Where is Mister Choupinou ?

“Do you think you can enter here freely without getting into any troubles ?”

I turn my head and see a man, he is wearing a light brown suit, he must be 1 m 50 that makes him look cute but he does look angry. His hands are covered with paint. His left arm is lifted and his forefinger points towards me.

He continues to watch me with angry eyes.

“Where do you think you are ? And what are you doing to my baby ?”

His baby but he looks too young to have one. What to do ?

“You better have a good reason to be here or you will regret it bitterly.”

I try to speak.

“I came here because I found this baby, he was abandoned.”

“I see, don’t you worry I am the right person to help you.”

Ah ? What ? He wasn’t angry two minutes ago ? I don’t understand, I guess in this world I should give up trying to understand anything since I’m not from here.

“...Thank you, I think I really like this baby even though I only met him a few minutes ago. I… would like to take care of him until I find his parents.”

“It’s impossible.” says the man nodding his head to say no.

“What do you mean ?”

“It’s more like “How come you don’t understand. You’re a knight, you’re supposed to know what I mean but you’re holding him so tight as if you really care, so either you don’t care about the laws or you don’t know anything which would mean you don’t come from this world. I don’t see any other explanation, how could a knight not know ? And there’s not so many knights here. But I don’t believe other worlds exist. And at last you won’t surely ever find his parents.”

He talked so much, I’m confused, these laws say I can’t take care of this baby ? Why would people be surprised I come from another world ? I don’t have any memories but I’m sure I’m from somewhere else that has other laws. The stories I read were all big lies I guess.

“And what would happen if I come from another world ?”

“I don’t know, I would have to explain you everything and it would be too tiring, boo.”

He’s suddenly sulking. After a long silence he says.

“I know, you have to learn by doing things, for now you can keep him with you but you have to know he’s a very dangerous baby so you can’t give him to anybody else's arms, okay ?”

“Yes, okay.”

“Then here’s your first mission ?”

“Wait, what are you talking about ?”

“Time is ticking, I don’t want to explain.”

“What’s your name at least ?.”

He’s reading the tag on my chest.

“Chevalier Kanael-san, I’m the secretary and my name is Loupinac Peachi.

“What a cute name.”

Peachi is turning totally red.

A woman comes from the inside of the office.

“What’s happening ?”

She’s very beautiful, a little taller than me, she’s wearing a purple sleeve and purple trousers.

“You know what ? This man doesn't know anything about this world so tell him about it while doing the mission.”

“Alright I’m Fleur, just Fleur. Let’s go.”

I am blushing. “Yes…”

We’re going like that suddenly and what with these non-Earth reactions ? Ah so I come from Earth.

“Fleur ! Fleur !”

A little girl is running towards Fleur.

“You’re going to find mister Choupinou, right ? I shouldn’t have lost it, sorry.”

“You know you don’t have to be sorry, it can happen and in these moments you just have to ask for help to the Office of the Kawai Affairs Detectives !”

The secretary adds “Exactly, so don’t hesitate.”

He takes her in his arms.

“So my baby we’re going to play while waiting for the return of mister Choupinou.”

“Mm !”

How cute… I hope everyday looks like that.

I’m smiling like I never did before.

☼

We’re out of the office, the baby is still deeply sleeping in my left arm.

“We better hurry, it’s gonna be night soon. What do you know ?”

“Just that everything I remember is different from here, I don’t understand why I would not be able to keep the baby with me.”

“His parents must have abandoned him because he’s the animals lord, one of the most powerful humans and the number one of his category.”

My brain stopped working for a moment.

“I can’t even understand what you're telling me. What are categories ?”

“You just have to know that as a knight you’re a pure human, the higher category of humans.”

“I’m a human but I have vampire teeths, elf ears and long claws, I can’t be a human.”

“Of course you’re a human, we’re like that here. You’re even a pure one.”

She looks at me with sad eyes.

“So the last time the plush were around the stalls here.”

“The plush ? We’re looking for a plush ?”

“Yes, that’s among our main missions in the office. We can’t let a child be sad for too long right ?”

I am smiling. “Yes, you’re right.”

After a while the night has fallen.

“It’s here !”

She rushes towards the plush.

“It just has fallen here, fortunately we’ve found it.”

“I didn’t do anything though.”

“But you were here, that’s more than enough.” She is warmly smiling at me.

“So here everyone looks so nice and kind, I’m happy to be here.”

“Yes, here, only here, everyone is so happy.”

She is holding the plush tight and looking at me so joyfully.

The way she says it, it’s like it’s really ONLY HERE that people are happy so not everywhere in this world.

“Do you want to see something fantastic ?”

“Mm ? Yes, of course.”

“Stella nails.”

She points her hands towards me, her finger nails start to light up one by one like the light of a firefly.

Amazed, I say “Wow, it’s so beautiful ! How is it possible ?”

“Since I activated my power, my nails can light up, it helps me find my way and things in the dark.”

“It’s wonderful, can I do it too ?”

“Mm, I don’t know but I don’t think since you’re a knight, knights don’t use powers like mine.”

“So I don’t have power but you talked about activation.”

“Yes, you will be able to activate it at the right time but I guess not for now.”

“Hum… okay.”

It seems kind of complicated.

“Let’s go home now !”

Fleur stretches out her hand to my right hand, waiting for me to hold it.

Embarrassed. “Ah ?... Hum okay…”

I hold her hand and we start walking.

Mm home ? Am I already kind of a family member ? It makes me happy.

We are half way home.

“By the way, what is your family name ?”

“I don’t officially have one but usually I say Blake, Blake Fleur.”

“Okay, why don't you have one officially ?”

“What a funny question ? You really don’t come from this world, don’t you ?”

She is smiling as if I’m a funny person to her.

“People from a low category don’t have the right to have a surname, it’s in the laws.”

“And for the names, is there anything special about the names ?”

“For the names, there’s a ritual in which the baby hears several names the parents have chosen and the names that he gives the happiest reaction to become his real name.”

“That’s wonderful, it means that babies can choose their name themselves even though they don’t really understand so they do it with their instinct.”

“Exactly, so even I don’t remember I chose “Fleur” as my name.”

“It’s because you’re as beautiful as a flower so you chose that name.”

She is blushing and then she turns her head in an opposite direction than my gaze.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to embarrass you or either.”

“Mm, it’s okay, thinking you’re supposed to be a knight and you’re saying that, it makes me happy and yes… embarrassed.”

They suddenly hear a sound near them, someone is coughing.

“There’s someone near.”

Fleur is rushing towards the place she thinks the sound comes from. She finds a little boy, wearing clothes in poor condition.

She asks in a sweet way.

“What are you doing here ?”

The boy starts crying.

“My parents rejected me because I activated my power. I’m all alone now.”

She tries to reassure him. “Of course you’re not, you see, we’re here. Let’s go to your new home now.”

“You’re a detective from this office.”

“Right, that’s why I’m gonna take you to your new home.”

I am thinking deeply and then ask.

“Why did they reject him ?”

“Because people who have power lose the right to live with people who don’t have one. It’s the law.”

I’m shocked and don’t say anything else. Fleur takes the boy in her arms and we start walking again.

After a while the boy falls asleep in Fleur's arms.

I hear a sound and say. “Wait, there’s someone.”

I stop Fleur from walking by putting my right hand on her shoulder.

Fleur asks “Who is there ?”

We hear the sound of the steps coming closer. And then…