#it was always so jumpy. i had to middle click to move on any page ever istg

[mbat]

my last christmas gift just came in 2 days late (thanks amazon) and its a keyboard and mouse and wow i did not realize how much i relied on my usual mouse being so loud until im just now trying to double click things because the new mouse doesnt make any sound lol

also wow the new keyboard is so much less loud than the other one, or well, as quiet as a keyboard can be when im using it XD the space bar is the only key thats pretty much loud at all but nothing is as loud as the space bar on the previous keyboard, woof

[turnaboutnerd]

Full Disclosure

Pairings: Cykesquill, Wrightworth, Klapollo (mentioned/implied)

Summary: Phoenix and Miles receive some surprising (and perhaps concerning) news from Athena and Simon. Set sometime after Spirit of Justice, but there are minimal spoilers.

Word Count: 2,960

A/N: If I have the opportunity to write married!Wrightworth being dads to their subordinates, then by God, I’m going to do it.

Athena’s been nervous around him for days now. Phoenix might not have the ability to read others’ emotions like she does, but he can tell that much. In fact, when he asked two days earlier if she was okay, she, apparently taking a page out of Apollo’s book, loudly replied “I’m fine!”—and a single red Psyche-Lock appeared.

He was surprised, but he didn’t push it then. Back when Apollo still regularly worked for the Agency, and they were quite literally an office full of human lie detectors, it had been an unofficial, unspoken rule that they weren’t allowed press each other over every single little white lie and secret they kept. Even in a company as tight-knit as theirs, they’re entitled to their privacy.

But Athena’s jumpiness, Phoenix thinks, is reaching a worrisome pitch. Even Trucy has noticed her odd behavior, though she hasn’t said anything. So Phoenix resolved last night to bring it up again before the end of today, and when Trucy announces she’s going to the corner store a block away to pick up a snack, he knows he has the perfect opportunity.

But Athena beats him to the punch.

“Boss!” Athena says a little too loudly, appearing in his office doorway the moment Trucy leaves. “Uh… there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”

(What a coincidence. There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about, too.)

“Sure, Athena,” he says. “Do you want to sit down?”

She sort of nods and sits in the chair opposite his desk quickly—too quickly. She’s incredibly nervous, more nervous than she’s been these past several days. It touches a nerve in Phoenix, making him feel a little anxious too. His magatama is in his desk, but he can see the faint outline of her red Psyche-Lock hovering near her face.

“I, um.” She stops and takes a breath. The Psyche-Lock quivers; whatever she’s been hiding, Phoenix knows he’s about to learn it. “I—I don’t really know how to start this, so I guess I’ll just come out and say it: I’m pregnant.”

The lock shatters. Phoenix doesn’t know what he was expecting, but he wasn’t expecting that. The confession briefly knocks him breathless, and it takes him a moment to process that, yes, she really did just say that.

(Calm down! Don’t freak out on her. She obviously had a really hard time telling you this, so just—God, say something! You’re just staring now!)

“A-And I’m going to keep it,” she belatedly adds, and it’s enough to shock Phoenix back into speaking.

“Okay,” he says, and he’s surprised by how even his voice is. “May I ask who the father is?”

Phoenix realizes she’s shivering, and his heart aches. She’s terrified—of him, or of her situation, he isn’t sure.

“It’s—Simon,” she manages.

(Prosecutor Blackquill?! They’re—?)

“Does he know?” It takes every ounce of self-control within him, but his voice is still calm.

“Yes. Um.” She shifts slightly in her seat and takes in a cleansing breath. “He’s supportive and everything. He wants to be involved.”

“Okay,” Phoenix repeats. “Well—okay. I’m glad to hear that.” He pauses, collecting his thoughts. “The Agency’ll support you through any decisions you want to make here. You can continue to defend clients for as long as it’s safe for you and the baby, and of course I’ll give you time off work when you need it and—” He realizes he might be getting ahead of himself here. “I mean, if you still want to work here.”

She sniffles, and Phoenix’s heart jumps into his throat.

(Did I say something wrong?!)

“Y-Yeah, I still want to work here.” She covers her face with her hands to hide her tears. “Sorry, I’m not crying because I’m upset. I’m actually really relieved! I was so scared to tell you…”

(Oh! … Oh…)

“Aw, kiddo…” Phoenix starts. He leaves his desk, circles around it, and pulls up an extra chair close to Athena, wrapping a comforting arm around her. “You know you can always talk to me.”

“Yeah,” she sniffles again. She uncovers her face, revealing a small, tear-stained smile. “I guess I was worried over nothing. I think the pregnancy hormones are already getting to me.”

Phoenix tightens his hold.

“We’re gonna get through this, okay?” he says. She nods and wipes her face with her hands. He briefly lets go just to reach for the tissue box on his desk; he keeps it there for his more distressed clients, and occasionally his distressed daughter and distressed junior partners—although, it’s usually Apollo who does the tear-shedding in his office, even if he’s in another country at the moment.

Athena gratefully accepts the tissues.

“Okay,” she says, and she sounds like she really believes him. Phoenix is relieved; somehow, he thinks, he managed to say the right things.

“Does anyone else know?” he asks.

“No. Well—” She hesitates. “Simon said he was going to tell the Chief Prosecutor today. And I was thinking of calling Polly later, too.”

“You don’t have to tell everyone all at once.”

“I know, but I think he’d want to know, and I also just kind of want to talk to him about it.”

He grins at her.

“He’ll probably rush back to the States tonight just to check on you,” he halfway jokes, because he knows there actually is a real possibility that Apollo will hop on the next flight to LA after hearing this kind of news.

Athena laughs.

“Probably.” She grins back.

“Hey everyone!” Athena and Phoenix jolt a little, hearing the unmistakable cheerful pitch of Trucy’s voice, and the sound of a door opening and closing. “I’m back, and I brought Skittles!” She walks into Phoenix’s office, and then her breath catches. “Thena, are you okay?!”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine now,” Athena says a little shakily, though she’s smiling as she rises to her feet.

Trucy looks doubtful. “Do you… want some Skittles?” she asks, holding out her bag.

Athena laughs again. “No, that’s okay.” She pauses, thinks. “I am hungry though.”

“Well, let’s go get some lunch!” Phoenix says, standing too. But his mind stutters, and he looks thoughtfully at Athena. “Er… maybe not at Eldoon’s though. Maybe something less salty? A little healthier? There’s a sandwich shop not too far from here.”

Trucy gapes at him. “No Eldoon’s? Something healthy? What happened while I was gone?!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain on the way,” Athena says, smiling weakly at her.

Trucy hums and pops a Skittle into her mouth. “Well, okay,” she says. “Not that I’m opposed to eating better. It’s just a little unexpected.”

They grab their coats—it’s late November, and it’s getting chilly—and Phoenix shuts off all the lights as they head out the door, carefully and comfortingly placing his hand on the small of Athena’s back as he guides her through.

...

Miles is in the middle of paperwork when there’s a knock on his door. He’s so engrossed in his work that he ignores it at first, but it comes again, and he sighs. The least favorable downside of being Chief Prosecutor is that when he has a visitor, he cannot simply turn them away because he’s working—people need to see him all the time now, and usually with good reason. But if it’s Winston here to complain again about some inane social crime Gavin has committed (Klavier may be charming and generally well-liked around the office, but the Paynes have begrudged his presence for years), then Miles swears he’ll—

“Edgeworth-dono?”

(Oh. It’s Blackquill. That’s much more preferable company.)

“Prosecutor Blackquill. Come in.”

He does, and immediately, Miles can sense tension in Simon’s demeanor. His expression is tight, and his shoulders are drawn taut. Simon’s always been a serious man, but now, there’s something almost—anxious, perhaps?—in the way he’s carrying himself. Miles knows he’s not the best at reading others’ body language, but still, he can tell something’s off.

“I need to disclose a conflict of interest that has recently arisen,” Simon says without preamble.

(Straight to the point, as usual.)

“All right,” Miles nods. He pulls out a blank notepad and clicks his pen once. He’s gotten into the habit of taking notes whenever he meets with others. He’s not a forgetful man, but he carries so many diverse conversations throughout the day that things tend to fall through the cracks if he doesn’t keep a log of it. “Why don’t you sit?”

He does.

“I believe it would no longer be appropriate for me to prosecute cases in which Athena Cykes is the lead defense attorney,” Simon continues bluntly.

Miles hums, holding his pen to the page but not yet writing.

(That’s odd. Blackquill and Ms. Cykes have always had a long and personal history, and neither he nor I have raised concerns about his impartiality in a trial for it. What’s changed?)

“Might I ask why?”

Simon inhales slowly, and there is a barely perceptible tremor in his breath. Miles is honestly surprised he catches it at all, and he draws his eyebrows together, starting to feel a little worried.

“She is with child,” he says. He falters as he clarifies, “My—child.”

The pen doesn’t move. In fact, Miles lets it drop from his hand. He isn’t going to forget this.

“I—I see,” he says. He pauses, takes in a slow, careful breath, and continues, “I’ll ensure you’re not assigned to any cases wherein Ms. Cykes is involved.”

“Thank you.” Simon quickly rises and turns to go. An unfamiliar emotion bubbles up in Miles’s throat, and he feels compelled to speak.

“Simon.”

He stops. Miles never calls him by his first name. He never calls anyone by their first name. He hardly even calls his own husband by his first name, but saying “Blackquill” now seems too impersonal, too cold, and—

(I’m not good at this.)

Miles removes his glasses and retrieves a microfiber cloth neatly tucked within his front breast pocket. He cleans the lenses, then sets them aside. It’s a nervous habit he has, something he does when he needs to buy himself time to speak. Simon is watching him warily from over his shoulder.

“Are you okay?” Miles eventually manages.

Some of the tension in Simon’s shoulders visibly relaxes.

“Yes. I—” Simon faces him again. “This may be premature, but I would like to request some time off in April next year. She’ll be due around that time.”

“Of course,” Miles readily agrees. “But it is early now, so we’ll puzzle out the details closer to her delivery.”

Simon breathes something like a sigh. “Thank you again, Edgeworth-dono.”

Miles nods to him, and Simon is able to peacefully depart this time. Once he is gone, Miles picks up his pen a second time, writes the words “Cykes-Blackquill baby due: April” at the top of the blank page, circles it twice, and drops the pen again.

...

Phoenix impressed himself keeping it together as well as he did when Athena told him she was pregnant that afternoon. But after Trucy’s gone to bed, and he and Miles are winding down together in the privacy of their own room that evening, he starts to fall apart.

“She’s so young, Miles,” he says as he paces back and forth between the door and the entrance to the master bathroom. Miles is sitting on the bed, a book in front of him, though he’s most certainly not reading—no, his eyes are looking over the pages, watching his husband drive a ridge into the carpet, but he hasn’t stopped him yet. Phoenix needs to move when he’s thinking.

“20 years old, is it?” Miles asks.

“Barely 20 years old,” Phoenix emphasizes. “She’s a baby herself.”

“Blackquill is older. I believe he’ll be 30 in a month,” he tries reassuringly.

“Yeah, that doesn’t change that she’s 20 though.” Phoenix stops pacing and gathers a fistful of his own hair. “She can’t even legally drink yet!”

“Well. That doesn’t make much of a difference. She shouldn’t be drinking until after April anyway.”

“You’re missing the point.”

“I understand the point.”

Phoenix pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing. He starts to pace again. “I need to make sure the Agency starts picking up a steady stream of paying clients. We can’t keep doing stuff pro bono. She needs a consistent paycheck if she’s going to be raising a child.”

“I don’t think finances are going to be a concern,” Miles says. “Blackquill is involved, and he’s well-off. I know. I sign his paychecks. This is not a case of a single mother who’s going to struggle finding the means for her family’s next meal. And even if it was, you would never let her go without. You would have her over every night for dinner with Trucy and myself. You practically already do.” He pauses. “Although, you really should stop taking so many cases pro bono regardless.”

“Yeah, yeah…” He’s still pacing. Miles has finally had enough.

“Wright.” Phoenix stops, looks at him. Miles sets aside his book on the nightstand. “Come here.”

Phoenix briefly hesitates, but then he climbs into bed and lets Miles gather him into his arms.

“She’s going to be fine. It’s going to be hard, but she will be fine. They both will be,” Miles assures him. “Despite his appearances, Blackquill is an honorable man. He’ll be loyal to her and to their child.”

“I know,” Phoenix quietly agrees. He sighs and rests his face against the crook of Miles’s neck. “I didn’t even know they were together.”

“Neither did I.” He hesitates before adding, “They’ve always been close, but I have the sense their romance might be quite new.”

“Me too. I didn’t ask Athena about it today ‘cause I didn’t want to push, but…” Phoenix closes his eyes. “That’s why I was really conscious about not freaking out in front of her today. If I’m a wreck, then I can’t imagine how she—both of them—must feel, just starting to date and then suddenly winding up pregnant. It’s scary, you know?”

“Terrifying,” Miles agrees. “But, well… I knew someone who was too young, too much of a mess, to be a parent, and they turned out fine. They were single, unemployed, struggling to get by, and now—they’re happily married, nursing a successful career, their daughter having already been accepted to several universities across the U.S. in the first semester of her senior year.”

“Really?” Phoenix lifts his head. “Who—?” Miles stares, and the meaning clicks in Phoenix’s brain. “Aw, geez, Edgeworth.”

Miles smirks and presses his lips against his husband’s temple.

“It’s going to be okay, Phoenix.”

...

Mr. Wright was, well, right. The moment she called Polly and told him, he lost his mind and immediately started looking up flights to Los Angeles.

“Come on, come on! Ugh, stupid, slow Khura’inese Internet!” he curses over the phone.

“I-It’s okay, Polly,” she assures him with a touch of amusement. “You don’t need to come out right now. I’m going to see you next month at Christmas anyway.”

“No, I have to be there,” Apollo insists. “I just need to—agh, get this stupid dinosaur dial-up computer to bring up flight information!” She hears a mumbled string of expletives, and though Athena was serious when she said he didn’t need to see her right then, that they’d be together again at Christmas… she’s touched he’s so concerned and wants to be there for her. Even if she knows this is really more for him and his reassurance than her own.

Eventually, Apollo’s voice becomes clear again. “Look, I’ll call you later, okay? Just as soon as I get my flight information figured out.”

“Okay,” Athena agrees. “I’m only gonna be up for maybe another hour though, all right?”

“All right. Take care of yourself, okay?”

“I will. Thank you, Polly. I mean it.”

After hanging up, she leaves the privacy of her bedroom and heads back toward the kitchen, where Simon sits at the counter, a cup of tea in front of him. He looks up upon her arrival.

“Feeling better?” he asks.

“Yeah.” She pulls up a chair next to him. “I think we’re gonna see Apollo here real soon.”

“I’m sure Gavin-dono will be very happy to hear that Justice-dono is making an early trip back to the States.”

Athena smirks knowingly.

“I’m sure he will be,” she says. But then she sighs and drops her head sideways against Simon’s chest. Her hands rise below the counter to feel her stomach. It’s flat now, but it’s weird to think that soon it won’t be, and already that there’s a baby growing inside her—her and Simon’s baby.

Simon threads his hand through her hair, pulls her closer, kisses her forehead. “I love you,” he says gravely. “You do know that, right?”

It’s not the first time he’s said he’s loved her—she heard it from him as a child, platonically, and later, in private, after he was a freed man, again platonically. But this is the first time she’s heard it from him as her lover, as the father of her child.

“I do,” she says. “I love you too.”

His hand drops to her waist, then moves to cover hers—the ones that are placed carefully over her own stomach.

“We’re going to be fine,” he says, and she knows that we includes more than just herself and him.

“I know,” she says. And how could they not be? They have each other, and Mr. Wright and Edgeworth have turned out more supportive than either could have hoped for, and Trucy’s already asked to be the baby’s aunt, and Klavier’s already promised free guitar lessons for “the little fräulein, ja?”, and Apollo’s probably already on a red-eye flight back to Los Angeles.

Yes. They’re going to be fine.

[franklinclarkj]

Kensington K72352US Orbit Wireless Trackball Mouse

Offering a precise, compact and versatile experience, the orbit wireless mobile trackball has everything mobile professionals need for comfort and productivity. 

It offers better ergonomics, with less wrist and hand movement that will ease The pain of repetitive-stress injuries. With no cables to tie you down, The 2. The 4 GHz wireless Nano receiver works with either Windows or Mac when you're at home, on the road or in the office. Unique touch scrolling, along with the compact 32mm ball, lets you glide effortlessly through web pages and documents, and the Nano receiver can be stored right inside the trackball.

The scroll ring sensor can be disconnected with a few minute's work. Switch off the trackball device and push out the red trackball. I removed the batteries. With a tiny, thin screwdriver pry up the sensor ring (the flat black ring around the red trackball when it's installed). The sensor ring is one fairly sturdy piece. Take your time, attacking at several points, using more than one screwdriver, and you will get the sensor ring out.

 I did it without scratching the Kensington K72352US Orbit Wireless Trackball Mouse. At the front of the sensor, the ring is a ribbon cable. Pull the ribbon cable out of the sensor ring cable connector, fold the cable up and stick it down into the trackball body, then reassemble. It looks and works great. Wear safety glasses! You assume all liability for your actions; this is an information-only story of how I did it. I like trackball a lot now that it no longer causes random stuff to happen at random times. If you have mini security Allen wrenches for disassembly, you can take the bottom off and likely reach the other end of the cable. 

Get review:

I just received this today, and have been using it for several hours, so this is definitely a "first impression" review. I've been searching for a wireless trackball that I can use left-handed, and this is one of the very few out there. Although right-handed, I've been mousing left handed for decades due to repetitive stress injuries in my right hand. I've always used the Logitech Trackman marble mouse for its ergonomics and that it's ambidextrous, so I can switch off to my right hand if I wish. 

But after all this time, left handed mousing feels normal and I find I actually prefer it, even though my right hand is healed -- I can mouse with one hand and takes notes with the other at the same time! One downside to the Logitech is that it's wired, and while it's fine on my office desktop, it's a pain for travel, meetings, etc. So far the overall feel and operation of the Kensington Orbit is so close to the Logitech that I barely notice the difference. 

It has a good feel to it, the buttons work well, and the trackball pointing is smooth. Why I didn't give it 5 stars -- The touch scrolling is a little cumbersome. It might just take some getting used to, but I'm finding it jumpy and not very precise. Also the Kensington Trackball Works software caused a bunch of problems. Right after installing it was like aliens had taken over my computer...the cursor was flying around on its own, opening multiple copies of programs...so weird. 

So I ended up uninstalling it and using the native Windows drivers, which work just fine. If you get this, it works fine plug and play right out of the box. My advice is just use it this way and forget the Trackball Works software.I bought this because I have severe nervous system problems that makes controlling a mouse impossible on some days. It just flies around, clicking everything I don't want. 

It's very hard to get through daily living without using a computer. The Kensington K72352US Orbit Wireless Trackball Mouse doesn't do that. I can move, on the slowest mouse setting, wherever I want without clicking anything. Then, when I finally get the cursor where I want, I can click without moving the ball. Moving the trackball does not involve touching the buttons, and touching the buttons does not involve moving the trackball. 

That's perfect if you have trouble controlling your hands. I can't speak for how it feels after a long day of using it, because I never use it more than a couple hours, and even then not heavily like I used to at work. I would guess this would be great to switch back and forth between a normal mouse, to give your hands a break. The trackball arrived quickly and looks really good. 

It is very functional and, for me, much better than using a mouse. I needed wireless, so I looked around for one that looked the most comfortable for playing with games. I like the middle ball, where I can use my thumb for the left click. However the design of the housing and the placement of the right button makes it difficult to use any finger except the pinky for right clicks and we all know the pinky is not very strong or dexterous.

Product model:

Connectivity Technology:   Wireless, 2.4GHz USB Receiver. Brand:   Kensington. Series:   K72352US. Movement Detection Technology:   Optical. Color:   Black.

About Kensington K72352US Orbit Wireless Trackball Mouse item:

Optical tracking for superior cursor control.

Unique touch scrolling — simply slide your finger around the outer ring of the trackball for effortless scrolling through web pages and long documents.

Free downloadable Kensington Works software provides button customization.

Ambidextrous design.

Compatible with all Windows, macOS, and Chrome (OS 44 and later) computers.

Plug-and-play, no drivers required.

2. 4 GHz wireless with nano USB receiver that stowes inside the trackball when not in use.

2 year (Only valid if purchased through Kensington Authorized Resellers)Optical tracking for superior cursor control.

Note : In case of Wireless mouse, the USB receiver will be provided inside or along with the mouse.

Update:

There is a touchpad on both sides of the trackball that you swipe up or down to scroll. The positioning of the touchpads makes it so I can use this mouse with either hand. The only caution I have is that you do not touch the top of the mouse while you are operating the trackball. I have small hands, so when using the trackball with my right hand, I usually put my thumb on the left button, my index finger on the trackball, the middle finger above the touchpads on the mouse where it can easily be put to use on scroll pad, and my ring finger on the right button. I invert this position when I am using my left hand.

If you want to know about this product, please click here...

[theworldhopper]

The Answers She Seeks Chapter IV

If y’all want to read this story in AO3, please click here to go back to Chapter I. I’ll be creating a master list soon. 

Chapter IV: The Two Normins

‘This is…by far…the ABSOLUTE worst idea of my life.’ Claudia thought to herself as she and Sir Trots-a-Lot travelled through the frozen wasteland described as the Gaiburk Ice Field in Magilannica’s book. She’s tired, she’s freezing and she didn’t even find any single Iris Gem on her way here. Not even the coat she bought and wore helped her out. It was just so cold. She was shivering from where she sat and her teeth chattered, no matter how hard she tried to keep warm. Looking up, she saw lights in the distance and tried to stay awake as they approached. The cold finally got to her, however, and she fell from her horse and passed out.

When Claudia woke up again, she was already in a warm bed, covered in a blanket. She slowly got up and put on her boots and coat before slowly leaving her room with her sword. The young princess headed downstairs and approached the reception desk and grabbed the check-in ledger. The dates were extremely unfamiliar to her and it seems to have come from a thousand years past. The last page she flipped to had only one name.

Velvet Crowe

It dawned on Claudia now just where exactly she was. Meirchio. She saw in one of the Iris Gems how Velvet signed this book, at the urging of the little Seraph boy she was with.

Clang! Bang!

Being jumpy than she usually is, Claudia immediately took up a defensive stance and pulled out her sword as she cautiously approached the room behind the reception desk and saw that it was the dining hall. She continued her walk until she approached the kitchen door and continued hearing the moving pots and pans, unsettling her greatly.

‘I swear to god if there’s a ghost here...’

Unable to take it any longer, she burst into the room with her sword raised high above her head…

…only to see two normins in the kitchen.

“Bieeeeennn! Don’t hurt us!” The darker colored normin with a top hat and a mask cried out as he held his arms out in defense while the gray normin with the witch hat merely stared at her with a blank look on her face.

“Oh…” Claudia said in shock as she slowly put her sword down and laid it on one of the tables as she kept her gaze on the normins.

“It’s okay. I won’t hurt you. I was just…being cautious.” She assured them as she approached with her hands held up. The gray colored normin merely sighed in response.

“Do…uh…do you know how I got here?” She asked them as she sat on a chair.

“Bien…we found you passed out on the snow near the inn. You must’ve come a long way. But why go through all the trouble of going to an abandoned village?” The black colored normin asked her as they got on the table to be at eye level with her.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa…before you go around asking me personal stuff, why not give me your names first?” She requested of them.

“Our apologies. My name is Grimoirh.” The gray normin answered politely.

“And I’m Bienfu.” The black normin responded with a proud grin and a puffed out chest, bringing a smile to Claudia’s face.

“Well, I suppose it’s only fair I introduce myself. I’m Claudia Aria Diphda, crown princess to the Kingdom of Hyland and descendant of the Shepherd Eleanor Hume.”

“You-You’re Madam Eleanor’s descendant?” Bienfu asked in surprise while Grimoirh merely looked at her with a curious glance.

“Yeah. I came here following these two books, looking for the village of Meirchio.” She said as she showed them the two books she has. Bienfu picked Magillanica’s book up and his eyes widened.

“Well…you’re in luck. You’re already in Meirchio.” Grimoirh answered her. Before she could answer, Bienfu suddenly spoke up.

“This-This is…the last book Miss Magilou ever published!”

“You knew Magillanica Lou Mayvin?” Claudia asked in surprise and amazement with a grin on her face.

“Oh yes…I was her malak.” He answered cheerfully.

“Amazing…my mother has a normin seraph of her own.” She answered with an enthusiasm to match his own. Alisha did have a normin seraph that came every now and then…a little normin named Priventi. She said Priventi protected her when she was young and she fell in the Mt. Mabinogio ruins even though she couldn’t see him at the time.

“Seraph? What are those?” The normin asked her.

“Oh…that’s what we call Malakhim now. And daemons are now called Hellions.” She answered with a smile. They heard a cough that caught their attention and both turned to Grimoirh.

“If I may ask, why would you risk your life to find an abandoned village in the middle of nowhere? And how are we supposed to believe you that you are indeed Eleanor’s descendant?” She asked her, stoically but politely as ever.

“Oh…well…a seraph named Zaveid told me. He’s great friends with my parents. Here.” Claudia answered as she flipped to one page of the Celestial Record that showed Rose with Zaveid. “This is my mother. One of Hyland’s Queens. Like Arthur Hume, I was born of two women.”

“Oh…well she does look teeny bit like Madam Eleanor.” Bienfu said as he looked at the sketch.

“And you know Zaveid too. That’s quite odd; people are no longer supposed to see malakhim. But again, why risk your life to get here?” Grimoirh asked her.

“Uh…to be honest, I was just told that I’m not just descended from the first Shepherd but that I’m also descended from the first Lord of Calamity. I didn’t like that. And being impetuous, I left home. To find some peace and quiet. But then I started finding these.”

Claudia dug into her coat’s inner pocket and dug out an Iris Gem from the pouch inside. Grimoirh observed it with curiosity but refused to touch it.

“What are those?” Bienfu asked her in amazement.

“They’re Iris Gems. Pieces of the Earthen Historia that were expelled from the Earthpulse. I thought they might help me find what I need. They kept showing me the visions of Velvet Crowe’s adventure. Everything that was shown to me, matches Magilou Mayvin’s book.” She explained to them before pausing. After a while, she continued to speak. “But…I know there’s a bigger picture here. Something I’m missing…but I haven’t found any other Iris Gems since I arrived in Lohgrin. That’s what we call Lothringen nowadays. I saw the beginning of Velvet’s journey. I saw the middle. But I can’t find the end. I thought coming here to Meirchio might lead me somewhere.”  

Grimoirh contemplated her words for a moment before sighing continuously.

“Oh…” She said nonchalantly. Claudia had no idea how to take that. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

“I’m afraid you’re not going to see the end with these Iris Gems of yours.” The normin answered her. Claudia looked at the normin questioningly, her face showing that yes, she does need to elaborate that for her.

“You said these Iris Gems are parts of the Earthen Historia, correct?”

Claudia nodded in response.

“The Earthen Historia is created because it’s a recording of all that happens in the surface of our world. Now, tell me how would the Earthpulse go about recording something that never happened on the surface of the world in the first place?” Grimoirh asked her.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Velvet Crowe’s final battle with Innominat never took place in the Earth…but in the skies. Velvet and her allies ascended to Innominat’s form outside our planet in order to combat him and Artorius Collbrande. And from there on, she sealed herself away with Innominat for all eternity. With Innominat gone, Laphicet decided to become the new Fifth Empyrean; Maotelus. That is where the Silver Flames of Purification comes from.” The knowledgeable normin answered her. Claudia could barely believe what she was saying and grabbed Magilou’s book. If there was any truth to her words, it would be reflected in this book. True enough, everything Grimoirh said matched the events in the book. Even the part where that sweet little malak boy became the Fifth Empyrean. She completely skipped over that part and just jumped right to the end when she first read this. This is a breakthrough. A part of history never properly recorded before.

“She��never even knew about Arthur, did she?” Claudia asked her solemnly. Both her parents only had one parent to raise them…it kinda made Claudia wonder if her line was cursed to never have a complete family until she came along.

“Probably not. Not even Eleanor knew she was suddenly with child until about a month or two after everything.” Grimoirh told her.

“Bieeen…it was a sad subject for Madam Eleanor. Madam Eleanor felt somewhat sad that they were never going to see one another. She really loved Velvet.” Bienfu added in a sad tone.

Claudia looked down as she continued to hold on to the book. She may have felt ashamed of being descended from the first Lord of Calamity, the person who chose vengeance above all else, but even Claudia had to admit that she really did do some good in stopping the Suppression. And even she had to acknowledge that no one, no matter how horrible you may have been, deserves to be robbed of the chance to raise their child. Claudia always believed that children provided a better moral compass for their parents. After all, no parent wants their child to be ashamed of them.

“Velvet knew what was at stake. She knew that if Innominat were to die, she, Laphicet and the other therions would as well. And in the end, she decided to forego any chance of happiness, a life with Eleanor, and decided to seal herself away. Even now she’s sealed away with him in a happy dream of the life she never got with her brother.”

“I…see.” Claudia conceded. “Then, I suppose there’s no reason for me to stay here any longer now.”

“Wait…before you decide to go ride off into the night…you might want to wait this blizzard out and stay here for now.” Grimoirh said nonchalantly. Well, she can’t say she doesn’t have a point.

“I’ll do that. Thank you.” Claudia responded before sitting down for a moment.

“How long have the two of you been here?” She asked them.

“Hundreds of years.” Grimoirh answered in a straightforward manner. Claudia was stunned. Just her and Bienfu in an isolated and abandoned village in a godforsaken frozen wasteland. It must’ve been pretty lonely here if it was just the two of them.

“Would…uh…would the two of you like to come with me? To Ladylake? I mean…there are normins there. You’d see members of your own kind again.” She kindly offered to them. The pair looked at each other for a moment before nodding and with a small smile, Grimoirh turned to her.

“We would be honored, Princess Claudia.”

“Just Claudia is fine. Well, it’s late. I’m going to rest up. We leave in the morning.”

With a nod, Claudia stood up and retreated to her room with her books. She sat in front of the fireplace for a moment to keep warm before gradually falling asleep.

Travelling back to Lohgrin took her less than travelling to Meirchio did. They rode almost non-stop. They did, however, made a stopover to the Trizolde Cave so that Bienfu and Grimoirh could see the poet Mayvin’s grave. The Mayvin whom they confirmed was indeed Magillanica Lou Mayvin. After a while, they returned to Lohgrin.

“So…this is Lothringen now. What a sorry sight.” Grimoirh contemplated with a sigh.

“Come. I have something to show you.” Claudia said, paying her comments no mind and she led them upstairs to where the monolith was.

“Wowee!” Bienfu exclaimed in amazement as he approached the monolith ahead of them.

“They say that it shows you something from the Earthen Historia so long as you have the Iris Gems but…I can’t activate it. You need a Storyteller of Time. And I’m still missing an Iris Gem. Probably. I think.” She explained as she walked. Grimoirh, on the other hand, was more fascinated by the flowers around her. In the olden days, when she was with Velvet and Aifread’s Pirates, Lothringen was completely intact and covered and this entire area was nothing but an empty room. Now…it’s beautiful. If King Claudin really died here, she imagined he would be happy at the amount of flowers littering the place where he died.

“Hey…look what I found!” They heard Bienfu exclaim. They both approached him and Claudia gasped; in the little normin’s hands was an Iris Gem.

“No way. I didn’t notice this the last time I was here.” She said as she took it from him. The odd thing was…it wasn’t showing her anything.

“No. No. Why won’t it work?” Claudia said in disbelief as she continued to examine the gem. It didn’t lack the same luster the other gems had so there was obviously nothing wrong with it physically. Grimoirh approached the monolith as she examined the Celestial Record before turning to Claudia.

“Claudia…if you may, please put your hand on the monolith. There’s something I would like to try.” She requested of her. With no other choice, Claudia did as asked, closing her eyes once again.

“Come on. Come on. Come on. Please work. I have to know. I’m so close.” She prayed just like before. Such was her concentration that she didn’t notice Grimoirh speaking words in an ancient language as Bienfu stood beside in her in amazement.

And when Claudia opened her eyes once more, she was far from Lohgrin and in an entirely different environment entirely.