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.
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“Now all I need to do is to finalize it.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXynqPljyf
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPEtK3V9CQ
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–130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgo2t5LLX6v
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8iSBoDTcs6
“It’s a resounding success. Awesome.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5IPJL7uGI
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gkGjBRD8q
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTmvDiXSwv
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Should I go and deliver this now, or make a healing potion, and deliver this later?130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JSOwvrr2v
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“...”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8v7903ynmf
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYGptIzJ4J
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“...That’s new. Where did you come from?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNGbgxZgqP
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0lZpGKOno
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“I know better. I don’t have the time for that. No, I don’t.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfUnKRGfSr
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Indeed, I was creating with urgency. I spent enough excess time finding ingredients as it was, so any further stalling would jeopardize the whole city. I had to get out, and get out now–130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIkiqBQRjf
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“...”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbftt9V7U84
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1NxlnuNwT
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Even though I had a duty, to leave Rover to hang with a broken leg longer than she had to, left me with a pit in my stomach. It’s Especially so, because I had the power and the will to relieve her.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5II5n5peEa
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWhLqcXwE6
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWkZDp896K
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“Yes?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIXd162dAk
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUNwy6W1Os
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIWPAjf4ag
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VB4CeKw62
“You’re here what I think you’re for, aren’t you?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj10ZzCRNVM
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jvtxDP4vx
“Y-Yes, Lola. Here, this is the potion I made.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJsJoMcJg7
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAhD1Kg1SJ
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZP4yG2cdjR
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“You made this in eighty minutes?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3rLhe6X0e
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“Did I take too long? I’m sorry, I had to grab some ingredients from a lower floor–”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1J3BU0aIh
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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.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGcnU1I26R
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEegOQDzxA
I raised my hands bashfully and rapidly waved them at her.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXPjA6gJDZ
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“No no no, please don’t! You’re helping us enough as is.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYNTcfIhvW
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“If you insist.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPvp5Lp7Bd
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ69JXRV6W3
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“Kenny?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AZGYEZimo
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“O-Oh, right. Do you need me for anything else?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ER2mpM6gy
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRzdhike6a
“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.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ380kgn39pS
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bFgPLIuDq
I let out a chuckled sigh and slapped a hand on my chest, muttering a breathy “thank you.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAedveOrfA
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“There is something I’d like to ask you, however, just before you go.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5caQG6uyB
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkT8WOF510o
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueCweMFcQF
“The concoction in your other hand; that bright green tint can only mean one thing, yes? A healing potion.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LoylcMEtQ
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvq33AKAHSI
I nodded at her assessment. I realized the speed at which this could turn dangerous.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJMEWSkR2f
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“I see. I see, I see…”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFRqViL3lr
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“A-Are you going to make me make one for each soldier?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZ33aZFNQ7
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6X37YiaRK
“No, I won’t ask that of an outsider, let alone a child– oh, sorry, you don’t like being called that, do you?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2V0YnDk4Wk
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PfVNdWOpN
“...Don’t worry about it. I appreciate you being considerate, Lola. Is there anything else?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFMdiOLcXG
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZH1UpLRT3a
“I-If you don’t mind my prying, could you answer a few questions for me?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dNkAZN8on
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfz2ocDD7h
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXCZVRtF91
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“Please?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11LejXoXyj
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Though it was difficult to draw a line while she was making such a face.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvs04Lp3cZ
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fzsvmmhBQ
“F-Fine, but please make them short. I have somewhere I need to be.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlZ88QbNCa
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3hoMLhdOf
“Thank you, I will. It’s just two quick questions. First–”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eSNonKgLc
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She paused right before asking, as if a crucial memory struck her from the woodwork. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnSE9I0LEf
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CSLuaFImB
“–How long have you been an alchemist?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZgeePhFr3
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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?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEYtFl6v9X
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GiOi3f9vb
“Seven years? That’s over half your life, isn’t it?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorGWZTaHFB
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I gave a simple shrug with sandwiched lips.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuCuagfS7n
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“I started young. That’s all.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUDeWsiNvW
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“I see. Being trained at such a young age, no wonder why you’re so skilled.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡes6mTiYjtl
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0IDvyV1rC
“P-Please, don’t flatter me. I appreciate the remarks, but they just…”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7NcGMVGkF
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGK4VhyaIf
They don’t sit right with me, I wanted to say, but Lola gave a predictive, discerning nod, so I stopped speaking.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVg7EhfxON4
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMena9srlR
“Only seven years… then, maybe–”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfOCR9VQf1
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“Sorry, can you repeat that? I didn’t catch it.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSboyE4bPFb
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She jumped and then waved her hand.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4Yd0TZykn
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“Don’t worry, I was just thinking out loud. Anyhow, for my next question…”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdG1RU7J573
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“Right.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6fDkVNOnU
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpiP1ET26T
“...I apologize if this may seem extreme, but I have to ask.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgq9ypiB9j
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lyNxyttrr
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4FeINYymc
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“Did you kill anyone in the last operation?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nG5orj1VS
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“I– Wha!?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90osgkuHFE
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBzc60Sisc
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawxvsPDEkL
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“Who asks something like that to a child!?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRcps04Opk
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyrkrP9J6T
“Shh! I know it’s selfish, but it’s for my own peace of mind! I have to know, please, did you?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Xr3tM2bA8
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“Your own… peace of mind?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGfPMr8mrM
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When it was twisted that way, suddenly, I wasn’t so apprehensive. I was still bewildered, but answering that question didn’t feel like falling into a trap anymore. And so, reluctantly, my lips spoke the answer.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ip1DfqwEC
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“I didn’t. I hurt some people, but I never landed a killing blow.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDuP9ZMUM5
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“I-I see. That’s a relief. Oh my goodness, that’s a relief.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqj4B88S6I
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8q5VB2b97r
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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. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xAxOW2ovT
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“You… for some reason, I feel like you regard me much more highly than you should.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1McbgWw3D
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She shrugged at my comment.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡganA2PiJCX
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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?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBS2cTwAcq
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Ky8u7Nds0
Brushing me off with perfect logic before I could respond to her outrageous statement, I clicked my tongue inward and turned on my foot.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTjfvvsH2J
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvQHF9hIMm
“Goodbye Lola,” I shouted. She opened the door and slid right through, waving at me right before closing it.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7RnYjCoWy
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPip16APA3
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With every progressing movement of my foot came a wave of resistance double the magnitude. I had to dig my soles into the floor to wade through the spasms, closing my eyes and gritting my teeth just to keep my limbs moving.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIr851ioNjX
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Of course, I was exaggerating. But goodness, did that swelling weight pound against my chest. My limbs did shake as I reached for the knob, but I managed to grasp it and keep my hand there.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmoo8fyhiz
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“...This is ridiculous.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95PqYG7yIa
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I sighed. I looked at the healing potion and gave it a few light shakes, watching the agent crash like small waves against the flask. If push came to shove, I could drop this off by the bed or table and turn the other way. In fact, if I had to convince myself that was all I had to do just to open this damned door, then I would do so. So I kept saying so, a lunatic hustling his mantra.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FbJQOhrhf
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“Just go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it– off!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdUwHvxjtl
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfadUkC7Yes
In the midst of my chanting, I bit the arrow and slammed it open. It looked far removed from how I imagined it.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8q9f2PGAZ
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQ22SyJDKF
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAIb5MXoin
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And seeing how his groggy face raised to meet mine, I realized how noisy my entrance was.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARMg2nBzSr
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“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb anyone. I’m just here to deliver something.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfj4353dCrA
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“...Hmm.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvUTxDgPqL
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The man stood up and haggardly walked to me. From his gait alone, I could tell he’d been drinking, though I wondered how exactly he got his hands on alcohol. He stopped a few paces before me, took one long look with narrowed eyes, and casually shrugged.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPSdMYabTX
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“Do whatever.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIjzZuPPVI
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“R-Right. Thank you, sir.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCANezwOdy
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He gave me a thumbs-up and plodded back to his chair. I looked around the room, feeling blessed from my lucky break, and eyed all the patients.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT74VIFAckN
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBStDXqCAX5
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtxfokNx5Z
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“D-Darn it.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtxZPWssEO
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Gnawing on my fingers, I did one more sweep before releasing a sigh. Rover was nowhere to be seen– not in the beds, not on the window sill, not in the corners, nothing–130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoD9pxHTWZs
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“What are you doing here?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSQBDufdp8
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnyRH4udR9
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There was Rover, sitting in the one corner out of my sight, eyeing me with a lion’s eyes.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyM2SfkENS
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“...U-Uh.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiRnhoEjDI
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxThTRT2NE
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88VgWm8gPb
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHG3WYhT9ki
“Well? Come on, spit it out.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EV3aVWRqI
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSVtCWgYFV
“I… I-I.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTpvAuy9QT
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tcjfFBA5p
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0wxj9OQWE
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRmauTKpIj
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGWgutBl5k
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1RBvZ5sqz
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSUhTAO7ER
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBj6uar7o6O
“I don’t have time for this, just spit it out!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjxBIkQpqA
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3PuX9dB14
“I-I’m here.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzdziLBBCZ
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hrcEuK5eo
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxszMimgl3
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qBOlEGXGd
“I’m– I made— I– Rover, I’m here–”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7M2SagkK3
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYOJ301HzZ
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.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9u6SAJrL7K
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuCnwoLcQC
“I…”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvwFvnJMxu
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZQkMUzfoq
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rdHMnvgce
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAzoxnx8Ps
“Hello, Rover.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aQS2KFKxs
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gwokbTFUL
“Hey, Kenny.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEV8fnjQvw0
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSi96fNQGar
I retracted my stretched arm, then extended it yet again.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXzKIQMJWu
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeOr01rM2v
“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–”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTz2dfOsntQ
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9V3PoJp4kx
“Cut to the chase!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVucUEISOt
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepsBWVIuqX
“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.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZ1SBB2UC1
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMT5lNerOY
Her eyes widened. Her crossed arms slackened, and I took it as a signal to move forward. I took it incorrectly.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNd4tTWsZM
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQU5cthCI8
“Hold on, you brought me a potion?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUkiHlSWO6
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RcUTwVXE7
“Y-Yes.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwt1OzCvgqF
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jLjEq89EW
“Now who told you to do that?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfn9flkQ23w
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzA6VfUVm4s
“W-Well–”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTMavjwNd8
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Wa3uIGIRM
Nigel suggested it, but he didn’t tell me. No, mulling over that was wasteful spending. There was only one truth in this situation:130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgM5eTzddo3
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSFjVuYk9m
“I wanted to do it. I wasn’t told.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAELmoTsy6O
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XfuSZiUOh
“...You? That wimpy Kenny?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6osAFUuQ1d
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVtumd48N0
I wasn’t mad at her insult. It was all too accurate.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdEcJZLU9x
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbWj7KCSux
“Yes, the wimpy Kenny.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQSHXfpVbc
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5QqdSNK2k
“Ha! You’ve surprised me before, but this really blew my expectations out of the water!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvaHDZ5gtv
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rSVHc29G7
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvxnwL8FJ1
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlBZ3M8NPf
“I refuse your treatment!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jrTVb4kcr
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzuLFscKJd
“H-Huh!?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjV7UaatOi
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoLoWCv5cU
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwsdD2WW8M
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kZOBBW7nj
“Why not? Don’t you want to recover faster?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMb1HdnRPkv
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvt0wKhzm0P
“Of course I do, but I can’t accept it. Not when you’re looking at me like I’m some kind of monster.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJULOTkavE
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4Et5u5X9U
“I– Wha?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYCj2uH1tI
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiqTRMyEZ5
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–130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7kroIniZi
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSsSOSi6D7
“No, stupid! It’s the face you’re making! It’s weird!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmXS1PDSDr
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7aQY3J1jl
“Stupid? Weird!?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmZdLcMHhN
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZXR6roycs
“Do you need the whole room to hear it!? You’re looking at me like a weirdo!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmChHoaaBlP
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYzzgtqbdX
“...”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9NoSxMviK
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The energy to argue was sapped. I understood what she said, and could do nothing but stare with mouth agape. Rover leaned further against the wall and looked at me with her chin raised.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsifiwaXPVq
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoUXQltCU9
“Why are you looking at me like that? Hmph.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡob14j8KKhJ
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuuSMR69Ha
As I had no other mode of operating at this moment, I blurted my immediate response.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmXNEUN1bV
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVtMSoarVC
“It’s because I upset you.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqr71cebua
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dmd6MRCfD
And then I realized that something like this required thoughtful phrasing.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2Oik6p5SG
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcIBkLAHO2
“I don’t– well, I don’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than you–”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfaSFAWYUI
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetCZ2Ghzth
“That’s bullshit! Man, forget answering that, I don’t need your whole, your spiel you know!? Come here!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3FJMxp5Qa
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHY170xlbM
“Come, there,” I asked, pointing to myself.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTRwow2K44
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6i3koFjfnb
“Yes. Sit by me, I can’t stand looking at your working legs.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIJYmWqI2v
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxV8zubgaA
“S-Sheesh.” 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69tvZVRv9t
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2i8hlcm8ov
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.
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGao66Jy6RG
“How do I use this thing?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIu6jXu0Kem
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7so3uI7QU
“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.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB43ygg9kPH
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTFJysqINz
“Drinking works for me.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93h1tVQUQ0
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRjIxmjLpI
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9P92Eg9Aq
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCfbgs4gkm
“Cah! What the hell, is in this thing?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJFNBKzxUU
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fFuyV82JO
“That’s not the problem! You drank it too fast, you dingus!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwxc0EvzD6
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywwLL1DnpB
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dhB0ZVpmK
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EaJLxP75m
“If you drink like that, it’s likely to go down the wrong pipe.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThq6i7xtAM
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjdqApBZj7
“Whatever.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxjl9M4EfQ
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Kvakjqnjs
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. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTO0c50jGVK
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzYh42ft91
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotrImE4zLh
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxG6R2cN44
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCwtyUlIcB
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97O8CiDlwD
But before I could even take anpreludebreath, she spoke, reading my intentions.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JIK906jrM
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“Leaving already?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiR9vmuG7D
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGUOYD6ks7
“I-I am, yes. I think it would be best. It isn’t as if I don’t have–”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFRIRvVYhW
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyFNopy1qE
“Hold on, not yet. I still have something to say to you.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjplERQuiOE
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUjGxWqxjP
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKBsVixBXP
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADhs3uK1iu
“That’s funny. I do too. Do you mind if I start first?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPS7XvPNZ0
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50porESaqw
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6vv6BS39f
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYs3qRzjgox
“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?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJI1BW9b3N
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqWEqkimlt
“Yeah, I do. I remembered how much of a wuss you were.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuSCvaWthQ
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYaxH9qMJa
I almost chuckled. Blunt as a bat, but it hit a bullseye.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TaEFMxFOu
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAca2Iy31RT
“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.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLH7QMELo4F
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoDsR0O3OE
I noticed the subtlest rise of her right brow.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5El9kSSU7
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVn8RirIl7
“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.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2CmRrGBOB
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOrGj40ub9
She nodded along to my apology. It looked like she was expecting more, but I was finished. So she’d understand, I concluded with–130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0A2vy1C5v
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf31ey1tAh5
“So yeah, I’m sorry for being such a wuss.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiESPmgvOp
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkVgqRpjRT
“...Hmm. Ha, I guess kids really do grow so fast.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMQBKNu34l
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGqz196wDs
“H-Huh?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4J9ksXqoI
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmiBnZwUSI3
She rubbed her nose a little and continued talking.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCUKKhWXiq
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN67Xu0SPBC
“Just look at you. You’re nothing like the Kenny I knew.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSx3KhGhG5
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKwvnBskEn
“I-I, well, I don’t know if I agree–”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43VnuhX4q8
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHpauL3RAc
“Nah, on second thought, I take that back. But that doesn’t matter anyway. Seriously, just look at you.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQ3ShY010b
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzstOjMtcd
“I’m n-nothing so special.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uIGlAY9R6
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9y1EATLanG
“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!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4X9HNHtR1q
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSvM1Pnfvt
“The letter certainly isn’t a priority.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4WVUgCrXy
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghGvjdwHqz
She casually clicked her tongue, tilted her head sideways, and waved her hand downward.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDR5FbDTcF
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡth5FUKhk2y
“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.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr373gdw3iM
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM98kLlvWlG
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. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIR7X5f956
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It took me only a few 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUOt4cu5gY
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwMTm83GGU
“I don’t think so. I don’t think I grew anything.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88KmLgDtoY
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOfj1Hh5Uv
“‘Course you did! Stop giving me such crap–”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHEMcLjg6G
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqd2gGdIB3
“No, really, Rover.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJS1LvTmt3
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKzV5GH4do
I slouched my posture and leaned back, lifting myself with my hands behind me. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ObcSN8Foi
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXTbEV0PXl
“I think I’m just lucky.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IupkGi6Pa
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQavY1OD2Fj
I veered my eyes away from the ceiling, looking into Rover’s, and was taken aback by her utter dejection. Or was it disgust?130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGRqbZvfd1
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkztY9xzGQ
“I-I mean, it’s not as if I haven’t been trying, it’s just–”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0BlVUWJFr
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzN7JgKFAuD
“Nevermind all that, Kenny. You’re starting to give me a headache.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOicaJ7gntY
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCV8QkFHYdj
I stopped my frantic hand-waving and began to scratch my head.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVds2m6ephn
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzr9Io0tRI
“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.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJYFHweDCO
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuH3DqZEsi7
“It isn’t a drug! I wouldn’t stoop to such barbaric substances!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8X5B1IPTQK
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqADPRzxHPS
“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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCYdjjoDxh
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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. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxM7LPX7oT0
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“D-Don’t rush me!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQPYTKM2yt
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“I’m not rushing you! I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you just spat it out, but–”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUmbBXOPPA
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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…”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLoy2WKxJ1
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCFG2O9Y3Y
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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZldPOrIHct
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5OKazbDbv
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“Gahh, forget it! You convinced me, I’ll just say it!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9j176q17A
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“I didn’t say anything.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Xbv4UNJoI
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtq6MO0FQWK
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“I’m sorry for being such a priss.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYyMScmjnf
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8HLM3taKN
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But whether she was or not, mattered not to me.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91GdnvGx3X
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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.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBW00ZrX7I6
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“Told you all I did? What?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEZ2BIYt6z
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She was caught by a wind of fury.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQVXVgQZvh
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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!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhDslIt9gI
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I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. She stopped her rage immediately, donning a look of perplexion. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sOH2Eljli
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“What’s so funny?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uBQ2biaSB
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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.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiz3jD56mq
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“Hold on, I’m not done yet!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr096lYtI9x
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I nodded in understanding, and so she continued.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡya0GYvnkEl
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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.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fyjqPXWGD
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“A little crazy?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyztnQNgHK
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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!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzaGeUYACEz
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Her hands balled themselves to compliment her offshoot tangent. Her escalating tone made me concerned, but she relaxed soon after.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc17XwDoThi
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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.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCy6dq8kVv
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“Well–”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFJUa2RlyQ
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“Shut up! Shut up! Do you know how annoying it is to hear someone undersell themselves all the time?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnzzMFi2Je
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“I–”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzvNqiW1NA
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7TWFI0YUB
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“Yeah. I do. It sucks.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8i1mmWX431
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“See! I– huh? You do?”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrn8Q7opDD
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejoNinkHrd
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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.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8M2rVndN8
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“Whatever. Think what you want, but don’t speak it out loud anymore.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjdjFhcWLb
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“I… haha, sure thing, Rover. I’ll do just that.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLq8HUJARU
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTy7Z3VZ7zA
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“Perfect. I was just about to tell you to leave.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFwBtHj6lV
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“I’m starting to think you hate me.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVY40shnhjP
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Her hands twitched upwards defensively.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3cda9ukEC
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“I-I don’t. I’m just getting sleepy. Any second now, I’ll doze off.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERX7UqhDbG
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“Ah, right.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYsaezZGMj
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IPFMbYfnV
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“That one Bringer was invigorated even with a restored limb, after all…”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzlfcNH1Ct
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“What are you mumbling about, eh? Scram! Scram, I tell you!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqB9MV3cdVH
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“Alright alright, jeez. With how grouchy you’re being, you really do need that rest.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSO0dMUof8N
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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.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWlHQEKBRW
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“Wait, one last thing!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSL1YeBkVqg
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Then, she shouted unexpectedly. I looked at her with a blank expression to signify my okay, and she continued shortly.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvm9TXdfvrd
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“Tell that old bucket-wearing fart to visit me sometime.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uHF84Qfnm
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“...”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCoZCoBUqy
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I smiled.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAf212Y8O2
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“I will.”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoxt3r7YXP
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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–130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8zGd9bFaC
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“Yes!”130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8Fojhf5gL
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A jump with jubilation. I had to. I never experienced such success before.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjM093rNaVb
