There had been rumours going around, and usually Étaoin wasn’t one for listening to rumours, but then a certain name popped up and suddenly they needed to know what was going on. If this was true, this rumour, Étaoin needed to confirm it. They needed to ask someone they trusted with this information they had suddenly heard. Étaoin had been on the low, since the run in with Lachie and his buddies again, when they had Kisei helping them or well, keeping guard as they had their fun, but when the news reached their ears, Étaoin had to know.

Did they have a foot in this incident?
Did Kisei helping them, have even a millimeter of an effect on the outcome of this incident?
Was the incident just a rumour or was it true?

Was Kisei really dead?

Standing outside the doors of the new guild, a guild that had apparently been in the makings but no one knew of it’s actual arrival. Étaoin knew a person in this guild apparently, and to say there were a little shocked when they found out that the person was none other than the self adopted mother, Kurisa, it was a situation that had Éta at ease whenever they were staying or passing through Hosenka.

“Kurisa-san would know.” Muttering to themselves as they glanced around the area trying to figure out how they could even get a hold of the women who always helped them out when needed. “If anyone would know the truth, it is Kurisa-san.”

Wringing the sleeves of their red hoodie, Étaoin waited and waited, thinking and pondering over how they would approach the topic to Kurisa. Considering how close Kuri and Kisei were, but Étaoin was also very close, and Éta needed to know! Oh there was also the fact that, would Kurisa recognise them just like how they still mulled over Azure recognising them, when the boy would finally find them it their game of hide and seek.
Going over the multiple sentences in their head, the questions. How to ask, how to reply to the answer, accepting the truth? With each thought process, Étaoin felt the pain build higher and higher, where they thought that feeling had died all the years ago. The breaking point was not far away, and all Étaoin could process was; They’ve lost yet another person, that they held dearly in their heart.

"There is no LOVE...
When there is no JEALOUSY."

Étaoin paced the area, wringing the sleeves of their jumper as they still tried to process everything that had happened the past day. They drank another stupid potion that changed their appearance, still playing a game with Azure like always, Kurisa made a guild, and the last thing that was even harder for them to process definitely was that Kisei was dead, and they’d never get to see them again. When they went to turn and continue another lap of pacing, Étaoin felt their body pause, before their head raised towards the strangers' voices that somehow pierced through the veil that usually cloaked the other senses when the spellsword became too entangled into their thoughts.

“Do you need something?”

They stood there for a few seconds processing this new voice, storing it away, and then moved to actually process the question being asked. Purple eyes shimmering, before altering the path, and heading towards where the man was standing.

Opening their mouth to answer, Éta paused for a second and wavered, pursing their lips, the spellsword shrank back into themselves. “Kurisa-san…” It was quietly said. The name for the leader of this guild, they needed to see her, but if they demanded that it would cause trouble, and even though Éta wanted to demand it so badly, their voice could only answer with Kurisa’s name. Raising their head a little more to look at the man, Étaoin furrowed their brows before adding on another almost whispered word of “Please.”

It was a pleading call for help, and Étaoin hoped the man would acknowledge that, in a state of three second panic, Étaoin pointed at themselves before saying “Miji.” They didn’t know if Masami had told Kurisa that it was almost like a code name for them, they didn't remember, and at the moment their mind was too muddled to even try and remember. “Please, Kurisa-san.”

They didn't feel like their usual snarky self, but then again, nothing felt like their old self, maybe it was the changes. Maybe with everything that has happened, Étaoin’s whole being was going to be inflicted in ways that a physique potion or that potion from their childhood couldn’t even dream of altering. All they knew is that, hopefully this guard would allow them to see Kurisa, and hopefully Étaoin could be filled with comfort in that strange way that Kurisa always gave them upon meeting.

"There is no LOVE...
When there is no JEALOUSY."

Étaoin froze for a moment when they went to request to see Kurisa once more, but paused when another voice butted it, allowing them entry into the estate. Éta blinked at the man before them before looking away slightly, before glancing back at the guard who stormed off. Stepping through the gate, Étaoin quietly listened to the man as he spoke about them not needing to worry about being stopped by any other guards as they proceeded to what Étaoin hoped was to meet with Kurisa.
Purple eyes gazed at the palace before them, it reminded Éta about the last buildings they saw in their birth country before being dragged to Caelum. Glancing at the flowers, Éta softly smiled whilst still continuing to follow the strange man into the palace. They really hoped that they were going to see Kurisa, because they needed to talk to Kurisa, and at the same time it would just be nice to see the older women.

Turning back to him, Étaoin finally found the courage to speak up to the stranger. “Who even are ya…?” Pausing in their steps not far from the door they were heading too, Éta kind of wanted to know who this man was before going anywhere else. “I don't remember you from other times I have met with Kurisa-san.”

Though when he had already knocked on the door, announcing their presence and arrival to the women that Étaoin wanted to speak with, the newly turned requip mage sighed. They wouldn’t find out now who this man was, but instead, with this happening it brought back the main reason that Éta was actually at the palace of Empyrean Divine. When Éta stood their as the women walked over to them, of course Éta knew Kurisa might find it hard to recognise them, but if there was one thing anyone told the about physical changing positions, it could change everything but the voice, which meant obeying the lady would clear everything up for them.

“Nice place yer got here, Kurisa-san.” A small smirk laced Éta’s lips. “Need ya to clear things up for me, a lot has happened and well kinda went awol, one could say.”

"There is no LOVE...
When there is no JEALOUSY."

Étaoin glanced at the man once again, raising an eyebrow before shrugging with a sigh, and then turned towards the voice that finally spoke up once the door opened, and answering their questions. “Hey, yeah... I guess so?” Maybe they shouldn’t tell Kurisa how they stupidly drank another potion, even if they knew how this potion worked. “I thought I would maybe visit, so you wouldn’t be confused if you ran into me somewhere…” Stepping into the room after the man had left, Éta’s purple gaze glanced around the large room full of books, silence hanging over them before turning to the giant clock on one of the walls.

'Expected?' Carefully, Étaoin made their way over to the bookcases, exploring the room, gathering their thoughts before just asking Kurisa any questions. Some books they recognised on this shelf, from their time in Caelum, intrigued them and those were the books that had Étaoin was more careful to the touch on. Sleeve covered fingers brushing over the spines of the books, they’re emotions running up and down with bad memories, and relatively possible good ones? Turning their gaze towards Kurisa when the lady had spoken up, Étaoin sadly smiled at the lady before taking a deep breath.

“I heard some things… and I…” Lowering their gaze, Éta gritted their teeth. “I just wanted to come straight to you about it all.” Slowly making their way over towards the one that their brother would call mother. Étaoin instantly wrapped their arms around the women. “W-what… Happened to Kisei… To Masami?”

"There is no LOVE...
When there is no JEALOUSY."

When the words were said, after they followed the lady closer to the extravagant clock on the wall. Éta just released some breathless laugh. Hands laid limp at their sides, as the words repeated over and over again in their mind. Éta’s face was void of emotion, unless you looked close enough, because their eyes showed it all. The pain and confusion, flashing through the purple hues, the slight tremble on their lips. When they swallowed the choked up sounds that wanted to escape, the broken words. How they wanted to demand that Kurisa check again, that the women had to be wrong and there was some kind of mistake. Maybe it was the hysteria of losing another person that they held so dearly, maybe it was just because Étaoin was brought up on the words of; when a person is missing they are gone for good.

Masami was missing. That meant Masami was gone.

“Not sure I understand… Why would Kisei do that?” Éta lowered their head, their expression torn between hurt and confusion. “Why would he disappear?”

It was mostly said to themselves, and not to anyone else in the room. They hadn’t quite heard what Kurisa had chanted, and that was probably due to the fact that Étaoin wanted more answers. The answer gained, had just served the requip mage even more answers on a silver platter. So when the door opened again, Éta raised their head and turned to the new arrival, before glancing back at Kurisa, it seemed that more and more strangers were just popping up from everywhere, and it was making Étaoin anxious.

“Well since ya asked, ‘m Étaoin… and I’m kinda here to question the whereabouts of my brother…” Waving a little, before turning their gaze away again, Éta glanced at Kurisa. “I aint really sure on what I should do… I dunno what I can do.” This was a strange feeling, one they haven't felt for a long time. Since they were a little boy, who lived in that small village somewhere within Joya. “It’s been… years since I felt like this… if I'm being honest, Kuri.”

"There is no LOVE...
When there is no JEALOUSY."

Quietly they listened to Kurisa as the women tried to comfort them in a motherly way, as well as advice on thinking carefully about what they should do with their future based on the information that she had given to Éta. Taking a short breath, Étaoin just nodded at the new guild leader, with a soft smile before following the one who was a guardian of their brother. “I mean… I could be remembering wrong, but when we first met in that dungeon…” Falling into step with the lady, Éta kept their eyes looking at the floor as they messed with the red sleeves covering their hands. “I did wanna get to know ya more… after all, you really saved me back then, Kurisa.” Shrugging, their purplish gaze glanced around the hall Kurisa was leading them down, Étaoin had a lot of questions, but they figured asking them all in one go would be overwhelming, so Éta figured starting with one would be the best.

Turning towards the child that had joined the room just after they had found out about Masami’s disappearance, seeing if she was following them, Éta’s first question was going to be about that kid specifically and how she had called Kurisa mother. When Étaoin had processed the word that the child had used, it was the same as what Masami had used that one halloween trip they had. Tilting their head and glancing at Kurisa in question, “The girl from before… called you mother?" Changing the topic could possibly help them process things easier, after all Éta kinda understood why some kids would refer to Kurisa as a mother, she was very warm to be around. Étaoin guessed they could say, when Kurisa was around they felt just a little bit safer, just like in the labyrinth that they had first met each other in.

"There is no LOVE...
When there is no JEALOUSY."