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Have I not been here before?
A few days ago, when trying to check for commissions, Katheryne told me I had received an invitation from none other than the “nice lady that owns Hotel Bouffes d’été.” to visit her. But why? We hung out not too long ago. Well, whatever the case, Arlecchino is not someone to be left waiting, so might as well swing by the Hotel and say hi. After all, I’m a friend of the House, am I not?
It started to rain when I got close to the hotel. Sadly, Navia wasn’t with me to lend me her umbrella, but it doesn’t matter, some light rain doesn’t hurt. I approached Hotel Bouffes d’été and knocked on the door. I was expecting either Lyney, Lynette or maybe even Freminet to open the door, but it was actually Arlecchino who opened it.
“Oh, what a pleasant surprise to see you, Aether. May I assume you received my invitation?” She said, her voice echoing through my ears. There’s something about it that would enthrall about anyone. That, and her eyes. They are looking… brighter- no, “deeper” today, as if the black was blacker, the red was redder, and the “X” was… more accentuated. Glowing, even. If anything, it feels like her eyes are also inviting me in. “The children missed you. They love your stories so much, they kept asking me if you would come back, so I decided to invite you. Of course, you are free to decline, but they would be so disappointed to hear their favorite storyteller is not going to give them the time of the day. Even your friends Lyney, Lynette and Freminet are here to listen.”
Something inside me told me to reject the invitation and walk away, but how could I? She was asking so politely, and if the children missed me, how could I deny their requests? Arle’s probably tired of hearing them asking for me over and over again, and Lyney, Lynette and Freminet are there as well, so I could just… go in and humor them all?
I accepted Arlecchino’s invitation and headed inside the Hotel. She smiled, from ear to ear, an unforgettable grin, and opened the door for me. Once I stepped in, I was bombarded by the many children and teenagers from the House.
“It’s Aether! Everyone, it’s him!” One of the kids shouted, and everyone was surrounding me, asking me questions left and right. It was overwhelming, but their love and appreciation was heartwarming.
“Now, now, children, don’t accost our special guest like that.” Arlecchino commanded, and all orphans from the house obeyed. She placed her hand in my head and softly rubbed my hair, as if comforting me from the commotion. “Aether will tell us as many stories as he wants, just give him some breathing room.”
The kids dispersed. Hopefully they weren’t disappointed I wasn’t immediately ready to tell them anything. Truth be told, Arle helped me get out from such a sticky situation.
“My most sincere apologies. The children were so happy to see you they couldn’t keep calm. Do you think a reprimand would suffice?”
I had no idea why she would ask me that, but I told her it was alright, that no one should be scolded for what happened. It’s human, after all, and emotion can sometimes burst out of control.
“Hmm, you are so considerate of others, such a valuable trait in this cruel world. I assume your friends and others close to you value that from you, my dear guest.”
I nodded and told Arle about my many friends across Teyvat; from Mondstadt to Sumeru, and even Fontaine. Before I could even talk about Jean or Kaeya, Arle interrupted me.
“Now, now, you better leave those stories for the children. I’ll also be listening, so don’t worry.”
Arle took care of my sword and left it by the door, near a coat hanger. She told me I could go to the living room and get comfortable while she gathered some food for everyone. There were many members of the House present, from children running around, to teenagers discussing various topics with each other and young adults addressing missions and whatnot. It’s interesting how the Hotel looks normal and quiet from the outside, but on the inside it’s rather spacious and noisy. As I got comfortable in one of the sofas near the fireplace, and spotted Lyney not too far, with Lynette on tow. I waved at them, and although they didn’t notice at first, they turned around, saw me, and came to say hi. Weirdly enough, I felt a glare somewhere, but I have no clue where it could’ve come from.
“Oh, hey. You came!” Lyney said. His voice tone wasn’t as active as it usually is. Lynette also seemed a bit distant, as if she was on “avoidance mode”. “Father told us you would pay the house a visit anytime soon. Didn’t know it would be that soon, haha.”
Lynette muttered no words, but then again, she’s a very reserved person, so I felt that prodding her to get a few syllables from her mouth would be downright rude.
“Sadly, Freminet is out on a mission, and me and Lynette were about to head out, too. Aww, don’t be sad, we will be back and hear your stories alongside everyone. Our mission is just to trail an HVT, so we’ll be done quick enough to catch your stories. Freminet should arrive soon, so he’ll be there.”
Lyney and Lynette said their goodbyes and headed out on their mission. Lyney’s tone kept me wondering if something was wrong, but he’s my friend, he would tell me. As I looked behind me, I saw Arlecchino approaching me, holding two cakes on both her hands, and with a child carrying some Fonta behind her. She placed the cakes on a table in front of me, then clapped twice, turning the loud hotel into a quiet place. As various footsteps approached us, Arlecchino took a seat by my side.
“Gather around, Children. Our special guest is ready to share his stories with us.”
Everyone obediently gathered around, but one of the kids couldn’t help but get excited when he saw the cakes and the Fonta. Both cakes looked so incredible that not even Furina would be able to control herself from eating them whole. They were white, with a black cream on top, and an “X” made out of strawberry jelly drawn atop the black cream. Not even the young adults could keep their eyes away from the cakes.
“C-cake and Fonta!? But Father, you told us once you only brought these things for special occasions!”
“And is the visit of our dear Aether here not a special occasion for us to celebrate? I shall allow you all to partake in these sugary sins for today, but I expect you to be very obedient and punctual with your homework, exercises, and tooth-brushing.”
“Yes, father.” Everyone chanted in unison.
“Chapleau, please cut the cake so that everyone gets their fair share and distribute the Fonta amongst all of us.”
Chapleau obeyed, and began cutting the cake, placing a slice in a plate in front of me and Arle, then handing plates with slices to everyone.
“Very well, Aether, we are all yours.”
I looked around myself for a moment, seeing all the kids staring at me, waiting for me to narrate my tales from Mondstadt to Fontaine. I never told the stories in full detail, since they are very long, but with such a captivated audience, how could I not go into details? Perhaps the audience member that was captivated the most was Arlecchino, sitting with her legs crossed, and with her arm around my shoulders. Anytime our eyes met, she would stare and smile at me. Oddly enough, my head would hurt every time our gaze crossed paths, but maybe it’s just the stress from everything else. I cleared my throat, then begun to tell my stories to everyone. I can’t put my finger on it, but every time I mentioned my friends, I would feel Arle’s hand softly tighten its grasp on my shoulder.
The hours went by, and so did my stories, the cake, and the Fonta. Freminet did arrive in the middle of them and sat somewhere nearby to listen. Towards the end of my stories, Lyney and Lynette also arrived, seating with Freminet and listening to what was left, but when I was about to tell everyone about my adventures with Cassiodor and Scylla, I noticed many of the Hotel inhabitants were sleepy. It was admirable how they tried to keep awake, but sleep is something you can’t just ignore or discard. I looked at Arlecchino, who never stopped paying attention, and she nodded.
“Very well, Aether, your stories were incredible. A shame we couldn’t end them, but don’t worry, opportunities can arise in the future. Foltz, Heloir, Chapleau, please take care of the dishes. Everyone else, retreat to your beds. I hope all my children have a good night.”
Everyone, from the kids to the young adults, dragged their feet upstairs, as they headed for bed. Foltz, Heloir and Chapleau got done with the dishes very quickly, and also headed for their bedrooms. Freminet, Lyney and Lynette approached me and apologized to me for not being present on time. I told them it was no big deal, and they could always ask about them anytime. They, as everyone before them, also left to sleep. I admit I felt bad for keeping everyone awake for so long, so I wanted to apologize to Arlecchino. It seems she knew I was going to do that, since she stopped me on my tracks and told me it was ok, that no harm was done. Then again, it’s her job to know everything, so maybe she knew I would apologize.
“Such a kindhearted young man, you are a sight for sore eyes. The children thoroughly enjoyed your stories, and they probably won’t get tired of listening to them. Anyways, it is pretty late, so I guess you should head out. Thank you very much for visiting, my dear guest. I hope to see you soon.”
Arlecchino walked with me towards the door, but when my hand was about to touch the doorknob, I felt dizzy, tired, and a small but annoying headache. I started wobbling around, concerning Arle, and then I felt my knees giving up. Before I slammed against the floor, however, Arle caught me.
“Are you ok?” She asked. The worry on her eyes was so genuine, I felt safe.
I tried to speak, but my words didn’t make any sense. If anything, the only things that escaped my thoughts were “I feel dizzy”. Arlecchino placed her hand on my forehead, raising her eyebrows in surprise at noticing I might have a fever or something.
“Your body temperature is irregular. Maybe you got too tired from speaking so much, or the fire from the fireplace may have made you too hot. Either way, going out the way you are right now would be very unwise. I ask of you to stay on the Hotel tonight to rest and get better.”
I wanted to decline, as it would be extremely rude of me to just occupy a spot in an already busy place, but Arlecchino reassured me there would be no problems whatsoever, for there is a guest bedroom I could stay at for the night. I tried to insist, but I couldn’t. My thoughts were clouded by that archon-forsaken headache. Arle bent her back a bit, then placed my arm around her, carrying me towards the guest bedroom. You know, for a bedroom kept for guests only, it was rather well decorated; a big, queen-size bed sat on the middle, with a black and red canopy surrounding it. A sofa sat below the window, giving the person a fantastic sight of the city, and some other furniture were decorating the room perfectly. It didn’t even seem like a guest bedroom, but more like a main bedroom.
Arlecchino helped me remove my boots, my gloves, my scarf, my cape, and my left shoulder’s guard, then helped me lay on bed. She left the room for a moment, then came back with a wet cloth, which she placed on my forehead. Afterwards, she sat by my side on the bed.
“I’m sorry this happened. Please rest well and be assured that I will check on you thorough the night.” Arlecchino said, as she held my hand. Her voice was soothing, and the warmth of her hand on the top of mine was carefully taking me to a peaceful slumber. The last thing I saw before my eyes gave up on me was her face leaning closer to my face, and the last thing I felt before surrendering to sleep was a sweet sting on my lips.
When I opened my eyes, I was standing in front of Hotel Bouffes d’été.
Wait… why am I here? Wasn’t I in there last night?
I looked around, perplexed by the situation. Did I just have a very realistic daydream? I checked one of the clocks nearby, and it was 14:00. But how? It should be 07:00 or 08:00 at best. I was confused, and I tried to remember everything that happened yesterday, but I had no memory of it whatsoever, almost as if the day itself never happened. Before I could process anything, I looked at my hand, and saw I was holding a letter. It was Arlecchino’s invitation.
Right, I was supposed to visit her and the House today, to tell them stories about me and whatnot. Wait, what was I musing about before? Agh, whatever, I can’t recall it and it wasn’t probably that important. I cleared my mind from any thoughts, approached the door and knocked on it. After a while, I heard the lock, and the person who opened the door was none other than Arlecchino herself.
“Oh, what a pleasant surprise to see you, Aether. May I assume you received my invitation?” Arlecchino said. Something about her voice, and her eyes… it seemed familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Yeah, we’ve seen each other before, and I kind of helped around the House of the Hearth with Clervie and whatnot, but there was something… uniquely distinct about this one interaction. Either way, I nodded, and she opened the door so I could go inside the Hotel.
“Ever since I told everyone you’d be coming, they’ve been… rather hyperactive, so I apologize beforehand if their energetic welcome proves overwhelming to you, Aether.”
I felt rather honored that my presence would be so well-received here, given how many times I’ve butted heads with the Fatui. Arlecchino brought me to the Hotel’s living room, and just as she said, everyone was “rather hyperactive”; the children were running around, playing “tag” or whatnot; the teenagers were talking about the latest trends in Chioriya Boutique or in Emilie’s perfume shop; and the young adults were discussing about their missions. Arlecchino pointed at a sofa that sat in front of the Hotel’s fireplace and told me I could sit there.
“Get comfortable, I’ll go fetch some snacks for everyone.”
I did as she commanded, and sat on the sofa, which was pretty comfortable. It seems Arlecchino asked the orphans on the House to not bother me before I came, as not one has decided to talk with me. I was minding my own business on the meantime, but then I saw Lynette and Freminet. I waved at them, and it seems I caught them by surprise, as they were somewhat startled by my presence.
“Oh, hey Aether. Father had mentioned you’d visit us, but I didn’t think it’d be so soon. Are you here to tell stories to the others?” Freminet said. His voice was quivering a bit, almost as if he was afraid of something. And Lynette refused to look me in the eye, turning away her face anytime I looked at her. Did I do something to offend her? I was going to apologize, but before I could mutter a word, Arle had arrived with the snacks.
“Oh, were you saying hi to your friends? I’m glad, but unfortunately, Freminet and Lynette will be busy today with some tasks. Once you’ve finished speaking, come take a seat, and I’ll summon the children so we can hear your stories.”
Maybe Lynette wasn’t mad at me, but instead was worried she would be late or unprepared for the mission, or that my presence would disrupt it. Either way, I wished good luck to them both. Before Freminet and Lynette left, the latter turned her face around to see me, then quickly left. Did she want to tell me something?
Whatever the case, I sat back on the sofa. I noticed there were two cakes and a bunch of Fonta on the table in front of me, and the cakes had a similar design to Arle’s clothes (and they looked very tasty). Once Arle saw I was sat, she summoned the whole house to the spot I was at and asked one of the kids to cut the cake and share the slices between us all. The kid followed suit, and as he gave a slice of the cake to one of the young adults, they raised their hand, as if wanting to ask something to Arlecchino.
“Father, it is rather unusual for you to give us sweets like these.”
“Of course, I prefer you all follow a diet, so your skills won’t be hampered, but there’s nothing wrong with spoiling ourselves a bit, especially since the traveler is with us. So, by all means, enjoy yourselves to the cake and Fonta. No need to worry about it.”
The young adult acknowledged Father’s answer, and everyone begun eating their slice of cake, enjoying every bite. I took a bite myself, and understood the faces of joy of everyone, the cake was simply delicious. Heh, if Furina were here, she would be asking for another slice. Furina… didn’t I say something like that before? Maybe I’m misremembering things. Whatever the case, once I had finished my slice, I begun telling everyone about my travels; about Dvalin, Azhdaha, and Apep. Everyone was carefully listening to my stories, namely Arle, who sat close to me and had her arm around me. Sometimes just noticing how close she was to me made me blush, or I got distracted from what I was saying from the fragrance of whatever perfume she was using. Time passed rather quickly, and when I finished talking about Sumeru, almost everyone present was feeling drowsy. I hope I didn’t bore them. Before I could tell anything to Arle, she was already standing up, probably to address this.
“Children, are you all tired? If that’s the case, then feel free to go to sleep. Aether can visit us again on another occasion, so don’t feel like you need to stay here just because.”
Every word that came out of Arlecchino’s mouth was a command the children of the House of the Hearth obeyed; everyone stood up, said goodbye, and went to sleep, with no objections whatsoever.
“Can’t blame them for being tired, can you?” Arle said, as she also stood up and picked up some of the dishes. I volunteered to help, and although she said a guest should not be helping around the house, she allowed me to give her a hand. It felt weird that the noise I heard early today was replaced by absolute silence, but then again, it’s almost midnight, and everybody was understandably tired. I couldn’t think of any topic to talk with Arle about while we were washing the dishes and recollecting the Fonta bottles, but she could.
“So, I presume you’re headed to Natlan next?” She asked. Her tone sounded slightly… melancholic. Rather odd, for such an imposing person such as her, but still. “I heard one of my comrades are going to be around the area, so you should be careful. Also keep in contact, the children would love to hear about your adventures in Natlan.”
I told her I would definitely send them all letters if that’s what they wanted. Arle and I were almost finished with the dishes.
“Say, mind if I ask you something, Aether? What if… you don’t find what you want on Natlan? I don’t want to ruin your expectations, but you should be prepared if you happen to come empty handed. Sometimes our goals are so far from our reach, we can’t help but accept they won’t be within our grasp just yet.”
Why would she ask something like that so suddenly? I had no clue what to respond, but she didn’t seem to mind.
“Just something you should keep in mind, that’s all. If your mission in Natlan isn’t successful, you can always come here and tell me all about it, you’ll have my undivided attention.”
I nodded and told her I would always bear that in mind. With the dishes done, Arle went to check on the children upstairs, leaving me alone. I hadn’t realized how late it was, so I planned to leave, but preferred to wait for Arlecchino to come downstairs so I could tell her I would be leaving. While I was waiting, I heard the main door open, and saw Lynette and Freminet entering. Freminet quickly ran upstairs, almost ignoring me, but Lynette wasn’t that quick. I said hi and asked her how everything went.
“It was… fine.” She said, in a rather nonchalant tone. Did something happen during the mission that hade her upset? “Just, don’t mind me, Aether. I’ll take my leave, and with how late it is, you should do the same.”
It was weird seeing Lynette act like that.
“Please don’t be mad at her.” Said a voice, it was Lyney’s. He had entered last and closed the door silently. “Lynette hasn’t been having a good week so far. A lot of stuff related to work has stressed her out, so yeah.”
Makes sense. After all, being a spy, sometimes assassin, is no easy task. Either way, Lyney knows I wouldn’t hold a grudge against any of them.
“Well, it’s pretty late, so I’ll head to bed. Have a good night, Aether.” Lyney said, before vanishing upstairs.
Funny, Lyney didn’t say I should be leaving, given how late it was, but probably he didn’t think about it. I sat down a bit while waiting for Arlecchino, who came downstairs not too long after Lyney had gone upstairs.
“I apologize for my absence; I was just making sure everyone was properly tucked in bed and comfortable. You weren’t waiting for too long, were you?”
I told her it was ok, and also told her I was planning to leave, since it was late. She frowned, but it was almost unnoticeable, then returned to normal. She was probably going to protest, but then it begun to rain, and it was no light breeze, but a heavy thunderstorm.
“I understand it is late and you want to leave out of courtesy, but the rain outside is heavy, and it doesn’t seem like it’ll subside soon, so I advise you to spend the night here. You can leave tomorrow as early as you want, don’t worry.”
I was now going to be the one to protest, but she was right: the rain outside was perhaps the heaviest rain in Fontaine ever since the prophecy. As such, I accepted Arlecchino’s invitation to stay the night, which made her smile.
“Thank you for considering my words. Although all rooms in the Hotel are accounted for, mine isn’t, so feel free to head there. Oh, don’t fret, I’ll sleep here or somewhere else, no need to think of me.”
It was rather odd that Arlecchino would allow me to sleep on the main room. She says she doesn’t mind sleeping on the sofa or somewhere else in said room, but if she says she doesn’t mind, then who am I to say otherwise?
“My room is the one located at the end of the hallway upstairs. Go ahead and sleep, I have a few more things to take care of around here before heading to bed.”
Arlecchino wished me a goodnight, and I made my way upstairs. As I quietly walked across the long hallway, I noticed one of the rooms had its light still turned on. I came closer to said room, and noticed it was Lyney, Lynette and Freminet’s bedroom. They seemed to be talking about something, and while it’s improper for a guest like me to eavesdrop their conversations, I couldn’t help it. I hugged the wall, then carefully approached the bedroom, making sure I could listen to their conversation while also remaining hidden.
“Lynette, this is the second time you’ve acted like this. Please, for everyone’s sake, just pretend to act normal.” Said Lyney.
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I owe Father my life, and who I am today, but this is… this is not her.” Said Lynette. “What she’s doing with him… it feels inhumane, it feels awful. It’s even worse when you look at him in the eyes. He knows nothing, he remembers nothing, and here he is, trapped, caged like an animal.”
“L-Lynette, please…” Said Freminet. “Father already scolded you harshly when you acted weird the first time, and Father most likely noticed you acting weird today as well. If you keep this up…”
“Freminet, you are also one to talk. You’ve been ignoring this whole situation, haven’t you? For archon’s sake, we are talking about our friend here. If you two don’t have the gall to tell him, I will. I don’t care what punishment Father enacts on me; Aether deserves to know what’s going on.”
Me? Deserve to know what’s going on? What… what was Lynette talking about? Did Arlecchino do something to me? I kept listening to see if they said anything else.
“Lynette, I understand how you feel.” Lyney said. “But you know the ultimatum father gave us: if any of us are to tell Aether what’s happening, the consequences shall be unfathomable. I don’t care if we risk death, but what if we risk something else? Something that isn’t an easy way out like Filliol and Nanteuil had. And it’s not just the person who tells the traveler, it’s ALL of us who run this risk.”
“Brother, have you seen the world outside the Hotel? I’ve had Navia, Furina and Chevreuse asking for him. Navia told me she would ask Clorinde and Wriothesley, Furina said she would speak with Neuvillette, and Chevreuse will consult with Chiori. Basically, we have all of these famous Fontainian figures putting pressure on us. Sooner or later, someone will know Aether’s missing.”
“Lynette.” Freminet interjected, putting his hand on Lynette’s shoulder. “Father already told us she had a plan ready for this. If things go well, people will assume the traveler has left for Natlan, and won’t ask any more questions. We just need to be patient.”
“Patient!?” Lynette almost shouted, pulling Freminet’s hand from her shoulder. “You are telling me we should be patient with Father brainwashing the traveler into some sort of weird thrall, bound to her will? Did you not see he almost passed out from how much chemicals his slice of cake and bottle of Fonta had? Father is poisoning him with these amnesia-inducing potions Heloir has crafted. It’s a miracle he hasn’t died. No, I won’t be patient as our friend, as the man who put his neck on the line for us when we were falsely accused of murder, is slowly poisoned into a husk of his former self. If you are not going to join me, fine, stay put, you cowards. I will speak with Father tomorrow and let her know what I think about this whole fiasco.”
I couldn’t catch a good glimpse of the three, but it seemed like Lyney couldn’t look at Lynette’s face, and Freminet seemed as if he was about to cry.
“I’m sorry,” Lynette sighed, “but you two know this is wrong. You two are aware that what Father is doing is basically deleting a whole person’s identity just to keep them around. How can she not be aware of what she’s doing? I’ll just talk to her, and if necessary, I’ll take the punishment, even if it means getting exiled from the House and forgetting who I am.”
Before I could gossip any more, I heard footsteps coming from downstairs, most likely Arlecchino. It seems Lyney and the rest also heard them, as they quickly closed the door and turned off the lights, fortunately they didn’t notice, or if they did, they may have preferred to avoid Arlecchino’s wrath rather than question me. Whatever the case, I followed suit and carefully rushed to the main room.
Once I was inside, I took a moment to observe the room while Arlecchino arrived: the room itself was decorated modestly; a bed with a canopy sat against one of the walls of the room and in the middle of two nightstands; a sofa near a window, giving the person a nice view in a comfortable spot; and a few pictures of Arlecchino and the members of the House of the Hearth. Other than that, it was a rather normal room. I decided to sit on the sofa for a moment and think about everything that had unfolded until now.
What did Lynette mean by all of that? I thought. Something about me being… poisoned? My memories being deleted? That may explain the many déjàvus I’ve been feeling… but Arlecchino wouldn’t do that to me, would she? I should ask her… but then again, if it’s true that she’s been doing that to me… asking her could spell trouble for me, and maybe even for Lyney, Lynette and Freminet. My mind had been wandering so much, that I hadn’t noticed Arlecchino opening the door.
“I’m sorry for the delay. I hope I didn’t leave you waiting for too long.”
I told Arle she had nothing to worry about.
“Thank you. By the way, why are you sitting on the sofa? If you are planning on sleeping there, then I have to insist you sleep on the bed. Don’t worry about me, I can sleep almost anywhere and still sleep soundly.”
I reassured Arle I was on the sofa just to have a view of the outside and have a small breather, and that I would head for bed soon.
“Good. Don’t mind me, then.”
Arle went to a closet opposite of the bed, opened it, then removed her overcoat and shirt, revealing a vest and the length of her curse in her arms. After placing her overcoat and shirt on the closet, she removed her rings and stiletto heels.
“Aether, your silence is louder than you think. What is troubling you?”
It scares me how easily she can read people, even if she’s not looking at them. I dared not say anything that could put Lynette and the others in peril, so I simply told her about my recurring déjàvus.
“Oh, Aether…”
Her tone changed. I didn’t detect any trace of enmity, but something shifted.
“Déjàvus are a phenomenon that makes you think you’ve lived the present before, however, it is impossible to ‘relive’ something you never lived before. Fake memories, perhaps, are what you are experiencing. I assure you, my dear guest, that this is the first time you’ve stepped on the House of the Hearth. Maybe the familiarity you have with Lynette and the others made you feel as such?”
Even though the whole “poisoned cake and Fonta” idea kept circling my head, Arle’s words were oddly reassuring and sound. It was weird, my brain was certain something was wrong, but it was also certain that she was correct. I tried to ask something else, but before I could even mutter a word, her index finger was placed on my lips, as if shushing me.
“Shush now, my dear guest. Don’t you trust your friend? The person that has treated you kindly and even invited you to her house; the person that gave you fine delicacies and that has told her children just how incredible of a human being you are? Why, that’s rather rude, don’t you think.”
Arlecchino then lifted me from the sofa, sat me on the bed, then grabbed me from my scarf.
“Rude guests are deserving of punishment. I wonder what yours should be. Maybe ending this… ‘partnership’ of ours and kicking you out of the Hotel is appropriate? Or perhaps making you pay by tending to the House for a few weeks is better?”
Something’s wrong, but I can’t put my finger on it. When Arlecchino mentioned cutting our ties and leaving me, something within me sank, but why? She’s just a friend, an acquaintance at best. She’s just someone that might betray me in the future, so why is the thought of her abandoning me so harrowing? I can’t think of anything else but the dread I would feel if Arlecchino ejected me from her life. I can’t even speak; All I can do is just shake my head and show her my disagreement with the idea of her leaving me. Arlecchino, meanwhile, was petting my hair, trying to calm me, I imagine.
“Ah, it seems you can’t speak, yet your soul is honest. I’m sorry, the thought of me abandoning you must be painful. In that case, allow me to reassure you of one thing…”
Arlecchino stopped petting my hair, then grabbed me from the chin.
“Close your eyes, my dear guest. Only then I shall give you your reassurance.”
I did as she said and closed my eyes. The only thing I felt was the touch of her lips on mine; a very long, deep kiss, and a bite so hard it most likely made me bleed. But it was… great. Addictive, even. I wanted more, I even pulled my head towards her, but she only gave me one. Either way, that was all the reassurance I needed. My head, however, begun hurting, bad. I felt a strong thump in the middle of my brain, and as if there was an external force chaining my thoughts. The pain was unbearable but thinking of Arlecchino stopped said pain. If I tried to think of anything else, like what Lynette said, my head started hurting so badly it felt like it would explode at any moment. Wait… what was it that Lynette said? I can’t… remember. Something about Arlecchino… maybe she said that Arlecchino would like me to visit more often, and that Arle, as well as her, Lyney, Freminet, and the children of the House of the Hearth enjoy my presence. Yeah, I definitely need to come over more often.
Arlecchino… were the only words I could say, before she embraced me.
“Worry not, my dear guest. I assure you, you will never feel alone, nor will you need to seek anything else. The House of the Hearth will provide you what you need, and you will be our dearest guest, staying with us for a long time.”
Whatever my mind thought was wrong, was long gone. All I could think of was her, and how I could help the children of the house. After all, I am their dearest guest, am I not?
I may have been here before, but now, I didn’t feel like leaving.
Today, I was going to visit Arlecchino, who invited me to the House of the Hearth to tell the children there a few stories. I was so excited about receiving such invitation that I decided to buy some groceries so I could cook some food for the children. It is odd to buy groceries as a guest, but it's basically a present, so I see no harm on it. Once I stopped by Café Lutece and bought some goodies, I headed for the House.
While walking down the street towards Hotel Boufes d'été, I heard some footsteps behind me, then someone shout "it's him!". Before I could react, a woman with an eye-patch wearing a red and brown uniform grabbed my shoulder and stopped me on my tracks. Soon, she was joined by another woman wearing a fancy hat and an even fancier black and yellow dress, and another woman in a purple, black and white uniform.
"Aether?" The woman in red asked. "Navia, are you positive this is him?"
"Y-yes! Partner, it's me, Navia! Oh, archons be, we've been looking for you everywhere! Where have you been? You got us all worried sick."
I looked at the woman confused. Who's "Aether"? I'm Arlecchino's special guest, that's for sure, but that name didn't ring any bells. I told them I wasn't the guy they were looking for, and the fancy lady turned pale as a ghost.
"N-no... no, you ARE Aether!" The fancy lady said, grabbing me by my shoulders. "Partner, don't you remember me? Or Captain Chevreuse or Clorinde here!? You helped me solve a case involving missing women, and assisted Fontaine in avoiding disaster! Surely you remember your time in the Fortress of Meropide under the watchful eye of the Duke, trying to solve more mysteries involving Fontaine, r-right!?"
The lady's exasperation startled me, but once again, I told her I was not the man she was looking for. Her hold on my shoulders became stronger, and she kept pleading for me to "remember". After a while, her friend, who I assume is "Clorinde", grabbed her and pulled her away from me.
"Navia..." the woman I presume is Clorinde said, "this man may be blonde, but look at him; his eyes are brown, unlike the traveler's yellow eyes. His hair is also short, whereas the traveler has a pony tail, and it's black, not blonde. He's also dressed like your average Fontainian, so for all we know, this could be a citizen we haven't seen before. Please, calm down."
I wish I could say I felt sad for the poor woman, who begun to cry shortly after, but I'm not the guy she's looking for. Hopefully they find him, though.
"Ugh, we are sorry for that, sir. My friends here, as well as other people, are just worried for a mutual friend that has gone missing for a few weeks. Damn, now that I think about it, it's almost been a month... whatever, if you see this man, please let me, Navia, Clorinde, Monsieur Neuvillette or any Garde know. We will deeply appreciate any information you have.
The woman in red, whom I assume must be Chevreuse, handed me a poster:
MISSING - AETHER (ALSO KNOWN AS TRAVELER)
DESCRIPTION: AVERAGE SIZED MALE. BLONDE HAIR, LONG, TIED LIKE A PONYTAIL. GOLD-YELLOW EYES, HAS ONE EARRING ON HIS LEFT EAR.
WEARS A BREASTPLATE VEST, WHITE SCARF, TWO-TAILED CAPE, INAZUMAN HAKAMA-LIKE PANTS, BLACK-BROWNISH BOOTS AND BLACK GLOVES.
LAST SEEN - FONTAINE, AROUND VASARI PASSAGE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, CONTACT YOUR NEAREST GARDE.
REWARD: 10'000.000 MORA.
Above the "description" was the picture of who I pressume is "Aether". Indeed, his eyes are golden-like, he has a ponytail, and wears clothes different to mine. In the picture he's posing with two women, one being Navia, and the other being an elegantly-dressed lady wearing a blue suit with a black vest and shorts, and a blue top hat. They're all smiling. I can see why he would be worth 10 million Mora. Whatever the case, all I know is that I’m Arlecchino’s special guest, and that she invited me to tell the children some stories. I took the poster (just in case) and placed it inside my grocery bags, nodded to Chevreuse, then we all went our ways. I could feel Navia turned her face and stared at me until we were both out of each other's sight.
When I was at the door of the House, I knocked on it, Lyney opening it and welcoming me in. Arlecchino immediately felt my presence and greeted me, telling Lyney she'd take care of the house's "special guest". She helped me carry the groceries to the kitchen, and accompanied me as I prepped a meal for the children at the house. She asked me how my day went, what I bought, and what I was planning to do. Originally, I mean to do something BBQ-styled, but preferred to make some cake, and serve some Fonta. Sure, it's a bunch of sweets, but Arlecchino won't mind me spoiling the children of the House every now and then, right? While we talked, Arlecchino rummaged through the bags and saw the poster.
"My dear guest... mind explaining this to me?" Arlecchino asked me, as she showed me the missing person poster. I told her about the encounter I had today with the policewoman, the fancy lady and her friend. Arlecchino simply sighed, then looked at the poster.
"This poor man... I wonder why he would go missing, having such dear friends looking for him? But sometimes, people go missing not because another force made them disappear, but because they themselves wish to vanish from the public. What if this man was being harassed by these women, or other people amongst the Fontainian public? A baseless theory, I know, but one nonetheless. Anyways, you shouldn't worry yourself about this, my dear guest. Let the authorities take care, although I'll keep an eye out, given how juicy the reward is. We could buy many things for the children with that Mora..."
Arlecchino's voice, soothing as always, carried strong reasoning. Still, I wish for his friends to find that guy and get the reassurance they need. With the topic of the poster addressed, me and Arlecchino went back to chatting and cooking. After a while, the cake I prepared was ready. Arle, on the meantime, served the Fonta on many glasses. Once we were done, we carried the food to the living room, with Arle helping me carry the glasses full of Fonta.
After we placed the cakes and Fonta on the table, Arlecchino clapped twice, as if summoning the folks on the House of the Hearth to come to the living room. I heard a lot of footsteps coming our way, and it made me happy to think these many people were interested in hearing my stories. Amongst them were Lyney and Freminet, although they were keeping their distance, weirdly enough. Either way, once everyone was on the living room, I begun telling my tales and stories. Arlecchino was sitting next to me, carefully listening to every single word I muttered.
As the day went on, the cake and Fonta ran out, and the children slowly begun to get tired. Seeing as some were bobbing their heads or drowsily blinking, I decided to finish the last story I was telling. I looked at Arlecchino, who smiled, nodded and clapped her hands twice.
“Alright, everyone, please say ‘thank you’ to our dear guest here, then leave for your rooms in an orderly manner.”
Everyone did as they were told, thanked me for spending my time with them, then retreated upstairs to sleep. Me, Arle and two young adults picked up the dishes and empty Fonta bottles, then left the former on the kitchen and threw away the latter to the trash.
“How about you go upstairs to our bedroom, my dear guest? Don’t worry, me and the young ones here will take care of everything. You go take a rest.”
I didn’t bother asking Arlecchino if it was ok for me to stay or why she called her bedroom "our" bedroom because I know she doesn't mind. Besides, chances are the second I step outside the House of the Hearth, a heavy rain will begin pouring or I’ll start feeling weird. I can’t explain why I’d feel weird, but it’s something of a gut feeling I’ve got. I feel that the second I leave, I’m just going to get dizzy and have a headache. Maybe I’m feverish? I’ll let Arlecchino know. I headed upstairs, and while walking across the long hall to the main bedroom, I saw the door of Lyney’s room slightly open, and the light still on. Arlecchino would disapprove of me eavesdropping her children, but I was rather curious to see why the three of them were still awake.
I hugged the wall, then slowly sneaked towards the door. Once close, I took a quick peek, and noticed that only Lyney and Freminet were there. What about Lynette? It seems that was the topic of discussion since I heard Freminet say her name.
“Don’t worry, Lyney, Lynette is fine. Father wouldn’t do anything to her, and you know it.”
“Father also offered us to drink the Balefire to forget who we are and assume new identities outside the House. We owe Father our lives, but Lynette…”
“Father probably sent her on a long mission just to atone for what she did. I’m sure she’ll be back tomorrow, and things will be alright. If she accepts the facts, that is.”
It seems the reason Lynette is absent is because she’s on a mission, but what’s this about “atoning for what she did”? Maybe she did something wrong with Arlecchino and her punishment is a longer, more demanding job? Whatever the case might be, I think this is some sibling stuff I should leave as is. Once again, I carefully retreated from the door, then walked normally, so as to give the illusion I was just passing by. As I passed, Lyney saw me, and I waved hi at him.
“Oh, it’s our guest! Are you headed to sleep?” He asked me. It seems he saw something on my face because his cheerful disposition disappeared. “Oh, you heard us, didn’t you?”
I tried to tell Lyney I wouldn’t get involved in his personal business with Lynette, but he was acting weird. He clenched his fist and looked at Freminet for a second. Freminet’s face felt as if he was telling Lyney “no” with his expressions, but Lyney ignored him.
“There is something you should know.” Lyney told me.
“What are you going to tell our special guest, Lyney?” Arlecchino said, appearing out of nowhere and surprising us all. She placed her hands on my shoulders and leaned close to Lyney. “I assume you’ll tell him how thankful you are about his visit.”
“O-of course! That’s all I wanted to tell you, that I’m glad you decided to swing by our place. Me, Freminet and Lynette are happy to see you around here.”
Lyney’s face and tone didn’t show it, but he seemed scared. Truth be told, who wouldn’t be? After all, Arlecchino surprised us all out of nowhere, that’s similar as a friend startling you when you are distracted. I also took this opportunity to ask Arlecchino about Lynette.
“Lynette? Oh, don’t worry, she’s currently on a very important mission, that’s why she hasn’t been back. But rest assured, she’ll be home soon, I can guarantee you all that. Anyways, it is pretty late, so Lyney, Freminet, please head to bed. I’ll escort our dear guest to the main bedroom.”
Both Lyney and Freminet headed to bed, and Arlecchino turned off their bedroom’s light and closed the door. We walked the long hall together to the main bedroom. Inside said room sat a big bed, with a red and black canopy. There was a sofa under a window, and some furniture here and there.
“We will sleep on the bed, it’s big enough for the two of us. I’ll head to the bathroom for a moment, so feel free to get comfortable.”
I did as Arlecchino told me, and removed some of my clothing, keeping only my pants on. Before heading to bed, however, I noticed a mirror. It's been a while since I took a look at my reflection, plus I wanted to make sure I looked good today, otherwise how unsightly would a bad-looking guest be? I walked towards the mirror and looked at my reflection.
…
…
Why do my eyes look like Arlecchino’s? I’m not wearing lenses, am I?
“Something the matter, dear guest?” Arlecchino asked me, as she popped out of the bathroom, sporting a white and black night robe. I looked back at the mirror to notice my eyes were back to normal. I may have been imagining things. “Come now, let’s go to bed.”
Arlecchino and I lied down on the bed, which was very comfortable and soft. I turned around and had her face my back, and then she embraced me, practically spooning me. Before succumbing to slumber, she whispered something on my ear.
“Oh, my dearest guest, if only you could stay here forever. Alas, you have other things to do, I imagine, but let us enjoy this moment, as if it was never-ending. Hopefully, this day will repeat for ever and ever…”