Eight - Blurry Eyes
Back at the Inn, Raymia had treated herself to some ice cream to replace what she'd lost earlier. Then they went upstairs to Gourry's room. Raymia plopped down on the bed and crossed her legs, still licking an ice cream cone. Gourry pulled out a chair and sat down as well.
"Is Lina-san going to be back soon?" Raymia asked him.
Gourry sweatdropped. "Well, you never know with Lina. ^^;"
Raymia mimicked his expression and nodded. "Hai..."
For a few minutes, it was silent except for Raymia's slurping of ice cream. She looked around the room with huge eyes. It was awkward, just sitting there with Gourry. She thought of him as a big brother, but usually Lina was there to fill the silence. A sadness crept into Raymia's eyes. 'Or Amelia…' Her eyes began to cloud again. She forced down another bite of ice cream. It was so cold it burned her throat. Her eyes blurred as she dropped her gaze to the bed she was sitting on. The tears were about to spill over.
But the clearing of someone's throat brought her attention off of her sadness. She looked up, towards the doorway. There, Lina stood in a usual cocky stance, a hand on her hip and a grin on her face.
A huge grin spread across Raymia's face. "Lina-san!" She jumped up to give Lina a hug but then glanced down at her ice cream. It had melted while she was fighting her tears. "My ice cream!! T_T" She sobbed.
Gourry made a sympathetic face and patted Raymia on the head. She sighed and glumly dropped her ice cream out the window. Marshie bounded after it but Raymia didn't notice as she shut the window. A few seconds later, the white chimera perched itself on the windowsill unnoticed and peered into the room.
Lina grinned and walked in, shutting the door behind her. "Long time, no see, Raymia." She wasn't really that surprised to see her. She'd kind of expected a reunion sooner or later.
Raymia smiled. "Yeah, I thought I'd just come see how you all were doing. But..." Her smiled faded.
Lina knew why she had come. Because of Amelia. Lina's smile wavered as she walked closer to the bed where Raymia sat. Tears were welling in the girl's eyes.
"Oh, Lina-san!" Raymia burst into tears and fell into Lina's arms. Lina blinked as she caught hold of Raymia, placing gloved hands on the girl's arms. Lina glanced at Gourry who was blinking at them. An impassive look set on Lina's face. She had to be tough. And Raymia did too. She firmly gripped Raymia's slender arms and pried her off. Raymia looked at Lina with tear filled blue eyes.
"Snap out of it, Raymia." Lina said firmly. "We don't have time to cry." She set Raymia on the floor. Raymia sniffled, blinking up at her. "You've got to get over it!" Lina almost yelled, tears welling in her own eyes. "Amelia is dead." She turned away from them briefly. "And there's nothing we can't do about it! So quit cryin' already." Lina turned to glare at Raymia, her eyes no longer blurry.
Raymia looked down at her feet. She knew Lina would be like this. Lina was always like this when something tragic happened. It made her so angry! Lina could always hide her feelings with her anger. She could always hide the pain. But Raymia, she wasn't like that. She didn't have that gift. Raymia was just as close to Amelia as Lina was. They were best friends, no doubt. 'How can she still do this?!' Raymia's heart screamed. 'Has she no compassion at all?!' But Raymia knew better as she looked into Lina's angry stare. She knew Lina was right. Lina was strong and if Raymia wanted to be strong, she'd have to follow Lina's example. 'I have to get over it,' Raymia told herself as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Hai, Lina-san." Raymia let a small smile spread over her lips. "I'm ok." She sniffled a little then glanced at Gourry who was staring into space. "Gourry-san?" Raymia blinked. "Gourry-san??"
"Ah- Ano?" Gourry blinked as the two women came into focus. "Did I miss something?"
Raymia giggled. "You haven't changed a bit."
Lina shook her head in reply, grinning. "Of course not. Do you ever expect him to?" She walked over and sat in the chair at the head of the small table. Raymia followed her and sat across from Gourry.
"So what now?" Raymia asked Lina.
Lina propped her elbows up on the table and rested her chin on the back of her hands. Her ruby red eyes turned to Raymia. A certain mystery, a familiar excitement was shining in them. Raymia recognized the sparkle in her eyes. The excitement of a new challenge. A new battle.
"We get our revenge." She grinned slowly, her voice low and dangerous.
"But Lina, revenge against who??" Gourry asked. "We don't know who did it."
Now the glowing red orbs turned to Gourry as she spoke. "We don't know now. But we will find out." Lina backed away from the table and stood. Raymia and Gourry's eyes followed her motions. Lina placed a hand on her hip, a mischievous grin spread across her face. She was shining as she looked down at her friends.
In the background, Marshie finally managed to push up the window creating a dramatic wind effect for Lina. Her long fiery tresses flowed beautifully in the breeze. The incoming breeze billowed out her cape.
This is where Gourry makes a bored-looking expression towards the camera and Raymia sweatdropped.
"This is so not coincidence," Raymia giggled, then turned her attention back to the Drama Queen, Lina Inverse.
"We will find out and when we do," Lina paused, allowed a sinister grin to expose her canines. "They'll wish they'd never messed with Lina Inverse."
Suddenly, Marshie dropped the window and squeezed into the room. He bounced up on the tabletop and over to Raymia shivering.
"Marshie??" Raymia blinked as it bounced into her hands. "What's wrong? What scared you?"
Gourry leaned forward, very interested in the chimera. "So... it's NOT a marshmallow?"
Lina's heroic stance slumped as the little chimera suddenly got all the attention.
"It does kind of look like a jellyfish..." Gourry rambled on.
"Baka!" Lina whacked him in the back of the head causing his face to collide with the tabletop. "You're the jellyfish!"
"What'd I do??" Waterfall tears streamed down SD Gourry's face. Lina ignored him and glanced over at Raymia and Marshie.
"What's HIS problem?" Lina asked rather sourly.
Raymia looked up at Lina, cuddling the shivering Marshie against her chest. "Maybe something's out there, Lina-san. Something's scared him." Fear crept into Raymia's eyes as she realized it could be the killer. "Do you think--"
"SH!" Lina quieted her before she could utter the words. Everyone was silent except for the wind whooshing outside. Lina tiptoed over to the window cautiously then through it open. She leaned out the window and cupped a hand to her mouth. "HEY!! Don't even think of messin' with me, pal or I'll give you hell like you've never seen before!!" Lina called into the night, before closing the window and walking back over to them.
Gourry and Raymia blinked at her. "Do you really think that's going to keep him away, Lina?" Gourry sweatdropped.
"Of course it will! What are you saying?!" She challenged.
Raymia came to his defense before another fight was started. "Anyway, it's kind of late. But..." Her big blue eyes shifted away from Lina's gaze as she spoke. "Can I sleep with you, Lina-san?"
Lina blinked. "Uh... Sure, I guess so." She instinctively stole a glance at Gourry, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. Gourry caught her gaze, but he was clueless of course. Suddenly, Raymia glomped onto her and she nearly fell over.
"Arigato, Lina-chan!! n_____n!" Raymia hugged her tightly, her true personality returning after the depression.
"Get off!!" Lina struggled to pry the girl off. "Getooofff!!"
Gourry stood, a superior look on his face as he walked over and peeled Raymia off of Lina one handed. Lina panted as she set Raymia back on the floor.
"Geez!" Lina straightened her clothes.
"Gomen. v.v" Raymia looked rather embarrassed but Lina didn't acknowledge it.
Gourry coughed. "Anyway, if you girls are going to sleep in here, I guess I'll sleep in Zel's room."
"Uh..." Lina began.
"Nono! It's ok, Gourry-san! You can sleep in here if you're scared of the bad guy too!" Raymia offered cheerfully.
"Well, uh..." Gourry sweatdropped, glancing at Lina.
"Why're you looking at me?! I don't care." She huffed. "But you know you're getting the floor." She crossed her arms across her chest defiantly.
Gourry sighed, not even bothering to pick a fight with her. "I know..."
"Alright! It's settled then!" Raymia cheered. She grabbed some pajamas out of nowhere and handed a pair to Lina. "Let's go change, Lina-san. Don't you want to take a bath first? I hear these springs are really nice! n_n"
Lina stared at the pajamas then took them. "Yeah, that'll be great!" She grinned slowly. "We'll be back later, Gourry!" She waved as they hurried out of the room. Just before she closed the door, she looked back over her shoulder and winked at him. "Don't go anywhere!"
While the girls were getting their baths, Gourry decided to take one himself. The rest of the night was pretty much uneventful. Gourry slept on the floor as he'd promised... sort of. Lina and Raymia slept peacefully in the queen sized bed. Luckily, Lina didn't kick too much and Raymia only got a few bruises.
Back at the Inn, Raymia had treated herself to some ice cream to replace what she'd lost earlier. Then they went upstairs to Gourry's room. Raymia plopped down on the bed and crossed her legs, still licking an ice cream cone. Gourry pulled out a chair and sat down as well.
"Is Lina-san going to be back soon?" Raymia asked him.
Gourry sweatdropped. "Well, you never know with Lina. ^^;"
Raymia mimicked his expression and nodded. "Hai..."
For a few minutes, it was silent except for Raymia's slurping of ice cream. She looked around the room with huge eyes. It was awkward, just sitting there with Gourry. She thought of him as a big brother, but usually Lina was there to fill the silence. A sadness crept into Raymia's eyes. 'Or Amelia…' Her eyes began to cloud again. She forced down another bite of ice cream. It was so cold it burned her throat. Her eyes blurred as she dropped her gaze to the bed she was sitting on. The tears were about to spill over.
But the clearing of someone's throat brought her attention off of her sadness. She looked up, towards the doorway. There, Lina stood in a usual cocky stance, a hand on her hip and a grin on her face.
A huge grin spread across Raymia's face. "Lina-san!" She jumped up to give Lina a hug but then glanced down at her ice cream. It had melted while she was fighting her tears. "My ice cream!! T_T" She sobbed.
Gourry made a sympathetic face and patted Raymia on the head. She sighed and glumly dropped her ice cream out the window. Marshie bounded after it but Raymia didn't notice as she shut the window. A few seconds later, the white chimera perched itself on the windowsill unnoticed and peered into the room.
Lina grinned and walked in, shutting the door behind her. "Long time, no see, Raymia." She wasn't really that surprised to see her. She'd kind of expected a reunion sooner or later.
Raymia smiled. "Yeah, I thought I'd just come see how you all were doing. But..." Her smiled faded.
Lina knew why she had come. Because of Amelia. Lina's smile wavered as she walked closer to the bed where Raymia sat. Tears were welling in the girl's eyes.
"Oh, Lina-san!" Raymia burst into tears and fell into Lina's arms. Lina blinked as she caught hold of Raymia, placing gloved hands on the girl's arms. Lina glanced at Gourry who was blinking at them. An impassive look set on Lina's face. She had to be tough. And Raymia did too. She firmly gripped Raymia's slender arms and pried her off. Raymia looked at Lina with tear filled blue eyes.
"Snap out of it, Raymia." Lina said firmly. "We don't have time to cry." She set Raymia on the floor. Raymia sniffled, blinking up at her. "You've got to get over it!" Lina almost yelled, tears welling in her own eyes. "Amelia is dead." She turned away from them briefly. "And there's nothing we can't do about it! So quit cryin' already." Lina turned to glare at Raymia, her eyes no longer blurry.
Raymia looked down at her feet. She knew Lina would be like this. Lina was always like this when something tragic happened. It made her so angry! Lina could always hide her feelings with her anger. She could always hide the pain. But Raymia, she wasn't like that. She didn't have that gift. Raymia was just as close to Amelia as Lina was. They were best friends, no doubt. 'How can she still do this?!' Raymia's heart screamed. 'Has she no compassion at all?!' But Raymia knew better as she looked into Lina's angry stare. She knew Lina was right. Lina was strong and if Raymia wanted to be strong, she'd have to follow Lina's example. 'I have to get over it,' Raymia told herself as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Hai, Lina-san." Raymia let a small smile spread over her lips. "I'm ok." She sniffled a little then glanced at Gourry who was staring into space. "Gourry-san?" Raymia blinked. "Gourry-san??"
"Ah- Ano?" Gourry blinked as the two women came into focus. "Did I miss something?"
Raymia giggled. "You haven't changed a bit."
Lina shook her head in reply, grinning. "Of course not. Do you ever expect him to?" She walked over and sat in the chair at the head of the small table. Raymia followed her and sat across from Gourry.
"So what now?" Raymia asked Lina.
Lina propped her elbows up on the table and rested her chin on the back of her hands. Her ruby red eyes turned to Raymia. A certain mystery, a familiar excitement was shining in them. Raymia recognized the sparkle in her eyes. The excitement of a new challenge. A new battle.
"We get our revenge." She grinned slowly, her voice low and dangerous.
"But Lina, revenge against who??" Gourry asked. "We don't know who did it."
Now the glowing red orbs turned to Gourry as she spoke. "We don't know now. But we will find out." Lina backed away from the table and stood. Raymia and Gourry's eyes followed her motions. Lina placed a hand on her hip, a mischievous grin spread across her face. She was shining as she looked down at her friends.
In the background, Marshie finally managed to push up the window creating a dramatic wind effect for Lina. Her long fiery tresses flowed beautifully in the breeze. The incoming breeze billowed out her cape.
This is where Gourry makes a bored-looking expression towards the camera and Raymia sweatdropped.
"This is so not coincidence," Raymia giggled, then turned her attention back to the Drama Queen, Lina Inverse.
"We will find out and when we do," Lina paused, allowed a sinister grin to expose her canines. "They'll wish they'd never messed with Lina Inverse."
Suddenly, Marshie dropped the window and squeezed into the room. He bounced up on the tabletop and over to Raymia shivering.
"Marshie??" Raymia blinked as it bounced into her hands. "What's wrong? What scared you?"
Gourry leaned forward, very interested in the chimera. "So... it's NOT a marshmallow?"
Lina's heroic stance slumped as the little chimera suddenly got all the attention.
"It does kind of look like a jellyfish..." Gourry rambled on.
"Baka!" Lina whacked him in the back of the head causing his face to collide with the tabletop. "You're the jellyfish!"
"What'd I do??" Waterfall tears streamed down SD Gourry's face. Lina ignored him and glanced over at Raymia and Marshie.
"What's HIS problem?" Lina asked rather sourly.
Raymia looked up at Lina, cuddling the shivering Marshie against her chest. "Maybe something's out there, Lina-san. Something's scared him." Fear crept into Raymia's eyes as she realized it could be the killer. "Do you think--"
"SH!" Lina quieted her before she could utter the words. Everyone was silent except for the wind whooshing outside. Lina tiptoed over to the window cautiously then through it open. She leaned out the window and cupped a hand to her mouth. "HEY!! Don't even think of messin' with me, pal or I'll give you hell like you've never seen before!!" Lina called into the night, before closing the window and walking back over to them.
Gourry and Raymia blinked at her. "Do you really think that's going to keep him away, Lina?" Gourry sweatdropped.
"Of course it will! What are you saying?!" She challenged.
Raymia came to his defense before another fight was started. "Anyway, it's kind of late. But..." Her big blue eyes shifted away from Lina's gaze as she spoke. "Can I sleep with you, Lina-san?"
Lina blinked. "Uh... Sure, I guess so." She instinctively stole a glance at Gourry, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. Gourry caught her gaze, but he was clueless of course. Suddenly, Raymia glomped onto her and she nearly fell over.
"Arigato, Lina-chan!! n_____n!" Raymia hugged her tightly, her true personality returning after the depression.
"Get off!!" Lina struggled to pry the girl off. "Getooofff!!"
Gourry stood, a superior look on his face as he walked over and peeled Raymia off of Lina one handed. Lina panted as she set Raymia back on the floor.
"Geez!" Lina straightened her clothes.
"Gomen. v.v" Raymia looked rather embarrassed but Lina didn't acknowledge it.
Gourry coughed. "Anyway, if you girls are going to sleep in here, I guess I'll sleep in Zel's room."
"Uh..." Lina began.
"Nono! It's ok, Gourry-san! You can sleep in here if you're scared of the bad guy too!" Raymia offered cheerfully.
"Well, uh..." Gourry sweatdropped, glancing at Lina.
"Why're you looking at me?! I don't care." She huffed. "But you know you're getting the floor." She crossed her arms across her chest defiantly.
Gourry sighed, not even bothering to pick a fight with her. "I know..."
"Alright! It's settled then!" Raymia cheered. She grabbed some pajamas out of nowhere and handed a pair to Lina. "Let's go change, Lina-san. Don't you want to take a bath first? I hear these springs are really nice! n_n"
Lina stared at the pajamas then took them. "Yeah, that'll be great!" She grinned slowly. "We'll be back later, Gourry!" She waved as they hurried out of the room. Just before she closed the door, she looked back over her shoulder and winked at him. "Don't go anywhere!"
While the girls were getting their baths, Gourry decided to take one himself. The rest of the night was pretty much uneventful. Gourry slept on the floor as he'd promised... sort of. Lina and Raymia slept peacefully in the queen sized bed. Luckily, Lina didn't kick too much and Raymia only got a few bruises.