An Advent of Freedom and New Friends - Chapter 5 - Dr_Fanatic (2024)

Chapter Text

No matter how hard she tried, Bijou was unable to relax even slightly since leaving the headquarters for Hololive. Even in there, she had not exactly felt all that safe after leaving the interview room. But at least in there, she had her friends close by and had known Omegaα would not let any harm come to them regardless. (Which only made her feel worse about her hesitance with the woman.)

But since she got in the back of this car - an “Uber,” apparently - it took everything in her to keep on breathing. The action helped her to ignore the crawling along her skin as they drove down the road every time a person outside glanced at their vehicle. It gave her thoughts something to focus on besides wondering if those people were staring directly at her. She had even taken to scratching her fingers on her legs to remind herself that nobody else could get her in there - it was her, A-chan, and the driver. Those were the only people who could touch her.

It somewhat worked... except for the reminder there were still two people who might try to break her into pieces.

That idea set her on edge, making her glance at the other occupants. The content director, sat next to her, was completely fine so far, though. She was lying back in her seat, casually texting on her phone as she waited for them to reach their destination. The short woman could feel her emotional state, too, and felt no desire to start pulling at her limbs. She... she was still sane, and the ring on her finger - silver with a purple gem on top and smaller blue and green ones along it - should keep it that way, allegedly.

The only thing there that was unusual was an undercurrent of... worry, though not directed at her. She was no mind reader, however, so without the reason being in front of her she could not tell what it was for. Thus, she tried to ignore it and let the blue-haired woman stew on whatever was causing the feeling.

As for the driver... the gem-girl was unsure. She could not see the man clearly from behind his seat, just barely able to make out the dark curly hair on his head. He had barely said two words to her since they got in, more focused on driving than conversing, seemingly. All she got were occasional grunts from him when a car ahead of them swerved weirdly.

Still, he had... not seemed bad since picking them up. His emotions were also unremarkable - more bored than anything. There was some tiredness in there as well, presumably from a bit of trouble sleeping, but nothing concerning. It should have been fine to be in the same space as him by all appearances.

...Except for those occasional, small waves of intrigue. The ones he got each time he glanced at his rearview mirror, which allowed him to see his passengers. An emotion she just knew was because of her.

It happened again just as she was thinking about it, making her go rigid. Her hands moved to squeeze the hems of her dress, the task of breathing forgotten for a brief second. She could not force air into her non-existent lungs, though, as she felt that gaze on her. It untethered her mind a little, causing it to conjure terrible images of what could be about to happen. Of the man scrambling out of his seat, uncaring of the car crashing as he tried to get to her. Of those strong-looking hands finding purchase on the small growths around her body and yanking -

But then his eyes returned to the road, and the emotion pittered out. Bijou took a deep, silent breath, the sudden intake of oxygen both painful and relieving. Ever-so-slowly, she managed to loosen her death grip on her clothes, trying to force herself to return to her breathing and... not relax, but not panic, at least.

...The guilt for her reaction came in soon after, too. She grimaced, her hands now moving to scratch both of her arms. She did not want to be scared of this man - he seemed like he was decent. Like Nodoka, he should only be lightly affected by her curse. She certainly did not want to be scared of everyone outside, whom they kept rolling by. Humans... were not bad people. She had seen it before her imprisonment before her curse ruined them. And she had felt such wonder back in that building, looking at the progress they had made on this world from that window.

But... that had been from an elevated position away from them. Here, they could get to her, and she knew all too well the sort of pain they could inflict upon her. Her curse might not have been working as it should have then, but... what if it suddenly did? What if she was forced to defend herself and cause more harm than she already had-

There was a tap in the space beside her. Her eyes darted down to the point... and found that A-chan was using her knuckles to make the rhythmic sound all of a sudden. She looked up to ask about it, but was immediately struck by the concerned furrow of the human’s eyebrows, also reflected in her tone. “Bijou, are you okay?”

The gem-girl blinked, not understanding the question for a moment. “Huh?”

The content director gestured to her arms, making her look down at them... At which point, she realized she was starting to make scratch marks along her skin. Unlike with flesh, though, they had a slight iridescent shine rather than being red. They more so resembled small carvings like a person might do with two rocks, actually.

...A cold feeling settled in her chest gem as she noticed this, her arms immediately shooting to her sides. She could not ignore the tingles of half-pain that emitted from them, though, which only further unsettled her. It had been... a good while since she had done that. It was a nervous tick Shiori and Nerissa had tried to get her to stop, and which had always made Fuwamoco upset. A way to... try and get her worse thoughts under control.

A few of the others had experience with self-harm, too, from their experiences in The Cell. But... with her, she could always handle a lot more than they could. She could even remember when her body had nearly had no areas without scratch marks on a few occasions. If she had been able to bleed...

She tried to shake those memories off, focusing back on the preset. Realizing that the blue-haired woman was still looking at her and she had been quiet for a long time, she sighed, looking to the side in shame. “I... No, I’m not... Thank you for pointing that out. I shouldn’t be doing that to myself.”

The content director did not appear to like the implication of that (which she should not). She glanced at their driver, who seemed to be ignoring them, eyes filled with concern. “Do you... want to get out? Ina’s apartment isn’t much further from here.”

“...I don’t think I could handle walking directly next to so many people,” Bijou admitted. At least while in there, she only had one person to worry about, and there was a barrier between her and other potential assailants. If the others were there, she might have been able to brave the sidewalks, but... not alone. Not yet.

A part of her was regretting not taking Nerissa’s offer for her to join her... but she had made her choice. She wanted to prove that she could function on her own and not let her fear of her curse control her. Maybe she had underestimated how afraid of people she still was, but... she could do this. She would get through this meeting with this EN member and not fall back on those old habits she had been burying for millennia.

She... she just wanted to live a nice life, despite her terrible power. Was that too much to ask?

More tapping made her realize she had been spacing out again. She turned again to A-chan, who sighed and nodded to her. “If you’re sure, then... I’m sorry I don’t have a car we could drive. I know you’d have probably felt safer then.”

The gem-girl shrugged, not denying that but not wanting to make the other woman feel worse. Her eyes then went to the human’s hand, still resting in the space between them, raising an eyebrow. “Hey, why... are you tapping there, anyway?”

Blinking, the content director coughed, giving an uncertain smile. “Ah, well... I didn’t know if you were fine with being touched out of the blue by... someone like me. So I figured that was the next best way to grab your attention while... trying to offer comfort? If you wanted to grab it or anything, I mean...”

...Bijou stared at her, several emotions suddenly flooding through her. Swallowing thickly, she looked down and clasped her hands together, trying not to cry. She could not even begin to describe what she felt: how touched she was by the consideration... and the self-loathing, knowing that “someone like me” meant “human.” It was a conflict that almost caused her problems breathing again, trying to keep it together.

Above these things and more, however... she just wanted a comforting touch. And so, taking a deep breath, she addressed her potential future boss without looking at her, worried she would lose her nerve if she looked. “You... can put a hand on my shoulder, if you’d like.”

A-chan looked at her, frowning a little. “You’re... sure?”

Hands clenching once more, the gem-girl was more direct with her request. “I... I want you to put it there.” She dared to glance over, her gaze pleading.

The content director’s eyes widened briefly, before being taken over by a more sympathetic expression. Carefully, she lifted her hand, letting it hover over the short woman’s shoulder. Then, after making eye contact for one last confirmation... she gently placed it there, rubbing the area a bit.

Bijou was unable to stop herself from tensing for a brief second, despite it being her uninjured shoulder. Once she got used to the touch, though, she let out a shaky breath, her posture sagging minutely. She was not exactly cold to the touch, but... there was something nice about the warmth of flesh. Perhaps it was another effect of being created by human emotions, but still, she relished the small contact.

The blue-haired woman, meanwhile, eventually settled her light grip on her and hummed, giving her a few gentle squeezes. “It’s so much like actual stone and gems, except... more yielding. I swear I can even feel a pulse underneath.”

“It sort of it, but not like yours,” the gem-girl explained, her voice less strained than before. “It’s energy that runs through me, acting sort of like veins and a nervous system both. All of it is regulated by my central gem, deep in my body. ” She tapped her chest gem, a faint shimmer coming from it as she did so. “This is an extension of it - one and the same, except this outer part is more... breakable.”

A-chan paused, before looking down, her voice soft. “I don’t like the way you said that last word.”

Bijou sighed, gazing out of the window melancholically. “It... all regenerates in the end. However it might be cracked, I’ll keep on going, so...” And no matter how many pieces I’m broken into, my body will reform somehow, she added mentally, but did not say aloud.

Pursing her lips, the content director’s free hand tapped the side of her phone, clearly unsure what to say to that. So instead, she appeared to just decide to move things along, looking to where she was still touching her. She shifted her hand, letting it rub the silver-haired woman’s back more. “I’m surprised you want me to do this. Even with my ring, I figured...”

The gem-girl shrugged, glancing behind her with a small smile. “I’m a little scared, I’ll admit. But... I’ve wanted this for so long. To be touched by a human without them going insane and trying to hurt me.” She shifted her posture, gently nudging the hand from getting too close to her still-healing cracks. “The others all held my hand and hugged me when they could back in The Cell, but it’s not as... impactful as what this means, if that makes sense?”

“I think I get it,” A-chan said, guiding her hand back to the shoulder. She caught her eye and gave her a hopeful smile. “The other humans in Hololive would gladly hug you as well if you asked. They’re all very friendly with one another, and you’re far from the strangest mythical being they’ll have hung out with.” She giggled. “Plus, charm or no, you do look very cute, which will sell them all on the idea!”

Bijou giggled as well, looking off with a smile as well. That would honestly be a dream come true to her. A whole collection of humans who could give her affection. Sure, she had some issues she needed to work on to accept stuff like this regularly, but one day...

It was a lovely thought... but she soon frowned, her mind circling back to the one thing that always made that impossible. “That depends on what’s caused the disruption to my curse, though... and how long it will last.”

That sobered the content director up, who sighed wearily. “I suppose... I mean, worst comes to worst, they could all wear special protection against charms. Or we could see about giving you a dedicated nullifier. I’m pretty sure Kiara has one for a stimulant she produces.”

The gem-girl huffed. “And what happens if they forget to put on their protection one day? Or what about the rest of the people in this town, who wouldn’t have one?” She took a deep breath. “Besides, I’ve... tried to use nullifiers. The Cell had plenty, too. But I still caused people to go crazy even then.”

She closed her eyes, lowering her head. “It... makes me a bit nervous about what’s caused this change, in a way. Like, I should be happy, but... what if it doesn’t last? And in that case, what if whatever’s caused this was pure chance and can’t be replicated? Or what-?”

“Bijou!” A-chan called to her, once again squeezing her shoulder. Once she was sure the short woman was listening, she let out a long exhale. “Look, I don’t pretend to understand what you’ve gone through and seen. All of this is well beyond me, and I’m truly sorry I don’t have any better ways to comfort you.

“But I promise you - if anyone can find out what’s happened, it’s my talents. And I know that if there’s a way to keep this change from going away, that they will do so.” She gently nudged the other woman, making her open her eyes, which allowed her to see the human’s encouraging smile. “Trust me - this will work out one way or another. You’ll never have to be scared of a human going crazy because of you ever again.”

Bijou kept her gaze locked with hers for a long moment. The more worn-down part of her had trouble believing those words. Ever since her conception and when she had been discovered by humanity, nothing had changed. All ways to lessen her effects had failed in the end, so what reason did she truly have to believe this was any different? For all she knew, all of her worst fears were about to be confirmed, and... she would have to leave town to protect it and herself. And if she did that... her friends would follow and have to give up this wonderful opportunity, no matter what she might say.

These ideas weighed heavily on her... and yet, she was unable to fully dismiss the blue-haired woman’s claims. Just something about how passionate she was, as well as her kindness so far, made her want to believe that perhaps... she was right. That for once, her luck might have finally changed and there might be something better waiting in her future.

She had lived in despair for too long... which her friends had dragged her out of. She would not let their efforts go to waste by doubting herself now.

Thus, with another deep breath, the gem-girl slowly nodded, trying to smile. “I... guess we’ll see.” She rubbed one of her arms, chuckling bashfully. “I... do hope I’m not intruding on Ina too much, though. This is quite a lot of responsibility to saddle upon her.”

“Given the circ*mstances, she’ll be more than glad to help - believe me,” the content director reassured. A certain twinkle entered her eyes as she grinned. “I’m not just talking about her magical abilities, either. You’ll be in good hands with her. You won’t have to worry about being stressed with her at all - especially since I think her girlfriends are in.”

The gem-girl tilted her head at this. This Ina woman had looked like a rather approachable girl from the picture she had seen, even with her connection to the Ancient Ones. But... was she really that relaxing of a presence that made this woman so confident in saying so? And who were these girlfriends she was mentioning?

...Well, regardless, she decided to take heart that A-chan did not appear to believe there would be any incidents. She stretched her back, getting more comfortable in her seat. “We’ll know soon enough, I suppose.”

The content director nodded, looking out the front of the car. “It should only take a few more minutes to reach there if traffic permits. Do you want me to walk you to her door, or do you want me to give you directions for the short walk? I can’t stay, though, unfortunately, since I still have work I need to get back to.”

“That’s fine,” Bijou said, quickly making her decision. “I think I can handle walking there on my own. It’s not as bad as trying to go down these streets.” It would be a nice, secluded building where hopefully not too many of the residents would be about. She could make it to the door alright, she figured.

...Even so, though, she paused, looking at the hand still on her shoulder. Blushing slightly, she cleared her throat and made one last request before they would have to part ways. “Um... can you keep holding me until we get there?”

A-chan smiled warmly, patting her on her back. “Of course.”

Sending a smile back, the gem-girl sighed and turned to look out the window. The number of people had gone down for this area of town, so she took the opportunity to admire the scenery a bit without being so nervous. She tried to cling to the optimism the content director, as well as her friends, had seemed to have about this. You have everyone’s support. Just be calm, and hopefully... we’ll figure out what happened, if nothing else. Perhaps Shiori can do something with that if Ina can’t.

Everything should be fine... So why, despite this, did she have an uneasy feeling she would not like the answer coming to her?

-------

It had not taken long for Bijou to reach the apartment door after leaving the car and waving goodbye to A-chan. As she had hoped, the stairwell up to the floor had been empty, allowing her to safely float herself up through the open middle using her wings. The hall had also been scarce of people, though she had quickened her step after hearing activity behind one or two other doors. Yet not one human had glimpsed her as she went to her destination.

She did not even need to double-check the room number as she stood before this one. While her emotional senses were mostly in tune with humans, she could on occasion pick up on feelings from other species and beings. It normally required contact and a bit of concentration on her part, but being able to at a distance had happened... especially when the source was incredibly powerful.

And that was the best way to describe the feeling of the Ancient Ones she got from this place. It was not forceful, like she always imagined a first encounter with them to be, and in fact was quite subtle. But it still radiated from the room beyond - a piece of their influence left to linger in this world. Just the glimpse of their strange emotions she was getting from here from when they did their work... It was somehow more baffling than their captor’s had been, to put it mildly.

Still, the gem-girl was able to tune it out after a moment. She let those feelings bounce off of her as she took a deep breath, working up the courage to knock. She knew she could not linger too long - she was expected, and if she did not go in soon, this Ina might get worried. What kind of first impression would she be giving to cause the woman to rush out, only to find her guest hovering in the halls?

But... it was hard to take that step. Even at this point, her chest gem quivered, expecting to be met with crazy eyes the moment eyes were laid upon her. She knew this person had been human once from those few questions she had been willing to ask. What if her masters’ altering of her would not protect her like Shiori’s changes?

And... call her biased, but meeting with a practitioner of a kind of magic that was infamous for causing all kinds of beings to go insane was not the most... encouraging thing. Even if Ina had control...

...But then she looked down at her arms and the fresh scratch marks she had left. The sight hardened her resolve a little bit more, allowing her to take some steadying breaths. Her fears would not get the better of her again. She was determined to make sure those marks were a fluke - that her fear would not consume her so shortly after getting free.

She took a moment to steady herself. She pictured Shiori’s kind eyes; the soothing singling of Nerissa; the fluffy and fuzzy feeling of Fuwamoco against her... Then, she reached up and knocked on the door.

Bijou barely had to wait any time before someone approached from the other side. She squared her shoulders, prepared to look Ina in the eyes and prove that she was brave. The door unlocked, and it swung open, her greeting on the tip of her tongue-

-only to find herself blinking. For instead of a woman with purple hair, she was met with one with green hair. Little antlers with what looked like leaves growing in them were also on her head, helping to accentuate her yellow eyes. She also wore a green dress with a white coat, both with golden accents, and the inner part of the latter had pink designs of flowers.

This stranger did not appear surprised by her arrival. She smiled sweetly at her, crouching and offering her hand. “Hello, there. I’m guessing you’re Bijou?”

Still a little surprised, the gem-girl quickly cleared her throat and nodded. “Um... y-yeah, that’s me.” She cringed internally at the awkward greeting. A-chan had said there might be other people here, did she not? Yet she was still caught off guard? Trying to cover it up, she accepted the hand and shook it. “And... you are?”

The woman giggled. “I’m Ceres Fauna. I’m the Keeper of Nature and a member of the Council. It’s so nice to meet you!”

...Bijou tensed for the briefest of seconds at this. But she quickly tried to shake it off and smiled as best as she could back. “Nice... to meet you. I guess you already know my name, but I’m Koseki Bijou, the Jewel of Emotions! It’s good to meet you, too... even if I wasn’t quite expecting it.” Even though A-chan had mentioned there might be other people there, she had not expected one of them to be the one to answer.

“Oh, we were just having a lazy day in,” Fauna explained, standing up again. “It was just going to be me making some tea and stuff for them while my two lovely ladies drew all day before going back to my house to sleep together. Nothing too special.” She smiled warmly. “But then we got word that Omegaα had gotten back, and had brought along some of our potential Kouhais.”

The gem-girl grinned bashfully back, glancing away. “Heh... well, I’m sorry for interrupting you all’s hangout. I hope I’m not being a bother.”

“Not at all!” the Keeper reassured, gently pulling her inside. “Come on - let me get you something to drink. Do you like peach tea? I just finished making some.”

“I-I’m more of a coffee girl, but tea is fine,” Bijou said, looking around the living room area she was brought into. It had a purple couch and a few chairs, with a small coffee table between them. The walls were violet with various drawn pictures on them, with many depicting some of the people she had seen on A-chan’s phone earlier. There was another door that led somewhere and an entryway to a hall that went off in two directions, which... confused her. They seemed to go into areas where other apartments nearby were, and extended beyond the building’s outer walls. How did...?

It’s probably what that power I was feeling before was, she quickly realized, letting herself be sat down on the couch. Giving her another smile, Fauna walked off toward the other door, opening it to reveal a kitchen beyond. She disappeared within, leaving her guest alone to continue staring at the distorted dimensions of this apartment.

...She hated how she also relaxed more once the other was gone. She growled at herself, shaking her head in disbelief. Was this really how low her time in The Cell had sunken her to react in such ways? She barely understood why, given how... relatively well she had done with the content director. Most of her trepidation there had been due to the other’s humanity, which, given her curse, made it at least somewhat justified.

Why did this have to be different? Why did she have to feel so judgmental? Why could she not be totally at ease here despite the connection the green-haired woman had to-?

A voice suddenly came from where the hall was, bright and bubbly. “Fauna? Was that-? Oh, hey there! So you’re the potential new EN member?”

Startled, the gem-girl whipped her head around at the new arrival. A woman with whitish brown hair done in twin-tails - three balls colored pink, white, and blue in each - and golden eyes was practically beaming at her, a pink, swirl-shaped accessory also on her head. Her skin was darker than those she had met so far here, and she had on a white dress with a blue corset whose sparkles reminded her of stars. (And... she could not help but note how they worked in tandem to emphasize her... sizable chest.)

This person closed the distance quickly, sitting down beside her as she continued to smile widely. “Welcome to town! I’m Tsukumo Sana, the Speaker of Space!”

“B-Bijou,” the short woman managed, once more trying to mask any flinches. That name she recognized from the interview as being a Council member, too. More shame filled her as she fought to not squirm, her self-berating from before getting worse. Of course I had to meet two of them at once - just to make this harder. I... they don’t deserve for me to be acting like this!

She sucked in a quiet breath, trying to think of a way to hopefully distract herself from those feelings. Latching on to what she remembered hearing before, she looked at the taller woman curiously. “You’re... the member who graduated, right? A-chan mentioned that...”

Sana nodded, not looking too upset by the question. “Yeah, I am. It’s a little unfortunate - just a bad series of events in a row - but it’s no big deal. I’m doing better, and I’m making a good amount of money from my artwork. Plus, I still get to see and talk with everyone!”

Bijou nodded along, seeing what she was getting at. “I guess so. It’s... not like I really understand what being a Vtuber is like yet, so I have no clue what leaving that life is like, either. Still, if you’re happy...”

The Speaker nodded back, before giving a wistful sigh. “I do kind of miss it at times, honestly. But I’ve made my choices, and so long as I still have the most important people in my life... isn’t that what matters most?”

The gem-girl blinked, the words... surprisingly striking a cord in her. It made her smile more genuinely as she shrugged. “Yeah... I guess so.” That was how she liked to imagine things would be with her friends, too. Even if they did not all want to be Vtubers while others did, she felt like they would find ways to stay together, no matter what.

It was common ground for them - one that eased her chest gem some... but not nearly as much as she would have liked.

Their small exchange was interrupted by Fauna returning, two cups of tea in her hand. She set one down in front of each of the other two, smiling at them. “I hope you like it hot, Bijou. Be careful not to burn your tongue.”

“Eh, it wouldn’t get properly burned anyway,” Bijou replied, proud of herself at how easily the light tone came from her that time. Still, she did take careful sips of hers, knowing that the sensation of burning her mouth was something she could experience. The sweet liquid slid down her throat, helping to further soothe some of her nerves.

Sana also drank her tea, sighing contently and smiling warmly at the green-haired woman. “Delicious as always, sweety.”

The Keeper giggled, giving her a quick peck on her cheek. “Anything for the most amazing, ‘beeg’ person around.”

The Speaker giggled as well, managing to use her free arm to pull the other into a hug without spilling her drink. The gem-girl, meanwhile, glanced at where the kiss had been placed. She remembered A-chan mentioning they were a couple, along with Ina, and she supposed that officially confirmed that. Guess they saw themselves as friends growing up rather than siblings. I wonder where Ina fits in, then, since she isn’t a Council member and probably hasn’t known them nearly as long as each other.

Not that she cared to comment on it - she had seen a few polyamorous humans in those times her curse did not immediately destroy them, and had no problems with the dynamic. There was sometimes brewing jealousy and feelings of neglect that she knew could crop up from these types of relationships. However, if one could make it work... well, that was more people that loved you, was it not?

Given how casual they seemed about it, she figured she did not have to worry about witnessing a domestic. Thus, she simply shrugged off the information and continued sipping her tea, also giving a content sigh as she looked at them. “So where’s Ina? I was... told she could help me out with something.”

Fauna shrugged, before surprisingly taking a seat on her other side instead of with her girlfriend. “She’s communing with the Ancient Ones right now. She’s done these sorts of bargains before, but I think she wants to get some details worked out. Specifically so it does not end up costing you anything too important.”

Bijou tensed, eyes snapping to her with a bit of apprehension. “Cost? W-what exactly are they going to take from me?” She did not even have anything to give! She had been locked up for millennia until yesterday!

...Unless they wanted her. Her breath nearly caught, already imagining her body being broken down again. She could picture those otherworldly beings feasting upon her power, gorging themselves as she was reduced to a pile of-

A hand on her shoulder made her jump, pushing herself into the couch as she looked fearfully at the source. But... it was just Sana, who had retracted her hand with wide eyes. She looked her over, her worry almost palpable. “B... Bijou?”

The gem-girl blinked, realizing she had begun to tremble. She suddenly jerked back forward as well as she checked her arms, worried that she had unintentionally tried to scratch at them again. But there was no sign of any further damage than what she had inflicted on them already.

...But unfortunately, that appeared to make the other two finally notice the scratches already there. Fauna gasped, gently clasping her arms as she leaned in to inspect them. “What happened to you? Do they hurt? How did I not see these?”

Bijou swallowed thickly, trying to take her arm back. “I-it’s nothing. I just... they can be hard to see depending on the light, so-”

Before she could try to elaborate and calm the other down... those hands went further up her arm to inspect for more damage. At which point... she could pinpoint the exact moment the Keeper noticed her gunshot wound, given how she tensed. She sucked in another breath, her voice tight with horror. “W-what the-?! What did this ?!”

The Speaker looked over the short woman’s shoulder to inspect it, her eyes widening further. “Oh, hell! That... Christ, you’ve been through the wringer, huh? I mean, when I heard you broke out of prison, maybe I should have figured that, but... Do you need anything?”

Fauna nodded rapidly, though seemed to be recovering from her shock, trying to keep her voice level. “What she said! I... have a golden apple you can try! I’m not sure how well its healing properties will work for you, but if you want a bite, I...”

The gem-girl was unable to respond immediately. Her breath was shallowing, the entire situation spiraling in a direction she did not want it to. Her imagination was working in full force again, the reminder of her wound and the pain from it fueling the horrible images. Of more and more of herself being taken off as she was chipped, and chipped, and chipped

She yanked her arms back and hugged herself tightly, shutting her eyes and yelling. (She was only dimly aware of her teacup falling to the floor and spilling from that.) “I-I said it’s nothing! I’m fine! J-just leave it all be!”

...Clarity hit her almost as soon as she finished shouting. Her whole body went rigid, the silence hanging in the air like a hammer poised to strike the stone below. Her jaw shifted, her teeth grinding together, but she could not force her mouth to open again. She could not open her eyes, either, having no clue what expressions were on the other two’s faces.

A whimper left her, feeling pathetic as she curled up on herself. She... she felt pathetic at that moment. First she had made those scratches, and now she was waving a panic attack? Just... what was wrong with her? She had not even been away from the others for two hours! Nothing bad had happened to her yet since escaping! She... she was away from the guards and her captor!

So why... why was she acting like this?

A chocked sound left her, and she wondered if she was about to have trouble breathing again... But then a hand, ever so slowly in case she wanted to protest, she guessed, entered her hair. When she did not flinch away (could she not make up her mind on if she wanted touch or not?), Fauna’s gentle voice reached her ear as she began to brush her locks. “Bijou? Can you hear me? I need you to take a few deep breaths for me, okay?”

Bijou hissed, her breath stuttering painfully as she tried to comply. But the fingers in her hair gave her something to focus on, so eventually she was able to start leveling it out. Another hand came from the other, too, as Sana carefully rubbed her back, not too dissimilar to A-chan back in the car. Her touch, though, had more strength to it, yet was being incredibly gentle as it went over the area.

She concentrated on the sensations, her earlier unease with them forgotten for the moment. Her breathing continued to normalize as she sniffled, stopping herself from full-on crying. Soon, she felt well enough to begin uncurling, her posture sagging. The whole time, the Keeper kept whispering to her to keep breathing and to focus on her voice.

Finally, she dared to open her eyes to look at them. And... to their credit, they looked remarkably composed despite the deep concern in their eyes. But while their gazes were not exactly pitying, she still internally winced as the Speaker caught her eye and smiled sadly. “Hey. Are you feeling better? Do you need a drink?” She held out her tea for the short woman, not being forceful with the gesture.

After a moment, the gem-girl wordlessly accepted the cup, her hand only lightly shaking as she took it. It was also then that she looked down and saw her previous cup on the floor, wincing at the liquid that had pooled there. She took a careful sip of this new one, though, as she tried to find her voice, wondering how to apologize for this-

-only for Fauna to beat her to it, who looked down with a guilty expression. “I’m sorry, Bijou. I... shouldn’t have touched you so suddenly. I just got worried when I noticed the scratches, and... You obviously don’t seem to bleed, so I wasn’t sure how bad it was and panicked a little.”

Blinking in shock at the apology, the gem-girl set aside her cup and tried to shake her head. “No, you didn’t... You just wanted to help.”

“That doesn’t mean I couldn’t have given you some more space,” the Keeper retorted. The hand she had in her hair moved away before grasping one of the silver-haired woman’s hands. “You were clearly uncomfortable. Causing you to feel overwhelmed isn’t going to solve anything. I even have a friend who doesn’t like it when we fuss over her injuries excessively, so I should’ve known better.”

Bijou bit her lips, glancing over her shoulder. “I mean... to be fair, I doubt your friend just has exposed cracks in her skin that glow.”

A mild bit of relief went through her at the giggle that got out of Fauna. “That’s true, I suppose.” She looked at the injury again, a sad frown crossing her lips. “Is... really doesn’t look pretty. Would you... like us to try anything to help it?”

Sighing, the gem-girl shook her head. “I wouldn’t bother, unless you know anything about melding stones and gems. Most traditional healing magic doesn’t usually have much of an effect on me. It’s best to just let it heal on its own. It’ll be good as new in a few days, anyway.”

“...Do I even want to know what caused it?”

“...Shot by a rifle. Which is, somehow, not the most painful way I’ve gotten an injury like this.”

The Keeper grimaced, clearly troubled by that information. Sana, on the other hand, was looking at her intently, something unreadable in her tone. “Did... you get injured a lot in the prison you and your friends were at?”

Bijou paused, unsure what she wanted to say on that for a second. A-chan had reassured them all that they did not have to share their experiences in The Cell if they did not want to with the EN members. And frankly, she did not want to say too much on the matter. There were too many painful memories tied to that place. ( Though then again, was that not her entire life? )

But... she felt they deserved some sort of explanation for suddenly freaking out on their girlfriend’s couch. So, looking away, she chose her words carefully. “They... often needed... p-pieces of me for their tests. To try and figure out what about my properties can be used to kill a god, so that the one who caught us could... counter it, I guess. Or stop new Jewels of Emotion from ever popping up.”

The Speaker looked down, her hands clenching in her lap as her voice tightened. “So it’s true... Another god was involved in all of this. I... How dare they...! Dammit!” She pounded her fists against her leg, her hair hiding her eyes but not the way her teeth suddenly bared.

The gem-girl scooted away a bit at the sudden aggression. This was apparently unusual behavior, too, as Fauna was gaping at her, eyes blown wide. She let go of the short woman and reached out toward her lover. “S-Sana?”

Said woman took a deep breath, and almost in an instant, that moment of anger vanished. She looked over at her girlfriend apologetically, sending her a small smile as she grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry. I... this isn’t the place for any of that... though I think we need to ‘debate’ some things with the rest of the Council here soon regarding... upper management.”

She then turned her attention to Bijou, her other hand not having left her back as she frowned deeply. “But that... they took pieces of you? As in... large chunks at a time? Not just anything that naturally fell off?”

Grimacing, Bijou reluctantly nodded in confirmation. It caused the Keeper to wince, her hand returning to hers. “Oh, dear... You poor thing. I... I can’t even imagine what that was like.” She looked at the teacup. “Please - is there anything I can go get for you? You said you liked coffee, right? What’s your favorite kind? I’m sure I can brew something up really fast!”

Sana nodded, offering her another smile. “I can also bake you something if you’d like? I’m sure Ina would like some anyway after her communion is done, so don’t worry about how long it might take if that’s a concern! Oh! Or maybe you’d like to take some time to explore one of our domains? I imagine it must have been fairly cramped wherever you were locked away in. How about we spread your wings and fly a bit!”

Fauna chuckled at her lover’s enthusiasm. “I’m... not sure we have quite that much time. I don’t think Ina wants to do her thing when night is falling.”

“Oh, come on,” the Speaker insisted, a faux pout on her face. “It would only be a quick trip into the upper atmosphere - I promise! A few circles around the planet can be a lot of fun.”

“I’m not disagreeing,” the Keeper said. “But I think she’s more used to having gravity and not ending up in freefall. It would probably be better to take her to my forest if we are going to take her anywhere, but even that might take too long.”

The two continued to debate like this, trying to decide what might make their guest feel better. And as for Bijou... she just looked between them, her chest gem starting to throb. They... were just trying so hard to help her - a total stranger. Showing more empathy for her just like her Omegaα, A-chan, and Nodoka had, which still felt so strange after millennia of basically only being able to rely on her fellow convicts.

And... thanks to them touching her, she could concentrate and sense their emotions. The potency of their sympathy... It was all she had ever wanted to feel from others her entire life... All coming from people who she...

She was aware of the tears falling from her eyes now, but she no longer cared to stop them. She took a shaky breath, lowering her head. Her voice was incredibly quiet, but audible enough to still be heard. “I... I’m sorry.”

The other two focused back on her, eyes widening a little at seeing her cry. Still, they did not clamor over her like last time. Instead, Sana moved her hand to her good shoulder and squeezed it. “Sorry... for what?”

The gem-girl sniffled, wiping at her eyes. “I... You guys make me... uneasy.” Before they could respond, she hastily tried to explain herself. “I-it’s not anything either of you did! I... I hate that I feel this way, but you...” She tried to take a deep breath. “You... I can’t talk about it, but you have no idea what that god did to me. The ways it hurt me... my friends... Sometimes it felt almost preferable to just be punished by our guards directly.

“It’s... it’s already made me uneasy around Omegaα, and... I don’t want to be, but I’m scared of her. Just knowing she can do those same things to me, even if my mind is screaming that she wouldn’t...” She whimpered, raising her knees back up to hug them. “And... you guys, having been trained by her... It’s not as strong, but just coming in, I... just for a few moments, but...”

She closed her eyes, burying her face in her knees. “I... I don’t know how to make it stop. You’re both trying to be so kind to me, yet I keep... And all the devastation that my mere presence caused...” She giggled hollowly. “You... you don’t even know that part. How I’m cursed - all the humans that I... If you knew, you’d probably kick me out. I-”

Fauna’s hand suddenly returned to her hair, gently combing through it. When she spoke, she kept her voice light and soothing. “Bijou... we know that part. A-chan had to message Ina about it so she could help you. And... we were all together, so we had kind of read it before we realized how private that was probably meant to be.”

Bijou... did not know how to feel about that one. “Oh...”

Sana gave an apologetic sigh. “Yeah, we’re sorry about that one. Most of her messages are not nearly that serious. We weren’t going to mention anything in case you wanted to keep it between yourself and Ina, but... Well, neither of us is going to listen to you be so hard on yourself.”

She got off the couch then, making the short woman open her eyes. She watched as the Speaker crouched in front of her, smiling so caringly. “Listen, you’ve... been through a lot, and it’s okay to be scared. If what you’re saying is true, then I’m sure Omegaα doesn’t blame you for being cautious around her. And we’re not angry at you, either. With how long I’m assuming you were in there - millennia, given how A-chan talked about it - it’s not going to be easy to just... leave all of it behind, no matter how much I think you, I, and your friends wish it was.

“But you don’t have to feel guilty over needing time to heal. If you ever need some space from us or the rest of the Council, we don’t mind. We know it isn’t out of real prejudice or a disliking of us. And, just as important, we can tell you’re trying to move past it. Something that we can help you with when you wish us to.”

Fauna nodded, continuing to pet her hair. “She’s right. And as for your ‘curse’... Never blame yourself for that. If there was a way to control it, I’m sure you would have. And whatever it takes to ‘break’ it, we’ll assist you and your friends with that. Not just because you’re our future Kouhais, but because it’s time your suffering ended. It should have a long time ago, but I guess better late than never...”

The gem-girl peered at her, managing a tiny smile. “You... don’t seem that doubtful about whether we’ll actually join.”

The Keeper giggled lightly. “Well... that’s because by the time you guys make that decision, I’m hoping we’ll be good friends already. That’ll make the choice easier, right?”

Glancing away for a few seconds, Bijou pondered both of their words. It was close to a lot of sentiments her friends had always expressed to her. She had thought they were working rather well... but that courage that let her break out appeared to have been mostly bravado now. It had all seemed so simple when escaping and when she was still with them, but since coming there, the full implications of everything were settling in, it seemed. The full enormity of the task of building a new life - one she had never even had a chance to truly have. To leave all that heartache and trauma behind.

To exist without... expecting pain every other day.

There was no ignoring any of that anymore. It... terrified her, not knowing what to do about it all. And that was assuming that the answers about her curse even permitted her to settle down there. But... she could always count on her friends to help her, right? And if her feelings really were understood by these two, then...

Nothing was certain yet... but she had already stumbled her way this far. Thus, taking a deep breath, she shyly looked over at Sana. “Um... You... said something about baking? I’ve... never really had any baked treats before, like... cookies.”

She had barely finished before the Speaker gasped, looking horrified, though the gleam in her eyes also showed how excited she was. “Never? Well, that just won’t do! It’s time we rectify this with a bunch of chocolate chip ones - space can wait!”

“Never thought I’d hear those words from you,” Fauna joked, smiling sweetly before leaning over to kiss her on the lips. She then stood up, straightening her clothes. “While you both do that, then, I’ll go see how Ina’s doing and get some updates. Hopefully, this ritual will not ask much out of you.”

The gem-girl paused, having nearly forgotten what caused her to freak out to begin with. Swallowing, she kept her voice steady as she got confirmation. “Um... but if I do have to pay anything, it... won’t be from my... body, will it?”

Understanding flashed in the other two’s eyes, seeming to connect the dots now. The Keeper gave her a calming smile, patting her head. “I doubt it. They may ask for a portion of your power, like they did with Bae and IRyS one time, but it shouldn’t require you to break off anything. Even with their difficulty interpreting things in our reality, I think they know by now Ina doesn’t like those kinds of prices, either. I will certainly raise the concern with her just in case, though.”

Bijou nodded, deciding that was good enough for now. With plans settled, the green-haired woman smiled at them both and gave one last wave. Then, she turned and walked out of the room and down the hallway

Sana hummed, before grabbing the remaining teacup and handing it to the short woman. “Here, you can finish that for me.” She gestured to the spill. “I’ll get some rags and stuff to clean up here really quick, then we can get started on making those cookies. You’re in luck, because we still have a bit of leftover supplies from making some earlier this month!”

“Alright, then,” the gem-girl agreed as the Council member got up and went toward the hall to get some cleaning supplies. Not having much of anything else to do, she followed behind her, nursing the cup while pursing her lips. “Look, I... even if you don’t care, I am sorry I’m... That you guys make...”

“You’re fine,” the Speaker insisted, smiling down at her. “Honestly, if it helps, I didn’t even really notice it until you said anything. That has to count for something!”

Bijou shrugged, sipping her tea. “Even so...”

Sana shrugged back, leading them to a closet in the hall and opening it. “Well, there’s no better way to bond than in making delicious treats! I’m sure there must be something we can talk about while we work. Have any suggestions? Maybe just want to hear about what’s happened on this world since you all got locked away?”

The gem-girl tapped her chin, considering potential options there. An idea came to her, though, as she watched her get out a few rags. “That would be nice, but... I was told Vtubers played lots of video games. We had some in The Cell. Do you have any favorites?”

The Speaker gasped excitedly, looking at her with delight. “Of course I do! Did you have any Pokémon games in there?”

The question got Bijou to smile widely. “Yeah! Those games were so fun! What was your favorite? Platinum? Soul Silver? Oh, or what about one of the spin-offs like Poképark?”

This appeared to be the right thing to say, as Sana’s smile only got bigger as she started to prattle off about the Black and White versions and her favorite generation. All the while, the Jewel of emotions listened carefully, her own commentary building in the back of her throat. Her chest gem even quivered a little - not out of fear, but eagerness.

It did not make her any less nervous about the meeting to come. But for the moment... she could let it hover in the back of her mind. Until then... she could at least pretend that things were alright for her.

-------

In theory, making cookie dough and then baking it was not supposed to take long. The recipe they used said that making the dough itself should have only taken fifteen minutes tops, and from there it was only about ten to bake them. So in total, it should have been done in half an hour.

Instead... it had taken nearly an hour and a half to make the dough alone.

It was not because Bijou and Sana spilled anything or made a mess. On the contrary, the latter was very careful with their supplies, and gave clear instructions on how to mix everything to the former. She had admitted that she normally liked to goof around and play with the flour and stuff, but considering the “special occasion,” she wanted this batch to be extra perfect. (Plus, the Jewel of Emotions had admitted to not really having another outfit currently, so getting it too dirty would be a small issue.)

The issue came in that the instructions were given amid them just... talking. First about Pokémon, then about other Nintendo games. That soon developed into the gem-girl mentioning her love of Fromsoft games and going off about a bit of Elden Ring lore. Then, the topic somehow shifted to some of the duties the Speaker did, like when she had to leave for a few months to move a black hole knocked out of proper orbit. And from there, the topics kept on shifting as they got really into things.

Even when Fauna got back from helping Ina, an hour in, she had only barely gotten them to focus. She even got roped into explaining how she was a kirin, and talking about her lover’s nickname as the “astro-girl” of town. She had not looked annoyed in the slightest by the delays, though - even kissing the dark-skinned woman for some compliments she dropped into a few of her rambles.

The whole time, Bijou found she could not stop smiling. The entire thing was just... comfy. It felt right out of one of those domestic scenes she had seen in anime, where new and old friends just... relaxed. No feelings of being threatened or that something might tear it all away, either. Just a small group of people doing a simple activity.

She and her friends had done what pretend they could in The Cell at times - another way to ignore the torment for a while. But those had been marred by the gray stones and guards watching them at all times. Not to mention they had to do it amid their captor’s tests, which, once completed, meant that they could no longer do this.

Getting to experience it now... she only wished she could be sharing it with them, too. Still, if the people they were meeting were anything like Sana and Fauna, she had a good feeling they would be having their own fun times. That thought helped her smile even more, already imagining what they could cook together - not for survival, but just for the fun of it! (Heck, she even hoped Shiori would throw in some of her abnormal ingredients when they did so.)

She sort have also wished that this could just be her entire visit there... but she knew there was no ignoring her need for answers. And eventually, they did manage to finish the dough and add in the chocolate chips. She was allowed to eat a bit of it from the bowl - the sweet taste nearly overwhelming after the dull food of their prison - and soon after they had little clumps placed out on a tray.

Once those were in the oven, though... she knew there was no more delaying.

It was why she gave no protest when the other two led her out of the kitchen and down the hallway. And now, they stood in front of a door painted with purple with golden trimmings. A picture hung on it, depicting a purple blob with closed eyes, a smile with a tiny fang, and a yellow halo above it. Just below it were words identifying what lay beyond it: “Ina’s Bedroom.”

But while the gem-girl was not interested in running, she still wrung her hands together as she read the words a few times. She looked at her hosts, hoping that the small tremble in her voice she felt was unnoticeable. “You... sure you can’t come in to give support?”

Sana smiled apologetically, patting her on the head. “Sorry, Bibi. Ina was pretty specific with Fauna. She wants privacy with just you two to ensure that nothing goes wrong. Even with the Ancient Ones guiding her hands, she doesn’t want to risk anything.”

Fauna nodded. “Yeah. Besides, we need to be ready to get out your cookies! We wouldn’t want them to burn, now would we?”

Bijou sighed, not really having an argument for either of those things. She did not want to think about what could happen if a magical procedure like this went wrong. It would likely involve permeating her whole being to know exactly where her curse originates from, she figured. If that power going through her were to falter...

Perhaps the effects would not be as severe as she was imagining. She... did have a sort of bias in the worse directions this could go. Still, given her anxiety going into this, she was more than willing to play on the side of caution... even if it met fewer people around directly to support her.

As if sensing her small turmoil, the Keeper sent her a reassuring smile, placing her hand on her good shoulder. “Don’t worry - Ina won’t let anything happen to you. And I’ve been reassured that whatever price she’s negotiated, it won’t involve even a chip as small as a grain from your body!”

The Speaker nodded, crouching to their guest’s level and ruffling her hair. “Trust us - Ina’s an expert in this magic. If her spells don’t even cause Fauna discomfort, despite technically being ‘unnatural,’ then you can be rest assured that she knows how to avoid causing you pain. Just follow her instructions, and everything will be okay.”

Taking a deep breath, the gem-girl slowly nodded, looking back at the picture on the door. Before she stepped in, though, she took one last moment to look at the duo and give them a small smile. “Alright... Also, I... Thank you for the fun earlier. It meant a lot to me.”

Sana smiled warmly at her. “It was no problem at all. Good luck in there, and try and get done as soon as possible. I want you to be able to have one of the cookies while they’re still warm and fresh!”

Fauna giggled, moving over and pulling her girlfriend to her feet. “Well, while we wait on both her and those, how about you help me water a few of the plants around the apartment? I’ve noticed a few are a bit thirsty.”

The Speaker nodded along, before the two of them walked down the hallway, telling the short woman good luck one last time as they headed back into the living room. Bijou waved after them, smiling as they went around the corner. Two people with so much power... and yet they live such simple lives here. And if they can, then...

Her gaze then returned to the door, glancing at the sign with the cute creature design. She took one last breath, bracing herself for whatever was about to happen. Then, she knocked on the door to alert the occupant inside, even if she had probably heard them talking out there. Immediately after, a soft voice called from within. “Come on in.”

Permission given, the gem-girl turned the handle and entered. The room she saw, besides its location, meaning it should be hanging off of the building but just... not, otherwise looked rather ordinary. It had the same violet walls, but with more depictions of the blob creature and other mascots, like a black creature with a skull face and a red and teal rat. More art adorned them with shelves filled with anime merch. The bed looked rather boring, honestly, with plain gray sheets, but a computer in one corner looked incredible with all the neon purples that glowed within the PC casing. (Certainly better than the plain boxes they had in The Cell.)

On a clear space on the floor was where the priestess, as she learned the woman thought of herself as, was sitting down on a purple cushion. Unlike the picture she had seen, though, she was wearing a black apron with patterned clothing beneath, a barret, and glasses that gave her the image of being a painter. No art supplies were in her hand, though - only a purple book with a red eye design floating above one she had held in front of her.

The purple-haired woman was reading the page she was on intently when she came in. Once the door was closed, though, she looked up at her and smiled softly, lowering her hand and letting the book float to her side. “Well, hello there. Good to meet you, Bijou.”

The gem-girl only paused for a second, making sure there was no hint of the other being charmed by her presence. When she saw no indications of this, though, she relaxed and smiled back. “It’s good to meet you, too. I... thank you for agreeing to meet me and help with this.”

Ina nodded, her face becoming a bit more solemn. “Of course. I get how important this is for you. Please, have a seat.” She gestured in front of her where the floor was empty at first. But then, from one corner of the room, a black portal suddenly opened up and a purple tentacle emerged, grabbing another cushion stacked there. The tendril extended itself over and placed it down for the short woman.

Blinking at the display, Bijou stepped over and sat down on the offered seat. As she did, she kept her eyes on the tentacle as it hovered there, its stance giving the impression of a dog sitting and waiting for a treat. Unsure if she was supposed to do anything with it, she raised a hand uncertainly, looking at her host. “Um... may I?”

The priestess nodded. “Go right ahead. A few of these are going to be involved in this ritual, so I want you to be as comfortable as possible with them.”

Humming, the gem-girl turned back to the tendril and let her hand run over it. Interestingly, it was not as sticky as she would have expected, feeling more plush than anything. It was also a bit warm to the touch, which was also a little surprising. It shook under her touch, reminding her of a cat betting its chin scratched this time.

Giggling lightly, she continued the motions as she looked toward the once-human again. “So, is this thing a part of you? Like, do you feel what I’m doing right now?”

“I kind of do, but not that much,” the priestess explained. “I typically don’t allow myself to experience much sensation from them unless I’m using one to give a hug or something. The weirdness of those feelings can be a bit distracting. And as for being a part of me... That’s a bit complicated to explain.” She grinned at where the other was still petting the tentacle, looking pleased. “Still, it seems to like you.”

Bijou shrugged, focusing back on her petting. “It’s certainly... not what I was expecting my first view of eldritch magic to be like.”

Ina smirked slightly. “I’m guessing you were expecting something like dark storm clouds as tentacles a hundred times the size of that one rose from the ocean? All while a bunch of fanatics in robes chanted with knives in their hands?”

The gem-girl flinched, looking away awkwardly. “That’s... specific. Though, not... entirely wrong.”

“In all fairness, there have been plenty of practitioners who would do exactly that,” the priestess admitted. She shook her head, her expression that of disappointment. “Too many people see the Ancient Ones as a quick way to power, or are drawn in through light exposure that worsens existing mental problems in them. Either way, they are heedless of the consequences of their actions. All those fanatics care about it conjuring creatures and altering the world in the image of these elder gods.

“But... The Ancient Ones are not really evil - most of them, anyway. They have trouble comprehending our reality, but they also do so much to protect it. They have plenty of servants who help them in that endeavor, too, though they are often overlooked by people thanks to what those mad cults do.”

Sighing, she shook her head before smiling again. “I try to think of myself as one of the nice ones, too. I don’t have any desire to gain control over anything, at least. My studies are more so to... give my life a little purpose, and to help those around me. Like what we’re doing now.”

Bijou bit her lips, glancing between her and the tendril. “And... it isn’t going to hurt?”

That made Ina frown sadly, shaking her head once more. “No. The ritual I’ve prepared should only take a few moments to complete once we start.” She shrugged. “But I will admit that the sensations, while not painful, might feel... strange enough to make you uncomfortable. I don’t know for sure, though - everyone is different about that. And I’ve never done anything like this on anyone who was... rock and crystal, instead of flesh and blood?”

This drew a snort from the gem-girl, glad for the bit of levity. “That’s as good of a description as any.”

The priestess giggled with her. Afterward, though, she looked her over curiously. “Still, I feel I should ask if there’s anything about when you were born that you can remember that caused your... ‘curse?’ Any small thing could help.”

Sighing deeply, Bijou shook her head. “Nothing, unfortunately. I barely even remember when I first became ‘aware.’ I just started existing one day buried deep underground, and eventually, some dwarves and humans dug me up.” She grimaced. “My curse was in full effect then. Those humans were... vicious in getting me away from the dwarves so they could have me all to themselves. Before they started turning on each other as well.”

Ina looked a little heartbroken to hear that, looking down at the floor. “Dear God. The message wasn’t kidding when it said you’ve dealt with this your whole life, huh?”

“From the day I could walk, I’ve been the ‘crowning jewel’ of the humans who found me,” the gem-girl said, her voice quieter. She grabbed the tentacle lightly, a bit caught up in those memories. “I could never escape for more than a few weeks in between causing the collapse of households and monarchs. My legend was widely known, and too many thought they would be the one ‘immune’ to my madness.” She chuckled bitterly. “And somehow, how I was treated only got worse when I was locked away from them all...”

“...I’m surprised you don’t hate humans for that,” the priestess commented.

“...It would probably be easier if I did,” Bijou admitted. She closed her eyes, releasing a breath. “But it’s hard to do that when you know you’re the cause of that behavior. And... I’ve felt what sane humans are like. They can still be bad people, but... there’s so much complexity there when it isn’t crushed by greed.”

She opened her eyes, looking at her free hand and the exposed gem on there. “I think... those complexities are what causes my charm over them. When they look at me, it’s not just me they see. Deep down, I believe they... also see themselves and all of humanity’s feelings and ambitions, in a way more profound than they can experience on their own. And even if they don’t process that consciously, it works its way into their brain, and... well...”

When she looked at the purple-haired woman again, she saw her staring at her with curiosity and concern. It made her squirm a little, releasing the tentacle. “I don’t know - that’s just... what I’ve theorized over the years. It could be any number of things, but...”

Ina shook her head, waving her off. “No, no! That’s very helpful for me.” Her book hovered back in front of her as she read through it some more, her tongue sticking out slightly from concentration. “Projecting a sort of overview of humanity as part of your charm - an ideal, perhaps - could be what we’re looking for. The question from there, though, is what has caused that to be... I suppose filtered. Because Nodoka was definitely still charmed a little bit from what A-chan said, right?”

“I saw it in her eyes, and Omegaα confirmed it,” the gem-girl said while nodding. “And... I mean, a desire to hug me constantly could still be annoying at times, but she resisted that temptation. But that’s never happened without protection from my effects before, and even then those are not reliable.”

“And has this only happened since you got here?” the priestess asked.

Bijou frowned a little, scratching her head. “I mean... I think most of the guards back in The Cell during the escape were also unaffected. But their runes were all disrupted, and there was still one mage that was definitely mad from my effects.”

Ina furrowed her eyebrows, leaning closer to her pages. “So it’s probably not an effect from being on Earth, then. I didn’t think it was, but that does more to confirm that.” She glanced up at her. “Was there anything different about this man from the others?”

“Well... I guess his staff?” the gem-girl offered. “It had one of my gems in it from one of several times they had... broken them off of me.” She coughed for a moment, then continued. “I’m not sure anyone else had any chunks on them. I don’t even think they were technically supposed to have them, either, but our captor did not seem to care about a few mages doing their own experiments.”

“I see,” the priestess murmured. A deep contemplation entered her eyes - one that made the short woman, for the first time, truly see her as a powerful magic user, having seen it in Shiori and some of her personas before. Eventually, she took a deep breath. “I’m... still not sure what’s happened to you. But whatever it was sounds like it might not have stretched to your pieces. Yet... would that really only cause him to go crazy if others were around?”

Bijou shrugged helplessly, having no possible explanation for that. It made her wonder if she should have brought it instead of letting Shiori keep it in her satchel along with all of her other pieces. Although... if it was still actively cursed, it was definitely a good thing she had not been waving it around.

After a bit more time thinking it over, Ina sighed, waving her hand and causing the page to flip to the next. “I guess we’re not going to get any further without starting this. I should be able to use that information to help isolate the source of your charming better. But while I’ve managed to give up some things myself for this bargain, this spell is going to require a bit from you. So... are you ready?”

The gem-girl tensed at this, but tried to relax as she exhaled, meeting her gaze. “What... exactly are they going to ask from me?”

“The answer is... malleable,” the priestess stated carefully. “Since this is an analysis of you, it wasn’t going to be too high a price to begin with. But if my interpretations from AO-chan are correct, you could completely nullify your innate magical powers for a day or two, or just a few specific abilities for a longer period. I’m told you use a lot of light magic?”

Bijou nodded, though her gaze was distant as she looked down. Neither of those things sounded too bad, in theory. Most of her powers were offensive and defensive, but It was not like she was planning to fight anyone in the next few days, so what would it matter? And if she only lost a few in particular for a while, there would be plenty more to fall back on.

...Yet her chest gem still trembled. What if... they found that her curse was going to return within the hour? Suddenly, all of the people in this town would be in danger of succumbing to it when they saw her! What if she lacked an ability it turns out she needed to defend herself? What if she could not get back to her friends in time to help protect her? And what about these women? Could she ask them for that kind of help so soon? Or what-

“Bijou?” Ina called out, snapping her out of her spiral. The once-human was looking at her with deep worry, glancing at the other’s arms. For a brief second, the Jewel of Emotions panicked and looked down, worried she was scratching herself again. But fortunately, she found she was merely gripping the sides of her cushion tightly. With how she was pulling on them, though, it was a miracle they were not ripping.

Cheeks flushing with embarrassment, she released her grip, looking down again. “I am... not doing well controlling myself today.”

“So I’ve heard,” the priestess said, her gaze sympathetic. “But I hope you realize you don’t have to hide being afraid.”

The gem-girl looked down, sighing heavily. “I know. Sana said something similar, too. I... It’s just that... I told the others I would be okay coming here alone. But since leaving their sides, it’s like I can’t help but keep overreacting to every little thing. I can’t... help but feel like I’m failing them in some way.”

Ina sighed as well. “You really shouldn’t be thinking that way... but I know that’s not easy to do for some.” Her book lowered as she faced the short woman more fully. “This is all new to you, though. I understand that you were locked up for a long time, so adapting to life outside of that can be...”

A small hum left Bijou, who was now resorting to tapping her fingers on the cushion. Understanding why she was acting the way she was did not make it less frustrating, though. The others had looked proud of her for striking out here on her own... but how would they react when they saw the scratches? Or heard of her small breakdown with the Council members?

Such ideas were cut off as the tentacle moved to gently brush her hair. Despite the strangeness of that, she leaned into the touch, slowly easing her hands away from her cushion. When she looked again at the priestess, the woman was giving her a soft look as she spoke. “If it helps... we don’t have to do the ritual. I can always call Shion or someone else here to see if they have more ‘regular’ magic that can do this.”

Biting her lips, the gem-girl looked down. “But... you’re gone through all of this trouble, and-”

“Don’t worry about my preparations,” Ina insisted, smiling kindly at her. “We can do other things while you’re here. Do you like to draw?” She gestured to a tablet next to where her computer was. “I have a drawing tablet and plenty of paper if you want to draw some pictures. Or if you’ve not done it much before, Sana and I could give you some tips! You guys are going to need some mascots here soon if you join Hololive, so we could workshop some ideas there as well.”

...Bijou would be lying if she said the offer was not tempting. Looking to the side, she swallowed as she tried to hold back tears once again that day. She almost felt baffled at the patience she was being shown - the understanding. This entire business involving her was important to figure out. It could mean the difference between staying or leaving that town for her.

Yet these people were so willing to let her have her time and create delays. To have extended talks about her favorite games and bake her cookies. And here was yet another opportunity to simply draw and wait for someone else to arrive who might have a way to analyze her curse that made her less scared. All just... so she could be comfortable.

...She believed she knew why A-chan said she would be in good hands here.

It brought warmth to her chest gem... but still, she did not want to cause any more complications for these people. Thus, she shook her head, sitting up straighter. “We... can do the ritual.”

Ina looked mildly surprised, moving the tendril down to gently wrap around the silver-haired woman’s arm. “Are you sure?”

Resting one hand on top of the tentacle, the gem-girl nodded. “I need to figure out what’s happened to me. I’m not doing anyone any favors if I chicken out.” She gave a nervous smile. “I’ll be fine... probably. And if... I’m not, you’ll be here to help... right?”

The priestess’ surprise was more apparent this time. However, it quickly morphed into a warm expression as she nodded, smiling widely. “Yes... of course I will.” Her book floated back in front of her, where she proceeded to rest her fingers on the page. “Are you ready? Like I said, this will only take a few moments.”

Bijou took a deep breath, trying to mentally prepare herself. Then, she nodded, putting as much determination into her gaze as she could. “Do it.” Hopefully, this won’t be any weirder than anything Shiori’s done with us...

Locking eyes with her one last time, Ina eventually nodded, before turning her gaze back to her book. Taking a deep breath herself, she then quietly began chanting the words on there, which sounded like a garbled mess to the escaped convict. They were effective, though, as soon the purple-haired woman began to gently float off of her cushion, with strange purple runes appearing around her. It intrigued the other... which was also when she realized she was also floating without her wings with symbols floating around her.

Despite the window being open and the sun shining, the room seemed to grow darker as the words continued. The priestess began to make strange hand gestures as her eyes began to glow, her whole face seeming ghosty now. She was fully concentrated as more runes appeared in rings around her and the air seemed to distort around her.

It was... unnerving in a lot of ways to look at directly, as if the Jewel of Emotions could sense the Ancient Ones in the magic itself. A shiver went through her, especially as the temperature seemed to drop. But at the same time... she did not feel like she was in danger. Just that she was witnessing something that she should not be, almost. Too late to stop now, anyway.

That sobering thought helped her to not flinch as more dark portals opened around her. Three more tentacles came to surround her, with the one on her arm moving back for a moment. Soon, they began to position themselves around her body - two wrapping around her waist, one above her chest area, and the last around her forehead. She swallowed, trying not to squirm as the warm, not pulsating flesh locked her into a gentle but firm embrace, more symbols filling the air around her, and...

...Their glow was kind of pretty, actually. Her eyes tried to follow several as they filled her vision, but she kept losing track, and the number kept increasing. Her eyes strained as she kept trying, unable to help herself. Soon, the effort made her eyes tired, and... her eyelids began drooping. So focused on the task, she almost did not notice the tendrils vibrating, the areas they touched seeming to cause a liquid... lethargy to spread through her and... and...

It was only when her eyes finally fluttered shut that the gem-girl realized she was entering some sort of trance. By then, though, she was already falling too deep under to resist even if she wanted to. She was filled with the sensation of falling... then floating, as the world seemed to dissolve. Eventually, her own body felt fuzzy, until she could not feel it at all and... she just existed. It was only her mind in an endless dark void, her thoughts feeling loose.

But despite her eyes being closed and no longer feeling them, she “saw” something in front of her. The dark hid its features, but... the way it was bending and writhing seemed impossible. It somehow seemed like she was seeing all of it - front, back, sides - all at once while also expanding far beyond her “vision.” And she knew it saw her without eyes or any sense that she could understand, and that if she saw it clearly or could think a little harder... her mind would probably break.

A force left it, surrounding her being. It spoke no words, yet she still knew what it wanted: an offering. The idea pierced her mind, giving her a brief moment of clarity as she considered this. She had not chosen what to give up before doing this, but with it now thrust upon her again... she decided to give up her shocking abilities. It was not a terrible loss for a good while, and she could always use other attacks to subdue any assailants as needed.

Nearly as soon as she thought this, she felt something “pulled” away from her, leaving an empty space there. Part of this other thing's essence was also left behind, preventing her magic reserves from rejuvenating and filling it up again. It was not painful, as she was promised, but it was an odd sensation - knowing how to use an ability but a block now being there.

The being seemed pleased enough by this translation, retreating into the void. She was left to exist there for a little longer, her thoughts scattering again without a direction given to them. She remained like that for what could have been seconds or centuries, the passage of time starting to lose meaning-

-until suddenly, in a mere second, all sensations in her body returned and her mind cleared. She gasped, flailing at suddenly being able to feel again and think properly as the tentacles retreated. She nearly dry-heaved from the transition, with her only mercy being that she was still being floated so that she did not fall onto the floor. She started to calm down, though, as she slowly lowered back onto her cushion and the runes began to vanish.

As she did, Ina also lowered back down, seeming unbothered by whatever she just experienced during all of that. Some of the symbols also diverted course and started to fill one of the pages in her book. And while the short woman could not understand them, she got the sense that they were spelling out the answer to her problem. The reason for her curse and its disruption being written out for the other woman.

The priestess let out a breath as the room returned to normal, brightening and warming back up. Her eyes, though, instead of the book, immediately went to her guest, her voice laced in concern. “Are you okay? Do you need a drink of water? Something to hug?”

Bijou did not answer immediately, taking a few gasps of air as she put a hand on her chest gem. But eventually, she was able to shake her head. “N-no. I... I just need a minute.” Breathing deeply again, she closed her eyes briefly. “I... gods. Going under wasn’t that bad, but just being dropped back into my body without any... Actually, did my soul leave it or something?”

“Um... partially?” Ina said, before shrugging. “I don’t fully understand it myself. The way I’ve been doing these communion rituals has been a bit different each time, but I think I’m getting into a more set pattern. I am sorry about the last part, though.” She looked down at her book, humming at the still-glowing page. “But at least the deal’s done.”

The gem-girl glanced at the book as well, before holding out her arm. Experimentally, she tried to summon the familiar yellow light into her palm that accompanied her electric magic... but nothing happened. She could not feel the block as clearly now, but even so, she could not get an ounce of that power no matter how hard she tried. When she tried to summon a bit of concussive force, though, white light built up easily.

It’ll be that way for three months by Earth time, she thought... and tried not to ponder too hard about how she knew that. Instead, letting the light dissipate, she turned to the purple-haired woman again... her chest constricting as the moment arrived. “And... what does it say?”

The priestess raised a finger, her eyes scanning what was written. Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she read, appearing to absorb every word... until her eyes started to widen. She tilted her head, scratching the top of it. “Huh... well, that’s interesting.”

Bijou sucked in another breath. “W-what is? What is it? What’s happened to my curse?” Her thoughts were starting to run wild, already thinking about several possibilities. That the suppression was temporary from when they disrupted The Cell’s runes and would be gone in a few days. Or that the method to keep it suppressed would require rare components that no one there had. Or-

The priestess looked up at her... and sent her a delighted smile. “Well, from what I’m reading... you’re not cursed at all! You just had not developed enough when they dug you up.”

...The gem-girl blinked, her thoughts stalling almost physically. “...Huh?”

Ina frowned a little, looking up as she tapped her chin and murmured. “Hm... How best to explain this?” A short time later, her eyes lit up as she gazed at her guest. “So, you know how you’re basically a living gemstone? Well, obviously, stones of all kinds are formed by activity deep underground - the shifting of plates, volcanic activity, and so on, yeah?”

“Okay?” Bijou said, nodding slowly as she tried to figure out where this was going.

“Well, it appears you followed that same principle... in your own magical way,” the priestess continued, gesturing to the other’s body. “It’s pretty tricky to explain exactly, and I don’t understand all the details here myself. But basically, the same human emotions that created you were still pressing in and continuing to form you, just like how coal or diamonds might form from similar conditions in the ground. You were probably growing for a long while you were buried - maybe not as long as those examples take, but still. And given more time, you might have emerged in some way on your own. That’s what AO-chan is suggesting, anyway.”

It all started to come together for the gem-girl then, who looked down with widening eyes. “But... I was found early?”

Ina nodded, a bit more solemn now. “It would seem that way. And since you were not quite complete, you were leaking out far more of mankind’s emotions contained in you than you should have been in a far less filtered state. While your natural charm is meant to induce some amount of fascination in humans, it was never supposed to cause insanity, according to this.” She tapped the page for emphasis. “Once you were mined out, however, there was nothing else that could be done.

“But your body was still being formed even after that! It’s taken a long time for you to reach this point, but... now, your regular charm is fully formed.” She smiled at her. “You aren’t quite at full development yet - there’s apparently more raw power you should be able to access and more complex abilities you should get in the next few centuries and millennia. But there’s no more danger for you to walk around humans. You’re... completely fine.”

“You’re... completely fine.” the words repeated over in Bijou’s head several times... a strange stirring in her chest. Swallowing, she found herself speaking with disbelief, not fully convinced somehow despite the ritual they just did. “B-but... what about the mage? He was crazy! I-I know I’m not wrong about that!”

The priestess scratched her head again. “Well... maybe pieces broken off of you didn’t develop as well as you over the years? If they were keeping older shards... Those might not emit the charm the same way you do, either. Most people who took a piece from you were already crazy before using it typically, right?” She winced, seeming to realize how sensitive that question might have been. “Erm, if you don’t mind me asking?”

...The gem-girl stared off at nothing, blinking slowly. How... had she never considered that? She supposed she was always more worried about being broken apart than the effects of those parts taken from her, so it was... admittedly a bit understandable. It certainly was not like anyone had properly looked into it - not even Shiori, since they all had more pressing matters then. But...

Ina shrugged as she continued thinking about this, finally closing her book. “If I had to make a guess, then it was probably drawing the power from a less-developed piece that drove that mage insane. There wasn’t a direct answer written about that, but I think I really will leave that part to Shion later. It’s not as urgent, is it?” She shook her head. “But if my theory holds true, then any piece of you from the last few decades should be safe for use. So if a chunk ever comes off of you naturally, then...”

...Decades? Bijou thought blankly. Everything felt numb, the large amount of information processing in her head. She should probably be excited by this news, but... memories were closely creeping up on her. Of those insane gazes of humans before and during her time in The Cell. The feeling of their greed washing over her when they were upon her.

She looked down at her hands, holding them up in front of her. Voice nearly toneless, though with a slight shake, she forced out her words. “So... this whole time, I... I was never born to cause humans problems? To hurt them? It was all just... bad timing?”

The priestess paused, looking at her carefully. Still, in a cautious voice, she answered. “Um... I supposed so?”

A beat of silence passed... then the gem-girl started giggling. Then, they gradually became chuckles as her body began to tremble, a pained smile on her lips. Soon after, she started to double over as full, crazed laughter left her, tears falling faster and faster. She pulled on her hair, trying to suck in some air, but the actions only made her laugh harder as her vision blurred.

She... did not know why she was laughing. Nothing was even slightly funny about any of this. She certainly did not feel very amused. But... she could not stop. Something inside of her had snapped, and now... everything was spilling out.

Her chest gem felt like it was shattering and reforming in the most cutting way possible. Too many feelings filled her to properly process. The deep regret she had always held for her victims. The self-loathing for having been born as she had. A newfound anger at... She did not even know. The people who dug her up? Their captor, who must have known some part of this and never told her? Not that it mattered, as it all caused her to burn up with an indescribable emotional agony.

She wondered if it was this painful for the humans who went mad because of her when their sanity snapped...

Soon enough, however... she became aware of herself being pulled into an embrace. Blinking hard, she could see that Ina had come up to her and wrapped her arms around her tightly. Both of her hands rubbed her back soothingly, while a tentacle returned to pat her head once more. All the while, the woman shushed her quietly, rocking her back and forth as she spoke quietly. "Is this okay?"

Bijou wrapped her arms around her instantly, her eyes squeezing shut. Her laughter started to mix with sobs as she buried her face in the taller woman’s shoulder, continuing to tremble. She gasped out her words without knowing why. “I-I... I... I s-should never h-have let them keep me. I s-should have tried t-to run from those humans more. Done more. I-”

“None of that was your fault,” the priestess whispered, even though she did not have had the full context of those words. “It’s going to be okay. You-”

“I’ve been safe for decades!” the gem-girl screeched, her hands digging into the other’s clothes. “If I had just been found then, or... e-emerged when I was supposed to...” A whine left her, unable to finish her sentence.

Ina did not say anything to that, but continued to sway her gently. A little bit later, though, there was a knock on the door, and before either of them could do anything, it was creaked open. Fauna’s voice called out a moment later. “Ina? Bijou? Is everything okay in-?”

That was as far as she got before gasping, presumably seeing the state the Jewel of Emotions was in. She rushed inside, and the short woman could hear Sana padding in after her. There was the sound of something being set on the bed, before both Council members were on either side of her. The Keeper spoke to the priestess. “What happened? Is she okay?!”

Ina sighed at her girlfriend’s question. “We completed the ritual. We got her the answers about her ‘curse,’ and the good news is it isn’t coming back.” The short woman could picture her pursing her lips. “But... there were other details about it she... isn’t taking well. I can’t blame her for it, either.”

The kirin-girl released another breath, scooting closer to the two. She put her hand on their guest’s cheek, speaking softly. “Bijou? Can you hear me? Would... you be okay with Sana and I hugging, you, too?”

...The question actually made Bijou’s sobs lessen a little. She peaked out from the priestess’ shoulder, looking at the assembled group. Several pairs of eyes greeted her, all shining with concern for her... An expression she had seen her jailmates direct many times at her, too.

It helped to remind her that... this was not a burden she had to carry alone. That even as she questioned her past up to this point, there was a future for her. One that she now knew she did not have to run from due to her charm. And... as slight as it was, the hope it brought her warmed her chest gem deep inside.

Thus, still teary-eyed and sniffling, she managed to nod to the green-haired woman. “Please...”

Permission given, the two Council members proceeded to wrap their arms around both her and their lover. The pressing of their bodies against her caused her to sag, her voice trailing off into soft whimpers. She did not feel better, exactly, but... it helped to ground her. She took deep breaths, the sweet scents of nature, fresh bread, and of a human, despite the purple-haired woman no longer being one, helping her to settle down.

...It also solidified her vote on joining Hololive or not.

They stayed like this for several minutes. Eventually, though, Fauna pulled back and got Bijou’s attention, smiling gently. (She was... also shivering a little now, for some reason, despite it not being that cold.) “Did that help?”

Swallowing thickly, the gem-girl pulled back a bit from the other two, sitting in the center of the three as she found her voice again. “A... a little bit.”

Ina looked at her closely, helping to wipe her face of tears. “Do you want to lay down somewhere? You look exhausted? I can also call someone if you’d like?”

Bijou considered this... then gave a tired smile, giggling lightly. “I... I’ll text my friends in a little bit and let them know what happened. But for now... can we draw? I’d... love to learn.” Plus, she was not sure she could fully settle down unless she was doing something, and she did not feel like she could do any games currently.

The others all exchanged glances, silently having a debate. They soon looked back at her, though, and smiled, the priestess nodding. “Sure. Whatever helps? Do you want paper, or a tablet?”

“Paper,” the gem-girl replied, moving to lean against the side of the bed. The others helped move her cushion along with her, allowing her to sit comfortably there with the blanket against her back.

Once she was settled, Fauna got up and walked to the door. “I’ll be right back! I’ll go make us all some more tea!”

“Take your time, dear!” Sana called out to her as she left. She then reached up on top of the bed and grabbed something. She brought it before the short woman, revealing it to be the tray of cookies they were making, now fully baked. “Want one? They should still be warm and gooey!”

Nearly choking up at the gesture on top of everything else, Bijou took one of the treats, her mouth practically watering as she looked at it. “T-thank you. It... it looks so good.”

The Speaker smiled warmly. “Enjoy it. They always taste better when you had a hand in making them.”

It was clearly just a saying, but the gem-girl nodded nonetheless. As she took a moment to smell the treat, Ina spoke up from where she had moved over to a dresser, digging through the drawer for some supplies. “Are you seriously going to get her hands dirty before she starts drawing? Also, Fauna didn’t tell me you all were delaying to make cookies!”

The astro-girl chuckled, looking her way. “What, are we planning to hang it in a museum somewhere? And if we told you about cookies, you might have tried to leave this room to steal one before you did your thing!”

“...Just because you’re right doesn’t mean I’m not still upset,” the priestess grumbled, though a smile was in her tone.

Bijou chuckled as well, releasing a breath. She smiled as she took a bite of the cookie, savoring the sweet flavor. She was not fine yet - perhaps it would be a long time before she was, especially emotionally. The revelation was still nagging at her, and how it would affect her going forward was yet to be seen. She could only imagine how her fellow convicts were going to take the news of her various panic attacks as well.

But, no matter the challenges that were coming her way... she felt she could at least be happy, too. After all, she knew four people... and now three more, who were sweeter than any cookie she could ever make could be, who could help her. And she had a good feeling about the other eight, too...