Oh no.

Simon stares at me, expecting an answer. And I cannot appear to hesitate… I'm his close friend after all, I would know this… if I was the real Allea.

I have no choice but to tap into one of my skills here. [Audience Empath] is a strange Active Skill I received at level 5. It gives me an insight into someone's emotional state, and what kind of emotional response they are expecting from me. It is a vague feeling though, and has been wrong sometimes in the past.

Nothing for it, however, but to try. Echo would not hesitate, you mustn't either, Replica!

Oh. Ohhhhh.

The emotions that are roiling within him are so powerful I am almost staggered. It is… sadness, mostly. But there is determination there, as well as hope. Warring with it. The emotion he expects from me is… sadness as well?

I'll try to summon up concern then, to buy time. I feel bad doing it… abusing the trauma of others for this is not right… but something powerful is holding me back from breaking character. I think it might be my instincts, warning me against detection, against being seen in my natural state.

I cannot end the performance and so I bite down on my lip until it bleeds to focus on the here and now while my face molds itself into an expression of weariness and worry. I don't even have to push myself much, it comes quite naturally.

“Are you sure, Simon? Are you okay?” I manage out while my brain tries to come up with an answer that will satisfy him.

“Yes, I am sure. It's a surefire way, right? And yes… I am okay. It's a pain I've known most of my life now, after all… it becomes easier to bear.”

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The sad smile he gives me as he lies to my and also his friend's face makes my heart melt and I want to hug him…

So I do just that. He seems taken aback and a little shocked… I get that the original is not the kind to show physical affection often, but come on, he really needed a hug. My instincts be damned.

He relaxes into the hug, which doesn’t make it much more comfortable courtesy of his platemail, before hugging back.

“You still have not answered the question…” he whispers, and I simply reply “Yes.” and refuse to elaborate. I don't know if he will take this the way I mean it… as the closest thing to an admission that I am capable of giving.

After the hug lasts for about ten seconds or so of companionable silence, someone clears their throat audibly and snaps us out of the moment.

“Are the two of you quite done?” Harry says, looking at us with disapproval. “This is not the time or place for flirting.”

Simon hides his face from him by leaning into me a bit more so I release him and turn towards the insensitive prick to stare at him with as much venom as I can muster. I don't like conflicts, guys, stop this! I try to channel as much of Allea's original “ice queen” attitude as I can and school my face into an impassive facade before replying.

“You are quite right. But it's also not your time or place to butt in. Shall I take this interruption as a sign that you are the fraud, trying to sow distractions?”

Simon gives me a small pat on the shoulder, likely to let me know that he is okay now, and I step aside and turn to include him in my field of view, but my withering glare stays affixed on the bard who squirms under it.

“Me… I… that's not…” he stammers before Simon raises his voice.

“Allea, he is right.” he says in his leader tone.

“It was the wrong time and place. But it was an answer to my question, and you should not have interrupted, Harry.”

Seeing him able to handle the situation with this practiced calmness after the near breakdown just now makes my heart flutter again.

Maybe after the performance or when they are done fighting Siegfried I can take him aside for another hug? Or three? For the road?