"What are you looking at me for?" Medici shot a glance at Jack, his tone laced with irritation.
"Just wondering if you saw or pretended not to see." Alaric, disguised as Jack, said with a shrug and a sly grin.
"Only you've got eagle eyes!" Medici retorted, rolling his eyes with a hint of gritted teeth.
"Of course I do!" Jack replied unabashedly.
"Speaking of which, isn't this the most high-profile advancement of the epoch?" Will said, taking a bite of a triple-scoop ice cream cone, a satisfied look on his face.
No need to guess... the ice cream was courtesy of Jack.
"Klein, don't feel pressured." Azik said, casting a helpless glance at the others before turning to Klein with a gentle, encouraging expression.
"Yeah, no pressure at all! With so many of us here, we've got a Spectator to handle any issues right away, a Monster to rewind time, a God of Death to snatch your spirit if you... unfortunately... croak, and even a compatriot with plenty of experience as an evil spirit." Jack said cheerfully, counting off on his fingers. He looked at Klein earnestly. "Rest assured, as long as you don't turn into a monster before we can react, you'll be fine."
"..."
What could he even say?
"Thanks for the concern, everyone, but I'm just advancing to Sequence 6… Why's everyone here?" Klein finally couldn't hold back his question. He'd planned for a quiet advancement to Faceless today, but somehow word had spread, and by the time he was ready, everyone had shown up.
Only Sia, Haiter, and others not yet deemed trustworthy were absent, still working as they hadn't been notified.
"I'm just here to oversee your Faceless advancement and make sure I can pack you off right after." Lucifer... Alaric's other persona... said with a smile, blunt as ever.
"Come on, you're my student! Of course I'm here to watch your Faceless advancement and back you up." Jack said, propping his chin with a grin. If you didn't know better, you'd never guess he and Lucifer were the same person.
"You're about to impersonate me, so I had to come check your quality beforehand... can't have you tarnishing my reputation." Medici said, glancing at Klein with an air of entitlement.
Adam smiled at Klein, saying nothing.
He was just here for his usual observation of this extended family's daily life.
"I've never seen an advancement before, so I wanted to take a look." Lil' Amon said, eyes gleaming with curiosity. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Plus, I'll be heading there with Brother Klein later, so I need to know what's up right away."
"I have no reason not to be here for your Faceless advancement. Even at Sequence 6, there's still considerable risk." Azik said gently.
"Is it possible I just showed up to join the crowd since everyone else was here?" Will suggested with a grin.
"..."
He didn't know whether to laugh or feel touched. Shaking his head, he steadied his emotions and turned his gaze to the bottle of Faceless potion on the table.
Taking a deep breath, Klein didn't hesitate further. He downed the potion in one gulp.
Alaric watched quietly, a faint smile crossing his lips.
He recalled Klein's Faceless advancement in the original story... alone, unable to reunite with his siblings despite seeing them, forced to hide from former colleagues like Leonard due to his "resurrection." not yet reunited with Azik, and devoid of other companions. Back then, Klein had drunk the potion in a rented room, utterly alone.
Now, whether they admitted it or not, everyone here cared about Klein at least a little.
This was the change Alaric had brought.
He couldn't deny it... he loved this change. It reminded him of certain moments from his past, moments bathed in warm hues.
"Emotions truly are the most beautiful things." Alaric thought with a smile, savoring the sentiment.
As he drifted into these memories, Klein, having consumed the Faceless potion, opened his eyes again. His skin shifted briefly, sprouting fleshy buds that soon vanished.
Klein had successfully advanced to Sequence 6 Faceless.
The success visibly lifted his spirits, and the new abilities sparked his curiosity, like a child eager to play with a new toy. After a half-second's hesitation, he glanced at Medici, swiped a hand across his face, and transformed into the Red Angel.
Medici watched, a mocking smirk curling his lips. "Too short, little guy."
Klein's smile faltered.
While Faceless could alter body shape, the range was limited. Given the height gap between Klein and Medici, a freshly advanced Faceless couldn't fully bridge that difference.
"Height's definitely an issue." Alaric realized, only now grasping the biggest hurdle in Klein's impersonation of Medici.
"How about shoe lifts?" Will suggested eagerly. "I've heard some stage actors use them to gain up to 20 centimeters."
"Seems feasible." Azik nodded.
"Shoe lifts are external, though... easy to spot." Lucifer-Alaric said, shaking his head. With a flick of his hand, a mask appeared. "Wear this. It'll cover the height difference with Medici." He said, handing it to Klein.
The Thousand Mask couldn't yet turn a child's frame into an adult's, but it could manage the gap between Klein and Medici.
"Thank you, Mr. Lucifer." Klein said, accepting the mask with a rare hint of dejection.
He wasn't exactly short... his Faceless abilities could push him past 1.8 meters... but everyone around him was tall, and Medici neared two meters, making the Fool look particularly diminutive by comparison.
"Don't worry, Klein. Once you reach Marionettist, forget two meters... you could go three if you wanted." Jack said, clearly sensing Klein's disappointment and offering consolation.
"Three meters is a bit much." Klein quipped, his mood lightening slightly.
***
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