#agnea gives her confidence and courage

[taoofshigeru]

Stage Fright Before the Finale (Agnea Bristarni x Giselle)

Giselle and Agnea share a few words on the deck of the Grand Terry prior to a major event. (500 words)

(Spoilers for the whole entire game.)

Part 2

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The island with its purple, lighthouse-like dark shine filled the sea in front of them. On the deck of the Grand Terry Giselle was having her twelfth round of second thoughts.

"I still can't believe that we're here." The entertainer clutched her forehead with one hand, trying to avoid facing up to reality. "I still can't believe that Tanzy…"

"I know." Agnea Bristarni stood beside her. After the confrontation with Arcanette at Flameschurch, the dancer had been the one to pick up Tanzy's journal, and to realize who it was from. She hadn't kept it from the rest of her group, but they had been in a hurry. However, when the travelers ran into Giselle and Rico and Coda, Agnea had been the one on insisting they take a minute to share the truth with the troupe to whom Tanzy had belonged.

Even if it was just a cover. Even if it was partially the anxious stage director's fault that they found themselves staring up at the lair of the dark god.

"I should've noticed, or asked, or something!" She pounded her fist against the railing. "I should've paid more attention to her, instead of spending all the time getting deep into my own panic attacks."

"Don't say that." Agnea put a hand on her shoulder. The dancer's touch was reassuring. "She was trying to keep her secret, and she did, to the end. I, I can't say that what she did was good, but if what she wrote in her journal was true, she did it because she was trusting someone she loved."

"Yeah, just that that someone turned out to be a cultist fanatic!" Giselle snapped back bitterly. "Sorry, I know it's not you I should be lashing out at." Her knees were shaking. She needed to get away from here, find a dark corner and hide.

"It's okay. We're going to bring smiles to people the world over, remember? That's what you said when you asked to come along?" Agnea took her hand and squeezed it. "This is just us protecting those smiles. No big deal, right?"

"Yes. Well, kinda." Giselle looked into Miss Bristarni's eyes. There was still innocence in that gaze, despite everything the young dancer had seen in the last two weeks. "When I heard you were going to fight for the dawn, there was this strength in your voice. You were so confident. And I know I might not be much help, but I wanted to be there with you. To make sure you wouldn't have to stand against it alone." She laughed "Well, not that the company you keep lacks in strength. But I'll try to provide moral support."

Agnea smiled and leaned against her shoulder. "Thanks, Giselle. When this is all over, maybe we can find somewhere nice and quiet to watch the sunrise together."

Giselle gripped the railing tighter, but squeezed the dancer's hand back. "Yes. Yes, I think I'd like that." She thought forward, past what was sure to be a harrowing fight, and imagined the two of them, together on a beach, embracing as the sun's golden rays broke over the horizon. And then she found that island of tranquility, the one she sometimes hit on before a good show, which made all those nerves seem like nothing. She placed one foot on the ship's railing and pointed right at that nexus of deep darkness. "Alright, let's get up on stage and knock 'em dead!"

~End~