Three days passed, Aika healed from her burns leaving only a sheen of a scar. Seeing herself in the mirror, shirt lifted, she thought it was rather cool. Letting her hospital gown fall back down, she smiles back to the boy who had waited for her all these days.

“I, really recommend you not to stretch out like that.” The boy shielded his eyes, staring away from her gaze. “There is no back to those gowns.”

“Oh, wait really? And here I was wondering why it was so dang breezy, thought someone turned up the ice crystals.” She stretches.

“Are you telling me you don’t have air conditioning, but you have a television?”

“Yes, that’s exactly right, Ryuu Sone.”

“You don’t have to use my full name, you can use Ryuu. But I see, so, I’m guessing the television runs on crystals too?”

“Electricity, from power lines.” She answers.

“That runs on electricity? How, what? Don’t you live in the middle of nowhere?”

“Yes.” She waves her hand around, her wand making another appearance. “You see, many things are possible with magic. Including locating particular objects and things. I used a tome for that, but I did find what I was looking for about three miles off. It was attached to some small houses, small village, I imagine it wouldn’t be too much trouble to borrow.”

“A small village about… Wait, what was the village called?” he asks.

“Uh, Jarnspar, or something like that.”

He remembers that being mentioned on the news. Jarnspar, a village that was set up to tend to a low streaming, hillside water dam to a city of 50’000 people. The dam had lost power causing critical conditions and a breach in the hull flooding the city below. Many people were trapped and it took a year to get everyone back in order.

“You did that?” He says a hint of disbelief staining his voice.

“Did what?” she asks.

“Wherever you go, trouble seems to follow.” He contemplates if it’s a good idea to associate with her, however, a witch could be a welcome sight in his line of business if she chose to go along. “Nevertheless, most who are destined to be great don’t have none shaken roads.”

“Great? Well I’m no Alexander, I haven’t any idea what you mean. If Albatross was here he would say I’m more of a failure walking the plank into a sea of sharks.”

“He sounds to be a man of literature.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Mushroom. Not a man.”

“R-right.” Even his eccentric, artist nature wasn’t providing fruitful in comparison to this girl. “But, what makes you believe you’re only a failure?”

“Oh boy, where do I begin? You ask me to make a batch of shromply mist, I’d beckon a tarantulas web out of it, or a lavatin-berry elixir and your heart is bound to swell, I mean. Albatross does have a point, at times I’m a little mishap.” She frumps on the medical bed, hands planted beneath her chin enthralling her cheeks to a chipmunk-like appearance.

Ryuu plays his hair to the side, giving reason to his own smooth face, however, the smoothness didn’t hide from the sheer confusion she swirled inside his head. She was speaking gibberish, pure and simple. Do other witches even understand what she said?

“I can’t say I understand a word you said, besides you mess up a lot. What about normal things that we regular humans can understand? Ever play any instruments maybe?”

“Do instruments of torture count?”

“N-no.”

“Sorry, I reference things from shows I like a lot!” She giggles jumping up. “I read it’s another good way to make people to like you.”

“You, don’t need to try so hard.” He says with a sigh.

“Alright!” She answers clearly missing his point. “To answer that question though, yes and no. You see I used to play violin when I was little, then I didn’t, I also played a flute, didn’t stick. So I don’t believe I was the best at anything.”

“Even with magic?”

“Magic? Uh. I never tried that before.”

“You mean you’ve never tried enchanting an instrument to make you play better?”

“No… Wait… That’s an amazing idea! How come I never thought of that or Albatross!? Oh what a couple of dune heads we are!”

The complete cluelessness of her, her awkward attitude. Each passing moment made him feel she would be a handful, though at the same time, nobody likes an artist who is normal. His big ticket could be right in front of him, he wouldn’t let it slide.

“I believe you are being discharged today and will have freedom to roam again. How about we test that instrument theory out? If you’re not in a rush to go home of course.”

Her head lowers, studying the ground. She wasn’t sure, her first thought was tracing back to Albatross. It was unlikely he knew where she was, if he was alright or even if her home was there to start. The task to get back is also daunting, she was aware how far this city was, the city she always wanted to travel. Her eyes now put at the window, she could see it. The buildings, cars beeping below, the trees to make it more lively, people to up the lively and the opportunity of a none boring life. Would it be so bad to partake of it, even in a small amount?

“It’s difficult to say for certain… Maybe I should get home, but also… part of me does want to stay just a little bit longer…” she seeps out.

“The decision is ultimately yours. If you wish to go home, I will do my best to provide you transportation, or if not, we can go back to my apartment and see if that magic you have is truly otherworldly.”

“You’re not just trying to sleep with me are you? Pervert.”

His expression immediately glazed over. The suddenness of being asked that, it took him far, far away.

“What!? No! I’m not like that! If I wanted to do that I would at least buy the girl dinner first!” he lets out.

“Hmph, most boys these days don’t even do that. They’re all himbos, and fu-“

“Hello, ma’am.” A nurse walks into her room, her smile bright and giving news. “You’re being released today, if you’d like to follow me we can fill out some paperwork and get you going.”

“Oh praise to the Almighty universe yes! Let’s get that done right away!” she jumps up skipping over to her side. “Eh, y’know what I’m going to trust you Ryuu.” She sweeps her gown covering her rear-end. “Don’t look there. You weirdo.”

“You’re one to speak.” He truly didn’t know if this was the right decision, as he got up to follow them both to the checkout room.