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.
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKT1NkNA3EY
“Now all I need to do is to finalize it.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVCxYM2JcK
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDZ0yVGFds
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–170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GjRdAsfVw
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLH8NRPoOXL
“It’s a resounding success. Awesome.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHbjLwGo7J
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkM4RaIvTl
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs60qu7Gi2b
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPVZpwRVOd
Should I go and deliver this now, or make a healing potion, and deliver this later?170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfSSper6h7
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“...”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY54bCjj4u8
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDPFMdJROI
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“...That’s new. Where did you come from?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEn7kRUqcwN
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bpgEamXCM
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRqrWx8X3j
“I know better. I don’t have the time for that. No, I don’t.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUB8BAS3d5
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1TwZ5kWAE
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–170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9frWIrQcyE
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“...”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPJcwJ39bB
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerDv65u01w
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOcuuNFWje
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADOD6lVcrp
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoa6nk9L9o
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg187eLgDSU
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOzfKcTfP7
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“Yes?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpxIDU0oA3
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRHFV1BwIj
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“You’re here what I think you’re for, aren’t you?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6A1Uxse4SI
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TMYgUk4pn
“Y-Yes, Lola. Here, this is the potion I made.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoSLlR0Y3L
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡif6vSklcuH
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINQPZznjH2
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“You made this in eighty minutes?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZNE9ozxaP
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8J5JUtlMsR
“Did I take too long? I’m sorry, I had to grab some ingredients from a lower floor–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5a9GlAtoZy
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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.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fK72gadE9
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVjqeuibeg
I raised my hands bashfully and rapidly waved them at her.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ObIQmhITq
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“No no no, please don’t! You’re helping us enough as is.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk482BR4NXt
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“If you insist.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zD79qBf1K
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqj088x7gUR
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“Kenny?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8Bsl8GnBL
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMgUNvPoPR
“O-Oh, right. Do you need me for anything else?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHrVzX9yFp
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhl5pfaQsC3
“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.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacfyCbg1Nf
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7R2bQO4LO
I let out a chuckled sigh and slapped a hand on my chest, muttering a breathy “thank you.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXt6HKhLQ4
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAq6sTiZVPh
“There is something I’d like to ask you, however, just before you go.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJ66yPjz2y
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qGx6Ez2qh
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“The concoction in your other hand; that bright green tint can only mean one thing, yes? A healing potion.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2fyo15vpx
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMOavPO1NN
I nodded at her assessment. I realized the speed at which this could turn dangerous.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaO2fY7xPDV
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“I see. I see, I see…”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6nQmUVf2S
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64lO9MUteU
“A-Are you going to make me make one for each soldier?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZGGFl2FiV
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilcXzRw3oR
“No, I won’t ask that of an outsider, let alone a child– oh, sorry, you don’t like being called that, do you?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjy5ARHbWH
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjXLNXCksZ
“...Don’t worry about it. I appreciate you being considerate, Lola. Is there anything else?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfMNiBQB3I
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBasLPSRJI
“I-If you don’t mind my prying, could you answer a few questions for me?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonlbKOae5e
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFLxem7JzR
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtsqw2cKnW
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡau1b57iBRG
“Please?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yRNv9P1kr
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnhwtPgbCF
Though it was difficult to draw a line while she was making such a face.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqXtcxlI1s
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡengNh2xYMA
“F-Fine, but please make them short. I have somewhere I need to be.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3VgtwZXTF
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVJ4lyEfFH
“Thank you, I will. It’s just two quick questions. First–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaAGYqK8q6
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB10zAYXYkD
She paused right before asking, as if a crucial memory struck her from the woodwork. 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jSp7Gq5vv
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyad8RubLz0
“–How long have you been an alchemist?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡen4hVVVVWp
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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?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48QpsbxfSy
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcpyAGZFYk
“Seven years? That’s over half your life, isn’t it?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeT4FHvH0d
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I gave a simple shrug with sandwiched lips.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa8teJG7KD
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“I started young. That’s all.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd02kxVTFsf
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAVPa7EBCz
“I see. Being trained at such a young age, no wonder why you’re so skilled.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZ61H6YSp0
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFMrJchVKk
“P-Please, don’t flatter me. I appreciate the remarks, but they just…”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8p0MYnQu7o
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFk5oJEz8S
They don’t sit right with me, I wanted to say, but Lola gave a predictive, discerning nod, so I stopped speaking.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomjyKucaTP
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tw1XxCjGu
“Only seven years… then, maybe–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhOAeMkumO
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“Sorry, can you repeat that? I didn’t catch it.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cKcStYsVG
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She jumped and then waved her hand.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyfvgRftq2
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrVMntwZX5
“Don’t worry, I was just thinking out loud. Anyhow, for my next question…”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFtI1n6ETu
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“Right.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlP0Xekajy
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbVCSJQ5Db
“...I apologize if this may seem extreme, but I have to ask.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEO35Czwkum
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56dsMccnXF
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqJ9rwcciy
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR991ZfZKa2
“Did you kill anyone in the last operation?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4U8kd8rp0
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“I– Wha!?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmAz7h9DwW
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoxkoqkF5D
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdxbsJoNoi
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0w0alIHZL
“Who asks something like that to a child!?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PkVEf1Mjj
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftDO06ra93
“Shh! I know it’s selfish, but it’s for my own peace of mind! I have to know, please, did you?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5vWCSYo1U
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPeblpXz7Hj
“Your own… peace of mind?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYUesXMQsz
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqC5YiNNEfI
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JQJV1Hpll
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“I didn’t. I hurt some people, but I never landed a killing blow.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWjHGeRi2V
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wlTTHPWSd
“I-I see. That’s a relief. Oh my goodness, that’s a relief.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuQVHWmArC
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqSdYt6CC9
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzZOOEcrPB
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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. 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6R4OQ78nV
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nDUor3FVP
“You… for some reason, I feel like you regard me much more highly than you should.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZpmS3BtjF
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She shrugged at my comment.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36Jwdm6cR9
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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?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjPQdj4c3a
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcw8dCfa7Vm
Brushing me off with perfect logic before I could respond to her outrageous statement, I clicked my tongue inward and turned on my foot.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12kLxFYiXU
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hAmhbfgKr
“Goodbye Lola,” I shouted. She opened the door and slid right through, waving at me right before closing it.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5NsG2YEsQ
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEVzgdBwzd
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFr9WNoM7Ui
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4USBG943qb
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGdGH2IkGF
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBtMYsjaeF
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“...This is ridiculous.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dVRv9t9oh
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0pO7lT8H5
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcatqj9GgCO
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbjn87OI20
“Just go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it– off!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstjU3CaxO1
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNwZFYjGC1
In the midst of my chanting, I bit the arrow and slammed it open. It looked far removed from how I imagined it.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq56Xlr7WZW
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZcwtrYnXa
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWO5si2FoSw
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgMDXGa4HJ
And seeing how his groggy face raised to meet mine, I realized how noisy my entrance was.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6pDWCacRm
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIiMyrWGI30
“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb anyone. I’m just here to deliver something.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsEtUo3lit
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvYnViwpRm
“...Hmm.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHj1RF8gqDK
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptOmTGaRer
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPi8PbfjUI
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSPk345ddG
“Do whatever.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UwwBI6UR4
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFAaTwx29U
“R-Right. Thank you, sir.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6j4gqJ99D
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABwhF8UiKX
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsGvJCQBVb
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUmARka4hw
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMj8Gi4cwDO
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoiS6xB7vx
“D-Darn it.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nQnHcftCN
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0gXPL9Axw
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–170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQx2XB0aYZ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4BX9kGZmv
“What are you doing here?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6Affn6V4o
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWLAYXDh7P
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkresr6XSy
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKAejysI5i
There was Rover, sitting in the one corner out of my sight, eyeing me with a lion’s eyes.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrA9ybS8U3a
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujoWAHTkbF
“...U-Uh.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyFa4ZHXXG
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCrgiJpK5G
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1uD54NRb6
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Gt9F5xoDD
“Well? Come on, spit it out.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4g3dQhPWV
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcXXFIBFWt
“I… I-I.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzFNccjn7i
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkyVaakpUF
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuS3aBHejwZ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZnjyj4uFC
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGV1HF72VB
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lTrWW220A
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaIsUrPqdu
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkPadVbE8a
“I don’t have time for this, just spit it out!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnwVymqLEk
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEOsFPoIiF
“I-I’m here.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjKKuIBgif
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mJPY3aSFy
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6WvH37uRD
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnlNN23J5E
“I’m– I made— I– Rover, I’m here–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxPXjP8sFx
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOOVKp51RC
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.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJB1PSEumJr
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FC1ksoEVX
“I…”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5DQWTYBnU
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUD21w3YpS
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7cmtgKeRV
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fFC8Zp9Tc
“Hello, Rover.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJSDaNfp7H
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNZlYzXde3
“Hey, Kenny.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVK2rcKXgmG
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXMHIODBPq
I retracted my stretched arm, then extended it yet again.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEpl2eZz9q
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVav5POjrJ
“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–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjpCUXsR7d
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6224dIqtnf
“Cut to the chase!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZYrI3EQuO
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDJ6O19uTs
“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.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3C3bC0Eqap
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bULmkFGTk
Her eyes widened. Her crossed arms slackened, and I took it as a signal to move forward. I took it incorrectly.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXV6hLATDP
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6XFglJvog
“Hold on, you brought me a potion?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ375eWogoE4
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgYtu5Jcn1
“Y-Yes.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcE7qN5HWqT
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgqNSBd9LX
“Now who told you to do that?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySISFy3Blz
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloW7YWJ8mv
“W-Well–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdb3W04ASP8
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72hd67OKfN
Nigel suggested it, but he didn’t tell me. No, mulling over that was wasteful spending. There was only one truth in this situation:170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwDYXCVtua
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQp1QpA9Mz
“I wanted to do it. I wasn’t told.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGc2VD7buu
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEqM058ul0
“...You? That wimpy Kenny?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ynbh6EayE
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12ad9eWL7R
I wasn’t mad at her insult. It was all too accurate.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr84jeM6s0t
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOoDASdzph
“Yes, the wimpy Kenny.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1RNHQALIU
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCK7Zyko5Q
“Ha! You’ve surprised me before, but this really blew my expectations out of the water!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xHvZdi2kU
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlC9894n5z
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXIe6zh3Rf
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcfgaGtT1S
“I refuse your treatment!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTarTGjGVC
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZvGNBN3Ne
“H-Huh!?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoVmhaSt3m
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWC9xMhs6A
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3Qchw4Djz
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WdRDMi3cZ
“Why not? Don’t you want to recover faster?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OtjK1bhQa
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10RMvVMAhJ
“Of course I do, but I can’t accept it. Not when you’re looking at me like I’m some kind of monster.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDKjmEzIaw
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJh5RRNF0A
“I– Wha?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1d2DFVqBlI
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJAZ245GXV
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–170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JPcKjC6fe
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClit2VBm55
“No, stupid! It’s the face you’re making! It’s weird!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo78YNSCsWs
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1XbKeEl2j
“Stupid? Weird!?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwfeobNt9L
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrvZzpClAw
“Do you need the whole room to hear it!? You’re looking at me like a weirdo!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrI1feprP1
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAQSijlmYL
“...”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22HWufK6Pz
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbWmLjQrYH
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqQBazE4bo
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVeUhsfxrqi
“Why are you looking at me like that? Hmph.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YThVVawOA
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4deYT85Sx
As I had no other mode of operating at this moment, I blurted my immediate response.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCY2n89IwG
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKN8vsG4Bd8
“It’s because I upset you.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwhNugSQ75
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmU4MTpC2I
And then I realized that something like this required thoughtful phrasing.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUiEC4k7IO
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRFdC0hT6V
“I don’t– well, I don’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than you–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMuxBHPSYu
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7X32cLZADW
“That’s bullshit! Man, forget answering that, I don’t need your whole, your spiel you know!? Come here!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcgPsyn4lc
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUBgkyySoO
“Come, there,” I asked, pointing to myself.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcWh606Bf0
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkRVvPygaS
“Yes. Sit by me, I can’t stand looking at your working legs.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eDdlvOU5b
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQm5LMkTydl
“S-Sheesh.” 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMShNwU0UJ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIuIyYyUxd
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.
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBzBhWoahw
“How do I use this thing?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGXXxMjkGK
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTC6H7TMrd4
“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.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATn8aLIQ8Z
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHi0Eg4gNeX
“Drinking works for me.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87kxIBFVIe
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Q5YfjkFq5
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz00cJkriwJ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHg5QyYC4J
“Cah! What the hell, is in this thing?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEs2RPsnFb
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9C1NFPm5l
“That’s not the problem! You drank it too fast, you dingus!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbMUaevS21
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzf9JeIuBlh
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXE5Vrw8oPZ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSJr6Ys1DM
“If you drink like that, it’s likely to go down the wrong pipe.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7V26nl5Ay
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0hRX4VAUY
“Whatever.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvevxXywRA
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrxp3blg7F
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. 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVNqkcUlpD
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozm9I0QRkn
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRy8bH481p
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQ8KuUIp13
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcwZCIecJ5
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7sGKY0PBl
But before I could even take anpreludebreath, she spoke, reading my intentions.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcf1l2SMfwQ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBj7RTfnqKh
“Leaving already?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9UzTVSoWA
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFUJIRqe7W
“I-I am, yes. I think it would be best. It isn’t as if I don’t have–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAo573bLAS
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGoU5sMAEa
“Hold on, not yet. I still have something to say to you.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cxnWkfAUM
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZeXyRU1Im
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylYOHbPYlf
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPEVyq98DPF
“That’s funny. I do too. Do you mind if I start first?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBcvh6oawF
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuShGxeTQ2N
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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4nZnSeeDK
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2KLQCt2oi
“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?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTFQEOODmu
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWx3i0W9hP
“Yeah, I do. I remembered how much of a wuss you were.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTy9OmvNfu
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZkg17UnAd
I almost chuckled. Blunt as a bat, but it hit a bullseye.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKA1kw0NVL
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4CGfgcX32
“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.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vwzMVp5PU
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEjUzoFdzC
I noticed the subtlest rise of her right brow.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHTGJIxpr0
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5aSrnSRfo
“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.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hXLLlGb4j
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJf6tEL5lK
She nodded along to my apology. It looked like she was expecting more, but I was finished. So she’d understand, I concluded with–170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1QhlRkmQU
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1cAZghDXF
“So yeah, I’m sorry for being such a wuss.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡel54TG5Czz
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznLENphq70
“...Hmm. Ha, I guess kids really do grow so fast.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOP8txpgCP
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTPNZB7lD4
“H-Huh?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3KOGfLJSa
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSuPiE3GXY
She rubbed her nose a little and continued talking.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZciLXIddd3
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJsS3iNOvL
“Just look at you. You’re nothing like the Kenny I knew.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9LRK9G2uw
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hmVmfuMR4
“I-I, well, I don’t know if I agree–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WGUVO422l
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFoORJbyAl
“Nah, on second thought, I take that back. But that doesn’t matter anyway. Seriously, just look at you.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡap3YMjIFh5
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AtGO8IzC3
“I’m n-nothing so special.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAK882VPnUJ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHbm5q2VB5
“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!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsAwapuogf
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmhUlxDmaV
“The letter certainly isn’t a priority.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHrbw45XP2
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2a5x6Xx0k
She casually clicked her tongue, tilted her head sideways, and waved her hand downward.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxbXCamKy0
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLcDacVbXK
“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.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnyaIsDnVS
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMfq33gtXU
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. 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbePWDQFPM
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcttNQq7Xu
It took me only a few 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxyVEFPRGo
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“I don’t think so. I don’t think I grew anything.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9JOpVcY6f
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeC4EAt9LP0
“‘Course you did! Stop giving me such crap–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcQU6MmdNc
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEk6Nflkspk
“No, really, Rover.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvGuZvylis
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5dAJ8qdl0
I slouched my posture and leaned back, lifting myself with my hands behind me. 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtAynfKaBd
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmEQDKoVyd
“I think I’m just lucky.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyxt7S0l7l
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqhdrzqGpe
I veered my eyes away from the ceiling, looking into Rover’s, and was taken aback by her utter dejection. Or was it disgust?170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7YG8Clu7I
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5q7asdaQB9
“I-I mean, it’s not as if I haven’t been trying, it’s just–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rE1BHFaId
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWstlV96puP
“Nevermind all that, Kenny. You’re starting to give me a headache.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQcFRdti5A
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LZ0OyMHuW
I stopped my frantic hand-waving and began to scratch my head.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRyYvw7tF4
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkmDDUpuWJ
“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.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlmnsalXUQ
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zw0r9cPaA
“It isn’t a drug! I wouldn’t stoop to such barbaric substances!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvQkm11wch
170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tkLkVgsKF
“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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpsIsXHjX3
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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. 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlFIMCndXs
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“D-Don’t rush me!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVm817nS9yb
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“I’m not rushing you! I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you just spat it out, but–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfjdO4G5ZR
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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…”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ43UsWZgiM
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Y6HCfORYL
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpm5GQZyXAP
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“Gahh, forget it! You convinced me, I’ll just say it!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1n6rcVmynd
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“I didn’t say anything.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrm89GngXQ
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmaNAerG7W
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“I’m sorry for being such a priss.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztrzil9u6W
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And I was returned an equal blow. Rover stuck her tongue out after saying that, ready to clean off the ‘mawkish verbiage’ she just spewed. That’s what it seemed to me anyway, but she refrained, as she had only her body to convince me of her sincerity.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmNJghVN1Z
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But whether she was or not, mattered not to me.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡow3YkZ9lXZ
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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.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Vdn4W8NPC
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“Told you all I did? What?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjd5n2aqTqx
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She was caught by a wind of fury.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg94F1NHG8s
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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!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeHWS1F3xK
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I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. She stopped her rage immediately, donning a look of perplexion. 170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqt3I9qiAe
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“What’s so funny?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45CSnOBPti
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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.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVv5k4coOY
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“Hold on, I’m not done yet!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLNTopjK07
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I nodded in understanding, and so she continued.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYX10Irl7a
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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.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gBfZZFLSw
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“A little crazy?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTvLzPbtH0
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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!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6Btb7ZskS
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Her hands balled themselves to compliment her offshoot tangent. Her escalating tone made me concerned, but she relaxed soon after.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNT6OqM3Je
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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.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6SzUDTHRK
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“Well–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxPFzvuiMM
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“Shut up! Shut up! Do you know how annoying it is to hear someone undersell themselves all the time?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HMW1l4u5x
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“I–”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FMS1LxgU4
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLw7BlMA2G
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“Yeah. I do. It sucks.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1WD4eATRg
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“See! I– huh? You do?”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrO2CN0auZ
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPN8zRurlWB
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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.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdN4c4NswW
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“Whatever. Think what you want, but don’t speak it out loud anymore.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVJuPBDTLQ
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“I… haha, sure thing, Rover. I’ll do just that.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBkZmQrrje
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2x03WqQp0
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“Perfect. I was just about to tell you to leave.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTxpy9U2OS
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“I’m starting to think you hate me.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaI2dPQNlbm
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Her hands twitched upwards defensively.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSamdimNnQN
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“I-I don’t. I’m just getting sleepy. Any second now, I’ll doze off.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWtEwXw664
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“Ah, right.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrqrK0D44J
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wGXdUZ85w
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“That one Bringer was invigorated even with a restored limb, after all…”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡii2E8cJeee
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“What are you mumbling about, eh? Scram! Scram, I tell you!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjrK4DXfle
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“Alright alright, jeez. With how grouchy you’re being, you really do need that rest.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UqL0I32F6
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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.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RBZpyv8Nz
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“Wait, one last thing!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9WVbD0O4H
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Then, she shouted unexpectedly. I looked at her with a blank expression to signify my okay, and she continued shortly.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvziIRnCKiU
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“Tell that old bucket-wearing fart to visit me sometime.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExgST6dBWJ
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“...”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3FmiFrhmy
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I smiled.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYH20fVpxW
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“I will.”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoEFirlUuC
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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–170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PwZzWGrWJ
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“Yes!”170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoJ7uwh5Z8
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A jump with jubilation. I had to. I never experienced such success before.170Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AutJ1u8bZ
