She was cute. That's all anyone could say of Master Ava as their Master was in the process of explaining the existence and purpose of the Chirithy. Of course, it was a no-brainer that she would treat the little cat as more than a pet. So, when Aced threatened to destroy the animated plush toy should it become evil, it amused him when she defended the creature. In that moment, Ira could see what Gula meant about her: always walking the straight and narrow. That's how Ava was. Falling off the path lit before her would inevitably lead to darkness, and darkness took many disguises from a harmless teddy bear to a raving madman hiding behind the mask of a bear. Leave it to the young Ava to defend all from such darkness. He wondered if that's why the master treated her as he would a daughter. Well, in truth, he treated both Ava and Invi as daughters really. Physically, he only ever touched the girls. He never saw the master place a reassuring hand on Gula's shoulder or a reprimanding finger to Aced's lips or even a small tap on his own shoulder to say he was on the right path toward something. Come to think of it, not even Luxu got a pat to his head or anything.
Ira dismissed the thoughts playing in his head and decided to go shower before retiring for the night. He thought a lot today after the meeting with the master. There was so much yet so little to learn about the balance between light and darkness. Seven beings of pure light sounds easy to find and unite against darkness, but there was light within many. How does one know who is of purest heart and who is hiding a tainted fragment behind a powerful light? Darkness was even more complicated. How many disguises could darkness truly have? When does it become a threat to the world versus a threat to a single person? That's when Ava's face (or rather her masked face) entered his mind.
As strange as it was, Ira couldn't help but whisper to himself as he leisurely walked through the Foretellers' Chambers, "Always walking the straight and narrow. As long as light shows you the path you are meant to walk, no other guidance is needed... and darkness will not be able to stand before you in a disguise."
It was starting to make sense. Gula's words, that is. Maybe that's why Ava was so important to the master and to Gula. If the master does disappear - heaven forbid - and the seven pure lights are needed to protect the world, Ira could be certain that Master Ava would be the mightiest light of them yet. But how was she important to Gula other than relieving him of the pressure of him being the youngest among the Foretellers? For the most part, he and Luxu were the most secretive of the masters. You could never tell what was going on through their heads or in their lives. In terms of personal life, maybe Ava was Gula's "special" light.
"Maybe I do think too much," Ira muttered to himself, finally walking into the male shower room.
"What about someone in town? Like - I don't know - some random girl at a bakery?" a familiar voice asked. It sounded like Luxu.
"I used to," another voice said. Sounded like Gula. "Well, before the master found me and started the training."
Ah, normal conversation here. Probably about hobbies. Wait, Luxu mentioned a girl so maybe it's something else like a first crush. Ira began to undress himself as he listened on silently. Even though he wasn't particularly interested in the conversation about hobbies or crushes, eavesdropping was really the only thing stopping him from thinking again. Pretty soon he was going to squash whatever secret the boys had once his presence was known. Unless Aced went ahead and burst through the door screaming about someone using his soap again.
"There was a girl at the Moogles' tavern I used to see," Gula said, surprising Ira for a moment. A conversation about girls? With Gula? What? Gula then continued, "I think she was my first one. Wasn't a bad-looking girl. Pretty face, nice smile, maybe one other guy was interested in her but it didn't look like she was buying his game. One day, while I was in the tavern, she was drinking some kind of smoothie or something. Some kind of way it spilled over and got on her chest. From there, my brain was just like, 'Yeah, that'll work.' And it was gettin' down in Daybreak Town for about a week."
"Eh?" Luxu exclaimed.
This is what goes on with his comrades when he's not around? Ira wasn't sure of what to think anymore. It never crossed his mind that Gula of all foretellers would have desires - no, let's say that Gula before he was known as Gula had desires - for other young girls. Matter of fact, let's change the sentence again. Actually, no, let's leave it alone. Ira gathered his towels and wrapped himself up before entering the bathing room. Having a quick shower no longer interested him. He needed to actually sit down and soak this all in literally. He could easily pretend he never heard anything and just walked in absentmindedly. No, that'd be suspicious. He'll just fake like he was thinking again. Perfect.
"Life was way easier then. No roles, no darkness, no real worries," Gula finished, plunging his wash towel in the clear, steaming waters. He let it rest on his shoulders as the water trickled down his back before leaning back and relaxing. He and Luxu heard someone entering the room before he responded, "Oh. Hey, Ira."
Ira nodded before asking, "Long day?"
"There's never a short one with the master," Gula responded, scoffing.
"Don't I know it," Luxu replied, plunging his wash towel in the water before placing it on the back of his head so his hair could soak in it. Luxu then asked, "Oh, I heard the master was giving you some help. What was that about?"
"He made some kind of stuffed animal called a Chirithy in his lab for us," Gula answered. "They're basically new pets to help with the unions. We need to be able to detect when darkness is growing if we hope to stand a chance against it in the future. Monitoring our wielders individually on our own is impossible. My guess is the Chirithy were made to lessen the burden."
Intuitive, quick-witted, able to form conclusions based on what little information is given. A very valuable defender of light. Ira let the two boys continue their conversation in peace as he soaked in the hot spring. He halfway wanted Aced to join in just to enjoy everyone's company mostly, but when Luxu asked the incoming question he was happy he was gone.
"Hey, Ira? Do you think about girls much?"
"Pardon?" Ira questioned, slowly opening his eyes.
"About a week ago, I was out going to the cliff overlooking the town," Luxu explained. "While I was walking there, I saw this girl feeding the fish near the bridge. She just watched them for a while before someone called her home. I don't know why but I started thinking about her a lot. Up until I started dreaming about her. Then the dream out of nowhere morphed into a fantasy. I was just wondering if that was normal."
Ira smirked a bit, amused that Luxu was so innocent, but soon felt himself smiling gently at the explanation. Luxu seemed to be the eye in the sky and the eye of the world. One who can see all but must learn gradually as time progresses. An interesting defender of light. Not wanting to delve into this topic but not wanting to be dishonest with his younger comrades, he hummed in thought at the question. Leave it to him to start thinking again.
However, when he closed his eyes to relax before finally answering, he said, "Well, I haven't had any fantasies about anyone recently. I've mostly just been thinking."
"About the girl?" Luxu probed, curious to know the story behind Ira's response.
Ira nodded, slowly opening his eyes again to see Gula and Luxu looking dead at him. Both held curiosity in their eyes. He then questioned, "Does this bother you?"
"No, no! I just wanted you to continue," Luxu said, waving his arms about.
"Well, it's more like thinking about what Gula said about her. Always walking the straight and narrow," Ira said, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. For whatever reason, once the words left his lips, he didn't have a single thought or question left in his mind. He was just empty, but all of his prior thoughts of young Ava were traveling through speech when he continued to speak. "Even though the master had given us instructions on how to deal with Nightmare Chirithy, Ava still wanted to protect it before allowing anyone to consider the notion of destroying it so darkness can no longer spread. She's right. Eliminating a Nightmare that was once a helper to its wielder will just ignite sadness in those connected to them, wielder and Chirithy. Sadness is an easy thing to spread when mourning for the loss of a friend. Not only sadness but anger as well. Anger is even easier to spread and is the most dangerous weapon. Anger could turn to vengeance, betrayal, doubt, and spite. Before you know it, six forms of darkness have spread all because of one wielder who has fallen to darkness and a Chirithy whose mission was simply to guide him in the light. I doubt she even thought about it that way, but her small protest made me realize her value as a defender of light."
"Whoa..." Luxu whistled, jumping in the steaming water. "Master wasn't kidding when he said you were always thinking behind that mask. Any other guy would've just said she doesn't want anyone hurting the cute, little animal."
"All that thinking is what makes you the one," Gula said, closing his eyes to smirk. "The unicorn. A symbol of purity and virtue. One of the better qualities of a leader is his sense of morale, but your best quality is your ability to take something so small and to find a deeper meaning behind it. Even greater still, you can take that meaning and find value in it for yourself as an advantage to guide others. Admirable."
Ira opened his eyes, rolled his neck to his left side, and looked at the two boys for a moment. He smiled at them then said, "You are as well. Both of you."
From there, it was just a normal conversation again. Luxu and Gula mainly spoke about trivial things with some input from Ira every now and then. The boys sort of danced around certain topics just as he predicted they would, but they were cautious enough to see whether or not he would participate in some of them. He supposed it was their way of seeing if he could be trusted with specific information or if he was comfortable enough with it. He didn't mind it much. Other than the topic of fantasizing about girls, the rest seemed harmless. Feeling himself get sleepy, he finally washed up with soap and left the room with the boys saying their goodbyes. Sounded like they were planning on spending more time in there. Luxu must've wanted to get something a bit juicier out on the table. As he dressed in a bath robe and proceeded to walk into the hallway, he felt someone trying to sense him. Something really juicy must've been coming up. Luxu was making damn sure he was out of earshot. It made Ira chuckle a bit before he shook his head and walked away to his room. Chances were he really didn't want to know what was going on in there.
"Life was easier then," Ira whispered to himself, letting Gula's words sink in. It was funny how the youngest members of their group could inspire him.
"Oh, Ira," a familiar feminine voice called.
"Ava," Ira greeted with a nod. Looked like she was just as tired as everyone else. "What's wrong?"
"Hm?" Ava responded, tilting her head a bit. When she remembered what she was running around for, she shook her head rapidly for a second before speaking again with a smile on her face. She said, "Oh, nothing! I was just wondering if you saw Aced. I was trying to catch up to him, but he turned down the hall already by the time I got to him. After that, I didn't see him."
"He might be in his room. He wasn't in the showers," Ira answered, rotating a shoulder when he felt it stiffen.
"Oh!" Ava said, scurrying behind Ira to lightly pluck his shoulder twice. "Master taught me how to do this last week. I think he just wanted me to give him a massage, though. He said it would help out in the long run with my curing abilities."
Ava took one hand to steady Ira's shoulder and then put pressure on his blade to get his shoulder to crack. When he grunted from the relief, he merely watched her rub his shoulder in a few circles to spread out the tension. That master was sneaky! Getting this kid to give him a back massage when the world was being threatened by darkness. Then again, maybe this was a sign. Even though they all had roles to complete as his apprentices, it didn't mean they couldn't treat each other as humans. Strangely enough, Ira grew curious about the girl. He would have thought she was too shy to touch a half-naked man in any way unless that man was close to her. Sure they were comrades and all, but it never crossed his mind that they were close enough for this kind of treatment. Was she going to do the same thing for Aced? Gula? No, not while he was in the shower. There goes that thinking again...
"Thank you, Ava," Ira said softly.
"No problem, Ira," Ava replied, scurrying around to face him. "May as well get used to it if you're gonna be the new master of masters. Who knows how many massages you'll need with all that thinking you do? I doubt I'll be able to be your personal masseuse with my role, but you should think about taking it easy for now until that time comes."
"Were you going to do the same for Aced? He's kind of like a leader," Ira added, preparing for her answer.
"You know..." Ava started, placing a finger under her chin in thought. "I haven't thought about it that way. The master never said to give one to Luxu. Well, Luxu's not really his right hand or anything either. I think he just wanted a massage out of me to be honest. Weird, huh?"
"Indeed," Ira said, chuckling. "Perhaps you should think about giving him one. He might be less noisy. I doubt Invi will let you, but she could probably use it, too. If you're really good at it, you might be able to start a business. It's something to do other than drown yourself in this role."
"What was in that shower room that got you this loosened up?" Ava questioned, laughing lightly. "I've rarely seen you so life-like!"
"It's funny actually," Ira commented, smirking. "Before I got in there, I was thinking about all kinds of things. While I was in there, I was talking to Gula and Luxu about nothing of particular interest other than my impressions of you three as defenders of light. My thinking just kind of stopped for a moment. Up until this point, only your massage parlor is coming to mind. Like how it would look and such."
"If I do start one, the master will make it his mission to be the first customer," Ava remarked with a small giggle. "You know, he made me walk on his lower back right after the shoulder thing."
"Oh, Aced would marry you if you did that for him," Ira said, waving a hand to gesture the man running far and wide to find the perfect engagement ring with pink diamonds or something along the band. "That is his dream. He might fight the master for first seat at your parlor. Who knows?"
"Not if Invi can help it!" Ava remarked, laughing at the image of the master holding his hands up as Invi and Aced argue in bath robes and slippers. "That's a good idea, though. The massage of your dreams. Aced likes someone walking on his back, and the master likes these little gloves that have static in them. I guess the shocks neutralize the charges in his body and he just feels better when he's neutral. Gula likes saunas so maybe a steam roller is something he'd like. I did see this shop in town that was selling massage stuff. I thought the hot stones would be good for Invi. Maybe magic stones for her?"
"That sounds interesting," Ira said, placing a finger under his chin in thought. "Maybe use Blizzard to ice her back and then the stones to melt it away and relax her muscles?"
"Hey, that's not bad!" Ava complimented, thinking using Aero to even dry up the water that might be left. "What about Luxu, though? I don't know what he'd like."
Ira paused to think then. Should he tell her about what they spoke about in the shower room with the girl by the bridge? No, that was a secret between him and Gula really. Well, maybe there's a detail he can take from the conversation instead. But what?
He then finally said, "Maybe just a regular massage with water-based oil? He doesn't seem like the acupuncture type."
"That could work. Oh, what about you?" Ava asked, smiling when Ira looked at her with curiosity. "Well, you're giving me all these cool ideas. What's your dream massage, boss?"
"Boss?" Ira questioned.
"May as well be the manager since you came up with the idea of a parlor," Ava replied. "Looks like you were destined to be a leader either way. In dream or reality."
Ira gasped lightly at this, looking at Ava's cheerful smile. Was he really so worthy for such a task? Not wanting to think of anything major for the night, he shook his head lightly and patted Ava's head before saying, "You definitely wouldn't want to give me one if I told you. I think your words and the shoulder thing was enough for me."
"Oh, c'mon, Ira. I can handle it. Promise!" Ava said, clasping her hands together to form begging gestures and pouting her bottom lip.
Cute. That was the first thing that came to mind. Just plain cute. Ira then said, "Tell you what. You give Aced that massage when you find him and I'll give you one hint to my dream massage."
"Aw!" Ava whined before cheering up. "Alright, I'll do my best. If he says anything about proposing to me, you'll save me right?"
"No. I'll be the one to say I told you so," Ira said, grinning and placing a mischievous finger to his lips.
After hearing his name being called and a small foot stomping afterwards, Ira continued his walk to his chamber. He wasn't about to let Ava know anything about his dream massage other than maybe the music he'd like to hear. That's crazy talk telling a young girl about a grown man's fantasies. Maybe Aced will like the back massage, though. That hot stone idea didn't sound half bad either. He might have to invest in that one. He could just tell her he'd be interested in that one, right? Sure, it's not his dream massage but it'll do as runner-up.
When he finally entered his room, he went to his wardrobe to dress in some light pants and an open shirt. It was pretty cool tonight so linens would do. He put on his clothes and walked to his balcony window to look into the clear night sky. So many stars were up there. He wasn't sure how long he had been outside, but sure enough Ava entered his room in her own pajamas and hopped onto his bed without even seeing if he was in it or not. She wasn't dressed in anything fancy. Just a white top, pink shorts and mini robe. Cute.
"Ava, what on Earth are you doing in here?" he asked, hoping she was just in his room to talk about something trivial and nothing more.
"Aced said he'd only marry me if it got on your nerves, but that he did like the massage," Ava said brightly.
"Of course, he did," Ira said, sighing and smirking.
"So, can I get that hint now? Please?"
And there it is. Ira looked up at a shooting star and then said, "Sorry, Ava, I think you're too young to be giving me my dream massage. I like the magic stone idea, though. I was just thinking about it."
"Aced told me you might not give me a hint, so he gave me a secret code," Ava said, getting Ira to turn around with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Vinegar tea."
Ira took a deep breath at those dreaded words and calmly but begrudgingly lumbered toward his bed and sat next to Ava. He made it his mission to get back at Aced for his coded threat as Ava laid on her stomach to hear Ira's reply. She had no idea what the code meant, but it must have held a great amount of power over Ira if Aced could grin about it and feel like he just accomplished something amazing that no one but the master could understand. As she waited for Ira to speak, she wondered what would make him so hesitant about this hint. Or about the dream massage for that matter. Hers was lying on a fake fur mat and having nice, strong hands rub a sugar scrub into her skin. Nothing particularly concerning.
"Alright, here's your hint," Ira said after a moment. "I like peppermint, so my dream massage involves a mint oil."
"That's more like a preference, Ira," Ava giggled. "If it makes you feel more at ease, my dream massage is lying on a big fur mat and having a sugar scrub rubbed into my back."
"You were destined to like cute or sweet things, weren't you?" Ira commented, smirking.
"See? There's that life-like spirit!" Ava cheered, nodding.
"Alright, you asked for this," Ira said. "You promise not to tell anyone, right?"
"Nope. I'm gonna use this as a secret code for later use," Ava replied, copying what Ira had done earlier with his finger pressed to his lips.
He paused for a moment, a single thought crossing his mind as Ava looked at him with a childlike eagerness, and became even more hesitant than before. When he started to see cute stickers floating around Ava's head in anticipation, he slowly crept to her ear without realizing how husky and rough his voice was becoming as the words formed in his head. He didn't want to do this, but he was being threatened. Then again, there were two solutions to his predicament. He could either create a dream massage for her to just accept and keep going or he could be stone-cold honest. Once he felt Ava grow impatient, he decided to let her choose and then take it from there.
"You have two options then," Ira said, holding up a peace sign. "You can choose either the sweet dream or the honest dream. Both of these are my dream massages, but one is scarier than the other."
"Scary?" Ava questioned, hands balled up and sitting close to her chest. She took a moment to think it over, smiled, and then said, "You're luring me with the sweet dream so that you can tell me something that'll run me away. I'm gonna go with the honest dream."
"Both will run you away, Ava," Ira said, seriousness etched into his features. "I only said one was scarier than the other. I didn't say both weren't scary."
"This had better be good with the stalling you're doing," Ava argued, tilting her head so she could lend her ear to Ira.
"Fine," Ira said, sighing. He pressed his lips only a few centimeters away from Ava's ear and whispered his honest reply. "I don't need anything fancy to lay on. No table or fur or even a bed. Just a flat surface is enough. Near a fireplace preferrably with something soft and classical playing from a gramophone. Maybe a Baroque piece to lull me to sleep almost or make my imagination play out. As I lay there, the smell of burning wood and mint oil will invade my senses. Someone's hands..." Ira paused to take Ava's hands into his own and turn them so his palms were touching the back of hers. He then continued, "will slowly reach up to my shoulders and rub gently at first. Slight pressure will soon follow and those same hands will travel their way down my spine before tugging my hair back a little to move it out of the way. Then, I'll feel someone's body..." Ira paused again to run his fingers up Ava's arms until he reaches her neck and slowly drags the fingers down to trace the seams of her shirt. Ava gasped, blushed, and then froze as Ira continued again. "Covered in that same mint oil, push my torso into the surface beneath me as it rolls back and forth above me. I'll feel that someone's skin all over my back, feel their thighs move back and forth in slow rhythms, feel the muscles in them pulsate as they move their body, and notice that like me they are also in a compromising position. Out of my own selfish or loving desire, I'll whisper for them to use their mouth and be rough with me. That same, intoxicating body will roll back and forth over my back again, those hands will trace my spine again, those lips will taste my skin, their teeth digging lightly to feel the bone underneath muscle and sinew. The icy sensation in my back coupled with the flames near me is enough to completely undo me. Time will pass and that person will turn me over and keep going over my chest. I'll reach out to touch that person, but then I wake up and the dream ends."
When Ira pulled back to study Ava's face, he expected to see fear, embarrassment, or even shock. He didn't see any of those things and it puzzled him. There was nothing he could read in her eyes, nothing he could read from her body, nothing he could read at all. She was just frozen. He waved a hand in front of Ava's eyes to see if she was still there, but she was stuck in this unusual loop of time it seemed. She really wasn't moving. Ira felt a slight of panic in his chest and placed a hand over her stomach. He breathed out calmly when he felt Ava breathing through her diaphragm. Out of curiosity, he placed the back of his hand over her heart and was almost startled by the hard thumping he was feeling. The heart beat's frequency seemed normal but sounded too strong. It was like her heart was pumping too much blood at a time. Unsure of what to do, Ira closed his eyes to sigh and proceeded to stand up to splash a cup of water on her face, but he was immediately taken by surprise when Ava shoved him down and kissed him. At first, his body was ready for any form of sexual release when he voiced his fantasy to the young Foreteller and he kissed back passionately to the point where he wasn't dominating but controlling the object of his affections. Then, he realized he was controlling Ava and forcibly pushed her off him to sit up and regain his composure.
"Are you mad? You're a child!" Ira argued.
Ava wasn't hearing any of his reasoning and jumped at him to force him back down. He wasn't anticipating a sudden pounce from the smaller Foreteller. Again, his body reacted to her assault and he felt his hands grab at her hips before traveling upwards to lift her tank top before he stopped himself again. He scrambled to place his hands on her upper arms and pushed her back once more. This time he read two emotions in her face: shock and frustration. Why those two? Ira loosened his grip on her arms out of confusion and tried to sense if this was really the same Ava or darkness taking her form. That would be scary actually. A dark Ava? Cringe. After sensing her power, he confirmed that it was the same Ava he thought was cute for protecting a newborn Chirithy. The only thing he could guess for why she was doing this was his fantasy turned her on, which makes no sense because any other girl or woman would have just ignored it or would have maybe called him a pervert, but he was positive she had a thing for Gula. Well, at least he thought she had a thing for Gula. They were the closest in age, physical capabilities, and -
Once she used a Graviza spell on him to force him down, he decided to ask right before she kissed him again, "If the master or Gula catches you doing this, what then?"
That stopped her for a minute and gave him enough time to remove the Graviza spell and start summoning an Aero spell just to gently push her back and make her come to her senses. She gulped for a second, having thought of a proper answer, and then leaned in to whisper to Ira, "I don't think I care. For just a moment, I don't think you did either. Otherwise, you wouldn't have kissed back a second time and you would have used a stronger spell to force me back the same way I did."
Ira gasped at this before dismissing his spell. She was right. He didn't have to tell her his fantasy, didn't have to whisper it to her, and didn't have to let her kiss him at all. In fact, he could've just stopped her in the hallway when they were talking, yet here she was straddling him in the most delicious way possible and letting him take over. The most mind-numbing thing of all is probably the fact that she's virginal, so he would have to teach her everything he kno -
"So be it."
He turned her over and took the lead from there, earning small intermittent moans as the kiss became a makeout session. She was getting the hang of it, though. As time passed, he actually had to fight for simple dominance... until he felt nails clawing at his back and soft fingertips digging into the muscles in his back. His hands parted her legs by the knees before he roughly massaged her inner thighs. Her hands went from lightly rubbing his shoulders to reaching underneath his waistband. We'll see how much she doesn't care, won't we, brain? Ira no longer wasted time and quickly undressed the girl as she pulled his sheets down. Pretty soon, she nodded at him to go all the way and Ira no longer let his brain form any source of reasoning behind her actions. He just took her. With every thrust and every whimper, he let this be his guilty pleasure. Drinking every command she gave, every compliment she made, every kiss she took, every return thrust she managed to perform. When both were spent and they lay there trying to catch their breath, he wanted to think of something to say to her, but she silenced his thoughts with a sweet kiss and cuddled into his warmth.
Ava work with a start like lightning just hit her. No way. NO WAY was she attracted to Ira in such a... a ... Is there even a word to describe such a thing? Why would that even cross her mind? Ira had to be twice her age! What on Earth was happening to her? Her heart was still pounding and some of the images were playing back to her. Mostly the parts where she was massaging Ira's back as he - NO! Ava shook her head violently before slapping herself to concentrate on anything else besides her dream. Not even bothering with trying to go back to sleep, Ava jumped up and went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea.
No one was there so she took some deep breaths and walked over to the stove. Her personal teapot was resting in one of the cupboards on the right side, so she opened the door and took out the tea set. She turned the fire for the stove on and filled the pot with water before setting it onto the flames. She waited for her pot of water to boil before placing a vanilla and chamomile bag of tea into the hot water. A spoonful of honey should calm her down, too, and that's what she decided to add. Trying to think of anything else, she turned off the fire when the teapot whistled and poured some tea into her cup. Picking it up, she placed the cup onto a small saucer and walked over to the table. She blew the sweet steam at the top of the cup and took a few sips until she heard rustling and a light click on. She hummed in response and saw Aced standing before her with this look of annoyance like he really didn't want to be up at the moment. When he saw Ava, the look changed to surprise and then curiosity.
"Aced?" Ava called, also surprised that someone else couldn't sleep.
"Ava? What are you doing up?" the man asked, concern lacing his voice.
"Oh, just had some trouble sleeping. Weird dream," Ava responded, smiling gently.
"About what?" Aced questioned, walking over to the table.
"Running a massage parlor," Ava lied, blushing slightly. "I was thinking maybe some dream massages are better kept a secret. I'll just stick to the ideas Ira gave me earlier. It's definitely safer that way."
"A good wet dream will do that," Aced commented, smirking.
"A what?" Ava questioned.
Aced was on the verge of laughing hysterically at Ava's response. He just woke up because his body decided to get up, but this was more amusing than he thought. Maybe his body was really telling him, "Oh my gosh, dude, get up right now! You are gonna LOVE this!" That's pretty much how he was feeling right now. Ira didn't even mention his dream massage to Ava because he was asleep by the time she finished walking on Aced's back, so the only thing Ava could do was imagine something Ira would want. Mistake! Based on little Ava's face, a mistake was made on this night. Aced was debating on whether or not he should tell Ira about this because Ira could be scary sometimes, and he could probably shut down any and all fantasies Ava might be tempted to think about in the future. Oh, screwing with people was becoming his passion. He could now see why the Master did it so much. Interested in whether or not Ava would tell him what exactly she dreamed about, Aced decided to be serious and proceeded to continue the conversation.
"A wet dream," Aced repeated, getting a cup of tea. "That's what you just had. Basically, you were dreaming about giving a more sexual massage to someone and I don't think it was your dream husband. You said your own dream massage was really meant to be from a husband if you get a chance to marry some day. My guess is you were thinking something more sexual in nature is what Ira wants as a dream massage. That lingering thought is what created the dream. Whoever it was you were fantasizing about must have come as a shock."
"B-b-bu-but Aced that's - !" Ava started, face completely red.
"Ira is a man, Ava," Aced said, interrupting the young Foreteller. "He has his own desires just like me and the master. When you're our age, you'll probably develop your own fantasies. You've got some time to think of it before our roles take effect."
"That means your dream massage isn't as pure as I thought either, right?" Ava questioned.
"No, mine is as I said," Aced replied, sipping his tea. "Walking on my back is good enough for me. It's probably a good thing Ira was asleep by the time you visited his room to ask about his dream massage. If it was anything like you dreamed, I doubt you'd be able to function."
"You are so embarrassing!" Ava shouted in a whispery voice. "And what are you doing up anyway?"
"To be honest, I just woke up out of nowhere," Aced answered, finishing his tea and placing his cup in the kitchen sink. "If your dream truly is upsetting you, maybe you should talk to Invi about it. She could give you better insight on the matter. She is a woman, after all. If you need a man's perspective, there's me and the master. Unless you've spoken to someone else about this?"
Ava stuttered a bit, face not getting any less red, and then dropped her head down to say, "I just woke up from the dream and you're the only one I can talk to about it 'cause you're the only one up."
"Very well," Aced replied, sitting across from Ava at the table near the window. "What do you wish to do?"
"I dunno. What do you do when you have a bad dream?" Ava asked.
"Determine what makes it bad," Aced answered. "Then figure out whether what I just saw was in fact a dream or a vision. Remember, darkness wears many disguises. It can easily invade something so simple as a dream and plague your mind for days until you are consumed. As Foretellers, we must be careful of this. What in your dream makes it bad?"
"You promise not to laugh, right?" Ava asked.
Mistake! Kingdom Hearts, give him the strength not to bust out in tears in front of this traumatized girl! Where was the master when he needed him? Good Lord. Aced took a quick breath to stop the chuckles trying to rise up and nodded his head. Ava looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was near the door and then tried to sense the others' light. Aced was on the brink of destruction at this point. She was making damn sure he was the only to know this "terrible" secret. Made him wish he was married now so the kids could start comin' in with their problems. Oh, he'd be the best dad ever.
"It was about Ira," Ava whispered. Aaaaaaannnnnndddd done. Aced just nodded for her to continue, knowing he would break out in laughter if he opened his mouth now. She went on, checking again for any eavesdroppers, and said, "Well, since he was sleeping before I could get whatever hint he was going to tell me, I just imagined him not being asleep. You know, him just thinking like he always does. He was stalling on telling me anything, and I used the code you gave me to force it out of him. He stalled some more until he told me. After that..."
It was coming out bad now. Aced felt a tear creeping in on him. Oh yeah, that best dad trophy is looking shiny on the horizon. Aced took a quick breath, hummed in fake thought, and probed, "After that?"
Ava tried to gesture the next part with her hands coming together but it looked more like clapping or trying to solve those hands-on puzzles. Of course, Aced knew what she was trying to say and it made his seams come aloose. He wasn't sure what was more hilarious: Ava trying to gesture at the sexual content of her dream or her pretty much saying dreaming about anything sexual with Ira was her worst nightmare? He thought for sure maybe he'd be too scary to dream about because he's all tall and big compared to everyone else. He was triple the size of Gula if not quadruple, about the same height as Ira but not the same build, and the master was pretty much his height but again not the same build. Luxu and Gula were in the same boat.
Aced then said, "Ah, I take it that's where things got weird for you."
"Yes," Ava squeaked, small tears appearing in her eyes.
"Did he say something to you that seemed bad?" Aced asked, trying his absolute hardest to be serious.
"It wasn't him that said something weird. It was me!" Ava declared, flopping onto the table and fake crying.
Aced took a much deeper breath this time and said, "Alright. What did you say that's got you so upset?"
"That I didn't care if the master or Gula caught us," Ava replied, sparking Aced's interest. "And that I didn't think he cared either."
That changes EVERYTHING. This is someone subconsciously wanting to control their future leader but it doesn't stop there. Not only does she want to control Ira, she wants him to relinquish his own self-control and sense of morale so that she can completely dominate him. Holy shit, that IS sexy. Uh, he meant Good Lord that tea sure was too warm for his tastes. Well, Dream Ira must've had the time of his life after he heard her say that. No wonder she was so upset. She was afraid of herself. He was thinking it was something Ira did like... like... What would Ira do to a hormonal teenage girl anyway? He's WAY too noble. Oh, but that scary side of him existed. No, that scary side to him comes out when he's angry or getting impatient and that took two miracles and a half of a blessing to get him to that point at all. He can be frustrated or sad, but he doesn't step too far outside of those boundaries. That's what made him so admirable. Yet, this young girl wants to destroy all of that. A chick after his own heart.
"Wow," was all Aced could really say at the moment. It made Ava whine and fake cry again. Aced then continued, "I was thinking something completely different. Well, it sounds like you have a subconscious want for Ira to be more open. Not really to something...intimate. Just in general."
Ava popped up at this with a face full of hope. That made sense! She then asked, "More open?"
Aced nodded and then said, "Maybe the interaction you had with him beforehand is what really sparked the dream. You said Ira gave you some ideas for your massage parlor, right? Well, did he seem open-minded about it? Kinder maybe?"
"Yeah, he was more playful after his shower," Ava replied, smiling a bit more at the realization.
"That's what the dream was telling you. You want to see that side of Ira more because he seems more like a regular guy not just a thoughtful leader," Aced advised. "The situation you were in might have been too compromising, but the clues seem clear enough to draw such a conclusion. You said he was stalling a lot, right? That probably represented the walls he tends to put up around us so we don't know what he's truly thinking about. When you said the code, you broke the wall. At least one of them anyways. Did Ira say anything to you that made the rest of the dream get too weird?"
"He just told me what his dream massage was. I guess he really was just voicing what I thought he wanted because the real Ira said I wouldn't want to give him one if I knew. The only thing I could think of that would be off-limits is if it were too explicit," Ava said, pouting. "I know I'm too young for certain things. I don't mind. To be honest, I don't really care if it is too adult for me. That just means he'll need a more personal masseuse who isn't me. The massage parlor idea just kind of came up because he had a stiff shoulder. When he was so open to the idea and even helping me with ideas, he was more free-spirited and happy. He even joked around. I never saw him like that before. Not around me at least. I just wanted to know if he trusts me the way he trusts you. We're a team, you know?"
Aced was silent. This changed everything once again. Ava wasn't having her first wet dream because she had a crush on Ira or because she was horny or because she secretly wanted to control the man. She had that dream as a secret wish to be Ira's friend not just some subordinate. That's when Aced realized just how distant she and Ira really were. Ava speaks to Aced often and knows a few things about him. He knows a few things about Ava, too. Though they don't talk often, she and Invi speak to each other and know things about the other. Gula is her closest friend, and Luxu seemed to be a good friend to her. He guessed that he could expect that out of the youngest members. But Ira? He and she don't talk much at all. If he asked either of them a slightly personal question about the other, they wouldn't be able to answer him at all. That's really why Ava was so upset. In her dreams, she knows how to break Ira's walls, but, in reality, she doesn't have those same tools. That would frustrate him if he called someone a comrade and didn't know squat about the person. It must be tiresome for Ava.
Aced hummed in thought and then said, "Ava, go tell Ira your dream."
"What!?" Ava shouted. "Are you insane?"
"Ava," Aced said gently, placing a finger under her chin. "You should never feel mistrust from a comrade. With darkness looming overhead, we can't afford to be distant from each other. We are the five lights that will protect this world. Not four. Ira needs to be able to trust you the way he trusts us. In your dream, Ira might have been easy to coax into an open relationship but ours in the real world is no fool. He would easily dance around your questions or even dismiss them. This dream is the only weapon you have that will get through to him. You should use it."
"But Aced, I - !" Ava started before she stopped.
The man gave her a very serious scowl for a moment before his disposition returned to that gentle teacher again after she sighed and nodded. Too bad the dream wasn't about Aced. This gentleness she could've handled and it would have made more sense. He has the rough hands she envisioned her husband having. Maybe not the body and voice but he definitely had the hands. She even would've accepted Gula or Luxu who were more appropriate. But this was Ira they were talking about! Why couldn't she just dream of something impossible like the two eating cotton candy together or something? Why... those unmentionable things? Taking a final gulp of her tea, which had gotten cold, she nodded with determination and ran out of the kitchen to wait in her room for the morning to come. Aced waited for her to disappear into her room before speaking to the presence Ava didn't detect earlier.
"You should go back to bed. Someone has something to tell you."
"So I've heard," Ira said, coming out of the shadows. "At least I heard some part of it."
"You just heard the parlor idea up until what I said," Aced responded, taking Ava's teapot, teacup and saucer and placing the items near the stove. "That's when I caught you before you hid away to eavesdrop. Did you hear what the dream was about?"
"No," Ira answered, walking into the kitchen. "It must have been serious if she believes I don't trust her. You said some pretty impressive words yourself."
"Well, I was fighting not to laugh at her before because of what she was upset about, but her words were enough to show me evidence," Aced said, walking towards Ira but heading in the direction of the kitchen door.
"Evidence?" Ira asked, stopping his friend.
"When was the last time the two of you had an actual conversation about something miscellaneous? Something that had nothing to do with roles or training or the master's teachings?" Aced asked, looking to his side. Ira gasped at this after some thought and made Aced nod. He then said to Ira, "That was the true meaning of her dream. The contents of it might have disturbed her, but the truth underneath them is what's upsetting her. Try to remember that when she gains the courage to tell you what it was about."
"I guess I don't deserve a hint, do I?" Ira questioned, dropping his head down. Poor Ava. He didn't mean to push her away.
"Well, she didn't give me all of the details, but she never had a dream like that before," Aced hinted, giving Ira the most mischievous and wicked of grins. This frightened the normally cool-headed man and made him gulp a bit. When Aced saw this reaction, he growled lowly, "I'll give you a code to help you. Think of this and nothing else when she speaks. Understood?"
Ira's eyes widened at his friend's face. It wasn't evil but it was like he knew something that ran deeper than what he heard. In fact, it was the same look he gave him when he put vinegar and some kind of fiber in his tea. He was in that bathroom for hours! Ava's secret dream had to be horrible if that was the case, but he wanted to know what it was about. He didn't want her to feel untrusted. Ira nodded slowly and asked, "What is it?"
"Self-control," Aced said before going to his room.
Self-control? What did that mean? It didn't sound like a code someone would recognize or know the secret of when considering the underlying message of the word. Maybe it was something in the definition. Ira went to get a glass of water as he thought of Aced's hidden message and drank it calmly. He couldn't help but think of the man's secret code. Self-control? What exactly did he do in Ava's dream? Of course, dreams are just projections of feelings or desires that one wouldn't normally express in reality. Sometimes, they even act as memories. That wasn't enough of a hint to help, though. What happened to not thinking, Ira? The man heaved out a frustrated sigh. He couldn't escape thinking for very long, could he? Damn those two! Finishing his glass, he placed his cup in the sink and turned around to see the Master of Masters standing in the doorway. His body showed amusement. Oh crap.
"Master?"
The man nodded and said quietly, "Come with me to the library, Ira."
Shit, this is bad. Uh, he meant oh crap times two! What could the master possibly want with me at this ungodly hour? How much did he hear? How much does he know? When they both entered the library, the master remained uncharacteristically quiet. Something terrible was about to happen. He could feel it. Anticipating the worst, Ira watched his master pick out a few books that seemed too cute or delicate for his tastes. What is Crushes: A Serious Study? That was in the bookshelf somewhere? Since when? Forbidden Flowers? What?
"Master, what are you searching for?" Ira asked almost shyly.
"Hm? Oh, something for Ava," Master responded, picking out one last book. Most of them were short reads and seemed a tad old. The man then continued, "Looks like she needs some in-depth advice on a very delicate topic. So, I'm finding a few things that could help. Of course, only a woman would know what a woman is thinking beneath all that pretty and empowerment, so Invi is better suited for the job. But! I think her teeny, tiny dilemma is self-solvable. She just needs to get scientific."
"And you need my assistance for this?" Ira questioned, not understanding what's going on anymore. What the hell was Ava dreaming about that's got even the master involved?
"No," the master deadpanned. "Ava, Gula, and Luxu begin their roles tomorrow. You won't have time to interact with them to know about Aced's message. You might not even have time to talk to them even when your role begins, depending on when that even happens. In short, I'll tell you what Ava's dream was about if you truly want to know."
"Oh, well..." Ira started. He REALLY didn't want to know now, but his curiosity got the better of him. He did, after all, want to know why Ava felt untrusted and wanted to correct the matter now that everything was beginning. He made his final decision with some reluctance and said, "I suppose if she's too busy to tell me, then it should be fine. I only heard she felt I didn't trust her. I don't want her to feel that way. She's a very valuable defender of light. Betrayal amongst our seven lights is not something we can afford."
"That's a good impression to have of her. Too bad this is gonna get awkward for the next five weeks," the master said with that prior amusement he had earlier. When Ira looked at him with some confusion on his face, he then placed his choice books on his shoulder and said, "To be blunt, Ava pretty much had a fuck dream about you."
Ira was quiet for a good five minutes, putting the pieces together, until he finally shouted with incremental volume, "Wha - what? What? What!? WHAT!?"
"Oh yeah, let it all sink in, big man," the master said, chuckling evilly at Ira's flustered face and shifting eyes. "She woke up freaked out and told Aced what happened in the kitchen. That's why you found them there. What you heard was the cutesy interpretation of the dream."
Ira felt light-headed and his heart slowed in beating for a brief moment. He sat down on a chair at one of the reading tables as the master held back the powerful, boisterous laughter threatening to come out of him. Ira then stuttered, "B-b-bu-but she's... H-h-ho-how did...? W-wha-what...?"
"Face the music, buddy. You're a prized stallion," the master joked, pointing a playful finger at Ira. He then sighed and said, "My sweet, little Ava's growing up. Welp! I've got some books to deliver."
"Wait! But then, what did Aced's message mean? That I had no self-control in her dream?" Ira questioned. "Did I force myself on her or something?"
"Actually, you did in the dream what you would've done in reality. You held back for the most part," the master said, leaning to his side like he normally does when he's probing Ira to think beyond a particular subject. "You even thought of the consequences and tried to get her to do the same. In fact, you tried to stop her twice when you factored in the age difference and what me or Gula would say. Her dream Ira was almost exactly like you to a fault. It was impressive really. What scared Ava wasn't you at all. It was herself. She was the one who lost her self-control."
"She... lost control?" Ira repeated, feeling faint with each word.
"Yup. It all started with that conversation about the massage parlor she wanted to run after you left the shower. She called it you being life-like, right?" the master asked, turning to see Ira remembering what happened a few hours ago. "That's what got her attention. She found that side of you attractive."
"As in se - ?" Ira tried to clarify before feeling faint again.
"Yup. She's not ready to admit it yet, but she pretty much is secretly (or rather subconsciously) attracted to another side of you that she hadn't seen before. I guess it doesn't hurt having an impressive butt either," the master added, making Ira place a palm on his face and groan.
"How am I supposed to speak to her now, knowing she dreamt about me in an inappropriate manner?" Ira asked to himself.
"Hey, every girl's got a dream. Nothing inappropriate about hers," the Master said, turning around to see the man's troubled face. "She's at the age where sexual attraction is a thing. You just so happen to fit her bill. Would you prefer it if Invi liked you in that way?"
"I would prefer it if we could just be comrades," Ira debated, rubbing his temples to erase the thought of Invi including him in her sexual fantasies. "'Sides, I think she and Aced are closer to each other in that manner than me and her. I don't even know how I can face either one now."
"Easy," the master replied. "Just don't think about it. Do what you do best and think of your role and the balance between light and darkness. That's more important. For Ava, being younger than both of us, getting over this little crush is more important. To get her back on track with her own role, we'll squash any other crush-y thoughts or dreams she might have now by helping her realize what she's feeling is normal for someone her age. It's a bit of a shock now because physical relationships are last on anyone's list until that one person shows up in your life. See? Normal stuff."
Ira took a deep breath and nodded before saying, "You're right. Thank you."
"You still have a big butt, though," the master said, chuckling a bit at Ira's immediate reaction.
After that, the master was gone and Ira was left to think to himself for a moment. The sun was rising now. Well, if Ava was going to be gone for most of the day, then there would be no need to confront her about anything. The master would distract her with the books, Gula could talk to her more, Aced might tease her for a while, and Invi could give her some girl time if they bumped into each other. Good, he wouldn't have to speak to her at all. Ira gasped then. The reason Ava felt so mistrusted in the first place was because they never spoke to each other on a personal level about anything. Avoiding her would just make that distrust she was feeling worse, and that might ignite more dreams because she'll want to see the kinder side to him again. He wanted to correct the misconception not prove her right and lose a guardian of light. He couldn't really be nice all of the time either. He had his role to worry about and it would seem too suspicious. Great! Ira can't talk to Ava and can't not talk to Ava. Perfect. Damn it! Suddenly, the master's words came to Ira's mind: squash any other thoughts or dreams she might have now. Okay. What should he do to destroy Ava's hidden attraction towards him? After a moment or two, a very dangerous idea came to mind. He was sure this would end terribly but what else was there to do?
Walking through the streets of Daybreak Town, Ira patrolled the area seeing keyblade wielders fighting raid bosses that decided to invade their peaceful world. This was good. Once the bosses were eradicated, he continued his watch over the land. Some Heartless surrounded him to attack, but he made quick work eliminating them. He supposed he needed that outlet. When he began to think of Ava and Invi, his original plan to eliminate any hidden feelings either one of them might have shared with him came to mind. Not wanting to be consumed by his thoughts today and feeling too tired to even function at the moment, Ira decided to leave Daybreak Town and enter the surrounding forest area to relax. There just so happened to be some cataract waterfalls a few miles away. He could just rest there for a while to clear his head. That's what he used to do when he trained with the Master. At least during those times, it was rare to see the other future Foretellers if they weren't studying under the Master. He could simply date a normal girl, which he did for a while before he was called to be the Master's apprentice, and practice his fencing skills or meditate. Come to think of it, he wondered if his old hammock and reading lamp were still hidden within the flat stones that made up an impressive geological wall for him to simply study. He missed taking samples of the rocks and observing their structure.
When he made it to his old training spot, he took off his white boots and walked barefoot through the soft earth and tall grass. He missed this place greatly as he carried his boots to his old cabin. It was right next to the cataracts and small pond. He knelt down slowly and then sat down to enjoy the scenery and breathe. Times were simpler then. Some hurried footsteps caught his attention and he turned slightly to hear the voice behind him. Who followed him here?
"Ira?" Ava called, making the man tense.
Seriously? Her crush is so strong she's starting to follow him everywhere? Ira turned around and nodded in a silent greeting. Please don't tell him about the dream. He wasn't ready for this yet! He wasn't ready for it last night either.
"Oh, the master asked me to give you this!" Ava said, holding up a Chirithy. Ira blinked at the shy creature, watched it float towards him, and then land in front of him with curiosity in his eyes. When it wiggled its nose about, he sighed and then started chuckling. Suddenly, the chuckling became laughter and confused Ava a bit. She hummed in question and then asked, "Ira, are you okay? You haven't been sniffing something funny around the water, have you?"
"No," Ira responded, reaching out to take the Chirithy in his arms. "You were so happy to give me this new puppy-kitty thing, I almost forgot why I came here."
"Oh, sorry, Ira," Ava apologized, turning to leave. "I'll leave right away. Wha - ?"
Ava didn't know when Ira removed his mask or when he got close enough to grab her hand, but she was still shocked nonetheless when he removed her mask to kiss her very deeply. Well, there goes her first kiss. If the biting of her lip was anything to go by, there goes her first french kiss, too. Was she being lifted off the ground right now? Oh my gosh! Trying to wriggle out of Ira's embrace, her protesting began to weaken once the kiss became more passionate. Feeling herself giving in to the man's advances, she moaned before shooting back for air. Her face was a nice shade of pink to mirror her embarrassment, but it soon faded when she saw the undeniable look of desire and hunger in Ira's eyes. Was this the scary Ira that Aced talked about? No, Ira's not angry.
"B-b-but Ira, I - !" Ava started.
"You what?" Ira asked in a lustful voice. A growl was added to the question to make it sound like no answer was meant to be given, but Ava tried to answer it anyway.
"I just gave you your Chirithy. You don't have to french me!" Ava said, blushing profusely.
"That wasn't the only thing I was going to do to you," Ira said, grinning mischievously. He then changed into a more cheerful person and asked, "Would you like to learn how to make a sugar scrub, Ava? I used to study geology in this area. There are actually some stones that can be grinded down to the base salts used for scrubs. I can teach you how to make the sweet oils, too."
Confused about Ira's sudden personality change, Ava was silenced for a moment but intrigued also. She looked into Ira's eyes with curiosity and reached out to touch the man's face to see if it was really him. Once it was confirmed, she watched Ira chuckle as he looked at her fondly and then nodded at him with a small smile. Ira rubbed his nose against Ava's and then placed her down to lead her to the creek he was sitting by. He walked through the currents and spotted an interesting blue stone that he remembered was a salt typically used for healing. He took it into his hands with Ava watching him and then walked back to her to show her the stone. Climbing out of the water, he found his old glass bottles kept in a wooden box with dates and findings written along the sides. He picked a matching blue bottle up and directed Ava to kneel in front of him. Feeling his power being generated in his hands, Ava watched Ira crush the stone with his bare hands and grind at the bits to make grains pour into the bottle. She gasped at this, impressed with Ira's work so far, and watched as he sifted the grains to make sure no large pieces escaped his hands.
Satisfied with the grainy base, he asked the girl, "What kind of oil would you like?"
"Huh? Oh! Um... Any kind is fine," Ava answered. "What kind of flowers grow in this area?"
Ira grinned mischievously and then pointed to his aging cabin. He said, "I have a purple book on the large table in there with all of the flowers I managed to find that grow here. Be very careful when reading about them."
Ava nodded, blushing at the man teasing her. He sniffed something weird in the area. No doubt about it. She skipped into the cabin, seeing the book on the table. It hadn't been touched in years from the looks of it. It already began collecting dust and buggy visitors. She looked through the book's pages, seeing many kinds of flowers in Ira's meditation place, and wondered if the reason Ira was showing so many sides to his personality was because he was in a familiar place on his own again. The Master said Ira loved this particular area because he was more free and could explore whenever he liked after training. Ava noticed that he did smile more. Seeing Ira's Chirithy hopping on the table next to her, she smiled at it and showed it the book with all of the flowers. The Chirithy picked one flower that was yellow and they learned that it was described as the flower that made Ira happy when he looked at it. Ava cooed at the little animal and scratched behind its ear as a reward. That was sweet. It wanted to make its master happy. Ava looked through more species and noticed a flower that Ira described as being exotic and mysterious. It was a deep purple flower with leathery leaves and spotted petals. He described its scent as a wild berry from a jungle and its color ignited a desire for adventure, but even through observation he couldn't quite understand the flower's origin or growth pattern like the other flowers. He does mention that butterflies love to drink its nectar and seem to dance around it. She liked butterflies. Curious about the flower, she returned to Ira along with his Chirithy and showed him the flowers they both chose.
Ira gave Ava a seductive look and asked, "Is there a reason why you two chose these?"
"I like when you smile, Master Ira," the Chirithy said shyly, awaiting some kind of scolding. It took the look as Ira being angry. When Ira chuckled and pet the little one, it then said, "I wanted a flower that made you happy. You said the yellow one made you happy just by looking at it."
"Thank you... Odie," Ira said, laughing at the Chirithy's ears when they perked up at the name. "All of the Chirithy will just be named Chirithy. You are unique. You'll need a unique name so I can recognize you over the others."
"I'm Odie!" Chirithy declared, hopping into Ira's arms.
"Yes, you are my Odie," Ira said, nodding at the Chirithy. When he felt a soft kiss on his lips, he was startled out of the conversation with his Chirithy and looked into Ava's blushing face and warm smile. Oh shit... "Ava?"
"I have to go now," Ava said quietly, taking the bottle of rock sugar into her hands. She retrieved her forgotten mask, replaced it on her head, and cheerfully said, "Thanks for the scrub, Ira. I know just what oil I want. Bye, Odie!"
"Bye, Master Ava!" Odie said, waving and giggling at the use of his new name.
"Dammit..." Ira mumbled, rubbing his forehead with one rough hand.
"What's the matter, Master Ira?" the Chirithy asked, looking at his master.
"I made it worse!" Ira complained.
Author's notes: And that was my attempt at a one-shot. The idea sort of popped into my head after I saw the movie again on YouTube. I thought the master was looking at Ira's butt purposely out of interest, which would have been more of a yaoi, but Ava having a steamy dream about Ira was a much better explanation. And it's funny to think about. Ira also seemed to direct his attention to Ava a bit differently than the others. That could be just because she's the youngest and he believes she's still new to the situation, but it didn't completely seem like that was the case. Let me know what you guys think, though.