Chapter 17: Expedition (8)
"Wow. My everything hurts. Like, badly."
Resisting the urge to groan as he woke up from what had been a calming and uneventful bout of sleep Nanashi briefly debated the merits of trying to move his arms and legs-
-and froze, feeling a pleasantly warm and soft body pressed against his own which was definitely not a sensation he was used to. Or expected. Or any other kind of anticipatory or hopeful sentiment.
"Oh, right. Abigail wanted to sleep in the same bed."
His ruby eyes widened comically.
"Does that mean...no way, did I-"
Very slowly and very deliberately tilting his head to the side the homunculus felt his vision dominated by the sight of a remarkably cute girl with perhaps the most adorable sleeping face he'd ever seen, eyes peacefully shut as soft lips parted slightly, warm and ticklish breath caressing his skin while locks of blonde hair fell across aforementioned features like a shining curtain.
"Granted, I've never seen many people sleeping before so I don't have much in the way of a library of comparisons. Whatever, Abigail is cute as hell and that's the entire story front to back."
Of course, this left the battered and physically exhausted homunculus in something of a bind. Namely, what to do now that he was awake. He'd never been this close and so intimate with a girl before - not counting his and Manaka's adventure in the washroom - and felt so at ease, so willing to just sleep the day away.
Or just lay there and not do much of anything, enjoying the sensation of the sweet girl pushing her cozy form into his.
…
The homunculus dully stared down at his groin, mood yet again souring as he felt the briefest of twitches, contractions and other movement downstairs but nothing concrete really came of it.
"Well, at least I know for certain now that it's not just Manaka that can't get me going, all the girls can't do anything for my broken dick."
Rather than continue to stew in that depressing thought Nanashi instead focused on more pleasant things, like very slowly and very carefully allowing his fingers to caress Abigail's arm, marveling at the softness of her body before with a cute snuffle she awoke, sky-blue eyes gradually coming into focus as they blinked away the final vestiges of sleep.
"Oh, good morning, Nanashi."
"Er, yeah...good morning."
A radiant smile lit up the girl's features at his returned words-
-and promptly devolved into a maidenly blush, eyes averting themselves as her body scooted away from his own, tone subdued as she murmured, "I hope I did not make you uncomfortable, Nanashi. This was already pushing limits of what is considered proper and I-"
"Save it, you're fine...I actually slept pretty well, all things considered. You didn't keep me from anything, Abigail."
Acting like a cat that had escaped chastisement the blonde smiled, returning to the embrace with a happy smile that left it Nanashi's turn to blush and avert his attention, completely and totally unsure of how to handle such overt affection.
"Thank you for being so understanding, Nanashi! The teachings of god state that a woman and a man laying together before marriage is an impure act and I have already sinned a great deal over the course of this life...I was not sure if this would be yet another case of spitting in the face of god but your acceptance means a great deal to me."
Furrowing his brow in confusion the boy responded, "Why would my thoughts matter, I'm not a god. And that restriction sounds incredibly stupid."
His eyes widened a split-second later as he realized his words had been painfully blunt and insensitive, quickly adding, "Sorry, I didn't mean...I didn't mean that what you believe is stupid, just that-"
A svelte finger placed itself over his lips, Abigail offering a sad smile as she replied, "I know you meant no offense, Nanashi. And I have learned many things about the various gods that still exist within our worlds over the course of my journeys...and I know that the god I worship either does not love me or does not care for me."
The sad smile was replaced with a bitter one.
"That is the providence of an entirely different breed of deity. My prayers are more routine and a source of nostalgic comfort than they are any real form of entreaty."
Nanashi gazed at the girl resting beside him, suddenly seeming much smaller than he was despite the fact that her lithe frame still probably outweighed him...and he took ahold of his bravery and confidence, lacing his fingers through hers while offering a wry grin.
"Well, how about a more tactile sense of comfort then? Feel like getting breakfast?"
He wracked his brains, being struck by a sudden bout of inspiration as he asked, "How about pancakes? You sounded like you were interested in getting some when we met before, how about now?"
The boy couldn't help the smile that came to his lips as the blonde practically glowed with delight and anticipation, fingers interlaced with his own tightening with happiness-
-and she became a fair bit more subdued, quietly stating, "I would like that...but as has already became abundantly clear my very presence will agitate and aggrieve those around us, I don't wish to inflict upon you any more distress or inconvenience than I already have."
The homunculus merely smirked.
"True...but have you considered the benefits of delivery service or meals to go?"
"Ooh, thank you so much, Nanashi! It's been far too long since I've had any of my favorite food!"
"Hey, happy to help. Let's find some place we to sit down and eat these, I don't think I'll be able to walk and talk at the same time."
"Of course! Is there any abandoned or out of the way location we might be able to make use of?"
Grinning at Abigail's adorable head tilt he replied, "I'll do you one better, I finally figured out one of Manaka's tricks that'll let us sneak into the nearby park without issue, no worries of whipping the local populace into a frenzy. Here, take this, it should help out in that regard."
He handed her a small, unremarkable necklace holding only a single carved stone as its centerpiece, runes etched onto its surface as Abigail gave it a curious look.
"Manaka's sister made it as one of her projects, it's a simple mystic code that will keep most mundane people's attention away from the one who holds it. Useless against those with active magic circuits but against everyone else it should do fine. As long as the presence of the Outer God within you only affects those who notice you it should do fine."
The blue-eyed girl gingerly took the offered trinket, immediately hanging it across her slender neck without hesitation as she held tight onto her sealed box of pancakes, giving him a radiant yet gentle smile as she whispered, "Thank you, Nanashi."
Feeling an odd lurch in his stomach as they approached the park's entrance he quickly turned around so that he wasn't overwhelmed by the girl's cuteness, swiftly responding, "Yeah, no problem. Here, wait outside for a moment while I distract the guard then head on in when I gesture for you."
Marching forward on his cane the homunculus approached the guard at the front of the entrance, meeting the uniformed man's gaze-
"A girl will approach you in a few seconds. Do not notice her, do not stare at her and do your best not to pay attention to her."
-and much like Manaka had shown him he pulsed his magic circuits, directing prana into his eyes in a manner that was similar to reinforcement but was a bit more subtle, almost like he was making use of his mystic eyes. The man saw the unnatural energy, reacted to it...and blandly nodded, rotely repeating, "Understood, I'll do that."
Motioning for the distant Abigail to follow in his wake the girl did just that, hesitantly jogging past the guard who, true to Nanashi's orders, swiftly averted his gaze and acted as if the young lady didn't exist.
Blonde hair waving slightly as she came to a stop the girl enthusiastically met the homunculus's gaze, stating, "I can't believe that worked! Every time I tried to do something like that they wouldn't fall under my influence, feeling fear and existential dread long before obedience came into play…"
"Well, it's a good thing that aside from my looks I'm basically unnoticeable to most of the people around here. C'mon, it's still early and we should be able to find a good seat someplace."
"Mm hmm~!"
Abigail's shamelessly happy noise of agreement caused the male to smile, the blonde outright skipping alongside him as they strolled to a more remote part of the park, a shaded and unremarkable section where almost no other early morning joggers or the like would bother them.
The north american girl practically threw herself into the bench with eager motions, patting the seat beside her as Nanashi more delicately sat, legs stiff and unwieldy before setting his cane to the side, popping the seal on his box as Abigail did the same, a content sigh escaping the girl as she inhaled the heavenly aroma of the breakfast treat.
"My thanks to you, Nanashi~!"
Clasping her hands together in brief prayer the homunculus passed her a vial of syrup once she finished, the young lady eagerly pouring the sugary topping over her steaming cakes before diving in with the provided and disposable fork.
"So good~! It's been far too long since I've had pancakes, Nanashi."
A sigh of complete contentment and bliss left her lips, reverently devouring the morsel as the boy couldn't help but wryly grin at the display, finding it rather endearing.
"Well, happy to help."
More sedately working through his own breakfast the youth found his appetite quickly fading as he felt it hard to keep down the food, grimacing at the further deterioration of his body.
His appetite had been perfectly fine up until a week or so ago, his stomach now scarcely able to handle more than a few bites of anything before protesting against additional nutrition.
"Nanashi? Are you alright?"
Snapping himself out of the depressing and morose thoughts the homunculus shrugged, handing Abigail the remnants of his meal while stating, "Yeah, just not much of an appetite this morning. Here, have the rest of mine."
Giving him a searching look for a moment the blonde eventually settled for a nod, gratefully accepting his gift before a comfortable silence ensued between them, Nanashi letting his body slowly digest what little he'd eaten while Abigail calmly savored the pancakes, both looking out over the park and its quiet morning bustle, neither of them given a second glance.
"It has been quite some time since I was able to simply sit and enjoy scenery such as this...again, I offer you my thanks, Nanashi. You've done more for me than you'll ever know these past few meetings of ours."
Shrugging awkwardly at her words he muttered, "Haven't really done much, you know? No need to keep thanking me every few minutes."
She merely giggled, accepting his response before setting aside the empty remains of the breakfast boxed, wiping her mouth with a provided napkin before asking, "As much as I appreciate and treasure the moments you spend with me, were you not under a time limit, searching for phantasmal beasts and the like to create your new body with? Manaka was quite explicit on that point."
Grimacing at the reminder of his spat with his first friend the homunculus heaved out a sigh, replying, "We...aren't on the best of terms right now."
Sky-blue eyes blinked.
"Eh? Why not?"
Awkwardly shifting in his chair Nanashi grudgingly explained, "There were some things said last night that we probably both regret, when we were only concerned about each other. Things are...tense. And I don't really feel like seeing her right now."
He glanced towards Abigail, wondering what her reaction would be-
-and almost flinched as she sported an expression of extreme disappointment.
"Nanashi, friends shouldn't fight. Especially when they are relying on each other in a dangerous place, when their survival depends on trusting the other."
The homunculus neglected to mention that Manaka wasn't the one doing most of the relying, figuring she wouldn't approve of his answer.
He did do a double take as Abigail took his hand in her own, seriously stating, "It is better to apologize, Nanashi. Even if you or Manaka don't agree or actually mean aforementioned apology it is better to say so than to let hurt and insult sit and stew. Because whether it is honest or not the act of atonement might one day give way to genuine reconciliation."
The homunculus blinked, caught off guard at the impassioned argument.
"That's, uh...pretty insightful."
She offered a small smile, nostalgic amusement dancing within her mesmerizing eyes.
"I learned from a great many people and have taken their lessons to heart."
She seemed to shake herself out of whatever trance had enraptured her so, continuing with, "And while I may have only met her for a few minutes or so...I do not believe Manaka wishes to be on such cross terms with you. Or at least not for very long."
Grimly nodding in understanding the homunculus replied, "I get that, I really do, it's just...it can be so frustrating, constantly cowering in her shadow and relying on her to do everything for me. I just snapped, hating how right she was that I really don't have a prayer of trying to go it alone."
Warm fingers intertwined with his own, the blonde gently smiling as she said, "Isn't that what friends are for? To keep us from being alone?"
The scraggly boy held her understanding gaze...and turned away with a huff, grumbling, "Yeah, I guess you're right."
Another silence spread between them, albeit this one was far more comfortable than the last.
Manaka, not for the first time in recent weeks, wondered what was happening to her. Discovering - or was it rediscovering - her emotions had been plenty strange, consisting of a wild roller coaster of highs and lows, of mood swings and strange shifts in her compsure.
Which was an odd experience, considering the fact that she had endured the first pangs of puberty with nary so much as a raised voice but a scraggly, beaten down and irritable homunculus that always seemed a harsh cough away from death had left her in a wildly oscillating existence.
And now this latest paradigm, their first real altercation and open disagreement.
…
One moment she felt like cracking his skull open and rearranging his brain so that he would never dare disobey or talk back to her, the next like crying her eyes out and begging for him to forgive her and the next simply staring aimlessly at nothing, a hollow sensation causing her heart and lungs to constrict.
It had been a shock, when she realized Ayaka was actually far more knowledgeable about a subject than she was and able to tutor her in the intricacies of human interaction. She had always assumed that Ayaka would remain her cute little sister forever, always playing catch up or trying to match her...it seemed not even knowledge of the entirety of the Akashic Records could account for having met Nanashi and all the changes he would bring to her existence.
"Manaka, the important thing to remember is that Nanashi also regrets what he said just as much as you. Give each other a chance to apologize and renew your friendship and you will both be better for it."
A small sigh left the porcelain-skinned girl.
"Has the baby sister finally outgrown the older? Or did I just never see where you surpassed me, Ayaka?"
Letting the words scatter into the wind the magus slapped her cheeks, forcing herself to break free from useless melancholy and instead follow the tracking rune she had placed on Nanashi long ago, the marker not known to the boy since he was still fairly bad at recognizing and sensing magecraft outside of his field of view.
He had apparently gone to a park somewhere in the center of the city, the girl casually walking into the area with a friendly and false nod to the guard as she bundled herself tighter into her coat, the air brisk and chilly as she sought out her friend, spotting him sitting on a distant bench...and cocked her head in confusion, an odd bit of magecraft present around his form that had her casually do away with the altered perception-
-and a surge of murderous, jealous intent caused her teeth to grit, temper flaring as her arm raised itself upwards, finger extended and pointed towards the skull of the bitch trying to steal away her Nanashi. A simple, overcharged Gandr curse that could decimate an armored vehicle began to form...and Manaka blinked as sky-blue eyes locked onto her own with naught but curiosity and openness present within, cute features lightly speckled with crumbs and some kind of syrup.
"...Oh."
Reigning in her impulses the magus reapplied the bounded fields around her mind, cutting off the source of instinctive violence and homicidal inclination as she took a deep breath.
Now she was just highly irritated and annoyed, rather than openly murderous.
Forcing herself to move forward the doll-like girl began to approach the pair, Abigail gently tapping Nanashi on the shoulder and pointing out her movements as Manaka found herself now facing down dull crimson orbs rather than the startling blue of the other contender for her friend's friendship.
She almost faltered, sudden doubt coursing through her veins before she sternly reminded herself of Ayaka's advice, to not turn away and leave the situation as it was, broken and unsure.
It took her a minute to close the distance, slowing her pace before eventually halting no more than a step before the pair, both remaining silent as she tried to think of something to say...and came up blank, instead shifting her gaze to Abigail and narrowing her eyes.
The girl only replied with a guileless smile, small trace of syrupy snack still on her cheek and the magus had to physically restrain herself from reaching out and patting her on the head, an utterly bewildering feeling that left her shifting awkwardly, Nanashi reciprocating the nervous gesture as the silence only grew.
"Oh this is just becoming ridiculous."
Taking a deep breath the pale-blonde forced herself to meet her companion's stare head on.
"Nanashi...I want to say something."