A Meeting Of Minds (3)

I pull a small package out of my bag and place it in her tiny hands. The whole focus of the room turns to Woohee, who hides inside my shirt. The bizarre antics of the fairy pull a chuckle out of me, and I turn to Inari.

"So? I think that went well, all considering." I raise my eyebrows and smile, hoping to placate the monster. Surprisingly, she doesn't react. She remains focused on the entrance, lost in thought. A few seconds later, she finally speaks.

"What is a fairy?" It's odd to hear her get philosophical, but I've heard plenty of arguments about what man is.

"Does it matter? You're alive. Isn't that enough?" The terrible beauty of life is just that. You're alive; everything else is up to you. On the other, I'm just a person that does whatever they want all the time, so maybe I'm just rationalizing my behavior. Either way, seeing the leader of the fairies dip her toes into existentialism is endlessly fascinating.

"That's it, huh?"

"What else is there?" She pauses again.

"Very well." Uncharacteristic doubt flows from the mouth of the fairy god. Her usual burning red eyes have cooled to an ember. Even her movements seem listless.

"I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm here if you want to talk about it."

"I might have to take you up on that." And with that, she leaves. The flutter of fairies trickles out after her, and silence returns to our den.

I'm pretty confused by the solemn atmosphere. All I heard was good news, but Inari is acting like the world is ending. I feel a few crumbs tumble down my stomach and am reminded of the fairy hiding between the folds of my clothing.

"Are you done yet?"

'BUUURP!'

A belch so loud that it reverberates around the room emanates from the feasting fairy. I lift up my shirt to find Woohee lying face down in my lap and what looks like one-sixth of the cookie eaten.

"Woohee doesn't feel very good." Her voice trembles, but her hand still reaches for the confection at her side.

"You don't have to make yourself sick. We can save it for later." I wrap up the rest of the cookies for later and store them in my bag. Woohee leaps off my lap toward the bag on the ground.

"No, just a little bit–"

'Bleugh'

She can't even finish speaking before she's interrupted by her own vomit. Woohee slowly barfs up the majority of the cookie she just ate while crawling towards the bag.

On some level, I'm impressed by her determination.

"If you're going to make yourself sick, then I'll have to stop giving you cookies." Woohee hesitates before quickly burying the remains of the cookie she ate in the dirt.

[Gross.]

"Woohee's fine," she says unconvincingly. She tries to stand up but collapses again while clutching her stomach.

"Either way, you're done for today. Let's call it a night. Here, lay down on this." I fold up a shirt and gently place the aggrieved fairy upon it. Woohee falls asleep almost as soon as I put her down.

"Nick, I'm not feeling very well either." I turn around to see Shinobu rubbing her stomach as well. I'm relatively certain she's just doing this for attention, but I'm a sucker, so I decide to just play along. I get her some food and water before discussing the topic of meeting with Tyrion.

"I met with Tyrion today, and he agreed to cooperate on the condition that he could see you." I sit back to give her space. I don't want Shinobu to feel like I'm pressuring her. A series of complicated emotions spread across her face.

"Will you come with me?" she asks after a moment's pause.

"I can if you want me to."

"I'd feel better that way."

"I told him to come to the forest at night, so he might already be there. Considering we have Jezabel supporting us, we don't really need him for information, but it couldn't hurt."

"I understand." I'm not sure why she has such a melancholic tone, but I choose not to dig. "I'm ready when you are."

"Let's go." I pick up the unconscious fairy, and we walk out of the cave into the bizarre wonderland, which is the forest at night. If I hadn't memorized this route by now, I could have easily gotten lost. I place Woohee in Shinobu's hood, with her permission, and lead the way. I'd like to think this is a step towards helping her heal, but only time will tell. We walk silently through the night and arrive at the edge of the forest in good time.

"What took you so long?" I can hear Tyrion's angered voice coming from behind a tree in front of us.

"Some crazy shit happened earlier; I'm not gonna lie. We actually don't need your help anymore–" Before I can finish talking, Tyrion grabs my collar, lifts me up, and slams me against a tree. While jarring, the impact isn't particularly painful. I furrow my brow and re-access my situation. Tyrion is holding me in the air with one hand by pressing against the center of my chest. As he isn't blocking any blood or airflow, I'm not in any immediate danger. The next things I notice are his wide-open eyes and otherwise expressionless face. It seems he doesn't want to make a move without confirming Shinobu's situation.

[Am I stronger than Tyrion?]

This is a thought I have had for the first time, and I decide to do a test given the situation. Despite his attempt, I don't feel particularly threatened by him, and it could be useful information for later. I grab the wrist of the hand holding me up and squeeze. It isn't long before I notice his face begins to contort. After another few seconds, he releases me.

"Relax. She's, like, right behind me." Shinobu walks out of the shadows on cue and stands between Tyrion and me.

"Do you want me to leave or…" My voice trails off as I try to get a read on her. She doesn't respond. I don't know what to do, so I take a step back and try not to bother them.

"Shinobu…" Tyrion is the first to speak.

"Shut up!" I can see her teeth clench and a tear forming at the corner of her eye. It feels like she's been bottling this up for a while.

"I did everything I could–" Tyrion moves his hand toward her face.

"I said, shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" He quickly withdraws his hand and closes his mouth. I don't know what they've been through, but I'd guess Tyrion feels partly responsible for her situation and is prepared to accept some form of punishment. Shinobu's breathing becomes uneven, and I see a couple of tears fall to the ground. "Don't you ever say that to me again!"

[This is getting hard to watch.]

I hold my tongue and wait for the situation to resolve. Shinobu takes a few deep breaths to compose herself, then punches him in the chest. Then she does it again and again. The intermission between punches increases as her strength leaves her until she's just holding one fist against his chest. Tyrion remains motionless. Several tense moments pass in silence until she finally speaks.

"I don't want to see you ever again." And with that, she walks back into the woods. I empathize with Tyrion because it seems like he's trying to do the right thing. I don't know what their history is, but I feel the need to comfort him.

"I don't know what she's going through, but just give her some time."

"Cram it." He spits.

"Or keep being an asshole. I'm just trying to help you here."

"I didn't ask for your help."

"Don't say I didn't try." I spin around and follow Shinobu. I find her waiting for me about thirty yards away. I stand in front of her as she wipes away her tears.

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him to give you some time." I see no reason to lie, so I explain myself.

"No matter how much time passes, I'll never change my mind." The sorrow in her voice has been replaced with wrath.

"That's fine if that's what you want. I just didn't want you to burn your bridges in the heat of the moment. From the looks of it, Tyrion really cares about you. That isn't something you come by very often."

[It'll become even rarer as you get older.]

This last sentence I keep to myself. After saying everything I want, I lead the way back to the den. It's a silent walk back, save for some sniffles, and we immediately get ready for bed when we return. I take Woohee out of Shinobu's hood and place her on some cloth before climbing under the covers. Tonight was hectic, but tomorrow is looking bright.