ℝ𝔼𝔻 ℚ𝕌𝔼𝔼ℕ---⚘

The Nun turned, watching curiously as the hooded man passed by. Naturally her inquisitive nature couldn't refute the call.

Compared to citizens apprehensions, Lilith found delight in visitors. With a curiosity always calling for more than what Fortuna could offer- learning about the other world was as exciting as it ever got for the young lady. Trading knowledge and even trinkets if she could make a good bargain. To know there was more to life outside of Fortuna…

But a voice called back her sanity.

She couldn’t afford to get into trouble again.

It was already enough with the diocese on her back what with heads finding her penchant for questions a sign of dubiety and of course neglecting duties…

Observing, emerald eyes catch to an odd shape from the end of the figures cloak. Sunlight sparked a metal tip at the end—

Surely that wasn’t what she thought it was?

‘ 𝘌𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩, 𝘓𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘩.’

Don’t get muddled up in such business.

She was going to walk away-

𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚-

but as the outsider passed by two Holy Knights catching their attention, her conscious couldn’t refute.

❝ Ah! There you are! ❞

Swift- practically seamless the young girl cut between the Knights snatching the strangers hand. Shocking not only the guards, but also the hooded man.

❝ —-?! ❞

Wildly stares dawned the nun from both parties. With a short second she had to muster up some convoluted story.

❝ I thought I told you to wait for me at the docks- !❞ Lilith improved.

Acting was never her strongest forte, but given the circumstance the redhead could put on enough of a show. It had to come off a natural. She may not have caught the man’s face but the young lady made her own very apparent, subtly cueing with a telling blink to ‘play along‘, continuing a strung about ramble.

❝ …Right… my apologies.❞

It’s not a voice she anticipated, he sounded- young?

That'd be a matter to address afterwards, nevertheless, turning to the knights, Lilith brought herself closer into the man’s arm taking it upon herself to tie her around his. He felt stiff, rightly so for the moment.

❝ Please forgive me gentlemen, you see- I’d stricken up a correspondence through the Haros a while back and invited my friend here to the island for a visit— ❞

her voice nervously chuckles, stuttering an excuse-

❝ to share the great word of our beloved Savior… Unfortunately it seems poor timing has fallen upon all of us.❞

Wild stares from helmeted soldiers shifted to skepticism- then to antipathy when it dawned on them 𝘸𝘩𝘰 they were talking to.

The silence felt dreadful.

Finally one of them spoke up, voice gruff and irritated

❝ Outsiders aren’t allowed on the island during this time- you know this. ❞

❝ I understand that…b-but I promise—! My friend will be gone before the Holy Service. Promise. ❞ Lilith blinked pleadingly.

A stoic glare inspects her and then the hooded figure… a pause that gleefully dragged the dread of a pause.

Blessed the Savior had been kind this one time.

❝…. Move along then…❞

𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧.

❝ Thank you. ❞ Stifling an exasperated breath for just a second longer, Lilith feigns a delighted smile before dragging the outsider past them.

Yet blissful relief barely lasted as distasteful mutterings hit her line of hearing.

‘𝘛𝘤𝘩’ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨.‘

‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯s 𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.’

Though a scowl crept underneath her hood, there was no time to dwell on their vulgarity. There were far more pressing matters to attend to- 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯.

Cutting into the nearest alleyway and out of sight, she feels his hand rudely recoil out of hers. Drawing to opposing walls of the alley the two faced one another. Her friendly smile faltered into an attitude.

Reactively she spout, ❝ -You’re welcome! ❞

Silence.

Tattered cloth made for little to see from the girls perspective but she could feel a stare. 𝘈𝘯 𝘰𝘥𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦…. 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘩.

Lilith, far more enticed to voice her thoughts than the other did, opened up once again this time more composed.

❝ Forgive the cold welcome. Fortuna isn’t exactly fond of foreigners— especially one that picked a hell of a week at that.❞

❝ And why is that? ❞ He speaks.

Arms crossed, she cautiously but casually stepped closer. Ploying the interaction into her favor if she did it right.

❝ Our Vicar has passed... Everyone on the island is readying for the rites and coronation of a new leader.❞

Quiet again.

The young lady inches forward again.

That staring feeling continued, a flinch in his heel signaled confusion. ‘𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯.’

❝ Thank you. ❞ he musters a stilted sound of gratitude.

‘𝘈𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴.’ She thought.

With a second step forward Lilith finally caught the glimpse she wanted. The voice certainly matched- 𝘈 𝘣𝘰𝘺.

Couldn’t have been more than a year or so older than her. Ivory skin and chrystalis eyes- features sharp but… pretty.

Nothing like any visitor she’d ever crossed.

𝙊𝙝.

Carried away in wonder, a blink snapped her out of it and the boy abruptly sidestepped. At first assuming it was a simple motion to create a gap— he continued into the alleyway.

He was walking away now.

𝘏𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵-?!

❝ —Hey! Where do you think you’re going? ❞ Hasty steps follow afterwards, catching up.

❝ Your help has been appreciated. I have my own business to attend to now.❞

❝And what business would that be?❞

❝ That of which isn’t yours. ❞

Still he kept walking and still she followed. An annoyed pout and furrowed brows potent on the nuns face.

❝ Unfortunately love, your business has become mine - my name is attached to you now and I can’t have you meandering about with who knows what intentions, ❞

Curt and swift the boy stopped in his tracks and turned to her- the movement so unexpected Lilith bumped into him meeting his glare.

❝ 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩? ❞

𝘖𝘥𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘶𝘥𝘦. ‘𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭.’ If this was some means to intimidate, she refused to crumble. If it weren’t for the circumstances maybe she would have let him go off alone, but she had no choice.

Though…she became invested as to what brought him here.

Palms brushed her dress into place and green hues stared right back ❝ You won’t get far. ❞

❝ I think I’ll do just fine. ❞

❝ And how’s that? Using that toy you’ve got back there? Think a whole city won’t go into a blitz with some loon running around the streets? ❞

Checkmate.

❝ Plus- all the inns are closed. Unless you prefer sleeping on the streets. ❞ Twiddling a red curl her annoyed face pleased into a smug grin. Savior be damned she felt a little proud of her cheeky antics. A victor in a chess game.

Though she shouldn’t have closed her eyes for a moment there. A breeze in place of his presence open eyes watched him walk off again in stubborn defiance.

❝— HEY! ❞