Ch 20: Long distance calls

A line of bells were strung alongside the pathways, held up in air by a frills of swirling winds; they usualy sang three times a day, holidays or, when they chimed like jitery boxed cats, it was danger was closing by. A gentle jingle fortunately announced the middle of the afternoon, and with it, lunchtime for most of the Caer’s citizens. Some usually catch it at work, so they spent it with a lunchbox, others with home-cooked meals at ceramic stoves, or outdoor grills that anyone was allowed to use for free. Those in the mood for a faster deal, though, would always hit the stalls from the Clover Arena; Besides a good meal, they would be sure to also find someone to eat with, chat or otherwise.

Lian, after much deliberation on what to do while she was staying in the city, decided on nothing per se and a whim took a role helping out around the arena, working at a booth run by the cook they meet on their first day. Today she was tasked with cutting slices from a blue, puffy bread and filling them with a red paste from a labeled bottle.

-“Yap, we make our own ketchup here”, replied Arim who came to visit by himself. Zinc was still fumming after the underground incident and decided to not stir that firepit by taking him to the other amnesiac that pisses him off. “ I left him with the coral sister, who works in the library. He seems overly enthusiastic about bossing people around, like where to put books and stuff. And girl likes to spend time with him, so I guess it’s fine.”

Lian -” Aha”, she reacted, slightly glancing at him, waiting to see if he would bring up the topic of Ogda, or if she had to. She felt a bit ashamed and antsy asking about him, but curiosity bite a bit too hard. “So…how’s training going?”.

Arim -” Oh, good. Good. Giol's already has training with his spear and powers, so he's growing fast. Ogdaaa...", he then waited to catch a reaction, but the redhead kept it tight. Rigid even. " I think he calmed out a bit and grasped something about his abilities. Mostly thanks to Giol, the two seemed to have hit it off somehow. But…”

Lian -” But?”

-” I think he’s dealing with some things. And he won’t tell us what.” Arim then told her the entire story of what happened in the underground, and she reacted a bit differently from how he expected. Lian put her knife down, grabbed his cheeks, and gently turned his neck to the left, then the right to see the burn marks he was hiding under his turtleneck.

Lian -” Are you…ok?”, she asked in a low voice, to which the boy said nothing, only turned as red as her hair. Lian then realized how close she was to his face, taking a notice of tiny scar on his nose and light green spots in his otherwise green eyes. She then caught his trembling pupils and realized how close the two were. “I’m sorry, my mistake, I forgot to ask you…”

-” It’s fine”, he replied with a shaken voice. “ It’s fine”, Arim repeated a few more times before a customer gave them enough time to shake off some of the fluster. His eye color, though, reminded Lian of something else to ask about, something she learned recently. “ Hey, so do you also have…the colored dot?”

-” Thee…dot?” Arim didn’t know if she was serious or trying to clumsily move to another thing, and he tilted his head, confused about what she meant.

Lian -” You know…for the powers?”

-” Theee…powers?” he asked, with a forced pause and a slight, squeaky increase to his last word. Lian didn’t laugh or found it particularly funny, but a smirk did escaped to her face.

Lian -” Yes, yes, the mighty people's abilities”, she replied with a smile. Arim was contemptuous to see her like that, but then realized that he had to answer. Truthfully. He fidgeted his fingers and raised one corner of his mouth, then the other.

Arim -” I have something to admit”, with a seriousness that made Lian stop her preparation. She turned around and guessed what it could be.

Lian -” You and Zinc aren’t pact partners, right?” Before Arim could ask more after confirming it with his shock, she continued-“ When I used my ability, besides the ocean, I saw something else. Strings? Yes, let’s just call them strings. Anyway, all of us whose strings linked to that place aren’t…or can’t become pact partners. That’s been my theory for a while now.”

After telling him everything, she confessed that she kept it to herself out of fear, which made Arim realize how Ogda and Lian are more alike than they realize. “ He kinda said the same thing. Ogda. He’s also weirded out by the whole situation, believe it or not. And it kinda makes sense, neither really know who you are, so it makes sense to not trust others that easily.”

Lian just stared, with half of her hidden in her palm, with an acrid look in her eyes. “ I don’t…why are you like this, Arim?”

Arim -”...Experience. With Zinc, and some stuff with my parents while growing up. And other things that happened. But like I said to Ogda, this place helped me, and I guess I’m just trying to imitate that…If that makes any sense?”

The girl didn’t know what to say anymore, and for the moment decided to do the first thing that felt right. “ I’m gonna need some help with the bread, can you give me a hand?”, to which he nodded and silently and peacefully cut tens of perfect slices for that day.

....

???? -” Masso, you sure don't want us to come back sooner? No offense, but I can smell from this layer the moldiness of the room; and from the grogginess of your voice, you barely talked with anyone for days, right?”

The leader of the Platinum Union flinched at the remarks and took a 180 view of his poorly lighted office. The piles of tomes were smaller than a month ago, but still formed towers of complaints and other issues. “ …true”, he replied, defeated. “ It's just, I’ve already split some of my work with other people, but it’s still not enough. “

The woman on the side of the call sighted in camaraderie with him -” I know, I'm actually kinda stuck in a rut here as well. And that also means that we might be a bit later than expected…Guess I hoped you'd at least have a much easier time.” She went silent for a few seconds, continuing to sigh, this time in disappointment, a couple of times. “ I just missss you all. I just wanna spend a day hugging you, and my babygirl as well.”

-” Ohhh, man, that does like paradise!”, Masso said, lifting two enthusiastic thumbs up while laying on the couch. “Brigit might not enjoy that, though, she has become a busybody lately. Girl's all grown up, an adult, you know? Might not like hugs that much anymore.”

???? -” Oh yeah? Guess since I’m not there to dot on her all the time she probably got bored and had to occupy it somehow”, said the lady with a cheered-up tone. “ Well, I’m still going to hug her so much that she will need more than Victor’s cooking to recover. Same to you.”

Masso -” Just one more push to the Tuatha and we'll finally be able to stop relaying on the bridges to. Fast travel is almost in our ear. And remember what I just said, adult daughter, barely left teenage rebellious phase?”

???? -”Regarding the first thing, the Tuatha left us a ship here as well, but only one. Guess the grudge is still deep. Don’t care for the second part, entered an ear and left through the other; she’ll always be my precious girl for me.” He could just picture her putting her feathery arms on her shoulders, grinning like a carefree idiot.

-” Welp, I think we’re lucky to have Perren acting as a responsible role model in her life”, said Masso, realizing that he wasn’t that much better either.

???? -” You damn right we are. How is he by the way, is he back yet?”

Masso -” Yeah, he returned some time ago. Oh, that reminds me, I’ve got to gather everyone", he sighted and massaged his forehead for a couple of moments; "Victor and him are having another practice fight. And I’m not going to lose another building to those battle maniacs.”

???? -” Ahhh, that spectacle. I’m guessing the rumor is out already, so you’re also going to have a full audience as well?... At least the old one will take a break from that tree...right? ” The woman threw that last remark with a bit of ire in her tone.

Masso -” Yes. I'm trying to get everyone there and make sure nothing bad happens, but I've been having some issues getting in touch with Feth and Blitz. The latter seems to be buried deep in his research, while the former is...not in his library. He keeps disappearing for days at times."

????- " Not to be rude or anything, but I think you should put a tail on him. Or ask around the city; maybe that secretary, Olpio. What do you know so far?"

Masso- " Well, the thing that worries me the most is...I have one mention of him talking with that techno-phobic religious group. The guys that do part of the arena's maintenance. Maybe I'll put some extra eyes on them?"

???? -” I think that’s the best idea you had all day”, she replied as dry and serious as a soldier.

Masso -” Don't start with me. These are just rumors and hearsay's, ok? I'm not going to start some witch hunt on one of my friends, alright?

Just like that, she knew that there wasn't any point in rummaging any more. At least not without clear and concise arguments. '' Tsz, there he is, my silly, overly optimistic that...Tsz, right. You are right” A few seconds of silence went before the lady decided that it was time to cut off the call “Listen, tell Brigit I miss her, ok? You too. I’ll speak with both of you later, alright?”

Masso -” Alright. Love ya. And take care of the matron, wouldn’t want to make Arim worried about his mom. “

???? -” No problem there, the lady is already buddies with the local leader”, she then got closer to her mic, in whispering distance. “ The booze is the secret. Anyway, love ya back and hope to see you both soon.”