[LOG] Once Upon A Time

[powerofchange]

CHARACTERS: Maria, Aligoté, Fayt, Cliff, Mirage and who knows who else from Maria’s circle of friends
WHEN: SD 773 / 7QJ51, after this and this
WHERE: starts at Aquios, possibly ending up all the way in Surferio
SUMMARY: Maria and Aligoté start a new life together, after Econtra.
WARNINGS: Excessive cute? ♥

It felt like the moment when it all began - being drafted to Econtra. The blinding light, the feeling of falling, the disorientation. But when Maria finally opened her eyes, she wasn’t in a white room, and there was no Warden. Instead, she was standing on the balcony of a familiar castle, which overlooked a familiar lake, and up on the sky, against the backdrop of a stunning sunset, were three familiar moons.

She drew in a breath. Elicoor. She really was here, she’d really escaped Econtra—

“Aligoté,” she gasped in realization, whirling around to face him. She looked halfway between laughing and crying. “We’re here. The Warden, he did it. We’re not in Econtra anymore.”

Comments

[aviances]

He hadn't missed the way Maria put herself between him and the most obvious opponent. Oddly, it hadn't been the threat of the fight that had Aligoté's metaphorical hackles up. He was not unfamiliar with dangerous situations, no stranger to being one step away from a brawl. (Hadn't that been the first years of his life, at Jing's side?) Even in those days, there had been a lack of fear in him (in both of them) that suited their chosen lives.

And afterward, when he'd seemingly shed whatever remaining instinct for self-preservation he'd once had, Sherry had accused him more than once of intentionally picking fights; dirty, ugly, knock-down drag-out melees that no one ever really 'won'. Looking for trouble merely for distraction, and taking refuge in the act of it.

(She hadn't been wrong.)

As a result, he was surprisingly hardy when it came to taking on one or more opponents, and came out on top probably more than he lost especially given that people underestimated him because of his shorter stature and build. That said, he was in no hurry to put himself to the test against a phalanx of armed women who were clearly trained and far outclassed whatever scrappy skills he could bring to bear.

Fayt's appearance, even though he knew to expect it, was still a surprise. Aligoté had not known Fayt for the first part of the young man's tenure in Econtra; when the Alliance had first formed, Aligoté and Jing weren't on speaking terms, and the winged one hadn't had any reason to pry into an organization to which he was so unsuited. Only after they'd mended that relationship did Aligoté really get to know the others, Fayt and Maria included.

He mouthed a bewildered Lord? at Maria in response to Cairine's departure, but let it go in favour of accepting Fayt's introduction. "Aligoté. Thanks for the welcome," he replied, shaking Fayt's hand solidly.

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Maria chuckled at Aligoté's expression at being called Lord. "You'll get used to it. They do that a lot here, and over at Airyglyph." But the formality was going to be tiring after a while, which led her to think that they might need to consider alternatives to Aquios. Perhaps Peterny, the commercial hub down south; it wouldn't be the quiet town she'd envisioned for her retirement, but at least they wouldn't be ladied and lorded at every turn.

"Come on in," Fayt said, opening the door wide for both of them. "Sorry about the mess, though."

Mess was an understatement. Not only was his bed not made, a large assortment of tools and scrap materials were scattered all over the room. In fact, Fayt had to hurriedly clear a chair - and part of his bed - of the junk, scooping them up and dumping them unceremoniously on the nearest table. "Uh... please, sit down."

"What have you been doing, Fayt?"

He smiled sheepishly. "I found an interesting blueprint at Elena's lab. I thought I'd attempt to put together a prototype." He was beginning to show signs of the man he was likely to become in a few years; the Fayt they knew at Econtra, three years older than this one, had definitely said he was part of Aquaria's weapons development team. "Things have been fairly quiet here... at least until Albel asked me and Nel to go to Airyglyph. Urgently. I hadn't had the time to clean up."

Then, belatedly, as if only realizing he had guests, he asked, "Oh, and can I get you something to eat? Drink? You probably had a long... trip."

[aviances]

There might have once been a time when Aligoté -- Kir -- would have enjoyed that level of pomp, fallen into the role with aplomb, but those days were long one for him now. As he was, he preferred to shed undue attention rather than seek it out, even if their situation hadn't necessarily called for such subtlety.

He gave a wry grin upon seeing the state of Fayt's room, but he didn't mind. He felt more at ease in a place that felt lived in than somewhere too formal. And while Aligoté himself had never delved too much into the technical side of the Alliance's capabilities, he still paid attention. "S'fine," he assured Fayt, meaning the mess and state of the room. "It is the middle of the night an' all."

The belated offer of hospitalities earned a slight laugh and head shake. "Not as long as you might think," Aligoté replied, thinking of the Consulo's instantaneous transport. He glanced at Maria for a moment, before returning his attention to Fayt. "But why don't you tell us what you know about expecting us, so we're not repeating a lot of the same information?"

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Fayt gestured for both of them to sit down, taking his place on the chair across the bed. He figured this might take a while, although perhaps because of his questions rather than theirs. “It was a little over a week ago when Albel’s second-in-command, Demetrio, came here by dragon. He was to take me and Nel to Airyglyph, as Albel had gotten himself into some sort of situation.”

Quietly, Maria leaned closer to Aligoté, explaining curtly that Nel was a friend of theirs, a spy for the Aquarian army.

“The first thing I noticed when we arrived was that Albel looked much older than when I saw him last,” Fayt continued. “And that hadn’t been very long ago. A month, I think? When he’d escorted King Arzei here, to visit Lady Rozaria?” His gaze held Maria’s for a moment. “Actually, so do you. Look older, I mean. But it’s not as drastic. Anyway, he confirmed our observation, and said that he’d been away for two years - two years that for us had only been a second, or maybe instantaneously - forcibly drafted to a war in an alternate universe against an alien race of pure energy.”

Then he laughed nervously. “It still feels weird when I say that out loud. But I shouldn’t be surprised anymore, should I? After all…” He looked at Maria again, hesitating. “You, me. Sophia. Living weapons. Data forms who’d somehow managed to get to and actually exist in 4D Space, and fight our Creator.”

Maria had flinched, her shoulders suddenly tense. That was a touchy subject for her, even after all this time. Unfortunately, Fayt hardly noticed.

“Then he asked about you. If we’d seen you lately. Nel said you still hadn’t come back from Klaus, and I teased him about it - I did guilt-trip him for not going with you.” His grin then turned sheepish again. “That’s when he said that we’d come to his situation. Apparently him being off to that alien war wasn’t the problem. It was the girl he’d brought back with him.” He wouldn’t look at either of them, still kind of weirded out by the developments. “His... wife.”

He rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry, I’m still wrapping my head around the whole thing.” He was fine with the bits about a war and powerful energy beings. But alternate universes, well…

[aviances]

Aligoté offered Fayt a nod when he noted that Maria and Albel looked older; Albel, especially, had been in Econtra for so long that even someone who wasn't from this world could have seen it. Aligoté looked older as well, less round-faced -- Maria had thought he was a teenager at first, he recalled with a fleeting dash of humour -- and then he refocused on Fayt.

When Maria flinched, Aligoté leaned over so his shoulder bumped hers gently. I'm here, the gesture said.

"I wouldn't let her hear you callin' her a problem," Aligoté smirked, though his tone was teasing.

[powerofchange]

The shoulder bump seemed very subtle, but the reassurance it provided was just what Maria needed. A reminder that despite everything she was and she was not, Aligoté was there for her. After all, he'd abandoned his world and followed her to her own, didn't he?

Still, she reached out across the space between them on the bed, putting a hand over his and squeezing lightly. Just making sure that he was really there. That what they'd been through - and him being with her right now as a result - was real. That she was real.

Fayt's nervous laugh interrupted her trail of thought, and she let out a small sigh of relief at the distraction it provided.

"You know her, then? From the war?" Fayt asked Aligoté, looking a little sheepish. He didn't mean it that way, but the smirk was a tad too effective. "And, uh, we're talking about the same girl, right? Red hair, really perky?"

He wasn't about to say it out loud, but he still wondered how Albel's tastes had suddenly gone from serious rebel leader to chipper ordinary girl.

[aviances]

Maria squeezing his hand was the sort of reaction that Aligoté had hoped for, because it confirmed that their unspoken communication -- which admittedly, had never been their strong suit in the past and caused more than one misunderstanding -- had done as intended to reassure.

He kept Fayt's attention on him a moment longer, both to answer the man's question and also to give Maria another moment. "That's her all right, an' don't let her fun attitude fool you, she's got a temper to behold," he replied loftily. "In all seriousness though, and don't take this the wrong way, but she might only be showing everyone else including you the side that her and Albel figured might work best as her 'entrance' here."

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Maria didn’t let go of Aligoté’s hand, but her composure had relaxed noticeably after their exchange. She glanced at him for moment, giving him a small smile of thanks, although he probably didn’t know what it was for; she hadn’t exactly told him about her (quite literal) existential crisis.

“What did they say Sheifa’s cover was going to be?” she asked, jumping back into the conversation almost like nothing had bothered her. But the question just wasn’t for the sake of having something to say, as she’d also been thinking about the story she and Aligoté would have to create for themselves.

Fayt had nodded in agreement at Aligoté’s comment, then turned to Maria, to answer her question. “Count Woltar’s niece. It was even the Count’s suggestion, since apparently their youngest sister had eloped with an Aquarian, and was consequently disowned. They both later died, with no confirmed children.“

Maria had known Woltar was a brilliant strategist, but she was still impressed. “Clever. Since the Count’s sister was disowned, to the Glyphians it’ll be as if she - and her family - never existed. He’ll have to adopt Sheifa to legitimize her, but as Count Woltar’s niece... well, she’ll be high enough on the social ladder to marry Albel Nox with minimal opposition.” Then she frowned at Fayt. “So the problem is with the Aquarian side of the story? That’s why he asked for Nel?”

“Yeah. The sister’s husband was a member of Secret Legion. He worked for Nel’s father.” Fayt frowned, too. “Records are easy to manipulate, but it’ll be suspicious if nobody in Aquaria knows who Sheifa is, especially since she’s supposed to have grown up here. Nel’s still working out the details, so until then, Sheifa’s hiding out at the Count’s manor.”

Maria sighed audibly. The last thing they needed were political complications, which would be a certainty if they’d decide to stay in either Airyglyph or Aquaria. She turned to Aligoté, smiling wryly. “I think we might have to go somewhere quieter. They’re having enough trouble creating a new identity for one person, let alone three.”

At that, Fayt chuckled. “I’d invite you both to relocate here, but Maria’s already got a following in the Legions. She’ll probably get roped into one of them eventually if she stays.” He shrugged. “If you want quiet, Surferio maybe? Aznor can help establish your identities there, and Roger’s always been sweet on Maria...”

“Fayt, Roger is sweet to all women.” Maria had definitely blushed at the mention of a following; although she disliked the attention, it did please her to know that she was looked up to.

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"Surferio," Aligoté echoed thoughtfully, searching his memory for whatever Maria had mentioned about the place before. "I think we could do with some quiet," he confirmed after a moment's thought.

Maria's remark got a startled little laugh from him; it hadn't been that many years ago when he, as Kir, had been the one sweet on all women.

"Hey, don't knock it when it's gonna help us out," he teased Maria.

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Maria met Aligoté’s gaze, and anyone watching them could not possibly miss the way they looked at each other. It had been there, for a while, but it took the final battle against the Entropi for them to acknowledge it.

“Yes, we could,” she echoed. Then she turned back to Fayt, the businesslike undertone returning. “Fayt. Thank you, for having us here. And Nel, too. But I have to ask a couple more favors.”

The blue-haired boy only shrugged. “Sure. Anything for you, Maria.”

“I need you to contact Cliff and Mirage for me. I don’t have my communicator anymore; it was taken when I was drafted, and I wasn’t able to get it back. I don’t need the entire crew, just... them.” Her expression was strange for a moment, like there was something she wanted to say, but quickly decided against it. “And it might be good to let Albel and Sheifa know we’ve arrived.”

“Got it. I’ll send a message to Cliff and Mirage ASAP. And I’ll rig you a communicator while I’m at it — I’ll have it ready by morning.” Fayt grinned, suddenly energetic at the thought of having something to do. “And I’ll have Nel send out the missives to Airyglyph. It’ll take a few days, but they’ll get the message.”

“Thank you, Fayt.”

“Don’t mention it. Now why don’t you two get some rest? Unless you have any more pressing concerns?”