10: The Journey People Take for ‘Romance’

Stopping as soon as she began, Nyssa transformed back into a human while patting her chest. Jogging back over, she let out a long sigh. “Sorry I’m not as used to spreading my consciousness over so many entities as I used to be.”

“Used to be?” Angelica asked while combing her hand through her hair. “It seemed to go quite smoothly to me.”

“Yeah, at one point I was pretty comfortable doing it,” Nyssa tapped her chin. “I feel like you can see it with the amount of ungodly headed creatures I dreamt up while I was young.”

“I can... see that,” Ryker shook his head while hugging his own body. Playing up the drama, he threw his head back. “I was in so much danger! The danger! Heaven bless me!”

“Shut the hell up, Ryker,” Electra groaned while getting back into her seat. “Where do your clothes go, Nyssa? Your outfit looks the exact same as it did pre-transformation.”

“They all get stored into my necklace,” Nyssa pulled it out from under her shirt. “I don’t know how it works, but dad gave it to me when I first started transforming. I guess he didn’t like me running around naked once I transformed back into a human...”

“A very smart move,” Angelica noted while taking a closer look at the necklace. Making a note to herself to ask Kaiser about it the next time she met with him, she flipped the papers back down on the clipboard. Covering Nyssa’s check-up with the others, she stored her clipboard in her bag before motioning for everyone to gather around. “Okay, I’m sensing a bit of fatigue in the room though, yeah?”

With everyone nodding, she nodded as well. “Me too, friends, me too. So, what are you all in the mood for this afternoon? We’ll try and dive into some more... actual training starting tomorrow or the day after. We’ll ease back into it, sounds good?”

“Sounds good to me,” Ryker cheered as he slung an arm over Electra’s shoulder. “Want to spar with me, Electra?”

Replying with an “Only if you do a workout with me first,” Electra nodded and walked off with Ryker after he agreed. Picking up their chairs as they left, they said goodbye to Angelica before the doors closed behind them.

“What... now then,” Nyssa murmured to herself as she looked around. Angelica, by now, had somehow already picked up all of the other chairs, so she couldn’t help there. Celeste, on the other hand, the person she was closest to so far, was talking to Conrad.

Hesitant, Nyssa took a few slow steps and slid up next to Titus and Albion. Staying quiet as the two made some idle conversation, she waited a couple seconds until there was an opening in the conversation. “S-So... hi, yeah, uhm, how are you two?”

“Doing quite well today,” Titus chuckled while shifting his body to make a triangle with Nyssa and Albion. “Albion?”

“Fine enough,” Albion murmured while sitting on a desk. “I’m tired as hell. How are you, Nyssa? Enjoying your first day?”

“It’s been great!” Nyssa gave a double thumbs-up as she looked over towards Celeste. “I was gonna ask Celeste if she wanted to go get some milk tea with me, but she seems busy.”

Answering with an “Oh I’m sure she’d love to,” in the driest voice she’d ever heard, Nyssa just tilted her head as he followed it up with a “Nevermind.”

“We were thinking of going in that direction too,” Titus changed the topic with an awkward smile. “Albion has a crippling ice cream addiction, so mind if us three tag along?”

“No, of course not!” Nyssa nodded before furrowing her eyebrows. “Crippling? And by three you mean Conrad too, yeah? Or is there someone else I’m just blind to...”

“Just Conrad, yeah. I don’t know, he’s a fine person even if he’s... awkward. And, I’ll have you know my relationship with ice cream isn’t one of a crippling addiction. I can quit at any time. I’m totally in control of my ice cream eating habits,” Albion shrugged while a yawn slipped through his lips. Clearing his throat, he checked the time. “How long are they going to keep talking?”

“Well, it might be a while,” Nyssa trailed off while shifting from foot to foot. “They seem very close after all.”

With both Titus and Albion immediately snorting and doubling over while trying to suppress a flurry of laughs, Nyssa looked around while trying to soothe them. “D... Did I say something?”

“We’re just admiring your optimism,” Albion wiped a tear from his eye. “If the world was filled with people like you, I’m sure we’d be in a utopia by now.”

“Ah, youthful optimism,” Titus also wiped a tear from his eye. “Trust us, Nyssa, Conrad and Celeste... don’t have the closest relationship.”

Just as Titus’s words left his mouth, Nyssa watched as Celeste pat Conrad on the shoulder. With the most awkward, fake smile in the world on her face, Celeste nodded a few times and gave Conrad a thumbs-up.

Jogging over to Titus, Albion, and Nyssa, she picked up her bag as she made her way over. “Ha... ha, hey friends, how are you two? Nyssa! Hey~ Nice to see you, want to uh...”

“I was thinking we could go get some milk tea together?” Nyssa trailed off as she felt her voice hitch. “I-If you have time of course.”

“I’d be honored!” Celeste laughed. Grabbing Nyssa’s hand, she pulled her forward and out of the classroom. “Let’s go!”

Dragging Nyssa along until they had made a few turns outside of the classroom, Celeste slowed down and let go of her hand once they had descended down the stairs. “Sorry, my situation with Conrad is... kind of complicated. I just wanted to get out of there.”

“Understandable,” Nyssa bobbed her head up and down as she tried her best to reassure Celeste. “E... Everything alright?”

“Yeah, it’s fine, I’m not in danger or anything,” Celeste sighed while rifling through her bag. Pulling out her water bottle, she took a sip before motioning forward towards the door. “C’mon, we can talk as we walk.”

“O-Oh sure! Wait... talk about what?” Nyssa followed along as Celeste used a window as a mirror to fix up her hair. “About you and Conrad?”

“I probably should’ve mentioned that, yeah, about the whole situation. Sorry, do you want to hear about it in general? We can always talk about other things,” Celeste hid her mouth as a smile danced across her lips. “You’re refreshingly genuine. I hope you know that. Much more so than Conrad.”

“W... why thank you,” Nyssa thanked after a moment of pause. “I mean, I’d be happy to listen to whatever you’re willing to say. It’d be nice to learn about how things were before I came. I’m kind of a weird interloper right now...”

“No you aren’t~ you’re fine, you’re fine, don’t worry. I’m quite thankful you joined our class,” Celeste reassured while pulling Nyssa in for a half-hug. Making her way through the double doors, she paused the conversation for a second to avoid a wet spot before reuniting with Nyssa on the path. “Where to begin though. There’s so much to say. Conrad’s just such a... such a funny fellow.”