He thinks he loves Dorothy but isn't brave enough to say it aloud. Like with most things, like how he's reading about runes and Native Dragons. He doesn't want to get teased that he might be doing something marginally responsible. Though that would look bad his image. Him? Reading on mythology? The local bad boy?
Kyle. That's a boys name. Though he soon discovers her gender – of course he's the first to figure it out.
'You're a girl. Why are you hiding your gender?'
'Um… I'm not I just wanted to play along with it since everyone thinks I'm a boy? Plus my name is Kylie but I like Kyle better.'
Barret grunts and accepts the book anyway. Then gives her a fishing pole as a reward for helping him. 'So… she or he?'
'You can just call me Kyle.'
'You do realize this will blow up in your face, right?'
She shrugs and the local bad boy lets the farmer carry on. Until he notices Kyle in front of the clinic, arm wrapped around her stomach. He doesn't even like sweets too much but a smile appears on his lips. Something rare for Barret to display but he says after handing the farmer a chocolate bar – 'Hey, take this it's dangerous to go alone.'
'Barrett!' She squeaks. Definitely not a 'manly' sound. Though boy's voices can go up an octave or two higher than they should.
She's a woman. Of course she bleeds, she gets periods. Oh god she can get pregnant how did he not – is she really on her period or? 'Um. Thanks.' She takes the candy.
'You ARE on your period right… No one… Attacked you?' He whispered. Not sure why he cares, but he isn't heartless.
'Sweet Spirits no. I'm just menstruating though thank you, Natalie knows I'm – well. Of the female variety.'
There's something more to this about hiding her gender than 'playing along.' 'Also Julia knows…. Couldn't go into the boy's side without getting found out… Of the bathhouse.'
'Hn. Well I hope you feel better.' He doesn't test the waters further.
There was a time he was out in Trieste Forest and he sees Kyle lying on the ground and an Orc screeches and swings its hammer; he takes his sword. Something he's not used to using but he might as well get some practice in because he sorely lacks it. Byron always warns him not to go out here but since when has Barret ever listened to his father? "GET AWAY FROM HER!" Barret swings the broadsword and sends the Orc back to the Forest of Beginnings. Shit. She's bleeding.
This time it's not menstruation blood. She's bleeding from her side, he puts his sword on his hilt. Her sword is in her bag, it's a dagger. He scoops her up bridal style in his arms. Blood pooling from the wound. Her farm is closer and fortunately for this stupid woman he knows first aide. He just happens to have some magical spells on him that can aide them in this situation.
. . .
She doesn't have a kitchen. How the bloody hell does she not have a kitchen? In this gigantic house, all alone by her lonesome? She has a fridge, an icebox, a knife set; an ability to cook cold dishes like Sashimi. There's enough fish for a plate of Squid Sashimi and is that what she's been living off of? Raw fish? Though it's not inadequate he notices Fruits like Melons and Strawberries and he gets to chopping and squeezing fresh juice by hand into a glass.
He makes her Prelude of Love. Fancy, romantic. He makes her a Seared Tuna bowl with a bed of scallions and hell, he throws Pineapple into the mix because why not? "Here, you don't have anything to cook hot food in? It's the best I can do with this set up you have here." She's on the sofa in front of the fireplace and she's in a nightrobe he got from the closet.
It looked like it was there before she moved in, creepy. She was using someone else's clothes she didn't know where they came from? She really had nothing when she came here.
"T-Thank you. The drink?"
… "It's a drink mixed with Strawberries and Pink Melons."
"O-Oh. Prelude of L – "
"Don't, it's what you had on hand. I – you need proper blood sugar… Yanno?"
"Um. Right. Thanks Barret."
She eats the bowl of fish mixed with fruit and scallions and swallows it whole. Well apparently she's not a picky eater (though she doesn't have much room to complain which kind makes him a little depressed). "Wait – you s-saw me n-naked!"
"You think I haven't seen a girl naked before?" He raises his eyes and she flushes. "Whatever. Don't worry about it. I wasn't looking at you like that, Kyle. I was trying to treat your wounds and get you out of bloody clothes, you could have died!" He raises his voice a few notches too high. "Stupid, troublesome woman." He places his hand to his face and sighs.
"S-Sorry." She flinches.
Barret rolls his shoulders and melts a little at her expression. Shit. "Just shut up and eat okay?"
She nods and finishes and he takes the bowl and glass back to the sink. "Um… I have to use the bathroom."
"Your house, you know where everything is."
Then… a pregnant pause. A stretch of – oh. Right. "I'll help you get there. Right it still must hurt. I used a Medicating spell to help that's supposed to numb the pain,"
He's careful, she did have a first-aid kit fortunately. Thank God. Though he still used the spell. Also slathering on some herbal remedies and a potion helped along with the spell seal did wonders on the recovery process. "Um… Wouldn't that use a lot of Rune Power?" She asked and yes it did but he can eat and sleep and recover his RP.
"Nah, don't worry. Are you taking a shower or – "
"Just to use the toilet, I won't reopen the wound."
"Got it."
He leans up against the wall next to the door. He hears a flush. Damn it! He was playing nursemaid. This was Dorothy's job. Though perhaps he should take up a career in medicine and ask Natalie for a part-time job. Maybe. Yeah, right. Though Natalie might be more than happy to have Barret do something with his life than slack off.
(Not that he was, he was training and studying really hard… In secret.)
There were books amongst the shelves that looked old and dusty, no supplies to clean them. Which was sad, those books needed proper cleaning and mending. The books were probably warn and faded. He pitied them. Since also, when did he become a bookworm? Probably a few years ago when they lacked a proper source of formal education in this town and Mana was talking about wanting to be a teacher at a school.
"Here,"
"I – "
"Shut it and accept the help, troublesome woman." Maybe he should accept his own advice sometime. He thinks this will come back and bite him in the ass. Karma can be like that (though Barret now didn't believe in karma Barret years in the future was a firm believer in karma).
"Okay…"
He should leave. "Your dad might be worried about you." The farmer says softly. She's always concerned about everyone isn't she? Ever the farmer, helping out anyone she sees.
Just what was she doing in the forest anyway? He'd ask later. Though all Barret wanted to do was train.
"Hm." He grunted in response. "If I leave, will you BE SURE to not damage that wound? Just stay here until I come back? I won't be gone for probably more than an hour?"
Kyle winces. Shit he didn't mean to sound that harsh. Though – "Can you pass me the book titled Fireball and Various Elemental Spells?" She asks. The Mayor's son nods.
He was surprised she had such a book in her home. Though who knew who the owner was of this house before she arrived here. They apparently died before Barret himself was even born, so he gave her the book. "Don't go practicing any of those spells," Great Spirits he sounded like a Mother-Hen.
She smiled wearily at the man who had helped her. That smile he did not like. That wasn't the Kyle Barret knew. "I won't. I told you I won't reopen the wound, alright?"
… "You better not undo my hard work."
"I promise I won't!"
The door clicked shut, leaving the farmer to herself and her own devices.
"Chapter Three… Ice magic…"
