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.
164Please respect copyright.PENANAikfZ610pi9
“Now all I need to do is to finalize it.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAYByn0eWwPt
164Please respect copyright.PENANAXvOOvOlt85
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–164Please respect copyright.PENANAYTKRCQ2Ofn
164Please respect copyright.PENANA9SCzarJWtQ
“It’s a resounding success. Awesome.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA0mB5OxnaZ6
164Please respect copyright.PENANADUqyfJGcoy
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAIEyfDs5UYt
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Should I go and deliver this now, or make a healing potion, and deliver this later?164Please respect copyright.PENANAoimHkEOhHS
164Please respect copyright.PENANA8HIBpORYU1
“...”164Please respect copyright.PENANALNSl6jyYUr
164Please respect copyright.PENANAgFJeCgCOk2
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANARNSC1xm36Q
164Please respect copyright.PENANAp5H3J2upFg
“...That’s new. Where did you come from?”164Please respect copyright.PENANA5qh0gLQM6Y
164Please respect copyright.PENANAhnTnYaj0fw
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAW6TR1fUXWn
164Please respect copyright.PENANAaSi74Eyrsk
“I know better. I don’t have the time for that. No, I don’t.”164Please respect copyright.PENANADcx6wt3zVt
164Please respect copyright.PENANAp9etq3ewbc
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–164Please respect copyright.PENANA6Eg5S1IOY2
164Please respect copyright.PENANAeoLLvZ5qlo
“...”164Please respect copyright.PENANAg35L7PVVoy
164Please respect copyright.PENANA1DCTkTOzJi
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAxMoSmPTFWR
164Please respect copyright.PENANAKDZwyLzQio
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAhA4QyIGprp
164Please respect copyright.PENANA1eaS5jrEpf
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANALaDRmu0t7r
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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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAKMUJdbL0bR
164Please respect copyright.PENANAlJPovyo2eD
“Yes?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAnJmbFjl95u
164Please respect copyright.PENANAgHZj27jZbk
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAu3oJoZoEob
164Please respect copyright.PENANAdavHRXU2M6
“You’re here what I think you’re for, aren’t you?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAukPDvs5SSf
164Please respect copyright.PENANAlfaSXSumiF
“Y-Yes, Lola. Here, this is the potion I made.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAIgKwspsEMP
164Please respect copyright.PENANAXfmKCFdqsH
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANABTiPAwBvsM
164Please respect copyright.PENANAzuo7FPfPaT
“You made this in eighty minutes?”164Please respect copyright.PENANA76DeCVwp9o
164Please respect copyright.PENANAsVJyYGGFP1
“Did I take too long? I’m sorry, I had to grab some ingredients from a lower floor–”164Please respect copyright.PENANA2RlggC5Y5I
164Please respect copyright.PENANAzbCZWNGc5E
“No, not at all. I was expecting you to take longer. Thank you, Kenny, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded handsomely.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA1qEMJyIZJa
164Please respect copyright.PENANA2T6zJ8kmeD
I raised my hands bashfully and rapidly waved them at her.164Please respect copyright.PENANAoOcUscrUaD
164Please respect copyright.PENANATBrWyb8BJX
“No no no, please don’t! You’re helping us enough as is.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA16Ezjz2QrU
164Please respect copyright.PENANAXz9MukIp1k
“If you insist.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAa5Hll19xey
164Please respect copyright.PENANAvN7RngTLAQ
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAqxtYFwI1aU
164Please respect copyright.PENANAYqZVzLHt3r
“Kenny?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAbb4UCEXri0
164Please respect copyright.PENANAnO6a3ee92z
“O-Oh, right. Do you need me for anything else?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAL2dOyK4PXw
164Please respect copyright.PENANAdcRVXXrVi2
“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.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA069myQHd1k
164Please respect copyright.PENANAWhftmNyNs9
I let out a chuckled sigh and slapped a hand on my chest, muttering a breathy “thank you.”164Please respect copyright.PENANACuM0hlKnfq
164Please respect copyright.PENANAtD3iCVizQs
“There is something I’d like to ask you, however, just before you go.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAw85Ov9zIxd
164Please respect copyright.PENANAYOaTPrnKdZ
She said so right as I turned to leave. I twisted my head and looked at her, gesturing for her to shoot.164Please respect copyright.PENANAMsZTOKiPZN
164Please respect copyright.PENANAUl3PkakAHp
“The concoction in your other hand; that bright green tint can only mean one thing, yes? A healing potion.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAnaunZZxRyz
164Please respect copyright.PENANAAr9kiKNwwZ
I nodded at her assessment. I realized the speed at which this could turn dangerous.164Please respect copyright.PENANA5rE8Qdb2rC
164Please respect copyright.PENANAyazcvAW22C
“I see. I see, I see…”164Please respect copyright.PENANAi9QNnL8glr
164Please respect copyright.PENANAePrN9I5jfQ
“A-Are you going to make me make one for each soldier?”164Please respect copyright.PENANA3FrjscZ1Of
164Please respect copyright.PENANArfWQFTkiqW
“No, I won’t ask that of an outsider, let alone a child– oh, sorry, you don’t like being called that, do you?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAmEUazI5MTH
164Please respect copyright.PENANAwoLpLZdHF4
“...Don’t worry about it. I appreciate you being considerate, Lola. Is there anything else?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAOmciccVVDQ
164Please respect copyright.PENANAsq7CqJ5et4
“I-If you don’t mind my prying, could you answer a few questions for me?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAM2eUhBmLn8
164Please respect copyright.PENANACEEXPsjGgm
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAVWiUPahqMg
164Please respect copyright.PENANAtxyP8U0ZKg
“Please?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAUBav2RtJ3t
164Please respect copyright.PENANAiUBTjjvyj1
Though it was difficult to draw a line while she was making such a face.164Please respect copyright.PENANAfrYTIOBotB
164Please respect copyright.PENANAhyh7Ae5HSA
“F-Fine, but please make them short. I have somewhere I need to be.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA1OSRU2Xo0r
164Please respect copyright.PENANA8uSvmyuvvC
“Thank you, I will. It’s just two quick questions. First–”164Please respect copyright.PENANA5I9TrKYRUH
164Please respect copyright.PENANAzztiv0sP0F
She paused right before asking, as if a crucial memory struck her from the woodwork. 164Please respect copyright.PENANAG71ojux2FE
164Please respect copyright.PENANAgst5swtymH
“–How long have you been an alchemist?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAaEXQadAC3V
164Please respect copyright.PENANAoMcpypvxtM
“I’d say… hold on, that question has two answers. Commercially, it’s been about three years(1). Personally, it’s been for… seven?”164Please respect copyright.PENANA1Fv3sfZ6x9
164Please respect copyright.PENANAgkudyouJRP
“Seven years? That’s over half your life, isn’t it?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAv52d0dPXXu
164Please respect copyright.PENANAchOA3ca391
I gave a simple shrug with sandwiched lips.164Please respect copyright.PENANAfd1iLo94oQ
164Please respect copyright.PENANAz4JkBHAXp7
“I started young. That’s all.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA6gtoqsNcAg
164Please respect copyright.PENANAUK4zMNHj5C
“I see. Being trained at such a young age, no wonder why you’re so skilled.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA4zj0BDkJXJ
164Please respect copyright.PENANAPJeExMjifS
“P-Please, don’t flatter me. I appreciate the remarks, but they just…”164Please respect copyright.PENANAyUWKZZHap9
164Please respect copyright.PENANAuDN6lvVGYG
They don’t sit right with me, I wanted to say, but Lola gave a predictive, discerning nod, so I stopped speaking.164Please respect copyright.PENANA1KdUE6CVrj
164Please respect copyright.PENANA25cv3kBpEA
“Only seven years… then, maybe–”164Please respect copyright.PENANAXKHtrzx7PM
164Please respect copyright.PENANAZGorfUSp7k
“Sorry, can you repeat that? I didn’t catch it.”164Please respect copyright.PENANACYyp6ZCtL3
164Please respect copyright.PENANAKJ3kxtdznF
She jumped and then waved her hand.164Please respect copyright.PENANA1NgX180Pix
164Please respect copyright.PENANAPZDu4HryN7
“Don’t worry, I was just thinking out loud. Anyhow, for my next question…”164Please respect copyright.PENANAgziQzXkYcT
164Please respect copyright.PENANAx9L4cRorYF
“Right.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA0tDeD6XrZT
164Please respect copyright.PENANAmv0qpHurlE
“...I apologize if this may seem extreme, but I have to ask.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA8Pva97aVMX
164Please respect copyright.PENANAM1KE2gEYJe
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAtdOLDNV1oD
164Please respect copyright.PENANAUX5GToBxyn
“Did you kill anyone in the last operation?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAUZn4IWIVRp
164Please respect copyright.PENANAwX94WVlVmd
“I– Wha!?”164Please respect copyright.PENANA8Hold1tpyZ
164Please respect copyright.PENANA4SUMn9i0Q9
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAT9fdweTb2C
164Please respect copyright.PENANADIXBdPx4VJ
“Who asks something like that to a child!?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAqF5RH6UOan
164Please respect copyright.PENANA3U4gUTKmff
“Shh! I know it’s selfish, but it’s for my own peace of mind! I have to know, please, did you?”164Please respect copyright.PENANArOQbSOptaS
164Please respect copyright.PENANACl4K4eTQp0
“Your own… peace of mind?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAiGtgrV1fzP
164Please respect copyright.PENANAqMtC5Ih49S
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAscdLTlUXdN
164Please respect copyright.PENANAPwTrbxOAQq
“I didn’t. I hurt some people, but I never landed a killing blow.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAJ87rE5pEZo
164Please respect copyright.PENANAOaU2lwJK1z
“I-I see. That’s a relief. Oh my goodness, that’s a relief.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA159COdj1Wk
164Please respect copyright.PENANAkJuJ2yy4uu
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAqr3YyZ5WzN
164Please respect copyright.PENANAjpiAr3dLNM
“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. 164Please respect copyright.PENANAIrHaPJmsR4
164Please respect copyright.PENANAy2NXmveaFJ
“You… for some reason, I feel like you regard me much more highly than you should.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAMOtM9pMkj2
164Please respect copyright.PENANACRttMBBZhZ
She shrugged at my comment.164Please respect copyright.PENANAoJZYHhEzxm
164Please respect copyright.PENANAG2gu7Yc4lY
“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. I think I’ll keep you guessing. Now, shoo! You have somewhere to be, don’t you?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAVXp9mPTi06
164Please respect copyright.PENANAprhs7yUJvn
Brushing me off with perfect logic before I could respond to her outrageous statement, I clicked my tongue inward and turned on my foot.164Please respect copyright.PENANAJpSBbZvPkE
164Please respect copyright.PENANA4xrEJoQrUc
“Goodbye Lola,” I shouted. She opened the door and slid right through, waving at me right before closing it.164Please respect copyright.PENANA57D6PIM7Ht
164Please respect copyright.PENANA6rWrqJdaOd
–
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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.164Please respect copyright.PENANALFtl9mlhRn
164Please respect copyright.PENANAEF3gAoFMXe
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAjdnOBR2p9W
164Please respect copyright.PENANA7UgX6uwu6V
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAIvH984CPe9
164Please respect copyright.PENANAhKmVBRoFI7
“...This is ridiculous.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAJChJFS0krf
164Please respect copyright.PENANAP6zysquhdm
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAR8zqiIAaxd
164Please respect copyright.PENANApY4WepdRyh
“Just go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it– off!”164Please respect copyright.PENANA5GRqBhFSXb
164Please respect copyright.PENANAy4pFe30I23
In the midst of my chanting, I bit the arrow and slammed it open. It looked far removed from how I imagined it.164Please respect copyright.PENANA9JAYzTRA0n
164Please respect copyright.PENANAnifY66Q3VX
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANA8CCssiubr8
164Please respect copyright.PENANAWT6woSRGWJ
And seeing how his groggy face raised to meet mine, I realized how noisy my entrance was.164Please respect copyright.PENANAQ6YChrboZu
164Please respect copyright.PENANARXTVf4Ooj7
“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb anyone. I’m just here to deliver something.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAI2YaQLNjNq
164Please respect copyright.PENANAYtAzIXAtXw
“...Hmm.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAZ25ffAb7yR
164Please respect copyright.PENANA13FvL6XVSz
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAA8bBb2e7by
164Please respect copyright.PENANAOTL5Cn7Iff
“Do whatever.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAsSBDzmd8lb
164Please respect copyright.PENANA9Kzs05hHWQ
“R-Right. Thank you, sir.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAOTUpjFrPJ3
164Please respect copyright.PENANAVC1IfrxyVy
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAydEbMQg16U
164Please respect copyright.PENANA0KuiSrT9Ea
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANALQgjdxOSTl
164Please respect copyright.PENANApSozLuhBKq
“D-Darn it.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAVyCRAeMx4V
164Please respect copyright.PENANA4tVL3nvliy
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–164Please respect copyright.PENANAHODATl1jdr
164Please respect copyright.PENANAl7o898Yxge
“What are you doing here?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAPx0jb0GF9b
164Please respect copyright.PENANA5pgaFfXRzM
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAZOKQZLpFHL
164Please respect copyright.PENANAa8qrvhJ6hM
There was Rover, sitting in the one corner out of my sight, eyeing me with a lion’s eyes.164Please respect copyright.PENANAcPcph0qDEP
164Please respect copyright.PENANAlI6cpojI0L
“...U-Uh.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA67uxd1UeIb
164Please respect copyright.PENANAmRDjjVSXmi
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANACrRYGE8uge
164Please respect copyright.PENANACz9a7fritv
“Well? Come on, spit it out.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAeieUjiIIUb
164Please respect copyright.PENANASdHMC7xvxU
“I… I-I.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAMIYkf2gCtZ
164Please respect copyright.PENANAYkdUF2KNIw
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANA5Rkw4EC7qU
164Please respect copyright.PENANAJufLrm021J
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAXDPSJY26nB
164Please respect copyright.PENANAD8Uax8Yky7
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAVdm2QIvbCq
164Please respect copyright.PENANApsSHbqkp9F
“I don’t have time for this, just spit it out!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAS8ycuVoJ74
164Please respect copyright.PENANA8pgGME5aNI
“I-I’m here.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAvftT4soriK
164Please respect copyright.PENANAAF3VtRAtIM
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAnHrDgU0qj7
164Please respect copyright.PENANAWaJsxIU4y8
“I’m– I made— I– Rover, I’m here–”164Please respect copyright.PENANArxAq5vWsNu
164Please respect copyright.PENANAMtAddVbRm4
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.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAHiW5XpGuY0
164Please respect copyright.PENANAfy8YpMgiDK
“I…”164Please respect copyright.PENANAiyh0IBQ5ZA
164Please respect copyright.PENANATmquuAClU5
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAU40tDdIaBe
164Please respect copyright.PENANAz6aYG7yz58
“Hello, Rover.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA3GAavf614M
164Please respect copyright.PENANAlU70PSEW8K
“Hey, Kenny.”164Please respect copyright.PENANADTzLJu74aJ
164Please respect copyright.PENANAtHsw1o5WPr
I retracted my stretched arm, then extended it yet again.164Please respect copyright.PENANAXnsGvPP2eD
164Please respect copyright.PENANAFaZ8dgPlt0
“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–”164Please respect copyright.PENANAtK24hY39J3
164Please respect copyright.PENANApCIT4bB9CN
“Cut to the chase!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAWMQKRTM2H6
164Please respect copyright.PENANAIa9OU1ART1
“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.”164Please respect copyright.PENANARSnksgvsuf
164Please respect copyright.PENANA5GYiECA6Ft
Her eyes widened. Her crossed arms slackened, and I took it as a signal to move forward. I took it incorrectly.164Please respect copyright.PENANAV0qAUwY7DN
164Please respect copyright.PENANAaGETwEVRfk
“Hold on, you brought me a potion?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAaJ3KmOITP2
164Please respect copyright.PENANApX62nOPBZR
“Y-Yes.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAR4CAy81Q6l
164Please respect copyright.PENANAYKZfFpfWw9
“Now who told you to do that?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAamqhpDSmxc
164Please respect copyright.PENANAs88ZLhR4XD
“W-Well–”164Please respect copyright.PENANAUJsH4r5Dfg
164Please respect copyright.PENANANHeRljaoxV
Nigel suggested it, but he didn’t tell me. No, mulling over that was wasteful spending. There was only one truth in this situation:164Please respect copyright.PENANAQ4PugPa3f0
164Please respect copyright.PENANAr8JTt9Gp8D
“I wanted to do it. I wasn’t told.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAfAkvnUJUGU
164Please respect copyright.PENANA0UDSjBWFDM
“...You? That wimpy Kenny?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAmvhQZivNoR
164Please respect copyright.PENANASrNmScfdga
I wasn’t mad at her insult. It was all too accurate.164Please respect copyright.PENANA1ui0iju6R1
164Please respect copyright.PENANAN0XEX3oSX0
“Yes, the wimpy Kenny.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA36ji6XjfJp
164Please respect copyright.PENANA7vOGHpG97s
“Ha! You’ve surprised me before, but this really blew my expectations out of the water!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAOABRYF7LXg
164Please respect copyright.PENANAoIfihqjTYg
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANArCiJ3UphNN
164Please respect copyright.PENANAnCO0PMP987
“I refuse your treatment!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAsw9COw1JYB
164Please respect copyright.PENANAT8gTzUYf8D
“H-Huh!?”164Please respect copyright.PENANArdX8QqZlqG
164Please respect copyright.PENANAMMabfKT5tO
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAAJY8YVg0yA
164Please respect copyright.PENANAFgAlgYTbVv
“Why not? Don’t you want to recover faster?”164Please respect copyright.PENANA3WGmn0MTt8
164Please respect copyright.PENANAM0W6M6cUSf
“Of course I do, but I can’t accept it. Not when you’re looking at me like I’m some kind of monster.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAaSIE2892UL
164Please respect copyright.PENANAlJA2I1roFT
“I– Wha?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAZICRzWmLv6
164Please respect copyright.PENANAghx2mj8yGt
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–164Please respect copyright.PENANAiuPx4TPPME
164Please respect copyright.PENANAJUhuMQr6ey
“No, stupid! It’s the face you’re making! It’s weird!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAg32gZRkHJH
164Please respect copyright.PENANAggxuQHb9UE
“Stupid? Weird!?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAgSGRFRlitH
164Please respect copyright.PENANAa0AoYPc5m0
“Do you need the whole room to hear it!? You’re looking at me like a weirdo!”164Please respect copyright.PENANA3wU46PU19l
164Please respect copyright.PENANApr21wnFdd8
“...”164Please respect copyright.PENANAPCgBN8iuEi
164Please respect copyright.PENANADltX70psjz
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAud7M8lDfL4
164Please respect copyright.PENANAi3bDhwWjYf
“Why are you looking at me like that? Hmph.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAlew0Lilo8e
164Please respect copyright.PENANAj657s8x0vB
As I had no other mode of operating at this moment, I blurted my immediate response.164Please respect copyright.PENANAnK6zSOtbld
164Please respect copyright.PENANADkHrYfyyEg
“It’s because I upset you.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAMaFpHVE9Oe
164Please respect copyright.PENANA1KMjgeraWF
And then I realized that something like this required thoughtful phrasing.164Please respect copyright.PENANA7urjB5RCwF
164Please respect copyright.PENANAjnZCWuzHnD
“I don’t– well, I don’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than you–”164Please respect copyright.PENANAFCUjfDgeId
164Please respect copyright.PENANAxQAiI4tLh8
“That’s bullshit! Man, forget answering that, I don’t need your whole, your spiel you know!? Come here!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAQoGaOwAGJx
164Please respect copyright.PENANAZCIeAfbnsI
“Come, there,” I asked, pointing to myself.164Please respect copyright.PENANA8zksIDBE0J
164Please respect copyright.PENANAfBg652ghPQ
“Yes. Sit by me, I can’t stand looking at your working legs.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAlMARmgjS4w
164Please respect copyright.PENANAcunTrC2NJ1
“S-Sheesh.” 164Please respect copyright.PENANAd76sSDkaWg
164Please respect copyright.PENANAzoBdgoPrOL
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.
164Please respect copyright.PENANASByDPCw3gC
“How do I use this thing?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAx5TlpTsr9a
164Please respect copyright.PENANAralXZi8gBf
“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.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA82ij63omLJ
164Please respect copyright.PENANA0cYjnahPfh
“Drinking works for me.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAEjk0SVmwhG
164Please respect copyright.PENANAp2B7SsT273
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAPev7tdAaFF
164Please respect copyright.PENANAeQkutNhEkk
“Cah! What the hell, is in this thing?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAU81EAJUAfU
164Please respect copyright.PENANAVlJv98qRYq
“That’s not the problem! You drank it too fast, you dingus!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAGAOicuZKLg
164Please respect copyright.PENANAVasn2m38WM
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAAu7wRteCp7
164Please respect copyright.PENANA8Mmxqpu7Ys
“If you drink like that, it’s likely to go down the wrong pipe.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAaItqf5kjRE
164Please respect copyright.PENANA4M0B2bX9NF
“Whatever.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAyVZ5aHroTE
164Please respect copyright.PENANAYrPK9Z1006
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. 164Please respect copyright.PENANAAOJTbmixlJ
164Please respect copyright.PENANAEwRGCCJOJt
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANA4426mZrQlG
164Please respect copyright.PENANAJ0EiBrGkPn
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAMfKJx4ge24
164Please respect copyright.PENANA2fttkVxF0k
But before I could even take anpreludebreath, she spoke, reading my intentions.164Please respect copyright.PENANAGxtVebH0LM
164Please respect copyright.PENANAgf0IONJapT
“Leaving already?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAprLWMVv0Cc
164Please respect copyright.PENANA2kiMBO5Rz8
“I-I am, yes. I think it would be best. It isn’t as if I don’t have–”164Please respect copyright.PENANAdDaIZVimfL
164Please respect copyright.PENANA397f81A5o0
“Hold on, not yet. I still have something to say to you.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA1xRBPtlOrE
164Please respect copyright.PENANAGyoAjHtWBb
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAGk9Cuvi8NL
164Please respect copyright.PENANAVZPiUYdAmc
“That’s funny. I do too. Do you mind if I start first?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAlkiZbymExD
164Please respect copyright.PENANAzMK2rqYp5W
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAMup7rylB8l
164Please respect copyright.PENANAkjKxJyXt5E
“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?”164Please respect copyright.PENANA4xcWweZquL
164Please respect copyright.PENANAOXWesQxIN9
“Yeah, I do. I remembered how much of a wuss you were.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAJG5cUoBdGo
164Please respect copyright.PENANAJu3QxGM8AH
I almost chuckled. Blunt as a bat, but it hit a bullseye.164Please respect copyright.PENANACMFRhE2Fge
164Please respect copyright.PENANADIEJs9g3gu
“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.”164Please respect copyright.PENANArrK1zIC7Le
164Please respect copyright.PENANAgl5eWbX7IO
I noticed the subtlest rise of her right brow.164Please respect copyright.PENANAPjPaAVDjMv
164Please respect copyright.PENANAwn3ZVP9Zlx
“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.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAApwgklQODo
164Please respect copyright.PENANAFNAoAo3C2p
She nodded along to my apology. It looked like she was expecting more, but I was finished. So she’d understand, I concluded with–164Please respect copyright.PENANABcSufQ3Lo4
164Please respect copyright.PENANAiFtuRoNtjS
“So yeah, I’m sorry for being such a wuss.”164Please respect copyright.PENANASKffJkZWF8
164Please respect copyright.PENANAWvXoV9umqZ
“...Hmm. Ha, I guess kids really do grow so fast.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAA0FUPEB0tY
164Please respect copyright.PENANAhJZuznZE41
“H-Huh?”164Please respect copyright.PENANA0qdIMSn2vC
164Please respect copyright.PENANADwukzb5rk9
She rubbed her nose a little and continued talking.164Please respect copyright.PENANApRdl1IlZLk
164Please respect copyright.PENANAAWbNfh7QYG
“Just look at you. You’re nothing like the Kenny I knew.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAOmRiUvdJfm
164Please respect copyright.PENANAtRQNV8v6QC
“I-I, well, I don’t know if I agree–”164Please respect copyright.PENANANCFyfsS5XW
164Please respect copyright.PENANAJpg6REOuKN
“Nah, on second thought, I take that back. But that doesn’t matter anyway. Seriously, just look at you.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAZSQoDXL1U2
164Please respect copyright.PENANAxif1hA89mg
“I’m n-nothing so special.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAiyeUNaQGCv
164Please respect copyright.PENANA3fsLwuLae2
“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!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAF9hAAEabmN
164Please respect copyright.PENANAFRjSus9KC6
“The letter certainly isn’t a priority.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAWqZ5OMpzuA
164Please respect copyright.PENANAb9YMF5NrwO
She casually clicked her tongue, tilted her head sideways, and waved her hand downward.164Please respect copyright.PENANAYZSqbWn24t
164Please respect copyright.PENANAes7ceFrktY
“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.”164Please respect copyright.PENANASRHe3YzO3P
164Please respect copyright.PENANAT0HEbAG1Ps
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. 164Please respect copyright.PENANAmKNqj43tUL
164Please respect copyright.PENANAACoD48ZP1B
It took me only a few 164Please respect copyright.PENANAMS7Sl5rSxv
164Please respect copyright.PENANA3n7vvIuAUg
“I don’t think so. I don’t think I grew anything.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA0zCinAXCyu
164Please respect copyright.PENANA5IHsXPV4So
“‘Course you did! Stop giving me such crap–”164Please respect copyright.PENANA3rODyDUSUV
164Please respect copyright.PENANAlOjHtI93Gc
“No, really, Rover.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAu6A39cbTKT
164Please respect copyright.PENANAkmNG727A85
I slouched my posture and leaned back, lifting myself with my hands behind me. 164Please respect copyright.PENANA6599Pp6ow8
164Please respect copyright.PENANAmGdmx1eUYv
“I think I’m just lucky.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA26WfiEkPOj
164Please respect copyright.PENANAaXPHvMKj0Y
I veered my eyes away from the ceiling, looking into Rover’s, and was taken aback by her utter dejection. Or was it disgust?164Please respect copyright.PENANAW2oL1hIIDR
164Please respect copyright.PENANAq7gdPTqf5Y
“I-I mean, it’s not as if I haven’t been trying, it’s just–”164Please respect copyright.PENANAQ5eyfCYKvt
164Please respect copyright.PENANAY8biE7bhLL
“Nevermind all that, Kenny. You’re starting to give me a headache.”164Please respect copyright.PENANABAqgghNha7
164Please respect copyright.PENANA1ZT2WWYJP2
I stopped my frantic hand-waving and began to scratch my head.164Please respect copyright.PENANAexyl463CpC
164Please respect copyright.PENANAeqt9lSUnR6
“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.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAIQB12ScV9p
164Please respect copyright.PENANAo8jN7sklT2
“It isn’t a drug! I wouldn’t stoop to such barbaric substances!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAwY5rRy1QJa
164Please respect copyright.PENANAy3CbnwfvZ6
“Uh-huh, whatever. Hear me out before you can’t anymore.”
164Please respect copyright.PENANADfcm5JyB82
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAskOjLhUZ4I
164Please respect copyright.PENANAhO6OvrDtrA
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. 164Please respect copyright.PENANAfXu8urD1YP
164Please respect copyright.PENANA7mtqh24jJY
“D-Don’t rush me!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAKGGfoE06sZ
164Please respect copyright.PENANANjXWvmBi7S
“I’m not rushing you! I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you just spat it out, but–”164Please respect copyright.PENANAmWol2aaMlJ
164Please respect copyright.PENANAitVVaBCgl0
“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…”164Please respect copyright.PENANAR5KuJXBlqC
164Please respect copyright.PENANAvMzFd1Ic3C
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANA40qctbVcew
164Please respect copyright.PENANAElCmQ3HiMB
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAM0m8CUPUkt
164Please respect copyright.PENANAKQ0ouNQfx5
“Gahh, forget it! You convinced me, I’ll just say it!”164Please respect copyright.PENANADzFo4oaf7K
164Please respect copyright.PENANAyJpVtRav4Z
“I didn’t say anything.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAvtYybetlWL
164Please respect copyright.PENANAVRYNzGtAFm
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANATHLtz3qefy
164Please respect copyright.PENANAeT270u2daN
“I’m sorry for being such a priss.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAbGXNX6GuNa
164Please respect copyright.PENANA9HVDr0IzJR
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAOL0untpzxY
164Please respect copyright.PENANAJvaf4slZzR
But whether she was or not, mattered not to me.164Please respect copyright.PENANAbKpXnVuSY5
164Please respect copyright.PENANAz24PJMkdDp
“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.”164Please respect copyright.PENANA3ADj9pcVYl
164Please respect copyright.PENANAM9Jlmd5Jy9
“Told you all I did? What?”164Please respect copyright.PENANA70Np9pF8U6
164Please respect copyright.PENANAQt8pZfUkw0
She was caught by a wind of fury.164Please respect copyright.PENANAliQfl4xVgA
164Please respect copyright.PENANA5LurjrxI1V
“You don’t remember!? Are you kidding me!? I really should–! Gah, you’re making this so much harder than it should be!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAR9e1IWfXun
164Please respect copyright.PENANAqYnIMK6kJZ
I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. She stopped her rage immediately, donning a look of perplexion. 164Please respect copyright.PENANAzSxTfxYyNf
164Please respect copyright.PENANAeQEp6uhzTq
“What’s so funny?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAF0UPHjIEph
164Please respect copyright.PENANAmopLRJkdch
“N-Nothing in particular. I appreciate the apology, I suppose? I don’t think I’m all that deserving of it, though.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAZJ9K7OKlE2
164Please respect copyright.PENANA59cIEZLNJ5
“Hold on, I’m not done yet!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAFO6MDhlsAj
164Please respect copyright.PENANAcHj2IrsXf3
I nodded in understanding, and so she continued.164Please respect copyright.PENANABexA8UFvej
164Please respect copyright.PENANATumKXypFhl
“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.”164Please respect copyright.PENANArcw0tA9N4z
164Please respect copyright.PENANAYfL10pCJXS
“A little crazy?”164Please respect copyright.PENANA0QT0HNk1yW
164Please respect copyright.PENANAnQ4injSmP3
“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!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAGXG08CGAsZ
164Please respect copyright.PENANArHq6XHe3W9
Her hands balled themselves to compliment her offshoot tangent. Her escalating tone made me concerned, but she relaxed soon after.164Please respect copyright.PENANAUuIlAbXqdG
164Please respect copyright.PENANAtvc3DNJGn3
“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.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAjaONgRPbfv
164Please respect copyright.PENANAaRd2I3pSLn
“Well–”164Please respect copyright.PENANAJNg1WXCmKl
164Please respect copyright.PENANAvYSNZFgH3y
“Shut up! Shut up! Do you know how annoying it is to hear someone undersell themselves all the time?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAKxVhRyE7Qi
164Please respect copyright.PENANA3hBH8noCS4
“I–”164Please respect copyright.PENANAkAVq4Q7hhQ
164Please respect copyright.PENANAfM9PwQQePw
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAU0swjGTfTq
164Please respect copyright.PENANALBkW4ufV83
“Yeah. I do. It sucks.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAw1GOwTx1NC
164Please respect copyright.PENANArTmbT3UGjw
“See! I– huh? You do?”164Please respect copyright.PENANAq6AWjOyOVI
164Please respect copyright.PENANAq1gHQK3QkQ
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAjUZgosdqL8
164Please respect copyright.PENANAecZvHKbocQ
“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.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAID6svRUHRt
164Please respect copyright.PENANAdtPRLYvxJi
“Whatever. Think what you want, but don’t speak it out loud anymore.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAA5V7e5Luhu
164Please respect copyright.PENANAzGgbERABEa
“I… haha, sure thing, Rover. I’ll do just that.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAminCdsqoqe
164Please respect copyright.PENANAm7ylt1UGJR
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAtgBunn5qLM
164Please respect copyright.PENANAcSNBhfOKcb
“Perfect. I was just about to tell you to leave.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAkKZpuMmvCA
164Please respect copyright.PENANA5XVd5gX0qU
“I’m starting to think you hate me.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAQtYr10ADj8
164Please respect copyright.PENANAoQnlo4xFuz
Her hands twitched upwards defensively.164Please respect copyright.PENANA4Vr5hzIvRR
164Please respect copyright.PENANAPZb1sweR85
“I-I don’t. I’m just getting sleepy. Any second now, I’ll doze off.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAwntzD9Wtqy
164Please respect copyright.PENANA3KVPVS0XDM
“Ah, right.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAyJ8SkA4AvE
164Please respect copyright.PENANAOCqrORTOdQ
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAonuN6tKbaY
164Please respect copyright.PENANAyeHbB1PMD8
“That one Bringer was invigorated even with a restored limb, after all…”164Please respect copyright.PENANACbbft2IlgP
164Please respect copyright.PENANAvREM4s8DzR
“What are you mumbling about, eh? Scram! Scram, I tell you!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAM6kJh3gkkn
164Please respect copyright.PENANA5hw36rcynI
“Alright alright, jeez. With how grouchy you’re being, you really do need that rest.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAw2KEGst2qa
164Please respect copyright.PENANAX7NjV268r4
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.164Please respect copyright.PENANAPxfhgBjRD6
164Please respect copyright.PENANAoVFHBbgmqa
“Wait, one last thing!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAQRjkZlqwXR
164Please respect copyright.PENANAZyFTztv9Oj
Then, she shouted unexpectedly. I looked at her with a blank expression to signify my okay, and she continued shortly.164Please respect copyright.PENANA6gfKR4g94R
164Please respect copyright.PENANApmeIqKdj74
“Tell that old bucket-wearing fart to visit me sometime.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAymUbyr6E0U
164Please respect copyright.PENANAtmNOI5aIFI
“...”164Please respect copyright.PENANAh5YGO3MS0y
164Please respect copyright.PENANALIQId9SjD5
I smiled.164Please respect copyright.PENANAwJe4fgv0wG
164Please respect copyright.PENANATqmfGF39cw
“I will.”164Please respect copyright.PENANAr8Uhjxo1Et
164Please respect copyright.PENANAPCgW8H83Je
I returned her wave and exited the room. The moment the door shut behind me, I let out a quick breath and–164Please respect copyright.PENANAht2HRJoYLL
164Please respect copyright.PENANA9iTMsEAGN5
“Yes!”164Please respect copyright.PENANAs1PLXNdLux
164Please respect copyright.PENANAaRMnjmyzXo
A jump with jubilation. I had to. I never experienced such success before.164Please respect copyright.PENANAedYKgNrhZb