Today was a free day. No shifts to cover, no pressing obligations to fulfill, and aside from the matter of restocking the pantry, it was just you and a bunch of hours just waiting to be spent however way you wish.
The perfect kind of day to waste away.
Though my life has gone all topsy-turvy, wibbly-wobbly as of late. At heart, I was still the kind of guy who'd rather kick back with a tub of ice cream and watch whatever's good all day.
And the cherry on top was that I didn't have to do that alone anymore. I mean, what better way to forge a closer bond than doing absolutely nothing together? I'm sure Ash wouldn't mind having a day off from doing absolutely everything around the house either.
I quickly hopped in the shower to refresh and really snap awake before heading right down to the living room. Already two things stood out to me upon reaching the bottom: the quiet and the smell.
Both of which were entwined with one another.
I turned to the kitchen and the stove was off, and nearby, not a single plate was set on the dining table. Ash had a rigid schedule, one that even I struggled to stray her away from on occasion.
In the mornings, breakfast was usually her number one priority. A minute late, and she'd be profusely apologizing to me about her apparent incompetence. Right now, she was way off schedule and nowhere in sight. Still fast asleep, maybe?
Whatever the case, this was the perfect chance for me to finally pull my own weight around here. Time for a little bit of role reversal.
Laid out plates and cups for three, switched on the stove, and began waiting for the pan to simmer. Come to think of it, Adalia did say she wanted something sweet today, but since I still can't find her anywhere, I suppose ham and eggs were the next best thing on the menu.
Halfway through the first batch, I heard a door handle from somewhere upstairs swing open. A little while after that, I turned around, pan in hand, to find Sera staring idly over the countertop.
Suffice it to say, not who I had in mind coming down those stairs. But nevertheless…
"Morning," I greeted, pouring the contents of the pan onto the plate nearest to her. "Breakfast?"
Sera immediately grabbed the plate, scurrying off to the dining table in a whirl of violet. I'll take that briskness of hers as a yes and thank you, then.
Having Sera in my peripherals was like a constant, glaring reminder stuffed in a bundle of deep purple. Like I was back in that dream, with… her as my only source of company. And in a strange, twisted sort of way, Sera resembled her.
Appearance-wise.
I vaguely knew how either looked, barely understood how either thinks. The way her cloak swayed and cascaded as she moved, almost shapeless, something almost halfway between human… and something else.
Irene was my first option for discussion. But, if not Irene, then a close, real close second surely couldn't be anybody else. Just hope she's feeling chatty today.
First things first, though…
"Hey, have you seen Adalia around?"
I had to pigeon my neck all the way around to see her reply—the back of her hood—bouncing and fluttering to the shape of an obvious no.
Just up and bolted like a bat out of hell, did she? Oh well.
"And how about Ash?" I further asked, scraping off bits of stuck egg whites onto the second plate. "I'm guessing she's still in her room, about ready to have a heart attack realizing how late it is."
I didn't expect any other answer than a single, affirming nod. So just imagine my reaction seeing Sera slowly shake her head yet again.
"Wait, she's up?"
This time, she nodded, spiking up overall confusion levels.
"What—went out for groceries?" I wondered aloud. "Or is she…?"
Shit, what am I doing speculating around for? Gave her a phone, didn't I?
I switched off the stove, stuffing the leftover ham and eggs back into the fridge, and stowing away the extra plate. For a full minute, I was kept in anticipation by the beep of the dial tone only to be met with the disappointment of dead air.
The hell…
"You know anything?" I asked, taking a seat across from Sera. "Or… will you tell me anything?
Sera shook her head for the third time, a fork buried beneath the veil draped over her lips, and on top of everything, I was left wondering if she was answering the former or the latter.
Something wasn't making any sense.
Adalia was one thing, but no way in hell would Ash just up and leave without telling me first. At the very least, she would have left a message, anything… certainly not absolutely nothing.
This ambiguity, this sense of mystery, it definitely didn't sound anything like her—but—it did sound quite familiar.
After a bite of slightly singed eggs, I was back with the flat melody of beeps against my ear, waiting in a rustling, restless silence, until eventually…
"Oh, I'm still dreaming, am I?" spoke a voice on the other end, bursting with enough sweetness to practically season my plate. "A call from you first thing in the morning? I'm pinching myself—it isn't working."
"You're awake, don't worry," I assured.
"That so? Then, to what do I owe such a rare, unprecedented pleasure, hm? Don't have to sell my soul, do I?"
"Unprecedented?" I felt my eyebrows furrow. "I called you before, Amanda."
"Maybe check our logs before making yourself look like a silly-billy," she replied giddily. "According to them, you're not much of a 'good morning, darling' sort of person as I am. It's usually me greeting you."
"You're keeping count?"
"Don't have to," she said confidently. "Not when you're you. And we both know you, don't we now? Plus, odds are—one out of three—I'm probably not even the first person you've called, am I?"
At this point, it's starting to seem like she knows me better than I do myself. Whether I should be flattered or not… I'll decide later… got more pressing matter to tend to.
"Listen, kinda out of the blue, but you don't happen to know where Ash had gone to, do you?" I asked. "Woke up a while back, haven't seen her anywhere, or Adalia too for that matter."
"Ahh, I knew it was too good to be true—of course!" I heard her let out a raspy, bitter sigh. "Should have expected this, honestly. I mean, what else could be so pressing for you to call me so early? Psh, surely can't be me."
"Um, are you really upset? Or are you just messing with me? I really can't tell right now."
"I guess we'll never really know for sure, will we?" Amanda replied with a decisive huff, leaving me stranded on a metaphorical cliff of wonder. "But if you must know, no, I haven't seen either of them. If anything though, I don't know why you'd think I would know."
"Just a feeling."
"A feeling?" from her tone of voice, I could pretty much see her dubious glare before my very eyes. "Like 'girl probably kidnapped her competition' sort of feeling or…?"
"They're not your competition, alright?" I said. "And no, nothing like that. Just thought that maybe you'd… y'know…"
"Kidnapped my competition?"
I blew a breath. "Yeah, kinda."
"Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news here," Amanda said. "But I haven't seen a single white-haired, long-eared, big-boobed Elf woman since, I think maybe—"
A loud crash drowned out the rest of her words. From the faint crinkle and buzz of static, it sounded like glass, like a cup being shattered. Then suddenly, from the same faintness, the very same crinkle and buzz, surfaced another voice.
"Lady Amanda!" it echoed. "Regrettably, Adalia had knocked her cup off the table. An accident, of course! Please, accept my apology in her place, I shall take care of it promptly… only… where might I find where you keep your cleaning utilities so that I may get started at once?"
Then a little further, a little fainter, drawled another new voice.
"Sorry…" it whispered to me. "Too… early... still... too sleepy…"
And somewhere amidst it all, I could vaguely hear Amanda's stifled breathing in the silence.
Something definitely wasn't adding up.
I don't know—call it a feeling, I guess.
"Amanda…"
"I'm playing Asteria," she immediately said. "In the middle of a side quest. Eshwlyn's with me. Having a tea party, you see."
"Oh, cool," I said. "Can we switch to video? I'd like to see you play for a bit if that's okay."
Once again, Amanda fell into a bout of long, long silence.
"I'm actually about to hop into the shower right now."
"Oh, are you now?"
"Yeah, yes, so, umm…" I heard her swallow. "No can do, I'm afraid. I'm bare naked, and, like…"
"And that's stopping you, why?" I asked. "Uncomfortable having your boyfriend see you naked all of a sudden?"
"No, no, 'course not," she said, breathing, chuckling a little timidly. "But, I mean you, knowing you… like… aren't you…?"
"Please, Amanda," I urged her, goading her with all my might. "Go right ahead. Flash me. I'm begging you. I'd want nothing more."
"Oh, wait, sorry—what's that—what'd you say?" Amanda stammered hastily. "Sorry. The bathroom has a bad signal. Think we're breaking up, um, hello? hello? You still there? Welp, guess not. Love you, bye!"
And then the call abruptly ended there. Whatever the hell 'there' was supposed to be.
I don't know about you, but something tells me Amanda wasn't even naked in the first place.
So… mystery's solved, I suppose. Except now, I got an even bigger, grander mystery I was left to stew with.
Ash and Adalia, what the hell were they doing over there with her? And most importantly, why the secrecy? What's going on? I'd try Ash's phone again, but I'm almost certain Amanda's one step ahead of me on that.
Which leads me right back to—why?
As I ruminated, I noticed Sera was staring at me the whole time, sitting quietly before an empty plate, and taking quick, not-so-subtle glances at mine.
"Have it," I said, sliding my plate over to her. "Gonna have to go get groceries anyway."
Maybe while I'm at it, should I drop by Amanda's? See what the hell's happening for myself? Or would that just ruin whatever grand plan she has in store for me or something? Do I want that?
Perhaps the best-case scenario here was just to let it be for now.
Hmm…
"What?"
My eyes wandered forward again; Sera still had her gaze toward me, my plate left untouched.
The next second, it felt as if her stare had burrowed deep into mine. I felt my breath leave me, a pain grip me, and I quickly braced myself accordingly… feeling my lips part open without me.
"Mother Enstar has visited you," she spoke through me, her golden eyes gleaming with intrigue. "I can see it, I can feel it. She has touched you."
Then, pausing, staring even closer, Sera blinked.
"She has warned you."
I don't know how she knew all this at just a glance. All I could do was nod at her, doing my best to mitigate the agony of speaking.
"Listen to her. You need to listen to her," Sera told me, my own voice pounding in my ears, reverberating with a sense of total urgency. "Do not anger Mother again."
Then—I lurched forward onto the table, and everything on it shook with a clatter. I gasped for breath, blinking out the tears in my eyes all the while watching a smudge of deep violet whisk away up the stairs taking my plate along with.
"Good talk," I spat out between heaves, grateful for such a short-lived discussion. "Thanks for the warning."
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