There's Just No Way

"…What?" Was the only thing she could think to say.
She dumbly stood and stared a moment. Had she somehow rescued a stranger instead of her beloved boyfriend?

She carefully eyed the man before her…
He was certainly wearing what her boyfriend usually wore, dark blue coat albeit with the hood up… and this fellow certainly possessed her boyfriend's shockingly good looks too. She looked a little closer in order to make a mental checklist.
Red eyes so deep and lush in hue that they would make a rose wilt in anguish? Check.
Tawny sun-kissed skin that complimented in exquisite contrast silver hair that was so perfect it was as if the strands were specially woven by spider gods seeking to create the finest head of hair in all the land? Check and definite check.
Well that settled it. This was definitely Rondy.

She shook her head gently as if to shake loose her prior cluttered thoughts.
"Moonlight, are you okay? You were trapped under all those books…"

He closed his eyes, and then the book he held. A strangely gloomy energy seemed to imbue his every action, an aura that felt so contradictory to her Rondy.

"I was making a book cavern."
Shanna couldn't help but repeat herself.
"What?"
He sighed deeply, before he decided to try explaining himself. "With the nature and structure of a book, each page continues to add to the density of the overall form, correct?"
"Um, Right."
"So with a strong enough base layer, it in theory becomes possible to build a structure, made of books, for books. A nice quiet book-nook you could say." Considering the matter concluded, he reopened the book.
"Okay, well darling, that sure sounds like a lot of fun, but I think it's time for you to get off the floor now."
"Excuse me, but I'm perfectly content here." He said flipping a page.
"Why can't you…" She paused a moment. "Just read at the desk?"
"Absolutely ridiculous. Look at how bright the sun is. Absolutely not. No way." Another page turned.
"Sweetie, what I mean to say is… I think it's better if you're not on the floor smelling all those potion fumes." This had caused him to unleash his most withering look yet.
"Smells do rise, you know."

Shanna couldn't help but squint.
Was this a bit? It wasn't funny. So maybe a cute little trick? But it wasn't cute either. Her mouth flattened into a line as she stared down at what was supposed to be her gallant boyfriend.
This new side she was seeing of him definitely was something.

And then her mind clocked onto an answer that made sense.
She clapped her hands.

"Oh I get it now! The potion you were trying to make was a failure… and now you're depressed down there." She nodded sagely. Yes, yes. This explanation made sense. Rondy for his part, just continued to stare blankly up at her.
"Phew! Well now that that's all settled, come on." She reached a hand towards him. "Let's get out of this room before we're both poisoned by these fumes." However as her hand neared him, he yelped, and took a shuddering withdrawal backwards. The "book-nook" in turn, also seemed to shudder…

"Too close!" He said shutting the book to point a finger at her. "A-Absolutely, way, way too close!"

The books had progressed from shuddering to wobbling. Shanna had wanted to pull him away, but his tone was causing her to hesitate.
And well… Her words also, weren't getting through to him.

"M-Moonlight, the books-"
"Enough already!" He said looking genuinely frustrated. "I've been trying to be nice but enough's enough! Enough with your words, enough with this proximity and enough about the book-"

He hadn't quite finished his words, when the books had decided they'd definitely had enough. They all collapsed around and on top of him in a messy multi-layer carnage heap.
Alas, The once proud book structure that had surrounded him in a comforting wall had now become the all encompassing blanket that crushed him to sleep.

"Rooooonnndyyyy!" Was the only sound to be heard in the storeroom.

~ ~

Shanna sighed deeply.

And then stared equally as deeply at the sleeping form in bed.
It's a good thing she was quite hardy, because putting Rondy upon her back, walking up to the second floor and into his bedroom in order to finally place him in bed had been no easy feat.
That's right. Each agonizing step, the next more terrible than the last. She'd nearly buckled multiple times, but the thought of toppling all the way down, plus the love for her boyfriend had given her the necessary strength to push through the pain.
It was definitely more the former than the latter, however. She loved her boyfriend, but let's be honest. She also loved not falling down the stairs very slightly more.

As she sat there regaining her strength, she couldn't help but direct a glance towards her other patient. The Atristus flower. After situating Rondy to bed, she'd sought to unpack her wares, and in doing so had found one of the three items Rondy had requested in less than stellar shape. The flower was definitely the rarest of the lot, and definitely the most mysterious also. It hadn't shown any signs of weakness in the long days of travel and she hadn't needed to use her magic Lyre to soothe and heal it even once.
But now, all of a sudden it was starting to look a bit disheveled.
She had continued to muse over the flower, when a loud rumble from her tummy broke the reverie.

She blushed.
Briefly considering it, she hadn't actually eaten since returning to Floraleyse. As she rose, she peered out the window, and saw the smoke gently rising into the sky from the cooking stall situated below.
Before leaving the room she picked up the Atristus flower and took a lingering look at Rondy. After the book collapse he'd just suffered a few bumps and scraps. Perhaps some nice warm food and the sight of his adoring girlfriend presenting it to him would be just the thing he needed after this potion mishap. Yes indeed. She thought. That'll be just the thing!

She left the room brightly, shutting the door behind her.
Unbeknownst to her, Rondy's eyes had fluttered open as soon as the door was shut.

After placing the Atristus flower in the upper hallway, Shanna had descended the stairs, exited the shop and walked towards the mobile food stall. It was always situated close to their live-in potion shop and always beckoned on lazy days, promising indulgent take-away cooking.
And who would blame them? Noelle was one of the finest cooks of Floraleyse.

"Hello Noelle."
Noelle's bright green fluffy pig tails bobbed up as she grunted a reply, preoccupied in flipping some Banbaba savory pancakes on her griddle. Shanna took the grunt to mean she could mainly be the one speaking.
"Say, Noelle, did you see anything out of the ordinary today?"
"No more than usual." She scoffed.
Shanna tilted her head in reply. "Say, does Rondy always keep the curtains closed when I'm not here?"
Noelle's body and fingertips suddenly clenched sharply.
"You're asking me?!" She pointed her scraper at her, bits of the pancake batter flicking this way and that. "I don't know! And guess what! I don't care, you hear!? I don't care WHAT the two of you get up to. I really don't! Quite frankly, I'm glad for closed curtains! Glad I tell you, GLAD!" Her voice had risen dramatically higher the longer she'd gone on, becoming the type of chaotic crash-out disaster that passers-by wouldn't be able to help but gawk at.
Shanna pursed her lips.
It wasn't difficult to see where her bitterness lay. After all, Shanna and Noelle were childhood friends. Grew up in the same village of elves…. They even had the same motivation for leaving said village. Eloping with the one they loved. Only, while Shanna's had worked out spectacularly, Noelle's had ended in catastrophic failure, not once but a number of times. The meat-hating orc, the half-elf who sold spoons, the potter, the roofer… Each of them gaining greater infamy with each sorry retelling of their messy breakups.
It had been every romance she'd ever attempted.
As such, she'd grown to become quite antagonistic to the idea of romance.

"What exactly do you want?" Noelle said. "I do have money to earn you know!"
"Um, don't worry Noelle, I'm here to order."

She'd tried to be considerate to her friend, what with her and Rondy's usual displays of over-the-top romance possibly being seen as rubbing it in, but welllll. That was always a tricky prospect when her stall was quite literally on their block. The woes of two friends deciding to be neighbors without weighing all the potential pros and cons beforehand…

"The things I've heard!" She seethed, slaughtering the defenseless pancakes into sad looking shapes. "Day in, day out. Is it any wonder I'm the way I am?!"
Shanna meekly tip tapped her index fingers together. "M-May I order some Banbaba Pancakes…"
Noelle huffed out a great breath seemingly purging her fury. "How many?"
Shanna looking downward as she raised two fingers. Noelle squinted at her.
"I'm not going to be annoyed at you for ordering food for you and your annoying, stupid, little, annoying, boyfriend. Just means more money for me in the long run, see? Don't be stupid. I barely even think about your stupid, annoying, boyfriend these days."
"Yaaay! I'm glad you've finally become okay with me and my boyfriend being lovey-dovey now!"
"I didn't say that!" she snapped.

Deftly she flipped two perfectly shaped pancakes into a container and an expectant hand received silver coins, while another received two griddle cakes. The mutilated pancake shapes on her grill would be Noelle's food. Despite her attitude, the food she served was always exceptional.

"Thank you as always Noelle! We'll savour them!" Shanna said with sincere gratitude. Noelle's reply lacked the same kind of grace.
"What do I care?" She said waggling a dismissive hand her direction. "I told you already, boyfriends are the worst! THE WORST! And yours is no different! You just haven't realized it yet!"

Something in her words struck Shanna's heart painfully as she made to turn away. She felt she needed to get away. Noelle's words… while no different than her usual fare were damaging her usually impenetrable spirit. As Shanna headed towards her home with the Banbaba pancakes, Noelle's final proclamation rang out loud and clear.

"Love is the worst, you hear!? The WORST!!" She yelled after her empathically.
"And you'll realize that soon enough!"