(A/N) Read, Review, Relax, Repeat. Huh, for some reason, "Enjoy" is never
mentioned in that, I wonder why?
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"So what's this I hear about a mask?" asked Akakios, sitting down for another dinner of food that was rich in nutrients and poor in taste.
"Well, Roswell, Jennifer and me figured..."
"And I," corrected Roswell.
"And I," agreed Enric. "Figured that you could use a hand getting along with the Rogues. I mean, they're a bit snippish, to say the least, so we've taken it upon ourselves to fix up a bit of a disguise for yea."
"I appreciate it guys, but I don't think a burlap sack with eye holes will earn me any more respect," replied Akakios, taking a swig of water.
"It's better than that," chided Roswell. "And it's not like we started it three days ago, we just finished it up in a hurry. Originally we were going to make it a birthday present." Akakios cocked an eyebrow.
"Ros, I don't HAVE a birthday."
"Fine, your discovery day," shrugged Roswell.
"Ok, so what have you got?" asked Akakios, slightly more interested. At this, Roswell placed down a couple pieces of glass and Enric pulled out what looked like dentures. Akakios examined the artifacts before him. "Um, guys? I think the sack might not be a bad idea compared to..."
"That's not all of it!" Enric cut in earnestly. "Jenn is one of the best leather workers in her class, you remember?" Akakios nodded, he remembered leather working class; it was required for all students so they could learn how to do minor repairs out in the field.
"And you remember the molds we made for the custom helmets?" added Roswell. Akakios remembered this as well, they had all gotten molds made of their faces so that they could each have helmets customely built for them. The helmets, in the end, were almost comically weak; it was just another part of the learning process.
"Well we saved yours," informed Enric. "And we've been working with Jennifer, who should arrive with the mask any moment now."
"You're joking me," replied Akakios. "Those molds were made two years ago, my head can't be that small anymore."
"Well, we went ahead and enlarged it somewhat," shrugged Roswell. "I'm still not sure how that worked, Enric took care of it." This made sense, seeing as how Enric was very good with most forms of masonry and sculpting.
"Aye, but I didn't enlarge it to much, I kept it a little small. You see, the way Jenn treated the leather, it stretches, like real skin. So you'll have to pull it good and tight over your face."
"And these," added Roswell, "go underneath the mask, in the eye holes." Now Akakios understood the significance of Roswell's task; the bits of stained glass would mimic a human's eyes and hide his own.
"And this is the central piece," added Jennifer, slumping down beside Akakios and setting down the leather feign in front of him. Akakios picked it up and examined it; it was extremely good. Thin lines ran across parts of the face, but unless you knew what to look for, they appeared to be scars rather than seems. The demon could only stare blankly in shock.
"I, ... I don't know what to say," stuttered Akakios, looking up at his friends. "I mean, it's obvious how long it took you to do this..."
"Don't say anything, just try it on!" exclaimed Jennifer. With their tutelage on how to apply the false eyes, false teeth, and false flesh, Akakios soon bore his disguise.
"How do I look?" asked Akakios, trying to make anything out through his glass eyes.
"Um, needs work..." Roswell stated, somewhat regrettably.
"Would I pass as humahh," Akakios was forced to stop at the end of his sentence as his top denture fell down.
"As long as no one gets a good look at you," replied Jennifer sympathetically. Akakios took out both sets of teeth before continuing.
"I still appreciate it though. I mean, it's excellent craftsmanship, I don't know why you bothered to spend so much time on me," Akakios said to Jennifer. He couldn't really see it, do to his visual condition, but she blushed slightly and turned away without answering his question.
"The teeth could be improved if I could get a mold of your mouth," interupted Enric, oblivious that anything was going on.
"The only other thing that really stands out is the fact that you never seem to blink," said Roswell, examining the demon's new features. "How does the mask feel on you?"
"It's very weird, it feels like I have two layers of skin The eyes are a bit of an issue though; I can't really see out of them," informed Akakios, turning to the sound of Ros's voice.
"Why does your voice sound odd?" asked Jennifer, getting over her embarrassment. "And why is your mouth hanging open like that?"
"Uh...I can't breath through my nose. That's the reason for both," replied Akakios, taking another gulp of air.
"Oh yea, that makes sense," replied Enric. "So in addition to the mouth piece, I'll have to drill nose holes.
"And I think I can clean out the eyes, so you can see out them," chipped in Roswell.
"And I have to make a few slight additions to the mask to make sure it fits you perfectly," added Jennifer, running her hand along the leather cheek. Akakios was slightly startled, as he hadn't seen her hand coming up to him.
"As I said," informed the demon, starting to peel off the mask, "I really appreciate this. But what if I'm expected to fight while I'm wearing this thing? I'll never be able to defend myself."
"Don't worry, we'll practice with you," replied Jennifer, her hands gently helping to lift the mask away.
"Besides, once Ros fixes your eyes and you've worn it for a bit, it'll be like it isn't even there!" added Enric, waving a fork.
"I'm not to sure about that," replied Akakios, trying desperately not to slur at the feel of Jennifer's soft skin on his own, even if it was just to help him with a mask. He lifted his head, now fully revealed, and looked around. "But I want to test it before I go. Did anybody see me try it on?"
Roswell leaned back in his seat and looked over Akakios' shoulder. "No," he replied. "Or at least, no one is paying attention to us now."
"Why should they?" chipped in Enric. He had a point; They were sitting in the most remote corner in the bustling lunch room, no one usually paid them mind.
"I still have to make adjustments, but I have to go now. I'll see you guys later!" and with that, Jennifer jumped up, grabbed the mask, and jogged off towards the leather tanning rooms. Akakios watched her head off for a moment before turning to his friends again.
"So then, how did you guy's talk her into it?"
"Talk her into what?" asked Roswell.
"Making the leather mask. I mean, this took a lot of work, and we've never been overly close. How did you convince her to take on this project?"
"Didn't take much, honestly," replied Enric. "I overheard her say how much she loved leather working and tanning, and I asked her if she wanted a real challenge. She seemed shaky at first, but when I told her who the mask was for, she was really enthusiastic." Unfortunately, Enric had stated this while Akakios was tipping his goblet back.
"Wait, wait a second!" sputtered Akakios, after coughing up a lung-full of his beverage. "You're telling me that she really wanted to do it after she found out it was for me?"
"Uh...yea. Why?" asked Enric, blinking. Roswell sighed and rubbed his temples. Akakios sat back and considered his two friends. Enric was about a year younger than himself, but more than compensated this with his immense size. Only thirteen, and he was already five foot eight inches, and was about to have another growth spurt. Enric had explained this was due to his northern heritage.
Roswell was a few years older, but wasn't much bigger than Akakios himself. Akakios suspected that was the main reason he hung out with them, despite the fact that they were younger; They were among the few who didn't mock him for his lack of physical prowess. Just as neither of them mocked Enric for his occasionally dense attitude and huge size. Just as neither of the other two had ever mocked Akakios for being...a freak. Akakios swallowed a lump in his throat. His friends had put a tremendous amount of effort into helping him shadow his physical attributes. How could he ever repay them? How could he ever help them blend in?
"What's wrong?" asked Enric, glancing over at Akakios while consuming his food. "Got something in your eye?"
"No," replied the demon, "just thinking." And what of Jennifer? Was it his imagination, or was she warming up to him? They had always belong to different crowds, different worlds, even. And that kiss she had given him the day he found out he'd be leaving, what was the meaning behind it? He didn't even know why he continued denying his emotions for her, except for the fact he didn't know what his emotions were. He wasn't human; was his species even capable of love? And even if they are, was it a human kind of love?
Akakios suddenly and vigorously shook his head and stood up, picking up his lunch tray. "I'm going to dump this," he informed his friends, and surrendered his uneaten bread roll to Enric before marching toward the trash can. He would have to confront Jennifer before he left, that was for certain. He wanted to make sure that in case something happened to either of them while he was gone, his answer wouldn't be delayed. Now he just wasn't sure if he had the courage to do so.
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(A/N) Alright, this chapter didn't work out as well as I'd hoped. But it's leading up to something, I'll tell you that much.
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"So what's this I hear about a mask?" asked Akakios, sitting down for another dinner of food that was rich in nutrients and poor in taste.
"Well, Roswell, Jennifer and me figured..."
"And I," corrected Roswell.
"And I," agreed Enric. "Figured that you could use a hand getting along with the Rogues. I mean, they're a bit snippish, to say the least, so we've taken it upon ourselves to fix up a bit of a disguise for yea."
"I appreciate it guys, but I don't think a burlap sack with eye holes will earn me any more respect," replied Akakios, taking a swig of water.
"It's better than that," chided Roswell. "And it's not like we started it three days ago, we just finished it up in a hurry. Originally we were going to make it a birthday present." Akakios cocked an eyebrow.
"Ros, I don't HAVE a birthday."
"Fine, your discovery day," shrugged Roswell.
"Ok, so what have you got?" asked Akakios, slightly more interested. At this, Roswell placed down a couple pieces of glass and Enric pulled out what looked like dentures. Akakios examined the artifacts before him. "Um, guys? I think the sack might not be a bad idea compared to..."
"That's not all of it!" Enric cut in earnestly. "Jenn is one of the best leather workers in her class, you remember?" Akakios nodded, he remembered leather working class; it was required for all students so they could learn how to do minor repairs out in the field.
"And you remember the molds we made for the custom helmets?" added Roswell. Akakios remembered this as well, they had all gotten molds made of their faces so that they could each have helmets customely built for them. The helmets, in the end, were almost comically weak; it was just another part of the learning process.
"Well we saved yours," informed Enric. "And we've been working with Jennifer, who should arrive with the mask any moment now."
"You're joking me," replied Akakios. "Those molds were made two years ago, my head can't be that small anymore."
"Well, we went ahead and enlarged it somewhat," shrugged Roswell. "I'm still not sure how that worked, Enric took care of it." This made sense, seeing as how Enric was very good with most forms of masonry and sculpting.
"Aye, but I didn't enlarge it to much, I kept it a little small. You see, the way Jenn treated the leather, it stretches, like real skin. So you'll have to pull it good and tight over your face."
"And these," added Roswell, "go underneath the mask, in the eye holes." Now Akakios understood the significance of Roswell's task; the bits of stained glass would mimic a human's eyes and hide his own.
"And this is the central piece," added Jennifer, slumping down beside Akakios and setting down the leather feign in front of him. Akakios picked it up and examined it; it was extremely good. Thin lines ran across parts of the face, but unless you knew what to look for, they appeared to be scars rather than seems. The demon could only stare blankly in shock.
"I, ... I don't know what to say," stuttered Akakios, looking up at his friends. "I mean, it's obvious how long it took you to do this..."
"Don't say anything, just try it on!" exclaimed Jennifer. With their tutelage on how to apply the false eyes, false teeth, and false flesh, Akakios soon bore his disguise.
"How do I look?" asked Akakios, trying to make anything out through his glass eyes.
"Um, needs work..." Roswell stated, somewhat regrettably.
"Would I pass as humahh," Akakios was forced to stop at the end of his sentence as his top denture fell down.
"As long as no one gets a good look at you," replied Jennifer sympathetically. Akakios took out both sets of teeth before continuing.
"I still appreciate it though. I mean, it's excellent craftsmanship, I don't know why you bothered to spend so much time on me," Akakios said to Jennifer. He couldn't really see it, do to his visual condition, but she blushed slightly and turned away without answering his question.
"The teeth could be improved if I could get a mold of your mouth," interupted Enric, oblivious that anything was going on.
"The only other thing that really stands out is the fact that you never seem to blink," said Roswell, examining the demon's new features. "How does the mask feel on you?"
"It's very weird, it feels like I have two layers of skin The eyes are a bit of an issue though; I can't really see out of them," informed Akakios, turning to the sound of Ros's voice.
"Why does your voice sound odd?" asked Jennifer, getting over her embarrassment. "And why is your mouth hanging open like that?"
"Uh...I can't breath through my nose. That's the reason for both," replied Akakios, taking another gulp of air.
"Oh yea, that makes sense," replied Enric. "So in addition to the mouth piece, I'll have to drill nose holes.
"And I think I can clean out the eyes, so you can see out them," chipped in Roswell.
"And I have to make a few slight additions to the mask to make sure it fits you perfectly," added Jennifer, running her hand along the leather cheek. Akakios was slightly startled, as he hadn't seen her hand coming up to him.
"As I said," informed the demon, starting to peel off the mask, "I really appreciate this. But what if I'm expected to fight while I'm wearing this thing? I'll never be able to defend myself."
"Don't worry, we'll practice with you," replied Jennifer, her hands gently helping to lift the mask away.
"Besides, once Ros fixes your eyes and you've worn it for a bit, it'll be like it isn't even there!" added Enric, waving a fork.
"I'm not to sure about that," replied Akakios, trying desperately not to slur at the feel of Jennifer's soft skin on his own, even if it was just to help him with a mask. He lifted his head, now fully revealed, and looked around. "But I want to test it before I go. Did anybody see me try it on?"
Roswell leaned back in his seat and looked over Akakios' shoulder. "No," he replied. "Or at least, no one is paying attention to us now."
"Why should they?" chipped in Enric. He had a point; They were sitting in the most remote corner in the bustling lunch room, no one usually paid them mind.
"I still have to make adjustments, but I have to go now. I'll see you guys later!" and with that, Jennifer jumped up, grabbed the mask, and jogged off towards the leather tanning rooms. Akakios watched her head off for a moment before turning to his friends again.
"So then, how did you guy's talk her into it?"
"Talk her into what?" asked Roswell.
"Making the leather mask. I mean, this took a lot of work, and we've never been overly close. How did you convince her to take on this project?"
"Didn't take much, honestly," replied Enric. "I overheard her say how much she loved leather working and tanning, and I asked her if she wanted a real challenge. She seemed shaky at first, but when I told her who the mask was for, she was really enthusiastic." Unfortunately, Enric had stated this while Akakios was tipping his goblet back.
"Wait, wait a second!" sputtered Akakios, after coughing up a lung-full of his beverage. "You're telling me that she really wanted to do it after she found out it was for me?"
"Uh...yea. Why?" asked Enric, blinking. Roswell sighed and rubbed his temples. Akakios sat back and considered his two friends. Enric was about a year younger than himself, but more than compensated this with his immense size. Only thirteen, and he was already five foot eight inches, and was about to have another growth spurt. Enric had explained this was due to his northern heritage.
Roswell was a few years older, but wasn't much bigger than Akakios himself. Akakios suspected that was the main reason he hung out with them, despite the fact that they were younger; They were among the few who didn't mock him for his lack of physical prowess. Just as neither of them mocked Enric for his occasionally dense attitude and huge size. Just as neither of the other two had ever mocked Akakios for being...a freak. Akakios swallowed a lump in his throat. His friends had put a tremendous amount of effort into helping him shadow his physical attributes. How could he ever repay them? How could he ever help them blend in?
"What's wrong?" asked Enric, glancing over at Akakios while consuming his food. "Got something in your eye?"
"No," replied the demon, "just thinking." And what of Jennifer? Was it his imagination, or was she warming up to him? They had always belong to different crowds, different worlds, even. And that kiss she had given him the day he found out he'd be leaving, what was the meaning behind it? He didn't even know why he continued denying his emotions for her, except for the fact he didn't know what his emotions were. He wasn't human; was his species even capable of love? And even if they are, was it a human kind of love?
Akakios suddenly and vigorously shook his head and stood up, picking up his lunch tray. "I'm going to dump this," he informed his friends, and surrendered his uneaten bread roll to Enric before marching toward the trash can. He would have to confront Jennifer before he left, that was for certain. He wanted to make sure that in case something happened to either of them while he was gone, his answer wouldn't be delayed. Now he just wasn't sure if he had the courage to do so.
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(A/N) Alright, this chapter didn't work out as well as I'd hoped. But it's leading up to something, I'll tell you that much.