Cain
*Sniffle*
…
*Ungh*
…
*Pfthhhhe*
“You’re fucking gross!” I yell agitated as Celestia rubs her arm full of snot and tears.
“Can you please not eavesdrop on my sister.” Hanafin asks with a polite but tense tone. Hanafin had left midway and had joined us sitting in this circular room where we were just… facing each other but not talking.
“If you were blessed to have Anku like mine would you not try to eavesdrop on unrelated conversations?” I watch in revulsion as Celestia’s nose starts bleeding after rubbing her nose too hard. “Oops!” The blood quickly recedes back into her nostril. How can such a pretty woman be so revolting?
“No… I’m not a weirdo.” Hanafin states flatly, with a similarly disgusted expression.
“That’s right! Unlike me, you’re normal and boring, anyways they seem to be wrapping up their conversation. I’m heading out!” Celestia hops out of her seat and tries to run out the door before Grandy snatches her arm outside the hallway as he returns to the room.
“I’ve informed the necessary people about Crux’s situation.” He tells us.
Hanafin nods. “Good, hopefully we can sort this out soon.
“Do you want to spar out in the courtyard?” Grandy then asks Celestia, abandoning all hopes of convincing her normally.
Celestia freezes before gulping. “... Can we do this afterwards?”
“That’s a dumb question ain’t it?”
“What? Why is it a dumb question? I’m not very good with choices, so I want to have both.”
Oh, that’s why she’s so frustrating to interact with. I think, only now having made the observation.
She has zero shame.
“Look… I’m too old for this verbal sparring. Yes or no?” Grandy sighs.
“I take it you’ve already admitted defeat?”
“What the hell are you? Five?”
“Quickly! Quit stalling and give me your answer! They’re getting away!”
Grandy pops a vein. “Fine. I’m no longer asking for consent, go on, run after them, see what happens.” He crosses his arms menacingly.
Celestia freezes before flashing a mischievous smile. “Knew you still had it in ya.”
She bolts.
Grandy launches after her, displaying similar capabilities.
Formerly organized stacks of papers fly all over the room as I sit cross legged, one of the papers sways back and forth before finally settling on top of my head.
*Fu* With a quick puff, the paper slides off and lands on the ground.
…
A massive boom reverberates throughout the entire castle, shaking the foundation like a mini-earthquake.
An unlit chalice falls down from a shelf and bounces against the ground, scattering candles all around.
…
I get up and bend down silently to pick it up, grasping for the candles dispersed around.
“Sorry. I think I’ve been too harsh on you.” Hanafin finally says.
“I appreciate the consideration.” I put the chandelier back on the shelf.
Hanafin buries his head in his hands. “Do you want to think about something else?”
“Do you have anything in mind?”
“Ranma maybe? If you know what that is.” Hanafin looks around checking for a board set.
“Hey!” I say excitedly. “Yea, I know that!”
Hanafin grabs a wooden board set from the shelf the chandelier fell from. “Here it is, let’s do a quick one. I’m interested in how the prince of another nation plays.”
The two of us meticulously set up the many pieces on their starting positions, the set this time was much more ornate.
I stretch my hands, right. Memories of my game with Gleek reenter my mind, positions and traps I’d relentlessly thought over many times since then.
I wiggle my fingers with a massive smile on my face and lift up the first piece when–
Celestia runs back into the room, knocking over the entire board while scattering all the pieces into hard to reach places like underneath the tables and seats.
“Turn us invisible again! Quick!” She says distraught with tears in her eyes while bundling her hair in front of her chest.
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At first my surprise from her reaction overcame any anger I might have had in that moment.
Is she actually afraid of him? Is Grandy that strong?
“He’s playing dirty and using his sword!” Celestia squeezes the hair in her hands tightly.
“... Don’t you usually fight unarmed anyways? Why is that a problem?” I ask.
“No you don’t get it! He’s trying to slice off my hair!”
…
“Eek!” Celestia instinctively backs away from me, a tiny strand of her dark brown hair drifting to the ground.
A tinny sound oscillates through the room, tiny blades of winds swirling around my head.
“You know, my sister cut my hair all the time back then. It’s actually pretty difficult to shape wind in a way that can cut hair but not skin. I’ve never been able to master it myself, so I always found myself using scissors if I needed to cut my hair.”
“Um.” Celestia looks behind as Grandy suddenly appears at the end of the hall with a sword in his hand.
“But I’d imagine with your tough skin I wouldn’t be able to cut you anyways.”
Grandy starts walking forward.
“Uh…” She winces.
Celestia
Cain and the others play a board game while I squat down picking up papers.
“That’s a mistake.” Grandy points to the board while standing behind Cain, looks like he’s coaching him against Hanafin. “Look at the top riders here. You just opened them up to the entire board.”
“But the hocks are still covering the dark squares. Where do you see the…” Cain grows silent. “Oh… That’s a cool tactic.”
“Top riders can either be the weakest piece or the strongest piece depending on how the game is going. In games where a lot of pieces are down and the board is very open, they can really cut through a lot of defensive formations. Look at all the spots he can put hatchets down as well because of the top riders, you’re forced to waste a couple turns patching the holes up.” Grandy glances at me.
… An instinct comes upon me to avoid eye contact, but I fight it down and stare back.
He opens his mouth, as if preparing to respond, before chuckling then looking back down at the board.
?
Why did he just chuckle? What is so funny? Is there something I’m not getting?
“Why did you just chuckle?” I say, speaking my mind before I would have began agonizing over the thought.
Cain looks over at me.
And then chuckles as well.
???
I look down and pat down my clothes, rubbing my mouth for any food debris. “Hey! The hell is so funny?!”
Hanafin looks at me as well. “Guys, let’s not do this please.” He says right as the corner of his mouth twitches for a split second.
They’re actually ignoring me. Me. I’m being ignored right now.
“Okay! I’m leaving to mess with Yesenia! Don’t try to stop me!” I get up while steadily eyeing the three of them for any reaction.
“Have fun.” Hanafin then says.
“Wait, but you–” I blink a couple times then pinch my cheeks. Is this psychological torture? Are they doing this on purpose?
“I know I’m a bit difficult to deal with sometimes, but is there any reason to do this to me? I’ve been nothing but helpful so far right?” I tilt my hands and neck together, palms touching palms with the sweetest smile and the softest voice I could muster. “Isn’t that right Cain?” I try to get the most likely ally on my side.
Not a single one of them even reacts this time.
I run out of the room, then stop at the end of the hall.
“Ma’am, are you alright?” A man asks suspiciously as I lean propped up next to the doorway.
“Shhh!” I hush the person next to me.
Come on, people love to gossip, let’s see what you have to say about me behind my back.
“That kingpush is way too early, you don’t have enough offensive pieces to support it, now if Hanafin is good enough, you’re going to spend a lot of the game trying to defend the king while he marches down the board.”
Okay, still talking about that board game. They'll surely switch topics soon.
“This is called the King’s Arrow Defense. Although it looks like the king is very exposed here, it’s actually a very solid setup that can easily transfer pieces from offense to defense on a dime. Its weakness is that it’s not very versatile and often leads to draws at a higher level.”
“Hey, isn't this practically cheating? I’m supposed to be playing against Cain, not you.”
“Oh, you’d rather be playing against a total beginner instead of me? Where’s the learning or satisfaction in that?”
I nod my head. Totally agree with that… Wait, why aren’t they talking about me still?!
“Um… I’m sorry, but you can’t loiter around that flagrantly or suspiciously. Can you please come with me?” The man behind me says.
“Hey, is there anything funny about me? Something that’ll make you amused when you see me?” I turn to the man.
”… I don’t think so?”
“Right?! So why are they like this?”
”Who is being like what?”
“Them! They’re being strange. Now shoo, I have something else to do.” I brush him aside.
Hold on, is the way they’re treating me the way I treat others? Before I have time to expand on that thought something else grabs my attention.
I couldn’t hear them anymore.
Anku! Go! Massive swells of Anku gather within my ears. I wince a little bit as the volume of my surroundings is suddenly cranked to an eleven. I hazily try to drown out all other sounds but still nothing.
I glance out the doorway, before realizing that their mouths were still moving.
“Okay this is my last warning before I throw you into a cell.” The man beside me takes a threatening tone.
“You’re still here?!” I say incredulously.
“Once again who the hell are you?! Why am I the one being accosted?” The man snaps at me.
“Actually, who are you? How do I know you’re not the suspicious one here?” I say the most vexing thing I could think of in order to stall for time. I look back at the soundproofed room. Cain did it. I suddenly realize. “Hold on.” I push the man next to me away as Hanafin walks from out of the doorway.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” I ask him.
“Prince! Pardon us, this lady will be leaving very soon!” The man next to me bows.
“Celestia, will you help me with something?” He asks, ignoring the man next to us.
"Only if you tell me what you were laughing at back there."
"I wasn't trying to be meanspirited. I think you're just a fun person to be around and nicer than you let on." The most unexpected words come from his mouth.
...
I don't respond as a pindrop of red head flushes into my cheeks. "Trying to sweet talk me before asking for a favor are you?"
Hanafin chuckles wearily. "Maybe, I just want to be able to trust you." He turns to the other man watching the conversation. "Ty, you may leave, she's nothing you need to worry about."
"Sir." Ty salutes and then walks away.
"So? What did you want to ask me?" I tell Hanafin.
"Nothing too specific, just eavesdrop me as you always do then decide accordingly." He pats me on the back of my shoulder then walks through the hall.
I touch the part of my shoulder that he patted and shake my head furiously. "Damn it, now I can't get my thoughts straight anymore."