Post by Echo on Aug 18, 2020 13:11:24 GMT -8
Name: Echo Bossa Nova
Alias: Heir to Truffle Village
Species: Hybrid; Half Human, Quarter Saiyan, Quarter Demon
Age: 2 (Appears 10)
Gender: Male
Faction: The Pig Demon Duchies
Lineage: Melody and Cress Bossa Nova
Appearance: The hexagon pattern of his clothes are symbolic colors to the Bossa Nova Clan of Samurai.
A green haori, patterned with a geometric hexagon design of yellow and a darker green, over a black western lands military school uniform, a black obi belt tied at his waist , and a pair of maroon hakama pants. Black Tabi socks and white zori.
When he isn't wearing his uniform, he wears a green nagagi, of the same pattern as his haori, tied with a black obi, and tucked into his maroon hakama pants. Kyahan of the same geometric hexagon pattern are tied on his shins, over his hakama, symbolic to his roots of the Bossa Nova Clan samurai.
Physical Information
Height: 3' 10"
Weight: 45 lbs
Hair: Layered, Shoulder Length
Hair Color: Strawberry Blonde
Eye Color: Violet
Complexion: Pale
Personality: Echo was raised with all the refinements of being an heir to Truffle Village, the oldest village that existed since the Pig Demon Duchies were established, and his curious mind has gone beyond his parents' expectations. While he was blood cursed by his grandmother before he was born, his aptitude for controlling the power he was forced to inherit from his mother has made him confident, and he strives to gain enough experience to protect his family by being independent at an age most people would think is impossible. Due to his exemplary abilities he also has been made heir to the Bossa Nova Clan.
History: Duchess Melody of Truffle Village married Cress in a secret ceremony, the union was well known across the Duchies, recognizing that Cress held no rank of authority and was only a vassal created quite a scandal. It was through these rumors that Melody’s lineage was revealed as being part of the Bossa Nova clan, elevating her status as a Duchess further. While Melody’s parents had abandoned her as a child to pursue music careers they had an additional set of twins who were top ranked Samurai for the Bossa Nova clan. The samurai twins were named Canon and Cadence, who were pleasantly surprised to discover their missing sister, taking residence at Melody’s estate to rekindle their relationship as siblings.
Prior to the twins being born, Zerranna placed a blood curse on Melody, complicating her pregnancy which absorbed her ki while the boys were in the womb. It was until Juniper Tea severed the connection of the ki drain and enabled the pregnancy to occur earlier, due to their demonic blood exponentially increasing their growth, a result which improved the survival of the human Duchess. Zerranna planned to kidnap the twins for her own gains, in a similar upbringing to their father Cress, and the Bossa Nova clan had no choice but to seal her away imprisoned at the estate in Truffle Village.
The strawberry blonde boy has his mother’s features and was born first before his twin brother Note who resembled their father. The severed blood curse left a scar on Echo’s right cheek which enabled him to possess his grandmother’s grimoire. While training under his parents and members of the Bossa Nova clan, his abilities as a swordsman and control of demonic ki magic excelled his potential at a higher than normal rate. In two years he grew to the size of an average ten year old and when he giant forms he is aged even further to a teenager which is equal to his mental age. Note has been able to follow along with transforming in giant form but is still on the cusp of catching up to his brother’s power level because he is easily distracted while Echo remains focused.
While reading the grimoire Echo summoned an Inari fox spirit as a pet.
RP Sample:
A lazy afternoon was spent sleeping the morning away in the newly renovated master chamber by Melody, she was hunched over the onitama wooden game board like a small desk, one of the wooden martial art chipboards game pieces was stuck on her cheek as she snoozed through her hangover, after spending all night playing the game, and drinking an entire cask of sake with Cress; who was outstretched on the electrical heated tatami mat floor snoring with his mouth wide open. While it was still winter, the buds of the sakura blossom trees were ready to bloom, the dark bark of the trees were devoid of any leaves, and the season brought minimal snow this past year which permitted an early growth in vegetation. The sound of children’s laughter forced the duchess’ violet eyes to open suddenly, followed by a gravity defying demonic signature that was in the wrong direction from where her vassal lay, as she got up from her awkward position she noted that he was awake, and when looked down from the open panel entry way she could see two boys wearing western style robes chasing one another holding what looked like Cress’ grimoire. In Truffle Village, Morel was the youngest humanoid resident at thirteen years old, the beastfolk who had even younger children were primarily animalistic than a half beast, and she was not made aware of any visitors, especially not in her estate without notice.
“Thieves!” Melody shouted at them recognizing the grimoire which she never dared to touch, in a green flash she leapt off the balcony, wearing a fluffy white bathrobe since she forgot to change into proper clothes after taking a bath in the hot spring and was challenged to a game of onitama by Cress last night. As she landed in front of them barefooted the boys were only slightly alarmed.
“Mother, when did you cut your hair?” Echo, a strawberry blonde haired, violet eyed boy, with a deep scar on his cheek spoke up first.
“The pond was frozen and there were mountain high piles of snow up to the roofs yesterday, and it is all gone! Did Morel put the koi fish back so fast this morning? Did Portobello use his magic to make the snow go away? I miss the snow.” Note explained, ruffling his hands through his dark hair in disappointment.
It was not being called mother than stunned Melody so much as their ki signature, the blood that coursed through their veins was a familiar feeling no different from touching her own face, especially since looking at Echo’s eyes were like a mirror reflection of her own brilliant hues. As she looked over to Note ruffle his own hair, she reached out, and touched it. The color was exactly like Cress’ locks of hair, it was no mistake, and she bit down on her thumb hard enough to draw blood to determine if she was dreaming. These two boys were convincing of their ploy to confuse her and the demon signature she was reading made her feel tense.
“Is this some kind of demon magic at play? I am not falling for your tricks demons!”
[528]
“They’re not demons. Not fully.”
The boys jumped about a mile at the deep grunt that echoed behind them. They were lifted off the ground with ease, protesting as they kicked their feet and tried to wriggle themselves loose. Cress held them up in front of himself, his expression a placid calm as he regarded the pair of boys who had sparked such a disturbance this early in the morning.
“They’re… half demons.”
He observed Echo first. The boy furrowed his brow, staring back at him. His eyes searched Cress as much as Cress searched his. They bespoke an intuition beyond his scant years, and their deep violet hue tugged at something deep within: his mind and heart warred with each other, trying to determine how it could be that a perfectly strange boy could seem so familiar.
His gaze slid to the other. This one had wild, spiky hair notable of Saiyan heritage and fierce dark eyes that challenged Cress. Though the first had stopped struggling and merely studied the big half-Saiyan, this one continued to fight and struggle.
“Lemme go, ya big meanie! I didn’t do anything! Geez! We were just playing with it!”
He had spirit, and lots of it. It almost reminded Cress of…
No.
That couldn’t be it.
Could it?
“Well… I’ll be damned.”
The grimoire floated up toward Cress from where it had fallen into the snow. It was his own energy—Cress understood that. But it looked distinct from his current grimoire, coated in an aura of pure white ki that felt… calm.
Much like the new sense of peace that stirred in his own soul.
“Alright. This is gettin’ a little too freaky for me.”
He finally set the kids back down onto the snow-laden ground. Tears glistened in their eyes, both boys frowning up at him.
“W-We were just—” The blonde boy said, his words stammering. “We were—”
“We didn’t do nothin’,” said the other.
He peered closer at Cress.
“...where’s your beard, Dad? You look… uglier without it.”
“What!?”
A violent burst of ki erupted from Cress, causing a small whirlwind of ice and snow to swirl around him. He glowered at the boys who yelped and dove behind Melody for protection.
Cress sighed, rubbing his head.
What was he doing? They were just kids, after all. And by the sounds of things, they were clearly confused. It wouldn’t do to terrify them when Cress was certain both he and Melody sought answers from them.
“Names.”
Both boys stared up at him as if he’d made a not-so-funny joke and they were unsure whether or not laughter might be appropriate.
“I said names. Now, damn it.”
This time they laughed outright, tumbling over into the snow with their hands clutching their heaving bellies, feet kicking in the air with jovial mirth.
Cress frowned at the display and let out a sigh, his breath appearing as a dense cloud of mist that dissipated into the air. He locked eyes with Melody—violet orbs that were at once warm, familiar, and confused.
“I tried. Your turn to get some answers, hon.”
[517]
The boys were so confused by the sudden change in atmosphere with their parents, their personalities were different, and their father seemed angrier than usual which they imagined was a result of a missing beard on his visage.
Morel wandered into the court yard along with her brother Portobello and the boys retreated towards them still equally confused by everything.
“Morel-san! Mom and dad are being weird! I think they are playing some kind of theater play. Come play with us too!” Note hugged her arm with his much smaller hands. He sniffed the air realizing something was odd about the teenage girl as well, “Your hair is cut shorter, you kept it in long pigtails for a time from what I can remember. Did someone come through the night and groomed everyone? Why didn’t I get a cut with the scissors man.”
“Portobello-san, I think they are possessed by a demon, we might have to fight!” Echo brushed his rough strawberry blonde hair and used the static in his hand to focus his ki to retrieve the floating grimoire that was hovering near Cress. The older brother seemed quite capable in using the demonic energy of the book, the scar on his face radiated an aura similar to the book, as it seemed that he may have made a pact with with grimoire in someway.
Portobello reached inside his kaori coat and then the inner pocket of kosode robe to pull out a candle, he blew on the wick, his face covered by the cloth sigil, and chanted a few words. The breath of air ignited the flame on the wick of the candle and it started to hover in front of them. The spirituals forces began to explain the situation through psychic means involving these mysterious boys, while the teenage boy never smiled, he managed one for the very first time in front of Cress.
“Echo and Note. Descendants of our honorable Lady Melody and her husband from… another timeline.” He looked down at Echo uncertain if he was serious about fighting or he was following along the theater play that Note claimed. “While they look like your parents, you are not in the correct timeline, and it seems the grimoire has brought you over here. Mind explaining what you remembered last before arriving here?”
Melody met Cress’ eyes with bewilderment, she held an awed expression, her lips slightly parted, unable to find the words to explain what she was feeling about something so familiar and mysterious. The revelation Portobello made was alarming but there was no reason not to believe in him as her most trusted advisor. She smiled almost chuckling, the idea that a different timeline existed where she had two sons made her happy briefly, and she wondered what she was doing wrong for her present reality to be so different. With a blush, she averted her eyes, and walked over to the children.
“Those names are perfect.”Melody felt like her mouth was dry and it was not because of her hangover, it was the shock she was found difficult to overcome, “Unfortunately, I am not your mother. If what Portobello-kun says is true, then your real mother is looking for you, and you’re both in a lot of trouble for taking the grimoire to end up here. I don’t know the first thing about demon magic so that makes matters worse. You two need to go back.”
“It was gran gran, she gave us the grimoire when were playing in the snow, she is over there.” Note pointed at the stone lantern shrines that followed a cobblestone path towards the hotspring under the raised master chamber.
There was nothing there at present, the pieces were starting to come together, and it was concerning to know that Zeranna had something to do with using demon magic to send these innocent boys to a different timeline. Only one clue was certain, Zeranna had died in the boys’ timeline, otherwise Note would not have pointed at the memorial specifically, and if Cress did not know the answer his demon mother would.
[685]
His nose didn’t lie. It never had before, so why would it start now? The eyes could be deceived, and even the ears. Taste, touch—all of the senses were subjected to some form or other of deception if one weren’t careful, but not the nose. The nose spoke a truth none of the other senses possessed, and right now it told him all he needed to know.
It wasn’t his sense of smell that was the issue here; it was in fine working order. He smelled of booze and tobacco, and though there was a strong scent of sake on Melody, it held undertones of a warm current of spring flowers that was unique to the duchess herself.
Cress could recognize Melody’s scent in a crowd of a hundred, perhaps even a thousand—there was no other smell like it, as mysterious and distinct as Melody herself.
So, then, why did he smell the same scent on the children?
Why did they keep calling them Mom and Dad? Were they confused? Had something happened to the children? They needed answers, and they needed them now.
Luckily Morel and Portobello entered the courtyard, drawn by the ruckus. The children fled to them and seemed to know them as well, remarking once again on the noted change in the servants’ appearances. Portobello wielded his strange spiritual ability and was able to discern the truth of the matter, much to Cress’s chagrin.
It seemed the children were from a different timeline altogether: one in which Melody had married and had two sons. The husband was not named, and at this, Cress felt a twinge of jealous twist in his gut. He grunted, shoving his hands deep within his pockets. Just who the hell had she married, anyway? Another demon? The energy felt familiar, and from the way the older boy retrieved the grimoire with ease, it was as if he had inherited it. But how was that possible? This was clearly Zeranna’s grimoire, and last he checked, her remains were buried deep within the frozen ground.
Was it possible his mother was scheming behind the scenes yet again? If she were dead in this timeline, did that mean she was still yet alive in another?
“None of this makes any sense. The hell’s going on?”
He trailed after Melody as they approached the others. Though she claimed not to be their mother, oddly enough she spoke in a sharp parental tone that sounded natural to Cress’s ears as she reprimanded the boys for toying with dangerous demon magics and winding up lost outside of their own timeline. The dark haired runt, Note, insisted it was given to them by their grandmother. He pointed at the recently renovated memorial Melody erected for Cress upon their return from Oolong City.
“Wait a sec…”
Cress stared at the boy.
“How could you know about—”
He fell silent as the words faltered on his lips. The truth was glaringly obvious, yet Cress felt himself in strong denial of it. He glanced at the boys yet again, taking in their childish, delicate features. Both boys smelled like a blend of wildflowers, freshly fallen snow, and demon magic.
The truth stared them all right in the face.
“Portobello.” Cress stared at Melody’s faithful servant. “Tell us plainly—who are these kids? Are they—”
His voice caught in his throat, as if the words themselves were reluctant to be spoken. He forced himself to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat and bring his question to fruition.
“Are they ours? Can you tell who the husband might be? Frankly, these kids smell a lot like—”
His eyes slid to Melody.
“—well, us.”
[612]
Note responded first by hugging Cress by the legs and looked up with a smile, he was not afraid as much as Echo, who released his demon aura after discovering the truth but was still guarded by holding on to the grimoire firmly; fully aware that their parents were not the same puzzled him.
“Biologically, they are the embodiment of being your offspring, but given that you are not a married couple, means all the conditions of this present timeline have not been met for their potential future.” Portobello blew out the spiritual candle and placed it back inside a pocket.
Melody stared back at Cress with a curious look, she genuinely smiled at Note for a moment, she was happy about being near the boys, and seemed comfortable about the truth he seemed to deny. There was still the matter of finding a way to return to their actual parents and home.
“Well, are we summoning your mother from HFIL or are you going to figure out how to send our children back to our future selves?”
She turned her attention back to the children, “Are either of you hungry? Might as well eat while your father figures out how to clean up your gran gran’s mess, she not very nice, and she is up to something that isn’t very good. My blade is useless in this situation.” She flipped her green hair in affirmation, leading the way to the dining hall, to enjoy a family meal.
“Yay! Food!” Note released Cress and skippered off inside the house.
How was it possible for Melody to accept all this? It was her dream, she always wanted her own family since she never had one, and it was the only desire she could not afford with zeni. Above all else she loved Cress in her own awkward way of cutting him down every time he crossed her and forgiving him a thousand times over. While she would rather wear proper clothes besides a bathrobe, she was not in a rush, and left with the children back inside the abode to the only dining room with chairs as the boys knew exactly where to go by leading the way.
The servants in the house whispered at each other, the resemblance was obvious without question, and they silenced themselves to avoid being in earshot of their gossip before the Duchess. In truth they all desired to speak with boys for being irresistibly adorable as they pranced down the halls to the dining room. At that point the servants immediately scattered towards the kitchens to prepare a meal.
Echo placed the grimoire on the table and took the time to pull out a chair taller than himself. When he sat in it, his violet eyes were dull as his chin barely reached over the table’s edge, and spoke up, “The table is different, mother.”
Of course the boys kept calling Melody and Cress for who they were, there was no distinction other than they were different from what they remembered, and there was little sense in changing that despite their distorted realities.
“Maybe if we put a cushion on the chair!” Note chimed in, sliding a hidden door open, gathering a few floor pillows from a hidden walled room beyond the dining hall that served as a tea room overlooking the courtyard if the panels were open.
With winter air being rather chilly the panels were closed shut and locked tight. The boys proceeded to put the cushions in their chairs for the needed boost to place their little hands on the surface of the table eager for their meals. Note seemed more bouncy in anticipation while Echo kept staring directly at Melody in a contest.
Melody was instantly in love with these boys, she could not help watching their every move like it was their first, and she wondered what it would be like to live this way for the rest of her life as she daydreamed.
[664]
The still of the winter morning was broken as Portobello’s soft, matter-of-fact tone pierced the thick veil of silence that covered the courtyard. There was no more mystery to the matter; the truth had been revealed in all of its strange and curious glory. The children, Echo and Note… belonged to him and Melody.
His breath hitched in his throat, eyes widening in surprise. Cress immediately slid his gaze to Melody’s own, yet she seemed just as confused as he was. Panic gripped his chest tightly, and Cress had reach out and grasp the nearest ice-coated lamp post to steady himself.
So, then, it was true. He was a father. They were parents, and those children belonged to them. “B-But… how can—” His words faltered, his mind drawing a blank. Cress glanced at the demon tome Echo clutched tightly to his chest. Why would it be such a surprise? Even his own grimoire held pages of strange text he had yet to decipher for himself.
It was perfectly plausible there were spells that allowed one to send a pair of children into an alternate timeline—perhaps even one to resurrect one’s body from the dead. Somewhere, deep within himself, Cress understood that though they had killed Zeranna’s mortal coil, her spirit lived on somewhere. It waited and lurked in the shadows, looking for an opportunistic moment to seek revenge.
Melody addressed him and asked what he planned to do, inquiring whether they would simply summon Zeranna to fix her own mess or find a way to send the children back of their own accord. Both were unfavorable options, yet before Cress had a chance to weigh in on things, the duchess slipped into her natural role of caretaker as she escorted the children into the home for a meal.
He noted the way they seemed to lead Melody into the home, as if they were quite familiar with the dwelling though it were not possible they had ever stepped foot in there. Melody did not seem as troubled by this revelation as Cress seemed to be. It was the implication that bothered him.
Somehow, some way, this other Cress had managed to seal the deal with Melody, gotten married and settled down to raise a family with her. But… how? How had he managed such a thing with such a temperamental woman? One minute she was warm and inviting, and at the drop of a pin, her tone was laced with the icy chill of a threat.
Granted, most times, she was threatening Cress with good reason. They had crossed blades more than once, and each time, Cress found himself solely defeated by the blade master. Yet, with each defeat, he found himself drawing closer and closer: he yearned and desired to be near her and to know her. That was the only reason he bothered playing these silly late night games with her.
Cress didn’t give a damn about the game. He wanted to be with Melody, and simply didn’t have the guts to admit this allowed. How the hell did he tell her how much he loved her when he wasn’t even entirely sure he understood what love meant? Cress wanted to confess, but what if he messed up?
He’d been raised to be fearless in the face of imminent danger. Yet no one had ever taught him how to deal with the fear that lurked deep within one’s heart. Yet it wasn’t impossible, was it? They could have a future together. And those two precious boys were living, breathing proof of this. He wasn’t a complete and utter loser—not if a duchess were willing to fall in love with him.
Cress re-entered the estate, stepping through the open sliding doors of the dining hall. Echo and Note munched happily upon the provisions of cured boar meat, a sliced hunk of cheese, and an abundance of red and green grapes.
“Dad!” Note waved an excited hand at the sight of his father. “Come eat with us!”
“In a minute. Where’s Mel—erm, your mother?”
Echo pointed behind himself before grabbing his cup of milk in both hands, chugging it down. He choked and sputtered, milk dribbling out of his nose as the poor child tried his hardest to breathe. Note slid out of his chair, rolled under the table, and popped up at his brother’s side where he began whacking him mercilessly on the back in a bid to free up his lungs.
Cress watched the bewildering scene with more than a hint of amusement.
“Stay here. Don’t kill yourselves before I get back.”
He found Melody in the kitchen area, bustling around a bubbling pot on the stove. Despite the cook’s insistence, she seemed determined to do it on her own. Cress stalked over and peered into the pot, his mouth twisting with disgust.
“Porridge? Have you cooked a single day in your life?”
There was a hint of a smirk on his lips to show he meant it in jest. Before he would never have made such a crude joke. But everything was different now, wasn’t it?
“Mel… we need to talk. I think I know how to send the boys back.”
[864]
“I know how to cook rice.” Melody dead panned, while she never cooked for Cress, she was not asked by him either, and she was apparently good at it according to the boys despite preparing the porridge for the first time. She instructed the cook standing by in a panic to remove the whole cinnamon sticks once it boiled and lower the heat to a simmer after a few minutes to add star anise, white pepper, salt, and sugar to taste followed by milk once the rice swelled. Typically she did not cook in her own home but she did have refined taste buds, she knew what ingredients melded together to make an exquisite meal, and she thought herself worthy of becoming a proper food critic as a full time occupation if she was not occupied with her role as Duchess.
“Good. I am sure we are worried sick for the boys in our other life. Without the grimoire what else is there to do?”
[165]
“Thieves!” Melody shouted at them recognizing the grimoire which she never dared to touch, in a green flash she leapt off the balcony, wearing a fluffy white bathrobe since she forgot to change into proper clothes after taking a bath in the hot spring and was challenged to a game of onitama by Cress last night. As she landed in front of them barefooted the boys were only slightly alarmed.
“Mother, when did you cut your hair?” Echo, a strawberry blonde haired, violet eyed boy, with a deep scar on his cheek spoke up first.
“The pond was frozen and there were mountain high piles of snow up to the roofs yesterday, and it is all gone! Did Morel put the koi fish back so fast this morning? Did Portobello use his magic to make the snow go away? I miss the snow.” Note explained, ruffling his hands through his dark hair in disappointment.
It was not being called mother than stunned Melody so much as their ki signature, the blood that coursed through their veins was a familiar feeling no different from touching her own face, especially since looking at Echo’s eyes were like a mirror reflection of her own brilliant hues. As she looked over to Note ruffle his own hair, she reached out, and touched it. The color was exactly like Cress’ locks of hair, it was no mistake, and she bit down on her thumb hard enough to draw blood to determine if she was dreaming. These two boys were convincing of their ploy to confuse her and the demon signature she was reading made her feel tense.
“Is this some kind of demon magic at play? I am not falling for your tricks demons!”
[528]
“They’re not demons. Not fully.”
The boys jumped about a mile at the deep grunt that echoed behind them. They were lifted off the ground with ease, protesting as they kicked their feet and tried to wriggle themselves loose. Cress held them up in front of himself, his expression a placid calm as he regarded the pair of boys who had sparked such a disturbance this early in the morning.
“They’re… half demons.”
He observed Echo first. The boy furrowed his brow, staring back at him. His eyes searched Cress as much as Cress searched his. They bespoke an intuition beyond his scant years, and their deep violet hue tugged at something deep within: his mind and heart warred with each other, trying to determine how it could be that a perfectly strange boy could seem so familiar.
His gaze slid to the other. This one had wild, spiky hair notable of Saiyan heritage and fierce dark eyes that challenged Cress. Though the first had stopped struggling and merely studied the big half-Saiyan, this one continued to fight and struggle.
“Lemme go, ya big meanie! I didn’t do anything! Geez! We were just playing with it!”
He had spirit, and lots of it. It almost reminded Cress of…
No.
That couldn’t be it.
Could it?
“Well… I’ll be damned.”
The grimoire floated up toward Cress from where it had fallen into the snow. It was his own energy—Cress understood that. But it looked distinct from his current grimoire, coated in an aura of pure white ki that felt… calm.
Much like the new sense of peace that stirred in his own soul.
“Alright. This is gettin’ a little too freaky for me.”
He finally set the kids back down onto the snow-laden ground. Tears glistened in their eyes, both boys frowning up at him.
“W-We were just—” The blonde boy said, his words stammering. “We were—”
“We didn’t do nothin’,” said the other.
He peered closer at Cress.
“...where’s your beard, Dad? You look… uglier without it.”
“What!?”
A violent burst of ki erupted from Cress, causing a small whirlwind of ice and snow to swirl around him. He glowered at the boys who yelped and dove behind Melody for protection.
Cress sighed, rubbing his head.
What was he doing? They were just kids, after all. And by the sounds of things, they were clearly confused. It wouldn’t do to terrify them when Cress was certain both he and Melody sought answers from them.
“Names.”
Both boys stared up at him as if he’d made a not-so-funny joke and they were unsure whether or not laughter might be appropriate.
“I said names. Now, damn it.”
This time they laughed outright, tumbling over into the snow with their hands clutching their heaving bellies, feet kicking in the air with jovial mirth.
Cress frowned at the display and let out a sigh, his breath appearing as a dense cloud of mist that dissipated into the air. He locked eyes with Melody—violet orbs that were at once warm, familiar, and confused.
“I tried. Your turn to get some answers, hon.”
[517]
The boys were so confused by the sudden change in atmosphere with their parents, their personalities were different, and their father seemed angrier than usual which they imagined was a result of a missing beard on his visage.
Morel wandered into the court yard along with her brother Portobello and the boys retreated towards them still equally confused by everything.
“Morel-san! Mom and dad are being weird! I think they are playing some kind of theater play. Come play with us too!” Note hugged her arm with his much smaller hands. He sniffed the air realizing something was odd about the teenage girl as well, “Your hair is cut shorter, you kept it in long pigtails for a time from what I can remember. Did someone come through the night and groomed everyone? Why didn’t I get a cut with the scissors man.”
“Portobello-san, I think they are possessed by a demon, we might have to fight!” Echo brushed his rough strawberry blonde hair and used the static in his hand to focus his ki to retrieve the floating grimoire that was hovering near Cress. The older brother seemed quite capable in using the demonic energy of the book, the scar on his face radiated an aura similar to the book, as it seemed that he may have made a pact with with grimoire in someway.
Portobello reached inside his kaori coat and then the inner pocket of kosode robe to pull out a candle, he blew on the wick, his face covered by the cloth sigil, and chanted a few words. The breath of air ignited the flame on the wick of the candle and it started to hover in front of them. The spirituals forces began to explain the situation through psychic means involving these mysterious boys, while the teenage boy never smiled, he managed one for the very first time in front of Cress.
“Echo and Note. Descendants of our honorable Lady Melody and her husband from… another timeline.” He looked down at Echo uncertain if he was serious about fighting or he was following along the theater play that Note claimed. “While they look like your parents, you are not in the correct timeline, and it seems the grimoire has brought you over here. Mind explaining what you remembered last before arriving here?”
Melody met Cress’ eyes with bewilderment, she held an awed expression, her lips slightly parted, unable to find the words to explain what she was feeling about something so familiar and mysterious. The revelation Portobello made was alarming but there was no reason not to believe in him as her most trusted advisor. She smiled almost chuckling, the idea that a different timeline existed where she had two sons made her happy briefly, and she wondered what she was doing wrong for her present reality to be so different. With a blush, she averted her eyes, and walked over to the children.
“Those names are perfect.”Melody felt like her mouth was dry and it was not because of her hangover, it was the shock she was found difficult to overcome, “Unfortunately, I am not your mother. If what Portobello-kun says is true, then your real mother is looking for you, and you’re both in a lot of trouble for taking the grimoire to end up here. I don’t know the first thing about demon magic so that makes matters worse. You two need to go back.”
“It was gran gran, she gave us the grimoire when were playing in the snow, she is over there.” Note pointed at the stone lantern shrines that followed a cobblestone path towards the hotspring under the raised master chamber.
There was nothing there at present, the pieces were starting to come together, and it was concerning to know that Zeranna had something to do with using demon magic to send these innocent boys to a different timeline. Only one clue was certain, Zeranna had died in the boys’ timeline, otherwise Note would not have pointed at the memorial specifically, and if Cress did not know the answer his demon mother would.
[685]
His nose didn’t lie. It never had before, so why would it start now? The eyes could be deceived, and even the ears. Taste, touch—all of the senses were subjected to some form or other of deception if one weren’t careful, but not the nose. The nose spoke a truth none of the other senses possessed, and right now it told him all he needed to know.
It wasn’t his sense of smell that was the issue here; it was in fine working order. He smelled of booze and tobacco, and though there was a strong scent of sake on Melody, it held undertones of a warm current of spring flowers that was unique to the duchess herself.
Cress could recognize Melody’s scent in a crowd of a hundred, perhaps even a thousand—there was no other smell like it, as mysterious and distinct as Melody herself.
So, then, why did he smell the same scent on the children?
Why did they keep calling them Mom and Dad? Were they confused? Had something happened to the children? They needed answers, and they needed them now.
Luckily Morel and Portobello entered the courtyard, drawn by the ruckus. The children fled to them and seemed to know them as well, remarking once again on the noted change in the servants’ appearances. Portobello wielded his strange spiritual ability and was able to discern the truth of the matter, much to Cress’s chagrin.
It seemed the children were from a different timeline altogether: one in which Melody had married and had two sons. The husband was not named, and at this, Cress felt a twinge of jealous twist in his gut. He grunted, shoving his hands deep within his pockets. Just who the hell had she married, anyway? Another demon? The energy felt familiar, and from the way the older boy retrieved the grimoire with ease, it was as if he had inherited it. But how was that possible? This was clearly Zeranna’s grimoire, and last he checked, her remains were buried deep within the frozen ground.
Was it possible his mother was scheming behind the scenes yet again? If she were dead in this timeline, did that mean she was still yet alive in another?
“None of this makes any sense. The hell’s going on?”
He trailed after Melody as they approached the others. Though she claimed not to be their mother, oddly enough she spoke in a sharp parental tone that sounded natural to Cress’s ears as she reprimanded the boys for toying with dangerous demon magics and winding up lost outside of their own timeline. The dark haired runt, Note, insisted it was given to them by their grandmother. He pointed at the recently renovated memorial Melody erected for Cress upon their return from Oolong City.
“Wait a sec…”
Cress stared at the boy.
“How could you know about—”
He fell silent as the words faltered on his lips. The truth was glaringly obvious, yet Cress felt himself in strong denial of it. He glanced at the boys yet again, taking in their childish, delicate features. Both boys smelled like a blend of wildflowers, freshly fallen snow, and demon magic.
The truth stared them all right in the face.
“Portobello.” Cress stared at Melody’s faithful servant. “Tell us plainly—who are these kids? Are they—”
His voice caught in his throat, as if the words themselves were reluctant to be spoken. He forced himself to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat and bring his question to fruition.
“Are they ours? Can you tell who the husband might be? Frankly, these kids smell a lot like—”
His eyes slid to Melody.
“—well, us.”
[612]
Note responded first by hugging Cress by the legs and looked up with a smile, he was not afraid as much as Echo, who released his demon aura after discovering the truth but was still guarded by holding on to the grimoire firmly; fully aware that their parents were not the same puzzled him.
“Biologically, they are the embodiment of being your offspring, but given that you are not a married couple, means all the conditions of this present timeline have not been met for their potential future.” Portobello blew out the spiritual candle and placed it back inside a pocket.
Melody stared back at Cress with a curious look, she genuinely smiled at Note for a moment, she was happy about being near the boys, and seemed comfortable about the truth he seemed to deny. There was still the matter of finding a way to return to their actual parents and home.
“Well, are we summoning your mother from HFIL or are you going to figure out how to send our children back to our future selves?”
She turned her attention back to the children, “Are either of you hungry? Might as well eat while your father figures out how to clean up your gran gran’s mess, she not very nice, and she is up to something that isn’t very good. My blade is useless in this situation.” She flipped her green hair in affirmation, leading the way to the dining hall, to enjoy a family meal.
“Yay! Food!” Note released Cress and skippered off inside the house.
How was it possible for Melody to accept all this? It was her dream, she always wanted her own family since she never had one, and it was the only desire she could not afford with zeni. Above all else she loved Cress in her own awkward way of cutting him down every time he crossed her and forgiving him a thousand times over. While she would rather wear proper clothes besides a bathrobe, she was not in a rush, and left with the children back inside the abode to the only dining room with chairs as the boys knew exactly where to go by leading the way.
The servants in the house whispered at each other, the resemblance was obvious without question, and they silenced themselves to avoid being in earshot of their gossip before the Duchess. In truth they all desired to speak with boys for being irresistibly adorable as they pranced down the halls to the dining room. At that point the servants immediately scattered towards the kitchens to prepare a meal.
Echo placed the grimoire on the table and took the time to pull out a chair taller than himself. When he sat in it, his violet eyes were dull as his chin barely reached over the table’s edge, and spoke up, “The table is different, mother.”
Of course the boys kept calling Melody and Cress for who they were, there was no distinction other than they were different from what they remembered, and there was little sense in changing that despite their distorted realities.
“Maybe if we put a cushion on the chair!” Note chimed in, sliding a hidden door open, gathering a few floor pillows from a hidden walled room beyond the dining hall that served as a tea room overlooking the courtyard if the panels were open.
With winter air being rather chilly the panels were closed shut and locked tight. The boys proceeded to put the cushions in their chairs for the needed boost to place their little hands on the surface of the table eager for their meals. Note seemed more bouncy in anticipation while Echo kept staring directly at Melody in a contest.
Melody was instantly in love with these boys, she could not help watching their every move like it was their first, and she wondered what it would be like to live this way for the rest of her life as she daydreamed.
[664]
The still of the winter morning was broken as Portobello’s soft, matter-of-fact tone pierced the thick veil of silence that covered the courtyard. There was no more mystery to the matter; the truth had been revealed in all of its strange and curious glory. The children, Echo and Note… belonged to him and Melody.
His breath hitched in his throat, eyes widening in surprise. Cress immediately slid his gaze to Melody’s own, yet she seemed just as confused as he was. Panic gripped his chest tightly, and Cress had reach out and grasp the nearest ice-coated lamp post to steady himself.
So, then, it was true. He was a father. They were parents, and those children belonged to them. “B-But… how can—” His words faltered, his mind drawing a blank. Cress glanced at the demon tome Echo clutched tightly to his chest. Why would it be such a surprise? Even his own grimoire held pages of strange text he had yet to decipher for himself.
It was perfectly plausible there were spells that allowed one to send a pair of children into an alternate timeline—perhaps even one to resurrect one’s body from the dead. Somewhere, deep within himself, Cress understood that though they had killed Zeranna’s mortal coil, her spirit lived on somewhere. It waited and lurked in the shadows, looking for an opportunistic moment to seek revenge.
Melody addressed him and asked what he planned to do, inquiring whether they would simply summon Zeranna to fix her own mess or find a way to send the children back of their own accord. Both were unfavorable options, yet before Cress had a chance to weigh in on things, the duchess slipped into her natural role of caretaker as she escorted the children into the home for a meal.
He noted the way they seemed to lead Melody into the home, as if they were quite familiar with the dwelling though it were not possible they had ever stepped foot in there. Melody did not seem as troubled by this revelation as Cress seemed to be. It was the implication that bothered him.
Somehow, some way, this other Cress had managed to seal the deal with Melody, gotten married and settled down to raise a family with her. But… how? How had he managed such a thing with such a temperamental woman? One minute she was warm and inviting, and at the drop of a pin, her tone was laced with the icy chill of a threat.
Granted, most times, she was threatening Cress with good reason. They had crossed blades more than once, and each time, Cress found himself solely defeated by the blade master. Yet, with each defeat, he found himself drawing closer and closer: he yearned and desired to be near her and to know her. That was the only reason he bothered playing these silly late night games with her.
Cress didn’t give a damn about the game. He wanted to be with Melody, and simply didn’t have the guts to admit this allowed. How the hell did he tell her how much he loved her when he wasn’t even entirely sure he understood what love meant? Cress wanted to confess, but what if he messed up?
He’d been raised to be fearless in the face of imminent danger. Yet no one had ever taught him how to deal with the fear that lurked deep within one’s heart. Yet it wasn’t impossible, was it? They could have a future together. And those two precious boys were living, breathing proof of this. He wasn’t a complete and utter loser—not if a duchess were willing to fall in love with him.
Cress re-entered the estate, stepping through the open sliding doors of the dining hall. Echo and Note munched happily upon the provisions of cured boar meat, a sliced hunk of cheese, and an abundance of red and green grapes.
“Dad!” Note waved an excited hand at the sight of his father. “Come eat with us!”
“In a minute. Where’s Mel—erm, your mother?”
Echo pointed behind himself before grabbing his cup of milk in both hands, chugging it down. He choked and sputtered, milk dribbling out of his nose as the poor child tried his hardest to breathe. Note slid out of his chair, rolled under the table, and popped up at his brother’s side where he began whacking him mercilessly on the back in a bid to free up his lungs.
Cress watched the bewildering scene with more than a hint of amusement.
“Stay here. Don’t kill yourselves before I get back.”
He found Melody in the kitchen area, bustling around a bubbling pot on the stove. Despite the cook’s insistence, she seemed determined to do it on her own. Cress stalked over and peered into the pot, his mouth twisting with disgust.
“Porridge? Have you cooked a single day in your life?”
There was a hint of a smirk on his lips to show he meant it in jest. Before he would never have made such a crude joke. But everything was different now, wasn’t it?
“Mel… we need to talk. I think I know how to send the boys back.”
[864]
“I know how to cook rice.” Melody dead panned, while she never cooked for Cress, she was not asked by him either, and she was apparently good at it according to the boys despite preparing the porridge for the first time. She instructed the cook standing by in a panic to remove the whole cinnamon sticks once it boiled and lower the heat to a simmer after a few minutes to add star anise, white pepper, salt, and sugar to taste followed by milk once the rice swelled. Typically she did not cook in her own home but she did have refined taste buds, she knew what ingredients melded together to make an exquisite meal, and she thought herself worthy of becoming a proper food critic as a full time occupation if she was not occupied with her role as Duchess.
“Good. I am sure we are worried sick for the boys in our other life. Without the grimoire what else is there to do?”
[165]