Is Ashton the Tenkai Star back? I don't believe it! That guy is my hero!
------------------- Chapter 9Preparations
"So this is what heartbreak feels like…" Ivan sighed thoughtfully, trudging towards the Inn.
"Should I even bother going tonight?" His legs moved of their own will taking his lovesick body towards his bed. The blur of colors he saw suddenly stopped, as he closed his eyes.
"Sheba…" Ivan said, letting a breathy whisper escape his lips. After a few minutes of wallowing in self-pity and depression, Ivan felt an irresistible urge rise up within him. The urge to confess. Mia was the first person that came to his mind. The aqua haired adept always had emitted a calm aura of peace. Ivan then remembered even valiant Isaac had confessed to Mia. A half smile appeared on his face, as he recalled Mia stroking Isaac's hair as he rambled on about his past and what was happening.
'Venus adepts…What are they good for?' Ivan chuckled inwardly as he quietly knocked on her door.
"Do you have a minute, Mia?" Ivan stared at the floor again, he couldn't stop thinking about Felix and Sheba.
"Come in!" Ivan heard her familiar cheery voice say. Opening the door, Ivan's eyes feasted on Mia in a blue dress as she brushed her waves of cerulean hair down to her shoulders.
"Wow, you look great!"
"You sound surprised!" Mia replied with a mock frown. Laid face down on the silken sheets of Mia's bed, but not before teasing Mia.
"Isaac will love it."
"Ivan!" Mia only glared at his half-hearted smile before returning to brushing her hair.
"Are you allright?" Mia placed her hand on Ivan's back.
"It's Sheba, isn't it?"
"How did…yeah." Call it ESP, a sixth sense, or woman's intuition, Mia was always aware of the romantic feelings among the group. The only one she couldn't get a read on was Isaac. She hoped it wouldn't be long before she knew. Her thoughts turned back to Ivan's apparent distraught.
"Was it Felix?" Mia asked, but she already knew the answer, Sheba was crazy for him.
"Don't say that name." Ivan growled. Mia felt how tense he was.
"It's okay. You will find someone." Mia propped Ivan against her chest and hugged him. Ivan closed his eyes in contentment for a moment. Mia also closed hers until she felt two hands pushing away from her.
"I'm not a child to be coddled with!" Ivan screamed, rage teeming from every fiber of his being.
"Ivan!" Her cries only fell upon Ivan's sorrel cape whisking around the corner. Mia was distracted as she saw a black robe facing her near the door. Or she thought she did. When she looked back, all she saw was a window, revealing the setting sun.
Back at Felix's house, Sheba had taken a brief respite to her room at the Inn, much against her will, to allow his family to prepare for the reunion.
"Ouch! They are all the rage in Lemuria, Jenna!" Jenna mocked, trying her best to imitate Picard's sage-like tone as she stumbled trying to walk in her new high-heeled shoes. "At least Isaac likes them!" Jenna couldn't help but smile when she remembered his face as she tried them on. Descending the stairs, Jenna heard her brother's gruff voice.
"Took your ti-'' Felix's jaw dropped, enraptured by his sister's beauty. His trace was broken by rage boiling within himself.
"You look amazing!" Jenna's mother exclaimed. "You never dress like this, who's the lucky guy?"
"Mom! I don't know what you are talking about!" Jenna promptly stuck her nose in the air, and walked over to help cook.
"Isn't that kind of revealing?" Felix whispered, pulling up a chair next to her.
"Thanks for your opinion." Jenna said through clenched teeth. Her thoughts turned to the hours she had spent on the dress. It was cherry red, ending right above her knees, and showed an ample amount of her cleavage, though any was too much for Jenna's protective brother.
"Just make sure that the guys keep their hands to themselves." Felix warned.
"Does Sheba say that to you?" Jenna only stuck her tongue at Felix and walked away.
Away from the verbal brawls of Jenna and Felix, Isaac sauntered towards Garet's house. Running a hand through his still unruly hair, he mused on his childhood friend, and the lovely healer from Imil. A smile crept on across his face while he thought about his two favorite girls would try to impress him. Unfortunately, it would be impossible to choose between the two. Garet bumped into his lifelong friend, who he assumed was deep in thought.
"My man!" Garet pulled Isaac next to him. "So how's Jenna?"
"I seriously don't know what you're talking about." Isaac tried his hardest to hide his blushing with a cough.
"Your cheeks say otherwise, lover-boy." scoffed Garet pinching Isaac's cheeks.
Isacc rubbed his white tunic laced with gold on the sleeves, and eyed Garet's getup, which was the same as his, only red. He couldn't stop thinking about Jenna and Mia. Finally, the two Valeans reached the inn. Ivan was sullen, and was wearing purple robes, apparently from Vault.
"Ivan! Where are our lovely ladies?!" Garet asked with a slap to his back.
"Who knows?" Ivan replied with a quiet shrug. Hearing giggling and footsteps, the boys turned their attention to the stairs. Mia and Sheba descended the stairs as if they were angels bestowing a brilliant light to the shadowy room.
"Do you like it?" Mia and Sheba asked in unison.
'Must…stop…drooling' Garet told himself, wiping his saliva from his mouth, Isaac didn't blink for a good minute, and Ivan just turned away. Mia wore what seemed to be a shorter, formal version of her regular outfit, sans the cape and staff. Sheba donned a Laliverian purple dress, with matching gloves. The girls smiled at the reaction and motioned for to get going.
"How do I look Isaac?" Mia whispered in his ear, linking their arms together.
"G-g-great!" Isaac stammered. Mia spied him trying to hide his reddening cheeks and smiled. This did not go unnoticed by Garet, as he cursed quietly to himself. Sheba walked behing Ivan and stared quizzically at his sulking figure. The groups made their way toward Felix and Jenna's house, and were observed by a pair of hazel eyes.
"Tonight….."
It's your future! I see… a blue button! A white box! Someone writing kind words!
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