This place was built to be Smile of Heaven's "hideout". With that in mind, everything seemed a bit more logical. Like, who would say that this place wasn't fit for someone of her stature? Deep inside, he knew that this manor would have been called a paradise in some old religion of the Dark Time.
Still, the situation had been awkward since Ashe's last comment.
And that was why she was the one who had to make it tolerable.
-"Like I said before, we will not be alone for all this time. Actually, Vincent was the first one to arrive, to make sure that everything was still usable. He also had to take care of some places for us to use as bedrooms."
Sunny was maybe exhausted by the travel, but he was still able to remember something that was said less than fifteen minutes ago. The matriarch had told them about two exceptions, and yet she only mentioned the cook.
Was it because it was something so logical that it didn't need to be said ? Like his wife or something like that? Still, with that tense ambiance, Sunny didn't even try to play with fire.
After all, he had a better question for her — just to put aside all that useless tension that wouldn't leave them despite Ashe's answer.
-"But how is it possible ? Even I know that Earth is not a world where we can find that kind of space. Forest, lake and everything…? Hell, the only tree I've seen until now almost cost me my left hand…"
'Okay, maybe if I hadn't carved my parents' name into it, I wouldn't have had that problem to begin with…'
What was he asking? Oh right !
"And what was all this story about not closing my eyes and all that followed ?"
He wasn't sure, but now that the last subject was not on topic, everyone looked a bit less burdened. That's not all, he could have sworn that for an instant, a lonely second, that Nephis had shown a thankful glance in his direction.
And yet, his attention was toward his question and the lack of answer. But, this time, Ashe stayed silent.
Dana, though, was the one to speak the truth about their situation.
-"Because we are not exactly in the waking world. We are inside a Memory. The Immortal Flame Clan was respected enough to get its hand over powerful Memories. But only a few knew about their collection of a special kind. Those who can contain objects or more precisely, people. "
-"Valor is known for their creation, but we, on our side, did something far more ambitious. Thanks to Ashe's Aspect and Immortal Flame's, we were able to fuse a few of them together. Of course there were a lot of failures, but the one we are standing in right now is their masterpiece. We are actually cut from the world, with only Plume as the current holder and master of this place. She can decide who enters and who leaves."
…
….
-"Wait, what ?"
-"It was maybe too much for you, did you want me to repeat or-"
-"N-no…It's good… I just need time to… what's the word…? Progr-no...process. Yes, process."
'I'm losing the little vocabulary I have now, glorious…'
His brain was in shambles, by so many things actually. But primarily by the fact that he was inside a Memory. One that was worked on by Ashe and her late husband. This place's value was more than anyone could ever buy.
No, it was not even imaginable. The world was just dying and they were toying with a literal pocket dimension.
The group was still moving as they were already reaching a more comfortable hallway when something clicked.
-"But if it's a masterpiece, if we are cut from the waking world… Why did you keep running ? Why one year ?"
-"Because a masterpiece made by humans still possess flaws… One that can be exploited. Staying hidden for too long might, against common logic, attract too much attention on us. When you are worried about someone and they disappear for too long, you start looking for them with far more resources. Now, replace that someone with an enemy you want to destroy…That is why we still need to move around, to show that we are still here, and that they just can't find out our "base" if I dare to use that word."
-"I think that I get it now, thanks… "
All that was too much for him. Not in quantity, he had already had to deal with far more information after his mother's death. Sunny had trouble getting used to the scale of the situation. From thinking about how much of a ration he would take to eat for the day to a war in the shadows with one of a possible Great Clan, or at least, what's left of it.
He could still see that sharing that kind of information was hard for them.
'Building trust…'
Wasn't it too stupid ? He might later be captured, and even without torture, they could get that information out of him. Not that he was a rat, which he was, but an Aspect could do a miracle, so searching in some kids' memories? A piece of cake pre-cut for anyone to take.
So why share it with him ? If they were alive, that was because they were not stupid enough to make mistakes of that kind. They had some counter-measure for that, right ?
Now was not the right moment for that.
As they walked, the palace kept revealing its beauty. This time, the place was far less empty than the manor. Furniture was arranged throughout the entire corridor.
Painting, banners and ancient vases.
With all that, Sunny felt out of place. More than before at least.
So, to make things easier for himself, he chose to ask another question.
-"If Plume is the current holder, why did the three of you have to get out of the PTV ?"
-"Hide our tracks. Lots of essence. Dana. Have not enough. Need more. Than one people. More people. Equal longer duration. And stability. For portal."
-"So that's one of the flaws ? When someone enters, can he still be tracked ?"
-"Yes. Good news. We've arrived. "
Standing in front of them was a half closed door, there was some movement inside. Ashe was the first to enter the room. Followed right after by the rest, they were met by a man, sitting on a sofa, cup of tea in his hand.
He had short brown hair, styled with a little ponytail. Now that Sunny was in front of him, he was able to finally take a look at the cook's face.
A hardened expression broken by a warm light from his amber eyes. His skin was slightly tan, he was maybe in his late thirty, with some wrinkle visible just above his chin covered in stubble. A big scar was marking through from his left cheek to a corner of his lips.
But what was the most important trait of his was his nonchalant attitude. Like he was unconcerned and nothing really mattered.
-"Well hell, I figured I had the place all to myself… Wanna cuppa tea or what ?"
The matriarch took a look at Sunny with a light sigh escaping between her teeth.
-"Sunless, I present to you the one that will take care of our dinner and supplies here. Vincent, any word for the kid ?"
-"Took ya long enough to say hello. Figured you hated my food so much, you were tryin' not to speak to me at all." "
-"O-oh, I'm sorry… Than-"
-"Hey hey kiddo, I was jokin'. Jeez, why everyone here is lackin' a damned sense of humor? Even corpse got one, what's yar excuse?"
'I hate this guy.'
-"Yes, I know, but you'll get used to him. There was a reason why I asked him to not talk to you directly, his personality would have just exhausted you more than anything."
-"Y'know I can hear ya Ashe… I ain't gone nowhere."
-"And yet you're not correcting me, Vincent. "
-"Truth stings, sure… but ya really couldn't find a softer way to say it to the kid'?"
-"That was the softer way."
-"Fair enough…"
Sunny looked at them, tilting slightly his head to the side. Yes, he was weird, but at least he was aware of it. It was something in itself. The group finally moved from the doorstep, as their footfall grew stronger toward the irritating cook.
All took a place on the sofas, weirdly enough, no one dared to share one with Vincent.
-"Aw, my poor ol' heart… Nobody ever loved me, huh ?"
-"Not that you cared to begin with. Now, can you serve me a cup of tea, please ?"
-"Why are you always gotta be so damn heartless with me, Ashe…For the cup, it'll be here in a minute."
As he stood up, Sunny took the time to look around, but if he was honest, everything here wasn't even describable. He was able to recognize some things but he just didn't know the correct word to describe them.
He didn't react before, but Nephis was sitting beside him.
Sunny didn't know why but he had expected her to be beside Ashe, and the same goes with Jeanne and him. But no, they were in front of him, watching them without much intensity. Just like it was normal, a fact.
The sofas were large enough for two people, maybe three if someone was pushed to one edge. So with the girl seated on his left, he just decided to act like everyone else. It's not like it was a problem to begin with.
Just that his relation with Nephis was like "I hate you. Me too". Always at each other's throat, even if now, she seemed to be a pinch less volatile. From the entire week at watching him, to the tips that she gave him. Yes, she had been an asshole right after, but the fact that she helped him to begin with was still here.
Maybe it was because they started to respect each other?
Really, Sunny was lost with her.
-"Grandma, Jeanne. When did you think that Master Theseus will be able to go back to our training ?"
The eldest of them was silent for a moment, her eyes closed. It was like she was trying to regain her composure about something.
Then, her voice rang. A bit of sadness tainting it.
-"I'd say in an hour. I know that you are used to traveling between the waking world and the Memories, but couldn't you just… take your time today to rest a bit ?"
-"Grandma, let me finish please… And Jeanne, you once explained that Sunless needed at least four month to recover correctly, does that mean that he can't do any exercise ?"
Now everyone looked intrigued, but not as much as Sunny was. Like, what about his say in this ? But still, he looked at her in silence, waiting to be sure before he could jump to any assumption.
Golden eyes looked at him, examining him quickly before the doctor gave her diagnosis.
-"He can. But not today. Aftermath of travel. Need time."
Jeanne leaned forward.
-"Still. Training good. Need to do some. But. Afterward. Come to me. Check-up. No negotiation."
Now, the girl looked at him. There was no smile, no joy. She was serious like it was something she had to do.
Her body turned toward him, her arms crossing against her chest.
-"Tomorrow, you'll go with me."
-"I…"
-"And no, you have no right to refuse. Doctor Order."
'Oh no, she wouldn't dare ?!'
Sunny's eyes were now giving an interrogative look, she wasn't serious right ? He would have gone if she would ask him differently, but she didn't ask, she ordered him to do so! He was no slave and no dog. To no one.
To his misfortune, Jeanne gave him a silent nod.
-"Here to recover. And training. Out of line. But true."
-"See? So tomorrow, before breakfast, you better be ready."
-"Not finished yet. I'll talk to Master Theseus. Giving instruction. Limits. If problem. Come to me. No hesitation allowed."
Sunny was perplexed. Yes, he wanted to be strong. Yes, training with a Master would help a lot. But the way Jeanne was explaining the thing made him feel like he was still one step away of dying.
-"Can't you…come with us ? That would be faster if anything happened, right ?"
-"Would like. But can't. Work to do."
Before Sunny had the time to respond, Vincent came back. In his hand was the cup that Ashe requested.
Lurking at everyone without a word, the cook was finally seated again.
-"So I'm guessin' that means I'll be settin' aside three portions startin' tomorrow mornin'. Oh- and yeah, everything's in place. Might wanna send the kid off to his new room... I'll be bringin' up the, y'know… thing."
-"You're right, Plume, can you please take Sunny to his room ?"
Actually, Sunny had thought about what he could say in this situation. But, Jeanne had been right, he didn't feel that good. So without a word, he was now standing up and walking in the direction of the door. The bodyguard was just behind him, looking at him for a second before ruffling his hair.
Which woke him up immediately, his body moving away without warning.
-"Don't do that !"
A second later, realizing that his tone was far too cold, Sunny took an exhausted breath.
-"Sorry… I just… have trouble with that. Ever more when it comes by surprise… "
'Weird, I feel sorry for her but not for Ashe when that happens…'
Plume looked amused, pushing the problem away with a swift move of her hand. But the kid was not finished, moving toward her with all the courage that he was able to gather. A finger pointed at her, his tone a bit different from his usual one.
Confidence, fair, and rightful. Still, he felt as if he was speaking like Nephis might have. Bold of him to act as if he was in position to ask for anything.
-"I'll forgive you only if you help me with something."
It was hard for her to keep her serious act, not laughing at him. And why wouldn't she? Plume was twice his size, and even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to hurt her. What was Ashe telling him before ? There was no bad way to gain strength ?
Even he was surprised at how quickly her advice had been integrated in his mind.
So she just crossed her arm while looking at him, waiting for the rest of his little play.
-"You'll teach me sign language."
Now, that was coming out of nowhere. Still, he could have asked her without all this charade. But, hey, he was asking for her help, isn't it what they wanted him to do? To ask for their help? But she seemed to want to know more, it was also her right to do so.
Pulling out her notepad from her pocket with one hand, and taking the pencil in the other, she started writing.
-"[Okay, but only if you explain to me why you want to learn that to begin with. Deal ?]"
Sunny was silent, his usual mask of indifference had already been broken for a moment now. A rat that lost his cover can either search for another one, or… he may fight against the wind and rain to tame them.
What would he do? Run or fight his fear?
'…'
Making this choice had been anomalously easy to do. Not that his reason was something very deep or a secret that he had to keep from everyone else.
So, as his gaze moved away, the answer was given.
-"Because the more I know, the better my chance to survive… and also because I want to be able to speak to you. Really speak to you. Ashe told me that I should try to… She told me something. But I don't like that when people do things for me and that it goes unacknowledged. So, I want to do it. To learn to speak your way as much as try to speak to me through this notebook."
Plume didn't move for a moment, only to start walking again. Sunny had to follow her, so he was just behind her. He was a bit uncomfortable, being nice felt...weirdly good but also left him open to possible pain. The danger of trust without leverage.
But he knew that trust needed the work of the two sides. Even if it's a lie.
He had just shown her that he was willing to do that work, and now he was waiting. Gods, he really hates this silence.
But to his surprise, the sound of paper being torn apart took his attention. Only to see a hand offering a note to read.
With an uncertain look, he took it and read it right after.
-"[Starting tomorrow, after dinner. I'll teach you ASL. And next time, if you want something, please feel at ease and ask me directly. I will help you as much as I can.]"
Sunny had a little smile appearing before noticing the last sentence at the bottom corner.
-"[Oh and by the way, try to pull that trick again, and say goodbye to your legs.]"
Okay, maybe Plume was not that gentle…