I haven't finished writing up the next chapter like I had planned, but it's my birthday tomorrow! So I figured I'd celebrate with the few people that read this a tad early in case I can't tomorrow and upload a chapter for this and hopefully my Rhythm Thief fanfiction as well, though I'll likely not finish that.

Short 5

Mona took to avoiding Plague Knight after the earlier chat with the Magicist, bitterly refusing to become his mother of all things.

The aforementioned knight-turned-child attempted to talk to her several minutes after she walked off, but she remained silent and hid behind her indifferent mask, making it clear that she was in no mood to speak to him. And so, he walked away, looking rather dejected along the way, making her feel horrible for the action, or lack thereof.

Deciding that she needed to get away, she made her way up to the village, intent on at least buying some less than stale bread.

While up there, she was stopped by a woman she recognized as a young mother, not too much older than she was.

"Oh, Mona!" She called out enthusiastically.

Mona stopped and turned to look at the woman. "Yes, can I help you?"

"Word of mouth says that you've adopted a little boy!"

"Technically, although I prefer to think of it as just taking him in until I can locate his next-of-kin and can send him with them. I have no intention of taking over the mother role. So?"

The young mother nodded. "So, I was thinking that we could organize a play date for him and my child."

Mona blinked, having not expected that. "Uh, yeah, sure. When?"

Several minutes passed, and the two women decided upon Mona bringing 'Adam' over to her house in 30 minutes.

Mona was left somewhat stunned by how easily the older woman had opened up to her by the time she had left. Most people avoided her like she was the plague that she secretly assisted in her boat-loads of free time.

Arriving back at the lab, Mona wandered about for a good couple minutes trying to find Plague Knight, eventually locating him in his room. Too short to get onto his bed, and lacking a stepladder to allow him access, he had taken to just curling up in a corner, seemingly sulking.

"What are you doing?" Mona asked softly.

Plague Knight jumped, apparently having missed the door creaking open. "Oh, hi," he muttered.

"What's wrong?" Mona asked, seating herself beside him.

"Nothing," he lied, a lie so obvious a blind, deaf, and brain-dead insect could tell that it was.

"You're horrible at lying," Mona informed him. "Spit it out."

"Alright. I just get the feeling that you hate me for this whole 'mother' fiasco."

Mona shook her head. "No, I don't. If I'm going to hate anyone, it's going to be the Magicist. She really had no reason to word it like she did."

"What do you mean?" Plague Knight asked.

"Well, she said 'I hope you never planned on dating him.' And if I did care to do that, I have no choice in the matter? I just wish that she didn't come off as so rude when she said it."

"You don't have to assume the mother role, you know," Plague Knight told her. "I'm used to not having a mother around. If there must be a title, then let's have it be the…" he hesitated for a moment before somehow spitting out, "'Concerned Girlfriend'."

Mona snorted. "Oh, and now I don't have a say in this position?"

"No, you do. If you're the doting mother, then you're stuck for life. If you're just the concerned girlfriend, you can back out at any point you get fed up with me," Plague Knight explained.

"Ok, that makes sense, but why girlfriend instead of just friend?"

Plague Knight's face turned a light shade of pink as he explained. "I doubt just a friend would have such reactions to my predicaments."

"Normally, no, but it seems the child-like parts of you have actually sparked the mother within, which is why I hate it so much," Mona explained, trying to pass off the real reason as something unrelated.

"Really?" Plague Knight asked.

"Yes, and I hate it." Mona stood. "Come on, it's time to go."

Plague Knight stood hesitantly. "Where are we going?"

Mona blinked. "Oh, I didn't tell you, did I?"

"No, you didn't. What is it?"

"Well… While I was up at the village," she paused before sighing in a defeated tone. "…And that reminds me that I failed to get the bread." Another sigh escaped her lips. "Anyway, I ran into a young mother who was all too excited to know that you arrived. And so, now you have a play date with her kid."

Plague Knight's mouth dropped in surprise. "Excuse me?"

Mona snickered at his reaction. She repeated slowly, in a motherly tone just to irk him, "You have to go and be social for once."

"Oh, hell no!" Plague Knight yelled, frightened.

"It's not that bad."

"Yeah, but you were at least raised in a semi-social environment! I was rarely even let out of the house!"

"Why would your parents stop you? Didn't they fear you?"

"They didn't necessarily fear me. And just because they avoided me as much as physically possible didn't mean they weren't strict as all hell."

Mona nodded in understanding. "We're still going, you know."

"Dammit."

And scene!

You know, I wonder why I'm posting these anymore. I'm hardly in the mood for it anymore, Wings is a far more important project. I'll at least finish putting up the chapters I have made, but don't expect me to get past #9 (10 if you could the intro chapter thing.)