This was such a pain. "Hi. I lost some of my stuff when I fell out of a tree. I twisted my ankle and can't get it myself." Devin spoke with confidence, but he felt somewhat embarrassed asking such a favor from the small Mr. Saturn his ice eyes were looking down upon.
"Talk to Not Mr. Saturn, boing! Get things for you, she do, ding!"
"Not Mr. Saturn?"
"Yes! She climb for you! Has arms and hands. Will get things, ding!"
"… Right. Where can I find him?"
"Not a him. She a her. Around this time, her by hot spring, boing! Go find, get stuff."
"Okay…" With that, he hobbled away from Mr. Saturn. Devin believed the Mr. Saturns to be an alien race, but he felt like the alien. Being the only human in a non-human town can do that to a person. He wasn't sure what to expect from Not Mr. Saturn. From her name, he could assume she was not a Mr. Saturn. But, if she was not a Mr. Saturn, what was she? Was she animal or human or chimera? Why was he asking himself so many questions that could be answered as soon as he saw her?
Devin's ankle still hurt, but he had bandaged it well. Injuries such as sprained ankles happened often to him, along with incidents like falling from trees. He couldn't help himself. He loved climbing, reaching the tallest branch he could sit on, and watching the world from that perch, like a bird. He loved it.
"Excuse me, where is the hot spring?" he asked a Mr. Saturn that was similar to the one he previously spoke to in every way.
"Hot spring that way, zoom!" He (at least, Devin assumed it was a he) turned to face "that way". "You want rest in hot spring? Hot spring make you kay-o!"
"I'm going to see Not Mr. Saturn."
"Not Mr. Saturn, boing! She make pretty clothes. Give clothes to you for DP. Or free, ding! Depends on mood."
"I need her to climb something for me."
"Not Mr. Saturn, boing, can do all for you! Go see, go see!"
"Okay…" Mr. Saturns sure are chatty. Devin wouldn't call himself antisocial, but he usually didn't stay in the company of… anyone really. As the pain continued to pierce his ankle, Devin thought he may choose to spend a few moments in the hot spring.
When he finally arrived at the spring, he recognized Not Mr. Saturn immediately. Not Mr. Saturn was a girl with milk chocolate skin and cornrows that were tied with Mr. Saturn ribbons and brushed against the middle of her back. She wore a simple dress of the same red as her ribbons. She sat at the edge of the hot spring, her feet in its warm water. "Hello," the boy said.
The girl turned and smiled broadly. "Hello! You come for hot spring? Make you kay-o!"
Devin took a step back. Hearing the language the Mr. Saturns spoke coming from a human girl shocked him. In the moment in which he had first seen her, Devin had unconsciously expected her to act… human. He found himself feeling disappointed. "I need your help." He felt an odd lump in his throat. Brown eyes blinked up at him. "Some stuff of mine is in a tree. I sprained my ankle. Could you get it for me?"
"Sprained ankle? Not Mr. Saturn make you better! Sit!" The girl was still smiling innocently at him.
"No, I want you to get my things, please."
"Sit!"
Devin gave a frustrated sigh. "Will you get my stuff, please?" He grit his teeth against the words.
"Sit with Not Mr. Saturn. Then, I get stuff for you. Please?" she asked him gently, still smiling.
The boy's ice eyes stabbed at the girl's indomitable smile. "… Fine." He sat on the grass next to her, as instructed. "Now what?"
"Which foot?" In response to her question, Devin moved his right foot towards her. He watched as Not Mr. Saturn turned to face him, moved the black cloth of his pants away from his ankle, and placed both hands on either side of his injury. "I make you kay-o." The palms of her hands glowed green, Devin relaxed, and the discomfort in his ankle disappeared. "All done." Devin stood and tested his ankle. He walked back and forth along the edge of the hot spring for a few moments.
He looked down at the smiling girl with a wrinkled brow. "You know how to use PSI?"
"Yep!"
"Why did you decide to use it on me? I could have rested in the hot spring."
"You seemed in a hurry. PSI faster than hot spring."
"… Thanks, I guess." He stared at his reflection in the spring.
"Still want to get things, ding?"
"I can do it myself."
"Kay-o!" she said in a sing-song tone.
"Bye."
"Bye-bye!"