Another Timeskip (Yeah,i somewhat realised it's a bit too slow...sorry)
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Morning-Michael Room
Michael and Jeanne: Age 7 | Lavinia: Age 11
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(Michael's POV)
Something was hugging me.
The person who was hugging me was a bit cold, and i was quite familiar who's the one hugging me.
And I didn't even need to open my eyes to know who it was.
Lavi.
I opened my eyes anyway, and as expected.
Lavinia was curled up beside me, still in her blue nightgown, arms wrapped around me, sleeping peacefully.
Her long slightly messy blonde hair was spread across the pillow she's sleeping on.
I could also feel something or rather someone else hugging my waist from the other side.
And it was Jeanne.
Who was curled up on my other side, arms wrapped around me, face pressed against my back, completely dead to the world.
Yeah, this is my morning that is two girls sleeping with me on my bed, with myself in the middle.
And yes this is somewhat good if your going to asked.
But there's a small problem.
A problem i really need to address this at some point.
Since while it's somewhat fine for them to sleep with me as i said.
The problem is still a problem.
I then glance at Lavinia.
Who for your information is ten now....well
almost eleven.
Considering that she's going to be a teenager soon.
So in some way she really should have some concept of boundaries.
..... You know, i really sound like an old man thinking about it. Considering i am somewhat one,but I'm still a six years old lecturing a ten year old about boundaries in my head.
What is my life.
Suddenly a painful split hit my head.
Ow.
I winced.
A headache.
Not the first time recently.
These headaches had been occurring recently frequently over the past few days.
I don't know what caused it.
But i for sure didn't hit my head or crashed into a wall to caused it from my memories.
So i don't know what could have caused me this condition, nor the fact i don't have any stressful situations, due to the fact the ideas such as homework,and test haven't been relevant yet.
But after a while,it faded after a few seconds.
Not dangerous.
Just... annoying.
I file it away for later consideration, whether if my headache if i haven't eating something or the chance i have grown a tumour.
As i was thinking that, beside me Lavinia begin to stir, as she made a small sound somewhere between a sigh and a mumble, and begin to scratch her eye with one hand and yawned, as she then stretches.
Then slowly opened her clear, blue eyes.
Still slightly glazed with sleep.
She blinked at me for a moment.
Then smiled, seeing me awake.
"Good morning, Micky," she said softly.
Micky...
Oh yeah that's the nickname she'd started using after she asked me awhile back about a nickname that she could use for me.
Which i recommended on different nicknames, but eventually she started to choose Micky as the way she calls me.
Michael was fine.
Michael was what everyone called me.well except for Jeanne,who call me Mikey.
But Micky from Lavinia specifically had a different quality to it....well for her.
From what i understand, other than the nickname sounded like a certain evil corporate mouse, who has destroyed many great franchise for profit and is so greedy, that it will sue hospital or daycare having a painting of the mouse or any of it's intellectual property.
The nickname Micky, i guess in away is a bit quieter, and cuter for someone to use.
And for her it's probably that she is the only one who will call me that.
As i was explaining about the nickname.
Lavi hugged me tighter, burying her face briefly against my shoulder.
"Did you sleep well?" she murmured.
"Pretty well," I said. "You?"
"Mmhm." She smiled against my shoulder. "I always sleep better here."
"..."
I don't know how to respond to that.
So I won't.
She pulled back slightly, looking at me with those sleepy blue eyes.
"You had a headache, didn't you" she said. It wasn't a question.
I blinked. "How did you–!?"
"You always seem to be annoyed in the last few days, and i notice that you recently have been holding your head very often, so you likely had a headache." She reached up and gently touched my forehead with one finger.
"There." As she begin to somewhat messaged my head.
"..."
She notices that?
How long has she been noticing that?
"It's fine," I said. "It's been happening on and off lately, nothing that serious."
Lavinia's expression shifted though still soft, but with a layer of concern underneath her face.
"You should tell Mom," she said. "Or Dad."
While looking at me
"I will," I said. "But.. it's not really that bad, and serious you know."
She immediately gave me a look, after i said that. The look i can feel her saying that "I know you're going to forget to do that or do that" look.
"I think you still have to tell mom and dad,and I'll remind you," she said firmly.
"You don't have to–" I tried to tell Lavi it's absolutely not necessary.
"I'll remind you, and that's final got it ~?" she repeated, in a tone that left no room for argument.
"..."
She's ten and she's already mastered the great technique to win a conversation.
Where did she learn that?
Mom probably, and that's terrifying.
If mom has already teached lavi the different techniques to win a conversation against someone mainly against male.
"Okay," I conceded .
(Yeah the technique work)
"Thank you, Lavi." I replied to her.
Lavi then immediately went back to her happy state,as she smiled brightly and genuine, and settled back against the pillow, while still being close to me comfortable and familiar.
After awhile I looked back at Lavinia.
She looked back at me, still sleepy, still smiling.
Okay, i think it's the best time to address about boundaries.
"Lavi," I started carefully.
"Mm?"
"I think you should probably... sleep in your own room more often."
She blinked. "Why?"
How do I explain this without making it weird.
"Well," I said, choosing my words carefully, "you're getting older. And if Mom and Dad keep finding you in my bed they might get the wrong idea since were-"
Lavinia tilted her head. "But I like sleeping here."
"I know, but it doesn't me-"
"And Mom and Dad probably won't mind,"
she added simply. "They've seen me here before and they just smiled."
"..."
Damn, she's right. And she didn't need to use the "that's final" technique.
Mom literally took a photo one time.
And smiled, without a care, and showed Dad.
Who also smiled.
They're absolutely useless in this case.
I opened my mouth to counter that and have prepared another argument.
Then Lavinia spoke again.
"Also," she said, her expression thoughtful, almost innocent, "Jeanne sneaks into your bed too. All the time."
Damn bringing Jeanne into this conversation."Yeah,she does but-"
"She also would often more than time asked you to feed her,hug her, sleep with you." Lavi gestured while explaining it.
"I know–" I said while clearly and slowly losing the argument.
"So why are you asking me to stop," she tilted her head, "but not asking Jeanne to stop ?" Then Lavi expression change,and the next words that came out of her mouth was a finishing move.
"...is it....because you...don't like me anymore ?"
Lavi asked while proceeded to giving me some sad puppy eyes.
"..."
"..."
"..."
I stayed quiet hearing her reply.
And... Fuck!!
She really won this conversation.
She has a genuinely good point.
And I can't rebuttal that.
Since she's right in this case.
And i feel bad if i still rejected her.
But if i asked Jeanne to stop sleeping on my bed as well.
My life could be in danger.
Jeanne respond would be very dangerous.
Since If i asked Jeanne,she will definitely be upset,and an upset Jeanne is someone I don't want to deal with.
Since the way Jeanne handled her upsetness is clearly not good, compared to Lavi.
One way Jeanne will clearly respond is her shaking me to the point I'll get nausea, while more than ever, asking why i don't want her near me, or why I'm ending our friendship.
Not to mention, if i make her upset, she'll probably won't let me play some of her video games,or playing video games with her (yes i have my priorities).
Not to mention the benefits and the downside of it is really substantial.
Also Lavi is more mature than Jeanne,so i thought Lavi would understand.
But looks like i was somewhat wrong, well I'm right she is mature and didn't react too badly, but damn she has prepared her defense against me.
I sighed and then looked back at Lavi.
Which she's TEN,and grappled me.
Where is this logical precision coming from.
It's probably mom
It has to be mom.
She's been teaching Lavinia how to argue.
Damn it mom,your sometimes are evil to your own son.
I sat there for a solid five seconds with absolutely nothing to say.
Lavinia watched me with patient, as her eyes turned into a slightly amused blue eyes.
She knows she won.
She absolutely knows she won.
"...Never mind," I said finally. "You can keep visiting."
Lavinia's face lit up immediately.
She lunged forward and hugged me tightly.
"Thank you, Micky!"
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered.
I really lost an argument to a ten-year-old.
What is my life.
She giggled against my shoulder, with her enjoying our closeness.
I'm so thankful she isn't a teenager yet.
Because if she was a teenager right now while hugging me it would have been so dangerous NOW... Well not likely as well, considering i haven't experienced puberty again.
Though I really don't want to think about what she'll be like when she's older.
No.
Not thinking about it.
Firmly not thinking about it.
Behind me, Jeanne shifted as she tightened her grip on my waist.
Mumbled something that sounded vaguely like "Mikey's mine."
...
Both of them, really are not caring about boundaries.
I stared at the ceiling.
I'm six years old.
I should be worried about losing my crayons.
Not this.
Whatever THIS is.
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With Lavinia
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(Lavinia POV)
Why doesn't Micky want me visiting him ?
She thought while hugging him, quietly.
It doesn't make sense.
I asked Mom about it weeks.
If she can visit him at night, while casually, carefully, trying not to make it obvious she was fishing for some other information.
Mom had smiled warmly and said it was perfectly fine.
She'd asked Dad too.
Dad had given Mom a very specific look when she answered.
A look that clearly meant "are you sure about this?"
Mom had given him a look back that clearly meant "yes, absolutely, don't say a word."
Dad had gone back to his wine.
So both of them are fine with it.
Mom even seemed... happy about it.
Though she had said something quietly that Lavinia had caught the edge of:
"Don't tell Michael I said this, but... I fully approve on you spending a lot of time with him, he is remarkably smart and mature for his age. I trust his judgment completely. But i think he is sometimes a bit distance being at his age, I don't know why, but i hope you can help him with that."
And then she'd smiled in a way that suggested she was thinking about something else entirely.
I didn't fully understand what that meant.
But Mom had approved.
Dad approved (even if silently).
So why does Micky keep bringing up boundaries?
I squeezed him slightly tighter.
I'll figure it out eventually.
For now I'll just stay.
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Meanwhile with Jeanne
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Jeanne was still asleep.
With her still wrapped around Michael's waist. And still completely equivalent to being dead to the world. But her expression had changed.
As her face, no longer simply peaceful now slightly confused, slightly wondering, her brow furrowed as her eyes moved rapidly beneath their lids.
She was currently dreaming.
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Jeanne's Dream
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(Jeanne POV)
Where... am I ?
Jeanne was currently standing in the middle of somewhere she'd never been.... It was a village.
Or maybe a really small town.
She wasn't sure of the difference.
But it was old.
Very old.
And she can see that, since the buildings here were made of stone and timber, with it being low, thick-walled, with thatched roofs and small wooden shutters over narrow windows.
Not to mention the cobblestones path beneath her feet, it was uneven and worn smooth probably by the amount of footsteps that it had received ever since it was made.
Speaking of footsteps,people moved around her,as men in rough linen tunics were heading to work, and women in long woolen dresses with linen caps covering their hair were doing their daily activities.
With some children running between the buildings, chasing each other, laughing in a language that was french.
But it wasn't the French Jeanne know,but
old French,really old French.
But Jeanne somehow understood it, mostly the way you understand something you learned very long ago and haven't used in a while.
But that doesn't matter for Jeanne,but what matter for her is...
Where is this... Where is she ?
She looked around.
A church at the far end of the main road,it was a simple one, made of stone, with a small bell tower.
A well in the center of the village square.
Fields stretching beyond the buildings, golden with wheat.
A river somewhere nearby,she could hear it
She never been here,nor she have seen this place.
But for some reason why does it feel like...
Like I've walked these streets before?
She thought
She took a step forward, and a woman carrying a basket of bread walked directly through her.
Oh, they can't see me.
I'm not really here.
She stood very still, processing that.
So I'm in a dream.
Obviously it's a dream.
Which is so cool!
Jeanne excitedly thought.
But her excited attitude turned back to her confused state.
But it feels so...real.
As Jeanne thought of that a child ran past,a girl, maybe seven or eight, dark-haired, bright-eyed, chasing a goat that had apparently escaped from somewhere.
"Reviens ici!" the girl shouted. "Come back here!"
The goat did not come back,and the girl continues the chase.
Jeanne watched them disappear around a corner. She then went back to think her previous thoughts that is
Where is this?
When is this?
She looked up at the clear wide and endless blue sky, as some clouds moving slowly overhead.
And for just a moment,just one brief she felt something strange, like she had been here before and as if it was home.
And then it was gone.
And she was just a confused six-year-old girl standing in a medieval village she'd never visited, watching people who couldn't see her go about their medieval lives.
Meanwhile - Back in Reality
Michael lay between them, with Lavinia still hugging him thoughtfully, as Jeanne still asleep but now with that strange, searching expression on her face.
I really sometimes, if I'm lucky as hell or unlucky as hell, though if i say I'm unlucky as hell,some people will definitely be cursing my ass. Michael thought.
Back With Jeanne...
Jeanne walked carefully through the village, occasionally sidestepping things on the cobblestones that she'd rather not step in.
Medieval villages are not really clean.
Some animal excretion, puddles,as well as mud, and many other dirty things.
As a person with brown hair walk by carrying a hoe,and an old man riding on horse headed to the village market bringing his items.
Why does nobody talking about this?
Jeanne secretly thought.
She wrinkled her nose and continued walking.
The village felt more familiar the longer she walked through it, not in the way your own bedroom or your own house feels familiar, but in a deeper, stranger way.
Like a place you've never been,but you had seen before, like as if having a dejavu.
I know that building is a bakery before I see the sign.
I know that road leads to the river.
I know the church bell rings at this hour.
How do I know that?
Jeanne was confused on how she knows that.
But her thought was cut off ,as she begin drifting toward the church almost without a thought.
The stone building sat at the end of the main road,it was a simple and solid building, with it having a small bell tower as it catches the afternoon light.
The front of the church was wide open
Jeanne soon arrived at the building and stood outside, looking in.
Then suddenly some movement caught her eye.
A girl walking along the path beside the church, well actually a young girl perhaps, ten years older than her.
The girl have long blonde hair, catching the sunlight. With her wearing a practical simple dress.
Which the girl walked with a quiet certainty,as well not hurriedly, just the walk of someone who knew exactly where they were going and why she was going.
Who is that ?
I secretly thought,
Then the church bell rang.
DONG
DONG
DONG
The sound rang through the village,it was very deep and resonant, as it vibrate in Jeanne's chest.
As sound of bird being disturbed by the bell flies away.
But the sound for Jeanne, felt weird for her.
Since it hit her like a wave of something she couldn't name.
Not just a déjà vu.
But her view turned back to the girl.
As the blonde girl had stopped walking.
And stood still.
As then turns her head towards her.
Directly to her.
She can see me ?
Jeanne thought.
The girl's eyes that was violet, clear, andstartlingly familiar met Jeanne's blue eyes.
And the girl begin to smile, and waved at her
The girl was not surprised or confused.
Like she'd been expecting this.
And the girl opens her mouth and said something. Towards her.
But suddenly before the girl could say anything.
Everything suddenly disappeared
Jeanne had woken up.
Her eyes snapping open.
And she was now looking at a ceiling.
Well more specifically Mikey's bedroom ceiling.
She blinked several times, breathing slightly faster than normal, the dream already beginning to blur at the edges the way dreams do.
What was that ?
Where was that ?
Who was that girl ?
She thought.
She lay still for a moment, trying to hold onto the details,of what she remembered from the dream, the cobblestones,the church bell,and specifically the blonde girl turning to look at her.
What did she say?
She couldn't remember.
The words had dissolved the moment she woke up.
But right now she remembers where she is
Right in Mikey's room,and on Mikey's bed.
With her hugging his waist.
And she could hear Lavinia's voice, talking to Michael about something.
Jeanne pushed the dream firmly to the back of her mind.
It was just a dream.
A weird, vivid, strangely familiar dream.
But she wouldn't mention it.
She didn't know why exactly, but it just felt like something to keep to herself...for now.
She then loosened her grip on Michael's waist and stretched.
"Morning," she said, voice still slightly sleepy.
(Michael's POV)
I looked over as Jeanne stirred and woke up.
Something about her expression was slightly off,not upset, not scared, just... unusual for Jeanne first thing in the morning.
She usually woke up at full energy.
Immediately talking and greeting me.
Immediately moving.
And immediately tackling me.
But today she'd just lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling with those blue eyes carrying something unreadable.
Huh.....thats weird.
"Morning," I said.
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Later - Training
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I stood in the backyard, breathing steadily, with my hands raised.
I was now currently using enhancement magic again.
Let's go.
I channeled energy through my body, like last time using them,spreading the energy to my legs first, reinforcing them,and then to my arms,as i was building the enhancement layer by layer.
Then I moved.
I sprinted across the yard,faster than a normal six-year-old heck even an athlete runner had any right to move, and launched myself into a series of movements I had absolutely no business executing at this age.
As i begin to do flips, sideways roll, running up the wall for five steps before pushing off.
And doing cartwheels, and many other crazy stunts.
I while doing these move secretly grinned.
Magic is really and absolutely the best.
I could never do any of that with a normal body.
Enhancement magic essentially turns me into a completely different physical specimen, my past life knowledge of anatomy makes it even more efficient.
Targeting the right muscle groups, and the right neural pathways,it really help me so much perfecting the capabilities the body movement for a six-year-old anyway.
Across the yard, Lavinia was training simultaneously with her Sacred Gear and her magic.
As the ice doll glide at her direction while she maintained creating different spell with her hands, doing both at once.
The concentration required for that is immense, from what i could observe, since
I could see the strain on her face doing it.
She was pushing herself again,and again.
She always really pushes herself.
Meanwhile, Jeanne was swinging her small sword,the birthday gift from her dad through practice forms.
But something was off, since usually she would enthusiastically swinging it,but her current self was moving on autopilot.
Her technique was fine,actually surprisingly good for someone who'd only been training a year or less, but her eyes and mind were somewhere else.
I felt weird seeing that, since it isn't like her,but i decided to returned to my own training.
Specifically about enhancement magic.
Let's think about this properly.
The spell stacks,yes the enhancement magic can be stacked that much I'd confirmed through experimentation.
I can increase my capabilities, twice,well not doubling my abilities every time more like an additional boost,but i practically, and immediately hit a wall on that .
Since i can't stack then two for some reason
Which i had several theories on why i suddenly hit a wall.
My first theory is biological limitation.
As we know any body has their physical limits regardless of if they're an obese man or a healthy athlete.
Since If you push too hard on your body, you still risk injury, with the only difference how long can you endure activities.
Like overclocking a processor past safe temperatures. And being a human,my biological limit is probably less than any supernatural being.
my second theory, is about magical capacity (again). My magical energy reserves have a finite pool. So i think maintaining multiple enhancement layers drains that pool simultaneously.
At some point, I simply don't have enough energy to sustain or create a third layer properly. But still enough to not cause me to reach critical where i wouldn't lose the ability to use magic or collapse suddenly.
For an example, it's like using a battery cell that was used for a MP3 player, and then using it for a tv remote, since spells have different mana or magical energy consumption.
Theory Three is compatibility, the enhancement layers might be interfering with each other at higher stacks. And there's currently no more room for now to stack them. Like radio signals overlapping, where it would create noise instead of amplifying cleanly. I think that possible,but maybe or highly unlikely.
.
But lastly my theory is simply I'm too young.
My body is six years old. There's probably a hard limit on what it can handle regardless of magic.
A six-year-old's cardiovascular system, bone density, neural development,is very much different compared to an adult,
It might simply not be capable of supporting three enhancement layers yet.
That one's probably the most likely honestly.
I soon then looked over at Lavinia, who was still training, sweat on her forehead now.
And then at Jeanne,still moving through forms, still slightly absent.
You know i feel so weird and actually concerned seeing Jeanne like that, which i don't know what caused it, maybe she had a nightmare, or something so i decided to cheer her up.
Of course the way I'll do it is an unorthodox one.
(Jeanne POV)
I don't know why my mood is low today is it because of that dreams i don't even know why i even dreamed that. And why it was making me not excited today.
But i decided to continue to train swinging my sword.
Suddenly Mikey walked towards me.
"Jeanne."
"Um...yeah ?" I replied back to Mikey.
"Are you ok, since today you seem sad.."
" Yeah I'm fine, and I'm not sad." My mood immediately changed.
" Really ?.....or is it because you don't care about me anymore?" Mikey asked, while pretending to seem sad that I seem to not spend time with him.
" Of course not! " I replied with more energy.
" Really? " Mikey asked again, while
" Yes!" I answered again.
" Are you sure ? " Mikey grinned asking me again.
" YES!!"
" Good.... Let's play tag." He replied with him smiling at her.
" Ok, I'll be IT, which if i catch you, you owe me your cookie." I said to Mikey, while using these chance to steal a cookie.
As i begin readying to chase him.
With his face immediately turning to panicked, seeing that.
"Wait Jeanne-!!" As he begin to run a way.
" Get back here MIKEY!!!" I shouted at him, i know for a fact i can catch him, before he reaches his room.
" Help!!!" Mikey shouted. And Mikey soon left his backyard as Jeanne chase him down. With Lavi behind them chasing them.
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Soon everything went back to usual,as Jeanne energetic self returned,as she now focuses on chasing Mikey.
With her for now forgetting about her dream.
But what was that dream,and who was that girl. Everything will be answered in the future.
__________________
I'm Back!!
Yes, I'm finally "temporarily" free from my test. And i did well during the test, if your wondering.
Back to the story.
And yeah Jeanne seem to start receiving her benefits being an Inheritor of a hero spirit, and who was that person (it's obvious but well this is one of the ideas i want to try on how people know they're the Inheritor of a hero)
I have ideas, on how someone could know they're a descendant or an Inheritor of a hero. So I'm using one of the idea for Jeanne.
Also 2 chapters this week, yeah sorry,one reason the amount is small because i was waiting to see what information dxd junior vol 4 had, and yeah it somehwhat messed some ideas for Michael and his sacred gear,though thankfully it didn't cause me too change much except removing a few artifacts (like Solomon ring ,ark of the covenant and the ten commandments),and some oc (Nostradamus for example),from my plans,not to mention the plot twist cause me to have to check my plan for the fanfic. But overall we're looking good.
(I very much hope things don't go towards what is going to be a nightmare scenario for me,i don't want to change the Fanfic too much from my plan, considering my draft is already massive 😅 , I'm just hoping that the story doesn't ripped apart of my sacred gear idea)
But i do have a backup plan if the story cause my fanfic to be contradicting to canon or modifying my sacred gear idea to make it that the reason why there's another copy is that it's the actual artifacts are summoned by the sacred gear,in god's vault or a prototype that he put away.
Not to mention the story is making me go back making some chapter for my GOC crossover fanfic ( i really can't ignore the huge potential of DXD meeting a human organisation that practically in my story rules their universe and humanity.)
So yeah I'll be busy making chapters for both fanfic and remaking some chapters that i have published. So yeah the fanfic will be slow a bit but it won't be bad.
So see ya in the next chapter 👋
- AgentByteGOC