[ooc] Adventure Story text: Chapter 2
My grandma had a habit of saying, "Life is a strange thing," but it's very true. Even if the Crimson Noble legend is true that they are blood feeding monsters, the castle library and the existence of Marivel was too tempting to resist, and the fact that all of this was my own secret made my heart dance. I couldn't help chuckling to myself while I read 'The Basics of Wind Power.'
"Are you reading something funny?"
"Uh...well, uh."
Being caught laughing by yourself is quite embarrassing.
"No, it's nothing."
She chuckled as I tried to compose myself in front of her.
"Jack, care for some tea? I would like to know what kind of lives humans live in this age."
"That goes the same for me; I'm interested in a Crimson Noble's life, too."
"Settled. Then, let me call Red and Blue to set up the table."
Marivel closed one of her eyes, and snapped her fingers.
"These things are Red and Blue?"
"Correct. Are they not cute?"
"Uh, yeah..."
I just don't get what girls consider "cute." I secretly sighed while watching a pair of spherical robots, one red and one blue, cleverly carrying a tray. Picking up a small, marble-patterned plate of sweets and a pair of teacups, they served hot tea for us.
"Thanks."
Their big eyes twinkled as if they said, "You're welcome." I guess they are kind of cute.
Marivel took a saucer with a blue flower printed on it, and gracefully carried a sweet to her mouth.
Huh?
"Marivel, you're a Crimson Noble, but you can also eat normal food?"
"Of course I can. Having tea and sweets is a lady's pastime."
"Is that how it is...?"
"Yes."
"Okay, then I'll go ask the girls in class about it next time."
"You do that."
Blowing to cool off the hot tea, we engaged in a somewhat silly conversation. While taking in the sweet scent of herbs from the tea, I hurriedly bit into the sweet morsel, which melted in my mouth.
"How do you like our sweets?" Marivel asked with a smile.
"Can I give you an honest opinion?"
"Of course."
"It doesn't have any texture at all. And it's not that sweet either. I like it more sugary and crunchy."
Hearing my answer, Marivel bristled, and her eyebrows raised.
"No crunch!? Not sweet enough!? Of course not! We carry no such barbaric tastes in our blood!!"
"You said I can be honest...and I never said it tasted bad. It's really good, but it melts away in one bite. Don't you feel it should last longer?"
"I absolutely have no idea what you are talking about!"
"Then I'll bring some of our barbaric sweets next time. It's really tasty," I said with a dreamy face, remembering the taste of an old fashioned apple pie the lady down the street made for me.
"All right, all right...I'll try it if you say so."
Smiling bitterly, Marivel looked at the clock on the wall and turned towards me. "Isn't it time you should head home? Your parents will worry."
"Oh, it's all right. I only live with my grandma. Besides, she always says boys should be more adventurous."
I tried to keep it cheerful, but her red eyes turned a little worried.
"I see. I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't worry about it."
I might have sounded rude, but I hate receiving sympathy. I know it's childish to think so,
but I'm still at an age where I can have a little leeway, right?
"But, I should probably go home now...Grandma shuts me out for dinner when I'm late."
"Well then, I will see you out."
"That's okay, I can go back on my own."
Using the soft springy cushion on my seat, I stood up.
"Come back again."
Waving goodbye to Marivel as she cleaned up the tea set, I ran outside; the north wind stings my cheeks. Shivering from the cold, I looked up at the sky, and saw the thin moon between the mountain tops.
"Oh, no, Grandma..." I said with a whimpering voice; I left late at night to Crimson Castle again, but she already found out when I came back and gave me a spanking. I forgot that Grandma sleeps early at night, but wakes up even earlier in the morning. Call me stupid.
---
"Eeeek..."
As I fell flat on my desk, a blue satin ribbon waved in front of me.
"G'morning."
Cursing silently in my head, I looked up at the cheerful voice; just as I expected, there stood my only classmate of my age, Violetta Bubka. From the outside, she LOOKS like a cute girl, with her blonde hair in a layered bob (she gets mad when I say it wrong), matched with beautiful blue eyes. She moved from a big city last year to her father's hometown Quartly, so she is way more elegant than other girls, but she had an attitude from hell.
"Umm, good morning. What is it?"
Violetta widened her nostrils as I answered in a snotty tone.
"Well, you're in a bad mood. Not nice to someone who brought you some big news."
"Let me guess. You brought a new ribbon or something, right?"
Violetta was a bit mad at my negligent attitude, but she said, "Heehee... A transfer student of
our age is coming today!"
That is big news!! I straightened up and looked at Violetta.
"No kidding!? Hey, so is the transfer student a he or a she?"
"It's a girl as far as I can tell from the distance. She's too cute a girl to be a match for a monkey like you."
"I never asked you anything like that. (sigh) A girl, huh..."
I was a little disappointed; If the new student was a boy, I could have made friends to work on the craft together.
Contrary to what Violetta said, the student called in by the teacher was a boy, but...
I saw why Violetta mistook him as a girl: Pretty green eyes and a cute face, fair hands and skin that hasn't seen much sun.
(What can I say. Give him some skirts, and he'll look like a girl. I'm really disappointed...)
I don't think he's the type that will understand my love for aircrafts.
Glancing over the class (with all the girls blushing and whispering, Violetta blushed up to her ears with her mouth wide open. I just felt dejected.), he introduced himself with a tense voice.
"My name is Reese Farlain. Nice to meet you..."
"Hi Reese, what's your favorite hobby?"
Violetta raised her hand, still blushing. She's probably trying to impress him before the other girls snap out of their crush-trance.
"Uh, I play violin. And I enjoy reading."
Whoa, he must be straight out of a romance novel.
Ignoring the buzzing class, the teacher tells Reese to sit next to me and starts the lecture. She even whispered to me, "Look after him, understood?"
I don't mind, but how does Reese feel about it? I shook my head slightly, and placed my textbook between me and Reese. He shuddered briefly at the ruffling noise.
"Um...can I share your textbook?"
"That's what I meant to do."
I nodded bluntly. Keeping his distance as to not invade my space, he peeped into my textbook.
"You don't have to be so hesitant."
Reese shuddered his shoulders again.
"Yes, but...this is my first time."
"What's your 'first time'?"
This is getting to be like one of those late night radio dramas...
"Well I, I've never been to school before."
"Huh? Where were you living before?"
Judging by his clothes and face, I can't believe he's from some backwater town without schools.
"Well I'm..."
I never got to hear him finish his words. When I felt the sunlight from the
window blocked, the teacher was standing there with a smirk on her face.
"No talking during class, boys."
We hurriedly looked down at the textbook.
---
"Say, aren't you at an age you should be going to school?" Marivel asked, while she read 'Wonders of the Emma Motor' across the table from me.
"Well, yeah."
"How is that going for you? Are you not spending too much time with me, and forgetting to socialize with your friends?"
"It's kinda sad, but I don't have any friends of my age. Well, boys of my age at least."
Wait a sec, I forgot about the transfer student. I felt the corners of my mouth drop at the thought.
"Did you suddenly remember something?"
I jumped a bit with her sudden question.
"Your thoughts appear on your face."
Marivel set her book down and looked into my face.
"Is my face that easy to read?"
"Yes. You're the type that shows everything on your face."
"I never noticed that..."
Scratching my head, I continued.
"Actually, a new student came to our class today, but he's a real girly kind of guy, and I can't seem to get to like him. He even plays a violin."
"Hmm. That's a tender subject..." answered Marivel, twirling a pen in her hand, "but it is such men that possess a strong manly side to appreciate the finer things in life, no matter how many call them girly."
"Is that really how it is?"
I don't think so...
"That's how it is. See for yourself."
With that remark, Marivel laughed.