Before the storm

He was way too weak.

Sure, he had been at a severe disadvantage with him being frozen in time and in the witch's domain of darkness.

Didn't change the fact he was played like a fiddle, lost for the first time... And died.

He was lucky he was in this world, or who knew what would happen if he wasn't tied to Subaru's Return By Death ability.

Would Kass save him if it was the case?

Julian who was with the group walking around the many crowded streets of Lugnica having resumed their search stopped mid stride and folded his upper body in half, putting a hand to his face.

'No... No she wouldn't. Right... Because she couldn't. Because something more powerful than her said so...'

Then he would have been gone for real. 17 years of a truly perfect life, vanishing like sand in the wind.

Maybe...

Because of his self-centered new life...

Maybe even himself...

Julian Håberjorgen-Marquis...

Would have been erased?

"ian? - Julian, dude, are you okay? Is it thirst again?"

Julian was snapped out of his thoughts by Subaru's half-worried half-bitter voice.

Raising his head and seeing all the group looking mostly worriedly at him. Julian caught something or rather someone from the corner of his eyes.

He tilted his head toward her. "Say, doesn't this little girl seem lost?"

Emilia looked at her too and inspected the green haired little girl that was on the verge of tears and seemingly looking for something. "You're right... She does seem lost."

Gazing at both Julian and Subaru, she stated. "We should help her."

"What? But aren't we in a race against time to find your stolen item?" Subaru scratched his head in confusion and asked Emilia.

"You can both go ahead and keep on with the research. I'll catch up later." And she was already walking toward the girl.

Subaru sheepishly smiled at Julian who just shrugged and followed.

—————

After a failed attempt from the half-elf. Subaru tried a magic trick but it surprisingly didn't work like in canon. The girl sending a look toward the rather tall and large Julian and resuming crying.

"Oh congrat Julian, you made the girl cry. Maybe your face wasn't as handsome as we thought it was." Subaru crossed his arms and smirked. Glad he could finally exact revenge for all the teasing he was victim of recently.

Julian made a denying gesture with his finger and joked, taking the coin from Subaru and crouching to be at the girl level. "That's the thing, I was too handsome for her young mind to process."

"What are you gonna do? I mean, I don't want to doubt you. Since we met, you've proven yourself quite capable. But conforting a little girl doesn't exactly seem to be in your area of expertise. Especially when you are the one who made her cry." Subaru truthfully said since he thought just waiting for the girl to calm down to be best.

"Just watch. I'm a man of many talent."

Emilia, meanwhile. Was just wacthing the two boys friendly banter with a curious expression. It was the first time before a very long time if ever that she was assisting to such a thing, and she was absorbing everything she could. Not quite having forgotten the crying little girl in front of her. But having admited to herself she was clueless on what to do.

Tossing the coin just high enough in the air so that it caught the sun's reflection and catching it afterward. Julian made sure it made a suffisiantly loud metalic sound each time he tossed it up and kept at it for a bit.

After a dozen of tosses, he suddenly stopped.

The now repetitive and familiar sound stopping made the scared and crying child look up in search of it despite herself.

Immediatly after seeing that, Julian started again.

With the sound back again, the girl rapidly found the source and was mesmerized by the rhythmically raising and falling coin who always seemed to shine in the sun at its highest point.

Letting it at that for a moment, Julian waited for the kid to calm down before asking in his softest voice. "You have unique, pretty hair. Do they come from your daddy or your mommy?"

The child sniffed, and shifted her gaze from the coin to Julian's face who was no longer as intimidating now that it was on the same level as her.

The little girl eyes brightened up at being asked a question she had the answer to. "Have hair like daddy. But mommy said mine prettier." Just after saying that, she was caught again in the movement of the coin.

"I'm sure she's right. Do you want it?" Julian asked catching the coin for a last time and holding it up for the girl.

Seeing how she still hesitated, he added, whispering like he was saying some secret. "You sure? In reality. This thing is a very rare treasure that can catch the sun's light when held correctly."

making the light reflect of the coin, Julian showed how in a certain position it would shine.

"See? You can try." Julian hold out the coin again and was satisfied when the child got hook and took it from him. Reproducing what he did earlier and making the coin lit up.

"You can keep it, it's a gift. Now, what do you think about us helping you find your mom?"

Seeing the girl nodding and playing with the coin. Julian patted her head, stood up and offered a finger for her to take.

Turning himself toward the group, Julian was met with a gapping Subaru and a surprised but happy Emilia.

"So, should we proceed?" He smiled.

—————

Somehow finishing with the girl on his shoulder, the group found the girl mother and resumed their way.

"You're very good with children Julian. I believe you would make a good father." Emilia said innocently while looking at the person in question with a bit of admiration.

Julian just sent a gaze her way and shook his head. What a thing to say.

"There's many more attributes to being a good father than being 'good with children'. And I do not have them." He answered simply.

Emilia frowned and thought hard about what was said for a moment. "True. But nobody can have all of them. And I doubt a man of many talents like you wouldn't have an additional thing or two going for you on this subject, no?" She smiled.

Julian blinked and didn't answer. This one was a fast learner.

—————

Subaru still proved himself useful in proposing like in canon to go inspect the scene of the thieft instead of running around like headless chickens.

They arrived at the stall of the green hair merchant for the third time and met the little girl and her mother again. And surprise! She was the merchant daughter. What a coincidence.

The only difference now beside the flower she offered to Emilia was a polished little metal scrap that she gave to Julian as 'compensation' for his gift.

Meanwhile, Subaru got nothing.

After getting information about the thief, Felt. They left for the slum of the city.

Now Julian wasn't really sure what to do. What if felt didn't heed his warning and was already dead along with the old man?

Was he even strong enough to protect Subaru and Emilia long enough for Reinhard to come chase Elsa away without Felt seeking help and Puck support?

It was with these thoughts that Julian watched along with Subaru as Emilia showed them she could do magic for the first time with her communicating with the lesser spirits.

"You could use magic Emilia. That's so cool." Subaru said as it was literally the first time he saw someone use magic in this world.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I don't want you to think I hid it deliberately from you guys." Emilia apologized.

"Oh, err. I mean, It's okay. We didn't ask, and there was no occasion for you to show us before." Subaru waved her concern away.

It was at this point that Julian jumped in. "As you already know, we're not from here. So we're ignorant to a lot of thing. But is it possible for us to use magic?"

Subaru eyes lit up, throwing a thumb up at Julian. "Heck yeah. That's a question worth asking. Can we use magic?" He looked expectantly at Emilia.

"Ehm, I don't know. For someone to use magic, their gate need to be open." Emilia herself gazed at Puck pleadingly.

The floating cat in question yawned an pawed his ear. "I already checked both of them, while I'm not an expert like Roswaal. I'm pretty sure both of their gate are open. But we would need him to check for their affinity."

"So that's a yes?"

"Technically, yes. But you would need incantations in line with your affinity to actually use magic. And that's only if your gate contain enough mana to use spells."

"Oh..." Subaru looked a little dejected from not being able to use magic right away.

"Is there not a way to use this mana without all of that?" Julian insisted.

Puck eyed Julian a bit before answering. "Yes, there are. Even if it would be way less efficient than using spells specialised in it. You can make your mana circulate trough your body to enhance its capability. It's a method warrior without opened gate commonly use."

While Julian fell silent in contemplation. Puck added with droopy eyes. "Now, I have to unfortunately let it at that for the day. As a spirit, I need to use a lot of mana to materialise myself physically. So each night at this hour, I need to go rest to have enough energy for the next day."

Sending a last gaze to Subaru and Julian before vanishing gradually into a blue light. "Goodnight, I count on both you to keep her safe." And he was gone.

"Come on, we should ask around for Felt. It's beginning to be late. The people around here surely know her." Julian was the first to turn around and indiqued for the other to follow.

If the little thief was already dead, then it was possible that this timeline was a dead end.

And even if they somehow all survived this ordeal alive, would it truly be worth it to continu threading on it?