Everyone sat around the table stacked with a deck of cards and a pile of some already in play.
“All our starts were rough, huh?” Hotaru placed a card of a white peacock with red and gold feathers flying over a battle zone on top of the pile.
“Cause of you.” Kohaku draws 2 cards while Makoto puts another down, making Hibiki do the draw as well.
“...Mostly… It was fun though.” (Hotaru)
“Mhm.” (Makoto)
““...”” (Kohaku + Hotaru)
“Hm?” In all his raven-haired glory, most would swoon just to have him lay his eyes upon them. Enjoying his time with
‘3…2…1.’ (Hibiki)
“Y-you- had-fun?” Both of them broke into a cold sweat.
“Mhm.” (Makoto)
“SOMEONE CALL A DOCTOR!” Kohaku slammed a shadowed card onto the pile, and everyone set down their cards for him to gather and shuffle before handing out three each.
“I’m right here.” Hibiki chuckled, placing down a card with clouds, people, and all sorts of wildlife swirling into a white circle leading to everyone passing their cards to the one next to them.
“THEN DO SOMETHING!” (Kohaku)
“ARE YOU RUNNING A FEVER?!” She put a hand up to Makoto’s head before reeling back, shaking her hand, and putting one card on the table without looking.
“HOW MANY FINGERS AM I HOLDING UP?!” (Hotaru)
“One.” (Makoto)
Hotaru puts up another finger and gasps.
“T-” (Makoto)
“SOMEONE CALL A DOCTOR!” She looks back at the table and grins at the picture of herself, calling out.
“5.”
“There’s no winning.” (Makoto)
“This? With them? Nah.” (Hibiki)
“Nyeheheh!” (Hotaru+Kohaku)
*Click*
“Mm, you think silver wolves are the answer? Why?” On this bright and beautiful day, I looked down at the when I heard the bell chime again.
“Who?!” He moved his head from left to right like it was on a swivel.
“Up here, animal whisperer.” (Hotaru)
“D-don’t! ... Hotaru?” He slowly tilted his head up as I finished Ms. Everglow’s freshly baked bread.
There they were. Those eyes are clearer than the sky.
‘What’s with me and shy guys.’
M: “You tell me, that’s #2.”
‘Ignore him.’
M: “Pretty hard to ignore me while you’re thinking.”
‘Come up with a name, then we can talk.’
M: “...”
“Dang, was it that easy to guess?” I hopped off the roof, enjoying the wind rushing through my hair as I perfectly landed next to him.
“You look the same.” (Makoto)
The thought of sucker punching him came across my mind and was quickly dismissed.
“Hey! Nobody wants to hear that besides my hair is short here!” (Hotaru)
S: “Good on you?” (Ella)
It was up to my shoulders. I couldn’t compare it to having it down my back.
“WAIT! Friend me first!” (Hotaru)
“O-okay…” He’s so cute, getting red in the face whenever we talk about being friends.
***
“I-I…” (Makoto)
“You were healing my soul.” (Hotaru)
“Something about the way you look at people.” (Hibiki)
“EXACTLY!” (Hotaru)
***
<Kōsetsu has sent you a friend request!>
<Accept or Decline>
‘Accept!’
<You are now friends with Kōsetsu!>
[World Chat Functions: Restored!]
“FINALLY!” I pumped my fist into the air when Makoto tapped me on the shoulder.
“How did you know I was here?” (Makoto)
I got real close to his face, “Oh Makoto, there’s no escape from me. You just got close enough for me to sense the spatial magic.” Then I stepped back.
“Y-you can do that?” (Makoto)
“Yup!” (Hotaru)
‘More or less…’
***
I didn’t even know if I could call this place a store. As much as Grannie loved each item, she kept everything in piles instead of refilling the shelves.
That was my job.
“You want this package where?” I asked before placing it inside a messenger bag.
“You’ll deliver that to Mrs.Everglow, it’s about time you get familiar with my customers.”
‘I just tried to rob you, crazy…’
If she didn’t fix the floorboards and door, I’d still say this place was abandoned. I couldn’t even go upstairs and was glad not to see that pigstein.
“You just don’t want to go outside.” (Hotaru)
“I-I have some important potions to make.” She frantically looked around for an excuse to pull out of her ass.
‘Bull’s eye.’
“Will you teach me after?” I activate my puppy dog eyes at 10%.
“What would you even-” (Grannie)
[Summon Soulbound]
“You’re going to shooo-OHHHH!” The hag’s eyes were so wide, they could’ve popped out of their sockets.
“See! I’m amazing!” (Hotaru)
“Hand it here, girl!” She rushed me like a footballer with the strength of a rat. It was only thanks to Sirus that I rose my Str to be a 10 or else this would’ve been a completely different story.
“I thought ‘I couldn’t handle it.’” (Hotaru)
“You still can’t, you thief!” (Grannie)
“You said it was mine now!” (Hotaru)
“Hmph! And I thought you wanted to learn?!” She was still trying to squirm her way to my book.
“Not from a crazy old bat!” (Hotaru)
“Listen here! You did this to yourself.” (Grannie)
“And you lied to me!” (Hotaru)
“Ah potato, pohtato” (Grannie)
“Oh yeah? Then explain this?!” I set my hand on fire.
I set my hands on fire…
“AHHH! HOT! HOT! HOT!!!” (Hotaru)
“YOU FOOL!” With a small wave of her hand, mine were covered in some extinguishing foam she took a piece of and ate.
10 in any stat is considered average. A regular joe, for her to not make me work any harder than putting my hand up to block her was embarrassing. I would’ve laughed but the book flew into her hand.
“Phew.” (Grannie)
“You cheat!” I gave the foam a small taste and reluctantly shook it off my hands.
“Please, you have to use your resources well. Your friend is here. You aren’t making bad progress on your own. You might get it back sooner than you think.” She flicked through the book until her eyes settled on something.
“Hold up. What did you say?” (Hotaru)
“You might get it back sooner than you think?” (Grannie)
“No, the thing before the me being awesome part.” (Hotaru)
“...Your friend is here?” (Grannie)
She rolled her eyes and shut the book. “Actually, this is perfect timing. You want to learn something so bad?”
“Anything!” (Hotaru)
“Fine. You seem used to the idea anyways, it’s about time you’ve polished it.
The first thing you need to know if you want to learn from me is that wizards fucking suck and they stay sucking.” (Grannie)
I kept my hands behind my back when I picked up a picture frame about the same size.
[Shift]
“Repeat it to me!” (Grannie)
“Wizards su-” (Hotaru)
“FUCKING!”
‘God damn!’
You could feel the heart in that one. She went deep. Now I had to find a way to set up a hag.
I screamed from the top of my lungs, “WIZARDS FUCKING SUCK AND THEY STAY SUCKING!!!”
“GOOD! HERE’S WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO DO!” She’s a creepy lady with a passion for her craft. I liked it.
***
It would wear out this way but at least we’ll know the others when we see them…, I think.
Makoto whispered to me. “Can we go somewhere more… private?”
I look back to see the weird looks we were getting from other people. “How about you follow me, I know a great place!”
“I-I can’t buy anything right now…” (Makoto)
“Why not?” (Hotaru)
“I want to do s-something…” Every time his words trail off, it’s like he always has more to add but decides against it.
We left Mrs. Everglow’s Book n’ Bake and made our way past one of the larger buildings in town while he was being dodgy about his thing, so we kept the conversation moving.
It gave me a lot of time to admire his equipment though. Not anything too special but I couldn’t tell you how much happier I was to not have to see everyone in the same brown tunic. Now there’s color, robes, and breastplates! You could actually see people have their class looks on full display!
Hear me out, me and Makoto were pretty similar; leather armor, tunic and pants more on the darker side and he wields a bow, quiver, and longsword while I had daggers. Makoto taught me a couple things and I shared too like one thing; rangers could use axes.
That was enough to blow me out of the water, but their weapon selection was insane! Axes, shortswords, longbows, crossbows, and spears just to name a few. I could use shortswords too, point is we had a lot more in common.
We came to an agreement that our classes were basically the same but in different environments. He’s always a forest rogue in my heart.
“Not to mention the book…”
“Oh yeah… How was that like?” (Hotaru)
That was the funniest shit. This world stuff is weird, but I was dying… in two ways.
I couldn’t stop laughing. I was PKing another rogue when the whole shared stealth thing our text changed into little microphone icons.
Just as I was about to kill this dude, I heard the most withered “Oh…” in existence.
I couldn’t stop thinking about an elderly that fell down a flight of stairs and said that at the bottom and doubled over laughing. I got lucky he ran away.
“Here we are.” I held the door for Makoto.
‘The Golden Pursuers…’
“Thank you.”
“No problem.” (Hotaru)
While the streets roamed with people and players the like of various races. This building was more of a ghost town or that’s how it appeared. Aside from the casual NPC, there wasn’t a player in sight.
I thought it was beautiful but it was even better to watch Makoto marvel at the space. A two-story building with stairs that winded up near the counter. Dark wood flooring and lined with wall lamps with the black counter centering the back wall. Don’t even get me started on the red carpets.
I tapped his shoulder and pointed to one of the emptier lines. “I’ll take care of things.” (Hotaru)
“Okay.”, He nodded.
We walked up to the third line after an NPC made their exit in a hurry. Where a tall burly man with slicked-back dark brown hair and a full beard I know dad would’ve been jealous of stood with a smile plastered on his face.
“Welcome to the Golden Pursuers, how may I help you?”
I saw Makoto take a whiff in the air, so I decided to do the same. To this day, I had no regrets. The smell was subtle but once you took a whiff it was like being in a field of flowers.
‘Oh, this is the guy.’
I still have to edit the film, but I’ve kept the orb active to fulfill my end of the bargain.
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m sorry, you just smell really good right now. What kind of soap are you using?” I tapped my finger on the counter twice.
“...Go…around…back!” He barely uttered and I wasn’t going to push when that last part sounded guttural. The rosy cheeks made it a done deal.
“Thank you so much for your time. Let’s go, Kōsetsu.” I grabbed his sleeve and was going to tug him along. He just snapped out of it.
“Y-huh?” Whatever it is, it was doing wonders in keeping them at ease.
“We still got a little way to go.” (Hotaru)
‘Body relaxing, oblivious to surroundings? We might have Kohaku-itis on our hands.’
B: Is it contagious, doc?! (Jack)
(Seems so, Nurse Jack. Seems so…)
Once we got around the corner, I couldn’t help myself from laughing.
“Ah… What happened back there?” I wiped the tear from my eye.
“I don’t know, he smelled good. Like really good.” Watching Makoto get red in the face was my favorite part of the day.
“What do you think it was?” (Hotaru)
“Chamomile, rosemary, and jasmine… with a hint of vanilla.” You could’ve told me he recited that off a box and I’d believe you.
‘What the fuck?! I only got jasmines, something like it at least.’
“... I was expecting an actual answer… You must have a really good nose.” (Hotaru)
“Is that weird?” He turned to me.
“Liking flowers? No. Being able to name them after a minute? Yeah.” I had to be honest, I was expecting an I don’t know or a guess. He just said it all like it was fact and I wasn’t about to doubt it when he noticed me first.
“I mean, they could be stuff from here too.” (Makoto)
‘Right…’
“You notice something interesting?” (Hotaru)
“What?” (Makoto)
I smirked and walked a little faster, “Nevermind then.”
“What is it?” (Makoto)
“It’s my little secret.” (Hotaru)
We wrapped around the corner before Makoto could respond and walked through the opened door that slammed behind us.
“Let’s make this quick.”
“Of course, this won’t take much of your time.” (Hotaru)
I watched carefully as a slim thread of my magic faded from Makoto and felt a little more refreshed.
‘Even we can be monsters…, interesting.’
*Click*
