Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm
...Today was a strange day.Originally Posted by Miss Sofia
Cosmos had left her room with the intention of pursuing the truth alone. Still burdened with regret, still chained by self-hatred and self-depreciation that had been building up slowly for years until the tragedy made it grow at an unparalleled rate, nearly consuming her very being.
Simply put, Cosmos fully believed that everything that had happened happened because of her fault, and that's why as long as she could undo her foolishness, then she would never hesitate to throw herself into the fire. She might be destined for hell, but if she could save her mother from the mistakes of her foolish daughter, then maybe there was a meaning in being found and adopted by Mary. Maybe her mother didn't make a mistake when she found her, ten years ago.
That was the quiet, silent prayer that Cosmos Fairchild kept in the deep, little corner of her heart: that she could at least do this one thing right. That she could do a little good by ensuring that the world doesn't lose such a kind and saintly woman so soon.
In comparison to that, her own life and existence is but a pebble. She would gladly throw it away and disappear if it means she could save her mother. She's not afraid of death, nor is she afraid of being forgotten.
And yet, today she met two people who somehow told her the opposite of what she wanted to hear.
They didn't call her wrong, or useless, or a fool. One seems to look over her like a mother hen, promising to not let her disappear despite being an investigator and a NWAB agent; the other is a princess who bluntly told her what she thought without reservations, that she is merely a victim of manipulation despite losing someone herself.
Of course, Cosmos herself disagrees. She had wanted to be called a fool, a mistake that shouldn't have existed; she wanted to be beaten up, to be told that everything that she did was for naught, that her existence was merely so that Mary Fairchild could be killed. She wanted to be justified for her feelings, that her self-hatred was right, that she was not really a victim but an unwilling accomplice. The reason why she didn't take Illia's reassurance to heart was because she was all too aware of her COMP's devotion and love to herself; of course Illia would console her, of course Illia would tell her that she was not at fault, that her existence is a blessing and not a curse upon the world.
And yet, these two people - practically strangers to Cosmos Fairchild - didn't condemn her. Didn't mock her. They might have thought nothing of it, perhaps even feeling that they are merely stating a "fact" rather than trying to make her feel better in any shape or form, but...
For a girl who had deliberately avoided people for years, fearing the darkness that lurks behind humanity...
Being shown the other side, the 'light' and potential to do good from people outside her small world in such a dark time was something that touched her heart in a way that she never thought was possible.
That's why while Sofia was rapidly typing away at the keyboard with Daniel looking closely, Cosmos used the opportunity to subtly wipe her eyes that were getting rather misty.
It wasn't enough to truly dispel the darkness that had taken roots in her heart, but it was enough to lit a small ember of hope - hope that gets brighter as she saw the recording of that fateful day, that she wasn't mistaken and that there was truly something that was running away from her.
Of course, that small moment of reprieve was shattered the moment Alyx and herself disappears into the fountain, as the image of a court jester filled the recording with its chilling laughter. A laughter that lasted for an agonizingly long minute, as if it was laughing at her actions, laughing at her mistakes, laughing at what is about to come...
Unconsciously, Cosmos gripped the edge of the table.
And then, those eyes turned into the camera, and--
Did something so absurd it left all three of them speechless for a moment.
Immediately, Cosmos' mind went into work. The first thing that came to mind was that the jester had merely addressed the camera because he knew it was there and that someone will eventually take a look - a notion that was dispelled because the jester had accurately describe the three of them. Perhaps some form of clairvoyance then? But the jester wondered to himself who is watching "this time." Why use that particular word? Someone who could time travel?
Silently, Cosmos took a deep breath.
Thinking and worrying about it won't change anything.
There is one simple thing that she could do to see whether this is merely a recording or if he truly is (was?) talking to them.
"If Magatsu was your definition of fun, then you have a twisted sense of humor, Mister Jester." Cosmos coldly said, practically glaring at the monitor. "Who are you? How do you communicate with us through a recording?"
A pause. Cosmos gripped the edge of the table harder.
"Are you one of the people responsible for my mother's death?"
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