Alfred:
I can finally slither for more than five minutes. Wei and Tim are taking turns healing the damage in my tail. Getting a mana treatment on Ursula 590 is something reserved for the rich. What will how mana poor the planet is. Yet, Wei and Tim are pulling no stops, when it comes to my health.
I get up, and slither to the window. Sitting on the cushion covered windowsill, I peer outside. Today is cloudy, but it is still warm. All in all, a perfect time for a walk.
I hear a knock at the door, and stand up with some trouble. And here I was hoping that I will get to do some sunbathing. When I open the door, I see Rodger with a basket.
“Hey, Rod. Where is Wei?” I ask him. Usually, the two are joined at the hip.
“Doing paperwork, and watching over little Daniel. Anyway, I am here to take you to an adventure,” I blink at that. Doesn’t Rodger know that moving is hard for me.
“I can’t slither all that well,” I say, but he takes a hold of my arm, and tugs me outside the apartment.
“Come on, I talked your police buddies to come for a barbecue. Robin and Ferenc have been putting it off for a year now. Don’t you say no! What if you meet someone special? But before that, I need to take you to another place,” Rodger asks. I bow my head.
“I doubt that me slithering at a snail’s pace is very attractive,” I say. Rodger just keeps tugging me out. “Look, Rod. I take painkillers. So, I can’t drink alcohol.”
“You can still have a fun time, even without a drink in your hands,” Rodger treats me just like he has always treated me. It is so refreshing, that he can look pass my injured tail. “Besides, Gregor is leaving you in the dust, when it comes to adulting. I saw him shopping for rings just the other day.”
“He and Basius are together?” I ask. I remember Basius as this blonde little devil, who flirts with just about anything. Much to Gregor’s grumbling. “How is that going to work? I mean, Gregor can put up with so much competition, before he leaves Basius.”
“When you meet the special person in your life, you will be able to answer that question. Besides, Basius is not so bad. I just think he uses the word honey for just about anything,” Rodger and I enter the elevator.
He hands me the basket. I peer inside. Wrapped sandwiches, bottles with some liquid inside them. Nothing much, but I still appreciate Rod coming. I wonder where he will take me.
I follow Rodger out, and look around. The world in Wei’s crystal is pristine. People might drop their trash outside the trash bins, but Wei has this automatic function, where it disappears in seconds. After an hour of slithering, since I can’t be as fast as I once was, we are before the clinic.
“Rodger, are you going to check me in?” I ask, my brows furrowed. I don’t want to stay in the hospital. Apart from the cramps that surge through my tail, I am fine.
“I just think you would benefit from group therapy,” Rodger tells me. It is a big leap for me. To speak about what is bothering me. Yes, I don’t drink, or use any drugs. But my nerves are ready to snap.
“If this is what you think is best, then fine. I wonder who I will find in the room,” I slither after Rodger, and we enter the clinic.
Rodger leaves me before a hospital door, and pats me on the shoulder.
“I will be back to get you home when the session is over with. Share everything in the basket with the people inside,” with these last words, Rodger slithers down the hall. I check the time of the group session on the door. I am five minutes early, but I can already hear voices from the inside. Without much prompting, I knock on the door.
A Naga woman opens it, and smiles at me.
“Welcome, Mister Higgs,” she says, and then points at a chair next to a chubby incubus. “Please, take a seat.”
I go to the man, who smiles shyly at me. I return the smile, and make myself comfortable.
“Now, we will start with an exercise. Each of you, turn to the one next to you, and tell them what you fear the most,” I don’t like this. My fears are my own.
The chubby incubus turns towards me, yet, his smile is gone. He takes in a deep breath, and begins.
“I fear that I will become so fat one day, that I won’t be able to get out of my bed,” I blink at that. The man is chubby, not obese.
“Do you have an eating disorder?” I ask him, my curiosity pickled.
“Something like that. I...” he seems to be battling with himself, for he bows his head. “I don’t really want to eat until my stomach hurts, but I do it anyway. Now you can call me a glutton, and a lazy bum.”
“I would never judge someone who is facing his problems,” I say. The man’s bravery to voice his fear prompts me to speak as well.
“My tail is damaged, perhaps even permanently. I know that I won’t become homeless, or be left without food anytime soon. Still, I feel useless,” the incubus looks me straight in the eyes.
“Yes, but you are a hero,” ah, so he knows who shot down the armada flagship last year.
“I don’t feel like one, though. More of someone who can’t contribute to the common good,” I say. The incubus bites his lower lip.
“You need a purpose?” He asks. I nod. Maybe I have never voiced this, but it is the truth.
“This is going to come off as if I am trying to use you, but can you become my weight loss coach? I am new here. I came just last year,” ah so, this man is one of the Olradus 700 people. Not from the one wave of immigrants from before the food deals.
“Sure. But be warned, I am a harsh taskmaster,” I tell the man with a wink. I bet I can whip him into shape in a year. Now, all the books I read on nutrition are finally going to be beneficial.
“That is ok. I am done with searching for an easy way out,” the man offers his hand, then. “My name is Villus Flortine.”
“Nice to meet you, Villus,” the timer that the therapist set beeps, and the two of us turn towards her.
Alfred:
I can finally slither for more than five minutes. Wei and Tim are taking turns healing the damage in my tail. Getting a mana treatment on Ursula 590 is something reserved for the rich. What will how mana poor the planet is. Yet, Wei and Tim are pulling no stops, when it comes to my health.
I get up, and slither to the window. Sitting on the cushion covered windowsill, I peer outside. Today is cloudy, but it is still warm. All in all, a perfect time for a walk.
I hear a knock at the door, and stand up with some trouble. And here I was hoping that I will get to do some sunbathing. When I open the door, I see Rodger with a basket.
“Hey, Rod. Where is Wei?” I ask him. Usually, the two are joined at the hip.
“Doing paperwork, and watching over little Daniel. Anyway, I am here to take you to an adventure,” I blink at that. Doesn’t Rodger know that moving is hard for me.
“I can’t slither all that well,” I say, but he takes a hold of my arm, and tugs me outside the apartment.
“Come on, I talked your police buddies to come for a barbecue. Robin and Ferenc have been putting it off for a year now. Don’t you say no! What if you meet someone special? But before that, I need to take you to another place,” Rodger asks. I bow my head.
“I doubt that me slithering at a snail’s pace is very attractive,” I say. Rodger just keeps tugging me out. “Look, Rod. I take painkillers. So, I can’t drink alcohol.”
“You can still have a fun time, even without a drink in your hands,” Rodger treats me just like he has always treated me. It is so refreshing, that he can look pass my injured tail. “Besides, Gregor is leaving you in the dust, when it comes to adulting. I saw him shopping for rings just the other day.”
“He and Basius are together?” I ask. I remember Basius as this blonde little devil, who flirts with just about anything. Much to Gregor’s grumbling. “How is that going to work? I mean, Gregor can put up with so much competition, before he leaves Basius.”
“When you meet the special person in your life, you will be able to answer that question. Besides, Basius is not so bad. I just think he uses the word honey for just about anything,” Rodger and I enter the elevator.
He hands me the basket. I peer inside. Wrapped sandwiches, bottles with some liquid inside them. Nothing much, but I still appreciate Rod coming. I wonder where he will take me.
I follow Rodger out, and look around. The world in Wei’s crystal is pristine. People might drop their trash outside the trash bins, but Wei has this automatic function, where it disappears in seconds. After an hour of slithering, since I can’t be as fast as I once was, we are before the clinic.
“Rodger, are you going to check me in?” I ask, my brows furrowed. I don’t want to stay in the hospital. Apart from the cramps that surge through my tail, I am fine.
“I just think you would benefit from group therapy,” Rodger tells me. It is a big leap for me. To speak about what is bothering me. Yes, I don’t drink, or use any drugs. But my nerves are ready to snap.
“If this is what you think is best, then fine. I wonder who I will find in the room,” I slither after Rodger, and we enter the clinic.
Rodger leaves me before a hospital door, and pats me on the shoulder.
“I will be back to get you home when the session is over with. Share everything in the basket with the people inside,” with these last words, Rodger slithers down the hall. I check the time of the group session on the door. I am five minutes early, but I can already hear voices from the inside. Without much prompting, I knock on the door.
A Naga woman opens it, and smiles at me.
“Welcome, Mister Higgs,” she says, and then points at a chair next to a chubby incubus. “Please, take a seat.”
I go to the man, who smiles shyly at me. I return the smile, and make myself comfortable.
“Now, we will start with an exercise. Each of you, turn to the one next to you, and tell them what you fear the most,” I don’t like this. My fears are my own.
The chubby incubus turns towards me, yet, his smile is gone. He takes in a deep breath, and begins.
“I fear that I will become so fat one day, that I won’t be able to get out of my bed,” I blink at that. The man is chubby, not obese.
“Do you have an eating disorder?” I ask him, my curiosity pickled.
“Something like that. I...” he seems to be battling with himself, for he bows his head. “I don’t really want to eat until my stomach hurts, but I do it anyway. Now you can call me a glutton, and a lazy bum.”
“I would never judge someone who is facing his problems,” I say. The man’s bravery to voice his fear prompts me to speak as well.
“My tail is damaged, perhaps even permanently. I know that I won’t become homeless, or be left without food anytime soon. Still, I feel useless,” the incubus looks me straight in the eyes.
“Yes, but you are a hero,” ah, so he knows who shot down the armada flagship last year.
“I don’t feel like one, though. More of someone who can’t contribute to the common good,” I say. The incubus bites his lower lip.
“You need a purpose?” He asks. I nod. Maybe I have never voiced this, but it is the truth.
“This is going to come off as if I am trying to use you, but can you become my weight loss coach? I am new here. I came just last year,” ah so, this man is one of the Olradus 700 people. Not from the one wave of immigrants from before the food deals.
“Sure. But be warned, I am a harsh taskmaster,” I tell the man with a wink. I bet I can whip him into shape in a year. Now, all the books I read on nutrition are finally going to be beneficial.
“That is ok. I am done with searching for an easy way out,” the man offers his hand, then. “My name is Villus Flortine.”
“Nice to meet you, Villus,” the timer that the therapist set beeps, and the two of us turn towards her.
