Five Nights In Tensura?

Chapter 7: Quality Time

Heyo, at 60k words on Vivian Prologue.

Chapter has a long Cassidy scene. 

Word count is like 3300+

Anyway, please join my discord if you wanna talk about this or make suggestions: https://discord.gg/aV9cGRYAtH

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Charlie's pov:

"Sammy! You knew it was charlie?" Emy tilted her head. 

"Yeah, I did, squirt." Sammy tilted her own head, and squinted. "Hey, Charlie.. What are those.. Little clumps of magicules coming off her? They are too big to be an aura..."

I directed my Thought Communication at Sammy. 'Those are.. little bits of her soul. Her soul is really really badly damaged, so I don't think I wanna get too far away from her..'

Sammy's eyes widened. "W-what!?" She turned to look more closely. "H-her s-sou-"

I reached out and covered Sammy's mouth. 'Don't say it out loud. I don't want her worrying about this.'

"Why are you two being so weird?" Emy tilted her head a little more, almost achieving my unnatural angle.

'Please go get Sarah..' I let go of Sammy.

"Alright, I'll be back." Sammy ran off back in the direction I came from.

I turned to Emy and kept inspecting her, eventually deciding to talk to her again. 'How have you been all this time?'

"I had new parents.. But I got sick, so they had to leave me here.. I dunno what happened to them, but I think they went back into the big forest." Emy pointed out toward the east.

I nodded. 'I guess you are from Jura then? Is that where the kobolds live?'

"I think so.."

Sarah walked up to us, with her focus on Emy. "Charlie, what is wrong? I see you put a barrier around her." She seemed to have a knowing look in her eye, so I knew Sammy told her everything.

'I think we should talk to fuse about it in private. I can be a room over with Emy, he is up in the academy building, right?' I glanced up to the window, and locked eyes with the man. 

He looked very creeped out.

I wanted to laugh at that, but it felt out of place in such a tense situation. 

Sarah turned fully to Emy. "Hey, we are going back inside. You can spend a bit of time with Charlie inside, alright?"

"O-ok! Miss!" Emy smiled brightly, and threw her arms in the air.

...

I sat in a chair with Emy in my lap, I was carefully fixing her hair.

Meanwhile, in the room next door. Sarah and Sammy sat across from a very irritated looking Fuze.

"So you are saying the girl's soul is what is causing her condition? And that Charlie can, see it?" Fuze looked more exhausted with every word.

'Yes.' I spoke in all three of their minds, while keeping Emy out of the conversation.

"It lines up with every description she has given, of  both herself, and what we have observed." Sarah cross her arms.

Sammy raised her hand. "Those chunks of magicules don't look like an aura, and they are way too big to just be from something she ate."

"It is simply hard to believe." Fuze sighed.

'I can.. Share the experience with you.' I patted Emy's head.

Fuze nodded. "That would ease my apprehensions. Very well."

I stared more intently at Emy with Magic Sense, and began sharing those senses with Fuze through Thought Communication. 

Fuze's eyes went wide. "That.. Does line up with what you described. It does seem your barrier has made it more stable." He leaned back and scratched his neck. "Fine, I will let you visit every other day, and I will have someone inform Sarah if her condition worsens."

"Is there any way she could stay with us?" Sammy turned to Sarah.

Sarah turned to give a apologetic glance to Sammy. "We don't really have the space for her, unless Charlie can build another cabin."

'I can try to come up with something..' I closed my eyes for a moment to think it over, but it was really a lot more complicated. 

"Can we take her out into town for the day to monitor her condition for a longer amount of time?" Sarah turned back to Fuze with a more demanding glare. 

"Yeah." Fuze sighed and got up. "You can have her for a few hours, but make sure to bring her back before the afternoon classes."

Sarah nodded, and turned to Sammy. "Does that help?"

"Yeah, I guess. Charlie just seems really worried."

...

We marched up to a bakery next to the free guild building, and Sarah opened the door and yelled inside. "Hey, Berry!"

A young man in an old suit peeked over the counter. "H-huh? Miss Sarah, what are you here for?" 

"I just wanted to buy some sweets." Sarah walked in nonchalantly and leaned up against the counter, before whispering to Berry. "I have two girls that had bad lives, so I want to give them a good day."

Berry nodded and glanced over to us. "What's with the mask?"

"Charlie has a good reason to wear it. I'm sure you've met Emy before though?" Sarah started searching through a bag of coins. 

"Oh? The kobold girl? Yeah. She doing ok? I heard about her parents-"

"Shhh!" Sarah slapped a hand over his mouth.

I kept my thoughts personal. 'Something happened to her parents?'

Emy pulled on my coat, and showed me a little rabbit doll.

'Huh? Where'd you get that?' I spread a tiny bit of aura to talk to just her.

'Secret.' She hid it in her own little blouse  pocket. 'Where are the others?'

'I think I know, but we haven't found them yet.' I pat her head.

'Susie is probably gonna gum up her gears again.' Emy made a gaging gesture.

'She probably doesn't have gears anymore.' I walked up next to Sarah.

"Alright then, I'll just order some sweat bread, and a box of doughballs please." Sarah finally got her coins out of her bag. "Wait, actually. Two boxes, I should take one home." It took her another minute to get more coins out and set them out on the counter. 

"I'll give you a twenty percent discount, Miss Sarah." Berry waved it off, and left one of the stacks of coins where they were.

"That's polite of you." Sarah smiled and took her coins back.

Sarah guided us over to one of the tables, and had me and Emy sit across from her. "Alright, Emy. You are really badly sick, but I don't know if we can fix that. So, we want to just  watch you for a little while."

"Alright, Miss. Thank you!" Emy threw her arms in the air cutely, she'd gotten a lot more active since I'd put the barrier around her. I was still maintaining it.

"Charlie, can you take your barrier down? You can put it up right away, I just can't get a good look at her with it up." Sarah looked over to me, and seemed a little apologetic.

'For.. A little while. If she has been fine this long, it should be ok..' I began including Sammy and Sarah in my thoughts.

"Thank you." Sarah turned back to Emy. 

I let the barrier fall.

Emy breathed in sharply as a lot of little bits of energy flew off of her.

Sarah closely looked over Emy, and then turned back to me. "Put the barrier back up, I see what you both mean clearly now." She gave me a more knowing glance.

I put it back up as soon as I could. I also tried catching some of those little bit that were flying off and pulled the ones I got back into the main barrier.

Emy looked a little relieved, and leaned again me.

"I can't think of anything that could possible help in a situation like this." Sarah kinda stared off into space for a minute, before tapping her temple. "Maybe aunt Shizu would know.. But I am not sure."

I closed Emy off from my thoughts. 'I might have a skill.. That could give her the same skills I have now... But only as a last resort.' 

Sammy raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

'Giver, it is a skill that lets me.. Transfer someone's soul into an object. I can make the object mechanical.. So, she'd be like me if I used it.. I'd need some magisteel to use it for her though..' I tapped my fingers together, and darted my eyes around. I didn't really wanna think about doing that again.

Sammy gasped and grabbed my hand from across the table. "You can do that?!"

'We ended us this way for a reason.. It was sort of my fault..' I would've sighed if I could, maybe it was best to just die.

Sammy shook off a shiver, and turned away. "I can't imagine what that must feel like." 

'I hope you never need to.' 

A bell rang at the door, and the receptionist from the free guild walked in. She sat at the counter, then eventually. She turned around to us. "Oh, Miss Sarah, I hadn't seen you. Is that Emy?"

"Both of you in the same place, this will get confusing. Hello Emmy." Sarah grimaced. 

"You all look like you were having a serious conversation. I can even see an antsy look in Charlie's eyes." Emmy set up her purse and folded her arms on her lap. "Is it about you coming out of retirement?"

"No- Ye-, Sorta." Sarah sighed and puffed out her cheeks, turning away. 

"Miss Sarah, the sweets are done!" Berry came back into the dining area holding two trays, which he set out on our table.

"Thank you, Berry." 

Emy was already instinctively reaching for one of the trays. 

So I asked before she grabbed. 'Emy can have one, right?'

"Yes, here." Sarah picked a doughball out of the open box, and handed it over to Emy. 

Emy cutely nibbled on it while silently leaning against me. 

Emmy let out a little "aw" sound.

"Oh! Miss Emmy, sorry I didn't see you. I'll have your order right out." 

"It is alright, Berry." Emmy turned back to Emy. "Is she doing alright? She seems a bit more actively than normal.

"She is still sick, but Charlie might have a way to help." Sarah nodded.

"Ah, that is nice then. I was worried she m-" Emmy decided to stop there, and picked up something else. "Emy, did you get to play today?"

Emy nodded softly and rubbed her eyes, with a little yawn.

"Good. Keep up the activity." 

Berry came back again. "Here you are, miss Emy." He handed her a stack of boxes.

"Thank you, Berry." Emmy got up, and then left.

I turned back to Sarah. 'I want to keep the barrier around her all the time.' 

"In a moment, first I have a question. Did the anti-monster barrier effect you, Charlie?" Sarah turned to me with a more serious expression.

'Anti-monster.. barrier?'

"Around the city. I am sure you noticed it when you walked through the gate, you made your barrier thicker." Sarah gestured around us. "It steals magicules from monsters, to serve as a deterrent. It can even kill weaker monsters."

'O-oh.. Hm.. Yeah, I noticed it. Like an itching sensation.'

"Wait, does that happen to Emy too?" Sammy started picking up the conversation.

'Maybe. Then my barrier would help.. I'll need to find a way to keep it around her all the time sooner..' 

"It would also make sense to get her out of the city sooner then, we'll need a place for her to stay. I could help with logging, and you could help as well Charlie. We can be payed with their extra lumber." 

'I think I could do that.'

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Cassidy's pov: 

'I need to get out of here!' I threw away the white maid outfit as fast as I could.

Let's go back a bit, shall we?

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'Can.. you let me out?' It had been a few days, and I was still in the ice crystal.

'Ask me without cursing, stuttering, begging, or pausing.' Velzard affirmed again, she'd made the crystal clear a few tries ago. So I could see her face now, and if I am being honest. Velzard is beautiful, like actually a perfect person. 

I took a few moments to calm myself down. 'Can you let me out, please?'

'Good enough.' Velzard's hand shot into the ice crystal, breaking it to pieces around me, and then she dragged me out by the scruff of my neck.

My mouth was still frozen shut, so I kept using what she told me was, Thought Communication. 'Finally! Freedom!'

'Not so fast, and you don't need to yell in your thoughts. We can both hear eachother perfectly fine.' Velzard started carrying me across the room, like a stray cat.

I turned to look around, and I saw that red haired demon. I'd seen him a few times, he was the other voice apparently. 'Save me, Demon Guy!'

'It is pronounced Guy, and.. That wish is beyond my power.' He skeddatled out of the room faster than I ever thought was possible. 

'Good, now that that idiot is gone, we can get you dressed in something nice. I will call in the two troublemakers to help.' Despite demanding I never do so myself, she sure did degrade basically everyone she talked about.

'Please no dresses..' I'd had my fair share, and I knew they were all terrible things.

'No dresses? I guess I can accept that. You'll have to wear something else though.' Velzard pat my head with her other hand, despite still holding me like a stray cat. Then took me through another room into one with a big bed that had little drapes of ice crystals.

'Huh.. That is really pretty.'

'Thank you.' Velzard finally set me down, then opened the door again.

Two maids in red outfits walked in, their hair was messy like they'd just been fighting though. One with green and one with blue hair. 

'This is Rhaine, and that is Mizari.' She pointed to the one with blue hair, then the one with green hair.

'Are they demons too? They seem to be really monochrome.'

'Yes, they are demons as well.'

'I have a question, why do you keep talking in thought communication? You can speak out loud, right?' I knew my ears were working at least.

'It is easier to communicate with other monsters this way, but if you insist.' She looked toward me. "I can speak out loud."

I put a little bit of effort into opening my mouth, breaking the last little shards of ice holding it closed. "It is just more comfortable to me. There was a long time I couldn't do it."

Velzard nodded and turned back to the demons. "We are going to help her dress, she doesn't wish to wear dresses. I am not sure what would look nice ontop of her current form."

Mizari nodded, looking almost imperceptibly annoyed. 

Rhaine raised her hand to her shoulder and spoke. "This is the majin which was trapped in your ice crystal, correct?"

"The same." Velzard nodded.

"Why did you decide to keep her?" Rhaine tilted her head. 

"She is interesting enough, can't you see that?" Velzard's gaze got a bit colder, and I could have sworn the room got colder too.

"Very well." The demon backed off, actually taking a step back. 

"Alright, as you can see. The outfits they were are red, to show they server Guy. I think I'll have you wear something similar, since I am not naming you, not yet." Velzard held her hand out and a surge of magicules shot out of it, then formed into a white outfit. A maid outfit. 

'AW FUCK NO!' I tried to stand up and run away, but I didn't move anywhere. 

Because Velzard was holding me by the scruff of my neck, a few feet in the air again. You know, maybe making my real form on the flipside not much bigger than I was in life was a bad idea? 

'Please not a maid outfit!' 

She just bonked me on the head like a misbehaving puppy. "Language, and stop yelling." She had hit me with enough force that it really really hurt, but didn't really damage me much.

'Ow..' 

"Take it, and put it on." She set me down and put the maid outfit in my hands.

The green demon snickered, like a cat.

'I got to get out of here!' I threw the white maid outfit away as fast as I could, and turned to run again.

"You do want to be named, don't you?" I could feel an icy glare.

So I stopped in my tracks and turned back. "I do.." I picked the outfit off of the ground with a sigh.

"Lady Velzard, you could always demonstrate your superior strength more directly." Rhaine pitched something I knew was a terrible idea on instinct.

"Only if she misbehaves again, while we are getting her dressed." Luckily Velzard had at least a bit of mercy in her frozen heart.

I sighed and stayed still.

"Can't she dress herself?" Mizari interjected this time.

"I can." I pushed my magicules into the outfit, then pulled it onto myself, using my magicules to make sure it fit properly. I fused it into the existing springlock suit, so it looked a bit nicer. 'I wonder if Charlie ever figured out how to do this.'

{Notice: Conditions met, would you like to acquire Extra skill Matter Creation?}

{Y/N}

'Sure.'

"She got a skill." Now the two demons were staring at me with a bit of interest.

"Yes, she did." Velzard's lip twitched, then she pointed at the demons. "Follow them, Guy wants to introduce you to everyone."

I nodded, feeling like I'd absolutely be blushing right then if I could have. A damn maid outfit! Not just a maid outfit, a maid outfit on top of a golden bear suit!

I followed the other two, as they walked through hall after hall of this seemingly endless palace of ice. 'Did she really make all this? I don't think I could do anything like this, even on the flipside..' 

Eventually we got to a side door of a circular area of a much larger room. 

Rhaine opened the door to reveal it was a sidedoor to an area with a pair of thrones, one of which Guy was sitting on. "Go through."

I nodded again, feeling tension rise. Then walked through the door, and stepped right next to, but behind the throne.

Guy didn't even glance at me. "Here she is, curious sight huh? Well, Velzard is gonna be keeping her. So if you find anything you want her to do, tell Rhaine or Mizari, and they might relay that message to Velzard." 

'You really do look prideful..' I tried to stay as still as possible.

'You are broadcasting your thoughts to everyone, you know?' Guy didn't move, but I could hear him in my head again.

'How would I not? It seems like nothing I think is private.' I felt the urge to sigh but held it in.

'Simply control your aura better? Should've been obvious.' 

'You two kept referencing that but.. What does that even mean?' I could see magicules, when I looked around, but I didn't exactly see any order to them. 

'Ah. I guess she didn't tell you? She wanted to keep a close eye on what you were thinking, that is like her. She was probably planning to kill you if you thought something she really didn't like.' The demon did actually smirk a bit at that, but it really only added to the way he sat on the throne.

'Explain please.'

'Ok, well. Instead of looking at thing with your eyes, feel them with your own magicules. As they bounce off eachother, and interact.'

'I can try..' I closed my eyes, and began trying to see other magicules through my own. After a few moments, I was able to track them bouncing off eachother around me. I was able to give them instructions to keep track of eachother and relay that information to me.

{Notice: Conditions met. Acquire skill, Magic Sense?}

{Y/N}

'Yes.' 

{Notice: Integrating Extra skill, Magic Sight, into Extra skill, Magic Sense.}

It was as if the world around me suddenly became clear, and I could see what the demon had meant. I was broadcasting every thought and feeling in this dense cloud of magicules around myself. So I forced them all to become orderly and neatly stack around myself. 

The demon on the otherhand dropped a small invisible barrier he'd been keeping up to stop the hall of demons, monsters, and other such creatures from reading all those thoughts I'd been giving off.

'Maybe I should thank him?' I finally got a private thought for once.

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-3325 words-