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English
Series:
Part 1 of Our Essence Is How We Shape Others
Stats:
Published:
2025-10-04
Completed:
2025-10-12
Words:
1,314
Chapters:
3/3
Comments:
22
Kudos:
83
Bookmarks:
7
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990

Have you heard?, or Kaleidoscope of Gossip

Summary:

Nephis and Sunny's relationship examined through gossips told about them. It was delicious in their Fake Dating Turned Real Dating arc, and this series of miniatures is meant to give similar external POV context for other stages of their beautiful trainwreck of relationship.

(In particular, I revel in how unreliable Sunless is as a narrator and how expertly does he lie to himself and I believe he shine the brightest when his ideas of what is happening are set against contrasting background of what does everyone else see.)

Notes:

Every chapter is a separate gossip scene with different focus, time, place and gossipers. As there is no plotline, planned or any, chapter counter will be only updated when/if I'll get idea for a new gossip.

Based on prompt I intended to lure tumblr Shadow Slave fandom into activity with, but alas, I have only lured myself so far.

Chapter 1: Have you seen them dance

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Time: after Ball, either pre-Antarctica or early Antarctica Campaign

Gossipers: some old Masters of first and second generation

"It's just improper is what I'm saying. Legacy Princess making sweet eyes at an outskirts rat? I don't care how talented or pretty he might be, it's just not a proper connection for someone of her upbringing."

"Whoa. Are you talking about Lady Changing Star and that SSA scout boy of hers, or are you still not over Smile of Heaven marrying Broken Sword?"

"Wha— Broken Sword was a hero! It's not the same at all!"

"Funny how I remember you shit-talking Broken Sword too, before he got adopted."

"...you both focus on an entirely wrong thing."

"Oh? And the correct thing is...?"

"Either Changing Star is much softer than her mother was... which I don't think is a reasonable assumption to make... or both Immortal Flame girls actually have the exact same taste in men. And if they do? Imagine Broken Sword getting SSA mark... Not untrue, but also not exactly conveys the scale of the problem. If I were you? I'd be thankful they make sweet eyes at each other. Hopefully it'll keep them distracted."

Notes:

Notice how no one of them argue on what Nephis and Sunless' relation is, only what it should be and about Sunless' social status and potential. If you asked them, I assume they'd said something about having functional eyeballs while present at the dancefloor of the Ball. Like. Have you SEEN them dance.

Special thanks for GriffinBorn for reminding me how that dance had to look from outside, particularly paired with storming away and vanishing for the rest of the party together; and for pointing out similarities between Broken Sword and Lost From Light.

Chapter 2: Couldn't she take his bedroom?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Time: first days after Nephis completing Second Nightmare

Place: kitchen of Immortal Flame manor

Gossipers: unnamed Fire Keepers, Effie, Kai

"Oh hi Effie! Do you know whether Lady Nephis will be on time for dinner?"

"I'm taking her plate. It's only fair, when she took my room. And I had such a good arrangement going on! Doofus always kept the fridge full..."

"What... what are you talking about?"

"I'm going to live here for at least a week" – an older Fire Keeper perked up, suddenly anxious – "because Nephis stays with Sunny."  Man stood up and stepped into the pantry. Effie continued, unbothered: "She took my bedroom! Why couldn't she take his bedroom instead?

"Well now," Kai interrupted, trying to sound concilliatory, "it's not like this. Lady Nephis needs some peace and quiet before press gets to her. Cassie's logic is sound. If we're all here, we should keep reporters off her back for a while."

"Oh yes, no other reason but doofus' skill and experience in avoiding press. Because avoiding Nightmare Creature is almost the same as avoiding press and it's not like Cassie has a former superstar at the ready, with professional training for all of this. Oh wait, she has!" Pause was only long enough for sarcasm to sink in. "As I was saying, I'd say I hope they at least make good use of the empty house, but they are both so hopeless..."

"Wait, wait. I thought Lady Nephis was... involved... with Caster?"

"What?"
"What?"

"You mean... she... wasn't?"

"Oh. No, Caster was glued to Princess all the time, yes! But it was less romance and more some weird Legacy shit going on. I mean, we'll never know what Caster was thinking, but definitely no romance on Princess's side. Meanwhile, have you ever watched Princess really closely when someone mentions Sunny? It's fun!"

Silence fell. Kind of. Crunchy sounds of Effie going through snacks weren't particularly quiet.

"...Night? Is it... true?"

"Oh. I. I really shouldn't tell anything."

"Drop it!" came yelling from the pantry. "You'll have whole week for this! We need to make new shopping list for groceries, someone come and help me!"

Notes:

Effie is a Menace even when she's not trying particularly hard. She has in my opinion most distinct and demanding voice of ALL Shadow Slave cast, but I'm trying! Hopefully she really sounds like herself!

I have no more chapters ready, but I'm open to suggestions!

Chapter 3: So he's trying to earn Princess' hand???

Summary:

Did you know? Master Devil is not 14, he's actually 20! And he tries to make Clan Valor to give him hand of Princess Nephis in marriage!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Place: Falcon Scott
Time: few days after Last Convoy's arrival
Gossipers: civilian refugees of Central Antarctica

"So, what did they say? Did he actually completed First Nightmare as 11 years old?!?"
"Oh my. Oh my. No, it's so much better! So much better! Come, you absolutely need to sit to hear this! Call everyone!"

 

Mai's dormitory was packed full. All doors were opened wide and the apartment meant to house between 5 and 10 people hosted currently well over 80. News-sharing session had to be quick, because there was no free floorspace left to close the door to the bathroom. Not to mention almost everyone present promised someone to pass the news when they learn them, ASAP.

"So. Are we waiting for someone still? No? Ok. Mai. Now you HAVE to tell us what your cousin send you. What is it?"

"Ok. Buckle up. My cousin Jen works for the government in NQSC and she gathered everything she could, text and stills only, they wouldn't sell her enough transfer for vid, sorry, I'll pass package to everyone in a moment, so. Anyways. Listen. Devil of Antarctica IS indeed the youngest Master in history..."
"...obviously..."
"...but he is actually 20 and a half and has completed First Nightmare when he was just few weeks under 17, almost exactly a month before Winter Solstice, and he got inducted into the Academy the exact same day."

Mai almost bounced in the chair, barely restraining himself, but waiting for everyone to do the math themselves, for better impact. Murmurs arose.

"Are you saying... that he attended Academy with Lady Nephis?"
"Yes! But there's more—"
"Are you saying he is from the Forgotten Shore???"
"Yes! Yes! And that's not all—"
"What more there can be? He fought under Changing Star! He's Forgotten Shore kid! Fuck, we were so lucky..."
"No! I mean, yes, but Devil was Lady Nephis' personal scout! He was in her personal cohort with Nightingale, Song of the Fallen and Raised by Wolves!"
"Are you kidding me???"
"Shut up! It's still not all! There is SO MUCH OF IT, stop interrupting me, I'll say you when I'm done!"

"When they returned, he anchored in Chained Isles just like Fire Keepers and there were rumours that he also wanted to try and cross Hollow Mountains to get to Lady Nephis!"

"And he took instructor job in Awakened Academy to be always around in case Lady Nephis returned on her own!"

"Then he entered Second Nightmare with Raised by Wolves, Night Singer and Song of the Fallen! They all have beat the record of shortest time between Awakening and Second Nightmare, but he's also the youngest Master in Earth's history, he Ascended just shy of 20! He's 20 and a half!"

"Then when Lady Nephis returned they went together to the Ball at Valor! He personally escorted her for the meeting with Saint Anvil! And then Saint Anvil adopted Changing Star so she became the Princess of the Great Clan again! And then he vanished from NQSC and apparently he signed up to First Evacuation Army the same day Valor announced adoption of Lady Nephis!"

"And then he got here! And, you remember, that sergeant said there was no orders to rescue any refugees, they couldn't give any even if they want to, because communication was down over whole Central Antarctica, he was just given orders to escort some VIP before evacuation routes collapsed, and he decided to do rest on his own." 

Inhale. The following list sounded like a mantra Mai expected everyone to know by heart:
"Four thousand soldiers, five thousand sailors, one hundred Awakened, two dozens Sleepers, six Irregulars, thirty thousand civilian refugees."
"He rescued us all without orders. And they're giving him the Order of Humanity."
"He's officially a hero now."
Exhale. Inhale.
"NOW I am done."

Everyone – whole dormitory packed with people so densely there was no option to walk even one step without someone leaving the apartment first to make a room – sit quiet for a while, digesting the news. They looked for each other, thoughtful, unsure, making are-you-thinking-what-i'm-thinking faces, slowly growing into some kind of silent agreement.

Then, one of the oldest women spoke, calm in the certainty that she was voicing what everyone thought about.

"You know what... When I used to berate my sons for acting like hot-blooded idiots... I would never guess that one day I'll owe my life to a boy the age of my great grandson, trying to impress future in-laws for the hand of his beloved. World really is a funny place."

Notes:

If you ask "what it is about Sunny escorting Nephis to meet Anvil", you're correct. It never happened, but Valor PR workers thought for about 15 seconds about most reasonable interpretation of "two incredibly beautiful 20yo showing for one steamy steamy dance and disappearing together from the party for few hours" and released a sob story about Anvil and Nephis talking for hours and sharing memories of her parents. It's an official version.

Idea of Sunny escorting Nephis to the meeting with one of the last living people who knew her parents personally, and acting as her emotional support, is merely a reasonable assumption. Which they assumed.

PLANS AND SUCH:
There will be a spinoff posted as a separate work in a few days. I had plans for further plot, involving gossips causing actions causing new gossips and so on, and lots of plotting, but writing it the way _I'll be satisfied with_ requires a working model of chaebol/billionaire mentality to model high-status retainers of Valor. Which requires me to do lots of research and thinking. So, I'm not going to up the chapter counter until I'm sure I know what I'm going to write.

For now, expect a one-shot gossipy spinoff (Less Toxic Valor Clan AU) in about a week.

Then I'm going to switch for few weeks to my WIPs in other fandoms, and chew through all that research I planned, and I estimate I'll be back at this series somewhere in December.

Series this work belongs to: