"It's about time that you come out"
I don't wanna.
"You have been in the bath for hours, please come out."
Actually it's been thee days.
"D- days?! That cant be good."
Quite the opposite, it's the best!
"What if you dissolve like some bathing salt?"
Ohhh~ that would be interesting.
"B- but…" The whiny voice gets interrupted by a hiccup and I [look] at the source. A reflex to heal up, whatever triggered it.
The body is fine. The hiccup probably is a side effect, because the whiny voices owner started to cry.
It belongs to a small imp dressed in a maid-outfit, named Lhi. The little imp sits at the edge of a large bath. I of course are in said bath and just enjoy existing in a world where hot baths are a thing.
When I first met her, I thought she was a boy, because she is nearly as flat as I am, but not as skinny, so her body type is neutral. The short hair didn't help in clearing that mistake. All imps that I've seen so far are quite curvy. The small bodies even highlight this fact and of course I will not [look] at certain places.
So it's not my fault.
Lhi apparently is still a child, so her body isn't fully developed yet. I pout thinking about the fact, that she is already 1,8 centimetres taller than me and will still grow.
I probably won't grow any more… The only change that my body has undergone over the past few years is the symbol that Azza forced on me.
My looks are actually the reason why Fhe called me the "little one", she thought I was a child. Sorry, but I'm just weird.
Of course I then had to ask, if male imps even exist, because everyone I met so far was female.
They do indeed exist.
Fhe explained it to me.
Well, from what I understand, male imps are feral and in contrast to the female imps, who barely can use magic, the male ones are said to have a very high affinity with aether. So apparently the genders for imps are somewhat different species from the same family. I still don't really understand. Is it like cats and lions?
I didn't ask, because Fhe did something uncalled for.
There was information that no one would ever ask about or have any need for.
She explained to me, that both kinds can reproduce with the same gender and the child would also end up being the same.
The rational me forbade the silly me to think about this and then just shut down for 3 days.
I don't get it…
Problem is, I broke something in my mind with that, because I can't figure out what that means. Like how-?
...5. 8. 9. 7. 9. 3. 2. 3. 8. 4. 6. 2. 6. 4. 3. 3…
Yeah yeah, no need to scream the numbers of pi at me, stupid counting me. I wont think deeper about it, for now.
I sigh in my mind and shift my concentration back to Lhi.
You realise, that the total amount of water in this room increases if you cry, right?
She hides her face behind her hands. "I'm not crying, but if you don't come out, I will!"
What a weird threat… Do as you like, I won't come out.
The amount of tears increases and her hiccup gets stronger too, but I wont let that ruin my mood.
I have been living in Drem's castle for four weeks now… the fearsome party will be in only a few hours.
Ah~ the past few weeks just vanished within a second… I want them back. I don't want to go to this party…
Ungh… but I have to. Not only because I can read to my hearts content afterwards, but also because I am afraid of what might happen if I cancel the deal. Azza is really scary.
She has visited a few times and we had talked about trivial stuff, no matter how hard I tried to get any information about her. Every time she left, I felt like I was just a little puppet dancing on strings. Not a single move unintended. A weird feeling.
I stretch a bit in the hot water. This feeling alone is worth getting irritated by Azza… I hope at least.
"If you don't come out, I will go get Fhe!"
Huh, changing the strategy already? Sure, do that.
Now that I think about it, where is Fhe? She spends most of her time with me, but every few days she vanishes for a few hours. It feels like we get along quite nice. A person I want to be with and who doesn't judge me for who I am… There is the word "friend" being whispered in the back of my head, but I won't even dare to clearly think it. Whenever she leaves, I get the feeling, that she is only with me, because it's her job. Working her shift and then leave until she has to endure me again…
Thinking about this hurts…
I let go of the weights in my hands and float up to the surface. With my face above the water, I take a deep breath to get my head clear. That can't be true, right? She leaves and comes back at quite irregular intervals, so I hope that my mind is just painting everything darker than it actually is…
On the other hand I don't know if the system for working shifts is the same here, as it is in a human city…
I clap my cheeks to interrupt that thought and at the same time, the door gets thrown open. There is only one person, who would be impolite enough to just throw open a bathroom door.
"Fhe!" Lhi jumps up and stumbles over to her, just to fall over.
Fhe catches the slightly smaller imp and gently pats her head. She then looks towards me.
"It's about time that you come out." In contrast to Lhi, Fhe didn't use any words and instead [talked] by using her spread out information. But there is no real difference in my opinion. I am the master of wasting time, so we can do the whole thing again, no problem.
I don't wanna.
"Too bad."
Eh? That wasn't in the script.
Fhe stands up and lifts Lhi, who finally stopped crying, to her feet in the same movement. "Thank you for taking over, I'm sure it was hard looking after such a spoiled little sister."
Little sister? I'm older than her… I think. No, I am sure about that.
And what's that about spoiled? I am very modest, I just enjoy being here to the fullest as long as I can.
"Now go get some rest, I will take over." Fhe gently nudges the smaller imp and after a moment of thinking, Lhi just leaves the bathroom with a big smile on her face.
Can you stop ignoring me, please?
"I'm not ignoring you, I just accept the fact, that you wont get out of the water.", she [sounds] as if she would explain this to a toddler. "And because I should refrain from getting my clothes wet, I just prioritised showing Lhi my gratitude over interacting with you."
Oh, that makes sense, thank you for explaining.
"You're welcome. But if you won't come out, I will go and have some breakfast."
Huh? You leave me alone?
"Sure"
Really?
"Yes." She takes a step towards the door. "I had something be prepared for you too, but the master forbade me to feed you in the bath again, remember?"
Ah yes, not my greatest idea ever. The crumbs were everywhere. Wait, prepared?
"Yes, because the master told me that the upcoming event will be exhausting for you, I ordered the best bread that our kitchen can bake… It was still hot when I brought it to your room before coming here. Sadly all the warmth and the fluffiness of freshly baked bread will now go to waste…" She takes another step.
Wait! I'm coming out! I'm coming out! Don't let the poor bread get wasted!
I can't swim and because my body is made out of the same Aether as my surroundings – in this case water – it is actually impossible for me to really move much in liquids by myself. So I just struggled around for a few seconds until Fhe grabbed the tip of my tail with her own and pulls me out of the water like an ugly fish.
Of course I want to go to my room as soon as possible, but she takes her time drying me up with one of those super soft towels.
Because I'm not allowed running around the castle with only a towel covering me, I had to put on one of those weird Komi- Kino- Kimimo? I don't care, I want my bread!
Ahh~ freshly baked bread.
Fhe leads me back to my room on the second floor and I assume that she deliberately walks slightly slower than usual.
At first there was a very luxurious room in the fifth floor prepared for me, but I didn't like it at all. It just felt wrong.
After a few days, that I mostly spend hidden under a blanket in a closet of said room, I gathered the courage to ask Drem, if there is any other free room, that I could live in. He talked to Fhe about my request and after a short while of pondering, a small storage room got prepared for me. Because there is no bed that would fit in it, I got a few extra blankets and pillows, so that I could have it as comfortable as possible.
I don't know why and I wont dare to think about it, but the small space made me relax. To compare it, it just felt right.
In her usual manner, Fhe just swings open the door to said room. The pillows and blankets on the ground are mostly like I left them. Fhe calls it my nest, and always recreates it, after she cleans the room. And still it is only mostly like I left it.
Sure, the wooden plate with bread on it, would create some change, but not as much as the black haired girl that sits on a blanket, with her back leaning against the wall.
Fhe immediately falls to her knees and bows before Azza. "Welcome, my lady."
I didn't tell.
Drem asked me to not talk about Azza and still he himself introduced Fhe to her. I suppose that they would have met in one way or the other, because Azza visits whenever she feels like it and Fhe is by my side most of the time. So it was necessary to keep the highly respectful treatment towards the beautiful, black haired girl.
Now that I think about it, should I bow too?
"No need for bowing or other time wasting formalities.", Azza speaks the words out loud while smiling.
I stare at her mouth. There are crumbs.
I shift my [gaze] in a panic.
No!
My bread!
My poor, poor bread!
Half of the slightly steaming loaf of bread is already gone. It looks like it was ripped apart without any love.
And the obvious culprit leans forward to take out another part. I could only observe in horror, unable to move at all.
"Hn?" Azza looks at me while chewing. "Is your head broken or something?"
Still on her knees, Fhe looks up with a wry smile. "Oh, I am very sorry, but of course my lady couldn't have known. This bread was prepared for Xyn, to calm her spirits before attending your festivities."
"Really? Good that you have told me before I ate any of it. Here."
Eh? ... Ha?!
The bread, all of it is there. Nearly a full loaf of it, only a small part missing that Azza had taken with her hands. She places the taken piece on the wooden plate too and shoves it towards me.
Was it just an illusion? Did I hallucinate, because I saw her taking my bread? I am confused and [looking] an Fhe tells me, that she is in the same state of mind.
What's going on?
I take the bread to inspect it. It is normal bread.
No, it is in no way normal.
It's warm, and the crust crunches from only lifting it up. I squeeze it a bit, creating more of that satisfying crunch and let it loose again. It reacts like a fluffy sponge. Just the touch alone would make this a bread only for kings.
I carefully take a bite…
Ahn~ truly a god among breadkind!
…
….
"So now that you're done, do it."
Done? Who is done with what? What is Azza talking about?
Oh, my godlike bread is gone. I [watch] the rest of it float around and getting dissolved in my body for a moment. I want more…
If I behave and do what Azza just said, maybe there is a chance to get more.
Hmmm… No idea.
I heard that that Azza and Fhe where talking, but I neither listened nor [listened], because the bread was more important.
Sooo, what should I do?
Azza looks at me in disbelief. "Is your brain shrinking occasionally? What are we discussing right now?"
Dunno, wasn't listening.
I [see] a little twitch at the corner of Fhe's eye, but again it was Azza who answered me. "As I just said, take on a human form."
Huh? Why should I do that? ...And why do I feel like I'm in danger?
"Because you are…", Azza sighs, "The party is a mostly human event, so you need to look like one, or it will get messy."
Ah, you could have just said so. I can't do that.
Again there is a little twitch on Fhe's face just before Azza opens her mouth. "And why?"
Simple, I don't know how.
Azza's smile gets wider and the feeling of being in danger changes into the pressure of death. No matter what, my next move has to be exactly as Azza plans, or I will be gone, I'm sure of that.
She casually slides a bit closer to me, with the cold smile of the grim reaper adorning her pretty face.
A hand is lifted slowly and a finger flicks against my nose, while her face comes uncomfortably close to mine.
"I don't care." She whispers with a voice that reminds me of sharpened steel. "Just do it, or it will get messy in here first."
//Danger! Calculating me, do what ever you can! Please!
Of course the calculating me is not a real me, like the rational, or the silly one, but following that plea, the calculations flawlessly turn into coordinates and with those, there is a layer of Aether forming over my skin.
"Good girl." The menacing atmosphere vanishes into nothing and Azza takes a little more distance again. I breath out in exhaustion.
"Are you sure that you are no child?" Fhe gives me a weird look. "This is the form of a human kid not an adult, right?" She grins. "The grey you is cuter, this form looks ugly."
Hey!
Not that I don't know, but that hurts, you know?
Azza stands up and nods towards me, so that I do the same. It's time already? I feel very anxious, but I can't allow myself to make her angry again. I need to do my best.
The black haired girl nods satisfied and then shifts her gaze towards Fhe.
"I'll take this nuisance away for a few days. Thanks for the hard work and make sure to get some rest in the meantime."
"Yes, my lady!" Fhe gives a bright smile and then lets herself fall over headfirst into the pillows and blankets. Within two seconds she is fast asleep.
Eh? She sleeps?
Imps sleep? That's news to me. Why did no one tell me?
"Why shouldn't she sleep?" Azza pushes me out of the room. "I observed you before, but your head seemed okay at that time… from up close it's quite concerning…"
I barely listen to her muttering.
So imps need sleep… Is that why she left me every now and then? But she only left after spending days with me and never was gone for more that four hours… I hope that an imps sleeping habit is very different compared to that of a human… But she just collapsed the moment she was allowed to, right?
Unnngh… I have to do my best at the party, so that I can earnestly apologize to her afterwards.