Remnants of Fractured Code

by Indefinitely_Procrastinating_Author

Summary:

She was a weapon. A plague. A god of code and rot.

Now… she's a girl lying in an alley.

After a final clash with her greatest mistake, the being once known as Cyn awakens in a strange, unfamiliar world.

free from the control of the absolute solver.

Now in the capital of Lugunica, this amnestic eldrytch horror meets a certain black haired delusional boy.

With nothing else to remember, she latches on.
.
.
.
Is this a good thing for Subaru... oooor?

Eh probably.

 

---

It has cyn in it, and obviously even without memories, and no absolute solver controlling her, she won't try to explode the planet or anything...

But she is a goober. So uh... expect pranks.

Hope you enjoy reading.

Chapter 1: prologue - when you find a young teen in the trash.

"Jeez… rough start to my great isekai adventure." The raven-haired, sharp-eyed boy grumbled as he trudged through the streets of Lugunica, furrowed brows and hands buried deep in his pockets.

Ever since being transported to this world, which, by his count, had been about ten minutes ago. Subaru had done nothing but get himself into trouble. In one hand, he clutched a plastic bag of groceries that had, for some reason, made the jump with him to this parallel world. In the other, his signature tracksuit, still damp from the river he'd embarrassingly fallen into after mistaking a bathhouse for a tavern.

From just this, Subaru knew it was going to be a looooong day for him.

The initial thrill of finding himself in a fantasy world was beginning to wear thin. The excitement that had once bubbled in his chest had dulled into a heavy exhaustion. Right now, more than anything, he just wanted a nap.

That wasn't at the bottom of the lake! Mind you.

Once his tracksuit was dry enough, he slipped it back on, restoring his natural look to it's genesis. still...

it didn't make him feel any less out of place.

"Agh! So much for my protagonist status…" Subaru groaned, raking a hand through his hair. "Why am I even here, anyway?"

Before he could spiral any further into self-pity, something made him stop. Out of the corner of his eye, down a narrow, unlit alley to his right, something caught his attention.

His brow knit, and he took a cautious step closer, peering into the gloom.

A figure.

Small. Still. Face-down against the ground, half-hidden in the heavy shadows.

From where he stood, it looked like… a girl.

A young one, to be exact, by the size of her frame.

Pale skin, striking against the filthy stone of the alley floor. Long, dark hair spilled out around her like ink on a page. To finish the look, a black ribbon sat neatly tied at the back of her head, undisturbed despite her awkward position.

She wore a simple black dress - clean, without a tear or stain to be seen.

That was all Subaru could make out from a distance, with the way she lay flat on her stomach and how the shadows clung to her.

He glanced left and right. Dozens of people passed by at the mouth of the street, not one sparing even a glance. No one else seemed to notice the unconscious girl lying there like discarded trash.

Barely able to contain an excited squeak, Subaru practically skipped toward the alley. Is this it? Is this where my story finally begins? A poor girl abandoned in a dark alley, waiting for a fated encounter… ooh, or maybe— maybe she's the one who summoned me! A beautiful, mysterious summoner in desperate need of a hero!

His mind raced with half a dozen over-the-top fantasies as he quickly set his bag of groceries down and dropped to one knee beside her. Without hesitation, he reached out and gave her shoulder a gentle shake.

"Hey, hey… hey! Lady, wake up! Miss Summoner! It's me, your hero, Natsuki Subaru!" he whispered or rather whisper-shouted - grinning like a fool. (well actually, not "like", considering his dumb ass is an actual fool.)

When she didn't stir, the shaking grew a little rougher, then turned to tapping, then a series of insistent pokes to her shoulder, her back, and finally the side of her head.

"Come on, don't leave me hanging here… hellooo…"

But nothing. Not a sound. Not a twitch.

Subaru's grin slowly faltered. Concern crept in, his fantasies grinding to a halt as a far less glamorous thought surfaced.

"H-Hey… um… you good? Don't mess with me like this… c-come on now…"

Still nothing.

A bead of cold sweat rolled down his temple. His stomach gave a queasy lurch.

She isn't dead, is she? I didn't just find a corpse, right? Right? Please don't tell me I was too late or something dramatic like that…

Before panic could fully set in, a sudden sound made him jolt.

"[Windows startup noises]"

Slowly, the girl raised her head, dark hair falling away from her face as she sat upright in one fluid motion, legs crossed beneath her.

Subaru stared, wide-eyed.

Her face was… wrong.

Two empty voids where her eyes should've been, glossy and pitch-black. Then, without warning, 2 yellow Xs flickered into place, shining like screens in the dark.

Subaru's heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

The Xs glitched, twisting and reshaping into a pair of small dots, pupils locking onto him.

"AAAAHH—WHAT THE HELL-!" Subaru yelped, scrambling back so fast he lost his footing, flailing wildly before his back hit the alley wall. His heel slipped on a loose stone, and he went down hard.

Thunk.

"OW-!"

Grimacing, he clutched the back of his head with both hands, groaning as the sharp throb of pain settled in.

"Wh-what was that?! What the actual hell was that?!" he hissed, peeking through his fingers at the girl. She sat calmly, tilting her head in a way that would normally be cute, if she weren't confusing the fuck out of him.

The yellow dots locked onto him, her mouth opening to say, "[Confused stare], who. are you?... who am I?"

Then, suddenly, her eyes went dark.

"Oh no," she exclaimed.

And oh no indeed, as if someone flipped a switch, she toppled over to the side.

Subaru just stared, utterly baffled.

"...No seriously… what on earth is going on?!"

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed reading.

Goober is here. :3 :P :L

Chapter 2: he tried his best but he didn't succeeeeeed~

Summary:

Subaru uses his galaxy brain to assume many things.

Subaru had absolutely no idea how to proceed. Or what the hell kind of situation he'd just stumbled into. But he was damn well trying to figure it out.

So, for now, he stayed completely still, eyes locked on the girl...? robot? Cyborg? Whatever she was, she didn't move.

Seconds dragged on, and eventually, Subaru let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding.

Okay… still down. Still not moving.

Cautiously, he pushed himself back to his feet, brushing dust off his tracksuit as he kept his eyes on her the entire time. From what he could tell, she'd gone right back into some kind of weird sleep mode.

Like someone flipping a switch.

Or… turning off a computer.

That thought made him pause. His brow furrowed as the memory of the encounter played back in his head. The sudden start, the flickering yellow Xs, the way it morphed into pupils. And right before all that-

"Waaaaaaait."

His eyes widened slightly.

"Hold on…" Subaru muttered. "That… she made a Windows XP startup sound when she woke up… didn't she?"

It wasn't exact, but it was damn close. That electronic chime, like some old, half-dead computer booting back to life. He could never forget that sound, heard it every damn time he wanted to do anything.

Subaru ran a hand down his face, sighing. "Okay… okay, so I wasn't just hearing things. That actually happened."

He glanced down at her again. Still out cold. Or off. Whatever this counted as.

But then… something clicked.

Wait.

From what she said… didn't she ask who she was? Yeah. Right before she collapsed like a ragdoll. That meant…

Amnesia.

His eyes widened. A spark of excitement shot through him.

"Ooooh-!"

His face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. He could practically see the flags waving in his head, hear the triumphant background music swelling.

Wait wait wait, hold up! I get it now!

She must be like him. A fellow lost soul dragged into this world. But from the far, far future! It made perfect sense! The weird computer noises, holographic eyes, the freaky glitch thing, obviously future tech. And the memory loss? Classic trope setup.

Maybe… maybe they were both protagonists!

Maybe this was a dual-lead story. Him, the dashing, selfless male protagonist, helps a mysterious, amnesiac cyborg girl from a futuristic sci-fi-like world uncover the secrets of this new world of magic.

He practically squealed.

"I knew it! Fate works in mysterious ways, but it's got good taste!" he grinned to himself, pointing dramatically at the unconscious girl. "Don't worry, glitch girl - you've got Natsuki Subaru on your side now!"

He froze.

Then glanced around, realising he was talking to an unconscious, maybe-robot in an alley. Again.

A cough. He cleared his throat, forcing his grin down to something less deranged.

"Right… okay. Time to get you somewhere safe before you start making dial-up noises again."

He crouched, ready to pick her up for real this time.

Subaru crouched down, bracing himself. "Alright, glitch girl, here we go. Easy does it."

He slid his arms under her shoulders, took a deep breath, and lifted.

Nothing happened.

Subaru blinked, confused. He adjusted his grip and tried again, this time putting more strength into it.

Still nothing.

Not even a wobble.

His brow twitched. "Huh…?"

Determined now, he planted his feet, gritted his teeth, and gave it everything he had - face scrunching up, veins bulging in his neck, a strained, ugly noise escaping his throat.

Her body shifted maybe… a millimetre. If that.

Thunk.

It settled right back into place like it weighed a metric ton.

Subaru stumbled back, panting. "Wha…*huff* what the hell?!"

He bent down again, grabbed her by the wrists, and tried to drag her. Not a budge. He pushed at her back. Nothing. Shoved at her shoulder. She might as well have been bolted to the ground.

"What are you made of?!" Subaru wheezed, hands on his knees, utterly baffled. "Is this some kind of futuristic super metal? Space-age neutronium alloy or something?!" 

He squatted down, poking at her arm. It felt soft enough, like normal flesh. But apparently weighed more than his self-esteem after every bad life decision.

"This makes no sense… You look like you weigh, what, fifty kilos tops! How the hell are you so heavy?!"

He groaned, flopping onto his back beside her in defeat.

"Y'know… It's starting to feel personal." (because it is.)

Subaru sat down with a heavy sigh, leaning back against the cold stone wall beside her, his legs stretched out in front of him.

"Okay… okay… new plan," he muttered to himself, wiping sweat from his forehead. "I'll just… wait it out. Yeah. That's the smart move."

He crossed his arms, nodding firmly like he'd just made a tactical decision worthy of a general.

"No point in overexerting myself now, right? Gotta conserve energy. Pick my battles. Waiting for her to wake up on her own is obviously the optimal choice here. Nothing to do with me being unable to lift a tiny girl who apparently weighs as much as a small truck. Nope. Definitely not that."

He chuckled awkwardly, glancing down at her lifeless form.

"Bet it's some kind of futuristic… hyper-dense alloy skeleton or something. Yeah. That makes sense. Would explain the whole Windows XP reboot thing too."

Another nod, this time a little more confident.

"See? I'm not weak. I'm being smart. Strategic."

With that totally not delusional logic secured, Subaru let his head tilt back against the wall and sighed.

"This is fine. Everything's fine. I've totally got this under control." 

.

.

.

(cuts to him being kicked repeatedly by the 3 musketeers of thievery)

jk jk

 

 

Notes:

A/N very short, but this is all my pain-riddled brain can manage today.

Even subconsciously, cyn causes trouble. and makes a certain isekai delusional kid sad.

Hope you enjoyed. Please comment and goodbye.

:3

Chapter 3: Conversations with the cyborg.

Summary:

Conversations with a... cute cyborg? nani!? - Subaru probably

Subaru stayed like that for a while, sitting against the cold wall, legs stretched out, arms crossed, occasionally shooting the unconscious girl a side-eye.

Minutes passed.

The noise of the street beyond the alley faded into a dull, distant hum. Somewhere nearby, a bell chimed. Subaru let his eyelids droop.

Just for a second.

Just a second.

"Not sleeping," he muttered to himself, head dipping slightly. "Just… tactical resting. Yeah."

A few quiet moments went by.

Then, something made his eyes snap open.

At first, nothing seemed different. Same alley. Same stone walls. Same lifeless maybe-cyborg lying next to him.

Except-

A twitch.

Subaru's gaze zeroed in on her hand. A single finger gave the tiniest jerk. Then another.

He stiffened.

Slowly, she began to sit up, her movements stiff, awkward — like someone trying to pilot a body they weren't used to. Subaru watched, a strange mix of fascination and disbelief crawling up his spine.

She tried to stand.

Wobbled.

And fell.

Stood again.

Fell again.

Stood. Fell.

Stood. Fell.

Stood… wobbled… fell.

It went on, an unsteady, clumsy rhythm of balance and collapse. Yet every time, she got a little better. A little steadier.

And honestly… it was weirdly cute.

Despite the fact that, judging by earlier, she probably weighed as much as a freight train and could one-punch a building, there was something unintentionally adorable about the whole spectacle.

Especially with the soft, quiet narration she muttered under her breath, like someone fumbling through a video game tutorial.

"Standing… falling… standing… falling… standing… falling…"

Subaru felt a grin tug at his lips, the tight knot of tension in his chest starting to unravel.

She's kinda cute, huh.

After several more failed attempts, she rose one last time, teetered… then fell forward with a perfect, deadpan faceplant.

Thunk.

She lay there, facedown, limbs sprawled, like her entire body had just given up on life.

"Annoyed grumble," she mumbled into the stone, voice muffled but somehow still expressive. "Why is this so hard…?"

Subaru stifled a laugh. If she weren't face-down, he was sure she'd be making the most exaggerated, droopy sad-face imaginable.

He scratched the back of his head.

Should… should I help? Can I even help an amnesiac cyborg girl relearn how to walk? …Yeah, no, probably not. I'll, uh… leave it to her.

Subaru gave a small shrug and leaned back against the wall again, arms folding as he watched the bizarre little struggle play out like some awkward, glitchy tutorial sequence.

Eventually, she finally managed to stay upright. Her arms shot out for balance. She teetered once… twice… Then steadied.

A tiny, awkward smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she exclaimed, "Yippe!"

Subaru snorted.

But then she turned around. Slowly. Unsteady, but moving. Her large yellow eyes landed on him.

She stared.

He blinked.

There was a long, silent moment where neither moved.

Then she gave the most awkward little shuffle in place. Hands fidgeting at her sides, eyes nervously darting.

"Nervous shuffle, U-um…" she muttered, almost reciting it like a script. Then, a bit more naturally, her voice softened. "W-who are you? …Do you know who I am…?"

Subaru stared at her for a second. Then a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Nope. Not a clue," he said brightly, tapping a finger against his chest. "But I think I've already figured out the important parts."

He straightened up, clearing his throat with a dramatic little cough.

"Ahem. Allow me to introduce myself properly!"

He threw a hand out to the side, and in the air with all the confidence of a man who absolutely didn't have his life together.

"The name's Natsuki Subaru! Totally broke, absolutely clueless, absolutely zero special powers to my knowledge, and dragged into this world by circumstances beyond my control. Nice to meet you!" he declared with a grin, sticking out his hand.

The girl blinked, her yellow eyes flickering in their sockets. "Nervous giggle… uhm… n-nice to meet you, Mr. Natsuki," she mumbled, taking a few small, unsteady steps toward him.

She reached out, hesitating for a second, then carefully took his hand. The handshake was… awkward. Like she was still figuring out how her fingers were supposed to move. Subaru noticed then, she only had four. It looked natural, like it was supposed to be that way, flesh and all. Not a clean cut or anything, just… biologically correct.

Huh. Neat.

After a second, she let her hand drop back to her side, shuffling her feet nervously again. "Shuffle, shuffle… my name is…" she started, trailing off. Her eyes unfocused, staring into space like she was digging through a very empty hard drive.

"I… don't re- no, I do!" she corrected herself "I am Cy-y-y-yn… tessa? Cyn." Her voice steadied a little. "Cyn."

She gave a tiny, proud nod, as if locking it in for herself. "Resolute nod," she added softly.

Subaru snorted, shaking his head with a crooked grin. "Okay then, Cyn-san. Nice to meet you."

Cyn fidgeted with the hem of her dress, her eyes flickering faintly as she glanced up at him.

"Um…" she hesitated, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "W-would you happen to… um… know me, Mr. Natsuki? Because… I… I can't remember anything about myself."

Subaru's expression softened. He reached up, rubbing the back of his neck, a small chuckle escaping him.

"First off, drop the 'Mr. Natsuki' stuff. Call me Subaru, yeah?"

Cyn blinked, her yellow pupils flickering faintly. "Nervous side glance. O-oh… okay. Subaru."

"Better," he grinned, giving a satisfied nod before gesturing vaguely at the alley around them. "And as for whether I know you? Nope. Not even a little. Never seen you before in my life."

Her shoulders drooped a bit, the flicker in her eyes dimming.

"But," Subaru quickly added, pointing a finger at her with a cocky smirk, "I've got a theory."

Cyn tilted her head, curiosity sparking in her expression. "Head tilt… a theory?"

"Yep. See, I think you're like me," Subaru said, leaning in a bit, lowering his voice like he was about to spill a grand secret. "Dragged into this world from somewhere else. But unlike me, you're probably from way, way, waaaay in the future. from the place I was from, atleast. I mean, you look like a cyborg, so I guess that's what you are." he gives a shrug, "And that's what led us here, to this conversation. In this new medieval world of magic!"

Subaru flashed her a grin. "Sooo… what do you think?"

Cyn's lips twitched, the barest hint of a shy, uncertain smile forming. "O-oh… okay… I… I guess that makes sense? So I am a future… person… cyborg… thing? I don't know how to feel about that. But… if you say so, Subaru… then I will believe you. Nervous giggle."

Subaru's heart gave a little flip. So cute.

"You're welcome, Cyn-tan," he chuckled, giving her a playful wink. "Happy to be of service."

"Confused expression. Tan?" Cyn repeated, tilting her head with a puzzled blink.

Subaru winced. "Ah, right, right. Uh, okay, quick lesson. It's a little nickname thing. Where I'm from, people add stuff to names sometimes, like 'san' for being polite, 'kun' for buddies, 'chan' for cute girls or kids… and 'tan' is kinda like… an extra cute version of 'chan.'"

Cyn blinked again. "So… you called me extra… cute?"

Subaru's face turned a shade redder than he meant it to. "N-not that I meant it weirdly or anything! Just y'know, kinda suits you!"

Cyn's expression dimmed, eyes flickering uncertainly. "Confused look… w-was I not supposed to?"

Subaru blinked, immediately waving his hands in front of him. "No, no, no! It's fine! It's totally fine, Cyn-tan. It's just—uh, caught me off guard, is all."

Cyn's face brightened again. "Relieved smile. Ok! subaru-kun!"

Subaru sighed, smiling helplessly. "Man… you're dangerous, y'know that?"

"Confused head tilt. Dangerous?" she asked, her voice small, and though she didn't quite understand why, a strange flicker of unease tugged at the back of her mind. A faint, hollow ache. 

"Yeah. You're gonna give me a heart attack at this rate."

Cyn stiffened, eyes widening in alarm. "Oh no! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to- I-I wasn't trying to-!" she blurted, her words tumbling out in a frantic rush as she waved her hands in a panic.

Subaru burst out laughing, cutting her off mid-flail. "Whoa, whoa, easy, Cyn-tan! It's just an expression! A figure of speech!"

Cyn froze. "…Figure of… what now?"

"It just means you're surprising as hell, and it's kinda messing with me. Not that you're literally gonna kill me or anything, just that you're really good at it," he grinned, waving a dismissive hand. "So relax."

A long pause. Then, "Relieved sigh. Okay… thank you for explaining, Subaru-kun."

Subaru gave her a lopsided grin. "Anytime."

Cyn gave a tiny, almost shy smile in return.

Subaru stretched his arms above his head, letting out a yawn. "Well… now that we've sorted everything out. What do you say we get outta this alley?"

Cyn perked up a little. "Nervous nod. Yes! Leaving… sounds good."

Just as they turned to leave, Subaru's eyes caught movement ahead.

Three shadowy figures were approaching through the fading light.

Instinctively, Subaru shot a finger toward them, prompting Cyn to slowly pivot, her steps still a bit unsteady but far steadier than before.

A cold unease settled over Subaru's chest. Something unpleasant was about to happen.

 

(gimme your hat - theif)

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed.

:3

Chapter 4: Oh no, a mugging.

Summary:

Tom china and idk kon
are robbing

The shadows drew closer, the shapes of the three figures sharpening with each step. Subaru narrowed his eyes, instinctively shifting a little to the side.

They weren't normal pedestrians. That much was obvious.

Even with her… current naivety, Cyn had a gut feeling that stepping back and hiding behind Subaru was a very good idea.

So, that's exactly what she did, taking a few awkward steps back, then peeking out from behind him.

From the fading shadows emerged three figures, rough-looking, mismatched, and unmistakably trouble. They stood there as if posing.

First came a tall, lanky man with a sharp chin and messy hair, grinning. Behind him trailed… a kid? And last, looming over them all, was a beefy brute whose muscles were almost as big as Subaru's delusions. (hey!)

ah crap.

"Look what we've found. Kehkehkeh," the little one muttered, eyes gleaming with mischief.

The lanky man took a step forward, flashing an oily grin at Subaru. "A lone guy and his sister, all by their lonesome. You don't look like you're from around here, are ya?"

"Well~" the short one drawled, snickering, "we could help you out. You give us everything you've got, and we won't hurt ya."

The muscular one cracked his knuckles like thunder. "So hand it over. Otherwise… things get rough."

Of course. The classic isekai welcome. The mandatory mugging event to assert dominance over the weak newbie from another world. Every story had one. It was practically tradition at this point.

He flexed his fingers subtly, eyes narrowing as he mentally plotted it out. Fake a surrender, bait the lanky one in, then sock him right in the jaw. Grab the little one next and use him as a human meat shield against the big guy. Not the most heroic plan, but it's the best he has.

He could do it.

He would do it.

Except…

His eyes flicked to the girl slightly behind him.

Cyn.

She was watching warily from behind, peeking past his shoulder like a kid seeing a horror movie through her fingers. No way to know if she could fight, or even run. Just a poor... perhaps wartorn cyborge girl dragged into this mess. who could barely walk. He couldn't risk her getting caught in the mess.

Damn it.

"...Tch," he muttered under his breath, easing his fists.

Not the time to play cool hero. He had no idea how strong these guys actually were. For all he knew, they could pull out glowing swords, summon magic, or worse, much higher stats.

"Alright," he said, trying not to sound too tense. "Let's not get too excited. No need for things to get rough, right?"

His smile was tight.

"How about we talk this out like civilised peo-" 

---

Subaru rolls a Persuasion check.

10 [I've decided, Subaru's suffering will be dictated by my hand and this D20 i own... it should make things more fun for me.]

"FUCK", said the Subaru playing DnD

---

"Outta the way! Move it, move it!"

A blur of motion sliced through the tension before Subaru could finish botching his attempt at Talk no Jutsu.

The muggers turned. Subaru did too.

Skidding into the alley like a whirlwind and - with a whirlwind, mind you. - came a short blonde girl with crimson eyes, her face scrunched in panic. A ragged brown jacket clung desperately to her frame, barely doing its job, and a black band of cloth was tied tightly across her chest, more modesty sash than shirt. Twin daggers bounced at her waist as she darted past, feet light, frame agile. Every inch of her screamed thief.

And every ounce of Subaru screamed

Holy crap, she's cute. But obviously, a gentleman like him did not outwardly voice his inner opinions. 

But his thoughts didn't stop the present as the girl dashed forward.

And, of course, she was heading straight towards... or I guess through-

"Watch it!" Subaru yelped, stumbling back as she blew past him, the breeze kicking up his jacket. Cyn blinked, confused.

The girl paused just for a second, glancing back. "Sorry! I told ya to get outta the way! Sorry about your situation, but live strong!"

And then she was gone, vaulting off the walls, kicking off crates, and vanishing above the rooftop like she'd trained in a hidden leaf village.

Woaaah, was that magic? So cool!

Woaaah, was that magic? So cool.

And then reality dropkicked him.

Oh shit.Robbers.Double oh shit.Fantasy robbers with maybe swords and maybe magic.

Subaru turned back to face the trio, face pale, lips twitching into a hopeful smile."So... uh... did that little series of events give you any ideas? Like... maybe you're feeling a bit less hostile now? By any chance?"

There was a pause.

.

.

.

"Actually, it rained on our parade. Made things worse."

Of course it did.

"Give us all your stuff or else, we aren't playing!"

Sad sad Suba-Suba.

He held his hands up halfway, like a man surrendering and also praying to every god in the universe for a miracle.

"H-hey now, there's no need to get violent, right? I mean, come on, think about it logically. I have nothing! I'm literally broke! Like, Kick out the hero's party rock-bottom broke!"

One of the guys stepped forward, slapping a palm with his fist. "Then we'll take your clothes. Maybe sell 'em. Or burn 'em. Depends on how annoying you get."

Subaru's face twitched. 

extra sad suba suba.

Good thing Suba Suba had a friend in the form of a... very, very innocent little girl.

Who saw something very interesting.

.

.

.

Notes:

A/N Are you intrigued by what Cyn shall be doing next? Find out next chapter.

hope you enjoyed reading, and i hope you found my jokes funny.

cause if you dont... well i can't do anything except cry so uh... please dont :(
(please comment)

Now bye bye

See ya!

Chapter 5: Head is not a great... shield.

Summary:

heat is not a good thing.

(Cyn rolls for the entire interaction...

she rolls a 3.)

Her body moved like it wasn't hers anymore. Like something else had taken over, like she was just reacting. Not thinking. Not feeling. Just moving. Efficiently. 

Cyn stepped forward with mechanical grace, each movement sharp and precise, a fluid predator's gait that didn't match her clunky cyborg frame. She stopped directly in front of Subaru, shielding him.

"Uh. Cyn?" Subaru blinked, voice unsure.

The girl who'd been slightly nervous before, who'd clung to his coat just moments ago, was gone.

Now there was only silence, seriousness, and something disturbingly... focused.

She didn't respond. Didn't blink.Didn't even see him anymore.

Her hand raised, palm open.

Her golden eyes? flicked around like they were tracking something invisible. And then, without warning, the air itself cracked.

A rippling shimmer sparked into existence just in front of her hand. A massive yellow circle lit up the alley, taller than Cyn herself. It spun slowly, etched with a strange symbol: three outward-facing arrows radiating from a central hexagon.

It hummed. It didn't belong.

The world didn't want it here.

A second passed.

Then-

"Wha-?!" the shortest thug gasped, stepping back-

FWOOOOOSH

A brutal gust of wind exploded from the floating symbol.

The small thug was instantly lifted off his feet, launched backwards like a ragdoll. He slammed into one wall. bounced. And smacked into another. By the time he hit the ground, he wasn't moving.

Cyn's arm shifted slightly.

So did the circle.

It angled toward the lanky thug.

"Wait, WAIT-!"

He didn't get another word out. The wind screamed again, and gravity forgot its job.

The lanky thug flew straight back like the alley itself tilted sideways.

He crashed into the far wall where the alley bent. And then he stuck. Pinned like an insect, howling, as the unrelenting wind hammered him into the brick again and again and again.

Pinned, helpless.

Unable to fall.

Unable to move.

Unable to run.

And through it all, Cyn still hadn't blinked.

The last one (big one) wasn't frozen in fear like the others. He let out a grunt, shoulders tightening as he watched his buddy get turned into wall paint.

"Rachins!?" he bellowed.

His grip shifted, both hands curling tight around the massive metal club he'd been dragging behind him like it was a toy. "You little freak! I'll make you pay for that!"

And then he charged.

He was fast. Way faster than you'd expect from someone built like a brick furnace. The club lifted overhead, the ground shook slightly under each stomp-

Whoooooosh (fuck you idk how big ass clubs sound like.)

The weapon came crashing down toward Cyn.

Subaru, who had just finished processing the fact that his new companion could draw glowing symbols which looked like cracks in space, that could summon the literal winds of a tornado, took one look at the incoming swing and had a single, galaxy-brain idea.

No analysis. No internal debate. No, thought. such as the most practical use of empirical reasoning. "omg, this child weighs a fuck ton. Maybe she's made out of some super metal and is extremely durable. while also weighing a Toyota at the same time. Perhaps this FUCK TON weighing child might be durable or something. idk im fuckin subaru"

and instead, goes with the STUPID heroism plan.

I can't let her get hit! He thought heroically. Stupidly. But heroically. I guess...

And so he leaps forward and places his body Right between Cyn and the club.

And guess what this guy does? He protects her.

USING!
HIS!
MOTHER!
FUCKING!
HEAD!

CRACK.

There was silence.

Then a pathetic wheeze.

"...I regret everything..." Subaru mumbled from the floor, twitching. because of course he realised that was a bad fucking idea. right after being smacked in the head with a concussion.

thud

Floor 2: subaru ... idk fucking give him -2. fuck his dumb ass.

The club actually bounced off his mighty fine nogging, enough to make the big guy stagger in surprise. "What the hell!?" the man barked, eyes wide. Obviously confused about where the fuck the flying dumb teenager came from.

Cyn, meanwhile, was still staring ahead—only now her strange, triple-arrow-shaped eyes twitched. A flicker passed through them. One of the glowing symbols in her gaze faded, shifting back to a single, golden pupil.

Her head snapped toward Subaru's collapsed form.

"Subaru...?"

Then louder.

"SUBARU!"

Her arm snapped around with enough speed to make the air crack. A gale roared to life at her fingertips, winds swirling with deadly intent.

And through her rage… she missed the warning.

She ignored the alarm.

One she'd definitely regret later.

"Oh SHI-!"

The man was instantly picked up by the gust like a piece of laundry in a hurricane. He hit the wall with a heavy CRACK, bounced, and collapsed face-first into the alley floor. His club tumbled from his hands with a dull clang.

Cyn whirled to finish the job, a slight... manic expression as her eyes glowed in her sockets, she flexed her fingers, wind forming and the-

[WARNING] [WARNING] [WARNING]

[DANGEROUSLY HIGH HEAT LEVELS DETECTED]

[EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN INITIATED]

"Confused expre-"

She didn't even make a sound, couldn't even finish her phrase before, just collapsing sideways in a puff of wind and steam, smoke curling gently from her clothes.

And so...

The alley fell silent.

Five bodies.

All lying still.

Peaceful.

Sleeping.

...obviously, because this is all voluntary done of course. with not... violence involved.

.

.

.

Wait! Actually, only 4 were taking a nap.

After a minute, the big guy stirred. Groaning. Swearing. Definitely concussed.

He staggered to his feet, bruised, bleeding, swaying like a drunk on ice. But he saw them all: Subaru, limp. Cyn, shut down. His teammates, knocked the fuck out.

"Fucking... monster child..." he hissed, stumbling toward the unconscious girl. His fingers clenched around the handle of his club. He raised it.

He roared something unintelligible, might've been a threat, might've been a declaration of revenge, (or maybe loooooove~) or maybe it might've just been the concussion talking.

But before he could bring it down-

"Stop, you villain!"

THWACK.

A crystal spike slammed into his ribs from the side, launching him like a baseball straight into the wall. He arced through the air with a scream and landed on his face. Right on top of his buddy.

The one Cyn had stapled to the bricks earlier.

...

What a goddamn shitshow.

--- (Emilia Pov)

"Puck, I'm just saying, Ram didn't specifically say I couldn't leave. She said, 'Don't cause trouble.' That's different."

She strolled down the quieter edge of the plaza, arms swinging, hood up just enough to avoid too much attention. The market was still lively, smells of bread and spice thick in the air.

Puck floated lazily beside her, lying on his back midair like he was sunbathing.

"You're stretching it, Lia. Next, you'll say it doesn't count as sneaking out if no one caught you."

"That's exactly how it works."

"Right, and I suppose if you broke a law but smiled nicely while doing it, that'd be fine too?"

"It would definitely help."

Puck snorted but didn't press further.

They rounded the bend where a row of flowerboxes spilt bright petals over chipped windowsills. The cobblestones here were uneven, worn smooth by time. Emilia hummed quietly to herself as her steps brought her toward the plaza's centrepiece: a wide marble fountain surrounded by trimmed hedges.

Water danced high into the air before falling into the basin with a soft, rhythmic splash. Sunlight caught in the droplets, scattering glints of colour over her silver hair.

She stepped closer, tilting her head in quiet wonder. The carving at the centre of the fountain was old and intricately detailed, two dragons coiled around a tall stone pillar, their wings flared wide like protective shields.

"It's beautiful," she murmured.

"You've seen it before," Puck said lazily.

"I know. Still is."

She reached out, fingers just brushing the cool water's surface, until a sudden bump jostled her from behind.

"Ah-!"

Emilia stumbled a half-step forward, just catching herself before she lost balance. She turned with a confused blink, only to catch a flash of golden hair and a flicker of crimson eyes. A small girl, maybe ten or eleven, looked up at her with a fleeting, sheepish smile.

"Oh! Sorry! In a bit of a rush!" the girl chirped before darting past without slowing.

Emilia blinked. "Eh?"

Then the girl disappeared into the crowd, slipping through gaps between market-goers

She turned back toward the fountain, still slightly puzzled, until Puck's dry voice cut in.

"She stole the purse."

"What?"

"The little thief took your purse, as she bumped into you," he said, floating into view with his ears perked. "The one with the insignia in it."

Emilia's eyes widened. Her hand shot to her hip, empty. Nothing but the cleanly cut remains of the leather strap hung against her cloak.

"No-!"

She spun around, scanning the crowd with frantic eyes. Her breath hitched. The once-charming market was suddenly too noisy, too full—voices overlapping, footsteps masking any one direction. But she caught a glimpse of blonde hair vanishing between two stalls near a fruit vendor.

"What! Oh no! I just got that!" I just promised Ram!

Her boots slapped against the stone as she broke into a run.

"Out of the way, sorry, excuse me!" she called, ducking around a startled merchant and nearly knocking over a stack of bread crates.

"Careful, Lia!" Puck floated beside her, barely breaking a sweat, or he would've, if spirits could. "She's quick. Might even have a divine protection. But you've got longer legs and something she doesn't. Morality. That counts for something."

"This isn't the time, Puck! She has my insignia!"

"And your coins, too. Plus, I liked that purse. It had a nice rustic charm," he added cheerfully. Not fitting the current situation.

"Puck, you're really not helping."

"Fine, fine. Call me when you need me," he sighed, vanishing into a shimmer of mana as he returned to her crystal.

Emilia pushed harder, feet slapping against stone as she chased after the flicker of blonde ahead. The girl was fast. Nimble. She darted through the side streets with the ease of someone born to them. Emilia wasn't slow, but she didn't know this city. Not like the girl did. Still, she kept her eyes sharp.

She had to get that insignia back. She had to. It wasn't just about the money or the humiliation. It was her one chance. Her only hope of making things right again.

Up ahead, the girl turned sharply onto a side street. Emilia followed without hesitation. As she rounded the corner, she caught a brief glimpse, the thief glanced back at her for just a heartbeat, red eyes flashing. Then she took off again, even faster than before.

"She's so fast!" Emilia muttered, frustration burning in her chest as much as the strain in her legs.

She pressed on, dodging between shoppers, cutting corners, trying to keep the girl in sight. But the distance grew. The winding streets closed in. And eventually, Emilia skidded to a stop in a quieter section of the city, chest heaving.

She bent slightly, hands on her knees. Her heart pounded. Her lungs burned. She'd lost her.

"Maybe someone saw her..." she whispered to herself, brushing a strand of silver hair from her eyes.

With that, she pushed forward again, walking fast now, stopping people along the way.

"Excuse me, have you seen a small blonde girl run past? Red eyes? In a hurry?"

A few shook their heads. One pointed vaguely toward the east end. Emilia followed that lead, turning into a narrow alleyway that snaked between two tall, run-down buildings.

She stepped into the dim corridor of stone and shadow.

But what she found wasn't a thief.

.

.

.

"What...?" she whispered, breath catching in her throat.

The alley stretched out before her like a forgotten stage after a battle, five bodies strewn across the ground in varying degrees of motionlessness. Two lay crumpled near the far wall, two closer to the entrance. One lay sprawled in the centre, groaning weakly.

Then, the largest among them -the one in the middle- began to move.

He staggered upright, swaying like a broken marionette, blood trickling from a cut along his temple. His breathing was heavy and uneven. As rage clung to him like fog. With shaking hands, he grabbed a thick wooden club from the ground beside him

Her mind reeled. The thief (the blonde girl) was getting farther away by the second. She should be chasing after her. That was more important… wasn't it?

But still… she didn't move.

Instead, her gaze was locked on the girl collapsed in the shadows. A young, black-haired child in a black lolita dress, a black bow drooping from her hair. Not the thief. Not the same girl. Much smaller than her. 

Her gaze dropped to the young girl in the dress. The young, Black-haired girl with a cute bow in her hair, slumped forward as if she had collapsed. She looked no older than a child. Not the same girl from before, but definitely smaller.

The man raised his club.

"No," Emilia whispered, breath catching.

He lifted it over his shoulder, aiming to bring it down on the girl's skull.

Her body reacted before thought could intervene.

"Stop, you villain!" she shouted, thrusting her hand forward. A gleam of magic pulsed from her palm.

A sharp crystal shot out, faster than the eye could follow, slamming into the man's chest and launching him backwards.

He crashed into the far wall with a crunch, landing in a tangled heap right atop his two unconscious companions.

Silence fell.

A faint trail of glittering frost lingered where the crystal had flown. Emilia slowly lowered her arm, heart still racing.

She didn't hear any more movement from the pile of bodies.

Only then did Emilia hurry forward, kneeling beside the girl.

"Hey... are you alright?" she asked gently, brushing a few strands of dark hair from the girl's face.

The girl's breathing was faint but steady. Her skin, however, was alarmingly hot, like touching a stone left out in the sun. Yet despite the heat radiating from her, there wasn't a single bead of sweat, no sign of consciousness, no stirring. The only indication she was alive at all was the slow rise and fall of her chest.

Emilia frowned, glancing around at the destroyed alleyway. The chaos surrounding them had painted a picture as if a hurricane had passed through.

It was strange... considering she must've used fire magic to get so hot, right? So why did it look like wind magic was used?

"She must've used magic..." Emilia murmured, eyes tracing the girl's wrinkled clothes and burning body. It made sense. 

A flash of light flickered beside her as Puck drifted out from behind her hair, floating lazily before settling beside the girl's head. His tiny tail gave an idle flick as he stared down at the unconscious girl. "Hmm... strange," he muttered. "I can't sense any mana from her. Not even a trace. That's... unusual."

"Is something wrong?" Emilia asked, glancing at him.

Puck tilted his head. "Nothing dangerous. She probably just burned herself out. Poured everything she had into whatever spell she used and went nighty-night. Kitten's completely drained."

Emilia looked back down at the girl, her expression softening. The girl couldn't be older than a child. She turned her gaze to the nearby boy and frowned slightly.

"She must've saved him," she said quietly, a mix of awe and sympathy in her tone.

Puck floated up beside her shoulder again, watching her carefully. "Lia," he said, voice practical. "You do realise the thief's still getting away?"

Emilia sighed, but didn't look away from the girl. "Of course I do. But I'm not just going to leave a little girl unconscious in an alleyway surrounded by thugs." She paused. "Besides... the thief's probably long gone by now. I'll pick up the trail again later."

Puck gave a tiny shrug. "If you say so. Just don't blame me when they vanish into thin air."

"I won't." Emilia smiled faintly, then looked back down. Her brows furrowed. "She's still so hot…"

Puck nodded. "Yeah, you should probably cool her down before she burns a hole through the stone."

Emilia gave a short nod and moved quickly, channelling her magic into cooling the air. like... like... like a fridge...

EMILIA THE FRIIIIIIIIIDGE

She stayed close, watching the girl's breathing, finding the girl's face to be... cute. Beatrice is also cute. She thought, as she brushed a hand through the girl's hair.

While this happened, Puck... continued to stare at Cyn... perplexed and... cautious.

.

.

 

 

 

(little bonus)

 

 

I can't draw,
buuuut I have been trying to use Gacha Life 2.
So I created Cyn. This is kinda what I think when i see cyn. 

Cyntessa but just... more human.

(please say you like it)

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed. Also i really enjoyed writing the all hell broke loose scene. where everyone had a nap. Anyway comment because i love validations and um... um... yeah.

see ya.

(Also, please tell me if I mischaracterised any of the characters. thanks.)

Chapter 6: refrigerator

Summary:

"wha?"

sums the chapter up.

Cold. That was the first thing Cyn felt as consciousness slowly tugged her back. A chill seeps into her body, cutting through the heat that still clings to her insides. Her eyelids fluttered, heavy until she forced them open.

A pale face swam into view above her, framed by long silver hair that shimmered faintly even in the darkness. The woman's violet eyes blinked with concern, and her soft voice broke the quiet.

"Are you alright?" Emilia asked, brushing a strand of hair from Cyn's damp forehead. Her tone was gentle, careful, but behind it was relief. 

Cyn blinked again, her vision still swimming. Emilia's gaze lingered for a moment longer than most people's would. The girl's visor-like eyes - unnatural in their... uh... unnatural socketry - made her pause. strange... she thought. But rather than recoil, Emilia's expression merely shifted into a brief flicker of confusion before softening again. choosing to accept her differences.

"Does anything hurt? Can you move?" Emilia continued.

Cyn stared at her, lips parting, but no immediate answer came. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to feel: pain, exhaustion, or maybe nothing at all. But the one thing she did feel was an unbearable heat, and right beneath her + next to her, was an amazing, fully functional fridge to cool herself off.

A shaky breath slipped out of her. Before Emilia could ask again, Cyn shifted, still sprawled in the girl's lap, and pressed herself closer against the source of that refreshing chill. Her arms latched tight, face nuzzling into the fabric of Emilia's dress.

"Mmm… cold," she hummed, almost melting into her. The words were followed by a low, vibrating... purr...? as she completely ignored Emilia the person's words. As shoving her face into the fleshy ice cube was more appealing than communing.

Emilia's shoulders jerked in surprise, her hands hovering awkwardly above the girl clinging to her. Wide eyes darted down, searching Cyn's face as if to make sense of what she was hearing.

She… wasn't a cat demi-human… was she? There's no tail or ears, so why-? 

She glanced at Puck, still floating near her shoulder. His tiny paws lifted in an exaggerated shrug, the little spirit's whiskers twitching with barely-contained amusement. Deciding to be useless was a great option right now.

Emilia blinked rapidly, flustered and utterly confused.

Cyn only snuggled closer, purring louder.

.

.

.

"U-um… hello? Are you okay?"

Her words drifted uncertainly, trying to gain the attention of the vice-gripping child, but sadly, they fell against Cyn like a droplet fighting iron. No reply came, no words acknowledged. Just the continued, weird low rumbling sound that mimicked a cat pur, as Cyn pressed her cheek more firmly into Emilia's lap, clinging as though she'd just discovered the world's most precious treasure. This was a weird experience if Emilia had to say to herself, considering most children feared her, and from what Emilia knew, also didn't pur.

So all Emilia could do was stand frozen herself, giving a glance to her only parental figure in her life currently, puck. Floating nearby as his little tail twitched with his eyes narrowing with a feline curiosity, as a cat would do when they find a non-kitty... purring. Perhaps if she were a cat-demi-human, it wouldn't be weird, but no, no signs of anything cat-like. 

The warmth radiating off Cyn's body was almost feverish. Emilia bit her lip as concern knitted her brows. She was kindhearted by nature (some would say too kind), so there was no way she could ignore a child who clearly suffered alone to fend for herself. Carefully, she lifted one hand above Cyn's back.

A faint mist gathered around her fingertips, sparkling as it spread through the air. The temperature shifted instantly as coolness began flowing like a breath of fresh winter wind. 

For nearly a minute, she let the magic flow, soothing away the heat. The girl stirred faintly in her lap, clutch tightening, and a content hum slipped out of her lips. "Mmm… cold."

Then, like a trap being sprung, Cyn suddenly bolted upright. Her head darted left, right, then left again, eyes wide and frantic. She scrambled off Emilia's lap, hands fumbling as if searching for something invisible. "Panicked searching!" she blurted, dropping to all fours before scuttling across the dirt with surprising speed.

Emilia blinked, hands frozen midair. "...Eh?"

"Eh?" Puck echoed, both of them sharing the exact same brain cell. Sadly, this (icy elf) runs on PG-13 filters (because icy kitty decreed so), which sadly meant no what the fu- for them.

Cyn's movements were clumsy, gravity itself apparently her worst enemy. Every few steps, she nearly tripped over her own feet. After some quality time f̶l̶a̶i̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ searching, her eyes landed on Subaru lying face-first on the stony ground, still enjoying his world-class nap after a club auditioned for the role of "blunt trauma" on his head. (perfectly accurate re-cap.)

Cyn dashed over, only if "dashed" meant tripping and then crash-landing on her knees right beside him. (Not intentional. But since god and anime are on her side, she landed the fall gracefully...) She hit the ground and immediately grabbed Subaru's shoulders like she'd been aiming for that the whole time. Perfect landing.

"Subaru-kun? Subaru-kun? Wakey wakey," she pleaded? shaking him with the urgency of someone trying to get a vending machine to cough up all their goods.

Poke to the cheek. Poke to the forehead. poke to the eye. hmm? nothing? violent shakes should be the answer...

...

Still nothing. Subaru groaned faintly, face firmly in dreamland, optional optional is optional.

Emilia stayed kneeling where she was, silver hair slipping over her shoulders as she gave Puck a sidelong glance. The spirit hovered with his tail twitching lazily, eyes narrowed, still as bemused as she was.

Neither of them intervened. Instead, they simply watched the... what was happening, occur. one, a kindhearted half-elf baffled by the child's strange behaviour, the other a spirit who found amusement in the extremely odd events unfolding before him.

Emilia stayed kneeling where she was, silver hair falling over her shoulders as she traded a look with Puck. The spirit's tail twitched lazily, his little eyes narrowed in amusement. The half-elf was baffled; the cat was entertained. Neither of them moved to intervene.

After a good minute of relentless poking, Cyn froze at a polite voice behind her."Excuse me," said the very nice refrigerator.

Naturally, Cyn liked refrigerator-san, so she turned her head, tilted it like a curious bird, and said, "questioning expression. Yes?"

The refrigerator (actually Emilia, but details are overrated) blinked again. Her lips pressed together awkwardly before she managed a small, careful smile.

"Um… he should be fine. Subaru's just sleeping, I think. Nothing to worry about," she offered gently, as if explaining to a child that no, just because you can put your hand in a fire for a fraction of a second, you can't lie in it.

Cyn nodded gravely, as though this was deeply profound medical knowledge. ("i see" i said mentally, but did not add because... because)

Emilia hesitated, then decided… small talk. That was the thing to do, right? She smoothed her hands over her skirt and tried."My name's Emilia," she said kindly. "What's yours?"

Cyn blinked at her. "…Cyn. short for cynnamon," then Cyn blinked again, and had a confused expression.

Puck snorted loud enough to be audible. Emilia blinked twice, visibly trying to process whether that was serious or not. 

Cyn... was still confused on why she had said that... and also what was cinnamon?

 

 

Notes:

Im back, and I have decided that random bullshit go is a great writing strategy. hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Please comment if I make mistakes, and I hope you comment on how much you liked a certain joke. Because I love making jokes. And reading comments gives me happiness and motivation.

Anyway

see ya!