Chapter 7: New day, new challenges
I honestly can't remember how I was able to get home and fall asleep last night. All I do know is that I am being woken up by someone shaking my body rather wildly to knock the sleep out of me.
"Nishir, wake up!"
Ah, Takari's voice. But why would she give me such a wild wake up call? Is something the matter? Groggily, I turn around in my makeshift nest in the soft grass. My body feels as if it had barely fallen asleep but, considering my little night time excursion, that is to be expected. A mighty yawn escaping my beak, I finally manage to squeeze my eyes open, only for them to meet Takari's angry stare.
"Huh, what's up?" I wonder with a confused look on my face. "You look angry."
"Where were you last night?"
Oh, so that's what this is all about…
"Where's Raver, where are our parents? Gosh, this family is going to be such a mess… "
"Well, it's a family nonetheless," I state with an amused shrug, a short burst of laughter escaping my beak in reaction to her statement. "I can probably explain all absences but bear with me, I'm still half-asleep… " Takari looks like she wants to add a spicy comment to my words, however she doesn't end up saying anything, merely continuing to stare at me in a somewhat annoyed fashion. A yawn escapes my beak, followed by a sigh as I rub the sleep out of my eyes. Still tired, I begin to elaborate.
"Raver returned late at night with a bad conscience. We ended up checking up on Greenie again."
"How did that go?" she wondered casually.
"She cried more than I've ever seen you cry, Takari, but I think my words were able to reach out to her. She reconnected with Raver too."
"Wait, she accepted his apology? After everything he said?"
"As a matter of fact," I tell her with a smile. "Greenie was apologizing to Raver for her indifference. His rant apparently shook her out of it. He stayed with her overnight. She probably still has a long way to go but I'm confident that she'll find happiness again just like we have, Takari. Raver is her savior just like we saved each other, I guess… "
"Well, sounds like everything turned out fine in the end. However…" Takari's face suddenly becomes very scary. "How dare you to leave me alone at night; you know that I have frequent night terrors! I cried when I woke up and you weren't next to me where you were supposed to be! I had to bother our new p-parents about it even though they're so busy…"
"Which is probably the reason why they've left the nest so early too…"
"You're changing the topic, Nishir," Takari teases all of a sudden. Now I can't tell anymore if she's angry or toying with me…
"W-well you asked for this piece of information, didn't you?!"
Takari's hearty laugh confirms the latter. Only Takari could make me feel angry and happy about the same thing. Seeing her laugh from the bottom of her heart is a sight I thought I'd never see again. After all, she is really cute when she smiles like that. For just a short time, I completely forget that looking at a girl for longer than necessary is actually really embarrassing. Without prior warning, Takari suddenly stops her hearty laugh on command as she takes notice. Suddenly meeting gazes, she gives me an unexpected cute face and a wink. My cheeks suddenly on fire, I urgently look away.
"You were looking at me just now, Nishir," she states with an undeniable, gleeful tone in her voice. "Did you finally realize that I'm a girl or what, geez."
"I-I have always known that!" I heavily protest as Takari creeps up on me like she would always do when she was about to tease me about romantic nonsense. Yes, I'm vulnerable to that!
"Well, did you finally figure out that I'm actually a cute girl then?"
I've always known that as well!
"N-N-no, you're probably just an ordinary girl, n-not like I specially care or anything…"
Thump thump thump… That girl, daring to make my heart race like this so early in the day!
"Aww come on, Nishir, your face is bright red even though you are a murky brown," Takari laughs heartily and I can't help but take a quick look at her. So cute when she smiles…
"You're bad at lying; you've always been terrible at it, ahaha!"
Well, she might not be wrong in that regard…
"I'm telling the truth!" I declare anyhow, trying desperately to return the state of my cheeks to its natural colour but to no avail.
"Of course you are," Takari laughs, approaching me with a mirthful grin. I've seen this grin one too many times, is she going to… Oh no! Before I can slip away, Takari manages to sneak into range. Suddenly, her fingers are approaching my blazing hot cheek and…
"Poke!"
"Aaaarghh, anything but THIS, Takari!" Didn't this insufferable troll know that I am sensitive to pokes?! Ah right, she's doing it BECAUSE she knows all about it, aaaarghh! My pleas are in vain though as she alternates between poking my cheeks and my sides where I'm most vulnerable. A lot of trial and error was needed to develop her brutal efficiency…
"Seriously Takari, I'm dying here!" I cry as the barrel of pokes continues to strike my tired body.
"Anything but this, you say?" The way the girl gleefully grins at me as I am cowering before her in an attempt to protect my body gives me a bad feeling. She's probably going to twist my words into something even more embarrassing…
"Hmm, I think I might be willing to stop if you hold my hands right now. It'll count as an apology too. You gonna do it?"
This girl… There's no way I can do that!
"Okay okay, I was looking at you because I was happy to see you smile again, that's what you want to hear right?!"
Takari's expression suddenly seems to show a little bit of disappointment, however it does not last.
"Jeez, and here I was beginning to think you might really end up holding them if I kept on poking you for the lie…"
In your sleepstories! I mean, somehow I want to try it out one day but I'd die from embarrassment before we even touch!
"Well, let's just leave it at this. But don't do this again; next time I'll definitely cry until you apologize!"
"I don't think I'll be having any night time adventures for a while, I'm totally tired now…" I announce with a mighty yawn slipping past me about halfway through the statement. "A-anyway, shouldn't you be embarrassed about this?"
Takari seems to be thoughtful for a split second before making up her mind.
"Hmm, I guess it's fine if it's you, Nishir," she expresses herself with a hard-to-read smile. I can't decide whether this is an attempt to make me flustered again so I merely leave it uncommented, instead looking around for some food to have for breakfast. Takari joins me as soon as I start munching on leaves from a low-hanging branch of a tree.
"You know what's odd, Nishir?" she casually prompts me with a mixture of a puzzled and curious expression. I merely offer her a shrug in response as I'm too busy eating. My lack of interest doesn't seem to bother her though, quite the contrary.
"You're usually an open book but there's one thing I've never understood about you… actually make that two things!" she adds as another thought seems to pop up. Considering the amount of devious joy that suddenly begins to show on her face, I instinctively inch away from her. Just in case…
"Ah, this is actually a perfect example, Nishir," she mentions with a silly giggle as she observes me, leaving me with nothing but confusion. What is she raving on about?
"Why did you just put more distance between us?"
Oh really, this is just going to be another weird investigation to tickle a blush out of me! Why can't we just talk about normal stuff for once, jeez!
When I choose not to reply, she decides to dig deeper.
"Do I smell bad or what? Maybe I should take a bath?"
Slightly annoyed by her choice of topic for conversation, I practice myself in being silent, all the while, subconsciously, protecting the flank facing Takari with my free hand. This would be my downfall.
"Afraid of more poking, are we?" She laughs as I react with a shocked expression. "Still as easy to read as ever, ahaha."
Again, I try to ignore her but she just wouldn't drop the matter no matter what I try.
"But, in all seriousness, Nishir, why have you gone back to normal? I mean…" The way she fidgets around with her hands tells me that this is actually a serious question as opposed to just another opportunity at teasing me so I decide to listen a bit more thoroughly. "Look, all this time we were together, we both cried a lot, right? We gave each other hugs, huddled together for sleep and you even held my hand a few times. But now, when things are slowly returning to normal… you act as if it's still a bad thing to touch me - at least when I'm not crying…"
"C-comforting you is something c-c-completely else!" I stutter nervously as Takari musters me curiously. "Maybe I would be less cautious around you if you didn't frequently poke or tickle me!" I continue in an agitated manner, speaking through gritted teeth. "In other words, I don't trust you because you're a troll! I never know when you're trying to ridicule me! That's why I prefer to have some safety distance from you, you can't possibly blame me for that!"
"Hmm, so just trying to be nicer to you ever since… back then wasn't enough, huh?" Takari suddenly ponders with a stern and thoughtful expression, even forgetting to continue her meal. "I can always read what's on your mind but there's an exception, Nishir. Wanna hear about it? Consider it an apology for the pokes; I'll be sharing another weakness with you."
This is oddly familiar, her asking me weird questions and then suddenly acting nice to wrap me around her devious fingers. Also, when did she start being nicer to me? I never noticed!
"F-fine, I guess…" I eventually say with a nod but I'm not looking in her direction as she begins to explain, having a pretty good inkling what she might be on about.
"Alright, here I go then," she announces in a rather soft voice while ignoring the aforementioned safety distance entirely. "You see, Nishir, I can always read your mind but… I just can't read your heart."
"W-w-w-what?!" I fall over in shock as the rather romantic implementations register in my mind. Despite expecting to be teased for blushing (Did I ever mention that I hate my cheeks?!), Takari merely smiles at me.
"Oh, you actually caught on to that. Maybe you're not as dense as I thought…"
She says these things more to herself in a thoughtful manner. Me, dense? What does she even mean?!
"Well, I suppose I'm still going to spell it out for you, just in case." Sending a wink my way, I dread the words she's preparing to confront me with. "Since I can't look into your heart… I don't really know what I actually am to you, Nishir."
If I haven't been flustered before, I am definitely flustered now! Crap, is she going to ask me whether I l-l-like her? I could never tell her that!
"Am I a mere friend to you or someone who is very important to you? Do you see me as a mere bully or am I a dear friend to you? Or…" Suddenly, Takari is wearing her teasing face again, however she seems to be showing constraint for once. "Well, I think I've said enough. Nishir, I would be very happy if you could tell me honestly what's truly in your heart. I've always found it funny and odd that you're so embarrassed around me…"
Doesn't change the fact that you always exploit this, ugh!
"That's because you're a g-g-girl!" I explain with a stutter.
"You haven't been responding like this to Emi or Greenie or any girl from our old herd though," she points out matter-of-factly, again not exploiting my embarrassment for a tease, much to my surprise.
"Emi is like my sibling now and Greenie needed consoling so it didn't bother me!" I declare, somewhat irritated.
"You know, Nishir, aren't we… siblings too? I mean, we were adopted into the same family."
Eh? For real?! Takari has to stifle a laugh as she sees my shocked expression.
"A-anyway, you're different be-because you're dangerous! A-and a big bully! We just… happen to be friends too but you're still a big bully!"
Suddenly, Takari takes on a very thoughtful expression and suddenly acts very stern and serious.
"Nishir, you're having trouble talking about your feelings, is that it?" When I send her an alarmed look, she quickly elaborates on the thought. "If my behavior bothers you, why don't you just say so?"
"I do complain about you all the time!" I declare in irritation. "A-anyway, it'd kinda feel like losing to you if I didn't put up with it!"
I answer her honestly since she seems to have no interest in making fun of me right now.
"That's your reason?" She obviously seems amused about this but refrains from straight out mocking me. "So you've been enduring it just so you wouldn't lose to me, that's silly. You know, you can tell me if I hurt your feelings."
"I'd… rather not…" I mutter quietly, looking away awkwardly. A profound sigh escapes Takari's beak in response.
"Oof, looks like I have to tickle this out of you, oh for crying out loud…"
Momentarily, I jerk back as the word 'tickle' reaches my ears before relaxing when I realize that it was just figurative speech. Takari seems mildly amused but, moreover, she is unusually serious about matters she would usually just mention to taunt me. Just what is the girl up to?
"Nishir, tell me honestly because I promise you not to make fun of you."
Is that even possible?
"I can try…" I answer a little quietly. "As long as you don't ask anything too embarrassing to talk about …"
Takari nods at me appreciatively.
"First of all, do you think of me as a friend?"
We're starting there?!
"I-idiot, shouldn't that be obvious?!" Takari sends an apologetic giggle my way.
"Well, you did call me a troll and a bully."
Hmm, I guess I did. Maybe that confused her?
"You're still my friend though…" I speak very quietly. Takari relaxes a bit upon hearing my words.
"Second question; are you happy with the status quo in our relationship?"
Re-re-relationship?!
"W-what do you mean, we're not in a…" I can't finish the sentence. My cheeks are burning with embarrassment as Takari throws an amused stare my way, her eyes seemingly lingering on my bright-red face.
"A friendship is a relationship too, silly," she explains while brutally scrutinizing me. You're not helping, Takari!
"I-I might be comfortable with the status quo if you didn't tease me all the time…"
"Aw, you're no fun, Nishir," Takari laughs which prompts me to look at her directly once again. Needless to say, she takes notice.
"A-anyway, that's how I feel…"
"I see…"
She's doing a poor job at not teasing me, the way she looks at me is just as bad as being called out for blushing, oh for crying out loud!
"Third question, Nishir…" she announces and, suddenly, she begins to express a rare shy side to her that I've never seen before. I have no idea what's headed my way but, either way, I am prepared to brace the impact to my abilities.
"Do you like me?"
Eh? EH?!
"And if you don't… what would I have to do to become a more likable dinosaur?"
Isn't that obvious?!
"You know… I'm very grateful for everything you've done recently even though I've always been so mean to you. Moreover…" Takari suddenly looks as awkward as I must look at the moment, mouth agape in shock. "I want to know what you think about me, Nishir. I want the truth. I won't make fun of whatever it is too."
I'm having some serious doubts about this! However…
"F-f-first of all, that's way too many questions at once!" I cry, already struggling to remember all of Takari's inquiries.
"Should I repeat them?" the girl offers and I can't detect any ill intent in her words which confirms that she might be as serious as someone like Takari can possibly be.
"Nah, I'm not senile!" I retort in irritation while trying to make sense of what the girl was asking of me.
First of all, why is she asking me all of this so suddenly? Takari is not acting like herself so this is uncharted territory. I don't know how she will react; this is going to make it a lot tougher to predict anything! I absolutely can't answer any of that without dying from embarrassment! These aren't things you just tell a girl for crying out loud! But then again… Noticing Takari's mildly curious stare, looking at me with a tilted face, I decide to explain.
"I-I'm working on a response, okay? Give me a minute!"
"I'll just be over there with the others then," she announces with a slight smile. "I'm probably not helping much by pushing you, hehe."
Takari indeed scrambles over to our new siblings (minus Raver) who are also having breakfast. Nervously, I stuff some food into my beak before continuing to ponder.
Something is fishy indeed; Takari isn't considerate at all so why is she suddenly mindful of my hardships?! Either way, she actually seems to be nice to me today which is odd… and she is asking odd questions too she'd usually just ask to get a laugh out of it…
Suddenly, I choke on some leaves as a realization comes to my attention.
No way, could Takari actually l… oh I can't even say it in my head! But, if that's really true… if she l-l-l- - oh blast it! If we share this… feeling… what should I do?
Uneasily, I glance over to the girl. To my surprise, she is also glancing at me with a smile that is hard to read. Certainly, the smile underlines her more adorable side which she so rarely shows. Come to think of it, she looks strangely innocent right now. If only she could always be like this, docile and sweet rather than a jerk… maybe I'd find the courage to tell her…
For some odd reason, I do not turn my eyes away, not looking directly at her but still focusing somewhere so close to her face that I can see the subtle changes in her expression.
Why am I always so embarrassed? Why do I lack the courage to accept my feelings and be open about them? Is it because I'm afraid that she'll reject me? Is it because I'm afraid of being made fun of? Takari even said she wouldn't make fun of my answer… If I can somehow make her promise me to…
Suddenly, without warning, the most foolproof plan I've ever had pops up out of nowhere, my flanks tickling with excitement at the sheer thought. Confidence spreads through my whole body; a broad smile develops on my beak.
Today will be the day I finally beat Takari and answer a question I've been wondering about ever since I can remember! Just you wait, Takari!
With an almost smug grin, I wave at her to return to me. Full of curiosity, Takari follows my instructions, not dropping the smile even as she sees me radiating with self-confidence.
"You were looking at me all this time," the girl casually mentions and, now that I think about it, her words are mildly suggestive. Usually, such a casual remark would be all it needs to make me flustered but not now! I'm invincible today!
"Well, I just happened to need some inspiration for my new perfect plan, Takari," I proclaim proudly while spreading my arms like a preacher.
"Oh, this should be exciting," Takari chuckles. "Your plans usually suck after all."
Well, she might be right but today it's all different!
"Go ahead and laugh, Takari, but you won't be prepared for this!" I promise her with unwavering confidence, feeling excited like a little swimmer just imagining her reaction to the proposal.
"Anyway, are you going to answer my questions? I was kind enough to give you some space to think about it after all."
Oh yes I will, Takari, but with a mighty twist!
"About this… Takari, how about a contest?"
"A contest?"
Great, I captured her interest immediately!
"Yes, a contest!" I repeat in a big booming voice. "Rather than telling you the answers now, I promise you to tell you the whole truth under one condition."
I can't wait to see her flustered about this!
"Hmm, a condition… Gee, I wonder what it'll be…" Takari puzzles and her smile is still not wavering. You're too damn confident, Takari!
"You'd never be able to guess it because this is a foolproof plan for once!" No matter what I say to shake her confidence, it falls on deaf ears. If anything, Takari continues to grow more and more amused.
"Well, then how about this, Nishir?" she offers, a wide grin spreading across her face. "I'll accept whatever condition you have in mind but if I can guess the condition, you must allow me to make one too. That sound good?"
"Bring it on!" I exclaim without a thought. After all, she could never anticipate such a twist; this is too advanced even for Takari! But wait, what if Takari can read my mind right now? Well, it's a win-win situation either way, I cannot possibly lose today!
"You'll tell me everything if I don't tease you for an entire day, is that it?"
For real? She guessed it!?
"Why… yes…" I admit sourly. Abruptly, Takari erupts into laughter like a smoking mountain on a bad day, holding her stomach as tears fall from her eyes from the sheer intensity of her entertainment. Well, I suppose I did a good job at making her day at least. Now I'm curious what kind of condition she'll put on me…
Takari's fit of laughter is so intense that it takes well over a minute for her to regain her senses and her breath.
"No matter how good the plan, I can still read your mind, Nishir," she eventually exhales, still giggling in a silly fashion. "You were too obvious, ahaha!"
Is she trying to give me advice now?
"A-anyway… that's my condition and… you already said you'd accept it…"
"Yup! No teasing you for a day, geez you're quite cunning for once…"
Aren't I, Takari? Hahaha!
"So, you promise? I won't tell you a thing if you fail!"
"Yup, a deal is a deal," Takari promises, making the respective hand gesture to underline her statement. "Besides, this is already a bit of a teaser since I now know that you don't like me teasing you at all."
She's realizing this now?! Also, is this a pun?!
"Well, I guess I should use today to practise how to control that bad habit of mine."
Bad habit? You're doing that on purpose!
"R-right! You'd better practice well!" I shout at her, causing her to giggle again. "Anyway, what is your condition?"
"No matter what I ask you today, you must tell me the truth."
No matter what she is going to ask me… wait a second!
"T-t-that's too harsh, Takari!" I cry in outrage but Takari merely laughs with a smug grin.
"A deal is a deal. We made a promise," she reminds me with an evil grin. "Or are you gonna bail out? I'd be the winner again…"
Crap, she absolutely got me as always…
"You're probably going to ask weird stuff at the end of the day… oh today will be so great…" I mutter to myself, much to the girl's amusement.
"You accept then?"
"Mhm," I grunt with a small nod. After all, there was still the possibility that Takari failed to hold her promise not to tease me which would also render her condition useless.
"Wonderful! By the way, you should really eat up, I heard the kids know of a good place to tell stories to them."
"Yeah, give me a sec…" I grunt again. Suddenly, all spirit has been depleted from me as I can only dread what horrors would await me at the end of the day. Well, as I stuff some more food into my beak, munching on it with relentless force, a somewhat relaxing thought remains.
At least I'll know what she feels about me by the end of the day… and I won't be teased.
Probably.
I quickly eat my fill as everyone seems to be rather excited about something.
Guess they might really know a cool place? Or maybe they're just excited to hear how the story continues? Well, either way…
A quick look into their ranks confirms that they're still a member short.
Raver must still be with Greenie. Lucky guy, at least he can sleep in after that night… Gee, would it even be fair to continue without him?
Thankfully, I don't have to utter that question out loud. As if summoned, a rattle in the nearby vegetation takes everyone's attention until a little green head pops out of a nearby bush.
"Erm, yo?" he offers weakly as his siblings send a sharp glance in his direction. Deciding to save him a harsh greeting, I quickly scurry over to the scene.
"Hey Raver, slept as brilliantly as I did?" I greet him with a booming voice.
"Like a rock, Nishir bro!" he confirms but his droopy eyes speak another language altogether. If anything, he must have slept even less than I did. A lot quieter and more serious, I add.
"How's she doing?"
"Greenie? Uhh, fine, I guess?"
Noticing the awkward glare at his siblings and their unnatural curiosity, I decide to save a more thorough interview for later.
"Great, now I heard you guys want to go somewhere? Mind filling me in?"
"Sure!" Emi chirps happily, jumping from one foot to the other in excitement. "We're going to a super secret place; don't tell anyone about it because it's suuuuuper super secret!"
"Silly, no reason to say it twice," Beakles taunts his sister, much to her annoyance. "But yeah, that's basically it. A suuuuper secret place; you guys are gonna love it."
"You like adventures, don't you?" Zekir asks casually.
"Bro, after hearing some of their stories, do you honestly doubt that?" Beakles deadpans.
"W-well, they didn't exactly ask for it, right?" the meek little swimmer counters bravely. He might be a little dim but he has a point.
"Yeah, we really didn't ask for such an adventure but it doesn't mean that we dislike the thought of going an adventure that isn't going to kill us," I offer with a slight chuckle.
"As long as there's no danger, adventures are all fun, yup!" Takari confirms with a grin. "We'd often explore every corner of our old home when we were bored."
"We too, we too!" Emi jumps up and down in excitement.
"Yeah, we're often bored," Beakles admits before his voice takes on a sly undertone. "Well, with parents that are hardly home and a sappy brother like Raver, that's to be expected."
I quickly have to tackle Raver to prevent a fight from breaking out.
"You're the sappy one!" he retorts but my tackle is strong enough to hold him down. I guess these two often get physical with each other.
"Don't fight, guys, I don't want any bad blood on a fun day like today, alright?"
As if on command, Raver stops struggling against me and Beakles drops the jeering expression on his face.
Takari knows how to deal with them even though she doesn't have any siblings. As always, she's quite amazing!
"Now that this is settled…" I release Raver from the lock. "Where exactly are we going?"
"It's a s. e. c. r. e. t," Emi spells out while making a cute face.
"Looks like we'll have to find out, Nishir," Takari chuckles in high spirits.
"If it's what I think it is, it'll be well worth it," Raver promises with a shrug, dusting himself off.
"Yup, it's exactly what you think, bro," Beakles replies, a bit of a cheeky undertone still present in his voice but either Raver didn't notice or he was smart enough not to get triggered this time.
"What are we waiting for then, let's go!" Zekir exclaims, adventure spirit taking hold of him as well as everyone else. Whatever these guys have planned for us, I'm sure it'll be worth the excitement.
Much to my surprise, Takari seems to be serious about not teasing me today. Almost as soon as we start walking into the forest, using the same path we used to get to the mountain the other day, she begins to involve me in some smalltalk, not exploiting any of the usual opportunities to tease me but, rather, acting unnaturally sincere when I start complaining about getting so little sleep. Constantly, yawns would escape my beak and Raver didn't seem to be doing much better in that regard, regularly rubbing his eyes as he trotted after his siblings who had taken the lead, occasionally chattering amongst themselves.
Eventually, I manage to escape Takari in conversation just as we reach the base of the mountain.
We're not going to go up that mountain again, are we?
"From here on, we'll have to break through the thick jungle for a while but it'll be worth it!" Beakles announces brightly, quite apparently looking forward to whatever is awaiting us. Well, walking off-path is nothing for Takari and me, we've done that all the time at our old home…
Our group takes a very sharp turn to the right, straight into the thick vegetation that grows over much of the island. The trees grow particularly large in these parts and apparently never heard of the word "personal space". I'm not even mentioning all the underbrush, bushes, ferns and tall grass growing without order. Quite often, Takari and I have to take detours because we wouldn't be able to squeeze through gaps that the kids were still able to slip past.
After a few minutes, the trees change drastically. There's now a very thick area of smaller vegetation that reminds more of overgrown bushes rather than actual trees. Either way, as Takari joins the three siblings in forging a path through this unforgiving jungle, I signal Raver to fall back a bit so we can chat for a little without being overheard.
"So how is Greenie doing?" I casually ask the boy as I slip a yawn.
"She's doing pretty good, I think," Raver yawns back at me. Our gazes meet and we snicker for a bit at our mutual predicament. "She fell asleep somewhat soon after you left but err I was worried she'd have a sleep story or something so I uhh…"
"You stayed awake?" I prompt him with some curiosity.
"N-not all the time of course but f-for a little while…" Raver seems to be in some commotion. "Well, I was simply so happy to see her again and she looked so peaceful and happy when she slept. S-she kinda fell asleep while I was hugging her so I was afraid to move even if I wasn't comfortable… Nishir, are all girls so cute when they sleep?"
I have to stifle a laugh at the display of the clumsy boy who seemed to trust me so much now that he'd even share his feelings with me. Appreciating this, I quickly check whether anyone is listening in on us before responding.
"You ask me? I'm probably just as clueless about these things as you are, Raver," I retort weakly as not to be overheard though I still owe him an answer for his trust and honesty. "Takari is cute when she sleeps… and when she laughs… though I could never tell her straight in the face… "
"You really like her, huh?"
"D-does that matter?" I stammer as I push a large branch to the side that's blocking our path. "I'd rather drown than to tell her that I l-l-l - you know!"
"The thing is, Nishir, I think I like her too…"
Wait, what?
"Greenie, I mean…" he adds after he notices my shocked stare.
"Should've said so right away," I grunt at him.
"You must like her if the thought alone pisses you off, bro."
Oh come on, am I THIS easy to tease? Even bloody Raver can do it!
"And we'll have a real problem if you ever tell her that I do, got that you little nuisance?" I hiss in his direction before playfully giving the boy a head nut.
"Same if you ever tell Beakles that I like Greenie," he hisses in return, however he doesn't seem to have enough guts to return the gesture at me. Instead, he carries on in a more docile manner, sharing more of his feelings with me.
"I know I'm probably too young but I still think that I like her a little more than just like a friend, you know?"
Doublechecking whether the air is still clear, I reply.
"I've known Takari for a long time, probably for a few cold times already. I've l-l- - you know… for a long time so… it's not as absurd as you paint it, Raver."
"Then what does it feel like to like a girl?"
Can this conversation get any more awkward?
"You know, when I asked Mom once, she'd just tell me that I'd know when the time comes and that I shouldn't worry about it. But I do worry because I need to be sure before telling her something so… embarrassing…"
Hmm, okay I think I can relate on this level…
"I can… try to put what I feel into words," I mutter in slight embarrassment as I feel my cheeks flare up. However, despite the mortification, I suddenly begin to realize that this could also be a chance to practise. I have to tell Takari who knows what later, might as well practise it a bit so it doesn't end up being a full-blown fail…
"I think the most notorious thing about l-l-l…" Suddenly, a surge of frustration at my inability to say this word overcomes me. "Oh for crying out loud, LIKING!"
"Psssst, not so loud, idiot!" Raver hisses into my ear but the warning came too late.
Crap, Takari noticed!
"What are you guys talking about?" the girl inquires with a grin that suggests that she has more than a mere hunch. Quickly, I come up with a stupid lie which actually isn't a lie, literally speaking. Because, otherwise, I'd be breaking the pact we forged in the morning!
"Oh, I was just saying how much I LIKE this adventure! Oh yes, I'm reeeaaally enjoying myself!"
"Y-yeah, I really LIKE to show you and Nishir around, like really!" Raver adds nervously. Takari seems about to drop a bomb when her expression suddenly switches from gleeful to innocent.
"Well, me three!" she announces sweetly before turning her back to us again.
She must have stopped because she was about to unleash a mighty tease. Phew, I suppose I kind of saved us just now…
"Yikes, that was close…" Raver hisses quietly. "I thought she was about to roast us…"
"Yeah, girls are scary…" I agree, allowing myself to fall back even further from the main group as I pretend to have trouble breaking through some vegetation. "What I was gonna say just now… well… First thing you notice is that you get really nervous and shy around her, I guess. Spending time together or just seeing her makes me really happy even if she's in a teasing mood. You… kinda want to get close but… you're also… afraid. But if you ever manage to touch, it makes your heart pound. S-same if your eyes meet; it makes you feel all fuzzy and flustered but also… excited? I dunno…"
"Hey, that's just how I felt at first when you told me to hug Greenie!" Raver declares in excitement. "But after I got used to the nervousness, I started liking it a bit - I mean she was crying like crazy, it was so awkward…"
"Guess we both can't deny it, huh?" I grunt in half-hearted sarcasm. "Well, I suppose I'd better accept it sooner than later…"
"Huh, you haven't already?" Raver wonders in surprise.
Should I tell him about this?
"Does Takari know?"
"How'd I know, haven't told her of course," I state rather bluntly.
"Do you want to tell her one day?"
Good question, do I want to? Or am I forced to do it?
"You see, Nishir, I… kind of want to tell Greenie as soon as she recovers but… I don't know how!"
"You're asking the wrong swimmer for advice, Raver, I have no clue how to say it either… like I said I'd rather drown than having to say it in her face …"
As a matter of fact, if this morning isn't anything to go by, she's probably gonna make me say it today… I can't lie to her and I want to find out what she is feeling about me too but… urgh, maybe I should just drown after all?
"Raver, we don't happen to find any large bodies of water on our adventure today, do we?"
"Wait, you were serious?!" the boy panics.
"To some degree… I guess?"
Sigh, I guess I'll have to tell him after all…
"Err… I tried to avoid a few questions Takari yeeted at me this morning but it kind of backfired when she managed to guess what I'd choose as a condition for our contest." Raver follows me with interest. "As a result, she was allowed to make a condition too and it's horrible! I'm trading a day free of teasing for having to answer any question that she asks me today without lying, provided that she manages to keep her part…"
"What kind of questions were you trying to avoid, bro? Wow, it really backfired bad for you…"
"Well, stuff like… " Even though this is Raver who has shared everything with me so casually, I'm still finding some trouble finding the courage to tell him. "You know, she was spouting some nonsense like not being able to see what's in my heart and wanted to know what I think about her. Of course I didn't want to tell her - I'm not prepared yet! But, with the condition she placed on me, I'll have to if she's serious about it…"
"Well, at least you're lucky, bro…"
Lucky?! Where did he read that?!
"If she's interested in finding out, being so obvious about it, I'm sure she likes you a lot, Nishir!"
Wait… how did he just read this so easily? It makes sense now that he's saying these things but…
"A-are you sure, Raver?" I ask him, nervously fighting my way through endless patches of green.
This is Takari we're talking about, it could just be a great scheme to embarrass me to the ground! I mustn't trust her so easily!
"Well, at least you've got more hints than I do… I don't think Greenie ever said anything… and she's never been acting as if she liked me more than… you know…"
"She trusted you enough to fall asleep as you hugged her!" I point out as if it was something obvious. "I'm pretty sure she at least wouldn't be opposed to the thought of you liking her like that - not after the things you've done for her…"
"You sure? I'm not sure… I mean she's a child like me and she probably has so many other things on her mind that there wouldn't even be space for such thoughts right now…"
Raver, I never thought you were so tactful…
"Well, at least you don't have to fear being made fun of. Takari teases me for literally ANYthing. It's horror!"
"She might do it because she likes you… and, I guess, because you freak out easily."
"Oh what if I am?!" I cry in slight irritation. "I can't help it and she's making it worse!"
"Well, I guess…" Raver chuckles. "You know, Greenie is quite easy to annoy as well. I suppose, I might also do it because… I like her. Takari might do it because she likes you too!"
"Are you sure, Raver?" I ask him with a serious face. Knowing whether or not Takari is having feelings towards me would make a tremendous difference in my approach to plan an eventual interview later today. If I know that she likes me… she'll probably be happy to hear my answer and might not tease me after all…
"No, but are you sure?" he asks just as seriously.
"Do I look like I am?" I deadpan. Raver and I suddenly exchange a meaningful glance. "M-maybe we should help each other, huh?"
"Yeah, for sure!" the boy replies eagerly. "Oh, but if you still feel like drowning yourself, there'll be a few opportunities along the way."
"Lovely," I comment in dark sarcasm which earns me a few laughs from Raver.
"Actually, we should almost be there…" Raver mumbles as he checks his surroundings.
Where is "there" supposed to be? There's only endless jungle!
A few minutes later, though, I learn what Raver was referring to. The first thing that comes to my attention is the sound of bubbling water. After breaking through the wall of green at last, I can see a small pond, hardly large enough for a single adult to bathe in. Numerous bubbles are thrusting towards the surface, causing the surface to dance wildly. A light plume of steam wafting above the pond indicates that the water is hot - or at least rather warm.
"Oh my, hot springs!" Takari exclaims in utmost excitement. Naturally, like me, she has never seen any hot ponds before since there weren't any smoking mountains nearby in our old home. So I've got to assume that this huge mountain here is a smoking mountain - or at least, used to be…
"It's a bit steamy but it's quite pleasant once your body adapts to the heat," Beakles explains in a guide-like fashion, seemingly enjoying the role.
"We can take a bath in this?" Takari inquires with huge excitement.
"Naturally," Beakles nods with a smile.
"Let's all hop in and listen to a story!" Emi suggests with a squeal of joy.
Hey, not a bad idea!
Exchanging a quick nod with Takari, I confirm.
"Yeah sure, this is a good idea."
"Yeah, I kind of want to know how you ended up not getting eaten back then," Zekir mentions as Beakles and Emi leap head-first into the small pond, Raver soon following with a huge bomb, splashing us with really warm water.
"Nishir, let's hop in too," Takari prompts me before, carefully, testing the water temperature with her toes. For a moment, she jerks back but then she gradually allows her body to glide into the pond.
Must not be hot enough to burn you then…
Just as carefully, I slowly slip into the water just as Zekir takes his seat between Raver and Emi that I've had my eyes on just now.
As luck would have it, I end up next to Takari, great…
While I'm trying to inch as far from her as possible, much to Beakles' amusement who is my other seat neighbor, I disgruntledly begin to introduce the start (or, rather, continuation) of our tale how we ended up not being eaten.
"You know, Takari and I got super lucky, you'd better believe it you lot!"
And so, I start telling while trying to ignore the fuzzy feeling in my stomach which may or may not be a lot worse due to the bubbles in the water...
Alright, here's the next chapter, guys, and, as promised, it's a lot more cheerful than the previous 4 chapters xD
Could it be that the relationship between Nishir and Takari is actually advancing? I'll leave that to you guys to decide for now :P
As promised, the cliffhanger finally gets resolved in the next chapter lol, the story will take over again but the siblings are going to continue their adventure too from time to time!
Guest chapter 7 . Aug 15
"Much like the previous entry, this chapter excellently demonstrates how tragedy, both directly and indirectly, can drastically change people. Upon my initial reading, I was under the impression that the present scenes took place after a significant time skip. Making Takari and Nishir in their late teens as opposed to preteens like in the flashbacks. Although this turned out to be untrue, the fact that I had this misconception at first is a testament to how quickly their trauma has forced our leads to mature. This is seen to an extent with the gang in the original LBT. Despite being canonically 5 years old during the first film, they express emotional maturity beyond their age. Still childish at times, but better than what'd commonly be attributed to 5 year olds. However, unlike the gang, Nishir and Takari were never able to fully regain their childhoods and this heightened emotional maturity continued.
Although Raver's intense hostile reaction towards Greenie was terrible, and Takari's anger what he said was completely justified, I can nonetheless sympathize with Raver to a certain extent. He's not a malicious person and he clearly cares about Greenie, but every positive action he'd tried to take up to this point was completely ignored. Honestly, I can see many adults cracking under similar emotional pressure, considering Raver is trying to deal with this situation as an adolescent I can understand why he'd snap. It doesn't justify what he said to her, but he can be understood from this perspective.
I'm glad that Raver felt remorse for what he said and that this experience, along with the help of Nishir and Takari, was ultimately able to help rekindle the friendship between Reaver and Greenie. Greenie will still need more time to recover, and may not be the same as she was before, but it's a step in the right direction towards a better life.
In all, I think you did a very good job of balancing the darker elements of this chapter with moments of levity. It's still dark, but it's more hopefully than the previous chapters. Conveying the emotional scenes whilst preventing the reader from becoming mired in negativity."
Thanks for the review :)
Yes, they have matured but the time difference between present and past should be around a few weeks right now. I like your comparison, it's always interesting to see how many things I unintentionally reference :D
I'm glad that Raver's actions and feelings can be understandable. I know he's had a bit of an unfortunate role in this chapter, I'm glad it wasn't seen as idiotic and unjustified behavior. Same for Greenie btw, I'm glad her actions weren't seen as unreasonable.
Thanks for your kind words as always :)