Lucid Chaos inched closer, his oversized cargo shorts fluttering in the wind while an unending stream of urine trickled down his leg. He advanced toward us as though he were in a dream, his expression suggesting a hint of disbelief at the reality unfolding before him.
"Th-the water... never-ending dreams we... uh, all... all..."
"L-Larisa, sh's, like, shmack-dab cosmic jamboree."
"He said my name again! He definitely said my name," Larisa said, brimming with excitement. "The Water and Dreams?" Eliza was right! Time to fulfil his wish. Yes! Fear not, Larisa is here to attend to your desires!"
As he edged even closer to Larisa, she began to sprint toward him. His eyes became glazed, as though blinded by what he was witnessing or by the speed of Larisa's approach.
"Larisa," he gasped, just as she crashed into him and lifted him high off the ground. Lucid's eyes looked lifeless, as if he couldn't comprehend what was happening. He was lifted into the air, staring over Larisa's shoulder as she zipped him toward the 'Fountain Enchantea.' Sprays of pee splashed from his shorts as he was flown through the air.
Larisa crashed into him amidst the fountain's spray, water cascading over both of them. Of course, the water simply passed through Larisa. Lucid mumbled something while submerged: "Larisa, gulp, you n-n-noticed, gulp, me. I h-h-have splashed s-s-something to gulp g-g-give to you. Splash."
"Yes, now make a wish, and it will come true." The fountain, now hosting both of them, took on a murky brown hue. As the pee trickled down his legs, it mingled with the water, creating a yellow musk. "Wish... gulp, no gulp, not gulp, needed. Gulp, here. I h-h-have a p-p-piece of paper for you to gulp, something you need to read. Gulp, yes. Splash." He extended a soggy piece of paper, and Larisa reached out her hand. As he dropped the paper, it created an unsettling sloshing splat against the stone outline at the fountain's base.
Larisa casually gave her head a dismissive shake, a hint of mild disgust briefly crossing her lips. "I have no need for toilet paper... Oh, you've got to go, huh? Seriously? You've already relieved yourself in the fountain and everywhere else, so a number two wouldn't be too shocking to me. A ghost girl... a girl ghost like me, however... should be spared such sights. Just remember to make a wish when you're done. I... I need to check on Lillian. Farewell! Ufuufu!~"
"No, not gulp. Needed gulp, wish. Gulp, read the p-p-paper to l-l-learn where you c-c-came from. It's very important for you."
If you thought his speeches were hard to make out before, just picture yourself trying to decipher them while his head was buried in the middle of those splashing water fountain sprays.
From a distance, I observed with amusement as the scene unfolded. It was quite satisfying to witness someone else experience a ride like this. I remembered enjoying it myself the first time she whisked me through the walls and the Academy. If only I'd been prepared and not so frightened; she'd completely messed up my hair, but I shrugged it off.
The filthy Lucid guy seemed desperate for contact with water. He now resembled a reluctant dog being coerced into an unwanted bath. Surprisingly, he didn't appear too unhappy standing in the water fountain. His hand was extended, offering something to Larisa, though I can't discern the details from here.
Even at this distance, I noticed the water in the fountain taking on an unpleasant, muddy hue. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the unsuspecting person who halted, was unexpectedly struck by thirst, and resorted to the fountain for a quick sip.
While Lillian's gaze remained fixed on the situation at the fountain, a sudden, startled shriek from Eliza broke the air. Her voice carried a pronounced note of surprise as she exclaimed, "Eww, something splashed onto my face!"
A droplet of water trickled down the side of Eliza's face. Observing this, I asked, "Are you crying tears of joy?"
A look of disbelief crossed her face as she said, "Joy? Seriously? I'm here with you, dealing with this repulsive mess." Eliza gestured towards the huge trail of pee on the ground. "While Ashlyn is too busy to pay us any attention, I wish Kai were here right now. Kai would have cleaned my face for me. Kai would have protected me, and he would have stopped it from even going near my face!"
"Hold on a second! You're the one just loitering around! I'm eager to get away from him as much as possible."
"I-I... was curious about how he could see Larisa and why he kept uttering her name and giving her that radar-like stare," Eliza explained.
"Well, I really, really, really..." I intended to voice my complete indifference—'Don't care at all'—but I opted to emphasise the "really" a few more times, just to ruffle Eliza's feathers a bit more. "Really, really..."
"Vraiment!" a posh French voice said from behind us.
Turning around, we braced for the worst—such as encountering another 'peculiar' individual.
"Ashlyn!" we exclaimed simultaneously.
"Please add some class to this lass," Eliza said.
"Me, needing class?!" I thought silently.
"Goodness gracious, what in the starrs is that dreadful stench?" Ashlyn said, her gaze shifting from Eliza to me, her expression twisting in distaste. "Eliza, Starrling, there's a little something on your face... you might want to attend to that. As for you, Lillian, my trusted assistant, why are you holding that slime as though it were a cherished firstborn? Have you two not picked up anything from me... at all?" Ashlyn remarked.
"You asked me to review it, and then you went off and left us," I said.
Eliza didn't say anything; she just pulled out a mirror and inspected her face.
"You've had plenty of time then... so, what's the verdict?" Ashlyn asked, her voice interrupted by a feline-esque cough as she enunciated the concluding word through the foul stench. She deftly delved into her belt bag, producing a vial of potent perfume, which she elegantly dispersed through the air. "Goodness, what in the starry skies have you all been up to? What's this foul-smelling yellow liquid trail? Ugh, how utterly repulsive!"
She lightly misted some perfume around us before gracefully linking our arms, positioning me to her left and Eliza to her right. With a swift and purposeful pull, she whisked us away from the disaster scene, ensuring a rapid departure.
As I glanced at Eliza, a warm smile graced her face.
Finally, we truly embodied a cohesive group of friends, no longer just individuals walking at a distance from each other. Ashlyn's brisk pace slightly challenged my petite legs as I struggled to match her speedy stride. I made every effort to keep up, recognising her eagerness to propel us forward.
"I suppose she didn't want to hear my review then... oh well," I reflected silently. She seemed to have completely forgotten about it, which was great because I hadn't done anything to test or develop a review for this slime. I definitely didn't want this slime anywhere near my phone or any electrical device I owned. She was so easily distracted, so it was a rare moment to have her attention focused on us.
And as for my hands—oh, my poor hands—I could no longer open the hand that was holding the power-slime. Ashlyn didn't seem to notice that I was carrying it while she had her arm hooked under my other arm.
"My beloved ninja starrs, I was simply dying to know: what were your exquisite impressions of the captivating essence I just shared with you?"
Eliza's gaze implied that she knew I would struggle to describe or review it. She stood there, her focus drifting, and her mouth twitched as she strove to maintain an unnatural stillness.
"I never really had the chance..." I tried to come up with some fancy words, but all I got was 'whiff'—a word that hung in my mind. I was just blabbering on: "To get a whiff of your perfume. You know, there were other smells hanging around, like pee and some kind of boozy stink, which made it a bit hard to really smell. But whatever fragrance you were wearing right then was really the stuff!"
Eliza just shook her head in disbelief.
"So, you find the 'stuff' I'm wearing rather splendid, do you? Your sense of smell is truly exquisite; if you could detect the aroma of booze in the perfume, as alcohol is one of the ingredients, I'm inclined to value your opinion. It's clear you have a very talented nose."
Ashlyn pressed on, "This happens to be the same 'stuff' I sprayed over there. It is quite an exceptionally delightful brand named 'Whimsical Mist,' one they've requested I appraise. I must say, I'm absolutely delighted that you'll be joining me in endorsing it as well."
That wasn't exactly what I meant. I mentioned the boozy smell I detected. I was referring to the lingering odours left behind by Mr. Lucid, the drunken blabber. At least Ashlyn liked my response, even though I could tell she was mocking me with the change in her tone when she repeated the words I had used, like "booze" and "stuff." It seemed to physically pain her to utter such commonplace, inelegant words. And does her perfume, and perfumes in general, contain alcohol? I presumed a few of them do. It's not something I'd thought about before.
Her asking me about endorsing it with her intrigued me the most right now, so I asked, "I... am endorsing it? Well, sure... I'd be glad to."
With Ashlyn's arms still elegantly draped around both of us, she proclaimed, "Not only you, Lily Starr." With a swift but graceful tug on Eliza's arm, she continued, "Both of you Starrlings will be assisting me," she said with a playful glint in her eye, delicately tugging on both of our arms.
She tugged us forward, taking the lead. What about the ghost cat and... Larisa? What was she doing? Could Larisa still be at the fountain? I strained to turn my head—a challenging task with Ashlyn pulling on my arm. I spotted Mr. Lucid standing in the fountain, looking lost as the water poured down on him, but Larisa was nowhere to be seen.
Ashlyn's irritation became evident. "Why are you tugging?" she asked, turning her head to look.
Eliza noticed Ashlyn's gaze fixed on the man in the fountain, her expression contorting with a mix of disgust and disbelief. "Lily is curious if you have any fashion advice to enhance his 'look,'" Eliza explained.
As Ashlyn gazed upon the scene, she saw a dishevelled man standing beneath the cascading water. His unkempt, greasy black hair was thoroughly soaked. His attire included a studded leather dog collar and a denim jacket layered over a t-shirt adorned with spray paint—a cross he had drawn, now blurred and trailing down his repulsive, oversized pink cargo shorts. These shorts were damp, stained, and revealed a trail of urine escaping from the side leg. "This look... needs a flamethrower," she declared. She didn't want to look at this disgusting sight any longer and pulled both of us along.
As she pulled me away, I caught a quick glimpse of a guy bending over, picking something soggy out of the water. Simultaneously, I noticed a massive rip forming on the back of his shorts as he bent down. R.I.P. to those shorts. He wasn't wearing anything underneath, and his exposed butt didn't seem to bother him.
I was quite relieved that neither Ashlyn nor Eliza's innocent eyes had to witness that sight. 'Innocent eyes'—isn't that a term Eliza often uses? I must give myself a mental jolt every time I feel my thoughts or words resembling hers.
And did Eliza really need to bring up my name, implying that I was seeking fashion advice for him rather than asking herself? Her intention was purely to gauge Ashlyn's reaction—a sly move indeed, yet quite amusing.
Out of nowhere, a voice shouted, "Cat attack!" My heart skipped a beat as I pondered, "Are we being attacked?"
"Cat Attack" was the name of a popular energy drink that was making a splash, featuring a commercial where a girl donned cat ears. With an energetic shout of "Cat Attack!" accompanied by a dynamic forward thrust of her hands, she startled her unsuspecting friends and cohorts, giving the younger crowd a thrill of surprise and excitement. Among friends, it had become a trend to initiate these "cat attacks." I had given people many of these attacks, but now the tables had turned, and we found ourselves unexpectedly in the midst of one.
Ashlyn nonchalantly directed her gaze towards the assailant, and with unwavering composure, remarked, "Ah, greetings once again, Larisa. How delightful of you to grace us with your presence." She maintained her gaze, seemingly eager to hear what Larisa had to say for herself. Larisa then proceeded to recount the recent events with a cheerful giggle: "I took the drunk, smelly man to the fountain. He was having a surprise shower! He was peeing non-stop, and now he was doing a number two! Any second now, he'll be making a wish."
"Uhhh... what?" Ashlyn exclaimed, her face twisted in a mixture of disbelief and revulsion. "Is this what... what you three were busy with?"
"You're not explaining this very well at all!" I chimed in, raising my voice at Larisa.
Eliza stood in silent grace, a delicate smile gracing her lips, before bursting into laughter at Larisa's words.
As we both finished speaking, Ashlyn finally weighed in. "You girls... have serious issues," she said, tugging us forward by our arms. She glanced over, her expression a mix of concern and annoyance. "Larisa, stop floating behind us; it's giving me the creeps," she instructed, her voice firm. "Float in front of us so I can see you. I don't want you... you three engaging in any more... dubious activities behind my back."
Larisa fixed her gaze on Ashlyn and offered a playful hand salute, then gracefully assumed the lead at the forefront of our trio with effortless ease. Her ethereal movements combined a seamless glide with the faintest trace of leg motion, creating an illusion of otherworldly grace.
"Dubious activities behind her back?" I mused to myself. Ironically, she was the one engrossed in her phone, like a facehugger from the Alien movie latched onto the front of her face. Her wasting time on her phone was causing us to linger around as we waited for her to finish her call. We were simply trying to pass the time. What other options did we have? Eliza and Larisa's conversation about the Dinglebarry and VR was captivating to overhear. It was also great to learn from it. While I lacked an in-depth understanding of Dinglebarry and VR, I did grasp the basics. I quite enjoyed the conversations we had after that. Of course, Ashlyn never heard any of it; she just thought we were messing with some smelly guy for the last half hour or so.
We linked arms, and it finally felt like we were a group.
Ashlyn appeared uninterested in the slime now. She was more focused on having me review some perfume. With a nonchalant attitude, I disposed of it by tossing it onto the floor. Littering didn't concern me; the rain would naturally dissolve it and wash it away. The impact created a distinct splat as it landed on the lengthy urine trail.
Eliza looked in my direction and asked, "Did... did you just step in something?"
Unbeknownst to me, the power-empowering gulp-ball slime was filled with kinetic energy. Upon hitting the urine trail, the energy travelled its length and reached the source, jolting Mr. Lucid at the water fountain.
Zzzap! A cry of "Arghhhhhhhh!" filled the air amidst the buzzing noises.
Eliza gasped and said, "What is he doing now?"
Without even looking, I replied, "Maybe the water is too cold for him."
Ashlyn let out an exasperated sigh, followed by a dismissive "humph," and then guided us away, declaring, "Let's move on..." as none of us wanted to acknowledge his existence any further.