Mie Yukima
Collab with
@BrokenPromiseVertti's Manor
Deaths: N/A
There wasn’t much reason for Grisaia to walk in front of Mistress Vertti. Grisaia might have known where her room was, but he was never going to get there before she did. She was rather adamant about getting there as fast as possible. Vertti was on a mission, and nothing was going to stop her. None of her allies anyway.
Once Vertti got to her room, she rested her hand on the doorknob and took a breath. She had been running since the siege started, and she just needed a moment to catch her breath.
"This won’t take long. Make sure everyone else is safe."Aer put her fist against her chest and nodded.
“Be safe Vertti, the cultists are a crafty bunch..”"It’s fine, Grisaia will be here to protect me.."They both nodded to each other and parted ways. Vertti ran into her room while Grisaia stood watch outside. She immediately pulled several books off of a bookshelf. Behind them was a safe with several dials, each representing one of the four seasons. After turning all the dials to a specific combination, the safe opened, revealing the last seal. The center depicted the royal symbol, which was surrounded by a hearth of purple flowers. Vertti sighed out of relief. It was still there. They hadn’t gotten it yet. With trembling hands, she reached for the decoration.
“Pretty nice trinket you have there Vertti.” She didn't bother trying to hide her voice by muffling it or keeping quiet. Vertti already knew who she was even if she was still wearing the demon mask...plus, there was some twisted satisfaction in knowing that the person she was about to kill once considered her a friend.
Once Vertti turned to face her, she'd find Mie sitting on top of a dresser, lounging idly and flipping a gold coin as she spoke, still wearing that maid uniform she pilfered.
“How much would ya sell it for?” She caught the coin in the palm of her hand, making a show of her stretching. It was difficult to tell her facial expression behind a mask, but Vertti would get the impression she was smiling that usual, smug playful, grin she always wore when she was getting away with a scam.
“Try and run or shout for help, I'll give you a free test run of some of the knives my sister made.”When Mie was done making her threat, Vertti only sighed. There was a nervous shake in her shoulders, but her expression said that she expected something like this to happen.
"If I thought handing you the seal would make all of this go away, I would give it to you for free." She reached behind her head and picked up the seal in her hand.
"But if I hand the seal to you, you’ll give it to whoever’s been paying you to come after me. Things might go quiet for a few months, but the next royal election will eventually start." She folded her arms.
"They’ll unveil the candidates, and they will all be demihumans, There will be an uproar, and this war will spread through the rest of the continent." Vertti’s gaze fell to the ground.
"I can’t let that happen. I need to get elected so that the fires of war can be extinguished."“My, how noble.” Mie hopped off the cabinet, landing silently on the floor.
“So the ever so kind and saintly Mistress Vertti seeks to single-handedly stave off the inevitable hounds of war. Fufu,” A chuckle. A subtle shake of her head as her slightly mocking tone continued.
“You want to drive me out of business, is that it?” She didn't seem angry, if anything she seemed disappointed. Perhaps slightly amused as she ever was.
“You know, war is great for making money.” She chuckled again, nonchalantly taking a few steps closer towards Vertti, facing towards the wall next to them.
“People always looking to buy and sell things. Medicines. Supplies. Information...weapons...poisons. Lives.” She turned her head towards Vertti.
“To put bluntly...war makes me a happy little fox.”Vertti hugged the seal against her chest and backed up against the bookshelf.
"What are you going to do once you’re rich? Is it possible to even have enough? Wealth doesn’t do anything by itself, you must have a plan for it." Her fingers curled around the seal.
“Plan, huh?” Mie thoughtfully hummed.
“Enough alcohol to make a lake? Buy myself a mansion? Dunno, really. By the time I stop I'll have enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life.” Mie idly took a coin out of her pocket.
“Fufu, I guess you could just say, I love money in general. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzier than my tail on a humid day, but enough about me.” Mie put herself just out of arms reach of Vertti as she idly played with the coin, running it through her fingers.
“What do you hope to gain from this peace you want? I'm curious.”Vertti stood up a bit straighter.
"Is it that hard to understand?" Her eyes softened as she looked at Mie.
"I have so many people in my life that I’m thankful for. Grisaia, Aer, all of my servants, Doctor Donovan, Bellringer, Captain Crunch, the foreigners, even you Mie." She took a step away from the bookshelf, putting herself in front of the smaller fox woman.
"The longer the war continues, the more people die, more lives are affected. Peace ensures no one else has to suffer. " She placed a hand on her chest.
"I have yet to meet someone in this life who I truly felt deserved to die. Even with you standing before me as an assassin, I don’t want to see you get hurt." She gripped her shirt in her hands.
"You said your sister made you some knives. Would you still yearn for a mansion with an alcohol lake if you knew it would cost her life?"“How disgustingly naive.” Mie replied with a laugh.
“You think suffering will cease because War stops? People suffer every day. The poor. The abused. A little child who watched her family die. twice. A little money goes a long way to make sure you'll be the one who doesn't suffer.” She took another, more threatening step towards Vertti, her hand reaching towards her sword.
“Humans. Demi-humans. We're all the same pathetic creatures who desire nothing but our own selfish whims. I find it hard to believe you're doing this for entirely selfless reasons.” Another step towards Vertti.
“That seal gives you a lot of power. You could really do almost anything with it, couldn't you? Money. Fame. Wealth. Maybe even get yourself a cute little rabbit to play with...ha, but I've wasted enough time playing with my food.”“I would kill my sister with my own two hands...just like I'm about to kill you.” She drew the sword she had her hand on, intending to gouge Vertti's stomach in one swift motion.
Vertti clasped her hands over Mie’s but it was too late. The blade was hilt-deep in her intestines, causing the aristocrat to wince in pain. She did manage to guide the knife away from her more important arteries, but this would only buy her a minute or so of consciousness, as Mie’s weapons were always poisoned.
Grisaia Had looked into the room with Aer. Perhaps Grisaia had heard their conversation and went to get someone, as his spirits were busy protecting the outside of the mansion. They both looked shocked, but Aer let out a growl before charging into the room. Vertti put her body between herself and Mie, and used the last of her strength to push the fox girl out the window. She held onto Mie as they descended
"Huma!" A pillar of water instantly formed under them, slowing their until they both landed. Mie’s back was pressed up against the ground, with Vertti laying on top of her. She coughed up some blood. Even with the water pillar, it was a rough ride with a knife in your gut.
"Now." Her voice was hoarse. She had seconds left to live instead of minutes at this point. Vertti flicked the blood stained mask off of Mie’s face.
"Is that all, you want?" She placed the seal in Mie’s hand and folded her fingers over it.
"It’s really as, simple as, that?"Mie grunted when she hit the ground. That was...confusing. Why did Vertti do that? She heard Aer and Grisaia both. She could probably have fled, Vertti was as good as dead, but there was always a chance she could live if she got medical attention...Mie didn't understand. Why ensure she was safe? Why? Why? She couldn't understand, and thus she chose not to think about it.
“My, my,” Mie chuckled, lightly caressing Vertti's cheek with a hand.
“You seem to be misunderstanding something.” The Foxes' eyes stared up at the human. She didn't realize she was now wearing an expression of mild confusion. She pushed the weakened Vertti off of her, rolling over so she was now on top.
“I was hired for one thing, Vertti...and that was to end your life....but maybe I'll keep this little trinket as a souvenir to remember you by, fufu.”"That means-" More to me than you know. But Vertti didn’t have the strength to finish. She choked on the blood in her lungs and started to suffocate. She could hear Aer cry out in anger, but her fading consciousnesses wouldn’t let her see what was happening. If Mie and Aer engaged, she wasn’t going to know if Mie escaped or not. But regardless of what transpired, no one would remember.
Is it possible to love your assassin?
Vertti had gotten to know Mie well over several resurrections. Every time she died, she’d learn a bit more about what made the fox girl tick. They had a surprising amount in common. They were separated from their parents at an early age, they came from nothing, but ended up in two entirely different places. Either through luck or extra determination, Vertti became an aristocrat with access to a royal seal, and Mie became an assassin. Saving Mie from herself was a project Vertti had been working on for a while now. But they were running out of time. The last reset happened just a few seconds before she entered her room. This was probably Vertti’s last chance to do something.
“Be safe Vertti, the cultists are a crafty bunch..”Vertti was quick to pull a parchment out of her vestments and etch something onto it with water magic. She then handed it to Aer.
"It’s fine, Grisaia will be here to protect me."They both nodded to each other and parted ways. Vertti ran into her room and immediately pulled several books off of a bookshelf. Vertti sighed out of nerves. With trembling hands, she reached for the decoration.
“Pre-”"Yes, it is a pretty nice trinket." She pulled down the seal and turned it over in her hand.
"I have no intention of selling it though. Not that you’d want to buy it anyway." She walked towards her desk without looking at Mie once.
"I have no intention of raising my voice either. I actually have you right where I want you. I have a proposition I’d like you to see." After filling out the sheet, she rolled it into a scroll and wrapped a ribbon on it.
"We’re business people, Mie. There’s no reason we can’t both get what we want." This last ditch plan of Vertti’s was actually quite desperate. But after being killed by Mie who knows how many times, it was the last thing she could try. She stamped the ribbon with a wax seal before turning to face Mie.
"Here, a contract." She threw it towards Mie.
"Give it a read. I think you’ll find the terms agreeable. Though I’m not against further negotiations."Mie caught the coin she had been playing with mid air, entire body still as she seemed to study Vertti intently. It didn't feel like a trap. Her blessing wasn't sending off any alarm bells, and everything seemed as she expected...but once again, it seemed like she both knew she was here and that she was after her life.
Troubling.
“Oh my, what's this? Bargaining for your life, Vertti?” Mie hopped off her perch, landing silently on the ground as the aristocrat filled out the sheet.
“Wouldn't be the first to try and bribe their killer with a bit of money.” She chuckled. She didn't think Vertti was the type to pathetically grovel, but perhaps she was amusingly, irritatingly, wrong.
“Hasn't worked yet, heh. Hoping to bank on something so pathetic as friendship? Naive as ever, aren't you?” She caught the scroll as it was tossed at her, slowly unrolling it and reading its contents.
“But I'm curious as to what you think I want, so I'll humor you.”"Didn’t you hear me? I have you right where I want you. There is no need to plead for my life." Being Nice to Mie never got Vertti anywhere. It was a language she didn’t understand. Compassion was a form of weakness, or a blatant lie. What Mie understood was greed, desire, and Vertti had written her contract with that in mind.
"Let me summarize it for you: I want you on our side. It’s a good move for me politically, and you’re skills as a merchant are on par with your ability to hold a blade. Demihumans will be more open to buying the products produced by my guild, and trading with Kararagi will be possible." It truly disgusted her to talk this way, but it didn’t show on her face. She would lower herself as far as she needed to for her gambit to work.
"War is not profitable to my guild, so you won’t be allowed to kill people anymore. But we will outwit and outsmart our enemies.." She folded her hands behind her back.
"As for what you get out of the deal, you get access to everything I have. You can live in my mansion, you can take all of the wine downstairs and make a wine lake out of it, you can even play with Grisaia if that’s what you want to do. You can even spend my money, Everything I have, everything that I am, will be yours." Mie must have realized what the nature of the contract was now. If not by Vertti’s summary of it, then by skimming the contract in front of her. Vertti took a knee, and held out the royal seal in her hand. Upon closer inspection, Mie would notice it was a ring.
"Mie Yukima, Will you marry me?"Mie looked from the contract, then back to Vertti. In obvious disbelief, Mie rolled the scroll back up, took a deep breath, and began hysterically laughing.
“Ahahahaha, what in the name of my fluffy tail are you asking me, Vertti?” It was extremely rude to do this, considering what she was just asked, but the entire situation was utterly absurd.
“I'll give you points for originality, but is that really the best you got?” Was...her heart suddenly beating faster? Weird.
“Well you've certainly put me in a good mood from that joke. Come on then, what's your real offer?” There was no way...no way she was being serious. No way someone would ask a despicable little fox like herself such a thing if they knew what she did...and the things she had done.
Vertti didn’t share in Mie’s amusement. Her brow was cross.
"You think this is a joke? Like I’m going to walk into a room by myself and laugh the assassin to death?" Vertti stood up and walked towards the fox girl. Mie was the better fighter. Stronger, faster, and probably more experienced with magic than Vertti was. But in terms of physical presence, the eight inches of height Vertti had made her look like the more menacing of the two. She stopped in front of Mie.
"You’re not perfect by any means." She gently reached for one of Mie’s ears and started to fondle it in her hand.
"You’re not an important political figure of the Kararagi Shogunate." She released Mie’s ear and ripped Mie’s mask off of her face.
"But you have charisma. I find it difficult to not get charmed by your words." She threw the mask aside.
"Your skill set is useful to the artisan’s guild." She folded her arms.
"It’s a political marriage to be sure. But I would be lying if I said there wasn’t a bit more there." She looked away from Mie.
"I did enjoy our talks." Her eyebrows briefly softened, before becoming hard again.
"What? You won’t believe me unless I push you onto the bed?"Mie simply stared up at Vertti.
She was serious.
“Hey, I've seen worse attempts. Like that fool who locked himself in a cage to avoid me...then forgot where the key was.” Mie smirked, unconsciously leaning into having her ears pet. How was she supposed to take this? She had never even considered this. She certainly would be lying if she said she didn't like hanging around Vertti and Grisaia. They were...like what...a family?
“I'm laughing because this entire situation is hilariously absurd.” Why? She was serious, wasn't she but why? She knew how she was, what she did...so how could someone...?
“The princess marries the assassin sent to kill her.” The foxes' hand went to her blade, drawing it in one swift motion.
“This isn't some fairy tail. Some trashy romance story.” She turned the blade over in her hand.
“Not everyone is going to get a happy ending. That's now how any of this works. No matter what good happens, people always screw it up some way.”The blade pressed against Vertti's side.
“You know how I am, somehow. I don't know how you know, but you do. What I'm like, what I like to do...so I'll spare you the emotional nonsense.” She looked up at Vertti, it was difficult to tell what was going through her head.
“I gotta say, I was not expecting this to be how today went.” She laughed, before falling silent, one of her ears twitching idly in thought.
”You’ve always been a saint, Vertti. I’ve always hated that. Thought it was useless. Why open yourself for getting hurt when people don’t care? Don’t help you in return?” Mie glanced off to the side.
“...you want to marry this impish little fox? Fine then.” She fixed her gaze back on Vertti.
“Lets make a deal, then. I’ll accept your proposal. I’ll hang up my shinobi robes and be a good little fox...and you have to convince me that your so called kindness is worth it.” Mie ran a finger along the edge of the blade.
“If you don’t...well, we’re back to where we started, fufu.”Vertti sighed. Even with a superior contract and the ability to talk to Mie in a language she could understand, Vertti still had to convince her that peace was better than war. Or rather, that playing nice was better than playing dirty. This was something that Vertti had hoped to sidestep entirely, but it made sense that Mie would notice she wasn’t quite acting like herself here. But in the last reset, Mie said that she would keep the seal to remember Vertti by. There was clearly more to the fox girl than money, even if she didn’t want to admit it.
"I’ve already explained how war does not benefit my guild at all. Peaceful resolutions are better for my business. But you probably want to know why I turn to an artisan’s guild when I could just as easily fund a band of mercenaries." Vertti slid one of her hands up onto her chest.
"I came from nothing. I was a ten year old foreign war orphan who didn’t know anything about the world. I wouldn’t have gotten very far if I didn’t learn to trust people. Was my trust betrayed? All the time, I don’t want to tell you about some of the things that happened to me. But there were plenty of people who helped me along the way. In the end, the Vertti household made my suffering worthwhile. There’s just something about having people willingly help you. My title as the heir to the Vertti household is nothing I could have stolen from my parents. They willingly gave it to me. And people continue to give me things so long as I continue to be kind to them. A week ago I was buying fruit from Dreg at the fruit stand. He always looks so poor, but he gave me a bushel of appas for supporting his business. He wouldn’t let me refuse it. " She chuckled.
"And I suppose I find it exhilarating to be kind sometimes. I’m surrounded by trained fighters, it would have been easy to send any number of them in here to drive you off. But if I did that, we wouldn’t be having this standoff. The only thing keeping your knife out of my guts is my words." She turned the seal over in her hand.
"There’s so much more I could say, but we’re running out of time. The bottom line is I can’t tell you that kindness is worth it. It’s a gamble, just like being a shinobi. The difference is that Kindness is the biggest gamble for the biggest reward. There will never be a time in history when we are all nice to each other, but far fewer people will have to suffer if we try. An army is nothing without teamwork, and a family is nothing without kindness." She presented the seal to Mie. Her face was stern.
"Mie Yukima." Vertti’s heart was racing. Her nerves were starting to get to her, but she’d never let it show.
"Will you marry me?"“....You know what, fine.” Mie's shoulders slacked, the blade she was carrying clattered to the floor.
“I don't know if I buy all that. I'm a selfish fox, Vertti. I don't care about how others do. As long as I have enough for myself, I don't care about anyone else or their problems.” Her gaze shifted away from Vertti, a small hint of color forming on her cheeks as she continued.
“...I keep asking myself why. Why are you going this far? Why are you being so...nice, to me? I hated that about you, Vertti. I thought you were just like everyone else. That kindness nothing more than a facade to hide your secrets...but I can't find anything.” Her eyes locked with Vertti.
“So fine. I can't promise I buy all that egalitarian stuff you preach, but fine. I'll accept your proposal. If only because I can piss off that purple skinned bastard that employed me, and that this entire situation is still hilarious to me.”She gently placed a hand on the top of the seal.
“...and w-well, maybe if you were gone I'd be a little bit more bored.”Vertti released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She was still in disbelief, unsure if she was dreaming.
"Of course." Her ragged breath didn’t convey the confidence she wanted it to, but that hardly mattered now. She fully expected Mie to pull out a second knife and say something along the lines of “I was just playing with you, you ugly cow, fufu!” She kneeled in front of Mie and slid the ring onto her finger. Then she froze, a blank expression on her face.
"I’m sorry, I didn’t think of what to do from here. At the very least I need to tell everyone you’re not a threat anymore." Her hands started to shake.
"Wait, your contract was with a purple skinned man?" Vertti looked up into Mie’s eyes.
"He wouldn’t also happen to be a giant, would he?"“Yea, pretty creepy guy.” Mie replied, looking at the ring. It felt...heavy. Could she really...wear this? Mie didn't let her own doubts show. Instead, she simply tilted her head to the side, with a dismissive laugh.
“Just being in the same room as him made me want to take ten baths.” Placing herself next to Vertti, Mie grinned up at the human...her...her fiance? Wife? Mie chose not to think about it.
“Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, though, love. If he sends anyone else after you, I'll make sure to deal with them, fufu~”Might as well have some fun with this too, hah.
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