255 Vol. 4 pt. 58 Patch 10.0 (2/2)
Azalabulia shakes her head.
”So, did you move there on your own then?”
She nods her head and says, ”A couple of years ago.”
”Why? I hear of people moving from Alaska, but never to it.”
”I… I – I was told that, because they have more men than women, it'd be easier to… findahusbandandhavekids,” Azalabulia explains in a quick, hushed voice while looking away.
”So,” Cassiel says, ”you moved to a state, Alaska, because you thought it'd be easier to get a husband?”
Azalabulia doesn't say anything, but she does nod her head.
”Honestly, I'm kind of impressed it didn't work,” Fenrir says.
”Yeah,” Cassiel says, ”I mean…”
And then a shallow-but-realistic fear pops into both Fenrir's and Cassiel's minds.
If Azalabulia was single despite how desperate she was, then does that mean there is something wrong with her? Is she actually some sort of filthy person? No, she couldn't have gotten a job as a teacher – a job around kids, if she looks filthy and doesn't take care of herself. In that case, is she beyond physically unattractive? With how healthy food is now due to government regulations and technology, it's difficult to be unattractive unless literally zero effort is put into one's appearance or if they are just extremely unlucky in regards to genetics.
”What do you look like?” Serra asks out of the blue, putting forward the question that everybody else has on their minds.
”Umm,” Azalabulia mumbles, ”I – I… don't look that different from how I do now. I made my hair a little longer and my legs shorter, but that's it.”
”So you're even taller?” Fenrir asks. As much as he enjoys the idea of somebody who looks like Azalabulia being taller than him in real life, he also feels emasculated for it. She's already taller than he is in real life, and now it turns out that she's even taller than she is now?
”Yeah…”
”Hot,” Serra says.
”Azala,” Nell says, ”I apologize if this question comes off as rude, but I am most curious! Is there a reason why you believe that you are – why you were single for so long?”
Azalabulia slumps over and sighs. ”I… don't really want to talk about it. Sorry…”
”That's fine,” Fenrir says, grabbing Azalabulia's hand to pull her close. ”You don't have to let us know if you're uncomfortable sharing that.”
”Fenrir is right! I apologize for asking that,” Nell says.
Serra positions herself next to Azalabulia's free side and holds onto her other hand.
”Yeah, don't worry about it,” Cassiel says.
”Actually,” Azalabulia says, squeezing both Fenrir's and Serra's hands slightly tighter now, ”I – I think I want to… kind of, explain it.”
”If you want to, you're welcome to, but don't force yourself to if you don't want to,” Fenrir says.
The others agree with him, but Azalabulia goes on even so. ”I guess… getting dates was never a problem. I always got asked and went on a bunch, but never got invited on second dates even if I asked and tried to set them up.”
”Sounds like you've only ever dated crazy people. Who wouldn't want to go on a second date with you?” Fenrir asks.
”Hah… a lot of people. They always thought I was the crazy one. Then, when I tried my best to not act crazy or like myself, they said I was boring and had no personality. It didn't really matter what I tried. If I was myself, they – they told me I was crazy and too hyper. If I wasn't myself, they said I was boring. This is why I like working with kids! I can be as 'crazy' as I want and they all smile and laugh and have fun. Adults are so… boring.”
”That explains why you like to roleplay so much here. It's not surprising if you've been suppressing yourself in real life,” Fenrir says.
”I – I guess so. It helps me relax and let loose.”
”Well, you don't have to worry about any of that when you're with us. We want you to be yourself twenty-four-seven. No matter how hyper you might be, or no matter how many worlds you want to take over with your dark and awesome powers, just be yourself. Got it?” Fenrir asks.
Azalabulia smiles and nods her head. ”G-got it. Thanks.”
”Thank you for sharing that with us, Azala!” Nell says. ”What Fenrir says is true. You truly have no need to worry about such things when with us. After all, I am permitted to harass them with my bizarre fantasies all day! Serra fully releases the spirit of the perverted old man when with us, too! Let us not forget that Fenrir makes no attempt at hiding his love for sweaters and fluff around us, either.”
”You're making it sound like I'm the only normal one here who doesn't act different around other people,” Cassiel says.
”None of us suddenly thrust our hard spears into people from behind, especially not into people we don't even know,” Fenrir says.
”Are you ever going to let me forget that, and are you never going to stop making it sound so perverted?”
”Nope and nope.”