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Cress Winter

"That's not a Princess, that's my cousin!"

0 · 5,723 views · located in Noraneko

a character in “Into The Woods”, as played by The_Queen

Description

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❝I am a hell in high heels. ❞
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【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#CD5C5C β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #C5E3BF】

|| Flaws || Bastille ||







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{β˜› β’»β“Šβ“β“ Ⓝ⒢ⓂⒺ ☚}
Crescent Violet Winter

{β˜› β“ƒβ’Ύβ’Έβ“€β“ƒβ’Άβ“‚β’Ίβ“ˆ ☚}
Cress, Vi, Vivi

{β˜› β’Άβ’Όβ’Ί ☚}
16

{β˜› ⒼⒺⓃⒹⒺⓇ ☚}
♀

{β˜› β“ˆβ’Ίβ“β“Šβ’Άβ“β’Ύβ“‰β“Ž ☚}
Undetermined

{β˜› β’»β’Άβ’Έβ’Ί ⒸⓁ⒢ⒾⓂ ☚}
Mayaka Ibara || Hyouka



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❝ INSPIRE US WITH A QUOTE ❞
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{β˜› ⒽⒺⒾⒼⒽⓉ ☚}
Petite

{β˜› β“Œβ’Ίβ’Ύβ’Όβ’½β“‰ ☚}
Lolibod

{β˜› Ⓗ⒢ⒾⓇ ⒸⓄⓁⓄⓇ ☚}
Her hair is a rich, milk chocolate brown, cut short so it falls just beneath her ears.

{β˜› β’Ίβ“Žβ’Ί ⒸⓄⓁⓄⓇ ☚}
An iridescent, unearthly pink.

{β˜› β’·β“„β’Ήβ“Ž β“‚β’Άβ“‡β“€β’Ύβ“ƒβ’Όβ“ˆ ☚}
Her ears are pierced and she'll typically wear little gummy bear earrings that come in different colors to match her mood. She also has a very large scar on her back from an accident when she was really young.


{β˜› ⒼⒺⓃⒺⓇ⒢Ⓛ β’Άβ“…β“…β’Ίβ’Άβ“‡β’Άβ“ƒβ’Έβ’Ίβ˜š }

Cress has never thought of herself as feminine, as a child she was always playing in the mud, dancing in the rain, doing things that other girls typically did not do. Cress had no interest in dolls and tea parties, she wanted to be an explorer, someone who mapped the earth and charted the stars. Her hair used to be long and always messy, in pigtails that her mother would do for her every morning, or a simple elegant braid. Cress grew tired of long locks and so, spontaneously she cut her hair so that it now falls just below her ears. She believes that the style suits her more and it's easier to maintain.

As far as clothing go, they have to be something Cress can move around in and get dirty. She usually prefers a shirt and coveralls as they have pockets for her things. She's always believed in ruffing it, but carries around her phone in case of emergencies. It was Cress's father that gave her a love of adventure, being a nature photographer. Cress also uses her phone to document her trek, believing in the beauty of stillness and the sign of unturned soil. She mostly always wears her hiking boots, they're good for nearly everything and are incredibly comfortable. Cress's mother has been working to try to turn Cress into a suitable lady, forcing her to learn sewing and etiquette she believes she has no use for so Cress owns a couple of dresses as well.

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β™™ QUOTE β™™
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β˜› β“β’Ύβ“€β’Ίβ“ˆβ˜š

β₯ Hiking || As mentioned before, she has quite a bad case of wanderlust.
β₯ Gardening || She inherited her green thumb from her father, her garden is incredibly precious.
β₯ Drawing || She's quite good at it, surprisingly Cress has the patience to finish what she starts.
β₯ Photography || Another skill inherited by her father, her camera is her most precious possession.





❧




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❝QUOTE ❞
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β˜› β’Ήβ’Ύβ“ˆβ“β’Ύβ“€β’Ίβ“ˆβ˜š
⌦ Pain || Cress has a very low pain tolerance.
⌦ People who hurt her cousin || Ellie is more like her sister, she's very protective of her.
⌦ Dresses || Whoever thought that dresses were a good invention is quite possibly the most idiotic person Cress has never met.






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Collecting || Cress has a collecting of bits and bobbles, sort of like Ariel from the little mermaid.
Camera || Cress takes it everywhere with her, it's her most prized possession.
Thunder Storms || Cress hates them and she'll do anything to make the sound go away.


[center]❧


β˜› β“Œβ’Ίβ’Άβ“€β“ƒβ’Ίβ“ˆβ“ˆβ’Ίβ“ˆ ☚
⌦ Clamor || Cress has a condition called synethesia, meaning she can taste sounds and hear colors. She is very easily overloaded.
⌦ Hallucination || Sometimes when Cress hears thunder she loses herself.
⌦ Will Power || Cress is incredibly stubborn.
⌦ Possessiveness || Cress is very possessive and protective of her family.


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β˜› β“ˆβ“‰β“‡β’Ίβ“ƒβ’Όβ“‰β’½β“ˆβ˜š
β₯ Lower body || Cress is a runner, she likes to clear her mind
β₯ Climbing || Cress's big brothers taught her how to climb and she still does it when she can.
β₯ Improvising || Ever meet someone who can use fishing wire to fix glasses? That's Cress for you.
β₯ Lying || Cress prefers to call it acting.


❧


β˜› β’»β’Ίβ’Άβ“‡β“ˆβ˜š
Here comes the thunder || Cress has a terrible fear of thunder storms.
Loss || There is only so much one can lose. Cress keeps her family close for this reason.
Her voice || Cress values her voice, she was very close to losing it.

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{β˜› β“…β’Ίβ“‡β“ˆβ“„β“ƒβ’Άβ“β’Ύβ“‰β“Žβ˜š}
When all of your flaws and all of my flaws
Are laid out one by one
The wonderful part of the mess that we made
We pick ourselves undone

All of your flaws and all of my flaws
They lie there hand in hand
Ones we've inherited, ones that we learned
They pass from man to man

There's a hole in my soul
I can't fill it, I can't fill it
There's a hole in my soul
Can you fill it? Can you fill it?

You have always worn your flaws upon your sleeve
And I have always buried them deep beneath the ground
Dig them up; let's finish what we've started
Dig them up, so nothing's left untouched.

All of your flaws and all of my flaws,
When they have been exhumed
We'll see that we need them to be who we are
Without them we'd be doomed

There's a hole in my soul
I can't fill it, I can't fill it
There's a hole in my soul
Can you fill it? Can you fill it?




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❝QUOTE ❞
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{β˜› ⓅⓁ⒢ⒸⒺ β“„β’» ⓄⓇⒾⒼⒾⓃ ☚}
Sierra Nevada, California, USA

{β˜› β’»β’Άβ“‚β’Ύβ“β“Ž ☚}
Louise Winter || 45 || Mother || Alive
Marcus Winter || 48 || Father || Deceased
Fey Winter || 21 || Big Brother || Alive
Damian Winter || 21 || Big Brother || Alive
Ellen Winter || 16 || Cousin || Alive

{β˜› β’½β’Ύβ“ˆβ“‰β“„β“‡β“Ž ☚}

Cress was born on a boat in the middle of the ocean. Her father was a nature photographer, her mother his number one fan and biggest supporter. They both worked for the same magazine, one photographing, the other writing. They were a great team and an even greater couple. Cress grew up with two loving parents who encouraged her curiosity, enabled her to explore and parade around their backyard. They had a lovely home in New York, where they edited and published their explorations.

Then one day, when Cress was eight years old, she and her father went out to explore. They were driving upstate where the big park was, her father planning to take Cress on a three night camping adventure with just the two of them. They left later than planned and it was raining. Cress was babbling on, describing everything she hoped to see and encounter. She wanted to pet a bear, wrestle a mountain lion, and made fierce descriptions and sounds as she imagined grappling with it. She was going to become Cress the nature girl, the most famous explorer in all the world! Or at least, that was her plan until her Dad's laughing stopped. He started coughing, the car swerving. Cress jumped into the passenger side seat, trying to find out what was wrong when the car dipped off the road and down a ravine, rolling down to the bottom. Cress hit her head upon impact, body flying through the windshield and she landed in the bushes while the car continued down, sinking into a lake, her father still inside.

For days she walked around, her mind muddled from the concussion. Cress had walked nearly two hundred miles from the initial accident spot and so when the search and rescue team found her she was at the top of a mountain, bloodied footprints leading them right to her. Cress was in a coma after that for nearly six months. When she woke up her Mother stole her away to California to get her away from the city hustle and bustle, able to mourn her husband in peace near the national forest they had first worked together in. They moved in with her Auntie who had lost her husband to a heart attack.

Cress's family became overly protective of her as she recovered, starting at a new school, a new shot at life. She was still young and didn't understand there that she nearly didn't make it, that she had been on life support for three of those months with her mother in tears and brothers unable to do anything but blame themselves for not being there, for having been away at boarding school. When Cress returned to the world she was down one father but had gained a cousin, an ally who was exactly her age.

The two were quick friends and Cress taught Ellie everything her father had taught her about nature and gardening, she had never expected that her cousin would be a lunar princess from a far away planet.

{β˜› ⓄⓉⒽⒺⓇ ☚}
Cress has a rather large scar on her back from the accident and a few smaller ones from where glass cut her.






β’Έβ“„β“…β“Žβ“‡β’Ύβ’Όβ’½β“‰: ⓉⒽⒺ_β“†β“Šβ’Ίβ’Ίβ“ƒ



So begins...

Cress Winter's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

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❝Let your soul take you where you long to be.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #CD5C5C β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #C5E3BF】

|| Flaws || Bastille ||




Cress recognized that glint in Aya's eyes, a bit of sadness, a bout of loneliness. Her expression became serious and she took Aya's hands in her own. "Aya," Cress whispered, serious. These words were for Aya's ears only of course, if anyone else heard the conversation the jig would be up and Cress would probably have to get another makeover. "Just because I look different doesn't mean I'm not Cress." She took Aya's hand and placed it over her own heart. "I'm still the same on the inside, I always will be." Shouldn't Aya's medical textbooks teach her that? For all those fancy pages there still seemed to be a lot of useless information. Cress cracked a grin, "Shouldn't all those heavy books tell you that?"

They didn't have a mission though, which meant there was plenty of time to goof around. One still had to have fun, even in a war; it was essential for the mental sake of everyone involved. "Hey Mistress," Cress giggled, "We should go to one of those fun bakeries and get some cute desserts for everyone for after dinner." Cress winked and got on the bike behind Aya. She hugged Aya's waist, not bothering with the helmet since they were only going a short distance. She got off the bike, shaking out her ears and putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm no techno genius either Aya, you can at least pick through some stuff and see if you can find anything Nio or Shiro might like." Just as Cress said, she caught sight of something pretty glistening underneath something else. She knelt down, digging through the metal with her gardening gloves and picking it up. "See?" Cress grinned, putting it in Aya's hands. It was a pendant, a sparkling silver chain glittering with diamonds centered around a deep blue stone. "I guess this is where the Hope Diamond disappeared to." Cress murmured and went back to digging. She needed something that would remind Ellie that it was still okay to come out, that Cress was here, waiting for her.

Cress was picking through piles, careful not to get cut on metal since she wasn't sure when her last tetanus shot was, and staying away from anything she could get pinned underneath. "Hey look at this!" Cress lifted it, it was a medical kit. She jogged back over, holding it out to Aya. "Hey, is there anything in here you could use?" Cress asked, handing it to her friend.


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❝Yes Mistress.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #FFAEB9 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #63D1F4】

|| I'm on Top of the World|| Imagine Dragons ||




Shiro was cold, why was it so cold? She didn't understand, she wanted to be warm. She tried to curl up underneath her blanket but there was no blanket. Where was her doggy? Where were the silk sheets from the castle and her pretty dresses? She was wearing a shirt, one that was too big and fell down her thin shoulders a lot. It was Heron's shirt, Shiro thought, but she didn't know. She didn't know where anything came from anymore. She was all out of sorts, wasn't there tea to make and dinner to serve? The Princess was probably mad at her for missing tea time. Archon would no doubt frown and shake his head and Shiro would feel bad for disappointing them. She had to get back, but how? Her legs didn't work, her head was spinning. There were people staring, whispering things as Shiro cried out, but none of them helped. She was shaking, but it wasn't cold.

Shiro needed to go, the Princess was going to be mad, the Queen was going to punish her. Where was the Ashia Palace? How had she ended up here? She tried to move but it hurt, it hurt a lot. Her mind was confused and she was feverish once more. She needed... What was it she needed? A blanket, yes that was it. She needed a blanket, she was so cold, her feet hurt, her legs wouldn't move. She tried to stand but ended up right back in the grass, her clean white shirt getting stained with green. Shiro whimpered, she was in pain, but she had to be a big girl. She had to hold it in even if everything hurt. She yelped, jumping, feeling an imaginary shock that her mind convinced her body was real. She curled up underneath the tree, biting back the pain to be a big girl and trying not to bleed on the carpet of grass. "Help," Shiro murmured, hands between her legs. "Help, I'm lost." people ignored her. "Do you know how to get to the Palace? Please the Queen, she's going to punish me."

She whimpered, feeling another shock and curled up against the trunk of the tree, not even the sound of the babbling stream that ran through the park was enough to calm her. "Shiro?" Someone asked and the girl looked up, expecting the Queen, expecting her to be mad. "Hey," Heron knelt down slowly, brushing a strand of blonde hair from the girl's face. Shiro flinched away, "It hurts." She whimpered, legs pressed together. "Shiro how did you get out here?" Heron asked but Shiro didn't answer. "Do you know the way back? The Queen will be mad." Heron pressed a hand to Shiro's forehead and the girl cowered beneath her touch, trying to shrink away and disappear. Heron took something from her pocket, handing it to the petite child. "Try this, it'll help." Shiro looked at what was in her hands, confused by the strange stick. "Like this," Heron took it back and unwrapped it. "You suck on it," Shiro still seemed confused. Heron gently pried the girl's mouth open, sticking the sucker in and closing it. Shiro had never seen a lollipop, she had never been allowed sweets aside from tea cakes.

Shiro seemed to calm down at least a little bit and Heron lifted her, cradling the girl like a child. "Shiro what happened to your under cloths?" Heron asked and tucked the girl into the pod. Shiro tugged down on the white shirt and Heron simply shook her head. "You can't go around showing that stuff to anyone. Just me, okay?" She winked and strapped Shiro in. Of course Heron couldn't carry all the scrap metal herself, it was heavy. She got into the other side and drove back to headquarters, chatting pleasantly along the way, although Heron knew Shiro wouldn't answer. The girl stayed quiet, sucking on the lollipop like a pacifier.

Once back, Heron carried Shiro upstairs and called for the Princess. The Princess, that's right, Shiro needed to make her tea; she was probably going to punish Shiro for being late. The Princess came and Heron dumped Shiro into her arms. Shiro had finished the lollipop by then and Heron had pulled the stick out of her mouth so she didn't choke on it right before the Princess had entered. Shiro squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for a shock, to be slapped, or sliced, or burned, but nothing came. Instead the Princess placed Shiro on the bed, tucking her back in.

So that's where her blanket had gone. Her puppy was there too; "It hurts." Shiro cried, her voice a hoarse whisper. Shiro wasn't allowed to leave again, "I-I didn't want to but she's going to be mad." Shiro shook, clinging to the part of the Princess she had grabbed onto. The Princess wanted her to help, Shiro wanted to be useful, she didn't want to outlive her use. "Y-yes," the girl stuttered, teeth chattering because she was cold.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

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❝Are the rest of you so content to stay like this when it hurts like hell?❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#4ca2b8 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #8b4cb8】

|| Secret ~Black Vow~ || Rin/Len (cover by SirHammet) ||




The girl still believed she was in Ashia Palace, didn't she? She was still convinced that the Queen still controlled them, that they were still locked in the gilded cage, right? The princess wondered how fractured Shiro's mind must be for her to be so deluded. She took Shiro's smaller hand in hers, touching it gently, softly, as if caressing it with love and affection in the way Ellen probably would have been able to do in a much more effective way if she was there. 'Ellen' Narcia tried, coaxing, knowing it wasn't going to work. 'She needs you, Ellen.' But the earthling girl still refused to come out.

"Shiro, listen to me carefully." Narcia made sure her icy eyes were trained on Shiro's shimmering cerulean, trying to make sure she got every word, though she did pull the blanket over her to try and stop the chattering teeth. "We're not in Ashia Palace anymore. We're not a Princess and Lady in waiting anymore. This is the Tower School, and we escapes from the Queen." She paused to give Shiro time to try and digest the information. "You don't even have a collar or a chip. She can't shock you now. Even though you know not what to do with it, you're free to live as you wish." Narcia wondered why she cared so much for Shiro's well being - it wasn't practical, it was almost pitiful, but she still did care, and she still wanted to help her recover.

Nee blinked her eyes and tried for a smile, hoping it reassured Shiro a little bit. "Until you figure out what it is you want, you can work with me. I'll guide you in this new freedom of yours." It would be a long, arduous process for sure, but Narcia knew she wouldn't regret her decision. Shiro deserved happiness and her cuteness was enough to break Narcia's usual coating of frost. "Wait here a moment." The princess then left the room, to Xion's office. She asked if the school had a book for beginning electrotechnology, something for Shiro to distract herself with. "I'll have Mia borrow one from the schoo library." Xion said, so Nee gave her an awkward nod and returned to Shiro's side.

"You're innocent, Shiro." Nee whispered. "You've never done anything wrong. I know it's hard, but you can believe me." The two stayed like that for a while until Mia knocked and entered the room, shyly handing the ice princess the book. It was light and full of pictures to help Shiro recognize what bits were what and what did what when connected to what. It was a little crude of a guide, but it'd do for the basics. "It may be boring, but if you read that you'll be able to help me." Narcia gestured at her hands sadly. "You can be my hands for me, if you wish."


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❝Being lonely is only fun in a group, it hurts more when it's actually true.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#30b818 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #d1ca00】

|| Hope of Morning || Icon for Hire ||




Cress's voice was sharp and serious and she took her hands into a friendship hold. The girl blushed a little and she wasn't sure why she did but it happened but she didn't really mind it either. Her voice was quiet so no one could hear it but Aya felt as if the words were aimed at her very own soul. Even if she looked different, it was still Cress. The nurse wasn't really surprised Cress saw through her act - Cress knew her better than anyone did, after all. "Aya's sorry." She muttered, looking down, frowning a little, fidgeting a little. "I didn't - I know you're still Cress, Aya knows, it's obvious. But... it's still sad." Aya rolled back the sleeve of her jacket to show the scars that went all around her wrists, not to mention the scars on her special spot. "I still have reminders of what he did to me, and your reminders are much worse. It hurts a little, to remember." These two girls were hurt badly by that man, by that horrible monster of a man and it was yet another way they were bonded together as friends. "I don't have the psych books yet. Corren thinks it's smarter to learn to save lives first."

Bakeries sounded fun, sweet food sounded great and Aya had quite a salary from her job running transport. She flashed the coins with a grin, clinking them together, enjoying the sound. She was already craving an angel cake."Mistress Aya is so adult and mature! I have a job! You should be thankful to serve me, silly rabbit!" In a quieter voice after putting the coins away, the girl grinned. "After we get a few things for Nee."

The junkyard was like a symbol of fate. It was where the two met, where Aya's fate and Cress's fate changed for good, and hopefully for the better. It was a little odd being back here, but it was a nice kind of weird. That first day, when Aya met the fiery girl, she had no idea how important Cress was going to become in her life. Did maybe Aya matter a lot for Cress as well? It'd be nice if so but Aya knew that Cress's number one would always be Ellie above all else. It didn't make her sad, that wasn't quite the right word, but the blonde rebel didn't know what word to use to describe that. She put her book down, folding the page to mark where she left off and dug through a few piles, not finding anything very useful.

Then Cress gave her a diamond thing, very pretty and nice. "This is cool!" Aya exclaimed, staring at it shining, glistening in the sunlight. See? There were always treasures to find in the scrapyards and Cress was the brightest treasure of them all. When Cress showed her the medical kit, Aya took it into her hands, looking through it. A lot of the stuff were broken up but the extra roll of gauze couldn't do any harm after she cleaned it up and sterilized it. She also took the disinfectant swabs and a salvaged a few broken bits of tech that Nee might be able to use.

"Thanks, this should help a bit!" The nurse smiled, putting it back. With that said and done, Aya figured it was time to return to Xion, so she patted the bike as usual. "Xion might want a report, probably shouldn't keep her waiting." So they flew back to the Tower Tier, leaving the Rubbles behind for the time being, and Aya veneered herself to the safehouse. It looked almost peaceful, but Aya knew it wouldn't last. One civilian was walking and the girl's heart stopped. It was Itward, right? It was Itward, it had to be! Aya abruptly stopped the bike - Cress's head bonking her back and hitting a bruise, which made her hiss a little - clutching at her chest, trying to quell the panic. It wasn't Itward, just someone who looked the same from the back. "Ah, sorry. It's nothing."

It was almost a relief to be back in Xion's office, giving the report of the day so far, then she stood, knowing she couldn't hold it any more for now. "I have to pee." The girl announced quietly and stepped out of the room, feeling like a ninja. She wasn't excited for this at all, but she got a little used to it. Only Cress knew, but hopefully she wouldn't worry.


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Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Let your soul take you where you long to be.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #CD5C5C β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #C5E3BF】

|| Flaws || Bastille ||




Cress grinned, Aya had money, she had a job. "Be gentle with me Mistress," she joked, feeling a trickle of fear when Aya called her a silly rabbit. She gave away nothing though, her smile remaining silly. Itward called her a silly rabbit, he called her that while ramming into her body, while pulling on her ears. No, Cress wasn't going to think of that because Itward was in prison now. Cress decided she was going to tell everyone over dinner, to give them something that they could truly celebrate. Maybe she would ask Nio if the girl knew how to bake cakes. Surely she did, she had made that delicious cake that Itward had forced fed her that had been laced with drugs. Or maybe it had simply tasted delicious because of the drugs, Cress wasn't sure.

She was glad Aya liked the necklace, the girl happily held it up, although Cress knew she had no use for it. "It looks valuable, maybe we can sell it and trade the money for more sweets." She said helpfully, hands on hips. "Or we can get Nio ingredients to bake us some." Cress Cress suggested with a smile. She was glad that Aya liked the medical kit too, there was plenty of stuff in there for the blonde nurse to use. "Maybe one day, when we don't need to be rebels, you can work in a real hospital." Were Ouranian bodies different than humans? If so, if Cress got into an accident, would Aya not know how to treat it? The thought almost made her nervous, but she trusted Aya. Surely they couldn't be that different, although nature sometimes worked in very strange ways.

"No problem," Cress gave the blonde a thumbs up. It was after lunch already and her stomach growled, eating one cookie wasn't enough, but Cress had nibbled on a few things at the garden. Almost like a real rabbit and she had expected to be teased only to discover no one knew what a real rabbit would eat and then she had become terribly sad. Rabbits, or at least, earthen ones, were adorable poof balls of joy that had some of the softest fur in the world. The chinchilla held first place, but rabbits came pretty close. She liked to think of herself as fluffy, perhaps to compensate for the lack of any real action in the chest area. Those awful balloons had made her mounds large, but Cress never wanted anything like that again.

She sat on the back of Aya's bike, head hitting into Aya's when the petite girl stopped short. "What was that for?" Cress asked, then heard Aya mumble an apology and Cress realized she should probably tell her now. "Aya, Itward was arrested."


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❝Yes Mistress.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #FFAEB9 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #63D1F4】

|| I'm on Top of the World|| Imagine Dragons ||




Shiro listened carefully, the Princess's word was law after all, but then, why would she lie? Shiro didn't know, but, but she had to listen otherwise bad things would happen. They would take her back to that room again, the metal would dig into her skin, they would ask her questions that didn't make sense, that Shiro didn't have the answer to. No, she had to listen, she had to. Shiro looked up as the Princess tucked the blanket around her and the shivering lessened. The illness would only get worse if it went untreated, the fever would rise and the hallucinations would get worse until Shiro couldn't breathe anymore and her lungs would fill with blood, slowly drowning her. Most in the sanitary tier with the illness didn't make it past the age of two and if they had medicine, which was rare, they could live a normal life. The longer Shiro stayed away from the castle, the worse it would become.

"Escaped...?" Shiro asked as though she didn't really understand. No, no one escaped the Queen; she had tried once and the Queen had taken her eyes for a few days until Shiro got back in line. Now she took one again and she would come back for the other, Shiro was sure of it. That was why she couldn't trust anyone, because they would come and take her eye and make her blind again. Even if the other one was healing, she didn't want to lose both. No, she could hardly stand having no depth perception. Shiro felt fear clutch her heart, "No, she'll come again she'l hurt us again. She always does, she always does it, she always-" she broke down in tears, in hysterics as she sobbed. "She-she'll h-hurt you t-too," Shiro sobbed, inconsolable. She tried to calm the swell of tears but it was hard, hard to think, hard to breathe.

"F-free?" Shiro stuttered. She didn't understand; what was freedom? She had never had the freedom to do anything. What she read, how she dressed, how she sung, it was all controlled by minute details; strings being tugged by the Queen in a dance that no one else could predict. No, there was no freedom, not in this life, not for her. Shiro coughed and she was shaking again, she tried to make the cold go away by curling up underneath the blanket but it was still too cold. The Princess left and the room grew even colder without her warmth. When she came back, she spoke soothing words, saying Shiro was an innocent. "I-I'll try," Shiro's teeth chattered when she tried to speak.

It was silent for only a moment until Mia came in and Shiro broke down all over again. "No, no. Don't take me back there," she begged until Mia handed what she had come for to the Princess and then left again. Once she was gone Shiro felt much more at ease. "I-I want to help," Shiro said, clutching the book closely. "I want to be useful." Xion gave a slight knock on the door, beckoning the Princess into the hallway, her expression was grim. She explained what was happening to Shiro's body, that there was no cure. "Medicine can keep it back, but we can't get our hands on any."

The other option was a double lung transplant, but they weren't set up for such a complex procedure, it would be far too risky. "The most we can do is keep her comfortable until she passes," Xion said sadly, taking something out of her pocket. "Heron told me she seemed to like sucking on the lollipop and she liked the bottle too, so I thought maybe a pacifier would help." Behind them, Shiro was trying to read but it was painfully obvious that it was far too confusing for her simple mind to understand.

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Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Are the rest of you so content to stay like this when it hurts like hell?❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#4ca2b8 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #8b4cb8】

|| Secret ~Black Vow~ || Rin/Len (cover by SirHammet) ||




Narcia tried to be kind, tried to help but it seemed none of her attempts of soothing words and encouraging thoughts seemed to help, Shiro had another mental breakdown, crying and whimpering in hysterics, clearly losing to the symptoms of her illness. The princess stared at her hands, her useless hands that failed to protect anything. She lost Aine due to inaction and it seemed Shiro would be the next one, wouldn't she? "I don't mind getting hurt." Narcia said honestly. If she did, it was fate, wasn't it? It was simply how it was meant to be. Was it foolish to have tried to fight? But - but she promised Aine to finish the job for her, didn't she? Narcia wasn't sure what to make of this, but seeing Shiro like this was certainly not good.

Shiro didn't seem to understand freedom, but that was no surprise. She wanted to be useful, she wanted to help, to be able to contribute and perhaps that was the beginnings of understanding. Shiro had her own desires, her wishes - and that was the key to trying to unlock her, wasn't it? It'd be nice if it worked as easily as that. Narcia shook the idea out of her head for now - she knew it was going to be long and difficult if they wanted to save Shiro. "Once you get well, you can be very useful." Narcia said, delivering a light kiss to the cheek, harmless but affectionate all the same.

And then Xion's news came and that more or less ruined every plan the princess really had. Of course, as tumultuous as the inside of Narcia's head was at these news, she couldn't show it, she didn't know how to show it, and she wasn't sure she even wanted to show it. "I see." Narcia said icily, bottling up everything as she usually did, taking the pacifier gratefully. "Thank you for informing me, Xion. I'll consider what to do, for Shiro's sake."

She failed to save Aine in the past and it lead directly to this. How would she deal with this? What was the correct course of action? Perhaps it was a bad thing, but the first idea was surrendering to the Queen in exchange for the medicine to help Shiro temporarily, but that meant having to leave Shiro behind and she'd most likely break from that. Narcia returned to her friend's side and lay next to her, helping her read through the book in as simple terms as she could. Perhaps surrender wasn't the only option. Archon, her tutor, definitely seemed as if he wanted to help back then, and she knew he was big on medicine and the like. Perhaps he could supply a safe place for the lungs. Maybe Narcia herself could create the lungs, though it'd require pushing back the rest of the stuff for the time being. She wouldn't fail again, she wouldn't have another person to regret being unable to save. "Shiro, you're a precious friend, whatever happens." The Princess said softly, discarding her ice for only this one person.


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❝Being lonely is only fun in a group, it hurts more when it's actually true.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#30b818 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #d1ca00】

|| Hope of Morning || Icon for Hire ||




Aya glanced at the beautiful necklace. She wasn't exactly good with money, so she had no idea how it might be valued, but she had an idea it was a luxurious item. How the heck had it ended up in the scrapyard anyways? That was silly, wasn't it, why would anyone just toss it out like that? The Aya of before would have mindlessly accepted it for what it was but she was a little cynical. What if it was a plant, what if someone had a tracker on it? She felt uneasy just touching it. "Let's sell it before we get back to base." The blonde rebel said quietly. She tilted her head a little. "Supplies would be more useful than sweets, though..." The girl murmured, thinking to herself. "Or maybe weapon scraps for Nee?"

The nurse wasn't sure how she felt about working in a real hospital. Sure, it had good things, and it meant she had more access to stuff, and she got to know her patients for a long time, but the girl also liked being able to travel as she pleased and help whoever she liked, regardless of charge. A wandering free health care thing! That was cool, right? It was nice to think about the future but sadly Aya knew she had to try to be a little realistic. She had to concentrate on the present if she ever wanted to see a future. "It'll be nice to have more options!" The girl chirped brightly, deciding to think about it later once there was peace.

Itward was arrested? That was - that was - was it really good news? "Oh, that's a relief." Aya grinned easily, but it didn't do anything to quell her heart's rapid thumps. No, if he was arrested it meant he was alive, it meant the Queen still had a use for him, it meant he might be used against them again. He was no doubt being hurt but Aya had a feeling the evil pig Queen would throw a rebel to him as a gift in exchange for his loyalty. Someone like him, would he accept it? Probably, right? But Cress said it like it was a good thing so Aya felt she had to agree with her because at least for now, the man wouldn't be a threat. For now.

Once Aya was done peeing she decided she wanted to check on Shiro - only to find the girl cuddled with the Princess. Aya smiled at the two and snuck out but to her surprise Nee locked eyes with her and it made Aya freeze on the spot again, just like at the garden when she was pretending to be Aine and was caught in the trap. Nee beckoned to her and told her about Shiro, all about Shiro and it hurt Aya's heart to think about.

"Aya will think of something." She said, full of determination. The girl then left - forgetting about lunch in her anxiety - and hopped back on her bike. She'd return to the Untouchable Tier - and yup, she still had her ID on her - and she'd ask Corren for help. Lung transplant, that was the solution, right? Nee could make lungs but implanting them would be the difficult part. She needed someone with more experience, someone like her teacher.


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Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Let your soul take you where you long to be.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #CD5C5C β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #C5E3BF】

|| Flaws || Bastille ||




Yeah, it would probably be best to get rid of it. It's true it could've been a plant, or something that a servant discarded on accident. She winced, thinking of the punishment the servant who had done that would probably receive. Oh well, it was best not to think about that. "Maybe we should return it to the owner, I mean, some poor servant is probably getting their butt handed to them for losing it. Is there a lost and found we can put it in? Or does anything that falls down here stays down here?" It could've been costume jewelry too, meaning that it would be worth virtually nothing but still, it could've been a beloved piece.

"Yeah," her hands tightened into fists, that man deserved the worst sort of punishment. "I hope the Queen castrates him," she sighed through grit teeth, then slowly, relaxed. Cress took her helmet off and ruffled Aya's hair. "There's no need to worry about him though, I won't let anyone hurt you again. We're partners after all, what kind of partner would I be if I let you get hurt?" Cress went inside, hands inside of the pockets of her leather jacket. Aya went upstairs and Cress went to grab something to nibble on in the kitchen. "Hey Nio," Cress said with a smile. "Care to help me find a snack?" The girl went into the fridge, Cress had an odd sense that Nio was weirdly protective of the kitchen.

She brought out a plate of carrots and Cress wrinkled her nose. "Oh very funny." She ruffled Nio's hair, managing to get a tiny smile out of the girl. "Do we at least have any peanut butter?" Nio brought some out and Cress dipped the carrots in peanut butter, munching on them while she flipped through one of the holo panels that lit up. She was about to read the day's headlines when Aya went running outside. Cress looked down at her plate, there was one carrot left. "Thanks Nio," Cress put her dish in the sink. "I'll wash it when I get back," she stood, putting on her boots as she ran down the staircase. "Hey partner, where you running of to?" Cress asked, seeing the girl on her bike. "Another mission?" Cress hadn't heard anything from Xion about it, which was unusual.


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❝Yes Mistress.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #FFAEB9 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #63D1F4】

|| I'm on Top of the World|| Imagine Dragons ||




Shiro seemed to relax a bit with the pacifier, it helped her focus on something and kept her mind from scrolling back to those thoughts. The Princess beside her was helpful too, she was warm even though her eyes were ice. It was probably because Shiro was taught to trust only her Mistress and she did, she trusted the Princess. Her word was law, like a guiding God that told her what needed to be done and gave her jobs to fulfill. It was nice doing a good job, being a good girl. She liked being praised, knowing she had fulfilled her job and wasn't going to be punished, yes that was good. Shiro was a good girl after all, she was a big girl, so there was no need to worry. Now if only she could make this cold sensation go away, her body couldn't decide whether it was far too hot or if she was freezing cold, but Shiro decided to stay bundled up underneath the blanket, beside the Princess who was reading a book to her and explaining everything.

With the Princess's guidance everything made a lot more sense. Shiro was absorbing the information, when something didn't make sense she would point to it on the page. The Princess was a great teacher, she was patient, carefully explaining terms that normally didn't make any sense. Yes, like this was perfect, her mind wasn't reeling over and over about things she had no control over. Shiro had some semblance of control, she didn't shake as much and with the suckling of the pacifier she didn't stutter out words that made no sense. Then Aya came in and it all spiraled downwards once more.

The safety she had felt previously was pushed away, the pacifier fell from her mouth and she instantly pushed herself into the corner, pulling the blanket around her. "N-no, no! Please, I can't go back. They-they'll hurt me again, please. I'm a good girl, I've been a good girl. No more punishments, please-" she murmured to herself, hugging her knees, rocking. "I'm a good girl, don't take me back, I-I need this eye." When Aya left she seemed to calm a bit and with the pacifier she managed to settle down once more. She looked up at the Prince with wide blue eyes and took the pacifier out of her mouth. "Am I going to die?" She asked quietly, seemingly present enough to have overheard the conversation. "I don't want to die, not yet. There's, there's things I want to do."

"No, I don't want to die." Her mind seemed to focus on that and she was shaking once more. "I want to do things, I don't want to die. I'm a good girl, so why? Why do I keep getting punished? Please, no more. I need this eye." She reached for the pacifier once more, needing the simple action, needing the pain to go away.

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Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Are the rest of you so content to stay like this when it hurts like hell?❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#4ca2b8 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #8b4cb8】

|| Secret ~Black Vow~ || Rin/Len (cover by SirHammet) ||




There was peace, though it only lasted for a short while. Shiro made for a good student and Narcia enjoyed teaching her, addressing spots Shiro pointed out for further and easier explanation, praising the girl when she understood something, letting her know she was doing well, sick as she was. Shiro seemed to be able to understand after Narcia simplified everything, the two girls together under the blanket with a book between them, joining their minds. Or at least, helping Shiro connect her mind to Nee's, helping her understand and get it. It was as if the rest of the world didn't exist, as if it was just the two of them at peace. It as good for Narcia as well, gave her time to just relax and enjoy Shiro's company without having to worry about anything.

But it didn't last and Shiro's hysterics began again as Narcia explained Shiro's condition to the resident nurse. There was a peculiar light in the nurse's eyes as she smiled and walked off but the princess didn't have time to think about that. Aya wasn't her concern, she had to take care of Shiro. The girl was pleading and rocking, huddled in a corner so Narcia returned to her side, trying to envelop the girl in her body heat and blanket again. "You're a good girl, no one will take your eye. I won't let it, not again." She said softly, quietly, coddling the girl in a way she never would for anyone else. "You won't have to go back there." And then Shiro said something that she princess wasn't prepared for.

Was she going to die? She didn't want to die yet, even like this she still wanted to live. Narcia bent over Shiro's head, voice a low whisper. "You won't die. I won't let you. I need you with me, Shiro, I need you at my side." She held Shiro to her, book in her other hand for them both. "You won't die. We still have a lot of fun things to do together, Shiro. You're a good girl, we'll fix you, so don't be afraid."

Narcia placed the pacifier in Shiro's hands so she could suck on it with her own power. She would work on the lungs to replace Shiro's once she could, but there was still the problem of being recognized out in public. Disguises, augments, all of that would likely have to happen if they wanted to move undetected.

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❝Being lonely is only fun in a group, it hurts more when it's actually true.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#30b818 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #d1ca00】

|| Hope of Morning || Icon for Hire ||




The idea of a servant being punished for losing the nice necklace wasn't a happy one at all. Aya shook her head, hoping that that wasn't true, that someone wasn't being hurt for losing the diamond necklace. She left it in the Tower District but hidden away so she could retrieve it again later - for selling or for otherwise. She didn't trust it, she knew it'd be too easy if it was just a necklace to be sold. Returning it to the owner would be good if there was a way to know, but it wasn't as if there was a lost in found for the rich pigs. None of them would ever admit to losing something, they had far too much pride to show weakness such as that.

As Aya was about to head off to find Corren and plead for his help, Cress came and found her, asking if there was another mission. The garage door was still shut so it was still private, no one could overhear what they were talking about so it was fine. The nurse had a troubled little expression. "Shiro." She explained Shiro's symptoms and knew that they had to go get help, get Shiro and Narcia stationed somewhere with better health care, even if it was dangerous. Aya had a serious face that probably looked a little strange on her as she spoke. "We can't let her die. She deserves to live and see freedom too." She turned to glance at Cress, knowing the girl would want to join her for this little self-appointed mission.

The first stop was to get the necklace and Aya then strolled into a Tower Tier pawn shop, getting a decent amount of money for it that she wasn't sure was the full value, but the girl was too focused on worrying about Shiro to really try haggling for a better price. "Enough to get another pack of morphine vials." The nurse muttered under her breath. Once that was done, she went back to the checkpoint that lead to the Untouchable Tier, waving her ID at the scanners yet again to pass through. She wore it around her neck all the time now, it made Aya feel more grown up, more adult.

"We're partners." Aya whispered once they were back in the alleys and secret paths. "Aya won't let you get hurt, either. Not again." She was stronger than she was when Itward hurt her, she was more grown up now. Now, Aya knew that if she had to, she'd be able to protect Cress if need be. The Archon gun in her bag was more than enough proof of that.

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Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Let your soul take you where you long to be.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #CD5C5C β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #C5E3BF】

|| Flaws || Bastille ||




Cress listened closely, her expression becoming grim. "There's an illness like that on earth," she explained quietly. "It's called Cystic Fibrosis. There's a treatment for it that helps in the meantime, although I'm not sure if it'd be the same." Cress scratched behind her ears, but it really wasn't the same as someone else doing it. "They use this vest, it vibrates and it keeps all the liquid down to ensure you don't drown in mucus." Cress would send a note later to Narcia. If it were Ellie she would've known, if it were Ellie, she would have already been building the vest, frantically trying to save her friend. Instead they had Narcia, calm, collected, cold as ice to everyone except her precious metal inventions.

"No, we won't let her die. She's our comrade now too, so we've gotta protect her as well." Cress clapped Aya on the back. "I'm coming with you." She grabbed the spare helmet from the disconnected sidecar and hopped on behind Aya, hanging on tight to the girl's waist as she drove out of the garage and away. She hoped the others didn't know, it wouldn't be nice to scare Heron and Nio like that. Cress had a sense that if Shiro could ever be recovered and Nio was ever released from her binds of delusional, the two girls would be good friends. Cress could only hope that the two would make a full recovery and be happily chatting in the kitchen, doing it is whatever ex servants did. Did Cress count as an ex servant? She wondered. Technically her fake ID chip was one, a servant named Lapin that belonged to Aya, the nurse. Maybe Cress should study to be a nurses assistant to make it more legitimate. Although math and science has always flown over her head.

She was good at biology though, but that was only due to the fact that plant growing had a lot of biology in it. As they drove, Cress thought and then they stopped. "Oh, gonna get money for the necklace?" She watched Aya go inside the pawn shop, staying on the bike as she waited. "Hey cute bunny, why don't you come be my servant?" Someone leered and Cress glared. He quickly skittered off, obviously frightened by her fiery red eyes. Cress sighed and shook her head, waiting for Aya to return. "Welcome back Mistress," Cress smiled, trying to subtly gesture to the group of boys hanging around on the other side. She stood, allowing Aya to get back on the bike and hugged Aya's waist, sticking her tongue out at the group and turning away.

They didn't bother scanning her in on the way through the tunnel, which Cress found somewhat odd. They had before, unless they were just too lazy to scan a mere servant. That was good for her, it was less risky and gave them less a chance to be recognized, especially if they realized she had a false ID chip embedded inside the watch rather than underneath her skin. She leaned her cheek on Aya's back, feeling of the vibrations of Aya's chest as she spoke and closing her eyes for only a moment while they zipped through the back ways to Archon Corren's home. She hoped that he would be willing to help. Poor Ellie would no doubt be devastated if she woke up and found her little servant had died.


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❝Yes Mistress.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #FFAEB9 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #63D1F4】

|| I'm on Top of the World|| Imagine Dragons ||




No one was going to take her eye, Nee wouldn't let them. Yes, Nee would protect her. Even if it hurt now, Nee would make it go away wouldn't she? She promised. So Shiro settled down, resting her head in Nee's lap so that the Princess could play with her hair if she wanted to. "No more castle..." she whispered, chest tight just at the mention of Ashia Palace. No, she wouldn't have to go back there. She would never have to go back to Ashia Palace. The Queen wouldn't let her escape though, Shiro would never be free, not as long as the Queen could hunt her down and drag her back. Shiro looked down at the book, she wanted to read many more. She wanted to be of use to everyone and like this she would bring nothing but trouble. Trouble led to punishment and punishment led to- no she couldn't think about that. No, the Princess wouldn't like it. She said she wouldn't let that happen though so Shiro had to listen. She had to.

"I-I want to be at your side," Shiro said, her thought incoherent once more. She needed some semblance of organization. Shiro used to have a strict schedule but now she wallowed away the hours sitting in the corner, trying to convince herself she was safe. Maybe having a schedule once more would help her, would give Shiro some sort of normalcy. "I don't, I don't want to die. Please, I want to stay with you." She wanted to travel, she wanted to try things she was never allowed to do, wear clothes she hadn't been allowed to wear. "Yes, I want t-to do f-fun things w-with you too Princess."

Shiro took the pacifier gracefully, sucking on it once more. She hugged her stuffed dog, snuggling underneath the blanket with her head in the Princess's lap. As the Princess read, she slowly fell asleep, her fever rising once more.

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Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Are the rest of you so content to stay like this when it hurts like hell?❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#4ca2b8 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #8b4cb8】

|| Secret ~Black Vow~ || Rin/Len (cover by SirHammet) ||




"No more castle." Narcia agreed, feeling chills - uncomfortable ones - just thinking about going back there. As much as the girl convinced herself otherwise, the loss of her hands was definitely something she didn't enjoy. It was going to be difficult to get over the fact that her mother had her hands taken away, that her mother did these horrible things. Up in the palace it was easy to pretend it wasn't as bad as it was and simply say that everything was destiny, that everything was as it should be. Now that she was here in the thick of everything, living with victims of the nobles and being a victim herself, things were different. She couldn't hide behind the word fate anymore. Cold as she was, Narcia was afraid of being put back in the palace and be made back into a person who could watch someone's suffering and ignore it, or even say they deserved it for being born in the wrong tier.

Shiro wanted to be at her side, she didn't want to die. Narcia allowed warmth to creep onto her usual expressionless face and she cradled and played with Shiro's golden locks, loving every moment spent with her. "You'll live. We'll save you, Shiro, and then we'll have so many fun things to do together." And then Nee said something that she wasn't sure she really believed until she said it and it made sense; that it was something she believed earnestly, even if it was uncharacteristic of her. "I won't be happy unless we can see freedom together one day."

Yeah. Even if they beat the Queen and fixed Ourania once and for all, it still wouldn't be victory without Shiro there with them. So they read the book and the treasured girl eventually fell asleep. Narcia read aloud a little more to help lull the girl into a deeper sleep, then she exited the room to start working up design plans for the artificial lungs. But it seemed Heron decided she wanted to talk so she followed Nee down and sat on a swivel chair behind her as the princess drew up blueprints.

"What do you want?" Narcia asked, trying to sound gentle but failing. The knight's hair swayed as the chair spun on the spun but she knight didn't seem as if she was having much fun at all. "Nio's still missing Itward." She admitted painfully. The workshop was small - if it was bigger, if there was more space the Princess had no illusions that Heron wouldn't be twirling her spear in every direction right about now. "I don't get it, Nee. Itward was horrible to her, she still won't talk to anyone, she won't use her voice at all."

"It's Stockholm Syndrome." Nee said, diving into some of Ellen's memories. The psychological issue had a different term on Ourania but it translated over due to the nanobots in the air everyone was required to breathe in and the knight nodded in frustration and understanding. "I know that, but like, still! She wanted to fix him, she wanted to make the family like it used to be before dad died and our big sisters were married off." The knight sighed heavily. "So, how's Shiro? You better take care of her, Nee. I feel like you're more dependent on her than she is on you."

Nee nodded. "I am." She said honestly as she drew and sketched and worked. It was kind of nice, the two childhood friends sitting together as they both worried for their little ones.




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❝Being lonely is only fun in a group, it hurts more when it's actually true.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#30b818 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #d1ca00】

|| Hope of Morning || Icon for Hire ||




Cystic Fibrosis? Aya never heard the term before - or at least, the translated version of the term in the Ouranian language. "It was never in the books Corren gave me." The girl admitted with a sad shrug. Sad for her lack of knowledge, sad that the illness was almost undocumented and unknown to the public, sad that almost no one seemed to care about the Sanitary Tier. The girl explained that Shiro's condition only seemed to happen in children from that tier with a grim frown on her face - the happy cheerful girl nowhere to be seen. "Cress, we should ask Xion if we can help make the Sanitary Tier better too. They have it worse than us Rubbles." Yeah, she still considered Cress to be a Rubble, because that was where she found her. It was nice to think of it like that. "Cress, if you tell Nee about the vest, I'm sure she'd make one! We can't let Shiro die, she's one of us!"

When Aya had to more or less shoo the boys away by driving she sent Cress a little flirty wink. "Mistress Aya says no flirting with the boys! You're all mine, Cress!" She giggled light heartedly but deep down Aya was jealous and she wasn't sure why. They were just partners, it shouldn't have mattered, but it did and that was silly and dumb. Even though Cress's head nestled against Daddy's bruise on her back it felt nice for the fiery girl to have her arms wrapped around the blonde rebel's waist. It was almost like a hug, and if there was anything this nurse liked, it as hugs. And cookies, too! And friends, friends was the most important.

Corren clearly didn't expect them to be back at his place but he ushered them in as usual. Aya wasted no time in explaining Shiro's condition, in begging and begging for him to help, for him to take Shiro and Nee in while he worked on fixing Shiro and letting her recover. From the scholar's eyes, it was clear he understood the urgency of the problem but there was something else as well.

"It's dangerous up here." He said finally, presenting more cookies for both girls to enjoy. "All the noble families are frightened by the Queen. She has routine inspections of all the houses now." He glanced at Cress's augments, as if getting an idea but he didn't mention anything about it. "I suggest helping her get comfortable and giving the girl palliative car-" "No! No! Aya won't, Aya won't let a friend die!" The girl wasn't happy. She couldn't do it, she wouldn't do it, the idea of watching Shiro die, of watching Nee lose hope and stop caring, and then Cress being sad that her cousin won't ever come back - no , no, Aya hated it! She refused to accept it! She stared at Cress as if asking for her help in convincing the teacher to help out.


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Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Let your soul take you where you long to be.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #CD5C5C β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #C5E3BF】

|| Flaws || Bastille ||




Cress was happy when Aya said that, it made her heart flutter in a weird way, ways she didn't typically think about. She blushed and looked at the ground, but was smiling as they drove to Corren Archon's house. He looked surprised, clearly not expecting them to return after delivering all of the medical equipment. "Thank you, your generous donation has helped many improvised families." Cress said in thanks, thinking it was something a servant would do. She was sincere though and her expression was serious even if his was a bit embarrassed, having remembered their last encounter. Cress was nothing of the sort though, not even the tiniest bit flustered. She followed him into the living room where he invited them to sit down.

Cress was thinking about the vest as Aya asked him to help and Corren refused. Aya sent her a glance for help and Cress put her tea down, smoothing out her leather jacket. "Please," Cress bowed, head low, rabbit ears flopping over slightly. "Shiro is a dear friend of the Princess's, she would be devastated if her servant died." She straightened, expression filled with determination. "Are you not the Corren Archon that revived me that knight in Sir Itward's bed?" Cress had never told this to Aya, she had never told this to anyone. "If you are sir, I believe with all my heart that you are capable of fixing a little servant girl who simply needs a new pair of lungs. Excuse me for being so bold to ask you to harbor fugitives against the Queen, but the child holds information necessary that could lead to our current Ruler's demise."

"You don't need to do the surgery here, we can probably set up the equipment somewhere else, I'm sure Xion has more connections." His house was large, surely he had some space he could set up, an attic or a basement that no one would bother to check in. In the meantime, Cress would try to get Nee some schematics for the vibrating vest that would hopefully do something to keep Shiro's lungs clear. "Shiro is a dear lady in waiting of the Princess, don't you think it's in your best interest to be on the favorable aside of our next ruler?" Cress said seriously, sitting back down and picking up her teacup. "Excuse me, that was probably out of line." She took a sip from her tea, allowing Aya to take care of the rest since she was technically the master.


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❝Yes Mistress.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #FFAEB9 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #63D1F4】

|| I'm on Top of the World|| Imagine Dragons ||




"Tomorrow will be the day," the Queen said, straightening out Shiro's dress. It was brand new, freshly fitted. "Will I finally get to meet her?" Shiro asked eagerly and the Queen nodded her head. "There, no you're ready." Shiro looked at the bow in her hair, smiling. "Thank you my Queen," the woman nodded, giving Shiro a hand to step off of the stool in front of the mirror. Shiro no longer had to wear the brace, her body wouldn't mature further thanks to the Queen's manipulation. She had spent a week in the sick bay, taking some sort of medicine that hadn't reacted well in her body, but the Queen forced down her throat regardless. She had gotten new clothes though, specially fit for her tiny body.

"You know what you're mission is," the Queen stated, smoothing out her own gown. "Stay cute and small and take care of the Princess." Shiro smiled, having these tasks chiseled into her mind. "Never be taller than the Princess." The Queen nodded and guided Shiro to the table where tea was set up. Shiro served of course, since she was a servant and stood beside the Queen until the woman invited her to drink. "I'm going to be much harsher on you Shiro. No doubt my daughter will be soft from her years on earth and I will have to make up for it." Shiro nodded in understanding, smile and posture perfect. "Of course, punish me as you see fit."

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Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Are the rest of you so content to stay like this when it hurts like hell?❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#4ca2b8 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #8b4cb8】

|| Secret ~Black Vow~ || Rin/Len (cover by SirHammet) ||




It quickly became obvious that even if Narcia could start building the lungs, it'd all be for nothing without fancier equipment. She lacked a way to safely store the artificial lungs in stasis in Xion's safehouse in the Tower Tier. It'd take too long to create a stasis pod as well - assuming she even had enough materials for such a thing - she couldn't waste days of her time on it. They needed things from the Untouchable Tier, things that she couldn't access from where she was. The faster Shiro could get to her feet the better, but it wouldn't do to be hasty either.

"Things are weird up on the Untouchable Tier." Heron grunted as she swung her spear forward, then spun it around and flicked the loose whip-like half up. It spear was her most prized possession. Other than the energy charge drive, it's essentially two metal rods connected by a chain link that runs through the internal length of each rod, with one end having an arrow-shaped blade. As such it's both a polearm and a chain whip at the same time, much more versatile than a normal weapon. It's drawback was the weight, however - you'd need extensive training to be able to wield it correctly. "The nobles are afraid." The knight scowled bitterly as Narcia continued working on her schematics in a a larger room Xion set up for Heron to train in. "It's like Itward was the only one with the balls to try to fight the Queen. With him gone, no one's willing to step up."

"It's only natural." Narcia said calmly, sketching and making measurements, trying to think of how to make the lungs work. "It's easy to rally behind someone willing to be a target. But rarely will anyone want to put themselves at risk." Heron did another complicated series of movements, almost as if she were dancing with the spear, a wild gleam in her eye. "There's rumors that the Queen wants to start a war with the rest of the planet. Take over the outer cities."

It made sense. Ashia Palace was strong, much stronger than the other settlements throughout the planet. It wouldn't be that hard to try to attack - and if they simply ignored the outside world, eventually they'll turn their sights on Ashia Palace. Built on an island, it's naturally defensible... but even so, there's still a risk of war. "She'd be a fool to try that before eliminating the rebels here." The princess said icily. If the Queen did try to declare war and mobilized her armies, it'd give the rebels a perfect chance to strike from within. She would never do that, unless there was a trap.

After discussing a little more and finishing her schematics, Narcia returned to Shiro's side at the bed - with a bottle of formula and medicine to block the pain, tending to the girl as if she were a doll than a human. It was odd how the princess of ice had become so dependent on someone so small and fragile. "We will save you." She whispered but it felt more like she was trying tor reassure herself.



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❝Being lonely is only fun in a group, it hurts more when it's actually true.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#30b818 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #d1ca00】

|| Hope of Morning || Icon for Hire ||




When Cress made her plea, it helped calm Aya down a little bit. She felt more at ease knowing her friend had her back, that her friend also wanted to save Shiro. She steadied her breathing and regained her composure, trying to look like the bubbly light-hearted nurse everyone knew her as. the scholar, Corren seemed as if he was dealing with inner turmoil - fear of the Queen versus his own desire to help, if only a little bit. Still, the nurse didn't like how Cress was talking like a servant, it made her feel weird and not in a good way. Cress was her friend and most likely her superior, all things considered - so having her talk like this, so formal, it rubbed the blonde in the wrong way. Cress seemed like a free spirit, strong and resolute - burning with a fire's passion. Not some servant thing.

Aya was surprised, though. Corren was there, he saw Cress being hurt and he didn't save her? Sure, he brought her to life but still, he was a coward, wasn't he? He couldn't stand up to Itward and Aya knew he probably wouldn't be willing to stand overtly against Queen Nirana - at least for now. It made her upset and sad that her friend was so afraid, but then again, after seeing the bad things both people did, it made sense to be afraid. Aya's head spun as it tried to wrap around her thoughts. She satisfied herself by squeezing Cress's fingers in a show of silent support and 'I'll be here with you'-ness.

"I'll agree on one condition." Corren said after a pause, eyes once again flicking to Cress's rabbit ears. From the look on his face it was clear something gave in, his inner good side was showing, but he also seemed nervous and anxious as well. "The Princess and her lady need augments so that they won't be recognized. I can say that my patients are heavily contagious and shouldn't be visited if anyone tries to inspect the private medical bay." Aya wasn't sure if it was Corren's sympathizing with the rebels or if it was hie way of alleviating his guilt for letting Cress get hurt, but it seemed that he was going to help so Aya gave him a super close hug of gratitude. "Thank you! Thank you!" Her teacher made an almost bashful sort of smile as he accepted the tacklehug.

On the way back to the Tower Tier to deliver the good news, Aya gave Cress a hi-five in one of the safe tunnels. "You did good, Cress! Really good! Aya couldn't have done it without you!" She grinned, then giggled slightly, a happy feeling washing through her. "I wonder, I wonder, what augments should I give Nee and Shiro? Any suggestions, Cress? A kitty cat for Nee, maybe? A raccoon for Shiro?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Let your soul take you where you long to be.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #CD5C5C β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #C5E3BF】

|| Flaws || Bastille ||




Cress awaited with bated breath. She had known Corren was a coward, he had a few tendencies that one without self confidence did such as a nervous shake of the leg or arm and posture that seemed as though he were collapsing in on himself. Aside from that, he would have been handsome what with his sandy blonde hair and all. The color reminded Cress of the beaches back on earth with their white sand and which led her to thoughts of black sand that was covered in volcanic ash. She had made it her mission to visit one of those beaches but Cress wasn't sure if she'd even see Earth ever again. She'd be lucky if she ever got these rabbit ears off of her. Once the Queen was dead they were the first thing that Cress was going to take off. She'd cut her hair short again too, long hair was far too much maintenance.

How did Aya deal with it? She had that beach blonde quality that most expected California surfers to have except that Aya no doubt had never even visited a beach, Cress wasn't even sure if Aya knew how to swim. One day she would show her, Cress promised herself. She would show Shiro too if Nee's little pet ever made a recovery. That reminded her, she looked back at Corren, waiting. He was clearly contemplating, weighing his options, safety versus helping an innocent child. No doubt he knew of the atrocities the Queen would accuse him of for helping harbor rebels. It was quite the risk and to be honest, Cress didn't completely blame him for being such a coward. She herself had experienced first hand the terror that was the ruler of Ashia Palace.

So Cress waited, listened, with bated breath until he finally gave his answer. She breathed a sigh of relief, her expression breaking into a smile. He would help, he really would. He would go against the Queen for them, although he did have conditions. Cress squeezed Aya's hand in success, knowing that they had done it, they had saved a life. The two would have to receive augments, but Cress could live with those conditions, they were temporary after all. Cress's mind was already spinning through the options while Aya set everything up. Once it was done, Cress stood once more, bowing. "Thank you, I promise you Corren Archon you will not regret your decision." She walked out with Aya, picking up the helmet and snapping it back on.

Cress accepted the high five, she couldn't stop smiling. The knights on the way down eyed her, no doubt wondering why she was grinning like a madman. "You did most of it, I just nudged him a bit." Cress replied modestly. She held onto Aya, as though worried that if she let go Aya would somehow slip away. "I think Nee should definitely be a cat," Cress thought about it. What would suit Shiro? She needed something adorable to reflect her tiny self. "How about a puppy? She's Nee's loyal dog after all."


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❝Yes Mistress.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #FFAEB9 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #63D1F4】

|| I'm on Top of the World|| Imagine Dragons ||




Shiro couldn't stand any longer, her feet were hurting and her hands had gone numb. "I didn't say you could put your arms down," the Queen chided. Shiro had been standing with them lifted above her head for nearly an hour. At first it had been easy, now though, Shiro could no longer feel her hands. Five minutes passed, then ten, finally. "Put your hands down, you look ridiculous standing like that." With a silent sigh of relief Shiro put her arms back down, returning to the Queen's side. "Shiro, this tea tastes dreadful." Shiro blinked, suddenly, hot tea was poured on her legs. She yelped and jumped back, the teacup clattering to the carpet. "Clean this mess up and make me a new pot." So Shiro did, she sat on the ground, cleaning up the spill and scrubbing at the carpet, then went to make the Queen a fresh pot.

This time she was extra careful, putting in the loose leaves and allowing it to steep before fishing the leaves out. She returned upstairs, pouring the Queen's tea and preparing it with two sugar cubes, just as the mistress liked it. "Very good Shiro, this is much better." Shiro smiled, glad for the praise. Her shoes were wet and made squishing noises every time she shifted her weight. "Go clean yourself up and for heavens sake Shiro appearance is everything."

"Yes, my Queen." Shiro gave a quick curtsy and scurried off, reciting the mantra in her head. Stay cute and small, no head should be higher than the Princess's.


Shiro awoke when the Princess tip toed inside. It was hard to open her eyes though, sleep was tempting. "It hurts," the girl mewled quietly, sitting up and rubbing her eye that wasn't covered. The blanket was on top of her head, draped behind her like a vale. She traded the pacifier for the bottle, suckling on the top quietly. The pain meds made her senses dull, it was easier to think, her mind didn't spin so much. "Breathing is hard," Shiro admitted after having finished half the bottle. She sniffled, a droplet of blood leaking from her nose.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Are the rest of you so content to stay like this when it hurts like hell?❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#4ca2b8 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #8b4cb8】

|| Secret ~Black Vow~ || Rin/Len (cover by SirHammet) ||




Seeing Shiro so weak like this, when her whole life was pain from the very beginning was physically painful for the usually cool as ice Princess Narcia. She stayed near the girl, trying her best to support her but the princess felt flustered and lost. She could do so many things with her steel babies but when it came to biological matters - to human matters - things quickly became far too complicated and she didn't know what to do. She felt helpless and it was odd. She tried to pass it off as fate, as simply Shiro's destiny but the girl didn't deserve such a cruel fate, to be a servant and then to die, weak and delusional, all because people tried to show her freedom. "It'll be okay." She said, a warm whisper that was full of fear and doubt. "It'll be better soon, Shiro." The ice girl took a tissue and daintily rubbed at her nose, cleaning the blood as if Shiro was a tiny fragile little electronic component that'd be used to make Narcia's heart whole.

A knock at the door. "I'll get it. Rest up." And it was Aya, who pulled her into the hall to talk, to inform her of Corren Archon's agreement to the plan but also his conditions. Narcia couldn't really care less - she took her electric knife and chopped off her long black locks with little fuss - somewhat reminiscent of Cress's old hair before she was turned into her current form. She wanted to waste no time in getting the augments done, regardless of whatever nefarious scheme the nurse was plotting. So, the Princess returned to the room to lightly place her hand across Shiro's forehead, whispering that she'd be back.

"It's only minor pain." Narcia insisted as Aya pressed the gas mask to her face. "It's a waste of anesthetics for such a small operation, Aya." The blonde then grinned - the two were in the little operation room and the augments were suspiciously hidden from view. "Aya won't let a patient be in pain. Don't fight it, Nee!" And then Cress's mind felt hazy and then she was gone, still trying to glare with as much ice as she could muster.

Narcia felt strange when she woke up. She felt more sensitive than usual, stranger than usual, but it wasn't entirely uncomfortable either. She got up dizzily, looking around, stumbling into her bathroom. How long has it been? Hopefully not too long, she needed to send the schematics to Archon so he could get people to start working on it, so Shiro's lungs would be ready for her there. Then Narcia caught a glimpse of her new cat ears and tail and brown hair which had inexplicably been lengthened again and she stared. The girl ruffled at her ears curiously, and it was hard to wipe off the little mewling grin on her face from the stimulation.



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❝Being lonely is only fun in a group, it hurts more when it's actually true.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#30b818 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #d1ca00】

|| Hope of Morning || Icon for Hire ||




Aya's face widened into a grin at Cress's suggestion. "Hang on a sec! I gotta get the augments before we get back! For my new traveling circus of nurse aides!" So Aya took them to an augment clinic, waving her ID at the man selling them to show that she was licensed and certified to apply them as she saw fit. The girl grinned cheekily, carrying the kitty ears and long swishy tail and the droopy dog ears and tail as well as the neural transmitters for each. The nurse was almost bouncing gleefully as she returned to her bike. "Maybe making Nee cute will bring Ellie back! Or fixing up Shiro? They're both gonna be so cute!" It was hard not to squeal on the way back to the safehouse.

Once Nee's operation was done with, Aya grinned, deciding that a princess shouldn't have short hair, even if it wasn't lush black anymore. So she added a growth stimulant to make it long again, back to how it used to be. Cress would probably like that as well. "Cress, can you move her to the bed?" Aya asked aloud, walking over to Nee and Shiro's room and gently holding her hand and helping a bottle of sedatives into her mouth for the girl to suckle. When Aya was sufficiently satisfied, she once again asked Cress to have her moved to the medical room, doing the necessary modifications to the girl's hair and adding the ears and tail, making her even more adorable than she used to be.

"Ah! This is Aya's little harem of cuteness!" The nurse practically danced with joy as she wheeled Shiro into Nee's room, finding her in the bathroom... petting herself with the silliest smile on her face. Oh, what was this interesting development? Nee slowly spun on the spot once she noticed, blushed, and pushed Aya out of the room with the strength of a blizzard. For some reason that made the blonde rebel laugh more. Oh, that was so silly! That was ridiculous! In any case, with the augments done, they could transport the princess and the lady in waiting over to the scholar's place for the transplant. They'd save Shiro, bring Ellie back, and make everything better, right?

Was it bad that Aya was little afraid that things were going a little too easily? Was it bad that she predicted some horrible tragedy just waiting to happen? She shrugged the feeling off, not knowing how to express it, deciding it was probably just her being silly.

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Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Are the rest of you so content to stay like this when it hurts like hell?❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#4ca2b8 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #8b4cb8】

|| Secret ~Black Vow~ || Rin/Len (cover by SirHammet) ||




A childlike voice saying that it hurt. Shiro had woken up from the operation, looking completely different but still Shiro on the inside. Just like how Cress was still Cress and she was still herself as well. Even though they were all animalistic now, it was fine, wasn't it? Those ears really did feel strangely nice though, and it was relieving in a strange way that her hair was still long and flowing and graceful as usual, though short would likely be for the best. Shiro was absolutely adorable with those ears and her fluffy tail but it was clear she didn't recognize the princess at all.

"It's me. Narcia." The princess said evenly, training her ice cold eyes on the girl in the way no one else ever could. Shiro shivered, most likely due to fear and her tail waved and swished in the air. Nee then exited the bathroom and returned to her dog's side, rubbing her ears with a cool smile and narrowed eyes. "We won't return to the palace, ever. I have no such plans." She gestured to her own feline tail as it wrapped around one of her legs peculiarly. "These are disguises so that the Queen won't recognize us. It'll help keep us safe for now."

She then outlined the plan for Shiro to understand so that hopefully she wouldn't be afraid. Shiro would be sedated as they transport the two to Corren Archon's place - the tutor, in case she forgot - and that once they were there they'd fix Shiro up and take the pain and the sickness away so she could recover from it. As she held the girl's little hands closely she pressed them to her chest as tenderly as she could. "I'll be with you every step of the way. You won't be alone. Can you trust me? And once you're better, you can read as many books as you'd like." As if it proved it, even if it didn't, the princess hugged Shiro with as much might as her arms could, squeezing her like a plushie.



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❝Being lonely is only fun in a group, it hurts more when it's actually true.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#30b818 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #d1ca00】

|| Hope of Morning || Icon for Hire ||




With the sidecar replaced and fixed with a bigger one to fit both Shiro and Nee, Aya exited the garage and went to prepare another bottle of sedatives to put poor little Shiro to sleep for the trip. She'd probably react badly to being back in the Untouchable Tier, as frightened, traumatized, and delusional as she was. The nurse was a little anxious that something would go wrong, that someone would notice and recognize them and that was a frightening prospect. Xion had already ordered Heron to go on another scrap hunt at the same time as the transport mission so that she'd get the knight's attention and distract them for Aya's nurse harem to make it through. The scarlet knight seemed almost thrilled for the challenge, grinning and kissing Aya before she dashed out of the house and into her pod.

"Nurse Aya here!" She called in a whisper, creeping into the room, seeing Nee and Shiro in an embrace. She handed the bottle to the servant and rubbed her ears to try and relax her. "You'll be safe. It'll be okay!" Aya spoke as gently as she could, mixing bubbliness with warmth. Once Shiro was sufficiently asleep, Aya quietly informed Nee that it was time. "I'll plug her in. Go get Cress for me!"

Shiro was so light, even for someone small like Aya, hardly more than a little doll as Aya placed her with care into the side car. It wasn't long until Cress and Nee were there, ready for the trip. The nurse patted the back of the bike for Cress and Nee climbed into the side car and held Shiro close. "Nurse harem ride, let's go!" Nee's eyes went crosseyed and she glared, perhaps a little protectively. "Nurse harem? Cress, what's she talking about?" Aya had a feeling the princess didn't like the idea of Nee being in the nurse harem but it was too late! They were all adorable and they all belonged to her now!

"It's only the best harem!" Aya said in a sing song as they zipped in the air. It was a tense moment to get through the checkpoint to the Untouchable Tier but Aya waving her nurse's ID and grinning seemed to be enough to get them through. Even though the blonde rebel had a light-hearted smile on her face as she drove, she was tense and nervous. Every sound, every other car felt like an enemy waiting to strike. It felt like forever when she finally got to Corren's place and Nee gave him the papers of schematics for something - probably the lungs - and Shiro was taken to be operated on as discretely as possible. Aya scurried after him, leaving Cress and Nee alone to wait.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Let your soul take you where you long to be.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #CD5C5C β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #C5E3BF】

|| Flaws || Bastille ||




Cress was with Nio in the meantime. "We're gonna go to the top for a bit. Think you can help Xion hold down the fort?" Cress asked, ruffling Nio's hair. The girl hesitated, nodded her head. "Don't leave your sister to be lonely. You owe it to her." Cress said, figuring Heron wasn't too smart and would probably do something drastic if she got too bored. Cress sighed, she avoided Heron mostly, she was still mad at Heron although Cress had to end up in Itward's clutches regardless. If anything, she had assisted in moving the secret plan along. Just then, Heron popped into the kitchen and Cress stood, preparing to leave, but Heron blocked the way. "Where do you think you're going?" She asked, the red haired knight quirking her brow. "I'm going to help Aya, she is my Mistress after all." Cress smiled, having never told Heron that she was the same Cress the girl had kicked from her room that night. Was the red head smart enough to have figured it out on her own?

"Cress I-"

"Say no more, I must go assist Aya." Heron grabbed her by the shoulders, pushing Cress into the wall. "Cress, that night." So she did know it was the same Cress, looks like the knight wasn't as stupid as Cress believed her to be. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just pushed you out like that. You were injured and I... I didn't know he would get to you." Cress shrugged her shoulders, the fire in her eyes cooling for a mere moment. "Look at you now. One of those rebels you hated so much. You're one of us now." Cress went past her, brushing shoulders, not looking back; she had a job to do after all. "Ready to go?" Cress found Ellie, the two had always been the same height but now Cress's ears gave her a bit of an advantage.

Cress knelt in front of Shiro who was asleep in Ellie's lap in the sidecar. "I took these things from the room, I thought she might want them." She tucked the little dog into Ellie's lap so that the toy wouldn't fly away and then tied the pacifier on another ribbon to Shiro's collar so that if she dropped it she could find it again. Cress got on the back, hugging Aya's waist and holding on tight until they arrived at Corren. Aya lifted Shiro, the girl being as tiny and light as a mouse and whisked her away to where her lungs would be fixed for now.

"Nee there's this machine that could help." Cress said, knowing that taking the Princess's mind off of her little servant would help. "I don't know what it's called but Ellie would know, she was always good with technology like that. You put it on and it vibrates and brings the liquid in the lungs down so that you can't drown."


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❝Yes Mistress.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #FFAEB9 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #63D1F4】

|| I'm on Top of the World|| Imagine Dragons ||




Shiro didn't like this, she didn't like the little tail that waggled and made her bottom feel weird, she didn't like the short navy curls that spiraled to her shoulders. She didn't mind the collar though, in fact it settled her mind a bit to have the familiar weigh to fit with a little pink bow attached. Yes, Shiro was okay, she had her collar, she had her pacifier, but where was the Princess? There was a weird cat girl here instead, no doubt a servant too. What did that mean? Had Shiro been adopted into a new household? Was she going to be punished again? Was she not Shiro anymore? Maybe that would be good, if she wasn't Shiro she didn't have to think about the Queens' punishment. Surely no one would punish a cute little puppy.

The kitten stepped closer, explaining that it was really the Princess. The Princess, was she a servant too now? Why did she have these augments? Were they a punishment too? Was the Princess being punished for something that Shiro did? No, it was supposed to be the opposite. Shiro was supposed to have the punishment for the Princess. So why? Why were they punishing her Mistress too now? Shiro wasn't doing a good job, she wasn't a good girl. She was a bad girl for letting this happen. A little girl for being unable to protect the Princess. Nee came closer, stroking Shiro's head, scratching behind her ears which made her little tag wag faster. It felt good, it made the thoughts go away; Shiro quieted down, accepting the scritches. It was good yes, Shiro was a good girl, she earned this oddly pleasant feeling, she was a good girl.

"No more Palace..." Shiro trailed off, "No more Queen." She didn't sound so sure of herself, as though she were afraid that saying it aloud would make it untrue. The Princess was speaking again, explaining some sort of plan. Sedated, what did that mean? Shiro didn't really understand. Was that what made her head spin? Was that what made her so sleepy and chased the pain away? "I trust you Princess." Shiro said quietly, there was blood leaking from her nose again. "I want to read, a lot. I want to read a lot of books." She repeated, "Lots of books for the Princess." That's right she had to find the information on the fake Aine for the Princess. She needed to go to the Royal Library and find the ID registration records to find out about Aine and Xion. Why did the Princess need those names? Shiro didn't know, but it was important. If she didn't do it she would get punished, they would take her other eye.

She was suddenly wrapped in a warm embrace, the Princess was hugging her tightly like a stuffed doll. Yes, that's exactly what Shiro was, she was the Princess's doll. Stay cute and small. No head should be higher than the Princess's. Aya came in, announcing herself. Nurse Aya, the Princess trusted Nurse Aya but she made Shiro feel uneasy. She whimpered and tried to move away but the Princess was hugging her, holding her still and Shiro couldn't break the hug or she'd be punished. They'd sew her mouth shut for making noises. She needed her mouth, she needed to sing. Nee broke off the hug and Aya handed her a bottle. A bottle, this was her third one. Aya was stroking her head, scratching behind her ears. So Shiro suckled on the bottle, her posture relaxing, no longer perfectly straight despite years of wearing the brace. She tried to make herself small. She couldn't curl in on herself though, she had to finish the bottle, the Princess was watching. Shiro had to be a good girl.

Shiro began to feel sleepy. She reached out for her stuffed puppy, the one whose fur was still golden. Her fingers had closed around it when she fell, laying on her side. When Aya picked her up, Shiro's grip on the puppy fell and the stuffed toy slipped to the floor.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Are the rest of you so content to stay like this when it hurts like hell?❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#4ca2b8 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #8b4cb8】

|| Secret ~Black Vow~ || Rin/Len (cover by SirHammet) ||




"No more palace. No more Queen." Narcia agreed, not wanting to ever have to see that prison again if she could help it. shiro said she trusted her, said she wanted to read many more things, but Nee wasn't sure what the girl meant by "books for the princess." Surely she knew that the princess knew how to read, right? But then Aya lifted the girl up and has Nee go to find and get Cress, finding the girl who was supposedly her cousin brush past Heron as if something happened. They were mostly mature people, whatever happened between them could be resolved without worry. "Yes, ready." Nee nodded and with Cress behind her, she went to the bike and snuggled in with Shiro, placing the girl on her lap.

Cress tied the pacifier to the ribbon on the collar and gave the stuffed toy to the sleeping girl. "...Thank you." The princess muttered, a little distant,a little aloof, but grateful all the same. She still wasn't sure how to really face Cress, knowing that she'd probably be much happier if it were Ellen rather than Narcia around. No doubt the fiery girl disliked her cool emotionless calculations for everything, right? Narcia liked Cress and all, knew she was a good person, but it was difficult to try to talk to her. So when Aya skipped off to follow the carted-off Shiro, the princess felt anxious for two reasons: one, she was worried there'd be complications and that Shiro would die, as well as more or less being stuck with Cress. She'd have liked to help build the lungs but apparently Archon already had a team working on it, with more expertise in fake organs than Narcia had. Narcia was better at little gadgets for general usage - particularly her favorite gravity drive invention.

The ice girl dug into Ellen's memories, thinking. "High frequency chest wall oscillation." She murmured to her cousin, already bringing up mental schematics of how to create the device. She wasn't a medical expert so unlike with other things, Nee couldn't really edit or change the design too much without knowing more about the illness itself, but apparently it'd help save Shiro from a relapse of this, wouldn't it? Narcia called for a scrap paper and pen from one of Corren's servants and upon receiving it she started scribbling up a basic blueprint for the vest, showing it to Cress with a little smidgen of pride once she was finished. "Like this?" Narcia made a mental note of what she'd need and other such things for it to work, for her to be able to create it the device. "Only children of the Sanitary Tier seem to have this illness, so there hasn't been any research on the matter. Once things are finished, we should mass produce this device to save them all." She tried her best warm smile at the redhaired girl sitting beside her. "...And it's mostly thanks to you. So... thank you."

There was something that needed addressing, however. Something that needed to be discussed before it started causing problems. If this created friction within the team, it'd be the worst way for things to go. So Narcia buried her inner anxiety and decided to bring it up. "You'd prefer if it were Ellie instead of me, don't you?" The mechanic princess stated, not really asking it. "She was your real cousin, even though I am the original. The memories of you belong to her." She was aware of how cold she was and how some people probably disliked it.



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❝Being lonely is only fun in a group, it hurts more when it's actually true.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#30b818 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #d1ca00】

|| Hope of Morning || Icon for Hire ||




Aya helped keep the gas mask on and handed tools over to Corren and while the team were working on manufacturing the lungs to Nee's specifications, a whole bunch of scans were done for bone density, for blood count, for liver and kidney functionality, x-rays, a whole slew of things had to be done first. Aya helped interpret them for him and the scholar absorbed the information, thanking her for the help. It was stressful, Aya was jittery, but she knew not to speak, not to do anything yet. Once it was determined that Shiro was fit for the operation, the nurse handed the med student the tools to begin the incisions on either side, slicing into the skin. Aya injected the girl with something to stem blood flow and kept an eye on her brain activity to make sure she wasn't in pain, and to make sure she wouldn't die from the anesthetics.

Already Aya was parsing through the info from the books to try and figure out the after-care, how much physical therapy the girl would need, how much time she'd need to recover, how many times she'd need to take tests to see how the lungs are working and if the fluid was gathering all over again. Corren stuck a machine to artificially enrich the blood with oxygen once the lungs were removed and Aya felt weird and strange about it - she felt similarly strange when she fixed up Nio's voice.

"This will only be a temporary measure." Corren said quietly and Aya nodded, knowing, even if it hurt to know. "The fluid will come back to the lungs again unless something else is done." But neither of them could really think of a way to stop it from happening. It was obvious the Queen had a way, but asking her for help would likely only make her realize what's happening. Once both lungs were placed in and attached to the trachea and the oxygen-blood machine was removed, both Aya and Corren worked on sewing the dog girl back up to one piece. Aya made sure to add another bunch of painkillers to her system before releasing her from the gas and the many machines connected to her by wires. Archon worked on cleaning up so Aya wiped blood off and dressed Shiro in a comfy little pink gown and wheeled her over to a separate secret room to start recovering, making sure the puppy and pacifier were nearby for when the girl awoke. Then Aya bounded out of the room after washing up and called Cress and Nee in, hoping that the two were getting along.

"Operation complete! Probably!" The nurse whispered, feeling happy that she was of help, reaching into her pocket to munch on a celebration cookie.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Let your soul take you where you long to be.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #CD5C5C β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #C5E3BF】

|| Flaws || Bastille ||




Cress looked up at the moving billboard pictures that detailed the refugees. For some strange reason it made her grin, knowing that they had gotten away, that the Queen would only get more frantic. It was a satisfying thought; the Queen's search becoming more desperate and turning up with fruitless results. "What are you smiling for?" The Knight asked her and she shrugged. "Because my Mistress is too cute," she winked and he blushed, waving them through. Cress sighed in relief, her posture slumping a bit. Corren's home was large with windows that allowed the sun to filter in. A servant had set out some treats and on the windowsill there were a few potted plants that were dying, looking a bit miserable despite the setting sun.

Once Cress had told Nee about the machine, the girl got to work, requesting some utensils and sketching out what Cress had described with little to no effort. "Wow, you're really good at that." She stood over Nee's shoulder, looking at it curiously. "I've never had any artistic talent, but I've always been jealous of Ellie for being able to do these things so easily. She loved to sew and build machines and make people happy." Cress's ears flopped down and she tugged on one mindlessly, realizing soon after that it was not a pleasant feeling and stopping, allowing her flopped over ear to go back to its natural position. She looked up when Nee asked her if that was right. "Wow, you really got it!" Cress smiled, glad that Nee would be able to help her friend. Cress had to wonder if the Princess considered her lady in waiting to be more her toy than another person. Seeing as how the Queen treated her own servants, she wondered if Nee was the same. Ellie wasn't, Cress didn't think, Ellie always loved life. Or at least, that's what it seemed on the outside.

"These poor babies," Cress murmured and asked the servant to bring her a few supplies. Cress unpotted the plants right there, working carefully to make their home a bit more habitable. Ellie, er, Nee asked her a question and Cress looked up, hands full of dirt. She was sat on her haunches, thinking to herself. "I love Ellie, it's true." Cress loved her the way one would love a sister or a twin, she was Cress's other half, the ice to her fire, the moon to her sun, all that good stuff. "But you're also my friend and comrade, my cousin. It doesn't matter what personality you take on, you're still my family. So if Ellie doesn't come back? I'll still be making memories with you. My family." Cress smiled, her tail wiggled. She dug her hands back into the dirt, caring for the little plants that seemed to perk up a bit after she had watered them.

She placed them back on the windowsill and allowed the servant to assist her in cleaning up, although Cress insisted on doing it herself. She washed off and returned, knowing thtat no doubt Nee was anxious to do something to distract herself. Then Aya came bounding out, cookie in hand. Meanwhile their tea and cakes sat untouched. "Good job Aya," Cress stood and ruffled the girl's hair. She followed her to where little Shiro was sleeping, her puppy tucked into her arm, pacifier in mouth. She looked like a toddler sleeping in the pink nightgown, no doubt curled up underneath the thick blanket that covered her.


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❝Yes Mistress.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #FFAEB9 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #63D1F4】

|| I'm on Top of the World|| Imagine Dragons ||




"Watch me fly!" Shiro tittered, tiny wings carrying her body up, up, up. She was a fairy in the garden, waving her wand and sprinkling fairy dust to make the plants grow similar to a bee. She was happy in her space in the garden, sleeping tucked inside a rose, taking her tea on top of a large daffodil, sewing clothing out of tulips. Here there was no one to punish her, here she couldn't mess up because her job was simply to sprinkle the fairy dust. In the morning she would spread the dew, making the garden look as though it had been licked by water. In the evening she opened up the blossoms that released the fire flies, watching them flit around in the dark. They made great lanterns and heaters too. Shiro would sometimes lay on one as it drifted around, curling up on its back and sleeping until morning.

Her head poked through the rose hole bedroom, she stretched, the rose's petals fluttering as she went about her job. She had landed on the ground for only a moment and then, a cup landed over her. "I've caught you," someone sang and placed a lid underneath the cup so that she was trapped. She tumbled around inside the container until she caught sight of a face. The Queen. Even now she invaded Shiro's dreams, turning them into nightmares. "Let me go! I need to go back to my garden!" She called, forced to watch the flowers slowly wilt and curl underneath the morning sun. "Hmm, you're a bit too small." So she was forced to grow and then once she was too big she was forced to shrink. Her wings were ripped off, slowly, painfully, dug out from her skin.

She was no longer a fairy, she could no longer wave her magic wand and make the flowers grow. Now she was a puppet, trapped inside a luxurious cage of finery, forced to use her magic for things that made the Queen happy. The Queen's will was her will. The lie was repeated so often that Shiro had begun to think of it as the truth. "I want to go home." She would cry and the Queen would perch on the edge of the cage, stroking her silky hair. "Oh but Shiro, this is your home."


Shiro was only awake for a moment. Her eyes opened slowly, she could feel the trickle of recycled oxygen tickling her nose through the nubs that were taped right beneath. The pacifier had something sweet on it with a consistency like honey. It was a sedative Corren had concocted to ensure that Shiro didn't have a meltdown. Her eyes wandered over to where Nee was and Shiro mewled pitifully, clearly in pain. Her eyes fluttered close though an Shiro was once again asleep.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Are the rest of you so content to stay like this when it hurts like hell?❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#4ca2b8 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #8b4cb8】

|| Secret ~Black Vow~ || Rin/Len (cover by SirHammet) ||




Cress seemed impressed about the quickly done schematics for the vest device. Narcia wasn't sure how she felt about it. While it was nice to have praise, it felt strange coming from Cress. Cress had a whole slew of talents that worked for her, talents that'd probably be much more useful in the long run than simply being able to draw and design inventions on paper. "No need for the praise, Cress." The princess said evasively, trying to stop her cheeks from flushing in pleasure at the compliments. "Gardening and physical skill matter more in the long run. Your efforts will save Ashia Palace more than mine will." Narcia had two real specialties: she could make machines, and she could maneuver politically. Now that she was a fugitive, the second was no longer a valid option, meaning she was only half as useful as she could've been. Maybe Nee felt a little sad about it, but there was no time to waste with an emotion like that.

As if to demonstrate her agricultural skill, Cress got to work on the potted plants, fixing them up like she always did. It was almost fascinating watching her work and Nee paid attention to it, not minding the dirt on her hands or anything like that, though it certainly wasn't ideal. Cress's ears were also fun to simply stare at as she thought and then answered the concern about Ellie still not appearing. So Cress didn't dislike her at all? Not even for somewhat taking over Ellen's body? So Narcia decided to give the gardener a bit of a smile. "Oh, so we're family? So you plan on killing me for the right to the throne?" The princess raised her eyebrow to let Cress know that it was simply a joke, since it probably wasn't obvious from her flat and monotone voice. The Princess then relaxed her usually impeccable posture, trying to let down her ice wall a tiny bit. "...I think of you as family as well."

Then Aya the nurse bounded out with cookie in hand, and Narcia wasted no time in going to Shiro's side to check on her. Aya gave her a list of things for Shiro to have to do during recovery and then walked somewhere else, probably to find another cookie. Shiro, with the pacifier in her mouth, with oxygen tubes in her nose, so weak and fragile from the operation and from everything else. So precious yet so tiny. Narcia wouldn't ever let her get hurt again, Corren Archon walked in, back in his usual clothes, and brought in a small chair for Nee to sit in.

"So, Princess." He said in his teachery-voice, as if nothing else was happening. "Have you finished your homework assignment? Do you know where Aine went wrong?" Narcia nodded, eyes glowing with intent. "She didn't count on getting the support of the people. She only had a few noble houses and the rebellion, and because of that, she lost." Corren patted her on the shoulder and walked out, so Nee knew she had the right answer. "It was all thanks to you, Shiro." She whispered, watching the dog girl sleep.



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❝Being lonely is only fun in a group, it hurts more when it's actually true.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#30b818 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #d1ca00】

|| Hope of Morning || Icon for Hire ||




With Nee in the room with Shiro, Aya grinned at Cress, mewling at the praise, feeling incredibly happy. "Aya's the best nurse!" She took a side glance at Corren who was talking with Nee for some reason or other, then shrugged sheepishly, modestly. "Uh, he did most of the work. I was just there to give him things." Then Aya giggled and took a little nibbles from her cookie, not caring at the crumbs gathering around her mouth.

Aya was still a little worried about something that was still unanswered, though. Her sister, Kora, died because she couldn't get health care and no one cared enough to try. Not even on the Tower Tier, because they were too poor to afford any of it. Kora was so shy, so quiet, she shouldn't have died, and it hurt Aya to think about it. All of her memories were gone in her last moments, so she didn't even recognize her family as she passed away to wherever the dead went. It was sad, it was terrible. Maybe if there was a travelling nurse back then, maybe if Aya knew about how to care for someone, but in the end, nothing worked and she died. No one even knew how she died, she just had a seizure one night and disappeared. Looking back, it was probably a brain injury, severe trauma to the skull and the brain itself. Aya remembered how sad she was, knowing that the favorite sibling was dead, that the happier and brighter sibling was dead, and that -

Wait. Wait, but Ayanna was the happy one that everyone loved and spoiled, while Kohrya was the one people ignored and didn't care about and only Ayanna liked her. So if the dead child was the loved one, was the one that - Aya's head started hurting, she needed air, she left Archon's house because she needed to think. What was happening? Why was - nothing made sense, the nurse didn't understand. She wasn't... Aya at all, was she? But she had to be, everyone called her Aya, all she had to do was scan her wrist and it'd say Aya - but no, no, it'd say Aine because Serpy took it out. So Aya had to call Serpy, she had to make sure of something because Kora was - if she was Kora and Aya was dead, then - then -

She had to get to Serpy and figure it out. This didn't make sense, none of this was making any sense at all. So the blonde rebel hopped on her bike and flew off in the direction of Serpy's house. She had to find out the truth, her head was spinning and she needed to, she needed it. Aya didn't notice that she forgot her jacket and Travelling Nurse Licence back at Corren's house. whose chip was in the wrist of the buried twin? Whose chip did Serpy have stored for safekeeping?

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Let your soul take you where you long to be.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #CD5C5C β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #C5E3BF】

|| Flaws || Bastille ||




Cress shook her head. "No, my skills are useless. You can make all these cool weapons and I can just... plant. I don't know, I feel like you're much more useful. Besides, it's cooler, it's out of this world. Anyone can plant a garden and make it thrive under the right conditions." Cress wasn't all to impressed by her skill, but then again, anyone who had a skill wasn't always going to be impressed by it. No doubt Nee was being modest; did she really not realize how incredible her talent was? "You could make this whole thing based on a vague description. That's amazing Narcia." Cress insisted with another shake of her head, causing her rabbits ears to flop over once more. Cress suddenly grinned evilly and attacked Nee in the form of head scritches. Yes, she would display to Nee the true power of her new augments.

When Nee asked her if she was going to kill her for the the throne, Cress raised an eyebrow. "I have no right to it." Cress said with a laugh, "Besides you're coming home with me. We're going back to earth so Auntie and Mom aren't lonely." How were they doing? Cress wondered, how were her brothers? Were they mourning them? By now they had no doubt been hunting for a while. "I wish there was at least a way that I could contact them to tell them that I'm okay." Cress whispered, then remembered what Heron and Finnley had said. They didn't believe Cress to be from earth. She had heard her birth story a million times before though. The boat, she remembered her mom telling her and clung to the details as though it were a life raft. They were in the middle of the ocean.

Was it all a lie? Cress didn't know. She felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest, standing there in the doorway with Nee. Aya ran right past her, out the door. "Aya?" Cress asked, turning her head. She walked after the girl, bounding down the steps only to see she was gone. "Aya!" Cress yelled in panic. "Aya! Where are you!" She ran down the street, calling for her. "Mistress Aya!" Cress tried, tripping over her own feet and tumbling. She had forgotten her boots back at Corren's, but Cress didn't need them, she had to find Aya. "Mistress!" Aya called, getting to her feet. "Oh my, what do we have here?" A Noble woman stopped, she was standing on her front lawn, looking at Cress in distaste. "Have you seen my Mistress? She's a mobile nurse. Her name is Aya, please, I need to get back to her." The woman simply shook her head. "I saw no such woman," she scurried along inside of her house, as though busy.

"Aya! Mistress Aya!" She had tried to recall the way to Serpina's house but after her fall her head felt confused. Which way had she gone? Where was Corren's? Why hadn't she paid more attention to the direction she had been running in?


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❝Yes Mistress.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #FFAEB9 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #63D1F4】

|| I'm on Top of the World|| Imagine Dragons ||




Shiro awoke once more, her expression pleading, her mind confused. Her chest hurt, it was all stiff and uncomfortable. She tried to turn but she couldn't move, her limbs felt heavy. The pacifier still tasted good though and as she sucked on it she felt sleepy once more. It was easy to sleep, it made her head feel not so cloudy and her thoughts didn't spiral. She could relax in sleep, at least until the nightmares took hold and she couldn't free herself again. Shiro tried to kick the blanket away but her movements were feeble and weak and hardly did anything to stir up the weird emotions stirring within her. Whenever she tried to think of something, the thought would quickly dive back down in the ocean of untidy waves. So Shiro crawled back into the comfort of sleep, making a little mewl of pain before her mouth shut and she sucked on the pacifier once more.

Where was the Princess? Shiro wondered, walking down the hall. The lights kept flickering, as though the sky couldn't decide when it was morning or night. The walls were bleeding, the tile slippery and wet. Her shoes were gone, the hem of her dress soaked through with the coppery scented ocean. "Princess Narcia!" Shiro would call, but there was no answer. Why did it feel like her steps weren't taking her anywhere? It was like she was staying in place. The room was spinning, or maybe it was her head. It was a sea of blood and when Shiro took another step she sunk, quickly swallowed by the ocean. A stormy sea dragged her underneath, a storm raging on the surface. She screamed and the copper burned her eyes, filled her mouth, her nose, her lungs.

She kicked and tried to scream, but could hardly move. Just when it was getting hard to hold her breath any longer, a hand grabbed her and pulled Shiro out of the salty cage. She was spluttering, sitting up inside the bathtub, the Queen standing over her, pulling her head out by her hair. The tub was filled with crystal blue water, her blonde hair was soaked through and her dress was wet around the hem. "I'm sorry," Shiro whimpered, "It won't happen again." She didn't know what she did, but she knew that if she was being punished there was something to apologize for. "Try to leave the Palace again and I'll have your head." The Queen hissed, throwing Shiro into the wall. The girl cried out, sinking to the ground. "I'm sorry," Shiro tried again and the Queen punched Shiro in the jaw, sending the girl's head spinning.

"Shut. Up. If you were sorry you wouldn't have done it," the Queen straightened, wiping the blood on a towel. "I'll just have to ensure you know just how much trouble you're in." Shiro could sense it, the feeling in her limbs slowly leaking away. "I-I wasn't trying to leave." She whimpered, no longer able to feel anything below her neck. "Please, it won't happen again." It was too late though, her head lulled to the side and Shiro could no longer move on her own.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Are the rest of you so content to stay like this when it hurts like hell?❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#4ca2b8 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #8b4cb8】

|| Secret ~Black Vow~ || Rin/Len (cover by SirHammet) ||




The cat ears were still twitching from the rubbing assault Cress made back when they were still talking, while the operation was still underway. Perhaps it was punishment for being honest about how she felt, for trying to bring a bit of Ellen out from wherever she was hiding. She twitched them a little as she worked on the gravity drive. It was only fair - Aya had fixed up Shiro, so she'd make a gravity drive for the girl to use. As she worked, she thought back to the talk with Cress, perhaps the first real discussion they've had, ever, as Cress and Narcia.

"My skills can steal a life." Nee had said when Cress downplayed her gifts and seemed to speak highly of what Narcia could do. "But yours can replenish bad land and ensure life for the future." She wouldn't admit it aloud, but her technopathy was something from her mother. And after seeing up close the horrors her mother had caused to everyone around her, Nee didn't want anything to do with her. It was admittedly an emotional response, but it was a justified one, wasn't it? Narcia chose not to respond to being brought to earth. Obviously, that wasn't going to happen - she had to stay here and rule. It'd likely be good for Shiro to go to Earth and be free, and no doubt Cress would take Aya with her, but Narcia knew her rightful place was on Ourania.

A little more than an hour later, the new gravity drive was complete, fitted to Aya's specifications. She smiled at her work and pocketed the device, then going to Shiro's side and patting her head a little. The girl had stirred awake earlier but she'd fallen back asleep so quickly that the ice princess wasn't sure how to react. Surely she'd be fine, Corren Archon wouldn't let a patient die on him, right? "I'll be back, Shiro." The princess whispered and went to go find Aya... only to see that she wasn't outside with Cress as expected. The jacket was still on the hangar as were the boots but none of the other servants seemed to have seen the two either. Upon asking Corren, his eyes lit up in worry.

"Something might have happened." He said quietly, seeming a little paranoid. "Princess, I'll take care of Shiro. You should go and find them." So Narcia went to investigate, finding the door was slightly ajar. So something had happened? She pulled her phone out and dialed Heron, who was most likely nearby. "Heron, Cress and Aya are missing. I need to you look for them on the Untouchable Tier." There was a grunt on the other end that made Nee worry, but finally she heard the voice of her crimson knight on the line. "On it! I'll find them, so just sit tight. I'm your hands, so don't be afraid to do naughty things with me! It's your hands after all!" Narcia was in a stunned silence as she closed the line, wondering how she ever befriended such a lewd person.



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❝Being lonely is only fun in a group, it hurts more when it's actually true.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#30b818 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #d1ca00】

|| Hope of Morning || Icon for Hire ||




"Where's the chip, Serpy?!" The girl's mind was swirling as she held the gun at the man who was supposed to be her friend. His arms were raised in surrender, not resisting at all but his eyes were wide and frantic as if he were trying to hide something. Meeting again after so long was nice at first, but the twin couldn't just distract herself from her goal. She needed answers, this couldn't wait, it wouldn't! She needed to know who she was, she needed to know which twin she was. It hurt her head, it felt like a migraine was bursting and throbbing but if it was for the truth, it was worth it. Not even a cookie would make her calm down. "Don't lie to me! Show me the chip that was in me before you put in the Aine chip!"

Benkov was there as well, and he wasn't moving from where he stood in the fancy Dorones Mansion. Serpy then sighed, a long and hard sigh. He reached into a drawer, pulling out what was undoubtedly a chip, and it looked rather familiar as well. "Here." He said, voice quiet and weak. "Aya, are you sure? You don't have to do this. Just close your eyes. Some things are better not knowing."

Aya wasn't going to accept that. She needed to know, and once she figured this out, maybe she'd come closer to finding out what happened to her sister when she died. "No. Tell me, now." The nurse pressed her finger on the trigger and she knew she wouldn't miss at this range. Even as her mind was whirling, her aim was steady, just like how Heron taught her. Serpy looked incredibly sad as he nodded, gulped, and placed the chip under the private scanner, bringing up a name and a face on the screen. Kohrya Filia, looking shy and meek and much younger as well. "Look, Aya-"

So it was true. It was true, wasn't it? "No. No, it's = I'm Kora?" Ay- Kora dropped the gun and clutched at her head, kneeling into an almost fetal position on the ground. She rocked on her feet, trembling, shivering. No, no, Aya wasn't - Aya was the one everyone loved! Aya was the good twin, the nice and smart twin, Kora was the one everyone hated, the quiet and weird one that - no, this wasn't right! How could she steal her dead sister's name and not even properly mourn her? How was this - what kind of twin was she? What kind of horrible person was she, stealing Aya's name? Why did Daddy- Serpy was close to her and Kora wanted to withdraw and hide in a corner. "I'm sorry, Aya." The man then delivered a hard kick into her side as regret and sadness stained his face. He kicked the girl again, forcing her to the ground, then punched at her torso several times, making her whine and whimper but she didn't resist, because... because this was love, right? "You're Aya. The scan was a mistake. So don't think silly things. Kora died that night." He kicked her again and Aya's head felt steady once again. That's right. She was Aya, how could she be so silly? Of course she was Aya! She was nice and bubbly, after all! "Ah. I see." The girl stood up and leaned on her gun for support. "Thank you for helping me remember!"

Once out of earshot, Serpy fell back into his seat, where Benkov gave him a hard, worried stare. "Why did you do that?" He asked anxiously. "Why did you hurt her? She's just a child?" Serpy looked as if hurting the girl hurt him much, much more, hard lines of misery on his aged face. "The child is delusional. Her father beat her into thinking she was Aya, Doctor. But at this point she's been Aya for so long that she'll be happier if she remains blind to the truth." He grit his teeth, trying to convince himself. "She can't be allowed to know the truth. The girl would break. It's... happened before." Back when the first time he took the chip out and disguised her as Aine, Aya had a mental breakdown from realizing that she wasn't Aya at all and she was catatonic and unresponsive for days until Serpina finally was advised by her father to beat sense back into her so that she'll be functional. And he's hated himself for it that time, and this time as well.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Shiro Character Portrait: Ellen Winter Character Portrait: Cress Winter Character Portrait: Ayanna Filia
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❝Let your soul take you where you long to be.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #CD5C5C β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #C5E3BF】

|| Flaws || Bastille ||




"Aya!" Cress was still looking. She had wandered street after street, her watch was dead, the GPS function no longer working. "Mistress!" Cress's knees were scrapped from falling. She was limping, a pain in her legs returning that she hadn't felt since camping. The kind of pain one got hiking mountains. This Tier, however, was flat. "Mistress Aya!" Cress spotted something, a light, it was coming her way. That had to be her, that had to be Aya! So Cress ran towards it, her expression lifting from worry into a smile. She didn't realized as she was walking, no, running, straight towards it until she noticed it wasn't Aya at all but a pod and it was very, peculiarly, close. Her eyes widened like a deer in headlights, there was a terrible noise and even worse pain as the pod collided with her body, sending the rabbit flying.

One of her ears was ripped out, her body tossed away like a rag doll. The pod didn't stop, it simply continued driving, going over her a like mere speed bump. Cress couldn't move, her augmented ear lay somewhere in the street, blood pouring down the side of her head, getting into her eyes until she could no longer see. "I guess..." She spit up blood, "It wasn't Aya." Cress lay on her side, shaking. It hurt, it hurt everywhere and she could no longer call out, could no longer find her fake Mistress or her way to neither Serpina nor Corren's large homes in the Untouchable Tier. She should have checked, she had been careless, so careless and now... Cress didn't know. Would she die in the streets? Would the citizens of the Tier wake up to find a dead servant in their streets and not care because she wasn't from their tier? They would simply go on with their lives, unaffected by one girl's death.

Cress shivered, it was already cold. She would never know now, never know if she was really from Earth or Ourania, whether that rumor Heron had told her was true. She would never see Mom or Auntie, she would never get to tease Aya or hug Ellie. Cress closed her eyes, it was hard to see anyways so it didn't exactly make a difference. She heard something coming, figuring she was going to get run over again. What did it matter? She couldn't move. It stopped beside her and someone was screaming for her, but it was so distant. "Cress!" Heron yelled, jumping out of her pod, stepping in the puddle of blood. She checked the rabbit's pulse, her own breath bated. It was there, hardly, but still beating; still fighting. Heron lifted Cress easily, carrying her to her pod. She plugged the watch in, checking its last registered signature. "Stay with me Cress," Heron pleaded, hoping she wasn't too late.

Finding Corren Archon's was easy thanks to the fact that she had lived on the Tower Tier. Heron lifted Cress, wrapping the girl carefully in her embrace. "Just a little longer, I promise." Heron ran up the steps, bursting in through the doorway. "Help!" She screamed, her hands slick with blood. "Help! Please!" Heron was trembling. She fell to her knees, Cress falling from her grasp in a bloody heap on the ground.


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❝Yes Mistress.❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя: #FFAEB9 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #63D1F4】

|| I'm on Top of the World|| Imagine Dragons ||




Shiro had awoken once more, the sound of screaming filling her head. No, that had to be the Queen. She was going to make bad things happen again, she was going to make Shiro hurt again. Shiro whimpered, it hurt to breathe. Why? She looked around for the Princess, Nee would know, she always knew. Something had happened, Shiro was going to be punished. Her doggy ears folded worriedly, they were going to come for her weren't they? The Queen, the knights, they would march in, surround her, take her back to that awful place. That awful room.

No, she didn't want to go back there. Shiro wanted to stay here, with her Princess, wherever here was. When Shiro tried to call out for her though, her throat was scratchy. Where had Nee gone? "Princess," Shiro managed to whisper around the pacifier. She reached out to the doorway, wanting to get up and find her. Instead a man walked in, the tutor, Shiro realized. "You're awake," he said, simply stating it as though it were a fact. The sky was blue, the grass was green. "Sleep a bit longer, you'll feel better in the morning." He promised, pushing a button. Something warm crept through her body and Shiro was dragged back towards sleep once more. She wanted her Princess though, she wanted Nee. Her puppy had fallen to the ground and she flailed, fighting off sleep. She had to be at Nee's side to receive the punishment for the Princess, otherwise the Queen would hurt Nee, she would do something unspeakably terrible.