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.
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKW6gWH8M4A
“Now all I need to do is to finalize it.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqyAJn8nyV
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ844UhQlbNp
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–183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaixu9uuJS
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3rzH1Bpwc
“It’s a resounding success. Awesome.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTwZxT8OKp
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmHaoo5eCn
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lDmlibZbC
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDSbgSwEZC
Should I go and deliver this now, or make a healing potion, and deliver this later?183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XbV94Jibm
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7HGxsELK9
“...”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXyL41ZBMl
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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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanuw4UjIup
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcDe75mNda
“...That’s new. Where did you come from?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5NOhSqNMo
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8twr4qbjL3
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBhMMAOogK
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJc7JgOKYpL
“I know better. I don’t have the time for that. No, I don’t.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLlDUL6kjn
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaT1Nwvl40b
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–183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjNM6bZAxv
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“...”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CGsxfpvf7
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwDZ3pqdbX
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNl5ee1aYU
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWvbGshxS4
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKX3zdkH6E
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVwQ5WLwcu
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NV8Oy0QJP
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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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmt5zeH7wl
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwScDU3pAR
“Yes?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4v8zh5b35R
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwdyX3ciC7
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5W5EhjQuki
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDNMhdCRZn
“You’re here what I think you’re for, aren’t you?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qWb3INWha
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JPU3UJfqN
“Y-Yes, Lola. Here, this is the potion I made.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzwPRJL7JG
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuK7VaiRPa
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31ArgIJZHR
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“You made this in eighty minutes?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8Ql9rM1Ef
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2y3psclDv
“Did I take too long? I’m sorry, I had to grab some ingredients from a lower floor–”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqaSHYLtMh
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“No, not at all. I was expecting you to take longer. Thank you, Kenny, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded handsomely.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwriThtSViA
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6UPbdLkrX
I raised my hands bashfully and rapidly waved them at her.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8nFTiJtCr
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYax49SgufU
“No no no, please don’t! You’re helping us enough as is.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDh1yOR2d6
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“If you insist.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdg0nHBgz0
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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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUnpSq628t
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“Kenny?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsCCIt6u2P
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“O-Oh, right. Do you need me for anything else?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuB0I4W2JOU
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JUgstXDx8
“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.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1On6Lnf1iW
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qGOSkXC8t
I let out a chuckled sigh and slapped a hand on my chest, muttering a breathy “thank you.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrWrIvlOG8
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtunJyXmDsN
“There is something I’d like to ask you, however, just before you go.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWDPYR8pHn
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeimVmDhQD
She said so right as I turned to leave. I twisted my head and looked at her, gesturing for her to shoot.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnP0rLr35U
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSlHyvzo1B
“The concoction in your other hand; that bright green tint can only mean one thing, yes? A healing potion.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCvo14SF1l
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsIdvN4WxN
I nodded at her assessment. I realized the speed at which this could turn dangerous.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJgTIgWdih
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmMsnsZkSZ
“I see. I see, I see…”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPfW6c0k93
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“A-Are you going to make me make one for each soldier?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrOWpoGky1
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiBOUTe1Jx
“No, I won’t ask that of an outsider, let alone a child– oh, sorry, you don’t like being called that, do you?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KcwmUYQzA
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyHKOZ2vfP
“...Don’t worry about it. I appreciate you being considerate, Lola. Is there anything else?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGWUuRQfbx
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73Jkw1Rmff
“I-If you don’t mind my prying, could you answer a few questions for me?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RKczoxdtm
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgocJGSw5U
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKlr7zxXzT
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYWI9fjOCr
“Please?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzsgGWBjn0
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcGCGx6J8i
Though it was difficult to draw a line while she was making such a face.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn68WRwurkp
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjGwWvok6D
“F-Fine, but please make them short. I have somewhere I need to be.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVkOo3599C
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSjr2SRxLn
“Thank you, I will. It’s just two quick questions. First–”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMfx2StmYi
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZjpHc1Ykq
She paused right before asking, as if a crucial memory struck her from the woodwork. 183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgFVFBAKMM
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpX5tCvNVq
“–How long have you been an alchemist?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Iv5Tuh0TQ
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“I’d say… hold on, that question has two answers. Commercially, it’s been about three years(1). Personally, it’s been for… seven?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanhwUrySv1
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUXNrgTnjv
“Seven years? That’s over half your life, isn’t it?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWyN71dzrb
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFKfFwdDOd
I gave a simple shrug with sandwiched lips.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqOedrcfLk
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmHnGt7lGf
“I started young. That’s all.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fy74d2Lvf
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdU415rmKwc
“I see. Being trained at such a young age, no wonder why you’re so skilled.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ebjtF0MFA
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02ky6vRNhv
“P-Please, don’t flatter me. I appreciate the remarks, but they just…”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RbkhMY55O
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2jPhXc41o
They don’t sit right with me, I wanted to say, but Lola gave a predictive, discerning nod, so I stopped speaking.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡviprqpxemO
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8b0X6QC7gG
“Only seven years… then, maybe–”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4GJnq6WYi
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“Sorry, can you repeat that? I didn’t catch it.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTU3b8mJfA
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She jumped and then waved her hand.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTvFUT9Z5J
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“Don’t worry, I was just thinking out loud. Anyhow, for my next question…”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9J17uKyPO
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0QUYqVPBS
“Right.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1nPw0bW3x
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmp5RDgFAc
“...I apologize if this may seem extreme, but I have to ask.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTa3nAE9Yq
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9qbgGmvZP
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAct92enqbK
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“Did you kill anyone in the last operation?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI75jACd4Ig
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“I– Wha!?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIK3xr75qL
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ajyuF1Ipj
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcB2Usv6qjN
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“Who asks something like that to a child!?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsM3LhpgGeJ
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8UAPThygt
“Shh! I know it’s selfish, but it’s for my own peace of mind! I have to know, please, did you?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsgrD8qVO9
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInnqKbgS4v
“Your own… peace of mind?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vDjLeZeoT
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlozIOWgsF
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8M10nexYO
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“I didn’t. I hurt some people, but I never landed a killing blow.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCA766vGVC3
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“I-I see. That’s a relief. Oh my goodness, that’s a relief.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfFEKFM8rV
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBYmxleMkA
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqnLwgnwgn
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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. 183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqH3WxrRy4
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“You… for some reason, I feel like you regard me much more highly than you should.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDJ83aGM9x
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She shrugged at my comment.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnATr915AHb
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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?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm27CubUBX1
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ887svgLBZm
Brushing me off with perfect logic before I could respond to her outrageous statement, I clicked my tongue inward and turned on my foot.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIn0cYltIQd
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrWjUKcpwV
“Goodbye Lola,” I shouted. She opened the door and slid right through, waving at me right before closing it.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTruGjPYFfi
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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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEAfJbPiLy
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarwKnuOgOf
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcvEYDVLrs
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4AlLZWsG4
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJz0hG0QVF
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“...This is ridiculous.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KXbsOUpcX
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOsKsq3Bim
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0tewgKEsm
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“Just go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it– off!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDuwk1mJCV
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sj5AHRbDx
In the midst of my chanting, I bit the arrow and slammed it open. It looked far removed from how I imagined it.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYiBO8I3AI
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxs0lKGioyB
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqFdxPV9tr
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptlaW5bzEv
And seeing how his groggy face raised to meet mine, I realized how noisy my entrance was.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvU7qxrXIad
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8yfmcZSYj
“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb anyone. I’m just here to deliver something.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGhnJZY7Jl
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqb2MxQV1P
“...Hmm.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyUZg9qMtT
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YXkjr2W6P
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQkKvZ9zhp
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“Do whatever.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2dldSIAFY
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZbMj8AN3h
“R-Right. Thank you, sir.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHqawBOt3y
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpexs3sErhR
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAndeDK2G6
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULPlmeYwHp
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwEXu0kTX9
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiQkcOgL7D
“D-Darn it.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwgiaVROay
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxq44o6xVbL
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–183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4rTSgNSiI
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVOecAeRJq
“What are you doing here?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbkERdKmpl
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGrFhbjVmQ
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6hVdgZymq
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlvJUBgwxV
There was Rover, sitting in the one corner out of my sight, eyeing me with a lion’s eyes.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sjT3qSihf
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“...U-Uh.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFzOAnuNhm
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLoJ67ywQA
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZa0IyXHIxp
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUogMg7bu9f
“Well? Come on, spit it out.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpnxjqcqh8
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggDzF2oPHE
“I… I-I.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOFMxTzAlr
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Wo6IlwnpA
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnzFbuEVII
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdS0ALL99A
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6vksDVVwf
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcc6OsxFFs9
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TBRuHTY1p
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMP77fYMp5
“I don’t have time for this, just spit it out!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWlSU8QRu9
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4SLEVAaeE
“I-I’m here.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2Rm6zHNkJ
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0KmaPEU4X
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOA4VxdQ6oY
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmp8Yny9TE
“I’m– I made— I– Rover, I’m here–”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4evB4ME6Cs
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPjNfrtXyL
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.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKI5xaUus9I
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtc8dVwsthd
“I…”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTei5OuiiQA
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLKZlvrw3f
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyRsQpHbga
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7d3dGgnOo
“Hello, Rover.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoK8GSKRFPs
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjvAOlzq1z
“Hey, Kenny.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnylF8EUxHC
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJHHD8sL80
I retracted my stretched arm, then extended it yet again.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvnkbFrwpk
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1wwEU4LN4
“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–”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtel63BMCei
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TUFAGvcEX
“Cut to the chase!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtePdDguEi5
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SPhV8IIFv
“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.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAo956WD751
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Q8EjmzLe0
Her eyes widened. Her crossed arms slackened, and I took it as a signal to move forward. I took it incorrectly.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvTCFblYvC
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKu1ih4p3z0
“Hold on, you brought me a potion?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFwlGtKbfb
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfwfYGFjTz
“Y-Yes.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8dvTyh6eY
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGBaT02dgn
“Now who told you to do that?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2M0uSiPVpM
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmH7Fwhxz3j
“W-Well–”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqx9ogQbZz6
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lkioEMX8y
Nigel suggested it, but he didn’t tell me. No, mulling over that was wasteful spending. There was only one truth in this situation:183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nkMOO1IkT
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9A7rV6hlSj
“I wanted to do it. I wasn’t told.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKpo8atWQs
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBizGpyZvKV
“...You? That wimpy Kenny?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyE05UvHmsd
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMIHHmI4C9
I wasn’t mad at her insult. It was all too accurate.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TfM1nNiGS
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnCaJJnEMI
“Yes, the wimpy Kenny.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSu6oPfIpmZ
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiXVvOGQqH
“Ha! You’ve surprised me before, but this really blew my expectations out of the water!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9NwJTXsuW
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ47cVR7qyO
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDACzH8Jg5g
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK83qd13Kb8
“I refuse your treatment!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxClV7Q8S1G
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKCflRCfIy
“H-Huh!?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbJ3saPyFP
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vFHzKwqzF
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8p14iwLmUJ
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZCLm7Kk9Z
“Why not? Don’t you want to recover faster?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UhjHjUG0B
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNLo3QyNSk
“Of course I do, but I can’t accept it. Not when you’re looking at me like I’m some kind of monster.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9Ajo7GGrn
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkblURd9yqO
“I– Wha?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdu3D4cEa6
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhJR5njza4
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–183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAc7hsvKI9
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHJXvpTKIV
“No, stupid! It’s the face you’re making! It’s weird!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfM0o38mMf
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUxzfz6Wt4
“Stupid? Weird!?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplKrMYXTWd
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfp7pVjiQeg
“Do you need the whole room to hear it!? You’re looking at me like a weirdo!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Yz1hSVJMf
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69XkclosNO
“...”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJsyk6AkQQ
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5b4HIiRYRe
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOjoED6tZa
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JZWdXAj1q
“Why are you looking at me like that? Hmph.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfxK3CVZAo
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3Oz43eZM2
As I had no other mode of operating at this moment, I blurted my immediate response.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2VL222hkW
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLzDJtgsAD
“It’s because I upset you.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDZuYWNvJC
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTCIkEHDLV
And then I realized that something like this required thoughtful phrasing.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakQV1RPvZo
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qwmHCbr1b
“I don’t– well, I don’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than you–”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAV8NIkZOD7
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMVAWHgvZv
“That’s bullshit! Man, forget answering that, I don’t need your whole, your spiel you know!? Come here!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrKjr3gJ8Z
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZrKsVYtto
“Come, there,” I asked, pointing to myself.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWFpR7XjkK
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt708KQqLE6
“Yes. Sit by me, I can’t stand looking at your working legs.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6EOA0y1Rg
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYXJeRJa5Z
“S-Sheesh.” 183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBNmIuW6gD
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYc0a884Asa
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.
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzv9KllY2ju
“How do I use this thing?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ir3xeDigy
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU64Svvtjvu
“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.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINM7jZ3KXZ
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqPaijggBR
“Drinking works for me.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCp0GzfruTT
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGeu3TPLz59
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiOEMB9fzn
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6ghU1CLU9
“Cah! What the hell, is in this thing?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8Rz6Q1Unw
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOk8O7NlOX
“That’s not the problem! You drank it too fast, you dingus!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARMAqS8EKG
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWlGYmyEAj
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRfrVjVuC5
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQMCcWIFu0
“If you drink like that, it’s likely to go down the wrong pipe.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbtqTOsOeW
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2YzGd14jt
“Whatever.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHmw4bQrRj
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1JOPsoWC9
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. 183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcUnE8Em35
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAimznnGMz
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDFnktiBZ9
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVDWkujJDk
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6D7viGFuA
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01NadUzbN7
But before I could even take anpreludebreath, she spoke, reading my intentions.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQeDaKmL0i
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVbYBqh9eJ
“Leaving already?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTcwTYu6aL
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsvuP49BtS
“I-I am, yes. I think it would be best. It isn’t as if I don’t have–”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmZFSvymfK
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbJUAHy63r
“Hold on, not yet. I still have something to say to you.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvxQ7c12O2
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kXl9A6Q0T
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3RZnSLn0Y
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBI409wYHLy
“That’s funny. I do too. Do you mind if I start first?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvwW5Qk0ij
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eZu3wdtGY
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewYlDYO1Qm
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPbpvIrR2d
“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?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpxlyTnDz4
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGLWNoWok8
“Yeah, I do. I remembered how much of a wuss you were.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkzEVyPD8y
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHzr0kb5W4
I almost chuckled. Blunt as a bat, but it hit a bullseye.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vaSTSxAZ9
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoszDa7nlm
“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.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYCZMFowp0
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapMEQ58Ssi
I noticed the subtlest rise of her right brow.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGmc3YpwGq
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzq5Iebh3Lc
“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.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA06H4NJb3i
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dJ2xUiuxB
She nodded along to my apology. It looked like she was expecting more, but I was finished. So she’d understand, I concluded with–183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5QaGhF4Qt
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhey7fymi2
“So yeah, I’m sorry for being such a wuss.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiv5SKqLzge
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOnFbqhZGl
“...Hmm. Ha, I guess kids really do grow so fast.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCE9RIoNmC
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqPJihEHMA
“H-Huh?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgPtGFeh5F
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6u9lgnTxS
She rubbed her nose a little and continued talking.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvUFJ0IB1f
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0HpvK6SX3
“Just look at you. You’re nothing like the Kenny I knew.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtvti47jpV
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPN8s7hhRw
“I-I, well, I don’t know if I agree–”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36SWSOy6by
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpEzO95siN
“Nah, on second thought, I take that back. But that doesn’t matter anyway. Seriously, just look at you.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mZMtsBiVF
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hHerslK99
“I’m n-nothing so special.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUZ9o2vynm
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOywdMo71qT
“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!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6qyZH5C7h
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeV2tq8THhs
“The letter certainly isn’t a priority.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTy3GJhCsQ
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tVv9307xE
She casually clicked her tongue, tilted her head sideways, and waved her hand downward.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJiI1R9T6n
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ068JkEVdaM
“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.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzvELWAABM
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLZGRYw3ND
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. 183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWByPjB4kc
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtW2LI9XelT
It took me only a few 183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0NR4i4gkB
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfH1QlRTYO
“I don’t think so. I don’t think I grew anything.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQvqmZEZQB
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvT5mT06ZNq
“‘Course you did! Stop giving me such crap–”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcv7txIs4J
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoQPGyNQZR
“No, really, Rover.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKFe5CWqlG
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBFGa62RYv
I slouched my posture and leaned back, lifting myself with my hands behind me. 183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlm8DqPCr2
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWYqxJfHAN
“I think I’m just lucky.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ722TxTpbeP
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEtYiwxCzQ
I veered my eyes away from the ceiling, looking into Rover’s, and was taken aback by her utter dejection. Or was it disgust?183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjyYCZB4Te
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYT1NHU6KXI
“I-I mean, it’s not as if I haven’t been trying, it’s just–”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SXJdASPLJ
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6GWQ4LjSC
“Nevermind all that, Kenny. You’re starting to give me a headache.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAQJdfFmvV
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvb4y5gM4ZT
I stopped my frantic hand-waving and began to scratch my head.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Fmc6lu1lB
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSeLgktBlZ
“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.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwY55LtrIA
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Vo2kbhVTl
“It isn’t a drug! I wouldn’t stoop to such barbaric substances!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6S6d5gcE4C
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenaqTfWplm
“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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUkOhtxfj6
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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. 183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnfs50WXyg
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“D-Don’t rush me!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgUWhXc6l1
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“I’m not rushing you! I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you just spat it out, but–”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMx1foTXYFs
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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…”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVVDGNwmTS
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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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RMSHpCCjy
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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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaluvrL0TI3
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“Gahh, forget it! You convinced me, I’ll just say it!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjgmJYGugq
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“I didn’t say anything.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieh23li4oj
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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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwAGhGoKXM
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“I’m sorry for being such a priss.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgr5NnM5zJ9
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9S1EL1E4N
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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxnCFL2g7Z
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But whether she was or not, mattered not to me.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYXQY7piDm
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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.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiADuMZTa9
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2581jrWMq
“Told you all I did? What?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsURGkfZB2G
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She was caught by a wind of fury.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAHRLdmDDt
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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!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsq5rvEwMxI
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzyYgw3lD9
I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. She stopped her rage immediately, donning a look of perplexion. 183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWiBFtIdBqL
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3if3SAjel
“What’s so funny?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxr5MxLk9D
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtK38EMSBBC
“N-Nothing in particular. I appreciate the apology, I suppose? I don’t think I’m all that deserving of it, though.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNn2ZQFrnLV
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“Hold on, I’m not done yet!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEqRjQqzji
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I nodded in understanding, and so she continued.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFUo5rKltl
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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.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxz4coQfiuF
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“A little crazy?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa32vEXpoLh
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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!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sub5KlA1V
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Her hands balled themselves to compliment her offshoot tangent. Her escalating tone made me concerned, but she relaxed soon after.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcS9SWqP7c
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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.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1sQl5toUA
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“Well–”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubhWb6EDjs
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“Shut up! Shut up! Do you know how annoying it is to hear someone undersell themselves all the time?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHTNhS0hpk
183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CxOZacRHH
“I–”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZ00TAEBvP
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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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fxCz3zXxt
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“Yeah. I do. It sucks.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tV6sAkanT
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“See! I– huh? You do?”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwN1wTtOpCl
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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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNIxP2JIKh
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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.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuKvetshnr
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“Whatever. Think what you want, but don’t speak it out loud anymore.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44kc7FPNfW
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“I… haha, sure thing, Rover. I’ll do just that.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSA5yCzNHe
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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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsbcBwGjqr
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“Perfect. I was just about to tell you to leave.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIybwMJIF6
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“I’m starting to think you hate me.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0znNiIEJm
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Her hands twitched upwards defensively.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRrKRS1HXx
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“I-I don’t. I’m just getting sleepy. Any second now, I’ll doze off.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZz2DAh3XLH
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“Ah, right.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6HUdFrVmB
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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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAG8iBsD6pc
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“That one Bringer was invigorated even with a restored limb, after all…”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FE8WpBapU
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“What are you mumbling about, eh? Scram! Scram, I tell you!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIyDB22O2k
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“Alright alright, jeez. With how grouchy you’re being, you really do need that rest.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCYdwmSCF7
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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.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6rQVjxwTb
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“Wait, one last thing!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRNCCPysgp
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Then, she shouted unexpectedly. I looked at her with a blank expression to signify my okay, and she continued shortly.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2w7IG5tYR
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“Tell that old bucket-wearing fart to visit me sometime.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbh9aVNUO0l
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“...”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtB8cyCgcr
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I smiled.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfc5eJh5aZX
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“I will.”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrt2cxAtmNc
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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–183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBFyV0Xbk7
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“Yes!”183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Mo8QFqo1g
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A jump with jubilation. I had to. I never experienced such success before.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpmeOm0nxD
