Jasson had insisted that they pay to utilize a bath. The air was still warm in the evenings, but he was covered in blood and eggs and the girls were even worse. Everything was sticky, and Jasson spent half an hour in his bath combing the dried egg out of his hair. Yet, despite all that, the girls were still not done in their individual baths when he emerged.
Petra will probably stay in hers for the full hour, Jasson thought. Make the most of her money.
Jasson pulled out his phone and sat on a bench in the bathhouse. There were a dozen rentable private baths, with all the conveniences of warmth and soap included. It cost the equivalent of twenty bucks a person, but Jasson considered that gold well worth it. Apparently, adventurers were the prime demographic since this was situated only a few doors down from the Guild.
"Let's see…" Jasson said, scrolling through his phone, "What to do…"
Normally, he'd be scrolling TikTik. Or watching some longer-form videos on WeTube. But that didn't feel right at that moment. He'd already done his Do-A-Lingo today, keeping his two-week streak, and Punching John no longer opened up anymore. Not that he needed it, with all the flamethrowing abilities he had now.
Jasson clicked open 'DISS' app store and decided to get himself a treat. After another near-death experience, and that voice he'd heard before, he deserved something new.
Jasson had gotten four hundred gold from Petra, and another fifty gold from Frisk the dealer. The fifty Frisk coins went into his VenGo, and his account was reading a fat thousand bucks again. Plenty to buy whatever he wanted.
"MyHealth," Jasson said, finding the app he'd wanted in the crystal mine, "Definitely."
Jasson bought it, then scrolled as it downloaded. It still took forever, even with the faster speeds from being close to his friends.
"What's this?" Jasson opened the description of another app and choked, "Twenty-thousand dollars? How? Why?!"
The app was called "Ability and Me", and below was a description that got Jasson's heart racing.
Ability and Me is the premiere app for understanding one's magical growth spurt in their new life. Unlock your future with new features like: Skill Tree, Ability Points, and ETC! Answers for the middle-quest mind, a view into the system that will help you save the world! Utilize our Search Engine for your every need, and file a customer support ticket if you have any issues! Buy today!
Jasson felt his skin tingle. He could almost hear that mysterious voice enacting 'emergency measures' and allowing him temporary access to incredible strength. It seemed to operate on a different system than the basic scores he'd been keeping track of.
Maybe this app was it. Maybe this app would hold the answers he craved. Maybe-
"Hey," Petra knocked on Jasson's head, "Earth to Jasson, it's time to go."
Jasson looked up to see the girls in fresh clothes like him, skin pink from the wash. Clara was beaming at Jasson while Harriett frowned, almost pouting.
No, Jasson thought, that's not pouting. It's a pouting face on top of…something. Probably how she's feeling about earlier.
"Okay," Jasson stood, following Petra, "To be fair, you kept me waiting before I kept you waiting."
"A Gentleman must wait for the ladies he is traveling with," Petra said, walking to the exit, "But a Gentleman should also be ready to leap the moment they are prepared to depart. You merely accomplished the first part."
Jasson snorted and said, "Feeling better then? How about you, Clara?"
Clara sighed and said, "Infinitely. I was literally slipping from the slime beneath my shoes."
Harriett sighed dramatically as they left the bathhouse and Jasson said, "What's wrong with you?"
Harriett said, "Nothing,"
Jasson said, "Alright-"
"It's just that I was the cleanest of the group!" Harriett said, "I had to pretend that I was scrubbing the calcified remains of my enemies while I was bathing! And I don't even have any scars from it! Just chopped-up hair. And on top of that, I didn't get to suffer any lecherous glances from you when I emerged! Why is that? Do you not see me as a woman, worthy of stealing your eye?"
Jasson paused, glanced at Petra, then looked at Harriett and said, "I mean…yeah. You are the youngest of our group. I don't really see you that way. Okay?"
Harriett stopped, then said, "Jasson Boar, you don't see me as a CHILD do you?"
Jasson glanced at Harriett and felt his face burn with Petra there. It had been a long time since Petra had been worried about him in that way, and he didn't feel like losing that progress. And it's not like he would be completely lying.
"Of course not," Jasson said, "But you'll just have to suffer me considering you my little sister."
There, Jasson thought, add a little challenge. A little suffering to overcome. Harriett will latch onto that and-
"So you do see me as a kid!" Harriett seemed genuinely angry now, "Your weird stupid little kid sister that doesn't know any better."
"Huh?" Jasson backed up, "What? No. I've seen you slaughter hundreds of rabbits. You're just…I don't know. You."
Harriett seemed to almost burst before she spun on her heel and walked away from the group. She flounced down the street, then around the corner without looking his way.
Jasson watched her go, mouth agape, once she was out of sight he turned to the others and said, "Do either of you know what that was about?"
Petra frowned and said, "It's Harriett. You understand her better than the rest of us."
"You know she felt hurt by something," Clara piped up helpfully, "She could have disappeared in a moment, but instead she just walked away."
Jasson frowned and examined his words. Maybe he'd been too careless? He'd been taking her 'challenge' mentality for granted, but she'd seemed really ticked off when he didn't take her seriously.
But what was he supposed to do? She was cute and a bit sexy, with that nice red hair and fiery spirit. But Jasson wasn't going to lie and say that he was unduly attracted to her. They'd spent two weeks jostling together in a wagon. Besides, this wasn't the first time she'd said something like this.
"You're right," Jasson said, "I hope she'll be okay."
****
Harriett sped across the roofs, a silence of three parts.
First, the notable lack of noise when she dashed above the bustling streets. Armor-less soldiers revelled and rushed the city streets in early evening amore, while above them a silent shadow flitted and flew.
Second, if you listened closely, you could hear a silence made of wind merely whispering around a magic of speed. Parting as if around a knife, the wind itself barely noticed her passage.
And third, the silence of a throat choked with words unsaid. Words that, if written by the greatest poet over a decade of life, would still be wrong. Because she was wrong.
Why did it hurt so much? Harriett thought? I've specialized in the wrong field if I'm going to feel hurt when people don't notice me.
But that wasn't right. Harriett liked to be noticed. That's why she put so much work into surprising people.
This isn't about not being noticed, Harriett eventually admitted to herself, I would have gotten us both killed, and all I could do in the end was panic like a little kid. I haven't changed at all.
Harriett stopped and leaned against a chimney, sighing in the night. It was good to get out, to be alone with her thoughts. Her silhouette stood against the lights and life of the town, her words inevitably lost to the bustling void of people too busy to hear.
Harriett said, "So why did I get upset with him? What's wrong with me?"
The thing about a void of busy people is that there might just be someone lingering close enough to hear. Even if they're not really there.
"Love troubles?" a woman's voice said, rich and velvety, "From my dear little Kalendula? Do go on."
The voice dripped with liquid smoke, magically emanating from the chimney in a warm and inviting tone. The type of voice that tempts a blood-minded berserker from battle, and sets the coldest of hearts into desiring comfort. A warm day in winter. A cool breeze in hell.
Harriett flinched and said, "At least tell me that you didn't find me for weeks. Honestly this time."
"Only if you tell me about this 'boy trouble' of yours," the voice said, "Answer for answer, truth for truth. Is that not fair for my daughter?"