"You're... You're the Hydro Dragon," the words slipped out of Wriothesley's mouth like a whisper. It was hard to process what he was seeing and what terrible things were now confirmed for him. Suddenly, all of the Iudex's weird actions seemed not so out of this world. A glimmer of panic entered his mind. He didn't know what to do or say at all.
Neuvillette noticed that Wriothesley got very uneasy and nervous too. This was a mistake, this was a mistake, this was a mistake. Maybe he shouldn't have trusted himself to do this after all. "Forget this," he quickly ran behind his desk again to hide his monstrous look away from the human's eyes. He put his hands on his face not wanting to see anything or anyone. His heart leaped to his throat and he could feel and hear the frantic beats.
'What the fuck was I thinking..?'
"Neuvillette! I..." Wriothesley's hands slightly reached out to the direction where the dragon fled but he hesitated. The worst choice now was to leave. He had to do something. Neuvillette had deemed him trustworthy and he had to show his side of trust too, wholeheartedly. Even if his mind was a mess and he needed time to think he couldn't possibly be so selfish as to leave Neuvillette here in this form alone. He couldn't possibly think clearly and he should act before he comes to his senses.
Wriothesley slowly walked closer to the desk again and this time walked to the other side where the dragon was sitting on the floor, hiding his face while his tail hugged him slightly. Wriothesley felt awkward but placed his hand on Neuvillette's head and petted him for a while, comforting him. "There's no need to hide," He said voice still not so confident. It was very awkward for him as he didn't comfort people very often. The sight of Neuvillette reminded him a bit when his own mother had bad days and often had breakdowns in the past.
Heavy rain began hitting the window suddenly which startled Wriothesley quite a bit. Fontaine's weather better get a grip on itself or it will soon give him a heart attack.
Neuvillette did not budge. He started mumbling something that Wriothesley couldn't quite catch. Then, he slowly lifted his head a bit to look up at Wriothesley who then stopped petting him. Neuvillette studied the other's expression bit eyes drowning in something of a mix of sorrow, worry, and nervousness. His brows furrowed a bit and he asked, "Why are you not asking for me to explain..?" Normally that would've been the second choice he thought about if Wriothesley didn't immediately run away. Normally they would've tried to kill him with anything they could get their hands on.
"I, uhm... Of course, I want an explanation but your well-being is my top priority," Wriothesley said and squatted down to get on the judge's level. His tone was soft and comforting as he did not want to put any more pressure on the creature. This was too much. They were both about to burst from this whole situation and for different reasons. It was way too much.
Neuvillette stared at Wriothesley with a strange expression for a while and then slowly sat properly, uncovering his scaled face but still keeping his tail by his side. Wriothesley made his best effort to stay calm and not alert him again and let him get more comfortable. This was exactly like if you were meeting a new kitten that slowly got used to its new house.
"Should we go sit on the sofas or is here better for you..?" Wriothesley warily asked. It would be better here indeed in case anyone suddenly bursts in through the doors and sees Neuvillette like this.
"...Here," Neuvillette responded and looked out of the window for a while at the rainy weather almost longingly. There was no mask on his face hiding himself from others. He let it break and a faint tear rolled down his cheek silently. It was as if such a small thing held all his worries in it and he finally released them for even a while.
Wriothesley didn't think twice and hugged the dragon. Maybe it was instinct from before when he was taking care of his mother and looking out for the close people in his life. Neuvillette was caught completely off guard and his eyes widened a little as Wriothesley pulled him closer and set his chin on his head softly. He did not know how to act. He had never been embraced like this. It was always him protecting others, it was always him hugging the ones close to him. No one had ever done those things to him. A second tear slowly rolled down his cheek.
He was called a heartless monster by everyone who had died in that calamity. Did a heartless monster really deserve this?
Wriothesley slowly retracted and properly sat down on the floor next to Neuvillette, leaning his back against the Iudex's desk. "Do you want to talk about this?" Wriothesley asked. They would have to talk about it for sure but considering it would be even more pressure for Wriothesley and anxiety for Neuvillette it wasn't a very good idea in the end. Wriothesley was willing to wait even if his mind was screaming for answers.
"We should," Neuvillette said. He looked very uncertain and continued, "Could we... Maybe you should come back tomorrow and I can take a day off so we can talk, properly." Limited time for something like this wasn't enough and things needed to get resolved quickly. Both knew this and agreed. Wriothesley only nodded his head in response.
Wriothesley knew this was his cue to leave but he couldn't help but want to stay. He knew Neuvillette needed time alone right now though and stood up from the floor. Neuvillette looked up to him slightly without a word. "I'll... take my leave then," Wriothesley said with worry still filling his eyes and a sorry smile. Neuvillette couldn't muster a response and it was clear neither wanted to depart. With enough stalling, Wriothesley walked to the office door and shut it behind him. He let a breath out he didn't know he was holding in.
It was a thunderstorm outside.
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Clorinde and Navia sat in silence in Navia's room. They had come there after investigating the murder scene Carole showed them and they needed some kind of quiet space to turn their jumbled thoughts into fine straight lines after asking Carole some questions.
They had asked her about the history of Melusine's and Carole said she didn't know their origin or where they came from but a crucial detail slipped her mouth that had revealed she did know more than she led them to believe. She was an honest person and both Navia and Clorinde knew this and trusted her. She must've had a reason bigger than her to keep the information a secret and could not tell them even if she wanted to.
Carole had said to them, "I don't know where we came from or how we were born but we've always lived under the sea in our villages. We don't do much and just live our lives and build a safe community. No one has ever disturbed our lives and Neuvillette gave us a chance to see the world again so we're super grateful to him... Even if things have gone this way."
A stubborn and careless would miss the details but it immediately alerted Navia and Clorinde. 'Neuvillette gave us a chance to see the world again.'
Again.
Carole had said Melusines had always lived underwater in their villages. They would never have seen the world above the sea and the Melusine villages were so hidden away it was impossible for them to accidentally surface. But this is the first time anyone has ever heard of Melusines so how was this possible? Neuvillette didn't know anything, did he? Even if he did there was no way they would get an answer out of him if the Melusines were trying to hide something.
At first, the case had seemed like just a work of some stubborn guy trying to achieve something through crime but it was not like that at all. The murders were great in number by now, so great one could not possibly even realize how severe the situation was. No one knew why Neuvillette brought the Melusines here and now they were hiding something. The queen had not made appearances in what felt like ages, though that could be expected since she was supposed to be guarded. Wriothesley and Neuvillette were working together on something, speculated by Vautrin who supposedly saw them, and they had not informed anyone about it. Wasn't this supposed to be worked on as a group? Details were kept from each other and suspicions rose. Maybe someone out of them was using the others as pawns. But every person was trusted by everyone.
Navia glanced at Clorinde with a worried expression. Stress was beginning to build up as nothing was progressing and they were stuck at square one. Clorinde shared the same thoughts as Navia and they both knew at least they could trust each other. They needed to talk this through and brainstorm any possible theories and try and piece this together. They undeniably only had small details that could not be used as the whole picture.
"So... Who do you think is the most likely to have planned all this out of all of us?" Navia asked getting straight to the point wanting to get to the bottom of the case as fast as possible. Clorinde was not on the same page after all and shot a confused look Navia's way.
"What do you mean..?" When Clorinde asked this the realization hit her but she didn't trust herself. There was no way... Absolutely no way the real culprit and mastermind was one of them. Navia looked at her with a serious expression as if she'd already decided the path to take when approaching the matter. Clorinde sighed.
"Come on, Clorinde! Think about it... It has to be one of us and I can say with confidence now that it's Wriothesley!" Navia said, turning her whole body to face Clorinde with flaming eyes. It was a bold accusation and no one should get accused of something like this ever without any evidence. Plus, Wriothesley was a part of their friend group and had had no qualms with Navia ever since they met. Navia knew baseless accusations were for losers and stubborn people and hurt was evident in her eyes as she obviously did not want to blame her own friend for such a crime.
Clorinde stayed silent for a long minute as she processed what Navia had just said and let her thoughts run and form in her head. She slowly opened her mouth and asked, "What makes you say that." Clorinde's tone was cold. Both Navia and Wriothesley were her friends but she'd known Wriothesley longer than Navia and trusted him like a brother. Family was important to Clorinde, more important than anything.
The trust that the two women had moments ago declared with their determined gazes wavered.
"Clorinde, listen... Don't you think it's weird how he climbed up the ranks so fast lately and it was all because of the Chief Justice's confirmation of his actions and deeds? Neuvillette found the Melusines and treats them all like his own goddamn children! Wriothesley has obviously climbed the ranks by threatening the chief justice with the mass murders-"
Clorinde stopped Navia in her tracks, "Do you hear yourself?"
Navia's voice died in her throat but soon she continued hastily, "You didn't listen to the end! Vautrin said Wriothesley was way too comfortable in Neuvillette's office as if he owned the place! Neuvillette would never allow that behavior around there no matter who it is, right? Why would he be an exception? He seemed oh so familiar with the Melusines immediately, which would benefit in them trusting him and following him to these absurd places just to get killed! And have you noticed how his uniform jacket is the same color as the ripped piece of cloth that was stored away as evidence?" As she kept rambling like a human gone mad Clorinde's demeanor kept turning colder and colder. Her eyebrows were deeply furrowed and ice-cold purple eyes pierced Navia like a sharp needle. Outright ridiculous.
"You better fucking stop," Clorinde said, and only then did Navia have the attention to look at her properly. A chill went down her spine and a faint anger flared inside her. Why was it that when she needed Clorinde the most she was always against her, always! Just like when Navia's father died. It was always history repeating itself over and over. The trust between them was hanging on by a small thread about to snap. The strong soldier and the genius detective huh? That was what the outside people saw them as. In reality, they were the stubborn soldier and an idiot detective.
Navia was not in the mood to even respond anymore and just stayed silent.
"Don't ever talk about my family like that," Clorinde said firmly, every single word like a prickling spike against the heart of the other. Her words angered Navia even further and she felt like her head was about to explode from frustration.
"He's not even your 'family'!" Navia said. She knew very well what Wriothesley's and Clorinde's relationship was and they treated each other LIKE family. It was just ridiculous to her in a serious situation like this because if you could just meet someone and they become your family so easily then where was her new father and mother! Where were they?!
Clorinde stood up and said, "Go fuck yourself!" And walked away quickly, slamming the door behind her in a fit of anger. Navia looked at her leaving. So many words and curses were in her throat, stuck. The unsaid words and curses ended up coming out in the form of frustrated tears and screaming in her hands.
It was always the world revolving around Clorinde, Clorinde, Clorinde... Navia swore to prove to her that she was right. Her new investigation of the culprit, Wriothesley, was in full force right now. She was going to prove that she was right about him. She had to be. Wriothesley... He was supposed to stay at the bottom struggling his way up like everybody else! There were no exceptions. The Chief Justice was out of his mind too... Wasn't he supposed to uphold justice? What a joke.
Navia sobbed against her hands burying her face in them while repeating these same thoughts over and over.
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"Neuvillette?"
Neuvillette had called the next day but did not say anything to the phone. They had exchanged numbers not long ago but this was the first time they called. Wriothesley felt like this was a bit one-sided.
"Yes?" Neuvillette responded after a while. It was weird to hear his voice so close to his ear but it was a pleasant feeling nonetheless. Wriothesley chuckled a bit as Neuvillette's response made it seem like he had called Neuvillette instead.
"You... Had something?" Wriothesley coaxed him and tried to get something out of this. An awkward smile grew on Wriothesley's face. "Or are you too shy to talk to me now?" Wriothesley teased a little trying to ease the awkward mood. In the end, it became more awkward.
"Come to my office," Neuvillette said quickly and hung up. Wriothesley stared at his beeping phone and chuckled. Did this man ever make phone calls? Now that he thought about it, technology has evolved greatly in the past 200 years. Maybe Neuvillette never got a hold of the internet and talked to a weird device.
Wriothesley had had time to get his thoughts settled last night and he helped himself with lighthearted jokes about the dragon to not freak out. He was sure the explanation he would get from the other would resolve everything and had no reason to doubt the other even now. Well, maybe he had but his trust for the Chief Justice was immense even if all sides of him hadn't been exposed to his eyes.
Upon arriving at Palais Mermonia, Wriothesley knocked on the big doors to Neuvillette's office and took a deep breath. This time he dared not barge in. A voice from inside mumbled a "Come in" and Wriothesley opened the door slowly. The scaly dragon was no longer here, instead, there stood the human he was used to.
"Do you want some tea," Neuvillette asked. His demeanor was the usual stoic calm, though an ever so slight smile played around his lips. Wriothesley nodded and walked to the usual sofa he uses. The Primordial Water was nowhere to be seen around the office but the scratch marks on Neuvillette's pristine desk were proof that he hadn't been dreaming. He couldn't help but try and deny all this.
Neuvillette shortly came back with a cup of tea and set it in front of Wriothesley. He sat down next to him and glanced at him a bit warily. Wriothesley noticed it but didn't address it and brought the teacup up to his lips. Neuvillette's gaze dropped as his lashes fluttered downwards.
"How's your day been?" Wriothesley asked. It was best to talk about something lighter and ease the mood before approaching the heavy subject at hand. Neuvillette seemed to not expect this and gazed at Wriothesley for a while. The formal expression on his face had faded and the person who bore the title of Chief Justice was away. Wriothesley waited patiently for the other's response.
"It's been... Good," Neuvillette responded and seemed to regret his answer. He corrected himself, "It's been... Anxious and nerve-wracking." He looked down at his gloved hands and suddenly everything felt so tight around him. It felt like everything was trying to suffocate him alive and face his sins and consequences. His body had been hurting for years but the hurt had become a normal state for him. Surely, if anyone were to swap bodies with him they would scream in pain for help.
Wriothesley looked at Neuvillette and petted his head again. Neuvillette finally looked up again, his eyes filled with some kind of bittersweet sorrow. Wriothesley gave him a comforting smile and said, "It's okay. It gets easier, I promise." Wriothesley, if anyone, valued the promises he made and made sure to keep them. "Maybe I can ask you some questions regarding the matter and you respond however you see fit. If it's too hard I won't pry further," Wriothesley suggested and Neuvillette looked a bit bothered.
"No. I need to tell you everything. It's not fair if I don't... I want to tell you everything," Neuvillette said and gripped the wrist that extended on his head. He brought the hand down and cupped it with both his palms. It was impossible to protect the fragile being in front of him. How many times would he need to be reminded of that? Nothing in the world belongs to him, nothing in the world could be protected by his hands, hands covered in blood. Even the warm feeling in his chest that emerges once in a while would fade away just as swiftly as it came during his long life. Humans desire immortality only because they don't know what they're after is the greatest suffering.
Wriothesley stayed silent for a while and then spoke up in a more silent tone, "Then... Start wherever and whenever you like." Letting Neuvillette get everything out by himself would be the best choice. He could feel the hands around his trembling as if cold. How was it that the strongest creature seemed to have the most fragile soul?
The silence around them was heavy but not uncomfortable. Neuvillette opened his mouth to talk multiple times but each time no words emerged. There was so much he wanted to say. So much he wanted to share. They were clogging his throat. In the end, they would burst through his neck and flood the room to the brim. Would these words end up causing more suffering and suffocating Wriothesley too?
Neuvillette kept thinking and thinking as he dug for the memories of the past frantically. His breath quickened and he felt a sense of rush go through his veins. He was wasting time, he was a bother, had he forced Wriothesley to this? Had he not thought about other's feelings? He had not thought about them, like before, he did not think about how everyone's lives were ruined due to him, he did not, he did not, he did not, he did...
Neuvillette was suddenly yanked and he landed on Wriothesley. Wriothesley had brought him closer and embraced the creature lying on him. He set his chin on the white-haired head and closed his eyes sighing. "Shh..." That was all Wriothesley said as he put his fingers around the thin white strands, following them along down and up again. Neuvillette's expressions had gone frantic which made Wriothesley give him a quick way of comfort and a sense of safety. The smell of Neuvillette, too, calmed Wriothesley himself.
"This is okay right?" Wriothesley asked in a whispering tone as Neuvillette seemed to just stay still, kind of dumbfounded. He could feel the other's frantic beats that Neuvillette definitely felt in his throat. Wriothesley felt him nod under his chin and sighed. He waited patiently again until the other was ready. He would be here to receive his worries and was willing to carry his sins as much as he could until they both could atone for them and reincarnate in peace to a world made for them. Wriothesley felt afraid. He felt afraid of how he felt.
Moments passed before Neuvillette finally opened his mouth to speak, "I was a water droplet." He was trying to dig the memories from 200 years ago and it was like a waterfall raining on him. "I was Egeria's punishment," He continued and stayed silent again. Wriothesley did not say a word and listened. Listened with his ears, heart, and soul.
Neuvillette took a deep breath, "Egeria had committed many sins yet she was shown as the victim to my actions. I don't blame her for anything... Maybe I should but she's my mother. No one should go against their mother, right? I was taught that she was right and I should follow her footsteps yet she made me do gruesome things. She forced it upon me, forced her own trauma upon me." There were always bound to be exceptions. Exceptions that went against the norms and left one questioning; why was I the exception? Everyone wants to be an exception to stand out from others until you are.
"The Oratrice guides me. It was created by Egeria and I share a special connection that lets me communicate with it. I felt lost when my mother's, the Oratrice's, and Fontainian's ways of right all branched into different directions. I ended up doing what I thought was right, killing everyone and then myself. Let this nation start from scratch," Neuvillette's voice slowly turned into a whisper. It was hard and the weight of things was starting to crush Wriothesley. Still, he held them in him and prepared for more.
It was raining outside. The droplets fall against the window like comforting music around them. Could they ever be enough for anyone? Could they be enough for each other?
What would it possibly take to earn the right to love yourself again?
Wriothesley felt himself grip the creature tighter as if to try and keep falling pieces together. Neuvillette was the strongest person he knew but still, he needed someone to keep himself together. He had never had someone like that and yes this could be overwhelming for him but he needed this and Wriothesley was ready to receive blows for him even if they burned his back and tore himself open.
"Wriothesley, do you think I made the right choice?" Neuvillette whispered and looked down at their entangled legs. The question hit Wriothesley kind of like a truck and made him unable to respond right away. It was a heavy question. What was considered the right choice? Who can define right from wrong and what are the limits? What about the heavy grey area in between and exceptions to the law?
Wriothesley thought about the question deeply and concluded. "I have no right to say anything on this matter, I did not live back then. Maybe dwelling on the past makes no difference to the future. Everything I know of this matter is that you've brought us a chance to live here whether it came from good or bad," He said. It was true. Of course, it was important to resolve past trauma from the past but associating everything to the future now, the different future, was a wronged picture.
An honest answer was always for the best in the long run. Neuvillette let out a breath he had held in unintentionally. "You're right. I shouldn't have asked such a question," he said and leaned slightly back against Wriothesley. Neuvillette was trembling a bit and his body was chilly against Wriothesley. His tight grip around Neuvillette did not warm at all and he loosened it to reach for his jacket. His jacket was quite small but would cover Neuvillette's upper body well enough. He put in on the other and embraced him again, this time leaning his forehead against the back of Neuvillette's head. Neuvillette did not resist any of this and just lay there surrounded by Wriothesley and his stuff.
"You know... The past Fontainians were washed away with the Primordial Sea, only a few remains stayed," Neuvillette explained. "I thought the Primordial Sea was gone after that but I'm sure I know now what happened," he continued. Even after all these years, he did not know the real reason for its disappearance but the Melusine's and Furina's birth gave him enough clues to form a theory that might just be true. Wriothesley nodded against his head as in listening.
"The Primordial Sea was the source of my power and still is. My powers never left me after the Primordial Sea disappeared but they weakened greatly. Furina was born from Egeria's corpse, my tears, and the Primordial Water around back then. I don't know why or how that happened or if Furina is just acting as Egeria's reincarnation, though I dare not doubt her," Neuvillette explained. Wriothesley understood and after seeing how worried Neuvillette was for Furina it was as much as he'd expected. Considering how he'd had to kill his own mother, of course, he'd want to protect the person who became like his daughter more than anyone. The things Egeria had made Neuvillette go through would not happen to Furina, ever.
"I found the Melusines at the depths of a strange cave that I felt a connection to. I felt myself grow brighter and more aware the deeper I went. Thinking back to it now the only reason for that was if there was Primordial Water but the water around was normal," Neuvillette continued. If anyone, Neuvillette would know clearly what water it was, no room for doubt.
"The Melusines were not afraid of me and I felt a familiar sense of connection to them ever since I first laid my eyes on one. I tried investigating them further and found them reliable and trustworthy like you humans on the surface. I learned about their lifestyles and after a few dozen years I decided to bring them to the surface." Neuvillette's words were really eye-opening. Of course, someone of his status and cleverness wouldn't immediately bring them to the surface. Melusine's most likely had a different lifespan as well knowing they aren't human and how Neuvillette is a few hundred years old too.
Neuvillette shifted kind of uneasy in Wriothesley's embrace and continued, "I investigated their origins and came up with a theory by eliminating every other possibility. The Melusines were likely born from the remains of the Fontainians washed away by the Primordial Sea."
It was a bold statement, yes, but it made a scary amount of sense. Melusines bore the Primordial Sea within them and would explain Neuvillette's strengthened state and the familiar connection to them. Wriothesley realized this and it was undoubtedly an eerie thought. Melusines were adorable small creatures that did no harm. Who knew they might be made out of human sacrifices and rotten remains? It was a theory to be taken seriously and considering Neuvillette had spent a few dozen years investigating Melusines it was near or the very truth.
"Maybe Furina, the Melusines, and I aren't the only ones from the past, Wriothesley," Neuvillette said worriedly. The implication behind his words was clear; the murderer is from the past.
Wriothesley spoke up warily, "Do you think it could be Arlecchino? Furina did say to me she had been in business with her before so... How long before was that?" It was a great question, though Neuvillette seemed a bit doubtful.
"Yes, she is a person we are very aware of. I know she isn't normal and is tied in some way or another to this whole thing but I don't think she's the culprit. Considering the culprit most likely has a grudge against the old people of Fontaine... That doesn't seem like a goal set for someone like Arlecchino," Neuvillette explained. Wriothesley did not know who or what kind of person Arlecchino was but trusted Neuvillette's words on the matter. Were they any closer?
"I've had to rip out the throats, hearts, eyes, and anything you could think of out of some people, watch my people die by my hand as my soul gets tainted in black... I don't want to do so again..." Neuvillette whispered, his voice breaking slightly. Wriothesley hugged him and moved his hand up and down Neuvillette's arm comfortingly.
"You don't have to do so again. We'll resolve this, I promise," Wriothesley said and the pair lay in silence in each other's company with sparks dancing around their almost touching fingers.
The dance hosted by Furina would be their big chance to look further in and gather real evidence aside from their crazed theories. Nothing worse could possibly happen... They've gone past that already and Wriothesley would make sure of that.
And so, the day of the dance came around. Preparations for Vautrin's event during the dance were made as well and he was well informed and prepared. Carole was helping him with everything and both were very uplifted today. Clorinde was also present but Navia was nowhere to be seen. When Wriothesley asked after her from Clorinde all he got was a gloomy shrug. He did not know whether Clorinde was mad at him or if something happened with Navia...
Furina was also preparing to make an appearance today and Wriothesley felt anxious for her. He couldn't possibly imagine how anxious the Iudex was for her. Speaking of Neuvillette, he was currently helping Furina get ready and also made some last-minute preparations. Wriothesley really wanted to go and help them as well but their investigation together had been a secret and no one was supposed to get too close to the queen these days.
Wriothesley ended up sitting with Clorinde on one of the tables there near the big hall where people were supposed to be dancing shortly, filling up the huge space with glamorous outfits and styled hair. The investigation group was allowed here early because of the true motive of the event tonight. They should be helping but something feels off.
Wriothesley couldn't help but ask with an uneasy tone from Clorinde, "Do you feel like something's off?" Clorinde snapped back to reality shortly and pondered the question. It wasn't that there was a decoration awry or something of the sort. It was just that Navia's absence and Clorinde's gloominess brought him the thought that something not so simple as a childish quarrel.
Clorinde sighed, "We're here to catch the culprit after all." Oh no. Wriothesley knew this was Clorinde's way of avoiding the question. She was answering the obvious way acting as if she had no clue what Wriothesley was on about. Wriothesley knew he shouldn't bother with them as long as it only concerned the two of them. Clorinde always hid her own problems behind the cold mask on her face and always tried to resolve them by herself.
Counter to what Wriothesley thought, Clorinde spoke, "Navia is accusing you." It took a while for Wriothesley to realize what she meant by 'accusing'. It was honestly the last thing he had expected to happen or the conclusion that Navia had come to. He already knew this concerned rumors about the investigation he's had with Neuvillette.
"Were there rumors of some kind?" Wriothesley asked straight away. There was no other way Navia would've made such a big mistake and knowing her she shouldn't have fallen for them. Did they not share the trusted bond Wriothesley thought they shared? And most importantly she should've come asking him about it first before coming to these absurd conclusions.
Clorinde got where Wriothesley was coming from and replied, "Yes, I guess you could say that. Vautrin had shared some doubts about your behavior with Neuvillette." Speaking in all honesty, Wriothesley was a bit stumped. Just his behavior? And he could already guess it was from that time when Vautrin had asked Neuvillette about it in front of him. He couldn't help but remember their talk after that day and how close they had been.
'I want to embrace him again.'
Wriothesley couldn't feel Clorinde's stare on him as he was lost in his thoughts. Receiving no response, Clorinde knew something was up. Obviously, she didn't go as far as to accuse him of the mass murders but Wriothesley was being a bit odd now. Wriothesley didn't look at her anymore and had shifted his face away from view but the tips of his ears were tinted red. Sickness..? Could Neuvillette have been treating Wriothesley?
"Are you sick?" Clorinde asked and reached out to touch Wriothesley's forehead. Wriothesley immediately moved away from her reach and shook his hands around almost frantically.
"N-no no! I'm okay! Uhmm..." He quickly rose from his seat and an infinite amount of thoughts raced through his mind in an instant all thinking of possible excuses to leave. Before he could come up with something and only let out weird sounds, a voice called out:
"Wriothesley."
The Chief Justice walked from behind him and greeted Clorinde with a nod as well. Wriothesley jolted a little, scared by the sudden call from the voice he just happened to think of. This was the worst-case scenario.
"Oh... Neuvillette..! Haha... Need anything?" Wriothesley was immensely awkward and his attempt in trying to act cool went all down the drain. Neuvillette looked at him a bit weirdly but chuckled. Clorinde was extremely weirded out and couldn't gather her thoughts quite about what was happening.
"Actually could I borrow you for a while?" Neuvillette asked politely and pointed to the back where he had come from. It was the room where Furina was making her preparations as well. Guess Neuvillette didn't really care about their secret investigation being exposed for rumors. Despite that, Wriothesley smiled and nodded. If you squinted just a bit you could see a tail wagging behind him.
Clorinde was flabbergasted for reasons unknown.
"Great. I'll bring him back to you shortly, Clorinde," Neuvillette said and grabbed Wriothesley's arm preparing to drag him to the back.
"No need to bring him back," Clorinde said and chuckled a bit as Wriothesley acted offended. This definitely lightened the mood around them. After throwing one offended 'How dare you!' at Clorinde, Wriothesley obediently followed Neuvillette so he wouldn't have to drag him forcefully.
There was no way Wriothesley would've been the one threatening the other. If anything, it was the other way around. Clorinde's mind settled a bit from the storm it was before and he thought of Navia. They would have to talk again eventually but what would the result of that be? There was clearly something up with Navia currently that made her make such bold assumptions and claims without listening to other opinions. She never worked that way and Clorinde knew that better than anyone.
As Neuvillette dragged Wriothesley to the back and shut the door behind he let go of his arm. Furina was in much higher spirits than what she was when Wriothesley had seen her before and they both greeted each other. Neuvillette walked to the back of the room and not to Furina, which was what Wriothesley thought he would do. The back of the room held clothes in clothing racks and Neuvillette approached one of them. It held pants and a belt, a button-up along with a vest, and a jacket. There was even a pair of boots that would reach high up his leg and gloves that let fingers poke through.
Neuvillette looked back at Wriothesley and said, "You can't possibly wear a police uniform to an event like this so... I got an outfit tailored for you." This all was beyond him and he was left stupid, standing there looking between the clothes and the gently smiling Neuvillette. The outfit had plenty of details and definitely cost a lot.
"I couldn't possibly... I don't have the money to pay-"
"It's a gift from me. No need to concern yourself with payment," Neuvillette replied making Wriothesley quiet.
A gift? When was the last time he had even received one? It wasn't his birthday or any other special occasion so why would Neuvillette give him a gift anyway? Furina could be heard laughing at Wriothesley's silent reply from the other side of the room.
Wriothesley had always only received something very small for his birthdays as a kid. Once he only received a hug from his mom and even that meant the world to him. Any form of gift would mean the world to him so why would Neuvillette go out of his way to spend so much for one? Wriothesley didn't care for the price... Even if Neuvillette had sown a crappy outfit himself it would be enough to send him crying, never mind this. Wriothesley covered his eyes with his hand and couldn't bear to look at the other man. Neuvillette was obviously startled and got scared he had done something wrong.
"Are you okay?" Neuvillette asked and set one of his hands up on Wriothesley's shoulder. Wriothesley let a tear run down his cheek and took his hand away from his face. Behind it, a worried face looked up to him and he felt his hand wipe away the single tear. In a split second, he could still see himself in that shabby house, his mom wiping his tears after he had stumbled and hurt his foot.
"I'm fine," Wriothesley responded and chuckled a bit. "Let me put on the outfit then," he said voice laced with excitement. Neuvillette smiled and moved away to grab the pieces from the rack. He handed them over and walked over to Furina to give Wriothesley the privacy of changing his clothes. The racks were a great cover.
After putting them on, Wriothesley walked to the pair on the other side of the room and dusted the clothes a bit. He felt nervous and a bit uncomfortable as he did not know if he wore them right. Surprisingly, Neuvillette had gotten his size down very well. "Well, does it fit me?" Wriothesley asked the pair. Neuvillette looked him over and thought of something while Furina clapped and laughed like 'ohoho'. At least, she was greatly amused, and the anxiety for her that Wriothesley had faded away for now.
"Wait there for a while," Neuvillette said and walked off somewhere. He came back shortly with a red tie in hand. He tied it skillfully around Wriothesley's neck and looked over again. The outfit looked almost too proper now... "Can I adjust this a bit more?" Neuvillette asked and Wriothesley nodded. He had no idea what the other had in mind. He startled a bit as Neuvillette took the jacket off of him and rolled the sleeves of his button-up. He opened the top buttons leading to the vest and loosened the red tie around his neck. He then set the jacket on his shoulders, attaching it with something. He disappeared somewhere once again and came back with a few chains. He attached the chains on his jacket and one on his vest up on his chest. He once again looked him over and smiled proud of his own work.
Wriothesley looked at himself from a long mirror near Furina and was in awe. Now that he looked at himself, he had worn the outfit so badly. Furina looked over again and screamed in delight. The dark look on Wriothesley adorned with his scars looked kind of fitting, almost scary. Only the ones close to him would know about his true goofball nature... He loved this.
Wriothesley whipped his head back towards Neuvillette and praised, "I really like it! Thank you, really!" He had to hold himself back a bit to not cry again. The smile on Neuvillette's face grew even more and the weird look in his eyes grew. Now that Wriothesley inspected it more closely it was the same fondness that his mother had but the purple eyes of the dragon shone differently. It made him almost mesmerized.
"You should go show yourself off for Clorinde," Neuvillette said and went over to Furina to attend to her hair. Wriothesley nodded and gave one last meaningful glance towards the Iudex before leaving the room, closing the door firmly behind.
Clorinde flitted her gaze up to the officer approaching her and her jaw dropped. "What are you wearing?" She said as an amused smile grew on her face. Truth be told, Clorinde had never seen Wriothesley wear stylish clothing. The few times they had gone shopping for clothes together Clorinde had given up on hope and just accepted defeat, which never was the case with her. She couldn't deny that Neuvillette could be a great influence on her best friend.
"The Chief Justice himself gave me this! Are you impressed?" Wriothesley spun around stiffly to showcase the whole outfit, flexing. Clorinde had expected this to be Neuvillette's doing since he was the one dragging Wriothesley away but this was impressive. It was obviously custom-tailored. Clorinde gave a sarcastic whistle and clapped a few times.
Wriothesley sat down beside her and sighed deeply, "How long until people start coming in?" He asked. They had been here for quite a while after all and Wriothesley was hungry. The dessert table did not help at all either.
"People are already waiting impatiently outside the door," Clorinde said and pointed at a window where the huge swarm of Fontainians could be seen. What Wriothesley paid attention to was that there were no Melusines in sight. They were short, yes, but the big lack of them made him think if they thought they couldn't attend. At least Carole was here. What if they one day end up leaving and hiding under the ocean again? Considering they've now been exposed like this even the depths of the sea wouldn't protect them anymore.
Vautrin and Carole entered the same space shortly after finishing last-minute preparations and Wriothesley was about to greet them but they walked past without saying anything. Though, Carole glanced at him kind of worried. Clorinde's expression immediately darkened again and she looked away. Wriothesley became suspicious of this whole weird thing going on. Looks like it isn't just between Clorinde and Navia. Clorinde seemed to curse something under her breath but Wriothesley didn't dare question him.
Shortly, people swarmed into the large space, and Carole, Clorinde, and Wriothesley were tasked with greeting them all in. Navia was supposed to also be there due to her being mysteriously absent they had to bear this together as a three. It was a hard task for Carole as the people were a lot taller than her and many skipped her over but at least they didn't spit on or kick her. Despite this, her spirits stayed as high as ever as she continued greeting everyone. Wriothesley's heart warmed at the sight of her. The task was boring but at least the company was great even though they couldn't chat with each other.
The people had all kinds of outfits on. This was a paid event to prevent overfilling the hall and clearly expensive outfits flew in like water. Women's beautiful dresses and men's smooth suits blended in together as they gathered under the setup stage put up for Furina.
"Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen!" Furina entered the stage in her new outfit, slightly more glimmering than the last. Her hair was put up in a braided bun and her bangs fell on her face softly. Neuvillette really worked wonders. Furina still wore her signature hat she was so known for though. The well-behaved crowd was applauding her and giving her praises though a select few were here just to spite her.
She continued explaining the events of tonight, "We shall participate in a few dances, if you'd like of course. The dessert table is open at all times and you're all welcome to take anything you'd like but please eat on your reserved tables, not on the dance floor! Obviously, we have our main event after the dance and some time reserved for the desserts, so please gather here by then!" Furina babbled on about something quite insignificant and the crowd followed her meaningless words.
Wriothesley was growing more and more worried as he realized just how hard the handed task was. There were so many people with all exquisite outfits, but none stood out. This would be the perfect chance for the murderer to come out. Though the lack of Melusines was a bit worrying. Who was the real bait here? Glancing towards Clorinde, Wriothesley saw her worried expression as well. They really needed to calm down.
Music began blasting from who knows where as the crowd gathered in pairs for the first dance. It was quite impossible to look through the whole crowd as people kept moving and moving. Maybe there was one way to get inside...
Wriothesley glanced towards Clorinde who knew exactly what he was thinking and quickly fled towards the dessert table. What a best friend she was... Considering how little experience Clorinde had in dancing, it would've been even more of a disaster and the people would just get mad at them. Wriothesley sighed, defeated.
Just then, from the corner of his eye, he saw someone sitting by a table, sipping something. Wriothesley knew it was just water. He strolled over with spirits lifted again and extended his hands towards the peace enjoying Neuvillette and bowed slightly forward.
"Shall we?"
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I swear I JUST WANT TO GET INTO WRITING THE ACTION BUT THERES SO MUCH TO WRITE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA