Chapter Text
Regalo may have been the safest island for miles with the Famiglia here to take care of them, but nothing could completely wipe out the fears in the back of someone’s mind. Even for her, someone with such powers as to defend and protect, fear lurked in the shadows even darker than the night and the moments of deep quiet. All it took were a few of the right words, a few meaningful looks laden with feeling, and enough suspicious behavior to have someone jumping at those shadows and fleeing for cover. Felicità always said she was too old to believe in ghost stories and too wise to fall for some rascal’s mean-spirited tricks, but maybe that wasn’t what she really had to worry about.
What she really had to worry about was so much more mundane, yet so much more frightening, and it worried her right now.
Stomping through the bushes, determined to stay away from the road and make her way toward town as the crow flies, Felicità felt her cheeks burn and she didn’t know what feeling burned in her breast. Indignation, embarrassment, grief- she couldn’t pull apart the ball of emotion in her chest now with branches whipping against her and the crisp night air stinging her cheeks. It made her stomach churn, struggling to understand his reaction and her own heightened emotions, but the more confused it made her, the angrier she got, and no sense could be made of it.
And the angrier she got, the more her high heeled boots hindered her and she regretted being harsh enough with Fukulota to chase him away.
It was dark and cold in the woods at this hour, not that it did more than frustrate her right now, but she could barely navigate through all the dense brush by herself. Growing unkempt, it caught on her dark work clothes and its wayward branches carded through the long swathes of her hair, clawing at any exposed skin if she strayed too near. She gingerly touched the trees as she passed close to them, catching sight of some trunks choking with coils of odd bramble, but Felicita shook it out of her mind as she emerged through the thicket and her focus shifted. It had been shameful to leave her room that night, stealing from the presumed safety of her chambers and bearing a candle like a wayward child. She’d been unable to settle, unwilling to undress and retire for the night as she properly should have, but something about the state of herself made the action feel juvenile. Felicità crept down the hallway, looking this way and that as she walked as though she had any need to hide, and she made the journey to the other end of the house, looking for her manservant.
"Milady!" Luca whispered harshly, looking around the corridor anxiously before he fixed his attention on her. "What are you doing up and dressed at this hour? Is something wrong?" Concern and sleep filled his voice and Felicità looked down at her hands, feeling silly for letting Jolly's cryptic words shake her confidence as heat rose in her cheeks.
"Luca…" She whispered, swallowing around the lump rising in her throat. "Can I come in and talk a while? I’ve been thinking and-" Luca interrupted her.
"Milady," He said seriously, "as your valet, I am to look after you, but here I draw the line on what is appropriate. Please return to your own room." His dark pajamas made him a shadow in his own doorway, the candle doing little to illuminate the room within, and though she didn’t move, Felicità felt herself shrink at the scolding tone to his voice.
"But Jolly said…" To add insult to injury, her faithful servant closed his door on her. Felicità looked down at her toes, checked for any sign of another person in the hall, and crept back to her chambers with her lips pursed. When she returned, she quickly pulled on her boots, slipping her knives back into their belt, and used her wide window as a convenient escape from the haunting quality of the mansion. Her bedroom was familiar, but nothing in it soothed her and after a moment of staring, she was ready to depart again. This time, she headed for the courtyard, and then for the horizon.
Trundling through the woods in the dim light, the young woman bit her tongue to keep her voice locked away as she staggered from tree to tree, trying to avoid their roots. In this light, it was hard to make out what was a shadow from overhead and what was a gnarled limb safe to tread on, and she wobbled in her heels for the first time in many years. Eventually, huffing, she peeled the boots off for the sake of her last string of patience and she clutched them in one hand as she toed at the ground before each step. She resolved to leave the main complex and go sleep in her cottage house for the night; perhaps there she could get away from the ghost of Jolly’s good advice. Her old house was smaller, warmer, and full of fond memories, and there would be no one staying there to disappoint her.
Suddenly, Felicità could see a light behind her and she cursed herself for letting the woods drudge up all her confusion. As Donna-to-be, leaving a sign to the others hadn’t occurred to her, and she regretted it now as the potential of facing her family made her stomach swirl. She hadn't thought that leaving would be easy, but she hadn't even considered that there might be alarms that would alert the security details that people had left or entered the area. She could hear a low rumble in the distance –was Dante awake?- and she flinched when her name carried on the wind, in a few different voices.
Of course, Papà’s precious princess couldn’t be out after dark…
Felicità turned away and picked up her pace. The increase in her pace was worth the occasional wince when she put her foot on something harsh or when her ankle twisted too far, even though she knew she’d regret it by morning. She refused to go back to the mansion house tonight –refused to be humiliated by facing her valet again in the light- and the young woman silently rejoiced when she stumbled out the trees and onto firm cobblestone.
' Perfect! ' She thought gratefully, pulling on her boots hurriedly as she surveyed her surroundings and set off toward the busiest part of town. She could get lost in the crowds, maybe find a dark place to sit and lick her wounded pride before she wandered home to her childhood bed and things. Felicità knew she would need to fix her appearance after all her careless tramping through the woods, but perhaps Federica would still have lamps lit and she would be kind enough to let her wash up in her changing area tonight. It was that hope that brought her into town instead of back toward the hills, avoiding the crowds for now as she picked her way through the buildings with care, and Felicità hugged herself tightly with her arms folded across her chest.
Between the buildings, light from the lanes and plazas spilled in merrily, unaware of her evening’s course, and she couldn’t resist looking through at the nightlife of the island. The couples headed home and the bachelors all retiring with their spoils of war were no wiser to her presence, attentions diverted, and she passed silently from one shadow to the next. Ducking into an alley, Felicità paused within the shadow of the buildings and she dropped her guard for a moment, trying and failing to correct her pigtails in a hurry. Even that was another hot coal burning in her belly, a red-hot point of frustration that made her less and less dexterous before she finally tugged the second ribbon away with a short gasp of frustration.
She couldn’t even tie up her own hair? Pathetic.
"Princess?!" Felicità jumped when Libertà's voice rang out in the cheery city street, disrupting the lingering nightlife bustling about, and her head turned sharply. She ducked down in a rush, mortified to cling to the shadow of some refuse bins and barely making it out of sight before the blond teen ran by with a silent Nova at his side. Her cousin glanced into the alley, his eyes clashing with hers in a way that made Felicità flinch, but he didn't see her as she did him and resolved to keep moving. They cried out a little further up, voices fainter but still clear, and Felicità swallowed the lump in her throat as they seemed to drift further still.
When she could catch her breath, her chest still tight from that lingering feeling of being noticed, Felicità drew herself back up to her feet and she pushed her hair out of her face. Turning right back around and going in the other direction, she tried to keep to the shadows and maintain her speed as she scrambled for a new plan. Where could she hide now? Heading for Federica’s dress shop wasn’t an option, given the direction the boys were moving. And if Libertà and Nova were out among the search party, who else was on the move? Everyone in the family could be looking for her and she- she hit a wall.
Suddenly, Felicità collided with something she couldn't see.
"Ciao, Bambina," Drawled a familiar voice. "isn't it a bit late for a leisurely stroll?" Felicità shook herself lightly, watching as Debito's invisibility melted away little by little and revealed the Hermit Tarocco's smug smirk. She was suddenly very conscious of the supporting arm around her waist, keeping her from falling back from their collision. She felt heat rise up her neck, mortified, and she tensed up immediately, hands lifting instinctively from where they rested on his arms.
"No." She said tersely, moving back into her own personal bubble and away from the Tarocco user. She didn't want to be cuddled and coddled anymore, not after the night and thoughts she’d had to contend with, and she knew Debito would just pet her head like a child. It wouldn’t settle the ache behind her breastbone, the deep sense of wrongness, and she scowled. "It's a perfectly fine time. I actually like walking alone at night."
"With your hair down? And without Fukulota nearby?" Prodded Debito, managing to snag a strand and press it to his lips. "Although I must say the look suits you, it certainly doesn’t spell ‘perfectly fine’ to a trained eye. You don’t seem like yourself." Felicità felt her face grow even warmer as the golden-eyed man sent her a smoldering look and released the red lock of hair. "Everyone is looking for you, Bambina. Luca is-"
"I don't care about Luca." Felicità snapped sharply, stiffening and clenching her hands at her sides. "He's-" She checked herself suddenly when she saw Debito's silver eyebrows rise in surprise and looked away, ashamed to have lost control of herself in front of the Coins’ head. “He’s a fool. I’ll be on my way at my own pace, so tell everyone just to go home.”
“Well, it may not be a surprise to hear it, but it’s certainly a surprise to hear it from you .” Debito told her sagely, one hand finding his jacket pocket as he relaxed. He was watching her intently, like he could puzzle out exactly what she was thinking just by his eyes alone, and Felicità wove her fingers together to stop herself from fidgeting. She wanted to get angry with him too, the frustration simmering beneath the surface looking for any target, but she didn’t want to waste time fighting with him. Debito glanced down at her restless hands, and then at her furrowed forehead, and his brow crumpled upward sympathetically as he watched her stand before him. His smirk softened into something more delicate, something less gloating and bemused than before, and he cocked his head to one side as he regarded her demeanor.
“Is everything alright, Bambina?” He questioned finally in a quieter tone of voice, frowning sympathetically as he did so. He could see something amiss behind her eyes, in the way she frowned at him intently, and she looked like she wanted to speak up. However, another shout rang out and they both heard someone call for her again, Felicità checking over her shoulder anxiously.
“Shit!” Felicità hissed as she recognized the caller, her heart rising up in her throat. She didn’t want to see them now, not any of them, and she gasped as she realized she’d activated her Tarocco. The Lovers pulsed, like her own pounding heartbeat, and she clutched at her own chest in shock as she felt it reverberate through her. It felt like a resounding sound, the clang of some great bell instead of a heartbeat, and she saw Debito touch the side of his face as it gave him insight by mistake.
"So… Luca's the reason Bambina is out so late." Debito looked stunned by the unintended revelation, his eye wide as his hand fell back to his side, and Felicità looked at him in horror as she had to wonder how much he’d learned from the way her Tarocco had responded. He drew closer and placed a hand on her arm. "What did that stuffed shirt do now?"
Felicità couldn’t say. Struggling to swallow as Debito questioned her, she turned her head away and she tried her best to play deaf as her mouth went dry. She’d already let too much slip in her distraction, her Tarocco responding to her emotional roller coaster, and she didn’t trust herself not to say too much in this moment. She glanced up at him, unnerved by how quickly her emotions were beating her usual discipline, and she wetted her lips as she tried to hurry around him. He saw right through her as she glanced past him, arm jutting out immediately to block her way, and Debito loomed over her slightly as she turned her head to avoid him.
"Hey, hey, hey. I hate to see a signorina cry. Come on now…" He assured her. She felt the grip on her arm turn her and she tugged once at his grip just to test it; she was stuck there with him unless she truly fought him. "What's your hurry?" Her eyes darted from side to side, staring blankly at cobblestone as she tried to plan her next move, and she heard their voices again, calling for her closer than before. She needed to move now, or the search party would stumble upon them sooner than later. She needed to disappear- she had to hide in plain sight.
"I need to hide." Felicità told him bluntly, whipping around and fixing her eyes on the flames embroidered upon his lapels. "I don't want to be found." She glanced up at him with pleading eyes and swallowed a little bit of her wounded pride. "Please, Debito, say you never saw me." She asked, tugging more firmly this time, and bit the inside of her cheek. "Please, help me hide."