The next morning I awoke to gentle pawing at my face.
"Hey" Harrison said, rubbing his paws across my face.
I reached up, swiping him off my face, mumbling as I did.
"Watch where you're swinging that thing!" He called, climbing back onto my face.
"Hey," He repeated, "hey! Wake up sleepyhead" He pawed at my face. His paws were very soft, only making it harder to wake up.
Finally I sat up, Harrison falling down onto my lap. "Whoa!" He called as he fell.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"Early" Harrison replied.
"That's not helpful"
"Well I'm awake, and I can't sleep"
"So?"
"So move over, I'm moving in"
I yawned, "Are you packed yet?" I asked.
Harrison gave me a look, "Look at me" He said.
"I am" I replied.
"What am I?" He asked.
"An abnormally small fox." I replied, "We went over this last night"
"Just wanted to make sure that you hadn't forgotten" He said.
"Well anyways," I said, "now that we're awake, let's go" I got up out of my bed, throwing Harrison off the bed in the process.
"Aw come on," He complained, "I'm still tired"
"Now I'm awake," I said, pulling off my shirt and going to my suitcase. "I probably won't fall back asleep so let's just go"
Harrison sighed, "Fine" He replied, leaving the room.
I pulled my brown button up shirt and yellow undershirt out from my suitcase, slipping them on over my bare body. I buttoned up my brown shirt up to just past my chest, so that my yellow shirt showed underneath. I pulled off my pants and put on a new pair, which was hanging off my bed.
I packed up my suitcase and brought it out from my bedroom. I saw Harrison pulling his basket of cushions across the room towards the door. I leaned down, picked it up, and put it into my shoulder bag, which I had specifically to hold Harrison's bed.
"Thanks" He said, catching his breath.
I stared down at him, "You really are a weakling" I said.
"Shut up," Harrison said, "I wasn't like this at Beacon, remember?"
"Yeah," I said, "well that was years ago. Now you're scrawny and weak"
"Why the insults?" Harrison asked.
"They aren't insults if they're true" I replied.
"Yes they are" He retorted.
I didn't reply, instead I went back to my bedroom and grabbed my belt, which contained my knife and Arkynshihn as well as held up my pants.
Slipping it on I went back to the front door, where Harrison was waiting under my coat hanging on the coatrack.
I pulled my coat off the rack and slipped my arms into it. I picked up my shoulder bag, put it over my shoulder, and picked up my suitcase.
Harrison leapt onto my shoulder and we headed out.
"Have a good day" The clerk said. He was a different one than the one last night, which was to be expected.
"Thank you," I replied, "you too"
We headed out of the hotel and I found my moped. Attaching my suitcase to the back and securing my shoulder bag, I got onto the moped and started it up. Harrison held onto the small handles I had created on the shoulder of my coat for occasions like riding the moped. Before we started moving I reached into the small compartment between the handles of the moped and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. The sunglasses were made of a very powerful glass. According to the guy I had bought them from they could withstand a bullet, but only one. So far I haven't needed to use that freebee.
We started out, riding for several hours before stopping for food.
"Where would be the safest for us to go?" Harrison asked me over his small can of food.
I lifted my sunglasses, looking all around us, "We keep going in the same direction," I replied, "nothing has changed enough to put us in any danger"
We got back up on the moped and continued driving, searching for the next place that we'd stay.
We stopped around nighttime at a tavern in a small town.
"This should be far enough" I told Harrison, parking and locking the moped at the front of the tavern and heading inside.
The building was pretty busy, with several groups of people sitting around tables with pints of alcoholic beverages in their hands. Some cast me suspicious glances, but generally I tried to ignore making eye-contact. Most were to drunk or 'deep' in conversation to notice me.
I reached the counter and asked for a room.
"How long ye be stayin' mister?" The bartender asked.
"As long as I need to" I replied in proper English.
"Whaddya mean?" The bartender asked.
"It means I have business to attend to here." I replied, "Secret business"
"I ain't wanna be part of any big ol' scheme ye plannin' mate"
"It doesn't concern you, nor your tavern. I assure the safety of them both"
The bartender eyed me suspiciously, then shrugged, "Wait here" He said, disappearing into a back room. Reappearing, he presented me with a key.
"Room 1," He said, "up ye stairs, first room on ye right"
"Thank you," I replied, "and how much is it for a drink?"
"S'bout two ta four liens. Ya interested?" He asked.
"Thinking I'll come down for a few once I get settled in, yes" I replied.
"I'll see ya in a bit then" The bartender said, going back to work.
I headed up the stairs at the end of the tavern. Room 1 was the first one that I saw. Probably doesn't have a lot of business, if he's giving me his first room, I thought, or maybe I'm just overthinking this.
The room wasn't in bad shape. It had two rooms: A bedroom/living room and a bathroom. The couch folded out into a bed, and there was a television hooked up to the wall opposite of it. In the bathroom there was a sink, toilet, and bathtub. There wasn't a kitchen or even a stove, but there was a microwave next to the couch.
I set my suitcase, shoulder bag and belt down on the ground and went to a mirror leaning in a corner by the door.
"Get your basket out" I told Harrison, looking at myself in the mirror. I took off my heavy brown jacket and set it down on my suitcase. I adjusted my crimson hair so that my bangs didn't only cover my left eye (like an emover hairstyle). Taking off my sunglasses, I stared at my eyes. My right one was dark blue, and my left one, which I covered with my hair, was white. A pupil and iris could still be made out, but they were just slightly shaded versions of white. I reached up and stroked my chin, where a small blonde goatee had begun to grow. I'm going to have to shave that later, I thought.
I reached up and pulled my hair back into place, over my left eye.
"Still self-conscious about that, eh?" Harrison asked.
"It's not normal," I replied, "of course I am"
"Gazini, it's not a big deal. Seriously," Harrison said, "it's what makes you unique. Plus it's intimidating"
"It's a product of science." I retorted, "And a constant reminder of what happened to you"
"Oh please," Harrison sighed, "that was my choice. And am I not a good enough reminder of what happened to me?"
I didn't reply.
"You really shouldn't cover it up like that." Harrison continued, "It takes away your advantage"
"We had a fair chance," I said, "and so that's what I give others"
Harrison sighed. "Alright" He replied.
"I'm going to go get a drink" I said, adjusting my brown shirt a little.
"Don't get too drunk!" Harrison called as I closed the door.
And I didn't.