Fable (on hiatsu)

24. Naive

We all just kind of sat there for a second, as if we were waiting for her to sprout horns or something. Pruffles looked as if she was having fun, which, to be honest, I thought she would be in a horrific mood. Then again, the fae had told us that she worked up all her happiness for the last day of the month. I looked around a bit.

Nope, no sign of the kid she had kidnapped.

"Hey, Issa-san, where's the kid she caught last month?" I whispered at him.

"Hum? What kid?" Was the oh-so-helpful reply.

"Great. That really helps." I snarled.

"Hey! It's not my fault I have no idea who you're talking about." Issa-san said, sounding a bit hurt, "Anyway, who told you she kidnapped someone? I mean, she can be pretty nasty when she feels like it, but she'd never kidnap someone!"

We all kind of stared at each other blankly for a second. Then all those little sprouts of doubt that had popped up over the past month - that I had ceremoniously stomped out every time I'd noticed them- flourished. There had been no kidnapping. Some kids had obviously come over and pranked us, and just our luck, there had actually been a Spirit here like the one they'd described! The fae had pranked us because it was in a bad mood and felt like getting us into trouble (they do that all the time, why had I forgotten?) and we were just too naive.

"She didn't, I guess." With a deep sigh, I settled comfortably into my chair. Well... I certainly wasn't going to go bragging to Kyuu about this when I got home. Ick.

"What?! You just give up like that?" My friends exclaimed.

I glared at them and replied in a quiet voice thick with anger; "Yes, I do. Because some people out there love to trick us into making fools out of ourselves and we're too naive to realise it. Dammit all, if I had known I wouldn't have come here in the first place."

"Well, you wouldn't have seen me, either, if you hadn't." Plum said in a rather irritated voice. I looked back at her, heart-stoppingly beautiful in her dress and matching marine cloak. Black hair making her blue-green eyes as vibrant as the sun.

"That's true." My voice came out harder than I'd wanted it too, and I saw her lips tighten, "But I'm glad I did, if only for that." I continued, letting my voice relax back to its normal intonations.

A light smile danced behind her eyes, though her mouth stayed the same. We all got up and left the ballroom as silently and unnoticeably as possible. Straying into the hallway, Jo expressed how happy he was to have been here at all. Toby agreed and wrapped an arm around my neck.

"See, this guy would just be a moody teen if it weren't for all of us, don't you think?" Issa-san and Plum and Jo grinned back at him, whereas I glared and tried to get him to let go. This included some swearing and threats.

"Dude, you've had your moment of glory, now let us suck some of it in. Hell, you might even let us take it all and let us become some sort of hero!" I couldn't understand half of his rambling so I just concentrated on freeing myself. "Hey, Jo! We could become the narrators of this book instead! What d'ya think?"

I think breaking the fourth wall like that is just plain weird.

This was way before I even started this book, though. So I guess you could take it as a joke?

Either way, I finally freed myself by exploiting one of Toby's weaknesses. I lifted my hands and tickled him to the point he was gasping for air (laughing on the ground) and I stood, winner (finally freed).

We all picked our way through the school, shedding masks and cloaks at the Theatre Clubroom. Then we went back the way we had come. They made me illuminate the hallways by means of Spirit Power.

"Gee, thanks guys. Like I haven't already used enough for one night!" I warned them, "It's all your fault if I end up sick tomorrow!"

"Oh, come on, Craft, we've never seen you sick in the four years we've known you!" Toby remembered. He ruffled his orange hair so it stood up like a strange alien beacon. Jo hid a laugh under coughing, as did Plum. Issa-san looked as blank as a piece of paper, which is what he looks like when he is trying to hide something. That something being, quite obviously, his urge to laugh.

I just laughed out loud. Toby gave me an amused smile, as if he knew what I was laughing at - though he really didn't. But I didn't say that, all I did was wink mischievously back at everybody else.

We soon reached the doors and bid goodbye to Issa-san and Plum. Through the cold, metal door, along the thin, yellowed grass and across the school grounds. I resisted the urge to turn around and check if I could see T'Ko from here. A thin trickle of images flashed through my mind's eye, all of them showing me, tiny figure alongside two others, from behind. Yep, he could see me.

"Hey, Craft?" Toby asked as we trekked to my house.

"Yeah?" I grunted, tossing my hair out of my eyes for the umpteenth time.

"Will we be able to see Issa and Plum, when the cat scratch's effects wear off?" He wondered.

I paused in thought for a second. "Well, probably not the way I can see them. I know people can see Issa-san (our human customers, anyway) but they don't seem to notice how abnormal he really is. Kyuu mentionned how she can't seem to grasp what any Spirit looked like before she gained the Sight, even though she's 100% sure they were Spirits." I doubt they would see Plum at all, she's a naiad representing the waterworks in the school.

"What? So we'll be able to see him, but not recognise him?" Jo complained. I nodded.

"Yup, unless I point him out to you. Or he does." My friends groaned.

"Oh come on, that's no fun..."

"Well, do you think I do all this for fun and games?" I snarled, "NO! My life is always on the line since I can't just go 'unsee' Spirits! Hmph!" In my own defense, I was too tired to try and be civil. Or try to contain any emotions really. Mood Swings. Oh, the endless joys.

We were all in a pretty nasty mood when we got to my place. Dad gave us a raised eyebrow before helping us set up all the necessary beds for sleepovers. As he helped lay down a mattress, he asked:

"Have you boys been Trick-or-Treating?" I went kind of red around the ears because, well, being asked that at the age of sixteen is a bit embarrassing. Toby just grinned and Jo stuttered a "N-no! We- we were, err, Exploring!"

I gave Jo a hairy eyeball. He held it looking pretty confused and disgusted. It was made of rubber.

"What. the. heck."

"Nice going genius." I murmured, loud enough for only him to hear. Jo grimaced.

"Oh, out on one of Craft's nightly walks were you?" I gave my dad a surprised look. Maybe he wasn't so out of touch as I'd thought.

Or my nightly adventures were way more obvious than I'd thought. My pride says 'ouch' to that.

About four hours, two pillow fights and a horror movie later, we all fell asleep.