Chapter 51
A ray of sunlight shone right through the blinds over the window and right down onto my face, forcing me awake.
Letting out a grunt I shifted my head out of the ray of light and opened my eyes, momentarily confused. It took me a few more moments to realize I was currently wrapped up in Domitor’s Legs, held snuggle against him.
I growled a bit, but I didn’t react immediately, just enjoyed the moment. Then he stirred, so I ripped myself out of his grip and sat up.
He jerked awake, sitting up with a start, “is everything alright?!”
“Yeah, asshole,” I grumbled, not looking at him.
The two of us sat there in silence, the morning sun casting its light over the destroyed room, and my jacket on the floor.
I honestly do not know how to feel about last night.
Looking down at myself I saw a mess, causing me to frown, “fucking disgusting.”
“Sorry,” he said sheepishly as I jumped up and walked into the bathroom, wanting a shower after everything I’d done the night before.
I stayed in there a little longer than needed, not wanting to confront Domitor.
“Enjoy the show?” I growled out loud, causing Rosemary to appear next to the shower as I let the water wash over me.
“I blocked it out,” she assured me. “I did not watch.”
“Well thanks for not being a creep,” I mumbled as she chuckled and faded away.
After some time I finally turned the shower off and stepped out, grabbing a towel as I stepped up to the mirror. I stared at myself, noticing I didn’t look as stressed as usual.
I felt a little better as well, like some of the pressure that’s been building up around me was released, giving me some breathing room.
Finishing up with drying myself off, I decided to finally step out of the bathroom.
Upon exiting I saw that Domitor had cleaned up a lot of the room, trying to fix the damage from our fight.
“You dork,” I said as I crossed my arms, shaking my head at him. “I’d’ve just left it as it was.”
“Yeah well I’d rather not be a rude guest,” he countered, also avoiding looking at me.
“Bruh, ain’t anyone even here to notice,” I chuckled, causing him to laugh a little in return.
“Guess you’re right,” he said as he stopped and turned to me, a conflicted look taking over his face. “What now?”
I knew what he meant, letting out a sigh I just shrugged, “I dunno.”
“Same,” he mumbled, scratching the back of his head. “It just kinda… happened didn’t it?”
“Yeah, it sure as fuck did,” I deadpanned.
We stared at each other, both clearly at a loss here.
“Are we… together now?” He asked carefully, gauging my reaction.
I couldn’t help but snort laugh, “fuck no.” But my laughing died down as I felt a really stupid and weird feeling in my chest as I saw him look a bit deflated.
If I were to be very brutally honest with myself, then I’d have to say I enjoyed last night. Not really the physical part, but the feeling of… I don’t know the word to use here. The feeling of closeness? Of letting myself just forget all my problems and be held?
Fuck this shit is cheesy and dumb.
My feelings towards Domitor are… fuck they’re complicated as fuck now.
“Damn it, Domitor,” I groaned, rubbing my eyes. “Why do you always fuck everything up?”
He looked at me a bit confused, and a bit hurt. But I continued talking before he could respond.
“We’re together, but I’M in charge, got that?” I stated firmly.
He just rolled his eyes at me, “so just like that we’re together?”
“Yeah, got a problem with it, asshole?” I growled, my emotions just flying all over the place.
We glared at each other, but then he started to laugh.
“We’re fucked, aren’t we?” He asked, relaxing a bit.
“Guess so,” I replied, a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. “Now take a shower, I can smell your nasty ass from over here.”
He just chuckled as he walked around me and entered the bathroom.
Now that I was alone again I decided to gather myself. Because now I have to deal with the other two and their snide little comments. I know they heard that shit last night.
Especially my dumbass.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Domitor and I slowly stepped out of our room, both a bit nervous at confronting the others.
“Well hey you guys!” Floria called from the middle of the room, sitting on a massive pile of pillows and blankets. “Good fuckin’?”
We both just stared back at her, unsure of how to respond to that. I mean, I honestly expected a lot of things, but not a happy Floria.
“Uh… yeah?” I said awkwardly as I made my way over to a couch, which had all of its spare pillows removed and added to the pile.
“What about you, Dom?” she asked, giving him a cool smile as she laid on her makeshift bed.
He sat down carefully on a separate couch from me, looking a bit uncomfortable. “How are you feeling, Floria?”
She chuckled at him as she just shrugged, “well right now, I’m pretty fucking great. I spent the whole morning gathering all the pillows and blankets from the other floors to make this sweet ass throne of comfort. But before that I destroyed an entire floor in an emotional outburst that rivaled all of my previous ones by a long shot. Seeing you two fuckin’ really really hurt me, but I’ve had my cry and tantrum, so I’m good now.”
The two of us just stared at her wide eyed, not sure how to actually respond to that.
“For real, you two, I’m happy for you,” she said, giving us both a thumbs up. “No hard feelings. At least from me,” she said, smiling a bit nervously. “Vanilla didn’t take it as well as I did.”
“Where is she?” I asked.
“I think still in bed, since she hasn’t come out of her room yet,” Floria said, relaxing back into her pillows.
“Have you checked on her?” Domitor asked, standing up as he looked towards her door.
“Her door is locked. I’m giving her a little longer before I try and force it open,” she said, appearing to be a bit worried.
“Ah well screw waiting,” I grunted as I stood up and walked right for her door. The moment I reached it I began to pound on it, shaking the entire door. “Yo, Vanilla, you awake?”
No response came.
“Shit,” I muttered as I stepped back and kicked the door right at the handle, breaking it open with ease. Stepping through the now wide open doorway I was greeted with a sight that sent a chill down my spine.
“Good morning, Shane,” Vanilla said as she stood in the middle of her room, back in her normal clothing and her hands behind her back. She looked like she did the day before, but there was something… off about her. She had a pleasant smile on her face, but it seemed way out of place somehow. Her goggles hide her full expression though.
I blinked at her as the others ran in behind me, coming to a halt next to me.
“Whoa…” Floria said, seeming to also notice how strange Vanilla was acting as she just waved at us.
“Vanilla?” I asked as I looked her up and down. Honestly she looked okay, but there was just this aura around her that was different than yesterday.
“Yes, Shane?” She answered as she smiled at me.
“You… good?”
“Perfectly. Why do you ask?”
I frowned as I looked at the other two, who were also frowning. She was clearly NOT okay.
“You…” Domitor began, but her head turning to him seemed to cut him off as he looked away from her in shame. “Erm, you know what happened last night, right?”
“Yes, we watched your fight through the window in your door,” she said in a tone you would expect to hear from a cashier at a grocery store. “We saw it transition from fighting to intercourse. Is this what you are referring to?”
“... Yeah, that,” he muttered, looking extremely uncomfortable.
They watched through a window?! Great. Just fucking great. Lost my virginity with a fucking audience watching.
“Are you good, for real?” I asked, getting a pleasant smile from her.
“I am.”
“Even though you had a crush on me?” I pressed, deciding to just be brutally straight with my questions here. “Floria said you didn’t take it very well.”
“A simple misunderstanding,” she replied, standing up straight. “My emotions were out of control, but they have been quelled.”
“Quelled?” I asked, looking at Domitor and Floria.
“It means ended,” Domitor answered, looking at her with a concerned expression. “You’re not acting like yourself, Vanilla.”
“This is how I always am,” she answered, giving a little curtsy. “What you three witnessed yesterday was just an act of ill judgment, not my true self.”
“Okay, but what are your thoughts on what you saw last night?” I asked, not really wanting an answer, but at the same time very thrown off by her actions.
“My thoughts?” she asked, tapping her chin. “I believe I do not really have any on that matter. I do apologize for us spying on you two, that was very improper of us,” she gave me a bow. “Very unbecoming of one of my status.”
“Okay this shit is too weird for me,” I groaned, turning and walking for the couches in the center of the lobby. “She says she’s good, I’m just gonna go with it.”
“Vanilla, you’re worrying the fuck outta me,” Floria said, but just got a chuckle out of the Halwen as she walked past them and followed me into the main lobby of our floor.
“There is no need to worry about me, I am perfectly fine,” she replied cheerfully, walking right for the bar.
I plopped down on a couch and raised an eyebrow as I watched her begin to bring out ingredients, “making food for you? Or all of us?”
“Would you like me to prepare breakfast for the group, Shane?” she asked, turning her entire body towards me as she put her hands behind her back again.
“Eh… sure?” I answered, not really liking how she was acting. I’m pretty sure this is because of what she saw last night, but I honestly do not know how to fix it.
The other two had walked over and were watching Vanilla lay out the ingredients, appearing to be a little more methodical than the previous times. More mechanical as well.
“I don’t think she’s handling this very well,” Floria whispered to us as she sat down on her pillow pile. “What do you think, Dom?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted, keeping his voice low as well. “Did she say you two were watching last night? How much did you see?”
“Honestly, I stopped as soon as you started removing clothing,” she said, holding up a hand. “Scouts honor. Vanilla though, she got kinda overwhelmed and saw a LOT more than I did.”
“So she saw everything?” I asked, shaking my head. Now that I did not like at all. “Why the fuck were you two watching?”
“Because you two dumbfucks were supposed to be fighting, not boning!” she snapped, but then reeled herself in. “Sorry, guess I’m still a bit bothered by it. Point here is, she had a mental breakdown last night and I don’t know how bad it got after I left her alone.”
I glanced over to Vanilla, who had prepared a decent amount of food, but was still looking it over. “Should we… talk to her about it?”
“Yes,” Domitor said with a sharp nod. “But we need to be careful. If we-”
“Breakfast is served,” Vanilla announced cheerfully as she suddenly appeared next to us, holding up the food.
“Fuck me, you startled the shit out of me,” I muttered, not liking how she went from looking over the food to suddenly being right next to me.
“I made a traditional Cakehurst’s breakfast,” she said as she placed three plates down for us. “I do hope you enjoy.”
“You need to cut this customer service shit out,” I mumbled as I grabbed my plate and sat back, looking the food over. It was just a piece of bread, baked beans, and some shitty vegetables. And I think that’s some kind of black pudding. What the fuck?
“Erm, Vanilla, question,” I said as I saw the others were having a similar reaction.
“Yes, Shane?” she asked, turning her full attention towards me.
I do not like that, it’s creepy as fuck.
“Where’s the real food?” I asked, poking at the bland and unappealing food.
“Is the meal not to your liking?” she asked, a hint of a frown tugging at her wide smile.
“No, I mean,” I sighed loudly. “The food you made yesterday was a lot better looking than this.”
“Shayla, just try it,” Domitor said as he took a spoonful of the black pudding. Almost immediately he put the food down and just stared ahead. “Never mind.”
“It can’t be that bad,” Floria said as she tried a few of the food items, grimacing as she ate. “I mean… It's not bad. But it's not… good either. Not like the shit you made yesterday.”
“The food I prepared yesterday was not to Cakehursts standards,” Vanilla stated as she stood there smiling at us. “I apologize for the inconvenience.”
Reluctantly I took a bite of the food, at least wanting to give it a try. And just like Floria said, nothing like the food of yesterday. But I just shrugged as I continued to eat, finishing my plate rather quickly since there was so little food on it.
“Gonna eat that?” I asked as I took Domitor’s plate and began to eat from it, not even waiting for an answer.
He just shook his head as he looked a bit forlorn.
The entire time I was eating, Vanilla just stood there, waiting for… something.
Once I finished the second plate, I sat back, patting my stomach. “So, any dessert? More specifically, like the ones you made last night?”
She gave a bow as she moved back to the bar, pulling out a few more items for herself.
“Something is wrong with her for sure,” Domitor said, gesturing to the food. “I’ve only eaten her food a few times, but the food from yesterday tasted amazing. This though?” he said, lifting up the plate I’d just finished. “No flavor. Just… bland.”
“Bland food doesn’t mean anything,” I said as I picked something out of my teeth with my claw.
Floria didn’t look convinced as she finally finished her own plate, taking longer to eat it than I had.
“I think Domitor’s right here,” she said, a slightly worried look on her face.
Before I could throw back any kind of response, Vanilla returned, holding a plate of baked goods. Just like the ones from last night.
“Now we’re talking!” I exclaimed as I took the plate from her and sat back, placing it on my stomach. I rubbed my claws together as I looked them over, trying to decide on which one to eat first. I decided on a little cookie looking item.
With a crunch I shoved the whole thing in my mouth and began to munch away. But my excitement slowly drained away as I chewed, slowly being replaced by confusion.
“What the fuck?” I muttered, taking a few more of the baked goods and shoving them into my mouth, getting the same result with each one. “Vanilla, where’s the spicy shit?”
“Deviating from the recipe is not the Cakehurst way,” she said simply. “I again apologize for the inconvenience I caused.”
“But…” I muttered, looking up at her in complete confusion. “The spiciness was your personal flair.”
“A childish attempt at refining the works of my foremothers,” she replied, causing me even more confusion.
“I don’t… what are you fucking saying?” I asked dumbfounded.
“Improvement was not necessary,” she answered, giving us a little bow. “Anything else for you three?”
We looked at each other, clearly at a loss on what to do here. She wasn’t acting normal, nor was she making any sense. She wasn’t acting like the lovable dork I saw yesterday. Now she was just a robot.
“Wait,” Floria said as she looked past her at the bar, which was not cleared of any items. “What about your food?”
Vanilla just smiled back at her, “I am currently undergoing a fast.”
“A what?” I asked, causing Domitor to sigh.
“A fast,” Domitor answered, “she’s basically forgoing eating.”
“What? Why?” I asked, giving her a strange look.
“Personal reasons,” she answered simply, that wide smile never leaving her face.
“That’s dumb though,” I said as I looked between the other two. “Right? That’s like super fucking dumb, right?”
“Yes, but she has her reasons,” he said, seeming to be trying to hint at something with his eyes.
But honestly I wasn’t smart enough to get what he was trying to say here. So I just dropped it.
“Anyways, Vanilla,” I said, getting her full attention. “I’m going to ask this one more time, and this is your chance to say whatever you want; are you okay?”
“Shane, I am perfectly fine,” she answered, her smile widening to the point I thought it’d break her face.
While I knew this was a lie, there didn’t seem to be anything I could do about it. I guess she’ll just have to work herself through this on her own. Whatever this is.
“If I am no longer needed, I must take my leave,” she said as she took a step back and bowed yet again.
“And go where?” Floria asked, her face scrunching up as she stared up at the Halwen.
“To the Arena of course, if Vicky is still present I’ll need to reconnect with her,” she said, her smile twitching a bit.
“Wait, you’re leaving us?” Floria asked, jumping up and stepping over to the other woman. “But you’re a part of the gang, remember? You said last night-”
“I was not in my right state of mind last night,” Vanilla interrupted her, keeping up her cheerful composure. “Anything I said was false and should be discredited as such.”
Floria crossed her arms, glaring up at the smiling Halwen. “Okay, I’m done playing around here. You are sticking with us and that is final. You hear me, Cakehurst?”
“Yeah, you’re kinda fucked now,” I chuckled, shaking a finger at her. “You forced yourself into our group, and now we like ya. So boom, you’re one of us now.”
Her smile faltered hard as her face went through a mix of emotions.
“Please don’t leave, Vanilla,” Domitor said in a voice that even pulled on a few of my heartstrings.
After a moment her face settled on an expression; a wide smile.
“I must return home,” she said simply. “There is no reason for me to remain on this island.”
“Yes there is,” Floria stated firmly, squaring up with the other woman.
“What reason would that be?” she asked, her face momentarily shifting into a grimace before resuming her static smile.
Floria raised a claw and tapped it against her head, “you Cakehursts like easy money and business shit, right?”
“That’s a bit crude,” Vanilla answered. “But not incorrect.”
“So stick with us and we’ll take you along for the ride to their home world,” she said as she cast a hand towards me and Domitor. “Unlimited money making opportunities.”
Vanilla seemed to consider this as she tapped at her chin. “You do make a decent point.”
“I make a great point,” Floria countered with a smirk as she put her hands in her pockets. “Besides, you’re growing on me. Would suck for you to leave right when we’re getting to know each other.”
I started to throw my own comment into the mix, but decided to hold back. Floria seems to know what she was doing, I’d probably just screw it all up if I tried to add anything.
The words of the short Kejtdra seemed to affect Vanilla as she stood up a bit straighter. “Er…” However she quickly recovered and resumed her proper stance, “that is indeed an acceptable proposal.”
“Radical,” Floria chuckled, holding out her hand. “So shake on it, Cakehurst. You’ll stick with us no matter what.”
Vanilla stared at her hand, seeming conflicted. But after a few moments she reached out and shook her hand firmly.
“Now you’re fucked,” Floria said with a wink.
“Welcome to the gang, officially,” I laughed, giving her a thumbs up.
“Good luck,” Domitor said, a relieved smile on his face.
She looked between the three of us, her wide smile still plastered across her face. “I look forward to working with you three going forward.”
“Okay you’re going to need to drop the act,” I said as I stood up, stretching my arms and wings. “It’s weird.”
“This is how I speak,” she replied, putting her hands behind her back again.
“Okay, so go back to how you were yesterday,” I said as I crossed my arms.
“I can n-”
“Goooooood MORNING contestants!” Flavio’s voice suddenly roared all around us, scaring the absolute shit out of me as I jerked so hard I fell over the couch next to me and landed on the floor. “It is currently groove time here on Ephemeris Island! I hope you all enjoyed the amazing digs! Brought to you by Galby of course!”
“Just fuck, did he have to yell out of nowhere like that?!” I groaned as I pulled myself back up, frowning at the others.
“If all remaining contests could make their way back to the arena, then we’ll get started with the hubolostical final rounds!”
I glanced at Vanilla, seeing she was back to her smiling self. Guess we’ll drop this subject for now, at least till the end of the tournament.
“Okay then, you guys ready to watch me kick some ass?” I asked as I opened my menu, seeing that most of my armor was still out of commission. That sucks, but at least my mask was good to go. I felt more confident when my face was hidden.
“If by kick some ass, you mean watch you get beat to a pulp and still somehow win, then yes, we’re ready,” Domitor said with a little smirk.
“Har har, fuck you,” I retorted, returning his smirk as I began to equip individual pieces of gear.
Floria looked between us, rolling her eyes, “you two are weird as fuck together.”
Yeah, I know.