"Please! Go out with me!" A young man with fluffy, light brown hair is bowing at a perfect ninety-degree angle, freckle-faced, with emerald eyes, and before him, a Nisf-qizm-- a half-elf woman with silver hair and red eyes and pale skin, significantly taller than the man and clad in armor.
"You are my boss, and I am your knight. I must apologize, but I cannot accept your feelings as of this moment." This was the woman's response after what seemed to be a long speech about his love for her, followed by his confession, which was swiftly shot down. Deadpan, she spun around, leaving her master behind as they sat there, listlessly staring out into the beyond.
A month later, again, "Ronova, your beauty has enraptured me like none other, please! Go out with me!" Another attempt from the young Kalleck, once again bowing at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
The knight let out a long sigh, running a hand through her curly, silver locks. She was growing frustrated by the young Kalleck's antics. "As I had said, young master. I am unable to accept your feelings. Those 'feelings' of yours are better put elsewhere." Once again, she left him behind, dejected from the rejection.
"AH~! I failed again!" Kalleck threw himself onto a massive mech he had made personally, which looked to be an arachnid-based mech of some sort, the cockpit being large enough for him to lie in, the roof being open for him to stare at the sky that hung overhead. Kalleck let out a frustrated groan, throwing a pair of goggles that sat on his forehead into a glove box. "What do I do, AREC? What can I do to convince her?"
"I apologize, master Kalleck, I am unable to provide input on human matters--"
"Yeah! I know! I know! But like... from what you can get from like, a database or something! What can you tell me?"
AREC made an audible whirring sound as if processing Kalleck's question. "I believe that you will get to her eventually. Just keep trying, master!"
"What if she, like... finds it weird, though?"
"She, of all people, would not."
"And how do you know that!?"
"I am an AI capable of making rough calculations and predictions based on information provided to me. I believe, based on the information I have gathered directly from you, master, that perseverance is what you humans would say, 'the move'."
"Maybe like... Could I talk to her more? Maybe get to know each other first? I'm being pretty reckless going as far as I am, right...?"
"That also would work. You should combine the two ideas."
"I... I don't know about this, but I hope you're right. I want to get to know her more anyway. She barely entertains our conversations enough as is..."
"Keep pushing! I believe in you, master!"
"Thanks, AREC."
Another month passed, and Kalleck was thinking of changing his strategy. Instead, he sat beside her one day as she stood outside, admiring the wildlife. She turned her head to look at the young man, a dead expression on her face. "Do you need something?"
"I know that you aren't exactly enthused to have me around all the time, right? I... I'm just kinda here now cause I want to get to know you."
Ronova's red glare locked onto a large tree in front of them, set on a grassy field that stretched past the estate. "I'm alright."
"We can at least talk, no? That isn't so bad. You don't have to have this persona where you lock me out of your walls-- bring them down a little, tell me about yourself."
Ronova sighed, turning her gaze to Kalleck. "Do you want me to be honest?"
"Go ahead."
"I do not care for... all of this." She gestured around herself. "I don't care for this life; all I care about is doing my job in peace, in quiet."
"I can be quiet, plus--"
"I want to be alone. You're a nuisance."
Kalleck winced but took it on the chin, smiling and continuing, "The thing is... your job is to protect me, no? Protect me, my younger sister, and my father. Isn't it easier to protect me if I'm by your side?"
Ronova shook her head in disappointment, clicking her tongue before going quiet.
"I like being quiet..."
A year had passed, and once again-- "Y'know how much I'm in love with you, right?" Kalleck suddenly confessed, resting his chin on his hand as Ronova stood by, hands behind her back.
"Fuck off." Ronova retorted, averting her gaze.
"At the very least, can we be friends? You can't keep rejecting that as well, can you? We talk all the time now."
"Yeah, and it's because you keep prattling on about your inventions and justice. I truly don't give a damn."
"Yet you can leave at any moment," Kalleck mentioned smugly, prompting an eye roll from his knight. Kalleck, after a moment, snapped his fingers, realizing something. "Hey, I have a question, Ronova."
"R-" Another eye roll before she approached the young noble, resting on the table beside him. "Yes?"
"Normally, you wear that stuffy helmet, yes? Why not wear it around Father or me?"
"It is disrespectful, especially if I am speaking without my helmet in front of the Duke himself, or the potential Duke, which is you."
"Well, no. You started taking it off a lot more last year. You getting comfortable around the estate?"
Ronova's expression became pinched. "You... Why did you initially confess to me?"
Kalleck's eyes went wide, surprised she was even remotely interested in hearing what his opinion was of her. "Well... at first..." He looked over to a window across from where he was and continued, "At first, I admired you. I thought that you were someone I should strive to be. Becoming a knight would never fit me, but at the very least, maybe I could attain that confidence, that cold calculation between every step you make." A beat, "You were refusing to remove your helmet for the first year here, and then when I saw it... I realized I had a bit more than admiration for you."
Ronova sighed, walking away. "Should've known."
"Should've known what?"
"You're telling me it was a love at first sight situation?" Ronova scoffed, "Really? How naive."
"It wasn't, though."
"What you described was love at first sight."
"I figured you may have been a woman... didn't know it until I saw your face, simple as. It was only then that my feelings were cemented in place."
"And if I were a man, would that have mattered to you?"
"I don't know, but I know that, regardless, I would want to be by your side, or for you to be by mine."
Ronova rolled her eyes once more and left Kalleck behind with his own devices.
Another year passed. "Fine," Ronova said sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Kalleck flinched, spinning around in his chair to face Ronova. "What?"
"I'll do it. I'll give you a chance."
"W-Wait... f-for real?"
"What? You have a problem with me?"
"N-No...!" Kalleck sits there, dumbstruck for a moment before cracking a crooked smile. "Uh... D-Do you wanna go on a date?"
Ronova, arms crossed, sighed. "Where are you gonna take me?"
"S-Somewhere nice..." Kalleck let out a meek chuckle before turning back to his work with shaky hands. "O-Okay! I got this."
Ronova snickered. "Are you hyping yourself up?"
"Of course I'm hyping myself up, I didn't actually expect to get this far! I-I honestly have just been telling you I love you at this point because I wanted you to hear it, not that I expected you to actually, y'know!? It's been three years, so..."
"Well, you got me." Ronova spun around on the balls of her feet, leaving Kalleck behind.
On the date, a clean, overly posh restaurant surrounded the two. Kalleck was in a suit, hair pulled back into a ponytail, with a nice pair of glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, while Ronova was dolled up in a scarlet velvet dress. It was dead silent, Ronova picking at her food. This wasn't it. This was too much, undeserved even in her eyes.
Kalleck attempted to speak up, but was stopped just before he could, as Ranova let out an audible groan. "Why go this far for me? Is this worth it to you?"
"S-Sorry?"
"This... bullshit, this rich bullshit. Is it worth it? Spending all of this on me, of all people?"
"I just thought it would be nice."
"Oh, did you?" Ronova sighed. "Do you have anything even to say?"
"I-I... I was gonna ask... when I first saw you, do you want to know what I saw?"
Ronova relaxed for a moment. "What?"
Kalleck chuckled, "A knight putting on makeup, making themselves look nice before putting a helmet over their head. I wondered what even the point was without even realizing that I had missed the point the instant I thought that to myself, y'know?"
Ronova's expression softened as he continued, a weight slowly being lifted from her shoulders.
"The point isn't for others to see it, am I right? Of course... It's nice to have admirers, those to look at you, to know that others find you beautiful as well, but it's more like... like making art! It's an art form for yourself — it's the satisfaction of knowing that you're beautiful, knowing that you've accomplished personal perfection. Or maybe I'm wrong." Kalleck chuckled, "But regardless... I admired it... I... it was charming."
"See it however you want." Ronova froze for a moment, looking down at the food before her, clearly more expensive than even her average payday, and then at the environment surrounding her. "There is one thing you've misunderstood... I hate places like this." She grabbed the plate in front of her and dipped it to the side, letting the food atop it slip onto the floor. "We're done." Ronova stood up, leaving Kalleck on his own, as she always had.
Kalleck could only feel his heart break; their first date ended in a bust, and he slumped into his chair, his sunken eyes locking onto the table before him. He chuckled, "What do I do...?" Kalleck whispered to himself.
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"I've found the location of the Red Knight," Jackal said over a holo call with Beatrice, who was lying on a couch in her dorm room. "Ronova Holden, wife of Kalleck Holden."
"I'm aware, Jackal..." Beatrice paused. "You really found her, huh?"
"I have indeed. Found her in the Undercity below Lumanbell. I believe that you two would be the best to handle and convince her to be a part of our RJC program. I figured she'd be a good fit, especially given how, in recent days, she appears to be in a... less-than-ideal state. You'll understand when you get there, but she frequents a dive bar by the name of 'The Liquidator'. You up to the task?"
Beatrice chuckled. "Really feelin' like a Handler now, aren't you, Jackal?"
"Yes, much preferable over being stuck in the coffin of a cockpit that is a Perses Mech."
"Anyway, are you sure we should be doing this so soon after what happened on campus? Artemis is still..." Beatrice looked down, keeping an eye on Artemis's room. "She isn't handling it too well. She's oversleeping, it's unusual for someone like her, no?"
"I believe that productivity would be a sufficient remedy for now. This should be a relatively simple job, with her assistance and yours. Maybe it could yield a... what should I say... a recovering period for our poor Artemis. She isn't grieving, mind you, more lamenting. Don't let it bog down your productivity."
Beatrice cringed at his remark. "What a cold response..." Followed by a succinct cut off from their holo connection, she stood up from her couch and approached Artemis's door. Beatrice paused for a moment before knocking and saying, "Are you alright in there?"
A beat.
Beatrice proceeded to open the door, peaking her head inside. "Artemis?"
Artemis's large frame was buried under various pillows, covers strewn wildly across the bed, her hair a matted mess. Her tail twitched, her body slowly waking up, pulling herself off the bed to turn to Beatrice, looking over her shoulder to do so. "Beatrice...?"
"Yo... you feelin' okay, big girl?" Beatrice leaned on the doorframe.
"Is there something wrong?"
"No, no... uh... Jackal wanted to put us on a mission-- specifically, he wants us to recruit my brother's wife."
Artemis nodded, acknowledging what Beatrice said, throwing herself off the bed, and standing up in full. "I apologize for my... unresponsiveness..." A beat, "We are to retrieve... his wife?"
"Yeah. Her name is Ronova. You up for it?"
Artemis looked out the window of her room, watching the sunlight shift as the day slowly passed. "Okay, whenever you need me."
Beatrice nodded. "Yeah, we can head out to look for her tomorrow. That's fine with you?"
"That sounds good... thank you for holding consideration over me. It... it isn't necessary, but I appreciate it nonetheless."
"Agree to disagree." Beatrice turned to leave.
Just before Beatrice could leave the doorway, Artemis stopped her, embracing the girl, encapsulating her within their warmth. She is held for a moment, Artemis hunched over, buried in the crook of Beatrice's neck, who, in response, slowly places a comforting palm against Artemis's forearm. Artemis whispered in this position, "Hugs are warm, aren't they?"
Beatrice's eyes widened, blinking rapidly at the comment before Artemis let go, walking past her. "Yeah..." A beat, "Hey, Artemis... do you want to hold a funeral for her? For Kumi?"
Artemis froze, "Funeral?"
"Yeah... I know you didn't know her long, but... It's what we typically do, y'know? I-In the normal world, that is. We... y'know... in respect for those we lost."
"It hurts me thinking that she couldn't achieve any of her dreams, but..." Artemis paused. "Where can we bury her? I know that Jackal had taken the body, but..."
"Okay, yeah. At the very least, we should do that." Beatrice called Jackal again, who picked up nigh instantaneously.
"Yes, Beatrice?"
"You have Kumi's body, right?"
"Indeed, I do."
"Artemis wants to bury her, can--"
"Already have!"
"What?"
"I've already buried her. I can send you the location now."
"Oh... Okay." She turned to Artemis, "She has already been buried, apparently. Wanna go to her burial?"
"Oh...? Yeah, I do, actually."
The corners of Beatrice's lips curled up to a half-smile, staying in the silence for a moment before meeting Artemis's gaze. "Okay... we'll head out then. I'll lead you to where she is."
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"What is this?" Ronova stood at the end of a dinner table, food set on a plate in front of her. "Kalleck?"
Kalleck is at the other end of the table, waiting politely for Ronova to sit down. "I decided to give making food a go!"
"What?"
"Yeah! I dunno if it's good or not though-- sit!" He chuckled, bringing a fork down onto a freshly cooked steak.
Ronova sat down, grabbing the utensils set beside her plate, holding them awkwardly as she watched Kalleck dig into his meal. "You decided to make your own food?"
He took a bite of the steak he made, eyes lighting up at his own creation. "O-Oh! Wow! That's actually good, try it! First fuckin' try, holy!"
Ronova took a bite of her steak, having trouble cutting it, then gently placed it between her teeth. She chewed, an incredulous expression on her face, before recoiling in frustration. "This is... terrible, what?"
Kalleck laughed, clearly disappointed in himself but laughing all the same. "Yeah, it is! I lied, sorry! It doesn't taste bad, though. I-It's just..." Kalleck dropped his head in defeat, "So dry..." Yet he couldn't help but laugh.
"Why would you even feed this to me?"
"You can treat it like jerky, or something?" Kalleck shrugged. "No reason to waste what we've been given either." He chuckled, taking another bite, visibly struggling to break down the meat with his teeth.
Ronova considered what she would say, almost tempted to say something rude, but she stopped herself, cracking a smile. "What the hell is this...?" Then she began to laugh.
Kalleck's face lit up, rising from his seat and pointing at Ronova. "You laughed!"
"W-What!? The hell-- is there something wrong with me laughing?"
"No!" Kalleck fell back into his chair. "I've just never seen you laugh!" A big toothy grin spread across his face, "It's beautiful!" Ronova's expression pinched, getting up from her seat to retreat to the other room. Kalleck got up as well, following behind her, "Oh! No, no! Don't run away!" He laughed.
"Don't follow."
"Oh, come on! I'm just having fun! Don't run! You're gorgeous, I mean it!"
"Shut up!"
"Are you flustered?" He said, almost mockingly, hand over his mouth.
"You want me to beat your ass, huh!?" She spun around, preparing herself for a chase.
"Oh, shit!" Kalleck booked it to the dining hall, laughing as Ronova rushed at him in a huff.
She easily caught up with him, and by the time they rounded the dining table, almost out of the room, she grabbed him by the waist, lifting the thin Kalleck into the air. He attempted to escape, thrashing his legs around as she crossed over to a couch in the next room over, throwing him onto its cushions, practically pinning him down, face to face. "Dumbass, I got you." She smirked.
Kalleck's face became flushed, and a small smile stretched across his lips, "You got me~!"
Barely an inch away from each other, they stayed there for a moment. Ronova's eyes scanned Kalleck's expression, which dropped, still flushed, but his eyes were wide in admiration.
"This is the closest we've been, I think." He whispered.
Ronova swallowed hard but maintained a neutral expression, standing up straight, facing away from the young Kalleck as she left the room. Before she rounded the door, disappearing into the outside hall, she turned to look at the young noble over her shoulder. "All of that work almost ruined my makeup. Be more careful next time." Then, finally, leaving.
"What is this?" Almost a trend at this rate, a similar question was posed at a different time, nearly five months into their relationship.
Kalleck held a box out for Ronova to grab, "Take it."
She did as she was told, holding it in her hands. The box had a latch; she flicked it open, lifting the lid to reveal an entire makeup kit with various layers that she pulled open. Her eyes searched the contents before looking back at Kalleck.
"I'm not sure how useful that is to you, but I've been wanting to give you a gift for a while, so I started researching to get you something nice." He scratched his cheek, making sure to keep an appropriate distance from Ronova. "Made sure not to just go straight for the most expensive one I could find and actually went to look for something more... y'know... good." He chuckled.
"How much?"
"Eh... for my family, not too much, but-- it's not-- I hope it's good, I had to really dig deep to find this particular set. That was the most challenging part, honestly, plus, I know from personal experience, the most expensive ones aren't always the best ones, so..." He gestured to it again.
Ronova shook her head, eyes once again scanning the box before looking back to Kalleck. "Why? Why give this to me?"
"Because I love you? Is that really a question?"
"I haven't given you anything..."
Kalleck considered her words for a moment. "I don't really care?" He shrugged. "By the way..." He looked up to the night sky, then back to Ronova. "Is this your first time seeing this?"
"What do you mean?"
"During the anniversary of our family's legacy--" He is interrupted by the sound of fireworks cracking against the sky above, resplendent colors painting the world around them with blues, reds, yellows, and pinks.
Ronova's eyes followed Kalleck's gaze, watching the fireworks with him. "Did you take me out here for this?"
"Kinda, I wanted to share something I loved with you, and I also wanted to share that gift." He pointed to the box in Ronova's hands, then looked back up to the sky as sparks and shapes cascaded to the earth below.
"Share..."
"Isn't that what life is about? Sharing what we love with others... It's why I tell you that I love you as constantly as I do... it isn't simply because I want to express my love... I want you to know that you are loved... y'know? The worst thing you can do to a person is show them they are not wanted or loved. A lot of people deserve to be loved." He spoke in whispered tones, absorbed in the atmosphere around them, the estate caked in darkness, before a collective array of colors shone down upon them all.
Ronova stared out to the sky with Kalleck, and in the same whispered tone, she spoke. "I've not been the best for you, have I?"
Kalleck shrugged. "I don't really mind. It's--"
"Don't say it. Don't say it's understandable, don't give me an excuse."
Kalleck turned to look at her; she dared not look back.
"I've not been good to you. I'm sorry..." A beat, "I know the answer to my question, so don't answer... but I question why you even stay with me. Your... emotions are so... powerful. It frustrates me. I can never understand why someone like you would even attach themselves to me like this —like a cat choosing its owner. Except... the owner is tired and empty. So focused on their duty that they have nothing but the lessons of a woman from a brothel they met in childhood, and that alone." Only then did Ronova meet Kalleck's gaze. "When flowers didn't work, what did you think?"
"I thought... 'Well, of course they didn't. They die out, there's no use to them aside from a nice visual flair.' Beat myself up for that one, it was dumb." He shrugged. "Sometimes having a... like... I don't know what I'm saying. Having a--"
"When romantic gestures didn't work, what then?"
"I figured I over--"
"Why do you not blame me?" Ronova was frustrated, almost exhausted by how they are now.
"Aren't you just tolerating me?" Kalleck's eyes avert themselves to the floor. "That kind of hurt to say out loud... but I can't help but be happy every day that I managed to get at least a chance to be in your presence as I have..."
"You're an idiot..."
"Y-Yeah, I get tha--" Ronova pulled Kalleck in for a kiss before he could speak.
Just as quickly as it happened, she pulled back, a look of frustration in her eyes. "Fuck you."
Kalleck searched Ronova's expression for a moment, eyes seeking a place to rest before he looked into her eyes once more. "I love you."
"Damn you! Damn you and your...!" She grabbed his collar helplessly. "Fuck!"
"I love you."
"No! Shut the fuck up!" Ronova put a palm over Kalleck's mouth, attempting to keep him quiet. "J-Just... shut up... let me think."
Muffled beneath her palm, he spoke, chuckling to himself. "I-I didn't expect you to go and kiss me."
"I lost, I lost the game before I even knew it, damnit! I hate you!" With both hands, she gripped his head, jostling him violently.
"Stop!"
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Beatrice sighed, resting against the stump of a tree, looking out across a grassy hilltop, a human-sized patch of dirt visible across from her, Artemis standing over the grave, clad in armor. "Ronova is thirty-two. She's my brother's wife." Beatrice sighed again, scratching her head, a pinched look on her face. "He died... like... eight years ago." Beatrice's leg began to bounce, "She uh... she was blamed for his murder. Father didn't do anything about it, and all I knew was that she ran off somewhere. Suppose she's in the Undercity now, I guess."
"Jackal wants us to recruit her?"
Beatrice nodded. "Yeah, he wants her to be a part of his 'rehabilitation program'." A beat, "I don't really know how to feel. After she married my brother, she used to visit me quite a lot, actually. It surprised me, she didn't give half a shit beforehand, so..." Beatrice shrugged. "She was my older sister, y'know? Sister-in-law, sure, but... my older sister, nonetheless. I hated what happened. It's... It's good to know she's still alive."
"Tomorrow we look for her, yes?"
"Yeah. I'm scared by how the world could've changed her, though. What if she isn't like the Ronova I knew?"
"I wouldn't know... but I'm here to help. That's my purpose after all."
"Don't say something like that. Is it your purpose, or do you want to help?"
"I want to help, regardless of my purpose."
"Then... tomorrow it is."