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.
5Please respect copyright.PENANAbCbwynqHtK
“Now all I need to do is to finalize it.”5Please respect copyright.PENANATtlwXitc3b
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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–5Please respect copyright.PENANAMpHV4jpOps
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“It’s a resounding success. Awesome.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAtqc3iUcEXW
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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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAxUdGKanCIL
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Should I go and deliver this now, or make a healing potion, and deliver this later?5Please respect copyright.PENANAUTFvYG4HG3
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“...”5Please respect copyright.PENANA8dqPWYcZhn
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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.5Please respect copyright.PENANATLGwBnFaMx
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“...That’s new. Where did you come from?”5Please respect copyright.PENANA3o3U7hVr4T
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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.5Please respect copyright.PENANA1bWQh5kCuh
5Please respect copyright.PENANARtZ8h3MvSW
“I know better. I don’t have the time for that. No, I don’t.”5Please respect copyright.PENANARKhgKM86z7
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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–5Please respect copyright.PENANA4yQQO3fuwC
5Please respect copyright.PENANAjZKNSMsCBi
“...”5Please respect copyright.PENANAqoOjRhAGFF
5Please respect copyright.PENANAE5RYWlAHqv
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAIAD1Y72N2Y
5Please respect copyright.PENANAbdK7MYewRO
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAqIlrHmLVIg
5Please respect copyright.PENANABHNXxhCGi3
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANALuRMVSOj4z
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–
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–
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–
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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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAAUhpvSu3IP
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“Yes?”5Please respect copyright.PENANATq9xdgTPGO
5Please respect copyright.PENANAlxBWZsZFAk
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANA138GZqh9Cm
5Please respect copyright.PENANAdkpNGqrPaS
“You’re here what I think you’re for, aren’t you?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAL3p6EjaIno
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“Y-Yes, Lola. Here, this is the potion I made.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAec4KUCuPLN
5Please respect copyright.PENANAe9KahZjSKG
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAahfXrNI3jE
5Please respect copyright.PENANAXY8RH9YPz8
“You made this in eighty minutes?”5Please respect copyright.PENANA55AAvSC1Ed
5Please respect copyright.PENANAQwNfBrftEE
“Did I take too long? I’m sorry, I had to grab some ingredients from a lower floor–”5Please respect copyright.PENANAuL8mKGSxux
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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.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAI1TgOOwDS2
5Please respect copyright.PENANAc6hO057hnF
I raised my hands bashfully and rapidly waved them at her.5Please respect copyright.PENANAjgAA8H5J5n
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“No no no, please don’t! You’re helping us enough as is.”5Please respect copyright.PENANATWPBbVMZkR
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“If you insist.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAa8W2OKRpHq
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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.5Please respect copyright.PENANA9Eaeo9TIC9
5Please respect copyright.PENANAicBVwFp2jS
“Kenny?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAEWytaXftmb
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“O-Oh, right. Do you need me for anything else?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAIZQfFcWZYW
5Please respect copyright.PENANAyBzQV6BlzH
“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.”5Please respect copyright.PENANA7YvYlCWxy4
5Please respect copyright.PENANA4PneiXhDLt
I let out a chuckled sigh and slapped a hand on my chest, muttering a breathy “thank you.”5Please respect copyright.PENANA7RCn29tyKo
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“There is something I’d like to ask you, however, just before you go.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAHXAuGSlyKk
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She said so right as I turned to leave. I twisted my head and looked at her, gesturing for her to shoot.5Please respect copyright.PENANAtZA3LjRHn9
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“The concoction in your other hand; that bright green tint can only mean one thing, yes? A healing potion.”5Please respect copyright.PENANA8SjBcQrkH8
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I nodded at her assessment. I realized the speed at which this could turn dangerous.5Please respect copyright.PENANA1tYYmsX4H5
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“I see. I see, I see…”5Please respect copyright.PENANAb5j9QJ1Q0w
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“A-Are you going to make me make one for each soldier?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAfh2dwG085d
5Please respect copyright.PENANAcEAp4gMfwd
“No, I won’t ask that of an outsider, let alone a child– oh, sorry, you don’t like being called that, do you?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAzfJ2Gun3Ip
5Please respect copyright.PENANAJflLFCwArU
“...Don’t worry about it. I appreciate you being considerate, Lola. Is there anything else?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAE5xRRjw2uX
5Please respect copyright.PENANAmlTfcHFgSe
“I-If you don’t mind my prying, could you answer a few questions for me?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAJjTqEXN0LN
5Please respect copyright.PENANA46CRqzFxnv
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAWFCc6RD6eg
5Please respect copyright.PENANAUcrDH3Bdvb
“Please?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAkZTZbh3PWz
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Though it was difficult to draw a line while she was making such a face.5Please respect copyright.PENANAa4S7fMyuJr
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“F-Fine, but please make them short. I have somewhere I need to be.”5Please respect copyright.PENANABIHwnatHE4
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“Thank you, I will. It’s just two quick questions. First–”5Please respect copyright.PENANAxP306pTFtG
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She paused right before asking, as if a crucial memory struck her from the woodwork. 5Please respect copyright.PENANA1dIP2WYCNy
5Please respect copyright.PENANAFFiDMlFiC9
“–How long have you been an alchemist?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAJgjohseQy7
5Please respect copyright.PENANAA7Z7jdvB9S
“I’d say… hold on, that question has two answers. Commercially, it’s been about three years(1). Personally, it’s been for… seven?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAx8XtEAzhBP
5Please respect copyright.PENANA3j1OZ0wC7G
“Seven years? That’s over half your life, isn’t it?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAn3BsfUdUsf
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I gave a simple shrug with sandwiched lips.5Please respect copyright.PENANAmhzUMipQJP
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“I started young. That’s all.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAPUzrqJMuuR
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“I see. Being trained at such a young age, no wonder why you’re so skilled.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAJrjtALGYdu
5Please respect copyright.PENANAW1jxLpy2T8
“P-Please, don’t flatter me. I appreciate the remarks, but they just…”5Please respect copyright.PENANAnTp8kqTXTD
5Please respect copyright.PENANAvNl81LxJxA
They don’t sit right with me, I wanted to say, but Lola gave a predictive, discerning nod, so I stopped speaking.5Please respect copyright.PENANAdNYAQVPY3E
5Please respect copyright.PENANAoC4gt3FKeG
“Only seven years… then, maybe–”5Please respect copyright.PENANAG6fgklc98d
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“Sorry, can you repeat that? I didn’t catch it.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAYRulmdLv2a
5Please respect copyright.PENANABMB4TFNWHD
She jumped and then waved her hand.5Please respect copyright.PENANArgY8vAxLQX
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“Don’t worry, I was just thinking out loud. Anyhow, for my next question…”5Please respect copyright.PENANA13v5ys2um7
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“Right.”5Please respect copyright.PENANATYIPPfR46t
5Please respect copyright.PENANAzBkdMuqV5R
“...I apologize if this may seem extreme, but I have to ask.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAZhGZsmDmoq
5Please respect copyright.PENANARexjfI76Ii
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAkrkUMA7NQI
5Please respect copyright.PENANA4QC1W1Baed
“Did you kill anyone in the last operation?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAlj6UVyHoZw
5Please respect copyright.PENANAtrhfHQGVRU
“I– Wha!?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAv0kQN9VHmB
5Please respect copyright.PENANAF0rWL4eenl
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAWr8gpephDE
5Please respect copyright.PENANA6OuS5bdDos
“Who asks something like that to a child!?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAnRjCcr28vr
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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?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAK6sCK5YvTx
5Please respect copyright.PENANAOEwYjswL79
“Your own… peace of mind?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAf0CcSXNi2L
5Please respect copyright.PENANAuiu8ge67I1
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAlyMwbJgMw1
5Please respect copyright.PENANAyLJ4oQgx1K
“I didn’t. I hurt some people, but I never landed a killing blow.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAdI64CyztIN
5Please respect copyright.PENANAic4yC7A609
“I-I see. That’s a relief. Oh my goodness, that’s a relief.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAZz287QBpsn
5Please respect copyright.PENANA8b36cCbREf
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAU2P70dYSRN
5Please respect copyright.PENANAuO0KTy5Huw
“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. 5Please respect copyright.PENANA4ijn6eF7b2
5Please respect copyright.PENANA7rkCdDEqHu
“You… for some reason, I feel like you regard me much more highly than you should.”5Please respect copyright.PENANATFsYhdSa0a
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She shrugged at my comment.5Please respect copyright.PENANAwQBqll7dV4
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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?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAR5eV5w6Qnu
5Please respect copyright.PENANA7c0SWJfC5r
Brushing me off with perfect logic before I could respond to her outrageous statement, I clicked my tongue inward and turned on my foot.5Please respect copyright.PENANAnuZweJ0x10
5Please respect copyright.PENANAi4um7bvlNr
“Goodbye Lola,” I shouted. She opened the door and slid right through, waving at me right before closing it.5Please respect copyright.PENANAiaEJXWPm97
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–
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–
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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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAETFmPK9mSN
5Please respect copyright.PENANADVaHacIUFC
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAzFZ1MrfBoI
5Please respect copyright.PENANAMe4qh4UZi0
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAutkCrGyBL3
5Please respect copyright.PENANA0KiBxjBw1h
“...This is ridiculous.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAceIitpHeFM
5Please respect copyright.PENANA9lmKNELMKl
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAM9rUl0irYW
5Please respect copyright.PENANAu2oV4pYuHk
“Just go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it– off!”5Please respect copyright.PENANA4OdbBRjLLG
5Please respect copyright.PENANACCXCtPiNV3
In the midst of my chanting, I bit the arrow and slammed it open. It looked far removed from how I imagined it.5Please respect copyright.PENANAPIOdwbBcVq
5Please respect copyright.PENANAAR3xMXKE2x
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANA1kmxBh4O2v
5Please respect copyright.PENANAeejZmbRPMG
And seeing how his groggy face raised to meet mine, I realized how noisy my entrance was.5Please respect copyright.PENANARoQj3SsTF6
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“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb anyone. I’m just here to deliver something.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAtW52Jbk962
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“...Hmm.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAtxmcT7k4Wz
5Please respect copyright.PENANApnaGWxx3I9
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANANsS9boJIif
5Please respect copyright.PENANA9nHwkFGlfj
“Do whatever.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAMhhGDrrGYC
5Please respect copyright.PENANAM2Hq4vqZvU
“R-Right. Thank you, sir.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAdQbtilKHYA
5Please respect copyright.PENANA4mbh88f9TW
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAC4zMlsIODn
5Please respect copyright.PENANAOCVwrKv8h7
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANA0hK9Gnhn2O
5Please respect copyright.PENANAD5rNutoJjU
“D-Darn it.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAbq0MVUi2w8
5Please respect copyright.PENANASBha3clj5P
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–5Please respect copyright.PENANAOjTtMPAUwS
5Please respect copyright.PENANAECZVwweKGz
“What are you doing here?”5Please respect copyright.PENANASovbgs8lTF
5Please respect copyright.PENANAmxGYT8WA7r
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAsW2HMxA93z
5Please respect copyright.PENANAce34m9pWQu
There was Rover, sitting in the one corner out of my sight, eyeing me with a lion’s eyes.5Please respect copyright.PENANAwgdjYAuLvr
5Please respect copyright.PENANATXFqEoLEUm
“...U-Uh.”5Please respect copyright.PENANARGZQ8YnIZQ
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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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAIllaKk1Iiv
5Please respect copyright.PENANAhCfxDUEuxv
“Well? Come on, spit it out.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAmSA6HigTF3
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“I… I-I.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAlhxowJQk68
5Please respect copyright.PENANAD2bqBet5vh
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAllo6XTC3dJ
5Please respect copyright.PENANAA3F2KggGS6
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAZScXqGWEer
5Please respect copyright.PENANA3y860aENFU
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAfB5Tj9CD76
5Please respect copyright.PENANA86QYxEwVcC
“I don’t have time for this, just spit it out!”5Please respect copyright.PENANASCmu1VpAwg
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“I-I’m here.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAQZamnXl7cW
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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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAp5Osxf3NVE
5Please respect copyright.PENANAnyNLHUOEuS
“I’m– I made— I– Rover, I’m here–”5Please respect copyright.PENANACzsEmyJTcZ
5Please respect copyright.PENANA6b28quqyYw
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.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAgmkRHPREXq
5Please respect copyright.PENANAanBOq1YQDZ
“I…”5Please respect copyright.PENANAK1GBzAzEiD
5Please respect copyright.PENANADQkjBwjrb3
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAWIt6noQlKB
5Please respect copyright.PENANAQPZaptLFx9
“Hello, Rover.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAcDKahI0aYT
5Please respect copyright.PENANAUcCOL7KvO2
“Hey, Kenny.”5Please respect copyright.PENANANzDveLWK7f
5Please respect copyright.PENANAbdQzpfUf1o
I retracted my stretched arm, then extended it yet again.5Please respect copyright.PENANAaKZxprhEKU
5Please respect copyright.PENANAgoHx2C3lnP
“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–”5Please respect copyright.PENANA7zRULgUAp1
5Please respect copyright.PENANAiDHcGEwI6N
“Cut to the chase!”5Please respect copyright.PENANABWkEmNpxub
5Please respect copyright.PENANAKTRkLzaZ7F
“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.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAXi2IYACrry
5Please respect copyright.PENANAQqAbqSIvA1
Her eyes widened. Her crossed arms slackened, and I took it as a signal to move forward. I took it incorrectly.5Please respect copyright.PENANAXRXxvQa3VM
5Please respect copyright.PENANAXqKxxhhaiE
“Hold on, you brought me a potion?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAXeLoke3n7O
5Please respect copyright.PENANAco29FzzPHS
“Y-Yes.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAdcnZ1gRGcl
5Please respect copyright.PENANAp3z1UvAGXS
“Now who told you to do that?”5Please respect copyright.PENANALr6bFFNA8w
5Please respect copyright.PENANA0QU5GVBsQH
“W-Well–”5Please respect copyright.PENANA5arEYZm3rj
5Please respect copyright.PENANArFzGqGUrlJ
Nigel suggested it, but he didn’t tell me. No, mulling over that was wasteful spending. There was only one truth in this situation:5Please respect copyright.PENANAhjdZFrnXt6
5Please respect copyright.PENANATvMOii1xGx
“I wanted to do it. I wasn’t told.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAW0W9km1aBN
5Please respect copyright.PENANA3h2CBOGWZ4
“...You? That wimpy Kenny?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAJVmaQMkMKQ
5Please respect copyright.PENANALJXv60vpTN
I wasn’t mad at her insult. It was all too accurate.5Please respect copyright.PENANAjsnNXv6X7c
5Please respect copyright.PENANAtoeS0Vp25c
“Yes, the wimpy Kenny.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAJ3T3Ex90c6
5Please respect copyright.PENANAKzoYMgbFnK
“Ha! You’ve surprised me before, but this really blew my expectations out of the water!”5Please respect copyright.PENANAXzYDCUAuqY
5Please respect copyright.PENANAiLTWCmNGtY
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAlqSNyL6SYv
5Please respect copyright.PENANAwcABun5q5G
“I refuse your treatment!”5Please respect copyright.PENANAxmVMyaZAEE
5Please respect copyright.PENANAblDWP1En3o
“H-Huh!?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAfOLDCo9gNO
5Please respect copyright.PENANAcujXJDucE6
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANA79DsEoEN4R
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“Why not? Don’t you want to recover faster?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAYZFS9k6Ez1
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“Of course I do, but I can’t accept it. Not when you’re looking at me like I’m some kind of monster.”5Please respect copyright.PENANA9WYpPYUkVS
5Please respect copyright.PENANA3BlI2pbYTn
“I– Wha?”5Please respect copyright.PENANANG08LIKxoj
5Please respect copyright.PENANA0gZTd92a2W
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–5Please respect copyright.PENANAfdXTTZOhwu
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“No, stupid! It’s the face you’re making! It’s weird!”5Please respect copyright.PENANAUOEL3ugRY3
5Please respect copyright.PENANAajqzoW7oX6
“Stupid? Weird!?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAmqe9wRuVy9
5Please respect copyright.PENANAIk0MCLtKka
“Do you need the whole room to hear it!? You’re looking at me like a weirdo!”5Please respect copyright.PENANAnyJ5Ft8Pkh
5Please respect copyright.PENANAHXdKHqwXeg
“...”5Please respect copyright.PENANAskNA1G48Vb
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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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAOYyp2aIh6X
5Please respect copyright.PENANA2O3F6kqqgq
“Why are you looking at me like that? Hmph.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAdpEt1TiCR3
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As I had no other mode of operating at this moment, I blurted my immediate response.5Please respect copyright.PENANAH2BcEK3PbI
5Please respect copyright.PENANAdB4R4TuTIt
“It’s because I upset you.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAaGNUDzi9iv
5Please respect copyright.PENANAf1MggWuCUc
And then I realized that something like this required thoughtful phrasing.5Please respect copyright.PENANAorSMLI6YRd
5Please respect copyright.PENANAGz0XPM13VL
“I don’t– well, I don’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than you–”5Please respect copyright.PENANAZDGWlEYkt9
5Please respect copyright.PENANAHdcqkp1sFr
“That’s bullshit! Man, forget answering that, I don’t need your whole, your spiel you know!? Come here!”5Please respect copyright.PENANArMZJB7Cg13
5Please respect copyright.PENANAurEEpFUqk5
“Come, there,” I asked, pointing to myself.5Please respect copyright.PENANADVQNJgZcbU
5Please respect copyright.PENANAJHtmCYEIdr
“Yes. Sit by me, I can’t stand looking at your working legs.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAKpbTDUbREg
5Please respect copyright.PENANAKCpSU9UMG4
“S-Sheesh.” 5Please respect copyright.PENANA4fz1x1XJDt
5Please respect copyright.PENANArUf0cIsN5T
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.
5Please respect copyright.PENANA6PZpT9xpX7
“How do I use this thing?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAFLWubnE6wc
5Please respect copyright.PENANAksyX9mZaYN
“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.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAskybErCzt5
5Please respect copyright.PENANA7S6BGRTmvk
“Drinking works for me.”5Please respect copyright.PENANA7om1dpu7eX
5Please respect copyright.PENANAccsSdSUwUH
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANApm3QX6fyKa
5Please respect copyright.PENANACHswPkdqZ2
“Cah! What the hell, is in this thing?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAZcTC91ScZy
5Please respect copyright.PENANAlWaZjodDz9
“That’s not the problem! You drank it too fast, you dingus!”5Please respect copyright.PENANAw0uIjS9SZ8
5Please respect copyright.PENANAdEVjfv4sss
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAX40osBVLP8
5Please respect copyright.PENANAVFiu9vg4G4
“If you drink like that, it’s likely to go down the wrong pipe.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAvs4fvc6Loj
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“Whatever.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAWMF220wR3p
5Please respect copyright.PENANAxetj7zlvY4
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. 5Please respect copyright.PENANA72CdvHIAGG
5Please respect copyright.PENANAXIZEjCDf2w
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAmaxzsF70BH
5Please respect copyright.PENANA0W1uTS0wV5
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANARgr7qk4HzW
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But before I could even take anpreludebreath, she spoke, reading my intentions.5Please respect copyright.PENANAL20BnvaExK
5Please respect copyright.PENANAQ5GP4ezsQI
“Leaving already?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAjDZFhaXKtK
5Please respect copyright.PENANAIPgVvVQK9Q
“I-I am, yes. I think it would be best. It isn’t as if I don’t have–”5Please respect copyright.PENANAY8xeG9yMiv
5Please respect copyright.PENANArQEcqXFG8D
“Hold on, not yet. I still have something to say to you.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAjSCR6Bp5F2
5Please respect copyright.PENANAghtVClEOOv
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAI5mPghCXhq
5Please respect copyright.PENANAEjyaVpf2z6
“That’s funny. I do too. Do you mind if I start first?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAlT0hFo5s22
5Please respect copyright.PENANAcrbC55eh8m
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANARbe5kJSMCy
5Please respect copyright.PENANAo6kTxiTjO1
“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?”5Please respect copyright.PENANA3b3SytuFcm
5Please respect copyright.PENANAJvidGqPPaW
“Yeah, I do. I remembered how much of a wuss you were.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAivUIELh758
5Please respect copyright.PENANADl2tFKdlAZ
I almost chuckled. Blunt as a bat, but it hit a bullseye.5Please respect copyright.PENANAi0lfIn5ZiA
5Please respect copyright.PENANAIYEUi4UAtP
“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.”5Please respect copyright.PENANA32FxYc58ri
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I noticed the subtlest rise of her right brow.5Please respect copyright.PENANAiUo4xomt38
5Please respect copyright.PENANAHHEtBYVUDp
“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.”5Please respect copyright.PENANA50W2tI97Ws
5Please respect copyright.PENANATV86gaiK4k
She nodded along to my apology. It looked like she was expecting more, but I was finished. So she’d understand, I concluded with–5Please respect copyright.PENANAYmifLuGYFi
5Please respect copyright.PENANAuLU9LVHAqV
“So yeah, I’m sorry for being such a wuss.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAOvmcoqiH5H
5Please respect copyright.PENANASPuVZJ7LHM
“...Hmm. Ha, I guess kids really do grow so fast.”5Please respect copyright.PENANArnqJbwzuOy
5Please respect copyright.PENANA28oMxvC1x8
“H-Huh?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAV1N8BTlRMa
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She rubbed her nose a little and continued talking.5Please respect copyright.PENANAsnDYQzOcom
5Please respect copyright.PENANAqiHejpGXCB
“Just look at you. You’re nothing like the Kenny I knew.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAR6jM7Km7HA
5Please respect copyright.PENANAfXeZCeybXC
“I-I, well, I don’t know if I agree–”5Please respect copyright.PENANADdoF1hjTjG
5Please respect copyright.PENANAUxAYntMwaw
“Nah, on second thought, I take that back. But that doesn’t matter anyway. Seriously, just look at you.”5Please respect copyright.PENANA8tyyW1f581
5Please respect copyright.PENANAYxTrtO7LzV
“I’m n-nothing so special.”5Please respect copyright.PENANA5Ql5V70DVu
5Please respect copyright.PENANA4yaIUDdmmD
“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!”5Please respect copyright.PENANA8QvxZb7zTn
5Please respect copyright.PENANAKxCWpmRd5g
“The letter certainly isn’t a priority.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAhk4sGjMpXU
5Please respect copyright.PENANAPc76fmCiim
She casually clicked her tongue, tilted her head sideways, and waved her hand downward.5Please respect copyright.PENANAEQnLjnm9Z0
5Please respect copyright.PENANA1pyhM66WPQ
“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.”5Please respect copyright.PENANA5NeSfANIS8
5Please respect copyright.PENANAewo7akOzj8
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. 5Please respect copyright.PENANAlONWuLFt2M
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It took me only a few 5Please respect copyright.PENANAAZ9qoEC0yJ
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“I don’t think so. I don’t think I grew anything.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAL9XX3GfvsY
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“‘Course you did! Stop giving me such crap–”5Please respect copyright.PENANA0zUP1Olwct
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“No, really, Rover.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAhyC2PM56w5
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I slouched my posture and leaned back, lifting myself with my hands behind me. 5Please respect copyright.PENANAHdAPgASfWx
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“I think I’m just lucky.”5Please respect copyright.PENANA2B7hxU56Jm
5Please respect copyright.PENANAHpYcVjkUM8
I veered my eyes away from the ceiling, looking into Rover’s, and was taken aback by her utter dejection. Or was it disgust?5Please respect copyright.PENANACA2gcrQshD
5Please respect copyright.PENANA5jwo0pvxAv
“I-I mean, it’s not as if I haven’t been trying, it’s just–”5Please respect copyright.PENANAkyiZ3hFAuC
5Please respect copyright.PENANAaJb8iJ6liV
“Nevermind all that, Kenny. You’re starting to give me a headache.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAtCNaquWcyz
5Please respect copyright.PENANA0P8w8G8jdd
I stopped my frantic hand-waving and began to scratch my head.5Please respect copyright.PENANA876gd2ESif
5Please respect copyright.PENANA5VGBKMEzZQ
“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.”5Please respect copyright.PENANA5HHfMzavag
5Please respect copyright.PENANAIKiOD8nVb9
“It isn’t a drug! I wouldn’t stoop to such barbaric substances!”5Please respect copyright.PENANAPHbgEpQTW5
5Please respect copyright.PENANAA7kb9n7utw
“Uh-huh, whatever. Hear me out before you can’t anymore.”
5Please respect copyright.PENANAQ5CuTUgRxA
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAnw5GuOzFXd
5Please respect copyright.PENANAGManxfbulw
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. 5Please respect copyright.PENANAvNI1XvcGjz
5Please respect copyright.PENANAcT7zohV3kp
“D-Don’t rush me!”5Please respect copyright.PENANAt4om7OdioP
5Please respect copyright.PENANACRiCUMHH5l
“I’m not rushing you! I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you just spat it out, but–”5Please respect copyright.PENANASHDOzI0KwY
5Please respect copyright.PENANARyd9ACIzqT
“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…”5Please respect copyright.PENANAkMzZJzWVWi
5Please respect copyright.PENANA0gc2PZ07VX
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAfUb7SMgIqk
5Please respect copyright.PENANAxwLCUHXcqW
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAowaAuipneZ
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“Gahh, forget it! You convinced me, I’ll just say it!”5Please respect copyright.PENANADzAW5rGoeZ
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“I didn’t say anything.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAkq2IhedT4Q
5Please respect copyright.PENANAuRhoWcjhPF
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANALu92tl4222
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“I’m sorry for being such a priss.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAgSF03lYxxi
5Please respect copyright.PENANAfCTZ6MS7de
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANApgE0SsQUjb
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But whether she was or not, mattered not to me.5Please respect copyright.PENANAmJGYGms00X
5Please respect copyright.PENANAwOzSmuEXSI
“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.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAhpSFjMa97t
5Please respect copyright.PENANAFhlIxw3fLO
“Told you all I did? What?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAFrAb8VBPI6
5Please respect copyright.PENANAEg6odRv4MN
She was caught by a wind of fury.5Please respect copyright.PENANAcQY8VuqPWz
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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!”5Please respect copyright.PENANADWETcEiDcd
5Please respect copyright.PENANA84M8cGmoSi
I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. She stopped her rage immediately, donning a look of perplexion. 5Please respect copyright.PENANAz8ezwdllBh
5Please respect copyright.PENANAy3yJdUVNFC
“What’s so funny?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAe2YHwLmjHz
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“N-Nothing in particular. I appreciate the apology, I suppose? I don’t think I’m all that deserving of it, though.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAsBfmZrX0J9
5Please respect copyright.PENANAYPny89929G
“Hold on, I’m not done yet!”5Please respect copyright.PENANAhz3IwBh8vj
5Please respect copyright.PENANAykM8RjNUnI
I nodded in understanding, and so she continued.5Please respect copyright.PENANAGdr5AYdnhy
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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.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAKKRhdx4m93
5Please respect copyright.PENANAzVa3dGlk2t
“A little crazy?”5Please respect copyright.PENANATkPXEg4iL3
5Please respect copyright.PENANA4wV4PLLeTS
“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!”5Please respect copyright.PENANAMUnbAk3ywM
5Please respect copyright.PENANAVLRxCa1ned
Her hands balled themselves to compliment her offshoot tangent. Her escalating tone made me concerned, but she relaxed soon after.5Please respect copyright.PENANAelCwOXXiLy
5Please respect copyright.PENANAwYlUX4eAi9
“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.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAZlAPVe0Ikq
5Please respect copyright.PENANA9JlQ1zCWZF
“Well–”5Please respect copyright.PENANAqVRFU2oq8K
5Please respect copyright.PENANAD1ozRYKLAm
“Shut up! Shut up! Do you know how annoying it is to hear someone undersell themselves all the time?”5Please respect copyright.PENANARGIXRdOS5J
5Please respect copyright.PENANAKVl0It9F1y
“I–”5Please respect copyright.PENANAgZsMZ7BQtG
5Please respect copyright.PENANAdR9neCBVrm
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANARbM8VsxR1v
5Please respect copyright.PENANAwesjFdv1GM
“Yeah. I do. It sucks.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAlUbhid6Ebh
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“See! I– huh? You do?”5Please respect copyright.PENANAAVw2pJPOU8
5Please respect copyright.PENANAa7gWwgGuKf
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAQSzPqeZtYB
5Please respect copyright.PENANAtM1UnxSdvC
“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.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAkdNGpnbPXJ
5Please respect copyright.PENANAZG3O3seUbt
“Whatever. Think what you want, but don’t speak it out loud anymore.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAcpRGZSqUUE
5Please respect copyright.PENANAx24tSgBb6q
“I… haha, sure thing, Rover. I’ll do just that.”5Please respect copyright.PENANA527cA0ltSB
5Please respect copyright.PENANAM2a8LmZbPS
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAUHyBgNe304
5Please respect copyright.PENANACw5t13uvKk
“Perfect. I was just about to tell you to leave.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAmO8XmTvwMG
5Please respect copyright.PENANAtD0AzaRjW3
“I’m starting to think you hate me.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAMqoZGN6in2
5Please respect copyright.PENANAwdZhTmIwpW
Her hands twitched upwards defensively.5Please respect copyright.PENANAjMffFtnqsK
5Please respect copyright.PENANAYTJplDLGnf
“I-I don’t. I’m just getting sleepy. Any second now, I’ll doze off.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAfm92uIzRnP
5Please respect copyright.PENANAbRCR0qojHn
“Ah, right.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAzjp1pP08ak
5Please respect copyright.PENANAWTCQbw2fDz
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANAo6RQnM5BXJ
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“That one Bringer was invigorated even with a restored limb, after all…”5Please respect copyright.PENANAfKPBXwoGcn
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“What are you mumbling about, eh? Scram! Scram, I tell you!”5Please respect copyright.PENANAFkXFy2PScY
5Please respect copyright.PENANAPjgTh37a0V
“Alright alright, jeez. With how grouchy you’re being, you really do need that rest.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAugwfcqUaIr
5Please respect copyright.PENANAb2FqxvocBy
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.5Please respect copyright.PENANA6gpRExGOnB
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“Wait, one last thing!”5Please respect copyright.PENANA0gmFet9FLi
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Then, she shouted unexpectedly. I looked at her with a blank expression to signify my okay, and she continued shortly.5Please respect copyright.PENANAe01Pr2aZMY
5Please respect copyright.PENANAZDZk1SUZfG
“Tell that old bucket-wearing fart to visit me sometime.”5Please respect copyright.PENANAbCS1nigMg5
5Please respect copyright.PENANAU9GGl8bRki
“...”5Please respect copyright.PENANA2H3YiUBLJb
5Please respect copyright.PENANAQRtKdqFEur
I smiled.5Please respect copyright.PENANAjyphfW6VBj
5Please respect copyright.PENANATmGmRpFVih
“I will.”5Please respect copyright.PENANArQkTeNxkP9
5Please respect copyright.PENANAqhKOCLFLzG
I returned her wave and exited the room. The moment the door shut behind me, I let out a quick breath and–5Please respect copyright.PENANAjbdib21WKC
5Please respect copyright.PENANA6GTt1kQtHm
“Yes!”5Please respect copyright.PENANAaWAKXF7h8l
5Please respect copyright.PENANAwTdyvTDzqZ
A jump with jubilation. I had to. I never experienced such success before.5Please respect copyright.PENANABFHoOkZWvK