Arc 2, Chapter 39: A Wolf and An Elf

The pages flipped, her blue eyes mundanely searching and scanning, "What the," Hotaru paused, as the book was encased by iron, unable to be read like it was shackled by a box.

The redhead brought her head away from her palm, looking around to Asobi who pointed with a wand, "Ha!! Caught you red handed; and red-haired, and red-tailed, and red-eared."

"Asobi!"

"Jotou said you need to relax. It's only been thirty minutes since they left. Tsk, tsk, naughty Hotaru," Asobi shook her head.

"Okay," Hotaru sat up, leaning against the kitchen counter, "Jotou also said do whatever I want and I wasn't using rejuvenate. I was just reading through some spells. Jotou's instructions were already contradictory."

"Uh…"

"I'm not allowed to read now?"

"I… I don't want you to strain yourself?" Asobi shrugged in a smile.

"Let me read my book Sobi."

Asobi complied, letting the illusion on the book go. She approached as Hotaru swirled back to her pages.

Asobi came and hugged Hotaru from behind, her hat falling past Hotaru's face onto the counter as her head fell on Hotaru's shoulder, "I just don't want you to… unalive again."

Hotaru sighed, "There, there," she patted her hands, "I don't want to either, but that's not gonna happen from me reading a book. Never mind the fact I didn't die in the first place…"

"What if the book was evil?"

"It's not."

After careful deliberations, "I trust you," Asobi let go with a smile. Asobi gave a little giggle, before she put her hand on Hotaru's head.

She gave her little scratches behind her ears. Hotaru slanted her head in response, "Hey! Hey, stop that!" Hotaru whined, shrinking away as her tail wagged in joy behind her.

Asobi pulled her hand away immediately. "Yeesh," Hotaru replied, feeling goosebumps all over her skin. Hotaru wiggled her own ears, before she patted down on them, trying to remove the sensation.

Asobi tilted her head, "I'm sorry… You don't like that? I like head pats," she smiled.

Hotaru side-eyed her, "I have the right to remain silent."

"Yeah, but you also have the right to talk, right?"

Hotaru silently exhaled through her nose…

"Anyway, what exactly were you reading?" Asobi peeked over to glance at the book.

Hotaru hummed, "Mainly looking for a spell I remember. It was called Aegis-Aura, I think," Hotaru gave more effort into finding the page.

"I also have to learn Blinding Light from you," Asobi recalled.

"We can do that in a bit and you can pretty much teach yourself- Here it is," she pointed to the page.

"The aura of aegis," Asobi read aloud.

"I've read this before; I just wanted to reread and make sure. The gist of it is, it's an intermediate defence spell and also a support spell, that protects whoever I cast it on with a soft, shielding aura.

Mine would be water based so," she dragged her finger down the page, "Ah, I can reduce any damage we take from being thrown, blunt force… crushing…" her voice became a whisper…

"…And we can also swim a bit faster, are impacted less by fire and burning, so there's also that!" Hotaru brushed away.

"Yay!" Asobi cheered, "Can you shield Jotou from hurting herself?"

Hotaru furrowed her brows, before she began laughing, "I don't think anything can protect her from her stubborn self. No, this spell's intermediate…

It would take countless hours and weeks if not months to perfect it and bring it to even an expert level; for me at least… It doesn't matter; unless it's master level the velatos can still break through it."

Hotaru sighed, "Here I am, having studied for years, but it's nothing compared to natural talent… I don't know how you do it so effortlessly," a hint of jealousy as she looked to Asobi.

"Hm…" Asobi poked her own cheek with her wand, "I don't know! It just comes to me. My magic brings me so much joy and it's so fun entertaining people," she faced the ceiling.

"Of course…" Hotaru smiled, "I guess I just don't have the greatest control of my emotions which affect my affinity… I have to focus on the emotion that makes my spells more effective…

Regardless," Hotaru spryly sat up, "I have to better my healing magic to a master level. So, why don't we go train a bit?"

Asobi pouted, drawing out her response, "But… I think you're the best caster out of all of us. You're such a good teacher!" she beamed.

"We never have enough time to just have fun, do we? We can relax just for now and train later. I want to spend some time with you!" Asobi asked for.

Hotaru's face went blank, expecting Asobi to simply go with her plan… The wolf-girl looked to the clock ticking on the wall, her bluish-silver watch lying on the counter. Time, time…

She felt a shiver down her spine, like her mortality was coming into question… Every cut, every wound… she could always heal. The clocks were ticking, time was not waiting.

But what about the cuts she didn't make herself? What happens when you're not the one in control? Her tail was spiking, ears twitching; was that kitchen knife far away coming closer?

"Hotaru!" Jotou's voice? Where did it come from? Hotaru's eyes darted around, her fingers pressing into each other. Her memory recalled to that night… did she leave her door open… on purpose?

Did she want to be found out? That only made her feel… "Jotou," Jotou's name escaped Hotaru's lips. Remembering that night, Jotou comforting her. Her eyes welling up and she slept so well…

The clocks were ticking, the air around her felt like it was moving again, her actions no longer in a standstill. She gulped, ending up smiling as the thoughts just faded away. Hotaru let out a breath in relief.

"Jotou?" Asobi questioned.

"Hm?" Hotaru settled back into reality.

"You said Jotou? Are you okay?" a childlike worry came out of Asobi's voice.

Hotaru smirked, a little giggle, "I think Jotou would prefer if we did that."

"Oh, great!" Asobi walked over, putting her hat on.

"So," Hotaru closed the book, relaxing, "What do you wanna do?"

_

"Three, two… one; ready or not here I come," Hotaru opened her eyes, "How are you twenty years old?" Hotaru sighed looking around the house for Asobi.

"I didn't really get to play hide and seek as a kid," she walked through the living room, "I always wanted to try, but mayyybee not at this age," she checked under the sofa.

She checked behind the counter and under the table, opening the cabinets… "Wait a minute-" it then hit her, "You can go invisible!" she yelled.

"How is that fair!?" she began hastily going through every corner in the house. Little did she realize the giggling lamp that began moving once Hotaru was out of view.

Hours passed by, sandwiches were made and many games of hide and seek played. They ventured near the edge of Kria Park, collecting flowers to make crowns and putting some in vases.

"Hey Hotaru? Why did you become a lawyer?" Asobi queried, using illusions to give Hotaru longer eyelashes and do her makeup.

Hotaru hummed amusingly, "I had this naïve dream of changing the world and, it's stupid really. I'm glad I'm an adventurer now. I hope I'll get to explore the world someday… maybe people are more accepting outside of Kria."

"Aww… I think that dream is sweet!" Asobi admired, "Doesn't sound stupid at all to me."

"Thank you," Hotaru looked to her; she sighed, "Yes, I like head pats. My dad used to give me a lot of those, but I didn't want them from him anymore."

Asobi stopped her magic, staring at Hotaru for a moment. Hotaru could see the magician itching at the hand… "Fine, just this once," she allowed.

"Yay!!" Asobi cheered, scratching behind Hotaru's ears. The dusk was beginning to settle in, the two mindlessly just doing anything that came to mind…

_

"So, you're actually gonna go train?" Fumeko walked beside Jotou towards the house—the grass well-maintained towards the door.

"Yeah, I'll go tomorrow. Probably with a new sword. Though, I don't know if he would even accept me; I'm not a great student to have."

"You'll make it, I believe in you. The bicycles were cheap, I told you so. Life in Kria isn't too expensive."

"I don't know if I wanna buy a bicycle, maybe though," Jotou considered it. "Anyway, whose side are you on, huh?" her eyes glazed over.

Fumeko snickered, "If you can call me stupid because I'm your friend, I'm allowed to make fun of you too."

"Hm. Fair enough detective."

"I'm always on your side and I'll always be," Fumeko gave a light punch to Jotou's side, "Don't forget that," she told in a grin.

Jotou chuckled to her, "I won't," they approached the door. "I should probably start a workout routine if I'm gonna start fighting; push-ups and stuff," she grabbed the door handle.

"What? So that you're not squishy anymore?" Fumeko smirked.

She twisted and opened it, "Hey, I'm not as squishy as before… The hell happened here…?" Jotou looked into the house. Fumeko's face scrunched to the sight.

The couch cushions were arranged to make a fort, the kitchen was filled with utensils all over the place and breadcrumbs scattered the floor.

Asobi stood on the empty sofas- that was not a sofa… "Yar har! Are these new crewmates that boarded me ship!?" she pointed her wand- sorry, cutlass.

The lights were blue on the floor beneath them and the 'sofa' she stood on the frame of, was a ship made completely out of bread.

Asobi's hat was a pirate's and her other hand was a hook as somehow with no air current her black locks flowed behind her. An eyepatch and a peg leg to complete the outfit.

"What the hell happened to you? And why's Hotaru so…" Fumeko looked to Hotaru, sat on the counter wearing a pristine blue lace dress and makeup that made her eyes sparkle and face lavish.

"Gorgeous…?" Jotou finished Fumeko's sentence, blinking at the scene.

Hotaru held a cup of tea, putting it down on a saucer she held—a flower tiara looped around her ears. Everything in the room including her dress seemed to be covered in illusion.

The dimness of the room made it look like a play. "Why, that's Captain Asobi of the S.S. Sobi. And I'm princess Kinoshita, obviously," Hotaru answered in a posh tone.

"…Are we sure that food wasn't poisoned?" Fumeko rubbed her eyes.

"I don't think it was poisoned… I'm seeing this too…"