Chapter 3: Maxi: Back and Forth, to Accept and Talk
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I didn’t pay much attention to it, but this room on the first floor looks rather… odd, I’d say it’s different than other houses I’ve seen. The place looks very fancy unlike anything I’ve seen. The color scheme is a bit… ominous I guess, some orange, dark blue, black, and red about on the wall and floor, with a bit of strange patterns for the floor.

“Let’s all sit down and talk then” That woman in grey said as she sits down on one of the wide chairs that’s almost like a bed, while the other girl sits on a chair close by. I guess I should be doing the same. Sitting down on this… well I can’t even feel it all that much, just all the more unsettling with whatever is going on. The chair doesn’t feel all that rough that I can tell, probably some high quality stuff.

“Now then Mani, you do you as I said, she is your servant so it’s your responsibility, but make sure that this wild girl doesn’t go around attacking people, it would be on you” The woman in grey said, sounding a bit more serious than usual. Just stop saying these stupid things already, even when you should be serious.

“She won’t do something like that!” The demon girl protested. Just why defensive about me anyway? I appreciate it but… Well there’s nothing to praise about me as I am right now, maybe if I didn’t change much I would bask in this more.

“Yeah yeah, just be mindful” The woman in grey dismissively said. She really is the worst.

“Just what the hell is up with you” I asked this rude woman who keeps downgrading me, keep saying all these nonsense I really don’t want to think about.

“A lot of things I guess. You don’t need to worry about me, just about her” She said as she took a glance at this demon close to me. Worry about her… right she’s a demon and all, who knows what she’ll do, not like this woman in grey is any better.

“As if that needed to be said” I said sarcastically to this demon next to me. Now she looks sad all of a sudden… Damn that face is just like that of a normal person, as if that’ll change how dangerous she is. Just seeing it really makes me feel guilty, let’s not look at that.

“How impudent of you. She can cut her connections to you and who knows what might happen, you might never live again. Even now it’s hard to call you living” The woman in grey said in a sinister tone.

“I won’t do that!” That demon said loudly in protest. What’s with her? I would’ve thought demons would be more insidious, like that thing. Why is she even keeping this facade?

“Yeah yeah I know you won’t. Just so you know if you die then she would be severely handicapped or possibly cease function. If all possible maybe make sure she doesn’t actually attack you and be all suicidal” The woman in grey said to the demon. What even is this woman in grey’s deal again? For all I know she is actually the demon.

“I’ll make sure she’s okay! There’s no need to worry about me!” The girl said rather brashly. What is she even trying to prove?

All of these conversations are just boring and I couldn’t care less what they’re trying to do, I just want to go back home… not that I have any idea where I am to have any of going back.

“Well you said that but she’s still a concern. She seems rather disinterested in our little chat right now when her input is somewhat important” The woman in grey suddenly addressed me. Being called a girl just feels wrong, I am a man and there’s no way that changed.

“Don’t you have something to say?” The demon girl asked as she looked at me with her innocent looking eyes, as if they’re void of any possible wrongdoing she may have.

“I just want to go home” I replied dismissively. Too bad I don’t know how to get back from here, or if they’ll even let me.

“Go home? That’s a bad attempt at a joke” The woman in grey said. I wasn’t joking.

“How was that a joke?” I asked, feeling really irritated by this woman, too bad I don’t have anything on me to smash her face in.

“I mean trying to go back home by yourself is impossible” She answered.

“What? Is this crazy far away or something?” I asked, seeing her statement as just ridiculous. Impossible? How is it impossible?

“Oh far more than that, but if you want to dumbed it down then that’s right. I’m one of the few who can take you back home, and I won’t” Figures, she hasn’t exactly been kind to me so far, no respect for me whatsoever.

“That’s kind of mean spirited isn’t it?” The demon girl came to my defense again. She really has been trying to gain my favors… Maybe if she does that a few more times I’ll humor her, even if she’s part of an evil race.

“Look. I’m being considerate here” She said as if she’s being nice or sincere, she sure doesn’t sound like it.

“How exactly!?” I just flat out feel mad at this bitch’s absolutely audacious response. I really want to smack her head in.

“Think about it. Look at you as you are now. Pale and lifeless, and with no one that can recognize you, better off being here than elsewhere” She answered chillingly… She… I… I don’t have anything to rebut that!

“Is there really no way?” The demon girl asked, still on behalf. The woman responded with a small and amused smile.

“You sure are a compassionate girl Mani, guess Tana rubbed a lot on you” She said cheerfully as if praising the demon. I have no idea what this woman is talking about.

“That doesn’t tell anything, teacher” She pointed out, sounding her exasperation.

“Hmm… I guess I can tell you, if you want” The woman said rather coyly to both of us, just stop delaying!

“Just say it already! There has to be a way and you just don’t want me to know!” I said slamming the table letting my anger out. Again it’s surreal how little I feel despite slamming it pretty hard.

“How impatient. Let me make something clear here, people back there accept that you died already, and you’re only here because I took any semblance of a remain that was left and bring it here for her to use. Going back there won’t do anything, and if you were to go back to your original form then it would’ve cause a lot to problem, people accept that you are dead, you are not going to just go back, not to mention there is nothing left for you there anyway” She explained not sounding even remotely caring, she just say it without expressing anything that can really be call nice to me at all. Just saying that it’s the truth and expect to just take it. I don’t even know what to say back to her.

“T-Then want can we do?” The demon girl asked. Why is she still asking on my behalf?

“Look Mani. I know you are concerned for this girl and all, but you have no need to actually send her home, in fact it’s by far the worse option of either that or keeping her here. Look I’m not going to beat around the bush here, you better stay here with this girl, learn to live here, I’m sure there are things you would appreciate, and maybe you can be… Well perhaps fulfilled” The woman in grey said to me, again saying something that seems to try to convince me to stay here.

“As if that’s true. Why wouldn’t I go back to where I’m from? Not some strange place like this” I retorted seeing how ridiculous her claim is.

“And what if the strange place is better then?” She asked, is she testing me?

“Nothing is better than a familiar land, a place I'm attached to” I answered not dealing with this bullshit.

“Attachment after death? Are you sure about that? You have been dead for a while now, and souls are weak, and memory is lost during the process along with other things. If you are so attached to that place then surely you can recall something for me, like something of your early life, or perhaps a random moment not close to your death” She said testing me again. Like that is even a… even a… Huh!?

“A-Are you alright?” The demon girl asked. She’s really focused on me.

“So, what can you remember?” The woman asked confidently. Damn it I still remember something! Not even playing around!

“I still remember when that thing stabbed me! I still remember some condescending woman ignoring me! And the day after that I… I was just doing some random requests, and so the day after… I…” Why can’t I recall the specific of anything outside of that day? Even… my early life… I can’t even remember that much.

“Some memory might resurface later on, but certainly not now. See the problem? Not only are you extremely different than how you were now, and you also lost a great deal of memory that who knows when it’ll resurface. It really is the best choice to stay here. Besides all of that this girl is trying to connect with you, are you seriously trying to ignore this girl?” She explained calmly but suddenly sounded rather serious at the end.

“The demon girl? What about her?” I asked as I turned to look at the girl still looking at me, then suddenly her face looked rather sad.

“Jeez. She wants to try to connect with you after you came to be again, she is way more tolerant than me, she wants to be your friend, can’t you at least entertain that?” The woman in grey explained sounding sympathetic to the girl. Is she really? She’s a demon isn’t she?

“Why would a demon be like that?” I asked the woman, feeling a bit skeptical.

“Why wouldn’t they be? They still have will and emotions like humans, why would you think otherwise?” She asked back in a harsh tone. Why would I think otherwise? It’s what we should’ve learned isn’t it?

“Look. I’ve been told enough time to know it’s a bad idea, also I got killed by one or whatever don’t you remember? I know better than to approach one” I explained.

“And why did she kill you? Ever think of that?” She asked back as if knowing what’s going on.

“Because she’s a demon!” I answered the obvious question.

“Because you try to approach her, who is uncomfortable with that. She asked you to stop, and you don’t” She harshly snapped back. I can feel a bit of chill despite my senses being so weak. How does she know all of that? If it’s even true?

“How would you know that?” I asked, feeling very incredulous. This is just absurd, there’s no way she could know any of that.

“Oh I have my own way. I know for certain that you died at her hand, try reaching for her, getting mad, trying to chop her up in rage. It’s all true and you know it, there’s no way you forget that” She chillingly explained. She really does know? And she won’t even tell me.

“That sounds scary” The demon girl commented.

“It indeed is. That is who she was, and that’s why I asked you to be careful, who she was is dangerous, and who she is now isn’t so different right now. Now then, as I said she is uncomfortable and you won’t stop, she’s retaliating and not” The woman in grey explained, both to her and me, all while maintaining the rather calm and condescending. Is that really the case? That I’m the one in the wrong then? How can that be true?

“How am I wrong trying to play hero?” I asked, what she said still feels ridiculous, like demons can justify themselves.

*Tick*

Jeez, that’s a loud slam of a cane to the ground.

“That’s the problem, you are playing hero, and you are not a hero, and she has no need for you. Understand how ridiculous you sound right now? You aren’t right then, and you aren’t now” She harshly answered, sounding more and more irritated.

*Spark*

“Stop!” She’s going to do it again! Please don’t!

“Teacher please don’t!” The demon girl pleaded as well.

“Hmph. I’m no moral guardian and I know you are in the wrong, or at least the one starting it. I would say you should learn to control your temper as you stay here” She said, sounding her disdain. She’s feeling more and more terrifying, just what is up with her?

“Teacher…” The demon girl muttered seeing her teacher’s rather aggressive response.

“You are ruining everyone’s mood here. Here’s what I will say. You will be here, and you should follow her around, maybe you’ll stop being so angry and appreciative of someone who is here with you. I’m out” She said, sounding her frustration. She stands up and walks away.

“Teacher!” The demon girl called out. The woman in grey stops in her tracks and turns back one more time to see the girl.

“I’ll be back soon, make sure you and your undead learn to work together okay? Show a bit of your spunk here” The woman suddenly said in a more optimistic tone before making a friendly gesture.

*Zoom*

And then she disappeared. Just nothing there. I’m left with this demon girl, who continues to defend me, someone that woman said I don’t have to worry about, that she has no ill will. Ugh this is all a massive headache even if I really don’t feel it. Just what am I to do with this girl?

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