~*~ Alternate title: "Playas Gotta Play" cuz there are so many women involved in this post X3 *is hit* XD; Okay, so fortunate that there’s been an extension for posting! =D This means more time to wrap things up X3 (Although I feel like things could never be wrapped up when you follow up, then others follow up after then you also want to write again! XD; *never-ending cycle*) Soo, I’ll cover what I can <=3 ~*~
Included: Aberius, Raine, Hoom, Lunette, Kiki, Fresia, Rikku
Time: Midday to late night after destruction
Aberius
“Thank you, Raine,” I managed to say after being silent for so long.
“H-Huh?” Raine responded, surprised by my statement.
“You seem like you’ve been helping me a lot within the past few days… Even though we’re perfect strangers…” I said, lifting my head from her shoulder and looking her in the eye. “But… Why…? Why would you go so far for someone you barely know?”
Raine looked back at me and hadn’t said anything. It seemed like she went deep into thought and her eyes glazed over after a while. I called her name several times before she came back to reality. She shook her head to snap out of whatever she was thinking about.
“Oh!” she exclaimed after looking down. She lifted a vial that assumed fell out of her pocket. “I, um… received this vial of medicine. Actually it should help out a lot since I can’t use my Healing Wave… the doctor had said it would take you several months to heal, but with this, you should be better within a week or less.” I looked at the vial of clear liquid. It looks like mercury…
“A week, huh…?” I said, thinking aloud. A week of healing sure beats not being able to use my arms for months… But how am I supposed to take the medicine without being able to, now…? “I’m sorry, Raine, but can I ask you…?” I began to ask Raine, looking up from the bottle. “Could you… and really I’m sorry, but… since I can’t use my arms, well…” I gestured with a nod to the bottle and she seemed to understand.
“O-Oh…! Of course, I’m sorry…” she said, hastily removing the cork from the bottle. She was about to tilt the bottle toward me, but stopped midway. Her eyes were wide and she looked as though she’d seen a ghost or something. I was pretty sure there weren’t any ghosts around, so I leaned forward and she flinched slightly as I put my lip to the rim of the bottle. She tried to tip it, but her hand slipped, so I lunged forward slightly, catching the tip with my mouth. This girl… she’s acting really strangely… She finally managed to tilt it enough so that I could drink it. Ugh… it tastes like metal… but it’s better than sitting around for 6 months… Raine’s wide eyes just continued staring into mine. I found it odd, because I thought she seemed shyer than that. I finished up the medicine and leaned back, licking some of the medicine off my lip. The whole time, Raine didn’t break eye contact… she just sat there staring with the bottle in her hand. I was starting to feel somewhat uneasy as I tried to clear my throat, but it was dry.
“Water…?” was all I could manage to get out. Raine seemed to snap out of her daydreams again and frantically reached for the cup on the nightstand, but she slipped, knocking the cup over and falling to the floor. Crap…! I pulled my arm out without thinking and grabbed Raine and caught the cup with my teeth, making sure I didn’t spill any of the water. “Ah… this medicine works better than I thought… I can actually move them at least,” I said, realizing that I was able to use my arm somewhat. I looked down at Raine, who was staring up at me with this frightened expression. “You know, you…” I was about to comment on how clumsy she was, but then I felt a throbbing pain in the arm that was supporting her, “are really heavy! GAH!”
I dropped her and she squeaked, bouncing off the floor. Sh*t, I didn’t mean to drop her… what’s wrong with me…? “Sorry…” I said, offering my hand to help her up. It hurt, but I bore with it for a moment until she was upright.
“Aberius-san…” Raine spoke after she was standing in front of me, “you’re… tall…”
“Eh?” I said, realizing what had happened, “Ah, yeah… Every year I tend to grow about an inch after I’ve transformed… Although…” I looked in a nearby mirror. Sure enough, I was much taller than before, “it looks like I grew several this time. Looks like I’m going to need a whole new wardrobe… My jacket must be shredded to smithereens, now…” Apparently I was wearing only a robe… Even my boxers are gone? Tch… I walked over to the closet to check for materials. “Hm, I don’t have enough… If I had some materials I could just make something…”
“Aberius-san, you can make clothes?” Raine said in a surprised tone. I was taken aback by the statement and hadn’t realized I was talking so nonchalantly about making clothing. I could feel a bit of heat in my cheeks.
“S-So what…?” I barked, clearing my throat, “I-I needed to learn while traveling to repair my clothes… It’s a survival thing!”
“U-Um… if you don’t mind, I could buy some material for you…” she said so quietly I barely heard.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that after what I put you through…” I responded.
“P-Please… it’s the least I can do…” she said, a determined look on her face. I don’t understand why she was so insistent on trying to help me, when clearly I’m the one who put her through trouble. Does she feel badly about my injuries? Even so, I would think she’d feel more resentful about the damage I did to her… So why…? I sighed slightly and walked to the nightstand, opening the drawer to give her some money. I wrote down some items on a small piece of paper and ripped it from the notepad.
“Here,” I said, holding out the money and list to her, “you can buy these things. This should be enough to cover it,”
“O-Okay,” she said, taking them from me.
“…” I thought about what might’ve happened while I was unconscious, “did I… cause much damage to the mansion…?”
“U-Um… it was mostly to the forest…” Raine fidgeted.
“I see…”
I looked at her as she held her broken arm. I had forgotten that she was also in pain. Not only that, she can’t use healing wave which means she’s in the same situation that I am… I walked back over to the nightstand and picked up the vial with the medicine. It was empty. I sighed and looked back at Raine, who was standing there like a deer caught in the headlights. And I, being a big idiot, drank all the potion… Not a drop left for her to help her out… I ran my tongue along the inside of my mouth. I could still taste the medicine, so maybe… without thinking, I grabbed the cup of water and took a sip, swishing it around a little. I turned and walked to Raine, tilting her head back, and put my mouth over hers. Her eyes widened in fear. I pushed the liquid into her mouth with my tongue, and for a moment, I tasted something sweet. She swallowed and I pulled back.
“I still had some of the medicine in my mouth…” I said, explaining. “It might not be much, but it might help you heal faster, too…”
Raine’s face turned pink and then red. She pushed me away and turned around quickly, “I-I-I…! I’m going to go buy those materials, now!”
With that, she ran out of my room and far away. I stood there for a moment staring. I took a few steps back and slumped onto my bed. Raising my hand to my face, I suddenly felt bad. Crap… was that not a good idea…? Maybe I should’ve said something beforehand?? But then, with the reaction she just had now, she probably would’ve run off or said no or screamed rape or something…! I slapped myself in the face. I really should think things through… I’m already… I inhaled, opening my eyes and looking into the mirror on the wall. I’m already 23…
I clenched my teeth and fist when a scent came across my nose. Like tropical fruits and cinnamon. There was a knock at the door.
“Can I come in?” came a female voice. I didn’t quite recognize it right away, but the scent seemed slightly familiar. After rubbing my face, I straightened my robe and sat up straight.
“Come in,” I said. The door opened and Hoom stepped inside. I wondered what she would be doing here when we haven’t really talked much. “Can I help you?” I said with a hint of suspicion.
“You… look different,” she said right from the start. I furrowed my brows. “Oh, I didn’t mean because of your arms…” she seemed to be getting flustered, “just… I mean…” Grappling with the right words, her face turned pinker. Suddenly, she seemed like she found the answer, “That’s it! You look taller!” Hoom paused for a moment as her tail swished from one side to the other, “...you are taller, right?”
“Oh yeah…It always happens when-” I stopped midsentence. There was no reason to talk about that…
“Hmm so I wasn’t wrong, that’s why you looked different…anyway you look good” she smiled at me and continued “…but do you feel good?”
No… I feel miserable and I’d really like nothing better than to throw myself off a cliff and hope I hit jagged rocks… “Well, I’m able to move them now…so yes, I guess I’m getting better,” I said, looking down at my arms. I wondered who it was that was able to take me down in the state… It even felt different from previous times… Stronger…
Hoom sat down on the bed next to me, “I wish I could help you heal faster…”
“Huh?”I muttered. She seemed to be acting strangely… Does she know something I don’t? “…anyway… Are you all right Hoom?” The question caught her by surprise and since she kept quiet trying to figure out what to say, an awkward silence was built.
"Hey Aberius, do you ever have any girl problems?" Hoom finally responded. What the f$ck kinda question is that…?! “It’s nothing… don’t mind me…” she said, changing the subject. I wondered if she was able to go to the festival, since I heard that Lux was in the hospital.
“Maybe it has to do with the festival?” I asked.
“The festival....?” she responded, somewhat confused.
“Yes, the festival that starts today…” I said. Honestly, why must you repeat what I’m saying…?
“Crap….” she said, seeming to remember about the event. “Are you going to go to the Festival?” she asked, tilting her head.
“Not today… I’m sure of that…” I said. I didn’t really feel like going much of anywhere after what happened. My head was ringing, I felt like I’d been hit by a truck, and I just wanted to soak in a long hot bath and tend to my aching muscles.
“What about later?” she inquired.
“Probably…? I’m not sure…” I really hadn’t planned on going, much less was I really aware of it.
“Then promise me something,” she leaned closer. What the hell?! B-back up! “Promise me you will go to the festival and will do something with me,” she continued. What? Why on earth…? “Anything, going to eat or something…..what do you say?” she concluded.
“Why should I have to…?” I started out. I honestly would like to be left alone in my room for a while… Do you KNOW what I just went through?!
“Aww, come on Abbie! It would be fun...! Pwease?” Hoom leaned closer, giving me a large puppy-eyed look. Oh god, not that… I sighed.
“Fine, I guess I don't have a choice..." I said, defeated. She smiled and wagged her tail.
“Then it’s a promise!” Hoom stood up from the bed. “That being said I will wait you at the festival…hope you manage to heal fast! Bye!” she said stepping out of the room.
I stared at the door for a while, wondering what just happened. That was… weird…I walked over to the mirror. Hm… maybe if I should’ve asked Raine to pick up some kimono material, if I’m going to be going… I decided to take that bath. I put a couple of clear plastic bags over my casted arms and secured them with rubber bands, so the casts wouldn’t get wet. I sat there and let the steam do its job. It was a bit difficult to clean up since my hands were inside the bags, but I managed. Surprisingly, I didn’t smell that bad after being covered in blood and dirt and other things… I sat upright. Wait…! Did someone clean me?! I remembered that I didn’t have anything on under the robe and I figured all the clothes ripped off after my transformation, but… Someone would have seen me… I put my hand to my forehead. Oh gosh, I don’t want to know who saw me like that… I mean, there’s nothing to be ashamed of, but that doesn’t mean I wanna put it on showcase… It’d be weird if it was a guy, but if it was a girl… that might be worse… Who’s seen me since then…?!
After worrying about someone seeing me nude for about an hour, I decided to get out. I put on a fresh robe after drying off and walked back into the room. I decided to change the sheets since I’d probably sweated all over them. I flinched when I moved my arm in a bad direction. I should be careful… even if this medicine is supposed to be healing me, I can’t push it… I plopped down on the bed and decided to take a nap, but before I settled, there was another knock on the door.
“Come in?” I said. A female gijinka I’d never met before stepped inside.
“Are you Aberius?” she asked.
“I am, but who are you?” not meaning to sound rude, but I thought it was odd to have so many visitors in one day.
“I’m Lunette. Hoom told me about you. Your arms are broken?” she said, looking at them. I nodded in response. “I can use Aqua Ring. She said you might need healing? You could probably be better by tomorrow.”
“Hm… tomorrow…” I thought aloud. Getting better sooner would be a good idea… But… “I’m sorry, but I think I’ll have to pass.”
“Huh?” she said, looking unsure, “Why wouldn’t you want to be healed?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to get healed… It’s just, well, someone already gave me some medicine to help me get better within a week. She went through the trouble despite what happened to her. So I’ll stick with the slower method. Thanks, though… Lunette you said? I appreciate the thought.”
She looked somewhat surprised, but smiled slightly and nodded, “I understand. Then I hope you get better soon for that person’s sake.”
“Yeah,” I nodded. Lunette waved and left, closing the door behind her.
I laid back in bed to try to get some more rest. I yawned and drifted off into a peaceful nap.
***** 2 hours later *****
I heard a knock at the door waking me from my nap. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Instead of calling them in, I decided to walk to the door and open it myself. I saw Kiki standing there with her head bowed, like she’d done something wrong.
“Can I help you…?” I said.
“Um...,” Kiki said blinking. “This isn’t Xio’s room is it?”
“No it’s mine,” I replied. Great, this one’s lost and not even here to see me this time…
“S-Sorry for bothering you…!” Kiki said, bowing in apology. She looked at my arms, “Ah, Aberius are you alright?”
“Yes I’m fine,” I said, seeing that she was wearing a fancy kimono. And she’s looking for Xio? I think she’d be better of not being around someone who looks down on everyone like that… “Tonight’s the festival, right? So are you on a date with that guy Xio?”
“Yes…” Kiki said fidgeting on the hem of her sleeve. She seemed uneasy about seeing him.
“Not that it’s any of my business, but did you have a fight with Xio?”
“Oh no, we didn’t,” Kiki said quickly. “It’s just that my sister was awful to him and he got really mad… but that’s not it either…” she mumbled.
“Oh…” I said, not really sure what to do about it.
“AAAAAHH! I’M SO MAD! IT’S ALL MY SISTER’S FAULT THAT I CAN’T HAVE A GREAT DATE WITH XIO!” Kiki yelled which made me jump slightly.
“Hey, don’t take it out on me!” I said, shocked.
Kiki blinked and bowed her head. “Sorry…” she sighed. “I shouldn’t bother you with my problems…” I realized I was being somewhat of a jerk.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “If you need someone to talk you can talk to me… although I don’t think I’m the best guy to ask for advice.”
Kiki looked up and smiled. “Thanks, Aberius,” she said, and looked down the hall. “So… do you know where Xio’s room is? I forgot…”
I sniffed the air and caught Xio’s scent. I pointed as I replied, “I think it’s over there.”
“Thank you!” Kiki said, bowing yet again. And with that she rushed off in the direction I pointed.
I went back inside my room, but I hadn’t sat down for more than five minutes when there was another knock at the door. I got back up and opened the door.
“Yes?!” I said with more force, but soon realized who it was, “oh…”
Raine was standing there with bags in her hands. She was shaking slightly, as I startled her with my pushy attitude. She raised the bag with shaking hands and looked as though she was about to cry.
“U-Um… I b-bought the materials you asked for… A-also I th-though I would buy you some other things… l-like material for making a kimono f-for the festival… P-Please use the time to make that instead…” she managed to stutter out. “W-well then… goodbye.” She was about to run off, but I grabbed her by the wrist and winced at a bit of pain from the sudden movement.
“Wait!” I said. She turned around with small tears in her eyes. “U-Uh…” I almost forgot what I was trying to say. “A… About earlier… I’m sorry… I should’ve asked you first, but I thought you could use some medicine and, well… I drank it all and I’m sorry…”
Raine seemed to ease up, though her cheeks turned pink, “Oh…”
“And you don’t have to worry,” I said, trying to reassure her more, “it didn’t mean anything. I was only trying to heal you… Since I well, hurt you like… huh…?”
Raine looked like she was about to cry again. She pulled away and ran off down the hallway, disappearing out of sight. I stood there dumbstruck. Did… did I say something wrong, again…? I picked up the bags and looked inside. Not only had she gotten the materials, but she even got a new outfit, which meant the materials were extra. I internally kicked myself. She kept doing more than was necessary for me and I seem to keep scaring the crap out of her. I set the bag inside the room and went wandering down the halls. However I realized… my range of smell was actually damaged and I couldn’t smell farther than 20 feet in front of me. Nevertheless, I followed the scent she left behind in the hallways.
After wandering around for a while, I lost the scent. I sighed wondering what this meant and what I should do. As I walked by a doorway, I caught a different scent. Like ice and cherry blossoms. I peeked into the room where the Froslass I’d met two days ago was sitting in front of a television while eating ice cream. I bumped into a bowl on the table and it made a lot of noise. Sh!t…! I thought as I steadied the bowl from rattling.
“Hello…?” she said, turning around, somewhat surprised.
“Ah, sorry, I was just passing by, and-” I began, but she interrupted.
“Oh, ABERIUS!” she said, standing up quickly and trotting over. “Are you well enough to be up, already?”
I was taken aback by the intensity of her concern, so it took me a moment to get my words straight. “Ah… y-yeah,” I finally managed.
“Oh thank goodness…!” she said, breathing a sigh of relief. “I am so relieved that you are well. You looked terrible after what happened…”
My face heated up, “Terrible…? Then, you saw what I… my… um… that is…”
Fresia almost didn’t understand, but her eyes widen for a moment and her cheeks turned pink, “Ah, well… there was still some tattered clothing attached, although it is not like I was staring or any of the like…!”
We both stood there in awkward silence. I cleared my throat and spoke, “So… what’s got you up this late?”
“Well, I was making some last minute adjustments to my festival attire. I came downstairs to take a brief respite.”
“I see…” I looked at Fresia. Even though that may have been true, it looked like something else was bothering her, “Are you sure there’s nothing else that’s wrong?”
“Huh?” she said, snapped from her thoughts. “Oh, it is nothing of great concern… Just thinking of my friend Tanner, who was injured greatly.”
I felt a twinge of guilt, “I… I got Tanner…?”
Fresia looked shocked and guilty, “N-No! Well, I could not say that, but… He is much better now and able to walk about. So you need not worry, you were not able to control it, right?”
I stayed silent for a moment. “So you are worried about him?”
Fresia’s cheeks turned pink again. “I…”
I sighed, “If there is something you are concerned about, shouldn’t you go see him and talk about it? Not that I don’t want to talk, but it seems like it’d be better if you faced him. You can’t find a solution unless you face the source of the problem, right?”
Fresia looked at me for a moment, “Yes… You may be right…”
“No, not ‘may be,’ I am right! Now, make sure you solve it quickly, otherwise you’ll feel worse about it later.”
Fresia smiled and bowed her head lightly, “Yes, thank you, Aberius.”
And with that, she walked off. I felt suddenly like a father figure telling her girl to go off and get married to a good man… I shook my head and turned around to see a yellow blur disappear behind a corner.
“…. Is someone there…?” I asked. From behind the wall stepped Rikku. Her face was red and she looked extremely nervous.
“H… Hi Aberius… you look… taller…” she said, playing with the hem of her skirt.
“Hello, Rikku. Is something wrong…?” I felt like there was something weird between us…
“Um, actually, I wanted to ask you something…” she said, looking up with her large green eyes.
~*~ Alright! That was actually longer than I thought it’d be =o.o= But I leave it to you guys now =D If there’s anything wrong, don’t hesitate to let me know =^_^= ~*~
