Apparently, it had rained outside recently. Didn't notice it had, didn't even notice when it stopped. Came out of the house and only realize once droplets came falling down from the rafters.

From the slippery slopes of the front porch's stairs to the sidewalk paving the path to the nearest bus stop in sight. Would you like to guess how many scenarios had gone through my head during that short trek from point A to B?

If you're thinking in the millions, then you're thinking too small. Get big, like quintillion times bigger - you know, in fact - I don't think there's a universe out there in the vastness of the multiverse within the great omniverse that could actually quantify the many outcomes I have foreseen happening in this trip.

Was I perhaps blowing this entire thing a little out of proportion? Do you think me perhaps a great exaggerator? An unreliable narrator, perchance?

Please, why on Earth would I ever be so overly dramatic about a simple stroll into town? It ain't like I got a great big flaming bird strolling alongside me, humming whimsically with all care in the world gone with the howling humid wind.

I'm not even gonna try and finish that joke, you know how the rest goes already.

Oh yeah, also, just to add - yeah… Adalia was here with us.

"Why though?" I remembered asking way back during pancake time.

Adalia's cheeks were bulging with maple syrup at that point in time, so instead of a simple, albeit, drawled out answer from the vampire, I received in its stead a pocketful of snark, spoken through a mouthful of pancakes as well.

"Is it really not obvious at all why?" Ria raised an eyebrow. "You really want me to spell it out for you?"

Oh yeah, that's right, I forgot. I'm the literal reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes. I'm supposed to be able to deduce every single action to explain every single reason for every single thing.

Why do I even ask questions at all, right? I mean, who do I think I am, a regular human being? Pff…

Actually, scratch that, I may not also be that as well...

"Can we just skip the part where you make fun of me for a bit and actually get into the reason why?"

Ria swallowed, then chugged some juice, slamming her glass onto the table with a pout. "Man, but that's my favorite part..."

"Ria…"

"Okay, alright! Reason - go on and look at her, ignore the syrup on her face, focus on her appearance. Whaddaya see?"

It was clear Adalia intended to abstain from any form of discussion whatsoever, perfectly content in simply indulging on what was to be her fourth helping of Ria's deliciously delectable hospitality.

What do I see? Well, droopy clouded eyes, dim grey frazzled locks of hair, a somewhat neutral expression on her face - I don't know what I was supposed to be looking at.

"Here's a hint," Ria muttered through another mouthful. "Frills and laces, can't miss 'em now, can you?"

To cut a long story short, my eyes went veering downwards from her face and that was when I immediately understood. It never really clicked throughout our whole living-together arrangement but yeah, matters not the occasion - morning, afternoon, or evening - Adalia exuded the very definition of the word 'Classy'.

Like the Italic font type of classy, that's the type of classy we're talking here. Nailed that gothic look down to the strand.

"Vampires," Ria said with a grin. "Striking fear in the hearts of millions while doing it all in style. Really, If I have to give them anything, they are like the crème de la crème of fashion sense."

Fast forward to more recent times, and there we were, boarding the big metal box of people heading onwards to a destination not of my choosing, not this time at least.

Ria was steering this ship, I was just the prisoner chained below deck. Guess that makes Adalia quartermaster on this occasion.

Also, that thing I do with Ash. You know, the thing I do where I actually take a little precaution and take into account that the supernatural and the natural are like oil and water to each other, hence the hoody Ash always wears on our outings.

Nope, fiery and proud Ria was, questioning stares be damned, she marched onto the bus, head held high, blazing a trail of red that left passengers doing a double-take on her.

Adalia's catwalk to the back of the bus was at least more along the lines of normalcy. So long as she kept her mouth shut and her hands buried underneath long sleeves, she was fine.

Don't think it needed to be said that no one batted an eye at me. Why would they? I felt so out of place plopping in between those two despite the fact I was supposed to be the normal one here, how the heck does that even work?

"Couldn't have worn your sombrero, at least?" I whispered as the bus roared into motion. "Detective hat is not gonna hide all that glowing you got going on under there."

Ria feigned annoyance in her eyes, adjusting the cap with much aggression in her movement. "Do you ask a fish to stop swimming in water? The leaves to stop swaying in the wind?"

"No, I'm asking politely for fire to stop burning. Is that really so hard? Look - you got kids over there staring at you."

She gave a glance, briefly, towards said kids - peeking over from their seats two rows over. They made some eye contact, and then Ria raised a hand and waved over them.

Kids waved back, smiled, and took to their seats once more.

Now there was this expression on her face, a very infuriating one, one that stare at me from the corner of my eyes going: 'Yeah, you were saying?'

"Here's some words of wisdom from an old weary phoenix," Ria began, her tone overbearingly pompous. "People know what normal is. And people don't break from the normal easy. They're gonna look over at me and see a beautiful lady on fire, you think their first thoughts are gonna be, 'Oh, she's probably a phoenix from another world,' - Nah. I'm cosplaying! I'm a very, very, very dedicated cosplayer with some talent for special effects. End of story. Now that's what normal is."

So ends daily life lessons with Ria The Bird from Sesame Street with a swish and a flick of a wagging finger.

Me, only vaguely paying attention to half of what she said, simply nodded my head and asked, "So Costa Rica, Canada, France - the likes… you went to them all…?"

"As I am now," She said, her nose up high in the air. "Ria Ignis, untamed."

Well, so long as I wasn't getting any funny questions from strangers, I won't be so insistent on it. If she wanna let her hair down, by all means then. I got plenty of other things on the mind right then - case in point…

"Money is gonna be an issue," I muttered, shifting uncomfortably in place. "I suggest we just grab the cheapest-goodest looking piece they have and bounce out of there."

The look of horror that formed on Ria's face implied that what I just said was the equivalent of an act of heresy to the fashion industry.

"What are you saying?" She asked, looking at me like I was completely unhinged. "You're not gonna even bother? Really? Ash is sprucing herself up there for you tomorrow and you're just gonna show up on her looking like you just robbed a hobo of his only shirt?"

"Hey, I like this shirt."

Ria shook her head slowly at me, genuine sadness in her eyes. "I don't know why you even have eyes anymore."

"Look, unless you're suggesting we rob the place, we're not going to be getting anything top of the line there. You think money grows on trees?"

I felt something heavy plop onto my lap, a thick heavy bundle of green bound together in two layers of rubberbanding. It took a moment for me to register just exactly what it was that befell on my aching thighs, once I did though… oh boy, was I even more confused than before.

"Where'd you get this?"

"Money doesn't grow on trees," Ria said, dropping another stack to the side of the other. "But they sure as hell do come from phoenixes."

"Where'd you get this?" I repeated.

"Y'know what a 'Shaman' is in Spanish?"

I gaped at her. "You didn't..."

"Curandero," Ria answered, looking absolutely satisfied with herself. "There's a bunch of once-sickly Costa Ricans out there now with my spit in their digestive systems and a healthy smile on their face. Also a bunch of Canadians, French… probably a few Germans too."

The heaviest of the two stacks, I held against an open palm. The sheer size of it and the way my hand kept slanting from the weight had me nervously chuckling in awe. "I'm guessing your saliva didn't come cheap at all."

"No, it indeed did not." She said. "At least for those who can actually afford me. Those that aren't able to… well, let's just say I have my charitable moments too."

"Well, you got a mini-fortune right here, Robin Hood," I said, flipping through a thick wad with my fingers.

"No, I don't. You do."

The flipping stopped. "What?"

"Hey, it's not like I have any use for it myself. Go nuts, man."

The way Ria shrugged her shoulders was as if she wasn't just about to give me enough money to cause an inflation to a small economy. My poor wallet can only hold so much too, and what's more...

"What's yours is yours, Ria," I said, handing them back to her. "Can't really… can't really accept this, you've earned it."

Correction: I tried handing them back to her. She refused it, shoving them back at me till they were practically hugging my chest. An immediate shutdown.

"Oh, yes you can accept it, don't even kid yourself. It's your pride that won't let you. Question is…" An eyebrow raised, a twinkle in her eye. "Are you really gonna let that stop you?"

Indecision. These past couple of days, it proved rife with every major choice I made throughout the day, even including the less significant ones. It's gotten to the point where I second-guess what drink I want to go with breakfast.

But money? The smell of greens, the feel of its smooth texture gliding across your fingertips, creases and all?

Silently I patted around my pants for the deepest pockets it has, and then after a bit of ruffling around, those fat wads of cash soon became fat bulges sticking out of my pants.

"My pride hates me now…" I muttered, sighing over my utter defeat against temptation. When it comes to money, it was like an uphill battle with no peak… and the slopes were also covered in butter.

Ria, like the whispering devil by the shoulder she was, simply smirked and nodded approvingly at the act of human greed happening before her eyes, before setting her sights back to the front of the bus, ending the conversation with a nonchalant, "Then it's a good thing you had very little to begin with."

Ow.

Of course, for every blazing devil on the left was a misty white angel to the right and surprise, surprise - I so happened to have one right here, complete with the standard set of fangs and razor-sharp claws. You know, like the ones from the Bible. I just so happen to completely forget she was even beside me in the first place.

Not my fault. Adalia just blends in so well with the ambiance of everything. If it hadn't been for the bumps on the road gently bashing her head against my arm, I probably would have just departed off the bus without her once we've actually reached town.

Actually, I'm still kinda surprised she didn't mind coming along. Rainy and cloudy though it was, afternoon was still afternoon there's no changing that. I rarely ever see her up this early.

"Hey, Adalia," A simple question wouldn't hurt, right? "You aren't tired at all?"

The slow eventual turn of her gaze to mine was creepy as shit, especially with that blank stare of hers, then opposing that was her voice, so gentle and soft, whispering to me, "This outing you have.... with Ash… will it make the two of you… happy?"

Genuine curiosity, the way she tilted her head at me. Pairing with that was a genuine concern over me.

It was a nice gesture.

"That's the whole idea," I said, smiling slightly. "Here's hoping, huh?"

Adalia slowly turned away too, her eyes facing to the front.

"Then I'm not… tired…" she muttered.

It was a little while later that we finally hopped off the bus. Watched it leave us in the trail of black smog. Bid farewell to its rickety seat and for its kind demonstration of inertia and its effect on the frail human physique.

Went green face in the face as a result of it and had to take a breather to collect myself. Thank God for stop signs and their rusted metal beams.

Always a 50/50 chance to either end up fine after a dollar fifty-sen roller-coaster ride to town, or to feel as if the ground was rising and you're about to tumble.

With Ash, I had the good 50. With Ria, it was the latter. Pretty sure someone was trying to tell me something here. The numbers don't lie.

And of course, couldn't even have a peaceful moment to myself before Ria started up again with her antics. This time, said antic laid limp at the palm of her hand stretched out before me in offer.

Smelled it before I even saw it, and like a dog to good hygiene, it had my nose wrinkling and my head recoiling back.

"Seriously?" I asked in disbelief.

"Very much," She replied, shoving it closer to my face until it was the only thing in sight. "It wounds me that you would just leave this behind like that without even putting it on once."

"I left it behind because it reeks to high heaven."

"It's just cologne, O' great and powerful picky one," Ria said, folding her arms and drawing away temporarily from assaulting my senses any further. "I didn't get you a skunk in a bottle."

"I hate cologne."

"I'm starting to think you just hate being attractive overall," She deadpanned. "C'mon, I'm still being nice good detective Ria over here. Don't bring out the bad unpleasant detective, she hasn't had her afternoon coffee yet and she can get pretty cranky, I'll tell you that."

Ria waggled the small glass bottle between my eyes again. Don't know what she was expecting, was she hoping I'd get hypnotized by the sway of the fluid inside of it or something?

If she was, then, congratulations, now I'm even more reluctant to put it on… having to bear watching it swing from left to right had me fighting down the afternoon's pancakes from defying gravity and scaling up my throat.

Adalia, sadly, proved of no help to my plight. Looked around only to find her standing off into the distance, observing us silently with little interest like a bored cat lazily awaiting for the next mildly interesting thing to wander past her way and catch her attention, if only for a little while.

Ah, screw it. I rather smell like 40-year-old men in suits than to have the bitter aftertaste of bile constantly at the back of my mouth.

So after a brief wonder of life's grievances and its insistence of inflicting pain upon me, I swiped the bottle from the devil's clutches, twisted loose the cap, and felt a sprinkle and a splash of freezing cold lash out mercilessly at the surface of my throat.

This, and all under her watch, gazing at me with such a satisfied expression as I handed the cologne back to her, smelling like I just grounded fifty different flowers with fifty different types of spices together.

People like this smell?

"Now, according to the cashier from the gift shop, after putting that on, the next girl that turns your way would turn out to be - "

"The girl of your dreams," I interjected, sighing, and beginning to walk. "Not my first rodeo with soap operas. I know how it goes."

I can only thank my lucky stars that the rest of the journey down to the nearest clothing outlet consisted of nothing but downtime where I could just relax and take in the chilly air. Experienced enough of Ria's spontaneity in one day to last me a couple of weeks at the least.

Then once we made our way into the store, there came even more questioning stares and raised eyebrows in our direction. Took only one shifty glance from the employee by the counter for me to get the message.

'Gonna need to keep an eye out for this lot here, definitely.'

It's not like I can blame them either, we were like the start of a bad joke here.

So a Human, a Phoenix, and a Vampire walked into a clothing store, and then the phoenix said to the employee - "Where's your 'I'm in desperate need of good clothes for a date' section in this place?"

There wasn't even a punchline. That's how bad it was.

The poor employee could only blink back his bewilderment, pointing a dubious finger towards the left-wing of the building.

"Thanks a bunch," The Phoenix smiled and winked.

And so the joke trio scampered on deeper into the building, leaving in their wake, a long line of unsuspecting customers stopping dead in their tracks to simply marvel and watch as a beacon of smoldering brightness wandered past them.

Seriously, I'm actually quite surprised at just how far these people can stretch and suspend their disbelief, simply moving on with their day like they didn't just see glowing embers fluttering out of that humming girl's hair.

Normal is what normal does, huh? Guess Ria really was on to something there.

"Ooo, I like this one," Ria said, taking in pairs of twos a bundle of clothes from the rack.

Seeing so many coat hangers hooked to all ten of her fingers made for a rather bizarre sight. Not even my sister was this much of a fanatic.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

"So many?" I asked.

She frowned at that. "This is many?"

Didn't like the sound of that.

And so begins my involuntary duty as her begrudging mule. The next ten minutes involved me being dragged along with her every whim by the reins, the stacks of shirts she flung into my hands piling up high by the seconds.

"This one looks nice too."

At this point, everything in the store looked nice to her. Pretty soon, I'm going to end up having the entire building in my hands, and still she wouldn't be satisfied with her selections.

"Hey, probably should have asked this earlier but do you think you'll go better wearing light black or dark gray?"

I have a feeling that question was directed at me, sadly can't really tell nor see if that was the case because Mount Clothing piled up high enough that my eyes weren't even able to see past it anymore.

Light black or dark gray, what the hell?

"Aren't they just the same thing?" I asked, my voice muffled by the gigantic heap of fabric.

"No, dummy," I heard her say like I just got my ABCs wrong. "They're completely different colors. Are you colorblind?"

No, just blind actually. All thanks to your lack of impulse control.

Now, you must be wondering where on Earth was Adalia in the midst of all this. Well, I could ask the same question, hadn't a clue where the hell she wandered off to, not until I inadvertently bumped into her and the small cushion she was sitting on in the middle of the aisle.

Think I might have elbowed her actually if the slight swelling sensation on my elbow was anything to go by. Whoops.

"Shit, my bad, Adalia," I said, craning my head around the pile in my hands to look at her. "Didn't see you there."

I'm starting to get the feeling that Adalia was made of stone or something. She didn't even blink, nor was she even fazed one bit, her misty eyes set on rifling through the contents of a fashion magazine she held in her grasp.

Guess someone found a way to pass the time.

"Black… is better…" She muttered, not looking up from the page.

"What?"

"Wear… black…" Adalia elaborated. "Ash always wears white… opposite colors… you'll look nice… together."

"Ah," I nodded my head. "I'll keep that in mind, then. Thanks."

"Ria is waiting… for you…"

Didn't know how she knew that without even drawing her eyes away from the magazine, but hey, Matriarchs… what do I know what they're capable of?

"I don't suppose you know where she's at right now?"

Omniscient was the only possible explanation I could think of for how she was able to point me in the right direction right then, her finger raised towards the direction of the fitting room with absolute certainty.

"Thanks," I smiled at her.

"Avoid… skinny jeans…" she muttered as I waltz by her. "Not for you…"

"Noted."

After a bit of navigating the narrow walkways, and tripping twice on a mannequin's feet, I finally managed to make my way over to Ria, who for her part looked rather unimpressed with my attempt at punctuality, impatiently tapping her boot on the ground as if she was doing a one-legged tap dance.

"So you wanna go with gray or black?"

"Black," said I at once, laying down the colossal heap accumulated on the nearest bench in sight. "Favourite color."

"Awesome, was thinking that too," she said, swinging open the door to a tightly compact room, bowing her head with a curtsy, saying, "Now, if your Majesty would so kindly let himself into the fitting room, we can finally get started."

Swiped a set from the pile, hung them over my arm, and step into the cramped space where then Ria promptly shut the door closed.

"You better brace yourself there, buddy," Ria called out from outside. "You got a lot of outfits to look forward to."

"You're picking out the next for me?" I asked, unbuckling my belt.

"Nope," came her distant voice. "Adalia's sorting through it now. I'm just here for the spectacle and the laughs. Don't disappoint, alright?"

"Thought you were the one with the eye for fashion here?"

From that question emerged a hearty chuckle.

"Do you see a tailor's hat on my head anywhere?" Ria giggled again. "Adalia's your girl here. Cheer her on, yeah?"

I felt my long sigh pervade the open air all around me. This was going to be a long process, isn't it? I just know it.

But when I took a glance in the mirror, I did not see any hint of frustration on that man's face. It was quite the opposite, actually.

A smile reflected back at me.

It seemed despite the moaning and complaining and the ceaseless whining - that man there was genuinely having fun in their company.

Even if he didn't want to admit it.

Admittedly, it was a strange place and time to get all sentimental-like with the setting, especially since I was essentially staring at my bare naked self in the mirror dressed in nothing but my boxers.

Still, that didn't stop that fuzzy feeling from lingering inside me all throughout the fitting session, I came out of the dressing room with my happiness meter all the way to the max only to be slapped in the face with -

"Bad. Go back. Try this."

Ria flung the next set of clothes at supersonic speed, screeching to a halting stop as it slammed against my now rigid smile, before plopping down to my outstretched hands below.

Without another word, I turned tail and reentered the safe space, where I swore to never again show any form of weakness.

And so thus began a small mini fashion show presented by yours truly with your host Ria the Phoenix, and world-renowned Adalia the Matriarch acting as our judge for today.

How well would I fare against such scrutinizing gazes upon me? Find out in the next episode of Fashion Wars.

If there was ever an Olympic event for clothes wearing, well you're looking at a pioneer right here, I had worn plenty of shirts and taken off enough pants to actually become a connoisseur in the sacred art of jacket on, jacket off.

Pretty sure I'm unknowingly holding a world record by now. Gonna have to verify with Guinness on that whenever I get a chance.

In terms of presentation, however, I wasn't faring all that well on that front.

4/10s sometimes 5s, don't think I ever got rated a 6 yet, despite the selections of clothes getting smaller by the minute.

"How's this?" I asked in what was to be my 32nd time exiting the fitting room.

Ria paused, Adalia stared and I held my breath.

"Better," shrugged the Phoenix. "Not great, but not terrible. So-so, I guess."

The Matriarch nodded in agreement.

Well, thank God for that. I just about had it with the boos and jeers.

"So are we done?" I asked, allowing myself some frail semblance of hope.

"Did I say we were?" said Ria, snuffing out that hope so mercilessly. "You're a fickle contestant. We aren't gonna stop till you're fit for public viewing."

"Thought I was so-so."

"You ain't done till I say so," She threw over another set. "Adalia has a good feeling about this one - oh, keep the jacket you have on now, change everything else."

By then the routine has pretty much become muscle memory, effortlessly catching the clothes in my hand before they could go splatting on my face.

Guess 33rd time's the charm.

This fitting room here at the corner of the building was like a home away from home. Think I might have spent more time here than I do in my own room, and because of that familiarity, my whimsical thoughts reigned freely in the short intervals of silence.

I hated being alone with my thoughts.

Somehow they'd always find the shadow to every bright side. In this case, Ria shone bright… and there I was, fiddling with a belt buckle, gazing into the mirror, wondering briefly for her shade.

And unfortunately, just like Ria, I too was a slave to every whim that came to mind, even when I was fully aware that I shouldn't really be acting upon it.

Call it a bad habit, I guess. I seem to have a lot of those.

"Been thinking, actually," I spoke out loud.

"If it's another clothing suggestion, I don't wanna hear it. The last one was bad enough."

I was tempted to snap away with a clever retort, but my train of thought refused to be derailed.

"You're gonna love this one then," I said.

"Am I now?" There was doubt in her voice.

"Sure, you ready?"

"Go for it."

"Why were you trapped in that amulet?"

Normally, confrontations were something I'd steer away from. Normally, this wouldn't even be a question to consider. But that flimsy wooden door between us was like a filter for this sort of thing.

You can ask away, and the only thing that would be staring back at you would be the four walls surrounding you. No eyes, no face, just a wooden slab.

Another normal was a sarcastic response back to that question. Abnormal was the silence that instead followed after.

I began to unbutton. "If it's a personal thing, then you don't really have to say. Was just curious so - "

"Personal, indeed," She finally spoke, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Now, I'm curious… how did you even go about thinking about something so irrelevant here?

"We all have our problems. I have mine, certainly. Ash has hers… Adalia, Irene..." I took in a breath. "I just notice that you never share yours."

My rhythm was all out of sync now. Took forever to remove an article of clothing. It seemed like with every word that funneled out of me, the more difficult the process becomes.

Only downside about the door was that I couldn't tell what was what. Got no cues to go off of - only her voice, and even that was a puzzle in of itself. Didn't know if that snort I heard just then was a good or bad one.

"Well, if I do find a problem worth sharing," She said. "Then I guess I know exactly who to go to now."

Done with the shirt, I moved on to the jeans, another button to uncouple. "As far as I'm concerned, all problems are worth sharing. Someone as peppy as you are… you gotta have a few things to say, right?"

"I'm happy therefore I have issues?" Somehow I get the feeling she was crossing her arms out there. "How many leaps of logic did you take to find your way to that conclusion?"

"Call me a pessimist, but I find it hard to believe you got to where you are without going through a couple of issues first," I replied. "I'm just in here wondering if you still are."

"Oh, no, no, no, you stop yourself right there mister," She said, airing out again in jest. "You touched the pond with soaps. I live it. I know how this goes. Don't even think about going there."

"Why not? Maybe… maybe I can help out."

Saying that, I readily expected to hear amused laughter brushing the offer away. I did hear that. But what I didn't expect to hear was just how stiff it sounded out loud.

"Alright, lookie here, let me put it in a way that a benevolent goody-two-shoes like yourself would be able to understand: I am not your damsel to be saved."

Clearly, I was creeping close to a line there… I knew I shouldn't cross it, but that closed door, the flow of the conversation, the overbearing quiet - I just couldn't help myself.

"Whose damsel are you then?"

Muscle memory had me donning on the new set of clothes in a brief span of time. Muscle memory had me gazing at my reflection, seeing myself, and being in disbelief over my own audacity.

Muscle memory without thinking had me opening that door, crumbling away the barrier that had stood between us, to reveal Ria standing right before me, an enigmatic expression plastered on her face.

"Look, Mr. Hero, you don't really wanna go down my rabbit hole, trust me, you won't like the burns and scars you'll get burrowing in… I'm more trouble than you could ever imagine. 'Sides, don't forget, it ain't me you're going on a date with here. Focus on her, alright?"

Said so lightly, yet her words felt so heavy. Again, there was nary a hint of displeasure, annoyance - it's like she never gets angry. Always smiling, she was always so bright…

It made me wonder if she's ever been snuffed.

Couldn't ask anymore though. Didn't have that door no more.

"Alright then," I said, nodding.

She nodded back, smiling, as she did, her eyes shifted up and down, making that smile grow wider.

"Now, you're looking good," She said, then spinning herself backward, called out, "Adalia?"

"Yes…" came an approving whisper. "Perfect…"

"The Matriarch gives her blessing," Ria said, turning back to me. "Guess that's that then."

"I suppose," responded I with a shrug.

"Welp!" She proclaimed, clasping her hands together. "Bring out some of them greens, brother. Let's bounce this joint."

Ria was never one for keeping things simple. Every sentence that came out of her always hid another way it could be conveyed, usually veiled behind a thick layer of sarcasm.

Give a person a few minutes, and they'll come to learn quick that conversations with her were essentially just a vocalized rendition of tic-tac-toe, and most of the time, they'll find themselves attaining more losses than they do wins… provided Ria was on her A-game.

For some reason, I don't think that was the case here. So quick to stifle the conversation shut, didn't even do a roundabout to throw it back in my face somehow - no attempt of evasion was as brazen as this one. She wanted the discussion dropped fast.

How did I know?

Well if the five sets of apparels left unworn by the benchside weren't proof enough, then there was also the added bonus that Adalia was attempting to hide away such incriminating evidence by the wayside, and by wayside I meant she just slid them right behind herself.

Subtle, Adalia, subtle.

Still, even Adalia could sense something was amiss, if anything, she could read the air like no one else and if the air could indeed speak, they would tell me that Ria wanted out.

Very generous of her to aid Ria in that aspect.

Seems even the bold and brash have some things she would rather not talk about.

Noted, clear and loud.

"You paying or am I?" I asked, hauling out a big bundle of bills from my pant pocket.

Ria raised her hands up in front of her. "Your money now, remember?"

"Ah yes… you know, I never did thank you, did I?"

"You're welcome," She flashed a smile. "Now go on and make the clerk an offer he can't refuse."

It took quite a bit to sort out the mess that was the pile of trial and tested clothes to the side, but eventually, we got it all sorted out quite nicely with a little help from the store assistants.

Ria insisted on me keeping on the newly acquired clothes I had on then. Said I should get as comfortable as I can get with them. For the sake of not starting up a futile argument where I would inevitably end up losing and she gloating, I consented with her request.

What I did not consent to, however, was the vile act of chemical warfare Ria was doing on my sense of smell.

She sprayed another dosage - another heavy dosage of the dreaded stench of perfume sprinkled onto every inch of me.

"Now it smells like you too," was the reasoning to justify such heinous torture

Something tells me that argument wouldn't hold up in court.

Couldn't even be bothered by then to even put up a fight. Moving on, moving on - the end was nigh upon us, and boy, did I yearn for that end… I needed a long hot shower after everything.

Haven't reached that end yet though, unfortunate to say… we still had a piper that needed paying.

The total amount amassed in the name of fashion soared up to the triple digits. Seriously, I thought the cash register was bugged when I saw the price, it took a few affirmations from the clerk to finally accept the notion that the two mythical beings on either side of me just had really expensive taste.

I can only imagine what a dinner at a restaurant would entail, financially speaking. Pretty sure even Jeff Bezos would raise an eyebrow at that bill.

Regardless though, I paid in full, and when the clerk asked whether it'd be in card or cash, I let the resounding echo of the stack of bills slamming against the countertop answer for me.

Wasn't intentionally flexing on him, I just didn't have any other place to put the money on. Despite my heritage, I wasn't born with three hands, after all. Don't think it was a perk in either Mom or Dad's genetic pool, so sadly I have to make do with just two.

"Five fifty-one… five fifty-two… Alright five-five-three and fifty cents," I proclaimed, smiling like all was right in the world.

The cashier with his dubious gaze, luckily spoke no questions, and promptly ringed us up, bagged everything else, and bid us a happy afternoon as we strolled away to the outside world once more.

By the way, that everything else that was bagged? Apparently, while I was busy playing model, Ria, with a bit of aid from her pale friend, picked up a few selections for Ash too.

Selections that, as it turns out, I couldn't get privy with, just as my curiosity went peeking into the bag, Ria swiped it away from view like a paranoid detective holding some vital document for a conspiracy.

"There's a saying," Ria said, glancing at me like I just committed the biggest taboo in mankind's history. "The groom doesn't get to peek on the wedding dress until his bride-to-be is wearing it in all its glory."

So glad we weren't walking across the street just then, because hearing that made me freeze up on the spot in sheer disbelief.

"Well, didn't know you already had me engaged," I said, slowly recovering. "Who the hell am I practicing my 'I do's' to?"

"Silly questions deserve silly answers. Do you want a silly answer?"

I sighed. "Ash is just a friend."

"Sure," Ria nodded. "In the same way that chickens are actually just dinosaurs, yeah I guess so."

"You're losing me with your metaphors now…"

A red light in a crosswalk had Ria turning a glance my way.

"Face it, Romeo, you practically killed yourself saving your Juliet and she in return could have killed herself saving you. I mean, just what is the ultimate profession of love if not having to kill yourselves over one another?"

The light turned green and we began to cross.

"You're scaring me, love detective, you really are," I muttered. "Hope this date of yours doesn't involve either one of us going on a trial to test how much we love each other or something."

"Ooo, idea!"

"Shit."

Okay so, prior to my previous claims where I wished and desired for home ever earnestly, I decided instead, in a spur and a glance to the sidelines, that maybe a short detour along the way to the bus stop wouldn't be so bad.

A detour to where exactly?

Well just off to pay a few old friends a visit. Dropping by occasionally to those that were there in my time of need was a habit I dare not lose without a fight. Besides, Mr. Black and Mrs. White do get lonely quite easy.

I suppose they'd appreciate a few new faces too.

Ria was certainly eager. Adalia was… well I think she was enthusiastic about it too in her own… special way, I guess.

Point being - The Neplims were a hard offer to turn down and the results irrefutably speak for themselves.

Didn't even make it ten steps into the park before a blurring black ball hurled and latched itself onto Ria, clinging around her chest, purring and meowing in delight.

The Phoenix took it all in stride, and embraced the fuzzy welcome with open, cuddling arms - her locks of hair burning to their brightest yet as she cooed and fawned over her new feline friend.

"Didn't take you for the aww-ing type," I remarked.

"Now, now, don't be jealous sweetie," Ria said, rocking a contentful looking Mr. Black in her arms. "You'll always be number one to Mama Ria."

Adalia, in the meantime, whisked herself away from sight once again. Took a few moments of glancing around the place to find where she wandered off to this time.

And there she sat, legs crossed amongst blades of grass and the blooming of flowers, twirling her hand around while Mrs. White tentatively reached out for it with her paws - swiping and missing.

Nearly called out to her but luckily stopped myself in time to notice the tender smile curving her lips ever so slightly. Her head tilted, her cloudy eyes gentle. I couldn't recall a single moment in time where I've seen Adalia smile before for any occasion.

A blank expression, a faraway stare, I've grown accustomed to seeing that sight in every passing day.

This though? This was nice, too.

Course, there was still that sliver of apprehension I'd feel when her eyes would find mine… in time, I'm sure it'll go away in time.

"Still not tired, Adalia?" I spoke out, taking a step into the meadow.

The moment her gaze turned at me that smile had all vanished, back again to the way it always was.

"Not… tired…" she spoke, her hand still swirling across the greens. "Neplims… are nice…"

"So I've heard."

"They… bring happiness, so much… happiness… to many people..."

"Yep."

Adalia stopped swaying. "Don't bring Ash… here…"

"Too late," I delved my hands into my pocket. "Remember I asked you about Neplims that time?"

"Oh…" Her gaze fell. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. Apparently it's what Ash wanted to know… so… lose-lose as it is, in the end it's what she wanted."

Adalia made no movement, nor spoke no words. She was always like that when there was nothing that needed input on. Unlike me, where everything always needed another word, another thing to say.

Could learn a thing or two from her.

I still had something to say.

"After Cleansing," I tightened my lips. "Finally found out what A.D. stood for."

Adalia raised her eyes back up. "Yes…"

"Know what it means?"

She shook her head.

"Your sister?"

"No one… knows…"

"Does it have to do with Elves - were Elves cleansed or something?"

"I don't… know…" she repeated.

"Then who does?"

Wanted to come off as casual and I ended up with a plead. Didn't mean on pressuring her… I just… well, everything always needed another word… and she, as always, had nothing left to say.

Or so I thought.

"Terestra… might…" Her arm began swinging again, her gaze away from mine. "She... might..."

That's right. How could I have forgotten? I had two living legends as parents… why on Earth wasn't I asking them? Alright… that's another question added to the list… when dear ol' dad knocks on that door, I'll be ready.

"Nice one, Adalia," I said, nodding my head in thanks. "I didn't think of that."

"It's… okay…" whispered her voice as I turned my way back towards Ria. "I hope you find… what you're looking for…"

We spent another while at the park before the flashing rumbles in the clouds up high signaled the end to our little meet n' greet. With great reluctance, and after a bit of back and forth arguing as to why a cat in the house was not a necessary accommodation, Ria cut her losses and bid an emotionally-charged farewell to Black and White.

"You can visit them again anytime, you know," I said, upon seeing the devastated look on her face.

"Oh yeah, you're right!" She piped up, suddenly strolling along with a lot more spring in her step, and hailed the bus with a flourish.

Damn, if only it was that easy to cheer Ash up too, wouldn't even be here if that was the case, sadly, I can only dream.

And dream I did. The ride back home burrowed me with thoughts aplenty to keep me occupied in the silence. Mostly I thought of the questions I wanted to ask, the things I wanted to know, and how I would word them when I finally got the chance to meet them.

The truth, first and foremost, that's what I wanted more than anything. Terestra, Kronocia - whatever else… I don't care if it took an entire sermon, Dad better get comfy on that couch there because his heroic ass will be sitting on it for hours to come.

I still haven't really sorted out my feelings about it, whether or not I was actually mad at them for hiding the truth, or if I even wanted to be mad at them in the first place.

Was it strange that I was so mellow about the whole fiasco? At this point in time and even back then, I wasn't mad… just surprised. When will the rage come, if it'll even come at all?

Guess I'll find out in due time, for now though, Ria nudged me on the shoulder, standing up from her seat.

"Our stop, let's go," She said.

The walk back home was also done in silence. Even more thoughts to cram up the tight space in my head. By the time we reached the front porch, it was already bursting at the seams.

Surprised there wasn't any grey matter leaking out of my ears.

Still, I needed some me-time.

"Not coming in?" Ria asked, already midway through the doorway.

Adalia took a glance, saw me there sitting by the steps all by lonesome, and understood at once, as she always does.

"We'll… leave you…" She muttered, passing by Ria and into the hall. "I'll… feed... later…"

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Ria raised a brow.

"Nostalgia?" She asked, her head dangling sideways. "Melancholy?"

"Headache," I answered back. "I'm fine. Meet you inside later."

"Oh, you better. I'm not done with today just yet… I still got one more thing planned for you so you better not be late for that."

Grumbled and groaning, I whispered, "More?"

"One more," She said, her smile scurrying away with a swing of a door. "Enjoy."

The only thing I could enjoy right then was the chilly wind that breezed past. The sway of the leaves and the chirping of the birds. The calm before the storm.

Yep, just can't stop thinking about it. My patience was not patient any longer. Questions needed answering, but they weren't here.

Call? Text? Please leave your message after the beep.

That's another one that'll be going on the list.

Ghosting is a serious offense in modern society. Weren't you guys living in this world long enough to realize that?

Okay… there's the anger I was looking for.

Not good, bad time to be down in spirits. I need to somehow take my mind off it - a long shower maybe, some shows I could watch, or perhaps even a long, long nap…

Anything was better than thinking.

Then something caught my eye, and thinking became the least of my worries.

Something? No. More like a someone. Gradually approaching, past the meadow, along the concrete path, towards the steps where I sat.

How? What? Where? Why? - The four horsemen of questionnaires, running laps around my head endlessly and bolting ahead into first place was the fifth and most enigmatic of all: Who?

Who art thou over yonder, ambling so apprehensive towards me? You, with hair ever golden and bright, dressed in a dress so elegant and white. You with a…

Shit.

"Oh, so this is the right house," She gasped in relief, a trembling hand clutching her chest. "Augh… this would have been so awkward."

Dreaming. I'm dreaming. Time to pinch myself - ow! Okay, I wasn't dreaming. She was there, she was really there, standing across from me.

I couldn't believe my eyes. The last I saw of her was a meandering emaciated husk, condemned to wander an empty complex to a slow agonizing end. Now I could hardly recognize her.

Skin and bones no more. Hollowed eyes then, now so full and bright. They stared at me, those hazel brown pupils with more emotion than I ever saw within them back then.

"I don't suppose you… recognize me, do you?" She asked, wrapping a finger around a strand of her hair. "I'd be quite embarrassed if you didn't. Very, actually…"

Recognize? Whether she was gaunt and lifeless, or springy and healthy, I could never forget her face. Never forget her name. It was burnt into the back of my head, a nightmare to pester my dreams.

"Amanda…" I heard myself whisper out loud.

"And you know my name, too…" Amanda said, her expression positively glowing. "Mmm, I don't think I ever got yours, actually…."

My mouth was chattering about like I was in sub-zero temperatures, forget my mind bursting at the seams - it just got goddamned nuked to orbit. I didn't know what to say, what to ask, what to do.

And the amusing part was - neither did she. Amanda stood there over me, shifting about rather uncomfortably. I suppose she came at me woefully unprepared.

Luckily the four horsemen miraculously survived the fallout, the first of which managed to rear its ugly head into the spotlight and outta my mouth with a breathless, "How'd you find me?"

"Ahh…" She smiled faintly, her left hand wrapped around her right, timidity in the way her fingers fiddled around with each other as she spoke again. "You smelled funny…"

I'm so gonna smash that cologne bottle.