Resonant Hearts - Part 1

Errant Star Sundries, Radz-at-Han ~ A Nervous Winter Afternoon
Perspective: Noémie Clement

---

"W-wait what?! S-since when?!"

Normally, I would be far more composed. Due to growing up with the Fuyo family, I had gotten used to much of the shenanigans that the sisters were capable of. But I was not prepared for the sudden revelation that, despite all odds, my childhood friend Fuyuki who seemed too busy with work had somehow managed to find herself a girlfriend. The shock of it was such that I had almost dropped the crate I had in my hands, so I had channeled it all into my voice, which in turn reverberated in the storeroom of the Errant Star.

"Nngh...Noemi-chi...please..." Fuyuki replied, gripping her horns and grimacing in pain with a soft pant. "J-just...no need to shout...?"

I nodded and apologized weakly. Fuyuki was always weak to sudden loud noises when she had her guard down, and the echoing of the storeroom didn't help one bit. Calming down slowly, I was able to set the crate down in the corner, turning around to sit down to face my friend, smiling nervously.

"S-sorry...I just thought...of all people...you'd be the last, if at all..." I said. "I mean, with your nose constantly in a book or...teaching your students. But you ended up being the first among your sisters."

Fuyuki chuckled as she walked over to a nearby crate, picking one a little higher than mine and jumping up to sit down on it. Despite the difference in the crate's height, my own height as an Elezen still overpowered the Raen's stature, and I found myself still looking downwards awkwardly as Fuyuki grinned at me. "And you, can make Chiaki-nee the next one."

"F-f-fuyu-chi..." I stammered, pulling my legs up onto the crate and hugging them, giving my the opportunity to curl up and bury my head into my knees. "Don't say it so glibly like that...!"

I took a deep breath to try to keep myself calm. Like Fuyuki, Chiaki was a childhood friend, though by virtue of being Fuyuki's older sister. Not that it was obvious Chiaki was older than the very calm and composed woman next to me. While I could say all the Fuyo sisters incredibly near and dear to me, Chiaki was the one I had clicked with the most easily. She was an unending font of energy, ceaselessly optimistic, ready to power through even the more dire of circumstances with that unbreakable smile.

And yet...

"I...I can't..." I sighed breaking the silence, looking into my hands. "I'm...afraid..."

Fuyuki shuffled closer, placing a scaled hand on my shoulder and saying with a smile, "And that's normal, you know?"

I shook my head in response as I looked too my side. "I'm no...brave soldier or fighter, like you and your sisters and..." I trailed off as I started to chuckle, but then cut myself off as I noticed the hand on my shoulder lifting and the fingers curling, threatening to flick my forehead. Fuyuki grinned at me and I started to lean away; she rarely made threats, and what threats she made she always followed through. I braced myself for the inevitable impact and closed my eyes.

The storeroom echoed with the sounds of the shop filtering in, yet I had no idea how long I had closed my eyes. It wasn't like Fuyuki to rescind a threat, but curiosity got the better of me and I opened my eyes. Of course, as soon as I processed that the pale fingers were still hovering near my nose, I felt a sudden but light tap between my eyes. Reflexively, closed my eyes again and flinched. As always, Fuyuki followed through, even if it was obvious she held back.

"Ufufu...that's what I told myself too," Fuyuki replied, as she chuckled. "I would sooner throw myself into mortal peril for someone else's sake rather than confess my feelings."

Gingerly I rubbed my forehead, daring to open one of my eyes at first. Fuyuki had already withdrawn her hands and was seated cross-legged on the crate next to me, trying to be me as encouraging a smile as possible. I got the point she was trying to make, yet...I still didn't feel convinced.  But it was my fault, and I fumbled over my words trying to explain it as I rubbed my barely smarting forehead.

"...I don't...if it goes wrong...I'll...I still see her, every day, when she comes to pick up whatever ingredients the Four Seasons needs to today, and it'll just...eat at me..."

"It's already eating at you, Noemi-chi."

Such a swift and immediate delivery, as if Fuyuki had prepared such a retort before hand. Honestly, it felt good to be rebutted so fast, as if Fuyuki knew me well enough that she had to counter that. But the joy passed quickly and I found myself curling up again, holding my hands over my pointed ears as I groaned.

"I just...I do want to know if..." I blinked, a sudden realization striking me. I turned to the younger sister of Chiaki, looking at her hopefully as I asked, "What do you think, Fuyu-chi? Do you think Chiaki has f-feelings for me?"

"Chiaki loves everyone."

"...ehe. Ahaha...Hahaha~!" At first I chuckled, then laughed wholeheartedly and Fuyuki joined me, our mirthful laughs echoing off the walls, resonating loud enough that Fuyuki had to cover her orns again. Should I have expected any other answer? No, I understood what Fuyuki said with that and smiled, relaxing a little.

"Well, you're not wrong! But you know what I mean." I said, fully uncurling myself.

"I do. And I stand by what I said earlier. In other words, right now, I don't think she has any specific feelings towards you."

I blinked, and sighed in disappointment, then whispered in a muted tone. "...Is that so."

"Right now, she doesn't have those kinds of feelings towards anyone."

"...that's what I figured." I nodded and leaned back against the wall. "And I wouldn't be the first person she's turned down."

"Sure, but that's if she turns you down."

I gave Fuyuki a quizzical look as she hopped off her create and started to stretch her arms into the air.

"Why wouldn't she?" I asked. "You said she doesn't have any feelings towards me."

"Did I not say _right now_...?" Fuyuki replied, sharply turning her head to me while the rest of her body remained still. Her eyes had narrowed a little, and I could sense a little impatience in her voice. A faint chill seemed to reach my back, though it had only taken a moment to realize I had pressed myself against the back of the storeroom wall.

The tops of my teeth lightly grit against each other, and with a sense of terrible tranquility I had managed to gather enough courage to look into the faintly glowing white eyes of my best friend, asking with a barely-audible whisper, "...so...how do I change that?"

Fuyuki's slight and narrow glare immediately softened, then slowly turned into a worried smile. "Simple. You tell her how you feel."

"Isn't that doing things in the wrong order?" I retorted. I couldn't help but smile in return.

"There's a right order?"

Once again, my best friend had a snappy retort. "No. I suppose not," I conceeded.

Feeling a bit stiff from sitting down on the crate, I joined Fuyuki in standing up, raising my arms in a stretch. Fuyuki on the other hand started to dig for something beneath her poncho. For how long she had the poncho, I never asked, but ever since she had left for Eorzea, she was always wearing it when she visited Radz-at-Han. What was beneath it, I dared not ask, as the sound of metal, crystal, and what I believe was bits of magic activation, all echoed from beneath her cover.

After digging around, Fuyuki produced an Ice Aether Cluster. Confused, I tilted my head and opened my mouth to ask what it was for, but I had my answer as the cluster started to glow and lift into the air, spinning slightly as turned into a light blue orb that Fuyuki appeared to be manipulating and shaping.

"When I first started dating Minisaki...I didn't know as much of her as I did now," Fuyuki said as both her hands moved around the light blue orb. "I was I enamoured at her to begin with, yes, but the more we were together, the more I learned about her, the more I came to love her."

"But you started out with at least some attraction before."

I crossed my arms in confusion and Fuyuki paused...whatever she was doing with the blue orb, pushing it aside and looking at me with a comical narrow glare to fire off a blunt, "And Noemi-chi missed the point."

Once more, I blinked in silence and Fuyuki returned to shaping whatever she was trying to shape. Besides the soft hum of Fuyuki's magic, the storeroom was silent. Without distractions, I could think and eventually, I made a guess.

"The point was...that your feelings still grew after you confessed and got together."

I tried looked over to Fuyuki to gauge if my answer was correct, but the blue orb that she was manipulating had grown to about twice the size of her head and had started to a glow a faint white, blocking out my view of the Raen's face. Thankfully, the disruption was momentary as Fuyuki shifted the orb way from her front and letting it float in the palm of her left hand. Though she still seemed to be focused on whatever she was making, she still glanced over to give me and warm smile and an eager nod before the hum of magic reigned again.

"Call me a fool," I said, wanting to break the awkward silence. "But I wish there was a way to...for lack of a better word, peek into the future. Maybe that would save myself the heartbreak."

"Well...there is."

Fuyuki's smile had warped and turned into a wry grin. She held out the blue orb towards me, though, it wasn't just a blue orb anymore. There was a frame around it, though jagged like it was hewn from a giant block of ice. Metallic rings seemed to dance around that central orb, and what looked like embossed cards orbited the entire frame. The form was familiar, the name of it on the tip of my tongue, but I wasn't given a chance to think further.

Suddenly, the orb and cards spun around rapidly, the clatter of machina loudly echoing off the storeroom walls. Fuyuki's other hand reached out and grabbed onto one of the cards, pulling it out as if she was tearing it out. The orb and cards halted their movement as suddenly as they started spinning.

"So...do you really want to know...?" Fuyuki asked, holding the orb away from herself and the singular card in front of her. I started at her, dumbfounded at what had just happened.

"W-wait...is that...Sharlayan Astromancy?!" I shouted, then covered my mouth.

"Indeed..." Fuyuki confirmed. "So I say again...do you really want to know...?"

I knew Fuyuki was an accomplished mage, dipping into all sorts of fields of magic. But Astromancy? As far as I knew, the Sharlayans were murderously protective of the art. Given that Fuyuki held a rather antipathetic view of Sharlayan, it was difficult for me to fathom how she could have learned such magic.

Yet...here she was, apparently in full mastery of the art. She took a step forward and held the card out to me, trying to emphasize her offer. Slowly, my hand reached out, but mere ilms away I stopped, starting at the embroidered silver backing. At the other side of the card was my fate. Or rather, some sort of symbol that would represent my fate. And that symbol...would also be visible to Fuyuki right now. The meant...she now knew...

Gritting my teeth, I snatched the card of her hand. Fuyuki was smiling and I found myself panting hard as if I had run a malm in ten minutes, and a sudden feeling of weight in my hand started to pull on me. With a shakey hand I slowly lifted the card into my view and agonizingly turned it around.

"W-what?!" I exclaimed, shouting out loud again. It clearly was a card from an Astromancy deck, but placed over whatever actual divination markings that were supposed to be there were two other seals. One at the top was a stylized version of Fuyuki's face, sticking her tongue out mockingly at me, and in the center, covering what looked like some letting as well as some sort of portrait was another stylized image of Fuyuki, shrugging at me.

I lowered the card a little and looked to Fuyuki, bewildered. The wry grin on my best friend's face was gone, and back was that calm and comforting smile. She set down her Astromancy tool on a nearby crate, letting it collapse into a compact form, the walked towards me.

"I mean sure, Noemi-chi, I could go and see the future," she said. "But even if you knew through that method that would you be rejected, wouldn't you be heartbroken regardless? Besides. If my experience has told me anything..."

Fuyuki trailed off, reaching out the card I gripped tightly in my hand and lifted it, my hand along with it. Her hand rotated, suggesting that I turn it over, and though I was confused, I still complied. With my fingers, I flipped the card over, expecting to see the embroidered silver backing from last time, but instead, it had turned into another card. This time, the seal at the top was of Fuyuki's face winking at me, and the seal at the center was her giving me a thumbs up.

"Fate can be fickle, and in some cases, malleable," Fuyuki explained with a bright smile. I nodded and chuckled sofly, handing back her card. "And by the way. I learned that trick from my beloved Minisaki."

This Minisaki girl really did have a profound effect on Fuyuki, it seems. I suppose that's what love can do to you, and I found myself a little jealous.

"Alright...I get it...just...dive in and be up front..." I muttered. I sighed, half in defeat, half in...strange relief.

"Easier said than done, yes," Fuyuki replied, walking up and reaching up to put a hand on my shoulder. I was admittedly a short Elezen and her a tall Au Ra, so it made the height difference less awkward. "But...if it means anything...I'll be here help."

I nodded in understanding. "Help clean up...like you always have."

Fuyuki groaned, then laughed heartily, nodding in agreement. "Like I always have...speaking of. It's soon time isn't it."

I looked out to the entrance of the storeroom to see if I could see the clock in the main part of the shop. Though it was out of view, the orange light filtering through the windows was enough to gauge the passage of time. Soon Chiaki would arrive in order to pick up today's order for the Four Seasons Apothecary. A small order today, some herbs and oils. Not much to really move around...which should give me a bit of time to...confess.

"Yeah... Thank you, Fuyu-chi..." I muttered, looking down and smiling. I was nervous, yes, but I still felt as if a weight had been lifted from my chest.

"Of course," Fuyuki replied. She took her hand off my should and held it up in the air, her fingers spread out. Then she curled her pinky, then ring finger, then her middle finger. A countdown. Of course. The sisters knew each other so well.

And as Fuyuki's thumb curled up, her hand forming a fist, a loud bang could be heard from the front door, followed by Chiaki's ever-gleeful, singsong voice.

"Noemi-chi~! Where are you~? I miss you~!"

I could only sigh and shake my head. The second-eldest daughter was oblivious to all that had just transpired in the storeroom. I look to Fuyuki, smiling as I asked, "Are you going to lurk in the shadows?"

Fuyuki burst into soft laughed and shook her head. "Oh please. That rarely works against my sisters. The best way for me to go unnoticed is to be in place sight. I'll just be around one of the shelves."

That's right. Trying to pull that trick against a family of shinobi was a bad idea at best. I groaned and lifted my arms in one final stretch, letting out the last bits of doubt and nervousness that lingered in me. Outside the storeroom I could hear Chiaki patiently humming, waiting for me. By now she figured I was in the storeroom, perhaps busy. Step by step I apprached the doorway back to the shop, pausing just short to take in one last breath.

"Alright...here I go."

Fortunate Serendipity

Kogane Dori, Kugane ~ A Quiet Morning
Perspective - Arisu (Alice) Yumeno

---

When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to a wooden roof above me, even if it was the third time in a row I saw it. It really hadn't sunken in yet that I was no longer in Dalmasca. That I was safe in Hingashi. From where I was laying, I reached up, as if my hand would have pressed against some sort of barrier, a barrier that would shatter and the illusion around me would fade. But there was no barrier, no illusion, and my hand fell limply above my head to rest atop my ears.

After another moment of silence, I found enough strength to roll out of my bed and walk over to the dresser where my work clothes were waiting. Beyond the undershirt, robes were rather easy to put on, saving me the trouble of having to stick my tall ears through small neck holes. Yet it, still felt so surreal to be wearing them, and as my hands tied the sash, my memory drifted to just four days ago.

---

It was in a dusty alleyway, in some port city in Dalmasca that I never was able to properly get the name out of. Without any sense of navigation, I found myself in that dead end, my way out sealed by a by a group of soldiers wearing the black and red colours of Garlemald and with their weapons drawn. Though I could not see their faces due to their metal helmets, I could feel their bodies emanating murderous intent. What parts of their uniform were cloth were singed and burned away, but they seemed to be too angry to care about the damage at this point. I took a stance and tried to remember that strange feeling when I had first shaken them off, hoping for that miracle to occur once more.

In a way, there was a miracle. From behind them, I could hear a voice calling out to them almost mockingly.

"Now now gentlemen, there is a more elegant and civilized way to handle all of this."

The soldiers turned around, and through a small gap I was able to get a glimpse of a small woman, a Lalafell. She wore robes similar to a few of the merchants who I had seen at the docks. And despite the the drawn weapons and vicious auras, she still walked closer without any sense of fear or urgency. A few of the soldiers started to at each other, unsure of how to proceed.

Then tiny woman seemed to freeze, flickering for a moment, then vanished. I watched the soldiers in front of tense up as if on high alert, unsure what was happening. But I could sense something, as strange an unfamiliar manipulation of Mist was at play. Thin lines of white seemed to trace across the soldier's black uniforms for just a moment. Then, the woman then appeared in front of me, smiling up to me as the group behind crumbled silently and fell to the floor, as if the flame of their life had suddenly been snuffed out.

"Don't worry girl. They're just asleep," the woman said to me, putting a single finger up to her lips and winking. It was hard to believe her, seeing how the soldiers had collapsed, but I could only nod my head in fear. "As for you. That was a mighty impressive fireball you managed to make. And without using any sort of focus no less. That is quite a gift."

I flinched in surprise, barely squeaking out a "T-thank you." Apparently, she had been watching my initial altercation with those soldiers, and the miracle I had performed. In my fear, I had somehow lit a fire above some of them, in the confusion was able to escape, only to find myself trapped in the alleyway where I was now.

"Well, I suggest you get a move on," the woman continued, pointing her thumb behind her with a wide grin. "Go home before these ruffians wake up from their involuntary nap."

Slowly, I shook my head. I had no home, and thankfully the woman picked up on that, and shook her head in turn.

"I was afraid of that. Come along then. I've been looking for an assistant for my shop, and if you have no where to go, at least an honest job and a roof over your head while you sleep ought to be a good deal for you, right?"

I could only stare at her in response. She wasn't the first person to offer me shelter, and thankfully my instincts were sharp enough to turn down those offers, quickly finding out what kind of business I would be put in. And it seemed like the other woman had magically understood that as well.

"Oh, lovely. So those folk tried to recruit you for that, huh. Well, I do wish you'd trust me. But if you can't..."

Finally, that smile on the woman's face eased up as she shrugged, turning around and walking out of the alleyway. She stepped on top of the soldiers who were asleep, treating them no better than the rest of the debris that lined the alley. I hesitated for a moment, my mind agonizing over whether to trust this small strange woman. My instincts before never failed me, and now they were telling me to follow her. My legs seemed to have enough strength to move again, and it was easier to catch up on the account of the difference in height, and as we got back onto the main road, I was standing by her side.

"Good on ya, girl," the woman said, still looking down the road as she spoke to me. "By the way, they call me...Obizu Hanasaka. What about you?"

I shook my head again, whispering, "...I...I...since I left..."

"Right, right, I get it, I get it." Miss Obizu stopped in her tracks and looked up to me. "How about this. I can give you a name, especially since you'll be working with me."

Slowly, I nodded my head. "...okay."

Miss Obizu turned to face me, looking at me with a proud smile. "Arisu Yumeno. Remember it well."

---

...and I did remember it well. From there, we boarded a ship to Hingashi, and now...here I was in her herb shop. I checked my sash several times, unsure if I had really gotten it right the first time before giving up and heading downstairs.

Miss Obizu was already in the middle of the shop, using a broom that was taller than her, yet still managing to efficiently sweep the floors with it. Despite my attempts to move as silently as possible, Miss Obizu seemed to easily sense my presence, turning around and carrying the broom over her shoulders and walked towards me.

"Ah, Arisu. Good. Can you finish sweeping this up? I need to go to the backroom and organize something."

Without waiting for me to respond, she handed me the broom and walked briskly past me towards the back room. 

"Y-yes, Miss Obizu," I replied, keeping my eyes on her as she got to the doorway of the backroom where she paused and turned her head to look back at me.

"Oh, by the way. I'm expecting someone to arrive with a delivery. She's a the daughter of a friend of mine."

I nodded, replying with, "Right. Right." I expected her to give me a more detailed description of who I was to be waiting for, but instead Miss Obizu had disappeared into the backroom. With no desire to argue, I started to finish the sweeping, gathering the dust into a corner before using the dustpan to carry the clumps into the bin.

As if on cue, a knock came through the front door of the shop, followed by a woman's voice.

"Obizu-obaa-sama? Tadaimasu...? Obizu-obaa-sama?"

I could recognize that the woman was asking for Miss Obizu, but the rest was in a language I could not understand. It sounded similar to Hingan, but...not quite. Or perhaps it was Hingan. Regardless, I had no other recourse than to answer the door. Setting aside the broom, I walked up and took a breath, then opened the door, doing my best to give a cheerful greeting.

"H-hello?"

Out of habit, I had looked straight ahead, only to see the front of the shop across the street. Of course, I had gotten used to seeing another Viera, and had to look downwards. There I saw a woman with long white hair and white horns, wearing what looked to be very rugged traveling gear. While I did my best to smile at her, she responded by looking up to me with a frightening grin.

"Fuuu~n. I noticed the 'Now Hiring' sign had been taken down," the woman saig, starting to chuckle. "Ufufu... are you Obizu-sama's new assistant?"

"Y-yes!" I replied, suddenly remembering that a greeting in Higashi including a certain bowing gesture. Shaking slightly, I managed to bow while introducing myself. "A-arisu Yumeno ...h-how can I help you?"

As I stood up, I could see the other woman's eyes more clearly, and they had a faint white glow that seemed to burn into me. There was sense of amusement that I could read in her expression, but it quickly faded as she spoke up polite.

"Is Obizu-sama here?"

"Y-yes! She's expecting you, please come i-"

I nervously stepped aside and gestured for the woman to enter, but my voice was cut off by Miss Obizu who shouted eagerly as she approached.

"Ah, little Fuyuhime! How did your trip go?"

Miss Obizu's pace quickened as she got to the door, and the woman, apparently named 'Fuyuhime', knelt and gave Miss Obizu a brief hug before entering the shop. As I closed the door behind her, I had noticed she was carrying a large bag on her back, which she unslung and set onto a nearby table to start unloading it.

"As expected," Miss Fuyuhime replied. "I got you the usual amount, and so far, the denaturing of the aether in the mountains seems to have stopped, though I will still have to caution that..."

"Yes, yes, I understand. After all, no point in harvesting so many now if means none to harvest tomorrow."

I was standing behind Miss Obizu who had cut off Miss Fuyuhime, both of us looking at the bundles of herbs that were carefully placed onto the table. The petals were plain white, and the stems thin and wiry, but I could sense in them a certain concentration of Mist. But the rest, whatever Miss Fuyuhime was talking about, about denaturing and of aether, was completely incomprehensible.

Miss Obizu reached out to one of the bundles of herbs, lightly rolling the stems between her fingers. "Good, good...all very high quality stuff," Miss Obizu said, smiling and nodding, then looked up to Miss Fuyuhime. "Now, how busy are you this morning?"

"This morning? Just one class to teach, but it is still in a while" Miss Fuyuhime replied. I tilted my head in surprise. This Fuyuhime was both a teacher and gatherer. 

"Well, if you have time, join me for a drink," Miss Obizu responded as she started to carefully place the herbs into a glass jar. "What would you like?"

"Some of the diluted sake?"

Seeing how busy Miss Obizu was, I stepped away, believing that this was a task that I could do. I knew enough to know what sake was, and where it was stored, but before I could get a few steps away, I felt a tug at my arm. Looking down, I saw that somehow, despite the distance, Miss Obizu had caught up to me and was holding me fast by my sleeve.

"I got this, Arisu," Miss Obizu said, winking at me with a chuckle. "Take seat and join Fuyuhime, okay?"

I wasn't going to argue, though I found myself a bit worried as I walked to the table where Miss Fuyuhime was seated at. Up to this point, I felt that I had been doing a good job as an assistant, albeit for only three days. A few moments late, Miss Obizu returned, carrying a tray with three cups and pot in it. It was clearly not a setup for sake, and I looked to Miss Fuyuhime who seemed happy to see the dark liquid being poured into the cup, even if it wasn't sake. Utterly confused, I looked again to Miss Obizu who simply winked at me as she poured the mysterious drink into the two other cups, placing one of them in front of me.

"Ah...Thank you..." Miss Fuyuhime sighed, and I watched her pick up one of the cups and blow across it before taking a sip. Hesitantly, I reached out for the cup that was placed in front of me. I could feel the warmth of it quickly flowing through my hand as I carried the cup to my lips, mimicking the soft blowing of the white-haired woman before trying to sip from it myself. A strong bitter flavor struck me, followed by a smooth and sweet one, as if I had taken a bite from a fruit.

Silently, I marveled at whatever drink this was, and found myself slowly relaxing because of it. Then Miss Fuyuhime spoke up, looking down into the table.

"So...what has been moving?"

I tilted my head. What was moving? The statement was so vague, and looked to Miss Obizu hoping for an explanation.

"For the most part...nothing. The general consensus all around has been to do nothing. No one is willing to make a move."

"That's a surprise. Even after all that we've done, there's always going to be someone foolish enough who wants to take advantage of the chaos."

"Yes, and the usual suspects still do, but...too many things are in flux."

I looked between the tiny Miss Obizu and the pale Miss Fuyuhime, my confusion growing with each word. Chaos? Movement? Advantage? I had figured that Miss Obizu was more than was she seemed, and by the way Miss Fuyuhime seemed to be so familiar, she must have been similar, but this beyond what I had expected. Then, realization hit me, and I whispered a single word:

"...Garlemald...?"

Simultaneously, Miss Obizu and Miss Fuyuhime put a finger to their lips, looked at me, and smiled. A gesture to be quiet, not a gesture that I was incorrect. My shoulders hunched anxiously. Even in the Skatay Range, news of the Emperor Varis' death and the resultant civil quickly reached us. Why Miss Obizu and Miss Fuyuhime were talking about it baffled me and I could only try to drink from my cup in an attempt to calm down as the two other women continued to converse.

Miss Fuyuhime was the first to resume. "Still, not like whatever was already in motion hasn't necessarily stopped."

"Actually, a lot has," Miss Obizu retorted, prompting the first expression outside of amusement I had seen out of Miss Fuyuhime. "Most operations were suspended. The ones that kept going were...smaller projects."

"Including yours?"

"Maybe." Miss Obizu replied, winking. "As always, I try to do what I can to help, even if it is only one person at a time."

I saw Miss Fuyuhime slowly turn her head to me and that frightening grin had returned as her white eyes looked into mine. Suddenly, it all made sense. Why Miss Obizu was following me around in that port, why she had saved me from the Garlean soldiers, why she had brought me to Hingashi.

"Well, it seems like Obizu-sama has quite a story from her last expedition," Miss Fuyuhime said, still looking at me.

"Another time, I have to open the shop soon. And you have your classes to teach too, right?" Miss Obizu replied, putting the empty cups onto the tray and picking them up. I followed suit, standing up from the table and running over to make sure all the other jars and shelves were stocked for the day. 

Miss Fuyuhime followed after me, picking up her empty bag and slinging it over her shoulder, saying, "True for today, but as I said, this semester I have a little less, fewer magi this time around."

"Oh, is that so? Could you perhaps squeeze in a little one-on-one tutoring?" Miss Obizu replied from the the backroom. I froze in place, a finger on the last jar I was inspecting, slowly turning my head to the doorway of the backroom where Miss Obizu was peeking out with a grin. "Arisu has a bit of a gift, and I think you are the best to nurture it."

My eyes went wide in shock, trembling as I looked to the front door of the shop where Miss Fuyuhime was already midway out the door.

"Ufufu...sou ka, Obizu-sama?" Miss Fuyuhime replied, a thin grin forming on her lips as she looked to me. "I will make some time for her, then. And again, Arisu-san...a pleasure to meet you..."