HouseDerouxScribbles
The camera turns away from the girls now tracking the trail of three who track oversized and muscur Horseguys with blue truth. In a half-turn of the page, the camera transitions into a half-cut turn, and we return to Hauntsgirl.
Ascending the wooden stairs with light and airy steps is Val-sama. In both her hands, she carries a tray of towels soaked in hot water before her. Reaching the second floor, she gives the door closest to her a light push with her side, little swirls of wind mennifesting over her shoulder and giving it the small extra push.
The creak of the heavy antique door opens up the room, the smallish room is arrayed oddly. Immediately coming into the eye are the rge throngs of stuffed animals, ranging from teddies to plush bunnies of all soft pink colors. The polka dotted schema of the room contrasts with the more solemn furniture; a double row of church pews are lined in threes, with a center aisle leading to the single rge bed at the end of the room. Some of the stuffed animals are even sitting on the long pews, almost as if attending a church session.
Val-sama still can't help but let out a small puff of air at seeing this interior. This is not her room. Does it need to be said? >implying you don't know whose room this is Val-sama doesn't seem like the kind of girl who would go to church anyway! She sets her tray down atop an ornate wooden low cabinet, and turns her attention to the two 'patients' lying under the covers of Annalie's rge double-bed.
One of them is the gigantic Wolf-Ears. The girl who was rescued from the 'human auction' at Galopin Chateau has a frame that barely fits into the rge and oversized bed, her wolf-ears pressing against the back of the headboard. Although out of the rags and shackles from st night and wearing fitted with one of Annalie's oversized shirts, her fitful slumber has her clenching her fists, unable to rex even in her sleep, sweat drenching her enormous front.
It was almost as if, she were having a nightmare...?
Val-sama doesn't seem to pay this any mind, as if she were very used to seeing this sort of scene straight outta a Jxnji Itx anime. The good kind, not the one which ran out of budget on episode 3! Oh, it is insensitive to cut a 'this is not my hole' kind of joke here? Then your small and cute narrator will stop!
As Val-sama wipes the beads of sweat off Wolf-Ear's brow with a hot towel, the patient's expression lighten a little, but not really by much. Her hands are still gripped tightly in her nightmare, unable to be released from her coma.
Our golden-haired friend runs a single finger downwards along Wolf-Ear's long and greyish hair; noting the unnatural grey that permeates the roots on her head. The index finger and thumb that hold aloft a pinch of hair sparkle slightly with Val-sama's bluish magick aura, but not one bit of that mingles with the grey, the hair remaining the same color as before.
The attempt at 'fixing' Wolf-Ears failing in spectacur fashion, Val-sama lets out a close-eyed 'hoo'. Your narrator has no idea what she did just now, Val-sama, expin!
Unable to hear your narrator's voice, yet still in sync with her thoughts, your narrator manages to catch the tail end of Val-sama's sad mumbling---
"... magickal depletion,huh?"
Magickal Depletion is a thing that Val-sama is very familiar with. Your narrator will only learn of this after coming back from having to save Rufti's booty (again!), but it is extremely common in her home region of Arcadia!
Magickal Depletion is one of the many results of 'blowback' from overusing magickal power when one had none to begin with. It appears that the gods of Vespana do not like it when magick is 'forced' through unnatural means, and mennifesting fails, usually resulting in the discoloring of the hair. For Wolf-Ears though, her problem seems to not just stem from magickal depletion, even her skin is lightly anemic. Little wonder if you've been in the hands of an Orange-haired cultist who like to cut across your body with tiny naginatas and draw your blood!
Curing is not Val-sama's specialty. Perhaps it was for the First Princess of Vespana, but Valerie is not Villetia.
All she can do before Annalie returns is to have the patients be as comfortable as possible.
Gloved fingers are curled in a tight grip at her own powerlessness, even when her rational mind tells her that each [Trono Palido] member had their own 'thing' they were good at.
"Hmm."
Now crossing around the bed, Val-sama reaches the other patient, another wet-towel in hand. This girl is a catgirl in bck twintail and yellow ribbons, and unlike Wolf-Ears, her major malfunction is immediately apparent: heavy casts and bandages are wrapped around her limbs, encasing her like a round-limbed mummy. Madi-san calls it the 'Doro', whatever that means. Falling from sixteen feet high in the air does that to you, never say that cats always nd on their feet! There are countless tales of tragedy from catowners living in highrises!
>not nice, Aya-chanAh... Val-sama is shooting me (an empty spot on the wall) a dirty look, so I'll stop here!
Just as Val-sama is about to put a wet towel across Neko-chan's head, the sudden jerking of a situp motion is accompanied with anguished howling, as Neko-chan's bright yellow eyes burst open, fueling two coma-induced days of pain-poked rage into a single name...!
"MADISON DELAROOOOOOUX!!!!!!!"Wow, Neko-chan really hates you, Madi-san.
Gasping for air and wincing a little from her broken bones, her attention turns to our golden-haired friend.
At first, puzzlement.
Then, recognition through those blue underframe gsses.
An overly uncomfortable recognition on Neko-chan's part.
"Lady Morceau...?"
"Gokigenyo to you too, Neko-chan."
AnnouncementChapters will change format to 800~1200 word chapters while my mentor, Author-kun recuperates from his sudden deafness. For those who enjoyed the slightly longer chapters in the past, please be not sad! Author-kun WILL return to good health, soon!
