Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

An ear-deafening clash. A shockwave that spans for miles. Then another clash. Another wave. Again. Again. Such was the rhythm of the world’s end, just ahead of the resolved samurai. The atmosphere was painted monochrome, every bit of color and life drained away. Grey clouds could barely be differentiated from once-blue sky, now equally grey. The dragon-installed monarch, an unknown magic user wielding the witch’s guitar, and Badguy all warred against the newborn deity atop the government airship. That new world, the one that would lack everything they held dear, was on the brink of manifestation.

Chaos was nowhere in sight; His plan to empower I-No must have worked. She didn’t appear to be struggling against the two blondes nearly as much as the samurai would hope, but perhaps victory was still in sight: Badguy looked like he had a plan.

He held some sort of weapon, resembling his sword that burned so bright in their duels. Folded out upon itself like a profane origami crane, it stood ready to deliver what the samurai could only imagine to be a cataclysmic blow. However, the samurai sensed hesitation from the man. He needed to make one singular chance count. If he didn’t land a direct hit on her weakest point, it was game over.

“You’re never going to get the answer, no matter how long you wait.”

“You..!” Badguy was alarmed at first by the samurai’s appearance, then relieved as he didn’t sense any bloodlust, nor any lingering trace of Chaos’ control on him. He must’ve fully broken free after their last encounter.

“However, I am glad you waited.”

Their gazes turned back towards the battle. The Nightless samurai’s vision narrowed, his instincts highlighting the witch’s wrist in his mind.

“It’s her right hand. I’ll get her to show her palm.” Nagoriyuki clutched his chest. “Stand ready to take the shot… and disregard my safety.” His hand lowered to his belt as he drew his Daitō katana and a short, resolved breath to quell what little fear remained. “This is my own decision.”

Badguy felt a moment of realization followed by a nod of understanding. A small, solemn smile appeared on his face.

“You’re batshit insane, aren’t ya? And you had the nerve to call me the monster”, he chuckled.

The samurai assumed his stance, unamused.

“If I recall correctly, you agreed.” Nagoriyuki dashed in; his eyes set on the witch. The time-warper could only do so much, and the monarch struggled to stand, having sustained injuries from his two consecutive attempts at felling their enemy.

“Aim for her left!” Nagoriyuki shouted, eyes not averting from his target.

Ky didn’t have time to consider who showed up next; any ally that appeared was an ally needed. He joined the charge, following orders of aiming for the witch’s left side with an overhead slash. However, she spun around and caught the blade with her right hand instead, leaving her left side open for the samurai to flank.

Nagoriyuki focused all the power he had in him into his blade, his fangs growing and eyes darkening as he entered a Blood Rage. He let out a shout to catch the witch’s attention, forcing her free hand to instinctually intercept his blade, letting Badguy take the shot at her occupied weak spot.

…

At least, that’s how it was supposed to go.

Her hand did indeed catch his Daitō. But with the samurai’s ally sent flying after his failed attack, the witch’s right side remained free. With that chance, a stabbing hand seamlessly went through Nagoriyuki’s body, as if he was a ghost. She didn’t pierce his flesh; rather, she passed right through and clutched the samurai’s spine. Throughout centuries of war, conflict, and battle, the samurai had scarcely felt greater pain. It burned, mimicking a red-hot spear being driven into his core, penetrating through his body and immediately cauterizing the wound. He was overwhelmed, nearly paralyzed with pain.

“GHRK-!!”

His eyes returned to normal, every other part of his body in shock. His blade fell to one hand and his body limp, his neck stretched upward with gritted teeth. He struggled to breathe, every sense screaming at him to heal. But he lacked both the blood and the control.

“Nice try, vamp.” A sly grin appeared on the witch’s face. “Did you really think I wouldn’t account for your whole ‘weak point’ shit?”

The samurai’s eyes began to close, his body shutting down. He could hardly feel his legs, let alone stand upright. But this was no time to falter. Right before he fell to his knees, the samurai caught himself, clutching the witch’s still-implanted forearm with his free hand. For his every sin as Chaos’ slave and every atonement yet to come, Nagoriyuki could not fall with nothing to show for it.

His head cocked back down as his veins boiled, his eyes refilling with enraged darkness. Both hands clutched I-No’s right arm, dropping his blade. In an unexpected move, the samurai pulled himself closer, pushing the hand yet deeper into his shaking body, forcing it out on the other side. He was now fully impaled by the witch’s ghostly arm. An even greater world of pain washed over the twitching samurai, but his grip did not falter. Heaving pants came from his blood-soaked mouth as he glared wide-eyed at the witch, whose grin had been substituted for a face of shocked confusion. After realizing what he had done, that confusion morphed into pure dread. He had exposed her right hand; her weak point.

“NOW!!”

Hearing the signal loud and clear, Badguy fired his weapon. A railgun crafted to tear any and every atom to shreds, her weak spot stood no chance at surviving the power of the Outrage. The impact was clear and true, the shriek of the blast ringing loud in the onlookers’ ears. The witch tried to pull away, but Nagoriyuki's body served as an anchor that ensured she remained planted within Badguy’s sightline. Her hand began to crack at the focal point of the laser, the blast encompassing their immediate surroundings.

“No running this time-!” The samurai grit his teeth.

“Are you insane?!! You’re gonna be eviscerated!!” The witch was panicking. Everything she had built towards, the results of every severed connection, every betrayed individual, jumped timeline, and wasted year spent trying to chase her deluded utopia was slipping through her hands. “Everything you sought to do, everything you fought for-!!”

“I only ever wanted to fight for myself”, the samurai interrupted. He spoke with resolve, despite his injury and the laser surrounding them.

“Not for Lord Slayer, not for Lord Kazusanosuke, not for Chaos’ goals, nor any other country, nation, or flag. But I never got to. I thought that my purpose lied in servitude… but I was wrong. Our purpose is to make the most of the lives we are given.” The samurai had a calm air about him despite his pain. “So, this is my choice: to devote everything I have to a greater cause, but by my own will. In my next life, I am sure that I will pay dearly for my sins under Chaos. But I have found peace with that.” The darkness in his eyes had begun to drain, his blood cooling. “That is what I fight for.”

A calm moment inside the tempest. The witch had stopped struggling, instead reflecting on the samurai’s words. She too, only ever wanted to fight for herself. For her dreams, her aspirations, her life. Then why? Why did it have to end like this for people like them? Is death always the price of freedom?

Then she remembered. She had that freedom once, and she had willingly thrown it to the side in search of something greater. She got lost in herself, when everything she ever wanted had been chasing after her this whole time.

The time-traveling blonde’s voice rung out, just barely audible over the howl of the Outrage.

“I-NO!!”

The witch turned to the direction of his voice. She saw the pain on his face through the all-consuming white stream. Tears forming in his eyes, he clenched her guitar and bit his lip as he hesitated on the sideline. He was about to lose everything too.

“Yeah, Axl… I’m listening.”

“PLEASE TELL ME… THAT YOU REMEMBERED SOMETHING!! ANYTHING!!”

His voice was cracking, tears choking him up as he took a step closer, one after another.

“Yeah, I remember.”

She turned her face away, her eyes aimed at the ground in regret.

“I had everything. Both the good and the bad. I know now that to eliminate either side in pursuit of utopia isn’t life.” She peered down at her disintegrating left hand. “It’s death.”

Axl inched ever closer.

“BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN’T FIX THINGS NOW!!”

“Axl, every aspect of our surroundings and every choice I’ve made tells me it’s too late for me”, she scoffed.

The blonde stopped approaching, just short of the blast. He was quietly sobbing by now, holding her Marlene to his chest as he saw his only love break apart before his eyes.

“We were drinking tea…”, he cried, his tears landing on the cyan guitar.

“Yeah… and we looked at the beautiful sea together.” I-No looked up at Axl with a chuckle. “You looked scared shitless to even get close to me.”

He sniffed and matched her gaze.

“Yeah… but you heard me out anyway-! You... You made me so happy-!!”

She smiled as her end drew near. The blast was overwhelming, cracks forming on her face.

“You made me happy too, Axl. Even with your stupid blonde hair. I always thought it made you look like a woman.” Soft laughter came from her trembling voice, followed by a pause. “Hey.”

Axl tried to wipe his tears away as she smiled at him.

“Just because it’s too late for me, doesn’t mean it’s too late for us… especially not for you.”

She then looked up towards Nagoriyuki.

“The same things goes for you, vamp.”

His blood rage had long since worn off. The samurai was struggling to stay conscious, let alone stand amidst the onslaught of the Outrage and his transparent impalement. Slow, heaving breaths were all he could get out; after all, he was no deity. If he stayed inside the torrent of energy much longer, he would be dead.

“Don’t be a hypocrite. Go live your life, at least a little bit longer. But this time, make sure you stay free until the day you d- “

The witch stopped.

“Actually, one condition.”

Nagoriyuki could barely hold on any longer. Half-lidded eyes looked down in confusion.

“wh… what… are… you…sayi-…?”, he huffed, too drained to finish his sentence.

“Find yourself someone nice to settle down with.” She turned back to gaze at her beloved. “Looking back, the shackles of a relationship gave me the greatest feeling of freedom I’ve ever had.” A single tear rolled down her cheek as her attention returned to the samurai. “If someone like me managed to find someone like Axl, you deserve to find someone special for yourself. Once you find her, stay by her side... live your life in this world to the fullest.”

The samurai was bewildered at the witch’s words.

“Until hell freezes over. Got it?” She gave a final wink. “...Because I’ll know.”

Before he could give his answer, I-No clenched her impaling hand into a fist. In that moment, everything went white; an all-consuming silent flash, and she was gone. The witch had taken the infinite power of the Outrage and channeled it into her decaying body, dispelling the blast and destroying herself in the process. With that, the only traces that remained were black ashes in the sky.

Nagoriyuki was left trembling and exhausted. His limit must have been breached three times over during his stand against the Outrage, not to mention his impalement, which seemed to leave no immediate visible trace. His mind reeled. The samurai had spent his life trying to tear himself away from this world and its frivolities ever since his savior’s involvement on his deathbed. The witch demanded that he throw that all away...?

Realization finally set in, along with the whirlwind of pain that consumed the samurai.

“It… is… done…”, he panted, having completed his self-assigned duty of stopping the witch. For the first time in centuries, Nagoriyuki the Nightless samurai collapsed, peace written on his face.

Chapter Text

The samurai’s body was sprawled out on the ground in an endless dark space filled with fog. How long had he been there? One easily loses track of time when confined inside their own mind with no waking. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to move; he could only lay there with his limbs spread wide, his gaze transfixed upward.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, footsteps rang out not far away. Slow, echoing ones that bore an ill omen. The samurai knew the approaching figure well.

“Why are you here? And why now?”, Nagoriyuki asked, his stare still aimed towards the black sky.

“I am here to keep you alive, as I attempt to do every time.” The profane reflection grew closer to his original, or rather, his controlled self. Nagoriyuki had felled his personified dark nature countless times, but like a parasite, it came back in every moment of weakness. “Have you any idea how long you’ve been here, lying down defeated like some animal carcass?”

“I was not defeated. I stood resolute and accomplished what I set out to do. You know that well.”

“You baffle me”, the reflection scoffed. “You could have been done with it all: the guilt, the pain, the self-imposed road of atonement… you would never again need to cut me down.” The shadow stood over the original, peering down at him.

“I had no say in the matter; the witch saved me despite my choice.” The samurai saw right past his Nightless self, despite its hovering silhouette. “You are a part of me. You experience everything that I do. You know that we planned on dying then and there”, he sneered.

“And yet, you reside in your own mental prison as refuge”, the shadow spat back. Nagoriyuki’s face twitched. Something about that retort clearly struck a nerve. But why? He didn’t wish to remain here. He had tried to move, tried to wake, but he couldn’t. What part of him was holding him back?

“As I was saying…”, the reflection continued. “I am here to keep you alive.”

“No, you are here to tell me to feast on any amount of blood that I can find. As every time before, I will not succumb to you. No matter how many times you appear before me.”

The shadow sat down next to its floored self, folding its legs and assuming their usual meditational stance. It remained quiet, at least for a while. Then it broke the silence.

“You have changed.”

The samurai questioned the three words. Of course he had changed. Throughout centuries of life, he was bound to develop and differ from how he began. Yet something about the shadow’s voice hinted at another meaning. It was a solemn tone, far different from its usual, demanding one. The samurai opened his mouth to respond, unsure of exactly what to say.

“We have changed countless times over in our long life. In what way are you referring to specifically?”

“You have rediscovered a human will for living. No more servitude without personal conviction and satisfaction.”

Nagoriyuki continued to lay still, listening intently.

“In short, you are behaving selfishly. You want to live like a human again”, the shadow continued.

“Curb your tongue. I cannot ever go back to that short life I knew as a human. You would know nothing of it; you weren’t even a part of me before Lord Slayer’s intervention”, the samurai argued. “We have spent far too many years separating ourselves from this wretched world, rooting ourselves in Dandyism, Bushidō, and living for others to ever go back.”

“If I recall correctly, you said that you had decided to fight for yourself instead of some sect. Do you intend to ignore the witch’s final words?”

Nagoriyuki thought back…

If someone like me managed to find someone like Axl, you deserve to find someone special for yourself. Once you find her, stay by her side. Live your life in this world to the fullest.

The samurai felt… irked. Frustrated. Angry. She knew nothing of what he had been through. The bloodshed, the sin, the constant thirst for blood. All of it was his greatest burden in life. Yet she thought she could tell him how to live? The sheer audacity.

“To what do we owe that woman? She manipulated me alongside Chaos. She sought to drive this world to extinction”, the samurai retorted, his words full of malice.

“You just spoke of how you hated the world yourself.”

An ironic counterpoint from the shadow.

“Contrary to what you think, I am not here to drive you to feast. I am here to inform you of something that you already know, something you simply will not acknowledge.” The reflection mimicked the samurai’s vertical gaze. “For I, too, have changed.”

The samurai looked surprised. Confusion painted his face, yet deep down he knew what his reflection was telling him.

“Do not play coy. You are me as much as I am you. You know that I have grown faint in your heart. I can only tempt you; I can no longer take control myself.” The shadow was stern and honest. “With your desire to live humanely, I have been quelled. So, I shall leave you to exist as human first, Nightless second.”

Nagoriyuki couldn’t believe his ears. But his Nightless self had one detail wrong, at least so he thought.

“As I said before, I never stated that I desired humanity. I simply desired a masterless path.”

The reflection turned down towards the original. By now, the shadow had begun to fade, losing its tangible form.

“Even after a millennium, you still do not realize that lying to yourself is a fruitless endeavor. I know our heart. Unlike you, it speaks the truth. We both know that the appeal of lone solitude has quickly waned. We desire comfort, routine, peace… and someone special. After all, we’ve always found favor in women with shorter hair and big eyes.”

“Silence, apparition!!”, the samurai snapped, his flustered face impossible to cover due to his immobility. Never before had such words left either his or his reflection’s mouth, but there was truth to them.

“Forgive me for my blunt language”, the shadow chuckled. “However, my point still stands. The witch, guilty of sin as she was, shared our desires. Everything she accomplished, she sought to do for her beloved, whether she remembered it or not. If you truly insist on living a masterless life, I suggest you choose a unique partner to hold equal.” The shadow was passionate in his speech. “So, I say unto you once more: I am here to keep you alive. You had buried me, along with all of your true feelings, deep inside. But these desires, like me, were always there… for they are only human. The battle with the witch had merely served as the exposing force.”

Nagoriyuki pondered his other side’s words. Perhaps it was true; a life with an equal partner was appealing.

“Now, you must rise. The only thing keeping you from waking-”

“…Is myself”, the samurai interrupted. “It’s my doubt. My fear that I cannot live as I want to. That I can never again take joy in the daily sensations of the human world.”

A proud smile came across the reflection’s face.

“I am glad to see you face the truth. Or rather, yourself… how amusing.” The shadow reached down, offering its hand to its creator. “Come, my friend. Show this monster what it means to live as a human.”

Nagoriyuki hesitated. He gazed at the outstretched hand in front of him. He could do it. He would do it. Yes, he was sure to doubt again. But come what may, he will wrestle with himself a hundred times over until he finds the answer. With a strained effort, he found the strength to clasp his shadow’s hand. He grinned back at the reflection, who had become much more translucent than before. The two shared an equal smile for the first time.

“Thank you, Nagoriyuki.” The samurai spoke with confidence and conviction. “For that is who we are; a samurai named Nagoriyuki, equal parts human and Nightless, both masterless and free.”

The dark world of his mind had begun to brighten, light pouring in from above.

“So long as we remember to put Nagoriyuki the human first”, the reflection demanded. “Maybe we should be more human than Nightless. But do not be mistaken, I’ll be sure to pester you for some tomato juice every now and then.”

The two sides laughed heartily as everything went white.

_______________________________________________________________________

Nagoriyuki’s eyes slowly opened, blurred vision and faint hearing his only available senses.

“loo-, lo-k! -e’s wa-ing u-!”

A woman’s voice?

“Oh, he i-. I’ll -o ge- -y.”

Another woman. Who were these people?

“HEY, WAKE UUUPPP!!”

Startled, the samurai’s eyes shot open, the first voice screaming loud and clear into his right eardrum. He immediately sat up, his heart racing. He was in… a hospital ward? Everything was white and sterile, several empty beds and curtains occupying the tall room. However, the more he looked around, the more the space resembled a castle. Enormous glass windows decorated the high walls and tapestries hung from their ledges. The samurai was dazed and confused. Was he wearing a buttoned hospital gown? Where were his Daishō blades? And who was yelling in his ear?

“You’re actually awake!! Ram, how great is that!? Oh right, she already ran off to find Ky. Wow, you look so cool and mysterious~! So, how’d you end up like that anyway?” The female voice was extremely energetic, her speech both rapid and convoluted. “Oh wait, I guess I already know. Was I-No really scary? Ky said she was, and he said that she could use her powers to go ‘WHOOOOMM’ and grow huge!! Did you see her do that?!”

The samurai struggled to keep up with the onslaught of words. Hell, it was difficult enough for him to comprehend his circumstances. He finally turned to face the source of the voice.

“…Where am I?”

“Aw c’mon, don’t be one of those people who answer questions with other questions. That’s so laaaaameeee~”, the woman pouted. She looked to be about 20 years old, wearing a black band in her bushy silver hair. She was dressed in a grey skirt with a long-sleeve top that had plenty of frills, rockstar studs, red ribbons, and drooping sleeve cuffs. As for shoes, she wore black heels with separate grey straps across the front and ankle. But her most notable traits were her beautiful eyes. Bright and blue, they sparkled like a clear ocean on a sunny day, matching Nagoriyuki's. And they were right in his face.

“Ooooooh, I totally forgot!!” The woman pulled away and turned around in her chair, whispering to herself. “C’mon El, when you meet someone new, you start with the names, THEN the questions-! Gosh, that’s embarrassing…” She spun around again and stuck out her right hand, facing the samurai. “Let me start over. Hi there! My name is Elphelt Valentine. I like to play with dogs, spend time with my family, and sing death metal! In fact, I’ve got a show coming up soon with my band, Speothos Venaticus! (Just between us, that’s the scientific name for a bush dog! How cool is that?! I love bush dogs so, so so much!!) Oh, I could totally get you in for free if you’re interested! But you’ll have to show up early, security doesn’t like listening to my demands. Which is totally stupid! It’s my band, shouldn’t I get to invite whoever I want backstage??”

The samurai was still stunned, though he understood at least a little more about his company. Her optimistic attitude and playful behavior certainly didn’t seem to match her physique, but Nagoriyuki had met countless odd fellows in his many years of life. He stared at her, bewildered by her flurry of information.

“Um… Nice to meet you, Elephant Valenpine.” He shook her hand cautiously. “I am Nagoriyuki.”

“No, not ‘Elephant Valenpine’, silly! ELPHELT VALENTINE!”, she yelled, her hands funneling her voice to ensure that the correct annunciation reached her target’s ears.

Not very situationally aware, this one.

“Gah-! My apologies…”, the samurai uttered, covering his poor right ear that was being repeatedly barraged with noise.

“Oh, I’m sorry!! You’re totally trying to rest and I’m here making a ruckus! I'm just so excited; I mean, there’s a vampire in my house!!”

“…How do you know that?” Nagoriyuki looked stern. He clutched his fists, preparing for anything. Did she have intel on him? Was she another of Chaos’ conspirators? The fiend hadn’t mentioned another member of his plan, but the samurai still didn’t know where he was or why; it was only natural for him to stay on guard.

“Oh, Ky told me all about you. He said you saved his life against I-No!”

Hearing this, Nagoriyuki instantly connected the dots. Of course, the monarch. He must have taken the samurai here after he collapsed on the battleground. But how did he know so much about him? They had hardly spoken and even then, it was in the heat of battle.

“I see.” He relaxed his muscles, breathing out. “Then tell me, where are we?”

“Castle Illyria, in the sick ward. It hasn’t been used in a while, so we, the noble sisters Elphelt and Ramlethal Valentine, took charge of keeping it in tip-top shape during your stay!” The woman stood on her chair, proudly puffing her chest out, mimicking George Washington crossing the Delaware river.

Attempting to push off of a bed while standing on something with wheels on it, however, soon proved to be a poor idea.

“Uh-oh.” Realization had set in of her imminent fall. She crashed down onto Nagoriyuki’s bed, her spiked choker landing right on Nagoriyuki’s stomach.

“Puuuhhhh-!” The poor samurai had the wind knocked clear out of him. This woman was a walking disaster, even if her intentions seemed innocent.

“Ohmygosh I’m so sorry!! Are you okay?! Geez, I just keep messing up-!” The woman looked as if she was about to cry as she scrambled off her “patient”.

Nagoriyuki struggled to breathe for a moment, responding as soon as he was able to speak.

“I… am fine. But please, refrain from any extreme motions or reactions for the time being.”

“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.” She sat in her chair again, hands in her lap and face drooping in embarrassment. The samurai decided that he would take his leave now, before any more unwanted injuries.

“Elphelt Valentine, I thank you for your hospitality. However, I must be away. Please thank the Illyrian king for me- “

An awkward pause. He could not seem to move his legs. The woman spoke up before he could question what was happening to his body.

“Um, I’m sure whatever you have to do is important but… according to our medical scans, you’re kinda… paralyzed right now…?” Her voice shrank, bracing for the samurai’s shock.

Nagoriyuki froze.

“…What?”

“THE-SCANS-SAID-THAT-YOU’RE-NOT-GONNA-BE-ABLE-TO-MOVE-FOR-AT-LEAST-A-MONTH-BASED-ON-NIGHTLESS-HEALING-PATTERNS-I’M-SO-SORRY-BUT-YOU’RE-KINDA-STUCK-HERE-FOR-NOW!!”, Elphelt spat out, worried that the samurai would somehow be mad at her.

“...I… do not understand.” His face was somber and indeed shocked.

“Well, Ky said that you got run through by I-No during your fight.” Elphelt’s words were empathetic and full of pity. “Based on what we found, she fried your insides pretty bad, especially your spine. Moreover, you stood inside of an infinite energy blast for nearly two minutes. Even if I-No was the one taking the brunt of the force, your body still suffered some pretty brutal damage. You should still be grateful though; anyone else would be dead in seconds.”

The samurai nodded.

“I see…” He looked down at his legs. He tore away the blanket that covered them and saw no damage. He then unbuttoned his gown slightly, exposing his torso. The only trace of injury was a circle in his abdomen, where the skin was slightly lighter than usual. Nagoriyuki turned to his bedside companion. “But why can I not walk?”

“Well, remember how I said that your spine got pretty burned? Turns out that’s the biggest problem. Until your body manages to discard all the nasty energy from both I-No and the Outrage, you’re not gonna be able to heal yourself properly. So, in the meantime, you’re gonna be stuck here. Even when you do heal up, it might take you a week or two to start walking right again. But the whole process should go way faster for you than the average Joe thanks to your vampire-ness! Isn’t that great?”

His “vampire-ness”. The samurai thought back to the conversation with his shadow. He was already struggling to remember it; so much had happened in the last five minutes. What he did remember, however, is that he wants to be human first… and find an equal partner to walk the road of life alongside him. Both tasks seemed difficult to accomplish while bedridden.

Just then, the other voice from earlier appeared at the foot of his bed.

“See? Sitting up and everything. Thanks for keeping him company, El.”

She wore a similar dress to Elphelt: but more green than red and more white than grey. She had a slightly darker complexion, longer blonde hair and bangs, and a hat with a clover stitched on it. She was quieter in both demeanor and volume too.

“Aw shucks, what can I say, Ram? It’s a nurse’s sacred duty to stay by her patient’s side until they either live to run wild and free or die peacefully in her arms. Isn’t that so romantic?!”, the girl squealed, her excitable mannerisms taking hold again. “The Socratic oath is practically like a wedding vow!!”

“Sure, except you didn’t say any Socratic oath. Also, he’s not our ‘patient’, he’s a guest.”

“Maaaaaan, you know how to suck the romance out of anything…”, Elphelt pouted.

“And you know how to inject it into any circumstance”, the other girl smiled. She then turned towards the samurai. “I am sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Ramlethal Valentine, El’s sister. Nice to meet you.”

“I am Nagoriuyuki. Thank you for your hospitality”, he responded. “If I may, where is the Illyrian king? I have some queries for him.”

“Right here.” A new voice entered the room. The monarch appeared at the bed alongside Ramlethal, dressed in a light blue button-up and white fitted pants. “Nice to properly meet you. As I’m sure you know, I am Ky Kiske, First King of Illyria.” He had a warm smile on his face; one that gave off a feeling of leadership and understanding, as expected of a king. “You took a nasty hit; I am glad to see you alright.”

“’Alright’ is an… interesting choice of words for my current predicament.” The samurai looked down and placed his hand over his abdomen before turning back towards the monarch. “Regardless, I would like some questions answered.”

Ky nodded and crossed his arms.

“Very well; shoot.”

“How long has it been since that day?”

“One full week has passed since I-No’s defeat, if that’s what you’re referring to.”

Seven days of unconsciousness. Perhaps the conversation in his mind had lasted longer than he imagined.

“I see. Another question, if you will: who told you I was a Nightless? Surely you did not observe it on your own. The battlefield was far too chaotic to gleam such details.”

“You’d be correct. Sol told me about your nature. Heck, he’s the one who convinced me to take you here, alongside these two.” The king gestured to the sisters.

“Guilty as charged!!” Elphelt raised her hands in mock-surrender, her tone far more gleeful than her sister’s. Ramlethal smiled softly and turned to Nagoriyuki.

“No other place in the world would be able to take care of you; at least, not without a whole lot of explanation. So, I seconded father’s wish upon hearing of it.”

Her answer made sense. It would be difficult to explain both the cause of the samurai’s injury and his nature to any other doctor. But something about her last sentence caught Nagoriyuki’s attention.

“Father?”, he questioned. “That beast is a parent?”

“He actually goes by Frederick Bulsara these days, but yes.” Ramlethal turned to Elphelt. “Fredrick was betrothed to a woman named Aria. Her cells were used to create a being named Valentine, making her Aria’s daughter. Valentine was our sister, hence El and I’s last names. That would, by a technicality, make Frederick our father, as we’re “daughters” of his beloved.” She waved her dismissively. “I am aware that it is complicated.”

“I was under the impression that the king here was your father”, Nagoriyuki gazed towards Ky’s head. “Your hair matches.”

“Ky and I’s shared hair color is mere coincidence. He is still a father, however. Together with Queen Dizzy, Ky had one son named Sin, the world’s first half-human, half-gear hybrid.”

“Sin…?”, Nagoriyuki mumbled. What an odd name. “Then, the queen is not your mother?”

“Yes, but at the same time, no!” Elpehlt was clearly excited to explain the convoluted family tree, interrupting Ramlethal. “Since Dizzy is the daughter of Justice, Aria’s first incarnation before Valentine was made, she’s more like our cousin. But Ram and I treat her more like a mother-figure. She’s sooooooo sweet, not to mention knock-out beautiful!!”

Nagoriyuki’s head was reeling; here were far too many clones, incarnations, sisters, mothers, and names spinning around his mind. How was anyone expected to keep track of this?

“Then, you did not have a birth-mother?”

Elphelt went quiet, her face drooping. Ramlethal looked at her sister, concerned. She reassuringly placed her hand on Elphelt's arm.

“Well, yes. Her name was Ariels.” Elphelt was struggling to ger her words out. This was clearly a sensitive topic. “She tried to use Ram and I to revive Justice, so she could restart humanity through a worldwide genocide. She almost succeeded, too. Ram was gonna serve as a distraction for the world, and I… I was gonna be the sacrifice to finish the revival.”

Anger brewed in the samurai’s heart. What a heinous crime; this “Ariels” was clearly a wicked being.

“That sounds egregious. To think one’s own mother…” Nagoriyuki shook his head.

Seeing the anger in his eyes, Elphelt perked up slightly, skipping to the good ending.

“…But Frederick and everyone else managed to save Ram and me. That’s when we started living here in the castle, as part of Ky’s family.” She held her sister’s hand, the two smiling softly at each other. “So, we’re okay.”

Nagoriyuki could tell that the two held a lot of pain in their pasts. Despite his anger at their mother's injustice towards them, he decided to course-correct the conversation.

“...Very well. Regarding the family tree… the hybrid named Sin is your brother then. Or… your nephew?”, the samurai inquired.

“The family tree would place him as both our nephew and brother-in-law, but we treat him more as a brother. We get along well, and he loves to stand up for us”, Ramlethal answered. “In fact, he was the one who helped me find my human side.”

Nagoriyuki paused. There it was again; this discrepancy between humanity and monsters, developed sense and base instinct. Why did the two have to be so polarized? Is there no unity to be found?

“Where do you land then?” The samurai turned to the king who had been oddly quiet this whole time.

“Oh, um… it doesn’t really matter, right? I’m Sin and the Valentine sisters’ father figure and Dizzy’s husband. That’s really all there is to it!” He was sweating, his eyes full of dread alongside a crooked smile. His heartbeat was rapid and his blood pressure was climbing like a rollercoaster preparing to drop.

Oblivious to the dead giveaway of embarrassment, Nagoriyuki looked down and placed his hand on his chin, thinking.

“If you married the mother of all gears’ daughter, then doesn’t that make Frederick, the patriarch of all gears, your father-in-la-“

“Hey, you had some other questions, right? Why don’t we stop spiraling down the rabbit trail! You need rest and to keep talking about things that don’t matter seems like a waste of time, ahahaha!” The king was loud but not quite yelling, clearly bothered by the idea of his greatest friend and rival being his father-in-law. Thankfully, the diversion appeared to work on the unfazed samurai.

“Ah, right. For my next question, where is Badg- I mean, Frederick?”

Ky looked down, debating which answer to give the bedridden patient before gazing back at him.

“…You saved my life and played a crucial part in defeating I-No, so I’ll tell you the truth. But know that the public understands things very differently.” The king leaned in. “The world thinks him dead. We held a ceremony last week, burying his casket for all to see, telling them he died in his stand against I-No. Of course, the casket was closed and empty; in reality, he’s living far out in the sticks where he’s decided to open a bookstore.” Ky flashed a compassionate smile. “Isn’t that wonderful?”

Nagoriyuki wasn’t satisfied.

“Why would he fake his death?”

“It’s a long story, but the short answer is that the public wasn’t very fond of him, at least not until he decided to save us all. It’s incredible what one public act of sacrifice can do to sway the mass’ opinion.” Ky chuckled. “However, that act would lead to him being hailed and praised as a hero, and he’s never been a fan of the spotlight.” The king stood back and peered out the high windows. “This way, he can live a new life: as a human again, alongside his partner.”

Nagoriyuki’s eyes widened. A new life as a human? Alongside a partner? That sounded exactly like the samurai’s new aspiration. Something inside spurred him to ask another question, this time from the heart.

“…How can he do that? From what he told me, he lived for decades as a monster and caused great suffering to a number of people. He just… discarded all that guilt?”

The king matched the patient’s gaze, retaining his smile.

“I’m not really sure how; I’m not him. When the time comes, you should ask Frederick yourself.”

The idea of waiting was rarely a problem for Nagoriyuki, spare for when his Nightless nature demanded blood. But the idea of having to delay the answer to his new life by weeks, maybe months, was an agonizing thought.

“But…” He looked down and sighed. “Very well.”

“Hey, don’t be so gloomy!” Elphelt put forth her best effort to cheer him up. “Ram and I will be here to keep you company, and we’ll do our best to meet your needs. Right, Ram?” She turned to her sister.

“I’m afraid not.”

“HUH?” Elphelt’s enthusiasm had been derailed entirely by Ramlethal’s deadpan answer.

“I am assigned to disaster relief and have kingdom requests to take care of with Sin, so I can’t be here full-time. The same thing goes for you; you’ve got booked concerts to sing at.”

“Oh crap, you’re right!!” She turned to Nagoriyuki, panicking. “Aw man, that means you can’t come cuz you’re stuck in here!!” She struggled to find the right words, an apology brewing in her mind. “Uhh… um…”

“I am used to solitude. Do not concern yourself with me”, the samurai assured the poor girl, bowing slightly.

“Yeah, but what if you need something? Or you’re hungry? Or you’re thirsty? Or you need to be helped to the bathroom? Or you’re bored!? Or it’s too quiet!? Or too loud!? Or…!!” The woman prattled on and on about incomprehensible concerns and terrible hypotheticals. She clearly felt a sense of responsibility regarding the samurai, no matter how ridiculous her ideas were becoming. Something about… a possible lion attack? And… seasonal peanut allergies? It was impossible to keep pace with her ramblings.

“I assure you; I will be fine”, the samurai finally interrupted. “If you truly insist, you can schedule to check on my condition once every morning and every night. Though, I doubt much will change for a while.”

Elphelt snapped out of her trance, regaining her composure.

“Okay… Okay! I can do that! Rest assured Mr. Nago, I’ll be the past part-time caretaker you’ve ever had!!”

“Mr. Nago…?” That was a new one.

“Well, sure! I always give my friends nicknames. And if I’m honest, ‘Nagoriyuki’ is a little long-winded. Soooooo, if it’s alright with you…?” The girl looked expectantly at the samurai.

Nicknames were an unfamiliar concept to Nagoriyuki. It was always “Retainer” or “Samurai”, if he was lucky enough to be addressed. Lord Slayer scarcely referred to him as anything but “You”. Even under Chaos, his most lengthy and disgustingly personal relationship, it was always “Hey, do this”, with the occasional namedrop. Now that he thought about it, that fiend was the only one to somewhat regularly address him by name. The thought repulsed him.

“…Yes, I like that.” The samurai had a warm smile on his face. A nickname would be nice. A new pseudonym, one that both held on to and left his past behind, seemed appropriate for his new life as a human.

“Awesome!! Rest up then, ‘kay? I’m gonna leave this ringer here, it’ll let me know that you need me.” She placed a circular device on the table next to the white bedframe. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll do my best to show up whenever you call!” The woman was beaming.

“Thank you Elphelt, that’s very kind of you. I won’t forget it.” Nagoriyuki, too, had an air of joy about him. He wasn’t used to being cared for.

Ky let out a chuckle and smiled, placing his hand on Ramlethal’s shoulder.

“It’s about dinner time. We should go now, otherwise Dizzy’s going to worry something happened to us. You know how she is-!”

“I wonder how she’d react to hearing you say that”, Ramlethal threatened with a smile.

Ky laughed.

“You wouldn’t dare. Let’s go, girls.”

“Very well.” Ramlethal glanced back at the bedridden guest. “Take care, Mr. Nagoriyuki. You’re in good hands. …Loving ones, anyway.”

There was something concerning about her phrasing, most likely referring to the accidents and gauntlet of words that Elphelt seemed so prone to putting people through.

“Umm… thank you?” The samurai’s concern only grew as Ramlethal snickered at him with a toothy grin as she left. Ky followed alongside her, not looking back.

“Oh Ram, always making me sound like the worst thing to happen to anyone.” Elphelt faced Nagoriyuki. “She only says stuff like that when around strangers. She’s usually soooo sweet! Believe it or not though, she used to be pretty scary.”

“I don’t doubt it”, the samurai responded, having seen a glimpse of that creepy side just seconds ago.

Elphelt’s air shifted, looking at the samurai with a caring gaze.

“Seriously though, I’ll try my hardest to be here if you need me.”

The samurai’s smile returned.

“I understand. Thank you again.”

“Remember, I’m just a call away! Rest well, Mr. Nago~!” The woman stood up and prepared to leave. But Nagoriyuki had one last question.

“Wait, please.”

“Hm?” Elphelt spun around in the doorframe.

She had never explained why she vouched to take him in at the castle, only her sister had. Furthermore, why was she so intent on monitoring him? They were simple questions, really. No reason to hesitate. She appeared to be an open and honest woman, and the nature of the questions weren’t shameful. So why could the samurai not get his words out?

“Ah… If you could…” He looked down, frustration and hesitation both swelling within. He bit his lip, debating whether or not he had the strength to ask her. Why was this such a challenge?

“Are you okay? What’s up?” His caretaker leaned in from the doorframe, puzzled.

“…If you have a free moment, I’d like some tomato juice.”

Chapter Text

Hours had passed since his introduction to his three hosts. In the midst of the night, the samurai felt a presence enter his room, waking him from his sleep. The room was pitch-black and his vision was once again blurred, but there was definitely a figure squatted over him on his bed. He felt something cold pressed against his forehead.

“G’morning. Make any noise I deem too loud, and I’ll wipe this place off the map like I did to your flat. Cool?”

Every sense went into overdrive. He knew that shrill voice far too well: Chaos.

“YOU-!” The samurai tried to sit up, instinctually baring his teeth.

“Ah-ah-ah-! What’d I just say?” The blue devil pressed the barrel of his gun harder against Nagoriyuki’s temple, coercing him to lie back down. Chaos was balancing the front of his feet on top of the bedridden samurai’s torso, his back hunched over him. The deity’s faded blue skin and heart-shaped chest tattoo were both shining in the moonlight. “This is a pretty sick place, not to mention the residents. It’d be a real shame to blast it to kingdom come.” He cocked his head to one side. “I imagine you wouldn’t want that blood on your hands?”

“It would be on no one else’s but yours, you twisted psychopath.” The samurai was furious. Even now, the bastard wouldn’t leave him be.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Placing the blame on someone else is a pretty common excuse until survivor’s guilt sets in.” Chaos lifted his gun from the samurai’s head, holstering it on his right side. He remained crouching over Nagoriyuki, his x-shaped glasses resting just under the horns that protruded his grey hair. “Believe it or not, I’m not here looking for anything in particular, spare for some entertainment.”

The samurai didn’t buy it.

“How many times have you said that before enforcing yet another cruel act from me?”

“Probably at least a hundred times”, the deity shrugged. “But guess what: this time’s different. Do. You. Know. Why?” He poked at Nagoriyuki’s shoulder.

The samurai didn’t give him the pleasure of an answer. Rather, he retained his cold stare, his arms laying still at his sides.

“Oh, come on! It’s never any fun with you”, Chaos sighed, his smirk not dissipating. “Think about every time I’ve used you for something: a manhunt, a slaughter, a raid, one time a miniature genocide. What do all of those things have in common? Violence. And what are you currently incapable of? That’s right, violence. So, what other reason could I have to come here, you ask?”

“I didn’t ask.”

“Wow, you’re a riot when you want to be.” He flicked the samurai’s forehead. “Nah, I just wanted to check on my favorite little war machine. I expected you to be dead by now if I’m honest, something I’m sure you were hoping for.”

The samurai had no patience for tormentors, especially not this one. He wanted answers.

“Where did you go after your plan succeeded? Furthermore, how did you know I was here?”

“...You’re always in such a sour mood. To answer your first question, I found myself teleported to a beautiful, sunbathed beach. Was a good view; I should take you sometime.”

Nagoriyuki was fuming. How dare the fiend assume that he could drag him wherever he wanted? Why did he always target him? What about him was so appealing to the deity? There were sure to be other powerful entities out there to control.

“As for the second question, remember how I’m god? Kinda silly for you to underestimate my capabilities, especially given how many years we’ve shared together.”

“Years spent against my own will that you twisted so effectively.”

“Oh my sweet Nago, you’re breaking my heart. How can you make so little of our lasting relationship?” The devil was teasing Nagoriyuki, clasping his hands together and placing them under his left cheek in a childish manner.

“YOU DON’T GET TO CALL ME THAT.” The samurai spat malice through his gritted teeth. Only one person held the privilege of using that name.

“Ohohohoho-! Now we’re talking. Let’s hear it, why not? Is it reserved for your girlfriend down the hall~? Don’t think I don’t know about her. Wow, seven days post-enslavement and you’re already putting yourself out on the market. And way to go on zooming through the talking phase; nicknames already!”

His taunts were rapid. Chaos was a foul creature, one who thrived on and lived for the suffering, pain, shame, embarrassment, and every other negative emotion of others. Nagoriyuki knew this well, but this felt like a new level of insult.

“What’s her name? Honey-bun? Sweetie-pie? Oh, you know what, I bet it’s Oni-girl-i. Ah? See what I did there? That’s your favorite snack, right? With the rice and all?”

It took every ounce of strength the samurai had to not lunge for the deity right then. Greater embarrassment and rage had he rarely felt in his countless years of life. However, he needed to hold back for the safety of the castle.

“If you have the breath to mock me, you have the breath to answer my question. What is it you truly want?”

“Like I said, just a checkup and some entertainment. Which you’re supplying plenty of, might I add.” The devil finally hopped down from the bed, instead opting to pace around the foot of the samurai’s bedframe. He was quiet for minute, facing down as he walked in circles. “Actually, I do have a real question for ya.”

Nagoriyuki knew there was deeper meaning to Chaos’ visit.

“Speak.”

Chaos stared absent-mindedly around the room, hands behind his back.

“When you heal up, what’s your plan? For life, I mean.”

The samurai was surprised. After overcoming his light shock at the honest question, he remembered who he was talking to.

“...I am not fully sure. What is it to you, demon?”

“First of all, I don’t believe you. Second, not much… except, that’s not true. Answer me this real quick...” He paused. “Did you know that I-No’s still around?”

The samurai jolted, sitting up.

“What!? How!? I watched her-” Except he didn’t. When the witch had lost, she simply vanished. Of course, given her damage, the samurai assumed she was destroyed. Did she really survive...?

“It’s technically her, but… not really. In her final moment, she absorbed that monster of a railcannon shot and used its energy to bring her counterpart to this timeline. Though, she lacks all the power and conviction of the I-No I know... Hell of a downgrade in my opinion”, he sighed. “The reason I’m telling you this is because she’s looking to settle down with her boyfriend. Y’know, the blonde dude with the funny accent.”

Nagoriyuki cautiously laid back down in his bed. He assumed Chaos was referring to the man who conversed with I-No before she disappeared. He didn’t remember many of the man’s words; he had been too focused on not blacking out.

“So you plan on tormenting her as you did me?” The samurai’s face was aimed up, ignoring Chaos who had since strolled right next to him.

“Nope. I’ve decided that she’s no fun anymore. So, as my last remaining plaything, I’ve come to see what your deal is.” Chaos peered down at the samurai. “Is it anything like hers? After all, there’s no one left to fight; no rampant gears, no reality-altering witch, and no Happy Chaos wreaking havoc. You still gonna pick that sword right back up when you’re all well-and-good?”

Nagoriyuki was silent. What was the demon’s goal in asking all of this? This was Chaos after all, who had enslaved him for years. If he could, the devil would use any knowledge and method to puppet you according to his bidding.

Yet something told the samurai that if he lied about his answer, it wouldn’t end well. He took a deep breath, bracing for the shaming sure to come.

“No. I wish for a fulfilling life. One with a beautiful partner and serenity. Peace and routine have begun to seem far more appealing than solitude and violence in the name of good.”

A moment of shocked silence was broken by the tormentor’s roaring, scornful mockery.

“PFFFT- AHAHAHAHAHA!!” Chaos laughed and laughed, his voice echoing through the empty ward as he leaned on the headboard of the bed and struggled to catch his breath. “You really plan on settling down!? Nagoriyuki the Nightless samurai, looking for a wife and kids to live with on a hilltop home!? You’ve gotta be yanking my chain to hell and back-!!” Tears were forming in his eyes.

“So it is fine for the witch to settle but not for me?” The samurai once again held in his anger and embarrassment as the deity began to calm down.

“Haha… aha… Hey, hey, hey, I never said ‘it was fine’ for that old hag to up and lame out on me. She’s just a used-up toy now, but not you. And with all due respect, you and she aren’t exactly on the same level of fear factor. She just looks like a sexy punk rocker, but you… well, look at you! Six foot, nine inches of bloodthirsty muscle and a kickass pair of swords to quench that parched throat with. One glimpse and people can see that you’re dangerous.”

“Are you quite done yet?” Nagoriyuki grew impatient again.

“Mmmmmmaybe. Follow-up question, loverboy.” Chaos had his back turned at the side of the samurai’s bed when he unexpectedly drew his gun, aiming it upwards in his right hand. He side-eyed the samurai. “And answer honestly first this time. Otherwise, I make a racket and fire at the first person to come through that door.”

Nagoriyuki stared angrily at the demon but understood the stakes he put forth.

“Bastard. I’m listening.”

Chaos faced away.

“What would it take for you to change your mind?”

“…What?”

Suddenly, an echoing gun shot rang out, leaving a small but sure hole in the ceiling.

“Wrong answer.” Chaos’ gun was smoking.

“You madman!!” the samurai shouted, scrambling to get up. Every sense jumped to eleven again. “You said you wouldn’t-!!”

“If you answered honestly, yeah. Instead, you answered my question with another one. You know I hate that.” Chaos’ smile had waned, instead replaced with a forward, deadpan stare, still not looking at the samurai. “You heard me. Try again.”

Nagoriyuki was panicking. Someone was sure to have heard a gunshot at this ungodly hour, especially given the acoustics of the room. They could be on their way right now-! His heart was racing.

“Control yourself!! I… am not sure what it would take. It took me a lot of time and reflection to decide on living a peaceful life… But despite that, I never have and never will consider going b-“

Another deafening gunshot.

“WOW, YOU’RE REALLY BAD AT THIS, HUH!? ONE MORE TIME, NAGO! WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR YOU TO GO BACK TO KILLING!?”, Chaos yelled, lowering his gun and aiming at the door. His voice was irritated, his eyes wide and empty as they transfixed on the entrance.

In all his years of slavery to the devil, Nagoriyuki had never seen him mad, let alone shouting like this. The samurai’s breath hastened, his hands clutching the bedsheets in his lap. He had to think fast. But what could he possibly say?

Chaos was running out of patience; worse yet, faint footsteps could be heard down the hall.

“COME ON, LET’S HEAR AN ANSWER!!” Chaos’ index finger was squeezing the trigger, ready to permanently silence any approaching investigator. The samurai was desperate, unsure of what to say; so he said the only thing that came to mind.

“I’D HAVE TO KNOW THAT I COULD BE FREE!! NONE OTHER THAN ME IN CONTROL!! IF I KNEW I COULD BE FREE, I WOULD DO ANYTHING!! EVEN KILL AGAI-”

Just then, the door burst open. It was the three visitors from earlier.

“Mr. Nago, what’s going on!? I heard all kinds of noise, are you alright!?” Elphelt sputtered as she flipped on the lights, panic sprawled on her face. She, along with her companions were in their nightly attire. Ramlethal and her sister were wearing matching green and pink nightgowns with open shoulders, while Ky was wearing a black tight-fitting t-shirt with some sort of peace symbol on it, alongside grey sweatpants.

“Are you okay? What happened?” Ky was stern and calculating, his eyes darting around the room in search of clues. Chaos had vanished, leaving no trace. It was just the samurai sitting upright in his bed.

“Ah- Yes, I’m okay. I-” He didn’t know what to do. He could still sense Chaos nearby. Who’s to say the deity wouldn’t annihilate them all if he spoke of his visit? Or maybe he’d kill them any second, just because he can?

Nagoriyuki’s three hosts were in danger. They had to leave, as soon as he could convince them he was fine.

“I… just… knocked over my glass here.” His empty glass of tomato juice had fallen down, smashed against the floor. It must’ve fallen off the bedside table as he had scrambled to sit up after the first shot; a lucky break for the samurai.

“Oh… okay, but… why? I heard yelling too. You sounded really angry… something about ‘freedom’ and ‘masters’?”, Elphelt mumbled as she got closer and put her hand on Nagoriyuki’s forehead, checking his temperature. “Goodness, you’re sweating pretty hard! Did you have a fever dream? Or some kind of nightmare?”

A perfect opportunity. Apologies, Nightless Nagoriyuki; you were going under the bus.

“Ah, not quite.” The samurai took the woman’s hand and gently moved it away from his temple, much to her dismay; she wasn’t quite done getting a read on his condition, clearly still worried. “I… often wrestle with my Nightless nature in my mind; sometimes, I lash out in my sleep”, the samurai explained, the latter statement a lie. “Meditating usually helps, but I’ve been out of practice as of late. Though I’ll admit, shouting out loud is a first.”

And just like that, Elphelt's concern was gone.

“Wooooww, you have literal inner demons!? Ram, didya hear that!? That’s so cool!! Not to mention romantic~! Imagine, the noble vampurai fighting, suffering from his inner turmoil as his beloved cannot help but watch! That is, until she intervenes. Seeing the darkness in his eyes fade away upon meeting her gaze, she wins him back from the brink of madness through the power of their unbreakable bond! EEEE!”

“Vampurai” was a new term to Nagoriyuki.

“El, that’s wonderful and all, but it’s still three forty-eight in the morning… please watch your volume”, Ramlethal muttered. “Seeing that everything’s fine here, I’m headed back to bed. G’ni- I mean, g’morning everyone. I’ll see you… today, I guess.” With that, one host trudged back to their room. One less person for the samurai to worry for.

“Mr. Nagoriyuki.” Ky caught the samurai’s attention. “You are sure that everything is fine?” His gaze pierced the bedridden vampire’s soul; or at least, that’s the sensation it gave. Did the king know that he was lying?

Nagoriyuki looked down.

“... Yes, I am sure.”

“...Very well then…”, the monarch sighed. “Elphelt, say goodnight again and then head to bed. We don’t want to be bothering him, especially now. He needs as much rest as possible.” Ky headed towards the door.

“Yeahhhh, you’re right. Shorry foe the throuble Mr. Nagooo~”, she yawned as she backed up and headed towards the door herself.

“No, the trouble is all mine; I am sorry to have awoken you all. I’ll do my best to stay in control of my nocturnal impulses in the coming nights.” The samurai straightened his covers. “And… thank you for checking on me.”

“Of course! I’m your personal caretaker, after all.” She winked. “G’night~!” Then, she too had left.

Nagoriyuki happily nodded and turned to Ky. One remaining.

“You too, your majesty.”

The monarch turned around just before leaving.

“Please; you’re our guest.” His demeanor had become far softer since the samurai’s assurance. “Also, just ‘Ky’ will do. You saved my life, as well as millions of others. In my eyes, we’re at least equals.”

The samurai felt his smile widen, if only a little.

“Very well then. Thank you, Ky.”

“Sleep well, Mr. Nagoriyuki.”

With that, the door closed and the lights went back out, the royal trio finally having departed. The instant the lights switched off, however, the moonlight revealed a silhouette behind a curtain next to Nagoriyuki’s bed.

“’None other than me in control’, huh?”, the familiar raspy voice muttered. “Glad to see that you’re not actually searching for all that mushy stuff; just freedom to do whatever you want.” His voice was monotone and fed up, retaining a sliver of that anger he had shown before.

Neither man looked at each other; Nagoriyuki lied down in his be and Chaos’ silhouette showed him staring dead ahead.

“You went back on your word.” Nagoriyuki ignored the deity’s skewed accusation.

“No, you failed an assignment that a kindergartener could get an A-plus on. Also, none of your friends got hurt and the castle is still here. So shut your trap.”

“You’re sick, through and through”, the samurai spat, hoping his words would hurt in any way they could. Verbal warfare was all he capable of at the moment.

“Tell me something new; I’ve known that for an eternity.” Chaos was unfazed, his voice still flat. “I think I’m gonna head out now. Thanks for the chat, ‘Mr. Nago’. Get well soon.” His outline turned around behind the curtain and waved.

But just before leaving, he paused.

“One last thing for you to ponder though.”

“What, demon?” The samurai was listening intently.

Another moment of quiet. Then, scripture.

“’What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.’” Chaos’ shadow showed him staring out the window, towards the moon. “Sound familiar?”

Nagoriyuki didn’t understand.

“What are you saying?”

“Quote from an old book.” Chaos’ voice sounded disgusted, his silhouette peering over his shoulder through the curtain. “Reminded me of you.”

Then, without a sound, the demon vanished.

Chapter Text

A troubled night. It was impossible for him to fall back asleep, not after the panic he was just put through. The samurai laid down in his bed, his hands folded on his chest. The clock ticked on as Nagoriyuki reflected on the cerulean demon’s visit.

“…Damn it all.” He cursed his helplessness. What if he had hesitated on his answer just a second longer? Either sister or the king could’ve been shot dead then and there. He was lucky to have thought of a suitable answer in time.

…But was it true? Would he really go back to being murderous vampire if it meant freedom? Surely not. Moreover, he knew he wanted a lifelong partner in marriage. Would he really be willing compromise that too?

These thoughts tormented Nagoriyuki. The samurai thought he knew what he held most valuable, but was freedom really his greatest priority? Where does one draw the line between exercising free will and utter selfishness? He was conflicted and unsure.

Unable to sleep, the samurai instead opted to meditate. Sitting up, he formed a circle with his hands in his lap and steadied his breathing. And so, the hours crawled on by.

_______________________________________

The morning sun had begun to rise, though Nagoriyuki didn’t notice. He was deep in thought, searching for answers within. He had attempted to converse with his Nightless self, but it never manifested itself inside his mind. He was alone.

That is, until he heard a light knock at the door. It creaked open slowly, the guest not announcing their identity. Nagoriyuki snapped out of his focus, opening his eyes and blinking, readjusting to the brighter lighting.

“Who is there?”, the samurai called out.

“Oh, you’re already awake!” It was Elphelt, dressed in the same grey dress from the day before, holding a tray with both hands. Her voice was quiet and meek, almost a whisper. “I didn’t know when you’d be up, so I played it safe and got up early myself. I fixed you some breakfast!” She sat down on a stool next to the samurai and placed the wooden tray in front of him.

The caretaker had laid before Nagoriyuki a rather red spread. An apple, some strawberries, raspberries, red peppers, a bottle of ketchup, a glass of tomato juice, and a cooked crab, all on one plate.

“I know that vampires like blood, so I found all the red stuff we had in the kitchen! I don’t expect you to eat or even like all of this, I just wanted to make sure that I got at least SOMEthing you’d enjoy.” The girl was excited to see the fruits of her labor with her patient. “Go ahead, dig in!”

However, Nagoriyuki was frozen still, eyes staring wide at the crab.

“Umm… are you okay, Mr. Nago? Is something the matter?”

“Ah… no, I… just…” How could he say it politely? “Could you… please remove the crustacean? As soon as possible… please.”

Elphelt was perplexed.

“What, the crab?” She picked it up and waved it around haphazardly. “Aw man, that’s a shame. Ms. Dizzy told me that crab was really popular with fancy people, so I thought you’d like it.”

“Ah-! If you could PLEASE, just… get rid of it!?” Nagoriyuki was sweating bullets, pulling away from the clawed creature.

“I mean, sure, there ya go.” Elphelt tossed the crab in a small trash bin near the curtain. “What was the problem? Do you really dislike seafood or something?”

“To ‘dislike’ that blasted thing is putting it lightly. Those foul creatures are an abhorrence; an affront to Creation”, the samurai spoke malignantly, his voice seeping with fear-filled hatred.

His caretaker was stunned.

“Mr. Nago, don’t tell me that you’re afraid of crabs.” She was staring dead on, judgement and disappointment filling her eyes.

“Wha-! I’m not afraid of them!!”, he sputtered, his face turning red. “I… simply cannot stand them, is all. Not to mention that they taste terrible and look ridiculous.”

Pause. Then embarrassment.

“Snrk-! Bwahahahahaha!! Elphelt laughed loudly clutching her stomach, clearly tickled pink at the thought of a vampire samurai being afraid of a dead crab. “Oh, Mr. Nago!!”

Nagoriyuki grew redder in the face, peering downward.

“Yes, yes, it’s very amusing. Laugh now and get it out of your system.”

“Ohohoho my gosshhhh~ I’m so sorry, I promise I don’t mean to be rude. But that’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in a good while-!” The woman wiped tears from her eyes as she held her chest, attempting to stop herself from entering another laughing fit.

The samurai’s gaze returned to his spread. It was an odd one for sure, but one made with him in mind. He remembered Ramlethal’s words from the day before…

“You’re in good hands. …Loving ones, anyway.”

Things like this must have been what she was alluding to. The samurai decided to shift the conversation back to his host’s kind gesture.

“Regardless, thank you very much for the meal. I will be sure to partake in it all, spare for the ketchup.” He had a warm smile on his face.

“Yeah, I thought there’d be something you didn’t like. Again, just wanted to play things safe.” She got up to leave. “Anyways, I hope you enjoy! You can just place the tray on the bedside table once you’re done, either me or Ram will come and pick it up later.”

Something in Nagoriyuki’s heart was sad to see her go again so soon. She was crass and a little unaware at times, but she was she was kindhearted, pleasant, and open about herself. She was good company.

“Ah, I see.” His voice unintentionally gave away his feelings of disappointment as he looked down.

“Wait, what’s that voice all about?” Elphelt immediately spun around upon hearing his tone shift. “Did I forget something? Or did you need something else?”

“Oh, no no!” The samurai hadn’t realized that his voice was so telling. “I am quite alright, do not worry yourself.”

“Noooo, I know that voice. Something’s wrong and you don’t wanna tell me.” She marched back and plopped herself onto the stool, wagging her finger sternly at her patient. “I don’t know about your household, but in this one, we don’t keep secrets from each other. So, talk to me.”

Caught.

“Ah, well… I suppose that I had simply… expected you to remain a while longer.” Nagoriyuki was once again flustered, something that was becoming increasingly more common in recent days.

“D’awwwwww, Mr. Nago!!” Elphelt was overjoyed, gasping and cupping her mouth with her hands. “Of course I can stay longer!! What do you wanna talk about? Or should I run and grab some paper? You could write, we could read a book from the library downstairs, whatever you want!” Her passion for caretaking was lit anew, fire in her eyes.

The samurai was a little caught off guard, but in a good way. He was glad to see that the woman had decided to stay, let alone be so passionate about it.

“I thought you said that you had concerts to perform at?”

“Well, yeah, but not until later this week. For the next two days, I can be all yours~!”

Nagoriyuki’s smile was soft on the outside, far wider inside.

“…Some paper would be nice; I’ve found myself in the mood to write.”

_______________________________________

Elpehlt came back with paper and pencils, as well as another glass of tomato juice. She had repurposed the wooden tray for her patient’s lap to act as a desk to write on.

“Here ya go! Anything else I can get for you?” She was glad to be able to assist the samurai with his desire. More than that, however, she was overjoyed that he had requested more time with her.

“No, this is plenty. Thank you, Ms. Elpehlt.” His smile was soft as he took the given writing materials into hand.

“Oh, come on”, she waved her hand dismissively. “You don’t hafta be so formal with me. We treat each other with respect around here, sure, but no need for all the ‘mister’s and ‘miss’s. ‘Elphelt’ alone sounds just fine to me!”

Nagoriyuki wasn’t used to the large degree of casualty that inhabited Castle Illyria. Who would have guessed that the world’s most powerful family would be so friendly?

“I see. I imagine it will take some getting used to, so please bear with me.” He smiled. “Thank you again… Elphelt.”

She returned his smile, beaming.

“See!? Rolls off the tongue far better. Now then, whatcha wanna write?” She plopped herself back into her stool and scooted next to Nagoriyuki’s bed.

He took up his pencil and stared at the blank page before him. Poetry was on his mind.

“I am undecided, though Haiku is an old favorite of mine.”

“Hi-cool? What’s that?”

He chuckled quietly, a rarity for the samurai. Something about this woman was so entertaining; she was tender and misunderstood things often, but the samurai saw no flaw in her behavior. Rather, he cherished her presence.

“I’m afraid you misheard me. ‘Haiku’. It is a short and simple form of poetry, stemming from the broader genre known as ‘Renga’.” Nagoriyuki was eager to explain, not getting to discuss his hobbies often. “One writes using only seventeen syllables and three lines, in order of five, then seven, then five more syllables. It is a wonderful mental stimulant, and it helps to expand one’s vocabulary.”

Elphelt was clearly perplexed. Her patient’s fancy words along with the challenge of understanding a new concept were a bit too much for her brain to take in.

“Uhhh… I love poems cuz they’re so romantic but you’re losing me. I’m a bit more of a visual learner.”

“Very well then, I shall give you an example.”

The caretaker smiled widely at the offer.

“Cool!” She scooted her stool closer, now within arm’s reach of her patient. Folding and leaning her arms against the side of the bed, she rested her chin on top of them. “What’s the poem gonna be about?”

“I’ve yet to decide the topic. Why don’t you assist me?” The samurai looked down at Elphelt. “What do you see around you that we could write about?”

“Ummmmm… curtains? Ooh! Or how about the windows? Is that good?”

“That is an excellent start.” Nagoriyuki took note on the page. “Now, a feeling or emotion.”

“Ah geez… maybeeeee, loneliness? Or…” Her demeanor grew quiet for a moment as she looked up at the tall glass panes. “…Wanting to escape.”

The samurai turned solemn himself. The feeling of freedom and escape clearly harmonized between the two; but now was not an appropriate moment to pry. Instead, he pretended to not notice.

“That is a wonderful exploration of emotion. Thank you very much.”

Elphelt seemed to snap out of it, not realizing her own mood shift. She quickly returned to her usual spry self and put her head back down on her folded arms.

“No, thank you for letting me help! Now, where do we go from here?”

“Now we select words with the appropriate number of syllables.” The samurai’s brow furrowed as he placed his hand on his chin, pondering. “Escape… a window…” A few moments of silence later, and his example was ready. He read aloud as he wrote:

“Desperate lookout /

Want to fly back home to you /

My window, prison.”

“Wooooow! That was so fast! How’d you do that!?” Elphelt was too amazed at the speed of her patient’s mind to focus on the disheartening content of the poem.

“Five hundred years of practice in any trade will refine it to a remarkable level. I have my many years of life to thank for my skill.” He had an unexpected air of pride shining through his humble words. It was equally rare for him to share his work with someone else as it was to discuss it with them, and he cherished getting to show off a bit. “Though, your praise is appreciated nonetheless.”

“Can weeee… do another one?” She sat back in her chair and looked at Nagoriyuki with bright blue puppy eyes. “I bet I could get some great ideas for future song lyrics through this! Can we try to make one that rhymes?”

“Slightly unorthodox, but that sounds like an excellent challenge to add. Let us try.” Nagoriyuki easily saw her growing passion for the exercise. Though, some part of him wished that her enthusiasm stemmed from their intimacy, not the writing. Was he… frustrated? Jealous, even?

Surely not. This was an unfamiliar feeling to the samurai; usually, he would pay these feelings no mind and meditate them away. But that was the old Nagoriyuki, the Nightless samurai. These feelings came from Nagoriyuki the human. …He would have to ponder their meaning later.

“Let us see… list me another topic.”

“Ooh, ooh!” Elphelt was bouncing up and down on the stool like an excited elementary schooler. “Bush dogs!”

“Ah… very well then. ‘Bush dogs’…”, he muttered as he jotted the topic down. He was surprised by her quick choice, and at the same time, not surprised at all. The animal seemed to be a favorite of Elphelt’s, considering she named her band after it. “And the emotion?”

“Love!!”

“Understood.” The samurai wrote the emotion down alongside the topic. “However, I want to see if you can offer a few words this time. Do you find yourself up to the task?” He smirked at her.

What, now he was taunting and jesting? What effect was this woman having on him? Every sense of Bushido and selflessness seemed to be unraveling at the seams within the samurai. He was desiring things he hadn’t thought of in centuries; but he didn’t care. He found himself wanting to have fun together with his bedside companion, to spend more time with her.

“Oh, heck yeah I am! Elphelt Valentine never backs down from a challenge if she can help it!” The samurai’s taunt clearly seemed to have worked on his caretaker.

“Alright then. Five syllables pertaining to the topic of a bush dog, please.”

“Ok, let’s see…” Elphelt puffed up her cheeks in frustration, quickly realizing her internal dictionary wasn’t nearly as adept as her patient’s. “Uhhh… ‘Bush dogs are so cool’. That’s five, right?”

“Well, yes, that is correct.” Nagoriyuki grinned. “Maybe a little surface-level, but it’s wonderful for a beginner.” He wrote the first line. “Now, another seven, please. This time, focus on how the animal makes you feel.”

“Got it. Uhh…” Elphelt’s forehead wrinkled as she rolled her eyes up, searching for an answer. “Maybe… no, that’s eight. Oh, there we go! ‘Wish that I owned one myself’. How’s that?”

He chuckled again, this time a bit louder.

“Again, excellent work for your first time. You are certainly beginning to grasp the challenge of word choice. Lastly, five more syllables, please.”

“Uuuuhhhhh… man, I don’t know how to end it!”, Elphelt pouted and gave up, scooting back and spinning around in her chair.

“’They bring me great joy’. Is that a satisfying ending?”, the samurai offered.

His caretaker stopped spinning, her face displaying the metaphorical lightbulb turning on inside her head.

“Aw man, why didn’t I think of that!? Guhhh…” She deflated like a balloon, slumping down in her chair.

“That is quite alright, Ms. El- Sorry, Elphelt. You cannot expect to be on par with countless years of refinement. Please, be patient with yourself.”

She pulled her chair back over to the bed and sighed.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right. Seems like everyone’s always saying that to me…”

“Whatever do you mean?”, the samurai asked inquisitively.

“To be patient. With both myself, and others. Not that I have a short fuse or anything, I just always want to rush into things once I think of them.” Elphelt’s demeanor had dampened. She was still smiling but was looking away absent-mindedly. “Did you know that I used to be so obsessed with marriage that I had a certificate ready for at all times? As soon as I laid eyes on a man, I was in their face telling them to sign. I was such a bother.”

A few moments of quiet passed before the caretaker spoke up again.

“I know this is sudden, but do you mind if I ask something a little personal, Mr. Nago?”

Her patient looked up from his lap, surprised. Why did that catch him so off guard?

“I suppose so. Please, ask away.”

“Have you ever messed up so bad that you wish you could just do it all over again?”

He took a moment to reflect on his long life. Yes, he had made many mistakes. His most memorable ones, however, were during his last moments as a human.

“Many times, yes. Why do you ask?”

“…Just curious. We don’t have to get into it, I don’t wanna bring the mood down.” She drew circles on her arm, her smile fading.

“It is quite alright, really. I can see that something is tormenting you. Would discussing things help your upset?” The samurai reached his hand out, nearly patting her head before catching himself. Thank goodness she hadn’t noticed. What on earth was he thinking!?

“…maybe.” Elphelt was still looking away, her head still resting on her arms.

Nagoriyuki set down his pencil, peering at his lap again. He took a deep breath.

“Many years ago, I was wrested from my home. I was taken away by a group known as the Jesuit Order, who claimed that they meant me well. They were ’going to take me to a better place’. A filthy lie: they treated me more like an animal than a man”, he muttered. This was not a particularly fond memory of the samurai, but he bore through for the sake of helping his caretaker. “I was their slave for approximately two years.”

Elphelt looked up, pity and confusion replacing her gloom.

“Wait, weren’t you a vampire? Couldn’t you have just beaten them all and left?”

Nagoriyuki raised his hand, politely silencing Elphelt.

“I was not born a vampire; that came later. We sailed near Japan one day because a man by the name of Oda Nobunaga wanted to see me. I began to fear as we approached, but when I met him… he was simply fascinated. I was the first and only black man that had appeared before him.” The samurai looked down at his arm, a small, reminiscing smile appearing on his face. “He took me in, clothed me, gave me my name as well as a home, and everything else I needed to survive in this odd new country. He even promoted me to be his personal retainer, one of his greatest warriors. To this day, I still struggle to understand why.”

“…Wasn’t this all taking a turn for the better then?” Elphelt was puzzled at where Nagoriyuki was going with his story.

“It was. Lord Nobunaga, or Kazusanosuke, as he asked that I called him, was surprisingly kind to me. There, I lived a life that I was happy to have, though I still wished to return to my home someday, to be free from my duties. But…” The samurai’s smile waned, anger and regret washing over him. “I failed him. We were visiting a temple when we were attacked by our own men, his own retainers. We stood no chance against the ambush; I could do nothing as I watched Lord Kazusanosuke die. He was given the honor of seppuku while I… I was left to perish slowly from my wounds.”

Elphelt gasped but remained silent.

“I lied there for hours, expecting each breath to be my last. I was too injured to move, and there was no one to save me… until there was. A man dressed in foreign garb found me, offering not only salvation but strength. Of course, I accepted his offer immediately. So, he kneeled down, pulled me close to his chest… and sank his teeth into my flesh.” Nagoriyuki pulled the neck cuff of his hospital gown, showing the faint bite marks at the base of his neck. “I was terrified and in great pain, but I began to feel my body changing. I grew taller, faster, stronger. This man had turned me into a Nightless vampire.”

“Oh…” Elphelt had finally connected the dots. “Then… what did you do next?”

“I had fully healed myself from the brink of death. This man had saved me, so I felt indebted to him. He took me under his wing, teaching me the ways of his code, Dandyism, but I eventually left to find my own way. I had grown tired of living under others.”

Elphelt’s face was still full of pity, imagining all these debts, all these duties, all these enslavements that her poor patient had gone through in his long life. It must have been dreadful.

“My two previous masters had been kind to me, but… I wanted freedom. Even then, Chaos found me and used me as his personal weapon. When I was finally free from his grasp after the crusades, I sought peace and solace in meditation… only for him to find me once again.” He clutched his bed sheets in anger, quietly gritting his teeth. “All I’ve ever wanted… is the freedom and strength to keep those around me safe. But time and time again, I’ve lacked both. I’ve failed a great many people.”

Elphelt had slowly begun crying, trying to wipe the tears away as they ran down her face.

“…That must’ve been so hard for you, to live such a terrible, unfair life… I’m… really, really sorry-!!” Her voice was trembling and her nose had grown stuffy.

“Ah, I did not intend to make you cry!” Nagoriyuki had snapped out of his anger, instead searching his surroundings for tissues, napkins, anything he could give to stop his caretaker’s tears. “I apologize. Here, let me-”

“No, no, it’s alright. *sniff* I do this a lot. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked earlier. Now I feel terrible, making you relive all that cuz of me and my stupid feelings…”

“Please, do not blame yourself. I have relived those memories on more occasions than I can count. What is one more time added to a list of a thousand?” He looked at her softly, kindness in his blue eyes. “…If I may, why did you ask about my mistakes in the first place?”

“Well, *sniff* I was thinking about having to be patient with myself, and that lead to me thinking about how I always rush things, and how I make so many mistakes, and so I tried to make myself feel better by knowing that I’m not the only one, but now that’s all turned out to be a mistake too. I’m really sorry, I never wanted you *sniff* to have to tell me all of this. It’s... just so terrible-!”

Nagoriyuki was unsure of exactly what to do to help his crying caretaker. So instead, he gave what advice he had. The samurai reached out and offered Elphelt his hand.

“Really, it is alright. I do not blame you for anything, and life has taught me… that you should never keep blaming yourself. Instead, seek forgiveness. First internally, then externally.” He tapped his chest with his left hand. “Healing starts with you.”

Elphelt stopped wiping her tears for a moment, gazing at his outstretched hand.

“But… you seem so full of regret.”

The samurai sighed.

“…I am full of regret. I wish that I had the strength to defeat my original captors, to save Lord Kazusanosuke, to keep myself from killing under the name of Chaos. But while I do blame myself for these things, I do not wallow in my shame; I seek to atone for my failures by living differently." He was smiling softly. "Earlier, you asked if I ever wanted to do things over again. Of course I do; but I cannot. So instead, I seek to learn from my mistakes so that I can prevent them from occurring again.”

Elphelt was quiet. She hesitated a moment before finally taking Nagoriyuki’s hand, softly clasping it with her own.

“…You really think that's okay?”

“I know so.” The samurai smiled meekly, trying to cheer his companion up. “And here is something for you to remember: ‘A shared joy is doubled; a shared sorrow is halved’. It is not wrong of us to seek solace in others and their mistakes; we are made to help each other by listening to each other’s woes.”

Elphelt was quiet another moment, pondering the samurai’s words.

“Yeah… yeah!” She wiped away the last of her tears with her free hand. “Alright, I’ll try to remember that. I’m used to not getting to talk about these deeper things. Anytime I try with Ram or Sin, they just tell me to cheer up. It’s not exactly helpful but goodness knows I still love them-!” The caretaker's tears had dried up, and her smile had returned. “Thanks, Mr. Nago.”

His smile shone brightly. But he had a request.

“Actually, something has been on my mind. If you are to be just ‘Elphelt’, then…” He hesitated another moment, embarrassed. “Then I would like to be just ‘Nago’. Is that selfish of me?”

His caretaker was beaming, so moved that her tears almost returned.

“No, not at all!! I… I’d really like that… Nago.” She brushed her hair to the side, trying to avoid eye contact. She was clearly embarrassed by the interaction as well.

The atmosphere was quiet and tender; the two were holding hands for far longer than either member realized. The air immediately shifted, however, when Elphelt remembered their haiku.

“Wait a sec!! The hi-cool!!”

“Again, it is ‘Haiku’”, the samurai chuckled.

“Oh, right. Anyway, we didn’t do it right!! ‘Cool’ doesn’t rhyme with ‘joy’!!”

Nagoriyuki had been so distracted by their deep conversation that he had entirely forgotten their added challenge of rhyme.

“Ah, so it would seem.” He let go of her hand, picking his pencil back up. He had a sly look on his face as he turned to Elphelt. “Very well, shall we remedy our mistake?”

The caretaker giggled as she rested the side of her head against the wall, eyeing the paper. Nagoriyuki had really helped her, more than she knew at the time. And this was just the beginning.

“Yeah, let’s.”

Chapter Text

Several hours had passed since the pair had decided to continue their wordplay. The sun had begun to set, the once-white ward now tinted orange from the fading light.

“Gosh, how many was that now? Twenty-two?” Elphelt stretched in her chair, her arms reaching upward.

“I believe that makes twenty-three.” Before the samurai was a thin stack of paper, each page containing a haiku. Some pages excelled in quality as compared to some of the others, but it was a stack the two dwellers had built together. And that made it unique.

“Wooooow, the sun’s already on its way down! Geez, we did this for WAY longer than I thought!”

“Well, they say that time passes faster when entertaining oneself. Perhaps there is merit to the phrase”, the samurai responded, tapping the stack against the wooden board in his lap. He had thoroughly enjoyed his time with his caretaker and was secretly glad that he was able to help her with her internal struggles. “I imagine you must be tired now; I won’t keep you any longer. I am sure that there is a meal waiting for you alongside your family.”

“Oh, crap!! Thanks so much for reminding me, the others must’ve started dinner by now! I’ve really gotta get a better handle on my concept of time....” She promptly got up and walked to the door, before turning around after realizing her mistake. “Oh wait, did you want me to take the tray? Or were you going to write some more?”

Nagoriyuki gazed downward.

“I shall hold on to it for now. Thank you very much for offering, though.” He smiled gently.

“Alrighty! I’ll probably stop by sometime before bed, but as always, call me if you need anything!” She returned to the doorframe, giving her patient one last look before departing. “Take care, Nago~!”

With that, she left.

_______________________________________

The dinner table was refined and well-decorated as always. Four of the five seats were already taken, their occupants halfway through their individual meals. Ky and Dizzy shared a meal of steak, potatoes, and vegetables, Ramlethal’s plate consisting of a stacked burger, and Sin’s plate… appeared more like a trash dump than a dinner serving, every kind of food imaginable sticking out from the mound. Elphelt’s prepared plate of pancakes and hot choclate remained untouched.

“Hey guys! Sorry I’m late, I lost track of time!” Elphelt hastened to the table, slightly out of breath.

“Oh, there you are. We were beginning to worry but we remembered your ‘duty’, and we didn’t wish to interrupt you”, Dizzy giggled to herself.

“Indeed. There’s no reason to apologize for coming late. How’s your patient doing, Ms. Valentine?” Ky joined in on his beloved’s tease.

“Whoa, you’re a nurse now? Or a doctor? Or a dentist?” Sin was curious as always, stuffing his face full of meat, fish, and ice cream. If there was one person on the planet who could outmatch Elphelt in seperate eating and talking contests, it was Sin. “Who’re wuh tawking about, anywuh?”

“We’re talking about our guest in the sick ward. His name’s Mr. Nagoriyuki”, Ramlethal answered, eating in a much more refined manner than her brother. “How was he, El?”

Elphelt pulled her chair out and sat down daintily.

“Oh, he was doing just fine. I brought him something to eat earlier and we just kinda…” She reflected on the events of the day. They ate breakfast, they laughed at crabs, they wrote poetry, they discussed their mistakes and flaws, they… exchanged nicknames… reassured each other… even… held hands. The caretaker’s cheeks turned beet red, realizing the enormous intimacy she had shared with her patient. Her voice shrank, a wide smile manifesting across her face. “…Just kinda hung out, I guess.”

Ramlethal noticed her sister’s color change immediately, a sly grin creeping onto her face. She shot Elphelt a devious look, their eyes locking. The two shared a near-telepathic understanding that Ramlethal was onto her. Thankfully for Elphelt, her sister remained quiet.

“That sounds wonderful, Elphelt. What specifically did you two get up to?”, Dizzy asked. The mother looked up from her dinner plate and noticed Elphelt’s quiet demeanor. “Oh goodness, are you alright? You seem a little red in the face.”

Between her sister’s and mother’s reactions, Elphelt realized that she must be broadcasting her embarrassment like a radio tower.

“Huh-!? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. We uhhh… did nothing, really! Just… talked, and… wrote some stuff.” She was desperately trying to avoid the word “poetry”. Given her lingering past obsessions, the members of the table were sure to mock or chastise her.

Ky spoke up first.

“Oh, writing? I never took that to be one of your hobbies”, he questioned.

“Yeah, it’s not really. It was Nago- I mean, MISTER Nago’s idea.” The caretaker was struggling to keep the two’s activities under wraps. “He wanted to write some stuff, so I brought him some paper, and eventually he asked me to help him with some of it.”

Ramlethal grinned again. She had noticed her sister’s slip and this time, she made her observation known to more than just Elphelt.

“’Nago’? Seems like the two of you are advancing your relationship rather quickly, El.” She looked at her sister, retaining her devilish smile. “Dropping the formalities after just one day… I wonder how much longer until we hear about the wedding plans.”

“WHA- It’s not like that!!”, Elphelt fussed, her defensive attitude not helping her case one bit. “We just… got along really well about some stuff, so we decided that he’ll call me Elphelt, and I’ll call him Nago. In fact, he asked me to call him that!!”

She said that as if it didn’t prove her sister’s point.

“Well now, that’s a surprise. I took him for more of a gentleman than that.” Ram was enjoying every tease she threw out, not realizing how cruel that last one was.

“Who’s to say he’s not a gentleman!?” Elphelt would usually laugh along with the others, but something about that particular jab rubbed her the wrong way. She was frustrated, angry even. She loved that nickname, and she wasn’t going to sit there and let her sister laugh at it, regardless of her intentions. “He’s kind, he’s patient, and he’s a genius at haikus! As a matter of fact, we wrote more than twenty together throughout the da-!”

She froze. Just like that, the cat was out of the bag.

“Wait, the two of you wrote poetry together?”, Dizzy asked. “Oh Elphelt, that sounds wonderful! Can you read us one now?”

“GAAHH!! EVERYONE FORGET I SAID ANYTHING!!” Elphelt’s frustration had turned to humiliation in an instant. In her haste to speak up for her patient, she had told everyone about their intimate activity. “YOU KNOW WHAT, I’M NOT HUNGRY ANYMORE!! GOODNIGHT, GUYS!!” She shot out of her seat and ran back down the hall, her meal still untouched.

The whole table was stunned by Elphelt’s extreme reaction, spare for Sin, who was too busy gorging himself to pay attention to the conversation.

“Wauit, whure’s she guing? Whuh haffuned?”

“I’m… not entirely sure, to be honest”, Ky chimed in.

“I thought romance was one of her favorite things. Did I misread something?” Dizzy was equally confused.

Ramlethal searched for words to say but found none. She looked down at her half-finished burger, feeling… guilty. She wasn’t seeking to embarrass her sister, at least not this much. She thought it was all in good fun.

“Actually, I don’t think I’m hungry anymore either.” Then, she too, left.

_______________________________________

Elphelt ran from the table, her heart pounding and head throbbing. She was overwhelmed by wave after wave of emotion: anger, frustration, embarrassment, self-consciousness. By the time she had run out of breath, she leaned against a wall, her back slowly sliding down the surface as she hid her face in her hands.

What was going on with her? She thought she’d been in love countless times before. Boy after boy, man after man, love at first sight after love after first sight. So why was he different? In fact, she hadn’t fallen for him like the others. She thought she overcame that part of her. It was only minutes ago, after she noticed their intimacy, that she first thought of real romance with the man.

It’s not like she didn’t want to grow closer to him… like she had said at the table, she admired him. He was cool, tall, polite, and muscular, but was a gentle giant too. Not to mention that he’s a vampire. In a lot of ways, he was the stereotypical manifestation of the “perfect fantasy man”. But she was scared. She had never managed to retain a relationship, spare for her engagement before her sleeper activation, and goodness knows she wouldn’t go back to that man; not after he left her like that. She was conflicted. Did she pursue her first real romance with her patient? Or did she not want to risk ruining this friendship she was building with him?

“Ah, geez…” Her hands slipped off of her face as she gazed upwards. “Ram’s never gonna let me live this down…”

“I don’t think that’s the case.” Speak of the devil; there she was.

“Oh-! Hey, Ram…” Elphelt shied away from her sister’s gaze, too embarrassed and upset to look her in the eye.

“El, I want you to look at me. I came to apologize.”

“…”

Ramlethal came closer and sat herself down, sitting opposite of Elphelt in the narrow hallway. She looked at her sister with conviction.

“Okay, you don’t have to look at me. But I do mean it when I say I want to tell you I’m sorry.”

“…I’m listening.”

“I know that I like to tease you, especially when it comes to your boy-obsessions. I also know it’s been a while since the last one, but I assumed this was gonna be the same thing as usual. You meet a guy, you instantly tell people ‘He’s the one’, and try to get them to sign your certificate, only for them to get freaked out and run away.”

Elphelt was quiet. Her sister was right; that was the usual series of events.

“Yeah…”

“However…” Ramlethal looked down in her lap. “That doesn’t mean it’s okay for me to treat you the way I did. And it’s not fair to Mr. Nagoriyuki either. So, I’m really sorry.”

Elphelt slowly started to turn her face towards her sister.

“I really do want to see you find the love you’re looking for. And I really hope that Mr. Nagoriyuki reciprocates your feelings. You do have feelings for him, no?” Ramlethal looked up and met Elphelt’s gaze. The caretaker was still embarrassed, immediately breaking their eye contact once she had realized they had established any.

“…I… think so.” She brought her knees up to her face, hugging her legs and peering down. “Every time I’ve seen a boy I liked, I assumed I could just go up and tell them that I love them, and that they’d immediately say the same to me. No pre-existing relationship, no introductions, no nothing.” She hesitated a moment before continuing. “But, today I’ve realized something.” Elphelt slowly looked up, her embarrassment dissipating. She remembered her conversation with her patient, discussing patience with oneself and avoiding self-blame. “If I’m gonna build a relationship, and I mean a really good one, I need to start by being patient. No more rushing into things; from now on, I’m gonna take things slow, appreciating the small moments and building towards something truly special.”

Ramlethal flashed a quaint, proud smile at hearing her sister’s motivated mindset.

“That sounds excellent. I really hope that works out for you, El.”

“Yeah. I’m gonna start with a friendship and be happy with that.” Elphelt looked up dreamily, hope in her eyes. “Then, maybe if I’m lucky, he… develops something for me too.”

“If you do what you just said you’re gonna do, then I’m sure things will turn out the way you hope.” Ramlethal stood up. “I take it you’re gonna spend some more time with him, considering our location.”

Elphelt looked around, realizing that she had instinctually ran towards the sick ward, not her room. Gosh, that’s embarrassing.

“Oh, I, uh… Yeah, I think so.” She stood up too, sliding up against the wall. “I just… have no idea where to start from here. It was one thing when he was just my patient, but now I’ve gotta put all these feelings on the backburner… what if I slip up and freak him out?”

“Well, the good news is that he rather literally cannot run away from you”, Ramlethal snickered.

“Ram!!” Elphelt scolded her sister, trying her best to conceal her own laughter.

“I know, I know. Sorry.” She tilted her head down, closing her eyes and smiling softly. “I’m afraid that you’re asking the wrong person for advice. For now, just go in and keep doing what you’ve already been doing, with some extra self-forgiveness for any mishaps. Maybe you can ask Dizzy for some advice tomorrow.”

Elphelt did some deep breaths.

“Yeah. You’re right. Okay… okay!” She lightly slapped her own face, amping herself up. “Alrighty! I’m gonna be the best friend and caretaker I can be. Then, when the time is right, I’ll see if I can tell him how I think I feel.”

Ram smiled at her sister again, turning away.

“Go get ‘em, El.”

“Yeah, I will!”

With that, Elphelt walked up to the door to the ward. One more deep breath.

“Just be open and honest, Elphelt. Be yourself! Learn more about him, talk about each other, forge a deeper bond. Romance can come later.”

She smiled as she knocked again and entered the white room.

“Hey, Nago!”

The samurai had been meditating, his eyes closed and hands forming a circle in his lap once again. He would usually be frustrated by interruption, but not from this visitor. He looked towards the door and felt his face contort into a gentle smile.

“Hello again, Ms. E-… Sorry, Elphelt. I trust you’ve had a pleasant evening?”

The caretaker approached, awkwardly rubbing the back of her head.

“Yeah… kinda. Didn’t really get up to much, just talked with Ram about some stuff.”

“I see. Well then, what is the occasion of your visit?”

Elphelt pretended to be taken aback by the question, clutching her chest and recoiling dramatically.

“Nago, you insult me!! Can a caretaker not visit her patient when concern wracks her mind?” She placed the back of her hand on her forehead, closing her eyes. “I’m so hurt…”

Nagoriyuki was not very perceptive to his caretaker’s ruse.

“Oh, I apologize! I was simply curious; I bore no ill intent. Please, forgive me.” He bowed as low as an upright-sitting paralyzed man could.

…A sight which was hilarious from Elphelt’s angle. He looked like an old man trying to touch his toes.

“Pahahaha! Nago, Nago, I’m kidding! Geez, now you’ve got me apologizing.” She dropped her act, sitting down on the same stool from before.

“Oh… I see.” The samurai peered down, humiliated by his overreaction.

“Now, now, don’t get so embarrassed. I was just tryna make you laugh, ‘kay?” Elphelt lowered her head under Nagoriyuki’s, peering into his eyes. “What do you say we write some more?”

“Ah, that sounds wonderful. I’m happy to see you enjoy them so much.” The samurai’s mood had shifted, excited to spend more time with his caretaker.

“I’m glad you introduced me to it!”, Elphelt nodded. She backed away from her patient’s face, leaning against the bedside wall. “I’ve got an idea for the first one, if you wanna hear it.”

“Of course I do. Please, speak your mind.”

She hesitated for a moment, then flashed a broad smile.

“Let’s write one about friendship.”

Chapter Text

The clock struck ten, the patient and caretaker avidly writing away. They smiled, laughed, joked around, and pondered words together. The two really did get along, more than either member had anticipated. The paper stack of poetry had grown and grown, until there were no pages left to add.

“Oh, whoops! That was our last bit of paper!”, Elphelt realized, the strain of the exercise finally setting in. “Uggghh, but maybe it’s for the best. I feel a wicked headache coming on…”

“Please, do not push yourself for the sake of keeping me company. If you feel the need to retire to your quarters, I urge you to do so. And don’t be concerned about fetching more paper-!” Nagoriyuki’s voiced tensed as he straightened his back, feeling the pain of maintaining the same pose for so many hours. "My body seems to be screaming at me to rest.”

“Yeah, same here. I think my butt’s numb…” His caretaker stood up, stretching. “I’ve really gotta find a better chair to use for next time.”

Nagoriyuki perked up.

“You intend on returning tomorrow, then?”

“Of course I do! I’m all yours before my concerts, remember?” She smiled passionately, overjoyed by her patient’s earnest question.

“Ah, yes. Very well, I shall look forward to tomorrow.” He set the stack of paper aside on the bedside table, placing the wooden lap try down next to the bed. Just before he could bid his caretaker goodnight, the samurai’s stomach growled. “Oh-! Please excuse me. I seem to be hungrier than I realized.”

“Oh wait, I never got you any dinner!!”, Elphelt exclaimed. “Gosh, what kind of caretaker forgets to feed her patient? What can I get you? Some more tomato juice? Some fruit? Maybe some steak? I’m sure we have some leftovers in the fridge I could heat up-” Her own stomach growled at the thought of food, her face petrified and shoulders slumping down in embarrassment. “…Now that I think about it, I didn’t eat much myself…”

Hearing this, an idea sprang into the samurai’s mind. It was selfish, sure, but any excuse to spend more time in his caretaker’s presence was a good one.

“It seems we’re both hungry then. Perhaps you could fix us both some food… and we could dine together?”

Elphelt immediately jumped on the idea, her ecstatic nature returning.

“Ommygosh that sounds awesome!! It’d be like a sleepover party!! Then, we could turn the lights low and tell stories… ooh, or maybe watch a movie!!”

“A ‘sleepover’?” Nagoriyuki questioned.

“Oh, it’s when a friend stays over at a friend’s house and they hang out and stuff!”

“Then why is it not simply called a ‘stayover’?”

“Well, cuz the friends all- ” Elphelt froze. They slept over. In the same room. In the dark. In any other context, it would be wholesome and fun. But she’d never heard of a sleepover between a boy and a girl, let alone one between two who weren’t… lovers. The more she thought about it, everything she had just listed sounded more like a date night than a sleepover between friends. The caretaker’s face filled with crimson self-consciousness. “UUMM ACTUALLY, HOW ABOUT I GRAB US SOME FOOD AND THAT’LL BE THE END OF IT? YEAH? AWESOME! OKAY, BE RIGHT BACK!”

With that, she darted out the room. Nagoriyuki was left alone again, wondering what just happened.

“Alright...?”

_______________________________________

Why was she running again? This was the second time today that her self-humiliation had caused her to sprint out of a room. Elphelt hastily made her way to the kitchen, running up and down the dim halls of the castle. Thankfully, the staff and other residents would be asleep by now; no one to witness her flushed face.

“Gaaaahh, why do I keep doing that!? I’ve really gotta work on my self-control…”, she mumbled to herself as she reached her destination. Oddly enough, she saw that the dinner table lamp was still on, emitting a soft, warm glow. Then, she heard an equally soft and warm voice come from her left side.

“Good evening, Elphelt. I see you’re up late too.”

It was Dizzy. She was hunched over the kitchen island in her navy nightgown, a warm cup of tea in hand.

“Oh-! Um, hey Ms. Dizzy… sorry, I didn’t see you there.” Elphelt regained her composure. “I’m just grabbing a midnight snack. What about you?”

“I was making some chamomile before bed. I wasn’t feeling quite ready to sleep yet”, Dizzy answered. “Now, you ran off in quite the hurry earlier. Are you sure you’re alright?” Her mother-figure stared at her inquisitively.

Elphelt weighed her options. Did she keep up the charade or be honest about her turmoil?

Ironically enough, she remembered her earlier conversation with Nago:

“I don’t know about your household, but in this one, we don’t keep secrets from each other.”

So, she decided to come clean.

“…You know what, no. I’m actually a bit of a mess right now.”

Her mother smiled compassionately, glad that Elphelt had opened up about her troubles.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Would you like a cup of tea as we discuss the matter?”

“Tea would be nice. You know how I like it.”

“With enough sugar to give you fifteen cavities, yes”, Dizzy laughed as she turned her back, pouring some of the remaining boiling water into an empty mug. “Please, talk to me about what’s bothering you.”

Elphelt sat down on one of the island’s highchairs, leaning her face on her propped-up arm. She sighed and braced for more embarrassment.

“You’ve probably guessed it already, but I’m starting to catch feelings for Mr. Nago”, she muttered.

Dizzy giggled.

“I had a feeling that was the case~! Tell me then, what’s the problem?”

“Well…” How could she say it plainly? “Every time I’ve tried to get with a boy, it’s been a disaster. I just really, really don’t want this time to be the same. I feel… different about him”, she sighed, her eyes downcast. “I didn’t fall for him at first sight. I just liked him, and that appreciation has grown the more I’ve gotten to know him. Now I think I’ve realized that I ‘like-like’ him.” She drew circles on the marble counter, pouting.

“Oh Elphelt, this is all sounding truly excellent. Forgive me, but I still don’t seem to see the trouble.” The queen finally turned around, passing her daughter her personalized cup of tea. “Could you explain?”

Her daughter took the mug in hand, blowing on her steaming drink.

“I… I’ve never felt exactly like this before. I’ve been love-sick, but the more I think about it, I don’t think I ever loved the boys I saw. I just loved the idea of becoming a wife.” She grew quiet. “But with Mr. Nago…”

“You think you’re finally falling for the individual and not just the idea, then?” Dizzy placed her hand on Elphelt’s. “And you’re afraid of how to go about these new feelings?”

Elphelt nodded, her eyes transfixed on her rippling reflection in her teacup.

“Ram told me that I should just try to be myself and take things slow, but it’s hard for me to stay patient with all these stupid feelings getting in the way. I keep getting embarrassed over nothing and then I don’t know what to do with myself…”

Dizzy looked at her conflicted companion with empathy.

“Well, I think acknowledging that Mr. Nagoriyuki is special is an excellent first step. From here, you just need to let your actions show what your heart says.”

“But what if he thinks I’m just being nice to him because I’m his caretaker? Or I mess up too much and he starts to not like me anymore?”, Elphelt asked, concerned.

“Then let him think that, at least for now. Work your way into his heart slowly, with small acts of labor, love, and care. If he’s as sharp as you make him out to be, he’ll pick up on your actions soon enough”, Dizzy smiled.

“I’m just scared that I’ll ruin things somehow…” Elphelt was still pouting, not looking up.

Her mother sighed as she prepared herself speak some harsh words to her daughter.

“Elphelt, I am going to pose you a question and I ask that you answer honestly.” She let go of her daugher’s hand, instead placing it under her chin and looking into her eyes. “Have you made any mistakes around Mr. Nagoriyuki yet?”

The caretaker looked away, reflecting. Yes, she had already caused plenty of accidents and mishaps around him.

“Yeah…”

“Don’t be ashamed, that’s not the point in me asking. What I want to know is how he reacted when you made those mistakes.”

Elphelt reflected again, this time on the aftermath of her accidents. Nago had been kind and patient, spare for the time she fell on top of him. But he was never angry. Rather, he had been understanding and didn’t yell at her or tell her to leave him alone. In fact, he had wanted her to stay with him.

“He… was nice about it. He never shouted at me or anything.” Her eyes were opening wider, her gloom disappearing. She was beginning to see what her mother was getting at.

“Is that so? Then, what’s the problem with you making more mistakes? Is he not going to be understanding then, too?” Dizzy had a smug smile on her face as she stepped back and sipped her tea.

“Yeah… yeah, he would be! Nago’s not one to be angry with mistakes. He’s patient… and gentle!” Elphelt sat up, her enthusiasm returning. “I can’t be afraid to make mistakes. I know that even when I slip up, he’s not gonna hate me.” She turned towards her mother. “Dizzy, I’m gonna learn how to love him the hard way!”

Dizzy thought back to her first days with Ky. She was secretly relating rather heavily to Elphelt’s current emotions.

“That’s excellent, dear. I’m glad to hear you say it.” She squeezed Elphelt’s hand softly, before returning to her drink. “Speaking of Mr. Nagoriyuki, I assume he’s doing well?”

“Oh yeah, he’s doing fine. He was starting to feel hungry though, that’s why-” Elphelt froze, remembering why she had come to the kitchen in the first place. “Aw, crap. That’s why I came to the kitchen… I forgot to bring him dinner earlier.” She looked towards the kitchen clock. “Oh wait, it’s only been ten minutes. Phew, I thought I’d been here for an hour or something-!”

“Was our conversation that boring then?”, Dizzy teased.

“You know that’s not what I meant!” Elphelt laughed along before hastily opening various cabinets and cupboards. “Do you know if we have anything that someone like Nago might like?”

“Well first off, I’m glad to see you’re feeling comfortable enough to drop the formalities around me”, her mother pointed out.

Elphelt’s face flared up again, but she kept her composure,

“Ah… it’s more like a slip of the tongue, haha.” Yes, it had been an accident to call him that, but her mother was right. She was comfortable using his nickname around her.

“I see”, Dizzy grinned. “Well, to answer your question, I kept your dinner pancakes in the fridge. There’s also some leftover meat from Ky and I’s meals. Most men love steak, so maybe he’d like some too.”

“Awesome! You’re the best, Ms. Dizzy!” Elphelt fetched the food from the fridge, placing the cold meat in the microwave. “How long should I set the timer for?”

“Try two minutes. That should be plenty; you’re just warming the steak, not cooking it.” Dizzy then tapped her hand on the island, beckoning her daughter. “Now come, finish your drink while we wait.”

“Oh, right.” Between the conversation about Nago and the search for suitable food, Elphelt had forgotten about her tea. She set the microwave going and hunched over the island next to Dizzy, leaning on her shoulder. The two were quiet a moment before Elphelt opened her mouth.

“Hey, can I ask you something real quick? I’ve been wondering about it for a while.”

Dizzy’s eyes were closed, sipping her chamomile.

“Of course, Elphelt. Ask away.”

“How long were you and Ky together before you… you know… had Sin?”

Dizzy nearly spat her drink out. The mother was caught off guard by the vulgar question, despite knowing that it came from a place of genuine curiosity.

“Oh goodness! Prepare me a bit more next time!” She was flustered, unsure of how to answer in a dignified manner. “Umm… It must’ve been… yes, right around our first year together.”

“Wow… do you think that Nago and I could do the same?” Elphelt’s enthusiasm for the concept of starting a family completely overshadowed just how crass she was being. “Assuming we get together, that is.”

“Elphelt dear, please spare me!” Dizzy felt her face growing warmer and warmer, trying to keep her smile on. “I’m not used to these sorts of conversations, but…” She sat her cup down, holding it between her hands. After some calm breaths, she had managed to regain a degree of her dignity. “…I think that, if you truly love each other, then yes; you should start a family together.”

“Awesome!! So you give me your blessing!?” Elphelt still hadn’t picked up on her embarrassing questions, probably for the better.

“Hold your horses, dear. I have one condition for you.”

Elphelt pasued, both excited and concerned.

“Yes?”

“You get married first. As I’m sure you remember, Ky and I still aren’t officially husband and wife. We got married in secret, with no one to witness our union.” Dizzy looked down at her cup. “It’s caused us a lot of trouble, especially for Ky. There was a time when he had lost all his strength, too ashamed to have had Sin outside of an honest relationship.”

Elphelt was listening intently, staring wide-eyed and sipping her drink.

“So, I don’t want you and your beloved, whoever that may be, to go through similar struggles. Get officially married, then you can fully start your lives together.” She locked eyes with her daughter. “Deal?”

“Yes ma’am!” Elphelt slammed her cup down, saluting. “I’ll make sure to be the best wife ever before I even think of having kids!”

Dizzy giggled, amused by her daughter’s antics. She felt this had been a nice night.

Just then, the microwave timer went off.

“Oh, perfect!” Elphelt grabbed the steak and put in on a plate, grabbing her own plate of pancakes and some silverware with her other hand. “Okay, I’m gonna go eat with Nago now. I’ve kept him waiting long enough-!”

“I hope you enjoy your midnight snack, dear. Thank you for keeping me company.” Dizzy flashed the excited caretaker a smile as she ran off.

The queen decided that it was time for bed. She finished her drink and headed towards her chambers where she found Ky, still awake. He was reading a book in bed amidst the dim lighting of the refined master bedroom, anticipating his beloved’s return.

“You’re still up?”

Ky looked up from his book, a smile spreading across his face upon seeing his queen.

“How could I ever sleep without my darling wife next to me?”, he flirted, placing his book away and lifting the covers for Dizzy to enter.

“You’re too sweet, dear.” She crawled in and cozied up to her husband as he shut off his lamp. The only remaining source of light was the moon that peered through the large window at the end of the room. It cast such a wonderful glow on Ky, highlighting his features as he put his arm around his beloved Dizzy. The king kissed his wife’s head as he rubbed her arm.

“I heard Elphelt just now. Was she doing alright?”

“She’s alright.” Dizzy responded, still humored by her daughter’s new aspirations. “Just some boy trouble.”

“Ah, I should have guessed”, the king laughed. “I am glad that we never had to go through that sort of phase ourselves.”

“Yes, except we have gone through plenty worse thanks to the nature of our relationship.” Dizzy turned solemn. “Necro had nearly killed you when we first met, not to mention all the secrecy regarding the taboo of our love.”

“I suppose that is true…” Ky matched his wife’s gloom, before perking back up. He didn’t want them to be sad as they went to bed. “But at least we were together through all of it, no?”

“That is also true”, Dizzy smiled at her husband. Then, she looked away, thinking in silence. After a minute of quiet, she spoke up again. “Ky, darling?”

“Yes, honey?” Ky peered down at her curious face.

“Do you think… that now could be the time? That is, for us to be officially recognized by the people?”

Ky was surprised by his wife’s question, but not in a bad way.

“I… am still not sure. What do you think?”

Dizzy thought back to her recent conversation. If Elphelt was going to go forth not being afraid to make mistakes, then she wasn’t going to be afraid either. She had made up her mind.

“Yes, I think now is as good a time as ever. The Chaos conflict is over, and the people have seen me for who I am.” She spoke with conviction, a determined smile painting her face. “Ky, I want to get married again. This time, for all to see. I want us to be the living proof that union between humanity and gears is possible.”

Ky couldn’t help but mimic her smile. His wife was so brave and kindhearted; he knew what he must do.

“Very well then, I believe an important question needs answering.” He moved his arm off of his wife and got out of bed, standing directly in front of the moonlit window. He fished through a drawer, picking out a pocket-sized black box. Then, he faced his beloved and got on one knee, offering out a beautiful sapphire ring. “Dizzy, my love. Will you take my hand in marriage once more, this time as Dizzy Kiske, Queen of the United Kingdom of Illyria?”

Dizzy was so moved by her husband that she entirely ignored the fact that he was in his embarrassing bedtime attire, the same one that Nagoriyuki had seen the night before.

“Ky, honey-! Yes, yes, I will!” She got out of bed too, running over and throwing her arms around her husband. She offered out her hand, Ky gently taking it and sliding the ring on to the appropriate finger. Dizzy could hardly believe he was this prepared to propose again. “Goodness, I didn’t expect you to have a ring ready!”

Ky kissed her hand before looking up at her.

“I didn’t expect you to be so ready to wear it”, he teased. Then, he stood up and gently placed his hand on his beloved’s cheek, looking at her through half-lidded eyes. “You know, the moonlight really does wonders to you; I didn’t think you could get any more beautiful.”

Dizzy closed her eyes and leaned into her new fiancée’s hand, cherishing its warmth.

“Ky, I love you so.”

“I love you too, Dizzy.”

The monarch raised his wife’s chin, a moment’s pause before the two shared a passionate, gentle kiss. It was slow and tender, each member enjoying the other’s taste to the fullest; both found it difficult to pull away. When they finally did, the two were equally red in the face.

“Oh goodness”, Dizzy spoke up, her heart pounding. She caught her breath for a minute, then glanced expectantly at the monarch. “…I’m more than awake now. How on earth are we supposed to go to sleep?”

Ky smiled, fully aware that she knew the answer to her own question.

“Perhaps… we simply cannot.”

The two looked at each other with a gaze that can only be described as true love as they walked back to bed, hand in hand. Moonlight continued to pour into the room as the two relished each other’s company…

Chapter Text

The morning sun had come once more, this time with no midnight disturbances orchestrated by a cerulean demon. Nagoriyuki was fast asleep, lying upturned in his bed. He had enjoyed a wonderful night with Elphelt once she returned with their food, the two discussing all sorts of things before parting. The steak she had served him was not necessarily of quality, but it had been so long since the samurai indulged himself in the course that he scarcely noticed.

Elphelt had enjoyed her night too; her talk with Dizzy had helped ground her. She hadn’t freaked out over anything silly and didn’t run away when she felt a little warm in the face. Even when she nearly spilled maple syrup on Nagoriyuki’s bed, she just apologized politely and moved on; no need to dwell on the accident. Instead, she would learn from her mistake, like her patient had advised her to.

Warm light filled Elphelt’s room as she awoke. She stretched and let out a happy sigh; She had slept well, excited and ready to share another day with her patient. She went about her morning routine of dressing herself, brushing her teeth (which she was surprisingly adamant about), and applying her usual makeup. Once she was done, her first thought was of Nagoriyuki. What might he like for breakfast?

Elphelt left her room, giddy and prepared for the day. She knew it was earlier than most others would be awake by, so she made sure to close her door softly. As the caretaker made her way to the kitchen to prepare her morning meal, she was surprised to not only see Dizzy, but also Ky. The two were standing around the kitchen island, unkempt and dressed in their bedwear, sharing the classic married-couple-breakfast of coffee and oatmeal.

“G’morning! Whatcha guys doing up so early?”

The two hadn’t noticed Elphelt’s presence until she spoke up. They appeared to be preoccupied looking at a holographic computer screen.

“Oh, good morning Elphelt. We should’ve guessed you’d be awake by now, sorry we didn’t prepare you anything to serve to your patient.” Ky looked a little groggy but had his usual, polite attitude.

Dizzy on the other hand, showed no signs of exhaustion. She turned towards Elphelt, smiling softly.

“Good morning, dear. I trust you had a pleasant evening with your Nago?”

“Dizzyyyy-! No nicknames around Ky! Also, he’s not mine yet!” Elphelt was pouting.

“Ah right, my mistake~”, the queen giggled. Elphelt was fairly certain that she had slipped up on purpose.

Ky was still half-sleep, ignoring the women’s odd exchange.

“To answer your question…” He sipped his coffee before continuing. “…Actually, no, I’m going to make you guess. What do you think we’re doing?” The king flashed Elphelt a sleepy grin, placing his hand on Dizzy’s shoulder.

“Uhhhhh… okay, okay, give me a hint.”

The couple smiled at each other before Dizzy raised her left hand. Her ring finger carried a shiny blue glow to it, instantly tipping Elphelt off. Her eyes widened until they could widen no more.

“Is that…? Wait, really!? For real!? You’re finally getting officially married!?”

The two laughed, pleased that their first witness was so approving.

“Yes, dear… Ky and I are planning our public wedding. Of course, the people know we are king and queen, but this time, the marriage shall be celebrated as one between a human and a gear”, Dizzy smiled.

“You guys-!!” Elphelt ran towards the two, tearing up and encompassing them in a bear hug. “I’m so so SO happy for you!! When’s it gonna be? And where’s the venue? Oh, and what should I wear!? Are you looking for color coordination!? Who’s gonna be invited!?”

Ky chuckled, patting Elphelt’s back as she let go of the two.

“Well, we don’t have all that info yet, hence why we’re working on it now. But, knowing all of our connections and influence, we’re going to see if we can plan it for the day after tomorrow.”

“Wait, in TWO DAYS!?” Elphelt was shocked, but not in a bad way. In fact, her excitement only grew. “HOLY CRAP!! Oh man, this is all happening so fast-!!” She was rapidly pacing in a circle as her hands gripped the sides of her head. Her mind was spinning from the reveal.

Seeing her dazed state, Dizzy spoke up in an attempt to calm her excited daughter.

“Well, we’ve been consulting and surveying the kingdom’s events. Given how many people would be in town thanks to other occasions, such as the upcoming freedom summit and continued mourning of Frederick’s ‘passing’, we found it best to hold the ceremony as soon as possible. After all, this wedding is more of a public statement than a union between Ky and I; in my heart, we have already been a true couple for years now.” Dizzy looked warmly towards her husband, holding his hand. “The more people there are to witness the event in person, the better.”

“Oooooohhhhh…” Elphelt was beginning to connect the dots. “Okay, so it’s not gonna be some sort of all-out wedding with a ceremony and reception?”

“Well, there is going to be both a ceremony and reception, yes. But the event as a whole is going to function less as a wedding, and more as a political gathering”, Ky answered. “After all, that is the primary objective: to show co-existence between humanity and gears.”

Something in Elphelt’s heart drooped at hearing that, disappointed. Sure, she understood what the couple was going for, but the way they made it sound was so… empty, lacking romance. Man, politics stink. But if this wedding meant that the royal couple could finally relinquish their hidden burden, then she was here for it.

“Gotcha, gotcha. Okay, well is there anything I can do to help with the planning?”

Dizzy flashed her a compassionate smile, cocking her head to one side.

“Thank you dear, but we don’t have anything for you right now. And do not worry about the color of your attire; anything formal will do.”

“Alright, but still! If anything changes and I can help, lemme know!” Elphelt shook her hands up and down, excitedly. “Gaaaah, I’m just so happy for you guys!!”

The couple smiled before Ky spoke up.

“Thank you Elphelt. Now, I hope you’ll answer the same question you posed us: what’re you doing up so early? It’s only half-past six.”

Elphelt remembered her reason her coming to the kitchen. I’ve really gotta stop getting caught up in other things. Her excited tone shifted to a more humble one, her face growing slightly pinker.

“Oh, uhh… you know what, you gotta guess too! It’s only fair!”

The two laughed at Elphelt’s demand.

“Haha, very well, very well.” Ky scratched his head. “Hmmmm… any ideas, honey?”

Dizzy smirked, her gaze aimed towards her daughter.

“Oh, I think I’ve got a few~”

That sentence alone managed to turn Elphelt’s face crimson, subsequently clueing Ky in on what was going on.

“Ah, of course! I imagine Elphelt here must be fetching Mr. Nagoriyuki some breakfast?”

“Right on the money…” Elphelt mumbled as she turned away, embarrassed.

The royal couple laughed again, but not in a cruel manner. They were merely happy parental figures, watching their daughter take responsibility and initiative for her patient. They were proud seeing the woman she was becoming, especially in just the last two days.

“Alright dear, we won’t pry anymore. We need to get back to our planning”, the queen expressed.

“Oh right. Okay, I’ll leave you guys to it!” Elphelt grabbed some berries and pancake mix, heading to the stove. “I’ll be over here. Lemme know if you guys want a second opinion on anything!”

And so, the trio’s morning went on, full of smiles and excitement for the future…

_______________________________________

Nagoriyuki was sitting up in his bed, awake and well-rested. He looked at the clock on the wall: half-past seven. Yesterday, she was here nearly thirty minutes ago. The samurai could only wonder why his caretaker hadn’t arrived yet. Her absence highlighted the bland atmosphere of his room; it was white and empty, every surface shining and clean. For a room that was intended to save people and keep them alive, it feels more like a well-polished grave.

The samurai felt a boredom arise within. He had no paper, pen, or lap desk to write with, and he couldn’t bring himself to fall back asleep. So, he did what he always did in an unoccupied moment: meditated.

He straightened his back and formed a circle with his hands again, reflecting on everything that had happened in the last two days. He had met the Illyrian royalty, learned of his condition, befriended Elphelt, written with Elphelt, eaten with Elphelt…

He really had spent most waking moments with her by his side. Furthermore, he had enjoyed their time together. She was a nice girl, with a caring heart and a beautiful physique. Her spiraling eyes were big and blue, her hair short and fluffy. And her smile was as bright as the midday sun…

Nagoriyuki caught himself, wondering what could possibly have placed these thoughts inside his mind. He opened his eyes, shocked at his own ideas. What on earth was he thinking!? Granted, he had found favor in her appearance, as well as her character. But was this really love…? Or just merely friendship?

He couldn’t understand these feelings. Instead, the samurai opted to distract himself and think of other things; such as Chaos’ “visit”. He remembered his tormentor’s last words from that night:

“’What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.’ Sound familiar?”

Nagoriyuki had not fully grasped what he was referring to. In what way did that quote remind the demon of him? The samurai thought and thought, unsure of the answer.

Then it came to him.

The demon thinks his ex-slave is unable to develop and change. He thinks of us as a killing machine to be used and claims that we can never discard that war-driven part of ourself. A monster’s previous nature will always be a part of them, and they will eventually fall back into it, no matter how much they try to convince themselves to change.

Nagoriyuki cast his gaze downward. Was this true? In his countless years of life, he had never been in a situation such as his current one, where he had tried to start anew without conflict. He was used to enslavement, war, duty, war, imprisonment, war. Was this moment in time just another part of the cycle before returning to bloodshed?

He hated the thought, dreaded it. He wanted peace, freedom, calm. He wanted a partner, someone to love and love him in return. Then, Nagoriyuki paused.

Maybe… she could be that partner. She was both kind and doting. Furthermore, she had a certain air of passion and responsibility when around him. But was this simply due to her self-assigned role as caretaker?

The samurai caught himself again, realizing that he had yet to ask Elphelt why she had decided to care for him.

What drove her? Was it pity for his condition? Or maybe curiosity to learn more about his vampiric nature? No, that couldn’t be it; she would have asked more about it by now. Maybe she feels guilty over a similar past experience and is seeking redemption? But regardless... this feeling, the one that made his chest grow tight and accelerated his blood flow… it had to be love. It had to be. There was no other reasonable answer.

The samurai thought, pondering the idea of living a life alongside Elphelt… It didn’t take long for him to make a decision after that. He was still unsure about it but felt that he would regret his choice if he didn’t pursue this suspicion; he was going to discover if Elphelt loved him, and if he was to do that, he had to believe that he loved her in return.

Perhaps this burning feeling wasn’t love; after all, it was an entirely new feeling to the samurai. But whatever it was, it made him want to stay by her side for as long as he could. And to the samurai, that was love.

Nagoriyuki was unsure what to feel. Happy? Motivated? Embarrassed? Thoughts swirled and spun around in his mind, methodically occupying every corner of his mind; so much so, that he hadn’t heard the knock at the door. Instead, it creaked open, Elphelt walking in carrying breakfast pancakes for two.

“Uhhh… hello, Nago? Did you hear me?”

The samurai looked up, surprised.

“Ah, Elphelt-!” He was caught off guard, but his tone quickly shifted. His next objective was to find out why she wants to care for him so badly. “Good morning. I am sorry, I was lost in thought; I didn’t hear you come in.”

He was slightly red in the face, his new feelings repeatedly washing over him as he laid eyes on her. He saw her differently, appreciating every aspect of her. But he could not let her know of his decision. Not yet.

“Don’t worry! Just wanted to make sure you weren’t asleep. I made us some breakfast!”

She set the tray down in her patient’s lap before passing him a plate of two stacked pancakes, the top layer decorated with berries and a drizzle of maple syrup. The samurai smiled.

“This looks rather nice. You prepared this yourself?”

“Yeah!” Elphelt was cheerful, proud of her accomplishment. It was nothing grand, but it was enough to please her patient, and that was enough for her. She sat down on the familiar stool next to his bed, forgetting to have fetched a new piece of furniture. “I’m sorry I came later today, I got caught up in a conversation with Ky and Dizzy.”

“You’re quite alright. Do they typically start their day this early? I imagined that the two would be in bed until right around now”, Nagoriyuki asked, cutting into his breakfast.

Elphelt’s smiled widened as she instinctually peered around the room to check for eavesdroppers. She leaned in closer to her patient, neither member bothered by their close proximity.

“Okay, so you know how the two are married as king and queen of Illyria? Well, I’m not sure if you heard, but the world only recently found out that Dizzy was a gear. So, the two are getting married again, this time in public, as proof of unity between humans and gears!! It’s gonna be so great!!”

“Oh, are they now?” Nagoriyuki found himself unable to match his caretaker’s level of excitement, mostly due to his lack of knowledge surrounding the geo-political human-gear conflict of the modern era. “That sounds like a wonderful occasion; I am happy for them.”

Nagoriyuki maintained his smile, but some part of him felt envious. Another couple that had seen great conflict, finding happiness in another and purpose alongside their partner. He cursed his injury; if he wasn’t stuck here, he could do the same! He could start his new life as a human, together with-

He froze.

Wait. What if this injury had never happened? That way, he would never have been carried to Illyria castle, he would never have met Elphelt, and he would never have shared these blissful moments with his caretaker, let alone discovered these alleged feelings for her. Perhaps…the injury was a blessing in disguise.

Elphelt saw her patient’s mind begin to wander again as he peered down.

“Are you alright, Nago? You seem a little off today.”

Her voice snapped the samurai out of his daze.

“Ah-! No, I am quite alright. My apologies for making you worry. I was just… thinking about some things that have dwelled on my mind as of late.”

“Ooh, like what? Maybe I can help!” The caretaker leaned her arms on his bedframe, cupping her cheeks in her hands and looking at him expectantly.

Nagoriyuki hesitated. Was now the time? So soon?

But… what if his question confuses her? Or worse yet, he tells her what he thinks he’s feeling, and she’s repulsed? No, he can’t bear to imagine that. But if he didn’t speak his mind now, when would he…?

The samurai grit his teeth as he set down his silverware, turning towards Elphelt.

“I have been wondering… why did you choose to care for me?” His eyes were determined, despite his doubts and concerns running rampant inside. “No one asked you to; it is an entirely self-imposed task.”

Elphelt was quiet a moment, surprised by her patient’s forward attitude. She wasn’t flustered, but she was stunned.

“Oh, um…” She struggled to find the right words, not wanting to give away her internal feelings. She was still worried about scaring him away; she didn’t think they were close enough to tell him of her affection. They had only known each other for two days, after all.

“Well…” The caretaker was unsure of when to start, averting her eyes. “…When I first saw you… No, let me step back. When Ky contacted me to help an injured man, I couldn’t understand why he would choose to send someone like me instead of a medical team. But he said it was an emergency and that I was the fastest available option, so I went anyway.” She looked up towards her patient. “That’s when I first saw you. You were lying on the ground, bloodied and hardly breathing, but you… had this expression on your face.” Elphelt’s face held a small, soft smile. “It was peaceful.”

Nagoriyuki listened, unsure of where his caretaker’s answer was going.

“So, I took you here, where Ram helped me clean you up and run you through some medical scans. You were still unconscious, but you had the same expression on your face the whole time. And the more I looked at you…” Elphelt paused.

“…Yes?” He had to hear what she was trying to say.

“…I’m not really sure what I felt. It might’ve been pity, or curiosity, or maybe some other thing I can’t think of, but whatever it was… I couldn’t bring myself to leave you. I came here three times a day to see if you had woken up yet; and on the sixth day, you finally did.”

Nagoriyuki was moved. His caretaker had been overseeing him far longer than he had imagined. That whole time he spent in his mind, she had spent ensuring his safety. But something still didn’t sit right with him.

“…You really have no reason to give?” The samurai desperately wanted to hear those words from her, those endearing, magical words he had never heard before. Did she perhaps feel the way he hoped she did? Could she be his partner?

“Oh, I mean… I don’t think so.” Elphelt had snapped out of her feelings, almost taken aback by her patient’s unintentionally crass question. “I know there’s a reason inside, I just… can’t seem to put my finger on it. Maybe we can just chalk it up to fate for now!”, she laughed, attempting to lighten the tense mood.

Nagoriyuki turned away, somewhat disappointed with her answer. But something inside him held out hope. Maybe, just maybe, he could bring out that elusive reason. He would work hard, bonding with his caretaker in any way he could. Then, one day, he would have his answer.

“Yes, let’s.” He laughed back, hiding his conflicted feelings. “I am sorry for my questions, I… am not entirely sure why they’ve lingered in my mind.”

“Well, maybe it was just bothering you that I never told you the other day, so it just stuck with you!” Elphelt was smiling, but her instincts were telling her that there was some greater meaning behind the samurai’s words. Unfortunately, she knew that now was not the time, and furthermore, she didn’t think she had the bravery to pry.

Not yet. Patience, remember? Despite those feelings, something inside her, too, held onto a faint hope. One that told her that she could bring out what her patient wasn’t telling her; that she could be the first to truly bond with the samurai named Nagoriyuki. This was the second time she had known that he was withholding something from her. She wanted him to able to trust her, to trust her with absolutely anything. And if she was lucky… his hidden feelings were love.

The pair sat in silence for a moment, each member making the inner decision to truly bond with the other, in a way that no one else had. They were going to become closer than friends, both seeking to get the other to reciprocate their inner desires for partnership. Of course, neither of the two knew exactly what was going through the others’ mind. But that didn’t matter; they unknowingly shared a thought.

I’m going to do my best to prove my favor to you, bonding with you in any way I can. And one day, you’ll ask why I did any of it, and I’ll have the strength to tell you:

“Because I love you.”

The air was gentle and full of determination. The two smiled softly at each other, not realizing that they were both staring, each lost in the sea of the others’ light blue eyes. That is, until Nagoriyuki’s face suddenly turned stern.

He now faced a question of much greater consequence. One he needed to ask Elphelt, one he simply could not go on living without asking. It was life or death.

“If I may, I have another request.”

Elphelt was nervous, wondering what his next question would be. Could it be any more serious than the one he had just asked?

“…Yes, Nago?”

“I… have not used a lavatory in two days…”

Elphelt’s train of thought had once again been entirely derailed, her face flushing with panicked guilt setting in.

“Oh, crap!! Hold on, I’ll go get a wheelchair! Stay strong, Nago-!!”

…

Chapter Text

After the panic of a long-overdue restroom break, the pair had returned to the ward. Luckily for Nagoriyuki, his body had already managed to regain control of the required muscle groups to “meet his needs”. At least there was some good news; at this rate, he would be back on his feet in no time.

Elphelt wheeled him in through the door, still feeling bad for forgetting to have asked him about such a basic need.

“Again, I’m so sorry…” Her face drooped as she pushed the wheelchair near the bed.

“It’s quite alright, really. If anything, I should have used the ringer you left me a long time ago.” Nagoriyuki was embarrassed too. The topic wasn’t exactly an exciting activity to discuss, especially with someone you are secretly trying to woo.

“If you say so… Anyways, let’s get you back into bed. You ready?” She held her arms out in a scooping position.

“Yes, thank you.”

In one clean movement, Elphelt picked Nagoriyuki up as if it was nothing. Safe to say, the samurai had been surprised by her impressive strength; one would not guess she possessed such power based on her figure. She gently laid him down, making sure to be extra careful with his lower section.

“There we go. You feeling alright? Everything comfortable?”, the caretaker questioned. She had to make sure everything was A-OK, especially after her previous embarrassment.

“Yes, everything is just fine. Thank you again.” Nagoriyuki’s face bore a hint of crimson. He could scarcely remember the last time that anyone had picked him up; he possessed an abnormally large figure after all.

“You sure? Your face looks a little red.”

“Aha, well… I suppose I was not expecting that you were able to pick me up. It is… an odd experience.”

Elphelt’s intrusive thoughts got the best of her as she let out a devious snicker. She couldn’t stop herself from saying what she did next.

“Oh, what, you embarrassed that I swept you off your feet?”

She froze, realization washing over her.

WHY ON EARTH DID SHE SAY THAT!?

She was screaming internally as looked towards her patient, observing his reaction to her terrible tease. …He was certainly redder, and he looked like he was struggling to make eye contact.

Waitaminute, did that get him worked up!? Really!?

“That… was absolutely terrible. I’m so sorry-!”, she laughed, trying to ignore the impact it had left on her patient.

“No, no, I understand that was a jest.” Nagoriyuki was trying his best to keep his composure. This woman was the most spontaneous and frustratingly wonderful creature he had ever met. How could she say that so casually!?

The two changed the topic, discussing various things. Elphelt eventually got more paper and pen, the two writing song lyrics and haikus again as the hours went by. Before they knew it, the day had passed, and it was dinner time.

Elphelt left and dined with her family, debriefing them on Mr. Nagoriyuki’s condition. Her patient had managed to move at least some portion of his lower body, though she didn’t mention what part specifically to spare his dignity.

After a lively dinner, Elphelt prepared some more leftovers to bring to Nagoriyuki.Some more song writing and wordplay, and it was time for bed.

“Maaaaan, I’ve really gotta remember to get another chair for next time-! My butt is all kinds of sore again…” Elpehlt stood, stretching.

“You managed to pace around the room, improvise a dance to a song you had just come up with, sprawl yourself out in all kinds of odd positions, and you still managed to make your backside the sorest part of your body?”, Nagoriyuki laughed. “That is quite the talent.”

“Heeyy-!” Elphelt had half a mind to smack her patient’s shoulder.

Throughout the span of the day, the two had become far more comfortable within each other’s personal space. Every time the opportunity arose, one would get just a little closer to the other: whether that was leaning on his bedframe while gazing at his handwriting or allowing her onto the lower part of the bed while she thought out loud, the two were overjoyed to see tangible fruits of their bonding, especially so soon. Still, neither member knew of the other’s affection; but their own affections had only grown.

“Anyway, I think I should head to bed now. It’s almost midnight~…”, Elphelt yawned. “Thanks for today, Nago. I really appreciate you helping me write my music!”

The samurai was equally exhausted, but he did a far better job at hiding it. He wanted his caretaker to stay until she couldn’t bear to stay awake any longer, no matter how tired he himself was.

“Likewise. It is nice of you to help me write haiku. I hope you have not grown bored of the exercise yet.”

Elphelt had since reached the doorframe, where she spun around to answer.

“Do you really think I’d sit and do the same thing over and over again if I didn’t like it?”, she poked.

Perhaps it was her exhaustion, but something inside her felt a little… risky.

“And actually, you’ve got something wrong, Mr. patient.”

“What might that be?” He had an amused smile on his face, assuming his caretaker was just throwing out yet another joke.

Elphelt grinned wide before she gave her answer.

“It’s not really about the haiku. It’s who I’m doing it with that makes it so fun. Anyway, goodnight~!”

With that, she spun around again and left, switching the light off. Nagoriyuki was left sitting there, stunned.

So she really did favor him over the activity! That had to be a good sign.

He chuckled quietly as he lied down, folding his hands over his abdomen. He gazed upwards and muttered to himself as he drifted off to sleep…

“I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow, Elphelt.”

_______________________________________

The night had come and gone, once again without disturbance. However, as Nagoriyuki awoke at his usual time, he came to a disappointing realization.

Today is the day that she begins her concert performances. She would be too busy to spend the day with him, maybe not even be available to visit.

He thought of how boring his day would be without her beside him. Who would bring him food and drink? Worse, he couldn’t stand the thought of having Ramlethal, or God forbid, Ky, help him to the restroom… Today was truly going to be terrible. The samurai hadn’t realized how much he had grown to depend on his caretaker throughout the day.

“Damn it…” Nagoriyuki was frustrated. He tried to lay still and fall back asleep, but he was too bothered to manage. Not even meditation seemed appealing right now. All he really wanted was to spend more time with her. It didn’t matter if they were writing, talking, or eating. He just wanted her there with him.

Luckily for the samurai, his door swung open right then.

“G’morning Nago! How’re you feeling today?”

It was… Elphelt? This time, however, she wasn’t wearing her usual grey and red outfit. Instead, she wore a much more… flashy attire. Instead of her buttoned long sleeve top and knee-length skirt, she wore a white and notably shorter skirt with pink frills at the bottom, paired with a pink studded jacket and equally studded thigh-highs. In fact, almost every part of her bright pink outfit had some form of studs on it: her hairband, her choker and wrist cuffs, even the front of her high heels. It was a new look, one that the samurai enjoyed but was not at all prepared for.

His caretaker’s stunning outfit aside, he was confused that she was there at all.

“Oh-!” She hadn’t knocked this time, but that didn’t bother him. “Good morning. I am well, I do not feel any different than yesterday. But… I thought today was when your performances began?”

Elphelt was beaming as she approached, wagging her finger at her patient.

“You would be correct, good sir! But remember how the king and queen are having their public wedding? That’s tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow-!?”, the samurai sputtered. “That was certainly a quick decision. From what I know, I thought marriages typically take much longer to prepare.” Throughout Nagoriyuki’s many years on this earth, learning about weddings and other romantic events was never very high on his priority list. “Does that mean that you canceled your shows in favor of the wedding?”

“Don’t underestimate the influence of the first king of Illyria~! And yeah, at least my shows for this next week. I’ve still got a few booked for next month though!” Elphelt sounded excited but had a pained expression on her face. “It was a tough choice, but I want anyone who would go to my concert to go to the wedding instead. Ky and Dizzy are trying to get as many people to attend as possible, and I wanted to help somehow!”

“I see. That’s very selfless of you, Elphelt.” The samurai was proud of his caretaker. She has her childlike tendencies, sure, but she was also responsible and humble. Furthermore, she always sought to put others before herself; and for that, he admired her. Nagoriyuki looked her up and down, slightly flustered at the radical outfit change. “I understand that this is your concert attire, then?”

“Correct again, Mr. patient!” She puffed out her chest and smiled proudly, before spinning around and flaunting the frilly dress. “Designed the whole thing all by myself! How d’ya like it~?”

Nagoriyuki was struggling to find the proper words. He didn’t want to respond meekly and come off as flustered by it, nor did he wish to overcompliment it and sound like some sort of pervert.

“…It looks good on you. I could scarcely imagine anyone else wearing it.”

“Oho, so you like girls wearing rocker attire? Didn’t think this was your kinda fashion!” Elphelt got closer, playfully interrogating the samurai.

“I-! Elphelt, you know well that was not what I intended for you to think”, he grinned. If he wasn’t red in the face before, he certainly was now.

She laughed and backed away.

“I know, I know, sorry~! You’re just-“ She stopped herself.

You’re just really cute when you’re flustered.

“…just fun to mess with.” It took some restraint to keep her tongue from slipping again. That was a close call; no matter how much back and forth teasing they had done as of recent, she still couldn’t bring herself to say something like that. Not yet anyway.

The samurai joked back.

“It’s rather cruel of you to mock a bedridden man. What kind of caretaker are you, anyway?”

“Hey-!” Now she had grown red too. “That was meaaannn…”, she pouted, planting herself onto her stool and crossing both arms and legs in frustration.

The samurai laughed at his embarrassed caretaker’s attitude.

“Ahaha, I apologize, really. I was only trying to match your own mockery.”

“Alright, alright, you’re forgiven. But you’re walking on eggshells, mister bedridden samurai. One more tease like that, and you’re not getting any breakfast.”

“Very well. I suppose I must remain quiet for the entire day then, lest I slip up.”

“Wait, what’s that supposed to mean!?”

The two laughed together, cherishing each other’s company. Elphelt eventually left and brought back more pancakes for the two to share, enjoying yet another meal together. Both thought their mealtimes were becoming a nice routine.

…

Nagoriyuki swallowed his last bite, setting his plate and silverware on the bedside table.

“You know, I had never really enjoyed pancakes until now. Perhaps I simply had not experienced any of proper quality before.”

“Oh c’mon, these are nothing! If you think I make some good pancakes, I’ve got a slew of breakfast spots to take you to that’ll blow. Your. Mind.” Elphelt was almost done with her own food, having taken much longer to eat as she had steered the majority of the pair’s mealtime conversation. “Actually, now that we’re talking about food, what do you think your favorite is?”

The samurai had an immediate answer ready.

“Onigiri, by a long shot.”

“I donh fink I know fhat one-!” Elphelt was cramming the last of her pancake into her mouth, struggling to get her words out.

“Please don’t choke. I don’t want you ending up in a hospital bed next to me”, Nagoriyuki chuckled. “Onigiri is an old eastern dish. It is a rice ball wrapped in dried seaweed, and is often filled with various other foods, such as fish or vegetables. I can simply not recommend it enough; I personally believe it to be the perfect food.”

Elphelt finished her pancake, exhaling a proud and satiated breath.

“That sounds tasty! But what makes it the ‘perfect food’?”

“I am glad you asked! First off, the vitamins and nutrients found within are extraordinarily vast and healthy. Second, one doesn’t require any silverware to eat it, so you can enjoy it whenever you’d like. Third, it is easy to carry with you, thanks to its small, compact shape. Fourth, one can customize the filling to suit whatever craving you may be experiencing-…”

His passion and knowledge for the food seemed limitless. Once he got to point twelve, Elphelt couldn’t retain any more information.

“Okay, okay, Nago! That’s all awesome, I just… can’t really keep all of those facts in my head.”

Nagoriyuki caught himself, not realizing just how carried away he had gotten.

“Ah-! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to go so overboard”, he laughed sheepishly. “Perhaps you would like to gush about your favorite food too?”

“Oh man, don’t do this to me! I don’t know if I can say that I have a favorite, there’s so many good treats out there-!” She leaned back in her stool and gazed upward, trying to think. “Okay okay, what I will say is that it has to be sweet. I like salty and savory foods too, don’t get me wrong. But to me, nothing’s better than coming home after a concert or long day and settling down with some cookies and cake!”

“So, pancakes are merely the breakfast version of these treats?” Nagoriyuki smiled.

“Well, I mean, yeah! Heck, it’s got ‘cake’ in its name!”

The two laughed before the samurai spoke up.

“I’ve been meaning to ask something. What inspired you to start a band?”

Elphelt’s smile widened.

“Oh, lots of things! Mostly because I want to be able to reach a vast number of people and make them feel special, but also because it’s a good emotional release for me.”

“Emotional release?”

“Yeah, just like how you have your haiku! Like, when you write a tragic poem, you feel a little better, right? As if you’ve taken a burden off?”

Nagoriyuki reflected on his writings.

“Yes, that is true. But from what I can tell regarding your lyrics, your songs are happy and about love. How is that an emotional release?”

Elphelt scratched the back of her head nervously.

“Welllllll… it’s more about how I sing those lyrics that helps relieve stress.”

The samurai looked confused. He lightly cocked his head to the side and furrowed his brow inquisitively.

“Ugh, it’s a little embarrassing but… okay, have you ever heard any death metal?”

“…I am unfamiliar with the genre.” Nagoriyuki had always appreciated the art of music, but had been in hibernation for many, many years. Even classic rock artists like Elvis Presley and Queen were new names to him.

“Yeah, I thought so. It doesn’t really seem like your type of music…” His caretaker laughed, embarrassed. “It’s pretty heavy, with lots of screaming.”

“Screaming!? I cannot imagine that sounds very pleasant”, the samurai blurted out, not realizing how hurtful his words were.

Ouch.

Elphelt tried not to show her upset, peering down and clutching her skirt.

“Oh, uh… yeah, it’s more about bonding with the words that the artist is singing and feeling the emotional atmosphere.”

“How odd. I am most used to music that is serene and beautiful, but this sounds interesting too.”

Was he implying that her music wasn’t beautiful…? She knew that he didn’t realize that he was hurting her, but that didn’t soothe the pain.

“…yeah.” Her gloom was now fully apparent as she stood up. “Hey, can I take your tray? I’m sorry to leave but… something’s come up.”

Nagoriyuki was surprised. He hadn’t noticed her receive any messages or notifications.

“Oh, I see. If I may, what is i-“

“The tray, Nago.”

He froze. He had clearly done something wrong but couldn’t figure out what. He remained silent as he passed his caretaker his lap desk.

“Elphelt, I can tell that I’ve upset you. Please, can you help me understand how?”

She turned around and headed towards the door, staying quiet. She only opened her mouth once she arrived at the exit.

“…so you’re saying my music isn’t beautiful?”

Realization hit the samurai like a freight train. He panicked.

Curses! No, that’s not what he had meant at all! He meant that he was used to calmer, more serene music, that reflected the grace of the eastern empire he had lived in. He never meant to offend her music taste, and especially not her own talents.

“No, that’s not what I was trying to say! I was just trying to joke about how much of a dissonance there was between the music of my time and yours. I never meant to-“

“Sorry, but I really need to go. Gotta clear some thoughts out of my head”, Elphelt interrupted. “Bye.”

She closed the door firmly.

…

Damn it all.

Chapter Text

Time passed as Nagoriyuki lied down in his bed, wallowing in regret.

What was he thinking? He was usually so cautious with his words. He had never meant to offend her interests, especially not her talents and passion for the genre.

He felt terrible; he had driven away his only friend.

Is she going to come back today? What should he say? There must be something that he can allow her to do or say to get back at him. It sounded childish, but anything that would bring her back to his side was worth at least considering.

The day had come and gone, and the afternoon sun had arrived; yet there was still no sign of Elphelt. It had just been the lone samurai in his bed, spiraling into terrible thoughts for hours.

What if she doesn’t want to be his caretaker anymore? What if she leaves it all to Ramlethal? Not that there was anything wrong with Ramlethal, but she wasn’t Elphelt. She wasn’t the one he wanted there by his side. She wouldn’t write haiku with him, she wouldn’t joke and tease, at least not in the way that the samurai had grown fond of. What if… Elphelt stopped coming altogether?

Nagoriyuki couldn’t stand this feeling. He had to talk to her, to let her know how sorry he was.

That way, there would at least be no malice harbored in her heart, even if she decided that she was done caring for the samurai. But how could he reach her? Calling out her name would surely not have any effect; he had no idea how far away her current whereabouts were.

Then he remembered. His eyes immediately darted to the bedside table, where he saw the small, circular ringer she had left him. He reached over and grabbed it, turning it around and upside down in an effort to understand how it worked. It was new technology to him, after all.

Nagoriyuki finally managed to press in the main button on top of the device, which let out a small hum, followed by a quiet dial tone. It appeared to be calling her. The samurai sat up and stared dead ahead nervously.

…

“Heya, what’s up?”

The voice that answered the ringer was foreign to the samurai. It was certainly not Elphelt; it was a young man’s voice.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I appeared to have made some mistake in contacting you. I was trying to reach someone else.” Nagoriyuki was disappointed; she hadn’t answered. Or maybe the mistake was his, and he had simply used the ringer the wrong way.

“Who…? Whoa whoa, waitasec! If you called this line, you must’ve used an older ringer, right?”, the young voice interjected.

“That… is true.”

“Yeah, this line is a short-length number for Illyria Castle only! And considering that I don’t recognize your voice, I guess you’re Mr. Nagoriusi?”

“…Nagoriyuki. But yes.” He placed the ringer in his lap, his gaze still peering ahead as he focused on the man’s words. “May I ask who I am speaking to?”

“Of course! I’m Sin, El’s sorta-nephew-sorta-brother. She’s told me a lot about you!”

“Ah, I see.” Nagoriyuki’s confusion had mostly dissipated. “It is nice to meet you, your majesty. I’m sorry our first meeting is not in-person.”

“C’mon man, don’t bother with the whole ‘your majesty’ business. Just call me by my name! Didn’t Elphelt teach ya to drop the formalities?”

She had clearly been talking about Nagoriyuki more than he had expected. If it wasn’t for his current predicament, he would be happy to hear that.

“I am sorry, it is still an adjustment for me. But very well, Sin”, he chuckled. But despite Sin’s explanation, the samurai was still stumped on something. “If I may, how come Elphelt was not the one to answer the call?”

The prince was quiet a moment.

“She, uh… seems to have stormed off somewhere earlier. Not sure why. We all have personal mobile devices that connect to the line, but she wasn’t picking up on your call. So, curiosity got the best of me and I answered instead!”

“…I see. Well, Sin, can you do me a favor?”

“Sure thing, Mr. Patient, sir!”

“When you have a minute… can you check on Elphelt for me? I am worried that…” He hesitated, not wanting to divulge his exact reason for calling. Sin wasn’t involved in the issue and Nagoriyuki didn’t want to drag in more people than necessary. “…Never mind. If you could please just check on her and maybe ask her to visit me later on?”

“You betcha! We’ve got dinnertime in 30 minutes, I’ll see if I can talk to her before that so that she can head over to you after eating. Is that cool?”

“That sounds wonderful”, Nagoriyuki smiled, now glad that Sin had been the one to answer the ringer and not his sister. This way, the samurai could hopefully apologize to his caretaker in person. “I owe you a debt, Sin.”

“You really don’t! Just glad to help.” Nagoriyuki could hear Sin smile through the phone. “I’ll have to visit you sometime myself later on, that way we can be friends like you and El are!”

“I shall look forward to it”, he chuckled. The samurai was mostly just entertaining the prince's thoughts, but he wouldn’t mind another friend in the near future. For now, though, Elphelt remained his number one priority.

“Alrighty, talk to ya later!”

The ringer went silent, the button at the top popping back up and into place. Nagoriyuki let out a nervous sigh and placed the device back on the bedside table.

Now all he could do was wait.

_______________________________________

Sin had hung up his receiver, laying sprawled out on the living room couch. He was excited about his unorthodox meeting with Nagoriyuki but was unsure of how to go about talking things through with his sister. He always wanted to see her smile but knew he wasn’t the best at being emotionally available.

Regardless, he had promised his guest that he would help them, so he set out to find Elphelt. He got off the couch and began his search: first at her room.

“Hey, El? You there?” Sin knocked at her door, entering. The room was empty but was surprisingly tidy; usually, Elphelt wasn’t the most organized person in the castle. She must have spent so much time with her patient that she simply didn’t have the time to mess up her room.

Those two really spend a lot of time together, huh…

Sin shut the door and continued his search. The kitchen, the backyard porch, and the hallways were all empty.

“Man, where are you, El…?”, he muttered to himself. He couldn’t find any trace of her, and the rest of his family was nowhere to be found either.

They must be too busy with the wedding plans for tomorrow. They better be back soon, otherwise the dinner table’s gonna be awfully empty…

That’s when Sin saw Laika, Ramlethal’s pet dog. She was wagging her tail and whining excitedly at seeing him, standing on her hind legs and scratching at his knees with her front paws.

“Awww, hey there, girl! Is da widdle puppy happy to see meeee? Yesh, she is!!” He knelt down to her level, scratching her head and holding her paw.

“Hey, you know I love you but I’m a little busy right now. I promise we’ll play catch later though!” He got up to leave before Laika started barking at him. She backed away and started running up the stairs, looking back to ensure that Sin was following her.

Was she trying to show him something?

That’s when he realized that he had forgotten to check the upstairs balcony.

Right! Elphelt went there a lot to think up new song ideas or just clear her head; she had to be there.

“Of course! Good girl, Laika!” He followed her up the stairs and through the halls, arriving at the large, curtained, glass windows. Sure enough, there was Elphelt, hunched over the stone railing.

Laika ran up to her, scratching and whining like she had done to Sin.

“…Hey there, girl. You okay?”

“I think she’s asking you the same thing.” Sin approached, standing next to his sister with a solemn smile.

“Oh…” Elphelt was still gloomy but was surprised to see her brother. She turned away and looked out into the distance. “Hey Sin.”

“Listen El, I can tell that you’re upset about something but… you know that I’m not really the right person for this job.” He was nervous about comforting her, especially given his suspicions about why she was in her mood. “But I’m here if you need someone to talk to. Heck, even if it’s just someone to vent to, I’m happy to be that guy.”

Elphelt was quiet a moment.

“…Thanks. I’ve just… got some conflicting feelings going on right now.”

“Wanna share?”

Elphelt looked up, remembering what the samurai had said earlier.

“A shared joy is doubled; a shared sorrow is halved.”

She sighed.

“…I was hanging out with Nagoriyuki, and… he said something that really hurt. I know it was an accident, but…”

Sin looked at his sister with compassion.

“…But that didn’t make it hurt any less, right?” Sin had been through a similar situation. Ky was only looking out for him and mom but had inadvertently driven him away through his actions of hiding them from the world. He knew that Ky had only done that because he wanted to keep them safe, but it made him feel… unloved. Like a mistake that shouldn’t exist. Hell, even his name was a reminder of those times.

But he knows better now.

“…Listen El.”

She turned towards him. Only now could Sin truly see the sorrow on his sister’s face. She had been crying; her makeup was slightly smeared and her eyes looked red and watery.

“You can tell me if I’m getting any of this wrong, but here’s what I think happened: the two of you were having a nice time when he said something he didn’t mean to and it upset you.”

“…Yeah…”

“Then, you left and came here, where you’ve been thinking about it.”

“…Mhm…”

Sin paused before continuing.

“I’m not gonna pry about what he said that hurt you, but you just said that you know it was an accident. Right?”

“…Knowing him, it had to be an accident. At least, I really think so…”

“Then let me ask you this: did he say that he was sorry when he realized that he upset you?”

Elphelt thought back.

“…Yeah, he did.”

“That sounds like an accident to me. Now for another question: have you ever needed to apologize for an accident or something you said to him?”

She reflected on her time with her patient, realizing what her brother was getting at.

This sounds exactly like what Dizzy had asked her the day before. But this time around, things were swapped; she wasn’t afraid that he would hate her for her own mistakes, but rather, she was treating him exactly like how she was afraid he would. Ironic…

“…Yeah, a lot”, she scoffed. She had a pitiful smile on her face. “And he never behaved anything like this.”

Sin leaned in, trying to catch his sister’s attention.

“Then doesn’t that sound a little unfair?”

That one stung a little bit, but he was right. She was being unfair.

Elphelt sighed as she rubbed her face and eyes.

“…Yeah. I should be just as forgiving with him as he is with me.”

“Sounds like you’ve figured things out, then!”

“Mhm. Thanks, Sin.”

“Anytime, El.” He flashed her a broad smile. “Okay, well, maybe not anytime, but I’ll definitely try to help when I can! Like I said, I’m not too good at these kinda talks.”

“I’d say you’re better than you think.” Elphelt smiled back at him.

But… wait a minute, how did he find her? Also, how did he even know to look?

“Wait, Sin, how did you know that I was feeling upset?”

“Oh, Nagoriyuki was trying to call you, but you weren’t picking up. The line just kept ringing and ringing, so I thought I’d find out who was calling!”

He was trying to call her…? Wow, he must’ve really been trying to set things right. Even though she’s the one who was in the real wrong…

“Gotcha. Thanks for letting me know.”

“Yeah, he uhh… was actually wanting to see you after dinner. Do you think you’ll stop by?”

Elphelt grinned softly at her brother.

“Yeah, of course.”

_______________________________________

Nagoriyuki was sitting upright in his bed, meditating. Though, he was finding the exercise rather counterproductive.

He couldn’t get those thoughts out of his head. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt like this, if ever. He had never held someone so close that he was willing to sacrifice his dignity to make amends.

The samurai opened his eyes, sighing. He had still not managed to converse with his Nightless nature. He thought it would have some sort of advice that he wasn’t acknowledging, some secret answer to his predicament, anything. But once again, it hadn’t manifested itself in his mind. What was he doing wrong?

The afternoon sun had set, and nighttime had come. There was no one in the empty ward besides Nagoriyuki; no caretaker, no meal for two, no warmth pouring into the lifeless room. Just cold, white, empty solitude.

In his previous life, he would have thrived here. Instead, he felt a crucial emptiness inside. The ward had become his grave, devoid of the life that she brought.

The samurai eyed the ringer.

Perhaps he would give it another try; Sin had yet to send Elphelt over. Maybe he’d forgotten? Or… maybe she was refusing to come.

Just as he reached for the device, he heard a light knock at the door. He jolted.

“Hey, Nago…?”

It was her! But… why hadn’t she come in yet?

“Yes Elphelt…?” His heart was racing.

“I brought you some food… and…I’m really sorry about earlier. I was being unfair.”

“Whatever do you mean, ‘unfair’?”

“…I ran off in a huff, not hearing you out. I know that you’re so, so patient with me and all my mistakes… it’s not fair for me to get so upset at you making one.”

Nagoriyuki was quiet.

“So… I’m really sorry. I totally get it if… you don’t want me to visit you anymore…” Her voice was trembling, on the verge of crying.

No… no!!

“Elphelt, please come inside-! Don’t hide behind the door.” Nagoriyuki’s worry for her was overwhelming. Regardless of whose fault the whole altercation was, he never wanted her to leave. He needed her. “I could never wish you away. This whole time, I’ve been wanting you to come back.”

She was silent. After what felt like an eternity, however, she slowly opened the door.

“… But I’m a mess right now…” She was indeed a mess. Her eyes were still red from fresh tears, tears that had run down her face and further smeared her makeup. Her hair was slightly ruffled, and she had taken off her wrist cuffs and gloves, presumably to better wipe her face. She trudged next to his bed, her gaze downcast. She couldn’t look him in the eye. "I skipped dinner and I didn't really plan on coming in... I'm sorry I look so weird."

“…I do not mind how much of a mess you think you are right now. I had to see you”, Nagoriyuki responded. “Elphelt, I am sorry for upsetting you. I really never meant to. If there’s anything you want to do to get even, then please-”

“Nago, please don’t apologize”, Elphelt interjected. “I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“But… why?”

“Like I said, I was being unfair. I got so caught up in my own feelings that I didn’t hear what you were saying to me. You realized that you made a mistake and you were trying to fix it.” She bit her lip and clenched her fists. “I only made things worse.”

Nagoriyuki felt an odd sensation of both guilt and relief. She hadn’t hated him for his mistake; rather, she had noticed her own and was owning up to it. That took a lot of courage.

“Elphelt, please listen to me. If you are going to apologize, I cannot move past the issue without apologizing myself. I was the inciting cause.” He patted at the lower part of the bed, inviting her to join him on it.

“…Alright.” She wiped her forming tears and climbed up. She sat cross-legged with her body facing her patient but was still averting her eyes. “I’m listening.”

“I am truly sorry for not watching my tongue. I had grown so accustomed to speaking the first thing that came to mind around you; you make things so comfortable. But that is no excuse for me to have disregarded how you might feel. I promise I’ll never do it again.”

“…Do you really think that my music isn’t beautiful?”

“I never meant to say that it wasn’t… that choice of a word was my biggest mistake. The message that I was trying to get across was that this ‘heavy metal’ as you call it, sounds very different from the music that I am used to. But that does not make it any less valuable.”

“Then what do you think makes something beautiful?”

The samurai was silent for a moment.

“…I think that is a very difficult question to answer. Though if I were to give one, I would say that beauty lies predominantly within the creator’s intended purpose for their creation. Not that the final result cannot be beautiful if it comes from a twisted intent, but I believe that the purpose behind its creation is the greatest factor.”

“So… even if the final result is a little iffy, the fact that someone made something with love is what makes it beautiful?”

“Correct. Is this not what we think when we see an artistically talented child create their first drawing of their family?”

“Yeah… the drawing itself is childish and sorta ‘not beautiful’, but because the kid made it for their family, that makes the act of creating it beautiful.”

“Indeed. So, I cannot say whether or not the final result of your music is beautiful; after all, I haven’t heard it. But you telling me that you make it so people feel less lonely is enough for me to declare at least that to be beautiful.”

Elphelt had gotten rid of the majority of her gloom. She wasn’t back to her usual, spry self, but she was feeling better. Her patient’s words made sense.

“…Gotcha. I’ve really gotta see if I can take you to one of my concerts now”, she chuckled.

“Perhaps you could give me a private show sometime, assuming I still cannot walk for a while?”

Just like that, one could practically see the smoke coming out from Elphelt’s ears. Her face flushed.

“A… private show…?”

“Yes, just you and me! You would be the sole performer, and I would be the lone audience member, right here in the ward! Does that not sound entertaining?” Nagoriyuki was completely oblivious to the implications of his words.

“Ah… yeah, that… that sounds nice…” Elphelt’s pink face matched the rest of her outfit. She rubbed her face, wiping away the majority of her smeared makeup.

“Are you alright? Wait, did I say something wrong again!?” The samurai’s panic returned.

“No, no! I’m okay, don’t apologize!”, she waved her hands dismissively. “I was just… thinking about some other stuff.”

Speaking of “thinking about other stuff”, this was an odd situation she was in. She couldn’t think of the last time one of her friends had invited her onto their bed. This wasn’t the first time that she had been on his, but this time was different. It felt so… intimate.

“… Hey, Nago. Thanks.”

“What for? We have both already apologized, I believe that we are eve-”

She interrupted again.

“For being who you are.”

Before he could react, Elphelt had leapt forward and wrapped her arms around her patient’s shoulders and neck, embracing him. She tucked her face into the top of his exposed chest and sat facing him, her waist straddling his.

“Wha-! What’re you-!?” Nagoriyuki couldn’t fathom what had just happened.

Why was she hugging him!? He thought that didn’t come until much later in a relationship! Though, the sensation was… nice. She was warm… and her face felt so soft against his skin. She smelled nice too; her hair bore a hint of rose.

The samurai felt a finger reach his lips, shushing him.

“Please, Nago. Just be quiet for a minute.”

“…Very well…”

The room fell silent. The two sat there, both not moving for a good while. That is, until Elphelt pulled away from her patient’s chest, looking at him with a pitiful smile.

“You know, when someone hugs you, you usually hug them back.”

“…I am not used to this kind of physical touch.” His face was bright red. His caretaker, on the other hand, seemed so confident in what she was doing.

“Alright, well now’s your chance to practice. Here, put your hands around my back.” Elphelt grabbed her patient’s wrists, guiding them around her torso.

“…Like so?” He squeezed a bit too tightly, accidentally pulling her closer to his face.

“Ack-! Loosen your grip just a little bit”, she laughed.

“Oh, I’m so sorry-! Again, this is all very new to me. I can’t remember the last time I was held like this, let alone the time I held some else.”

“I thought so. That’s also why I thought you were long overdue for a hug.”

She returned his embrace, closing her eyes and placing her face back against his chest. The two shared a thought again.

Geez, (s)he’s so soft.

After another good while, the caretaker found the strength to pull herself away from her patient. She placed a hand on his cheek and gazed up into his eyes.

“I think you’re a wonderful man, Nagoriyuki.”

His embarrassment had never really left, but it had instantly made itself apparent again at hearing those words.

“I, um… Thank you, Elphelt. I… think that you are a wonderful person too.”

She smirked.

“I think you misheard me, mister patient. I don’t just think that you’re a wonderful person. I think you’re a wonderful man.”

And then, once again beating his reaction time, Elphelt kissed Nagoriyuki’s forehead. It was light and gentle but did more than enough to reveal her internal feelings.

“I-!! Elphelt!! Please, explain yourself! Where-! I mean, what-!” The samurai who was usually so eloquent with words was short-circuiting, in the same way that a well-functioning machine that had just been doused in cold water would.

“I’ll explain more tomorrow~” The caretaker had scooted off of her patient’s lap and the bed, heading towards the door where she had left the usual tray. “Here, I brought you some more steak. Hopefully it hasn’t gone cold yet.”

Nagoriyuki was still in shock over the events of the last five minutes. A lot had happened in such a short span of time.

“I… that’s… very kind of you…” He was dazed, his mind spinning.

Elphelt sat his food down on his lap tray and placed her hands behind her back. “Maybe… we can talk more about this tomorrow.”

“What does that mean?” Nagoriyuki was excited, nervous, anxious, terrified, and overjoyed, all at once. This was far more important than the steak. Based on everything that just happened and her words there at the end… it can surely only mean one thing.

“I’ll let you know after the wedding. Rest well until then, ‘kay?”

“Elphelt, please don’t leave me now. Not after everything you just did.” The samurai had a contorted smile on his face, one that was full of both amusement and desperation.

His caretaker had reached the doorframe before she peered back and winked, sticking out her tongue.

“Sorry, but this is my ‘getting-even’! I’ll see you tomorrow, Nago~”

Just like that, she left, closing the door softly.

A stunned Nagoriyuki sat up on his bed in silence, left only with his thoughts and his food. That night, he ate the most beautiful steak he had ever been served.

Chapter Text

Nagoriyuki couldn’t fall asleep. His mind was too busy replaying the absurd events of the evening.

She thinks he is a wonderful man. Does that mean that she thinks him to be a worthy partner? It had to, right? Friends don’t hug each other like that… and they certainly don’t give each other forehead kisses.

Not too far away, Elphelt laid in her bed. She kicked her feet and strangled her pillow with her arms, burying her face in it.

Holy crap, she really did all of that!! Where did that come from!? She’s never been that confident before!! He didn’t look upset with her, that means he liked it, right!? And that means he likes her, RIGHT!?

But wait; she’s getting ahead of herself again. Okay, okay, tomorrow, go back to being friendly and drop the flirting and doting for a bit. Wait for him to give some sort of sign that he’s interested. She doesn’t want to drive him away, after all.

The two had reached a new step in their relationship; not officially, but technically. If they were not lovers yet, they were at least friends who had something brewing.

The pair eventually managed to fall asleep, despite their desperate yearning to see each other again...

_______________________________________

Day broke, and both members slept in longer than usual; that is, until Ramlethal came to wake her sister. She knocked gently, but adamantly; it was nearly eleven thirty.

“El, you gotta wake up. It’s late and we’ve got a lot of things to-”

Ramlethal was surprised by how clean Elphelt’s room was.

That’s a surprise.

She walked over to her wooden bed frame, lightly shoving her sister’s arm to wake her.

“C’mon. You’re usually awake by now…”

“Raaaaamm… gimme five more minuteeesss…”

“I thought you’d be more excited to help with the wedding.”

Just like that, Elphelt shot up.

“Oh right, the wedding!! Aw man, this’ gonna be great!!” She jumped out of bed, immediately darting to the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

“Yeah, uhh… it is.” Ramlethal leaned against the adjacent wall, maintaining their conversation as her sister got prepared for the day. “How come you slept in so late? I thought that the wedding would be the first thing on your mind.”

“Oh, I just stayed up too late talking with Nago. We had a bit of a misunderstanding yesterday and we were making amends”, Elphelt answered through the door. “Nothing big, really!”

“If you say so…” Ram sighed. “I’m gonna go get ready myself, meet me outside when you’re all good. The wedding officially opens its doors at four thirty, so we’ve got about five hours to get everything all prepared.”

“Sounds great! See ya in a sec!”

And so, time passed as the two sisters got ready and helped prepare the venue. Sin was sent on an emergency mission to go help with a wild animal attacking a small village nearby, so he couldn’t help. However, he promised he would come back as soon as he could, and that he would make sure to bring Frederick.

Hours later, the wedding was going fine; plenty of guests and attendees, lots of conversation, and a beautiful ceremony to come. That’s when she first appeared, crashing the whole event. The Valentine sisters were too busy helping people evacuate, and Sin only arrived after it was too late; their parents had been fully encased in a magical barrier to protect themselves from the attack.

Safe to say, the wedding had the opposite effect than intended: instead of showcasing unity between humanity and gears, the gathering had served as a show of power, one that displayed just how easily a gear could lose control… and how dangerous they could be when they did.

_______________________________________

Nagoriyuki had finally woken up, though the afternoon sun had already come and gone, much to his own surprise.

Had the shock of the night before truly delayed his sleep that much? It must’ve been nearly eight o’clock.

He sat up and stretched, wondering why his caretaker hadn’t visited earlier. He eyed his ringer.

She would surely answer this time.

The samurai tried his best to remember how to activate the device, eventually succeeding. The ringer let out its familiar hum and dial tone.

…

And it kept going.

And going.

And going.

No one came to answer the phone, not even Sin. Then Nagoriyuki remembered.

Ah, right. This line only reaches within the castle, and today was the day of the wedding. It was unlikely that anyone was home to pick up.

The samurai turned the ringer off and sighed. He was disappointed that he couldn’t see his caretaker, but he understood that today was an important day for the Kiske family. He would simply have to find other ways to pass the time.

So, he opted to dwell on his memories of last night some more. Some parts of it still felt like a dream.

She had never been that confident around him before. She had teased, granted, but she had never initiated physical contact. Especially contact that was that intimate… but she had really done it. She was so warm when she embraced him, and she felt just, so… right. He felt like she belonged there in his arms, and he in hers.

Nagoriyuki quietly laughed to himself. He couldn’t stop smiling; his relationship with his caretaker had advanced in leaps and bounds. It had only been three days, but those three days were full of joy, laughter, upset, forgiveness, sadness, and understanding. They had bonded more than he could ever have imagined possible in such a short amount of time.

Time passed as the samurai replayed his memories of their evening together over and over again in his mind. He would not soon forget how sweet that night had been.

His silent glee was interrupted, however, when he heard… an explosion?

It was rather distant, not anywhere near the castle, but had to have been within a three-mile radius. Confusion, then fear filled Nagoriyuki’s mind.

What was that? Elphelt mentioned that the wedding was meant to be a political event… had something gone awry? There was no chance that a single explosion of that magnitude could be celebratory fireworks. Something had to be wrong.

He instinctually reached for the ringer again, turning it on as fast as he could. It was still unlikely, impossible even, that someone would pick up. But he had to try.

The device rang again, constantly whirring and humming. No one was answering.

Please, someone… anyone, pick up.

He tried again. The device rang but was still left unanswered.

Damn it all! Please…!

One more try.

…

“KRRCCHKKK-ello!? Nago, is KKRRZZZTT- you!?”

The signal was terrible, but the samurai could just barely make out his caretaker’s voice.

Thank God… she was safe.

“Elphelt, can you hear me? I heard an explosion, is everything alright?”

“CCHHHHKKK- it’s terrible!! Some- KKZZTT- attacked, Ky and Di- KRCHKK- ozen solid!!”

“What are you saying? The signal is breaking up.”

“Okay, I- KKZZT- over as soon as- CCHKKK” The line died, her voice disappearing.

“Elphelt? Hello!?”

Some part of Nagoriyuki was relieved to hear her voice, while another part was terrified by what she had said.

What was going on…?

_______________________________________

Elphelt burst through the ward door, out of breath and panicked. She was wearing her stage outfit as she ran to her patient’s side.

“Nago-! Someone- *huff* someone attacked the venue. No casualties, but *huff* Ky and Dizzy, they-”

“Are they alright?”

“I mean, *huff* kinda. They’re alive but *huff* they’re stuck inside some kinda crystal.”

Elphelt took a moment to recompose herself and catch her breath. She had hurried over as fast as she could, worried that her patient had somehow been caught up in the attack.

“But are you okay? No one attacked the castle, right?”

“No, not as far as I know. I am fine.” The samurai was composed and stern. He had to completely disregard his romantic feelings; something big was going down. “Do you know who the attacker was?”

“No, I’ve never seen her before. A friend is looking into it. She’s trying to trace her and find out anything we can, but she’s got nothing so far.”

“Blast…” Nagoriyuki was frustrated, his gaze downcast.

Damn it! Why now, when he was incapacitated and couldn’t help in any way?

“But... I’m sure we’ll figure things out”, Elphelt spoke up. “Ram’s on guard duty for Ky and Dizzy, Sin and Frederick are gonna see if they can track the attacker on foot, and Jack-O’, the friend I mentioned earlier, is doing everything she can to find out what’s going on.” The caretaker looked determined and optimistic. “We’ve been through worse. I know we can get through this.”

“…Your optimism is infectious”, Nagoriyuki replied, smiling but eyes still averted. “I can only hope that things turn out for the better. If only I could do something…”

His caretaker placed her hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

“Hey, you were the one who said we shouldn’t dwell on what could’ve been. Don’t be a hypocrite!”

He chuckled.

“That is true.” He met her gaze. “I am relieved to hear that there were no causalities.”

“Yeah, that’s the weirdest part…” Elphelt plopped herself down on her accursed butt-numbing stool, reflecting on the attack. “The attacker said she was there to kill, but she made sure not to hurt any of the guests. She was targeting Dizzy like an assassination, but… why would she be so public and out in the open about it?”

“That is odd. What could her motive be in ensuring that people see her-”

Right then, it clicked for the pair. Elphelt shot up, alarmed.

“She must be trying to escalate the human-gear conflict!! Dizzy lost control cuz of her attack!!”

“That must be it. There is no other reasonable answer, at least not one that we know of.”

“Geez, why!? Just when things were taking a turn for the better… It’s so unfair!!”

Elphelt was visibly upset at the injustice. She just wanted to see her family thrive instead of survive. Was that really so much to ask for?

Nagoriyuki saw his caretaker's frustration and stretched out his hand, offering it to her.

“I understand your feelings, but we cannot lose our cool. We have to remain level-headed.”

Elphelt saw his hand and sighed, still frustrated. But he was right.

“Yeah…” She sat back down and held his hand. She took a few deep breaths to calm down, then looked at her patient with a somber smile. “I’m glad that you’re okay, Nago.”

“I’m personally more relieved that you’re alright. I was worried sick that something had happened to you.” Nagoriyuki returned her mellow grin. “Anyway, what are you going to do now?”

“I’m not really sure.” His caretaker pulled her hand away from his, placing it in her lap. “I told Ram that I would be back to help her with guard duty, but…”

“…Yes?”

Elphelt took another deep breath before turning towards her patient.

“Nago, can I sleep in here tonight? I'm a little shaken up by that attack.”

Nagoriyuki was startled by her bold question.

“I… um… how would… that work?”, he stammered. “Not that I am against the idea, please don’t misunderstand! I'd love to help you feel better, I’m just a little confused about the details…”

His caretaker grinned.

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’, then!” She stood up and sauntered on over to one of the vacant hospital beds, pushing it up against her patient’s. The two beds were right next to each other, only separated by the small space between the mattresses. “There, how’s that?”

“That… works.” The samurai was nervous about what he was getting himself into. Do friends usually sleep this close to each other?

“Perfect! Lemme go let Ram know that I’m staying here and I’ll fetch us something to snack on.” Elphelt reached the doorframe before catching herself. “Wait, you haven’t had anything to eat all day, have you?”

“…Correct.”

“All the more reason for me to be here then! Be right back!”

_______________________________________

Elphelt returned a short while later, dressed in her nightly attire and holding a fresh stack of pancakes for the two.

“Sorry, I’m sure you’re getting tired of the same two meals over and over again…”

“No, that is quite alright. I understand that it is late and that it is a simple dish to prepare”, Nagoriyuki responded. “Thank you very much.”

His caretaker handed him his share.

“No problem! Oh, I also thought of this-!” Elphelt tapped twice on one of the bedside tables, projecting a holographic screen in front of the pair’s beds. “I thought we could watch a movie together!! Like that sleepover I mentioned the other day!”

Nagoriyuki was fascinated by the technology.

“…That sounds nice.” He turned towards her. “And you’re sure that this is okay? Your parents were just attacked.”

“I mean, some part of me feels like I could be doing something, but until Jack-O’ finds a lead, all we can do is wait. And Ram’s more than capable of guarding Ky and Dizzy. Plus, she has Laika to keep her company!”

“Laika?”

“Oh, Ram’s dog. She’s adorable, almost the perfect pet! Only downside I can think of is that she isn’t a bush dog~”, Elphelt laughed.

“I see. She sounds very cute”, he chuckled.

The samurai sat in silence for a minute, gazing at the pancakes in front of him while his caretaker pulled up her movie.

…Had she forgotten the intimacy of the night before? Why wasn’t she addressing it? How can she possibly be so casual about spending the night in the same room as him, let alone right next to him?

He was… frustrated. But he didn’t know when to speak up; he didn’t want to ruin their time together. After all, what if it was all some big misunderstanding? What if they really were just friends? But it was impossible to imagine that she would hold him like that if she didn’t wish to be with him…

“…and then she ends up trying to save her boss, even though he backstabbed her earlier, because she loves him so much!! Doesn’t that sound so incredibly sweet and romantic!?”

“Oh, what-! I’m sorry, were you saying something?” Nagoriyuki was so preoccupied that he hadn’t heard Elphelt excitedly explaining the movie synopsis.

“Nagoooo!”, she pouted. “Okay, what was the last thing you heard me say?”

“…Something about saving someone’s boss?”

“Okay, you heard the part you needed to. Does that sound like a good movie?”

“Ah… any movie sounds good to me. So long as I watch it with you.”

“D’awwww, well aint that sweet of you~!”

There it was again; that playful teasing, that dancing around the bush that drove him so insane. He wanted to ask her the question directly, to beg for clarification… What were they?

“…Thank you”, he chuckled awkwardly. “Alright, let us watch.”

_______________________________________

The two turned off the room lights and began their movie, eating pancakes and laughing along; at least, Elphelt did. Nagoriyuki was far too consumed with his own thoughts to focus on the plot or his food. Instead, he sat there staring blankly at the screen, his eyes glazed over.

He had to find a moment to speak his mind. He couldn’t let these thoughts linger and eat away at him.

When prompted, he answered in grunts or nods with the occasional “Yes” or “No”. Elphelt hadn’t seemed to notice his spacing out, or at least she didn’t address it. She was too caught up in the excitement of their entertainment to see her patient’s odd demeanor.

Time passed and before they knew it, the movie was over. The only light in the room was the warm, orange glow from the screen. Elphelt was sitting cross-legged in her bed, gently rocking back and forth.

“Man, I really love that movie. The actors do such a good job of convincing the audience that they’re in love~!”

The samurai snapped out of his trance again.

“Ah… Yes, they did.” He didn’t know what he was saying.

His caretaker leaned over and peered towards him.

“So you liked it too?”

Nagoriyuki turned away.

“I… To be honest, I couldn’t really focus on the movie.”

“Aw, why not? Are you okay?” She looked at him with compassion.

“…I am fine. Just some thoughts.”

“Well, I’ve managed to help you think some things through before. Can’t I help?” She placed her hand on his shoulder.

The samurai peered at her hand, before gently brushing it off. He sighed.

He finally had his chance. So why was he hesitating?

“…Not right now. Let’s just try to sleep. I’m sure that you need rest after today.”

Elphelt was silent and disappointed with his answer. He was hiding something again. Why wouldn’t he open up to her? Was he mad at her for kissing him last night?

“…okay.”

_______________________________________

Midnight. The room was surprisingly well-lit thanks to the moon coming through the un-curtained windows. Both patient and caretaker laid in their beds, unable to fall asleep.

“…Hey Nago? Are you still awake?”, Elphelt whispered as she turned towards him, looking at his face.

“Yes.” The samurai was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling.

“About your thoughts earlier… is it because I kissed you yesterday?”

He was quiet before he responded.

“…Partly. But I do want to know why you did that.”

“I… I don’t really know. I guess I was just glad that you were so patient and nice to me… and I slipped back into old habits.”

Nagoriyuki was unsatisfied.

“Elphelt, am I your friend?”

“Of course you are!” She sat up, her volume increasingly slightly. “What makes you say that?”

“…Friends do not kiss each other.”

Elphelt opened her mouth to say something but couldn’t find the words. Nagoriyuki was still gazing upward.

“Please know that I’m not mad at you. I could never be. I’m just… very confused.”

She laid back down and rolled over, facing away.

“…I’m really sorry Nago. I didn’t mean to confuse you. I promise I’m your friend. Did I… make you uncomfortable?”

The two sat in silence for a minute.

“Elphelt.”

“…Yes?”

“Thank you for choosing to take care of me.”

“…I’m glad you let me”, she responded. “But why’re you saying that now?”

The samurai hesitated before he answered.

“…Right before she disappeared, I-No gave me an order. She… wanted me to settle down.”

“Yeah?”

His caretaker rolled over again, facing him. Where was he going with this?

“She told me to find someone beautiful, someone to hold equal as I started my peaceful life. So, when I first learned that I was going to be stuck here for weeks, I was frustrated. I wanted to explore the world freely, in search of that special someone… until I got to know you.”

Elphelt was nervous, listening quietly.

“I am starting to believe that it was a good thing, to get this injury, so that I would remain here and bond with you. But…”

“…Uh huh?”

“…I want to hear it from you directly. Please, Elphelt.”

“Hear what…?”

“The real reason you’ve chosen to stay with me this whole time. The reason that you go through the trouble of making us meals, the reason you bother writing poetry with me, the reason that you want to spend the night with me after your parents and kingdom have been attacked. What makes you value me over all of that?”

“Oh, uh…”

“And please, don’t say fate. I want to hear what it is inside Elphelt Valentine that finds me to be so interesting.”

“I…” Elphelt was fumbling for words. She didn’t think that they would be having this conversation again, at least not so soon. And things were different this time. She had shown definite affection towards her patient, revealing her feelings... She couldn’t keep up the charade any longer.

She took a deep breath.

“…Nago, I didn’t fall in love you at first sight. That was the old me who went around doing that, and even then, that wasn't real love. But the more I’ve gotten to know you, the more of your time and life that you’ve shared with me… I think I've fallen for you. For real.”

Nagoriyuki’s heart skipped a beat. He turned his head, matching her gaze. The two stared into each other’s eyes.

“You really think… that you’re in love?” He was stunned.

Elphelt’s face was flushed, embarrassed but relieved to have finally confessed.

“Yeah… I think so. I’m sorry, I know we’ve only known each other a few days. I could be wrong about all of this, maybe I’m rushing into things again. I’ve been so scared to tell you because I didn’t want you to hate me, and then I made the mistake of kissing you, I just-”

“No, no. I… I think that’s wonderful”, the samurai interrupted, unable to keep himself from smiling. “I… think that I feel the same way towards you.”

Elphelt cupped her mouth with her hands, sitting up.

“You… you do…!?”

“Well, I’ve never felt romantic love before. But this feeling inside me that wants to spend all my time with you… I believe that it has to be love. At least… I am choosing to believe that it is.”

“Oh, Nago-!!” His caretaker was overjoyed; she jumped towards his side, throwing her arms around him. She rubbed her face against his shoulder as happy tears rolled down her face. “I’m so glad-!!”

“Whoa-!” Nagoriyuki had been caught off-guard by her sudden embrace, just like the night before. Except, tonight was different. He sat up and hugged her back, smiling softly. “Thank you. I… I am glad too.”

Elphelt pulled away, wiping her tears and retaining her smile.

“Ugh, I feel so stupid now… *Sniff* I should’ve just told you yesterday. Heck, even before that…”

“No, that is quite alright. After all, what’s done is done.”

“That’s true”, she chuckled. “Always so forgiving…”

“I thought you said that was a good thing!?”, Nagoriyuki sputtered.

The two laughed at the silliness of it all, at how much trouble and confusion could have been avoided if they both just had a bit less fear in their hearts. But that didn’t matter now; they had finally shared their affections.

The atmosphere shifted from laughs to quiet stares. After what felt like an eternity, Elphelt broke the silence.

“Hey.”

“Yes?” Nagoriyuki grinned.

His caretaker crawled over and climbed on top of him, straddling his lap like she had done the night before. But once again, it felt different this time. It felt so much more intentional, full of mutual love and not just one-sided flirtation. She wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and awkwardly averted her eyes.

“Umm… this is gonna sound so stupid to ask out loud but… can we… kiss? Like, for real…?”

“Yes, I… I think I’d like that”, Nagoriyuki stammered.

The two stared at each other lovingly for a moment before slowly initiating their first true kiss.

…Of course, Elphelt was expecting a far more romantic variety, and Nagoriyuki had never kissed anyone before, at least not like this. Safe to say, he was surprised at feeling his caretaker’s tongue try to enter his mouth. But that didn’t sway him from engaging; he let her in.

It was an awkward kiss, full of small, surprised moans on both sides. Nagoriyuki struggled to know where to place his hands, eventually deciding to wrap one arm around her back and place one hand on her cheek. In return, Elphelt cupped his face in both her hands as the two made out slowly and sensually.

Despite its awkwardness, the pair’s kiss was beautiful; not because it was objectively good, but because it was a uniquely personal kiss. One that was intended to be shared only with the other, and no one else.

After several minutes of moonlit, gentle loving, the two finally managed to tear themselves off each other. Elphelt pulled away slowly, her heart jumping into her throat upon seeing the small string of saliva still bridging the pair’s mouths. They were both softly panting, every sense overwhelmed by what they had just done.

“I… wow”, she giggled. “That was, umm… that was really nice-!”

Nagoriyuki wiped his mouth, embarrassed.

“…Indeed. I… apologize for my lack of form.”

“Pfft-! Nago, please don’t worry about that! I thought it was wonderful… what matters was that it was you that I was kissing, not how good the kiss actually was.”

“So, it was subpar?”

“I wouldn’t really know, I can't remember if I've ever kissed anyone like that. I’ve just watched lots of movies. But now we have alllll the time in the world to practice~” She shot her patient a look before her overwhelming enthusiasm returned. “Isn’t that exciting!? We’re in love!! EEEHEEHEE!!”, she squealed.

The samurai smiled at her.

“Yes, we are. That is truly wonderful.” He gently stroked Elphelt’s hair as he looked into her eyes. “I can scarcely believe that I’m saying it, but Elphelt… I lo-”

“WAITWAITWAIT!!” She cut him off. “I wanna say it too, so let’s do it together. On three, okay?”

He chuckled as he wrapped his hands around her back as he peered down at her. She was so small compared to him, like a delicate flower surrounded by massive oak trees.

“Very well.”

The two began their countdown.

“One…”

“Two…”

“Three.”

“I love you.”

Chapter Text

The patient and caretaker were now lovers. After their passionate kiss, they decided that they needed rest; they had to be prepared for anything in the coming days, especially Elphelt. The attacker could return at any time.

She cuddled up against her patient, not minding the small gap between their mattresses. She laid her hand on his chest and rested her head in the nook of his shoulder as the two shared a blanket and drifted off. Elphelt took longer to fall asleep; she couldn’t stop beaming.

She gazed at her patient. She knew it already, but he had such wonderful features… and how they shone in the moonlight. He was fast asleep. Elphelt eyed his sleeping face as she gently traced his arm with her index finger, starting at his shoulder and making her way down to his hand.

Yeah… he really was a wonderful man.

_______________________________________

Morning came, and Nagoriyuki woke up at a more reasonable time than the day before. He gazed up at the clock.

…Eight o’clock. That’s much better than yesterday. Wait… was yesterday even real? It hadn’t been a dream, had it?

He looked to his left, terrified; Elphelt wasn’t there.

No, it couldn’t be…! It had all felt so real-

Nagoriyuki was panicking. He was so happy, having finally gotten the answer he was searching for from her. Then, he caught himself.

…But her bed was still next to his, and there were still half-eaten pancakes on his bedside table. Furthermore, the pillow next to his smelled like her rose-scented hair. That alone proves that it wasn’t a dream.

He sat up, looking around the rest of the empty ward. No other trace of Elphelt remained, leaving Nagoriyuki confused.

Where had she gone? And why would she not tell him? There was no chance that she was having second thoughts about their mutual decision, right?

That’s when he peered over to his left, seeing an elegantly written note stuck to his headboard. He gently removed the tape, reading it.

G’morning, sleepyhead! If you’re reading this and you’re wondering where I went, Jack O’ woke me up with a call. She said she found a lead on the attacker out at an old lab in the outskirts of the kingdom, so I’m gonna go take a look! I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can. No way am I spending any time away from you if I don’t have to!

It’s still weird to say, but I love you, Nago!!

See you soon,

~ Elphelt XOXO

The samurai smiled, letting out a relieved exhale. She hadn’t left him, at least not in the way that he feared. He was about to set the note down when he saw that there was more written on the back.

P.S.

If you’re ever bored and I’m not back yet, you can double-tap on the bedside table to bring up the same screen that we used last night! You should be able to swipe around on it and watch some TV. Hope you have fun!

He contemplated her proposition. Television had never been of great interest to him, but when there was no paper to write with and nothing on his mind worth meditating over, he might as well watch the news. That way, he could stay informed on the event. After all, it was a personal issue to him; his hosts had been attacked.

He reached over to the table and tapped it twice, just like his caretaker’s instructions said. Sure enough, the familiar orange screen popped up in front of him. He tried swiping at it, failing to make the screen obey. After nearly three minutes of effort, Nagoriyuki managed to learn how exactly he had to tap and move his hand in order to successfully navigate the menus.

Accursed thing…

The samurai managed to find a local news channel that was covering the events of the day before. A male newscaster appeared on screen.

“-hank you, Karla. Indeed, the attack took place last night around eight-thirty, just outside of Castle Illyria. The wedding venue was full of important guests but by some miracle, no one was harmed.”

The news flashed a picture of the half-destroyed venue. Nagoriyuki furrowed his brow.

…No one was killed amidst all this rubble? The environmental damage was too severe for the attacker’s moves to have been reckless. But why publicly target the queen if you clearly don’t want anyone else getting hurt?

“His majesty First King Ky and his Queen Dizzy, however, were not so lucky. They appear to have been frozen in place in the middle of the venue, though some sources claim it was an act of the king; to protect both the guests from harm and to stop the queen’s impending rampage.”

That makes somewhat sense… was this maybe what the attacker had wanted to happen?

“With us in the studio, we have visiting American senator Nerville Hammer, known for his strong opposition regarding the human-gear co-existence agenda. Senator, what was the scene like?”

The camera cut back to the news station, where the aforementioned senator appeared.

“Thank you for having me. The scene was gruesome; I had scarcely imagined that something like this could happen at such a marvelous event. Despite my views against the queen as a gear, my heart goes out to the kingdom of Illyria. I can only hope and pray that the royal couple finds a safe way to emerge from their seal soon.”

Nagoriyuki stared at the screen, grimacing.

…There was something about him that wasn’t quite right. The same could be said for nearly all politicians, but this one in particular looked off.

“Thank you, senator. I believe that I can safely say that everyone here at Local 58 agrees. Godspeed, your majesties; your kingdom is waiting for you. In other news…”

The samurai reached up and muted the screen as the anchor seemingly moved onto another news story. He sighed in frustration.

How could they just move on like that? Their kingdom has been attacked, their rulers are imprisoned, and they call in whatever famous figure they can to give a sappy spiel to paint himself and the news station in a good light. What profane behavior.

Nagoriyuki thought it best to not dwell on the issue any longer. Just then, he saw a picture of Badguy appear on screen, standing alongside an unknown figure. He quickly turned the volume back on.

“-own here with his close ally and hero, Frederick Bulsara, the United States’ President Vernon plans on holding a speech in defiance of the attacker. Despite public concern, the president plans on making his public appearance at the local Reinhart Stadium today, around four-thirty CST. Stay tuned!”

A speech? Well, that is one way of quelling panic from setting in amongst the populus. But it was a bold move; the attacker could target him next. But then again, why would she? He wasn’t a gear, after all.

Nagoriyuki kept the news on but turned the volume down. He figured he would rest until then but his caretaker’s absence gnawed away at him. After all, she was more than just his caretaker now.

Please stay safe, Elphelt…

_______________________________________

Time passed as the samurai rested as best he could. Before he knew it, it was time for the president’s speech. Nagoriyuki snapped out of his distracted daze, zeroing in on the broadcast. A much younger female news caster seemed to be in a helicopter, commentating on the event.

“Here we are, live at Reinhart Stadium! President Vernon is set to appear any minute now. You have Local 58 to thank for being your eyes in the sky! I’ll say, this is quite the turnout for such a last-minute event; there’s a whole sea of people down there!”

Nagoriyuki’s concern only grew.

Indeed, that was an astounding number of attendees. But if the attacker appears, won’t they all become liabilities?

“Look at that, the president’s on stage!”, the reporter exclaimed. “Cameraman, make sure you get in on this!”

The camera zoomed in on the stage where the president stood ready. The speakers in the stadium were loud enough to be heard even from the hovering helicopter.

“People of Illyria. I would like to thank you for having me, especially on such short notice. I am well aware that your kingdom has been shaken greatly, not even 24 hours ago. However, I seek to do my part in supporting what your king and queen have set out to do.”

The president pulled out some sort of metallic key card with geometric colored veins running through it.

“This… is an access key that controls a space satellite weapon belonging to the United States of America. It was developed during the crusades for anti-gear purposes but never saw any use. However, the United States decided that we should not decommission the weapon until we were certain that it would never need to be used. I strongly believe that day… is today. I come before you to declare that the United States of America and her allies cannot, should not, and will not listen to terrorists! As of today, this access key shall be destroyed, and the weapon shall be permanently disarmed! If gears are to become truly equal to humans, they should not have to live under fear!”

The crowd let out a roar of agreement. Nagoriyuki nodded along.

He certainly had a way with words. Makes sense for the leader of a country.

“Wow, truly stunning words from the president!”, the reporter interjected off-screen. “The crowd seems ecstatic, we’ll have to see how the anti-gear side feels after th- wait, what’s that!?”

The camera panned over to the right, seeing a female figure dressed in a large jacket and goggles standing on the rim of the stadium wall. Suddenly, her face appeared on screens all over the stadium, hijacking the president’s broadcast.

“That’s where you’re wrong; the gears are the ones that, cannot, should not, and will not ever be equal to humans! They are mindless machines born of man, meant to kill and destroy! Just because one of them looks human, doesn’t mean they should be treated like one!”

Nagoriyuki jolted.

Was that… the attacker!?

“Holy shit, this is big! She matches the description of the wedding crasher from last night!”, the reporter shouted.

The attacker continued.

“I am Unika! I do what I do to prevent the second crusade! I come from and have seen the future; one full of death and destruction at the hands of gears! I will not allow that future to exist!”

Before the president could respond, she flew towards him, aiming to grab the access key. Thankfully, he seemed to have at least one precaution ready; a steel wall rose up between the two as he ran away. Nagoriyuki, on the other hand, was panicking.

Damn it! The people, they need to leave as soon as they can! Why didn’t the president think of this!? He was safe, but what of the attendees!? They still didn’t know if the attacker was willing to hurt civilians!

A set of heavily armed guards appeared, opening fire on Unika; not that it had any effect. She easily bobbed and weaved through the gunfire, the camera struggling to follow her movements. She ignored the guards and instead flew through a tunnel in pursuit of the president, the camera losing view of her entirely.

“What a scoop!! We’ve got all the footage we need, take us to safety!” The camera panned over to the reporter. “People of Illyria, stay inside and report any odd sightings, effective immediately!! There is an active threat within the kingdom!! I repeat, stay inside…”

Her voice trailed off. Nagoriyuki sat in his bed, struggling to process what was happening.

What on earth was the point in any of this? From what Elphelt told him, every gear outside of the Kiske family circle was either dormant or dead. So why would this “Unika” try to prevent another crusade when there isn’t a threat of one? Also, did she say she was from the future? How could that ever be true? She had to be lying.

He clutched his fists in anger.

And how dare she assume she knew what the crusades were like!? She couldn’t possibly have lived through them; she looked too young. She didn’t have innocent blood unwillingly wrested onto her hands, she wasn’t forced to slay and destroy in someone else’s name, she hadn’t witnessed the hell that encompassed every direction for miles. But he had.

“Wretched monster…”, he muttered to himself. He unclenched his hands; there was no point to his anger. His time was better spent staying on the news, learning as much as he could so he could relay his knowledge to his missing caretaker.

_______________________________________

Two hours passed. Nagoriyuki had flipped through various news channels, failing to find any that bore new information on the attacker’s identity, spare for her name. What he did learn, however, was that the president was confirmed to be safe, and that he still had the access key. Furthermore, the attacker was said to have suddenly flown away shortly after her arrival, and that there were once again no reported casualties.

At least there’s that; she had by all standards failed in her attack. However, the question as to why she suddenly left the scene remains unanswered. She was clearly the strongest person there and didn’t appear to have achieved what she set out to do. If only there was another camera team on the scene that recorded more… or better yet, if only he could investigate on his own.

The samurai sighed.

Again, no point in wishing for things that cannot be.

He swiped back through the various news channels, briefly scrolling past one that appeared to have some sort of big headline. He quickly swiped back.

“-od evening, Illyria. Tonight, we have first-hand reports stating that the anti-gear satellite weapon that the U.S. President spoke of earlier today is currently operational. We have yet to discover either how or why the weapon is primed… or what its target is.”

“What!?” Nagoriyuki jolted.

But the news reported that the president still had the key! Surely the United States would not activate the weapon themselves? Consider that she had tried to grab the access key, It had to be Unika, but… how?

“Based on our team’s calculations and our live satellite feed, the weapon seems to be turning towards Illyria as we speak. Again, we have yet to discover who is controlling it.”

Nagoriyuki lurched again, his eyes shooting open and body leaning in towards the screen.

Towards Illyria!? Was Unika attempting to wipe out the whole-!? No, she has repeatedly shown that she values innocents. It must be an attempt to make demands, by holding the entire country hostage.

The stern reporter continued.

“…The satellite has now passed the greater kingdom of Illyria. It seems to be turning towards a smaller remote area of the kingdom, in the desert. Rest easy Illyria; we don’t appear to be the weapon’s target.”

Nagoriyuki let out a relieved exhale.

Good. But still, what could be out in the desert? The weapon was surely going to keep turning.

Right then, the news reporter proved Nagoriyuki wrong.

“It looks like the weapon has stopped moving. Whatever it is that’s in the desert appears to be its final target. Can we get our own satellite zoom in on the area, please?”

At his request, the news’ camera homed in on the calculated target area. It appeared to be some sort of massive old warehouse with equally massive chimneys. Nagoriyuki stroked his chin, pondering.

What on earth could be so valuable there that Unika deems it worthy of destroying? Some sort of evidence perhaps? Or maybe she merely wants a show of power?

The news caster’s next words overwhelmed the samurai’s being with dread.

“That warehouse isn't inhabited, right? It- Oh, I'm sorry everyone, one minute." The anchor put his hand on his left ear, listening to someone. “...I see. Thank you.” He gazed back towards the camera. “Our experts have just told me that the building we see here is an old research lab, almost dating back to the Crusades-era, but it has been long abandoned. Why the weapon would be priming to fire on it is anyone’s guess.”

Nagoriyuki froze, his pupils dilating in fear.

Research lab…? No, it couldn’t…

...Please, no.

He immediately grabbed Elphelt’s note from earlier, scanning it as fast as he could. He broke out into a nervous sweat, feeling his heart rate rise and breath quicken.

“…old lab in the outskirts”… That could mean... that's where she is-!!

The reporter spoke up again.

“The weapon is looking ready to fire! Estimated countdown is at fifteen seconds!”

“NO!!” Nagoriyuki couldn’t avert his eyes from the satellite feed. Every ounce of his being was screaming at him to do something, but what could he?

“Ten!”

The samurai was desperate. He bowed as far down as he could in his bed and closed his eyes.

Please, any god out there who could hear him, don’t let this happen!! He would do anything!!

“Nine!”

He sat back up. He couldn’t look away; not now. What use is there in calling upon a deity he didn’t believe in? Nagoriyuki’s mind raced, trying to reason that this was a different lab than the one from the note.

“Eight!”

It had to be a different place. It just had to. What would the chances be of this being the one she had mentioned?

“Seven!”

…But the attacker was after gears. Elphelt and the Kiske family is full of them, and this lab is tied to the crusades... It couldn’t possibly be unrelated.

“Six!”

But the letter mentioned “outskirts”, not a desert. Didn’t that automatically disqualify this lab?

“Five!”

No, of course it didn’t!! How many old labs could possibly be out there!? But… maybe she had already left…?

“Four!”

Yes, she had to have left already! She went out early in the morning and it was nearly seven o’clock at night!

“Three!”

She was going to come through that door any second now… she had to.

“Two!”

She had to-!!

“One!”

...right?

The weapon fired, instantly encompassing its target area in a massive red blast. Nagoriyuki stared on in shock, his heart dropping. The shot looked devastating; nothing could survive that. After the storm of dust settled, the satellite feed showed that the lab had been entirely obliterated. No trace remained, spare for an enormous crater where the warehouse used to be.

“Wow, what an absurd weapon!”, the anchor exclaimed. “We can only hope that this was a test fire by the United States military, maybe to scare off this attacker? There appear to be no signs of life nearby, at least not anymore. Our feed didn’t pick up on any civilians, so we can only hope that none were harmed. Once again, we have yet to discern the purpose of this shot or the hand that pressed the button. Stay tuned, Illyria.”

Nagoriyuki slowly turned off the holographic screen, his eyes glazed over. Was he… trembling?

…She was fine. She had to be. She was on her way back right then. In fact, she was probably within the castle already.

He slowly reached for his ringer and activated it, trying to call his caretaker. He stared blankly ahead as the device let out its familiar hum and dial tone.

...

No answer.

Please.

...

Still no answer.

Please-!

...

Nothing.

Nagoriyuki tried calling over and over, meeting the same silence time after time.

Just pick up-!!

He felt angry tears welling up in his eyes as his heart pounded. He gave it one last try.

…

...

...

Silence.

“GRAAAHHH!!”, he roared, suddenly grabbing and throwing the ringer across the ward, smashing it against the wall. He was panting heavily, clutching his head in frustration.

WHY!? SHE HAD SO MUCH LONGER TO LIVE FOR, WITH HIM!! SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HIS PARTNER, HIS SOLACE, HIS REASON TO KEEP ON LIVING AS A HUMAN!! IF SHE WAS GONE, HE-!!

Nagoriyuki caught himself, realizing the truth of the matter. His anger dissipated, his mind instead filling with grief.

If… If she was gone…

His breathing slowed as he felt his tears roll down his face. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt that sensation, that wet warmth coming down across his cheeks.

“…Elphelt…”

He held tight to her note in his hands, his tears staining the paper.

For the first time in his life, Nagoriyuki wept aloud.