Chapter 16 – Never Trust Men with Pointy Teeth
Elmina sat staring out the window of the train headed for Resembool. She, AJ, Adele and Titus were sharing a seat compartment. Her mother was across the aisle from them since each compartment only seated four people. Adele was asleep next to the dark haired girl, her head resting on Elmina's shoulder. Apparently the transmutation the blonde had done on her and then on Elior had taken its toll. She'd been quite tired since she'd attempted it. It would likely take several days for her to recover completely. AJ sat across from them, lost in thought, while Titus sat beside him appearing rather tired. Elmina felt a prick of guilt that he and her friends had spent so much time trying to come up with a fix for her at the expense of their rest. She was still overwhelmingly grateful to them for it. The relief at feeling normal again was immense.
The gears had been turning in Elmina's mind ever since Despair had been forced to relinquish her hold. She was a little surprised the black eyed creep hadn't shown up to complain. Then again, she didn't really know what Mania or Despair got out of making her miserable. They always seemed to disappear a few minutes after assaulting her. Perhaps they got whatever they were looking for in those few minutes before they left and then were quite happy to leave her to suffer afterwards. She'd have to pester Mania for an explanation next time he showed up. Not that she was especially hopeful that he'd actually answer her questions, but he at least seemed more civil to deal with than Despair. Well…maybe 'civil' wasn't quite the right word… She suspected he wasn't too far off if he'd been hanging around to listen in on her parent's conversations. Speaking of which…
"AJ, I want an explanation about what you and my parents have been discussing," she fixed the young man across from her with a pointed gaze. He glanced at her in surprise, expression growing slightly guarded. Adele stirred, raising her head to listen in.
"Mina, we've been over this before," he began, but Elmina shook her head.
"Mania already told me the gist of what's going to happen. I just want to know what you're all planning to do about it," she replied. At this AJ raised his eyebrows.
"Why would he tell you about that?" he demanded.
"Because he wanted to upset me. And it worked," she stated flatly, "I want to know what's going on," a hint of pleading entered into her tone. AJ sighed.
"Well…If that's the case…" he glanced at the dark haired alchemist sitting next to him. Titus's expression was unenthused.
"I take it you want me to leave so you can discuss whatever this secret is that I'm being kept in the dark on," Titus stated, clearly not thrilled. AJ grimaced.
"It would be appreciated if you would," he replied reluctantly. Titus rolled his eyes.
"Alright," he rose to his feet. Then he paused. "Umm, Adele," he began. The blonde glanced up at him. "Could you come with me for a minute? There's something I want to talk to you about," he told her, a thoughtful frown settling over his expression. Adele blinked in surprise.
"Uh…sure," she rose hesitantly to her feet and followed after him to the seats across the aisle where Elsie was seated. Elmina stared after them in puzzlement. What on earth would Titus want to talk to Adele about? An uneasiness stirred in the back of her mind. After her conversation with Mania… She shook her head. It wasn't any of her business and there wasn't any point in worrying about it. She glanced back at AJ.
"So," her tone was pointed. AJ leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees.
"How much do you know?" he asked, voice lower than before. Taking the queue from him she leaned forward as well.
"I know the South is going to invade," she told him. AJ grimaced.
"Yeah. Well, if you know that much then I might as well tell you a bit about what's going on. I don't know all the details of what Roy is planning, but I suspect he's trying to persuade some of the higher ups in South City and East City to heed his warning so they can discretely prepare for it. We don't know for certain when it's going to happen," he explained. Elmina frowned slightly.
"So how are you involved?" she asked.
"Well…you know I like to play around with automail when we aren't overwhelmed with orders," he began, expression faintly amused.
"So?" Elmina raised an eyebrow.
"I've been designing automail based weapons for a couple years now. I've even built a few prototypes. When the South invades we just need to hold them off until reinforcements arrive from the North. Our military is greater than theirs and should be able to repel them; it's just going to take a while to get the troops down here since they're going to be tied up with Drachma for a bit. So having weapons that the enemy hasn't seen will give our small force here in southern Amestris a much needed advantage. The shock factor alone will help when they assault South City. The Aerugan military isn't as well trained and battle hardened as our own. According to Wrath their army is largely made up of new recruits since such a large portion of their military was depleted over the course of their war with us. Their people are softer than ours, and they don't draft people into service, so it's taken a while for them to recover. I'm confident we'll be able to do a fair amount of damage with the designs I've come up with," he told her, expression almost eager. Elmina frowned.
"That's all well and good, but how on earth are you going to manufacture enough of them in time to be of any use?" she demanded skeptically.
"That's why Titus is coming with us. He's going to take back the plans to Central so Roy can enlist all the trustworthy mechanics he can find to start producing them. I know a few good mechanics myself who I plan on getting in touch with," he explained.
"And who's going to pay them for all this?" the dark haired girl demanded.
"Well for one, they're getting designs for unique weapons that will likely be in high demand by our military once this has passed. They should be able to make back anything they spend now from the profits they'll get for them in the future. And Roy is able to pull strings. I'm sure he'll come up with something," AJ didn't sound particularly concerned.
"What about you? You're willing to give all your designs away for free?" Elmina's tone was skeptical.
"I can always design more. And in any case, it won't matter unless we can fend off the South," he pointed out.
"That's true…" the dark haired girl glanced out the window again, frowning thoughtfully. "What are we going to do if they manage to take South City?" she asked.
"Well, we're hoping that they don't," his tone was dry, "But in a worst case scenario we'll have to evacuate Resembool. We'll make sure everyone is ready for that in advance. As soon as Aerugo invades it would be wise for the townspeople to pack up and head for East City. Given the time it will take for the Southern army to move, we should have time for that…We can't begin to evacuate beforehand or else other people are going to take notice and it'll give away that we know about the invasion. Also, country folk are stubborn. They aren't going to want to surrender their homes and farms unless there is no other choice," AJ explained, expression resigned.
"That's true…people can't just drop everything indefinitely. They need to work to feed their families," Elmina's tone was thoughtful.
"Exactly," AJ leaned back in his seat, "So that's what's going on," he said. Elmina leaned back slowly as well.
"Sounds like you've got everything under control," she commented dryly.
"Well…we hope so," AJ's tone was reluctant. There was a brief silence while Elmina mulled over the new information. A moment later Adele returned from across the aisle, slipping into the seat next to Elmina.
"What did I miss?" she asked. AJ glanced at her with a bemused expression.
"I'll explain it to you later," he promised. Adele nodded, not appearing overly concerned.
"So where is Titus and what did he want to talk about?" Elmina raised an eyebrow at her friend.
"He decided to stay with Aunt Elsie since there's more room over there," Adele's tone was faintly amused, "And actually, he wanted to talk about the possibility of me being able to wake up Uncle Al. I mean, after what we were able to accomplish with you and Elior, I might be able to put what we've learned to use in trying to fix him. I told Titus some of the grey areas that I'm still unsure about and he's going to see if he can look into it with Sara and Elior when he goes back up North," she explained.
"Huh," Elmina's expression was faintly surprised. That wasn't what she'd been expecting. He could have just discussed it with the four of them rather than pull Adele off to discuss it privately… Then again, maybe she was just reading into things. Adele raised a hand to smother a yawn.
"Do you mind if I go back to sleep?" she asked, glancing at her dark haired friend. Elmina smirked slightly.
"Go for it. My shoulder doesn't have anything better do to," her tone was dry. Adele shot her a small grin before resting her head against her friend's shoulder once more and closing her eyes.
The rest of the trip passed quietly. It was early evening when they pulled into Resembool. When they reached the automail shop they were met at the door by Winry, who was very relieved to see them. Adele was promptly enveloped in a tight hug by her mother.
"I was so worried. I'm so glad you're alright," Winry murmured against her hair.
"I'm fine," Adele smiled bemusedly, "It's been over a week now," she pointed out.
"I'm your mother. I have a right to worry," Winry pointed out dryly. She pulled back and turned towards the door.
"How have you been managing?" Elsie asked as the blonde woman ushered them into the house.
"Well, I refunded some of the rush orders and directed them to another automail shop until I get things under control here. So I'm managing. But I'm glad you're all back," Winry said, "It's not ideal trying to run this place by myself."
It wasn't long after their arrival that Elmina found herself on her own. She was lying in the grass on the front lawn, staring up at the fluffy clouds as the slowly sinking sun painted them with a golden hue. Adele had gone to bed, AJ and Titus had disappeared into the shop, and her mother was helping Winry prepare supper. Ordinarily she probably would have felt bored. But at the moment she was filled with a wonderful contentment that she couldn't recall ever experiencing before. She'd never realized what a blessing it was just to feel ok. To be able to see the colors in the world and breathe freely and to feel happy to be alive was such a relief.
The last week had given her an entirely new perspective. Yes, their country was going to be invaded and the future was uncertain. But right at that moment she felt content. There was a warm breeze blowing past her, the grass was cool and soft, and she wasn't in pain. There was no hateful voice in her thoughts trying to rip her to shreds. There was just a calm, peacefulness filling her mind. She'd always considered blissful happiness to be the best possible feeling…but perhaps she'd been wrong. Contentment was something she'd always taken for granted. But after having it stripped away completely for over a week, and after having experienced the perils of unchecked euphoria, simply feeling normal had turned into a wonderful pleasure. She'd never look at it the same way again.
Several moments passed as she simply lay still, listening to the bird song and breathing in the scent of sweet peas which the gentle breeze had wafted over her. It was a moment before she noticed a strange sensation began to grow along the skin of her left arm. She blinked. It was like the air beside her was…vibrating…and growing warmer. She jumped slightly as a puff of air hit her out of the blue. She abruptly became hyperaware than there was now someone lying next to her in the grass.
"Well Mouse, this is awfully peaceful," a familiar voice drawled. Elmina shut her eyes. No. Just…no. Aside from Despair, he was the last person she wanted to see right now. If she pretended he wasn't there maybe he'd disappear. "Your enthusiasm over my presence is heartwarming," his voice was dry.
"Can't you give me just one day of peace?" she demanded in exasperation. Beside her Mania chuckled.
"But where's the fun in that?" he asked, voice annoyingly innocent. Elmina let out a pained sigh.
"Despair nearly killed me. Please just go away," she pleaded.
"No can do my dear. I left you alone for a week and that's pushing it for me in this world," he informed her. She turned her head to make a comment, but was taken off guard as a lock of his wild crimson hair fluttered into her face, tickling against her noise. She abruptly let out a violent sneeze, causing her eyes to water. She sat bolt upright and swiftly rubbed at her face which was now tingling uncomfortably. "Bless you," Mania's tone was faintly amused.
"What the hell is wrong with your hair?" she demanded irritably.
"Nothing's wrong with it," he sounded mildly affronted.
"Normal hair isn't supposed to move on its own!" she snapped.
"Well, I've never been terribly fond of normalcy," he informed her frankly, propping himself up on his elbows.
"Ugh. Go away and leave me alone," she grumbled.
"My dear, your social etiquette is somewhat lacking," Mania's tone was bland. Elmina shot him a glare.
"Shut up. You sound like Titus," she muttered.
"Ah yes, the Lover Boy. How have he and little Blue Eyes been getting along?" he smirked. Elmina stared at him guardedly. "They seemed pretty friendly on the train. I wouldn't be surprised if Lover Boy makes a move soon," the red haired creature commented idly.
"You're a liar, just like Despair," Elmina's tone was dark. Mania chuckled.
"No, Despair and I are quite different. I may be…flexible…with the truth at times. But not in the same way my depressing partner is," he told her.
"Flexible is the same as lying," the dark haired girl retorted.
"No…I prefer to look at it as just… stretching the truth a little…and I'm not lying to you about Lover Boy. Why would I?" he asked innocently.
"To upset me," she growled.
"Aww, now why would I do something like that?" he protested, though the amusement in his expression only underlined the sarcasm in his statement.
"Because you're a jerk!" Elmina snapped.
"Hey now, there's no need to start calling me names. I'm just spending some time with my favorite little Mouse," his expression grew slightly pouty.
"Bullshit," the dark haired girl muttered irritably. Mania chuckled slightly
"You're so cheerful. I like it," he grinned, pointed teeth making his expression unsettling, as usual. Elmina stared at him in disbelief. She wasn't at all sure what to make of this annoying, off the wall stalker she'd somehow managed to acquire.
"You make absolutely no sense," she stated finally.
"I make perfect sense. Your sanity is just getting in the way," he informed her quite frankly, "Perhaps I'll take pity on you and relieve you of some of it. Just a little mind you. Your body is getting somewhat fatigued," he sat up, reaching out before she could react and flicking her lightly on the forehead.
"Oww!" She yelped, pulling back and rubbing the burning spot on her forehead his touch had left behind.
"Have fun Mouse. Try not to get into too much trouble," the red haired creature smirked. Then his form shimmered and he disappeared. Elmina frowned at the place where he'd been, a feeling of uneasiness spreading through her. The skin on her forehead was still burning annoyingly. And she felt…strangely excited all of a sudden. She wasn't at all sure why… To her surprise she was also filling with an irritated feeling of suspicion, and it wasn't directed at the red haired creature. Mania's words played over in her mind, suddenly bothering her far more than they had a few moments ago. She scrambled to her feet, expression filled with a steely resolution. She was going to have to have a chat with Titus.
The next morning they were all gathered in the kitchen for breakfast. Elmina sat in her chair, fingers drumming impatiently on the table as the plate of food was passed around. Everyone was moving so slowly this morning.
"Hey, are you feeling ok?" her mother inquired, eyeing her with concern from across the table. Elmina blinked in surprise.
"Yeah, I feel great!" she responded cheerfully, eyes bright with enthusiasm. Everyone at the table paused, turning to stare at her.
"That's what worries me," her mother replied guardedly. Elmina rolled her eyes, ignoring the surprised looks she was getting from everyone.
"You do realize it's only seven thirty in the morning, right?" AJ asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, so?" the dark haired girl demanded, taking the plate of food which Adele passed to her.
"You're just not usually so cheerful at this time of day," her blonde friend pointed out, expression slightly amused.
"Enjoy it. It probably won't last," Elmina retorted unconcernedly, scooping several pancakes onto her plate and starting to eat. Elsie watched her daughter uneasily as everyone else at the table returned to their own meals. She couldn't remember the last time her daughter had been this cheerful so early in the morning. It didn't surprise her that no one else realized it, but to her the signs were as plain as day. Her daughter was definitely slightly manic. Had Mania dropped by again? Elmina hadn't mentioned it if he had. It was concerning, but perhaps the transmutation Adele had done would prevent things from escalating too far… In any case, Elsie was reluctant to bring the subject up in front of everyone. It would only make them nervous, and she knew from experience how frustrating it be to have everyone around you suddenly start treating you with caution, tip toeing around tentatively as if you had turned into a ticking time bomb. If she could spare her daughter from experience then she would. Still… she would have to keep an eye on her.
"Adele, could you pass me the butter?" Titus asked.
"Oh, sure," the blonde passed the small dish across the table to him. Elmina glanced at the dark haired alchemist, eyes narrowing as his gaze lingered on Adele longer than seemed appropriate in her mind. As if someone had flipped switch, her cheerful energy shifted to irritation. She hadn't had a chance to confront Titus the night before. She didn't want to do it in front of everyone. He was heading to the train station that morning, so perhaps she could catch him on the road.
Breakfast seemed to drag on forever. She was filled with excited energy at the thought of confronting Titus. There was a small, distant voice in the back of her mind cautioning her that this was likely a bad idea, but she was quite happy to ignore it. Mania's words from the week before had been eating at her, and it was only worse after his visit the previous evening. She wanted answers dammit, and she wanted them now!
Finally the meal came to an end. Titus pushed his chair back and rose to his feet.
"Thank you, Winry, for your hospitality. I should probably head out now if I want to catch the morning train," he said. The blonde woman nodded.
"Of course. You're welcome here anytime," she smiled, "Give my regards to your father and mother for me."
"I will," Titus replied. He glanced at his companions still at the table, "I'll likely see you all next time you're in Central," he told them. Neither Elmina nor AJ seemed inclined to respond, so Adele smiled at him.
"Have a safe trip," she told him. Elmina was acutely aware of a slight softening in the young man's expression as he glanced at the blonde.
"Thanks," he replied before turning and strolling from the room. Not too long afterwards AJ sighed.
"I should get to work," he said, rising from the table and heading off to the shop. Elsie and Winry rose to clear away the dishes. Elmina watched them distractedly for a few moments before turning to Adele.
"I'm going for a walk," she informed her. Adele smiled tiredly.
"Alright. I think I'll stay here if that's ok," she replied apologetically, "I can't believe how tired I still am."
"That's fine. I won't be gone long," Elmina replied.
She rose and left the room hastily, eager to avoid any more delays. Once outside she broke into a sprint down the road. She needed to catch up with him before he made it to the town. The morning air was fresh and cool. Despite the fact that she disliked rising early, she liked the light levels of this time of day. The feeling of the road flying past beneath her feet and the wind whistling in her ears at it whipped back her hair was unexpectedly exhilarating. It wasn't as overwhelming as it had been back in the underground ballroom, but she felt awesome. If only she could feel this good all the time! She grinned, pushing herself faster. Sure, the energy fizzing in her veins was a little uncomfortable, but she didn't care. She wanted to run until she could leap off the ground and take flight. Of course, she was still aware that this wasn't physically possible to accomplish. She wasn't that far gone. But it was still fun to imagine.
Before long she spotted the dark haired alchemist strolling down the road ahead of her. Her heart leapt into her throat, the energy within her shifting to agitation. This was it.
"Hey Titus!" she called. He turned to glance back at her in surprise. She caught up to him swiftly, coming to a halt in front of him as she panted slightly. He regarded her with an unenthused expression.
"What do you want Mina?" he asked crisply. His tone had a startling effect on her temper, which abruptly flared dramatically.
"What's going on between you and Adele?" she demanded sharply. Titus frowned, clearly a little puzzled by the out of the blue question.
"What's it to you?" he retorted.
"Answer me dammit!" Elmina snapped. He blinked, seeming a little taken off guard by her vehemence.
"Nothing is going on yet, but I really don't see how it's any of your business," he replied, tone slightly irritated. Elmina's eyes flashed dangerously.
"What do you mean by 'yet'?" she demanded. He scowled.
"Mina, don't be absurd. It's not any of your concern," he told her flatly.
"It's my concern if I say it is," she growled. It was a little surprising how pissed off she was feeling. Maybe it wasn't entirely rational, but it was getting increasingly harder to think straight past the emotions churning inside her.
"What is your problem?" Titus demanded, clearly exasperated. Elmina's hands balled into fists as she trembled with fury.
"You're too old for her!" She snapped, eyes blazing. The dark haired alchemist's eyebrows rose in disbelief. He was only three years older than the blonde girl. That in no way warranted this sort of behavior from Elmina. His eyes narrowed.
"Are you sure you aren't just jealous?" he asked, his voice crisp. His expression was coolly mocking, but his words cut far deeper than he'd intended. Elmina drew in a sharp breath, reeling from his words as if he'd slapped her across the face. The mixture of hurt, shock and horror showed plainly in her expression. Of course he probably assumed she was simply being overly protective of her friend and was jealous of having Adele's attention stolen from her. He had no idea there was an entirely different aspect to the jealousy which he had overlooked. But the fact that he had called her on the very thing she'd been trying to ignore was beyond humiliating. On top of which, this only drove home just how blind he was to her feelings and the fact they clearly weren't mutual. How could she let herself get into this situation? She had known all along he never cared about her. How could she be so stupid?
Titus blinked, eyes widening slightly in surprise as he watched the dark haired girl's expression crumble, laying bare for a moment a pain and disappointment he hadn't expected to see. But just as quickly as he saw it, it vanished, replaced by a blank, emotionless mask. His brow furrowed in confusion. This wasn't the response he'd expected.
"Mina?" his tone was uncertain.
"You're right," her voice was unusually flat, "Forgive my selfishness. I'm sure you mean well," she turned on her heel and walked away. Titus blinked, brain scrambling to keep up with the girl's unexpected mood shift.
"Mina, wait!" he called after her, tone mildly exasperated, "I don't understand." The younger girl never seemed to make any sense to him. She annoyed the hell out of him, but he hadn't actually intended to hurt her. He hadn't expected the thoughtless comment to genuinely affect her. Abruptly the girl whirled around. The blank mask was gone. Her expression was furious.
"And you will never understand, because you are utterly and completely blind," her voice broke slightly on the last word, "I hate you! I hate you for making me feel like this! It isn't fair!" her voice rose until she was practically yelling. Then she drew in a shaky breath, realizing a tear had slid down her cheek, followed by another, and another. Wait, was she crying? Oh hell no. Not in front of Titus. She turned swiftly and raced away from him as fast as her feet could carry her, leaving behind a very stunned, dark haired alchemist.
She ran and ran until she couldn't bring herself to run any farther. She didn't bother to pay attention to where she was going. She didn't care. When she finally came to a stop, panting from the run, she found herself at the border of one of the small forests which were sprawled across the countryside. She shut her eyes as hot tears of anger and embarrassment slipped down her cheeks. Oh man…How had that happened? Why had she done that? The humiliation crashing over her made her sick to her stomach. That hadn't turned out at all like she'd expected. Actually, she wasn't even sure what she'd been expecting. Why on earth had she said those things? She rested her face in her hands. How could she ever face him again? She'd never felt so embarrassed in her life. She hadn't intended to blow up at him like that. It had just spiralled out of control so quickly… Sure she had a temper, but it wasn't usually that bad… Dammit! Why had she done that?!
The answer rose up in her mind, clear as a bell. Just as ferociously as it had arrived, the humiliation shifted to rage. She lowered her hands, clenching them into fists as she trembled from the anger simmering in her veins. Every rational thought emptied from her mind leaving a single desire which burned behind her eyes like fire, casting a veil of crimson over her vision. She was going to kill that red headed bastard!
"My, my, you're awfully worked up. Did your conversation with Lover Boy not go very well?" a voice behind her drawled. At the sound of Mania's voice her head snapped up and she acted without bothering to think. She spun and launched herself at him. He turned out to be a little closer to her than she'd expected, which meant she ended up full out tackling him. She was faintly surprised when she actually managed to knock him right off his feet and land on top of him in the grass. Why hadn't he just dodged out of the way? Oh well. Beating him to death would be very satisfying.
Being in contact with him burned like fire but she ignored it. She clamped a hand down on his throat, drawing the other one back in preparation to knock his lights out. It only fueled her anger to realize he was simply smiling, not the least bit concerned by the situation.
"Why won't you leave me alone?" her voice wavered with emotion, "You're ruining my life!" she yelled. He continued to stare at up at her calmly. He didn't appear particularly bothered by her rage or her words, if anything his expression was slightly amused.
"Am I really?" he inquired blandly. She let out an angry exclamation and struck out at his face with a punch as hard as she could manage. Realistically she could do a fair amount of damage to him in this position. Unfortunately, her blow didn't wind up making contact. Before she could strike him he'd moved blindingly quickly, briefly seizing both her arms and flipping her. She gasped in surprise as the world spun slightly. She was somewhat taken off guard to find herself lying on her back staring up at him. His hands were on either side of her shoulders, his face inches from hers as he smirked infuriatingly at her. She was faintly surprised to note that though there was little space between their bodies, he wasn't actually touching any of her exposed skin. Considering that she was still burning in places from the contact involved in tackling him, his unexpected consideration came as a slight relief. The wildly potent cocktail of fury, confusion, embarrassment and fear raging inside her made her eyes sting with tears.
"I hate you," she hissed, glaring helplessly at him. He smiled down at her.
"I know. Luckily for you the feeling isn't mutual," his tone was bland.
"Let me go!" she snapped. He grinned slightly.
"You have quite the temper for such a little Mouse" he drawled, "Keep in mind you started this. For future reference, I prefer being on top," the glint in his eyes and the obvious insinuation in his words only fueled her outrage.
"You're a perverted bastard," she growled darkly. At this he let out a low chuckle. There was an almost menacing ring to it that raised goose bumps all over her body.
"You have no idea," he replied, voice as dark as hers. She blinked, expression growing wary. His tone and the look in his unnerving red eyes gave her pause. She really didn't know this creature at all… Was she treading on thinner ice than she'd realized? At the obvious unease in her gaze he smirked. "Don't look so concerned. If I did anything to you personally there's a good chance you'd die, which isn't something I'm prepared to risk," he informed her casually.
"What do you mean by 'personally'?" she demanded suspiciously. His smirk broadened to a grin.
"I get more satisfaction out of toying with your emotions than I would get out of toying with your body and likely breaking you," he replied. "Believe me, if you think you're embarrassed now because of your little blow up with your crush, then you're in for a surprise. You don't seem to realize just what I'm capable of," the look in his eyes made her distinctly uncomfortable. She wasn't even sure how to respond. "Now, if my memory serves me correctly, you accused Lover Boy of being blind. But you, my dear, are just as blind as he is. Allow me to…open your eyes a little," the hunger was back in his gaze, and his tone made her shiver. She opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but was cut off when his forehead connected with hers.
All rational thought disappeared as she was engulfed in the same wild, euphoric energy which had invaded her body a week ago. All her fears and concerns disappeared. She was invincible again. Her grasp on reality slipped away without her even noticing. Her thoughts flew in a sporadic, out of control dance, while an intense shiver ran through her. She blinked several times, staring up at the inhuman creature smiling down at her. Why again did she hate this guy? She felt amazing! His smirk broadened.
"Much better. Now, why don't we get moving," he suggested, tone colored with smug amusement.
-Author's Note-
Oh dear heavens. What is she in for now? Mania is such a brat.
Before I forget! Thank you to my reviewers! I've meant to say that for the last three chapters but as Wednesdays are busy days and I often upload these pretty early in the morning, I'm usually half asleep at the time and only have one eye open to press the submit button before I shuffle off to find some much needed coffee. XD I really do appreciate your feedback, a lot. Gives me a much needed confidence boost to keep writing and actually finish this darn thing. I'm really glad those of you who have taken the time to review are enjoying it! I suppose I should stop being such a hermit and actually respond to you! lol ^^;
Penelope Jadewing: Ahaha, I've done that too. XD And you know, I never even considered that but you do have a point there... It never ceases to amaze me the ideas other people come up with that wouldn't have even occurred to me lol. I suppose everyone has a bit of Mania and Despair in them at some level. Homunculi are pretty intense though. x'D
nettlesnitch92: Thank you so much! It's a relief to hear that honestly, since part of why I go into detail is to raise awareness for other people going through the same thing. It's also really nice to run into another Christian on here! There don't appear to me many of us around this site, at least that I've encountered, so it's a pleasant surprise. :)
In The Forest: It's good to hear from you again! :D You would be amazed what you can survive when you don't have a choice lol. But I agree wholeheartedly, yay for happiness! XD
S0U1 3AT3R16: Thank you for your feedback too! Even though it's taken me like 4 months to respond to you. *sheepish* Your reviews helped me get through the first couple months of uploading this, and for that I am very grateful! ^^
I think that's just about everything. Holy moly I can't believe I'm uploading chapter 16 already! Ahhh! I've only got up to chapter 23 written so far... Where does the time go? Thankfully I've got the majority of the ending figured out and now that classes are over I'll actually have some time to get it all written! Well...once the music festival and exams are over at the end of this month...So with any luck I wont run out of chapters to upload before I get this finished... cross your fingers... x'D
I should probably add that I've actually drawn the scene where Elmina tackles Mania to the ground. You can find it on my deviantART account. The link is in my profile. Though as in many cases, I drew it before I actually wrote the scene, so the background is a little different. x'D
OH! And happy Easter! :D I can't believe that's this Sunday already!