I spaced out as I gazed at the entire Irean chapel. It’s a truly solemn and beautiful sight. The rows of elegant blackwood pews are mostly occupied, with people praying. The stained glass right behind the statue of our Goddess Irea refracts a resplendent rainbow upon the statue’s hair. My lethargic best friend Crossguard was here too. This is my rare offday... what gives me the will to fight for this place... “Hey, your cloak’s button’s loose...” My dearest friend says to me in her usual tired, almost dreary tone, “First impressions are everything~?” Why’d you phrase it as a question~? Although~ you did offer up your head onto the teasing block! “Oh~? Is my dear sister Fran offering to sew it for me~?” This dearest sister of mine was instantly energized. Giving me a snort and turning her head, swinging her long black hair, “Not even for sardines?” She whips her head back violently, glaring at me vehemently with her catulus ears twitching and her hackles raised, “What do you think I am?!” Oh dear... To ensure my continued existence in this beautiful world I must placate her! “Er… my cute cat Fran?” I could see a vein bulge on her forehead as her amber eyes slit and started glowing an ominous yellow. “WAIT THINK ABOUT THIS SISTER! NO VIOLENCE ON CONSECRATED GROUNDS!” I screamed as I knew what would happen next. There’s a bright light coming from her hand… Yep… called it… “Bhnfsitb,IcuItstsifom (Bless her name for she is the blessed, I call upon Irea to smite this sinner in front of me!) <<Smite>>!” thus spake Franthursa! My vision fades to white as I thought this stupid little thing.
With the menace which I, Fran, can never seem to shake off, following from even my earliest days, taken care of in the chapel. I head out into the city. “Haaa… What’ll I do with you…” I could only sigh at that man’s outrageous remarks, ‘if it was any other catulus they’d have torn you apart with that sardine remark, y’know? Hah… then again I doubt anything can even really scratch you anymore with that ridiculous oracle you had gotten… truly ludicrous… ludicrous ludicrous ludicrous why was it you…! Is it because I’m Catulus???’ I stewed in negative thoughts until remembering what Sieg, my dearest friend who’s a brother to me, said to me as he was inaugurated as the Blade of the Empire. I couldn’t help but make a happy little sniff as I thought of what Sieg said to the king himself… ‘He has it hard too... Regardless! These thoughts aren’t what Sieg’s Crossguard should be thinking!’ So, I pat my cheeks, pumping myself up to have a great day off. I admire the view as I stroll to the barracks where we, the First Strategic Weapons Platoon, are stationed. It was a calm, breezy and gentle spring mid-afternoon, the children frolicked about as their protective… mothers… followed and gossiped with each other. However… as a Catulus my sixth sense can’t help but pick up a tinge of foreboding, as if this is simply an illusion or the calm before the storm. Still a peaceful day off though~.
Man does Fran pack a punch now! It feels like only yesterday when we were children stuck fighting… I reminisced as I dusted off. Oh dear… I think as I realize, since Fran smote me and my cloak button was loose, the button fell off and the cloak slipped off me. Whispers begin to accrue. As these people who were calmly praying in the pews earlier, noticed the commotion and turned their heads my way and recognized who I am. “I do love seeing so many faces come to pray to our Goddess Irea on such a fine Restday’s morn’, don’t mind me and my comrade, you see…” I contemplated what to tell the mass... what do I say about this situation…? if I answer poorly then the venom spouted behind my back will surely grow as those conniving, stagnant nobles would quickly use that as an excuse to tear an upstart like me down… TCH…! Thankfully my dear Fran’s an apostle… “That was Fran, the Black Lightning apostle.” As I said this the people watching me reacted with “Ooo”s and “Ahh”s as, apostles are known to sometimes suffer the errant thought from their deities at random and are taxing on their mortal minds. “You know how it is, a Divine Message cropped up as she prayed and she mistook me for whatever threat she saw.” to this the inquisitive crowd nodded and went back to praying, letting me escape after my dearest stress reliever~! Oh right! Can’t forget my cloak~. As I came back to the barracks I am stationed, bringing the fancy cheesecake I know Fran loves. “Welcome back Blade~. Although, your cloak button’s still loose y’know?” Fran smiled, her tail waving about, as she welcomed me back. “I’m back… Crossguard. I’m bad with sewing and you know it~!” I smiled in return, seems like Fran’s in a great mood with this day off huh? Or is it the satisfaction of smiting me… yeah… let’s… not… think about that… “Oh what’ll I do with a useless brother like you~.” Thus brings a close to a peaceful day off. I have preserved my sanity and Fran has preserved her will~!
