48 - Game Results (2.63k words)

╔═══ Author's note ════╗Niqap - a veil worn by Muslim women, which covers their whole face. Usually, black, but Yaya is wearing a colorful one. Her autumn outfit looks similar to this tunic, but slightly shorter.╚═════════════════╝Since the males were no longer competing against the females, they no longer had the plates on their heads."Red!" Queen Memi shouted."Green!" Nivi shouted immediately.Nobody moved. The males stood completely still."Green!"The males dragged their feet forward, taking one slow step at a time as they focused on Queen Memi's voice.Everyone was covered in polka dots in varying shades of brown. This was their fifth attempt, and so far, it has been nothing short of a disaster. Only one of Queen Memi's triple-striped males has finished the line."Red!"They froze instantly.I shoot close to Skaris's head without actually hitting him. He didn't budge. Aiming at Muir, the birdie ducked instinctively, making me smirk, "Muir, start over again.""..." Muir returned to the starting point with a small sight.I admit that I made it extra difficult for my males and was a bit biased toward Queen Memi's males. We were here to entertain the Queen, not to make her males look stupid and weaker than others.I aimed at Vick, who looked so damn peaceful and confident that it pissed me off, "Vick, start over again." His eyes moved, so...yeah.Vick walked back to the starting point, still looking completely unbothered.I took this time to observe the rest of the males. Nobody was a quitter, and all the males were equally determined to finish the race, which made the three females behind me become a bit soft-hearted. Queen Memi called out greens and reds more slowly, and Nivi's decoys weren't as mean as in the beginning.In no time, every single male finished the challenge, and the final result was: 1. Queen Memi's male, 2. Queen Memi's male, 3.Parker, 4.Winston, 5.Harvey, 6.Skaris, with Vick coming last.It turned out that leopards weren't just speedy; they were great acrobats too. Sei and Curtis were in their human forms, which made them slower and clumsier in comparison to their usual forms.The crowd was screaming joyfully, and the females were clapping their hands in excitement. It was decided that each winner would be rewarded with a kiss from his respective female.Skaris touched his cheek, "Thank you."I released my veil, letting it cascade back over my lower face. I was wearing a comfortable long sleeved tunic with my hair and face covered with a matching green niqap. It was a bit amusing how I found myself wearing it, all because of a guy with a blindfold and exceptional hearing.During Nivi's first visit, I told her that I was not comfortable showing off my looks, and she was happy to play along, even telling the villagers from the Camel Hump Valley that I fell and broke my nose on my way to the Beast City.I don't know what had prompted her to try and befriend me again after writing such a farewell letter, but she didn't show that much PDA before me as before. Instead of interacting with my males herself, she would send her males to pass on a message to mine.I think that Nivi finally got Vick's message that he didn't want to be her friend, including the rest of my males. I don't even know why she would want to befriend them in the first place. Was it curiosity? Her friendly nature? Or something else?· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·The sky was getting dark, so Tony and Parker lit a fireplace."I have yet to encounter another ape-man as tall and strong as you are. In our tribe, apes are thinkers rather than laborers," Queen Memi's male started a conversation with Vick as they carried some dino meat for the grill, "They mostly consume fruits and vegetables, which is why most are short and thin.""I prefer to eat meat," Vick said as he set up the wooden poles for grilling. "My mother was born of a bear male and female; maybe that's why I'm bigger than most."Vick had a high-protein diet. From what I remember, his favorite dish was an Italian dish called "Insalata di Mare"-a cold seafood salad made with marinated seafood, including octopus, squid, and shrimp, mixed with fresh herbs and a lemony vinaigrette. He was not a fan of rice or bread but enjoyed eating Italian pasta made with just flour and eggs."Let's dance!" Queen Memi clapped her hands as she ordered a few of her males to retrieve instruments like flutes, drums, and maracas from their luggage.After everything was set, the leopard began dancing with a great deal of enthusiasm around the fire."Come! Come! Let's dance!" Queen Memi grabbed Bai's and Nivi's hands and dragged them towards the middle, calling their males to join them.Vick wasted no time seizing the moment, pulling me into his embrace and taking me for a twirl.It was like we had returned to the past, when my father would throw me into an abandoned area, such as a jungle or a forest, creating a space for Vick to carry out his missions undisturbed in populated areas.One such excursion had led me to stumble upon an old tribe untouched by the outside world. Despite their lack of modern technology or knowledge of the world beyond their borders, they thrived, finding joy and laughter in the simplicity of life. I was dancing with the tribe's children when Vick returned from his mission with laughter, calling my dance silly and clumsy.Muir and Skaris stood aside, grilling the meat, not planning on joining.Curtis grabbed my hand, wanting to twirl me. But instead, I twirled him, and then he twirled me back, then Vick twirled me, and then Curtis again. We then joined the leopards, trying to copy their moves as much as possible.Curtis looked so cute, twisting his body from side to side, his face scrunched up in concentration.Vick, on the other hand, was just goofing around, trying to make me laugh with his silly, clumsy moves.Bai tried her best to keep up with the rhythm, and it was obvious that she was new to dancing, but she looked very enthusiastic to learn from Parker.Nivi was good at dancing. The movements came naturally to her, and she taught her males how to dance, too.Queen Memi smiled as she approached me, "Are you enjoying yourself?""Yes," I said, copying a leopard dance, "Does this dance represent something?"Queen Memi's face lit up with surprise by my eagerness to learn more about their rich culture and traditions, especially considering my usual avoidance of chatting with others."This one represents our ancestors," she demonstrated the moves. I couldn't help but notice a glint in her eyes, like she'd been waiting for the right moment to chat with me. Despite her curiosity about me, I preferred to let her words fill the air, enjoying the tales she spun rather than listening to my own, "This one is for the Beast God."I noticed that she was making a different pattern than the first."And this one represents us." The third and final set of the dance was a little wilder and freer than the previous ones. The beat was faster and louder. Queen Memi looked like the sun, and the males around her were like the planets.When she danced, her smile was full of pride and confidence, her eyes sparkled brightly, and her voice was loud and cheerful. "Dancing and singing are an important part of our culture." She stopped dancing, turning her eyes towards me. "Do you want me to teach you some moves?""Sure.""It is not difficult, but it requires practice." She demonstrated the moves to me, "Try and follow my lead."The dance started out slow but became fast and complex. It took me a few tries, but eventually, I was able to imitate her."Good. Very good," Queen Memi exclaimed, "Isn't that cloth uncomfortable? Don't worry about your looks. You need to be able to move freely and lose yourself to the music."I shook my head, "I'm more comfortable like this.""Alright, then. This is our tribe's song," Queen Memi placed a flute against her lips as she danced. The melodious tune echoed in the air. The drums followed after the flute. The maracas played at the end, giving a nice beat to the whole performance.Queen Memi was around eighty years old, but due to the emeralds from her King, she didn't look a day older than twenty. One would wonder what she did in her spare time to keep such a perfect hourglass figure. And dancing seemed to be a part of it.Her performance entranced everyone, but the ones most entranced were her males. Their eyes sparkled with awe and adoration as if she was the light and they were the moths.When she finished, everyone broke into cheers and applause."That was amazing!" Everyone praised her performance."Thank you," she smiled gracefully, "I'm going to rest for a bit. Please continue enjoying yourselves."Her males were more than happy to oblige, wiping her sweat, bringing her a drink, massaging her body, and fanning her with big leaves. She sipped on the fruit juice, looking like a true queen.The mood was lively, and the laughter rang in the air."We should do this more often," Vick said as he pulled me into his embrace, resting his chin on top of my head when Curtis went to use the sand pit."What, dance?""Yes, dance.""You're so corny.""Only for you, Precious." He held me tighter, swaying slightly. "I've missed you, so much. So, so much."I didn't say anything. It's not like we didn't see each other every day, but he missed the old me. The me from before I cut him out of my life. The me from before everything went down the drain."Precious, are you still mad at me?"I felt his hold tighten even more, and I didn't say anything, letting him have his moment."Do you still hate me?""...""Say something.""What do you want me to say?""Say that you love me.""No.""Please.""I'm not going to give you what you want just because you're being extra annoying.""I'm always annoying, though.""But you are more annoying now.""How about now?""You're the most annoying right now.""How about now?""Why do you insist on torturing me?""Because you torture me too.""..." I looked up."Don't give me that look.""What look?""That 'You're the biggest idiot I have ever met' look.""But you are." I broke away from his hold and headed back to sit on Curtis's lap, in between Muir and Skaris, "Muir, tell him to leave." No reaction. "Skaris, tell him to go away," I told Skaris when Muir pretended to be deaf.Skaris sighed. "Go away," he said half-heartedly.Vick pressed his lips into a thin line, his eyes boring holes into me. "Fine. Have it your way," he said before leaving the banquet, disappearing behind the main gates.Curtis's eyes followed Vick silently."Are you sure you want to let him go like that?" Muir asked, breaking the silence."You've been acting cold toward him...more than usual," Skaris pointed out."Is that a problem?" I looked at them questioningly, "Shouldn't you all be glad that I'm not giving my head male any attention? You don't have to share me with him. Isn't that great news worth celebrating?""..." Muir and Skaris remained silent, not knowing how to answer my question.I turned to look at Curtis, who had been staring into space ever since Vick left. "Are you worried about Vick too?""He might do something drastic," said Curtis, "And we might not be able to stop him. If I were in his shoes, I would.""Do what?" I asked."Something I would regret," Curtis shifted his gaze towards the fire, his expression unreadable, "The pain of sharing you with someone else is hard enough, but the thought of losing you completely is even more unbearable. I don't think I would be able to take what he takes. It would drive me crazy.""You all think that Vick is waiting for me to forgive him for what he had done to me? That I'm the only thing standing between his sanity and insanity? Is that it?"They nodded."Well, you're wrong. If you knew the truth, you probably wouldn't be taking his side right now."They blinked, confused.I stood up, "Vick probably won't show up for a few days just to gain more of your pity, and then he'll come back. In the meantime, enjoy the peace." I left the group and headed towards the grill area to check on the meat.· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·Queen Memi and Nivi stayed over for two more nights. On the third day, they were ready to depart."I would have liked to stay longer," said Queen Memi, "But my tribe needs me. Maybe I'll visit you next moon.""It was so fun," said Nivi, "Once we finish building our house, you all have to come and visit us.""Of course. We will definitely come," I said."See you soon," Bai said, waving her hands."Safe trip," I said, waving back as they departed.The day went on normally, but the absence of Vick made it feel less lively.Muir and Curtis spent their evenings playing chess with a set that Vick had carved from wood. Meanwhile, Skaris ventured into the forest to search for him, leaving me to sit alone by the fireplace.· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·A week passed, and there was still no sign of Vick, which made me think that he perhaps went to visit my father and was probably no longer in this world.Even though the remaining trio attempted to maintain a tough facade, it was evident that Vick's absence was impacting them. It was impacting everyone.Vick did all kinds of things to win me over, which included leaving me after promising that he wouldn't. Well, I asked for it myself, so it was my fault, and I could only blame myself for it. I never truly blamed him for leaving me. I believe that he needs some space, away from me, to sort things out in his brain.My throat tightened, and my stomach twisted painfully at the mere thought of him leaving for good. Why does it get harder and harder to extinguish this stubborn hope I cling to every time he leaves and returns? I went to bed feeling sick, and the same feeling greeted me upon waking up.Do not return. Just stay away from me. It's better this way, for both of us.I repeated the same mantra over and over again. A mantra that helped me forget, to erase other's existence from my mind. A mantra that made my heart numb and dead.╔═══ Author's note ════╗What kind of truth was Yaya speaking? 👀I want to reveal what kind of beastman Vick is by chapter 50 so stay tuned! 🤫 I also want to write his POV too, and reveal some things about the betrayal and what actually made Yaya ignore him for ten whole years. 😊Vick has revealed that they are the same age, but never revealed the actual age. They are both quite old, definitely older than they look. 🤫╚════════════════╝