Colette bit her thumb, a habit that hadn't shown itself since she entered this world. She was…majorly conflicted as she sat in her bed, waiting for Manon, staring at the pouch on the other girl's bed, staring at the blue freesia on top.
Manon entered from the bathroom a short while later, her hair tied in two pigtails, eyepatch off and hanging around her wrist. The girl looked serene, as if she hadn't almost made a dire mistake. Colette felt for the first time that maybe freeing herself of her guilt was not going to be so easy as she had to do it by force.
Manon…who she was in their old reality- she was never the type to be controlled. She adapted to situations roughly- brutishly, and forged her own path. But here- that was death. She had almost surely lost affection with Anya. And Colette- she couldn't do anything without compromising her own position.
"Manon."
The girl in question turned as she sat in her bed, an easy expression of inquiry on her features. But she found it odd how quickly she even got used to her new name.
"That cannot happen again." Colette said seriously, fingers bunched up in her blanket. Manon's expression dropped, her eyes glazing over even as Colette continued.
"You only needed to hesitate. The only one who got negative points was Terrence because he acted too quickly. I just wanted you to hesitate- not choose two items. Now Anya will have it out for you. She doesn't like things that are too different- too disruptive." Colette said, fully turning to face the brunette now, red hair curling up as it air dried from her bath. Manon didn't look convinced, though Colette could see the small amount of fear creeping into her gaze. Her heterochronic eyes were pulsing with a quiet anxiety.
"I'm doing my best-"
"No you are not. You are playing a dating sim game with the mentality of a 16 year old boy. We are going. To. Die." Colette spat, albeit a bit harshly, her dainty, fairy like features were distorted in anger. She wanted to be harsh though, she wanted to get it across to her how reckless it was so it wouldn't happen again- so the game would not veer off again into uncharted territory- so the story wouldn't change without her calculating it first. So Colette could keep knowing. But more than anything- for once, she wanted Manon- for Hana to not look at her like she was being dramatic and give her a clear reaction other than a blank stare.
She didn't at first.
"Stop trying to control everything. I'm not going to die as long as you do what you need to do." Manon said as if it were obvious. This is what irked Colette, that ease, that arrogance. It was something her friend hated in others, but did not hesitate to show herself. She stared at her, thinking about the original Manon. Although she was quiet- was she also like this? Was she also quietly arrogant without realizing? Could that even work? She didn't think so. Moreover, this Manon had a grudge she was keeping. It was obvious that was what this was all about to her.
"I am sorry about what I did in the past, but I am not solely here for you." Colette said through gritted teeth, opening her mouth to add more, "And I am not going to get killed because you decided you wanted a thrill like the bratty immature fucking child you've always been," At this, Manon finally gave a real reaction, her eyes rolling back and tongue pressed to the inside of her cheek- it made her usually statuesque features look like they were being manipulated, dimpling like a block of clay getting molded. But this is what Colette wanted. A reaction. Even if she regretted it instantly.
"You are though, aren't you? Didn't you literally die for me, hmm? But instead of living with what you did, you left everyone else to live with it in your place like a coward. Poor you who threw yourself off a bridge. Poor you who's mother won't even speak to her anymore but sends me flower baskets every birthday. Poor you, who took years to simply say "sorry". No no no, Colette. You are here for me. Your mission is to protect me. So get your head out your ass, just do that, and then maybe- maybe, I'll forgive you- and you own mother will love you again even if it's in death." Manon laid down and turned over- ending their conversation. She placed her flower on her side table and turned off the lamp by her bed, leaving Colette to sit in the half dim room, face red with fury and something else.
"Y-you…." Colette angrily huffed, turning off her light as well as she fell asleep. Tonight would mark their first evening together since…the incident. And as much as Colette wished they could move on from it- the remaining fractures of their friendship were still there. Everything still hurt, and Manon's words did not help.
It was the same for Manon. No matter how much she had tried over the first 24 hours, she couldn't…trust that Colette had it figured out. Not yet. She couldn't fully allow herself to be at her beck and call acting only upon her instructions. What if she was wrong? What if it was the past repeating and she was going to suffer at her hands once more?
Colette stared up at the ceiling whilst Manon fiddled with her silver mini pistol. It was useless, to what she gathered, the inner components nothing like a gun back in her reality. But it gave her some sort of comfort as she held it underneath her warm covers. As her breathing evened out amidst her anger, she felt bad for being so specifically nasty towards Colette, even as she drifted to sleep.
Colette on the other hand was restless. She was too exhausted to sleep, mind too busy thinking. Manon did not trust her, and she did not trust Manon. If they didn't have trust they had…nothing.
Then it happened. The clocks struck midnight, and Manon was asleep.
[Player 1 and Player 2: Congratulations on completing 2 different side missions today]
The wording confused Colette a little, but she assumed it was counting her extra mini mission with Stella.
[Player 1: Your reward was said to be: An item or feature you need, and an unknown scroll.]
[You will now receive your rewards.]
Colette sat up as a soft pink glow appeared in front of her on her bed. As promised, a scroll sealed with the wax seal of an unfamiliar house stared back at her. It was green and black wax, and while the seal itself was unfamiliar, she could make out the shape of…bamboo?
She was about to pick up the scroll and further examine the seal, when another notice popped up on a sparkling pink window.
[Player 1, we have detected 2 features that would prove useful. Please select one as your reward.]
[A. Status sharing: Share any windows you get with Player 2 including exclusive skills, notices, missions, and APs. Player 2 may also share hers with you. This feature is voluntary and requires permission from the player whose information is revealed.]
[B. Omnipotent View: Any skills exclusively used on NPCs can be used on Player 2 as well. You may also see any windows that are exclusive to Player 2 including skills, notices, missions, and APs. Player 2 will not be made aware of this.]
Colette's light eyes reflected the pink sheen of the window. She hadn't even fully explained to Manon her True Intent reward yet.
She couldn't really control Manon. But she needed to control the story. It was the only way for both of them to survive.
…..
.....
.....
Manon woke up when the sun was already peeking through the drapes of her shared bedroom with Colette. She had slept with her silver pistol, the cool metal stinging her small hands. She turned over onto her back, eyes sliding open lazily only to be immediately confronted with a slew of blue system windows.
[Player 2, please accept your reward]
[Player 2, please accept your reward]
[Player 2, please accept your reward]
[Player 2, please accept your reward]
[Player 2, please accept your reward]
[Player 2, please accept your reward]
Manon sat up quickly, startled, and now fully awake. Her head turned towards Colette's bed, a bit hesitantly as she remembered their terrible argument and the horrible things she had said in her anger. But to her acute relief, Colette was not there. Her bed was made, but the girl herself was missing. The bathroom door was wide open, with no audible sounds heard. She wasn't here.
Unfortunately Manon couldn't further ponder where the ginger had gone off to, as the system seemed to realize she was now awake. She had completely forgotten about the rewards scheduled to be received at midnight.
[Player 2, we have detected 1 feature that would prove useful. It is called Freeplay.]
"Don't care."
[.....You will not accept the reward?]
Manon always got the creeps when the system spoke to her like this. Like a sentient being.
"...Will the reward actually help my situation, or do you just want to complicate things by forcing my hand like you did yesterday?"
[.....Player 2 rejects the reward. We will generate a safe reward for replacement.]
[Please wait.]
Manon stared at the screen, her expression....strange. She truly did not like the current development at all. This system was weird, and based on context clues it had been just about ready to give her some sort of bomb. She would have to run it by Colette. Metaphorical bombs sounded like fun- but who knew what could happen? It could throw them into a whole other game or...she wasn't sure but it sounded like chaos and she wanted to somewhat reconcile with Colette, not make things worse. Anytime the system specifically offered her something she apparently "needed"- reward or not- it was never free, and it always made things uncomfortable.
[Since the player will not accept their reward, we will replace it with a different reward. Once the system finishes scanning for a suitable reward, we will offer it to Player 2.]
"Yeah, whatever." Manon grumbled, tossing the covers off of her legs and getting up. She didn't feel comfortable being left alone not knowing when anyone would return- especially when Colette left without a word. The brunette tucked her pistol under her pillow and stared at her side table.
Her flower was missing? She circled around the bed, looking on the ground nearby and under the bed to no avail. It was gone. Colette wouldn't have been that petty, would she?
Luckily, she was not alone for much longer, as the bedroom door swung open and Colette, Maria, and Clare all filed into the room. Manon hurriedly ducked down to take her eyepatch off her wrist and put it back on her face. Their attendants were dressed in their usual habits whilst Colette wore a new dress. It was a pale blue that brought out the color in her eyes. Much more flowy and light, comfortable-looking but still with plenty of ribbons and bows like a noble child would wear. Her hair was tied into a fluffy ponytail with a matching blue ribbon as well.
When the ginger noticed Manon crouched on the floor behind her bed, her expression shifted from neutral towards inquisitive.
"What are you doing on the floor?" She chuckled, approaching the brunette with what seemed to be a black leatherbound journal pressed to her dress. Manon stood up just as she reached her, her lips pursed.
"My flower. The blue one. I put it on my table before bed…" She began, but Colette's pretty, fairy-like face shone with the type of recognition that meant she was aware. Sure enough, Colette looked down at her hands, flipped around the journal in her possession and held it out for Manon.
"I…wanted to apologize for being too harsh. In the first place, it's my fault we don't trust each other. So I wanted to do something for you." Colette explained. Manon side eyed Maria and Clare, who stood by her wardrobe pretending they weren't listening while picking out her outfit for the day. Her gaze turned back to Colette's earnest expression, and then the journal. Taking it into her hands, she flipped open the cover to see her flower- dried and encased in a thin, hard but clear material. It wasn't laminate or plastic- rather something almost holographic and cool to the touch, not as delicate as glass.
"What's this??" She was fascinated, turning over the dried flower bookmark in her fingers. Colette smiled, pleased at her reaction.
"Maria and Clare helped me make it. It's melted moon quartz. Don't ask how we melted it." Colette whispered, then her expression softened as she peeked over at Maria. She did so subtly as to not make either attendant turn to look at them. "Also, look at this…" She nodded over to the woman, sneakily gesturing for Manon to follow her gaze.
"Share," Colette whispered, and Manon's eyes widened as a pink window she'd never seen before materialized above Maria's head.
[Maria is happy the girls have made up. She intends to take them for tea since Manon slept through breakfast.]
"This is one of my perks. And my reward was to either share my exclusive windows with you, or force you to share yours. I chose this. So please try to trust me, and I'll do the same for you." Colette whispered again, squeezing Manon's hand, her palm slightly smaller than her own. More frail even after being treated. More susceptible to dying early by the game's parameters. Manon understood then that forgiveness did not have to be immediate, but cooperation did, if either of them wanted to survive this game. And Colette was trying, which was all she had ever truly wanted.
"I am sorry too. You deserve to try your best for yourself too." Manon replied with a sigh, her shoulders relaxing. Her fingertips slid across the bookmark thoughtfully. Maria and Clare finally approached the girls, and Maria spoke as Clare began making Manon's bed.
"The blue freesia is a respected flower. It means lasting friendship and trust."
Colette and Manon looked at the woman-
[Maria is enamored by the young girl's purity and friendship. She intends to get Manon dressed for tea time.]
Maria then held out her hand to Manon. "Let us go now."
….
.....
"The next test is about lying. Sir Lionel will pull us all into a room one by one, and he will tell us to lie about ourselves." Colette sipped her tea, her eyes closed in serenity.
They had been left to speak alone as Maria and Clare prepared lunch, and Colette took the opportunity to show Manon the secret room within the house that led to the beautiful green plains. Instead of the table, Manon insisted on wanting to lay on the picnic blanket laid out higher on the hill, claiming she wanted to be closer to the sun.
The brunette laid on her back, fully dressed in a dark blue version of Colette's chiffon and ribbon gown, her hair tied in one long thick braid, dark blue ribbons woven into the style. She had her eyepatch off, wanting to enjoy the freedom while she still could.
"So how do I pass? Or should I even pass?" Manon asked, opening her brown eye as it was less sensitive to the bright rays of the sunlight. Colette opened her eyes then, glancing down at Manon.
"I thought about it and think we should try and reenact things as closely to the original as we can….but the problem is that I don't know what the original Manon said. I just know she passed." She set down her teacup. "The way to pass is by telling a lie very well, that is clearly a lie. Should be easy for us." She grinned and Manon chuckled, shaking her head.
As teens in their other world, they often went around faking accents, or lying about having after school activities to go to cafes…etc.. The thought brought back memories…and some bitter ones too.
But both Manon and Colette had an understanding. For now, they needed to stay focused on survival, and when they were fighting, they were anything but.
It was not long after that Manon had to put on her eyepatch again and the two were called back to go to the office Sir Lionel was to be using.
Maria and Clare both led the girls down a familiar hallway for Manon, eventually reaching the same narrow spiral staircase she had jumped just yesterday. She remained collected, walking behind Colette as they were brought down to the floor below.
It was brighter now, and the girls could see the entire space unobstructed. As Manon had perceived, it was a circular great hall, the ceiling a dome made of stained glass she hadn't noticed before. Several pillars held up the lower portions of the ceiling closer to the wall. The red door was still there, just a few feet to the right of the pillar she'd hid behind.
But the door they were going to, as their feet lightly tapped against the white marble floors, was not red. It was a dark wood tone, possibly stained walnut. The sisters stopped at the door and turned to the little girls promptly.
"Colette will be going first." Clare said, motioning for the ginger to enter.