Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 0: How We Got Our Mayonnaise

by McPhoenixDavid

Day 1: The Spark (Sept 23rd):

It all kicked off on September 23rd, when Cretviones dropped the idea of a collab. It started small—just the core four: Elsa_Tan, Halyne Volatnet, and Jacoder, plus the dynamic duo of VeiledLiar and Dr_Smooth keeping things running.

Soon, the guest list expanded, pulling in McPhoenixDavid (Nix) and Tahap. Tahap, being the MVP of organization, immediately whipped up our home base: a Discord server aptly named The Cluster Of Chaos.

The Name Game:

A few names were tossed around, but after Nix set up a poll (because, democracy!), VeiledLiar’s genius suggestion won by a landslide: "Pass Me The Mayonnaise, Please." A true masterpiece!

The Fic Plan:

More people kept piling in, but the main story was locked down: a peak FemBaru X Royal Candidate Otto pairing.

Coder volunteered (or was volunteered) to pen the first chapter. To keep the flow state, Nix—our brilliant mind—suggested everyone adopt a number and publish their chapter according to that number in their nickname. Everyone was chill with a two-week deadline per person.

The Great Draft Mishap:

Nix, also volunteering to be the poster, went through the huge hassle of setting up the draft post and inviting everyone. A few hours later... disaster struck! Someone accidentally posted the fic! 🤦‍♀️

Good thing Nix has the brainpower of a strategic genius. She had the presence of mind to set the draft in a dead fandom, not Re:Zero. Crisis averted! The fic was swiftly deleted, a new draft was made, and invitations were sent out again. By then, legends like [Redacted], Zero_Haven, and other respected authors had rolled into the server.

One crucial rule was laid down: No Smut. Keep it classy, folks. The vibe for Subaru was to be MimaGauIF Subaru—intense, but clean.

Day 2: The Art and the Femboy (Sept 24th):

The next day, Cardinal was invited to write. He initially gave the classic "too busy" excuse, but the chaos was too tempting, and he ended up joining the fun anyway!

Then, SOMEHOW, Tahap sweet-talked Sirius into the equation, and he became an author. Sirius, being a rockstar, promptly dropped two pieces of amazing artwork! (He drew Otto as a girl, though, because he hadn't fully caught up on the plot yet. Oops!)

This led to a crucial meeting of the minds: Is Otto a buff dude? A girl? The tension was real! Nix, bless her brilliant soul, dropped the ultimate solution: "femboy!Otto, too girly, so people mistake him as a girl."

Perfection! Accepted.

And just to clarify the record, Cretviones made sure everyone knew: this is NOT a crossover. Just pure, unadulterated Re:Zero chaos.

Also, Nix is gonna be the host throughout this whole journey. She will handle the end notes! Hehehehe.

Day 3: The Debut and the Intro (Sept 25th):

Cretviones had an important milestone: he didn't want his debut fanfic to be a collaboration. So, he published his own fic first: The Red String. It was an instant hit, showering him with well-deserved praise and love!

Day something (Lost count xD): The Draft (October 15th):

After waiting for over two weeks, Jacoder was finally able to send the draft to the beta readers. Phew.

The reading (October 18th):

After a lot of discussion, the writers decided to have a live reading event. About time! It was a big challenge to match the timezones since nobody wanted to read in midnight.

So Saturday (Sunady for me) was selected as the day. It was great fun! Unfortunately, some authors couldn’t participate T-T.

Oh, and here's the list in which the writers will write chronologically: Chapter Order: 

1. Jacoder23

2. Halyne

3. Nix

4. Tahap

5. Cret

6. VeiledLiar

7. Smooth criminal

8. Elsa_Tan

9. Volat

10. Totes

11. FreshyReshy

12. MeowCatMax

13. Sane/anatheous

14. Vain

15. Sawa

16. Angel

17. [?????]

18. Horus

19. Crispy 

20. Hellbringer 

21. Genoshock

22. Sirius

23. Astra

24. Cardinal

25. Zero_Haven

26. Berthauthor

27. Sir_Kuro/Croco Mom

28. ZG468

29. Pandoras_Cult/Satellu

30. TechnicallyAPerson/Magic

31. Hadest

Last Chapter: OtonashiRen

And can you imagine? This guys didn’t even think of a summary; Nix, again bless the FemBaru Deity, was able to come up with a summary just a few hours before publishing it— hehehe.

Here are some ground rules. They are very simple, do abide by them:

1. Specify which author you are talking about. Use username or nickname.
2. Be kind and do not spam.
3. Any hate speech will be swiftly deleted. 
4. User may be banned if seen harassing others.

Back in The Cluster, Nix ran another poll. The majority voted for a separate first chapter—a Chapter 0. This intro would basically explain the insanity before Chapter 1 drops the main plot bomb.

Guess what? All this cool intel you just read is the body text of Chapter 0!

Chapter 0 and Chapter 1 are being released back-to-back! Yosh!

Chapter Text

Chapter 01: Easy Homemade Recipe for Disaster

by Jacoder23

Otto Suwen was dead—dying. His head swam, his heart hiccuped, his throat burned. They really shouldn't have been doing any of that; he should've been thinking of a way out of this. Using every heartbeat, he had to inch his way out like he always has, and scream until he ran out of voice to give.

Instead, there he lied. Still and limp. Of the many parts of his body, only his ears were still working. And work they did. Too well. A wet, piercing roar suffocated any coherent thoughts in his mind, filling it with garbage. And yet, this was the only reason he was still conscious. Unpleasant as the noise was, he understood why he was hearing it.

Death is not a quiet affair. The body is machines stacked upon machines in a lattice: a tower of cards. And when one thing fails, the rest follow in a glorious, gurgling collapse. Bubbling liquids echoed—a pot boiling over. And Otto has heard the last cries of a thousand, thousand, thousand Zodda bugs, felines, common rats, birds and all creatures under the sun. It never sounded very fun to die.

And now I can speak from experience. This really sucks.

But the longer he lingered, the less he could feel it. No more heat, no more aches. And no more black-haired scam artists. Just ennui. Forever. Back to the dirt his body would go and back to the Od Laguna his soul. He didn't have to be Otto Suwen any longer.

That roaring grew louder—louder than the sounds of the Zodda bugs chittering outside, knocking their little bodies against the windowpane. Babbling and bubbling became indistinguishable as the sound grew and grew: a cascade of noise. For the first time in a very long time, Otto didn't hear even the littlest voice of any animal. It wasn't the silence he expected but it was different. And it was getting nearer. Louder. Greater. Great?

The Great Waterfall? He wondered, the thought coming to him unprompted. He couldn't be anywhere near there, almost certainly not, but the idea of things— people— unlike anything else in the world occurred to him. Why? He didn't know. He couldn't— not while his mind was so overwhelmed, his senses untrustworthy. But the non sequitur shook him from his spiraling and a more pressing question occurred to him. Where was he?

Struggling, his eyes opened. Just a peek at the end of the world. Instead, he saw a woman in the oddest clothing hold up a pot rolling with a white liquid that smelled of eggs and sounded like death. She screamed. Noise on noise multiplied and Otto felt even sicker.

"Get mayo-ed, suckers!" the woman cried as she threw the boiling pot of condiment at a ruffian at the other end of the room; it collided with a CLANG, subsequent third-degree burns, and a sticky smell as the substance spilled over. It sizzled upon reaching skin.

There were many things going through his mind in this slice of time, a single snapshot in his brain like that "photo" he had seen taken by the "camera" of... of... Subaru? Yes. Miss Natsuki. He had so many questions to ask her, so many concerns and little suspicions.

"What?" was the only thing Otto managed to put to words before he felt the back of his head warm and his fingers grow numb. The turn of head of the strange mayo-carrying girl towards him was the last thing he saw as she mouthed the words, "Oh crap."

Back to the lake of oblivion he went, that same place he always ended up in-between revelry and hangover. Small islands of lucidity teased at him from a distance. Always out of reach, no matter how hard he swam. So he didn't. It was so peaceful to just float, no worries about paying off tabs or following the market trends. There were no voices to follow, no secrets to keep. The numbers, conversion rates, and skittering gossip all seemed like nonsense from down here. Above, distant voices muttered, forming a squall of magic, iron, and more primal shouts.

Then, a storm.

Swirling and swirling, a vortex spun him broadwise, swallowing all the buoys. Rainbows formed just as quickly as they were torn away, false ends to the cyclone. Distant voices filled his ears, familiar and unfamiliar. It tore him from his lull and sent him spiraling into the sky, colliding with it. It tasted like floorboards.

He awoke to a splash of water, thankfully not the boiling condiment, and his face smooshed into the ground. The lake was replaced by wooden planks, dimly lit cobwebs, and an unfamiliar ceiling stained in broken dreams. No, wait, that was just him projecting. Either way, it felt like a place of desperation different to his usual haunts— a different flavor than alcohol.

His mind was still a jumble, but he recognized the voice that greeted him back to the world of the living (along with the thousands of other, tinier voices clamoring for his attention).

"You're awake! I'm so glad you're alright. I don't know what I would've done if..." Subaru observed before her words trailed off.

Otto blinked. "You are? I didn't think we were that close." It was all coming back to Otto in bits and pieces. His mind hadn't quite landed exactly on where he was yet, but he was pretty sure he knew the person in front of him: Natsuki Subaru. Beyond that though, he wasn't sure of much, just that he hadn't met the strange black-haired girl before today. And he couldn't have forgotten a previous meeting. Even while recovering from the mental deluge, he felt it difficult to imagine forgetting someone as... her as her.

"You were out for quite some time, Mr. Suwen. What do you recall?" A male voice asked. He didn't quite recognize it. But before he could try and place it, the events of today began to come to him.

He had been sitting in a bar earlier, just barely into the afternoon, mug in hand and beer foam on face, minding his own business— or lack thereof. Business in the capital was oddly quiet, so he went home (as much as a bar could be home) no richer than he started that day— that week. He didn't have that much in the way of spending money, enough to spare on a mug and bed for a month or two at most, but everyone had their vices and he figured he had done a reasonable amount of do-gooding to deserve to choose his own poison (his savings had recently gone to a girl in need by the name of Marone). Even if it was a bit lonely to be drinking alone. But that was all the more reason to send another down the hatch. Bit by bit, the rest of what he could spare was going into the barkeep's pockets, a fine enough arrangement, until an orange and black storm grabbed him by the shoulder and twisted him around his stool.

"Otto!" She said. There was something desperate in her eyes.

His mug swung unsteadily, his mind and body somewhere between a buzz and a haze, "Do I know you, miss?" He didn't but he wanted to give her the opportunity to introduce herself while he gathered the wits he left lying around.

"Huh? Ott- ohhhhh... right. Right!" She remarked, as if she had just remembered you were supposed to introduce yourself to new people.

"I'm Natsuki Subaru. First name's Subaru, last name's Natsuki!" She struck a pose pointing towards the sky. Or ceiling, rather. Coincidentally, her finger was aimed at some stain: equal chances it was either piss or drink, Otto wasn't sure. It seemed incongruent with the girl doing the aiming; her clothes were strange, clearly the fashion of a noble but a fashion he had never seen before. Her hair was black, so she couldn't have been Lugunican either. Was he getting approached by someone important?

She then turned her pointing to him, "And you're Otto Suwen. A merchant."

"You know me." Otto responded emptily, raising his glass. "This isn't exactly the ideal setting I'd conduct my business in."

His instincts as a merchant seemed to catch up to his mouth though, placing down the mug as he added, "But maybe I can still help you with something?"

He couldn't quite make out the look on Subaru's face when he said that. It almost looked like he had disappointed her. How come? He couldn't be sure. He was just merchant-ing as a merchant does; but it still hurt to see someone hurt over something he said.

She spoke in uncharacteristic low tones. "Yeah, you could say that."

The gloom passed and turned into a wry grin. The desperation in her eyes was replaced by something he should've feared— an energy that just screamed trouble. But he was on his fourth drink, and the day was new.

She pulled a stool up next to him, and leaned into the counter, and began her pitch. "What'd you say I tell you about this revolutionary new food product I have planned?"

This got his attention properly, and a distant regret formed: he shouldn't be drunk for this.

"What makes you think it's revolutionary?" he asked.

Her smile grew wider. "Trust me on this one. You'll be the first person in this world to try something like this."

One thing led to another, and one suspiciously generous offer led to him being led to her-

A hacking cough escaped Otto's lips, the saliva catching in his throat. Mere seconds had passed in silence since he had been asked: What do you recall? More and more of it was flowing in now, the initial question unstoppering the cork.

He had followed her and had a brief tangent to the nearby guard station— she had something to report and he chose to let her do that on her own (though his Zodda bugs told him that she had a chat with a certain famed purple-haired knight but that hopefully had nothing to do with him, other than proving she probably isn't a criminal)— before arriving at what she called home. He called it the slums.

"And this is where you've been living?" Otto asked. He really did not expect his new business partner to be roughing it. Was she a fallen noble who couldn't bear to part with her favorite clothes? It fit the picture she was painting so far. Someone way in over her head wearing a "tracksuit" as she called it. Why not "trackdress"? He couldn't say— nor really judged: at least beyond what was necessary towards figuring out what her deal was. The other option on the table was still some sort of criminal, even with the guard station and her general cluelessness against that. Maybe she was a patsy?

She pulled a loose brick from the dilapidated property they were waltzing into; behind the brick was a key. He saw her pump her fist and say "Yosh!" before grabbing it. That she didn't seem embarrassed doing that only further convinced Otto that she had fallen hard.

She unlocked the door and entered, beckoning Otto to follow. He sighed.

"What is it with you and charity cases?" Frufoo had asked earlier before he left; he wouldn't bring his carriage for a trip this short. In the past, his ground dragon teased and scolded him before, calling him knightly for giving away his money to someone in need. Now it sounded more like genuine curiosity.

One is a coincidence. Two is a pattern.

The dragon had warned him, "Try not to give away your savings this time."

"This is just a business opportunity." Otto whispered before following Subaru inside. Frufoo wasn't anywhere near there'; he was just reminding himself.

"Mi casa is su casa!" Subaru declared with open arms, spinning as she presented a derelict, if spacious, two-story building. Otto's steps stuttered when she switched to a strange language: another point in favor of her being a fallen noble from afar. The evidence was quickly becoming overwhelming.

"Miss Natsuki," Otto began, "I wanted to ask you something about yo-"

Subaru popped up from behind a counter coated in dust. "What'd you say? I was busy grabbing the pots and stuff." She held up said pots and stuff. The veneer of dust on it all did not fill Otto with confidence. But as she did, he also gave the place a look over. A wooden sign, probably taken off the front door, laid on a countertop— it read: The Cat's Paw. Or the Cat's Claw? The text was worn and underneath a sheet of dust and what must've been at least ten years of abandonment. It was a miracle it wasn't burnt to the ground or turned into a drug den. Not that its current state was anything to brag about. How his new business partner could live here, he couldn't discern.

It didn't look like the place was very lived in. Actually, between the sign, countertop, and tables and chairs, it looked like a closed down restaurant.

"That's because it is." Subaru answered.

"Oh, did I say that out loud?" Otto asked. He dragged a finger over a round table, leaving behind a streak— and a splinter. He cringed, blew on his hand, and shook it off. "I was just, uh, curious."

"So am I. Haven't gotten that many go arounds to explore it yet." She said while opening all of the cupboards at once, releasing a cloud of decay and a whole flurry of ACHOOs.

Between all the sneezing, Otto managed to ask, "Go- ACHOO- arounds?"

Subaru responded kindly, "Go- ACHOO- arounds!" And that was all he was getting out of her on that topic. Especially as her sneezing continued unbridled.

"So, about this mayonnaise," Otto asked, "You do have a recipe, right?"

Subaru's sneezing stopped suddenly.

"Uh." She paused. "I think there might be milk in it?"

Her sudden lack of confidence aside, Otto had other things to confirm beyond ingredient lists.

What do you recall? Sooner and sooner the memories grew. He could feel himself approaching the event horizon.

"Event horizon?" He had asked. The day was growing long but the sun was still up, illuminating trapped dust in the air, shimmering in beams of light. He could make out footfall outside. Odd. This didn't seem like the kind of general area that got business, except the illicit type. He hoped this didn't count.

Subaru nodded back furiously, "That's right. There's this thing in space, or I guess you'd just call it the sky, called a black hole. It's a supermassive object from which no light can escape."

"Some kind of Yang magic?" Otto wondered aloud.

"Yang magic?" Subaru asked before stopping herself, "Wait, wait! Hold on, I'm telling the story. Or factoid, I guess. You can tell me more about magic later."

Behind them, the surprisingly functional mana stone brazier boiled away as their pot of "mayonnaise" brewed. The smell wasn't that bad once they went out and picked up some fresh ingredients (paid for by Otto's wallet) but their first attempt was catastrophic. Noble indeed: she didn't know eggs went bad after sitting in a dusty failed restaurant for however many years this place went unused. He had thought to question her on her ownership of the place but stopped himself: he had a feeling that knowing the answer would be more inconvenient than just letting a (hopefully) little white lie sit pretty.

"Anyways, past a certain point, the gravity- er, that's a force that attracts things to heavier things- of the black hole is so great that light can't escape. That's why it's a black hole: we can only see things because of light so if the light is all trapped-"

"Then there's nothing to see." Otto finished.

"Exactly!"

Otto had to admit; this girl really could rile herself up. She had a knack for ranting, even if Otto didn't quite understand everything she said— and vice versa, as he had to explain to her what an appa was.

"And that point where light can no longer escape is called the event horizon. Where nothing can escape."

Otto had never heard about black holes before but with the sheer wonder he heard in Subaru's voice, he couldn't help but be drawn into the mythology she painted.

He wondered if he'd perhaps be drawn into Subaru's event horizon, doomed in this hopeless building to brew strange potions with a woman out of this world. And she was otherworldly, so much so that he briefly wondered if she came from beyond the waterfall. But he shook those fantasies from his mind. She was no black hole, and he was no light. And if things got bad, he'd need an exit plan. Just like with Picoutatte. If he had to run, he had to run.

"Picoutatte?" Subaru asked. Otto noted in his head, right as he felt his heart fall, to watch his words more carefully when around strange women.

"...Did I say that aloud?"

Subaru answered, "Just that part. Oh, and the exit plan."

Otto buried his head in his hands and felt his ears burn. What a rookie mistake. What an absolute bungling. That was him. Expert bungler: Otto Suwen. Been bungling since he was a kid: Mr. Otto "Keep Your Stupid Mouth Shut" Suwen.

"It's really no big deal." Subaru tried to reassure Otto. "I'm used to it, y'know? I've been around the block with outlandish plans— did plenty of pranks as a kid. I'll admit the outlandish part is oddly literal this time around though." This only made him feel worse.

"I'm sorry." He managed.

Subaru replied, "Don't be. Be sorry you let yourself get dragged around so easily. I mean, I like that. I prefer that since, y'know, you helped me out. But still! Stranger danger."

"Stranger what?" Otto balked. "And all I've done so far was pay for some groceries."

"You've done more than that." Subaru declared. Otto almost believed it, hearing the conviction in her voice. She doubled down. "You've done more than someone can repay with a life."

"Don't you mean, in a lifetime?"

"Oh, uh, yeah!" she scratched the back of her head, her voice trailing unsurely. "I guess so."

Otto went back to his worrying, his face entangled in frustrated fingers and his back hunched as he sat on one of the few dusty furnishings left in the building. The silence was filled with the sound of belching flame and bubbling brew.

"Say, Otto?" Subaru asked, breaking the pause as quickly as it came.

He fought his embarrassment and responded through his finger cage, "Yes?"

"Are you supposed to boil mayonnaise?"

From there it was a matter of trial and error— two dozen eggs, a quarter of that many attempts, and a whole lot of forgetting and remembering before triumph. The sun was setting but they had finally done it.

It took picking up a nice whisk (paid for, again, by Otto) and beating the ever-loving stuffing out of a mixture of eggs, oil, and the juice of a "lemon" (it was just lemom, he didn't know why Subaru seemed to hate it when he called it that though). It combined into a strange tangy concoction. Otto was a bit hesitant to try it at first, their past failures not exactly adding up to much confidence, but Subaru turned on the doe-eyes, and he turned on sunk cost fallacy. They didn't have anything to eat it on though so that meant spooning the wispy condiment into his mouth.

"Are you sure about this?" Otto asked, his throat growing tense. Their last few failures didn't even look edible. Was this iteration actually better or just better-looking? "Why don't you try it first, Miss Natsuki?"

"I promised you'd be the first person in this world to try it, right?" she countered, holding the spoon up as if feeding a child. "Now, bottoms up!"

She shoved the concoction into his mouth and he closed his eyes, ready for his taste buds to burn. And yet...

"Mhm, huh." he mumbled, the flavor sticking to the roof of his mouth as he savored it. "Huh! This is actually pretty good!"

A vision from another world for a moment passed through Otto's mind: a cold beer, fried potato wedges, and a cup filled with this mayonnaise for dipping. Beer, potato, mayo. It would be divine.

"This could be big." Otto declared to himself. Then he turned to Subaru, looking her directly in her brown eyes, "This could be big!"

Subaru reached over and grabbed the same spoon (Otto would blush if he wasn't all riled up himself) and took a taste for herself.

"This is... perfection! Perfectly tangy and savory, a clean taste that is neither too oily nor too lemony. This is the mayo suited to a mayo lover, suited to being drunk out of a jar straight out of the refrigerator like a salary man coming home from work looking for a beer— and yet so much better!"

"Uh," Otto tried.

"This'll go on fried chicken, on bread, on salads, on gyoza, on fries, on spaghetti, on ice cream, on everything! We did it Otto, we made the perfect condiment!"

"Ice cream?!" Otto broke into disbelieving laughter and so did Subaru.

As they celebrated, that same dreaded pot from earlier still continued to bubble. They didn't dare touch it however, foam ever so close to overflowing and burning them if they so dare approach. Nor could they turn off the brazier, as the heat was sweltering. They chose instead to continue their attempts in another corner of the restaurant, which was fine by Otto. It wasn't unexpected from a metia meant to create heat to well, create heat, but it was far more powerful than they had anticipated. Perhaps it was left behind despite its functioning state because it functioned too well and went from fire producer to fire hazard. They would just have to wait for it to die down on its own.

Still, a success was a success and Subaru brought out a strange, colorful metia to commemorate.

She unfolded it to reveal a dizzying array of nubs with foreign symbols painted on them along with a tiny mirror with an evening glow. She turned it around, facing its backside to her and Otto who stared at a dark eye round of glass on the metia.

"Say 'mayo'!"

"What- ACK!" cried Otto as a flash of light burst from it, blinding him. He could see sunspots on the back of his eyelids. "What was that for?"

"Oh, sorry." Subaru apologized. "This is a camera! It takes photos. See?"

Otto muttered, eyes still closed. "No, I can't."

The "camera" was not doing wonders for his head, a ghost of a migraine coming in. He could hear worried muttering in his ear, Subaru's hand on his shoulder, but he couldn't make anything out over all those Zodda bugs telling him someone's coming.

Wait, repeat that: someone's coming?

He shook himself best he could, pushing the burning sensation in his eyes into the back of his head. He could tell the noontime drinks weren't making this any easier, but he'd bear with it. Even if 'bearing with' wasn't quite enough to open his eyes again, it was enough for him to listen for more details from his winged lookouts.

"Miss Natsuki, someone's coming." he muttered, rubbing his eyelids. "A half-dozen of them. Thuggish types."

If Otto's vision wasn't out of commission, he would've recognized the shock on Subaru's face as particularly suspicious— not that of someone who wasn't expecting company but someone who inexplicably was. And underneath that, the look of someone who hadn't known anyone else could've known what was coming.

With uncharacteristic gravity, she asked Otto, "Do you remember the last go-around?"

Otto, for his part, had no idea what she was talking about. "What?"

"Uh, nevermind." Subaru sighed, putting the unstated question of how he knew that aside. "Must be the kidnappers."

"Kidnappers?"

"Yeah, chased us, er, me down last ti- mhm. Before. Chased me down before." She settled. "Real assholes, not even good at kidnapping cause they just get their victims killed."

Otto didn't like the level of detail she seemed to know these people. He tried to get his grips once more, this time successfully opened his eyes. Subaru looked not nearly as panicked as he would've otherwise expected and for a moment, he felt a tinge of doubt. Maybe he was getting tossed in a cell again and she was just the hook for their line.

"I think I can manage to take one of them out if I use the mayonnaise pot."

Of course, he immediately let that doubt go, it being replaced by a magnitude more of disbelief. He was ready to respond but all that came out was: "...Okay."

"You do that, I'll find us an escape route." Otto said as he went for the door. But Subaru held his shoulder, turning him, and shook her head.

"They'll be able to grab you if you leave. They know this place too well."

Now this and that eerily detailed testimony as to what they did with their victims really, really worried Otto.

"Miss Natsuki," He gently placed his hand on hers, "have they been stalking your home?"

"My home?" She blinked twice before slapping her forehead. "Oh! Uhm confession time: this isn't mine."

Otto looked around at the cobwebs and gray residue. "I don't think this is anyone's. Not anymore. But you do live here, don't you?"

"Yeeeeees..." said Subaru uncertainly.

Otto recognized that tone; it didn't sit well with him. "Yes, but?"

"Yes, since... today."

"Today? Today! This was your first time in here?!" Otto whisper-shouted, trying to be heard over the chorus of tiny voices outside that were still shouting warnings. Subaru nodded, unable to hear said voices anyway. "How did you even know there was a key?"

"I, uh, saw someone go in?"

"Who?"

"Well, technically they haven't gone in yet." Subaru scratched her chin. "This time at least."

"What does that even mean?!"

"It means this will be the kidnapper's place. Or well, it's where they plan on setting up shop."

Otto had many things to disbelieve today but this had to top them all. "Why, pray tell, are we working inside of a human trafficking den then!"

"It isn't yet, and these guys aren't really big enough to deserve that kind of name. But they were going to target someone and I figured here would be a good place to intercept them."

"Who's this someone?" Otto crossed his arms.

She just stared at him. Otto felt like he was the butt of a joke he didn't understand. Maybe he was.

She said, as if they'd already had this conversation before, "You won't believe me."

"I can't believe it if you don't explain it to me." Otto pinched the bridge of his nose. "And that goes for a lot of things, Miss Natsuki. Who exactly are you?"

Subaru looked genuinely confused. "Me? I'm just your average girl."

"Nothing about you is average." Otto insisted. "All I know is your name, that you know weird things, and led us to a kidnapper's den!"

Subaru sighed. "Believe it or not but I was improvising. Had to make sure they couldn't find us and, well, I figured this was the last place they'd check."

"Great plan," he said, his voice dripping with insincerity, "Except you forgot that they'd check it eventually, as they are now."

"Don't worry, Otto, you didn't think I wouldn't do something right? They don't know the guards are coming in circa... uh how long until Water Time?"

"Long enough for us to clean house." One of the thugs leaned into the doorframe, a lockpick set in hand, and a club in the other raised up high. It was then that Otto realized his conversation with Subaru distracted him from actually listening to what the creatures around him were saying. The kidnappers weren't getting nearer; they were already here.

"Oh crap." Subaru muttered. Otto would've said the same, but a flying club soon met his forehead and Otto's face met ground.

And from there his memories caught up with the present. In between was only a flash of pain that made his eyes go white and knocked his hat off, Subaru's mayo-ing of one of the kidnappers, and the arrival of a brilliant iridescent light.

"Mr. Suwen?" The voice repeated once more, breaking Otto from his lull into memory land. "Are you alright? Do you remember what happened?"

"That's the fourth time you asked." Subaru remarked, tension in her frame. "I don't think he does."

"I..." Otto began, ready to repeat what he remembered back out loud, before realization hit him and he clamped a hand over his own mouth. "Wh th hck r y?"

"Pardon?" said the yet-to-identify-himself voice.

He uncovered his mouth then repeated, "Who the heck are you? I remember Miss Natsuki but that's all!" At that, Subaru's shoulders dropped, and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, he seems to remember you at least, Miss Natsuki." Otto wondered briefly if this was one of the kidnappers Subaru was shouting about during her mayo altercation.

The owner of the voice stepped out into the light, and it was then that Otto realized that wherever he was, it was dark outside and dark inside. But the soft glow of candlelight illuminated just enough for Otto to make out Subaru standing next to a knight.

And one more unidentified figure, crouched in the dark, wound up. With fear or with readied violence? Otto didn't give it much thought before calling out in a language neither Subaru nor the knight recognized. With his command, a cacophony of creatures, rats, bugs, and birds swooped down on the intruder in a frenzied attack.

The knight turned and so did Subaru to see the last of the kidnappers.

"You can do that!?" Subaru cried.

"My Divine Protection," Otto managed to slowly croak out, "of Soul Language."

"As decisive as you described, Miss Natsuki." remarked the knight. Otto didn't agree with the assessment but wasn't much in the mood for fighting a compliment. "Now let's test your other theory."

Now seen in better view, he recognized who he was looking at. The greatest of knights: Julius Juukulius, the man in the guard station. And he was holding up some kind of badge- no, an insignia. He tossed it underhand towards Otto, who caught it. It began to softly glow.

"Right again, Miss Natsuki. How do you do it?" Julius said with small wonder in his tone. Subaru scratched the back of her head smiling modestly. "And I suppose, I've done you a great disrespect by not calling you by your title, Lady Suwen?"

Otto would have been looking at Julius mirthlessly but instead, turned to that scam artist at his side, stifling a giggle. Oh boy.

"What the heck did you tell him?" Otto shouted.

"Trust me, this was important. Even more important than the kidnappers." Subaru explained. "I talked with Julius earlier and let him know about your situation. The whole royal shebang."

"My what? Shebang?" Otto felt less explained to than before. He felt like the opposite just happened, as if he now knew less about himself than she did. How did she even know what she knew? "And I'm not a lady!"

Julius looked to Subaru for confirmation. She nodded, a smirk still poking through.

Julius turned back to Otto and coughed. "Of course, I understand. But you are a royal candidate: a Dragon Maiden. If you are male, these are now unprecedented circumstances. Allow me to explain."

He launched into an explanation of the Royal Selection, clearly a state secret if even Otto hadn't overheard anything about it. He explained the will of Volcanica and what the glowing of the insignia meant. He talked about there being other candidates (of course, he shared no specific names) and how Otto was the fourth of five to be discovered. And he explained how each had a knight.

"Unfortunately, I've pledged myself to a royal candidate already. Otherwise, I would've gladly asked to be of service to you."

Subaru looked shocked at this, a touch of heartbreak in her brows. Was it a crush or was she looking for someone to exploit? Otto didn't know her well enough yet to tell. Julius, on the other hand, was plenty famous enough for him to have some idea of how to read.

"Your candidate is Anastasia Hoshin of the Hoshin Company, right?" he remarked.

Now it was Julius' turn to look shocked. Though it was a much more muted reaction than Subaru's.

"You are certainly a discerning person." Julius said, impressed. "Was it obvious?"

It's obvious if you've got a hundred thousand pairs of eyes always on the lookout for news.

"In any case, your... temporary base of operations might not be suited to housing a royal candidate."

A plank from the roof, coated in the residue of either stray fire or water magic, fell to the ground at this exact moment. A plume of dust drifted slowly upwards.

"It's not really our base... yet?" Otto looked to Subaru, who just shrugged.

Julius offered his hand, "Might I extend an invitation for you two to the Juukuulius manor? You're welcome to stay before you get back on your feet."

At this, Subaru rushed to Otto's side, wrapping an arm twixt his and helping him up from the ground. Though not without a bit of a struggle from the still weary merchant.

"What are you doing?" Otto asked.

Subaru just smiled and turned back towards Julius saying, "Give us a second."

"Of course." Julius replied.

She then scurried over to the corner, still supporting Otto's weight, and spoke quietly.

"I don't know if we should go with him. He's supporting another candidate right? What if he..." She mimicked the sound of a sword slicing a neck with her mouth. And her finger. Otto thought it was very unsubtle for someone who apparently wanted to keep this conversation's contents secret.

"That's very unlikely. But you have point. Anastasia is a competitor," Otto began. "Both as a merchant and candidate. And she outclasses us in both."

"Us?" Subaru seemed a little taken aback.

"You are not dumping all of this on me after roping me into this royal candidate business." Otto didn't speak the unspoken question despite the accusation: Did Subaru approach him specifically to get him into candidacy? And how did she know he's a candidate without the insignia?

"No, no I just thought you wouldn't want me around after all the trouble I've caused you." she clarified. Her eyes didn't meet his.

"Well, you've brought me a whole lot of trouble, got my head bashed in by a group of kidnappers, and told me a whole lot about anything and everything except yourself." He listed off. Subaru wilted.

"But I trust you."

Subaru's eyes widened. "Just like that?"

Otto nodded. "You meant well, and it seems to have worked out, hasn't it? But still, tell me beforehand if you're going to plan something so insane."

She chuckled and their conversation drew silent for a moment. Otto seemed content to leave it at that. He still had his suspicions as to Subaru's origins and how she knew all that she knew, but he had none towards her intentions.

"He never changes..." Subaru muttered. Who he was, Otto wasn't sure.

"Have you two made your decision?" asked Julius.

Otto looked at Subaru and she smiled.

"If you trust me, then I'll trust you too. It's your decision." She told him.

He returned the smile and told Julius his answer.

Chapter Text

Chapter 02: The Storm, the Maid and the Mayonnaise

by Halyne

Cutting into her, the pain quickly spreading from her shoulder and spiking down like a rose’s thorns sparking the red from inside of her. The slightly rusty blade giving it a particular clawing sensation that she couldn’t endure.

The shock that reverberates throughout her body pins her knees to the floor, a paralysis taking over to force her to the ground. Her body unmovable as her own red seeps into the crevices in the old dusty wood of a floor.

Her vision foggy as she sees the man, the one who dared to be nice to her. The man who was willing to help when she was in need. The man who accepted all her random ideas and energetic eccentrics.

The man who is now looking at her directly in the eyes, his own shade of crimson painting the floor along with hers. Pieces of sharp white shards and grey clumps scattered about above him. A unique canvas that shall forever stain the world and wood.

One of these two crimson bound people’s eyes are wide and frightened, embracing a new experience of decay attaching itself to their very being. The essence of life draining from their soul, Od leaking like a broken faucet as it is slowly and cruelly siphoned by the world, back to Od Laguna.

The other staring blank, a never ending abyss of death portraying through their entire being. Like a grim reaper stole their soul before the afterlife could even arrive, preventing even the tiniest sliver of life.

Though, to say which one of the two was which, is hard to tell. The girl’s repeated failed attempts to save this one man always ending up in failure. But as death slowly carries her away, she can’t help but look into his eyes. Lifeless as they are, she can’t help but still see him. Memories stacked on top of each other to strengthen her determination to wrestle victory over these murderous captors.

A familiar and always equally haunting cold starts to permeate through her body. Her grit and determination were never factors when it comes facing the all encompassing abyss. Like the creaking of Charon’s boat as he arrives for your one coin. Though Subaru has never had that coin, being forced back into the world of the living yet again. The dim alleyway being a constant reminder of her inevitable stride forward, surely this time she shall reach the finish line.

It has been two weeks since then. The phantom sensation of dying and dying all over again are still coldly scrapping their way into her head, surfacing from the depths of her memories as if to mock her futile efforts to forget.

Even if the memories clinging to her were forever haunting her from the graves, she at the very least made it out.

She shouldn’t think about those things right now though! Today is a special day!

Today, they’re going out, exploring the market district for more product ideas. They were going to see the capital more, to garner ideas for his royal candidacy, and maybe even find allies they could recruit to their camp.

Oh! And she’s going with none other than said royal candidate. The person who helped her when no one else would. The merchant that has already started building their company to a great degree with just mayo alone, and of course the wonderful person chosen as dragon maiden.

And she gets the whole day to constantly tease him about being a dragon maiden–emphasis on the maiden part. Quite embarrassing for a guy, and perfect ammo to shoot his face into a shade of red, darker than a tomato!

She has the feeling that today is going to be the most exciting day for the past two weeks. Staying inside making mayonnaise day in and day out isn’t the best for her health, nor her sanity.

Don’t get her wrong, mayo is the best thing in the world! If she were to choose between the world or mayo it would definitely be mayo every time.

It’s just…

…

Stagnating.

She was suddenly put into this world, given a horrible starting position, and forced to constantly be vigilant at every twist and turn. Of course suddenly being put into a moment of peace is jarring.

She knows Otto said that what she’s been doing is enough, but Otto has been so swamped with work. Creating a company from scratch is hard work as it is, but to prepare for the royal selection on top of that.

Subaru can help with more! She can do more, he would just need to ask. And she has been doing more, any time she had she’d help Otto. She doesn’t need to sleep if she can study more. She can do his paperwork as long as she makes the mayo faster each day. If they sell out she can make more, do more tasks. Multitasking however she needs to and drowning herself in the work as long as she’s helping!

Yet, a familiar stagnant feeling settles over her, hovering just out of her reach. A useless girl just like before.

Her thoughts quickly coming to a halt, suspended by the sound of a knock on her open door, “Miss Natsuki,” the voice so familiar now that she could find it even if it was a needle in a hay field.

The man standing at the door wearing a familiar yet different outfit to the merchant focused one he had on when they first met.

A dark green cloak with its yellow triangle patterns like usual, though instead of its hood it used to have, it goes up like a suit’s collar, lined with small versions of the pattern at the top. A red cravat ties the cloak at the collar, a reminder of the bow he had before. A light green vest under the cloak, reminiscent of his less fancy shirt from his previous outfit. A belt wraps around high rising pants, buttons going up his waist, a show to the world that he’s taking his candidacy seriously. Yet his nature as a merchant is still captured in the two satchels on either side of his belt, surely containing something important. His iconic hat seeming to be the only thing completely untouched. Despite the eccentricities of the new outfit, there is no doubt that this is

Otto Suwen, the dragon maiden that she has chosen to follow.

While he doesn’t like dressing up fully like this, he knows what image he needs to maintain as both a merchant and candidate for the throne.

The same candidate for the throne she shall be bullying and teasing the entire day today.

She decided to start off the day strong, saying, “oh! What will the people think when they learn their candidate walked into a lady’s room!” She falls back dramatically, placing the back of her hand on her forehead, truly the epiphany of the perfect damsel in distress.

“Hey! That’s not what I was doing!” Otto shouts out while waving his hands in front of him, panicking over this situation the dramatic damsel introduced.

“And to be so shameless as to not admit your mistakes, is this what they mean by never meet your hero’s,” Subaru collapses onto the bed, trying to hide her poorly concealed smile with a blanket.

Tears fall out the sides of her eyes, though Otto doesn’t know they’re of held back laughter. “I-! I hope you can forgive me Miss Natsuki! I didn’t mean to!” Otto bows down deep, a perfect ninety degree angle just as he has practiced before.

Silence falls over them, tension stacking on Otto’s shoulders. What will he do without his only supporter, and companion. He just hopes this apology will suffice for her to not abandon him. Stray thoughts barrel on, charging through his mind in a stampede of desperation.

Though, all of a sudden they come to a halt when, “pfft, hahahahahahahaha!”

Laughter finally escapes Subaru, filling the room. It burns away all of Otto’s barreling thoughts in a warmth that makes it to his cheeks.

He quickly looks up at her, embarrassed and bewildered, “aah! Miss Natsuki! You almost gave me a heart attack, why do you have to bully me so much!” He shouts out in desperation, lifting his hands up to express how he’s feeling.

Yet he’s only met with laughter in response, Subaru wiping her eyes, unable to stop the bellowing. “You- hahaha!”

“Aaaah! You keep making fun of me like this!” Otto shouts out in retaliation.

Subaru fights back the laughter in a harsh battle, but eventually she reigns victorious. “Y-you’re just so fun to tease! I’ll never get sick of it!” She smiles widely as she looks at the embarrassed candidate.

“Huh?! But if you keep teasing me, then what do I do with these feelings of anger!” Otto hurriedly says back.

“Hahaha, well Otto, we should get going. We don’t have all day” Subaru pats Otto on the head, ruffling his hat in the process.

Otto quickly adjusts his hat back, trying to keep up his professional look. “Sigh, I guess you’re right.” He grumbles not wanting to end the conversation there, but not wanting to delay any further either.

Subaru drags her candidate along with enthusiasm to get out of that suffocatingly familiar atmosphere. Promptly leaving the temporary abode that Julius lent them.

Subaru charges into the bustling crowd of the market, Otto hurriedly following behind in order to keep up with her pace.

Today they’re going to be doing a lot of things. Some of which include, looking for accessible ways to make more of Subaru’s inventions, Subaru introducing and selling a few recipes from her homeland, trying to determine who the other candidates are based on the general people’s thoughts, and the reason why they chose this day in particular, Otto’s appointment at the guard station to get more information about the selection.

And since they’re heading to the main market area of the capital, invention ideas and recipe selling comes up first.

Dragging Otto through the market, Subaru stops at a very familiar Appa stand.

Seeing the man she has seen so many times, she smiles and waves. While Otto actively struggles to take his hand away from her grip, though it seems he’s too weak to escape even a woman who isn’t trying.

“Hey Kadomon! How’s my favorite Apple- I mean, Appa seller doing?” She says to the man as if they have met before.

Yet, the man looks at her confused, responding, “I feel like I would recognize a young lady as unique as you,” he rubs the back of his neck while looking apologetic for not remembering her.

“Nope, we’ve never met before. You could say I went through a death defying experience to find the best Appas in town!” Subaru points to the Appas dramatically, to emphasize how great they must be.

Kadomon gives a fatherly smile in response, “well I won’t be denying such an enthusiastic customer. How many you want?” He says as he grabs a bag from the side.

Otto finally gives up trying to escape his companion’s grasp, forfeiting his escape in order to talk.

“What exactly are you planning to make with Appa’s?” He says as he straightens out his hat once again to get into merchant mode. “A recipe we could sell? Or perhaps a new condiment?”

Subaru looks over to him for a moment before staring off into space while tapping her finger to her chin, thinking.

In the mean time, Kadomon responds to something Otto said, “condiment?” He raises an eyebrow, perhaps he’s found new customer potential.

Otto stands up straight, understanding exactly what he meant right away, “yes, we’re a newly up and coming merchant company. Our initial product has already taken over the condiment industry as a new and widely popular product. We’re currently looking to make another new product.”

“New condiment huh?” Kadomon comments while rubbing his chin, “you two wouldn’t happen to be the makers of mayonnaise would you?”

This makes Otto smile, successfully hooking him in to perhaps become a customer or even partner in the future.

“Yes, Mr. Kadomon was it?” Upon getting a thoughtful nod, Otto continues, “my partner and I were the creators of the condiment mayonnaise.”

“Oh, that’s great, I may not get why so many people like it, but my daughter’s obsessed with it. She can’t have a meal without it.” He says, his fatherly smile back in full, thinking of his little girl.

“Oh yes, many people seem to have become obsessed with our product, and since it’s a product from my companion here’s homeland, that’s just the first of many.” Otto says, setting up his proposal, “and since she led us to this stand first, perhaps a product with appa’s will be our next best seller.”

Kadomon looks fully interested now, wondering if he just gained a greatly profitable customer. He responds, “wel-

But gets cut off by, “ahah!!” Subaru shouts out, “I got it!” Finally done thinking, she faces the two, a few ideas in mind.

They both turn to her, the maiden happily intrigued for what he’ll need to sell, and the Appa merchant newly interested in her ideas thanks to what Otto said so far.

“We could do apple pie! Or cider, or candy apples! Uh, I mean, appas.” She says bringing both her hands up in front of her and consequently Otto’s hand with it. Her eyes shining stars staring into Otto’s.

“Miss Natsuki, could you please explain what those are?” Otto smiles back, her enthusiasm already leaking onto him.

“Oh! Appl- appa pie is a pastry that’s really good! And ap-appa cider is a drink that has, um, how did people make it again? Well anyway, candy apples are a-appa’s that are covered in caramel!” She rambles on, excited that she can steer away from making only mayo every minute of every day.

Otto thinks for a moment before responding, “caramel appas already exist in Kararagi, though if your two other ideas are even half as profitable as those, then they’ll sure to sell well.” Otto smiles up at her, happy for the profit potential.

Then he quickly turns to Kadomon, back to business discussions with him. He talks about having Kadomon and potentially other appa salesman sell their appa pie recipe, sharing the profits. Along with the appa merchants being providers for their cider.

As Otto goes on about business with Kadomon, Subaru stares at him, enraptured by his professionalism. Sure she’s seen him like this before, but for some reason she can’t help but be mesmerized by it every time.

But eventually, Otto and Kadomon finish talking. The future business set up as much as it can be at the moment and appas bought so that they can start trying to make it.

They head off into the market again, searching for any other products they could eventually make after the appa products. Though they don’t have much luck on foods nor inventions this time.

For food items all Subaru can think about at the moment is things to make with appas, which is a great thing considering the connections Otto has just started to form. Though at the moment where they’re looking through the market for new ideas it’s not the best timing.

On the invention front though, Subaru is able to come up with a bunch of things. Though, he’s never able to quite remember how they are made, so perhaps those will have to wait until they grow their company a bit more. When they have a team dedicated to fleshing out Subaru’s ideas and making them a reality.

Their journey through the market eventually leads them to the guard station. They make it there about an hour or so before the sun would go down, and also just a little too early for Otto’s appointment.

Them arriving early leaves time for another topic they were planning to talk about while they were out and about.

“Hm, it doesn’t seem that Julius is here today,” Subaru says slightly disappointed, as she wasn’t able to see one of her only friends in this world like she thought she would have today.

“He’s probably just with his candidate, he is her knight after all,” Otto says, trying to assuage her disappointment. Though it seems his attempt is to no avail as she hasn’t seen her friend at all these 2 weeks, or perhaps it’s deeper than that. Her not seeing her parents so suddenly and then not seeing her friend so suddenly just after that.

So Otto tries a different method, distraction, “speaking of candidates, who do you think the other candidates are?” The distraction being what they were going to talk about anyway.

“Oh! Yeah Anastasia is a big merchant right? And Juli said that before you they only knew of three of the candidates right? And that’s out of five, so there’s one missing still” Subaru takes up the new topic with stride, just glad that she doesn’t have to think about losing anyone anymore.

Otto responds, “it would be good if they find the fifth candidate soon, that way we could start the selection. Perhaps it will boost the amount of customers we get too. It would be good to start on some of those inventions you came up with.” Otto looks down in thought. “Though with another candidate being a merchant, we may have a hard time, especially from what I’ve heard of how Miss Hoshin works.”

“If she’s a big merchant, then does that mean the other candidates could be merchants too?” She asks, wanting to learn more about this world and their competition.

“That could be the case, but I doubt it, would the dragon really choose more than 2 merchants? And there’s the fact that the Hoshin company is the biggest, and one of the only ones with a female head.” Otto says analytically, yet another thing Subaru admires about him.

“Then if the other candidates are influential and have to have the maiden requirement, who else could it be?” She says, making sure to throw in a light tease that Otto doesn’t seem to notice yet. She’ll have to try harder.

“Well if we’re thinking influential women, then Crusch Karsten would have to be included. With her past achievements and her relation to the royals before they died, it’s almost a given. She also has Blue on her side along with the Sword Demon who has seemed to ally with her already.” Otto’s analysis stuns Subaru for a moment, yet again surprising her by how good he is at it.

It’s quite jarring for him to switch from embarrassed, socially awkward, cute guy, to professional merchant that deserved the spot of dragon maiden. This must be gape moe, and she’s just loving it!

Deciding to switch him to the other side of his gap moe she mixes a tease into her compliment, “well even if she’s so great I know my maiden is the best maiden there is. My maiden is definitely gonna win the throne,” a smirk lays her face, making her teasing very obvious to him.

“Eh?!” Otto lets out a yelp, her plan to switch his gap moe worked perfectly, “do you really have to call me that?” He says with tears on the sides of his eyes.

“Call you what my glorious dragon maiden,” she dramatically bows, trying to mimic how Julius did it, but a bit more exaggerated.

“Ugh, why do you have to keep bullying me like thi-“ but Otto’s words are cut off, a guard coming out of the guard station to tell him the appointment is ready.

Leaving Subaru to herself to watch the sun on the horizon just starting its sunset. A long uneventful wait, as a cool air breezes by.

This time though, her thoughts don’t spiral while she’s alone. Instead they’re occupied by thoughts of the day. How they’ll go forward in the future, the new appa recipes they’re going to make, and Otto’s candidacy. For once in these last two weeks, she’s fully distracted from the thoughts of death and loss.

Perhaps things are looking up for them. She’ll never have to die again, and she can protect her candidate.

By the time Otto is done, Subaru is rubbing her arms from the cold chill. Maybe it’s the start of winter season for Lugunica, because she can see flakes of white falling down already.

Though just as Otto is about to say something, his face shifts into one of horror. This face somehow worse than the lifeless dead body she has seen multiple times before.

She tries to turn around, look away from that face. Maybe catch glimpse of what’s causing it, but instead, her vision tilts.

A jagged crunch as she hits the powder covered floor, the cold unbearable as it starts gnawing away at her nerves freezing them completely.

Though this time, the cold doesn’t come slowly, it comes like a jagged storm, the thunder striking through her body as the ground shakes.

Is that the other side of her face?

Bustling market and sounds of people talking all around. The sun shining brightly overhead, searing her vision that just got used to the sunset lighting. And an appa stand right in front of her.

Otto stands at her side briefly glancing over to see why she’s squeezing his hand so tightly. Yet he keeps his professional demeanor, talking business with the shop owner, Kadomon.

Subaru though, was staring off into space. Just when she finally calmed down, thinking that tomorrow was gonna be a great day, she died. Resetting most of the day to never have happened.

Again.

Death shouldn’t be this common of an occurrence, yet she has already died 6 times. This now being her 7th death in less than a month!

No, she needs to calm down before Otto notices, she doesn’t want … grabbing her chest, directly over her heart as a shiver crawls down her spine … that to happen again.

“Ahah!” She shouts out, “we could make appa cider! Oh, and appa pie!” She lifts Otto’s hand with hers, same as before, the stars in her eyes now dim compared to before.

Otto looks at her confused and slightly worried, “miss Natsuki, you’ve already said that,” some of the most horrifying words to the woman has ever heard. Like a dagger stabbing through her brain to her heart, piercing both with quick ease.

Yet Subaru must not show it, the dagger will be useless if she doesn’t beet the storm anyway.

“Hey, you know what, I think we should bring the Appas back right now! Get a head start on the market!” She shouts out a little too hurriedly.

Before either of the two can react, she haphazardly grabs the bag out of Kadomon’s hands and shoves some random appas in, not caring which ones she gets.

“Miss Natsuki-iiiiii,” Otto tries to get her attention to at least understand the situation, but it’s to no avail. Instead, she drags Otto along again. This time not being gentle, her grip on his arm ever tight, enough to leave red marks.

“Miss Natsuki!” Otto shouts out as the venture vastly through the market, “Miss Natsuki!!!” He yells out, yet again failing to gain her attention. So in a desperate plea to find out what is wrong, he suddenly stops in his tracks and drops all formalities, “SUBARU!!!”

This time, Subaru stops as well, looking down, her back turned to him. Though that’s only for a moment, all of a sudden she spins around. A wide smile plastering her face, “I’m just so excited to start making things with appas! There’s just so many you can do with them!”

Otto lets out a sigh of relief upon hearing this, he can tell this time at least, she’s being genuine.

Even if there was a lie hidden beneath, something he didn’t quite catch. Much to the relief of Subaru, if he did see through it…

If he did, he’d follow her around, and If she doesn’t find what happened and prevent it in one loop…

She’d have to see him die again, those lifeless eyes so piercing cold, straight through her soul. If she sees it one more time, her soul may shatter.

Otto, inspired by her excitement, takes the lead, dragging her along this time. Surely this is to get back at her for all her teasing. He truly is a wonderful person, the world shouldn’t lose him again. She can’t lose him again.

They make it back to the temporary abode fairly quickly, having ran the whole way there. Otto pants heavily, being the only one fully out of breath.

“You, hah, run, haa, really fast,” Otto says between struggling breaths.

Subaru makes a thinking pose rubbing her chin, before promptly coming back with, “I think you just run slow. Quite a maiden you are.” A smirk reaches her lips, the teasing helping her calm down from her contained panic.

“Hey! Hah, making fun, haa, of a title, hah, isn’t funny!” He attempts to shout out between breaths.

“Making fun of? Nooooo, I would never. Being a dragon maiden is something to be proud of, I’m just stating how well you fit that role,” Subaru says, pinning Otto under the weight of reality and embarrassment, “of being a maiden,” and the final strike to the embarrassment coffin hits, sealing his fate to being a tomato.

And now, he is also perfectly distracted.

She watches from behind as he covers his reddened face. His walking into their abode as she stays at the door. Hopefully the next time she sees him, it isn’t at the appa stand again.

“Oh! I just remembered! I need to get some stuff for the recipes! I’ll be back!” She shouts out, setting up her lie, the end of her perfect scheme to trap the mouse in the house. “You can go to the meeting without me!” And even though she tried to sound enthusiastic, she couldn’t hide the fear itching underneath.

She quickly slams the door shut, a concerned Otto the last thing she saw before charging off onto death’s doorstep.

Charging being the literal term, as she runs back into the streets. A desperate escape from seeing her candidate’s lifeless or horrified eyes ever again.

Though, in her rush to get away, she doesn’t pay attention to what’s in front of her. Not noticing the other girl that isn’t paying attention either.

And so, consequently, they cause a head first collision. knocking each other over. The woman, being sturdier than Subaru only stumbles onto her butt. While Subaru on the other hand, falls directly onto the floor, her hands scraping against the dirt to halt her fall. Only Subaru sustaining a forehead injury enough to bleed.

Blood drips down her eyebrow as the scary eyed girl looks over to the one she bumped into.

Silver bells chime out as she looks up, “are you ok?” If Subaru isn’t hallucinating, that must be a halo over her head.

No, that’s just the sun shining off of her silver locks. Purple amethysts stare down at her in concern, like she’s the only thing that matters at the moment. Her outfit, a familiar black and white outfit, one she has seen so many times in anime.

“Maids exist in this world?” Subaru mumbles under her breath, the fantastical feature of this world calming her down slightly.

The girl holds out her hand offering assistance up. A guilty expression layering her face as if she was the one running haphazardly.

Subaru slowly reaches out and takes her hand. Her hands colder than normal, but not uncomfortably so. Though what is surprising is how easily the girl pulls her up, for one so thin Subaru wouldn’t have guessed her to be this strong.

The girl raises her hands and is about to say something, but pauses, seemingly unsure of herself. She quickly steals her expression, though it feels more childlike than serious with the way her cheeks puff out when she does.

“I apologize, but I’m going to heal you,” She says hurriedly before placing glowing hands onto Subaru’s bleeding forehead. Though the way she said it, seemed as if she wasn’t sure Subaru would want her to heal her. Why wouldn’t someone accept healing?

Only then does Subaru notice people whispering all around, looking at the two. She can’t quite understand what they’re saying, but she does see the judging and fearful? gazes.

Subaru looks back to the girl, her worried eyes turning to ones full of guilt as she sees Subaru looking around at the people talking about the two.

“Maybe we could go somewhere quieter?” The woman proposes, before waving her hands out saying, “only so that I can heal your scraps! Only healing, then you won’t have to deal with me anymore,” Subaru easily catches the self deprecation, this girl says it as if she doesn’t matter.

Subaru’s brow furrows, frustrated that she put herself down like that. She follows the girl into an alley anyway, also wanting to get away from the frightened and gossiping crowd.

“Hey miss, sorry about that,” Subaru says while rubbing the back of her head and looking down, “I should’ve been looking where I was going.”

“No, no! I wasn’t looking either! And you were the one who got injured, so it’s my fault,” the girl says, her being in the wrong already cemented in her mind.

“Sigh, we how about we say we’re both at fault then?” Subaru makes a counter proposition, wanting her to stop being self deprecative … even if that’s hypocritical.

The girl hesitates, then with a slight smile nods her head, “yes we can say that,” she says before glancing at Subaru’s scraps, “now, can you please sit down, so I can heal you?”

Subaru dramatically salutes, shouting out, “yes ma’am!” Before promptly sitting as she was told. Hopefully that cheers the girl up a little bit.

The girl covers her mouth, a small laugh escaping. Victory to Subaru! Cheer the maid up achieved. The girl bends down to start healing Subaru’s scrapes.

“Sooooo, I know why I was running all over the place, but why were you not paying attention?” Subaru asks, trying to pass the time.

The girl glances up briefly before looking back down at what she’s healing, and ashamed face forming, “I lost the person I came to the capital with … and I was looking for them” the girl says, knowing it’s her fault. Distracted by all the new things that the capital had to offer, she never even seen this many people before.

“Oh! Well I’mmmm,” Subaru’s syllable lengthens out as she thinks of a way to put it, “looking for something too.” That should be a good enough explanation, while not sparking the chilling hold on her heart. A shiver strikes her body as she yet again remembers that horrifying moment.

The glow fades as she finally finishes healing her. A relieved expression overtakes the guilty one that she had before, the girl happy that at least one thing she caused is solved.

Subaru hops up onto her feet with newfound enthusiasm. “Well, how about I tell you what I’m looking for and you tell me who you’re looking for. We can both look for each other’s while we search for ours?”

The maid is surprised, standing up as she stumbles for something to say. Not expecting that Subaru would want her help, or even the potential to see her again. Usually people steer away from those things when applied to her.

Though a happy smile quickly forms on her face, glad that someone would be willing to be like this with her. She even proposed something that would benefit them equally. Maybe they could become friends someday.

Ah, but she shouldn’t get ahead of herself, no one would want to become friends with someone resembling the witch. “But, I’m a half-elf,” she says, not wanting Subaru to have to deal with her any longer.

Subaru’s eyes widen just a tad, before she smiles back, “no wonder you’re so pretty! I was wondering what your skincare routine was, genetics really are something,” Subaru praises with full enthusiasm still present.

Of course Subaru knows about the witch of envy, she’s been learning how to read and write for two weeks now. Although, Subaru believes she knows where that witch is, or at least what the witch will do if she says something. This kind girl that insisted on healing her couldn’t possibly be the one that clutched her heart to horrifyingly.

“Huh?” The girl looks extremely surprised, never having been in a situation like this before. “But I’m a half-elf, a silver haired half-elf!” She shouts out in frustration, a situation like this couldn’t be possible, even in her dreams.

“Yeah! And if we’re gonna be stating things about ourselves, I’m an isekaied Japanese person,” Subaru states matter a factly.

“I’m being serious! I’m a silver haired half-elf. Aren’t you .. scared of me?” She looks down, discouraged from saying more. Sad to know that her potential for a friend has just left her.

“And I’m being serious too!” Subaru shouts out, causing the girl to look back up, met with the widest smile she’s ever seen. A smile that’s even pointed towards her.

Having acquired the girl’s attention Subaru prepares her signature move. Stomping the ground so the world to see, she juts her hip out and points towards the sky.

“My name Natsuki Subaru! Not only will I go to any length for my maiden, but I’m also the creator of mayo in this world so I’m not quite broke beyond compare anymore!” She shouts, bringing her thumb to her chest she continues, “and this girl wants to be friends with you!” She points directly at the girl, not wanting her to mistake that she’s talking about her, “nice to meet you!”

The girl is stunned, unable to respond to such a passionate introduction. As well as being thoroughly surprised that this girl is willing to be her friend.

“Well, I introduced myself. What’s your name?” Subaru pushes the conversation forwards, glad that she was able to stop the girl from talking bad about herself.

“Oh, um,” the girl finally snaps out of the stun lock, a smile forming on her face as she answers, “Emilia, just Emilia.” Her eyes shine while looking at her new friend, something she didn’t think possible.

“Well Emilia, times going by and the day could come to any end sooner than we think. How about we tell each other what we’re looking for?” Subaru says while looking to the sky, the sun leaning out of noon.

Only 6-7 hours until all of this would become useless and she’d find herself back at the appa stand.

“Well who I lost,” Emilia taps her chin in thought, thinking how to explain the person she’s looking for, “he’s my employer. He always has a lot of make up on and very weird clothes. He would really stand out,” wow, this person must be really weird, and her employer? Hopefully this guy isn’t gross.

“Okay, he seems easy to spot out in a crowd! We’ll find him in no time, I’m sure!” Subaru says, moving forward Emilia’s cheery and hopeful mood.

“What I’m looking for is,” Subaru pauses, a hand to her chest. How can she say this without that happening. She looks to Emilia, seeing her paying full attention to her. Well if Emilia’s this determined to help, Subaru can just push through. “Someone … or something that has ice powers. Like very strong ice powers though.”

Subaru lets out a breath, a weight leaving her heart as she successfully fails to activate the taboo.

Though on the other side, Emilia’s determination to help quivers. Shaken by how close that is to her, and if someone is looking for something like that, it must mean she must’ve done something wrong. She shouldn’t have gotten her hopes up.

But, she’ll still help Subaru nonetheless, “Subaru…” She says discouraged, gaining Subaru’s attention.

“Yes? Do you know anything!” Subaru says, maybe she can solve this one in just one loop. Though, upon seeing the maid’s expression her hope dies down, a snuffed out ember.

“I have ice magic,” Emilia says while looking down, guilt coming back at full force, “I apologize if I’ve done something wrong to you.” She says, assuming that the worse is the only possibility.

…

Silence overcomes the alleyway, Subaru’s attempts at enthusiasm and cheer gone like it was never there. But no, this girl couldn’t possibly be the one who killed her. She even went out of her way to heal her while she was already busy looking for someone.

“Emilia,” Subaru says, a low tone of voice permitting them. Emilia steels herself, looking up to what will inevitably be hate, like it always is. Yet what she finds isn’t what she expects, Subaru with a warm smile comforting to the cool alley. “That’s great! If you’re an ice magic user, maybe you could help me find the one I’m looking for? You know, like you’d be more likely to recognize someone like that?”

Once again stunned, Emilia can’t help but be infected with the smile Subaru is putting out. “Then Subaru, I will help you in any way I can,” Subaru’s smile widens, successfully bringing back the friendly atmosphere.

“We better get looking then! Oh-kay!” Subaru pronounciates the ok, holding onto one of Emilia’s hands and bringing it up with hers into the air.

“O-ok?” Emilia responds, confused by the unfamiliar word.

“Ok!” Subaru repeats, gaining back her enthusiasm in full, raising their arms higher.

“O-OK!” Emilia tries to match the enthusiasm, lifting her other arm as well.

Subaru quickly drags Emilia off, two newfound friends looking for different things. Hopefully Subaru can keep this friendship by succeeding this loop, so much progress that could be lost.

Though unfortunately, time seems to go by fast. Too fast for comfort as neither of the are able to find what they’re looking for. Subaru’s enthusiasm slowly turning to panic, her needing to find the frozen needle in this haystack of a capital.

If she can’t even find even a hint about what happened this loop, how many attempts will it take? Let alone how many attempts it will take to prevent it. What if she can’t even prevent it? What if she’s going to be trapped in an infinite loop forever, dying and watching others die being the only thing she’ll ever kno-

“Subaru?” A chiming bell sounds out, her name softly ringing out, bringing her away from her spiral.

Emilia looks on concerned, Subaru’s panic being easily seen through. Seeing this, Emilia’s expression turns determined, the bells chime again, “Puck, could you help us?” She asks to the air, something that confuses Subaru.

Though Subaru’s confusion transforms into a different kind as she sees a cat appear, floating in the air right next to Emilia’s head.

“Fu fu fu! Finally asking your father for help. I’ve been wanting to meet your friend here,” Puck says looking smug, a smile forming on his feline face.

Subaru blinks rapidly, wondering if she’s seeing right. Well this is a fantasy world, and coming back from the dead is more out there than a floating cat.

Shaking her head, she prepares her grand introduction yet again. Jutting her hip out and pointing to the sky, saying, “my name is-“

“Natsuki Subaru,” Puck interrupts, his smug smile growing wider, “I was listening in the first time you did your grand entrance,” he floats to her nose, tapping it with his tiny paw.

Subaru pauses briefly, before trying to bring back the momentum, “Well! Nice to meet you!” She does the last part of her introduction, dramatically bringing her arm back down to point directly at Puck.

“Niiiiiice to meet you too!” Puck says as he flies to her finger and holds it like a handshake.

“So how are you able to help us?” Subaru asks, still wanting to push the conversation forward in a hurry.

“You see, I’m an ice magic user too, and detecting magic is one of my specialties,” Puck says while turning his nose up, full of smug confidence. “I could help you find your ice magic, and since Roswaal is a magic user, I can look for him too.”

Stars shine in Subaru’s eyes, the solution right here in front of her. If they can find what she’s looking for fast, she won’t even have to loop again. Though, the fact that a floating cat that can detect magic exists in this world is part of the reason her eyes are shining so bright.

She pauses at the name Roswaal, it being familiar, so close to the tip of her tongue, but not quite making it. Perhaps Otto has mentioned him before, she’ll have to ask him.

Through Subaru’s thinking, Puck was concentrating, slowly becoming more frustrated. He pauses to look down at Emilia, her eyes widening just a bit as she does. Her expression looks confused, before glancing at Subaru and then back at Puck. It’s almost like they’re having a conversation all by themselves.

Emilia finally steels herself, looking over to Subaru and saying, “I’m sorry, but he can’t seem to find anything … for either of us,” she looks down, her face filled with concerned thinking.

Subaru barely hears it, but is able to make out Puck say something quietly under his breath, “-as if he doesn’t want to-,“ though that’s all she could make out.

Subaru’s panic starts to come back. If he can’t find anything at all, does that mean she’s already failed? And failing without leading a single thing.

“Ah, Lia,” Puck suddenly says. Interrupting both of Subaru and Emilia’s thinking. The small cat looks up to the sky, this also bringing Subaru’s attention there.

The sun, it’s starting to set. Almost exactly the time she died last.

“It’s time for me to leave,” he says, floating down to her, “I’m sorry I couldn’t help.”

“It’s ok Puck, we’ll be fine from here, I’m sure we can find them!” Emilia says hopefully.

“If anything happens, remember to call to me, even if you have to use the Od,” he says, before starting to fade into glowing particles, extremely similar to the spirits Julius had.

Subaru slowly watches her only lead fade away. Her only hope at surviving this loop disappearing right in front of her eyes. As usual, she’s hopeless to stop it.

Emilia looks over to Subaru concerned, as Subaru’s eyes drift into the horizon, watching the time for death approach nearer and nearer. She might even have only a few minutes left until the frozen landscape arrives to freeze her hope into shattering glass.

And as expected, the first crack appears. Just as Emilia’s about to say something, she lets out a yelp, backing away from something.

Subaru looks down, ready to be horrified at the icy terrain arriving once again.

…

Yet, instead, she sees a dog. No, a puppy. With a bald spot on the top of its head.

That’s, strange. Quite surprising when what she was expecting was ice. A harmless puppy is quite a dramatic shift of her expectations that she can’t help but just stare.

Though she quickly shakes her head, looking over to Emilia. She’s currently bent down healing her ankle, where the puppy must’ve bit her. Perhaps it isn’t as harmful as she first thought.

Subaru bends down next to Emilia, saying, “do you need any help? That puppy really but into you.” She looks down at the wound, already almost fully healed, Emilia being an expert at this healing thing.

Emilia shakes her head, “No I’m fine Subaru, but I’m sure that puppy was just lost and panicked? Maybe we can help find its owner,” she says while looking at the one who bit her.

She truly is very kind, if she was a candidate and Subaru wasn’t already supporting her maiden, she would definitely support Emilia.

Wait, they’re still looking for the final candidate aren’t they? Otto even said something about the final candidate last loop. Could she possibly be the final candidate? Or maybe she’s already one of their competitors.

“I’m sorry about that,” a girl comes out from around an alleyway, picking the small puppy up after she jogs over.

The girl, who can’t be any older than 12-13 year old. Wearing a cloak over a black dress. Her braided blue hair falling down to her side, a flower hair clip at the top. Her emerald eyes pierce into theirs, the truth hidden deep under many layers.

“You just have to make sure to watch her better,” Emilia says, lightly scolding.

“She just gets so,” Her innocent and apologetic little girl demeanor suddenly shift. A played up confidence layering on top, like a new mask to be shown, “hungry~.”

Right as she says that word, Emilia starts to stumble. She falls into Subaru, knocking them both onto the floor.

Subaru tries to lift her up, looking at her face. A face fully of nausea and discomfort, growing paler than even the porcelain that it was before.

Subaru looks back up, but is only able to catch a glimpse of the girl’s hair leading back into the same alley she came from.

She quickly looks down at Emilia, still lifting her up, more and more of her weight leaning into Subaru.
As if Emilia’s strength is slowly being drained. Subaru tries shaking her, shouting out, “Emilia! Emilia!”

No, no, no, not again, she can’t see someone else die. She just made a friend, they should’ve found her employer. If they found him, he could’ve prevented this, surely. Just being around her is a curse.

Not wanting to see her lifeless eyes as well, Subaru closes hers. Enveloped by darkness as holds Emilia tight, cold tears starting to fall.

This is her fault, it has to be her fault. If she didn’t insist they go together, Emilia would’ve never been here. She wouldn’t have died, and especially not in this slow way. Her cold skin becoming colder and colder.

And colder, and colder, and colder.

No, not just her skin. A cold breeze also flies by, her finally noticing her own shivering cold body as well.

She slowly opens her eyes, fearful for what she’ll see, but ready to accept death. She won’t live in a world without this newfound friend of hers.

Puck, floating above her is the first thing she sees. A glaring glint in his eyes as he looks down at her like a disgusting rodent.

The next thing she notices is the snow, starting to fall all around her. The cold more prevalent here than it ever was in the previous loop.

“My daughter is dead,” Puck says to Subaru, pinning the full blame on her. But he doesn’t even think about her enough to care about explaining her sins.

Instead he transforms, taking on a massive beastly form, taller than all the frozen buildings already spreading through the capital.

Subaru can’t do anything but stare helplessly at her end, the Beast of the End saying one last thing to her. “As per my contract, I shall now destroy the world.”

Though he stays to watch Subaru quickly freezing away, not wanting to crush his daughter’s body along with Subaru. The last thing Subaru sees before the end’s arrival, the beasts glowing eyes shattering the glass of her hope into dust.

Puck…

It was Puck. The cause of her first death this loop. And now. Her second.

But what was that last part? That he was going to destroy the world? The entire world, just because Emilia died. Emilia doesn’t know about that does she? Of course she doesn’t, she can’t possibly know about it. Someone as kind as her would never let something like that happen.

The sounds of the crowd start to swirl in on her, nauseous spinning as her balance wobbles. A sickness attaching to her like a parasite, determined to gouge out her guts into an unruly mess on the floor.

Yet she keeps it in, she can’t let Otto know how she’s feeling. If he knew the dog could get him too, and that-

No, that will never happen, Otto won’t ever die again.

She’ll make sure of it.

With a deep breath while she faces away from Otto, she’s finally able to put up a smile. No matter how fake the smile may be, she turns back to Otto saying, “Otto! I just remembered something! We have to go,” she turns to the appa seller, “sorry about that! Here, we’ll just take some of your best appas for now and we’ll come back when we have the recipes finished!”

“Heh, alright kid, as long as you keep being good customers, you’re welcome any time!” Kadomon says, carefully, but quickly selecting some of the freshest appas he has.

Subaru bows when she grabs the bag of appas, stopping Otto from saying anything as she makes him bow to. Otto lets out a yelp like ten maiden he is when she shoves the bag of appas into his arms.

She once again starts dragging him through the market, ignoring his protests completely, smile never leaving her face. Though, this time she brings him to a familiar alley.

The specific alley where she met a recurring trio she met on her first day here. Hopefully they can be helpful to her today, and they have pretty harmless personalities. They could never hurt someone badly, they probably couldn’t even kill a fly if they tried. If a girl like her can beat them up multiple times, surely Otto won’t get thaaat hurt, only a little roughed up.

Finally, Subaru turns around, the weak stamina of Otto once again showing in his panting breaths.

“Sorry about that, I was just thinking about someone and I got a great idea!” Subaru shouts out, wanting to speed up the conversation so that she can get the insignia from him before the trio arrives.

If she gets the insignia, she can have Emilia hold it. If it glows then maybe the reason why these death loops are happening is related to the candidates. Emilia is sure to be a candidate, with that Ros person she’s definitely heard of before probably being her sponsor. Her kindness would shine through as a candidate, so she’s surely to be one.

And when the insignia glows, they can go to the guard station and get help! If they see that she’s a candidate, they have to help. Though it’s frustrating how little they care about things if a candidate or nobility isn’t involved. With Julius not being there today, they will most certainly need the proof.

Then there’s the fact that Otto will probably be there at that time. That way she can keep both of them safe by using the guards as a shield. No dogs, little girls, or unexpected things can do anything if she successfully pulls off this plan. Hopefully they won’t even think about attacking with the guards there.

Otto finally catching his breath, cautiously asks, “great idea?” He braces himself, teasing sure to come with whatever this idea is.

But Subaru doesn’t have time for teasing at the moment, “yeah!” She says, “I know who one of the candidates could be!” She leans forward, making sure to emphasize her excitement.

Otto looks surprised, this wasn’t even close to what he was expecting. He was expecting anything from relentless bullying to a random invention name that they wouldn’t be able to make. “You do?” He asks with newfound intrigue.

“Yeah, she’s a really nice friend of mine that would be a great candidate, so if we can give her the insignia and it glows!” Subaru says, trying to push excitement onto Otto by urging for him to finish her statement.

Though, this doesn’t seem to work, as he focuses on a different part of what she said, “great candidate,” his expression clearly leaning towards discouragement.

“Well she might be a great candidate! But you’re the best candidate!” Otto looks up, happy and relieved to hear that from his companion, “I was just thinking, if she’s the last candidate then you winning the throne can come so much quicker!”

With this new found relief, Otto is able to think thoroughly, focusing on the technical aspects, “and if we are the ones to reveal her as a candidate. Along with you already being her friend, we could make an alliance between our camps!”

Otto’s idea sparks throughout the alleyway, a lightning strike of energy filling him. If he can get an alliance right of the bat, they may no longer be too far behind in the election than they already are.

“Then I’ll give her the insignia! Ok?” Subaru shouts out. Her eyes bouncing between the alley’s entrance and Otto, expecting the trio to be here any second.

Otto is briefly paused, also confused by the unfamiliar word. Though, only for a moment, he’s already starting to get used to all of her eccentricities and weird ‘out of this world’ as Subaru would say it, phrases.

Him being caught up in Subaru’s momentum also being the reason why he doesn’t question her much about why she needs the insignia instead of just him giving it to Subaru’s friend.

Subaru takes the glowing insignia from his hands right as the trio arrives with perfect timing. Good, at least she won’t have to stall.

“Hey rich boy, weird girl,” Chin says, “if you don’t wanna get hurt, hand over all you got.” He walks like a gangster from a mafia manga. What is this guy? A chuuni? At least try to look intimidating, she won’t be able to leave Otto behind if they’re not able to.

Well, they’ll have to do. She sucks in a big breath preparing for her greatest acting role yet again, the damsel in distress, “ah! Don’t hurt me! He’s the one with all the money! Just look at his fancy outfit! Rob him! Not me!” Her shout bounces through the alley, for the whole world to hear. If anyone outside heard her, maybe they’ll help Otto. Though he’ll be fine either way, considering how weak this trio is.

Otto looks to her bewildered and betrayed, his last glimpse of her before she runs away being her mouthing the words, ‘sorry, explain later.’

Sorry Otto! She’ll have to explain why she left him when they meet next. And to make up for it, she’ll even stop bullying and teasing him for a month! … well maybe a month is too much. She’ll even stop bullying and teasing him for a week!

She runs out into the streets haphazardly, attempting to mimic how she found Emilia before. This time though, making sure to look at her surroundings.

And just like before, whether to her detriment or benefit, she only sees the shining halo of hair right as she’s about to bump into her. This time, Subaru is prepared, she stops most of her momentum and only bumps into her slightly.

“Ah! Sorry about tha-“ Subaru’s words pause, blonde hair is what she sees. Not Emilia, though, they do have remarkably similar hair styles. Though with Emilia’s face always very emotive, this girl’s face seems completely blank no emotions ever to be let through.

The girl merely bows silently before moving on her way, now seeming to completely ignore Subaru.

Subaru stares for only a moment before shaking her head and running off to find Emilia again.

Silver hair, silver hair, silver hair. Shouldn’t silver hair stand out in a crowd?! This is probably one of the only times she’ll say she doesn’t like that fantasy hair colors are so eccentric. If everyone’s hair color is unique and vibrant, no one’s will be.

She keeps searching and searching, running through crowds to find her. After a while, she starts to do it methodically. Searching each place that her and Emilia went last loop one by one.

Until finally, at the exact place she dreaded to come, she finally sees the glowing bright silver hair. The place where both of them died previously, now holding Emilia in place of the frozen waste.

This time both of them are here a lot earlier than before, about an hour until the frozen sunset arrives.

Subaru walks into the alley, past the badly stacked barrels, to see the maid talking to the air. Subaru however knows this isn’t insanity, Emilia must be talking to … Puck. If Puck was able to hear when Subaru introduced herself, surely he can hear Emilia talking to the air.

Now, how to go about saving her. Subaru will need to use every bit of information to make this work. With a deep breath to stable herself, she walks up to her former friend.

“Hi miss, do you happen to be Emilia?” Subaru asks, trying to sound curious, as if she doesn’t already know the answer.

Emilia is startled, both by someone willing to talk to someone like her, and that they knew her name. After what Subaru perceives as someone he cannot hear telling her something, she responds with a kind smile, saying, “yes, I am Emilia, just Emilia.”

Her smile causes Subaru’s own face to grin as well, happy that her friend isn’t self deprecating right away this time.

“Thank goodness, Roswaal .. -sama was looking for you everywhere,” she says, remembering the name of the one she was searching for. Hopefully this strategy will be enough to convince her that they should go to the guard station and get protection.

“Oh, he must have been worried,” Emilia’s eyebrows furrow as her guilty face once again arrives. It seems to consume her expression way too often for someone as kind as her.

“He sent a few people to look for you, can’t having one of his maids get lost right?” Subaru continues.

“Oh, yes. I tried looking for him,” she says quietly.

Subaru smiles brightly, trying to infect her with enthusiasm, “well how about I bring you to him! We could even talk the whole way there! It’d be great to make a new friend!” And same as before, she’s surprised by Subaru’s use of the word ‘friend’ to address her.

“Oh! Though before that!” Subaru interrupts any diminishment she may say about herself before they could even start. “Roswaal-sama wanted me to hand you this! When it glows, it’ll just show you how amazing you are!”

A light embarrassed blush arrives on Emilia’s cheeks, praise not often being given to her. She takes the insignia without protest, assuming it’s something that her employer said to do.

The insignia now in Emilia’s hands, Subaru stares at it intently. She stares, and stares, and stares, yet all she sees is the gem, not a light in sight. In fact it’s as if the entire world dims, her plan starting to fall off its tracks, and when it was going so well too.

Emilia seeing Subaru’s disappointment, slowly hands back the insignia, saying, “I’m sorry that it didn’t glow.” She states, fully confident that it is entirely her fault.

A moment passes, the darkness of the alley suffocating Subaru throughout the short lapse of words.

“That’s … ok. We, should probably get going,” Subaru says, trying to stifle down her confusion. Frustration mixing in with it, creating a suffocating grime that she can only push down to the recesses of her mind.

Emilia stays quiet as she follows, only talking with her spirit through their contract. Assuming that Subaru wouldn’t wish to speak with her anymore.

Just as they start to walk away from the place of their frozen deathbeds, they hear footsteps rapidly approaching. Though these footsteps are coming from in front of them instead, growing louder very quickly.

And in an instant, a small yellow haired bolt crashed into Subaru. The yellow bolt having been too distracted by looking behind her every two seconds.

She stumbles back, not quite falling to the floor. Though due to her thieving habits a small triangular insignia arrived in her hand. A glow filling the dimly lit alley, like a single star in the night sky.

Subaru’s expectations have been throughly shattered. The kind person she knew would fit the role well and thought would be the final candidate wasn’t, and now a random girl that bumped into her and stole it is?! None of this is making sense.

The girl not leading her lesson and glancing behind her right as she’s about to sprint off becomes an easy target for capture. Subaru grabs her by the scruff of her scarf’s collar. She’s not about to let this girl run off with her maiden’s insignia.

“Hey! Let me go!” The girl shouts out, not fully paying attention as she keeps glancing back from where she came from.

“Then give me back the insignia you stole!” Subaru shouts back. Frustrated that this girl isn’t even paying attention.

“I may be a thief, but I don’t care about some glowing gem right now! You can have it!” The speedy girl yells out, shoving the insignia into Subaru’s chest, “a crazy lady that wants my guts or something is chasing me! Now let me go before she kills you too!” She tries to squirm out of Subaru’s grasp, the glowing of the gem in her hand becoming more prominent as she struggles.

Though, right as Subaru is about to let her go. A chilling, sultry voice plays out, echoing through the alley’s walls.

“Ara~ how kind of you to bring your friends~ your bowels will look lovely right next to each other~”