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Chapter Text

Pinocchio was excited to be back home, it had been a few days and Geppetto expected his son to want to wander around Krat and go hang out with the others but his son had stayed mostly by his side.

As his father Geppetto could tell that he wasn’t feeling well, that maybe in the end he did enjoy his vacation but his son was affected by what happened.

Pinocchio wouldn’t leave his side, as his father he doesn’t mind and gives him as much love as his son needs; Geppetto also doesn’t push the issue, he knows that Pinocchio will talk to him when he is ready or maybe not talk to him at all but will make sure to show him that he feels safe again.

Geppetto took some days of work to be by his side, he spent of of it teaching him stuff, mostly about history so he had a better understanding of the world. He was surprised when Pinocchio asked him for art supplies but he was relieved that his son could still enjoy art despite what happened.

Pinocchio is really good at art, Geppetto starts wondering what else he can do to help him enhance his artistic talents, his piano and violin lessons are still going great with Antonia. At this point he wouldn’t even be surprised if Pinocchio started writing as well, and considering how much his son likes to read it’s definitely a possibility that he would try writing something on his own.

Gemini can also tell that his friend feels on edge but he gives him space and he has become Pinocchio’s personal model because he loves to draw him. It’s fun to do all those poses for him.

—-

It’s late at night and Pinocchio can’t sleep, there is so much stirring in his mind, he sees Gemini in his custom bed resting and Pinocchio silently makes his way out of the room, and out of the house, he needs some fresh air.

He goes to the pinecone tree that’s outside the house and sits down.

At the same time, The Red Fox and The Black Cat were walking nearby, they had just finished some of their services but it ended up costing them a great amount of time, it was a coincidence that they were close by, but they both managed to see Pinocchio and made their way towards him.

Both could tell that something wasn’t right.

“Why are you here all alone Pinocchio?” The Red Fox asked, it was strange, he was sitting in the fetal position, and he was looking away from them.

“Yeah, not even your cricket friend is here, um, Sagittarius right?” The Black Cat asked.

“Gemini”

“Right, how could I forget?” He wasn’t being rude, he was just bad with names and he knew the cricket has the name of a zodiac sign, so it was close enough.

They both kneeled to his level they were worried about him, The Red Fox gently touched his face to lift it, “What’s wrong?”

Pinocchio had tears in his eyes, “I went to London with my father, and I… I was so stupid, I got tricked by a man I thought I could trust, and he…almost killed me”

They were shocked to hear that, Pinocchio was so strong, they had seen him battle opponents 3 times his size, the boy was fearless when he battled, it was hard to imagine him in true danger, although being tricked like that, made sense for him to be caught of guard.

“He poisoned me so I couldn’t fight back”

“Only cowards attack others who can’t defend themselves” The Red Fox wasn’t just trying to make him feel better, she was speaking with her heart, it’s disgusting when others do things like that, especially to someone as kind-hearted as Pinocchio.

“But I was just so stupid, looking back it was so obvious that he wanted to hurt me, and I didn’t realize it” They had never seen Pinocchio like this, his voice was so dejected, the energetic boy they knew was gone at that moment.

“Was it really obvious or are you just kicking yourself down because you feel it’s your fault?” The Black Cat said he was speaking from experience since he knew as well how it feels to see yourself as less competent.

“No, I’m just stupid, shouldn’t you guys know that already? The two of you tricked me so many times”

Shit, they didn’t think he would bring that up.

Although their situation was different, they didn’t trick others so they could harm him, they were doing it to survive, they would never do something as cruel as to make someone gain their trust just so they could hurt them in the end.

“Look Pinocchio, we aren’t like that and you know it, we were just trying to survive” The Black Cat paused and continued, “And besides when some tricks you, it’s their fault not yours, when we tricked you all those times, we were the ones in the wrong, and we are sorry about it, truly”

The Red Fox was proud of her brother, he was being so mature, not taking everything lightly anymore “It's true, we are sorry, even if we were trying to survive we deceived you and that wasn’t right of to do”

“… I know that you are trying to make me feel better but it’s not working” Pinocchio’s mind was too cruel to him, he was convinced it was all his fault, not only did he almost get himself killed but his father and Sophia were hurt as well.

Damn, what to do, what to do, he sounds so depressed, they were both trying to think of something, finally an idea came to The Black Cat, he hugged Pinocchio.

“There, there things are gonna be fine” He hoped that worked, he wasn’t good at all at expressing feelings like that, and he especially wasn’t the hugging type but he knew that Pinocchio loved to hug others.

Pinocchio was sobbing now, he embraced the Black Cat tightly, “I was so stupid, so stupid and my father and Sophia almost died because of me!”

The Red Fox was wondering what to say, should she keep trying to convince him it wasn’t his fault? He seemed so convinced that it was. Should she offer her just her support? She could but that won’t fix the core issue.

“I understand that you blame yourself, that when you look back at something, you think of all the what ifs, we all do it too, but what if doesn’t exist” She knows the feeling, she looks back when the disaster happened, thinks of all of the mistakes she made, how her brother almost lost her sight, how she could have lost him, and how by a miracle they meet Pinocchio and he saved him, he saved them both.

“I’m going to be honest, that feeling, it never goes away” Why sugarcoat it? That won’t do him any good, but she smiled at him and joined in the hug, “But you don’t have to go through all these feelings alone, we are your family, and we will be there for you”

Pinocchio’s cries had begun to die down until they were just small sobs and then just tears falling down his eyes, tears that were wiped away by The Red Fox.

“Thank you” Pinocchio was grateful to have them both here with him.

“Hey, what are siblings for? We have to stick with each other” The Black Fox gave him encouraging words, they would be there by his side when he needed them, just like they are doing now.

“Now it’s late, you should go back inside your home and rest” The Red Fox could see how tired Pinocchio was, he needed to get some sleep.

Pinocchio nodded, and they followed him to the door, they didn’t enter of course, but they both gave him a final hug and said their goodbyes.

While walking back to the city the two of them began to talk with each other.

“Do you think he is gonna be okay?” The Black Cat was still worried about him.

“It’s going to take some time, but I believe in him, he is very strong, not just physically strong” The Red Fox knew that it was a hard time for Pinocchio but she believed in him, he was a very strong boy.

“By the way, that was very mature of you, when did you get so good at comforting others?”

“From you of course” His sister was so kind, and he needed to start taking life more seriously, not just for her sake, but his, he couldn’t keep living life as he did before, he had to finally grow up and be more mature.

“Also I couldn’t just let him blame himself and be all sad like that, I had to be a good big brother, like how you are a good big sister”

“He has us and he has his other family, he is in good hands,” said The Red Fox.

“Hopefully his friend Virgo can cheer him up more”

“Gemini”

“Ugh, whatever his name is!”

They both laughed and went on their way, hoping that fate could be more kind to their little brother.

Geppetto was happy to see that Pinocchio was back to his normal self, now that his son is in a better mood he can teach him more things properly.

He… really needs to give him the talk, Geppetto takes a deep breath, he knows that he has to do it sooner or later, and might as well do it now that things have gone back to normal, plus he knows Pinocchio is just going to keep asking and asking.

“Son there is something I need to teach you about”

Chapter Text

Pinocchio is sitting down with a smile on his face and Geppetto feels like he is going to corrupt his precious boy.

First, he needs to set a few things straight, after hearing how his conversation with Sophia went.

Hearing from Sophia about what happened made him realize that Pinocchio isn’t mature enough to be in a relationship with someone but regardless, this is a talk he must have with him.

“Pinocchio, unfortunately, love and relationships aren’t like the ones in stories”

Geppetto proceeds to explain to Pinocchio how you meet someone and get to know them, and over time you start to develop feelings for them and if they like you back you can start a relationship, he explains how relationships work, real relationships, it’s always good to love, care and always be there for your partner but there are boundaries that all relationships have, just because someone loves you that means that they get to mistreat you and vise versa.

His son was managing to follow along well, Geppetto spoke a little about marriage, he gave a few examples of what the relationship between him and his wife was like.

Pinocchio nodded along, but it was now time to start explaining what Geppetto didn’t want to explain in the first place, he didn’t know where to start, Pinocchio had never been in love with someone that much is obvious by how his interaction with Sophia went.

“Son, when you are in relationships you start to get… intimate with your loved one, you know how um,” He needs to start with something small, “Couples kiss each other all the time right? Eventually when you fall in love with someone you are going to have your first kiss”

Geppetto saw that his son looked uncomfortable, looking away and grasping the seat of the couch he was sitting in.

“Pinocchio have you kissed someone?”

“Um well,” Pinocchio said, “Dorian Gray kissed me”

Geppetto saw red, he was furious, at that moment he wanted to die and go to hell so that he could beat up that bastard.

“I’m sorry”

“What? No no no, son you did nothing wrong” Geppetto reassured Pinocchio that he wasn’t angry at him. Dammit, he had told him before that such things weren’t okay for strangers to do, why did he never tell him that it also applies to others you know?!

He sat down next to his son and hugged him, Geppetto felt as if he had failed him but the only thing he could do now was to keep having this talk and hopefully resolve his doubts and prevent things like this from happening again.

And Hopefully, that demon tortures Dorian Gray for all eternity and doesn’t let his soul have a moment of peace.

After the atmosphere calmed, they talked some more and that’s when Pinocchio finally asked the question.

“Father, what does all of this have to do with knowing where babies come from?”

Well, it’s time to ruin his innocence.

“Well son you see when two people really love each other they start to-“

——

Pinocchio was quiet.

Geppetto had expected him to ask a lot of questions as he usually does when he is taught something; when he gave Carlo the talk he asked a lot of questions.

But Pinocchio was VERY quiet.

Is he just bad at explaining it? Maybe he should have read books on parenting long ago, but it’s too late now.

The silence was becoming awkward, “Son are you okay?”

“So um father, does that mean you have had-

“Yes, next question” Geppetto’s face is red with embarrassment.

“You said that not only men and women can do it, a woman and a woman can do it, and that men and men can do it, and since you are a man well, have you ever-“

“Yes and son please don’t ask me anymore about my private life” That boy is just like Carlo, Alexander would probably be laughing if he could hear this conversation, thank God he isn’t here.

“People do that but, can puppets do that? I mean, I know I’m special and not fully a puppet but-“

Why is he asking him that?! He doesn’t want to even think about it.

“Technically you can but you to have to wait for someone special”

Pinocchio began to open his mouth.

“AND WHEN YOU ARE OLDER!” Geppetto was shouting, “You can’t do it now, don’t even think about it, you are too young”

By the look of Pinocchio’s face, Geppetto could tell that he was asking out of curiosity more than anything and he was glad about that, even more so because after that Pinocchio’s questions stopped.

Pinocchio was quiet again, clearly thinking over and over about what he heard, his face becoming pale.

Oh God, he traumatized him.

—-

The next time that Pinocchio went to see Antonia for a piano lesson, Geppetto pulled her aside for a moment.

“You want me to teach him what?!” Antonia was baffled, “You are his father, you need to teach him about that!”

“And you, are his mother,” If Antonia wants to hold that title she is also going to do some of those duties, “Look I already gave him the basics, and as for anatomy…I just need you to teach him about you know, woman stuff”

Antonia looked at Pinocchio and she could tell that his quiet demeanor wasn’t him being shy, the boy was sitting and looking at the floor, staying too still.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing, I swear”

“So you are just bad at explaining?”

Geppetto knows now that he is in fact, bad at explaining.

Chapter Text

When Pinocchio had come to her to ask for help looking for a dress, Antonia simply couldn't say no to him, she is an expert in such matters; when you are a woman of high class it's only natural to know how to wear for each occasion, her wardrobe is filled with a huge collection, from day to day, to formal events, semi-formal, casual hangouts, for each season of the year, and a different dress for each wedding she has ever attended, she specially treasures the one she wore to Geppetto's wedding, it was a beautiful lavender dress but not too beautiful, you can't outshine the bride at her wedding after all.

In the first shop they entered, Pinocchio wanted to try the first dress he found, however, there was a problem:

His legion arm.

The dress ripped away when Pinocchio tried to put it in his sleeve, her sweet boy was crying because he broke it and it was an expensive one, but she reassured him that there was no problem and paid for it, nothing her budget wouldn't be able to handle, and when her dresses get too old she likes to use them to make them into new ones, or use the fabric to make new clothes, so this dress wouldn't be a waste, she would see what she can do with it.

They wandered around looking at the other shops, they hadn't been walking for long but Pinocchio constantly asked her if she was okay, Antonia smiled, he is so kind and caring and she couldn't deny that she gets tired more easily nowadays, but she kept saying that she was fine, although it seemed like Pinocchio didn't believe her.

“You were sick before and you couldn't walk, I'm still worried that you feel sick” Pinocchio had managed to save his mother despite all odds, but he still remembered those times, and how her body would get weaker and weaker, the disease slowly affecting her body.

“My sweet boy don't worry, I'm completely fine” It was hard when she had to do physical therapy to be able to walk properly again, and for some time, walking was very painful but she is a strong woman, with her will she managed to overcome it, “Besides, I get more tired due to my age rather than because I feel ill, being an older lady is can be tough”

“I don't think being 64 makes you old,” Pinocchio said.

Antonia was stunned by the comment.

“Pinocchio my dear… how do you know I’m 64?” She had never said her age out loud to him, sure, maybe Pinocchio had a right to know but it was her choice to tell her age.
Although as a woman the older you get, the harder it is to say your age out loud.

“My father told me,” Pinocchio said with a not-so-innocent smile on his face.

Oh, Giuseppe Geppetto I am going to kill you.

“My sweet boy, I know you meant well, but it’s not polite to say a lady’s age out loud”

“Sorry” Pinocchio still had that smile on his face and Gemini rolled his eyes, that brat.

“Well let’s keep going looking for a nice dress for you” It looks like the task was going to be slightly harder thanks to his legion arm.

A white dress simply wouldn’t do, with how hard they are to maintain, and considering how Pinocchio is, the dress would be ruined in a day.

That also means she needs to find him something with good fabric, with her dear boy it’s not a matter of if he would completely wet his clothes it’s a matter of when.

He already has that beautiful blue dress, so it’s better to grab another color, it also has to be something more easy to wear casually, although not too casually.

“What about that one?” Pinocchio said while pointing at a dress displayed in front of a store.

It was a pink bouffant dress, simple but beautiful, it also came with a lovely bow for the hair.

It was lovely and because of the lack of sleeves, it would be perfect for Pinocchio.

Pinocchio came out of the changing room and he looked so sweet, it was the perfect match, a few women in the store gave him looks but they could think whatever they wanted, what mattered was that he was happy.

“It looks great on you!” The shopkeeper said, it might have been her job to say that to all customers but Antonia could tell that she was being sincere this time.
While paying, something caught Antonia's eyes, a red wrap dress, Antonia knew it would fit her perfectly without even having to try it, it's the years of experience that made her say that with confidence. Although wearing such dresses is considered scandalous, she is not planning to wear it in public, she wants to wear it in the privacy of her home.

She knows Polendina would love to see her wear it, even if her beloved would never say that out loud.

The shopkeeper caught her glazing at the dress, “Oh Lady Antonia I just know that it would look amazing on you, as everything you wear, planning something for a special somebody?” The woman had a smile on her face, Antonia liked her, she was quite charismatic, perhaps she should recommend this shop to others.

Others were looking at her again, but Antonia doesn't care what gossip might come out of this, some people have nothing better to do than to spread pointless rumors. So she buys the dress and has her mind set on promoting this small shop that this nice humble woman runs.

Pinocchio wanted to wear the dress right away, so he put his clothes in the shopping bag they gave him, they walked a little outside and decided to sit down for a little on a bench.

“You are so adorable” Antonia grabbed one of his cheeks and squeezed it, Pinocchio's face turned a slight shade of pink, he wasn't used to his mother being the one to embarrass him.

—

They return to Hotel Krat, Pinocchio waiting for his father to pick him up, he is looking at himself in a mirror, loving the way he looks.

“Son, did you have fun?” Geppetto had arrived and was glad to see that his son had a good time, but before he could say something else, Antonia spoke up.

“Geppetto, may I have a word with you?”

Geppetto was confused at her tone but he followed her to a separate room, Pinocchio now being left alone.

It was quiet for a few seconds until…

“WHY THE HELL DID YOU TELL HIM MY AGE?!”

Pinocchio had a grin on his face as he heard the conversation, his mother was mad, and his father kept apologizing to her.

“You are a huge brat you know that?” Gemini chirped, “This isn't good boy behavior”

“Shut up Gemini or I'll shake your cage” Pinocchio was having fun, he didn't want Gemini to ruin the mood.

“Antonia please calm down, Pinocchio was just trying to make you feel less old that's all”

“Less old?!”, That was the wrong thing to say because Antonia kept shouting at him and Geppetto was back to apologizing.

“I'm going to tell your father you planned this” Gemini was looking at Pinocchio with disappointment in his eyes.

“I have no idea what you are talking about” Pinocchio used his hands and made a heart with them, “I'm a good boy after all”

There was nothing Gemini could do, Pinocchio had played the innocent boy part too well, so the cricket resigned himself.

—--

Polendina was arranging the bed he and Antonia shared when he heard her footsteps he turned around to see her in the new dress she bought.

He was quiet, if he could blush, he would be blushing, Lady Antonia is beautiful as always and she does such things for him.

They sat down and started to chat, saying how their days had gone.

“I had to kick out a rude guest from the hotel lobby” Polendina had experience in such matters, it wasn't bothersome to him anymore but he found this situation amusing.

“Oh my, what happened?”

“There was no reservation in his name, they kept claiming that he knew you personally when I know he doesn't” Why do people constantly do that? No, you do not know the owner, Polendina knows every single acquaintance or friend that Lady Antonia is close with, “He was repeating do you know how I am over and over again, you should have seen his face when I told him that I did not know who he was”

Antonia let out a laugh, not her usual composed laugh, but a genuine laugh.

“What did he say?”

“He called me a stupid puppet and I had to call security when he started making threats” The scene attracted other guests by that point, and Lady Antonia has the best security for Hotel Krat, such behavior is not tolerated.

They kept talking, about their day and other things, Antonia felt so lucky to have Polendina by her side and Polendina felt lucky to have her by his side.

Polendina sometimes felt like it was all a dream, he couldn't believe that she had reciprocated his feelings, he felt like he wasn't good at this, about being in a relationship, he isn't one to express his emotions by talking, so he writes to her, he writes about how much he loves her, how the simplest of things reminds him of her.

It makes his day to see his beloved Lady Antonia read the things he writes her, the smile on her face.

A part of him had always felt insecure because he knows how he was made, he knows that sometime after Antonia's husband died she was looking for a puppet to help her with her house chores, as she had been too depressed to do them herself, she started to focus too much on her work, she lost her husband she was also mourning that she never got to have children with him since he died young; so she asked Geppetto for a favor, a custom puppet, one that had the Ergo of her husband.

But his beloved Antonia has always reassured him that she loves him for who he is, after learning of how her husband was, he agrees, that man was so outgoing, so full of spirit, too adventurous, she has told him how he would take her hiking just to enjoy nature. Polendina isn't like that, he is calm and reserved and he prefers to be indoors.

“Well my day was mostly fun” Antonia had a smile on her face.

“Mostly?”

Antonia takes a deep breath and explains but she quickly changes the subject after she is done she wants to talk about something else, about her day with Pinocchio and other things, they talk next to each other, both holding hands gently.

A moment when they can both say, how truly happy they are, the candle of their love too strong to dwindle.

Chapter Text

“Son, are you sure it's a good idea to wear white?” Geppetto asked him, they were almost at Hotel Krat, they were invited by Antonia to another high-class event, this one is more relaxed and casual than the last one, Antonia tends to throw small gatherings like this from time to time, not just big ones.

“Father, I promise you my clothes won't get dirty at all!” Pinocchio wanted to prove to himself, that he can totally not get his clothes ruined.

“Alright, just be careful” Geppetto sees that Pinocchio is trying to prove that he is more responsible and appreciates that, his boy is so precious to him.

—

Antonia saw them arrive and greeted them, although for now, she couldn't talk with them as she had to attend to the other guests, but she did glance at Pinocchio from time to time, he looked nervous, trying his best to go along with conversations and staying near his father for support.

Venigni arrived shortly after alongside Pulcinella; Antonia saw them make their way towards Geppetto and Pinocchio, it was good seeing them together, Pinocchio lit up, he was less stressed and more confident.

She greeted the other guests as they arrived, it looked like everyone that had come was people she enjoyed spending time with, Antonia was excited that she could have a fun event without any gossip or drama.

That is until she saw a young girl enter and make her way towards her.

Adeline; named after her aunt, the late Adelina Corday; Patricia wasn't the only sibling that Adelina had, she had an older brother who passed away while younger, and her brother had named his daughter after her. Antonia found it quite tragic that all of them were gone now, specially Patricia, the two of them used to be closed before she lost her voice.

“Lady Antonia, is so good to see you,” Adeline said in a sweet tone, but her voice betrayed her, Antonia could tell that she did not like seeing her.

Antonia doesn't like speaking badly of others but unfortunately, there is only one way to describe Adeline:

A spoiled brat.

At every event she is in, she has to be the center of attention, she has to constantly remind others that she is part of the Corday family, even more so now that her aunt is gone, using her death as a way to gather pity and sympathy from others, when in reality she could care less about her departed aunt, Antonia knows everything that happens in the high-class circles of class, so she knows that Adeline did not like her aunt due to jealousy.

She is a jealous young lady, she doesn't like it when others are better than her at anything.

Antonia has to admit that Adeline has a beautiful voice, just like her two aunts, but she lacks the grace to be humble about it, now she speaks about how she is going to “carry” her family legacy, when she would rather spend her time gossiping and attending any event or party she can find rather than practice her vocal skills.

Her family spoils her and overprotects her even more now, a part of Antonia can't blame them considering how they lost family, but Adeline has never told no, and she has never faced consequences for her actions.

Hopefully, she doesn't cause any trouble this time.

—-

Adeline was enjoying herself at this party, it had been a while since she attended an event held by Lady Antonia, as she couldn't attend the winter party of last year.

She made her way to greet Lorenzini Venigni, she found him extremely annoying but he had to greet him regardless, she couldn't understand why anyone could stand him, he never shuts up. He might be a genius inventor but he has no common sense to know when others are annoyed by his constant chatter. Maybe that's why he isn't married yet, no amount of money is going to take away how annoying that man is.

“Mr. Venigni, it's so good to see you here” Adeline had to force herself to smile; she saw that Venigni wasn't alone, he was with that dumb puppet bulter of his and with Geppetto.

And next to Geppetto was his puppet, the one that looks just like his dead son.

She greeted Geppetto as well and made her way to leave, he doesn't like either of them, her precious time is best spent with others. But Adeline couldn't get out of her mind that puppet, Geppetto had to introduce him to her since the thing for some reason couldn't, and Adeline felt stupid having to introduce herself to a puppet.

Adeline looked from afar at Geppetto’s puppet, she never liked puppets, when she was younger her family owned some to help with chores, but not anymore, her family no longer trusts puppets, and they are just things meant to serve, she doesn’t understand why anyone would be fond of them. Human or puppet, servants are meant to be beneath others, specially the puppet ones.

Adeline’s favorite pastime is to have a little fun with them, lots of important people at Krat had puppets, and a lot of them still do and thankfully Adeline has a great reputation.

For being clumsy.

It’s easy to pretend to be a klutz, and she “accidentally” loves to drop things on them, overtime she has just gotten even better and better at it. They always give out the same reaction, an expressionless face and a formal apology to her for being in her way.

She had tried to do it with the servants of Lady Antonia and Venigni but those seem to have incredible reflexes as it has never worked and she eventually gave up.

Geppetto’s puppet, on the other hand, is not graceful in the slightest, stumbling with his words not knowing what to say, and clinging to Geppetto’s side.

But more than a puppet it’s more of a doll Geppetto likes to play happy family with. Adeline knew Carlo, as she is three years older than him, although, Carlo is dead so it’s not a fair comparison in her eyes anymore, still, the puppet looks almost the same as Carlo.

Aside from his longer hair with that strange white color and blue eyes the puppet just looks like him. Clearly Geppetto has issues if he likes to pretend that thing is his son, even if he calls it by a different name.

Yet the puppet doesn’t act like Carlo; Carlo was a dumb troublemaker, this puppet is too polite, obviously because it’s a puppet but Geppetto must not have liked Carlo’s behavior if he programmed the puppet to act like the perfect good son.

Adeline grabbed a bottle of red wine, that would do, the clothes the puppet wore were white, so they would be completely ruined, she slowly made her way towards him.

Pinocchio was alone for a moment, looking for his mother, when Adeline “tripped” She used even more force than usual, the bottle completely smashed into Pinocchio’s head, filling his clothes with the wine.

Pinocchio looked at himself, how he was completely stained, his clothes and even his hair were covered in red wine.

Red wine that looked just like blood.

Pinocchio began to remember the past when he was fighting, how he killed the Black Rabbit Brotherhood, the White Lady, how he killed those other stalkers, and that moment at the bridge where he saved his father. The first time his hands were ever stained in blood.

He was quiet, completely quiet.

“Oh oops, sorry, it was my mistake” Adeline tried to hide the grin on her face, expecting Geppetto’s puppet to apologize to her.

She didn’t expect him to cry, loudly. Adeline didn’t even know the thing could cry.

Pinocchio was sobbing, Geppetto quickly rushed to his son’s side as soon as he heard his cries, he was saying something but he was too agitated to talk properly, but he could hear that he was calling himself a bad boy.

Geppetto hugged his son, not caring about getting his clothes stained, he comforted him a little before excusing himself, he took Pinocchio to the garden of the hotel to try and calm him down.

Everyone was starting, the scene completely ruining the mood of the event.

Venigni was mad, he was about to say something but Antonia stopped him because she was furious, she is a very patient woman, and her composure is unmatched so to make her angry is unheard of.

Her patience had run out and she wanted to be the one to set the record straight, Venigni let her be the one to speak since Antonia had more grace in her words and this was her hotel after all.

“Miss Adeline, that was completely unacceptable” Antonia's voice was firm but calm.

Everyone was staring now, Adeline had never been confronted before, but she could handle this.

“It was an accident” She tried to defend herself but the smile on her face betrayed her.

“Care to explain then how you tripped without hitting the floor or without having a single stain on your clothes?” Once Antonia pointed that out, you could see the guest in the room start to think, realizing that each time Adeline does something like this she is mysteriously unharmed and that her clothes never get dirty.

“Um, well” Adeline was annoyed at Antonia, how dare this old Lady do this to her in public? “It's not a big deal, I mean, it's just a puppet at the end of the day, I didn't hurt anyone”

Oh, that was the wrong thing to say.

“Human, puppet, or whoever else is invited to my hotel deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, something you have not shown with your behavior” Antonia was done with her.

Polendina looked at Antonia, it's different when she is angry at her friends or family than when she is angry at others. Even though she can yell loudly when mad at her loved ones, somehow Antonia looks even scarier when her justified anger is filled with composure. But that's because when she is mad at her loved ones it is usually nothing too serious. There are exceptions because even if Polendina doesn't know how the conversation went, he does know that when Antonia talked to Geppetto back then, to make him see the reason, she had the same calm demeanor she has now.

“Look I'm sorry if I offended you” Adeline spoke up again, “But Geppetto's puppet is as much to blame for causing a scene as me” That thing is the one that started to cry loudly, that's not her fault.

Antonia couldn't believe her audacity “First, “Geppetto's puppet” has a name, his name is Pinocchio”

Adeline saw how everyone kept staring at her, but she expected others to be on her side, not show her looks of disapproval.

“Second, that boy is like a son to me, and you will not disrespect my family in front of me”

This is ridiculous, no one talks to her that way, Antonia might own a fancy hotel but Adeline is part of the Corday family, so she let out a small laugh, “Really? That puppet is like a son to you? Are you going senile?”

There was an audible gasp from everyone in the room.

Polendina was furious, how dare this brat insult his beloved Lady Antonia?

But Antonia was even more furious.

“Get out”

“What?”

“Get out of my hotel, you are not welcome here, and you are not allowed to come back to any future events”

Adeline was panicking now, she made a mistake, she underestimated Antonia, being banned from the hotel was social suicide, Antonia holds too much power in Krat's high society and she is known for her patience, if The Lady Antonia cannot tolerate your presence then no one will.

“No wait, I'm sorry” Adeline tried to backtrack but it was too late.

“Leave now before I call security” If looks could kill…

Adeline did not take that as an empty threat, she left at once without another word.

Even if the mood of the party had been completely ruined you could see in everyone's faces that they were relieved to finally be rid of Adeline and her toxic behavior, a few people even came close to Antonia's side and silently praised her for her actions but unfortunately the party had to end early.

—-

Antonia let Geppetto borrow one of the rooms so that Pinocchio could shower and clean himself up, it took a while for the red wine to get off his white hair. Antonia also gave him some new clothes, they were ones that he had left here before during his quest and she had them with her in case they were needed, thankfully her intuition was right to keep them. That room has become his room, he stays there when he comes to see her for his lessons, and the two of them spend time together.

Pinocchio was clinging to Geppetto, he was still upset, letting out a few small tears and sobs.

“Oh sweetheart come here” Antonia extended her arms and Pinocchio went to her side, giving her a big hug.

“I guess the only good thing is that Adeline won't be able to put this stunt again,” Venigni said.

“Did she scold her?” Geppetto asked him.

“Oh, she did more than just that, wish you could have seen it” Venigni knew that Geppetto had to comfort Pinocchio but he would have liked his friend to see how Antonia handled the situation.

“You are my son Pinocchio, as your mother I won't let anyone treat you that way” Antonia would do anything for him, “Anything you want, anything you need, I will be there for you”

Pinocchio's cries had almost stopped, saying something in his last sobs “Can I have a pony?”

—

“You actually bought him the pony” Geppetto was impressed more than angry, specially since he didn't have to take care of it, it was going to stay in the stable, and Pinocchio could just visit him whenever he wanted.

Currently, they are in Lucero's stable, they are an influential family in Krat, their horse business is unmatched, and they sell them for labor and as pets, not to mention the racetrack they own as well.

“Well I couldn't resist when he was all sad like that”

Geppetto looked at Pinocchio, his son had probably said that just as a joke but he looked so happy with his new horse, still he wasn't totally convinced.

“I don't know Antonia, horses are really hard to take care of”

“Oh please, don't worry about such things, I will personally pay for the care of the animal, it's my gift to him after all” She just needed to hire a worker to keep an eye on the pony, that is easy, they already offer such services for those who keep them as pets.

“Father, pleaseeee can I keep her?” Pinocchio said in a cutesy voice.

This time, Geppetto was the one who couldn't resist, “Of course you can” he said while smiling at his son

“What are you going to name her my dear boy?”

Well, ever since they arrived the cute pony had been eating apples so…

“Applejack!”

Chapter Text

Geppetto and Venigni were in a work meeting together. This is a very important one, all members with the highest positions in the Workshop Union are here.

Maybe it is because he is getting old but Geppetto wants this meeting to be over already, he just doesn't have the patience to deal with things like this anymore. Not the work meeting itself, but rather other coworkers he has to deal with.

Specially Conrad.

“I understand some of you might have reservations…” Conrad says while looking at him and Venigni, “ But the people of Krat still worry about another incident happening with the puppets, I believe it best that we make some counter-measurements in case someone tries to mess with them again”

Geppetto looks away for a moment but composes himself.

“I suggest we limit some of the puppets' abilities, if we make a command to instantly shut them down in case something when wrong then…”

The puppet frenzy, Geppetto knows it was all his fault, he has never confessed to it but he took public responsibility for the matter, he is the leader of the union after all.

Statistically, the harm caused specifically by puppets was low, most of them had to do with the petrification disease and the problems caused by the alchemists. It was all because of Romeo, he was the one who prevented the other puppets from doing more harm. Geppetto is thankful that Romeo was able to stop him from harming others that way.

Still, Geppetto has to live with it, the only thing he can do is make amends and do what he can to make Krat a better place. That's why he still works, as much as he would enjoy retiring a few years early and spending as much time as he can with his son he has to fix all of his mistakes.

And this is definitively not the solution, Conrad has only ever seen puppets as machines not companions to help others and he refuses to acknowledge that puppets who have awakened an Ego are sentient. Pulcinella has to be at the receiving end of his passive-aggressive remarks all the time, and Geppetto knows that the man talks badly about his son when he isn't around in the workplace.

Although puppets are supposed to obey human commands they have the choice of how to make them and they can deny requests, the only things puppets can't do are already engraved on the laws that bind them to the grand covenant and aside from Polendina and Pulcinella, as they were build before the grand covenant was established, there are no other puppets that aren't bound to it. But both of them are kind-hearted they would never do anything to harm others.

Well, there also is his son but Pinocchio is special since he isn't 100% a puppet and he is a very good boy, he loves to help others, and he would never cause any harm.

“So you don't want them to have free will?” That's what Geppetto wants to say but he has to stay professional, “I understand your concerns but-”

Geppetto is interrupted.

“Well, Geppetto let's be honest maybe you are a little biased when it comes to this subject because of your…son” Conrad has a smile on his face, “Perhaps it is best that we don't hear an emotionally filled argument”

Venigni is the one to speak up this time “If you want a logical argument, then let me give you one”

Geppetto breathes a sigh of relief, Venigni always knows what to say, and when he talks about logistics he doesn't know when to shut up, he can keep talking and talking and not tire himself out, Geppetto wonders how his friend can retain so much information, analyze it and even realize things that he would have never imagined were connected.

It takes half an hour for Venigni to stop talking, no one ever interrupts him, because if you do, you accidentally will point out something he missed and he will talk even more. Yet no one can deny his solid arguments.

“Thank you for your insights Venigni” Conrad said while gritting his teeth, “But let us decide this democratically, how about we put a vote on the matter?”

There are twelve people in this meeting counting Geppetto and Venigni, five raise their hands on the argument Corand made, while seven in the one Venigni made.

It's obvious that the man is annoyed but he lets it slide; Geppetto and Venigni know that this won't be the last time they will have to deal with this.

Technically Geppetto could fire him, but that would only stir the pot more, he and his followers could say that Geppetto is abusing his power as the Workshop Union Leader and workwise Conrad has always been an excellent worker, he goes above and beyond for it, it makes sense, everyone in that room takes their job extremely seriously, so Geppetto cannot fire him just due to his behavior, unless he does something completely uncalled for, firing him is not a good idea.

After the meeting is done, Geppetto and Venigni go to the breakroom, both making themselves a cup of coffee.

“I swear I don't understand how you drink that, it's more sugar than coffee at that point” Geppetto has never understood Venigni's obsession with adding so many things to his coffee, but it has always been this way.

“It tastes good, maybe you should try it for once, try to have fun” Venigni doesn't understand how Geppetto only drinks black coffee. “Besides who adds 12 shots of espresso to their drink?” That's a ridiculous amount, Venigni always does 4 or 5, and Geppetto goes too far in his eyes.

“Who adds cinnamon and chocolate syrup to their coffee?”

“Your son”

“Venigni that's not the win you think it is” Geppetto has banned his son from drinking coffee with his friend because the last time Pinocchio drank coffee like that it was a complete disaster.

“You asked who does it as well, I just answered your question” As Venigni says that, he sees Geppetto add yet another shot of expresso to his coffee and he stares at him.

“Don't look at me like that, that meeting was hard”

“Geppetto this is the equivalent of using drugs”

“Oh please don't exaggerate and I have never used any drugs in my life” Geppetto lied.

“I know that you used to smoke weed,” Venigni says with a smile.

“Who told you that?!” Geppetto is mortified.

“Pinocchio asked me the other day what getting high means, so I now know your little secret” Venigni had an even wider grin on his face.

That brat! He made his son promise he wouldn't ask anyone what that means, he is getting grounded.

“But did you tell him what that means?!” Geppetto was now grabbing Venigni's shoulders.

Venigni let out a laugh, “Don't worry I didn't” When Pinocchio asked him he gracefully but swiftly changed the subject.

Gepptto let go of Venigni, “Oh thank God, don't scare me like that”

They both laughed but the playful atmosphere was cut short when Conrad entered the breakroom.

“Geppetto, Venigni” As if it couldn't be more obvious that Corand dislikes them, he doesn't even bother to give a casual hello.

“So Geppetto, that project you did all the way in London is truly something special, considering how everyone is speaking about it, hopefully, it's not too much to ask for some of the details” Conrad has a smug tone, he always thinks he is so smart.

“I'm sorry it's confidential” That's another lie, not every detail of it is confidential but Geppetto won't disclose the hard work that he, Alexander, and other members of that team did.

“Mmm, what a shame” Conrad gets closer, it looks like he is going to start forcing conversation, “Who did you leave your son with while you were gone? Was it you Venigni?”

“Pinocchio came with me” Geppetto has a bad feeling about this.

“Really? Do you take him to such things? I don't recall you ever taking Carlo anywhere” Conrad stabbed Geppetto with those words.

Geppetto takes a deep breath, he has to stop himself from punching him.

“Conrad, what do you want?” Venigni isn't going to let this man play his games.

“How rude, I thought the great Lorenzini Venigni was supposed to be charismatic”

“Again, what do you want?” Venigni doesn't have the patience for this and he won't tolerate what he said to Geppetto about Carlo, it's cruel to say something like that, to bring up someone's dead child, who does that?

“I want the two of you gone from this union” Conrad was in front of them, feeling like he had the advantage.

He actually admitted it, which was surprising, “The two of you are not fit to be members”

“After everything me and Geppetto have done for this union, what makes you say that?” That is simply a ridiculous claim, Venigni doesn't want to give himself and Geppetto all the credit because the plans they made helped the city, they set their plans in motion and worked as a team with others to achieve them, without the help of every worker in Krat human or puppet they managed to make the city prosper again in the face of such disaster, still, it took them long hours of planning to find the best ways to reconstruct the city and fix that mess, many sleepless nights and it didn't help men like Conrad only wanted to help those who have wealth and status.

“What makes me say that? The two of you should take a good look at yourselves” Conrad is feeling confident saying all of this because no one else is around, he wouldn't dare talk this way to them in public, “It's not normal for a grown man to pretend that a puppet is his son and I know that you don't see any issue with that Venigni because you had the misfortune to be raised by a puppet but to the rest of us, its clear as day that the two of you are mentally unwell”

Before either of them could say another word, other workers entered the room, and Geppetto and Venigni had to resign themselves, not being able to call him out. When their break is over, the two of them are the last ones to leave the room.

“So, how does he plan to kick you out? Did he forget that you own this building?” Geppetto couldn’t believe how ridiculous that man was being.

Venigni laughed, it really was ridiculous to try and kick both of them out. But unfortunately, they will have to deal with him at work.

But at least they made plans to see each other after work at Venigni's home.

—-

They talked over a few drinks, maybe it was still a little too early to be drinking as it was only 6 pm but it had been a hard day, and no one likes office drama.

Geppetto eventually relented and told Venigni a few of his stories while studying for his degree, Venigni couldn't believe what he was hearing, to him who Geppetto was describing was a completely different person than the one he knew; Geppetto also spoke a bit more of the time he and his son spent in London.

“I'm glad that Pinocchio enjoyed his vacation… despite what happened” Geppetto had told Venigni about what transpired, everyone else knew as well.

Things became quiet and Geppetto took another sip of his drink.

“Venigni I… almost lost him” Geppetto has tears in his eyes, “I should have never trusted Dorian Gray, I let my guard down because I used to know him, turns out I didn’t even know what kind of person he was and my son almost died”

“Geppetto it’s not your fault” It’s hard for Venigni to see Geppetto like this, he already lost one son, he can’t imagine what it would be like to almost lose another.

“I know it isn’t but, I almost lost my life as well” Geppetto knows that Sophia did something so that he wouldn’t die, but it was hard to understand, at the moment he was filled with adrenaline and after it was all done, he couldn’t explain it but, it felt as if things played out differently.

All he can truly remember is Dorian almost killing him while saving Pinocchio.

“It made me start to think, what will happen to him when I’m gone?”

“Geppetto don’t say that” Venigni doesn’t want to think about Geppetto being gone, they have been friends for so long, Geppetto was his mentor when he first started but over time their friendship evolved.

“I don’t want to think about it, I want to believe that we can spend the years I have left together” Geppetto knows that he isn’t getting any younger, he is 60 and while Pinocchio is strong and reliable he has so much to learn about the world.

“But in case that won’t happen…”

Venigni is a man of many words yet at this moment, he feels like he can’t say anything. Because he already knows where this is going.

“Venigni I know it’s too much to ask but, when I die, could you please take care of him?”

When, not if, eventually we all die, and Geppetto wants his son to be in good hands, with a true friend, someone he knows in his heart that he will always trust, after everything they have been through together, how could he not trust Venigni?

Venigni is that friend, they have been together in the best and in the worst of times. Venigni is still young, despite all the times his friend says that he feels like an old man when he is just 39.

Venigni wants to give Geppetto reassuring words to not think about such things, and that things will be fine. But he knows that this is a conversation that they would have had at some point or another.

“I will Geppetto, I promise you I will” There is no hesitation in his voice, Venigni loves the boy, he is family. Pinocchio is his beloved nephew, and as his uncle he will do what he must to be there for him.

—-

It was 9 pm it's not that late but Geppetto usually doesn't stay out for long, when he entered the house, he could see that his son and Gemini were playing a board game.

“Gemini that's not a real word, it doesn't count” Pinocchio is pouting, it's not fair, Gemini keeps winning.

Gemini sighs “Pinocchio, skepticism IS a real word”

“If it's real then why is it spelled so weirdly?”

Geppetto lets out a laugh, it amuses him how his son can be stubborn like that. It looks like he is going to need to teach him a little more about language.

“Father, welcome back!” Pinocchio always greets him like that, he is so polite; he is a good boy.

Geppetto gives his son a big hug before letting go.

“Son, you are grounded”

“What?!”

Chapter Text

Eugéne was with Pinocchio and when he told her he couldn’t swim she couldn’t believe it.

“What do you mean you don’t know how to swim?! Pinocchio Krat is surrounded by water” And even if it wasn’t, swimming is an important skill to learn, you never know when you are going to need it.

Contrary to what one might think, Pinocchio wouldn’t sink while in water, the way he was made is very special after all.

“Well, Eugéne it’s not like he had anyone to teach him,” Gemini said.

Geppetto and Antonia are too old to teach him, and Venigni knows how to swim but he isn’t exactly the best swimmer, even if he doesn’t want to admit it.

“That’s it, I’m going to teach you” Eugéne had her mind set up and it had been a while since she had gone swimming, so it would be fun to do so, “We could ask Lady Antonia permission to borrow the pool in Hotel Krat”

Pinocchio was so excited, he couldn’t wait to learn how to swim.

——

His father bought him a nice swimsuit, a one-piece with short sleeves, it was white with black stripes.

Eugéne was wearing a one-piece as well, although hers was those made for women,
it was orange and she also added a yellow swimming skirt. She wasn’t wearing her glasses as you can’t really wear them while swimming but, she can see without them, her myopia isn’t that bad.

Pinocchio was sitting by the ledge of the pool, moving his feet in the water, it was best that he got more comfortable with it before starting, Gemini was watching from afar, he is waterproof but not much he can do to help Pinocchio swim.

The pool isn’t that deep, both can touch the floor but it goes up to their shoulders.

“Okay, Pinocchio whenever you are ready we can start,” Eugéne said with a smile.

Pinocchio didn’t hesitate to jump in the water, completely splashing her in the process.

“Pinocchio!” Eugéne still hadn’t put her head underwater, she began to splash water in his face as revenge.

Pinocchio joined in, both ended up having a small splashing war until they laughed it off.

“Okay so…” Eugéne now realized that she wasn’t sure how to begin but she was good at improvising, “Have you seen someone swim before?”

Pinocchio shook his head, as many times as he had been thrown in bodies of water and ruined his pretty clothes, he had never seen someone swim.

“Well you are a fast learner, let me just swim myself and show you how it’s done” Eugéne remembers when she gave Pinocchio weapons, and just by swinging them a few times herself, he understood how to use them, so maybe that could work here.

And it did work! After swimming a little Pinocchio began to copy her movements, sure, it’s not like it was perfect on the first try but he did pretty well.

The only issue was that he wasn’t able to hold his breath for long, or at all, he constantly gasped for air once his head was outside the water.

“Maybe we can do some breathing exercises” Wait, does he have lungs? Well, he can breathe so Eugéne assumes that he does have his own special lungs.

They made their way to the ledge of the pool; Eugéne showed him how to hold his breath underwater and release the air with his nose, grabbing the ledge as support with his hands, going up and down.

Pinocchio did it and tried swimming some more, it was better than before but he still needed more training. But he had already learned the basics so fast, there was no need to keep pushing for him to try and further those techniques, this was the first time after all.

“Where did you learn how to swim so well Eugéne?” Gemini shouted from afar.

“Oh well, I enjoy swimming from time to time, it’s fun to do” It’s not a sport she does per se, as she doesn’t do it that often and she does other types of exercises when she works out. But she is confident in saying that she knows how to swim better than the average person.

They decided to take a break, but they didn’t get out, it was nice just to soak a bit in the water, even if it was cold but they already had gotten used to it.

After a little more time passed they decided that it was enough for today, both getting out of the pool. Eugéne put her glasses back on.

“Pinocchio I need you to give me that skill of yours to learn things so fast,” Eugéne said while getting water out of her hair.

Pinocchio looked like he was in deep thought.

“Not literally, as much as I would want that” She laughed, sometimes you have to be careful with what you say when hanging out with Pinocchio. She still remembers when in a passing conversation she said the saying of “skeletons in the closet” and Pinocchio freaked out thinking that she had actual skeletons in her closet.

Antonia had come outside to see them, asking them how everything went.

“It was great!” Eugéne had fun today, it was nice hanging out with Pinocchio in a more relaxed environment and not always in her shop.

“Although it was strange that no one else wanted to use the pool while we were here” Eugéne did find it a little weird.

“Well, it’s probably due to this climate but at least it has warm water,” Antonia said.

“Actually the water wasn’t warm” Eugéne didn’t even know the pool had a heater.

It was odd, Antonia was talking about how she would need to check the maintenance of the pool when they heard Pinocchio shouting at them.

“I found the problem!” Pinocchio was holding a loose cable in his hand and he proceeded to try and connect it.

“DON’T-“They both tried to warn him, but it was too late, Pinocchio was still wet and he got electrocuted.

—-

“Oh my God, Oh my God, Geppeto is going to kill me” Eugéne was freaking out, it had been 20 minutes and Pinocchio was still knocked out, she had promised that she would take good care of him.

“Relax Eugéne, Pinocchio is just an idiot” Gemini knows that sometimes his best friend lacks common sense.

“Oh Gemini don’t say that” Antonia spoke up, “My dear boy is just… a little clueless sometimes”

Eugéne had already changed clothes, since Pinocchio was still knocked out, he was in his swimsuit.

“Mmm he really does look just like a human” Pinocchio tends to wear clothes that cover most of his skin, so it’s not common to see him like this.

Eugéne has worked with Geppetto before, mainly in projects for Legion Arms so she knew that his reputation wasn’t just hearsay, but it still amazes her how Pinocchio was built.

“Yes, and he looks just like….” Antonia took a sigh and Eugéne knew why.

Like Carlo.

Eugéne knows that Antonia sees Pinocchio for who he is and not for who he isn’t, but it looks like she is going to vent her frustrations for a moment.

“The first time I saw him, I wanted to slap Geppetto” It almost gave her a heart attack, seeing him, knowing that Carlo was dead and the only logical conclusion was that Geppetto built him.

As a way to bring back Carlo.

Geppetto confessed to her that the conversation she had with him was one of the reasons he came to his senses. It was only natural as her friend that she would talk and reason with him and she is glad it worked.

Antonia knew that Geppetto was in a deep amount of pain after losing Carlo, losing a son is something just so… devastating, it’s always tragic.

Eugéne had never met Carlo, she might have worked for Geppetto on a few occasions and developed a friendship as he mentored her but she had never seen him, she had begun to work with Geppetto when she turned 19 and Carlo was 15 and still studying at Monad, not many opportunities to see him.

“I just wanted to say that out loud, it was killing me to keep it to myself” Antonia took a deep breath.

“It’s alright Lady Antonia, I understand” Eugéne didn’t mind hearing her speak about this.

“You are a very understanding young girl Eugéne” Antonia smiled, “And very beautiful I bet you have a few suitors flocking around you”

Eugéne blushed and Antonia laughed.

There have been a few people who came to her shop looking for her, apparently, some find a woman with that much knowledge of weapons attractive.

She is very flattered but she isn’t interested, specially in some random person who comes to her store to confess their love for her. Eugéne is one to believe that you must be friends first.

“As long as no one proposes to you the same way Pinocchio did to Sophia”

They both laughed, it was so bizarre when Pinocchio explained the situation, specially since at the end they don’t like each other that way but it was a fun anecdote nevertheless.

“I think you know better than me how gossip runs on Krat” Eugéne said, “But it’s amusing to hear what people believed happened”

The people of Krat had already noticed the engagement ring and there were some very strange rumors running around.

“They can be so ridiculous, I heard some say that they think Geppetto built him a girlfriend” Antonia feels that people just make up stuff for fun not thinking about how that sounds.

“I hadn’t heard that one, Since he came back from London with that ring, I heard some say that he has a long-distance relationship, some say with a human, some say that with a puppet, some say weird stuff that he is engaged to two people at the same time” Eugéne was smiling.

People really need to mind their own business sometimes.

Just then, Geppetto arrived and a few minutes later was when Pinocchio woke up, Eugéne had to stop herself from laughing at Geppetto scolding Pinocchio. Doesn’t help that Gemini likes to contribute by saying how much of a brat he is.

Thankfully the experience didn’t stop Geppetto from letting them continue having swimming lessons, or just go swimming for fun.

“Oh look at your evil father scolding you, come here dear” Antonia extends his hands and Pinocchio hugs her.

Geppetto lets out a sigh, maybe he should have a talk with Antonia because Pinocchio is starting to say things like “My mother lets me do this” or “My mother says it’s okay to do that”

She is spoiling him too much.

He likes spoiling his son too but this is too much and he is becoming the “mean parent” because he is the one who scolds him.

“Please Geppetto he got electrocuted, he already learned his lesson” Looks like she knew what he was thinking.

—-

Back home Pinocchio was reading a book, Geppetto took Gemini took his workshop, he wanted to talk privately with him.

“Gemini how would you like it if you could walk around?”

Chapter Text

Geppetto, Antonia, and Venigni were all hanging out together, it was nighttime not that late but not that early; Geppetto told his son to not wait for him and to go to bed as normal, the three of them had the opportunity to hang out for a few hours, without being in a room filled with others, or with alone but with a limited amount of time.

Every once in a while the stars align and they all have long times they can spend together, usually at night.

They had talked for the first two hours, but Antonia decided she wanted to have more fun, suggesting playing poker. At first, it was going to be a friendly match but while setting up the table to play things began to change.

“We already know how this is going to end, either I or Antonia will win, probably me” Geppetto was confident in his skills.

It was true, Geppetto and Antonia had skill while playing, poor Venigni no matter how many times he played, he never got any better.

“How is a man like you so good at poker Geppetto?” Antonia was intrigued, she always wondered how he was so good at it.

The reason was because while in his wild days as a student, he would constantly play strip poker, but he wasn't going to say that out loud in front of either of them.

“Well, I'm a man of many secrets Antonia” Geppetto had a grin on his face.

“Really?” Antonia took a sip of her drink, “What other fun secrets are you hiding?”

“They are called secrets for a reason”

“Like how you used to-” Venigni spoke up but he was interrupted.

“Don't you dare” Geppetto had a murderous stare and Venigni backed down.

“Then let's make this fun, each time someone wins a hand, they choose someone and make them reveal a secret” Antonia also had a grin on her face now as well.

“Can the two of you go easy on me this time?” Venigni didn't want to end up being the only one that ended up not asking anything.

Geppetto and Antonia looked at each other, they would go easy on him, but as soon as he lost, its game between them.

So the game began, Venigni was the one to win the first hand.

“Geppetto since you are a man of many secrets, let's start with you,” Venigni said teasingly.

“My grandmother is still alive”

“Excuse me?!” Both Antonia and Venigni shouted at the same time.

“Yes, she doesn't live in Krat, she lives in Germany so the two of you haven't met her” At first they thought he was joking, but when Geppetto offered to show them the letters she writes him from time to time they believed him.

“How old is she?” Venigni still couldn't believe it.

“I don't know actually” His grandmother is an enigma, he barely saw her as a child and has barely seen her since, last time he saw her in person was when Carlo was two years old yet she seems to know so much about his life.

She sent him a letter when Carlo died… it was quite a heartfelt letter, he appreciated it even if he didn't know how she found out Carlo had passed away, it had only been 3 days since his passing. Even more confusingly is that he got a letter from her, asking how Pinocchio was doing, he had never told her about Pinocchio.

“I think she is a witch” Geppetto is sure of it.

“I think you aren't the person I thought you were” Venigni is wondering what else Geppetto has kept hidden from them, the pile of secrets keeps adding up. Oh well, at least some of those secrets are about to be revealed.

Then, turn after turn passed.

“I have committed tax fraud” Antonia admitted.

“How did you get away with that?” Venigni asked.

“Oh I'm still getting away with it, but only one question at a time Ven” Antonia teased him. The secret is that it's technically not tax fraud, you have to work around the system.

“Venigni time to confess something” He lost the next round, Geppetto being the winner.

“There was that one time I found the company had spies, so I bribed them to be counter spies, so I guess I have committed corporate espionage”

“You guess? That IS corporate espionage” Geppetto was starting to question what other acts his friend “thinks” he committed.

“Okay Geppetto, your secrets are the most fun ones” Antonia was having so much fun this night, “Speak up”

“Since we're all confessing our crimes for some reason, one time, I got a call from Monad that Carlo was going to be expelled for plagiarizing his homework, so I might have given them some money to convince them to rethink that” Geppetto paused, seeing how both were staring at him silently “I obviously scolded him and told him to never do that again”

“What a great Influence you are”

“Shut up Antonia”

—--

“SO IT WAS YOU ALL THOSE TIMES?!” Geppetto shouted at Venigni.

“Look Geppetto hear me out”

“Why the hell were you putting tadpoles in the water fountain?!”

“Because they were going to die if I didn't! Each time someone found them they had to change the water filter and because it was a “health issue” they freed the tadpoles in the riverbank”

At Venigni Works, being a place that uses so much heat, it has pools of water for its use, but for some time, small tadpoles started appearing in parts of the water, Venigni felt bad about them, they would die melting in hot water if he didn't do something. Eventually, the tadpoles stopped appearing and Venigni felt relief.

“Then WHY didn't you just call animal protection to get rid of the problem in the first place?!” Geppetto was baffled.

“Oh... I didn't think about that”

“For a marvelous genius, you lack a lot of common sense Venigni,” Antonia said while laughing.

Venigni had been eliminated, so at least he was glad he didn't have to reveal more things.

“I win this round Antonia, tell us a secret” Geppetto was in high spirits, he knew he was close to winning, one more hand and the match would be over.

“Mmm” Antonia was thinking if she should say this out loud but she was running out of secrets to tell.

“Don't worry Antonia nothing comes out of this room” Venigni encouraged her.

That is a promise, a pact, after they all leave, this never happened.

“Oh well, I have revealed so much already” She paused for a brief moment, “I might have gotten… accidentally electrocuted while having fun with my love Polendina one time”

Antonia was blushing, Venigni was laughing and Geppetto was processing what he heard.

The last hand… both of them had a flush, unfortunately for Geppetto, Antonia had the ace, crowning her the winner. She gave out a triumphant laugh.

Geppetto was wondering what to say, he is a man of many secrets after all, what would be a fun secret to reveal? Well, so far he hasn't said anything about his time studying, and that always makes them get so stunned every time he talks about that so…

“There was this time when me and Alexander were hanging out” By that he means that he dragged Alexander to do it with him.
“We decided to prank one of our professors” Geppetto explained how this professor, an older woman always carried around her poodle dog and it just so happened that next to the engineering faculty was the biology one, which had taxidermy animals, one of them was a poodle that looked just like hers.

They hid the dog in a closet and she was looking for it frantically for it, and when she came to her office she found the taxidermy dog in there.

“And then she fainted” Geppetto was panicking it got out of hand, he didn't think that would happen, Alexander kept shouting at him about how much of an idiot he was.

He got the dog out of the closet, and when the professor woke up, her dog was by her side, they managed to convince her that the stress got to her and that's why she fainted and that she probably dreamt about the taxidermy dog. She didn't question them, she was just so happy to see her dog.

“I never pulled another prank after that”

“I guess…” That was too much to handle for Venigni, “I guess Carlo had to get his behavior from somewhere”

Oh the many things that Carlo pulled while growing up, that boy was something else.

“Thank God I am here so that you don't corrupt poor Pinocchio,” Antonia said.

“Oh don't give yourself too much credit, you are spoiling him, he is turning into an even bigger brat” Geppetto wasn't going to let her get away with that.

“He is not a brat Geppetto”

“Oh, not when he is with you”

Venigni watched as Geppetto and Antonia argued over their parenting of Pinocchio and he was glad that he was just the fun uncle.

Chapter Text

When Pinocchio woke up that morning, he found it odd that Gemini wasn’t in the room with him, he got out of his room, and in the living room, his father was waiting for him, Gemini’s cage was on the table.

“Good morning son, just time time to see the surprise” His father was smiling.

With that said the cage was opened and Gemini came out from inside.

“Hey buddy”

Pinocchio had stars in his eyes, he kneeled to get a closer look, Gemini was finally out of his cage, he extended his hand and Gemini jumped into it.

“Gemini we can finally do so many things together!” Pinocchio was so excited. When they did stuff together he was the one who had to do things on Gemini’s behalf, and that didn’t bother him at all, it’s more so the fun part that Gemini is finally able to do them.

“He is still going to have to be inside his cage while outside, so it can protect him” Gemini is made out of the best materials so he is very resilient himself, but the best is for him to be inside his cage for protection, and little crickets aren’t exactly safe walking outside by themselves.

Pinocchio and Gemini were so excited about all the fun stuff they could do together, but they decided that first, the best idea was to make Gemini’s life at home more comfortable.

—-

Pinocchio knows Krat extremely well, so he remembers passing by many times the place they are currently in, it’s a doll store that sells different types of small houses and other accessories and of course the dolls themselves. All in different sizes.

Gemini was in his hands looking at everything, Both could overhear the store staff talking.

“Isn’t that Pinocchio, Geppetto’s son?”

“Yeah, go there and show him the most expensive house”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why? Geppetto is loaded, he probably gives him a huge allowance”

“Pinocchio tell them that you don’t need any help” Gemini spoke up, geez, if they were going to say stuff like that they should at least lower their voices more.

Pinocchio followed Gemini’s advice and they were left alone, “Gemini what does that mean?”

“Don’t think too much about it, just that your father has a lot of money and they want to take advantage of that” Not the first time something like this has happened, Gemini always helps Pinocchio not to get stuck buying things that are way too expensive or falling for scams.

Well, most of the time, the boy certainly didn't listen to him when he was dealing with the fox and cat stalkers, but Gemini has come to just accept that Pinocchio sees them as friends, more than that he sees them as family, and that at least they care about him.

“Mmm, there are so many options” Gemini wasn’t sure what to pick, there were so many, all in different sizes.

He doesn’t need a big one, it’s not like he is actually going to use the things inside of them, it’s more so for comfort and to have a space for himself, so he doesn’t need that 5-floor deluxe edition with a balcony one that they were about to offer them. He already has that small bed that Lady Antonia gifted him and it looks like it can fit in any of these houses.

They decided that would be a good idea to buy a simple 4-room one that was empty and let Gemini choose what sort of things he would like to have inside the home.

While Pinocchio was paying for everything another person came inside the store, who as soon as they saw Gemini rushed to their side.

“I’ve never seen this toy before, where did you buy it?” A man said, “And why did you take him out of his box?“

“Not this guy again,” Said one of the store clerks under his breath, He took a deep breath, he is a collector too so he understands but this guy tends to take it too far. Still, that’s their best customer so…

“I’m not…” Gemini then realizes that he is at a toy store, buying a toy house, and even buying toy clothes, this guy isn’t going to take him seriously if he says that.

“Gemini is my friend” Pinocchio felt uncomfortable, this guy was staring way too intensely at Gemini.

“Okay yeah he is your friend but where did you get it, I know every single toy line that has ever been released to the public in Krat and I KNOW that this toy, isn’t one of them” The man had a know-it-all voice.

“My father made him for me” Pinocchio doesn’t want to try and explain everything and maybe mentioning that Gemini is unique would leave him alone.

But it had the exact opposite effect.

“Who built him for you?” Then the man stopped staring at Gemini and stared at Pinocchio, “Wait, you are that son Geppetto built for himself right? So he can also build toys? Why does he waste his time and talent building puppets when he could be making beautiful toys like this one” He was pointing at Gemini now.

“Here is your change come back soon have a nice day” The store clerk wanted to avoid dragging this conversation.

Gemini went back inside his cage but before he and Pinocchio could leave, the man stepped in front of Pinocchio.

“Man don’t start” The store clerk was done, and the other one had gone to the back, not wanting to deal with the situation.

“Can you take him out of his cage so I can have a closer look? I want to know how he can change colors like that?”

“It’s because he is angry” Now Pinocchio was angry too.

“It changes colors with its emotions?! That’s unheard of, I need to see him again”

Pinocchio took a few steps back, this guy was capable of trying to steal Gemini.

“Look man, I’m done with your shit, you are banned from the store”

The man refused to leave and refused to stop questioning Pinocchio, so the store clerk grabbed a broom and chased them out as if they were a cat.

Pinocchio and Gemini couldn’t help but laugh, it was amusing.

“We also make custom clothes, in case you and your friend need something special”

Pinocchio was smiling, despite the strange experience, maybe this was a place he could come to later if Gemini needed more things.

As both left the other clerk came out from the back.

“Well we lost our best customer but we got Geppetto’s puppet son, that’s probably going to be even better business!”

“Am I the only person that works in this store that actually likes toys?!”

—-

Back home, Pinocchio was helping Gemini set up his new house. He even made him a tiny painting so that he could hang it in his new home.

“Buddy, what’s wrong?” Gemini could tell something was wrong.

“Um well…” It was something Pinocchio noticed that had been happening more and more.

“That son Geppetto built for himself”

At least that one store clerk was nice, he even knew his name, but the experience with that other man made Pinocchio remember other words like that.

“Geppetto’s puppet”

“Geppetto’s pretend son”

“Carlo’s replacement”

If he can take a guess the comments have increased because more people recognize who he is. Not to say that every time he goes outside he hears those things but it always makes him upset.

“It’s okay to feel upset, if you pretend it doesn’t bother you then it’s going to hurt you in the long run” Gemini chirped.

Pinocchio wiped a few tears from his face, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring the mood down”

“It’s okay buddy, don’t apologize for how you feel”

Pinocchio feels really lucky to have Gemini as his friend.

—-

Gemini really enjoys his new house and everything about being able to walk around, what surprises him is how high he can jump, just as high as a normal cricket, if not a little more. Geppetto truly is a genius inventor.

Pinocchio wanted to do something nice for his father, and so did Gemini but it seems like they were disagreeing on how to show their gratitude.

“Pinocchio you are still banned from using the kitchen” Gemini knows that he has good intentions but rules are rules.

“Come on Gemini, now that you can walk, you can help me more!” Pinocchio was excited, too excited it looked like he wasn’t going to back down.

Gemini took a deep breath, he told Pinocchio that maybe he should make his father a painting or buy him something but that brat couldn’t stop insisting, he said that he wanted to make something for his father so that when he came home he would have something to eat so there was no other choice.

Pinocchio decided to bake his father a cake, everything was going surprisingly well, Gemini was standing up on top of the recipe book, and Pinocchio was following the instructions, he used the correct amount for everything and the texture was just as described, the only thing left was to put it inside the oven.

—-

“WHAT DID I SAY? WHAT RULE DID I GIVE YOU? YOU ARE GROUNDED!”

Geppetto was shouting, all the firefighters could hear him loud and clear, thankfully Pinocchio was taught the emergency services number, even better is that the kitchen was only partially burned, only the oven and stove were truly damaged but they would have to be completely replaced.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry” Pinocchio was crying, Gemini was standing on his shoulder, he wanted to say, “I told you so” but his father was scolding him like never before.

”You aren’t allowed to go outside for 3 weeks!”

“3 weeks?!” Pinocchio had never been grounded for so long.

“It’s going to last more if you try to question me” Geppetto wasn’t playing around. “No hanging out with Eugéne or Venigni and no lessons with your Mother”

“But-“

“I already called her and told her what happened, and she agreed with this” Unfortunately as much good intentions Pinocchio had, he screw up badly, bad enough that his mother that spoils him all the time agreed with this punishment.

“You can’t see your pony either”

Pinocchio started crying louder. “I’m sorry Father please, I’m sorry!”

Geppetto knows that his son didn’t mean any harm, but this could have ended so much worse.

Pinocchio stomped his feet on the ground, this was so frustrating! He only wanted to do something nice and he is a fast learner, why doesn’t that work when he starts baking?!

“Buddy don’t throw a tantrum in front of the firefighters,” Gemini said.

But that had the opposite effect and Pinocchio began to throw an even bigger tantrum, saying how it wasn’t fair that he couldn’t understand how to bake, how he could do all these other things but he still didn’t know what to bake. He stomped his feet multiple times, to the amusement of everyone watching. Pinocchio doesn’t tend to act this much like a brat, so Gemini is assuming that he is still upset about the things he heard about him before, maybe it’s best he talks with his father about this.

Eventually, Pinocchio calmed down and his father hugged him. Gemini took that opportunity to jump to Geppetto’s shoulder and while Pinocchio went to his room after all was done, he explained the situation to his father.

“I see, I’m going to talk with him about this, thank you Gemini”

Gemini only wants what’s best for Pinocchio. He jumps to the floor and makes his way to Pinocchio’s room, he slides down from the small space of the door and enters, he sees that Pinocchio is writing in his diary, best not to interrupt him; Gemini makes his way to his house, that’s just in Pinocchio’s nightstand so they can sleep close to each other.

He opened the door and turned on the lights, he was quite impressed with the fact that it came with working lights for each room. He made his way to his new bedroom. Soon after, Pinocchio stopped writing and changed clothes, ready to go to bed as well.

“I’m sorry” Pinocchio mumbled under his breath.

“It’s okay, I’m here for you if you need anything”

Pinocchio turned off the lights in his room, and Gemini turned off the lights of his home.

“Goodnight”

“Goodnight Buddy”

Chapter Text

“Son, can we talk for a moment?” Geppetto entered his son’s room.

Pinocchio sat down on his bed, expecting to get scolded again, “Father I’m sorry” he still felt embarrassed about what happened yesterday.

“It’s okay, I understand that, but that’s not what I want to talk about with you” Geppetto sat down next to his son. “I know that you have been feeling upset because of the way others talk about you”

Pinocchio looks at Gemini who is sitting on the little couch of his little home, he could tell that his friend told his father about it, but he wasn’t mad, actually, it was better this way because he didn’t know how to bring it up.

Geppetto took a deep breath, there are two main reasons Pinocchio gets called things like that, first is the obvious one, they don’t see his son as an equal or even a being capable of emotions, and second is that they don’t like him so they say things like that to hurt his son. There are also times when it’s both reasons and that’s even worse.

“Don’t take it to heart what others say about you, those people don’t know you and you shouldn’t let those things to heart affect your daily life” He paused, “I’m not going to pretend it’s not hurtful to hear those things because it is but the important thing is not letting that affect you”

“How are you able to not let it affect you?” Pinocchio doesn’t understand how his father, his mother, or his uncle can get insulted and not take it to heart, he knows what others say about his family, those mean things that aren’t true.

“Well because we hear insults like that all the time, eventually you get used to it”

“Isn’t that a bad thing?”

Geppetto hugs his son, he is right, it is a bad thing. It’s cruel that the reason it doesn’t affect them is because they hear rumors, gossip, and passive-aggressive remarks all the time.

“You are right son, but unfortunately that’s just how things are”

Pinocchio wants to shout that it isn’t fair, but he keeps learning that a lot of things in life aren’t fair. It still hurts, he is still upset, so he starts crying. His father does his best to comfort him.

“I can…try” He can at least try to let it bother him.

“Pinocchio it’s not something that you magically get over from day to night, it’s a process and sometimes people take it too far with the things they say, don’t hesitate to talk with me or the others when things like this upset you”

Geppetto kisses his son’s forehead.

“Now get changed because we are going out”

Pinocchio has a smile on his face, “Am I ungrounded?”

“No, we are only going out to eat breakfast because you burned the kitchen”

Oh, right.

—-

It’s going to take some time to repair the kitchen, more than it’s supposed to because like any stubborn old man Geppetto wants to fix it himself instead of paying someone to do it. But for now, it’s nice to go out and eat somewhere and have a good time as a family.

“Geppetto, Pinocchio good to see you here!” That voice, it was Venigni. They sat down together before ordering.

“Where is Pulcinella?” Pinocchio asked, it was odd not seeing them together.

“Oh, he just um, doing so work stuff for me while I went for breakfast that’s all”

“Work stuff that you forgot to do right?” Geppetto recognized that tone.

“Geppetto please don’t expose me like this in front of Pinocchio” Venigni let out a small sigh before laughing.

Then he saw Gemini who was outside of his cage, he was standing on Pinocchio’s shoulder.

“Gemini you can walk now?! Geppetto why didn’t you tell me about this? Oh the many things I can build you my friend”

“It’s just been a day since he has been able to, but Venigni it’s too much to ask”

“No no no, I insist, there is no bother at all”

Gemini is so happy, his eyes glowed even more yellow than usual, he is finally going to get that cool tram he wanted.

They had a good time but it was already time for Geppetto to go to work. He can’t accompany his son since otherwise he is going to be late.

“Son make your way straight home, remember that you are still grounded”

Pinocchio pouted he wanted to see his father’s work, “Please take me with you, I want to see you work!”

“Son you have to stay home, and work isn’t exactly a fun place”

“Please please please”

“Alright, you can come”

—-

Why did he ask to come?! This is so boring!

His father has a smile on his face, he knew that he would be bored to death in here he should have listened when his father said this wasn’t a fun place. He can’t talk with anyone because he can’t distract others, he can’t touch anything and he can’t go and wander on his own. He was stuck in his father’s office for now, making small talk here and there with Gemini, who was standing on top of his head because he wants to feel tall.

The meetings he sometimes sees his uncle Venigni give are fun, everything his father does is so boring.

His father is just taking notes and drawing some blueprints, is this what he does all day?!

“Pinocchio the “fun stuff” of my work isn’t done every day, you have to plan things before you make them”

“Can I-“

“No son, remember, no talking while I’m working”

His father was the one to talk with him first, Pinocchio is so frustrated but he knows this is what he wanted so he can’t complain. At least his father gave him a small notebook and a pen so that he could doodle and not be completely bored.

Someone knocks and Geppetto lets them enter, it’s one of his coworkers, they are talking about work stuff but it’s complicated and Pinocchio doesn’t get it at all. He had no idea being an engineer was so confusing, now Pinocchio has no idea how his uncle Venigni works as an engineer and also regulates all those projects he has scattered in the city.

When that coworker stops talking he looks at Pinocchio and he feels uncomfortable.

“Mmm, Geppetto how did you build that thing?”

Pinocchio knows that he needs to not take-

“That cricket is so small, it must have been a nightmare to build, and I can tell by the glowing and its antennas that it can detect dimensional butterflies, that’s incredible”

Pinocchio took a sigh of relief… wait.

“Gemini is not a thing he is my friend”

“Aw thanks buddy” Gemini chirped, he loved how that boy stuck up for him. The two of them always have each other’s backs.

The coworker started to apologize, “I’m sorry I guess I just got too wrapped in my own head, it’s just, I’m impressed, to say the least”

“Thank you,” Geppetto said and his coworker left the room.

Geppetto knows his skills so he just thanks others when he is complimented, sometimes, like in this case, it feels a bit awkward due to the circumstances. When it came to building Gemini it was quite a hard task, he won’t reveal how he did it, like a magician he doesn’t reveal how he does his tricks.

He never answers any questions that have to do with the making of his son, no matter how much others insist on it. Although he can understand why they are intrigued, Pinocchio is special, even when he was fully a puppet he was like no puppet ever created, he is made out of incredibly resistant materials; he can sustain damage from fire, electricity, and other things that would make any puppet be destroyed so fast and, his movements too swift, too coordinated, unlike the mechanical motions of every other puppet that currently exists… Romeo also had movements like Pinocchio, Carlo wanted to be a stalker, so he made it so Romeo would be a skillful fighter, to fight alongside his son and looks wise, Romeo also looked just like a human.

But Geppetto straight-up ignores the questions by now, and many have learned not to ask him. Still, he knows how to make people shut up about it and fast, there was that time a coworker asked if his son has… anatomically correct parts.

“WHY THE HELL DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT YOU PERVERT?!” As soon as he shouted that, it was all apologies and backtracking, he was so satisfied to have come up with that on the spot.

Pinocchio keeps doodling things to pass the time.

“Gemini stop pulling my hair!”

“I like pretending that I can control you”

Geppetto shushed both of them and they became quiet. This was going to be a long day.

—-

It was finally break time, at least Pinocchio got to talk with Venigni and Pulcinella since he was now here with them. Pulcinella is many things, he is Venigni’s butler but in a way also like his secretary, he actually gets along pretty well with the other secretaries, the girls have adopted him as one of their own, they give him all the juicy gossip that happens around the office and he politely nods and follows along with the conversation. They even painted his nails once, well, the equivalent of his nails but still, it looked pretty.

“Why is work so boring?” Pinocchio was making conversation with Pulcinella.

“When you work on something you love, it’s not boring that that person” Most of the time that is, no matter how much you love your work some things about it are bound to be boring or annoying, but he is trying to give Pinocchio words of advice.

“Do you like your work Pulcinella?” Pinocchio asked him.

“Of course I do” The fact that it makes Master Venigni happy is a bonus, a great bonus mind you but Pulcinella does enjoy all the work he does.

Pinocchio smiled, he hoped that whatever he ended up working as he liked it, but for now he still had so much to learn.

When Conrad stepped inside the break room, Geppetto instinctively grabbed his son and pulled him towards him, Pinocchio could tell that his father was being overprotective of him and he stayed behind him.

At first, it looked like the man was finally going to mind his business but then he got closer to them.

Geppetto and Venigni were ready for a passive-aggressive confrontation when suddenly…

“Omg Geppetto is that your son?” One of the younger secretaries said, “He is so adorable” She made her way towards them and grabbed his cheeks.

“Look at him! He is so cute!”

Pinocchio took a few steps back, he liked being complimented but the way she did it made him feel embarrassed.

“Um thank you I-“

“No way are you married?!” She had noticed the ring now, “What a lucky lady, to have to wake up next to your pretty blue eyes”

Pinocchio was blushing now.

The secretary being there seemed to work, Conrad moved away somewhere else, probably to be an annoyance to others. When he left the secretary dropped the act.

“Don’t worry Pulci, I gotchu”

They were confused for a moment, but it looked like Pulcinella had signaled to her for help.

“Pulcinella my beloved buddy, my greatest friend, what a fast thinker you are” Venigni complimented him.

In the end, they all had a good laugh.

Which was good, a small treat for Pinocchio because the rest of the day was even more boring than before. He couldn’t wait to finally go back home.

—-

“I see so that is your plan,” Paracelsus said, he was speaking with someone in the other line.

It’s a flawed plan in his opinion, but Paracelsus doesn’t say that, like he never told Simon the flaws of his plan. He is just an observer, he hides in the shadows and he loves to play games.

“I cannot help you, I’m still laying low” That’s only a half-truth, he is laying low and he could help but he doesn’t want to, he would rather enjoy the show.

“But I will be watching from afar, hopefully, you’ll succeed” That one is a complete lie, he hopes to see him fail, he has never liked him in the first place.

Paracelsus hung up the phone, he did have to admit that a plan like that was in fact a nice distraction to cover up their activities, shifting the public’s attention somewhere else.

A thought crossed his mind, this plan certainly would affect Pinocchio, he hadn’t seen the boy in some time, so maybe he should pay him a visit one of these days…

Chapter Text

Pinocchio woke up in the morning and got ready for his day, he changed clothes and made his bed, he went to eat breakfast, Pinocchio only ate some fruit because his father was still fixing the kitchen, making small talk with his father before he left for work, telling him to be a good boy while he was gone.

Pinocchio was grounded but at least he wasn’t too upset about it anymore. He decided to start the day by writing a letter to Alice, he had received one from her yesterday, describing her daily life and her other adventures, Pinocchio wrote her back telling her about his daily life, how Gemini can walk around now and how he got a pony. He would have to wait for his father to deliver the letter later, as his father mailed all of it alongside the letters he wrote for Alexander.

Then he decided to draw a little, he thought it would be fun to use Gemini as his model again, putting on a small suit he bought at the store, Gemini was all fancy looking now as Pinocchio began to draw him. Gemini is really happy, he loves it when Pinocchio uses him as a model, it makes him feel pretty, and half of Pinocchio’s sketchbook is him in different poses. Although Pinocchio draws so many different things, drawings of nature, animals like cats or dogs, drawings of houses he sees while outside, sometimes even if it feels a little childish he likes drawing himself and his father together in a simpler style, or drawing himself with his mother or his other loved ones.

After that Pinocchio decides to practice playing the violin, he doesn’t just practice with his mother and he loves playing it even if he isn’t with her, although he can’t practice the piano here since he doesn’t have one at home. This time Gemini decides to join him as well, both playing music together, it’s simple but beautiful, and they should play together more often.

It’s already a little past noon, so he decides to eat something, it has to be something that doesn’t need to be cooked so he decides to make himself a salad, Pinocchio now realizes that the only true thing that he doesn’t know how to do when it comes to making food is how to use a stove or an oven.

Then Pinocchio decides to do his favorite thing, he has accumulated a good amount of books, and his bookshelf is almost full, currently, he doesn’t have any new books to read but he still likes re-reading the ones he already has, specially his fairy tales collection, after all the incredible things Pinocchio has seen, he wonders if all these stories are really just works of fantasy, oh well, real or not they are so fun to read, Gemini now reads them alongside him while he sits on his shoulder.

He puts the book he is reading down, it’s time for him to do his chores, he cleans his room and then goes around the house cleaning, dusting, sweeping, and mopping the floors.

It’s not long before his father comes back home so Pinocchio decides to play a board game with Gemini, now that Gemini can walk around they decide to play a card game, as the cards are something light enough that Gemini can hold in his hand.

“Gemini you can’t add +4 and +2 in the same turn!”

“Oh now you follow the rules of the games we play, what happened to the “those are just suggestions”?”

Pinocchio grabbed Gemini and put him inside his cage, then he started shaking it.

“You brat, This is cricket abuse!”

“Ugh let's play another game”

“You are such a sore loser,” Gemini said as he got out of his cage, feeling dizzy. “We could play chess, we have never played together”

Pinocchio liked that idea, he grabbed the board and settled the pieces, and he went first making his move. Then Gemini made his move, pushing his piece with his body.

“Looks like you are having a lot of fun moving around” Pinocchio was happy that Gemini was happy, as he said that Pinocchio made his next move.

“I am” Gemini had a smug grin on his face, “Check”

Pinocchio looked at the board, seeing that Gemini’s queen was directly against his King, he had no other way to defend it.

Pinocchio tried grabbing Gemini but this time the cricket was faster and started jumping and running to avoid him.

—-

“Son, what are you doing?” Geppetto asked as Pinocchio was kneeling looking behind the couch.

“Nothing” Pinocchio lied, pulling an innocent smile, “Me and Gemini are just playing hide and seek”

Geppetto smiled, “It’s getting late, maybe you should take a bath, you and Gemini can play later”

Pinocchio nodded, a bath was a good idea instead of just a shower. He filled the bathtub with water and soaked in it, he also made a few bubbles with the liquid soap.

“Hi buddy” Gemini jumped to the side of the tub, then jumped to a soap holder that was inside, Gemini using it as a small boat so as to not get inside the water, he is waterproof but he doesn’t want to get wet; he is liking floating in the water like this, maybe he should see about getting a mini boat, it could match with his new tiny tram.

“So you were hiding here”

“This is the last place you were going to look for me”

Pinocchio gave out a sigh he always loses when he plays board games with Gemini.

“Can’t you let me win at least once?”

“Nope, I like seeing you getting mad and turning into a brat”

“I’m NOT a brat!”

“Sure, whatever you say”

They both laughed, even if Pinocchio always loses they had a good time together.

—-

Pinocchio ate dinner and started to watch his father assemble the new stove and oven, he asked him why he doesn’t just read the instructions manual but that was the wrong thing to say because his father went on a rant about how he is a great engineer and assembling a little stove is nothing for him. Pinocchio just nodded at what his father was saying, but he and Gemini looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

It was getting late so Pinocchio got ready for bed, he wrote a few things in his diary about what he had done during the day and about what he had been feeling lately.

After that he went to bed and so did Gemini, both tugging themselves into their respective beds, saying goodnight to each other.

Chapter Text

Geppetto thought it would be a good idea to give the house a deep cleaning as it had been too long since he did that, he and his son cleaned the living room together, right now Pinocchio was cleaning his room and Geppetto was cleaning his workshop, although there isn't much he can throw away here, he keeps most of his important documents here, the most vital ones inside a safe but he is throwing away a few blueprints and notes from old projects.

He still… has the box that held Carlo after he died, he never opens it but it has things that belonged to his son, things that used to be in his room since it is now Pinocchio's room. Sometimes he leaves flowers on top of the box or lights candles.

Geppetto kept cleaning, he opened a storage closet that held many things, and he began to throw away the unnecessary ones, shoved inside the closet is the arm of god he really needs to find another place to keep it safe.

While cleaning he found a folder that contained the plans of the project when he first began to work on the puppets and Geppetto began to reminisce about the past.

—--

Geppetto had recently graduated and become an engineer, shortly after he met his wife and they both got married. After some more years of working Geppetto began to work on a special project, the development of the first-ever puppets, this project was financially backed up by the influential Venigni family. He was the one with the idea and managed to convince a few people to join him, it was a hard task since most believed it simply wasn't possible.

The puppets were a success and more started being built, Gepetto still remembers those days when everything was so different in Krat, the city back then was known for its fishing, and the most influential thing about Krat was its education system, Krat's schools were recognized as some of the best on the country, specially their university. Building the puppets was like building Krat again, the city had never been better, and their mechanical advancements quickly gained their fame, Krat was no longer the place it used to be and it all happened in such a short amount of time, Geppetto still can't believe how fast everything went, how he started being recognized, it was too much for him at first, being a public figure, but as the years passed he got over that overwhelming feeling, his wife always told him that he deserved that fame, that Krat was in a much better state because of him, it always made him blush, it was embarrassing but he liked when she praised him like that.

Years passed and they both had Carlo, it was a pleasant surprise, they had been married for many years and still hadn't had a child, it was because the doctors told his wife that she most likely would never be able to get pregnant, so Carlo was their little miracle, they were in their late 30s when Carlo was born. Geppetto thought that maybe because he was older he would be a wiser father.

He was so wrong about that.

When Carlo was 8 years old, his wife passed away, she had many health complications during her pregnancy, and shortly after Carlo was born, but she had gotten better, she was back to her former self. But one day she went to sleep and never woke up, the doctors said that she was never meant to be able to give birth in the first place, that her body couldn't handle everything anymore.

He was devastated, he lost the love of his life but he had to keep going for Carlo's sake. At that time Carlo was studying at Monad but he didn't stay inside the boarding school, he returned home each day, Geppetto did thought about making him stay full time but he decided against it, he didn't want to make Carlo feel as if he had abandoned him for his work.

Yet he ended up neglecting his son for his work anyway.

Carlo would come home by himself when school was done, Geppetto doesn't know what he was thinking back then, leaving such a young child by himself, Carlo could stay home alone without any issues and Geppetto had praised him for being self-reliable at such a young age, but Carlo was self-reliable because as his father he was never around for him.

His son's behavior did change, he began to act out, getting in trouble at school, Carlo had trouble making friends, his only friend was Sophia but her parents didn't allow Sophia to go out much, they were very overprotective of her, so Carlo didn't have anyone to hang out with.

Geppetto knew how much his son was struggling to make friends, how much his son was struggling having to be at home by himself all day, they would only see each other at night when he came back from work, having so little time to see each other and Geppetto still hasn't forgiven himself for starting to work also on the weekends by that time, he wants to say that it was all the pressure that had, that he had a big responsibility, he was and still is the leader of the Workshop Union, a public figure and back then people saw him as a savior of Krat from making this “nowhere city” an important place and maybe it truly was because of that his obsession with working grew but he would be lying to himself because another reason for it was that after his wife died, he wanted something to distract himself from the pain, it was easy to be consumed by his work, he loved and still loves his work, but he used it as an excuse to not be there for his son.

So Geppetto built Romeo, he built a friend for his son and it was surprising but Romeo awoke his Ego the same day was made, just after spending a few minutes with Carlo.

Carlo was so happy to finally have a friend and he was no longer alone, they were thick as thieves, and when he saw them play together, he saw that Carlo was truly happy. Romeo was special, in a way just like Pinocchio, he had what would be a prototype of the P organ just without the ability to absorb Ergo, so when Carlo grew, Geppetto built Romeo a new body and simply transferred the heart to that body. People called Romeo The King of Puppets even more so when Romeo began to have a passion for plays and Operas.

Romeo attended school with Carlo, Geppetto asked the school for permission to do so and they let him, plus Valentinus was a good friend and understood the situation.

Lots of people asked questions about how he built him of course, but just as Geppetto refuses to answer any questions about Pinocchio he refused to answer any that had anything to with Romeo, he made him just for Carlo but in the end, all those moments spent together… Geppetto looks back and sees how they were all a family, he wishes he could have told Romeo that he also saw him as a son, he deeply regrets not doing it.

When Venigni graduated and became an engineer, Geppetto was excited to work with him after all he had worked with his parents, although he had never seen Vengini while was growing up, specially after his parents died and speaking of their deaths, Vengni pulled him aside to talk about the matter, revealing the truth, that a puppet had been responsible all along, Geppetto was shocked and asked why he lied about it being a house robbery gone wrong, and Venigni confessed how he was afraid that they would take Pulcinella away from him, so he lied about it. It all made sense, he had no other relatives, yet he wasn't sent to the foster system so he was basically raised by Pulcinella, who has acted as his butler for many years but at this point they are family, and even if he wanted to tell the truth, the alchemists forced him not to reveal it, all in the name of continuing with their schemes.

Venigni begged him to make The Grand Covenant, a way for this to never happen again and so he did, once it was done it even gave the people of Krat more security about the puppets; Geppetto knows that Venigni tried to get the case of his parents murder re-opened but that his efforts were unsuccessful, Pinocchio did tell him that he killed that puppet and that he felt about it, he told his son to not feel bad about it but Pinocchio is too pure, he feels bad about most of the things he did to save Krat.

Geppetto made the 3 laws and he added Law 0 just in case, in case something went wrong and someone tried to take control over the puppets so that he could stop them from doing any harm, how ironic that the opposite of that happened.

He remembers when the first cases of the petrification disease started, how scary it all was, how fast it attacked the body, and how death was certain, how couldn't he remember? He was reading the newspaper late at night having just come from work it had been a very long day, he was exhausted from all that working when Carlo opened the door of the house, he was crying and he was angry, Romeo was standing just behind him and he was trying to avoid looking at him. At that moment it clicked, his graduation, he didn't attend his son's graduation.

“You don't care about me, you never have, you only care about your goddamn job!”

Carlo was 18 and after that, his son barely spoke to him, Romeo also barely spoke to him and like the idiot he was Geppetto buried himself even more in his work.

Two years later was when the epidemic started, the petrification disease was in full force, so many getting infected and the alchemists were trying to help everyone, although now Geppetto and everyone knows that all just all lie, that they were the ones behind it and Simon was using it for his plans. Not only did they use it for experiments but the Ergo of those who died was sent to them, as a way to “find a cure” It was all just to make Simon stronger.

Then Carlo got sick…and died.

As his father he stood next to him in that hospital, everyone had told him to stay from a distance, that he could get sick as well, that the sickness was a death sentence, but he didn’t care, he stood by Carlo’s side and back then he didn’t care if he die, he just wanted to be next to him. He always found it odd that he didn’t get sick, at the time people said that he just got lucky, but Geppetto never felt lucky, it should have been him and not Carlo.

“Father I’m sorry” Carlo was apologizing, he apologized because he felt like he wasn’t a good son when it was the opposite, he was a great son. Geppetto knows that he was just a bad father. He told Carlo to not apologize, that it was all his fault that their relationship wasn’t the best but that he has always loved him and will always love him.

As Carlo’s condition grew worse Geppetto felt as if he was in a living nightmare, he was powerless to do anything, he just watched as his son slowly died in front of him. How he lost his mobility, and how his son lost his sight, Carlo also lost his voice, a symptom that wasn’t common but it happened to him. He always held his son’s hand, and during those moments Carlo had always tears on his face, Geppetto would talk to his son, anything to try and make him feel better, to make Carlo forget even for just a moment the torture he was going through.

Eventually, Carlo became unconscious and the very next day his son died, he held him in his last moments, they had to remove him from his body but even then he would let go. At the morgue of the hospital, Geppetto paid off the staff and gave them even more money so they wouldn’t ask questions, in the end, he was allowed to leave with his son’s body.

He wasn't going to allow anyone to take his son's Ergo or take anyone his son away from him, he lost his mind, he would do anything to bring Carlo back, he tried to bring Carlo back but it wasn't enough Ergo, he needed more, he started to build Pinocchio, he made the P organ, he just needed a way to collect all that Ergo.

So he started the frenzy.

The first few “errors” and “glitches” began, and then the puppets began their attack, but almost as soon as they began to attack, they stopped, well they stopped obeying him, they still attacked others, although Geppetto knows now that they were attacking alchemist and their creations, but obviously all those puppets attacking like that caused chaos, people ran away and hid to find safety. The puppets didn't even last a day under his control.

That was all Romeo's doing, he was stopping him.

He still can't believe he wanted to blame Romeo for his own selfish actions.

“This isn't what he would have wanted” Romeo's words stung just as poison, he confronted him directly when Geppetto went outside the Hotel for that small moment, and he was right, he should have listened to him. Romeo wanted Carlo back as well, because their friendship developed into something more, they were more than just friends and who wouldn't want the one they loved the most to be brought back? But Romeo was stronger than him, he was strong because he didn't try to bring Carlo back like him, he had faced reality and he was trying to stop all of this.

“You don't have to do this” Romeo was looking directly at him, he had come out of the giant puppet he had been using as a shield, “Please… listen to me I… I always…”

Romeo always saw him as family, but Geppetto was too consumed by his own grief to listen to him, he just walked away from him, his mind was completely consumed with the idea of bringing Carlo back no matter what, he wanted, he needed to see him again.
His mind would play over and over again when Carlo was sick when he passed away in his arms.

Geppetto looks at the piles of papers, one has a journal, but he can barely understand the notes he took, they are too messy, and his handwriting is different he could tell that he was shaking when he wrote this, and the notes are all over the place, incomprehensible at some points.

He barely remembers trying to bring him back, he remembers who Carlo had attacked him, but it was just because he was confused, Carlo wasn't in control of himself, he was in pain as he was not fully complete yet. But Carlo wanted to be at peace, he knew it and he only saw it when it was almost too late, the most painful thing he had ever done was crush that heart, but for that brief moment when Carlo's Ergo was in his hands, he could feel his emotions, he could feel that his son was finally at peace, that it was what he truly wanted.

Geppeto looks again at those notes, his notes about building Pinocchio, he also has gaps in his memory about building him, although his mind was somewhat clearer in that state, if you can even call it clear, Geppetto can see how delusional he was while reading his writings. Sometimes he still feels like he is insane, its a bad thing but he doesn't talk about the dark thoughts that consumed his mind at that time, he knows its not good to keep it all in yet he still does it, he also has nightmares about it, somedays he wakes up in the middle of the night completely filled with panic and dread.

But he keeps it all in because he doesn’t want to worry Pinocchio, he has to be strong for his son. Maybe he needs to write down his feelings just like his son does, Geppetto knows that he can't allow himself to be consumed by his dark thoughts again.

Shortly after Romeo confronted him, Geppetto ran into that alchemist with the Donkey Mask and then…

A loud crashing sound interrupted Geppetto's thoughts.

He ran out of the room to see what happened, while cleaning his bookshelf Pinocchio had lost his balance, he grabbed the bookshelf for support but it ended up falling on top of him.

“Son are you alright?!” He helped his son get back up, it was a big bookshelf so Geppetto was really worried.

“I'm fine,” his son said, clearly holding back tears.

Geppetto hugged him at first only gently but then he held his son tightly not wanting to let go.

“Father…?”

“It's nothing son I just…” Geppetto was the one holding back tears now, “I was just remembering a few things that's all”

Pinocchio knows that his father gets sentimental when looking back at the past and even if he can speak better about it sometimes he tends to remember the bad times. So he hugs his father back and they share that moment together, it should be a nice memory, something good for his father to remember.

It was getting late so they stopped their cleaning and both got ready for bed, but Pinocchio couldn't sleep well, he was worried about his father, so he stood up from his bed.

“Going to sleep with him tonight?” Gemini asked, although he already knew the answer, “You are a good boy Pinocchio, caring for your father like that”

Pinocchio smiled.

“Can I sleep in your bed while you are gone?”

“Sure, make yourself feel like a king,” Pinocchio said as he let out a small laugh, he wished Gemini goodnight and left his room.

He carefully entered his father's room without making noise, his father was already asleep and looked like he was too tired, Pinocchio slid himself into bed next to him, hopefully, his father would have a nice surprise in the morning.

—----

“Sir, these are the remaining documents you asked for”

“Good,” said the man to one of his subordinates, “You may leave now”

As the door was shut, some information was easy to get, some weren't, but all were essential to his plan, he needed to look back at the history of Krat or rather when the puppets first began to appear, he looked at all the data he has collected and begins to read through it, making himself an idea of everything that happened over the years.

After finishing, the alchemist began to wonder how the frenzy started, none of the other alchemists ever found out it was strange but it could be that it truly was someone within their group who didn't want to admit it, the frenzy didn't go in their favor, for some reason those puppets were stopping their plans but after some time they stopped their uncoordinated attacks and it made them easier for them continue their activities. He never really liked Simon, although to be fair no one liked Simon but his plans gave everyone so much data about the nature of Ergo and what you can do to push its limits.

The alchemist set the papers and quickly re-arranged them, putting them neatly in a folder, he hates disorder and he looked at his study, he just cleaned it yesterday but it was already filthy in his eyes, everything must always be set in place but unfortunately he will have to wait a few hours before cleaning again, he must continue this research no matter what and he has the perfect distraction, he just needs to use that puppet to cause a little chaos and the minds of everyone will completely forget about the alchemist's activities.

Chapter Text

Venigni took him to the Opera House, Pinocchio was supposed to go with his father now that he was ungrounded but his father was dead set on fixing that kitchen.

“Father just ask for help!” Pinocchio was pouting this was ridiculous.

“I BUILD YOU, I CAN BUILD THIS KITCHEN!”

So his uncle Venigni took him instead, at least his father promised him that he would make it up to him. Pinocchio was wearing fancy-looking clothes and so was Gemini, wearing a tiny suit inside his cage as both wanted to feel pretty this is the Opera House they were going to after all and, today it was more filled than usual; Pulcinella was there too enjoying a good time with them.

“Don't feel embarrassed Pinocchio, Master Venigni also burned his kitchen once” Pulcinella said.

“Really?” It made Pinocchio at least feel a little less insecure about his inability to use the stove and oven.

“That was such a long time ago, plus I was so young back then” Venigni still remembers that day, Pulcinella has always been the one to cook for him and he wanted to give him some rest.

“You were 20 years old”

“Okay let's change the subject” Venigni was so embarrassed, ever since that day he hasn't tried to cook again, thankfully Pulcinella is a great cook and is always there for him.

A lot of people were flocking to Venigni’s side, but that’s to be expected when you are the richest man in Krat, people compliment him trying to get on his good side, and the staff is extra nice when he gets here or in any place he visits, he is used to it, and he loves the attention, only fair that a genius like him gets all the praise he deserves for his hard work, but today it’s annoying because he is trying to spend time with his family.

Pinocchio was getting nervous from all the attention, he got even more nervous because he spotted Adeline, as she might be a spoiled princess but she still has the lead role in this play and others, and her musical talent is impressive. Pinocchio hid behind his uncle but thankfully the show was about to start so they made their way towards their seats in the VIP section, it had the best view and his beloved nephew deserved to see this Opera from the best angle. The seats were special as it was more of a big comfy couch they could share.

“Are you okay?” Venigni was concerned, even more since Adeline would be the star, she was the one playing the role of Carmen.

“I’m fine” Pinocchio wasn’t lying, his nerves were slowly fading away and he understood that Adeline as rude as she can be is doing her job as a singer/actress.

Venigni smiled, he was glad that Pinocchio was in a better mood, nothing should ruin their time together; before it finally started each one of them ordered something to drink, Pinocchio ordered a soda and Venigni ordered a glass of champagne.

The show began and they were enjoying it together despite them being quiet as to fully appreciate it, with a few words shared in between; Pinocchio was really entranced by it so when he wanted to grab his drink in the darkness of the Opera House, he accidentally grabbed Venigni’s drink, he drank just a little before realizing his mistake.

“Um, sorry” He murmured.

“It’s okay Pinocchio don’t worry about it” Venigni smiled at him, there was nothing to worry about.

A few minutes passed in silence until…

*hic*

Oh no no no it was just so little! Venigni is panicking Pinocchio can’t get drunk like this.

*hic*

Pinocchio was apologizing over and over again, that he didn’t mean to drink it.

“It’s okay, it’s okay don’t worry I’m sure it will pass before you get home” Venigni let out an awkward laugh, “Otherwise your father is going to be a little angry at me”

“He is going to be furious” Pulcinella teased him in his usual neutral tone, which somehow made it even worse.

“Pulcinella please let’s not jinx it” Venigni could already hear Geppetto shouting at him.

The hiccups left as soon as they came but Pinocchio was starting to feel tired, he rested his head on his uncle’s shoulder, and he closed his eyes for just a few seconds but he fell asleep quickly.

No this is a disaster! Pinocchio is now going to be upset when he wakes up and realizes he missed half the show.

Pinocchio was fully asleep now, he grabbed Venigni and hugged him in his sleep, he had a firm grasp on him.

“He is not going to let go until he wakes up” Gemini chirped, he has seen Pinocchio sleep next to his father enough times and knows that will be the same case here.

Although Pinocchio hugs him from time to time Venigni isn’t used to this intense type of affection, Pinocchio looks so happy in his sleep, he doesn’t want to wake him up. He was playing with the boy’s hair, it was cute seeing him like this.

“I wish you would have fallen asleep this easily back when you were a child” Pulcinella was remembering when he had to take care of him.

Venigni had a lot of trouble falling asleep because… because he had nightmares about his parents' deaths. Sometimes he still has nightmares about it.

“Yeah…” Venigni’s voice had a sad tone.

“I’m sorry” Pulcinella was apologetic, “I didn’t mean to bring the mood down”

“It’s alright, I wish I could fall asleep so fast at this age”

“Master Venigni that’s because you can be just as much of a workaholic as Geppetto”

“Come on I don’t work that much”

“Mmm” Pulcinella began to remember “I believe years ago Antonia had to beg the two of you to actually go to sleep when she found the two of you working for 4 days straight”

“That was then, we have changed” Venigni knows that they don’t work as much as before.

“Geppetto has changed, you still stay awake until 1 am some days” Pulcinella was now scolding him.

“I used to fall asleep until 4 am” Venigni felt so proud for not staying awake that long anymore.

“…” Pulcinella was quiet, it was his silence of shame.

“Okay fine” Venigni finally admitted it, “I still work too much”

In a way, Venigni can be just as stubborn as Geppetto, even more so when it comes to work. The main reason is that both have always been too proud of their work, is hard to hand it down to others, knowing it’s not the way you do it and, critically analyzing every possible mistake others can make.

At least Venigni has always had Pulcinella for help, Geppetto always worked so much by himself not to mention how as the director of the Union he is the supervisor of each department.

Geppetto is close to retirement age, and he wonders what Geppetto’s plans are for that, Antonia is even closer to it as the age of retirement in Krat is 65; although recently legally it has been under consideration to reduce it to 60 and Venigni hopes that they do lower it.

Pinocchio was snuggling with him even more, Venigni was hugging him back, he loves the boy so much, he is so happy to have him by his side. He is a ray of sunshine, although Venigni still remembers when Pinocchio first rescued him, Pinocchio was so quiet and he looked so… sad, it was clear that the weight of saving everyone had taken a huge toll on him. Seeing him like this, it makes him smile to see how much his nephew has changed.

“No… get away you… shovel devil” Pinocchio was becoming agitated, talking in his sleep.

Huh, so that’s why Pinocchio hid behind his father when he came to work and saw a shoveling puppet. Although a part of Venigni doesn’t understand how a puppet with a shovel could be that intimidating, some had been armed with swords or even guns. But Pinocchio had dealt with so much, Venigni couldn’t even imagine all the danger he faced.

Venigni rubbed his back and Pinocchio calmed down, time passed and Pinocchio woke up just as soon as the show ended. He was a bit disappointed at first but he felt very calm and at peace, it felt nice to wake up in his uncle’s arms.

“Now Pinocchio” Venigni was patting his head, “Not a word about this to your father alright?”

Pinocchio nodded and it was time for him to head back home.

When they arrived Geppetto had finally finished the kitchen, he was so proud of himself, he would have kept bragging about it if it wasn’t because it was getting late, so Venigni and Pulcinella said their goodbyes, before leaving Pulcinella whispered something in Pinocchio’s ear and Venigni smiled, he was glad the two of them were getting along.

——

The next day, Venigni arrived early at work so that he could leave early, as he had to go back home and have a few meetings there. He heard the door of his office open with force, almost breaking it, and Venigni turned to see who it was.

“Hi Geppetto how-“

“WHY WAS MY SON DRUNK?!” Geppetto was fuming, Venigni had never seen Geppetto so angry at him, not even in that time he accidentally mixed some chemicals when he first started working and it made both of them faint on the spot because of the smell, someone had to come to help them.

Venigni went pale, he saw Pulcinella staring at him and he knew he had planned this. Why is his beloved Pulcinella corrupting poor Pinocchio?!

“Geppetto it was an accident I swear!”

Geppetto was shouting so loudly that all the workers at the factory must have heard him, Pulcinella is smiling from the inside as he can’t physically smile, it was good to team up with Pinocchio to embarrass a little his Master Venigni.

Chapter Text

“Thank you so much for coming to help me Pinocchio” Eugéne needed someone to do some heavy lifting, she was in the process of remodeling her shop and she wouldn’t be able to move everything around by herself.

Pinocchio was happy to help, they spent a few hours rearranging everything, making a little small talk, once it was all done they decided to take a well-deserved break.

“Oh, Gemini I almost forgot!” Eugéne pulled something out of her pocket, “This is for you, I figured you could use one of these”

It was a miniature sword with a scabbard included, it was very sharp just like all the weapons Eugéne makes and it came with a special handle so that Gemini could hold it properly.

“You can now help Pinocchio out while in the fun adventures the two of you share” Eugéne knows that those two always have something up their sleeves, she couldn’t believe what Pinocchio told her when he stayed in London and went to another word with his friend Alice, but Pinocchio isn’t a liar… well he does lie sometimes but he isn’t one to make stories like that.

“Thanks Eugéne, you shouldn’t have” Gemini was very grateful, he was swinging the sword in different directions.

“You better not accidentally cut my hair,” Pinocchio said, as Gemini was standing on top of his head.

“Come on, I’ve seen you use a sword dozens of times, I’m not that dumb” Gemini might not be a fast learner like Pinocchio but he knows how to properly hold a sword.

“Mmm not THAT dumb?” Pinocchio was teasing him.

“Shut up you brat” Gemini’s eyes began to glow red, and both Pinocchio and Eugéne laughed.

Eugéne looked at the clock, it was only 3 pm, they had worked faster than expected and maybe they deserved to treat themselves a little, so she suggested going to this new restaurant that opened at Krat’s beach zone, Pinocchio was so happy, he had never been to the beach in Krat, he never went there while he was saving Krat and he hadn’t had the opportunity to go since.

——

After eating they decided to have a relaxing stroll on the beach, Gemini has to be inside his cage but it doesn’t bother him, it has never bothered him to be attached to Pinocchio’s belt.

While they were walking they saw an ice cream stand, but since the line was too long Eugéne decided to be the one to stand in there while Pinocchio waited, Pinocchio was admiring the beach, it was so pretty, and now that he knew how to swim maybe he should come one of these days and get inside the water. He was definitely enjoying the relaxed atmosphere, everyone around him was having fun and Pinocchio liked it when others were happy, today it seems the the beach is a little crowded, there are lots of people and puppets here, and also a few dogs running around.

“Pinocchio is that you?!”

It was a familiar voice, Pinocchio turned around to see Belle in front of him, she looked a bit different, well, maybe not in her appearance but her strong and confident aura shone even more.

“Belle, I haven’t seen you in so long!” Pinocchio was so excited to see her again.

“I’m glad I bumped into you in my visit to Krat, I was worried that because of my duties I wouldn’t be able to look for you” Belle was the only soldier who returned alive back to Krat, she had been promoted and because of that, it’s why she was sent to Krat again for another assignment.

“It’s nice to see you too Belle” Gemini chirped from his cage.

“Pinocchio, Gemini how have the two of you been?” Belle liked Gemini, she could tell that the small cricket really cared about Pinocchio.

Pinocchio explained what he had been up to, Belle could tell that Pinocchio was different, more confident in himself and… happier.

“Glad to know that you are living a good life, the soldier life might be tough but it’s also a good life” The toughest thing for Belle was living her life without Atkinson, but she has to keep going, it’s that he would have wanted.

“Mmm this might be a weird question but have you seen any suspicious activity lately?”

“Why do you ask?” That was in fact a weird question, Pinocchio hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary, although Krat isn’t really the most ordinary place but still.

“Well that’s the reason I’m here in Krat”

“Huh, Belle is that you?” Eugéne had returned, she handed Pinocchio the ice cream he wanted and waved at Belle with her free hand, it had been so long since they had seen each other, and she had enjoyed the time she spent with Belle, talking to each other to distract themselves was always nice, even more, when Sophia left Hotel Krat after it was attacked, although Eugéne now knows that Sophia was never there, that she was using her powers to make a projection of herself.

She can't blame Sophia for leaving, most likely she had been too exhausted to use that power after so long. Still, Sophia had left so suddenly and she was devastated, but Belle kept her company and even after Belle found out what happened to her partner she stayed so strong and still talked to her to see if she was alright.

Eugéne had a lot of emotions after Sophia left, mainly because she was angry about the situation, she felt powerless, even more so when the truth was revealed about the fake Alidoro, who helped the stalkers enter Hotel Krat.

“I’m so happy to see you again” Eugéne would hug her if it wasn’t for the fact she had her hands busy.

“I’m happy to see you too Eugéne, I hope you are doing well” Belle had missed Eugéne, she misses all of them.

“Um Belle” Pinocchio didn’t want to bring the mood down but what Belle asked was still on his mind.

“What do you mean by suspicious activity?”

“Right” Belle had changed her demeanor, she had a serious tone in her voice, “I was sent her because back at home, our Ergo sensors detected a great amount of activity coming from here, although we couldn't detect the exact source, it’s a huge amount, a dangerous amount”

Belle explained how she was sent to investigate, as she is a soldier from the capital this duty is of utmost importance, but it’s a secret operation regarding military affairs, and some government officials aren’t even aware of this.

“Needless to say but I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I trust you all that you won’t reveal this information” Belle trusts them too much, and with good reason, “Unfortunately a lot of people aren’t convinced that Krat is a safe place, many still believe that there are groups or individuals that could cause harm again”

Pinocchio wanted to look away but he didn’t, his father caused the frenzy and maybe in the end the alchemists were the ones to cause the true danger but that doesn’t take away what his father started, if it wasn’t because of Romeo he doesn’t know how badly everything would have ended, so many people survived thanks to him. Pinocchio still feels guilty about the fact that he killed him.

“Well I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary” Eugéne was trying really hard to think but she hadn’t seen anything strange recently.

Well, there was that one woman the other day who was running naked around the streets and she managed to catch a glimpse from her store window but that was just a mentality unwell person.

“We haven’t seen anything weird recently” Gemini couldn’t think of anything either and Pinocchio thought things were perfectly fine.

“I’m supposed to be undercover but as I said, I trust all of you” Belle grabbed a pen and a notebook from her pocket and wrote something down, “I’m staying in here, if any of you see something feel free to tell me, or feel free to just say hi, I would love to catch up”

It would be great if they could all do that, but for now, it was time to head back to Eugéne’s place.

——

Gemini was standing on a table trying his new sword on some flowers that were left there.

“Gemini don’t ruin her flowers!” Pinocchio grabbed Gemini and he was ready to shake him when Eugéne stopped him.

“It’s alright Pinocchio, plus you gifted them to me so there is no problem”

“I… didn’t gift you any flowers” Pinocchio was confused.

“What?” That was odd, someone had left that morning on her doorstep; There was a note saying that the was for “The best sister”.

“Maybe someone left them in the wrong house?” Gemini was sure that someone probably made a mistake.

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t matter” Eugéne was lost in thought when an idea came to her mind, “Maybe I can also make you a mini training dummy”

Both Gemini and Pinocchio were excited, if Gemini learned how to use his sword then Pinocchio could teach him a few tricks, it would be so fun to train together like this.

It was getting late, when they said their goodbyes and Eugéne closed the door she turned to look at those flowers. There was something so off about the situation, she started remembering things from her past, her foggy past that has caused her so much trouble, there are many things she can’t remember.

Suddenly she feels a sharp pain in her head, this headache is killing her, but it almost feels as if it’s trying to tell her something, trying to tell her that…

“I just need to rest,” Eugéne said out loud to herself, it had been a very busy day and right now, what she needs is to find a way to get rid of this headache.

Chapter Text

Spring had been missing for 2 days, that’s not normal for her at all as she has always stayed indoors, and aside from a few strolls in the garden, Spring has never been one to go outside. Antonia was extremely worried, first she called Eugéne to ask if the cat had done something like this before; Spring used to be Eugéne’s pet but during the stay at Hotel Krat the cat always kept Antonia company, she would stand next to her and even sleep on her lap, moments like made Antonia not want to lose hope; while recovering Spring also stood by her side, the animal making sure that she felt loved.

So Eugéne decided it was best for Spring to stay with Antonia, although the cat actually stays inside Hotel Krat and not at Antonia’s home, as the cat has officially adopted the hotel as its home and Spring keeps the rats away, as rats are smart animals and don’t get close to any place near a cat’s territory.

So it’s so odd that the cat suddenly disappeared, clearly she didn’t go to find a boyfriend as Spring can’t have kittens due to getting sprayed. Antonia was at a loss until a few hotel guests mentioned hearing things from the hotel walls, now that’s not usual since a main attraction of Hotel Krat is its history, the place thought to be haunted by its past first by that aristocrat that used the back then castle for occultism and then how it was a mental institution, people hear all sorts of things from the walls and find the “haunted hotel” a thrilling yet relaxing experience.

But people were reporting noises of meowing behind the walls and despite the theories of a ghost cat now haunting the place, Antonia is sure Spring is still alive, just trapped. There are many secret passages inside the Hotel, most likely she entered one of those by accident and got lost; Hotel Krat is huge and inside its walls is like a maze of secrets.

The only one who could help is Pinocchio and the boy wasted no time in his mission to find the lost cat, time was of the essence if they wanted to get back Spring safe and sound. So armed with a weapon just in case and with Gemini illuminating his path this was just the right task.

Antonia took Pinocchio to the basement of the hotel, they keep in store most of the holiday decorations in there but in the wall at the very bottom, there is a huge mirror, a mirror that you can push the glass as if it was a sliding door, taking you to the other side.

“Please be careful inside there my dear, I even I don’t even know what sort of things lie inside these walls” Antonia was a little worried for her son, even if she knew his capabilities she couldn’t help but worry, but Pinocchio reassured her that he can do this.

—-

“Wow this place really is like a maze” Gemini chirped, he couldn’t believe the secret labyrinth that was inside the walls.

Pinocchio would shout Spring’s name from time to time and make cat noises to try and attract the cat, as they walked it was at first only a corridor, until they started to find doors, Pinocchio would open them and call for Spring, the first few rooms were completely empty, but the next rooms were filled with things, things that had been left there for God knows how long.

Some rooms had medical equipment, rusty syringes, and vials filled with strange liquids that were probably hazardous by now. Some beds had straps to prevent others from moving, using them as restraints.

“I can’t believe Alice had to deal with being in a place similar to this” Pinocchio was sad about the conditions people like this were in. Yet this felt like on another level, at least some doctors and nurses were trying to help Alice, all the rooms in here looked like the people here were being tortured, and there was rusty medical equipment lying around.

As Pinocchio walked again in the corridors he stepped on something that made a splashing sound, he looked at the floor and saw a greenish ooze, he recognized it, the same ooze those petrification disease monsters would drop from their bodies.

“You think one of them might still be lying around here?” Gemini asked, although knowing that it was the most likely possibility.

It was better for them to be on their guard, Pinocchio had a firm grasp on his weapon and Gemini grabbed his little sword as well, just in case as you never know what could happen.

The place was so dreary, when Pinocchio wasn’t calling for Spring or opening doors everything was in complete silence, not even the water system from the Hotel could be heard and both of them were starting to feel afraid, they had faced so many dangers but their gut instincts were telling them that something was awfully wrong inside here.

More rooms, more medical areas, Pinocchio found notebooks that kept notes about patient information and treatment plans but he didn’t finish reading them, partly because he had to keep looking for Spring, partly because he didn’t like what he was reading.

As they walked in the corridor again, suddenly from the roof a creature fell, Pinocchio barely dogged the surprise attack, but he was ready to fight and after a few blows the creature fell to its death, the Ergo it had going directly towards Pinocchio as he absorbed it.

“Wow, I forgot I could do that” Well, it’s not like he can do it, it’s more like the Ergo automatically floats towards him, maybe he should ask his father about this.

The now silent place finally had sound but that only made things worse, the flow of the water system would make dripping sounds that kept him alert for any danger, and he could hear noises from small like animals, but Pinocchio was sure that whatever they were it wasn’t a normal animal and his fears were proven right as a horde of small rodent-like creatures rushed towards him, he was sure those weren’t rats but he couldn’t tell what animals they were, as their skin was completely crystallized, their bodies hard as stone and their eyes black as night. He slashed the monsters left and right, they were so many, it took time but he eventually got rid of all of them.

They needed to find Spring right away, this place was only getting more dangerous, Pinocchio ran towards the corridors and checked door by door, breaking a few in the process as they were either locked or stuck in place, and more monsters appeared all crystallized, and dropping the horrid liquid, huge spiders, tarantulas, centipedes,
cockroaches… well those last ones were normal, but cockroaches are always scary, specially when they fly around like that in such a close space.

Pinocchio was feeling like he was living a horror story, he had faced a lot of danger, and getting rid of the monsters wasn’t hard but this place was creeping him out. The more they wandered the less light there was, Gemini was the only source of light in the pitch darkness.

More strange creatures rushed them, those strange rodents were back and now there were also bats that had been inflected, flocking towards Pinocchio.

They kept walking and walking, the place seeming endless, Pinocchio entered a room to try and calm himself and take a break, this room was different from the others, it didn’t look like a hospital room, it was also bigger and was fully decorated, although filled with dust of the many years of being untouched. It almost looked like a study room, it had bookshelves and lockers that held notebooks and folders inside, but also a bed, with a nightstand and drawers that held clothes from a different era.

Pinocchio sat in the bed for some rest.

“Pal I’m starting to think this place really is haunted and not just a saying for the guests,” Gemini said, he wanted to find Spring and get the hell out of there as soon as possible.

“How does mother even deal with this?“ Pinocchio is starting to question why his mother bought this castle all those years ago.

Antonia bought it in her early twenties and completely changed the upper parts, apparently, it was extremely cheap to buy because of its history but buying a haunted place doesn’t seem like a good idea, Pinocchio has read stories where people do that and it never ends good for them.

Pinocchio took a deep breath, he looked at his pocket watched realized 8 hours had passed, too much time inside this place, somehow it didn't feel that he had been here that long, he thought that at max he had been here for 4 hours, almost as if time in this place behaved differently; his mother was probably worried sick not just for him but for Spring, but he had to keep going.

“Don’t push yourself too much buddy, just take a few minutes to relax” Gemini wanted his friend to have a little break, walking and fighting for so many hours is exhausting even if Pinocchio has great stamina.

As Pinocchio sat there he noticed a thick notebook on the nightstand, it didn’t look like it would fall apart if you touched it like the others, it had a small lock but by using Gemini’s sword they were able to lockpick it, so he began to read, it had notes about magic, divination, medical notes and of course about alchemy, as he flipped the pages he found one with many strange symbols but drawing he recognized, drawings of dimensional butterflies, Pinocchio took the lamp to try to have a better look but as soon as he did it started glowing brightly.

In just a moment the room was filled with dimensional butterflies, all of different colors, some colors that Pinocchio hadn’t even seen before, the dark room was now filled with the warm light, making a beautiful scenery.

He decided to not try and get rid of them, to just let them be, it made Pinocchio smile seeing them flap their wings inside the room, it made him feel happy and relaxed, he watched them fly and slowly one by one disappeared, until only one remained, a pink one, it landed on Pinocchio’s hair and stood for a few moments before it disappeared.

“Well I’m keeping this” Pinocchio put the notebook in his bag, “It’s not like it belongs to anyone” He might not understand the meaning of its content but it was fun to look at it, and he wondered what other secrets he could find.

“It’s true, it has more use with us than lying around in here” Gemini also wanted to see what interesting things they could find inside of it.

*Meow*

It’s Spring! The sound was so faint but they could hear her, she had to be close.

Pinocchio got out of the room and continued forward following the meowing, Spring leading him towards where she was.

Until they found the end of that corridor, it divided it into many more diverging paths but on the very center was a huge door, they could hear Spring meowing, it was no longer faint they were so close to her.

The door was… strange to say the least, it was a huge wooden door that was filled with rusty locks, symbols decorated it, although many could no longer be seen, faded away by the passage of time.

Pinocchio broke the locks with his sword, it was easy as they looked as if they were already going to fall apart, the hard part was opening the door, but he pushed it with force, using his legion arm to add more pressure and finally making it open.

The room was even stranger, there was a circle in the center, four lines that connected to each corner of the room filled the symbols seen at the door. At the end Pinocchio could make the silhouette of another door, that one was a regular one, Spring had to be inside there, it was so strange, this entire place was so uncanny. Pinocchio walked forward until he made it to its very center, he saw something in the ground a sword sticking from it.

It was the corpse of a human, it was a dead rotting body, just like the carcasses he had faced before, but that’s not right, this corpse had been in here for much longer and it didn’t have the signature trains of the petrification disease monsters; shouldn’t a body like this should be a skeleton by now? The corpse also was wearing a strange mask on its body, it was white with a half-blue moon symbol. It was wearing some ragged clothes that looked like they would have been expensive in the past.

Pinocchio is smart enough not to touch it, but unfortunately one of those monster rodents entered the room, it made its way to attack Pinocchio, and as Pinocchio ended its life in just one swing, for a brief second his sword made slight contact with the sword stuck to the corpse.

*clink*

The sound was so faint but in the empty walls, it echoed for what seemed like minutes, despite only 8 seconds being the ones that passed.

…But nothing happened, Pinocchio gave out a sigh of relief, he took a few more steps to make his way towards the exit.

whErE dO YOu THinK yOu aRe GoINg…?

Pinocchio turned around, the dead body was standing, it held the sword in its hand, and it charged right towards him, it was so fast, that Pinocchio barely managed to block the attack.

A fight broke out, Pinocchio was a skilled fighter, how could he not be after everything he faced? Yet this opponent was one of his biggest challenges, its attacks were fierce and mostly directed towards his chest, the creature was trying to stab his heart, almost as if it knew his weakness.

It was almost impossible to parry its attacks, Pinocchio had no option but to keep blocking or dodging them, but his his Legion Arm he managed to shock and stun it, allowing him to use a fable attack, giving the killing blow.

The corpse fell to its knees the mask falling onto the floor exposing its rotting face, and it looked directly at Pinocchio who finally saw its eyes, its eyes were somehow intact, it looked just like the eyes of any other person and what made Pinocchio feel more dread its that he had the same blue eyes as him.

mAsTEr hAVe I FaILeD…YOu…?

With those words said, it turned into dust only the sword remained.

Despite his better judgment, Pinocchio decided to take the sword, it had so many small details, it was definitely custom made, maybe Eugéne could tell him something about its origins, she isn’t just skilled at making weapons, she knows their history. And the sword could be useful, as, despite the years it had kept its sharpness, it even looked like a brand new sword with its shininess.

Pinocchio opened the door, and finally found Spring, the cat rushed towards him, rubbing herself in between his legs, so happy to see him and the feeling was mutual. He carried her in his arms for some time, hugging her, he was just so glad to see her safe and sound. Spring showed Pinocchio what had happened, behind a painting there was a secret passageway, Spring had accidentally entered but was unable to get out.

Taking a look at the room, it was different than all the other ones, it was a child’s room, with a small bed, a desk with a small chair, and a shelf with books, it gave Pinocchio a strange feeling, not a scary feeling but for some reason being in this room made him feel sad. A few toys were scattered around almost destroyed by the passage of time, but one was left completely intact, it didn’t even have dust, it was a teddy bear with cute button eyes, Pinocchio grabbed it and put it in his bag, the toy just looked so… lonely, even if Pinocchio couldn’t explain why.

Next to the painting was a lever to activate the exit, before Pinocchio left he took a good look at it, it was a painting of a young boy wearing a white button shirt and blue shorts, he had long black hair and green eyes, a smile painted on his face. Next to the boy was a man, wearing light armor, he had blond hair.

And blue eyes.

Pinocchio pulled the leaver revealing a small crawlspace, Spring wasted no time in jumping inside and leaving, Pinocchio had to crawl to make his way out.

From a hidden space, Pinocchio emerged back at Hotel Krat, he was all the way on the 5th floor and he didn’t know how that was possible but he is no longer questioning how it happened.

They wasted no time in going to the Hotel Lobby where Antonia and Polendina were waiting, Geppetto was also there, so much time had passed and he had grown worried as well, Pinocchio had entered in the morning and came out by nighttime.

His father gave him a big hug and so did his mother, they were so worried, they thought something horrible must have happened and he explained the monsters he found inside and his encounter with the strange corpse.

“I believe it’s best we find a way to seal all the secret passageways,” Polendina said first.

“I agree, I need to see first if I can find all of them” Antonia gave out a sigh, “When I bought the place it had a map of everything around it, but I’m sure not all those secret passageways are written down, I certainly had no idea about the one on the 5th floor”

It had been a long day, as soon as Pinocchio got home he wasted no time on getting ready for bed. But before he did so he arranged what he had found, he set the sword aside in his closet and put the teddy bear next to his elephant and donkey plushies.

Finally, the notebook, Pinocchio sat down and opened it, flipping the pages again and reading some of its contents, one of them caught his eye.

“The philosopher stone?”

——

“So that’s what you are after?” Paracelsus had decided to meet him in person, “I see the interest, people like us aren’t able to grab fruit from gold fruit coins, and gold is a valuable asset for our type of research”

With the philosopher stone, one would be able to turn basic minerals into gold and also silver, rare ingredients used in alchemy, they are of great value.

The only reason Paracelsus was able to make the cure for the petrification disease was thanks to Pinocchio, because of his greed he wasn’t able to grab the fruit and it was easy to convince the naive boy that he was sick, and grabbing the fruit would worsen his condition.

“Truth be told, that would be a good use but I believe that the philosopher stone holds the key to something even greater,” The man said with a grin on his face.

“Such as?” Paracelsus was intrigued.

“Well Paracelsus I would tell you but I believe you said you were just an observer and you will not help me” He isn’t going to fall for Paracelsus's games, “And I don’t trust a madman like you”

“Mmm, what makes you believe I’m mad?”

“Don’t think I don’t know you were in a mental institution”

“Is that why you asked me if I knew about the secret layout of Hotel Krat?”

Well played, Paracelsus didn’t think anyone would find out about his past, he has kept it hidden so well, that none of the other alchemists ever suspected that sometimes he can get a little mentally unstable. Although sometimes he feels like Valentinus knew that something was off about him and when Valentinus died and Simon took over he could tell that Simon also questioned his mental stability, but that doesn’t count it takes one to know one after all.

Impressive that he found out about his secret, but it looks like he doesn't know yet about how he holds eternal life, the only person who has ever found all his secrets was that woman-

“You can leave now” The man rolled his eyes, “I don’t want to deal with someone like you, watch from the shadows if you want, I don’t care because I know you won’t interfere”

“I thought you were a doctor Frederick, shouldn’t doctors be kind to patients?” Paracelsus went back to his usual playful tone, “I’ve been a very good boy taking my meds~”

“I’m not that kind of doctor and you know that” Frederick doesn’t play games, much less with a man like Paracelsus. “So as I said, you can leave now”

“What about that distraction you were working on?”

“It’s already done, soon I’ll set it free” Frederick stood up from his chair, “Leave before I call security”

Paracelsus made his way towards the door opening it but before leaving he gave Frederick a playful wave with his hand.

“Good luck Doc~”

----

Sorrowful Ergo: 🔷 +20,000 

“The man was dead, yet even bound by magic too strong for his mind to comprehend, his spirit still lived, bound to the will of the master he loved, the one he swore to protect at all costs”

Chapter Text

“Pinocchio, Pinocchio wake up already” Gemini was scolding him, it was already 12 pm.

“Just a little more,” Pinocchio said in a drowsy voice while snuggling more into his covers.

“You have your lesson with Lady Antonia at 2 pm” Gemini got on top of his head, jumping up and down to make him get up, “You have to get ready already”

“Gemini let me sleep” Pinocchio was annoyed but gave in and decided to get ready.

“You have been oversleeping a lot lately” Gemini gave out a sigh, “You have to be responsible about this”

“I just really like sleeping” Pinocchio was getting ready while talking, “It’s um, I don’t know how to explain but it feels very good”

Pinocchio wasn’t able to sleep when he first came to be, but when he gave Sophia life again he fell asleep and when he woke up he felt so much better, by the time he had faced Simon he constantly felt exhausted even if he didn’t know that physically he was fine. Then he wasn’t able to sleep again, it was odd but he thought maybe he only fell asleep because of Sophia.

But then he gained the ability to sleep again out of nowhere, he doesn’t understand it but he doesn’t question it anymore.

“I like dreaming” Most of the time, he still has nightmares sometimes, awful that the first dream he ever had was a nightmare.

But his other dreams are always so nice and pleasant, it makes him feel good but also safe, he often dreams of his loved ones and that’s why he likes it so much. Sometimes he dreams strange things, like being in some strange place like a field or inside a building but despite being alone in those dreams he doesn’t feel scared, it feels weirdly nostalgic for some reason.

He has started to write a few of his dreams in his diary, it’s fun to describe them.

“Well, dreaming does look like it’s relaxing” Gemini doesn’t sleep, he just enters his rest mode and can “wake up” when he wants to, “But you can’t oversleep all the time”

“Gemini dreams are just… special”

“I understand Pinocchio but dreams are just dreams” Gemini knows that his best friend is just enjoying life, Pinocchio enjoys even the most simple things about it, “You have to eat something now”

“You are not my father Gemini,” Pinocchio said in a playful tone.

Both of them laughed and Pinocchio finished getting ready, he ate and waited for a bit, before making his way to see his mother.

——

Pinocchio had just finished his lessons, and he wanted to spend some time with his mother but she had matters to attend to managing the hotel.

The boy made his way towards the exit when he saw someone was having trouble at the Hotel Lobby, a girl who was carrying too much luggage by herself.

“Do you need help?” Pinocchio asked but he grabbed some of that luggage without waiting for an answer, as she was about to drop them.

“Oh you don’t have to” The girl smiled at him, “But thank you so much, since you already have”

“Are you here on vacation?” Pinocchio wanted to start a conversation, but she looked a bit stressed.

“Well, not really a vacation, my family is here to attend some private matters” The girl gave out a sigh because she knew that truly she would be the only one to not have fun and only work. “Oh but where are my manners? My name is-“

“Cinderella!”

Cinderella turned around, her sister Drizella was calling for her.

“Our room is ready, come here and take our bags to our room!” Drizella shouted at her.

Anastasia signals to her expectantly and Lady Tremaine, her stepmother gives her the cool dead look of dissatisfaction.

“It was nice to meet you” Cinderella’s voice showed her sadness and she took the luggage and left with her family.

Pinocchio watched her leave and couldn’t help to feel bad, but he didn’t know her family, maybe they were just stressed from their trip?

Before Pinocchio made his way back home, he looked for Spring, wanting to say a proper goodbye. The cat had become even more affectionate towards him, his mother says that he is Spring’s little hero.

When he finally found Spring, it was odd, her cheeks weren’t supposed to be this big…

“Spring!” Pinocchio grabbed the cat, “Spit it out! Spit it out!” he shouted at her as he shook her.

The cat had no choice but to comply, a tiny brown mouse emerged from her mouth and Pinocchio grabbed it, holding it gently in his hands.

“Bad kitty! Bad!”

Spring just turned around and waved her tail in frustration.

“Pinocchio let’s go outside and leave the poor thing there” Gemini knows that it’s best to set it free, but it’s odd to see a mouse, Lady Antonia takes great care of this place, no way are there any pests in here.

The tiny mouse shook his head over and over again, trying to speak to them.

“Uhhh are you someone’s pet?” Gemini asked.

The mouse nodded, even though he wasn’t technically a pet, he was a friend.

After a game of charades, the mouse explained who he was looking for, a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing clothes that resembled those of a maid.

“You mean Cinderella?” Pinocchio was glad he had heard her name before she left.

The mouse nodded again enthusiastically.

Pinocchio made his way to the front desk, Polendina was there and he asked him if he could tell him which room Cinderella was in.

“Unfortunately Pinocchio, room information is something private between the guests, but I could send someone to fetch her and tell her to come to the lobby,” Polendina said in his usual polite tone.

Polendina did so, and a few minutes later, Cinderella was back in the Hotel Lobby, and soon as he saw the mouse in Pinocchio’s hands she rushed toward him.

“Oh Jaq! Was so worried when I couldn’t find you” Cinderella took him and now Jaq was in her hands, “What happened to your clothes?”

Pinocchio and Polendina turned to look at Spring, who proceeded to simply hiss at them.

Cinderella laughed, “Oh don’t worry I don’t hold any ill will, a cat must do what cats do”

Spring perked up after that, rubbing herself in between Cinderella’s legs.

“Miss Cinderella, please forgive this inconvenience” Polendina was apologetic, specially since Hotel Krat does allow pets to stay, would have been a disaster if Pinocchio hadn’t noticed.

“It’s alright, no harm done in the end,” Cinderella said with a smile. It reminded her a little of Lucifer’s antics, that cat is a little mischievous as well.

“I could give you some small clothes” Pinocchio has a few clothes for Gemini in his Hotel room.

“You are very kind”

——-

Pinocchio handed her down a small red shirt, and since Jaq is a slim mouse it fit him perfectly.

The mouse began to talk to Cinderella. Pinocchio and Gemini could almost seem to understand him, but they couldn’t make it out correctly.

“Oh of course you look wonderful Jaq!” Cinderella was in a better mood now.

“You can talk with animals?!” Pinocchio was excited, he had never seen someone do so and the princesses in his books talk with them.

“Well more or less,” Cinderella began to explain, “Jaq and the other mice have their language, as for others, well I do not fully understand the words, but I do seem to understand what they mean”

“That’s so cool, just like a real princess”

“I could only dream of such honor”

“Dreams are so fun, I told you Gemini!” Pinocchio took his cage and set it on the table, Gemini jumped to Pinocchio’s shoulder to join in better in the conversation.

“They are fun Pinocchio but like I said, it’s bad to oversleep”

“Dear, dreams are more than just fun” Cinderella put Jaq next to her shoulder, mimicking how Gemini was standing in Pinocchio.

“Really?!” Pinocchio was so happy; no one ever talks to him about dreams.

Cinderella felt happy, she liked this boy so kind, so full of life. It reminded her of when she was a child, before her father passed away, she has changed some much since then, she doesn’t mind her new calm demeanor, but she wishes it didn’t come because she had to mature so fast.

Something about this boy seemed… a little different, she could hear him, rather she could hear the sound of springs coming from him.

“Is something wrong?” Pinocchio was worried, Cinderella had stayed quiet for too long.

“Please forgive me” She apologized, “Maybe I am daydreaming, I could have sworn I heard the sound of machines inside your body”

“Huh? How did you know?!” Pinocchio was stunned, that hadn’t happened since he fought against… the white lady, it made Pinocchio feel sad.

“So you really are a puppet?!” Cinderella was stunned, she had seen plenty of puppets ever since she arrived at Krat, and her sisters kept talking about them.

“Mother, why don’t we get one? To help with chores?” Anastasia had asked.

“We do not need them, we have Cinderella,” Her stepmother said bluntly.

A little help on the house chores would have been appreciated…

“Well yes but actually no” Pinocchio gave her the short version of the answer.

“You must have some musical talent Cinderella, impressive that you could hear them” Gemini chirped.

“I enjoy singing from time to time, but I am not an expert or that good” Cinderella was underestimating her talent.

Jaq began to speak again and even made motions to motivate Cinderella.

“Thank you Jaq, you are always so kind to me”

“Can you tell me more about dreams?” Pinocchio had little stars in his eyes.

“A dream is a wish your heart makes” Cinderella had become even more radiant, her shy demeanor completely gone. “Dreams can come true if you keep believing”

“What kind of wish?” If Pinocchio had a tail, he would be wagging it right now.

“If you tell a wish you won’t come true silly”

They wanted to keep the conversation going, but Polendina said that Cinderella’s family was calling for her, and unfortunately their conversation had to be cut short.

——

The next day, Pinocchio overslept again, this time his father was the one to wake him up.

“Son, wake up” It was time for a lesson, Geppetto takes time off work to teach his son about different things, “You need to learn more about history”

This time, Pinocchio got up with that much resistance, as he loves it when his father teaches him things, well he loves to learn im general but it’s special when his father does it.

Geppetto deep down knows that Pinocchio would be able to learn things more constantly if he was enrolled in school but he wants to be there for him as much as he can and he is happy homeschooling his son. He also knows that he feels this way because of his regrets when raising Carlo but he is self-aware enough to not let this affect the way he teaches his son about things.

When they were done, Geppetto suggested that they both go together to the beach and spend some time together bonding as father and son.

——-

Lady Tremaine isn’t fond of beaches, but her daughters annoyed her until she gave in, and she makes Cinderella do the hard work of giving them food and tending to their needs.

She had come to Krat only because her daughters were left an inheritance, she had a relative living in Krat who recently passed away, and her daughters were fond of them, but she wasn’t. Anastasia and Drilleza are under the impression that she is the one to hold the money until she dies, in reality, the money was given directly to them, but Lady Tremaine isn’t going to let them know that, as long as she gives them money here and there, they won’t suspect a thing.

“We must head back to the Hotel” Lady Tremaine doesn’t like the sun, she wants to leave already, in fact, they will leave first thing in the morning, she is just here for the money.

“Cinderella, fetch us a carriage”

Cinderella did as she was told, but the place was extremely filled with people, and the only carriage available did not have space for all of them.

“Cinderella has to stay behind,” Drizella said in a snarky tone.

“Yes Cinderella, is going to have to find another carriage” Anastasia joined her sister.

“Unfortunately Cinderella this must be the case,” Lady Tremaine said.

“But-“

“Silence!”

Cinderella kept quiet, she knew better than to defend herself. Her stepmother handed her a small amount of money.

“You better not waste this, I counted and I expect the exact change” Lady Tremaine stared at her with hatred in her eyes.

“I understand” Cinderella’s voice was low, barely finding her voice.

Her family left, it would take a while before she would be able to get a way home. Cinderella walked around, she just wanted to get her thoughts away from the situation.

“Jaq I don’t know what to do” Cinderella had sadness in her voice.

She is smart, she knows that her stepmother is taking advantage of her, that she is using her as a maid when the home belongs to her when the money her father left her should be rightfully hers, she is an adult but is unable to claim it, as her stepmother has hidden all the important documents she will need to reclaim it.

And even if she did so, she doesn’t have the heart to quick her out, her father loved that woman, and her stepmother didn’t act the same way she treats her now, that is, in front of her father, but when she father passed away, there was no reason to hide her true colors, yet she still feels like she would be betraying her father if she makes her leave the home.

Not to mention poor Drizella and Anastasia, they weren’t always like this, they used to be kind, genuinely kind, Cinderella was specially close to Anastasia, as children they would bond together. But her stepmother spoiled them until they become rotten girls like they are now, but Cinderella knows deep down that they are good people, she doesn’t have the heart to leave them without a home.

Cinderella kept walking, too consumed by her thoughts to pay proper attention to her surroundings. Ending up in a place where no one else was to be found.

“Take the girl, she looks like a maid, no one will miss her”

Cinderella had no time to react to what she just heard, she felt someone grab her and before she knew it, she was dragged away somewhere else.

——

Cinderella was unconscious, Jaq had to do something, he had hidden under her clothes and saw how they shoved her inside of those boats that were on shore.

Being small, he managed to fit under a hole in the door that held her captive, he ran and ran until he found the exit, once on the beach he panicked, he desperately tried to get the attention of others but no one paid attention, some even tried to step on him.

He started to feel like it was all hopeless until he saw a familiar face and rushed towards him and climbed on top of them.

“Huh, Jaq?” Pinocchio recognized him and held him in his hand. “Is Cinderella nearby?”

“Is she a friend of yours son?” Geppetto asked.

There was no time to answer, Jaq frantically began to make gestures and move his hands, it didn’t take them long to understand.

“Someone kidnapped her?!” Pinocchio shouted this was bad, really bad.

“We have to save her” Gemini knows that they need to act quickly.

Jaq pointed at one of the boats, it was a big one and it looked like it was abandoned by its state, no one ever went close to it.

Pinocchio drew in his weapon, he always carries one just in case. They decided it was best for Jaq to stay with Geppetto as they already knew how to find her.

“Son, be careful” Geppetto knows what his son is capable of, but as a father, he still worries about him.

Pinocchio nodded and made his way towards the boat.

Chapter Text

Pinocchio saw how the entrance was barricaded so he climbed up top to find another way in, finding a hidden trap door and entering from there.

It was dark but Gemini helped guide the way, everything was so quiet but Pinocchio was on guard, the people who took Cinderella must still be in there. He walked carefully to try to be as quiet as possible and while he hadn’t used this tactic, he decided that stealth would be the best way to move around, hiding in corridors and other parts that would block him from being seen by others.

Cinderella is on the bottom of this ship, this huge ship that looks more than 100 years old and looks run down on the outside, yet inside it looks like it’s well kept, someone using it as a secret base of operations.

Eventually, Pinocchio made it to the last floor, with lots of sealed doors with locks, the place was still filled with silence, making the feeling of unease even more intense, only Pinocchio’s footsteps could be heard.

“Cinderella?” Pinocchio called for her in a low tone.

“I’m here!” Cinderella shouted, thankfully she was no longer unconscious.

Pinocchio rushed to the door where he heard that sound and broke the lock, freeing her from this prison.

“Oh God, thank you, thank you so much!” Cinderella was crying tears of joy.

Pinocchio opened his mouth to speak but the quiet ship was finally filled with sound.

“Help! Help!”

Voices from all the other doors started to shout.

“Save us! Please save us as well!”

The other prisoners were begging, they had thought Pinocchio was one of their captors, but now that they heard him properly they were begging for freedom.

Pinocchio broke each of the locks and freed the people inside, it was mostly other women, and worse is that children were here as well. As fast as they thanked him they all ran, ran away so fast and didn’t look behind. He wanted to warn them to be careful but clearly, they were desperate for freedom, Pinocchio had no choice but to make sure all of them were safe and sound.

Cinderella was walking behind him, she still didn’t feel well and Pinocchio told her to stay by his side.

Suddenly Cinderella gasped, he opened one of the doors of the ship and got inside, Pinocchio followed her.

Inside the room, was a cage filled with mice.

“We must free them too” Cinderella had heard their cries for help, she couldn’t let them stay behind.

As if the ambiance couldn’t get more tense, screaming was heard from the upper floors, and the people he saved were crying for help.

“Stay here” Pinocchio knows that Cinderella could be safe here, but he knows that he needs to come back as soon as possible. He also left Gemini with her, in case she needed to run, he could light her path.

Pinocchio rushed upstairs, hearing what was unfolding on the way.

“How did they get out? This is impossible!”

“Someone must have freed them, keep your guard up!”

When Pinocchio arrived he firmly held his weapon, and when entering the corridor he used the shield in his legion arm, it was the right call as they fired a shot as soon as he entered.

The people he had just saved were all in a corner cowering in fear, Pinocchio looked at their captors, 8 men in total, all with different body builds but all very muscular, the two up front had guns aimed at him, this was going to be hard but he could do it.

He blocked at dogged the shots, managing to disarm them, but the doctors attacked fiercely with their weapons and soon after the ones holding the guns used knives to attack Pinocchio, he was struggling, he wanted to find a way to not hurt them, he doesn’t want to hurt people anymore, he doesn’t want to kill anyone, it’s becoming overwhelming, they are trying to hurt him and hurt the prisoners, Pinocchio as no choice but to keep using Aegis as defense and give out counter-attacks.

But then, one of the men fell to the floor unconscious and he wasn't the one to attack them.

“I’ll end this right now,” said the voice of a man.

Pinocchio can’t see well whoever is helping is on the opposite side of the hall, he can only see the silhouette, is it a stalker? At least he could tell the man was wearing a Legion Arm, one that held a blade to make counterattacks.

It happened so fast, the stalker disarmed and knocked out two more men, and in the commotion, Pinocchio assisted with the battle, in the end, the stalker was the one who subdued all of them, and now all the men were lying on the ground unconscious, Pinocchio didn’t see well how he did it, but he managed to see that he used some sort of trick by hitting them on their backs.

“The entrance is no longer barricaded, two more floors and all of you will be set free”

The people thanked the stalker and thanked Pinocchio profusely, before once again running for safety.

Pinocchio had no time to thank the stalker, as they took a few steps back and vanished into the darkness. But he was just so glad that someone helped and that everyone was safe.

Moving to see Cinderella again, the mice were climbing on top of her, thanking her for her kindness before making their way to leave.

Cinderella hugged Pinocchio, “You are a hero, a real hero like the ones from fairy tales”

Pinocchio had a smile on his face because even if he did everything because he wanted to help others, he couldn’t help to admit that he liked it when he was praised like that.

——

Outside the boat, quite the commotion had happened, the police were already there helping the people who were trapped inside, and they were taking away the men he fought.

As much as Pinocchio likes getting praise he made his way out silently, he doesn’t want to take credit for this, he didn’t do it alone and he did it because he is kind, not because he wants recognition.

When was leaving Pinocchio saw that Belle was amongst the crowd, and she gave him a wink, it was best to talk to her later.

“Son are you alright?!” Geppetto rushed to his son’s side and hugged him.

“I’m fine father” Pinocchio hugged his father back.

“I was so worried about my little boy” Geppetto kissed his son’s forehead.

“Father!” Pinocchio’s face had a slight shade of pink, he was embarrassed.

Cinderella laughed, it reminded her of the good times she spent with her father; she felt like she could finally relax, and Jaq came to her side, climbing her shoulder and hugging her neck.

“Jaq you are my savior too” Cinderella praised the little mouse, so brave to run for help.

“One of the mice gave me this” Cinderella handed Pinocchio a piece of paper, he read over it but he didn’t understand much, they looked like medical notes.

It would be best to give this to Belle, maybe this will help her with what she wants.

——

“Mother I am worried about Cinderella” Anastasia knows that Cinderella isn’t one to stay late, she always does what she is told without question, “What if she is hurt?”

“Don’t be ridiculous Anastasia” Lady Tremaine said, although she secretly hoped that something happened to the girl so that she could finally get rid of her.

“She probably had to walk all the way here, what a moron she is” Drizella had a snobby attitude.

The three of them were in the Hotel Lobby, reception called them to come downstairs, where they were greeted by the sight of Cinderella and two officers.

Pinocchio was there too but he stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry officers” Lady Tremaine pulled her deceitful voice, “Hopefully the girl didn’t cause you any real trouble”

Lady Tremaine turned to look at Cinderella, “What did you do?” She stared coldly at her.

“Nothing!”

“Do not lie”

“She is not lying mam,” One of the officers said and explained the situation.

“Mother this place isn’t safe, we must leave at once!” Drizella was afraid.

“We already have scheduled to leave first thing in the morning, thankfully we didn’t have to stay in this wreathed place for long” Lady Tremaine was disgusted, “Girls let us go to our room”

Before Cinderella left, she turned to look at Pinocchio and grabbed his hands with joy.

“Pinocchio I will never forget this, I will never forget your kindness” Cinderella was crying, “Hopefully I see you again, at the very least I hope to see you in my dreams”

Pinocchio smiled and extended his arms, Cinderella hugged him, she didn’t want to let go but she had to.

She joined with Anastasia, her sister had waited for her, giving her words of reassurance and Pinocchio watched them both leave the lobby.

“That poor girl” Gemini chirped from his cage, “How awful that her family treats her that way”

“Yeah…” It made Pinocchio feel uncomfortable.

“Cinderella deserves better” Gemini sighed, “For now, we need to see Belle, maybe she can help”

——

Belle was staying in an apartment on Elysion Boulevard, it wasn’t hard to find her, Pinocchio recognized the place, it was the same place he had walked through during his mission to save Krat.

She read the piece of paper Pinocchio gave her over and over again.

“These medical notes, they aren’t real medical notes”

“What do you mean?” Pinocchio was confused.

“It is a decoded message, I can make out parts of it, but I will need to look more deeply into this”

“You can tell that just by reading it a few times?” Gemini was surprised.

“As a soldier, I know more than just combat, I know about strategy and logistics, and because of my rank, I know about ciphering.

“That’s so cool!” Pinocchio was impressed, he remembers when Venigni helped him de-code all those secret messages back then, but it was with a device dedicated to that, it was impressive to see Belle be able to do so without the need for one.

“Thank you Pinocchio, this will be of great help” Belle was so relieved, she had to leave tomorrow as her time here was done and she thought that she would have to come back empty-handed.

Pinocchio smiled at Belle, “Glad I could help!”

“Wait Pinocchio before you leave…” Belle looked serious and also sad, “You lied to me about Atkinson right?”

Pinocchio froze in place and his silence spoke more than a thousand words.

“It's okay, I am not mad, I promise” Belle gave him a faint smile, “Before leaving Krat, I went to the station, I wanted to see if I could find his body so that he could be buried back home, and I found his body, his deformed body, he was dead and I could tell that he ended his life, not wanting to become a monster”

“I'm sorry,” Pinocchio said softly, he was feeling bad about lying to her.

“Don't be, that letter he gave you, that means that what he wanted it, and your lie was what kept me going at that time, I don't think I would have been able to, with everything that was happening” Belle stood up and made her way towards Pinocchio, hugging him, “Thank you for fulfilling his last request”

Pinocchio hugged her back, he loves hugs and he was happy that Belle made peace with what had happened.

—-

Some time passed, and one morning, Geppetto picked up their mail, a letter from Alexander, a letter from Alice, and a letter from his grandmother, but one letter was different, it had an extravagant symbol used in the wax stamp. Geppetto opened it and started reading it out loud.

“You are cordially invited to the wedding between Prince Charming and the newly crowned Princess…Cinderella?!”

Pinocchio went to look at what his father was shouting about and Geppetto handed the letter to his son who read it and was just as stunned as him but also extremely happy for his friend.

“Can we please go?” Pinocchio asked, almost begging.

“Of course we are going” Geppetto can’t let his son miss this and none of them should be able to miss attending a royal wedding.

Chapter Text

Geppetto and Pinocchio packed their bags and were ready to leave, they will only be here for two days, just so that they can enjoy the wedding, as Geppetto has to come back to work.

Geppetto was bombarded with questions about how he got invited to the wedding, and then he got bombarded with even more questions when he mentioned that it was because Pinocchio was friends with the crowned princess, Geppetto was feeling a little overwhelmed with the attention everyone was giving him, even by coworkers who he had never spoken suddenly wanted to talk, some people left him a few gifts, but he did saw Conrad fuming with envy and that made him smile.

He left Venigni in charge while he was gone, well the sub-director is the one in charge, he left Venigni in charge of stopping any office drama from getting out of hand.

“You look so handsome,” Geppetto said to his son while he played a little with his hair.

“Father!” Pinocchio began to fix his hair, he had brushed it perfectly for the wedding. His father keeps embarrassing him like this lately.

Pinocchio was wearing a beautiful tuxedo, the vest was blue, and his pants were a different shade of blue along with his shoes and he was wearing a red bowtie and a red flower in his vest. Gemini was also wearing clothes, a blue top hat with a yellow shirt and red vest, including a black fancy jacket.

Geppetto settled for using the typical black suit, he is too old to try to make himself stand out.

Pinocchio felt a little scared when they arrived, he had never been in a place so crowded, and filled with people and they were only at the entrance, but those were the people who were watching from afar, they showed the invitation, allowing them to be inside. There were fewer people there, but still too many, Pinocchio hid behind his father until they got to the chapel inside the castle, sitting down and waiting for it to start.

Cinderella looked gorgeous and so happy, she was radiating with light, her dream finally coming true, the wish her heart desired.

The ceremony went as planned, the vow exchange, the ring exchange, and the kiss. Cinderella felt as if she was still dreaming, it all felt too good to be true, but her fairy godmother had reassured her that this was her reward, that her kindness and humility were finally being recognized.

Once it was all done, it was time to celebrate, Pinocchio and his father were by themselves and they thought they would be alone until…

“Guess who?” Someone covered Pinocchio’s eyes and asked him the question in a sweet voice.

“Sophia?!”

Sophia took her hands away from Pinocchio’s eyes.

“And her I thought it would take years before we saw each other again” Sophia was smiling, her was vibrating with joy, she thought she would have to spend her time alone in this wedding.

Sophia was wearing a beautiful blue dress, she was wearing her signature butterfly brooch and she was wearing transparent slippers that had butterflies in the middle, the light reflecting the color matching her outfit. Her hair was partly a bun but only a small part, the rest was down and straight.

“Sophia I’m so glad to see you here” Geppetto is glad and confused, “How did you get invited?”

Sophia signaled at them to look at someone, it was another Princess.

“Snow White was so kind to invite me” Sophia felt as if she didn’t deserve such honor.

“I get the feeling you helped her out somehow, just as we did with Cinderella” Gemini chirped, he was on Pinocchio’s shoulder enjoying himself.

“It’s a long story” Sophia can’t wait to tell them all about it.

Pinocchio was beaming with joy when he got to see Sophia again, sure, he talks with her sometimes with the power they share but he also thought it would take years before he would see her again so he began to cry.

“I missed you” Sophia hugged him, “You big cry baby”

“Hey!” Pinocchio didn’t understand why everyone was teasing him today.

They began to talk, catching up on what each of them was doing.

“Oh my, it does seem like something dark is happening inside of Krat” Sometimes Sophia feels as if Krat itself is haunted by some entity that attracts problems like that.

“Please be careful clever one” Sophia will always protect him no matter where she is, but it’s never bad to remind him that you can never be too careful.

“Son, I really wish you didn’t have to get involved in this” Geppetto sighed, “It’s good to help others but maybe we should leave this to the proper authorities”

“Geppetto since when has Krat had a proper police force?” Sophia had a grin on her face.

“Touché” Geppetto can’t deny that, there was no way they didn’t know what Simon was up to.

There is no way they are that incompetent in general, things like this just get covered up.

“I’m still just worried, you can assist those who need help but remember that you have to also take care of yourself, I don’t want you to get hurt while outside”

Sophia is noticing that Geppetto is being a little more overprotective than usual, “Are things too on edge inside Krat?”

“Well… there had been news of a serial killer on the loose” Geppetto knows how evil people can be, yet something about serial killers makes them even more scary, and the way this one has been leaving those bodies as if they were artworks, it’s disgusting.

“Is that why you don’t let me go outside at night anymore?” Pinocchio asked innocently.

“Seriously Pinocchio you didn’t know?” Gemini was baffled, even he knew, “Don’t you read the newspaper?”

“No, it’s boring” Pinocchio doesn’t like reading the news, but he does like reading the comic section.

“Son, you have to keep up with the news and this is a big reason why”

After a few more time talking, Sophia noticed that Snow White was calling for her, and as soon as she left, Cinderella made her way towards them, the prince next to her.

“Charming, this is the kind boy who saved my life” Cinderella introduced him to the prince.

Charming grabbed Pinocchio’s hands. “Thank you, thank you so much for helping her”

Charming was so madly in love with Cinderella; Geppetto, Pinocchio, and Gemini wondered how they got married after just having met for one day, but looking at the two of them interacting, they were clearly meant for each other. They were recalling their time planning this wedding, this huge event, a nightmare to organize as the fondest of memories.

The prince left, the king wanted him to meet some acquaintances and Cinderella asked Pinocchio if they could talk in private, his father and Gemini were left behind for a moment.

They went to the garden and gathered in front of a fountain, Jaq and other mice joined them, Cinderella introduced Gus to Pinocchio, a few birds were flying around them, more friends of Cinderella.

“You are so lucky Cinderella” Pinocchio said, she got her live her dream, she became a princess, maybe if he dreams hard enough like Cinderella he can become a princess.

“I truly feel like I am…” Cinderella should have sounded happy but her voice was filled with sadness, a few tears fell from her eyes.

Pinocchio noticed immediately “What’s wrong?”

“You and your family Pinocchio, you are the only guests from my side that were invited”

Pinocchio was quiet, he remembered how Cinderella’s family treated her, yet he wished that maybe they had changed, that they were here at the wedding but that because it was too crowded it was the reason he hadn’t seen them yet.

Sure Cinderella had her animal friends, and she wasn’t truly alone, yet her family not being here was hard, but enough was enough, they weren’t allowed at her wedding, they wouldn’t ruin her happiness any longer.

“Do you believe people can change?” Cinderella was venting to him, venting because she didn’t want to bring her sorrows to Charming on their special day. “Can family really change, even if they mistreated you?”

Pinocchio sank into his shoulders.

His father… is a good father, the best father he can ever ask for, he loves him so much, but he hasn’t always been the best father. He made a lot of mistakes, he neglected his brother by not being there for him, and then when his brother passed away, his father was forcing him to be Carlo, someone he wasn't.

“I think they can”

“How do you know?”

“Trust me” Pinocchio composed himself, this was supposed to be a happy day, this was supposed to be the best day of Cinderella’s life, “I know”

Almost as if fate had heard them, a tiny blue bird flew towards them, delivering a small letter to Cinderella who began to read it out loud.

“Congratulations to my sister,

Cinderella you don’t have to but please, forgive me, I was awful,

I wish you nothing but the best”

From: Anastasia”

Cinderella shed a few more tears before composing herself.

“It looks like more of my dreams are coming true”

Cinderella gave him a big hug, before leaving one last time, saying how she will never forget about him, how she will write him letters, how she is forever grateful.

Pinocchio was alone but not for long, he was about to turn around to find his father when Sophia went to his side.

“I can’t believe I’m actually at a castle, at a royal wedding” Sophia plays with her ring as she says this, trying to calm herself, “When I was a child I had dreams of a life like this, filled with excitement, filled with doing what others couldn’t”

“Cinderella was right” Pinocchio was smiling.

“Huh?” Sophia was confused.

Right, she doesn’t know what he is talking about.

“That dreams really are wishes that come true”

They were both smiling, but it was quiet, Pinocchio began to play with his ring as well.

Sophia wonders what she and Pinocchio were even thinking when they got the rings, they are so important but at the same time so silly.

She definitely knows now that she truly doesn’t love him that way. She had more time to reflect, more time to properly analyze her feelings, she truly was in love with the idea of him, because he was her savior.

Maybe in a weird way, she is a princess, and Pinocchio is the prince who saved her from the clutches of evil.

“Um… Sophia, can I ask you something?” Pinocchio finally broke the silence.

“Yes?” Sophia had come out of her thoughts.

“So well, the other day my father was teaching me things and…”

Pinocchio proceeded to explain the conversation he had with his father.

The talk his father gave him.

“And well I don’t think I got it right, and you are so smart and always guide me, I guess I just got confused and I wanted to know if you could explain-“

Sophia burst into laughter, it was loud and she was desperately gasping for air.

Oh my God, she had no idea Geppetto was so bad at explaining that.

“Sophia?” Pinocchio looked at her weirdly.

She couldn’t respond, she kept laughing hysterically, she even had small tears in her eyes.

“Sophia!” Pinocchio was pouting, even she was teasing about this.

“Pinocchio… Pinocchio” She was trying to calm down but couldn’t, gasping for more air, “I can’t… I can’t”

Another outburst of laughter came from Sophia, Pinocchio had mixed feelings, on the one hand, he had never seen Sophia laughing like that, and it made him feel good that each day she was more filled with joy.

On the other, he doesn’t like how she is acting about it. Now he is even more confused about the subject, his father and mother treat it like something serious but everyone else he asks treats it as a joke.

Sophia was about to lose her balance, but Pinocchio grabbed her so she wouldn’t, unfortunately, he was the one who lost his balance in the process and fell inside the water fountain, the boy now soaking wet.

“I’m sorry Pinocchio, I’m so sorry” Sophia was apologetic and extended her hand so that Pinocchio could get back up.

Pinocchio grabbed her hand, but instead of trying to get back up, he pulled her into the water. That’s what she gets for teasing him.

“You brat!” Sophia shouted, “This dress was expensive!”

“This suit was expensive!” Pinocchio shouted back, his father would be mad.

As much as Sophia wanted to splash him with more water she decided not to, she got up and Pinocchio got up as well, it’s best not to cause a scene in a place like this.

They could hear the bells ringing, indicating that Cinderella had left with Charming in their carriage for their honeymoon.

With perfect timing, Geppetto had found them as soon as the bells stopped ringing.

“Pinocchio seriously?!“ Geppetto was mad, “And you got poor Sophia all wet as well”

“No, I didn’t” Pinocchio lied.

“Yes, he did” Sophia had a grin on her face.

His father was looking at him with disappointment.

“Sophia don’t go out and make me look like some kind of liar just because I don’t tell the truth”

“What does that even mean?!” Gemini was also scolding Pinocchio, he was baffled by the things that the boy says.

As much as she finds it amusing when Pinocchio gets reprimanded, she confesses that it was all her fault, making sure to tell Geppetto what his son was asking her.

Geppetto’s face was red with embarrassment.

“It’s alright son, you won’t get in trouble this time” Geppetto looked so ashamed of himself, probably blaming himself for what happened.

With that said, they all left the castle, Pinocchio and Sophia changed clothes and that day all of them had dinner together in a nice restaurant.

The day after, when it was time to leave, they said their goodbyes and each went back to their usual lives.

——

They arrived at Krat at night, and Pinocchio was so tired, he wasted to time on showering and changing into his pajamas. Hopping to bed and fall fast asleep.

The next morning, Pinocchio overslept again but neither Gemini nor his father woke him up.

It was best that Pinocchio kept on dreaming, so his wishes come true as well.

Chapter Text

Geppetto got off from work and made his way towards the cemetery and bought flowers along the way, leaving them on the tomb.

He wanted to be alone this time, Pinocchio will probably have to see him crying as soon as he opens the door of their home but that doesn’t matter, he wants to get sentimental, he wants to remember his family.

He is remembering his wife and all the good moments he had with her, she would have loved Pinocchio, she would have been a great mother to him but Geppetto is happy that Pinocchio does have a mother, that Antonia is his mother, he couldn’t ask for a better person to fulfill that role for him.

Ever since they cleaned the house, he has been thinking a lot about the past specifically about Carlo and Romeo. Geppetto knows that being stuck in the past is what made him go mad but he wants to look back at it, this time not with the delusional idea that he could change it, but with the idea of looking at it fondly, that they are no longer here but that they will never be forgotten.

Geppetto is remembering something specific, he is remembering something that happened just before Carlo got sick.

——

“Father”

Carlo is in front of him and Romeo is next to his son, they came to visit unannounced but that doesn’t matter, Geppetto welcomes the company of his son, wanting to fix their relationship as his top priority.

“Yes, son?” Geppetto can tell that Carlo is acting a little off.

“I know this is stupid…” Carlo looks away for a moment but regains his composure, “I want to ask for a favor”

Carlo takes a deep breath, “And I know I haven’t seen you in 3 weeks and I come here and ask for a favor but please this is important” Not to mention that the last time they spoke it almost ended in an argument.

“Carlo I’m your father I would do anything for you”

“It’s just that it’s a big favor” Carlo is embarrassed to ask for something like this.

“Anything you want, I’ll do it”

Carlo takes another deep breath.

“Me and Romeo want to, um,” Carlo is stumbling over his words.

“Get married” Romeo speaks on his behalf.

Romeo who is wearing that necklace, that one he gave Carlo for his graduation. A part of Geppetto feels bad that his son gave it to him, as it was supposed to be special, but he has no one to blame but himself, he was selfish for not attending his graduation.

Geppetto smiles, “Oh don’t worry, I can manage to find a way to arrange that”

“Well we don’t want to do it in a church, it would be weird and even if I don’t care what people think, people will talk badly and I don’t want that to affect you” Carlo clenches his fist, he is marring Romeo who is a man and also a puppet, “I know I already ruined your reputation enough but-“

“Carlo please don’t say things like that” Geppetto knows that he is referring to how Carlo has behaved, that he is seen as a troublemaker, and that people talk about this behind their backs.

“I don’t care what others think, you will always be my priority” Geppetto gets closer and plays with his son’s hair, “Besides you are a good boy Carlo, my good little boy”

“Father!” Carlo gets embarrassed again, he is 20 years old, not a child. “Don’t say that you dumb old man”

Geppetto laughs, it’s good to talk to him, he missed him.

“Okay but still, we don’t want to get married in a church, we want to get married somewhere else”

“Where do you want to get married?”

——

It was a hard favor indeed, but there is nothing Geppetto wouldn’t do for Carlo, he had to call a lot of people and give a few “donations” but he managed to do it, to rent The Opera House just for themselves for a few hours.

The three of them were there, so was Antonia with Poledina, Venigni with Pulcinella, and of course Sophia was there as well.

The reason they wanted it to be at the Opera House was because this wasn’t going to be a traditional wedding, Carlo and Romeo had planned a play for them to perform.

Well, Romeo planned most of it, he is the one who is passionate about theater. Everyone was helping with the arrangements, hearing Carlo and Romeo talking with each other.

“Ugh Romeo I can’t remember these stupid vows right, why did you make them so hard?”

“You are the one that wanted unique vows, and they fit with the play”

“And you are the theater kid who wanted to have the wedding here in the first place”

“Carlo you agreed to this and don’t tell me you would have preferred the cathedral with holier than thou Andreus”

“Oh God no, not him and his weird sermons about the one-winged angel”

“You are going to hell for saying that love” Romeo was teasing him, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Carlo punched Romeo lightly in his shoulder, “Idiot” After that he kissed him as well.

“Why do the two of you need these?” Geppetto pointed a the two weapons, one a sword and another a scythe.

“It’s part of the play, we are fighting,” Carlo said nonchalantly.

“What?!” Geppetto was mortified.

“Relax old man, it’s not like we are in real danger, it’s a play”

Geppetto didn’t look too convinced about that idea.

“It's okay,” Romeo said while grabbing Carlo’s shoulder, “I won’t let anything happen to his pretty face”

“Romeo!” Carlo punched him lightly again.

“Love you are going to break your hand hitting me like that, you know how sturdy your father made me”

Geppetto made Romeo with only the best materials, he remembers two years ago when Carlo was 18 he built Romeo a new body, this body was even more durable than the last and came equipped with better ways for fighting capabilities. Carlo and Romeo had given him a few notes on what they wanted Romeo to be able to do, they were going to be the best stalkers in the world after all.

Romeo winked at Carlo, “But you already know how sturdy I am right?”

Carlo was the one who was mortified now.

“Don’t say that shit in front of my father!”

“Carlo language” Geppetto was scolding him.

“Ugh, I’m NOT a child” Carlo sighed but then he laughed, at least he wasn’t nervous anymore.

After a few more adjustments to the stage, it was all ready to go, and with the help of a few puppets working backstage for the props and the lights, everyone was perfect to go.

Once upon a time, two star-crossed lovers lived in peace, not knowing that their love was never meant to be. For daring to love each other, fate decided to play a cruel prank on them, to both die a gruesome fate and be reborn as enemies.

“I have to kill you to stop it all, there's no other way!” Romeo grabbed his scythe and pointed it at Carlo, a red light was set on him, and with tricks of the light that reflected the stage, it looked like it was engulfed in flames.

Carlo drew his sword, no words were exchanged on his behalf, his dedication to fighting spoke for him, his quest to end the life of the one in front of him, to do was fate had asked of him.

“It's all going up in flames... bright, white flames” Romeo’s sorrow-filled voice echoed through the walls of the place.

A fierce battle took place inside a grand church; piercing attacks coming from all directions from both of them; slashing, striking, blocking, and parrying. The fight was coordinated, like looking at a mirror, yet it was elegant, almost as if the two of them were dancing under the veil of the lights that illuminated the stage.

After barely blocking an attack, Romeo took a few steps back, his guard was lowered and Carlo pointed his sword at Romeo’s neck.

“I must do, what I was asked to do” Carlo’s voice was filled with regret.

“Then tell me…” Romeo stared directly into his eyes, “Who's the puppet of fate, you or me?

Carlo lowered his sword and then dropped it into the ground, he shed a few tears, “I don’t want it to be this way”

“It doesn’t have to be this way” Romeo dropped his weapon as well, “It's gonna be okay, as long as I'm at your side, Carlo”

Both of them embraced each other, the lights changing from dark red to bright blue.

The two lovers, now not bound the the fate of the stars, decided to marry right there and then, sharing their vows.

Carlo lifted his hand “With this hand I will lift your sorrows” Then he grabbed a cup “Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine”

Romeo repeated the same words and continued, grabbing a candle and lighting it, “With this candle, I will light your way into darkness”

As Carlo grabbed his candle and lit it as well and repeated the vows Romeo had said.

Both grabbed their respective rings, both grabbing each other’s hands, speaking together as one.

“With this ring, I ask you to be mine.”

They kissed each other, a passionate kiss filled with love, the ringing of church bells resonating across the Opera House.

Before they left, a small stop was made, at the statue in front of the Opera House.

Geppetto looked at the statue, the words he had engraved long ago "In honor of the happiest days of our family because of her presence. I still miss you, Camille”

Carlo left the bouquet of flowers in there, instead of throwing them into the air, as most weddings do, “I wish, she could have been here” Carlo shed a few tears.

“Me too” Geppetto wiped away Carlo's tears, “Hopefully we can see her again someday”

A few days later, Carlo wasn’t feeling well and one visit to the doctor confirmed their worst fears, he had been inflicted with the petrifaction disease.

Geppetto wasn’t the only one that was there by Carlo’s side, Romeo never left his side either.

In the end, Geppetto is happy that they managed to get married before they passed, the two of them are now gone, but he knows that in death, they are together.

Geppetto looked at the sky, it was getting late and he needed to head back home.

When he arrived home, Pinocchio was reading a book, he greeted him and they talked together before going to bed, Geppetto promising his son that they would do something fun together in a few days.

—-

“Am I overcompensating?” Geppetto asked Antonia; Pinocchio had spent time with her that day, and he pulled her aside for a moment.

“I don’t think so, you are mending your mistakes” Antonia smiled, “And considering how you have grounded him, I doubt it”

In Antonia’s eyes, Geppetto would be overcompensating if he didn’t let Pinocchio do anything on his own and suffocate him by being 24/7 with him and not scolding him when it’s necessary.

“Not all parents are perfect, even I have made my mistakes with the boy” Antonia knows deep down that constantly spoiling him isn’t good, and after Geppetto talked with her, she has stopped a little, but sometimes she can’t help herself.

And she has come to learn that it’s true, that Pinocchio does in fact not act like a brat in front of her, she eventually did learn that Pinocchio said her age out loud so that she would get mad at Geppetto.

”You have come a long way Geppetto and each day you improve even more” Antonia was smiling, but not for long, her demeanor changed to a more serious one.

“But I am worried about you, I can see that you are too afraid to lose him, it’s clear how much this affects you and no one can blame you” Antonia put her hand closer to him, trying to make him feel more secure.

“I think you are traumatized”

Geppetto looked away for a moment but he looked back at Antonia, this might be hard for him to hear, how but he had to hear it and Antonia is a good friend, she always knows what to say in these situations.

“Let's be honest, Carlo dying and you building an exact copy of him as a puppet, that's not something a sane person would do, even more so considering you were trying to bring him back” Now that she says it out loud it sounds even more like unstable behavior, she did notice that Geppetto was acting off during that time but he looked so calm about the entire situation, too calm and he would mainly stay upstairs and barely spoke with anyone that wasn't Pinocchio. Antonia looks back at how it took Geppetto too long to realize that Pinocchio was his own individual, that he was never Carlo.

Geppetto can’t argue against that, Carlo died and that was the worst period of his life, he was so desperate to bring him back that he was willing to hurt others, Romeo’s death was his fault.

He has gaps in his memory about what happened and he has nightmares, somedays he starts shaking and it doesn’t stop until hours later.

Lately, he feels as if he has been feeling worse, he knows that it’s because he almost lost Pinocchio, and he is been trying to put up a strong front for his son, but ever since Dorian Gray almost murdered Pinocchio he feels as if his mental state has gone downhill. He thought he was fine when he came back from London, but the more time passes the more stressed he gets about it, more so because Pinocchio was recently in danger when he saved Cinderella. Not to mention all the bad things that happen in Krat in general.

Sometimes he just wants to hug Pinocchio and never let him go. He already lost Carlo, he can’t lose him, he doesn’t want to know what he would do without him.

“Oh and mind you, just because you are struggling that doesn’t mean that you aren’t competent to do your job anymore” Antonia knows about the office drama Geppetto and Venigni have to deal with, she wants to reassure him that he is still the same, even more so with how dedicated Geppetto is to his work life.

“As always, if you need my help, if you need a shoulder to cry on, I will be there, but Geppetto there is only so much I can do, maybe it’s time you seek help”

“I haven't even seen a regular doctor ever since… since Carlo died” Geppetto knows that he is afraid of even the most simple of medical things, it was unbearable to see when Carlo was sick, the treatments his son had to go through, they were too invasive, too hard on his poor son but no one knew how to truly cure the illness, so they did what they could, but sometimes Geppetto wonders what those doctors were even thinking.

He was there with all of those treatments, it was hard to see him like that, but he had to be strong for his son, but ever since he avoids doctors like the plague.

“I see, but unfortunately this is what's best, and avoiding doctors, in general, is bad, you have to be too have to tend to your health, specially at our age” Antonia is an older woman, things get harder with age and while doing well, she has had some issues come up due to the fact she was also ill with the petrification disease.

In some way, she was lucky that she got sick when she did, she didn't have to be subjected to quarantine, being seen as a lost cause, and abandoned or subjected to those treatments and her son managed to find a cure for her and all those other people in need as well.

“I understand” Geppetto knows that Antonia is right.

“And Pinocchio could also benefit from that” It hurts Antonia to know how much Pinocchio has suffered, it was painful to see him have that breakdown at the party she held a while ago.

“That’s going to be a little hard”

Pinocchio doesn’t have the best exposure when it comes to things related to mental health, first, the horror tales that come out of how Hotel Krat was a Mental Institution and what he had heard from Alice of what she experienced.

“But I’m sure I’ll find a way to explain how this would be good for him without scaring him”

“I can explain if you want”

“No Antonia, I want to do this”

“Just saying because you know…” Antonia smiled again, “Sometimes you are bad at explaining”

Geppetto became embarrassed.

“That’s different” He mumbled under his breath.

Antonia laughed and Geppetto even if he was embarrassed at least he didn’t feel tense anymore.

He will have a talk with him soon, but for now, they going back home and tomorrow they can spend time together as father and son.

Chapter Text

Sophia had just finished packing up her supplies, she decided that she would have a picnic in the woods, as they say that they look lovely this time of the year.

She found herself in a nice spot and placed the blanket on the floor, admiring the flowers that surrounded her and eating from time to time. She had gotten used to eating, at first it felt a little odd with her new body when it came to that, it felt too mechanical instead of natural, but thankfully it was something that she got over, a few other things she had found odd here and there, but nothing that she didn’t get used to by now.

Lying down on the blanket, Sophia began to feel a little sleepy and closed her eyes for just a few seconds.

—-

“Shit”

Sophia said when she woke up, realizing it was already nighttime, she ended up having a REALLY long nap.

She grabbed the basket and made her way to exit the woods, but the darkness of the night confused her, and she ended up getting lost.

“Calm down Sophia, calm down” Sophia had faced many dangers while in Krat, yet for some reason she was so intimidated by this forest. The trees looked like they were long arms trying to grab her and she could almost swear she saw faces in them, as she kept on walking began to get desperate, not being able to find her way out, so she ran and ran trying and find her way out.

Unfortunately, she was startled by some roaming bats, and in the commotion, she ended up falling into a body of water, at first she was scared because she could have sworn she saw crocodiles but thankfully they were just logs, her mind was just playing tricks on her, she managed to get out and tried to stay calm looking for a way out.

In the distance, she could hear music being played, and people singing, she felt relief that people were nearby, while walking a tiny deer made its way towards her, she petted the animal and it made motions, indicating that she should follow it. As she got closer, she saw more small animals surrounding a very tiny house, Sophia took a deep breath before knocking on the door, she felt a little nervous and as if she was interrupting something.

She was greeted by the seven dwarfs, the owners of the home, and by a young girl named Snow White, they were so kind to welcome her, they had no problem with her just staying one night and she promised that she wouldn’t let this go without its due reward, she helped them clean the place and arrange things once their celebration was over. The dwarfs dotted around her, Sophia could tell they didn’t get much interaction from other people, more so when they mentioned how they worked all day.

Thankfully there were no issues with arranging for her to have a bed, as Sophia chose to sleep on the couch and wrap herself with her picnic blanket. She had to refuse constantly when offered a bed, she didn’t want to be too much of a bother and the small house was already so cramped.

In the morning Sophia and the rest woke up and she had a brief talk with the seven dwarfs before they left for their work, once again she thanked them profusely for their kindness. Sophia was about to leave, but she noticed that the girl looked so sad, and decided to ask her what was wrong.

“My stepmother… she tried to kill me” Snow White shed a few tears, “And only now have I realized how awful she had been treating me”

Snow White is a young girl, so she is naive, she thought that her stepmother making her act like a maid was just her trying to teach her humility. The girl kept on venting to Sophia. Who was surprised to know that the girl was the princess, she wanted to help her, but she had no idea how, and it would be difficult because her stepmother rules the land, she could basically get away with anything she wanted. But at least Snow White is safe here and she can at least leave somewhat at peace with the dwarfs and her animal friends.

“Sometimes I wish a prince would come to save me, I knew a prince when I was little, we were good friends, I miss Florian but he is living his own life and I wouldn’t want anyone to have the burden of rescuing me”

Sophia is surprised at how mature she is for her age and so kind, doesn’t seem that there is any trace of selfishness inside of her. The only thing she could do was be a shoulder to cry on. Unfortunately, she couldn’t stay and she made her way to leave but she wished her the best.

She made her way out, now that it was daytime it would be easy for her to leave and she was given directions towards the nearest exit of the woods. Sophia walked for some time when suddenly a small deer, the same that had come to her before grabbed her dress by bitting it.

“No! Bad deer” She was scolding the young deer, thinking that it just wanted to play, but the deer kept trying to grab her attention, trying to tell her something.

“Did something happen?” Sophia felt a little weird trying to talk with a deer but despite the frantic gestures she managed to understand what the deer was saying.

“Snow White is in danger?!”

The deer nodded his head and made motions for her to go back, Sophia ran back towards the house, and with her increased stamina it wasn’t hard to rush towards the house, where she saw the dwarfs chasing after an older woman, it was easy to for Sophia to realize that the queen had come in disguise.

She entered the home to find Snow White unconscious on the floor, she tried shaking her over and over again but she couldn’t wake her up. The girl was dying and she needed to do something.

…

Sophia was back to the same spot she was before in the forest, this time she didn’t wait for the deer, she ran until she found the house, but again, it was too late, Snow White had taken a bite out of the apple as soon as she walked inside. Dammit, she needed to be quicker.

…

“Sophia, are you alright?” Snow White asks.

Sophia gasped for air, she could feel her gears moving at a faster rate, the longer she rewinds the more tired she became but she had to compose herself.

“Listen to me” Sophia grabbed Snow White’s shoulders with her hands, “I know it’s going to be hard to believe but the queen, she is coming right now to try and kill you”

“Huh?” What?!”

“I have this power” Sophia didn’t want to give all the details so she kept it short, “I can turn back time and I saw her, I saw her hurting you”

Sophia grabbed a glass and dropped it onto the floor, there was a pause and then it was back to how it was supposed to be. At first Snow White was still shocked but she remembered what the huntsman said, that her stepmother would stop at nothing until she saw her dead.

The forest animals wasted no time looking for the seven dwarfs and Sophia stayed by Snow White’s side when there was a knock on the door, they didn’t answer.

But the evil queen entered the house regardless, Snow White hiding behind Sophia. The queen tried to speak up but Sophia interrupted her.

“Drop the act, we know”

The queen was enraged, and with her magic turned herself back into her true appearance, it was killing her on the inside to be seen as old and ugly.

The queen got closer and pulled a dagger that she had kept hidden, it caught them off guard but Sophia despite not being a strong fighter managed to stop her, as the blade only made a loud thud when colliding with her arm that she used as a shield.

The queen was stunned, that should be impossible, “What are you?” She demanded an answer but she wouldn’t get one, the seven dwarfs had arrived and they started chasing after her, Sophia didn’t want to leave Snow White’s side but she followed them just in case, and it was a good thing. They had chased her up a hill, the atmosphere had changed, it was raining and the clouds made the skies dark, Sophia watched as the Queen pushed a boulder towards them, and it was about to hit them

“No!”

…

“What did you do?” The Queen could tell something was wrong but didn’t have enough time to react, as the boulder she had been pushing instead of falling down the hill, fell towards her, stumbling as she fell to her death, and the boulder crushing her. The vultures up the hill looking down at the scene.

—-

Sophia was starting to feel a little overwhelmed by all the attention, all of them treating her like a heroine, she was just happy to help, although, in the end, it did make her feel good to save someone like that, it felt exciting, she wonders if this how Pinocchio feels when he goes on his adventures.

But it was time for her to head back, she was worried about the Hotel room she rented, hoping that they didn’t assume she went missing and threw away her belongings. She doesn’t carry much but she does carry the essentials as those would be a disaster to lose. As she headed back, she could see that she was close, hearing a few people on the streets, she was so entranced on leaving that she was a little startled when someone spoke to her.

“Excuse me miss”

Sophia turned to look at them, those clothes, a prince just like the one Snow White described.

“I’m looking for a young girl, her name is Snow White, everyone has told me that she is dead, but I don’t believe that, please if you have seen this girl tell me” Florian sounded desperate.

She smiled at him and pointed at the woods, “She is living in a small house inside the forest”

Thrilled about the news, he thanked her and made his way towards the forest and Sophia made her way back to the hotel she was staying in.

—-

“Sorry miss but you have been gone for more than a day, we are going to have to cancel your room, please take your belongings and leave”

Sophia was frustrated, this stupid Hotel had dumb rules, and she should have confirmed better where she was staying now she had no choice but to leave. There had been a few times when she had to sleep on the streets, it was annoying but something she had to deal with, plus, she was just so happy about exploring the world, it was a small inconvenience and with her powers, she is more than capable of defending herself.

It was twilight outside and she had stopped to get something to eat and relax, but the place was filled with people, she was about to leave when an older woman signaled to her to sit with her. She looked very weak and fragile.

“We are both alone, why don’t we eat together?” The old lady’s voice was sweet, she was very friendly, making conversation with Sophia along the way.

“Oh you poor thing, I can’t let you be outside without a roof to sleep, please come to my home”

“Oh I can’t, it would be too much”

“Nonsense, I insist, please stay at my place”

Eventually, Sophia caved in, she followed the woman towards her home and at least helped her carry her bag, as the older woman was using an umbrella and walking with a cane, saying that at her age, walking gets harder and harder and the sun even just as dim as it is can be too much for her, and considering how pale she looked, it made sense.

At the old woman’s home, Sophia was arranging her belongings.

“Where are my manners? My name is Sophia”

“I guess I’m here lacking manners as well, people call me by my last name, so please call me Fable”

“Thank you so much, Miss. Fable”

The older woman excused herself for a moment, Sophia got a little curious, this house was so beautiful, so many small wooden figurines decorated the place, mainly of animals but also of small objects, Sophia stared intensely at one, she recognized the shape.

“I take it to you like my stargazer?” Miss. Fable said from behind, “Not as beautiful as a real one, but I made the figure myself, I think I did a good job”

“It’s beautiful, I’ve never seen someone outside of Krat that knew about Stargazers”

“Well I lived there years ago, but that seems like a distant memory by now” Miss. Fable looked like she was being reminded of old memories, “I still have family that lives there, I know that you’ve met them”

“Really?” Sophia wondered who she was talking about but this woman looked so old, maybe she was just confused.

“Giuseppe Geppetto, he is my grandson”

“What?!” Sophia was shocked, about how she knew that she knew him and more about how old this woman was.

The old woman laughed, “I am a listener just like you, sorry for being intrusive but when I saw you, I could tell right away” It wasn't hard for her to look at Sophia's memories through Ergo.

Sophia was surprised, but she felt more relaxed, knowing she could talk with her without being too secretive.

“I was also once an alchemist, but that was so long ago, and the alchemists nowadays…” Miss. Fable’s voice changed to a sadder tone, “Well now they don’t seem to want to help others, just wanting to fulfill their selfish needs”

Sophia looked away for a moment, just like her father, he was a good man, he wanted to use his knowledge and power for good, but just for being kind he was murdered.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring the mood down”

“It’s okay and you are right anyway”

“Why don’t we talk about something else? Can you tell me about my great-grandson?”

Sophia smiled, she would love to tell her all about Pinocchio, how kind and wonderful that boy is, she recalled the times she spent with him, how he saved her and
all of Krat, how he brought her back, she also told showed her the ring.

They talked for a few hours, and the atmosphere was calming and friendly, Miss. Fable told Sophia tips on what to do when traveling, she seemed to have a good amount of knowledge and she appreciated the advice and after it was late they went to bed.

She decided to stay with her for the remaining days she had in Germany, with her, Sophia was happy with how everything had turned out, she had had a great time here, but now she was wondering where to go next.

“You could go to Austria, I was born there, and I have fond memories of when I was a little girl there”

“Mmm that doesn’t sound like a bad idea”

It was a little quiet after that, but Miss. Fable spoke up again.

“Girl, can I tell you a secret?”

“Mmm?” Sophia had become distracted looking again at the decor of the house, she was just so in love with it.

“Hopefully you can hear what this old lady has to say”

“Of course, please do tell”

——

“Wow, that’s…” Sophia was speechless.

“I understand, a little far fetched but as I told you, I’m telling you this in case you ever need my help”

Sophia gave her a warm smile, “I’ll think about it, you really are too generous and your secret is safe with me”

The next day, Sophia had made up her mind to leave for Austria when there was a knock at the door.

“We are looking for a girl named Sophia and we heard that someone matching her description was here,” said a Royal guard.

“That would be me” Sophia got closer to see what this was about.

“I come to send a message, as a reward for saving the princess she is formally inviting as a guest to a wedding”

Sophia turned to look at Miss. Fable.

“Austria can wait, you are definitely not missing that”

—-

“I still can’t believe you met my grandmother,” Geppetto said.

They were all waiting at the train station in France, it was way too early in the morning but it was the time they needed to leave, Pinocchio had fallen asleep on his father’s shoulder since the sleepy head wasn’t used to being up so early.

“She is a lovely lady” She truly is, Sophia does wonder though what Geppetto would think of his grandmother’s secret.

The sound of a train engine was heard, it was time for Geppetto and Pinocchio to leave. It was going to be a long ride back to Krat, it would take them all day, so they said their goodbyes and not soon after, Sophia’s strain arrived, her ride would take way longer, and she would have to make any stops along the way to get there.

But it doesn’t bother her, she is free now and her travels may be by herself, but she never forgets that she will never be truly alone.

Chapter Text

“You are taking time off work again?”

Geppetto gave out a sigh, he didn’t want to deal with Conrad right now.

“That’s why I’m working overtime today, I’m spending time with my son tomorrow”

Conrad rolled his eyes, “Why do you even bother being the leader of the union if you don’t take your job seriously?”

Geppetto has to stay calm, he knows that the man just wants a reaction out of him.

“I have a son and the union allows for more days off to those who have children”

“Like the time you took off for Carlo? Those days off went to waste with him”

That man just loves to bring out his dead son, but Geppetto won’t let him get away with this.

“Actually days off don’t get wasted, they stack if you don’t use them, you are good at math Conrad, so why don’t you calculate the days off I didn’t use? Don’t forget to add the vacations I didn’t take while in my many years of working”

Conrad starts calculating the time in his mind, confident that Geppetto is just exaggerating.

“I almost forgot I’m a senior employee so I can ask for more days off and speaking of senior, remember that by law in Krat all senior citizens that still work are required to ask for extended days off” Geppetto has a smile on his face, “As well as the overtime since we know that if you accumulate enough overtime you can take time off”

“Oh” Conrad managed to figure it out, Geppetto could take an entire year off if he wanted.

“If that’s all you came for, then please I’m going to ask you to leave my office”

“I do have other business with you” Conrad proceeded to show him a statistic chart, “The widespread maintenance we did recently, I was looking at the data and I noticed something was wrong”

Through Ergo waves, they can perform adjustments to all puppets in Krat, it’s for minor bugs or errors, things that can easily be fixed, and they have a machine that works similarly to a stargazer, it's called The Ergo Core.

“Look at this” Conrad pointed at the end of the chart, “For a small moment, just the second before the machine turned off, the Ergo wavelength went up by a ridiculous amount”

Just as described, the chart had a line that reported the progress, workers never tend to read the chart as it’s always the same, with small ups and downs, almost like how a heartbeat is supposed to look. But in this situation, the waves were all the way up a second before shutting down.

“Any idea as to why that is?”

—-

“Venigni I need your help with something” Geppetto took him aside to talk in private.

“Yes? What is it?” Venigni could tell something was different, not a simple work favor.

“I’m removing Law 0” Geppetto knew that he needed to do this, that he must have done this a long time ago but it was only until now that he had found the opportunity, as he needed to do this discretely, one wrong move and the secret would be found.

“You can overwrite that?” Venigni was stunned, he had no idea that you could remove laws from the Grand Covenant, much less Law 0, the way Geppetto had explained it to him it should be impossible to remove it.

“Yes, because of Law 0 can add remove, or add any laws I want, or I can make it so that one law is more important than others, to remove Law 0 I’m going to have to change it for something else” Geppetto has to do this, even if he has seen the error of his ways he shouldn't have that much power over puppets.

“Change it to what exactly?” Venigni needs to know more to understand properly.

“I can make it so no one can ever control puppets, I can change Law 0 to instead of obeying my command, or any commands from someone else, that their system will reject it and have Law 0 have no priority, all other laws can overwrite it”

“What do you need me to do?” Venigni knew that he had to help, no matter how hard it was.

“Well… the only way to make it possible is with The Ergo Core”

Oh no.

The device hasn’t been used in a long time, other things had taken priority, mostly focusing on rebuilding the city. The problem is that each time The Ergo Core is used, every single member of the board is required to be present. For monitoring that it works properly.

And to avoid tampering.

Geppetto was only able to tamper with it in the past because it was when the machine was being built, the day before it was supposed to be activated he said he wanted to do a quick test run to see if everything was working properly with the grand covenant, it was an excuse to add Law 0 into the mix, once it was activated, all puppets that had not awoken an Ego were now bound to it.

“I need you to decipher a message with my voice so I can play it just as the machine is about to shut down, I know how good you are at ciphering, I know that with your skills the message will never get decoded” Geppetto knows the only one he can trust with this is Venigni.

Venigni smiled, he always loved it when others praised his cyphering skills, because it’s true, they were unmatched.

“I already have an idea on how it can work even better” Venigni knows that he can make it so the signal just looks like it went up at the last second, no one looks at the statistics charts, and if someone did, they will assume it was either a bug or some sort of error, “We can use an Ergo crystal to absorb the information, we just have to crush it in front of the device”

The tricky part is pulling off this, Ergo crystals aren’t exactly quiet when broken and everyone would be able to see Geppetto break it in front of the machine.

Venigni was getting excited “How are we going to distract them?”

“I also need your help with that” Geppetto took a deep breath, “I don’t even know how, but you are smart Venigni maybe you can help me figure it out”

Venigni had an even bigger grin, he knew how much of a genius he was, but hearing how smart he was from another genius like Geppetto made him feel even better.

“Don’t worry I have a plan” Venigni loves to be over the top, so he has the perfect idea.

It was quiet, everyone had their attention on The Ergo Core, it was almost done with its task when suddenly everyone was distracted by knocking, followed by the sound of the door opening.

“Excuse me sirs” Pulcinella said.

“No one is supposed to be allowed in here” Conrad was annoyed, “Specially puppets”

“I’m terribly sorry for the intrusion however,” Pulcinella paused for a moment, “But there is an urgent problem”

“Can it not wait?” One of the other directors was mad as well.

“Somebody grab that raccoon!” Someone shouted from the outside.

From the opened door, a raccoon entered the room, running up and down, jumping left and right, it had something in its mouth.

“Is that my wallet?!” One of the other directions shouted.

Chaos ensued as the man tried to grab it, and because it was causing such a disaster everyone else was too distracted to notice Geppetto crushing the Ergo crystal, the machine shutting down done with its job shortly after.

The raccoon dropped the wallet and ran away, everyone questioning how it had even gotten inside, animal control found no sight of it either.

At the end of the day, Geppetto met with Venigni at his home, he had the raccoon in his shoulder.

“I thought you randomly grabbed a raccoon from the streets”

“Oh, not at all. It’s trained to do tricks” He had rented it for this purpose, no one would suspect a thing, the workers don’t know he rented it, and even if they did, well the great Lorenzini Venigni is fond of all sorts of animals, that’s just a coincidence.

“So the wallet thing was also a trick?” Geppetto was trying to hold back laughter.

“Of course, although I thought it could maybe be too obvious if it was Conrad’s wallet so I grabbed one of his followers' wallet” Venigni gave a small treat to the raccoon and started to pet its head.

“You are a genius Venigni” Geppetto would have never expected something so simple like that to work.

——

Geppetto was looking at the chart.

“Sorry but I don’t, but I’ll see what I can find out” Geppetto started to organize his papers, “The day after tomorrow I can-

“Don’t bother, it was probably just an error” Conrad made his way towards the door, “Just pointing out that you didn’t even notice something so obvious, great job for the Union Leader am I right?”

With that said Conrad left the room and Geppetto gave out a sigh of relief.

——

“Really?! We are going to a Carnival?!” Pinocchio was so excited.

A traveling Carnival was coming to Krat and tomorrow was the opening.

“Remember to not wear your expensive clothes” Geppetto smiled at his son.

Pinocchio just gave his father a deadpan stare and his father laughed.

“Don’t be a brat Pinocchio your father has a point” Gemini is scolding him but Pinocchio just pouts.

In the end that doesn’t take away Pinocchio’s excitement, he can’t wait to spend time together with his father tomorrow.

—-

Pinocchio is having a lot of fun, it’s a bit of a shame that his father can’t get into most of the rides, saying that he is too old to be having thrills like that, but he is enjoying the time he is having. He has to sneak Gemini inside the rides as technically he isn’t allowed because he is considered an “object” but he holds his friend with force, Gemini stays in the lamp, as it would be too dangerous if he was outside of it due to his small size, but Gemini is also having a nice time.

“Oh, father can I try that rollercoaster?” Pinocchio was almost jumping up and down, it was a huge rollercoaster and it had plenty of turns, and two full-circle spins.

“No son you can’t”

“Why not?” Pinocchio was disappointed.

Most of the rides looked just fine, and on the outside so does that rollercoaster, but as an engineer, even if this isn’t his field, he can tell that a disaster is about to happen at any moment with that ride, he wonders when the last time it was given maintenance was, it could be that because of its size it doesn’t get maintenance as much as the other rides but that doesn’t matter in his eyes. A terrible accident can happen at any moment.

“It’s too dangerous son”

“I’ve defeated monsters and those are way more dangerous,” Pinocchio insisted, wanting to be able to ride it.

Geppetto knows that the best way is to just explain why he can’t, so he starts explaining, but he doesn’t realize that he got too caught up in how those mechanisms work and instead of giving a simplified version, he ends up talking to Pinocchio as of he was talking about work.

Geppetto feels too proud of himself, “Do you understand now?”

“Um, no” Pinocchio looked so confused, his father might as well have been speaking another language.

Geppetto facepalmed, but this was his fault for going full work mode, “One part becomes lose of that ride and it breaks apart, if you are in there while that happens you will probably die”

Pinocchio was now looking scared, “So people could die if they go inside?!”

“Why am I so bad at explaining things?” Geppetto said to himself, is it that he gets too technical? That he is too direct?

“Son just, don’t think about it okay?”

“But-“

“Remember we are here to have fun, and besides lots of daily life things can kill you so-

“You can die while doing basic things?!” Pinocchio was mortified and started crying.

“No no no please don’t cry” Great job Geppetto father of the year, “Son life is complicated, if start overthinking you’ll get worried over nothing, you just have to enjoy life as it is” he got closer to his son and gave him a hug.

Being inside the Ferris wheel was great as it was a ride Geppetto could be in and they admired the view, Krat is a beautiful city, even more lovely in the night sky.

They walked around for some time, looking at some of the game stands with some of the prices you can win, Pinocchio tried one about throwing darts and had a high score, as expected, considering how many objects he threw at enemies, only natural for him to have great aim.

“Pinocchio chose something else, you can’t have that duck”

“But father, I won!” Pinocchio was carrying the duck in his hands, the bird moving their feet in the air and quacking from time to time.

“You already have a pony and we can’t take care of a duck at home” Maybe one day he will consider a dog or a cat but certainly not a duck.

Reluctantly, Pinocchio chose something else, the other big prices were all big-sized stuffed animals, almost as tall as him, so he chose a bunny one. It’s going to be a little bit of a hassle to carry it back home but it was worth it. In the meantime, they decided to
take a break before leaving, just so that Geppetto could rest before heading back home, Pinocchio decided to enter one last attraction, it was the house of mirrors, he ended up colliding a few times with the glass but Gemini came to his rescue and helped him get out.

The house of mirrors was next to the giant rollercoaster, when Pinocchio went outside he could see that the ride had been shut down, it was a little odd since the place didn’t close until hours later.

“There you are!” He heard a familiar voice, “I’ve been trying to catch up to you”

Pinocchio turned around to see Adeline in front of him.

“Can you stop being so loud? It’s so annoying, I’m supposed to be having fun and here you are running it” Adeline was raising her voice.

“Being loud? I don’t understand” Pinocchio didn’t know what she was talking about.

“Your springs!” Adeline looked even more annoyed, “They are driving me crazy don’t you hear how loud you are being you stupid puppet?!”

Pinocchio was feeling uncomfortable, he just wanted to ignore her but it looked like she wouldn’t back down. Although he listened to what she said, for a moment he concentrated his hearing just like he does when playing the piano or the violin and he could hear the springs inside his body.

“Oh I guess they really are loud” Pinocchio wondered if it was because he was happy and had a good day with his father.

“Yeah well, turn down the volume or something”

Before Pinocchio could speak up again, a loud piercing sound was heard from above,
both of them looked up at the sky to see the cart of the rollercoaster making that sound. The staff had noticed something was wrong and was doing a test ride with no one inside and it was a good thing as the cart had lost control.

Unfortunately, it lost too much control, and the cart flew into the air, the thing was falling and about to crush Pinocchio and Adeline.

Pinocchio reacted quickly, grabbing Adeline and pushing her away just as the thing landed, it was a miracle that no one had been injured.

“You can get off of me now”

Pinocchio then realized that in his rush to save her, he had tackled her to the ground. He moved away and Pinocchio could tell that something was wrong.

“Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” He was worried that he accidentally had.

Adeline was shaking and hyperventilating, her mind realizing that she almost died and just a few seconds later she fainted.

—-

There was a medical tent at the Carnival, Pinocchio had helped carry Adeline there, and his father was also there with him, he had asked him over and over again if he was hurt, he looked so worried.

“The girl will be fine, it was the stress of the situation that made her faint”

Pinocchio looked at the doctor who had attended Adeline.

“Giangio?”

Giangio smiled at Pinocchio, “Long time no see, hope you are doing well Pinocchio”

“Do you know him, son?” Geppetto asked.

“Father he is the one that made the cure for the petrification disease” Pinocchio had a big smile on his face.

“Please I don’t like taking all the credit, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without your help” Giangio smiled, “I did it because I wanted to help others that’s all”

“Do you work here now?” Pinocchio wanted to know more maybe they could keep in touch somehow.

“I’m volunteering, I work somewhere else but I saw that the place could use some help, and I’m glad I came” Giangio loves playing doctor it's so fun.

Pinocchio smiled, Giangio is such a kind person.

“Son maybe it’s best we leave now”

“Hopefully I see you again soon Pinocchio, it was good to see you, if just briefly” Giangio gave Pinocchio a small wave, officially he was back to spying on the clueless boy.

Just before leaving Adeline woke up and she called for Pinocchio.

“Hey, puppet”

Pinocchio didn’t want to turn around because she didn’t say his name but he didn’t want to be rude.

“Thank you, truly”

Adeline knows people call her many things, many things that in her opinion are untrue, but she isn’t as ungrateful as some might think.

“Oh it was nothing” Pinocchio had to help her, he couldn’t have just let her get hurt.

Shortly after Adeline’s family members arrived and as they walked away they could hear them angrily shouting at the carnival staff and they couldn’t blame them for that.

Pinocchio put the giant bunny in a corner of his room, thankfully it managed to fit well, despite the scare he had a great time, but he could tell that his father was still shaken up a bit, so Pinocchio gave his father a big hug.

Geppetto played with his son’s hair, “You are a good boy son, always worrying about me”

Chapter Text

Pinocchio was just adding the last details to the painting, he had been working on it for weeks, and it was hard, this is the biggest painting he has ever done, he made it on a 70x100 cm canvas, big but not that big compared to for example the portrait of his brother, and it was his most detailed painting but he wanted it to be perfect, loving how it turned out. Now the only thing that was left was waiting for it to truly dry, so in the meantime, he went outside, as he had a special gift to buy.

—-

It was Mother’s Day in Krat and the streets were filled with people, all the stores full and running out of stock fast, roses and other flowers had risen in price drastically, but that’s to be expected in Mother’s Day all around the world.

Still, the money was no problem, he saved more than usual from his allowance to buy her a small but beautiful floral arrangement, now that he was done he would head back home and then to Hotel Krat, but as he was walking back home trouble arrived, someone was getting closer and closer to him, nothing unusual as they were going on the opposite direction but once they were in front of Pinocchio unexpectedly and swiftly snatched the flowers out of his hand and began to run away from him.

“Hey get back!” Pinocchio gave chase, his stamina made him able to keep up with them but the person was using every trick to try and get away from him, even throwing a shop stand in the way, which made Pinocchio almost lose them. Still, the person in front of him tripped and fell to the floor, or rather someone made them trip and fall.

Some people took the opportunity to apprehend them, and thankfully the flowers were intact, so Pinocchio took them, he glanced to see who was the one who made them trip.

“Mmm, looks like I see you again and so soon” Giangio gave a friendly wave to Pinocchio.

Both of them watched to catch up, as they weren’t able to do so before, so they decided to sit down on a bench.

“Are those flowers for Lady Antonia?” Giangio couldn't deny how lovely they looked.

“Yes, how did you know?” Pinocchio was feeling relived, that interaction made him pretty angry and this was a welcoming surprise.

“It was clear to see back then how much you love her” From time to time he would take a glance at what everyone was doing in Hotel Krat, he is good at sneaking so no one was aware of his presence aside from Pinocchio, and the cat but Spring doesn't count, actually he misses her a little, she would rub herself in between his legs and ask for belly rubs, she made the time spend there less boring.

Pinocchio was eager to keep up with the conversation, “Are you giving something special to your mother Giangio?”

There was an awkward silence for a few seconds and it was obvious as to why.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed” Pinocchio felt bad about it.

“It’s alright, there is no problem” Giangio gave him a warm smile, “I can still enjoy this day” It’s a lovely day to remember how he murdered her, “Why don’t you tell me how you been doing?”

He started telling him all about it, even how he went to London but he excluded a few things as they were too personal.

“Glad to hear how good things are going for you, I’m doing good as well” Giangio would love to travel more, God knows he needs a vacation, its unfortunately not going to happen any time soon, his colleagues are also not happy about the fact he let Dorothy getaway, easy for them to say, just like Pinocchio she might look cute and innocent but is a real menace.

“What do you do?” Pinocchio would love to hear more about it, he saw Giangio make the cure in front of him and it looked interesting when he mixed those chemicals.

“Oh, you know… research, treating people, the usual” Experiments, torturing a few people here and there.

It was quiet again for a few seconds before Pinocchio spoke up, “Sorry, I have to leave” He can't be late to see his mother on this day.

Both of them stood up and Pinocchio gave Giangio a big hug, “I liked seeing you again”
Pinocchio had a sweet and innocent smile on his face.

Giangio started feeling bad, he does like Pinocchio, he is a good boy as everyone says and he doesn’t deserve to get dragged into that sort of mess, yet Giangio is too consumed by his pursuit of knowledge to try and prevent this issue, because even if he isn’t participating that research could prove most useful, still he decides to give the boy a little helping hand.

“Almost forgot!” Giangio handed down a necklace, although it was more of a key tied to a chain, “I’ve been keeping this ever since I was at the cathedral, as a memento, but I want you to have it, as a gift”

He knows some of the secret activities are being done underneath the St. Frangelico Cathedral. Maybe if the boy is smart enough he can catch up to that and the key will certainly help.

“Thank you,” Pinocchio said.

Giangio waved him goodbye, it was good to talk with the boy.

—-

The beautiful notes of the piano resonated around the room, Pinocchio making no mistakes in the enchanting melody, he had studied music hard with his mother, for her, so he wanted to make this a fond memory, once he was done, his mother gave an applause, praising him his skills, she looked so happy and that’s what he was aiming for, he loves her a lot and wants to show how much he loves her.

“You buy me flowers and play me a beautiful song, what more could a mother ask for?” Antonia felt so spoiled.

Antonia spoils Pinocchio a lot, only fair that it would be his turn to spoil her.

“I still have something else” Pinocchio grabbed her hand, “Close your eyes”

Antonia did so and she wondered what else he wanted to show her, she could tell that he had taken her to the room just next to the one where they practiced, he probably hid his gift there.

“Okay open them”

Antonia opened her eyes, in front of her lying on a table was a painting of her, wearing the same outfit she had worn at the Hotel when that whole fiasco happened. The portrait captured her beauty perfectly and she was amazed at the realism, Pinocchio had come a long way not just in his musical talent but in his painting skills as well. The painting depicted her where she always sat back then, although instead of sitting in a wheelchair with an IV connected to her vein, she was gracefully seated in of the beautiful chairs of Hotel Krat, part of the painting showed in the background the piano and small music notes could be seen floating in the air, her eyes showed the determination she had back then to not let the illness consume her and her warm smile reflected how even if it was hard, she always kept a smile on her face.

“I wanted to make you one, I know it won’t replace the other one…” Pinocchio was sad remembering how the portrait of his mother when she was younger got vandalized, completely ruining it, “But I tried my best and-“

Antonia hugged him tightly, she didn’t know what she had done to deserve such a kind boy by her side, she was crying tears of joy.

“Thank you, thank you so much, my dear” Antonia shed a few tears of joy.

Antonia kissed Pinocchio’s forehead and then began to kiss his face multiple times, he felt a little embarrassed but he didn’t complain, he knew how happy she was.

They had dinner together, Antonia had made reservations in advance in a high-end restaurant, it was a lovely night spent together, at the end Antonia didn’t want to let him go so she called Geppetto and asked if Pinocchio could stay the night at her home, and he agreed.

They talked for a few hours, and it all felt so lovely, Antonia sometimes feels like all of this is too good to be true, not long ago she thought she was going to die and had accepted it, yet she survived and she feels like she is once again living the best years of her life.

As Pinocchio was changing into his pajamas and arranging Gemini’s small bed, Polendina made small talk with Antonia.

“Perhaps it would be best if you and Geppetto made a formal custody agreement” Polendina was teasing her and she laughed.

“I’m sorry love but for today you are going to have to sleep in the guest room” Antonia wanted to sleep together with Pinocchio that night.

“Since I know I did nothing wrong, I have no problem with it”

Both of them smiled, they were so enchanted with each other that they had never even fought, Polendina sometimes felt as if they were living in a fairy tale, everything was so perfect. He still remembers when he thought she might die, how he was even ready to erase his memories because he wouldn’t be able to handle the pain.

Maybe after everything they have both endured, this is their reward.

Soon they were all resting in bed, Pinocchio sleeping in his mother’s arms,

Antonia feels so lucky; the roses, the song, the painting they were all so lovely.

But the greatest gift she could ask for is sleeping next to her.

Chapter Text

Eugéne was reading the newspaper, she had already read the main headline and was just scrolling to see what else she could find,

… the Stalker formerly known as Parrot has finally been apprehended, as it’s known, this stalker was the partner of the great Stalker Alidoro who unfortunately was murdered by Parrot although for now, the reason is still unknown. Since he refuses to explain his motives.

He is being detained and his trial will….

The sound of the bell of her shop opening was heard, she looked up to see that Pinocchio had entered.

“Hi Eugéne! I have something to show you” Pinocchio was holding a sword in his hand, the sword he had found on the underground of Hotel Krat, he had finally found time to show it to her.

He handed her the weapon, and she analyzed it carefully, very carefully, she was silent while analyzing every detail.

“This was made in the 1500s, I can tell by how it was welded, although by those standards it’s a little different, the handle has the same materials even if it’s not a traditional handle, but the sword is made of something completely unusual for the era, or any era really, it’s made of Damascus steel to find one of these is so rare”

Eugéne was completely entranced by the weapon, “Someone made this with a lot of care, these details are so unique, it must have taken months to build this”

Pinocchio can see that Eugéne has a big smile on her face, she seems to be in love with that sword.

“Do you want to keep it here with you?” Pinocchio smiled, “I still have some of my other weapons at home and if I ever need it, I can just ask you”

Pinocchio only kept very few of the weapons he found since they were taking up too much space at home, so he sold most of them, the extra cash was good to buy a few things for himself without the need for his allowance money, although he did give the dragon sword to Eugéne as a gift, she loved it.
He remembered when he was organizing what to keep and what to get rid of.

“Son, why do you have an umbrella with the rest of your weapons?” His father looked confused, even more confused when he explained how greatly it works.

“You know, you could also have used it back then to not get wet” Geppetto had seen his son come back to Hotel Krat completely covered wet due to the rain. But as we know, Pinocchio tends to not take the best care of his clothes.

As for his legion arms, Pinocchio kept all of them, eventually, he did find more calibers here and there and managed to fully upgrade them all.

“Hopefully it’s not much to ask but yeah I would love to add this to my collection” She makes weapons but also collects them, she has a special place in the back of her shop and has them displayed.

They were casually talking for a few minutes when Pinocchio noticed the newspaper, Eugéne could tell he was reading the main headline.

“It’s crazy, right? I can’t believe a serial killer is running around, and they still haven’t caught them” Eugéne knows better than to trust the Krat’s police but at least when it came to something like this they should put in the effort, the killer is leaving the bodies in exposed places and leaving messages, at least that should give them a hint, “For some reason, Krat has been feeling a little more unsafe lately”

“Well, yesterday someone tried to steal flowers from me” Pinocchio recounted what had happened.

“Seriously, trying to steal flowers? The nerve of some people” Eugéne sighed, “You know the other day I went outside my home for five minutes, just for a trip to the store and back, and on my way back someone tried grabbing my bag”

“What?!” Pinocchio couldn't believe it.

“Don’t worry, everything was fine, everything happened so fast but a stalker was walking nearby and that seemed to scare them, they stopped as soon as they saw the stalker”

“You got really lucky but be a little more careful next time” Gemini was also worried, if this happened so close to her home, he couldn’t imagine if she were to take a long walk somewhere else.

“I guess I had a little guardian Angel following me” She smiled, it made her feel safe that someone or something could be watching over her.

“What mask were they wearing?” Pinocchio is curious, he doesn’t want to be a stalker but he does like and find interesting what they do.

“It was a mastiff dog mask, or at least I think that’s what it was, I’m more of a cat person” Eugéne has more experience and knowledge when it comes to cats rather than dogs, “I saw that they were a man since he stared at me for at least a minute before leaving”

She found it a little odd but in a way, all stalkers are a little weird and she was extremely grateful for the help. She almost wanted to ask where he got that sword, Eugéne was sure that it was a sword from the east.

“I wonder if someone has a cricket mask” Gemini has never seen someone having bug masks.

“Who knows Gemini, there are so many stalkers out there, maybe one of them is a fan of crickets” Eugéne touched Gemini’s little head with her finger, giving him gentle headpats.

“Pinocchio why don’t you learn a few things from her instead of shaking me each time you get mad?”

Pinocchio smiled at Gemini quickly trying to grab him with his hand but Gemini jumped away to Eugéne’s shoulder.

“I knew you were going to do that you brat” Gemini chirped.

They were having a great time, Eugéne closed her shop for an hour each day as her break, at it was time for that, so she decided that it would be a good idea if both of them went together to have a little snack.

They saw an interesting shop that sold pastries and sweets, and each one of them ordered the same one, eclairs with orange flavor, apparently, it had a fun secret ingredient and they wanted to try it out, it seemed fun, Pinocchio ate his first, too excited to try it, as he ate it, he felt a crunchy sound, it was odd but it must be some sort of edible decoration so he swallowed it. Once he was done eating, he felt a little odd.

“Pinocchio you shouldn’t eat food so fast,” Gemini said, now back im his cage.

“No, this is different, I know how to explain but I feel weird” Pinocchio doesn’t know how to explain it, “Almost as if I have felt this way before but…”

“Mmm” Eugéne had a bad feeling about this, so she cut in half her pastry and a little rock came from inside.

A disruption crystal.

Needless to say, the three of them were completely panicking, Pinocchio had swallowed it whole and every minute he passed was vital.

Eugéne grabbed Pinocchio’s shoulders, “Pinocchio listen to me, take this”

She handed Pinocchio something that looked like a pocket watch, but it was more of a strange necklace.

“At the union, all workers are given this, I don’t work there anymore but thank God I kept mine, it can send you to a special stargazer that’s inside the premises”

It’s a stargazer that’s just outside the factory, it’s given to all workers in case of an emergency.

“Quick, go and find your father” Eugéne knows how to work in the most stressful of situations, she knows how to keep her composure, it’s a skill that takes time to develop when working on hard labor like this, even more so when in your profession mistakes can have big consequences.

Pinocchio nodded and activated the device, Eugéne had no choice but to return to her shop, she was worried sick but she needed to keep calm, she believed in Geppetto’s skills.

—-

He entered the building, he got yelled at for entering but he didn’t care, he remembered where his father’s office was but unfortunately, he wasn’t there, he was panicking even more, he was starting to feel worse now, he grabbed his bag and pulled a small bottle from the inside a Purification Ampoule, thankfully he always carries one just in case but that’s not going to stop it as long as that stone is inside his body.

After asking around frantically he knew where his father was and rushed to get there, it was a testing room, and Pinocchio opened the door with force almost breaking it.

“Father!”

“Geppetto your puppet son can’t be here” Conrad was there and he didn’t look happy, but truthfully he never looks happy unless he is taunting others.

Pinocchio rushed to his father’s side, he was talking too fast to explain but Geppetto managed to understand, his face becoming pale. He grabbed Pinocchio’s hand and dragged him out of there.

“This is an emergency, I’m borrowing one of the rooms for this!” Geppetto shouted at his coworkers and took his son to another room that’s used for testing, rooms like this have everything he needs.

He told Pinocchio to take off his shirt and to lie down on the table.

“Sorry son but this is going to hurt” Geppetto was apologetic but he couldn't sugarcoat this.

Geppetto put on some gloves and opened Pinocchio’s chest cavity, his heart was exposed as well as his other organs, Geppetto was nervous because of the unique situation his son was in. He looked at Pinocchio’s stomach, his living organ just like all the others, mixed with the mechanical parts. But God answered his prayers because the stone wasn’t inside Pinocchio’s stomach, but rather stuck on a gear next to it, he doesn’t know how that works but he isn’t going to question this good luck he had.

He grabbed some tweezers and pulled out the crystal, Pinocchio giving out a cry of pain; Geppetto set it aside somewhere else, on the other end of the room as being near it was still dangerous for Pinocchio. The thing being inside ended up disrupting the flow of some of the mechanisms and Geppetto could tell that the human part of his son’s body was trying to compensate for the problem.

Geppetto took a deep breath and repaired him just as he did when his son was in his original state, he concentrated as to not think about the organs and blood around him, as long as he didn’t touch them it should be fine, the task was hard, but he went into autopilot, not touching even an inch of his living body.

Pinocchio was quiet, trying not to cry in pain, it did hurt a lot and he started to feel exhausted, slowly the pain started to go away, he closed his eyes and ended up falling asleep.

Geppetto was already done with the inside, but he did fix some small details that had nothing to do with the issue, nothing really that important in the grand scheme of things but he is a perfectionist and his son deserves the best care. After closing Pinocchio he took a sigh of relief and left him resting for a moment.

He turned to look at the cricket “Gemini keep an eye on him will you?”

Geppetto grabbed the crystal and put it inside a container, he made his way towards the door, he was going to have to dispose of it, and he was also going to have to find the other members of the board and explain why he had to leave with his son, It would be easy if Venigni was here but he is attending to his other job matters so he isn’t at the union today.

He opened the door, looks like Geppetto didn’t have to look for any of them, as all the other members of the board and even other coworkers were just outside the door, badly acting as if they weren’t trying to overhear how he was fixing up his son.

Really? They can’t even try to be a little more discreet?

Geppetto was so done with this “Excuse me but, I’m going to have to leave work early”

“It’s okay Geppetto don’t worry about it” One of the men said, “You know if you need any help regarding your son-“

“Thank you very much but he is my son and I will treat him himself” Geppetto stared intensely at the man for a few seconds and he took the hint, all the others took the hint as well.

“Would you mind giving me that Crystal Geppetto?” The subdirector of the union said, “I need to check how that store got their hands on it, they aren’t supposed to be available for the public”

That’s right, they are used in many things related to labor, the crystals are for testing certain types of resistances and even communication systems, as well as testing puppet endurance. They are important and lately, there has been a shortage of disruption crystals.

“And it’s not harmful to humans but I’m still sure that’s a health violation”

Geppetto is glad that he can count on the subdirector for his help, their work relationship is always purely professional but the subdirector of the union is a nice man.

Even if he is nosey just like all the other ones, at least knowing these people are dying to know how his son was built and how they envy his skills makes him feel a little proud of himself, at least it distracts him from the stress for a moment.

He didn’t want to wake up Pinocchio but he had to, his son can’t be resting here. So they both went back home, and as they left they could hear the others talking.

“He can eat? How is that possible?”

“The puppet was crying too, I wonder what Geppetto did so that could happen”

“Did anyone manage to overhear what tools Geppetto was using? That could give us a hint”

“I think I heard some sort of clock? What part would need that?”

“Not sure what springs he is using but they definitely don't sound like any of the ones we use here”

“Hey, if we are all here then who is in the other testing room?”

While father and son were leaving they started hearing one of the emergency alarms, Geppetto rolled his eyes, officially that was not his problem.

——-

Pinocchio was okay, just in his bed resting, falling asleep again, first Geppetto called Eugéne to tell her that Pinocchio was okay, she was so relieved, next he called Antonia since as his mother she should know this happened.

“That was a big scare, but thankfully everything was solved without much issue,” Antonia said from the other line.

“Yes, I’m happy everything was solved” Replied Geppetto.

There was a pause, no one talking for a few seconds.

“Geppetto are you okay?”

“No”

She figured that it must be the case, Pinocchio being in danger kept happening more often and it was obvious how stressed he was while hearing him on the other line. Maybe one would assume that considering all the danger Pinocchio has gone through Geppetto would have gotten used to it by now, but that’s not the case, no one ever wants to see their child in danger.

At this point is also believable that the universe must have something against poor Pinocchio considering his bad luck.

“Antonia I know that he is going to be okay but now I feel like an even worse father, I was sending him to do all those dangerous things before and-”

“Geppetto stop it, this was an accident and no one could have seen this coming” Antonia takes a brief pause, “And as I told you before, I am your shoulder to cry on but you know what we talked about last time”

“I know, I know, the appointment is already set for the day after tomorrow, I was going to tell Pinocchio about this today but then this happened” Geppetto also wonders if he should ask the doctor for medical advice on Pinocchio's human health.

“You can still tell him, just when he wakes up” Antonia was trying to reassure him.

“Can you please come I think I need your support because honestly, I’m too stressed right now”

Before Antonia could say something Geppetto spoke up first.

Geppetto was a little embarrassed “And because… I’m bad at explaining”

Antonia smiled. “I’ll be there soon”

——

“So that’s how you got electrocuted”

They were making small talk while waiting for Pinocchio to wake up.

“But Polendina is supposed to be waterproof how did that happen?” Geppetto knows that it doesn’t make sense for that to occur.

Antonia just blushes, “Well we were sort of experimenting and-

“You know what? Never mind I don’t want to know”

“Hey you are the one that brought up this topic first by mentioning-“

The sound of Pinocchio opening the door of his room was heard, and both of them immediately stopped talking about that.

“Son, how are you feeling?” Geppetto asked sweetly.

“Better” Pinocchio said in a drowsy voice, still sleepy.

When Pinocchio noticed that his mother was there he smiled, probably thinking that she came to spoil him because he wasn’t feeling well. Not entirely untrue since she is planning to do that but first they need to have this conversation.

“Pinocchio in two days you and your father are going to see a doctor” Antonia began to speak, “Just to see how you are doing”

“Oh, okay” Pinocchio was still smiling.

“Son this is a special kind of doctor” Geppetto paused for a moment, hopefully, he could explain well this time, “You know how you have gone through a lot of hardships right?”

“Um… yes?” Pinocchio knew this was going somewhere.

“And I know that you have a hard time talking about it and prefer to write down your feelings but just this time maybe it can help you,” His father said.

Both of them explained why he was going and why his father was going as well.

Antonia smiled at Pinocchio “Dear you don’t have to keep going if you don’t want to, no one is forcing you, but it doesn’t hurt to see if it helps at least once”

Pinocchio nodded, it looked like he understood well, Geppetto was glad he asked Antonia for help. He doesn’t know what his deal with explaining is, he explains perfectly well other things like when he teaches him about math, history, literature, etc.

Pinocchio put his two index fingers together “Can we go see my pony?”

It was only 3 pm so they still had plenty of time to go and have a visit and Pinocchio should have a good reward for what he went through today.

Chapter Text

Black Cat couldn’t stop moving around he had never been so excited.

“You are starting to act like Pinocchio” His sister teased him.

“Oh come on, I know that you are just as excited”

Indeed she was, as they had finally managed to find a place to offer their services, both had left their respective factions as bastards and sweepers and they were certainly not returning after what happened, both of the factions are just as corrupt as each other and their rivalry makes things even worse. Being a stalker without a faction is hard work, aside from the Legendary stalker, it is rare to hear of someone without a faction being successful sure they weren’t as successful nor were they aiming for that sort of fame, but this was a huge deal for them.

The rent is a little high but they wanted to have their office in a secure area and one that was free from the other stalker groups so it was worth it.

“Speaking of Pinocchio I sent him a letter telling him about this, hopefully, he’ll come to say hi,” Red Fox said.

“Well, knowing him he is probably going to open that door any minute” Black Cat was confident on the matter.

The door indeed opened, so hard in fact that it slammed the wall.

“Hi guys!”

But it wasn’t Pinocchio who had come to see them.

“Jesus Christ, Blue don’t you know how to knock?!” Black Cat was not only startled but angry at her, they just bought the place, no need to damage the door or the wall.

Blue Canary, she is a friend of theirs, as the name implies her mask is one of a Canary, a blue one. She is wearing the typical bastard stalker outfit, it makes sense since she hasn’t been with them for long and it fits her perfectly with her mask.

“Sorry, sorry I was just excited for the two of you” Blue just had to come and congratulate them, “It’s a shame you left the bastards Fox but I’m so happy to see you and of course, your brother succeed on your own like this”

They had never told her why they left their factions, they can’t tell her or anyone because they are being threatened if they try to expose the truth.

“Have you ever thought about going solo Blue? I assure you it comes with many freedoms” Red Fox wanted to maybe persuade her to leave the bastards, Blue is a very kind girl and she would hate to see her being dragged into a mess like that.

“Mmm well… maybe one day but, I still have a lot to learn” She wasn’t that confident in some of her capabilities, and Blue thought that maybe it would be best to stay and learn from them.

“Don’t doubt your skills, you are climbing the ladder so fast, although I find it odd that you haven’t changed masks” Red Fox wonders why that is.

“I just really love Blue Canaries, they are my favorite animal” Blue was beaming with joy.

As is well known, stalker masks show strength, the more experienced the better animal mask you get but that’s something that you see in those groups, when you are on your own you can wear any mask you please and they understand what she means both are fans of their respective animal masks, that’s why they have kept them.

“Really? I thought you would be a horse girl considering your family owns that big stable” Black Cat doesn’t understand why a girl like Blue who comes from such a wealthy family would want to be a stalker, yeah sure Bastard stalkers do come from wealthy families in Krat but her family is almost as loaded as Mr. Moneybags Lorenzini Venigni, she could just marry another rich person and have her life set forever, hell she could stay single and have her life set forever since Lucero family basically owns a monopoly with those horses.

“My family also owns birds, not for sale but they are our pets and I’ll have you know that I’ve always taken great care of them” Blue was proud of that, some of those birds are exotic and require a great amount of care and she has been doing that ever since she was a little kid.

“Birds are wonderful creatures” Red Fox is fond of them, “Free creatures, they can just soar in the sky and do what they want”

Black Cat got closer to her and grabbed her shoulder “Be careful Blue, cats eat birds”

“Haha, very funny catboy” Blue has heard that joke so many times from so many stalkers.

“I’m not a catboy!” That’s ridiculous, Black Cat was red with embarrassment even if it wasn’t shown due to his mask.

“You are,” Red Fox said with a smile on her face, “Don’t think I don’t know about those cat ears you keep hidden in your room”

“Uh um well,” Black Cat wasn’t going to let her get away with that, “Don’t think I don’t know about all those dumb stuffed animals you hide in your closet”

“They aren’t dumb!” How dare he say that?! They are her precious babies.

“Fight! Fight! ” Blue was the one teasing them now.

“Don’t start Blue as if you don’t fight with your sisters” Red Fox knows that with a family that big, sibling arguments would be a nightmare.

“Yeah I can’t imagine fighting with 7 sisters” Black Cat doesn’t know how Blue can stand that, one sister is annoying enough.

“Actually I have 11 sisters” Blue’s family is huge, she is the 6th one, just in the middle, but with the family wealth there are no issues with raising a big family. Although her parents aren’t planning on having any more kids, not after her triplet sisters were born. They were not expecting more than just one baby and her poor mother had a rough time, although in her opinion her mother should have been prepared, she had twins before so that was possible.

“Tell your father to put his dick down”

“Brother shut up!”

“Hey me and my sisters get along greatly unlike the two of you”

“Don’t your parents ever confuse who is who?” Black Cat asked.

“It has never happened and I don’t think it will ever happen to me cause, you know” Blue pointed at her eyes, they are visible from her mask, as she is not wearing a traditional mask, but rather a masquerade mask, showing her right brown eye and her left green eye.

She prefers not to wear a traditional mask as it would be too bothersome for her hair, as she has long blonde hair, up to her waist and she has never been a fan of ponytails, well, she is a fan of the ones that actually horses have and loves to make for them but that’s not the point nor the case for her.

“I must say, your family does seem to have a strong bond with each other” A big family and also very united, Red Fox was a little jealous.

Blue Canary smiled but then she looked at the clock that was in the wall of the office.

“Oh No! I’m going to be late for my job!” Blue was panicking.

“What job? If you don’t mind me asking?” Red Fox was curious.

“You know that fancy doctor Mr. Garret?“ Blue grabbed the door handle and braced herself to rush out of there, “I’m his bodyguard”

Blue opened the door, shut it, and ran away but just a few minutes later she opened the door again with force, she was gasping for air. “Guys… forgot… Congrats!”

With that said she ran away again, that girl can be a little clueless sometimes.

“Damn working for Frederick Garret?” Black Cat was impressed.

It was quiet for a few moments before they heard a knock on the door.

“May I come in?”

It was Pinocchio because he is a polite good boy and knocks first before entering and obviously they let him in. And because he finally got over his bad habit of breaking doors… most of the time.

“Congratulations!” Pinocchio was so happy for them.

“Yeah Congrats” Gemini is standing on Pinocchio’s shoulder, he isn’t as enthusiastic as Pinocchio since he still isn’t that fond of them, although he has warmed up to them a little.

“Hey, I didn’t know your friend Pisces could walk,” Black Cat said getting closer to have a better look.

“Seriously?” Gemini looked at him back and crossed his arms, slightly moving his antennas to show his disappointment.

“Gemini can walk now but he wasn’t able before” Pinocchio explained.

“I’m glad you were able to come Pinocchio, I was worried your father wouldn’t let you see us” Red Fox knows that Geppetto doesn’t exactly like them.

“Yeah he hates us”

“Brother, why are you always so blunt like that?”

“About that…” Pinocchio took a deep breath, “I sorta lied and he doesn’t know I came to see you both”

“Look at that” Black Cat roughly played with Pinocchio’s hair, “Our little brother has a fun side”

Pinocchio started to try to fix his hair, he had just brushed it before coming here.

“You are such a bad influence on him” Gemini was scolding him.

Black Cat huffed “Come on his father should have forgiven us by now”

“Brother I don’t think it’s easy to forgive people who kidnapped you” Red Fox rolled her eyes.

“I’m joking” Black Cat doesn’t know why they don’t understand his sense of humor, “Did your old man finally teach you where babies come from?”

“I thought you said you were going to be more mature” Red Fox was also scolding him.

“Come on I’m just teasing him… um Pinocchio are you okay?”

Pinocchio was looking down at the floor, they could hear his cogs and springs moving, the boy was staying still in place.

“Yeah… my father taught me about that”

“Let’s change the subject” Not something Red Fox wanted to to talk about. “Well, why don’t you tell us how you have been doing?”

“I got a pony!” Pinocchio shouted enthusiastically, snapping from his trance.
“My mother got it for me”

“Your mother is…?” Black Cat has a hard time keeping up with everyone Pinocchio knows and it’s because really he only knows the cricket and his father and with the latter, they didn’t meet in the best of circumstances.

“Lady Antonia” Pinocchio had a huge smile on his face, “And Mr. Venigni is my uncle”

“How lucky you are” Red Fox was happy for him and Pinocchio was indeed very lucky, his father, mother, and uncle were all wealthy, Pinocchio could be swimming in money if he wanted to.

“There is also Eugéne who is also my sister” Pinocchio had a sweet smile.

“But I’m the fun sister right?” Red Fox got a little closer to him.

“You are his lame sister”

“Brother!”

Pinocchio let out a small laugh, it was fun seeing them interact like this. They talked for some time until someone came to the door, they came to ask for their services, a doctor from Krat’s new hospital, the one Venigni had built was asking them to be their bodyguard although just for that one day, unlike Blue who seems to have been hired until her client says her duty is fully done.

Red Fox found it odd, why would a few doctors need protection? But she isn’t going to question them, she and her brother are just getting paid, this is a job. Their client did explain that there was a party being held for the hospital staff that night, and gave them the assigned time to meet, after that, their client left.

Pinocchio looked at the floor “Oh I know about that party, my uncle Venigni invited me but I’m not going”

“Mmm, why not?” Red Fox asked him.

“Well, my father doesn’t like hospitals” His father had told him that he was free to go but Pinocchio could tell that his father was uncomfortable about the idea of him being even near a hospital, he does have that appointment with him for tomorrow but… “I don’t want to upset him”

“Have a little fun, plus we will be there and your uncle will be there,” Black Cat said.

“We are going to be on a job” Red Fox playfully smacked her brother's back.

“I know that; I’m saying that he should have a little fun” Black Cat just wants Pinocchio to have a little excitement in his life, “You gotta live a little, have a few more fun adventures here and there”

“I think Pinocchio has lived enough adventures” Gemini believes that Pinocchio should have a peaceful life after everything the boy has been through.

Pinocchio thought about it, he did want to have some fun and his uncle Venigni would be the one to take him so…

“I’ll see the two of you there!”

——

Looks like both of them just keep getting lucky, this job is so easy and they are enjoying the atmosphere. Pinocchio came to say hi but they couldn’t talk to him as they had to keep an eye on their client, still, it was good he came, they could see that he was having a good time.

Venigni is certainly having a good time, he hasn’t stopped talking since he got here but that man never shuts up. Oven more because Pinocchio is wearing an outfit similar to him, including the glasses. They can hear from afar each new invention he has come up with, and each time he mentions how brilliant he is.

It looks like Venigni also dislikes them, as he seems to be overprotective of Pinocchio after he went to greet them.

Right, how could they have forgotten? They left the man to fend for himself at the factory with all that danger.

“Looks like we are the black sheeps of his family” Red Fox whispered to her brother.

“Maybe we should change masks” Black Cat whispered back.

They both smile they are having a good time.

Blue was also there, she gave them a small hand wave, it looked like her client didn’t want her to talk to anyone.

———

The party had ended, and almost everyone had left by now, they accompanied their client to the exit and got paid a good amount. They decided to wait for Pinocchio, they also wanted to wait for Blue but that doctor took her away with him.

Pinocchio spotted them and made his way towards them, Venigni was behind him and he stayed quiet as Pinocchio talked with them, the atmosphere was somewhat tense but Pinocchio didn’t seem to notice that.

In the end, they had to say their goodbyes and everyone was ready to head home.

“Pinocchio I know that you are a very friendly boy but be careful who you make friends with” Venigni was being overprotective, in his eyes with good reason as he didn’t trust them.

Unfortunately, Pinocchio already knows that because of what happened in London but those two are not like that, “They are good people they just had to do a lot of stuff to survive”

He had to do a lot of stuff to survive, bad things that he regrets and has to live with. Just like them.

He could tell that his uncle still didn’t look convinced and he couldn’t blame him for it, so he decided to cheer him up by giving him a big hug.

“Just as your father says, you are so precious” Venigni smiled, how wonderful that Pinocchio is so kind.

——

Blue was standing in her client's office when he told her that he was going to talk with a patient and needed her for security, she knew that she had to stay quiet and not intervene, and that after she left not a word of what happened to others, as it’s confidential.

“What gives you the right to tell that to my wife?!“ The man was shouting, he was enraged.

“Your wife was concerned about your health and asked for your medical information, so I gave her what she asked me” Doctor Frederick didn’t seem intimidated by shouting.

“What about patient confidentiality?!”

“If I recall correctly, when signing the documents you listed her as your emergency contact, did you not read that they can ask questions on your behalf?” Of course, he didn’t read it, no one reads them.

“But-“

Frederick Garret gave out a sigh “And you could have spoken to me at any time and told me that you didn’t want her to know, why didn’t you do so?”

“Because-“

“Because you didn’t think she would ask? Your poor wife was so worried about your health and here you are yelling at me for your mistakes” Frederick didn’t let them man talk, he loves to interrupt others.

The man punched the desk with his fists in rage “You told her that I had an STD!”

“That you have multiple STDs and that you are anemic” Frederick rolled his eyes, that man is just a dumb womanizer, and he is still sick because he doesn’t take his treatment properly.

“Why did you-“

Frederick doesn't bother to try and speak with people like this “I’m not the one who constantly cheated on his faithful and loving wife, who despite everything is still willing to forgive you”

“Is this because I crossed you? Because I didn’t give you what you wanted?”

“You should have known better than to not abide by my simple request” It was simple indeed, he just needed him to give him those copies of documents that are at city hall.

“I will sue you for this! I work at city hall, I can get any lawyer to come to my side”

“Sue me and let everyone find out that you sleep around as much as a filthy prostitute?” Frederick had a smirk on his face.

The man became quiet, it was true, he couldn’t say anything, his relationship with his wife was going badly but she was willing to forgive him, but if the public found out about his activities his reputation would be completely ruined.

“You are free to change doctors if you want, I will not stop you” Frederick was now looking at one of the rings in his hand, with the shape of a salamander in this index finger.

“Oh, you bet I-“

“But the next doctor you consult is going to come and ask me for your medical history and how unfortunate would it be to inform him that you are an uncompetitive patient, who doesn’t take his treatments seriously and becomes violent easily”

The man got closer with the intent to attack, but Blue aimed her long sword at him, pointing the handle at his neck.

“Sir, you are going to have to leave,” Blue said, trying to sound intimidating, it didn’t come right but the man backed down regardless.

The man turned around and put his hand on the door handle.

“Your next appointment is next week, don’t forget that,” Frederick said with a grin on his face.

The man left feeling completely embarrassed and powerless to do anything.

Blue looked at her client, the doctor was wearing formal clothes, not the typical stuff you would see on a doctor. He has a white button shirt with black pants and brown shoes, he is also wearing a brown trench coat. His dark hair looks well kept, what she is more curious about is those rings, they are so flashy, she wonders if they have some sort of meaning.

It was quiet until Frederick let out a sigh, now looking at his other ring, the one with the lion emblem on his thumb.

“I simply asked him for documents regarding the hospital, I suspect someone is taking away money from it” That’s a lie but he doesn’t want his new bodyguard to suspect his actions, “I just want what’s best for the hospital, we have also been getting less supplies, I can’t let people in need be affected by someone’s greed”

Blue, being the naive girl she is, believes him, he only hired her because of that and because her father asked for the favor. Her father didn’t seem to want her to be in real danger and being next to a doctor would be the perfect solution in his eyes. Not to mention how he is also her father's doctor.

“Miss Cassandra” Frederick doesn’t call her by her stalker name, it’s ridiculous, the stalkers with their codes and rules are nothing but ridiculous, “When you deal with people like that, it’s best to not yell or get violent, it’s best to let them make a fool of themselves”

Blue nodded, mainly because she knew she had to agree with everything he said.

“The best way to show someone their place is to humiliate them” Frederick was not amused by that pathetic attempt to intimidate him.

Blue stayed quiet, this was just a job and maybe when she gets better she could find a new one, hopefully, a better one, she wants to help others, not because she wants to play hero or for glory, but because there is so much danger out there and others could use a hand.

She remembers when that disaster happened, she was the only one to keep her family safe, none of her sisters could fight much less her mother, and her father has been disabled for years, having to walk with a cane after an accident.

A huge carcass had entered their home, it was hard but she defeated it. Her family does know her capabilities but she knows they still worry about her, they were more worried when she left to find survivors, the streets were dangerous but it was all worth it, she found a family of a mother and her two children, the husband had unfortunately passed but she took them to safety.

She still sees them sometimes, they visit her home, and they say how grateful they are for what she did, but she was only doing the right thing. When Krat was being fixed she helped fight some of the carcasses that were still scattered around certain places.

Before that, she had been rejected to become a stalker, they didn’t think she would be a skilled fighter, she took classes at Monad to become one, yet she didn't have the best performances back then.

But she proved her worth with her actions, although now she is temporarily stuck in an office with Doctor Frederick Garret.

“You are dismissed, leave now” That was his last patient, now he has to do his real job, he has to look at the information he was sent from the Cathedral. The experiment has been having some difficulties, he needs to find a way to fix that.

———

“How was the event Master Venigni?” Pulcinella asked, as he was unfortunately not able to go, too much still needed to be done at their home.

“It was great! Pinocchio had a lot of fun, I had fun as well”

Venigni started talking about the event, and talking about it reminded him of something and he spoke about that, and that reminded him of something else and he spoke about it. He didn’t stop talking for two hours straight and Pulcinella listened attentively as always.

“You know… I’m glad today was a good day” Venigni’s tone had changed to a melancholic one.

Today, the day his parents were murdered. For many years it had always been so painful, as a child he would hide in his closet in fear, remembering what happened and as he grew up he was engulfed with feelings of great sadness, he wouldn’t do anything this day, he felt that he shouldn’t deserve to be happy this day.

“I’m happy to hear that,” Pulcinella said, this day was also always painful for him. But today was different, today was finally a good day.

Venigni looked at the clock, it was late and he was tired, it’s best to get some rest and he already had promised Pulcinella that he would try to have a better sleep schedule.

Before going to bed, the sound of loud ringing interrupted him, who could be calling his home at this hour? And he doesn’t give his home number to anyone, only the one at his office back at the Union.

Venigni was annoyed but he had to answer.

“Yes? This is Lorenzini Venigni speaking”

Venigni’s heart sank when he heard the voice coming from the other line.

“Did you miss me?” Said Arlecchino The King of Riddles.

Chapter Text

Pinocchio was in the waiting room, he had entered first to the appointment and was now waiting for his father, it had gone well, but Pinocchio decided he didn't want to come back, talking about his feelings is really hard for him, it's easier for him to write them down and makes him feel better. Although the doctor did help, giving him some guidance about how to express his feelings better in his writing, they also told him that it could work for him to vent his feelings in drawings, Pinocchio thought about it and it did sound like a good idea, he was even doing it right now, drawing something in his sketchbook.

He finished the drawing, it did make him feel a lot better, he should write his feelings more often; his father was still in there, Pinocchio was getting bored, kicking his feet a little while sitting in the chair, he got up from the chair and decided just to walk around a bit.

“Pinocchio this is a hospital you can't walk around here like it's nothing” Gemini chirped from his cage.

“I'll just go outside for some fresh air and will be back in a minute” Pinocchio was sick of just sitting, his father was taking way too long, and more than an hour and a half had passed.

Outside Pinocchio did just that, just staying for a few minutes and going back, but on his way, someone came out of one of the rooms, they looked like a stalker, Pinocchio tried to just walk back but the stalker followed him.

“Hey, I've seen you before,” The girl said with a sweet tone.

Pinnochio is starting to feel like a celebrity now but unlike his uncle Venigni, he doesn't like all the attention.

“At the stable, I've seen you a few times but you were there recently, I'm glad that your pony has such a good owner, Applejack looks so happy with you” Blue Canary can recognize most people who have bought horses from her family, and she can remember almost every horse by name.

Blue also recognizes Pinocchio's face, he looks a little like Carlo, they went to school together, but being a year older she barely saw him. She is not going to mention that, she doesn't want to make him feel uncomfortable with a reminder like that. She did spar with him and Romeo that one time, they were amazing at fighting.

“You know my pony?” Pinocchio has never seen this stalker before at the stable, but it's not like he pays much attention to anything besides his pony when he is in there.

“I sure do, my family owns the place and we want to make sure all the horses get good owners, so all of us try to keep track since there are so many” Blue extended her hand for a handshake, “But where are my manners? I am Blue Canary, a Bastard stalker”

Pinocchio shook her hand, as usual trying to not apply too much force.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss. Blue Canary but this boy has to go back and wait for his father” Gemini was insistent, Pinocchio needs to remember that his father gets stressed about places like this.

“My apologies for taking your time” Blue is very polite, as her family has taught her, “It was a pleasure”

Before leaving, Pinocchio wanted to make her feel nice, so he made the stalker's promise, Blue was surprised but she smiled and did the gesture as well.

Pinocchio went back to the waiting room, just in time as his father came out of the doctor's office just a minute later. They exited the building together and since it was Saturday, they decided to spend time together outside as a family.

“So um father” Pinocchio wasn't sure how to ask, “Are you okay now?”

“Well son it's not that simple” Although Geppetto wishes that it was, “It's something hard you have to work for, like how you struggle with what happened when you were fighting”

Pinocchio then hugged his father, he wanted to give him more words of encouragement but nothing came to mind, he was a little afraid that whatever he said could come out wrong and make his father feel upset, so he hugged him tightly.

A little too tightly.

“Son…” Geppetto was struggling to get the words out, “I can't…breathe”

Pinocchio stopped and started apologizing, Geppetto caught his breath and composed himself.

“You are very precious” Geppetto gave him a faint smile, “Let's do anything you want today, you deserve it”

Blue Canary saw them as they were leaving, her small break was over and she needed to head back to Dr. Frederick's office. She saw a man dressed completely in black leaving the office, his clothes almost looked like alchemist apparel but that couldn't be right, all alchemists fled Krat after everyone discovered what they were doing.

“Keep staying outside, I will tell you when to come in if a patient is going to be difficult”

“Yes sir”

A few moments of silence passed, Dr. Frederick writing down a few notes and prescriptions.

“Miss. Cassandra, tell me, are you religious?”

“Yes, I am” Blue didn’t understand where the question was coming from.

“Would you mind accompanying me to the Cathedral tomorrow night? It’s the only time I can go and you know how dangerous it can be at night”

At night… She is a little afraid of the dark because of what happened years ago but she can get over it, she needs to, she is a stalker and has to be brave, plus she has her belt lights and her lantern shield can reflect the light of the moon and the doctor is right, it’s dangerous at night, just yesterday another dead body was found, the intestines had been taken out.

“Of course, I can sir” She exclaimed eagerly.

“Good, I understand that we mustn’t work on Sundays as written in the bible, but think of it more as enjoying the mass with me, although obviously, I do plan to financially compensate you” Frederick has that little stun memorized, it is so easy to trick religious fools.

Blue smiled, maybe Dr. Frederick can be a little intimidating but maybe that’s on her mind, he takes his job seriously and he is a man of faith and science, a good combination for wanting to help others.

“Now, my patient will arrive soon, so keep your guard outside, will you?”

Blue left the room and Frederick was left alone, he took a deep breath.

He needs to check the process of the experiment taking place in the St. Frangelico Cathedral, Frederick knows that doing their operations in a place as crowded as the Cathedral is risky, but the people of Krat are stupid, they still think Andreus is a martyr, not even knowing how his greed consumed him, or how it turned him into a monster.

And history repeats itself because the new bishop is accepting generous donations and they don’t ask questions about their activities, although there was that nun who kept staring at him that one time he was going to the underground area, but it’s just a dumb nun, she looked so clueless.

Frederick started cleaning his office again; he cleans his office five times a day, but another one could help and his patient still hadn’t arrived. People have no idea how easily dust accumulates, he hates dust more than anything, he hates uncleanliness. He had his doubts about hiring the girl as his bodyguard, but she is a clean person, better than most and she doesn’t complain when he makes her clean alongside him. He expected her to not even know how to pick up a broom, the Lucero’s are one of the richest families in Krat, more wealthy than his family.

The only people wealthier than them in Krat are Antonia and Lorenzini. Ugh, just thinking about them annoys him, Lorenzini is the richest and the most insufferable man in Krat, never knows when to shut up, always has to say how much of a genius he is, he has to be the center of attention everywhere he goes, why does anybody even like him? He can’t believe how many people are his loyal fans. Antonia on the other hand, that’s more than anything personal as the old woman has no idea of the gold mine that she has inside Hotel Krat, and he isn’t just referring to the gold fruitcoin tree, and what can lie in the Relic of Trismegistus, but all that knowledge hidden in what was once the underground section, the secrets of that now abandoned castle.

Not for long, as he plans to do something about that.

At least he can put Lorenzini in his place, Frederick doesn’t doubt that Arlecchino is already taunting him, it was easy to bring that stupid puppet back. He found its body in Arche Abby, the spear still stuck to his body and just as he suspected, as he was bound to it, it still held a little of his Ergo, and bringing him back was easy, in that state he wouldn’t be able to kill properly so sent one of his men to fix him up, he wonders if those engineers at the union had any idea of what they were repairing, if they knew how many would die by such a simple act.

Frederick knows better than to just let Arlecchino run completely free, so he is bound to him, he cannot harm him and to ensure his quiet, he did a little magic trick, he is physically unable to reveal anything about him. So Arlecchino is just wandering around doing his little art projects and the people of Krat are too busy focusing on that, its all the news is talking about, the gruesome murders, it's disgusting, not because he cares about those people but because that idiotic puppet is so messy with his deeds, when Frederick murders someone he knows better than to leave a mess or make a mess of any activity makes.

But a distraction is a distraction and progress is going well, Frederick knows that the experiment that lies in the cathedral is all but finished, but for now, he must wait until tomorrow to see that his expectations have been met and they better be, he would rather work alone this requires help and those other fools better not screw up this, although at least they are more loyal to him that they ever were to Simon, first of all, he is actually good at being charismatic unlike Simon who was an awful actor, people either followed Simon because they feared him or if they were delusional like Adriana and saw him as a god.

Second, his family. Generations and generations of doctors, people dedicated to helping others, even back when Krat was an unimportant dump. As for him, he has managed to make his family's name even greater, he is a true doctor. Not one that sells fake cures or promises you things will be okay, he is realistic and methodical, he gets the results, and because he puts those feelings aside he can always know or understand what is wrong with a patient, not to mention how most doctors tend to stick into one particular subject, on the other hand, he is constantly researching, why wouldn't he? It's part of his main goal.

Immortal Life.

Not the fake immortal life Simon was offering, Frederick knew from the start what Simon's true goal was, just after meeting Sophia Monad once, that girl was shining with power, and the way Simon looked at her, lusting over that power… and more than that. Valentinus was such a fool for not seeing the truth that was right in front of him. But it was clear as day Simon wanted to become a god and in secret, he found a few secrets about the man, secrets about his past, and it all made sense. At the very least Valentinus being a fool was what made Simon the new leader and all that data they collected while under him was extremely valuable in his research.

Frederick has no reason to become a god, he might be arrogant but not so much that it will be his undoing, not to mention how history proves time and time again that trying to become a god is something all humans are doomed to fail. Immortal Life on the other hand, now that's possible, has been done before, however, it tends to have its… drawbacks, what is the point of having an immortal life if you cannot enjoy it? Processes like that end up turning you into a monster. The philosopher's stone is different, special.

The man stood up for a moment, looking at himself in a pocket mirror, his green eyes shining brightly, his face already started to look younger and those tests were not even the real power, once he has the stone, it will reveal the true potential of the human body, what it can do beyond its limits. What the-

There was a knock on the door, his thoughts being interrupted as he let the next patient inside.

——

At the Bastard Stalker’s head office, some of them were giving their reports of their current missions, Blue had just arrived and showed how things had been going with her client.

“So you had to kick out a few rude patients and accompany him to a party? What hard work is the little princess doing” Said a woman with a Lion Mask.

“Not only that but he is paying you well, more than what any of us is getting paid” A young man spoke up, one with a Tiger Mask, “Aren’t you just so lucky? As if you needed the money”

“Um” Blue didn’t want to be rude to her superiors but she didn’t like their hypocrisy, “But all of us come from wealthy families, just as all other bastard stalkers”

“Watch your mouth Blue,” said a female voice, a stalker with a Sabertooth Mask got close to her, “Looks like you can’t take just a little bit of teasing”

Blue rolled her eyes, she wasn’t fond of them, “The Pride” as they called themselves, acting just as petty school bullies, as if they were dumb school popular kids, Sabertooth is their leader and her little followers are Lion, Tiger, and…

“Yeah, Blue you are no fun at all!”

Rusty. Because she has the mask of a Rusty Spotted Cat.

“I take my job seriously” Blue was frustrated, she even pointed dramatically at Rusty, “And why is this child a stalker again?”

The little girl was smiling under her mask, “Because I’m strong and capable, I think the little birdie is just jealous that I’m more skilled than her, afraid we might eat you?”

Again with that dumb joke.

“You always want others not to underestimate you Blue” Sabertooth had a smug grin, “Why is it any different with Rusty?”

“It’s clear that you are just jealous” Tiger Made a mocking voice.

And Lion joined in, “The horse princess is jealous, what a sight!”

“I’m not” Blue was furious now, “Being a stalker is dangerous and serious, a child shouldn’t be a stalker”

But they didn’t listen to her and just made fun of her again, they don’t care about being stalkers, they care more about the fame that comes with it. Blue can’t deny their skills and The Pride is recognized with good reason, yet if the public knew that this is how they acted they would lose their support. At the end of the day, they are just spoiled brats.

“Well here is my report, I must go back home”

“Be careful Blue, it’s dark outside, you better not start cowering in fear” Sabertooth mocked her one last time before she left, “Better not let the pretty ponies your family owns get too sad without you”

Blue Canary took a deep breath and left; the rest of them kept talking.

“You all heard right?” Sabertooth had a serious tone now, “About Red Fox and Black Cat going solo?”

“I always knew Fox was a traitor” Lion never liked her to begin with.

“Not only that but did you hear she disowned her family? It should have been the other way around” Tiger can’t understand why anyone would leave a wealthy family like the Volfe’s.

“All because of her dumb lost brother, how ridiculous” Lion was also in disbelief, how stupid, they must be struggling by themselves. But as it turns out, despite truly being a lost brother, the Volfe family refused to accept that, because confessing to an affair and a child as a result of that would be disgraceful to the family.

“I don't know guys…” Rusty said in a playful tone, “Maybe she was all lonely without a sibling, that's why she was too desperate to have one” She giggled and the others found it amusing.

“Dumb as she and her brother are, this is serious” Sabertooth grabbed her weapon and slammed it on the floor to make them get serious, even if she loves to mock others, now it’s not the time.

“They are going solo and doing well, not only that but that strange stalker with the Mastiff Dog Mask who recently appeared is neither Bastard nor Sweeper. This is bad”

“Bad as in how?” Lion wasn’t taking her seriously, “Only three of them, not a big deal”

“And they are doomed to fail” Tiger crossed his arms, “Only one ever worked out, the Legendary Stalker and no one knows where she is”

“Don’t sweat it Tooth, nothing bad will happen~” Rusty joined with the others, because she always joins with what the majority is thinking.

“That better be the case, although…” Sabertooth grabbed her blade again and examined the sharpness, “Perhaps we need to remind them why you don’t cross the Bastards”

—-

“Am I going crazy, Pulcinella? I heard him, it was his voice but that can’t be”

Pulcinella couldn’t hear the voice from the other line and it didn’t help that they hung up the phone as soon as the words were said.

“I am aware that the young master got rid of Arlecchino” Pulcinella was puzzled as well this shouldn’t be possible.

“Was it a prank call? But no one is supposed to know, it was covered despite my best efforts” The public is still not aware of the truth of his parent's death and after the frenzy happened, Venigni didn’t think it was a good idea to reveal the truth, considering the tense situation, he didn’t want any more hostility against puppets.

“If it was a cruel prank call, it must have been an alchemist, as they might be the only ones to know the truth” Pulcinella wants to believe that is the real reason, to think that manic is back…

“I know, I know that you are probably right but,” Venigni was shaking, “That serial killer that’s been out there, the one in the news, Arlecchino was a serial killer, he…”

Venigni was having trouble speaking this was too much for him.

“It might be a copycat killer”

But if it’s a copycat, how do they know the truth? How do they know that Arlecchino was responsible? Every possibility that has been suggested just gives them more questions.

“Maybe it was just the stress of remembering that night, maybe I really am going crazy but Pulcinella my friend please” Venigni grabbed Pulcinella’s shoulders, “Can you look into this for me?”

Pulcinella knows this will be no easy task, but anything for his master Venigni and this is personal to him as well, he won’t anyone torment him about this any longer.

“I will, you have my word that I will get to the bottom of this”

Venigni was still tense, he trusted Pulcinella but this entire situation was making him too overwhelmed. He even canceled all of his work duties, as he had a few meetings to attend, saying that he was feeling ill, although it was true, as this situation was making him physically sick.

“I also believe it’s best we inform Pinocchio of this,” Pulcinella said, “And Geppetto as well, but for now, please get some rest, for your own sake Master Venigni”

Pulcinella is right, it’s best that he just rests, maybe some beauty sleeping will do him some good.

Chapter Text

It was the start of the twilight and Pinocchio found himself outside the St. Frangelico Cathedral, he wanted to draw the outside specifically at this hour, he had his sketchbook with him, and he was using watercolors, trying out how beautiful he could make the sky look.

He had to come back before 9 pm, Pinocchio could tell that his father didn’t want him to go at night at all but that his father knew that he had to trust him and not be too overprotective, something that his doctor told him, Pinocchio wasn’t paying to much attention as he was getting all of his art supplies ready when his father was talking to him.

When Pinocchio was done, it started to rain, he put his sketchbook inside his bag and decided to enter the Cathedral, as the rain didn’t look like it would stop any time soon, and going back with all that rain would be a nightmare.

A lot of people were inside, waiting for the rain to stop as well, many talking to the congregation members and others making small talk, some people silently praying. Pinocchio decided to wander around a little, it had been a long time since he was here and he liked seeing the place in a better state.

“Excuse me, my child” A soft voice was heard behind him.

Pinocchio turned around to see a nun, he almost didn’t recognize her, mainly because she was missing an arm, it looked like it had to be amputated for her to survive.

“Cecile good to see you!” It was good, he hadn’t heard from her in such a long time.

“Please lower your voice, this is a church” Cecile put her finger in between her lips, but gave Pinocchio a sweet smile.

“Oh yes sorry” Pinocchio mumbled.

“God has answered my prayers, I am so pleased to see you again” Cecile grabbed Pinocchio’s hand and dragged him out to a a room where they could speak in private.

It happened so fast, Pinocchio wondered what was wrong, Cecile was acting really weird. Well, she has been a little strange since the first time he met her but that’s not the point.

Cecile’s voice was quiet “Something awful is happening beneath the Cathedral” She stayed silent for a few seconds, hearing if someone was nearby but the coast was clear, “Those alchemists, it’s them again and this time I won’t stay silent, I won’t let them get away with this again”

Cecile almost broke her vow to never kill again, she was just so enraged, this isn’t fair, the new bishop it’s under their thumb and maybe she is a hypocrite because Andreus, the man she has always seen as a savior was consumed in greed just as the new bishop, but she isn’t going to let that happen twice. She won’t let this place be sullied any longer and not just for her sake but other congregation members are scared as well, those who refuse to accept the money are being threatened with their silence. At least she has managed to play dumb for a long time and no one suspects how much she knows.

“How can I help?” Pinocchio was determined, he always went everywhere with a weapon just in case and this was serious.

“The underground of the cathedral has been sealed, they claimed that it was because it was too hard to repair, but I have overheard that the abandoned altar is now one of their bases of operations”

The public is allowed to go past the library, the rest has been sealed from them and the other church members, but Cecile has seen plenty of people come and go through a locked door. She has seen how the key looks, they just need to get their hands on…

“Huh?! That key” Cecile pointed at Pinocchio’s neck, he was wearing the necklace Giangio had given him.

“What about it?” Pinocchio was confused and it didn’t help that Cecile started giving a speech about God and faith. Oh well, considering he knows her secret, that behavior is probably a good thing compared to what she did in the past.

Cecile was holding Pinocchio’s hand and she looked directly into his eyes “I know it’s too much to ask kind one, but please I beg you to save this place, you can use the key to open the door”

This is a little too sudden but Pinocchio loves to help others so he will, he promises her that he will take a look and the timing is just perfect, as the rain is dying down and most people are leaving.

Cecile silently takes him to the library, so as to not attract too much attention she gives him some priest robes so that he can blend in, she takes Pinocchio to a place he recognizes, there is a gate, and now behind that gate a locked door.

“I will pray for your safety but please, be careful”

With that said, Cecile rushes upstairs, not without pulling the leaver that will lead him deeper inside. Pinocchio wastes no time in using the key to get inside, that's odd, how did Giangio get his hands on this? Maybe he picked up a random key as a memento, hopefully, he isn't in danger from this mess.

This place has certainly changed a lot.

It’s filled with medical equipment and there are machines that have inside a strange orange liquid; piles of books and journals, Pinocchio gets closer and grabs one that was left separate from the others.

—--𖦹—--

Research Journal

Harnessing the power of those disruption crystals has been more than wonderful for the investigation. It's something I would never imagined could be so useful, even more so than the petrification disease, but as always his research is something impressive, and it was wise to make the doctor our new leader.

The only thing missing now is to embed this power into the subject, this should control its aggression and tame it to our will, although it is best to still keep it chained until we can prove our theory. I do worry that it is not enough, it grows in power in each test, and that is a good thing but that just makes it harder to keep in check, we have come this far, and it would be a shame if the subject tried to defy us.

As for the new adjustments, the body seems to be working properly but it does lack coordination, I believe that we are lacking Ergo for it to work, but I am aware that our new shipment will come soon.

—--𖦹—--

“Pinocchio it looks like no one is here anymore but stay on your guard” Gemini was getting worried, this didn’t look good at all.

As they went in deeper, they could see cages that contained mutated carcasses, on their backs they had something strange growing out of them, but it was too deformed, it was hard to pin out what that was exactly.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake, almost making Pinocchio lose his balance. Then he heard people screaming and approaching, so he hid in a corner.

“It didn’t work!”

“Lock the damn door now!”

“This is bad, we are in trouble, run!”

Pinocchio saw two men running away from the direction of the Altar. Once the coast was clear, he made his way in that direction, it was too quiet and he had a bad feeling but he promised that he would help. Instead of a wooden door, The altar now had a huge metal locked door blocking the path, but that was no problem for him, as with his legion arm he destroyed the lock and opened the heavy door, a loud screeching sound was made when the base of the metal door was pushed, sounding like horrible screams.

The altar looked the same as before, almost as if they didn’t even bother to fix the place, even the painting of Andreus was still hanging on the wall, but even more unrecognizable. The only different thing was that there were now chains in the floor, chains that were being used to hold something, chains that were now all broken.

Pinocchio took a deep breath because he had lived this before and he looked up to see what was being locked away inside here.

On the ceiling was a strange creature, a single wing covering its body, but it soon revealed itself, it had the body of a human, but with several arms, it had no face, but it had some very strange small marks over its body. At least Pinocchio thought they were marks.

Until the many eyes opened, staring directly at Pinocchio.

It wasted no time in making its attack, Pinocchio parried it with ease, the creature’s movements were clumsy, as if it was having trouble coordinating its body, but that didn’t mean this was an easy battle, the creature had eyes everywhere, it was impossible to try to attack from behind or to try to surprise it.

At one point the creature started getting desperate, using its wing to fly in the air and launch itself against him, attacks that Pinocchio dodged while looking for an opportunity to strike properly. Using his legion arm, he shot the creature while flying several times, until it fell to the floor, despite that it did not give up its attack while on the ground.

The perfect chance came when Pinocchio struck with force at the wing, staggering the enemy and giving him the chance to give a fatal attack.

The creature fell back, it stared at Pinocchio silently; it had no mouth, no way to express itself, no way to scream. It closed all of its eyes and it looked as if it had stopped breathing. But in a second, it opened them all again and flew to the ceiling again, Pinocchio ran out of the room, the creature slamming its body with all its force to the floor, the earth rumbled again and one Pinocchio took a peek inside, the floor was completely gone and on the bottom of the floor, the creature was now lying truly dead.

He wasted no time in getting out of there, but before he did, he grabbed a note that he could tell wasn’t there before, most likely left by the two men that had run away. Wearing the priests' clothes came in handy, as in the commotion upstairs no one paid attention to him. He changed to his normal clothes and went back with Cecile, explaining what had happened.

“Thank you, thank you so much for the help” Cecile was praising him as if he were a hero, it made Pinocchio feel good after battling that giant thing.

“I know this isn’t enough to show my gratitude but please accept this”

Cecile handed him an amulet with a wing, when Pinocchio held it, he could feel his springs moving faster, it could help him with his stamina in situations like this. So he put it inside his bag and told Cecile that if she ever needed help with this, she could count on him.

Pinocchio left Cecile alone and read the note he had just found, making him gasp at the words he was reading.

—--𖦹—--

The information you asked me to look for

As you requested, I found out that someone claimed the Monad’s inheritance and Manus's inheritance as well.

The bank claims that Sophia Monad was the one to claim it but that’s impossible, I went back to the now abandoned Arche Abbey, and mind you, climbing that tower was the hardest part about this task.

I found where he kept her, her body wasn't there but it was clear by the residue left that the girl died there, the vast amount of Ergo Manus forced her to consume disintegrating her frail body and the sensors indicate that she perished while sitting in that device.

Someone must have claimed her identity and taken the money. It’s a shame but in my opinion, I don’t think in that state she would have wouldn’t been useful to us, Manus the greedy bastard drained all her power, didn't leave anything for us, and there was not much we could have done after that.

So we will have to look for another listener we can use, but where the hell is another listener in Krat?

Perhaps we should make one of our own, I certainly believe a feat like that is possible.

—--𖦹—--

“Pinocchio” Sophia was communicating with him with her power, “Needless to say but this is a dire situation”

“What should I do?” Pinocchio knows how smart Sophia is, and how she always guides him despite the distance. In fact, he was extremely glad that Sophia was nowhere near Krat.

“Stay on guard for any trouble, I can sense that the creature held a vast amount of Ergo and that it didn’t disappear out of nowhere, instead of your P organ absorbing it, it went to another, someone that was close by”

That means that whoever made that thing must be in here, but Pinocchio can’t stay to ask questions, it’s not a good idea and his father must be worried about him by now. He needs to leave right away.

“Thank you, Sophia”

“As always, I will be here for you clever one, no matter the distance”

Outside the church was a commotion, everyone talking about the “earthquake”, Pinocchio saw from a distance that stalker with the canary mask, helping people that seemed to be in distress, Pinocchio gave her a friendly wave, and she waved back, a man was next to her, looking annoyed and he turned to look at Pinocchio for a few seconds but the boy turned around quickly as he needed to rush back home as soon as possible, not noticing that the man was starting at him with intense hatred.

——

He made it home way too late it was already a little past 10 pm, but at least his father didn’t seem too stressed about it.

“I also felt that earthquake, I assume that’s why it took you so long to come back home right?”

…His father has been too worried about him lately and has been stressed and struggling because he wants to see him safe.

🔴………………………………𖦹…………………………………🔴
Yes it was the earthquake  🕰️  I was fighting a monster
🔴………………………………𖦹…………………………………🔴

-------------

No Ergo gained

“If they couldn’t summon the one winged angel, they would make one themselves, one that will obey their will and will show them the truth of the purpose of life”

ଘ Winged Amulet: Decreases the duration of all status effects. 

Chapter Text

Geppetto had just finished teaching Pinocchio about different subjects, right now, his son was in his room, while he was sitting in the living room. Geppetto had forgotten to read the newspaper so he was doing that now, the main headline again was about another dead body being found, whoever this killer was they had a kill count of double digits and it didn’t seem like they would stop any time soon.

Then he read about that earthquake that happened yesterday, it was strange but not the first time Krat had been hit by one, and usually they aren’t a big issue like the one from yesterday. Geppetto is glad that was the reason his son took his time to get back home the other day.

After finishing reading the newspaper he set it aside and was going to go to his workshop but he stopped to look at the portrait of Carlo. It… feels strange seeing it now, he has always loved it, he treasures it, and was devastated when it was stolen. Carlo didn’t like staying still for the painting and he didn’t stop making that angry expression, but Geppetto didn’t care, he was just happy to have the painting of his son, something he could treasure forever.

But now, it doesn’t feel the same, not after Dorian Gray tried to murder Pinocchio. It’s still the same portrait, the one that he loves so much, and yet…

“Ugh, why am I overthinking this so much?!” Geppetto said to himself; everything had been fine, he had been fine, even after they returned from London. Why is now different? Maybe it’s not just him, maybe it’s the tense atmosphere.

The entire city has been tense, first because of that serial killer, but also because lately, it has just been bad news after bad news. The newspapers only seem to want to mention every single bad thing that happens in Krat and sure, it’s not like this place was perfect before, far from it but it’s almost as if the media wants to show the worst of the worst.

For Geppetto, there is also the petty work drama he has to deal with, and dumb gossip because he is a public figure. Again this has been happening more lately for some reason, yes people disliked him back then, but he ignored those sorts of comments or gracefully shut them down, Antonia gave him a few tips on how to deal with those situations and it helped tremendously. Now he is having a harder time dealing with them, sometimes he thinks maybe it's the age but Antonia is slightly older and has no issues, then again you don't mess with Antonia everyone knows that.

He is sure that’s also getting to Venigni because he hasn’t been to work in a few days.

Speaking of work, there is an annual work event that he has to attend tomorrow.

He has never liked it and he isn’t the only one who feels this way, there is a reason everyone at work calls it “gossip day” because every person from every department wants to go and just air out every small rumor they heard or just talk badly about those who they don’t like. It’s not like everyone does it, but a handful of people do and they are always the loudest so they dominate the event, Conrad for example loves this event, and hasn’t shut up all week about how excited he is about it.

It’s a special event because family members of the workers are welcomed, he did bring Carlo alongside Romeo on a few occasions and he may or may not have told them to ruin the party on purpose, last time they came was when Carlo was 15 years old, funnily enough, Conrad was there and he went too far, insulting his late wife in his usual passive-aggressive tone, one he could just claim that his words got “misunderstood”. He was furious and so was Carlo but his son took a deep breath and left the room with Romeo. Before Geppetto could even try to look for them, the sound of the fire alarm resonated in the building, the sprinklers activating and everyone becoming soaking wet.

Conrad did mention how expensive the suit he was wearing was and how it needed to be cleaned with water at a certain temperature. Geppetto wonders how Carlo was such a quick thinker.

Needless to say, after that day his son was banned from the event, but he gave him and Romeo a little reward for that little stunt.

…Okay maybe Antonia is a little right about him not being the best influence but that situation was justified.

Geppetto didn’t want Pinocchio to go because as already stated, he dislikes the event but as soon as Pinocchio heard about he was begging him to go because he wanted to spend time with him and he simply couldn’t say no after that. Pinocchio looked so happy that they were spending time together, more than usual, maybe that earthquake has him on edge? He tends to act clingy when he is upset, it's not an issue for Geppetto, he only worries about his son's feelings.

He promised himself not to make the same mistakes. Leaving Pinocchio all alone at home doesn't seem right, specially since Antonia and Eugéne are busy that day, no one else he can go to since Venigni is also attending.

He looked again at the painting, it really is a beautiful portrait, maybe he truly is just overthinking everything, despite who this painting came from, it's special.

“Sometimes…” Geppetto was speaking out loud, “I wish you would have met your brother”

Meanwhile, in his room, Pinocchio was scrolling the pages of the notebook that he had found underneath Hotel Krat. He recognized some of the symbols that were drawn as the ones that were in the sword, there were many drawings about the human body arrows pointing at certain things, and most of them were of the brain and heart. Pinocchio doesn’t know anything about medicine so he has no idea what these notes are talking about. Something about neurons and the nervous system, heartbeats, and arteries/veins.

Most interesting Pinocchio found notes about magic, actual magic, he wondered if he should try and test if they worked, the writings about divination were interesting.

“Look Gemini is this kind of about you” Pinocchio read the passage out loud, “The chirping of a cricket in pitch darkness is an omen of lighting the way”

“I am even more special than those crickets pal, and I will never leave your side” Gemini was sitting on Pinocchio's shoulder, reading alongside him.

There were notes about Ergo but these were in a different language he couldn’t recognize, he could only tell that they were about Ergo because the word was the same. He found a page dedicated to the gold coin fruit as well, but it was things that he already knew. The notebook was thick, pages had been added with different paper and notes pasted next to other notes.

Pinocchio set the notebook book aside for now and decided to make small talk with Gemini.

“You won’t say anything right?” Pinocchio was talking about how he lied to his father.

“I won’t” Gemini gave out a sigh, “Although I think you should eventually tell him”

“But that is only going to make him more worried; I know I shouldn’t get involved in this anymore but I just want to help others” Pinocchio doesn’t like it when others are hurt and this situation is awful, “What if someone like Simon is out there? I can’t let what happened last time happen again”

“Pinocchio you weren’t even there when Simon first started his plans” Gemini understands too that the boy wants to help but he can’t go on adventures like this all the time, “You deserve to live a normal life without having to constantly save others”

“But-“

“No buts Pinocchio, think about it, if you get involved your loved ones could get hurt, you don’t know what kind of person is leading this and if they are anything like Simon…”

That idea is terrifying, but Pinocchio is still torn about what he should do. In the end, he decides to listen to Gemini but if he does end up in trouble he will help.

Although with his luck most likely he will end up in danger sooner rather than later.

——

Pinocchio was at the event with his father, and he realized that maybe he should listen to him more often when he says things relating to his job can be boring. His father is talking with his coworkers about things he doesn’t understand, and Pinocchio has lost count of the times he has overheard people calling him and his father names behind their backs.

At least he has had some pleasant conversations, some of his father’s coworkers are nice and his uncle Venigni is here, although he was acting a little strange, well he is strange but not his usual kind of strange, but maybe he is just stressed like his father. His uncle did say that he wanted to speak in private after this was done.

Suddenly his father pulls him even closer to him as a man approaches them, he looks a little familiar to him.

“Geppetto good to see that you actually came and didn’t decide to skip another work duty,” Conrad said in a snarky voice, “Hopefully this son of yours doesn’t cause any trouble as Carlo did in the past”

Pinocchio didn’t like this man, he was being so mean for no reason but he knew that he should keep his composure, his mother taught him well how to stay calm in these situations.

“Conrad, you have never properly met my son, maybe before continuing to talk you should introduce yourself to him properly” Geppetto is also trying to stay calm.

Conrad wanted to roll his eyes but people were watching he couldn’t make his dislike for Geppetto that obvious.

Conrad extended his hand “It’s nice to meet you, I’m the supervisor of the quality control department of this union, but I’m sure your father has already told you about me”

“Um no” Pinocchio didn’t realize it but his blunt innocent honesty made him mad, “But it’s nice to meet you, my name is Pinocchio”

They shook hands, he could tell that Conrad had a firm grasp and he didn’t understand why, Conrad knew that he was very sturdy. But unbeknownst to Pinocchio it was because the man was trying to figure out exactly what material he was made of, thankfully for Pinocchio, Conrad isn’t smart enough to figure it out.

“Geppetto good to see you, and you brought your son how nice,” Said a voice from behind, “Oh sorry, I guess I never properly introduced myself to him, I am Harvey the subdirector of the union”

If Geppetto were to step down, Harvey would be the one to get the role, that's because of all the hard years of work. Conrad was not happy when he wasn't chosen to be the subdirector but it was left to vote, not just by all the members of the board but by other workers and Harvey won by a landslide.

Conrad spoke up again “The plans for the re-opening of the Grand Exhibition are going well” Technically, it was never opened, but that was how they had chosen to call it, to not get confused.

The Grand Exhibition was canceled due to the frenzy but now it’s being planned again, to show all the technological advancements Krat has achieved, even know Krat is still known as the “city of the future”. There are still doubts in the minds of the people but time has passed and this could make the city prosper like never before.

Pinocchio remembers how he was saving everyone back then, how he first got rid of the puppets, and how he… was attacked by those alchemists helping Simon, he didn’t think about it back then, just like he didn’t think about how he murdered those stalkers, he had to defend himself but now he feels guilty, he feels like he did something wrong. Everything felt so wrong at the Grand Exhibition, how those puppets mercilessly attacked him; his fight against Victor; the confrontation against Simon.

“Geppetto’s creations are truly marvelous, me and your father used to be collages you know”

Simon, the man who spread the petrification disease, the disease that killed his brother.

Pinocchio had a firm grasp on his weapon, he didn’t trust Simon, and the man could tell that he felt on edge.

Simon rolled his eyes, “Oh come on I did you a favor”

Pinocchio still remembers the words Simon spoke before leaving the place.

Simon had a smug grin on his face “If his dumb brat hadn’t died, you wouldn’t be here today”

“Son, are you okay?”

Pinocchio had snapped from his trance, but that bad experience was still on his mind, so he leaned in closer to his father, hiding behind him, even if Simon was gone it made him feel uneasy.

“I’m fine” Pinocchio lied but unlike his other lies, this wasn’t convincing.

Geppetto knows that this more than his son being shy, he is going to talk to him once this is event is over to see what’s going on.

The conversation kept going about the plans for the re-opening, almost everyone was too entranced in the conversation. Everyone but Conrad who had something else in his mind, still thinking about how Geppetto built Pinocchio.

The materials had always been what he was more curious about, the appearance was impressive, it must be some sort of synthetic skin, and those eyes, they look so real.
What kind of voice box is that? The puppet does not have the usual filter, when he first saw him he expected the puppet to talk like Carlo, it doesn't sound like Carlo so it has to be something unique.

What type of springs, what type of gears, how his inner mechanisms work, how his movements run so smoothly. Conrad has worked with Geppetto on certain projects that can improve movement quality, yet when asked what method he used while building his puppet so that they can apply it he refused to answer.

What is powering him? Conrad isn’t stupid, everyone and their mother can deduce Geppetto used Carlo’s Ergo but there had to be something else about it. Ergo can only power so much, the things this puppet can do are beyond impressive.

But at this moment, what he is wondering about is the behavior of the puppet, it has the aspects of what anyone would like in a puppet, polite, well-spoken, and always respectful. But why is the puppet so… he doesn’t know how to describe it, it’s not just shyness, it’s almost as if every little detail can upset him, every time someone mentions anything related to when the frenzy it gets too nervous, the puppet was the one who supposedly saved everyone, shouldn’t the thing like bragging about his accomplishments?

Not to mention the crying, this puppet has that reputation, Conrad heard the crying when Geppetto was fixing the issue with the disruption crystal and he has heard of that time the puppet started crying loudly at one of the events held by Lady Antonia. Why would Geppetto want to deal with that? Crying is annoying and it doesn’t solve anything.

Despite all that, Conrad can’t deny how impressive the puppet is, it’s just, marvelous, but Geppetto keeps the secret all to himself.

“Geppetto are you planning on showing anything special for the Grand Exhibition?” Conrad asked.

Certain workers get to showcase things they build or plan themselves, Venigni for example would present his work with the trams and a few people from other departments present their team projects. Legion Arms are also being prioritized, they are revolutionary in the field of prosthetics after all.

“Not really” Geppetto is too busy supervising all the projects to do so, “Why do you ask?”

“That’s a shame” Conrad was preparing his words, if he sounded too blunt others wouldn’t be happy about it, “I know that as an engineer how important it is to protect one’s secrets, but I believe I speak for all when I say that how you build your son is wonderful”

Geppetto took a few seconds to process what he said and this time he wasn’t able to keep his usual composure.

“Are you asking me to show him off as if he was an object?!”

The atmosphere became tense, and because of the yelling many had turned to hear the conversation.

“Oh no, I didn’t mean it in that way”

Geppetto was furious of course he meant it that way and no amount of sugarcoating was going to hide it.

“Then explain to me, what you actually meant”

“Surely you would want the world to know of your genius insight, your puppet son is a good boy, perhaps you would want the world to see that, to see what a puppet is capable of being”

Pinocchio had stopped feeling on edge but now he was furious, at the way this man was upsetting his father and at the way he was talking about him, he was tired of others treating him as an object.

“In my opinion, we should focus our efforts on the new modes of transportation,” Harvey said, trying to de-escalate the situation, “I believe that is what could help other places around the world the most”

It worked and others started minding their business, Geppetto was waiting for the conversation to stop and find a way to excuse himself and his son. But Pinocchio was so mad his heart started pounding, loudly and it got to the point where it could be heard by others, his springs were reacting with force, resonating around the room.
There was an awkward pause, but Geppetto took this opportunity to leave with his son.

“You heard that? It was an actual heartbeat, does he have an actual human heart inside of him?”

“But I could hear the faint sound of metal, it has to be one Geppetto made”

“How do you build a heart?”

“Those springs must be extremely resistant, any other puppet would have broken under such pressure”

Father and son were in one of the hallways, Venigni had also excused himself and joined them.

Pinocchio hugged his father tightly, he was having a really bad day, and unfortunately what he didn’t know was that it was about to get worse.

The sound of people talking loudly from the main room could be heard, soon they saw someone approaching them.

“Listen but unfortunately no one is allowed to leave until further notice”

“What’s going on?” Venigni had a bad feeling about this, a horrible feeling.

“A body was found on the back of the building”

Another murder was displayed as “art”, no one was allowed to leave for a few hours, while the police questioned everyone. As they were finally allowed to leave, there was a symbol drawn with blood on the floor, he recognized it, the symbol that was in all those Trinity doors.

Venigni could tell Pinocchio knew the symbol. “We need to talk, right now”

——

“It’s him, he is back,” Venigni said with dread in his voice, they had all gathered at his home.

There is no doubt about it, but how is this possible?

“According to my research,” Pulcinella began to speak up, “All the murders are the same as before, and just as before, a few reports of people who say the culprit ran away from arranging his scene, claim to have heard heavy footsteps, mechanical footsteps”

Just as before, the police dismiss those statements as mere imagination, the shock of seeing a dead body making them believe that they heard the footsteps of a puppet.

“But why would anyone bring him back? Whoever brought him back must have known what Arlecchino was capable of, why would anyone want a murderer running on the streets?” Geppetto couldn’t understand why anyone would do such a thing.

“I believe someone is trying to distract us from something” Venigni knows that all of this news, the coverage is too focused on this, all too take away the public’s attention from something or someone.

“It has to be the alchemists they must be up to something” Gemini chirped, there was not much doubt in his mind after what they faced inside the cathedral.

“But what could they be planning?” Geppetto is at a loss, but he never truly understood their motives in the first place, “They have been silent so far, not even an ounce of activity”

Pinocchio is feeling overwhelmed again, and the last thing he needs is a reminder that he lied to his father about what happened in the cathedral.

Suddenly the phone starts ringing, that’s too much of a coincidence, Venigni is hesitant to pick it up, it’s too much, he was about to do it when Pinocchio picked up the phone first.

“What do you want?” Pinocchio doesn’t want to play his stupid games anymore.

“What not going to let me have my speech?” The King of Riddles was heard from the other line, “Well since you are so furious is a good thing I’m out of your reach”

Everyone else got a little closer to the phone so that they could hear the conversation properly.

“I would have never guessed you were so rude, no reason to give me an attitude”

“Can you stop with the stupid rhymes and just give us the damn riddle?” Pinocchio is getting even madder, he has never spoken to anyone this way before, not the previous times he dealt with Arlecchino or even with Simon, even if they didn't deserve his politeness, Pinocchio has changed a lot since then, not afraid to show his true emotions and now the anger is consuming him.

“Fine, you are no fun, but first let me tell you what I’ve been up to”

Everyone stayed silent as Arlecchino talked.

“I’m not stupid, I know why I was brought back,
so please cut me off so slack,
I cannot say who brought me here even if I wanted,
but at least my killing gets to be flaunted;

Venigni clenched his fist, just like the night his parents were murdered, he would talk like this, every word taunting his victims, never caring for the harm he caused.

“So Krat recently has been a mess
Everyone living in such distress;
It’s almost as if everything is broken,
But tell me what can you break up
Even if you never pick it up or touch it?”

Pinocchio thinks hard about it for a few seconds.

“A promise”

“Correct! Good job, you should treat yourself to a nice reward,
I wonder what lies in the basement of the Opera House”

After those words were said, Arlecchino hung up the phone.

“Son come here,” Geppetto said while extending his arms, Pinocchio didn’t want to let go, today had been awful.

“This sounds to me like a trap,” Venigni said.

“It could be but…” Pulcinella was deep in thought, “Arlchecchino has always had issues with the alchemists, if one brought him back he mustn't be happy about it”

Venigni realized what Pulcinella was trying to say, “The alchemists are planning something in there, if we investigate and fail he wins by getting rid of us, if we succeed he wins in his plans against the alchemists”

Arlecchino is smart, it’s best to not underestimate him.

“We can keep talking about this tomorrow” It’s late and they live on the other side of the city, Geppetto knows they have to leave.

They said their goodbyes, Pinocchio hugged Venigni before leaving, he wasn’t going to let anyone hurt his uncle, he was going to put a stop to this.

——

As soon as they arrived home, Geppetto wasted no time on asking Pinocchio what was wrong.

“I… I don’t know! Everything!” Pinocchio began to yell, why did all of this have to happen? Why did he go to that stupid event? Why did Arlecchino have to come back just to torment his loved ones?

“Pinocchio it’s okay, I understand that-“

“No, you don’t! No one calls and treats you as if you are just a machine!” Pinocchio was too emotional to hear him properly.

“Son I know those comments are uncalled for and I have asked people to stop but as you can see people do it when we think we aren’t listening” Geppetto sadly can't stop it and doesn't know what else to do, “I’m sorry but this is the reason I didn't want you to come in the first place”

“Well I should have listened to you are you happy?!” Pinocchio was too frustrated now “I hate your work! I hate your stupid job and how your coworkers all see me! I wished you had another job!”

The room became silent, Pinocchio didn’t fully register what he had said until his father started crying and apologizing over again to him. How many times did Carlo say similar things to him? Even if the context is completely different, the sentiment is the same one.

“No Father, I didn’t…I was just…” Pinocchio doesn’t know what to say, it’s not like he truly hates his father’s job but it does bother him the things he has heard and he knows not all of them are like that but he is done hearing everyone talking behind his back.

“I’m tired” Pinocchio just wants this day to end.

The two of them went to bed, but Pinocchio couldn’t sleep that night, so he went to lie down next to his father, hopefully, this was just one bad day.

Hopefully, things will get better.

Chapter Text

“Come on just knock on that door and explain to her everything” Yeah as if she is going to believe that a random stranger is her long lost brother.

He was Alidoro before Parrot tried to kill him, not without taking his identity first, he feels so stupid for taking him in as his partner, he should have never trusted Parrot, and worse is that he put his sister's life in danger, he knows about the attack in Hotel Krat and how his sister was there when it happened. Parrot left him for dead in that cave but he would not die, he refused to die and leave her, never again would she be left all alone. He lost his arm in the process but thankfully he managed to get a prosthetic and that prosthetic then was replaced with a Legion Arm, one that was custom-made. As much as he would love to say that he is the real Alidoro and he is safe, no one would believe him, no one has ever seen his face before, and maybe it's selfish but he wants Parrot to rot in that jail cell.

“Not now, I can wait, I have to find a better moment,” He said to himself, and backed away from her home, but as he was walking away, she got out of her home, ready to go towards her job.

“Oh, it’s you!” Eugéne ran up to the stalker, “I never got to thank you for what you did the other day, I’m very thankful”

He froze, he hadn’t talked to her in so long and when he saved her he was running on pure adrenaline his only thought was not losing her; he didn’t know what to say but he couldn’t just stand in silence last time.

“It was nothing, just trying to help”

“Still thank you so much, Mr. Stalker”

Right, she doesn’t know his new stalker's name or his real name.

“I’m Mastiff” Although his real name is Haneul “I’ll be nearby, in case of an emergency you can always come to me”

She smiled at him and left. Haneul was left alone with his thoughts.

Krat is a dangerous city and something just as bad as last time or even worse is brewing underneath, he wants to stop this before it all happens, but he feels powerless just as last time, lately Medoro has been on his mind a lot, how his good friend was silenced by the media, how he… became a monster, he found the rotting carcass underneath that cave, it was horrible but at least someone gave him mercy and killed him.

It was most likely Geppetto’s son, Haneul had seen him hanging with her a few times, it brings him comfort that she is safe with the boy by her side. He has seen what Pinocchio is capable of firsthand when he helped him save those hostages in that boat.

Haneul looks at his hand, the one that’s not mechanical, how he is missing a finger, the one he lost saving her. He is watching her from afar as she leaves for her job, he feels like a creepy stalker, well he is a stalker but not that kind of stalker.

“Be careful out there” Haneul whispers under his breath, he has to leave and continue his investigation.

—-

“Father, can we talk?” Pinocchio feels uncomfortable, what happened yesterday is still on his mind.

“Of course” Geppetto sits next to his son.

“I want to help” Pinocchio took a deep breath “I know you get worried about me a lot… but I can take care of myself”

“I know son, I’m sorry” Geppetto knows that he has been acting too overprotective.

“I know that there is something going on with the alchemists, I don't want anyone to get hurt”, Pinocchio wasn't giving his father the details of how he knew just vague enough things that his father wouldn't get suspicious of what he did last time, “And I can't let Arlecchino just run around killing people”

Pinocchio was being assertive, not backing down on his desire to help others.

Geppetto doesn’t know what to say, this is dangerous way too dangerous but he has to trust his son, and they can’t just pretend none of this is happening, he could always tell something was off about the alchemists' true motives; when rumors of corruption flowed around Krat, he ignored it all, pretending nothing was wrong because in his mind if he didn't get involved his family wouldn't get hurt, in the end it destroyed his family at the time and it destroyed him, turning a blind eye is what caused pain to countless of people. As for The King of Riddles, Pinocchio is right, they can't simply let a serial killer run loose.

“Are you going to the Opera House today?”

“I want to go”

Geppetto hugs his son, “Be very careful while you are out there”

“I’m going to see Eugéne before I go, to be more prepared”

Pinocchio starts to get ready, arranging everything he needs, before he leaves his father says goodbye to him at the door.

Geppetto plays with his son’s hair, “And always remember to be a good boy”

Pinocchio opens the front door, leaving. Geppetto has to stop himself from chasing after him to come back, he has to trust Pinocchio, he should know more than anyone his son's skills. He just needs to relax and take a deep breath, before his anxiety starts consuming him again.

—-

“Mmm I see that sounds dangerous” Eugéne was concerned about what Pinocchio had told her, “I’m happy to help and I’ll be on my guard just in case”

She might not be as good as Pinocchio when using a weapon but at least she knows how to defend herself.

“I’ve made some adjustments to the sword you gave me, it could come in handy in this situation” Eugéne fixed her glasses, “I also investigated some of the engravings apparently the sword's name is Misericors”

Rather odd to name a weapon “Merciful” but people give weird names to their swords all the time, at least it wasn't something edgy like she expected.

Pinocchio had come without a weapon so that Eugéne would suggest what it would be best to use. In his bag, he had prepared everything else he could need, even a few extras just in case.

“Mmm although I did hear that the Opera House was supposed to be closed today”
Eugéne had read in the newspaper that it was due to some building maintenance but that couldn’t be just a coincidence, “As always I know my way around a weapon, come to me if you need anything else to fight out there”

Pinocchio nodded and made his way to leave, as he opened the door, Eugéne saw that stalker again and that weapon he had that was definitively from the east, maybe she should find the courage to ask where he got it.

—--

Pinocchio snuck into the Opera house through a backdoor, he walked carefully to not make any noise, the place looked empty but he wasn't going to lower his guard, and sure enough, he started hearing the sound of people talking, they were making their way towards him so he had to hide, he took a turn and entered a room he had been before when that whole disaster happened, and just like before he found someone from the Corday family there.

“Oh, it's you” Adeline looked annoyed.

Adeline was wearing a short white dress with red accents, it had a red bow in the middle, she was also wearing white pants due to the dress length. Now that Pinocchio looks at her more carefully, on the other two occasions she saw her, Adeline was wearing similar clothing, almost as if she is trying to match the looks of both of her aunts. Her face is different but that is most likely due to the fact she is younger, but she has the same hair as them too.

“Huh? Adeline? Why are you here? Isn't this place supposed to be closed?” Gemini chirped from his cage.

“What are YOU doing here?” Adeline rolled her eyes, “I work here and the performers are allowed to practice even when the place is closed”

Adeline wanted a break from her family, they had been so insufferable lately with their demands about wanting her to change her attitude, and at least they briefly went back to normal when she was almost hurt in that Carnival although now they are just nagging her again. They say they are harsh on her because they think she can be better than her aunts, that she has been improving so much lately, well duh she is improving, you don't get to be prima donna by not working yourself to the bone performing. Hell she works harder than any of them, they are mainly living out of the earnings of her aunt Adelina, and now they want her hard earned money, none of them wanting to get a job. At least she can understand her grandma not working, the rest of the family is capable of doing so.

But no, “You have to carry the family name” or “You have to succeed so that we can have an even greater life”

Adeline was sitting drinking some tea, annoyed that she had to be stuck with Pinocchio, she was told not to leave this place while they were doing maintenance.

“I don't know why everyone treats me like I'm the devil just because I yelled at an old lady” Adeline huffed.

“That old lady is my mother” Pinocchio won't let Adeline talk that way about her.

“Yeah, yeah whatever everyone is just jealous of me”

Gemini was the one annoyed now, and made the mistake of murmuring something under his breath, “Like how your aunt was jealous of Patricia”

“I heard that you stupid cricket” Adeline rolled her eyes.

“Gemini!” Pinocchio shouted, giving his cage a small shake from behind.

They were in trouble but surely she doesn't know about that.

“That just proves my point, Aunt Adelina gets a pass for poisoning Aunt Patricia but when I'm a little bit mean suddenly I am the bad guy” Adeline huffed again in frustration.

“What?” Pinocchio was stunned.

“What?” Adeline was confused now, “I don't know how you guys heard about it, look I'm not surprised, someone at home must have said it out loud, and a servant must have spread what happened”

“So you are saying that your family knew?” Gemini was speechless.

“Of course, we all knew!” Adeline was so done with her family's hypocrisy, “Everyone but Aunt Patricia knew and no one was gonna tell her, honestly I felt kinda bad for her, not realizing what we all knew” She even debated telling her at some point but decided against it, plus her aunt became a good stalker and that fixed everything in her mind.

Pinocchio didn't know what to say, or what to think but getting reminded of the fact that he was the one who killed her was not helping, in fact, Adeline was wearing the white locket, as Pinocchio didn't keep it, he left it in this same room with the red locket, he didn't have the heart to keep something so personal.

“So what are you doing here?” Adeline snapped her fingers at Pinocchio, “Get out you aren't allowed to be here”

“I am trying to help, this place is dangerous!” Pinocchio got mad, why does she always act this way?

“Dangerous how? It's just an Opera House, maybe the basement since it is apparently a biohazard” Adeline took another sip of her tea, “I don't know who was the idiot who didn't dispose of the props of the canceled play properly but now everyone is stuck in this mess”

“Biohazard?”

“That's what they said” Adeline only wanted to practice in peace she truly didn't care about the issue, “Although I can't find the Puppet Prince Outfit, it's supposed to be our next play, ugh, this place has become such a mess”

Oh yeah, he still has that, Pinocchio also may or may not put it on from time to time while no one is home and reenact a few scrips he wrote with the help of Gemini.
He says that they are good small plays, but Gemini is his best friend, he is probably telling him that to make him feel happy or-

“Hey, you are being loud again, turn down the volume of those springs” Adeline waved her hand, “Just leave now if you are going to keep bothering me”

She could hear everything not just his springs, his cogs, the electricity, his heartbeat, even his breathing, she knew that she was talented when it came to musical appreciation, more so than her two late aunts, and that she could hear naturally what many would take years to hear properly, but at this moment she was resenting having that gift.

“Fine” Pinocchio turned around to leave, “Just please be careful”

Pinocchio grabbed the door knob before Adeline spoke up again.

“You be careful too” She wasn't being soft or anything she was only being polite, “Don't get into trouble like your dumb brother would”

Pinocchio didn't expect her out of all people to mention Carlo and not be followed by a condescending comment about how he is his replacement. Although she was kinda rude he appreciated it.

Pinocchio walked away, it looked like the coast was clear now and he needed to make his way to find the basement, the last time he was here he didn't see one, but it must be somewhere near the last floor.

He found the place and hid behind some pillars when he heard some people approaching, they were wearing strange suits.

“So how did this happen exactly?”

“This play was supposed to have some tricky effects, real fire, real electricity, and multiple uses of disruption”

“That sounds complicated”

“The script was even more bizarre, but never mind that the disruption is affecting something down there, so we need to be careful”

Pinocchio could hear the door of the basement opening.

“I thought disruption wasn't supposed to harm humans”

“I know right is so-

Pinocchio saw how the two of them were dragged inside by something, the door sealing shut and awful screams could be heard, then, silence. From the door, an orange smoke began to leak, there is no doubt that is something related to the disruption. This was bad, there is no way he can enter that room without instantly dying from the disruption. It seemed hopeless, until his sword began to shine, of the symbols of the top, the orange one began to emanate a bright light, and upon getting closer to the basement door, the disruption began to disappear, not being able to touch Pinocchio.

They weren't going to question this luck, but it was worth investigating later if that journal had any information about the sword, so Pinocchio grabbed the handle of the door with force and opened it, destroying the door in the progress, he carefully walked downstairs, examining his surroundings, everything was so dark and turning on Gemini's lamp revealed a gruesome scene, the floor was covered in blood, the two bodies were lying on opposite sides of the room and they weren't the only ones.

In the middle was a huge puppet, it looked as if it was a magician, it was standing still, too still but Pinocchio knew it was just a trick and that the puppet was not shut down as it wanted him to believe and they did not like that Pinocchio didn't fall for the trick.

The puppet gave out a sadistic laugh and made a pose, when their eyes opened an orange glow came out of them, the puppet grabbed a cane and began to attack Pinocchio, who faced the attacks without much issue, the battle was going well, for the most part he had the advantage until the puppet jumped out of the way and pulled a curtain, revealing another huge puppet, this one was different however, it looked like an angel and from their eyes came the strange same glowing, now both of them were on the attack when he made one of them stagger he took the opportunity to burn the angel and cause a small explosion to deal a great amount of damage.

What Pinocchio did not expect was the magician puppet taking away the jewel of his cane, fire coming out from it as if it was a flamethrower, and then from the bottom of the cane another trick, the puppet trying to electrocute him. Pinocchio decided to focus his efforts on the magician as it was the biggest threat, he was doing well, dodging the attacks from the angel puppet, unfortunately, both puppets suddenly charged at him from different angles, Pinocchio managed to dodge one of the attacks, but was hurt badly by the other, quickly grabbing two pulse cells to recover his health.

He can't give up, he is strong, and he has faced worse foes than these puppets. He grabs a few saw blades and throws them at the angel, while the puppet cries out in pain Pinocchio turns to the magician puppet, baiting him into a corner so that he can attack him fiercely as it tries to escape, Pinocchio finishes him off with a fable attack.

Pinocchio then turned his attention to the other puppet, he was ready to attack when the puppet fell to the floor, someone throwing a blade at the arm, breaking it in half.

“I figured you could use some help” Haneul got back his sword and was ready to fight alongside Pinocchio, it was a good idea to follow him.

Pinocchio nodded, he could ask questions later, with both of their strengths combined the angel puppet didn't stand a chance, once defeated, they both went back upstairs, the fight had made quite the commotion and outside people were already waiting for them, staff and even bystanders that heard the noise from outside the place, all were gathering around them.

Both were bombarded with questions, it was overwhelming Pinocchio but the stalker who he found out was named Mastiff did most of the talking for him, eventually the crowd got bigger and bigger and both of them stepped aside.

“Don't worry I´ll deal with the crowd and the media”

“Thank you” Pinocchio was extremely grateful, he likes helping others and getting praised but too much attention wasn't something he liked, maybe that's why he never found the appeal of being a stalker.

It was time for Pinocchio to leave, as he was near the exit he found something odd, it was the white locket and it was broken, that was odd, did Adeline drop it? He took it for safekeeping, maybe if he saw her again he could return it.

—

“Hey! What are you doing? Let me go!” Adeline was trying to escape.

“You are going to help us whether you like it or not” The man grabbed her with more force, “That good ability to listen of yours will be useful”

“Please, stop, I don't know what you are talking about!” She was trying to fight back, and she managed to escape and try to run, but when she was near the back exit the man grabbed her by her necklace, she was being chocked before it broke, she was gasping for air as the man grabbed her again and gagged her so she wouldn't be able to scream.

“You should be grateful” The man was dragging her away, meeting with others who were tasked to take her away to the designated location, “We will give you a power others only dream of having”

A listener is a valuable asset, but they will make her more than just a listener, something even greater.

---------------

Corrupted Magical Ergo: 🔷 +15,000 

  Corrupted Angelic Ergo: 🔷 +10,000 

“The play script was rejected due to its convoluted plot and effects, the puppet was left behind in the basement but no one bothered to check if the disruption crystals that were meant for the act were disposed of properly”

Chapter Text

Frederick Garret was at his home, reading the newspaper, hearing about the incident that happened at the Opera House, and how a stalker and Geppetto's puppet were the ones to “save the day”. That puppet sure knows where to stick his nose in things that are none of his business, and sure what was happening inside the Opera House was not his doing, but he needed to get the girl, and had his men not been there earlier, they would have been caught by the crowd that formed inside the place.

“That's kind of scary isn't it?” Blue was trying to make conversation, “I know that it was because of the crystals but the idea of another frenzy happening is terrifying”

There is a huge commotion about the two puppets being the ones to have killed those people, another distraction that works to his advantage. Most people don't seem to believe another frenzy could happen, the explanation given by the workshop union was extremely reasonable, but still, some fear it could happen again.

A series of knocks could be heard, Frederick opened the door of his home and he saw the man that he had just been expecting.

“Mr. Conrad good to see you” Then Frederick turned to look at Blue Canary, “Would you mind giving us some privacy? Stand guard just in case, you never know what could happen these days”

“I understand,” Blue said in a formal voice, he is right after all, there was a body discovered nearby just yesterday, “If you need me for anything, just give me a shout”

Both men were in a luxurious room, as Frederick's mansion has many places where one can relax in peace, the many perks of being part of an affluent family and winning up to the thousands each month because of his services.

They made small talk for a few minutes before getting straight to the point.

“The shipment of the crystals will come tomorrow, and I added some extra, as the mining team is going to have some difficulties,” Conrad said.

“What difficulties?” Frederick did not like hearing that.

“Due to that earthquake that happened recently new precautions are being taken, the mine will shut down for two weeks” Conrad gave out a sigh, “Those extra were ones we use at the union, but I made sure to make everyone believe I was using them for a project”

“Very clever” In the end, Frederick was pleased with the results, although it could have gone better in his eyes.

They made more small talk again, but Frederick had in his mind Geppetto's puppet, surely Conrad must know a little about it.

“Mr. Conrad, what do you know about Geppetto?” Frederick knows that the key to Pinocchio is to get to his father first, “I’m just curious, I have heard nothing but praise for him over the years, although from time to time I have heard certain rumors”

“I don’t know what you have heard but they are probably right” Conrad poured himself another glass, “The man has issues, specially with grief, he likes to be in denial about his family dying, and I understand, that losing family is hard but come on”

“Are you saying that because of his puppet?”

“Of course, just look at that puppet!” Conrad was glad to finally rant about Geppetto, “An exact copy of Carlo, I’m surprised he didn’t give the thing the same name, although I wouldn’t be surprised if he calls it Carlo behind our backs” he just knows that Geppetto learned his lesson about giving the puppets the same names, considering what happened to his wife.

Conrad starts talking about how Pinocchio is a marvel of technology, something that proves how far puppet creation can go, something that breaks all the norms and all the limits, no puppet ever created by anyone else has come even close to Pinocchio, hell not even halfway there.

“And Geppetto uses it to play happy family? What a waste”

“It is a shame” Frederick doesn’t care about puppets at all but he has to play along.

“But it has always been obvious not sure why only some have started it to point it out now” Conrad takes a sip of his drink, “That other puppet, what was its name? Yeah Romeo”

Frederick is very aware of who Romeo is or rather was. Geppetto was so overprotective, he wouldn’t let any alchemists near it, hell he wouldn’t let anyone with any association with the alchemists get close to the puppet. He even heard that not even Valentinus despite the close friendship and despite how Valentinus allowed Romeo to attend school alongside Carlo.

“That puppet was so impressive as well and what did he use it for? To give Carlo a playmate obviously” It frustrated Conrad, he is a man who values technological advancement, a man that believes machines should have a purpose, to serve, to make things easier for humans and not exist for ridiculous things like that.

“I heard a rumor that Carlo married the thing before he passed away” Conrad rolled his eyes, “I mean it was obvious that Carlo was a faggot but I didn’t think he was also that type of degenerate”

Frederick is a man of high society, Geppetto’s son was well known by everyone, even by the common people. He had that infamous reputation of being a troublemaker, but also in some circles, there was the speculation that he “enjoyed the company of men”. The boy never had a girlfriend, he was handsome yet he rejected a few girls his age. It’s not illegal to be a homosexual in Krat like in many other places yet it’s not exactly well seen by most. Neither by Frederick, humans are supposed to reproduce to advance the human race, that kind of behavior only slows down valuable progress.

Conrad gave out a sigh “But the first and biggest red flag was when Camille passed and he built that puppet”

Camille, Frederick is even more knowledgeable about her, after all, he is the one who tore her apart to find the secret of why she awoke an Ego.

—-

“You are telling me this puppet became sentient?” Frederick was having a hard time believing it, “And how exactly did that happen?”

“That’s what we want you to figure out” Paracelsus had been the one tasked with explaining to Frederick what he is duty would be.

Frederick began to read the report, a puppet maid tasked with caring for a young boy, while she was making a meal he accidentally bumped into her while playing, the boiling water would have fallen onto him but she pushed him away, getting burned in the progress. Something that was not in her programming.

“She has only been around for a few months and she bonded with the child that quickly? Actually, can puppets even bond with people?” By that time Frederick had less of an idea of how they worked.

Paracelsus gave Frederick a few notes, “Apparently the Ergo of the puppet was made from the child’s mother”

“That’s oddly specific”

“Geppetto’s wife, he made the puppet himself using her Ergo”

Interesting, “And why me and not someone else?”

“Valentinus is busy and Simon and his followers are too busy planning things behind the man’s back”

“And you?” Frederick knows that Paracelsus isn’t supposed to be doing anything important right now.

“I’m making a new weapon, and I’ve been too busy with that”

Sometimes Frederick finds it hard to believe that Paracelsus can wield a weapon, considering how meek he looks and due to his playful demeanor but he can’t deny that the weapons he has made are very effective.

“I doubt anything interesting will come out of this but I have nothing better to do at the moment”

Send. Me. Back. To. My. Child.

The puppet kept repeating that over and over again, it was annoying, he ended up destroying her voicebox so that she wouldn’t distract him any longer, but he was proven wrong when he thought nothing interesting would come out of this. It showed the true power of Ergo, it showed the powerstone of life.

Everyone was delighted by this discovery and he expected to be praised by it. Not reprimanded.

“Did you really have to take her apart like that?” Valentinus asked as he was sent to his office, “Not just the puppet’s body but her Ergo?”
Frederick was rather crude in his process, not caring about the machine that he completely broke. It was all for the sake of research.

“Of course I had to you know that” Frederick was looking around Valentinus's office, maybe the cleaners don’t get paid enough because dust is already accumulating, and it’s starting to bother him just being here.

Valentinus sighs, “Geppetto is a good friend but he is furious at me and Simon”

Frederick wasn’t paying attention to the rest of what Valentinus was saying, the uncleanliness was so much that he even started cleaning the place himself.

Valentinus was a good man, he wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, and he knows how Frederick has his strange obsession with cleanliness maybe it’s best he leaves.

“Frederick I appreciate the help but… never mind you are dismissed”

—-

“He even built her a statue in her name, how absurd” Conrad couldn't believe it all those years ago and he still can't believe it now, “Does he not realize how weird it is for everyone else? His wife dies and he builds a puppet, then his son dies and he builds a puppet and wants to pretend that’s normal?”

“Yes I heard of that, it does seem like Geppetto has a problem when it comes to losing loved ones, denial is a powerful thing” Frederick tapped his fingers on the table, “Does the man suspect anything of the disruption crystals?”

“He has no idea, the subdirector Harvey, he did try to investigate but I covered our tracks”

Frederick raised an eyebrow at that.

“Don’t worry, the man is too trusting, he was satisfied with a normal excuse and lies about where those shipments are going” Conrad did find out who was selling the crystals to that bakery and fired them immediately, “As for the ones in the Opera House, those are crystals that were supplied for a play legally, just that some idiot must have forgotten to get rid of them properly” That wasn't their problem so not something they had to worry about.

“Hopefully that’s the case, it would be a shame if all this research got wasted for something so simple as that”

“Speaking of, how is your research going?” Conrad has been intrigued since the first time he learned, in a way he believes he and Frederick are similar, he wants to push the limits of what a machine can do, and Frederick can push the limits of what a human can do. He was sold on the idea of finding a way to prolong life.

Although truthfully Conrad has no true idea of what he is contributing to, just the surface and he certainly has no idea of all the horrible things Frederick and his followers have done.

“Better than expected and for your support I’ll make sure that once everything is set in place you get to treat yourself to the fruits of our efforts” It’s not a complete lie, unlike Simon he isn’t dumb enough to get rid of every asset he has due to paranoia but he will delay as much as he can and not give him a proper version of the power of the stone.

Frederick looked at the clock, they still had a little more time to talk.

“Sorry for bringing him up again” Frederick doesn’t want to sound too obvious of his motives, “But the reason Geppetto has been in my mind, is I’ve seen him recently”

Only a few glances here and there, as Frederick has seen Geppetto in the waiting room for a collage of his, Conrad is right, Geppetto has issues since he knows that doctor is a psychiatrist.

“Don’t blame you for thinking about him, just like Venigni everyone talks about him and mostly positive things despite not being deserved” Conrad really hates those two, “If only I could prove how incompetent he truly is”

“Mmm,” Frederick thought out loud.

“What? Is something in your mind?”

“Oh no please forgive me, just remembering when I caught a glimpse of him, he goes to the hospital for some appointments, not with me however” Frederick was smiling he had the perfect idea.

“I had no idea he was having health issues” Conrad was surprised, Geppetto looked well for his age.

Frederick put his hand on Conrad’s shoulder, “You did not hear it from me, however, Geppetto’s doctor is the last one in the hall on the 4th floor”

A little something for Conrad to investigate and put two and two together.

Meanwhile Blue was wandering around the mansion, although the place already looked like it had been given a deep cleaning she decided to clean what she could as her client likes it when she does this for him, and while doing this, she heard one of the windows of the house being open, strange, no one else is supposed to be here right now, and upon closer inspection, someone had broken inside the home, Blue wasted no time in restraining them, it was easy as this person was only carrying a knife as a weapon, a knife he tried throwing at her but she used her lantern shield to deflect it.

“What is going on here?” Frederick demanded an explanation.

Conrad wasted no time in leaving already, just mentioning that he hoped to see him soon again.

“I know you are up to something Garret!” A woman was shouting, “The papers might try to silence me but I know the truth!”

“Great a yellow journalist” Frederick waved his hand, “Miss. Cassandra call the police and get rid of her”

“Yes sir” Blue did as she was told, the woman said nothing to her, no trying to convince her of whatever she was looking for, she didn't try to warn her about anything, she just kept quiet, it was odd so Blue assumed that she truly was just a yellow journalist, her family had to deal with one of those once, they broke into their home because they wanted “proof” of an affair because her and two other sisters don't look at all like their father, obviously they all don't look like exact copies of their mother or father that's how genetics work.

Still, this is too strange, the other day someone came to the doctor's office and began to threaten him and she had to intervene, she was outside when that happened so she entered the door quickly, she couldn't hear what that was about, she did hear the word Ergo, the man also mentioned how they used to work together before; yesterday someone was following them and she had to deal with that as well. But she is the one who wanted more action in her job, so maybe this is what she gets for asking.

According to the doctor, it is because he is a public figure and many don't like how he is doing for others. He is an excellent doctor, by most considered the best in Krat, even if he can be a little weird behind closed doors.

The police came and went, taking the woman away with them and the two of them were alone again.

“Good job” Frederick was praising her, “Specially for the cleaning perhaps you are better suited for being a maid or one to stay in the household, you clearly know what spots are the ones that get truly dirty and I assure you any man would love a quality like that one in a woman”

“Um… thank you?” It looked like the doctor didn't know what he could be implying when he said that.

“The maids don't work today, so if you could help me clean the rest of this place I'd appreciate it”

Well, he is paying her extra when she cleans and she doesn't mind it at all, so she does what he tells her, the doctor does seem to have some issues with it comes to what he thinks is “dirty” but well, more things to do for her. As she cleans the place, she moves around a few things there are many shelves filled with notebooks, all completely full, she doesn’t know how he can write so much, but she accidentally drops a notebook and a small desk decoration of a horse, she goes to pick it up, she knows she shouldn't read it but curiosity gets the best of her.

—--𖦹—--

The Stone of Transmutation

The mythical stone has been set to have many properties, the one that has been more sought searched for is transmutation, more specifically to create more gold, a valuable asset in medical studies and a resource that is hard to get.

But it can do more than just that, it has the key to something even greater, but the problem always lies in others assuming the form of the stone, why is no one bothering to form one? Do they believe it will magically again its shape? Unlike them, I will not wait for the stone to appear, that is something only dreamers do, I will make the stone myself.

It just needs a vessel, a condensed vessel that has to be turned into the stone but it has to have a proper form first, and once all of the ingredients are set then the stone can finally be in my grasp.

I already have the Ergo and the crystals and soon enough my listener, the only thing left is to perfect her power.
—--𖦹—--

“Miss.Cassandra” Frederick spoke behind her.

Oh no, quick, think of something.

“I accidentally dropped this while cleaning, my apologies” Blue set the notebook in place but kept the decorative horse, “I got distracted by this, how lovely, did you know that Shire horses are the biggest horse breed?”

Frederick was not amused, “Do you want it? It's only there accumulating dust on that shelf”

“Oh, I can't accept this-”

“No, no no take it, I insist” The less mess his home has the better.

“Thank you so much” Blue was smiling, she didn't get caught and she got a nice gift.

“I must leave now, I am dismissing you, I was tasked to help with a surgery, it will take many hours and this is a medical matter, you cannot be there with me”

He has to see how his experiments are going and he is always well-guarded in the labs, no need for her assistance. Not to mention how he has been working nonstop on the girl, losing sleep in the process, not even the smallest of flaws will be tolerated.

Blue simply nodded and left, she should go to the stables and see if she could help there, is that or going to that fancy ball with her family and she isn't in the mood for that.

—

Pinocchio was petting his pony, things had been really tough lately, and going to see her was a good idea to cheer him up.

He did apologize to his father about the other day, he knows that it's not his fault that his coworkers say things behind his back. His father said that it was okay, that he understood that he wasn't feeling well, and that Arlcchino showing up to torment them only made everything worse.

“Do you think I can ride her?” Gemini has always wanted to ever since Pinocchio got her.

“Of course! That's a great idea!” Pinocchio was so excited for Gemini. He carefully placed him on top of the pony and Applejack began to slowly walk around outside the stable.

“Pinocchio we need to get me a cowboy outfit as soon as possible” Gemini was enjoying himself too much.

“I keep spending my allowance on buying things for you”

“Aren't we best friends?”

“Yes but I also want to buy my own things and its not only you, Sophia is also my best friend”

“Thank you” Pinocchio heard her voice from inside.

“What are you doing now Sophia?” Pinocchio said out loud, even if he could have just used his mind, he wanted to keep Gemini in the conversation.

“Tell her I say hi!” Gemini shouted from on top of the pony.

“Gemini says hi” Pinocchio can feel his heart pounding.

“Oh just relaxing, Krat has been on my mind, hopefully, you are safe and sound” Sophia was lying in the bed of her current hotel room, her last sightseeing was a little exhausting: her gears started to sound loudly she got worried because some people were nearby questioning where that noise was coming from.

Pinocchio then starts to wonder, Sophia knows a lot about Ergo, maybe she can tell him information about those notes in the notebook he found.

“I can try to see if I can understand them,” Sophia said, “When you have time, open it and show me the page, I will see what I can do”

“Thank you” Pinocchio was grateful that no matter how far she is, Sophia always helps.

After a few more minutes, they made their way back, Pinocchio leaving the pony back at the stable, giving lots of pets to Applejack before leaving, but as they were close to the exit someone riding a horse made their way towards them.

“Good to see you again!” Blue was excited to see Pinocchio again, she got off her horse and stood next to him, “I heard about what you did at the Opera House, great job!”

Pinocchio was playing with his air, “Oh it was nothing”

“You seem to be a skilled fighter, would you mind sparring with me?” Blue had nothing better to do and sparring sounded like a great idea.

Pinocchio was carrying Misericors and he welcomed using his weapon without being in any real danger, so he agreed, both of them going into a place where the vast field was deserted.

Blue plays more defensively, her lantern shield covering from her attacks, but Pinocchio is a worthy challenger so she uses the trick of her shield, reflecting the light of the sun into Pinocchio’s eyes blinding him for a moment, and putting her rapier blade next to his chest, but not actually touching it.

“I win” Blue was smiling.

“Hey, that’s cheating!” Pinocchio rubbed his eyes, it wasn't fair.

“That’s the point of the shield, to blind your opponents silly” Blue gently touched Pinocchio’s forehead with two fingers, “At least you know the trick, play around it if we ever spar again”

“Oh my, look who we found here”

Both of them turned around and saw that it was The Red Fox who said that, her brother next to her.

“We obviously expected to see you here Blue, but it’s a pleasant surprise to see you here as well Pinocchio” Red Fox was smiling under her mask.

“What are you guys doing here?” Blue was a little confused but hoped they had come to see her.

“To see you of course,” Black Cat said but then laughed, “Just kidding client business”

“Brother don’t be rude”

“Just teasing her, nothing serious”

“Client business?” Blue had no idea what they were referring to.

Black Cat got closer to Blue and patted her shoulder “Our client thinks that your daddy is rigging those horse races”

Blue raised an eyebrow “So you guys are detectives now?”

“No, but we needed the money, can’t afford to miss the rent in our new office” Black Cat was doubtful about accepting the job but money is money.

“Plus we know that you could help us with that” Red Fox said elegantly, “We know your family is not like that and you might have the proof that”

Blue looked relieved, “My father owns the horse track but not the horses that participate, I can show you guys some of the documents”

They have strict policies to prevent things like that from happening, very restrictive rules, that's the reason no races have ever been rigged, if they suspect that there is even the slightest chance of it happening, a full investigation is launched.

“So that person just has bad luck?” Pinocchio thought that it sounded dumb to think races like that were rigged even if he didn’t know much about horses.

Black Cat now moved next to Pinocchio and pulled him in for a shoulder hug, “Look our brother is so smart”

He had expected Pinocchio to just let go of him quickly but that didn’t happen and Pinocchio pulled him for a big hug.

“Okay, I’m happy to see you too but that’s too much hugging for a day” Black Cat was getting suffocated, Pinocchio must have forgotten his strength.

“Brother don’t ruin the moment,” Red Fox said, then she turned to look at Blue, “We would be really grateful if you could help us out, we could even give you a cut of the money”

“Oh no no guys that’s too much and the doctor pays me well” Sometimes she feels the doctor has more money than he knows what to use it for, each time she is outside with him he buys so many cleaning supplies and so many notebooks as well.

“Great more for us” Black Cat was happy about that.

“Money isn’t everything” Pinocchio poked him so that he would get the message.

“Brother he is right and you know it” Red Fox has a serious tone.

Black Cat looked away for a second, his sister left her family because of him, they are true siblings, but the Volfe’s refused to accept that, accept that their father had an affair, she could have just left him, abandoned him like everyone else had done until that point, but she refused, she left a life of luxury for him.

“Sorry, looks like I’m not as funny as I thought”

“You are right about that” Gemini chirped from his cage.

“What did you say you dumb cricket?!” Black Cat shouted and huffed.

“Dude, you are beefing with a cricket, calm down” Blue was teasing him now.

“Hey, Gemini is more than a cricket he is my friend!” Pinocchio knows that they are joking but he has to remind them.

“Would love to keep chatting but Pinocchio we have to leave, it’s getting late” Gemini knows that they got too carried away, and twilight is starting to be seen in the sky.

Pinocchio waved them all goodbye, saying that he hoped to see them again soon.

“You know I would love to properly hang out with him one day” Red Fox gave out a sigh, “Invite him to eat or something along those lines”

“He can eat?” Blue may know Pinocchio but he doesn’t know him that well, but they explain to her that they heard it from Pinocchio that he can.

“Wow, he is more special than I thought” Blue wondered how else Pinocchio is different if only she knew all the crazy details.

“So Blue how are things with doc?” Black Cat was playing with his weapon, feeling bored.

“Everything is going swell, a little more exciting recently”

“Mmm really? The doctor is the center of a lot of attention so I can see it” Red Fox waved her hand so that her brother would stop playing with his weapon, “Everyone always sings praises about him”

Black Cat stopped “Yeah, I heard he is bisexual but with his hands”

Red Fox facepalmed, she couldn’t believe him sometimes.

“…yes the doctor is ambidextrous” Blue has seen him get tired of writing with one hand and switching to the other, he writes a lot of stuff in general, she knows that he is a also researcher so it must be because of that.

“I do wish I had another client”

“Are you still concerned about it not being too exciting?” Red Fox was ready to give a speech about how that’s not the point of being a stalker.

“No, I just feel like he isn’t the kind of person he says he is” After today she definitely has a weird feeling around him.

“I see” Red Fox got serious again, “Sorry to ruin the chat, but if you could help us out”

“Oh right! Follow me guys”

——

The house phone was ringing and Venigni felt like he was going to have a panic attack.
Each time that phone rings he feels dread, Pulcinella is the one to answer all phone calls because he can’t do it.

That monster is out there again, worse is that the last body that was found was placed in his parent's graves. He is taunting him, treating this as some sort of game, worse is that because of where they were found rumors and gossip started, rumors about his parents.

Pulcinella answers the phone and it’s not him, but Venigni feels as if he is going crazy like he isn’t safe in his own home. Because Arlecchino knows where he lives and he can just break in like he did all those years ago, he can-

“Master Venigni”

Pulcinella snapped him out of his trance.

“Yes?” Venigni is someone who can talk and talk for hours but at this moment just saying those simple words is too much.

“If this is too much for you, perhaps it would be best if the young master-”

“No no no, please let's not involve Pinocchio anymore in this” Venigni knows how Pinocchio was already put in danger, his rational brain knows how capable the boy is but at this moment his emotions are running too high and he is afraid that he would be hurt.

Pulcinella stays quiet for a few moments, it pains him to see him like this and he would rather avoid causing him more stress, however, a letter that arrived in the mail is of utmost importance.

“You remember Miss. Belle correctly?”

“Yes, I remember her” Venigni was starting to compose himself, “How could I forget her? I think she left an impression on all of us”

Pulcinella handed him the letter; Belle talked about the decoded message Pinocchio gave her a while back, how that led her to more clues and left her to this.

“It came with this cryptic vessel”

Belle trusts Venigni and she knows his capabilities, that’s why she sends this to him, stressful as this is, he won’t allow Arlecchino to keep getting away with this or anyone else for that matter.

Venigni deciphers it quickly, which leads him to more clues, this will take a while, this is a massive web he is willing to untangle, this time he won’t be a coward and talk be game, he will do something about this before it’s too late.

Chapter Text

Pinocchio was reading the notebook, trying to find a way to show Sophia the contents. The parts Pinocchio could understand at least and try for Sophia to make sense of it.

“I guess you are going to have to read it out loud for me to try and make sense of it” Sophia can't look at the words since well, she is at least 4 countries away from him.

“Mmm okay” Pinocchio had a smile on his face.

Sophia was happy to be able to hear him read out loud, Pinocchio loves reading so surely he is great at narrating.

“The… um, anime no, anima? Is the power- power-source of, of the link be-bewt-between, um…”

“Pinocchio…” Sophia sounded concerned, “Are you able to read the words properly?” She thought that maybe Pinocchio was in need of glasses.

No, he is just bad at reading out loud.

Sophia found it a little amusing “Well, time to tell your father to prioritize this” Sophia then asked Pinocchio to tell Gemini to read out loud the words for him, she can at least hear what others say.

—--𖦹—--

Anima

Ergo is one's essence and by concentrating that essence, cleansing it into its purest form the result is the anima. Anima is the power source of the

(The words have been crossed out, even at the back of the page, making them completely ineligible)
The link between the potential of humanity and its ability to thrive. Anima has more than just healing properties, it can increase physical strength, and create resistance to certain afflictions including immunity to poisons, truly the key to a longer life for humanity, a wonder in terms of medicine, consuming it has shown to cure even the deathliest of illnesses, rumor has said it has the possibility to cure bone fractions although this theory hasn't been confirmed, needing further study.

Unfortunately, Anima is extremely rare to acquire, Ergo already is hard to get, and the process of converting Ergo into Anima can take up to months only for a small amount to be possible to obtain, as of now, Anima does not seem to be worth the effort.

Concentrating the research on Ergo itself is the top priority, sadly harnessing the power of Anima is…

—--𖦹—--

The end of the sentence was blurred, the rest of the page was in a language neither Pinocchio nor Gemini could understand.

“Seriously Pinocchio you couldn’t read that?” Gemini was acting too sassy today.

“Well can’t be good at everything!” Pinocchio already feels as if he has a lot of good skills and this isn’t a big deal and he can read in his mind perfectly well.

“Listen-”

But Pinocchio didn’t listen to Gemini, instead, he grabbed him, put him inside his cage, and began to shake him. Sophia laughed it’s always amusing when he does that.

Gemini came out of his cage spinning, “Okay, maybe I went too far, but you are still a brat”

“I believe I have heard of this” Sometimes her father would teach her things related to alchemy so she has a good amount of knowledge, maybe as much as an alchemist. But her father taught her all that behind her mother’s back and once she found out she forbade her from learning more.

Her mother was serious about it, her father even slept on the couch for a few days.

When she was a child, sometimes she felt as if her mother disliked her but she was always so loving and caring. Yet everything that had to do with her power as a listener made her mother angry, now she knows that she just wanted to protect her. Plus if her mother was truly against the learning of alchemy she would have never married her father, Sophia can understand now that her mother was afraid that others could learn of her power and unfortunately, that fear became true.

“Your father holds a good amount of knowledge about Ergo as well, I find it would be best to speak with him about this, he can help us even more”

“Father is at work right now” And he actually looked really happy about going to work unlike recently as they were going to test something new, his father tried explaining it to him but he had no clue what his father was talking about, when he gets too passionate about his work, he forgets other can’t understand the special terminology.

“In the meantime, we could look for a way for others to hear my voice” Sophia wonders if an invention like a pocket phone could exist in the future, oh well, maybe that is something for Venigni to think of.

“Why not use a stargazer?” As long as he is touching it, Sophia could use the Ergo wavelengths to communicate with others.

Sophia smiled, “That’s a great idea clever one”

“Hello? What is she saying Pinocchio?” Gemini couldn’t hear her after all.

After explaining, Gemini was in deep thought, “But where can we get one?”

They can’t use the one at Hotel Krat now that is back in business, they could buy one but they are rather expensive and Pinocchio doesn’t have any more allowance money left.

“Thank you for that Gemini” Pinocchio frowned, looking annoyed.

“Come on, you love spending money on me” Gemini chirped, teasing his best pal.

“Since they are mainly used by stalkers, I am sure one of them could have one to spare” Sophia knows that stalkers are trained on how to build stargazers since it is their main method of transportation.

Pinocchio smiled, he knew just who to see about this.

—-

“A stargazer? Sure we have the parts for a spare one lying around” Black Cat was glad to see Pinocchio again so soon and didn’t mind fulfilling his request.

“Although I do warn you, stargazers are regulated, you can’t suddenly use one to transport somewhere, they will ask you to identify yourself as a stalker” Red Fox explains to him how there are new regulations when it comes to using stargazers.

“Why do you need one in the first place?” Black Cat was looking around in a closet for all the parts.

“Um…secret?” Pinocchio knows that he can’t tell anyone about Sophia, not even them and he respects her privacy.

“Ooh how fun, if you get in trouble don’t blame us though, your family is already mad enough at us as it is” Black Cat had found all the pieces and set them inside a box.

“For once, I agree with my brother” Red Fox looked at how her brother rolled his eyes behind his mask, “But before you leave, how about we treat you to lunch? You are always helping us out, so why not return it with this small favor?

“I’m sorry, I don’t have any money left” Pinocchio glared at Gemini again and the cricket just started chirping a tune and pretending to act innocent.

“Please, it's our treat this time, we owe it to you” Red Fox smiled, knowing they would spend a great time together.

—-

“Well his father is going to kill us” Black Cat is panicking.

They went to eat at a spicy food restaurant, they insisted he should try new flavors and as it turns out, Pinocchio can’t handle spicy food at all. He feels as if he is overheating and he can feel his springs moving faster to try and stop it, not to mention how he feels dizzy.

“It’s okay, this will pass” Red Fox knows that this is just eating spicy food, things like this aren’t a big deal.

As usual, things are not normal when it comes to Pinocchio and his unique body, the overheating sensation simply isn’t stopping and he already tried using an ampoule but since his body isn’t actually overheating it’s not working. Sometimes Pinocchio feels as if his body confuses his human parts with his mechanical parts, causing conflicting issues like this.

“This is all your fault! You are the one who made him taste that habanero!” Black Cat was mad at his sister.

“I thought that you know…” She thought that because he is partly a puppet, he would be able to handle it.

“It’s okay I think I’m-“ Pinocchio could feel a burning sensation in his throat, but at least he wasn’t dizzy anymore, “bEtTer noW”

Pinocchio grabbed his throat and tried to speak again, his voice sounding too mechanical because his voice box had been damaged.

“Oh dear” Gemini knew this would end badly.

“FUCK he really is going to kill us now” Black Cat is already planning his will in his head.

“Brother shut up, we can think of something” Red Fox was acting calm but deep down she was also in full panic mode, “Is there anyone else that might help with this? One that won’t get angry at us?”

Lady Antonia is out of the question, Eugéne is a good choice but even if she did work at the union her skill mastery will always be weapons so that only leaves one other person.

“Master Venigni, you have guests” A maid had let them inside, all the staff already knew Pinocchio and they were aware to let him in, even if coming unannounced. They were in luck that it was one of those days Venigni doesn’t work at the union and deals with other private affairs at his home.

Venigni was happy to see Pinocchio, not so happy about seeing the two of them, specially because he needed to talk to Pinocchio in private about the situation, but there was still a little more he must do, it could wait.

“I want to help you Pinocchio but I am not sure your father would be happy about me snooping around your body” Venigni still remembers back then, after he returned safely to Hotel Krat and made his way to see Geppetto upstairs, he opened his mouth but couldn’t speak a word.

“No” That was all Geppetto had said, because he knew what he wanted to ask, no you can’t know how I built him even if we are close friends. No to any following questions you might have and no, I will not change my mind.

“pREtTy PleAsE” Even when his voice is broken Pinocchio sounds cute.

“Yeah, pretty please!” Black Cat was begging him, “And we are really sorry for leaving you all alone back then, we swear!”

“You have our truly and deepest sincerest apologies our past behavior was inexcusable” Red Fox was begging as well, “And the faster he heals the better, isn’t that right?”

That is true, the faster you fix things, the easier it is to avoid further problems. Not to mention there is no need to stress Geppetto over this simple situation.

“Alright, I guess I have no choice, however,” Venigni stared at the two of them, he still couldn’t trust them and he was already doing them a huge favor by not saying anything to Geppetto, “I will ask the two of you to leave”

“That’s perfectly fine” Red Fox was just so relieved and turned to look at Pinocchio, “We will deliver the stargazer to your home today”

Black Cat had almost forgotten about that “We will leave it a the door, waiting for you”

They both were making their way out, and an argument started.

“You are the one who suggested spicy food so you are going to carry it” For once it was Black Cat the one scolding his sister.

“Ugh fine” Red Fox knew that it would be a pain, why does Geppetto have to leave so far away?

The argument turned into friendly sibling bickering, it was good to try and relax. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t know someone had caught a glimpse of them walking away from the mansion.

“Mmm interesting” Sabertooth was looking from not too far away, maybe this information could be of use to her new client.

—-

“Now about that voice”

Venigni had taken Pinocchio aside to his personal workshop, Pulcinella was outside guarding as it was best no one suddenly entered. Pinocchio had taken off his shirt as he usually does with this situation, and indicated to Venigni where to look.

It’s not just in his chest, Pinocchio has a few buttons in his body that look like moles but they can be opened to reveal secret compartments.

“Why that’s such a genius design! I can’t believe Geppetto made them look so natural, and how evenly proportional each compartment is to its respective part, oh and the-”

“Ahem,” Gemini had to stop Venigni from fanboying about Pinocchio’s design.

“Right, sorry” Venigni took a good look before seeing the problem, “It looks like a few of your cables accidentally got mixed up”

Venigni has plenty of experience with this, from his work and from when Pulcinella was damaged by Fueco as it happened to him as well. The most logical explanation is that Pinocchio’s body tried to counterattack what it believed to be overheating in his throat, the mechanism trying to find a solution by rearranging itself. Thankfully for Venigni, Pinocchio’s throat is one of his fully mechanical parts, there is no need to worry about him doing damage to the boy’s human side.

Pinocchio said a few words, he was back to normal but Venigni suggested he try not to speak so as not to restrain his voice. Venigni is aware of what Geppetto has been dealing with and making him worry even more about Pinocchio over a simple issue like this is not ideal.

“I’m glad I could help” Venigni played with Pinocchio’s hair, “Not a word about this to your father, and promise me you won’t reveal the truth this time”

“I promise” Pinocchio knows that this is far more serious than him getting accidentally drunk, his uncle and his two siblings could be in serious trouble for this.

—-

When Geppetto got home, Pinocchio had finished assembling the stargazer, after a quick explanation, Pinocchio touched the stargazer signaling to Sophia that everything was ready.

“Can you all hear me?” It was working as intended, Pinocchio was excited that it was all according to plan.

“Geppetto do you remember years ago when my father showed you around our home?” Sophia was only 10 years old yet she remembers most of what transpired, rarely did anyone visit them.

“Yes, Carlo came with me that day, Romeo came as well” Geppetto had told both to spend time with Sophia, Valentinus looked happy about that, they needed to talk in private.

“What you do not know is that I hid away in the room” Sophia was always intrigued about her father's work, “I recall the conversation, later I asked my father for more information and he was happy to clarify”

Her father was very kind, intelligent, and caring, but also very oblivious, Sophia overheard his conversations with others all the time and never got caught, her mother did catch her, and she was furious, Sophia simply got better at hiding.

“I thought you were supposed to be spending time with the two of them” Geppetto was confused.

“Uhhh about that…” Sophia has no choice but to confess, “They kind of went outside to play a prank on someone” Apparently one of Carlo's school bullies lived near her home.

“What?” Geppetto facepalmed he should have figured Carlo was capable of doing something like that, he couldn't help himself and smiled, remembering his mischievousness.

“It's my fault, I wanted to spy on my father from the start” Not a hobby most kids that age like so the two of them ditched her; now that she thinks about it she was a weird kid, Sophia remembers how her parents scolded her for keeping a bug sanctuary on her closet as it ruined most of her clothes, then years later she got in big trouble because she did a little experiment, her father was amused, her mother wasn't, apparently it is not acceptable to use your hair to harvest caterpillars going through the metamorphosis stage.
To give credit to her mother, she built her a bug sanctuary for herself in their home, to this day Sophia is surprised at how her mother surprised her with that, one day she woke up and her mother had a surprise, a beautiful place in their garden for her to do all of her endeavors.

“You are just like your father you know that?” Sophia remembers her mother's voice, “So oblivious, you could have just asked me for one, no need to hide those creatures in your room”

Sophia smiled, she was so delighted.

“And keep your experiments here and not in your hair,” Her mother laughed, “You better not steal your father's equipment young miss”

Her mother knew her too well, Sophia remembers those moments with fondness.

“So is this about his canceled project from years ago?” Geppetto has a good memory despite his age.

“Correct” Sophia stated, “He asked you for permission to use the factory to run a test and you said no”

Pinocchio wanted to ask why but remembered he should not speak much, besides he would find out soon enough.

“I couldn't close the entire factory because of that, even if it was for a day, considering how he told me he wasn't even sure if it would work, I, unfortunately, had to decline” Not to mention that by that time his relationship with Valentinus had become a bit strained considering what happened with Camille, “Is this about Anima then?”

“Also correct” Sophia was glad that Geppetto was following along nicely, “Now your help would be appreciated, my father said he wanted to use one of the furnaces from the factory to make Anima, why is that?”

Sophia's memory then becomes a little fuzzy after that since she was just a child, the next thing she remembers is getting into a dumb argument with Carlo because he thought crickets and grasshoppers were the same bug and Carlo was too stubborn to listen to her, although in his defense she shouldn't have basically shoved in his face the two bugs so that he could see the difference properly, that backfired because they ended up jumping in Carlo's hair and he panicked trying to take them out, Romeo was just watching finding it all so amusing.

“Anima can only be made in extremely high temperatures with concentrated amounts of Ergo” Geppetto knew that Valentinus was excited about the project, “I had to say no since it could accidentally cause an explosion”

“An explosion?” Gemini didn't like where this was going.

“We could make the anima in small amounts, concentrate the Ergo, purify it, and mold it, only at best a dozen at a time, I did consider building a puppet similar to Fueco for the job, as it needed some sort of core to absorb the power” Geppetto let out a sigh, “Valentinus said that small amounts wouldn't work for what he planned so he gave up on it, he did try to convince me more than once, actually last time he tried to convince me was when…”

Geppetto stayed quiet, the last time the day before Valentinus and Isabelle passed away, the day before Simon killed them.

“Geppetto I know this time you will finally agree!” Valentinus looked delighted, “I found a way for the Anima to absorb the heat without much hassle”

Geppetto wondered how he got into his office unannounced, past security when the reputation of the alchemist was going downhill due to the petrification disease, many hated Valentinus since he was their leader, the public enemy they could blame.

“Really what did you find?” Despite everything, Valentinus was his friend.

Someone he trusted and cared for, over time, Geppetto became less fond of the alchemists' activities but he knew Valentinus was a good man, he wasn't the only good alchemist, and there were many like him who wanted to help others, alchemists who Simon got rid of after killing Valentinus. Simon also was his friend once, yet unlike Valentinus, Simon never made the effort to try and fix things, obviously because Geppetto now knows the man was a psychopath with a lust for power.

“What exactly did you find?” Geppetto is a man of invention so couldn't deny how interesting it is to learn something new.

“When combined with disruption crystals, there is no longer instability, we will be able to fully control the outcome, I know, ironic considering name the name of the crystals and their original use” Valentinus sat down, his happy demeanor changing suddenly, he looked tired, “I was hoping this could work, it is the only cure I can think off for the petrification disease”

Valentinus looked defeated, back then he said something strange before leaving, it is clear now what happened and what he meant.

“I think I might die”

“I can understand perfectly well how stressful work is, even more with this health crisis” Geppetto was trying to reassure him.

“I'm worried about Isabelle, I am even more worried about Sophia” Valentinus looked frantic, like a tiger in a cage, “I made a mistake Geppetto, I was so stupid, I shouldn't have-”

“Valentinus calm down” Geppetto was getting more worried, “Whatever that illness is, you are a smart man, you can figure this out, I will make preparations you only need to tell me what I have to do”

“It's my fault the disease spread, I was so blind to everything” Valentinus kept speaking frantically, “I was so obvious as usual, no I was so stupid”

Geppetto opened his mouth again but Valentinus didn't let him speak.

“Geppetto you don't understand, Sophia…” Valentinus clenched his fists, “I can't let anyone hurt her, you are a father too, what would you do if you lost Carlo?”

“Please Valentinus don't say that!” He didn't even want to think about the possibility, “Look I get that this hard, a lot of people hate you, some would even go as far as to hurt your family”

Geppetto stood up and got closer to Valentinus, putting a hand on his shoulder, “I know this situation won't get better magically, what matters is to stay focused, if you are too concerned perhaps it would be a good idea to find shelter for Isabelle and Sophia”

Valentinus still looked uneasy, “That… could work”

“I believe in you, you are a good man Valentinus”

“Tomorrow there is an event in the charity house” Valentinus stood up preparing to leave, “My wife and Sophia have to be there, as soon as that's done, I'm taking them out of Krat”

“Father?” Pinocchio asked, his father had remained silent for too long.

Geppetto was snapped out of his trance, “I'm sorry I was remembering something” He then explained what he was told by Valentinus.

“Wait…” Geppetto was making the connection, “Disruption Crystals are on the decline for the past few months”

Geppetto had found that odd, there are supposed to be plenty in the many of mines and caves that Krat has, in the past it was even a nuisance because you could accidentally find some while constructing buildings, he doubts they suddenly went on the decline so fast.

“If I remember correctly” Sophia spoke up, “When the petrification disease was being spread, when Simon took over my father's position, he started lying about Ergo and where it was coming from”

Sophia heard a lot of things while trapped in that tower, her memories are mixed, specially because there are a lot of things she would rather not remember how… how her uncle Simon come to “talk” with her, the things he said to her, he was obsessed with her… she better stop thinking about that now, she is starting to shake by remembering it.

It's true, the alchemist gave them less Ergo to work with, with worse quality, “It seems like it's all happening again but what do they want this time?” Geppetto was at a loss.

“Um,” Pinocchio thinks he knows the answer, “Maybe the same thing? Or something similar?”

When Pinocchio was at Arche Abbey he found a lot of weird things relating to seeking immortal life, or bettering humanity, or crazy talk about human evolution.

“If anima makes your health better then maybe that's why they want it,” Pinocchio said.

“It makes perfect sense, although obviously they want it for nefarious reasons” Sophia smiled from where she was, “Thank you, clever one”

Pinocchio smiled, he felt so smart. He then realized that his father had not said a thing about his voice, which meant that he didn't have to worry anymore.

“Well, we have to worry not only about that but also about the King of Riddles” Gemini has this bad feeling that Arlecchino will be the one to strike first.

“Whatever threat might come first, I will always be by your side Pinocchio, no matter the distance” Sophia reassured him but then took a serious tone, “Although do be careful, I am not close, therefore I cannot bring you back if you were to…”

Pinocchio understood perfectly well, and Sophia can't go back to Krat, not after the fact they were already looking for her or any listener. She is safe far away and with this new method of communication, things can work so much better.

“Sophia if you ever need our help as well, we can figure something out” Geppetto wanted to let her know she can also count on them.

“Actually I need to take you up on the offer” Sophia began to ask questions about her body and how to repair herself if something bad were to happen, not to mention she felt she needed some maintenance.

“Do you have anything near you so you can write it down?” Geppetto was glad to help.

Pinocchio paid close attention, this was also important for him, he knows the basics but things like these are useful to know, even more with the previous situation.
—

Venigni had arrived at the factory, a lot of things were on his mind yesterday, mainly about Pinocchio’s systems, who wouldn’t be curious about that? He only caught a surface glimpse of what Pinocchio is made of. And if could only make a similar body to Pulcinella at the very least add some great updates… no Venigni calm down, Pinocchio is special and one of a kind, he respects his autonomy and he respects Geppetto. Just let your work distract you from those ideas. Ugh, he hates his inventor mind sometimes, when you see advanced technology many times your first instinct is how can I do it and how can I make it better, Pinocchio is more than just a puppet, and even if he was a regular puppet he doesnt need the stress of people thinking about him that way; now he felt guilty of his thoughts.

Venigni opened the door to his office and sitting on his chair was Geppetto waiting for him, arms and legs crossed, glaring at him.

“You know don’t you?” Venigni was wondering how his funeral was going to be, “How?” He did everything perfectly, there is no way he should have found out.

“I’m his father I know these things” Geppetto was playing dumb since Sophia was saying important information, “And I made him, I know everything about him, even things he doesn’t realize”

“That’s quite impressive” That’s what Venigni wanted to say but it was best to keep quiet until Geppetto spoke to him.

“I had to interrogate Gemini since I knew Pinocchio would just lie to me” Geppetto found out all the details and Pinocchio just looked away in shame.

“Needless to say I am not allowing him to see those stalkers again” His son was upset but Pinocchio had been lying to him about where he was going each time he saw them and even if it was an accident, Geppetto just had too much of a grudge against them. They kidnapped him and even if it wasn’t them but rather the Black Rabbit Brotherhood who vandalized Hotel Krat, they still did nothing to stop them and aided the alchemists.

Venigni does understand because he doesn’t like them either, first, they left him to fend for himself at the factory while he cowered in fear in that room he could have died at any moment; second, when Hotel Krat was attacked he felt so powerless, the stalkers came so suddenly. Although it was impressive to see Polendina carry Antonia upstairs, he wasn’t aware of how strong he was but maybe Polendina was too worried about her safety and got a boost of strength at the moment. All of them had no choice but to barricade themselves, even when Geppetto right away told them to just take him and leave the rest alone, The Black Rabbit Brotherhood still wanted to terrorize them, because Pinocchio had killed their brother so they were out for blood as well, Venigni is sure that if they weren’t there to kidnap Geppetto they would have killed him as revenge.

Geppetto had a calm look on his face “Look, after thinking about this more, I’m not mad”

“…You aren’t?” Venigni didn’t believe him at all.

“I’m not” Geppetto got closer to him, “I can understand that you only wanted what was best for him at the moment, I also appreciate not wanting to worry me about his health”

Venigni let out a sigh of relief, “Thank you for understanding”

“Not to mention I asked you to take care of him when I’m gone, it’s only fair you know more about him in case something like this happens when I’m no longer around”

Geppetto has already been re-writing the notes he took while building his son so that they can be passed down to Venigni when he dies, also it’s good to have the actual notes in good writing and not in his emotional mess state.

Venigni was touched, he couldn’t believe that Geppetto trusted him with his son that much.

Geppetto was smiling as he grabbed Venigni’s shoulders, it was all great until Geppetto’s voice changed to a somber one, the murderous intent loud and clear, despite how quiet Geppetto’s voice was.

“But until then, never, ever do that again, you are going to forget what you saw, that never happened, don’t mention it, don’t even dare to think about it” Geppetto had a tighter grip, “Don't you ever do that again as long as I live”

“Okay,” Venigni’s voice sounded like a whisper, Geppetto's paranoia about anything happening to Pinocchio is strong today, probably his mind making a million scenarios of why everything could have gone wrong. Also, his inventor instinct to protect his secrets, Pinocchio truly is the greatest puppet to ever be created, even before he started becoming partially human the boy was beyond impressive, beyond what everyone had done before.

“Great!” Geppetto was back to normal, “Now, Conrad didn’t come to work today so it’s going to be a good day”

Geppetto was in high spirits and Venigni felt as if he had gotten out of a roller coaster, It was not the first time Venigni had seen Geppetto switch emotions so quickly and he had never gotten used to it, now he was talking about work, and what they got to test yesterday, how it was a shame that he wasn’t there to see the success and the results.

Venigni took a deep breath, “Geppetto”

“Huh, yes?” Geppetto was too consumed talking about the project.

“You have issues you know that?”

“I know” Geppetto made his way towards the door, “Don’t worry I’m working on that”

Chapter Text

Pinocchio could tell something was wrong right away when his father came home earlier from work with Venigni by his side.

“It’s Arlecchino again” Venigni looked so frustrated.

The plan was to talk about this when work was over however a dead body was found outside the factory, crudely looking as if it was a puppet that was going to be assembled, but worse is a small detail everyone found odd, everyone but Venigni since the corpse had something sticking from its eye, a cruel reminder of his beloved childhood toy the puppet once stole, the toy his parents were making for him.

Everyone had to leave for the police to investigate.

“I hate to admit it but he is too good a what he does, if we don’t stop him now he will only cause more harm” Geppetto knows that the alchemists now have become their second priority.

After all the King of Riddles body count is now 27, not seeming to stop any time soon.

“I believe it’s because of the Ergo that was used on him” Gemini chirped and explained what Arlecchino had told Pinocchio all the way back in Arche Abbey while trapped.

“The Ergo of a serial killer? Well now everything makes sense” Geppetto wondered how he was so methodical, how after so many kills no one was even close to finding the true identity.

It’s not as if the police were the only ones looking, the media and private reporters are as well, that puppet covers his tracks, he makes sure not to leave a trace.

Before Venigni could even open his mouth to explain what he found, the sound of a phone ringing inside the home began to resonate.

“How the hell did he get this number?!” Geppetto shouted he was furious, this is bad, he has their phone number and therefore knows where they live, if Geppetto were alone that would be a nightmare to think of, not to mention he could send danger their way without even being near the house.

Pinocchio took a deep breath and answered the phone, already knowing the phone call was for him.

“What a fine day in the-”

“Give us the dumb riddle” Pinocchio is so done with him.

A laugh robotic laugh could be heard from the other side.

“When did you become such a brat?
Whatever, I guess being a good boy can’t last forever,
I mean the two of us share a common enemy,
And thankfully for me, you are very clever”

Pinocchio stayed quiet, if he gets more angry like last time that will only make Arlecchino happy.

“The alchemists are building something special” Arlecchino smiled, “So they need me to distract the crowd”

Not everything has to rhyme. He is the King of Riddles, not a caricature.

“But they have me bound to their will, alchemists and their weird funny magic you know?” He has always despised them, “I can’t say the name of the man in charge, although maybe if you answer my riddle I’ll give you a hint”

Pinocchio had already demanded to hear it so there was no need to repeat himself, still there was a tense silence from the other line, Arlecchino staying quiet for some reason.

“Well you see the more noise, the more panic,
This state making everyone manic;
Hiding away their true intentions,
It’s easy for them to hide their inventions,
But how do you hide something so big?
In fact, what is it that the more there is, the less you see?

“Darkness” Pinocchio answered quickly.

“Are you cheating?” Arlecchino sounded annoyed.

“Maybe your riddles are just too easy” Pinocchio had always answered correctly, also he had seen that one before in a book he owns.

Arlecchino huffed from the other line, “Okay fine, Venigni you sure are blind you know that?”

Venigni wanted to be mad but he felt scared, he felt truly powerless, this puppet only torments him, and for what? What does he have to gain from all of this?

Pinocchio looks at Venigni, should he tell him what Arlecchino told him? That he sees Venigni as his masterpiece? That he loves seeing him in pain? How would his uncle react?

“Your hospital has a little rat, who likes to have their fun on the side” Arlecchino was delighted, “Maybe you should check the morgue, a little surprise awaits you all”

The sound of the other line being cut was heard.

They all sat down to properly talk about this while waiting for Venigni to compose himself again.

“He said the alchemists are making something special and that’s true” Venigni took out some papers he had brought in.

“I had to recreate these supposed plans but obviously there are many missing parts, not knowing exactly what this machine is supposed to be also doesn’t help” Venigni showed them incomplete blueprints he had made by recreating his decipher research.

Venigni pointed at one of the drawings, “At the very least I can tell this is a high-powered flame amplifier, although way bigger than the ones we use”

“That’s it, they are making some machine to make anima!” It all made sense to Geppetto now.

Venigni looked confused and they explained it to him.

“Mmm maybe that’s true but there is also something here that doesn’t make much sense” Venigni pointed at another of the drawings, “This is strange, it almost looks like a blood transfusion bag”

Geppetto looked at it, it was definitely something that needed to be connected to pump some sort of liquid as if it constantly had to be run for it to continue to work.

As for the rest of the blueprints, if the two men worked together they might be able to figure out more, for now, there is the matter of the hospital.

“The morgue is in the basement of the emergency services unit” Venigni explained, “Geppetto I know that you don’t like going to them but you are going to have to come”

Venigni was worried now that the King of Riddles knew the address, it wasn’t a good idea for Geppetto to be alone.

Geppetto took a deep breath, it was already hard enough going for his appointments even if things were going better, he can’t be so close to an intensive care unit again.

“It’s okay friend” Venigni had gained back his confidence knowing Geppetto needed his support, “We can wait outside while Pinocchio investigates”

Geppetto knows he has to do this and truly he should be the one comforting Venigni, not the other way around knowing how The King of Riddles likes to torment his friend.

They can both support each other.

——

Pinocchio entered the morgue, if someone were to ask he can just say he was given special permission by Venigni, which is true. To make it a little more convincing there is also the excuse that he is curious about medicine and would like to learn more about it.

Pinocchio looked around the place, he first opened a big fridge thinking that maybe the clue was inside, but there were only preserved body parts and a cake for some reason.

There were two small offices, probably to take notes of autopsies and he began to look around, he started opening journals and anatomy books to see if there was something inside.

“Mmm Gemini this is weird” Pinocchio had opened a strange magazine that had naked people in it, “It doesn’t look like all the other anatomy-“

“PINOCCHIO CLOSE THAT RIGHT NOW!” Gemini was mortified who the hell keeps that sort of thing in their place of work?!

“Huh?” Pinocchio was now confused, “But what if there is something important hidden inside?”

“Trust me, there isn’t” Gemini’s lamp was now red, “I’m doing you a favor, you wouldn’t want your father to know you were looking at that”

Pinocchio didn’t understand but Gemini was probably right that there was nothing important inside.

The only thing he hasn’t checked yet is the morgue drawers, so there must be something inside one. Pinocchio doesn’t want to open random drawers to look at corpses, it feels disrespectful, so he analyzes them carefully and finds what he was looking for, very faintly but you could see a trinity symbol in one of them, he tried opening it but it was locked, none of the keys were working meaning it was stuck and he will need to open it with force.

“Wait” Gemini chipped and got out of his cage, “There is a small hole I can fit into”

The less attention they draw to themselves the better, so Gemini went inside with his tiny sword. It was a good thing, he shinned in the darkness and saw that there was a trap, rigged so that if Pinocchio tried opening it with force he would get electrocuted. Gemini used his sword as a lock pick and opened it, getting out and jumping onto Pinocchio’s shoulder.

Pinocchio couldn’t celebrate Gemini’s ingenuity as he opened the drawer and gasped in shock.

This corpse looked like him, well not like him exactly, more like it crudely was trying to resemble him, this wasn’t just one body it was many stitched together to achieve that look. He looked at it closer and started shaking, no… this wasn’t supposed to look like him, the eyes forced into this corpse were brown and the scalp sewed to the head had brown curly hair.

Pinocchio closed his eyes, didn’t want to look at it, then he felt thankful that his father wasn’t there to see this, it was hard yet he needed to do this. Opening his eyes he examined the corpse, there was a hole in the chest and Pinocchio could tell there was something inside. He reached to touch it, pulling out a necklace with a ruby in its center.

He left still shaking a little, his father asked what was wrong but he didn’t want to explain. Pinocchio showed them the necklace, it was normal jewelry, nothing engraved, nothing hidden, nothing out of the ordinary.

“Oh, that necklace!” One of the nurses had noticed them, “Where did you find it? Doctor Garret has been looking for it”

Venigni knows every doctor who works at this hospital so he knows who Frederick Garret is, truthfully with his famous reputation is hard to not know him. As he seems to know about everything, you can go with him for a heart condition, skin condition, eye problems, an infection, a virus, you name it, he knows how to treat them.

Now that Venigni thinks about it, he has seen this necklace, he sometimes talks with the staff, the man has this necklace displayed in his office, and if he remembers correctly it’s a family heirloom.

“I will give it back to him personally” Venigni was already suspicious.

That left Pinocchio and his father alone, who once again asked if everything was okay.

🔴………………………..𖦹……………………🔴
Tell him about the Body Make an Excuse
🔴………………………..𖦹……………………🔴

———

Venigni looked at the Stalker next to the door, the young girl giving him a friendly smile and explaining the doctor was with a patient.

“Have we met before?” Venigni could tell she looked familiar.

“We have,” Blue said casually, “I did attend many events held by you when I was younger, my parents tended to drag at least two of us”

Blue’s parents tended to mostly take her since she has always been very well behaved, when she was younger people would say she was mature for her age when really it was more that she knew what to do in social situations with adults. Having great manners and knowing what to say to others, or rather how to people please without looking too obvious.

“Oh yeah, you are uhh….” Dammit, why does Mr. Lucero have so many children? Why is his good memory failing him now? She is blonde so, “Genevieve?”

“No, I’m-“ Before she could fully correct him, the patient left and Venigni excused himself entering inside, well at least he didn’t recognize her, which means her mask does work well in hiding her identity.

At least that’s what she wants to think, even if realistically she already knows why he got confused.

“Lorenzini Venigni” Frederick spoke with polite flattery, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I heard you were looking for this” Venigni had his usual charismatic yet a little pretentious tone, “I found it and thought I should give it to you in person”

Frederick looked shocked, “I’ve been looking for it everywhere” He was almost convinced another staff member must have stolen it.

The man looked extremely relieved, almost forcefully taking it away from him to have it in his hands again.

“Do you happen to frequent the morgue?” Venigni asked, “It was found there during an inspection”

“Yes I do, although I don’t recall taking it out of this room” Frederick looked puzzled, something was off, although he had taken it home a few times for personal reasons, “Perhaps I simply forgot it there, with so much work there are a few times I’ve misplaced things”

He has been so busy lately, his job as a doctor and his true goal, it’s most likely the reason he didn’t notice. He should take it back home, he has it in his office to remember her, but if he ever were to lose it again…

Frederick looks tired, almost as if he didn’t sleep well last night. Still, he was trying to act normally, Venigni saw him taking notes with his right hand and noticed something, then he switched to the left and noticed something in the writing as well.

“You look tired” Venigni snapped his fingers, “I should treat you one of these days to a drink so that we can relax together”

“Oh, no thank you Mr. Venigni” Frederick wanted him to leave as soon as possible before he started parroting about whatever things were currently on his mind, “You don’t have to, both of us are very busy men, it is better to tend to our work schedule”

“Nonsense” Venigni began to walk around the room, making conversation about hanging out, when he found himself behind Frederick, he carefully looked at the notes, a quick glance before looking away without the man suspecting a thing.

As he suspected, he had written the word Anima two times.

“Well, I assume your next patient will arrive soon” Venigni gave him a playful smile, “Hopefully we can arrange plans, I would love to hear more of what you do, and even better I would you to hear of my creative genius”

“Yes” Frederick was trying his hardest not to look annoyed, “Hopefully we can spend time together”

Venigni left the room, happy about his findings, leaving behind the doctor and the stalker.

Blue looked at Venigni curiously as he walked away, that man talked loudly so she could hear the entire conversation. Realizing he was trying to distract the doctor for some reason, it’s a trick she has seen many times while attending high-class events.

“Not your business Blue” She had to remind herself, just look for another client, she also needed to have a serious talk with her father about what she was capable of.

—

“So does this mean that Frederick is the one behind all of this?” Geppetto asked.

They were in Venigni’s home now, thinking about what to do.

“It seems so” Venigni doubted he was working for someone else, Frederick is not the type of man to be a henchman, “Is Arlecchino really giving us this information just like that?”

“He hates the alchemists, yet even for him, this seems too obvious” Gemini moved his little antennas in confusion.

“I believe that’s what he wants” Pulcinella spoke up, “He is giving us the obvious answer because it’s making us doubt the truth”

Not only has Pulcinella researched him well, but he knows what he is capable of firsthand, he wants to make them second guess themselves.

“I do have clues on his possible location” Pulcinella showed a map of Krat that had red marks, “Most of his killings tend to be around the same area, aside from the ones made specifically to taunt us”

From Moonlighting Town to the Mallum District, it made sense. Places like Rosa Isabelle Street or Elysion Boulevard are more monitored and secured because of the status associated with them, being basically “rich people” areas.

“So what? Do we investigate there? Where would we even start?” Gemini is starting to feel like a detective, “Mmm Pinocchio are you okay? You seem distracted”

“I’m fine” Pinocchio lied, like how he lied to his father, “Also trying to think about what to do”

Pulcinella sighed, “I believe that for today this is all we can do”

Arlecchino won’t give them any more clues until he makes a new trap.

“In the meantime, Geppetto perhaps you and I should work on the plans for the Grand Exhibition”

“Are you guys making evil mining puppets again?” Pinocchio was reminded of those awful things with their saw-blades and drills.

“Son they aren’t evil, although I get that they can look a little intimidating” Geppetto admitted that to the average person, they probably look a little scary.

“That’s because you didn’t have to fight them” The Grand Exhibition was a nightmare for Pinocchio. He got tossed around like a rag-doll by those things, he wonders how many times Sophia had to save him.

“Come on son, they are actually great for their designated purposes, you see-“ Geppetto wanted to explain to his son so that he wouldn’t have a negative opinion but Pinocchio mumbled something under his breath.

“Technically you made them evil with Law 0 so I’m right”

“What did you say?!” Geppetto shouted, that brat was testing his patience.

“Nothing!” Pinocchio was backtracking hard, “Oh um yeah! That sounds really interesting!”

Before Geppetto could speak up again Pinocchio hugged him and gave him a smile, “I love you too Father”

Geppetto couldn’t get mad after that, so he patted his son’s head, telling him that he was giving him a chance this time.

Venigni laughed, he found it amusing. At any rate, talking about the Grand Exhibition can distract them from this mess while making progress at work.

At least it distracted him, Venigni didn't stop talking for 3 hours straight, aside from Pucinella the rest of them were wondering how he didn't get tired from all that speaking, Venigni's throat had to be something else if he could talk for hours like this on the daily.

—-

“Why would Cat and Fox be with Lorenzini Venigni?” Rusty was moving her feet while sitting on a table, “I thought he hated them”

“He does hate them, so I’m as puzzled as all of you” Tiger was trying to make sense of it, “You said they seemed to be arguing while leaving did you manage to hear the conversation?”

“Unfortunately I couldn’t” Sabertooth hates to admit that she probably has hearing problems, she can’t be seen as weak, “I had to keep my distance”

“Could they have gone to apologize?” Lion was out of ideas, “After all having Venigni out of all people as an enemy is not a good idea”

“But I thought no one else knew about what happened at the factory” Rusty grabbed some desk decorations and started to play with them, “Only us because of our client and also maybe Geppetto’s doll”

“Rusty, obviously Venigni and his associates know about this” Lion said, “I do find it odd he has never made a complaint, although it's possible that he just wanted to leave that mess behind, I can't blame him, honestly I try to forget everything that happened during that time”

“Speaking of Geppetto’s doll” Sabertooth rolled her eyes, “Our client wants us to keep a close eye on the thing”

“Come on Saber” Tiger looked irritated, “I get you aren’t a fan of puppets but let’s not call him that”

“Ugh shut up Tiger” Sabertooth pointed a finger at him, “I get that you have a soft spot for puppets but the rest of us here don’t”

“Dude, they are only objects” Lion crossed her arms, “It’s not as if they have true feelings, it’s more like pretend feelings”

“Yeah it’s the doll Geppetto uses to play family” Rusty giggled. Her family taught them puppets are only tools to serve so that has to be true.

“Whatever” Tiger dropped the subject, “Spying on him will be a hard task”

“How come?” Lion didn’t see the reasoning.

“Because when he is in public he is always either in populated areas or with his father, Antonia or Venigni” Tiger was trying to remember more putting a finger in his face in deep thought, “Not to mention how he seems to have a good amount of knowledge on Krat’s streets”

“Wow Tiger, do you have a crush on the puppet or something?” Lion was teasing him.

“What? No!” Tiger exclaimed angrily, “My parents force me to go to those stupid galas and he is always there with one of them, also I go to Elysion Boulevard and Rosa Isabelle Street often to take pictures, he always wanders around those places”

Tiger loves photography, cameras are a recent invention, and recently now that polaroids were invented he got his hands on one and has started to take pictures, it’s a hobby he loves.

“I wouldn’t blame you, Geppetto’s doll is very pretty” Rusty was also teasing him.

“Huh, it seems you are right Tiger,” Sabertooth said, trying to come up with a plan, “Since you already frequent those places you can keep an eye on him from a distance”

Tiger nodded, that seemed like the best solution.

“As for the rest of us, I don’t doubt that Geppetto will take his doll to the Grand Exhibition” Sabertooth as always took the main direction as their leader, “Lion you and I will observe him there, you should too from time to time Tiger”

Lion was on board, still “Okay, what about Rusty?”

“I can’t spy on the cute doll because I have to be in class” Rusty pouted, it starts in the afternoon but her studies are different than most, not to mention that by the time it finishes, she should be in bed.

“You go to school?” Tiger had never seen her talk about homework or classmates.

“Private tutors,” Rusty said, that’s why she has way more free time than kids her age, as well as why she can be a stalker with no issues.

Despite that freedom, that’s not enough so the others will have to deal with the spying.

“What do you even do pipsqueak?” Tiger pinched Rusty’s cheek, “Starting to think you are only part of the team as decoration”

“Hey!” Rusty slapped his hand away, “You know how super strong I am”

“I guess that’s the plan” Lion grabbed nail polish, ready to make her nails, “Hey Carlo was trying to become a stalker why-

“I have a perfect idea” Sabertooth interrupted her, knowing what she would say, “Carlo was trying to become a stalker, I’m sure the offices still have some of his belongings, we could make an excuse to see Geppetto by delivering them”

“I was going to-“

“Shut up Lion”

“Sorry Saber” Lion knows she is the second in charge, she shouldn’t have tried to outrank Sabertooth.

“I’ll go and fetch them, we need to check where we can get the puppet and Geppetto alone to make this work” Sabertooth praised herself for her ingenuity.

Sabertooth isn't stupid, she knows Frederick is an alchemist and doesn't care because her family is working for him, her parents are alchemists as well, she knows many things others don't, specially her team, she cares about them but she can't let them know the truth.

—-

“Father, can we talk?”

Blue found her father in one of the stables, brushing the mane of one of the older horses.

Her father gave her a warm smile “Sure my candy, what do you need?”

My candy, he gives her and all her sisters cute nicknames, he is a good father just too paranoid about her safety, or maybe that’s what any normal parent would do.

“I think I don’t want to work with Dr. Garret anymore”

“Why is that?” Her father looked confused, “Did something happen? Me and him went to school together you know?”

“Yes, father I remember” Blue’s father is 48, the same age as the doctor, apparently, Dr. Garret wasn’t a popular kid, although he has never told him why, at least until now.

“Don’t worry he was always a little weird” Her father was reassuring him, “Harmlessly weird”

“Weird how?” Blue was confused, okay he is already strange but she wants to know how the man was a child.

“Oh that’s old childhood memories, it’s nothing too important” Her father put the brush aside, “He was very shy and awkward that’s all, he never made eye contact with anyone, I did hear some rumors that he would kill animals, those were some ridiculous rumors, like for the rumors they made about me, have I told you the-“

“Yes father you told me about that weird rumor that people thought you ate a frog” Blue knows that her father tends to repeat the same stories from the past.

“He was always so smart, I was not surprised when he became such a great doctor although I did find it odd considering how many classes he skipped, mhmm, I believe he got in trouble at school for that, It was odd because he would attend school but not the classes, I wonder where he would run off to, probably to investigate things on his own, he was always reading books, maybe school was boring for him due to his intelligence”

Her father seems to have a lot of faith in the doctor, is it because they know each other?

“I had many friends, I was a friendly young man, Frederick not so much, so I wanted to be nice-”

Blue interrupted her father, “I know, I know you were a popular kid, father I want a real job”

“That is a real job, as long as someone has some sort of thing to do it counts as a job”

Blue gave out a sigh of frustration, she was ready to get into an argument with her father when tried walking closer to her and fell to the floor.

“Father are you alright?!” Blue helped him get back up, handing him his cane that had fallen as well.

“I am, candy don’t worry about me” Blue’s father looked exhausted. “I… haven’t been feeling my best, that must be my age”

Her father isn’t that old, Blue knows that this is because of his leg injury, she can tell that her father has been having more issues with walking lately, although he hides it pretty well by riding the horses where he needs to go. Not to mention the damage to his spine, her mother is also starting to get concerned about her father's attentiveness.

“You should rest” Blue was filled with anxiety, “Let’s go back to the house, we can talk about this later”

“I’m not as fragile as I look” Her father teased her, “Say, why don’t we race to the house?”

Blue faintly smiled, that was a good idea, anything that could cheer her father up, she is aware that lately, he has these feelings of feeling useless, of not feeling strong like a “true man”, he tries to hide those feelings. Some of her other sisters have started to notice as well, it doesn’t help that people sometimes talk behind his back.

She is starting to believe the people of Krat are extremely noisy and some have nothing better to do than to start dramas.

Each of them grabbed a horse and had a quick race to the front of the mansion. Blue knows not to insult her father by going easy on him, she gave it her all and still lost, it made her happy that her father had a good time.

She helped her father go to his study while she went to her room.

“Ugh this is ridiculous” She was taking off her boots and mask in frustration.

A few birds flew her way, the birds flocked to her room from the opened window each time she arrives. One of them had a letter in its beak, she picked it up, a message from one of her sisters, they have this secret way of communicating.

She wrote back what her sister needed to know, sometimes living in the lap of luxury can be exhausting when you have to follow all the social norms, not being able to say what you truly want to say, specially if you are a woman.

So they came up with this system to give themselves tips or say what cannot be said out loud.

Blue spent time in her room for hours, only going downstairs for dinner, the dark was setting and she turned on her special lights, her stupid fear of the dark taking over her.

It’s not like it is her fault, if those bullies hadn’t locked her in that dark horrible basement at boarding school she wouldn’t have this irrational phobia.

She remembers that it was Sophia Monad who found her sobbing inside, apparently all those moths fluttering around were her pets. Blue wonders what happened to Sophia, no one has ever seen her since her parents' death, and most likely she died as well, that’s so sad, Sophia was a nice girl.

Blue changed clothes, getting ready for bed, the birds flew away to rest too, and she closed her eyes.

Hopefully, she can come up with a way to quit her job without upsetting her father in her dreams.

Chapter Text

The phone of the house started ringing, Pinocchio took a deep breath and answered. Thankfully before Pinocchio could get angry, the person from the other line spoke up first.

“Hello, is this Giuseppe Geppetto’s number? I’m speaking from the Bastard Stalkers' office” Sabertooth said from the other line.

“Um yes” Pinocchio was relieved, then he shouted at his father that someone wanted to talk with him. Pinocchio heard from aside the conversation.

“Yes, I see” Geppetto’s voice sounded melancholic, “Oh no you don’t have to come all the way to my home, I’ll pick them up myself” They were trying hard to convince him that they should go see him instead of him coming all the way there but they failed.

After that his father hung up the phone, explaining that they needed to pick up Carlo’s belongings, apparently, they were cleaning the offices and it was taking up space. Obviously, Geppetto can’t carry them by himself so he will need his son’s help, who is eager to help.

—-

“It’s not much, however, we found it best you kept it rather than throwing it away” Sabertooth had a fake smile on her face.

“I practiced with Carlo before” Lion was trying to act friendly as well, “He would have been a great stalker”

“Yes… he would have” Geppetto was trying not to get depressed about the past, about what if things would have been different.

Geppetto and Pinocchio looked at the box containing Carlo’s belongings, some of Romeo’s belongings were there too.

There was a journal used to write down his schedule, and a few notes were written by Romeo, mainly love reminders for Carlo; a few grinders for weapons; the clothes they used for stalker duties, and…

“Mmm, what’s this?” Pinocchio grabbed what looked to be one of those dog puppets but miniature, although it didn’t look finished.

Geppetto looked at it, then scrolled the pages of the journal, looks like Carlo was building it himself as some miniature pet, he wasn’t always at the apartment he and Romeo shared so he thought having a dog, living or puppet would make it sad to be constantly alone, so he was making one he could always carry with him.

“It’s actually quite impressive” Geppetto could see that building something so small to fit in your pocket would take a lot of effort, not to mention how this looks different than the average dog puppet, more detailed.

“Have you thought about becoming a stalker?” Lion asked Pinocchio.

“It’s not really my thing” Despite the fact that Pinocchio got confused many times as a stalker in the past, he always felt a little uncomfortable with the title, although it’s not as if he could correct them back then, admitting you are a puppet during a frenzy is not a good idea.

It also seems like a lot of people seem to glorify that type of work when in reality is dangerous hard work.

“What shame” Sabertooth sighed, “Carlo was-”

“I’m not Carlo” Pinocchio interrupted her, he isn’t dealing with comments like that anymore.

“My apologies” Sabertooth gave a fake apology, on the inside she was fuming, “I did not mean to offend”

“Well thank you for giving it back to us” Geppetto gave out a sigh, “We will get going”

“Wait” Lion knew they couldn’t leave yet, “The streets of Krat are very dangerous currently, we didn’t mean to offend, just that Krat could use more help”

“That is true, no one is safe nowadays,” Sabertooth said, “Have you heard? Adeline Corday has gone missing, someone influential like that gone like that? It’s tragic”

Pinocchio started feeling worried, the last time he saw Adeline was in the Opera House, did she get hurt somehow, and no one noticed? He still has the necklace.

Even so, no is no, plus he already has his hands full with the King of Riddles.

“I’m sorry, I’m not interested” Pinocchio stood his ground.

“I’m sad to hear that” Sabertooth isn’t sad at all, it was already ridiculous when Carlo brought Romeo, something like that isn’t happening again.

At least they know so far that he doesn’t want to be a stalker, in their minds that means he has less fighting capabilities than them. Underestimating Pinocchio’s true strength.

With that said, Father and son left, leaving the stalkers to continue on their other duties. Slowly gathering Pinocchio’s information and Frederick’s other request.

Lion tried to speak with Sabertooth before she left in a rush, Lion hates it when she does that. Why is Saber the one in charge? She is smarter and even better, prettier than her.

Another stalker came to speak with her, she ignored them, something about if anyone had any clues about Adeline as her family was desperately looking for her. Whatever, Adeline probably ran off with some man it’s not as if she has something to show for aside from her voice and looks, looks that Lion tops definitely.

She took off her mask, it’s a mascarade mask because she needs to show off her pretty face as much as possible. Right now she has an appointment at a spa and cannot miss it.

Lion has a special date tomorrow, she is already looking for a husband and she won’t settle for anyone who doesn’t meet all her expectations. Once she finds the one, she can quit her stalker hobby, fighting is fun but is there anything better in this world than being a trophy wife?

—-

“Is something on your mind pal?” Pinocchio decided to hang out with Gemini while his father was working, sitting on a park bench at Rosa Isabelle Street.

“I’m thinking of the dog puppet Carlo was building,” Pinocchio said, “Father looked sad when examining it”

Geppetto mentioned how it was so brilliant, how he didn’t know Carlo was interested in building puppets even if it was a hobby or a side project, while looking inside the notebook notes about it were found. He recognized those types of notes, most likely Carlo had copied some of his in one of his visits.

“Did he really not think I would have liked to help him? Did he still thought I hated him?”

Pinocchio had heard his father mumble that under his breath.

“Why not try finishing it yourself?” Gemini was sitting on Pinocchio’s shoulder, moving his tiny feet in the air.

“I guess because… it doesn’t feel the same?” Carlo was making it, not him, if he finishes it then it’s no longer something special his brother was making.

“I get that” Gemini can understand, “Why not make your own then?”

“Ehhh that’s a good idea but…”

But he has no clue how to even start, he read the notes alongside his father and it seemed like a different language.

“Well I guess you have always been on the more artistic side” Pinocchio is very skilled at music and art, also writing even if Pinocchio tries to hide what he writes because he feels embarrassed it’s not good, “But come on how hard can it be? You learned to fix yourself when your father wasn’t there for you, you can do this”

“I’m not sure” Pinocchio still didn’t seem convinced, “Shouldn’t I be looking around for clues or something?”

“Krat is a big city Pinocchio” Gemini chirped, “And unlike before the streets aren’t empty, you could end up causing some trouble”

“That’s true” Pinocchio stood up from the bench and decided to walk back home, he was having this strange feeling that he was being followed but that must be because he was worried about Arlecchino.

“Nothing out of the ordinary” Tiger mumbled to himself.

Why does the doctor even care about Pinocchio? He is just a regular boy living his daily life. Tiger did manage to sneak in a picture, not that in his opinion it would truly change anything but at least he has proof of his work duties. He felt weird doing so like he was harassing the poor boy.

Speaking of pictures apparently, his parents want him to go to the Mallum District and take some there, ugh, them and their dumb journalism, he needs to take pictures of beautiful things, not ugly decrepit places.

What is even the point of showing bad things in pictures? Why waste valuable effort on something like that? It doesn’t matter, no way he is stepping foot near a place like the Mallum District, he wouldn’t be able to face others if he got caught in a filthy place like that.

He should go to the Opera House, the place is open again and the structure is simply stunning, maybe he could get a special shot of those spider puppets while they sing. Tiger can then waste time by watching a show, ignoring how his parents want him to “take life more seriously”

—-

It was by pure accident that Rusty stumbled across Pinocchio, her older brother was supposed to be taking care of her but he got distracted, or rather he wasn’t even paying attention to her to begin with as usual. So when she ran off to chase a cat she ended up getting lost, starting to cry because she couldn’t find her way back.

“Are you okay do you need any help?” Pinocchio was about to get onto the tram that connected to the path home when he saw her crying, he could wait for the next one.

Rusty didn’t recognize him at first with tears in her eyes so her first instinct was to pull out her weapon.

“Hey, it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you” Pinocchio didn’t seem intimidated by the child who was somehow holding a sword twice her size.

Rusty calmed down, she knew that she shouldn’t talk with him directly but at that point, she didn’t care and asked for help, maybe she could say she got lost on purpose so that she could interact with him.

When they found Rusty’s brother he barely even looked up from what he was writing in a journal, he didn’t even look at Pinocchio in the eyes and gave a half-assed thank you.

Pinocchio looked worried about the girl yet he needed to go back home so he was hoping this was a one-time occurrence.

“Hey,” Rusty tugged on her brother’s shirt, “Aren’t you going to ask if I’m okay?”

“You are okay” Her brother looked annoyed, “Why wouldn’t the prodigy be okay?”

She became a stalker at a ridiculous age, her older brother recently turned 25, and their parents wanted him to become one, so they forced him to take classes. It was a family of generations of stalkers so he should be one. Her brother no matter how hard he trained wasn’t able to, he simply didn’t have the physical strength or skills to do so, not to mention how he hated every second of it.

So when Rusty was born her parents spoiled her, she was their second try, the second try that succeeded beyond their expectations. Rusty ignored her brother’s coldness, Mother and Father say he is only jealous of her.

“In fact, tell them to hurry up and find you another nanny fast because I’m sick of your shit”

Her brother is taking care of her because her last nanny quit, this is the 7th in a row, they just don’t understand her, why don’t they get that she should do whatever she wants? She is the honor of the family, Mother and Father say she is the entire world so the rules given to other kids shouldn’t apply to her.

——

“UGH I GIVE UP!” Pinocchio put his hands up to his face in frustration before composing himself, “This is too complicated”

“Calm down buddy” Gemini was trying to reassure him.

“I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong” Pinocchio kept re-reading the notes, it wasn’t working at all, was it the design? Was it that he kept missing something?

“Maybe you are right, it’s not going to work because you aren’t Carlo” Gemini was standing on the table next to him.

Pinocchio was quiet, he felt like he wanted to cry before Gemini spoke up again.

“So you shouldn’t try to do it how Carlo did it, you should try to do it your own way”

Pinocchio faintly smiled, Gemini was right, this was supposed to be something he made. The notes should only work for the basics, he needed more ideas, to be more creative. So he went to his father’s workshop to find any material he could find and maybe blueprints that could help.

“Ow!” Pinocchio yelped as he opened the closet door, the arm of god falling on top of him, “Why did we even keep this?”

“I’m sure it can be of use later” Gemini is aware that Geppetto probably knows how to put it to good use or perhaps Sophia has some idea.

Pinocchio put it aside as he looked inside, finding what he needed, then he grabbed a folder that contained many of his father’s notes.

Pinocchio had a smile on his face when he found something unexpected, he took the folder and put a clip on the page to show to his father later, for now, he needed to work on his tiny pet.

—-

“So whatever happened to the arm of God?”

Sabertooth was listening to her parents talk with a man, he had come here before, his skin was pale and he had strange green hair.

“I assume it must have been destroyed when Geppetto’s son killed Simon” Giangio lied with a smile, “I did look for it, nowhere to be seen”

“Don’t you think it’s possible he took it?” Sabertooth’s mother asked.

“Nah” Giangio was acting too casual, no way he is letting them know Pinocchio has the arm, if someone will steal it, it has to be him, he only needs the perfect opportunity, “Trust me, I almost cried when I realized we lost it”

“You are acting more relaxed than usual” Sabertooth’s father looked suspicious, “Why is it that you aren’t helping again?”

Sabertooth found it strange how apparently this man was so well respected among the alchemists, she didn’t believe her parents at first when they told her he was the one who made her weapon.

“It’s personal you wouldn’t get it” Giangio smiled, “Plus I have my fun on the side, as long as I send information from time to time it’s not a problem”

Even if he doesn't get directly involved, he is an alchemist, he has a duty to fulfill as part of the organization.

“I’ve heard that you got into a fight with Frederick is that true?” Sabertooth’s mother took a sip of her tea, she didn’t seem as worried as her husband, being more used to his playful nature.

“Don’t worry it was something stupid he will get over it” Giangio laughed it was fun to remember it.

Giangio gave the doctor a small visit, he greeted him with a friendly wave, and in return he was greeted back with “How the hell did you get inside my house?!”

“But if you must know…” Giangio played with his hair, not giving it much thought, “He got a little mad at me for talking back, you know how he is, doesn’t like it when others don’t take his verbal abuse”

“Ugh I get that” Sabertooth’s father rolled his eyes, “I respect his mission, not so much how entitled he gets”

Sabertooth feels like she is overhearing some petty work drama, it looks like you can’t escape that no matter the place of work. Although she is the one who loves to start the drama.

Being a stalker is boring, that's why she likes to give herself some entertainment, she has the fighting skills, and she loves the battle, but she hates all the other stuff like the dumb codes of honor. But alchemists don't get much action, not to mention how you can count with your hands those who are skilled fighters, plenty died when Simon was doing his plans, although they mainly relied on special guns or mutations due to their experiments. There was that woman, what was her name? Ariana? Adriana? Whatever, Simon had a fangirl who would follow him around, she was a skilled fighter, and apparently so is this green-haired manlet.
People have been singing her praises because of her fighting skills, there is no enemy she can't take out almost instantly, and rarely does she ever get a challenge. Currently, she gets rid of those interfering in the alchemists' plans.

It's odd, she wanted to be an alchemist, she does have an above-average knowledge of the subjects without being one, mainly due to her family. But she was always a fighter, not a researcher, Frederick has commended her for the secret services she provides, she has been doing this way back since Simon took charge (although Simon wouldn't praise anyone not even if his life depended on it) despite being young, although she is the oldest of her gang, being 27.

Perhaps Rusty is the closest one that can match her, but her family must be giving her drugs or something because to this day she can't believe how strong she is, at that age, Sabertooth was breaking all the expensive toys her parents would buy for her.

“What were the two of you talking about?” Sabertooth’s mother was intrigued, “What exactly did he say?”

Since Frederick didn’t like him breaking into his home in the middle of the night before going to bed, so he started shouting at him.

Giangio has a huge grin on his face “He called me a lunatic with mommy issues”

Okay maybe he does have some mommy issues considering he killed his mother, but that just made Frederick even more furious with his response.

“So I said, takes one to know one” Giangio laughed again, and Sabertooth’s mother found it amusing as well so she laughed too.

“It truly was something stupid” Sabertooth’s father didn’t look amused, “It’s true he will probably get over it soon, your help is always valuable, it would be a shame to lose your support fully”

Giangio stopped playing with his hair, according to the investigation he did on his favorite doctor, that comment probably hurt him way more than he let on. Unlike Frederick, he is self-aware about his issues.

“Unfortunately I have to leave” Giangio stood up, saying his goodbyes, and going towards the door, he turned to look at Sabertooth, her finally realizing he knew she was spying on the conversation all along.

Giangio gave her a devious smile, opening the door to leave.

“Chao~” Giangio hummed in a playful tone.

Sabertooth went up to her room, she was bored lying in bed, then she had an idea to have fun, she pulled this stunt once in high school, and she should do it again, so she went to buy some condoms and decided she would put them into one of the other female stalker bags randomly tomorrow, it's going to be fun who gets labeled a slut and has to leave out of shame.

Honestly, she is the best stalker already inside their organization, there is no need to get rid of the competition, this is only for fun. She once heard someone say she has a “superiority complex” It's not a complex if you are better than everyone else already.

Suddenly, her father enters the room, saying how he has been shouting at her to come downstairs.

“Are you ignoring us on purpose? I can't believe you weren't hearing us”

Dammit again with her hearing problem, they don't know that yet, frankly, she doesn't want to end up taking their weird fucked up cures so she lies saying that she took a nap and got too carried away. She should find a cure for herself, she has the skills, the resources, and the medical knowledge.

An experiment sounds fun, she has assisted in some, truly she has the best deal out of this, she can do research and she can show off her fighting skills. She has it all, she is intelligent, beautiful, strong, and wealthy. She has always been the center of attention because she deserves it, people adore her, and better yet they fear her.

—-

“Father welcome home!” Pinocchio had rushed to his father’s side when he arrived, giving him a big hug, “I have two surprises!”

“Two surprises?” Geppetto didn’t know what to expect.

“Look!” Pinocchio grabbed a box, he opened it to show what he worked so hard for.

“Oh, that’s…” Geppetto was surprised, it looked like one of the traditional puppet dogs in miniature, almost the same as the ones he designed, except this one was black because Pinocchio had painted it and it had a bow on its neck, “Very creative!”

Geppetto was impressed, still, he had one question, “Why does it have a drill for a face?”

He knows excavation puppet dogs were made with his base design, it’s just something he didn’t think Pinocchio would know about. His son then explained how he had fought some of them before during the frenzy, which made Geppetto more confused about why Pinocchio would build it like that.

“Behold” Pinocchio looked so proud of him, as the dog was turned on, and when Pinocchio put one of his pencils near it, the dog began to sharpen it with his drill. Now his little dog can always help with his art projects.

Geppetto in return was so proud of his son’s ingenuity.

“This is something I found” Pinocchio then grabbed the folder he had found in the closet his second surprise, showing his father the note that was left behind.

Geppetto saw how it was missing some blueprints, only a small piece of paper left behind.

—--𖦹—--

“Dear Father, I took your notes for something I wanted to make, but I lost the original prints,

You probably don’t need them anyway, but in case you find this before I show you what I’m working on, sorry”

-Love Carlo ♡ (Please don’t get mad)

—--𖦹—--

Geppetto shed a few tears, he wiped them away and smiled.

“Thank you, son” Geppetto played with his son’s hair, “Now, why don’t you tell me how you made this?”

Geppetto misses Carlo, but right now Pinocchio is in front of him, that’s what matters. Besides how can he not be excited to hear how his son built something so special?”

Pinocchio was beaming with joy, he started explaining how he did it, Geppetto listened attentively to his son, they were having a good time, it had been a while since they had a bonding moment like this.

“Do you still hate puppets for mining now?” Geppetto teased his son.

“Yes!” Pinocchio didn’t even hesitate, his doggy wasn’t for that and wasn’t evil, “I almost lost my Legion Arm!”

When Pinocchio returned to Hotel Krat, his Legion Arm was barely hanging by its cables, sparks of electricity coming out of it and his shoulder had been dislocated.

“I remember that” Geppetto was the one to fix Pinocchio after returning, and added a few updates with Quartz that came in handy when he later faced champion Victor.

“I could tell you were angry at me but didn’t want to show it” It was rather cute, Geppetto smiled remembering it.

Pinocchio was looking away the entire time, his face red with frustration and when Geppetto asked what was wrong he said it was nothing in the least convincing way possible.

“I was too polite back then” Pinocchio pouted, “I should have called you out”

“Hey I didn’t build all those puppets” Geppetto was teasing his son, “Your uncle Venigni is also to blame here”

“But you made them evil not him!” Pinocchio was not letting that go, those puppets traumatized him.

“Fine, you are grounded”

“What?!” Oh no, he shouldn't have brought Law 0 again, Pinocchio regretting what he said.

Geppetto pitched Pinocchio’s cheek, “I’m joking, you are a good boy for being so brave”

“Father!” Pinocchio was embarrassed and relieved that his father didn't get mad this time.

Gemini watched from afar their conversation unfolding, the small cricket happy to see father and son have a strong bond. Glad to see them relax after everything they are going through, even if it only lasts for today and they go back to the mess they unfortunately got tangled in.

Everyone does deserve to have some fun, even in the hardest of times.

Chapter Text

Haneul knew it was dangerous to break into a police station, however, he needed to do this, there is only one true way for him to prove to his sister who he truly is.

The cryptic vessel he left behind for her.

He read how no one had been able to decipher his message, it made sense, it’s already hard to crack, not to mention how most deciphering devices used are only cheap copies of the real ones.

Making his way into the evidence room, he found what he was looking for, this is it, leave now, go find her, and explain. However, seeing the message, seeing how he could only pray to God at that time to save her from any more harm, how he thought he failed her.

It enraged him, how dare Parrot try to end his life? After everything he did for that bastard? He stole the important antiques to sell them, but that wasn’t enough that man stole his identity, he would have ruined his reputation if the truth hadn’t been found out.

Haneul looks at his missing arm, how he refused to die, it’s a miracle he wasn’t killed by the infection he had while recovering. After that entire fiasco, it took him so long to feel at least decent, yet when he found out his sister was alive, it gave him strength.

Parrot is still being detained at the station detention center, his trial has ended and tomorrow he is going to be sent to prison, it’s now or never to talk to him.

Despite his better judgment he decided to sneak into the cells, odd, it’s almost empty, despite the fact that Krat has been having more issues lately, it’s not as if arrests haven’t been made for petty crimes, did they all get sent to prison already? Currently, there is only Parrot and a prisoner who is asleep, snoring loudly.

“I can’t believe this is what I get, I don’t deserve this” Parrot was talking to himself in his cell.

That only made Haneul more enraged, he got closer to the cell, now standing in front of him.

“What do you want?” Parrot was irritated, “Not another damn reporter, seriously even at this time of night you leeches won’t leave me alone?!”

Parrot was without his mask, although Haneul will at least do him the service of not saying his real name, he at least holds that small honor of the stalker code for the man he hates.

“I want to know why” Haneul’s voice was filled with rage.

Parrot’s face became pale, “No, I’m going crazy, this isn’t real, I’m hallucinating him”

“It’s me Parrot” Haneul took off his mask for a moment before putting it back, they knew each other for years and did share their identities at one point “Maybe the next time you try to kill someone, you should verify they actually died”

“But that can’t be!” Parrot looked panicked, “That monster, it grabbed you and-”

“Answer me” Haneul interrupted him.

“What do you mean why?!” Now Parrot was furious too, “You and your damn white knighting”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Haneul was baffled.

“I’m sorry but keeping all those damn antiques didn’t pay the damn bills you know that?!” Parrots shouted, he didn't seem worried about the other prisoner waking up, he knew they wouldn’t wake up, having been subjected to that awful snoring for the past few days.

“You could have literally done so much more before doing that” Haneul wasn’t having any of it, “At the very least you could have talked to me”

“Oh don’t give me that bullshit” Parrot crossed his arms, “What else was I supposed to do? I doubt you would have given me a raise”

“I would have!” Haneul was starting to get emotional, “We were partners for years, I would have found a way to help you pay your bills”

“Sure, Mr. Perfect has a solution for everything doesn’t he?” Parrot sarcastically replied, “You were struggling as well, the economy was going to hell with that damn disease”

Before Haneul could speak up again, Parrot interrupted him.

“Those were only antiques, what were you going to even use them for? They were there accumulating dust”

Haneul took a deep breath, “You don’t get it, do you? I don’t think you ever saw the true value, only the monetary value”

“All I saw, is that Geppetto’s puppet made me a rich man for some time” Parrot laughed, “That handsome idiot, Geppetto made his puppet a good fighter but he certainly didn’t make him smart”

Parrot remembers when he told that stupid puppet the truth, he was furious, grabbing his weapon, for a moment he was scared, only for a moment, remembering that the puppet couldn’t truly hurt him. So he shrugged it off, although he didn’t see the boy after that.

What Parrot doesn’t know is that Pinocchio could have murdered him, the poor boy was just tired of killing, more so after his battle with the Black Rabbit Brotherhood, and for him to kill somebody that wasn’t even attacking him… After that, Hugo the explorer was the one who started selling rare treasures to Pinocchio since he didn’t go back to see Parrot.

In his mind, Parrot was having a great time, his pockets were full, and the alchemists had promised him a way out.

Maybe he is the stupid one for believing the alchemists.

At first, he didn’t panic, Krat was back to normal, so he still pretended to be Alidoro, he even found himself a nice place. Then he was discovered, the simple truth of him not missing a finger, everyone was enraged, he hid for months and months, he saved money instead of wasting it to escape from Krat, but was caught as soon as he got to the station.

“Perhaps that I could have forgiven” Haneul took another step closer, too close to the cell, “But why take my identity?”

“Because-”

“Because you were Parrot? Because of some ridiculous form of imitation?” Haneul was done with him.

“No one knew what you did, yet it wasn’t enough for you” His previous partner could have gotten away with it had he not stolen his identity.

Haneul had murder in his eyes, “Then all the lives you harmed, the people inside Hotel Krat, my….”

He has to control himself, he can’t let his anger consume him.

“I trusted you, we used to be friends” Haneul took a few steps back, “Hopefully, no one else has the displeasure of being a fool like I was”

Haneul turned to leave but Parrot started shouting.

“Please Alidoro!” Parrot knows not to use his real name, which would enrage him more, Parrot had his hands on the cell bars, shaking them in despair “Please you don’t understand they gave me the death penalty!”

Haneul kept up with the trial so he knows about that.

“I don’t deserve to die” Parrot was begging him, “Maybe I deserve to be imprisoned but not to die!”

“They didn’t give you the death penalty just because of what you did to me” Haneul turned around to face him again, “They did it for all the horrible things you did, for working with the alchemists”

“That’s not fair!” Parrot was getting desperate, “I wasn’t the only one that worked for them, the Black Rabbit Brotherhood and those siblings, they-”

“What siblings?” Haneul was intrigued, he didn’t know about that.

“They, I-” The truth is, Parrot bolted as soon as he compromised Hotel Krat’s security, but he does know the Black Rabbit Brotherhood wasn’t alone, he only knows they were siblings because he overheard the female stalker saying the word brother to her partner, “Look I don’t know who they were, all I know is that they helped raid the Hotel, you seem interested in those that were at Hotel Krat, maybe if I-”

“I’ve heard enough” Haneul turned around again, “I hope you rot in hell”

As Haneul left, he could hear Parrot begging him to come back, to forgive him. Then at the end cursing him, he hid behind a corner as he saw a guard approaching the cells.

Haneul left and took a deep breath, did those stalkers harm his sister in any way? He needs to get to the bottom of that, are they still around or are they dead?

For now, he needs to reveal the message to her. Then he can make his plans, although the more he thinks about it, the more he simply wants to leave with her, back to their homeland.

Tomorrow he will reveal the truth, no more cowering out of the situation, he needs to face her, to finally talk to her as siblings. To tell her how much he loves her.

——

“I’m surprised you didn’t know how to braid your hair,” Eugéne said to Pinocchio.

She was braiding his hair carefully, today Pinocchio was wearing his cute pink dress so it seemed fitting. A lot of people thought he was a girl while on his way here; he also got one strange comment.

“Eugéne” Pinocchio was curious he had never heard that word before, and it didn’t seem like an insult, “What’s a twink?”

She covered his mouth to prevent herself from laughing, “Oh um, well…”

Should she tell him? She doesn’t think Geppetto would be happy about that, she is sure the man must have heard at least once someone call Carlo a twink, so he most likely knows what the word means.

“Is it a bad thing?” Pinocchio could tell she was nervous.

“Uhhh…” Depending on what was said to him, although probably it was flirting, “You see…”

“Never mind,” Pinocchio said, he shouldn’t think so much about it, he got a lot of different comments while outside and it’s not as if he should let him affect him.

Eugéne breathed in a sigh of relief as she continued to make his hair, showing him how to do it himself next time and putting the pink bow at the end of the braid.

They were having a great time, unfortunately, Pinocchio had to bring up the subject.

“Have you gotten any calls from him?” Pinocchio had explained to her, as well as his mother what had been going on with Arlecchino.

“No” Eugéne then looked at one of her weapons, “Just in case, I’ve been practicing more and more, I’ve been carrying a weapon with me at all times as well”

Pinocchio was relieved she wasn’t in danger, but he still felt uneasy.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll catch him like you did last time”

“I…” Pinocchio paused for a moment, “I’m worried about my uncle Venigni”

Pinocchio can tell he feels more on edge and hasn’t been acting like his usual self, it must be so hard to pretend he is okay in front of others.

Venigni had to disconnect his phone line because he was having a panic attack each time the phone rang. Arlecchino didn’t stop there, no he did something similar to what he made Pinocchio see, the next two dead bodies found were sown together to resemble Venigni’s parents. Worse is that people noticed that, so the media was talking intensely about it, now everyone in Krat knew his taunting message, Venigni keeps getting questions about whether he knows why the killer did it, not being able to reveal the truth makes it even worse.

“I don’t know how to help him” Pinocchio looked at the floor, “I tried what I usually do to cheer up my father, but it doesn’t work”

“Pinocchio…” Eugéne was trying to find a way to explain it to him, “Anything you do for your father, no matter how simple it is, it’s going to cheer him up because you are his son”

Pinocchio turned to look at Eugéne again, so she continued.

“However even if Mr. Venigni is family, it’s a different type of bond” Eugéne gave out a sigh, “Not to mention how his trauma and your father’s trauma are different”

Pinocchio nodded, he understood what she was saying.

“Do you have trauma Eugéne?” Pinocchio asked.

“Everyone has traumas” Eugéne explained, “Some might be more intense than others”

Watching your parents die or your son die while being completely powerless is pretty intense.

For Pinocchio obviously having to kill even if it is self-defense it’s something extremely traumatic, not to mention all the other dangers he faced.

Lady Antonia almost died from the petrification disease, she can’t imagine what it must have felt like, to have your body slowly start turning stiff as stone.

As for her, she can barely remember her family so maybe it didn't affect her as much, being an orphan was a little tough as she had to deal with some bullying but she managed to overcome it in her eyes. What affected her the most was almost dying in that tower, buried in that rubble before the real Alidoro saved her. It’s… such a shame what happened to him.

“But that doesn’t mean that someone has it better because they faced something less… I guess less intense?” Now she was having a little trouble explaining, “At least I can tell you that pain isn’t a competition, everyone deals with their own demons differently”

“Demons?” Pinocchio didn’t seem to get it, “Wait does that mean-”

“No no no, not literally!” Eugéne has to reassure him his traumas don’t turn into actual demons, she forgets how he doesn’t tend to get sayings like that, “Metaphorical demons, because you know, the past can haunt you”

Pinocchio looked at the time, his father and uncle were about to get off from work and he insisted on being there, he didn’t want them to go back home alone. He is also accompanying them to work as well.

“We should get going” Pinocchio didn’t want to leave her but they could hang out later.

“You are so kind Pinocchio” Eugéne smiled, “To care about your family like that”

“You are family too” Pinocchio also smiled, “I will protect you too!”

Eugéne was glad to know she wasn’t truly alone, not like she was before.

“Gemini let’s go” Pinocchio turned to look at him but couldn’t see the cricket anywhere, “Gemini?”

“I’m up here”

Both turned to look at one of the display weapons on one of the stands, the one closest to the ceiling.

“I’m perfecting my jumping” Gemini proceeded to jump from stand to stand, then landing on Pinocchio’s head, “In case my tiny help is needed, although I’ll always be your guide buddy”

“Aw Gemini you are a little hero now too” Eugéne found it so cute, “The two of you should take care”

—-

Pinocchio was waiting for both of them outside the factory, most workers had already left, it was odd how it was taking them so long.

“Come on beautiful, it's not safe for a girl to stay out this late” A man who came out of the place had been standing next to Pinocchio for a while, he was trying to ignore him.

“Leave me alone” Pinocchio had had enough.

“You sure you don’t need anyone to walk you-”

“Ahem” Geppetto was now standing behind the man, “You better leave right now before I fire you”

It was then that the man realized he was talking to Pinocchio, although he didn’t seem to mind that he wasn’t actually talking to a girl or a human, more than anything he was afraid of Geppetto and turned around running.

Geppetto started going into overprotective mode, asking if the man had said anything else to him, if he had tried to get too close to him, if-

“Father I’m fine” Pinocchio asserted, “I’m here to protect you both, not the other way around”

Pinocchio grabbed his weapon, Puppet Ripper, “If he comes close I’ll deal with him”

Venigni had a faint smile, “That dress with that huge weapon, it’s a little amusing”

They had been taking their time talking about plans for future projects for the development of Krat’s transportation system. Sometimes planning is harder than the building process.

Just after talking a few steps outside the factory, they heard it, a phone ringing, Venigni stopped moving, paralyzed with fear. Pinocchio looked at the public phone, the same phone where he got his first call.

His father stayed by Venigni’s side, while he went and picked up the phone.

There was an awkward pause for a few moments, Pinocchio starting to wonder if maybe it was just a random caller.

“So, finally not going to interrupt me this time?” Arlechino laughed, “Why that just makes me smile”

Pinocchio stayed quiet, just like he stayed quiet when dealing with his first riddle, before it was because the event was confusing to him and because he could barely talk back then. Now it’s because he isn’t going to let him try and make him angry like the last few times.

“Oh dear, I hope I didn’t upset the beautiful girl” Obviously he knows where they are, therefore he knows what Pinocchio is wearing, “Why dressed like that no wonder you make everyone’s hearts twirl”

Since Pinocchio stays quiet he continues.

“The son of Geppetto looking so pretty like that,
Unfortunately, an outfit like falls flat;
When you can’t enjoy dressing so nicely,
In a place where danger is always on time precisely,

So I might have a little surprise waiting in the Mallum District,
A secret place that’s restricted;
But first, let’s talk about honestly,
Have you been a good boy? Yes? No? Probably?;
Hopefully, you aren’t lying,
Or that might lead to others lying”

A few minutes in silence passed, Pinocchio turned to look at his father and Venigni. His uncle looked pale, he was shaking, is Arlecchino taking longer to speak this time on purpose?

“So for today’s riddle a simple question,
Will you be able to understand this suggestion?;
If you’ve got me, you want to share me; if you share me, you haven’t kept me.
What am I?”

This was a little tricker than the last one, although not that complicated.

“A secret” Pinocchio finally spoke up from the other line.

“You are cheating right?” Arlecchino started to rant about Pinocchio’s supposed cheating for an entire minute.

“Whatever” Arlecchino knew it was time to give out the clue, “At the Mallum District, you will see the usual sign, hurry up, since this surprise won’t last”

As the line cut, Pinocchio let out a groan of frustration, no choice but to go and investigate now.

Venigni tried to speak up, however, he couldn’t find his voice, each time he spoke he couldn’t finish the sentence, looking like would break down crying at any moment.

“Venigni you should go home” Geppetto grabbed the man’s shoulders, “Don’t force yourself to deal with this”

“But-” Venigni tried to talk again, but it wasn’t working as he began to hyperventilate.

It’s a good thing Geppetto had grabbed Venigni, as the man almost lost his balance.

They decided to take Venigni home, Pulcinella was waiting for him. Despite Pulcinella’s usual voice, you could tell he was holding a deep sadness, he thanked Geppetto and Pinocchio for helping his dear Master Venigni and said he could handle this from now on.

Pulcinella wished he would never have to see his beloved family like this again when he first found out about Arlecchino’s death. Now Venigni is experiencing that pain again, it keeps becoming worse, and he is starting to have several nightmares like when he was a child.

He knows what to do to confront him, yet he knows that this won’t fix anything until Arlecchino is truly dealt with, that puppet won’t stop. It seems as if he is even more determined to torment him than before.

Venigni tries going to bed, but ends up breaking down, sobbing because he can’t do this, he can’t handle this anymore.

Pulcinella stays by his side, as he always has. No matter what happens, no matter how hard things become, he will always be there for him.

They are family, he is willing to do anything for his master Venigni, he wasn’t afraid of Fuecco when the puppet attacked him at the factory, almost destroying him, he wasn’t afraid because he did it for his safety.

Sadly he cannot constantly be by his side, because Venigni is starting to get too overwhelmed, Pulcinella has taken over most of his work duties. Venigni only doing his factory duties, other have insulted this decision, they feel as if they should talk to the man himself, not his “ridiculous butler puppet”

Pulcinella takes those insults, Venigni’s well-being comes first, and it doesn’t matter how others shout at him or demand to see Venigni. Even if the workload is starting to become more than he bargained for.

There is nothing he wouldn’t do for him.

——-

Pinocchio and Geppetto were at the Mallum District because neither wanted to leave the other alone in a situation like this. At least being in a dress came in handy, a lot of people from the Mallum District can recognize Pinocchio since they saw him get rid of the Black Rabbit Brotherhood; with the dress, it’s very unlikely someone will notice who he is.

It didn’t take them long to find the place they were looking for, an abandoned house in the slums, it didn’t look like the rundown empty shacks that were around this small area, it looked like a normal house, only in a bad shape.

The door wasn’t even locked.

Pinocchio could tell that for a moment his father almost didn’t want him to go inside, but he took a deep breath and told him to stay safe.

Entering the home, he looked around, nothing out of the ordinary, although it seemed that in the past some homeless people had lived inside there, he could see some old dirty mattresses and empty food cans, as he was investigating the living room, he stepped on a carpet.

Or rather, he stepped on a trap, the carpet was covering a hole in the floor and Pinocchio fell straight into a basement. A loud thud was heard with his body colliding with the floor and suddenly lights shone across the floor. Pinocchio stood up and tried to take a few steps back before Gemini stopped him.

“No Pinocchio stay in place!”

Sure enough, a second later, the floor tile around him became electrified, volts of electricity coming out of the altered mechanism. Before stopping, the light of the electricity fades and engulfs the place in darkness.

He turned on Gemini’s lamp, the dark basement now dimly lit, he could hear something else inside of the place, some strange faded groaning. He looked around, staying in the same tile, trying to find whatever was making the noise.

In the darkness he could see a figure crawling in the walls, moving slowly.

Then the electricity sparked again, revealing that several floor tiles were a certain death with that high of a voltage, finally, Pinocchio was able to see what was in the wall, some strange human-like spider creature, it had two sets of extra arms and legs, its mouth was sealed shut, its eyes were missing, dripping a strange black ooze from them.

The creature had noticed Pinocchio, launching itself at him, Pinocchio barely managed to dodge and jump into another safe tile. The creature stayed glued to the wall each time the traps would activate.

Pinocchio was playing defensively, trying his hardest to find a plan of action, Gemini warning him each time the floor traps would activate.

That’s when Pinocchio had an idea, the creature was blind, it could only hear him, so he stayed very still, not making a sound and even held his breath for a moment, waiting for the perfect opportunity, he grabbed from his bag a sawtoothed wheel, and threw it into the floor.

The creature fell for his trap and when it jumped onto the floor, it was electrocuted, its muffled screams sounding agonizing until it became too much, the creature exploding into a dozen pieces, completely covering Pinocchio with the black ooze from head to toe.

Pinocchio wiped the liquid out of his face, he clenched his fist in anger, there was no way out of this basement, however, he is smart, he used his Legion Arm puppet string and launched into the roof, using it as a grappling hook to get back up.

There was nothing, no clue, no hint, no semblance of new information. Only a graffiti on the walls with the words, “The Floor is lava” with a dumb smiley face.

Pinocchio went outside to greet his father, who almost hugged him before he came out until he realized how dirty he was.

“So that was just a trap, a dead end and we have nothing else” Gemini was frustrated, but they should have known better than to think Arlecchino would always give them clues.

“What are we even supposed to do now?“ Pinocchio was even more frustrated, he felt stupid for falling into his dumb game.

“First you are going to go home and take a bath,” Geppetto said, his son is completely filthy with that strange liquid and he can’t go walking around like that.

For once Pinocchio didn’t argue with his father about the clothes, he wanted to clean himself as soon as possible, his hair was all sticky now, hopefully, his dress won't get ruined and can be saved by a good cleaning, since Antonia picked it for him, that will be the most likely case.

“We should leave now before we gain the attention of others” Geppetto knew that it was their time to leave behind this mess that only got them into more trouble.

Pinocchio couldn’t wait to go home, take a bath, and go to bed. All of this ended up being a waste of time.

As they were both departing, Geppetto started to think out loud.

“Should we get the help of a detective? Perhaps a stalker? Arlecchino is smart, I don’t doubt his traps would be more dangerous” Geppetto then shook his head, “No, getting more people involved will only be a disaster”

Pinocchio walked wondering if there truly was anyone out there who could help them in this situation who would not reveal anything to anyone.

“Besides what are they going to do?” Geppetto sighed, “It’s not as if anyone can get inside the mind of a killer, only murders can do that and where would we even find someone like that?”

—-

“Have you come to see me kind one?” Cecile’s voice was calm, kind, and collected.

The next morning, Pinocchio wasted no time in going to the Cathedral, thankfully asking to see Cecile was something easy. Currently, they are in a separate room meant for private prayer.

“Um Cecile…” Pinocchio wasn’t sure how to bring this up, “You know how you gave me that letter, where you…confessed to killing people”

“Yes of course” Cecile honestly never thought she would survive, even if she had repented many times before the eyes of God and before Andreus, she had felt it proper to write a final confession, “Is it troubling you? Knowing what I did?”

Pinocchio stares silently at her for a few moments, she is the only person he knows who can help, it’s just that…

It’s just that how does he even properly ask this?!

“No, not at all” That’s a lie, he does find it uncomfortable sometimes, “Let me explain”

He gives her a brief explanation of Arlecchino, although she is aware of the killing as all of Krat, like most not knowing the truth until now, Pinocchio tells her how he is looking for him.

“So if you could please, um, tell us how he might act next, me and Gemini would really appreciate it” Pinocchio gave out an awkward laugh.

Cecile stares at him quietly, did he offend her? Is she mad at him? Ugh, he should have never-

“What do you wish to know?” Cecile has a creepy smirk on her face.

Pinocchio could feel shivers down his spine, he showed her Pulcinella’s information, the maps of the killings, media articles, autopsy reports of the victims, and his traps and riddles.

“Mmm,” Cecile was thinking, carefully analyzing what she was looking at, “So you say he was aware of what your clothes were yesterday?”

Pinocchio nodded, Cecile then looked at the map again, then at some pictures.

“Each time he has called you, he knows where you are, one would assume he is nearby however he isn’t going to be an inch closer to any of you” Cecile’s kind voice changed to a serious somber tone.

“What do you mean?” Gemini wasn’t following, “But then how does he know all of that?”

“He isn’t spying on you per se” Cecile kept analyzing the information, rather he is spying on Venigni, considering how he is a public figure, his information is available to almost everyone”

Venigni works at many places and has a full schedule, while outside he is never seen alone.

“Therefore, he only has to know two things: When Venigni enters a place and when he exits it”

That means that when Pinocchio waved goodbye at the factory yesterday morning to his father and uncle, Arlecchino was there looking. At night he didn’t have to be there, knowing that Venigni would leave late at night was enough.

“But then how does he know when to call?” That didn’t make sense to Pinocchio, maybe before when Arlecchino had a connection because of the Ergo in Arche Abbey, but now it should be impossible.

“The first two are easy” Explained Cecile, “Two homes, yours and Mr. Venigni’s; easy to call the number when he is sure that all of you are there”

Cecile then pointed at the telephone next to the factory, “Look at this”

Pulcinella had wasted no time in investigating that phone, in his eyes, he saw nothing of importance, Cecile on the other hand…

“The phone rang 5 times before you picked it up” Cecile then stared directly into Pinocchio, “He isn’t being precise, he didn’t know the exact hour, just an estimate, therefore he was only hoping you would eventually pick it up”

Cecile continued, “No one would pick up a random phone call in the middle of the night, however, you and your family are aware of his tricks, so he knew that it had to be only you who would answer”

She looked at the map more closely, “He is certainly planning something in Lorenzini Arcade by looking at his movements, although I doubt a trap for you is there considering how crowded the place is, there is the possibility it will lead you to a different trap, trying to confuse you”

“Are you absolutely sure he isn't spying on me?” Pinocchio wasn't fully convinced.

Cecile thought about it in more depth, “I think… I think that he does track your activities but maybe after the fact, or while you are about to leave, I do have some doubts, but I don't doubt what I told you about his methods on Venigni”

“Woah” Gemini was amazed, “You can tell all of that? But what about the killings?”

“Aside from his taunting, the murders he commits are of no true importance to him” Cecile went on, “He loves to kill, loves the thrill, loves the panic, it’s only a hobby, his true goal, has always been to torment Lorenzini Venigni”

“How can you be sure of that?” Pinocchio asked.

“Well…” Cecile stared more intensely at Pinocchio with a grin on her face, “It feels good to have others' lives at your mercy, sometimes, it’s not always about sending a message, sometimes it’s because you do what you have to do what you have to make yourself feel alive”

Pinocchio was extremely thankful as well as completely terrified.

Both of them stood up, Pinocchio was ready to leave before Cecile stopped him, hugging him, it felt a little strange to hug someone now with only one arm so she pulled the boy a little closer to her. Pinocchio hugged her back, even if it felt a little strange to hug her after how she was acting.

“Each day, I repent for what I did, I know I can never undo what has been done; I know that taking my life will not solve anything, will not absolve me from this guilt” Cecile cried, “I can only repay those I hurt by doing the opposite, by sharing kindness, by helping those in need”

Cecile does what she can to help the community, give others a better life, help the poor, tending to those who are sick. It’s harder when she only has one arm, although she has been offered a prosthetic before, she declined, saying this is her cross to bear.

She wants to make this world a better place, because she truly is sorry, she knows that there is a chance her sins might never be forgiven, that she might go to hell. Cecile is okay with that, she isn’t doing this only for the sake of salvation, she is doing it as penitence.

Cecile let go of Pinocchio, gently touching his face, “I will always pray for your safety and maybe I am naive, maybe I am projecting my issues, however, I pray that this cruel puppet also repents for his actions”

Pinocchio is aware that will never happen, Arlecchino is too far gone for any reason, however seeing Cecile like this, he no longer feels afraid. Appreciating the bond he has with her.

“I am sure the next time he will call or send his message, will be when Mr. Venigni is by your side, he will communicate with you sooner than later,” Cecile said, “His main goal, is to cause suffering, yet he is cocky, I have a feeling he will reveal his location, when he does, not only will that be a trap, but something more, I have this feeling he will go after someone who is close to Venigni when one would think they would be safe”

It was time for Pinocchio to leave, with this kind of information, he was getting closer and closer to the truth.

Meanwhile, at Eugéne's shop, a certain someone had arrived.

“Oh, hello Mastiff!” She said excitedly she was growing fond of this stalker, “What can I help you with? Do you need a new weapon?”

“Actually” Hanuel took a deep breath, “We need to talk”

Chapter Text

Eugéne was staring at him in silence.

“I know it’s a lot to process at once, take your time” Haneul knew this was difficult and that he shouldn’t rush her for an answer.

Well, that’s a complete understatement.

She is having a complete rollercoaster of emotions, she can barely remember her family, and she tries and tries but can’t remember him. She wanted to carry out their legacy, wanted to show their capabilities, HER capabilities how she learned that craft and perfected it. So many stalkers come to her store, sure she isn’t famous or anything like that but she finally became successful, she had come to terms with her past and future.

Now this throws everything apart.

Again she keeps trying to remember him, she remembers her parents, she remembers them giving her the book that shows their technique, then they passed away… then she is 12 years old, studying at school, then returning to the orphanage where she lived in, it wasn’t Monad (It’s not as if it was the only orphanage in Krat) she had very few friends, then none when she started to study to become a technician, not many girls choose that profession and the few that were in her class did not like her because of her… roots.

Actually, those two weren’t the only ones, throughout her childhood she heard similar comments from others from time to time, more so when she was a child, because when she was young she couldn’t pronounce certain words properly.

Most of her concrete memories are as a teen and onwards, why can’t she remember well? Was it her parent's death? The bullying? Both? Another traumatic event she can’t recall?

Mainly why can’t she remember a single thing about him?

Someone had to take her to Krat, that was obvious, why didn't she ever think about that? She can’t remember the language she was first taught, only certain words.

Eugéne is learning that she was never abandoned, that there was someone always watching over her. Yet is not as if she adored Alidoro when she was younger, as all of Krat knew about the hound, she saw him as a nice stalker who helped others, it was only when he rescued her that she admired him, was grateful, she owed him her life. Then that admiration stopped when she interacted with him at Hotel Krat, his rudeness, his selfishness.

Then guess what? That wasn’t him that was someone else. She thought the real Alidoro was dead like everyone, so she mourned the man she saw as a hero, not only her hero but the hero of countless of others.

Now he is back again and drops this bomb on her?!

“I need to sit down” Eugéne’s head is starting to hurt, this feels like one of those strange fever dreams.

“It’s okay” Haneul almost helped her sit before she put her hand up to stop him, she needed to think more about him.

She doesn’t know what to say. On one hand, she is extremely happy she has family, that she can learn where she came from. He saved her in that tower but how many other times did he save her and she didn’t know? Like how he helped her recently with that man who tried to steal from her.

He told her that he wanted to make Krat a better place for her, that was the reason he had to leave.

At the same time, she feels… nothing. Is it shock? How is anyone supposed to react to this type of news?

Eugéne takes off her glasses and starts to cry, putting her face on her hands, this was too much.

“Look I don’t expect you to magically love me or pretend we have an unbreakable bond” Haneul took a deep breath; “Only that you know I’m here for you, always”

Haneul is tired of hiding in the shadows, she is his sister, and he needs to act like a brother, not a vigilante.

“Also…” Haneul took another deep breath, as this was something harder, “I think for your sake, that you should leave Krat”

That was a mistake, he was being overprotective when that was the last thing she needed to hear.

“And leave all my family and friends behind?!” Eugéne snapped, “Maybe that was easy for you to do but not for me”

Haneul stayed composed, “I’m only saying because those alchemists are planning something again, you must know because of Pinocchio”

They continued, “The safest choice is to leave before something like the petrification disease happens again”

No, it will happen again, only that this time, they learned from their mistakes, this time they won’t carelessly let those monsters run around to reveal their intentions, his investigation shows that.

“If you want to stay, I won’t stop you,” Haneul was reassuring her this was only a suggestion, “I will only take you out of this place if you want to”

Eugéne began to compose herself, he was trying to protect her, plus he was right about the alchemists.

“I won’t leave” This is her home, as much as she would love to see where she is from, she can’t leave this life behind.

Not after all her effort to succeed, no one is going to take that away from her, not those alchemists or The King of Riddles. They won’t make her run in fear.

“I understand” Haneul replied, no nagging about it, he respected her wishes.

There was a tense uncomfortable silence that lasted for five entire minutes.

“So” Eugéne spoke up, “What happens now?”

“What do you mean?” Haneul was confused.

“You know…” She sighed, “Do we talk about the past? Do we hang out somewhere? Or…”

Oh fuck he didn’t think about that.

“Uh um well” Why didn’t he plan about what happened once he told her the truth?

“Do you want to do anything? Go to a coffee shop?”

“Seriously?” Eugéne laughed, “It almost sounds as if you are asking me on a date.

Haneul laughed, “Yeah that was pretty dumb”

“Also my store is still open, customers will probably arrive sooner or later, you picked a bad time to tell me about my long lost past” Eugéne started to do her routine of taking the dust of weapons, “You could have come by lunchtime or when I closed”

“Am I really that clueless?” Hanuel was looking so forward to revealing the truth to her that he left his common sense behind.

“Don’t worry I’m used to it” Eugéne had finally relaxed, “Pinocchio also tends to lack common sense, although in different ways”

“Common sense is the least common sense” Haneul then started talking about the countless times he had to save someone from danger they caused themselves.

“Sometimes I feel people use stalkers as firefighters” Eugéne has heard plenty of stories, not just from him, about stalkers saving dumb people from their mistakes.

“Oh you have no idea” Haneul rolls his eyes, “Firefighters are also cheaper so I don’t get”

“Yeah but what’s cooler, getting saved by a firefighter or by a stalker?”

They were talking normally, a conversation as if they had been friends for a long time, perhaps it was the unconscious sibling chemistry, or perhaps it was that they both shared many common interests. Whatever it was the conversation went on so smoothly, Eugéne beaming with joy when she finally asked about the weapon, him explaining all about it. Then she showed him his previous katana, the one Pinocchio had gotten from Parrot and given to her.

It’s a long way to go before she truly sees him as a sibling. But so far, it doesn’t seem that it would take as long as it seems.

——

“Gemini, Cecile is weird” Pinocchio left the cathedral, he now is on Rosa Isabelle Street just passing the time in a coffee shop, “She is so kind and somehow so scary”

“There are so many types of people out there pal” Gemini was sitting on his shoulder, “You are going to eventually meet more types, probably even stranger than her”

“I think all the people we know are strange if you think about it,” Pinocchio said.

Venigni is obvious why.

Antonia sometimes has a dark sense of humor, Pinocchio certainly got scared the first time he met her and she joked about having to build a coffin for his father.

Eugéne knows more about weapons than any historian.

Red Fox is so bold yet so elegant, she almost seems to act like a queen at times, Black Cat might be rude but he does have a secret heart of gold, as well as secret street smarts he tells Pinocchio from time to time that leaves him impressed.

His father is also weird, Pinocchio sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night to find his father writing down things for projects he suddenly came up with, but it doesn't bother him as he tends to fall back asleep rather quickly and if it makes his father happy he doesn't mind, still, even if he doesn’t prioritize his work like he used to with Carlo, he still has a weird obsession with it.

“Carlo…” Pinocchio mumbled out loud without thinking.

“Mmm, what about Carlo?” Gemini asked.

“Oh um,” Pinocchio wanted to brush it off.

Gemini on the other hand insisted.

“Do you think he would have built me if Carlo hadn’t died?”

Gemini was silent, he didn’t know what to say, he didn’t expect that question. After a few seconds, he knew what to say.

“What if doesn’t exist Pinocchio, we could be here all day wondering what if of certain things, we are never going to know the true answer”

Pinocchio was silent, looking at the floor, “You know I can’t stand that painting”

Gemini jumped out of Pinocchio’s shoulder and was now touching his hand, he wanted to reassure him that he was there to listen.

“I thought that it was because of what Dorian Gray did, that it was reminding me of how he almost killed me”

Pinocchio started looking uncomfortable, “The more I think about it, the more I realize I hated it from the start”

“I…I don’t know why! I hate talking about my feelings!” Pinocchio shouted, a few people turned to look at him, and he silently apologized for shouting before turning to see Gemini.

“Have you written this down?” Gemini's color had changed to a blue one to indicate his sadness.

“No”

“Then you should, you know that’s how you express your feelings better”

Pinocchio sighed, is this because he feels on edge due to Arlecchino? Whatever the case is, he needs to go to see his mother for another lesson and spend time with her. Then he has to go to the union to protect his father and his uncle.

“I’m sure that if you tell Lady Antonia you are feeling down she will spoil you more than usual” Gemini returned to his cage, “In fact make her spoil you in public so that more people talk about it.

Pinocchio laughed, it was because recently they overheard someone call him “Lady Antonia’s spoiled brat” while spending time with her at an event she hosted.

“Interesting” Sabertooth was spying on Pinocchio with Tiger, they were too close to him but thankfully for them Pinocchio had no reason to suspect them, stalkers are everywhere in Krat.

“I don’t get it, what’s interesting?” Tiger looked at her confused.

“Nothing” Sabertooth smiled, “Just that I know a way to mess with the doll”

——-

“Miss. Cassandra, I must speak to you,” Frederick told her to come in after finishing with a patient, “Unfortunately I must relieve you from your duties”

YES YES YES he is letting me go!

“For some time, I’ll call you once this break of yours is over”

NO NO NO ugh! Fire me already!

“Have I done something wrong, sir?” Blue politely asked, “If that is the case there is no shame in firing-”

“Do not worry, it’s a simple family matter, I will take time off work due to this reason” Frederick looked annoyed despite how he tried hiding it, “My father is unfortunately on his dead bed”

“Oh, I’m so-” The doctor interrupted Blue again.

“Do not apologize, it’s not as if it is your fault, although I appreciate the politeness” Frederick doesn’t want to hear condolences. It was about damn time he died, he is only going to be by his side out of societal expectations, not being by his side would be a scandal, not after all his father had done for others.

All that good mattered none to Frederick, his father deserves to be in agonizing pain, not after he treated her like that.

Blue opened her mouth, the doctor not wanting to hear it.

“I would appreciate it if you could come to clean my office the days I will be absent, I will pay you”

“Doesn’t the hospital have-”

“The hospital cleaners are incompetent, in fact, you seem to be the only other person in Krat with common sense when it comes to cleaning”

“My apologies sir but if I will be off duty then I must tend to other stalker matters, it’s obligatory” It’s not, that’s only if you truly don’t have a client as you are allowed time off during prolonged work periods but she was finally being assertive “As such I cannot do as you asked”

At this point, Blue thinks he sees her as his maid rather than his bodyguard.

Frederick sighed in frustration, “I understand, you have been informed so return to the rest of your duties for today”

Blue waits impatiently outside, she knows the doctor’s schedule it's only a matter of time before he is done, a few nurses pass by from time to time, all the nurses seem to have a high opinion of the doctor although not the usual reasons one would assume, they say how he is “just like them” and after seeing him examining patients from time to time in a strange way they are right, he does tend to act more like a nurse than a doctor in his methods although his behavior is purely professional medical talk. A lot of patients say they always come back to see him not only due to the results but they feel he actually puts an effort into examining them and making them feel better. The man has said before he has experience taking care of those who are bedbound and in critical condition, for Blue, it is hard to imagine the doctor being by someone's side as they are dying but he did say he was going to take care of his father so…

When his last patient leaves she is thrilled until a woman suddenly enters his office, she is so fast that Blue doesn’t even get a glance at how she looks.

“I think I’m pregnant”

Blue was eavesdropping on the conversation, she was half expecting her to say “And it’s yours”, more so because a full minute passed without a word being said. But after that she could hear the doctor asking her normal questions about her symptoms while they talked, it’s odd, Frederick is always so formal when he speaks yet he is speaking so casually to this woman.

“I don’t believe you are, however, it’s been only 5 weeks so I can give you pills to cause an abortion” He then proceeded to explain to her what she needed to do.

Isn’t that illegal? Although Blue shouldn’t complain, not to mention how she feels women should have a choice in the matter.

“No you can’t have sex while you are going through this you filthy degenerate” Frederick huffed at the woman’s question taking a sarcastic tone, “You will be fine in a few days, hopefully, you won't die while waiting that long”

Blue heard the woman laughing, she spoke up again, but Blue couldn’t make out what she said, after that, she left as fast as she came. She only got a glimpse of her long black hair.

Blue entered the room again waiting to be dismissed, as always he asked her to help him clean before leaving. How odd, it almost looks as if he got flustered by whatever she said to him or maybe she imagining things as she wants to finally be free from him.

“Were you spying on our conversation?” Frederick doesn’t look at her as he keeps on cleaning.

“No sir, I-” Blue tries to lie her away out of this, but he is aware that the conversation was loud enough for her to hear it.

“She is a childhood friend, that’s all, I’m only doing her a favor” Frederick rolled his eyes, annoyed that he had to deal with that, “Also, please tell your father on my behalf that I will see how his health is doing after this break”

Right, they are friends, sometimes Blue forgets about that, her father did tell her that Frederick used to be shy, which seems hard to imagine, maybe one of these days she should ask more about when they were younger.

Once Blue finished, she rushed to the offices to report the issue and search for something else to do.

It seems the pride is having an influence on the other stalkers as before they didn’t doubt her capabilities but now they see her as a joke.

“Surely you can help the lovely people that are in the waiting room” Lion had a smirk on her face, as other stalkers watched, “In fact, you are the girl exactly for the job”

“What do they need?” Blue knows something is up.

“They lost their beloved pet, a pigeon I believe”

“Excuse me,” A child who was next to their parents spoke up, “It’s actually a dove”

“I see” Blue smiled at the child, “Can you describe to me your dove? Do you have a picture?”

The other stalkers looked amused as the child described what their beloved pet looked like. Blue will have to tell them that they aren’t animal control, that being a stalker is a serious job and-

“Excuse me for a moment” Blue then opened a window of the offices, put her fingers in her mouth, and whistled loudly.

A falcon suddenly jumped towards the window, it was so fast that it startled several people inside. Blue then gave the falcon a treat she had in her bag, also showing her the picture; in two minutes the falcon was back with the dove in its claws, although it wasn’t hurting the animal.

“My Dovey!” The child beamed with joy, grabbing the dove in her hands who looked happy to see her owner, “Thank you so much, miss stalker!”

It was the same one, first because it was identical to the one in the picture, and second because doves on Krat tend to be rare domestic pets, it is uncommon for them to be in the wild. Blue is glad she got the dove, if left around to roam free and reproduce, it could cause an imbalance in the ecosystem.

The parents thanked her profusely too, they offered her money that she refused.

“It was such a simple task, do not worry about it” Blue smiled, “May I suggest you get her a bigger cage? It’s likely she wanted to fly more often”

With that said the parents left, all those present stunted at the feat.

“Good girl” Blue gave her falcon another treat before sending her back home, “Anything else I can do?”

“Holy shit Blue that was awesome!” One of the stalkers shouted.

A small crowd began to form around her, all asking questions about how she did it, can she call different birds? How can they hear her from so far away?

“Rusty don’t go and ask questions!” Lion grabbed her hand to stop her.

“But I want to know about the cool falcon!” Rusty cried out.

“You have an eagle too?!” Someone else shouted.

“And the cool eagle!” Rusty was now pouting it wasn’t fair.

“Ugh, where is Sabertooth and Tiger anyway?” Lion went back to her office with Rusty in her hand.

“I dunno” Rusty casually said, “Tiger was here a while back, he looked angry at Sabertooth, said something about her being a bitch and that he wasn’t going to do that”

“He is right about the bitch part” Lion then realized what she said, “You better not tell your parents we swear in front of you”

“I won’t” Rusty got out of Lion’s grasp, “I’m not a tattle tale”

“I guess Blue is going to join us tomorrow in the search for Adeline” Lion began to file some paperwork while she was there, “That’s good, the more people looking for her, the less time we will spend”

“You think someone actually hurt her or something?” Rusty was cleaning her weapon, it had gotten dirty on a mission.

“I still think she ran away with some man” Lion wasn’t taking this seriously, “I mean who is going to want to hurt her?”

“Evil people,” Rusty said innocently, “My parents say-”

“What your parents say it’s not real life, rich people don’t get hurt by others, we are different, if you mess with people like us it ends up badly”

“Woah Lion” Rusty was shocked, “You are right but why are you so mean today?”

“Because with those two gone I’m the one stuck with the paperwork” Lion was furious, “Something you can’t help with”

“Excuse me?” Rusty poked Lion to annoy her more, “I had to save you from our mission today, you weren’t fighting seriously”

A petty argument ensued, before Blue left she overheard a little of it, satisfied that they got put in their place.

Getting home she was greeted by her sisters, then her parents. It was good to spend time as a family. Things were looking up for her, she had made up her mind, that when she returned to see Frederick, she would give her notice so that she could quit. Her father might not like it but he has always respected her, this is something that will pass.

With her newfound confidence, nothing can go wrong.

——

Something was wrong when Geppetto and Pinocchio arrived at home.

The front door was wide open.

They were at first worried about it being Arlecchino but Pinocchio scanned the area before entering, whoever it was didn’t realize they left a muddy footprint near the window a rather big boot, meaning that they entered from there, then left the door opened on purpose.

Did someone break in to steal money?

Worse, no one had stolen any money or valuables, in fact, everything was left intact at home, everything except…

“Why would anyone do this?!” Geppetto sobbed as he stared at the now-ruined painting of Carlo.

Someone had grabbed a paint brush and with black paint crossed out Carlo’s eyes and neck.

Geppetto was devastated, Pinocchio couldn’t stand to see his father like that, they did call the police to report the crime, yet they said that since nothing was stolen and it was only petty vandalism other issues take priority.

Meaning: Don’t expect us to actually investigate this, it’s only a painting.

That night was uncomfortable, Geppetto went to bed early, a part of Pinocchio wanted to sleep with his father yet he knew that he probably wanted to be left alone.

“Gemini am I a bad boy?” Pinocchio was in bed hugging a pillow.

“What? No!” Gemini shouted, “What makes you say that?!”

“Because I said I hated that painting and now it’s ruined”

“Pal it’s not your fault”

That didn’t seem to work, Pinocchio put his head on the pillow and gave out faint sobs. He hated that painting, he would look at it and get reminded that he was made to “save” Carlo, that his father loved him more than him.

“I can see memories, your pitiful lies don’t work on me puppet of Geppetto” Simon was saying his last words.

Pinocchio had lied about what happened to Sophia, the man-turned-god didn’t like that.

“And I can see… even now, he isn’t waiting for you, he is waiting for Carlo to come back”

“Why am I so selfish?” Pinocchio mumbled under the pillow.

That was then, his father has changed so much, he is such a loving and caring father, he is always there for him, he gets him anything he wants, and sees him for who he is, and he repays him by being jealous of Carlo.

It’s stupid right? He is jealous of someone he has never met. If anything, if Carlo was alive he would be jealous of him. This is the father Carlo always wanted.

“For a moment you looked just like…” Antonia’s words resonate in his mind.

The message Romeo left behind for Carlo resonates in his mind.

The countless times people have called him his replacement resonate in the back of Pinocchio’s head. The countless times he had overheard others comparing him to Carlo, specially recently with his encounter with those stalkers.

Well, you got what you wanted right? Now you don’t have to look at that painting, now you don’t get a constant reminder about him.

Pinocchio got up, carefully getting the painting, and silently went back to his room to not wake up his father, yet Pinocchio had a feeling his father was still awake, not being able to sleep as him.

He put the canvas in a stand and took out his painting kit, he can fix this painting, the awful man who taught him how to paint made it, and he knows how to replicate the style.

It took him hours but he did it, the painting was back to normal, Pinocchio only needed to wait for the paint to dry.

Pinocchio could feel his heart racing, his gears running faster, he had done it so fast, he was desperately trying to fix it that he didn’t realize he was overheating. He tries calming down by drinking water, then by pouring the glass of water over his head to stop the burning sensation.

He stares at the painting, it’s beautiful, this time it’s something he did, as he added some touch-ups to other places, it truly felt like it was his creation and not one made by Dorian Gray.

“I hate you” Pinocchio began to cry again.

Gemini is next to him, hearing him vent his feelings.

“I hate that I hate you” Pinocchio feels like a bad boy, for being so unjustly mean to his brother.

Pinocchio touched his chest, his heart was pounding… was his heart pounding? Something felt off.

As he looked at the painting, he saw that something was coming out of it, a tear coming out of Carlo’s eye. Not the first time something has come out of that painting, what does it mean this time?

Is his brother upset? He still has a little of his Ergo, did he make Carlo cry? He truly is a terrible boy.

“I’m sorry” Pinocchio whispers to the painting as he wipes away Carlo’s tear.

It’s 5 am, he hasn’t slept at all, he is so tired. Pinocchio now lies in bed again, Gemini being next to him instead of in his tiny home.

“I wish that made you happy” Pinocchio hopes that Carlo liked that he fixed him up.

Pinocchio wakes up until 1 pm, it’s Saturday so he doesn’t need to wake up early. Gemini is still by his side, Pinocchio then looks around the room, the painting isn’t there, did he dream about fixing it?

When he comes out of the room, his father is in the living room, the painting is there, as normal. Geppetto hugged his son thanking him.

“I know it must have been so hard” Geppetto was playing with Pinocchio’s hair. “Specially to change it like that, I’m so grateful”

Change it like what? It’s back to normal, the eyes are fine, the neck is fine, and Carlo is smiling.

Carlo is smiling. He doesn’t smile in the painting, he didn’t like sitting still for the painting, Pinocchio remembers his father told him so, that is why Carlo was making that serious expression.

Geppetto lets go of Pinocchio, telling him that it’s late and that he should eat and drink something so that he doesn’t become more exhausted.

Pinocchio obeys his father before going back to his room. Shortly after Geppetto enters and sits on Pinocchio’s bed next to him.

“Pinocchio how are you feeling?” His father gave him a warm smile.

“I’m fine,” Pinocchio said that he was only tired.

“Son” Geppetto gets a little closer to him, “I know you are lying because you don’t want to worry me”

Pinocchio breaks down in tears, clinging to his father. Geppetto holds his son as he cries.

“Do you still love him more?!” Pinocchio cried in frustration.

Pinocchio feels so stupid, he feels like he is throwing a tantrum, Carlo is gone, and he is competing to be the favorite child with someone who is dead.

Geppetto knows that Pinocchio doesn’t want him to answer, that he wants to vent his frustrations.

“Why do I have to live in his shadow?! Every time someone meets me their first thought is him, how I look like him, or how I don’t act like him!”

“I hate him and I hate you for making me like him!”

Pinocchio keeps crying, it takes him some time to finally calm down until his sobs begin to die down.

“I’m sorry” Pinocchio’s voice sounds weak from all the crying, “I don’t… I don’t really hate him or you, I just…”

Pinocchio lets out a few more sobs.

“Maybe I should go back” Pinocchio is referring to how he took that one therapy session when his father first started seeing one.

“I’ll arrange that” Geppetto plays with his son’s hair, confronting him.

The room is silent for a few minutes, Pinocchio looking away before turning to see his father.

“Can we do something fun today?” Pinocchio is tired of fighting, of constantly being on edge about danger, he knows that won’t stop any time soon.

He wants to help others but now feels selfish for wanting a break. Specially when his uncle Venigni is suffering so much. A part of him is expecting his father to say no, to scold him for even asking. Pinocchio isn’t thinking rationally, being too emotional.

“Of course we can,” Geppetto said, “We can do whatever you want”

“Can we…” This feels so stupid but that makes him feel better, “Can we go get some ice cream?”

Geppetto smiles, “Yes we can, do you want to see Antonia after that?”

Pinocchio nods, he would love to see his mother.

Gemini gets on top of Pinocchio’s head, giving him gentle headpats to cheer up his best friend.

“I’m not a dog Gemini” Pinocchio pouts.

“Oh so when your father does it you love it but when I do it you don’t?” Gemini teases him.

“Father does it better than you” Pinocchio’s mood was improving, “Wait what if someone breaks in again?”

“Don’t worry son, I made sure it won’t happen again” Geppetto ended up booby-trapping the windows and reinforcing the door lock, telling Pinocchio how to properly open them from now on.

“Father, isn’t that illegal?”

“We can worry about that later, let’s hope that never happens again”

Pinocchio laughed, his father really is kind of weird.

“Tomorrow something awful is probably going to happen right?” Pinocchio had a feeling Arlecchino was taking too long in tormenting them.

“Whatever happens from now on, remember I’m always by your side son”

By now they were buying the ice cream. Geppetto takes the opportunity to tease his son.

“What flavor does my little boy what?”

“Father!” Why does he always embarrass him like this? It doesn’t stop him that they are in public.

“I’m your father, is my job to embarrass you”

“Yeah Pinocchio and you are his son so it’s your job to act like a brat” Gemini chirped.

“I’m NOT a brat!” Pinocchio was now red with embarrassment.

Tiger was watching them from afar, thankfully Sabertooth wasn’t with him today, he is starting to think she is a miserable bitch and that’s why she acts that way.

She was always the mean girl, but it was never to the extent of what she did yesterday, Lion has also been more insufferable. All of them used to be great friends, okay fair enough that they were the popular kids and got more attention, and maybe the group was a little entitled towards others, yet this has been an eye-opening experience.

His friends kinda suck.

He feels bad for bringing Rusty along to this mess, his family is friends with her family. They had trained her from a young age to be a stalker, so he is in charge of protecting her, not during the fighting, she is better than him in that department, more so in protecting her from the adults who might have bad intentions, look at that, he already failed in that task.

Rusty has always been a huge brat, now it’s worse, he made her have bad influences.

“Hi Tiger!”

He is snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of Blue’s voice.

“Are you taking a break?” Blue is also taking a break, the sun seems to be shining extra hard today, she got so thirsty and needed to sit down, so she sat next to him.

“Yeah, I’m taking a break too” It’s true, it just so happened that he ran into the two of them, although by now they already left to do something else.

“I take it that the heat is affecting you more since you took off your mask” Blue sat in the chair next to him.

“It’s not that, I took it off to eat the ice cream” Tiger had relaxed, despite the fact he didn’t know why she was talking to him, he thought she hated him.

“I didn’t take you for a guy that liked sweets”

“I mean we are sitting at an ice cream shop”

They were making small talk, to be honest, Blue had only approached him due to being bored, yet she was enjoying the conversation, Tiger wasn’t as rude as she thought.

“Where is the rest of your gang?” Blue got a little curious.

“Sabertooth and Lion are together, Rusty is with her parents”

“Mmm, how come? Does she study on Saturdays?”

“No I mean, her parents might be retired but they are helping with the search”

Adeline Corday has been missing for 2 weeks, not only is her family frantic but also the Opera House, they can’t seem to find a replacement for her. No one has a voice like her, no one has the talent of singing as excellent as the Corday’s.

There is a widespread hunt for her, not only stalkers but the general public, they are offering rewards to anyone that has any useful information. So far, everyone knows she must still be in Krat, as the train station has no reports of her leaving, she is easily recognizable so they would have noticed.

“Then do you want to come with me?” Blue was tired of being alone, the doctor keeps her pretty isolated in that office, “We could investigate together”

Tiger liked that idea, so he decided to tag along, who knows? Maybe they can actually find her.

——

“If something happens to her while I’m not here supervising I will personally kill everyone involved” Frederick had murderous intent, they had their asset, and the possibility of losing her is nonexistent, he won’t allow that to happen.

Everyone understood the message loud and clear, everyone inside that room is filled with dread, knowing that if they screw up a fate worse than death would await them.

Via his orders, they left him alone to keep working on his project, one last adjustment before leaving.

The girl could no longer make a sound, her beautiful voice was damaged beyond repair by now. Not from screaming, Frederick didn't want to deal with that so he removed her vocal cords right away. That doesn’t matter, her hearing is what matters.

“Ergo absorption working as intended,” Frederick wrote down the progress.

Then Frederick began to examine her body, she was only wearing a medical gown, and the adjustments he made were beyond his expectations.

Adeline looks at her body too, her body feels still, and her arms and legs are now purple. They said something about Rigor Mortis, she knows what that means, is she dying? Is she dead already? Her fingers and toes are strange, they have this orange glow attached to them, shining like crystals. She was always a red hair, but now her long red hair was completely the color orange, bright as the glow in her fingers. Something is connected to her veins, yet she cannot make out what it is, the man gets closer to her, his mouth next to her ear.

“You are beautiful” Frederick whispers to her, she truly is, she is his greatest creation.

It took him only a week to make her a listener, and another to make her the perfect vessel. His life goal is in front of him, his wonderful hard work, his masterpiece. He has worked nonstop for this goal all his life, yet as soon as he got his listener in his grasp he knew that he had to show his true devotion to his cause, each day after leaving his duties as a doctor he would come here to work on her. He is sleep-deprived, and he feels tired but that doesn't matter.

Adeline recoils at him injecting something into her, he repeats the process multiple times until he puts aside his equipment.

Frederick takes a look at the table next to him, all the surgical tools he utilized, that was the easy part for him, it was… a little complicated to modify her hearing artificially with technology, thankfully alchemists have secret associates everywhere, including of course the Workshop Union, since he is a smart man, he only needed to carefully analyze those notes, in the end, he did it himself, truly he doesn't trust anyone else to touch her, it is already bad enough that he has to leave his listener behind.

All alchemists in Krat are singing his praises at this moment, however the sense of pride he has in himself is nothing compared to them. His listener, his vessel, his philosopher stone is in front of him.

“Your body from now on will begin to change on its own” Frederick has a twisted smile, “I wish I could stay to see your full metamorphosis, sadly I will miss the beginning of it”

So her torture is only starting? Why? Isn’t he happy about everything he has done to her?

He starts to take off her medical gown, then he grabs a dress, those are not the clothes she had. On any other occasion, she would have found it beautiful.

“I think this will make you look even more beautiful, it suits you well” Frederick starts to change her clothes, “I need you to look prettier”

He treats her as an object, as a cute doll that needs to be shown off. Maybe she deserves this for being so mean to puppets.

Her ears feel heavy, she can’t look at them, she does know that there must be some sort of device attached to them. Adeline can feel strange cables coming out of it. She can hear everything now, from the heartbeat of the man in front of her, from each person who resides in Krat, and she can hear springs, the springs of all the puppets in Krat, all of them who have Ergo. Hearing Ergo…it feels…

Frederick grabs her face, forcing her to look at him “Trust me, when this is done, you will become the most beautiful thing in the world, what I always wished to achieve”

Adeline closes her eyes, he won’t give him that satisfaction.

“I love you”

Adeline knows he isn't talking to her, neither as an individual nor as the creation he sees her as, sometimes he talks to her as if he is talking to someone else, he always does this when the two of them are completely alone.

“If only you were here to see this”

She can hear emotions now too, this man only ever shows pride, hatred, or sadistic happiness at her or his other “creations”, yet at this moment, he sounds sorrowful.

Frederick lets go, reluctantly, he must leave.

Adeline is left alone, finally, she hates him, she hates everyone who did this to her. The only thing she wants is to die.

She closes her eyes, at the very least she is still able to sleep, she should enjoy it while it lasts. Maybe she can go to sleep and never wake up.

Chapter Text

Venigni was in bed, he had been in bed all day, although it was Sunday he had an event to attend, it was only a company breakfast but he said he wasn’t feeling well. People are starting to get concerned about his health since lately, he has been canceling a lot of work due to the stress.

Two more bodies were found this morning, he tries not to read about them, not to think about them, but this time he can’t. He can’t because this body was yet another taunt, the two people seem completely unrelated, murdered randomly, yet how odd that they have the same names as his parents, and that they were murdered the same way he did to them.

Venigni feels responsible, he feels like not only them but others are dead because of him. Pinocchio was in that trap because of him, who is going to-

“Master Venigni” Pulcinella’s voice made him snap out of his thoughts, “Geppetto and the young master are here”

Venigni wishes he could feel relief, but he can’t. He gets dressed and meets with them, afraid that they have bad news.

“Pinocchio wanted to see you” It’s hard for Geppetto to see Venigni like this, “Me too, we want to see how you are doing”

Obviously, pretty badly. They want to be by his side not only to protect him but to comfort him.

“Do you have any information on him?” Venigni’s voice sounds so defeated.

“We came to help you, not about that,” Geppetto said.

“I understand the two of you want to help” Venigni looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown, “But I just, I can’t, I-” He needs to know, he needs to put an end to this, he has to track him down. To stop him once and for all. How can he face anyone if he is allowing Arlecchino to do all that?

“Maybe we should tell him the information Pinocchio” Gemini chirped from his cage.

“I will but, promise me you will stop blaming yourself okay?” Pinocchio hugged his uncle Venigni, “I don’t want you to blame yourself”

Pinocchio can see how much his uncle is hurting. He can’t stand to see him like this.

“I promise” Venigni lied.

They all could tell he was lying, but still, Pinocchio began to talk.

“Well, I wanted to know how he would act so, I went to talk with my friend Cecile who used to kill people and-”

“Your friend Cecile who used to do what?!” Geppetto looked mortified and Venigni was shocked.

“She is a good person now!” Pinocchio shouted that wasn’t the point, the point was the information she gave him.

“I see” Pulcinella spoke up, “So that's why this letter arrived today”

Pulcinella grabbed a letter from Venigni's correspondence, it was only a map of Lorenzini Arcane, it was completely normal, at least at first glance but a new telephone had been added at the back entrance of the place. Pulcinella apologized for keeping quiet, saying he didn't want to worry him when he had no concrete proof Arlecchinno was behind this.

“So, I’m going to go there alone and check the place and the two of you will stay here” Pinocchio was determined to get to the bottom of this.

The mansion is protected, no way someone is breaking in, not with so many of the staff inside.

Pinocchio wasted no time in going to the arcade, leaving Geppetto with Venigni and Pulcinella.

Geppetto took a deep breath, Venigni could tell something was off.

“It’s nothing” Geppetto didn’t want to worry him, “I’m trying not to overthink the danger when he goes on his little adventures”

Venigni opened his mouth but talked with Geppetto spoke up first

“No no no, I’m here to reassure you, not the other way around” Geppetto sighed, “Let’s just talk, about anything to distract ourselves”

Pulcinella had left the room to make them something to drink.

“Like what?” Venigni replied in frustration, “Work has been extremely stressful and gossip is up to 11 these past few days”

“Gossip about what?” Geppetto hadn’t heard anything new about himself that he hadn’t heard before, although lately, more comments that he is too incompetent to keep on working have been more frequent, he wonders where that is coming from.

Okay, they are coming from Conrad but what is he telling others that makes them think he is right?

Venigni started to vent, “Ridiculous tabloids talking about when I’m going to date or marry someone”

Geppetto has never had to deal with that, he was married when he gained fame around Krat, although he understands why that can be frustrating.

“That’s the last thing on my mind right now”

“Yes, I can imagine”

By now Pulcinella had returned and served both a cup of coffee.

“Thank you my dear Pulcinella” Venigni was composing himself, “It doesn’t help that I get a lot of people that only want my money”

Venigni huffed and made a mocking tone, “No, I’m not going to be your sugar daddy”

He does have his playboy reputation, but that was mainly when he was younger and stupid, now he is mature enough to want a sincere relationship.

Geppetto thanked Pulcinella as well, then took a sip of his coffee, “There is no point in rushing things like that, it comes naturally”

There are a lot of magazines in Krat that talk about public figures, and one released a piece not only about him but other single public figures, actually Frederick Garret was included, as he is almost 50 years old, rich, and unmarried, no one has ever seen him on a date. Most speculate that it is because of his work life, truth be told most on that list dedicate extreme amounts of hours to their work, so that is always the first speculation.

Strangely enough, anonymous store owners mentioned how he buys a lot of gifts you would give to a significant other, but he never says who that is, so there is a rumor that he has a secret lover.

Venigni knows that's just random gossip, he shouldn't think too much about it, it's not as if that information will help them to uncover more about his activities.

“Geppetto what do you do that makes you feel better?” Venigni was running out of ideas to distract himself.

“I have my side projects that I tend not to bring up at work” Geppetto casually commented.

“Wait, you have secret projects?” Venigni looked intrigued, “What kind of projects?“

“They aren’t that important” Geppetto tried changing the subject.

“You truly don’t expect me to believe that right?” Venigni needed to know more, almost begging Geppetto with his eyes to tell him all about it.

Geppetto, the genius inventor craftsman has secret projects on the side? Now that’s something that has to be beyond wonderful in Venigni’s mind.

“I’m serious” Geppetto asserted his point, “They are only concepts, I enjoy work too much but I can’t prioritize it again over my family, so I come up with ideas from time to time, writing them down”

Geppetto started to reflect more, “Truthfully I need another method because my ideas tend to come in the middle of the night, Pinocchio has caught me a few times while I’m too entranced with them”

“Does it bother him, or does it bother you that he catches you?” Venigni keeps on drinking his coffee.

“Actually you are right, it doesn’t bother him, it bothers me”

Pinocchio has only caught him when he gets thirsty in the middle of the night or something along those lines. His son sleeps like a rock, almost nothing can wake him up, one time one of his heavier types of equipment fell onto the floor and made a loud bang, Geppetto went to check on Pinocchio, who was sleeping like a baby, poor Gemini, on the other hand, was completely startled.

“I get it, I’m overthinking my mistakes again, I wish that- wait, no, again, I’m here to reassure you not the other way around!” Geppetto got flustered.

Venigni laughed, “As a genius inventor, I understand myself, it seems all great ideas tend to come in the middle of the night”

“Why is that?” Geppetto wondered, “There has to be some sort of explanation”

“I have come up with a theory” Venigni began to explain.

And explain, and explain more, and then he started to talk about something else. Geppetto is a good listener, he enjoys hearing him talk. Truthfully Venigni has a great way to describe what he has in his mind, he doesn’t get how some find him annoying. He tends to charm many people with his words, and that’s why he tends to be the center of attention where he spends his time. It’s a talent many would wish to possess.

Geppetto is too entranced in the conversation, feeling as if he is forgetting something, his son has a friend who did what? Mmmm, if he can't remember it when it's probably not that important.

Pulcinella wants to be happy, yet he has this dreadful feeling something awful will happen sooner rather than later. Unlike before, he has always been certain that while Arlecchino was out there, he wouldn’t dare come close to him again, this time, he is on edge, Arlecchino is getting too cocky.

He will never let Arlecchino or anyone harm his master Venigni. That is a promise he made to himself long ago.

Pulcinella prays that all goes well, that whatever mess Pinocchio got sent to this time gives them a clue on how to stop this madness.

——
“So do we wait for this phone to ring or something?” Gemini was becoming impatient, they had been here for at least 20 minutes.

Pinocchio decided to look at the phone, it had a small bump on the side, he didn't want to break it but he had no choice, plus his uncle owns the place he could just give them a new one. As he opened it, there was a human heart inside, as well as a message on a piece of paper.

What has 13 hearts, but no other organs?

“Looks like he is improvising something new” Gemini chirped, “Mmm a deck of cards?”

That was what Pinocchio was about to say, he smiled at Gemini for being able to figure it out too, and as it turns out, there is a store in the arcade that sells decks of cards and other gambling equipment.

As for the heart, it started making a strange sound, Pinocchio could tell right away what it was and quickly threw it into a trash can, the sound of an explosion following shortly after, thankfully at it didn't cause a fire. Pinocchio groaned in frustration, his traps kept getting more deathly.

“Are you 18 years old or older?” A man at the front entrance of the store asked.

“Um no?” Pinocchio answered not knowing why anyone would need to ask that question to get inside, Gemini simply facepalmed, they are going to need to find another way inside now.

Pinocchio was wandering around Lorenzini Arcane, he needed to find a way to get to the store without getting into trouble when he found his solution by seeing two familiar faces, or rather two familiar masks.

He ran up to them hard, he almost tackled both of them with a hug.

“Oh woah!” Black Cat almost lost his balance, “Good to see you too but you are very heavy you know that?”

“Sometimes I forget what you are made of” Red Fox composed herself, Pinocchio is way stronger than he looks.

“Pinocchio” Gemini began to scold him, “You know what your father said”

“Why do I have the suspicion he banned you from seeing us?” Red Fox clever as usual figured it out quickly.

“He did but he doesn’t have to know” Pinocchio had a smile on his face, “And I need a big favor from my two older siblings”

He was now giving them the puppy eyes.

After some debating with Gemini, they came to the conclusion it would be pointless to lie to them so they caught them up with what was going on.

“A puppet serial killer running free? Now that’s a scary thought” Red Fox exclaimed, any average puppet is way stronger than a human, fighting back is certainly a thought battle, makes sense why the bodies never report a struggle, he gets to them before they can defend themselves.

Or why there is no evidence, humans tend to leave fingerprints, hair, or footprints. Recognizable clues for those investigating.

“As for the alchemists, they are a bunch of lunatics, whatever they are planning now it’s not gonna be pretty” Black Cat regrets teaming up with them.

Although to be frank he still doesn’t get why Geppetto is still so furious at them, they were desperate, he was losing his sight (hell to this day he still has vision problems), his health was weakened yet the old man made him carry that stupidly heavy black box when they took him captive.

“What exactly are we supposed to do or look for?” Red Fox asked.

Truth be told, Pinocchio doesn't know either but he always leaves strange symbols or marks behind, so Gemini should go with them inside to see what they can find. They were pretending to look at things and comparing prices when Gemini found a deck of cards that had the trinity symbol in there, why does he keep using it? Doesn't he hate the alchemists? The siblings also recognized the symbol, as they saw it a few times while at the isle of alchemists.

“How much for these?” Black Cat asked the clerk.

“That depends,” The man said casually.

“Depends on what?” Black Cat was annoyed and confused.

“I see, I was only joking it's going to be $15” The transaction went as normal but both stalkers could tell something was off about that question.

“Are you thinking what I'm thinking?” Red Fox was sure of the answer as they left the store and went back to see Pinocchio.

“That was supposed to be a code for something” Black Cat has heard enough secret phrases to identify one when he sees it.

“Mmmm, let me see that deck of cards” Red Fox opened the package, normal cards until the end, where it came with a picture of Krat City Hall, the next assumption would be to check what was going on there.

“Really? You guys are coming with me?!” Pinocchio shouted excitedly, ready to fight alongside them or at least help him investigate.

“This boy is a puppy I swear” Gemini mumbled, his best pal getting excited over everything, “Pinocchio this is dangerous and your father-”

“Listen Libra, we aren’t letting him go alone all by himself so get used to us” Black Cat asserted.

“You are doing it on purpose by now aren’t you?” Gemini’s color has changed to a red one to reflect his anger

Black Cat laughed, “Yeah totally”

Gemini sighed, as always this is Pinocchio’s decision so he will respect it.

“Let’s head there right away” Red Fox knew a shortcut they could take.

—

Taking that shortcut did some good, as they saw the next clue, or rather the next trap waiting for them, another painted trinity symbol in the alleyway next to City Hall, there was a strange hole next to it with an arrow, all of the knew something would happen if they stuck their arm inside.

“You can take off your Legion Arm correct?” Red Fox said, “You should use it to grab whatever is inside”

Pinocchio removed it carefully from his body (it's harder than it looks) and sure enough, when he stuck his Legion Arm inside, a blade would have detached it from his body if it wasn't already, the blade went back up and Pinocchio managed to get a note that was in there.

“Should we cover this up?” Black Cat knows this could be dangerous, he doesn't wait for an answer and uses his weapon to break the mechanism so no one else would fall for it.

“What is black, blue, and red all over?” Pinocchio read it out loud, “A bruise? But what does that mean?”

“Maybe it's another dead end to confuse us,” Gemini said.

Red Fox took a peek at Krat City Hall, it was filled with people.

“This place seems more crowded than usual, that's odd” Black Cat even saw a few photographers taking pictures at the entrance, “Are they inaugurating something?”

“Isn't it graduation day for the police force?” Red Fox is sure of it, at least for the human police force.

Black Cat suddenly had a lightbulb moment, “Wait isn't there a small gallery inside? Let's go there, he could have left something there”

“Hey considering how that puppet considers himself an “artist” there is that possibility” Huh, Gemini is starting to think that maybe teaming up with them isn't that bad.

The art gallery looked normal, and Pinocchio is about to snap at the wild goose chase The Kind of Riddles has them in.

“I know I keep saying it but I am really tired of his stupid games” Pinocchio was frustrated, “What even is the point of all of this?”

“Does anyone else have a strange feeling?” Red Fox could tell something was off almost as if-”

Suddenly a gunshot was heard, then screaming, and everyone ran away from the place, when they were making their way out, Pinocchio stopped, it was a quick glance but he saw the trinity mark on what of the men who were going into one room.

“We have to get out of here” Red Fox grabbed his hand.

“Wait, but they are planning something” Pinocchio tried to get free but Red Fox had a firm grasp.

“We are going to get crushed by this crowd if we don't move” Too many people were all around them, bumping into them for standing still.

“But!”

“I'll investigate!” Gemini shouted, with his size, he could hide behind a corner and see what was going on.

Black Cat grabbed Gemini from his cage, “Okay, good luck Libra”

Then he threw him right onto a couch that could be seen all the way in the back of the main room, next to the room those men were going into. Never mind! Gemini knew that teaming up with them was a terrible idea!

“Oh don't look at me like that I knew he would land there safely, I'm good at throwing things,” Black Cat said to Pinocchio who was looking at him angrily as they finally left outside like everyone else.

Minutes passed as the place was being looked into by the police, they were telling everyone to stay calm, Pinocchio couldn't calm down as more time passed and Gemini wasn't showing up, they had to stop him from going inside there, until finally they saw a tiny figure approaching them, Pinocchio picking up his best friend and since he can't exactly hug him, he gave him gentle head pats, so happy to see him again safe.

“Okay, what the fuck was that?” Black Cat was so confused, “Also I'm sorry but just so you know I wouldn't have thrown you that far if I didn't think you would be fine”

Gemini was red to indicate his anger but he let it slide since he did find out some information.

“You see…” Gemini started to explain what happened.

—-

Gemini entered the room and was hiding behind a chair leg, there was a man in a suit dead on the floor, a bullet to the head, the hole was so big you could see the bullet going from one side to the other, he must have been an important member of City Hall; a woman had a gun in her hand, many of the new police recruit members were there, and the men that had entered the room.

Many of them had blood stained in their uniforms from witnessing the crude act in front of them. “What is black, blue, and red all over?” The color blue referring to the uniform of the force.

“Let this be a lesson to all of you newbies in the force,” The woman said with a smirk, blood splattered on her face, “This is what happens when your interests don't align with ours”

“Now here is what is going to happen” The woman lowered the weapon and put it in the man's hand, “All of you are going to agree this was a suicide”

No one dared argue against her, “Good, now go out there and look pretty for the cameras and your first duty as police officers”

They did as she told them so, the message loud and clear.

“I’ll arrange that one of us takes his position” The woman looked delighted, “Frederick will be happy to hear this once he comes back from his task, we got rid of a roadblock and his most annoying patient”

“And the family? Won’t they question this?” Said one of the men next to her.

“No one will miss a cheating dirtbag, trust me I bet his wife will be happy to get rid of him” She sure is glad Frederick doesn't care about patient confidentiality, they have a great excuse for his supposed suicide.

—-

“You gotta be kidding me” Black Cat can’t believe they planned all that.

How quickly they acted and how quickly they covered it up. How all of City Hall and now the new police force on the crime. The bigger question is how many other alchemists are in positions of power out there?

Pinocchio took a deep breath, Arlecchino knew too much about the alchemist, but he wouldn't be telling him this for free. Not unless this is going to harm him or his family.

“Excuse me”

Pinocchio turned around, it’s the woman Gemini described. She had managed to follow them, they should have gone somewhere even more far away to talk but it was too late.

“Are you Geppetto’s son? I was looking for you everywhere” She asked sweetly, “Do you mind if we speak for a moment in private?”

“What for Miss?” Red Fox said improvising right away an act, “We are his personal bodyguards so his business is our business”

“Oh, it will only take a second-”

“Where he goes we go” Black Cat interrupted her, “It is our duty, Geppetto himself hired us so surely he would have told us about yourself if it was a dire matter”

The two of them grabbed their weapon handles to make a point.

They could tell the woman was irritated but gained her composure, “Well then, I guess I must speak with him later about this, I hope you have a great day”

They all breathe in a sigh of relief as they decide to an actual private place, their home, as for Pinocchio, he went back to see his family to tell them this new information.

“What do we do now?” Black Cat asked, unsure of what came next, “We have to call Blue, we have to warn her about her client”

“We will” She was as worried as him, “Give me some time to plan how to break the news, also a way for her to leave without getting involved in such a mess”

At their homes, the tension was high, what mess did they get themselves into this time?

“Ow!” Black Cat had bumped into a table.

“Brother you need glasses,” Red Fox said casually.

“No, I don’t” Black Cat refused to look at her.

She gave out a sigh “Stop trying to act all tough and get them”

“I’m not weak okay?!” He started to lose his temper, not something liked hearing about.

“I never said that”

“Tch” Black Cat looked away, “Whatever”

“You know that a cure doesn’t mean 100% that you are fine now right?” Red Fox tried to reason with her brother, “Stop being so stubborn”

“Stop being so bossy” Black Cat rolled his eyes, “How will I even use my mask with glasses?”

“Wear a mascarade mask” Red Fox rolled her eyes back at him, “Or get those fancy new eye contacts everyone is talking about”

“You know we can’t afford those” Black Cat said.

“We could use the bells again in the meantime, just in case” She still has them, at first only keeping them as a memento but now they are back to being useful.

“That’s… actually a good idea” When he was losing vision they would wear small bells tied to their suits, Black Cat did develop a better sense of hearing due to his vision issues.

An hour of nothing passed before Red Fox finally decided to bring up the other elephant in the room.

“You have been acting weird lately and I know it’s not only because of your eyesight, What’s going on?” Red Fox was serious, “Don’t say that it’s nothing”

“Do you ever miss your old life?”

“What?” Out of all the things he could bring up, she didn’t expect him to say that.

“You know, you were Volfe” Black Cat started feeling on edge.

Technically she still has their last name, it was too much of a hassle to change it for both parties involved.

“You lived a good aristocratic life, now you are struggling to stay afloat with me”

“I get that we, or rather mostly you, tend to joke about our situation however” Red Fox decided to sit down next to him, “We aren’t in a bad position, we are doing great, hell we are doing better than plenty of stalkers in their respective factions so what’s going on?”

“But you don’t know if this will last!” He has that fear, how couldn’t he have it after living it so many times? That at any moment your economic stability will end up crashing down, that at any moment money could be gone for circumstances out of your control.

And what took away money mostly growing up alone and poor, was getting treatments for being sick, so he learned not to go for them, to take the pain and move on.

“I suppose that’s the reason you have been hoarding money behind my back”

“What? You knew?” Black Cat was caught off guard.

“I mean it’s money you made, you can do what you wish with it”

Black Cat started to have a few side jobs on the side as a stalker, nothing major, just quick ways to earn money.

“You don’t get it”

“I know” Red Fox got a little closer to him, “I didn’t have to live that sort of situation so I don’t get how it feels like”

Black Cat looked away, why does she have to be so mature all the time?

Red Fox touched his shoulder, staring directly at him with a warm smile.

“Life happens, if we end up in a situation like that, we will come out of it, as siblings”

Black Cat wiped a few tears off his face, then laughed, “You really are the best sister I could ask for”

—-

“Officially they have taken over the city” Venigni sounded defeated, “All conventional means to stop them are lost”

That means that no matter what evidence they show about their schemes, it will be swept under the rug, or worse, they will be taken out for trying to expose them.

Geppetto turned to address Pinocchio “We should go home” It’s not that late, but currently the city is in a state of alarm.

On their way home, Pinocchio could tell his father was acting strangely.

“Son” Geppetto spoke up after being silent all this time, “Is there something you are not telling me?”

Pinocchio didn’t tell him how he had the help of Red Fox and Black Cat. So he played dumb, asking his father if he was doubting his skills.

“I’m not this time I promise” Geppetto stooped walking.

Yeah Gemini helped too, that’s not the issue, the issue is that Geppetto noticed his son was giving very vague descriptions of everything that happened.

“Just tell me the truth okay?”

Pinocchio can't tell him about getting help from his stalker siblings, his father still doesn't like them and it doesn't help that he tried reasoning with him to let him see them recently and his father stood his ground, this will only make him angry and he doesn't want another lecture from him about them, he just doesn't know the like he does. At the same time, if his father does find out this he will be in bigger trouble.

“Nothing bad happened, the alchemists don't know that we spied on them and…”

🔴…………………….𖦹……………………🔴
I did it all by myself🕰️ I had help in doing so
🔴…………………….𖦹……………………🔴

—

“Frederick sent these journals since he is still busy”

Giangio grabbed the notebooks and began to read the contents.

—--𖦹—--

Cell Regeneration #1

When consumed, anima has an effect on the body of regenerative properties, antibodies, and white cells generate at a much faster rate and so do, enhancing the abilities of the immune system.

I've induced immunoglobulin therapy with anima-enhanced cells to certain subjects and eventually, given some to my patients, the results are better than expected, I have managed to heal illnesses such as Scarlet Fever and Typhus, for injuries I have healed fractures without the need of surgical intervention.

Speaking of surgical intervention, injecting anima in low dosages works well as an anti-inflammatory on post-surgical care, but I would love to see more of the effect it has while dealing with a subject actively being harmed, how will the body react to a stab wound or a bullet wound?

—--𖦹—--

Giangio pauses on his reading, remembering how it was decided he would be the new leader of the alchemist, everyone was in a meeting, discussing their next goals when Frederick brought up his research on the philosopher stone and his findings about anima, the organization was falling apart so no one could agree on anything, so to show all his commitment, Frederick grabbed a knife and slashed with force one of his wrists, not a simple cut but a deep wound, he was bleeding profusely and he injected some anima into his body, everyone watching in awe as the body healed itself.

It was also impressive to find how he was making the anima with just an autoclave, although in very low dosages, so he needed the backup for his research, a part of him believes that if Frederick could have done this on his own he would have, but realistically that is not the case, creating the philosopher stone would take a lot of manpower.

He also helped fix the issue of needing gold materials, he created less powerful versions of the stone he was looking for, they only have one use before they break but they can turn normal fruit into gold fruit coins, they are not as strong as the ones picked from the tree itself but it has made gathering resources an easy task.

Giangio flips through the journal to read more entries, things that are usually not discussed in sessions with him. There are plenty of drawings to showcase his findings and Ginagio is impressed by how good of an artist Frederick is.

—--𖦹—--

New Cell Discovery

Upon further experimentation with embryonic animal subjects, I have found a special type of cell that self-renews on its own, without the help of anima, this type of cell is natural to the body, and it can become other types of cells (although I still cannot understand why that last one occurs).

If one could combine these types of cells with the ones induced with anima, theoretically it should be able to perfect the regeneration process, becoming powerful enough to solve any issue that affects the body.

—--𖦹—--

“I see,” Ginagio said, “Curious, why is he wanting me to help on this?”

Frederick has a trusted circle of his most loyal followers, just like the man who gave this to him and this information is something he wouldn't hand to just anyone.

“He says that while you are annoying, he trusts your knowledge to advance the research”

“Aw, he flatters me” Giangio starts working on it, most likely he won't get perfect results or the best ones right away, but any process is valuable, and most importantly, somehow, he is gaining Frederick's trust.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Pulcinella can you do me a favor?”

He was at the Workshop Union attending to his work issues when one of the secretaries asked for his help.

“Of course” He replied, “What do you wish me to do miss?”

The girl chuckled, “You are always so polite”

She pointed at a garbage bag that was next to her, “Anyway I’m tasked with throwing away the trash but I just did my nails and a girl like me shouldn’t have to do them for something like this”

The girl had a big smile, technically he is the one who throws the trash every day because they all ask this favor.

“Can you help me out please?”

“As usual, I am happy to provide my services” Pulcinella doesn’t mind, it’s what makes their bond stronger with them. It’s good to have strong work relationships.

Meanwhile, Venigni was in a meeting, thankfully the last he would need to for his show-off transportation modes at the Grand Exhibition.

“How odd, where is Geppetto?” One of the workers asked, the meeting was about to start.

Geppetto is the president of the union, he should be in all meetings tending to this matter, once each project is given the final go, he personally has to handle the arrangements for its show-off at the exhibitions alongside the marketing department.

“He had family matters to attend to” Venigni replied.

Pinocchio is in a therapy session, and so is Geppetto.

“Can we finally admit he is overcompensating?” Another man in the room said, “Carlo died and he wasn't the best father but a puppet doesn’t need that much attention”

“Don’t say things like that” Another coworker said, “Yeah it’s just a puppet but if Geppetto thinks it's his family we have to respect that”

Venigni rolled his eyes, even when they weren’t rude to Pinocchio they still only saw him as an object.

“Can we go back to the topic at hand?” Venigni wasn’t in the mood for work drama, “Geppetto trusts that we can plan this by ourselves, shouldn’t we be flattered?”

Everyone took their seats, the meeting went on without issue, and everything seemed to go well, Venigni was leaving the union early to manage the hospital, and then he had to show up to an event, in his mind running the list of things he needed to do today when he overheard something that made him gasp.

“You know I heard that Geppetto is skipping work in the morning some days because he goes to see a psychiatrist”

Venigni stopped in his tracks, overhearing the conversation while pretending he was more focused on looking for some papers before leaving.

“Are you serious? Sure it’s weird that he treats that puppet at his son, but to think he is actually crazy…”

Venigni needs to inform Geppetto of this before it gets out of hand, for now, he can’t keep neglecting his responsibilities, Pulcinella can handle the rest while he is here.

—-

Pinocchio was playing the violin at Antonia’s home, Geppetto was leaving him with her in the meantime so they could spend some time together.

“Nothing has happened to you, right? Nothing suspicious?” Geppetto was concerned that she could be targeted.

“It seems this King of Riddles isn’t interested in me in the slightest” Antonia chuckled, “Perhaps if he wasn’t a ruthless killer, I would be offended”

How do you not pay attention to THE Lady Antonia? She steals the show in every room she is in, she is a prima donna without having to sing.

“Good” Geppetto let out a sigh of relief, “He wanted to see you today, with how stressed he has been, I’m sure you can do a better job than me to cheer him up”

Antonia laughed, “You know there is talk going on that we are seeing each other?”

He hadn’t heard about it, although it makes sense considering how he spends more time with her than before due to Pinocchio, considering how many know she sees the boy as a son is not too far-fetched to believe that, unlike other rumors.

“That’s great, more cover for you and Polendina” Geppetto joked, “I am amazed that one has suspended a thing”

“I am good at hiding my secrets” Antonia smiled, “As usual, I’ll take good care of the boy as he takes good care of me”

Pinocchio practiced music with her, it’s always special when he can be at her home and not at Hotel Krat. The hotel will always be a treasured place for him, but considering how it’s filled with people now that are back in business it doesn’t seem as personal anymore.

They were having small talk, when Pinocchio became quiet, looking away from her.

“What’s wrong dear?”

It’s probably naive of him to ask this, still, “Why doesn’t he feel bad about killing people?”

He feels bad for killing, Cecile also feels bad, why doesn’t Arlecchino feel bad? Why didn’t Simon feel bad? Frederick is probably killing people too why doesn’t he feel bad?

“I know it’s because they are evil” Pinocchio continued, “Is that the only reason? Why are people evil?”

Antonia noticed that no one had properly explained it to him, they all assumed he would know.

“Pinocchio, everyone is supposed to have a conscience” Antonia knew this subject would be tough to explain, “A conscience is like your guide”

“Like Sophia or Gemini?”

“Mmm sort of like that” Antonia smiled, “Something that sets you on the right path, that teaches you right from wrong, since no one is born knowing that from the start”

Pinocchio nodded, he was understanding.

“Everyone has their ideals of what’s right and what’s wrong, most are not black and white, everyone has their own thoughts and experiences that shape them” Antonia pauses for a moment, thinking about what to say next, “For example do you think someone is a bad person for stealing?”

“Well yes, stealing is bad”

“But what if they stole food to feed their family?”

Pinocchio had never thought about something like that, “I don’t think they are, they only wanted to help, they probably had no choice”

“I agree with you,” Antonia said, “There are people that will disagree, we could be here all day debating what circumstances could as good or bad, my point is…”

Pinocchio had her full attention by this point.

“That most will shape their conscience over time, however, some people or puppets in the case of Arlecchino don’t have one”

“Why not?” Pinocchio asked innocently.

“I don’t know” Antonia touched his hand to make him feel reassured, “Some say that there are those who aren’t born with one, some say others lose them while growing up”

“Whatever the reason is, those who don’t have a conscience, don’t feel bad about the bad things they do, despite knowing that what they do is wrong”

She tells him how it’s different if someone does something wrong yet believes they were justified, that person believed they did the right thing. But some do bad things, knowing they will hurt others on purpose.

“In fact, many of them also feel good about the things they do, The King of Riddles likes to torment Venigni, because he has nothing that makes him feel bad for what he is doing”

Pinocchio had questions, “Can someone like that grow a conscience?”

“Well, if you ask me… I don’t” She doubted that someone who has committed such atrocities could suddenly feel bad, “But don’t take my word for it, I could be wrong”

Pinocchio does think that his mother has to be wrong, Cecile is a good person, despite everything she did.

Can Arlecchino become a good person? Or rather, a good puppet in his case.

Pinocchio doesn’t feel he can, but doesn’t that mean he is being a hypocrite for giving a pass to Cecile and not him? But Cecile does everything she can to somehow mend her mistakes, she is a caring person, and Arlecchino doesn’t care.

Antonia laughed, that’s when Pinocchio realized his springs were sounding loud due to all the overthinking.

“It’s good you are thinking about it” Antonia gently played with his hair, “It’s always good to have different perspectives when it comes to these sorts of situations”

“Can I ask something?” Pinocchio looked uncomfortable, “Even if they feel bad, that doesn’t take away what they did right?”

Antonia knew where this was going.

“So does that mean that I’m…” That he is a killer, he hurt all those people, he is a bad boy because of what he did.

“Dear that’s completely different, killing because you enjoy it and killing to defend yourself or save others is not the same thing” Antonia went on, “A killer is someone who hurts others on purpose, without justification, you were never a killer”

Pinocchio for the first time since this is talked about, doesn’t feel like crying. He doesn’t blame himself, he doesn’t think is evil. He of course still has remorse, yet now he can truly understand he wasn’t being malicious as he always thought.

“I really should have a talk with your father and everyone else about the things we should have taught you from the start”

What else is he still missing about life that they never taught him?

Antonia hugged her son, “While you are here, how about we catch up on topics like that? It’s my duty as your mother”

Pinocchio hugged her back, giving her a warm smile.

“Polendina darling” Antonia let go and called for him, “Can you please fetch us some sweets that I can give to my dear boy?”

Pinocchio smiled even wider, yes he loves sweets!

—-

Hours passed, and it was almost time for the workers at the factory to leave when Venigni suddenly came back to the union, Geppetto greeted him at the break room.

“I finished my tasks earlier” Venigni was pleased with himself, “Now where is Pulcinella? I must speak with him”

“I haven’t seen him all day, I’ve been so busy supervising” Geppetto did find it unusual, however so much was on his mind.

Something was wrong when everyone started saying how they hadn’t seen him either.

“Mmm I saw him this morning” The same secretary chimed in, “He helped me take out the trash, I haven’t seen him since”

It was outside near the garbage disposal that they found the note, Arlecchino had taken him captive, leaving a location behind.

Venigni almost fainted, Geppetto had to hold him so that he wouldn’t lose balance, he was living his worst nightmare, it didn’t take long for Pinocchio to arrive, they needed to go to the set place, at the set time, they ended up arriving just in time, it was an abandoned testing facility, going inside, only the room they were in was illuminated, there was a door to the left that was shut with an electrified lock and one to the right that could be opened, the front of the room had a big reinforced window panel, but due to the darkness seeing what was on the other side was impossible.

The instructions were clear.

The three of them had to be present no one else, Venigni and Geppetto had to stay at the entrance, they couldn’t leave once they were inside. The first strange rule was they weren’t allowed to say a word.

For Pinocchio he needed to enter the room to the right, without Gemini, so he handed his friend to his father. His strange rule was that he had to tell the truth.

There would be consequences if the rules weren’t followed, and they weren’t going to question them, Pulcinella’s life was on the line.

Pinocchio firmly grasped his weapon, he knew that inside was a trap and he needed to be prepared.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he faced once he opened the door.

All the rest of the lights turned on, Arlecchino was in the room behind the window, he was holding a taser in his hand, that’s how he ended up overpowering Pulcinella. He was standing next to a control panel on one side of the room.

The room was divided into two different sides, a large metal door divided the two parts.

On the other side was Pulcinella, who was tied up in a chair, the other side was bare, and the walls looked dull and worn out,

That’s when Venigni and Geppetto realized what this place was in the past, why it was so close to the factory, this was where they tested the disposal methods in the past, Pulcinella was in a trash compactor.

Venigni was about to scream at him when Arlecchino put his hand up. Pressing a button so his voice could be heard all across the now abandoned building.

“Remember, no talking” Despite not being able to smile, they could have sworn he had a twisted grin on his face, “Or this happens faster”

Pinocchio had no time to waste, he needed to get to that room, moving across an entire building filled with traps.

Floors were electrified, two more of those strange creatures like the one he faced before jumped him; quickly getting rid of them he opened door after door trying to find his way, this was set up as a labyrinth until he got to one door that was locked when he tried to open it.

“You know I love riddles but let me play with you a new game, Have you heard of Never Have I Ever? Arlecchino instructed Pinocchio to shout his answer as he could only hear and not see him.

“Tell me the damn question now!” This had to be the worst “game” Pinocchio had been forced to play.

“Let’s see mmm…” Arlecchino faked being in deep thought,

“You are such a dutiful son,
Such a job well done,
However, someone in this room has been an awful liar
To continue sincerity is required,
I wonder who here present,
Will find this truth unpleasant”

Pinocchio could feel his heart racing, this doesn’t seem like a normal riddle. Arlecchino for his part, held up a picture from his side of the room, a picture that showed Pinocchio next to The Black Cat and The Red Fox inside Krat City Hall, a picture taken by the many photographers that day, one that he stole.

“Never have I ever lied to my father about who I hang out with” Arlecchinos's voice was snarky, delighted about getting to pleasure of mocking Pinocchio.

“I have” Pinocchio was furious, so this is why this monster decided to make his father come to the place.

“Correct!” Arlecchino pressed a button, opening the door.

Once in the next area, parts of the floor were missing, holes that would lead to a deep basement area, this part was dimly lit unlike the last one, Pinocchio couldn’t allow himself to fall, he might survive that fall but he would have no way to get back up.

Jumping from one place to the other was easy, the hard part was trying to avoid those knives he hung in the ceiling that would fall with the slightest bit of movement.
He had to be more careful opening the doors this time, one of them could make him fall if he wasn’t careful.

Every second was agonizing for Venigni, he felt as if they were going to have a heart attack, he was biting his lip so hard he didn’t realize he was bleeding, Geppetto had to stop him. Unfortunately, he is unable to give him words of comfort this time, even if he could, what can he say in this situation?

Pinocchio made it to the next sealed door, Arlecchino wasn’t happy, Pinocchio was acting faster than he anticipated, and Pulcinella was still too safe for his liking.

Arlecchino proceeded to kneel down and grab something, showing a corpse, the corpse that was in the morgue that had the crude appearance of Carlo. Geppetto covered his mouth so as to not make a sound.

Arlecchino gave a dramatic agonizing pause, “Never have I ever lied to my father about what makes me feel upset”

“I have!” Pinocchio shouted, why is he doing this to his father?! Was tormenting his uncle not enough?!

The next area opened. This was so easy for Arlecchino, just as Cecile told Pinocchio, he was never following him, but he knew that Pinocchio was a liar, that Geppetto's precious son is incapable of telling the truth, so he would give him a lesson about why it's bad to lie to others, specially lying to your father.

Pinocchio was almost sown in half by a saw blade as soon as he entered, he managed to dodge in time, but the place was filled with blades, heavy machinery, and other hazards you would find while working inside a factory.

“You wanna know why it took me so long to finally start toying with you?” Arlecchino casually chimed in, “It’s because my playroom took me so long to build”

Pinocchio opened a door, he jumped backward to avoid another hazard. He used the shield in his legion arm to block the second trap that came after, blocking the blade almost directly hitting him.

“It was all so worth it, I’m having so much fun, wouldn’t the rest of you agree that we are having such a swell time together?”

Pinocchio got the third locked door, by this point, the walls of the trash compactor were getting closer and closer to Pulcinella.

Arlecchino was enraged, so he took an even longer pause, Pinocchio shouting at him to say something before he pulled an alchemist report he stole. Geppetto reads how the alchemists were after his son for ruining his experiment at the cathedral.

“Never have I ever, lied to my father about why I came home late”

“I have!!” Pinocchio was even more enraged than before, he won’t stand for any of this.

The final area, the room was filled with trash, literal piles and piles of trash that blocked the way, he had a hard time finding the doors, and Pinocchio felt something sharp piercing him from time to time. Arlecchino had scattered needles around to make it more painful.

“You are cheating, right? You have to be cheating, someone must have given you a heads-up, and your pathetic father must have realized what this place was before coming, I am right aren’t I?” Arlecchino rambled in fury, “The next one will be different, the next one will be a fun riddle”

Pinocchio ignored his delusional ramblings and found the last locked door, Pulcinella was flinching because the walls were so close to him trying not to think about it. Venigni desperately tried to break the looked left door with no avail, electrocuting himself in the process.

“For this time I shall ask something I asked in the past,
Because it remains true no matter how much time has passed,
Is Geppetto’s creation a killer? Confess!”

Pinocchio applied all the force he could and used his Legion Arm to punch the door wide open.

“I’M NOT!”

He is not a killer, he is not like him, and he will never be like him or allow him to make him feel that way.

Arlecchino had no time to react, Pinocchio grabbed his weapon and stabbed him right in his chest.

“Press the red button!!!” Venigni and Geppetto shouted frantically at the same time.

The trash compactor was put to a complete halt, all of them couldn’t even feel relief, still running high on adrenaline. Pinocchio got Pulcinella out of there and unlocked the door, his father and uncle rushing to get inside.

Venigni hugged Pulcinella while crying, if Pulcinella could cry he would be crying as well.

“Your hand!” Venigni pointed it out in between sobs.

One of his hands had been slightly damaged, almost crushed by the machine.

“It’s alright,” Pulcinella’s said, “You can fix this, you’ve fixed me from worse”

He was referring to how Fuoco had almost destroyed him.

“You are Lorenzini Venigni the genius inventor, there is nothing you can’t do” Pulicenella used his good hand to wipe away a few of Venigni’s tears.

“Son, are you hurt?” Geppetto got closer to examine Pinocchio, aside from a few slight needle marks, he was intact.

“Father” Pinocchio didn’t want to look at him, “I’m sorry”

“It’s okay son”

“No rather, really, I shouldn’t have-“

“I already knew”

“Huh?”

“Son, I’m your father, I could tell you were lying to me” Specially when he lied about not seeing those two stalkers, “I was just pretending I didn’t realize it”

Sure it took him a little to figure out the real reason why he came home late that day, and he didn’t know why Pinocchio was upset after coming out of the morgue but his son clearly saw something that disturbed him.

It doesn’t matter, his son was lying because he didn’t want to hurt his feelings, he wasn't being malicious, that’s why he never said anything.

Pinocchio hugged his father tightly.

“You know I was going to hug you until we got home but I guess it couldn’t be helped”

Oh yeah, he is still filthy because of the trash, now his father is dirty as well.

“Sorry” Pinocchio mumbled, it’s then that he noticed his father was acting calm, too calm.

“Don’t worry” Geppetto gently patted Pinocchio’s head, “I think after today, I can trust you enough with dangerous situations”

Geppetto was terrified of anything happening to Pinocchio, yet seeing him like that, so bold, so determined. As a father the worry of his son being in danger will never go away, nevertheless, he has come to accept that if danger ever comes Pinocchio’s way, his son is more than prepared to handle it.

“Now when we get home, I’m showering first,” Said Geppetto.

Pulcinella and Venigni still didn’t let go of each other, they were letting them have their moment to themselves so they didn’t interrupt.

In the meantime, Pinocchio examined the room, there was a black locker, like the ones that were inside Trinity Doors, he found four quartzs, some cryptic vessels, and even notes and journals.

“Why is he leaving us so much?” In the end, Pinocchio will never understand Arlecchino’s methods.

“Probably because of this” Gemini had gotten out of the cage and was scrolling the pages, apparently the alchemists were looking for quartz for something related to their plans.

If he was going down then he was going to take the alchemists with him, it seems that he knew that he wouldn’t come out alive out of this situation. Although he did not expect that Pulcinella wouldn’t perish alongside him.

Pinocchio put all the information inside his bag, so he could read it carefully later at home, Sophia’s aid would be helpful too if possible, and his father and his uncle could analyze those cryptic vessels later.

Venigni and Pulcinella had calmed down, now there was only one elephant in the room to address.

“What do we do with his body now?” Venigni was at a loss.

They can’t tell the police about this, they are working with the alchemists, and they would cover it up. Not to mention the fact that if a puppet was revealed to be the murderer so close before opening the Grand Exhibition it would cause panic in the streets.

Technically justice has already been done, sadly the families of the victims will never find out the murderer is gone.

“There is the possibility of them bringing him back yet again” Gemini chirped.

It was unlikely, the killings might stop but soon after people will move on to talk about the next topic, that topic will no doubt be the Grand Exhibition, although at least that’s something positive. Plus if they wanted to do another distraction they could plan something else rather than bringing him back once more.

“I want to make sure this will never happen again, that he will never torment anyone else” Venigni knew what he had to do, although he couldn’t deny that it was also personal.

So Pinocchio put Arlecchino’s body inside, the trash compactor.

Venigni activated the machine then pressed the speed-up button, the puppet’s corpse was crushed beyond repair, and the small amount of his Ergo that was used so he could be brought back was crushed alongside him. Finally, nothing remained out of The King of Riddles.

“What do we do know?” Gemini feels as if this should be a big victory, although it doesn’t feel that way.

“I need to fix Pulcinella right away” Venigni was still frantic.

“Master Venigni, this is a scratch, you need to get proper rest, all this stress isn’t good for you”

At least father and son could agree that they needed to take a bath.

Venigni and Pulcinella kept on bantering on their way back about who needed the most help, Pulcinella eventually relented to have his hand fixed up first.

Pinocchio was ready to go to bed, but he left his room and decided to sleep next to his father, who welcomed him with a hug. Even though he trusts him that doesn't take away how scared he was, and despite how Pinocchio succeeded that also doesn't take away how he was terrified of witnessing him go through all that. Both of them can sleep in peace togther and Gemini sleeps happily in Pinocchio's huge bed all to himself.

One less threat on their way, they need to find out more about the alchemists. Not immediately, they deserve to have their victory, not to mention how rushing into action without thinking could cost them more.

For today, the only certain thing is that The King of Riddles will never make Venigni or anyone else suffer ever again.

Chapter Text

“Alexander honestly when you said you would come I thought you were joking”

Geppetto was there to see his good friend at Krat Central Station. A week had passed since everything (sort of) went back to normal.

“Of course I needed to come, you are having a hard time and I need to be there for you, not to mention I’m currently on vacation so a nice visit to Krat works” Alexander was carrying a suitcase, happy to be in Krat again, “I will see what the Grand Exhibition has prepared, can’t wait to see your hard work”

The station was full, after all the Grand Exhibition would start the day after tomorrow, and people from all around Europe had come to see it, even a few from other continents. The event will last an entire week, all with different conventions, displays, stands, future projects, and more.

While they made their way to Hotel Krat they started to make conversation.

“When I told Lady Antonia she insisted on me staying in one of her deluxe rooms, she simply wouldn’t take no for an answer, honestly I feel a little bad for such a generous offer” Alexander had a smile, “She is a wonderful woman”

“Don’t worry too much about it, Hotel Krat is full by now, I assure you she is making great money out of this entire situation” Geppetto explained how thrilled Antonia was about the Grand Exhibition.

“It is a shame I wasn’t able to stay at your home, but I understand that there is no space with you and your son” Alexander admired the streets of Krat while walking.

“Really? You wanted to stay with us rather than a fancy Hotel?” Geppetto seemed surprised.

“I wanted to stay by your side” Alexander got a little closer to Geppetto, “Who knows maybe we could have even shared a bed”

“Huh? What?” Geppetto was a little flustered.

Alexander laughed “I’m only half joking of course”

“Half joking?”

“Well, I did get dumped by my boyfriend before coming here so, I might be in a small flirty mood”

“I’m sorry” Geppetto didn’t know that, he was starting to feel bad.

“Don’t be, it turns out he left me for a younger man” Alexander tried to say that casually but one could tell he was as furious as he was heartbroken.

“Oh wow” Geppetto rolls his eyes, the nerve of some people, “So I guess you are single again”

“Technically I’ve always been a confirmed bachelor” Alexander was teasing Geppetto, “Mmm maybe you and I should get together”

“If you are being this flirty now, I wonder how it would be after going out for drinks”
Geppetto wondered if he should invite Venigni, it should be good for him to meet Alexander, and Antonia to see him in person after so many years.

“Did you already forget the fun things we did while studying?” Alexander had a smug grin on his face, “Remember when-”

“No no no don’t bring them up here in public!” Geppetto was mortified, “I wouldn’t be able to live with it if people knew those sorts of things”

There is a reason he avoids his previous classmates who are now his coworkers like the plague, they know about what he was up to and he is very thankful they have never shared any of that embarrassing stuff.

“I’m just saying that I don’t blame others back them for thinking we were secret boyfriends” Alexander joked, “Say how is Pinocchio? Strange he didn’t come with you”

“Oh he fell asleep while reading so he couldn’t come” His son had fallen asleep at his room desk, “So I put him to bed so he could rest properly”

“Wait what?” Alexander was shocked, “You can carry him?!”

“I’m stronger than I look under these clothes” Geppetto works at a factory, years of moving and carrying puppets or other materials would do that to you, he builds things, this isn't an office job, “I mean it’s not as if I can give him a piggyback ride but I can carry him well enough for at least a few seconds”

When Pinocchio first realized that, he looked so delighted, asked his father to “please please please” carry him, so Geppetto did, he managed to hold him for half a minute before it was too much for him.

“Look at that, I have a handsome Hercules by my side”

“Was the breakup that bad?”

“As I said, half joking” Alexander replied, “Although my plan worked”

“Your plan?” Geppetto was confused.

“You are smiling so my job of making your life less hard for the next few days is working well” Alexander had planned this from the start, well he didn't plan about his boyfriend dumping him but you get the idea.

Geppetto was already in a better mood, after having to deal with the awfulness of Arlechino and his stressful work life, he needed a break, even if they still don’t know much more about the alchemists a victory is a victory.

—---

“Pinocchio I'm so happy to see you” Alexander had missed him so much, they had gone to eat breakfast together the next morning.

They had a lot of catching up to do.

The conversation is interrupted when a group of coworkers approaches Geppetto to ask a few important questions, so he has to excuse himself from the table.

“Father has had a lot of work recently” Pinocchio looked a little down, “He can’t get a break, not even when he isn’t supposed to be working”

Something similar happened recently when Pinocchio was spending time with his father. Geppetto apologized, the problem is that the event is something huge for Krat, it was already canceled once and they cannot afford it to be a failure now. Despite this, Geppetto feels guilty, he feels as if he is failing Pinocchio like he failed Carlo.

“I’m making him a gift so he feels better,” Pinocchio said with a smile.

“That’s so thoughtful of you” Alexander smiled back.

Pinocchio began to explain his gift, the surprise he had for his father, the boy was so full of joy, for a moment a part of him wanted to have a child. He is too old for that and not something realistic, yet Pinocchio is that vibrant.

Because he was now having peace, everything that had to do with The King of Riddles was killing him due to the pressure.

“I’m almost done, I’m going to give it to him when he returns from work”

“I’m sure he’ll love it”

Speaking of work, Alexander is going to be given a tour of the factory, since it's only when Geppetto has “free” time (although it's more an excuse for Alexander to be there without trouble).

Geppetto gave him a special invitation to attend any event he wanted at the Grand Exhibition, he isn’t the only person to get that, there is a special group of people that were chosen for this, people with exceptional work skills, there will more in-depth conversations with them about puppets or other projects. It is a great honor, anyone who attends surely will have countless new work endeavors in the future, an opportunity of a lifetime.

—-

No wonder Geppetto has been having a hard time, Alexander keeps hearing gossip behind the man’s back, people seem to specifically be talking about his son.

“I’m sorry that you have to deal with all of this” Geppetto apologized.

“Why are you apologizing? They are trash-talking you, not me”

“I know, it’s hard to take action when anyone can claim I’m just using my position of authority to silence others”

As Alexander kept on checking the factory, he started to realize opinions were more divided. Half of the workers have a great deal of respect for Geppetto, his work endeavors have gained him fame, everything goes according to plan due to him, and he constantly gets exceeding results, going above everyone’s expectations.

More than that, there is a reason he is the director/president of this union, not just because he first invented the puppets, but rather because he goes above and beyond for the union to succeed, people like him because instead of being a controlling overbearing boss, he is kind to the workers.

Obviously, not everyone is going to like you, still, Alexander finds it odd that there is such extreme divisiveness, he has lived this work drama before. So he can already conclude someone is making Geppetto’s reputation worse to rally others against him.

And speak of the devil, Alexander could see Geppetto biting his tongue as soon as he saw Conrad. After exchanging not-so-pleasant pleasantries, a conversation took place.

“Geppetto did you consider about what we spoke of the other day?” Conrad is referring how he passive-aggressively asked Geppetto if he would show off Pinocchio at the Grand Exhibition.

“Pinocchio is coming as a guest, that’s all” He is also only attending on the first day, no reason making his son die of boredom by staying at his side all the time the rest of the week.

The man had a smirk on his face “Then I can’t wait to see your puppet son with you there” Conrad left, saying how there was something that needed his supervision.

His puppet son, people keep referring to Pinocchio like that, do they really have no shame? Alexander is an inventor, he can understand the curiosity of how Pinocchio was built, but all these comments are going too far.

Then he gets an idea, so when Geppetto is a little busy talking with others he decides to make a phone call.

“Hello?” Pinocchio answered the phone, it felt good to answer it without fear.

“Hi Pinocchio is me, Alexander, I wish to know, did you finish your father’s gift?” A few hours had passed, and Alexander was hoping that was the case.

“Yeah I did, why?” Pinocchio asked; Gemini could be heard in the background telling the boy to speak more formally.

“I think your surprise will be way better if you came here all the way here to show him your hard work”

“Really?” Pinocchio sounded excited from the other line.

“Of course” Alexander continued, “I’ve known your father for many years, the surprise will be so special”

The plan was set, he just had to do a few more things, so when he went back he knew what to do.

“Venigni will join us later today” Geppetto explained, “He is talking with some investors at the moment, knowing him, everything will go swell”

When Geppetto stopped the conversation, it was when Alexander had his chance.

“I must say, I’m very impressed about the facilities, if only we had only a fraction of the technology you have here in London,” Alexander said, “But can we speak in private for a moment?”

Emphasis on private so others would overhear.

Geppetto didn’t find it strange, he assumed Alexander wanted to catch up so he decided to take him to a current unoccupied testing room.

“I know it has been a couple of months but it has felt like an eternity since I last saw you” Alexander can’t believe how slowly time is passing, he is supposed to be getting old, and time should fly by like it was nothing.

“Oh you have no idea how time passed for me these past couple of months” Geppetto sighed.

“Maybe I should get a gift for Pinocchio, my schedule isn’t stable and who knows when I will see you or him again”

“It’s going to be a very early gift, considering his birthday is in 3 months” Geppetto smiled thinking about it, “I can’t believe he is only turning 2 years old, I should tease him more about him being my little boy”

Pinocchio certainly is more mature than what most give him credit for, but if you were to ask Geppetto his son acts more like a teen rather than a young kid, still, that won't stop Geppetto from teasing him.

The conversation then evolved into catching up about their work affairs, Alexander saying how the project they worked on had been a huge success, then brainstorming a few ideas. If they ever got the chance again, working together would be lovely. The conversation sounded almost professional, but that’s how Alexander talks normally, aside from when he is teasing.

“I’ll be back in a moment, just need to use the restroom” With that said, Alexander excused himself.

Alexander entered the other side of the testing room, where there was a hidden glass to see the results, it sort of works as the ones certain police stations have. It tests the abilities of newcomers as having someone directly looking at them gave them unnecessary stress and it worked well in the end since it shows how well they can work alone, with their full concentration in one task.

Plenty of Geppetto’s coworkers were there, he knew that they were spying on both of them, wanting to catch a glimpse of information about Pinocchio. Alexander had his plan set, he was a little nervous but he had a confident aura, this will work out, he is certain of it.

Harvey and other board members were here, the only two not present were Conrad and Venigni.

There was a brief period of small talk when Alexander looked at the clock, Pinocchio would arrive soon.

“I know how Pinocchio was built,” Alexander said casually.

That instantly caught the attention of everyone, all of them asking him dozens of questions before he simply put his hand up for them to stop talking.

“Pinocchio is going to show up in a few minutes, then all of you will know the answer”

All of them ignored how odd that was, they didn’t question it, Alexander was about to reveal to all of them how Pinocchio was built, what the secret behind that marvel of technology was, all paying intense attention to the other side, awaiting Geppetto to make a slip-up and reveal the truth.

“Father!” Pinocchio had found his father, having a big smile on his face.

“Huh? Pinocchio what are you doing here?” Geppetto was confused, “Is something wrong?”

“No” Pinocchio got closer to his father, he had something behind his back, “It’s the opposite, it’s something good, I got you a gift!”

“A gift?” Geppetto smiled, “You came all the way here to give me a gift?”

Pinocchio nodded enthusiastically, giving his father the wrapped box he had hidden.

Geppetto pulled on the bow opening it, inside was a wooden music box.

“I made it!” Pinocchio was almost jumping up and down in joy.

Alexander faintly smiled, that boy is as precious as his father says, he could tell the others were wondering where this was going, they’ll see.

Geppetto grabbed the music box examining it carefully, it was so detailed.

The outside was painted black having gold accents, and shapes that gave it a distinct elegant look, like something you would find in a high-class type of store. It has a drawer on the outside to put small things inside, such as jewelry or letters.

Opening the box it revealed a small white rabbit, it had rosy cheeks and blue eyes, a blue ribbon on its neck; it would spin around with the music, it was a simple yet fitting melody. On the inside was a small painting of a field in nighttime, with beautiful stars and the moon. His son is such a talented artist.

“Pinocchio…” Geppetto couldn’t believe it, it was so beautiful, and it worked perfectly as intended, “Thank you, son”

Pinocchio hugged his father, telling him that he loved him.

Father and son started talking, Pinocchio saying how his music lessons with Antonia went, telling his father about the book he had been reading recently, talking about the fun he had with Gemini…

No one was saying anything yet the atmosphere began to change as they watched the interaction, father and son bonding. Many people in the room had children, young or grown up by now, they saw themselves on the two of them, getting a cheerful feeling, yet also another feeling.

Guilt.

Have they truly been treating Geppetto’s son unfairly? No, he is just a puppet, right? Many puppets are programmed to act friendly, and pleasantly, surely this is only-

“Um, father” Pinocchio’s tone of voice had changed, “Are you… feeling better now?”

Pinocchio is worried because his father has been so stressed by the planning of the Grand Exhibition. People all around the world are coming to see this, this isn’t just his hard work, it’s the hard work of countless people.

It’s supposed to show what the people of Krat are capable of making, to show the world what they have made, if this fails, if the public doesn’t like it, what would they think of the people of Krat?

What would the people of Krat do if this fails? Was this all a waste? Was all the years of effort worthless in the end?

He can’t let them down, Geppetto can’t fail when there are so many people counting on him.

“Yes, of course son” It’s a lie, an obvious lie to everyone, including Pinocchio.

“I can do something!” Pinocchio gets a little closer to his father, he has no true idea of all the organizing that has to be put into planning this, still, he wants to help, “If I help you with anything then you have less work and you won’t get stressed and-“

“Pinocchio is my job to worry about you, not the other way around” Geppetto pats his son’s head, “Everything will be okay, I can handle all this work”

The guilt intensifies, here is this sweet boy who most have only seen him as an object, even those who didn’t see him as that would see him as a regular puppet, being polite about Geppetto’s wishes to treat him as his son.

That is his son, who loves and worries about his father. What difference there is as if he was human?

“Geppetto build him with love” Alexander knows that probably sounds extremely corny.

Sometimes the truth is simple.

Even if Geppetto didn’t build Pinocchio under the best of circumstances, the love put into making him is clear to everyone, the same love he has to take care of him, to give him the life he deserves.

“Now” Alexander spoke up again, “I believe all of you owe that man and his son an apology”

After that, Alexander returned to talk with Geppetto, pretending to be surprised that Pinocchio was there with him, although Geppetto would love to have Pinocchio with him, he has to go back to work.

They decided to continue on their tour, and that’s when Geppetto noticed a lot of people would come to him and apologize from time to time.

“Geppetto I wanted to apologize, for the way everyone has talked about your son, me included” Harvey looked ashamed, yes he was kind to Pinocchio but he would be lying to himself if he said that he didn’t see him more as a marvel of technology rather than his actual son.

“There is no need to overwork yourself, if you need my help, I will be available at all times, that’s my duty as subdirector” Harvey knows that everyone is getting too comfortable letting Geppetto do so much work by himself.

“Although I do need to inform you that unfortunately, I’ve discovered an issue with the disruption crystals, I believe that-“

“Father!” Pinocchio suddenly appeared behind them, he hugged Geppetto, he was acting affectionate, more than usual.

Geppetto knew why already so he crossed his arms.

He put his two index fingers together, “Can I have some money? Pretty please?”

“What about your allowance?” Geppetto’s voice was stern.

“I haven’t wasted it or anything!” Pinocchio defended himself, “I saw something nice for Mother, but I couldn’t afford it”

“What are you getting her that’s so expensive?” Geppetto was being comprehensive, “You know she will love everything you give her no matter how simple, you don’t need to get her something extravagant”

“I tried to explain to him the same thing” Gemini chirped from his cage, “Not only that but Pinocchio I told you, everything there is normal things that get the luxury label to sound fancier”

Pinocchio could hear a sigh of frustration behind him, someone wasn’t happy to see him, he turned around and stood behind his father when he saw who it was.

“Geppetto for the millionth time, your puppet can’t be here” Conrad was fuming, “It’s distracting everyone from valuable work progress”

Corand was no longer being passive-aggressive, his anger taking over him, as it turns out, what he was supervising wasn’t going well, in fact, it took a complete left turn derailing everything in such a crucial time, so he decided to take it out on others.

Geppetto also wasn’t happy, “My son is causing no trouble, everything is going according to plan, there is no reason to give ourselves unnecessary stress”

Conrad had no choice but to admit that things on his side weren’t going that well, Pinocchio could feel the tension, he started to feel uncomfortable, Alexander put one of his hands on his shoulder to reassure him.

“I see” Geppetto was trying to calm himself, “I’ll be there in a moment, I-”

“Geppetto this has to be fixed now”

“Then why is it that you can’t do it yourself? You are the supervisor of the quality control department, this is your responsibility”

“Do you want the Grand Exhibition to go well or not?” Conrad snapped, “I can expect it to be a disaster when it’s under the leadership of someone like you”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Geppetto was confronting him, and other workers were looking at the argument.

“You truly don’t expect us to believe that a man like you, who treats a puppet-”

“Pinocchio is my son, he is in front of you and you will refer to him as such”

Pinocchio was getting mad, how dare he speak to his father this way? Like the previous time, Pinocchio’s anger made him get loud, this time his springs were reacting loudly.

Alexander tried to grab Pinocchio’s hand, he wanted to take him out of there so he wouldn’t see this but Pinocchio spoke up before he could grab him.

“Stop being rude to my father!” Pinocchio shouted.

Conrad let out a groan of frustration, “You better control your puppet because it’s only making things worse”

“This is the last time I will say it, Pinocchio is my son and you will treat him with the respect he deserves” Geppetto was done with him, with his attitude, he will no longer take his abuse for the sake of formalities.

Conrad was also done with Geppetto and decided to let his true feelings out.

“Get over it okay?!” Conrad seethed, “Carlo is dead, stop being delusional that this thing is your son, it’s a god-dammed puppet no matter how flashy it looks!”

Both Geppetto and Pinocchio were about to say that he isn’t Carlo when Conrad shouted something first.

“I don’t care if that machine is your do-over baby because you couldn’t protect your real son, get that thing out of here!”

The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

“You are fired”

“What?” Conrad thought he didn’t hear him correctly.

“I said that you are fired, effective immediately” Geppetto was calm, yet his eyes showed another story, “You can say what you want about me but I will not tolerate you or anyone else talk badly about my son ever again”

“You are joking right?” Conrad couldn’t believe it, how dare he fire him?!

“I don’t know who you think you are, that you believe can talk to my son that way without consequences, don’t answer, I don’t care, I want you gone by the end of the day” Geppetto was unforgiving in his calm fury.

“We should leave” Alexander whispered to Pinocchio, who was still angry about how Conrad spoke about his father and brother but he listened to Alexander and left the scene with him.

“You can’t fire me” Conrad looked confident, thinking that Geppetto was bluffing.

“I can, and I’m doing it right now, I’m the president of the union I have the authority to do so” Geppetto stood his ground, “Do you truly believe that behavior you have been showing is appropriate for any employee of this company?”

That’s when Conrad finally realized Geppetto was serious, “You can’t fire me when the Grand Exhibition opening is tomorrow, what will you do without someone in my position?”

“I can think of several candidates off the top of my head that can fill your position”

“This is why you aren’t fit to be the leader of this union” Conrad tried to rally up others to take his side, “Not only are you abusing your position to fire me like that, but you seriously think that we should listen to a man like you? Who likes to play pretend happy family?”

Except no one took his side, even if they still agreed with him, the way he was speaking to Geppetto made everyone see how entitled he was, and how he thought he was above others.

It created a chain reaction, workers from Conrad’s department began to speak out about the verbal abuse they had to endure for him, and how they all took it because they didn’t want to lose their jobs.

“I believe that is you who is abusing your position of power” Harvey asserted himself then he took out a notebook and held it for all to see.

“I was going to see if we could have this meeting in private with the other board members but since you like to show off, care to explain why your signature is on several notices that disruption crystals have been delivered when that’s not the case?”

Conrad gasped, then covered his mouth due to the involuntary reaction, he had been caught, not only that, but it was clear to see that others weren’t going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

He was silent, not being able to come up with an excuse on the spot.

“You are fired and an internal investigation will start as soon as you leave the front doors” Geppetto now had to deal with the legal department, great, even when he is getting fired, Conrad makes his life harder.

Conrad didn’t protest, he knew that it was over, now afraid of what Frederick would do due to this issue. Surely unlike Geppetto, the doctor is someone can can be reasoned with right?

——

“I had no idea your son was such a talented pianist” Alexander was enjoying the show.

Pinocchio was playing the piano inside Hotel Krat, everyone around the lobby enjoying the performance.

“He is talented, although that talent wouldn’t have flourished without Antonia’s help” Geppetto loved seeing his son play such a captivating melody.

“Geppetto as usual you give me too much credit” Antonia smiled looking at her son.

When Pinocchio was done, his family and a few others clapped, it made him happy to see all were enjoying how he played, he isn’t used to having an audience.

“Let’s go home son” Geppetto grabbed Pinocchio’s hand.

Pinocchio loved to walk together with his father, so he waved goodbye to Alexander and his mother.

“Aren’t you going to spend the night with Mr. Alexander?” Pinocchio found it odd that his father was heading home with him.

“Tomorrow is the opening son, I can’t drink even the slightest I wouldn’t want to risk it”

“Can adults really not have fun without drinking?” Pinocchio doesn’t get that stuff, specially with how alcohol has affected him the times he drank it.

“We can, now don’t get sassy with me” Geppetto rolled his eyes.

Minutes passed walking in silence when Pinocchio spoke up again.

“Um, father…I’m sorry” Pinocchio was looking at the floor.

“Mmm, for what son?” Geppetto explained how he was only joking when he said that.

“No, for causing trouble at work, it must have been hard to fire that coworker”

Geppetto burst out laughing and Pinocchio looked at his father puzzled.

“Son, trust me, I loved it, this has made my week”

“But it’s Monday”

Pinocchio had a good time walking back home alongside his father. The Grand Exhibition, this time, he will have a good time inside, after all, he has his father by his side.

Chapter Text

People from all around the world had come to attend the Grand Exhibition.

This a grandiose event, not just for future work endeavors, there were more than just inventors thrilled to see it, plenty were there to admire Krat’s ingenuity, from those from a higher economic status, from those who had saved up for months to be able to attend. This was a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a marvelous display of puppets, trams, and other modes of transportation, a display of the future.

Everyone who has arrived to attend the event has heard something that had caught their interest, or rather someone.

“Geppetto’s Puppet”

Everyone knows who Geppetto is, the genius inventor behind the creation of the puppets. If he made the puppets what makes this puppet special? Why do the people of Krat tend to speak of this puppet?

Many get different answers depending on who they ask.

Some are brief.

“Geppetto has this puppet he built, he treats it as his son” or “Geppetto has a son who is a puppet”

Some give more details.

“Are you tourists referring to Pinocchio? He is a good kid, walks around here often” or “Pinocchio? Yeah I’ve seen him from time to time, Geppetto’s son can’t seem to stay in place, runs around from place to place”

Some give a lot of details

“You see, Geppetto used to have a son who passed away, sometime after, he built himself a new son” or “Geppetto had this son named Carlo, unfortunately, he passed away, a while after he built Pinocchio, I’ve never met Carlo but everyone knows he looks like him”

A game of broken telephone proceeded to take place, no one could agree on Pinocchio’s backstory. But one thing was for certain, is that needed to see this puppet.

Yet as the show went on, no one could seem to get a sight of the puppet, was Geppetto hiding the puppet from view?

Hours and hours passed, and nothing, none of the regular guests had even caught a glimpse, their intrigue was at max capacity, alas, unless you were a special guest and had the privilege of talking with the likes of Giuseppe Geppetto or Lorenzini Venigni, you wouldn’t have the privilege of seeing the puppet, as some talked of the puppet attending a special dinner alongside Geppetto.

It was late at night, time to leave for the guests, although plenty of people were staying in the park area to have a chat and enjoy their trip. Thinking of what else they would be able to see on the following days when the sound of loud water splashing could be heard, those who were near the fountain got the view of a young boy falling inside.

“I told you to look around where you were going!”

How odd, they heard what seemed to be like a puppet talking but there was none near the fountain, only the sound of a cricket chirping.

“Your father is going to be mad”

“Gemini, I’m sure he is used to it, plus it’s not my fault, I got distracted by something, I could have sworn I saw… Forget it, I was probably just imagining it, I was feeling sleepy”

“Well you are wide awake now thanks to the water”

“At least it’s just water, he would have grounded me if I had gotten these clothes dirty”

The young man sat down on the ledge of the fountain, some had his attention as he made quite the scene, more interestingly a tiny puppet that resembled a cricket was now sitting on his shoulder.

Playing attention to their conversation it was about mundane things, how they had fun at the event, how they thought it was going to be more stressful. Some found his mannerisms cute, others found a young man acting like that weird.

The young man was pouting now, “Gemini, stop saying I’m going to get in trouble you are jinxing it!”

“You brat, you are getting in trouble!” The tiny cricket was teasing him.

At least they could all agree that he was very pretty.

Although a few people would glance at them from time to time, this was just a normal interaction that could happen from wherever those visiting came from. Nothing too out of the ordinary, so when an older man approached the young man, presumably his father, they weren’t paying much attention to who it was or their appearance.

As it turns out his father wasn’t angry, actually he embarrassed him further, then he instructed him to go back home and rest while he spent time with his friends, that he would come home late.

“Now go and catch the tram back home before it’s too late and you have to walk all the way there”

The young man nodded, waving his father goodbye.

“And remember to be a good boy!” The old man shouted at him.

“I will!” He shouted back as he ran out of the plaza.

An interesting interaction for sure, although nothing that anyone could say was impressive. Shortly after the young man left and those present at the plaza started to make their way out, once again they could overhear a conversation, was everyone in Krat loud? Or perhaps they were being nosey?

“See I told you, you owe me 20”

“Come on man I was joking!”

“Dude you lost don’t be such a sore loser”

“Dammit, why does Pinocchio always have to ruin his clothes in public?”

“I don’t know man, but I am sure glad that Geppetto brought him today, he made me a quick buck”

Everyone that had seen Pinocchio quickly put two and two together, their minds weren’t able to process what they had heard.

Sure they heard of a puppet son but that was. No, no way that was a puppet, this was a joke, they were all being pranked.

“Did you see what Pinocchio was wearing? He looked adorable” Said the voice of a young woman.

“Too bad he was now looking like a wet cat, I’m starting to think he must have a water magnet inside of him” The girl’s friend replied.

It was the truth, all those tourists at the plaza had now seen what Pinocchio looked like.

“Pinocchio must be gaining some confidence, he didn’t look scared during this event,” A woman said to her husband.

“He was still hiding behind his father for the majority of it”

“Come on dear, baby steps”

Everyone was acting so casually, how can that be? How can they see something like that and not be amazed?

“I’m getting used to Geppetto bringing him along to whatever he does, gotta admit I didn’t think he would bring him here”

“Really? How come?”

“Though that all the guests would treat him as just a puppet, guess I was wrong, how nice that our visitors aren’t rude”

Immediate guilt.

Looks like Alexander’s logic works no matter who or no matter what setting.

For the next few days, always in the mornings, people saw Pinocchio here and there, a few of them were brave enough to wave at him, and some braver ones made conversation, he was like them. Maybe not human, although it doesn’t seem like he isn’t fully a puppet either.

They saw him for who he was.

It’s strange, how it took the majority of the people of Krat more than a year to accept that, yet these tourists have been here for a couple of days, from different cultures and they understood faster.

Not all mind you, this wasn’t a Christmas miracle.

Yet the vast majority had made their conclusions rather quickly and simply.

Going back to their respective lives after the grandiose event seemed like a letdown. However, they all spoke of the marvels that had they witnessed and the main event, how they had the pleasure to meet such a wonderful boy.

“I’m telling you miss, he looked just like a human, I can’t believe it” A man around his twenties was trying to brag to her about the fact he attended the event, “I could tell you more about it, maybe if you come to my place then-”

Sophia laughed, “I’m not interested”

She then proceeded to show the ring in her hand, “I’m engaged”

The ring has come in handy on plenty of occasions, some men are ridiculous, only backing off when she shows it off. Occasionally she gets the moron that says “Your fiancé doesn’t have to know” but those are far in between.

The man left her alone, and she proceeded to drink her tea in peace, although Pinocchio was now in her mind more than ever.

She misses her best friend, she misses everyone in Krat. The city of Krat is such a wonderful place, a city of joy.

She is glad that the people have come to their senses when it comes to Pinocchio.

Traveling the world has been fun, she has learned so much, and she has experienced the life of freedom she always wanted.

Although lately, she has been yearning to visit her home, the place she said she would never see again, her anger of the cruelty she endured having died down. She doesn’t feel bad for being angry, anyone who suffered what she suffered would feel the same.

As the wounds have begun to heal, Sophia’s mind tends to wander to her memories, her childhood, and her family, both those who are gone and who are still living.

“Can I come back home…?” Sophia sighed, she would love to pay a visit to all her loved ones in Krat.

The issue was the alchemists, she sure as hell isn’t going to fall into their clutches again.

Sophia took another sip of her tea, a part of her thought about engaging in conversation with Pinocchio to pass the time, then she remembered the 8-hour difference, Pinocchio must be sleeping in bed by now.

Such a sleepy head, it took him hours to wake up from her embrace when he brought her back.

Krat is a wonderful place, everywhere she goes has shown her how beautiful the world is, the different cultures, languages, and traditions. It’s hard to believe she has traveled so much in a year and a half, the sky is the limit when it comes to exploring.

Her thoughts are interrupted when someone walking by makes a small bump on her table as they rush away from the tea shop, Sophia’s cup falls to the floor, although before it could touch the ground, with a flick of her finger, the cup rewind back to where it was supposed to be. None the wiser of the magic that had happened around them.

Sophia has been training her powers lately, she no longer fears using them like when she was a little girl, she fully embraced them by now. Using it for the most mundane of things.

She has become a little mischievous with them, bold at times, like when she was buying some supplies and the clerk was being rude towards her, so she left the store, with her money back in her wallet thanks to her power and the items on her hands, she can do more than just rewind to certain points, she can rewind objects without having to move the rest of the flow of time, just as she did now.

Sophia looked at her cup of tea, she ended up rewinding a little too far, being full again, oh well, more tea for her without having to buy more so she smiled. She finished her cup and pulled out a small pocket mirror, re-adjusting her makeup, today she has gotten a lot of comments about her “pale” skin, unlike Pinocchio she doesn't get the privilege of having synthetic skin. Yet her body seemed to be changing like he did, when she came back, her eyes were too doll-like, now they look like proper eyes again.

She makes a few touch-ups to her hair, she can hear the inner mechanisms of her body trying to perfect what she is doing, when she gets too focused on something they tend to do that. No one else seems to hear them but her, maybe hers aren't as loud as the one Pinocchio has or maybe it has to do with her being a good listener.

Speaking of being a listener, she can hear Ergo, everyone has Ergo so sometimes she hears others, not their thoughts but she hears their feelings. It’s incredible, the vast amount of emotions one can experience.

What her favorite pastime has been, it’s perfecting her butterfly form.

Unlike her other powers, that is technically her weakest, after all, it’s only a butterfly. At the same time, it is her biggest strength, she recently heard the term of the butterfly effect. The idea is that the world is so deeply interconnected that one small occurrence can influence so much like the small flapping of a butterfly’s wings causing a typhoon.

It is perhaps silly to believe that such an effect could be possible and yet…

Sophia smiled, concentrating her power, she could hear her heart pounding as she closed her eyes to focus on the task, she had the time, the place, and the hour.

Pinocchio was walking out, too entranced in his thoughts, Gemini was telling him something but he wasn’t paying much attention to it.

Wait, he needs to get closer, how odd, is that…?

The sound of loud water splashing could be heard, those who were near the fountain got the view of a young boy falling inside.

“I told you to look around where you were going!” Gemini shouted at him., “Your father is going to be mad”

“Gemini, I’m sure he is used to it, plus it’s not my fault, I got distracted by something, I could have sworn I saw… Forget it, I was probably just imagining it, I was feeling sleepy” She would have told him if she wanted to see him after all.

As Pinocchio got out of the water fountain, he and all those around him, missed the small blue butterfly, flapping away its wings before vanishing into thin air.

Chapter Text

The opening words were a success, and the Grand Exhibition finally opened to the public, all going according to plan, as usual, Geppetto exceeded everyone’s expectations, that was what everyone was saying, he felt as if he was being given too much credit.

The place was filled with visitors and the people of Krat enjoyed what was being shown. Geppetto and Venigni were proud of their hard work.

There was a special dinner that was going to be held soon enough with the guests of honor to have been given an invitation.

“You can wander around for some time, but remember that at 8 you have to meet up with me, the diner is being held in the second building”

Pinocchio listened to his father, he always carried the pocket watch that his father gave him on his last birthday so he won’t forget about it.

“Wow, Geppetto’s doll is looking even more dollier than usual” Lion was spying from afar.

Sabertooth was with her, and although she was only pretending to hear, she couldn’t make out what they were saying.

“I hope you like the clothes I picked up for you today” Geppetto patted Pinocchio’s head.

Well, that explains it. Pinocchio tends to choose his clothes, but from time to time Geppetto buys him outfits that make him look in a way, somehow even cuter, Pinocchio doesn’t mind, although he has begun to notice the trend.

Pinocchio nodded, then he hugged his father before he began to wander around the place. It’s interesting to see all the puppets without them mercilessly trying to kill you.

He almost had a heart attack seeing the Mad Clown puppet in the entertainment area. Pinocchio took a deep breath to calm himself, seeing the puppets he faced at the Opera House felt stranger than with the others, not only because of their design but because it… reminded him of Romeo.

Recently he has been working on his feelings about Carlo, so Romeo has been on his mind. The two of them truly were inseparable.

Sometimes he writes letters to the two of them, he keeps them in a box in his room; the first thing he wrote to Romeo was an apology.

He shouldn’t be thinking about this now, it’s only going to make him upset, he can talk about this the next time he goes to a session or write down his feelings later.

He spots someone in the crowd, it’s Eugéne, so he runs up to her to say hi, she isn’t alone, that stalker that helped him out last time is with her, they must be good friends.

Eugéne was happy to see him, but she did act a little odd when it came to the stalker, also saying that he had to tell her something important later.

The stands about Legion Arms were interesting, some models aren’t necessarily a prosthetic, but an armor that goes in your hand that can make you coordinate the same abilities, although it was harder to use than a normal one.

“Where is Tiger?” Lion was annoyed, “Shouldn’t he be helping us?”

Sabertooth rolled her eyes, Tiger has been slacking off lately, but going to find him in this crowd would be a nightmare. It’s possible that he just got lost looking for Pinocchio or that he is watching from another angle and they aren’t aware of it. For this time she will give him the benefit of the doubt.

Tiger was in fact, not spying on Pinocchio, but taking pictures, this is quite the grandiose event, he should capture all the beauty he can find.

Blue was there at the exhibition, although she wasn’t having as much fun, she had to babysit her triplet sisters so they wouldn’t wander off. They are usually well-behaved but they are too excited so they are jumping up and down in joy. She and her other sisters drew straws to see who would be stuck with that duty and she lost, usually her mother would do this but her father wasn’t feeling well and she was taking care of him.

“Hi Giangio!” Pinocchio tackles him with his hug when he sees him, it’s easy to tell him apart in a crowd full of people.

“Agh!” Giangio was startled, “I’m glad to see you but please be careful”

Giangio doesn’t have any nefarious reasons to be here, he is bored and wants to have a good time, normal fun, not his usual definition of fun. He's not the only alchemist here, he has seen a few colleagues also having fun, truthfully half of Krat must be in this place today.

As Giangio had almost lost his balance, he ended up dropping a notebook, Pinocchio picked it up and read out loud the title of what he was writing.

“Immortality?” Pinocchio tilted his head curiously before giving it back, “Can someone become immortal?”

Wait? Does Pinocchio truly not know he is? Let’s see, who would have told him about this? Sophia only, the girl is dead so it does seem he is truly unaware of it.

Unbeknownst to Giangio, Sophia wasn’t aware of that, sure she knows a lot but not to that extent, she eventually did figure out that she is immortal but has no reason to believe Pinocchio is, considering he returned back her Ergo to her.

Okay, they are not immortal immortal, the only way for them to die is to get killed. Other issues like diseases for example don’t affect them, they will outlive everyone they will ever know, as their life will go on for years and years.

There are many ways to become immortal, not just by consuming Ergo in both of their cases, Giangio also became immortal by different means. Although some means come with their drawbacks, in the case of those who did it due to Ergo absorption, they will have the lifetime of all the Ergo they hold, meaning it will start disappearing one by one, until only theirs remains, after that, one tends to finally die due to natural causes.

Becoming a vampire gives you such a great amount of strength, not being able to be in the sun is their biggest drawback. Mmm that reminds him of-

“Giangio are you okay?” Pinocchio looked worried.

“Oh sorry” Giangio had gotten too consumed in his thoughts, “I got too caught up in my research, my apologies”

He made small talk with the boy before Pinocchio left. Who knows? Maybe one day he will tell him the truth if something doesn’t end up killing him before that happens.

Sabertooth observed, Lion had become entranced with something else, eventually ditching her. Why does Pinocchio know that man? Why would Pinocchio be friends with someone like him? He must not know the truth yet even if she couldn’t hear the interaction, something was off, that hug, it’s almost as if they had known each other for a long time.

Suddenly, Sabertooth feels someone bumping into her.

“Oops, my bad” Black Cat was about to shrug it off when he realized who it was.

“Sabertooth” Red Fox was not happy to see her, “Long time no see”

Sabertooth wanted to roll her eyes, “Fox, Cat, good to see the both of you”

That brief interaction was what made her lose track of Pinocchio, after 15 minutes of looking she gave up and left, she didn’t care about these stupid puppets anyway.

“Geez she didn’t even say much and I could tell she was a colossal bitch” Black Cat said to his sister.

“Usually I would correct you for being rude but you have no idea” Ugh, Red Fox is getting reminded of the times she had to deal with Sabertooth, what a nightmare.

“You okay pal?” Gemini could tell Pinocchio was acting odd, “Still thinking about what you told me?”

“No, well I mean still a little but it's not that” Pinocchio near one of the exhibits, one of the puppets was looking at him weirdly, that puppet looked a lot like Fuoco.

Because it WAS Fuoco, as it turns out, they fixed him up at the factory, Pinocchio hadn't seen him before since when the times he was there he never got close to that area again. He was a valuable puppet, a lot of issues would have arisen had he been completely destroyed.

When Pinocchio finally realizes it he doesn't know how to feel, the puppet was being shown off to others and acting as normal, yet it's clear he remembers him. He doesn't know why but he gets closer to him, extending his hand and touching the puppet's strange canon that it mercilessly used to almost kill him back then.

“I'm sorry” He mumbles to him, he would speak up louder but others are watching.

Something unexpected happens as Fuoco hugs him, Pinocchio loves hugs but due to how the puppet is built he finds the grasp a little uncomfortable, still, he can't help but smile that all is forgiven. Other guests that are watching find the interaction so fascinating not thinking a puppet meant for hard labor like that could be so friendly.

Pinocchio is happy he made amends with him, maybe he should ask his father permission to see him at the factory from time to time.

“Gemini, I'm starting to think my father and my uncle build things for the sake of building them” Pinocchio kept on wandering, he found many puppets that he had not seen before, he already had some doubts in his mind while he was fighting them during the frenzy, questioning their design, however being at this exhibition made him realize that even more. Not that he isn't having fun, he is having a great time, just that it finally clicked in his head.

“Your father is very creative, mmm… you are also very creative so I guess you got that from him”

Pinocchio has stars in his eyes, grabbing Gemini's cage (as if he was outside of it he would lose him in a second) and looking directly at the little cricket.

“Really?! Really you mean it?!” Pinocchio gets too excited when anyone compares him to his father, the boy having a big smile on his face.

“Of course I mean it pal” Gemini was staring back at him, his tiny antennas moving with excitement, “Now we should get going, it's almost time for you to meet with him”

——

Pinocchio had made it in time for the dinner, it wasn’t just that, it was sort of like those fancy events his mother holds; the people there were all inventors like his father and they would talk about important projects that truthfully he didn’t truly understand. So he got nervous at all the formalities, but at least it was only nerves, he wasn’t feeling scared anymore.

Specially not after what his father did before it all started.

His father said that he was going to make an announcement.

“This is my son Pinocchio” Geppetto played with his son’s hair, “As you all probably know by now, I build him, so I bet all of you have questions, raise your hand if that’s the case”

Aside from Venigni and Alexander, everyone raised their hands, knowing this was a trick question.

“Great, keep them to yourselves because I’m NOT answering them, and if someone here treats my son as a machine, they will be kicked out immediately”

Pinocchio smiled and hugged his father, happy that he was standing up for him that way. Geppetto was bold in making that statement, it could have backfired but he didn’t care, he was no longer going to allow anyone to say such things about his precious son.

Pinocchio stayed next to his father, or rather behind him most of the time. At one point he did excuse himself and Geppetto followed him. Pinocchio tried saying that he was just stressed because there were too many people but Geppetto wasn’t buying it, eventually, he confessed that Romeo was on his mind.

“You don’t have to tell me anything if it makes you uncomfortable” Geppetto hugged his son, “You can leave if you aren’t feeling well”

“No” Pinocchio hugged him back, “I want to stay with you”

Geppetto smiled, he didn’t know what he did to deserve his love. Pinocchio composed himself, although before the two of them went back Venigni joined them.

“Something wrong Venigni?” Geppetto asked, thinking that he might be having some issues with what happened recently.

“I’m just waiting for the moment where it all goes wrong” Venigni flapped his hands to calm down, “At any moment all of this will become a disaster, like the last time”

“Last time the event didn’t even happen Venigni” Geppetto tried reassuring him.

“How have you been so confident all day?” Venigni didn’t understand.

“Oh well… you know…” Geppetto looked away, “Last time it was all my fault”

Venigni couldn’t help but smile, Pinocchio was about to say something before his father held up his finger at him.

“Whatever you are going to say, think it carefully, or else you are grounded for an entire month” Geppetto recognizes his wrongdoings, he might play along with his son’s frustrations but he has his limits.

Pinocchio said nothing, better not risk it. At least he was feeling better now.

“You better not say anything too Venigni, or else”

“Or else what?” Venigni wasn’t taking him seriously, “You are not my father Geppetto”

“No, but I can tell Pulcinella that you didn’t do your union tasks last week and that I had to fill in for you”

“I deserved some rest okay?!” Venigni got flustered.

“You literally only needed to sign documents I had to forge your signature!”

“It’s your fault for learning how to do my signature, if you didn’t know how I would have made them!”

Pinocchio doesn’t know much about the world, he does know that faking a signature is illegal but knows he shouldn’t point that out now. He did find the interaction funny, he doesn’t get much of a chance to see his father scolding someone who isn’t him.

He enjoyed the rest of the night with his father. It was time for the event to end, however, his father had to stay behind for a few moments to say some formal goodbyes, Pinocchio walked outside to wait for him, he could use some fresh air, as he was walking out to the plaza, Gemini was saying something to him that he wasn’t paying attention to…

——-

Giangio got home and threw his bag and hat on his couch, soon after he got home, he had a phone call.

“Hello~” He answered the phone, already having an idea of who it was.

“Paracelsus, it’s me, Frederick”

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” He was having a great day today, “A call from you so late at night why-”

“Do you have any of your special stimulants?”

A cocktail formula he invented, many have asked in the past if he could spare some, as he refuses to reveal the secret.

“Why do you ask?~” Giangio was playing with the phone cord, “Oh my, Frederick, don’t tell you you have a substance pro-“

“Do you have them or not?” As always, he loves to interrupt others.

“How rude” Giangio could tell the man was fuming from the other side, “You are asking me for a favor and haven’t even said please or thank you”

“Can I…” It was obvious that Frederick was gritting his teeth while speaking, “Please have some of your special stimulants?”

“Yes honey but what for?~”

“To actually treat someone,” Frederick replies sarcastically, “What do you think I’m using them for?”

Good point, he made them so that his test subjects wouldn’t pass out due to the pain, although it doesn’t take away the pain, that’s the fun part.

“Hmm I would love to but I’m already in my pajamas”

“I’ll be at your home in an hour”

With that said he hung up, Frederick must know where he lives, although it didn’t bother him, sure enough, in about an hour he arrived.

Obviously, the doctor was already complaining about his home not being neat and tidy to his standards, it did make Giangio laugh when Frederick got startled he had never seen the man react like that.

“WHY THE HELL DO YOU HAVE A RAT IN YOUR HOME?!” Frederick was mortified at the sight of a huge fat rat lying on a couch.

“His name is Bitey” Giangio replied casually, “By the way he has that name for a reason so don't get too close to him”

Frederick took a deep breath, trying his hardest to compose himself.

“Fun fact, rats are actually very clean creatures despite what most think, they-”

“Shut up, I dont care, just please give me what I came for so I can leave as soon as possible”

Giangio opened a drawer in his home, looking around until he found what he needed, Frederick was clearly trying his hardest not to lose it at being in the same room as a rat. Bitey would glance at him from time to time, almost as if the animal was debating on getting closer to him.

“Here you go, now you get them for free this time but next time I might ask for something in return” Giangio got curious, “Aren’t you supposed to be taking care of your ill father?”

“Yes this is for him” Frederick replied bluntly.

“How awful Frederick, be thankful you have him, some of us didn’t have a daddy while growing up”

“Were you at the Grand Exhibition today?” Frederick already knew the answer, “By any chance did you interact with Geppetto’s puppet?”

“I’m sorry Frederick, but unlike you, I have a life outside my job” Giangio rolled his eyes, “Why are you so obsessed with him?”

“That’s ridiculous!” Frederick only wants that brat out of his way, Arlecchino suddenly stopped his killing spree, which means that Pinocchio must have taken him down.

“I’m leaving” Frederick got what he wanted, it was time to go, “And get rid of that pest for your own sake”

“Awww but I thought we were going to have a sleepover”

Frederick ignored him as he got out of the house, that man is a lunatic, along with other insults. Giangio on the other hand was disappointed that Frederick left so early.

“Good boy” Giangio petted his furry companion, it was amusing to see Frederick like that.

Chapter Text

“You better not invite that slut to the reunion Lucero!”

Blue was at home preparing to go to an event held by the bastard stalkers, a test of your skills done each year when she overheard a conversation her father was having with a woman, a few others were there as well.

“All I am saying is that maybe-” He tried to explain himself but got interrupted.

“Even if she has changed, mind you, she hasn't, she broke up my marriage! She broke up four marriages that one time you invented her!”

Blue listened to the conversation, apparently, they were planning a high school reunion, and whoever that woman was, she wasn't invited.

“Yes, you have to get that no one likes her” A man spoke up this time, “Well, you and Frederick but the two of you are too nice and polite, the rest of us have limits, especially to our patience”

“I get that,” Lucero said, “Speaking of Frederick, we should postpone the date, it doesn't feel right to have it when his father is dying”

As much as she would love to play spies more, she has to go and do her stalker job, but she wonders what was that all about.

—-

For each stalker faction, they always have a day to test their skills, the Sweepers tend to prioritize street smarts, surprising your enemy or how quickly you can get a job done, while the Bastards test manners, your composture in stressful situations, and intel gathering.

For both, there is also the fighting. For Sweepers it's an all-out brawl to see who is the best and for Bastard Stalkers it is a more traditional competition.

Blue is doing rather well, making it to the 4th round out of 12 rounds, two ranks better than last time, she is so thrilled at everyone praising her skills, although drama can happen in the faction, today things are serious, there is a reason their motto is “Honor or Nothing” you must be graceful in battle and defeat.

Well, except everyone who keeps getting beaten by Rusty, because “She is a child so I went easy on her” but no one wants to admit an 11-year-old girl kicked their ass, it's not a big deal, besides plenty of them have given the girl advice on a few things she is doing wrong, as raw power is not all, so everything is good.

Speaking of Rusty, Blue might not be against her for the next round as they take a break but she decided to talk with her.

“I think if you wore different boots, it could help you out more, considering your fighting style” Blue pointed at her boots, “Sort of like mine, they allow more flexibility”

“Do they?” Rusty didn't seem convinced, then again she doesn't pick her clothes, her parents do that for her.

“Are you trying to make your parents even richer by suggesting she wears cowboy boots?” Sabertooth said.

“Believe it or not Sabertooth, my parents don't owe everything related to horses in Krat” Okay they owe 80% of things that have to do with horses but certainly not horse riding gear, “Look it's just a suggestion, and honestly maybe she should wear boots that don't have that many strings to tie”

Sabertooth can't argue against that, the poor girl was taking too long tying her boots that Tiger needed to help her out after each round to keep them how they were supposed to.

“Good luck on this next round Blue Canary” Sabertooth gives her a fake smile she has to play nice today in front of others, “Hopefully we are both lucky enough to advance to the next round”

The tournament went on, and Blue was facing against Lion, this should be interesting.

“Why are you only using your shield Blue?” Lion taunted her while trying to look innocent, “Playing more defensively today?”

Blue mainly uses her Lantern Shield but she does have that sword, “It's supposed to be for back up”

After all the main point of her combat is that shield, she has the most unique fighting style as no one else uses a shield, all of them block or parry with their weapons.

Lion uses a Claymore Sword, classic but deadly, Blue does have to give her some props, it's decorated just like she decorates her shield, the blade is pink with real diamonds on the handle and that chain at the end with a mini Lion plush is rather cute. Blue put a lot of effort into the bird symbol in her shield. As the battle went on, everything seemed evenly matched until Lion getting desperate tried to make a direct attack on Blue, who blocked it with her shield and made her fall to the ground being declared the winner, advancing to the next round.

“Well done Blue Canary” It was killing Lion to say those words out loud as they shook hands.

“Well done Lion” Blue faintly smiled trying not to make it a smug grin.

“Tiger that was mean, why did you beat up the grandma?” Rusty poked him to annoy him.

“Grandma?!” A female stalker with a bear mask shouted, “I'm 35 years old!”

To be frank, everyone tends to get annoyed at how Rusty sees all of them as “too old”, things sometimes feel weird since Rusty was allowed to join, they have to play more “nice” so to speak when it comes to their behavior, only when she is not around so others feel they can act as usual. The male stalkers tend to complain a lot about how they are not allowed to be themselves around her, aka: not allowed to make dumb inappropriate jokes, or in general having to filter their vocabulary, not just swearing, there are things that you cannot say in front of a child.

It specially gets annoying for the female stalkers when Rusty calls them old, you know, girls like to feel young and pretty after all, anyone 30 or older is a grandma according to that child.

“Rusty, apologize” Tiger poked her back and the girl reluctantly did so.

Another break, more time to talk casually and vent off some steam, It is good to talk with others, and the atmosphere feels relaxed even though they are being watched by the leader of the organization; strange that umbrella weapon is not the same one he had before, oh well, he probably upgraded it and that's why it looks different.

“I can't believe all my older sisters are married now,” Blue said, “It feels a little odd”

“Are your sisters going to be baby-making machines like your mother?” One of the male stalkers was teasing her and a few others laughed.

“Yeah you guys can make fun of my mother all you want but I bet none of you would be able to give birth once, let alone have as many as she had”

“Come on,” The said guys said, “Everyone knows that getting hit in the-”

“It's not!” All the female stalkers in the room shouted at the same time because giving birth is way more painful than getting kicked in your private parts as a man.

“I say we should kick all the male stalkers and make this our own faction,” Sabertooth said.

For once, Blue agreed with her, at least their leader took it in good faith, he seems to be disappointed in some of the male members of the group who are in their 20s, on more than one occasion he has gone on a rant about their generation and while most of the time it's just like listening to the average old man yell at the clouds, some times it is justified. Speaking of their leader, he will be retiring soon, that's why he has been more vigilant in everyone's activities, he wants to improve what he can before he leaves and is planning to choose who will be their new leader.

“Look Tiger I'm against you next match” Rusty giggled, “I will try not to hit you too hard.

“You flatter me kid” He knows she is stronger than him still, “That doesn't mean I won't give it my all”

“How is she so strong and somehow even faster?” Blue mumbled under her breath as she saw the two of them fighting, that kid has to be something out of this world.

Tiger lost, and more matches came and went until it was Sabertooth vs Blue Canary, the two finalists, again, the battle seemed evenly matched at the start, Blue then started getting the advantage, this is it! She could do it! She reflected light to blind Sabertooth but she had predicted her moments, it was a trap so that when Blue thought she had the advantage she could take her down, Blue didn't have time to use her backup sword before Sabertooth made her fall into the ground, making her the winner, and the winner of the tournament.

Blue felt disappointed in herself until she realized how far she had come compared to last time, and second place wasn't so bad, at least she was humble about it unlike Sabertooth who might look graceful but everyone could tell she was enjoying all the attention.

There is an aftermath party but it's not obligatory, so like a few others, she decides to head back home, she can't wait to tell her family all about it. On her way home, she decides to have a brief visit to a park, it's nighttime and Blue knows that to get over her fear she needs to be more exposed to it, still, she turns on those lights just in case. It was a good thing she stopped by, as she witnessed someone trying to get robbed and quickly went to help, the assailant fled knowing they would be no match for her.

“Why thank you darling, how kind of you,” A woman said in a sensual tone.

Blue looks at her closely, this woman is wearing a very revealing outfit with high heels, there is a brothel nearby so she must be heading that way, she is very tall, probably around 190cm if she had to guess, and she also has green eyes and…wait that long black hair, she has seen it before is she…?

“Are you that stalker girl Frederick has as his bodyguard?” The woman played with her long hair, “Blue Canary right?”

This woman is her father's and the doctor's age?! She looks stunning, hell her skin looks better than hers, Blue is starting to feel a little jealous.

“Yes, I am” Blue responded politely, “It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss…?”

“Catherine” The woman got a little closer to her, “So polite just like your father, and very pretty”

“Thank you”

“Still working with little Frederick?” Catherine gently touched Blue's face, “I feel so bad for you, little Frederick is hard to deal with sometimes”

“I'm on a break right now” Blue did not believe she would ever hear someone call the doctor that, “His father is ill and he is taking care of him”

“I know about that darling, I'm just teasing you, although I do hope you are taking good care of him,” Catherine said “Anyway, that was so kind of you, bravo, you are so sweet”

Blue felt a little embarrassed at being praised like that, “I'm just happy to help”

“You know what? Let's chat, just you and me as girls” Catherine grabbed Blue's hand, “There is a pond around here with ducks, I feed them each day but I'm a little scared now and I would love the help of a big strong stalker to keep me safe”

Blue followed her, this woman is weird but she is right about the fact she could be in danger, sex workers, unfortunately, are constant targets of violence. It's extremely well hidden but Blue can see that in one of her arms, there is a bruise covered by makeup, a part of her wants to know what brands she uses.

“Me and your father were sort of friends you know” Catherine talked as she pulled from her bag food for the ducks that were swimming by, “More like he was nice to me when almost everyone wasn't”

Blue doesn't know what to say to that, but she already put together that this is the woman people didn't want to be invited to the reunion.

“Say congratulations to your mother on my behalf, I know full well why that woman had so many kids with dear Lucero… your father is a blessed man”

Did she just confess to sleeping with her father?! What is going on?!

“Look at you, are so cute” Catherine laughed, “Your client was so cute too when we were young, he was such a cute little weirdo”

“The doctor was cute?” Blue feels as if this is a strange fever dream, maybe that is why she made it all the way to second place.

“Why yes he would dress so cutesy back then,” Catherine purred, “His mommy would tell him what to wear so it was because of that”

Is she joking? Is she serious? Blue cannot tell because of her demeanor, “I guess the two of you must have been good friends back then”

“Oh we still are, as much as he hates to admit it, but lucky for him everyone thinks he is just being polite” Catherine laughed again, “I feel nostalgic just remembering, how much he was such a know-it-all even back then; how creepy he was, very naughty too, I think he killed a kid once at school”

“What?!”

“What?” Catherine shrugged it off, “No one could prove who it was but just saying, I always suspected it was him”

“Why?” Blue asked as she started to join in and feed the ducks alongside her, getting used to this bizarre situation.

“Oh it's a long story honey, I rather not say, I really should just ask him if he did it one of these days,” Catherine said, “I hope you don't get dragged into whatever strange thing he has cooked up in his mind”

Blue let out an awkward laugh, “Yeah, the doctor is a little eccentric”

Catherine extended her hand, one of the ducks rubbing itself and asking to be petted, “Do you like ducks?”

Blue nodded, she loves all birds and the feeling is mutual, as those ducks have never seen her but feel safe near her, asking to be petted too. It was quite a pleasant experience.

“Well, I need to do my thing and you probably need to go home, it's too dark here outside”

Yes, it's dark and she didn't think about it! Looks like talking with her worked to calm her nerves. Blue escorts the woman to her work just in case something bad happens, this brothel seems fancier than other ones, if you can even call a brothel fancy but considering this place is on Rosa Isabelle Street and not in a place like the Mallum District you could say its more “high class”

“Lisen I respect your father a lot, he was such a nice guy even when we were kids, so I don't seek him out, and definitively not you or his other precious daughters,” Catherine handed her a card, “But if you have any stalker friends that want to have a good time, they can always count on me”

Blue waved her goodbye and debated if to keep the card or not, it was a memento that she helped someone so she would probably hide it somewhere in her room where no one could ever find it.

–

Giangio had reported back a few things to his superiors, he was glad that now that Dorothy showed all of them she wasn't so easy to get they finally stopped bothering him about how he failed at catching her. The special organization is comprised of all of those who have gained immortal life, just as he was investigating and analyzing the outcome of what became of Simon, he is observing Frederick. It does look like the man will be able to achieve his goal, immortality comes in many ways, and new ones keep being discovered from time to time. After delaying the issue a little he finally decided to tell them more about Pinocchio, as he suspected, currently they want nothing to do with the boy because they don't want to “play babysitter”

He is starting to believe his superiors may have a few issues when it comes to underestimating others, if he was in the boy's position he would certainly be pissed at everyone not taking him seriously considering he killed a god but in a way, that works on Pinocchio's favor, Giangio knows that is ultimately the downfall of those who have tried to hurt him, would that be the same outcome for Frederick? Or does the man have something planned for Pinocchio?

“Paracelsus, are you listening?”

“Oh, nope, sorry” He puts down the weapon he is working on, right now he is back with the alchemists working on a few things.

“Well, it's a good thing he wasn't listening, the less people they know the better”

Currently, all of them are just gossiping while they work, some sharing embarrassing stories, gossiping, or any topic that comes to their minds while all of them work on different things. He already finished with the work Frederick sent him so he has some free time to make another weapon.

“NO NO NO, for the last time, my lungs are out of reach from everyone!”

Giangio laughed, as one of his coworkers has asthma and they get attacks from time to time, and plenty of them have offered him “help” with the issue.

“You guys are savages, not even Frederick has bothered me with the issue” The man rolled his eyes, “Speaking of him, he actually saved my life before going on his break, although he did call me a moron for not having an inhaler with me at the time”

“I want to know about that,” Giangio's interest peaked, yes the man is a doctor but he is also a sadistic psychopath, “And he is right, you are a moron”

“I mean, there is nothing much to say, he gave me first aid, although I was surprised at how fast and how instinctively he reacted, almost as if he was on autopilot”

“I've seen him when he gets like that” This time a female alchemist spoke up, she is also a nurse at the hospital Frederick works at, “A while back on the nightshift we were understaffed and he stayed behind, he performed a thoracentesis like it was nothing, that wasn't even his patient, he did give a horrible scolding to that poor medical student for being too indecisive on what to do, almost felt bad”

“Doesn't he have a doctorate in pulmonology?” Giangio asks already knowing the answer, the doctor title isn't just for show.

Seems many of them were shocked to hear that, considering how can treat any disease or condition under the sun and his patients see him for a variety of problems; just as no one can deny his skills as an alchemist, they can't deny his skills as a doctor. That is also a contributing factor to why they follow him, he does care about the betterment of the human condition, and a good way to start that is to eradicate diseases, the fewer ways for people to get sick, the faster the process of advancing the true potential of the human body is.

“Makes sense now why he gets all annoyed when people smoke here at headquarters”

“I think all medical professionals are against smoking regardless of that fact” Giangio also finds it annoying, (he is an actual physician he didn't just lie to Pinocchio) so he is one of the people here who doesn't do it, although he can't say the same about drinking from time to time.

“Working with him in two jobs? It would be too much for me, I mean I respect him, he is not as great as Velntinus was but he is certainly a way better leader than Simon, but it would drive me crazy to see him all day”

“Believe it or not, it's great for him to work with him at the hospital when he is on floor duty” She smiled, “All the nurses have this running joke that he should have been a nurse instead of a doctor”

Then someone was stupid enough to shout that being a nurse was only a job for women when half the people there were women so that got them bombarded with the girls throwing books at the guy, and Giangio feeling playful threw his weapon at them. The weapon now stuck inside the wall.

“Oh don't look at me like that I missed on purpose” Giangio laughed, “And it helped me test durability”

“Has anyone here been brave enough to try one of Frederick's homemade medications?” Another person asked, he does give them to his patients but there are a few special ones he makes aside from those.

“I have” A different female alchemist spoke up this time, “I don't know what he puts in them but they do work, I stopped having constant migraines… although now I get sacred sometimes wondering if he is going to use me to test a few theories since they worked on me”

“That's on you for being stupid” Giangio was teasing her, “Remember kids, don't accept drugs from anyone specially if they come from suspiciously handsome doctors”

“And we shouldn't accept weapons from suspiciously handsome twinks”

Ginagio got flustered, he is too old in reality to be a twink but unfortunately for him, when you become immortal, you stay in the physical age you turned. But he was having a good time; he can't wait to interact with the doc again, all seems to be going his way, perhaps he will have to welcome him as a new immortal brother.

–

“Pinocchio what are you doing awake at this hour?”

It was almost 1 am, and Geppetto was spending time with Anonia, Venigni, and Alexander after the Grand Exhibition was closed for the day and was surprised to see his son not in bed. As it turns out, his son just got a little carried away while painting, he is making a portrait of Venigni and Pulcinella, he wants to give the two of them something special after what they went through and he was doing it in the living room to have more space.

Pinocchio was putting aside all of his art supplies, “Father, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what is it, son?” Geppetto was a little confused at the seriousness.

“Um, why is your hand like that?”

Pinocchio had noticed a long time ago and at first, for some reason, he didn't seem to mind but now that he thinks about it more, he wants to know. Usually, his father wears gloves but right now it is exposed, he felt the need to ask, his father has some strange mechanism in his hand, his fingernails are blue and there are some weird cables inside of them.

“Oh, this?” Geppetto looked at his hand, now that he thought about it too, he never explained, “Back when we first were developing puppets we needed a way to control Ergo safely, it was some experimental technology so no one else has this but me, I had the help of Sophia's father to do have this”

Pinocchio touched his father's hand, it was gray, almost as if it was dead, “Did it hurt?”

“Only a little don't worry about it” It hurt his soul but it worked well, too well; he explained how can control any puppet with Ergo directly because of it, and how it makes certain work duties easier for him, “I know my hand looks strange but it doesn't hurt or feel strange either”

There was a little problem with one of the final demonstrations before it was about to be shown, the problem needed to be fixed fast and that's how he did it, he simply forgot to put his glove back on, and no one mentioned it to him and once he was with his friends that know about it, he didn't bother to cover it again.

While Pinocchio was examining it, he touched the middle part of the palm of his father's hand and for a moment he felt completely paralyzed before his father corrected it.

“I'm sorry” His father apologized even though it was technically Pinocchio's mistake, this is why he tries to not touch his son without gloves on, “We both should go to bed now”

The atmosphere felt a little tense, Pinocchio felt… off when that happened, it scared him a little, and he could feel his father was uncomfortable at the fact he accidentally had that much power over him, so he decided to hug him.

“I love you father”

“I love you too son” Geppetto feels so lucky to have him by his side.

“Um, father…” Pinocchio looked worried, “Are you okay?”

“Yes son, I'm happy that-”

“No I mean,” The boy interrupted his father now pointing at his neck, “You have a strange bruise on your neck, did something happen?”

Geppetto instinctively touched his neck knowing what his son was talking about.

“Son” Geppetto grabbed Pinocchio's shoulders, “Alcohol is bad, really really bad, so you should never drink it, it makes you feel bad and it also makes you do stupid things”

Before Pinocchio could even process it, his father took him to his room and told him to go to bed, that it was so too late and that he should rest, then he called him a good boy and precious and gave a small speech about how he loves him so much, and went to bed himself. That was a little off but Pinocchio was feeling sleepy, not used to staying up too late he went to bed knowing that he would probably end up oversleeping and that Gemini would probably scold him about it.

—

Venigni had to hold Geppetto from actually killing Alexander, “MY SON SAW IT, YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE ANY MARK”

Alexander was laughing so hard he was almost out of breath, thankfully they were in a private room where no one could hear them.

“All because I felt bad you got dumped!” Geppetto wanted to strangle his old friend.

“Come on, he is going to forget about it soon” Alexander had a dumb smile on his face, “Although, you did eventually give him “the talk” right? The last time I saw him he didn't know anything about it”

Venigni has to admire how brave Alexander is, Geppetto is furious, embarrassed, and also mortified, all at the same time.

“Geppetto please calm down, the exhibition will open for the day soon” Venigni was trying to de-escalate without also bursting into laughter, yesterday things got a little… intense.

Geppetto took a few deep breaths, trying to get inner peace, “Okay yesterday did not happen, we are never talking about this ever again”

“I will let Lady Antonia and Polendina know of the request,” Pulcinella said, the puppet butler also being present at the celebration done yesterday.

Geppetto was extremely flustered, he had a great time yesterday, it was good that all of them could be in a room and just relax, but he drank a little too much.

“Such a shame I will have to leave tomorrow, these past few days together have been marvelous” Alexander was so glad he came, such a shame he had to leave tomorrow.

Truthfully, Geppetto is also glad his friend came, this week has gone amazingly, Conrad was fired, the exhibition was a success, and he is spending a great time with his friends, he should enjoy all of this before eventually having to deal with whatever mess the alchemist have planned.

Chapter Text

Frederick knows this is the last time he will see Valentinus Monad.

After he leaves for his event at the charity house, Simon will give the order to get rid of him and steal the girl so that they can have their listener and fulfill their plans. The man had come to Elyson Boulevard, the petrification disease epidemic had advanced so much that hospitals weren't enough, and Frederick was there in the quarantine zone treating patients, the disease affects the entire body, but the lungs are a delicate area, the breathing of patients feeling like torture as their lungs slowly become stone, and since he is a pulmonologist, he is here to help those who are afflicted, despite knowing full well they will all die, he won't get sick himself since he has the real cure so he is safe. Valentinus by now is most likely aware of Simon's plans and his followers but it seems he doesn’t believe he is one of them, why would he? He is out here helping people when the others barely lift a finger to help.

The two of them had sat down to talk, Valenitus asking him questions about how the patients were doing while both were drinking some coffee together, the sound of coughing from those quarantined in the area could be heard from outside the room they were in.

“It must be hard for you to lose so many patients,” Valentius said, “I can tell it's affecting you”

It's not affecting him in the slightest but he can see why Valentinus said that since his hands are shaking.

He reassures him that he is fine, although it seems the man isn't buying that, since Valentinus is going to die, he might as well be honest with him.

“I hate the sound of coughing”

Valentinus is taken aback by the confession considering Frederick's area of expertise.

“I hate it because it brings back some… unpleasant memories but I also love it”

Valentinus was still confused, and he could tell Frederick was acting strangely, “Why did you become a doctor?”

“I like helping people” Insane as it sounds, it is true, his goal to advance humanity isn't simply for bragging rights, he wants the human body to be pushed beyond its limits, “But it is also because I am selfish”

“What do you mean?” In Valetinus's eyes, it's hard to see a doctor as selfish, people who dedicate their lives to helping others, not to mention how the man is slaving himself here to help those with the petrification disease.

Valenitus feels pressured, still having Sophia on his mind, does he really need to go to this event? Does he really need to bring his daughter? No, he can't leave her alone, currently, Sophia is outside the room with her mother and a stalker he hired to guard them, he can't let his daughter out of his sight, he can't let anyone hurt her. In this overthinking stress, Valentinus was grasping his cup so hard that it broke in his hand, burning himself and a few shards of glass were now stuck in his hands.

Frederick acted right away, treating the burns and removing the glass, Valentinus thanked him for the help, yet he could still feel something was wrong.

“It feels good to help people who are sick, injured, or in need” Frederick smiled, “It makes me feel in control”

“What-”

“When someone is so vulnerable they put their faith in you, they depend on you, they have no other choice but to trust your judgment”

“Frederick-”

“It feels nice, to have people tell you how much they treasure your help, and it feels nice to make them feel better, it makes me feel pleasure, seeing how helpless they are, how they smile at me knowing that there is someone who cares about them, because who else to care about them than someone who has their life in their grasp? Someone who chooses if they live or die”

“That's not-”

Frederick keeps on treating Valentinus's wounds, “Of course I would never do that to my patients, I would never kill them on purpose, what do I gain from that? I hate it when my patients die”

“It brings me satisfaction, that they have someone next to them, telling them everything is going to be okay, that they aren't alone, and that I can make everything better; when they thank you and admire you and even give you small gifts because they are oh so grateful of everything you do for them”

As soon as Frederick is done treating his hand, Valentinus moves it away so that Frederick is no longer touching him.

“At the end of the day, it doesn't matter, I could save a million patients and I would not satisfied, I want more, and you know what the hardest part of it is?”

“...What is the hardest part?” Valentinus already has his hand on the door, ready to leave this mess behind.

“That the one I wanted to save the most is gone”

—

Blue was at her home, early in the morning she was about to get ready to do another task while the doctor was taking his break when her father came into her room.

“I have bad news” Her father was serious, “Frederick’s father passed away”

“Oh” Blue doesn’t know how to respond, she knew that man was going to die but it’s always tragic.

“I’m going to the funeral” Her father has known Frederick since they were young, so it's a no-brainer he would attend, “Will you?”

Blue might not be fond of the doctor but it’s the right thing to do when he is going through this situation, she can’t imagine losing her father.

She can fulfill her duties after leaving the funeral, so she puts on a formal black dress and decides to accompany her father.

Blue was surprised at the vast amount of people there, she learned that people loved and admired Frederick’s father, he did a lot of good for the community, their family is generation after generation of doctors so it made sense. People have that same admiration for Doctor Frederick, Blue has to admit that while he can be rude at times, there is no denying that he is a fantastic doctor, she has heard countless times from others how the doctor saved their lives or a family member’s life.

She and her father made their way to give her condolences, the doctor was very quiet, and he was also wearing that ruby necklace he had displayed in his office; in her opinion, he looked a little annoyed, although not enough that most would notice, however, she shouldn’t judge how others grieve, it’s possible that the stress of planning a funeral was affecting his mood.

Suddenly there were a few people who started murmuring something as someone made their way toward the doctor, Blue recognized Catherine right away, who despite being at a funeral was wearing a revealing dress, although not as scandalous as when she saw her yesterday.

“I’m sorry” That’s all she said to him, Blue was watching the interaction.

To her surprise, Frederick hugged Catherine tightly, almost as if he didn’t want to let go, for a moment she could have sworn that the man almost started shaking, he composed himself before thanking her for coming.

Is she judging him too harshly? Everyone seems to love him and his now-deceased father. Whatever that answer is, she still will quit her job, it’s simply not for her.

The woman stayed quiet until it all ended, being at the back and not causing more of a scene than she already had, everyone trying to ignore her presence. When Blue and her father were making their way out, Catherine walked past them, she winked at them before giving a friendly wave and blowing both of them a kiss. Shortly after, Blue told her father about their recent encounter, obviously excluding how she told her she had intimacy with her father.

“That sounds about right when it comes to Catherine,” Lucero said, “It's not my place to judge, to each their own and everyone deserves to be treated with respect”

“She said she was friends with Frederick is that true?”

“Well I did see them hang around together a few times inside the school, but it was, how do I explain?” Her father looked as if he was thinking hard, “She had no friends, he had no friends so they would hang out in a way because they had no one else to be around”

Blue can tell why no one would hang around with Catherine but what about Frederick?

“How was he when he was young?”

“He was a little strange, he did act somewhat childish for that age we were in, and he sometimes had drops of blood in his clothes for some reason,” Unlike Catherine is not as if people actively disliked him or shunned him, more so that no one tried engaging with him unless it was necessary, for like a class project or something along those lines, plenty of people did ask for notes from him since he was one of the smart kids, “He also had that obsession with cleaning, for what I've heard from you, looks like he hasn't gotten over it”

“While we were in school he was so quiet, would be alone most of the time, and missed a lot of classes, no one really spent with him after school but it made sense, he had a lot of responsibilities at that age” Basically he didn't make friends because he had no time to form friendships.

“What do you mean?” Blue asked her father.

“His mother was ill, he was the one who would take care of her” Her father explained, “Honestly, maybe I was selfish but at that time, I mainly talked to him because I felt pity for him”

“Did his mother get better?”

“No,” Her father sighed, “She passed away during the last school year”

—--

Red Fox and Black Cat were in their office, it was late, and while getting ready to close they started talking, at first it was about their most recent job until it evolved into another topic.

“Maybe we should give her a gift basket or something,” Black Cat said.

Both realized they had to somehow make it up to those at Hotel Krat if they wanted to see Pinocchio again without issue.

“Yes let us give one of the richest women of Krat a gift basket” Red Fox replied sarcastically.

“You know, sometimes you are as rude as I can be, you just know how to hide it better”

Red Fox laughed, “I have grace in my words, I should teach you more about it”

“How do we make it up to them?” Black Cat knows that won’t be an easy task, at least to show that they truly are sorry.

Red Fox looked as if she was in deep thought “Perhaps Blue knows what they would like, I think she has interacted with Antonia and Venigni from time to time”

Antonia or Venigni only, since they are aware Geppetto would never let that grudge go.

“Where is Blue anyways?“

They couldn’t find her, and they couldn’t go to the offices of the Bastard Stalkers due to their previous conflict. They went to her home but she had left, they did ask to send the message that they would be waiting for her there. Hours have passed and nothing.

“Let’s just head home for today” Black Cat was making his way to the door when suddenly it opened and his face was slammed with force.

Not the one they were expecting it was Pinocchio, who looked a little frantic.

“I want them to like the two of you!” Pinocchio shouted, referring to his family, he wanted to come up with a plan but he couldn’t stay here for long, he had to go back home; as his father was waiting for him.

Pinocchio was on his way back when he passed by their office, while Geppetto understood the previous situation, he still wasn't happy about it, worse is that Antonia and Venigni also scolded him. Pinocchio had completely forgotten that Hotel Krat was vandalized (he thought Antonia would take his side), but they just don't know them like he does.

Black Cat took off his mask for a moment and started cursing, Pinocchio couldn’t see his face well since he had his hands in it, but he could see that his forehead was red from the hit. His sister did not scold him for the language, as many would have done the same with such force being inflicted upon them.

“Sorry” Pinocchio mumbled, he was starting to get his bad habit of opening doors with force again.

“Do you have any ideas?” Red Fox asked, “And pardon the bluntness, however, the cute gestures you give them won’t work for us”

Pinocchio rolled his eyes, he is naive but he isn’t that naive.

“You guys have to show how much you care about me”

Black Cat composed himself putting back his mask, “How are we supposed to do that? We helped you out recently and they didn't give a fuck”

“Can't the two of you tell them how you helped me back then at the Mallum District?”

“How the two of them barely helped” Gemini‘s cage changed to the color red.

“Hey I wasn’t faking it, I WAS feeling sick, I had that damn disease” Black Cat might have acted a little dramatic back then but he truly wasn’t feeling well.

Shortly after Pinocchio went ahead on his own, he started vomiting, his sister being next to him for support.

“Oh right” Gemini started feeling guilty, he saw firsthand how much the disease was affecting Antonia, it must have been hard for him too, not to mention how he had to fight while dealing with it.

Gemini is starting to realize he has been harsh on the two of them, they truly do care about Pinocchio; he does think they are a little impolite (specially Black Cat) but that’s hardly a crime. Gemini has seen firsthand what they would do to protect Pinocchio.

So he apologizes to them. The two stalkers breathed a sigh of relief.

“Our next best bet is Antonia” Black Cat started to wonder again what could please her.

“Well-” Pinocchio was interrupted when they all heard the door being gently opened, Blue had come to see them.

She seemed shaken up, trying to hide the fact she was not feeling well.

“Blue, are you alright?” Red Fox was concerned.

“It’s nothing” Blue lied.

She had been tasked with rescuing a boy who got lost inside a mine, a very dark mine, to the point she became engulfed in darkness. Despite turning on her special lights, she was terrified, but she had to push through, she had to save that boy. She did find him.

She found him dead.

He had a head injury, he must have fallen and that was what killed him, blood was coming out of his skull.

It was hard, carrying his body in her arms as she walked in complete darkness, her lights dimly illuminating the way. Her heart was pounding, for a moment she almost fell to her knees, but she had to compose herself. That wasn’t even the hardest part, the hardest part was when she finally emerged outside, the mother of the young boy screamed as soon as she saw him, and she took his body away from her forcefully, Blue couldn’t blame her.

The woman sobbed as she held the corpse of her child, Blue couldn’t watch it was too much.

Being a stalker is not a pretty job, it’s a constant danger, and it’s dealing with awful situations because you want to help others, even something as simple as an intel gathering could put you in danger, as others dont want their secrets to be spilled.
Not everyone can be saved, sometimes you come back from a task with your head filled with thoughts of how this could have been prevented. Blaming yourself is something that happens often, too often, and at this moment that was what Blue was doing in her head.

If only she had looked faster if only she wasn’t too afraid to walk in the dark, if only-

“Blue you don’t have to tell us but do not pretend you are okay when that’s not the case” Red Fox put her hand on Blue’s shoulder.

Blue just looked at the floor until she realized Pinocchio was there, she formally said hi before taking a deep breath.

“What is it that you wanted to tell me?”

“Hold on, a lot of things are happening at once, let’s pause” Black Cat didn’t want the two topics to get messed up.

“Guys, I have to go home so can it be quick?” Blue sounded defeated.

Blue has to go home, Pinocchio has to go home, so Black Cat shouts in frustration.

“Your client is an evil alchemist so you should quit!”

“What?” Blue was back to normal, the shock of hearing those words snapping her out of her trance.

After a brief explanation, Blue was quiet, not saying a word.

“I’m going to leave before my father gets mad” Pinocchio looked at his pocket watch, he was running out of time.

“Let me help” Blue Canary spoke with confidence, “I can spy on him”

None of them expected that reaction.

“Blue this is serious, your life could be in danger” Red Fox tried to dissuade her from that decision.

“He has me next to him almost all day, I can do something!”

Pinocchio was debating on staying or leaving, someone so close to Frederick Garret helping them would be ideal, still, it’s incredibly dangerous.

“Um…” Pinocchio looked at the time again, “Whatever you guys decide tell me later okay?”

With that said Pinocchio ran out of their place. They could hear Gemini scolding him, saying that he should have planned ahead before doing this, and Pinocchio telling his cricket friend the story they were going to tell his father if they didn't make it home in time.

“You brat! I know you are special but stop lying!”

“If I dont lie my father gave me this ability for nothing!”

That made all of them chuckle and the stalker siblings continued their conversation with Blue.

“Realistically what would you do?” Black Cat was also doubtful.

“He thinks I’m dumb, he won’t suspect if I snoop around with the excuse of me cleaning”

“Does he truly have an obsession with cleaning?” Black Cat had heard rumors but he thought they were a little ridiculous.

“Oh, you have no idea” Blue Canary had a deadpan stare, “That man is insane”

Blue started ranting about what Frederick considered to be dirty, which is literally everything. He washes his hands too much, yeah he is a doctor, and he needs to be clean but Blue has seen that sometimes his hands start bleeding due to so much washing.

“A lot of people come only to talk, I can spy on his conversations too”

The siblings looked at each other, this was not going to be easy, they knew firsthand how the alchemists operate… wait they knew firsthand how the alchemists operate.

“Blue do some of the people that come to the doctor’s office have a symbol somewhere of a green snake eating itself?” Red Fox asked, looking directly at her eyes.

“Mmm, actually they do” Blue Canary looked confused.

“When we were at their headquarters, we saw some alchemists that had that weird symbol, it had a funny name” Black Cat was trying to remember, “Uraborus? Auroraborus? Ouroboros? Yeah I think it was that last one”

“That must be a secret way for them to identify themselves” Red Fox was sure of it, “Do some of them also have a strange triangle symbol?”

“They do!” Blue has seen it dozens of times.

This could actually work, they know a few things about the alchemists. Blue could give them important information, they could help Pinocchio take them down. It was settled, and now they had a plan.

“Wait, how do you guys know all of that?” Blue asked.

The office door opened again, “That is what I wish to know too” Haneul entered the office, he had been gathering information, finally deciding to ask questions.

“DOES NOBODY KNOW HOW TO KNOCK?!” Black Cat shouted into the air, “Also who the hell are you?!”

“Are you Mastiff?” Blue has heard about him, “What is going on?”

“I have no idea” Red Fox was having a stressful day, “Look, I assure you, our alliances with them were out of desperation, not willingness, much less seeing each other eye to eye on our goals”

“Uhhhh where you there waiting outside to make the perfect entrance?” Blue Canary said.

Mastiff got a little flustered but at least his mask was hiding it, “I'm the one asking the questions here”

“My sister is right, I had the petrification disease, they offered us a cure, that is the only reason we took the job, we were never going to harm the old man or anyone else inside Hotel Krat” Black Cat confessed.

“It is a convincing story, yet I know that the Volfe's have ties to the alchemists” Mastiff gained back his serious tone.

“The family I left behind” Red Fox spoke coldly, not liking the accusation.

“Then, can the two of you describe what happened when Hotel Krat was raided?” He is a reasonable man, he can give them the benefit of the doubt.

—

The atmosphere felt tense, they were about to go inside Hotel Krat, waiting for the signal that the security system had been disabled.

“Look, we take the old man and we bail alright?” Black Cat said, “That is all our client wants”

“The more smoothly the plan goes the better, we shouldn't anger them” Red Fox did not want to mess with the alchemists.

The Black Rabbit Brotherhood pretended to be fine with that, they should have known better than to take their word. The two of them were taken aback when the security system was disabled and a loud sound could be heard, not expecting they would have that implemented all of them rushed inside Hotel Krat as soon as possible, by the time they entered the residents were trying to barricade themselves in the room upstairs.

Sophia was in the room, although hidden from view, she doubted the stalkers knew who she was, yet she did not wish to let them see her. Simon had already found out she had been communicating with Pinocchio, what would he do if he knew she was projecting an illusion of herself to others?

The youngest of the Black Rabbit Brootherhod was fast, stopping them from their tracks, the rest of them following behind after deactivating the stargazer.

The sound of a cat hissing was heard, angry at the attackers of its home.

“Spring!” Eugéne was carrying her in her arms, she took a few steps back and tried to calm the cat down.

“How cute” The Youngest was preventing the door from fully being locked, she was stronger than she looked aiming her weapon at Eugéne, “Maybe I should give you some marks to match the ones that kitty gives you”

“That's enough” Red Fox grabbed her shoulder, making her stop.

“I'll take it from here sis,” The Battle Maniac said, then spoke again to her and also his brother, “In the meantime, why don't the two of you decorate the place?”

“That is not-” The siblings spoke up at the same time but it was too late, the two of them already causing chaos inside the Hotel.

“We are here for Geppetto so hand him over,” The Battle Maniac was smirking underneath his mask.

They saw the others protest against it, trying to convince them man not to, that Pinocchio could arrive at any moment, but Geppetto knew what he had to do right away when he went out, carrying a black box.

“What's in the box?” Battle Maniac got a little closer, the rest by now had sealed the door shut to keep them safe.

“It's none of our business, we have him, we are leaving now” Red Fox wanted to get the hell out, wanted that cure for her brother, wanted all of this to be over.

The sound of things breaking and smashing could be heard all around the place, with loud bangs and shards of glass breaking everywhere.

“You truly are going to carry that while we take you hostage?” Battle Maniac was now face to face with Geppetto, “Maybe we should take a peek at what's inside”

The earth shook for a moment with the scream of the now corrupted parade master puppet. Then there was more noise of the chaos going on around them, both siblings could feel their heartbeats rising.

“Just leave that thing behind” Black Cat shouted at him, the cure, he needs that cure now, “You don't need it”

“I am not leaving without it, I don't care if I have to carry it”

“Are you joking?!” Why is he being stubborn? Black Cat is getting desperate, “Leave that damn thing here!”

“I'm not leaving without him!” Geppetto shouted back, realizing what he said, he looked away, “I know Simon wants me alive, so if he wants me there, this box is coming with me”

“We should deliver you dead to him” Battle Maniac aimed his weapon directly at Geppetto, “Or better yet, kill you here and leave the body for that puppet to see, I wonder if that thing will cry at the site of his daddy's corpse”

The battle going on outside became more intense, and the siblings knew they were running out of time.

“Look I'll carry it okay?!” Black Cat extended his arms, “Now come with us”

Red Fox wished she didn't have to but she grabbed Geppetto forcefully by the hand after her brother had the box with him. “The two of us are leaving so if the rest of you want to deal with the aftermath so be it”

The Brotherhood was putting the Hypocrite banner by that point, they were making their way out via the secret Gold Fruit Coin passage, their client informing them of the exit point, the Brotherhood slashed the door of the room, making the statement that they should be afraid of them before they caught up to the two of them. Going to the nearest Stargazer at the Mallum District, now finally they stuck to the plan, how the Brotherhood would stay behind in the Relic of Trismegistus and they would escort Geppetto to the location.

“We are going to tear apart that pretty toy you call your son” The youngest had a grin on her face, “But don't worry we will give you back all the pieces”

“I don't think he needs those pieces, he can just build himself a new one” The Eccentric Brother laughed, “A better and fancier one”

Black Cat and Red Fox could see that Geppetto felt tense about his son's well-being.

“Please guys, that's not a son to him, that's his flashy new invention” Battle Maniac laughed, “I bet that-”

“Shut up,” Geppetto said, “Don't you dare talk about my son that way”

They took the Stargazer to the isle of Alchemists, while they didn't have to make their way to the top as they were already halfway there, it did take them a while to walk all the way into the cells, putting the electrified lock, after that, the two of them talked about the next step.

“I'm going downstairs,” Black Cat said, as per the alchemists' request, they needed to make guard if Pinocchio showed his face, and they needed to stay separated, “There is water in one of the rooms, I could use it to know where he is”

“Do you think he will fight us?” Red Fox has seen him fight and knows that with his weak health and what Pinocchio is capable of, her brother won't stand a chance.

“I hope not”

“He is a good kid, he will understand”

Yet there is there is doubt, the two of them just kidnapped his father after all. They could only pray at that time that he wouldn't choose that option.

Red Fox was guarding the cell, each moment filled with tension, hours and hours passed, and at one point, she did overhear Geppetto talking to himself, or was he talking to that box? She was too stressed to properly pay attention.

“I'm sorry but this will be over soon… am I… am I truly going to… was Romeo right? Do you want to be brought back? Or do I want you to come back? No, I-”

The sound of footsteps approaching could be heard, Pinocchio had made it up top, he didn't say anything to her as she explained how his father was fine, but that was how he was back then, so quiet. Shortly after, she met again with her brother.

“You won't believe this, he gave me a cure”

“What?”

The two of them hugged each other, not wanting to let go

“I can't believe it either, let's get out of here before those bastards realize it” Black Cat had to take off his mask to shed a few tears, tears that his sister wiped away as they made their exit.

—-

“I see” Mastiff now knew all he needed, “That would be all”

“What seriously?” Black Cat was in disbelief, “No anger, no distrust, no nothing?”

“It does confirm what I have researched so far, so there is no need”

The stalker siblings are relieved that finally there is less doubt about their moral character.

“Now as for you, Blue Canary” Mastiff turned to address her, “Forgive me for involving you in all of this”

He had turned around to leave when Blue stopped him, “Wait, don't you want to help us?”

“Do not worry, I will, but I rather work alone” Never again will he have a partner, “For now, we can communicate from time to time, just know we are allies against the alchemists”

The isle of the alchemist that now lies abandoned, it is best he investigates and see what he can find there.

“That guy is weird,” Blue Canary said as he left, “Anyway, so how does my spying sound guys?”

They had a plan and someone close to the doctor at all times, this could work, and all of them were determined to make it happen.

—

“I see” Catherine played with the phone cord, a request; she never visits her clients' homes, except for this one, he is special after all, “I'll be there in less than an hour Frederick”

Chapter Text

Frederick was at his home, lying in bed. It’s not that late but he decided to lie in bed while he waited.

For the first time, he isn’t spending his free time cleaning his house, a lot of things are on his mind today. How his experiments must be going, how his plans are going, his masterpiece.

His family.

Many assumed he simply didn’t speak to his father because of his full schedule, truthfully he hadn’t spoken to his father in years, since he was eighteen. Only the obligatory talk if they crossed paths in public and others were looking.

“I hate you”

Frederick says nothing, the feeling has always been mutual, it seems that only as he was dying, did his father dare to say it out loud. He was staring at his dying father, who was panting in pain, his body agonizing, it twitched as he applied more of Paracelsus’s special stimulants.

“I should have…” Frederick’s father struggles to breathe, struggles to let the words out, “Your mother-”

Frederick snapped, slapping his father with force, his torture had been completely indirect until this point, only administering the painful drugs, he had never laid a hand on his father despite his complete hatred of him.

His father recoiled in pain, taking a deep breath, he managed to spit out the blood coming out of his mouth.

“Don’t you dare” Frederick finally spoke up, “Don’t you dare mention her”

Frederick is a cruel man, he has done countless atrocities, and he only cares about himself, but there was one person he did care about once upon a time.

“No, don’t you dare” His father stared daggers at him, taking another deep breath, “Why couldn’t you have been a normal child?”

Frederick is questioning how his father is gaining strength considering his situation, is it spite? The vitriol he has for his own son? His father starts ranting about his childhood, about Frederick’s… hobbies.

“Do you have any idea how many times I had to cover for you?”

“They were just animals” Frederick doesn’t take him seriously.

That he killed, that he dissected while they were alive. He wanted to see how much damage he could do before they died, animals have such a strong resistance to pain, and even at that young age, Frederick wanted to know how long one's life spawn could go.

The neighbors never did find out what happened to their beloved pets.

As he grew older, medicine was his interest, medicine was their family legacy, yet somehow in their lineage it was never something one was forced to do, they were all driven to it. Although Frederick’s reason was always different than the rest.

His father’s desperate breathing snaps him out of his trance, so he injects something into him, something that will make him feel worse.

There was a knock at the door, snapping Frederick out of his thoughts.

Catherine says nothing as she steps inside, she already knows the routine. He always examines her first, he wants to make sure she isn’t sick, a part of her is slightly grateful that he gets paranoid about contracting an STD from her since she gives her something to prevent those diseases. That’s what he says at least, she doesn’t ask what the medicine is, she knows it's something he made, that she should not ask.

He also makes her shower, a deep cleaning not just a quick one, that does slightly annoy her.

As usual, he gives her the ruby necklace to wear, his family heirloom. She then starts remembering the first time she met Frederick.

“What are you doing?” They were fourteen and she saw him washing blood off his hands at school.

“What are you doing?” He answers back with another question, “This is the boy’s bathroom”

“Looking for a good time” Catherine replied casually, both of them were supposed to be in class.

He ignored her as he cleaned himself and wrapped the corpse of a squirrel in paper, throwing it into the trash. At the time, she didn’t know why it didn’t occur to her that he was the one who killed the small creature. Then he stopped, intensely staring at her.

“It’s rude to stare” Catherine laughed, “Or do you think I’m pretty?”

“…You look pretty” Frederick looked away, clearly not used to talking with girls, or anyone in general, stumbling over his words, “You kind of look like my…”

He started playing with his hands, nervous, he was about to leave before she spoke up again.

“Do you want me to give you a handjob?”

He got flustered and confused at the random suggestion.

“Are you… Catherine?” He still wouldn’t look at her.

“That’s me” The entire school knew her by that point, “Did I scare you? I don’t know what’s wrong with me”

“You are a nymphomaniac”

“Well that’s a new one”

“I’m not insulting you” Frederick managed to get some courage, “It’s a medical condition”

“Mmm cool,” Catherine said, “Now I have an excuse to be this way, thanks”

“Don’t you want to know what that is?”

“Do you want to tell me about it?” Catherine purred, “Sounds fun, not better than my kind of fun but better than being in class”

Frederick was so cute, fucked up even back then but cute, he told her about it. He told her about other things related to medicine, they skipped the rest of the class for the day, hiding in one of the abandoned classrooms of their school.

The next time he saw her, it was in the same situation, although he was actually there to use the bathroom. Still, he washed his hands as intensely as when he was washing the blood of his hands.

“Why do you do that?” Catherine got closer to him, “They look clean to me”

“I have to make sure I’m not dirty” Young Frederick took a deep breath, “My mother is sick, I don’t want her to get sicker”

“Sick from what?”

“You are fucked up you know that?” Catherine is touching the ruby stone in the necklace, “Your father just died and you are feeling horny instead of sad”

Frederick remembers how his mother would touch that necklace much like she is doing now.

“I’m going to be fine sweetheart” His mother gave him a warm smile, “You should be outside with your friends”

A part of him wants to tell her he has no friends, but that would make her sad, and even if he had, he would still be taking care of her as he is now.

For years he has been her personal nurse, aside from his fun experiments or reading about medicine, he doesn’t do anything but take care of her, this has been going on since he was 7 years old. From a young age, Frederick could tell his mother's health wasn't the best, and over the years, things became worse for her, so he would stay by her side, being there for anything she needed, even if it was just giving her company, his mother was always alone, no one wanting to accidentally make her contract something that could make her feel worse, so she was always isolated.

“I’m sure your father is still working hard on finding what’s wrong with me”

His father is too busy curing everyone else but his mother, the woman he married. All his patients somehow take priority over her.

Frederick has started looking for the cause himself but he hasn’t found the answer. He insisted on staying by her side, she liked listening to him about his research, about his knowledge of medicine. Writing what he can in his notebooks, as well as writing everything his mother needs so he doesn't forget to help her with the treatments.

“You are going to be a great doctor one day Frederick” His mother plays with his hair, “Don’t tell him I said this but, better than your father”

Whatever it is, it’s not contagious, so he decides to lie down next to her, recently she has to be bed-bound, not being able to walk for longer than a few minutes, he hugs his mother who hugs him back. Frederick can tell she has been losing even more weight as he can feel her ribcage. When he reluctantly has to let go, he starts to look at the room, thinking about what he needs to do next, probably refill her IV bag and find her more pain medication.

“Why don't you tell me more about your research?”

He would love to tell her all about it, recently he found something very interesting but there was so little information on it, he kept looking and looking and couldn't find anything. So he decided to give up, it was probably fake since it was too good to be true, after he finished, Frederick started crying, something like that could have helped his mother.

“The world is full of wonderful things” His mother wiped away his tears, “I’m sure the philosopher stone can be real”

Frederick was going to tell her more when she started coughing violently, he tried to help her but it simply wasn’t going away.

His father’s desperate coughing is annoying him, why won’t he die already? Frederick stops biting his lip when he realizes he is bleeding.

“The only reason I put up with you was because of her” Frederick’s father is dying, no reason to hold back anymore, “I kept that reason after she passed because I loved her”

The only reason Catherine would spend time with Frederick was because she had no friends. All the girls hated her for stealing their boyfriends, the boys didn’t want her as a friend they desired her, or avoided her like the plague.

“You sure you don’t want to have sex with me?” Catherine was confused about why he always acted nice to her.

“I don’t” Frederick replied bluntly.

Catherine gave him a devious smile, “Well if you ever change your mind, go and look for me”

She was surprised when the letter arrived, he was not the only one who did, plenty of her previous male and female classmates sought her out after that time she got invited (and kicked out) of that school reunion, however, she assumed he would want to forget she even existed.

Catherine was gaining even more infamy, now she wasn’t only ruining petty school relationships, she was breaking marriages that had lasted for years. In her defense, it takes two to tango, they were paying for her services, and they were the ones looking for her.

Her services, she offered many, any requests no matter how bizarre they sounded. She would do it, of course for extra pay depending on what was asked.

Frederick’s request didn’t shock her, she knew how attached he was to his mother. She was surprised by how tame it was, knowing him, she expected her to cover herself in blood or something like that. She would have done it but still.

Each time, just as he did now, he would hand her the necklace with the precious stone for her to wear.

“Ruby”

Frederick overhears his father talking with his mother, despite not seeing them, he can tell his mother touched her necklace, she always does that when someone says her name.

“This is ridiculous, you have to discipline him since he is not listening to me”

“He doesn’t know any better dear” His mother’s voice, on the other hand, is calm and sweet.

“He is 15 years old!” His father gets angry, “Stop coddling him and do something about this!”

His father caught him operating on a dog, filling his lungs with liquid to see what would happen. His father was no vet but he somehow managed to save the animal, but now he was stuck with trying to come up with an explanation of why the neighbor's dog had a surgical scar.

“Frederick said he wanted to know how to make my lungs feel better”

“And you believe that?!”

They kept arguing, more like his father was shouting at his mother, who couldn’t talk without tiring herself. His father left the room, huffing in frustration as he left the house late for work. When he entered the room, his mother looked more exhausted than usual, she had her eyes closed while she lay down, trying to rest. Frederick slid next to her, hugging her, his face next to her chest, too close to her chest, burying his face inside of it, his weak mother not saying anything about the strange show of affection.

“You are a good boy, Frederick,” His mother said, “I’m so happy you are always here for me”

As usual, he doesn't want to let go but he has to, he can feel that her heartbeat is slower than normal, so he grabs a stethoscope and starts hearing her heartbeat, while hers is faint, his keeps rapidly rising, Frederick tries to hide it for her, making the excuse that he is nervous about her health as he looks at her beautiful face.

Catherine at first wondered why he would hire her, it goes completely against his beliefs and personality and she also wondered why he always gave her the necklace, it had to be because she might look like his mother.

Her suspicions were confirmed the day she was snooping around the house, a painting of his mother in the living room. Her face looks exactly like hers, the resemblance is uncanny, although the body type is different, his mother was skinny, too skinny, that’s to be expected from a woman who constantly suffered due to sickness, not to mention how Catherine is way taller than her, but frankly she is taller than everyone she knows or has met.

Is it strange? Yes. Disturbing? More so considering what he confessed to her long ago. But this man throws money at her as if she was a bank.

“Why are you going to the bank?” Frederick found it odd that his father was going to be there and not at work, he always sends someone else to do this finances.

“It’s none of your business” His father replies coldly.

“You are giving up aren’t you?” Frederick responded with the same coldness, “I saw that she was writing her will”

His father takes a deep breath, and for the first time, he tries to speak to Frederick without vitriol, he is trying to be comprehensive. Yesterday his son turned sixteen and he spent the day treating his mother as usual, as for him, well he had completely forgotten it was his son's birthday until his wife told him so before the two of them went to bed.

“Frederick everyone dies, your mother’s time has-”

“She can’t die yet!” Frederick shouted at his father, his mother is young, a woman in her thirties shouldn’t be dying, not when she is so kind, so wonderful, “We need to try harder!”

“I tried, there is nothing I could have done” Frederick’s dying father is trying to sound comprehensive, deep down he knows his son loved her.

Loved her too much.

“Don’t lie to me” Frederick says coldly to his father.

“I’m not-”

“DON’T LIE TO ME!” Frederick breaks the glass syringe he has in his hands with his force, his anger consuming him, glass now struck in his hands, blood coming out of them.

“I’m not lying Frederick” Catherine is still shocked, “I just can’t believe you actually prepared me dinner”

“What you thought I didn't know how to cook?” Frederick replied sarcastically, “I just… I just wanted to do something nice for you…”

From then on they would have “dates” in his house, because he wouldn’t be caught dead taking a slut like her into an actual date, not always did it end up in sex, she is the one who tends to get disappointed about that. The same as when they were kids he would talk and talk about his interests and his medical knowledge and she would listen, Frederick doesn't want to hear about how her daily life, to his credit, most people wouldn't want to hear about that either.

He would buy her clothes, jewelry, chocolates or other sweets, makeup…

“I got you these” Frederick extended his hand, giving her the red roses.

“Aw, you shouldn’t have” His mother was filled with joy.

“Well father forgot to give you something special so I…” It was Valentine's Day and his father didn’t do anything special for her, only a dumb kiss and saying he loved her before he went to work.

Frederick analyzes the room as usual, IV fluids aren't enough, she now needs to have blood transfusions due to her anemia, it's his blood, his father who works at a hospital couldn't bother to do this for her, saying that “there are regulations, I cannot take them away simply like that” his father also refuses to tell him his mother’s blood type only mentioning that he has the same as hers, Frederick isn't stupid, he knows his father believes that if he knows it he will go out of his way to do anything to get that blood in his hands, that clever bastard…

Frederick was done giving his mother her treatments, he sat down next to her, and hugged her, again invading too much of her personal space.

“I'm feeling so much better today, all thanks to you”

His heart is racing again, he loves it when his mother praises him, and today she is feeling better, that’s all thanks to his efforts. When he grows up he is going to cure so many people, and they are going to praise him like she does, and be so grateful and they are all going to depend on him. Just as his mother depends on him, he wants his mother to get better but even after she does, he still wants to take care of her.

“Can I…ask you a few things?”

She nodded, happily answering all of his questions about her symptoms, he needed to know more about her history, which should give him a clue on what is affecting her.

He is not content with just doing a basic check-up, he also decides to draw blood to analyze, his mother's veins are so delicate that he accidentally ends up hurting her, his hands covered in her blood as fixes the mistake he made, Frederick feels as if his heart is going to jump out of his body, he accidentally hurt her while drawing blood why is he feeling so… he pushes those feelings aside as he keeps on examining her, going to his room to see what he can find, not cleaning the blood off his hands for hours until he panics and realizes how disgusting that is, washing them until his skin itself is bleeding.

The next day, he filled an entire notebook about the probable cause, he was convinced it was not only one problem but two at the same time, he told his father what he had found, and his father instantly dismissed him.

“While you are at it, stop looking at those ridiculous books about magic, that stone you are looking for is only a story”

“Unfortunately you didn’t listen to me” Frederick rolled his eyes at his father’s pleading, “What a great doctor you are right?”

Frederick’s father had no room to argue on that point, considering he so easily dismissed his son’s research, he did eventually find out his wife's cause of death, and sure enough, it was what his son had told him, he also found out about…

“Did you think I wouldn't find out about what you are doing?”

His father cornered him one day as he returned from school, Frederick thought he would be at work but he canceled that day to confront him.

“Why are you constantly skipping class?”

“I…” Frederick struggles to speak, “I hang…out with a… friend” He is also skipping class to perform his experiments but surely that answer will suffice.

“Sure, you expect me to believe you have friends?”

Okay, plan B, “Mommy! Father is being mean to me again!”

Frederick has a smug grin on his face when he hears his mother shouting at his father to leave him alone or else.

Only the sound of panting is heard in the room, Digging his fingernails into the bed as his body starts twitching again in pain.

Frederick is panting with pleasure, digging his fingers into Catherine’s back.

“Frederick”

He froze, It was the middle of the night and he had a rabbit in his hands that he planned to experiment on when she caught him in his room.

“Mommy I-” He tries to explain himself but he can tell something is wrong with his mother, he catches her as she almost falls, grabbing him with force, her fingernails stuck to his back.

Coughing blood that starts to turn into vomiting blood, he panics as he tries to help her, he shouts for his father's help but then realizes he isn't here, why isn't he home? Why is he still working? She is losing a lot of blood, even when she stops he can tell that if she doesn't get a transfusion his mother could die.

It's around 1 am when his father finally arrives, Frederick is covered in blood, her blood, and his blood as he had run out of blood bags and needed to use his again; but in his state he had hurt himself too much while trying to help her. He can't remember the other things he did to help his mother, only that he kept crying and that she kept coughing, the sound was driving him crazy, he could barely concentrate and he hated it, he hated how much she struggled to breathe.

He ends up fainting and when Frederick wakes up he sees his father treating him, only saying that his mother is fine. He doesn't say anything about the small rabbit cowering in fear in a corner of the room, his father ignores it, as how he ignores that his mother is dying.

“What are you doing?!”

He has a knife in one hand, and a little duck in the other squirming to get away. Today he didn't want to test any of his theories, he only wanted to have fun because he was dealing with so much lately.

“Don't do that you asshole!” Catherine takes away the animal from him, she pets it to calm it down, the duck feeling safe with her. For a few days, she ignored him, until he asked her to meet again.

To her surprise, he apologized, and not only that, he gifted her a duck plush. Catherine still has it to this day.

“You make me feel weird”

“It's called getting turned on”

“Not that kind of weird” He rolled his eyes at her, “I can't kill ducks anymore, they remind me of you”

“So I’m assuming whatever blood is in your hands is not from a duck then?” Catherine finds it odd he hasn’t cleaned himself.

“Don’t go into the boy’s bathroom”

“Why not?” Catherine is well aware she shouldn’t frequent the place, but she knows Frederick well enough that there is something more behind it.

He doesn’t respond to her, Catherine looks at his hands, he is holding something blue and shiny with force.

“What’s that?” Catherine asked.

Frederick smiles while still not looking at her “It’s called Ergo”

Frederick remembers studying medicine when the alchemists arrived, they were seeking out those who would join them and were surprised at his knowledge about Ergo, not only did he know as much as them but he knew things some members of their organization didn't. So he was invited to join right away, and he ended up graduating early, all going too well for him.

Thankfully for him, he learned later in life how to behave normally, it did help reading those books about psychology, it took him a lot of work but he turned around from completely socially stunted to a charismatic young man. Granted people still thought he was weird for being obsessed with cleaning but he knew he couldn't be perfect in the eyes of others.

He was performing surgery on a patient, a Pneumonectomy on a man that has been battling cancer; on the outside he looked composed, doing it perfectly without any issue, better than any other doctor would, but on the inside his heart was racing.

His patient died a few days later, Frederick was always by his side, the man so thankful that he wasn't alone in his final moments, that he was so lucky to have an angel by his side who was trying everything they could to save him, and Frederick would give him a warm smile because he loves making his patients feel that way. His hands shook at the sound of the coughing, he never got over doing that, but he knows how to hide it well by now, hiding the stress and discomfort as well as hiding the pleasure he feels.

During the autopsy, he took the man's Ergo and did some experimentation, finding something very interesting, so he tested it on some living subjects and got even better results, as usual, he went to share his findings with the rest of the alchemists.

“You might have everyone fooled, but I know that amount of knowledge on Ergo doesn't come with normal research”

“I'm not sure what you are implying Simon” Frederick said.

“I'm implying…” Simon had a twisted grin, “That whatever you did to get that information, I would like you to do it again”

“Frederick”

He was doing his homework when his father spoke up to him, Frederick looked up annoyed to see what he wanted.

“You are not a little boy” His father sighs in frustration, “You don't need your mother to coddle you each time you get upset”

“You turned seventeen and you still act as if you are seven” Frederick's father said with a stern voice, “I don't care if you are having nightmares, stop waking us up in the middle of the night”

Things are silent again in the room, Frederick still waiting for his father to die, while his father reflects on the past. Only until his old age did he wonder why he never thought about hiring a personal nurse for his wife or decided to have her hospitalized, why he stuck his 7-year-old son with that duty, making sense why his son's behavior finally changed years later after his wife passed.

Frederick looks away, his father taking it as a sign that his son for once listened to him, that he was ashamed of his behavior, so he goes to his study to work on something when suddenly his wife shouts at him to come to see her, at first he is worried about her health until she says why she called him.

“Your son is having a hard time and you yell at him for being upset?!” She shouted at her husband for the first time since she married him, “Do you even know why he is upset?”

Frederick was hugging his mother, he had tears in his eyes, as well as a devious smile only his father was able to detect. His father cannot argue back, as he truly doesn't know what his son has been dealing with, is his son truly upset? Or is he making it up because he wants his mother's attention?

None at school knew what to say or how to react, Catherine was close by when it happened so she got to see it from the moment it started, it was only a simple question, Lucero asked Frederick how his mother was doing, however, Frederick completely broke down, sobbing and talking incoherently about his mother, shaking, gasping and hyperventilating, at that age and crying in front of anyone would be something you would get mocked for, instead everyone was looking at him with pity.

“Did you even think for a second that maybe it's affecting him that I'm dying right before his eyes and you would rather ignore it by slaving over your job?!” The woman clenched her delicate fists, “Do you have any idea what he does every goddamned day to help me?”

He gives her medication, changes her IV, gives her blood transfusions, gives her oxygen therapy, helps change her, and helps bathe her, those last two she insists she can do on her own but her sweet son is too worried about her.

His parents have another argument, this time his mother found her strength, they are shouting about a lot of issues not just this one, to the point she kicks him out of their shared bed, not literally as she cannot move properly, but he is going to have to sleep in the guest room.

Frederick celebrates that victory by sleeping next to his mother that night, and the next night, and the next, his father never slept next to his mother after that day, Frederick was always hugging her, always staying too close to her. He dreams about the philosopher stone, if he had that stone, he could save his mother's life. If he had that stone, there were so many other things he could do…

“Frederick!”

For a moment he is snapped out of his trance, Catherine pushing him off her, as she grabs her back in pain, drops of blood coming out of the scratches.

Catherine sighs in frustration, this also happened the last time, what has been his problem lately? It’s as if he is in a completely different world, not reacting to anything. No matter how many times she called his name, he simply wasn't listening, sort of as if he is on autopilot and Frederick isn't exactly the best guy in bed so his autopilot skills don't tend to satisfy her.

Catherine snaps her fingers at Frederick, “Hey, are you listening to me?”

Frederick was quiet, sitting on the floor with his hands buried in his face, she found him alone outside of class in their usual spot.

“No” Frederick had tears in his eyes, “My Mother died last week”

“Oh,” Catherine didn’t know what to say, so that’s why he missed an entire week of school.

His father hasn't spoken to him since, he doesn't look at him. Frederick would stay in bed all day, not doing anything, not eating, he wanted to root in that bed, he wanted to die; eventually, this morning his father opened the door to his room, and for a moment he wanted to say something to him but he didn't, he only gave him a look that indicated that he needed to go back and resume his studies.

“Catherine… do you ever feel bad about the things you do?” He let out a few sobs as he wiped the tears off his face.

“No” Her family might be ashamed of her, but she isn’t ashamed of herself.

“Me neither” Frederick smiled at her.

She was surprised at his sudden boost of confidence, “Why so happy?”

He doesn’t answer her, again too immersed in his thoughts. Maybe it’s also her fault, she is also thinking about the past, and compared to other issues she has had to face, this seems minor to complain about.

People like her tend to… get assaulted. You cannot complain, no one would believe you. Being a prostitute isn't exactly a job others look upon fondly, whatever happens to her or others like her doesn't matter to everyone else, people can treat you like garbage and you simply have to take it.

She lies down in bed, she is just going to wait for him to come to his senses, sometimes she doesn’t know how to feel about him, but at that moment, some words unconsciously leave her mouth.

“I love you”

“Oh don’t give me that bullshit,” Frederick said to his father.

“You were hard to love but I did love you”

“Didn’t you just say you hated me?” Frederick cannot stand him.

“I do, I hate you” Frederick’s father knows it sounds contradictory, but at the end of the day, Frederick is his son. If he didn’t feel some semblance of love he wouldn’t have covered up the things he did. Maybe it is nature since a father is supposed to protect his son, so he protected him, but that did not stop him from detesting his son, now as he is dying he is filled with regrets of the past, everything he could have done differently.

“I love you, son,” His mother says in her weak voice.

He was talking with her, keeping her company as he always does, she talked about the past, about things she used to do and loved, the many things she wished she could do, how she regretted that he had to take care of her when it should have been the other way around.

“I know you are going to do wonderful things with your research” His mother was gently touching his face, “Just… be a good boy for me while I'm gone please”

No no no she can't die now! If his mother dies, who is going to always be there for him? If she dies who is going to always say sweet things to him?

If she dies, who is going to love him?

Frederick is holding her as she closes her eyes, taking her final breath, her body going limp, her beautiful green eyes losing all their brightness. He is sobbing, he knows there is nothing he can do. Gently, he does something he never had the courage to do.

He kissed her.

“Isn’t it weird that we only kissed until now?” Catherine had known him for years, they were spending time together at his home for another date when he suddenly kissed her.

“What do you mean?” Frederick asked.

“I mean, what are we at this point?” Catherine is confused as he is.

“Like are we a couple?” Catherine finally brought the elephant in the room, “Am I your girlfriend?”

They are both 30 years old, she is starting to find it strange that he isn’t married yet, at least for the sake of appearances he should have done that by now.

This is the first time he kisses her yet he has shown other types of affection towards her, for some reason he loves it when the two of them lie together in bed while he hugs her, staying too close to her, and if she ever gets sick he drops everything to treat her, he is so weird about it when he does that, yet he also keeps her hidden so perhaps a true definition would be that she somewhat of a mistress. Whatever it is, she wants confirmation about their relationship.

“Don’t be ridiculous” Frederick scoffed at the idea, he started to grab his things to leave, “I have to perform an autopsy so go away now”

“I performed an autopsy on your mother”

Frederick immediately became tense, why did he never think about his father doing that? Does he know? He started shaking, trying to compose himself because he never thought his father would find out about what he did.

“I needed to know the cause of the death and I…” Frederick’s father finally confessed, “I found… I found the traces of…”

“Damn,” Catherine looked at him weirdly, “You fucked your dead mom?”

Frederick simply nods, by this point everyone was leaving school, they hadn’t attended any of their classes. Catherine wonders how in trouble the two of them are at this point by always missing school.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Frederick questions why he brings it out now. No, why is he questioning him? His father has always despised him, he is doing this to hurt him, and he won’t give him the satisfaction.

“I don’t know,” Frederick has a twisted smile on his face, “But you know what?”

“What?“ Catherine no longer looks at him weirdly, she is looking at him with fear, her heartbeat rising.

Frederick makes direct eye contact “I would do it again”

He can tell that made his father feel afraid of him, so Frederick is surprised when his father holds his hand gently.

His father is holding his hand gently, “Son, I know things have been hard since your mother passed away”

It's been four months, four months of not saying a word to each other.

“But-”

“No” That's all he says, no to whatever speech he has prepared for him, probably about how he spends all day in bed now that he is in spring break, shouldn't he be happy that he is too depressed to do his hobbies or research?

“Frederick listen-”

“Can you leave me alone? You left her alone, why can't you do the same for me?”

His father is angry, at the accusation, at his son constantly believing he didn't love his wife, a part of him wants to yell at him as he would always do but he can't. So he takes a deep breath and pulls something out of his pocket, the necklace she would always wear.

“She would have wanted you to have this” The man had kept it for himself to remember her, but his son needed it more, with that said, he left.

Frederick feels strange, this is the first time his father has done something nice for him, Why? Why now after his mother died? Why couldn't he have acted this way before? More importantly, why does he care?

“I don't get it,” Frederick said to Catherine, he had gone to look after her, and it wasn't hard. She was feeding some ducks in a pond.

“I mean, it's your father so he has to like you a little” Catherine knows about the troubled relationship, “My father says he hates me all the time but he gives me money to buy food for the ducks”

“I don't… I feel like… I have this strange feeling of- NOT FEELING THAT WAY YOU FREAK!” Frederick shouted at her since she was taking off her shirt.

“Geez you are one to talk” Catherine stops, “What kind of feeling?”

“Why do I want him to like me?”

“Why couldn't you have loved me?! Frederick shouts at his dying father, “Truly love me, not whatever regret you are feeling right now, why couldn't you have loved me back then like she loved me?!”

His mother loved him, his patients love him, so why doesn’t his father truly love him? He is only saying this now because he is dying so Frederick refuses to believe him.

Wait, why does he suddenly care about his father's approval? Frederick doesn't get it, but he becomes emotional. Why did he never make the effort to know about his interests? At least his normal ones, he is a doctor too, speaking of being a doctor he never congratulated him for becoming one at such a young age, he never said anything about the studies he published, and he never even pretended to be proud of him.

“Why?”

“Why what?” Frederick replies to Catherine with another question.

“Why do you want to make that stone? You never shut up about it but you have never said why you want it” Catherine was at his home, having another “date” with him.

“It's the key to eternal life”

“Yes but, why do you want that?” Catherine doesn't see the point, “I mean what do you do next?”

Frederick sighs, “You wouldn't get it” He isn't just doing it because of the love he had for his mother.

“Then explain it to me” Catherine knows he underestimates her intelligence, he does that with everyone.

Frederick takes a deep breath, “This is a… crude analogy but if you could… have the ability to sleep around forever or at least for a prolonged period of time would you do it?”

“I guess?” Catherine said.

“I want to advance humanity, you don't do that in a generation, it takes multiple ones, it takes a lot of trial and error”

“Don't you complain all the time about your boss Simon who wants the same goal?”

“It's not the same thing” Frederick explained “I want to study humanity, to advance the power of medicine, I want real perfection for humans, he doesn't want that, he wants others to worship him as a god”

“I don't expect humanity to be perfect once I have it, or that it will solve everything, although it will solve a great significant amount of issues such as…”

Great, now he is giving his nerd rants about medicine and alchemy, she shouldn't have asked. As long as he doesn't go into detail this time about his experiments things will be fine. Should he even be telling her all of this? She is sure that by now has as much knowledge as an actual alchemist.

“Son, what's the point?” Frederick's father is still holding his hand, “Would getting the philosopher stone truly make you happy?”

He knows about the philosopher stone, knows that his son is an alchemist, and knows what he has been up to for a long time, after all, he is his father. Not only that but he knows about Catherine too, but now is not the time to bring up the subject, in fact, it will never be.

“Don't change the subject” Frederick looks coldly at him, “Answer me”

“You wouldn't get it”

“Then explain it to me” What does his father think he is stupid?

There is a long pause, his father struggling to breathe, his time coming to an end, “I told you… you were hard to love” Those were his last words. His heart was not able to take it, finally stopping, his body going limp, his eyes now devoid of life.

“My apologies” Frederick can’t look at Catherine.

“What is wrong with you?” Catherine asks, “And I don't mean the obvious, you have been acting off lately”

Frederick doesn’t answer her, instead, he slaps her with force, not the first time he hits her but in her mind, this is the last.

“You know what?” Catherine is about to take off the necklace, “I’m done, we are done”

“No wait!” What the hell is wrong with him?! Why is he begging this harlot to come back?

“No, I’m done with your bullshit, so I’m leaving and never coming back” Catherine stood up to try and get her clothes before he stopped her.

Grabbing her hand forcefully, digging his fingernails into her skin “Don't leave me”

“Really, you don't want me to leave?” Catherine said, “Why not?”

“Because…”

“Because I mean something to you? Do I? Or what are we supposed to be?”

Catherine might have slept with half of Krat by now but she is a human being with feelings, and this man makes her have so many conflicting feelings. Does he see her as simple pleasure like everyone else? Does he love her? She is tired of this, she wishes she could see him as just another client, as just one of her other regulars.

But she can't, too much history between the two of them, at the very least he trusts her. What hasn't he told her yet? Almost as if she is his human diary, if she was him, Catherine would have taken all of those secrets to the grave, specially what he did to his mother (seriously why did he tell her that???). Catherine is aware of what alchemists do to those who reveal their secrets, his colleagues wouldn't be pleased to know the many many things the man has told her. Hell, he gets rid of people so easily who he suspects might reveal something minor yet she is the exception.

Frederick bites his lip, why is he so nervous? Why doesn’t he answer her?

“I’m…well…” Frederick is stumbling over his words, just as he did when he first met her all those years ago.

It’s strange, how much time has passed, how he is a man who dominates each room he is in, not letting anyone have the upper hand, how he likes to humiliate those who stand against him, how he has power over those worms that are beneath him. How he gained the confident charismatic persona he shows to the public that loves him and how he advanced his cruelty behind closed doors to those that fear him.

Yet at this moment, he is that pathetic child who couldn’t look at anyone in the eyes.

Frederick starts playing with his hands, still stuttering on his words not making any sense of what he wants to tell her.

“Shut up” Catherine gives him a deadpan stare.

He shuts up, it’s late at night, and he needs to go back to work as a doctor and as an alchemist. He needs to see the process of his masterpiece, check on all of his experiments, talk with his subordinates, and see at least 20 patients at his office.
The world around him is collapsing and he has to do what he always does, life goes on, your father died, that's what you wanted, you should be celebrating, that's why you asked her to come here tonight.

Catherine rolls her eyes, this is what she gets for asking a question she knows the answer to, she knows that Frederick will never be this vulnerable to anyone and she knows she will never be this vulnerable to anyone either. They are together because with who else? No one else would love a sex addict like her and no one else would love a psychopath like him.

“Do you love me?” Frederick asks her. Feeling desperate, because as pathetic as it sounds to him, he wants someone to love him.

“Are you serious right now?” Catherine can't believe him, “Of course, I love you, you emotionally stunted idiot”

Frederick takes a deep breath, buries his hands on his face, and starts sobbing.

Catherine puts her hand on his shoulder “There, there, it's going to be fine, I know it's hard to believe for you, but you are allowed to have emotions”

“Can you stay with me tonight?”

“Can you pay me more than usual?”

He nods and Catherine lies in his bed, pulling the covers, maybe she is also screwed up in some way because she finds it cute how pathetic he is, how desperate he gets for his twisted forms of love and affection since this is not the first time he has had a breakdown in front of her.

Catherine comforts him, sometimes she has the upper hand in this screwed-up relationship and she enjoys it while it lasts, and sometimes she makes him feel worse on purpose, guilty of tripping him about if this is what his real mother would have wanted, or by asking him how his colleagues would react to knowing about how he hires her services, or by playing into his mysophobia, one time she made him have a panic attack it was amusing, but right now, she is too emotionally drained to do that.

Frederick hugs her and buries his face on her chest, “You stupid whore”

“Mhm, let mommy sleep please”

Frederick gets even closer to her. All his work is finally coming to fruition, he is getting what he always wanted, he always gets his way and right now, he wants to feel loved.

—

Frederick gives her 3 envelopes filled with bills, he did pay her more than usual. With the money he gives her, she actually has quite a lavish lifestyle. If she weren’t addicted to sleeping around she would have retired by now and be living in a luxury home.

“Have fun at your job”

“Have fun at your job too” Frederick feels off today he doesn’t know where that came from (she doesn't even work until night) not only that but he hugs and gently kisses her.

“One of these days, I’m going to kill you,” Frederick whispers to her, “And I’m going to fuck your corpse like how I did with my mother”

He is going to kill her, dissect her apart, and keep her all to himself forever.

Catherine doesn’t seem faced by that threat, no, by that promise, “In the meantime, be a good boy for me won’t you?” She even plays with his hair to act more motherly.

“Stop it, you stupid whore”

“Aw did I embarrass my little Frederick?”

“Oh, I almost forgot” She might as well ask now, “When we were kids and someone was found dead at school, that was you wasn't it?”

“Yes, why?”

“Nothing, just curious, call me if you need someone to tug you into bed tonight”

He insults her again and she simply blows him a kiss before leaving. Frederick feels flustered, he hates that woman so much.

Before Frederick goes to his office, he makes a small stop to see his work in progress, thrilled at seeing the results, he cannot wait to come back later and see his beautiful listener again, her beautiful transformation putting a smile on his face. Everything he worked for is so close he can almost touch it.

“Why so happy Frederick?” Giangio surprised him as he was on his way to the hospital.

“My research is going well” The man was filled with joy.

“Wonderful” Giangio gets closer to him, walking right by his side, “By the way-”

“I’m sorry,” Frederick said while still smiling, not changing his tone.

“Say what?” Giangio is taken aback, Is he dreaming? Did Frederick just apologize to him?

“About the other day, when I went to your home and was pretty rude about it,” Frederick said, “That behavior was unacceptable”

“… Frederick are you… feeling alright?”

“No” Frederick has an emotional hurricane inside of him, “My father just died”

“Yes, I heard about that, but didn't you say you hated him?”

“You know, I always thought I would be happy when my father died, but I’m not happy, I feel miserable.” He feels like he is losing his sanity, he has been acting so strange these past few days, and he has been acting weak, “In fact, I feel worse than when he was still alive, how is that possible? I don't know, I don't care, I just want it to stop”

Is it the lack of work? He rarely takes breaks, at a maximum 1 or 2 days, and he hasn’t worked in 3 weeks. He just wants to go back to treating others, he misses his patients, perhaps he has become so dependent on taking care of others that he can’t function properly if he doesn’t.

Giangio is too bewildered to respond, still not processing the fact Frederick is opening up to him. He is sure that if he tells someone about this no one will believe him, so perhaps that's the reason.

“Anyway” Frederick composed himself, returning to his old self, “I know I shooed you out plenty of times, however, the philosopher stone is almost ready, so if you wish to marvel at my creation, you are welcomed beneath the Relic of Trismegistus”

“Is this about your-”

“Just make sure nothing of the filth outside comes next to my pretty listener, I won’t tolerate the outside contaminating her”

“But-”

“Speaking of contaminating, cut your nails, they are too long, and dirt is going to start accumulating underneath them”

“I literally just-”

“I must leave now before I'm late for work so try not to mess up any valuable progress while I’m gone”

With that said Frederick got inside a carriage, leaving Giangio alone with his thoughts.

“I guess he is still human after all” Giangio for a long time had only seen him as this megalomaniac force of evil, much like Simon was.

Although in the end, can he compare the two of them? Their goals might seem similar yet are completely different, Simon never truly believed in advancing humanity, that was an excuse for the power he desperately lusted for, how he wanted to make the world in his twisted image, leaving away his humanity to do so. Frederick believes in that stone, it has been his entire life goal, and all the alchemists who have known him are aware of how hard he worked for this, the man is feared with good reason, but he is respected and admired because creating that stone has been his truth. A little ironic that Simon wanted to make a world without lies when he lied his way to the top, while Frederick… well he lies about his public persona, but his true motives within the organization have never been hidden.

It’s odd, how Frederick cannot renounce his humanity as Simon did.

Whatever just happened, the man was in a good mood, (or perhaps in the middle of a mental breakdown) and he permitted him to see his masterpiece when that’s supposed to be a privilege for only his most trusted inner circle. So he should get going and see what he did to that poor girl.

Chapter Text

“Gemini are you okay?”

Gemini moves his little antennas in confusion, what was that noise? Pinocchio didn't seem to hear it, “It's nothing pal”

Today is the last day of the exhibition, yesterday he said goodbye to Alexander and right now he has some free time before he goes to see Antonia for a music lesson. At first, Pinocchio was doing the homework his father gave him but he decided to take a break and read the notes that Arlecchino left behind.

—--𖦹—--

Dimensional research

Dimensional butterflies have been known for at least two centuries, yet the knowledge about them is extremely limited.

Where do they come from?
Are they from an entirely different place of reality?
Or is it possible that they exist in universes parallel to ours?

Each time one is killed, they leave something behind, appearing out of thin air. Almost as if they are magic, but magic does not exist, there has to be a reasonable explanation behind these beings.

—--𖦹—--

Now that Pinocchio thinks about it more carefully, where exactly do they come from? Is there another world similar to theirs? But how do they come here in the first place? Do they all come from the same place? Sophia's laughter interrupts his thoughts as she laughs, his springs were being loud again due to the overthinking. A little embarrassed Pinocchio keeps on reading.

—--𖦹—--

Cricket Cries

The sound produced by crickets has become essential in our research of dimensional butterflies, their cries are what attracts them, the main theory is that they hear the cry and assume they must be in danger.

The buzzing of bugs such as bees or the sound produced by cicadas do not attract them. So it must be an inherent ability innate to crickets.

—--𖦹—--

“I can't believe they are also experimenting on crickets” Gemini's light was red with anger.

“Unfortunately, they use anything they can get their hands on” Sophia knows that no matter how big or small the creature is, if it serves their goal, they won't hesitate to use them for their experiments.

“Sophia, can I ask you something?” Pinocchio put the notes aside.

“Sure, you can ask me anything clever one”

“Can you help me with my homework?”

A part of Gemini wants to tell him he is supposed to do it by himself but right now he is learning about the periodic table and that's pretty hard, and Sophia knows a lot about that sort of topic. The cricket watches as Pinocchio explains to Sophia his questions, looks like she would make a great teacher, Gemini is enjoying the moment, although a part of him still can feel that awful sound in the back of his mind, he tries to ignore it, maybe he should ask Geppetto later to see if he needs maintenance.

—

Blue was at the doctor’s office although not for her job, she was in an appointment with her father, Frederick instructed her to come fully to work the next day. It feels different being in a room with him now, a part afraid he might experiment on her father or something along those lines, even if she knows that is unlikely, her father is also in better health now and that is thanks to him, so it's giving her conflicting feelings.

“You are making good progress, are there any side effects of the medication I'm giving you?” Frederick asked.

Blue watched as her father answered the questions, and she looked around the room to see if she could detect anything in his office when the doctor realized she was acting a little unusual.

“She is just nervous because we will be attending a gala”

Saved by her father, and since she was already wearing the dress, it made it more believable.

“Who knows? Maybe she will come out with a suitor”

“Father!” Blue shouted at him flustered, “I still feel too young to get married”

“You know your old man got married at eighteen candy” Lucero laughed, “Frederick was at the wedding, I remember as if it was yesterday”

“Yes and I might be on your daughter's side on that one, you were insane to marry so young, we hadn't even graduated from school” Frederick rolled his eyes, “But I guess it worked out in your case”

“It worked out perfectly, why I remember it was your first time attending a formal event and you asked me how to act normally”

“Yes… I did that…”

Blue tried her hardest not to laugh, she wouldn't want to make him angry, “Since I am here, is there anything you wish to tell me before I resume my duties tomorrow?”

“I will need you to do other tasks as I will be out of my office more often but we can talk about that privately,” Frederick said.

Everything was going well, the two men speaking casually before wrapping up the appointment when Frederick mentioned under his breath something about wishing to know a way to communicate with others fastly and more privately for “medical reasons”. She would not rather help him in his activities but she needs to gain his trust, or at least want her around for more things than standing still.

“I know a way” Blue smiled, “Do you mind if I demonstrate?”

Frederick seemed intrigued by that so he let her, she opened the window of his office and called upon her eagle who arrived in a few seconds, “She can send messages faster than any mail-delivering service”

The man was impressed, this could help a lot in sharing information between the alchemists, “Perfect, I am glad to have listened to your father and hired you, I cannot wait to tell you your new work duties tomorrow”

“Thank you so much, Frederick, for taking care of me and for giving my daughter the opportunity to work with you”

Frederick smiled, he has been on edge but treating his patients will make him better, and will be able to put that mess behind him. He just needs someone to take care of and that will make his problems go away.

—-

“Blue Canary I thought you canceled your duties for today to attend that fancy gala” Lion was in front of her, “You know the rules, or did you forget already that you cannot cancel and suddenly change your mind?”

“Yes Lion, I came to fulfill my duties in a dress and high heels” Blue rolled her eyes, “I forgot something here yesterday, I’m only picking it up”

Blue went to her locker, found what she was looking for, and was ready to leave when Lion stepped on her dress forcefully without her noticing, she fell onto the floor and everyone could hear the dress ripping from the back.

“Are you okay?” Lion gave her a fake smile and offered to help her get back up, everyone was staring at them.

She declined, getting up by herself as she held part of her dress so it wouldn’t fall and humiliate herself, it was hard to stay composed when everyone was staring at her, hearing a few murmurs from male stalkers about how they wished her dress would have ripped more.

“Do you guys have no manners?! Stop looking at her!” Tiger was watching and shouted at them, he knew they would try and downplay it so he decided to make them feel guilty, “What if that was your mother or sister in that situation?!”

That made all the male stalkers turn around, Tiger then turned around too, and some of the female stalkers present helped Blue Canary go somewhere private so she could change herself, thankfully she had spare clothes in her locker, you tend to get dirty while working as a stalker after all.

Lion was fuming on the inside but tried to act friendly once Blue returned with her ripped dress in her hands, “Hopefully that wasn’t too expensive”

“Oh not at all Lion don’t worry” Blue had a smirk on her face, “This was one of my casual ones, with this weather I wanted to feel more relaxed for the occasion”

All the female stalkers in the room knew that dress, it was from one of the most pristine brands in the city, that dress was the envy of all young women in Krat, all Bastard stalkers come from wealthy families, yet that dress price tag would hurt their wallets.

“Although I really did love it, it’s a shame, oh well, I guess I can just ask my daddy to buy me another one” Blue played along, if some of them wanted to think she was a spoiled princess she might as well play the part.

Blue was about to throw away the dress when several girls stopped her, begging her to gift it to them, that they knew a way to fix it for themselves. Almost getting into a fight.

In the end, she threw it into the air and said it would belong to whoever caught it.

“Lion why did you catch it?” Rusty asked.

“Shut up pipsqueak, do you know how much I have begged my family for this dress?” Lion could tell all the girls were looking at her with jealousy but she brushed them off, “You are too young to understand anything about fashion”

Blue was now outside walking away when Tiger caught up to her, “Are you okay?”

“Yes, thank you” She smiled at him, “You are quite the gentleman”

“Do you need help finding a carriage?”

“Don’t worry, I came here by horse, my father is not too far behind”

“You were riding a horse in a dress?” Tiger found it odd, sure, she likes horses but that’s weird.

“There are special saddles for that” Blue was happy to explain, it didn’t take them long to arrive at where she had parked her horse.

“Wow, that’s… huge, and beautiful” Tiger had never seen a horse shire before.

Blue laughed, “They are beautiful, hey you like taking pictures, ever thought about going to the stables and taking some?”

Tiger opened his mouth to speak up when Blue’s father appeared riding a horse.

“Are you ready to go? What happened to your clothes?”

“Um…” Blue reluctantly explained the situation, her father as always was comprehensive.

“I’ll get you another one on our way there don’t worry” The man shrugged, then he turned to look at Tiger, “That was kind of you to do, hopefully, you didn’t do it simply to try to engage my daughter in courtship”

Tiger was mortified, “No no no sir I-”

“I am simply joking” The older man laughed, “You are a good young man, your parents must be proud”

They recently told him they were disappointed with his behavior and honestly, a part of him can’t blame them, “It was nothing”

“Catfight! Catfight! Catfight!”

When Tiger came back to the offices all the male stalkers were shouting that, a literal catfight as Sabertooth had returned and was now fighting for that dress with Lion.

“You weren't even here Saber it should be mine!”

“It won't fit you, I on the other hand have the same height as Blue Canary!”

The other girls were scheming in the background to find ways to get that dress, Tiger feels as if he is watching a girly romance opera.

“Tiger, can you go to the mission with me?” Rusty was tugging on his shirt, “I was supposed to go with Sabertooth but…”

The two of them watched as the girls pulled out their weapons, ready to take this to another level.

“Sure, better than being here” Tiger grabbed Rusty's hand, “Do you want to get a milkshake after that?”

Rusty looked so happy, she gets to fight mean bandits in the Mallum District and get a milkshake? She should pair with Tiger more often.

—-

“Oh dear, and I thought what Simon did to Sophia was a little extreme”

“Please don’t look at me like that” Giangio is starting to pity her, “Even if I wanted to kill you to show you mercy I can’t”

Adeline keeps looking at him, truly there is nothing she can do, and she is tired of closing her eyes and pretending this isn’t happening to her, whatever fate she has, she has accepted it, and knows no one will save her.

For some reason, Giangio starts feeling unwell, thinking that he is probably just tired from getting all the way down here, he keeps on examining her as her eyes follow him, even when he looks at other things around the room such as notes or tools that are meant to assist in her transformation that feeling doesn't go away, why is he feeling bad all of the sudden? He is a man who has done countless horrible experiments.

Maybe it’s because he has done countless horrible experiments and somehow he is feeling uncomfortable looking at her, a part of him doesn’t want to look at her body, how it has changed, when Frederick said she would get a metamorphosis he thought he meant it metaphorically, He sees those… things, he isn’t sure what they are yet, they are crawling inside Adeline’s skin, twisting and turning like parasites under her crystalized skin. The rest of her body isn’t any better, she has… no he can’t look at her anymore so he turns around.

At least all the carcasses were not conscious beings anymore, just mindless monsters, at least Sophia Monad in the horrible agony she was subjected to was at a point of no return, where the girl was dead, in pain but no longer able to feel her body (or what little it remind of it), just a thing used to absorb Ergo, the same can't be said for Adeline after her transformation, her body is alive, all her organs functioning, organs that by reading the notes are constantly changing inside of her, and she can feel that too, her body twisting and contorting on the inside, organisms only known to Frederick are inside of her, transforming her into more than just a listener.

Giangio hears something breaking inside of her, recognizing the sound of bones breaking, she is not moving so why are her bones breaking? Breaking and putting themselves back together.

On the outside, she looks bad enough, still looking sort of human but what the hell is going on inside of her?

Adeline kept looking at him with hatred, not even blinking, this is what he wanted to see, what he was so fascinated about, to see the success of her transformation, what he and every other alchemist were looking forward to seeing in all her glory, all who come here praise Frederick for his hard work, they congratulate him on his perfect creation.

“Paracelsus, do you mind helping us with something?”

Giangio turns to look at the door, being asked to help with more experimentation, not related to her since Frederick said he would personally give her some “touch-ups” later.

“I think I'm going to head home for today, I'm not feeling well”

After reassuring them multiple times it was nothing worth experimenting on him (as if Frederick doesn't have enough test subjects from those prisoners he takes from jail) Giangio left, taking the day off, Adeline still in his mind, trying his hardest to ignore what he saw.

—-

“Seriously? Conrad moved away?” Geppetto was surprised.

“That’s what everyone has been talking about,” Venigni said.

It was late at night, all their hard work had been a success, and a special party was being held by the Workshop Union.

“I guess being fired like that doesn’t look good on your resume” Geppetto knows that he is probably unemployable inside of Krat, “Yet I did not expect it”

“Apparently someone saw him at the station while leaving with his wife, he looked scared according to them” Venigni mentioned how it seemed like he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

“Conrad is married?” That is what surprised Geppetto the most, “He never mentioned his wife once”

“If he got scared by you so easily, I can’t imagine him seeing you when you are actually scary”

“You are giving me too much credit, I find it hard to believe that it was just me, something else must have happened… hold on, what do you mean when I’m actually scary?”

“Like that look you have right now” Venigni took a few steps back, “Or when you almost killed me at Hotel Krat when I dared to help Pinocchio re-adjust his Legion Arm after a fight gone wrong while you were showering”

“I almost forgot I did that,” Geppetto said, “In my defense, you did it wrong”

“How did I do it wrong?! I literally removed it and put it back on!” Venigni is baffled at the statement, “Not to mention how I made that Legion Arm with the flame amplifier”

“Don’t tell me how my son’s body works Venigni” Geppetto was not arguing with him about this, “By the way did you…”

He couldn’t say it out loud but Geppetto is referring to the blueprints of the plans made by the alchemists.

“Tomorrow we should all talk, I have deciphered everything I could”

It was settled, tomorrow at Venigni’s home they will all meet and analyze what they know so far.

Chapter Text

They had gathered at Venigni’s mansion, Antonia was there with Polendina, and Eugéne closed her shop for the day to discuss this. After a brief catch-up on what Anima is, alongside what happened in the cathedral and other endeavors, Venigni and Geppetto were ready to explain what they had deciphered of the plans.

“They are trying to make this so-called philosopher stone” Venigni began, “It seems that stone can grant not only eternal life but transmute objects”

Venigni showed the deciphered blueprints, “They have made a device to achieve this, supposedly, they are using a “vessel”, whatever that is supposed to mean, to absorb Ergo and to consume Anima”

Gemini felt shivers going down his spine, that strange noise again, but he composed himself, his problem could be dealt with later, this was more important.

“And they will turn this vessel into the philosopher stone” Venigni pointed at one of the parts of the machine, “At one point, this will reach incredibly high temperatures, and it will mold this vessel into the philosopher stone”

“This vessel is also being pumped with human blood” Geppetto spoke up, “For what we can deduce, is because it powers it up, being capable of fusing it with the human body”

So, whoever makes this stone, if you grab it, it will latch into that person and they can use that power at will.

“I’ve always wondered what went wrong with their organization,” Eugéne said, “When Valentinus was their leader they were not this crazy”

Of course, Simon was always scheming from the shadows but that was the minority until he took over by murdering Valentinus. Now they are back to doing all of this morally reprehensible research, they could be actually helping people but their self self-indulgent knowledge comes first.

“Unfortunately it doesn’t matter,” Antonia said, “In the end, what matters is that they are stopped”

Pinocchio expected Sophia to chime up with something since her father was mentioned but he could tell she was fast asleep, she mentioned to him yesterday that she was going to be on a very long ship ride and would rest for most of it, he wondered where exactly she is this time, they do talk together about the places she visits in her many travels.

“Interestingly, we found how Dr. Frederick was able to bring back Arlecchino” Geppetto showed some notes, “I’ve… have known this for a while but I didn’t think someone else would be able to figure it out”

As long as a small amount of Ergo remains, you can awaken inside a puppet the consciousness of the one who is the previous owner of that Ergo. Now it did not happen with Pinocchio because he never awakened Carlo’s memories but theoretically, it was possible that instead of Sophia waking him up in the station, Carlo would have been the one to awaken, even if the rest of his Ergo was somewhere else.

Although using a different process than him, Frederick managed to bring him back and not only that, bound him to his will, similar to the Grand Covenant in a way, not being able to disobey his orders, Arlecchino was physically unable to harm any alchemists, as well as reveal anything about them, just as puppets are not supposed to disobey the four laws, Arlecchino was not able to disobey theirs.

“Our best bet is to get rid of them before they create the philosopher stone” Geppetto sighed, “The only problem is that there was no information on where it is located”

For a moment Eugéne almost mentions how her brother was also investigating them, but she still doesn’t feel ready to tell them all, it has still been a journey to process everything about him, so she waits, she also thinks it would be best to have him by her side when this happens, it could make everything go smoother.

On the other hand, Pinocchio almost mentions his stalker siblings and the possible help of Blue Canary, but he can’t let them know, they still have to show to his family that they can be trusted.

That was all, they talked a bit more about possibilities on where their new headquarters could be located but nothing came to mind, everyone knowing it was time to leave when suddenly, lightning struck on the ground, and heavy rain began to flood down, leaving the mansion was not an option until they rain calmed down. This storm was supposed to come until a few days later but nature is always unpredictable.

Not even five minutes had passed before Pinocchio said how he was bored, Venigni mentioned how he had a music room and that he and Antonia could practice together, Pinocchio was of course, delighted at that idea and so was Antonia. So they, alongside Polendina went together to entertain themselves, in the meantime, Venigni decided the rest should go to his workshop since he couldn’t wait to show them what he had been working on.

“Why do you have a music room when you don’t even play any instrument?” Geppetto questioned that bizarre decision.

“Oh I pay others to come to my home and play music”

“Why don’t you just go to Rosa Isabelle Street and watch a show, isn’t that much easier?”

“It’s not just not the same, why is this my home, the comfort I feel here would not compare to the one I would experience there, I’m sure Eugéne agrees with my flawless logic”

“But there are VIP sections for a reason,” Geppetto said, rolling his eyes at Venigni, “Isn’t that right Eugéne?”

“I think the two of you forget not all of us are part of the bourgeoisie” Eugéne answered back sarcastically.

Oh yeah right, sometimes this happens when they spend time with Eugéne. Antonia is more self-aware than them not to say those things but it can’t be helped with those two clueless men. They apologized for that, feeling embarrassed.

“I was reading the alchemists' notes and found some crucial information that could help Pinocchio in taking them down”

—--𖦹—--

Unseen Properties

Recently, we have discovered that Quartz has invisible properties, after some experimentation with hounds infected with the petrification disease, there is plenty of potential in this discovery, sadly, other experiments with Quartz energy take priority at the moment, mainly as a potential stimulant to the body, so sadly, this experiment will have to be left on pause.

—--𖦹—--

Venigni then proceeded to show them the prototype he had been working on, a Legion Arm.

“I have made small objects turn invisible so far, however, if this works as intended, his entire body could turn invisible by activating a specialized mechanism!” Venigni shouted excitedly.

Investigating and gathering information on the alchemists is crucial, but they can’t simply brute force their way into situations, stealth would be the best tactic, Pinocchio could easily infiltrate whatever base of operations they have and make his way undetected.

“It’s a hard challenge, even for a genius like me so, but I welcome everyone to admire what I have come up with and for the rest of you to have the honor of watching me build it”

“I see” Geppetto was examining the prototype of the Legion Arm, “Perhaps you should leave it to me, so I can finish the rest of it”

“Excuse me?” Venigni was baffled, “My brilliant mind came up with this magnificent concept and I will not allow you to steal my idea”

“It’s not that” Geppetto understands the creative integrity, “However, this arm goes into my son’s body, therefore I should be the one working on it”

“Are you serious?” Venigni huffed, “Geppetto, you do know that sharing Pinocchio with others won’t kill you right?”

“What?! That’s ridiculous! I don’t get possessive over my son”

“Come on Geppetto have some self-awareness”

“I am sharing him with Antonia at this very instant!”

“Then why is this a problem?” Venigni said, “Nothing bad will happen because I made a Legion Arm for him, I’ve made others in the past for him too”

At Hotel Krat, Geppetto made Puppet String for his son and later when he mentioned to him what happened at the Cathedral, he took it as a challenge to make Pandemonium for him, Geppetto being quite proud of the results and design.

Venigni made him Flamberge and then he went to make Falcon eyes, very experimental designs, specially that last one but both had perfect results.

“I don’t know what you are tackling on those therapy sessions you are having but how about you start admitting that you are too-”

“First of all” Geppetto interrupted him, “Even if I had a problem… okay you might be onto something but that doesn’t matter! I bet that I could find out best how to make it functional”

“What makes you think you would know more than me?!”

“Oh, I don’t know, how about the fact I’ve researched Quartz for years to use in the factory?!“ Geppetto wasn’t having it, “Or that my son’s heart utilizes Quartz energy? So yes, I do have more knowledge in this subject than you”

“No, you are completely mistaken”

While those two were arguing, Eugéne examined the Legion Arm, with the help of Pulcinella guiding her on where the proper tools were. After all, she made for him Fulminis, Aigis, and Deus Ex Machina, maybe they aren’t as flashy as the ones made by Venigni or Geppetto but they are practical and straight to the point. Maybe using cat dust could be the key to powering it properly.

Eventually, the argument died down, realizing they were being ridiculous, actually, it was Geppetto realizing he was being ridiculous and Venigni welcoming the idea of all of them working together to make it. With their teamwork it was much easier; adding special adjustments and decorating, that last one made the Legion arm look very unique so to speak, having the combined aesthetic touch of all of them.

Pinocchio loved it, and couldn’t stop jumping up and down from the excitement, today had been a great day for him, spending the rest of his day with family until the rain stopped and he was able to go home, although a part of him wished that the day didn’t have to end.

–

“A submarine?”

Haneul was looking for answers, and strangely enough, he found it with someone he never thought he would see again, it was only a brief interaction during the collapse of the workshop tower but he did make an impression on him.

“You mean the one the alchemists used to go to that isle they used as their base?” Hugo asked.

He met the explorer here at the Hermit’s cave, he was digging up some impressive treasure, some that had even missed his eyes when that was his main priority, Haneul does hope he is able to return to doing that once this mess with the alchemists is over.

“Exactly that one”

“Oh well, I don’t know Mastiff,” Hugo said, “You seem like a great guy and all but I’m not sure if I can trust just anyone with that knowledge”

Hugo had gone to the relic of Trigimestus shortly before it was closed to the public, something about the earthquake that happened months ago, apparently, they had to shut down the cave because of that but on his last visit, he saw a group of men talking about finding the submarine to check if its power source still worked.
It didn't take Haneul long to find out Hugo knew about this, neither was it hard to ask questions, it was in fact, he should give him a tip on not running his mouth with this type of work considering how dangerous it is. Hell, he doesn’t doubt another person would be trying to get this information by force if necessary.

“It’s alright, I understand” Haneul does have a backup plan, and it all depends on how he plays his cards next, “Anyway, I’m very impressed with what you have collected, mind showing me around?”

Hugo was happy to do so, it was not an entire lie, his collection is impressive and he has the knowledge of all the individual pieces, no longer just a rookie explorer, he has done a great job in bettering himself. And look at that, just what Haneul was looking for.

“I can’t believe I found this starflower, I’m sure you know how rare they are”

A starflower, a device complementary to a stargazer, it can make you teleport to a specific one that was used mainly by alchemists, so their manufacturing was very limited, not to mention that they are powered by a special type of Ergo that their organization would use, so when the truth was found out, they stop making them.

Haneul can activate a stargazer from one side, use the starflower to get inside, activate the stargazer in the isle, and now he would have a way in and out.

“Do you mind if I inspect this for a second?” Haneul looked at it and surprise surprise, he got his permission, he could run away with it but he isn’t that kind of guy, “You really should be more careful before accepting such requests”

“Oh um sorry I guess” Hugo was disappointed in himself, “I think I’m a little too trusting”

“You have to be careful out there,” Haneul said, “Treasure hunting is dangerous, and not just the looking part, the part that involves interacting with others who are looking for the same thing”

“You know, I’ve heard that advice before” Hugo looked in deep thought, “In fact, it was the exact same words Alidoro said to me the time I was lucky enough to meet him”

“Really?” Haneul is truly surprised but is not as if he remembered word for word what they talked about, he was running on pure adrenaline that time.

“Yeah, Alidoro was a great guy, is such a shame what happened to him”

“It is” Haneul kept thinking of a way to convince him to give him the starflower.

“I assume you must have also been a big fan, considering his attire is so similar to the one he would use”

Haneul paused and looked at himself, he must have a style preference without even realizing it.

“Man, you are even missing the same finger he missed that day at the workshop tower” Hugo laughed at the strange coincidence, “Wow! I'm pretty sure you are almost the same height as him, and that weapon is definitely something he would use, pretty sure his weapons came from overseas”

“Mmh sure”

“And your voice is identical to-”

Hugo gasped loudly and Haneul covered his mouth so he wouldn’t make more noise, looking around to see if anyone was out there, no one could be seen and only the muffled sounds of Hugo talking could be heard.

“Yes it’s me” Haneul let go, this is what he gets for interacting with his biggest fanboy, of course, he would recognize him, “Keep this quiet won’t you?”

“Oh my God, Alidoro I can’t-”

“Ssh!” He is not in the mood for this, “Please don’t make a scene even if we are alone”

“Sorry,” Hugo mumbled before composing himself, “I suppose I shouldn’t ask questions either about how you survived?”

“Now you are following along nicely,” Haneul said, “And I know this is too sudden but I’m going to need this starflower”

“Of course!” Hugo was so excited, he calmed down again when he realized how loud he shouted, his voice echoing through the walls of the cave; lowering his voice again, “I can also tell you about the submarine”

It wasn’t a long conversation, just straight to the point, and since Hugo helped him out, he decided to return the favor by helping him carry back what he had found to the entrance, Hugo had found way too much, and otherwise, he would have had to do two trips to carry everything.

“Although I’d like to believe it was just my skills in gathering all of this, I think those alchemists are up to something”

“What do you mean?”

“As you know, deeper inside the cave was a passage filled with disruption crystals, now the place is completely empty” Hugo explained, “I don’t know why they would want something like that but it made that part of the cave easier to explore, for the most part, I also suspect they must have made some sort of passage but I bolted before I got caught up in trouble”

“Thank you” Haneul was grateful for the tip, “And don’t underestimate your abilities, these are some real hidden gems, I was in that cave dozens of times and I still can’t believe I missed these ones”

Hugo smiled as he waved Haneul goodbye and Haneul could hear him jumping up and down in excitement, good for him honestly. Both of them got something valuable out of this, a rare win when you are dealing with the art of secret trades.

Stellar

Turn completely invisible while Stellar is activated.

Upgrades

★Last Surprise: Hitting an enemy from behind while Stellar is in use will deal an extra burst of damage.

★Concealed Defense: Pulse Cell recovery is enhanced while Stellar is active.

★Starlight: When deactivating Stellar to reveal yourself, you can activate a damage explosion with the fable button.

Chapter Text

Pinocchio was snooping around his father’s belongings, his father (hopefully) won't mind since he is just looking for materials to build new things, making his art puppet dog, and that music box has made him want to do more. He was inside the closet of his father’s workshop, there was something off about this closet, but he could never pinpoint why, that is until now, when he noticed the wall was strange, after a brief examination, he found some sort of button he pressed that revealed a secret passage with a workshop inside.

That explains why from the outside this part of the house looks bigger. How many workshops does his father have? Although if he thinks about it, it seems this was never meant to be hidden and that this room was sealed off later. Going inside shows exactly why, there are many of his tools inside but also medical equipment, it doesn’t take Pinocchio long to deduce that all of this is from when he was trying to bring Carlo back, the room while it doesn’t look well kept, it does look like his father has been inside of here recently. Pinocchio did overhear that his father is giving his uncle Venigni notes on how he built him so it's likely those notes and research are also in here.

“Son, what are you doing?”

Pinocchio was so startled he jumped, almost falling to the floor, feeling shivers going down his spine, he forgot his father was going to come home earlier than usual. His father laughed, it looks like he did it on purpose to scare him and that made Pinocchio angry.

“Just because I give you permission to borrow my tools that doesn’t mean you get permission to have a look at everything that’s mine”

Fair point but still, “You could have just-”

“Pinocchio don’t talk back to your father” Gemini chirped, he has been acting too rebellious lately for some reason.

Pinocchio took a deep breath and apologized. His father said that it was okay, just to not do it again, Pinocchio can tell that room brings back painful memories so he doesn’t push the issue, although as he is arranging the things he moved around he realizes something.

“Why don’t we put the arm inside?”

Geppetto feels stupid for never thinking about it, it’s only taking up space in that closet and it works better as a way to hide it from view. No one should know they have the arm but they need to be more careful with the alchemists on their tracks.

“I’m going to the Opera House,” Geppetto said, “Would you like to come with me?”

Pinocchio smiled, after all, he loves spending time with his father.

—-

This is so boring! Why didn’t he ask his father why he was coming here in the first place?!

For work, his father is working on giving maintenance to the puppets here, he probably tricked him and this is his punishment for what he did earlier. Gemini has a smug grin on his face because this is the second time Pinocchio has fallen for this stupid stun.

Geppetto is surprised about how calm he is acting about the situation, his therapy sessions must be working, he probably would have burst into tears before and shut down about the topic.

Pinocchio watches as his father does the maintenance, for a moment as he is moving around, his wallet drops, and while giving it back to him, a picture falls out from it, one of Carlo and Romeo, if he were to guess, this was probably taken shortly before Carlo got sick, both of them wearing some fancy suits inside the Opera House, is this what they were on their wedding?

“I also have a picture of you,” Geppetto said, hoping he didn’t think his son was being left out.

Things were quiet as Geppetto kept on working, one would assume that it was because his son didn’t want to interrupt him and it was partially because of that, but Geppetto could tell there was more behind it, asking what the issue was.

“I am like him?” Pinocchio asked, referring to Carlo.

“Actually, you are a lot like Romeo”

“Really?” Pinocchio wasn’t expecting that answer.

“You are more artistic and he was always more into that” Geppetto explained, Romeo loved coming to the Opera House, and wrote a few short plays himself, “Your behavior is more similar to him”

That’s a very fancy way to say that he wasn’t as mischievous as Carlo but Pinocchio understands, besides his father loved his brother and he truly didn’t mind it.

None knows that he is the one who killed Romeo, his father told everyone he passed during the puppet frenzy. Pinocchio tries to shrug off that self-conscious feeling he gets, the feeling that he lives in the shadow of Carlo and that it doesn’t make it any better that he killed Romeo.

Sometimes he feels as if he stole their lives from them. But he is the one who asked and wanted to know, having no one to blame but himself. It's strange, he wants to know more about the two of them but every time he asks or finds out on his own, he doesn't feel well afterward, either feeling guilty, jealous, or sad. He also knows that sometimes he is too lenient on his father, it is his father's fault Romeo is gone; Pinocchio remembers his father entering the Opera House after he told him to go ahead to the Grand Exhibition, he has never spoken about whatever was said last between him and Romeo; Pinocchio also recalls that his father was acting off after that day despite him trying to hide it. Looking back, there are many things to question about his father (mainly his mental state), but Pinocchio really loves him and he is the only person who he truly feels completely safe with.

He loves the rest of his friends and family, but it's different with his father, Pinocchio trusts him, maybe trusts him too much considering what happened during the frenzy. It mainly has to do with his unique body, his father knows everything about it, and while on occasion his uncle Venigni has helped with minor repairs, no one but his father has truly seen the inside, no one has seen his heart.

That was at least until he met Dorian Gray, he still has nightmares about it, and he would rather not think about it since he is feeling on edge.

It's a feeling he can't describe, just because his father has fixed him up dozens of times, that does not take away how when he does that, he is at his most vulnerable, and that he is only able to feel safe when it happens because it is his father the one who is helping him and it doesn't help either now that he now has organs inside of him.

“…He was more flexible than you, that was his request since he wanted to be a stalker, now that I think about it…”

Pinocchio didn’t even realize that his father was going on a tangent about the different ways he built the two of them, even asking him if there were things he would like to change about himself.

“Can I be taller?” Pinocchio was giving him puppy eyes, “Pretty please”

It’s not because he looks like Carlo, it’s because being short can be annoying. He struggles to reach certain objects and he doesn’t care if others find it cute, it’s frustrating.

“It’s your body, son, whatever makes you comfortable” It’s not as if he hasn’t modified Pinocchio’s body before, he has made modifications to his P organ countless times.

The most human-like parts of his son are inside his body, Geppetto is sure he can still modify his height without much issue.

“Can I-”

“You can’t get a tattoo”

“But didn’t you just say-”

“I’m your father and those are my rules, I’m sure Antonia will say no as well so don’t waste your time trying”

Pinocchio’s face is red with embarrassment and frustration. He decided to stay quiet as his father kept on doing his job, that’s odd, why wasn’t anyone helping him? He sees that huge puppet behind a curtain, the one Romeo used during their fight, and it makes him feel a little uncomfortable. He was expecting his father to ask for help to move it but to his surprise, he moved it with ease with the mechanism that is in his hand.

At least Pinocchio brought his sketchbook, giving him something to entrain himself in the meantime, he got too entranced that he didn’t notice when the owner of the Opera House showed up to talk with his father, only when the conversation was about to finish did he finally start paying some attention, specially after hearing something interesting.

“You ask for a lot of favors Geppetto, first that statue of your wife outside the place, then that wedding held for your son, and now this”

“I understand that, but I’ve always made it up to you”

“The situation is a little different now, I have lost all of my prima donnas, and I’m starting to believe that family is cursed”

“I’m aware Adeline is still missing but I find it strange how everyone here is speaking as if she died, it’s only been a little more than a month”

“She might as well have, considering her disappearance is hurting business” The man explains how profits have gone down significantly, in such a short amount of time, “Despite all that, you have been a good friend, so I will do this for you”

“You are probably wondering what that was about,” Geppetto said as soon he left, “I wanted a statue of Carlo and Romeo to be built and put inside the place”

Pinocchio wants to be happy about that, even if he has made peace mostly about his relationship with Carlo he still can’t get over the mixed feelings he has for Romeo. And he gets that’s not something to be “fixed” but saying he needs to get over it doesn’t feel quite right either. He doesn’t want to bring the mood down by talking about this, and he’s at a loss for what to say. Until he jumps out of his seat startled at a spider puppet performer that got a little too close to him from behind.

The boy sees that his father has a smile on his face, looking at his hand reveals that he moved her on purpose to scare him, it was because he could sense Pinocchio wasn’t comfortable with the subject so he thought about scaring him a little to distract him from those feelings, and it worked, only issue is now his son is mad at him. Gemini making fun of him for getting scared again so easily.

“Stop smiling!” Pinocchio pouted.

“I can’t, it’s adorable when you get angry at me like that”

“I um, well-” Pinocchio isn’t used to talking back to his father so he isn’t sure what to say, “I’m going to get that tattoo behind your back!”

“Go ahead and try, no one will even allow you to get one”

“Why not?!”

“Pinocchio” Gemini chirped, “You need to be over eighteen, and all of Krat knows you are less than two”

Plus who is going to believe Geppeto said yes to his son getting a tattoo? No tattoo artist will risk his wrath.

“But I’m special!”

Geppetto played with his son’s hair, “Specially bratty today”

Looks like Pinocchio is going through a rebellious phase if this even counts as rebellious considering how tame it is.

“Why do you even want a tattoo in the first place?” Geppetto still has that hidden one and it was a complete mistake, “Trust me, you’ll regret it later”

Pinocchio rolled his eyes at his father, “You are old and don’t get it”

“Pinocchio stop being so sassy” Gemini scolded him again.

“It’s okay Gemini don’t worry about it” Geppetto smiled, “I knew he was going to have his rebellious phase sooner or later”

“I’m NOT rebelling!” Pinocchio shouted, feeling embarrassed, but then he laughed, “I’m still a good boy”

“Is Antonia spoiling you again?”

“Maybe I want to live with her now”

“Even if she drags you along to all her luxurious parties?”

ﮩ̶̮̔٨̴̗͕͑͘̚ـ̶͈̾͊٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩ̸͚͛͊̾ﮩ̵̧͉̫͌٨̴̣̯͉̀̎ـ̸̡̰̟̚ﮩ٨ـﮩ♡̵̞̮͊͘ﮩ̵̭̖̈́͗͠ͅ٨̵̹̇̓́ـ̵̖̥̽̅͠ﮩ̶̥̚͝ﮩ̶͇̹͂͝٨̷̘̞̊̽̈ͅـ̷͉̾ﮩ٨ـﮩ⛆

That sound again!

“I can’t see anything wrong with you, it could be that it’s some previous damage from a long time ago that is only showing the problem now, if that’s the case, I’m afraid I will have to do a deeper inspection”

That’s what Geppetto had told him and that’s not something pretty to go through so Gemini is determined to find the cause himself but what could it be?

ـ̶͈̾͊٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩ̸͚͛͊̾ﮩ̵̧͉̫͌٨̴̣̯͉̀̎ـ̸̡̰̟̚ﮩ٨ـﮩ♡̵̞̮͊͘ﮩ̵̭̖̈́͗͠ͅ٨̵̹̇̓́ـ̵̖̥̽̅͠ﮩ̶̥̚͝ﮩ̶͇̹͂͝٨̷̘̞̊̽̈ͅـ̷͉̾ﮩ٨ـﮩ fo lıılıılıılow𓂺𓂺m..…♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـe

Gemini sees how Pinocchio and Geppetto are too entertained with their father-son bonding, maybe they won’t notice if he is gone while he follows that voice.

Wow. He is following a voice only he can hear, is he going crazy?

Avoiding not getting stepped on by all the guests at the Opera House, he gives chase, Gemini climbs up the stairs until he goes back to that certain familiar room where he and Pinocchio encountered briefly two of the talented singers of the Corday Family. There is no one there, and the voice stops in its tracks.

“Hello?” Gemini said, his small voice echoing in the empty room.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨h⃤ ⃤p meﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

“Help you how?” Gemini moved his antennas in confusion.

… ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـy.ur_;- l-ghtﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

“…My light?”

His light! But Gemini isn’t inside his lamp, so he tells this voice that it’s no use and he can’t go back to carry it, maybe he can ask Pinocchio to-

Another strange sound, like the effect of a puppet glitching, then something starts materializing in thin air, Gemini can’t exactly understand what he is seeing, the air is just… there is a tear in the middle of the room, Gemini gets closer to it and sees that there is something on the other side. An identical room to this one, almost as if there was a window, the tear opens up more until it is on the floor, where Gemini can see… himself? That’s his lamp, that is himself inside his lamp but something is wrong, this is not a simple mirror, the one inside that lamp is gone, broken beyond repair. Gemini can hear the voice instructing him to turn on the lamp, he slowly reaches to touch it, doubting himself for a moment until he does so, a bright red glow illuminating the room and then…

“Why the hell did it take you so long to touch it you damn cricket?!”

This is impossible, that voice, Gemini looks up to see Adeline in front of him and she stares right back at him.

“Look, I’m sorry is just” Adeline sighed, “It’s just that I was desperate”

Gemini was speechless, he kept staring at her, Adeline looked different. Her hair is a deep hue of glowing orange, and her skin is um, moving strangely, is there something inside her skin? Aside from some tiny antennas coming out of her head, she looks mostly normal.

“You are confused, so am I but let me explain how I can,” Adeline said, “I only know a little from overhearing those alchemists talk about what they did to me, but thankfully, they don’t know I have this power”

Yet. Adeline needs to be careful not to get caught.

Gemini’s colors changed to a blue one at how she recounted how she was kidnapped by the alchemists, even when she excluded a lot of details it was horrible. Then she began to explain about the dimensional research, Gemini already knew a little of it so it was easy for him to follow along.

“So like, this sounds insane but there are an infinite number of realities out there” Adeline pointed to the tear in reality, “In that reality, you unfortunately passed away or stopped being functional, whatever it’s supposed to be the concept for puppets”

Gemini peaked in more, not only was he gone but Pinocchio was also dead on the floor, with who knows how much time having passed since they were in that state. Gemini started freaking out, this was too much for him.

“Don’t think about it okay?!” Adeline shouted, “Like I said, infinite realities, in some you don’t exist, in some, I don’t exist, in some really weird ones humans were replaced by lizard people; the reality that matters right now, is this one”

Gemini tries composing himself, infinite realities mean infinite possibilities, and not all will get a good hand in life, going one by one to change that outcome would be impossible. Adeline is right, what matters is the one they live in, the one where it’s possible to make a change.

“That’s how I can talk with you” Adeline touched her throat instinctively, “In this reality, they took away my voice, but in other realities, I still have one, I don’t get how but I can use these strange frequencies to project this new voice of mine”

She is still experiencing what she can do, understanding all of it has been a nightmare.

“Woah” Gemini had only noticed it until now, “Are those wings on your back?”

Adeline moved them a little, just like the wings of a bug, they sort of look like dragonfly wings, making her look in a way like a fairy.

“I don’t know what the hell they are pumping into my body but I’m sure I’m half insect by now” Adeline dramatically pointed at herself, the creatures moving inside of her, “What are these? Only God knows and that bastard who did this to me, and frankly, I don’t want to know either”

Gemini can already tell that this form of hers might look semi-normal but the real Adeline is probably in a state similar to when Sophia was held captive by the alchemists.

“I’ll tell Pinocchio and Geppetto about this, they can help”

Adeline looked away “No please”

“Why not?”

“Because… I’m not, I’m not ready”

She is trapped, being tortured, the last thing she wants is human interaction, or any interaction for that matter. Adeline is starting to feel a sense of comfort being next to Gemini but that’s not enough.

“I understand” Gemini chirped, “This is our secret”

Adeline faintly smiled, “Thank you”

Unfortunately, Adeline was getting tired and Gemini had to return before they realized he was gone, he watched as Adeline closed that portal, vanishing as soon as the light of the lamp was gone, but Gemini could tell she was still there with him, if they ever want to chat is only a matter of turning on that lamp.

Chapter Text

Blue blocked an attack from an arrow that was directly headed in their direction, trying to find out where that came from, she used the light in her shield to reflect it back to this mystery assailant, blinding them before catching up to them and restraining them.
It didn’t take long for the authorities to arrive, how strange that they are always close by when she is near the doctor.

“Good job” Frederick praised her, “Looks like I made the right decision when choosing you as my bodyguard”

She still hasn’t asked questions as to why others would want to get rid of him, she is well-trained in minding her business, a trait in Frederick’s eyes that is rare for people, much less in a woman.

Blue smiled trying to hide her disdain for him.

“The service you offered to send messages has worked wonders, perhaps I should give you a raise”

“That won’t be necessary sir” Blue is being polite, because she doesn’t want his dirty money, besides is not as if she needs it.

“As you wish,” Frederick said, “Let’s keep going, there is a new research lab I’m supervising, that’s where we are headed”

Blue is told to stay on guard outside, he gives her an excuse that the research is not something that is available to the general public so it’s standard procedure for those who are affiliated not to enter, in the meantime, she starts taking a mental note of this place, too far away from the city, hidden well enough near the cathedral and the path of pilgrim that unless someone got lost it would be almost impossible to find it otherwise. Just in case, she leaves a mark on a nearby tree if she needs to come back to this place.

Blue overhead how they have multiple “research facilities” so this is one of many, she is wondering how comfortable he would get showing her more of the location of those, when she suddenly sees a familiar figure approaching the place.

“Blue Canary, I did not expect to see you here,” Sabertooth said in a snarky tone.

“I did not expect you to see you here either” Blue replied back with the same tone, “Where is the rest of the pride?”

“Busy”

“I know Lion is very busy with shopping”

Sabertooth gritted her teeth, “I assure you that the rest of us are fulfilling our duties”

“I have no problem with Lion taking a day off” Blue smiled, “Kinda jealous, she must be enjoying the fashion week summer sale”

“That starts today?!” Dammit, she thought that was tomorrow, “I mean, as girls, we should be happy for her, beauty has a price and it’s not cheap”

Sometimes Blue finds it odd how many young female stalkers are the girly types, herself included, fighting isn’t exactly something very ladylike and neither are the outfits they tend to wear. Although recently many of them are accessorizing their clothes and weapons not just her and Lion, although I guess in a way the two of them started the trend. In fact, Sabertooth has changed a few things in her clothing to fit her style better, it makes Blue cringe a little how that tooth charm is a real one, some poor soul that Sabertooth beat in fact and it's rumored she collects some each time she fights someone.

“What brings you here Sabertooth?”

“I’m picking up a client”

Blue doubts that Sabertooth is as clueless as she was, but what does she gain from helping the alchemists? Or maybe she doesn’t care, whatever the reason is, Blue thought she couldn’t dislike her more than she already does, but she is here, being proven wrong.

She watches as Sabertooth leaves with a man, a supposed scientist, Dr. Isaac, worth investigating for later on, she could report this to Cat and Fox and see what the deal could be.

—-

“You know, I didn’t take you for one to like this sort of stuff”

Black Cat was carrying a bunch of bags of the purchases his sister was making, they had been here for almost two hours and he was bored to death.

“You don’t get it,” Red Fox said, “Fashion week isn’t only for the more traditional type of fashion, they have everything for everyone, and plenty is limited edition”

Plus it’s not just clothes, it’s make-up, bags, skin care, anything that can make a woman look prettier is here and more. The jewelry is specially beautiful alongside other accessories essential for any lady.

They have multiple stands for female stalkers with everything they might need and currently, she is looking at what those can offer.

Not to mention how they have very affordable prices for plenty of the items, this isn’t just for the high class, everyone is welcomed here, all ages as well, from little girls to older women. There are plenty of men too getting something for themselves, usually followed by a secret code to identify their secret preferences, but there is no judgment, specially not when they are giving the stand clerks money, or just the occasional man looking for a gift for their girlfriend/wife.

Speaking of money, it’s her money so Black Cat is not complaining about that, it’s that she is using him as a bag carrier. He has seen a few guys he knew from his days in the streets carrying items for their girlfriends, they just give each other a silent nod of understanding.

“If this lasts an entire week why are we getting all of this in one go?”

“Because I don’t want to come here multiple times, we have jobs to do”

One more stop before leaving, he has noticed before that his sister tends to go on shopping sprees, now, she is responsible with what she buys and never pointless stuff, but he can’t explain it but it is almost as if she is on autopilot, too conditioned from her past life even if she doesn’t realize it.

“It’s retail therapy Cat, you wouldn’t get it”

They were back in their office and Blue had come after she was done with her job duties. She had already told them what happened and was making small talk with the two of them.

“That’s the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard” He rolled his eyes at Blue, really? How the hell is shopping a form of therapy?

“Brother, don’t be rude” Red Fox was organizing her new stuff, mainly skin products, being a stalker tends to give you dry skin, “Are you planning on going there yourself tomorrow Blue?”

“I already bought everything I wanted”

“Huh?” Black Cat was confused, wasn’t she supposed to be working?

“Yesterday my father gave me a catalog of everything available, he told me to circle everything I wanted and this morning everything had arrived at our home”

“What?!” This time both siblings were baffled.

“How in the world did your father manage to get off that for you and your other sisters?” Red Fox was amazed, getting items before the week starts is unheard of.

“Um… well” Blue had a dumb smile on her face, “He only did it for me and not the other ones”

Blue is the favorite one and there is no contesting that fact.

“Sometimes it feels as if I’m the only normal person in this room,” Black Cat said.

“We should do something fun!” Blue shouted in excitement, “I have free time right now and so do you guys, we should make the most of it”

After all, the schedules don’t tend to match.

“Look Blue-” Black Cat was about to decline the offer.

“It’s my treat this time”

“Count me in”

Red Fox gave him a look that he brushed off, they just heard her say how her family has more money than they know what to do with, and a small hangout wouldn’t harm anyone.
At least that should be what happened but life just loves to throw them unexpected curves for no reason. They all had gone to Rosa Isabelle Street to watch a show when they overheard a very interesting conversation.

“So, will you be joining the snakes?”

The snakes, for what they have gathered, that is a phrase used by those who are not alchemists but work with them to refer to the organization.

“The device they are building needs more work, and they need technicians, the notes we give them won't be enough” The man slipped a note to the other, “Will you?”

He checked the details before putting the note in his pocket, “As much as I would love to, I rather stay at the union”

“It's a shame to hear about that” To anyone else, this just sounds like a normal conversation between work colleagues parting ways, “I and the rest of the team will give our notice soon, we already know what to tell the directors to make it all work our way”

The three of them gave each other a silent nod, they need to get that note, and Black Cat just so happens to be great at pickpocketing, all they need is for the girls to make a distraction. While on the intermission, they took the two men aside each with a drink in hand, pretending to be interested in them, neither man noticing how swiftly the note was stolen from them. The rest of the show was their enjoyment of their small victory; going out to a less crowded place they read the contents.

—--𖦹—--

Pegasus Device

This note contains several names of workshop union workers, certain ones are highlighted.

…If the explanation does not satisfy the board of directors, we can simply say that they should not owe a monopoly on puppets, yes developing ours won't be our true goal but we have to make sure they are at least on par with the ones at the factory.

We will start with toy puppets as our cover-up, horses are popular enough in Krat thanks to the Lucero family, if we build Pegasus toy puppets our notes can discreetly be passed off without anyone who might suspect something questioning them.

Odd choice for the alchemists to name their machine like that, but it ended up working well for us too.

—--𖦹—--

“We can't play our cards all at once, let us gather more information before we tell anything to Pinocchio” Red Fox said, “We still have time, and I will check if perhaps any union workers are looking for an intel job”

There are anonymous posts where people can make requests for stalkers of either faction, although they take less priority since stalkers in general prefer clients to be direct with them.

Blue waved the two of them goodbye, they had a fun time and gathered valuable information, truly a great day, however as she was making her way back home, she started feeling uneasy, it was too dark outside, and the more she strayed from the city, the less illuminated the place was, her home is pretty far off from part of the city due to the animals around the stable, she usually moves via horse but she made the mistake to use the tram for transportation, turning on her special lights helped a little but the night sky was filled with clouds. She kept telling herself to stay calm, when she heard footsteps behind her she quickly turned around and grabbed her weapon.

“I don't want any trouble! … Oh it's you Blue”

Tiger was behind her holding a camera in his hands, “I was taking pictures, a challenge to do so in the dark but I'm testing my skills, are you okay? You look a little pale”

“I'm fine” Blue Canary lied, “I'm tired that's all, but I'm almost home so there is no need for concern”

Tiger knows she is scared of the dark because Sabertooth found out and told every single stalker in the faction, he won't point that out so he should work around it, “Let me walk you home, I can take pictures along the way so it's not a problem”

She smiled, feeling relived, “You truly are so kind”

—

Frederick was staring at Catherine with annoyance, “So why exactly are you in my home?”

Catherine had a few suitcases with her belongings and had already made herself welcome in his house. She had entered before without permission as she knew where he hid his spare keys, which he kept changing from place to place, but she would always find them, eventually giving up and just accepting that sometimes she would surprise him.

“My apartment complex is under investigation, some shady stuff went down” Catherine smiled, “Not sticking around to get involved in that mess, so you are stuck with me for a while”

Frederick huffs in frustration but kicking her out is pointless, “Fine, just don’t get anything dirty with your filthy whore hands, and shouldn’t you be at your “work” in the first place?”

“Our pimp just got killed” Catherine casually commented, “So, the place is temporarily closed”

Great, so now he is stuck with her for God knows how long. At the very least he can tell she gave the place a quick cleaning so maybe it won’t be so bad.

“Is that for me?” Catherine looked at one of his hands, he was holding a gift bag, having stopped at one of the stores in fashion week, after all, it was taking place so close to his fancy residential area.

“Some proper clothes for you to wear, since you lack common decency” Frederick shoved the gift into her hands, “Specially now if you are going to invade my home, the neighbors better not see you”

“Thank you,” Catherine is many things but ungrateful isn’t one of them.

Frederick sat down on his couch, Catherine following to sit next to him, shortly after he started talking and talking about his day, this man talks more than any woman she knows, maybe more than the average entitled high-class ladies that take strolls in Rosa Isabelle Street.

“Shouldn’t you be more worried that someone knows about you and tried to kill you?” Catherine questions why he is being so nonchalant about what happened that morning, “Or that there are people that know what you are up to?”

Frederick knows that there are groups that are against him, not just that nosey puppet, mainly reporters that have been trained as stalkers either from the Bastards or from the Sweepers. People who want to play hero, he slowly gets rid of them, it would be too obvious if it’s done all that once, if they are a Sweeper he sends them to be executed, no one cares about common street rats like them, on the other hand, if they are Bastard stalkers he finds a way to get them arrested. Like the one he had to deal with today, while he has a great reputation and has managed to fool the people of Krat into thinking he would never have any ties to a group like the alchemists, it would be reckless of him not to believe that more will come after him, or even from inside the organization.

Frederick has all his bases covered, he has Miss. Cassandra as his public bodyguard and Miss. Victoria and the other stalkers from her group for backup when it comes to his secret activities. Back when Simon took over, when the man murdered Valentinus, there was this short period of time where he was the main target of others wanting to take him down, and Frederick has learned not to make the same mistakes Simon did. But with his control over city hall, it’s only a matter of time before his few detractors stop.

Aside from Geppetto’s puppet, Frederick knows that one won’t be deterred so easily, so he is planning something special about that.

“I can handle myself, there is no reason for you to worry about such things”

“What if the court of miracles tries to get you?” Catherine said, “You know the girls at the brothel say they were the ones behind the murder”

“That’s just a ridiculous myth” Frederick rolled his eyes, resting his head on her lap.

“If you say so” Catherine is enjoying her time here, “Anyway what were you saying about the workshop union?”

—

“What is this thing about some court of something?” Black Cat asked.

“The court of miracles,” Red Fox said, “And just ignore it, it is not real anyway”

They were gathering some information and it came up, it helps that they have a client who is asking them to look at some public records so they have an excuse to be here in City Hall without arising suspicions.

“How are you so sure?”

“Because I was a Volfe, we knew everything about Krat and there was no sign of this so-called organization” Red Fox opened a drawer filled with files, “The wealthy elite has always been the one to hold most of the power in Krat, later on in secret the alchemists and neither faction ever saw a single proof of their existence”

“What were they even supposed to be?” Black Cat on the other hand was investigating the clue Blue Canary gave them, “The name is strange”

“Well-”

“Oh, there it is!” He enthusiastically said, “Now let's see what you are hiding, Dr. Isaac ”

A famous geneticist, he publicly worked with the alchemists until Valentinus died, after that, he supposedly left the organization, looks like that statement was simply to save his public image.

“Interesting, he seems to be currently Lady Antonia's doctor” Red Fox grabbed the records of his patients, “He is treating her for some side effects of the petrification disease with some special medicine”

“We need to warn the old woman about him” Black Cat looked around more, trying to see if there was any information about this supposed remedy of his, instead, he found something else, in between the pages.

—--𖦹—--

Genetic Modifications

Unfortunately, we lost a lot of manpower when Simon was defeated, there are few in the organization who can fight and if the situation came, we would be powerless to stop an all-out attack on us (Or if Geppetto were to send his stupid puppet to fight us, same outcome).

The test subjects from the prison blocks have become our perfect solution, with a few changes to their genetical structure, they can do the heavy lifting for us, the only issue is getting them to comply with our orders, but that won't be a problem long enough thanks to the advancements in our neurosurgical department who are almost done with the solution.

—--𖦹—--

“I have this feeling that we should put this back before someone walks in on us”

“Wait,” Red Fox said, “Hand me the note and I will copy it, it will be too risky if we take it and pointless to leave this information behind”

“You better start hurrying up” Black Cat could tell someone was coming, “I will buy you some time”

It was a staff member, only a librarian but knowing how this place is filled with alchemists is better not to risk who could be a potential ally of theirs, he made up small talk about how tough it can be to be a solo stalker without a faction and explained without many details the job they were tasked to do.

“I got what we needed,” Red Fox said from behind, “Let us leave, this will satisfy our client”

Maybe they were just on edge but they tried to ignore the feeling that they were being watched, now it's just a matter of grouping up with Blue and Pinocchio, and speaking of the boy, this new information affects his family, so what better moment to show them how they feel sorry than by this?

“What if they don't forgive us? Black Cat said.

“It doesn't matter, what matters is that we make up for the mistakes of the past”

Both of them regret working for the alchemists, and there is only one way to fix the mistake they made.

Chapter Text

“So you had actually been inside their base before?”

Eugéne was talking with her brother as she upgraded Pinocchio’s weapons.

“When I first arrived in Krat, I actually almost became an alchemist” Haneul explained, “I had some knowledge, and Valentinus was a good man, but I found out about Simon and his schemes and I decided against it”

He knew that if he tried to expose someone as big as Simon it would have not ended well for him, and his side branch of the organization found out about him after he tried to expose some information with the help of Medoro, that’s why he choose to take the identity of Alidoro.

Strange, legally speaking he has died twice, the first was just a stunt to protect himself, and the second one is how he finds himself in this situation.

“I found out the name of a doctor who has worked with Frederick Garret before, and thanks to some other sources I managed to investigate him further”

Haneul told Eugéne about his collaboration with the stalkers, she understood that they didn’t mean any true harm, but then again she hadn’t been affected by them as much as some of the others who were at Hotel Krat that day. As for Blue Canary, she has never met her but if she is willing to risk being so close to that man to gain information she seems trustworthy.

“They can all meet inside my shop,” Eugéne said, “If they are stalkers no one will suspect them coming here”

“I… don’t know about that”

“You don’t trust them?”

“I don’t trust anyone but you,” After what he went through with Parrot can anyone blame him for thinking that way? “You never know, for now, they all seem trustworthy but it’s never bad to keep your guard up”

His sister gave him a look due to his indecisiveness and Haneul sighed, “Okay, I might have some trust issues but I sort of have good faith in them”

“So, when can I see them?” If she is going to work with them to solve this, they need to be more organized.

“We can see about those details later,” Haneul said, “I believe they are going to meet with Pinocchio later so he can convince the rest to trust Cat and Fox”

Pinocchio is actually on his way here right now, it’s also time to tell him the truth about him, and the others can learn about it later, not everything has to be revealed at once and the same goes with telling them about Blue Canary.

“This sword is very interesting” Haneul had grabbed the weapon Pinocchio picked up underneath Hotel Krat, “It has traces of alchemy behind it”

“Really?” She was intrigued, having never heard of something like that.

“Almost like a key” Haneul examined the sword carefully “Alchemists have these badges they use to unlock certain doors, it looks like this sword is meant to open something, or perhaps it’s the other way around, to lock away, but then again that’s what keys do, lock and open”

What could this be the key to?

Shortly after, Pinocchio entered the place, and Eugéne wasted no time in explaining about her brother's true identity.

Pinocchio was relieved to know that he wasn’t actually dead and thrilled to learn about Eugéne’s family.

“I’m… not a hugging person” Haneul extended his hand to stop him, “Don’t take it personally, I broke a few ribs when that monster attacked me and hugs feel strange ever since”

“What was that monster in the first place?” Gemini was curious, unfortunately, he would never learn the answer.

“I have no idea” Haneul was honest, “Just know that it was the fault of the alchemists, and speaking of them, I know where they are hiding”

Deeper below in the Relic of Trismegistus, all clues indicate that is the place where they have been gathering. Makes sense, there is no other place for them inside the city to have their headquarters without making it obvious.

“We are telling the others about my brother later today,” Eugéne said, “Pinocchio you have planned how to tell them about the Cat and the Fox right?”

“Of course I have” Pinocchio lied.

Gemini rolled his eyes, on the other hand, Pinocchio heard Sophia giggling, looks like she also didn’t have much faith in how it was going to go for him.

“Well… um… I’m going to double-check my plans just to be sure” Pinocchio’s face was red with embarrassment.

“Good luck” Haneul touched Pinocchio’s shoulder, “You really are going to need it”

—-

Blue Canary was strolling around Elysion Boulevard that day, she doesn’t work on Sundays and she welcomed a break from being a stalker, sadly she doesn’t get a break from being a woman of high society since that night she has to attend another event, this one is held by her father so that’s more pressure added onto her.

“Cassandra, father has no sons, and you know what we have to do to social climb” Her oldest sister had said that to her that morning.

“Vanessa is going to be the one to inherit his business,” Blue Canary said, that’s her second oldest sister, “She is just as capable as father if not more, you know everything she has done to make it thrive even more”

“Vanessa has earned that, that doesn’t mean the rest of us need to just stand by and live off the business, you never know what might happen”

“I’m a stalker, and I’m sorry that’s apparently worse than being just a housewife” She was so frustrated, “And I’m not insulting you, or Mother, I just wish-”

“Wish all you want but being a woman and unmarried is not going to go well for you” Her sister sighed, “No one is saying you aren’t allowed to work, as you just said, Vanessa does so but you are young, and if you want to keep living this life, you need to look for a good man if you want to keep your lifestyle”

A good rich man is what she means, ugh, Blue had come to a coffee shop to try and relax but it simply wouldn’t go away, it’s odd for her sister to be pressuring her since her parents aren’t doing so, actually she is sure that her father, calm and nice as he is won’t have the best reaction when she eventually starts dating. Then again, Geneviene has always parented her more than her actual parents, considering her mother is too busy with her youngest sisters and her father is too busy spoiling her.

“It’s nice to see you here” Tiger happened to be there, it was nice to bump into him again, “Enjoying your day off?”

“I’m trying to” She sighed, “Sit down with me so I can distract myself”

“That’s very nice of you um… do you want me to call you by your name or…?”

“Blue is fine” She smiled, “What about you?“

“Tiger is fine, honestly Vicent sounds so formal”

Blue laughed, “Sounds like the name of a prince”

“Ugh, don’t remind me, because just like a prince my family is already annoying me to get me married”

“What’s the deal with that?” Blue took a sip of her coffee, “They should at least let us enjoy our twenties in peace”

“No idea, but maybe you and I are the odd ones out, considering how other stalkers are already talking about that” Blue looked at her nails just as Lion does, making Tiger smile.

“You know me and her have a deal that if neither of us gets married in two years, to get married to each other”

“In two years?” Blue raised an eyebrow, “Don’t people tend to make those when both turn 40 years old?”

“You know Lion, I had to agree since she was saying she would die if she wasn’t married before turning thirty”

He and Lion are slightly older than Blue, both being 26 years old. Lion was crying because the last guy she tried to engage in courtship didn’t go well for her, unlike other times where it was just petty reasons, this one actually turned out to be quite the awful guy. Tiger has known her for years and couldn’t stand to see her like that so he made her a deal and she accepted, it was fun to plan their hypothetical wedding.

Blue laughed, Lion is such a drama queen, she wonders if Sabertooth has similar thoughts when it comes to that.

“At least Rusty is too young to think about that sort of stuff,” Blue said, “I envy being that young again, without a true care in the world”

“Don’t be so sure about that, Rusty might not have as many responsibilities as us but she is still a stalker with duties”

“Why can’t her parents simply wait for her to get older?” Blue questions their choices, Rusty is very capable but surely this will only harm her in the long run.

Tiger had ordered some coffee for himself, thanking the waiter for delivering it to him, “If you ask me, they are trying to live through her, her family situation is… kinda messy, I rather not go into detail”

“I see” Blue could feel herself starting to relax, “Is everything going well with your family?”

“Yes, totally” Tiger lied, “And you?”

The conversation went on, they were having a really good time and decided to go somewhere else, and that somewhere else turned into both of them dragging each other across Krat to do whatever activity came to mind, it felt a little exciting for Tiger. The reason they could go to so many places was because Blue was riding one of her horses, it was a little scary at first when she offered him the ride, never having done so before, but after the first ride, he got used to it easily.

So it would go without saying that she would be the one to drop him off at his home instead of how traditionally is done.

“We should definitely do this more often,” Blue said with a beaming smile on her face.

“I agree, we should-”

Small drops of rain started to pour down, making both of them seek shelter inside his home, some of the staff were kind enough to lead Blue Canary’s horse to a safe area in the vast garden, this rain was nothing compared to the one from the other day, yet it’s best she waits for it to die down. They were sitting next to each other in the living room, Blue formally introducing herself to his family.

Truthfully, Blue feels as if she needs more friends, sure, she has her sisters that she loves, including Geneviene despite her toughness towards her. Aside from her family, she doesn’t have that many deep relationships. She only really has Lucio and Claudia, who she deeply cares about, and there is also Pinocchio who she has become close with but… it doesn’t feel like it’s enough.

Mostly, she has socialite acquaintances, people she knows just because of her status, fellow stalkers tend to overlap in that category and those that don’t are only coworkers in terms of bonding, nothing more. Maybe it’s selfish but she wants more friends, and more out of life in general, she doesn’t tend to air out these feelings because why would she? She has everything, she has a life many only dream of, and anyone would be willing to trade places with her in an instant, so saying out loud that she feels dissatisfied with it in any way feels wrong.

It didn’t take long for the rain to stop, however, there was a small issue, as Tiger felt Blue suddenly resting next to his shoulder, the girl had completely fallen asleep, too tired from everything that had transpired that day. Internally, he was freaking out, he can’t have Blue stay at his home, Tiger can see the stupid grin on his cousins faces, probably already joking about her being his girlfriend or something along those lines.

“We should call her family so they would know what to do about this situation,” Said Tiger’s father, “I know Lucero personally and I’m sure he will send someone to fetch her, if not to come here himself”

His two cousins got closer to him, ready to start annoying him.

“Better start praying Vincent, I heard she is his favorite one”

“When you die, can I keep all of your photography equipment?”

Oh, those two idiots, the twins are so annoying, he can’t say or move at all without the fear of waking her up. His family does reprimand them for the comments but Tiger can also tell some of them are secretly hoping he is in fact thinking of having a relationship with her, ridiculous.

When her father arrived; Tiger gently shook her to wake her up, poor Blue ended up panicking about what she had done, apologizing profusely and Tiger reassuring her she did nothing wrong.

“You know maybe next time I could go to your home instead,” Tiger said just as her father entered the room, “To see the horses! You remember right? How I said I would love to photograph them?”

Blue does remember and she can’t for that to happen, already planning in her head how exciting that day would be.

—

“Father please just hear me out!” Pinocchio was furious, “Stop being so stubborn!”

The plan was originally to tell Antonia first, then Venigni, and then his father but his father ended up finding out first as he got off work earlier than usual, and the last thing he expected when his son told him to meet somewhere was in the office of the two stalkers that kidnapped him.

Gemini simply rolled his little eyes, although this time it wasn't because he was frustrated at his pal but rather at Geppetto. A part of Gemini could not blame him for being stubborn yet also he should at least give his son a chance.

Geppetto took a deep breath, “Son, I know you trust them but-”

“Why don't you trust me?!” Pinocchio shouted, “I know they won't hurt me or betray me!”

The two stalkers were quiet, best not to interrupt and make the situation worse for themselves.

“After what happened, how can you be so sure of that?”

“How naive do you think I am?”

Very naive but Geppetto would rather not say that out loud, “You still don't know much about how the real world works”

Pinocchio was only getting angrier, “I am more mature than you think! I can make my own choices on who to trust”

Geppetto took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, is he being overprotective? They are his friends sure, but not all friends end up having good intentions, hell, Simon was once his friend, and look at how that turned out. He was quiet for a couple of seconds, thinking deeply about his choice.

“Okay,” Geppetto reluctantly accepted it, “But I don't trust them, I trust you, son”

That is good enough in Pinocchio's eyes, when the others arrived, Venigi was on a similar stance as Geppetto, considering what transpired at the factory, and Antonia was more comprehensive, in the end, her loss was mainly monetary something she gained back easily, and all of them could agree that they trusted Pinocchio's judgment.

A loud banging sound startled everyone, from the window, they all turned to look at a bird that had something tied to its leg, Red Fox opened it to reveal a message from Blue, more information about their investigation from a conversation she eavesdropped. One concerning Lady Antonia due to the research this doctor was conducting.

“It seems some of his elderly patients are not making it in his clinical trials” Red Fox explained, “But is it on purpose? What would they gain from older patients dying?”

“Maybe Ergo?” Black Cat said, “Pretty sure they have to perform autopsies and stuff when patients like that die, so they could take it out once they are gone”

Everyone turned to look at him, and at first Black Cat was confused then annoyed when he realized why, “Hey! Just as Pinocchio isn't as naive as he looks, I'm not as stupid as I look either!”

That made everyone get a dumb smile on their faces, making him feel flustered a few seconds later when he realized what he said wrong, “Ugh never mind that! They need to get Ergo from somewhere and they need people to die for it”

Black Cat showed a copy of a document he took from city hall before replicating it, “Here, they are trying to pass a law to make it so an autopsy should be obligatory for each registered death, so that just proves my theory more”

“Great catch” His sister complimented him, “I also found out some cases of the petrification disease have been resurfacing, the official story is that there are still some traces left behind of contaminated water, but I don't believe, that”

“There is the possibility that they also wish to get rid of Antonia to get their hands on the gold fruit coin tree” Venigni chimed in, “I am still surprised that they haven't tried to steal from it again”

That is a great point, perhaps they believe she has no backup plans for the tree in case of her death. Antonia has already made an excuse in her mind to give to that doctor so she can stop seeing him.

“If it's not too much to ask, is there a way for both of you to find a doctor who is not affiliated with the alchemists?” Antonia asked, she doesnt know how many are in their organization, and leaving for another one could be a gamble if uninformed.

Both of them nodded, eager to do this task for her.

“As for the spies inside the factory,” Venigni thought about it, “Firing them would be too obvious, but we could find a way to separate their teams, giving them less access to information”

They kept on making plans but Gemini felt a presence in the air, it was Adeline, who vanished almost instantly, the tiny cricket puppet had a bad feeling about that, whatever she was trying to tell him, it would have to be another time and it won't be good news.

Chapter Text

Gemini looked at Pinocchio who was painting on a big canvas, being almost done, adding the finishing touches, when he felt the presence of Adeline in the air, luckily for him, his lamp had been left in the living room, and with no one else home it was easy for him to sneak out and see her.

“Bad news” Adeline looked shaken up, “That bastard has something planned for Pinocchio”

She overheard him giving orders to some alchemists, who were tasked with incorporating a way to make subjects with affinities with electricity to try and affect his puppet body.

“He also said that he plans on turning that device on in two weeks” Once that happens, it is all over for her, she will turn into the philosopher stone, “I need to talk with him right now, I'm ready”

“Umm…” Gemini wasn't sure how to say this, “You probably are ready but I don't think he is ready to hear news like this at the moment”

“Why the hell not?!” Adeline is pretty desperate and that is the last thing she wants to hear.

“Look today I can tell he is feeling on edge, so perhaps we could try tomorrow”

On edge but not from the alchemists, Gemini starts telling Adeline about the painting Pinocchio is making, it's one of Carlo and Romeo and he is having some very negative feelings stirring up inside of him for a while. Adeline knew them, as probably all of Krat, and she went to school with them, just in a higher grade, they did cross paths in a few events, and Adeline started to remember the last time she saw the two of them alive.

—-

“Hey cutie, I love your dress”

Adeline tried to ignore the man as she made her way towards the Opera House but he started following her, it was late at night and she had forgotten something. The man started to say how beautiful she was, and how he would love to “see under that dress”, then when he realized that she was part of the Corday family he got angry.

“What are the Corday’s too stuck up to accept compliments?” He grabbed Adeline’s arm forcefully and now she could smell the alcohol in his breath.

“Get away from me you filthy addict!”

“Come on, I just want to have some fun with you”

Her heart started racing trying to get away until he pulled out a pocket knife and told her to be quiet. But she couldn’t and began to cry, scared for her life.

Adeline felt someone grab her from behind forcefully at first she thought the man wasn’t alone to try and kidnap her when she realized that it was Romeo who had done it, getting her away from him, the man tried to grab her back but he kicked him onto the floor, he grabs his stomach in pain, getting kicked by a puppet is extremely painful more so considering the materials he is made of.

“You damn puppet, I’ll-”

“Leave her alone” Carlo had rushed to their side and pulled out his weapon, “Or else”

He got the point and began to run away stumbling. Adeline was still crying, she hugged Romeo trying to feel comfort and thanking both of them over and over again.

“Hey it’s nothing” Carlo was still holding his weapon just in case, “Do you need us to escort you home?”

Adeline nodded, the object that she had forgotten no longer important in her mind, she just wanted to go home. While they were walking, she started to make conversation.

“What are you lovebirds planning?”

“Lovebirds?!” The two of them shouted at the same time.

“Come on guys, you can see it from space” Adeline rolled her eyes, “I don’t care, you guys do you, just saying because at this hour no one should have been at the Opera House but the cleaning staff”

They looked at each other, unsure about telling her the truth but since she wasn’t judgemental about their relationship, they gave in.

“We are getting married,” Romeo said, they were planning the show they would perform.

“You better not tell anyone” Carlo didn’t want others to know, this is only between close family.

“Aw, you look cute when you are angry” Adeline teased him.

Carlo got flustered, “No I don’t!”

“You do” Romeo smiled,” You are the cutest stalker in the world”

Adeline laughed, “See Carlo? I’m always right”

“Whatever” Carlo was still a little embarrassed and changed the subject, “Your aunt is a really good stalker, I’ve practiced with her before”

“Yeah, she is” Adeline wants to be happy for her aunt, considering everything that happened to her, “When are you guys going to get your masks?”

“Oh we are already scheduled to get them” Romeo explained, “We chose butterflies”

“Why that?” Adeline found it odd, she had never heard of bugs being used as masks.

“We just like them,” The two of them said at the same time again, they looked at each other and laughed.

The house wasn’t too far away by now, things were quiet until Adeline spoke up again.

“Does this mean you finally made up with your father?”

“I…it’s just that…” Carlo loves his father but it’s more complicated than that, although he is starting to feel as if it could happen.

“Like, I don’t want to be one of those annoying preachy people but you should give him a chance”

“Why are you so interested?” Romeo asked.

“I don’t know, maybe because I’ve never met my father”

Both her parents died when she was a baby, her grandmother is the one who has always had taken care of her since her aunts were too busy for that.

“So you are projecting?” Carlo joked.

“Probably,” Adeline played along, “Be a good boy and give your old man a break”

They finally arrived at the mansion, and it was time for them to part ways, Adeline was still feeling a little less stressed so she hugged Romeo one last time.

“Congratulations” Adeline smiled, “Hopefully you two twinks have a long happy marriage”

Despite being called twinks a million times by now, they got flustered with this one, maybe it was because feelings were still high due to their wedding planning. Adeline waved them goodbye, her grandmother asked what took her so long but she lied, not wanting to worry her.

—--

“I get it, he probably feels very guilty about killing Romeo,” Adeline said.

Gemini was in shock “What?! How do you know about that?”

“I have nothing to do but to be in agony, and frankly, I hate hearing the conversations those alchemists have” Adeline clenched her fists, feeling powerless despite her new abilities, “So I snooped around in other realities, and because they are similar I found out about that, about a lot of things, how Geppetto caused the frenzy, about what happened to Lorenzini Venigni's parents and about Sophia Monad was kidnapped just like me”

Simon would call Sophia his Blue Butterfly; and now Frederick calls Adeline his Pretty Lisenser, it's disgusting. Adeline asks Gemini what happened to Sophia in this reality, and he at least gives her the good news that her torment was stopped.

“We could find a way to bring you back like we did with her”

“I have nothing against puppets anymore but I rather not get turned into one, in fact, I would rather just die”

Gemini's colors changed to a blue hue, saddened to hear those words from her, but if she wanted to pass away, her wishes should be respected. Before he can give her any words of comfort, Pinocchio leaves his room, Gemini quickly turns off his lamp, making her vanish. The boy hangs the painting in the living room, next to the one with Carlo when he was a young boy, there are more paintings hung on the wall, one of him and his father and some small ones of different places around Krat, Pinocchio is as talented in his paintings as he is on his music if not more.

Yet instead of feeling proud or happy, Gemini can sense Pinocchio feels resentful, seemingly not getting the satisfying feeling he thought he would get from the painting. He blames himself, it is a beautiful painting, in his eyes the most refined one, yet he made the mistake of leaning more into the techniques Dorian Grey taught him.

“I want to check out that place near the Cathedral” Pinocchio grabbed Gemini and attached him to his belt, “Maybe I can find that secret base”

“Right now? Won't your father come home soon enough?” Gemini tried to dissuade him from leaving in that state.

“He can wait for me, I can't just stand here being useless”

Gemini tells him he isn't being useless but Pinocchio ignores the well-meaning comment, rushing out of the door, looking for clues, looking for something to distract him from his feelings.

—-

The forest path around the Cathedral was just as he remembered it, walking around he could tell himself he was getting closer, when he heard an unexpected voice, making him gasp in shock at getting caught, he was reckless not to use his new Legion Arm.

“Mmm, what is Geppetto’s doll doing here?”

Pinocchio turned around to see Sabertooth behind him.

“Did you come here without his permission? Hard to believe he would let you wander around in a place like this”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Gemini was a shade of red despite trying to be calm.

“Considering he already lost his son once, it just seems odd that he wouldn’t want you near him 24/7” Sabertooth walked closer towards him, moving like a predator intimidating their prey.

“I can take care of myself” Pinocchio grabbed his weapon, he didn’t want to fight her but if it was necessary so be it.

“I’m not going to fight you,” Sabertooth said, “It would be a shame if I ruined Carlo’s pretty face”

“What do you know about my brother?”

“Really? Your brother?” Sabertooth laughed, “Sure, whatever makes you feel better, and by the way, I knew him and he would definitely hate you”

“You don’t-!”

“I interacted with that stupid brat and his metal fucktoy for an entire year, you never even met him”

“His what?!” How dare she call Romeo that? Pinocchio is furious.

“His metal fucktoy that his daddy made as a way of apologizing for never paying attention to him”

Before Pinocchio could say something, Sabertooth spoke up again, unrelenting in her taunting.

“I bet that you were thrilled that he got all destroyed during the frenzy right? You have Geppetto all to yourself now that Carlo is gone and so was that metal-”

“Stop calling him that!” Pinocchio’s face was red and he could feel himself overheating.

“Did I touch a nerve?” Sabertooth got even closer, “In fact, I’m surprised Geppetto didn’t love that thing more than Carlo considering he only loves you more than his real son because you are a puppet”

She was too close to him, and for a moment she made a motion to grab her weapon handle, it was to scare him but Pinocchio didn’t fall for the bait, he pushed her away from him. That however didn’t make Sabertooth stop.

“Think about it, his wife dies, he builds a puppet, his son dies and he builds a puppet” She took a few steps back, “Logically he should have loved Romeo more too, maybe it was defective”

“You were his last try, you are what he always wanted, Carlo was his son but he was a brat and Romeo was a puppet but just a toy, now he gets a toy of his son, happy ending for him right? Well, what about them huh? I am right, Carlo and that thing would have hated you”

Pinocchio started walking away, he didn’t have to deal with her abuse. It was a bad idea to come here, he should have listened to Gemini.

He kept trying to not think about her words, trying not to cry because those are just words right? She is just being mean for no reason, they wouldn’t hate him. Pinocchio kept thinking about the fight he had with Romeo, too entranced by his thoughts and no longer paying attention to his surroundings.

“Pal look out!”

Pinocchio stepped on a wooden plank that was too fragile, it made him start falling down the hill, bumping into tree branches until he landed on the floor below, a pile of mud somewhat making it less painful, but it was not enough as Pinocchio started to feel unwell, hearing Gemini shouting something before he fell unconscious.

—-

Pinocchio is back at the Opera House.

Pinocchio looks at himself, he is wearing Carlo’s old school uniform, once again the stage is on fire, and in front of him is Romeo holding a scythe but not the same one as before. Romeo also looked different, in what would have been his normal state without the damages caused by their fight, and next to him was Carlo who was sitting on some sort of throne, it looked strange, sort of like the chair his father uses to repair him. Both of them were wearing elegant clothing, blue royal tailcoats that matched with each other.

Romeo wasted no time on attacking him, Pinocchio couldn’t manage to block or dodge it, recoiling at the pain as he grabbed his weapon and blocked the next attack but just barely. He tried grabbing a pulse cell, only to realize he had none left. Pinocchio was attacked once more, getting launched several meters away, gasping in pain as he stood up.

Pinocchio doesn’t know what overcame him but when he attacked back, he was being so ruthless, no longer did Romeo have the upper hand but he hit him again and again not giving him a moment to breathe, hitting harder than ever before.

Before he could give out the last blow, the attack by his sword got blocked, not by Romeo but by Carlo, he had the exact same weapon as Romeo, and he wasn’t going to let Pinocchio hurt him any longer.

Carlo attacked him as cruelly as he was attacking Romeo, Pinocchio was able to keep up for the most part but he started feeling tired and not just tired from fighting.

“You ruined everything”

It wasn’t Carlo nor Romeo who said that, he heard the voice again it was his own voice.

“He could have had Carlo back, he could have had the family he always wanted”

The situation only got worse when Romeo got back up, joining Carlo in the fight.

“That wasn’t enough for you, you had to get rid of Romeo as well”

Pinocchio wasn’t going to give up, he had faced countless dangers before, he could beat the two of them.

“You ruined your father’s real family”

He managed to make the two of them fall down, Pinocchio was about to stab Romeo in the chest when he stopped. Carlo had put himself between, the sword almost stabbing Carlo’s heart.

Pinocchio dropped his weapon and fell to his knees crying.

“I’m sorry” For hurting them, for killing Romeo when he was only trying to stop his father from doing any harm. He didn’t have to die, he didn’t want to fight but Pinocchio fought him regardless. That is all he does, he fights to solve his problems.

Pinocchio cries on the floor, Carlo kneels next to him and wipes away a few of his tears still not saying anything. Romeo offers him his hand so he can stand up, he takes his hand and hugs him as Carlo watches the two of them.

He knows that they don’t hate him, Pinocchio realizes that like his father, he was looking at the past, at everything he did wrong, at everything that could have been different but there is no changing the past. He should be able to enjoy his life without thinking he stole it from them.

Pinocchio can feel their hearts, almost as if they are in sync, he starts to feel tired closing his eyes, everything going dark around him.

—-

“Pinocchio! Pinocchio answer me!”

Pinocchio gasped, opening his and seeing his surroundings, it was all a dream, Gemini looked so relieved when he was awake. Apologizing for scaring him, Pinocchio decided to head home, he needs to get cleaned up and he needs to rest even if he feels fine.

He told his father about what happened, who gave him a quick checkup, everything was normal, it made sense, Pinocchio had been hit way harder, most likely he fainted because he felt so stressed. His father didn’t need to reassure him of anything, Pinocchio already felt content with himself.

“Son, before going to bed pick up that weapon you left in the living room”

“What weapon?”

On the floor, in front of the painting of Carlo and Romeo was that same weapon of his dream, Pinocchio faintly smiled thanking them silently as he took it and put it inside his closet with the rest of them.

When Pinocchio went to bed, Gemini could feel Adeline again, this time, hard as it was he pushed his lamp all the way into the outside of the house, not wanting to risk waking anyone up and finding out so suddenly.

“Is something in your mind Adeline?” Gemini moved his antennas while looking at her, having a sorrowful face.

Adeline's voice was filled with sadness, “I am thinking about my grandmother”

Her grandmother is probably worried sick, she is the only person who has truly cared about her, Adeline knows she is looking for her, and sometimes she spies on her at the manor, she is sick now, not eating because she is too depressed to do so and her fragile body taking a toll on her.

She lost her 3 children, and now she lost her, more than her grandmother, Adeline saw her as her real mother, she didn’t deserve to go through all this.

It was silent and awkward until Gemini spoke up.

“So, how are the other us in those dimensions?” Gemini asked, changing the subject could lighten up the mood “Since you know the truth about the frenzy why not tell me a little of what you saw”

Gemini has been curious ever since he saw that tear in reality at the Opera House.

“Mmm well, I saw one where Geppetto is dead,” Adeline said, “That strange puppet he made to bring back Carlo killed him, apparently it was going to destroy Pinocchio’s heart, kind of sad, how he realized in there too late about how he had a son in front of him all the time”

“That sounds intense”

“Oh you have no idea” Adeline has seen a lot, “There is one where he brings Carlo back by taking away his heart and he kills everyone inside Hotel Krat”

“What?!” Gemini was mortified, “How are you so calm about saying things like that?”

“Like I said, you have no idea, those alchemists get their way on multiple ones and those are horrendous realities”

She has become desensitized by it now, truthfully she has been desensitized since she was transformed against her will, “I’m more surprised at the smaller things, it was hard to imagine Romeo not being a puppet, well, not always a puppet but you get what I mean”

“I don’t” Better for him not to ask for her to elaborate, all things considered, this reality sounds very nice compared to the other ones.

“Pinocchio is a HUGE brat in this reality”

“Really?” Maybe by her definition of a brat since he is so well-behaved, “How is he in other ones?”

“Mostly the same, he is more talkative in this one”

“Pinocchio wasn’t always like that, I’m proud of how far he has come” Gemini smiled.

“He is like, very immature” Adeline was thinking about the things she saw, “But he is just a kid, he isn’t one in other ones, pretty sure he is a young adult”

“Sad I can’t tell him about this, I would love to tease him about it”

“I saw a reality where I’m a guy, pretty interesting, loved his voice” Adeline smiled thinking about it, “You know, sometimes I wish I was born a man”

“Mmm go on,” Gemini chirped.

“I don’t know,” Adeline said, “Like, it sounds strange but ever since I was a kid, my ideal voice was always the one of a man”

While Adeline always fit inside the traditional female social stands (even embraced them) the one thing she always wished to have was a deep masculine voice.

“It’s weird, maybe it’s because of my family?”

The singer in the red dress, the white lady, and Adeline was… sort of a combination of both, unfortunately, she didn’t get a noticeable name like her two aunts. But her vocal performances were too similar to theirs.

She didn’t want to just carry her family legacy, she wanted to surpass both of them, she didn’t want to be the replacement of neither, she wanted to stand out, and even if she didn’t manage to carry that legacy, she wanted others to remember her not by her last name, but by her voice.

“Whatever feelings are strange” Adeline tried to shrug it off, “All other girls probably feel similarly to me in some sort of way, not necessarily singing”

“I’m a puppet cricket so I can’t say I would know”

“Can you sing?”

It’s been a while since he has done that, he nods his head and has a brilliant idea, “Do you want to do a duet?”

“Gemini…” Adeline could feel a tear falling out of her real body, he is so kind, she is so glad to have found him and felt bad that she was rude to his best friend in the first place.

Gemini put his two tiny arms together, ready to begin before Adeline stopped him.

“Wait” Adeline was concentrating her energy, opening a different tear of reality than the one she was using to speak.

“Okay, let’s do it now” Adeline’s voice had changed to the one of a masculine, opening the reality she fondly was talking about.

Gemini admired her determination not to let those alchemists destroy the joy she has for singing despite taking away her voice.

In that night sky, Gemini and Adeline sang together for hours, other crickets joining it at the melody, the nature outside admiring the composition as other small critters came to bear wittiness to it. They sang until Adeline grew too tired, by now already the first rays of sunshine being visible in the sky, neither wanted to say goodbye, but the two needed to rest, specially her.

“Gemini…” Adeline’s voice was back to normal, “Can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure, anything you want” If there is anything he can do to help her, he will do what it takes.

“This is a big favor you dummy, I’m asking a lot” Adeline looked away before composing herself, “You don’t have to do it but, if you find me can you…”

Her voice sounded almost like a whisper, so weak and fragile at barely being able to control her power but Gemini heard that message loud and clear.

Can he do that? Can he forever live with that choice? Is that the right choice or is there another way?

“I promise you, I will”

Adeline vanished, happy to have heard his answer, feeling at peace. Gemini went back inside the house, instead of lying in his bed, he lay down next to Pinocchio, feeling some sort of comfort, maybe he didn’t sleep like him, but he rested well the few remaining hours before his best pal woke up.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـg…d…nig.tﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـGe..iﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

It’s already morning but that doesn’t matter to either of them.

“Good night Adeline”

No Ergo gained

"Paintings reflect more than just the feelings of the painter, sometimes they can take a life of their own"

"The two of them had only made sketches and notes of the weapon they would use as stalkers, finally their dream come true, but sadly after the petrification disease diagnosis, it never came to be...until now"

Chapter Text

Adeline was waiting for Pinocchio to wake up to finally have that talk with him, why does he oversleep so much? Her grandmother would get mad at her for waking up even a minute late from her daily routine, she couldn’t believe Geppetto was so lax with Pinocchio’s sleep schedule.

“He usually wakes up by now” Gemini was inside his cage, with his light on.

And wake up he did, although, in his still sleepy state, he wasn’t fully awake to hear what Gemini was telling him, and nor was he caring, thinking he was probably scolding him about oversleeping yet again, he had unbuttoned his pajama shirt, removing it when he became startled at the sight of Adeline in his room.

“What?! Huh?! Adeline what are you doing in my room?!” Pinocchio grabbed a pillow to cover his chest, “What’s going on?! And where have you been?!”

“See? This is what happens when you don’t listen to me” Gemini rolled his eyes.

Adeline laughed, the first genuine laugh she had since being trapped, “Sucks to be you Gemini, having to be stuck babysitting him”

“Gemini isn’t a babysitter!” Pinocchio shouted with embarrassment, “And stop looking at me!”

Adeline turned around, he was right that it was kind of inappropriate to stare at him like that, Adeline could also tell he felt vulnerable with anything that involved his chest.

“Sorry, I just like, have never seen a puppet with abs, you are kind of odd you know that?”

Of course Pinocchio has a buff body, have you seen what he is capable of? At least that’s what he would tell her but truthfully that is just a recent change in his unique body.

“Well, I have never seen someone with…” It finally clicked in Pinocchio’s head that Adeline wasn’t looking normal, “Um… did the alchemists do something to you?”

It was easy for him to tell that was the case, knowing what happened to Sophia and how strange their experiments with bugs were.

“Oh, thank God I don’t have to explain” Adeline was filled with relief, she hated telling Gemini what happened to her, “Also can you hurry up changing? I don’t like starting at walls”

Pinocchio had to rush his daily routine, but he tried not to get mad at her and tried not to think about what was happening to her real body.

“Sophia, are you there?” Pinocchio asked in his mind.

“Yes?” Sophia was just waking up herself, in her case, her travels had left her exhausted and in need of more rest than usual.

“I see…” Sophia’s voice was filled with sadness, “Get me to the stargazer, maybe I can give her some advice”

Strangely enough, when Pinocchio touched the stargazer to try and make Sophia’s voice be heard, the signal wouldn’t come through, in fact, the Blue Butterflies that floated around it suddenly all disappeared, the device changing glowing colors from a deep orange to a strong purple from time to time.

“It must be the disruption around Adeline” Sophia’s voice was only heard by Pinocchio, “I’m sorry but as long as she is around, I don’t think the stargazer will work properly”

“Hey, earth to Pino, what is Sophia saying?” Adeline snapped her fingers, “I need help asap”

“You don’t have to be rude” Pinocchio pouted, then he explained what Sophia had just told him, “But she said I could write it down for you”

“I’m not being rude” Adeline huffed, “Trust me anyone would be pissed if they were in my situation”

“Sophia was always kind…” Pinocchio mumbled under his breath.

“Sophia is a saint, she doesn’t count” Adeline flapped her wings in frustration, “Like, people would call her a witch at school because of her father and other stuff, and not once did she even give them the time of day”

“You went to school together?” Gemini was curious, “Aren’t you older than Sophia?”

“She like, went up a few grades but only in science stuff,” Adeline said, “We were lab partners”

“Oh, I remember that!” Sophia was about to say more when she realized the hour, needing to get ready before she missed the train that would take her to her next destination and Pinocchio had to explain why she suddenly had to leave the conversation.

“Maybe you are subconsciously rubbing onto her” Gemini can tell Sophia has overslept on more than just this occasion.

“Sleeping is too good Gemini, I feel bad you can’t do it like me”

“You know what? I’m with him on that one, sleeping is the only thing I like right now, in fact, it is my favorite thing to do” Adeline might have fun with Gemini from time to time but the more rest she can get from her torment the better.

“Mmm” Adeline tuned her ears to check something, “I’m pretty sure I just heard someone say they are going to attack you”

Adeline’s hearing can tell her everything that is happening around Krat, but she usually tunes it out, so many voices at once are overwhelming but she can feel Frederick doing some “touch-ups” to her body, and when he does that all her abilities go haywire.

“I… I can’t…” Adeline struggled to maintain her form, before completely vanishing.

Gemini and Pinocchio looked at each other, what should we do? Did whoever said that mean it for right now? Or for later? Whatever that answer is, he needs to be on his way to see Antonia. As always he carries around a weapon but he grabbed a few more extra supplies on the way, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

—-

Adeline is feeling an unbearable amount of pain, Frederick is drawing blood from her, but more than just that comes out. The liquid is black with strange white dots floating around. Her ears are disconnected from that device he uses to keep her powers in control, taking notes on how she is going to disconnect her more from it, how he wants her power to flow at pure raw strength.

Frederick concentrates on her torment, Adeline watches as she puts her blood in some strange device, the white dots now revealed to be eggs hatching into dimensional butterflies, as well as other bugs with the same properties such as crickets, dragonflies and others. The man uses a different needle, a thinner one, and now he is taking away from the bugs and injecting them into his body, killing them in the process of the extraction, it makes him flinch in pain, but he powers through it. Getting closer to Adeline, he extends the arm where he performed his experiment, moving his hand, to pull something out of Adeline’s body, the girl screams in pain reflectively, but no sound comes out, not with her vocal cords completely gone.

He took Ergo out of her body, not content with that he pulled out more, crushing it with his hand, turning into anima that he eats, his body getting stronger.

Frederick says something to her but Adeline is hearing too much at once, then she sees people entering the room where he keeps her. Adeline can sense Frederick’s emotions, being annoyed at what has been said but quickly composing him, she looks at his lips, the word “plan” is the only thing she can make out, then “move” while saying her name. Is this not meant to be the place where they will transform her?

Several hours of him experimenting on her and himself pass, Adeline can see how he grows stronger by the minute, strangely enough not that physically strong, mainly the fact that he is gaining the powers she holds but more controlled. Finally, Adeline feels the device on her ears being put back together, giving her a minuscule amount of comfort, still in pain yet not as unbearable as before.

“Do you think I’m stupid?” Frederick cursed at her, “Do you think I don’t know what you are doing?”

That’s what he wants to say, but Frederick is smarter than to get angry, to get reckless, just as Simon did when he learned how Sophia was communicating with Geppetto’s puppet. But Frederick won’t make the same mistake, if the boy wants to come to save her, he will welcome him, having something special planned for that puppet.

He leaves the room, going to supervise other experiments, Adeline is left alone, left to think about what to use to communicate. Definitely, she should never leave her body alone again in his presence, she needs to find out about his schedule, find out if there could be a way to trick him and the others that she isn’t leaving her body.

She hopes that at least Gemini and Pinocchio aren’t having a hard time like her.

—-

Pinocchio has no idea how he got himself into this position but he is starting to believe the universe hates him.

It was supposed to be simple, go and see Antonia, have some free time to investigate or do whatever, and then go back home, and the first part went along rather well, until Polendina showed both of them the newspaper headline.

—--𖦹—--

Newspaper Journal

This morning at 8 am, the famous geneticist Doctor Isaac Sullivan was found murdered by a neck stab wound in his office by one of the cleaning staff for the hospital where he was employed. The police are investigating the crime, and ask the public to be patient for new information.

—--𖦹—--

Pinocchio decided to see if he could find anything, did the alchemists kill him? Why would they get rid of him? If it wasn’t the alchemists, then who? Was it simply just an unfortunate coincidence?

“The doctor gave me a few tasks while he is busy in totally not one of their secret bases” Blue Canary happened to be nearby, giving him this information, “There is a library they use mainly for their activities, but you need a special membership to enter, and it’s well hidden amongst a few back allies in the Mallum District”

Like all their other fronts, he could enter the place normally but it would be too risky since the alchemists know what he is up to, opting to plan to use his Legion Arm once he gets to the place.

If he gets to the place, Pinocchio is now completely lost.

He has never been around this area of the Mallum District, and it feels like a maze, all the alleys are too big, filled with long run down apparent buildings that block his view, having a hard time getting oriented. Strangely enough, the streets seem to be empty.

“This is a residential area pal” Gemini chirped, “At this hour most people are still at work or at school, still, keep your guard up for any trouble”

Taking a few steps, Pinocchio could now tell he was being watched, thinking quickly he stood still, pretending to look at something in his bag, then when he heard a faint noise he activated his Legion Arm, disappearing into thin air in the eyes of their attacker.

The assailant was wearing an outfit that covered them completely, nothing that resembled the usual stalker attire, and neither did they wear a mask, they had extremely long brown hair, tied up in a braid to properly do combat.
He had no time to think about the specifics of the appearance while deciding their counterattack. Choosing to use the chain on his scythe to grab the assailant and pull them closer to him, Pinocchio deactivates his Legion Arm, and the attacker barely manages to block the attack by using their two daggers.

“Very clever,” The attacker said, his deep voice sounding a little cocky, kicking Pinocchio out of his way, it barely hurt him but it made him take a few steps back.

The man tried using close combat again, but Pinocchio was faster and dodged, the man kept on the same hand-to-hand strategy, barely using their daggers, and while Pinocchio doesn't have much experience with hand-to-hand combat, a swift punch with his Legion on the stomach managed to make his assailant recoil in pain, coughing a small amount of blood. Yet that did not deter them, grabbing from their belt a chain that contained two bells on each side, at first Pinocchio thought he would throw them at him but he simply made them make contact, that's when a jarring sound made him feel disoriented for a moment, a moment that was enough for the man to grab one of his daggers and hit Pinocchio directly in one of his legs, it was painful but he had been hit with way worse. After managing to compose himself, he used again the chain in his weapon, this time he pulled himself closer instead of the other way around, slashing his scythe so hard that when the attack was blocked, it broke both of the daggers, and before the same bell trick could be pulled again, Pinocchio used his scythe to push himself into the air, and kicking them so hard that the crack of bones breaking could be heard. The boy was secretly very proud of that move, having only seen Romeo use that against him, no wonder he was fighting him like that, it was very effective in dealing a huge amount of pain.

The attacker fell to their knees, and Pinocchio pointed his scythe directly at them, being too close to their neck.

“Please give up” Pinocchio doesn’t want to resort to killing but he knows that if he has no other choice… his life and the lives of his loved ones are on the line, killing will never be a good thing in his eyes but he won’t hesitate to defend himself anymore.

“We… underestimated you” The attacker jumped back, taking a strange round ball out of a tiny bag, “You’ll regret this”

Throwing the ball onto the floor, smoke began to fill the area, Pinocchio coughed at the smell, the smoke slowly began to disperse, and the boy realized that his attacker had dropped something in their rush to get out of there. It was a picture of the dead doctor and on the back, the following words were written:

“Alchemist, your target, get rid of him”

“Does this mean whoever this is wasn’t an alchemist?” Gemini moved his antennas in confusion, “Who else would want to attack you?”

Good question, is it because of him? Is it because someone has a grudge against his father or someone else from his family? Now that he thinks about it their attacks were strange, they were definitely not aiming to kill him, so were they planning on taking him hostage?

Pinocchio was going to leave, when his luck somewhat changed, finding the library he was looking for, a part of him wanted to retreat, however, he had come this far and he could get lost again, or attacked again, it was best not to ruin his chances. Using Stellar to hide himself, he waited patiently, and moments later someone got out of the door, giving him the opportunity to enter.

This library was bigger on the inside, carefully, he opened a door undetected and walked a few steps, when he saw a familiar face, undoing the power of his Legion Arm in a corner and getting closer.

Pinocchio was not expecting to see Giangio in here, in fact, he got a strange feeling that he shouldn’t be here at all.

“Are you in a rush?” Giangio gave him a warm smile, “Would you like to play a game of chess with me?”

Pinocchio isn’t sure to accept his offer, he is not exactly in the best of situations when investigating. Not to mention that if there are alchemists here, they could find a way to harm him, considering they are very aware of him trying to take them down.

“My apologies” Giangio tuned up his act more, “I wouldn’t want to be a bother, you don’t need to feel pressured”

“It’s alright,” Pinocchio said, he likes to play chess with Gemini and a quick game couldn’t hurt right?

Giangio was setting up the pieces, telling Pinocchio to go first and make his move.

“I used to be an alchemist” Giangio is playing a game and it’s not this game of chess.

Pinocchio stares at him, not knowing how to react, he is expecting Giangio to follow up on that statement but he doesn’t, so Pinocchio looks at the board and makes his next move.

“But you aren’t anymore?”

“I’m not” Giangio lied, it’s his turn now “I left shortly after Valentinus passed, I was… afraid of Simon and his capabilities”

A half-truth, as he did leave when he needed the power of the gold fruit coin, he then rejoined later once Frederick became their new leader.

Pinocchio keeps having this strange feeling, one that tells him not to trust his words, but why? Giangio helped him cure his mother and that cure went to help countless others.

This time when Pinocchio has his turn, he says nothing, and when it ends, Giangio speaks up again.

“That’s why I’m here“ Giangio took out one of Pinocchio’s pawns, “I get that it’s dangerous but… I… I don’t want what happened again to repeat itself”

Pinocchio can understand that, “Why did you come here?”

“Because I came to look for some information on their experiments”

“How do you know they are making experiments?” Pinocchio took out one of Giangio’s pawns.

“Considering those monsters I saw at the Cathedral…” Giangio did a counterattack, “I have a bad feeling they are up to… something like that”

Giangio is acting just as Pinocchio remembers, shy and unsure of himself, maybe that’s why his plan to investigate them isn’t that well thought out, however, he in a way seems more confident. Pinocchio is more confident in himself as well so he feels as if he would be a hypocrite for judging that about him.

“Do you want to help me stop them?” Help him, not us, because Pinocchio doesn’t want to reveal to Giangio how he isn’t doing this alone.

“If I could be of assistance, I would love to” Giangio moved one of his knights, “Here, have this”

—--𖦹—--

Material Gathering

The Ergo from the Black Seaside is on the decline, by our standards, that is Ergo that will last for decades, but with the high demand of Ergo for our research, we have seized control of all the hospitals in Krat and plenty of funerary homes, we have plenty but it's never bad to be too careful, not to mention how our listener is making our jobs easier.

Still, I might be paranoid but I worry about a shortage, alongside a possible shortage of disruption crystals now that the agent who was supplying the crystals from the Workshop union is gone. Convincing those stupid miners to aid us was a walk in the park, and those who did not comply were a good show of what happens if you do not obey our orders, the crystals are secured for now.

As for other relevant rare materials, only using them if absolutely necessary is the call, so unfortunately we must put on pause some of our current investigations, what matters to complete the philosopher stone.

—--𖦹—--

Pinocchio sits on the information, deeply thinking about it as he takes away one of Giangio’s pawns. The game will most likely come to an end soon, not many pieces are left and he has the advantage.

“Are you worried about your father?” Giangio makes a wrong move, one done on purpose, “Geppetto is a capable man, I’m sure he has many tricks on his sleeves if one of the alchemists were to try something”

Pinocchio immediately takes advantage of Giangio’s wrong move, “My father isn’t really one to trick people”

“He isn't?” Giangio moves one of his bishops to the perfect position, he is going to need it for later.

Pinocchio starts to feel doubtful, his father caused the frenzy and reduced as the damage was thanks to Romeo, he still tricked dozens of people, including him. Specially him, how many tasks did his father send him to do where he was carefully controlling the outcome?

“My father is not a bad person” Pinocchio truly believes it, maybe his father hasn’t been the best one but he is always improving, the father he had when he woke up was not the same father he has today.

“I never said he was” Giangio assured him he didn’t have any negative options about Geppetto, “I’m just saying that sometimes if you want to defeat an opponent that doesn’t play fair, it’s best to play by their own rules”

Or lack thereof.

“Can we talk about something else?” Pinocchio didn’t like where this conversation was going.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you” Giangio took away another of Pinocchio’s pieces, “I just hope you understand what I’m trying to say”

“How did you find out about the gold fruit coin?” Pinocchio asked he was starting to suspect something about his story.

“I was always looking for it on my own”

That’s the same thing he said back then, but Antonia mentioned how the alchemists knew she had the three, and how she previously worked with them and gave them access before she sealed it. For a moment Pinocchio stays quiet, asking Sophia if she knew who in the alchemists had that knowledge and she tells him that it was common knowledge, something she learned from her father. That not all had that access but they have always known the location.

There is no reason for Giangio to lie about not knowing where it was, sure, back then yes, but not right now.

“I see,” Pinocchio was unsure of what to do next.

“Check,” Giangio said with a smirk.

Not much he can do now, nowhere that Pinocchio can move his King without losing him next turn to Giangio. Pinocchio admitted defeat and started to help Giangio pack up the pieces.

“Looks like I made you tense on accident” Giangio set aside the game and hugged Pinocchio, “I’m your friend and on your side, you can count on me when it comes to dealing with the alchemists”

Giangio is his friend, but Pinocchio has already learned the hard way that just because someone says they are your friend that doesn’t mean it’s true, and that almost cost him his life.

Pinocchio lets go of the hug, “Thank you, for the help”

“You are welcome” Giangio smiled, grabbing some books and putting them inside his bag, “Good luck Pinocchio Geppetto”

As he is leaving Pinocchio thinks about it, no one has ever used to call him by his full name, not even his father when mad at him.

“Goodbye Giangio” Uncharacteristically, Pinocchio says those words neither sweetly nor happily, he says them with a hidden anger, with hidden distrust.

As Giangio leaves, Pinocchio takes the opportunity to look around, when he hears footsteps approaching, he activates his Legion arm to hide, just in time as two alchemists open the door and begin to talk.

“Mmm Paracelsus seems to be spending a lot of time with Frederick”

“He better not get promoted before me because I’ve been working twice as hard as that man”

“I saw them playing chess together, that isn’t exactly working”

It’s a bold move, but Pinocchio gets closer as they talk, spending time with his stalker siblings has paid off well, and he is able to pickpocket an alchemist badge from one of them. Now infiltrating their base will be easier.

—-

Pinocchio couldn’t sleep in the middle of the night, still thinking about his day, more than his attacker thinking about Giangio. Soon enough he won’t be on his mind, as Gemini turns on his lamp to reveal that Adeline is now there with them.

“Pino, I need a huge favor”

“Mmm, what is it?”

“My grandmother is dying” Adeline cried out, “And I want to see her one last time”

Pinocchio agreed, it was the least he could do for her, and sneaking around the vast halls of the Corday mansion helped him to practice his skills in infiltration.

Gemini was guiding him on where to go until they found that room upstairs, everyone was asleep in the middle of the night except for the old woman, who one could tell that her time had come, her breathing becoming heavy, a heartbeat that became slower and slower, Pinocchio gently opened the door and she looked up to see from her bed who it was to be greeted by no one. That is, until Gemini turned on his lamp, they were still hidden but Adeline was now visible to her.

“Adeline…? Adeline you came back”

“Yes, Nana it’s me” Adeline got closer to her.

“Where- Where… have you-”

“It doesn’t matter Nana, I’m back now, that’s what matters”

Her grandmother faintly smiled, shedding a few tears of joy.

“Adeline where are the others?”

The old woman was disoriented, she was almost 90 years old, often the two of them talked about the huge event they would throw if she reached that age, sadly it was something not meant to happen.

“They are preparing” Adeline lied, “You know, for the play? We were all going to perform together”

A family of singers, a family where it was common for them to throw small shows together, yet just because it was only a family event, that doesn’t mean they didn’t give it their all.

“Oh yes, I can’t wait to hear you all, did Patricia get better?”

“Yes Nana,” It was hard but Adeline had to comfort her, “She got her voice back, and she is practicing with Aunt Adelina”

“Where is your father dear?”

“He is… also there, probably adjusting the lights”

“That’s right, the lights, we can’t have a show without working lights, your costume is so pretty, those wings…”

Her grandmother took a deep breath, too tired, Adeline knew that her time was about to come to an end, she couldn’t sing to comfort her, not without waking up everyone else, so she silently hummed, her last moments couldn’t be spent all alone.

“Adeline”

“What is it Nana?”

“Your voice is so beautiful, you are going to be a great singer better than anyone else in this family”

“Thank you” Adeline extended her hand to touch her but couldn’t, at least her weak grandmother couldn’t sense that she wasn’t actually touching her.

She closed her eyes, and a few seconds later, she was gone, dying with a smile on her face.

Adeline spoke up while still looking at her now-deceased grandmother, “Gemini can you turn off your lamp?”

Gemini did so; a distorted blood-curdling scream pierced through not only the ears of Gemini and Pinocchio but all around them, it made both of them recoil in pain, Pinocchio grabbing his ears to try and stop the penetrating sound, Gemini doing the same with his antennas; glass broke at the heart-shattering cry, the sounds of dogs frantically barking were then heard, then lights of the place started to be turned on, everyone alerted at what had transpired, they needed to get out of there fast.

“Adeline, are you there?” Pinocchio said once they had left the place.

She isn’t there, Pinocchio walks back home, thankfully his father didn’t wake up for his midnight projects and realized he was gone, as Pinocchio went to bed, he tried to ignore the what-ifs.

What if that was him with his mother?

What if that was him with his father?

He pushes those thoughts aside trying to not think too much about it, but he starts to cry and rushes to his father’s room who asks what is wrong. Pinocchio doesn’t respond only saying he wants to be by his side that night.

Gemini stays in Pinocchio’s room, turning on his lamp.

“Adeline, I don’t you if you can hear me but…”

What can he say? Her grandmother, no, her mother just died and she is still being tortured. So he doesn’t say anything, rather he starts to chirp a tune, hoping that wherever she is trapped, she can feel some sort of peace.

---

Stealth Ergo:  🔷 +30,000 

"Rumors about the court of miracles have existed almost as long as Krat has existed, everyone has a different story about their true goals and methods. However, the one thing that has always stayed consistent, is that they have secretly sworn to protect the people of Krat, no matter the cost."

Chapter Text

For Pinocchio, it felt a little strange to be back at the offices of the Bastard Stalkers, not because of his feelings about Carlo or Romeo, but rather because the atmosphere felt… somewhat tense. He is supposed to be meeting with Blue Canary, but she hasn't arrived yet, saying that it needed to be here because of some documents she keeps hidden since they are labeled as “client business” she is not allowed to take them out of here. His stalker siblings can't wait for her, as they are banned from being in “faction territory” for each respective faction they left. Pinocchio got tired of waiting outside, more so because of the heat that was starting to bother him, and with no place to rest nearby, he decided to enter the building, making the excuse that he was sent on Venigni's behalf, something involving Blue's father, they did try to question him while entering, he pulled a box out of his bag and pretended something Venigni invented was inside, that he had no idea what it was or much less how it worked, simply that he was sent to deliver it. They bought into it, as it is in his uncle's character to never reveal his secrets, and a few people seemed jealous that he was too close with someone like Venigni, to begin with.

Maybe he is just being paranoid, these people are supposed to be working, and it makes sense why they are giving him the cold shoulder, no one wants to be interrupted while at work, and it seems to him that doing paperwork is the least liked part about being a stalker, as he constantly can hear others complaining about this and that, or how whatever file was put in the wrong place, or arguing about client reports.

“Mmm, are you close with Blue Canary?”

Pinocchio was looking at the floor and when he turned up his head, he frowned at the sight of Sabertooth condescendingly looking at him. Thankfully for Pinocchio, before she could start her passive-aggressive act, they both saw the leader of the Bastard Stalkers entering the building, the cue for her to learn to behave herself and that she cannot ruin her reputation by being mean to Geppetto's son.

Sabertooth rolled her eyes, leaving momentary, Pinocchio breathed in a sigh of relief, one that did not last long as Sabertooth had unleashed her secret weapon onto him.

“OOOOHH so pretty!!” Rusty pointed at Pinocchio's legion arm and started to touch it without his permission, trying to grab away the floating star before he stopped her.

The boy recognized her, the girl he had helped a while back when she got lost, and Pinocchio is getting better at talking with people who aren't friends or family, so surely this will go swell.

“Please don't touch that” Pinocchio gently grabbed her hand to make her stop, “But it makes me happy to say you think it's pretty”

“AAAaaa you are the one from the other day, right?” Rusty made her high-pitched voice more squeaky than usual, a few stalkers looking visibly annoyed, not even their masks being able to hide their true feelings, “Oh, you are Pinoooooo um something right? And if you are Pino something that means you are Geppetto's cute doll right?”

“I'm not a doll…” Pinocchio took a deep breath, trying to be comprehensive due to her age.

“Okay,” Rusty said, “But you are kinda cute, does Geppetto pick your clothes? My parents pick my clothes”

“He doesn't” Okay that is only a half-truth, his father does pick up his clothes sometimes, but it's embarrassing to admit it, “My name is Pinocchio”

“Why did Geppetto name you that? My parents named me Eleanor because I am their shining light, and that is what that word means, are you made out of pine wood?”

Pinocchio could not think about the answer to those questions, as Rusty kept on asking him more and more without waiting for an answer.

“Why is your hair white? Why are you taller than last time? If you are supposed to be Carlo's little brother shouldn't you be smaller? I mean, I know he is dead and stuff, sorry that happened, but I thought all younger siblings were shorter than the older ones. Can you die? Or do you stop working? Do you like cats? I really like cats. Or are you a dog person?”

She kept going and going, Pinocchio didn't know when he was supposed to speak up so Gemini had to intervene on his behalf.

“Hey kid, maybe you should give him time to answer,” Gemini chirped, “And some of those questions are personal, he doesn't have to give you an answer if he doesn't want to”

“MMMmmmm okay,” Rusty got a little closer to him, “Why are you here?”

“I am waiting for-”

Again, she did not wait for his answer, instead, she completely changed the subject.

“Are you playing detective Pin-tree?” Rusty giggled at watching Pinocchio’s expression upon hearing the nickname, “Are you sure you don’t want to be a stalker like your big brother?”

“Pin tree?!” Gemini shouted from his cage, “Start calling my pal by his name, we both know you can say it properly”

“And I’m not playing-” Pinocchio tried to speak up but was interrupted by Rusty.

“Oh, oh, oh! My uncle Tobias died under mysterious circumstances!” Rusty shouted, slamming her weapon on the floor for dramatic effect, “Maybe you can solve his case”

“What?” Pinocchio said, he could hear his gears moving as he kept trying to process what she was talking about, Rusty kept bombarding him with questions and constantly changing the subject, so it was hard for him to keep up.

“Yeah! He married my auntie but like, a year after they found him dead in his workplace~” Rusty sang casually, “And the police interviewed her for hours, they interviewed a lot of people, it was a big scandal back then, don’t you remember?”

“I don’t” Pinocchio is so confused, but maybe it happen-

“OH right, you weren’t even born yet, or created yet” Rusty looked as if she was in deep thought, “How old are you again?”

“Um… one year and nine months,” That still feels weird for Pinocchio to say, he can’t believe so much has passed in his short existence.

“I’m shorter but older than you, that’s so cool!”

Pinocchio could explain to her why he is technically older than her, but it would fall on deaf ears so he doesn’t bother (not by a lot but he is definitely older than her).

“Anyway, after he died, my auntie left the mansion to live in a tiny apartment with her girl-friend” Rusty was jumping in her place, not being able to stay still, “One day, Nona was talking about how my uncle was a good man, and I said that auntie looks happier living with her friend who is a girl, and grandma got upset for some reason, and then my parents yelled at my big brother”

“Why did they yell at him?!” Gemini asked, completely baffled.

“Well, since I never get in trouble, when I’m supposed to be, my parents yell at my brother instead”

That sounds needlessly cruel to Pinocchio, not understanding why anybody would do something like that.

“Does Geppetto yell at you Pinicchoni?”

Pinocchio facepalms, giving up on her saying his name properly.

“Why aren't you at school? Romeo went to school, why don't you?”

“Why aren't YOU at school?” Pinocchio answers back, losing his composure.

“Cause I have private tutors,” Rusty said, “Do you have private tutors?”

“Sort of,” Pinocchio explained, “My father homeschools me, and so does Lady Antonia”

“What do they even teach you?” Rusty pocked Pinocchio to annoy him more, “If you are only one year old, that doesn't make sense, babies don't learn anything”

“I am NOT a baby” Pinocchio's face was red with embarrassment, “I am more mature than I look”

That did not sound like he wanted it to, and now she is back asking more questions, why is Blue Canary taking so long?!

—

Blue gasped, hearing the door of the doctor’s office being opened, she had come here to see if she could find more information as the doctor trusted her enough to give her spare keys, yet she got reckless, he wasn't supposed to come until an hour later, she took a deep breath, this was no problem, just tell him you were moving a few of his belongings for cleaning, but the voice she heard from behind was not the one she was expecting.

“Oh my, not who I expected to see here, but I’m happy to see you again pretty bird~”

Blue quickly turned around to see Catherine in front of her and closing the door, she was wearing… something revealing, let’s call it that, and Blue was shocked that they didn’t kick her out of the hospital or arrest her for public indecency for walking with an almost exposed chest.

“Miss Catherine?! What are you doing here?!” That sounded very rude in hindsight but Blue was simply at a loss for words.

“I’m in a place I really shouldn’t be,” Catherine got closer and laughed, “And it seems you are in the same position as me”

“What do you mean?” Blue tried to play it cool yet in her mind there was only one question: How does she know?!

“Darling, I’m naughty all the time, I know when one is misbehaving, specially when it’s a good kind-hearted person like you” Catherine played with her long hair and moved closer to her, “You are too pure, whatever you are doing, I kindly ask you to stop, you don’t know who you are dealing with”

That’s a strange way to put it, Blue knows that she could be fired for snooping but something about that sentence was off, “…Do you know Dr. Garret well Miss. Catherine?”

They are childhood friends, but so is her father with the doctor and her father has no idea of his true nature. Why would he? Why would anyone know? Considering how well he puts up an act in front of others.

“I know everything there is to know about him,” Catherine playfully pinched Blue’s cheek, “Let me tell you something dear, all men are the same, no matter how different they might seem”

Blue felt embarrassed, rubbing her cheek at the stinging sensation, “Let me guess, all men want is sex?”

Catherine smiled, “Almost, I assure you, however, that from time to time, men are not the filthy pigs we girls portray them to be, your father is a good man, I know he would never approach me again since he is married, he is not the type of man to throw away his marriage for simply pleasure… although I'm sure you and I can agree, he does enjoy the act quite a lot”

The emotional part of Blue wants to tell her not to say that about her father, and the rational part tells her that he has 12 daughters and that this woman has a point.

“Then um,” Blue started at Catherine, her beautiful green eyes staring back at her, “What makes them all the same?”

“All men have two things in common,” Catherine put her hands up and held up one finger, “First, all men have ambition, they all want something, a family, a good job, money, or whatever, if they want it, a man will do anything to get it”

“Second,” Catherine put another finger up, and made sure to say it loud and clear so the girl understood the message, “All men have a weakness, if you want to tame a man, find it, and exploit it”

Catherine booped Blue’s nose, seeing the girl get more embarrassed at how she was getting treated like a child.

“Your father for example, one might think his weakness is his leg, his disability, however, you and I both know his weakness is you, and all his little girls,” Catherine said, “Imagine if something bad were to happen to you? Your poor father would be so devastated”

“Speaking of your father,” Catherine continued, “His ambition is his business, why when we were kids he did not shut up about how he would become successful for his family’s sake, he would talk nonstop about his part-time jobs, his ideas, how he had to prove that his family didn't cross an entire sea just to come here for nothing, and look at where it all got him”

That… makes a lot of sense, Blue feels as if she is misjudging Catherine, basic lack of modesty aside, she is quite the nice person giving solid advice.

“I see,” Blue nodded along, “Then, do you know Dr. Garret’s weakness, Miss Catherine?”

Catherine played with Blue’s hair roughly, completely messing it up, and the girl was now trying to fix it, she couldn’t be walking around with hair like that.

“I’m sorry darling, that is a secret I cannot share,” Catherine put one of her fingers in her lips, indicating the sworn secrecy, “I will tell you this, it’s clear to everyone what his ambition is”

His work life, his duty as a doctor, as an alchemist, and more importantly, the philosopher stone. He will stop at nothing, he has committed atrocities to get that artifact and will not stop, not when it is almost in his grasp, never underestimate what a man is capable of doing to get what he wants, specially a man with no conscience like him.

“I believe Lucero told me a saying in Spanish once,” Catherine looked as if she was in deep thought, for a moment, she touched her chest looking as if she was in pain, Blue was about to ask if she was okay before the woman spoke up again. “When you’ve been warned, you can’t say you’ve been lied to”

“Oh, sobre aviso no hay engaño!” Blue said in almost perfect spanish with tiny stars in her eyes at her excitement, she and all her sisters speak the language, her father taught them and her mother speaks a little of it, she is not surprised Catherine knows about the saying, considering her father…

Wait, Miss. Catherine is definitively warning her not to mess with Frederick, does she know what kind of person he is? If she does, why say this to her? What does she gain?

“As I told you a while back, us girls have to stand up for each other,” Catherine sat down in Frederick’s luxurious chair, “Fly away pretty bird, I wouldn’t want to see you trapped in a cage”

“Miss. Catherine I don’t think I’m allowed to just leave you here with the door locked” Blue was trying to kick her out in the most polite way possible, she might be naive yet she knows what Catherine is up to, the doctor definitely isn’t the type of person to accept such advances.

“Darling don’t worry about it~” Catherine sang, pulling out her own spare keys that she stole from Frederick, “I can get out easily”

“Huh?” Blue can’t believe what she is seeing.

“Dear I have a reputation for a reason,” Catherine winked, “Your father, your client, half of Krat at this point, I-”

“OKAY, I don’t want to know more!” Blue shouted and made her way toward the door, accidentally bumping into it, yelping in pain, and cursing in spanish under her breath before opening the door frantically, “Goodbye Miss. Catherine!”

Catherine saw the poor girl running away, hopefully, she wasn’t stubborn and listened. Catherine sighed in frustration letting out a few coughs, she looked at the palm of her hand, she had coughed drops of blood, this was the reason she had come here, today she hadn't been feeling well and did not want to wait for him to come late into the night for her to get treated. Although this is probably nothing serious, maybe she needs to cut down on the rough sex she has with some clients, she goes back to her playful demeanor just thinking about it, maybe she should play with her little Frederick too once he finally arrives…

—-

Pinocchio did not explain to Blue Canary why he was in a bad mood, but she could tell the reason by simply looking at how Sabertooth was patting Rusty's as they were leaving to discuss the private matters. Grabbing her secret files with none the wiser of what she had been hiding.

It was a little awkward for Blue Canary to meet with Pinocchio and the others, sure, she had talked with Antonia and Venigni from time to time at the events her father held and Geppetto on a rare occasion but the situation was completely different. She was surprised at how determined they all were, but upon further realization, this wasn't their first time dealing with such threats.

Things were about to get awkward once more, as in her nervousness she had grabbed Gemini's cage, the cricket outside of it sitting on Pinocchio's head, it was just something to try and calm herself as she played with it however when she turned it on, everyone aside from Pinocchio and Gemini almost had a heart attack at the sight of Adeline suddenly appearing in the room and looking… rather peculiar to say the least.

“If you want to see a cool magic trick, turn it off again,” Adeline said, feeling a little playful.

Blue Canary did so, Adeline suddenly vanishing, turning it on and off multiple times to make her appear and disappear. Pinocchio trying his hardest to explain the situation.

“They want to turn you into the philosopher stone?!” Blue was shocked, Adeline might always have been stuck up but she always considered her a friend, and she couldn't let a friend go through something like that, “Dont worry Adeline, we are going to save you, and maybe somehow help your body, surely there has to be a way”

“Blue I appreciate the heroism, but I just want all the pain to be over” Adeline wasn't convinced that this would end well for her, “This isn't a story, I don't think I am making it out of this”

As long as she doesn't become that stone. If that happens, would she know? Would she be conscious? Adeline as usual tries not to think about that fate for her.

“Adeline I understand it feels hopeless,” Geppetto tried to be reassuring, “But Blue Canary is right, maybe there is a way to find a way to truly save you”

Gemini has on his mind what Adeline asked of him, it's private so he would rather keep silent.

Adeline rolled his eyes, “Please don't turn me into a puppet”

“Haha yes I get it, I turn people into puppets when they die,” Geppetto replied back sarcastically, “Either way I assume it would be impossible for my son to absorb your Ergo and transplant it somewhere else, considering all the disruption that now resides in it, what I meant to say is that I was hoping there was a possibility to reverse the effects on your body”

“So, you thought about it right?” Adeline took a few ethereal steps back, “Cause like, why else would you know it wouldn't work?”

“Does everyone just assume that of me?” Geppetto asked, Antonia and Venigni just looking away for a moment, “Seriously? Do the two of you have that little faith in me?”

“But Father,” Pinocchio spoke up, “I found those notes from when you were making hypothetical puppets of-”

“I can explain! I swear it sounds crazy but it is part of my therapy,” Geppetto had covered his son's mouth, staring at him menacingly, “You are grounded for snooping again on my belongings and this conversation is not about me, is about the alchemists”

Antonia is very glad he doesn’t snoop on her belongings, but maybe it’s different because she is a lady and that’s certainly more inappropriate. He might be a little clueless but Pinocchio does not lack in manners.

“The best day to stop them will be the day they are supposed to turn on the pegasus device to stop them” Venigni showed a flier, advertising an important event held by the city, one to supposedly encourage the arts, “Most, if not all of Krat would have their eyes too busy to suspect anything”

“But that also means that they will be too busy with their distraction, not expecting a surprise attack” Venigni continued, “The workshop union will be there, showing off puppets so I and Geppetto must attend”

Geppetto chimed in again, “My only worry is that if they don’t see my son next to me is that they might have suspicions about our plan”

“It’s possible, but our only choice is to take the risk” Gemini is prepared to face them, just as ready as Pinocchio.

“As you know, we will be there for backup,” Blue Canary said, “Fox, Cat, and Mastiff, and I will be behind you just in case”

“Speaking of my brother” Eugéne handed Pinocchio a map, “He found a way to enter their hideout by a secret path from Hermit’s Cave to the Relic”

The Relic of Trismegistus is closed off to the public and even then they must have guards on the inside, they won’t expect him to enter from a different location.

“We have 8 days left before this happens” Blue Canary explained, “We should just do our daily tasks in the meantime, there isn’t more to learn, and investigating further could end up badly considering they are on edge about their plans”

It was settled, now it’s just a matter of preparing for the inevitable; now it’s time for all of them to part ways.

“Where do you think you are going?” Geppetto grabbed Pinocchio’s hand, “That’s not the way home, do I need to remind you of your punishment?”

Pinocchio pouted, him and his big mouth, he should go back to be quieter, it got him into less trouble.

“Do you know how hard that’s going to be to explain to Venigni and Antonia?” Geppetto scolded his son, “You know what? I have the perfect solution for this”

—-

Is his father always going to take him to work each time he does something wrong? Pinocchio hopes not, for now, he is stuck in a chair in his office bored out of his mind as his father reviews some papers, and no, he is not allowed to look for alchemists spies or to go and find Venigni to entertain himself.

“I definitely don't want to be a technician” Pinocchio mumbled under his breath, he might love his side projects but the things he builds are always for art and not practical purposes like his father does.

“What do you want to be when you grow up then?” Geppetto said, his eyes still focused on his work, not turning to look at his son.

“I'm as tall as you now,” Pinocchio's cheeks were red with embarrassment, “And I don't know yet”

Truthfully he has no idea, while he prefers everything that has to do with the arts, he is intrigued about almost everything there is to offer, so it's easy to narrow down what he dislikes. He might be pouty but he truly wouldn't like a job like this, the factory work environment is something that is simply not for him, he also doesn't think he could be a doctor considering his previous experiences, how could he cut someone open when he has seen his own insides and how terrifying that is? Or how he isn't the biggest fan of blood either.

“There is no rush, there are so many options for you, and finding the right one takes time”

“Why does everyone my age want to be a stalker?” Okay not his literal age but his father gets it.

“Don't ask me” Geppetto sighted, “Truth be told, I never liked the idea of your brother becoming one”

Pinocchio had his father's full attention now.

“I supported him because it was what he wanted and because I knew he was taking it seriously, not just the romanticized idea many have about being a stalker” Geppetto paused his work, “But it was still dangerous, and no one wants to see their child in danger”

Geppetto stood up from his chair, going next to Pinocchio and putting his hands on his son's shoulders, “That obviously goes for you too, I support your decision but please, after this, no more acts of heroism”

Pinocchio definitively doesn't like having a hero mantle, that is why he wouldn't want to be a stalker. He is stopping the alchemists because he wants to help others, and if not him who else? But he wants to go back to the peaceful normal life he was having before that dreadful day he found out their plans inside of the Cathedral.

“I promise, I'll stop the alchemist and then I'm done”

Pinocchio stood up to hug his father, a warm moment between the two of them.

“You are still grounded you brat”

Pinocchio fumed, “But we had the cute moment and everything!”

“Do you have any idea how freaked out Antonia and Venigni probably are?!” Geppetto is going to have a very hard time explaining himself.

It was best he stopped arguing back in case he got into more trouble, having to watch his father file stupid papers for hours, not even allowing him to draw in the meantime. It was almost time for them to go, when a man entered the office, asking for help, their team had tried to fix an issue with Fuecco all day to no avail, and they were out of ideas on what the problem was, asking Geppetto for his insights.

Despite the boiler room being the same as when he stepped place almost two years ago, it somehow feels less hot.

“When there are people working inside, the temperature is under constant surveillance” Geppetto had his tools next to him, making adjustments on the flame puppet.

“To prevent accidents right?”

“Of course” Better not to tell his son they didn't use to do this and… something really bad happened, but Venigni's lawyers handled the issue and lessons were learned that day.

All things considered, working at the factory is not so bad (despite the horrible accident potential from time to time), not to mention that Krat banned child labor around 20 years ago so they are better than most places in the rest of the world when it comes to that subject.

Wait didn't he see in the papers that there is a child who is a stalker? Hopefully, that was only a rare and unique circumstance.

“I'm happy to see you too” Pinocchio could feel the heavy head pats Fuecco was giving him, a little too forcefully but he was glad to see his friend again, “How have you been?”

It was weird for Geppetto to “listen” to the conversation, Geppetto is aware that puppets have a different way of communicating than humans, specially when it comes to puppets that were never meant to have the capability of speech like Fuecco who must have found a way once he awoke an Ego. He is curious about what they might be saying, unfortunately, he cannot understand them as he is not a listener like Sophia or rather tragically Adeline.

Geppetto goes back to focusing on his task, finally finding the problem before fixing it in less than a minute and that minuscule amount of time his son is already about to get himself into some serious trouble. Seeing Pinocchio looking at Fueccos body, who seemed thrilled about showing him how his mechanisms worked.

“And what does this one do?” Pinocchio said while trying to point at one button, accidentally pressing it in the process.

No one had time to react as one of the flame reactors from Fuecco did his job, engulfing Pinocchio in flames, definitively not as bad as when the two of them fought but he had to be splashed with water to stop himself from overheating. The giant puppet looked apologetic, but he wasn't the only one, as Pinocchio was apologizing over and over again for his mistake.

“Oh, well, all things considered, it could have gone worse”

Those were words Geppetto should have not said, as Pinocchio's expensive clothes were not meant to handle the strong heat and almost instantly they broke apart, leaving the boy in rags and almost completely naked. A few people already gathering around to watch the chaotic situation.

“IF ANYONE LOOKS AT MY SON, THEY ARE FIRED!”

Everyone turned around, too afraid even daring to think of taking a peek, the best people would learn that day is that Pinocchio has freckles back and not just his face. Thankfully Geppetto always has spare clothes in his office, something most workers do in case of get dirty on the job, Pinocchio recognizes these clothes, they were the ones his father wore that time he saved him at the bridge, and now with his increased height, the fit him almost perfectly.

“You… are growing up so fast”

“Father you modified my body last week”

Geppetto laughed, “It's true but I mean it, you have changed”

Looking at his son now and looking back at who he was when he saved him at the Alchemist Bridge, Pinocchio has come a long way and he couldn't be more proud of him.

“You have changed too Father”

Pinocchio is also proud of his father, back then, thinking of having moments like this with him, was only something he could dream of, something he could only wish to come true, and thankfully for Pinocchio, it did.

“Am I ungrounded now?”

“Are you going to stop snooping on my belongings?”

“Your belongings are interesting!” Pinocchio can't help himself, “Why do you have weird crystal things in jars?”

“Those “weird crystal things” are minerals that can conduct or isolate electricity” Geppetto looked around to see if they were truly alone, still he decided to whisper the answer to his son, “And I used them to make you, I can tell you more when we get home”

Pinocchio smiled, now that he thinks about it, he has a very surface knowledge of his body, only knowing how to do repairs if necessary, “Father, can you please explain how you made me? If that is-”

“Oh my God, I thought you would never ask” Geppetto grabbed his son and pulled him into a hug, “I have so much to tell you, I don't even know where to start”

Once the two of them were home, Pinocchio listened attentively to his father, who was speaking passionately about all the details that went into making his body, despite the circumstances of his creation, Pinocchio could tell his father put a lot of love and care into building him. However, all the information ended up overwhelming Pinocchio, so much to process for the cogs in his brain to properly comprehend, and eventually, he dozed off as his father kept on speaking, peacefully resting next to him.

—-

Giangio was in one of the labs of their hidden facility, having his own fun with research that wasn’t tied with the alchemists when his favorite doctor decided to grace him with his presence. In fact, he is rather late, Frederick had mentioned to all of them the hour in which he would stop by to see the progress on each assigned task, yet he took more than an hour to arrive here, Giangio wondering what he was scheming.

“Dr. Isaac is dead”

“I have heard the news”

Frederick put a stack of journals next to him, “So it’s your duty to finish what he started”

“Why me?” Giangio playfully said.

“Because I’m your boss and that’s an order” Frederick wasn’t asking, “You have the knowledge to pick up where he left off, so stop wasting time”

“I’ve also heard you have something special planned for Pinocchio” Giangio didn’t even look at the notes, “Care to fill me in?”

“That is none of your concern”

“I’m part of this organization-”

“That is not what I’m paying you for” Frederick walked slowly across the room, “Do you have any connection to that puppet?”

“I was simply-”

“Save me your lies, I know that’s the case, considering what Miss. Victoria told me”

Sabertooth reported that hug she saw a while back, now at the time Frederick was too busy to confront him about it and he wants answers about it.

“I might have spied on him back when the frenzy happened”

“And why would you do such a thing? I don’t recall Simon ever giving you the order to do so”

“As if you didn’t go against his orders either”

Frederick starts to get closer to him, “Answer the question”

“The gold fruit coin three inside Hotel Krat” That's it, he doesn’t need to know anything else.

“Mmm is that so?” Frederick got even closer, “According to her, he was very affectionate towards you”

Giangio opened his mouth to say something but Frederick didn’t let him.

“How strange that Lady Antonia survived the disease… everyone knows Geppetto’s puppet found the cure but how exactly did that happen?”

Giangio smirked “I have the feeling you already know the answer”

Bravo, Frederick did his research. But really Giangio knows he has no one to blame but himself if this small mistake hadn’t happened.

Frederick interrupts his thoughts by speaking again.

“I think you are lying more than just about that” Frederick is now in front of him, “You seen a little too interested in eternal life, yet I don’t see you scheming to get your filthy hands on my precious stone”

“Maybe I have respect for you”

“Or maybe you don’t need the stone”

Giangio tried playing dumb but on the inside he was feeling tense, but he had a plan on how to deflect the question, “Care to elaborate on what you mean? And so what if I gave the boy the real cure?”

Soon enough others would have found out the truth after Simon was defeated, and making a real cure for them might have taken a while yet it was a certainty.

“I felt pity for him that’s all”

“Are you going soft now? After all you have done?” Frederick questioned him, “From what I was told the other day, it seemed that you aren’t thrilled about the state of my pretty listener”

Giangio laughed, maybe he does get a conscience from time to time but that won’t stop him, he is too far gone for that. He decided to play with Frederick a little, the plan was to give him a little scare with the hidden weapon he had in his umbrella but just as he tried to do so, there was a clash, Frederick had pulled out a hidden dagger, stopping him in his tracks.

“What you think I don’t know how to defend myself?” Maybe it’s not his expertise by any means and he rather have others do the heavy lifting but he knows how to handle himself with a weapon.

Giangio pushes forward on his blade applying pressure, “Didn’t know you were so fun Frederick, and stronger than you look too”

Frederick values peak performance in the human body, his health is perfect, and exercising does wonders for the body.

“The same can be said for you,” Frederick pushed back, “Those of your stature aren’t exactly the best in combat”

Giangio pushed back again, starting to overwhelm Frederick, “I would spar with Adriana before she passed, you don’t exactly have the best chances against me”

“Finish the research I assigned you” Frederick had a smirk on his face, “All things considered, I’ve been so lenient with you, you don’t take your work seriously, you are being defiant and not to mention how you broke into my home once”

“Aw, am I your favorite one?” Giangio laughed, “I bet that’s why you keep giving me so many chances, you just love me don’t you?”

“Oh you wish that was the case Paracelsus,” Frederick laughed, stopping the weapon clash, “Unfortunately for you, I have a girlfriend”

“I expect the results by the end of the week” Frederick put the weapon aside, “Replicating Dr. Isaac's research won’t be too difficult for you, or am I mistaken?”

“Are you underestimating me?”

“Are you going to disappoint me?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t” Giangio said playfully, “So go ahead and assemble your lapdogs, well, your lapcats to get rid of the boy”

In Giangio’s eyes, that won’t be enough to stop Pinocchio but Frederick already showed him the many tricks he has up his sleeves, he doesn’t doubt he has an ace to help him get the winning hand.

“Good” Frederick was making his way towards the door, “The test subjects will arrive shortly after, use as many as you find necessary”

After he left, Giangio sat down, re-reading the notes, this is nothing he can’t handle, mmm, well played Frederick, playing on my Ego so I have no choice but to prove you wrong.

He starts setting the equipment, already calculating in his mind how to perfect it, he has some spare gold fruit coins that could yield even better results if combined with the formula that alters the genetic material, he just…

Hold on Frederick has a what?!

Chapter Text

It’s not unheard of for Antonia for this to happen, it has for plenty of times during her life. However now the situation is different, since she now has a son, last year they, fortunately, didn’t find themselves in this predicament, but this year, there needs to be a conversation with Geppetto.

“It’s your birthday Antonia, he should get to celebrate it with you,” Geppetto said, “It sounds a little grim but you don’t have many of those left”

On another occasion, she might have been mad about him pointing out her age, but Geppetto was simply being honest.

“The same can be said for you, who knows how many father days he will get?” Antonia sighed, “I really don’t want him to miss that”

“Well, he lives with me and sees me way more often, so I think it should be best he spends time with you”

“Geppetto he comes to see me almost daily, I’m sure I see him almost as much as you do”

They talked about this back and forward, despite the fact neither was being truthful with each other.

Truth is, each one wants Pinocchio for themselves that day, is it selfish? Probably, more so on Geppetto’s part, and he realizes that, so he knows that Antonia deserves to have Pinocchio that day more than him.

So the agreement was set, and because the alchemists needed to lay low, there is absolutely no reason for anything to go wrong.

—-

Pinocchio woke up and realized everything was wrong.

“I told you to set an alarm” Gemini chirped, “This is what happens for constantly oversleeping”

“Ugh! Shut up Gemini!” At this point, his best friend scolds him more than his parents.

Pinocchio had overslept that morning, and his father not wanting to wake him up had no choice but to go to work, he was going to go later than usual to spend time with his son, however, all that extra time was now lost.

“Just start getting ready pal, I mean, it’s not as if you can turn back time”

Pinocchio smiled, having the perfect idea, maybe can’t but…

“I suppose I can try” Sophia’s voice echoed inside Pinocchio’s mind, “Keep in mind that from so far away, my power is not that stable, oh! And can you do me a favor?”

Pinocchio nodded, of course, he could do that for Sophia, in an instant, Pinocchio was back in bed and waking up, however, there was an issue.

It was now 5 am, Gemini was still in rest mode, and Sophia was likely asleep wherever she was, having rewind a few hours too early. If he goes back to sleep he might accidentally oversleep again so he is just going to have to wait until his father wakes up, how bad can that be?

—-

It’s finally 7 am, after two hours of pure suffering, he tried distracting himself but his stomach hurts for no reason and it has made him miserable.

“Did you wake up too early?” Geppetto asked, “Sometimes that happens, you are going to be okay”

Because Pinocchio rarely feels sick, something as minor as this makes him feel as if he is dying, no one should blame him for that however, Pinocchio struggles with not just understanding humanity but the inconveniences of having a partial human body.

He has been thrown around like a ragdoll, got hit by lightning, burned, having acid thrown his way; Pinocchio fought a god and won but a tummy ache is too much for him.

Moments like this are when he misses being fully a puppet, but then he remembers that would mean no sleeping for him again so he gets over it.

Pinocchio gives Geppetto his gift right away, something he built, it’s a miniature version of his P organ, built with the same materials too, it can beat like his, the only difference is that it can’t absorb Ergo and it has a chain for his father to use it as a necklace.

So he can always have his heart next to him.

“Thank you, son,” Geppetto hugged him, “It’s the best gift I could ever ask for”

Geppetto had made a reservation for them to have breakfast together at one of Krat’s more notorious restaurants. The place is filled with people, on the distance, he can see Blue Canary and her many sisters with their father, Pinocchio gives her a friendly wave, unfortunately, that ends up distracting him, and he accidentally ends up breaking his glass of water when turning to grab it.

The loud noise, makes almost everyone turn around to see them, Pinocchio starting to feel tense.

“I’m sorry” Pinocchio apologized, his father reassuring him it was fine and that accidents like this happen.

The boy takes a deep breath, trying to ignore judgment from others, and a few whispers about him lacking proper table etiquette.

—

Geppetto dropped off his son at Antonia’s home, he would spend the rest of the day with her, although he would see him again at night. As Antonia is having two birthday parties, one is being held right now at her property with other high-class women, and the other one would be a formal ball she is holding at the Opera House, and that’s where Pinocchio will give her his gift; Geppetto would also be there, as obviously he is invited to her birthday.

Pinocchio stayed glued to her all the time, feeling embarrassed here and there about the few comments about how fast he was growing, how they were impressed at the fact he was taller now, not wanting to point out how that’s thanks to the modifications his father made for him.

Once more, his nerves got the best of him, this time, he was holding a tea cup and ended up grasping it with too much force breaking it completely. One woman was glaring at him, apparently, that tea set was a gift from her and a very expensive one at that.

“Are you alright?” Antonia asked, grabbing his hand to make sure he hadn’t accidentally cut himself.

“I’m okay” Pinocchio reassured her.

“Oh that’s such a shame, Lady Antonia,” The woman said, trying to hide her scorn, “Hopefully the boy is careful with you”

Pinocchio felt goosebumps going down his spine at the thought of him accidentally being too forceful with her, more so when her body was delicate due to her age and complications related to the petrification disease.

Antonia gave him a look of reassurance, telling him silently to ignore such comments. Finding a way to shoo the rude woman from the place while still looking graceful. When the celebration was finished, he could finally relax a little with her, spending hours as a family, playing music together and just enjoying each other’s company.

Time passed, the moment for them to leave for Rosa Isabelle Street came, and that’s when Pinocchio remembered his promise to Sophia, he was disappointed in himself for forgetting, but he composed himself, saying that there was something he needed to do first.

“I believe there is no issue on that” Polendina explained, “We will mainly be arranging everything to be set in place”

Antonia gave him a warm smile “Polendina is right dear, no need to make you deal with such matters, whatever needs to be done, feel free to do so”

—-

Pinocchio left the flowers in Valentinus Monad's grave, he stayed some time in silence with Sophia, and eventually, she excused herself. Pinocchio wanted to ask if she was okay but it was best to give her space, plus Sophia knows that she can always count on him if she needs him.

Walking away from the cemetery, Pinocchio paid little attention to his surroundings, not believing a place like this could have hidden dangers, and after one wrong step, he could feel himself falling over a ditch, colliding with the water that was deep enough to submerge him and he coughed as he swam his way to safety.

Pinocchio looked at the gift box, it was intact, he had planned for something like this, so it was wrapped in several layers of protective plastic to prevent it from getting wet.

“Very clever pal” Gemini looked around, the place was engulfed in darkness, “Let’s just get out of here”

Turning on Gemini’s lamp, he yelped in shock at the sight of Adeline suddenly in front of him.

Adeline looked at Gemini, “Maybe you should have told him I’ve been here for a while”

“Adeline why are you…?!” Pinocchio calmed down, of course, she was following him, just as how Sophia did so trapped, anything to distract the mind when you are being tortured, he tried to say something before deciding to simply stay silent, accidentally giving her a pouty face.

Adeline laughed, “Just get out of here before you get into trouble, you idiot”

It seemed the only way out of these sewers was to follow the water current, Pinocchio’s footsteps could be heard slapping the water until he made it to the supposed exit point, the issue now was that the gates were shut.

“Let me help you with that” Adeline opened a tear showing the gate unlocked, “Hop on that side, and then I can open another one back here”

Pinocchio breathed in a sigh of relief, it felt strange to hop realities, he had this strange cold feeling over his body, in fact, the coldness was felt again when Adeline closed it, must be because of some weird time and space shenanigans.

He can see a diverging path and the exit, finally, now he… why are there heavy footsteps in the water?

Pinocchio sees that from the other path, a strange monster starts to come his way, with crystalized skin and multiple arms, frantically destroying everything in its path.

“Huh, that must be the experiment that escaped” Adeline had overheard the alchemists talking about it.

Pinocchio grabbed his scythe and began his attack, electrifying it with his grinder and playing defensively as he tried to look for a weakness, although it would seem pointless to use his Legion Arm as the water splashing made him detectable, he did so to be able to blast an attack, making the monster stagger.

“Oh, damn, I think it’s looking for me” Adeline realized that its erratic movements were the creature trying to catch her ethereal body, “Not going to stick around to find out why, good luck Pino”

Before Pinocchio could make another attack, the creature stood up swiftly, no longer trying to find its target, it made it enraged enough to get a boost of power. Switching tactics he decided to go all out on his offense, destroying the creature with his brute force, and as the creature fell, the water current changed, suddenly sucking up Pinocchio into the water and drifting him away with force.

—-

Pinocchio gasped as he finally went up to the surface, trying to analyze his surroundings to detect where he was, Rosa Isabelle Street, he recognized this local park as he had been there before, one with a huge pond in the middle of it.

He tried to look around in the water but there was no sign of the gift, desperately he got out; the place was surprisingly empty, Pinocchio unbuckled Gemini from his belt and asked him if he had gotten hurt in the fight.

“I’m okay pal, don’t worry about me” Gemini shook his tiny body trying to dry himself, “What about you?”

That’s when Pinocchio broke down, today had been just awful, and worse of all he lost the gift, there was absolutely no sight of it. He sat down and wept with his hands covering his face, hearing Gemini come out of his cage to comfort him, until Gemini decided to make him process his emotions in silence, and then only the sound of crying could be heard all around the seemingly deserted park.

That is, until Pinocchio heard it, footsteps approaching him, the clinking of high heels with each step, followed by the quacking sounds of the ducks that followed them along.

“Oh my, what’s wrong?” Catherine grabbed his face, lifting him up to face him, wiping away a few of his tears, “Aw come here, sweetheart”

Pinocchio hugged the strange kind woman, letting go once he felt a little better, and she was about to make him feel even better with the surprise she had behind her.

“My little ones found this,” Catherine handed him the gift box, “I can tell it belongs to you”

“Thank you so much, Miss,” Pinocchio said in between sobs.

Catherine sat down next to him, taking her hand to her chest after feeling a sudden sharp pain before composing herself, “Rough day huh?”

Pinocchio nodded, “Are you on your way to see your father?”

Pinocchio wanted to make some small talk, something to get his mind off the stress.

“My father disowned me,” Catherine said casually.

“I’m sorry” Great, now he was screwing up this too.

“Don’t be” Catherine grabbed a handkerchief from her bag and handed it to him so he could clean his face, “He wanted to control my life, and I said no to that”

“Control your life…?” Pinocchio asked, wondering what she meant.

“He wasn’t happy with my career choice” Catherine extended her hand, and a tiny duck rubbed his face on her, “He never was happy with who I was but to be frank a part of me can’t blame him”

“Why?”

Because no man wants to know their daughter is getting her way with god knows how many men (and women, he didn’t like that either).

“Doesn’t matter, he has my stepbrother so at least he didn’t get a bad deal in life at the end”

“But your stepbrother shouldn’t be your replacement” Pinocchio didn’t understand it, more so considering his history.

Catherine smiled, he is so pure, “I get that, I meant it on the way that I’m happy he isn’t spending this day alone”

“Do you miss your father?”

“A little, and I know that sometimes he misses me too”

He has sent her letters, he has said how he regrets many things in life, and Catherine writes him back sometimes but they have never truly reconciled.

“I can still hear those last words he spoke to me last time I saw him” Catherine opened up to the boy, “Catherine, if you walk out of that door forget about ever living a good life”

He was so ashamed of her behavior, but he told her he was willing to fix it, that he would marry her off to a man, that she would become a wife and mother that would have everything provided for her but that if she became a prostitute it was all over for her.

“What did you say?” Pinocchio petted one of the ducks, starting to feel calmer.

“I told him that I would rather die than live the life he was offering me”

“Was it that bad?” Pinocchio had a lot of thoughts in his head, not one of them right about the deal she was offering her.

“It wasn’t bad at all” Catherine explained, “It just wasn’t for me”

Pinocchio looked puzzled, and Catherine decided to give him some advice.

“Your life is your own” Catherine played with her hair, looking away for a moment to let out a few coughs, “Nobody, not your parents, partner, friends, or whoever should tell you how to live it”

“Tell me,” Catherine continued, “Do you really like those clothes? Or are you wearing them because Geppetto or Antonia might like you to wear them?”

Pinocchio looked at himself, it was true, not that he found it uncomfortable how he was dressed it was just that… it was not what he liked.

“You know, you always look tense when you are at those events with them” Although Catherine has never had the privilege to be invited to something like that, all of Krat knows how shy he gets, “I get being polite and all, but don’t be afraid of what others think”

“Trust me if someone doesn’t like Geppetto or Antonia, they will make an excuse not to like you too” Catherine continued, “Just be yourself, you are young, you are not supposed to care about what the world thinks of you”

Pinocchio thinks about it, he has always been anxious about the way others perceive him, and he isn’t just talking about others seeing him as Carlo or a puppet. He has always had this idea that he is a reflection of his other loved ones, therefore if he doesn’t act a certain way in public, that reflects badly on them.

“Now don’t take it too far either” Catherine stood up, “That mentality can screw you over, it has with me, but I’m too self-indulgent to stop myself”

Pinocchio got up as well and looked at his pocket watch, he still had enough time, if he could go to Hotel Krat and have a change of clothes from his room there and make it back to the Opera House just in time for the celebration.

“Thank you” Pinocchio smiled, “I’m… sorry you are spending today alone”

“It’s nothing kid” Catherine had a huge grin on her face, “Besides, I’m going to spend the day with someone very dear to me, you know, his father just died and he was taking it pretty hard”

“I hope your friend feels better” Pinocchio’s voice sounded so innocent.

“Don’t worry” Catherine purred, “I know a way to make him feel forget all his problems”

He didn’t get what she was implying, so he naively wished her good luck and the two of them parted ways.

—

Geppetto and Antonia could tell something was different about Pinocchio, not just the different outfit he was wearing, he looked more radiant, full of life.

Happier.

Pinocchio extended his hand to Antonia, asking for a dance, she did tell him how she wished if Krat had a proper ball he would ask her for a dance, and Antonia was delighted about it.

Pinocchio was surprisingly good at it despite never having done so before, with each slow step, moving at the same rhythm as the music, with her words guiding him, Pinocchio was dancing smoothly. If he made a mistake along the way, he did not dwell on it, if others were giving him judgmental looks so be it, what matters is making this a memorable moment.

“You truly have a talent for all the arts” Antonia was amazed, “We should dance together more often”

She is already giving him music lessons, dancing ones shouldn’t be hard to incorporate.

A round of applause was heard for all those who were in the ballroom, it was the perfect time for him to give the gift. Antonia carefully pulled the bow on the top, opening the box to reveal a beautiful ring, Pinocchio also made it himself, it was not a flashy one made out of gold but it might as well have been made of that in her eyes. The ring had a heart in the middle, not a detailed version of his P organ like he did with his father but a more traditional-looking heart, yet that did not take away its uniqueness.

The heart was a locket, if opened, a small picture of him with her was inside, and from the other side, there was an internal clock mechanism, not to tell the time, but to simulate the rhythm of a heartbeat.

Antonia hugged her son tightly, “I couldn’t have asked for a lovelier gift”

When it was almost time for the night to end, Pinocchio had wandered off for a moment and that was a good opportunity for Venigni to talk privately with Antonia and Geppetto.

“It looks like everything worked well in the end” Venigni smiled, “See, I told the two of you that your co-parenting skills are perfect”

Antonia and Geppetto gave each other a look and smiled at each other, of course, that is the case.

—-

“I’m just saying that you need to teach him more than just music” Geppetto had his arms crossed.

“Why, I teach him more than just that” Antonia huffed, “Who do you think taught him manners and social etiquette? You forget that’s just as important”

“He is falling behind in some of his classes and I need help with that”

Geppetto is homeschooling him, it’s not as simple as one might think, his son needs to have certain requirements to pass to certain academic levels. There is a curriculum he has to follow, just as schools do so.

“You know very well there is very limited information I can teach him”

Krat might be progressive in its education compared to other places, that doesn’t change the fact that back in her day, they taught women very different things. In fact, all the knowledge she has in managing her Hotel it’s knowledge she had to learn herself, taking courses in economics and administration, and while she would be thrilled to teach Pinocchio about that, that’s still two semesters later on his curriculum.

Antonia began to think about it more in-depth “We could hire him a private tutor”

“Mmm, I agree with the idea but…”

“But what Geppetto? I hope you aren’t being stubborn again”

“We should wait until this mess with the alchemists is over” Geppetto sighed, “This entire mess is what has been setting him back”

They are at least in agreement that if any other threat were to come to Krat, it doesn’t matter how much begging he does, Pinocchio is NOT getting involved. He is not a superhero, he shouldn’t have to fix everyone’s problems.

“Let’s just focus on something else for now,” Geppetto grabbed a piece of paper and looked at a list, “So about his eating habits”

“What about them?” Antonia was puzzled.

“Come on Antonia” Geppetto rolled his eyes, “Stop giving him so many sweets”

“He is special it doesn’t affect him!” Antonia tried defending herself.

“I don’t care, he is starting to not want to eat things at home that don’t have sugar,” Geppetto said.

“He told me that he is eating normally with you”

“Antonia he is a liar and you should know by now not to trust when he says stuff like that”

“You don’t have to put it like that, and besides, that’s your fault in the first place”

“How is it my fault? Just because I gave him the ability to lie that doesn’t mean I approve of it”

“Maybe you should scold him more when he lies”

“Oh because you scold him when he lies right?”

—-

That evolved into a huge argument, it was only petty bickering so both of them apologized and moved on. It’s harder than it looks to co-parent him, and both are good at never letting their son know what’s happening behind the scenes.

Geppetto laughed, “Sometimes it feels as if we are divorced despite never having married”

Antonia smiled, since they were talking about marriage, she revealed a hidden necklace that was covered partly by her clothes, one that held a wedding ring.

She turned to signal at Polendina who was speaking with Pulcinella giving him the news.

“He proposed to me yesterday”

It was originally going to be a surprise meant after her birthday but as Polendina was preparing the arrangement of his perfectly planned proposal, Antonia accidentally found the ring hidden in their shared bedroom and at that instant all the careful planning was thrown aside, yet that still didn’t mean it wasn’t a lovely and heartfelt proposal.

“A secret engagement, I’m starting to feel young again” Antonia was shaking with excitement.

“Young again?” Geppetto teased.

Antonia playful hit his back, “Giuseppe Geppetto you better not ruin my birthday celebration”

Chaotic as it was, the day ended up perfectly for everyone.

---

Crystalized Ergo  🔷 +40,000 

Chapter Text

As much as the alchemists would like you to believe that they are a flawless organization, they make mistakes as all humans do. In fact, they make mistakes pretty often, now usually it’s not a big deal, in matters of science trial and error are key to a perfect hypothesis, however today, the situation is different.

“Frederick is going to kill you when he wakes up” Giangio was looking at his panicked colleague, “You better run now or start praying”

They were supervising one of their many experiments, when the man made a mistake with one of the plants and the pheromones that involved their protocol, accidentally spraying the aroma to the now unconscious leader of the alchemists, who peacefully rested in one of the couches at their headquarters.

“Praying will be the only solution for him Paracelsus since unfortunately we are all trapped”

The alchemists who spoke up explained how they were preparing the new badges for the high-ranking members and how Frederick was the only one with the incantation ready to be ingrained in them, meaning all the doors were sealed without any other way of opening them.

“So, what do we do now? When is he going to wake up?” Giangio looked at Frederick, somehow he looked kind of cute while sleeping, he looked so peaceful, maybe he doesn’t get enough sleep in the first place and that’s why.

One of the alchemists conducting the experiment flipped through a clipboard of information, “According to our data it can take him somewhere in between 3 hours and 3 weeks”

Loud noises, throwing water, or other traditional methods of waking him up are out of the question too. Frederick is in a state similar to a stupor, so he isn’t going to react to any painful options either.

“I told you it was overkill to add the cocaine”

“Everyone uses cocaine for all of our experiments, it’s the most common drug on the market!”

“This is not my fault, You just had to add all that opium to the lavender plants right?!”

“It’s pointless to argue about it, what’s done it’s done” Giangio was not in the mood for petty bickering, “We need to come up with an antidote now”

“Paracelsus is right, arguing will get us nowhere” A woman decided to take the initiative, being a high member of Frederick’s inner circle as well as a nurse for the hospital he works in, giving orders to everyone on what to do.

“We can take turns to watch over him in case one of the side effects shows up,” Myriam said, “Remember we survived dealing with Simon and his crazy cult, we can deal with this small setback”

That was something they could all agree on, all the alchemists that died inside the Abby were his deluded loyal followers, Adriana was both his lapdog and a priestess, and everyone who didn't worship the ground he walked on was targeted. Worst of all, he would force them to work on Sundays.

“Sometimes I miss Valentinus,” Giangio said, “Great guy, we should have just brainwashed him to do our bidding instead of getting rid of him”

“It seems all the experiments that you do with Frederick about mental conditioning are rubbing off on you” Myriam shooed everyone else away, she wanted to have a fun chat with Paracelsus, surely this issue would be fixed in no time.

“Hey, it’s fun! And who knows? Maybe Frederick is dreaming about that”

They turned to look at him, seeming a little agitated now.

“…No Mommy… I don’t want to go to school… I want to take care of you…”

Myriam stared as Frederick mumbled a few other words, “That could be a side effect, or it's probably our cue to never speak of this”

Giangio stares back, giving her a look that says he is smart enough not to do it. Then he looks back at Frederick, he does know a little about his past, so this should be interesting.

—-

Frederick’s mother gave him a warm smile, “Sweetheart, I know you are worried about me but you have to go to school”

Frederick was hugging his mother, not wanting to let go of her, his father was watching them, Frederick trying not to pay mind how annoyed he looked at him.

“You are doing so well in school, I’m so proud of you, and I’m sure that if you keep going that way, you’ll graduate with that academic excellence your teachers keep praising you about”

Despite barely talking in school, almost all his teachers adore him, and so does the principal. Considering all the awards he keeps winning that it’s giving the school a big paycheck it makes sense, also the most likely reason why they keep turning a blind eye to him missing so much class. They are a public school and need all the help they can get, his father wanted him to go to a private one but this is the closest to home and he needs to be there as soon as possible to tend to his mother.

“Frederick, to school, now.” His father said with a stern voice as he pointed at the door.

He reluctantly let go of his mother and made his way towards school. It feels a little odd, watching some of those puppets walking the streets, assisting people, doing daily jobs; all of Krat is talking about them and the success of the workshop union; no one ever shuts up about how much of a genius Guisseppe Geppetto is, but Frederick has more to worry about than some flashy machines.

His mother wanted to buy one so it could help with the household chores, but Frederick can manage it himself, he doesn't want a puppet at home, although it was ridiculous when his father went on a rant about how these machines are going to be the downfall of humanity and how it was only a matter of time before they turned on its creators. He could have simply told her no without the paranoid speech.

At school, there are a few whispers and murmurs, all talking about the classmate who was found dead a few weeks ago. No one suspects it was him, his father figured it out easily, but Frederick knows he won’t say a word, that it would ruin his reputation if it was known his son was a murderer, that being said, he wasn’t happy about it, he usually doesn’t physically punish him because his mother is against it but this was one of those exceptions.

He didn’t care that he had to do it to help his mother, the medicine he made with the Ergo worked and she is feeling much better, whatever, his father hates him and never cares about him or his mother. Speaking of her, Frederick wonders what excuse he gave her for that punishment, as he also doubts he told her the truth.

He hates going to school, everything is so easy and boring. As usual, when he gets there, Lucero asks if he can copy his homework since he never does it, too busy with the job he has to do after school apparently, but since he is always nice to him, Frederick lets him. Today he has been pretty quiet, which means one of the teachers must have scolded him for speaking Spanish, Frederick doesn't get why it's a problem in the first place, he wants to leave already so he makes an excuse on the last class to be dismissed a little earlier and is allowed to. He sees Lucero jokingly signaling for him to take him as well, the teacher did not like that and now he has extra homework that he is going to ask for help with later.

On his way home, he stops by a pharmacy to pick up the medication meant for his mother, he comes here every week, and the staff know him pretty well.

“Oh Frederick, good to see you, how is Dr. Elijah doing? Your father is such a good man, you know that?”

The pharmacist knows his father, and everyone keeps praising him, if only they knew how selfish he is, and how badly he keeps neglecting his mother.

“Are you okay? You look a little pale” Said the pharmacist, the young woman giving him a smile, “Are you scared of our new puppet? Oh Frederick, don’t be! I know you are very sensitive so I assure you they are harmless”

“I’m not scared,” Frederick lied and not very convincingly, so he gave up and simply asked for the medicine his mother needed, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible.

—

Frederick opened his eyes and yawned, trying to process what was happening.

“Go back to sleep, Frederick”

Giangio was trying to act calm, but he woke up in the worst moment possible, as now they had the tiny issue of murderous somnolence plants. Myriam left momentarily to treat a few of those who had been injured, and Giangio was looking at the experiment journals to see what could be done about this, it showed him that his experiment was a mess and not being properly supervised. He also found out how durable vines can be, as one of them almost put a dent in his weapon.

He closed his eyes again, feeling extremely drained, dozing off without being able to hear the screams from outside the room.

Before Giangio could step outside to check on the others, he felt the firm grasp of Frederick who grabbed his hand and was not letting go, seeing him mumbling about how he didn't want to be near the scary puppets and wanted to see his “mommy”. Telling him to let go was no use and no matter how hard he tried to be set free it was not working.

“Frederick… your… mommy is waiting for you at home so you should go see her,” That was so cringy and a sentence he never thought he would have to say out loud, yet it worked. Hopefully, he doesn't try to grab him again or that clingingness is going to get them all killed.

—-

When Frederick gets home, he always asks his mother how he is feeling and tends to her usual needs, giving her medication, the IV fluids, changing her blood bag, and keeping her company before he starts to do his daily tasks.

“I made you a gift, I… hope you like it”

He sees her face lit up, it’s a painting of Elysion Boulevard, the two of them loved to go there when he was younger, he paints for her often or gives her small gifts to cheer her up like buying her books and reading together, flowers or some sweets/pastries so she can have more variety in what she eats.

“You are so smart and have a talent for the arts, Mommy is so proud of you Frederick,” Ruby said, extending her arms to give him a hug, as usual, her son buried his head on her chest and didn't want to let go of her, although she is feeling tired and has to gently push him away from her, “I am going to take a quick nap while you do your chores”

The cleaning takes a few hours, he periodically checks on his mother to make sure everything is alright. He finishes doing the cooking when his father arrives home, way earlier than usual, his father rarely joins them for dinner, Frederick and his mother tend to eat together and Frederick puts aside some for his father to eat when he comes home around 10-11 pm.

“Take this,” His father shoved an envelope into his hands, “A letter of recognition from the school district or something along those lines”

Frederick reads it, recently Krat decided to test the student population, out of those in his same grade, in all schools, he was the one to get the highest score.

“Don’t let this get over your head, 92% is acceptable, definitely not as impressive as they want you to believe,” His father said, “When I was your age it was 100% or it was considered a failure so be grateful I am so lenient with you”

Frederick wants to argue back but doesn't, he can tell his father is already in a bad mood from work and there is no need to make it worse, he starts questioning his day while his mother stays quiet, always finding any sort of mistake he made and chastising him for it.

“You didn’t mix the cleaning products again did you?”

“…No”

“Good, I don’t know what you were thinking the other day, you almost got yourself killed”

Frederick thought that if he mixed bleach with vinegar he could get off stains better, if it wasn't because the windows of the house were open, the toxic gas he ended up making could have suffocated him.

“Elijah, it was an accident,” Ruby defended him.

“If he wants to act like he is smarter than everyone else then he should have known better than to do something like that”

His mother quickly changes the subject, Frederick staying quiet as the two of them talk, or rather, his father talking about his work and nothing else.

“I was approached by Valentinus Monad today”

Valentinus Monad is also the talk of Krat, he came very suddenly with his speeches about alchemy and it seems he isn’t alone in his seek of knowledge, he has followers but they aren’t inside of Krat, yet. The people of Krat aren’t very welcoming to mysterious strangers with suspicious amounts of scientific knowledge. But he is the one who introduced Ergo to the city, making it so they are the powerhouse of the puppets.
Frederick finds the man’s knowledge very interesting, he never thought he would see someone else talking about Ergo, considering how hard it was for him to get the knowledge it even existed.

“I declined the proposal he gave me, I do not trust his motives one bit,” Elijah said with scorn in his voice, “And Frederick, you better not get any ideas of-”

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” Ruby interrupted her husband, “You still haven’t eaten is something wrong? Are you feeling sick again?”

Frederick has been getting a lot of headaches recently, he knows it’s the stress of taking care of his mother, and how it’s affecting his body to constantly donate blood for her, otherwise he wouldn’t be near her and risk making her condition worse if he had something that could be contagious, Frederick wouldn’t know what to do if he wasn’t able to be close to his mother.

“I told you before that he is exaggerating it for attention, this is nothing to be concerned about,” Elijah said to his wife, “Maybe if he wasn't such a sissy I would be able to talk about him with my colleagues without the constant disappointment”

Frederick stands up and hides behind his mother, he sees his father huffing in frustration, telling him to stop being so sensitive about everything, and how he is too old to be so emotional all the time, with his mother having enough of it.

“Can you please not talk to our son that way?

“How about you tell your son to behave himself?”

Ruby took a deep breath, letting out a few coughs before speaking up, “Elijah we are not going to fight again in front of him, this conversation is over”

—

Myriam kept looking frantically around the drawers and lockers of Frederick’s office, desperately trying to find what she was looking for, Frederick uses it all the time to polish his ruby jewelry so it had to be around here somewhere; then, Giangio entered the door, holding a broken weapon in his hands.

“Never thought I would see flowers attacking but I guess there is a first for everything” Ginagio threw his now useless weapon aside and took out the sword he keeps hidden in his umbrella.

“There it is!” Myriam shouted as she found the jar that contained her solution, “Put this in your weapon, it’s stannous chloride, I theorize its properties will poison the plants and finally end this”

Giangio did as she said, praising her for the idea, and for her leadership skills, “Who knew you were so good at giving orders?”

“I’m the head nurse of a hospital, trust me, this is nothing” Myriam recalled a few stories of chaos, more so when the petrification disease was in full effect.

When Giangio had finished, he looked at his hands which now had a strange purple hue attached to them, this was not an allergic reaction so he was puzzled as to the effects.

“Have you been working with gold fruit coins again?” Myriam asked, “When combined with gold the crystalline stains that color”

“Oh you know me, always doing experiments with them,” Giangio playfully teased her, he can't believe he still has plenty left, Pinocchio was giving them out to him as if they were candy during the frenzy.

“Kudos to you, you always found unique uses for it, seriously I never thought about using it for poisoning” Myriam praised him before shoving him away to the door, “Now get rid of those plants so we can all finally go home”

All the commotion outside the room was dying down, her plan seemly has succeded, until it suddenly took a turn for the worst, yelling, objects being tossed around, glass shattering and someone definitely was just shoved into a wall, Myriam took a brief peek outside before immediately closing the door, she is a nurse, not a damn fighter, so she can only pray that the others succeed.

—-
“So, Ergo comes from dead things?” Catherine asked, she had gone to find Frederick in the period in between classes, finding him holding a dead rabbit in one hand and a pair of scissors in the other taking a tiny blue fragment from its body.

“Sort of, it’s, it's um… more… complicated than… that” Frederick stuttered.

Frederick is still trying to figure it out, his experiments take time, and he wishes he could get his hands on the information the alchemists have. To extract Ergo he uses an overdose of antibiotics to make the body as stiff as possible, it didn't take him long to deduce that Ergo extraction also seems to be linked with the petrification disease but he will never get close to an infected person, he cannot risk his mother infected, that is a death sentence and he is doing what he can to save her.

He is also very confused about how Ergo powers puppets but it’s not important to his research.

“I see,” Catherine said, “Anyway can you do me a favor? The teachers punished me again and I need help”

Since Catherine gets in trouble constantly, the teachers punish her constantly, usually, it’s hitting her with wooden rulers but today they decided to force her to kneel on rice, her knees scraped, and small amounts of blood came out of them. Frederick pulls out a disinfectant from his bag and begins to clean up her wounds, not saying anything as she yelps in pain from time to time.

“Thanks” Catherine adjusted her clothes, she is not wearing any stockings under her long skirt and that is why they punished her, they are probably going to send a letter to her father again how annoying, “Anyway, it’s Mr. Stuckup who did it and I think he is going to substitute for you guys while the science teacher is absent”

The boys and girls are separated, rarely do they have classes together, and “Mr. Stuckup” is the one that trains students who want to be stalkers. Frederick doesn’t take stalker classes as everyone knows he is planning on becoming a doctor, but Mr. Stuckup covers for the teacher from time to time, and last time he decided to humiliate him by calling him a crybaby in front of everyone because well, he started crying but the other teachers don't mind it when he does that, they just tell him to cry quietly so he doesn't end up disrupting the class. He also told him that he would give him a real reason to cry if he kept distracting the class like that.

“Do you want to ditch school altogether?” Catherine was going to jump the fence and find a way to entertain herself, “Only two more classes left anyway”

Despite his better judgment, Frederick followed her. Catherine keeps on making small talk despite him not responding, he gets closer to her each time he sees a puppet, finding it cute and teasing him about it, although she can’t deny some of them do look kinda uncanny.

Suddenly, Frederick grabs her and pulls her into a corner to hide as Frederick sees his father exiting a building.

“Dr. Elijah, I understand your reservations but-” Valentinus Monad tried to explain himself but he was interrupted.

“As I told you, I am not interested, and you calling me here has been a waste of my time, I have patients to take care of” Elijah looked at Valentinus up and down; he scoffed “Maybe some people trust a man like you, and I’ll admit you have that charisma, but that won’t work on me, find someone else to be your pawn on whatever game you are playing”

“Wow your father really is an asshole”

Catherine mumbled under her breath, Frederick covered her mouth but Catherine could tell he liked hearing her say that.

Valentinus Monad looked disappointed, but he apologized and thanked him for his time. When the coast was clear, the two of them were supposed to leave when Catherine started to walk towards the building Valentinus had come from.

“Aren’t you interested in that Ergo stuff?” Catherine grabbed his hand and dragged him inside, “Come on, I’ll ask stuff on your behalf”

Before Frederick could be free of her it was too late, they went inside the building and the office where he came from was just at the very entrance, Catherine entered without even knocking.

“Oh,” Valentinus was not expecting anyone to enter, let alone some teenagers, “Can I help both of you with anything?

A part of Frederick wanted to run out of the place, the other really wanted to ask questions because any new information could be so valuable for his research.

“Frederick is really smart,” Catherine pushed him a little closer to Valentinus, “He knows about Ergo and wants to know more”

“I see,” Valeninus smiled, he was glad to see others taking interest in it, at first assuming that Frederick only has the surface knowledge everyone else is aware of by this point, “What do you wish to know about?”

Frederick opened his bag, he hesitated a moment before handing him a notebook containing his research, the two of them watched as he began to read the contents, how he slowly began to concentrate more and more, until he was finished.

“How did you find out about all of this?” Valentinus has never met anyone who isn’t an alchemist or has ties with them to know about this type of information.

Frederick started to play with his hands, Valentinus could tell his nervousness and tried to reassure him he was just curious and not in trouble, but before Frederick could signal Catherine to talk on his behalf, the door opened.

“Excuse me, I seem to have forgotten-”

Frederick went paler than usual at the sight of his father, who was beyond furious, grabbing his wrist forcefully.

“Why are you skipping class?! Why are you here of all places?!” Doctor Elijah was seething, “You are in so much trouble and this time I won’t let your mother-”

“Wait!” Valentinus does not want this to escalate or to see Frederick in trouble, so he decides to make up a lie, “…I asked him to come, I’ve… heard a lot about your son and wondered if he was interested in what I offered you”

Catherine was not getting involved in this, telling Frederick that she would see him at school tomorrow and running away from the place.

“You are shameless, you know that?” Elijah was not amused, he then turned to Frederick, glaring daggers at his son, “We are going back home right now”

—-
“So, who was the genius that decided to infect the plants with the petrification disease?”

Silence, none dared answer Myriam's question, she had found the real root of the problem and was in the process of making a cure, however, that is pretty hard when there are plant monsters actively trying to kill you and they have developed resistances to everything that was put into them.

“There is a reason we don't use it anymore, seems someone here did not learn that lesson,” Giangio was adding the finishing touches to the cure however, the sample he got while fighting was not enough and they needed to get more, “Does anyone want to confess what they added so we make this process easier?”

“I added arsenic”

“I dosed them with every single painkiller I could find”

“Charcoal”

“I wanted to see how they would react to mold”

“I cross-breed them with mushrooms”

What the hell was this experiment about?! “Okay fine, whatever, anyone else?”

“I added the glitter!” Someone shouted from the other end of the room.

Giangio was on the verge of a breakdown, “Why the hell did you add glitter?!”

“... I wanted them to look pretty”

Before anyone could speak up, loud banging could be heard from the other side, Giangio took a deep breath, one last chase to fight the creatures outside.

—-

Frederick returns home from school, still pissed off about what happened yesterday, his father took away everything of his that didn’t have to do with his studies, as he found where he hid the equipment for his experiments and threw it away, thankfully his research notes are safe as he thought they were class notebooks, but now he doesn’t have anything to work with, he is grounded for a month and he is all bruised up from the belting he had to endure.

Catherine “tried” making it up to him by offering him to have sex with her, she is so gross, Frederick is never going to have sex with her. At least his mother comforted him afterward and gave his father the silent treatment, Frederick had never seen his father so angry before; he is most likely also taking his frustrations out on him, as ever since his mother kicked his father out of the bedroom he has been meaner towards him.

Frederick is surprised to find an old woman talking with his mother, she rarely gets visits from anyone, much less because the last time someone did so his mother’s health briefly took a turn from the worst. The old woman looks at him up and down, then she turns to look at his mother.

“So, is he anything like you?”

“Mother say what you want about me, but do not involve my son in your bitterness” Ruby coughed, her voice raspy from the pain.

“I didn't come here to fight Ruby, I came here to… try to make amends”

Frederick has never met any family from his maternal side, she never talks about them. In fact, he knows very little about her past, Frederick is pretty sure that something weird is involved in his parents' marriage, he has seen the contract before, it's just that he doesn't understand any of the legal terms, at the very least he is sure it was an arranged marriage and that his mother's side of the family had a “compensation” for it, and it was always suspicious that his 15-year-old parents chose to willingly make the decision to get married so young (as apparently, they had been in courtship since that age), although his mother always says that her wedding day was the second best day in her life (and the day he was born is the first since she loves him so much).

“Sweetheart, why don’t you sit down next to me while me and your grandmother have a little chat?”

“Isn't he going to introduce himself?” The older woman snapped, “Why doesn't he talk?”

Frederick rushed to his mother's side right away, he doesn't like this old woman, why is she so mean?

“He has trouble speaking sometimes,” Ruby took a deep breath, coughing as it was painful for her to speak, still she introduced Frederick on his behalf.

The old woman was not amused or pleased with his attitude, “Aren't you going to drink from the tea your mother made? Are you being disrespectful towards her?”

There is a tea set sitting on the table, he reaches his hand to pour himself something before his mother stops him.

“This is a little too strong for you Sweetheart, remember how your father would get sick when I made tea for him? I wouldn't want you to get sick either” Ruby smiled at her son and then turned to look at her guest, “Mother, why don't we resume our conversation?”

Frederick could tell that his mother felt on edge so he hugged her, staying glued to her side, she was being very physically affectionate towards him, and Frederick was delighted every moment of it. He doesn’t remember how the rest of that conversation went, only that it ended up badly with his grandmother screaming and saying that she shouldn’t have come, that she only came because her daughter was dying but that it was clearly a mistake, and his mother just taking it, not saying a word, not drinking from her tea, just staying next to his side, until the old woman left in frustration.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” His mother gently patted his head, and kissed his forehead, “How was your day? Why don’t you tell me all about it?

He was speaking with her, but then she wasn’t feeling well, and then…

—

Frederick wakes up again, this time Myriam is sitting next to him, and on another couch, he can see that Paracelsus is knocked out unconscious. He has no time to react as he feels a needle in his body, falling unconscious again.

“Did you just drug him?!”

“I don’t know, did you FUCK UP THIS ENTIRE EXPERIMENT?!”

Myriam was yelling at the man who was the cause of all of this, the reason Frederick got affected by the pheromones, the reason Paracelsus is now knocked out, and the reason ten are dead and four are injured. She cannot have Frederick awake for this mess.

There is a knock at the door, someone with a few bandages on their arm enters with good and bad news.

“The good news is that we neutralized the rest of the lavender plants”

“And the bad news?” Myriam had a terrible headache and it was about to get worse.

“The Venus Flytrap just ate Seymour”

Another alchemist entered the room, grabbing a loaded gun.

“Plant’s singing”

“What?” Myriam has to be dreaming, she was affected by the pheromones, there is no way.

“It’s singing about feeding it”

Myriam took a deep breath, grabbing Paracelsus's weapon and electrifying it, “I have a plan”

—

“Frederick please calm down”

His mother’s health took a turn from bad, to extremely worse as her heart stopped and Frederick had to give her chest compressions, yet in the process, he accidentally ended up breaking one of his mother’s ribs. His father had arrived shortly after the event, finding his wife asleep resting and his son sobbing.

His father rolls his eyes at him, “You want to be a doctor right? That’s going to happen from time to time so get over it”

He keeps on crying, feeling terrible, he hurt her, and he liked it, not understanding why he would enjoy something as awful as hurting his precious mother, that is what makes him feel worse.

“I’m horrible,” Frederick said in between sobs.

“Oh, you just realized that now?!”

Frederick runs away to his room, his father following him a few minutes later, finding him crying into a pillow, mumbling to himself about how he is awful and doesn't deserve her love.

“Son, I know this is hard for you, as it's hard for me to see your mother this way”

Is it hard for him? His father says he cares about her but he rarely helps her with her needs, only in moments like this when she is at her worst. Frederick has a hard time believing his father, he is the one who has always been taking care of her when his father is the doctor here.

“I know that you are very…” Elijah takes a deep breath, it disgusts him to even think about it, “Attached to her, but-”

“I wish it was me who got sick instead of her,” Frederick cried out, “If it was me, you and she could have another child, and she would be happy, and you would be happy that I was gone”

“…Frederick, what am I going to do with you?” Elijah has his hands on his temples, he composes himself and hugs his son, “Thank you… for always taking care of your mother, it’s late, go and sleep next to her okay?”

-

Now Frederick was fully awake, Myriam explaining to him what had happened, leaving out the many many details that happened in between. He can find the full story later, right now they are all panicked about how he is going to react, it has been 30 minutes of pure silence, all of them wondering if somehow the plants had affected his speech.

“Okay”

“…Okay?” Myriam repeats, waiting for him to start yelling about who is responsible for this incompetence.

Frederick hadn't had trouble speaking in a long time and he was so tired, “We can deal with this calmly tomorrow, I’m sure right now everyone wants to go home”

Everyone had been stuck there for around 8 hours and wanted it all to be over.

Frederick glanced at one of the couches “Someone is going to have to take Paracelsus home, we can’t leave him here”

“Mother… no… stop, I didn’t mean to break it… I was just playing…” Giangio stirred around, yet there was still no sign of him waking up, it looked like the cure would take more time to work properly on him.

“I’ll take him there” Myriam owes him considering how he fought off the worst threats.

“Who did this if you don’t mind me asking?”

Everyone turns to look at the culprit, who thought that he could get away with it with Frederick in that docile state.

“My apologies I-”

Frederick did not let him finish, he used his power to directly rip away his Ergo out of his body, absorbing it for him, the man dying instantly.

“Let us leave this place” Frederick took a deep breath putting his hands on his face temples, “And Myriam, thank you, for fixing this mess”

At least he now knows who his second in command should be.

—-

Frederick woke up to the sound of his parents having a conversation, still lying next to his mother, did he oversleep? As he gets up, he looks at the wall clock, he can tell he is going to be late for school but his parents say he is not going today, as his grandmother unexpectedly passed away yesterday and they all have to attend the funeral. His father leaves the room, saying he is going to tend to some of these matters on his mother's behalf but that he will come back soon.

“Mommy, I'm sorry” Frederick looked away, “Yesterday I…”

“It's okay sweetheart you did what you had to save me” His mother was sitting next to her vanity polishing her ruby necklace, she was going outside for the first time in years and she wanted to look lovely for the occasion, her belongings are filled with luxury jewelry, pearl neckless, sapphire earrings, all different sorts of rings; liquid gold and silver inside glass bottles, or just precious stones as part of her family heirlooms.

“Oh dear, when was the last time I showered?”

Right, Frederick couldn't help her shower yesterday because of what happened, but he reassures her he will get her bath ready, yet as he turns around his mother calls for him, saying he has a surprise for him. It's his equipment that he thought his father had thrown out, his mother having taken it and hidden it before the trash came to pick it up.

Ruby signaled to her son to come closer to her, putting one of her fingers in his lips, “It's our little secret, I know the perfect place where he won't find it”

Frederick is ecstatic, he loves her so much! He watches as his mother cleans her precious necklace in silence, the question his grandmother asked still in his mind, “Am I like you?”

Physically speaking, he has her eyes; the hair color is something he shares with both parents but mainly he resembles his father appearance-wise.

His mother gently touched his face, “Sometimes, I wish you were less like me”

Frederick was puzzled at the strange statement and more puzzled at realizing that his mother's hands were now stained purple. Panicking about her health, his mother tried to calm him down, saying she was fine and that it must be a stain from one of her many beauty products.

“Go ahead and prepare me that bath, I'll be there in a moment,” His mother smiled at him, to Frederick, it was her usual warm smile, oblivious to his mother's true feelings, “I want to look beautiful for your grandmother's funeral”

The funeral comes and goes rather quickly, it turns out his mother's side of the family comes from overseas, barely any of them live here, and while he is glad that his mother is in a better mood he can’t help but worry. Getting back home is acting on autopilot, he sweeps and mops the floors, washes the clothes, and throws away the trash.

His father is still here, not going to work for the first time in years yet not helping him, Frederick tries not to think about how ungrateful that man is about everything he does, he tries not to think about how his parents are alone in the guest room, he tries to ignore how they are being intimate with each other, maybe they think he isn’t aware of it because he should be too distracted doing the daily chores to pay attention since they are trying to be quiet, but it’s because he does them every single day of his life since he was a small child that he can tell when something is off about this house.

“Frederick why are your hands covered in blood?!”

His father screams at him, furious at thinking his son had disobeyed him once more, grabbing him by his wrists forcefully, “What did I tell you? Who or what did you hurt this time?! I won't let you-”

It’s then that he realizes that blood belongs to his son, who had accidentally hurt himself while cleaning, wiping a mirror with too much force and the glass breaking, cutting his wrists and he was trying to stop the bleeding.

“Oh,” That’s all the man can say, letting Frederick go before helping his son treat his wounds, “You didn’t do this on purpose did you?”

Frederick shakes his head.

“Because last time you had to donate blood to your mother you threw a tantrum so if this is a way for you to get out of doing it then-”

“I didn’t!” Frederick shouts, he gets upset because he is always doing it, his wrists are filled with needle marks and he doesn’t want to stop helping his mother but it’s starting to hurt a lot, and he feels nauseous after each time it happens.

“Frederick I’m sorry, okay?” His father sighs in frustration, “You just make it hard to trust you”

Shockingly, the half-baked apology does not work and Frederick is now back to crying which turns into uncontrollable sobbing.

“Why are you like this?!” It’s so hard to deal with his son, “You cry about everything, you hurt others, you are too obsessive. Why can’t you just be normal?!”

Ruby hears the commotion, she struggles but she gets there, finding her son injured and with tears and her husband trying to tell her this wasn’t a big deal. She isn’t having any of it, giving a hug to her son, there is so much she wishes to shout at her husband, but she rather not damage her voice further, one sentence is all he needs to know to understand her stance.

“I changed my mind, you are still sleeping in the guest room”

She doesn’t want to be near him anymore, she thought today might have been a good day, that her relationship was once again turning for the better, sadly she was mistaken. She glares at him to not dare to argue with her, a glare that shuts him up quickly.

“Why does Father hate me?”

“Sweetheart he doesn’t hate you he just… he is just tough with his love that’s all” Ruby quickly changes the subject, “How is your research going? Did you find the philosopher's stone?”

“No” Frederick isn’t going to give up, he is going to find a way no matter what, “I can’t find it so, I’m going to make it”

“That’s wonderful dear,” Her smile disappears for a moment as she sighs, “Frederick, I'm going to be fine you should sleep too”

Hours had passed, it was the middle of the night when his mother woke up, he hadn't slept yet, sitting next to her and watching in case something were to go wrong again. He argues that it doesn't bother him and that she should go back to rest.

“You have barely slept these past few days, I'm worried about you” His mother cried out.

He can't sleep, he has to make sure she is going to be fine, and if he falls asleep, he is just going to have more nightmares that will wake her up, and she is going to waste her precious time resting to comfort him because he gets so scared and no matter how hard he tries, he never stops crying until he tires himself out, and while being able to be this close to her is the best thing that has happened in a long while, he is a little apprehensive about touching her now, he doesn't want to hurt her ever again.

After much insistence from her, he decides to lie down, hugging her, and the previous apprehension leaves as his feelings get the better of him wanting her all to himself. Ruby can feel her son being a little too touchy with her, not to mention how he is digging his fingernails into her skin, purring as if he were a cat as he cuddles with her, that’s very cute, Frederick is like her little kitty, always so affectionate and a little feral. She reassures him that it does not bother her if he has any nightmares, and that she is his mother and will do anything to make him feel better, just as he is always making sure she feels better.  

Frederick soon starts becoming overwhelmed by all of his conflicting emotions, tears falling from his eyes, “Mommy I love you”

“Oh don’t worry sweetheart I know,” His mother says, almost completely dozing off, hugging him back as she hums, “Just go to sleep, I hate seeing you so stressed like that”

Frederick falls asleep in her arms, wishing that this moment could last forever. Knowing deep down, that there is a way to live forever.

—-

Everything seems to running smoothly, fixing the mess from yesterday was easier than expected, and after supervising all his other ones, everything is running smoothly. Frederick had to make some more administrative changes, he is starting to think he should create another department within the alchemists that could help when issues like these arise again.

“You are acting very unusual Frederick” Giangio was at his office, the two of them working on the theories of some experiments.

“It’s the pheromones”

“Mmm sure, whatever you say”

Frederick stops taking notes, “Have you suffered from any side effects?”

“Not really, just still sleepy from time to time” Giangio stopped writing as well, “And you?”

Frederick got closer to Giangio, grabbing his stethoscope and listening to his heartbeat and breathing, “How curious, your heart says otherwise”

That’s a side effect of how he gained immortality.

“You are imagining things, I feel fine” Giangio tried defecting, “If my heartbeat was slow, I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you, isn’t that right?”

“I never said it was slow specifically” Frederick was still too close to him, “What are you hiding from me?”

Oops, busted, “I might not have a doctorate like you Frederick but I have a medical degree, I can tell when my body is fine”

Frederick forcefully grabs his face, carefully analyzing it, “Your eyes seem so off, there has to be something wrong”

They look devoid of life, and that is a shade of blue that’s not natural at all, having a strange grey and violet hue, but Giangio doesn’t get nervous at his secrets starting to show cracks in his facade.

Giangio smiled, “What do you think I’m pretty?”

“Mmm perhaps if you were a woman you would be considered pretty, although you are halfway there with those looks” Frederick was too close to him, invading his personal space.

“Frederick, are you flirting with me?” Giangio touched back Frederick’s face, “For a man who is against homosexuality, you sure as hell are-”

Frederick interrupted him, “Do not involve me in your depravity, I was giving you a compliment”

Giangio smiled, “Well you are being too affectionate for a simple compliment”

“Oh my God, kiss him already”

“What?!”

Frederick was telling Catherine what had happened and was taken aback by the sudden commentary.

“This is the 5th time in a row you talk about him like that, all dreamy about him,” Catherine said, “Like, you know I don’t care if you also like him right? Considering our relationship-”

Frederick was flustered and mortified, “I don’t like Paracelsus you stupid whore!”

“I’m fucking other people, so I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t allow you to-”

“STOP IT!” Frederick buries his face in his hands, trying his hardest to calm down. Catherine is a brainless slut, just because he finds Paracelsus pretty for a man and enjoys his company that doesn't mean he likes him!

Catherine loves that about him, how no matter how much time has passed he gets flustered so easily. Playfully saying that it's so late and asking if she should tug him into bed, she sees him looking away before accepting the offer, and when she is done, Catherine lies down next to him.

“Just so you know, this is all the effect of the pheromones” Frederick yawned, “I would have never accepted this otherwise”

Sure, whatever he says, it seems he has forgotten he has asked her to do this in the past, that or he is playing dumb, “Goodnight to my sleeping beauty”

Catherine teases him before he falls asleep in her arms, yet again, remembering one last repressed memory.

—

Frederick has been working for the alchemists for about a year now, he barely has had any interaction with Valentinus Monad, it makes sense, he is a busy man and so is Frederick. However one day, there was a social gathering he had to attend, one held in honor of the science/medical achievements of the city, by now, Frederick had done a well enough job to interact in social situations normally, yet that still doesn't mean it's not tiring for him to act “normal”. It did not help that Frederick had to cross paths with his father, everyone had congratulated Frederick on becoming a doctor at such a young age, all except his father.

“It is…commendable he did so, but it's not something unexpected, considering we come from a family that gravitates toward the medical field”

As always, passive-aggressively downplaying his achievements. Frederick could kill him, there is nothing holding him back from doing so but he doesn’t want to think about him, he wants to forget his father even exists, to have some semblance of peace of mind. But hearing everyone in that room praising his father, saying how he is such a kind and wonderful doctor, how so many people owe them their lives, and this and that, Frederick cannot take it and he decides to go outside for some fresh air.

“Are you feeling alright Frederick?” Valentinus had followed him, unbeknownst to him, “Is there something wrong?”

Frederick tries to make an excuse, but it seems Valentinus saw the interaction and already had an idea of why he was isolated from everyone else.

“My father is a great doctor,” Maybe it's the fact that he had been drinking, otherwise Frederick would have never spoken up about his true feelings, “But he is an awful father”

Frederick is aware he is not a saint, quite the opposite, but sometimes… sometimes he just wishes his father at least pretended to like him, and at times like this, he wishes his mother was still alive, he knows she would have been so proud of him, and he could have told her how he was doing this for her.

“I believe you,” Valentinus said.

Frederick can feel tears forming in his eyes, he never told anyone because who would believe him? Yet Valentinus did, without questioning him, so Frederick asks why.

“Oh Frederick, we can all tell he doesn't like you,” Valentinus did not wish to break the news this way, touching Frederick's shoulder to give him comfort, “No one asks why there is always tension between the two of you because its none of our business, such private matters should not involve the public but I can tell you this, I do believe what you told me”

Valentinus remembers the first time he met Frederick, he already had suspicions back then, and as time has passed he has confirmed them.

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, you are not a crybaby anymore; those are the words Frederick keeps telling himself, this is so stupid, he was some weird psychotic child, it makes sense why his father doesn't love him, why would anyone love someone like him? His mother has been the only exception and Frederick is really missing her right now and wants her to hug him and tell him that he is a wonderful person despite knowing damn well he isn't.

“You are a good man Valentinus,” Frederick takes a deep breath, “Too good really, that is going to get you killed one of these days, and I want you to know when that happens, I will miss you”

Valentinus takes it as a joke, saying how he is happy he made Frederick feel better, not knowing that Frederick truly meant everything he said.

Chapter Text

Pinocchio was so excited, rushing to pack his belongings into a bag, one that couldn't fit everything he wanted, and as he was trying to forcefully close it, Antonia laughed, stopping him from accidentally breaking it. 

“Dear we are only going to a lake cabin, you are as jumpy as when your father was taking you to London,” Antonia beamed, she loves seeing him filled with joy, “We aren't even leaving Krat, and it is only for a day, less than a day”

Antonia had rented one for them to spend some hours together, they have to be there by 5 pm and will leave before noon of the next day, they might be one of their competitors for Hotel stays at Krat, however, there is no bad blood between them. 

Polendina had to assist him with what or was not needed; Pinocchio was just so happy to spend time with her like this, as while spending time at her home or at Hotel Krat is always good for him, and so does pleasant to stroll on the streets or visit a restaurant, this feels more special. It feels like a mini vacation and one where nothing will try to kill him. (He is still bringing a sword, as you never know with his luck)

In the meantime, Pinocchio and Antonia were having a small chat, she showed him a box filled with mementos of her past. Pictures of her youth, old journals, a book of when she was learning finances for the opening of Hotel Krat when she told him she knew of Krat's secrets and what is hidden behind, she was not exaggerating, as she has a notebook filled with everything there is to know about the city. He is intrigued by the love letters from her deceased husband, she talks fondly of him from time to time and tells Pinocchio about those times, the good ones as she never talks about his sudden death, and Pinocchio will not ask, he doesn't want to upset her if she is ever ready to share that with him, he will gladly love to learn more and if she is never ready, he understands perfectly well.  

There was one note that stood upon the rest, Pinocchio picked it up and proceeded to read it out loud, as she wanted him to practice his dictation. 

—-𖦹—-

“To Antonia Cerasani,

My sincerest congratulations on your engagement and subsequent wedding, I would have loved to be the officiant, alas my duties kept me away from doing so.

I am writing to you to deliver this tea set, I believe all of Krat knows how much you enjoy a good cup of tea, so what better gift for you than this set? May you and your husband have a long and healthy marriage. I shall pray for the happiness of both of you”

-From A. 

—-𖦹—-

Pinocchio looked around, yet there was no sight of the tea set, he wondered if it was safeguarded somewhere yet Antonia had to deliver him the bad news.

“After returning home from the frenzy, I found that my home was broken into,” She realized they mainly took jewels or other things of monetary value rather than sentimental ones.

But that tea set was special, it was something any citizen of Krat would dream of having, the honor of holding something from someone so beloved by the community. 

“You know, I’ll never forgive your father for that,” Antonia sighed, sure it’s technically not his fault but he is the reason it happened, “But I don’t hold it against him, I know that what counts is the memories I treasure of those days”

“It was a gift from Andreus, he would give them to certain individuals as a wedding gift, I suppose there is the possibility some might still remain yet I doubt that,” Antonia explained, “We should not dwell on what ifs, you have some free hours before we met at the cabin, go ahead and have some fun”

She handed him some money and playfully shooed him away, not because of her getting sentimental but rather because she genuinely wanted him to enjoy himself, as this was a gift for him, considering all the stress life had thrown his way.

Yet Pinocchio could not stop thinking about it, he wants to see her happy and she said there was a chance that some might still be out there… 

—

Arriving at the Cathedral took time, and he had to wait a little more for the mass to be over, asking for Cecile was easy enough and after explaining the situation, she was taking him to see the new Archbishop, when one of the other nuns approached them.

“Is that Geppetto’s son?” The head nun looked displeased, “Sister, out with this boy, I know he is a menace just like Carlo”

“Sister Martha, please do not compare the two of them, it is inappropriate” Cecile put her hand on Pinocchio’s shoulder, “Besides, as followers of God, shouldn’t we welcome all to the church doors?”

“I know a devil when I see one, sister, do not question me, he might look innocent unlike the other boy but I know a troublesome child when I see one,” She was not amused, snapping the wooden ruler she had in her hand into her palm to make a point, “He shall stay but I will have an eye on him”

Great, he only came here for a tea set and instead, he keeps getting lectured. Why is Cecile a nun? This sounds boring and exhausting.

“Dear Lord please give me strength not to burn her to death,” Cecile mumbled under her breath.

Actually being a nun is wonderful for Cecile, hopefully, she never ever has a crisis of faith.

It was surprising to him that once again, the last floor of the Cathedral was repaired, he thought after that last fight it would be gone for good. The church does seem to get a lot of donations and not all of them in bad faith, as the people of Krat can be very devoted. This time, the place was back to normal, no longer a base of the alchemists after he ruined their plans, Cecile taking him to what seemed to be some sort of office of the new Archbishop.

Pinocchio could tell Cecile didn’t like that man so there was tension in the atmosphere.

“Andreus did have plenty of those sets to spare and by God’s will, they were all left unharmed after the destruction of the church,” The Archbishop said, “However I cannot hand them out to simply anyone”

“Your Excellency, you know Lady Antonia well, surely you can do this favor for her, correct?” Cecile needled, “The boy came all the way here all for the sake of his mother, please-”

“I understand that Antonia has grown fond of him, however, I would hardly consider him to be her son,” The Archbishop's voice was condescending, “She did not birth him, so she doesn’t have the real matter bond a mother would give to her child”

Pinocchio was understandably angry, but he is a guest here and cannot be rude. 

“Please, this would mean so much for Antonia, it holds a deep place in her heart, more so now that her husband is no longer with us,” Cecile begged, trying to stay calm she could not lose her composure. 

“I don't think that is what Andreus would have wanted, those were supposed to be for special occasions” The Archbishop stood up, ready to kick them out, “It is tragic hers were stolen during the frenzy, please send an apology on my behalf”

“I am not leaving without that tea set,” Pinocchio asserted, he wanted to make his mother happy and he was not leaving empty-handed.

“How bold and disobedient of you,” The Archbishop rolled his eyes, “It seems Geppetto does not know how to parent you properly, so I say if you truly wish to get that tea set, you should prove to me that you are capable of learning manners”

Pinocchio takes him up on the offer right away, he has always been a good boy, not to mention he knows all about social etiquette and manners that his mother has taught him, surely this will be a walk in the park.

—-

“Geminiiiiii helppppp meeeeee,” Pinocchio cried out, feeling exhausted, “I can't take this anymore”

“Pinocchio it's only been 2 hours,” Gemini chirped.

Yeah two hours of pure hell, Isn't this supposed to be a church?! First, they tried to make him assist with catechesis classes, but then realized he knew nothing about the bible so now he was the one taking those classes, and unlike his father, they are not nice to him when he makes a mistake while studying, somehow they managed to cramp into him enough knowledge to satisfy them. Then they made him clean around the place, which should have been no issue but he had to keep praying the rosary while doing it and it was hard for him to catch up since they all prayed so fast. Next was helping with making the communion bread, not at baking as all could tell that would have been a disaster but rather at giving them the round shape hosts are known for, and while not a hard task, he had to do so many of his hands started to hurt. Now he is helping in candle making and to top it all off, he had to wear a priest's robe in this horrible heat. 

“What is the point in all of this?” Pinocchio pouted. 

“It teaches us discipline kind one,” Cecile thought that was cute of him, “This temple must be kept well preserved as the house of God, I know so far this experience has been quite unpleasant, however, I assure you not all here have such strict personalities” 

Cecile stood up and instructed him to follow her, after all, it was time for a break, all the other members of the congregation were either talking to each other or wishing to spend time by themselves. Men and women have their separate spaces but Cecile was daring enough to take him with the other nuns, who despite being very harsh were now doting on him, seems they don't get many visitors who are not involved with their duties. 

“What a curious Legion Arm is the boy wearing,” One of the nuns said, “So elegant, it looks more like a decoration rather than an actual arm”

Pinocchio cannot deny that Stellar looks rather fancy, more so with the floating star, as he looks around the room, he sees that despite how the church has a lot of money going their way, the nuns live with very basic necessities. 

“We all take a vow of poverty kind one, we cannot afford any luxuries,” Cecile said.

“...Is that poker table not a luxury then?”

Cecile turned to look at the back, a few nuns were playing cards while drinking, that is no issue, as those are not sins as long as you don't overly indulge, “It was donated to the church”

“Was that record player that has the big sapphire in the middle next to a bunch of pearls also donated to the church?” 

“It was a gift from the Corday family if I recall,” Cecile answered his question again. 

“What about-”

Pinocchio heard the loud snap of a wooden ruler, sister Martha was watching him, he felt shivers going down his spine, that must be his last and only warning. 

“Oh hush sister let the boy have some fun,” A young nun said, she stood up for a moment, leaving momentary before she returned with a cat in her arms, handing the gentle creature to Pinocchio, “Take her, Sister Lisa loves when we get more company”

Pinocchio didn't know that cats could be nuns but there she was, sister Lisa, wearing the traditional black habit and a veil. The fat fluffy cat loved getting its belly rubbed; Pinocchio still remembers when he first met Spring and how she disliked him, slowly gaining her trust, now each time he sees an animal outside they all act like this around him, perhaps they know he has good intentions.

“Girls look what I found!” One of them showed off a newspaper, “Do you all remember when that serial killer was loose some years ago? Apparently, Krat Times managed to find new evidence on the killer”

The newspaper was being passed around, mentioning a torn letter that could have belonged to the killer as the handwriting matched a note found at a crime scene years ago. 

“Why I remember all of us were terrified of going into missionary work,” One of the older nuns cried out, “Mmmm, it was around the time you joined the church, right Cecile?”

Pinocchio is aware the killer they are talking about is her, and while a part of his brain wants to read more of the details of the killer, the other won't, not just because he doesn't want to know such gruesome details, it is also out of respect for Cecile.

“Yes sister, it was a dark time for me, but Andreus showed me the path to God,” Unlike most nuns, Cecile did not have to go through years of devotion, he let her become one right away as part of her repentance, “Let us pray to God so he can cleanse all sin from this world”

Pinocchio looked at Cecile, he expected her to be nervous, that evidence could very well get her caught, yet she had her usual calm and yielding demeanor. Nothing changed once they stopped their break and had to continue with the rest of the activities. Pinocchio resisted the urge not to cough at the strong smell of incense, the only good thing was that he played the organ for the next mass service, and while he was a little intimidated as it is not the same as a piano, he is a fast learner and had no issues on understanding the basics and if he made a mistake while performing, it was barely noticeable. 

By now it was around 4 pm and Pinocchio needed to head to the cabin, making his way to see the Archbishop to be rewarded for his hard work. Cecile did not accompany him this time, as the man said he wanted to speak with him in private. 

“I commend you on your dedication, I admit I did not believe you would pull through, and while I would love to give you that set, it is not enough”

“Why not?!” Screw formalities he made him do all that work for nothing. 

“Please, don't think I dont know that you were the one to destroy part of the church a while ago?” 

Of course, Cecile had mentioned he was taking bribes from the alchemists before, he is not happy about how that turned out.

“While that might have been a blessing in disguise, considering I have wiped my hands on them, I was not fond of my Cathedral being vandalized in such a crude way”

“Your Cathedral? This place doesn't belong to you!” Pinocchio shouted, getting angrier by the minute.

“Silence child, there is no reason to be upset, I am simply stating my reasoning,” The Archbishop talked as he gently looked around the room, “Can you blame me for accepting such bribery? I had no choice, the alchemists are dangerous and do you believe they would have taken no for an answer? After laying low would they suddenly reveal themselves to me who could warn the people of Krat easily about them?”

“How naive do you think I am?” Pinocchio gave him a deadpan stare, the sign he was not going to fall for his manipulation. 

The Archbishop found what he was looking for, taking aside the broken painting of Andreus he had kept away, showing it off to Pinocchio, “...You killed him didn't you?”

“Surely you are not suggesting he should left him alive in that state, right?” Gemini was glowing bright red; everyone knows what happened to Andreus, although they do not know about the Arm of God, they believe he must have transformed due to the petrification disease. 

“No, it was mercy however I shared a close bond with Andreus, so it is my duty to protect his legacy and you would have to forgive me but I do not want his killer inside this sacred place,” The Archbishop gave out a sigh, “Take that assignment I gave you as penitence for your actions and leave before I make you”

Pinocchio was so furious that he had completely forgotten about Cecile, who was waiting for him outside the Church past the bridge in front of the statue of the angel with its arms extended, he remembers that he prayed during the frenzy, felt like such an eternity ago and he… wanted his father to be happy. 

“Here it is Pinocchio,” Cecile handed him a box containing the set, “I had a feeling he would not fulfill his part of the deal, so I took matters into my own hands, well, hand but you understand what I mean”

“How did you get them? Won't the Archbishop notice one of them is gone?” Gemini moved his little antennas worried that she might get in trouble. 

“Lockpicking, a skill I learned in my sinful days,” Cecile smiled, “I was so versatile back then, those skills have come in handy now”

Pinocchio isn't sure if she is smiling because she made that pun or if she is happy remembering killing those people, and he would rather not ask for clarification. 

“Trust me, he never goes inside Andreus's old room, it is filled with dust, no one is allowed inside, and he leaves candles and roses for him often, or prays outside the door,” Cecile continued, “The Archbishop has his issues, believe it or not, he cares for the people or Krat”

Pinocchio is finding that really hard to believe. 

“But like all men, he is selfish, he believes his way of helping others is the only way, and in his mind, if he has to accept dirty money for the sake of the church it is justified,” Cecile explained, “You saw the mass for yourself didn't you? Or those who came to pray for their loved ones, how plenty stay to cherish the community?”

He can't deny that the regular church attendees have a lot of care and joy for each other, and how close all of those nuns and priests are and are devoted to making Krat a better place. Their religion is bringing them close together and to assume everyone has secret bad intentions is not reasonable. 

“Hopefully you don't think I am trying to convert you, although I would be filled with joy if you chose the path of God,” Cecile believes the is no rush in pushing it, she found God as an adult, and maybe he can find him as well and it is not his time yet.

Pinocchio looked at the box that contained the tea set, and while a part of him wanted to rush to see his mother's reaction, he felt he should stay, as he sensed Cecile was not done pouring out her feelings, sitting by her side.

“At the end of the day, someone like me has no right to judge him, my sins are worse than his,” Cecile touched the statue of the angel, contemplating her life's choices, “If there is a chance for me to be saved, then he has one as well, that is why am I not scared if the truth is revealed, it is God's will, and to repent means to take accountability”

Gemini has always appreciated the way Cecile talks to his best friend, with his other loved ones they don't mean to but sometimes they can sound… a little condescending, makes sense, they see him as the precious good boy and have that natural instinct to protect him, but Cecile always speaks to him in the same regard as any other person, sometimes in a little higher considering he saved her. 

“While I do think, he is condescending, arrogant, a little in over his head, vain and pretentious; and sometimes I go into his room in the middle of the night holding a knife, he likes to pretend he is asleep but I know better, and-”

“Cecile,” Pinocchio's was firm, making her come to her senses. 

“My apologies, my point is, there is a petty conflict between the two of us, specially on the topic of what Andreus would have wanted,” Cecile reminisced, sadly he is not here to set the record straight, “I do believe he would have given you that tea set, yet I cannot deny that Andreus would have wanted him as his successor, and I respect his wishes”

The two of them had a deeper relationship with Andreus than most at the church, (for entirely different reasons) making them fight from time to time about what is best for the church, the man is not without reason, he has listened to her on improvements. She is still furious about the way he runs the church, yet he always does what he can to help the people of Krat. 

Pinocchio is not fond of either of The Archbishop and knows now why they are not replacing him. He is doing the same things Andreus did, justifying it for his own selfish reasons, and because technically the good he has done outweighs the bad, no one is going to kick him out of that position. At least he understands what Cecile is trying to tell him, that the community around the church is strong not because of him but in spite of him. 

Cecile smiled, handing him a custom rosary she made, the black wooden beads having the smell of a pine tree, “I hope you treasure this gift, if not to pray, to at least a memento of our friendship”

“Geez Cecile, you are making it sound as if you are going to die,” Gemini said.

“Mmm, speaking of dying, I do not recommend swimming in that lake,” Cecile stood up, it was time to go back to the church, “I dropped some bodies inside, I am sure their bones are still there and I worry the lake might be haunted” 

“Huh?!” Pinocchio was completely taken aback, she is joking right?!

“I am kidding, there is no such thing as ghosts, only demons or angels that make themselves present on earth,” Cecile said her goodbyes, speaking one last time as she walked away, “The other part is true, so at the very least I recommend you don't dive in the water”

Pinocchio stared as she walked away, completely silent until Gemini reminded him it was time to go, the day might have been chaotic, but at least he and Cecile were able to spend time together. 

—-

To say that Antonia was ecstatic about the surprise was an understatement, she hugged him so hard and she did not want to let go at all, saying how lucky she was to have the best son in the world and that she was going to steal him from Geppetto so she could have him by her side all the time. 

The tea set contained six cups each with its own saucer, a lovely teapot, a cake stand including some side plates, as well as one small sugar pot and a tiny milk jug. The color pallet was white with a slight cream tone with gold accents in the shape of flowers, each of them containing a single platinum wing in the middle. It looked elegant and graceful, each of these sets must have been done by hand considering the amount of care and detail. Pinocchio stops looking at them for a moment as his mother keeps on speaking, eyeing the way Polendina is looking at her, he might not be very expressive, yet each time he looks at her, it is filled with deep feelings of love. 

Pinocchio wants his mother and Polendina to have a special moment, so he says he is going to have fun with Gemini by his side and that they should have tea together. Of course, he did not think the excuse through enough saying he was going to go for a quick swim, not being able to take it back, whatever, this was meant for him to get away from some of his life stresses, he doesn't need to overthink about those details. 

“Gemini, if they are getting married, doesn't that make Polendina my stepfather now?” Pinocchio was in the shallow parts of the water, making sure Gemini wouldn't accidentally fall, as his best friend was sitting miniature wooden boat.

“Technically I suppose,” Gemini chirped, “Although I don't think he is going to try and parent you any time soon”

Well he does scold him from time to time at either Hotel Krat or her house since recently has had a tendency to not clean his room, it's just that he is the creative type, he sometimes forgets to put back the music note sheets when they practice back in place, or leaves brushes or paint where he shouldn't. Although that hardly counts, Pinocchio is sure anyone else would tell him to tidy up considering some of the messes he makes. 

They don't understand that it's part of the artistic progress and call him lazy, and it's not like he is expecting them to understand anyway. 

Seeing the two of them from the distance made what he had to go through worth it, eventually, he went back, Pinocchio enjoying the rest of the day so much that Antonia promised him once the alchemists were all dealt with, she would treat him to a longer vacation and somewhere more exiting so the two of them can have more of this memories. 

—

The next day, Pinocchio woke up unusually early, his mother was still asleep and not wanting to wake her up, he decided to get some fresh air, finding Polendina outside standing in front of the lake, getting closer to him, he sensed that something was a little off.

“Pinocchio, may we have a moment?” 

Polendina's voice has his usual neutral and monotonous demeanor, at least, that is what most would assume, but Pinocchio could something was on his mind.

“Sometimes, it doesn't feel real,” Polendina is marrying her, they are planning their wedding (albeit in secret), he never imagined this was a possibility in the first place.  

“Back then, I thought I couldn’t live without her, and I was ready to stop doing so if that happened” Polendina looked at the dragonflies who flew across the lake, one of them was injured, resting on top of a flower with another of its kind next to it, staying by its side, despite the harsh circumstances of nature, “I had made the choice, that when she passed, I would erase my heart, to become an ordinary puppet, for my life would have no meaning without her”

Pinocchio looked at Polendina with worry, he knew more than anyone how much he loved her, how he confided in him on his true feelings during the frenzy, and how he helped him through the process of accepting them. Pinocchio still remembers last year when Polendina told him how Antonia reciprocated those feelings for him, how thrilled he was for the two of them, how despise the worst of circumstances they managed to pull through, living a life together.

He also knows that Polendina will most likely outlive her, Antonia isn’t getting any younger and puppets can last for years and years, even when they aren’t special like him.

“…But you wouldn’t do that now right?”

Pinocchio waited for an answer filled with anxiety, but before Polendina could respond he heard Antonia’s voice from behind him, having woken up as well and distracting him, now she had his full attention, as Polendina stared at them, enjoying their time spent together he touched the precious ring that hung in his neck by the necklace, a symbol of his love for Antonia.

And Polendina will treasure this moment as long as he has the memory of it.