Post by Wakana Waka on Jun 25, 2020 8:22:57 GMT -8
Slowly… slowly… just use a tiny pinch.
The pink energy fizzed and crackled – an unnatural state for the malleable ki. Putting this much pressure on it wasn’t wise... it just wasn’t what it was made for. But, if she could just squeeze it into a trickle, then maybe…
Only a hiss was audible – but the searing pain in Wakana’s skull was far louder for her. Her head felt like a burning iron stake had been driven straight through it; a pain that made her wish she could just peel back her skin and shatter the source of her agony. She felt it dull, and then spread; a burning through her nerves that slithered down her arms and into her fingers… a sizzling pain that settled in hands, and lingered.
She clenched her first – the temptation was there.
If it is only an inconvenience, if it is only a danger, then –
- remove it.
It’d been getting worse again. All her meditation and training just wasn’t keeping it all under control lately… ever since she’d started trying to dive deeper into her ki. Maybe she should have stuck to punching her problems out, but she’d been so sure she had a handle on it. Her Giant Form was the tipping point… since then, it just hadn’t been going right.
Tch. She hated it. She was the only person she could rely on, so to fail herself was the deepest wound she could get.
But, the pain paled, as always. Was it shorter this time? Or was she just fooling herself? She wasn’t sure, but it was gone. Maybe if she just practiced enough and meditated enough, it’d stop hurting again. Or, maybe she ought to just leave it alone. Always keep pushing yourself, and growing… that’s what all those gurus said, right? Right now, though, that was looking like a gloomy road to go down. Maybe… maybe, they’d been right, once upon a time. Yet, if she was better off as just a Beastman… it was far too late, wasn’t it? Ugh, she couldn’t make a lick of sense of it all…
On the bright side, being out here meant she could get some work done. And interesting work, for once.
The pine forests out in the north of the Central Lands was always her favourite area; nice and cool, thanks to the alpine region and the Northern Lands bordering them. Since she made her messy exit from the North and ended up in the big city, she’d been pining (pun intended) to come back – and, an excuse was dropped in her lap. One of those old grumps she’d been holed up in the hermitage with had ended up in Central, too… turned out to be some big-shot. ‘Mister Abbatantuono’, not ‘mouthy guy in a ruined suit’. She’d always thought all that talk from him about being a hostage and escaping and so on was garbage, but when she saw him throwing around money like it was nothing, well…
Regardless. She’d ended up here, because of that. He was a secretive guy, from an organised crime background, and though he was getting too old for the business he liked to keep his reputation spotless. So, he came all the way out here to meditate, on old family land. And, should he bump into a partner who trained just like him, well… that’d be convenient, wouldn’t it? It wasn’t like he’d be tossing money around or pampering his old and unlikely comrade, but Waka still showed up every month. He was kind of a pain, honestly, but… he gave her consistent and clean work. And… his advice wasn’t so bad.
Ah, but that wasn’t the best part. He always zipped away in just a day or two, while Waka liked more time alone… and so, she’d made a pet project. On her way back from the first time they’d met up there, she’d found a little something. Turned out this was more than just some old land the family owned… they had a big place here, once. The remains of that cabin still stood amidst the rain and snow; a memory of a cozy life from long ago. It was a little nostalgic, and a little dreamy; at least for a little girl called Pepper.
So, she’d got to work. A lot of digging, mostly, but with plenty of hauling and hammering; but she gradually made it look a little better. She was meditating like when she was in the hermitage, so why not go all the way and practice her old survival skills, too? It could only make her tougher, after all. And, with no one to bother her… it was pretty nice. Particularly once she put together a roof over her head. And stowed away a fairly ludicrous amount of sweets. Despite the damage on the outside, most of the rooms were fairly intact, so… she could still be a creature of leisure out here, just with a lot more space than an apartment. Plus, the sound of rain on a wooden roof was just… unmatched!
And, most importantly, no one to make fun of her or give her useless advice while she was training.
“Done beating yourself up, girl? I will look like an ass if someone finds your corpse here after you’ve fried yourself one too many times. Do yourself a mercy, and invest in some proper training equipment or supplements.”
Well… no one until now.
“Had a hunch it was you, fox-girl. When did you become a good Samaritan, exactly? Are you planning to quit doing chores for me and start a charity instead?”
Leaning her back along a decrepit doorframe in an attempt to look more casual – and hide her hastened breathing – Wakana shot a glare over her shoulder. The older man stood behind her, all dressed up like usual. Grey pea coat, dress trousers, and a bow-tie, even in a forest amongst a wreck. She didn’t have a clue how he always looked impeccable. With muck and leaves peppering her sweater and skirt, the wannabe Majin looked like she was from another world. The class divide was palpable.
”What’s it to you, huh? Can’t b'lieve I’d play nice once 'n a while? Well, keep dreamin'… I’m just look'ng for a w'rkout. Or, seein' what I can pinch, maybe. You’ve got your fancy tent, but some of 's need a roof 'ver our head. And, this was j'st c'nveniently sized…”
The man frowned; his finely groomed moustache making his displeasure even more noticeable. “You’re blathering, girl. As plain as your face may be, you are an inconceivably bad liar. Just drop the attitude for a while. I’m hardly bothered by you playing around here – my family moved out long, long ago; so anything left behind is no more valuable than the land it’s on. And, well… if the land was any good as it is, I would have already started farming it, or at least looked into leasing it into one of the Capsule Corp contractors.”
The fox could only frown in response, though internally she was huffing like a kid. This guy… she hated this stuff. She’d reinvented herself in the Central Lands, and she was untouchable as Wakana Waka. But to those who knew her from before that… she was full of holes, and even she knew it. ”And? Do you want me t' pay rent or something? I don’t live here or 'nything, if that’s what you’re hoping for.” rumbled the girl, though her tone wasn’t as steady as usual; ”I’ll pass. My apartm'nt’s got heating, y’know. This place…”
But, she trailed off. She had no idea what she’d stepped in. She didn’t want to insult his family home, no matter how old it might be. Even if she didn’t have any care for family – she understood why it mattered to other people. Well, well enough, anyway. ”…This place, is just a spot to meditate. I just w'nted a roof over my head so I’m not dripp'ng wet while I’m working on it. See, this is what you miss out on when you tap out so early…”
“You’re not wrong.” Replied Abbatantuono, dismissing her blathering immediately. Instead, he glanced around at her handiwork. “It’s hardly work befitting of the original, but you haven’t done any catastrophically bad work here, Wakana.” While damned by faint praise, he wasn’t wrong – for all her gruff nature and efforts to look tough, she’d put genuine care into matching the rest of the woodwork. Thankfully, it hadn’t been too precise in the first place, being a locally-made log cabin and all… and, the damage time had done to it made it hard to compare, too. It had once been the small manor’s main hall, and while it still lacked some roofing and was barren of any notable furniture at the moment, it was a far cry from the flooded wreck it had been many months prior.
Shuffling aside, the man was quick to notice the focus of Waka’s efforts – though the hall had been a work-in-progress for a long time, she’d finished one of the rooms much earlier in order to make somewhere she could hole up in while she stayed in the forest for her meditation. An almost even roof, just one leak in the wall, and some makeshift furniture… it was anything but a manor, but it could be called a home. He merely gave a sniff, but his frowned weakened a little. Wakana had nothing to say – she wasn’t sure whether to blow off her hard work as meaningless, or just accept the inspection. It’d genuinely just been a hobby… she was pretty sure, anyway.
“You’re not a part of the family, Wakana.”
The blunt statement gave Waka pause, making her stare down at the shorter man – t-that hadn’t been her aim at all. With so many chinks in her armour exposed and then this baffling statement layered on top, even her unmoving expression was forced to give way to a hint of worry.
But, he just chuckled. “You’re the same as ever. You can call yourself anything you like, fox-girl, but you’re still a kid. You should just enjoy it.” More obnoxious advice, like it was out of a TV show. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes – as soon as he wasn’t looking at her. “Listen. This is, by order of law, my land, when it comes down to it. But, I don’t touch it, and my family has no interest in it either. They have little interest in me, as you are quite aware. So, I don’t mind your work here. It is – charming, even.”
The fox was neither relieved or pleased. She just wanted this conversation to be over.
“I’m entertained by your efforts here, and you seem quite pleased by them yourself. I thought the city had turned you into a lazy layabout, but it seems you still have some mettle in you after all. So, would you be interested in a friendly gamble? Well, perhaps a challenge is more suitable.”
Returning to the main hall, the man gestured to the manor with a hint of pride, and a glimmer of a troublesome smile – “I’d like to see what you make of this place. I will not lend a hand, nor an ear; but I’ll allow you to continue your ‘training’. Make your own den, fox, from whatever you see fit. They say that someone’s house is a peek into their heart and world… you and I, we’ve seen a lot of the same sunsets. I would like to see this old fortune of my family’s back together again, even if it’s just a few rooms; and I would like to see a peek into what’s under that armour of yours.”
”So you’re just throw'ng this at my feet, huh? You w'nt me to make a house f'r you, as some kind of char'ty pr'ject?” snarled Waka – she had intended for a more stable tone, but a fury bubbled up in her for just a moment. She hated this… being needled like this. She wasn’t some old friend of this cashed-up crook. Just a relationship of convenience! ”Whatever. I’ll be training 's always. We just meet here by chance, rem'mber? I’m not your crony.”
“Quit being such a child. Just wearing an adult’s clothing does mean you’ve grown up, Wakana. You walked away from everything you had, and I respect that – we all had lives we lost. But, you have to start again. Cruising the world, all alone, without a speck of ambition… I cannot tell you how to spend your potential, or your future; but to spend it on nothing must be a waste.”
In spite of herself, the beastman paused. A sadness crept up inside her, one she’d run away from for a long, long time. The truth… was scary. And, she was still… so young. Even if she’d take her life into her hands, she still didn’t know what to do with it. ”Yeah… and, you came back from the hermitage, didn’t you? From a life with everything, and then back to it. You’re not the same…” She tried to spit the words, but she couldn’t. It was merely a murmur when they left her lips.
“Please, come with me, Wakana. No matter how you feel about me, or this pet project, or anything else; I think I can give you at least one thing that might matter to you.” Taking her hand, Abbatantuono marched through the ruined halls; wood creaking below. Down, into what had once been flooded, until they were wading through the bottom floor – yet, he didn’t miss a beat, even as his trousers were finally soaked with mud and water. Missing panels in the floor made the sludge even deeper, but he searched onwards, until –
“Ah… finally, found one. I never thought I would be glad to see an heirloom left behind, but I think this might have some meaning to you…”
He held a wooden sculpture in his hands – or, what was left of it. Wakana had no idea what it had once been, though she didn’t know what half the things that ended up on rich people’s mantelpieces were. However, it was clear that the ‘what’ wasn’t important – instead, the important part was the curved writing below that her host tapped incessantly with an index finger.
U-Ugh… these fancy words of his. She saw them everywhere, but she didn’t speak a word of it…
“Yes, right, allow me to speak them for you – ‘Arma Fidelis Indutus’. It was the motto of my great grandfather. It never really passed down the family, but they have meaning like anything else. Admittedly, it is nowhere near my own motto, ’Carpe noctem’, but that is a little more general. I have no doubts that you would like to say something about me like ’Barba tenus sapientes’, eh?”
…
“W-Well, that aside, I think that motto will fit you rather well, should you forge forwards to make something more of yourself. Take it upon your shoulders.”
All these stories and advice being dumped on her… it really just made Wakana want to slip away. For all her grit, she couldn’t handle being treated like this. She liked to listen… not think too hard. Especially not to think about herself. Yet, she found it so hard to just say no… that kid inside her was instinctively standing up and shutting up. ”R-Right… I’ll ask someone about it, or something…”
“Good girl. The rest is in your hands, as per usual. You’ve served my family well in the past, even if it seemed very little to you. Good muscle just isn’t easy to come by these days, much less with a practical head on top. I won’t say to consider this a bonus or something similarly blasé, but I shall say to consider it a bet. Lose, and you may as well be back in your apartment anyway. Win, and perhaps you’ll find something more important.” And with that, the tension in the air eased – by the time Waka realised it, he had already passed her and was walking away. Already spotless again, too. “Whether you make this house a home or not, I suppose I should merely thank you for entertaining my curiosity for a while. It’s not often I get such an interesting pet project at my age.”
Honestly, Waka just felt like a whirlwind had passed through her life – even though, in the broader scheme of things, nothing had really changed. The Central Lands were such a strange place. Finally, she caught that spark of spite again, turning her head over her shoulder. To think she’d just let him walk over her like this! So much for his reputation being the one on the line. ”I don’t need your ch'rity, or speeches, or whatev'r else. I’m just me… I worked hard to be me again. I don’t need anyone else…!”
And, she was merely met with the curve of that moustache; a bratty smile that the elderly seemed to master at some particular point.
“Indeed, that’s precisely what he used to say. At the very least, trade that sour armour in for something sturdier, fox-girl.”
As he vanished, no doubt to zip back to a limo or whatever, Wakana was left to wallow in her spite… and knee-height water.
Whatever. Whatever! She’d just stamp over his legacy, and make her own world here. She didn’t need permission in the first place! She made her own name, and she’d make her own home… and, her own motto.
…well, once she figured out what in the world that one meant, anyway…
[2953/2953]
The pink energy fizzed and crackled – an unnatural state for the malleable ki. Putting this much pressure on it wasn’t wise... it just wasn’t what it was made for. But, if she could just squeeze it into a trickle, then maybe…
Only a hiss was audible – but the searing pain in Wakana’s skull was far louder for her. Her head felt like a burning iron stake had been driven straight through it; a pain that made her wish she could just peel back her skin and shatter the source of her agony. She felt it dull, and then spread; a burning through her nerves that slithered down her arms and into her fingers… a sizzling pain that settled in hands, and lingered.
She clenched her first – the temptation was there.
If it is only an inconvenience, if it is only a danger, then –
- remove it.
It’d been getting worse again. All her meditation and training just wasn’t keeping it all under control lately… ever since she’d started trying to dive deeper into her ki. Maybe she should have stuck to punching her problems out, but she’d been so sure she had a handle on it. Her Giant Form was the tipping point… since then, it just hadn’t been going right.
Tch. She hated it. She was the only person she could rely on, so to fail herself was the deepest wound she could get.
But, the pain paled, as always. Was it shorter this time? Or was she just fooling herself? She wasn’t sure, but it was gone. Maybe if she just practiced enough and meditated enough, it’d stop hurting again. Or, maybe she ought to just leave it alone. Always keep pushing yourself, and growing… that’s what all those gurus said, right? Right now, though, that was looking like a gloomy road to go down. Maybe… maybe, they’d been right, once upon a time. Yet, if she was better off as just a Beastman… it was far too late, wasn’t it? Ugh, she couldn’t make a lick of sense of it all…
On the bright side, being out here meant she could get some work done. And interesting work, for once.
The pine forests out in the north of the Central Lands was always her favourite area; nice and cool, thanks to the alpine region and the Northern Lands bordering them. Since she made her messy exit from the North and ended up in the big city, she’d been pining (pun intended) to come back – and, an excuse was dropped in her lap. One of those old grumps she’d been holed up in the hermitage with had ended up in Central, too… turned out to be some big-shot. ‘Mister Abbatantuono’, not ‘mouthy guy in a ruined suit’. She’d always thought all that talk from him about being a hostage and escaping and so on was garbage, but when she saw him throwing around money like it was nothing, well…
Regardless. She’d ended up here, because of that. He was a secretive guy, from an organised crime background, and though he was getting too old for the business he liked to keep his reputation spotless. So, he came all the way out here to meditate, on old family land. And, should he bump into a partner who trained just like him, well… that’d be convenient, wouldn’t it? It wasn’t like he’d be tossing money around or pampering his old and unlikely comrade, but Waka still showed up every month. He was kind of a pain, honestly, but… he gave her consistent and clean work. And… his advice wasn’t so bad.
Ah, but that wasn’t the best part. He always zipped away in just a day or two, while Waka liked more time alone… and so, she’d made a pet project. On her way back from the first time they’d met up there, she’d found a little something. Turned out this was more than just some old land the family owned… they had a big place here, once. The remains of that cabin still stood amidst the rain and snow; a memory of a cozy life from long ago. It was a little nostalgic, and a little dreamy; at least for a little girl called Pepper.
So, she’d got to work. A lot of digging, mostly, but with plenty of hauling and hammering; but she gradually made it look a little better. She was meditating like when she was in the hermitage, so why not go all the way and practice her old survival skills, too? It could only make her tougher, after all. And, with no one to bother her… it was pretty nice. Particularly once she put together a roof over her head. And stowed away a fairly ludicrous amount of sweets. Despite the damage on the outside, most of the rooms were fairly intact, so… she could still be a creature of leisure out here, just with a lot more space than an apartment. Plus, the sound of rain on a wooden roof was just… unmatched!
And, most importantly, no one to make fun of her or give her useless advice while she was training.
“Done beating yourself up, girl? I will look like an ass if someone finds your corpse here after you’ve fried yourself one too many times. Do yourself a mercy, and invest in some proper training equipment or supplements.”
Well… no one until now.
“Had a hunch it was you, fox-girl. When did you become a good Samaritan, exactly? Are you planning to quit doing chores for me and start a charity instead?”
Leaning her back along a decrepit doorframe in an attempt to look more casual – and hide her hastened breathing – Wakana shot a glare over her shoulder. The older man stood behind her, all dressed up like usual. Grey pea coat, dress trousers, and a bow-tie, even in a forest amongst a wreck. She didn’t have a clue how he always looked impeccable. With muck and leaves peppering her sweater and skirt, the wannabe Majin looked like she was from another world. The class divide was palpable.
”What’s it to you, huh? Can’t b'lieve I’d play nice once 'n a while? Well, keep dreamin'… I’m just look'ng for a w'rkout. Or, seein' what I can pinch, maybe. You’ve got your fancy tent, but some of 's need a roof 'ver our head. And, this was j'st c'nveniently sized…”
The man frowned; his finely groomed moustache making his displeasure even more noticeable. “You’re blathering, girl. As plain as your face may be, you are an inconceivably bad liar. Just drop the attitude for a while. I’m hardly bothered by you playing around here – my family moved out long, long ago; so anything left behind is no more valuable than the land it’s on. And, well… if the land was any good as it is, I would have already started farming it, or at least looked into leasing it into one of the Capsule Corp contractors.”
The fox could only frown in response, though internally she was huffing like a kid. This guy… she hated this stuff. She’d reinvented herself in the Central Lands, and she was untouchable as Wakana Waka. But to those who knew her from before that… she was full of holes, and even she knew it. ”And? Do you want me t' pay rent or something? I don’t live here or 'nything, if that’s what you’re hoping for.” rumbled the girl, though her tone wasn’t as steady as usual; ”I’ll pass. My apartm'nt’s got heating, y’know. This place…”
But, she trailed off. She had no idea what she’d stepped in. She didn’t want to insult his family home, no matter how old it might be. Even if she didn’t have any care for family – she understood why it mattered to other people. Well, well enough, anyway. ”…This place, is just a spot to meditate. I just w'nted a roof over my head so I’m not dripp'ng wet while I’m working on it. See, this is what you miss out on when you tap out so early…”
“You’re not wrong.” Replied Abbatantuono, dismissing her blathering immediately. Instead, he glanced around at her handiwork. “It’s hardly work befitting of the original, but you haven’t done any catastrophically bad work here, Wakana.” While damned by faint praise, he wasn’t wrong – for all her gruff nature and efforts to look tough, she’d put genuine care into matching the rest of the woodwork. Thankfully, it hadn’t been too precise in the first place, being a locally-made log cabin and all… and, the damage time had done to it made it hard to compare, too. It had once been the small manor’s main hall, and while it still lacked some roofing and was barren of any notable furniture at the moment, it was a far cry from the flooded wreck it had been many months prior.
Shuffling aside, the man was quick to notice the focus of Waka’s efforts – though the hall had been a work-in-progress for a long time, she’d finished one of the rooms much earlier in order to make somewhere she could hole up in while she stayed in the forest for her meditation. An almost even roof, just one leak in the wall, and some makeshift furniture… it was anything but a manor, but it could be called a home. He merely gave a sniff, but his frowned weakened a little. Wakana had nothing to say – she wasn’t sure whether to blow off her hard work as meaningless, or just accept the inspection. It’d genuinely just been a hobby… she was pretty sure, anyway.
“You’re not a part of the family, Wakana.”
The blunt statement gave Waka pause, making her stare down at the shorter man – t-that hadn’t been her aim at all. With so many chinks in her armour exposed and then this baffling statement layered on top, even her unmoving expression was forced to give way to a hint of worry.
But, he just chuckled. “You’re the same as ever. You can call yourself anything you like, fox-girl, but you’re still a kid. You should just enjoy it.” More obnoxious advice, like it was out of a TV show. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes – as soon as he wasn’t looking at her. “Listen. This is, by order of law, my land, when it comes down to it. But, I don’t touch it, and my family has no interest in it either. They have little interest in me, as you are quite aware. So, I don’t mind your work here. It is – charming, even.”
The fox was neither relieved or pleased. She just wanted this conversation to be over.
“I’m entertained by your efforts here, and you seem quite pleased by them yourself. I thought the city had turned you into a lazy layabout, but it seems you still have some mettle in you after all. So, would you be interested in a friendly gamble? Well, perhaps a challenge is more suitable.”
Returning to the main hall, the man gestured to the manor with a hint of pride, and a glimmer of a troublesome smile – “I’d like to see what you make of this place. I will not lend a hand, nor an ear; but I’ll allow you to continue your ‘training’. Make your own den, fox, from whatever you see fit. They say that someone’s house is a peek into their heart and world… you and I, we’ve seen a lot of the same sunsets. I would like to see this old fortune of my family’s back together again, even if it’s just a few rooms; and I would like to see a peek into what’s under that armour of yours.”
”So you’re just throw'ng this at my feet, huh? You w'nt me to make a house f'r you, as some kind of char'ty pr'ject?” snarled Waka – she had intended for a more stable tone, but a fury bubbled up in her for just a moment. She hated this… being needled like this. She wasn’t some old friend of this cashed-up crook. Just a relationship of convenience! ”Whatever. I’ll be training 's always. We just meet here by chance, rem'mber? I’m not your crony.”
“Quit being such a child. Just wearing an adult’s clothing does mean you’ve grown up, Wakana. You walked away from everything you had, and I respect that – we all had lives we lost. But, you have to start again. Cruising the world, all alone, without a speck of ambition… I cannot tell you how to spend your potential, or your future; but to spend it on nothing must be a waste.”
In spite of herself, the beastman paused. A sadness crept up inside her, one she’d run away from for a long, long time. The truth… was scary. And, she was still… so young. Even if she’d take her life into her hands, she still didn’t know what to do with it. ”Yeah… and, you came back from the hermitage, didn’t you? From a life with everything, and then back to it. You’re not the same…” She tried to spit the words, but she couldn’t. It was merely a murmur when they left her lips.
“Please, come with me, Wakana. No matter how you feel about me, or this pet project, or anything else; I think I can give you at least one thing that might matter to you.” Taking her hand, Abbatantuono marched through the ruined halls; wood creaking below. Down, into what had once been flooded, until they were wading through the bottom floor – yet, he didn’t miss a beat, even as his trousers were finally soaked with mud and water. Missing panels in the floor made the sludge even deeper, but he searched onwards, until –
“Ah… finally, found one. I never thought I would be glad to see an heirloom left behind, but I think this might have some meaning to you…”
He held a wooden sculpture in his hands – or, what was left of it. Wakana had no idea what it had once been, though she didn’t know what half the things that ended up on rich people’s mantelpieces were. However, it was clear that the ‘what’ wasn’t important – instead, the important part was the curved writing below that her host tapped incessantly with an index finger.
U-Ugh… these fancy words of his. She saw them everywhere, but she didn’t speak a word of it…
“Yes, right, allow me to speak them for you – ‘Arma Fidelis Indutus’. It was the motto of my great grandfather. It never really passed down the family, but they have meaning like anything else. Admittedly, it is nowhere near my own motto, ’Carpe noctem’, but that is a little more general. I have no doubts that you would like to say something about me like ’Barba tenus sapientes’, eh?”
…
“W-Well, that aside, I think that motto will fit you rather well, should you forge forwards to make something more of yourself. Take it upon your shoulders.”
All these stories and advice being dumped on her… it really just made Wakana want to slip away. For all her grit, she couldn’t handle being treated like this. She liked to listen… not think too hard. Especially not to think about herself. Yet, she found it so hard to just say no… that kid inside her was instinctively standing up and shutting up. ”R-Right… I’ll ask someone about it, or something…”
“Good girl. The rest is in your hands, as per usual. You’ve served my family well in the past, even if it seemed very little to you. Good muscle just isn’t easy to come by these days, much less with a practical head on top. I won’t say to consider this a bonus or something similarly blasé, but I shall say to consider it a bet. Lose, and you may as well be back in your apartment anyway. Win, and perhaps you’ll find something more important.” And with that, the tension in the air eased – by the time Waka realised it, he had already passed her and was walking away. Already spotless again, too. “Whether you make this house a home or not, I suppose I should merely thank you for entertaining my curiosity for a while. It’s not often I get such an interesting pet project at my age.”
Honestly, Waka just felt like a whirlwind had passed through her life – even though, in the broader scheme of things, nothing had really changed. The Central Lands were such a strange place. Finally, she caught that spark of spite again, turning her head over her shoulder. To think she’d just let him walk over her like this! So much for his reputation being the one on the line. ”I don’t need your ch'rity, or speeches, or whatev'r else. I’m just me… I worked hard to be me again. I don’t need anyone else…!”
And, she was merely met with the curve of that moustache; a bratty smile that the elderly seemed to master at some particular point.
“Indeed, that’s precisely what he used to say. At the very least, trade that sour armour in for something sturdier, fox-girl.”
As he vanished, no doubt to zip back to a limo or whatever, Wakana was left to wallow in her spite… and knee-height water.
Whatever. Whatever! She’d just stamp over his legacy, and make her own world here. She didn’t need permission in the first place! She made her own name, and she’d make her own home… and, her own motto.
…well, once she figured out what in the world that one meant, anyway…
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