Several days had passed on by. Though, such felt hard to track. It was said that days passed swiftest and most fluid for those cursed souls of Night; forever condemned to live a life most hollow; forever condemned to never experience a true meaningful day.

An encharming shell forged to engulf a hollow empty heart that drove blood distilled from the Dark Serpent’s venom; a soul always decaying; a violet hunger always constant for that which wants to live. Yet to live a life most hollow, what was the point? To thrive one day, as some could say. Yet to thrive where? In a world, too, most cold and hollow… Which, once again, begged; for some could say: what was the point?

Yet for her, there was a point, even if so mellow. A warmth to fill that heart most hollow; a maternal presence always felt—most especially as of late, for nothing was most attentive than that of mothers’ worried eyes. As those stories went, nothing could bring warmth to a heart shrouded by deceptions made facts besides maternal touch…

So, why then…was there such a fiery burn within?

It was said that those with the coldest of hearts were once those with the warmest of hearts. Was that the case? Had she once been among those with the warmest hearts? Unbelievable, considering she still felt so cold and hollow; considering everything she was; considering everything she had done to survive or out of spite.

And it was long said that the fires of ire were separate from the warmth of smiles; that wrath’s flames could burn both fiery hot and frozen cold. Thus, even though these burning flames had ensnared all fixations in both soul and heart, they nevertheless did not thaw.

Yet the flames being there at all…

It was said that the brightest of burning ire came from those furious flames of a wronged heart. Ire derived, as the story went, from the injustices inflicted upon those most innocent and least deserving; righteous rage against those least innocent and most deserving. Yet Justice was a deception in Nature’s eyes, as was innocence. But Love was not. Thus, it was not the heart bestowed by Justice whence the brightest of ire derived, but rather the heart bestowed by Love. Vengeful rage, thus, against those who wronged the most beloved—the true source of Justice’s morality.

Yet she loved no one, besides mother. She cared for no one, besides mother. Though, she was a natural in making them feel as though they were important and needed. To socialize, to make friends, to make those around feel warmth unfelt within, such was as much her job as caring for these walls.

They were nothing to her. Friendships formed with weaving words crafted from lies made real.

Yet… Nevertheless, she was angry. And the burning flames made it even harder to focus, and it already was…so difficult to focus.

She sighed… as she so quietly and…lowly strolled down the halls of this manor-estate. She paused…and gazed out of the shiny clean window, staring into the garden below.

Dusk was dawning. Day was falling. Night was rising.

It was said that long ago, two primeval divinities fought over for whom each passing cycle belonged; rivals too stubborn, despite being father and mother. Yet eventually, their son and daughter, the Sun and the Moon, went to them and convinced them to split the cycle, and that one of each would accompany each one. The Sun went with the father, thus becoming Day; the Moon went with the mother, thus becoming Night. Day and Night, a harmonious dance to retain a balance of control; harmony often made unequal due to the pulling tides of the Seasons’ own squabbles.

She could not help but think of this story as she watched all the juniors outside gather to…end their day and head for supper. It was ironic, in a way, considering what she was planning on doing; what she was going to do. She was a cursed soul of Night, after all.

And these burning flames aside, there existed a liability in mother’s sight, even if a child born under the Moon’s light.

Hmm… She peered… Burgundy, Hazel, Black, Aqua, Apple, Plum, Sage, Bronza, and so on… She could name each of them; she had spoken and chatted with each and every one. She got along with all of them perfectly well.

Though, one notable soul was missing from this specific group: Blossom. No doubt, this was due to that disciplinary punishment; to be worked until midnight. But she wanted to know where Blossom precisely was, and especially if she was…outside…

She continued to peer out window after window, eyeing the garden she had already eyed many times over, eyeing the elegant courtyard and exterior of this elaborate manor-estate, scanning and…searching…

Ugh… Her focus… She struggled… This hunger, it was too distracting…

“Uhm… Hello, Miranda?” Suddenly, an estate maid came appearing from behind.

Miranda, caught by some surprise, turned herself around; “Oh! Hello… Uhm… Bookgal, was it? Startled me there!” she so greeted with a voice encharming. By this point, Miranda was acquainted with practically everyone amongst the staff.

“Yes… I am surprised you remembered my name… Though, let that not distract. May I ask what you are doing?” the maid inquired.

“Oh, I was just…pondering…” Miranda began to reply with a pleasant smile, eyes returning to the window; “It is a nice view, these windows provide… It is hard not to become enthralled by the sophistication of the garden and courtyard—not to mention the size…”

“Hm…” the maid stepped closer, eyes peering out of the window in kind… “I suppose so, though I have seen it too many times… But it is a relaxing and pleasant place to be, as if you are with nature”.

“Hmm… Well, as enthralling of a sight places like this are, I find them to…usurp the purpose of being amongst nature’s company. I prefer the forests…” Miranda remarked.

“Oh, no surprises there… You elves are always the types who love being one with the forests” the maid replied with a gentle titter, oblivious to any possible casual offense.

“Perhaps so…” Miranda simply said, turning her eyes to the maid; “Were that I an elf…” she leaned in with a little smile.

“Pardon me, half-elf… though, the preference remains the same as expected” the maid cordially replied; “I for one…cannot stand the forests… Always something vicious and predacious hiding inside of them…”

“Well… It is as it has been said: the forest reflects the hearts of those who so enter… The forest replies to the taunts of those who taunt and replies to the respect of those who respect” Miranda…so stated, the encharming effects of her voice masking the…ominous nature of the words spoken.

Yet the maid simply shrugged; “If only reality were so esoteric… Perhaps your elven forests are more harmonious, but the ones here in Huckleberry are always infested with something… Especially those Demon-worshipping tree-fiends, I was terrified of them as a girl… I grew up in a village where people went missing all of the time before the forest purges began—and glory to Grandberry for that… I cannot stress how much of a vermin those fiends were…”

Miranda went silent… “Oh.” Her affect was hard to read.

It was said long ago that evil was spread by the most mundane and banal.

She peered her eyes away, turning them back to the garden and courtyard behind… All of the juniors were gone; it was empty and seemingly unoccupied… The time was nearing.

The maid sighed; “Oh, and here I was to reprimand, yet having only been caught in conversation… You absolutely are a trap, you know?” she remarked, before…gently grasping her forehead… For whatever reason, she was feeling more sweaty, dazed, and relaxed throughout this conversation. “Apologies, I appear to be…”

Miranda quickly returned her…shiny eyes to the maid; “Oh, no apologies necessary… You are fine” she reassured; “And what might I say, I am just that type of girl… Though, this conversation has been…distracting, no?” She smiled.

“You are absolutely correct about that…” the maid agreed with an admitting exhale; “I should be best on my way… You be sure to focus on your duties, however.” Words said, she thus turned and began to make her leave.

Miranda peered out the window once more…contemplating… Hmm… She quickly turned and speed-walked to the departing maid; “Pardon me, sorry…”

The maid paused and turned around, looking… “What is it now, dear?”

“Uhm… Say… If someone wanted to be…absolutely private outside, without the chance of being…seen—you know to…have a peace of mind—where…would they go?” Miranda…asked a bit awkwardly.

The maid stared… “You want privacy after my interruption, is that it?” she frankly inquired.

Miranda averted away; “Guilty…” she admitted; “I just…need to be alone, that is…all…”

The maid sighed; “Oh, we all have those moments, dear… Hmm…”—she hesitated—“Alrightly, fine: there is a section in the garden and posterior courtyard, one that is furthest from the manor but still bounded to this estate, with plenty of thick bushes and shrubs to make it difficult to be noticed from even here… I and others used to…go there when we were young juniors such as you…to cry or unwind” thus she said, revealing.

“That…sounds perfect” Miranda faintly smiled; “May you…tell me whither?”

The maid…looked around, before leaning in much closer; “Alrightly, listen closely… This will be our little secret” thus she began to whisper.

-||-

“Dada hm la da hm hm la” so mellowly hummed away as she strolled down this hall…Moon.

She seemed rather happy this moment, though she was unable to properly smile; normally, she would be smiling. Even the hums seemed far more hollow than they usually would be. Turbulence and weight certainly squeezed within. Nevertheless, she tried to be happy.

Once again, a certain young sir had requested her…evening assistance. Such was common these past many-many days, no thanks to her proficiency in mathematics. Moon could only thank those wandering Far Western exiles for spreading their knowledges to her otherwise backwater community, of which she had once believed would be useless.

Yet, abruptly, she pressed at her head… “Neugh… This again… My head…” she muttered aloud… She was fine all those moments ago, yet now, all so suddenly, her head felt…weird… “Let it…be nothing… Has to be nothing…” She continued forth unmolested.

Things were looking pleasant for her, and already so quickly… Months of advancement attained in only a few weeks; she was on track to being actually paid far sooner than her peers. Having spent the majority of her childhood in preparation for this exact path, all of her dedications were paying off.

“Neugh…” Though, seriously… She pinched her head. This utterly strange…mindache, it was so terrifyingly similar to…one she had experienced…several days prior, yet was also…distinctly…different…

It was as if something had just lunged itself into her cranium and was now…scraping it for her very thoughts…

She shook her head and brushed it off. She was obviously just…tired.

“Maybe… Hehe… ‘Sun’, I am Moon… If he is a boy, I can name him ‘Sun’…” her thoughts escaped… She was fantasizing about being a mother, it seemed… Her head was one that moved far too ahead of itself, seemingly.

Yet, suddenly, a gentle tug pulled at her arm, causing Moon to pause and immediately turn. She was rather spooked, though…quickly calmed. “Hoof… Wow, you scared me there! Why must you be so…physical…” she protested, seeing who the culprit was…as they stuck their tongue out.

“Hehe, sorry… Heya, Moon!” the culprit so teasingly greeted, letting go of her soft arm.

Moon sighed; “Hi. Miranda, it has been a little while… I do not see you as often” Moon greeted, smiling.

“Same to you! That is why as soon as I noticed you were stroll-humming by, I just had to tug!” Miranda replied with such a charm, smiling in kind.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

“I see…” Moon’s eyes looked down… As if sins being ignored began to press their weight; it was hard to look at Miranda.

“Are you preoccupied by chance?” yet Miranda inquired with friendly cheer; “I would love to have a…nice little walk with you—you know, to chat and whatnot… I’ve been hearing some really…really…hot gossips, and I’m eager to know the…specifics…”

“Oh, I… Uhm… Actually… I… I…” Moon struggled to articulate. She wanted to…say ‘no’, yet…there was just something about Miranda that always made such so…difficult.

Miranda read her breaths… She sighed; “Busy, huh? Well, I was…kind of hoping to talk to you…” she said with…saddened voice… Though, she quickly leaned in; “Surely, he can wait a few…” she remarked with a slight tease.

Moon…blushed; “…maybe so…” she mumbled… Yet her eyes remained retracted away… “But…are you certain you…truly want to talk with…me, Miranda?” she frankly asked, a little lowly.

“I would not have tugged at your arm if I didn’t want to; I like talking with you… If I am night, then you are the moon that makes it bright” Miranda simply said, her voice encharming and reassuring.

Moon sighed; “Oh, alrightly… Yeah, fine… Let us walk, my pointy-eared friend” she acquiesced.

Miranda smiled; “Yay! Come, come now…” Thus, she began to walk, Moon now trailing along.

There was nothing ominous; they simply chatted as they departed from the manor and into the garden and through courtyard connected, as visibility from any would-be peering eyes became more and more…difficult.

It was said that one should never follow the desperate calls of a girl stranded in a darkened forest.

-|-

Moon inhaled the air around; “Wow, this is certainly fresh and pleasant…” she remarked; “Whither in all the thousand realms are you kidnapping me, Miranda?” she jestingly asked.

“Somewhere very private to murder you, of course, and devour your life force” Miranda casually replied.

Moon giggled quite; “Well, in that case, you might as well fuck me first” she replied in kind.

“My, my, my… Yikes! Clean your tongue, Moon!” Miranda teased.

“Oh, please… It is just the two of us out here, no need for pleasantries…” Moon remarked, smiling… “And somewhere private, you say…”

“Yep… A special little place where nobody will be snooping with eyes or ears, so…no scorning interruptions…” Miranda answered.

“Well, murder is obviously not it, so the next implication would actually have to be…” thus Moon was so teasing.

“You really are horny, you know that?” Miranda plainly replied.

“Of course I am! You thieved me away from my hubby!” Moon protested in kind.

Mutual giggling ensued as they continued to walk, before…settling down.

Moon sighed; “You…really are one of the few I can be so…open with, you know? Everyone else, I feel I cannot be…myself, but…”—she took in the air again— “This is nice—the walk I mean, I…really did need it…” thus she remarked.

“I am just that pleasant” Miranda smirked; “I was taught…to always be warm and understanding of hearts…”

“Aren’t…most children taught that?” Moon so frankly remarked.

“Not in the way we were!” Miranda so countered; “For us, it was something…different…”

“You elves and your weird need to be special from man even with our commonalities…” Moon cordially remarked, teasing.

“Hmm…” Miranda began to playfully ponder; “Well, my mother always said I had more in common with a goblin than an elf” she replied.

Moon could not help but chuckle; “Oh, and my mother always said I had the temperament of a troll—whatever that was supposed to imply”.

Miranda giggled in kind, before…leaning in closer; “Soo…” she began to change the topic… “Now that we are more…private… About your so-called ‘hubby’… Sir Swordstaff, you’ve been…”

Moon simpered; “Yep. ‘He took my virginity’, as the gossips say… But unbeknownst to him, someone else had already long done that…”

“You’re such a slut…” Miranda remarked, blunt yet cordial.

“ ‘Born under a greatest full-moon and blessed by both Love and Fertility’, I prefer to say” Moon so replied.

“Hmm…” Miranda’s eyes withdrew… She did not want to become too carried away… Yet she was…very curious… Incomprehensibly curious. “So, tell me… How is he in bed?” she abruptly asked.

Moon nearly stumbled, being caught by surprise. Even though she was…quite open with Miranda, this had still caused her to…blush; “Hoof… You truly are…a sneaky one…” she mumbled.

Miranda’s…rather gleaming eyes, however, spoke quite a lot, never mind her stature.

Moon could instantly infer… “Miranda, wait, are you…”

“Interested in him?” Miranda completed; “I admit, I am…interested in him… Very…very…” her breaths were…beginning to heat up… Such was normally not good, and she ought to stop thinking about this… Yet, even if she wanted to, she utterly could not… “I have been avoiding him for my own good, honestly…”

Moon looked at her with…some surprise… To see this side of Miranda, indeed… “Wow… You are a normal girl, huh?” she remarked in blurt, before aheming, her cheeks…blushing; “Well… If I do say, he is charming and…considerate, chivalrous almost, and…”—she paused momentarily—“he knows how to…make me feel good, both as a person and…very much so in bed… Not a typical man whatsoever…”

“I would hardly call him a ‘man’, but…” Miranda’s breaths only became more…strange… “Go on…”

“Miranda, I am not going to describe details, obviously…” Moon frankly stated.

“Rightly, obviously…” Miranda ahemed; “So, is…intercoursing all that you do when you see him?” she asked instead.

Moon giggled; “Oh, believe me, I wish… Despite what the gossips imply, that boy is actually terrible at maths, and…I am legitimately helping him” she stated, though her eyes then…drifted down; “And honestly, I feel like he is not interested in me anymore… After our first night, which was…something, it has not been the same… I feel like the sex is just…a reward for helping him now, nothing more…”

“Uhuh…” Miranda mumbled; “That so?”

“I mean, he keeps requesting I bring ‘friends’, and I did…do that a couple days ago, Orange, and he…was clearly more interested in her than me…” Moon continued…

“Duhuh…” Miranda blumbled… “Likes it in multiples, aye? Or…wait…” her voice was becoming…off; she nearly grinned…

“Hardly… I was busy organizing his math studies while he and Orange became…busy… I ended up doing his assignments on his behalf… He apologized, but…I am still slightly petty about that—I guess that is maybe why I…agreed to this walk instead…” Moon so remarked, reflecting.

“Oh… I am so right…heheh…” Miranda’s breaths… Indeed, she was struggling to contain it… “I think someone doesn’t like you being better at math…”

Moon sighed; “Honestly, maybe so… I am not stupid; it was obvious the first…meeting…he was just interested in bedding me, and I played into it… And things…began to change when I started helping him proper… Maybe he was not expecting me to…truly be proficient in maths… I might’ve hurt his pride a little…” she seemed remorseful… “That may also be why…he was so adamant at demonstrating his…magical talents to me—which, I must say, he really makes creative use of to… To…” Moon abruptly paused, having noticed a sudden change…

Miranda…was with quite the odd drooling grin… Her breaths burning, her purplish-magenta eyes…more glimmery and…potent, her teeth…canines…far more… Oh no…

“Wow… This was…a little noticeable before, but now it truly does…look like you have…fangs?” Moon blurted, staring, before aheming; “Miranda, seriously, are you…alright? Do not tell me…you are getting…”

She got carried away… Miranda swiftly snapped out of it; shaking her head, she cleaned her face and shut her mouth… “No, No… Or, I mean, admittedly… kind of, but…”

“ ‘Kind of’?” Moon raised an eyebrow.

Miranda ahemed; “Well… it might not have appeared so, but I am…actually just really…famished right now… I have not eaten in…a while… I’m starving, literally…”

“Oh, you certainly seemed hungry alright... And you called me the horny one…” Moon teasingly remarked; “But seriously, I am not surprised… I have not seen you during supper or morning meal lately…”

“Yeah… The tricky thing is I am very-very picky… Only so few I find satiating…” Miranda…replied.

“Hm… Well, I have no idea where we are anymore, it is like a bush-maze, but…we should return… Maybe supper is still active, so you should eat while you still can” Moon suggested.

Miranda, however, stepped further forward, before pausing…. eyeing around… “No, no. This is perfect, actually… We are now in the most isolated part of the outside… And I want to enjoy the isolation” she smiled.

Moon smirked, humored; “The way your magical elven eyes are looking at me, it really is like you are going to kill me… Or fuck me… Perhaps both?” she jested.

“Well, as I said, I am going to drain your life force; so, kind of entails both… Usually, I stay away from trash—no offense to you—but...today’s an exception…” Miranda replied in kind, smiling… her eyes brightening gently, her breaths still heated…

Indeed, that…subject had primed her sufficiently.

“Your brutality has no boundaries…” Moon giggled, smiling; she was thoroughly enjoying this moment… Truly, being around Miranda, in a way, felt so…liberating and…so…so relaxing…

Yet…

Moon’s eyes drifted down and away, her smile withering…

In far too many ways, this moment felt so underserved; she had no right…to smile in Miranda’s company. Indeed, she felt so…

“Hey… Miranda… We are…private, rightly? May I…sit?” Moon…abruptly asked.

“Deh?” Miranda paused, so abruptly snapping out of the moment, eyes normalizing… “Oh… duhm, psure…?”

Moon…sat herself down, arms embracing her legs protectively. She was momentarily silent…

Miranda simply stood; it was said that those most frozen by silence had the most words needing to be said.

“Pink…” thus Moon began to speak, her voice…so much lowlier, “she is your friend, rightly?”

“…more than you know” Miranda simply replied.

“I hate her… We all hate her…” Moon stated.

“I know. But I don’t. She is complicated, but…everyone is… And I…like her” Miranda stated.

“…yeah…” Moon mumbled, eyes buried down… “You were always…stuck to each other…”

“I found her…beaten up pretty badly a bunch of days ago, though… She refused to tell me who did it; she was terrified…” Miranda remarked…

Moon, silent, nodded mellowly… “We…are friends, rightly?”

“Yeah. Obviously…”

Moon’s arms hugged her legs, the weight crushing even more within. Silence persisted, before finally…she took a deep breath; “…Miranda… I have to tell you something…”

-|-

“…” Miranda stared, her eyes hard to read yet the piercing judgements penetrated deeply, nevertheless.

Moon’s eyes were teary; “I don’t know what came over us… I had never felt that…angry in my whole life… It was like…a nightmare… I cannot even explain it, I am sorry, I don’t…”

“Uhuh.” Miranda mumbled, acknowledging.

“It was…hard to even remember because it was so…blurry… But…after everything, me, Burgandy, Apple, Black—all of us… We all had the same experience… The same…horrible mindache—I can’t even describe it—but we were all…shocked… I mean, Burgundy didn’t seem to care because Pink had it coming, but… I was horrified!”

“Hm. You seemed rather cheery earlier, though.” Miranda merely remarked.

“I know, I know… I know, but I just… I… I…” Moon struggled to articulate.

“You are just crying that you might lose me as a friend, not because of what you did. Is that it?” Miranda coldly remarked.

To hear such words from an otherwise charming and warm person like Miranda pierced quite deeply. Moon essentially went limp and static. “…Miranda, I’m telling you…the truth, I really…was horrified of what I did…” Moon’s voice was lachrymose and defeated. “I just… I just…”

Miranda sighed; she knew Moon was being sincere; she could pierce Moon’s heart… She was just being a little…petty. “You just convinced yourself that it would go away if you pretended nothing happened, but it was always lingering in the shadows…” Miranda stated.

“…I don’t know…” Moon mumbled, tightening her self-protective ball… “I do know that…something hit us, and…everything felt…not real… Like I was peering from the outside… And the whispering—thinking about it makes my head hurt… The whispering… There was something…whispering in my head, telling me things, nudging me… Making me feel so…angry and so…I can’t even…” her breaths were becoming…messy.

“Pink said you eavesdropped on her…conversation; that you practically interrogated her.” Miranda simply remarked.

“…I did… I don’t know if…that was me or…if it happened before or after, I don’t know…” Moon’s teary eyes looked at her; “I admit… I am a dirt-collector… I like having dirt on bitches, and I was curious… I could see myself…actually eavesdropping, but not… Not… doing everything else… The worst I’ve ever done was…call a fucking bitch a pussy-whore and threaten to shove a stick up her… But I never did anything! Something…clearly happened to me—to us…”

“So, you are telling me you’re a victim too?” Miranda so bluntly remarked.

Moon’s voice went limp… “No, I am a huge bitch, I know that… I just…” She sighed, her nose sniffling; “I don’t know… Maybe I don’t know myself…as much as I thought… I don’t know what happened…”

“Hm.” Miranda simply mumbled; “Well, do you remember…what you heard? What dirt did you dangle over her mouth?”

Moon…looked at her; “That’s the thing… I don’t remember… I know I heard things, I know I…was able to hear… But I don’t remember any sounds or words… It was like…I was deaf but not…at all, or…my memories, it is like my memories are deaf… I know I could hear, but I can’t remember the details…”

“Convenient.” Miranda so coldly remarked.

“I know… It’s so unbelievably convenient… You don’t believe me, but I am telling you… All I could hear, all I remember hearing was… was…” Moon tensed, as if things within her mind acted to force silence… “Whispering oceans, whispering oceans, whispering oceans! That’s what I heard, that’s what it was… Whispering oceans… It told me, it told me, it told me, it told us” her breaths, breaking, began to repeat…

“Alrightly, that is…enough.” Miranda interjected her voice.

Moon snapped out of it… “Gods, my head…” she exhaled, pressing her forehead; “Either I am wearing the Crown of Smiles or…someone…did something to us to make us… Magic, it had to be magic or…” The press on her head only tightened; “It hurts…”

Miranda sighed; “…so, you really are telling me that you were just a victim too…” she so remarked…

“I don’t know anymore…” Moon’s lachrymose voice replied; “I… I just do not want you to…hate me… I am sorry, Miranda… I am so sorry, please don’t hate me…”

Miranda, deathly silent, simply approached closer. Her potent eyes peered down into Moon as she stood above with such a piercing glare.

Moon prepared for the worst…

With a breath, Miranda thus opened her mouth…

“I do not hate you. I do not hate anyone.” thus she said with solemn voice yet hollow tongue. “But I am not the one to whom you need to be sobbing and apologizing… I do not care if it was magic or rampant bitchery, Pink did not deserve what you four did to her.”

Moon…averted her eyes…in shame

“And if you are truly sorry, Moon, then do yourself a favor…and try to peer through the veil and understand the heart hiding within. Try to be Pink’s friend, for she certainly needs them more than I; more than you. Otherwise, never speak to me again.” With these words lanced, Miranda walked off and away, paying no more attention to that tasteless soul.

Moon was pierced; she broke and began to weep, oblivious to the reality that this was the best outcome for her.

It was once said eons ago that mercy was borne by miserable hearts; thus, had been spoken, mother’s words.

“So, mother… this was all your doing, then? Were you testing me?” Indeed, for the target of Miranda’s focus…had so changed.

To the contrary, the credit for this…

Demonstration of a…

Proof of concept

Belongs to another

Sol to you know who…

Or, what was it? ‘Whispering Oceans’… Clever pseudonym…

Cryptic yet revealing

Excellently done; time has not rusted you so, seemingly

Worry not, I will not demand your conscious attention in such a way frequently

This was…circumstantial

You have much greater things to manage, and we must tread cautiously…

Not to mention such…direct intrusive methods are rather…boring…

Regardless, your thoughts?

I knew you would be interested…

Naturally proficient indeed, literally; though, still a child

Nevertheless, perfect potential

Such is only one of many scattered across this continent

Though, speaking of instruments…

I believe now it is time for a certain finishing debut…

…

What do you mean still not ready?

I am well aware that such personas are…a time-consuming process

No matter, then…

We were moving too quickly, anyway

Though, audible sigh, there goes that intended ending…

A minor delay

I suppose this is the end of this session, then

As the damsel continues to be groomed

To be rescued by her knight