Soul Swapping or Just Another Tuesday at the Manor (IDV fanfic)
They'd be buddies in another life. Trust.
(Note: So this fanfic is just an idea Iâve had in my head about what if Norton and Florian swapped personalities? That sounds fun, right? And naturally, poor Alice is caught in the middle again.)
Alice had once again found herself in a slight pickle but surely it was something our very astute and capable journalist could handleâŚsurely, right? Yet, this was a situation that was not only a first for her but there was no precedent to for her to fall back on to help her settle this bizarre predicament she was in.
âAlice wants to go with me. We have a match later and it would be wise to use that time strategizing,â her usually aloof and grumpy prospector was saying in an unusually light and carefree tone that was not at all characteristic of his usual self. Not to mention the rather warm and polite smile he wore gave Alice pause, her mind not quite wrapping itself around what she was witnessing.
This feeling was made worse when the one Norton was talking to, her usually friendly and cheerful fire investigator now responded with a scowl that didnât quite suite his face. âI disagree. Youâve spent enough time âstrategizingâ in your little meetings together. Iâve been far too polite allowing this to go on because I never get to spend any bloody time with her.â
Oh my, hearing Florian remotely use any sort of bad word just feltâŚwrong. And yet, here he was glaring at Norton with unreserved loathing as Norton matched his gaze with a patient warmth in his expression only betrayed by the slight tease in his eyes as he knew full well he was getting on Florianâs nerves.
Oh dearâŚ
The two men had seemingly swapped personalities. It didnât take a genius to figure that out but as Alice stood in between to two, she had to reflect on how this exactly happened in order to figure out how to best approach this situation where fire and ice threatened to smother her.
In the end, Alice had to step in and bluntly tell the men that sheâll spend time with both of them but that they must calm down and allow her to gather herself before she would meet up with them again. Norton readily agreed to this and nodded his head in such a warm manner that it made Alice slightly blush.
On the other hand, Florian just pouted and grumbled a little, âAlrightâŚâ before trudging away to who knows where but Alice guessed he was returning to his room or the lab where she agreed to meet him after her matches.
For now, Alice decided it would be best to return to her room and organize her thoughts on how exactly this had happened.Â
The day had started out normally enough. She had coincidentally ended up bumping into Norton on her way to breakfast and had gotten into some trivial conversation on their matches (turns out they were due to be in a couple again as well today!)Â
âShould we talk a little strategy before the second match?â Alice had asked him. Upon looking at their schedules, they had no time to go over the plan for their first match together but the second one offered enough time to meet up.
âSure,â Norton had responded. He still sounded a bit groggy from sleep. Then, as if remembering something as he checked his schedule again, grimaced and continued, âThe match right before that one is with that weird alien woman. Sounds like itâs going to be a tiring oneâŚâ
Ah, he meant The Shadow or Ivy. Alice couldnât agree more on the fact that matches against Ivy was literally soul sucking as many survivors complained how exhausted they were. The little alien or otherwordly being that seemed to possess her body touched the souls and hearts of the survivors chilling them to their very core.
Itâs always an unpleasant feeling when someone unwanted invades your personal space, but how to counteract that when they invade your inner essence?
Alice could only bid him good luck and provide a couple tips but couldnât help feeling relieved that she didnât have Ivy today to deal with (for which she felt guilty feeling that way but who wouldnât?) Instead, after the talk, she enjoyed her breakfast with Norton who quietly listened as she talked about various topics about manor life.
It was only when she was a match away from meeting up with Norton, that Alice encountered Florian coming from the greenhouse looking positively bright and shimmering with delight.
âGood afternoon, Alice~ How are you?â he greeted her as if she was a long lost friend who he hadnât seen in a million years.
It slightly tickled her that Mr. Brand always seemed upbeat and friendly though naturally he must have his limits, surely?
Alice greeted him back just as politely and inquired about his day so far. Turns out he had been having a fine day with minimal matches but he was about to go to his last one which was coincidentally the Ivy match with Norton.
At this, Alice implored Florian to not antagonize Norton too much as the prospector never cared much for the fire investigator especially since their difference in personalities clashed often.
âAntagonise?â Florian repeated, sounding greatly amused. âIâm always quite friendly towards Mr. Campbell but he never seems to be agreeable to anything I say or do.â
When Alice gave him a pointed look, his smile became a bit more gentle in placation and relented, âIâll try my best, but I canât make any promises, Alice.â
It was enough since Alice perfectly knew how Norton was. Yet, she could never have expected what would become of the two between the time she talked to them and meeting up with them after their match together.
But still, this wasâŚweird. Sitting in the pre-game lobby for the last match of the day was oddlyâŚpleasant which came across as strange because Alice was in the room with a very smiley and dreamy looking Norton (dreamy as in head in the clouds), Frederick who was staring over at Norton like he had two heads, and Melly who also was staring at Norton but arguably with more disgust than anything else.
âWhyâŚwhy is he like this? Explain.â Frederick asked Alice knowing full well she would know.
But she didnât. Well, she had her suspicions especially after seeing Florian but it was best to keep it to herself.Â
Thankfully, Norton spoke up for her, âMr. Kreiburg, I heard your new composition the other night and thought it sounded nice. May I listen to it again tonight in the living room?â
Frederick looked at him aghast. âW-what?â
He was barely able to sputter that out when Melly with a frown asked, âSince when did you develop a taste in music, Mr. Campbell?â
Norton turned to her with a soft smile that made Melly lean back in her chair as if his brightness was blinding her. âIâve always liked music, but just never had the free time for it in my line of work.â He glanced at her net which was placed carefully on top of the table in front of her. âEver since we met, Iâve also grown a slight interest in your work as well. Bees are fascinating creatures, no?â
Melly was speechless.Â
Frederick was speechless.
And Alice remained silent, rooted to her chair wondering how were they going to get through this last trial together. Well, at least it was a gang she was familiar with, right? Yet, as she caught Nortonâs eye which twinkled with a warmth that seemed to seep right into her very heart, Alice began to doubt herself for once.
Ironically, or perhaps it was a cruel twist of fate, the hunter ended up being âNightmareâ who went for Melly first. Frederick mostly kept to himself but suddenly Norton was at his side wondering if he needed any help.
When Frederick had gotten over his initial revulsion, he responded, âNo, Iâm quite fine actually. Now please leave because your magnets are ruining my tuning for the calibrations.âÂ
Oh, right. Tuning forks and magnets didnât really mix well did they? Norton apologized (my God, unheard of) and left to find his own cipher to do, but not before skipping over to Alice and checking up on her.Â
âI think Melly is in need of more assistance than me,â Alice pointed out as Melly went down and got chaired.Â
Norton insisted on going together so she could rescue and he could support their dear entomologist, and Alice couldnât much say no looking at that hopeful pleading face so she accepted his offer.
To be honest, they did make a wonderful team and while the others were quite befuddled or downright turned off by Nortonâs change in personality, Alice couldnât help but feel a little pleasure in seeing him look so happy for once.
And most importantly, he seemed more at peace with himself and the others. But naturally, it couldnât last. She knew this, but for the moment, Alice would allow herself to play along with this Norton as long as she could.
While the match ended in a loss since Nortonâs assisting wasâŚa little too much, Alice appreciated the fact that not only did she have a deceptively good time of it, but that Norton himself didnât seem to beat up from the loss.Â
After the match however, Alice couldnât stick around because she had promised that sheâd also spare some time for Florian. She bid a farewell to Norton who was going off back to his room to rest, and went in search of the now grumpy fire investigator.Â
But before they parted ways, Alice confirmed with Norton her suspicions on what had happened to him for him to get like this. And naturally, it was just as she feared. Now, it was time to confirm the same with Florian.
Who she found was in the hallway leading to one of the labs of the manor. He was surprisingly in the middle of a conversation with Kreacher Pierson, resident thief and all around pain in the neck.
Alice had done enough investigating to know that he had been the one who had started that infernal orphanage turned asylum that many of her friends including herself had the displeasure of experiencing. While he wasnât solely at fault, he wasnât innocent either.
âDo I have to tell you again, you absolute bellend. Stay OUT of my lab.â
Ah, and apparently this fact about Kreacher wasnât lost on Florian either as he confronted the older man with words Alice never knew he was capable of uttering. Granted, Florian was the one who set Kreacherâs orphanage on fire so shouldnât the thief be the one upset here?
âY-you accuse me of stealing but have no proof!,â Kreacher argued, his voice raising to a shout.
âBut I do. Mr. Desaulniers and Miss Alice have graciously provided me with modified cameras that captured you sneaking around the lab and pilfering some of my things. Do you have a reasonable explanation for that, sir?â Florianâs voice was back to being calm, polite even, but you can tell from his eyes that his patience was still thin.Â
Kreacherâs stutter got a bit worse as answered, âI-I-I donât know what you mean.â He paused to glare more closely at Florian. âBut when have youâŚ.when did you become so ungrateful to me, boy? Did my orphanage not provide you a home?â
âYou mean your orphanage where kids were drugged and made to believe they were sick? Remind me, Mr. Pierson, what ever happened to the children who could never make you a profit?"
Kreacher balked and seemed perplexed at Florianâs behavior since he wasnât used to the younger man being so aggressive with his words.Â
When Kreacher started to argue again, Florian had had enough and snapped, âBugger off already. If I see you around here again, Iâll take matters into my own hands. Just like I did back at the orphanage.â
Kreacher scurried away like a kicked puppy.
âIs he really this daft or justââ Florian was muttering to himself but stopped when he finally noticed Alice staring at him with her mouth slightly open.
âOh, AliceâŚhello,â he blinked, looking suddenly self-conscious. âWonât you come in? I was about to conduct a combustion experiment if you wanted to watch?â
The overly polite tone laced with hostility was completely gone from his voice as the somewhat familiar gentleness Alice knew him for returned. It was truly a sight to behold as she agreed, putting aside the fact that she had seen a completely different side of Florian she hadnât known existed. It was both fascinating to see, but worrying.
Alice agreed to enter the lab with Florian and watch as he did his experiment. This was one of the only times she had the pleasure of watching him conduct his experiment. The first time, she couldnât stay long but it was nice seeing him in his element.Â
Not many witnessed the usually bright and kind fire investigator look so concentrated and serious when confirming results of his experiment. Even taking a peek at his notes and scribbles of equations and scientific deductions proved there was more to Florian behind his seemingly absent-minded expression that deceived some into thinking he wasnât as intuitive as he actually was.
And now was no different as Florian focused on the task in front of him, nearly forgetting that Alice was there. Still, he occasionally would glance up at her after writing his notes, as if to make sure she hadnât disappeared on him. The third time he did this, he somewhat pouted and mumbled out a âsorryâ and explained that he was at a crucial part of the experiment that could easily mess up the results if he lost focus.
Then he frowned, âIs this boring you?â
Alice shook her head and held up her own notebook. âIâm taking my own notes as well, but itâs always interesting watching you work like this. Not many see this side of you, so Iâm grateful I can.â
Florian stared at her for a moment and looked as if he wanted to say something but a sudden poof of smoke followed by multiple little blue flames emerging from the dish he had out caused him to mutter out a small âOh bloody hellâŚâ before doing his best to get his experiment under control.
After he had done so with some effort, he turned back to Alice but quickly looked away again at his data sheets and science equipment.
Alice was a little surprise as he usually had something to say in response. Perhaps she had touched upon a sensitive subject?
But just as she was about to apologize, Florian spoke up, âSorry, being here like this just reminds me of my parents. They were both chemists, as you know, and would frequently allow me into their lab to watch as they conduct their experiments and research.âÂ
He went quiet again and looked pensive, almost gloomy, which reminded Alice of what she needed to confirm with him. But firstâ
âMr. Brand, while I canât take the place of your parents, I hope you will continue to enjoy my company as I do yours because I really do like being here with you like this.â
He blinked again, staring at her like she had suddenly appeared before him out of the blue with three heads. Then he looked away, muttering to himself while shaking his head. Ah, thereâs that part of his personality that seemed to have been switched out with Nortonâs. Alice knew his emotions were probably just overwhelming him and thus he chose to push them aside and shut himself down.
She sighed but allowed him to simmer in the myriad of emotions he was feeling on top of possessing a personality that wasnât his before she finally confirmed what she suspected and what Norton had told her earlier.
The simplest explanation for what had happened to them was the fact that Ivy had done something to them during her match with them. While Ivy was known for being possessed by some sort of alien or being not of this world, it was the fact that she was well-versed in the study of souls.
Thus, it was perfectly plausible that she had somehow swapped Florian and Nortonâs personalities, if not, souls which was a rather harrowing thought.
So, that very night, Alice dragged both Florian and Norton over to the hunterâs side of the manor after she had promptly made contact with Ivy. Thankfully, she agreed to meet them on such short notice as it appeared she relished more in the night anyway. When they met over some tea, Alice explained the situation though she neednât have to as it was obvious by Nortonâs serene smile and Florianâs glower as they stared at Ivy realizing it was her fault this was happening to them.
âJust please let me do all the talking,â she had told them. She feared Norton would say something unnecessary that would sidetrack the conversation even if he had good intentions as it was pertinent to cut right to the chase. And she was worried that Florian would let slip a rude word or two that would not do before someone like Ivy.Â
Alice couldnât believe she was thinking that about them but here she was.
âInteresting,â Ivy smiled, finding the whole tale amusing as she carefully observed the two men like experimental subjects. She put down the teacup she had been holding, her attention fully enraptured now. âI did try something a little different today during their match. Perhaps it was more of a success than I thought.â
What exactly she meant, Ivy wouldnât say, but she agreed to reverse whatever she had done to them on the promise it wouldnât happen again.Â
âLeave them to me,â Ivy said as she urged Alice to leave. âTheyâll be their usual selves by tomorrow.â
While Alice was loathe to leave the two of them behind, Norton reassured her that theyâd be fine while Florian silently agreed. Aliceâs heart wouldnât settle until she knew that theyâd be fine but she left them with a good night and shaky faith in Ivyâs words.
Yet, the following day as Alice made her way to the dining hall for breakfast, her journey was interrupted by a bright voice calling out to her:
âAlice~! Good morning~â
She turned to see Florian waving to her rather excitedly. His usual gentle smile was even wider, showing off his little fangs that gave him a more youthful and flamboyant appearance. Next to him was Norton who looked mildly annoyed at how loud Florian was but he also gave Alice a small wave of greeting.
When the two men had caught up to her, Alice couldnât wait to ask if they were well and if they were truly themselves after Ivy had been done with them because she had switched back their personalities, yes?
Cue both of the men expressing their confusion with tilts of their heads.
âYou say our personalities switched?â Florian asked, repeating Aliceâs words.
âIvy? That alien woman?â Norton also repeated, but went on to say, âBoth me and Mr. Sunshine here had a match against her but I don't remember much since nothing really happened.â
Florian nodded, looking thoughtful. âYes, I donât remember it too well either. I canât even remember if we won or notâŚâ
When Florian looked over at Norton for assistance, the prospector shrugged indicating that he couldnât remember even that and looked as if he didnât care to.
âBut surely you remember our time together yesterday?â Alice questioned rather helplessly.
Her question wasnât really directed to either of them so they both answered in unison:
âNo, I remember.â "Of course, I remember~"
Norton continued first. âWe were with that stuck-up composer and Plinius, right? That match is a bit of a blur but I remember having to help that woman multiple times because she couldnât kite Orpheus.â
âAnd I recall that you meet me by the lab so I could show you an experiment I have been working on,â Florian added his own memory to the mix.
Truly remarkable how memory worked in this little manor of theirs. Alice wanted to ask more but Norton muttered that he was hungry and needed some food now as Florian agreed showing concern for both Norton and Alice as he gestured for them to quickly move to the dining hall.Â
Alice allowed herself to follow along with the men, her mind still reeling over solving their little predicament that only brought on more questions. Still, as she looked back and forth between Norton and Florian, confirming that they indeed were themselves again, Alice decided to put the matter to rest for now. She was just glad that things were back to normal againâŚfor now.
(Note: I had a bit too much fun with the uniquely British curse words here and there. Another great thing to come out of Florian canonically sounding so painfully English lol)















