"… and that's why I literally can't go around patrolling with you today," I explained in a low, neutral voice, just like how you would describe something to a child, and just as expected, Mountain Girl let out a disappointed huff.
"Then how are we to track down and slay the horrid creatures of the—?"
"Please, stop," I pleaded to her with my palms raised. "It's cold out here, I'm having a migraine, and I just want to go home. I promise I'll hunt with you once I feel better, so just let it go this one time, okay?"
I kid you not, she actually puffed up her cheeks like she was a chipmunk. I admit that, if Judy, Elly, or even Snowy was doing the same, I would've probably found it super-adorable, but since it was our resident annoying monster-huntress, I could only groan in response.
At last, after spending nearly half a minute staring at me in silence, she let her shoulders slack a little and she told me, "Very well. We shall go and scour the rotten underbelly of the city for the trails and tracks of the vile fiends of the underworld! All alone!" After saying her piece, she dramatically turned on her heel and took a few steps away from me, only to stop, turn back, and declare in a sulky voice, "We are going to unearth the greater fiend, and then we massacre it, and then we drench the streets with its lifeblood, and you're going to miss it, and you're going to be sorry!"
"Um… Good luck?"
"Onikiri wants you to know that you are the worst and a prepubescent penis."
"A prepubescent what now?" I muttered in response to her unusual insult, but instead of answering me, she let out another huff and dashed away, leaving me all alone in the park. For a moment I couldn't decide if I should shake my head or let out a groan, but in the end I decided not to waste my time on either of those options, and instead I quickly made my way over to the closest (and inexplicably clean) public toilet in the park, I hid myself in one of the stalls, and quickly Phased back home.
"Welcome back!" I was immediately greeted by Snowy as I appeared in the living room. I still remembered how she would freak out every time I appeared in front of her, but by this point she was totally used to it. Humans (or in this case, Abyssals) are really adaptable creatures, I supposed.
Anyhow, she quickly bounced over to my side and helped me slip out of my coat, and I belatedly realized that this time she wasn't wearing her maid outfit. Instead, she was sporting a pretty stylish ensemble including a puffy white blouse, a black skirt, stockings, and even some simple jewelry in the form of a bracelet and a thin silver necklace. I was actually a little baffled by that for a moment, but then my poor, over-exerted brain finally managed to connect the dots and I remembered that she told me in the morning that she was invited over to Angie's place for a movie night and a sleepover.
I checked the clock, and it was a little before six in the evening, so I told her, "Shouldn't you get going soon?"
"I already called a cab," she answered in an upbeat voice as she left the room with my coat in hand, and when she returned empty-handed she added, "It should be here soon."
"Good," I said with a nod. "You know the rules, right?"
My sister gave me a determined expression and told me, while counting on her fingers, "Be a good guest, be respectful to her parents, don't do anything Judy would be mad about, and… um…"
She seemed to forget the most important part, so I gently patted the top of her head and said, "… and have fun."
"Right, that's the one," she murmured with a smile, and I couldn't help but tousle her hair even harder for a moment.
"Awawa! Don't! You're going to make my hair all ruffled!" I stifled a chuckle and stopped messing with her hair, just in time to hear the horns of a car from the driveway, which immediately perked her up. "My cab is here!"
"Nice timing," I said as a used my now free hand to rub my chin. "What would've happened if I came home a little later though?"
"I would've waited for you, obviously," Snowy told me with a twinkle in her eyes as she headed to the entryway. I followed after her and watched as she put on her boots and her coat in record time, then, after making sure she got everything, she beamed at me and gave me a small wave. "I'm off!"
"Have fun." I waved back, and five seconds later she was already in the cab.
The moment she left, I let out a groan worthy of the history books as my shoulders involuntarily drooped. I didn't want to make her worry, so I toughed it out in front of her, but I was already feeling worse than the last time I over-exerted myself with the enchantments. I didn't know if it was because mucking with the curse and the core and what have you the way I did was just that much more exhausting, or because I haven't fully recovered from the previous stunt, but either way, at the moment I felt sick and tired like a three-legged workhorse.
Since there was nothing to do in the entryway, I went back into the living room and contemplated the idea of just sitting down on my comfy chair and putting my brain in standby mode. It was a tempting idea, but not a particularly productive one, so I shook it off and forced my legs to carry me up the stairs and into my room.
When I arrived, I immediately fell onto my bed and spread out on my back. It made me feel just a tiny bit better, though even that was a small mercy. Serves me right for trying to do something nice for someone else, huh?
…
Oh, who am I kidding? No matter how I sliced things, I had to admit that I was a little proud of myself. Maybe not even just a 'little'. I mean, I was sick as a dog because of it at the moment, but I did more or less cure my girlfriend's mother of a debilitating curse. That probably earned me a ton of brownie points, and Emese's attitude became noticeably warmer towards me... maybe even a bit too much to be honest. I couldn't help but wonder; were all Draconians this emotional, or was it just this family in particular?
I didn't dwell on the question for long, as it was obviously a moot one, considering that my sample size of 'Draconian families' was exactly one. Speaking of sample sizes, I forced my body into a sitting position, and after taking a few slow breaths I dragged myself over to my PC.
To be perfectly honest, I really wasn't in the mood to take notes, but I figured doing so was as good as any other method for taking my mind off the fact that I was sick as a politician allergic to dishonesty. As such I turned on the machine, limbered up my fingers a little, and once the desktop loaded in, I opened up the usual files and browser tabs.
When I paused for a brief moment while I considered where I should start, my attention was grabbed by the public chat room of the hub flashing with a series of notifications. I'm not going to lie, I was a little apprehensive of joining in, but the more I thought about it, the more tempting the button looked in my eyes. I mean, when it came to these guys, it was about as likely to find something amusing as it was to run into an absolutely brain-numbing discussion, but after the poker party this afternoon, I was still in the mood for a bit of gambling. I ultimately pressed the button, and it opened up a new window with lines upon lines of text already in the logs.
"Morosemoose: Hello, Admin."
"Morosemoose: It's been a while."
The notification barely showed up, yet I was immediately greeted by Moose. I reflexively wrote 'good evening', but then I remembered my cover story and quickly corrected myself.
"Admin: Good day, and yes, it's been a while."
"Admin: Where have you been?"
"Morosemoose: Mostly work. It's been a busy week in the office."
"Admin: I can imagine, though I don't really want to."
"W1NG3D N1NJ4: HEY, IT'S ADMIN! HI!! (￣▽￣)ノ"
"Admin: Hello. I should have known you'd be online as well."
"W1NG3D N1NJ4: I HAVE A LOT OF FREE TIME BEFORE THE EXAM PERIOD STARTS! (─‿‿─)"
"W1NG3D N1NJ4: MORE IMPORTANTLY! ADMIIIIIN!!! (ω)"
I waited for a few seconds, as I was under the impression that he had something else to say, but when there was only radio silence, I decided to respond first.
"Admin: Yes?"
"W1NG3D N1NJ4: I THOUGHT ABOUT THE MEANING OF LIFE, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING, AND DECIDED TO BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF LOVE!!!! (≧◡≦) "
"Morosemoose: ... I think you lost me there. What exactly are you two talking about?"
"Admin: Ninja has a crush, but she has a scary grandfather."
"Morosemoose: Oh."
"Morosemoose: I'm still lost, I'm afraid..."
"Admin: Don't worry, it's nothing important."
"W1NG3D N1NJ4: HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?!?! ( : ౦ ‸ ౦ : )"
"W1NG3D N1NJ4: I'M SUPER-DUPER SERIOUS, YOU KNOW!?!? (>_
"… and that's why I literally can't go around patrolling with you today," I explained in a low, neutral voice, just like how you would describe something to a child, and just as expected, Mountain Girl let out a disappointed huff.
"Then how are we to track down and slay the horrid creatures of the—?"
"Please, stop," I pleaded to her with my palms raised. "It's cold out here, I'm having a migraine, and I just want to go home. I promise I'll hunt with you once I feel better, so just let it go this one time, okay?"
I kid you not, she actually puffed up her cheeks like she was a chipmunk. I admit that, if Judy, Elly, or even Snowy was doing the same, I would've probably found it super-adorable, but since it was our resident annoying monster-huntress, I could only groan in response.
At last, after spending nearly half a minute staring at me in silence, she let her shoulders slack a little and she told me, "Very well. We shall go and scour the rotten underbelly of the city for the trails and tracks of the vile fiends of the underworld! All alone!" After saying her piece, she dramatically turned on her heel and took a few steps away from me, only to stop, turn back, and declare in a sulky voice, "We are going to unearth the greater fiend, and then we massacre it, and then we drench the streets with its lifeblood, and you're going to miss it, and you're going to be sorry!"
"Um… Good luck?"
"Onikiri wants you to know that you are the worst and a prepubescent penis."
"A prepubescent what now?" I muttered in response to her unusual insult, but instead of answering me, she let out another huff and dashed away, leaving me all alone in the park. For a moment I couldn't decide if I should shake my head or let out a groan, but in the end I decided not to waste my time on either of those options, and instead I quickly made my way over to the closest (and inexplicably clean) public toilet in the park, I hid myself in one of the stalls, and quickly Phased back home.
"Welcome back!" I was immediately greeted by Snowy as I appeared in the living room. I still remembered how she would freak out every time I appeared in front of her, but by this point she was totally used to it. Humans (or in this case, Abyssals) are really adaptable creatures, I supposed.
Anyhow, she quickly bounced over to my side and helped me slip out of my coat, and I belatedly realized that this time she wasn't wearing her maid outfit. Instead, she was sporting a pretty stylish ensemble including a puffy white blouse, a black skirt, stockings, and even some simple jewelry in the form of a bracelet and a thin silver necklace. I was actually a little baffled by that for a moment, but then my poor, over-exerted brain finally managed to connect the dots and I remembered that she told me in the morning that she was invited over to Angie's place for a movie night and a sleepover.
I checked the clock, and it was a little before six in the evening, so I told her, "Shouldn't you get going soon?"
"I already called a cab," she answered in an upbeat voice as she left the room with my coat in hand, and when she returned empty-handed she added, "It should be here soon."
"Good," I said with a nod. "You know the rules, right?"
My sister gave me a determined expression and told me, while counting on her fingers, "Be a good guest, be respectful to her parents, don't do anything Judy would be mad about, and… um…"
She seemed to forget the most important part, so I gently patted the top of her head and said, "… and have fun."
"Right, that's the one," she murmured with a smile, and I couldn't help but tousle her hair even harder for a moment.
"Awawa! Don't! You're going to make my hair all ruffled!" I stifled a chuckle and stopped messing with her hair, just in time to hear the horns of a car from the driveway, which immediately perked her up. "My cab is here!"
"Nice timing," I said as a used my now free hand to rub my chin. "What would've happened if I came home a little later though?"
"I would've waited for you, obviously," Snowy told me with a twinkle in her eyes as she headed to the entryway. I followed after her and watched as she put on her boots and her coat in record time, then, after making sure she got everything, she beamed at me and gave me a small wave. "I'm off!"
"Have fun." I waved back, and five seconds later she was already in the cab.
The moment she left, I let out a groan worthy of the history books as my shoulders involuntarily drooped. I didn't want to make her worry, so I toughed it out in front of her, but I was already feeling worse than the last time I over-exerted myself with the enchantments. I didn't know if it was because mucking with the curse and the core and what have you the way I did was just that much more exhausting, or because I haven't fully recovered from the previous stunt, but either way, at the moment I felt sick and tired like a three-legged workhorse.
Since there was nothing to do in the entryway, I went back into the living room and contemplated the idea of just sitting down on my comfy chair and putting my brain in standby mode. It was a tempting idea, but not a particularly productive one, so I shook it off and forced my legs to carry me up the stairs and into my room.
When I arrived, I immediately fell onto my bed and spread out on my back. It made me feel just a tiny bit better, though even that was a small mercy. Serves me right for trying to do something nice for someone else, huh?
…
Oh, who am I kidding? No matter how I sliced things, I had to admit that I was a little proud of myself. Maybe not even just a 'little'. I mean, I was sick as a dog because of it at the moment, but I did more or less cure my girlfriend's mother of a debilitating curse. That probably earned me a ton of brownie points, and Emese's attitude became noticeably warmer towards me... maybe even a bit too much to be honest. I couldn't help but wonder; were all Draconians this emotional, or was it just this family in particular?
I didn't dwell on the question for long, as it was obviously a moot one, considering that my sample size of 'Draconian families' was exactly one. Speaking of sample sizes, I forced my body into a sitting position, and after taking a few slow breaths I dragged myself over to my PC.
To be perfectly honest, I really wasn't in the mood to take notes, but I figured doing so was as good as any other method for taking my mind off the fact that I was sick as a politician allergic to dishonesty. As such I turned on the machine, limbered up my fingers a little, and once the desktop loaded in, I opened up the usual files and browser tabs.
When I paused for a brief moment while I considered where I should start, my attention was grabbed by the public chat room of the hub flashing with a series of notifications. I'm not going to lie, I was a little apprehensive of joining in, but the more I thought about it, the more tempting the button looked in my eyes. I mean, when it came to these guys, it was about as likely to find something amusing as it was to run into an absolutely brain-numbing discussion, but after the poker party this afternoon, I was still in the mood for a bit of gambling. I ultimately pressed the button, and it opened up a new window with lines upon lines of text already in the logs.
"Morosemoose: Hello, Admin."
"Morosemoose: It's been a while."
The notification barely showed up, yet I was immediately greeted by Moose. I reflexively wrote 'good evening', but then I remembered my cover story and quickly corrected myself.
"Admin: Good day, and yes, it's been a while."
"Admin: Where have you been?"
"Morosemoose: Mostly work. It's been a busy week in the office."
"Admin: I can imagine, though I don't really want to."
"W1NG3D N1NJ4: HEY, IT'S ADMIN! HI!! (￣▽￣)ノ"
"Admin: Hello. I should have known you'd be online as well."
"W1NG3D N1NJ4: I HAVE A LOT OF FREE TIME BEFORE THE EXAM PERIOD STARTS! (─‿‿─)"
"W1NG3D N1NJ4: MORE IMPORTANTLY! ADMIIIIIN!!! (ω)"
I waited for a few seconds, as I was under the impression that he had something else to say, but when there was only radio silence, I decided to respond first.
"Admin: Yes?"
"W1NG3D N1NJ4: I THOUGHT ABOUT THE MEANING OF LIFE, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING, AND DECIDED TO BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF LOVE!!!! (≧◡≦) "
"Morosemoose: ... I think you lost me there. What exactly are you two talking about?"
"Admin: Ninja has a crush, but she has a scary grandfather."
"Morosemoose: Oh."
"Morosemoose: I'm still lost, I'm afraid..."
"Admin: Don't worry, it's nothing important."
"W1NG3D N1NJ4: HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?!?! ( : ౦ ‸ ౦ : )"
"W1NG3D N1NJ4: I'M SUPER-DUPER SERIOUS, YOU KNOW!?!? (>_
