heck, she had been close to crying about it a moment ago. Just how pitiful must they have seemed right now to be this amazed?

Swallowing thickly, she decided that it... might be best to move things along. After all, there would be plenty of time to gawk later, and there were important things to discuss right then. So, stepping over to the Archivist, she poked her friend in the side, then gave a strained smile once she had her attention. “Um... maybe we should get going? We wouldn’t want to keep our potential new boss waiting, right?”

Shiori raised an eyebrow, seeming ready to say something playful... But her eyes happened to flick over to Omegaα for a second, and she froze. Seeming to catch on to the god’s current dilemma, she cleared her throat and clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. She smiled to her fellow escaped convicts. “Alright, that’s enough window spotting! Let’s all at least pretend that we know how to be polite for an interview.”

Nerissa huffed with amusement, stepping away from the window. “Out of all of us, I think you’re the most likely to cause a reaction - even over Fuwamoco.” She glanced at the twins. “No offense.”

Mococo shook her head. “Noeh, we get it - our enthusiasm gets us into trouble sometimes!”

“I never said I was excluded from needing to act like I can behave!” the Archivist said, rolling her eyes. She then stepped over to Omegaα, nodding to her. “Care to show us the way?”

By the time attention turned to the god, she was standing neutrally with no signs of her prior sadness visible as she nodded back. (Having an emotionless disposition had a few benefits, it seemed.) “Of course. It is just down a few hallways, if you’ll follow me.” She paused, looking the once-human up and down, who was still covered in ash. “Though... may I quickly clean up your appearance for this?”

Shiori looked her over as well, gaze lingering on the blood. “You don’t exactly look all that fresh yourself.”

“I am limited in how I can minimize the appearance of injuries I sustained in my higher form into this body,” the god countered. “You are merely dirty and have no open wounds that are not bandaged. Of which, I would also like to clean up.”

The Archivist sighed, but conceded with a shrug... though seemed nervous as she stepped closer to her. The gem-girl could not blame her, both herself and Nerissa frowning as well. Even knowing Omegaα meant no harm... they did not have the best experiences with gods using their powers on them. Having been partially healed once by her clearly did not make it any easier for the half-white-haired woman, either. Only Fuwamoco appeared entirely at ease, looking at the scene curiously. (The Jewel of Emotions almost envied how easily they had taken to trusting the god, wishing it were that simple for her...)

But of course, no harm came to Shiori. Once Omegaα gently placed a hand on her shoulder, there was a brief iridescent shimmer that went across her body for barely a second. Once it was over, the once-human was completely free of grime, as if it had vanished into thin air. Even what was visible of her bandages near her neck appeared more pristine.

Once that was done, the god stepped back, and without a word motioned for them to follow her. They did so, forming into a small group that put the twins at the front, Bijou and Shiori in the middle, and Nerissa at the back. Once the door was stiffly opened by their escort, they all squeezed through and entered the hallway right behind her.

Moving through these corridors, the gem-girl admired how clean everything was. While their prison was prone to cobwebs and dust that was often left unchecked for months, these people had clearly maintained their office space. There were also decorations on the walls - mostly pictures of what she assumed were the other talents at this company. She spotted a human with a pirate hat, a lion-girl, and even a patchwork zombie, to name only a few as they passed by them.

There was no one in the halls as they turned a few corners. They heard some talking and a few people typing behind some doors as they passed, but no one came out to bother them. She also noticed one turn seemed to lead out into a larger space with cubicles. There was noise from that direction, but to her relief, they passed by that passage and left it behind.

In front of her, Fuwawa hummed as she looked at a few more pictures they were passing by. “Wow, this place is so... neat!”

Shiori snorted. “You don’t want to give more of a compliment to this place? How do you expect to ace the interview if you aren’t sucking up to them immediately?”

The blue-twin pouted. “I just meant that it doesn’t feel... oppressive like The Cell did! It’s not cold and filled with eerie fires and runes. It doesn’t feel like the walls are going to crush you at a moment’s notice.”

“You’d certainly hope it wouldn’t, given that it isn’t a prison,” the Archivist murmured. Her eyes flicked over to a picture of a large-horned demon with white hair standing with a much taller woman with pink hair and small wings on top of it. “It’s definitely helped by the decor.”

“Yeah - it’s so nice after being unable to decorate our cells beyond one or two items,” Nerissa commented, her eyes going to that same picture. “It’s really...” She trailed off... then her eyes widened, stopping in the middle of the hall as she stared at the horned woman. “Wait, is that Laplus?! She works here?!”

The rest of them stopped at this, gathering around her to look at this picture - Omegaα stopping and waiting patiently on them. The hellhounds took a proper look at the picture, and soon their eyes widened as well. Mococo shook her head in disbelief. “It is! She looks like all the paintings and magical images from the underworld! There’s no way it’s anyone else!”

Bijou looked between the demons and the woman in the photo - apparently named Laplus - with interest. “You guys know this woman?”

“Who in the underworld doesn’t!” the sound demon exclaimed, still utterly baffled. “She’s the smartest demon there is! Her strategies in all the Holy Wars were nearly flawless, and were one of the biggest reasons angels could never get close to any settlements in the underworld! Her policies also made demons thrive, and allowed Lady Satan to easily solidify her power! I’ve never met her, but talking to her... her knowledge in everything is supposed to be vast - especially magic theories.”

That certainly caught Shiori’s attention, who looked like she had just been told a way to gain infinite wealth. She stared at Laplus’ image, her eyes practically sparkling. “Do... you think she would be willing to teach me a few things?”

“There may be some difficulty in that,” Omegaα said to her, stepping closer. She pointed to some weird black shackles around Laplus’ arms, legs, and neck with glowing purple seams. “Those chains limit her intelligence, giving her a mind more akin to that of the average human. They were placed on her in mysterious circumstances, and she and her Genmates worked a long time to remove or find a way to disrupt them - the latter having successfully worked here recently. She has said she cannot remove them all safely, but her knowledge of magic with only one or two chains removed is still rather impressive if you still wish for a meeting.”

The Archivist seemed a little disappointed at this information, never one to be pleased about knowledge being kept from her. But still, she nodded slowly, an easy smile spreading across her lips as she considered this. The gem-girl could guess why - if this Laplus truly was as smart as was described, there had to be tons to learn from her even with limits.

The rest of the group, on the other hand, still seemed to be baffled. Fuwawa looked between the picture and the god, seeming to struggle with her words. “You mean... we’re allowed to just talk with her? Like, casually?”

“So long as she wants to, yes,” Omegaα replied while shrugging. “Even if you do not join Hololive, you could probably message her on Discord. Many of our talents, and those from other agencies, spend time around town and even interact with the locals. She is normally very personable, if a bit shy, so I am sure she would be open to a meeting.”

The raven-girl shook her head, giving a disbelieving chuckle as she ran a hand through her hair. “Ha... that simple? Like, gods, what other kinds of big people do you have in this company? Lady Satan herself?”

The god shook her head. “Not here, no. She works for another agency called VShojo under the name Ironmouse. She is good friends with a few of our members, though.”

...It took a moment for the demons in their group to realize she was not joking - no amusement projected from her eyes. At which point, the three looked like they were going to have heart attacks, getting a bit pale. The sight was enough to cause Bijou to start laughing, glad for the small distraction. It was just what she needed to get ready to be in the same room with two humans for an interview.

Shiori giggled as well, patting Nerissa on the shoulder while grinning. But she soon got them all back on track, looking to their escort. “So, unless you wanted to mind-break them more, are we almost there?”

Omegaα nodded, turning and walking further down the hall. “Yes. It is this door here, in fact.”

The escaped convicts followed her the small distance to the indicated door, and with a gesture from the god, they stepped in ahead of her. Inside the room, they found it had no windows, and was smaller than where they teleported in. However, this was made up for with some plants with large leaves in the corners, and two pictures of some talents on either wall - one of a human with brown hair and a star hairpin, and the other a short shark-girl with a trident. A massive blue arrow also took up the back wall which Bijou assumed was a company logo.

A big wooden desk was near the back, with a plush, black rolling chair behind it. Two chairs with cushioning were set beside it, and five others were in front of the setup, looking a little cramped in the space available. There were papers and binders on the desk in neat stacks, and a framed photograph of the star-pin woman hugging another with blue hair and glasses was on one side.

The room appeared empty at first as they all squeezed in. A moment later, though, a person peeked up from behind the desk, holding some more papers in her hand. It was a young woman with light brown hair and pinkish eyes, and had on a green cardigan with a black skirt. She also had a lanyard around her neck with a nametag on its end, which identified her as “Harusaki Nodoka,” who was also a manager trainee.

The woman’s eyes widened briefly at seeing them. She soon smiled, though, as she set the papers on the desk and walked around. She held out her hand shyly, seeming a bit nervous. “Hello there! You... must be the candidates for EN. I’m Nodoka! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

Shiori, as she had been doing since the breakout, took the lead and smiled back, accepting and shaking the other’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, too. I’m Shiori, and these are my friends Nerissa, Bijou, Mococo, and Fuwawa. We... honestly didn’t expect to be here before yesterday, or knew anything about this, for that matter. But I’m curious to see what you all are about.”

Interestingly, Nodoka gave an understanding nod. “I see. It’s not the first time we’ve had some people not too familiar with the Vtuber industry come in. It happens a lot when we have candidates in from recommendations or other Realms. I hear it has happened with a few of our human members, too! Still, we’ll cover the basics later!”

Omegaα hummed tonelessly in agreement as she came in and shut the door. “Yes - I believe they understand the basics, but more training will definitely be in order. It might even do to show them some of the streams of our members so they can familiarize themselves with certain practices.” She stepped next to the brown-haired woman, tilting her head. “Is A-chan on her way?”

“Yep!” the trainee confirmed. “She was busy helping some staff with some software we’ve been having trouble with, but I sent her the message as soon as you came in! She should be here any moment.” She stopped, then grimaced as her eyes lingered on the other woman’s bloody cheek. “She is not going to be happy with how you look... You should have gone to her.”

The god shrugged... though guilt was projected from her eyes. “I am... sure she will be okay. I would have talked with her sooner, but I did not wish to disrupt her work after sensing how busy her thoughts were. She knew that I was likely to be injured during my mission, though, so the reaction should be lessened.” Her eyes flickered down. “It is when Bae learns of my wounds that I am more concerned about. She has... never taken it well when it occurs.”

Nodoka frowned sadly, reaching over briefly to pat her colleague on the shoulder. (A human being “colleagues” with a god was also still strange for the gem-girl to think about.) After this, she looked back at the group, offering her hand. “That will all be for in a minute. As I was saying, it’s so nice to meet you all!”

Nerissa and the twins each took their turns shaking the woman’s hand. When she turned to Bijou and crouched down, though, the short woman paused, then shied away. She hid partially behind Shiori, keeping a careful eye on their interviewer, but still giving a polite nod. She knew it was likely rude of her to do so, but... well, the woman was still human. And even with the promise that she would be protected from charms, who knew if those would actually work? It could only be a matter of time before she was pounced on.

...The expression the trainee was giving her was not helping her paranoia. There was a slightly dreamy quality to her eyes as she gazed at her, her cheeks a little pink as she smiled at her. “Aw, aren’t you a shy one? Oh, you look so cute! The fans will love you - I know it!”

Gulping, the gem-girl nodded again, trying to not let her trepidation show too much. Unfortunately, though, she must not have done a good job of it, as the human’s face morphed into one of concern, eyebrows furrowed. “Hey, is... something wrong? Do you not like being called cute? I’m sorry if that’s what it is!”

The Archivist looked down at her friend, asking silently for permission to speak on her behalf. After a moment, she received a nod, to which she immediately turned to the brown-haired woman, giving a kind smile tinged with pity. “It’s nothing you did - not really. And she is cute!” After giggling at the pout from said woman that got her, her smile dimmed as she sighed. “But... the way her uncontrolled charm on humans has caused problems in the past has made her... cautious. It’s out of concern for you as much as it is for her.”

Nodoka frowned, standing up as her uneasy expression grew. “What... kind of problems? I know A-chan mentioned something about us possibly needing protection, but...”

“...We’re talking about making people crazy enough to break her into pieces and using those parts to enhance their magic and wealth,” Shiori answered quietly, not dancing around the issue.

The trainee gasped, hands going to her mouth as her eyes widened in horror. She turned back to the Jewel of Emotions, bowing deeply. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t-! I-! How could anyone do that to someone so adorable?! I swear, I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable!”

Bijou stepped back, a bit shocked at how strong of an apology she was being given over wanting to shake hands. And... something else about it made her head tingle, but she could not figure out what it was about yet. Trying to ignore that, though, she tried to wave her off, finally finding it in her to speak. “H-hey, it’s... it’s fine. You didn’t know.”

Those words seemed to cause Nerissa to realize something, turning to Omegaα with slightly narrowed eyes. “Why didn’t she know that? Have you not explained anything to anyone here?”

“A-chan I have told about the particulars of your situation - including your capture and your time locked away,” the god responded. Her words seemed a little more... careful than before, eyes flickering to her colleague. “All Nodoka knows is that you all were locked up for reasons both of us agreed were unjust. We did tell her to be ready to use magical protections for charms, but... we did not want to reveal anything you did not want us to. To allow you all time to talk about your incarceration at your own pace, if you even wish to at all.”

...The sound demon blinked, any annoyance leaving her face as she processed this. “That’s... pretty considerate, actually. You probably could have explained that earlier, but still.”

Omegaα bowed her head. “Apologies. I did not wish to cause you undo stress, or cause others to draw certain conclusions on you all before meeting you.”

“Pretty sure telling her we’re all escaped prisoners would have had that effect already,” Shiori commented jokingly. She looked back at the human, arms crossed causally. “Is that why you seem a little skittish? I promise we don’t bite... unless you’re into that.”

Nodoka blushed, giving a flustered giggle. “I should have expected we’d get some more people into innuendos and such.” She scratched the back of her head, looking away bashfully. “And that’s not why I’m nervous. I mean, one of our Gens is a literal criminal organization! It’s just... always a little nerve-wracking to get to know new mythical people.” She sighed. “We have such a variety that it’s hard to keep track of all the accommodations needed for them at times. Plus, we... don’t exactly want to offend any of you...”

Bijou shivered, feeling the human's emotions in her chest gem. It allowed her to know that she was referring to offering her hand just a moment ago, given the shame that radiated off of her. It made her bite her lips, not having wanted to cause such a reaction. But she also understood the woman’s plight - many mythical people had their own special needs and ticks, like vampires' need for blood and the wild transformations of most werewolves. It could not have been easy to keep a catalog of so many varieties, especially with myths and stereotypes she knew existed for a few like those.

The silence that followed for a few seconds almost got awkward... but then, as one could expect from them, the twins got involved to make things better. Fuwawa ran up and grabbed one of the brown-haired woman’s arms, beaming at her. “Now don’t start feeling down! I’m sure you do a fantastic job! I know I’d get confused if I was put in charge of that!”

Mococo latched onto the startled woman’s other side, nodding rapidly with her tail wagging. “Yeah! And you can’t help what you don’t know! You apologized to Biboo immediately, too! That makes you great in my books!”

“She’s even greater in mine,” the blue-twin said while pulling the trainee closer to her.

“Haeh?” the pink-twin exclaimed, yanking back. “What do you mean? We’ve only just met her! There’s no way you’re that attached!”

“Are you saying you don’t like her after all? For shame, Moco-chan!”

“That’s not what I meant at all! Stop putting words in my mouth!”

The two bickered on like this, pulling Nodoka toward each of them as they did so. The woman looked rather overwhelmed, barely able to give out a few squeaks and stutters as she was yanked around. Eventually, though, she looked at Shiori and managed to speak with a high-pitched voice. “Um... i-is this... normal for them?”

The Archivist giggled, shrugging her shoulders. “If you’re even close to being down on yourself, then yes. Need me to call them off?”

“...It’s quite pleasant, actually,” the trainee said, her voice gradually calming down. She yanked her arms to bring both sisters close to her, to which they gave no resistance. She gave a small smile as they pressed on her sides, her cheeks still red. “Maybe this is a bit unprofessional, but... God, this feels nice.”

The twins grinned, managing to speak at the same time despite not being linked. “That’s great! Bau Bau!”

Nodoka squealed a little at this, smiling wider and pulling them ever closer. The rest of their group could not help but laugh, all having had their own experiences with the hellhounds' affection. Even Bijou, who was sometimes hesitant to be touched, could not help but sink into their embraces every time. They’re just so soft... And to think they could flip us all onto our backs without breaking a sweat.

This went on for about another minute, with the trainee seeming a little blissed out. But eventually, she gave a reluctant sigh, and pushed them gently off of her. “Alright. As much as I’d love to just... sit somewhere and continue being hugged by you two, it’s about time we got ready for this meeting. A-chan will be here any second now, so please, have a seat!”

Fuwamoco looked a little sad that the contact had to end, too, but they nodded, stepping over toward the seats. As they debated which ones to take, the human looked to the rest of them, dusting herself off and looking a little more formal. “You all get comfortable as well. If you need me to leave the room to discuss your time in that prison with the other two, don’t hesitate to speak up. I’m mostly here to help take notes.” Her eyes flickered to Bijou, her expression softening more. “And don’t you worry - A-chan will have those protections for both of us. Shion has never let us down before with her magic items, and I doubt she has now.”

The gem-girl nodded, doing her best to relax. This was... going well so far. The twins had done their thing and made a good first impression; Shiori and Nerissa had been quite friendly as well; her own behavior was understood and accepted. If they could keep this up, then perhaps-

It was then, however, that Nodoka’s last words registered. Her eyes blew open, her head snapping to her, finally realizing what was bothering her. “Wait - bring you protection? As in... you don’t have any right now against my charms?”

Nodoka jumped, taking a step back. She glanced around, sounding unsure of herself. “Er... yeah? Is... that a problem? Is it-? Oh, god, how long does it take to go crazy enough to hurt you?! Should I shut my eyes? D-do I need to rush out before I snap?!”

The poor woman looked at her desperately for a moment, her panic palpable to Bijou even without feeling it in her chest gem... Yet, she also did not feel... any madness. None of that vile greed reached her, either, giving her pause. At first, she thought she might have had to run away herself to save her, but... she was showing no signs of the typical insanity brought by her. She was... remarkably normal.

The gem-girl blinked several times, having trouble comprehending this. It... had already been a few minutes. That was long enough for every human she had known before being imprisoned to start succumbing. Even if they were not actively attacking her by then, they certainly could not help but touch her by then. But Nodoka was not even trying to inch forward!

She was... dumbfounded. Her mouth moved on its own, giving voice to her otherwise stalled mind. “You... you’re fine? No... desire to break me?” Even feeling that was the case, she expected to hear otherwise. This was never how it worked, so surely she was about to be told...

Yet Nodoka only seemed disgusted at such a suggestion. “Of course not! I...” Slowly, she calmed down, seeming to take notice of her utter disbelief. Frowning, she scratched the side of her head. “I mean... you’re definitely cute. And I... wouldn’t mind a hug or pat you. I’d love one, actually. B-but I wouldn’t do that if it makes you uncomfortable! You...” She looked around the room, looking lost and scared. “Is this... not how it’s supposed to work?”

The rest of Bijou’s friends did not respond verbally - simply looking at her in disbelief, standing still. All of them had heard about her experiences both before The Cell and during it with humans. They all at one point or another had comforted her while she was still healing from having pieces or limbs removed. They had heard how many of the guards - especially the mages - talked about her. The madness she brought was no joke, so... what was happening here?!

Omegaα projected her surprise from her eyes, too, which had also widened a little. It leaked some into her otherwise emotionless voice as well. “This is... I had assumed that you already had the bracelet commissioned by A-chan. I certainly had not sensed anything unusual. May I... please look into your mind deeper for a moment?”

The trainee nodded, appearing just as interested in getting answers as well. (The gem-girl could also feel how nervous she still was about potentially hurting her.) The god closed her eyes, small ripples appearing in the air around her and her coworker. When those stopped, though, she opened them and shook her head. “There are definitely patterns in your mind indicative of being charmed. But... they are not that strong. It is more akin to the natural allure of succubus when they do not fully enchant a person - though it is not tied to lust as it is for them.”

Bijou blinked, looking down as numb shock continued to fill her. What could she even say to that - a god literally reaching into a person’s mind to get answers? But... it just did not make any sense! Even with the best mental fortitude, there was no way Nodoka should be doing this fine! She had seen that her power still affected people during the escape! That mage had lost his mind and had threatened to pulverize her!

...And yet, as she thought about it... what about the rest of the guards? They had been hesitant with her, and had not been out of their minds. But her charm was still working - she had seen those dreamy eyes even without Omegaα’s confirmation. So what was different? The fact it was even happening should have been a relief, but... it must have been a trick, right? Perhaps... latent effects of the nullifying runesThe Cell had used? Was that how that worked? Or maybe-

The door opened suddenly, everyone snapping their attention toward the new arrival. It was a blue-haired woman - the same one in the desk picture - wearing a black shirt with the company name and symbol written in blue, along with a pair of jeans. Blue eyes peered out from behind a pair of glasses, and a light blue ribbon behind her head. She had no lanyard on... but the gem-girl could guess who she was.

The woman paused for a second after closing the door, seeming to sense the tense atmosphere. Her eyebrows furrowed, looking between the escaped convicts with worry. “Did... I just miss something?”

Shiori took a deep breath, recovering first from the moment they all just had. She shook her head and stepped closer, doing her best to smile at the new arrival. “No. Or, yes - we’re all confused as hell about something, but we can... come back to that in a minute. A-chan, I’m assuming?”

Not looking entirely convinced by that, the blue-haired woman nonetheless nodded, smiling back as she straightened her posture. “Yes, that’s me. I’m the content director here, and am in charge of many of Hololive’s activities under our CEO’s supervision. It’s a pleasure to meet you... Shiori?” She glanced at the other’s duel-colored hair as she made her guess.

The Archivist nodded, reaching out and taking the other’s hand to shake. “That’s me! Thank you for the opportunity here... and to your girlfriend for getting us out of a bind. Not to mention to civilization - far from The Cell.”

A-chan chuckled, nodding back. “It’s my pleasure. We’re always happy to take in applicants from all across the Realms.” Her smile softened as she released her hand, turning toward the god. “And believe me, Omegaα has been hoping she could he-”

Her words cut short as her eyes widened, only then seeming to notice the silver-haired woman’s state. Silently, she walked up to her, looking up and down her body, eyes lingering on the blood. The others watched quietly, exchanging glances and wondering what was about to happen. Nodoka in particular was glancing at the two nervously.

Even with how expressionless her face was, Omegaα’s own nerves were apparent, too. She shuffled slightly on her feet, hands fiddling awkwardly in front of her. She looked away, her voice having a barely noticeable shake to it. “I... can assure you that it does not hurt too badly, before you ask. My recovery should only take another day or two. There are no permanent scars anywhere, either.”

The content director sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. “Oma...”

The god flinched slightly at what appeared to be a pet name, which was... strange to the gem-girl and her friends, given their expressions. Still, none interrupted as the higher immortal looked at her girlfriend (also weird), resolve projected from her eyes. “I will not apologize for getting so directly involved. If I had not, then Shiori would have been tortured by their captor again. I explained this risk to you, and you accepted it.”

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t have,” A-chan reassured, resting a hand on the other’s clean cheek. “It’s just... hard, seeing you like this. That despite all of your power, even you...” She took a deep breath, shaking her head before leaning up... and pressing a gentle kiss to the god’s lips. She smiled sweetly as she pulled back. “Just promise that you’ll take it easy for a little while. Okay?”

Omegaα did not answer immediately, and, when Bijou looked closer at her face, she noticed that the shifting colors around her irises had stopped for a moment. They soon resumed, though, as the woman stuttered out a response. “I... Y-yes, of course. Once some final matters are resolved, I will certainly take my recovery seriously.”

The content director nodded, giving her metal arm a squeeze. “Good. It wouldn’t exactly be setting a good example if Ame, for all of the crazy things she does, took better care of herself than you do, now would it?”

“There are many differences in how I recover in comparison to a human, in fairness,” the god pointed out. Yet even so, a smile was actually tugging at her lips - more naturally than the escaped convicts had seen so far.

Eventually, after watching the couple stare into their eyes lovingly for a while, Nerissa ended up shrugging while she chuckled. “You know... I think I’m reaching the point where I’m stopping being so surprised at how... unique Omegaα is.”

“Well, my desire to pick apart her brain is only growing by the minute,” Shiori replied, her face half-analytical as she watched the display.

“...You mean in a metaphorical sense, right?” the sound demon questioned.

“I don’t do brain dissections. And even if I did, gods don’t have a brain like we do, so...” The Archivist gave her a flat look. “Also, did you need to ask that?”

“...I mean, look at who I’m talking to.”

“...As fair as that is, I don’t do stuff like that without reason. Or proper consent.”

Soon enough, the couple separated from each other, quickly composing themselves. A-chan then turned to them again, gesturing to the chairs. “Now, then... I believe I’ve made you all wait long enough. Let’s get this started, shall we?”

Everyone else voiced their agreement, moving around the room. In no time, everyone had taken a seat in the various chairs. In front of the desk, left from right coming in was Fuwawa, Mococo, Shiori, Bijou, and Nerissa. The content director sat in the rolling chair behind the desk, Nodoka took the one to the interviewees’ left, and Omegaα the one to their right. The trainee gathered up several of the papers and got out a clipboard, while also putting several in front of her boss along with a pen.

Once everything was arranged, A-chan cleared her throat and looked at the group carefully, though with an air of ease. “Now, then, I think I can guess who most of you are - a tall woman with one horn and another with a gem in her chest are pretty easy to identify.” She glanced at the twins. “I do need to clarify who is who with you two, though.”

Before either could respond, the raven-girl did so for them with a smirk. “Fuwawa is the one with assets, while Mococo is... not as defined.”

The older sister laughed at this, failing to muffle it for her sibling’s sake. The younger one, meanwhile, gave her a deadpanned stare. “You just had to go for that, didn’t you?”

“Pointing out your colors is too easy,” Nerissa responded.

“That’s not an explanation!” the pink-twin exclaimed, making the others chuckle and her to pout more. Only Bijou kept her amusement in check, despite a few giggles, considering she was also lacking in the chest area. (To be fair, she did not have proper breasts, but still, she did wish her body had formed with more of a bump there and her rear.)

The content director sighed, giving the hellhound a sympathetic look. “I understand your pain there. Know there are plenty of allies here for our situation.” Shaking her head, she grabbed her papers and straightened them out, then grabbed her pen. “So, then, let’s start with the basics: what do you know about Hololive and Vtubers?”

Everyone looked at each other before shrugging, Shiori answering for all of them. “Just the bare basics from your girlfriend. You’re apparently a streaming company, and you all have talents who use... virtual avatars for playing games? But also, they... just stream as themselves?”

A-chan chuckled. “Yeah, I can see where the confusion comes from. Most of the early Vtubers here on Earth used models to essentially play characters when they streamed. Or just to hide their identity, but even those typically often used ones that made them appear like fairies and such. There are still a few out there that do that, too, but they haven’t really come to this town.

“Our company, along with others, took a slightly different approach with the concept, though. Essentially, the models are based on our talents in what could be considered their ‘best’ looks. Their hair is perfectly done as they’d like, their clothes are unwrinkled, and, obviously, unable to show sweat unless it’s a special toggle. It allows for a more ideal image of them to be seen most of the time, which was especially important to us as we started out as an idol agency.”

Fuwawa perked up, leaning forward. “Oh! I like idols! It was hard, but we managed to get the guards to send us performance recordings of some real ones when we learned of them from anime!”

Nerissa nodded in agreement. “Yeah, they’re singing is amazing! The concerts I’ve seen some have been super nice, too. Do you guys do that?”

The content director nodded, making a few notes alongside Nodoka. “We do indeed. Of course, we’ve grown well beyond simply being an idol agency and into far more general entertainment - especially gaming. Some of our talents don’t do much singing, but they still record when asked to, and keep bringing in audiences regardless!”

Shiori sighed. “Good to hear - I’m not much of a singer.” She looked at the other three curiously, leaning back in her chair. “So I think I’m following why you have the models. But... what I don’t get is how you’ve gotten so many mythical talents. Including what is apparently some big-deal demon to these guys with even bigger horns.”

A-chan looked confused for a moment before her eyes lit up. “Oh! You mean Laplus?” Receiving a nod, she then chuckled sheepishly, glancing away. “Well, to be honest... I couldn’t tell you how we started getting so many magical people to join up. Our first few talents were perfectly human - our original idol and my best friend Sora included!” She pointed to the picture of the woman with the star pin in her hair, identifying her as this first-ever member.

The blue-haired woman shrugged helplessly as she continued. “What exactly happened after that, I couldn’t tell you. All I know is that soon we had our first full generation that included a vampire, a fox-girl, a woman touched by eldritch powers, and a half-elf. Then, everything just... spiraled, I guess. Soon, we had several animal-hybrids, undeads of all sorts, and so much more. Even the human talents we got after a while all seemed to have their own gimmicks, like an actual pirate who sailed through other Realms and a time-traveler who does detective work!”

Nerissa raised an eyebrow. “And just one of the most intelligent demons to ever live? Even if she is apparently ‘limited’ now.”

A-chan giggled at this. “To be fair, she and her ‘Secret Society’ just so happened to get some invites we sent out to several parties. I hadn’t ever planned to hire a gang of criminals, but they all proved to be much nicer and more helpful than that title would imply. Plus... she and one of our other talents, Towa, happened to know one another, which with hindsight I think we all know was the main reason she joined.”

“She’ll still swear it was to get her Limiters off with help from our other members, though,” Nodoka chimed in while grinning, though did shrug. “But that did end up happening, too - and with help from a hero group we hired, for that matter. I never would have believed that would happen before joining Hololive.”

Shiori chuckled, a gleam entering her eyes. “It sounds like there are quite some stories around here... Lots of interesting, unique stories...”

The content director tilted her head. “A big fan of those, I take it?”

“Borderline obsessed,” the Archivist revealed, eyes flickering to the pictures in the room almost hungrily. “Real ones especially help me in my creating of stamps, too. So you can say that I have a... healthy interest in what this place might have to offer there.”

The trainee gave her a confused look. “Um... stamps?”

“Just a magical talent of mine,” Shiori answered cryptically. She leaned forward, tapping the front of the desk. “But that isn’t to say I’m fully sold yet. I am more interested than before, though, considering all I’m learning so far.”

“Well, we still have plenty to cover,” A-chan said, once more organizing her papers. She cleared her throat, her tone becoming more professional. “Now, normally, I would be asking you questions about your careers and what your interests in us are. However, we all know how... different your circumstances are from most of our applicants and recommendations. So this is more some time for you to ask whatever questions you’d like, and me trying to sell you on joining us instead. So go on ahead.”

The escaped convicts all began to think this over. Shiori seemed like she had plenty of questions in mind already, but was apparently allowing one of them to go first. Yet Nerissa was lost in her own thoughts currently, scratching her head. Even the twins appeared to be taking this time seriously, whispering to one another.

Bijou looked down, considering this carefully. She was interested in some of the finer details of how streaming actually worked, barely having seen any such stuff in The Cell beyond saved videos (what few they had). However... this was about more than just the job for them. It was about their safety and security after so long being abused by their captor. Knowing that settling down there would not put their freedom in jeopardy.

They needed reassurance that this place was truly safe... and so, she looked up and decided to see about just that. “What... can you tell us about what some of the talents here can do? Magically and physically in case... someone attacks?”

A-chan’s eyes looked at her, compassion in her gaze as she nodded knowingly. “Right - that would be important to you, huh? Well, you can be rest assured that there are plenty of people here with fighting experience of all kinds, and some adventuring under their belt.” She smirked a little. “Between some powerful magic users and the literal conceptions of time and space... you don’t have to worry about much, I feel. Even from the god who hurt you.”

The gem-girl smiled a little, her shoulders sagging some. “Good. Though, our captor isn’t an issue anymore, thanks to Omegaα.”

The content director looked interested in this, looking over at her girlfriend curiously. The god shook her head, however. “I will explain to you the exact details after this meeting.” Her blank eyes swept across the interviewees. “What she says is correct. If any major catastrophe were to come to this town, or even the planet, many of our talents and those in other agencies are well equipped to deal with it. They even have a Discord server specifically to keep watch for such things. There is virtually no kind of threat that there is not a counter for in this town by this point.”

“There’s plenty of places to take shelter, too, if needed,” A-chan added. “Laplus and the rest of HoloX have a ‘secret’ bunker beneath an abandoned building-” (Nodoka giggled at the quotations used around the secret part.) “-and the Council has an extra-dimensional space they use. While I don’t know the specifics, I’m sure some of the other Vtubers around here have their own preparations, too.”

Bijou hummed, satisfied enough with those answers. After this, Mococo shuffled closer in her seat, having seemingly settled on a question, too. “And how much would this job interfere with some of our careers? Me and Fuwa-chan are meant to be guard dogs! We want to be able to lend our services to anyone who might need it!” She paused, then blushed as her animal ears flattened. “Also, we... like to run around a lot some days. I don’t think that fits the types of streams you seem to do.”

Fuwawa patted her sister’s shoulder, then looked at their interviewers. “We’re not the only ones, either! Shiori loves her research and studies, and I’m sure Nerissa and Bijou would love to have their options open, too. So how much time does this job take?”

“As much as you want it to,” A-chan answered. “We do have a starting quota of streams we would like you to do in your first few weeks, barring any medical problems. Once that period is over, however, the frequency in which you stream is up to you. Some of our talents do so regularly several times a week, and others more sporadically. The latter also tend to have their own jobs outside of us that can sustain their income, but our more frequent streamers also sometimes have lots of other work outside of us, too.”

The blue-twin raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t that be a lot to take on, though?”

“...We have some chronic workaholics in this place,” was all the content director said, looking a little weary at whatever memories came to mind of that.

“You take on quite a bit of work yourself some days,” Nodoka mumbled as she continued writing.

A-chan heard her, though, turning her way with an amused quirked eyebrow. “Care to repeat that, Nodoka?”

The trainee squeaked, glancing around nervously. “Uh! Well, I-! Um... You aren’t as bad as Kaela is?”

“Nobody is as bad as she is, but thank you,” the content director responded. She focused back on the escaped convicts, making another note in her papers. “But you don’t have to worry about us stopping you from doing your hobbies or running your own businesses. Hell, we even helped with the downpayment of a bar here for two of our members.”

Fuwamoco nodded at them, whispering eagerly to one another. Bijou was rather happy about that response, too. She did not have any real job before her imprisonment (unless one counted being a bargaining chip among crazy hoarders), but it was good to keep her options open.

Nerissa leaned in and joined the discussion. “And what does payment in general look like for this job to begin with? I don’t want to make this solely about money, but if we’re going to try and live here, then...”

“You have a regular paycheck, and you also make money from donations from your audience,” A-chan answered easily. “A cut of it goes to us and YouTube, but you still get most of what they send. You also get a cut of Merch sales we sell, whether for your birthdays, debut anniversaries, or other special events.”

The sound demon perked up. “You guys make merch for that stuff?”

“And voice packs - some of which with your input,” the content director replied, smiling a little.

The raven-girl rubbed her chin, appearing to be imagining the possibilities with that. As she did so, Shiori looked around at the group, then grinned playfully. “You really know how to make this all seem tempting, don’t you?”

A-chan giggled, rolling her eyes. “I mean, all we’re doing is telling you how this job works. If you’re feeling interested in joining us more now, then that just means it’s a good fit for you, I’d say.”

“I guess that’s true,” the Archivist conceded, continuing to grin. However, it soon shrunk as she looked down, a rueful chuckle leaving her lips. “It’s... almost hard to believe how generous this all is, after so long being locked up.”

That made everyone turn toward her. Bijou was a little shocked to hear her friend admit this, given how much she seemed to have been trying to be upbeat about this. But... she also could not say the sentiment was not shared, as much as she was trying to keep herself optimistic. Nerissa and Fuwamoco were also frowning, giving the once-human worried looks.

Nodoka had a similar expression on her face, while Omegaα’s eyes just projected sadness. The content director, meanwhile, frowned and leaned forward on her desk. “Not one to believe in good luck?”

“It’s not that,” Shiori denied, shaking her head as she sighed heavily. “But... you need to understand - I was expecting a hard few weeks following us breaking out. I didn’t know how long it would take, but I was not expecting us to be able to stop moving for a long time. And even once we did... rebuilding your life after being gone for centuries or millennia isn’t exactly easy, is it? And that’s before taking into account the torture.”

That got a gasp from Nodoka, who had evidently not made that connection yet. The duel-toned-haired woman ignored it, though, as she continued. “So to suddenly be brought here? To have such a nice job being laid at our feet in a well-developed town? Do you know how much of a dream this feels like? Some wishy-washy story that some people can only imagine, let alone experience? I...”

She stopped, then took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I... don’t really know where I was going with that. I like to ramble a lot - usually about happier things.” She looked up, giving a helpless shrug. “I guess... I want to be clear how... how grateful I am for this. For me and especially the others. You and your girlfriend could have just helped us escape and then left us to our own devices here, which was already more than generous. But here you are, trying to get us into this job.” She sighed again. “I... thank you. Just thank you.”

A-chan’s face had considerably softened throughout her rambling. Once it was done, she sighed, adjusting her glasses as she smiled warmly at her. “There’s no need for that. When Omegaα first told me about you all a few weeks back, it... had been a lot to process.” She looked up at the ceiling, staring at nothing. “I’ve heard my fair share of horrible stories from the other talents - particularly the immortals. Injustices some of them had faced and trauma not all of them have recovered from even now. And it just... gets to me at times. How they can smile and be happy on stream so much despite some of their experiences.

“But for many of them, it’s all in the past, and even if it isn’t... they have friends to support them. Places they can go to unwind for a time. If anything ever gets to be too much, they have people and things to fall back on... Something you were all deprived of.” Her hands clenched. “Some of you have families, from what I heard, and so many things you had in your life are probably long gone. Even if you can reunite with the people you were torn away from eventually... right now, you all have to rebuild so much of that stuff from scratch.”

Letting out a long breath, she looked back at them all. “There isn’t a lot I can do to help our members with their problems a lot of the time. Their ‘extra’ work isn’t always stuff I can handle - whether physically or emotionally - and my humanity sometimes creates a disconnect.” She pursed her lips, adjusting her glasses. “So it’s... nice to be able to do this for you. To help you get back onto your feet after going through such horrendous stuff. To... offer you a way to be happy and start to move on... So please - you don’t need to thank me.”

The escaped convicts all looked at her with awe, none having expected a story like that. Bijou felt her chest gem stirring, a fuzzy feeling settling there as she stared. She felt the emotions of this woman rolling off of her - a deep care for the well-being of the talents under her... and for them. And with it, a deep conviction to be there for them. To offer them a small haven of sorts, despite the limits she had acknowledged about herself.

Was... this what it was like to be around a good human? One whose mind she did not twist with her mere presence? Who... only wanted what was best for her?

The twins were tearing up a little, with Fuwawa giving a small sniffle. “Would... it be inappropriate to hug you right now? Because I really want to.”

A-chan laughed softly, rubbing her eyes before tears of her own could form. “We should probably keep this at least a tiny bit professional until we’ve all settled on what you all want going forward.”

Shiori stared at her for a moment longer... then she chuckled - far more lightly than before. She smiled, settling more into her seat. “Well, in fairness, I’m... not sure how much more there is to discuss. It’s... kind of hard to refuse giving this job a shot after that.”

The content director’s eyes brightened at this, along with Nodoka’s. Omegaα also straightened up in her chair, a feeling of hope projected from her eyes. It made Bijou squirm a little at the cascade of feelings she was receiving... but she could not help but smile. It was... so nice to feel a bunch of positive emotions from humans for longer than a few minutes, or a heavy door between her and them. And judging by the other’s expressions, they felt similarly to her.

It seemed that they may have a new home after all... Maybe.

This was still an interview, though, and eventually, A-chan cleared her throat and got back on track, moving to another paper. “If you’re all sure, then...?” Upon receiving nods from the entire group, she continued. “Then we can probably skip a few steps for now to something... important. Now, you all don’t have to worry about the set-up of your channels. We’ll get one for each of you in the next few weeks and ensure you can access-”

Mococo raised her hand suddenly. “Can me and Fuwa-chan share one, actually?”

The content director blinked along with her trainee - the latter furrowing her eyebrows. “You both want to be on the same channel?”

“Yeah!” the pink-twin said, nodding and reaching out to put her arm over her sister. “We share pretty much everything, and we game together, even if it isn’t a co-op! It would probably just be easier for us to manage the same account. It’s how we’ve done it for a lot of systems we had back in The Cell!”

“Well, we did have a few separate accounts for games,” Fuwawa added, then quickly smiled. “But I agree with her! I want us to share our channel!”

The two humans exchanged a look, and also turned to Omegaα, who merely shrugged. Then, after a moment of thinking about it, A-chan shrugged, too, and nodded at the hellhounds. “Okay - I’ll see what I can do. I’m... a little interested in seeing this myself.” She took a deep breath. “But as I was saying... there is one other thing we would like you to do, just to ensure you’re really certain about joining.”

That caused the convicts to exchange glances, the gem-girl frowning a little as she wrung her hands together. “Um... what would that be? Is it a test to see how well we can actually do streaming, or...?”

“That is something we’ll help train you on later, but no,” the content director replied, raising a placating hand. “It’s nothing too difficult, and you all have free reign on how you want to handle it. But...” She took in a breath, glancing between them. “We would... like you to meet the rest of the EN branch, and... make sure you get along with them.”

...The group took a moment to digest this, sharing looks for what felt like the hundredth time. Shiori looked at the blue-haired woman, tilting her head with no strong reaction either way. “You’re talking about the Council Omegaα helped raise, right?”

“And their Senpais’ that I also mentioned before,” the god added while nodding, tone blank as ever. “There are ten members in total - eleven including Sana, who is one of the Council who decided to graduate due to certain injuries and wishing to focus on other careers. Most of them are immortals, but a few are not, whether they are long- or short-lived.”

A-chan nodded, leaning onto her desk. “They are people who you, preferably, will have to work on a lot of projects with, as well as do stream collabs. We do typically have a ban on the latter for your first couple of weeks after debuting so you can establish yourselves without being accused of ‘riding on their success.’ But after that, many fans look forward to seeing the different Gens interacting.”

Nerissa hummed, having caught on just like the rest of them were. “And so... you want to make sure we’re able to get along with them and not clash too much?”

“That would be the best outcome,” the content director agreed. “There’s obviously also plenty of people in our JP and ID branches you might also want to get to know, as well as those over in Holostars. However, your fellow EN members are what’s going to be most important from a cooperative standpoint. So yes, we want to ensure you all meld together well.”

Bijou frowned, not entirely sure how to feel about this. Not because she did not want to meet them - she did not even really know anything about them to begin with that would turn her off from doing so! And what A-chan was saying made a lot of sense from a business standpoint. You did not want a bunch of people who were going to cause drama behind the scenes and possibly make things awkward, if not outright hostile.

But... it had also been centuries since they had met anyone new, excluding the three before them. The guards did not count, given how impersonal they always had been with them. For so long, it had only been the five of them, united in their dream of wanting to be free. (Heck, if not for how adorable the twins were and how much they wanted to help them, the other three might not have accepted them with how close-knit they had become before they arrived.)

It was a different scenario than interacting with these people - even Omegaα. She and her friends appreciated deeply what they were doing for them, but... they were not friends. Right now, it was more so a semi-informal meeting among nice people who would be their bosses. Meeting these other talents in EN, however, would probably require having a much closer relationship with them.

Could... they handle that so soon? Having new coworkers, or even friends, that they would eventually stream together with?

The gem-girl studied the rest of her friends. As expected, Fuwamoco did not seem conflicted in the slightest - their tails even wagging at this suggestion. Nerissa, though, looked a little uncertain, rubbing the back of her neck. Shiori also looked deep in thought, pursing her lips and tapping her fingers on her knees.

All of this was noticed by the content director, who gave them a sympathetic look. “I get that this might be sudden to ask of you, but the sooner you do this, the better. Everyone is off from streaming today, and I think have been talking about moving their schedules a little bit after I announced you had arrived a little bit ago. They’ve been quite interested in seeing who had drawn Omegaα away for so long.”

“As said before, you do not have to tell them anything regarding what happened during your imprisonment that you do not wish to,” the god reassured. “Even Ame, for all her natural curiosity, would never wish to make you uncomfortable by prying too much. But today would be very convenient for you to start trying to get to know them, however little, as well as to see things around town. Though, we will not force you to yet if you are fully against it.”

Scratching her head, Shiori sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t know - I kind of just want to rest and get acclimated first.” She chuckled. “Don’t suppose you have a house ready for us?”

Nodoka fished out her phone, tapping on the screen. (Another odd thing to see in person.) “No, but we have some options you could look at. We always do so when we’re preparing to welcome in new Gens. Until then, though, we have an empty room here in the offices we’ve converted to give you somewhere to sleep.”

The Archivist nodded, scooting closer so that the brown-haired woman could show her some pictures. She hummed, before looking back at her friends. “Don’t let me stop you guys if you want to go meet our future coworkers today. Any of you interested?”

Bijou looked to the side, her fingers fidgeting more. If she was honest, she would probably be more comfortable staying in this room they had for them. As nice as talking to humans who were not lost to madness was, these past two days had been a lot. Taking some time to rest with Shiori would be nice, as well as letting her shoulder heal more. (It was sad how used to she had become to ignoring the pain from such injuries, having nearly forgotten about it.)

But glancing at Nodoka, her eyebrows furrowed as her mind tingled again... and then she realized something else that needed to be addressed. She gave a long sigh, slumping back in her seat as she confirmed what she just considered. “Nodoka... are you still feeling fine around me? I just realized that A-chan was too distracted to give you that ring or whatever to protect you from my curse...”

Everyone else in the room froze, all having realized the oversight, too. A-chan then cursed, turning to dig through her pockets. “Dammit! I knew I was forgetting something! I’m so sorry, Bijou! I had a busy morning, and seeing Oma’s state distracted me from-”

Nodoka coughed, putting a hand on her boss’s shoulder while giving an uncertain shrug. “Um... about that. It seems that I’m... not going as crazy as I should be for her? I kind of want to hold her still, but...”

A-chan blinked, giving her a puzzled look. She turned to the Jewel of Emotions for confirmation. “Should it have worked a lot faster than this?”

The gem-girl nodded with a grimace. “She should have beaten her hands bloody trying to tear off a piece of me the moment I entered the room, let alone by now...”

The others winced at that, her friends looking at her sadly. The content director sat back and took this in, her eyebrows furrowed. “That’s... strange. Definitely good for you, but... has this never happened before?”

“Never, unless a human had some sort of protection,” Bijou confirmed. She gestured to the pictures of other talents in the room. “Is there anyone in your company that could help me... figure out what’s happening? Whether it’s temporary, or if it’s just a special immunity Nodoka has that I never encountered before?” Given some of the guards’ attitudes yesterday, she had a gut feeling it was not the second option, but still - whatever the case was, she wanted answers sooner rather than later.

A-chan rubbed her chin, then got out her phone, seeming to move to her pictures. “We have plenty of magic users who could probably do that. Though, in the interest of meeting the rest of EN... would you be okay with going to see Ina? This isn’t exactly her specialty, but her connection with the Ancient Ones might be able to allow her to figure out what's happening.”

As she said this, she held out her phone, showing what the gem-girl assumed was a picture of the woman in question. It showed her in a plaid dark purple dress with lighter purples and yellow added with a pair of decorative white wings. Her hair was purple, and appeared to have... flaps? Almost like an octopus... which followed along with the tentacles that were behind her.

The short woman frowned at the image. She was a little concerned to hear of a connection with the Ancient Ones, having heard stories about the insanity they caused - not too dissimilar to her. But on the other hand, this person seemed friendly from the photo, and her patrons’ magic was supposed to be quite versatile as well. Thus, she sighed and eventually nodded. “Sure, I can go talk with her. Can you show me where she lives?”

“Of course,” A-chan said, smiling at her. “We’ll be giving you company phones that you can use to help navigate around town. But I’m willing to help lead you there in a little while if you want an escort in case your... charm affects other people outside this building. If she can’t help you, she can take you to Shion or someone else, too.”

The gem-girl nodded again, accepting of that plan. Then Nerissa scooted closer, looking at her with concern. “Do you want me or someone else to come with you? I don’t want you to get stressed by being alone with her.”

Thinking about it for a second, to her own surprise, Bijou shook her head, giving a wobbly smile. “No, you don’t... have to do that. As much as I appreciate you wanting to be there to help me... I can’t just lean on you guys all the time, now can I? We should probably work on being able to be without one another.”

The sound demon looked shocked at her response... though also a little proud that she was trying to be brave. But even so, she placed a hand on her shoulder as she confirmed this. “Are you sure?”

Despite her nerves, which she did not bother hiding, the gem-girl nodded. “There’s no need for us to be that paranoid. Nobody in this place wants to hurt us, right? Besides, You could have a much better time here than being my babysitter!” To make her point, she looked at the blue-haired woman again. “Who in EN likes music the most? I’m sure them and Nerissa would have a lot to talk about!”

The content director hummed, quickly swiping to a new photograph while keeping the screen pointed at them. After a few images, it settled on a woman with magenta hair, small black horns, and crystal-like wings behind her - one more white, and the other more black. She had on a white dress with red flowers and ribbons for decoration.

“This is IRyS,” the woman explained. “She’s a Nephilim who is in a sort of separate Gen on her own that was meant to focus on singing.” She coughed awkwardly. “It... has not exactly panned out how we had hoped. But she is still very passionate about singing if you want to meet her.”

Nerissa studied the picture, rubbing her chin. “A Nephilim, huh? Quite a rarity... I guess I could go see her. Maybe she could also help me with conta- ack!”

She was cut off suddenly by Fuwawa pushing in front of her. The hellhound’s eyes were wide, pointing at the phone. “Go back a few photos! Did I just see who I thought I saw?!”

All of them taken aback by the sudden intrusion, including her friends, A-chan nonetheless stuttered and started moving back. After going back two, Mococo then pushed next to her sister and gestured for her to stop. “There! That’s her!”

Bijou managed to peer past them at the person they were so interested in. It was a woman with pink hair wearing a black cloak and dress. Her red eyes were quite striking, but what really stood out was the scythe she was wielding behind her. It gave her a sense of... death, despite how nonchalant she otherwise appeared.

She looked nice enough to her... but the twins were practically vibrating at the photo. Fuwawa squealed a little, shaking her younger sister. “It is her! Oh, my gods - Calli’s actually here! I never thought I’d get the chance to...!” She squealed again, her tail wagging rapidly.

Nodoka leaned closer to the group, looking between the hellhounds. “You know Calli? When did-”

She jumped back as Mococo moved right up into her face, her eyes wild with excitement. “Where is she?! Can we see her?! Would she be willing to spar with us?! Where is she ?!?!”

Stammering for a moment, the trainee eventually managed to back away enough to feel comfortable answering. “She, uh... I think she was at Gura’s, but you don’t have-”

The pink-twin ignored her after that, however, and pulled on her sister, trying to take her to the door. “Come on! Come on! Let’s go find her! It’s been so long! I’ve wanted to have a rematch with her for centuries! And she might play with us afterward, too! We need to go!”

The blue-twin nodded rapidly, though still turned to their potential employers to address them. She gave a small bow, grinning widely. “Thank you for the interview, Miss A-chan! We’ll go see Calli right now!”

The two then turned and rushed out of the room, even as Nodoka tried to call to them. “Wait! But you don’t have-!” Her words cut off as they ran out of sight, their footsteps disappearing down the hall. She blinked, looking down with a befuddled expression. “They... don’t have their phones yet. They don’t even know Gura’s address, either...”

“They also don’t know where the stairs are,” Shiori added, still sitting down and her tone incredibly casual. “If they don’t find those soon... they may just jump out the window to get to the ground. I bet they’ll make it a kilometer before realizing they don’t know where to go.”

Omegaα gave a small sigh, standing up. “It would be best to avoid that. I’ll go make sure they don’t cause a stir and get them to where we have the phones.” With that, her body rippled, and the next moment she dematerialized to go after the twins.

The content director watched her go, then sighed heavily. She peered at the once-human over her glasses. “You know, it doesn’t affect my want to help you all... but those two are going to run us ragged, aren’t they?”

“If you pay us extra, we can probably work off most of their energy most days for you,” the Archivist joked with a grin. She then looked at the other's phone, humming curiously as she swiped through a few more of the pictures with her finger. “So this is all of EN, then? Colorful bunch. I think I can sort of tell who the Council members are... Don’t tell me yet! Let me see if I can make a guess here in a minute!”

Bijou watched as her friend studied a few of the pictures, frowning some. “Are you sure you don’t want to go out and meet some of them? I feel kind of bad since everyone else is going out.” Even if mine is to see what’s going on with my curse more than a casual conversation.

Nerissa nodded, nudging the once-human. “I’m with her. I also would have thought you’d be all over trying to see them all and learn what you can for your stamps and such.”

Shiori shrugged, moving to another picture - a red-headed woman with rat ears grinning at them. “Eh, it’s not like I’ll be lacking for time here soon. I want to try and replenish my ink reserves, anyway. It’s going to take me weeks at the very least to get all of my stamps covered again! Not to mention I need to double-check to make sure that they... still...”

Her voice trailed off, her face going blank as she looked at the next picture. Confused, the gem-girl took a closer look... and found it was of a blond girl with blue eyes. She appeared to be human, grinning cheekily at the camera... and was wearing a tan coat over a white blouse and brown skirt, while also wearing a hat she thought was a called a deerstalker.

A hat, that along with the coat... made her look a lot like a cosplayer of Sherlock Holmes, who she recognized from so many of her friend’s “normal” books back in The Cell.

...Bijou and Nerissa looked at one another, sharing knowing smiles at what was about to happen. And sure enough, the half-black-haired woman eventually spoke up neutrally. “Who... is this?”

Nodoka took a look at the picture, smiling politely. “Oh, that’s Amelia Watson. She’s that time-traveling detective we mentioned before! She’s always running off to other points in this timeline and to alternate ones to solve cases and deal with time anomalies. She also reports to the Warden of Time, Ouro Kronii - another member of the Council.” She sighed, a bit of exasperation entering her tone. “I’m pretty sure she’s cooped up in her office today... like usual. We have so many problems trying to get her to take proper vacation days. I know she paces herself... mostly. But still...”

The Archivist stared at the photo for a moment longer... then she made direct eye contact with their interviewers, voice deathly serious. “...Where are those phones you mentioned? And what’s the address of that office?”

The two blinked, exchanging a look before A-chan scratched the side of her neck. “Um... not to assume what you’re sudden interest in her is, but... I feel like I should mention she has a girlfriend just in case.”

Shiori continued to stare at her, face stoic. “She wears a Sherlock outfit, her last name is literally ‘Watson,’ and she knows about time travel - an area of knowledge I’m sorely lacking in. You have... no idea how happy simply being near her will make me, and what I can learn... Also, I need to wear that hat. It’s impeccable.”

The gem-girl laughed, with the sound demon following right behind her. She continued grinning as Nodoka started to write down some addresses for her friends while A-chan explained how their phones were supposed to be used. This was going to be a hectic day yet for a lot of them. Whether they could leave a good impression on these EN members hung over them and what it could mean about their job there. Her own problems also brewed in her mind, having a bad feeling about what answers might be awaiting her there.

For now, though, she tried to push those down. Right now, seeing her friends so eager to meet these people... she tried to be optimistic about what was awaiting them here.

-------

Shuffling her papers, A-chan looked over what notes she had managed to take from the interview. They were a little more disjointed than she would have liked, but given how non-traditional this whole thing was, she tried not to be bothered by it. They had the essential information on the girls, and that was what mattered. It’ll be enough for us to get started in their training and getting their channels set up... I have to remember to say that Fuwawa and Mococo will be sharing one, though.

She sighed, her eyes glancing around the interview room. She was alone now, having elected to stay behind to ensure everything was in order so far. The others had left a few minutes ago, being led by Nodoka to where their technicians were keeping their company phones. Her staff would be able to handle the setup for them before she went to check on them.

Besides... she had needed a moment of privacy to truly appreciate what was happening there. After weeks of discussion and anticipation... they were finally here. The five women who had been locked away by a cruel god who wanted to figure out how to stop more people like them from being born. People who had an innate talent or knowledge of how to kill gods with enough practice and the right resources.

They had been ripped away from their lives and thrown into cold, stone cells. Had been tortured for centuries and millennia to figure out what made them tick. They had been through stuff that she could scarcely imagine. Just knowing the pain they had to go through... her blood boiled, wishing she could have punched that god herself.

But of course, she was a simple human, incapable of such a thing. All she could do was try to offer them a new life far away from that awful place. And it seemed like they all were excited to try out Vtubing as a career. She had no clue what kind of content they all wanted to focus on beyond a few guesses, but she was confident Hololive could accommodate whatever they wished to do!

...It had still been sad to see the state some of them had been left in, though. The content director grimaced as she went to another paper, remembering some of their reactions. The subtle signs of unease Bijou had throughout their talk. How Nerissa’s hand had twitched on occasion, as if ready to defend them from an attack, without seeming conscious about it. That small rant Shiori had given, as well... Only Fuwawa and Mococo had seemed comfortable, but even they kept sending concerned glances to their friends.

She knew that the scars from The Cell went deeper than she had seen there. Even for immortals, that long locked up was bound to have messed with their heads, despite having one another. But... at least they had a chance to heal here. To pursue what they loved and take part in fun activities with one another wherever they wished to go!

And hopefully... to do so with some new friends, too.

Her musings were cut off as she noticed a ripple in the air next to her. Not even flinching after so long being around her girlfriend, she looked up at her with a gentle smile. (Seeing the blood on her still stung, but she took some relief that it was not more serious.)  “Did you manage to catch up with the twins?”

Omegaα nodded, her face emotionless as she was used to, but her eyes projecting her amused exasperation. “I caught them trying to ask some staff where the exit was so they could find Calli. Though, with how rapidly the two were talking, they barely had a chance to answer them, and were mostly just confused. I intervened and eventually managed to get them to calm down. I handed them off to Nodoka when she and the others happened to pass by.”

A-chan hummed, looking back at her papers to finish reading through them. “You didn’t want to stay with them? I’m almost done here if you want to get back to them.”

...The god paused, then looked away, her face twitching. “I... may not have time to interact with them more for today, actually. I can... feel some of my kind’s desire to commute with me.”

The content director paused as well, looking at her with a concerned frown. “So soon? I thought you said you’d have a few days?”

She knew that her lover and several of her kind were able to communicate over great distances through some strange means in the higher planes that was incomprehensible to her. It was how she reported progress on how the Council was doing and to ask them about visions they might send. Even as the silver-haired woman had become more... terse with them here recently, she had still performed this duty when needed.

They had both known that they were going to ask about the escaped convicts once they knew they had come to Earth. From there, they would learn if there was going to be additional issues or if they truly would be convinced to leave them alone. But she had been led to believe it would take a few days for them to reach out as they conferred with themselves.

Omegaα pursed her lips, her face showing the outlines of what a pained expression would look like on a human. That put the blue-haired woman on edge, knowing how difficult it was for her girlfriend to emote typically... and her answer in a wavering voice did nothing to quell that. “I... believe they decided more urgency than they usually show was needed in this case. Likely due to... the state I left that other god in.”

A-chan frowned deeply, standing up and wrapping her arms around her lover. “Oma? What do you mean? What...?” A thought occurred to her. “Bijou said their captor couldn’t bother them anymore. What exactly did you do?”

The god paused for another moment... but even with her eyes turned away, she could see her tears starting to fall. This time, her voice carried a bit of the anguish she was clearly feeling. “I... I was so infuriated, A-chan. I... I never thought I could injure one of my kind so badly. That I could cripple one, and... and...”

There was no more description given, but the content director had heard enough to put the pieces together. Her heart broke, gently putting her hands on the other’s shoulders and making her crouch down. She pulled her against her chest, letting her cry into it. “Oh, Omegaα...”

Said woman’s arms wrapped around her stiffly, giving small gasps that she knew were her equivalent to sobs. “I... I don’t understand why I feel so bad about this. They... they were a monster, and yet... And the pain I’m still feeling when looking at those girls...” She hugged the human tighter. “They... they were enraptured by seeing the street outside, A-chan. Just a normal road! That... that should not be... They never should...”

A-chan shushed her, running her hand through her hair. “It’s okay, Omegaα. It’s all going to be alright. They’re safe now. All you need to do is get the other gods to back off. No matter how much of an ‘outsider’ you are to them, I know you can get them to listen.”

“...And what if I was wrong? What if they try to cause trouble for us?”

“Well... it would probably be wise to go somewhere else for a bit so the people here don’t get caught in the fight. But if it comes to that? When everyone learns what those women went through... I think those gods will have a few more ‘cripples’ on their hands.”

That managed to pull a small giggle from Omegaα, though to the content director, it was like a heartful chuckle. She continued to hold her like this, pressing a small kiss to the top of her head as the silver-haired woman continued to cry. It seemed that things were not going to get easier for any of them regarding this situation. However, she trusted her lover to set the rest of her kind straight and make them stand down.

As for the escaped convicts... she was not too worried about how the rest of their first day in town would go, either. After all, they were going to be in the hands of their potential future Senpais’. And if there was anything that the talents in Hololive all had in common... it was their ability to make people feel better and bring them happiness. Something she doubted they were about to disappoint her in now of all times...

Chapter Text

Something Nerissa had not fully appreciated when escaping The Cell was how much she had missed flying. At the time, she had been more focused on how unsteady she was from lack of practice and trying not to hit walls. Near the end, and once they were outside of the prison walls, she was then too distracted by trying to get away from their captor, going until her wings started to give out. It had been. Plus, the endless gray that had greeted them outside did not exactly inspire much sightseeing.

Still... in retrospect, there had been something fulfilling about feeling the wind in her hair again. To have an aerial view of everything as it stretched into the horizon. To finally let her wings stretch and take her where she needed to go. It’s amazing what you appreciate more after losing it for a few millennia...

Now, though, there were no such distractions, and her heart was swelling from being able to fly again. She smiled widely as she soared over this town they now found themselves in. She stayed relatively close to the ground, barely staying a few meters above the tallest buildings they had. It limited the feeling of the breeze over her body, and caused her to sometimes breathe in some admittedly noxious fumes from the cars below her. It also meant she would take longer to get to where she was going.

But... gods, she almost wished she could fly like this forever now.

The sound demon’s eyes were wide with wonder as she took in every detail she could. The people, the trees, the cars - she tried to commit them all to memory. The twins had been right earlier when saying seeing this was better than the anime and shows they had before! From a bus unloading and picking up passengers, to a pair of small dogs playing in a park she went over, this place was just so... alive! Filled with activity in ways that their prison never was, even with their “better” treatment later on.

...She was not so blind as to not realize how sad that was. To a normal person - even a demon coming to this world - seeing a place like this was probably average. And, frankly, she hoped she started to see this place as mundane soon, too - to be more integrated back into the real world. But for now, she basked in her new freedom for what felt like the first true time since they all escaped.

As she finally started to reach the edges of the main part of town, as best she could tell, she waved to a few people down below who had looked up upon seeing her shadow. A few people smiled and waved back. Others, though, looked up with acknowledgement, but immediately went back to their phones or watching where they were going. She even noticed a man and a woman pointing up at her and talking, though she could not hear them from her height.

Earth really is getting used to the magical again, huh? the raven-girl mused, passing over a few smaller storefronts. Back before she was imprisoned, this world had largely lost a lot of its contact with the other Realms. Sure, there had been mythical beings around, and a few visitors from elsewhere that slipped in and out secretly. But for the most part, humanity there had begun to start seeing people like her as just stories (though demons were tricky in that regard among the religious). Contact between them and beings like her had been largely isolated to smaller communities away from well-traveled roads with but a few exceptions.

A lot of change has been going on in the last century or so, however. Shiori had had suspicions of this from what limited information she could get in The Cell, but seeing it in person was fascinating. Nobody there was surprised to see someone like her, when in the old days a demon brazen enough to do this would have been taken as a “bad omen.” Now, at least here, it was a casual thing. Those people pointing at her probably had seen someone flying like this before, too - they were just wondering who she was.

A-chan had told them about that when they all left. In this town, nearly every mythical person was or had once been a Vtuber on average. As such, their presence was bound to bring up speculation - if they were joining an agency as well, which one, and so on. She had advised them not to pay it too much mind and to try not to leak any details. While a few pictures might leak online, they ultimately wanted their reveal in joining Hololive to be a surprise!

...Assuming they could get along with these other EN girls.

Nerissa frowned for a second, but quickly shook it off as she altered the beating of her wings. Pulling to a stop mid-air, she looked at her surroundings, making sure she had not gotten off course somewhere. Sure enough, though, she spotted a small neighborhood of houses not too far to her side, and moving closer, she read the street signs and confirmed she was in the right place.

Pulling out her phone, she pulled up the map app that was on there. (Getting the screen to operate how she wanted it to had not taken long to get the hang of, but she did keep getting annoyed by how some light brushes made it respond. Having one to begin with was a wonder, though, so she endured it.) Tapping in the address she was given, she looked at the road map to get the general direction from there. Then, slipping it back into her pocket, she took off toward the house of this Nephilim they had - IRyS.

Well, it was actually her house and that of one of the Council members - Hakos Baelz. The two of them were apparently a happily married couple who had been together for millennia at that point. And while the former was supposed to be the official singer of the two, the Embodiment of Chaos was supposed to have a lot of passion for the art, too.

It was perhaps the safest option of people she could have chosen to go see among all of EN for her. Having a shared interest would hopefully help to break the ice and get to know one another. Not to mention that with one of them being half-demon, they... might know of a way to help her with one of her issues.

Yet... she could not help but be nervous about this. Because making a good impression felt vital for them all to join this company. She was sure A-chan and Omegaα would reassure them about that, but she was not sure how much she would have believed them. After all, this was an industry that appeared all about being able to get along with their potential coworkers. Doing so would not only allow more fun with their audience when they build one up, but also with making certain ideas more possible.

So... what happens if they fail at this? Would they be forced to try and find work elsewhere? Or if they were still hired, how tense would it make the environment there? Could they cause a schism in the workplace and harm the company’s reputation? After all of what some of them had done for her and her friends?

The sound demon sighed, keeping an eye out for the house that had been described to her. She did not think of herself as a pessimistic person, but she guessed millennia of no contact with anyone beyond her fellow escapees did this to you. What Shiori had said to A-chan before was right - this was like a dream to them... and she was terrified she would wake up from it.

Maybe it would have helped her to stick with the others, or to ask them to come with her. But Bijou had also had a point about them needing to get used to having some time apart. There was no denying it - they were incredibly co-dependent on one another. They had thrived off of each other’s encouragement and contact to keep themselves sane in a torturous affair. Even now, it felt... off to not have them nearby, or to know exactly where they were.

The point was that they were close, and... honestly, whether it was healthy or not... she did not want to lose that bond with them. She wanted them to stay together... To experience more nights like yesterday sleeping together, and holding one another close.

But she would worry about the details of that later. For now, she knew they needed to get used to the idea of being away from one another for a few hours. Besides, who would she have even joined? Bijou was dealing with learning why her curse was suddenly acting weirdly, and she probably wanted privacy for the initial assessment, if nothing else. Fuwamoco were so eager to see this Calli person again, and she wanted them to have space to have fun with her. And as for Shiori... even with their close bond, she knew she would have been third-wheeling while the once-human conversed with that detective.

And so here she was, on her own as the house finally came into sight. She dropped lower in the air to get a better look at it. It looked like a rather ordinary white, two-story house that matched the others around it of varying colors. However, this one was notable for having splashes of red scattered about... as in, it looked like someone had literally thrown paint cans against it. Yet the mess somehow looked rather artsy, as if each one had been done deliberately.

It was the design she was told to look out for as she landed near the front door. She took a deep breath, trying to clear away her lingering nerves. There was no need to believe this would go badly. Even if this turned into a rather awkward conversation, that did not mean that everything was ruined, either! A-chan said she would message them that I was coming, too. It’s not like you’re dropping in on them suddenly.

With these thoughts, she took a few steps forward, then stopped and knocked on the door. She stood back, waiting to see who would answer. Then, footsteps started to come from the other side... and a second later, it was opened to reveal one of her potential Senpais.

IRyS looked rather similar to how she did in the picture, and was even wearing the same outfit from it. When she saw the escaped convict, she smiled and opened the door wider. “Well hey there! I’m guessing you’re Nerissa?”

The raven-girl smiled back, already feeling better from such a simple start. “Yes, I am. Nerissa Ravencroft, at your service. And I was told you were IRyS?”

“That’s me!” the Nephilim confirmed. She looked her up and down, giving an appreciative whistle. “Man, that’s a nice outfit! Did A-chan give you that? I didn’t think they’d have your measurements. And your face looks gorgeous!”

Nerissa chuckled, blushing a little at the sudden praise. “Why thank you. I was always told that I was quite the looker, even by a succubus or two!” She paused, glancing away as she tried to think about how to answer the first part without bringing the mood down already. “But the clothes are mine. They’re a... modified version of what I wore before I... Well...” She trailed off, unsure of how to finish that.

IRyS appeared to catch on quickly, unfortunately. Her smile fell, and she then sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose while mumbling to herself. “Should have thought about that, IRyS. Great way to start this talk...”

The sound demon flinched, quickly trying to salvage the situation. “I-it’s fine! I’m glad you like it - honest! It... We took our luxuries where we could when the guards eased up on us for our free time. It’s good to hear that it wasn’t time wasted - all of us doing the sowing and adding on the details we could.”

The Nephilim nodded slowly, seeming to feel a bit better at those words. But her eyes held a sadness as she regarded her again. “So it really is true that you were locked up by a god? That...”

The raven-girl sighed, slumping a little as she accepted that this was how things were going to start out. “Yeah... It wasn’t exactly a... great time.” She looked at the other woman wearily. “Do you... care at all? Like, is that going to affect...?”

She was surprised by how quickly IRyS shook her head. The magenta-haired woman’s eyes hardened, her voice firm. “Let me reassure you now: neither me nor anyone else in EN - or Hololive - is going to treat you badly for something that wasn’t your fault. We don’t know all the details of what went on, but if Omegaα was pissed off about it, then that says it all for us. We know she wouldn’t recommend you come here if you were bad people.”

Taking a deep breath, her expression softened. “We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. But to be clear before you come in... you don’t have to be scared. So do whatever makes you comfortable... and know we are willing to listen if you need an ear.”

Nerissa blinked at her, processing the words. Then, slowly, she relaxed again while nodding. “Okay... okay! I believe you.” She gave a small smile. “You... certainly seem nice. Not that I was expecting to be directed to a jerk or anything, but...”

The Nephilim smiled. “I get it. I know what isolation can do to a person.” She pointed to herself, straightening her posture. “And luckily for you, you’re talking with someone who spreads joy and hope for a living!” She stopped, then giggled sheepishly. “Well, technically, I’m kind of on a forced hiatus for that, but still! I’m not one to leave a person with a frown on their face!”

“Sounds like I’m in good hands, then,” the sound demon said. She looked past her for a moment, taking a peek at the interior hall. “So can I come in now?”

IRyS nodded, stepping aside. “Oh, yeah! Duh! Come in! We can talk more in the living room. Have you eaten lunch yet? I think we have some stuff in the fridge we can heat up for you.”

The raven-girl hummed, taking note of the red and purple halls as she walked in. Noticing the shoes by the door, she started to slip out of her heels as she admired a few pictures on the wall showing her host along with who she was told was Bae. “I’m not hungry yet, but I wouldn’t mind hearing what you have to-”

She cut off suddenly, just as she had finished taking off her heels. She was suddenly aware of the sound of... running, coming from the hallway. She turned that way, wondering what was going on-

She barely had a moment to register a blur of red before it knocked into her. She yelled, stumping back and just managing to catch herself on the wall before she could fall. The Nephilim also gasped, but she did not focus on her. Instead, she looked down at who had just thrown themselves against her and was now gripping the front of her shirt...

...And she was met with a pair of teary blue eyes with red and yellow dotted in. Her animal ears were pinned against her head as she spoke in a wavering voice. “Is... is she okay?!”

Nerissa gaped, her mind stalling for a second as she tried to figure out what was happening. “I-I... Wha... Who are you ta-?”

“IS SHE OKAY?!” the redhead - Bae - nearly screamed. Her grip on the taller woman’s shirt tightened, her breathing slightly ragged. “Please, she-! Omegaα! Tell me she wasn’t hurt! S-she didn’t get scarred again, right?! Where-?!”

Further words were cut off when a hand grabbed the back of her own shirt. IRyS yanked with all her might, prying her wife off of the black-haired woman and forcing her to step back. She then wasted no time spinning her around to face her, holding her shoulders firmly while she glared. “BAE! Calm down! You can’t just rush at and push our guest like that!”

The rat-girl’s tail went rigid, eyes wide as she stared at the magenta-haired woman. She then looked away, trembling all over as she swallowed thickly. “B-but... Omegaα... She could be... I-I need to know, IRyS. I can’t... I just can’t...”

The Nephilim’s expression soon eased, sorrow overtaking her features. She crouched down, putting a hand on the center of her lover’s chest. “Just breathe for me, Bae. Can you do that for me? Just take a moment and calm down...”

She then began to walk her through some breathing exercises, her other hand moving to grab one of her wife’s. Slowly, the short woman’s shaking started to lessen, sucking in deep breaths as she closed her eyes. The entire time, the half-angel whispered in her ears.

Nerissa, for her part, watched this all happen silently, not... sure how to respond. She did not understand what had just occurred for a few moments. Why had Bae rushed to her in a panic to ask about Omegaα? She was fine! Sure, she was a little banged up, but if there was anything deeply wrong, then Shiori likely would have caught it. She doubted A-chan would have neglected to mention the god had returned with them, either, so what...?

...But then she remembered the silver-haired woman’s comment back before the interview: “It is when Bae learns of my wounds that I am more concerned about. She has... never taken it well when it occurs.” She had not given it any thought at the time, but... had something happened before? Had this woman seen her mentor in a bad state - even worse than what she had seen? Their captor had been crippled, after all, so severe injuries were a thing for gods. And if... Omegaα truly was like a parent to them...

The sound demon felt a pang in her heart, looking at the woman still in the midst of a breakdown. Thinking about how she would react if anything ever happened to her family... she felt a deep sympathy for the redhead. That sort of event... she did not like imagining it one bit.

It was then she heard a new person running down the hall. Despite herself, she tensed up, snapping her gaze in that direction and bracing for another tackle... but none came. Instead, a woman with brown hair stepped into the small front area of the house, wearing a brown cloak and two owl feathers in her hair. Her golden-brown eyes looked around rapidly... but the moment they settled on Bae, they softened as she frowned with concern, rushing over to her.

The Nephilim noticed the approach of this woman, looking up at her with a sad frown of her own. “I guess that playing Fullmetal Alchemist didn’t work as well as we’d hoped it would?”

The brown-haired woman shook her head, sighing as she knelt beside Bae, too, rubbing her hand on her back. “No. I’m sorry I let her run away like that. I had just stepped away for a second to get her some water, and then... I think she thought that Calli or someone else was at the door at first, but then your voices reached us more, and...”

IRyS shook her head. “It’s fine. I should have moved this along faster. Then at least we could have been doing this on the couch.” She glanced over at Nerissa, nodding her way. “But anyway, do you want to introduce yourself to our guest?”

The woman turned to the black-haired woman, blinking as if only then realizing she was there. Then she got to her feet and walked over, doing her best to smile as she held out her hand. “Oh, hi! Sorry, I... didn’t mean to ignore you. I’m Mumei! It’s good to meet you.”

The sound demon smiled politely, accepting the handshake as she nodded. “Don’t worry about that in the slightest. I’m Nerissa.” She tilted her head. “I actually remember my dad mentioning you several millennia ago. The Guardian of Civilization, right?”

“That’s my role!” Mumei confirmed. Her face then became more downcast, looking over at the still-whimpering rat-girl. “And also the kind of unofficial moral support for the rest of my Genmates, which is why I’m here.”

The raven-girl sighed, looking over as well. She had suspected that was why the brown-haired woman was there based on what they had been saying, but a direct confirmation was useful. “So she’s been like this for a while?”

“Yeah,” the Guardian admitted, giving a deep sigh herself. “She had sort of been handling things at first, right after Omegaα left. Kind of stressed, but she was working it out. But... then a few days turned into a week, and time still kept passing. And we had worked out that another god was involved, so she started assuming...” She bit her lips, rubbing one of her arms. “Maybe... all of us were kind of wondering after a while...”

Nerissa’s heart cracked a little, trying to raise a reassuring hand. “Well, don’t worry! She’s alive! A little... banged up, admittedly, but she’s honestly healed a lot since yesterday. If she’s not completely better by tomorrow, then in two days for sure I’d guess she’ll be all good!”

The owl-girl let out a relieved breath. “That’s great to hear... though, I’m not sure it’ll placate Bae right now.”

The sound demon frowned, glancing at her. “I’m... guessing she’s seen Omegaα injured badly before. But how bad was it to cause... this?”

“...You saw her metal arm, right?” Mumei asked quietly.

Raising an eyebrow, the raven-girl shrugged. “Um, yeah? It was a neat little aesthetic, I guess, but what does it...?” She trailed off, the meaning of that question slowly falling into place... then she paled, eyes going wide. “It... wasn’t an aesthetic, was it?”

“...It’s a rather pretty way to mask a scar up - I’ll give her that,” the Guardian responded. She watched as her fellow Council member trailed off into whimpers, leaning more against IRyS and burying her face in her neck. “Bae never likes to look at for too long, though. It just brings up bad memories... and screaming...”

Nerissa grimaced, not prying for any more details. (Having heard their captor’s pained screams back during their escape, though... she believed she understood how that could stick with a person.) She looked at the ground, her voice quiet. “I’m so sorry...”

“It’s not your fault,” the owl-girl said, her eyes reassuring. “We thought after hearing Omegaα was back, she’d feel slightly better. Enough so that you would be able to visit in peace.” She shook her head. “Me and IRyS should have known better. With how long of a month it’s been for some of us, and how protective she is of Omegaα...” 

This did not settle the sound demon down all that much, unfortunately, who clenched one hand briefly. She recognized that, like the other had said, she was not responsible for this happening. And yet... Omegaα had left and gotten hurt on behalf of her and her friends. While they may not have made the god do that, it still made her feel a little guilty.

...So the least she could do, she decided, was to try and make Bae feel better.

Carefully, she approached the couple still on the floor. IRyS looked up at her once she was near, looking more curious than defensive. When the taller woman gestured to the redhead, though, she paused, looking at her closely. Then, apparently deciding she was safe, she tapped her lover’s shoulder to get her attention.

Bae lifted her head from her shoulder, her eyes a bit puffy as she gave her a questioning look. When the Nephilim nodded over to the black-haired woman, however, she finally noticed her presence and froze for a second. Her eyes quickly lowered in shame, her animal parts drooping as she sniffled. “I... I’m sorry. I didn’t... I wasn’t thinking clearly when I-”

“You’re forgiven,” the raven-girl responded, kneeling to be at eye level with her. “I get it - you were scared about... your mother, essentially. Do I understand your relationship with Omegaα correctly?”

The rat-girl pursed her lips, shrugging slightly. “Kinda? It’s not... like my Genmates and I see ourselves as siblings - just friends, and... for some of us lovers. But yeah, she’s... sort of been a parent and teacher both.” She gave a long sigh. “But that’s no excuse for ambushing you. As the leader of the Council and... just in general... Christ, and I might be your Senpai here in the next couple of days.”

Nerissa looked away, not really having a response to that. After taking a quick breath, though, she looked back and gave her a small smile. “Well... if you’re fine with it, I think I have a way to make you feel a little better.”

Bae looked back at her, seeming a little doubtful. “How?”

“A little bit of magic I have,” the sound demon admitted. “But only if you want me to. I don’t want to influence your mood if you aren’t comfortable with me doing that.”

That managed to catch both the rat-girl and her wife’s attention, both sharing a look. The Council member appeared to ponder the proposition for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed. But eventually... she met her eyes and gave a hesitant nod. “Um... sure, I guess? I’m kind of curious now, honestly.”

Smiling a little wider, the raven-girl composed herself, clearing her throat. She took a moment to take several deep breaths, trying to ease her vocal cords. They were still a bit sore from the shouts she did yesterday, but she had largely recovered from that. As such, she had no trouble a moment later as she began to sing, a bit of her demonic power entering her voice and giving it that ethereal quality her kind was known for.

She was careful to not pour too much power into her gentle melody, not planning to give the other woman a full charm of any sort. She also did her best to project the effect to the redhead more and not influence the other two too much. (Being based on sound waves, she could never stop that aspect entirely, but she could still control it some.) Otherwise, though, she allowed her notes to flow, keeping the song light and staying within a mid-pitch range.

The rat-girl watched her at first, seeming to perk up at her singing. Then... the faintest bits of violet-pink began to shimmer in her irises. She blinked, the creases still on her face from being upset vanishing as her face became a little more slack. Her animal ears lifted from her head as her tail also swished languidly a few times. A sort of serenity seemed to be entering her entire being, and after several seconds... a smile started to tug at her lips.

Taking that as her cue, Nerissa let her notes die away, a moment of silence filling the room. She scooted back a bit, studying the redhead closely as asked for confirmation. “Well? How are you feeling now?”

Bae blinked again, shaking her head as if to clear it, though the slight glow still lingered. She looked down at herself, putting a hand on her chest over her wife’s. “I feel... good.” She smiled a little, intertwining their fingers. “Like, my worries about Omegaα are still there, but... it’s being pushed down by waves of pure... happiness. It kind of makes it hard to focus on it.”

“Well you’re not exactly going to be focusing on bad memories when you’re happy, are you?” the sound demon asked rhetorically. She stood up, brushing off her dress. “It’ll probably last an hour or so. By then, hopefully, you’ll have cleared your head enough to not be panicking without the influence. Assuming you listen to your friend and wife here.”

The rat-girl nodded, still smiling, which was a good sign. Some people automatically tried to push against her charm effect when she used it once it was pointed out, whether they mean to or not. For such a light dosage as she did here, it would not have taken much of a push to shatter that bit of power. But it seemed that this woman was willing to let the magic linger without much resistance.

IRyS watched as her lover got up and did some stretches, seeming surprised but pleased by this development. She stood as well, looking over at their guest with a small smirk. “Huh - how about that? I didn’t know we had a little siren-like me in the house?”

The raven-girl’s eyes widened slightly, looking at her with interest. “You have a magical voice, too?” She had not considered that this woman’s interest in music might extend from some abilities of her own she possessed. That would certainly make things more interesting.

The Nephilim chuckled, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. “Yes, though... I can’t really use mine right now. It’s a bit of a long story. Or, a bit complicated, anyway.”

Mumei then came up to them, waving to get their attention. “How about we talk about all of that stuff in the living room? Preferably after we’ve all eaten some and taken some time to chill.” She turned to the black-haired woman, smiling kindly. “I don’t suppose you would be willing to wait a little while so we can settle in? And maybe start this conversation over?”

Nerissa nodded, smiling back. “Sounds good to me. You all take your time. I can find ways to keep myself occupied.”

Nodding back gratefully, the Guardian went over and grabbed Bae’s arm, gently pulling her. “Come on. I think we have the stuff to make some fried cheese balls. Fullmetal is still on the TV, too!” Her gaze hardened a bit. “But don’t think you’re getting out of discussing nearly running down your guest later.”

The rat-girl pouted. “Can I at least only get that talk from one of you? I don’t want to get double-teamed on this.”

“Mumei will do it, then,” IRyS said, giving them a cheeky grin as she leaned on her lover’s shoulder. “And she has my full permission to use ‘predator mode’ to scare you into being better behaved.”

Bae groaned, though she continued smiling - whether because it was a joke or due to the sound demon’s charm being unclear to the convict. The owl-girl giggled, starting to pull her friend back toward the hall they came from, her voice light. “Oh, I don’t need to go that far... today.”

The three of them started to head back to their living room, with the raven-girl following behind them. She took a deep breath, listening to them talk as they went along. This was a... bit of a rocky start to things. But hey, she appeared to have made a good impression on these people despite her worries! That at least counted for something. And it helped to remind herself once more that her singing did not just cause destruction.

Perhaps... this meeting really would go well for her. And if it went especially well... maybe they would do that favor that’s been on her mind for her.

-------

Nerissa fiddled with her phone for The next forty-five minutes or so while the others did their own things. She knew they were important devices on Earth used in several aspects of life, so the sooner she got the hang of it the better. She had proven she could use the map well enough, and for the next while she looked into how to install apps and how to search the internet properly. (She also considered adding her friends’ names to their numbers, which were saved on there... except she realized she did not know who was who. Texting them might have solved that one, but she decided to just wait for them to meet back up at the end of the day.)

She sat back on the plush purple chair, eyes lifting from her screen for a moment to look at the living room. The walls were red and black with small spots of white - not like the splashes outside but like thin lines. Various posters she recognized from animes along with shelves filled with various merchandise, and on the wooden table in front of her and the couch. All of it was arranged chaotically, though, to the point she believed anyone with OCD would have an aneurysm looking at it all.

IRyS and Mumei were currently off in the kitchen making them all food. Bae, meanwhile, was sitting on the couch, sipping a bottle of water as she watched Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood on the television. The two had not interacted much since taking their seats, both taking the time to ease up further from what happened at the front door. The silence between them was not tense, though, as they continued to do their own things.

Looking closer at the rat-girl’s eyes, the sound demon noticed the small glow of her magic had faded away - faster than she had thought. Its loss was evident in the small slouch in the woman’s posture and a smile no longer being affixed to her face. Yet even so, she looked a lot calmer than when she had rushed at her. Her tail was even still swishing behind her as she paid close attention to the blond woman on-screen aiming her gun at some bad guys.

The sound demon looked between her phone and the redhead, debating letting things remain quiet for a bit longer. However, as she considered this... she decided it might be better for them to talk now before the group was back together. They had not properly addressed what had happened, so this would help make sure the air truly was clear between them. Enough time had passed for them to be able to talk civilly, she believed.

With this in mind, she slipped her phone back into her pocket, sitting up in her chair. She cleared her throat to get the other’s attention, making sure that an easy smile was on her face. “Hey, are you doing okay? I don’t mind giving you another dose of music.” She shrugged. “It’s no substitute to actual recovery, though.”

Bae jumped a bit at suddenly being addressed. When she saw no signs of the taller woman being upset, though, she sighed and gave a tired smile. “No, I... think I’m fine. I just... I shouldn’t have gotten so worked up. Hearing she was back should have been the end of it, but...” She took a breath, looking down. “It’s not like I don’t trust her. But I’ve seen how bad some problems can get for her, and that’s not even considering another god being her enemy.”

The raven-girl grunted, looking to the side as she tapped her armrest. “I got the impression that she wasn’t really happy with any gods right now.”

“...Damn good reason for it, I’d say,” the rat-girl murmured. She then coughed, stretching her back as she smiled a bit more brightly. “Let’s forget about that for a moment, though. I’m Bae, the Embodiment of Chaos and the leader of the Council. It’s nice to have you here!”

The black-haired woman nodded to her. “It’s good to meet you. I’m Nerissa, if you didn’t catch it earlier. It’s quite the honor to meet one of the original immortals to be born, if what I’ve heard about your group is correct.”

The Embodiment chuckled a little... a bit tinged with sadness. “I’m not sure ‘honored’ is the right word, given how I acted.”

Nerissa huffed, standing up and walking over. She sat back down next to the shorter woman, giving her a stern look. “No more of that. I’ll admit, it wasn’t the most elegant of introductions, but it’s not like you hurt me or anything.” She sighed, pursing her lips. “Besides, I... do get being worried about someone you care about.” Thoughts of Shiori’s attempted sacrifice yesterday came to mind, and how she had held back tears patching her up. She had not thought about it, but... if they had lost the Archivist there...

The rat-girl shrugged, taking a quick sip of water. “Still, I’m sorry again. I... It’s been a hell of a month. I need to learn how to deal with personal issues better.”

“And I wish you luck with that,” the sound demon said. She glanced over to the door leading to the kitchen, humming lightly. “It looks like you have plenty of support to help with that, too.”

That made Bae sigh wistfully, a more subdued smile crossing her face now. “Yeah... Funnily enough, I would have felt guilty about asking those two, especially, for help with my problems. I felt like I had put them through enough in the past - still kind of do.” She shook her head, brightening up more. “But I made a promise that I’d stop avoiding it just the other week. And I plan to stick by that - for my sake and theirs.”

The raven-girl hummed, a little curious about the details there, but feeling like it was not her place to ask. (Shiori would no doubt have been itching at the tidbits.) “Well, good for you, then.” She smirked. “You have quite the pretty wife, too, if I may so.”

The Embodiment gave a more earnest laugh this time. “Oh, I’m well aware! I sometimes wonder what sort of luck I pulled upon to get her to marry me. She’s always so sweet on me... even if she’s a bit of a minx. But then, I’m not much better at times.”

“Gods - I’d kill to find myself someone like that!” Nerissa said, smiling widely. She then tilted her head, a bit curious about something. “It’s my first time having seen a Nephilim, actually. Not a lot of them on account of the tensions between angels and demons.”

The rat-girl shrugged, looking back at the television as she responded. “I guess. Her parents definitely got a lot of judgment for it from those who knew. But it’s gotten better for them over the last few millennia, at least. They’re even getting their friends on both sides to interact more with the opposite race. I’m really glad for those two, after all the support they gave her and me for our relationship.”

The sound demon blinked, her eyebrows rising a little from one part of that information. “Are... demons and angels getting along better?”

Bae paused, looking at her with confusion. “Um... relative to when? It’s been sort of happening for millennia now. More so among younger generations, but...” She trailed off briefly, a bit of worry entering her eyes as she turned to her more. “How long... did you say you were locked up for?” Noticing the other woman winced at this, she quickly backpedaled. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to!”

“No, I... it’s fine,” the raven-girl said, taking a deep breath before continuing. “It was... just a long time is all. Over four millennia, to be precise.”

The Embodiment’s eyes blew wide, her voice shrilling a bit from horror. “Four what ?!”

“Don’t freak out about it - please!” Nerissa begged, gesturing for the redhead to lower her voice. She sighed heavily, rubbing a hand down her face. “My friend Shiori did her best to keep us up to date on certain bits of history, but... those were far and between. I mean, I barely know anything about this last millennium, where I apparently missed the great Laplus getting Limiters slapped onto her! Or how angels and demons might actually be heading toward peace.”

“Peace... might be a stretch currently,” the rat-girl commented. She sighed as well, shaking her head. “But... man, you’ve basically come back into a new world, huh?”

“Not entirely,” the sound demon argued, gesturing to some of the merch around them. “We got access to lots of Earth entertainment these last two or three decades - all in the hope it would keep us ‘docile.’ It was also one more way to punish us by taking our games, shows, and books away. I recognize quite a few of the shows you have on display, actually.”

Bae looked around, though was still frowning. “That’s... something, I guess.”

“I’m not saying it made everything better,” the raven-girl stated, leaning back against the couch. “Just that we managed to find a few bright spots in our imprisonment to make it more bearable until we could get out. It doesn’t make up for the time we lost out here at all.”

“...I wish we had known,” the Embodiment whispered, looking down. “If we had, then maybe we could have done something. Just me, Kronii, and Sana would be able to cause all sorts of mayhem to help you all escape! Or at least Omegaα could have intervened sooner.” She looked her in the eyes, her expression open. “You must have had friends and family that had no clue what went on, too. That more than anything...”

Nerissa’s breath caught a bit, her heart twisting in her chest. She swallowed, rubbing the back of her neck. “You’re... more right than you possibly know there... And, actually, there’s something I wanted to ask IRyS regarding-”

She was cut off by the door to the kitchen opening. The two of them turned and watched as IRyS and Mumei stepped in, wearing red oven mitts and carrying trays of food. They brought them around and set them on the table in front of them, leaving their mitts under them to keep them elevated off of it. On one were the promised balls of fried cheese, still steaming from being cooked, and on the other were french fries that looked equally freshly cooked.

The Nephilim sighed in satisfaction, smiling at the duo. “Here you both are! Sorry about the wait. Hope you both didn’t get bored.”

The rat-girl and sound demon exchanged a look, silently agreeing to pick back up their conversation in a moment. Then the former looked at her wife and smiled back, gingerly picking up one of the cheese balls. “It’s fine. We didn’t mind the wait - we were just talking about some stuff, in fact, to pass the time.”

IRyS hummed, taking a seat next to her lover and giving her a side hug. “Oh? Anything interesting?”

“...I think we understand one another a bit better,” Bae responded, her tone deceptively light. “Me with her, in particular.”

The raven-girl grunted, taking a ball, too, and having a tentative bite. She sort of wished that the discussions so far did not have to involve her incarceration so much, but... well, that was being unrealistic, she was realizing. If she was going to work with these people, then they needed to know some of those details. It was best to get the bulk of that done now and make sure they understood the board picture.

For the moment, though, there was respite as everyone started to dig into the food that was given. Mumei got Nerissa and IRyS some bottles of water, as well as herself, before taking the previously vacated chair. They all then ate in silence for a few minutes, the only noise in the room from their chewing and the still-playing episode on the television.

After a little bit, the half-angel took a look at the show and made a questioning noise, swallowing some fries she had eaten. “What episode is this, anyway? Isn’t this the first season?”

Bae gave an affronted gasp, smacking her wife’s arm lightly. “You mean you can’t name me the episode? How can you be so ignorant of my favorite show?”

IRyS rolled her eyes playfully, ruffling her lover’s hair. “I’m so sorry for not being as crazy about this show as you are, Bae-bee. Is there any way I can possibly make it up to you?”

“...Any way, you ask?” the Embodiment questioned, giving a toothy grin.

Giggling, the Nephilim leaned down, brushing her lips against the other’s. “Don’t bother - I know exactly what you’re going to request.” With that, she pressed their lips together, to which the redhead kissed back full-heartedly.

The sound demon raised an eyebrow, scooting away a tad to give them space. She was a bit shocked at how... suddenly they were getting into this - and with a practical stranger sitting next to them no less. Yet she could not tear her eyes away as the couple practically melted into one another, the shorter woman sliding into her lap slowly.

The Guardian, upon noticing this, did not seem perturbed, instead rolling her eyes with faux annoyance while holding a cheese ball. “Wow. Right in front of my food? The lack of decency!”

The raven-girl looked over at her, her brow still quirked up. “Do they do this a lot?”

“Oh, plenty,” the owl-girl admitted, plopping the ball into her mouth and quickly swallowing it. “They usually play a little more hard to get with each other, but I guess today would be when they make exceptions to that. Otherwise, they look for any excuse to do so casually.”

“...Don’t suppose you want to kiss to make them uncomfortable,” Nerissa offered jokingly.

Mumei giggled. “I don’t think you want to get into a competition with them on this. IRyS got the nickname ‘YabaIRyS’ for a reason.” She shook her head. “Besides, I’m a taken woman, and Kronii might just pause you in time for weeks if you try to steal a smooch from me.”

The sound demon sighed, pretending to be annoyed by the news. Her offer had not been serious, of course - they had just met - but she guessed that was one more girl crossed off her list... which made her curious about something else. “Is there anyone in EN who is free?”

The Guardian smiled with amusement. “I’m afraid you’re out of luck there.”

Letting out a breath, the raven-girl looked up at the ceiling. “Great...”

The owl-girl peered at her with a little more interest. “If you’re looking for someone to date, there’s still quite a few free people in Hololive besides us. Ame is dating Ollie, who is in the ID branch, and heck, Kiara is with someone outside the company! If you really want a date, there’s still lots of people for you to meet.”

“Don’t worry - I’m not desperate or anything,” Nerissa said, playing with a few locks of hair. “I’ve just... not had a chance to flirt and try anything out with anyone in a long time. I mean, obviously - I was locked up.” She closed her eyes, taking in a breath. “I’m not even sure I want to get with anyone. But it’s kind of hitting me now that I have the option again.”

Was that not just a great bit of irony? Before The Cell, she had not taken getting with someone very seriously. Even with her mother wanting all her daughters to give her grandchildren, and having an interest in having a baby at times, she had never been willing to commit. She was a demon - fertility was not an issue for her, and she had almost eternity to consider options! She had believed there was no issue in focusing on her music and singing back then.

But like many things, it was incredible what countless years in a stone cell made you regret. She could have done so much better in finding a partner, even if it did not work out. And looking at what an actual married couple together for centuries was comfortable doing... She could admit to being a little jealous. To wanting to properly start trying to meet someone special. Yet she could not tell if that was what she truly wanted or if it was the isolation talking.

Mumei rubbed her chin. “I think I get what you’re saying. If it helps any, there’s plenty of friendly flirting we end up doing on stream, so that might help you figure out if you really want a partner.” She leaned against her armrest to look closer at her. “What about your Genmates, though?... Or, I guess you’re not technically hired, so just your friends from prison right now. Anyway, are you not interested in any of them?”

...The sound demon opened her eyes, looking down in sudden deep thought. “That is... an excellent question.” She did not believe any of them had considered if they had any attraction to any of the others in all of their time imprisoned. As she had acknowledged before, their bond was deep thanks to their shared situation. But just because they were co-dependent did not necessarily mean they liked one another in that way... Still, though...

Eventually, she just shook her head and smiled a little. “I’ll have to think about that one. I will say, though, that I have no clue if I could ever handle Shiori in a relationship in particular. That woman would just... lead me down roads that will terrify me as much as they arouse me.” She snickered. “Plus, with how she backs up her memories, I’m worried she’ll keep holding small arguments I would otherwise forget over my head just to mess with me.”

She looked over at IRyS and Bae again, who were still kissing one another, taking quick breaths between each one. How long are they going to go for? She wondered if they were doing it due to her comment about making them feel awkward... and given how the redhead took a quick peek at her and smirked, she believed in that idea all the more. Rolling her eyes, she turned to the Guardian to see her reaction-

-and was surprised to see the wide-eyed wonder in her eyes. The brown-haired woman’s eyes felt like they were piercing her soul as she questioned her with a curious eagerness. “She can back up her memories? On what? How? Can she teach others how to do it?”

Wondering what spurred this on, the raven-girl nodded. “Yeah, she can. I don’t exactly know what the limits are, but she’s constantly storing her thoughts and stuff into little bookmarks. I’m not sure how well she can teach it, though.” She looked the other woman over. “Why do you ask? Do you have some trouble remembering things?”

That earned her a long groan from the owl-girl. “It has been one of my most consistent problems since being ‘born.’ In the beginning, I could barely even remember what I was doing just a minute ago! And even nowadays, I’m constantly writing everything down so I can remind myself of stuff. I like keeping those journals, too, but... it stings a little when I read something from a few days ago and have no recollection of it, you know?”

Nerissa frowned, feeling a bit bad for the Council member. “That does sound like it can be annoying. But... your memory is doing better than it was back then, isn’t it?”

“Sure, but... that’s dependent on the state of ‘civilization’ here,” Mumei explained. “If something goes catastrophically wrong and several nations were to collapse all at once, then...” She grimaced, glancing away, before breathing deeply and refocusing. “Well, my point is that I’m serious about being interested in more options to help with my head.”

The sound demon only felt her heart sink further for the brown-haired woman. Her father had said the other’s arrival was a good sign for Earth, but it sounded like there was a long road yet for the owl-girl. If she could be affected so much by the rise and fall of nations...

Taking a quick breath, she gave a gentle smile to the immortal. “In that case, I’ll be sure to ask Shiori about it when we meet back up later today. She knows a lot about mental magics, so even if the bookmarks don’t work for you, she can probably hook you up with something.” She snorted. “But I hope you’re willing to put up with some... unique rants. They get into some weird territories, like about blood and yaoi. Sometimes in the same breath.”

The Guardian perked up, smiling innocently. “Oh? How much blood? And does it come from the two boys themselves? It’d be more interesting if it was a yandere thing with other people!”

...The raven-girl was unable to stop the bemused chuckle that left her. “Heh... On second thought, maybe I should be trying to keep you both apart.”

The owl-girl pouted, puffing her cheeks. “Spoilsport.” She sat back in her chair. “Where is she, anyway? Did all of you go out to meet people?”

“She went to meet one of you guys whose name was Ame, if I remember correctly,” Nerissa explained, leaning off the couch’s back. “She’s a big fan of detective and Sherlock stuff, so that was... almost an inevitable encounter.”

Mumei groaned a little again. “Aw, man. Kronii went over to help her today. Now I kind of wish I took that offer to join and hang out!”

It was then that the married couple decided to end their kissing session. Once Bae had wiped her lips, she looked over at her Genmate with a small grin. “And here I thought you had fun when you came over here.”

The Guardian rolled her eyes, smiling back. “I said ‘kind of.’ As if I’d miss an opportunity to binge some anime with you!” Her gaze softened. “And you needed help. That takes priority over meeting a fellow weirdo.”

That made the Embodiment laugh sheepishly, her cheeks slightly pink. “I... appreciate that, Mooms. I hope... I can repay you more for it one day, too.”

“It’s not about repaying anything,” the owl-girl admonished lightly. Still, a small sparkle in her eyes showed she appreciated the sentiment.

Nerissa smiled as well, happy that whatever history with problems these two kept alluding to, they still had a close bond. It almost reminded her of how she and the others worked with Bijou through hers, giving off similar impressions. Her friend felt selfish at times for accepting her hugs, petting the twins, or taking up Shiori’s time with therapy. (The Archivist had no right to be as good at it as she was.) But in the end, she knew they did so because they cared and wanted to see her get better...

That was speculation for another time, though. For now, taking a few more cheese balls and fries, she looked over to Mumei. “Anyway, jokes aside, I’ll introduce you and Shiori whenever you’d like. I just hope you’re not as ADHD as her, otherwise you’ll lose the plot with her very quickly.”

IRyS chuckled, gently moving her wife off of her lap. “I think they’re going to need a moderator, then. Maybe three.”

Giggling along, the sound demon then had another thought, touching her fingers to her throat after swallowing some food. “Hm. If you want to, I could also see if I can make a song that’ll help you retain things better. Improve your focus and all of that. Not sure if it’ll work - I don’t really understand how your head works compared to, say, a human or demon. But it might be worth a shot, right?”

The Guardian shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not sure how effective that would be, either, but yeah, I wouldn’t mind doing that.”

The Nephilim hummed with intrigue then, looking over at their guest with a wide smile. “Speaking of your singing... care to finally tell the rest of us how you helped calm Bae down? Did you practice spells that use your voice, or was that innate?”

“Innate,” the raven-girl answered, grinning a little self-consciously now, it having been so long since she told anyone outside of her fellow convicts about this stuff. “I’m a demon of sound, so I have a naturally enchanting singing voice, on top of other things.”

IRyS nodded. “I was wondering if that was it. I actually inherited some power from my mother’s side of the family - she has a bit of melody angel blood in her.”

“So you can influence people as well?” Nerissa asked, finishing her food and taking a quick sip of water.

“Sort of, but not to the range I hear a proper one of either side can,” the Nephilim explained. She sighed nostalgically. “It’s one of the ways I spread hope to people and help inspire them. I can’t really put that extra charm in my voice right now, though, thanks to some dealing I made last year for a certain other ability.” She sighed. “I do miss it, but I’ll get it back in a few centuries.”

The sound demon's eyes widened a little, a tinge of pity passing through her. “Centuries? Wow - whatever you traded that for must have been important.”

IRyS nodded immediately, her voice serious. “It was. And I would have accepted losing it far longer - even a millennium - to have what I do now.” She hugged her lover again, kissing her on top of her head. “All so I can give my sweetheart a chance to prepare for the next time I go into my Long Sleep.”

Bae blushed heavily in response, her ears pinned to her head... and a few traces of guilt in her eyes. The same with the Nephilim, too. The raven-girl tilted her head, the term “Long Sleep” sounding familiar to her. It was something that Nephilims fell into at times, she believed - something to do with their duel bloodlines and the powers they produced. A way to recover and be able to rise anew brimming with energy. It sounds like her last one caused some problems for them... But again, it’s not my place to pry.

Luckily, she was saved from trying to awkwardly pivot the conversation by the Embodiment. The redhead quickly recovered, her tail swishing a little as she grinned. “So you can do a lot more than just inspire people, then? What all can you do?”

Nerissa giggled, rubbing one of her arms. “I mean... a lot of what I practiced growing up was stuff to do with enhancing emotions. From happiness, to anger, to even love, I can produce melodies that enhance those feelings in a person. How much depends on the amount of power I put into it and the state of my throat. With anger, for instance, I could make a person just mildly frustrated with no discernible source to... just full-on bloodthirsty.

“I’ve never done that, though. But there is a range of other ways my singing can influence others that I have less experience with. My mom, who is also a sound demon, can do stuff like cause people’s thoughts to come more clearly or slow them down.” She chuckled more. “Of course, she’s a master when it comes to all sorts of singing arts. She even did her part doing ‘battle songs’ during some of the Holy Wars against the heavens. It’s where she and my dad first met, too, in fact. He was a soldier who worked with her often.”

Mumei gave a low whistle. “That’s one way to find romance, I suppose.”

“Yeah, they don’t really make it sound all that glamorous,” the sound demon admitted. She sighed, her feelings of missing them rising back up, but she swallowed that down for a moment longer as she continued. “But while enchantments are our specialty, we can do more... blunt attacks with our voices. Tears my vocal cords raw after a while, but anyone coming at me will still feel like a boulder was launched into them, so...”

IRyS winced, rubbing her own throat. “Is there a way to regulate that, or...”

“Not really if I want it to be effective,” the raven-girl said. “That’s why my dad helped put a few ways to help defend myself into my tuning fork.” She held her arm out over the side of the couch, looking at the couple. “May I?”

Bae waved her on. “As long as it doesn’t drip water onto our floor, then go ahead.”

Nerissa blinked, wondering what inspired that kind of stipulation. But, shaking it off, she took a breath and concentrated, flexing her hand. She pictured her staff returning from the space that she had sent it, pulling on it like a thread. Then, a second later, blue flames surrounded her fingers and shot outward. In the next instance, they dissipated as the familiar weight of the weapon settled into her palm.

The other three girls gave appreciative noises, with the Embodiment going as far as to give a small applause. She scooted closer as the black-haired woman put the tuning fork into her lap, running a finger along the blue-black metal. “Damn - this looks elegant. You could definitely skewer someone with those prongs, too. Though, I’m guessing it can do more than that?”

“A lot of different soundwave attacks,” the sound demon confirmed, rubbing her own hand on the other end. “It can make a person’s ears bleed from sheer pitch or break apart the ground by thrusting the tips into it. I always thought some of it was overkill, but hey, once people know what it can do, it makes a great deterrent.” She also could not deny the use it all had for the breakout, as well.

...But it was not just an instrument of destruction. She stood up giving herself a little space as she held the tuning fork with its prongs up. “It’s not just to help me fend off attackers, though. It’s also meant to allow me to enhance my charms... or just let me be heard for a greater distance.” To make her point, she reached up and put her finger on a small spot between the flowers and tips. She sent a small jolt of power through them-

-and in response, the points were surrounded by blue flames. They swirled around for a few seconds, changing shape as they changed the weapon. Then, they faded away... and instead of a tuning fork, she now looked to be holding a microphone, entirely made of metal. It glistened even in the normal light of the living room.

The others regarded the change with fascination. The rat-girl, though, also looked a little confused. “Did it always change into that? I thought microphones were invented in like... the last century or so.”

“1876, actually, by Alexander Graham Bell,” Mumei responded casually. “At least, he patented the name. Emile Berliner made further strides to make it more usable for commercial use.”

Bae quirked an eyebrow at her friend, animal ears twitching. “Been reading from journals from that time, or...?”

The Guardian shrugged. “I got bored a few weeks ago and looked through them to see if I had written down the origins of some of our streaming equipment... It also turns out that I bumped into Alexander one time and nearly broke his leg on some stairs by tripping him.”

The Embodiment scoffed playfully. “I can’t even be surprised that was your first impression with a historical figure.”

Nerissa giggled, drawing attention back to herself. “Well, to answer your question, it used to just turn into a ring. It’s partially mentally influenced, though, so I was able to get it to look like a mic during tests eventually. It’s done this for the last decade or so since I started seeing musical characters using it in shows.”

She set the other end on the ground, spinning the staff casually on that tip. “What it looks like doesn’t really matter. What does is that in this form, I can project my voice to be heard over a great distance - about a dozen kilometers or so. Heck, with a special boost, it can be heard even further than that! It’s like an all-encompassing sound for anyone in that range. So if I want to give a performance for an entire community to enjoy, it’s a cinch!”

If the three other women were not impressed enough before, they certainly were now. IRyS’ eyes were wide as she stood up and came next to her, tapping the metal portion resembling a mic. “That... Like, wow. Your family spared no expense in making this for you, huh? I can’t imagine this was cheap.”

Bae nodded from where she sat. “No kidding. This many features make me think of one of those complicated creations Kaela displays in her forge.”

The sound demon sighed, looking at her staff as she pressed her finger back to that same point. Her eyes got a little distant as she watched the flames envelop the top and started to transform it back into a tuning fork. “Yeah... they really cared about me. So did my sisters and brother, and...”

She trailed off, getting lost in her memories for a moment. She could picture them now: Malpha as she let her hold her first child; Aradia as they competed to see who could sing the best; Malphis as he ran away laughing after splashing her with water. She could almost feel her mother as she brushed her hair and sang her to sleep, or her father’s grip on her shoulder as he explained how to deal with bullies when she was really young.

It was always the memories of them smiling or encouraging her that came to mind these last few millennia. She... did not know if that made being away for so long just slightly better or more painful. Yet either way, despite having tried to ignore it, that hollow spot in her heart reserved just for them kept eating away at her. That space filled with so many questions about how they were doing; if they still missed her; if... they had mourned for her-

She had not realized how long she had spaced out until a hand was on her cheek suddenly. Her eyes snapped toward it, following the arm down... and was met with the concerned eyes of Mumei, whose movements were uncertain. “Hey, are you okay? Do you need to sit down again?”

The raven-girl was almost confused by the question... until she realized those fingers were brushing away something wet going down her face. She had not even realized she was crying, but now that she did, she felt unable to stop them. They came faster, if anything, as she closed her eyes, her voice choked. “Y-yeah... I probably should.”

She allowed herself to be led over to the chair previously taken by the Guardian. Setting her tuning fork to lean against the side of it, she collapsed into it, quickly rubbing her eyes with her arm to dry them. Bae came up a moment later with her water bottle, which she accepted gratefully as she took several gulps.

The cool liquid helped to ground her some as she finished drinking. Taking a deep breath, she looked over at the three people hovering on either side of her, squirming slightly under their gazes. “I... I’m sorry. I-”

“For what - missing your family?” IRyS asked, moving closer and setting her hand on the other’s forearm. “You... Gods, I should have realized that before making those kinds of comments. You haven’t seen them in so long. It’s okay to be upset about it.”

Swallowing thickly, Nerissa looked at the ground, her fingers gripping the armrest. “I... You’re right. I just...” She sighed, lifting one hand to rub her forehead. “I didn’t want this meeting to be too... solemn? I’m not sure that’s right, but... I spend so much time in The Cell feeling guilty and thinking I’d never actually get out. I just didn’t want to focus on that too much. To just... enjoy meeting new people and talk about music.”

The Nephilim gave her arm a small squeeze, before sending her a wry smile. “Well, you came to the right person for that... But we’re a bit past that topic by now.”

The sound demon chuckled despite her dour mood. “Yeah... it was maybe not the smartest plan.” She shook her head, rubbing it some more. “I... I miss them, though. I didn’t... They just thought I would be gone for a few years traveling - seeing some other Realms on my own for once. It shouldn’t have been longer than a decade - barely any time for us demons to be away. All I wanted to do was to go around and sing for others, and...”

The others all had sorrowful expressions, exchanging looks. Mumei stepped next to her, wrapping her in a small hug as she spoke quietly. “That... must have been awful. I’ve never had a proper family, but... for you to have suddenly disappeared... I can picture how the rest of the Council would react if that happened to me. Or how I would if one of them vanished - especially Kronii.”

“No kidding,” Bae said sadly, standing behind her with her arms crossed. “Just... to have no clue what happened...”

“...They probably had some guesses, even if they were not accurate,” the raven-girl murmured without thinking. “Can’t imagine what I caused slipped by them...”

She had barely realized she had said this until she noticed the confused stares of the others, IRyS tilting her head at her. “‘What you caused?’ What does that mean?”

Freezing up slightly, Nerissa looked away from all of them, pursing her lips. “It’s... I’m...” She struggled to find something to say, yet she was torn between being truthful and trying to deflect. On the one hand, she did not plan to keep it to herself forever - if they were to learn about what transpired from anyone, she would prefer it to be herself. But on the other... it was quite something to unload onto people she had just met. Even with all the turns this meeting had been taking, would it actually be fine to-?

The side of her head was poked, making her turn to see Mumei once more peering down at her. Lips pressed into a thin line, she let go of her and leaned on the armrest as she spoke. “I’m guessing something bad happened to you before you were captured?”

Hesitating, the sound demon eventually nodded, unable to fully meet her gaze. The owl-girl did not force it, though, as she gave a long sigh, her gaze gentle. “Look, we said it before - you don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to. But if there’s anything we can do to help, we honestly wouldn’t mind.”

Bae nodded along with this, setting her head on her friend’s shoulder. “Yeah - you’ve been a good guest so far. Considerate, a bit flirty, and you kept me from freaking out too much. All good in my view!” She smiled toothily. “So don’t be worried about spilling your heart out. Consider it me paying you back for the rocky start. Besides, I’m sure it can’t be any worse than what some of our coworkers have done.”

The raven-girl frowned. “How low is the bar here for that?”

“...Well, one of our Kouhais’ is a literal assassin and ‘cleaner,’” the rat-girl said. “And the rest of her Genmates don’t exactly have clean records themselves.”

Nerissa blinked, letting out a sigh. Still, her posture did relax a tad. “I’m guessing that’s related to that criminal group Laplus runs?”

“Yes - and good to also hear you’re familiar with some of the members of other branches,” IRyS confirmed. She sent her a warm expression, crouching next to her chair and resting her head on the armrest. “So, do you want to talk about it, or do you want us to find a way to distract you? I have a few albums from my favorite anime if you want to listen to those.”

The sound demon looked down, considering the offer... Glancing again at the assembled group, though, she made her decision. Guess I’ll just get this over with. If they think I’m a monster for it... I doubt much more time would change it.

Taking a deep breath, she settled back in the chair, folding her hands in her lap. “I don’t want to be too detailed about it, but... like I said, I was traveling the Realms. And at first, it was going well. I was drawing in crowds of people wherever I went, and whether I was doing any enchanting or not, everyone seemed to like it. I was able to make some money to keep on going, and was showered in lots of praise.

“It was amazing, honestly. I was considered good back home, but with people who had never heard another sound demon perform? I may as well have been an actual siren! The compliments kept coming, and... it got to my head. Made me bolder in not only how I performed, but also the amount of power I used.”

She sighed, laying her cheek on one hand as she propped her elbow. “I never took too much advantage of anyone - aside from that just feeling wrong, it sounded like a good way to get people hunting me down. But the effects I gave people became longer and more profound. I... I just wanted to make people feel amazing! To keep hearing that praise.”

She paused, then lowered her head as one hand absently went to her broken horn. “Then... I took it too far. In a large settlement, where several humans and other mortal races from all over came to listen to me - my first time doing it for them. I... I was having the time of my life. I was flying in the air, my staff overcharged by a local wizard to let me be heard for... I don’t even know. I’m not sure I want to at this point. I was singing my heart out, putting more passion into the enchantment I was weaving, and...” She closed her eyes. “I... I used my full power in my confidence, and then... chaos erupted around me... and fire.”

When she dared to look at the others, she was... mildly surprised to see no disgust on their faces. Their look in their wide eyes, however, gave away that they had caught on to what she probably met. The description of the broken screams and the scent of human blood - her first experience with both seeing and smelling it - hung in the back of her throat. But she kept that to herself, among the other terrible things she saw that day.

Eventually, after a bit of silence, Bae spoke up with a tone that was hard to discern. “Did... your mom or dad tell you that could happen? Is... that even what’s supposed to happen? Unless you were deliberately trying to cause madness, I... Which I’m not saying you were, just so we’re clear! I just don’t...”

IRyS nodded along slowly. “You’re right, though. I don’t think I’ve even heard of sirens making that kind of mistake. Did someone interfere with your performance? Take advantage of the full use of power?”

The raven-girl chuckled bitterly. “If only that were the case. My mom had given me warnings about what causing people to feel ‘pure’ emotions could drive them to do, but I wasn’t even enhancing emotions that would cause people to-” She cut off, briefly stricken by the memories of the... the corpses she saw in the wake of her song. Taking a steadying breath, her hand continued to rub over where her missing horn should be. “No... that day, I learned I was somehow born a bit more... special than others of my kind.”

The others' expressions were equally worried as they were curious, Mumei speaking this time. “Special in what way?”

“I... don’t know how A-chan explained our situation to you all, but me and my friends all have innate talents that can kill gods,” Nerissa explained. She ignored the shocked looks that got her as she looked to the side. “For me, that potential is in my voice... and for it, I need to use my full power. I never fully understood how, but... Shiori says that the bodies of gods are partially made of their emotions and minds. So I guess with the right pitch using my full strength... it would be like tearing away their ‘flesh,’ so to speak.

“But of course, anything devastating to a god is even more so to mortals - especially humans. And in my performance, I must have reached those notes, and...” She took another deep breath, her words feeling heavy now. “I... I should have listened to my mom. She had forbidden me from ever going full-out like that, even when assuming it would not be that devastating. We were... supposed to practice it finally when I got home after my trip, and...”

This time, she saw the Guardian reach out to grab her hand and was not as startled. What did surprise her, though, was the sad earnestness in her eyes. “Nerissa... I don’t know how much this means coming from me. But for whatever it’s worth, you shouldn’t be so harsh on yourself. If nobody, including yourself, knew about what your singing could cause at that level, then... while terrible, it was still an accident.”

The sound demon sighed. “Manslaughter still isn’t something you should get no punishment for. Especially on that scale.” Her torture excluded, she believed she earned at least that first century or two locked up for her mistake. (She rarely brought it up, knowing how upset it made her friends.)

“Well, it sounds like you didn’t get a proper trial regardless,” the Embodiment piped in, shaking her head. “Look, I’m not saying your culpability is zero in that. But... you know now what can happen with your music. And so you can avoid doing it in the future. There’s always time to make amends, too, now that you’re free.”

The raven-girl looked at her, then gave a less strained laugh. “That’s... along the lines of what the others had been telling me in The Cell, too. I guess it wasn’t entirely biased.” She then frowned, shrugging. “Though, I hardly have to worry about causing that anymore. Our captor found me amid that devastation and scooped me up when there were no witnesses to see. It ended up storing a portion of my power into one of my horns, and... broke it off.”

The others all flinched, with IRyS’ hands going to her own horns. “Okay... ow!”

“Tell me about it,” Nerissa mumbled. “The pain helped it to knock me out afterward, and the next thing I knew I was in a stone cell being tested on. It hid my horn, I’m pretty sure, but I have no clue where exactly. It wanted to test the effectiveness of my other abilities first before allowing me to use something that could actually hurt it.” It was the policy with all of them. Though, who knew what the timetable for the god was like for when it would have given it back? Was it an arbitrary time? Or simply when it would have believed she was broken enough?

Those thoughts never really helped her. Thus, she shook her head and moved along. “In some ways, I guess it’s for the better. I never want to be the cause of that kind of destruction again. Sure, I don’t think I can practice causing pure emotions anymore, but... at least I can sing my heart out without fear, right?” She smiled uncertainly, a certain... constricting feeling she could not place around her heart then. (She wondered if it would ever go away after what she did...)

She saw in the way they exchanged more looks that they wanted to say more about that. But, perhaps seeing that she was reaching her limits with this talk, Bae sighed before smiling at her. “Yeah, I... guess so.” She then looked to the side, lips quirking downward. “It’s still not fair it was stolen from you, though. Or that your family never knew what had happened to you.”

“...They knew where I was last,” the sound demon said quietly. “I wrote to them often - I didn’t have a reliable way to contact them otherwise. They probably went there to look for me... after the dust had settled.”

...The others paled a little, the rat-girl swallowing. “Oh...”

Biting her lips, the raven-girl took a slightly shaky breath. “It would have been the last impression they had of me. I don’t know if they would have thought I did it, or if they knew I did, if... it was done on purpose or not. And what have they thought all these millennia with no signs of me? That I went into hiding? That I died amid the carnage? I... I...”

She glared at nothing, a spike of anger hitting her. “I’ll never forgive that god for taking me from them! I wanted so badly to run home and cry to them about it! To be hugged by my siblings; hear my mother console me; even get punished by my dad to help atone for it all. I... just wanted to see them again.” She sniffled, a tear leaving her eyes. “I only wish I knew what they all thought happened... To know if... they’d want to see me again.”

A moment of silence passed through the room... Then, IRyS put a hand on her knee, her gaze kindly. “Would... you want to try and see?”

Nerissa closed her eyes, taking a deep breath once more as she clenched her hands. “...Yes. More than anything.” She opened her eyes and met hers. “I was actually hoping to ask about that. Since one of your parents is a demon, I assume you might have a way to contact them. So I was hoping you could help... pass on a message for me?”

The Nephilim nodded immediately. “For this? You wouldn’t even need to be my future Kouhai to ask. Do you want my dad to check around where they last lived and see about giving you a direct line to talk to them?”

The sound demon gulped, hesitantly shaking her head. “I’m... not sure I could keep myself together if I talked to them after this long. But I thought I could... at least write a letter to them. To try and explain what happened and let them know I’m... alive. If your father or anyone else could give it to them, then-”

She cut off at the sound of paper tearing. Looking that way, she yelped as a few pieces of paper were shoved into her chest by Mumei, who suddenly had a brown journal in her hand. “Say no more! You should get started writing immediately!”

The raven-girl grabbed the papers off of her, looking at her with bewilderment. “I... Where did you get that?”

The owl-girl shrugged, holding up the book. “I always have one on me when I go out, or some paper. I write down plenty of important things as they happen in the day sometimes so I definitely don’t forget to transcribe it later!”

Nerissa glanced between her and the pages. “And... you’re sure it's fine for me to have these? You were saying before how you-”

“It’s a burner journal - it’s no big deal,” Mumei said dismissively, waving her off. “Besides, I took those from the back. And they’re torn out now, so...”

IRyS stood up then, smiling widely at her. “And don’t worry about it getting delivered! I trust my dad to be able to find them. Even if they’ve moved since you got locked up, I’m sure he can find them by asking around!”

The sound demon looked between them all, then down at the papers. She swallowed thickly, a few tears in the corners of her eyes as she smiled a bit. “I don’t... know what to say. This...” She laughed lightly, wiping her eyes. “I... really didn’t know what to expect when we came here. You guys are so nice.”

“Aw, thank you!” Bae said, grinning as she patted her on the back. “And don’t you worry about repayment - we’re happy to help.” Her expression softened. “If you want to, though... then just do so by promising to have fun here in Hololive. Because it sounds like you and your friends need it.”

A second passed... and then the raven-girl smiled back and nodded. “Sure... I can do that... But only if I can try to be a friend to you all.”

The Embodiment’s smile only grew, patting her again in agreement to her terms. She then hopped back, pointing over to the television. “Well, if you want to get started on that, there’s nothing like a good old-fashioned gaming session to get to know people! Once this episode is done, is there anything you want to play?”

Nerissa hummed, glancing over to the shelves with the games they had - highly disorganized, naturally. After a bit of scanning, she eventually just shrugged. “I don’t really have a preference. You can pick whatever you want.”

The rat-girl gave her a thumbs up, turning to the shelf, too, while tapping her chin. “Hm... now, what would be a good co-op game? Or a party one? I could also dig up some of the board games we have, too.”

IRyS looked at her and smirked. “Oh? Maybe we should get out Monopoly and show Nerissa here how we... play.~”

...A heavy blush came over Bae’s face as she glared at her lover, then huffed as she went over to the games. “A video game it is, then... Also, let that fucking joke die. I’ve not seen a trace of it in months with chat.”

“Never gonna happen!” the Nephilim called to her, laughing as she got up, seeming intent to help her find an option.

The sound demon watched the couple for a moment, before looking to the Guardian and raising an eyebrow. “Um... am I missing something here?”

“A sexual joke that I think you’d find hilarious,” the owl-girl responded casually, giggling some. Once finished, she sent her a more easy smile, gesturing for her to stand. “While they work on that, though... how about we start writing that letter?” Not waiting for an answer, she got to work clearing off the table after this, setting the trays and mitts onto the couch carefully.

Glancing one more at her papers, the raven-girl took a deep breath. Then, with a small smile, she set them on the table and looked around for a pen or pencil. It would probably be best to get started now, like the brown-haired woman wanted. There were a lot of thoughts she needed to figure out how to write down and organize, after all. Hopefully with a little bit of help.

...Though, she wanted to ask about that Monopoly joke, first, curious what could possibly have gone down to cause it to become a thing.

-------

Even though the anime episode had long since ended, Nerissa had been writing for the better part of an hour and a half. They ended up going through a few more torn bits of paper, having trouble getting them just “right.” It got a little frustrating after a while, making her grip the offered pen tightly. Writing was not something that came easily to her unless it involved music, and even then it was usually for... happier reasons.

Still, she endured it as she went through each sheet. The others hovered nearby, reading her words as she wrote and occasionally offering suggestions. Otherwise, though, they kept quiet and gave her the space she needed. Their presence was a welcome one - while having any of her fellow convicts there would have been great, these three had proven quickly to be trustworthy. They helped to keep her grounded and focused, not wavering in her determination to get this done.

She frowned deeply as her hand moved, focusing as much as possible on the words. This could not be too long, but there was so much she wanted to convey in this message. It seemed impossible with all the lost time, and having no clue what their current impressions of her were. But... she kept trying. As if she could will each letter to convey how sorry she was - how much she missed them.

And then... she finished, signing her name at the bottom. She sat up from where she had been crouched in her chair, grabbing the paper to hold up to herself. She scanned each paragraph, checking for any imperfections in this version:

To my father, my mother, my two amazing older sisters, and my awesome younger brother,

I know you probably might not believe it’s me, but it is. I know you’ll be able to tell from the feather I’ve enclosed with this letter, but if you need more proof... I remember your story, mom, about how you once sang an entire platoon of angels into feeling fear and caused them to fly into one another. I still fondly recall the time you came to my school and just stood there to intimidate my biggest bully, dad. And I’ve missed the trips to the Luciferous Market I took with you, my dear brother and sisters.

It’s really me. And... I’m so sorry that I’ve been gone for so long. I didn’t want to be - I swear! I was captured by an evil person... and they did so many horrible things to figure out how a gift of mine worked. Not just mine, either, but also four other women who they took when we were all vulnerable. We only recently broke out of our captor’s prison, and we’re still working on just... believing we made it.

I would tell you more, but I don’t want you to anguish too much when you get this. Just know that I’m alive, and me and my friends from this prison have come to a town on Earth. We’re trying to settle down and make new lives for ourselves after millennia of imprisonment, taking an offer to be something called “Vtubers.” It’s something I hope will be a lot of fun for all of us! I’ll write my location on this world and exact address on the back of this letter.

There are... no words I can write, I’m realizing, to let you know just how much I’ve missed all of you. And I’ve been hurting so much, knowing you all might have thought I was dead. Or perhaps you think I’m a monster, since I know there’s little chance you didn’t see what I did to the last settlement I was at - something I did not mean to cause. But there were so many dead from my song that I... can’t blame you if it being an accident doesn’t matter to you.

But just know that however you feel about me... I still love you all. And if you still love me, then I hope you might one day visit me and my new friends in this town. I’m not sure it’s entirely safe for me to go to the underworld yet. Just know that I’ll be waiting for any of you to come. It’s been far too long since I got to look at any of your faces.

I’m sorry again for being gone this long. I won’t lie and say I’m doing alright now... but I trust my friends and the new people I’m meeting here to get me on that path. I hope I can introduce you to all of them here soon. But for now... know your little songbird will keep on singing, and try to do you all proud with my new chance.

Please stay safe - all of you. I pray to get a letter back from you all soon, assuming you don’t hate me. I’d love to mend things with you all... and am really wishing you feel the same.

-Nerissa Ravencroft

The sound demon’s eyes went over the letter several times, pursing her lips. She was still not sure it got everything across she wanted it to, but... perhaps it was good enough. Once she had an address to put on the back, it would at least open the road for them to come to her so she could say it all in person, anyway.

...Assuming they wanted to come, that was.

Yet before that idea could cause her to feel down, a body leaned on the back of her chair. She looked up at Mumei, who looked at her with a gentle smile. “So? Is it done?”

The raven-girl glanced between the woman and the letter... and soon, she chuckled, setting it down on the table again. “Yeah, I... think it is. I still need to add an address for them to come to, though. I hope Shiori works harder on getting us all a house.”

IRyS giggled as she picked up the now empty trays of food to carry them back to the kitchen. “Take your time on that. My dad isn’t going anywhere - he can do the delivery whenever.”

Nerissa nodded. “Thank you again for this. If you ever need anything, just ask.” She then had an idea, making her smirk as she gestured to the upper part of her body. “Maybe I can give you and Bae a performance sometime? I promise you I can dance as well as I can sing... however you wish me to.~”

The Nephilim laughed, grinning at her. “I can already tell you’ll fit in just fine... I can also already tell you and Kiara will get along great. I have to be there to see you both have a flirt-off!”

“Save that for later!” Bae told her as she fiddled with their Nintendo Switch. Grabbing four different joycons, she began to pass them out to everyone. “Now hurry up with putting those in the sink so we can get started! There’s no better way to build a sense of camaraderie than a bit of Mario Party!”

“I... would like to beg to differ from experience with my friends,” the sound demon quipped. She was smiling, however, as she was given her controller. She watched as IRyS quickly went into the kitchen, clearly a little impatient herself, while the Embodiment hopped onto the couch and... sat upside down, her joycon ready. The Guardian did not spare the redhead a glance, though, as she sat next to her and grabbed her own controller, a determined grin on her face.

Smiling lightly, the black-haired woman turned to the television as the intro sequence to the game began. Her thoughts still lingered on her family and what the future may hold with them... but she would try not to stress about it. Soon enough, she would have her answers about them.

And no matter what those were... she knew she could count on Shiori and the others to help her through it. Perhaps she could with these new “Senpais” of hers, too. With them, she could refind her purpose as she worked on being able to perform again and learn more about these new people.

And when she sang... she would make sure it spread joy from now on.

Chapter Text

No matter how hard she tried, Bijou was unable to relax even slightly since leaving the headquarters for Hololive. Even in there, she had not exactly felt all that safe after leaving the interview room. But at least in there, she had her friends close by and had known Omegaα would not let any harm come to them regardless. (Which only made her feel worse about her hesitance with the woman.)

But since she got in the back of this car - an “Uber,” apparently - it took everything in her to keep on breathing. The action helped her to ignore the crawling along her skin as they drove down the road every time a person outside glanced at their vehicle. It gave her thoughts something to focus on besides wondering if those people were staring directly at her. She had even taken to scratching her fingers on her legs to remind herself that nobody else could get her in there - it was her, A-chan, and the driver. Those were the only people who could touch her.

It somewhat worked... except for the reminder there were still two people who might try to break her into pieces.

That idea set her on edge, making her glance at the other occupants. The content director, sat next to her, was completely fine so far, though. She was lying back in her seat, casually texting on her phone as she waited for them to reach their destination. The short woman could feel her emotional state, too, and felt no desire to start pulling at her limbs. She... she was still sane, and the ring on her finger - silver with a purple gem on top and smaller blue and green ones along it - should keep it that way, allegedly.

The only thing there that was unusual was an undercurrent of... worry, though not directed at her. She was no mind reader, however, so without the reason being in front of her she could not tell what it was for. Thus, she tried to ignore it and let the blue-haired woman stew on whatever was causing the feeling.

As for the driver... the gem-girl was unsure. She could not see the man clearly from behind his seat, just barely able to make out the dark curly hair on his head. He had barely said two words to her since they got in, more focused on driving than conversing, seemingly. All she got were occasional grunts from him when a car ahead of them swerved weirdly.

Still, he had... not seemed bad since picking them up. His emotions were also unremarkable - more bored than anything. There was some tiredness in there as well, presumably from a bit of trouble sleeping, but nothing concerning. It should have been fine to be in the same space as him by all appearances.

...Except for those occasional, small waves of intrigue. The ones he got each time he glanced at his rearview mirror, which allowed him to see his passengers. An emotion she just knew was because of her.

It happened again just as she was thinking about it, making her go rigid. Her hands moved to squeeze the hems of her dress, the task of breathing forgotten for a brief second. She could not force air into her non-existent lungs, though, as she felt that gaze on her. It untethered her mind a little, causing it to conjure terrible images of what could be about to happen. Of the man scrambling out of his seat, uncaring of the car crashing as he tried to get to her. Of those strong-looking hands finding purchase on the small growths around her body and yanking -

But then his eyes returned to the road, and the emotion pittered out. Bijou took a deep, silent breath, the sudden intake of oxygen both painful and relieving. Ever-so-slowly, she managed to loosen her death grip on her clothes, trying to force herself to return to her breathing and... not relax, but not panic, at least.

...The guilt for her reaction came in soon after, too. She grimaced, her hands now moving to scratch both of her arms. She did not want to be scared of this man - he seemed like he was decent. Like Nodoka, he should only be lightly affected by her curse. She certainly did not want to be scared of everyone outside, whom they kept rolling by. Humans... were not bad people. She had seen it before her imprisonment before her curse ruined them. And she had felt such wonder back in that building, looking at the progress they had made on this world from that window.

But... that had been from an elevated position away from them. Here, they could get to her, and she knew all too well the sort of pain they could inflict upon her. Her curse might not have been working as it should have then, but... what if it suddenly did? What if she was forced to defend herself and cause more harm than she already had-

There was a tap in the space beside her. Her eyes darted down to the point... and found that A-chan was using her knuckles to make the rhythmic sound all of a sudden. She looked up to ask about it, but was immediately struck by the concerned furrow of the human’s eyebrows, also reflected in her tone. “Bijou, are you okay?”

The gem-girl blinked, not understanding the question for a moment. “Huh?”

The content director gestured to her arms, making her look down at them... At which point, she realized she was starting to make scratch marks along her skin. Unlike with flesh, though, they had a slight iridescent shine rather than being red. They more so resembled small carvings like a person might do with two rocks, actually.

...A cold feeling settled in her chest gem as she noticed this, her arms immediately shooting to her sides. She could not ignore the tingles of half-pain that emitted from them, though, which only further unsettled her. It had been... a good while since she had done that. It was a nervous tick Shiori and Nerissa had tried to get her to stop, and which had always made Fuwamoco upset. A way to... try and get her worse thoughts under control.

A few of the others had experience with self-harm, too, from their experiences in The Cell. But... with her, she could always handle a lot more than they could. She could even remember when her body had nearly had no areas without scratch marks on a few occasions. If she had been able to bleed...

She tried to shake those memories off, focusing back on the preset. Realizing that the blue-haired woman was still looking at her and she had been quiet for a long time, she sighed, looking to the side in shame. “I... No, I’m not... Thank you for pointing that out. I shouldn’t be doing that to myself.”

The content director did not appear to like the implication of that (which she should not). She glanced at their driver, who seemed to be ignoring them, eyes filled with concern. “Do you... want to get out? Ina’s apartment isn’t much further from here.”

“...I don’t think I could handle walking directly next to so many people,” Bijou admitted. At least while in there, she only had one person to worry about, and there was a barrier between her and other potential assailants. If the others were there, she might have been able to brave the sidewalks, but... not alone. Not yet.

A part of her was regretting not taking Nerissa’s offer for her to join her... but she had made her choice. She wanted to prove that she could function on her own and not let her fear of her curse control her. Maybe she had underestimated how afraid of people she still was, but... she could do this. She would get through this meeting with this EN member and not fall back on those old habits she had been burying for millennia.

She... she just wanted to live a nice life, despite her terrible power. Was that too much to ask?

More tapping made her realize she had been spacing out again. She turned again to A-chan, who sighed and nodded to her. “If you’re sure, then... I’m sorry I don’t have a car we could drive. I know you’d have probably felt safer then.”

The gem-girl shrugged, not denying that but not wanting to make the other woman feel worse. Her eyes then went to the human’s hand, still resting in the space between them, raising an eyebrow. “Hey, why... are you tapping there, anyway?”

Blinking, the content director coughed, giving an uncertain smile. “Ah, well... I didn’t know if you were fine with being touched out of the blue by... someone like me. So I figured that was the next best way to grab your attention while... trying to offer comfort? If you wanted to grab it or anything, I mean...”

...Bijou stared at her, several emotions suddenly flooding through her. Swallowing thickly, she looked down and clasped her hands together, trying not to cry. She could not even begin to describe what she felt: how touched she was by the consideration... and the self-loathing, knowing that “someone like me” meant “human.” It was a conflict that almost caused her problems breathing again, trying to keep it together.

Above these things and more, however... she just wanted a comforting touch. And so, taking a deep breath, she addressed her potential future boss without looking at her, worried she would lose her nerve if she looked. “You... can put a hand on my shoulder, if you’d like.”

A-chan looked at her, frowning a little. “You’re... sure?”

Hands clenching once more, the gem-girl was more direct with her request. “I... I want you to put it there.” She dared to glance over, her gaze pleading.

The content director’s eyes widened briefly, before being taken over by a more sympathetic expression. Carefully, she lifted her hand, letting it hover over the short woman’s shoulder. Then, after making eye contact for one last confirmation... she gently placed it there, rubbing the area a bit.

Bijou was unable to stop herself from tensing for a brief second, despite it being her uninjured shoulder. Once she got used to the touch, though, she let out a shaky breath, her posture sagging minutely. She was not exactly cold to the touch, but... there was something nice about the warmth of flesh. Perhaps it was another effect of being created by human emotions, but still, she relished the small contact.

The blue-haired woman, meanwhile, eventually settled her light grip on her and hummed, giving her a few gentle squeezes. “It’s so much like actual stone and gems, except... more yielding. I swear I can even feel a pulse underneath.”

“It sort of it, but not like yours,” the gem-girl explained, her voice less strained than before. “It’s energy that runs through me, acting sort of like veins and a nervous system both. All of it is regulated by my central gem, deep in my body. ” She tapped her chest gem, a faint shimmer coming from it as she did so. “This is an extension of it - one and the same, except this outer part is more... breakable.”

A-chan paused, before looking down, her voice soft. “I don’t like the way you said that last word.”

Bijou sighed, gazing out of the window melancholically. “It... all regenerates in the end. However it might be cracked, I’ll keep on going, so...” And no matter how many pieces I’m broken into, my body will reform somehow, she added mentally, but did not say aloud.

Pursing her lips, the content director’s free hand tapped the side of her phone, clearly unsure what to say to that. So instead, she appeared to just decide to move things along, looking to where she was still touching her. She shifted her hand, letting it rub the silver-haired woman’s back more. “I’m surprised you want me to do this. Even with my ring, I figured...”

The gem-girl shrugged, glancing behind her with a small smile. “I’m a little scared, I’ll admit. But... I’ve wanted this for so long. To be touched by a human without them going insane and trying to hurt me.” She shifted her posture, gently nudging the hand from getting too close to her still-healing cracks. “The others all held my hand and hugged me when they could back in The Cell, but it’s not as... impactful as what this means, if that makes sense?”

“I think I get it,” A-chan said, guiding her hand back to the shoulder. She caught her eye and gave her a hopeful smile. “The other humans in Hololive would gladly hug you as well if you asked. They’re all very friendly with one another, and you’re far from the strangest mythical being they’ll have hung out with.” She giggled. “Plus, charm or no, you do look very cute, which will sell them all on the idea!”

Bijou giggled as well, looking off with a smile as well. That would honestly be a dream come true to her. A whole collection of humans who could give her affection. Sure, she had some issues she needed to work on to accept stuff like this regularly, but one day...

It was a lovely thought... but she soon frowned, her mind circling back to the one thing that always made that impossible. “That depends on what’s caused the disruption to my curse, though... and how long it will last.”

That sobered the content director up, who sighed wearily. “I suppose... I mean, worst comes to worst, they could all wear special protection against charms. Or we could see about giving you a dedicated nullifier. I’m pretty sure Kiara has one for a stimulant she produces.”

The gem-girl huffed. “And what happens if they forget to put on their protection one day? Or what about the rest of the people in this town, who wouldn’t have one?” She took a deep breath. “Besides, I’ve... tried to use nullifiers. The Cell had plenty, too. But I still caused people to go crazy even then.”

She closed her eyes, lowering her head. “It... makes me a bit nervous about what’s caused this change, in a way. Like, I should be happy, but... what if it doesn’t last? And in that case, what if whatever’s caused this was pure chance and can’t be replicated? Or what-?”

“Bijou!” A-chan called to her, once again squeezing her shoulder. Once she was sure the short woman was listening, she let out a long exhale. “Look, I don’t pretend to understand what you’ve gone through and seen. All of this is well beyond me, and I’m truly sorry I don’t have any better ways to comfort you.

“But I promise you - if anyone can find out what’s happened, it’s my talents. And I know that if there’s a way to keep this change from going away, that they will do so.” She gently nudged the other woman, making her open her eyes, which allowed her to see the human’s encouraging smile. “Trust me - this will work out one way or another. You’ll never have to be scared of a human going crazy because of you ever again.”

Bijou kept her gaze locked with hers for a long moment. The more worn-down part of her had trouble believing those words. Ever since her conception and when she had been discovered by humanity, nothing had changed. All ways to lessen her effects had failed in the end, so what reason did she truly have to believe this was any different? For all she knew, all of her worst fears were about to be confirmed, and... she would have to leave town to protect it and herself. And if she did that... her friends would follow and have to give up this wonderful opportunity, no matter what she might say.

These ideas weighed heavily on her... and yet, she was unable to fully dismiss the blue-haired woman’s claims. Just something about how passionate she was, as well as her kindness so far, made her want to believe that perhaps... she was right. That for once, her luck might have finally changed and there might be something better waiting in her future.

She had lived in despair for too long... which her friends had dragged her out of. She would not let their efforts go to waste by doubting herself now.

Thus, with another deep breath, the gem-girl slowly nodded, trying to smile. “I... guess we’ll see.” She rubbed one of her arms, chuckling bashfully. “I... do hope I’m not intruding on Ina too much, though. This is quite a lot of responsibility to saddle upon her.”

“Given the circumstances, she’ll be more than glad to help - believe me,” the content director reassured. A certain twinkle entered her eyes as she grinned. “I’m not just talking about her magical abilities, either. You’ll be in good hands with her. You won’t have to worry about being stressed with her at all - especially since I think her girlfriends are in.”

The gem-girl tilted her head at this. This Ina woman had looked like a rather approachable girl from the picture she had seen, even with her connection to the Ancient Ones. But... was she really that relaxing of a presence that made this woman so confident in saying so? And who were these girlfriends she was mentioning?

...Well, regardless, she decided to take heart that A-chan did not appear to believe there would be any incidents. She stretched her back, getting more comfortable in her seat. “We’ll know soon enough, I suppose.”

The content director nodded, looking out the front of the car. “It should only take a few more minutes to reach there if traffic permits. Do you want me to walk you to her door, or do you want me to give you directions for the short walk? I can’t stay, though, unfortunately, since I still have work I need to get back to.”

“That’s fine,” Bijou said, quickly making her decision. “I think I can handle walking there on my own. It’s not as bad as trying to go down these streets.” It would be a nice, secluded building where hopefully not too many of the residents would be about. She could make it to the door alright, she figured.

...Even so, though, she paused, looking at the hand still on her shoulder. Blushing slightly, she cleared her throat and made one last request before they would have to part ways. “Um... can you keep holding me until we get there?”

A-chan smiled warmly, patting her on her back. “Of course.”

Sending a smile back, the gem-girl sighed and turned to look out the window. The number of people had gone down for this area of town, so she took the opportunity to admire the scenery a bit without being so nervous. She tried to cling to the optimism the content director, as well as her friends, had seemed to have about this. You have everyone’s support. Just be calm, and hopefully... we’ll figure out what happened, if nothing else. Perhaps Shiori can do something with that if Ina can’t.

Everything should be fine... So why, despite this, did she have an uneasy feeling she would not like the answer coming to her?

-------

It had not taken long for Bijou to reach the apartment door after leaving the car and waving goodbye to A-chan. As she had hoped, the stairwell up to the floor had been empty, allowing her to safely float herself up through the open middle using her wings. The hall had also been scarce of people, though she had quickened her step after hearing activity behind one or two other doors. Yet not one human had glimpsed her as she went to her destination.

She did not even need to double-check the room number as she stood before this one. While her emotional senses were mostly in tune with humans, she could on occasion pick up on feelings from other species and beings. It normally required contact and a bit of concentration on her part, but being able to at a distance had happened... especially when the source was incredibly powerful.

And that was the best way to describe the feeling of the Ancient Ones she got from this place. It was not forceful, like she always imagined a first encounter with them to be, and in fact was quite subtle. But it still radiated from the room beyond - a piece of their influence left to linger in this world. Just the glimpse of their strange emotions she was getting from here from when they did their work... It was somehow more baffling than their captor’s had been, to put it mildly.

Still, the gem-girl was able to tune it out after a moment. She let those feelings bounce off of her as she took a deep breath, working up the courage to knock. She knew she could not linger too long - she was expected, and if she did not go in soon, this Ina might get worried. What kind of first impression would she be giving to cause the woman to rush out, only to find her guest hovering in the halls?

But... it was hard to take that step. Even at this point, her chest gem quivered, expecting to be met with crazy eyes the moment eyes were laid upon her. She knew this person had been human once from those few questions she had been willing to ask. What if her masters’ altering of her would not protect her like Shiori’s changes?

And... call her biased, but meeting with a practitioner of a kind of magic that was infamous for causing all kinds of beings to go insane was not the most... encouraging thing. Even if Ina had control...

...But then she looked down at her arms and the fresh scratch marks she had left. The sight hardened her resolve a little bit more, allowing her to take some steadying breaths. Her fears would not get the better of her again. She was determined to make sure those marks were a fluke - that her fear would not consume her so shortly after getting free.

She took a moment to steady herself. She pictured Shiori’s kind eyes; the soothing singling of Nerissa; the fluffy and fuzzy feeling of Fuwamoco against her... Then, she reached up and knocked on the door.

Bijou barely had to wait any time before someone approached from the other side. She squared her shoulders, prepared to look Ina in the eyes and prove that she was brave. The door unlocked, and it swung open, her greeting on the tip of her tongue-

-only to find herself blinking. For instead of a woman with purple hair, she was met with one with green hair. Little antlers with what looked like leaves growing in them were also on her head, helping to accentuate her yellow eyes. She also wore a green dress with a white coat, both with golden accents, and the inner part of the latter had pink designs of flowers.

This stranger did not appear surprised by her arrival. She smiled sweetly at her, crouching and offering her hand. “Hello, there. I’m guessing you’re Bijou?”

Still a little surprised, the gem-girl quickly cleared her throat and nodded. “Um... y-yeah, that’s me.” She cringed internally at the awkward greeting. A-chan had said there might be other people here, did she not? Yet she was still caught off guard? Trying to cover it up, she accepted the hand and shook it. “And... you are?”

The woman giggled. “I’m Ceres Fauna. I’m the Keeper of Nature and a member of the Council. It’s so nice to meet you!”

...Bijou tensed for the briefest of seconds at this. But she quickly tried to shake it off and smiled as best as she could back. “Nice... to meet you. I guess you already know my name, but I’m Koseki Bijou, the Jewel of Emotions! It’s good to meet you, too... even if I wasn’t quite expecting it.” Even though A-chan had mentioned there might be other people there, she had not expected one of them to be the one to answer.

“Oh, we were just having a lazy day in,” Fauna explained, standing up again. “It was just going to be me making some tea and stuff for them while my two lovely ladies drew all day before going back to my house to sleep together. Nothing too special.” She smiled warmly. “But then we got word that Omegaα had gotten back, and had brought along some of our potential Kouhais.”

The gem-girl grinned bashfully back, glancing away. “Heh... well, I’m sorry for interrupting you all’s hangout. I hope I’m not being a bother.”

“Not at all!” the Keeper reassured, gently pulling her inside. “Come on - let me get you something to drink. Do you like peach tea? I just finished making some.”

“I-I’m more of a coffee girl, but tea is fine,” Bijou said, looking around the living room area she was brought into. It had a purple couch and a few chairs, with a small coffee table between them. The walls were violet with various drawn pictures on them, with many depicting some of the people she had seen on A-chan’s phone earlier. There was another door that led somewhere and an entryway to a hall that went off in two directions, which... confused her. They seemed to go into areas where other apartments nearby were, and extended beyond the building’s outer walls. How did...?

It’s probably what that power I was feeling before was, she quickly realized, letting herself be sat down on the couch. Giving her another smile, Fauna walked off toward the other door, opening it to reveal a kitchen beyond. She disappeared within, leaving her guest alone to continue staring at the distorted dimensions of this apartment.

...She hated how she also relaxed more once the other was gone. She growled at herself, shaking her head in disbelief. Was this really how low her time in The Cell had sunken her to react in such ways? She barely understood why, given how... relatively well she had done with the content director. Most of her trepidation there had been due to the other’s humanity, which, given her curse, made it at least somewhat justified.

Why did this have to be different? Why did she have to feel so judgmental? Why could she not be totally at ease here despite the connection the green-haired woman had to-?

A voice suddenly came from where the hall was, bright and bubbly. “Fauna? Was that-? Oh, hey there! So you’re the potential new EN member?”

Startled, the gem-girl whipped her head around at the new arrival. A woman with whitish brown hair done in twin-tails - three balls colored pink, white, and blue in each - and golden eyes was practically beaming at her, a pink, swirl-shaped accessory also on her head. Her skin was darker than those she had met so far here, and she had on a white dress with a blue corset whose sparkles reminded her of stars. (And... she could not help but note how they worked in tandem to emphasize her... sizable chest.)

This person closed the distance quickly, sitting down beside her as she continued to smile widely. “Welcome to town! I’m Tsukumo Sana, the Speaker of Space!”

“B-Bijou,” the short woman managed, once more trying to mask any flinches. That name she recognized from the interview as being a Council member, too. More shame filled her as she fought to not squirm, her self-berating from before getting worse. Of course I had to meet two of them at once - just to make this harder. I... they don’t deserve for me to be acting like this!

She sucked in a quiet breath, trying to think of a way to hopefully distract herself from those feelings. Latching on to what she remembered hearing before, she looked at the taller woman curiously. “You’re... the member who graduated, right? A-chan mentioned that...”

Sana nodded, not looking too upset by the question. “Yeah, I am. It’s a little unfortunate - just a bad series of events in a row - but it’s no big deal. I’m doing better, and I’m making a good amount of money from my artwork. Plus, I still get to see and talk with everyone!”

Bijou nodded along, seeing what she was getting at. “I guess so. It’s... not like I really understand what being a Vtuber is like yet, so I have no clue what leaving that life is like, either. Still, if you’re happy...”

The Speaker nodded back, before giving a wistful sigh. “I do kind of miss it at times, honestly. But I’ve made my choices, and so long as I still have the most important people in my life... isn’t that what matters most?”

The gem-girl blinked, the words... surprisingly striking a cord in her. It made her smile more genuinely as she shrugged. “Yeah... I guess so.” That was how she liked to imagine things would be with her friends, too. Even if they did not all want to be Vtubers while others did, she felt like they would find ways to stay together, no matter what. 

It was common ground for them - one that eased her chest gem some... but not nearly as much as she would have liked.

Their small exchange was interrupted by Fauna returning, two cups of tea in her hand. She set one down in front of each of the other two, smiling at them. “I hope you like it hot, Bijou. Be careful not to burn your tongue.”

“Eh, it wouldn’t get properly burned anyway,” Bijou replied, proud of herself at how easily the light tone came from her that time. Still, she did take careful sips of hers, knowing that the sensation of burning her mouth was something she could experience. The sweet liquid slid down her throat, helping to further soothe some of her nerves.

Sana also drank her tea, sighing contently and smiling warmly at the green-haired woman. “Delicious as always, sweety.”

The Keeper giggled, giving her a quick peck on her cheek. “Anything for the most amazing, ‘beeg’ person around.”

The Speaker giggled as well, managing to use her free arm to pull the other into a hug without spilling her drink. The gem-girl, meanwhile, glanced at where the kiss had been placed. She remembered A-chan mentioning they were a couple, along with Ina, and she supposed that officially confirmed that. Guess they saw themselves as friends growing up rather than siblings. I wonder where Ina fits in, then, since she isn’t a Council member and probably hasn’t known them nearly as long as each other.

Not that she cared to comment on it - she had seen a few polyamorous humans in those times her curse did not immediately destroy them, and had no problems with the dynamic. There was sometimes brewing jealousy and feelings of neglect that she knew could crop up from these types of relationships. However, if one could make it work... well, that was more people that loved you, was it not?

Given how casual they seemed about it, she figured she did not have to worry about witnessing a domestic. Thus, she simply shrugged off the information and continued sipping her tea, also giving a content sigh as she looked at them. “So where’s Ina? I was... told she could help me out with something.”

Fauna shrugged, before surprisingly taking a seat on her other side instead of with her girlfriend. “She’s communing with the Ancient Ones right now. She’s done these sorts of bargains before, but I think she wants to get some details worked out. Specifically so it does not end up costing you anything too important.”

Bijou tensed, eyes snapping to her with a bit of apprehension. “Cost? W-what exactly are they going to take from me?” She did not even have anything to give! She had been locked up for millennia until yesterday!

...Unless they wanted her. Her breath nearly caught, already imagining her body being broken down again. She could picture those otherworldly beings feasting upon her power, gorging themselves as she was reduced to a pile of-

A hand on her shoulder made her jump, pushing herself into the couch as she looked fearfully at the source. But... it was just Sana, who had retracted her hand with wide eyes. She looked her over, her worry almost palpable. “B... Bijou?”

The gem-girl blinked, realizing she had begun to tremble. She suddenly jerked back forward as well as she checked her arms, worried that she had unintentionally tried to scratch at them again. But there was no sign of any further damage than what she had inflicted on them already.

...But unfortunately, that appeared to make the other two finally notice the scratches already there. Fauna gasped, gently clasping her arms as she leaned in to inspect them. “What happened to you? Do they hurt? How did I not see these?”

Bijou swallowed thickly, trying to take her arm back. “I-it’s nothing. I just... they can be hard to see depending on the light, so-”

Before she could try to elaborate and calm the other down... those hands went further up her arm to inspect for more damage. At which point... she could pinpoint the exact moment the Keeper noticed her gunshot wound, given how she tensed. She sucked in another breath, her voice tight with horror. “W-what the-?! What did this ?!”

The Speaker looked over the short woman’s shoulder to inspect it, her eyes widening further. “Oh, hell! That... Christ, you’ve been through the wringer, huh? I mean, when I heard you broke out of prison, maybe I should have figured that, but... Do you need anything?”

Fauna nodded rapidly, though seemed to be recovering from her shock, trying to keep her voice level. “What she said! I... have a golden apple you can try! I’m not sure how well its healing properties will work for you, but if you want a bite, I...”

The gem-girl was unable to respond immediately. Her breath was shallowing, the entire situation spiraling in a direction she did not want it to. Her imagination was working in full force again, the reminder of her wound and the pain from it fueling the horrible images. Of more and more of herself being taken off as she was chipped, and chipped, and chipped 

She yanked her arms back and hugged herself tightly, shutting her eyes and yelling. (She was only dimly aware of her teacup falling to the floor and spilling from that.) “I-I said it’s nothing! I’m fine! J-just leave it all be!”

...Clarity hit her almost as soon as she finished shouting. Her whole body went rigid, the silence hanging in the air like a hammer poised to strike the stone below. Her jaw shifted, her teeth grinding together, but she could not force her mouth to open again. She could not open her eyes, either, having no clue what expressions were on the other two’s faces.

A whimper left her, feeling pathetic as she curled up on herself. She... she felt pathetic at that moment. First she had made those scratches, and now she was waving a panic attack? Just... what was wrong with her? She had not even been away from the others for two hours! Nothing bad had happened to her yet since escaping! She... she was away from the guards and her captor!

So why... why was she acting like this?

A chocked sound left her, and she wondered if she was about to have trouble breathing again... But then a hand, ever so slowly in case she wanted to protest, she guessed, entered her hair. When she did not flinch away (could she not make up her mind on if she wanted touch or not?), Fauna’s gentle voice reached her ear as she began to brush her locks. “Bijou? Can you hear me? I need you to take a few deep breaths for me, okay?”

Bijou hissed, her breath stuttering painfully as she tried to comply. But the fingers in her hair gave her something to focus on, so eventually she was able to start leveling it out. Another hand came from the other, too, as Sana carefully rubbed her back, not too dissimilar to A-chan back in the car. Her touch, though, had more strength to it, yet was being incredibly gentle as it went over the area.

She concentrated on the sensations, her earlier unease with them forgotten for the moment. Her breathing continued to normalize as she sniffled, stopping herself from full-on crying. Soon, she felt well enough to begin uncurling, her posture sagging. The whole time, the Keeper kept whispering to her to keep breathing and to focus on her voice.

Finally, she dared to open her eyes to look at them. And... to their credit, they looked remarkably composed despite the deep concern in their eyes. But while their gazes were not exactly pitying, she still internally winced as the Speaker caught her eye and smiled sadly. “Hey. Are you feeling better? Do you need a drink?” She held out her tea for the short woman, not being forceful with the gesture.

After a moment, the gem-girl wordlessly accepted the cup, her hand only lightly shaking as she took it. It was also then that she looked down and saw her previous cup on the floor, wincing at the liquid that had pooled there. She took a careful sip of this new one, though, as she tried to find her voice, wondering how to apologize for this-

-only for Fauna to beat her to it, who looked down with a guilty expression. “I’m sorry, Bijou. I... shouldn’t have touched you so suddenly. I just got worried when I noticed the scratches, and... You obviously don’t seem to bleed, so I wasn’t sure how bad it was and panicked a little.”

Blinking in shock at the apology, the gem-girl set aside her cup and tried to shake her head. “No, you didn’t... You just wanted to help.”

“That doesn’t mean I couldn’t have given you some more space,” the Keeper retorted. The hand she had in her hair moved away before grasping one of the silver-haired woman’s hands. “You were clearly uncomfortable. Causing you to feel overwhelmed isn’t going to solve anything. I even have a friend who doesn’t like it when we fuss over her injuries excessively, so I should’ve known better.”

Bijou bit her lips, glancing over her shoulder. “I mean... to be fair, I doubt your friend just has exposed cracks in her skin that glow.”

A mild bit of relief went through her at the giggle that got out of Fauna. “That’s true, I suppose.” She looked at the injury again, a sad frown crossing her lips. “Is... really doesn’t look pretty. Would you... like us to try anything to help it?”

Sighing, the gem-girl shook her head. “I wouldn’t bother, unless you know anything about melding stones and gems. Most traditional healing magic doesn’t usually have much of an effect on me. It’s best to just let it heal on its own. It’ll be good as new in a few days, anyway.”

“...Do I even want to know what caused it?”

“...Shot by a rifle. Which is, somehow, not the most painful way I’ve gotten an injury like this.”

The Keeper grimaced, clearly troubled by that information. Sana, on the other hand, was looking at her intently, something unreadable in her tone. “Did... you get injured a lot in the prison you and your friends were at?”

Bijou paused, unsure what she wanted to say on that for a second. A-chan had reassured them all that they did not have to share their experiences in The Cell if they did not want to with the EN members. And frankly, she did not want to say too much on the matter. There were too many painful memories tied to that place. ( Though then again, was that not her entire life? )

But... she felt they deserved some sort of explanation for suddenly freaking out on their girlfriend’s couch. So, looking away, she chose her words carefully. “They... often needed... p-pieces of me for their tests. To try and figure out what about my properties can be used to kill a god, so that the one who caught us could... counter it, I guess. Or stop new Jewels of Emotion from ever popping up.”

The Speaker looked down, her hands clenching in her lap as her voice tightened. “So it’s true... Another god was involved in all of this. I... How dare they...! Dammit!” She pounded her fists against her leg, her hair hiding her eyes but not the way her teeth suddenly bared.

The gem-girl scooted away a bit at the sudden aggression. This was apparently unusual behavior, too, as Fauna was gaping at her, eyes blown wide. She let go of the short woman and reached out toward her lover. “S-Sana?”

Said woman took a deep breath, and almost in an instant, that moment of anger vanished. She looked over at her girlfriend apologetically, sending her a small smile as she grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry. I... this isn’t the place for any of that... though I think we need to ‘debate’ some things with the rest of the Council here soon regarding... upper management.”

She then turned her attention to Bijou, her other hand not having left her back as she frowned deeply. “But that... they took pieces of you? As in... large chunks at a time? Not just anything that naturally fell off?”

Grimacing, Bijou reluctantly nodded in confirmation. It caused the Keeper to wince, her hand returning to hers. “Oh, dear... You poor thing. I... I can’t even imagine what that was like.” She looked at the teacup. “Please - is there anything I can go get for you? You said you liked coffee, right? What’s your favorite kind? I’m sure I can brew something up really fast!”

Sana nodded, offering her another smile. “I can also bake you something if you’d like? I’m sure Ina would like some anyway after her communion is done, so don’t worry about how long it might take if that’s a concern! Oh! Or maybe you’d like to take some time to explore one of our domains? I imagine it must have been fairly cramped wherever you were locked away in. How about we spread your wings and fly a bit!”

Fauna chuckled at her lover’s enthusiasm. “I’m... not sure we have quite that much time. I don’t think Ina wants to do her thing when night is falling.”

“Oh, come on,” the Speaker insisted, a faux pout on her face. “It would only be a quick trip into the upper atmosphere - I promise! A few circles around the planet can be a lot of fun.”

“I’m not disagreeing,” the Keeper said. “But I think she’s more used to having gravity and not ending up in freefall. It would probably be better to take her to my forest if we are going to take her anywhere, but even that might take too long.”

The two continued to debate like this, trying to decide what might make their guest feel better. And as for Bijou... she just looked between them, her chest gem starting to throb. They... were just trying so hard to help her - a total stranger. Showing more empathy for her just like her Omegaα, A-chan, and Nodoka had, which still felt so strange after millennia of basically only being able to rely on her fellow convicts.

And... thanks to them touching her, she could concentrate and sense their emotions. The potency of their sympathy... It was all she had ever wanted to feel from others her entire life... All coming from people who she...

She was aware of the tears falling from her eyes now, but she no longer cared to stop them. She took a shaky breath, lowering her head. Her voice was incredibly quiet, but audible enough to still be heard. “I... I’m sorry.”

The other two focused back on her, eyes widening a little at seeing her cry. Still, they did not clamor over her like last time. Instead, Sana moved her hand to her good shoulder and squeezed it. “Sorry... for what?”

The gem-girl sniffled, wiping at her eyes. “I... You guys make me... uneasy.” Before they could respond, she hastily tried to explain herself. “I-it’s not anything either of you did! I... I hate that I feel this way, but you...” She tried to take a deep breath. “You... I can’t talk about it, but you have no idea what that god did to me. The ways it hurt me... my friends... Sometimes it felt almost preferable to just be punished by our guards directly.

“It’s... it’s already made me uneasy around Omegaα, and... I don’t want to be, but I’m scared of her. Just knowing she can do those same things to me, even if my mind is screaming that she wouldn’t...” She whimpered, raising her knees back up to hug them. “And... you guys, having been trained by her... It’s not as strong, but just coming in, I... just for a few moments, but...”

She closed her eyes, burying her face in her knees. “I... I don’t know how to make it stop. You’re both trying to be so kind to me, yet I keep... And all the devastation that my mere presence caused...” She giggled hollowly. “You... you don’t even know that part. How I’m cursed - all the humans that I... If you knew, you’d probably kick me out. I-”

Fauna’s hand suddenly returned to her hair, gently combing through it. When she spoke, she kept her voice light and soothing. “Bijou... we know that part. A-chan had to message Ina about it so she could help you. And... we were all together, so we had kind of read it before we realized how private that was probably meant to be.”

Bijou... did not know how to feel about that one. “Oh...”

Sana gave an apologetic sigh. “Yeah, we’re sorry about that one. Most of her messages are not nearly that serious. We weren’t going to mention anything in case you wanted to keep it between yourself and Ina, but... Well, neither of us is going to listen to you be so hard on yourself.”

She got off the couch then, making the short woman open her eyes. She watched as the Speaker crouched in front of her, smiling so caringly. “Listen, you’ve... been through a lot, and it’s okay to be scared. If what you’re saying is true, then I’m sure Omegaα doesn’t blame you for being cautious around her. And we’re not angry at you, either. With how long I’m assuming you were in there - millennia, given how A-chan talked about it - it’s not going to be easy to just... leave all of it behind, no matter how much I think you, I, and your friends wish it was.

“But you don’t have to feel guilty over needing time to heal. If you ever need some space from us or the rest of the Council, we don’t mind. We know it isn’t out of real prejudice or a disliking of us. And, just as important, we can tell you’re trying to move past it. Something that we can help you with when you wish us to.”

Fauna nodded, continuing to pet her hair. “She’s right. And as for your ‘curse’... Never blame yourself for that. If there was a way to control it, I’m sure you would have. And whatever it takes to ‘break’ it, we’ll assist you and your friends with that. Not just because you’re our future Kouhais, but because it’s time your suffering ended. It should have a long time ago, but I guess better late than never...”

The gem-girl peered at her, managing a tiny smile. “You... don’t seem that doubtful about whether we’ll actually join.”

The Keeper giggled lightly. “Well... that’s because by the time you guys make that decision, I’m hoping we’ll be good friends already. That’ll make the choice easier, right?”

Glancing away for a few seconds, Bijou pondered both of their words. It was close to a lot of sentiments her friends had always expressed to her. She had thought they were working rather well... but that courage that let her break out appeared to have been mostly bravado now. It had all seemed so simple when escaping and when she was still with them, but since coming there, the full implications of everything were settling in, it seemed. The full enormity of the task of building a new life - one she had never even had a chance to truly have. To leave all that heartache and trauma behind.

To exist without... expecting pain every other day.

There was no ignoring any of that anymore. It... terrified her, not knowing what to do about it all. And that was assuming that the answers about her curse even permitted her to settle down there. But... she could always count on her friends to help her, right? And if her feelings really were understood by these two, then...

Nothing was certain yet... but she had already stumbled her way this far. Thus, taking a deep breath, she shyly looked over at Sana. “Um... You... said something about baking? I’ve... never really had any baked treats before, like... cookies.”

She had barely finished before the Speaker gasped, looking horrified, though the gleam in her eyes also showed how excited she was. “Never? Well, that just won’t do! It’s time we rectify this with a bunch of chocolate chip ones - space can wait!”

“Never thought I’d hear those words from you,” Fauna joked, smiling sweetly before leaning over to kiss her on the lips. She then stood up, straightening her clothes. “While you both do that, then, I’ll go see how Ina’s doing and get some updates. Hopefully, this ritual will not ask much out of you.”

The gem-girl paused, having nearly forgotten what caused her to freak out to begin with. Swallowing, she kept her voice steady as she got confirmation. “Um... but if I do have to pay anything, it... won’t be from my... body, will it?”

Understanding flashed in the other two’s eyes, seeming to connect the dots now. The Keeper gave her a calming smile, patting her head. “I doubt it. They may ask for a portion of your power, like they did with Bae and IRyS one time, but it shouldn’t require you to break off anything. Even with their difficulty interpreting things in our reality, I think they know by now Ina doesn’t like those kinds of prices, either. I will certainly raise the concern with her just in case, though.”

Bijou nodded, deciding that was good enough for now. With plans settled, the green-haired woman smiled at them both and gave one last wave. Then, she turned and walked out of the room and down the hallway

Sana hummed, before grabbing the remaining teacup and handing it to the short woman. “Here, you can finish that for me.” She gestured to the spill. “I’ll get some rags and stuff to clean up here really quick, then we can get started on making those cookies. You’re in luck, because we still have a bit of leftover supplies from making some earlier this month!”

“Alright, then,” the gem-girl agreed as the Council member got up and went toward the hall to get some cleaning supplies. Not having much of anything else to do, she followed behind her, nursing the cup while pursing her lips. “Look, I... even if you don’t care, I am sorry I’m... That you guys make...”

“You’re fine,” the Speaker insisted, smiling down at her. “Honestly, if it helps, I didn’t even really notice it until you said anything. That has to count for something!”

Bijou shrugged, sipping her tea. “Even so...”

Sana shrugged back, leading them to a closet in the hall and opening it. “Well, there’s no better way to bond than in making delicious treats! I’m sure there must be something we can talk about while we work. Have any suggestions? Maybe just want to hear about what’s happened on this world since you all got locked away?”

The gem-girl tapped her chin, considering potential options there. An idea came to her, though, as she watched her get out a few rags. “That would be nice, but... I was told Vtubers played lots of video games. We had some in The Cell. Do you have any favorites?”

The Speaker gasped excitedly, looking at her with delight. “Of course I do! Did you have any Pokémon games in there?”

The question got Bijou to smile widely. “Yeah! Those games were so fun! What was your favorite? Platinum? Soul Silver? Oh, or what about one of the spin-offs like Poképark?”

This appeared to be the right thing to say, as Sana’s smile only got bigger as she started to prattle off about the Black and White versions and her favorite generation. All the while, the Jewel of emotions listened carefully, her own commentary building in the back of her throat. Her chest gem even quivered a little - not out of fear, but eagerness.

It did not make her any less nervous about the meeting to come. But for the moment... she could let it hover in the back of her mind. Until then... she could at least pretend that things were alright for her.

-------

In theory, making cookie dough and then baking it was not supposed to take long. The recipe they used said that making the dough itself should have only taken fifteen minutes tops, and from there it was only about ten to bake them. So in total, it should have been done in half an hour.

Instead... it had taken nearly an hour and a half to make the dough alone.

It was not because Bijou and Sana spilled anything or made a mess. On the contrary, the latter was very careful with their supplies, and gave clear instructions on how to mix everything to the former. She had admitted that she normally liked to goof around and play with the flour and stuff, but considering the “special occasion,” she wanted this batch to be extra perfect. (Plus, the Jewel of Emotions had admitted to not really having another outfit currently, so getting it too dirty would be a small issue.)

The issue came in that the instructions were given amid them just... talking. First about Pokémon, then about other Nintendo games. That soon developed into the gem-girl mentioning her love of Fromsoft games and going off about a bit of Elden Ring lore. Then, the topic somehow shifted to some of the duties the Speaker did, like when she had to leave for a few months to move a black hole knocked out of proper orbit. And from there, the topics kept on shifting as they got really into things.

Even when Fauna got back from helping Ina, an hour in, she had only barely gotten them to focus. She even got roped into explaining how she was a kirin, and talking about her lover’s nickname as the “astro-girl” of town. She had not looked annoyed in the slightest by the delays, though - even kissing the dark-skinned woman for some compliments she dropped into a few of her rambles.

The whole time, Bijou found she could not stop smiling. The entire thing was just... comfy. It felt right out of one of those domestic scenes she had seen in anime, where new and old friends just... relaxed. No feelings of being threatened or that something might tear it all away, either. Just a small group of people doing a simple activity.

She and her friends had done what pretend they could in The Cell at times - another way to ignore the torment for a while. But those had been marred by the gray stones and guards watching them at all times. Not to mention they had to do it amid their captor’s tests, which, once completed, meant that they could no longer do this.

Getting to experience it now... she only wished she could be sharing it with them, too. Still, if the people they were meeting were anything like Sana and Fauna, she had a good feeling they would be having their own fun times. That thought helped her smile even more, already imagining what they could cook together - not for survival, but just for the fun of it! (Heck, she even hoped Shiori would throw in some of her abnormal ingredients when they did so.)

She sort have also wished that this could just be her entire visit there... but she knew there was no ignoring her need for answers. And eventually, they did manage to finish the dough and add in the chocolate chips. She was allowed to eat a bit of it from the bowl - the sweet taste nearly overwhelming after the dull food of their prison - and soon after they had little clumps placed out on a tray.

Once those were in the oven, though... she knew there was no more delaying.

It was why she gave no protest when the other two led her out of the kitchen and down the hallway. And now, they stood in front of a door painted with purple with golden trimmings. A picture hung on it, depicting a purple blob with closed eyes, a smile with a tiny fang, and a yellow halo above it. Just below it were words identifying what lay beyond it: “Ina’s Bedroom.”

But while the gem-girl was not interested in running, she still wrung her hands together as she read the words a few times. She looked at her hosts, hoping that the small tremble in her voice she felt was unnoticeable. “You... sure you can’t come in to give support?”

Sana smiled apologetically, patting her on the head. “Sorry, Bibi. Ina was pretty specific with Fauna. She wants privacy with just you two to ensure that nothing goes wrong. Even with the Ancient Ones guiding her hands, she doesn’t want to risk anything.”

Fauna nodded. “Yeah. Besides, we need to be ready to get out your cookies! We wouldn’t want them to burn, now would we?”

Bijou sighed, not really having an argument for either of those things. She did not want to think about what could happen if a magical procedure like this went wrong. It would likely involve permeating her whole being to know exactly where her curse originates from, she figured. If that power going through her were to falter...

Perhaps the effects would not be as severe as she was imagining. She... did have a sort of bias in the worse directions this could go. Still, given her anxiety going into this, she was more than willing to play on the side of caution... even if it met fewer people around directly to support her.

As if sensing her small turmoil, the Keeper sent her a reassuring smile, placing her hand on her good shoulder. “Don’t worry - Ina won’t let anything happen to you. And I’ve been reassured that whatever price she’s negotiated, it won’t involve even a chip as small as a grain from your body!”

The Speaker nodded, crouching to their guest’s level and ruffling her hair. “Trust us - Ina’s an expert in this magic. If her spells don’t even cause Fauna discomfort, despite technically being ‘unnatural,’ then you can be rest assured that she knows how to avoid causing you pain. Just follow her instructions, and everything will be okay.”

Taking a deep breath, the gem-girl slowly nodded, looking back at the picture on the door. Before she stepped in, though, she took one last moment to look at the duo and give them a small smile. “Alright... Also, I... Thank you for the fun earlier. It meant a lot to me.”

Sana smiled warmly at her. “It was no problem at all. Good luck in there, and try and get done as soon as possible. I want you to be able to have one of the cookies while they’re still warm and fresh!”

Fauna giggled, moving over and pulling her girlfriend to her feet. “Well, while we wait on both her and those, how about you help me water a few of the plants around the apartment? I’ve noticed a few are a bit thirsty.”

The Speaker nodded along, before the two of them walked down the hallway, telling the short woman good luck one last time as they headed back into the living room. Bijou waved after them, smiling as they went around the corner. Two people with so much power... and yet they live such simple lives here. And if they can, then...

Her gaze then returned to the door, glancing at the sign with the cute creature design. She took one last breath, bracing herself for whatever was about to happen. Then, she knocked on the door to alert the occupant inside, even if she had probably heard them talking out there. Immediately after, a soft voice called from within. “Come on in.”

Permission given, the gem-girl turned the handle and entered. The room she saw, besides its location, meaning it should be hanging off of the building but just... not, otherwise looked rather ordinary. It had the same violet walls, but with more depictions of the blob creature and other mascots, like a black creature with a skull face and a red and teal rat. More art adorned them with shelves filled with anime merch. The bed looked rather boring, honestly, with plain gray sheets, but a computer in one corner looked incredible with all the neon purples that glowed within the PC casing. (Certainly better than the plain boxes they had in The Cell.)

On a clear space on the floor was where the priestess, as she learned the woman thought of herself as, was sitting down on a purple cushion. Unlike the picture she had seen, though, she was wearing a black apron with patterned clothing beneath, a barret, and glasses that gave her the image of being a painter. No art supplies were in her hand, though - only a purple book with a red eye design floating above one she had held in front of her.

The purple-haired woman was reading the page she was on intently when she came in. Once the door was closed, though, she looked up at her and smiled softly, lowering her hand and letting the book float to her side. “Well, hello there. Good to meet you, Bijou.”

The gem-girl only paused for a second, making sure there was no hint of the other being charmed by her presence. When she saw no indications of this, though, she relaxed and smiled back. “It’s good to meet you, too. I... thank you for agreeing to meet me and help with this.”

Ina nodded, her face becoming a bit more solemn. “Of course. I get how important this is for you. Please, have a seat.” She gestured in front of her where the floor was empty at first. But then, from one corner of the room, a black portal suddenly opened up and a purple tentacle emerged, grabbing another cushion stacked there. The tendril extended itself over and placed it down for the short woman.

Blinking at the display, Bijou stepped over and sat down on the offered seat. As she did, she kept her eyes on the tentacle as it hovered there, its stance giving the impression of a dog sitting and waiting for a treat. Unsure if she was supposed to do anything with it, she raised a hand uncertainly, looking at her host. “Um... may I?”

The priestess nodded. “Go right ahead. A few of these are going to be involved in this ritual, so I want you to be as comfortable as possible with them.”

Humming, the gem-girl turned back to the tendril and let her hand run over it. Interestingly, it was not as sticky as she would have expected, feeling more plush than anything. It was also a bit warm to the touch, which was also a little surprising. It shook under her touch, reminding her of a cat betting its chin scratched this time.

Giggling lightly, she continued the motions as she looked toward the once-human again. “So, is this thing a part of you? Like, do you feel what I’m doing right now?”

“I kind of do, but not that much,” the priestess explained. “I typically don’t allow myself to experience much sensation from them unless I’m using one to give a hug or something. The weirdness of those feelings can be a bit distracting. And as for being a part of me... That’s a bit complicated to explain.” She grinned at where the other was still petting the tentacle, looking pleased. “Still, it seems to like you.”

Bijou shrugged, focusing back on her petting. “It’s certainly... not what I was expecting my first view of eldritch magic to be like.”

Ina smirked slightly. “I’m guessing you were expecting something like dark storm clouds as tentacles a hundred times the size of that one rose from the ocean? All while a bunch of fanatics in robes chanted with knives in their hands?”

The gem-girl flinched, looking away awkwardly. “That’s... specific. Though, not... entirely wrong.”

“In all fairness, there have been plenty of practitioners who would do exactly that,” the priestess admitted. She shook her head, her expression that of disappointment. “Too many people see the Ancient Ones as a quick way to power, or are drawn in through light exposure that worsens existing mental problems in them. Either way, they are heedless of the consequences of their actions. All those fanatics care about it conjuring creatures and altering the world in the image of these elder gods.

“But... The Ancient Ones are not really evil - most of them, anyway. They have trouble comprehending our reality, but they also do so much to protect it. They have plenty of servants who help them in that endeavor, too, though they are often overlooked by people thanks to what those mad cults do.”

Sighing, she shook her head before smiling again. “I try to think of myself as one of the nice ones, too. I don’t have any desire to gain control over anything, at least. My studies are more so to... give my life a little purpose, and to help those around me. Like what we’re doing now.”

Bijou bit her lips, glancing between her and the tendril. “And... it isn’t going to hurt?”

That made Ina frown sadly, shaking her head once more. “No. The ritual I’ve prepared should only take a few moments to complete once we start.” She shrugged. “But I will admit that the sensations, while not painful, might feel... strange enough to make you uncomfortable. I don’t know for sure, though - everyone is different about that. And I’ve never done anything like this on anyone who was... rock and crystal, instead of flesh and blood?”

This drew a snort from the gem-girl, glad for the bit of levity. “That’s as good of a description as any.”

The priestess giggled with her. Afterward, though, she looked her over curiously. “Still, I feel I should ask if there’s anything about when you were born that you can remember that caused your... ‘curse?’ Any small thing could help.”

Sighing deeply, Bijou shook her head. “Nothing, unfortunately. I barely even remember when I first became ‘aware.’ I just started existing one day buried deep underground, and eventually, some dwarves and humans dug me up.” She grimaced. “My curse was in full effect then. Those humans were... vicious in getting me away from the dwarves so they could have me all to themselves. Before they started turning on each other as well.”

Ina looked a little heartbroken to hear that, looking down at the floor. “Dear God. The message wasn’t kidding when it said you’ve dealt with this your whole life, huh?”

“From the day I could walk, I’ve been the ‘crowning jewel’ of the humans who found me,” the gem-girl said, her voice quieter. She grabbed the tentacle lightly, a bit caught up in those memories. “I could never escape for more than a few weeks in between causing the collapse of households and monarchs. My legend was widely known, and too many thought they would be the one ‘immune’ to my madness.” She chuckled bitterly. “And somehow, how I was treated only got worse when I was locked away from them all...”

“...I’m surprised you don’t hate humans for that,” the priestess commented.

“...It would probably be easier if I did,” Bijou admitted. She closed her eyes, releasing a breath. “But it’s hard to do that when you know you’re the cause of that behavior. And... I’ve felt what sane humans are like. They can still be bad people, but... there’s so much complexity there when it isn’t crushed by greed.”

She opened her eyes, looking at her free hand and the exposed gem on there. “I think... those complexities are what causes my charm over them. When they look at me, it’s not just me they see. Deep down, I believe they... also see themselves and all of humanity’s feelings and ambitions, in a way more profound than they can experience on their own. And even if they don’t process that consciously, it works its way into their brain, and... well...”

When she looked at the purple-haired woman again, she saw her staring at her with curiosity and concern. It made her squirm a little, releasing the tentacle. “I don’t know - that’s just... what I’ve theorized over the years. It could be any number of things, but...”

Ina shook her head, waving her off. “No, no! That’s very helpful for me.” Her book hovered back in front of her as she read through it some more, her tongue sticking out slightly from concentration. “Projecting a sort of overview of humanity as part of your charm - an ideal, perhaps - could be what we’re looking for. The question from there, though, is what has caused that to be... I suppose filtered. Because Nodoka was definitely still charmed a little bit from what A-chan said, right?”

“I saw it in her eyes, and Omegaα confirmed it,” the gem-girl said while nodding. “And... I mean, a desire to hug me constantly could still be annoying at times, but she resisted that temptation. But that’s never happened without protection from my effects before, and even then those are not reliable.”

“And has this only happened since you got here?” the priestess asked.

Bijou frowned a little, scratching her head. “I mean... I think most of the guards back in The Cell during the escape were also unaffected. But their runes were all disrupted, and there was still one mage that was definitely mad from my effects.”

Ina furrowed her eyebrows, leaning closer to her pages. “So it’s probably not an effect from being on Earth, then. I didn’t think it was, but that does more to confirm that.” She glanced up at her. “Was there anything different about this man from the others?”

“Well... I guess his staff?” the gem-girl offered. “It had one of my gems in it from one of several times they had... broken them off of me.” She coughed for a moment, then continued. “I’m not sure anyone else had any chunks on them. I don’t even think they were technically supposed to have them, either, but our captor did not seem to care about a few mages doing their own experiments.”

“I see,” the priestess murmured. A deep contemplation entered her eyes - one that made the short woman, for the first time, truly see her as a powerful magic user, having seen it in Shiori and some of her personas before. Eventually, she took a deep breath. “I’m... still not sure what’s happened to you. But whatever it was sounds like it might not have stretched to your pieces. Yet... would that really only cause him to go crazy if others were around?”

Bijou shrugged helplessly, having no possible explanation for that. It made her wonder if she should have brought it instead of letting Shiori keep it in her satchel along with all of her other pieces. Although... if it was still actively cursed, it was definitely a good thing she had not been waving it around.

After a bit more time thinking it over, Ina sighed, waving her hand and causing the page to flip to the next. “I guess we’re not going to get any further without starting this. I should be able to use that information to help isolate the source of your charming better. But while I’ve managed to give up some things myself for this bargain, this spell is going to require a bit from you. So... are you ready?”

The gem-girl tensed at this, but tried to relax as she exhaled, meeting her gaze. “What... exactly are they going to ask from me?”

“The answer is... malleable,” the priestess stated carefully. “Since this is an analysis of you, it wasn’t going to be too high a price to begin with. But if my interpretations from AO-chan are correct, you could completely nullify your innate magical powers for a day or two, or just a few specific abilities for a longer period. I’m told you use a lot of light magic?”

Bijou nodded, though her gaze was distant as she looked down. Neither of those things sounded too bad, in theory. Most of her powers were offensive and defensive, but It was not like she was planning to fight anyone in the next few days, so what would it matter? And if she only lost a few in particular for a while, there would be plenty more to fall back on.

...Yet her chest gem still trembled. What if... they found that her curse was going to return within the hour? Suddenly, all of the people in this town would be in danger of succumbing to it when they saw her! What if she lacked an ability it turns out she needed to defend herself? What if she could not get back to her friends in time to help protect her? And what about these women? Could she ask them for that kind of help so soon? Or what-

“Bijou?” Ina called out, snapping her out of her spiral. The once-human was looking at her with deep worry, glancing at the other’s arms. For a brief second, the Jewel of Emotions panicked and looked down, worried she was scratching herself again. But fortunately, she found she was merely gripping the sides of her cushion tightly. With how she was pulling on them, though, it was a miracle they were not ripping.

Cheeks flushing with embarrassment, she released her grip, looking down again. “I am... not doing well controlling myself today.”

“So I’ve heard,” the priestess said, her gaze sympathetic. “But I hope you realize you don’t have to hide being afraid.”

The gem-girl looked down, sighing heavily. “I know. Sana said something similar, too. I... It’s just that... I told the others I would be okay coming here alone. But since leaving their sides, it’s like I can’t help but keep overreacting to every little thing. I can’t... help but feel like I’m failing them in some way.”

Ina sighed as well. “You really shouldn’t be thinking that way... but I know that’s not easy to do for some.” Her book lowered as she faced the short woman more fully. “This is all new to you, though. I understand that you were locked up for a long time, so adapting to life outside of that can be...”

A small hum left Bijou, who was now resorting to tapping her fingers on the cushion. Understanding why she was acting the way she was did not make it less frustrating, though. The others had looked proud of her for striking out here on her own... but how would they react when they saw the scratches? Or heard of her small breakdown with the Council members?

Such ideas were cut off as the tentacle moved to gently brush her hair. Despite the strangeness of that, she leaned into the touch, slowly easing her hands away from her cushion. When she looked again at the priestess, the woman was giving her a soft look as she spoke. “If it helps... we don’t have to do the ritual. I can always call Shion or someone else here to see if they have more ‘regular’ magic that can do this.”

Biting her lips, the gem-girl looked down. “But... you’re gone through all of this trouble, and-”

“Don’t worry about my preparations,” Ina insisted, smiling kindly at her. “We can do other things while you’re here. Do you like to draw?” She gestured to a tablet next to where her computer was. “I have a drawing tablet and plenty of paper if you want to draw some pictures. Or if you’ve not done it much before, Sana and I could give you some tips! You guys are going to need some mascots here soon if you join Hololive, so we could workshop some ideas there as well.”

...Bijou would be lying if she said the offer was not tempting. Looking to the side, she swallowed as she tried to hold back tears once again that day. She almost felt baffled at the patience she was being shown - the understanding. This entire business involving her was important to figure out. It could mean the difference between staying or leaving that town for her.

Yet these people were so willing to let her have her time and create delays. To have extended talks about her favorite games and bake her cookies. And here was yet another opportunity to simply draw and wait for someone else to arrive who might have a way to analyze her curse that made her less scared. All just... so she could be comfortable.

...She believed she knew why A-chan said she would be in good hands here.

It brought warmth to her chest gem... but still, she did not want to cause any more complications for these people. Thus, she shook her head, sitting up straighter. “We... can do the ritual.”

Ina looked mildly surprised, moving the tendril down to gently wrap around the silver-haired woman’s arm. “Are you sure?”

Resting one hand on top of the tentacle, the gem-girl nodded. “I need to figure out what’s happened to me. I’m not doing anyone any favors if I chicken out.” She gave a nervous smile. “I’ll be fine... probably. And if... I’m not, you’ll be here to help... right?”

The priestess’ surprise was more apparent this time. However, it quickly morphed into a warm expression as she nodded, smiling widely. “Yes... of course I will.” Her book floated back in front of her, where she proceeded to rest her fingers on the page. “Are you ready? Like I said, this will only take a few moments.”

Bijou took a deep breath, trying to mentally prepare herself. Then, she nodded, putting as much determination into her gaze as she could. “Do it.” Hopefully, this won’t be any weirder than anything Shiori’s done with us...

Locking eyes with her one last time, Ina eventually nodded, before turning her gaze back to her book. Taking a deep breath herself, she then quietly began chanting the words on there, which sounded like a garbled mess to the escaped convict. They were effective, though, as soon the purple-haired woman began to gently float off of her cushion, with strange purple runes appearing around her. It intrigued the other... which was also when she realized she was also floating without her wings with symbols floating around her.

Despite the window being open and the sun shining, the room seemed to grow darker as the words continued. The priestess began to make strange hand gestures as her eyes began to glow, her whole face seeming ghosty now. She was fully concentrated as more runes appeared in rings around her and the air seemed to distort around her.

It was... unnerving in a lot of ways to look at directly, as if the Jewel of Emotions could sense the Ancient Ones in the magic itself. A shiver went through her, especially as the temperature seemed to drop. But at the same time... she did not feel like she was in danger. Just that she was witnessing something that she should not be, almost. Too late to stop now, anyway.

That sobering thought helped her to not flinch as more dark portals opened around her. Three more tentacles came to surround her, with the one on her arm moving back for a moment. Soon, they began to position themselves around her body - two wrapping around her waist, one above her chest area, and the last around her forehead. She swallowed, trying not to squirm as the warm, not pulsating flesh locked her into a gentle but firm embrace, more symbols filling the air around her, and...

...Their glow was kind of pretty, actually. Her eyes tried to follow several as they filled her vision, but she kept losing track, and the number kept increasing. Her eyes strained as she kept trying, unable to help herself. Soon, the effort made her eyes tired, and... her eyelids began drooping. So focused on the task, she almost did not notice the tendrils vibrating, the areas they touched seeming to cause a liquid... lethargy to spread through her and... and...

It was only when her eyes finally fluttered shut that the gem-girl realized she was entering some sort of trance. By then, though, she was already falling too deep under to resist even if she wanted to. She was filled with the sensation of falling... then floating, as the world seemed to dissolve. Eventually, her own body felt fuzzy, until she could not feel it at all and... she just existed. It was only her mind in an endless dark void, her thoughts feeling loose.

But despite her eyes being closed and no longer feeling them, she “saw” something in front of her. The dark hid its features, but... the way it was bending and writhing seemed impossible. It somehow seemed like she was seeing all of it - front, back, sides - all at once while also expanding far beyond her “vision.” And she knew it saw her without eyes or any sense that she could understand, and that if she saw it clearly or could think a little harder... her mind would probably break.

A force left it, surrounding her being. It spoke no words, yet she still knew what it wanted: an offering. The idea pierced her mind, giving her a brief moment of clarity as she considered this. She had not chosen what to give up before doing this, but with it now thrust upon her again... she decided to give up her shocking abilities. It was not a terrible loss for a good while, and she could always use other attacks to subdue any assailants as needed.

Nearly as soon as she thought this, she felt something “pulled” away from her, leaving an empty space there. Part of this other thing's essence was also left behind, preventing her magic reserves from rejuvenating and filling it up again. It was not painful, as she was promised, but it was an odd sensation - knowing how to use an ability but a block now being there.

The being seemed pleased enough by this translation, retreating into the void. She was left to exist there for a little longer, her thoughts scattering again without a direction given to them. She remained like that for what could have been seconds or centuries, the passage of time starting to lose meaning-

-until suddenly, in a mere second, all sensations in her body returned and her mind cleared. She gasped, flailing at suddenly being able to feel again and think properly as the tentacles retreated. She nearly dry-heaved from the transition, with her only mercy being that she was still being floated so that she did not fall onto the floor. She started to calm down, though, as she slowly lowered back onto her cushion and the runes began to vanish.

As she did, Ina also lowered back down, seeming unbothered by whatever she just experienced during all of that. Some of the symbols also diverted course and started to fill one of the pages in her book. And while the short woman could not understand them, she got the sense that they were spelling out the answer to her problem. The reason for her curse and its disruption being written out for the other woman.

The priestess let out a breath as the room returned to normal, brightening and warming back up. Her eyes, though, instead of the book, immediately went to her guest, her voice laced with concern. “Are you okay? Do you need a drink of water? Something to hug?”

Bijou did not answer immediately, taking a few gasps of air as she put a hand on her chest gem. But eventually, she was able to shake her head. “N-no. I... I just need a minute.” Breathing deeply again, she closed her eyes briefly. “I... gods. Going under wasn’t that bad, but just being dropped back into my body without any... Actually, did my soul leave it or something?”

“Um... partially?” Ina said, before shrugging. “I don’t fully understand it myself. The way I’ve been doing these communion rituals has been a bit different each time, but I think I’m getting into a more set pattern. I am sorry about the last part, though.” She looked down at her book, humming at the still-glowing page. “But at least the deal’s done.”

The gem-girl glanced at the book as well, before holding out her arm. Experimentally, she tried to summon the familiar yellow light into her palm that accompanied her electric magic... but nothing happened. She could not feel the block as clearly now, but even so, she could not get an ounce of that power no matter how hard she tried. When she tried to summon a bit of concussive force, though, white light built up easily.

It’ll be that way for three months by Earth time, she thought... and tried not to ponder too hard about how she knew that. Instead, letting the light dissipate, she turned to the purple-haired woman again... her chest constricting as the moment arrived. “And... what does it say?”

The priestess raised a finger, her eyes scanning what was written. Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she read, appearing to absorb every word... until her eyes started to widen. She tilted her head, scratching the top of it. “Huh... well, that’s interesting.”

Bijou sucked in another breath. “W-what is? What is it? What’s happened to my curse?” Her thoughts were starting to run wild, already thinking about several possibilities. That the suppression was temporary from when they disrupted The Cell’s runes and would be gone in a few days. Or that the method to keep it suppressed would require rare components that no one there had. Or-

The priestess looked up at her... and sent her a delighted smile. “Well, from what I’m reading... you’re not cursed at all! You just had not developed enough when they dug you up.”

...The gem-girl blinked, her thoughts stalling almost physically. “...Huh?”

Ina frowned a little, looking up as she tapped her chin and murmured. “Hm... How best to explain this?” A short time later, her eyes lit up as she gazed at her guest. “So, you know how you’re basically a living gemstone? Well, obviously, stones of all kinds are formed by activity deep underground - the shifting of plates, volcanic activity, and so on, yeah?”

“Okay?” Bijou said, nodding slowly as she tried to figure out where this was going.

“Well, it appears you followed that same principle... in your own magical way,”  the priestess continued, gesturing to the other’s body. “It’s pretty tricky to explain exactly, and I don’t understand all the details here myself. But basically, the same human emotions that created you were still pressing in and continuing to form you, just like how coal or diamonds might form from similar conditions in the ground. You were probably growing for a long while you were buried - maybe not as long as those examples take, but still. And given more time, you might have emerged in some way on your own. That’s what AO-chan is suggesting, anyway.”

It all started to come together for the gem-girl then, who looked down with widening eyes. “But... I was found early?”

Ina nodded, a bit more solemn now. “It would seem that way. And since you were not quite complete, you were leaking out far more of mankind’s emotions contained in you than you should have been in a far less filtered state. While your natural charm is meant to induce some amount of fascination in humans, it was never supposed to cause insanity, according to this.” She tapped the page for emphasis. “Once you were mined out, however, there was nothing else that could be done.

“But your body was still being formed even after that! It’s taken a long time for you to reach this point, but... now, your regular charm is fully formed.” She smiled at her. “You aren’t quite at full development yet - there’s apparently more raw power you should be able to access and more complex abilities you should get in the next few centuries and millennia. But there’s no more danger for you to walk around humans. You’re... completely fine.”

“You’re... completely fine.” the words repeated over in Bijou’s head several times... a strange stirring in her chest. Swallowing, she found herself speaking with disbelief, not fully convinced somehow despite the ritual they just did. “B-but... what about the mage? He was crazy! I-I know I’m not wrong about that!”

The priestess scratched her head again. “Well... maybe pieces broken off of you didn’t develop as well as you over the years? If they were keeping older shards... Those might not emit the charm the same way you do, either. Most people who took a piece from you were already crazy before using it typically, right?” She winced, seeming to realize how sensitive that question might have been. “Erm, if you don’t mind me asking?”

...The gem-girl stared off at nothing, blinking slowly. How... had she never considered that? She supposed she was always more worried about being broken apart than the effects of those parts taken from her, so it was... admittedly a bit understandable. It certainly was not like anyone had properly looked into it - not even Shiori, since they all had more pressing matters then. But...

Ina shrugged as she continued thinking about this, finally closing her book. “If I had to make a guess, then it was probably drawing the power from a less-developed piece that drove that mage insane. There wasn’t a direct answer written about that, but I think I really will leave that part to Shion later. It’s not as urgent, is it?” She shook her head. “But if my theory holds true, then any piece of you from the last few decades should be safe for use. So if a chunk ever comes off of you naturally, then...”

...Decades? Bijou thought blankly. Everything felt numb, the large amount of information processing in her head. She should probably be excited by this news, but... memories were closely creeping up on her. Of those insane gazes of humans before and during her time in The Cell. The feeling of their greed washing over her when they were upon her.

She looked down at her hands, holding them up in front of her. Voice nearly toneless, though with a slight shake, she forced out her words. “So... this whole time, I... I was never born to cause humans problems? To hurt them? It was all just... bad timing?”

The priestess paused, looking at her carefully. Still, in a cautious voice, she answered. “Um... I supposed so?”

A beat of silence passed... then the gem-girl started giggling. Then, they gradually became chuckles as her body began to tremble, a pained smile on her lips. Soon after, she started to double over as full, crazed laughter left her, tears falling faster and faster. She pulled on her hair, trying to suck in some air, but the actions only made her laugh harder as her vision blurred.

She... did not know why she was laughing. Nothing was even slightly funny about any of this. She certainly did not feel very amused. But... she could not stop. Something inside of her had snapped, and now... everything was spilling out.

Her chest gem felt like it was shattering and reforming in the most cutting way possible. Too many feelings filled her to properly process. The deep regret she had always held for her victims. The self-loathing for having been born as she had. A newfound anger at... She did not even know. The people who dug her up? Their captor, who must have known some part of this and never told her? Not that it mattered, as it all caused her to burn up with an indescribable emotional agony.

She wondered if it was this painful for the humans who went mad because of her when their sanity snapped...

Soon enough, however... she became aware of herself being pulled into an embrace. Blinking hard, she could see that Ina had come up to her and wrapped her arms around her tightly. Both of her hands rubbed her back soothingly, while a tentacle returned to pat her head once more. All the while, the woman shushed her quietly, rocking her back and forth as she spoke quietly. "Is this okay?"

Bijou wrapped her arms around her instantly, her eyes squeezing shut. Her laughter started to mix with sobs as she buried her face in the taller woman’s shoulder, continuing to tremble. She gasped out her words without knowing why. “I-I... I... I s-should never h-have let them keep me. I s-should have tried t-to run from those humans more. Done more. I-”

“None of that was your fault,” the priestess whispered, even though she did not have had the full context of those words. “It’s going to be okay. You-”

“I’ve been safe for decades!” the gem-girl screeched, her hands digging into the other’s clothes. “If I had just been found then, or... e-emerged when I was supposed to...” A whine left her, unable to finish her sentence.

Ina did not say anything to that, but continued to sway her gently. A little bit later, though, there was a knock on the door, and before either of them could do anything, it was creaked open. Fauna’s voice called out a moment later. “Ina? Bijou? Is everything okay in-?”

That was as far as she got before gasping, presumably seeing the state the Jewel of Emotions was in. She rushed inside, and the short woman could hear Sana padding in after her. There was the sound of something being set on the bed, before both Council members were on either side of her. The Keeper spoke to the priestess. “What happened? Is she okay?!”

Ina sighed at her girlfriend’s question. “We completed the ritual. We got her the answers about her ‘curse,’ and the good news is it isn’t coming back.” The short woman could picture her pursing her lips. “But... there were other details about it she... isn’t taking well. I can’t blame her for it, either.”

The kirin-girl released another breath, scooting closer to the two. She put her hand on their guest’s cheek, speaking softly. “Bijou? Can you hear me? Would... you be okay with Sana and I hugging, you, too?”

...The question actually made Bijou’s sobs lessen a little. She peaked out from the priestess’ shoulder, looking at the assembled group. Several pairs of eyes greeted her, all shining with concern for her... An expression she had seen her jailmates direct many times at her, too.

It helped to remind her that... this was not a burden she had to carry alone. That even as she questioned her past up to this point, there was a future for her. One that she now knew she did not have to run from due to her charm. And... as slight as it was, the hope it brought her warmed her chest gem deep inside.

Thus, still teary-eyed and sniffling, she managed to nod to the green-haired woman. “Please...”

Permission given, the two Council members proceeded to wrap their arms around both her and their lover. The pressing of their bodies against her caused her to sag, her voice trailing off into soft whimpers. She did not feel better, exactly, but... it helped to ground her. She took deep breaths, the sweet scents of nature, fresh bread, and of a human, despite the purple-haired woman no longer being one, helping her to settle down.

...It also solidified her vote on joining Hololive or not.

They stayed like this for several minutes. Eventually, though, Fauna pulled back and got Bijou’s attention, smiling gently. (She was... also shivering a little now, for some reason, despite it not being that cold.) “Did that help?”

Swallowing thickly, the gem-girl pulled back a bit from the other two, sitting in the center of the three as she found her voice again. “A... a little bit.”

Ina looked at her closely, helping to wipe her face of tears. “Do you want to lay down somewhere? You look exhausted. I can also call someone if you’d like?”

Bijou considered this... then gave a tired smile, giggling lightly. “I... I’ll text my friends in a little bit and let them know what happened. But for now... can we draw? I’d... love to learn.” Plus, she was not sure she could fully settle down unless she was doing something, and she did not feel like she could do any games currently.

The others all exchanged glances, silently having a debate. They soon looked back at her, though, and smiled, the priestess nodding. “Sure. Whatever helps? Do you want paper, or a tablet?”

“Paper,” the gem-girl replied, moving to lean against the side of the bed. The others helped move her cushion along with her, allowing her to sit comfortably there with the blanket against her back.

Once she was settled, Fauna got up and walked to the door. “I’ll be right back! I’ll go make us all some more tea!”

“Take your time, dear!” Sana called out to her as she left. She then reached up on top of the bed and grabbed something. She brought it before the short woman, revealing it to be the tray of cookies they were making, now fully baked. “Want one? They should still be warm and gooey!”

Nearly choking up at the gesture on top of everything else, Bijou took one of the treats, her mouth practically watering as she looked at it. “T-thank you. It... it looks so good.”

The Speaker smiled warmly. “Enjoy it. They always taste better when you had a hand in making them.”

It was clearly just a saying, but the gem-girl nodded nonetheless. As she took a moment to smell the treat, Ina spoke up from where she had moved over to a dresser, digging through the drawer for some supplies. “Are you seriously going to get her hands dirty before she starts drawing? Also, Fauna didn’t tell me you all were delaying to make cookies!”

The astro-girl chuckled, looking her way. “What, are we planning to hang it in a museum somewhere? And if we told you about cookies, you might have tried to leave this room to steal one before you did your thing!”

“...Just because you’re right doesn’t mean I’m not still upset,” the priestess grumbled, though a smile was in her tone.

Bijou chuckled as well, releasing a breath. She smiled as she took a bite of the cookie, savoring the sweet flavor. She was not fine yet - perhaps it would be a long time before she was, especially emotionally. The revelation was still nagging at her, and how it would affect her going forward was yet to be seen. She could only imagine how her fellow convicts were going to take the news of her various panic attacks as well.

But, no matter the challenges that were coming her way... she felt she could at least be happy, too. After all, she knew four people... and now three more, who were sweeter than any cookie she could ever make could be, who could help her. And she had a good feeling about the other eight, too...

Chapter Text

“Moco-chan, keep up! It’s only a little bit further!”

“Maybe I’d keep up better if you would stop flaring your aura or sync with me! Stop messing with me and wait up!”

Fuwawa giggled while facing away from her sister. It was sorely tempting to continue her mad sprint as she rounded the corner into a nice-looking neighborhood. Her blue aura even flickered around her body just to tease the other a little more, and was satisfied at the growl she heard even several meters ahead. She’s so easy to rile up.

But they were getting pretty close to their destination, if she remembered the map on her phone correctly. And she did not want to spoil the coming meeting by having them arrive at different times... especially for her sibling. She could just picture her downcast face at missing the reaction of the reaper to their arrival, and she did not want that.

Thus, she looked ahead of her and took note of the street light on the next corner. Figuring that now was as good of a time for a break as any, she gradually slowed down as she approached it, before coming to a full stop. She took a deep breath, panting a bit as she leaned against the pole and wiped her forehead. Her tail wagged idly as she took a moment to admire her surroundings of suburban houses and neatly kept lawns. Seeing depictions on television and her computer had been one thing, but seeing it all in person...

She made sure to really smell the air with her next breath. She had missed having this much freedom and open space to just run around in. A part of her was even tempted to start rolling around in the grass - getting into a little tussle with her sister. But they were on a mission right now, so that kind of fun would have to wait.

Said pink-twin made her arrival only a few seconds later, skidding to a stop next to her. Taking a deep breath, she readjusted the headphones on her neck - the only tech she brought out of The Cell - and glared at her sister, drawling sarcastically. “Weren’t you just saying ‘keep up?’ Now you suddenly decide to rest here? Why the sudden loss of excitement?”

“My leg cramped up a little,” the blue-twin lied, smiling at her. She lifted her left one off the ground for emphasis, reaching down and pretending to massage it.

Mococo knew it was a lie, given how she rolled her eyes. Her tone held no bite, though, and in fact started to smile back even as she critiqued her. “You were literally standing on it fine just a moment ago. I saw it. You didn’t limp to this pole, either.

“It was a delayed reaction,” Fuwawa tried to argue, barely containing her giggles. “I felt it twist, but the pain didn’t hit until just now. Oh, it’s so unbearable now!” She gave an exaggerated whine of pain, undercut by her grin. “I think I need a kiss from a lovely sister to make it better!~”

“Not happening, you sis-con,” the pink-twin replied while chuckling. Her expression became slightly more concerned, though, as she reached to her side. On it was a blue metal water bottle given to them by Nodoka, which she held out to her sibling. “But seriously, take a few sips. It looks like you’re sweating a little.”

The blue-twin shrugged, but accepted the bottle nonetheless, drinking from the plastic lip. While they had far greater endurance than any human, staying hydrated was still important. And unlike the Realm where the prison had been in, this world was starting to feel a good summer’s heat. Being a little more diligent with drinking water would not hurt, considering how out of practice they were at doing this sort of run, too.

Though... she did note that Mococo was definitely not as tired as she was from their run so far. She was panting less, and did not look as sweaty. A small smile tugged at her lips as she handed the bottle back over, letting her sibling take some sips, too. She might have been the faster runner, even without her aura to help, but the other twin would always be able to last longer than her in a longer sprint (even if that would take a while). She could not be prouder that their time locked away had not affected that in the slightest.

Some older sisters might have been a little jealous of the younger one being able to outperform them in many areas. But while she liked to play into their sibling rivalry some... she did not care if Mococo was better than her at being a guard dog. She did well enough herself - being called above average by their instructors - and her sister was happy. As long as they were both pulling their weight, then what did it matter?

...That did not stop her from trying to keep her on her toes at times. She did not want either of them to get complacent, and... it was always funny when she did manage to pin her down in a spar. Then it became a game of how fast the pink-twin could get out from under her!

Her musings were cut off by a small pang in her legs, making her wince slightly. This was, naturally, picked up on by the other hellhound, who frowned as she re-hooked her water bottle. “Fuwa-chan? Did... you actually hurt yourself getting here?”

Fuwawa shook her head, stretching her limbs a little. “No - they’re just a little sore from yesterday still. It’s not bad or anything, though - honestly, I’ve missed being able to push myself like this!”

Mococo sighed, shaking her head. “We just got the freedom to go wherever we want. Don’t ruin it already by making yourself unable to run.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Maybe we should have taken that offer for a ride after all.”

That notion made the blue-twin gasp, sending her an affronted look. “You wanted us to ride around in an enclosed space where we could not feel the wind on our faces to go visit Calli? And to be unable to stop and see the sights along the way? For shame, Moco-chan!”

“I didn’t say I wanted to!” the pink-twin whined, pouting at her with puffed cheeks. “This is out of concern for your health! Excuse me for trying to look out for it! I’ll be sure to let you run until your legs fall off next time!”

Laughing for a moment, Fuwawa then smiled as she got off the lamppost and put a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “I’m sorry - thank you for being concerned. I’m fine, though! Besides, we both know this will let us surprise her better! No delay getting out of a car once we’re at this ‘Gura’s’ house - just a full sprint!”

Mococo nodded, a bit of a gleam entering her eyes at the prospect, too. She then gained a curious look, looking over at the currently empty street. “Hm... maybe we could take a ride back, though. I’m curious about what it’s like to be in one of those.” Her animal ears flattened onto her head. “Also, I... don’t want to make the locals get annoyed with us by running everywhere?”

The blue-twin raised an eyebrow. “Why would they get annoyed at us?”

“...Fuwa-chan, you forced several of them to get out of your path as you were running,” the pink-twin deadpanned. “You kicked up a lot of dust and dirt, too, at times.”

Fuawa huffed, crossing her arms as she looked away with pink cheeks. “Well, what about you? I know I heard plenty more surprised calls behind me as you ran. I think you knocked over a trash can at one point!”

“I didn’t say I was innocent!” Mococo defended, lightly blushing as well. She sighed, looking down. “I just don’t want to make these people too annoyed if we’re going to live here... But it’s so hard when we get excited to not cause a bit of chaos.”

A sigh left the blue-twin as well, not having any rebuttal to that. They were a rambunctious duo - there was no denying that. Wherever they went, they tended to leave a bit of a mess when playing together. They tried to limit it to areas away from people wherever they were before being captured, but on occasion, they still caused a few problems. And clearly, their time locked away had affected their manners a little.

Still... she knew her sibling was worrying over nothing. Taking a deep breath, she once more patted the pink-twin’s shoulder, giving a more gentle smile. “We won’t be a nuisance to this town, Moco-chan. We’re just stir-crazy right now, you know? Getting back used to being among people. Once we’re settled in, we can start helping with providing protection, just like we talked about, and prove we’re not just trouble-makers!”

“...And make everyone smile?” Mococo asked, meeting her gaze.

Fuwawa nodded. “We’ll especially make them smile! And the audience we’ll get as Vtubers, too! We weren’t hated by the last few towns we were in before we were caught, were we? Don’t let those mean guards' words about us get to you!”

That seemed to strike a cord in the pink-twin... as it should, since she had said similar things to the blue-twin while they were in The Cell. Thus, taking a deep breath herself, she slowly nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right... Also, just so we’re clear, I picked that trashcan back up. Even got most of the cans that were in it back inside.”

The older sibling grinned, stepping back. “So that’s why I needed to slow down earlier, is it? But see? We’re good little puppies, and you showed them that!”

 “Hrmm... Alright, alright!” Mococo conceded, raising her hands in surrender. The two of them sighed, relaxing more as a small breeze passed by. The blue-twin in particular let her eyes roam across the yard of the house next to them, feeling the sunlight on her skin. She listened to some birds chirping nearby, and some dogs in their backyards.

She... had missed moments like this. It reminded her of the days the two of them would patrol the underworld and nearby Realms - standing and bickering when they needed a break. For years now, they had needed to be on alert in some capacity in case the guards tried to do anything overly cruel to them or their friends. (The others had always been afraid of when their previous levels of brutality might return.) There was never a moment where they could be completely at ease like before their capture.

But now... they could let loose without a care in the world. There was not even strictly any reason they needed to rush to see the reaper. She was hardly going anywhere, and the staff had promised to not spoil their arrival in advance. Since they were there now, they could just take a causal stroll until the house was in sight, talking all the way-

-at least, until the pink-twin suddenly sprinted off. She sent a grin over her shoulder as she began to take off down the sidewalk, the older sister barely having jumped in surprise. “Anyway, break’s over! Time to enjoy getting the first hug from Calli!” She cackled, looking forward as she increased her pace.

The blue-twin blinked... by which point, the younger sibling had gained a considerable lead. Once that processed, she shook her head and grinned as well, getting her feet into position as her blue aura surrounded her. “Oh, it is on, Moco-chan!”

She took off immediately after saying this, her increased speed easily letting her catch up to her sister. She did not overtake her, though, despite how the other looked like she was moving in slow motion now. Instead, like a good sibling, she decided to simply catch up beside her, matching their footing. Then, she let her aura drop, which left the two of them neck and neck. Mococo did not look annoyed, though - she only sent a fierce grin, clearly having expected this.

Fuwawa returning the expression, the two turned and focused back on their race. They did not slow down for a second, digging their shoes in to avoid sliding too much around turns. A few times, one of them would look up at the street signs and call out which direction they were supposed to go. While they were not the best navigators, they had paid extra close attention to a few roads on the map, so they were confident in where they were going!

...Or they might have been taking a longer route. It was all in the same neighborhood anyway, though, so they were still bound to run into the house eventually.

Either way, they both managed to stay rather close to one another this time, as compared to their dash from town. Part of it seemed to be that the pink-twin was exerting herself a little more, having conserved her strength until now. The small twinges in the blue-twin’s legs, however, were definitely not helping her. Still, she did not activate her powers again for a quick advantage. She had her fun on the way over, and these races were always more satisfying, whoever it was who won, when they both played fair.

And so the two continued on like this for several minutes, trying to take the lead. Each one kept getting a little ahead before the other would push themselves more and catch up. They made their way past several houses, some of which whose owners were outside and watched them pass by bewilderedly. Aside from waving at some kids who seemed amazed at their appearances, though, they did not give them any heed. They kept their focus, looking for the right one that they were told about...

Finally, as they made it around yet another corner... they saw it. While the house did not look too impressive, it stood out enough with its blue coloring compared to the rest of them. The residence of the Atlantean, they were told, where, if nothing had changed, they would be able to find-

And there she stood, right in the front yard! The shinigami looked about as they remembered her hair- and body-wise, even with the former tied back. What was a little strange, though, was seeing her in a black ball cap, a red and black jacket with a white shirt underneath, and black athletic pants with a few red rings on one leg. It was remarkably casual compared to the reaper uniform they remembered. But the pink skull on the shirt indicated her status well enough - to say nothing of the... air of death around her.

She was currently messing with a red lawnmower they recognized from some of their shows. Next to her, helping with getting it started up, was the shark-girl they had learned was dating Death’s apprentice. Like the picture in the office, she was wearing a blue hoodie with a shark mouth design. Her hood was not on, though, as her tail moved lazily behind her.

The sight of them was almost enough to get Fuwawa to hesitate... but while she did not, Mococo did, looking in awe. Smirking victoriously, the older sibling pushed ahead and left her behind, though made sure to leave a good view for her. Once that was settled, and she confirmed the other hellhound had snapped out of it and was running again, she looked ahead and called out. “CALLI! IT’S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU!”

Said woman jumped, along with Gura beside her. They turned to look in their direction... where Calli’s jaw proceeded to drop. Her eyes were wide, looking like she had seen a ghost (ironic, given her profession.) She stumbled back a bit, her mouth moving, but no words coming out.

Smiling widely, the blue-twin increased speed, her arms held wide open. She opened her mouth again, ready to call out more greetings-

-only for a blur of blue with red near its top to enter her vision. Then, before she could even process that the Atlanean’s eyes had changed colors, a trident was summoned into her hands. The instant it was, she swung the weapon, and a wall of water suddenly formed and towered over the approaching sister.

On instinct, Fuwawa had activated her aura, skidding to a stop before the wall. Entering a crouch, she fell back on her training as she leaped back and flipped, landing a few meters away. Her arms were crossed defensively now, her claws forming in a flash of blue flames, ready for any potential strike.

The wall, however, rippling slowly to her eyes, was not moving forward, she realized. It was rather thin, currently, actually, being formed from water from nearby sprinklers and a kiddy pool not being used across the street. She knew from lessons on water magic, though, that it probably would have felt solid to run into, and caused her to trip over. A defensive move. Probably both because she does not know if we’re actually a threat and to give her time to get into position if we are.

Figuring they were not in any danger, she dissipated her aura, lowering her claws but keeping them out. This allowed her to see the water wall build up higher, its movements distorting that was beyond it, as well as hear Calli yelling in panic. “Wait, Gawr-!”

That was as far as she got as Mococo caught up, her own claws out as well. She went ahead of her sister and, just like in The Cell, she enveloped herself in her pink aura, before her claws started glowing, too. It was not as bright as then, but even so, when she made an “X” slash with her arms, two pink cuts went through the air. They tore apart the water wall, all of the liquid thrown across the street and the nearby lawn as several sprinkles fell from the air.

This gave them a view of the other two. The shark-girl still had her trident, which was crossed defensively in front of her. Her eyes and hair highlights were also red like the blue-twin had thought, the short woman’s gaze piercing them. She was stopped from doing anything further, though, by Calli putting her hand on her shoulder, making her turn away. They began to talk quickly and quietly, the shinigami evidently trying to diffuse things.

Deciding to do the same, just in case her younger sibling had not caught on, Fuwawa ran up to her and tapped her shoulder. “Moco-chan, I... think you can stand down.”

The pink-twin glanced back at her, eyes sharp and on alert - a surprise to anyone more used to meeting them casually. A moment later, though, they softened as she let her arms fall to her side and nodded. “Right... Sorry. Force of habit.”

The blue-twin giggled. “It’s not like we harmed anyone - everyone was just spooked is all. You don’t need to say sorry.” She gave her a quick hug and nuzzled her head with hers. “Besides, I’m happy you were so quick to come to my defense. My hero!”

Mococo sighed, though was smiling as she pushed her off of her. “Yeah, you don’t smell all that good when you get drenched. I did everyone a favor there.”

Rolling her eyes, Fuwawa turned her attention back to the other two. It seemed that whatever Calli had said, it had made Gura calm down. The latter gave them one last weary look, glancing one more time to the pink-haired woman for confirmation on them. When she received a nod, she released a breath, then nodded, her trident disappearing in a flash of blue light. After this, she closed her eyes, seeming to concentrate on something... and in seconds, her highlights shifted from red back into blue. When she opened her eyes again, they were blue again, too, and now looking at the sisters with a bit of regret.

The reaper turned to them, too, her face seeming a little... stricken. She approached the hellhounds slowly, looking at them like she could still not believe they were there. Once she was within less than a meter of them, she reached out a cautious hand, her voice a bit faint. “Fuwawa...? Mococo...? Is it really...?”

Eyebrows furrowing, the blue-twin rushed forward, grabbing her hand and rubbing the back of it as she made eye contact. “Calli? Are you okay? Why do you look so...?”

The pink-twin came up as well, tugging at the shinigami’s sleeve. “What’s wrong? Do you need anything? I have a water bottle on me! Or do you want a hug? Just remember you can’t touch my tail! And no tummy! I’ll headbutt you if you do!”

That seemed to snap the reaper from her stupor, gasping softly. She put a hand to her mouth, looking between the two. “Oh my gods, it... it really is you two! You’re both...!” She trailed off, taking a deep breath... before proceeding to pull them both into a tight hug.

Fuwawa gave a startled noise, looking over at her sister who looked quite surprised herself.  They had... not expected so strong a response. The two of them had been friendly with the older immortal, but it was not a deep bond or anything. They had hoped for some smiles and a bit of excitement to see them, but this... Not to mention the expressions she had been making...

She was not one to leave an old acquaintance without feeling unsettled. Thus, she returned the hug, keeping her voice light. “Hey, it’s okay, Calli. Just tell us what you need?” She giggled awkwardly. “Um... if you really need it, I can make an exception to ear scratches for you this time?”

“Don’t offer that!” Mococo cried out, even as she returned the embrace, too. “Do you remember how sharp her nails could get? I don’t want scratches!”

Calli laughed at this, giving them another squeeze. She pulled back afterward, finally smiling some, though it was tinged with what could best be described as grief. “Man, you... you’re really still here. But you...” She shook her head. “Where have you two been? Everyone thought that you had died out in that Fire Realm!”

...The sisters blinked, exchanging a look as they started to understand the situation. Oh... was all that the blue-twin could think, now feeling very foolish. They had not even considered how the circumstances of their capture had probably led to... assumptions for many of their old friends and family. Even having listened to Nerissa’s concerns about it with her parents and siblings, it had not quite registered for them, which only made her feel like more of an idiot.

Really... what else were they supposed to think? Two bright-eyed pups going on a dangerous scouting mission looking for some rogue demons in a dangerous environment? This on top of how hard it is to find a body in those places with all of the magma and flames? Once a few months passed, let alone centuries, it would be easy to write off anyone as dead - even guard dogs like them.

A moment of awkward silence passed. Then, coughing, the older sibling looked at the pink-haired woman and smiled sheepishly. “Um... it’s a bit of a long story.”

The pink-twin shuffled on her feet, retracting her claws as she wrung her hands. She looked at the shinigami uncertainly, her animal parts drooping a bit. “Um... can we talk about it inside? I... We were really looking forward to getting to see you again if... you don’t mind?”

The reaper looked between them once more, clearly still coming to terms with their arrival. As she looked at the younger sibling’s pleading eyes, though, her face crumbled. She groaned, rubbing a hand down her face. “Okay! Christ, stop with the puppy-dog eyes. Those are so unfair, you know? I wasn’t going to turn you away, anyway!”

The sisters perked up, smiling wider. Fuwawa re-grabbed the taller woman’s hand, tugging on it insistently toward the house as she walked around her. “Come on, then! Do you guys have Japanese food? I’ve been dying to try some out since I learned of them in The Cell. Oh! Especially any sweets!”

Calli’s eyebrow quirked up at the mention of their prison. But still, she allowed herself to be pulled with both hellhounds on either side of her, shrugging at them. “Um... I’m not sure? It’s been a minute since Gura’s gone to the store, so I don’t know what she has.”

The blue-twin hummed, not really caring either way. She was feeling a bit peckish now, so she could probably be convinced to eat anything. Any opportunity to eat anything beyond the bland options of The Cell was good to her!

It was on the approach to the house that they finally came close to the owner herself. They stopped before the Atlantean, who had been leaning on the handle of her lawnmower as she watched their interaction. As they approached, though, she straightened up and looked at her girlfriend questioningly. “So... I’m guessing getting my yard cleaned up is going to have to wait?”

The reaper nodded, smiling apologetically. “Sorry, Gooba. This... definitely takes priority. The lawnmower company said they would be able to come in a few days anyway, didn’t they?”

“And meanwhile, my yard is going to keep looking like a jungle,” the shark-girl grumbled, looking at the tall grass. “Stupid fricking delays...” Taking a breath, she shook it off and smiled at the other two, rubbing the back of her head a bit timidly. “Uh, anyway... sorry about the reception a bit ago. Gawr just saw people running this way, and we got the sense you had weapons you could summon, so... I agreed with her to take no chances.”

Fuwawa’s animal ears twitched, a bit impressed that the other had noticed that. Being able to sense a summonable weapon was no easy feat, either requiring a person to have one themselves or have certain magics. Even with either criterion met, it required lots of discipline, particularly when you only have seconds to assess such a thing. She must be a well-trained warrior. I wonder if she was a defender of Atlantis?

Moving her questions aside for now, she smiled at the short woman, waving her off. “Don’t worry about it. We did start running at you both with no context.” She tilted her head. “But... what do you mean by ‘Gawr?’ I thought you were Gura?” She also kept saying her, as if... there was another person involved here.

Gura shrugged, grinning nervously. “It is. Gawr Gura’s my full name... and I use the latter half, while my other self gets the former.” Noticing the Hellhound’s confused stares, she sighed, looking down. “Look, I’ll explain it inside. But still, I am sorry about the water wall. I should have realized you both weren’t-”

“Are you kidding? - That thing was awesome!” Mococo exclaimed, rushing up in front of her. She had a wide smile, her tail wagging rapidly. “Like, you were completely ready to get into a brawl the moment that wall was breached! I respect that! I almost wish I got to see what you could do! Can we spar sometime? I’ve never fought someone with a trident before! Are you good with it?!”

The Atlantean blinked, eyes wide as she tried to keep up with the increasingly fast words of the hellhound. “Um...?”

Giggling at her sister’s excitement, the blue-twin reached over to her and tapped her shoulder. “Moco-chan, how about you help them out and put the lawnmower up with her? I’ll help find us something to eat, and then we can ask all the questions we want!” She was itching to start spewing out several of her own, too.

The pink-twin rolled her eyes, de-summoning her claws as she cracked her fingers. “Of course you give me the physical labor.”

“I’m not the one with the strength aura,” Fuwawa sang out while smirking.

“I can literally share it with you right now while I go get us some food!” Mococo argued. “I’m the better cook, too!”

“We’d be sharing a mind at that point - what difference would it make?” the blue-twin questioned, giggling more at the small glare that got her.

Before their debate could go further, the shark-girl cleared her throat, nodding over to the small garage at the side of her house. “How about everyone just comes to help me put this up, then we can all go in together and decide how we’re doing this? I have some frozen meals, anyway - we don’t need to do anything fancy.”

The other three exchanged looks, then all shrugged and nodded at the suggestion. With that settled, Gura stretched her back a little and grabbed a small handle on top of the machine, before lifting it with ease despite her small stature. She then marched toward the garage door, with the pink-twin staying at her side, continuing to ask questions. It seemed to exasperate the white-haired woman some, but she was nonetheless smiling and doing her best to respond.

Fuwawa and Calli followed behind them, the latter fanning herself with her jacket some. “Well, at least I don’t have to work out in the sun - I was worried I’d have to shed layers with how warm it's been getting.” She then looked at the older sibling curiously. “I’m a bit amazed that you were offering to cook, though. I swear I remember Mococo ranting once about how she had to do ‘everything’ where you guys lived, including that.”

The blue-twin rolled her eyes. “I did my fair share of chores, I’ll have you know!... Though, I may have been planning to ‘fail’ at cooking so much here that she would feel forced to step in and help. And then... maybe work my way slowly out of the kitchen until only she was cooking.”

The reaper stared at her... then gave a soft smile, shaking her head while chuckling. “Heh... I... never realized how much I missed you both’s antics.” A few tears leaked from her eyes, but her mood still seemed brighter than initially.

Taking that as a victory, Fuwawa smiled and gave her a side hug as they moved into the garage. This was not quite how she envisioned their reunion starting out, but it could have been a lot worse... And by the end, she planned to have that happy expression be stuck on the shinigami’s face with no tears involved. She could think of no one better to be the first person whose smile she and Mococo defended beyond their fellow convicts.

-------

A lot about cooking and making food had changed and improved in the time they had been locked up. Mococo knew this from the shows they watched, and had studied how things were done on Earth. Some things never changed, like the use of knives to cut meat and ovens to cook things, but both had changed. Better metal was used for the former, and coals or fire magic was no longer necessary for the latter, which did not even need to be stone! And that was on top of the convenience of the microwave for simpler meals.

She marveled a bit at the fridge she was looking through, which used electricity instead of ice or cryomancy. It was an improvement to food storage that was no doubt vital to this world where magic had become scarce for millennia before now. And now, magic itself was improving thanks to the study of these devices! Even not being a mage, most of that stuff going well over her head, she could appreciate the massive strides this all was.

Guess I won’t have to buy us food as often, the pink-twin mused as she scanned the shelves. She spotted the various drinks she was looking for, reading over the labels. She grabbed out a few sodas - “Coke” apparently being a popular brand here - and quickly moved them over to the counter. She also got out a gallon of milk and a bottle of orange juice. Then she just... stared at them, tapping her chin.

She... honestly did not know what she wanted to drink. A lot of her time in The Cell, they had access to either water, tea, or coffee. The last had been used as a way to keep them energized during certain tests, which they only later got to customize. The second, meanwhile, was a luxury they got for good behavior, and while she would have loved some, Gura apparently did not have any stocked. It was a bit late for a coffee, too... and the sisters did not need to be any more rowdy that day.

And so, she looked at her options, trying to debate which would be better. Well... the milk always made the coffee a little creamier. But I’ve never had oranges before! And I’ve always wondered what the fizz of soda tastes like. Gods, why do those have to be in cans? At least with the milk and oranges I can have a small taste test if I want to without wasting the whole thing... Which to have first, though? I-

A voice called to her from the oven, sounding amused. “You know, not to judge your tastes, but... if you’re planning to pour all three of those into a glass...”

Mococo stuck her tongue out at the suggestion, looking toward the homeowner with disgust. “What kind of pup do you take me for? Even I know that would be a bad idea!”

“It would be funny, though,” Gura said with a cheeky smile, sending her a shrug. She then turned back to the oven, watching the timer as it ticked down. She was in the middle of getting a pizza ready for them, which she claimed would be the “best thing they had ever eaten.” Her tail swayed eagerly, clapping her oven-mitted hands together.

The pink-twin sighed with a smile, looking back over to the table. There, two bowls had been set out - one filled with Ritz crackers, and the other with an assortment of different candy. All together, it was far from what most would consider a healthy meal, but... well, today was special. They were all in agreement on that, so a small risk of some tummy aches later had been deemed acceptable so that the hellhounds could indulge some. (The reaper had insisted on the crackers to make up for the sweets, though.)

The other two were currently waiting out in the living room for them to bring it all out. They had their drinks already, too - a bit of wine for Calli, and just water for Fuwawa. She knew that her older sibling was also filling in their old teacher about what had happened to them six centuries ago and their experiences since then.

...Which was a good reason that she was not more annoyed at the blue-twin for skimping out on cooking like she was saying earlier. Not that there was much effort in any of this besides gathering the assortment of candies, but still, it was the thought that counted. She could have at least gotten plates out, which she had ended up doing.

Still, she was grateful to her for trying to explain the main parts of their situation. It kind of fell on both of them for their decision to not have A-chan say they were coming there, and as a result, having given the reaper some emotional whiplash. She would have hated having to go into the details of how their captor had taken them down. If the price she paid for not doing that was helping around the kitchen, then that suited her just fine... though she knew she would not get out of that entirely.

Putting that out of her mind for a bit longer, Mococo looked back at the drinks before her. After another moment, she eventually settled on the milk, putting the rest of the drinks away. She kept out a Coke can, though, in case the Atlantean wanted it or she ended up wanting to taste it later after all. Someone will drink it if you don’t. Just force it on Fuwa-chan.

As she got out a glass from the cabinet, the shark-girl glanced her way, giving a faux sigh of disappointment. “Aw, that’s a shame. I would have loved to see what that cocktail would have looked like.”

“Sewage waste?” the pink-twin offered, pouring her milk.

“Yeah, probably,” Gura agreed, before snickering. “I have got to remember that for whenever me and the others play Truth or Dare, though. I can just imagine Kiara or IRyS gagging so hard on it. I bet I could get Bae to chug it all down for the fun of it, too.”

That caused Mococo to gag, causing the other to laugh. Shaking off her repulsion, she looked at the short woman once more, looking her over curiously. “So, you were saying earlier that you have a... split personality?” She had had a few questions about what happened outside, so she had been trying to get some answers between them getting stuff ready.

The Atlantean nodded. “Yep. It was a way to cope with the fall of Atlantis for me... For us. I was the one who would weep and grieve, taking care of our health along the way, while Gawr would lash out at the world while hunting our food. Eventually, though... we realized our system was not helping us feel better all that much. So over the millennia, I’ve become more ‘functional’ while she’s mellowed out in her rage.

“These days, I take the lead as the more level and responsible one, while she stays out of trouble, being more impulsive and sometimes rude. But she comes out for some of our closest friends to play certain games and snark at them.” She chuckled sheepishly. “And... you also saw how she takes the lead in a fight.”

The pink-twin nodded, recalling that wall of water that had been conjured. If Fuwawa had reacted a bit slower, she might have crashed into it and ended up disoriented. She could only imagine how much bigger and tougher it would have been had they been by a river or ocean, too! The stance the other had taken had also been professional and well-trained.

If things had escalated from there... she had a feeling that even together, she and her sister would have struggled against the red persona. Luckily, that had not happened. She was sure all of them would have felt bad if anyone had been injured by the small misunderstanding... Plus, it would have been awkward to hurt Calli’s girlfriend upon being reunited with her.

Taking a sip of her milk, the hellhound continued on. “But even though you’re doing better from then, you... haven’t become ‘whole’ again”

The shark-girl frowned, shaking her head. “No... and we both prefer it that way. We’ve been able to keep one another company during some lonely times, and keep an eye on each other. Neither of us can imagine the other not being in our head anymore.”

Mococo hummed, not pressing that point as she sensed she was close to a nerve. She raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious about how the dynamic worked. “So... she’s kind of like your sister who you share a brain with?”

Gura tilted her head. “I... guess that’s one way to describe it. But... I know it’s difficult to understand, but while we are two people, we are still linked to the same... core. We’re two pieces of the same person - who we were before the split.” She paused, looking off to the side for a moment... then blushed heavily, seeming to talk at thin air. “I am not adding that part!”

The pink-twin blinked, stepping closer. “Is she talking with you? What did she say?”

The Atlantean hesitated, her tail twitching. After a second, though, she exhaled heavily and looked at her, her every word embarrassed. “She said that... if we were sisters, then that would make... what she does with our body in private sometimes too awkward.”

This made Mococo furrow her brow, not understanding for a moment... But it soon clicked, making her animal ears and tail shoot up straight and rigid. She coughed roughly, her face burning red. “O-oh... That’s, uh... quite the point to make.”

The shark-girl shrugged, not looking directly at her. “Yeah... I mean, she used quite more detail, and made it clear we’re not in some ‘incest’ relationship, but you know...”

A groan left the pink-twin, looking at her with disbelief. “Is she always that crude?”

“Kind of,” Gura admitted. “She was formed from our instincts initially, which included combat, perception... and lust. Even after so long, she still feels those more strongly than I do most days.” She sighed, pinching her nose. “And I’m usually the one who has to listen and convey the messages.”

Mococo hummed sympathetically, knowing what it was like to be subjected to lewd comments whether she liked it or not thanks to her sister. Taking a breath, though... she found herself smiling a little, eyes softening. “Well... I’m sure she’s still wonderful to be with if you don’t want her gone.”

The Atlantean blinked at her tone. But even so, she chuckled, smiling as well. “Yeah, she... really is great. She annoys me at times, and she’s pretty hard on herself on her ability to communicate things. But... I wouldn’t trade her for anything. She’s a great person when you get to know her.” She looked at the hellhound curiously. “I’m guessing it’s similar with you and Fuwawa? I’ve never had siblings, so I don’t know how I would compare it.”

“It’s pretty much the sibling experience!” the pink-twin stated, giggling some. “Just taking every opportunity to annoy one another and mess around. But in the end, you know they still care about you and would do anything to help you. The good siblings, anyway.” She pointed to her chest. “That’s how it’s always been with me and Fuwa-chan! She pokes at my buttons a lot, but I know I can count on her to have my back when it matters.” (She felt it every time they synced up, too - the emotions lingering long afterward...)

The shark-girl nodded. “And you certainly have her back, too, with how you took the lead after taking down Gawr’s wall. She says she’s impressed by that, by the way. It takes guts to stare down an Atlantean with a trident in their hands.”

“That’s what I always heard,” Mococo said, grinning excitedly as her tail wagged. “Some of our older instructors commented on the fierceness of your kind in battle. Quite a few even said it was a shame there are so few of your fighters around anymore. A few of your sellswords made quite the difference in some of the last Holy Wars.”

Gura chuckled, her smile a bit wistful. “Well, good to hear my people still have a reputation after all of this time, I guess.”

The pink-twin nodded rapidly. “I was always so jealous listening to their stories! I never thought I’d get the chance to even meet one of you!” She gave the other a hopeful look. “So... do you think you’d be willing to spar with us sometime? I want to see your techniques up close!”

The Atlantean’s eyes widened briefly, before chuckling with a grin. “Heh, Calli isn’t kidding about the ‘puppy’ look... But yeah, alright, we can spar. I’m not as good as Gawr, but I can definitely show you both some of my tricks.”

“Couldn’t she also come out for this?” Mococo asked. Not that she was ungrateful for just having the chance in general. A chance to witness an old fighting style, nearly lost with the loss of that ancient city, was tantalizing enough on its own.

The shark-girl paused, before crossing her arms awkwardly. “She, uh... honestly, you’re not really going to be able to talk with her for a long while unless there’s an emergency. It’s nothing against you! She just... is slow to come out to meet our new friends. She prefers I do some work to soften people up since she can struggle with social cues.” She sighed. “I personally think we’re well past when that was more necessary, but she insists on it. She’ll come out eventually to interact, especially for a good fight, but you’re going to have to be patient with her.”

The pink-twin hummed, a little sad that she could not get to know this other personality of the woman directly for a while. It seemed like Gawr was listening in on them, and Gura appeared willing to convey messages even when it embarrassed her. But this system made it seem like bonding would be tricky.

...But that did not mean she would not try. She gave a determined smile, pumping her fists in front of her chest. “Well, just you wait! I’m going to make her comfortable to talk with me in no time! Then we can spar, tussle, play games, watch shows - whatever! You’ll see!”

The Atlantean chuckled, seeming to relax at her taking the information so well. “With that kind of attitude, maybe you can break the record on getting her to come out. I’m just going to warn you now, though, the next time you see her will probably be to make a joke before retreating. Likely about something humiliating you do or say.”

Mococo gave a small grunt. “Great. I hope it’s about my gaming skills, at least. I’d hate to screw up in our fighting sessions enough to make her mock me. I hate those tactics!”

“I don’t know - they can be quite effective,” the shark-girl said with a shrug. A gleam then entered her eyes. “But what’s this I hear about ‘gaming skills?’ Do you mean video games? I’d love to hear some of your-”

She was cut off by the timer on the oven going off, making them both turn to it. She perked up, readjusting her oven mitts as she opened it. “Finally. Did I set the timer too long or something? I better not be about to pull out a charred mess.”

The pizza was not burnt, thankfully, as she pulled it out on the tray it was on. It only had cheese as a topping, which lightly sizzled as it was placed on the table with the rest of the food. It did not take long for the short woman to get out a slicer, dividing the food into eight sections. The pink-twin raised an eyebrow, though. “Didn't the box say to wait before slicing?”

“Ah, no one listens to that,” Gura said dismissively. Once she was done cutting, she stepped to the side and gestured to the pizza, smiling widely. “Now, then - how about you have your first taste of culinary perfection?”

Giggling at the light theatrics, Mococo stepped up, setting down her glass of milk. Being careful not to burn herself on the pan, she took one of the slices and held it, taking a moment to sniff at it. She gave a small hum at the smell, before bringing it to her mouth and taking a bite. She chewed for a second-

-before quickly grimacing, her tail curling and her dog ears pinning to her head. Managing to at least force herself to swallow the bite, she then proceeded to gag, shaking her head and sticking her tongue out. She did not know what it was exactly - the sauce and cheese combined, the greasiness between them - but it just... did not taste good to her.

The Atlantean frowned at her reaction, before giving an exaggerated eye roll and sighing. “Fine - more for me, I guess. Be a heathen when it comes to good food.”

Managing to laugh as she recovered, the pink-twin shrugged apologetically. “Sorry. I’ll... try and finish this slice, at least.” Calli would probably feel bad if she did not get some proper food in her besides the crackers. Besides, she thought she could bear the flavor for a few more bites.

The shark-girl huffed, but it was clear she was playing up her disappointment. She grabbed the tray in one hand, taking the hellhound’s slice for the moment, and the bowl of crackers. “Yeah, whatever. Let’s just get this out to the others. I’m sure your sister will appreciate the hard work I went through to put that frozen pizza in the oven!”

Laughing, Mococo grabbed the candy bowl and her milk, going over to retrieve the Coke can as well, putting it under her arm. Once they had everything, they then went over to the door to the living room, which had been left slightly ajar. They came out into the room, whose walls were painted to resemble the ocean and whose couch and chairs were a dark blue. Beyond this, shelves were lined with anime merch, as well as various plushies, including of some of the Hololive members whose pictures the escaped convict had seen in the office.

On the couch were the other two, their glasses sat on the small wooden coffee table. They did not notice their arrival at first, as Fuwawa seemed to still be in the middle of explaining what had happened to them. “-...but then a massive storm of fire came in from above! Battered as we were, we could not make it very far before the flaming ‘raindrops’ began to fall. We had to take shelter in a small alcove on a nearby cliff.”

Calli grimaced, shaking her head. “Damn. I hope you didn’t get too burned from that.”

“Just a few light scorches on our clothes, mostly,” the blue-twin reassured, before sighing heavily. “But... we were tired. So much of our energy was used to do those sync attacks, and then we had to carry those demons in there with us while keeping linked. By the time we let it drop, we were about ready to pass out, which-”

She stopped mid-way into her sentence, noticing the arrival of her sister and the shark-girl. She brightened up immediately, her tail wagging. “Oh, wow! So that’s what a pizza looks like in real life!” Her gaze locked onto the bowl of candy, her smile widening. “Oooo! Those look so delicious!”

“I know, right?!” Mococo agreed, setting it beside the rest of the food on the table along with the can. She took a seat next to her, sipping her drink and leaning over to grab her pizza slice. “It’s a mix of both American and Japanese candy. I was surprised to see so many of the latter in the pantry!”

“There are plenty of stores in the US that sell foreign treats,” the reaper said, grabbing a few crackers and nibbling on them. “Though, this town has arranged for quite a few imports, given how many Japanese talents are here. Or just mythical people whose first experience of Earth was over there.”

Gura was nodding in agreement, but it was clear she was only half-listening. Instead, she was eyeing the older sibling of their guests, grabbing another slice of pizza and holding it out to her as she sat next to her girlfriend. “Yeah, yeah - anyway, try this. Tell me what you think of it!”

Calli raised an eyebrow at her insistence, but Fuwawa did not seem to notice it. She merely smiled and accepted the food. She took an eager bite, tasting it for a moment... only to pause, then start to make a sour expression. She roughly swallowed, coughing a bit as she quickly reached for her water and took some hearty sips.

The white-haired woman’s face crumbled at this, leaning back against the couch and groaning at the ceiling. “Are you kidding? Both of you?”

That only made the pink-twin laugh, shaking her head. “Hey, we don’t have the exact same tastes, but I don’t know how you didn’t expect a bit of overlap from twins.” She took a small bite of her slice, keeping her reaction more neutral this time. “If it helps, it has more flavor than a lot of the food back at The Cell, so it has that going for it.”

The Atlantean only grunted, sulking as she took a piece of her own and took a hearty bite. She cheered up some, though, when the reaper giggled at her attitude, giving her a peck on the cheek. The short woman proceeded to climb onto her lap, making more room for the rest of them on the couch as they continued to silently eat their food for a few moments. (The blue-twin ended up switching for some crackers after only two more bites of her pizza, though.)

This continued on for a while, everyone unwinding after how their initial meeting went. But eventually... curiosity began to win out for the Hololive members. As the shark-girl was finishing up her slice and was looking to get another, she looked over to the older sibling again, tilting her head. “So... what were you saying about a firestorm when we walked in?”

Fuwawa shrugged. “Oh, I was telling Calli how our mission to catch the demons went six centuries back. It was the last thing anyone knew we were doing before we were captured by that evil god.”

Mococo hummed, remembering that task well. Some demons - twenty in total - had stolen secrets from Lady Satan’s palace (or Ironmouse, as bizarre as that still was to her) regarding some of Hell’s inner defenses. They had apparently hoped to use it to trade their way into “ascending” to angelhood. Even with the wars having been over for millennia and younger generations starting to hope for peace - theirs included - many older folks on both sides still tried to prepare for another conflict. And in such a scenario, such information would have been vital.

Normally, Hell’s Ruler’s personal guards would have dealt with such an issue. However, those demons had managed to use a relic to teleport themselves into a Fire Realm the moment they had the plans in hand. Thus, while the mages there worked to track them down, other warriors who could access the plane were called upon to scout out and potentially subdue them if possible.

Their posting at the time happened to align with this call... though they could never have predicted how sideways it would all go.

The blue-twin sighed, her ears drooping as she grabbed her water, taking a sip before continuing. “I don’t want to repeat all the details, but to catch you up, we and several other demons posted in one town were asked to locate these rogues. We used a teleportation circle to go to the Fire Realm, and were told to spread out. It was assumed that if they had a way to go to the heavens, they would have used that initially, so the hope was they would be heading toward one of the established exits. By the time we were deployed, lots of time had passed since the theft, so if they were coming to ours, they should have been close.”

Gura’s eyebrows furrowed. “I... think I see the logic. But... I mean, a Realm is big - even the elemental ones. That still had to be a lot of ground to cover.”

The pink-twin shrugged, managing to get to the crust of her pizza slice. “I think we were mostly supposed to act as a deterrent. Our presence would help ensure that they would not be able to get out before Sat- Ironmouse’s forces could teleport to where they ended up initially, then track them. The others who came with us certainly didn’t seem worried about a fight.”

Fuwawa nodded, a glint entering her eyes. “Yeah. But we were not so lax! We took our patrol path seriously! If these guys were heading our way, then we wanted to be ready to rough them up and bring some of them in. If we could deal with these plans they stole, then all the better!

“And... turns out, they were heading for our circle. I guess they hoped word would not reach our town outpost so quickly and that they could get through on their way to the heavens.” She gave a fierce grin. “But they thought wrong. Once we had confirmed it was them, we used a magic beacon to call the others to our location, then moved in to keep them occupied!”

Mococo nodded, mirroring the expression. “They didn’t go down easily, that’s for sure! Being mostly older demons, they had a lot of experience in battle and magic, and they knew how to work as a unit. But still, we managed to down eight, then send the rest of them running while injured. We even destroyed what they stole by casting it into some nearby lava!”

The blue-twin chuckled at her enthusiasm, even as her swishing tail showed she shared in it. Once she calmed down, though, she sighed. “I would have liked to go after those others... but fighting twenty strong demons in a highly hazardous environment took its toll. It took what was left in us just to get ourselves and our prisoners to shelter. Luckily, they were all knocked out and bound tightly, so we were able to collapse without much worry to catch our breaths.”

...A deep frown formed on her face, her animal parts going still as she looked down. “Or... so we had thought.”

The pink-twin shivered, looking down as well. “It... it must have been watching us the whole time. I don’t even know how it found or knew about us, but regardless... it easily overwhelmed us in the state we were in. We could barely defend ourselves before we were knocked out, and the next thing we knew, we were waking up in our cells.”

Calli sighed, looking rather upset. “Yeah... nobody knew what had happened. According to the other scouts, they found the cave you stored the rogue demons in, but there was no sign of you both. Neither your prisons nor the ones that had run off - who all got rounded up eventually, just so you know - knew anything, either. It was like you had just... vanished into thin air.”

Fuwawa grimaced, her animal ears drooping. “I’m not proud of how little of a fight we put up. Knowing what we do now, if we had synced up, it might have gone differently. But we were so exhausted, that we might have also just passed out in seconds trying to exert ourselves.”

Clenching her hands, Mococo took a steadying breath. She tried not to think about that fight these days... and how she believed she could have saved her sister, at least. So many nights after their capture were spent imagining standing her ground while her sibling used her aura to run out of there and reach the approaching scouts. It was obvious the god had wanted secrecy in its capture of them, so if the other hellhound had just reached a group...

But, then again... the blue-twin had done that a lot, too, she knew. Had mentioned the idea to her of how she could have led the god away while the pink-twin made a break for it. And Shiori had spent some time, noticing their guilt there, explaining how against a god, with no clue how they could hurt it, that no plan of theirs probably would have worked, as harsh as it was to say. It had gotten the older sibling to stop being as harsh on herself, though.

Maybe... it was time she did so more, too. There was no changing what had happened, and... their friend was right. There was little chance they would have been able to beat a god, even if they had more strength then. She might still feel bad about it, but... she should start moving on.

She was brought out of those thoughts by the reaper groaning, burying her face in her hands. “Dammit... I knew I shouldn’t have given up the search. Something in my gut said to keep trying, but I ignored it! If I had just tried a little harder to find you guys, I...”

That got the sisters to frown, with Mococo’s tail twitching as she looked at her with disbelief. “Well, that doesn’t sound fair to you. That god had captured three other people millennia ago without raising suspicion. Nerissa even has a family who have probably missed her. It’s clear the god covered its tracks very well.”

Fuwawa nodded. “Yeah - we don’t blame you or anyone else at all! All of it was just bad luck and unfortunate timing.”

“I-” Calli began, before stopping, then sighing, letting her hands drop. “No, you’re right. I just... Hearing it all now, I wish that something had gone differently. If we had only found a semblance of something to tell us you were alive, then...”

Gura frowned, turning on her lap to hug her and give her a quick peck on the lips. “Hey, I think everyone here knows that if you knew where they were, you would have gone to help them. So don’t worry so much about it.” She looked over at the siblings. “Still, it must have been hard being stuck in that prison for so long.”

“Well... yeah, but I guess it could have been worse,” the blue-twin said, trying to smile at the two. “We still had each other, which helped make our stay there significantly more bearable! And the guards had apparently become more lax in their treatment of their prisoners by the time we arrived, so there was not too much torture.”

“Not to mention we got to help the others!” the pink-twin added, which allowed her to smile as well. “They were still in pretty rough shape from their previous treatment, so we made it our mission to help them smile! And it worked! Shiori and Nerissa stayed positive more about our chances of breaking out, and... Bijou seemed a lot happier.” She would not say anything else about the gem-girl there, but... it did make her feel proud to have helped her recover a bit from her trauma. There was still a long road yet there, but any progress was good!

“We were very important to Shiori’s final plans to get us all out, too,” Fuwawa continued, looking quite pleased. “So in the end, I guess you could say it all worked out. I don’t particularly like that we lost several centuries of our lives in there... but we helped the others not have to spend several more of their own in there, either.”

The other two stared at them, looking a bit bewildered at their words. After another moment, however, Calli started to smile, before chuckling softly while shaking her head. “I... don’t know if I should be surprised you two would try to find the bright side of being unjustly imprisoned.”

Mococo grinned, wagging her tail. “Well, when we still had the chance to make some people’s situation better...”

The reaper giggled some more. Her expression dimmed, though, as she appeared to take note of one thing they said. “Still... I don’t like how you said ‘too much torture.’”

The sisters paused, before the blue-twin looked away and sighed. “It didn’t often involve injuring us. It was mostly just taking away meals or working us extra hard during tests. We couldn’t do as the god wanted if we were too broken, after all.”

Wish the same could be said for Bijou, the pink-twin thought gloomily. She tried to not dwell on that, though, as she looked down. “One of my least favorites was when they’d lock one of us in an isolation cell away from the other. They knew how much we loved each other, and how the separation got to us.”

Fuwawa pursed her lips, clearly not pleased at being reminded of those times, and she could not blame her. Whether they were left with the others or put into that special cell, they were always plagued by wondering how the other was doing. It made them a bit despondent at some points, but still... they stayed strong for each other. And the moment they were reunited, they checked after one another and got right back into their routine!

...There had always been that fear that the guards might start keeping them separate full-time one day, though. That outside of tests, they would be left completely alone. They had feigned compliance with them as much as possible to avoid such a decision, but... those people had known the threat was effective enough.

It made Mococo’s fur bristle just thinking about it. But even so, she tried to shake it off, regaining her smile as she turned and hugged her sister. “But that doesn’t matter anymore! Now, we can stay together and play as much as we want!”

The actions succeeded in making the blue-twin brighten up, smiling as she hugged her back. “Yeah. We’re never leaving each other’s sides again! Not when we sleep, or go out to eat!... Or when we use the bathroom...”

The pink-twin let out an annoyed groan, pulling back to glare at her. “Don’t make it weird! I was trying to have a moment with you!”

Fuwawa laughed, putting a hand over her mouth. “Heh - I’m sorry, Moco-chan! You just look so cute when you’re worked up!” She smirked a little. “But... if you do need my help like when we were kids that one time-”

“That’s it - we’re not sleeping together anymore,” Mococo stated, pulling away. She crossed her arms while facing her back to her sibling. “We’re going to have two separate rooms in our new house - right next to each other - so you can’t be weird with me!”

Letting out a fake gasp, the blue-twin hugged her from behind and nuzzled the back of her head. “NOOO! I promise I’ll be a good sister! I won’t bring up the potty incident ever again, and I’ll let you have the bottom bunk! The bunk beds! Remember how we talked about getting those? Don’t let the dream die!”

The pink-twin grunted, pretending to consider this... but while her sister could not see it, she probably knew how big she was smiling. “Hm... Well, those did always sound fun... Maybe I’ll reconsider...”

Fuwawa cheered, hugging her tighter and causing her to finally let out some chuckles. Looking at the others, she also saw that they were smiling at the scene, too, which made her heart swell. While she could not deny the tragedy of what had happened to them... she did not wish to linger on those sorrows. She certainly did not want others to get caught in them, either, who had nothing to do with it. And compared to their fellow convicts, they had little they needed to truly recover from in terms of lingering scars.

They had made it out, and now they had a chance to do both the things they loved most - protecting others and bringing them happiness. For them... that was enough. As far as they were concerned, recovery was making their friends, old and new, smile brightly, and they would not slack off on that duty!

But still... there was one detail that had not been addressed about their capture yet. Something that Calli brought up as she sighed, though while still maintaining a small smile. “It’s... really nice to see captivity hasn’t changed you both all that much. I never realized how much I liked seeing you both banter.” She tilted her head. “But... I don’t get why this god wanted you. Like, there’s no way you two had done anything to slight it - none of your jobs should have taken you anywhere close to one of their kind!”

Fuwawa hummed, letting go of her sibling and sitting back. “Oh, well... it turns out that us syncing allows us to be able to hurt gods - even kill them. That’s why all of us in The Cell were brought in - because we had some innate talent, or a potent bit of knowledge of how to in Shiori’s case, to injure their higher forms. It wanted to study us to stop more people like us from appearing in the universe.”

Mococo huffed, crossing her arms once again, though more seriously this time. “Dumb god... We didn’t even know we could do that before it captured us! If it just left us alone, we would never have been a threat to it or anyone else. We made promises to ourselves to not kill without reason, for fluff’s sake!”

“...Fluff?” Gura asked, seeming bemused by the censor. She quickly shook her head, though, scratching her head. “Actually, back up for a moment. You all keep mentioning stuff about ‘syncing’ and stuff. Can someone actually tell me what that is? I feel very left out of the loop.”

The reaper giggled, smiling apologetically. “Oh, right - you wouldn’t know about that. It makes sense - even if you knew how hellhounds work, their ability to do this is unique even among them with their auras.”

The Atlantean hummed, her tail flicking back and forth to show her interest. “Right, aura - I’m guessing those are those flashes of blue and pink I saw over their bodies earlier during our... small miscommunication.”

Nodding, the pink-twin got up suddenly and leaped over the couch, having an idea for a quick demonstration to go with her words. “Yep! All hellhounds have some form of enhancement aura they can access. It takes a lot of practice to make it useful, and some don’t bother with it, even among guard dogs, and simply rely on their natural demon strengths. But those of us who can use it can push beyond our normal limits in some way! For me, it’s my strength!”

To show this, she activated her aura, being surrounded by the pink glow that felt like a fuzzy blanket as she crouched. She put her hands under the couch before anyone could react... then proceeded to lift the entire thing - people included. The occupants gasped as they held on, but the furniture did not so much as shake in her grip as she grinned at them over the back.

The shark-girl looked over the front first, staring at the ground she was now being held about a meter above. Then, she turned and looked at the blond with a small grin. “Okay, that’s pretty cool... Now please put us down.”

With a simple nod, Mococo gently placed the couch back down. As she clamored over the back to take her seat again (because why not?), her sister started explaining her power, too. “And with me, I can make myself faster! It actually makes me see the world move a lot more slowly, too, which amazed me the first time I managed it.”

Following the younger sibling’s example, the blue-twin activated her aura, too. As soon as her whole body was covered in that blue glow, she then moved on in a blur toward the kitchen and disappeared inside. Before anyone could so much as blink, the sound of the pantry in there opening and shutting in quick succession hit them. Barely a second afterward, she zoomed back into the room, and took a seat on the couch. By the time she dropped her aura, only a few seconds had passed.

Once she was back to regular speed, she showed off the small box she had stolen from the kitchen - a treat labeled Pop-Tarts. She pulled out a packet from it, catching her breath a bit as her tail wagged. “It’s a great time-saver outside of combat, too. Do you mind if I have one of these?”

“Help yourself,” Calli answered as her girlfriend also gestured for her to go ahead. She sighed, smiling to herself. “Man, Ame is going to feel so jealous that you can essentially do time dilation without needing a special injection.”

“Nah, she’ll be too fascinated and asking questions - maybe even invite her onto a case,” Gura argued, making them both chuckle. She then looked at the hellhounds again, raising an eyebrow. “Okay, so you both enhance yourselves to superhuman levels. Which is something that any hellhound can do, but most don’t because it’s tricky?”

“For more than a few seconds for most, yeah,” Mococo answered. “Some think it has to do with genetics as much as training, but I don’t really know how true that is.” She puffed her chest with pride. “We were always seen as protegees, though, since even at a young age we could maintain ours almost indefinitely! It basically takes us literally passing out from exertion for it to drop without our command.”

“It gives us a big advantage in lots of fights,” Fuwawa agreed, taking a bite of her Pop-Tart. “We try not to rely too heavily on it - we never know when we might fight any enemy who can negate them, and it's very tiring over a long period. But even in small bursts, it lets us toss around most opponents with ease!”

The reaper rolled her eyes. “Glad you learned that one after getting knocked down by me a few times. I remember how much you pushed yourselves without considering how much energy you really had. A few scythe swings set you both straight, though.”

The sisters gave embarrassed chuckles, remembering those lessons, too. The pink-twin then shrugged, tapping her chest. “Even people with natural aptitudes need to learn some things. But the point is that our auras give us a great edge!” She paused, then held out her hand before her. “But still... for any hellhound, you usually only get one enhancement. Which is already very useful, but each of ours obviously has limits.”

The blue-twin smiled, her ears perking up as she grabbed her hand, setting aside her treat. “There’s nothing that can be done about that without learning some magic or taking potions for most. However... we’re a bit special in that regard. Individually, we only have our usual auras. But together...”

With that, they both activated their auras, and then combined them through the link. It was not as dramatic as back in The Cell, since their claws were not causing any enhancements to them. However, there were still some smoke-like wisps that rose from them as they were enveloped in purple light. Mococo took a deep breath, feeling her and Fuwawa’s minds merge along with their feelings, until in seconds, there was no difference between the two.

They looked at the Atlantean specifically, smiling using both of their bodies as they spoke in unison. “...we can do everything each other can.”

The shark-girl blinked, evidently shocked at the perfect synchronization. She looked between both sisters, a bit of wonder in her eyes. “Woah... That’s...”

Calli chuckled. “I know, right? It was very strange to watch for me the first time, but hey, I can’t deny how effective it makes them. Or how happy they always seem to do it.”

Both siblings nodded in sync. They spoke only using Fuwawa this time, knowing how freaky talking at the same time could be for others the first time they saw this. “It’s an amazing feeling! We were always close growing up, but this... It was like we finally understood one another down to our cores the first time we discovered this. We still get that feeling sometimes.”

They switched to speaking with Mococo to give a sense of conversation progression, even as both bodies shrugged. “We don’t really know why our auras are linked like this. We guess it’s the benefit of being twins! Doing this, we can be both incredibly fast and super strong! And since we’re one mind like this, our coordination increases dramatically. If one of us sees something, so does the other, and we know where each other is at all times to do combo attacks. We don’t need to say words to communicate on that front, either, which is a great boon!”

Gura frowned, looking down in deep thought. She was also whispering to herself, which they guessed was her talking with Gawr. She’s kind of in the opposite situation to us, Fuwamoco considered. The white-haired woman was two people in one body, technically, while they when using their aura like this were almost one person in two bodies. It was an interesting contrast, the more they thought about it.

...They wondered how the other felt about that, though, given how deeply their eyebrows were furrowed. Her tail was also twitching some, though for what reason was unclear. It did not necessarily mean anything bad, but... from Mococo’s memories, they recalled that small moment in the kitchen regarding the woman’s split mind. If there really was some sort of insecurity or the like there...

 It made them pause, wondering if they should drop the link and ask if she was okay. The next moment, however, the Atlantean shook her head and smiled, her tail moving normally again. “Well, I can’t say I’ve ever had to fight anyone who could share a mind before. That should be an interesting challenge for our sparring match!”

The siblings tilted their heads, but decided to not ask about what they noticed. Instead, they smiled, speaking in unison again. “We would love to do that! But we think we’ll stick with individual match-ups at first, and not just cause of how tiring this can be.” Even now, despite barely moving, they could feel the link sapping away at their energy.

The shark-girl shrugged. “That’s fine. I think Gawr, once she’s comfortable enough with you both, would probably like first dibs on that fight, anyway.”

Nodding in agreement to that plan, they then closed their eyes, knowing they should not push this the day after their breakout. Concentrating, they began to unravel their link, their senses of self returning to each individual. Then, the connection broke entirely, leaving Mococo as herself again and only feeling her own body.

She held back a sigh as she opened her eyes, and saw Fuwawa doing the same. They always had a sense of loss when they came out of a syncing, only a few faded impressions of the other’s memories and feelings remaining afterward. If they could... they would honestly maintain their connection for much longer than they usually did. Just having that total understanding of one another was... indescribable.

Still, though, she knew that even if they could do it longer, they would still de-link willingly. They both had a sense of privacy, even with themselves, and having their minds melded at all times would not allow for that. And anyway... there was always something better about showing appreciation to her sister when they were not the same person.

Being one was nice, but they were still individuals. Thus, it was not that difficult to push past those feelings and move on as the pink-twin looked back at the other two. “But... yeah. Our power was even more special than we ever knew, it seems.”

Calli looked at the sisters with a deep frown. “And... you’re sure you’re safe now?”

“Omegaα’s promised that we will be,” Fuwawa said, looking confident in that answer. (They knew the rest of their friends had reservations about the god, but to them, she was simply another friendly face. They only hoped the others could get through their traumas soon and be able to be relaxed around the woman as well.) “And even if another god tries anything, we know about our potential now so we can defend ourselves! I’m sure Shiori has some plans, too, in case anyone tries to lock us up again!”

The reaper nodded slowly, appearing to take some reassurance from those answers. But even so, after taking a deep breath, she gave them a determined look. “Well... if anything does that, you can also count on me for protection. I’m not just going to let you both disappear again! Six centuries was already too many for you to be locked away.”

Mococo smiled softly at her. “Thank you. That means a lot to us.” She squared her shoulders. “But don’t think we’re going to just let you or anyone else here get injured on our behalf! You defend us, and we’ll defend you! That’s the oath we’ve sworn, and we’ll stick by it!”

The reaper laughed. “I feel like that defeats the whole purpose of this... But then again, I’d probably do the same if I was in your shoes.” She sighed, leaning over to grab a slice of the nearly-forgotten pizza. “So then, you think you’ll be happy in Hololive?”

“Plenty!” Fuwawa said, smiling as she took a sip of her water. “This job seems perfect on top of our guarding! Plus, that’s more time we get to play games with you and others!” She giggled. “We’ll even get to call you Calli-Senpai! I really like the ring to that!”

Calli gave a more embarrassed chuckle, her cheeks pinkening. “Ah... you don’t have to be so formal with me.”

“It’s respectful!” the blue-twin argued... then smirked slightly. “And also... I feel like I have to if it makes you flustered.”

That caused the reaper to sputter some. Gura, meanwhile, only snickered. “Heh - I see you’re also a fan of seeing Kawaii-ope Mori.”

“Gura!” the shinigami said, her cheeks only getting redder. The others all laughed at this, and after taking a breath, she smiled and joined in on it. Once she calmed down, she started speaking again. “Ah, but seriously, this would be a great time to finally introduce you both to Kiara and Bae. I’d always meant to find a time for you all to meet back then. My sis in particular should be able to keep up with your shenanigans, too.”

The twins nodded, excited at the prospect of meeting those two. For a moment, Mococo did consider the fact that they did not know yet if the rest of their fellow escaped convicts would accept the offer to join. And if they did not want to, they would probably have to follow them - not just to protect them, but due to the deep bond they all shared now.

But... she had a good feeling about this. If the rest of EN was even half as kind as these two, then she was sure the others would want to stay. It was more than just about the security... It was the chance to meet new people, and share in their laughter and happiness. And really, what else could one ask for in life?

Her tail swished in anticipation of meeting her other future Senpais. Until then, though, there was still a lot of catching up to do here... and more treats to be had. With that thought, she looked over to the candy bowl, grinning widely. “Anyway... time for candy!”

The blue-twin grinned as well, both reaching toward the bowl... But before they could grab any, it was pulled away by Calli, who quickly pushed Gura off of her lap and stood up, giving them a stern look. “Now, hold up! You guys have not eaten nearly enough pizza or crackers to start digging into this!”

“Haeh?” Mococo exclaimed, hopping to her feet along with her sister with a pout. “You never said there was a certain amount of those we had to have first! Come on, let us have some candy!”

Calli shook her head, stepping back. “No can do. As much as I want you both to enjoy yourselves, I’m not letting you spoil just have dessert for a late lunch. Just eat one more slice of pizza, or both have a pack of Pop-Tarts. They may not be too healthy, but they’ll at least fill you up better. Okay?”

The sisters paused, exchanging a look as they debated the offer silently... Then they smirked, with the pink-twin giving her an innocent look. “Ooooor... maybe instead, we could... TICKLE ATTACK!”

“Wha-? Guh!? ” That was as much as the reaper could say before the hellhound’s pounced on her, all of them tumbling to the floor. The bowl, thankfully made of plastic fell from her hand as she tried to catch herself, the candy inside spilling everywhere. Before she could recover, though, the twins sat down on top of her, grinning mischievously. The pink-haired woman paled, trying to push herself up. “N-now wait a minute! I-I’m not even that ticklish! Can’t we-?”

“She’s lying - she can be very sensitive,” Gura said, looking at the pile from the side of the couch with a smirk. She was holding the opened pack of Pop-Tarts and the Coke can, taking a bite from it as she looked at the sisters. “And as long as you don’t push me down to do the same, I won’t stop you from doing this. Gawr especially is already cackling.”

Mococo nodded, activating her aura and effectively pinning the shinigami down with one hand. “You got it!”

Calli gulped, glancing at the other three as she squirmed. Giving a nervous smile, she gave one last plea. “Um... Actually, you can... have the candy if you’d like?”

Fuwawa hummed, clearly pretending to consider those words. “Tempting... but unfortunately, you committed the sin of trying to deny us them to begin with, so... TAKE THIS!”

With that, the two began their assault, their fingers wiggling all across the reaper’s belly. Said woman shrieked, trying and failing to hold in her laughter as she thrashed and tried to get free, begging for mercy. All the while, the Atlantean watched the proceedings with an amused smile, cheering on the twins and calling her girlfriend cute, which only flustered her further.

The pink-twin could not help but chuckle merrily as her hands danced along Calli’s ribs. No doubt their old mentor would get free soon and make them pay for this... but she welcomed the retaliation. After so many centuries, it was time to finally have fun until their faces hurt from how wide they were smiling.

And soon, they would spread those smiles to everyone in town, their audience... and hopefully so many others.

~~~~~~~

It used to... bother Omegaα more that she often processed what her fellow gods said and converted them into “lesser” languages and words. She still understood the higher language they used, but for some reason, she could not help herself but to think of both simultaneously. It highlighted the rift between her and them in her mind, which enhanced the feelings of being an outsider to both realities.

Now, she fully welcomed anything to remind her that she was not exactly like them. She gave no thought to the translation efforts going on in her mind as she discussed things with the other two gods who projected themselves directly there. She did not care how she tried to picture an inscrutable marble hall as the place they were meeting, despite the link being purely psychic with no physical presence. She allowed herself to picture the others as having faces and proper voices. As far as she was concerned, it showed how close she was to the people who she had always cared for, and who did so for her as well.

...But it did make it hard to “see” the state of the god she had crippled. She gave it a face and body of no discernible gender, but the husks of legs and one of its arms caused... not guilt, exactly, but it was not a good feeling. As much as she despised it, having harmed one of her own for the first time still shook her. She could not help but wonder if there were less harmful things she could have done that would have prevented its pursuit of the girls.

Those emotions lingered... though it was rather easy to push them down in favor of anger as it did the human equivalent of “ranting.” [It’s an outrage! ‘The unit assigned to look after the progenitor immortals’ has crossed a line with its blatant disruption of my work! Retaliation must be swift, both for its actions and to recapture the dangerous individuals who now roam free!]

Omegaα growled as only a god could, the mental image of her pounding a table between them entering her head. {These “dangerous individuals” have done nothing to even slightly suggest they wish to hurt our kind - except perhaps you thanks to your unjust capture of them! They deserve to live their lives and-!}

The god shook its head in her mind, “voice” the picture of condescension. [Yet another argument of pure emotion from this proven renegade. But what can be expected from ‘the unit assigned to-’]

{Omegaα.} she said lowly. {My name is Omegaα ! And if you would stop interrupting-}

[There is nothing to hear from you.] the god said dismissively. [One must only look at the damage you have inflicted to-]

<Enough!> the second god cut in - a representative for the rest of their kind, who watched at the edges of her perception. She pictured a wizened old man for this one, like she heard would guide adventurers and lead them from human fantasy stories, at the high end of the table. It was often him - as he allowed her to refer to him as - that looked over those rare disputes that happen between the rest of them, giving him a sense of authority. In short, he was the closest thing to a leader of the gods that they had.

He was... perhaps the only one of their kind she could still fully tolerate. When she had complaints about how the Council was being taught or anything else, he genuinely listened to her. He showed respect for her view of how lesser races worked, and how that might benefit them all. He did not always take her side, but when he did, nearly all the rest of their kind would follow his example

For the escaped convicts to be safe, then, she knew she had to plead her case well. If she could not... then that town could become a warzone the likes mankind could never comprehend.

After letting the silence hang within this link for a time, he addressed her with what she interpreted as a nod. <Omegaα has full right to be called as... she would like. And she also has every right to speak upon these matters, of which I am highly interested to hear her perspective on. I can only assume she believes a grave error indeed has been made if she resorted to such barbarity.>

Omegaα flinched, though knew she deserved the slightly barbed comment for what she did. She moved past it, though, doing the equivalent of clearing her throat. {Indeed I do, ‘watcher of our proceedings.’ What the ‘former runner of the lesser prison’ has done is a... greatly horrific action to the lesser races. Every action it has taken in what it calls “studying” translates mostly to simply torturing the individuals it captured.} The words were rather simple in English, but greater meaning and understanding were projected to the other gods. If there was anything she still appreciated about her kind, it was how their way of speaking could make these debates quicker.

There was still plenty that she had to argue, however, she knew, especially as the crippled god “sneered” at her. [And what do we care what they perceive my work as? I see no difference in this compared to tests humans themselves perform upon animals.]

{The main difference is sentience.} Omegaα stated with a “glare.” {Those of good nature do not perform their tests on those who are capable of complex thought, whether that be themselves or even us. If they ever do, it is through volunteers. And any who would do tests without consent are seen as evil.}

{And the ethical tests they do are not torture. Whether an animal or another sentient being, they try to take care of their subjects and keep them in good health, both in body and mind. You have done neither. You have left physical and mental scars upon them that shall take a long time to recover from. That is to say nothing of the lives you uprooted them from.}

[If my tests were too “invasive,” then it was a necessary requirement for my work.] the other god defended. [A thorough understanding of their abilities is required if we are to understand the circumstances which cause them to be bestowed. For that, every inch of their body, mind, and soul must be dissected. From there, we can ensure such beings are never born again and protect our kind from outside dangers.]

{But your tests have produced nothing to show for it!} Omegaα angrily pointed out. {In seven millennia, even with your longest-had prisoner, you are no closer to figuring out ways to prevent these unique circumstances from happening!}

[A mere drop of time in the totality of our existence.] the god countered. [Your time among humans has clearly distorted your view of its passage. Results like these will take eons more to come to fruition.]

If Omegaα had teeth currently, she would be grounding them. {I used to train the Council with a mindset like yours, just so we are clear... and it was a flawed process that nearly got one of them killed.} Her scar pringled with phantom pains, an image of Bae coming to mind. {By taking the pace of even the lesser immortals, of whom such time is also very short, I have been able to achieve results faster in having them hone their abilities. And while I hate to give any credit to such people, unethical wizards I believe who would resort to torture as you have would also get at least some answers by now.}

The other god gave the impression of a scoff... but before it could reply, their mediator cut in, “turning” to him. <She makes a valid point. While I and others have allowed your tests, despite my reservations, you have given us little in the way of answers. Lesser creatures are difficult to understand, but have you truly no results to show for all of your work? When both Omegaα and even ‘the presider over angels’ have proven to do much more in a similar timespan?>

The crippled god paused, who, if it had a face, unease and shock would be showing on it. Omegaα, meanwhile, began to feel hope swelling in her metaphorical heart. Her opposition had tried hard to call attention to its injuries to delay things, and no doubt she was being judged for that. But now that they were discussing the true matter... things were going as she had prayed they would. Just the mention of “God,” who also did not understand lesser races well, as a way to support her was a good sign of whose arguments their mediator was favoring.

But, of course, the other god was not done trying to argue, and swiftly carried on. [That... This is not relevant! I will get the results we require!]

{Even if it eventually does, your ethics are still abhorrent.} Omegaα stated. {Actions like yours have a grave impact on how the lesser races view us. Do you even comprehend that what you have done, once it becomes more well-known, has the potential to sprout the idea of trying to kill any of us more than any innate power to do so ever could?}

That certainly caused ripples within the crowd, who had evidently been led to believe otherwise. But still, while they may look down upon her at times for her love of lesser beings... they knew she would never say such a thing in jest. And given her understanding of them, they would have to know it was likely to be true. That A-chan had helped to teach her this behavior allowed her to “say” it with more confidence. (Though she still had questions of her own about the subject.)

An angered rumble came from the crippled god. [And what of how they are viewed by their own people? As I understand it from those who pledged service to me, several of them have committed sins that require punishment. In that way, my prison also serves as-]

{Any sentence that any deserved has long since been served.} Omegaα declared firmly. {This is by both mortal and immortal metrics, and none of which should have required torture. And there are two who did absolutely no crimes that deserved anything beyond community service, if even that.}

The other god... trembled. In the mental image, she could picture a dark storm cloud forming around it as it glared at her hatefully. [You... you are too soft upon these creatures. Your laxness shall be the death of us all...]

Omegaα met his stare, just as much anger in her eyes, but kept her composure. After all... she knew it was about to make a big mistake - one that would put this all in her favor. And for that... she gave a gentle nudge. {So you say. Yet I know you have had the reckless idea of putting the likes of the demon Laplus in there. Something that all of us know would be foolish. I still fail to see why you wish to... or your problem with my students.}

That was the last thread, it seemed, that caused the other to “rise,” their fury projected without restraint. [Because they are parasites ! We should have culled and taken control of these lesser races when the universe was still new! But instead, we have let them grow in power - get closer to tearing us down and ascending to our ranks. I shall not allow that filth to-]

<SILENCE!> the mediator cut in, his “voice” making their link waver with its power. He looked at the crippled god, an air of disappointment to him. <It seems that we may have been lied to as to the motivations behind your trials... and discovered the true reason results have been slow. Such a fall from the grace of how a god should conduct themselves.>

The other god would have paled if it could, realizing what it had done. It turned to the mediator, trying to salvage its position. [‘W-watcher over our proceedings,’ I did not mean to-]

<As it stands for these escaped prisoners, I see no reason for any of our kind to assist you.> the mediator continued. <Of you both, and including ‘the presider over angels’ to an extent, Omegaα has proven to be the most effective overall in how to treat those who have powers that may affect us. ‘The presider’ has been steadily losing control of its situation with angels thanks to Lady Satan alone, and you could not even contain your prisoners for a tenth of an eon. Full neutrality perhaps would be more preferable to your approach as well, if yours shall inspire more to be hostile to us.>

<I believe Omegaα when she says these prisoners are no threat to anyone but you. If her testimony is not enough, then the ones she brought from Satan and Death should stand as reason enough to believe so. None would allow harm to those closest to them by having these people present on Earth. And while there might be others born with abilities to kill us we may need to worry about in the future... your methods I no longer have any faith in shall deter them. They will be dealt with individually as they come.>

<You may, of course, act as you see fit without interference. If you wish to have them captured for more... “tests,” you may do so. But you must do it on your own, as any more getting involved could cause a more negative image of our kind than you have already accomplished. So with that... I dismiss you.>

The crippled god “stared” at him, its discontent and rage near-palpable. However, it did not dare say anything else, and gave the god equivalent of a nod. It sent her one last look - one that promised that it was not done with her or the escaped convicts. Then, it disappeared as it severed its link there.

Omegaα would have sighed if she could then. She did not doubt the other would try to retaliate for both her and the girls' actions - it was too prideful to do otherwise. But still, she had hope that whatever it tried to send, they would be able to fend it off. The fact it could not come itself was already a huge boon... but she would not let her guard down there.

As for the other gods... the mediator’s word was not law, but she was not too worried. Between his word, the testimonies Ironmouse and Death were generous enough to provide, and how prominent Earth in general was becoming again to the Realms... Well, the chances any would risk themselves at this point was very slim. Even indirect support was a gamble they might not want to do.

It was not total safety, but... she and the others could work with this.

...She was brought out of these musings, though, by the mediator addressing her. <You did well with your points and projected feelings... but do not think what you did to ‘the former runner of the lesser prison’ shall be forgotten or overlooked.>

Omegaα winced once more, those feelings of shame welling up in her. She “looked” at him and nodded. {I... I am not proud of my actions done in my blind rage. I shall endeavor to not escalate as such without cause again.} She put more force into her “words.” {But I shall not apologize for protecting those girls, nor say that the other’s state is one I think is undeserved. They may not be as complex as us, but the lesser races are people. Ones with more differences and potential than you all appreciate. Our godhood does not exclude any terrible action we take against them!}

She expected some rebuttal or lecture for her words - even this god having his limits... However, after a pause, he... gave the impression of a shrug. <Perhaps... you have a point. Even so, it shall be discussed what punishments and work you must do for your action, unsanctioned as they were. Until then, though, you are dismissed.>

Omegaα “blinked,” shocked at the small concession - in front of several other gods, no less! She had thought their ancient rules and emotions would continue to have made even him hesitant to even suggest reconsidering their views there. It had certainly been that way for countless eons.

Was... there true hope for her kind?

She did not know currently... but she would ponder it later. For now, she severed her link, eager to get back to A-chan to report the good news. For with that done... the convicts may finally be able to make their declaration of freedom in earnest. One she would help defend...

Chapter Text

Shiori could not quite remember what had drawn her to detective stories. Or, well, she had not refreshed her memories with the bookmark that had that particular one in some time, anyway. But she was fairly certain it had just been due to having another boring day in The Cell several decades back. Humans had been expanding on the genres they published on Earth, and some of those had been part of several more she had requested.

Since then, though, she had forever been grateful for her discovery of the Sherlock Holmes series. It has had its ups and downs, especially after the original author stopped publishing. (Was it due to retirement or death? She was not- Focus!) She loved the early stories so deeply, though, that she kept re-reading them. She knew them so well now, that she was sure she would not even need a bookmark to recall their plots for some time!

She just related so much to his character. A man who had trouble making friends and came across as quite strange to those around him? Check. The way he came to life when doing the things he was passionate about, while also keeping secrets to impress people later with what he did? Definitely a check! And just the aesthetic of his classic outfit? Oh, she just wished he would come out of the book and kiss her in it! (No luck in actually making that happen yet so far, but progress was being made!...Or had been.)

She was, admittedly, so easily enraptured by anything even adjacent to those books in any conceivable way... So when she saw this “Ame’s” picture, who dressed like the man and was also a detective? Well... she might have hidden it better, but she was sure her excitement had matched the twins when heading out.

The drive over had been uneventful, aside from her taking interest in her first-ever car ride. After that, she had been left at a rather ordinary office building, which she had confirmed was the correct place with her phone. From there, all it had taken was a quick look at the postings in the lobby of who rented what rooms and finding the right name. (The spyglass and mustache designs used on the plaque were cute.) A walk up the stairs and a turn into the hall later, and... she was there.

Now, the Archivist stood outside of the office where Ame apparently did most of her casework. It looked straight out of a noir film, if a lot cleaner, with the hazy glass and another plaque reading: Amelia Watson: #1 Time Traveling Detective. She could hear people talking from the other side - one presumably the woman herself, but also at least two other voices. Other members of EN, perhaps? Or maybe this girlfriend that was mentioned before?

Regardless... the presence of these others gave her pause, and was why she had stood there for the past five minutes or so. True to what she had said back in the interview, she was still adjusting to her newfound freedom and just wanted to relax. Going to see one person had not seemed so bad for that, especially with a potential shared interest in a story character. But three people right off the bat? Who was she - Fuwamoco? She was sure they were nice enough people, whoever they were, but this was not what she had signed up for.

However... she knew A-chan said she would be telling the detective about her coming over. She could not just turn away and pretend she had never been here. And if she tried to cancel, what kind of impression would that leave on her potential coworkers? 

...Her obsession with Sherlock had finally betrayed her, it seemed.

Still, she was nothing if not adaptable. While this might not have been her ideal scenario, she would do her best to work with this. Just treat this like... a character analysis! Yeah! Get to know them, and try to imagine their life stories from what they say. That always calms me down... not good for focus, though. But worst comes to worst, I can just use one of my stamps and become someone more... approachable.

Shiori frowned, not having meant for that to sound so self-deprecating. She was not ashamed of herself in the slightest! But she knew she could be quite the weirdo and was not the best socializer - just like her beloved Sherlock. It would not be one of her more complex stamps she would use if it came to it. Just one to get the conversation moving a little more or provide the blond with a little help.

Though, then again... Nodoka had said this woman stayed in her office a lot, right? Not to mention was obsessed with her work in general. Maybe she was in good company here… which she would not learn by just staying out there any longer.

With that thought, she finally stopped psyching herself up and moved closer to the door. She took one final breath, then raised her hand and knocked. The moment she did, all movement inside ceased. Then, the next second, a chipper voice called out. “It’s open!”

Not needing to be told twice, the Archivist opened the door and stepped inside. And what greeted her was... a room that continued to match her detective stereotypes. Not just with the couch and filing cabinets, that stood on all sides of the room. It was especially the walls covered in large pinboards that had lots of pictures, notes, and strings attached to them. They all formed intricate tapestries whose meaning was probably only known to the one who made them - the marking of someone who might be slightly crazy.

...She respected the blatant display of that, honestly. She would do the same, even if she was working mundane cases. Though, even from a distance, a lot of them did not seem “normal.” She spotted mythical beings in a few of the larger photos, and one had a sky whose color seemed to be green in broad daylight. And... did a few notes she could just make out have dates from the past and future? Not that it was shocking, given what she was told, but seeing it in person properly now...

Her earlier nervousness was nearly forgotten with how seeing those made her brain tingle. However... a glance to her side reminded her she could not run over to study any of them - not immediately, anyway. For sitting behind a large wooden desk, typing on a laptop, was Amelia Watson herself, looking exactly like the picture she had seen and smiling at her. “Shiori Novella, I presume?”

Said woman nodded, turning toward her and smiling. Her eyes then drifted over to the tall woman directly next to the detective. She had long blue hair and blue eyes, which stared at her from behind a pair of glasses. She wore a white turtleneck, a trenchcoat, and a pair of tan jeans. She looked rather ordinary, all things considered... but the blue ring with lines in it resembling a clock showed she was not human.

Guessing the woman’s identity based on the names she had and the ring, she gave a short bow to both of them. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Watson. And... I’m guessing you’re Kronii - the Warden of Time?”

The blue-haired woman chuckled. “Oh? What gave it away? My coat perhaps?” Shaking her head, she smiled at her. “But seriously, you don’t need to be so formal. Just use my name without the title.”

Shiori nodded, walking over to them. Seeing the chairs in front of the desk, she quickly made herself comfortable, sighing contently as she placed her gray bag in her lap. As she did so, she also took note of the closet off to the side, which was currently ajar. She could not see into it clearly from there, but it seemed to have more filing cabinets, and from in there she heard some being opened and closed. The third person, it would seem.

As she tried to get a clear look at whoever was in there, she saw the detective tilt her head at her in the corner of her eye. “You okay? You seem... distracted.”

That made the Archivist snap her attention back to the blond. Giggling awkwardly, she took a second to look over the desk. There was a picture showing the woman with four other people - two of which her friends had gone off to meet, Ina and Calli - having a big hug outside of what she thought was a bar. Beyond this, several files and pacers were scattered around, with many having annotations and notes written on and attached to them. But despite the slightly chaotic feel, they seemed to be organized by certain sections that-

Realizing she was getting off track again, she shook her head, looking at the human. “Sorry. I was... just under the impression it would only be us.” She looked around the office, whistling at some of the framed pictures of landscapes that definitely were not from Earth. “And also, this place is nice. It’s like a less messy version of what my mind would be like if it was a room.”

The time-traveler blinked, then chuckled lightly. “Wow - I don’t think I get compliments on my office right away. People are usually thrown off by the boards, if nothing else. Like, no appreciation for me trying to organize my thoughts!”

“Conspiracy boards are not an optional thing for a detective - they’re an obligation,” Shiori stated in the most serious tone she could. “If anything, there isn’t enough in here.”

Kronii sighed, pinching her nose. “Please don’t encourage her. I worry sometimes that it’ll start spilling into the hallways if she gets any more of these.”

Laughing at this, Ame patted the woman’s arm. “Ah, but I thought you all said it was ‘cute?’”

“That doesn’t mean it should be the only thing on your walls!” the Warden said with exasperation, though her soft smile undercut her complaints. “Lord knows you have too many back at your apartment.”

“Those are note boards - completely different,” the detective stated, giggling at the eye-roll that got her. She then turned back to the monochrome-haired woman. “But anyway, sorry about the extra people, I guess. But today was supposed to be one where I take it easy, and the others like it when Kronii keeps a monitor on me.” She looked at her laptop, typing a few things as she mumbled. “Excuse me if the network dumped some extra cases for me to organize.”

“...You say that like you wouldn’t be doing this anyway,” Kronii said.

“True,” the time-traveler conceded, typing out some more things. Looking closer at the device, the escaped convict also took note of how... sleek it was. They had not had very high-end computers back in The Cell, but even considering that this one looked quite advanced. On top of this, the back had a small logo involving a magnifying glass and the acronym W.T.D. below it using golden painting on the gray device.

Something in the Archivist told her that this was important, but she did not ask about it yet. Instead, she glanced over to the closet, pointing toward it. “And... what about whoever is in there? Are they also monitoring you?”

Ame paused, with an unreadable emotion flashing in her eyes. Before the once-human could look closer, though, she looked away while giving a small cough. “Um... well, actually, Kiara’s-”

She was cut off from an exclamation from the closet. “Aha! Finally found that document for you, Ame! Now, did I hear someone come in? Is it our potential Kouhai?”

Stepping out from the small room came a woman with orange hair with teal highlights, along with magenta eyes. She had on a red beret and a small chief's hat on either side of her, and wore an orange uniform with disconnected white sleeves and white stockings. What was most eye-catching, though, was the way her hair seemed to have a slight to it for a moment, along with the feathered earrings that matched it.

The sight made Shiori sit straight almost immediately, her eyes going wide. Even without an introduction, she could tell what this woman was. A phoenix! Oh, man - I’ve been dying to try one of their feathers for some magic! Those are supposed to be great enhancers for so many rituals. Would have loved one for the escape plan. Maybe I could even make a stamp with her help that would let me become-

Wait. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Shiori. You can’t just ask for a feather first thing. Would she take offense to that? I remember how horrible the Phoenix Hunts were for their kind. Those fucking mages got what was coming to them! But she might not want anything to do with magic. Or, would she work alongside other magic users if she was that bothered? Or...

Her mind kept going on like this, breaking into so many small tangents. So enraptured in them, she did not realize how her gaze followed the woman as she came up to Ame and gave her some papers. She was snapped out of her daze, though, when Kiara, she believed was her name, giggled and gave her a flirty smile. “Do you like what you see that much? I’m afraid I’m taken, but I could give you a friendly kiss on the cheek if you want it.~”

Blinking once, the Archivist shook her head, settling back into her chair. “No thanks - one flirty bird is enough for me.” She pointed to the blond. “Besides, if there was anyone I would kiss in here, it’s her, but I know she has a girl already.”

That got surprised blinks from everyone else, with the detective in particular blushing quite a bit. She looked down at herself, scratching her head as if confused by what she saw in her. “U-um... thank you?”

The phoenix giggled, lightly punching her on the shoulder. “I keep telling you you’re a catch. Maybe start believing me at some point.”

“Well, don’t get a big head - you’re just the closest I can get to living my fanfictions currently,” Shiori said with a grin. Her eyes went back over to the orange-haired woman, peering at her curiously. “Anyway, are you the special lady? Is that why you’re also here?”

The phoenix shook her head, stepping back as she opened up another of the filing cabinets back there. “No, I’m just offering my help today to... repay her for some stuff. I’m also cleaning this place as I go - keeping everything from getting too dusty and all.”

The time-traveler nodded. “Yeah, she’s been a big help there. My assistant and girlfriend Ollie has been busy this past week, so she hasn’t been able to help me. Between Kiara here making everything tidy, though, and Kronii giving me some pointers about a few time anomaly-related cases, progress has been pretty fast today! Thanks for that, by the way.”

The other two smiled, with Kronii giving her a few pats on the back. “Aw, there’s no need for that! What kind of boss would I be to not look after my favorite employee?”

“I’m your only employee,” Ame pointed out, snickering. She then looked back at her laptop, before glancing at the once-human again. “If you’ll just give me a minute, I need to finish up this one document and the notes to go with it for my other employers. I’m sorry you caught me on a busy day - I can’t delay much of this stuff.”

The Archivist shook her head. “Take your time. I hardly have anywhere to be until tonight. A-chan will want our answers about Hololive by then.”

The Warden hummed at her. “Well, hey, if you don’t want to feel like you’re waiting, I can... freeze you in time for a few moments.” She frowned. “I’m, uh... not sure how disconcerting that might sound. I’ve been practicing that ability, though. It’ll only be for a little bit, and you’ll barely even notice it.”

Shiori shrugged, considering the offer. On the one hand, she was curious to feel what that might be like. Heck, it was part of why she had come here - to learn about temporal magic, hopefully! She had not expected to meet the literal concept of it so soon, but that was nothing but a boon for that topic.

...As her eyes roamed around the office, however, her sense of imagination began to bloom. Barely able to keep grinning like a fool at all the information that surrounded her, she politely shook her head at the taller woman. “No, thanks. I can entertain myself.”

Kronii asked no more questions about that, simply nodding to her before leaning over to see what was on the human’s screen. Ame, meanwhile, shrugged and went back to typing. “Suit yourself. Still, this really shouldn’t take long... Also, Kiara, the file you’re looking for is one cabinet over to the right and one drawer down.”

The phoenix looked between at her friend, who had not even turned away from her work, and the open filing drawer. She then sighed, closing it and stepping to the correct one, mumbling to herself. “How you keep all of this straight in your head is beyond me.”

The detective snickered, before the three fell into silence as the blond worked. Shiori, meanwhile, finally let her eyes roam to the various pictures both on the boards and hung up as decorations. They eventually settled on the one closest to her, which seemed to be for a murder case. It had all the hallmarks of one, like a bloody knife in one picture and disturbed furniture in another. It even all seemed to be at a Victorian mansion... if they were made of metal and had magical flames floating through the air. The decor was more classic, though.

She hummed to herself, already trying to put the pieces together. Let’s see... it looks like we have a maid - another version of this Ina Bijou is seeing! So this is another timeline for sure. Her hair is a lighter shade of purple, too. I wonder how drastic the changes can be? Is there a line to be crossed where another version of oneself is unrecognizable and is no longer seen as another them? Or are there rules in the multiverse that-

She shook her head. Focus! Right - murder mystery. So, Ina-maid. We also have what... looks to be a humanoid robot with brown hair. Name below the picture is Roboco - also a maid. There’s also a young-looking girl whose hair looks like... water? Hm. Well, regardless, they are all tied to the one person in the middle, named Oozora Subaru. Looks very athletic, and the stab wound is... in the eye. Yeesh - that was either a fast death or a very painful, drawn-out one.

So... who did it, then? Plenty of notes I could get up and read, but let’s try guessing just based on the images, first! So, first thing to consider is the weapon used. Do all of them seem like the type of people who would use a knife? Ina, maybe - she’s wearing gloves, so no prints. Roboco also would not have any, I imagine, and being a machine has to have lots of strength behind her hits. The last- Ah, there’s her name! Kobo! It seems like she has some sort of magic, so surely she could be more subtle.

Though... then again, maybe that’s the point? If she can control water, she would not want to leave obvious traces. Although... is some of the furniture wet in that picture? Could be from an accident from watering the plants also there, but... could it also have been defense due to resistance from the victim? But then, if they wanted her dead, then surely there could be ways to stage a drowning that are not suspicious. Does this place have a pond? All the cool murder mansions have a pond!

(So lost in her own head, she did not notice the time-traveler glancing at her. She quirked an eyebrow, intrigued by the amount of interest the other was putting into looking at that old case. She said nothing, however, as she turned back to her work, highlighting another section of the document... and also making sure a special tab was ready for afterward.)

The Archivist continued to let her mind wander like this, trying to make guesses as to the murderer. She supposed it was a bit macabre in many ways - unlike her fiction books, this involved a real person’s death. She was not trying to downplay the tragedy of it, though. As much as most deaths tended to not bother her, she still felt bad for the poor woman’s passing. She was not trying to make it out like it was some fun children’s game.

But there was something exciting about trying to figure out who did it. Trying to imagine all the things that led up to the moment the deed was committed - this Subaru’s life story. The potential motivation by whoever had done it. One of the maids looking to sneak off with some money in the confusion afterward? A young woman looking for some inheritance?

Maybe it was not normal, but she loved getting into people’s heads like this, whether based on guesses or having actual bios to work with. It helped her with putting together her more complex stamps and writing her stories - both the normal and special ones. Plus, if it helped out others by, say, finding a criminal who needed to be punished? Well, all the better, right?

...The topic of getting into people’s heads soon drew Shiori back to the other occupants of the room. Her eyes drifted to Ame, who had a look of deep concentration as she continued to type on her laptop. Kronii was still standing behind her, pointing at certain sentences as they came up and making suggestions. Kiara also stayed nearby, at some point having given her friend the file she needed, for now she had a white duster in her hand. She was gliding it on top of one of the cabinets, which she was also peeking into - perhaps to ensure all the papers in there were in order.

It was less so the tasks they were doing, however, and more so how they were interacting that the duel-hair-toned woman was noting. With the detective and Warden... they were close. Like, very close. It was evident in how the latter had her arm draped on the former’s chair and shoulder. The way the blond unconsciously seemed to shift not to get rid of the appendage, but to ensure it stayed put. A subtleness to the soft looks they exchanged every so often, and how the ghost of smiles danced on their lips.

They had a strong connection... a type that she recognized all too well. One born from shared pain and finding comfort in those who understood it. She had seen it between Nerissa and Fuwawa, Bijou and Mococo - all of them with one another. (She knew she had likely given those same looks to them, too...)

Currently, she did not have enough to guess as to what these two had experienced for such a bond, but she could make guesses. With how both worked with time, there were probably plenty of moments to get into a bad situation together in their jobs. It could have been a case gone wrong, or a build-up of several experiences. But whatever it may have been... she knew it was a bond not easily broken, even in the roughest of times.

...It was quite the contrast to the strain she saw between Ame and Kiara.

The Archivist frowned, starting to pick up on the tension between them. It was shown in the quick glances the phoenix took at her friend before looking down, the quickest flashes of guilt visible for barely a fraction of a second. The way the time-traveler would take glances of her own, her hand spasming briefly afterward, seemingly trying to straighten out. They smiled at one another... but she could practically see tiny cracks at their edges. The way they both initially talked about their arrangement also came to mind.

There were no signs of active hostility between them. They were not trying to ignore one another entirely, nor trying to keep a great distance between each other. Yet each had that same hesitance, as if not sure it was okay to interact. The more she watched, how stiff the words they exchanged became more apparent - not from anger, but still.

The constant smiles and forced light tones are probably for my benefit, she mused. Just as she was trying to make a good impression, so were they in the hopes she and her friends would become their Kouhais. As such, it made sense that they were trying to keep buried whatever problems they had going on.

Which begged the question... what had happened? From the picture on the desk and the ones on the walls, they were definitely good friends, so what had occurred here recently? Was there some sort of dark secret that had come to light for one? Something along the lines of having stolen an important item from the other, or said something insensitive several times behind their backs? Or maybe they worked on a case together that went wrong, and each secretly blamed the other? Those seemed like enough to cause a strain but not end a friendship. But also, could it-

Shiori blinked then, feeling some kind of warning in her mind... Then it hit her the line of thought she had gone down, making her eyes widen. She snapped her gaze to her lap, gripping her bag tightly as she shook her head. The questions in her mind lingered, however, even as she tried to redirect her attention. The potential story sitting right in front of her was just so... tantalizing. One that could help her with any stamps that involved wavering bonds between friends.

But this was not an appropriate thing to try and pry into. Speculating on a murder case was one thing to find future inspiration in. The very much still active problem between two friends who she had only met today, though? That was entirely out of line! It was one of those times where, despite her constant need for stories, she knew commenting was a mistake.

...That desire was strong, though. It was similar to the urge yesterday to know about Omegaα’s tale of how she came to work for a human and date them. But then, she had the obvious distraction of trying to get her and the others to safety. Now that that was essentially done, it was significantly harder to bite down the urges. Especially after millennia of being starved of fresh tales.

Still, she was doing her damndest to resist it. She squeezed her eyes shut, one hand now digging into the lower half of her dress. She took deep breaths, trying to redirect her thoughts to something else to analyze. She tried to restart her thoughts on the murder case, or even the relationship between Ame and Kronii. But that desire called to her, flowing through her blood and gripping her heart-

-Actions that were soon noticed by the others, as Kiara soon spoke, making her open her eyes to see the woman staring at her with furrowed eyebrows. “Shiori? Is... everything okay? Do you need some Motrin or anything?”

The other two turned to her then, also noticing her behavior. The Archivist ground her teeth slightly, trying to think of an excuse. Just say yes, I would love some medicine. We just did a breakout yesterday! It’s reasonable to assume that I’m still dealing with injuries, which... isn’t false. My shoulder is still throbbing. But yeah, just say that, and-

Unfortunately, her mouth was moving before she could finish coming up with her plan. “Don’t... mind me. Just trying not to ask about the issues going on between you and Ame.”

...A beat of silence passed. The Hololive members' eyes all widened, now giving her their full attention. Shiori, on the other hand, was blinking while mentally facepalming herself. Ooooor we can just say the truth and seem like an insensitive bitch. That works too. You just do you, mouth - don’t listen to the rational part of the brain at all!

She shuffled in her seat, grimacing as she looked away. She... was not sure how she was supposed to salvage that one. So instead, before things could get too awkward, she tried to stand up, hoping to apologize. “I’m... sorry. Maybe coming here wasn’t the-”

“Now, hold on!” the detective exclaimed, signaling with her hand for her to stop. She had her head tilted, a... fascinated look in her eyes. “How... could you tell that something was going on between us?” She coughed briefly. “If you... don’t mind me asking.”

The Archivist paused, meeting those blue eyes. For a moment, though... it felt like looking into a mirror more than anything. There was a glint in them - a desire to learn that ran deep. To understand what was in front of her, no matter how long it took. She could almost hear questions just like her own running through the woman’s head by peering into those irises. It reminded her so much of herself that it was... almost uncanny.

Unlike her, however, the blond seemed to have some greater self-control. She could tell from small bits of her body language that she would back off if she asked. It was certainly tempting to, not sure she could explain her “desires” there in a way that would be easily understood. But... considering she was not being met with offense over her comment yet, or being asked to leave by any of them...

Sighing, she settled back down, figuring she had nothing to lose, at least. She rubbed her arm, trying to think of the best ways to describe what she went through. “It’s... just obvious to me? Like, when I pay attention, I can pick up on quite a bit of what people are feeling, and what emotions they might be trying to hide. It’s not a perfect sense, but... it gives me plenty of clues when I need it.”

The phoenix stepped closer, frowning neutrally. “And what clues did you get from us?”

Shiori shrugged. “Just some things like how you were having trouble looking at each other, and the strain of your smiles.” She looked down where the other two’s arms had gotten closer. “And... I’m not seeing Ame’s hand trying to lay flat again now that you’re close, and every time you glance at it, your face slightly twitches. So that’s a good sign that punches were thrown.”

The duo stiffened, with the time-traveler glancing at her hand and the orange-haired woman touching her cheek. The reactions made her realize she had spoken without thinking again, as well, which made her flinch before groaning. “I need to get a filter for my mouth...”

Once she had calmed down, Ame looked at her, though still did not seem overly upset about her observations. She tilted her head, leaning closer. “Would you say you have... problems, keeping these kinds of thoughts to yourself?”

“It’s... kind of dependent,” the Archivist said, scratching the back of her head. “If I’ve had my fair share of stories to read, or spent some time crafting new stamps - not that you know what those are - the itch to ask is usually a lot less. Then I’m usually just rambling about other things, like when I discovered scissors made good cutlery and forks, or why Dimitri post-time skip would be a fantastic husband.”

...Kronii blinked at her, finally getting some words in. “Dimitri as in from Fire Emblem?”

“And what was that about scissors and forks?” Kiara also asked, looking baffled.

The questions managed to get some giggles out of Shiori. They quickly died down, though, as she sighed. “But anyway, I’m sorry if my sudden statements touched a nerve. I wasn’t trying to be invasive - it just... happens sometimes.”

More silence fell over the room, her hosts taking some time to process what she said. She waited for their reactions, whether it be scolding or more confusion over what some of that meant. It was always tricky trying to explain the facets of her mind and powers, which tended to overlap a lot. She could even remember her first days in The Cell and first being introduced to Nerissa and Bijou in that regard. If she had been a little less apologetic, then she could picture how much harder their bonding would have been with how intently she had studied them-

“It was Roboco, by the way,” Ame suddenly said.

Shiori blinked, before looking at the human with confusion. “Huh?”

The detective pointed over to the board she had been staring at before. “The murder case. I’ve solved that one already - I just like to keep some of them hanging up for a few days afterward to reminisce. But it turned out it was Roboco who killed Subaru, as part of a revolutionary plan for the robots and automatons of that timeline.”

That managed to pique the Archivist's interest, pushing aside her shame for a moment. “A revolution? Are the machines there oppressed?”

“It’s a fairly complicated situation,” the time-traveler explained. “Special programs were supposed to keep robots like her from even becoming sentient, so they were mostly just fancy tools. However, many from her production line and others were gaining consciousness after a few years. The governments of that world are trying to work out new policies for this, but it’s slow-going, and... Well, they are still seen as property by some. So a few have taken to killing those in government they believe will vote against laws in their favor.”

“Was this Subaru one of them?” Shiori asked.

“Not from what I could tell from my investigation,” Ame replied. “I don’t think she even had any say in law-making. But Roboco was newly sentient, and some wandering units who had run from their owners found her and convinced her it would help. They even told her how best to frame Kobo for the deed. Not that it fooled me or my alternate for long.” She sighed. “It’s a shame, really. After it hit her what she had truly done, she looked mortified and disgusted with herself. But it’ll be up to the locals whether she gets scrapped or not.”

Kiara looked over to the board, sighing heavily as well. “Gods... I will never quite get how you keep going in your job when you have to witness some of our friends kill themselves. I get that they’re not our versions, but...”

Kronii frowned, looking down. “...It has its effects on us. But we persevere. There’s plenty of nice things out there to make up for the more disturbing elements of time travel.”

...The phoenix’s eyes drifted to behind the desk, seeming to linger on a drawer back there as she spoke. “Yeah... I guess I know that better now, at least.”

The detective pursed her lips, both she and the orange-haired woman glancing away from one another. It made the Archivist frown, feeling kind of bad that she had disturbed the small act they had been putting on. Not helping this were the questions now filtering in about what was up with the drawer and what alternate versions had to do with it.

…Except the urge was not as strong as before. She paused, realizing that the analytical part of her mind was not being as insistent as before... and that, in turn, made her realize a part of what just happened. She looked to the blond again, raising an eyebrow. “Did... you tell me about that case to get my impulses under control?”

The time-traveler turned back to her, shaking off her momentary sorrow and giving an uncertain smile. “Did... it work?”

“Well enough,” Shiori said. Indeed, she was having a bit of fun picking apart the motive of that Roboco and the tragedy of her situation. (Or, well, she felt awful for both her and Subaru now, but it was something to stew over.) Taking a deep breath, she smiled gratefully at the other. “Thank you for that. It’s been a while since I could look into a real-life story.”

“No problem,” Ame said, smiling back. “Though, that’s obviously just the basic summary. I can answer more of your questions about it if it helps.”

“It should be good for now,” the Archivist reassured... even if the prospect was quite tempting. She then sighed softly. “I’m sorry again for touching on something personal for you guys, though.”

“It’s fine, especially since you backed off immediately,” the detective said. She then gave a sheepish chuckle, rubbing the back of her neck. “I can’t judge too much. I’ve... hit on some sore topics with everyone before without meaning to. I just get so wrapped up in my own thoughts sometimes that-”

“-I can forget a bit of etiquette and tact for a moment,” Shiori finished, nodding in understanding. That was a good summing up of some of her ventures to learn new things before being locked up and how they went.

Kiara hummed at them, before setting her hand on her friend’s shoulder, sending the monochrome-haired woman a small smile. “You're fine. We’ve... mostly talked through what happened. It was a... disagreement over how she handled certain parts of her job earlier this month, just so you know.” (The way she said it felt like a deliberate understatement.) “Apologies have been had, but... some things take time. When we found out you were coming here, we didn’t want what was still lingering there to make you uncomfortable.”

The Archivist nodded once more, letting more tension leak out of her. “I’m guessing that’s why you’re doing volunteer work here? Continuing to make amends.”

“Among other things,” the phoenix confirmed. She looked her over, tapping her chin. “Still, I’m... surprised you caught on so fast from so little. Ame especially is good at putting up an act thanks to certain jobs she takes.”

“Eh, it’s a gift,” Shiori said while shrugging.

“...Would you be willing to explain that ‘gift’ a little?” Ame asked, that eagerness returning to her eyes as she grinned. “I think I’m in a good place to take a break from my work now.”

The Archivist grinned back, leaning forward. “Only if you’re willing to give me some answers about this job of yours in return. I was curious about you and Kronii when I heard about you.” She gestured around the room. “Now, seeing this, you have my attention.”

Kronii looked between them, giving a soft groan. “Oh, great - there’s two of them now.”

The detective sent her a fake wounded look. “Oh? You’ve secretly hated talking with me this whole time? Is that what you’re trying to imply?”

The Warden’s eyes widened, suddenly looking at her in a panic. “N-no! I was just-! I-!”

This only served to make the time-traveler laugh, with both Kiara and Shiori joining in. The blue-haired woman groaned some more, before crossing her arms and looking away, sulking some. Once the Archivist had trailed off into giggles, though, she looked at her appraisingly. “Oh, don’t be like that. In fact, how about you help me by answering some of my questions first? Like why a master of time needs help from a human, who best I’m able to tell right now doesn’t have any enhancements?”

“I do have my Concoction, to be fair,” Ame said, reaching down to her side. She pulled off a syringe from her belt, filled with blue liquid that had pink highlights within it. “These bad boys let me alter my perception of time and partially how it affects me. It has a hell of a kickback afterward, though.”

Shiori’s eyes lit up, practically crawling on top of the desk. She tried to look at it from all angles, only barely restraining herself from touching it. “Is it an injectable potion?”

“More of a chemical medicine, but it has time energy added to it to make it all work,” the detective said, looking amused at her fascination. “It took me a long time to perfect, but it’s pretty much in a state that I’m happy with now.”

The Archivist hummed, this time daring to tap the side of it. “Wow... How do you add the time energy to it? Is it an extracting process of some sor-?”

“Ahem!” Kronii suddenly called, making her turn her way. She was giving her a deadpan stare, her arms still crossed... but traces of her own mirth were visible in her gaze. “I thought you were asking me a question?”

Shiori giggled, pulling back from the blond. “Sorry - easy for me to get off track. Please do...” She trailed off, her eyes moving over to the time-traveler... and more specifically what was on her head. “Actually, one more pause. I almost forgot something else I came here for...”

She stood up for a moment, reaching over the desk... then took the blond’s deerstalker off of her. The woman was barely able to give any protest before she quickly sat again and put the hat on. She got out her new phone, pulling up the camera app and flipping it so she could look at herself, and...

...Yeah, she would say she looked pretty good. “Ah, how I’ve longed for one of these.” She then turned to the blue-haired woman, smiling widely while putting on a painfully fake British accent. “Come now, miss Kronii! Let’s get on with this before tea time at two o’clock! Blimey, we’re losing daylight here, my good woman!”

The others stared at her... before Ame scratched the top of her head. “Hm... I suddenly have more confidence in my fake accent from debut.”

Kronii and Kiara chuckled, with the latter patting her on the back. The former, meanwhile, cleared her throat and took a more professional stance. Her stature, despite her casual clothing, suddenly gave her an imposing aura. “Well, to make a long story short... time is not the simple progression of linear events that most would want it to be. That may be how most experience it, but even from the timeline’s conception, there have always been... kinks. Loose threads and imperfections that, left unchecked, can threaten to unravel it entirely.

“That was likely why, at the beginning of everything, I was created among my fellow progenitor immortals. It is my duty, as the Warden of Time, to ensure that time remains stable and that no anomalies threaten it.” She gave a smug laugh. “I do a damn good job of it, too, if I might say so myself. With my abilities, I’m able to ‘smooth out’ several problems passively all on my own! And if a situation requires a more personal touch, I have a wide array of abilities to help me deal with whatever has leaked in or correct a paradox.”

She grinned, looking proud of herself for another few seconds... before pausing, then suddenly seeming to deflate some. She grimaced, now looking more self-conscious. “But... for all of my power, I... can’t handle everything. The timeline, as you can imagine, is just so massive, and while my main duties are to this one, it’s not the only one I help maintain. Some things just slip below my notice, too. Help from other versions of me only helps to alleviate this so much.”

“Which is where me and the Network come in!” Ame chimed in, smiling widely. She reached into her coat, and from it pulled out a golden pocket watch that had little designs on its front and back. “With this little device, I can go up and down the timeline and help with temporal problems before they get out of hand. I can also scout out phenomena that might have fallen beneath Kronii’s notice.”

“She’s very good at it, too,” the Warden praised, her smile seeming even brighter than when talking about herself. “It’s a big burden off of my back to have someone be able to take care of smaller anomalies and other meddlers in time. It lets me focus my energies on more ‘abstract’ threats, that are far less physical to fight off. She holds her own, though, when she works directly at my side!”

Shiori giggled. “You sound quite proud of her - I’ll give you that.”

Kiara laughed, smirking her way. “Oh, you don’t know the half of it! I’ve been thinking about starting a bet to see how long before Kronii slips and calls Ame her boss.”

Said woman blushed at this, hiding half of her face with her hand. “I... S-shut up! She works super hard! I’m allowed to give compliments.” She released a heavy sigh. “Gods know some of my alternates don’t give her and the Network enough credit. Narcissistic jerks...”

“To be fair, some of them probably have bad experiences with rogue agents and unregistered Ames’,” the detective pointed out. “They do, unfortunately, make up a sizable cause of sudden, drastic Time Shifts.”

The Archivist hummed, tapping her fingers idly on her bag as she gazed at the Council member. “Why trust a normal human for this, though? No offense, of course - a human against insane odds is a classic of a story! I just would have thought your main help would be from another creature who directly controls time.”

The Warden shrugged. “Humans are kind of ideal for dealing with lots of time anomalies, believe it or not. Their lack of innate magical abilities and flexibility to use all sorts of powers and equipment is a great benefit when several types of time anomalies are involved.”

Shiori noticed a small flinch from Kiara at this, which... fit another piece into the puzzle of the mysterious argument she and Ame had. But at this point, she was far too invested in this new topic for that itch to bother her, so she quickly re-focused. “I think I see the logic there. There’s certainly lots of mythical beings humans can turn themselves into - just like I did. Sort of the same principle, yeah?”

“So you were human once, eh?” Kronii asked, looking as intrigued as the detective did at that revelation. “I could tell you weren’t from a certain aura you’ve been exuding, but that’s interesting.” She shrugged again. “But yes, that’s a fairly accurate comparison. Besides, there are few other beings born with powers over time, and their abilities are usually quite specific. Few take direct orders from me, either, though know better than to piss me off.”

“I see,” Shiori said, memorizing all of the information to bookmark it later. It was by far the most she had ever heard about how the maintainment of the timeline actually worked in all of her life! So many details regarding time manipulation and travel were lost beyond a few simple spells and theories. There were barely any lost scriptures and such to be found, seemingly, either - less so than even necromancy. It was like there was a mass purging of those except for those seen as safe, with slow progress in magical studies to go beyond those from what she knew.

She wondered if she was in the presence of the two most responsible for that...

That was certainly a sobering thought... and also an exciting one! She smiled widely, wondering if they might be willing to share some of those stories if they had them. That was on top of the many other questions she had regarding what she was told so far. What exactly did time anomalies look like, and how did they operate? Where had the watch come from? Was it made by the Warden herself, or did it have a mortal creator? What passive things did she do to-?

Kiara waved her hand in front of her face. “Hey, focus! Ame just asked you a question!”

Shaking her head a little, the Archivist gave an apologetic smile. “Uh, sorry. Got a little carried away there.” She turned to the blond. “So, what were you just asking?”

Ame shrugged, bouncing her leg as she looked at the duel-toned-haired woman with anticipation. “Well, I just figured it was about time you answered a few questions from me... and you just so happened to drop that tidbit of having once been human. So, what are you now, then? Vampire? Werewolf? Demoness?”

“None of the above, though three of the people I escaped with are demons,” Shiori responded. She leaned back in her chair, humming to herself. “As for what I am... Well, I’ve never actually given what I’ve changed myself into a name. I keep trying to come up with something with ‘ink’ in the name, but nothing has stuck for me. An ‘Inkellon?’ A ‘Inkling?’ Those might be too on the nose, though.” She looked at the group. “What do you guys think? My friends have been absolutely no help there!”

The others did not respond immediately - in fact, all they did was stare at her for a long time. Eventually, though, the detective shook her head, her eyes growing more intense. If possible, her excitement had only seemed to increase as she realized something. “Wait... so, you’re something... unique? Like, never been seen anywhere else?”

“Yep!” the Archivist declared, smiling proudly at the wide-eyed shock that got her. “It was one of the most ambitious projects I ever did beyond my most complicated stamps! Still tweaking a few parts here and there, but those are nothing serious.”

The time-traveler looked like an excited kid by that point.”Care to give some insight into this? Nothing too complicated - I’m no magic user.”

Seeing no reason not to, Shiori nodded and opened up her bag. She reached in and pulled out her small gray book, dusting it off. “A large portion of my achievement was by using this book as a conduit for my transformation. I don’t require it anymore to maintain my change, but it’s useful as a Focus for my magic, no matter the form my stamps put me and it into!” She opened up to a random page, then turned it to show the others. “Here’s a portion of what I did!”

The three’s eyes scanned the page, showing equal amounts of curiousness as confusion. Kiara frowned, squinting her eyes. “I... don’t recognize these types of symbols. And I saw a lot in my adventuring days. They... kind of remind me of the runes followers of the Ancient Ones use, but these look more... abstract? Liquidy?”

The Archivist shrugged. “I did base these off of them, but for the most part, I had to create them from scratch. Took fucking ages, and caused me to go completely bonkers... five times. But once I started to change, filling out the rest of this became more natural to me.”

The phoenix gave her an incredulous look. “You crafted - on your own - magic runes based on those famous for driving those unprepared completely insane? Which also would have left you without any protections a person might use to commune with them, might I add!”

“Well, it was either that, or writing my OC self-insert dragon-angel love/horror story,” Shiori said casually. “I think this was a better use of my time.”

...Kiara gave her a blank look. “I... don’t even know how to respond to that.”

“That’s the usual reaction I get,” the Archivist admitted, turning the book back to herself and flipping through some more pages. “That insanity stuff holds true for anyone trying to analyze this, by the way, from the few poor fools who tried to steal it from me. Maybe I should write a ‘safer’ instruction book for anyone who wants to be like me.”

Kronii raised an eyebrow. “And what does ‘being like you’ actually entail?”

“Well, this, for one,” Shiori replied, holding out one of her hands. Ink began to ooze into her palm into a puddle. After a moment, though, it rose off of it as an amorphous blob that hovered there, connected by a thin trail of the substance to her. The lights in the room shined on it, but barely any of it reflected off of its surface, and what did was a pale white.

Ame especially looked intrigued by the stuff, leaning closer. “Is it... safe to touch?”

“Be my guest,” the Archivist said. “The worst it can do to you like this is stain your clothes. I guess it’s also a bit poisonous to ingest, too, but that should frankly be obvious. That is, if you’re willing to trust the word of a madwoman you just met.”

“Definitely not on the job, but I’ll take my chances with someone Omegaα recommended,” the detective said, then cautiously raised her finger and poked the ink. She held it up to her nose, giving a quick sniff before humming. She got out a small cloth and started wiping it off. “Smells enough like ink, too. Something’s a little off, but I can’t quite place it.”

“If you want a sample to study it, I can give you some,” the Archivist offered. Even before the other answered, she was reaching into her bag and from it retrieved an empty ink vial. She directed some of the blob in her hand into it, then popped on a cork before shaking it a little. She held it out, smiling encouragingly. “For the record, I know all the special properties of it. But it’s more fun to study it for yourself, yeah?”

“Definitely!” the time-traveler agreed, accepting the small gift. She peered at the substance through the glass, her gaze only seeming to get brighter, before setting it to the side of her desk for later.

Kronii, meanwhile, did not look quite as amazed as her helper as she tilted her head at the once-human. “That’s... I mean, producing any substance from yourself is impressive enough, I suppose. But... what can you actually do with the ink? That seems... kind of a limited power to get for making your own transformation.” Kiara was also nodding along with the words, glancing at both the blob and the vial.

Shiori merely rolled her eyes at this, not the least bit offended but playing it up. “Oh, I’m so sorry that I couldn’t give myself the ability to summon tornados of knives, or sprout wings fifty feet wide made of fire! I just couldn’t find the page space to fit those in! Should I have vampire fangs? A mermaid tail? Dragon scales? Glowi-”

“Alright, we get it!” the phoenix cut in, taking the jab quite well as she smiled. “We weren’t trying to insult you! It’s just... when you have runes based on the Ancient Ones, you kind of give some people expectations on what you can do.”

“Well, my source of inspiration was mainly for the mental aspects, with some light reality warping,” the Archivist said. She looked at the ink still floating in her hand, gaining a distant look as she thought back on the long, arduous process of changing herself. “The ink might seem simple, but... it’s a vital component for the type of magic I’ve been perfecting for so many millennia. Once it’s refined properly, it opens up a gateway for me to become... almost whatever I want, so long as I craft everything correctly.”

There was a pause as the other three exchanged looks, seeming to note the dreamy quality in her voice. Ame once again took the lead for them, a hopeful look in her eyes. “Can you... give us a demonstration of some of-?”

“Yes!” Shiori exclaimed before she could even finish, making the others jump back. She hardly cared, though, as she dissipated the blob and began to pull several items out of her bag. One by one, she set them out on the desk, her smile so wide it nearly hurt. “Oh, I am so glad you asked! Like, I didn’t want to do anything out of the blue without your permission and frighten you. Or, well, I did have an idea of using a stamp if the talk got too awkward, but that’s beside the point! This is even better!”

Soon, between her and them, she had set out several of her supplies: some blank bookmarks alongside some yellow and green ones, vials of refined ink, and some of her favorite ink stamps. (Of the ones that would not cause problems for either side, of course.) She clapped her hands, looking at them with wild eyes. “So, take your pick! Which do you want to hear about first? The bookmarks or stamps?”

The Hololive members looked at her stuff, looking slightly bewildered. Soon, though, Ame chuckled lightly, smiling at her. “You’re... very eager to demonstrate what you can do, huh? This is the most enthusiastic I’ve seen someone willing to tell me about their capabilities in a good while - some of EN included!”

The Archivist blinked, then backed off a little with a small chuckle, realizing she might have gotten a little carried away there. She rubbed the back of her neck, glancing away. “Heh... I’m sorry. I... don’t know what came over me there. It’s just...” She paused, the reason coming to her in that instant and making her sigh. “It’s been a while since I’ve had anyone who’s just... interested in my work without an ulterior motive?”

That seemed to catch the others' attention, who now seemed confused and concerned. Thus, she elaborated, picking up an ink vial and twirling it in her fingers. “I know you guys weren’t told much about what The Cell was like for us - thanks for not treating me like a criminal, by the way - but the people there... did not really appreciate what I could do. I was just a test subject to discover what about my abilities gives me the potential to kill a god.”

The others' eyes widened, Kronii sounding particularly shocked. “Wait, you can-?!”

“Save all questions until the end!” Shiori insisted. Once everyone was quiet again, she continued, watching the ink sway in the vial. “Anyway, none of the guards had much to say about what I did. It was always just ‘don’t deviate from parameters’ and ‘hand over all of your stamps.’ They even confiscated several of my bookmarks! Those... I need those to keep all of my information straight!

“My friends showed interest, to be fair. They were wowed by what I could accomplish with my magic, and... didn’t mind when I used it in front of them. No matter how I was changed, they... didn’t stop being my friends.” She smiled wistfully at those memories. So many people before she was caught saw her only as a crazy lady with a severe personality disorder. Not all of them ostracized her for it, but they were hesitant to get close, either. (Except for one old friend, but... she tried not to think about what happened to her. Removed it from her head sometimes, too.)

Not Nerissa, though - or Bijou, or the twins. They had trouble understanding it all for a while, but they never thought she was disturbed for her hobby... still weird, which was completely fair, but not judging her work. They even indulged the personas she made and played along with the narratives she set for herself. And... it had made her so happy.

Still, she eventually sighed, coming back to the present without needing prompting this time. “It’s been centuries since I had anyone new show any interest, though. So... I let my excitement get the better of me there.” She bit her lips, moving to stuff the ink back into her bag. “If... you just want to talk about the powers without seeing them, I understand. Some of them can be a little-”

She was cut off by a hand grabbing the arm holding the vial. Looking up, she saw the detective had stood up and was leaning over her desk to reach her. The blond shook her head when they made eye contact. “Hey, you don’t need to do that! I didn’t say you being so eager was a bad thing. I’d love a demonstration!”

The Archivist blinked, a spark of hope spreading through her. “You... you’re sure?”

“Is what you’re going to do gonna damage my office in any way?” the time-traveler asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shiori shook her head. “Nope! None of the stamps I got out are for my more violent or combat-ready personas!”

“...I’m going to put a pin in my questions on that,” Ame said. She then let go of her arm, sitting back in her chair and gesturing to her. “But if it isn’t going to cause harm, then by all means! This should be quite exciting, actually! You said something about mental aspects to this, right? There aren’t a lot of people in town who deal with any mental magic or telepathy.”

“Really?” the Archivist asked, a bit surprised. “I heard about Ina in the interview. I would have thought she would have some abilities there?”

“Mostly just protection against how... loud her patrons can be in her head,” the detective responded, grimacing for a moment. She shook it off, though, and smiled. “There aren’t many people with charms, either. If you have anything complex here, it should be a real treat for me.” She paused, looking down as she rubbed her chin. “Though... if you need a test subject for that magic, maybe do it on someone else today just so I can observe it? Use it on Kronii!”

Said woman sputtered, looking at her incredulously. “In what way is it a good idea to alter the mental state of the literal controller of time itself?!”

“...Because it would be funny,” the time-traveler responded, giving her a smug grin.

The Warden sighed, pinching her nose. Kiara laughed at the two, before turning her attention to their guest. She smiled softly, leaning on the desk. “You really don’t have anything to worry about here, Shiori. Whatever it is your magic does, no one in this town is going to judge you for it. If everyone is willing to accept the use of the Ancient Ones' powers and dark arts like necromancy being used by some people, then I doubt they’ll give you a second glance. You’ll probably find more willing to hear about it, too.” She snickered. “But you probably won’t find anyone more eager than Ame here.”

That caused the blond’s cheeks to pinken, giving an embarrassed laugh. “That’s... not necessarily true. Shion will probably have a lot of questions to ask about it. She’ll probably want to actually perform it!”

“True,” the phoenix conceded, before looking back at the monochrome-haired woman. “So explain your abilities in whatever way you want to. You’re in a supportive place here.” She then sighed, looking away as she spoke more quietly. “And don’t be afraid if anyone is being too... annoying about certain aspects to tell them off for it.”

Ame frowned sadly, putting her hand on her arm... though Shiori noticed a slight hesitation before contact. The question of what happened between the two entered her mind again... but this time, any urges were drowned out by a warmth in her heart. Was... it really possible she had found a place that would not judge her for her magic? That would not make her feel like an outsider for the strange things she could do? She assumed she would have to practice most of it in total secrecy, but this...

Well... one way to know for sure, she figured. That initial giddiness to demonstrate her talents returning, she smiled, reaching out and taking one of the blank bookmarks she had gotten out. “Well, then, let’s get started! My bookmarks are more straightforward to understand, so let’s go with them, first.”

This drew the two friends from their moment, turning to look at it along with Kronii, who raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly do those do? Enchant pages in a book?”

“No, but I do sometimes use them as regular bookmarks,” the Archivist admitted, running a finger along the edge. “These are one of the things I can make with my ink, plus a little bit of extra material. By concentrating my thoughts, I can ‘push’ memories, lines of thought, ideas, and even recent dreams into them where they are preserved... well, forever. Or until it gets broken by something.”

That got the other’s attention, with Kiara looking particularly in wonderment at it. She reached over, giving it a small tap. “So they’re... like a backup for your mind?”

“That’s certainly how I use them,” Shiori confirmed. “That, and to help stop my mind from wandering too much when I’m working on something important. Everything about the experience - what I saw, tasted, smelt, felt physically and emotionally - gets put into them, no matter how simple or complex the thing I’m storing.” She gestured to them. “Let me demonstrate. Tell me a number real quick. Any number!”

After a moment of thinking, the detective shrugged. “Four-hundred and thirty-two?”

“Perfect!” the Archivist cheered. She then took a deep breath, then concentrated on what she was just told, the familiar sight of her veins turning black on her arm happened the next moment. The others gave small exclamations at this, and as the bookmark glowed yellow with its lines and eye design. She focused specifically on the number, being careful to keep the memory of her asking for it. Then, she “pushed” it in.

The sensation of the information flowing into it like water passed through her, making her shiver. Then, the bookmark stopped glowing, leaving the yellow lines. Letting out a breath, she smiled at them. “And that’s how it works! When it’s yellow like this, that means I have never properly added it to my mind again. So currently, I don’t know what number you gave me. Was it seven? I know that’s a classic response on this world nowadays.”

The time-traveler shook her head, her eyes locked on the bookmark with fascination. “It was in the triple digits.”

Shiori blinked, then gave a short chuckle. “Wow, went big, huh? Well, since I’m likely not guessing it, may as well get on with the second part of the process.”

 With that, she “pulled” on the memory just stored inside, causing it to glow green. The inky veins returned, flowing the other way as she made it a part of herself again. It was not as intense of a sensation as yesterday, given how short and simple the contents were. Still, there was a slight bliss to having it again due to how recent it was.

With that done, she tossed the bookmark over to the blond. “And that’s all there is to it! Four-hundred and thirty-two, by the way. Feel free to skim it. Ignore the black veins that appear on your arm - they’re harmless.”

Tilting her head, Ame held up the bookmark, her brow furrowing in concentration. A few seconds later, the veins in her arm and neck became inky, and her eyes widened. “Oh, wow. It really is like I’m seeing it from your perspective! Sort of... all at once, too, but it's not confusing like that for some reason.”

The Archivist gave a small hum. “I’m a bit amazed you aren’t more disoriented by seeing yourself through my eyes. That usually gets to people if the memory involves them.”

“Eh, I’m used to it, in a way - working alongside my alternates in the Network,” the detective explained, before frowning and using her free hand to feel at her side. “Seeing it with your body is pretty odd, though.”

The duel-toned-haired woman shrugged, not able to deny that. It was then that Kiara reached over and grabbed one of the yellow-lined ones she had gotten out. She inspected it, her tone curious. “So, hold on - that one turned green when you... added the memories back to yourself. So why are these still yellow?”

“Sometimes I leave the information separated from myself - skimming only,” Shiori explained. Her eyes hardened, voice taking on a serious tone. “A lot of them like that are dark secrets and rituals that I want to make extra sure aren’t pulled from my head by anything. It’s difficult to do with the changes I’ve made to myself, but I’m not taking any chances. I put special mental locks on them to be extra sure. Mind readers can’t ‘read’ an object, and touching those only feels like plastic.”

Everyone else had paused what they were doing as she said this. The time-traveler had taken on an equally solemn expression, setting aside the bookmark given to her as she looked at her closely. “How dangerous are some of those?”

“...It’s probably best I don’t describe a lot of them too much,” the Archivist eventually said, glancing away. Not that she remembered them in detail, obviously, but she had summaries of what many of them were meant to do, which were... far from pleasant. “But we’re talking about the kind that have caused whole worlds to crumble and decay, whether violently or in a slow, insidious way.”

Kronii frowned, looking at the woman’s bag. “But you keep a copy of your memories of them?”

Shiori shrugged. “I’m a believer in... repurposing knowledge. I try to figure out what ‘pieces’ of the rituals I can use for less drastic versions or to create something entirely new. I’ve had some mild success in the past with that. They’re not all world-threatening, either - they just have terrible prices, which I also have fun trying to get around. Doing that can give me access to some honestly useful effects.

“But also... having a copy means I can help if someone else performs those rituals. I do my best to destroy wherever I get the information from, as much as it hurts the learner in me, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist elsewhere, or can’t be rediscovered from scratch. By skimming those bookmarks, I could be useful in disrupting them in the safest way possible if someone performs them, or halting the effects afterward by developing a counter-ritual.”

The Warden blinked, looking stunned for a moment, but then nodded, her face softening. “Huh... that’s actually some fairly good reasoning.”

“Thank you,” the Archivist said with a small nod. “It’s still not entirely ideal, but... if terrible knowledge is going to exist, I may as well try to keep it under control.” She let out a long sigh... then looked at them all with a smile, easing her tone. “Though... not all of my yellow bookmarks are cursed knowledge. Sometimes it’s just funny tangents I was having but needed to put off. I like to revisit them sometimes, and they can be too good to just dispose of.”

It was then she noticed that the one in Kiara’s hand, which was one of those tangents, was glowing as her veins turned black. The orange-haired woman blinked, tilting her head. “It’s... about how much bad salmon a dragon in their true form would need to eat in order to get food poisoning.”

Shiori chuckled. “Oh, yeah! I ended up doing some full-on math equations on the weight of salmon needed when I skimmed that once! Some dragons can have such iron guts - especially the Earth and Pure-Fire ones!”

The phoenix sighed, tossing those back into the pile. “Can’t say I’ve ever felt the same. That memory isn’t going to bother me the rest of the day, is it?”

“As long as you didn’t give it that extra pull to make it a part of you,” the Archivist promised. “A vague impression will remain, but it should mostly fade like a dream.”

Kiara nodded, rubbing her head as if it would help the process. Ame, meanwhile, looked at the assembled bookmarks, tapping her chin. “So how much memory are you able to put on one of them? Hours? Days?”

“Well, for more casual use, it’s usually not much more than an hour or two,” Shiori explained. “Sometimes I put a little more on there. However, sometimes... I’m a lot more ambitious.” She chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “And on those special occasions... I store the last century of memory I have on them. And after ten, I add all of them back in as a ‘refresher’ to then do the last millennium of memory.”

...She could tell all of their jaws were close to dropping at that. Kronii gave a low whistle, running her fingers through her hair. “Damn... those are some extensive ‘backups.’”

“I like to be thorough,” the Archivist said. “Our memories make up a big part of our sense of self - even faded ones, I feel. But it still feels good for me to be able to recall life better. Those bookmarks don’t have a perfect recollection of everything I’ve experienced, but they keep plenty of the larger stuff in order.”

“And how many of those millennium marks do you have?” the time-traveler asked.

Shiori scratched her head. “Hm... Well, I’m about fourteen thousand and four hundred years old at this point, so fourteen. Plus four extra century ones. That’s not including backups of the backups that I’ve made. I can very much imprint the same memory on multiple bookmarks.” She took a deep breath. “It’s not just for indulgence, either... They help me make sure my head is... ‘right’ after some time using complex stamps.”

The time-traveler quirked her brow, looking ready to ask a question about that... only for Kiara to beat her with one of her own, spoken quietly. “And... can you do this to other people? Maybe... retrieve memories they’ve forgotten or... can’t access?”

The Archivist paused, looking her up and down. “I... can do it on others. But it can cause some pretty mad migraines and such, especially with longer or older memories. Hell, it was one of the reasons I changed myself - to be able to handle the process!” She sighed, looking at her apologetically. “But you do usually need to be able to recall the memory at least partially, even if it sometimes helps to reconstruct the rest. So I’m afraid it probably won’t be much use for your rebirth amnesia I know your kind has if you don’t recall that life.”

The phoenix chuckled. “I guess I wasn’t being subtle about the reason, huh?” She shrugged. “Still, it was worth a shot. If there’s any way to manage the pain, though... documenting what I do remember currently might be worth a shot at some point with those.”

Kronii nodded. “Yeah - I was thinking the same thing for Mumei! I know she would kill for a way to remember even just what she currently knows. Then she would not have to dig through her journals so much!”

Shiori... did not know how to describe the joy that bubbled within herself then. There truly were people like this here? People who... would actually trust her to perfect her bookmark techniques to give them backups of what they wanted, too? Did not worry she would just steal them and hoard their memories for herself? Her friends saying they would help her when she was free was one thing, but this...

Swallowing down any noises that would have left her throat then, she gave them wide smiles. “I... would be open to giving it a shot.” She nodded to the blue-haired woman. “I will need to get consent from this Mumei directly, though. I’m not kidding about the head pains.”

“As if I’m just going to tell her to let you use your magic on her with no context!” the Warden said, sounding slightly offended. She then sighed, crossing her arms. “Now I kind of wish I did more to get her to come here. I offered for her to join me in helping Ame around the office to double up as ‘couple time.’ But... I get that Bae gets priority after stressing about Omegaα.” She looked at their guest wearily. “By the way, how-?”

“Beat up, but healing fast with no new scars,” Shiori reassured, getting a relieved sigh from the other. She then hummed, looking at Kiara. “Actually, I kind of feel like you’re missing out by not being there. I know Nerissa was going to meet IRyS, who is Bae’s wife, yeah? Given how you started out this conversation with a flirt, I think you guys would get along.”

The phoenix’s eyes lit up with interest, giving a sultry smirk. “Oh? Is she another admirer of beautiful women? If she has some nice things to say about me, then... maybe some nice, platonic kisses might be in order after all!~”

“...Actually, maybe it’s a good thing you both haven’t met yet,” the Archivist stated.

Kiara huffed, giving a pout. “You’re no fun.”

Any further words were stopped by Ame clearing her throat. Once attention was on her, she looked at the monochrome-haired woman expectantly. “Kiara finding a new person to give friendly flirts to aside... Can we please talk about these stamps of yours? You keep mentioning them, and if I go any longer without an explanation, I am going to tear my hair out.”

Shiori giggled, nodding to her. “Yeah, sure. Sorry about that.” She reached over for one of the stamps she got out... then stopped for a second. She... found that she was actually quite nervous about how these would be received. The bookmarks were quite straightforward to understand in their purpose and use. But the stamps had more abstract concepts to them in how they operated. Plus, they were her life’s work, so... the potential of being judged for one reason or another for them felt like a reasonable fear to her.

Still... she did have their reassurances that most magic was not taboo in that town, so long as you were not actively causing harm presumably. It certainly was not what most would consider “dark” or “evil,” either. Besides, her fellow convicts had supported her... so why not these people?

Trying to take that all as good enough reassurance, she took a deep breath, then grabbed one of the gray stamps she set out. She gestured to it, giving a reserved but prideful smile. “This little thing is one of my ink stamps. It may be small, but there is lots of magic packed into these.” She tapped the bottom. “Through careful designs on the face and within, along with strong infusions of mental and transformative magic into it and the handle as well, I imbue these with power that becomes active with a special ink I also create from what I produce.” She popped one of the corks off of the vials with it, then willed a bit of it to come out and onto the stamp.

The others watched her as she did this, looking a little cautious but not appearing worried. The detective narrowed her eyes at the stamp, her voice laced with curiosity. “And... what happens when you use the two together?”

...The Archivist smirked, laying her free hand on the desk and holding the stamp over it, her tone casual. “It turns me into a completely different person.”

With that, she pressed the stamp onto the back of her hand. Immediately, her clothing became an inky substance along with her stolen hat and stamp, making the others gasp. Her clothing soon became a black leather vest with a white undershirt, leather chaps with some spurred boots, and a white stetson hat. The stamp, meanwhile, became a revolver which she immediately set down. Her body morphed some as she gained a bit of muscle, her skin becoming rougher, and a tingle on her cheek indicated a scar formed there.

There was an instant where she got to be amused at the absolutely shocked faces of the others. That did not last, though, as her head became foggy, and... concentrating became more difficult. Her eyes unfocused as she... she tried to... think...

...She blinked the next second, shaking her head to clear it. She took in her surroundings... then gave a wide grin, showing off her slightly yellowed teeth. “Well, gosh darn! Y’all look like you’ve been spooked by a ghost there! You need a whiskey to calm your nerves, partners?”

The others just blinked at her, looking flabbergasted. The orange-haired dame looked her over, shaking her head in disbelief. “I... she even sounds southern now!”

The blond sheriff deputy, on the other hand, while also looking stunned... had a certain sparkle in her eyes. She met her gaze, leaning forward. “Shiori... what exactly did you just do to yourself? How did...? And so fast, too!”

The cowgirl raised her eyebrow, a little confused. “Now, what does that mean, deputy? I’m sorry I dozed off there, but the bounties we’re discussing ain’t going to catch themselves, now are they? I swear I ain’t been drinking no Coke, if that’s what you’re accusing me of! You don’t need to worry about me being able to shoot straight!”

The others exchanged looks, looking perturbed themselves. Ame gave her a look over, focusing on her hand in particular. “You... don’t remember stamping yourself?”

Tilting her head, Shiori raised her hand to inspect it. She squinted, trying to see what the other met. It... looked a little smudged, she supposed. It was... quite hard to focus on, though. Like her eyes kept... sliding right off of the...

But then, her eyes finally snapped into focus on the intricate ink design on there. Her eyes widened, before she laughed, leaning back in her chair as she threw her head back as well. Once she calmed down enough, she looked at them again with another toothy grin, tipping her hat to them. “Aw, I get it now! Sorry about the confusion, ma’am! Even those of us who can be aware of the change don’t oft’ recognize it at first. Not like I have the memories to know otherwise, ya see?”

Sheriff Kronii raised an eyebrow. “So... you know you just transformed, but not actually... doing it?”

“No siree!” the cowgirl confirmed with a nod. “As far as I’m concerned, we were just discussing some criminals out in this town that need arresting! But I’m sure the ‘real’ me won’t have me out long if y’all were discussing something el-”

It was then that the ink symbol rippled, before cracking and puffing into mist. She gasped, her clothes and the weapon she had set down becoming ink again. Her head pounded as the life on arid fields and gunslinging washed away, and her life pursuing stories and magic returned. The feeling was at a manageable level by the time her clothes became normal and her gun turned back into a stamp. Even the hat she had borrowed was unblemished by the experience. (Not that she even needed to have worn it for her to have gotten that cowboy hat.)

After shaking her head, Shiori gave a quick stretch, letting out a sigh. “Ah, I loved making that one - though, I guess I could say that about all of my stamps. There’s something fun, however, about crafting a cliche character at times. Like, I gave myself a history of herding cows on a dusty old farm and bucking on horses. Oh, and don’t get me started on the history of that scar!” She smiled widely, eyes scanning her audience... though, secretly, she was still nervous about their reactions. It was easy to apply the stamp quickly, but now that it was over...

...But none were looking at her like a freak. They were definitely confused by what they just witnessed, but they were not trying to get away from her or anything. If anything, the detective was practically vibrating, looking like she wanted to snatch up the stamp and put it under a magnifying glass, which was... kind of flattering, honestly. Even the other two seemed a little in awe.

It had been six centuries, when Fuwamoco arrived in The Cell, since she last got validation for her work... and it felt just as nice as it did then.

Finally, though, the time-traveler could not hold back her questions, leaning forward and almost slamming her hands on the table. “Okay, enough of the suspense! What was that you just did?!”

Laughing, the Archivist tapped the area on the back of her hand she had stamped. “That, my dear Watson, was me rewriting who I am. My history, skillset, how I think - all of it! When I apply one of those stamps, I become whatever character it is I’ve set for myself. A cowgirl hunting outlaws; a thief stealing a corrupt kingdom; a cryomancer trying to defeat evil mages. These and more make up the long, long list of personas I’ve made for myself over the millennia!”

“But... how?” Kronii asked, looking baffled. “I... didn’t even sense any temporal power from that! How were you able to alter your history like that and so drastically?”

“I just meant history as in what my memory thinks is true,” Shiori explained while shrugging. “You see, when I change myself, I’m not actually altering my past. I’m altering my mental state to make myself believe I had a completely different life. This also includes changing my body to match whatever narrative I’m given.

“Of course, I can’t fit decades or longer worth of fake memories into any of them. There’s just too much to fill in! But the brain is quite the miracle worker! So long as I give it a narrative on who I’m supposed to be, along with some choice events, it will fill in the gaps no matter how vague or detailed the stamp’s information is. It’ll use what was already there to inform how I view the present, too. That’s why I thought I was taking a bounty from you guys a moment ago and not shouting about where I was and why!”

Ame nodded along, seeming to have at least a hint of understanding. “So... you create a small fictional story for yourself, and you believe it all really happened while transformed?”

“In essence,” the Archivist confirmed with a nod of her own. “Not that it’s all based on made-up locations and people. I sometimes add those in, but how close those are to the real thing in my head is dependent on what I knew of them before then. So if I use a real magic academy as part of my narrative, if I don’t know how the halls are supposed to look, my brain fills in those blanks.” She winced, rubbing the side of her head. “I tested once what going to the real place does in that case. The answer is a migraine until I reconcile the difference or the transformation wears off.”

Kiara let out an awed breath, shaking her head as she leaned on the desk. “I... I don’t even know what to say. That’s just impressive! So you can just change yourself into whatever you want? Become a powerful witch or a tactical genius at the press of a stamp?”

Shiori shook her head, sighing slightly. “Not... quite. Just like with locations and people, I still need some knowledge, at least, to match what I’m turning into. So if I want to be a great pyromancer, I need to incorporate my knowledge of fire spells and such. And... if I want the specific memories I add to be more effective, it helps to have a good understanding of how people feel from similar events, whether from a book, game, or real life.”

The phoenix hummed, a bit of understanding entering her eyes. “I see. I’m guessing that’s a part of that urge to learn you were talking about, then, that made you ask about... our argument?”

“Yeah... I was always inquisitive, but the way I altered myself I think made those compulsions worse,” Shiori admitted, smiling sheepishly. “Or it’s just a consequence of how many screws I have loose nowadays. Who knows?”

“I’ll put my money on both given what I’ve heard so far,” Ame said, grinning some. Her eyes then went back to the stamps, tapping her finger on her desk. “On the subject of you being an... inkling, was it?”

The Archivist snorted. “Yeah, that definitely sounds childish when said by someone else. But sure.”

Chuckling a bit, too, the detective continued her inquiry. “I was just wondering... does it make using those stamps easier on you? From what I always understood, transformation magic is usually painful in some way, but you didn’t seem very discomforted there. I don’t imagine mental changes like you’re describing are much better on a regular mind, either.”

Shiori nodded, tapping her chest for emphasis. “That I did. There are still some headaches when changing back, but my body barely feels any pain unless I do several changes rapidly in a row. That rarely comes up, though - if I use a persona, I usually have it last a few hours. Being able to rapidly change every few minutes has its uses, though, like during our breakout.” She smiled conspiratorially. “But it really would not hurt that much if I used one on someone like you... if you’d like a demonstration.” She raised her hand. “Not necessarily now. Just thought I’d put the offer out with how... receptive you’ve been to hearing about this.”

The time-traveler blinked, looking... genuinely tempted. She looked down at herself, a deep, thoughtful frown on her face. But one of her hands was also rubbing her head, and putting quite a bit of force into it. Yeah, altering your memories is quite the hurdle to be willing to cross, the once-human mused. I don’t blame her if she feels she can’t do it.

Eventually, the blond came out of her thoughts, shrugging at her guest. “I’ll... take that into consideration.” She then gave her a soft smile. “That’s quite the passion you have for your craft, though, even ignoring how unique it is from everything I’ve studied. The fact you created a new type of transformation just so you could handle doing far more of them for millennia...”

The Archivist smiled back, picking up a stamp and looking at it nostalgically. “It’s how I’ve always been. Since I was a little girl, I was always fascinated by stories. There’s such a variety of things you can do with them in whatever form you tell them in - to inspire, to entertain, to invoke questions, and so much more. I was swept into them so much when I was young, trying to imagine myself as the protagonist of them.

“And so... I worked to make it a reality. It took years of study, and quite a few archaic tombs of strange origins, but when I made the first ‘prototype’ of my stamps and used it for the first time... when it wore off and I could appreciate what had happened, I was in ecstasy. I worked on extending my life and transforming myself not long after, and since then... I’ve had no reason to regret it. All of the characters I’ve made for myself, along with the knowledge in general I’ve accumulated... Nothing has been better than the pursuit and documentation of both.”

Ame hummed, looking to the side a bit distantly. “I think... I understand exactly what you mean. I have a similar passion for seeing and recording what I can about the multiverse. All of the timelines and what sets them apart from one another... The people, magic, history... I just have to see as much as I can. And I’m nowhere near as old as you, so I’ve only just scratched the surface, it feels like!”

Shiori grinned. “Well, hey, if you need an extended life to see it all, I can hook you up. Quite a few immortality methods out there.”

Kronii huffed, giving her a light glare. “I’ll have you know that if she’s ever interested in that, I’ll be the one to help her gain it. Especially since she-” She stopped short, her eyes widening in realization before she coughed with a small blush. “Er... well, anyway, I... have it handled.”

The detective sent her a teasing smirk. “I’ll get out of you whether I’m semi-immortal already thanks to you eventually.” She looked back at the escaped convict, offering a kind smile. “But... I admire the ambition you have there, Shiori. And I hope you’re able to keep making these ‘personas’ for yourself now that you’re free.”

Smiling back, the Archivist nodded. “Thank you, Ame. That... really does mean a lot.” She sighed in contentment... but then paused, recalling something. It made her give a small laugh. “Though, ironically, it was me pushing the bounds of how my stamps work that made that god lock me up.”

That got her some confused looks, followed by Kronii shaking her head. “Hold on - wait. You distracted me! Didn’t you say earlier that you can kill gods?!”

“The potential to,” Shiroi corrected, rolling her eyes. “All I can really do right now is hurt them, assuming I have the ink for it.”

Kiara furrowed her eyebrows. “Okay, but... how do you do either with these stamps?”

The Archivist shrugged, digging into her bag once more. She brought out a stamp with a red handle, displaying it for her audience. “Well, in the three millennia before I got caught, I was starting to have major breakthroughs in what I could do with my stamps - the types of characters I could be. Before, I could only really make human personas for myself, and while that has a lot of versatility for ‘backstories,’ it did provide a limit to what abilities I could have. That was on top of the knowledge I had limiting things like the spells I could do.

“I was getting past those limits, though. While I am still bound by needing familiarity with a subject, I have been able to get past that somewhat. I always only needed familiarity with a technique or spell to get it to work for a persona rather than any practice, but with the right stories, I could push that. If I’m supposed to be an expert pyromancer, for instance, then the discipline I suddenly had with it would let me... improvise. Discover new ways to weave fire that I would not know as I am now, because hey, I suddenly had done it for my whole life!”

Ame hummed, rubbing her chin. “That’s an interesting loophole.” She gave a small smile. “And I guess that also gives you extra knowledge for you to use later afterward.”

“That it does, even if it sometimes takes using one a few times,” Shiori confirmed. “But even better than that was when I discovered ways to bypass the need to be human at all! I won’t bore you with all of the details, but it comes down to an understanding of others biology as well as elements of their innate magic if they have it. The easiest to do there were transformations that any human could do anyway, like vampires as you mentioned before. But I’ve had other breakthroughs that are more impressive, like becoming a fairy or a dwarf!”

The others were following along, best she could tell... but it was evident they had no clue what this had to do with killing gods. Thus, she sighed, getting straight to the point. “As I said before, I can use these stamps on others. Humans with no problem, but... with others, the effects can get more tricky if the stamp is not designed with their original species in mind.” She glanced at the Warden and phoenix. “I honestly have no clue what most of my current stamps could do to you two. It might be fine... but it could be a hard gamble.”

The duo flinched, but nodded... but that seemed to finally get Kronii to start catching on. She stared at the stamp with wide eyes, mouth gaping some. “Wait, so... are you saying that...?”

Shiori had no expression this time - simply staring at her stamp. “I eventually started learning about gods properly... and then I asked the question: could I turn a god... into a human ?”

...A stunned silence followed her words. For a minute, no one said anything, processing what she had just revealed. When Ame eventually found her voice, she could not get out a full sentence. “I... That’s... You were...?”

Shiori giggled, giving an amused smile. “Like I’ve been saying - I’m a bit too inquisitive for my own good sometimes. I was a little obsessive with finding a way to accomplish this, honestly... which is probably how word reached that god about my ambitions.” She sighed, glancing to the side with annoyance. “I wasn’t even doing it to kill a god! But, doing so would be very easy if the stamp worked, since... well, they would be mortal with all the weaknesses that come with it. So if you had a knife or gun, then...”

Still clearly reeling from this information, the detective cleared her throat, regaining some of her composure. “But it... doesn’t do that yet?”

The Archivist shook her head, putting away the red-handled stamp. “No, not yet. Currently, my attempts only succeed in spreading a ‘corruption’ through a god’s body that sort of ‘erodes’ them in an attempt to ‘condense’ them into human form. I also think I can’t be too heavy on the ‘narrative’ side of things. Thanks to their higher intelligence, they’ll never forget they were gods, I believe, unlike my normal stamps. They’ll be stuck thinking like us, but they should have rough memories of their lives. But, it’s obviously hard to confirm without test subjects.”

Kronii gave a somewhat bitter chuckle. “Yeah, I can imagine you don’t get many volunteers among their kind. They can barely be bothered to be helpful to any of us in the Council - Omegaα being the sole exception.”

“And there’s also the fact one of them had me imprisoned for the last two and a half millennia,” Shiori deadpanned.

The Warden winced, rubbing her arm awkwardly. “Uh... I guess that’s true, too. Sorry...”

“It’s fine - just giving you a hard time,” the Archivist said. She took a deep breath, a glint entering her eyes. “I’m going to keep trying on it, though. Not to get back at my former captor - but it would be a good defense if it or any other try anything. I just... want to make something new. To show how far my stamp-making has progressed over the years.”

Quick glances were exchanged by the others at this... but when they looked back, Kiara smiled at her and nodded. “Well, then... I guess I wish you luck with that. And in making others of these stamps for yourself.”

Kronii nodded as well, before looking at the once-human curiously. “Yeah... though, I feel like I should ask if you feel like you’ve succeeded in making that ‘god stamp’ if you’ll be testing it on... Omegaα.” She waved her hands. “N-not that I believe you’d be doing it to cause her harm! But I... You know, just so we can all be prepared for such an occasion.”

That made Shiori frown, several conflicting emotions filling her. Looking down, she could only shrug at her. “I... don’t know. How I feel about her is... complicated, thanks to everything. I’ll just... cross that road when we get there.”

The Warden frowned slightly, but she only nodded, accepting her answer for the moment. Letting that be, the monochrome-haired woman turned to Ame... only to blink, seeing that she had gotten a notepad out at some point. She was scribbling on it furiously, to the point that she wondered if the words were even coherent.

Yet the blond seemed happy with them, smiling widely as she continued with her notes. “This... this is all amazing! Ah, the wonders you can still find in your own universe! I don’t even know where to begin with all of this!”

Kiara giggled at her antics, patting her on the shoulder. “I’m amazed it took you this long to get out one of those. You’re normally writing throughout your interviews.”

“I’m one of her very first interactions with other Hololive members,” the detective defended, not looking up from her notes. “I wanted to seem a bit more... inviting. But I just need to have all of this recorded!” Once she was finished on the notepad, she then hummed, looking over to her laptop for a moment before pulling it back to her. “Hm... I guess I’d better log some of this while I’m at it.”

The Archivist raised an eyebrow, trying to look around to see the screen. “Log it onto what? Do you just keep physical and digital notes?”

“No - or, well, yes, but that’s not the point of what I’m doing,” the time-traveler explained. Noticing the other’s attempts, she re-angled her laptop to allow her to see what she was doing. “I’m pulling up your general file on the Network database so that any other Ame who comes here can know what to expect from you. It also adds to a list of traits so that the people in Intel can determine what abilities of yours are common and rare.”

Shiori looked at the website on the screen as the other was talking. It... looked very complex. The whole thing had a yellow, gold, and bronze aesthetic, mostly, and appeared to have several links to all sorts of places. She saw things like Time Anomaly Levels and Types of Paradoxes on the top, open onto lists that seemed to have many sub-sections. There was even one of those small little helping AI she had heard about a few times in the corner, with a... chibi alligator wearing a detective outfit as the mascot.

The current page opened, though, was listed as Hololive Common Groups Log. Currently visible, she saw in little rows full-body pictures of some of the people she had seen so far. One had Ame and everyone else who was in the photo on her desk under the label “Myth.” Another involved Kronii with several other girls in a group called “Council.” (There seemed to be a sub-tab available, though.) A few others for “HoloX” and “Holoh3ro” were also visible as the blond scrolled, but had small notes marking them as “JP” and “ID” rather than “EN” like the first two. Some pictures also seemed to have red markings next to them, like Ina and Laplus.

...And then, she settled on what appeared to be a locked roll. All of the pictures were blacked-out along with the names, the links seeming inoperable. However, a flashing warning beneath it had a particular message: 

Note: We have noticed you have searched for the name [Shiori Novella] in the database. Would you like to unlock the entire group, Ame of timeline [63264450-MEWQA-00030-LBV]? Be aware this will cause changes in cases assigned to you!”

The Archivist blinked, it now being her turn to be stunned. “This... ‘Network’ has files on my alternates? On all of these people?”

The time-traveler shrugged while chuckling. “Are you really that surprised? The multiverse is big! Several of my alternates are bound to have run into yours, and your friends.” She hummed, moving her cursor to the warning. “Assuming you’re with the ‘common’ group here, too, anyway. That seems to be the pattern for this timeline so far, but you never know.”

Kiara looked at the screen, too, her face expressing her interest. “Huh. I don’t think I’ve seen you on here before. Can your PCs not access it? That’s what I usually see you on.”

“No, they can,” Ame responded. “I could have set up the one I have here for my work today, but getting it and the monitors set up can be a hassle sometimes, and I didn’t feel like dealing with that.”

As they talked, Shiori looked at the blacked-out names. It was hard to be sure, but... they did seem to be the right length for all of her friends, so she assumed that was the case. She turned to the human again with a raised eyebrow. “Why is this ‘locked,’ though?”

“My own request,” the detective stated before sighing. “I don’t like to spoil myself on what my potential future is, whether it’s direct events or... the people I may meet, whenever possible. So, until groups like yours come here for me to actually confirm you exist, if nothing else, I keep it behind a wall. It also affects my assignments to minimize my chances of meeting any of you out on the field so as to not taint my impressions of you.” She glanced at Kronii. “They can also do limited files, which I learned later on when I discovered there was more than one Kronii.”

There was another story there, but the Archivist did not focus on that. She rubbed her chin, nodding slowly as she stared at the hidden images. “Hm... I think I understand all of that. Seems like it would be hard to maintain, though.”

“It’s hardly absolute sometimes, but it works surprisingly well. I mean, I’ve never run into another you out there!” The time-traveler clicked on the warning, the options to accept or decline unlocking the files coming up. She grinned at her guest. “We’re about to find out if the same applies to your other friends, though, if you want to have a peak?”

Shiori thought about it briefly... then nodded, smiling back. As strange as this was (which was saying something, given her stamp collection), she was more fascinated than put off. Plus, it was a glimpse into what went into the documentation and maintainment of other timelines, in a way. How could she possibly pass up that opportunity?

Permission given, Ame clicked the accept option, causing a password box to appear. She quickly typed one out, then checked a few more boxes that appeared that asked to make sure she understood what she was doing. Once that was out of the way, though, the picture boxes turned white, before fading out to reveal the people they had been hiding. The names similarly un-blackened to show the names as the links below them lit up.

It was... almost a little disturbing how accurate the pictures in the boxes were to her friends. Even hers was eerily similar to how she appeared, down to her very clothing. It was like she herself had posed for the picture, but she knew better than that... Though, then again, could it actually be her picture taken in the future? This was a time-traveling organization, after all. Would they bother with having individual photos based on whatever timeline-?

Focus, the Archivist reprimanded to herself, shaking her head. Getting back on track, she looked closer at the images before glancing at the blond. “Well, these are all of my friends, alright. Anyone you recognize from the group?”

The detective peered at the pictures, tapping her chin. “I... don’t recognize ‘Nerissa.’ Nor either of these Abyssgard girls, who I’m... guessing are sisters?” After receiving a nod, she then focused on the last member and pointed at them. “I do know one Bijou, though. She works with an alternate of mine who usually goes by the nickname Snow - who is just incredible, by the way!” Her eyes sparkled as she seemed to recall this alternate. “She’s one of the best field agents the Network has! She keeps a cool head through almost anything, is super doting, and-!”

She stopped, seeming to notice then that everyone else was staring at her with various degrees of amusement. Blushing a bit, she coughed and smiled sheepishly. “U-um... But yeah, she works with Bijou pretty often, who is a witch of some sort, with all the magic she can do.”

“Can’t say the same about mine, but she certainly likes witches in games,” Shiori said. Her gaze roamed over the photos again... before she thought to look at the label given to them as a unit. She raised an eyebrow at what she saw, murmuring curiously. “‘Advent,’ huh?”

The time-traveler’s gaze went to the label, shrugging her shoulders. “That’s just the common label used for each group when they’re part of Hololive. A lot of them don’t mean much of anything otherwise, with only a few exceptions like the Council. You certainly don’t have to feel obligated to use it once you’re a part of Hololive.” She paused... then gave another cough. “Not... to assume you’re set on accepting that proposal. You said you were still talking with A-chan on it, right?”

The Archivist nodded... then grinned at her. “That’s true... but if the others have been having a good time where they are currently, I think I know where my answer is leaning on that.” She leaned back in her chair, gesturing widely. “The streaming aspect sounded interesting enough, but this... I’m surrounded by cabinets and boards filled with inspiration for my personas! How could I possibly refuse the opportunity to keep coming here?”

Ame raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking for a side job here in my office?”

“...Actually, I was hoping I could check out files from you like I see people do for libraries in a lot of stories I watched,” Shiori admitted.

The detective chuckled, smiling as she went back to her laptop, pressing a tab under the duel-toned-haired woman’s image that opened a text box. She started to type in some of the information on her abilities there as she answered. “I’ll see what I can do. Some of these you’ll probably have to read in-house, though.”

Kiara leaned onto the blond’s chair, looking at the photos. She smiled at what she saw, seeming giddy already. “Well, I hope they’ve all been having fun with other members and want to stay, too! The sisters and Bijou look so cute! And Nerissa looks just divine! I’m definitely having a flirting contest with her!”

Kronii laughed, taking a look as well. “Yeah, these girls all seem like they’ll fit in. I hope they’ll at least give it a few months to...” She trailed off, her eyes focusing on one image in particular. She blinked, eyebrows furrowing with concern.

Confused, The Archivist followed her gaze... and saw she was looking at her image. More specifically, she seemed to be looking at the red mark she was only just now noticing next to it. The sight made her tense up a bit, not sure what exactly that meant. It... did not seem like anything good, though. (When did red labeling ever? It was only bad things in media!)

Clearing her throat, she decided to just get that information directly from the source. “Hey, Ame... what does that red symbol mean?”

Pausing her typing, the time-traveler glanced at what she was indicating and shrugged. “Oh, that’s just something they put on there to indicate a prevalence of certain people causing issues for timelines. It does not mean every version is a temporal threat, though, and from what you were saying, I don’t think you are, either.” She looked over and raised an eyebrow. “Unless there’s an ability of yours you didn’t mention you wish to now?”

Scratching her head, Shiori shrugged. “Uh... I mean, I have some ‘special’ books that I write that I was saving for a future discussion. To give you something to look forward to! But while those have mind- and perception-warping effects, they aren’t temporal in the slightest.” They might affect how one perceived the passage of time, but she certainly did not see how they could possibly affect the whole timeline.

Kronii sighed, gesturing to the mark. “Either way, can you please bring that up really quick, Watson? That’s going to start being my problem now as well as yours, you know.”

Sighing with fake exasperation, Ame nodded to her friend and complied. Clicking on the red, it opened a pop-up window with a text of warning information:

There has been an increase in incidents involving Shiori Novellas’ pertaining to her fascination with stories. Those who possess high reality-warping capabilities have used those powers to alter timelines to fit the image of their “perfect” story, controlling everyone within like puppets. This has often led to the complete ruination of timelines as well, often involving scenes of ink and pataphysical effects (please see relevant documents here ). Entities left over from such alterings have been known to cause many issues to agents, too - especially mental.

Further, some Shiori Novellas’ have, in this same time, been creating entirely new timelines all on their own! While these do not always pose a direct danger, they are still more areas of which to monitor for paradoxes and anomalies. They have also been bringing certain fictional settings to life from authors and writers of normal timelines. The magic and other tech of these places may have potential use in some instances, but this also comes with the problem of bringing many threats from books, games, shows, and more to life who may breach into the multiverse.-

...More information was available if they scrolled down, but that seemed sufficient enough. The Hololive members all blinked, exchanging looks at what was just read. Then, they looked to Shiori, who was similarly processing this. When she noticed their stares, though, she could only shake her head, her expression more... shocked than anything. “Yeah, uh... I definitely can’t do any of that ...” A beat passed... then she grinned widely. “Creating timelines sounds cool as hell, though!”

The detective nodded, smiling as well. “I know, right?! I mean... it’s probably a massive source of headaches to the people in charge of monitoring the various timelines, but still - very cool. I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on this!”

Kronii sighed, shaking her head at them. Still, she had a fond expression as she watched their excitement... before giving the once-human a stern look. “For the record, I’m not letting you make a new timeline, no matter how ‘cool’ it is.”

“...Not even with supervision?” the Archivist asked, giving her a bashful look. “I was... hoping you could teach me a thing or two about temporal powers sometime for... my stamps, at least.”

The Warden gave her an unimpressed look. When her gaze became a bit more pleading, though, she groaned and pinched her nose. “Prove yourself responsible in the coming months, and maybe we can talk about it.”

Figuring that was as good as she was going to get, Shiori nodded, then looked back at the screen. “That mark wasn’t on any of the others, though, was it?”

Closing the pop-up, the time-traveler scanned the group quickly before shaking her head. “No, doesn’t look like it... But I don’t want to read the general files, anyway. I want to learn about their abilities from them directly! It certainly sounds like I’ll have a lot to discuss there if they all have powers that can threaten gods like you!”

“That they do,” Shiori confirmed. Her expression then became more serious. “But be... gentle with them if you’re going to interview them. Nerissa and Bijou in particular went through some horrible stuff in The Cell - even before it. I don’t want you digging at some of those wounds until they feel more ready to talk about them.”

To her credit, Ame seemed to take the warning very seriously, her face now closely matching hers. She nodded, getting back out her notepad and flipping to a new page. “Care to tell me what I should avoid. Believe me, the last thing I aim for with my interviews is to make people uncomfortable. I don’t want a repeat of a few incidents.”

The Archivist raised her hand, lifting one finger. “Well, the biggest thing with Bijou is to not mention her magical charm unless she brings it up. There’s a lot of pain connected to that with her and humans. Don’t ask for a piece of her, either, or really anything about her stories with humanity. Just discuss her hobbies and other powers for now.”

Kiara tilted her head at her. “A... piece of her?”

“She’s made of stone,” Shiori quickly explained, before lifting another finger. “With Nerissa, be cautious if you talk about her about her family and enchanting singing. You might get her to talk about those if she’s in a good mood, but if she looks upset, back off. And with Fuwawa and Mococo...” She paused, blinking once. “Well... actually, if you manage to do anything that will genuinely offend them, then I will be amazed. It’s nearly impossible to do that.”

“I’ll still be careful just in case,” the detective said, finishing up her warning list. Then, she looked back at her laptop, humming to herself. “I will say, though... if they really have been through such rough stuff, then... I’m glad you all are thinking of making a home here. Call me biased, but... I can’t think of anywhere better for you all to leave all of that behind and... just be happy.”

“...I think I’m beginning to truly believe that,” the Archivist admitted quietly. She looked at the desk, staring at the supplies still lying there. Just the amount of interest that had been shown for her projects, and the consideration to the situation they had all been through... It was well beyond anything she would have dared hope so soon after their escape. And if the rest of the EN branch were being as kind to her friends as these three were to her...

Perhaps... it would be okay to finally let go for a while and be her normal, strange self.

She smiled at that thought, releasing a breath. She had a good feeling what everyone’s answer to A-chan would be by that point... but that would be in a few hours. Until then, there was still so much for her to learn about this place... and others. Her eyes roamed around the room, eyeing the various cabinets. All filled with such delectable information about the multiverse and making that urge within her suddenly roar .

Just barely keeping herself from rushing to one of them, she first turned to the blond, giving a strained, eager smile. “Sooo... if there’s not any more questions for now... If I leave these supplies for you to look at, can I get started on that whole ‘reading files’ thing?... Please?”

Using a hand to help suppress her giggles, the time-traveler nodded and waved around. “Go ahead. I need to get back to work in a minute anyway.”

Kiara smiled at the two, gesturing for their guest to follow as she started walking to the closet. “Come on - I don’t know these drawers super well, but I remember skimming a few interesting documents in here. I can also tell you about town, too! I have a feeling you’ll love hearing about the physics-breaking beach!”

Not needing to be told twice, Shiori shot up from her seat, following after the orange-haired woman. The whole time, she could not wipe the smile off of her face. It was far past time for her to get some fresh material to work with for her stamps! And if her pursuit got her some new friends along the way? Then... that might just make her happier than any persona could.

-------

As Shiori and Kiara disappeared into the closet to look for a file to read, Ame leaned on her desk, touching the top of her head as she addressed Kronii. “So... do you think she’s going to give my hat back, or no?”

The Warden snorted beside her. “Even if you didn’t have spares, I think you’re out of luck there.”

The detective sighed, though she was not really that annoyed. With how fervently the monochrome-haired woman seemed to like Sherlock, she figured she could spare one hat for her to help her feel welcome. That, alongside feeling like she needed to reward her for... introducing her to such a unique form of magic.

Her eyes went over the bookmarks and stamps, her heart rate already picking up with anticipation. It had been a minute since she had encountered powers so truly so distinctive from what she usually saw. The former was not too special, granted - she imagined lots of mental magic was used to help with memory. Even Ina had given Mumei some amount of enhancement to her ability to recall things when writing in her journals.

But the stamps... it was not often she heard of something that could rewrite a person’s mind so thoroughly . She had heard horror stories of the making of brainwashed thralls by more eldritch threats typically, but the extent of those seemed simple by comparison unless possession was involved. The versatility combined with craftsmanship was admirable even to someone who could not understand all of the magical details like herself. That there was nothing malicious behind them was even better.

...And it could allegedly be used on her, too. Allow her to finally experience... Have just a small taste of what it might be like to-

A nudge on her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts. Kronii raised her eyebrow at her when she turned her direction. “What are you thinking about there?”

Glancing one more time at the stamps, the time-traveler chuckled, shaking her head. “Nothing. Just... a dream I’ve had for a long time. I’ll tell you later.” She cracked her knuckles, pulling her laptop more in front of her as she finished typing her notes on Shiori for the Network Database. “But I should finish up here and get back to work. The last thing I need is for this to cut into my chance to meet these other girls later today.”

“I’m glad something can convince you to leave your office,” the Warden joked, making them both laugh. As the blond finished and submitted her notes, though, the immortal hummed and looked over at the closet. “But seriously, do... you think they’ll do alright here? It sounds like they’ve been through a lot.”

Ame paused for a moment, but nodded with conviction. “I think they will be. There are so many people in town, even outside of Hololive, who can give them support when they need it - not that we won’t bring our A-game there!” Her eyes softened sadly. “And... we’ve had our share of pain, especially here recently. Have scars of our own. But we’re still doing fine, right?”

Kronii’s expression also softened, before she sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She then frowned, glancing at the picture of Shiori. “I am very worried about teaching her anything temporal. I don’t want her to become a threat to the Network by accident.”

The detective sighed, but had no counter-argument there. (Most Ina’s did not intend to become the threats they were to timelines, after all, as an example.) Still, she tried to give an optimistic smile. “Well, we can sit on giving her any lessons on that. But even so, with you as her teacher, I doubt anything would go wrong.”

The Warden laughed, giving her a smirk. “Oh, save the flattering. My ego can hardly keep itself contained.” Shaking her head, she smiled more genuinely. “Anyway, I’m going to step out and order us some food. Is Cookout fine with you?”

“It certainly won’t kill me,” the time-traveler answered. She looked back at her computer, ready to get back to the original document she had been marking up-

-only for Kronii to call her attention one last time. “Oh, and Ame?” When the blond looked, her Kouhai was right in front of her desk, phone in hand... but a stern expression was on her face. “I know it’s hard for you... but please don’t... start feeling guilty about not telling them about your ‘issues’ so soon. Even if they’re here to stay, we’ve only just met them.” Her face became more sorrowful. “I... don’t want you destroying yourself over that more than you already have been.”

Ame flinched, looking down guiltily. She clenched her hand, trying to push back the emotions that came with the dissociations and other “issues” she kept from most of EN. Even if she had opened up to Gura finally about that earlier that month... the rest of her Genmates and the Council were still in the dark. People she feared so much losing the trust of over those problems.

These feelings had not been helped by their arguments weeks back - especially with Kiara. They may have made amends, but not all was forgiven there, and the wounds of that fight still stung. Having new people to grow close to would not do her favors, either, with keeping her secrets. And while she was trying to build up the courage to confess her mental problems... that day was still far off.

She knew the blue-haired woman’s concern for her was valid over this. So, taking a deep breath, she nodded as best as she could, unclenching her hand. “I’ll... try, Kronii. I really will. I think I can keep my feelings there separate from them for now...” She exhaled heavily. “But... if I like these people as much as I think I will, then don’t hold it against me if that changes in a few months.”

Kronii sighed as well, not looking any more pleased than she felt. But even so, the immortal conceded with a nod, at least managing to give her one last smile which she returned - silent promises to look after one another. Then, her friend turned and went to the door, typing a number on her phone. She was holding it up to her ear by the time she stepped out for some privacy.

Once the door shut, the detective took another breath. She took a moment to listen to the voices of Kiara and Shiori as they went through her cabinets, using them to help ground herself. Now was not the time to think about those problems of hers. She and the phoenix were still friends, and they would continue working things out. And talking with the monochrome-haired woman had gone well, too - she even felt she might have found a new friend to just... talk and ramble to about her adventures. I can’t wait to hear about those special books of hers, too!

Everything was going to be fine... and she could not wait to welcome the other girls.

Taking strength in that, she started to move her cursor to re-select the tab for the document she had been working on... only to stop as she noticed something. It was just at the edge of the bottom of her screen, below the “Advent” group label. It was almost hidden, the page not scrolled down enough to show the whole thing, but she saw the familiar blinking of a warning message.

Raising an eyebrow, she quickly scrolled down further to see what this was about. As she expected, it was connected to the new arrivals... but the message surprised her with what exactly it was about:

Warning! The presence of [Advent] in your timeline may lead to encounters with [Justice] later. We notice you do not currently have [Justice] unlocked on your profile. Do you wish to unlock their documents? We highly recommend this action!

An accept or decline option was right below it, but the message also promised she could do this at any time. The time-traveler, though, was too bewildered to make a decision. This... had never happened when she unlocked a group. Both HoloX and Holoh3ro had lists of possible adversaries on the occasion she had glimpsed their files, but never a direct link to another Holo group. Certainly not one that made the database insist she take a look! (Even the weird link with IRyS and most of the Council to another group title she found by pure accident.)

So... what was different here? She eyed the “accept” button, pursing her lips. On the one hand, the unusualness of the situation was making her so badly want to check this out. Something about the wording also caused her to be worried about this whole thing. But... she also did not want to taint her perception of whoever these “Justice” people were. Would it not be better to let them come and meet them as normal like everyone else?

She stared at her screen for a long time... but eventually, she just sighed and ignored it, opening her document tab. She could always decide later what to do about that option - maybe talk to Kronii, Ollie, and Gura about it. For now, though, she had work to get back to. The mystery of this warning would have to wait - no need to stress about it quite yet!

...Though she could not entirely ignore the slight dread in the back of her head.

Chapter Text

Overall, the room provided to the escaped convicts for the time being was not too shabby. Being an office space originally intended for meetings, it was fairly sizable - enough to where all five of them could sleep there. Five cots with plenty of pillows and blankets had been provided to that end, set up in one corner. (Fuwamoco had moved their beds near the one Bijou had claimed, notably, in case the short woman needed comfort in the night.)

Aside from this, though, the room’s white and blue walls were left rather bare. Not that they did not understand why, given no one there would have known what decorations would have made them comfortable. Still, they had requested that some things be hung on the walls, which A-chan was trying to accommodate at that very moment. Even if they did not have many possessions to display themselves, they did not want this room to seem so... lifeless. Gods knew that their cells, despite allowing decor later on, had been suffocating enough.

...Though this room, unlike those, had the advantage of having more big windows. Leaning next to one, Shiori could not help but admire the street beyond, just like when they first arrived. It was not as busy as it had been then, given that night was falling. However, that just allowed her to witness the street lights turning on and the windows of other buildings illuminating the shadows of alleyways and trees. There were still the occasional people and car, too, that passed by, barely glancing at the closed storefronts from earlier that day.

It was like glimpsing into a whole new world, in a way. With the energy of this town now “retired” for the day, she could see it in a more peaceful state. Not unusual for any civilization, primitive or advanced - everyone needed their sleep. But it had been a long time since she had seen anything like it, and she had certainly never seen a nightscape so well-lit.

Yet... the lights did not seem to affect the view of the stars above. So many twinkled above, filling what should have been a mostly black void due to the brightness around them. Yet instead, enough were out to make some of the sky seem like a deep blue. The Council member Sana was apparently to thank for that, from their brief talk a while ago. The woman had also apologized that she could not get as many stars to appear as out in the countryside - that they deserved to see such a sight.

It made the Archivist want to laugh, eyes fixating on those twinkling points. Did... she not know just how precious this sight alone was to her - to all of them? For centuries and millennia, all of them had never gotten to see the sky, let alone the stars. All they had to work with were the representations in their shows. She herself had been so fixated on just the memories of them when she was given the right bookmark for a test.

And so, her tired eyes drank the sight of the real thing for what it was. Sleep was calling to her by that point, but even if she laid down, her insomnia would not let her rest for some time, she knew. This once, though... she was almost glad to have it. She would not mind simply looking at the sky and letting her eyes drift shut as-

A throat cleared next to her, a woman with owl feathers in her hair coming into her peripheral vision. “Hey, I finished the test like you asked.”

Shiori blinked, then shook her head and turned to Mumei while smiling. Gods, it only took me a few minutes to forget what I was doing... Ah, how I’ve missed letting my thoughts wander so easily! Still, she gave the brown-haired woman her full attention again. “And?”

The Guardian frowned, holding up the blank bookmark between them. “I couldn’t get it to work. It was only what I had for breakfast this morning that I was trying to store, but... I just couldn’t. It honestly felt like I was holding a normal piece of plastic rather than anything magical.”

The Archivist sighed, taking the bookmark back and placing it into her coat. “Yeah, I figured that would happen. It’s always worked that I need to be involved for someone to try storing their thoughts. Looks like nothing has changed over the last few millennia.” It had certainly been worth a shot, especially given most of her subjects before now had been human. While it had also not worked that way for her friends, either, one never knew.

The owl-girl sighed, too, crossing her arms. “So... if I want to do this on my own, I need to learn how to make my own bookmarks?” Her eyebrows creased. “It... can be taught, can’t it? It’s not just something special with you being an inkling?”

Shiori’s eyes widened, then she let out a groan, rubbing a hand down half of her face. “Oh, for- Did you get that one from Ame? Is she seriously spreading that around as what I am? That’s such a lame name!”

Her reaction, at least, seemed to distract Mumei from her worries for a moment. She giggled lightly, giving a small smile. “I think it sounds cute. It reminds me of Splatoon characters!”

“...I’m not sure that makes it better,” the Archivist said. Taking a deep breath, though, she lowered her hand and let her gaze wander around the room for a moment... and at everyone else. All of EN had come back with the convicts to spend more time with them that night. They were all split into various other groups, with some every so often wandering to another. The Hololive members in particular were rotating between them, eager to keep meeting their potential future Kouhais.

It made for a lively atmosphere... and one that caused something fuzzy in her heart. She glanced between the current groups: Ame and Gura talking/interviewing Bijou near the door; the twins being dotted over by Ina, Sana, and Bae by one wall; Nerissa and Kiara talking while Calli and IRyS stood nearby at another window. All of them were lost in their own little worlds, the conversations barely seeming to stop.

Seeing it all was... It was better than any night sky in any Realm could possibly hope to be, she felt at that moment. Her friends at ease and continuing to make new friends after so long being isolated from the world. That they all felt like they could - even the gem-girl - after their initial meetings with everyone had told her all that she needed to know about how everything went. And she had been happy to report the same could be said for her.

Really, they had not even needed to say out loud when they all talked when they got back what their answer was to A-chan’s offer.

But the woman was still not back from trying to get them decorations. Thus, she kept herself occupied by focusing back on the brown-haired woman, picking back up their conversation, shrugging at her. “Well, to answer your question, you probably will have to learn to make them yourself if you’re still interested in having backups.”

The Guardian pursed her lips. “Would that be difficult to do?”

“Probably, especially if you don’t know much about mental magic,” the Archivist answered, hating having to be so blunt about it. She was not just going to lie about this, though. “It’s as easy as breathing for me now, but it took a long time for me to perfect my technique. Plus, there’s the obvious problem that they’re created using my ink. So we would also either have to find a substitute for that for you, or teach you how to conjure it for yourself.”

There was a pause after this, the owl-girl pondering her words. Eventually, she met her eyes and shrugged, seeming uncertain. “I’m... going to have to think about it. I have a lot of obligations - both as Civilization’s Guardian and a Vtuber - that could make learning that stuff difficult to find time for. It’s tricky enough to train my own innate abilities, let alone learning a spell outside of them.”

Shiori nodded in understanding. “It’s up to you. Just come find me anytime you feel like you might want to practice. At least then you can say you tried.” She smiled softly. “And hey, don’t feel bad about asking me to help make some for you. I get that it’s important to be able to do it on your own in the future, but if there’s anything very important to you...”

“...I’d probably like that,” Mumei admitted quietly. She reached into her cloak, pulling out a blue spiral-bound journal with taps sticking out, holding it in front of her. A wistful look entered her eyes as she stared at it. “I take good care of my journals, but... stuff can happen, you know? And... I don’t want to lose my most precious memories. Of everyone here I’ve met... of the love I’ve found... any of it.”

The Archivist frowned in sympathy, knowing better than most how valuable memories were. She had always pitied races that have a natural tenancy to regularly experience amnesia, like the phoenixes. While they would always build up who you were in some way, not having a conscious recollection of some of them you know were important could be difficult to reconcile. She could only imagine what kind of complex was built around them when your ability to think was partially tied to how well humanity on a world was doing.

With this in mind, she stepped forward and patted her on the shoulder, giving her another smile. “If your friends are anything like mine, I’m sure they would help you do your best to remember it all if anything happened. But if the bookmarks don’t cut it for you, I’m sure I can find some way to improve your recollection.”

Gripping her book a little tighter, the Guardian smiled back. “That’s kind of you to offer. Omegaα and Ina have been trying their best there, but having an expert should definitely help!” She giggled. “If nothing else, I guess you could bleed plenty of ink for me to keep writing in an emergency.”

Shiori laughed as well. “I don’t bleed ink - I have blood just like humans!... Though, actually, if you were to dig down to my bones, then-”

“Do not get into disturbing territory tonight,” a voice suddenly cut in. The two of them turned to see Kronii and Fauna approaching, the latter holding a small white box in her arms. The former, meanwhile, was giving them exasperated looks. “I do not want to hear any gory details about how your biology works! At least wait a week before you do that in earshot of any of us!”

“...Can I at least figure out if it’s in her marrow or not?” the owl-girl asked innocently.

The Warden sighed, pinching her nose. Still, she smiled as her girlfriend laughed and pulled her into a hug. Returning it, she glanced over at the monochrome-haired woman. “I overheard some of that. Thank you for offering to help her.”

“No problem!” the Archivist responded, giving a small bow. “It’s good to be around so many people who think they can benefit from my magic! I like some new challenges, too.” She met her eyes and smirked. “Plus, I can already tell me and your girl are going to get along just fine. That art she showed me that her fans like so much is just adorable with its evil red eyes and pointy teeth! Her style just fits me so well!”

Kronii merely rolled her eyes at this, even as Mumei gave a thumbs-up with a wide smile. The Keeper stepped in before more could be said, though, holding out her box with a soft smile. “Here, take a look inside! Pick whatever cookie you want!”

Intrigued by the offer, Shiori opened the box. Sure enough, she was met with several types of cookies, ranging from chocolate chip to sugar and even oatmeal raisin. They all seemed freshly made, too, not warm anymore but still soft and chewy. There were even a few small packets to put frosting on them if someone wanted to.

She gave an impressed whistle at the display, taking one of the sugar cookies and having a small bite. A noise of delight left her throat. “Hm! These are really good! Did you make all of these today?”

“Yep!” the kirin-girl confirmed, before pausing and giving a more sheepish giggle. “Well... with a bit of ‘cheating,’ anyway. Ina, Sana, and I thought it would be good to welcome you all with more treats like we did Biboo. I made cookies, while they made some special donuts. Between making them and hanging out with Biboo, though, we... kind of needed some extra time from Kronii.”

The Warden nodded, giving a smile that rested between smug and sincere. “You’re very welcome, by the way.”

“So that’s where you slipped off to on our way here,” the Archivist commented, continuing to eat her cookie. She grabbed two chocolate chip ones for later, then made eye contact with Fauna. “Hey, thank you guys again for taking care of Bijou. I’m glad that she’s safe for humans to be around now.”

The green-haired woman nodded, closing the box. “Oh, it was no trouble at all! You should be thanking Ina more, though. She did all the work!”

Shiori shrugged... then gave her a more sorrowful look, her voice softening. “But all of you I know must have helped her with... a bad situation she’s been going through. I can’t express how grateful I am to you for that.” She had not missed the scratch marks on her friend’s arms... nor the remaining signs of some intense crying from earlier.

The Keeper’s eyes widened briefly, before her face softened and she gave a solemn nod. “Again, it was no problem. I’m just happy she’s doing so well now.”

The Archivist nodded, finishing up her first cookie. They must have done a very good job indeed, given how well the gem-girl was conversing with the detective. It was hardly going to be an easy journey for her friend, but she hoped she could continue to be so casual around humans. It was long past time that she saw that she was not merely a danger to mankind. (Not anymore, certainly. To think if the Jewel of Emotions had just been left to develop in the ground for longer, from what the priestess had said...)

The Warden and Guardian did not comment on the other two’s exchange there, obviously recognizing the privacy of it. Instead, after a brief silence, the former addressed the duel-toned-haired woman to ask about something else. “So... have you guys come to a decision yet? I’m sure A-chan can wait another day or two, but prep for getting channels and stuff ready can take longer than you would expect, so the sooner the better!” She smiled hopefully. “If it helps any, I think Ame would love spending more time with you. You guys were hitting it off really well earlier!”

That made Shiori smile, recalling how easy it was for her and the blond to talk back in her office. It was like they were close friends already with how naturally their conversations happened while the human had continued working. It was like she had found the sister she had never had when growing up! (She... wondered if that was actually the case anywhere in the multiverse now. In which case, lucky them!)

It had helped factor into what she and the others wanted to do, too. She nodded to the blue-haired woman, stepping away from the window. “Yeah... we have. In fact, I think I’ll go find her if she isn’t back in a few minutes! But I’m just going to stretch my legs real quick. Call me if you need anything!”

The trio nodded, giving her quick waves. Following this, the couple began to start digging into Fauna’s box, to which she laughed and told them not to take too many. It was a humorous sight as Mumei tried to take handfuls of cookies while the other two tried to stop her... even as Kronii tried to secretly slip some of those for herself.

As funny as the sight was, though, the Archivist turned away from it, walking elsewhere in the room. Her eyes scanned the various groups, wondering how everyone else was doing. Lifting another of the cookies she had gotten, she walked carefully so that she could hover closer and overhear what everyone was discussing. Everything was comfortable right now, but if any of EN was accidentally straying toward more... touchy topics, then she figured it would be good to be ready to intervene. No need for the day to end on a bad note.

The first of them she went toward was Nerissa’s, being the closest. She kept her distance, not wanting her approach to interrupt the discussions currently happening. She watched as her and Kiara continued to exchange words, their expressions... slightly sultry. That, combined with the amused faces of Calli and IRyS, already gave her an idea of what was being said... and had just known would happen since Ame’s office.

Sure enough, as she focused on their words, the sound demon was talking about like she expected. “...and your feathered earrings are so gorgeous! Did you make them from your wings? They have such a nice glow to them... though not as bright as your smile.~”

The phoenix laughed, waving the compliments off. “Oh, stop it! Why, I’d say the flowers on your horns look quite elegant as well! They blend in so seamlessly, but once you notice them, they compliment the blue shimmer at the base of them. It’s just so pretty.~”

“You should have seen when both were fully grown!” the raven-girl commented. (Shiori was impressed by how good Nerissa had gotten at not becoming upset when they were acknowledged.) She rubbed her chin, looking down at the other’s body. “Though... I think your thighs are truly the most beautiful thing to have grown between us.~”

Kiara rolled her eyes, smirking as she looked at the black-haired woman’s chest. “You want to claim that with an impressive bust like that?~”

The two gave each other intense stares, waiting for who would speak next and continue the flirts... But then Calli cleared her throat, looking between them. “So... as funny as this has been to watch, how much longer are you going to keep going at this?”

IRyS smacked her lightly on the arm, smiling widely. “Are you kidding? I want them to keep going forever! I want to see if there are any I can repurpose to use on Bae sometime! Especially this coming weekend!”

The reaper raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What’s the occasion?”

The Nephilim shrugged in response. “Nothing, really. I just want to get her nice and flustered so that it’s easier to pin her to bed. Get her nice and submissive as I get my fingers in.~” She wiggled her eyebrows as she said this, grinning widely.

That caused the shinigami to blush, sighing as she pinched her nose. “You know... I don’t need to hear everything you do to my sister. I don’t want to think about it, in fact. You can just be vague and not give details.”

Laughing at her pink-haired woman’s misfortune, the phoenix turned back to her potential Kouhai with a smile. “Calli has a point. I was hearing about how good of a singer you are from Shiori earlier. I’d love to talk about that if you’re up for it.”

Nerissa nodded, giving a big smile. “Sure thing! We can call this contest a draw.” She paused, then smirked slightly, glancing over at Calli. “Though... we could have one last round to say what we would want to do to each other the most. The one who makes Calli the most flustered is the winner!”

Said woman sputtered, trying to shake her head. “W-what? Now, wait a minute! Kiara has a girlfriend! This seems-”

“I don’t know - I like that idea,” Kiara said, giving her Genmate a teasing smile. “I know Pomu would understand. We both know when you see a pretty lady, you can’t help but have a few... indecent thoughts.”

The reaper looked at with betrayal, before shaking her head. “I refuse to be the judge for this! I am leaving if you two start doing that!”

IRyS shook her head with fake disappointment. “You know, you’re never going to get the upper hand on Gawr if you keep getting so easily flustered just by hearing this stuff, let alone being the target.”

Calli huffed, turning her head away. “Oh, come on! I don’t need to win some arbitrary contest with her about not getting flustered! She’s... a handful at times, but I don’t mind some of the crass stuff she says and does!”

“...Is that an admission that you’re just forever going to be her bottom?” the Nephilim asked.

...After a moment, the reaper’s face flushed an even deeper shade of red. She squirmed in place, crossing her arms defensively as her expression became more flustered than ever. “I... That isn’t... Listen...!”

The other three proceeded to laugh, only making her shrink further in on herself. It was also then that Nerissa noticed Shiori standing off to the side while everyone else was distracted. As they all continued to cackle, she sent the monochrome-haired woman a quick thumbs-up to indicate that she was doing alright. Though, the soft look in her eyes indicated she appreciated the small check-in.

Nodding at this, the Archivist backed off and walked elsewhere. It was clear the sound demon was in good hands currently, and still had plenty of bonding to do. All jokes about flirting aside, I think Nerissa and Kiara are a good match. Kiara seemed like a hard worker from our talks earlier, and is good at leading a conversation. That should help Nerissa feel more at ease.

With one person down, she started to hover over to Fuwamcoco to check on them. Out of all of them, she expected the least amount of problems getting along with others from those two, but it was still good to check on them. Just because they were the most put together after all of their experiences in The Cell did not mean that they were completely fine.

Just from looking, though... she could already tell that it was largely unnecessary. With how their tails were wagging as they munched on some donuts that seemed to be lots of spheres fused together into a ring, they seemed perfectly content. That Sana and Ina were fawning over them while Bae was enjoying her own, regular donut with pink frosting only further highlighted this.

Still, she tuned into the conversation a little bit, hearing Fuwawa give a satisfied hum. “Oh, my gods! This has to be the best thing I’ve eaten, even before getting locked up!”

Mococo nodded, taking another big bite as she chewed and talked. “It’s sow D’licus!” She swallowed, sighing happily. “How did we never have this in the underworld? I should have learned how to make it centuries ago!”

The Speaker laughed, rubbing the back of her neck bashfully. “Aw, thank you! I wasn’t really sure about those, but I’m glad I tried out the recipe! They're called mochi donuts, if you were curious - more specifically, these are based on ‘pon de rings’ made for a shop in Japan. I’ve always been curious if they were good, so I figured ‘eh, why not?’”

The Embodiment of Chaos chuckled, halfway through her frosted donut. “Well, as always, your baking is just superb! Seriously, IRyS and I have been thinking about adding a proper food menu to our bar, and I feel like I should consider hiring you! I can only imagine how many more people we could attract with goods like this!”

The astro-girl tilted her head at her. “Does alcohol and donuts go well together?”

“No clue, but I’m willing to find out!” the rat-girl admitted, her tail swishing excitedly. “We serve coffee, too, anyway. That and donuts are definitely a good combo!”

Ina giggled, holding a white box like Fauna had that presumably held more treats. She pretended to look like she was considering something. “Hm... what are your starting rates? I think I could stop by to help, too... for about $549.99 an hour.”

Bae snorted, shaking her head as she went back to eating her treat. “Well, if it’s that cheap...”

By this point, the blue-twin had completely finished her mochi donut, licking her fingers clean as she shivered with ecstasy. She looked at the Hololive members excitedly. “Oh! Do you know how possible it is for us to go to Japan? I would love to taste the authentic version of these! So many other Japanese foods, too!”

The pink-twin nodded once more as she got to the last bites of hers. “Yeah! It’s been a dream of ours to see it since we started learning about anime! I want to go to so many places there! Mount Fuji, Nagasaki - pretty much everywhere!”

Chuckling at their enthusiasm, the priestess sent them a shrug. “Well, if you ask one of the JP members nicely, I’m sure they would be willing to join you on a trip there and show you around. They like to go back and visit there a lot from getting homesick and stuff.”

“Shion has even been considering making a more permanent portal there,” Sana chimed in. “I’m not sure she’s going through with it, though. It would be a hassle if it happened to be too far from where a member wanted to get to. Plus, that might require more planning with officials from over there.”

Mococo sighed. “That makes sense. Even some of the official circles between Realms are contested if they’re near settlements, too. We helped defend some negotiators a few times when they involved the underworld, actually! Nothing a few posted guards can’t fix, though, if it’s needed, which we’ve also done!”

The Embodiment nodded, finishing her donut. “Yeah. Earth has been slow to catch up in that regard - so many of the old pedestals and rifts are still undefended! But they’re catching on to the scope of things with all the visitors from other worlds and the trade routes available.”

Ina hummed, looking between the twins. “Anyway, regardless of what Shion might be doing there, would you like some help talking with our Senpais?”

Fuwawa nodded rapidly, jumping in place. “Yes, yes! We’d love that! Oh, thank you! We’ll find a way to repay you guys - we promise!” Her sister made a noise of affirmation, too busy finishing up her treat to speak for a moment. Her eyes sparkled just as much as her sibling’s, though.

The priestess had to put a hand to her face to hide her widening smile. The Speaker, on the other hand, did nothing to hide hers as she opened the box in her lover’s hand. “Aw, aren’t you both just the cutest doggies? Now, do you want more mochi donuts?”

The twins nodded, speaking in unison. “Yes! More rings! Bau Bau!”

The rest of the group all cooed at that, giggling as the sisters dug right back into the box. The sight made Shiori smile, shaking her head fondly as she moved along. There was evidently no need to get confirmation directly from them - their words and actions spoke for themselves. With how earnest they were, she would be surprised if there was anyone in Hololive who was not smitten with them by the end of next week! Once more, she found herself grateful that their spirits had not been broken by their time locked away.

As she left them, however... her smile dimmed as she reached the last group of people. It looked like Ame was still going on with her interview with Bijou, based on her notepad being out. Gura also seemed to be backing up the blond, smiling encouragingly at the gray-haired woman as they went through each question.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary... but the Archivist had to be sure this time. It had clearly been a long day for the gem-girl, and there were a lot of fresh wounds that she was dealing with. And even though she was sure the detective was being cautious with her like was requested... she was still human. That alone, unfortunately, could be a trigger for the short woman.

Thus, she got close enough to them to hear their conversation clearly, trying not to be too obvious about keeping an eye on them. The time-traveler was flipping to a new page as she continued her inquiries. “...So you’re saying that you can only make a barrier to defend yourself currently? Nobody else?”

Bijou nodded, rubbing her arms (and seemingly trying to cover her scratches as much as possible). “Well, I’ve been able to very briefly get it to extend to other people before, but it’s not that useful unless I get the timing right. I’ve been trying to get past that limit, though!” She sighed, looking down. “Couldn’t do it in time for the breakout, though.”

Gura jumped in, giving her an encouraging smile. “Don’t be like that. Defensive magic can be harder than many people realize. I’m sure the others were glad you could at least defend yourself, too!”

The gem-girl released another breath. Still, the words seemed to had brightened her mood some. “I guess there’s that.”

Ame nodded, making another note. “Hm. Light magic appears to have a lot of versatility. Shields, beams of force, electricity, heat - that’s quite a few different things that you can do! I also know an alternate of yours that can perform many more feats, as well. Granted, I don’t know exactly how much of it is innate, but that’s typically what you need to perform spells safely between multiple timelines, so I’m guessing plenty of it is.”

That caught Bijou’s attention, who seemed quite intrigued. “There’s another me who travels the multiverse?”

“As the companion to an alt of myself, but yes,” the detective confirmed. “Probably more than just them, too, who I can now meet thanks to some updates I’ve made to my file in the Network.”

“...And did she ever affect you with a charm like I’ve been doing?” the gem-girl asked quietly.

The time-traveler stiffened at the question, looking quite shocked while the shark-girl only showed confusion. (Shiori’s eyes had also widened, having never thought her friend would call that out directly.) The blond quickly cleared her throat, though, as she chuckled nervously. “Uh... charm? I haven’t really noticed any-”

“I saw that dreamy look in your eyes when you first saw me,” Bijou interrupted, looking down at the ground. “You’re pretty good at suppressing it, but I know it must be still itching the inside of your head.”

Ame was silent for a moment, looking around until she saw the Archivist. Her eyes gave a silent plea for advice, with Gura also starting to look worried as context clues piled up for her. Yet... all the monochrome-haired woman could do was shrug helplessly. She had no clue where the Jewel of Emotions was going with this, and was having trouble reading her exact body language then. All she could do was prepare her footing to rush over in case her friend had a breakdown. Her brow remained creased with worry, though.

Seeming to be somewhat reassured by her presence, if nothing else, the detective turned back cautiously to the living gem, who waited for a response. Coughing a bit, she hesitantly admitted to what the other had said. “It... has been odd to want to hug a stranger so much just from one look, no matter how... cute they appear.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “But I’m not going to touch you without your permission, okay? You’re safe here. Going back to your question, though, your alternate did not have any notica- oof!”

That last sound was the result of being collided with... and when she looked down, she saw it was the gem-girl who had done so. She hugged the blond tightly, giving a laugh that was slightly warbled, but... genuine. And when she looked up at her, while her eyes were teary, she had a big smile. “I... I’m so glad to hear that. I’ve... always wanted to hug a human without my charm forcing them to do it... or worse.”

The time-traveler blinked, surprised by this. However, once she recovered, she managed to smile back, wrapping her arms around the other, too. “Uh... happy I can help with that?”

The Atlantean chuckled, stepping up to them and patting the human on the back. “Real smooth, Watson. All of the social skills in your brain have really paid off there.” Snickering further at the deadpanned look that earned her, she then got the gray-haired woman’s attention. “Now, how about a five-minute break to calm down a bit? Don’t... really know what most of that was about, but I’m sure a few good memes on my phone will cheer you up.”

Bijou tilted her head, using one hand to wipe her eyes. “Memes? I... think I remember seeing a few back in The Cell. Are there a lot of them?”

...The shark-girl blinked at her, then chuckled some more, giving a devious grin. “Oh, you sweet little rock... I’m going to introduce you to a world of pure wonder and hilarity.”

The white-haired woman proceeded to get out her phone, both of them looking at the screen as she looked up some pictures, seemingly. All the while, the gem-girl did not let go of Ame, who stood there and let her continue doing so. Still, while she seemed a little awkward and unsure of what to do, she still smiled at the two of them, and even lightly patted the Jewel of Emotions on the head.

Shiori watched this all with wide eyes, not having expected that quick chain of events. Yet even so... her chest felt so warm at seeing her friend be so bold once more that day. She had expected it to be weeks at least before the other felt comfortable enough to initiate a handshake without flinching with a human. But while her trauma still clearly weighed heavily on her... perhaps it would not be as bad as she had feared? Perhaps that cheery Bijou she had glimpsed in small moments during their imprisonment would come out more often than she had thought?

I hope so - she deserves that happiness, she thought to herself as she smiled softly. Her gaze drifted around the room to the rest of her fellow convicts. All of them deserved this chance to be free and joyful. Looking at them now, one might never know they had been locked in a cold stone prison just yesterday, besides the shoulder wounds on two of them. If that was missed, then all this appeared to be was two friend groups meeting casually and getting to know one another. It was like The Cell was already becoming a distant memory like they all wanted

It still felt a bit like a dream, if she was honest. The fortune of being taken far away from that Earth Realm, hopefully to never return. Being offered jobs that promised to be fun and entertaining both to them and the audience they would build. All of the kind people who wished to be their Senpais that had gone out of their way in one way or another to make them feel welcome.

...But if it was a dream, she hoped she and the others would never wake up from it for years to come.

Though, part of that would be dependent on giving their answer to A-chan. Frowning slightly, she got her phone out, checking to see how much time had passed. It had not been too long, as it turned out, but... it was a little weird that she had not popped in to check on everyone, right? Even if she was trying to carry lots of decorations there, it would only take a minute to do so.

The Archivist took one last look at everyone, making sure everyone was still smiling. Once that was confirmed, she stepped over to the door, deciding to step out and try to look for the content director. It’s not like I have to search the whole building. Most of the rooms are locked up for the night, and they don’t even operate on all of the floors here. It shouldn’t take too long to find her and check in.

With that thought, she opened the door. She only paused for a moment, noticing that Bijou’s group, along with Kronii’s, were looking her way now. She smiled at them, waving to show that everything was fine. When they returned the expression and waved back, she nodded, taking one last bite of her second cookie as she slipped into the hallway.

Only a few of the normal lights were lit there, giving the place a facade of subduedness. It did not bother her one bit, though, as she began walking down the hall, looking around. She passed a few doors, but she heard no activity inside them - not that she expected to. There was no sign of life, with only the pictures of other Hololive talents to watch over her.

This persisted as she turned into another hallway, then another. She passed through an office space, with rows of cubicles and computers, decorated with some nice plants and more Hololive merch. There were no signs of anything having been recently disturbed, though. All the electronics were shut off as they should have been, and not a bit of noise was to be heard.

Shiori hummed, coming to the entrance to another hallway. This one also happened to have a stairway, and further down she could see some elevators. She stopped there, considering her options. Was it worth doing more of a sweep of this floor, or to go down a level to see if she had any better luck? It’s pretty clear that none of the supplies are on this floor. It would make sense to keep them on the ground floor, right? But if I leave, what if I pass right by her without realizing it? If I go down the stairs, she could come right up in the elevator without me noticing! Or-

A sudden ding came from one of the elevators as if to prove that thought correct. Jumping a little, she turned toward them as one opened, and out of it came A-chan, holding two mid-sized boxes stacked in her arms. Coming in behind her as well was Omegaα, much to her intrigue. The god was also carrying a large box along with... telekinetically floating six others around her. Or, well, she supposed holding them with extensions of her higher form, invisible to the naked eye. Though then again, was telekinesis not just using mental tendrils to-?

Focus! she told herself. Smiling, she quickly walked down the hallways to greet them, calling out. “A-chan! I was looking for you! And... good... to see you, too, Omegaα.” She winced a little at the slight force it took to say that, but... her tone was sincere, at least.

The content director turned to her, eyes widening. She smiled, though, as the monochrome woman reached them, giving her a nod. “Shiori! Is anything the matter? You weren’t having trouble finding the restroom, were you?”

“No, I remember where those are, and the showers,” the Archivist responded, putting her hands behind her back. “I just wanted to talk to you for a moment. About... everything.”

A-chan’s eyes widened again with understanding. Nodding once more, she looked down at her boxes. “Oh, yeah - sure! Just give me a minute to get this to you all’s room, and-”

She cut off with a small yelp as the boxes suddenly floated out of her arms. They swiftly joined the ones around Omegaα, whose eyes projected a smile even as she clearly tried to make one form on her lips. “There is no need to worry. I will deliver the supplies so that they can start decorating. I will let them know you both will be on your way shortly.”

The content director frowned, looking at her still bloody clothing and scuffed metal arm. “Are you sure? Bae hasn’t had a chance to see you yet, has she? If you need any help with calming her down-”

“Your concern is unnecessary,” the god replied emotionlessly... though her eyes projected her heartache. “Her Genmates will be able to provide plenty of support, along with her sister and wife. Rest assured that between them and myself, we shall be able to ensure she is cared for.”

“Nerissa would be willing to help with some singing, too,” Shiori added while looking at the silver-haired woman. The sound demon had told them about having already done so back at the Embodiment’s house. If she was open to it again, they were all aware of how soothing her friend’s voice could be, even discounting her enchantment.

Omegaα nodded to her. “I shall keep that in mind. Regardless, please enjoy your talk.” With that, she began to walk down the hallway toward where everyone else was, the boxes floating alongside her

The Archivist tilted her head, scratching the side of it as the god disappeared around one corner. “So... if she can lift eight boxes without the need of her physical body, why is she still carrying one? Also, couldn’t she theoretically... just glide down the hall without the need to walk?”

A-chan chuckled, adjusting her glasses. “She could, but she likes to do this stuff to seem more... approachable. If there’s an emergency, though, you can expect her to drop everything and do everything she can to help.”

“...Definitely got a good glimpse of that yesterday,” Shiori whispered. She sighed, looking at the blue-haired woman with a raised eyebrow. “Where’s she been this whole time, anyway? I didn’t see her at all when we got back.” None of them had so much as glimpsed Omegaα, even as the other employees - Nodoka included - left for the day. It seemed... unusual, given the concern she had for the convicts this whole time. And the more rational part of her, not affected by the other’s godhood, had been a little worried.

The question made the content director frown. She looked down, crossing her arms as she sighed as well. “She was... busy talking with her fellow gods about your situation. Your captor made a fuss about your situation much sooner than she had thought it would be able to.”

The Archivist froze, feeling like her heart almost stopped for a moment. She forced herself to relax again, though - if anything bad had happened in that meeting, she trusted it would have been mentioned the second they saw her. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the woman with trepidation, trying not to wring her hands. “And... what did they say?”

A-chan shrugged, a small, reassuring smile on her face. “Well... the good news is that none of the rest of them should be coming after you. They were apparently not impressed with the lack of results it produced for solving the ‘issue’ of people like you. Not to mention the god had made its claims under some false pretenses, it seems. That, combined with the sheer amount of people that can also harm them here, should be enough to keep them from trying anything for a long time.”

Shiori nearly doubled over as she exhaled, placing her hands on her knees. She tried to steady her breathing while the blue-haired woman came closer and put a hand on her back, rubbing it to help. That... was a massive weight off of her back. She had wondered if she would have to be quick about perfecting her stamps, as well as the others needing to train their own abilities. Even an attack by one god, no matter the protections you had, was cause for high concern.

Yet, for now, it seemed that they could rest easily regarding them. With their captor crippled and none of the rest reinforcing it, they could look into all of that without rushing anything. I shouldn’t give up on it entirely, though. You never know what could change. Still, that’s a lot more time to perfect my work... and to confirm what I know about Nerissa’s horn’s location.

That was for the future, though. Once she had calmed down and stood up straighter, she took another deep breath. Then, a thought occurred to her, making her eyebrows crease. “And... what about Omegaα and... what she did to it?”

The content director gave a long exhale “They aren’t just letting her off the hook with that. They aren’t going to hurt her, but she’s expecting a lot of extra assignments to ‘atone’ for hurting one of her kind.” She shook her head. “It shouldn’t be so bad... though it will likely affect her ability to do much management here for quite some time. We might have to shift her position around to accommodate things for a while. It shouldn’t have too much effect on operations outside of the Council, thankfully, but...”

Shiori looked down, feeling a little... guilty. She knew it was stupid - none of them could have anticipated their captor coming back so early. But if they had just gotten out of there quicker, then she may have not needed to stay behind and caused Omegaα to come to her defense. Maybe then, she would not have been so infuriated and caused such grievous injuries. Or perhaps the other god would have found them eventually anyway and the same thing would have happened, rendering the point mute.

Either way, she did not want that to go unacknowledged. So, she cleared her throat, meeting the other woman’s eyes. “I... I’m grateful to her. I know I said it before, but... I can’t repay her enough for what she’s done for us. So don’t take any further hesitance from us around her as us not caring. I know she risked a lot to do this.”

A-chan smiled warmly, patting her on the shoulder. “I know, Shiori. She does, too. And I can guarantee you that if given the choice, she would do this all over again for you. She just hopes you start to really ease into life around town in the coming months.”

“I hope so, too,” the Archivist agreed. Based on how well things were going with EN, though, she did not think that would be an issue.

The content director’s face suddenly lit up before she could say anything else. She reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone. “Oh, by the way! I think Nodoka and I found some really good houses for you all. You guys are still set on living together?”

Shiori nodded, unable to really imagine doing otherwise. It might be feeding into the codependency they had all developed in The Cell, but she did not care. They had all worked together to achieve their escape, and they did not plan to leave each others’ sides. They would keep close to one another as they began to properly heal their wounds.

They were a team, and nothing was going to break them apart.

“Then I think you all will like the options we have for you,” A-chan continued, showing her a few pictures. She scrolled past some nice-looking houses more than big enough to accommodate five people. “It might take a minute to properly secure one, given how... well, you don’t really have any money to pay for utilities yet. But if we can buy a bar for our talents, then a home should be no issue.”

The Archivist nodded... then felt a jolt run through her, the comment about finances reminding her of why she wanted to talk to the blue-haired woman to begin with. Now smirking a little, she tapped her chin as she hummed. “Well, it sounds like we need to get jobs here soon, then, huh?”

The content director nodded absently, continuing to show off pictures. “Yes, as soon as possible would probably be good. I know it must still be a difficult choice for you all to make, though. Do you have any more questions about our company? Or... would you like to see what else is available around town? I don’t want you to feel like your options are limited.”

Simply shrugging, Shiori crossed her arms. “Don’t see why we need to do any of that. After all, we’re becoming EN’s third Generation, aren’t we?”

“Sure, but-” A-chan began... before pausing, the words taking a moment to click. When they did, though, she whipped her head toward her so fast that her glasses almost fell off. She quickly readjusted them, looking at the monochrome-haired woman with wide eyes. “W-wait... Does that mean...? You...!”

The Archivist nodded again, smiling widely. “We all talked about it earlier. And after some careful considerations of the benefits involved... and the friends we can have here, we unanimously agreed it would be a great idea to join!”

The content director continued to look shocked, though her happiness was plain to see. Still, she pressed her one more time, just to be sure. “You... you’re sure about this? Vtubing can be quite a commitment at times. You also don’t need to be part of us to be friends with EN or anyone else.”

Shiori shrugged. “We know that. But... I think a job like this will be good for us. To be able to have fun playing games while commentating and... entertaining others. It’s what Nerissa was already doing before getting locked up, and Fuwawa and Mococo are always eager to make people smile. And Bijou... I think indirectly bringing humans joy in their lives like this will help with her recovery.

“As for me... I certainly don’t mind if people actually want to listen to my rants!” She chuckled to herself, then took a deep breath. “But seriously, we... all want this. A fun job like this is a no-brainer to help leave behind what we’ve gone through. And if it also means more time to spend with the amazing people you’ve introduced us to? Then all the better.” She smiled softly. “So yeah, you can count on us to be your newest members.”

A-chan studied her one last time, clearly looking for any signs of doubts. When none were found, though, she took a breath, then returned that smile, holding out her hand. “Then... let me formally welcome you to Hololive, Miss Shiori Novella, and all of your friends as well. And I hope you can rely on me to help you get settled in from here.”

The Archivist grinned even more, grabbing the hand and shaking it. A fresh wave of contentment washed over her at the official confirmation of their new positions there. It was probably going to be a hectic few weeks as they both found a place to live and getting ready for streaming. There were lots of people they would need to meet as well.

Plus... if she knew their old captor like she thought she did, she knew it would not give up. Eventually, it would send something to try and recapture them and begin its twisted tortures again, even if its crippled state stopped it from coming itself. It would be a while, she believed, but whatever the god might try, she doubted it would not be easy to overcome.

But despite all of that... she had high hopes for the future. This life was theirs now, and they would enjoy it for all of its worth while it lasted. And nothing was going to change that for them, or their newest friends.

Once they stopped shaking hands, the content director started walking, gesturing for her to follow. “Now, come on! The others must be getting worried about us. Don’t want to miss out on decorating either, right?”

Nodding, Shiori followed right beside her. As they moved, though, she gave the other woman an inquisitive look. “So, what do we need to sign to get started? That’s how companies these days work, isn’t it? Also, should we be discussing things like a group name? Or is that assigned by the fans themselves?”

“We’ll worry about your contracts in the morning,” A-chan reassured. She then offered a small smile. “As for the name of your Gen, me and Nodoka were talking about it while you all were gone, and... Well, what do you think of the title ‘Advent?’”

...The Archivist blinked, glancing at her with surprise. “Uh... can you repeat that?”

“It’s just a workshop idea, but we thought it would fit,” A-chan explained. “It’s kind of a unique way to say you’ve arrived here and how special that is for everyone involved. The dawn of a new era for us, almost!” She looked over at her, tilting her head. “Do... you not like it?”

Shiori stared at her for a few seconds... then just started laughing. She put a hand over her mouth to try and stop herself, shaking her head with far too much amusement. Wow! That’s just... The Network knows what they’re talking about when it comes to names, huh? Ah, learning about them more is going to be a real treat.

The content director, meanwhile, looked at her with confusion, clearly not getting the joke. “Are... you okay?”

Managing to reduce her laps to giggles, she removed the hand from her mouth, smiling widely. “Oh, yeah. I-I’m fine. But, uh, yeah - Advent! Sounds cool!” Her eyes roamed to a window nearby as they went through the cubicle room. From it, she could see a bit of the night sky and the stars again, continuing to shine brightly down on them almost welcomingly.

She sighed wistfully, closing her eyes. “Yeah... I like the ring of that. A new Advent for us... That’s just what we need...”

~~~~~~~

It was remarkable how intact the place known as The Cell until just yesterday was. For all the people that the convicts had thrown around and subdued, there was little damage to the structure itself. A few claw marks in places, and a bit of rubble from powerful soundwaves, but nothing irreparable. Even the runes meant to dampen their powers, act as defenses, and empower the guards' armor had eventually reactivated.

A few exceptions were to be had, though. The individual cells that each of them had been placed in had been destroyed in one way or another. Their ironclad doors had been reduced to heaps of metal thrown into the outer hall in one form of another based on their powers. (How the Archivist had hidden her magical explosive was a mystery.) A lot of electrical lines had also gotten damaged in the confusion, eventually leading to several areas ending up plunged into darkness.

And of course... there was the tower. The one where the convicts had somehow known to blow a hole in the wall to get into a long-forgotten tunnel. Yet somehow, that was not the worst of the damage. That could be found above... where the top of the building looked like it had been melted, sculpted, melted again, and then caught into a cyclone. The mess of stone was almost too complicated to comprehend - which was not inaccurate, due to the god’s platinum icor that had still not settled, continuing to bend reality in that area.

Nearby this mass, both in and out of the prison, said god stewed in anger. It gazed at what remained of its glorious prison, and looked out at the rocky plains in which the prisoners had ran. Around seven millennia of work, reduced to an empty fortress that kept nothing locked up.

The short time it took the convicts - at least from its perspective - was not what enraged the god most, though. It was a blow to its incompressible ego, but it was nothing compared to the humiliation it had just endured. The respect of its kind it had garnered from its work had been swept away in an instant. All because it could not keep its hatred for those pests in check, bringing its conduct into question.

This was supposed to be its chance to show its fellow gods how they should be treating those lesser races. The importance of culling those who held powers that could harm them. But instead, its kind would continue tolerating them and let their filth spread. They may even be falling to the delusion that they should be doing more to work with them!

...And it was thanks to “her.” That traitorous god who dared to have a mortal name. Her interference had cost it greatly... but it would not overlook the convicts' role in this. For them to have made its prison seem like a joke...

Still... it would not let this be the end. Those prisoners would be its again, and it would personally oversee the breaking of their wills when that happened. It would cause further delays to its research, but... even it would not deny this was about far more than that now. For what they had done, they deserved suffering in its eyes.

Unfortunately, it could not go over and take them back itself. In its higher form, the scars of its crippling were visible for any with the correct sight to see - dull mist of an indeterminable shade of gray, by mortal coloring, and barely churning. It dragged behind it wherever it went, making it difficult to move even a few kilometers in a day. No “eyes” could even appear there, making it a useless mass that now made up almost half of its body.

It could not follow after them to Earth like this for at least a few eons. Even if it could, it was well aware that the traitorous god would stop it, along with the “friends” “she” had who would find ways to fight its higher form. Such a course of action was dubious even if it had full strength.

...But that did not mean that it lacked the means to get them. After all, there was a reason it had utilized humans to guard the convicts. Because for all of their faults in its view... some of their abilities and magic could threaten others just as much as any god - just without causing as deep of pain. Powers that would not work on it very well... but was quite the opposite to their fellow lessers.

It was only a matter of getting the right attackers for the job. Not just from the former guards, of which a small few still pledged their allegiance after The Cell’s fall. It could also not muster a larger army, lest it draw attention to its plans from those on Earth and nearby Realms. But a small strike force of lessers, whether mortal or immortal, would do. Who could strike fast, get the convicts, and leave before any could stop them.

...It already had some in mind, in fact. It could sense one of them now, in a distant realm. A mortal, granted a gift by another god... resulting in a blue flame on the human female’s chest. One who led a group, who were specialists in tracking down and subduing evil people.

A guard had communicated to it before about their existence, and gave it an ember from that fire by which it now used to sense them. The details had been mostly lost due to that mortal’s lesser language, but it knew this group had helped their family, and had recommended they be brought in to bolster The Cell’s defenses. It had dismissed the notion then, full of pride of what it had built and not wishing to risk the potential of outsiders ruining its tests due to their “morality.” Not all would be as agreeable as its long line of guards over the generations, it knew.

Now, however... the god saw an opportunity. All it needed to do was make contact with this group, and then it could begin its plans. After all, it had dead bodies and scars to show what trouble the convicts could cause... It should not be too difficult to make those “heroes” see them as “villains” deserving of justice...