amaterasusakurai

[amaterasusakurai]

Superconduct Chapter 1: In the land of Hydro everyone gets wet

It was a bright and hot summer morning on a Sunday. 8 years old Clorinde was at the Fountain of Lucine with her mother, waiting for her playdate Navia to arrive. From there, they would decide if they were either going to the beach or let the girls pick the flowers nearby. Both Clorinde and her mother were sitting at the edge of the fountain with matching, expensive lilac dresses that Clorinde's mother made sure to neatly ruffle them around as they sat, as if they were decorations of the fountain. They were sitting with their torsos turned to each other so they both could see the waters of the fountain, as Clorinde's mother thought it was a good age to start teaching her about the history and culture of Fontaine.

“…and this is where all the waters of Fontaine end my darling. It's believed that this grants this Fountain special powers so people come here to toss a coin and make a wish.” The woman opened her purse and gave a coin to Clorinde: “Here, for your first Fountain of Lucine wish! Close your eyes!”. 

Well, I'd like to have special powers too… thought Clorinde. I will ask for a vision! And there her coin went.

And not even 4 seconds passed since Clorinde finished her train of thought, a big SPLASH of water hit them. Clorinde being smaller and with her head closer to the water level got the worst of it. The woman instinctively stood up pulling the child to herself “For Archons's sake….!!!????” 

And with both of them standing up, they could see what was actually happening: someone jumped in the fountain and was completely submerged. The figure emerged after a few seconds, jet black hair first, to gasp for air and they could see it was a boy not that much older than Clorinde. He opened his eyes, of a blue lighter than the winter sky to look down at the water and they realized what he was doing: stealing coins. The boy submerged again. In the distance they could hear a whistle, coming from one of the garde melusine. 

“Halt!” The melusine screamed. She hesitated a bit but saw no other options and jumped into the fountain too. The boy reemerged and circled the fountain clockwise, as that's the direction the melusine was running. The melusine then changed it to counterclockwise but so did the boy. He began to giggle and they did this dance once again. He could have ran out of there but he was teasing the melusine. The confidence of someone who knew he wasn't getting caught. Clorinde noticed his dirty clothes too big for him. He was clearly an unruly poor boy used to breaking rules.

Clorinde couldn't help but smile at the comical scene, the melusine's short legs doing their best to reach the boy, while he was having the highlight of his day. For whatever reason Clorinde was rooting for him. He even dared to crouch some two more times to grab whatever more coins he could. He finally jumped out of the fountain and ran towards the bushes, just to disappear in the woods. The melusine right after. 

“Clorinde! Darling! Are you okay?” The exasperated woman grabbed a handkerchief and began to dry Clorinde's face. “Your clothes! Ohhh we'll have to explain this to Mr. Callas! Let's walk towards the Spina's headquarters instead of waiting here for Navia, hopefully she'll let you have one of her dresses.” 

“No need for that, mom.”

“Why is that mon cheri?”

“Because if I'm already wet, then we go to the beach! I wanna make a big splash too!” - Clorinde replied, lifting her arms in the air.

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2 years later

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Wriothesley, in his endless attempts to not starve, had the brilliant idea of moving his shoe shining box to the entrance of Fontaine's town barracks when he noticed the military gentlemen’s boots never left the muddy place clean. It was the headquarters of the town’s all things military. From well dressed government men and low patent gardes in and out, mud didn't care. If he arrived early enough, he could even earn extra from selling newspapers. And that's how he would spend most of his days, asking men and women if they'd like to have their boots cleaned. It also provided some entertainment: he could hear the gardes gossiping at the entrance, he could admire the high ranking men and wonder if he could ever be like them (he even caught a glimpse of the Iudex once!), he could see the champion duelists train during his lunch break when he'd climb the roof of a nearby house that let him see the entire training grounds, and for the first time in his life he had steady income and food. So much so, he could share it with his adopted siblings and the younger ones even started to rely on him somehow. As time passed, one of the gardes befriended him. 

“Good day Wriothesley, slow day today huh?”

It was true. The barracks were empty these days as most of the students were taken to train in the outskirts of town. It was the beginning of spring and Wriothesley had a single client that day. 

A very light rain began and Wriothesley quickly gathered his stuff. The thought of arriving “home” early dreaded him but the rain meant that at least tomorrow he'd have lots of muddy boots to clean. 

“Come quickly boy! Take shelter inside!” The young garde demanded, taking pity of the child. The garde trusted Wriothesley at this point that he'd behave. Wriothesley squeezed himself in a corner where he wouldn't be in the way of people coming or going to the barracks. “It's the end of my shift soon, I can even give you a tour of the place so I can kill time and not walk home in this rain, what do you say?” - the man said.

Rain for the muddy boots, a shelter and a tour of the place? It was Wriothesley's lucky day. 

And this wasn't even going to be fate's last lucky strike on him that day.

“Let's go, boy”.

The man talked non stop about how the Marechausse Hunter built the place and set out the first rules for staff trainment. How they looked forward to their graduation day when both Lady Furina and the Iudex would come for the ceremony. How hard trainment would be if Wriothesley ever looked forward to enlisting. Wriothesley was half listening and half distracted by every shiny weapon that came close to him on the hips of the high patent officials. Or the big weapons under the rain like canons and unidentified gardemeks. They walked towards the training grounds on the edge of the building to stay out of the rain, many dummies already on their vision field. Wriothesley knew the place only from above.

It was a bit shocking and he had to make sure he was listening right but were those… a child's cry? As they reached the training grounds now they could clearly see: a girl sitting on the ground soaked from rain, sobbing with her hands on her left knee. A man dressed elegantly but equality soaked standing in front of her with a wooden sword pointed at her.

“On your feet, Clorinde!”

“I slipped!” - she cried out.

“You'd be dead by now, miss” - the man lifted the pointy end of his toy sword at her head.

The girl’s only movements were to poke at her bloody knee to check how painful it felt. At each touch a new sob. The man kicked her sword towards her. 

-Stand up Clorinde!

-No! 

-Injuries that don't even come from a blade should never bother you. And falling on your own, when your opponent didn't even need to push you is humiliating.

-I said I slipped! It was the rain! 

-Then you really should rethink if you really want to be a Champion Duelist of Fontaine of all places mademoiselle. This place's weather is notoriously unpredictable and fighting in the rain must come as naturally to you as if the rain wasn't there at all. 

The girl didn't answer. Wriothesley took the opportunity to excitedly ask his garde friend if children could also enlist to train there. He already had ideas. 

-No. She's a high born. Her family has a long line of Champion Duelists and as long as you're paying… 

-1, 2, 3, ON YOUR FEET CLORINDE!!!

With the speed of a lighting bolt the girl jumped using only her right feet, with her sword already in her hands and towards the man's grip on his sword. He easily dodged but a smile was on his face. 

-A disarming attempt from the ground? Good, very good. Though there's an element of surprise as your opponent is expecting you to be injured, they will always have an advantage and this rarely works. Next lesson we will go through it but with a kick. Your chances of success are much higher.

“Let's see if there's something in the kitchen for you boy”. Wriothesley wanted to watch the training session for a bit longer but declining food wasn't a luxury he was allowed to have. 

The thump of the plate startled him. Wriothesley was sitting at the eating area's long tables waiting for his garde friend to come back. He was distracted thinking about this exciting little tour of the barracks not many boys like him had the opportunity to have. So friendships with people at the right places are really something aren't they, he was thinking to himself before the plate with a huge steak, potatoes, carrots and beans fell in front of him. The man also carried a plate to himself and sat across from him. To Wriothesley it was a feast, but for the man he was just using Wriothesley for the second time that day: first to not walk back home in the rain and now not having to make dinner when he arrived. Wriothesley promptly began to eat, steak first. 

-Thank you Sir. - he spoke with his mouth full of food, not even a bit of decorum in sight.

They were too busy to talk to each other.

When Wriothesley finished the steak and was about to move to the potatoes and carrots, the man who was on the training grounds with the girl entered the room, with a plate on his hands. He sat on the other long table facing the pair, now with dry clothes and without his jacket, hat or weapons belt. His garde friend turned around to take a better look at him and spoke in a mocking tone:

-“Tough day at work today, Claude?”

The man replied after a deep sigh:

-”I don't know what's harder my friend, babysitting or fighting an inmate whose life is at stake”.

The garde chuckled. 

-”I'm sure you're being paid handsomely for it!”

-And that's almost the reason I declined this job. Quite the rich influential family with a history of Champion Duelists, I can't make mistakes. I'm terrified. But they kept insisting the girl had talent and that would ease the job a little.

And the gossip had to stop because said girl entered the room now also wearing dry clothes, carrying her own plate and a woman, who must be the governess, followed; rubbing a towel on the girl's hair. Clorinde easily noticed the boy, as seeing other children in this place was rare. She glanced at him and quickly looked forward again. She sat across from her tutor with her back to Wriothesley while the woman stayed up to dry the girl's hair. It was only now under better lighting conditions and out of the rain Wriothesley noticed the girl's purple hair that could make her easily identifiable and unforgettable. Wriothesley divided his attention between his food and quick glances at her. And only by the way she sat and held her cutlery it was clear as day that was a very well educated girl. He immediately took his elbows off the table and straightened his spine. Though she wasn't even looking at him, Wriothesley felt shy and self conscious, as he felt with whatever rich person. He felt guilty even if just looking. And this was the first time in his life he was having dinner in the same room as a high born. (Insert Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina quote here: "He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.")

And he was glad he changed his posture because the girl turned her head to look at him.

-”Look forward, Clorinde.” - the woman exclaimed, with Clorinde's hair still in her hands. 

Both the children put their focus back on their food and the nosy tutor began to speak:

-”So, mademoiselle Clorinde, I heard your father had business with the Iudex himself today?”

-”Yes, Monsieur.” 

-”And… do you know what that is about?”

-”I don't know Monsieur, but I heard he needed a legal permit of sorts.”

-”Oh, ok.”

There was no point in discussing adult's businesses with a child. They never knew the details anyway. 

-”Mademoiselle Jeanette, my knee is still burning.”

-”Monsieur Claude, can I check the infirmary for medical ointments?”

-”Of course mademoiselle, second door to the right. - the man pointed towards the corridor.” 

-”Come, Clorinde.” - both ladies left.

Wriothesley and his garde friend focused on finishing their food, just a few beans to go now. Wriothesley was satisfied and upon finishing the last beans couldn't help but thank his friend again, who upon finishing his food was now chit chatting with the other man and gave a quick glance with a smirk to acknowledge Wriothesley's thanks, and went right back to chatter. Wriothesley was distracted deep in thought thinking if he should be shameless and ask the man for whatever leftovers he could take to his siblings and he was startled again, but this time by a high pitched voice right by his side.

-”Are you here to train too?”

He immediately tensed upon noticing the girl close to him, huge purple eyes with a curious expression. He didn't notice her approaching at all! If the “talent” her tutor was talking about earlier was moving like a cat, then she definitely had it. 

-N-nno, mademoiselle. - Wriothesley averted his eyes from hers.

-”It's Clorinde! And what is yo-”

Their conversation abruptly ended with the garde's loud alright alright alright said towards Wriothesley. The man just noticed he had a street boy under his responsibility talking to some noble's daughter. He wasn't taking any chances. 

-”Let's go boy. We're both finished here. See you soon Claude! Your plate, boy.” - they took their plates off the table and headed towards the huge community sink by the exit wall and they both began washing them. They could sense the governess passing behind them. There was quite the distance from where they were now from where they were seated, with the girl still standing there.

-”Clorinde, you ask for some relief for your knee then leave the place? Hunpf! A lady must have her mind set in place!” -”Oh but I do, Mademoiselle!” - Clorinde cheekly replied with a sheepish smile. Seconds before Wriothesley crossed the door to exit the eating hall with the man, she changed her gaze towards him. Her victorious smirk was visible only for as long as a lighting bolt, but it was time enough to Wriothesley notice.