Don't Look Away

There are days when Vertin, the appointed Timekeeper, would sit on the shore of the lake in her suitcase, gazing out at the wheel before spinning it again.

She has called on many comrades with this method, many reminding her of the one who disappeared in her arms.

No more clear drops left for the day, the last to arrive was the young La Source with her jug of water and snappy attitude.

Another day without her.

Deep down the Timekeeper knows that she will never come, the wheel only summons arcanists and she was not. But still, the owner of the suitcase wished for a glimmer of hope that one day she would hear that seductive voice from Chicago.

As she sits on the shore of the lake, she sighs heavily while burying her face in between her hugged legs.

"Schneider..." she whispers in a sad, gentle tone.

Then, from behind her comes two slender arms, snaking around her neck.

"Yes, my lord?"

Vertin's head moves back, she looks at the hands joined in front of her before twisting her entire body to look at who's behind her. In the ensuing act, her mind races, it's her... that's Schneider's voice!

But how? She's gone, gone with the Storm which ravaged her era. Vertin remembers holding Schneider's coat when she dissipated in that last supper they had together. Yet, the girl's voice echoed right behind her.

How?

Such a question quickly disappears as Vertin locks her grey eyes with red ones.

Deep within those ruby gems is the same seductive and lonely emotion she always wore.

She is there, Schneider, alive and well, hugging Vertin and gazing down at her.

"Schnei...der?"

Vertin's eyes begin to water, her lips tremble as do her hands which slowly rise from her side in an attempt to hug the girl.

"Yes my lord, it is me," the girl said with a gentle smile. "Have you missed me my lord? I have too."

The Timekeeper doesn't speak, she just presses her head onto the small girl and hugs her as small beads of tears drip down her cheek.

"I'm sorry..." she whispers with a shaky voice. "I couldn't save you."

Schneider closes her eyes and pulls Vertin close before taking off her top hat. The Chicagoan then rests her chin on the crying girl's silver hair and caresses her for comfort.

"It is not your fault my lord, even you cannot stop such a disaster. You are only human after all and..." she pauses. "I lied to you about the truth. You could not have known."

Vertin remembers it very well, how in her embrace Schneider confessed that she was no arcanist, but merely a human who could use arcane magic. In those few moments, while fading away Schneider decided to burden her with the truth of which Vertin couldn't escape from. Truthfully, Vertin never did understand why the alluring girl hid such a monumental truth, she could only guess it was a way to keep her on task and not be derailed by a fruitless endeavour. But Vertin found it rather cruel that she found out only once the Storm began to take Schneider away.

Regaining her composure, Vertin separated from Schneider and looked her up and down. It is her, the same curly short hair, the same slender frame, the same provocative outfit, there really was no denying it, this was Schneider.

"Am I really awake?" Vertins asks herself. She grips her head and shakes it about before looking back at the girl in front of her. She's still there, gazing at her with a smile.

"Yes you are my lord," Schneider replies.

"How? How are you here?" Vertin questions, she still cannot fathom such a surprising reunion. "Who's-"

"That does not matter my lord. I am here, I am here... for you." Schneider crawls forward and places a hand on Vertin's cheek.

The touch sends shivers down the Timekeeper's body, but Vertin quickly leans into the loving caress.

She still cannot understand any of this, but she decides not to question it and just enjoy the moment for what it is. Schneider smiles when she witnesses Vertin's acceptance, before standing up and placing herself on Vertin's lap.

Unsurprisingly the Timekeeper burns red when she realises what Schneider has done.

"S-Schneider... this is a bit-"

"Shhh, my lord. Just let it happen." Schneider lowers herself and rests her head on Vertin's chest, listening to the gentle beating of the Timekeeper's heart. "I wish to be close to you."

Vertin is speechless, but she understands what it is she needs to do. Letting herself relax, Vertin placed a hand on the ground to support herself and Schneider while her other hand began to play with the intimate girl's hair.

Schneider doesn't say a word, a smile just appears on her face as she keeps resting on Vertin.

With both of them relaxing in each other's embrace, Vertin finds herself feeling at peace, something she has not felt in a while since her return from 1929. That era which broke Vertin's heart and sent her into a deep coma, a coma which replayed the moment she had lost many in the blink of an eye.

Schneider was not her first, and she was aware she would not be her last. But for Vertin, there was a special dread which came with the Chicagoan. It is a grim reminder that no matter what solution she seeks, there will always be those she cannot save because they choose not to be.

Such thoughts weighed on Vertin, but in this moment, they didn't matter. Only Schneider did.

The two would share this moment for some time before Schneider raised herself and proceeded to once again wrap her arms around Vertin's neck while looking down at her with a seductive gaze.

"My lord, have you been lonely without me?" Schneider asks.

"I... I've been missing you, yes," Vertin responds. "But maybe now... that won't be the case."

Schneider smiles before she proceeds to press her forehead against Vertin's. "My lord, please do not be mad."

"Huh? Why would I be mad?" Vertin asks, staring deep into her partner's eyes which are now painted with deep sorrow.

"Because I am sure you know this cannot last," Schneider says, her voice becoming quieter.

Vertin's eyes widen for a few moments before they close in acknowledgement. She had seen this coming, Schneider appearing is already suspicious enough, but she's been hoping they would be given more time.

With her gaze dropping, Vertin begins to slowly pull herself away, but her face is then cupped by the girl on her lap, forcing the Timekeeper to look up at her.

"Schneider?"

"Do not look away from my lord." Schneider then planted a soft kiss on Vertin's lips, lingering on it for seconds before pulling back. "I know it must be hard, but you must not look away from reality. Only you can push through the darkness and bring light to others, just as you have to me. However, that is only possible, if you yourself face that darkness and win."

Vertin is speechless and her eyes widen as Schneider continues.

"My lord, I will always be with you, so long as you don't forget my heartbeat, on the right."

------------------------------------------

The evening then comes and the residents of the suitcase notice their leader has yet to return from the lake despite it being dinner time, so they send the chief assistant, Sonetto, to fetch her.

Making her way to Vertin, Sonetto calls for the Timekeeper but as she gets closer, the arcanist notices that Vertin seemed so fixated with the water.

It's not odd for the Timekeeper to gaze out so distantly. But hidden in her calm expression was an emotion of... freedom.

"Timekeeper?"

Vertin at the call of her title, turns to her childhood friend and loyal companion.

"Sonetto, sorry have I been gone too long?" Vertin asks in her usual monotone manner.

"Um... no, it's just that it's dinnertime," Sonetto responds, still feeling restless over her friend's expression.

"I see, I will be with you shortly." Vertin then turns her attention back to the lake, leaving Sonetto to ponder what has happened.

"Um, Timekeeper, if you don't mind. Might I ask what has caught your attention?"

Vertin once again turns to her with a confused expression. "Huh? Oh, it's nothing, I was just..."

She stops, her gaze drops to the floor and a small chuckle escapes her lips.

"... I was just remembering something."

"And that is?" Sonetto prods, she always did love to know what is going on in Vertin's mind.

"What it is I must not look away from."

In her mind, as she takes one last look at the wheel in the lake with a smile, one last thought crosses her mind for the day.

"Goodbye Schneider."