Part 6: The Sixth Etiquette

A cotton swab dipped in iodine is gently pressed against Sotheby's wound.
Sotheby: Ooh, ouch ...
???: Miss, please bear with me for a moment. It'll be over soon.
Sotheby: Oh! N-No, I didn't mean it! It doesn't hurt. Keep going.
Moonlight streams through the floor-length windows and into the quiet room.
The gentle sound of the piano fills the air.
???: I admit music can distract from and alleviate pain, but even the most moving melody loses its charm when played repeatedly. Miss, perhaps you should try a different piece.
Sotheby: But I like playing this one.
???: In that case, you need to learn a new piece. I assure you, you'll enjoy playing something new.
Sotheby: Ouch!
???: I do apologize, Ms. Sotheby. Does the potion sting?
Sotheby: Mr. Karson ...
Mr. Karson: Yes, my lady?
Sotheby: If this tiny wound hurts this much, what does it feel like to die?
Mr. Karson: Hmm. That's a good question, and you asked the right person.
Mr. Karson: Are you afraid of death?
Sotheby: I-I wasn't afraid before. It was just a nightmare, a darkness or long sleep.
Mr. Karson: And now?
Sotheby: Now ...
Sotheby: I'm a little scared.
Mr. Karson: Why?
Sotheby: Because it'll take my friends away.
Sotheby: Like they'll fall asleep and never wake up.
Mr. Karson: Alright, switch hands.
Sotheby extends her other hand, and Mr. Karson gently applies the cotton swab to the wound on it.
Mr. Karson: Ultimately, you're afraid of loneliness.
Sotheby: I'm not afraid of loneliness. Sotheby is not afraid of loneliness.
Mr. Karson: It's quite alright, my lady. No one wants to be lonely.
Mr. Karson: But loneliness is not a monster; it's not enough to overwhelm a person.
Mr. Karson: There are many people in this world who have done wrong in their lives, and oftentimes they don't even know why they do it.
Mr. Karson: Ultimately, it's because they're afraid of being lonely.
Mr. Karson: But the fact is, loneliness isn't that scary.
Mr. Karson: Just as all monsters have an Achilles' heel, loneliness has its remedy.
Sotheby: What is it?
Mr. Karson: I think you may already know the answer, my lady.
He puts down the cotton swab and carefully inspects Sotheby's wounds.
Mr. Karson: I'm afraid I have to go now.
Mr. Karson: I'll come and see you next time. I'm sure that by then, you'll be an even more trustworthy young lady.
Sotheby: Hmm ... huh ... did I fall asleep ...?
A light knock raps on the door before it creaks open.
Eagle: Can I come in?
Sotheby: Hmm? Oh, it's you! Of course!
The little Scout slowly shuffles in.
Eagle: Ms. Sotheby, how's that potion coming along?
Sotheby: Oh! The potion! Yes, it's all finished. They're in these test tubes over here.
Sotheby proudly raises her head as she shows her friend her masterpiece.
Sotheby: I already gave Ms. Cristallo a little bit. Once she wakes up, she can drink some more, and it'll work even better!
Eagle stands by the door, wanting to come closer but feeling too timid to do so.
Sotheby strides over to Eagle, takes her hand, and leads her to the experimentation table. She taps the test tubes.
Sotheby: Listen. Don't they make a pretty sound?
Sotheby: "Ding ding dang dong," "boo bop du dop," such bright melodies!
Eagle tentatively reaches out a finger and, like Sotheby, gently taps the test tubes.
They sway like wind chimes, producing a series of crisp sounds.
Sotheby: Hehe, do you like it? I love doing this on a quiet night. It's so much fun!
Eagle: Yeah, I like it. It's interesting.
She smiles shyly, but behind her eyes, it's clear to see that she has something to say.
Sotheby looks at Eagle, places the test tube aside, and sits back on the bed, swinging her legs.
Sotheby: Well, Ms. Eagle, I-I still want to play with her.
Sotheby: I want to be with my friends forever and ever.
She lowers her eyes.
Eagle: No! No—I ...
She plays with her fingers anxiously, not knowing what to say.
Eagle: I, I'm actually here to apologize.
Sotheby: ...?
Eagle: After you left, I kept thinking about what I said to you before.
Eagle: I ... you see ... I ...
Eagle: I shouldn't have said those things to you—not just about hoping you wouldn't play with her, but, many, many other things, too.
Eagle: I don't even know why I said it.
Eagle: Maybe it was because I also want to be friends with you, but I don't know how.
Sotheby opens a small tin box that she pulled from the cabinet.
Sotheby: Try this.
Sotheby: When you described the Pop-a-Rock Rainbow Candy to me before, I thought, wouldn't it be nice if there was a candy that, after eating it, you could see a rainbow?
Sotheby puts one in her mouth as well, and the two of them chew together.
They chew and chew.
And chew and chew some more.
Sotheby: They're a bit tough, aren't they?
The two look at each other. Sotheby is wincing, her hand on her aching jaw.
They giggle.
Eagle: Hey, I see it. There's a rainbow!
Eagle points to the ceiling.
There's nothing there.
Sotheby: One, two, three ... seven, just like Heimdall said, seven colors!
The two of them tilt their heads back, grinning at the empty ceiling.
Eagle: Look! It's Typhon!
Eagle: He's walking on the rainbow bridge. Hey! Where's he going?
Eagle: Someone's stopping him. Who is that?
Sotheby: That's Heimdall, the great hero who guards the rainbow bridge. He's giving Typhon directions!
Eagle: Where's Typhon going?
Sotheby: He's going to battle with Jupiter and his army!
Eagle: Who's Jupiter?
Sotheby: Oh, he's a really bad man. His minions are always giving Typhon trouble. They've even come to bother me, but I managed to drive them off!
Eagle: Wow—that's amazing!
Eagle: I hereby present you, Lady Sotheby, Captain of Typhon's army and leader in the victorious battle against Jupiter's army, with this first-class medal of honor.
The little Scout wobbles as she sits up, unpins the badge from her chest, and solemnly pins it to Sotheby's dress.
Sotheby: It is my honor, Commander!
Sotheby wobbles as she sits up and gives Eagle a less-than-perfect salute.
Eagle adjusts Sotheby's hand to the correct salute position, then lies back down.
Eagle: Hehe! Hahaha!
Sotheby: Hahaha!
The two laugh together.
The night is still long.
The Lady's Code of Conduct: Revised Edition
Chapter 6 ...
Sonetto: The results of Cristallo's examination are in. A coagulation dysfunction caused temporary asphyxiation, which led to her fainting. No plant toxins have been found in her body.
Vertin: So the popcorn wasn't toxic after all.
Vertin: We shouldn't have worried so much. She meticulously measured the herbal ingredients, ensuring they would cause no harm to humans.
Vertin: If there is any effect at all, it's probably just a slight, pleasant hallucination.
Vertin: There's no denying that she's skilled in managing toxins.
Sonetto: Dale cow tongue isn't a part of a fictional creature, but an arcane herb known as "dyed pearl grass." It's used in basic potions for healing and good luck.
Sonetto: The hoof of the four-legged beast is just a horse's hoof, and Jamaican pepper is also known as "allspice."
Sonetto: Finally, an Immortal Flower is actually a naturally growing arcane plant called "thousand-spike crop." It's used in some unusual rituals.
Vertin: She has her own understanding of things, but that doesn't mean the things she mentions don't exist.
Sonetto: Although it won't cure Cristallo's condition, the potion will make her much more comfortable, and she won't faint anymore.
As they speak, a little head peeks out from the wall.
Eagle: Psst—Ms. Vertin, Ms. Sonetto, come over here.
The little Scout presses her finger to her lips.
With deliberately lowered voices, the children seem to be preparing something—either a prank or a surprise.
Sonetto: What's the matter, Eagle?
A large feathered hat also peeks out from the wall. Their two little heads are stacked one on top of the other. They both frown, their eyes bright and their expressions serious.
Sotheby: Shh! Come here—and turn the lights off.
Sotheby: Walk softly, hurry up!
It feels like she had been in the dark for an eternity.
As consciousness returns to her body, the pale girl slowly sits up, her hand on her forehead.
The emptiness of the room makes her shudder. Before she slept, she was in the middle of the chaos, but now that she's woken up, she's alone again.
Cristallo: Uh ...
Cristallo: Where am I?
Cristallo: ...
Cristallo: Oh, this is my room.
Cristallo: I'm in my room.
Cristallo: It's so quiet. Nothing like my dream.
Cristallo: shiver It's a bit cold. Is the window open?
Cristallo: Did someone come in?
Cristallo: Sotheby, that's right. I remember now.
Cristallo: She was talking to me, but I couldn't hear her. Then, I can't remember a thing.
Cristallo: Hah.
Cristallo: Seems like I fainted again.
She lowers her head and sighs softly.
Cristallo: It's so quiet.
Cristallo: At night, when everyone else is asleep, I'm awake.
Cristallo: And when everyone else is awake, I'm asleep.
Cristallo: Hmm, maybe I scared her. Should I apologize?
Cristallo: "Sorry, I didn't hear what you said," "Sorry for suddenly fainting" ...?
Cristallo: It's not like I haven't tried that before. Apologies don't work.
Cristallo: Everyone leaves eventually, and I'll be alone once again.
Cristallo: You scared her. She won't want to spend time with you anymore.
...

She sits in familiar silence.
Cristallo: Alright, now let me see if I can close this window.
Cristallo: huff, huff ...
She struggles to prop herself up. As she turns, looking down at her feet dangling off the end of the bed, she notices something.
A small black creature has popped its head out from under the bed.
Cristallo: Ah! What is that?!
It climbs onto the bed, an apologetic look on its face. It grabs her hand in a nervous attempt to comfort her.
Cristallo: Who are ...?
Cristallo: Are you Typhon?
The little black creature nods excitedly, points to the window, and hops over to close it.
Cristallo: Thank you, Typhon. Did Sotheby send you?
Typhon nods.
Cristallo: Where is she? Does she not want to see me?
Typhon shakes its head frantically.
It points outside the room.
Cristallo: Is she out there?
Typhon doesn't reply. It jumps down from the windowsill and hurries back to Cristallo's bedside, nearly stepping on its own tail on the way.
Taking a deep breath, Typhon begins to grow larger.
Cristallo: What are you doing? Hey!
It doesn't respond, only growing larger and larger.
Soon, it is so large that its inflated body starts to push Cristallo's bed toward the door.
Cristallo: Where are you taking me?
Cristallo: Typhon?
Cristallo: I-I've never left my room! Just give me a moment to prepare!
Cristallo: Hey! Typhon, don't scare me! Everyone's asleep! We shouldn't disturb ...
Cristallo: Don't!
The little black creature continues to manically push Cristallo's bed all the way down the hallway. She has to cling to its sides to balance herself.
The door bursts open.
There is a flash of white light, followed by a sudden, brief dizziness.
Then, above her head, comes the continuous sound of popping. They're not loud, like an explosion, but gentle and fragrant, like a flower bursting open.
*pop* *pop* *pop* The air is quickly filled with a sweet aroma.
Sotheby: Ms. Cristallo!
Everyone: Cristallo!
The pale girl opens her eyes.
Twins Sleep: Ms. Cristallo! Come and try some! Come and try some!
Cristallo: Th-This is ...?
Sotheby: Popping Candy Popcorn!
Sotheby: I made it with real corn this time!
Cristallo: Corn?! Did you find a cornfield?
Vertin: Sotheby got some corn seeds from outside the suitcase, so we allocated a piece of land in the Wilderness to grow them on.
Vertin: We used a growth potion to hasten the growing process.
Sotheby: You should also thank Ms. Eagle! She came up with the brilliant idea of adding pepper candy to the popcorn—it's even more delicious now!
Eagle: Pfft ... cough cough cough
The little Scout blushes as she offers Cristallo a handshake.
Cristallo smiles and takes her hand.
Their hands shake firmly.
Sotheby: Experiment number fifty-three is successful!
Sotheby: You can draw a smiley face on the sticky note now, Ms. Cristallo!
The popcorn is falling like flower petals.
Twins Sleep: Lisa has grabbed a lot! Louise has grabbed a lot!
Ms. Moissan: The blue ones taste like a stream.
Eagle: The pink ones are the best! They're like flowers! Wait, no—the green ones are my favorite!
APPLe: This APPLe prefers the red ones. They conjure up the image of parchment and a crackling fire, something you'd want to revisit on a winter night with the thrilling works of Christopher Marlowe.
Sonetto: Timekeeper, may I ...?
Vertin: Hmm. Try this one. You'll love it.
Sonetto: ...!
Eagle: This snack is like nothing I've ever tasted! You can definitely tell it wasn't made in any ordinary factory!
Sotheby: Really?! That's great!
Sotheby, a sparkle in her eyes, raises her head and shouts with joy.
Sotheby: Sotheby is so, so happy!
The feathers on her hat bob happily as she makes her way around the group.
Sotheby: Ms. Cristallo, you simply must try this!
She hands over a piece of golden popcorn.
Cristallo takes it and puts it in her mouth.
Cristallo: Hmm, this is popcorn.
Sotheby: Yes, this is popcorn.
Cristallo: Popping Candy Popcorn.
Sotheby: Yes, Popping Candy Popcorn.
Cristallo: It's sweet.
Sotheby: Yes.
Cristallo: It's sweet.
APPLe: Well, well, it seems our story has come to an end. But this is just one of many stories of our little lady making new friends.
APPLe: It seems that she is becoming a true lady, isn't she?
APPLe: Yes. A very, very good lady indeed.