Being met with a cheeky smile and teasing look that Cyrus would have never thought was possible on the face of the famous ice queen, he wiped the pointless sweat that had formed on his brow and listened to his heart calm down in real time.
"Books?" asked Cyrus whilst feeling his mask, considering to just throw it off.
"Of course, you already snuck up on me that one time and discovered my interest so there is no harm in being open about it.
"You will come with me to the bookstores I frequent and buy what I need. That way I get to save money and I don't have to hear all the annoying remarks about how its unexpected that a beauty like me likes to read what I do or just get stared at in general by everyone.
"Is it really so weird that a good looking person like me likes to read? What am I supposed to do then, go around and look at pointless gems all day to adorn myself like a spruced up peacock?"
'Ah books, give me back my resolve and tension. Well, at least this is an easy re- wait, did she say that I have to buy them? Do I even have any actual money leftover?'
Realizing that he had a slight problem that he made sure to address at a later date, Cyrus looked at Minerva and said,
"I will do as you ask then, just give me the location and what you want to buy and it shall be done."
The moment he said this, however, Minerva's expression fell and he could almost visibly see her begin to frost over once more.
"What now?" asked an exasperated Cyrus.
Seeing that perhaps he had done it unintentionally, Minerva stopped her descent and instead rolled her eyes whilst saying,
"I didn't ask you to buy the books FOR me, I asked you to come WITH me to buy them."
"Would it not be easier for me to go alone?" asked Cyrus, "You know, then you will not have to deal with all that mess you were talking about earlier and I won't have to commit one or more crimes"
"I forgot that you were like this for a second..." muttered Minerva under her breath, saying something that though Cyrus could easily hear he could not understand what it meant.
Minerva thought for a moment and then clapped her hands together while saying, "Going to buy them in person is half the experience, not to mention that I will be able to personally inspect the quality of the book itself such as how worn it is and if it was stored properly.
"I also should not have to change my behavior, not being able to do something that I love, simply because of the reactions of other people. I said this before but I will say it again, I will not cover myself in a sack just because of how I look."
Cyrus was still not convinced, as even he could detect that what Minerva had said sounded more like an excuse to cover up the true reason but when he was about to press this point he was stopped dead in his tracks.
'Hold on idiot, just agree and be done with it. No need to go down a path of no return, at least not until you are ready for it' said the bright half from the world within.
'Me?' asked the dark half, 'You are calling me and idiot? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black...well whatever I will do as you say Mr. Expert.'
"Fine, fine, I will accompany you then. But you are in no shape to be going anytime soon, rest up and then catch up on your studies. Only then will I come with you, also don't leave this place by yourself. Those annoying bugs are still crawling around."
With perhaps a bit too much pleasure in her voice, Minerva responded,
"Great! Then I will come and grab you after I am ready to go and have caught up on my missed classes."
Realizing that she may have sounded a bit too pleased and animated she coughed lightly and resumed a little more of what could be a more 'normal' tone and expression for her,
"Ahem, thank you for worrying about me as well. Did they attack you again and have you discovered any new information about them?"
Noting her odd reaction carefully but setting it aside for another time, Cyrus responded,
"They avoided a trap that was set but that was all, just proving their overly cautious nature. I have another plan in the works but it will take some time to come underway, assuming that they attack again.
"Either way, they are just some small fries being led by someone a little competent so there is nothing too much to worry about. Just focus on getting better, I will feel much more at ease with my icy sword at my side again."
Though he was confused as to why his conversation partner suddenly turned away and started coughing wildly, he chalked it up to her needed rest and decided to be respectful rather than what his instincts were telling him to do and poke and prod her a bit.
Standing up he said,
"Now, I will leave you to get some more rest. Do get well..."
And he turned to leave but he was stopped by a almost frantic sounding voice from behind,
"W-wait...ahem, wait a moment. Our conversation is not done yet."
Turning back around and with a look that said, 'What else is there?', Cyrus stood and waited.
"Well, how about we discuss what is going on with Imran. He came and visited me once but he looked pretty terrible now that I think about it. Did something happen? The last time I saw him look that bad was when he had lost all his money on a big investment."
'Hmm, this could go bad. How much should I say?' wondered the masked Cyrus.
'The truth...? Or at least be vague and mysterious but also not lying, how can you maintain an actual...friendship...through lies' lectured the bright half.
'Fine fine, let's see here...'
"He was made aware of something that he was not of before," explained Cyrus lightly, "and he has realized a few flaws in his past conduct and is undergoing what I imagine to be some kind of life changing experience.
"Eventually he should come and talk to you about this, so don't worry too much about it and just wait to be informed. Now, rest well!"
And with saying that Cyrus quickly retreated from the room before Minerva could say anything else.
'Tsk tsk, fleeing from your problems.'
Of course that jab was ignored and Cyrus simply recast the Vita coil spells while heading off towards his next class and promptly taking the mask off all the while.
----
Watching the fast as lightning retreat from Cyrus, Minerva shook her head at the shamelessness of her new weird friend.
"Damned idiot, couldn't have stayed for a bit longer to chat. It's boring being stuck in here all day" huffed Minerva as she laid back down in her bed and stared at the ceiling.
Gone was her frosty exterior and gone was the glare that would make lesser men fall to their knees, all that was left was a normal girl who just happened to look a little too easy on the eyes for her own personal liking.
Rolling from side to side out of boredom she grabbed a spare pillow and threw it into the air, imagining it to be in Cyrus' likeness as several icicles appeared in mid air and pierced it from all angles.
"Idiot, not even bringing up the main issue and just apologizing for the incident without ever bringing it up directly."
The pillow fell to the ground next to her but another and far larger ice spike was created from the ground up and the pillow was pierced through by it.
"Swaggering on in without a care in the world, saying all that mushy stuff and promising me this and that...and then doing THAT... though that apology full of emotion was something I did not expect to come from him, that was nice..."
Trying to stop herself from thinking of the one who irked her so much, she pulled out the novel that she had been reading for awhile now.
Rolling over on her stomach and placing the book on the bed, she read quickly and with a ferocious hunger whilst kicking her feet in enjoyment.
'And then to declare her as his own, in front of the entire kingdom, he took the lips of the maiden under the moonlight....'
The scene reminded her of something, causing her feet to freeze and her face to heat up rapidly.
Slowly closing the book and storing it away, she laid back down and said aloud,
"Maybe I need some more sleep."
Though curiously enough, the pillow had been skewered by several more spikes of ice.