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If Nier had been told long ago when he was just a small child that he would have all of the treasures of the world bestowed upon him, he would think such a thought would be insane and surely it would never come to fruition. And that the person telling him this was out of their mind.
And yet, here he was, having grown up with three incredible friends by his side. And in Seafront of all places he was currently at, having just finished up a job for one of the merchants and was awaiting his hefty payment they’d promised the young man. He waited eagerly beside their stand, excited beyond belief for the prospect of such grandiose money which would solve all of his problems.
Well at the moment, it would solve one of them.
“You seem awfully eager to receive this payment,” Weiss said as he danced around in the air, not exactly happy with having to wait patiently for the merchant to return. “Are you planning on spending it all in one sitting as soon as we’re done here?”
“You could say that,” Nier responded absentmindedly, clearly not aware of how that sounded to the old book beside him. He was more preoccupied with the thought of what he would buy. There wasn’t a simple answer for such a difficult decision after all. This was quite the unique situation the man had found himself in for once. Usually, his money would go towards something useful like food or weapons or the occasional medicinal herb or two.
But this was something that had begged for serious consideration. Whatever he was going to buy, it needed to be as perfect as the woman it was meant for. Though, as mature as Nier had liked to believe himself to be, even his own thoughts reminding him of his intentions made the man’s face flare up in a deep shade of red. And so, he attempted to ignore that aspect of his quest.
“Bah! Are you mad or just stupid?!” Weiss spat. “Here we are about to receive thirty-thousand gold and you’re already thinking of spending it all immediately?!” The book then proceeded to spin around and shake with such rage Nier thought he might explode. To say Weiss was overreacting would be an understatement. But, that wasn’t exactly out of the realm of normalities for him.
“Easy there Weiss or you might just pop a nerve.” Nier chuckled to himself at the thought of what he’d just said, finding it quite humorous much to Weiss’s clear irritation.
“For you to think I could do such a thing proves you have no grasp of intelligence,” Weiss responded snarkily. No wonder he got into such heated arguments with Kainé if he was throwing such responses at her. Granted, she was usually the one to instigate them.
Nier merely sighed at this and took a moment to respond, collecting his thoughts and giving himself time to build up the courage to explain his little problem. This was Weiss after all, he didn’t exactly know how the book would react.
“I’m thinking of… buying something for Kainé,” Nier finally admitted, the surface of his cheeks beginning to flush with a light pink. Though unfortunately for him, that color was quite visible in the powerful rays of the sunlight casting down onto them. “It’s just to thank her for everything she’s done for us, you know?”
Weiss didn’t say anything for a moment, perhaps trying to formulate his own response to Nier’s words. Of course, Nier grimaced a little thinking about what the book could say, knowing it would be either a cold and harsh truth or a merciless rebuttal against his honest wishes to buy something nice for the woman. And unfortunately for him, he did not know which one he preferred.
But after a moment or so of silence between the two, Weiss spoke, “Mmm yes… you may color me quite utterly flabbergasted. Finally acting on your feelings for once, aren’t you my lad?” If he could smirk, he would. Though such an expression was practically visible through his words alone, which had caused Nier’s already flustered face to deepen quite rapidly into a dark beet red.
Of course, the man tried everything in his power to deny Weiss’s words, saying it was merely a platonic gift and nothing more. And that he harbored no romantic feelings or intent towards the woman who’d been their friend and comrade for so long. But Weiss simply shot down Nier’s every attempt to put up a facade, and used his sharp tongue to perform quick and witty responses that would render the man utterly speechless.
In the end, Nier had found himself giving up on putting up such a useless fight.
“Alright, fine! You win!” the man shouted. Though unfortunately for him, this just had coincidentally been the exact moment his client decided to step up to them with their money in hand. Nier could only stare at her worried face as his own burned to the point it almost stung.
“Am I… interrupting something?” The merchant sounded concerned as she spoke and quietly set the pouch full of money down on the stand for Nier to take. Though the man could not blame her with the way his voice boomed throughout the market’s street. Even in his village, he’d been known to frighten the locals with just his voice alone.
“N-no! You’re not, I apologize!” Nier was quick to respond, not wanting to scare the woman off. “I was just having a small argument with my friend here. I’m sorry if I scared you.” He then flashed her a quaint smile to exemplify his apology.
To his relief, the merchant returned his smile with one of her own, and even gave a small giggle at his explanation, clearly amused. “I see. Is it about the payment? I-I can offer more if you’d like!”
“No! The payment is fine!” Nier replied. “It’s just… oh to hell with it- you’re a woman! D-do you… know what women like for gifts? I mean of course you probably do, you are in fact a girl! I just-”
“That will be enough of that awkward speech, my lad. I shall take over,” Weiss interjected. Though his tone emitted a sort of snide joy from seeing his friend unable to explain his troubles properly to the merchant. Quickly, he turned to her to offer his own. “We are in search of a gift that will please a certain huss- woman. Perhaps you would be able to point us in the proper direction for such an item?”
The merchant stared at the two for a small moment after the book had spoken, as if to examine Nier’s awkward glances and Weiss’s very upfront demeanor. Then, she took a glance down at the ground and appeared to go into deep thought. After a minute or two of thinking, she finally offered a response, “Welllll, there is a jewelry shop here in Seafront that is quite popular with the ladies. But, if you’re looking for something else, you may want to try the Strange-Things store in Facade. They might have something your lady would like!” The end of her reply almost had a sing-song tone to it, and she quietly giggled to herself.
Nier perked up when he heard the words “jewelry shop”. He didn’t exactly know if Kainé was one to adorn herself in such extravagant accessories. Or if she even enjoyed such things. But who would it hurt to take a look around? The man gave the merchant a quick smile to show his thanks as he grabbed the pouch of money from the stand. “Would you mind telling me where this jewelry shop is?”
…
“Well that was an utter waste of our time,” Weiss said with complete disappointment clear in his voice. As he and Nier made their way back to the entrance of Seafront, he gave a few sighs of annoyance, frustration, and probably a few other things. This only grated on Nier’s nerves who simply wished to return to his two waiting friends, sadly empty handed.
Unfortunately, the jewelry shop was a dead end for the pair, as it had provided nothing that seemed suitable for the woman in question. Anything Weiss tried to suggest to Nier was either gawky by appearance or far too tacky and big to be so much as even appealing to the man. And anything Nier tried to suggest… well that is if he suggested anything. The man was too caught up in his own mind, pondering over the various selection of colors, metals, and anything that embroidered the jewelry of the store. And eventually, he’d decided that none of it would be something Kainé would so much as even bother to adorn, a true disappointment for the man.
“Yeah? Well at least we tried,” Nier replied before sighing himself. “Nothing in that shop looked like something Kainé would want to wear. Save for that, none of it even matched her outfit!” His brows furrowed in frustration as he spoke and he bore an expression of frustration. He just wanted to get Kainé something nice. Was that really too much to ask?
“Perhaps we should look at your village’s clothing shop,” Weiss suggested. Though Nier knew exactly where he was going with this and was not amused in the slightest. “We may be able to procure the hussy a new set of lingerie. Surely some underwear of the yellow variant would do her good.”
“Ha ha, Weiss.” Nier responded flatly as he kicked a nearby rock into the side of the tunnel’s wall. “I’m sure Kainé would find that joke hilarious. Maybe you should tell it to her.”
“And ruin the good fun of a surprise? I think not my lad!” Weiss flicked through his pages for a moment before closing the cover. Then, he turned to get a look at Nier’s expression, while looking as if he was in thought. And eventually, it appeared he’d come to a conclusion. “You’re being sarcastic, aren’t you?”
“How could you tell?” Nier asked with a witty smile to accompany it. He occasionally dwelled in the enjoyment of annoying his good friend, a bad habit he supposed he’d learned from Kainé when he was younger. It always entertained him watching Weiss shake with such fervent anger over a measly snide comment that had no weight on their actual day-to-day life. Frankly, the book made it all too easy.
“Now listen here, boy!” Weiss bellowed. “No one mocks the great Grimoire Weiss! Apologize now!” He flicked his pages about as he quickly swung in front Nier and leaned forward as low as he could without flipping over. A form of expression, the man assumed.
“Alright, alright. I apologize.” Nier didn’t even bother to try and put up a fight against the book, knowing full well he’d lose no matter what he said. Maybe Kainé was able to withstand Weiss’s harsh use of his pompous attitude and rich vocabulary of vast words, but she was also able to eat poisonous berries and still be perfectly fine. Nier on the other hand was sure as hell not able to do either of the two.
The grimoire huffed and moved back over to where he’d previously been residing by Nier’s side. “That’s what I thought. Now let us continue back to our awaiting companions.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a plan.”
The rest of the walk was quaint and fairly relaxing, as the two had allowed the silence between them to give way for the soft ambience of the tunnel to slip in. The various drips of water splashing against the dirt ground echoed throughout their surroundings and created a sort of harmony amongst the other sounds around them.
The faint wisps of the city behind them reverberating against the tunnel’s walls. The soft gusts of wind that flew past the two and whispered sweet nothings into their ears. It was almost too relaxing. Like it could put you to sleep in an instant upon hearing such a lovely melody of sounds. Nier had even fought against an oncoming yawn from within his body. Though unfortunately for him, he ultimately lost the battle.
Eventually, the two had found themselves nearing the exit, as Nier noticed the breeze that had been blowing past them was beginning to turn into a mildly forceful wind. Streaks of light not belonging to the torchlit walls began to pool onto the ground a few feet ahead. And as he heard the familiar voices of his close friends echo out in the distance, Nier couldn’t help but feel a jump in his heart.
“Hey Kainé, Emil,” the man greeted as he exited the tunnel, bringing a hand up to the side of his head to form a small wave. The two had stopped conversing at this, instead turning around to face Nier and Weiss to greet them back.
“Well you two sure as hell took your goddamn time,” Kainé said with a small smirk spreading across her face. Inwardly, this had caused Nier’s stomach to perform leaps and bounds of cartwheels against itself as heat rushed to his face with unprecedented speed. Part of him hated how such a simple smile could make him feel so warm. Part of him relished in it.
“A thousand apologies,” Weiss responded, making sure to emphasize his words with as much sarcasm as they could physically hold. “It wasn’t as though we were completing our duties like the good samaritans we so happen to be.”
“A job like that would’ve gotten done faster by a pig rolling around in shit.” Kainé flashed him a cheeky grin. “So what the hell were you two doing? Emil and I were so damn bored out here.”
“I wasn’t bored!” Emil retorted her words. “I was having a blast talking to Kainé!” A small giggle then escaped him as Kainé rolled her eyes at his response. Though it was clear she was amused by the young boy’s words.
Nier could only smile at this interaction, the warmth from such a moment filling his heart with fervent joy. Seeing his friends like this, arguing and conversing happily without a worry to be seen across their cheerful faces, it almost made the man forget about everything that was troubling him.
Well, it had helped him forget about most things that is. And as quickly as it had vanished from the surface of his mind, it appeared once more; the reason he and Weiss were so late from their trip in Seafront, as well as the reason Nier had even wished to make the trip over there.
The damn gift for Kainé!
Nier suddenly forced a cough upon remembering such an important matter, causing Weiss to jump ever so slightly and leer at him for a long moment. Even loud coughs seemed to startle the poor grimoire. Nier couldn’t help but internally chuckle to himself as he considered that.
“Everything in working order?” Weiss asked, the startle he’d experienced making its way into his tone.
“Everything is fine, Weiss. It was just a cough,” Nier replied as he tried to refrain from smiling at his friend’s reaction. Though the man had decided to quickly change the subject afterwards and turned to Emil. “Hey Emil? Can I talk to you and Weiss,” Nier paused to glance at Kainé before continuing, “in private?”
Kainé arched a brow at this. “In private? Why the fuck am I not invited?”
“It’s something…” Nier’s voice trailed off as he attempted to search for a plausible response to give to her. He couldn’t just outright tell her that it was a gift meant for her. It needed to be a surprise! But he knew Kainé wasn’t the type of person to not ask any questions so easily. And so he needed to come up with something that would satisfy her. And quickly.
But before he could, Weiss took the opportunity to speak up for him. “It’s about a job within Facade,” he said. “And the client has requested the utmost secrecy pertaining to it. Does that answer your question, hussy?” Of course the book had to add a fair amount of snark towards the end of his question. Which, of course, did nothing more than annoy the woman it was targeted at.
“Yeah it does. But why don’t you tell me why you’re such a shithead all the time, book?” Kainé shot Weiss a nasty glare that made even Nier look away out of fear. But as he usually was, Weiss wasn’t phased by it in the slightest.
“Now see here, you insufferable-” the grimoire began his own retort, though Nier was quick to intervene. As entertaining as it was to see the two go at each other’s throats from time to time, it was also derailing the conversation from the very thing the man had wished to keep on track with. Not to mention, it was getting a little too heated for his liking.
“Alright you two. Cut it out.” Nier gave them both a glare that could rival Kainé’s. So it did its valiant work in quickly shutting them up. “Weiss is right though. I know you don’t want to go in Facade, so we didn’t exactly invite you along for this one. I… hope that’s alright.”
For a moment, Nier could’ve sworn he saw a look of disappointment flash across Kainé’s face, as if she was hurt by the fact they didn’t wish to bring her along for a simple job. And although Nier knew this entire thing was a lie and that there was no such job within Facade, he couldn’t help but feel his heart break slightly upon seeing such a sight.
But Kainé was quick to replace the look with another one of smugness and cheap sarcasm, which thankfully, both Weiss and Emil didn’t appear to notice the change. “I see. Well, I hope you three have fun with that,” she said before offering them a small grin.
Of course, while Kainé was able to blindly accept the lie without knowing its true details, Emil, who’d never heard of such a job, kept on glancing between Nier and Weiss with clear confusion, as if he was trying to get some answers through their looks alone.
Nier was quick to notice the boy’s puzzled gaze though. And he offered Emil a small smile before pulling him aside so as to not let Kainé overhear. It wouldn’t be nice to not let him in on the plan after all.
The man explained his intentions to Emil, as well as requesting the young boy’s help. And Emil only stared at him for a few moments, taking in what he’d just heard. And soon after, the boy suddenly jumped up from newfound excitement racing through him as Nier smiled at his reaction, happy to see Emil jump on board without a second thought.
“That’s the BEST idea ever!” Emil exclaimed happily as he buzzed with elation. Upon hearing that, Nier would’ve even considered the boy to be more excited than him. “So what are you thinking huh?! A book? A scarf? Maybe a new sword?!”
“I don’t know if Kainé would like any of those,” Nier said with a small smile, one that showed he appreciated the ideas nonetheless. “But we could potentially do something along the lines of a scarf. Maybe she’d want something like that.”
“Unfortunately, I highly doubt someone such as Kainé would appreciate a scarf or any other article of clothing that could potentially cover her any more than her own clothes do,” Weiss chimed in. Though his words rang low in the form of a harsh whisper.
Nier could only frown at Weiss’s words as he folded his arms across his chest and gave a small sigh. “You don’t know that, Weiss. And besides, it was only a suggestion.”
“A suggestion that proves to be remarkably unhelpful,” Weiss huffed. “If we truly wish to find her a gift that she wouldn’t throw out upon first glance, perhaps something having to do with a Lunar Tear would be worth our time. The hussy does have an appreciation for the flower, yes?” Despite him being unable to create anything resembling an expression, Nier could tell the grimoire was quite proud of himself for coming up with such an idea.
Though, Nier wasn’t exactly against the suggestion. In fact, it was one of their stronger ideas for the matter. “That’s… actually a pretty good idea,” the man said with a look of surprise as he considered it more. A Lunar Tear, the flower Kainé’s grandma had cultivated for her long ago. It was a near perfect consideration in Nier’s eyes. Though the issue was attempting to find anything related to the flower. “Too bad they’re so rare, though.”
“You guys said something about going to Facade, right?” Emil suddenly spoke up, looking hopeful. “Maybe the Strange-Things store has something Lunar Tear related!”
“That’s exactly where we’re planning on going next,” Nier replied with a small smile. “But for now, we should probably stop huddling or else Kainé might beat us into the ground.” He looked a little worried as he ended his sentence, fearful that the woman might’ve encroached on their conversation without their knowledge. But thankfully, as he turned around, he could see Kainé was more preoccupied with a nearby rabbit making the dangerous decision of approaching her.
But to his surprise, the woman didn’t turn her blade on the creature. Instead, she was bending down to one knee to meet its curious gaze. She even slowly began to hold her hand out to it, though there was an air of hesitance surrounding her actions, as if she was worried about startling it.
This single sight made Nier’s heart stop with awe. It was so pristine, so beautiful to him. The way a genuine tender smile flickered across Kainé’s face as the rabbit hopped towards her and reached out to sniff the palm of her hand. It was such a peaceful moment to him that was so gentle and soft, like the first budding of a Lunar Tear.
Unfortunately, the moment had reached its abrupt end when a distant bellow had startled the poor creature, causing it to flee away from Kainé with a fearful gleen in its eyes. Kainé herself looked on as the rabbit ran with a somewhat disappointed gaze affixed to her face, though Nier could also sense annoyance somewhere within it.
“You know, I’m quite surprised that the rabbit had the gaul to approach you,” Weiss said.
“Cram it up your index, book,” was the response he received.
Nier could only sigh at this before beginning to plan out the rest of the day in his mind. Facade could potentially have something for them. And knowing how the Strange-Things store had never let them down before, hope flickered about within the man that they would be able to succeed in their mission there.
“Let’s hurry over to Facade!” Emil spoke up suddenly, though Nier suspected his words were due to how Kainé and Weiss looked as though they were going to rip each other apart if the bickering continued. “For that, uh, job!”
“Yeah,” Nier replied as a smile curled against the corners of his mouth. He hated to admit how much he actually anticipated it; the feeling could even be considered excitement. He’d wanted to do this for quite some time now, to give the woman of his dreams the gift she so properly deserved. And now, the opportunity was staring at him right in the face.
If Seafront didn’t work out, surely Facade would!
…
“You three have fun with this job of yours. I’m gonna go hang around outside and maybe kill some shit.”
The group of four had finally arrived at Facade, stepping up to its towering doors which led into the wondrous city of masks. The doors had become a sense of nostalgia as the years went by for Nier, with the way their pristine stone structure had become faded and cracks began their crusade against the surface.
Though the man could tell the masked citizens still preserved their loyal pride for their city as signs of impending construction awaited its use at the steps of the doors. Weiss had even offered a comment on the matter, saying how much respect he held for such a cheerful and prideful group of people.
“Are you sure, Kainé?” Nier turned to the women with a small worrisome look. “I’ve heard the wolves have become more dangerous lately. Maybe you should-”
“I can take care of myself,” Kainé spat before shooting the man with a vicious glare. It was clear no matter how persuasive Nier could try to be, he wasn’t going to change her mind. “You all just take care of your own shit and worry about yourselves.”
Nier didn’t expect much of a response from her. Perhaps a simple “I don’t wanna go inside” or “You guys go ahead”, but the reply he got from Kainé was… suspiciously angry. As though he’d done something to wrong her. But Nier didn’t do anything wrong, did he?
“Are you-” Nier began, but the look on Kainé’s face told him to not push it, and so he shut his mouth before she would probably shut it for him.
Kainé didn’t offer much of a goodbye as the now group of three began their trek up the stairs and into Facade. Though, as Nier turned around for a quick glance at the woman before she strode off into the desert’s mirage, he could see an expression on her that for once, he had quite the difficult time discerning. As if the anger she’d bared was no more than a mask meant to shadow her true emotions.
She looked upset, like tears would stumble from her eyes at any given moment and make their way down her cheeks. But at the same time, her expression twisted into one of guilt, an emotion that Nier had hardly ever seen on Kainé ever. But most striking of all, was the furrow of her brow and the bite of her bottom lip as she pressed a hand to her chest.
For once, Kainé looked vulnerable. And Nier took that look and fumbled over his mind attempting to understand the meaning behind it.
“Give her time, lad,” Weiss suddenly spoke up, which peeled the man’s attention away from white-haired woman. “She’s merely upset because we took on a “job” prior to her knowledge and didn’t even bother to invite her along. There’s no need to overthink it.”
“How’d you know I was doing that?” Nier questioned, bringing his gaze up to the book floating just above his head. Though from the corner of his eye, he could see Kainé disappearing from around a corner and into the blistering desert heat.
Weiss simply chuckled and gave a little spin in the air, flitting about for a moment before lowering himself to meet the man’s gaze. Then, he responded to the query. “I see that pining look in your eyes every time they land on her. It quite resembles a lost puppy, my lad.” The grimoire proceeded to then offer himself a small laugh at his comparison, clearly amused by his words.
Nier could only frown at this and return his friend’s laugh with a furrowed glare, which he used to attempt to obscure the sweltering heat that rose to his pink dusted cheeks. “I-I do not!” he exclaimed, garnering the attention of the nearby guards as well as Emil, who’d been making his way to the door in an almost air-headed manner with the way he turned around to face the two in confusion.
This only made Nier’s face flush up more. And he groaned in embarrassment upon realizing there wasn’t really a way for him to get out of the hole Weiss had dug for him. The book was sometimes too intuitive for his own good.
“Why do you do this, Weiss?”
“Partly because it’s amusing. But mostly because you have yet to fully accept your feelings.” Weiss stared down at him, almost in an intimidating manner.
Nier thought to look away, but he knew he would just be digging the hole himself if he did that. He didn’t know what to say at that moment. With both Weiss and now Emil gazing upon him with their unmoving expressions, he felt almost pressured to say something. But, he didn’t want to outright admit his feelings. At least, not to them.
His words, his feelings. They were for Kainé alone. He didn’t want to tell Weiss, for he knew the book would just hang it over his head with an almost gleeful tone. And while a part of him wanted to tell Emil, he also relished in the fact the boy was oblivious to his painfully obvious feelings for Kainé, which he assumed was due to Weiss’s constant nagging on the matter.
“Let’s just… go into Facade,” Nier finally said with an exasperated sigh to accompany it, looking utterly exhausted over such a brief exchange of words. He wouldn’t admit it to them. Not until he’d finished what he desired to do.
When the merry little group finally entered the gates of their destination, cheerful yet wary of their search for something related to the omnipotent Lunar Tear of legends, Nier took a moment to examine his surroundings, and to smile at how little everything around him had changed.
The bustling streets of the masked citizens remained buzzed with the energetic mood of the people filling them. The houses themselves, while cracked and in need of some repairs, all still stood tall with the same goal in mind; to house their residents and protect them no matter the cost. It was like a breath of fresh air from the constantly changing world around him.
“Are we going to stand about all day, lad?” Weiss suddenly asked with a grated tone leaning on his voice.
This brought Nier out of his trance-like state, who suddenly remembered his intention for arriving to the desert city. And the man was quick to apologize to his floating friend. “Sorry, Weiss.”
“I’d rather not hear from the hussy about how long we idled and waltzed around the city’s streets and kept her waiting. Let us hurry in this little quest of yours.”
“Yeah.” Nier chuckled despite himself being anything but amused with the book's witty words. But he supposed it was because he agreed to them overall. If they did take a little too much time searching around, the man had quite the feeling Kainé would have something to say about it.
The trip to the Strange-Things store was quite the ordeal indeed much to the frustration of the group. Due to the corroded makeshift bridges scattered about the city, Nier had a fair bit of difficulty trying not to make any missteps that would send him plummeting into the sandy depths below. Though each time he had a close call, Weiss was sure to give a witty remark or two much to his complete and utter annoyance.
Emil seemed pleased as they walked though, hopping about within the air and humming a small melody to himself with such profound excitement coursing in the air around him. The boy had even begun to explain what he wanted to give Kainé with very animated movements as he spoke. It was clear to both Nier and Weiss he was incredibly thrilled to have the opportunity to give the woman something he himself picked out.
And Nier couldn’t have been more happy for him with his own excitement eating at his stomach.
Eventually, the trio reached the store of strange things, with Nier being less enthused over having to resort to using the sand raft due to him having the closest experience to dying in his life by tripping over a rock and almost stumbling into the swift-moving sand below. And if it weren’t for Emil who used his magic to right the man to his feet, Nier was sure he would’ve been a goner.
As Nier approached the store owner, wearing an albeit nervous but excitable smile as he did so, he offered his greetings to the man, who in return offered his own.
“I’m looking for something Lunar Tear related if that’s at all possible,” Nier said whilst continuing to smile. It wouldn’t take long for him to become worried if such an expression was too much as Weiss appeared to think so with the way he stared a hole into the man’s chest. “I don’t suppose you have anything like that?”
The merchant stilled for a moment and appeared to go into a sort of deep though, most likely flicking about the various items of the store within his mind. It was quite impressive to Nier how merchants were able to commit their inventory to memory with an incredible mental solidity. And he was even more impressed with how the merchant didn’t even look around at his selections to make sure of his response to the question.
But, as Nier’s nervousness grew and began to wrap a blanket of anxiety around him, the merchant turned around to face his collection of various materials and items. “We actually do have a few items related to the Lunar Tear,” the merchant said in his native tongue. And a smile was heard beneath his mask.
“You do?!” Nier couldn’t believe his ears for a moment. All of the time he spent. All of the planning he did. And now, with money in hand, it would all be worth it. “C-can I see?”
The merchant nodded with seemingly delighted movements as he stumbled into the mess of his inventory without wasting a second to hesitate. And Nier waited in exhilarating anticipation with Emil and Weiss, almost unable to contain his excitement at the prospects of finally completing his goal.
“Here we are!” The merchant pulled out a makeshift drawer, the finish on it had rubbed off over the years and nearly rotted away with age. But as he made his way back over to the group, Nier could see the drawer still held some remnant of its original value as the inside looked almost in perfect mind condition with the navy blue velvet cloth pinned to the bottom of it and not a speck of dust in sight.
“These are quite old and fairly… rough around the edges. But they’re a vintage set of jewelry designed after the Lunar Tear flower!” The merchant sounded pleased as he spoke and set the drawer down on a nearby counter for the trio to examine. On the velvet wrapped in a clear cloth of some sort was an assortment of five pieces of jewelry.
A pair of earrings sat in the farthest corner. And from what Nier could see from within the transparent cloth, they were something akin to teardrops, trimmed with gold at the top which trailed down into a faded but still vibrant blue hue. And connected to a very thin string almost invisible to the naked eye were stones cut and painted in the shape of Lunar Tears on each earring.
“Those earrings are beautiful. What do you think, Weiss?” Nier turned to the grimoire for his input.
Weiss merely scoffed. “Beautiful they are indeed. But not very efficient when it comes to battle. What if something were to snag on them or a Shade grabbed onto one and pulled on it with all its might?”
Nier took a moment to consider his friend’s words, coming to the realization that he was indeed correct. They were indeed a beautiful pair most likely forged with only the highest respect, but their inefficiency in battle ruled them out much to his disappointment. “I guess you’re right about that.”
The next was a bracelet with the same colors and design as the earrings. Droplets of gold cascading down into a brilliant blue with a Lunar Tear embedded in the metal. But, as beautiful as it was, Nier knew it could get in the way all too easily. And he didn’t exactly see Kainé as the type to adorn her wrist with one.
“Hey, what about that necklace?” Emil suddenly spoke up from his position in the air. Both Nier and Weiss turned to face the boy as he strode over to the drawer and examined the middle jewelry with a hopeful look. “I’m sure Kainé likes necklaces! They also can’t get in the way as easily as earrings would!”
Upon hearing his friend’s words, Nier too looked over at the middle piece of the set. It was indeed a necklace, and unlike the bracelet appeared to be tight fitting with the thin golden chain only producing a small amount of space for someone to fit around it. Though for some reason, Nier knew it would be perfect around Kainé’s neck. Not too tight, nor too loose.
The necklace itself was gorgeous beyond comparison. The gold chain shimmered in the sun’s dancing rays with a seemingly profound excitement. And connected to it, was a beautiful sky blue teardrop jewel. But that wasn’t what had captivated Nier’s attention. No, it was what was within the jewel itself. A real Lunar Tear flower, trapped within the confines of its blue surroundings.
The Lunar Tear appeared to only be a bud, a newborn flower with the hope of a long life. It would never grow and wilt, never experience the pains of life. Its youth would forever remain a constant.
“My my… I wonder how they managed to trap the flower within the jewel,” Weiss said after a moment of silence. Nier could only wonder the same.
“Apparently, the material used to make this existed long ago,” the merchant explained. “They’d dry out the flower and then encase it within this clear liquid. And soon, they’d have this! At least, that’s what old records say.”
“Incredible…” Nier was astounded that such a method for preserving beauty had existed once upon a time. It was simply amazing. And, a part of him hoped that society would one day be able to recreate the revolutionary material. “How much for the necklace?”
“Are you sure Kainé would even like such a gift?” Weiss turned to him as he spoke, his tone sounding a bit hesitant despite his usual demeanor. “Surely, we agreed the hussy isn’t the type to adorn herself with such extravagences after our trip in Seafront.”
“I have a feeling Kainé will love it, Weiss,” Nier replied with a firm smile planted on his face. “And besides, Emil was the one who picked it out. If anyone knows what Kainé likes, it’s him.”
Emil looked beyond pleased to hear those words from the man, even with his unmoving expression. The boy excitedly jumped around in the air, cheering over his suggestion being considered and chosen amongst the others. Nier could only watch on as his smile grew wider.
The merchant soon gave his price, to which Nier happily paid up with no hesitation despite it being very much so on the expensive side. And after stumbling around a little more to find a box for it, the necklace was in the man’s possession, ready to be gifted to the waiting lady just beyond Facade’s walls.
“I’m so excited for Kainé to see it! How do you think she’ll react?” Emil joyfully wandered about within the air as he rambled excitedly. “I think she’ll be over the moon about it! What do you think, Weiss?”
“I believe we’ll have to see once our lad here builds up the courage to even give it to her,” Weiss responded flatly, though his snarky attitude resounded clearly in his tone. Nier simply tried to ignore it.
“I’ll give it to her tonight when we get back to the village.” The man fidgeted with the box in his hands as he spoke. Saying it made it all the more real. And it being real caused his face to heat up like the desert surrounding them. “And I won’t chicken out, no matter what you think, Weiss.”
“Whatever you say, lad.”
The rest of the walk was quaint and simple, with all three members of the group remaining silent as they approached the towering doors leading to the rest of the desert, and Kainé. And as the three approached the door and gave a small smile and wave at the guards who then proceeded to open the doors for them, Nier could feel his heart beginning to pound loudly in his chest.
To say he was nervous would be an understatement.
Kainé greeted them with her usual aloofness as they made their way down the stairs to meet her. And Nier couldn’t help but notice the look she gave him as he did everything in his power to avoid her questioning gaze. He could tell she knew he was nervous. And that only made his anxiety swell up to a worrisome degree as he hid the box amongst the rest of his possessions.
“How was the job?”
“It was quite lovely. One could even call it relaxing.” Nier could almost see the sarcasm in Weiss’s words. Though thankfully, Kainé didn’t appear to pick up on it.
“Did you enjoy the desert, Kainé?” Emil asked with his usual cheeriness, something the woman could never seem to get mad at no matter what the boy said.
“It was fine. Shades were being fucking annoying though,” Kainé responded with a bland tone. “Anyway, let’s get the hell out of here. All this sand is starting to piss me off.”
“For once, I couldn’t agree more,” Weiss said with an exasperated sigh to accompany it. Though Nier couldn’t blame him as the sand almost seemed to find every way imaginable to get trapped within the book’s pages. And he highly doubted that it was comfortable.
“I agree as well. I’d rather not deal with the wolves if at all possible,” Nier chimed in. And everyone unanimously agreed.
…
Nighttime had fallen as the group had reached the outskirts of Nier’s village, the sun fittingly deciding to rest behind a darkened cloud which allowed for the mood of the time to completely set in for them. The Northern Plains were surprisingly calm and quiet despite the darkness blanketing itself over it, with what little Shades there were choosing to wander instead of attacking them.
It was a fairly calm walk, and Nier felt a wave of peace wash over him as they neared the familiar gates of his village, a safety net for him and Weiss. Though as his mind began to wander, so did his emotions over the fact Kainé and Emil would once more be forced to brave the surrounding wilderness.
The man wished that for once, the two would be allowed in the arms of the village, free from the dangerous Shades and wild animals. And this thought gave way for him to think about something he never once considered.
Kainé in his home. A domestic life between the two. The villagers welcoming her as one of their own. Yonah being able to truly meet her and the three could live peacefully together. Perhaps Nier would even build up the courage to ask her a question that burned in his mind. A question he’d heard that many men and women wished to hear over the course of their lives.
But of course, he’d have to firstly build up the courage to give her the necklace before he could even consider any of that a possibility. And so, as they approached the gates, with Weiss being clearly grateful to be home and Emil happy to rest for the night, Nier decided then was the time for him to pose the question.
“Hey Weiss, Emil?” he began, garnering the attention of the two. “Could you guys go ahead without us? I gotta… talk to Kainé for a moment.”
While Kainé bore a look of confusion upon the request, Weiss and Emil both appeared to understand, with Weiss even looking somehow satisfied, like he was pleased Nier was not going to back out on his plan.
“Of course, my lad,” the grimoire said in a delighted tone, happy to oblige. “Do take your time.”
“Mhm! Good luck!” Emil giggled to himself before shooting Nier a thumbs up and proceeding to follow Weiss around a corner, where the man assumed they would eavesdrop much to his annoyance.
Though for some reason, that irritation was short lived as for once, he and Kainé were alone, and he could finally enact his plan. Nier nervously cleared his throat while the woman looked on at him, a small smirk edging the corners of her mouth and battling the puzzled expression on her.
“So…” Nier began, trying not to let his anxiety sneak its way into his voice, but already he was failing, “I’m guessing you’re probably confused about all this.”
“Confused would be one way to put it, ya ass,” Kainé responded, her smirk winning the battle and fully taking over across her lips. “What the hell is going on? Why’d you send them away like that?”
Nier nervously chuckled. Straight to the point she made it, not even giving him a chance to catch his bearings. “Well, I got something to give you.”
“Give me?” Kainé arched her brow.
“Yeah. Remember that job we told you about?” Nier smiled, trying to ease his worries as his heart thudded loudly against his chest, deafening his ears. He didn’t know how Kainé would react, if she’d be pissed about him lying or if she’d be relieved that it was all just a fabrication. And frankly, he was terrified to find out.
“I do. Still am pissed you never mentioned anything about it before.” Kainé folded her arms across her chest and shot a glare his way. Though Nier could tell it wasn’t full of malicious intent, which helped to ease him.
“Well,” Nier cleared his throat once more, “that was a lie. There was no job.”
Silence overtook the conversation for a moment, as Nier awaited something, anything from the woman before him. A witty reply fueled with rage. An insult. A slap across the face. But to his surprise, none of that came.
Instead, he heard something that was quite surprising, a chuckle from the woman. Even a giggle that sounded like a small schoolgirl gossiping to her friends. “I knew it,” Kainé said as a look of relief took hold of her face. “I was wondering why you guys were lying and all that shit. Part of me was even angry about it. But I’m starting to suspect that thing you want to give me has something to do with it all, doesn’t it?”
“It does,” Nier responded with a warm smile. Suddenly, the anxiety within him appeared to be fought off by overwhelming alleviation by Kainé’s response. She didn’t sound angry with him. Instead, she sounded relieved and somewhat happy even. Quickly, the man moved to fumble around in his pockets for the box. “I wanted to give you something for the longest time now, to show my appreciation for everything you’ve done for us.” He paused as his fingers swept across the surface of the box. And as swiftly as he could, he wrapped them around it and pulled the box out.
“I even got Weiss in on it. And Emil was happy to go along with it too. He even picked it out for you.” He then pulled it out from behind his back, a soft smile accompanying his movements as he handed it over to Kainé.
The woman cautiously took it from him, as if she were hesitant on how to react. A small blush also found its way across her pale cheeks and Nier could see a surprised yet warm look enveloping her eyes. Once the box was in her hands, Kainé was quick to unravel the blue satin bow holding it together and pried away the cover, though her movements were ones of graceful and delicate stature, not like her usual manner.
Her eyes soon widened as they landed on the contents of the box, and Nier noticed the lid as well as the ribbon had fallen to the ground. For a moment, he was unsure of what to think, if Kainé was at all pleased with the present. But, he soon received his answer when droplets of diamond began their journey to the earthy soil below.
“Kainé… are you crying?” Concern flooded his voice while he moved to offer her a semblance of comfort. But, he found himself hesitating when Kainé pressed the box to her chest and a smile overtook her lips.
“Yeah… I guess I am!” The woman laughed a little as she spoke. “First the Lunar Tear, and now this necklace. I-I guess I’m just happy that you even want to be associated with me, let alone give me things like this.”
“Kainé…” Nier moved his hand to meet her cheek. Slowly, he began to wipe the tears from her face. And a small flicker of warmth dashed across his own face as she leaned into his touch. “I want to give you everything I can, Kainé. If I could I’d even give you the world. You deserve it all.”
“Nier, what are you…” Kainé paused as she looked up at him, her eyes widened upon realizing what weight his words carried. “What are you saying?”
Nier bit his bottom lip, his mind fumbling to come to a conclusive response. Something with pretty words, but still held meaning. But then, he decided that the most blunt response was the way to go as he held her face in his hands and stared deeply into her soft amber eyes.
“I’m saying that I love you, Kainé.” And then, with a single nod from her, he brought his lips to her own and kissed her.
The kiss was deep and passionate with an air of roughness surrounding it, the two both inexperienced in their own ways. Kainé was somewhat aggressive in her advances while Nier was hesitant yet assertive. But the two were ultimately satisfied with it as they pulled apart and stared lovingly into each other’s eyes.
“Will you help me put it on?” Kainé asked with a small smirk.
Nier was happy to oblige and moved around behind her. “Of course.”
Kainé handed him the necklace and sighed deeply as he unclasped the chain and wrapped it around her neck. He then proceeded to fumble around for a few moments as he attempted to clasp it back into place, chuckling slightly to himself once he finally succeeded. Then, before he moved back around the woman, he leaned down and tenderly placed a soft kiss on her neck, so soft he wasn’t sure if she could feel it. But her giggle in response told him otherwise.
“What do you think?” he asked as his smile grew, watching Kainé gently caress the necklace with great care and consideration.
She took a second to give her reply. But her smile told him everything Nier needed to know before she even opened her mouth. “It’s beautiful, Nier. I’ll be sure to tell Emil he has a good eye.”
Nier looked down at her with a loving gaze, watching her dry the remnants of her tears and hold the necklace down into her collarbone with her hands, a warm and precious smile washing over her beautiful pale skin.
“I knew you’d like it.”