POP!
…? Is that the sound of a tide? The gentle waves create an ambient sound that makes me unable to move away. Not just that, it's as though I can feel its touch ever so slightly…am I dreaming or just gaining consciousness? I think I can open my eyes now…
"Yawn…nope, this is not a dream. Now I know why my back felt a little rough."
I've been asleep against this rock here…on a beach? Since when have I…
"Oh, that's right. Perlina was taking me to Fraus, which I assume I've arrived at. I must have fallen asleep while inside her mouth, but given my absurd level of fatigue, I'm surprised that the sun is still up. It's good to know that I haven't been asleep for too long, but enough."
Thanks for giving my body the opportunity to recharge, even if just a little…unconventional, Perlina.
Vex musters his energy to get up from his involuntary relaxed position, stretching his body as he shakes the white sand off his cloak. Just a few meters away, there is a wooden dock that leads to an elevated stone stairway. Although hard to see in its totality from Vex's angle, roofs of several buildings and components of other structures peep out from above the stairway.
"Looks like the rest of town is up there. I don't seem to be too far from the harbor…! There's still a chance that Flenn has yet to depart from the port!"
Shedding off every inch of fatigue remaining in his body, Vex sprints towards the dock and up the stairway. There was no need for him to carefully avoid other beachgoers, or the handful of families casually walking by–his agility forced them into avoidance. Though as he arrived at the plaza, the sheer amount of increased traffic and movement in comparison to the beach knocked Vex back to his place.
Aimlessly wandering around this busy place searching for Flenn would be a huge waste of time. Assuming that they are here even still, which they likely aren't if I had to bet, it'd take forever to search. Asking random people could be a faster method, but that's impractical.
Besides, I would gradually die inside after speaking out to each stranger I meet. The last thing I want is for my identity to spread around.
"Excuse me sir…"
A young-looking woman dressed in suspenders and shades of pastel articles of clothing awkwardly holds up a floating sign that has the shape of a smiley face. Her soft-spoken voice gets absorbed by the vast outdoor space, only making her look more awkward as she appears to be mouthing words.
"Oh, you're speaking to me? What is it, ma'am?"
"Um…are you okay? You've been standing outside of our daycare facility, quietly staring. I've been trying to get your attention, but…"
"I was in deep thought about something, I didn't mean to ignore you."
"It's okay, sir. Are you here to pick up someone or considering our services? If so, please head inside–we welcome you."
"No, I have no use for such a facility. I didn't realize this was that kind of business. I mean, why would there be a daycare in the commercial harbor area of all places?"
"It's primarily for parents who need someone to temporarily look after their children as they handle…various adult activities. It ensures that incoming tourists can enjoy themselves, even if they are with children…at least in my opinion."
"Wait, I actually have a question for you. Have you seen a cat demi-human girl with mint green fur? Another demi-human, a rabbit, should be accompanying her."
"Umm, I don't recall anyone like that coming to our facility today. Though I don't think I would be allowed to give information about our clients to…a stranger."
What? There's no way she just…,she didn't have to look at me like that when she said "stranger". Why do I awkwardly struggle to make a good first impression so often?
"The girl…her name is Lily. She is still a child, but my party member. The aforementioned rabbit…let's just say that we have an important meeting together and I need to reunite with them pronto. Any information you could give would be greatly appreciated."
"Ah, you are trying to meet-up with your acquaintances! Whew, I'm glad that I don't have to call those guys anymore."
"Call whom exactly?"
"Anyway, given that the harbor area is one of the busiest places in Fraus, it's not uncommon for tourists to get lost. Unfortunately, while I don't recall seeing the demi-humans you speak of, the name Lily seems familiar in the sense that I recently heard of it."
"You have? Where?"
"Hmm, it was during my lunch break, I think? In passing the gift shop, I just happened to hear someone mention that name–it sounded like a young girl's voice. Though I didn't pay it any mind so I don't know who it came from exactly. It might not even be the same person you're looking for–"
"Where is this gift shop?"
"It's further along the harbor, near the exit gate. Here, we are just outside that immediate area, so just continue past here and you won't miss it. If I remember correctly, it's called 'Lowiee'."
Of course, why didn't I immediately think of that? Asking workers who have been here for hours seeing various people is the most efficient strategy. Much better than asking individuals one by one.
"Appreciate it."
Vex exchanges farewell waves with the woman and makes another full sprint towards the direction of promise. With the gift shop now in sight, Vex enters, heading for the first staff member he sees–a cashier with a tag that reads 'Tina'.
"Excuse me, I was wondering if you–"
"They went to the Water Palace."
"I didn't even finish my question."
"You were going to ask about some rabbit demi-human that is accompanied by a cat demi-human child, weren't you?"
"Well…"
"That woman went to the Water Palace–that's where the nobles live if you didn't know."
"Then–"
"You can easily get to the palace by following the river that runs through the city. Just go upstream since that's where the water flows from–the Water Palace, I mean."
"Okay, how do you–"
"My curse can identify a person's question and answer it. And no, I cannot answer the mysteries of the universe or anything–it must be information I could feasibly know. Good news for you, I happened to glance at the people you are searching for."
"Dang it, at least be courteous enough to let me finish! Where's your etiquette as an employee?"
"No can do–the caveat is that I must answer before the question is complete, else I suffer a brainfreeze, if not a migraine"
"..."
"So why would I do customer service, where I'm bound to be rude to customers who ask hundreds of questions? I get a kick out of it. A free excuse to be rude makes the day go by–the look on some obnoxious customer's faces when they ask for my manager and he explains what I already told them about my curse…it's bliss."
"I didn't even ask."
"Nope, but I'm used to that being the follow-up. Anything else?"
The woman smirks, feeling satisfied with Vex's stunned state reflected in her glasses.
Tch, I can relate to being cynical towards the greater population, but…
"Before I leave, I bet you won't predict my next question."
"Sigh, you wouldn't be the first to say that. Go on, make my day. I'll even pay for an item in this store for you."
"That's rather cheap, isn't it? Afraid of taking a risk? Seems like you aren't so confident in your curse after all."
"What did you say?!"
Heh, her eyes got so big, looks like they are about to bulge out of her glasses. Just perfect.
"Okay then, tough guy. I'll also wager my premium pass to the nearby private spa, but you'll have to buy the entire staff a drink!"
A devious grin spreads across Vex's face.
____________________________________________________
"Ahh, this should give me a boost for the rest of the day; though I can still feel the lingering fatigue throughout my body. Hopefully this situation gets wrapped up within a few hours so that I can rest and get back on track. All of these forced detours are frustrating to no end…"
Swirling a metallic can with stylized lightning bolts in his left hand, Vex stretches out the lower half of his naked body within a spacious spa. Juxtaposing the warm waters of the spa, he takes a long sip of cold liquid from the can.
"Ahh…a strawberry lemon margarita flavored energy drink? I've been missing out."
Oh well, at least seeing that cashier's face when I activated my misfortune to dismantle her absurd ability gave me a bit of comic relief. Misfortune can be rather comical when it's not making my life a chaotic hell.
"Maybe I really should have been isolated at birth…it's only fair for me to keep this affliction limited to me and to me alone."
Vex takes a final sip of the energy drink, crushes the can and casually tosses it behind him. Whether it lands in the trash bin is not something he is concerned with confirming. He rests his head against the wall and closes his eyes.
Man, the sound of fizz and steam is so soothing…I could stay here for hours…
"..."
What's the point of this? Why did Flenn flip and take Lily? I just can't fathom her motivation…there has to be an X-factor I'm unaware of. The thought of it makes me feel uneasy.
"Fantastic, now I can't relax anymore. It was enjoyable while it lasted–time to put this energy boost to good use."
With every fiber in his boy, Vex forces himself out of his relaxed position and exits the spa. He stretches himself, proceeding to dry his body with a towel and get dressed. As he is adjusting his cloak, he stares at the still waters of the now lifeless spa.
I wonder if I can…might as well give it a shot.
"Perlina."
SWISSSH
Suddenly, the water vortexes, a giant head emerges from the center of the spa, directly at the epicenter of the whirlpool.
"Whoa!"
"Hi, Vex! I-I hope I'm not too late!"
"No, not at all. In fact, you almost gave me a heart attack with how quickly you responded."
"Oh no! I-I'm sorry about that! I was on standby since I figured you'd need me very soon, but I'll be more mindful next time, I p-promise!"
"I'm the one who still has to get used to this process. I called your name as an experiment, though I did not expect it to work. As you can see, this is a spa big enough for 10, but all for one."
"Really? It looks rather tiny to me, but from your perspective, this spa does seem too big for just one person. Anyway, you just mentioned calling me as an experiment. If you don't mind me asking…"
"Well, it's no big deal–it's just that this is not the kind of water source I'd imagine a water nymph emerging from."
"Like I told you, as long as you call my name near a body of water–any body of water–I will appear! Though the size will affect how much of my body can emerge, you see."
Ah, so that explains why her lips are barely floating above the water. But given that this spa is only a few meters deep, and her giant body overexceeds that depth tenfold, depth is not a limiting factor. As long as the width is wide enough, I can utilize her beyond the seas.
"Is that so? Honestly, I'm not even surprised anymore–your usefulness just gets better and better the more I learn about you."
A stream of bubbles rapidly rises to the surface, popping on Perlina's reddened cheeks.
"Are you…feeling okay? Earlier, I dropped you off at a shore, but when I spat you out my mouth, you were sleeping so soundly that I just could not bring myself to wake you. It pleased me greatly to see that my mouth gave you a place of comfort and safety to such an extent, but I couldn't just keep you there forever. I could tell that you were fatigued and in desperate need of rest, so I blew a bubble around you so that you could rest for just a bit longer. I really hope that you aren't overexerting yourself, your health is very important to me!"
"With my life being the way that it is, you'll worry yourself to death if you're always so concerned about me. I suggest that you take it easy for your sake. Look, I'm all revitalized now. Rejoice. Or is that not enough for you?"
"W-well…you know…y-you could've summoned me while you were in the spa. I would've loved to learn more about you at the same time…are you sure you don't want to get back in? I can remove your clothes for you quickly."
Perlina pokes her tongue out of her mouth slightly, with just a smidge of hesitancy.
"Uhh, I'll pass. More importantly, there's somewhere I need you to take me right away."
"R-right, I may have lost focus for a moment. Where do you need to go?"
"Apparently, Flenn took the girls up to a place called "Water Palace". It's essentially the living space of Fraus's noble family, the stream that flows through the city flows down from there."
"So I just need to swim against the current and go upstream to enter this water palace? Okay, I got it!"
"Thank goodness you are also a navigation wizz. I'll catch up to that bunny and make the headstart she got seem pointless."
"You really think so? I don't think that I'm even half as intelligent as our smartest sister, Milokari. It's so strange to hear such a compliment towards me…"
"Sheesh, is there any compliment that suits you?"
"...I'm not…so sure."
"Who cares what your sisters can do better than you? It's not a competition."
"..."
"If I were to guess, you are used to being compared to your older sisters throughout your life, aren't you?"
"...y-yes. You are strangely very perceptive at times, Vex."
"It doesn't take a mind reader to figure that out. Listen, if anyone acknowledges your skills or unique traits, forget about your sisters. Instead, be selfish–it's all about you and no one else. Growing up, I didn't care what people said that my sister could do better than me. True or not, I wouldn't be caught dead cowering to her supposed superiority!"
"Vex…you have an older sister too?!"
"Had as far as I'm aware."
"I would truly like to hear more about her, but I get the feeling from you that now would be a little…you know…"
"There's a reason I don't mention my family to anyone. Though to be fair, I hardly mention anything about myself to anyone. There you go, that's a fun fact about me."
"That's amazing–you trusted our bond enough to tell me a little more about yourself. Thanks, I'll take it and never forget it!"
"Hold on now, I never implied that…sigh, nevermind. Let's get this over with."
Vex walks up to the edge of the spa, steadily getting closer to Perlina's lips. Perlina raises her eyebrows with an expression that can be best described as a mixture of a dash of confusion, a bit of curiosity, and bashfulness.
"Uh, V-Vex? W-what do y-you mean b-by–"
"Go on, put me in your mouth like you usually do. I've braced myself and steeled my resolve, so do it before my mood wears off and I get second thoughts."
"W-well a-actually…I was thinking that maybe this time you could ride on my shoulder. The path in the river will be much safer than the vast ocean and won't take as long for me to travel. And there are some pretty sights that I'd like you to see alongside me…of course, if you really prefer to ride on my tongue, I would be more than happy to oblige–"
"Where's your shoulder blade?"
"Chuckles, that's my Vex!"