17 Vol 1. pt. 17 Patch 4.0: Rocks are a Mans Best Friend (1/2)

Fenrir and Serra have been watching Rock for several minutes now. After noticing it gently shaking inside of his hand, he set it down on the ground for the two of them to observe. Now, five minutes later, the rock is still shaking periodically but nothing else is happening.

Serra raises her hands but lowers them immediately after. ”Why do you… think it's moving?” she asks.

”No idea. I thought maybe it's like a secret egg or something, but,” Fenrir pauses to tap on the rock, ”it just feels like a rock. I was excited for a moment thinking I found some super secret dragon egg or something like that, but I guess this isn't one of those kinds of stories.”

Serra pokes it herself. Yep, definitely a rock. ”What now?” she asks.

”Now? Well, now I pick up Rock and we figure out something to do,” Fenrir replies, picking up Rock just as he said so that he can tuck it into his new pocket. He can only fit it roughly halfway into his pants pocket. ”Don't shake too much or you're going to fall out,” he says, but when he realizes he's actually talking to a rock and not just trying to be funny, he has to pause for a moment.

Serra looks like she's going to laugh. ”I'll do whatever you and – and, Rock want to do.” She's definitely teasing him.

”We're kind of in a bad spot here as far as options go. I don't want to get too far ahead of Bone and Olly… and wherever we go, we're going to be getting farther away from at least one of them. We also have to be careful of that village.”

”You looked like… you were having lots of fun when you were fishing. Do – do you want to do that more?”

Fenrir is going to fall in love at this rate.

”Yeah, but we don't have to do that. We can do something that you'll enjoy, too.”

”I'll enjoy it if you're enjoying it,” Serra says, looking up at him with honest eyes and a soft smile.

He can't look at her right now. If he does, then she'll see how red she's making his face. It's also a good thing he's wearing three layers of protection over his chest or else she might just see how hard his heart is beating right now.

”Alright, since you want to go fishing so badly, I guess I can take you fishing,” he teases. He has no idea how else to reply other than by joking about it.

”Thank you for spoiling me.” Serra sounds sarcastic, but when he takes a look back at her, she looks genuinely pleased.

Which one of them is really the one getting spoiled here?

”Alright, I got an idea on the way here. Let's go test it out.”

The duo walks north for a good distance before turning west and heading back toward the coast. They would really rather not come across Coastedge or any of its inhabitants.

Plenty of small talk is made during their walk.

”What's your favorite color?” Fenrir asks.

”Cyan,” Serra replies. ”Yours?”

”White.”

”Is that why your hair is white?”

”Yeah, plus I mean, everybody has white hair now. It might be generic since white hair is what's popular, but I like it. Even dyed my hair in real life white. What's your favorite animal?”

”Dogs.”

Fenrir gives her a high five – well, it's more of a low five given their height difference. ”Same. Dogs are the best. My dad used to always joke saying that if a man wants unconditional love, then to get a dog instead of a wife.” He hears a noticeable huff come from behind him. He sees Serra pouting when he looks behind him. ”My mom used to react the same way every time he said that.”

”I wonder why.” It's clear from her voice that she doesn't really wonder why.

”Favorite food?” Fenrir changes the subject.

”Pizza.”

”In that case, I have to ask you the most important question regarding pizza: pineapple, yes or no?”

”Pineapple is the best topping,” Serra says with the most confidence that he's heard come from her yet.

Fenrir feigns a gasp as if he's been betrayed. ”How could you? You filthy heathen.”

”I am a proud knight of pineapples on pizza!” Serra declares before looking away shyly. It's the loudest Fenrir has heard her.

Is she embarrassed about talking so loudly? He's not sure, but he is sure that she looks really cute when embarrassed. ”You don't need to be so embarrassed around me. You can be the same dorky girl that you are in text.”

She pouts when he calls her a dork again. ”I'll beat you up…”

Fenrir stops and turns around. ”Alright, first punch is all yours.”

Serra looks surprised and confused, making a few hand signs before blushing and completely turning her back on him. ”You – you know I couldn't… that's not fair.”

”It's adorable how you act so tough over text but then can't even punch me,” he teases her more, giving the back of her head a gentle poke. ”Come on, shouldn't be much longer until the coast. By the way, what's up with the hand signs?” he asks.

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”It's nothing,” she's quick to reply. ”What's your – what's your… favorite food? I told you mine, so…”

Fenrir raises an eyebrow. It's obvious that it's not really nothing just from how serious her voice sounded, and it's even more obvious that she doesn't want to talk about it. ”Chips. They're already made, taste good, and cheap. I pretty much live off of them.”

”That's not healthy.”

”But they taste good.”

”Bad dog.”

Hearing her call him a bad dog is surprisingly effective. It even makes his ears and tail lower! This game is going to turn him into some sort of pervert into petplay at this rate. He was already getting enough of being called doggy by Saya, and now Serra is joining in.

The back and forth of asking questions regarding one another's favorites lasts until they reach the coast.

”Alright, remember how those crabs from the other night were digging around in the sand? Well, I watched a couple of them on the way down here—”

”You made me wait... to watch crabs,” Serra interrupts him.