My legs are the first to pick up speed when the realization hits, but something in me
doesn’t
exactly want me to run. That doesn’t apply to Lyanna though since she’s already at the door.
That smell of aged wood fills my lungs again as she opens the door.
Lyle’s got up into his chair, but Jessene seems to still be shaken up. She’s on the floor, the same as we left, and when the door opens, her eyes make a slow roll Lyanna before her head catches up.
Lyanna rushes back to the counter, I pass through the door, and Jessene stumbles on her way up.
“Sorry again, but we forgot the flower”, Lyanna’s panting with how fast she crashed through the door.
Jessene rubs her eyes, then runs her hand under her nose before answering.
“Oh shit, sorry. I-I’ll get that for you.”
I give her a thumbs up, and Jessene’s through the door right behind the counter with Lyle. But before she leaves,
“Just give me one minute”
Lyanna and I both give her thumbs up; She chuckles before shutting the door and leaving.
And now we wait.
“So, what should we do now? Now that we’re in the clear,
or after this
, I think we should be safe. I don’t really see anything that says
we need to get out
”, my arms cross.
Lyanna letting out a loud breath,
“Just chill I guess, because I’m not that sure if
I
have anything else to do here. That and…—”
Her lips grow wide, head creaking down and staring at me.
“Not to offend you, I seriously need a soft bed to sleep on.”
Her hands clasp together.
“After spending that long in the…”
“Cart?”, I don’t look as amused as I feel.
“The cart, for
that long
, my butt feels like it’s been on cement for 50 hours or something. I am not joking when I say this, but they seriously ache. Like Oh My God.”
“Lyanna…”
“Yes?”, there’s an innocent smile on her face that I feel sad to ruin with what I say next.
“YOU COULD’VE TOLD ME IF IT WAS THAT UNCOMFORTABLE.”
“Ar- Ar-”
“NUH UH, I MADE THAT THING
SPECIFICALLY
FOR YOU. WHY THE HELL DIDN’T YOU MENTION ANYTHING?!”
“I… uh…”
And now I’m panting after screaming out of my lungs, though the circle of dissonance I oh so kindly made nullified that.
“I was nervous back then ok? I didn’t want to upset you or anything, so I didn’t say anything about it.”
I’m tripping over my own words, when my mouth reregisters how to form sentences.
“HABADASFSPATHTHAS”
I didn’t say proper sentences.
“WHY WOULD YOU— Ok I can actually understand that.”
“Seee? I thought I would get used to it, but NO.”
A sigh is all I’m capable of getting out next.
“Sorry I didn’t do any quality control on that thing. That was sort of something I skimmed over when I was making it.”
Lyanna throws her hands up,
“Oh no no, I don’t expect you to, but anyhow going back to what I was saying earlier, I just need a break is all.”
“Yeah, I get that. I’m
really
in need of some deep sleep, so I guess we both need some rest”
She nods.
“Oh, and also, can we get something to eat after this?”
“Obviously. Ask and ye shall get”
Lyanna flashes me with a smug smile as she leans on me again. I happen to remember back to something.
“By the way, your vocabulary is actually really good”, she gives me a short giggle, though she doesn’t go to answer me yet. “I didn’t expect someone your age to be like that”, this time I’m smiling.
“My most humble thanks good sir”
I can’t help smiling.
“Truly a spectacle to grace the world”
I’m not sure why, but my hand ends up on her head, patting through the strands of her hair out of instinct; An instinct I don’t think I developed before coming here. She doesn’t dislike or hate it, so I let it be.
Then Jessene comes through the door with a fresh Morning Dawn in a rectangular holder.
Lyanna’s off to the same seat she sat on before saying,
“I’ll be here once you’re done!”
“Noted”, then I’m off to the counter.
“Sorry for the holdup”, she puts the pot down on the counter. And now that I see it properly, the flower’s the size of my palm.
“No worries”, a smile jumps on my face again, and Lyanna immediately jumps out of her seat as she makes her way here. My eyes dart to the side remembering the wooden stool I saw before.
Didn’t hallucinate that one.
Sliding it closer, I lift Lyanna using her under-arms as a holder, shift the stool right under her and stand her on it.
“Thank you”, she glances at me before turning back to the flower. But the bright smile on her face is hard to ignore, I can tell Jessene feels the same by how her face has evolved from whatever she had before to a much more… relaxed— no happy one.
“So how do you want that 10 silvers?”, I’m more gleeful that I seem.
Jessene shakes her head, arms on the counter, chin resting on both of her hands.
“You don’t need to worry about that, this one’s on the house.”
“Sorry what?”
Uh.
/-- This was pretty much expected genius --/
“You
are
giving Lyle the possible chance to live how he… we used to, so this is the least I can do for you.”
“Well true, but I don’t take anything for free unless I do something useful.”
/-- You don’t fucking deserve it --/
“Please just let me do this for you, this is the bare minimum I can do. You’re already doing this for free, so it’s fair I give you something in exchange.”
“I insist Jessene, let me pay for it”
Eyes closed in thought, she disagrees.
“No no,
I
insist. Just take i—"
Lyanna interrupts.
“Jessene.”
Jessene freezes right there, then her eyes slowly open, drowned in a filling pool of tears.
“Please just let him pay, because I am really hungry right now”, Lyanna nervously giggles.
Jessene goes to rebut again, but I think she’s given up on that because her mouth closes with a deep sigh left behind.
“What’s your name again?”, Jessene turns to me.
Lyanna glances at me from the side, and I’m contemplating whether I should let myself out.
/- Do it -/
“Aarius”
Lyanna’s staring at me again, but she turns to Jessene again after a few seconds.
“Ok listen Aarius, I know you feel obligated to pay, but it’s my morals to give you equal exchange in any means good. So please Just Have This”, she shifts the flower forward.
I myself at about to say no, even under those circumstances, but then a thought hits me.
10 Silvers spent means there’s going to be a certain level of inflation happening here. I already took note of this, but damn I went fucking splurging with Lyanna.
/-- I don’t think this is a good idea --/
Hm. I’m not risking inflation being a possible occurrence here.
“Are you sure?”
“I am whole heartedly certain.”
I take another second to think over this.
“Ok then. If you’re sure—”
“Yes I am sure”
“Then… all I have to say is Thank you”
“My pleasure”, a soft smile weaves on her face.
Lyanna grabs the flower, and dashes over to her seat. I track her way there once she’s right past me, and I can’t help but stare for a bit at how delighted she appears.
I watch her inspect the flower, and Jessene asks me a question, though we’re both still focused on Lyanna, whether she senses it or not.
“I have a small question.”
We both face each other.
“Yes?”
“How did you get here?”
My heart slams on my chest like a gong.
“It’s… a long story”
Her head tilts, and her gaze streams right into mine, “I don’t mind listening”
“That’s a topic for later.”
“I see”
The fixed gape on me doesn’t free though. Even as a few seconds of not a single sound has come from us, she’s still staring. I don’t really try to do anything about it.
The small town bustles with people working, moving about, and now that I think about it, I didn’t think I’d get to see this sight as early as I am. I didn’t even think I’d survive whatever I
thought
was in here. This entire dome, this entire world I didn’t think was in here, is really,
really
calming. Even as I lean on the counter, even with what’s to come, fully knowing that we aren’t staying here forever, the world seems to calm down a bit.
I oddly feel stress free.
And one more thing, back then I was continuously working with school and the ‘other stuff’ Gran had for me, so I really didn’t have much time to take a break. But I technically do have a ton of free time, but now the only worry I have is staying alive.
Which is more relieving than it seems with this skill I have.
The smile left on my face is more concerned than relieved to be frank.
Hm.
With a deep breath, I bounce back and stretch my body.
“What’s the time if you don’t mind?”
She checks with the same clock that she took out earlier.
“It’s 4:56 right now”
I think it’s about time we get going.
“Ok then, we’ll be back at around 5:06 to get you. Sound good?”
Jessene’s head slides down a bit.
“Better than ok”, with a shaky smile.
A corner of my lip perks up when she says that.
I turn to face Lyanna seeing that we’re ready to leave but seems that the exhaustion of the day got to her before me. Back resting on the chair, head resting to the side of her shoulder, she’s somehow fallen asleep. That was oddly me on the train as a child. Completely unaware of my surroundings, just peacefully asleep on the seat of carriage, people next to me on the way home from work, Gran right in front of me making sure I don’t fall or end up with an aching neck…
Funny how I’m remembering that just now.
I clear my throat and bring myself next to her ear.
“Lyanna”
/-- Whispering isn’t gonna work dumbass. --/
“Lyanna!”
She still doesn’t move.
“Lyanna?”
I poke her nose, and she jolts up.
“YES!?”, Lyanna instinctively clamps down on her mouth, using her hands as cover.
“Good morning”
“What happened?”, her voice awfully groggy even if she’s only been out for a bit.
“Well you fell asleep, and now we’re ready to go.”
She gives me a subtle nod and gets up. I also get up from the floor, and while she’s patting herself down, I poke her nose again.
“Stop that…”
“It’s weirdly squishier than mine.”
Her eyes are barely open, and she doesn’t get around arguing with me.
“Let’s go”, she does that nod she always does, and right before I signal to Jessene we’re leaving, Lyanna tugs at my arm.
“Hm?”
I turn to see her rubbing her eyes, still trying to adapt to the light. She signals me to come down.
“Yeah?”
She gets close to my ear and whispers,
“Could you carry me?”
Huh.
“As in?”
“Like carry me on your back?”
Uh.
“Ok yeah sure.”
I turn my back to face her, and she jumps on; Arms over my shoulders, and legs sliding right under my arms. She almost slips when I get up.
“Careful”
Securing her with my arms, I nod to Jessene who’s been enjoying the show for the past minute or so, and she waves as I head for the door.
“Like I said, we’ll be back in a bit”
I’m about to ask Lyanna if she can hold onto me a bit tighter before I reach for the flower, but—
She’s asleep…
I slide her left to my right I have a better grip on her, and I manage to pick up the flower in its pot.
I nod to Jessene one more time before we leave—
“Wait!”, she halts me to a stop, palm raised at me, running through the door behind the counter.
The sound of something rattling rings past the door, and when I’m about to ask what she’s left for, Jessene comes back running just as soon as she left.
“Sorry, I forgot to give you this”, I signal her to get voice down out of… instinct?
“Sorry”, I give her a thumbs up again as if that’s the only thing I can do.
“Anyways—”, her voice is quieter this time, “—this container goes with the Morning Dawn”
She brings up a half-capsule shaped container tinted in light blue, with intricate white details and patterns on it.
“It helps synchronize the bloom of the fresh flower with the current day and night cycle, so you don’t have to do it manually.”
She turns the flat bottom of the container, and the top half comes right off.
“You just put the flower and the soil in that pot into this lower part, and keep it shut for an entire night before use.”
I want to ask her one more question, but she adds to that.
“After you synchronize the bloom, you can just go on using it and the bloom will work as intended. Even if you head to someplace in here, if any exist, where the day-night cycle are different, the flower will adapt.”
My question was pretty much answered.
“That’s neat”
“Oh it definitely is”
“Thank you”
She scoffs at that, and seeing Lyanna asleep on my back, Jessene gently pats her one time before we head out.
“See you in a bit then”, she quiets herself.
“Seeya”
I gesture with my index and middle like before, and I slowly push the door open.
We move out as the evening sky sets in.
/ // / // / // / // / // / // / // /
Making my way into the street, the streets start to calm down a bit.
Slowly making my way into the streets that have grown less dense with people, everything seems less crowded, and open even with the hour.
This definitely was not how I was expecting my day to go
.
The remaining crowd is mostly families from the looks of it. Children with their parents, some even older couples still roaming, their murmering fills the streets as I try to find a better place to put this damn container.
This thing is way too damn bulky. BUT, for how much it’s worth, I really can’t complain.
My eyes trail their way up the arm locked on my right shoulder, stopping at the child peacefully sleeping after one hell of a day.
Was it worth the exhaustion and internal pain?
/-- Yes --/ |
Yes |
Yes
I create a bag under my coat as not to create suspicion, and hang it around my neck as I carefully
shove
the flower container in.
I need some fucking sleep though. I know, I know, but I am way too mentally incapacitated. This really turned into one huge pain in the ass.
Footsteps all around, doors opening and closing, bells clinging, lanterns lighting—
/-- Signature --/
My blood runs cold, a wide cavity settles in my chest.
My body locks up, flash-frozen from the inside out.
Because I feel it again.
A few stores behind, a few lanterns behind, a few steps behind.
Someone’s watching us.