Lycoris's return to the Transfixion of Heaven was met with literal fanfare as she and her mother crossed the threshold into the massive, towering palace. She'd forgotten just how huge the building was. Staying in other cities and crawling through the sewers—something she wasn't sure why she could never escape from—had reminded her more of life in Dauwen's capital, Traskia.  Though, Condore and Kranes were both far more advanced in terms of architecture and technology than any city in Dauwen.  She had to endure the momentary rush of dizziness when she and her mother stepped out of the limo and walked up the stairs to the colossal structure, followed briefly by a nauseating clamminess washing over her when she remembered just how high up her room was.

The people inside, whether they were clerks or commoners, all stopped what they were doing and knelt in Lycoris and Lilianna's direction. A strange feeling welled up inside her at the unprompted display—some mixture of anxiety, embarrassment, and giddiness.  Lycoris said nothing, and kept her hand firmly locked with her mother's. She looked up at Lilianna briefly, and followed her cues as the Exaltare confidently walked toward the elevators.  Not a single soul stirred until the doors had sealed behind them, the tension no doubt wearing at Lycoris just as much as it was everyone else. Her palm felt sweaty, and as the lift began ascending, she suddenly felt herself yanked up into her mother's arms and embraced tightly.

"Hu—Wha?!"  "Shhh, 'tis okay, dearest little flower. You're home now, you're safe again." Her mother gave her back a calming rub.  Lycoris couldn't help but make a small frown. "I'm fine, Mama. You don't need to coddle me."

It was just the two of them that had returned together. Athena was still under investigation—though Lilianna had assured Lycoris that her motives hadn't been found wanting at least. Which Lycoris already knew, but was still a relief to hear—and both Sera and Emma had been hospitalized with assurances that they'd recover.  Lycoris wasn't sure what would happen to Cecily or her sister, or Gier, but they weren't her responsibility. Perhaps that was the wrong mindset; there was surely something she could have done for them, she just wasn't sure what.

"Perhaps, but when we see you making such a troubled face… And you were trembling the whole way through the lobby."  "That's just because I forgot how tall this building is! You should've seen how I was when Mizar and I first… ah, well, I suppose it would have been awkward if you did… er…"  Lilianna smiled empathetically. "Apologies, Lycoris. Fear not however, as there will be no shortage of time for us to unwind before ironing out those issues."  "Mm, that is something I should work on too… it almost bit me in the— er, butt when I was in Kranes. There were no shortage of times it was a problem in Dauwen too," sighed Lycoris.

She relented and rested her head against Lilianna's shoulder, even while maintaining her puffy-cheeked pout.

"What are we going to do about Mira?"  "Hm? Ah yes, the bird. There isn't any room within the Elysian Sanctum, but the floor below has a space we can remodel into a pen for him. That would be best for security as well."  "Will that be okay? He doesn't need to go outdoors a lot, right? Plus, how are we going to get him in and out and—"  "There are service lifts for that sort of thing. We appreciate you're being so forward-thinking regarding your new pet, but please try to relax, Dear."

Rather than try to contest the point that she was relaxed, Lycoris fell silent and instead thought about how she even could relax. Thinking back, the word felt antithetical to her entire life up to that point. Relaxation wasn't a luxury she'd been afforded as a Human, and her only real association with the word was tethered to unhealthy amounts of liquor. Even after becoming Lilianna's daughter, she'd spent all her time on training, etiquette, and basic education that she'd missed out on.  Every idea that she thought of, whether it was some light reps in the training hall, practicing flying, studying magic, or even just reading… it all felt like work.

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to…"

In that moment, Lycoris found herself lost and looking for the maid that wasn't there to help her formulate an answer. Her absence was like an uncomfortable hole left in Lycoris. Athena had become an irreplaceable part of her family, just like her mother.

"Why don't we do something together, then? So long as there isn't anything urgent—like another nation collapsing in on itself again—we can table the unread messages for the rest of the day and spend it with our darling daughter~"  "…Really?"  "Of course," Lilianna nodded. "We realize that most of our time with you has been spent one way or another on 'Princess Training,' as you've put it."  "Mm, I'm not sure what to do, though."  "Haha, do not worry dear. There is nothing a Vampire is better at than finding ways to fight off boredom."

＊　＊　＊

"'For what reason have you come to darken my doorstep?'"

The fireplace crackled, sparks dancing in the pit and casting their glow against the bookshelves on the walls. The familiar aroma of rosewood wafted off the scented logs and filled the study. Despite it being winter beyond the walls, the room was dangerously warm and comfortable.  A pair of glasses sat on a low table made of sparkling see-through quartz, each partially filled with scarlet liquid. A long-necked green bottle shifted in a bucket of ice next to them—obviously non-alcoholic.

"'You know why I am here, Langstrom. My…' …umm, uh…"  "'Vinyard,' Dear. As in, an orchard where fruits are cultivated on the vine."  "I know what it is, I just… didn't realize that was how it was spelt."

Lycoris puffed her cheeks out, shifting her legs on the soft and slightly fluffy cushions of the sofa as she leaned under her mother's arm to peer at the book resting in her lap.  After dressing down into silk loungewear, the two had retreated to Lilianna's private study, where the woman plucked a tome from the recently-stocked shelf of various children's stories. At least, Lycoris assumed they were children's stories, but the contents of this one seemed a little… targeted.

The story went that a man had lucked into a golden fruit after exhuming a tomb belonging to his Ancestors. No matter how much it was bit into, it always restored itself—an endless supply of nourishment.  Of course, it was useless to the Vampire, but with it, his livestock flourished and multiplied at an alarming pace. But with that came a slew of problems, and his animals had invaded a neighbor's fields.  It seemed like a cautionary tale about not defiling the remains of the past, and not indulging in excess or living beyond one's means. In that sense, it was practically a parable told in Dauwen. Change some of the words around, and Lycoris could see it being recited by a priest at a pulpit.

"Are you sure you don't want us to read the whole thing, Dear? This has turned into an impromptu study session…"  "I just thought it'd be fun to join in."  "Perhaps we should have picked out a picture book instead then."  "I'm not—" Lycoris forced the rising tension from her shoulders, nipping it in the bud and flopping across her mother's lap. "Just because I'm still catching up on learning to read, doesn't mean that I don't understand linking concepts to objects. Plus, this story is interesting. It reminds me of the stories shared by the Church. Though, I'm a little leery of these 'animals'…"  Her mother slowly rubbed her back. "They're just animals, Dear. Myrh and bolle and pearpifus. We… avoided picking out any stories that involve the atrocities of Humans."  "What even is a pearpifus?"  "They're… hmm, are you familiar with 'frogs?'"  Lycoris nodded and rolled onto her side to look up at Lilianna. "A terrible pest on any farm."  "Hmm… well, think of it as a Lycoris-sized frog,"

As she spoke her name aloud, Lilianna tickled her daughter's sides, causing her to curl up and giggle.

"Ahaha, wait stop I wasn't ready!"  "They have very squishy and leathery hides, biiig moist eyeballs, and a wiggly little thagomizer~"  "…A wha?"  "It's a spiky tail, though domestic pearpifus have much rounder ones that aren't as dangerous."  "What are they… for?"  "Hmm, well their meat is very savory, and because of their rotund bulk, they're an excellent source of blood… though, we're sure our little flower knows better than us how it tastes without any sort of additives."  "Blegh, you mean that was what I was drinking?! Frog blood?" Lycoris blanched and sat up in her mother's lap.  "We were rather against the idea for a reason, Dear. Now then, shall we continue? Or would you like to do something else."  "I don't mind if we keep reading this. I like it, I think. But, I suppose I'll… let you simply narrate it to me."

Lycoris slid back onto the sofa and leaned into her mother's side once more as her mind was filled with the vision of a large bulbous-eyed frog terrorizing the southern marches' rice-fields. How lucky she had been that the worst she had to deal with in the north were beetles and aphids.

"With pleasure~ Now, where were we…? Ah, 'My vinyard has been stripped of its produce, the lattices trampled, and the stench of your beasts is plastered all over!' 'You bear no proof of this, and I guarantee that my livestock has stayed well within my own…'"

Of course, there were far more things Lycoris had to worry about now than just some bugs, especially in her role as heiress to an entire empire. But those concerns felt far away, like they had been locked outside of this comfortable warm study, and kept at bay by her mother's calm melodious voice.  It felt as though a miracle had struck Lycoris, when she realized that she'd finally found out how to actually relax. Like taking her first breath, tension eased from her shoulders. She didn't know who to thank for it, and with her thoughts guided by the tale, wondered just what exactly Vampiric "Ancestors" even were. Whether they were just parents, or some pantheon. What sites of worship they used, how it affected their culture.  As her mother continued the story, there were many things she wished to ask about, but refrained as she didn't want to interrupt. And eventually, she'd ended up so enraptured by the story being woven and her own fascination with the unknown gradually being peeled away before her, that her heavy eyelids closed without her even noticing.

＊　＊　＊

But sadly, tragedy haunted Lycoris like it were her own shadow. Even upon her return to the solemn safety of the Elysian Sanctum within the Transfixion of Heaven, she couldn't escape the villains that stalked her—craved her demise and downfall.  She ran through the hallway, her breath caught in her throat as she awkwardly choked.  It didn't make any sense. How did they manage to follow her all the way back home? Why couldn't she find her mother anywhere? Surely she had to be responding to this crisis somehow.

A familiar laugh echoed through the hall, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. She didn't understand what that wretched ■■■■■■■■■ was doing here, but if she had come to die, Lycoris would gladly send her to hell.  Spurred on by the voice of the betrayer, Lycoris ran through the hallway as doors to her sides slammed open and more of those unspeakable creatures poured out. Claws and blades and spears all lashed out at the vulnerable girl. Bereft of weapons, she had no choice but to run through them. However that meant enduring the cuts and strikes, every blow causing a gasp of pain to escape her lips.  But she couldn't leave her mother alone with that woman. She wouldn't let her destroy the happiness that she'd found.

When she reached her mother's study, the door was impossibly heavy. The moans of lifeless monsters echoed from the darkness of the hall behind her, their metallic shapes barely visible as they shambled closer.  Frantic and feeling her heartbeat accelerate, Lycoris let out a yell and punched the door, feeling her bones crack as she slammed fruitlessly against it. She shouted out to her mother beyond the door, but all she heard was the same wicked laughter.  Reinvigorated, she slammed again and again and again, the sounds of monsters creeping up behind her drawing closer. The sound of their shuffling footfalls scratched at the edge of her mind. Banging frantically on the door, Lycoris cried out to be saved.  Her hand slammed against wood and shattered, a scream of agony erupting out of her as the weighty door splintered apart. In the darkness beyond, a dark figure stood before her. Flowing magenta hair, a hat too small to shield her face, an outfit like a modern day stage performer's assistant.  A tremor of terror burst out of Lycoris as she staggered forward.

"You want your mama? Too bad, so sad. She's not here anymore." The Witch sneered at the confused stare facing her down. "Serves you right. You can't have your cake and eat it too, Lycoris. She's gone."

A drumbeat struck Lycoris like a thousand stones as the word resounded through her.

Gone…?

That couldn't be. She refused to let it be. Lycoris had only just realized what it meant to be happy, Goddess damn her!

She lifted her hand, holding her claws toward the sneering visage as though trying to dig her nails in, claw it away, crush it between her hands, make it go away and bring back—

"Ahaha, really? You think you can do anything to stop it? You might as well be trying to cast magic again! But you'll never do it, you can't. The river of fate bends for nothing but the terrain it flows through." She stood tall, raising a hand like a preacher. "Now suffer, for lying to your students, your mother, and yourself."

Twisted vines began to coil around Lycoris's legs.

"You want your friends back? Scared of losing ■■■■■ forever? You want your mama? Such biblical greed can only have one ending, Lycoris."

Thorns sprouted from the vines as they crept up her, burning and choking her for daring to Want. The sound of monsters murmuring all around them, Tatyana's sneer twisting into that of another detestable woman.

"Damn worthless child, why are you so weak?! Why did the Goddess curse me with such a useless brat. All you do is whimper and cough and complain. The Priest says you're healthy, you must be lying! You know what you get for trying to live, you wretched mistake! The Goddess has deemed you unfit for life, so hurry up and let that tiny, frail body die!"

She couldn't breathe or speak, the vines constricted around her throat. She couldn't move, as burning agony overwhelmed her body, piercing her again and again. A searing, white-hot agony overwrote every thought in her mind as she was blinded by the last vestiges of—

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＊

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH?!"

Lycoris jumped out of her bed and flopped onto the floor, a tangle of purple bedsheets clinging to her clammy, sweat-covered skin. Before even confirming her surroundings, she squirmed her way out of the sheets and sprinted for the door. She fumbled with the handle, almost wrenching the entire door off its hinges in her panic.

Just like before, she sprinted down the halls to her mother's study, and just like in her dream, when she banged on the door there was no response. Her heart tightened as she thrust it open, but all that sat there was the familiar study. No Tatyana, no Whispers. Just a quiet office, with the cold embers of a dead fire.  It wasn't enough to dispel the anxiety in Lycoris's heart. The fact her mother was absent was enough reason to cause her to worry.  Abandoning the room, she continued running down the hall as she warily kept her eyes on the doors, terrified that enemies would suddenly burst out of them. If she took the time to think it through logically, it obviously made no sense… but also it wasn't as though she had never been attacked within the Elysian Sanctum either…

Stopping at her final destination, Lycoris gulped nervously before the door, a sudden wave of hesitation washing over her. What if Lilianna wasn't inside? What if she was…  Lycoris shook the thought away and anxiously rapped the back of her good hand against the door.

"M-Mamaa? Are you in there?"

Before she could knock again, the door swung open and Lilianna stood before her, looking almost as frantic as Lycoris felt. Wide-eyed and with slightly frazzled hair, her mother gazed down at her with measured concern.

"Lycoris? What's the matter?"

Before Lycoris could even offer an answer, she crouched down and wrapped her arms around her, the warmth of her embrace causing tears to well up in Lycoris's eyes.  It was embarrassing, shameful even, but Lycoris could no more stop herself there than she could the evening in Kranes. She wrapped her arms around Lilianna and pressed her face against her chest in a vain attempt to muffle her whimper and control her trembling.

"I… h…had a nightmare… Can I… sleep in here… tonight?"  Almost before she even finished, Lilianna picked her up. "Of course, Dear. You can always come to us."

Lilianna carried her back to the bed, holding onto her even as she laid down on the already-warmed comforter and pulled the covers over Lycoris. The entire time, she wore a concerned and understanding frown.  Even after cozying up under the covers, Lycoris couldn't stop her arms from trembling. Logically she knew that there was no danger. Even if there was, there wasn't anything in the world that could match up to Lilianna. But if logic was all it took, she wouldn't have bothered coming to check on Lilianna in the first place.

"We told you to let us know if anything was wrong, Little Flower."  "I promise that I'm fine… I haven't kept anything from you. I just…"  "Had a nightmare," Lilianna sighed, pulling her daughter close. "No doubt from your recent stressful 'adventure.' This is why we have been so concerned about you. It's as if you aren't even aware of your own…"

Rather than angry, Lilianna sounded tired. Though that should have come as no surprise, considering Lycoris woke her up in the middle of the night. The realization of that caused a guilty frown to crease across Lycoris's lips.  When her mother trailed off and said nothing more, she immediately apologized to fill the silence, her trauma-reflex compounding her fear of condemnation.

"I'm sorry."  "Please, Lycoris, do not apologize. Please."

Lilianna spoke calmly, but firmly. After a short breath, she released the tension from her own shoulders and wrapped Lycoris up in her arms. Tenderly, she ran her fingers through her daughter's hair.

"Never feel guilty for coming to me for help. Remember, that Human was no mother to you, no matter what nonsense anyone could possibly claim. Not even if she actually was the one to birth you. A mother is someone who always takes her child's side, and is always there for her child, no matter what."  "…but what if you're not there?" whimpered Lycoris.  "Then, that is a failing on my part, if you've ended up in a situation where you need me and I'm not there to help. …Being Exaltare adds obvious complications, but I want you to always feel safe and loved. If I'm not there physically, then perhaps I can instill it within your heart with a little spell."

More eager than she'd admit to see what sort of magic it was, Lycoris fell quiet and gazed up at her mother. Once she had settled down, Lilianna gently poked her nose and muttered something in a breathless whisper. While there was no tingle of enchantment or sudden burst of mana, Lycoris felt her tension ease as her mother continued to stroke her hair.  In a tone unfamiliar to Lycoris, but still unmistakably Lilianna's, she began to sing a lullaby. For some reason, it made Lycoris want to sob, but she forced herself to remain quiet as she listened, drying her cheeks with her mother's warmth.

Through the tender power of Lilianna's "spell," Lycoris dreamed of a comforting scene, unplagued by nightmares of doubt and despair.

＊　＊　＊

However, the unfortunate consequence of Lycoris's "escapade" through Kranes County endured for far longer than just one night. For the rest of that week, she found herself craving the warmth of her mother's bed, having to stifle the little voice in the back of her mind trying to remind her that she was a grown adult.  She wasn't even sure how true that felt anymore, despite the conflicting logic and life experiences. Her mother's words from Condore echoed in her mind, "survival instinct."

Waking up in the warm, sinfully large and luxurious bed, Lycoris let out a wistful sigh as she stared at the familiar decor of her mother's room. She woke up alone, as usual—Lilianna had to wake up well before cockcrow—not that Lycoris had seen any sign of roosters in Tenebreimen—to catch up on work that piled up overnight and to prepare for meetings.  It only took one frantic sprint and embarrassing conversation with the guards, while in nothing but her nightgown, for that piece of information to permanently emblazon itself in Lycoris's mind.

Her eyes naturally fell upon the digital clock beside the bed, the numbers confirming that it was still morning once her brain caught up and processed what they meant.  Before too much of the day could pass her by, Lycoris pulled herself out of her mother's bed and shuffled off to her own room, her frayed nerves having gradually woven back together from the steady re-familiarization with her own home.

Stumbling through the door into her slightly chilly room, Lycoris shuffled toward the vanity and plopped herself down in front of it. She stared at her own messy-haired reflection and tugged one of the loose straps of her nightgown back over her shoulder, then glanced at the door she had just shut.  Naturally, nobody was standing there.  Lycoris let out a weary sigh and looked over the array of lotions and creams and powders spread across the vanity desk, before picking up the hairbrush with loose silvery strands clinging to it and getting to work. She could have called for and asked her mother for assistance, but Lilianna was busy enough with her duties as Exaltare that if Lycoris forced her hand now, it meant less time together later in the day.  She was already imposing on Lilianna by asking to sleep with her every night. But three nights in a row of nightmares and Lycoris simply gave up on the idea of sleeping in her own bed. The worst part was that her mother didn't even seem bothered at all, as though this was all perfectly normal.

Well, of course it's normal. I guess. She said herself that I should rely on her. And there's nobody else I can turn to for something like that. Especially not Athena, even if she were here… But what am I going to do if I keep having nightmares? Surely I can't impose on her for that long. I mean, what if I end up re-grown up and I still can't…

Lycoris huffed and shook her head to dispel the thought, both to put the worry and the mental image of herself as an adult out of her mind. Instead she picked up the brush off the counter and began glowering at her own reflection while managing her own hair. Once she had gotten it nice and straight, like a cascading waterfall of liquid silk running down her back, she set the brush down, stared long and hard at the assortment of containers, and then stood back up and marched back toward bed.  Not to sleep in it, of course, but to take her phone out from the bedside table and open up the video app. Plugging in a practiced, now-familiar phrase into the search bar, she made her way back to the vanity and set it down as she pressed play.

'Hi there and welcome to— be sure to hit that— but before we start here's a word from—'

She frowned at the multiple minutes of unnecessary preamble at the start, skipping ahead to the actual beginning of the tutorial.  Without Athena there to handle every facet of her life, Lycoris had to contend with the fact that she would actually have to learn to do her own makeup in a way that wouldn't embarrass herself in front of her mother. Lilianna had promised to teach her the basics, but… she'd rather practice on her own, and she had the tools to take the initiative after learning about BluView.  Thus, over the past few days since returning to the Elysian Sanctum, Lycoris spent every morning practicing. Primer, foundation, powder, contour, blush, eyeliner, mascara, brushes, sponges, pencils…

It was incredibly overwhelming at first, but she was nothing if not doggedly determined, and by the end of the week she'd managed to actually keep her makeup from clumping, smearing, and generally she didn't look like a clown by the end of it… which was the important part.  That being the case, she always made sure to wipe it all off and went about her day bare-faced anyways, as she didn't want to reveal to her mother that she'd been practicing something so embarrassing.  Though the more she thought about it, the more she wondered what about it was so embarrassing anyways. It wasn't as though she was doing something forbidden, it was her makeup. And her mother already knew that cosmetics were an alien art to her. Lilianna did want her to be resting, and this was… sort of a form of training, but that didn't feel like the reason either.

And I've had Athena do my makeup for me all the time! I guess it'd be a nice surprise for Mama to show I can do it on my own, but…

That didn't really explain her timidness…  Perhaps her reticence was spiritual in nature, like she was learning a taboo artform that should have been forbidden to her. Hard as it was to believe, she had been a man before all of this. It was only half a year ago, but sometimes it almost felt like it was just a dream.

"Except that obviously isn't the case, right Mizar~?"

She clasped shut the eyeliner pen, giving her locket a little wink. Suddenly, that sense of shame magnified itself twofold, and Lycoris paused the video and put her hands to her face as she violently shook her head back and forth.  Summoning up all her willpower to force the odd feeling aside, she instead gave herself a once over in the mirror and embraced the fluttery giddiness welling up in her heart as she saw how good of a job she had done. Rather than dwell on the tragic past, better to embrace the winsome present. Otherwise she really would end up trapped by those nightmares forever.

"What do you think? I look cute, right? I did a real good job, right~?"  "Hmm… a laudable performance, our little flower has brought out much of her inner charm."  "Hwwhawhuywhbwah?!"

Staring at her own reflection and holding up the locket to the vanity mirror, Lycoris was caught completely caught off guard by the sudden sound of her mother's voice. Slowly twisting her head to look, she saw Lilianna standing in the doorway in training clothes, her hair tied back in a ponytail and a fluffy cotton towel slung around her neck.  Her face rapidly darkened, her cheeks tinting deep purple beneath the layers of product she'd dusted on.

"M-Mama?! Wh-What are you doing here?! Why didn't you knock?!"  "We did. Perhaps our little girl was so engrossed in her morning routine that she didn't hear…"  "Buh… I… Wh… Uuuuu…"

Lycoris curled up on her stool, hugging her face into her knees as she made her best attempt to turn into a rock and cease thinking. Tragically, her efforts failed, and her mother walked in and gave her an encouraging pat on the back.

"Goodness, we didn't expect so strong a reaction. Have we perhaps ruined a surprise meant for us?"  "Mm… sorta. I've been practicing…"  Lilianna's eyes wandered over to the phone resting on the vanity. "Indeed, and the results speak for themselves. How blessed we are to have so proactive a child."  "I don't look weird… do I?" Lycoris turned to face her mother, her lips pursed as she couldn't bring herself to make eye contact.  "Of course not. Though, there might be better ways to flatter the exact curvature of your cheekbones, for instance. But that is a much simpler process than teaching you from the very basics." Lilianna nodded and crouched down, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "We don't mean to undersell your achievement, Lycoris. We're very proud of you."  "Oh, ah… um, thanks…" She couldn't tell if it was just the hug or if her cheeks were heating up in embarrassment. "So, why are you in training clothes, were you exercising earlier?"

Lilianna stood back up at full height, plucking Lycoris off of the stool and standing her up despite the girl's squirming. She took a step back and looked her daughter over once more before smiling.

"We were thinking it was about time to return to flying practice. Unless our little flower objects, of course."  "No! I mean, no that's totally alright with me. But, aren't you busy today?" It was hard not to sound too excited by the prospect.  Her mother smiled. "We've no other expectations or burdens today, and there is nothing we would rather do than spend time with our little flower. Barring any unpleasant surprises, the day belongs to you, Lycoris."

After nearly a week of being back home, Lycoris finally felt that she had begun to decompress. The weight on her shoulders had lessened, even if her own individual responsibilities had increased. And, while her mother was technically worse than Athena when it came to her evening cleansing ritual in the bath, it wasn't that much worse.  Perhaps Lilianna had picked up on that and was using this as a gentle nudging to urge her back into her routine of shoring up her weaknesses when it came to Vampire society and, more specifically, high society.

"I'd… like to do more flying practice, then."

Without Athena's rambunctious neologisms and servile demeanor, Lycoris found herself much more shy, even if she was paradoxically being more open about her wants. It must have been because her mother caught her in the middle of something. Right?

"Then we shall do so until our darling is tuckered out~! Or wants a change of pace, hmhm." Lilianna spun around and immediately began plucking clothing out of Lycoris's wardrobe, in a rather nostalgic manner reminiscent of her first days in the palace.  "Uh, it's just training clothes… I can do that myself."  "Are you sure? Even with your arm bandaged up?"  "I'm left-handed, technically. Just… sword-fighting's always done right-handed anyways. But also it's really not an issue! I-I mean I was doing my makeup just fine with one hand! …and isn't it okay for me to take the wrappings off now?"

A flash of overprotective concern washed over her mother's face. She paused in the middle of pulling out a familiar pair of bright blue shorts, her fingers crumpling the edges.  She offered no immediate response, so Lycoris sat down on the edge of the bed and fiddled with the little bat sticker on the back of her hand.

"Mama? …Lilianna?"  "Hm? Oh, yes dear, go ahead. If need be we can see to bandaging it back up."  "Alright…"

It was the first time she'd ever had to refer to her mom by name directly. There had been strange signs in Lilianna's behavior ever since they returned—no, ever since she recovered Lycoris from Kranes, the signs were there. Worry and irritation, but never directed at Lycoris. Maybe she was just as anxious as Lycoris had been over their separation.  Not that Lycoris would ever admit that out loud. Though, she probably didn't even need to. Lilianna seemed to know her better than she did herself, vexingly.

Gradually peeling the sticker off, Lycoris began to unspool the cloth that had tightly wrapped her arm up. It had grown a little sticky and stiff thanks to the medical gel, but once she unwrapped the whole affair, all that was left was a residual foul alchemical stench… and a perfectly pristine pale white arm. If anything, it looked even healthier than her left, radiating a soft glow of newborn skin.

"Oooh, wow not even a trace of injury left behind… I guess I won't have to worry about scars ever again, huh…?"  "Really? Let us check."  "Ahaha… M-Mama that tickles!"

Rushing over and depositing a pile of clothing on the bed beside her, Lilianna gently grasped Lycoris's arm and tested it with her thumbs in various places, prodding and squishing Lycoris's arm and hand.  After confirming that her arm had in fact healed properly, Lycoris's mother somewhat reticently released her daughter again as she settled down on the edge of the bed. She put her hands in her lap and, after a long moment of awkward silence, turned to her daughter with a troubled smile.

"Then, are you sure you do not want us to dress you?"  "I'm fine!!"

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