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The Suitcase houses many Arcanists. The once serene, pristine, and beautiful sanctuary, the ark sewn from leather, sailing through the Storm, is now no different from a high school boarding house.
They're a diverse bunch, most of them look no different from humans but some are weirder than one could imagine. A space probe, a talking apple, a UFO abducting a piece of grass and a miniature cow, Pavia, and a literal shard of glass.
Thankfully, however, some Arcanists have volunteered to help the poor Timekeeper manage their clandestine little community. Among the few elders to volunteer were a peculiar pair - A Knight, and madame Dikke. The former, a 'nameless' knight (though everyone had collectively agreed on calling him Roland for convenience's sake), and the latter, a venerable judicator. The two were among the old-timey folks, who were Arcanists before the late 17th Century.
The two were the first to volunteer. An unlikely, yet very effective pair when it comes to keeping the Suitcase proper! Dikke shines brightest when it comes to handing her verdicts, deciding who is ultimately right or wrong if a heated persiflage inevitably becomes a fight, and there's always the trusty Knight when it comes to general peacekeeping. Who would've known that the floating pair of gloves and a cloak would be more approachable than the intimidating 6 feet tall lady?
As more Arcanists come, the Suitcase has to expand to house its inhabitants. Personal quarters become rooms for two, or even three on some occasions, larger and more spacious rooms, and more improvements to make their lives generally easier in their small little world. No one has to do the labor, thankfully, as the Suitcase is an entirely customizable space. Just guess whose rooms coincidentally merged with each other…?
Oh come on, you know who I'm hinting at. Aside from Matilda and Sonetto, A Knight and Dikke's quarters merged into one. Vertin was glad that their integration to one room didn't leave a massive disaster in its wake, unlike two certain Arcanists…
It's getting late at night, and most of the dwellers have already gone to their rooms. Even though the Knight hardly needs any sleep as he's just a pair of gloves, it's good to have a bit of rest, clear one's mind as they drift off to the vast ocean of dreams. But something is quite… amiss tonight.
"Mademoiselle Vertin, have thou caught sight of mine companion?" Asked the Knight, earning an inquisitive hum from the young lady.
"Miss Dikke? Hm… I think she went outside for a bit, she said she won't be long." Answered Vertin, taking a bit of time rethinking her previous interaction with the judicator.
"Taking a stroll in the evening? Curious… Is it a habit of hers?" The Knight pondered, scratching his non-existent chin - or rather, he gestured that he was pondering.
"I believe so. I had only asked her twice about it, so I don't know how many times she has done it." Vertin shrugged and relaxed her shoulders. "Why'd you ask, sir Knight?"
"I am simply curious. Someone had the impression that the judge was one to follow a strict schedule." Replied the Knight. "Someone shall be off, then."
"Where are you headed?"
"Madame Dikke."
"Wait, take this." Vertin ran through her cabinets and took an oil lamp. Perhaps it's another one from Sonetto's curiosities from the outside world that somehow made its way to Vertin's room. She hands it to the Knight, who took it with gratitude. "It tends to be quite dark in the wilderness at night, use this lamp so that you won't lose your way."
"Thy assistance is appreciated greatly, mademoiselle." If only he had a body, then a warm smile would be present on his face.
"No problem." Vertin smiled in return.
~{}~
The wilderness was not only dark, but it was also cold. The winds blew, whistling as it weaved between the trees and twigs, letting the leaves rustle as it passed by. It must be nice to have a body at the moment, someone wishes to feel the chill and tender caress of the night.
The only thing the Knight felt at the moment is the warmth of a lamp and a strange longing.
He didn't know why he wanted to see Dikke, something just urged him to. Was it curiosity that drove him outside? Or perhaps, it was just a desire to see Dikke. The two had rarely parted from each other's side, some people even teased them to be some sort of newlywed lovers because they were almost always close, both watching each other's backs. While the Knight simply chuckled and shrugged these claims off, Dikke was fiercer with her defense, saying things like 'I have no need for a romantic partner' or 'I have other things to be busy about' in her usual militant-esque voice.
She's hard to read. Pavia wouldn't play poker with someone who could put up such an impressive poker face, he'd lose all of his damn money! That is, if Dikke could play poker.
It might just be his intuition, but oftentimes, when these claims were to be brought up, she'd have a very faint blush on her cheeks. It's hard to tell, but who knows?
As he reached the lake close to the lighthouse, he caught a glimpse of something. A lithe, tall figure in the distance. Long strands of silver locks dancing in the wind, much like how his cloak furled and folded whenever the wind whispered to him. There stood Dikke, calmly observing the lake and the reflection of the star-studded sky on the surface. She looked ethereal, like an otherworldly thing, like the visage of a Saint Gabriel bathing in the silver moonlight.
He approached her, but made no sound so as to not ruin her moment of peace. Dikke easily picked up on his presence, however. The quiet creaking of the lamp as it swayed, the fluttering of his cape, and the clattering of his gloves. Dikke hardly knew anyone who wore a cape and gloves that made no audible footsteps when they moved.
"Dear Knight." Dikke suddenly spoke, though her voice was calm, soothing. To the untrained listeners, however, she still sounds like she's angry or strict.
"Good evening. Thou’rt absent in our quarters, so Somebody went out to search for thee.” Spoke the Knight. The light in his lamp flickered, almost as if to catch the Knight’s attention, to make him witness the death of warmth in his hands. But of course, it did not do that. The oil inside it would burn for about seven hours, enough to keep a room alight until morn.
Dikke ran her fingers over the hilt of her sword, tilting her head towards the Knight's direction. "And thou hath come to find me?" She chuckled. "How moving."
"Someone hasn't an idea why either, there was something that urged this Knight to look for thee." The Knight answered clearly. "Perhaps, an eroded sentiment that lingers merely as engravings within Someone's mind. A sort of familiarity, to seek out that which is not present by Someone's side."
"So thou longeth for my presence." Dikke turned around to face him. Her hair, reflecting the moon's cold light, made her look like she's wearing a white veil. A veil akin to that of Queen Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Madonna Del Rosario. She is a beauty, and anyone would admit that.
"It is cold." The Knight commented, dodging her question. "Lest thou contract fever, let us return at once."
However, she is perceptive. She could pick apart his words like how one would pick apart a fish's bones, it's in her nature as a judge. "Speak honestly, paladin. Thou didst not come to find me merely to accompany my return to Vertin's abode."
"That is… what Someone ought to do." The Knight was caught off guard. While yes, he did come all the way here to do just that, but now that Dikke said it, there might be something else driving him forward, towards her. "Someone can assure thee that–"
"Nay, come. Let us enjoy the night, if for a moment longer." Dikke urged him to stay. But why? "Uncommon are nights of a full moon."
"A spotless sky, too. Orion is just o'er us." The Knight looked up, but without a body, it's hard to tell if he did.
The wind rose and the trees rustled. The waters of Poseidon rocked and rippled, the trees and plants of Gaea swayed to the sweet whisper of the Anemoi in the form of a gentle evening breeze, caressing the judge's skin.
"I could not remain still, Dikke." The Knight muttered, earning Dikke's attention. She looked to her side, watching as the Knight fiddled with his handkerchief. "I could not be still without thee by my side."
"Without me?" Dikke inquired.
The Knight sighed. Perhaps he went and said it to her without thinking about what to say next. A bad move, but it was worth the shot. He doesn't know why he couldn't be still. But that's what he felt, it is what he wanted to say.
"Mayhaps it is because… because Someone has always been by thy side, and it doesn't feel right whenever thou hath left." The Knight added.
"That is correct."
"And Someone hath not been informed of this trip, it is only natural to fret."
Dikke smiled. The warmth that radiated from those rosy cheeks could rival the lamp's flickering flame through the glass that held it. It could rival even this cold evening wind.
"I am flattered, but thou didst worry too much." Dikke placed her palm atop the Knight's right glove. A gesture that one would often do to reassure another, but is often done by patting the back, not the hand. However, due to his lack of any particular body parts, she had to take some liberties. "The stars tonight art fascinating, I could not miss the chance to witness it."
"Thou'rt correct, indeed they are."
Those brilliant, dazzling lights. The eyes of Heaven, watching them from above, the hundreds and thousands and, perchance millions, billions, hundred billions of angels observing their little world from the vastness beyond, and the two purveyors of justice gazing back at them. Stars provide a sense of comfort, a feeling of companionship.
"It is quite nice to gaze upon the stars with someone by one's side." The Knight commented.
"I concur." Replied Dikke. "I am glad thou hath searched for me, here. Lonely this night would have been."
If only someone without a physical form could blush, then he would definitely be a little rosy by now. "Someone is honored."