Nusac

Chapter 15

Faith’s POV

The sun rises and falls just like it should do. Day giving way to night. The night giving way to celebrations in Agrarius, spirits are high and… all that crap. Ok so I admit that poetry isn’t my strongest point but my shoulder hasn’t stopped twitching yet. So cut me some slack yeah?

My arm is up in a sling type thing, which is helping slightly, but there is only so much you can do with one hand. The temptation to use your other arm is just so… well tempting. You tend to forget that you can’t use it until it twitches in protest. So I’ve given up and I’m just going to sit here and do nothing. I’ve got no reason to move my bad shoulder if I’m doing nothing.

Around me singing and dancing is going on, the music being pushed into the background. Well no microphones and lots of high-spirited people what did you expect? I have to smile at the antics. It’s a lot like the conga line but nothing like it at the same time. That didn’t explain it very well did it? Well everyone holds hands and bounds about sideways. Everyone’s singing but no one is singing anything that anyone else is. It’s very strange to witness.

My musing is disrupted by someone sitting next to me, is this going to happen all the time? I get all lost in thought and Namine comes along and just sits next to me and gabs all of my attention? Ok who am I kidding, not you that for sure it’s the last thing I would complain about.

“You’re not dancing.” She states as she places two cups down on the ground.

I smile at this not looking away from the crowd but every other sense I own is trained on her. “You’re very observant.” I get a chuckle for my wit, what more could I ask for? “In case you hadn’t noticed I’ve got a bit of a bum shoulder. Don’t want to be jerking it around.”

She nods taking a cup from the floor and holds it out to me. “Here, drink.”

I look at the mug suspiciously. “It’s not more medicine is it?” if I have to take any more of that crap today I’m going to scream. She assures me that it’s not any more of her concoctions and I take it. I’m more than pleasantly surprised that it’s beer. Mmmm alcohol. I take a long slug and sigh as the sweet liquid slides down my gullet. Nummy. I bring my attention back to my companion. “How come you’re not dancing?”

She looks down into her mug, which she has yet to touch. “What’s the point if you’re not?” What? Are you as confused as me? If not wanna clue me in? I must look confused because she carries on. I must have a very easy to read confused face. “Dancing is very much the vertical action of the horizontal act.” I bet you’re more confused than me right now. Trust me you get used to the way she speaks eventually.

“You mean it’s like foreplay.” I said this a just the wrong moment. She was just taking back some of her own beverage and chocked on it, spitting most of it back into the mug in the process.

I rub her back trying to sooth her until the choking subsides. “That’s the blunt way of putting it.” That’s me, who needs to hide anything around fancy words when you can just slap them round the face with it. She shakes her head at me and thinks it’s safe to go ahead and have that drink now. “How’s your shoulder.” She eventually asks.

I roll it involuntary and a twinge of pain passes through it. Why can’t I stop doing that? I never do that when I pop the fucking thing out but now I’ve got a big hole through it no it just doesn’t want to stop moving. “It’s twitching.”

She looks concerned. Someone is concerned about me. “Want me to take a look?”

“I’ll live.” I reply looking back out onto the crowd.

I feel her hand on my thigh but I don’t look away. “Faith. We won stop being so sad about it.”

“Six people die and I’m supposed to celebrate.” I didn’t mean to snap. Honest. I lower my head into my hands and dig my thumb and forefinger into my temples. “I’m sorry I just…” OK time to stop beating myself up. I’m not a whiny little kid any more. “I’m just not in the mood.” I take in a deep breath and immediately wish I hadn’t as my shoulder jolts with the movement. “Can we just go home?” I want my own bed damnit. I haven’t seen it for three days. Last time I saw it I didn’t spend any time in it.

She nods and stands making her way to the cart to attach it to the horses. With all of the noise going on I think we might be able to slip out unnoticed.

She lifts the braces up and puts the bands between them over the two beast’s back. I would help but again with the one arm in a sling. This really sucks I feel so useless.

My hand hooks under the brace as it slips from Namine’s hands. Look at that I didn’t even need to move my shoulder. “Thanks.” I steady it at the right height as she secures it to the horses.

We ride in silence for a while, my shoulder is constantly tensed against the bumps in the road, not a good idea I grant you since after only a minute or two of riding it is throbbing like a bitch, not that bitches throb… do they? God the pain must be doing something to my brain.

“It’s nice by the way.” Namine says out of the blue.

I give her what I think is a confused look but I’m guessing it looks rather weird through the grimace I am having to put on to not scream out in pain. “What?”

“Calling our house home.” She answers.

Our? … Okay thoughts not working properly. “Our house?”

She gives me a sideways glance. “You live there don’t you?”

“Well yeah… but…” Okay I need an ending to that sentence. Anytime.

Luckily she continues before it’s made obvious that I have nothing more to add. “Well it might be my house but you make the money, you hunt the food, not to mention kill the demons. I might add that you have saved my life a few times. So I think it’s safe to say it’s our house.”

“Yeah but you cook the food…” oh my god I am so the man in this… I don’t want to say relationship but I cant think of another word to use… damn lack of thesauruses.

“We share our lives Faith.”

“When I’m not fucking off on my own…” Okay I got a look for that one, eyes on the road… erm how do I save this… Fuck it lets just go with a whole new train of thought. “Does that mean there’s a we now?” Could that sentence have made less sense? Should have stayed with trying to find an ending to the first one. Dumb ass.

She only smiles at my dumb ass remark. “Do you mean are we now partaking in an alliance of sexual means?” Okay the only word I got there was sexual. I like sex, sue me. In fact don’t, I have something for you to sue me for now. I feel my forehead crease into my most confused look and she actually laughs out loud when she glances over from the road in my direction. For fuck sake woman keep your damned eyes on the road.

“You’re really going to have to dumb that down for me.”

Again with the laughing, at me I might add. If this carries on I might develop a complex. “You’re not dumb Faith… I was just avoiding saying relationship.” She looks over at me again. “Thought it might make you... how did you put it? Bolt?”

“Yeah that’s how I would put it.” Strangely not wanting to bolt. That’s really strange. “I think two days ago I would have.” Horrible confusing feelings again.

“But not now?” Now she keeps her eyes on the road. See now would be a nice time to look at me. Give me a little hint about what’s going on in your head… No? Okay I can deal with that. Can’t I? Okay enough with the not looking at me. “Well you haven’t jumped off the cart and gone on another two day hike. So I think that I’m okay to say relationship.”

“Nam, relationship is a big word.” Well truthfully it’s a much bigger word in English. In this language it’s actually ‘affinitas’ it’s a slightly shorter word but its meaning is still as big. Okay going to have to shut my head up ‘cause if I don’t I might just bolt. “Is…” Okay just going to have to get that sentence out. “Is that what we have?”

“If you like. I could come up with another, shorter word.” Did she really just say that? Yes I think she did. What the hell am I meant to say in response to that?