GREAT BALLS OF FIRE! Sorry for being on hiatus for MONTHS now, guys, but I've been experiencing computer problems! Things, though not as smooth as I'd like them to be, are running alright now, so you can expect more updates, hopefully once a week (though I'm going to be doing a couple more this weekend before the next disaster hits)
For the next chapter, this one is based on another request I long-ago received from tollulu, as well as a plot-hole discussion I found in a forum on another website. (Speaking of which, I started my own forum about NNK plot-holes... just shamefully advertising here… *ahem*)
I guess you could also label this as a sequel to the first drabble, "Taking A Chance", though I'm trying to keep the drabbles unrelated *unless they're requested*.
Anonymous Reviews
Future Authur: I was going to tell you here, but you found out quick ^-^ Welcome to the site, new author!
Kid Icarus Angel: Go ahead… you'll need this afterwards *hands over bullet-proof vest* XD Glad you liked it!
Disclaimer: WHY must I always deal with this torture?! I don't own the characters or the plot or anything else but this little set of drabbles! *head-down* I need to find Oliver, I'm feeling heart-broken thanks to these disclaimers… *shuffles off*
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"AAAAAAAAaaaaahhh…!"
*SPLASH!*
As one could probably tell from the screams and the splash, it had been the most unusual day for Oliver.
And considering he was travelling in a world filled with magic, bizarre creatures, and learning spells in order to save the world from the Dark Djinn, that was saying a lot!
It had all started when they met Fairy Godmother, and the entire group was blown away the moment she asked them to go inside her stomach to help bring out the next batch of Littlies. It got stranger as it turns out the only way they could go inside her mouth was for her to be laughing her head off… and once she was, they were shot down her esophagus via giant cannon!
Throw in the fact that her stomach was basically a little daycare-like school that was being invaded by various creatures, including a monstrous beast known as the Royal Jelly, end it with being shot out of a spout through the top of her head along with some confetti, and you could easily mark this day as one of THE weirdest experiences of the teen's life. …And that's saying a lot considering the whole adventure so far was bizarre enough!
After being shot through the air (for a second time that day), they had all landed in shallow water where the sea happened to drain in, the rest of the fairies jumping in to help the new Littlies swim to shore. Luckily, the water wasn't too deep, as their feet touched ground in a matter of seconds.
"That was actually kind of fun!" Esther giggled as she moved towards the shore
"That… was the craziest thing I have ever been through!" Swaine sputtered, as he struggled to get to the current (having landed in the deeper end, and it was a bit difficult to swim in a long jacket).
"Well, you might as well get used to the unusual…" Esther paused, looking over and arching an eyebrow. "Hmm?"
Swaine paused in his swimming and followed her gaze… arching an eyebrow next, when he noticed Oliver was thrashing in the water. "Huh? …Hey, Oliver! What's with the splashing? Caught on something?"
"N-no, I'm fine! Just…!" Oliver called. "I'm trying to get to shore!"
"…looks as if he's havin' a stroke, is more like it." Mr. Drippy scoffed as he sat on the shore.
"Swimmy! Swimmy! Splashy!" The Littlies exclaimed, watching the young wizard alongside the Lord High Lord of the Fairies.
"Are you alright?" Esther called, concerned as her friend wasn't exactly moving too much.
"Yeah, I'm com-!" Oliver began… until suddenly he went under! He bobbed back up, sputtering. "Ack! *gurgle* *blub*" he went back under, his hand sticking up, waving around.
Not again…! Swaine thought, albeit frantically. He took off his jacket, handing it to Esther. "(Hold this) Hold on, Oliver! I'm coming!" he called, diving under and swimming towards the boy.
Esther watched, as a minute later Swaine surfaced, with Oliver hanging on to his shoulders, wading to the shore. "Crikey, mun! Ye gotta stop wit' these stunts, ya almost gave me a heart-attack!" Mr. Drippy exclaimed.
"Oliver, what happened?! You just… went under!" Esther asked.
Oliver coughed up a bit of water. "I… I'm sorry. I tried, but…" he replied. "I'm… I'm not a good swimmer."
"You seemed to be doing fine when we hit the water…"
Oliver shook his head. "Actually… I managed to find a rock to stand on. I know how to float, but when I try to actually swim…"
"Are ye tellin' me that ye don't know how to swim?! Flippin' heck, mun, ye could've mentioned that before we got on th' flippin' ship!" Mr. Drippy exclaimed, stunned. "As if it wasn't scary enough ye ended up goin' overboard during th' Eye o' th' Storm, now it turns out ye could've sunk to th' bottom o' th' sea!"
"Mr. Drippy, that's enough," Esther scolded, resting a hand on Oliver's shoulder.
The young wizard bowed his head, not only in shame, but due to the fact that the fairy was right. During the Storm, he fell overboard- slipping over the railing and plunging into the sea, the waves too rough to fight against, and he ended up passing out when his breath gave out underwater… and that's when he had a vision about Pea.
When he came to, he found himself on the beach, someone having dived into the sea and rescued him. Had that been Pea as well? It sounded impossible as tiny a girl as she was, and yet she did claim she made the 'big bad eye' go away…
And now it turns out he had to be rescued from drowning once more.
"…Oh, no need to thank me, really. Just helping a boy avoid death, is all!"
Oliver was snapped out of his thoughts by Swaine's sarcastic tone, as he noticed the thief was wringing out his jacket, slipping it back on. "Oh! …Thanks, Swaine, you really helped me out…" the wizard said, awkwardly.
"You're welcome," His tone was still cynical, as he took out his pickpocket's pistol, tipping it and draining water out of the barrel.
"Oi, Drippy mun!" came a shout. The others turned, seeing Smiley and Surly running up to them, the always-smiling fairy being the one who called. "Glad to see ye got th' littlies out at last! Th' boys were thinkin' 'bout going an' celebrating, an' wanted to know if ye'd care to join?"
"Why do we always have to celebrate every time Mam gives birth? It's like a regular thing, mun! She's been poppin' out littlies for centuries!" Surly scoffed.
"Aye, but this time it's a more special, considering it came close to not happenin' at all! What say, Drippy?"
"Ah, I dunno, boys… Still gotta keep an eye on this lot, y'know," Drippy answered, though by his tone, Oliver could tell he really wanted to join.
"Go ahead, Mr. Drippy," Oliver said to the Lord High Lord of the Fairies. "We'll catch up with you later,"
"Ya sure, mun?"
"Of course! You haven't seen your friends in ages, and it's only fair that you go with them after what we just went through," Esther replied.
"(The little gnome barely did anything…)" Swaine muttered under his breath.
"We'll join you later." Oliver said to the fairy.
"Alright, if ye insist! Ta, Ollie-Boy, see you 'round!" Mr. Drippy exclaimed, then went off with his friends.
"So while the little pipsqueak is having a good time, what should we do?" Swaine asked.
"Why don't we go to the beach? We can sit in the sun and dry off, before we catch up with Mr. Drippy." Esther suggested.
"Yeah, we can also see if there are any extra supplies we can gather for Sindbah," Oliver added, remembering their task of searching for food after the shipwreck.
"If it'll get us out of this mad-town, what the hell?" Swaine replied.
"I think it's a nice little place! Honestly, are you always this cynical?" Esther questioned.
"Considering we just had to undergo the weirdest birthing experience ever seen, much less fought a giant jellyfish before being blasted 5,000 feet into the air before crashing into a pond, and are still shipwrecked, I don't see why I wouldn't be…"
"Hmph. You just have no sense of adventure…"
"Then why am I still with you lot? I'm just saying it's been a crazy day, and I'd like some normal solitude before anything else insane happens…"
"Lets hurry, while the sun is still up, then." Oliver said, before the arguing could go on further, and began to walk. "C'mon, it should be just down this hill,"
The trio walked down the hill, until they came across the sandy shore that was the beach. A Stabber and Sprog-Cog lingered around, though took off running once they sensed them, the group apparently having gained strength in their auras after their last battles, so the creatures dared not challenge them. Relieved by this, the group let their guards down for a bit so their relaxation could begin. Esther walked down to the shoreline with Oliver, deciding to look for any interesting shells or any useful items that could have washed ashore, while Swaine lied down on the beach under a lone tree, taking in a bit of rest.
"I found some gnomesbeard plants and a sand-dollar," Esther said to Oliver after a few minutes, though saw he wasn't too focused. "Hm? Oliver, is something wrong?"
"Huh? Oh… well, kind of. Yes." Oliver replied, sheepishly. He looked around the shallow water, seeing a couple crabs wandering by as he walked. "I'm still a little embarrassed about what happened. I never was a strong swimmer, and… well, I'm thinking I should learn now, just in case."
"There's nothing to be ashamed of! A lot of people don't know how to swim. I didn't learn until I was ten because, since I live in the desert, I didn't think I ever would have… until one day I toppled into the oasis behind the city. Father taught me after that, maybe someone could teach you, too."
"Can you teach me?"
"I could try, but I don't swim too often and don't have that much experience. I could show you the basics, though!"
"Oh, okay. When could we start?"
"We can start now- c'mon, we can change into our swim-suits and practice in the shallows," Grabbing his hand, Esther took off with Oliver. "This way!"
"Whoa! Slow down!" Oliver looked back at Swaine, who was still lying under the tree. "Swaine! We're going back into tow- WHOA!"
"Alright, have fun," Swaine replied, nonchalantly giving a small wave. Once they were out of sight, he grinned. "At last… peace and quiet…"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
A few minutes later, Esther and Oliver stood by the bank of the water, near the bridge. The familiar-tamer guided him out far enough to where the water reached his chest, holding his hands. "Alright, now lift up your legs and try kicking," Esther said.
*SPLISH! SPLASH! SPLISH!*
Oliver kicked, splashing water everywhere. "Whoa! Easy! Try kicking slowly, keeping your legs under water as much as possible," the familiar-tamer advised. The young wizard did his best, and she backed up one step at a time, guiding him along. "Good, good… now, stand up." He did so. "Next, we'll work on your arm-strokes," she showed him the breast-stroke maneuver. "Move your arms like this through the water," she then moved them in a spreading motion. "Or, like this."
Oliver mimicked her movements. "How's this?"
"Pretty good, now try kicking while doing it…"
Oliver tried… "*Gurgle blub sppthht!*" he sputtered, standing up and gasping. "L-Let me try again…"
"It's alright, just keep practicing," Esther looked over at a tree located close to the bank, motioning Oliver over to it, and grabbing a vine that hung down from it. "Here, you could tie this vine around your waist to help keep you afloat, and I'll swim next to you."
Oliver nodded, tying the vine around his waist and trying to stay afloat during the lesson; it was barely two minutes when the vine snapped, and he went under again, resurfacing and coughing up water. "M-maybe I should practice in more shallow water,"
"I suppose… You said you already know how to float, right? Lets try working with that," Esther leaned until she was floating on her back, wading her legs and stroking with her arms a bit. "Try doing it like this; keep relaxed and just imagine that you're weightless,"
"Okay, I'll try…" Oliver tried to copy her…
Only to go under again.
"You're still too tense. You need to relax…" Esther coaxed after he resurfaced.
"*cough* I'm trying…" Oliver replied, spitting out water.
"Not enough, apparently…" came a cynical tone, and they looked and saw Swaine leaning against a tree, having been watching the lesson for the past minute or so. He looked at Esther. "I take it the lesson is more complicated than you expected?"
Esther crossed her arms. "At least I'M helping him out, whereas you're just standing there- what are you doing back so soon, anyway? I figured you would have fallen asleep on the beach by now." She remarked.
"Hard to relax when a few creatures are bugging you… Besides, I figured I'd check and see how your teaching skills were paying off- not by much, I can tell,"
Esther began to fume. Before she could snap at the thief, Oliver decided to step in. "If you think you know more than she does, why don't you teach me, Swaine?" he retorted.
"What do I look like, a lifeguard? …Besides, Esther made the offer, first."
"Hmph. You probably wouldn't even know how to start- the way you were flailing in the water earlier, I'm surprised you managed to get to shore, yourself!" Esther countered.
Swaine sneered, crossing his arms. "Yeah? Which one of us dove in to rescue Oliver from drowning?"
"Then you'll have no problems teaching him then, will you?" Esther stepped out of the water, grabbing a towel and drying off. "Good luck with the lessons, Oliver- you'll need it with your new 'teacher'. …When he gives up, I'll be in town if you need me." With that, she walked off.
They watched her go, before looking at each other. "…let me go change…" Swaine sighed- wondering how he managed to get himself stuck in such situations.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
A few minutes later, the thief returned, wearing a pair of long swim-trunks (slightly torn at the legs), and a short-sleeved cover-jacket. "So… ready?" Oliver asked, awkwardly, wondering if it were a good idea to have roped Swaine into giving him swimming-lessons. …After all, he already taught the group about 'All Out Attack' and 'Defense', as well as promised to help them find the Great Sage in Hamelin, so there wasn't exactly any call for him to do more at the moment.
But, the thief- though having an irritated expression- didn't bring it up in complaint (yet). "Yeah… lets get it over with," he muttered, walking into the water, next to Oliver. "Alright, first of all, how much do you know about swimming so far?"
Oliver pondered a moment. In his hometown, Motorville, there wasn't a public pool- as it was a small town, the only place people went to go swimming being the lake- so he never really signed up for lessons when he was younger; he only knew how to float because, whenever he was at the lake, he'd stick to the shallow waters, only going out far enough for the water to reach his neck, trying to swim a few times but never getting the hang of it- considering he and Phillip spent more of their summer days in the garage, anyway, he never thought more about it until now.
"Not too much… I know how to stay afloat, and tried to swim before, but… well, you know I'm no good at it." He answered, honestly.
"Alright, we'll work on floating then- try doing it on your back again." Swaine told him.
The wizard nodded, preparing to lean back, when he felt a hand on his shoulder-blade, noticing the thief was helping him ease backwards into the water, his other hand lower down his back. Oliver tensed a bit, trying to put all his weight into his legs, to appear as light as possible.
"Relax, I gotcha. You're too rigid- just focus on your arms and legs." The thief coaxed. "Just kick gently, and wave your arms up and down; that's it, but you're still tense."
"Sorry, I'm trying…"
"Try shutting your eyes- imagine you're flying,"
Oliver did so, trying hard not to concentrate being in the water, but instead floating amongst the clouds, soaring in a cool breeze. After a minute, though, he felt pressure off his back and flinched, grabbing on to Swaine before going under.
"Whoa! Easy!" Swaine sputtered, setting Oliver back down in the water. "What, did a fish swim against your leg, or something?"
"No… you just let go, and I… panicked…" Oliver replied, embarrassed. "I didn't expect you to let go so soon,"
"Well, you were doing good so far, so I didn't see any reason to. …Lets try it again, this time on your stomach- I'll guide you around, too, help you get the feel of swimming."
"Alright… just let me know when you're going to let go, okay?"
"Sure, I'll give you a heads up when I let go," Swaine pressed his hand against Oliver's chest, lowering it as the wizard leaned forth slowly, until the thief was able to hold up his stomach as well. "Alright, now try your breaststroke again-"
*Splish! Splash! Splish!*
"Ack! Hey! Easy with the kicking! You're learning to swim, not trying to ditch a shark! Try to keep your feet under the water,"
Oliver nodded, practicing his strokes, lifting his head out of the water and dunking it back in as he did; as he practiced his movements, Swaine would walking through the water, leading him along, occasionally telling him to relax, or slow down one movement or pick up the pace with another. After going up and down the shallows, they moved toward deeper water. "Easy, I still gotcha," Swaine would assure him, whenever the teen felt a bit anxious.
In and out, his head bobbed in the water, taking in a gulp of air before holding his breath beneath the water once more, moving along with the small waves. His arms were beginning to feel tired just then, and he resurfaced after his last stroke, wiping water from his face. "I think I need a break," he said to Swaine.
"So soon? Huh, I thought you were doing pretty good…"
Oliver paused, noticing the thief was floating on his back, alongside him! "Huh?! …When did you let me go?!"
"Just a minute ago- actually, I was about to tell you, when you managed to just wade away from me. I barely had to move my hands!"
"So… I was swimming by myself? Neato!"
"Heh, don't get so excited just yet. Lets see how you do underwater," With that, Swaine dove under the water.
Oliver held his breath, following his example. Amazingly, the water was quite clear, as he could make out small fishes swimming here and there, as well as a few shells and colorful stones at the bottom of the tide-pool. Swaine tapped him on the shoulder, getting his attention; he then pointed at himself, in a 'Watch Me' gesture, stroking outward with his arms while kicking his legs. Oliver mimicked his movements, both of them gliding beneath the water- it was easier learning beneath the waves than on the surface, the wizard believed.
After a moment, they both surfaced, taking in breaths of air. "How'd I do?" Oliver asked, as they waded to the shore.
"Not bad- I have to give you credit, you're a fast learner," Swaine replied. "(Hard to believe Esther had trouble…)"
"So… I guess the lesson is over with, huh? Since we've covered everything…"
Swaine scoffed. "Don't try to skip out of class just yet, Oliver… I've still got a test for you."
Oliver arched an eyebrow. "A… test? What kind of test?"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"You want me to do WHAT?!"
Swaine failed to repress a smirk. They were standing on the bridge above the pond, right in the center where, down below, the water was the deepest. "I want you to jump in and swim to the shore, see how fast you can make it."
Oliver trembled a bit- though it was mostly because the sun was going down and the air was cool, making him shiver in the cold. "I don't know, Swaine…"
"Oh, c'mon, a bunch of fairies were doing it earlier, remember? 'Shouldn't be too hard since you're twice their size. Plus, I'll be jumping in with you- if you start to sink again, I'll be near to haul you back to land. …Though if you end up needing CPR, you're out of luck."
Oliver gave him a stern look. "That's not very reassuring…"
"Hey, I'm joking! Don't get your knickers in a twist… Just dive in, I'll be right by you,"
Oliver looked down, still shivering- the water looked frigid, after he's been out of it for a few minutes now. He then noticed how dark it was getting. "Shouldn't we be heading back to town now, though? Esther and Mr. Drippy are probably wondering where we're at,"
Swaine rolled his eyes. "Oliver, if you're too chicken to do it, just say so…"
"I'm not chicken! I just… I'm cold, alright? And you've taught me quite a bit already… We both deserve a break for today, don't you think?"
"Fine, fine… I suppose we can always do it tomorr-" Quick as a flash, Swaine pushed Oliver off the bridge!
"AUGH!"
*SPLASH!*
"Incoming!" Swaine called, diving over next, splashing a couple feet away from where Oliver landed, resurfacing next to the wizard.
"That was a rotten trick, Swaine!" Oliver snapped and sputtered, spitting out water.
"Yeah? What're you going to do about it?" Adding to his response, Swaine dunked Oliver's head under the water, then began to swim off as he lifted it back up. "Race you to shore!"
"SWAINE!" Oliver swam after him, managing to gain speed- though he didn't know whether it was because he was faster than he thought he could be, or if the thief were just going easy on him. Once they got to the shallows and on their feet, Swaine took off in a sprint, Oliver in pursuit.
They ran along the bank, the teen managing to catch up to the older man, grabbing the hem of his cover-jacket and pulling back, both of them slipping in the mud before falling back into the water. "Ack! Alright! You got me back!" Swaine sputtered as Oliver wrestled with him. "Truce! Truce!"
Oliver gave an approving nod, before sitting up, both of them walking back on shore. "Did you really have to push me?"
"Hey, I had to give you some sort of motivation, didn't I? I don't see why you're upset- we pretty much plunged into the water from 5,000 feet, and you mastered swimming quick." He rubbed his chin in pondering. "…And that's what puzzles me…"
"What?"
"You learned pretty fast… I figure you knew how to take it to heart, considering you're old enough; not to mention, stayed afloat pretty well when we hit the water from a great height. I'm just curious on why you were so anxious about it to begin with… Like being in the water scared you, or something,"
Oliver paused a bit. True, he was nervous about swimming, but the thief had a point- he was completely calm until he had to swim… and given the proof that he could have managed it himself, something subconsciously made him hesitant in trying, causing him to panic and go under… not trying hard to resurface, save for thrashing, crying out for help…
…just like in the accident…
"Drowning didn't scare me… it was because…" Oliver whispered, beginning to tremble again. "The first time I nearly drowned… my mom saved me. Then, afterwards, she… she died."
Swaine looked at him, caught off-guard.
Oliver continued. "Three days later, well… that's when I came to your world, with Mr. Drippy. It's actually why I'm here- The Great Sage Alicia is my mom's soul-mate… if I can save her from Shadar, then… then I can bring my mom back."
"I see…" was the only response Swaine could give. Awkwardly, he cleared his throat. "Well… you know how to swim now, so no more worrying about it, alright?"
Oliver only nodded, and they continued to walk up the bank.
In his opinion the idea seemed far-fetched, though didn't have the nerve to criticize- especially since the teen still seemed upset over losing his mother. He actually didn't know the reason Oliver came to this world- all he knew was that one day the teen suddenly showed up, rumored to be the destined savior who would defeat Shadar, and was giving it his all to grow strong enough to defeat him. He never really asked what the wizard's purpose was- as pure-hearted as he was, Swaine just figured he was doing it out of the act of goodwill and defiance towards the Dark Djinn.
He looked at the boy, seeing him trembling, as well as wincing since bringing up such a sad memory. It was no wonder he couldn't take to swimming off-hand- in the back of his mind, the sorrow he felt still seemed to drag him under. Well… no more. The thief thought.
Taking off his cover-jacket, he draped it around Oliver's still-trembling shoulders (a/n: while many fan-girls screamed). Despite it was still soaked and wouldn't exactly add any extra warmth, it was the only gesture Swaine could think of to try and cease the boy's shivering, much less get his mind off his sorrow, if only for a moment.
"C'mon… it's getting late. Lets change before we both break into hyperthermia," Swaine told him, while resting a hand on his shoulder.
Oliver nodded. "Thanks," he replied, quietly. "So… h-how did I do on my test?"
Swaine gave him a grin. "It's easy to see that you've passed, no need to ask… actually, I'm surprised you managed to gain on me. I was about to dive under to lose you, until we hit the shallows. …I should have seen it coming- considering you've learned magic quick as a whip after being in this world for… how long? Almost two weeks, you said?"
"Yeah… jeepers, I can't believe it's been so long…"
"I'll bet… Well, keep those wits about you. There's still plenty more to learn along the way, I'm sure." He then rubbed his head, sighing. "…God willing one of us will remember everything."
"I don't think I could forget this world… You've travelled around it too, right?"
"Ah, yeah, but to be honest some of my treks are a blur… though I'll never forget our little stop here (…no matter how hard I try…)"
Oliver chuckled, giving a grin. "Well, you never know- our next stop could be weirder,"
"Please don't say that, Oliver…"
The teen smirked. "What- you're not turning chicken, are you?"
Swaine gave him a look. "No- I just don't want to wonder what could top helping Fairy Godmother give birth, is all…"
"…Yeah, I'll agree with you on that."
Chuckling, they both grabbed their packs- set by some trees located far from the pond- and entered the town to change, bracing themselves for the next challenge.
Chances were, it would be more difficult than learning to swim… but less bizarre than their visit to the Fairy Grounds.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
A/N: I noticed that, after meeting Swaine, the group never told him about Allie/Alicia, so I figured I'd take some creative liberties while writing this again. Also, while playing the game, I looked up Swaine's character bio in Castaway Cove, getting an image of what his swimwear is like.
Drippy: That's how youer nosebleed happened, en't it?
Me: I have no idea what you're talking about, Mr. Drippy.
Drippy: Probably don't remember since ye blacked out from blood-loss afterwards- took one look at ol' Thief-Face's attire an' squealed as if he flippin' proposed to ya!
Swaine: *snickering* Seriously? Didn't think you found me to be that much of a turn-on…
Me: *blushing* ANYWAY… Reviews are appreciated! Flamers will be pushed off a bridge next! …Or have to help Fairy Godmother deliver Littlies again- whichever sounds worst…
Drippy: …An' what was th' part here with him takin' off his jacket? I know it was s'posed to be an act o' goodwill towards Ollie-boy, but it seemed tah come right out of th' blue, like!
Swaine: *slyly* Yeah, WG, why did you really write that in?
Me: To make a tender-moment! That's all!
Drippy: …An' th' pooer dab probably couldn't hold back on some slight fan-service on youer part, Thief-Face. I guess she's beginnin' to lose a bit of her own restraint- CRIKEY!
(Mr. Drippy takes off running, with the authoress in pursuit)
Me: Would you shut your mouth, already?!
Drippy: 'scuse me for giving my honest opinion!
Swaine: *laughing* …About time someone humiliated her for once.
Esther: …I guess anyone would be ashamed of having a crush on you.
Swaine: *smirk* I bet YOU would know.
Esther: Why you…!
(Esther pursues Swaine)
Oliver: *sigh* …We'll see you all in the next chapter, once we sort things out. (takes off after everyone)