Chapter 32: Chapter 32: I’d Catch a Cold for Ya

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Day: 36 / Time: 9:00am-11:00am

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"It's already been nine days, huh. It's been strange living with everyone. Well, not everyone. Rachel has her new lab and sleeps there most nights. And Laria and Harvey have been traveling to nearby villages looking for disconnected relatives. Apparently, they took requests from the residents of the forest town and promised to search for their loved ones."

"So just me, Sebastian, and Mayumi are stuck here still learning the language…."

"You're spacing out again," Mayumi scolded, lifting her regard from the papers on the desk.

"Opps," Artie sounded in a dry and monotonous manner.

They all sat on a large rug inside their home. A rope pulled back the entrance cover, and ample light brightened the gray wooden desk they studied at. Their pink-skinned teacher sat next to Mayumi, while Sebastian was on the opposite side with Artie.

After only three hours into their session, Sebastian exhaled sharply, leaned forward, then quickly lunged backward, using the momentum to roll back into a handstand. His black hair and shirt dropped, showing his faultlessly average human ears, and defined abs.

"I'm bored, going for a walk," the man mumbled before quickly pittering out of the tent on both of his hands before he could be stopped.

"He constantly does this."

Artie shifted his sight to their curly-haired instructor, who'd honestly waved Sebastian off, then to Mayumi, who focused on reading and mouthing words to herself.

"Maybe we all take a break?" He proposed, looking outside toward the soft lighting.

"You go ahead," Mayumi declined, her sight unmoving.

Not surprised by her reply, Artie set his elbows on the low table, relaxed his head on his hand, shut his eyes, then sighed.

"She's been like this ever since they told her she couldn't hunt with them. Not until she learned the language."

"I should be taking this seriously too though. I brought them all the way here after all."

Artie opened his eyes again and spotted Leia, their incredibly patient teacher, staring at him. She looked to be no older than Mayumi, who Rachel exposed to be twenty years old. He felt it drove a bigger invisible wedge between them, she who'd become a young psychologist and himself who dropped out of high school to work a dead-end job. He had the sense Leia was accomplished in her past life as well, so he didn't understand her fascination with him.

"Hmm?" Sounded Artie, breaking Leia out of her watch.

With a slight jerk of her head, she emitted a dainty startled sound, then yanked her eyesight away and toward the littered table. Even after she deterred her gaze, Artie continued to look at her curiously.

"Are they distracting?" He thought, feeling the set of peculiar horns and ears on top of his head.

Without warning, a pen zoomed at him, then struck the side of his face. Caught off guard, he recoiled and then pivoted to see Mayumi peering at him.

"Focus," she said, pointing to the paper below him.

"Right," groaned Artie, compelling himself to continue work.

Periodically he'd glance up from his studies and spot the inquisitive woman peeking at him. Every time she'd hurriedly look away and pretend it didn't happen. The session lasted for most of the day, only taking brief breaks every few hours. He disliked the school-like lesson, but it was better than being on the battlefield.

Like most days, it came and went in an instant. When the time came for bed, Artie had no trouble sleeping. After all, there was certain solace in knowing he could lay his head down without worry of a monster creeping up and slaying him.

 

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That night, it was colder than usual. He was tucked within two layers of fur blankets while sleeping soundly on his back. Aside from the active gust of wind hitting their tent, it was utterly silent as the entirety of the town lay dormant. That was until a snapping sound tugged him from his slumber.

Groggily batting his eyes, he rolled onto his shoulder, then his belly, where he gradually began to lift himself up.

"Mayumi," he whispered, shivering from the night's chill.

After the first incident involving Mayumi's possession, Harvey proposed they tie rattles or noisemakers to her. Artie feared the racket could draw the attention of monsters and adjusted the countermeasure to simply restraining her legs with rope at night. The sound of her breaking free was enough for his perceptive ears, and he moved to understand the woman's status.

Bright, deep blue light illuminated the tent. As Artie suspected, Mayumi had stood from her sleeping pad and began sleepwalking toward the exit. He rose, seized the two covers, then followed her out. She didn't travel far, only five steps from their home, where the moon was clearly visible in the blackened sky. Like the first time, blue firefly-like insects awaited outside and fluttered about.

Angling her head toward the full moon, Mayumi stood unbothered. Artie surveyed the area to ensure no one detected the sudden light. Then he paced to her front and wrapped one of the blankets over her glowing body, leaving her head uncovered.

Artie stood in front of her for a prolonged time, gingerly tugging the blanket tighter.

"Let me know if you need anything," he mumbled, squinting glumly at the women's frozen face.

Unpleasant feelings converged at his heart, and he became woeful and disturbed. Taking several steps away from Mayumi, he sat on the ground, wrapped himself with the second cover, and watched over her. For minutes, then hours. All night without a wink of sleep or leaving her company.

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Like all things, the night ended, and the distant moon faded. Mayumi's glow withered and eventually vanished, and she quaked in place before losing balance and tumbling to the floor.

The moment the light faded, Artie uncovered himself and waited behind her.

"I got you," he breathed.

Simply raising his halfway arms, he grabbed onto her shoulders as she fell back into his chest. Then, he slowly and gently lowered himself and her to the ground, holding onto her upper arm for support.

The raven-colored sky expressed new tints within time, and a lovely blueish-green morning arose. Birds chirped, and the sound of distant activity started.

Before long, Mayumi gradually awoke within Artie's embrace.

"You ok?" He murmured, his frosty breath visible, teeth chattering, and body shivering from a cold night.

The woman's eyes flickered as they adjusted, and she tilted her head back to view his. Upon glancing at his jittery face, an earnest smile greeted her. She didn't give a half-assed nod to his question, a smile back, or utter a sound. Mayumi just gazed at Artie with dark, tearful eyes. Her brows pulled upward, and her lips parted as she laid within his chilling cradle.

It was moments like that when he thought the capable fighter looked like an ordinary girl. When she smiled, laughed, cried, or showed any vulnerability. Artie's heart pounded as he could hear hers quicken. He'd never held another person like her, never felt the weight or the warmth their body emitted. A powerful desire to cling to her disoriented him, and he mindlessly stared into her somber eyes.

"Ears…" Breathed Mayumi.

"Artie," he whispered.

She tipped her head slightly, indicating she didn't quite understand. So, he hugged her tighter, slid his head to the side of her ear, and whispered louder.

"My name is Artie."

Her gentle left hand slid up his face as she breathed harder and started to redden. Mayumi's knees pressed against each other while her right hand clenched the cloth covering her belly.

"Artie," she repeated, caressing his icy cheek.

"You're freezing," she continued.

"This is nothing," he said, lying while sitting flustered by the woman.

Mayumi shook her head, lowered her hand, and shakily rose. She then pulled upward on Artie's shirt, signaling him to get up. Once he did, she pulled him inside their tent, forced him down, and blanketed him with three cover layers.

She sat at his side for quite some time, watching him. Artie was exhausted, but he feared the emotional moment built would cease once a new day began. So, he resisted the temptation of sleep to further relish her passionate stare.

Inherently, in due time he found himself losing consciousness. As he yawned, his eyes lowered, and his body disconnected. Before losing all sense, a hand pressed on his body, and a warmhearted voice whispered.

"Goodnight."

 

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Five hours later, Artie was rattled awake by his own tremendous sneeze. Not to his surprise, he was terribly ill.

No one was in the tent at the time of his awakening. Nevertheless, after his sneeze, Sebastian burst through and started to hassle Artie for leaving him alone during their tedious lessons. Mayumi entered seconds after him and roughly grabbed the man by the collar before beginning to pull him outside.

"Let him rest."

"We still have a lot to cover," she said, irked by the man's struggling.

"I'm tired of this!" Griped Sebastian, holding his arms out and reaching for Artie while being dragged away.

Before completely exiting, Mayumi glanced over at Artie as he sat upright on the floor.

"Let me know if you need anything," she smiled softly.

Artie's sunny eyes enlarged, and he firmly clenched the blankets over him. After the two vacated, he lowered his head and grinned while simultaneously sniffling and coughing.

"She remembers."

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