18 Apartmen (1/2)

Mandy fell down in the moss like a dramatic heroine hit by an arrow. His words echoed in her mind. The reasons why cursed forests were called such resurfaced - it was a place that had made someone like August possible, to begin with.

Throughout it all, she had been under the impression that August would use a teenage girl like excuse and get away, like 'I need a shower' or something. There had been a time when she too got away exactly like that. Ha ha hah, why was she the careless jock in the relationship when she was the one risking something?

There was no denying that it was both fresh and exciting to be on the chasing end, and August certainly fit the role of being chased, surprisingly enough. Mandy wouldn't have guessed at all considering his usual teasing streak. Those honest expressions he showed might be what made her go as wild as she had; reality was far better than any of her imagined scenarios of August x Handsome hunk, just remembering made her feel like having another taste, but...

Children.

She was too young to have any! No, wait… actually - if Mandy summed up her age at death with the seventeen years after it, then she would be a lady in her forties! She wasn't too young, this was actually the right time! August was the one who was too young.

Mandy gasped… did this make her into a cougar? Appearance wise she and August were of a similar age, but in reality that wasn't the case at all. Mandy felt depressed at the idea, but her behavior just before was also along the lines of an elder sister having her way with the more innocent someone. If she didn't know that he had dated others before she might feel like dying (again).

But… actually... had he ever done 'it'? It had been just common sense back in her time to date for at least a month before taking the next step. But in their case… ha ha hah ha ha ha ha, minutes after finding out it was a mutual like.

”This was not your first time, was it?” Mandy asked, although, thinking back it felt more and more like it might be the case.

August pursed his lips, his ears turning red. ”I regret not letting you anguish for a year, thinking you had a one-sided crush.”

So it was! Haaaaaaaah! What the heck had she done? Mandy really wanted to die. And to think she was that into it. He did learn quickly and kept up well, but, yep, that explained a lot of things. Men also seldom had a flowery language when describing those things in books (like many female romance writers), but if it was like that, then that was the only natural way he could describe it, without giving away his own lack of experience.

The words he had said just before confessing and his troubled expression as he did gained a new meaning - he had read her. Like an open book. He could tell she had realized her own feelings and he could also tell what her despaired expression implied and he had not wanted her to struggle with that anguish, so he had no choice but to tell her how he felt. August's ability to read people was frightening, it was no wonder he had realized about her attraction before she had herself.

Ah… but look at what she did with his good intentions. She couldn't really call his personality bad if she herself was like this. ”Sorry,” Mandy said.

”You should be,” August said with his lips pursed. ”I can't go out looking like this...”

That was something even Mandy had to agree to. She had made his clothes into a complete mess and… plainly speaking, he looked way too enticing. It was obvious what had recently transpired with just one look and the way his now longer hair fell on his shoulders, disheveled in just the right way, was making her hungry all over again. He was worse now than in that morning when even Ian became flustered. Mandy had casually stolen away that barrier which made August feel like someone you could look at, but not touch.

August noticed her look and crossed his arms, pursing his lips, like. 'Again?'

Mandy looked away. ”I mean, aren't you upset about something other than clothes?” His response had been only about those, after all. Well, as far as she knew males gratefully threw their virginity at any girl who was generous enough to take it, but August was a special cookie...

In some ways, he reminded her of a teenage girl. Never went outside messy, fresh clothes every day, graceful gestures, odd concern for some details, emotional and colorful writing. It wasn't that she put him in a male on male romance delusion for no reason, boys who were this concerned about the same details as August were not considered to be all that manly. If he was like this at school and given his androgynous appearance and the high likelihood that he wasn't icky even as a boychild, he was bound to be picked up on - especially by those who were attracted. Kids often blamed the party they liked for causing any feelings of that sort.

If she had to guess, then people at school misspoke his surname as Gaylord without a doubt. That would also perfectly explain August's misgivings about it.

August sighed, his ears still red. ”Don't be silly,” he said in a soft voice, not quite looking in her direction.

That was a relief. Mandy wanted to engrave August being like this into her memory to remember when he acts all haughty, but perhaps he seemed so cute now because there was that gap. Mandy refrained from jumping at him and nodded slowly. ”Well, about clothes - maybe we can call Tia and ask her to bring something?”

August sighed. ”That might be the best choice,” he said, although he didn't look happy about it.

”I'll bring the phone,” Mandy said and got up.

Mandy picked up the phone using telekinesis as soon as she could see it and went back. The apartment was still as small as it had been before, but all this new growth made walking through it a challenge that took some time.

When she returned, she saw that August had opened his suitcase (luckily that was fine, perhaps August forgot to take it out from his jacket when he had passed out?). Mandy didn't know how it worked, but only the things he had on him had looked fine, as if frozen in time, only his hair had grown to make him more princessy. There was probably a reason other than being a prince bait to it, but Mandy liked to think it was all a prince trap. (A trap she had fallen into despite not even being a prince)

August was in the middle of drawing an elaborate pattern on a paper sheet he had taken out form the suitcase, so Mandy stopped to watch rather than calling out to him. She only passed him the phone, when he reached out an open palm towards her, asking for it. By then, the drawing was finished.

A seven edged star formed from rune text with multiple circles overlaid. It was a miracle how August could draw that without using a compass or a ruler, but his moves were both practiced and confident enough for Mandy to feel like it might be a practice makes perfect kind of a thing. Had to be this good for highest guild member class, huh? Not that Mandy knew much about it, neither did she know what it would be for, but those things she didn't ask both not to bother him and also because she was looking forward to seeing those effects in person.

August dialed the phone and Mandy eavesdropped while observing the rune drawing first, then the room around them.

”Hey, Gus! What's up?” Asked Tia's voice

”Can you bring me some stuff right now?” August asked.

”Sure! what kind of stuff do you need?” Tia agreed.

”Clothes, shoes, towels, shampoo, cologne, and so on,” August said with a dead look in his eyes.

”...uh, did your apartment explode?” Tia asked.

”Not explode, but…” August looked around, seeking for words.

”Are you ok?” Tia asked, worried.

”Kind of. I'll explain later. In other words I need everything, only my craftscase is fine.”

”...okay. I'll be there as soon as I can. Your size is still the same right?” Tia asked.

”Yes,” August replied.

For a moment there Mandy wanted to ask how would Tia know where to bring stuff, but then she recalled that August's phone was bugged. 'Same size' was also an interesting bit, had Tia bought him clothes before? August also did not mention the brand for shampoo or cologne.

Since the call was finished, Mandy asked. ”Is any brand fine?”

”She knows which,” came the reply, as August picked up another sheet to draw on.

That made Mandy wonder of how had it come about. She certainly had no idea what brands her brothers preferred and she had a feeling that her brothers had known even less about her own preferences. Yet, if she thought about it - it might not be all that hard to shop in August's place. Even if August dressed well (for outdoors), there was none of his character in the way he dressed - if Mandy had to guess then he might have just walked in any men's attire store and taken whatever was displayed on a mannequin in the full set it was intended to be worn. If the same logic applied to everything then it might really be easy.

Since August had resumed drawing, Mandy figured she would wait for him to finish before asking anything more, but even after his eight sheet he didn't seem to be done, so Mandy got up to explore the apartment. She had spent close to an hour watching him draw, and while it was a beautiful and enchanting sight, one would still get bored eventually, not to mention that the last twenty minutes were just her battling with her urges to snuggle up. It was a pity that all books had turned into trees and that the pad she had used to read lately was as dead as everything else, but at least everything was different and she was bound to have fun with looking around.

The room where August used to write was filled from bottom to top by a huge, richly branched apple tree, the trunk was in the very same place where August's desk used to stand. A part of the branches were blooming, another part, bearing red, luscious wild apples. The floor was covered in roots, moss growing over them in patches and the air was sweet, scenting of both summer and spring at the same time. It seemed, at some parts, that pale light was seeping in the room from the ceiling, through the foliage.

Mandy couldn't help but recall paintings of the garden of Eden - where trees could both bloom and bear fruit regardless of the season. This was a lot like that. Mandy picked up an apple from a low hanging branch and almost teared up at the taste. So sour! Certainly a wild apple. Made for a delicious apple pie, cider, and syrup and they would taste good if they got some frost, but eating them raw like this didn't taste good at all. Yet, Mandy also felt happy about being able to taste things like this, so she finished eating the apple despite its disappointing taste. Mandy did some apple branch climbing just because she could and to look for the light source. Sun had started to set outside the windows, but the light coming from above was like that of a cloudy midday sky. Mandy tapped on the light spot - it was solid, lacked temperature and gave out light and no matter how hard she pressed on it - it didn't crack or give in.

Wait… was this the isolation barrier Grisham spoke about? But when had August set it up? August was behaving oddly ever since he arrived, but he didn't do anything magical. One of those odd things was making holes in all corners and sticking small pebbles into all of them, but Mandy had judged it to be some mysterious construction thing, an area Mandy was totally clueless in, so she didn't think deeply on it, but that might have been it. It was a detail so small otherwise she might not have ever noticed. To think that amazing barrier was formed in a way like that… disappointing, or perhaps it was like that merely to hide it from her back then. Yet, it did make sense to hide something shiny like that inside the walls and ceiling, if nature hadn't torn parts of those off, she might not have noticed.

Coming to a conclusion like that, Mandy jumped down in the moss and continued her exploration.

The bathroom's door had overgrown with plants and moss so thickly that Mandy had to use telekinesis to make it budge. Yet as the door moved, the sound of water falling could be heard. After some considerable effort, the door opened and Mandy could step inside.

It looked like a narrow moss covered cave, ivy and other crawling plants covering up the mirror and other details and in the place where shower and toilet had been, there was now a pure waterfall, going down along the wall and forming a small, clear and shallow pond on the floor. Mandy could see the water slowly seeping away at the places where the toilet and draining hole for shower used to be; bits of broken up ceramic and glass that had formed both the shower and toilet had already turned into pale river pebbles. The waterfall itself was coming down from a place where water pipes used to be, but if one did not observe carefully, this might as well look like a natural formation, being covered by all that moss and greenery. The flickering fog cast tiny lights and there were broad-leaved white pickerels blooming along the edges of the pond.

August's water bill will be enormous for sure… other than that it did not look like water was seeping through the barely visible floor tiles, so the apartment below wasn't flooded. Probably something to do with the barrier.

Mandy stepped into the water expecting a chill but finding out it was lukewarm. Ah-- yes, you would get that if both water pipes broke and their water mixed. A smile settled on her face and Mandy started to splash the water around, she hadn't planned to get wet so her dress was still on, yet so fate had it, that she slipped and ended up taking a shower with her clothes on just to get the plant goo off.

At least, since it was water coming from the pipes, it felt fresh and had a slightly sweet taste with a tint of iron - exactly the same how it had tasted when Mandy had been a student renting this very same apartment. As she closed her eyes under the flowing water, memories of her previous life resurfaced. All the little things she completely neglected to enjoy actually felt so pleasant - the feeling of flowing water on her skin, the sensation of bare feet walking over ground, the feeling of air entering lungs and leaving them, even the sense of tiredness from moving around.

Mandy let out a soft sigh and stepped out from the shallow pond, leaving wet footprints and droplets of water in the moss. Just as she left the bathroom and considered taking off her dress to dry it, she heard the doorbell ring. Ah, Tia… she would have a towel! But right as Mandy reached the door, she remembered another way to become dry - as her form returned to being ghastly, all the water dropped off, soaking into the moss. Her hair returned to its previous neat appearance and her crumpled up dress evened out as well.

For a moment there Mandy feared that half-digested apple bits would fall down too, but that didn't happen. A mystery bit she needed to ask about later.

Now that the moss overgrown bathroom door was open, the sound of falling water could be heard even from the front hall, adding some nature sounds to the previously silent garden.

Mandy opened the door and spotted Tia completely covered in bags like a rich shopaholic after an uncontrollable spree.

”Hey!” Tia greeted with a smile, but as she looked past Mandy her mouth couldn't close at the sight.

”Those look heavy,” Mandy said, ignoring that reaction for now.

”Ah, yep,” Tia came to herself and got in, letting the bags slip off her shoulders so Mandy could take them with telekinesis. From the way she acted, it was pretty apparent that Tia was used to living with someone who could use the same ability as Mandy.

Tia did not bother with taking off her shoes and walked in. ”This wouldn't be--” she started, but seeing as Mandy solidified, following after, she got her answer.

Tia made a wry smile as she looked around, taking a peek at the waterfall in the bathroom in passing, as well as the bloomingly ruined kitchen.

Mandy didn't say a thing just followed after Tia, bags floating after her like a row of ducks. It wasn't heavy with telekinesis, but now that Mandy could sense the weight, she had to wonder how had Tia carried it all up the stairs. And-- something delicious tickled her nose - one of the bags even had pastries!

August was still drawing, now a pile of thirty-something paper strips surrounding him. And that was how Tia and Mandy spotted him.

Pff-- Tia started laughing before they could exchange any greetings, earning a dead look from August.

”G-Good work,” Tia managed to say to Mandy, as August started turning red.

Mandy turned away, her cheeks burning up too. That was totally not what a sister should say at seeing your sibling like that… was it? Although, no, she might even say the same thing. It wouldn't be something to direct at a female, but August wasn't one.

”Explains why you couldn't go out,” she added with an amused smile after catching her breath a little.

August finished up the drawing on the paper strip, huffed and picked up some of the floating bags, being oddly specific about them - like he knew perfectly well what was in which one, then left through the shrubs towards the bathroom.

Tia noticed Mandy's suspicious gaze. ”Ah, it's the fog,” she said, also picking out one of the bags - the one with the pastries. ”He probably looked around using that.”

Mandy recalled the line she read in that book - about the fog being a sensing organ. That would explain it, so she nodded. It was a bit embarrassing that he might have seen her slip in the bathroom, tho.

”Not that I've seen Gus using it before, but it is like that with Cerise,” Tia added. ”She's the undead dryad living near our parent's home.”

Oh, so 'no one has talked to one' line from the book could fly out the window. ”They aren't in hiding?” Mandy asked just to check.

”Not particularly,” Tia replied. ”They come out if they are interested in you. They totally won't come out for paladins or ugly people, however.” As she said that Tia opened a box revealing almost the same set of pastries Sarah had gotten when she visited before, this selection also had cream puffs, though.