Agnostic Dreamer

Chapter 5 (Reworked)

Wading. The state of moving through a mire of resistance. When the entire world is trying to force you to be still, it's an act of resistance, rebellion. But, when you're submerged and forced to grow gills, it's an act of survival. The still fish is the dead fish, and I refuse to die before I've even learned how to swim.

Scilla finished my hair in record time after I began crying to the heavens. Probably thinking I was upset with her, and not the state of things in general. With my new found freedom, I fled to the toy corner of my obscenely small world, and began trying to form new skills to observe if what I learned was just a fluke or not.

It wasn't.

Messing with some toys allowed me to gain a handful of skills with a simple change in perspective. Continuing like this might actually be fun! I mean sure, it occasionally shatters my psyche, but I've noticed I've got a Mental Stress RES skill that's fairly high, so it's probably fine!

Between the smiles at being proven right, and the internal sobbing over the ramifications of such, time went quickly. I'd entered a rhythm as my Mother came to fetch me in order to wait for my bro's arrival. She also chatted my ear off while leading me around a stupidly large mansion that proved how tiny my 'world' truly was. Mostly mentioning how much I'll 'love' my brother. It must be nice being ignorant towards other people's opinions.

Mom's torrent of words did little to stop my earlier rhythm of trying to poke and test the system as a whole though. By the time we'd made it down to the first floor foyer I'd gained another handful of skills. Things like Enhanced Hearing, Auroran Architectural Understanding, and even Mimicking. A nice little haul if I do say so myself.

"Announcing the return of young Lord Mosswood," the butlers who opened the doors while saying such drew my attention forward.

Ah, at least the grass outside is still green, I wouldn't know what to do if it wasn't. Is that my brother, the lil brat that just dropped the luggage?

Why's he running here?

"Alex, Honey! I'm glad you-"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaa-" what is he yelling while running?

"Nnnnnnnnnn-" why is he coming to me?!

"Aaaaaaaaaaa!" What the fuck?!

Racing across the room, the red-haired brat lunged as I comprehended his aim. He didn't notice mine. Guts are squishy, punches aren't. His form crumpled up, and began rolling on the floor as he tried to force air into his now empty lungs.

Is this my brother? Thanks, but no thanks!

"Alex are you okay?!" Mom cried out while helping him sit up.

The cold look I gave the pair shifted to my Dad who'd been silent the entire time, only to find him stifling a bit of laughter at the whole ordeal.

"Ahem," Dad reeled in his face before speaking, "Alex, Ana had quite an ordeal during the time you were at the Academy, so please refrain from acting like you usually do every time you see her."

He... does this every time?

The hurt look in Alex's eyes turned to one of bewilderment, but he couldn't ask due to still trying to relearn how to breathe.

"Let's head to the dining hall. You're Mother and I will explain things over the Mid-Cycle meal."

Following Dad seemed better than explaining myself to my brother, and in doing so, I found a nice comfy chair at a stupidly grandiose table. Mom and bro followed shortly after, with Mom taking a seat next to Dad, across from me, and bro taking a seat next to me as if it's a given. How can a family of four only take up a tenth of a table?