Accessory Wars

Chapter 40-Felisa

            Friday did not end fast enough. With my last mid-term over, I flopped onto my bed and groaned into the mattress, feeling a wave of relief as my mind turned to gelatin. Kami texted me saying she'd be at the gym a little bit later than expected due to a delayed flight. I didn't mind. The extra time for a mental break was a nice reprieve. My stomach wanted nourishment, though, as I hadn't eaten since breakfast. Pushing my body off the mattress, I ventured into my kitchenette. The refrigerator sat empty, save some for onions and a couple ends of bread. I checked my cupboard next, finding a lone box of mac-and-cheese and a handful of rice.

When was the last time I went to the grocery store? I jotted down a list, checking my account to see how much money I had until the end of the month. Forty two dollars and nineteen cents. That include laundry money. I planned out my meals for the next two weeks and ventured off to the store.

Luck smiled at me as several of the items on my list were on sale or had coupons. I managed to save a little extra so I bought a couple bananas. I needed to get a job or to start doing better at tournaments because my stipend wasn't nutritionally viable anymore. With all the training, I was hungry all the time. I used to shy away from free samples but now I started taking two or three every time I walked past. It made me feel petty but I was desperate to fill the never ending void clawing the inside of my abdomen.

I returned home and unpacked my food. Then I made some instant noodles, which were rather bland, and ate one of my bananas. Marginally satisfied, I took a nap to fill the time before Kami came home. Then it was off to the gym. She was waiting for me when I arrived and I almost laughed as we both pulled out a sheet of paper at the same time.

"Tournaments?" she asked. I nodded. Kami chuckled. She put her sheet next to mine and I saw we had a lot of similar places written.

"I know we shouldn't do too many but I put down extra names in case you wanted a variety," I said. Kami nodded. She tapped the names that matched between the sheets. Then she circled the two Frances recommended.

"We're both in agreement on Trebbin and Whales. Did we want to do two tournaments? Liliael isn't until July so we'd have time for it. I just don't want you to get burned out."

"I'm not the only one who could burned out." Kami hummed as I gave her a look. I tucked my sheet back into my bag and she put hers away as well. "While I'm not sure on Trebbin, I think we have a better chance of getting a prize at Whales."

"True. It'll be a smaller prize, since it's a smaller tournament, but any sort of prize would be lovely." Kami crossed her arms and tapped a finger against her chin. "I'm all for Trebbin but it's a big tournament. Not quite Liliael levels of big but definitely larger than Waterliep. Not to mention it runs a full three days. It draws people from all over, including international. While I'd love to go, we're likely to get burned out in the first few matches because other teams will have reserves of Accessories to lighten the load."

I tucked my hands around the strap of my bag. "Would there be a way to alleviate...is that the right word?" Kami nodded. "Alleviate the pressure of fighting with only one Accessory?"

"Either we find another Accessory to join our team or we find a partner and fight in doubles. Both would require time and recruiting."

"We should do doubles then," I decided.

Kami arched an eyebrow. "Keep in mind good double teams practice together year round. It's not going to be as simple as people pairing off and fighting in separate corners. We'll have two people to watch out for."