~*~ Okay, it’s almost March 15, so I’m putting up the prep post for this tiny Arc =3 For arguments sake, we’ll say that this post will take place around March 14. And the festival is 4 days away on the Friday of that week *nod nod* On with the prep! ~*~
In this post: Aberius, Tanner, Lux, Rikku, Nyarth, Hon, Fresia
Time: March 13, nighttime
Aberius
I awoke feeling slightly sore from sleeping with my head at an awkward angle. I rolled my neck and stretched like a cat. Looking around to my bed, I wondered why I was on the floor in the first place. I saw Rikku lying there, wearing my shirt. I remembered I had found her here when I came back, but I still didn’t know why she was here or why she was so beaten up. I place a hand on her forehead, but she didn’t seem like she had a fever. As a matter of fact, she looked better than before as some of the color had come back to her cheeks and the mending bone sounds had stopped. She was breathing more easily, too. I pressed gently on a few key areas to make certain the bones were not broken and that they were set properly… I’d learned the hard way, if a bone heals too quickly without being set, it could grow back awkwardly, and you’d have to have them broken and reset the proper way… However, everything seemed okay. I put my hand around the back of her neck and gingerly examined. Her neck was broken, but looked normal now… What exactly are you that you can go from being ground practically to dust to perfectly fine in a day…? I looked at my shirt clinging tightly to her body. She had sweat in her sleep. She might’ve had a nightmare. The cuts and bones had healed where I could see them, but to be sure, I lifted the shirt too examine her abdomen.
“Don’t hold it against me, Rikku…” I whispered. I didn’t see any signs of damage anywhere. “I have to say, you have a gorgeous body, though.” Replacing the shirt before I’d be considered a criminal, I lifted Rikku gently off the bed. She would be better off in her own room, since there was nothing more I could do for her now. I reached her room and maneuvered inside and placed her on her own bed. I wondered if maybe it was wrong to just leave her as she would be wondering where she was and with no one to answer her. Just as I’d reached the door, I heard shuffling behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see Rikku sitting up, looking sleepy, but awake this time.
“Aberius…” she said, rubbing her eye.
“Yeah, it’s me. How are you feeling?” I asked.
“I feel fine, why…?” she began to say, but then she gasped and her eyes widen as if she were remembering what happened. “Oh… how am I even…?”
“I was wondering that myself. I found you in my bed wearing my shirt all beaten up. However, it looked like someone already tried to clean you up. What happened?”
“What…? I was in your room? Why would…? I…” Rikku grasped a bit of hair near the front of her head and I walked over and sat down next to her on the bed. She looked like she wanted to cry out of frustration.
“Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. Or if you can’t remember, I won’t pressure you. Just rest for now.”
Rikku nodded, but looked down and fidgeted with the bottom of the shirt, pulling it further down and blushing. “Um… what about your shirt?” she asked.
“I was looking for it, but you know, it’s not that important now. Go ahead and keep it.” I said. She just clenched the bottom more and nodded. “I’ll come back later to see how you’re doing, okay?”
“Right,” she said, struggling with herself about something. For a moment, I almost couldn’t leave, but considering the reaction I had yesterday, I should probably check something first.
I was walking through the mansion when I heard Tanner speaking on the phone and heard the name “Lux” mentioned. Gah, that guy… I grimaced. I walked over to him.
“Hey, is that Lux?” I asked and Tanner nodded. “You know I would just love to speak to him… Would you mind handing the phone to me?” He nodded again and turned back to the phone to say goodbye before handing me the phone. “Yo, Lux,” I wanted to rip this guy a new one for nearly crushing me to death days ago. “So tell me what hospital you are at so I can break your legs for having you sorry ass land on me,” I growled.
“Hey Abs, nice to talk to you too, sprite!” Lux replied and laughed. this bastard’s laughing at me, now? I grit my teeth.
“You bastard, you are asking for it! I am really going to kick your ass for that, Lux… you hear me?” I growled again. I expected to hear another smart remark from him, but instead he said something else:
“I’m sorry Aberius…I really am.” I hadn’t expected to hear an apology from him. I pretty much figured he as a jerk, as he had been since I met him. Come to think of it, though, he didn’t look the same when he went berserk the other day… It was like something was taking control over him. Is he cursed, too? Or is it different…? To me, it didn’t seem like it was the same, but at the same time, he must have been suffering over something he couldn’t control… Suddenly I felt badly for him. “Aberius?” he asked, jogging me from my thoughts, “You still there?”
“Yes I am still here Lux…” I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for this past incident. He’s been at the mansion longer than I have and there are people worried about him… Even Raine seemed to be worried… Was that why she was crying? I swallowed my pride for a moment, “just get better, okay, cause things around here aren’t as interesting anymore.” I thought back to the few times I’d encountered Lux… I still wasn’t too happy about having water spilled on me. And even if he was taken over by something, I’m sure he could’ve aimed better before he fell on me… I began to feel annoyed again. “But when I see you, I am still owing you an pounding.”
“Alright, but Abs could you get me Hon?” Lux asked. Who? He wants a book? I’m sure someone knows him, so I can just ask.
“Sure just give me a sometime so I can find him,” I said, looking around. I spotted the little cat-boy from yesterday not too far and walked over to him. “Hey, Nyarth, do you know a Hon?” I asked while covering the phone.
“Hon? He’s right over there in the kitchen. I think he heard you, so he’ll come over in a minute-nya,” Nyarth replied. He swished his tail a bit and was rocking back and forth on his heels. Gyaa, nooo, there’s that itchy feeling again… I scratched my neck.
“Okay, Lux wants to talk to him,” I said.
Nyarth’s eyes widened, “Oh! Lux? Can I talk to him first, nya?!” Nyarth was bouncing up and down, now. Shivering a bit, I nodded and handed him the phone.
I guessed if Hon had heard, he’d go over himself. Sure enough, as I was leaving, I saw a male Houndoom walk over to Nyarth and take the phone. I was feeling a bit anxious over what I’d been worrying about… I needed to find out what day it was. As I was walking, I smelled a somewhat refreshing cold scent. It reminded me of Gil, but there was something else oddly mixed in… oddly reminiscent of knock-out gas, but on a smaller scale and more perfumed than that. A gijinka turned the corner of a nearby hallway and stopped in front of me since we had bumped into one another.
“Oh my,” she said, looking down at me. “I am so terribly sorry, are you alright?” It was a Froslass. I noticed that she had large knockers, considering I had face planted right into them. I stepped back and shook my head, trying to focus on the matter at hand. Maybe she could answer the question I had.
“My fault, sorry... Could you tell me what day it is, though?” I asked, looking up. I tried not to focus on the soft, luxurious cushions just inches away from my face. But they were so comfortable… Argh, damn my attention span!
“Today?” she mused, “I believe it is the night of March the 13th… Actually, it is only 10 minutes away from tomorrow.” She looked down at my chest and blushed slightly. I remembered that I still wasn’t wearing a shirt. I would have to make another one… I thought, but stopped. I had just realized what the date she had said was… In roughly 24 hours and 9 minutes, I would need to get away from here… but if I was out in the open… I felt a cold sweat roll down my forehead. What am I going to do…?
“Excuse me, little boy?” the Froslass said.
“I’m not a little boy, I’m freakin’ 22, dammit!” I snapped. She jumped a little and looked hurt.
“I-I am sorry…” she looked like she was about to cry. Oh great… Okay, I need to mend this fence before anything… I’ve still got a little time…
“No, I’m sorry… what is your name?” I asked.
“Fresia,” she said.
“Fresia, I’m Aberius. Please forgive me, I’m having a little problem right now.”
“Is… there anything I can do?”
“No, I’m fine… Actually, I would recommend staying in your room for the 15th… I, um… here there’s going to be a swarm of locusts…” Whaaat? Why am I so lame…?
“A swarm of locusts?” she looked surprised and confused. I don’t think she believed me, but I didn’t have any better reason at the moment.
“Yeah, so I have to go find… Bug spray! So go hide in your room until it’s safe to come out, okay? Lock the door, too. It’ll be safer that way.”
Fresia looked even more confused as I ran off toward my room. This isn’t good… How could I let time get away from me…? How could I not know it was getting closer? Is that why the blood made such a strong reaction? But wait… if it’s almost the 14th, then I slept for an entire day… I could’ve prevented being here if I’d woken up sooner… I would’ve been long gone already…
I reached my room and shut the door, locking it. I wouldn’t have enough time to get away and restrain myself… I looked up at the door and saw the bars next to it. Will those even be strong enough? Oh god… I even thought it wasn’t until next year… How did I lose track of the time? I grasped my hair and my breathing picked up. I walked over to the door and pulled the bars into position over it, locking the three locks. I sat down on my bed. I felt even more panicked than usual because I’d done nothing to prepare… and Master wasn’t with me. No one here knows what’s about to happen, either… If I escape, what will happen to them…? I could feel cold sweat running down the back of my neck. Even though I said there was still time, if I couldn’t get far enough away, I would have to wait here… But if I wait here, there’s a chance this place…
I prayed to myself as I huddled on my bed, wrapped in the sheets. Master… Why aren’t you here when I need you…? If only you could help in some way or send me a sign? Someone send me some help… I heard the clock strike midnight and at that moment, I could feel the same burning sensation I’d felt every day before the Ides of March since I was 5… My throat would parch and torture me to drink… Every March 14… The day before my birthday... For the whole day, I would have to bear with it. Because when tomorrow comes… it’ll be much worse…
~*~ Okay! That is where I shall leave it until Raine’s post! Which is technically later today XD;; But this is part of the prep X3; Raine’s post is also part of the prep, but as well, I’ll have to have her go through what’s already happened at the hospital =3 So, until then XD ~*~
