The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 256 - Shoving Feelings Into Boxes, Growling Stomachs Fade From Auspice

Chapter 256: Chapter 256 - Shoving Feelings Into Boxes, Growling Stomachs Fade From Auspice

Mint eyes dulled with a true, cold fury as that face first appeared. Knowing it would happen, Elua had prepared for the surge of murderous intent that rose at seeing her current disciples cornered by someone wearing *those* features. The pressure drained and contracted into a vile spirit fragment she kept far away from her chest.

She could purify it later, but she was not about to let those feelings rest near the piece of Qat inside her. The reincarnator’s spirit layered tight against her body to avoid leakage even while the memories of betrayal and blood flashed through her mind.

The ancient cultivator’s hands clenched as she remained behind her illusions. Other than that, she maintained perfect stillness in the shadows between the tents. Elua had recognized this woman’s presence creeping around after Nohre and Fusand, so met where it was most likely they would intersect.

’Watching them be actively pursued still struck deeper than expected. It doesn’t matter that she bore no hostility. A cat doesn’t *always* mean to squash the fly they are playing with.’

Every practical part of her mind recited in a loop the differences she had catalogued ever since first spotting this probable ’also reincarnation’ at her wedding.

The altogether unfamiliar spirit that proved by all metrics she trusted that this was not truly her treacherous disciple. The Astralism where there should have been a perfect match - a perfectly aligned Trinity of Aspects - was missing. Yet, the other two Aspects were the very ones from their past life.

And logic... it warred against the visceral reaction to *that face* - that uncomfortably exact combination of features that had once served her old self’s part in such toxic betrayal of master and disciple. Of woman to woman.

"Thieving cat. I’m sure you’ve come back on some instinct to look for more to steal from me, but I am less blind to your potential for irreverence than I used to be. What’s more, my beloved this time is not the sort of person that other *mistake* was."

The once monikered Acid Tongued Villain rather wished that ’he’ had been the one appearing around again, instead. She’d had that revenge already. Elua was over it.

’Well, I might get rid of him anyway just to be safe, but the passion wouldn’t be in it.’

The whole interaction that followed between her disciples and this ’ghost’ built a peculiar sort of pressure in her chest. Watching someone so awkwardly, earnestly seeking connection to her current self for a reason she didn’t even understand was an irony that tasted like ash. Hearing that she ’trusted’ you when she ran off with your partner?

"Why thank you for your confidence in my ability. It really means so much, hearing it from you. A person that can vow themselves to someone while turning their back on the last."

She tried not to think how, out of context, the last line actually fit herself quite well... with her ability to move on from past partners.

The brunette instead focused on how she talked to herself out loud while invisible and inaudible a lot more in this life than in the past. She blamed it on the effect of her facade, the construct having genuinely affected change to her throughout the course of using it.

When the woman finally stepped back to let the pair leave, Elua remained motionless. They passed within arm’s reach of her hidden form and, for a long three seconds, she considered dropping her illusions. Considered confronting this shadow of her past directly and severing the last bit of fate that might remain between them.

However, the anger still simmered too close to the surface. Elua could tell that what she would *settle* was her’ grudge’ instead of letting it go - and there were more immediate concerns demanding her attention. The information she revealed about the bird theft warranted careful analysis.

Once she could push aside the lingering urge to stomp this particular messenger into a deep, dark hole in the ground. The Ogre Strength Fairy closed her eyes and took a steadying breath, knowing her disciples would expect her light tone of ’sweet’ wisdom soon. They would return to the medical station to report what they learned.

But if she waited too long, when they did not find her there, they would head toward her camp.

’My foolhardy little duo will surely grow concerned if I take too long to go get a snack.’

The lie she told the other medics and the *very* short argument about whether she could go get it herself or not made her close her eyes and turn away. Irritation at letting ancient history distract from something so important as analyzing the intelligence with her disciples would require being cleared from her head.

"I should actually go get something more to eat..."

The fragment had been buzzing with ’curiosity’ from Qat for a while now, no doubt sensing the spike of darkness in her emotions. The fact that the ’concern’ was there but much lower than the first few times was some sort of sign. Elua wasn’t sure what, but it didn’t feel good that her fortress was just getting used to her behavior.

’She needs to keep a tighter leash on me. I wonder if she would think it is funny if I bought or made one to hand over while making the point in all seriousness again? A physical item would be a stronger reminder of my request.’

The brunette shook her head and forced herself to focus on what actually mattered in the short term. The timing of the theft suggested someone with inside knowledge of security protocols and event schedules. More than that, the way it was executed hinted at deliberately undermining the Wing & Talon Enclave’s reputation.

Perhaps even the Void Defense Society by extension.

"They were already waiting for this event. For when the patrols would be most predictable. Using the problem that no one fixed... or no one *let* be fixed for a long time."

Her spirit settled, though didn’t exactly turn ’lighter’, as the familiar patterns of plotting filled her mind. She moved as she thought more and by the time she dispersed her invisibility and stepped into line at a stall, the pressure of old wounds had faded beneath fresh schemes.

She was sure her disciples would have useful perspectives to add, once she joined them. That, or she’d badger them until they used their heads enough to come up with something. Something other than splashing water or throwing *luminescent crabs*.

"Actually, that wasn’t half bad. It’s unusual enough in shape - and even once you account for the shape... odd in that colorful glow. So much that it really might give someone enough pause to-"

The heiress ignored the looks she got for mumbling to herself, as she thought about how in her early-ish days of survival as an illusionist... she actually did come up with an ’explosion’ of light and sound to disorient pursuers. Considering the boy only had Projection, it was actually more on the right track than she might have given him credit.

"Still, why the crab? That took so much more mental control when just a pulsating sphere..."

"Is everything alright, dear?"

Elua looked up while thinking the best way to ingrain that simplification into her scholarly mentee. The old woman leaving the line after getting her spiced vegetable kebab questioned the Goltbred as she was still acting out of sorts in public. Mint eyes quickly gained all their life as she turned and smiled ’sweetly’ as can be.

"I’m married to the single most wonderful person in the cosmos. A day like today just makes me remember that more. However, I appreciate your sincere concern."

After exiting a deep curtsy, she turned and started humming a tune happily. Though the illusory form’s tune was a lot more merry than the monotone of her real self. However, she did not hide again because she was lying and remained too upset...

’My silly stomach was about to growl after smelling the food for too long in this line.’

Part of her wanted to just move forward, make the food merchant ’forget to see’ a skewer, and start munching away. But the more that mischievous plan rose in her heart, the deeper the ’concern’ through the other side of the fragment became. Elua had practiced sending a burst of specific emotions to get the gist of her predicament across.

The return response was hard to parse, but she liked to think it was ’no, be good’.

’She acts like I wouldn’t pay!’

Not too far across the competition grounds, Qatrand adjusted the heavy practice sword’s weight in her hand while surveying the temporary fortress set up by the event staff. The constructed barriers and defensive positions felt both familiar and strange - like looking at a painting of home done by someone who had only heard it described.

The fragment in her heart still hummed with the recent turbulence. Over their time together, she had learned to distinguish different types of her wife’s emotional spikes. The dark pulses from earlier carried the edges of an ancient rage, like when the acting troupe had made her remember things.

Something about that made any automatic response of ’concern’ feel almost inadequate. Qat did think that it was unfortunate the the cute girl had to deal with that sort of thing, but more than that the stories sometimes fascinated the swordswoman. Also... the playful shifts that followed suggested her El had worked through whatever triggered it.

’I could ask her about it later, but...’

The Yecine felt that sometimes the best support she could offer the reincarnator was space on these matters. Understanding that the physical closeness and requested restraints of her intended *actions* didn’t mean keeping her from feeling things was something that grew long ago in the muscular teen.

Though her ability to read the short form signals her mint-drop was trying to blabber at her with had... lots of room to grow. She got that the girl was hungry - food hungry - but she swore that the rest was contemplating taking sustenance away from a child. Whether that was actually the case or not, she could only ’tell’ her wife to behave.

Defending participants finally moved into their assigned positions around the mock stronghold. Some treated it as pure competition, while others maintained the grim focus of those who knew they’d face real combat soon enough in places much more impressive than this. The swordswoman recognized both attitudes had their place in the point of it all.

’My own family seems to stress the competition more than they should. Because they think their training was preparation enough.’’

A brief surge of ’pride’ and ’affection’ washed through their connection, drawing a small smile to her lips. Even distracted by whatever business kept her away, El still thought of her. The lightly humming fragment warmed against her chest as she sent back ’determination’ to be victorious.

Qat took one last look across the viewing areas before the signal to begin could come. She wanted to catch even a glimpse of mint eyes and any sort of smile cheering her on. But for the first time in a main event of these festivities, the heiress and her presence remained only spiritual rather than physical.

’This is fine.’

A calloused grip tightened down on the dulled blade.

’I’ll simply have to perform well enough that my El will regret missing even a second of it.’