The fat Nigel and I amassed was substantial for the potion. I didn’t know what to do with the leftovers, but I didn’t dare to throw the fruits of our hard work away. It wasn’t as if another endurance potion wouldn’t be needed.
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzYlToNDWp
“Now all I need to do is to finalize it.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKuTozOeMD
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZAtUhzXxp
A few minutes of careful mana suspension was the remaining requirement for a job well done. I did so easily, channeling my shaky focus to form it with haste. The liquid turned deep blue, the color of the distant sea, meaning that–231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZL7uLbR6i9
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYcOgCeMmP
“It’s a resounding success. Awesome.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjUACjV9pL
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHiDWbr6VN
I wiped my brow with my forearm and patted my face with my collar. I wasn’t sweaty or anything, but my head felt undeniably hot, likely from all the blood that rushed to fuel my attention. That aside, I now had a finished product to deliver, but as I tasked myself I came at a small crossroads.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GhgYGRAuZ
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37JVmJyt9R
Should I go and deliver this now, or make a healing potion, and deliver this later?231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ739Xohe4vb
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“...”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbPGFgOiSz
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It seemed obvious to me what the answer was. Pragmaticism dictated the practice of the former, as the recipients of this potion were operating under borrowed time. But my left mind dictated otherwise; it told me that it would be a slight– no, a flagrant offense if I didn’t brew that medicine.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAM8I6WVti
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTe665rK8GT
“...That’s new. Where did you come from?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvf9y3jmSYU
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1Vx1XHClA
Thoughts like that– I didn’t recall having them. I was hit from left field by this warping, contorting, sapping feeling in my chest. It didn’t disturb me, however. Rather, I was confused. I was uncomfortable, but I could bear this panging, especially with a distracting duty.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJXTOvURYR
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAF0HtKkMg
“I know better. I don’t have the time for that. No, I don’t.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfJ3h8lFzy
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbYhPQ1x4d
Indeed, I was creating with urgency. I spent enough excess time finding ingredients as it was, so any further stalling would jeopardize the whole city. I had to get out, and get out now–231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiuaWefX4A
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“...”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBB2GAyPaq
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGySZrS4zLN
But when I jerked my legs to do so, they didn’t. They stood in place, locked to the ground by that warping sensation. I clicked my tongue, because now I realized what was happening, and my irritated frown turned into a worried grimace.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIfP56kIpr
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Even though I had a duty, to leave Rover to hang with a broken leg longer than she had to, left me with a pit in my stomach. It’s Especially so, because I had the power and the will to relieve her.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUlKB13iz9
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPPAzNS6O0
Fortunately, I had a compromise. I found that compromise in my bag, slouched against the wall. I sifted through it and found what I needed, then made a quick exit from the booth.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcNtFzshWt
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Knock, knock, knock. The strength of my banging knuckles surprised even me. I stocked hardly half the force in my flicks to produce such noise. But I summed up the cause immediately. I was nervous.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWH3mcN5XTw
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“Yes?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7RqW5sYxt
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKTq5upiB8
The door opened quickly, revealing a Lola who was peekingher head through the opening. Her countenance lost its vigilance once she saw me, and it likewise calmed me down.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOmJuE8RAS
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvbLCHIt9e
“You’re here what I think you’re for, aren’t you?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIp0WJHAmWy
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ16MX4nhBFg
“Y-Yes, Lola. Here, this is the potion I made.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSgdfe0eSR
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8QuYqmNTP
I stretchedmy arm out as she widened the door. She grabbed it with her free hand and inspected it on all planes. At some point, she stopped twirling and nudging it and blankly stared at the blue. I noticed now how fluidly the streams swirled.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zNC7E87nu
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“You made this in eighty minutes?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18kJwzc36C
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wWsUKAArW
“Did I take too long? I’m sorry, I had to grab some ingredients from a lower floor–”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlm9Xd8577I
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4WodgwE2z
“No, not at all. I was expecting you to take longer. Thank you, Kenny, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded handsomely.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdz90K7JGv
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMV03YUyxWB
I raised my hands bashfully and rapidly waved them at her.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNHtAbb15D
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLGUflr8eS
“No no no, please don’t! You’re helping us enough as is.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmTGboWiqc
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“If you insist.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrme15X9vB
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She said so with an upscaling cadence, poorly singing the last syllable. I blinked a few times, and my eyes reopened to blaring blurs. Only my mother ever did that.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7Abnr1p1C
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“Kenny?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZe8mtwRe4
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“O-Oh, right. Do you need me for anything else?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJLBm0nkO5
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IBmagobyH
“Hmm,” she hummed, clasping her chin, “if we do, I’ll bug you. For now, make yourself at home, and get plenty of rest. You’ll need it for what comes next.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVRXeTqM8q
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdVxROALEP
I let out a chuckled sigh and slapped a hand on my chest, muttering a breathy “thank you.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuAwwXnBtp
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Mt4E8XQhz
“There is something I’d like to ask you, however, just before you go.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbS6gxndWm
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8373005zJ
She said so right as I turned to leave. I twisted my head and looked at her, gesturing for her to shoot.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrSTGV5TUG
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmFduAfuya
“The concoction in your other hand; that bright green tint can only mean one thing, yes? A healing potion.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRMyu1rHrU
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNDbVNbkhn
I nodded at her assessment. I realized the speed at which this could turn dangerous.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknpJlqlqxL
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“I see. I see, I see…”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMGwfG9VdY
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“A-Are you going to make me make one for each soldier?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNcSKTjvfM
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNKc7vL6f8
“No, I won’t ask that of an outsider, let alone a child– oh, sorry, you don’t like being called that, do you?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBfwIxZuMe
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fOB2A2X78
“...Don’t worry about it. I appreciate you being considerate, Lola. Is there anything else?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgJuQrvpM9
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1zjI5YpVv
“I-If you don’t mind my prying, could you answer a few questions for me?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdyFWoa5SV
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡec8XvCXJRu
She stepped over the threshold and closed the door, but stopped just short of shutting it. As much as I wanted to chat with her, though, I had somewhere else to be.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGeDwc9MJT
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“Please?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1zbGuy6Km
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Though it was difficult to draw a line while she was making such a face.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFp2lpCds8n
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWfpN8hdlR
“F-Fine, but please make them short. I have somewhere I need to be.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrW537tGsf
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSh5Q6Qq81
“Thank you, I will. It’s just two quick questions. First–”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxTW6XxeDp
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5CNy6Qvl8
She paused right before asking, as if a crucial memory struck her from the woodwork. 231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwjw4yyg1S
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZB4vpFAuXo
“–How long have you been an alchemist?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNUvSJ8M6p
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UyZXyUPTn
“I’d say… hold on, that question has two answers. Commercially, it’s been about three years(1). Personally, it’s been for… seven?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTA6Yz2eZN
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3mjIO0vao
“Seven years? That’s over half your life, isn’t it?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZ7MWE74AQ
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZL9c1VMcw
I gave a simple shrug with sandwiched lips.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkM8215cN6g
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXFnBYtcP2
“I started young. That’s all.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMNHJJYPSD
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“I see. Being trained at such a young age, no wonder why you’re so skilled.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp115H20LT1
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4Db4eyuBJ
“P-Please, don’t flatter me. I appreciate the remarks, but they just…”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxDfXj9Odl
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4V29YuvyA
They don’t sit right with me, I wanted to say, but Lola gave a predictive, discerning nod, so I stopped speaking.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbn2I4VwRhf
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcCbsuiAO9
“Only seven years… then, maybe–”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYIRNESMnh
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“Sorry, can you repeat that? I didn’t catch it.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFo7Yr5aHs
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She jumped and then waved her hand.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCSKswzyjm
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“Don’t worry, I was just thinking out loud. Anyhow, for my next question…”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgl4RFLO8l
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlGlrCSlxr
“Right.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtXjXArd29
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“...I apologize if this may seem extreme, but I have to ask.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsa42EKasC
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXm0k8OZR9B
She straightened herself and turned her head left and right, seemingly afraid of anyone hearing in. That assumption was validated by her leaning her head in.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZFZj6mwB1
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“Did you kill anyone in the last operation?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeUMDISLc8
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“I– Wha!?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjp9e3sRYTq
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I couldn’t keep my voice down, much to her dismay. But, goodness, could she blame me? She put a hand on my shoulder and told me to calm down, which I quickly did, but I still had a storm thrashing in my skull.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiVfdc1pNb
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“Who asks something like that to a child!?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQhhGGyoUL
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“Shh! I know it’s selfish, but it’s for my own peace of mind! I have to know, please, did you?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4j0OZQ0ImL
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QSqq38Rjh
“Your own… peace of mind?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQWgpLJLrs
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When it was twisted that way, suddenly, I wasn’t so apprehensive. I was still bewildered, but answering that question didn’t feel like falling into a trap anymore. And so, reluctantly, my lips spoke the answer.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOGLxr7L0n
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“I didn’t. I hurt some people, but I never landed a killing blow.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0IB15w9Y6
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“I-I see. That’s a relief. Oh my goodness, that’s a relief.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzore9QP5N
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIssveFmNUq
She leaned against the door, closed it, and putting her hand on her brow, she closed her eyes and began to… pant? I wondered how she could be so worried. I was beginning to think she might have a screw loose.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzegIfYpqi
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“Thank you for humoring me. You have no idea how much it calms me, to know there’s no blood on such a young man’s hands. 231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVw6Z1829IO
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“You… for some reason, I feel like you regard me much more highly than you should.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJThQ76eTT3
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She shrugged at my comment.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3E9tQWQqQt
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“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. I think I’ll keep you guessing. Now, shoo! You have somewhere to be, don’t you?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0xRGmBsQQ
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvth8CyDrY
Brushing me off with perfect logic before I could respond to her outrageous statement, I clicked my tongue inward and turned on my foot.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaITWa5lP6
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OudqUnZUU
“Goodbye Lola,” I shouted. She opened the door and slid right through, waving at me right before closing it.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UfSFhkzJ6
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–
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As I inched closer to the infirmary, my body had an expected reaction. I coped with it accordingly, though that didn’t make it easy to move.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0yesKhL9B
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With every progressing movement of my foot came a wave of resistance double the magnitude. I had to dig my soles into the floor to wade through the spasms, closing my eyes and gritting my teeth just to keep my limbs moving.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcKgm4XmAn
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Of course, I was exaggerating. But goodness, did that swelling weight pound against my chest. My limbs did shake as I reached for the knob, but I managed to grasp it and keep my hand there.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaylIu7wLN
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“...This is ridiculous.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIunfH8hxv
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I sighed. I looked at the healing potion and gave it a few light shakes, watching the agent crash like small waves against the flask. If push came to shove, I could drop this off by the bed or table and turn the other way. In fact, if I had to convince myself that was all I had to do just to open this damned door, then I would do so. So I kept saying so, a lunatic hustling his mantra.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOb5JLGxu1
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“Just go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it– off!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgp6LI8ij0A
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0m4N458Mug
In the midst of my chanting, I bit the arrow and slammed it open. It looked far removed from how I imagined it.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeemnne5vrf
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPsjjZw0Wn5
Instead of a small room with curtain-covered beds lined up with uniform spacing, it was a small room lined with dingy, almost make-shift mattresses. About eight people were in the room, and one was slouched on a chair opposite of me, his head hung and his arms crossed.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmHY2YmgGo
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3sqoX2SIF
And seeing how his groggy face raised to meet mine, I realized how noisy my entrance was.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkZGggkvgK
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwW29R9eGs0
“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb anyone. I’m just here to deliver something.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sUQKLgUbl
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3ZHxxFM2A
“...Hmm.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4NbFyfj1n
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The man stood up and haggardly walked to me. From his gait alone, I could tell he’d been drinking, though I wondered how exactly he got his hands on alcohol. He stopped a few paces before me, took one long look with narrowed eyes, and casually shrugged.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhj5a75hZlf
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“Do whatever.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNakyjCXlU
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“R-Right. Thank you, sir.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCA9wd5aL8
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He gave me a thumbs-up and plodded back to his chair. I looked around the room, feeling blessed from my lucky break, and eyed all the patients.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8vRQRy9LY
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9QaClAkWH
While most were in their mock-up beds, either sleeping, eating, or chatting away, one mattress was empty. By process of elimination, it belonged to the person I was looking for.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv70igHXqMY
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“D-Darn it.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQOpZPCPvj
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Gnawing on my fingers, I did one more sweep before releasing a sigh. Rover was nowhere to be seen– not in the beds, not on the window sill, not in the corners, nothing–231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ahfYBs2k2
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“What are you doing here?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrVKprkZYQ
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDOdwLTZMs
And then I heard a voice call from me. I jolted, nearly dropping my flask, and turned to face its timbre. Only as I saw its bearer’s face, did its course tone ring a bell in me.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG19AeIwyVc
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12T2lNcXQG
There was Rover, sitting in the one corner out of my sight, eyeing me with a lion’s eyes.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5PHakTrpU
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“...U-Uh.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GYXluCSbC
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmB4U9XaeCJ
All my systems shut down at that moment. It was one thing to imagine meeting her, but seeing her face-to-face instead of a mere effigy I controlled the responses of was a completely different beast.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0Cctrs0Gg
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCKVBvE2Ml
“Well? Come on, spit it out.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuG2DKIWLWY
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43ofJpf3Mx
“I… I-I.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Z7qhRW60F
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSG6h1MQdL
My body didn’t shake. My eyes didn’t blink, my lips didn’t part, and only the functions of my lungs and stiff throat continued normally. I was completely and utterly frozen.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OWEKsAbUD
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzaCgSG4JmO
Suddenly, I felt my face fire up. It was a familiar feeling, but I was vulnerable during its assassination. In front of another person, of whom I had their undivided attention, witnessing my pale cheeks light like fireflies.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsYyoZGHr1
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxFEUHxL7A
That shame was too much to bear. I stuck my hand out, darting my eyes between her and the potion, and even orbiting my other hand around the flask to emphasize it. Despite me putting it on a pedestal, Rover tilted her head with an eyebrow that raised to the ceiling.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBinuLsssw
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjthRyxeMZ
“I don’t have time for this, just spit it out!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3D0sEWC1sd
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQitf7Ju3vt
“I-I’m here.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXfGbLBWvR
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69ZftIjLaS
By some miracle, her urging words kicked my chords into action, and I was beginning to form words again. Only, they didn’t have a present pilot.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOoZKfILNM
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvAnXpdlHx
“I’m– I made— I– Rover, I’m here–”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCi0qYu5rq
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNIQonxT9f
As I kept stumbling over myself, Rover rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She looked at me, tapping her finger on herself as if she was waiting for me to stop.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXqOkCwmBB
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDs3v1Qw2Pn
“I…”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpad9H6GkQm
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndbVKqKgl0
I sighed and pinched my nose, shook my head, and slapped my left cheek. I looked at the corner between the wall and ceiling, whispered something akin to a prayer, and finally looked that woman in the eyes.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvLSddxW6n
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7bMNTcf1V
“Hello, Rover.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQ8Ted7miV
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9A6AAPckh
“Hey, Kenny.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnDpdtSD4g
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMX6jZQRo9M
I retracted my stretched arm, then extended it yet again.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqT3L7c9VWm
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdMvebV1bX
“I made you this. It’s something I made, in light of the news I heard. Well, it’s just leftovers, but I did want to make one for you–”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicBiCBX1Yv
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9DifWqTyx
“Cut to the chase!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaYMOrwieG
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2ZCiItrNo
“R-Right. It’s a healing potion. I heard that your leg sustained a major injury, and so, I’d like to give this to you. For some relief, and quicker healing.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHeKCx6Oism
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WMRQAGcVH
Her eyes widened. Her crossed arms slackened, and I took it as a signal to move forward. I took it incorrectly.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEwVpCBOUV
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRW3GLIGKL
“Hold on, you brought me a potion?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZhYHhq3fs
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWYZoKiGR6
“Y-Yes.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSyQ2DWCL2
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGL1LVE1YNP
“Now who told you to do that?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDBYM3ary8
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SkmhYcwUB
“W-Well–”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmWDMJCCle
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStbiWe0VS8
Nigel suggested it, but he didn’t tell me. No, mulling over that was wasteful spending. There was only one truth in this situation:231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLe9VpHOFiW
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1iPmX7QNm
“I wanted to do it. I wasn’t told.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0n7sRyca1
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRySwTtxX2
“...You? That wimpy Kenny?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTYJg9OVX1
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3Cek7EOMj
I wasn’t mad at her insult. It was all too accurate.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaga8xovVZB
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuflzifSQdP
“Yes, the wimpy Kenny.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOc12KiTyq
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Xua1QNNW7
“Ha! You’ve surprised me before, but this really blew my expectations out of the water!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH53vg0WfZi
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbme55MPLqo
She rubbed under her nose and hummed to herself with a satisfied tune. As I couldn’t read her mind, I stood in place and didn’t budge.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdK68s4vNV
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAiEsmKk9U
“I refuse your treatment!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaizGegfca
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROqeXV7cft
“H-Huh!?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvHZvx8hks
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhn8aBBpOx
In a single moment, all my apprehension had been voided. All anxiety and dread, crumpled into a ball and thrown out a window, replaced by a slate of terrible vexation.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTdMotS0A0
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cM1XtIaKR
“Why not? Don’t you want to recover faster?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRSzfysqXA
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OvL9uXcji
“Of course I do, but I can’t accept it. Not when you’re looking at me like I’m some kind of monster.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOPgayDg9T
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcHZW31PFz
“I– Wha?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVhrUHwPE7
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3br8LtgUk5
I stopped pointing my finger and used it to feel around my face. There was no mirror, so it was the best I could do. Something was off with it, and if I didn’t figure out what, then I couldn’t give Rover this potion, and I couldn’t confront–231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQGuTCXvx7
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkWQ8MvodX
“No, stupid! It’s the face you’re making! It’s weird!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAU9o2l2OQh
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qgyc7dBsP
“Stupid? Weird!?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUo49Qe5xzR
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlemaupyVG
“Do you need the whole room to hear it!? You’re looking at me like a weirdo!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdtohgk2pT
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRV2pfijGoC
“...”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOXiw3gWjU
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasdeqwwqec
The energy to argue was sapped. I understood what she said, and could do nothing but stare with mouth agape. Rover leaned further against the wall and looked at me with her chin raised.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsIwpFxzdP
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvNeReTHAn
“Why are you looking at me like that? Hmph.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhqJ3wbaWn
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeZvEZZfJZ
As I had no other mode of operating at this moment, I blurted my immediate response.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhM4OkGKKds
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBWe9piktQ
“It’s because I upset you.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDvoLo9PkK
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3ozbatlj4
And then I realized that something like this required thoughtful phrasing.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQaxKMez3W
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZQmxsYK0L
“I don’t– well, I don’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than you–”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUao13asJJ
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8GIxOY8VP
“That’s bullshit! Man, forget answering that, I don’t need your whole, your spiel you know!? Come here!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSn5UBQjmY
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3tdgNwHj2
“Come, there,” I asked, pointing to myself.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLZjRp2nsF
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJq8WEqMYvm
“Yes. Sit by me, I can’t stand looking at your working legs.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnntCKVgNp
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyg4kfA9WFw
“S-Sheesh.” 231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZOyOj5y7M
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Rsb6BiBGj
I didn’t even begin thinking of a way to respond to that. I just did as I was asked and walked to her side, sitting against the wall beside her. She snatched the potion right out of my hand and eyed it like an appraiser. Only, if said appraiser was terrible at imitating one.
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRVdPFCKD9
“How do I use this thing?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DXspq1ldK
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT48Et4rZlX
“You, uhm, you have to drink it. If you have a needle, you can inject it right into your leg, that’ll make it work faster, but not better.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsg5IHZghsu
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTetNSZuQY
“Drinking works for me.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlalJsV3y0y
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWNrxxJzM6
She popped the cork and chugged it to its last drop. She shook every drop out, set the flask on the ground, and entered a fierce coughing fit.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFY9Y4yAvL
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntGh2Gu0HM
“Cah! What the hell, is in this thing?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIaOj8ZHJd
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvANOknwpA
“That’s not the problem! You drank it too fast, you dingus!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANEOjKPQRL
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4Zs76E7Y0
She looked at me with sharp eyes but couldn’t do anything in the midst of her coughing. I slapped her back a few times to help it pass her throat, and after a moment, she calmed down.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImbHcooc8j
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanXURFds7Z
“If you drink like that, it’s likely to go down the wrong pipe.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOKqUpH1ol
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIjLywlpNI
“Whatever.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4UcTbsXF8E
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBw5qxT58jz
With her dismissive reply, she turned her head to the side with what I could only imagine was a pout. I silently sighed, because for all the gritting teeth and flexing fingers her behavior should’ve invoked, it was within my whetted expectations. I tolerated her usual brashness rather well– in fact, my body was as relaxed as a koala. But I didn’t come here to watch her pout, and I no doubt must’ve warranted that face somehow. 231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fYUojBkIj
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQL31ZHa2i
She discarded my earlier words, but they were genuine. I didn’t want to make her stressed. Not any more than a person with such a leg should have.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVgsDAXA8w
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpGf7ivfH5
And so, I got up from my improvised seat and brushed the little bits of dust that landed on my pants. I turned to Rover, who already had her eyes meeting mine. It was with such swiftness, that I almost staggered before my goodbye. Almost, but I fixed myself before it.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAX5kFvwwmK
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHZD21JTzv
But before I could even take anpreludebreath, she spoke, reading my intentions.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7sxKR54yf
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2clepWbUb
“Leaving already?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrFMxg7Mbr
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHSyIleC0L
“I-I am, yes. I think it would be best. It isn’t as if I don’t have–”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7PAMUupDM
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFLGKyMqlN
“Hold on, not yet. I still have something to say to you.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17YDdllTao
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcF2UhYtcS
She didn’t reach a hand. No, not one inch of her body nudged my way. But her crossed arms and crunched eyes enacted a greater force than her limbs ever could, as if a fortress wall materialized on my head. My butt returned to the floor soon after, but what I tried my hardest not to reveal, was that it was self-assisted.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0iSaHs0rB6
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsR0Yipzatf
“That’s funny. I do too. Do you mind if I start first?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmChUJf4RW
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHh2TmEB7D
She shook her head back and forth, keeping that iron countenance but giving me the go-ahead. It made spitting out my words difficult, but I was lucky to have rehearsed them. Only a little, of course.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn10QzEBZ9g
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPConiVqOXs
“I wanted to tell you, that I’m sorry for what happened earlier. My conduct, of course. I was just– you remember what I’m talking about, right? Back in our little rented room?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaUEpHEJW6
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNk9vL40qp8
“Yeah, I do. I remembered how much of a wuss you were.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxwgF30zOO
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFM1Bteo89B
I almost chuckled. Blunt as a bat, but it hit a bullseye.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmdeS1GBq9
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRksy0DLnD
“I was being conducted by fright. I couldn’t fathom, putting myself out there, and making myself a part of this mess. Risking my life, your life, Juke’s. But, honestly, those reasons took a backseat.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHx4B4EQt4
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqReNRoC2B
I noticed the subtlest rise of her right brow.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCSVnrBCTk
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HWPgVaQmn
“I thought that, the lower the engagement, the better it would be. Screw the job, screw the people. The less involved I was, the better. The less it was up to me, the better. I don’t fully get it– not yet I do –but with the words I have, I can tell you this much: that’s how I felt.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTT0R5H9Oe
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgIbHWPHxt
She nodded along to my apology. It looked like she was expecting more, but I was finished. So she’d understand, I concluded with–231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBiWgBewho
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVht3m3z7L5
“So yeah, I’m sorry for being such a wuss.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXrQMY72ex
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMV4uLFlRU
“...Hmm. Ha, I guess kids really do grow so fast.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsfTY9RDuk
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4zhn2t4SK
“H-Huh?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CXxbZEcI9
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrKM5ROkbl
She rubbed her nose a little and continued talking.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qhMkTxHkj
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEfB6cXJez
“Just look at you. You’re nothing like the Kenny I knew.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LmHqqoiOs
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbfXIuWH2e
“I-I, well, I don’t know if I agree–”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFla41zIaZ
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNKFlIdrqS
“Nah, on second thought, I take that back. But that doesn’t matter anyway. Seriously, just look at you.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKotLmxSzx
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdOZi7lrtX
“I’m n-nothing so special.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsS0pXm7By
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9zHvFktnq
“Sure you ain’t. But here you are, in a room with a bunch of battle casualties. You’re in the same mess I’m in, and you’re finally working to get that letter back!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa48Qmu4TKu
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCd3yWCMbC
“The letter certainly isn’t a priority.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcfF3Ixhxn
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA38YGdR359
She casually clicked her tongue, tilted her head sideways, and waved her hand downward.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bRejpRftQ
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtYrV2konb
“Don’t sweat the details. That’s not the point. The point is that you’re in the same room as me again, and that means you finally grew a pair.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6w7RazigWz
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorM0fB998H
Whether it was he boorish phrasing or encouraging insistence, something about her made me sit on those words. I raised a hand to my chin and looked up at nothing, entrenched in thought. 231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuKBTTRMqJ1
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbUT164DUL
It took me only a few 231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1H7p11TPZ
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIsK0CuM9P
“I don’t think so. I don’t think I grew anything.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjt8OMFApUm
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHw6Q1l7TGO
“‘Course you did! Stop giving me such crap–”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwQEHZvyaY
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrCpc4Guym
“No, really, Rover.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78DaqQEIBp
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ065SGBmFD1
I slouched my posture and leaned back, lifting myself with my hands behind me. 231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGTcjwkCC6
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnzvbYpPcB
“I think I’m just lucky.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFrPLy8zTN
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡez9xBqdhqU
I veered my eyes away from the ceiling, looking into Rover’s, and was taken aback by her utter dejection. Or was it disgust?231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89Hw9nAvt1
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaN8F3vv7a
“I-I mean, it’s not as if I haven’t been trying, it’s just–”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxExzVAiAgz
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDr53lKRhz
“Nevermind all that, Kenny. You’re starting to give me a headache.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqUQamWFZP
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghA8FmYSLT
I stopped my frantic hand-waving and began to scratch my head.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFiZ8KphMv
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJqZuwiPXw
“You’re doing something right. You said it yourself, so you know. But enough about you; I have something to say, and your weird drug is already making me drowsy.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCM9aHdCsVU
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLshzOhUmRG
“It isn’t a drug! I wouldn’t stoop to such barbaric substances!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0ofgHLuiy
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EASAT81Nq
“Uh-huh, whatever. Hear me out before you can’t anymore.”
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I rolled my eyes but kept my mouth shut, squishing my cheek by resting it on my face. Though Rover looked ready to speak with her gaze matching mine, she quickly jerked her head the other way and appeared to look off into nowhere. I was confused, but I didn’t voice it. It would be unfair of me to interrupt her as she gathered her words, as I hadn’t been so many times.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxwZukrPF5
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Eventually, Rover’s face flared and became ruddy. I didn’t think much of it initially, but as I continued to remember that it was Rover who I was talking to, this meant that whatever she said had immense gravity. I perked my ears and sharpened their hearing– as best as I could with the poor funnel my hands formed, anyhow. 231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3pQkK5ApY
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“D-Don’t rush me!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLIRcMEXVv
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“I’m not rushing you! I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you just spat it out, but–”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHEzpaeghu
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“Shut up, Kenny! You told me yourself once that I’m too crass with words. Just let me think; you already know I’m bad at this…”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHvZMXWJTz
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I had no recollection of doing such a thing, but as the clearest memory I had of her was of the incident that night, I chose to believe her. She spent the time fiddling with her fingers, biting then nibbling her lips, darting her eyes this way and that with such ferocity her head jiggled with each motion. I could see my reflection on her sweat, and she was so engrossed in thought that air stopped entering her system.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qAb9CpbZC
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I was exaggerating, but I couldn’t deny that it was making me uncomfortable. I wondered then for a moment, as admonishable as a thought that it was, if this is how people felt around me at times.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXJlY0g8yt
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“Gahh, forget it! You convinced me, I’ll just say it!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4kp4sZrAg
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“I didn’t say anything.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6Q78wgDqc
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She straightened her back and puffed out her chest. Her guise of bravery was there to convince herself. The instance her lips would part, she’d cross a fine line, one whose threshold would shut and lock with her passing legs. I knew that gesture all too well. And since I did, I gave her nothing but my most diligent attention.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOiZrrijQp
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“I’m sorry for being such a priss.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxV8AJjppP3
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And I was returned an equal blow. Rover stuck her tongue out after saying that, ready to clean off the ‘mawkish verbiage’ she just spewed. That’s what it seemed to me anyway, but she refrained, as she had only her body to convince me of her sincerity.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vlF0acCaw
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But whether she was or not, mattered not to me.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoueORP3M6y
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“I don’t regret chewing you out, don’t get me wrong. But I shouldn’t have abandoned you two. Not after how we’ve, b-became friends, and not after how you told me all you did.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyEQjVcaR8
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKR9Rxunvu
“Told you all I did? What?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDQP2aUBnV
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She was caught by a wind of fury.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXhlMHkLcg
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“You don’t remember!? Are you kidding me!? I really should–! Gah, you’re making this so much harder than it should be!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTVQQKauOp
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV81mpBIrOa
I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. She stopped her rage immediately, donning a look of perplexion. 231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRMwWaxINb
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiANSKFVYc
“What’s so funny?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMhupppjMv
231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Giz1sVgn8
“N-Nothing in particular. I appreciate the apology, I suppose? I don’t think I’m all that deserving of it, though.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Ngx917Dm8
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“Hold on, I’m not done yet!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJRc6AMabI
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I nodded in understanding, and so she continued.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5N44atGpkW
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“As I was saying… I was so mad, but I was never that mad. And I get why now. Because when it comes to anything Hard-Bringer, I get a little crazy.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNQuINdEz5
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“A little crazy?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICgFUYFeAH
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“Yes, idiot, I just said that. They piss me off like you wouldn’t believe. Screw that, I don’t get a little crazy, I grow mad, mad!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpURYyuGbO
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Her hands balled themselves to compliment her offshoot tangent. Her escalating tone made me concerned, but she relaxed soon after.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQt0DmBW7sw
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“So yeah. Sorry for messing up. And, sorry for thinking you were such a wimp. I thought you were totally hopeless, but I was off the mark.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6cF0BaxdO
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“Well–”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDw4E5jcC2L
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“Shut up! Shut up! Do you know how annoying it is to hear someone undersell themselves all the time?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrqU5JLWof
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“I–”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7T9D7tLkr
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It was that precise phrasing, that specific selection of words and syntax, and her usual, but energized voice that spelled it out for me, that allowed a candle to ignite in my mind. A quick image flashed in my mind, one of a man of close acquaintanceship, and then my throat spoke on its own.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIXEdDYNLM
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“Yeah. I do. It sucks.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWb4YzdGVNW
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“See! I– huh? You do?”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90cPScY2zV
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I slowly nodded along. Rover looked with pleasant surprise. She was more than eager to take my word for it, and in fact looked delighted after I spoke.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMhCsOOSGs
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“Still,” I began, “as grating as it may be for your ears, I really have to stress that I think you’re wrong about me. I’m still a wimp.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCE9BeHospQ
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“Whatever. Think what you want, but don’t speak it out loud anymore.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49ITIEfCVm
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“I… haha, sure thing, Rover. I’ll do just that.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cJiDyBfqy
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Her candid words were the perfect closer. There was wisdom in that harsh language– a funny thing to call it, as she was only a few years older than me –but wisdom nevertheless. No speech of mine could be a better finale, so I gathered myself and stood up from the floor.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcwXwTm7E1
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“Perfect. I was just about to tell you to leave.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sJ0YlfUtU
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“I’m starting to think you hate me.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0IWsixTDb
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Her hands twitched upwards defensively.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIgveRdrNs
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“I-I don’t. I’m just getting sleepy. Any second now, I’ll doze off.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRda0O1pWcT
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“Ah, right.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DjNtKuHiW
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She mentioned it just a few minutes ago, but it didn’t compute with me until now. Recovery would always be an exhausting thing, especially with assistance from potions. I wondered for a moment if there was a way to mitigate that.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBElbhqQnY
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“That one Bringer was invigorated even with a restored limb, after all…”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fxG4RxwgI
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“What are you mumbling about, eh? Scram! Scram, I tell you!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcdfsb3jhV
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“Alright alright, jeez. With how grouchy you’re being, you really do need that rest.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CspPu4Ctw
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She stuck her tongue out at me this time. I took it with a light heart, waltzing to the door and stretching as I made my way. I placed my hand on it but stopped short of opening, taking one last look at Rover. Her eyes were taking turns closing. I could tell she was exerting herself when she waved me off.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHHh6Lmeks
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“Wait, one last thing!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jGchwRtv5
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Then, she shouted unexpectedly. I looked at her with a blank expression to signify my okay, and she continued shortly.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhsVod7LXE
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“Tell that old bucket-wearing fart to visit me sometime.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LWkYdj2UP
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“...”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxuAV61vwk
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I smiled.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tLcJZzSEc
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“I will.”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6ieUzUJfd
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I returned her wave and exited the room. The moment the door shut behind me, I let out a quick breath and–231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsFx1QBLoI
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“Yes!”231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsrjGQH5rr
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A jump with jubilation. I had to. I never experienced such success before.231Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvOxCF5YuF
