Chapter 46: A talk with Viggi
Felix Sythias’s POV:
With our chests pressed together in a hug, I could feel Alex’s heart racing as much as mine did. I couldn’t believe I did that, that I said that. It was the closest I’d ever come to flirting with someone, and Alex had let me.
I wasn’t sure if he realized it was flirting, of course. But from the way his heart was beating, I thought it was entirely possible that he realized it was. He had to be aware of it on some level, right? Or why else was his heart trying to escape his chest like that?
Maybe I should try to flirt with him again, more obviously, and see how he reacted. Would he flirt back? Would he be disgusted? Or would he just think I was complimenting him? There was only one way to find out. I hoped he would flirt back—that would be the closest thing to proof I’d ever come of him liking me back, outside of him outright telling me so.
I’d need time to think of what to say, though. It’d be weird if I randomly started saying I liked his scales or that I liked the ridges on his back. No, I had to think of the right thing to say and then wait for the right time. Then again, overthinking the issue wouldn’t get me anywhere either.
Alex let go, and I stepped back. He had a huge grin plastered on his snout, and I couldn’t help but do the same. Neither of us seemed to know what to say next. After a moment, I realized that I was going to have to be the one to break the silence.
“So, uh, you want to look for a few more books before we go back?”
He nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. Did you have anything in mind you wanted to get?”
The silence now broken, we freely talked about books and what we wanted to read while we wandered the endless aisles of the library. Occasionally one of us would pick a book from a shelf, read the blurb, leaf through it, then put it back. Neither of us really found anything that caught our interest. I did note down a few titles to check out later, though.
Eventually we wandered through the education section of the library, and I finally spotted a book that was interesting enough to take back with us now. It was titled A guide to the monsters of the Dungeon Caves of Elmar. Alex was interested in it too, but there was only one copy, so we would have to share. I pictured Alex sitting between my legs while we read, or lying on my back and looking over my shoulder down at the book, and smiled. We’d probably end up reading the book separately, but the fantasy was nice. Then again, Alex was really cuddly, so he might like the idea. I’d propose it later.
Too soon, it was time to leave. We still had to make dinner and had homework left to do. The moment we were outside, Alex hopped back on my back. I was glad he liked it up there. Apparently the view was completely different. I could imagine it was, just like how the campus looked completely different from up in the air.
I stretched my wings, startling Alex and getting me some dirty looks from the other people walking around me. Folding them back in, I mumbled an apology to Alex. I really couldn’t wait to fly again. I was getting antsy from having to walk everywhere and I yearned for the feeling of the air rushing over me, stretching the membrane of my wings taut as it caught the air to keep me aloft.
Just a week and a half more, that’s what Elena had said. She was still confused at why my wing was healing faster than it should have and told me she wanted to keep a close eye on it.. At least it would probably be healed in time for the excursion.
Back in the dorms, we ate dinner and did our homework. Afterwards, Alex sat down on his bed with Scales in the night, but only after asking twice if the first story really was that tame in the first chapter. He didn’t want to read the smutty stories while anyone was there. I could understand that.
Before long, we went to bed.
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Unconventional Casting Media sucked. My progress with the cylinder—I had gotten a new one—had slowed down from a crawl to a… whatever was slower than a crawl. The professor didn’t know anything to help me, and nothing we tried helped. This was never going to work for me, I realized. My mana would never agree with doing this. I was probably going to have to switch classes. But to what?
My musings were interrupted by a whoop. I looked up and saw Alex grinning. I knew that smile. It was the same one I’d had on my face yesterday when I succeeded with the lightning cube.
“You got it?” I asked.
He nodded so hard I feared his head would fall off. “I did! I finally figured out how to stop the mana from leaking out!”
He raised his hand so the professor would come over, and I did my best to be happy for him, despite the sourness rising in my throat. Unlike him, I wasn’t ever going to figure it out. I tuned out Alex’s conversation with the professor and thought about other classes I could take instead. I wasn’t sure what to do. There was a good reason I picked this class after all, and it was because there weren’t all that many choices for classes that didn’t have an overwhelming focus on Skills or Paths.
I suppose I could take another combat oriented class like Aerial Combat, but what? There weren’t that many classes useful to me. A lot of them taught fighting styles that were exclusively for bipedal bodies, nothing for my damned quadrupedal one. Hand-to-hand combat wasn’t much use when you didn’t have hands.
A non-Skill utility class, then? That might work. I already knew how to fly, hunt, and harvest monsters, but I’m sure there was something else I could learn… monster identification, maybe? I wouldn’t have the System to help me with that, so it would be useful for sure. I’d have to look at the list of classes when I had the time later this week.
I focused back on Alex and the professor. He had switched out Alex’s iron cylinder for a wooden one and was explaining how this exercise worked. From what I heard, it was all about increasing your control over the containment of the mana. Wood was more chaotic in mana dispersal, apparently. The professor left Alex to it.
I watched him trying to gather mana, but with his excitement at succeeding, he was unable to focus. He let out an annoyed huff but kept trying. I glanced at my own cylinder. I wasn’t going to get that to work, so I might as well do something useful.
Moving over to sit right beside Alex, I placed a talon on his knee and guided him through some breathing exercises, and gave him tips on gathering mana. After a few minutes, he was able to succeed. I made to move away, but he looked up at me as if asking me to stay, so I did. There was only ten minutes left, anyway.
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Aerial Combat was a lot more interesting than usual. It was almost entirely only ground-based exercises, and those I could join in on. Before we started with those, I asked professor Marchie for the exercises I could do. She handed me a small notebook with things to do.
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“Do you have any recommendations for exercises I could do to train my ability as a mount?” I asked. If anyone would know, she would.
She thought about it for a moment, then snatched the notebook back. “I think I do. I’ll scribble them down and hand you this back at the end of the class. Is it safe to assume that Alex will be your rider?” I nodded. “I thought so. He was asking similar questions last Wednesday. I actually wrote him some notes, too. Would you mind giving them to him?”
I didn’t have any problems with that, so she handed me a different notebook. I put it away and wandered over to the group while Marchie talked with a few other students. I saw Viggi sitting there, but I didn’t feel comfortable going to him. He had no such problems when it came to me, though.
“Hi Felix! How are you doing?” he asked after walking over.
“Well enough.” I said, then after a moment, “You?”
“Same,” he said, then yawned. “Sorry, I had a bit of an exhausting day, but other than that I’m fine.”
“Oh, what happened?” I asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
He waved his hand. “Oh, just a set of tiring training sessions during my combat classes this morning.”
We stood in awkward silence for a bit.
“So, uh, Felix, I wanted to apologize for last Tuesday,” Viggi said, rubbing at the back of his head. “I shouldn’t have left you out of the conversations like that. I was the host, and it wasn’t fair. I just wanted you to know I didn’t do it on purpose, and if you still want to be friends, I’m open for it.”
“Alex said as much, yeah, but thank you for apologizing anyway,” I said. “I appreciate it.”
He sighed and sat down on the grass. I followed his example and sat down near him. “Alex pointed it out to me when we went to pick a game. I wish that hadn’t been necessary, but what’s done is done. I hope the evening wasn’t too unbearable.”
“Can I ask why you did it? Or do you not know?”
He blinked. “You didn’t figure it out? Stars, you two are dense. The reason is quite simple, really. I like Alex and wanted to get to know him better, so I subconsciously focused on him.”
I didn’t say anything for a moment, but finally responded with: “You like Alex, as in you like-like Alex?”
I gave him a quick look-over. He was wearing his light-armor, which was specifically made to be aerodynamic. I knew from seeing him outside this class that he was rather muscled, and that he had some very interesting scale patterns running down his back. He was handsome for sure, and maybe even a little bit cute. He definitely wasn’t my type, though I could see others falling for him with ease. Would Alex be one of those people?
He rolled his eyes. “Duh. I don’t think he likes me back, though.”
Or maybe not.
“Oh. Your behavior makes more sense now.” I scratched the side of my snout. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I don’t like lying.”
He chuckled. “It’s fine. I knew since that time you came to eat dinner at our restaurant. He already likes someone else.”
“Oh,” is all I could say. “Does Alex know?”
“He didn’t tell you?” He shook his head. “I guess I can understand why. Yeah, he knows. I asked him out the first time we met. To our restaurant, actually. I was honestly a little angry when I saw him coming in with someone else, but then I figured that he probably didn’t know any other restaurants. I’ve been in his shoes and can understand. The first few months here are the worst.”
I nodded thoughtfully. “That, and, now that I know the context, I think he was trying to see if you really asked him out by taking a look at what kind of restaurant it was.” I said. “You actually asked him out? What did he say?”
He blinked. “That makes sense, I guess. I hadn’t thought of that. And yeah, I did. He didn’t really say anything, and only gave a response last Friday when we met up again at the support group meeting. He said he wanted more time to decide, but I think he just didn’t want to hurt my feelings.”
I chuckled, then sighed. “That sounds like Alex, yeah. Now what?”
“We decided on two weeks,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t really expect anything but a no. He clearly likes you.”
I shook my head. “I’m not so sure, honestly.”
He raised an eye-ridge at me. “Really? Why not?”
I tried finding the words to explain why, but was unable to find them. I could only think of reasons why he would like me, instead.
“Can’t find the words?”
I once again shook my head. “I can, but not the right ones.”
He chuckled. “Let me guess, you can only come up with reasons for the opposite?” I nodded meekly. “I’ve been there. Can I ask why you are so against admitting he could like you back? What are you so afraid of?”
I sighed. “What if it turns out we’re both wrong, that he doesn’t like me back? If I tell him I like him and he doesn’t… our friendship wouldn’t survive, and I really can’t lose him. He’s been the first real friend I’ve had in years.”
Viggi shook his head. “Do you really think so little of him that you expect him to just up and leave if he doesn’t reciprocate? Sure, your relationship would be awkward for a while, but I’m sure you two could push through that, eventually.”
He had a point, as much as I didn’t want to admit it. I didn’t really think Alex would just leave. That was fear talking, but it talked so loudly.
“It seems I have a lot to think about,” I said, hoping to stop the conversation before it got too far out of talon.
“Yeah, you do. For what it’s worth, I hope you end up together with him. You two are sickeningly adorable. Really wished I had someone like… well, either of you, really. I don’t suppose you’re open for a poly relationship?” he said with a joking tone, before holding up his hand. “Nevermind, don’t answer that.”
I personally wouldn’t be opposed to a poly relationship, but I was certain I didn’t like Viggi that way. When I compared my feelings towards Viggi and towards Alex, it was like night and day. I only saw Viggi as a friend. If Alex wanted to date both of us, however… I guess I wouldn’t be too opposed to that. But I much preferred someone we could both date if we went that route. Thinking about it was pointless, though. I didn’t even know if Alex was open for a poly relationship. It was one of the things we’d have to talk about if we ever got together.
We sat in comfortable silence until Marchie was ready to begin the class, which didn’t take all that long. She assigned us to random teams, and I got stuck with some stuck-up woman who didn’t like me for whatever reason. Luckily, she was civil enough for teamwork. The exercise was fun and demonstrated the differences between aerial combat and ground combat and when you should use which. Valuable knowledge.
Eventually the exercise ended, and they continued with flight training. I once again took notes. By the end of the semester, I could probably write my own textbook with all the notes I had accumulated. Actually, that wasn’t a terrible idea. I could make the notes a bit nicer, then donate them to the library for replication. They might prove useful to someone.
After the class, professor Marchie handed me the notebook with the exercises back, and I pocketed it. I walked over to Viggi. There was something I still wanted to ask.
“Hey, Viggi, before you go, can I ask you something?” He gave me the go ahead, so I continued. “Alex, Tiki, and I are all meeting up this weekend to go swimming by the river. Did you want to join us, too?”
“Absolutely. Sounds like fun. Would you mind if I invited some peers from the support group? Alex may have told you about them.”
“Sekara and Zhalia?”
He smiled. “Yeah. I figured Alex could get to know them better, while also including them in the fun. Someone recently told me I had to be better at that, and they’ve had trouble making friends, too. So I figured I’d ask.”
“That’s fine,” I said, nodding. “They’re more than welcome. Don’t invite too many others, though. It’s a get-together, not a party. Oh, speaking of, I plan to bring most food and snacks, but if you, and your friends, could bring some drinks, that’d be great.”
“We can do that, yeah.”
Viggi and I walked back to my dorm for a little while as we hashed out the details, such as when and where. After that, he flew off. Not much later, I arrived back home and was faced with the choice of whether or not I would tell Alex that I knew what was really going on between him and Viggi.