The rainforest had been left behind an hour after sunrise. The river Ardravi appeared soon after the fact, leading them towards the city of Wisdom itself. The solace of the desert and rainforest had kept at bay from interacting with many other people, but the same couldn't be said for the river. Villagers, researchers, merchants and adventurers used the river and its many roads as a tether to civilization. The intimacy of the rainforest was gone.
And with that Faruzan distanced himself from her dearest Pupil. The river was a sign that this short adventure was at its end. And with that, he would have no more ties to her. He wouldn't be her Pupil anymore.
That thought was depressing. She had bigger issues at the moment, however. Her nightmares didn't seem to be a one-time issue. The only few times she hadn't suffered any night terrors was when she was physically touching her Pupil. That's what it seemed like, at least. All her nightmares so far occurred when she was sleeping on her own. It was just a hunch, it hadn't occurred enough times for her to confidently admit it, but so far that was the trend.
"Daydreaming again?" He yanked one of her twintails, forcing her to slap his hand away. "Every time you do that, you get even more depressed. Stop it."
"I just want to reach the City already, okay? Let's just continue walking." Her tone was low, making her voice sound quite raspy.
"So eager to get rid of me?" He playfully asked, only to be met with silence. "…If this is about last night, I can carry you while you catch some sleep. I don't care that much."
"No. I don't need sleep. And I don't want people to see me being carried like I require help. I'll rest when I get home." She bit the inside of her cheek. "When I get to the City."
"Right, and where will that happen? On a bench? Maybe with a comfy tree branch?" He rummaged through his coat and handed her some sort of small note. "Use this."
She took the piece of thick paper. It seemed like a coupon for an inn.
"I got it as a reward from some boring commission. Three free nights at any Sumeru City inn. I don't need it, but you do."
This just made Faruzan's mood even poorer. "But… you don't need to help me so much. Where will you sleep?"
"Again worrying about others instead of focusing on yourself. I'll be fine. And if I do need it, you can keep my bed warm till I get there." He was answered by an elbow hit on his arm, so he shrugged. "Attacking me? You don't want it then? Give it to me."
"Shut it, dolt." Faruzan held onto his arm. "You know, all vacations have to end on a high note. I don't want this… sleep terror to be what I remember of my exultant return. And since our contract together ends when we reach the city, I'm going to use my authority as your Professor to ask for something. Let's fly again!"
"If that saves me from having to interact with another traveller, then sure." He pulled his arm out of her grasp. "And what's that excuse? You're still going to be my Professor, what are you on about?
"Oh, well, I don't… If I call you Pupil in front of people, they'll think I'm tutoring you. I don't want your bad attitude to be attributed to me."
"So you're embarrassed by your saviour? Or you just don't want people to know what you do with said Pupil?" He didn't wait for her answer. In one swoop, he held Faruzan by the waist before quickly carrying her like his own bride. "I don't care of the reason. Use whatever name you wish, as long as it is not stupid."
Shooting up in the air, Faruzan was attacked by vertigo for a few long seconds, until the air stopped whirring and became a background noise.
From far above, the river Ardravi was still as imposing as ever. The Avydia forest to the east, in comparison, looked small, a patch of greenery distorted by the hues of the sky. The Great Sacred Tree became noticeable in the distance, and with it, so did the city.
The view, anyhow, was breathtaking. This is where she had lived most of her childhood, and to see it from a view almost nobody else had even dreamed about. It was imposing. And incredible. She could barely believe this is how everything looked from above. A few days ago, she could barely imagine the world besides four walls, and now… Everything had changed.
"You're going to fall if you keep looking down. My stability is not the best when carrying something." The Pupil advised, pushing up her back.
"I trust you'll catch me." Faruzan secured her grip around his shoulders. "I want to say…"
"No. The day is not over."
His words stopped her gratitude, and she didn't particularly mind.
It had been no less than fifteen minutes of fly time when he slowly descended towards the ground, with Sumeru City's gates almost in plain view. Some merchants and citizens gave them a strange once-over when they landed at the city entrance, but not enough to say anything.
Faruzan merely jumped off and stared at the sprawling city she had so missed.
Sumeru City didn't seem to have changed much. The Great Sacred Tree wasn't any taller or wider, and the city itself hadn't expanded beyond its limits. Yet there was something. A looming sensation that something had indeed changed. She tried to remember what it was, but there was no memory to recall. The City just… seemed off.
"So… It's over? Just like this? It feels…"
"Over? It's only just begun." He stretched his arms and cracked his wrists and fingers. "For you, at least. Re-enrollment, money, residence and relationships. Remember? You told me this."
"T-That's true, I didn't remember. But, what I meant is that, well, where are you going now? You said you were only going to stay here until we reached the city."
"I…" He checked around the whole perimeter as if expecting someone to be spying on him. "I need to visit someone. Why?"
"I want to explore the city before doing anything. For peace of mind. So maybe you could…"
He quickly shook his head and took a few steps back. "No. I have to go now."
"But wait, I haven't…!"
Like the wind itself, he disappeared deep into the city without even waving goodbye. Faruzan stood motionless, staring at the merchants who had seen the whole exchange and decided to enter the city. A lot of people were present, just like in the old days.
Yes. A lot of people.
Yet it was lonely.
If one commits a crime and nobody remembers it but the culprit himself, is it still a crime?
Full of guilt, regret and hate, a puppet once known as Scaramouche decided that no. If nobody remembers it, if there's no one to regret past actions then there's no crime. If there's no culprit, there's nothing to regret.
But a lot had happened since then. The nameless Wanderer lived with the consequences of that act, now realising that perhaps it had been an error. Everyone deserved the truth, even himself. It was the distortion of the truth that allowed the Doctor to steer him down a set path. Accepting what Scaramouche did instead of refusing to acknowledge it was the answer he had come up with.
With that in mind. If one commits a crime and nobody remembers it but the culprit himself, is it still a crime?
The Wanderer had a clear answer. Yes. Those who suffered in Tatarasuna needed to know what truly happened on that fateful day. The Raiden Gokaden needed to know that their downfall was his own ploy. He needed the truth as well to realise who he truly was as well.
He had experienced no issue in admitting those crimes that happened so long ago.
So then…
What was the issue now?
Lost inside the Sanctuary of Surasthana, an isolated temple high above in the Great Sacred Tree, he wondered what in the world he had been doing for the past few days.
Pity? Guilt? A punishment that turned out to be a reward? What in the world was he thinking? How did he fucked it up so thoroughly?
"You're back."
The Wanderer flipped around, ready to strike whatever being had suddenly appeared. Only to be greeted by an unflinching Nahida who just waved at him like he had not just tried to kill her. Small and unimposing, the Dendro Archon had an aura that instantly incapacitated any assailant with ease. Moreso to the nameless Wanderer, who had little desire to antagonise his Guardian in any way.
"Damn it all, stop doing that. You and your fairies stalking me everywhere, I hate it!" He stomped off, continuing his aimless wander.
"Someone's grumpy. More than usual! You didn't even greet me." Nahida followed him closely behind. "You know, you're the one who disappeared all of a sudden. Any other person would be very angry. Maybe I'm angry, just a little bit. More so, I'm concerned..."
He glanced over at her, before hiding back below his hat. "I asked for permission to leave a few weeks ago."
That was not an answer, and they both knew it.
"Are you not going to tell me what you were doing?" Nahida asked, tugging the fabric that dangled from his hat.
"I was just travelling the Great Red, taking my time to enjoy the trip. I was followed by some fools, beat them up and that's pretty much it."
"Your walks are not this long. And you were gone for more than a week." Nahida cocked her head, not hiding her worry. "I thought something bad had happened, you headed straight for the desert and disappeared."
"I wasn't trying to kill myself if that's what you were worried about. Or others for that matter. I just needed to think somewhere isolated." He sighed and rubbed his eyes, somehow tired. "You already interrogated me in Caravan Ribat, you know this. I found someone who had been lost and decided to bring her here. That's all."
Nahida seemed uncomfortable at the implication. "I didn't interrogate you… I was worried. Because from my point of view, it seems you went off to rescue that person in particular."
He stopped walking, looking back at the tiny Archon. "Mere chance. I'm not psychic, I can't know where or when random stragglers get lost. Anyways, since she seemed lost and vulnerable I just decided to help her. I've been in that situation as well, it's not something I'd recommend."
"At least you're working on your empathy." His lower lip quivered at her words. "Or not. Well, if you want to keep secrets, then it's alright. Everyone deserves some privacy. But… That doesn't explain why you're angry."
"I'm not angry. Well, actually, now I am angry from your interrogation." He stopped in the middle of the hat, refusing to look at the Archon. "I'm just disappointed in myself. I needed to tell that woman… something, and I couldn't. And I just started lying and lying for no reason. It was so easy to not do that, and I just fucked it up."
Nahida listened to him, tapping her chin as if deep in thought. "What kind of lie are we talking about?"
"What does that matter? I didn't tell her the truth, even when the opportunity arose. That is no different from lying."
Nahida noticed his uneasy fidgeting as if he was expecting her to be disappointed or angry at this strange situation. She couldn't quite tell what was this truth that he didn't admit, but it clearly was eating him inside.
"Did you know there are two types of lies?" She started, moving in front of him. "Benign lies and malevolent lies. For example… Lies of politeness when someone asks you if you liked lunch. It might have been average, but etiquette forces you to say it was good. Or in business, you say it was a pleasure working with you when it might have been a mundane experience. A person about to die may be told various comforting things as well. But there's also self-deception when you lie to yourself to improve your self-esteem. Those are all lies, but people do not see them in a bad light. The truth in those cases is something secondary or tertiary. Not important. That's why they're benign lies."
The Wanderer did not like to hear Nahida's calm and wise tone, especially because she always hit the mark with her comments. Even now, he could see what she was trying to accomplish, and he hated every second of it.
"But you know that not all lies are like that. Some are damaging, and very much so. Sometimes the truth is not just a primary objective, it's the centre of it all. To lie in those cases, to manipulate and control people by avoiding the truth, is the worst thing one could do with words. That's why they're called malicious lies." Nahida's eyes wandered off to the distance as if remembering and forgetting something. "So, if you apply this reasoning, what type of lie did you do?"
He crouched down, matching her eye level. His eyes seemed empty as he did so.
"Well, she was more concerned about whether I was going to kiss her or not, so I suppose it was a benign lie."
If he expected Nahida to have been caught off-guard by the comment, it never happened. She only matched his serious expression and asked: "Do you promise?"
He blinked, feeling a heavy weight encroaching on his chest. He had no time to think. His training kicked in, and immediately… "Yes. No malicious lies on my part."
Nahida smiled, immediately causing pain in his nonexistent heart. "Okay. I trust you." Like a rusty dagger suddenly being jabbed in his gut, those words hurt more than anything those relic hunters had thrown at him. "If this is the case, then I don't think you should beat yourself over it. It's a lie, yes, but I know you mean well. If it still consumes you, however, you should just tell her."
"That's okay… Good, yes, that's great. The truth is not that important at the moment, you're right. " He reassured himself, fully standing up and taking a step back. The sooner he moved on, the better. "What duties do I have to catch up with?"
The pain subsided as Nahida continued as if nothing had happened.
"Mhmm… How about we have some tea while you tell me how you fell in love?"
The Wanderer's soul escaped his body and left a husk in place. "…The price of my sins…"
Faruzan's quest through the city had been short and tedious. No more than an hour in, and she had already given up completely. The streets had changed, and so had the buildings around. A few of them were recognisable, like the Citadel or the Grand Bazaar. But the smaller streets were completely different. Winding and strange, the streets twisted and led her to cul-de-sacs and dead ends. The city she had grown to love and know like the back of her hand was gone.
Dejected but still willing to make the best of what remained of daylight, she decided to visit the Akademiya. Not to actually barge in and reclaim what was hers, but to reassure herself that she knew the path. Somewhere along the way, she was distracted by a few shops which, along with writing materials, sold books.
Thankfully, books themselves had not changed at all. They seemed perhaps a bit lighter, but the words and writing of scripture had not changed.
She couldn't buy any, so Faruzan trailed away and simply decided to forego her objectives and just decided to find that inn. Asking around was enough to find it.
Entering the building was not the hassle she thought it would be. The door was opened, there were people inside, and though anxious, she managed to enter. Luckily, the coupon was real, and her Pupil had not been tricking her.
The reception lady was quite nice and was kind enough to show her the lodgings. That being said, that's where things turned sour. Entering the empty room was mentally impossible. She didn't try it for more than five minutes before taking the key and leaving the inn.
Tired from the three-day trip, Faruzan wandered to a park and, against her better judgement, tried to sleep. She didn't catch a lick of sleep, mostly because she was nervous that the matra would come and call her homeless or do worse.
After that failure, she just started to stroll aimlessly through the city.
Nothing seemed to be working in her favour, and she had no money to eat or do anything. No friends to visit. She could just walk, but this time alone. Bored. And miserable.
She didn't any peace of mind from doing this. Rather, she hated the moment she decided to do this instead of barging into the Akademiya. At least she could have stayed indoors and… Oh right, it would have been very hard to do that too.
As the sun hid beneath the horizon, Faruzan found herself reading the bulletin boards of the main street. It was somewhat entertaining, it allowed her to learn what was going on around the world and… The fact that the Akasha not working wasn't her fault. Apparently, Buer deactivated it, and her Pupil didn't say anything!
That idiot left her all alone too. He was awful, she should have left him in the rainforest like she planned, because…
"Does grandma need new reading glasses?"
Brazen and backlit by the streetlights, her Pupil leaned against the wall right next to the board. Something about his cocky smile seemed completely different and did his theatrics.
"Oh, Pupil?" Her pale blue eyes gleamed with mischievous glee as she smirked. "Were you missing me that much?"
"Not really. And I don't think I'm your pupil anymore." He stayed a healthy distance away before approaching her some more.
"Well, I mean, it's true… But I haven't thought of another name."
Whether it was his arrogant strut or the well-measured smile on his face, something had changed in his demeanour. Did he seem more unrestrained? No, it actually looked like he had been liberated in some way. As if the weight on his shoulders had been lifted. Perhaps he was taking the whole escort mission completely seriously, and that's why he was so tense now and then. And now he changed. He was relaxed, unbothered by the hectic city around him. The only thing in the Pupil's mind was her.
"So, what are you doing? Reading?"·He gawked at the board, not focusing his sight on any bulletins in particular. "Is this what you've been doing all day?
"I've been exploring the city… But yes, I am reading. My eyes are not as fast reading as they used to be. And I wanted to see if there were any news since I don't have any money to buy… Well, no matter. Did you know there was a book tax and they removed it? Twenty per cent! Were they crazy? How was anyone buying books? Back in my day…"
"Ah, yes, taxes. Fascinating for an old hag." Unprompted, he placed his arm around her waist and walked her away. "I was on my way to buy something. Since you're not doing anything, let's go."
"B-But the taxes…" Being suddenly herded into the street was not exactly what she was waiting out of this conversation. "I guess I'm doing this now."
After making sure she was following him, he removed his arm and kept on walking at a marginally faster pace. Faruzan touched his arm before holding onto it properly, which managed to slow him down ever so slightly.
"Just because I let you do this in the wilderness, it doesn't mean you can do it now." His negative tone was quite obvious, but he did not attempt to dislodge her away from his arm.
"Hmph. I can't do this, I can't do that, how about you write down all the things I can do to you?" She let her mouth hang for a second. "Moving on! What were you doing… Or well, what do you have to buy?"
"I had to visit my Guardian. It was important, I'm sorry. And… I'm buying a token of forgiveness for her. Probably something sweet. So now you have something to do." A surprisingly honest answer, for his standards at least. "If you have any idea, then do tell.
"I appreciate your intentions, but my usefulness in sweets is not that great." Faruzan glanced at the people leisurely walking through the streets, some happier than others. Nobody seemed to be holding hands, or arms like her. Then, she looked back at her Pupil's arm and up at him. "…How are you going to buy anything if you're as poor as me?"
"I borrowed some money." Did he steal it? Or actually borrow it? It could be either-or. "A vagrant's life is not limited by money, but I can acquire it whenever I feel like it."
Acquire? Why did he have to be so vague with his statements? It mattered not.
"Well, I'm no vagrant. So I expect some compensation for my troubles." She tightened her grip on his arm, making sure he wasn't ignoring her.
"If you're expecting me to invite you to a lovely dinner, then you're out of luck." He quickly answered. "I only have money for one or two snacks. And they're not for you."
"It was worth trying."
Though it wasn't Faruzan's idea of a lovely night stroll, walking around the busy streets of Sumeru with someone else was less intimidating. And more importantly, unlike in the desert and rainforest, the Wanderer was walking normally. No haste or an almost unmatchable pace, just a calm and leisurely stride.
It was that reassurance that allowed Faruzan to realise how the City became even more alive at night. So many people walking around. There was no celebration as far as she was concerned, but the lights, smells and sounds became more hectic and thrilling, just like she remembered. Even if she wasn't exactly the kind of person to go out at night, rather, she stayed at home studying. And did she feel like she wasted her time at home? No, in fact, all her senses felt a bit too overwhelmed with the night ambience.
"I hate crowds," The Wanderer suddenly muttered, barely loud enough for her to notice. "Let's take a shortcut."
Twisting his arm out of her grasp, he seized her wrist and pulled her into a short, reeking alley that brought them into an almost empty street. There, on the corner, there was a small street food vendor that immediately caught Faruzan's attention.
"Smells like melted caramel." She wiggled her hand out of his grasp. "And you really need to stop pulling me by the wrist. I hate it."
He shrugged, following Faruzan towards the food vendor.
"Candied nuts?! Candied almonds! I love almonds and… Oh, right. It's for your guardian, you know best."
The Wanderer didn't share her enthusiasm. Nevertheless, he approached the vendor and after a brief exchange, the vendor handed him over two small paper bags. They were barely bigger than her palm.
"Let's get going." He handed her one of the paper bags and moved on. "I don't have anything else to do, so if you want to do anything…"
"Oh, uh… Why did you give me this?" She asked, looking at the somewhat warm bag.
"For you. I said I had enough money for one or two snacks. And what did I buy? Two portions. One for my Guardian and one for the blind grandma." He crossed his arms. "I don't like asking the same thing twice. I don't have anything else to do, so tell me what you want to do."
Apparently, her Pupil wanted to spend time with her. Maybe to make up for leaving so suddenly? Well, she didn't mind!
"Oh! Right. I want to try these. Though I shouldn't eat sweets at night." She opened the bag, showing her the two dozen or so candied almonds. So little quantity, but it was a gift! "Come, let's sit there!"
Though the street was mostly empty, there were still a few pedestrians walking around. So Faruzan decided on a somewhat remote bench next to a splendid view of the city.
As soon as she sat down, she tried one of the caramel-coated almonds and experienced bliss. She offered some to the Wanderer, but he quickly refused. More for her, at least!
"Isn't this great? Enjoying the fresh air while people acknowledge my existence." She picked one of the almonds and chewed greedily before continuing. "Walking, running and jumping to my heart's content!" Faruzan pointed at the Divine Tree, its base lit up by artificial lights. "Sights that would make anyone's brain rattle in awe!"
"And yet… The streets seem the same, but everything is different. People judge me as if I'm crazy for asking what seem like obvious questions to them. I went where my house used to be, and found a building I'd never seen before. Everything I used to know so far has been useless. I fear going into the Akademiya tomorrow and being shown that everything I suffered was for nought."
"No point in fearing what hasn't happened yet. If you need to be scared of something, be afraid of the consequences of what you've done to me through this whole trip."
Like always, he seemed to avoid these kinds of topics. However, he did so quite strangely this time.
"Hold on, what do you mean by that?" Faruzan licked her fingers and frowned. "I haven't mistreated you at all. In fact, you're the only one guilty of that."
"Oh, really?" A smirk quickly formed on his lips. "Let's remind ourselves of all the things you've done to me. You shoved me into an oasis, forced me to eat against my will, blackmailed me into sleeping with you, goaded me into abusing a poor merchant, compelled me into calling you certain na—"
"I did no such things!" She interjected, quite flustered. At least half of those were his undoing!
"…interrupted my words many times as well. Luckily for you, however, I can be quite a benevolent being. As I'm sure you've surmised." He stopped, giving her the chance to answer back.
"Lies, lies. You ignored me, made me walk under the scorching sun, mocked my knowledge, fed me expired food, beat up people half to death, and forced me to sleep on the ground…. You pushed me first into the oasis, mind you!"
"Yes, I did. And? You deserved it." He was proud of it too!
The entire trip had been nothing but continuous fights with her saviour. If she had to weigh in a review of all of it, clearly it was divided into two sections. Her Pupil being the rudest person she had ever met, and being a wise but lonesome aid.
Faruzan had started trying to unmask his secrecy throughout the entire journey, yet… Somewhere around the second day, those thoughts had been pushed aside. Was it from sleeping beside each other? Maybe, from his constant attempts to help her? Or his story? From beating up random criminals? She wasn't too sure, yet…
"You know, I envy you." Faruzan's concession brought a halt to the Pupil's smile. "You look back to your past and admit your wrongdoings. You understand and accept them, and try to build up from there. That takes a lot of courage. If it wasn't because of you, I may have just ignored all that I had lost for the sake of sanity. I truly appreciate that. Though I thought of you as a puzzle, it seems the one who had pieces missing was me."
He didn't like having the spotlight on him, yet couldn't bring himself to ignore her heartfelt comments. To do so would stunt her growth. And his as well.
"I'm no role model." He answered, forcing his eyes to stay glued to Faruzan. "You're the one who keeps moving forward, no matter what happens. You stay true to yourself and push through anything in your way. You get thrown, pushed down, insulted and scared. And the next moment you just shrug and start talking about… Weird fucking words and mechanisms or whatever. To not let yourself be chained by your past, that's… well… That's some sort of strength."
He was direct and to the point. It was strange to hear that this was what he thought of herself. Faruzan wasn't doing it on purpose, not completely at least. At least, seeing that he didn't find her too displeasing was comforting.
Even though he wasn't right.
"Strength? What are you saying? I've been seized up by fear twice in less than three days. It's such an alienating state that I could barely do anything last night. I'm not strong."
"You can deny them, but those are the facts. Besides, I didn't know what to do either. I would rather know what you want me to do if it ever happens again." He looked away and stood up from the bench.
"Ah, so you'll still be next to me if it happens?" Faruzan's cheeky smile was met by a frail glare.
"I suppose I fucking have to, don't I? Who are you going to run up for help otherwise? You don't know anyone, just me." He walked away, massaging his temples. "And no good deed goes unpunished… The things I have to put up with."
Faruzan stood up and followed him, saving the rest of the snack for later.
"Nobody asked you to do that. I can take care of myself. If anything, I'm babysitting you." She held his arm, stopping him from walking away. "Think about it! Thanks to me, you're at least 20 per cent kinder. That type of progress is envied by many! All you needed was a friend, just like I told you."
He glanced over his shoulder. "A friend?" He turned around shook with laughter. "A pastime at most. Friend, she says… That's hilarious. This is not some equal relationship, you know? I may get something out of being with you, but you're the one who needs me. That's not friendship. You're just a flea who takes a bite and leaves until you're hungry again."
It was all bark and no bite. And Faruzan knew it. "If I'm a flea, you're a leech. Because maybe it's news to you, but I think we're pretty similar. Well, of course, that's excluding my superior intellect and proper manners. And my unpresuming wit. Oh, and precious looks. In fact, no, we're not similar. I'm simply a better version of you."
"Look at you, seems like you just needed some sugar in your blood. Because your bitchiness is back to its usual level." His eyes gained a revitalised glint. "But you do remember that I don't have to put up with this anymore, right?" He brushed past her with an arrogant strut, ignoring her personal space. "Feigning being pleasant is so tiring. It was nice playing nice with you, but three days is enough for me."
"Is that so?" Faruzan said, pointedly ignoring his caustic smile.
Trailing a finger up her arm, the Wanderer again brushed past her. Faruzan was about to turn around to face him, but a moment later, she felt his arms close around her. He put her in an almost endearing embrace, at least that would be the case if he wasn't clearly planning something.
Faruzan's tongue got tangled up for an embarrassing second. "Is this… your attempt at not being nice?"
"Hmph. You're the one desperate for any kind of human contact." His hand gripped one of her dress straps, picking on it for a moment before letting go and pushing her away. "So I can make any move and you'll be too desperate to refuse. Sadly for you, I'll never give you what you want."
She didn't have much to recompose herself as her heart decided to go into overdrive. "What kind of idiot gives away their intentions, huh?! I'm not desperate, you dastardly heartbreaker!"
He chuckled, crossed his arms and shot a teasing look towards her. "You're the one unable to control herself, me telling you this changes nothing. Ever since I made the mistake of giving you my hand, you've clung to me like a tick. It's so sad, really."
"So what? I've been trapped for a century, I can do whatever I want! And I deserve a certain amount of affection after all I've suffered. Do you hear me? By that I mean—" In one fell swoop, he was suddenly in front of her, hugging her in a tight loving embrace that pumped her heart into overdrive. She swallowed the words stuck in her throat and instead blathered a sharp yelp.
Oh goddess, he was actually being nice, was he? Maybe he really liked her? As in, really REALLY liked her? He was just making up a front! Of course! It all made sense! She was the best scholar of the last century after all. Anyone would befall smitten by her charm and wit. But wasn't this going a little bit too fast?
Before she could hug him back, once again he pulled back and pushed her away. He cackled his heart out as Faruzan's embarrassment grew alongside her anger.
"You should see your face! I think I haven't laughed like this in centuries!" He managed to stifle his laugh momentarily before cracking away into laughter again.
Oh no, he didn't like her. He was just being a complete, sadistic—
"Y-You!" Faruzan raised her fists, ready to punch his teeth out. But she managed to hold on to her sanity. He obviously wanted her to lash out in anger. Well no! He was just taunting her, playing with her feelings like a horrid devil. She wasn't about to let him out with the satisfaction. "I'm leaving!"
She briskly turned and retraced back her steps, but not a step in and he suddenly spoke.
"Are you now? No goodbye kiss to end your vacations on a high note?"
Faruzan didn't bother to look back and continued moving. "I'm not an idiot!"
"Who knows, maybe I'm playing hard to get and I'm putting up a front. I did hug you, however briefly it was. And maybe… you're just getting worked up over nothing?"
Her racing heart and stasis sickness was just making thinking an incredibly exhausting chore. His smooth persuasion was not making things easy.
"If you think I'm not going to hate you for doing this, then grow up. I spent an eternity alone, I can keep up with that streak for another century." She didn't slow down. At least, until she bumped into her Pupil unexpectedly. "Geh!"
"Geh? If you're being so upset, then I suppose I'll have to apologise." His smirk spelt trouble, one that she couldn't trust. "Go on, just tell me how I can do that."
Just what was he doing? He just wanted to play with her heart again! She was sure!
Or well, mostly sure. Maybe this time he'd be nice! He had been kind beforehand, maybe she could just trust him a little bit?
"I… just want an apology for your very disrespectful and brassy attitude against your seniors."
His facial expression softened, his eyes looking away momentarily.
"Hmm… No." His eyes gleamed with a teasing affront that his frown could barely hide. "I don't like apologising like that. I'm more of a deeds, not words, kind of person."
Faruzan was first confused. Then embarrassed. Finally, utterly angry. Her face was already completely red from shame, and now with incredible rage.
"You…" She tried one last time to pull herself together. And was unable to do so. "You asshole!" Faruzan seemed as surprised at her outright insult as the Wanderer. His smirk grew wider as she cracked, which only angered her further. "You're a horrible, horrible human being!"
She darted up to him, jabbing her finger against his chest. He didn't recoil in the slightest.
"I've never pretended otherwise. You're the one who didn't want to admit it." He answered. "Though, that offer was genuine. Mostly. You just had to choose the right words."
Though seemingly controlled by anger, Faruzan was still in control of her actions. And her actions were to crank her arm back to slap him, but he was quick to seize her wrist before her hand made contact against his cheek.
He seemed to find her attempt at violence to be amusing because his smile never ceased in the slightest. And it was that same reaction that just made Faruzan even angrier. This bastard was just playing with her heart, and he found it funny? Oh, that was it! She was owed something, and she was going to get it.
Their glares met for an instant, staring deep into each other, and for a moment they seemed to realise that perhaps they were going too far. A fleeting thought. Because then, in a split-second decision that Faruzan should have actually thought about, she threw her lips against his.
How she wished the kiss would have felt more romantic, filled with love and care like she was owed! Instead, her lips had just crashed against his like she meant to knock him out. The anger and frustration made it seem no different from slapping him. The catharsis was similar as well. All that anger and frustration was now his to deal with, not hers.
She pulled back, her heartbeat skyrocketing as she glared once again at the Wanderer. His amusement had been halted for a long few seconds, replaced by confusion, but it was short-lived. He simply placed her hand under her chin, forcing her to look up directly at him.
It seemed as if he had received her anger, decided he didn't want it, and returned it alongside a more aggressive kiss. He leaned down, and planted his lips on hers, sliding his tongue into her mouth as if he owned the place. The heat of the moment swept away all reasoning, and Faruzan almost forgot that by that point, she had already won this fight.
It took much longer than she expected, which she didn't mind. After a while, however, he pulled back with a strange expression.
"I… forgot you ate caramel."
Faruzan's giggled triumphal yet maniacally. "Maybe you shouldn't have kissed me, then? Who's the one desperate for any kind of human contact, huh?"
"Human contact? I just want yours."
His lips brushed against hers, but Faruzan managed to pull back and get some distance from him. One second later, there would have been no way to separate herself from him. She was quite sure he'd never let go either.
"That's what you get for being awful. Now all you'll remember from this moment is that sweet flavour you dislike. And now I'm going home. I mean, to sleep."
"Hmph. And here I thought I was the only evil around here… Are you sure you'll be alright sleeping alone?" He paused for a moment. "I mean that sincerely, not for any other reason."
"I won't have nightmares. I'm sure." She felt her eyes drifting towards him, but she looked away. "… Don't think this changes anything. I'm still mad at you. So do go to hell."
"I went to hell and back. Not much of any issue for me." He cleared his throat. "Right. I need to give that snack to my Guardian. It's pretty late and she shouldn't eat, but who cares. I'll say it's your fault."
"Tell her to ground you for being the worst person I know," Faruzan said, walking backwards.
"The only person you know." He quickly added.
"Go to super hell. You better apologise tomorrow after I deal with all the tepid bureaucratic hijinks I will face."
