Although the storm had ended, it was still a little cold. A little damp.

The tombstones and statues were all dark, most of them made of the type of stone that got darker when wet. It made the place feel a little… more somber. Even though most were actually made very well, and with happy and pleasant designs.

Some were actually very fancy. Carved and chiseled into strange shapes and motifs. The one I was standing in front of right now was as big as a tree, displaying rows of animals stacked on each other.

The bottom row had large creatures with strange ears. Above them was a mix of smaller animals, then another row followed by another… growing smaller and smaller until at the very top a fancy cross stood above them all, dangling with vines.

I recognized only a few of the animals… but it was safe to assume each and every one being displayed were those found in the Society. From bears to mice.

This one didn’t have names upon it, but on the cross up top, half hidden by the vines… was a simple phrase.

“For the Society,” it read.

“This was the first made. We expanded from here, laying them in circular rows… as you can tell,” Frett said as she gestured around us.

I nodded. I could see it. Although now there were trees, rows of flowers and stuff all over… I could very easily make out the pattern.

Dedicating as many of the statues and graves to memory, I turned and went to walk around the large circular one with all the different animals.

“Who made this one?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. I know Vim’s made a few, but over the years we’ve had many grave keepers…” Frett sighed and gestured lightly. “Right now it’s Tim,” she added, as if regretfully remembering so.

Right. She and Tim weren’t getting along right now.

It was actually why Frett and I were alone right now. I had been walking around, looking for Vim, and Frett had shouted at me from a distance. She had hurried down the hallway, and grabbed onto me… to pull me away.

Seemed she had used me as an excuse. To escape from an uncomfortable conversation. Though with who, and why, I wasn’t sure. I hadn’t been able to see the one she had hurried away from. It had looked like a small group. A few had been humans, and I'd really not spent much time with them yet.

Thus why we were here. I had wanted to find Vim, to have him tell me the stories about all these graves… but well…

I didn’t mind though. Frett reminded me a lot of Rapti. I felt comfortable with her. Plus she was nice… she had given me the robes I was wearing. And even more so the headdress, which allowed me to not have to cover my ears.

“Vim is crafty, sometimes,” I said, deciding to steer the conversation away from the man who she seemed to dislike.

“Sometimes,” Frett smirked as she nodded.

Stepping away from the tower of animals, we stepped off the stone path and onto a dirt one with large circular stones. I did my best to step on them, since the grass was still a little wet. I didn’t mind getting my feet or shoes wet, but this robe wasn’t mine it was Frett’s.

“Whose grave is the um… most recent?” I asked, unsure of how to phrase it without sounding rude.

“Most recent were humans… the last non-human to be laid to rest here was Sally.”

I paused. “Sally…? Monroe’s wife?” I asked.

Frett paused as well, and tilted her head at me. “Monroe…?”

“Ah…” So it must not have been. They had just shared the name. I suppose it was somewhat common.

“I didn’t know Sally. She had lived in Lumen. Brandy and Merit brought her remains here… oh… fifteen or so years ago, I guess?” Frett tried to remember.

“Then yes… it had likely been her. I had thought she had died a long time ago,” I said. Hadn’t I heard that Sally had died before Merit had joined Lumen? That had to have been longer than twenty years ago, at least so I had thought.

Frett nodded with a shrug. “Likely, Renn. Some of us don’t get buried here until much later. Most the time we don’t even have a body or anything to bury, just memories. Brandy likely just brought her remains when she had been able to,” Frett explained.

Although that made sense… it still for some reason bothered me.

To go that long without being laid down to rest…

Why hadn’t Vim or someone come earlier? Why hadn’t they prioritized it?

Why not just bury her there in Lumen then? There had been a cemetery there. Just outside of Lumen's walls, near a large farm owned by the Animalia Guild. We had buried one of Lamp's people there. I had thought other members of the Society had been buried there too... In fact...

Hadn't Sally been buried there? I could have sworn someone mentioned they had gone to bury Monroe next to her...

Maybe though... this place wasn't really being used as a final resting place. Maybe every member who died eventually got a grave here. Or something like it. Or maybe it was only those who somehow earned the right, or something... Though… it might have been a request of Sally’s to be buried here. From what I could gather that was kind of how it worked. One had to ask to be rested here. It wasn’t something that just was given. That would explain some things, I guess.

“Did you know her?” Frett asked as we stepped past a smaller tombstone. I had studied it but it had made me sad.

It had been the grave of twins. The graves had been small. Too small.

“No… but I had met her husband. Before he passed. I had heard she was a very nice person,” I said.

“Hm, that’s what they had said too… her grave’s over there, if you’d like to see it,” Frett pointed over the row we were near, off toward the rear of the cemetery. Heading for the other buildings.

I nodded and decided to head that way. I did want to see it.

Still…

“Merit came here too then?” I asked. So she had been a friend of Sally too? I hadn’t known.

“Probably because she visited the Weaver. They just stopped here on their way back, likely,” Frett explained.

Oh. Right. Nasba.

They were near to each other, so it made sense.

“Does Nann or Nasba ever visit?” I asked as we passed two larger blocks of stone. They were as tall as me, and had neat little stories carved into them. Telling of feats or moments of those laid to rest around them.

“The ducks have visited a few times, yes. I’ve gone with Vim to visit them too, alongside others. We uh… don’t really mingle to be honest, Renn. The ducks are pagans,” Frett said.

I frowned and glanced at Frett. “You don’t seem to mind,” I said.

“I don’t. But many here do. I know better than to judge someone. That is our god’s responsibility, not ours,” she said.

Oh. So it wasn’t that she wasn’t bothered by it, she simply overlooked it out of faith.

“There it is,” Frett pointed at a small circular tombstone. We stopped before it, and I read the words carved into what looked like a big plate or maybe a platter.

“Here lays one of the best of us. Sally was too sweet for this world, may she be sweeter in the next,” I read.

“Mhm… it had been a lovely funeral. Several people had wonderful things to say about her,” Frett said.

I shifted a little. “Had Vim been here for it?” I asked.

Frett shook her head. “No. But like always… he always visits the new graves when he arrives. He’s sometimes late, but never forgets anyone,” Frett said.

Somehow I had expected such a thing. Vim was sweet like that.

Sweet.

I smiled at the descriptor, finding it neat that it had fit the thought.

“To be honest… I’m surprised. As morbid as it is to say, we usually do have a new grave more often. If I’m remembering right and it really has been about fifteen years…” Frett wondered about it.

“Who was before her?” I asked. I didn’t want to hear that it was a surprise we’d not have had to bury anyone in fifteen years. It wasn’t a good thing, because it wasn’t true.

I knew we had far more deaths than Sally. I had seen one of them myself.

“It wasn’t too long before Sally that we buried Flak and his sister. They’re… that way. Near that tree,” Frett said, pointing behind us.

Oh. So they didn’t just bury them in a row. Was there a pattern, maybe, or was there more to it?

Staring over at the tree she had pointed at, I wondered how to ask… or if I even should.

It’d hurt to hear that they buried certain people in certain locations for an actual reason. If I found out they prioritized certain people over others…

I’d make me very upset to hear such a thing.

In death at least we should all be equal.

“Before them was Yangli. That had been a weird funeral,” Frett then said.

I blinked at the name. It was one I recognized. “Yangli?” I asked.

“Huh…? Oh. No. Not the one you know. I’m talking about his father. As far as I’m aware Yangli’s still alive,” Frett said, gesturing lightly at me as to calm me down.

Shifting, I nodded. “I uh… don’t know Yangli. I just have heard his name before, but had heard him spoken of as if he was still alive… so…” I said.

“Oh. Yeah. That’s my bad. Yangli inherited his father’s name. You’d have to ask Vim if he’s still alive… Even if he is dead, I’d likely never know,” Frett said.

“Why not?” I asked. Wouldn’t he be laid to rest here too? If his father had been?

Frett smiled gently at me. “Yangli’s a murderer, Renn. He’s killed our own people. He’s not welcomed anywhere anymore, thankfully.”

Hesitating as we turned, to continue walking around the cemetery… I wondered why then Vim and others had spoken of him so…

Well… wait…

Quickly running through my memories, I gulped as I realized that the only times I had heard of his name… was usually when being warned.

Don’t become like him or Lilly.

That was usually when his name popped up. As a warning. To me.

It was a little upsetting to realize I was basically being told not to become a murderer. Did I appear to be someone who’d do such a thing? Really?

And why was Lilly’s name included in that…? She had been nothing but pleasant to me.

“Yangli… I mean… his father, tried to stop his son. To punish him. Poor man,” Frett said with a sigh.

“Wait…” I paused as I realized what Frett was saying.

She blinked at me, and then nodded. “Yes. Yangli killed his own father,” she told me I had assumed correctly.

Huh… I hadn’t realized anyone else in the Society had done what I had.

The realization made me shiver. Maybe everyone's warnings were right then.

Wait...

I blinked as I realized something horrible.

She spoke as if Yangli was banished. From the whole Society. Because he had killed his father. He had not just murdered another member... he had murdered family.

I had done the same, so...

Before I could start really panicking over the obvious, I forcefully changed the focus of my mind and gulped.

“You said he was banished?” I asked.

She nodded. “As far as I’m aware, from everywhere yes.” Interesting. I wonder if… he was still alive or not.

I’ll need to ask Vim about him. It was hard to think Vim would let someone who killed our members just… live and let be. Yet I could see how it could happen. Maybe Vim knew more of the story, and had decided his actions even if wrong not so bad to require violence as a punishment.

“Like I said. Weird funeral. Vim promised Prasta he’d kill Yangli if he ever saw him again, I wonder if he ever found him,” Frett then said, putting all of my thoughts into disarray.

“Prasta?”

Frett nodded. “Yangli is her brother.”

I groaned. “Poor Prasta…” I said.

“Right? Brother kills her father. She barely survives Yangli’s wrath when she confronts him, and her mother ends up blaming her and disowning her after all is said and done. And I thought my family had been bad,” Frett said with a huff.

Feeling horrible as I thought of that happy woman, who didn’t seem to have a mean bone in her body, I wondered what to say.

“Is her mother here?” I asked. Surely not right?

“Thankfully no. I could only imagine the yelling,” Frett shivered. “She’s at the Bell Church. Near Lumen.”

Huh… I wonder if I had met her.

Prasta had mentioned scales… had I met any with scales? I didn’t remember any… Though maybe beneath the robes… Prasta had said hers were only on her rear.

“Did you visit the Bell Church yet?” Frett asked as we returned to the main path. This section of the stone path had little puddles, thanks to small dips. The bricks had sunken into the ground a little over the years.

“Yes. But only for a moment… I uh…” I hesitated a moment, but knew there was no point hiding it. Especially since it was likely not something I was supposed to keep secret. “I was banished. From there,” I told her.

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

Frett stopped, and frowned at me. “What for?” she asked.

“One of the women there. An elder… she claimed my family had once attacked hers. She said she remembered my smell,” I said honestly.

Staring into Frett’s eyes, I watched her frown and tilt her head. “You don’t smell though, Renn,” she said.

“Well… I had back then, I guess,” I said, unsure how to explain it.

“I see… So your family had its problems too then, huh?” Frett sighed as she gave me a smile.

A warm emotion filled me as I nodded. “I guess so,” I said, thankful for Frett’s understanding.

“Worried I’d blame you or something, huh?” she then asked.

“That obvious…?” I asked with a small smile.

She nodded. “Yeah. But it’s okay Renn. I know Vim would not have let you travel with him had you done something bad. So I assumed you were likely similar to Prasta, or the many others who’ve had the same issues. It’s sad but it happens sometimes. My uncle killed himself, right in front of the whole family. Traumatized us all horribly. We all just… have those troubling members, I think. There’s always one,” Frett said.

I nodded, and gulped down a tiny whine.

It hurt to think and admit that I was the troubling daughter in my family’s scenario.

Great.

Wonder who had been Vim’s, though.

We stepped up to a pair of stones. They were square tombstones, and each had a metal bowl on top of them. Built into the stones. The bowls were a gleamy black. Right now both of them were full of water, rainwater.

“Here sleeps a pair of siblings. May their bickering not annoy the gods too much,” I read the tiny plaque sitting before and in-between the two bowls.

One bowl had the name Flak, the other said Fractal.

“They’d been here. Had lived here. Fractal often left though, sometimes traveling with Vim. I don’t really remember where she’d go… but she’d not be gone long. They used to argue all the time, but they did it by betting stuff. They’d bet each other their dinners, snacks, and stuff. It was funny, until one ended up losing many times in a row and ended up starving,” Frett said with a sigh.

“Starving? Really?” I asked.

She nodded. “Really. They took their bets that seriously. It was a good thing they weren’t human, else one may have died from hunger,” she said.

Huh…

“They died at the same time?” I asked.

“Yeah… Fractal got hurt. She died from the wounds. Flak stopped eating, and then asked Vim for a final favor,” Frett said.

I blinked and my tail coiled around my leg beneath the robe. “Final favor…?” I asked, hoping I was misunderstanding.

“Hm… Vim calls it the plight of the endling. He’s willing to oblige and perform the deed… but you need to be really convincing. Flak hadn’t eaten in years, and was so weak he couldn’t even get out of bed. It’s sad… but I guess I understand it,” she said.

Plight of the endling…

“Vim’s mentioned it before. That he’s been asked to end someone’s suffering or misery,” I said.

“It happens. Some see it as a great blessing. To be killed by someone so close to our gods,” Frett said.

Glancing at her, I studied the way Frett smiled as she stared down at the graves.

She had meant that. Truly. She hadn’t just spoken about the general perspective of Vim’s actions by the Society… but had said her own beliefs.

She not only saw nothing wrong with it… she praised it. Saw it as something positive, and good.

Scary.

“Speaking of Vim, I have a dinner date with him,” Frett remembered.

Ah. Right. “You do,” I nodded.

She sighed and glanced up, at the darkening sky.

Darkening because it was night, not because of clouds.

“Don’t want to?” I asked her.

“It’s not that. Vim’s cooking is just…” she shook her head.

“Right! It always smells so bad, doesn’t it?” I stepped towards her, and nodded.

Frett stood up a little straighter upon my approach, and nodded quickly. “R-right…! It does…! It’s tasty usually, though…” she said quickly.

“It does…” I admitted reluctantly.

She smiled, in such a way that her scarred nose twitched a little weirdly. Likely thank to it missing a large piece off its tip. “I’d invite you, Renn, but we uh… we have something to talk about,” she said gently.

“Hm? Oh it’s fine. I’m not in the mood to smell that nasty stuff, so,” I said.

“Right…” she nodded, and seemed relieved I didn’t feel insulted over it. She shouldn’t though. After all, why would I? I knew they had something private to talk about. Something important. I’d not intrude.

Not unless she or Vim asked me to, at least.

Frett sighed as she shifted and nodded. “I might as well go get ready then…” she mumbled.

“Get ready?” I asked.

“Hm. I always pray before a meal. Vim doesn’t care much for it, so I’ll do it in my room before,” she said.

Oh. Really? We had eaten together a few times; mostly just lunch and snacks, but I’d not seen such a thing from her yet. Maybe a snack wasn’t considered a meal to her.

Plus although Vim would sigh over it, I highly doubted he’d actually tell her not to do so. But I didn’t mention it, since I knew that Frett was just trying to be kind to Vim. To save him the awkward moment, more than anything else.

“Thanks for showing me around, Frett. I appreciate it,” I told her before she could step away.

“No, thank you. Prasta and the rest had been getting annoying. I’m glad you and Vim are here to help distract everyone, it’s too bad you’re not sticking around,” Frett said with a sigh.

Hm… this wasn’t the first time someone had said such a thing here. To me. So strange.

“If you see Vim before I do, let him know I’ll meet him upstairs in an hour or so,” Frett said as she stepped away.

Nodding, I waved her off as she hurried away. To go do her prayers.

Prayers. Before a meal…

That wasn’t really in their bible as far as I was aware. Maybe Frett wasn’t necessarily a believer of this religion then. She acted like it though, and seemed to always be amongst those praying together and during the sermons.

It was interesting that everyone had their own… interpretations and beliefs. Even though they all read from the same book.

It made my own beliefs feel more justified. If everyone else’s could be a little different… why couldn’t mine?

Though…

Looking back down at the graves, I sighed at the reality they forced me to admit.

Vim had killed him. This Flak. The brother.

Because his sister had died… and he had not been able to endure her loss.

It was such an odd line for Vim to cross.

He didn’t believe in forcing his will on anyone. Yet he was willing to kill someone... just because they asked it of him?

Was not the act of taking a person’s life one of the greatest enforcement of one’s will on another person? Did him killing them not equate to Vim forcing his will, ultimately?

It was one thing to kill someone because they were a threat or a danger to someone else… because in a way that was him stopping the individual, the attacker, from forcing their will on another. Particularly someone he protected.

Yet Flak had not been a threat to anyone but himself. Vim didn’t need to kill Flak as to protect another.

So killing him was… well…

“Not only against his beliefs, but in a sense the ultimate failure,” I whispered.

He had not only broken his rule of enforcing his will on another… but he had also taken the life of one of those he was meant to protect. It was the same as breaking every cardinal rule that Vim not only followed, but firmly believed in.

It was crazy to think Vim would be willing, or even able, to do it in the first place.

Yet… here I was. In front of a grave of proof… and likely surrounded by others.

I’ll need to talk to him about it.

Deciding to do so now, since I both had been looking for him originally… and now needed to tell him Frett’s message, I went to find him.

Leaving the cemetery, I re-entered the large church and quickly went to circle the main hallways.

Although luckily I didn’t get side-tracked again, by encountering anyone who wanted to talk to me, I also didn’t find him. However as I rounded a corner, and saw Father Abel down the hallway, talking to one of the human members… I realized Vim was somewhere alone.

Other than Sharp, I had seen practically everyone as I walked around. And Frett. But I knew that Frett was likely in her room so…

Hurrying upstairs, I rounded one of the main hallways and headed for the one where our room was located. It took me a few moments to reach it, since I had gone the complete opposite way originally.

Reaching the door, I smiled upon finding it slightly ajar. Not enough to see in it… but…

Slowly opening the door, I sighed gently at the sight of Vim on the bed.

He was lying on his back, and had an arm over his face. I couldn’t tell if he was actually asleep or not… but as I stepped into the room, and closed the door behind me, I quickly realized he was.

Vim would have turned to look at me if he had been awake. If even just to check if I was okay, or to tease me about something.

Shutting the door as quietly as possible, I smiled excitedly as I stepped over to the bed. Vim was lying near the edge of it, which told me he had known that he’d sleep until I arrived. He seemed to try and lay as close to the edge as possible, as if it allowed him to keep a distance from me.

It was a silly attempt at best. It wasn’t like his placement changed where I’d sleep, after all.

I actually hoped one day he’d try to lay on the floor or something, in his attempt to avoid sleeping next to me. Him waking up on the floor, and finding me right next to him, would probably put a funny expression on his face.

Vim’s pinky finger twitched. A tiny movement that I had barely noticed. Like always, he barely moved at all while sleeping. And thanks to how slowly, and how lightly, he breathed… it almost made him seem half-dead. Even his heartbeat felt slow while he slept, though when it did thump it did so strongly. I could feel and hear it through the pillows sometimes.

Staring down at the sleeping man, I smiled at the sight of him.

I was glad he was getting rest. Even if it didn’t seem to be helping much. I hadn’t said anything to him yet… but it was obvious his sleeping wasn’t doing much to get rid of his exhaustion. He had even yawned earlier, before Ursula showed up for her little... meeting.

Vim. Yawning.

It made me smile, to see a side of him I hadn’t known… but… it also terrified me. Because I knew it meant something was wrong with him.

Reaching out to him, I gently touched his elbow. The shirt he wore was thin and short sleeved. It was better than the one he had worn last night. That one had been thicker and long sleeved. It had been kind of itchy, so I hadn’t slept against his arm last night. This one would let me do so comfortably.

Gently laying my fingertips on his elbow, I paid keen attention to his hand.

It didn’t twitch or budge even as I touched him.

I knew it.

Either Vim was so deep in sleep… or he had genuinely become used to my presence.

I had tested it the last few nights, and it seemed I was right. As long as I did so gently and carefully… I could touch him. Even as he slept. And he’d not wake from it.

He had let me mess with him once. Back on that cart, before we reached Landi… but I had assumed it was simply because of how exhausted he was.

So either he was still that exhausted… or…

Laying my whole hand on his elbow and arm, I gently ran my fingers along his arm as he slept. He was warm, and there was a rather thick vein that ran around his elbow and disappeared deeper into his forearm. It pulsated when his heart beat.

Enjoying the moment, I continued to gently touch and feel him. Nothing too crazy, of course, because I didn’t want to wake him… but…

As I grabbed a few of his fingers with my hand, the fingers that hung a few inches from his face, I smiled as they gently squeezed. As if he somehow knew we were holding hands, even in his sleep.

Then, just as I heard the footsteps coming from down the hall outside… Vim’s fingers twitched a little harshly.

“What is it?” he asked as he woke.

Taking a deep breath, I sighed and did my best to not grow too angry with whoever was about to knock on our door. It was likely Frett, come to find Vim.

Letting Vim’s fingers go, I turned to glare at the door… as someone then knocked upon it.

Stepping towards the door, I calmed myself as Vim rolled up, to sit on the edge of the bed.

Opening the door, I felt my anger dissipate at the sight of the small bandaged woman.

“Hey Sharp,” I greeted the one glaring at me.

“Where’ve you been?” she asked me.

“Well… here?” I answered. At least, for the last few minutes…

She sighed, then turned her head… and did a double-take.

I smiled as I stepped back, as she stepped into the room and pushed the door open more.

“Evening Sharp,” Vim greeted the small woman as he scratched his elbow. The same elbow I had been messing with earlier.

“What the heck…? Really?” Sharp then turned to look at me.

“Really, what?” I asked her back.

“You’re actually sleeping with him? Really?” she asked with a point at Vim, she was in complete disbelief.

“Well, that’s a topic of great debate,” I said with a sigh.

“I’d hope so!” Sharp said.

Smiling at her, I nodded. “I do sleep with him… but probably not in the way you’re thinking,” I said.

“Of that I’d agree. Sharp’s very dirty minded,” Vim added.

Sharp quickly turned at him, and I noticed her robe’s hood shift.

I really wish I could just… take her hood off for a moment… Vim had called her an urchin once, and I wasn’t sure what that was, but she definitely had ears, I think. I wonder what they looked like… I bet they were cute. They had to be small, based off the way her hood shuffled. It laid rather flush with her head.

“Please tell me it’s not true Rennalee,” Sharp then said to me.

Hesitating a moment… I realized she was being serious. That hadn’t just been some teasing tone, or playful joke.

“We do sleep together, yes… I’ve actually been calling myself his wife for some time now, though it makes him twitch and flinch when I do so,” I told her.

Sharp stared at me, for a very long moment… and then sighed and shook her head. “Ridiculous,” she said.

“Isn’t it?” Vim agreed.

“Shush Vim,” I said to him.

She then turned to look at Vim. “You better not be playing with her,” Sharp said to him, coldly.

Oh…?

I stayed silent as I glanced from Sharp to Vim… and the way they were glaring at each other.

“Name one time you’ve known me to play with any of our members,” Vim said to her.

Sharp shifted, and her bandages made noises as she clenched her fists. I heard them tear and snap from the pressure.

“I’ll not forgive you if you are,” Sharp then said.

Smiling at the suddenly protective woman, I found myself completely forgiving her for interrupting me earlier.

Vim sighed. “To tell you the truth, if anyone’s playing with anyone it’s her. With me,” Vim then said as he leaned back, to lie back down.

Sharp stepped forward, as if to confront Vim… but paused, then glanced over at me. Because of how she had turned, some of her bandages slipped out of her hands. They started to dangle from her hands, revealing a few fingers. They were pale… but I didn’t see any wounds or scars upon them.

I nodded at her. “He’s kind of right… I’m the one who keeps messing with him, honestly,” I admitted.

The small woman took a deep breath, and then sighed. “Jeez,” she mumbled as she looked away from me.

Vim shifted on the bed, and it creaked loudly in protest. I glanced at it, half expecting it to break, but it didn’t.

It hadn’t even creaked that loudly when we were both on it. He really was odd sometimes.

“I love that you’re worried for me though, Sharp,” I told her.

She startled, and then glanced back at me… but only for a moment. She looked away again, but this time to the floor. “Just… be careful. He’s not normal. You’ll get hurt if you’re not careful,” she warned.

Smiling, I nodded. “I believe you. But… I’ve decided to try all the same,” I said.

“Mhm…” she nodded, and then sighed again. “Great. Now I feel weird. It’s not fair that you two don’t smell, you know? How am I supposed to know not to intrude if I can’t smell what you’re doing?” she asked us.

I blushed as I realized she was completely right.

We didn’t smell…! That meant others really wouldn’t know when to let us be or not… and… if Vim was right, and eventually we both became quieter and stuff…

“Is she blushing right now?” Vim asked.

“She is,” Sharp told him.

Glaring at Vim, who was still lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling, I was half tempted to throw something at him. Maybe Sharp herself, since she was so dangerous.

“We hadn’t been doing anything. Don’t forget… I had mentioned before, that our sleeping together isn’t what you think,” I said.

“Heh,” Sharp snickered at me, and my blush grew hotter.

Vim raised a hand, gesturing softly with a wave. “Go tease her elsewhere. Or I’ll start teasing you both,” Vim said.

Shifting a little, I wondered what that tone was. Was he really so tired he wanted us to leave him alone?

“Hmph.” Sharp scoffed at him.

“He has a dinner date with Frett,” I told Sharp.

“Huh…? Oh. Yea. Sure…” Sharp glanced at me, then back at the man doing his best to ignore us.

“I do don’t I?” Vim said with a sigh.

“You do. She’s praying right now, but will be ready soon. Are you cooking her dinner?” I asked.

“Yes. Frett belongs to a culture that when a man invites them to dinner, he better actually have dinner there waiting for them,” Vim said.

Oh…?

Sharp noticed my thoughts and nodded at me. “He’s telling the truth. If he doesn’t have dinner prepared, she’ll interpret it as a night-call,” she said.

“Night call…?” I asked.

Sharp tilted her head. “If you don’t have food to eat, then he’s eating her, basically,” she explained.

My face went red again, and Sharp actually snickered at me because of it.

“She’s red again!” Sharp told Vim.

Vim slowly sat up, and I glared at him as he smirked at me.

“You better go make food then,” I warned him.

He nodded, and sighed as he stood up.

Sharp giggled, sounding very happy as she gestured at me. “Maybe I should be warning you and not her, Vim,” she said to him.

“You have no idea,” he grumbled as he stepped between us and headed for the door.

Watching him leave, I smiled at the way he tilted his head and rolled his shoulder.

He was still tired.

“Well come on then,” Sharp then said to me.

“Hm?” I perked up as Sharp went to leave, as if to follow after Vim.

“You and I are going outside,” she said.

“We are?” I asked as I hesitated.

She nodded. “Oh. Maybe take that robe off. You were wearing heavier stuff when you got here right? We’re not going far, but we’ll be getting a little dirty,” she said.

“Uh…” I nodded as I glanced to the dresser. I did have my normal clothes…

“We’re just going to gather some leaves,” she told me.

“Leaves?” I asked as I went to change clothes.

“For my bandages,” she said as she lifted her hand, to show the dangling bits.

I see. So I had a date too, then.

Neat.