FUUUU[1]
One move.
The one he had learned to do again and again.
Finding a deeper level of control of this strike each time.
FUUUU
At first, Sunny was just moving his arms, but that was not what he was asked to do. They didn't explain it to him at first, letting him think about it himself. He was the kind of kid which learned faster with an example.
A visual one.
What was it ?
The difference between his strike and hers ?
That's how it all started to make sense.
FUUUU
What was it? It was just a simple move that only required his arms to act, right ? But she was putting her being into it, time had lost meaning to her, so was the heat, the fatigue and hunger. All that was useless for her.
Every time Sunny was looking somewhere else on her body, he found something new. From her abs to contract, her breathing which was in sync with the position of the wooden blade. Her legs used to strengthen their anchor on the ground to put more weight on every strike.
Each swing was a result of a choice, to move her body like a perfect piece of machinery.
FUUUU
Slashing the air, Sunny had to open his eyes. He had lost count on the number of swings he had done. He was soaked in sweat, his black hair being stuck against his forehead.
His body was in pain.
Every fiber of muscle in him was hurting like hell.
He had never felt this good during the last week.
…
That thought made him realize just how strange he was becoming as time went on.
[Nephis]:"Are you done?"
Beside him was Nephis, she hadn't not moved since he had started. He took a moment to answer.
How could each breath taken be this fresh while having his lungs on fire ?
[Sunless]:"I.. think I am…"
Giving him a silent nod, she took something from behind her. Throwing it to his face, he didn't have the strength to catch it. But good news for him, the thing had expanded mid-flight to cover his entire head.
The towel felt so good, it had to be a crime.
[Nephis]:"Take a break, after that you can clean the mess that you made."
The mess in question was the little pool of sweat at his feet. Normally he wouldn't have to but since he had to train in their room, he had to keep it clean.
Fighting his strong urge to rush to the shower right now, Sunny was now taking care of this responsibility first.
Still, Nephis still had her gray eyes stuck on him, thinking.
[Sunless]:"What is it?"
[Nephis]:"You are strange."
[Sunless]:"Are you not ?"
[Nephis]:"I'm not."
[Sunless]:"Enlighten me then."
He was focused on finishing his task as quickly as possible, so listening to someone would make time go faster. Even if it was some incomprehensible thing from her, that wouldn't really since she had only half of his attention. She did not take that bad, or at least she did not show it.
Worse, she was taking her time to choose her words.
'Come on, I'm bored now…'
A few more seconds of silence before she voiced her thought.
[Nephis]:"Your attention was not there, but still there at the same time."
[Sunless]:"It's not very enlightening, you know that ?"
Ignoring the comment, Nephis chose to keep talking.
[Nephis]:"What were you thinking about during all this time ?"
'Her and her training mode… I swear'
What was he thinking ?
He knew that the reel answer would earn him some remarks later, ones that he did not want to hear.
Taking a page from As…the old hag's book, Sunny had chosen to march the path of lies veiled in truth.
[Sunless]:"Our training with Master Theseus."
[Nephis]:"…"
[Sunless]:"Disappointed ?"
[Nephis]:"Not really. I just thought that the answer would be something else."
[Sunless]:"Now, I'm the curious one. What were we thinking ?"
[Nephis]:"Not telling."
'I guess that also works...'
Not the best discussion they had but at least he was done cleaning. Without wasting any more time, Sunny was already putting his training sword under his bed. Taking a new set of clothes, he moved toward the bathroom.
They had a rule for that.
Never open the door if it is closed.
That's why they leave it open all the time, it was their way of telling if someone was already in there or not.
In less than thirty seconds, water was already falling down his exhausted body. Water vapor cutting him from the outside. He, him and himself, alone under those hot cascades. It was as if the warmth of the water was piercing him, trying to reach and hug something at his core that was devoid of warmness.
He couldn't stop himself from feeling the shower acting like arms, embracing him.
Everything had stopped to exist.
Nothing mattered.
He was melting.
Feeling revivified, he knew that it was not something that would stay.
As soon as the water stopped falling, this comforting feeling would be fleeting away.
Still he had to go.
Drying himself up was quick, what took the most time was his hair. But despite that, he didn't want to cut them. After all, they were at the length that his mother used to love. Playing with them, making small braids on the side. What did she used to say ? If the hair were the crown of a man, then…
…
[Sunless]:"I would be the prettiest prince that ever existed…"
It would be what now ? Almost three years since her death, or maybe it was already past the three years mark.
And yet, she started to get the same treatment as his father…
Withering away from his memory.
Starting with little things, like… What did her face look like? He remembered the general outline, but what about the details? He was the only one left to remember them, and even that… he was about to lose them once again.
That thought was soul-crushing.
Removing the condensation of the mirror with a sluggish move from his hand, he wanted to see his reflection.
He was once used to hearing that he had taken a lot from his father, but he couldn't see it. How can he proclaim to be their son if he wasn't even able to keep his memory of them intact?
An idea bloomed in his mind…
Make a deal with the devil. Or at least, a devil.
Leaving the bathroom, Nephis was about to make a comment, but she restrained herself.
[Sunless]:"… "
[Nephis]:"Tell me, what are you thinking about ?"
[Sunless]:"I'm… Not today."
[Nephis]:"… If you say so."
She did not try to force anything, Sunny was still frowning without realizing it. Would it even work ? His parents were also from the Outskirts… Maybe if he gave them the date of their death and where they were working, they could find something.
He had no picture of them, no sound recording either.
Sunny needed something to remember them better.
Anything.
Even a random picture, outdated.
He wouldn't even care about that.
Just a proof to show that they existed…
That they were not a part of a forgotten story.
The room was silent, until it was not.
Just thinking about the question was enough to make him sick to his stomach. But between an unfounded fear and an attempt to delay the inevitable… He had to do something. Even though the words seemed to be stuck in his throat.
A battle to fight something he couldn't remember in hope of keeping a memory… What a farce.
-"Did you know if… Ashe styled her hair by herself ?"
Closing his hand to contain his tremor, the tone was insecure. Lacking better words to ask, better way to start the conversation.
He was looking at the floor, the noise that Nephis had made passively until now had vanished. The sound of fabric moving, he knew that she was looking at him.
He did not cared.
The silence grew only stronger as time was left unfazed.
[Nephis]:"Not every time."
Sunny's head turned toward her, watching her reaction.
[Sunless]:"Then who's helping her ?"
All of that was weird, but Nephis seemed to be on her guard. After all, his reaction was unusual since his shower. He even dared to speak the name that haunted him.
[Nephis]:"Me. Why?"
Fleeing her gaze, the wall near him was now the one who had to bear his glance. Nephis was special, she was the worst. Any word said, any act done in front of her, she might one day use it against him.
But more importantly, they respect each other on some subjects.
Family was one of them.
[Sunless]:"Can you teach me… how to braid my hair?… "
[Nephis]:"You want me to-"
[Sunless]:"Please…"
This word.
Usually, she would have to fight to have him say it to her. It was stupid but for them, using this word was like admitting being below the other. Pride at its peak.
It was not just a question of asking.
For him to say it by himself out of nowhere, it was not a simple request.
He was pleading for her to accept.
[Nephis]:"Okay… but on two conditions."
Waiting for him to see if he had something to say about it, she was just making sure that it was what she had thought. Because he was able to play the card of weakness to get a good prank on her.
The conditions were usually the perfect repellent to those tricks with him.
And yet, no sign of refusal had been given.
He was serious.
[Nephis]:"I'll teach you. But only if you accept to explain why you want to learn it out of nowhere. And only if I'm the one braiding your hair when I'm around."
[Sunless]:"Why would y-"
[Nephis]:"Do you agree, yes or no?"
He was in no place to ask for less than that, and Nephis knew about it.
Sunny was in a weird place with everyone except her, so this request, she was the only one actually that could take it. The only thing he could turn to and ask.
Silence.
Tap Tap
The boy's hand tapped against his mattress, giving a silent answer to her offer. And so, she moved. Stopping what she was doing until now.
It was weird but Sunny stayed silent.
This situation reminded him of his first real talk with Jeanne.
He felt open…
Defenseless.
Being emotional like that, being sincere about things he cared about…
Sharing them…
It was scary.
Nephis was moving slowly, each step was a caress for the wooden floor. It was like she was taking care to not be abrupt. As if he was a wild animal.
He didn't know how to feel about that.
Proud that she is taking him a bit seriously ?
Hurt because she saw him like an untamed beast ?
He chose neither of them.
Waiting a second in front of him, Nephis's arm was reaching for his head.
He did not move.
She hesitated for a second, her hand standing immobile. But her fingertips were brushing his hair.
[Nephis]:"You have soft hair… "
She was met with silence, not that she didn't expect it.
Finding her place beside him, Nephis did not say anything else, already working with a few strands. She had asked to do it for him for as long she was near him. He couldn't understand why. But that did not matter now, since he had to speak now.
[Sunless]:"The braids… i-"
[Nephis]:"No need to."
[Sunless]:"Wh-...but you asked for it."
[Nephis]:"My condition was for you to tell me why… I never specified when. You'll tell me when you're ready. Now turn your head a bit to your left."
…
Why did she have to act like this ?
To be this hard to be liked?
To be hated?
Following her demand, the head moved.
[Sunless]:"But if you do it for me…"
[Nephis]:"You'll train with mine. Taking care of your hair will ask you to be cautious. And cautiousness is gained much faster when someone else is concerned. You'll have to be sure not to hurt me, and I won't undo them if they look bad. Now don't move."
She was not trusting him not to make mistakes, she knew that it was impossible. So she chose to make sure that each one will make him regret.
She was toying with him, with how he was at his core.
That he wanted to protect others, her included.
She could have just refused, but she did not. On the contrary, she even doubled down by putting herself into the bet.
He hadn't told her what kind of braid he wanted, but he knew just by the feeling of her fingers in his hairs that she was doing something similar to what his mom used to do. It took only a few minutes since she was taking her time, ending with Nephis moving backward to have a better look at him.
They were subtle, starting from behind his right ear.
Three little braids.
[Nephis]:"It suits you."
[Sunless]:"… I couldn't see it, but what did you use to make them hold together ? I didn't see any bands near or on you."
[Nephis]:"A secret."
Getting up, Nephis was already moving back to her side of the bedroom. No question asked.
Sunny couldn't really stop himself from touching his memento.
It was almost nothing, but it was there. A way to remember his parents.
So…
[Sunless]:"Thank you, Nephis…"
Silence.
She was behind her desk writing something.
Still…
[Nephis]:"You're welcome, Sunless."
Maybe sharing this room was not that bad after all.
[1] Starting from today, you'll find some trivia concerning the story and its characters at each chapter's end. Who knows? Maybe it would help you discern truth from lies? Banality and anomaly? I would love to write a chapter for each piece of trivia, but my writing skills and patience have their limits.