Rina pushed open the door to her small home, setting her staff against the wall with a sigh. The warm, familiar scent of wood and herbs greeted her as she stepped inside. Keitaro's voice broke the quiet.
"Rina," he said from his spot on the floor near the entrance, "We forgot to ask Thrynn about Maiku! Do you think he's still around, or what?"
Rina paused, rubbing her temple. "You're right! I completely forgot to ask him. We'll have to remember tomorrow when we see him again."
She walked toward the kitchen area, her stomach growling audibly. "I need food. I'm starving after everything today."
As she rummaged through her pantry, Keitaro chimed in. "Rina, did you wash your hands?"
Rina froze mid-reach for some bread. "Why? What's wrong with my hands?"
"Uh, you were carrying a giant snake turd around all day," Keitaro said matter-of-factly. "Maybe washing your hands before eating isn't a bad idea."
Her face twisted in disgust as she looked down at her hands. "Ugh, you're right. I didn't even think about that. Gross!"
She looked around the house, her expression turning to mild frustration. "But I don't have any wash water here!"
Keitaro's voice perked up. "You could wash your hands in me!"
Rina froze, turning to glare at him. "What?"
"You know, just use me. I'm basically full of water anyway!"
"Wash my hands... in toilet water?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief and mild horror. "Absolutely not!"
"Hey, I'm a magical toilet! My water's probably cleaner than you think," Keitaro defended himself indignantly.
Shaking her head, Rina grabbed a small bucket from under the counter. "No way. I'll just draw some water from the well."
She stepped outside into the cool evening air, bucket in hand. As she worked the pulley on the well, Keitaro's voice drifted from inside. "I'm just saying, it would've saved time!"
"Keep talking, and I'll toss you into the well next," Rina shot back with a grin.
A few minutes later, Rina returned with fresh water. After thoroughly washing her hands, she finally sat down to eat a simple meal of bread and soup. Keitaro stayed quiet for the moment, seemingly reflecting on his earlier suggestion.
As she ate, Rina mumbled to herself, "Tomorrow's going to be a long day. I hope Thrynn's adventurers are ready for this."
Keitaro added cheerfully, "And don't forget—ask about Maiku!"
Rina smiled faintly, giving a small nod as the day's exhaustion began to catch up with her. "I won't forget this time," she said softly, finishing her meal and leaning back in her chair.
Keitaro's voice echoed softly through the modest room. "Rina, why do you live here all alone in this run-down house? Don't you have any parents or other family to stay with?"
Rina paused, the question stirring a deep, bittersweet ache within her. "My parents were adventurers," she began, her voice steady but tinged with sorrow. "They explored dungeons, sought treasures, and helped people where they could. They were really good at what they did, and I was so proud of them."
She glanced at her staff leaning against the wall, its faint magical aura glowing as if listening to her story. "But one day, they went into a dungeon and never came back. For weeks, there was no word. Eventually, a group of adventurers who followed their trail confirmed it—my parents didn't make it out alive."
Keitaro was silent, the weight of her words sinking in. "I'm sorry, Rina. That must've been so hard for you."
She nodded, her emerald eyes glistening faintly in the dim light. "It was. I was only eight years old when it happened. The villagers looked out for me at first, but as I grew older, I knew I couldn't rely on them forever. That's when I decided to stay here, in this house."
Rina's hand moved instinctively to the pendant around her neck. "This necklace belonged to my mother. So did my robe and staff. She was a mage—a really talented one, way more skilled than I am now. I've been training with her tools ever since I decided to follow in her footsteps. I want to honor her legacy by becoming a mage she'd be proud of."
Keitaro listened intently, his porcelain form glowing faintly in the firelight. "You're already doing so much, Rina. From what I've seen, you've got the heart of a true adventurer. Your parents would be proud of you."
Rina smiled faintly, her fingers brushing against her necklace. "Thanks, Keitaro. That means a lot."
The room fell into a contemplative silence, broken only by the crackle of the fireplace.
Keitaro's curious tone broke the brief silence. "So, Rina, how do you make a living? Do you hunt treasure in dungeons for gold or something?"
Rina shrugged, leaning back in her chair. "Well... I do find some treasure in dungeons, but not much. It's not exactly reliable. I also offer my services to the villagers around here."
Keitaro's tone turned playfully suspicious. "Oh, I see. Offering your services to the villagers, huh? Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose."
Rina blinked, confusion flashing across her face before narrowing her eyes. "What?! What exactly are you suggesting, Keitaro?"
"Uh—nothing, nothing!" Keitaro backpedaled with a chuckle, but his glowing presence betrayed a mischievous air. "I mean, you're helping the villagers with, uh, chores. Totally wholesome stuff, right?"
Rina groaned, her face turning slightly red as she stood up and glared at him. "Of course I am! I help them carry heavy things, mend fences, fetch water—normal, decent things! What kind of dirty mind do you have, you pervy toilet?!"
Keitaro sputtered, his humor breaking into nervous laughter. "Oh! Ohhh, I see! Yep, yep. Just good ol' honest labor. He he he... no misunderstandings here!"
Rina folded her arms, sighing in exasperation. "Sometimes I wonder why I even talk to you."
Keitaro, despite lacking a face, somehow radiated cheeky smugness. "Because I'm the best conversationalist you've got. Admit it."
"Ha! You wish," Rina retorted, shaking her head. Despite herself, a small grin tugged at the corners of her lips.
Rina stretched her arms and let out a tired sigh. "I'm done for today. I need to get some rest. We have to get up early tomorrow to meet with Thrynn." She began preparing for bed, putting her staff in its usual spot and tidying up the room.
Keitaro chimed in cheerfully, "Well, since you're heading to bed, how about I tell you a bedtime story?"
Rina gave him a skeptical look. "A bedtime story? What kind of story?"
"Oh, it's a classic," Keitaro said with enthusiasm. "It's about a guy who finds a robot girl in the trash. It's amazing!"
Rina rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No thanks. I just want to sleep."
Ignoring her disinterest, Keitaro began, "So, in episode one of this anime, there's this guy who stumbles upon a robot girl in a junkyard. He takes her home and starts looking for the ON switch—"
Rina bolted upright in bed, glaring at him. "Keitaro! Stop talking! I don't want to hear your otaku anime stories. I want to sleep!"
Keitaro fell silent for a moment before mumbling, "Fine, fine. No appreciation for art these days..."
Rina flopped back onto her bed with a groan, pulling the blanket over her head. The room fell quiet, save for the occasional soft creak of the house settling and the gentle rustle of leaves outside.
The room was peaceful, the dim light of the moon spilling through the cracks in the old wooden walls. Rina had just settled back into bed, pulling her blanket snugly over her shoulders. Silence reigned, and it seemed Keitaro had finally taken the hint.
Then, his voice broke through the quiet.
"So, like I was saying, this guy is looking for the ON switch," Keitaro began, his tone as excited as if he were recounting a blockbuster. "He searches all over her body, but he can't find it. Then, he realizes—" Keitaro paused for dramatic effect. "It's between her legs. So, he puts his hand there to turn her on. And by that, I mean the ON switch, obviously!"
Rina shot up in bed, her face burning red as she glared at the toilet across the room. "KEITARO, STOP! What is wrong with you?! I told you I don't want to hear this! I want to sleep!"
Keitaro's lid creaked as if shrugging. "What? I'm just telling you the story. It's a masterpiece!"
"Masterpiece, my foot!" Rina snapped, lying back down with an exasperated huff. "If you say one more word, I'll—"
"Okay, okay!" Keitaro interrupted quickly. "No more stories. Good night."
Rina muttered something incomprehensible under her breath, her frustration fading as exhaustion finally took over. For a moment, the room was quiet again.
But Keitaro couldn't resist a final whisper. "It's a really good anime, though."
"KEITARO!"
"Okay! Okay! Good night!"
…
The first rays of dawn crept through the wooden shutters, painting soft golden streaks across the room. Keitaro, ever alert despite his... stationary state, decided it was time for Rina to get up.
"Rina! Rina! Rina! Rina! Rina!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the serene morning air.
Rina stirred under the covers, groaning groggily. "Ugh... What? What is it now?" she muttered, her voice muffled by the pillow.
"Rina! It's morning! Time to wake up! We've got to meet Thrynn!" Keitaro announced with enthusiasm.
"Fine, fine, I'm awake!" Rina said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She let out a long yawn, stretching her arms. "Give me a second to wake up properly."
"And don't forget," Keitaro interjected. "We need to ask Thrynn about Maiku today! I'm dying—well, figuratively dying—to know what happened to him."
Rina chuckled sleepily. "You're not dying, Keitaro. You're already a toilet."
"Exactly! Which means I have all the time in the world to ponder these mysteries. Now hurry up!"
Rina shook her head with a small smile, then got out of bed. "All right, let's get ready and head out. But let me at least wash my face first."
"Good plan!" Keitaro replied cheerily. "And don't forget to grab some breakfast. You don't want to face the day hungry."
"Yeah, yeah," Rina mumbled as she grabbed her robe and staff, already mentally preparing herself for whatever antics the day had in store.