"Well, to be completely honest, she didn't really win them." said Adeli while swabbing his scratches with another layer of Betadine. "Then how did she get that Omniscience? You keep going on about it being expensive." asked Jace.
"See, it's like this..."
"HA! YEAH BITCH!" yelled the pasty fellow, pumping his fists in the air. His two other friends didn't dare get close. "Looks like you won. Not bad." said Chandra in an unnaturally calm, nonchalant tone. Adeli found herself inching toward the door. "YES YES I DID UH HUH IN YOUR FACE!"
"In your face, you mean." replied the Firebrand, getting up and walking toward him. The teen scooped up her cards and retreated to the door. "What do you mean-"
"This is a reward," said Chandra, squeezing his face between her assets. She picked up the Omniscience and gestured at Adeli, all the while looking threateningly at the other two. They made no effort to stop her. "I like dis reward." the pasty guy said, obviously enjoying himself. "Yes, and now..." Chandra pulled away and ran out, dragging Adeli along with her and scattering Swamps across the floor.
The teen put a Band-aid on a scratch, finishing the patchwork that was Jace. "There."
"Thank you." Jace looked over his torso. "Hm. I expected something a bit more... destructive."
"I don't know what came over her either." replied Adeli, dumping the used cotton in the trash. Chandra had eaten an obscene amount of curry and was in their room sleeping it off. School would start up again tomorrow, so the teen found herself taking the time to bandage the memory adept up again. She knew pretty well that Chandra wouldn't. "Hey Jace, what is it with you and Chandra?"
"I'm not sure I know what you mean."
"She's really edgy around you now for some reason." Jace shrugged and winced. "Try not to move so much. And don't-"the teen started. Jace winced again and doubled over. "-lean back. The burns haven't completely dried yet."
"Right, right. But before I answer that, riddle me this: where is your father?" Adeli stopped midway to the kitchen. "You live off of the money he sends you while winning tournaments in between for prize money. You won't speak about your mother, and nobody else lives here but you, me and Chandra." Jace went on. "Who pays your bills? Who buys your food? Who pays for everything? I know you're a capable child-"
"I am not a child, Beleren." She sounded... dangerous.
"-teenager, young adult, whichever, but I know that even you can't handle being a complete adult just yet."
"Hm. I think I won't be needing an answer to my last question. Night." Adeli stalked off to her room.
"Alright, Beleren, what did you do this time?" asked Chandra wearily the minute the teen stepped out the door. "I may have gone through her head." he replied, picking at a scab. The Firebrand knocked his hand away. Considering how she nearly burned him to death, the two had gone partway back to their original standing with each other. "And what did you see?"
"Her father, who is hiding out somewhere."
"What, is she in some kind of political mess?"
"No, but her father is. They're having quite the war." Ceros hopped on the sofa next to him and hissed when the mind mage tried to pet him. "Who's they?"
"Some kind of mafia, I couldn't see who. Both sides are very protective of Adeli though. Apparently we're being watched everyday." Chandra looked toward the window. "They watch through these camera things," Jace went on. "Something like the Homunculi that I use to watch my lab."
"There aren't any in the bathroom are there?" she asked, the flame on the tip of her ponytail flickering nervously.
"I don't know. Why?" Chandra shrugged and walked toward the kitchen. "No reason."
The man deposited the bag on the table. Adeli checked inside.
"Isn't this more than usual?"
"Yeah, the boss said you'd need it since there are two other people with you now." Adeli sighed and took some of the wads of cash out. The man looked at them greedily. "I'll let you have these if you tell Da- the boss that Santa Elena already gave me money for the month. But tell him thank you." The man nodded, swept up the cash and left without another word. The teen sighed and slouched in the chair. The lamplight hurt her eyes, so she looked around for the off switch. It was across the room on the far wall. Her shoe soon took care of the problem.
And the girl sat alone in the dark.
"You two I'm ho- what are you doing?"
"Sorting the condoms I bought." Jace replied, not looking up. He had separated them into neat little piles of flavored and regular. "You bought more?"
"Oh no, I bought these last time. I only got around to sorting them now. Aether apparently has some unexpected reactions with flavored latex and..." The teen sighed and padded into the kitchen, ignoring the memory adept's lecture. "Oh you're back. Ramen?" said the Firebrand, holding out another bowl.
"No tha- you know what, sure." Adeli grabbed the bowl and drained it of its contents. "What's with you?"
"I'm hungry. And you know what, come on." The teen dragged Chandra across the living room, sidestepping Jace who was still going on about the qualities of latex when mixed with aether. "Where are you taking me? Or for lack of a better word, where are you dragging me?"
"You and I are going out to get some real food." They slammed the door behind them, Jace still droning on and on.
Hello~
Been a teeny bit busy lately, cramming a research project. Apparently we need it to graduate. -_-