Ehh…I seem to be experiencing a bit of writer's block…so…this might be even worse than chapter six…
Pent: (raises eyebrows) w00t?
Yes, things can be worse than that, generic Pent (or I hope so, at least). Anyway…
Cool-Chan: lol. Thanks a ton XD (Pent: (stares) w00t…)
Serra's evil twin: yes, as I said with my cheap French accent, love is in ze air! Poor Raven doesn't know what love is XD
Right, so remember, I did not take any part in the making, programming, editing, or distributing of the Fire Emblem game for GBA…all those peeps at Nintendo and Intelligent Systems did all that XD so I can't take any credit for their coolness :3
And…and…and…and…yeah…
Chapter Seven: Lover Boy(s)
"So…you're in love with her, and you don't know her name?" Priscilla asked her older brother incredulously.
"Something like that…" Raven muttered, his cheeks turning very pink. "If that's what you call it…"
"Well, do you have trouble finding words to say when you talk to her?"
"…Yes…"
"Do you get a weird feeling in the pit of your stomach when you see her?"
"Yes…"
"Does your heart stop for a second when she smiles at you?"
"Yes…"
"You're in love, all right. You poor thing…she doesn't seem like the type who'll stay around long enough for you to have an intelligent conversation with her."
"No, she doesn't."
"Well, when do you suppose you'll see her again?"
"I don't know…tonight…tomorrow night…weeks…months…years…"
"Aw, don't be sad, Raven…being depressed won't help anything. You never know, maybe she feels the same way about you."
"That's very…doubtful," Raven, thinking of how she had teased and taunted him, remarked.
"Well…we women don't often make a point of allowing men to understand what we're trying to tell them, so maybe you're assuming the wrong thing. Or maybe it's just part of her personality…she seemed kind of outgoing when she talked to me." Raven didn't respond. "So…what are you going to do when you see her next?"
"I know what I want to do, but I don't think it would be appropriate."
"Well, just try to make friends with her, and maybe you'll get a hug."
"But I'm bad at that."
"I know…that's why you'll need my help."
"Hey, Matthew? Can I ask you something?" Erk, across the camp, inquired of Matthew hopefully as he was sorting through random stuff.
"You just did. But I guess I can allow you one more question," Matthew replied, setting aforementioned random stuff aside. "What's up?"
"Well…let's just assume for a minute that I've got this…secret…thing."
"Yeah?" Matthew's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. "What kind of secret?"
"Er…a big one."
"Wow. That's really specific, Erk."
"Well, let's suppose that it's one that I've been keeping from…er…everybody…for a really long time."
"Yeah? Are you going to tell me?"
"I wasn't…planning on it…"
"Ah. I see how it is. Proceed."
"Er…if I were to tell someone like…oh, let's say…Priscilla…do you…do you think she'd get…mad?"
"Priscilla?" Matthew seemed even more surprised. "She gets mad?"
"Sometimes."
"Well, if this secret is as big and secret and personal as you say it is, I think you'll be okay. I mean, I've talked to her. She thinks you're a…" Matthew looked around furtively and beckoned him closer to whisper into his ear. "Sexy beast."
"She does?" Erk blushed.
"Oh, totally. And that's a direct quote. I think you could tell her anything and she'd get over it eventually. If not immediately. Unless you're like, lying about who you are or something. Then that dispute might take a while. And she might get mad. Kinda. Sorta. Maybe."
"Oh," Erk's face fell. "Really?"
"Are you serious? You're lying about who you are?" Matthew asked, intrigued.
"Uhhh…no?"
"Fine, you don't have to tell me. Well, I hope that helped you out and everything. Are you going to propose to her or something?"
"Uhhh…maybe?"
"Really? How sweet. Well, good luck…I'd hate to see a kid like you get their heart busted."
"…Thanks, Matthew."
"No problem, Erk. Anytime. You do know that our entire conversation is going to be repeated to Hector, right?"
"What?" Erk said, looking almost panicked. Hector didn't need to know any of that…especially not the 'sexy beast' part.
"I'm just kidding," Matthew laughed at his expression. "I'm not that cruel."
"…" Jaffar disagreed.
"Did I ask for your opinion? No, I didn't," Matthew snapped at him while Erk walked away. "Shut up!"
As Erk strolled along, looking for Priscilla, Nino and Serra suddenly ran up and accosted him.
"Hi, Erk!" Nino said sweetly. "Can we ask you something?"
"Um...do I have to answer?"
"Well, duh!" Serra responded, rolling her eyes. "It's really important!" Erk sighed.
"What is it, then?" he asked warily, rubbing his aching temples. "Make it quick, okay? There's someone I need to see…"
"Well, we know that you love Priscilla and everything," Nino began. "But we were arguing about it earlier and we wanted to know—if you couldn't have Priscilla under extreme circumstances, which one of us would you choose?"
"Why the hell would you want to know that?"
"Because, it's very crucial that we know these things, Erky!" Nino insisted. "We're girls, you know. Girls like to be liked."
"If I had to choose…" Erk mused, weighing his options. Both of them were very annoying, both of them had loud hair, and both of them were obsessed with him. There wasn't a lot to go by. "I guess…Nino."
"Really?" Nino said, her eyes lighting up in her joy.
"WHAT? Nino? Why?" Serra demanded, outraged.
"You're the one that asked," Erk reminded her, rolling his eyes. "And Nino's cuter than you are, anyway. Not that she's cute or anything."
"I told you he likes me better!" Nino declared, then skipped off in a decidedly better mood while Serra sulked away, in a decidedly worse mood.
"Ugh…so annoying," Erk murmured, going off on his way again. Those two got crazier every time he talked to them.
Eventually, he came across the place where Raven and Priscilla were conversing again and approached them again.
"There he is!" Priscilla said happily. "Here, Raven, Erk's a great person to talk to about this stuff."
"What kind of stuff?" Erk inquired cautiously.
"Stuff about love and that kind of stuff. Sit down, won't you?" Erk did as he was bidden. "Now, Raven, this is probably one of the best examples you can get. Do you remember when we first met, Erk?"
"I…prefer not to talk about that," Erk blushed.
"Erk didn't know who I was, either. And he didn't know he was supposed to escort me. In fact, he just started flirting with me, and I thought he was just the cutest thing—" Erk muttered something incomprehensible under his breath; probably some sort of excuse for doing such a thing. "—and then Pent told him, of course, and he was so embarrassed…I never even gave him reason to guess that I was fond of him…in fact, I teased him a lot, and I still do. Maybe that's what's going on with your little lady friend, Raven."
"Lady friend? Raven?" Erk echoed, astounded.
"Yes! Isn't that sweet?" Priscilla giggled.
"Is it Rebecca?"
"No…" Priscilla said in a singsong voice. "It's his friend, little miss mockingbird. He's taken a fancy to her...haven't you, Raven?"
"Did you have to tell him that?" Raven muttered.
"Of course. Everyone's curious about her. Do you have even the faintest idea who she is, Erk?"
"Uhhh…maybe?"
"Really? You do?" Raven piped up immediately. "Who is she? Do you know?"
"Well, I'm not sure," Erk said hastily. "I just…I don't know…I feel like I've met her somewhere before."
"Oh," Raven, disappointed, said, relaxing again. "You don't…know her name or anything?"
"I could only guess," Erk shrugged.
"The only thing she told me about herself is that she's seventeen…"
"Oh, good," Erk, pretending to be relieved, laughed. "I was thinking she was like, my mother or something. But if she's seventeen, she can't be my mother…that'd be ridiculous. Eh heh."
"Well, if you're awake when she goes to see you at night, would you mind sending her to me? Well, that is, if I don't get to her first…"
"All right…I'll be sure to do that."
"Hey, Emmanuel," Iris said cheerfully, walking into Erk's tent that night. "Your guards are sleeping, by the way. Aren't you up a little late?"
"I'm reading," Erk replied, but set the book down anyway. "So…what's up? Any reason why you're here?"
"Why do I need a reason to come and visit my little brother?" Iris asked.
"Well, you could be here for a different reason."
"Like what?"
"I don't know…maybe to…see Raven?"
"Raven?" Iris responded blankly. "Who's tha—? Oh! You mean Raymond? Ha ha! He's so funny."
"He is?"
"Yeah; he's sort of handsome, too. Where does he sleep? I think I'll go and steal his boots."
"Steal his boots?" Erk echoed incredulously as she started to walk out.
"Yeah…I do that to a lot of boys…they get mad at me," Iris giggled.
"O…kay…" Erk said, quirking an eyebrow as she left to go and find him. "That's a little…odd…"
And so, Iris went out to go look for Raven's tent. When she finally found it, she also found out that he was still awake as well.
"Blast…don't you ever sleep, Raymond? I was going to steal your boots, but since you're still awake—" Iris, showing up out of nowhere and making Raven jump, said irritably. Raven interrupted at this point.
"Steal my boots?" he echoed incredulously. "You've already stolen something of mine, miss, but I don't think I'll ever get it back."
"What?" Iris replied blankly. "I don't remember—"
"Oh, it's not a material possession. It's more of a…sentimental thing. So…what are you doing here?"
"Well, I was going to steal your boots, but I guess I could stay and talk for a while."
"Really? You're not going to run away or anything?"
"No, I trust you enough…unless you wanted a rematch, of course."
"No, that's quite all right. I don't think I could ever match you."
"That's the spirit!" Iris said cheerfully, sitting down next to him. "You know, you should consider yourself lucky…I don't usually linger in one place for very long."
"I've noticed."
"So…how's life?"
"Dull."
"Oh. That sounds fun."
"…And then you came along."
"…I beg your pardon?"
"What's your name?"
"My name?" Iris responded quizzically, caught off guard. "It's Iris. Why?"
"Iris?"
"What? …Did I just tell you my name?"
"Yes," Raven informed her, the ghost of a smile crossing his face.
"Ooooh, you should consider yourself very lucky now! I haven't told anybody my real name since I was six!"
"Don't be angry…give me a hug."
"A hug?" Iris echoed indignantly. "And why should I give you a hug?"
"Because you were going to steal my boots."
"Yes, but I do that to everyone, and they never got a hug."
"But, since I'm awake, I could keep you here forever and turn you in tomorrow morning. Our commanders don't take kindly to intruders in our camp, you know."
"…You wouldn't dare."
"Oh, trust me…I would. So, would you rather be turned in to the authorities, or will you give me a hug?"
"Why do you want a hug?"
"Because…I do that to everyone."
"Why do I not believe you?"
"Oh, come now…you're overreacting. It's just a hug."
"I don't know if I should…don't you ever smile?"
"No."
"Why not? If you'll smile for me, I'll give you a hug."
"But I don't like to smile."
"And I don't like to hug people! I'm not that kind of girl."
"Yes you are."
"Okay, I am. But I don't want to hug you; you're mean."
"Why am I mean?"
"Because you made me tell you my name, that's why! I think that's very mean."
"Hey, Raven?" a new voice said sleepily. Both Raven and Iris turned around to behold a sleepy Nino, who was clutching a stuffed bear and looked like she was sleepwalking. "What's the difference between a duck?"
Raven and Iris stared at each other quizzically after this strange question.
"What?" Iris said, excessively confused.
"Nino, go back to bed," Raven ordered Nino.
"But I need to know the difference between a duck!" Nino whined.
"Go ask Lucius!"
"Okay…bye…"
"Maybe I'd better go…" Iris thought out loud, starting to get up.
"No, don't go!" Raven cried, standing up before seizing her wrist. "…Please?" he added for better effects when she glared at him.
"Do you think I'm just one of those girls who would spend the night with any man she comes across just because she can?" Iris asked him irritably, trying to free her wrist from his strong grip. "Don't think I'm going to stay here just because you want me to! I only came here to say hi to Emmanuel, and then I decide I want to steal your boots, and here I am—"
"Emmanuel?" Raven repeated blankly. "Who's that?"
"Er…my…friend?" Iris replied.
"…There's no one named Emmanuel here…"
"Um…yeah. He lives um…not too far from this site…so…er…"
"…Why do I feel as though you're lying to me?"
"Because I…am?"
"That's what I thought. Who's Emmanuel?"
"Oh, no one important…give me a hug!"
"All right." Raven replied, then promptly forgot all about it.
So…Erk's secret is still safe…but for how long? O.o
Pent: (shakes head sadly) w00t…
Yeah, that was pretty pathetic, I agree…
(real Pent walks in)
Real Pent: Hi, Psychotic. I found an opening in my schedule and (spots Generic Pent)—who the crap is that?
Generic Pent: w00t!
Oh, that's Generic Pent. Remember how you told me to get a generic muse?
Generic Pent: w00t.
Real Pent: Um…doesn't he say anything else?
Nope.
Real Pent: …This is an insult to my intelligence.
Oh. That sucks.
Real Pent: I'm afraid I'm going to have to burninate your muse.
Generic Pent: w00t?
O.o that doesn't sound good…er…so…chapter eight will be along as soon as I can get it up. As usual.
