Arcturus could feel Esta's intense gaze drilling into his soul. He felt too nervous to turn and look at her, but he had to. He slowly let go of Nova's hand so that his attention fixated on her.
"Can…I help you?"
Esta was a woman who was as tall as him with a long blonde braid that reached down to her waist. Her eyes were an interesting shade of blue-green. He wasn't sure if they were more blue or green, but knew they were some shade of turquoise. She gave him a mischievous smile, as if she was concocting something.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure…?" He was uncertain what she was going to ask, but he had a hunch it wasn't going to be a good question.
"What do you feel towards Nova?"
Arcturus blinked twice before responding, "Huh?"
She repeated her question, making Arcturus even more confused.
"Feel?"
"Do you love him, you know, romantically?"
"Romantically?"
"Are you in love with him?"
He tilted his head to the side, furrowing his brows as he thought about the question. He hadn't thought about love in a while. He did have a girlfriend before, but what he felt towards her was much different than what he felt for Nova.
He wasn't really sure what he'd describe his feelings about Nova. He didn't hate him at all. However, he found 'like' to be too weak of a word to describe how he felt towards him. 'Love' also felt too broad for him. There were all sorts of love, but if he were to say he loved Nova, Esta would take it as a romantic context, which he didn't want. His feelings towards Nova didn't feel like they were romantic, but he felt like he could fall for him if possible.
There were a lot of things he liked about Nova despite only meeting him for a short while. He liked the color of his eyes. The lavender hue reminded him of the sky during sunset. Wait, I think twilight would be a better word to describe it… He loved the shade of blond hair he had. He never saw anyone else with such golden hair. He knew the hair clip he had bought in the Outskirts would definitely suit him.
Other than his physical traits, he liked Nova's personality. While his first impression of him had been a little poor, he sort of realized that the mischievous and peppy personality Nova had when they first met was most likely him mimicking Souhait as some sort of protection. The real Nova was a bit gloomy and aloof, but strong-willed and determined. Although he had lived for over five centuries, he could still see determination and hope in his eyes–a sort of lavender fire that still sparked. Nova had an unwavering will that helped him to keep moving forward no matter how much time had passed. He just found him amazing.
I think I found the right word to describe what I feel about Nova now…
He answered Esta's question with, "Rather than love, I admire him."
Esta raised an eyebrow. He could tell she did not expect that answer. "Admire?"
"Nova is amazing. He's been through a lot in his long life yet he never falters on the path he's walking. He can grant wishes; he granted mine. As a condition, I'm to be by his side to protect him, yet even if I didn't have that condition, I'd still want to be by his side."
Esta looked disappointed by his words; Arcturus just hoped he didn't say anything odd for her to have that response. He was sure he spoke from the heart.
"You're not in love with him? What a bummer…"
He felt a jolt of annoyance surging into his nerves. He tried his best to not express it in his face. "And why is that of concern to you?"
"I need some excitement in life! Romance stories seriously spice things up! Lonely people like me need the deets!"
"Did you have some past failures in romantic experiences that made you so curious about others' love life?"
Esta froze. She started sulking and pouting. "You are surprisingly sharp…"
Her reaction caused Arcturus to feel bad. He wasn't sure what to do or say in this sudden turn. He suddenly realized that he found this a good opportunity to learn about the other members of this rebellious organization. He learned about Asteria and now it was Esta's turn.
Asteria did say that everyone here has some sort of beef with Bellatrix. Maybe she has some too?
He asked, "Does it relate to why you're a part of DUO?"
"Somewhat. The reason I joined DUO is because of someone I liked a long time ago. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. She was a soldier while I used to be a medical researcher. We lived in two vastly different worlds. One day, I got the news of her death and that was what compelled me to quit my job. I wandered around aimlessly until Marlo found me and that was how I joined DUO." She looked visibly upset.
"Was your crush's death because of Bellatrix?"
"She was a factor in it. That's why I joined. I don't want to see Bellatrix exist. It only reminds me of my loss. That's why I support Asteria."
Esta walked away, hoping to be alone. Arcturus did not chase after her; instead, he began thinking. A sad realization came to him. He knew that passing souls would be in the Spirit Realm, but he also knew that said souls could be removed and be put into a Shiftie. He recalled the Monarch Shiftie he had met; she had the body of a girl named Sayaka who was the soul inside Kori's earring.
That would mean one day, Esta would have to meet a Shiftie that would resemble her lost love. He wondered how she'd deal with that. He went up to the loft room to check up on the immobile and inactive Shiftie lying on the ground.
Like Constance, this means that this Shiftie's appearance once belonged to someone of the past… He could've been someone's family, friend or even lover…
Arcturus took a few steps back. He was still a bit wary of the possibility that this vicious Shiftie could activate despite not having an earring.
He then turned to see Hilbert climbing up to the room. "I've been looking for you!"
"What do you need?"
"In a few minutes, this walking house will become a swimming one!"
Arcturus noticed he had his phone in hand, meaning he was talking with Sara.
"How will this house swim?"
"Sara, activate swim mode!"
"Yes, sir!"
Arcturus took the chance to look out the window from the loft room and saw that the legs were turning into a flat surface. It looked as if the house was on a metal surface to help prevent water from soaking the walls. They were practically on a makeshift boat of some kind.
This got him worried about Nova who had motion sickness. If he were to awake, he'd practically be sick. However, if they were floating on the Emerald Ocean, he wondered where they were headed.
"Where's our destination? The mainland?"
Hilbert shook his head. "We're going to Winterfully!"
The reveal left Arcturus shocked. "Huh?"