"The real reason why the Messiahs were selected?" Prim said coming into the living room upon hearing what Sig just said. Rem was following after her. The two sat on the sofa where Prim was lying earlier.
"Oh, I know that tale!" Rem cheered, "It was at that time 200 years ago when this crazy pandemic hit the whole world and those descendants of the famous founders perished. They had to train the remaining ones like crazy and finally selected the best out of them."
"That, I know." Vin continued.
"I didn't know there was a pandemic 200 years ago," Prim said batting her eyes innocently. Vin and Rem stared at her with faces of disbelief. "No, seriously. What I know is how a massive dent released too much spirit tar that it infected the souls of the mortals creating pulmonary disease-like symptoms when it was all psychosomatic," she explained. "It was even described as if these humans exhibited lifelessness feeling like their soul had left their body. Some even experienced sleep paralysis more times than regular stating how a reaper talks to them convincing them of offering their souls up for something."
"That sounds creepy," Rem said feeling a sudden chill.
Vin even agrees how absurd that sounded, but it didn't seem surreal to the other one that hasn't said a word.
Sig suddenly stood up, face flushed in dilemma, "Where did you learn that?"
Vin and Rem were clueless of what Prim had been narrating but it seems everything she said was true since Sig reacted as if that was information nobody else was supposed to have knowledge of.
"I'm not actually quite sure. I think I read it in a book or someone did tell me about it." she said, feeling uneasy, "You seem terribly shocked professor."
"No, it's just.." Sig calmly sits down messing his hair. He looked at Prim trying to study whether she's telling the truth, but her wavelength has been down which means no aggravated memories were being reframed. "Only the Messiahs and Commander Chang know of this."
"Has the commander spoke to you about this?" Vin asked.
Prim shook her head, "Olivia's always kept her mouth shut. And it's only been years until I talked to her again, so I doubt it."
"Very well," Sig grinned cutting the topic to a short, "I think we'll leave this for another day." He said, "For now, you both better be headed to your cabins to rest. I'll meet you two for your orientation program with me later this evening."
"Wait, what about my regular classes back at the base?" Prim worries, "I have classes from six to eight every Thursday, which happens to also be today. I haven't graduated you know."
"Oh, right," Vin said standing up, "I forgot to mention that all your remaining lessons will be handled by me." he said smirking.
"What? No!" she yelled, launching from her seat, he looks at Sig with pleading eyes, "Is there a way that you'd be the one teaching me instead?" her voice quivered.
Sig shrugged, "I'm sorry, Prim. Commander's orders. Besides, wouldn't it be better to learn from someone your age?" he grinned.
There wasn't much else to do. Prim begged Sig to be her instructor but she got rejected over and over. Vin was enjoying the sight of Prim being tormented by the idea. He has yet to teach her the remainder of her lessons and yet she's already being tortured. Before Prim could break down and try to bribe him, Sig quickly instructed Rem to escort the two going to their cabins. It's not that far of a walk, but the path to their cabin was rarely taken for a fact that it's been years since the residents of the cabins in that area had been home.
"Your eyes are dim," said Rem who had been walking beside Prim.
"Who wouldn't be?" she sighed, "Knowing I'll be stuck with Know-It-All."
Rem chuckled. He looked back at Vin checking if he was listening, but Vin looked like he was too preoccupied with something mumbling to himself.
He nudges Prim making her look at him before he whispered, "So, anything going on between you two?"
Prim's face went from blank to shock then to disgust.
Rem laughs, "Then I guess your reaction sums it up."
"Who the hell would even get...ugh just the thought of it makes me want to throw myself into a canyon."
"Is it that bad?" Rem priest.
"You have no idea how obsessed that guy is when it comes to perfection. He smirks at his brush collection like murder is about to happen. His obsession throws me off." she shudders even just describing it.
"Brush collection?"
"You don't even wanna know," she responds under her breath. Their faces suddenly went grim. Rem glances at Prim thinking how this girl does not have an ounce of immunity towards men. She hasn't even noticed him casually checking her out.
"Then..if you don't see him that way then maybe I have a chance?" Rem slyly adds into their conversation, feeling shy. Prim gives him an innocent look, blinks, and cracks into a small laugh.
"Aah..you're not even taking me seriously," he said trying to make her stop laughing.
She stops into a smirk looking him straight in the eye, "Are you sure you can even handle me, old man?"
Her smile went straight into Rem's heart. He wasn't really serious of what he said, but the way she just said that made her so attractive that he might be reconsidering it now.
"You make it sound like I'm too old for you, Prim." he scoffs.
"Isn't that right?"
They both crack into laughter.
From anybody's point of view, these two look like they are really good friends, but in Vin's point of view, they were flirting. They hadn't noticed he started listening just from when Rem mentioned about him having a chance on her. I didn't make his blood boil, but his work ethic started ticking.
"Are we there yet?" Vin interrupted them.
Rem and Prim stopped walking. They turn around and found the boy staring at them with indignant eyes.
"There he goes again, his bomb went off earlier this time." Prim whispers to herself.
Rem walks toward Vin all smiles, "Sorry this path is rarely taken so I was taking my time to make sure we were on the right path."
"Alright," Vin walks passed him, "Just making sure this isn't one of those tricks you have up of your sleeve."
"Hey! Be polite!" Prim reprimands.
"And since when did you care about being polite?" Vin talks back at her.
"Why you.." anger surging up her throat.
"No, it's alright Prim." Rem turns around, "I understand why little commander over here doesn't trust me."
Vin stops from walking, anticipating what Rem was about to do, but just when he was about to turn around, a gust of wind passes by him with the words, "But you shouldn't try and make enemies of your own kind, especially your elders." He quickly cracked his neck to look at Rem, but he was far from him. Vin then realized it was certainly not wise to be of odds with this person.
The path towards the cabin was thorny especially Prim being in the middle of two boys snarling at each other. Rem doesn't seem to care, but Vin had been glaring at him since their exchange from earlier.
"We're here!" Rem cheered proudly as they arrive from their fifteen-minute walk.
Prim's eyes glowed looking at the all-white chalet that was at least two cars wide. It was a Doric style chalet with Corinthian columns erected at the porch, standing with two floors. It was an epic representation of what dreams would look like.
"Prim?" Rem said waving his hand at her face, "That's not it." Rem pointed to where Vin was standing, dumbfounded, petrified. Their cabin wasn't the beautifully designed all white, but it was the timbered red-roof beside it that looked like a dwarf compared to it.
"Wow...it looks..." Prim couldn't quite get the words out.
"Well, it doesn't look that bad." Rem said looking at it, "And look, you're bags are here." he said pointing at the luggage left at their porch.
"It looks..." Prim tried to get the words out once more.
"Rather small.." Vin finished in a monotone. He didn't look unamused, he didn't look angry too. It was a plain neutral face of displeasure.
Prim glances at Vin, "Chang, your raccoon is showing."
"I was prepared. I prepared myself for this. I was warned so I prepared." he kept mumbling.
"Ah, so that was that rumbling you had earlier. I thought you'd gone and join some cult." Prim teasingly remarked.
Vin wouldn't stop moping, his soul visually leaving his body from the frustration. Rem and Prim had to drag him inside just so they could start unpacking. The outside looked really small, but when they got inside, it wasn't so bad after all. It is smaller than a regular house, but the bathroom and kitchen were average in size. The only problem was...the sleeping area.
"There is no way I am sleeping in one room with you." Vin said staring at their current situation.
"Oh, come on! It's a bunk bed. We won't be sleeping in one bed." Prim said gazing out of the open window that was bringing in the breeze. "Besides, this will be more suitable for you to keep an eye on me." she grinned, cheeks puffed.
For the first time, Vin felt a little tingle in his stomach looking at Prim smile. He didn't like the feeling. The feeling was new, and he didn't like new. He hated how he thought Prim looked cute for a second.
"Is she for real?" Rem glanced at Vin who was also speechless of how naive this girl is.
"She has zero immunity and is as thick as an almanac. For real." said Vin who doesn't know what to do. He quickly grabs his phone from his pocket hoping he could reach the commander. Sadly, there was no available connection from where they were at.
The boys watched Prim scavenge around the room. Prim was not pondering much of the living arrangements as she lived with almost nothing before. What she was excited about were the upcoming missions. She sure was scared at first when she heard about her promotion, but after her exhibition earlier, she felt confident and was more than willing to test her skills out.
"Hey, Chang?" she called out in a cheery tone. Vin was surprised to see her so happy, "Can I be bottom?"
Rem and Vin glowed red.
"Hey!" she snapped at Vin which startled the two boys, "CAN I or CAN I NOT get the bottom bunk? I twist and turn in my sleep so I'd rather minimize the impact of my fall." she explained, then she peeked at the two boys who were frozen on their feet.
"What's up you guys? Cat got your tongue?" she waved her hand in front of them. "I'm really starting to feel like I'm not even worth listening to here." she folded her arms.
Just when she was about to snap back at Vin who wasn't responding, the boy suddenly slaps both of his cheeks with an annoyed expression on his face.
"Aah! Whatever! I'm taking a bath!" Vin yelled as he stormed out of the room.
"What's up with him?" she said. Prim glanced at Rem who was scratching the back of his head, laughing awkwardly, "I'll go get your other things." he said and escaped to the porch.
Prim was left standing, confused about what just happened.
"What the hell is up with those two?"