"N-Nin! Can you come in here for a moment, please?" I heard Einervaene call as I fiddled around with a tablet. And, not wanting to be dragged into this, I put it down and went in. Frowning deeply as I had a strong, firm idea of what this was going to be about. Everyone was here...
Even Deadly Sound...!?
"Sit." Omb quickly tells me before his superior strength casually puts me down onto my rear.
"Okay, to start with, Clarman..." Einervaene says nervously before she moves closer to Tiyanat. Who, seemed to be worried about something. It was obvious what it was, but, I knew from experience that one issue often let others in...
"Alright... Alright. Nin... We were not responsible for what happened to Larishazza."
"DO-" I started to shout before Omb's grip slammed my jaw shut. He wouldn't even budge even as I slammed my fist into him over and over.
"Nin! Please!" Einervaene begged as she came over to help him keep me down. What was this!?
"As I just said, Nin, we were not responsible. We had no involvement with it, okay!? We just got the time wrong. That is all." Clarman frustratedly sighs out. Yet, what reason did I have to believe them!? Did they have any proof!? How could this not just be them smoking their actions!?
"It's true, Bug. If you want proof, here." the large male grunts before the table trembles under a sudden new weight. Tablets, a pile of tablets is what he put there. And, they were starting to slowly show me their contents...
That was Larishazza's handwriting alright...
"See? She wanted to have some fun with how we discussed it and we traded tablets! We both lost our train of thought over and over again, see!?" she desperately pointed out as I started to calm down... Okay, if this was the case, then I was wrong. But, that still did not separate them entirely...
"Nin, they did not do it. So, please, calm down." Einervaene begs me as her grip starts to soften.
And, at first, I growled until Omb's hand left my jaw, "Duly noted..." I tell Deadly Sound. Let's say I went along with this, that they and Jhurack were separable. All that did was was remove one target of my anger... It was all going to go back to he who wielded the blade, after all...
"And, there's one more thing, Nin..." Vadei explains uncomfortably before more tablets were put down. However, unlike the last lot, they were given directly to me. They were rules... A list of terms and conditions put forth by the school's top lot.
If I attacked another student like I did with Deadly Sound... If I used my magic beyond the relegated areas... If I interefered with Thrurstradtur's law enforcement again... Or even left the ground of the school on top of many other details...
I would be expelled, just as Frihdeicalkbr said. A target would return to me and I would be shot until dead. A final end that not even Undwote's father could undo. My existence was a lucky circumstance to begin with.
Rose then sits in front of me, her claws in her hands, "My... Nin... We need to make it clear to you. If you don't get it for some reason... We do not want you to go after this killer."
"Yeah! Larishazza wouldn't want you to risk dying like this just to keep her safe..." Vadei tells me. Something that makes me snap my gaze to her. Because what right did she have to incite that name...?
"And even then, Nin... Please, don't go any further with this. They can handle it, okay? Just keep yourself safe so Larishazza can see her friend when she gets out..." Einervaene says before she is brought to tears.
"That man is holding her hostage, you all saw that! What he did in the hospital!?" I point out as I started to struggle against Omb again.
"People are aware, Nin... And, for better or worse, our father has found a solution." Tiyanat suddenly says as she stands up. Tears in her eyes before she looks down at me.
"Well?" I impatiently ask.
"Someone is coming to fix this... My sister will be back and it will all be fine... Just don't make it harder on her and them than it needs to be!" she nearly screams as she points at my friends. Einervaene, Liada, Rose, Vadei... They were all nearly driven to tears by the current situation.
And, I don't know why, but, I felt depressed seeing that... And I lowered my head in shame... I was just going to be like them when I got here... And I did not want to fail my friends...
I did not want to be alone again... And, unfortunately, going after that man meant being alone... Yet, Tiyanat's words were comforting. If Larishazza's dad had found a solution, then it would be solved...
I didn't really have much to go on in regards to it. But, I trusted the idea of a dad doing all he could for his children. Even if I never really knew mine to the point I struggled to remember them. More so, however, I trusted my friends...
"I'm... Sorry..." I let out quietly as I hid my face in shame.
"It's okay, just promise me you won't leave me alone?" Liada asks me as she quickly swoops in to take Omb's place. And with this sudden freedom I had, I brought her in close.
"I can do that..." I quietly promise as people started to leave until it was just me and those four. The four who have been with me at my worst moments. When I first became a bug, when I escaped that hive, when I was trying to get back to Tobaballe and all that...
"We understand this is difficult for you, Nin... But, please, don't make it worse." Einervaene pleads as I start to get swarmed by the girls. It was clear, abundantly clear that I was making the wrong choice. So, I took the advice their hearts were so openly suggesting. And, I pulled them all in closer as tears built up in my eyes.
Lari would've probably wanted this indeed... For her friends to be happy and safe.
"Now... I understand that it is not much, but..." Vadei began to utter quietly after she suddenly left to get something.
"A flower...?" I question as the pot is put in my hand carefully.
"Yeah... It's a... Well, back home, we call it a Get Better flower." she explains before she twirls a claw near one of the petals. And, the plant reacted by shimmering with magic that jingled on the way out.
"It's a very relaxing sound..." I say as I hear what sounded like gentle bells ringing.
"Mom used to steal these from my garden if something bad happened. She's put them in our bedroom flowerpot and they'd help us sleep."
"Thank you." I say to my friend as this might help. But, I had no way of telling if it really would given what had happened... Every night had been the same thing...
That man smiling over her bloody body.
"So, uh..." Liada suddenly began to say before she started to drag me to my feet.
"You made something?" I ask her as I sniffed the air. And, I smiled slightly at her nervous nod and the way she scrunched her hand up near her mouth. It was very cute. But, it became somewhat funny when her toe-claws reminded me of how deadly she could be.
"No one mentioned any gifts!" Einervaene quickly complains when she catches up.
"This is just dinner..." Liada corrects with a stuck out tongue before she happily sits next to me. To her disappointment, however, Vadei came slinking up onto my lap.
"Looks good." she says as her tail blocked out my face. At least, until she moved it over with a mischievous giggle.
"Hey! Stop! It's not for you!" Liada complains as she tries to shove Vadei off. But, as the gap between them was still so big... A gentle breeze was what we essentially felt.
"Come on, open wide!" Vadei continues to tease after she shoves Liada away.
"Not a child." I remind her before she took the opportunity to make a mess of my face.
"Oops." she lets out with a snicker.
"R-Rose'lhia!?" one of them then exclaims as Rose makes a point of licking the mess up.
"That's disgusting." I comment.
"True, but, I can't stand you being tainted by roots." she tells me before she casually flings Vadei over me.
"HEY!" she barks as her claws start to fill with magic.
"You two!" Einervaene interrupts with a stomp of her foot and flash of lightning.
"Sorry..." Vadei mumbles.
"So, Nin, is there anything in particular you want?" Rose asks me. And while it confused me, I was happy it was my name she used. None of that pretentious lie of hers...
"Peace and quiet?" I answer as I let Liada get me something to eat. However, I had to make a point of it to Rose as otherwise she would try and stop her.
"Honestly, I don't see how you can tolerate these roots. They're weak and unappealing." Rose scorns as she looks at the other two.
"I guess Nin and I could ask the same of you." Einervaene jabs herself as she hugs me from behind. And, I had to admit, watching Rose flinch the way she did was new. It was so simple that it was genius!
"W-Well... Uh..." she struggled to get out before Einervaene giggled and stroked her hair.
"Don't take it so seriously!" she quickly exclaims nervously as she likely catches up to her tongue.
"Shut up!" Rose then snaps in my face as I cackle at her reaction.
"Hey! What about my..." Liada impatiently complains.
"Alright, off. I'm hungry." I tell Rose before I sigh at the food. I was hungry because I just hadn't been feeling it. I knew that I needed to eat to stay strong. But, Lari's state made it hard to focus while eating.
I struggled even now, but, I could hide it at the very least amongst the bickering. Through what was playful and what was just mean-spirited. Liada's food wasn't bad, I just had a lot on my mind. And, thinking about this morning, maybe there was some truth to it...
Well, just playing around with their boobs wasn't going to solve it. But, spending time with them would help me keep my mind off of it. Maybe, though, I should seek some divine help. Motrtha has given me help before, maybe she would now to.
Or, this help Tiyanat said was coming, I could pray for them. The emotions packed into such a thing would surely get the gods' attention? They'd be willing to pass it on for me, right? I mean, I was in a funny position where I could cite some sort-of friendship moments with them...
"So, Nin, I was thinking... Maybe you'd like to help me with something, tomorrow?" Liada quietly asks me while the other three got on with a fight.
"Maybe I would, what is it?" I tell her with a slight smile. Letting mine grow as her face lit up.
"Well... You know how I said that I have spent most of my life on board an airship?"
"Yeah?" I just say rather than asking ahead of time. She would tell me what it was that was on her mind. No need to waste words guessing.
"I didn't get to do much in the way of recreation, none of us did. But, I heard some of the humans talking before about swimming in a nearby lake?"
"You want to go swimming?" I ask her, leaning in a bit closer as this did interest me. Only problem was, however, that I did not know how to swim. Her situation wasn't much different from my old life as a low-floor citizen, after all.
"Yeah... Or, rather, I'd like you to teach me."
I huff quietly, "We'll have to teach each other, then." I inform her.
"Fine by me!" she giggles quietly before she flinches at how close Vadei was.
"Swimming..." she repeats slowly and loudly.
"Swimming?" Einervaene says with some fear as she sparks reactively.
"What an excellent idea!" Rose exclaims as she stands up and swivels her hips, "Believe it or not, I have plenty of outfits that go well in the water!"
"I can believe that." I say with a straight face as I remember our journey to this place. I was stuck carrying an absurd amount of clothes. Her room probably had more stock than a clothes shop!
"So, Nin, what do you say? Interested in seeing this body in a revealing, soaked one-piece?" Rose asks me seductively with no self-awareness whatsoever.
Then, I look at Einervaene, "I wouldn't mind at all!" I wink.
"NIN!" she screams as as she suddenly turns red. Yet, she quickly lowers her guard and pushes her front out. She was certainly contemplating it.
"Heh heh." I let out as Liada starts to frown.
"Aw... I just wanted it to be us two..." she complains as she sticks her face between my shoulder and neck.
"I'm sure, we can figure it out. Besides, Einervaene can't go in the water, Rose prefers showing off and Vadei doesn't like water." I tell her in order to comfort her.
"I don't hate wat-"
"Skedah!" I suddenly let out after flicking a glass of water on her.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Vadei screams at me as I fall off the chair laughing.