~*~ Alright, last post in the PGR World here =;u;= So many memories… *sobsob* But many more to be made in the new one =3 This one’s for Aberius X3 ~*~
In this post: Aberius, Rikku, Hoom, Umbre, Nyarth, Lux, Xio, Kiki, Moyasu
Time: Night before festival and day of festival
Aberius
Ask me something…? What could that be…? “Ask away, then,” I replied to Rikku’s awkward request. At least, she looked awkward playing with the hem of her skirt.
“Um,” she began, “If… if you’re not already… and you really planned on it… Would you mind going to the festival? With me, that is…”
The festival…? Is that what she’s so nervous about? I sighed. “To be honest, someone already asked to hang out with me at the festival, even though it’s not really my intention to be there…” I said and Rikku looked down, her ears drooping. “However…” I continued, “Since I seem to be healing a bit faster than expected, I suppose we could meet up there and kill some time together… Is that fine by you?”
Rikku looked up, her eyes slightly misty, but I saw a flicker of something else… Anger…? “Oh, okay… Yes, I think that’d be good… Then I’ll meet you by the big stage, later,” she bowed slightly, then looked at me for a second. I couldn’t place what this strange feeling between us was, but it felt really… uncomfortable…
As Rikku walked off, I stretched, though awkwardly with my casts hindering my movement. However, the medicine was making it easier to move them. I think I would be able to handle simple tasks like holding objects and sliding things across tables at this point. Guess I’m going, then… In which case, I should work on my kimono before going to bed.
I headed back to my room and pulled out the materials that Raine had brought for me. I set to work in setting up a pattern and pinning it to the fabric. Cutting away the shapes, I pieced the end together just like I’d learned from the time I worked in a tailor shop to earn a little living expense. Before long, I created a simple light grey kimono with dark blue trim and a dark blue obi. Since I was making it myself, I made the obi short so I wouldn’t have to wrap it more than once. Rummaged around in my closet and found some leftover pieces of wood from the chopping a few days before. I carved them out, running a strap through them to make myself a pair of geta. Some people might say that wearing geta with kimono is improper, but I personally like the geta’s style better, myself, even if it is more informal.
I finished faster than expected and hung up the kimono, taking care not to get it wrinkled. I placed the geta on the floor underneath it. I settled into bed and decided to get some sleep for tomorrow…
~~~****** The Next Day ******~~~
The sunlight shone brightly through the window and I raised my arm to cover my eyes. I sat up and rubbed them. I’d managed to get the first decent night’s sleep since I’d gotten here, not including when I was knocked out after returning to normal. I picked a couple apples off the tree and ate them, but they didn’t quite satisfy me like usual. Still, they staved off hunger enough that I was able to function. Setting out my outfit, I noticed in the mirror that I had a large scar along my chest and abdomen… I decided to wrap it up with bandages. The scar itself was pretty much healed, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Also, I wasn’t sure if how people would react to it, so just in case, it’s best if it’s covered. I decided to wear my kimono with only my right arm through the sleeve and had my left tucked in its cast under the kimono. It would give me time to get used to moving my dominant arm, anyway. It didn’t take much time for me to prepare myself for the festival, so I decided to walk around for a bit.
Stepping outside, the weather was nice. Not too warm, not too cool, partly cloudy and a light breeze. Thank goodness for the breeze… perfect temperatures without one would be too suffocating… I walked around the mansion and into the forest a bit. I heard something coming from behind a cluster of trees. Looking around, I saw the little Meowth boy from before. He looked like he was fighting the air… No, he was combat training by himself. He seemed to be doing pretty well until he slipped and fell backwards onto his tail. He let out a yelp and jumped, falling forward, face-first into the dirt. Yikes… This is like looking back into my childhood… I walked over and reached out a hand to him.
“You alright?” I asked. He looked up at me while rubbing his tailbone.
“I’m alright-nya…” he said, grabbing my hand as I pulled him up. It hurt, but less than yesterday. “The grass is still slippery I guess-nya,” he blinked, looking at my arms, “Aberius-niichan, your arms…”
“It’s nothing to worry about,” I said bluntly.
“But they’re broken just like…” he trailed off. “I gotta get going-nya…!”
And without anything else said, he ran off toward the mansion. The kid’s kinda… weird today, isn’t he…? I decided to gather some edible herbs and mushrooms, and, despite the fact that it usually makes me irritable, fish. I roasted them over a flame and ate them. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel much different after eating it, which was odd… Then again, since I had just returned to normal, something like fish probably wouldn’t affect me, not when red meat was so much more potent. I don’t even remember what happened. I don’t even know why I had to be the one this happened to. Why am I the only Absol that has this condition…? After killing some time watching a couple of Pachirisu chasing each other, I decided to head to the festival.
When I got there, there were a lot of human and gijinka there. Everyone who wasn’t a gijinka was dressed like one. I guess that was so that everyone could intermingle without trouble. Seemed a smart thing to do, I guess, but why did there have to be humans that dislike us? If you took away our tails, fangs, claws, ears, horns, and wings, then we’d be just like one another. But people always want to go against what’s different from themselves because they’re afraid. It’s why I was beaten, spit on, and ostracized in my village. Really, it’s not the place for me. So long as no one knows what happens to me, I can be anywhere else without worry. But now, there have been some members of the mansion who have seen what happens to me… Which means I can’t stay here much longer… I shook my head. What am I thinking…? I wasn’t planning on staying long in the first place… So why…?
I was broken from my thoughts when I bumped into someone and heard something fall to the ground.
“M… My udon…” said a male Umbreon. Crap…
“Ah… I’m really sorry about that… I wasn’t paying attention…” I said, feeling awkward.
He looked up at me like he just lost someone important, “My udon…”
I sighed, “Stay here.” I walked to the nearest stand and purchased a large bowl of beef udon with mustard greens. I walked back to where the Umbreon was and held out the bowl to him, “Here… It’s a bit bigger than the one I knocked over, though…”
He looked at the bowl, then up at me, then back to the bowl before grabbing it. “Thank you…” he said. “Um… your name is…?”
“Aberius,” I answered.
“Thank you Aberius. I’m Umbre. I’m going to eat this now,” he said and bowed, walking away with the bowl, being careful not to spill the hot liquid.
That was… odd… I continued wandering aimlessly through the crowd. Hoom said she wanted to do something at the festival, but I didn’t even know where she wanted to meet up… Why do women leave out these important details…? I scratched my head, when I heard a voice from behind me.
“ABBIE!!!” I turned around to see Hoom running toward me like she was about to tackle me down to the ground. I flinched, but she slowed down at the last second and merely hugged me. I breathed a sigh of relief. “I am glad you are here,” she said, smiling. Honestly, I couldn’t understand half the things women were thinking. She grabbed my left arm through the kimono and smiled wider, “Let’s walk.”
And so we did, but neither one of us said anything. I didn’t know what the point of her calling me out here was and I had no idea what to talk with her about, since I really didn’t know her all that well… I think she was with Lux, if I recalled correctly. And if that were the case, why wasn’t she here with him? I heard Hoom exhale in slight frustration.
“Aren’t you going to say anything or do anything…? Is there a switch I have to press or something? You’re so stiff, I could’ve mistaken you for a doll…!” she ranted.
“U-Uh…” I really didn’t know how to respond, “Sorry…?”
She exhaled again, looking disappointed, but also like she was thinking, “Honestly…”Suddenly, we heard some music coming from nearby. Hoom’s tail perked up as she turned in the direction it was coming from. “Let’s go see what it is…!”
She pulled me along slightly and we ended up in front of a large stage. I guess this is where Rikku wanted to meet up at… There was someone up on stage singing into a microphone while words lit up on the screen behind him. I guessed they set up a karaoke performance here. The man’s performance ended and the people listening clapped. Hoom’s eyes lit up watching the stage and lights.
“You like karaoke?” I asked.
“Hm? Oh, yes, it’s really cool,” she said smiling.
“Do you want to go up there?” I asked another question.
“Huh? N-No way… But how about you, Abbie?”
“M-me…?!”
“Yeah! It’ll be fun, go on!”
Without waiting for me to object, she pushed me up on the stage and told the emcee I wanted to sing a song. She waved and walked off the stage. My face was red from embarrassment. Honestly… why do I end up getting pushed around by women all the time…? The emcee told me to pick my song out of the book on the podium, then write down the song number and hand it to him. I sighed and looked through the large book, eventually picking out a song and handing the number to the man. He handed me the microphone and I walked out to the middle of the stage. The music’s introduction began playing. I felt somewhat still embarrassed, but I took a deep breath and began to sing into the microphone…
Easy na riyuu issai yurusu jyakuhai
(It's so very easy for youth to forgive everything)
Rescue taimo yonde iota
(I called in the rescue squad)
Dakara please kiss me please kiss me
(So…)
All Night...
All Night...
All Night...
Migimefuta no kizu ga itainda
(The scar on your right eye is painful)
Aitsu oboeteru
(when you're trying to remember)
Sente hisshou are irai
(Since then you've searched for victory)
Tansaibou na omae wa nanra kawacchainaindana
(You aren't alone or weak, you are better, a monad to me)
Datenshi no mahou ka kou akuma no chachina itazura
(Is it a fallen angel's magic, or a mischievous monster's prank?)
Tsumannakunacchau mae ni
(Before we get bored…)
So ore de hanare Bowling Ball
(Let's let go of that bowling ball)
Kibutsuhasonzai nado shouchi
(We lead such strange lives)
Soredemo koware sou de kowasenai
(Accept it, but yet… We want to smash it, but we can't)
Nanka motodori
(it won’t happen like before)
Saishuu teki ni subete wa arifureteiku
(Everything is finally just the way it should be)
Sensei anta uragirimonda
(Your betrayal, Teacher left a problem)
Ima sugu please kiss me please kiss me
(Now immediately…)
All Night...
Karabbona risou momagai mono na ai mo ii ya
(Empty, Ideal, Mistaken, so much love is called)
Subete ga bakabakashiite warerya
(Everything we do is stupid, let them laugh)
Shounen no mukou he mogaite mo
(Struggling to the other side, to find that one)
Ibutsuna sonzaidaro shouchi
(The foreign material exists)
Douse yaburesou deyabukenai
(I agree that there is a tear, but)
Bokura no story
(I won’t let that alter my story)
Sonna no shouchi
(Such consent)
Datenshi no mahou ka kou akuma no chachina itazura
(Is it a fallen angel's magic, or a mischievous monster's prank?)
Shikakero ima sugu ni
(Set up now directly)
Karabbona risou momagai mono na ai mo iiya
(Empty, Ideal, Mistaken, so much love is called)
Subete wa bakabakashii scene da
(Everything we do is stupid, let them laugh)
So ore de hanare Bowling Ball
(Let's let go of that bowling ball)
Kibutsuhasonzai nado shouchi no suke
(We lead such strange lives I Agree, yeah?)
Kowaresou de
(We're gonna break...)
Sonna chikaramakese puraido mo amai hibi daishou mo
(All the suffering you've brought to me, to leave behind is all so sweet)
Koeteikesou de
(Keep exceeding it)
Tocchirakatta kanjou de kiri kake yo
(Cut through the inner turmoil, with the one feeling)
Kowaresou de
(I've Broken it)
Kowasenai bokura no shouri
(My victories which you cannot break.)
When I finished, there was silence for a moment. Then a loud roar of cheering went off. I could’ve sworn there were a lot more people there than before. Feeling my face get somewhat hot, I handed the microphone back to the emcee, and walked off the stage quickly. I found Hoom, who simply stared at me with wide eyes.
“OHMIGAWD! OMIGAWD! I didn’t know you could sing like that, Abbie! That was AMAZING!” she said excitedly while grasping my hands.
I could feel my cheeks getting redder, “Pffft… it wasn’t really anything much…”
“Are you crazy, you were great! You blew everyone away!”
“If… If you say so…”
“Hey, c’mon, let’s go what else is at the festival!” she said, grabbing my right arm and pulling me along behind her again.
“W-Wait…!” at this rate, I was going to need my arm amputated…
She pulled me around to all different kinds of stands… A dumpling stand, a cotton candy stand, one to knock over stuffed animals (I won a large stuff Luxray, which I handed to her), and various others. We finally managed to slow down for a moment and I caught my breath. I looked up and saw I was standing next to a mask stand. Hoom was already happily looking at the many different choices while wagging her tail up and down. I sighed and looked over the choices, myself, out of curiosity. That’s when I saw it… a black mask with red eyes that was staring directly at me. The face was of a vicious-looking cat-like creature, but it felt familiar.
“Th… That mask…” I said without thinking.
“Hm? Oh this one…? You have an interesting eye there. This is one of our newer ones. It’s actually based on an old mythological creature named…”
“Remnis…” I breathed, feeling cold sweat run down my neck.
“Yeah, that’s right… You’re familiar with the tale?”
“Unfortunately, very well acquainted…” For a moment, I thought I heard a deep, sinister laughter echo in my mind.
“Hm? Abbie, do you want that mask?” Hoom asked, looking at me.
“N-No, I…”
“Alright then, I’ll get it for you! As thanks for coming with me around the festival,” she continued.
“Really, I’d rather you didn’t…”
“Don’t’ be ridiculous, it’s not expensive, and you seem to have some sort of connection to it. I’m getting it. Mister! One of those Remnis masks!”
“Yes indeed, Miss!” the vendor said as he exchanged the mask for the money Hoom held out.
I’m trying to tell you that’s not the point… I watched as she held out the mask to me.
“Here you go,” she said. I sighed feeling a painful feeling in my chest. Am I doomed to be labeled this way forever…?
“Thanks…” I said, taking the mask.
“Well, put it on! Let’s see how it looks!”
Reluctantly, I pulled the mask onto my head, but instead of pulling it over my face, I positioned it on the side of my head opposite my horn.
“I’m not letting something like this cover my face…” I said.
Hoom was silent for a second. “I… I guess you’re right, it’s dangerous to wear a mask like that at night. You won’t be able to see where you’re going… Although when you wear it like that, it reminds me of a Yin Yang symbol.”
She smiled and I just conceded and nodded. Hoom’s attention was grabbed when she looked past me at something else. I turned around and saw Lux walking toward us.
“Well, since it seems like Lux is here, I’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of your time here with him…” I said.
“Mmhmm,” she nodded. “Thanks again for spending time with me.”
“No problem,” I said, despite the glaring problem on my head. Still, if I let something that small bother me, how can I call myself a man…?
I watched Hoom walk off toward the large Blue Kitty and hug him, her tail wagging. I walked off in another direction. Making my way back toward the large stage to wait for Rikku.
It feels like my entire life is plotted out by the women around me… I sighed as I leaned against the stage, nodding to people who came up to compliment me on my performance earlier. When they went to watch the next performance, I rose my head to look at the stars, wondering if I should really be here in the first place.
But I guess… I shifted as I saw a group of Drifloon float past in the sky and looked down to see Rikku walking toward me, along with Xio, Kiki, and Moyasu not too far behind. …it’s not a complete waste to spend my time here…
~*~Alrighty~! X3 That’s it =3 It turned out longer than I planned, despite it getting done so quickly =>u>;= But that’s a good thing X3 Means I’m done with time to spare~! Yay~ If there’s anything that needs modifying, just let me know =3~*~
