Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Uncle Aalto! Uncle Aalto!” The lively voice cuts through the silent murmur of scientists and analysts, a small hand waving, asking for attention. “I’m done with my homework! Can we play? Pleeeease?”

No one dared to look at the pleading child, after all, who could possible say no Encore, her bright and large pink eyes staring into one’s soul, stirring a deep desire to pinch her cheeks and give the girl a hug. Well, there was one who could do it…

“Sorry, not now Encore.” Aalto turns, patting the little girl’s head, a look of disappointment on his face. “When I get back tomorrow afternoon, how about we get some ice cream and go around Jinzhou?”

She pouts, her cheeks puffed and her brows furrowed. Encore knew everyone was busy. So was her. Despite being a child, she knew how important their work was, had seen the tragedies they prevented. But for once, she had hoped…

“Aww… It’s fine…” She says, turning around, pouting and dejected. Once more, everyone could only look away and do their best to ignore, lest they spend their whole afternoon playing around with the child and being scolded by their bosses.

“Fuck...”

But at that moment, everyone’s eyes widen, mouths pursed as they all looked at the little child exit, the door sliding with a hiss. Then, there was silence, only barely filled by the soft hum of machines. Briefly, a voice comes out of their terminals.

“Was that… Did… Encore say that?”

—
Aalto and a group of analysts surround the Shorekeeper, a look of discomfort and nervousness around them as they tried to explain to the construct what they heard, and most importantly, that Encore didn’t hear it from them.

“The child safety in all gadgets are still engaged. I doubt she heard it from there…” She says, floating about and checking every channel available. “Only a physical channel that I cannot fully monitor could pass such a word…”

Nervously, they all looked at each other, a few names popping in their mind, some of which are their close coworkers. But one common name popped in everyone’s mind. In truth, it could be anybody. With their work in the Black Shores, stress was a guarantee. Still, knowing an impressionable child was within the islands, everyone did their part.

Encore was the future, a child resonator who has gone through so much. She deserved a proper upbringing at the very least.

This was understood by everyone.

But there was one member that they were unsure if they had fully understood such an importance.

“Who’s talking to her?”

—
“Do you really think it’s me?” Camellya pouted at the accusation, her voice sounding like she was sarcastically acting clueless. “It’s not like I have a sailor’s mouth! The brat probably heard it from some online video.”

“The child safety is still engaged.” Shorekeeper replied. “And from what I’ve heard, you’ve been bringing her out more often…”

Immediately, blue eyes narrow to Aalto, a glare cast down on him.

“Wha-! Only cause’ Aalto won’t do it himself!”

“I’m not Encore’s babysitter! I have a job to do!” Aalto immediately defends himself, hands on the air.

“So do I! At least I don’t make promises I can’t keep!” Camellya points at him, one hand on her hip, pouting, her hair beginning to redden. “Plus, at least I don’t go gambling when I’m around her.”

A smirk forms on Camellya’s face as she brings it up, recalling the time she had witnessed Aalto go by the lotto, even asking Encore for some lucky numbers.

“That was one time! And I don’t bring her to weird movies!”

“It was PG-13, and I am an adult!”

As the two continued to mouth each other off, Shorekeeper simply sighed, floating away towards the person in question.

—
Encore sat on the pavement floor, elbows over the bench as she tightly held unto the crayons. A clumsily drawn image of the setting sun on the Black Shores was etched on the sketchbook Camellya had gifted her before.

There was a smile on her face despite the stillness in her eyes.

“Encore.” Shorekeeper called out, gently floating down beside the drawing. “I heard from Aalto that you said something not nice today.”

“Hm?” Encore stopped her drawing, putting down the orange crayon as she looked up, clearly unaware of the mistake. The sight brought a smile to Shorekeeper, knowing it was neither intentional nor done with an informed judgement.

She is still a child, one that needed guidance, just as she once did…

After a lengthy explanation, Encore looks down, pouting.

“I heard mom say it sometimes when she cooked…” Encore says, her voice softening to a murmur.

“She loved cooking. Loved it so much that even when she had bandages over her hands, she would make me the best meatballs!” She smiles, strained and painful, yet warm…

“At first it tasted bland, but she added more and more stuff to it! It was so delicious and smelled super good! Specially with spaghetti…”

As Encore shared more and more, she couldn’t help but feel her lips tremble, recalling those days. She learned a lot from her mother. How to read, how to smile, how to talk. Was it… wrong?

“Did… mommy teach me wrong?”

“Those words are strong words. You can’t use them… lightly. When you’re an adult, you’ll understand. Some words are too strong… too dangerous…” Shorekeeper sat down on the pavement along with Encore, arm wrapped around their shoulder. “Can you promise me? Promise not to say that word again? Some people might feel… hurt when they hear that. And you wouldn’t want to hurt anyone, right?”

The child shakes her head, unable to look at Shorekeeper in the eye.

“Good.”

“Did… mommy want to hurt me?”

“No. Definitely no…” Her voice drops to something sterner. “She just… felt strongly, as a mother should.”

Shorekepeer could only imagine what it would feel like. To provide for another. To love one so dearly…

“One day, you’ll learn a lot about the world.” She tilts Encore’s head by the chin, urging the child to look into her eyes, a gentle smile facing a guilty one.

“You’ll learn about so many things. Things that do not make sense, yet you understand them. Emotions you never felt before, never felt so strongly before. People you just can’t get along with. And maybe… you’ll reach a point that you no longer know what to do.”

Leaning close, Shorekeeper rests her forehead upon the child’s, noses nearly touching.

“When that time comes, the Black Shores will always be there as your refuge. I will be here to teach you. Aalto will guide you. Camellya will protect you…”

Chapter Text

Camellya’s return to the Black Shores always was met with a mix of excitement and worry. Worry because this is Camellya we were talking about, and excitement for all the gifts she brings back to the scattered islands that she had collected over her travels.

Of course, her seeds were a top priority, a whole garden dedicated for the white-haired bloom-bearer. Along with it were smaller trinkets. Pieces of regalia that an archeologist would die for, broken weapons, bones that one would wonder where it came from. And of course, souvenirs only an aunt would buy.

Keychains saying “I <3 Mt. Firmament” and matching shirts, a refrigerator magnet of Ragunna, beads from the Order…

But today, she brought back something special.

Camellya’s brow raises, twirling her hair with her finger, her thin lips in a pout.

“Is it that big of a deal?”

“Of course it is!” Aalto says, eyes narrowed at the thin bag of lustered foil that twinkled at every move.

The words “Peaks of Prestige” stylized were printed out in high quality, a label brand on its bottom-right corner. The cover of the pack featured a rather well-known echo known as the Thundering Memphis.

“Oooh…” Starry-eyed Encore takes a pack at random, looking at it with the curiosity a child should have, promptly walking away from the table to also check the pack in sunlight.

“They just released a new edition last month and damn do they have awesome designs!” Aalto says, opening the pack as if slicing a fine slice of wagyu beef, easy and smooth yet overly sophisticated. “Just a bit weird on the mechanics for the Thundering Memphis card though. Not the most recommended for beginners since you need to know about damage calcs…”

He turns to Encore who pouted, feet dangling in the air in her high chair.

“So you play this thing?” Camellya takes a pack as she eyes Aalto, taking gloves and preparing some card sleeves on the side as he eyes the contents.

“Aren’t you a bit too old to be playing card games?”

“I can play whatever I want!” Immediately, Aalto draws all 5. “Ugh, no holo… Encore, did you open yours yet?”

Turning to the table, Encore now held two packs.

“Are we only having one per person?” Encore asked a bit too sweetly, one that even made Camellya cringe and hesitate to answer.

“Umm… well, why don’t you ask Shorekeeper if she’d like to have one.” Camellya suggested, walking over, hand on the chair’s back. She had fully intended to give one pack each for this small circle. But the kid just knew how to use her cards. “Where is that girl?”

As if on queue, a blue butterfly floated by. A blast of light reveals the sweet construct, blue hair covered by a headpiece.

“You may have it if you’d like.” She spoke in an accent lost to time, gently floating by and standing behind Encore.

“Come to think of it, Rover was playing this game when I visited it. Won some badges and stuff…” Camellya added, to which Shorekeeper immediately took note.

“We’ll trade cards after opening.” She says, retracting her last statement, promptly sitting down and taking a pack herself.

“Whatever. I just bought a few packs for each of us. Heard some of them could fetch a pretty hefty price if we get lucky.” Camellya turns to Aalto, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “So, why is it a big deal?”

Aalto shrugs his shoulders as if being forced to explain why it rains to a child.

“Well duh! It’s the biggest TCG-”

“TCG?”

“Trading Card Game” Shorekeeper promptly responds.

“-In the world!”

“I don’t even play cards…”

“A single Feilian Beringal is worth half-a million in credits! It’s Phantom version is thrice the price!” Aalto added, a look of greed in his face. “And any Phantom Echo is worth tens of thousands! You get one, you can start bidding in the Black Market.”

The discussion was slowly getting out of hand, with Aalto fiercely defending the game and Camellya’s questions becoming more and more personal.

“When you said you play cards, I didn’t think…”

“Whatever! You need strategy for this. How about a round, hm?”

“Aww!” The outburst made everyone pause, the face of the pouting child making them look over her small shoulder. “It looks ugly…”

For everyone else, they can’t help but smirk and chuckle, for Aalto, he chuckled in nervousness. A holographic card of the Thundering Memphis was front and center, shining like a chest filled with gold. But this one.

This was worth much more.

“D-don’t want it?” Aalto asks, trying to keep his voice, his face, his everything steady.

“I want something cool looking!”

“W-will you give it away?” Aalto gulps, hand gripping the chair so hard, one might think it was a weapon.

“Ooh! Shorekeeper said we’ll exchange after opening them!”

They immediately turned to the blue entity, expecting her to immediately open hers, only to find no one, only a pack was left behind with nothing special.

Leaving them to their own devices, Shorekeeper returned to her room to return a few calls.

—
“You’re kidding…” Camellya looks into the busy room, cameras and lighting equipment along with nodes were being hooked up. Her arms cross in front of her, making sure everything and everyone was sticking to their agreement.

“Ugh…” She rolls her eyes, walking towards the crowd. “That does not come off, stop pulling. Carry your stuff, don’t drag, if we see skid marks, you’re cleaning them.”

She looks towards the center, blue eyes narrowing to the Shorekeeper who talked with their leader.

The creators of Peaks of Prestige has arrived, and they wanted to see the Fallacy of No Return for data for a new deck for their little card game.

And Shorekeeper agreed.

Pulling her back before everything else begins, Camellya arches a brow up, a silent demand for an explanation, something that was lost to the blue entity.

“Care to explain? We’re going the celebrity route now?”

Shorekeeper shook her head, that unceasing gentle smile still on her face.

“The company has been asking for a partnership for a while now. I figured, seeing the children’s interest and hearing that even Rover had begun playing. Well…” She looks back at set being made. Aalto and Encore moved about, giddy and excited. “I figured there’s nothing wrong joining in with the fun.”

“Hmm…” Camellya poked her own cheek in wonder, her gaze boring into Shorekeeper. “Are we…”

She pauses, eyes narrowing before smirking.

“I see, so you want Rover to have a semblance of you being carried around? Pft, talk about getting clingy.”

Had the entity been made with flesh and blood, she would be blushing. Or is the light glow on her face the equivalent of such? Camellya could only speculate.

“I-It’s not that…”

“...”

“...”

“How much are we getting paid for this?”

Shorekeeper shows the invoice to Camellya. Camellya proceeds helping them out setting everything up.

—
A grumpy Phrolova gripped her arm as she allowed the crew to hook up nodes around her beloved Hecate, a blush coloring her face.

“Is this really necessary?” She asked through gritted teeth.

“Additional funds are needed, spatzi”

A card dealer and a playwright laugh at the blushing conductor.