A Tale of One Deviant (Book One)

Chapter 108: An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away

"アドラーさん！！ " (Adoray-san!!)

     "Why are you here?"

    "Because I can be!" I hopped onto the guest chair in Adoray's office, squirreling down there while slowly applying cleaning magic onto myself and the blanket, putting clothes on underneath.

"That's not an answer. Why aren't you at the festival in your hometown or something?" The grumpy foxkin looked up from the paperwork he was doing, through his glasses and at my humble-ish smile. His yellow eyes were as unamused as ever, which made me think he hadn't had a good day.

     "Because I came here."

     "That's basically the same answer."

     "No it's not," I looked out his windows, where I could see it was becoming late afternoon. This town was midway between Larjulias and Koraco, where it was night and day, so it was halfway in between right now. The festival should be starting soon. "Why aren't you out preparing for the festival?"

     "I don't go to such things," was all he said as he went on to another paper. He stood up and moved directly into his potion mixing desk, tapping a few things here and there.

     "So I was right? Internally you're just a grumpy old man?"

     "...whoever said that?"

     "Well, because you don't act your age in any way."

     "My age is not of concern. You, however, are a perfect hypocrite. At three years old you acted like eleven. At two you were somewhere up there, at one basically sixty years old. Why is it that as time goes on, you become less serious?"

     "Why is it that, as time goes on, you never change?"

     "Because I don't need to change," Adoray sighed at my logic.

     "Adoray, are you in?" A new voice was at the door.

     "Sadly, yes," he replied. It opened, and from it revealed someone I hadn't seen in a long time.

     "Oh!" The human lady in the wheelchair exclaimed, a small smile coming to her face. "I haven't seen you in a very long time. How are you, little girl?"

     "Good, thank you for asking. And you?" I replied with common courtesy while trying to not remember the first time I saw her. I had just risen from the grave, and people were fearful of me. She was one of the few who stood up for me. Er...not literally stood up. Sorry, it's a slip of the tongue.

     "Great!" Her smile got a bit wider. She saw that I was wearing something not from these parts and curiously exclaimed, forgetting why she was here, "What fine embroidery! Where did that fine piece come from?"

     "Larjulias..." I tentatively answered. I was caught up in examining her looks, seeing how she looked no different from the one time I'd seen her. Hair pulled back in a braid, face and eyes clear, wooden wheels with not even a speck of dust on them. Someone was well-taken care of.

     "Really?! You've been there?" Her face, aged forty or so years, was like a child's. She rolled a bit forward and asked, "Can I touch it?"

     "Sure," I reached a tip of the large, bundled blanket towards her. She took it from me and was surprised by how soft it was, being entranced and feeling the beads and seams even more. I had to admit, the Fae had some nice things.

     "Mrs. Lisa," Adoray was trying hard to not frown. Why was it that only in my presence he let such flippant emotions show, yet to others he was courteous?