27 Veggie sticks (1/2)

When Mandy peeked out to check - HOLY-- There was no way in hell these would blend in anywhere or anyhow?!! The previous clothes Leum and Veri had been sort of simple and inconspicuous, not that it made them stand out less, but still - these were... they looked like magazine models with makeup, styled hair, accessories, and what have you.

Like Tia just recently, everyone looked like they had an uncontrollable shopping spree. Even Hal was carrying some stuff.

Mandy opened the door to let them in, casting a questioning look towards Hal. Wasn't he the one with the best common sense among all of them? Mandy felt betrayed. Hal didn't seem to understand her look, but he didn't ask anything either, only further giving Mandy a feeling that he knew about her already.

As they walked in, Mandy noticed another detail... Why was Albus wearing a dress? It suited him, but-- Okay. Perhaps she shouldn't ask for now. Mandy decided to ignore this and waited for them all to enter, before locking the door behind.

”There's no need to take off shoes,” she said, slipping past them to walk through the illusion barrier. But that said, only Hal seemed like he was about to.

All except Ceruleum looked surprised to find the forest in the apartment, but no questions were asked for now, as they headed towards the sound of typing.

”Gus, weren't you… hiding things?” Hal spoke up, as he was looking around the place in wonder.

”This was an accident,” August replied, halting to type and looking over at them.

Hal pursed his lips a little but didn't ask more about it, seeming to accept that accidents could happen.

Mandy thought that August would need to tell the tale all over again, but apparently not the case with Hal. Yet if this was a part of what August called 'best common sense' then… it wasn't common sense to not question stuff like that.

Riveria made an expectant expression at first, seeing August looking in her direction, but since August made no comment, she pouted.

If Mandy had to guess, she had expected to hear a compliment? And Mandy had expected a comment on these three not looking like anything that could blend in. But that did not come either. Mandy sighed as she gave up. What had she even expected?

Rather, August got up to open his suitcase to take out ink and a brush and while he did more tree branches grew out of the wall, forming more shelves akin to those August made before to hold the belongings he got from Tia.

”How are you doing that?” Hal asked next.

The familiars put down their bags and found places to sit, near the place where August had sat before. Riveria seemed to have an even deeper pout.

”It's a bit like remote controlling a toy car,” August said. ”If that car was sort of sentient in a way, so more like asking if it can do it and then requesting it to do it.”

None of August's familiars seemed to find it odd in any way, even Hal accepted it at that level and opened the bag he was holding.

Mandy tilted her head. ”Are forests sentient?”

”If by sentience you mean able to feel, perceive and some form of thinking then yes, plants, as well as animals, can do that,” August dipped his brush again. ”But differently to humans that have collective subconscious(or unconscious) as a background thing, their collective subconscious is on almost the same level for animals, and for plants it's…” August thought a bit, but his hand did not stop moving over the wood. ”About 80% is in the collective. Fae paths are easy because plants are that interconnected, using animals is harder, humans are possible shortcut mediums, but draining as hell,” August said while his brush moved.

In a sense Mandy could understand what August meant, because she had to study up Jung in the university, but it didn't look like Albus, Hal or Riveria got it judging by their eyes that seemed to be looking elsewhere, having zoned things out. Ceruleum seemed to understand though. Maybe because his father was a dryad too?

Anyhow, it was surprising to hear that the so-called collective unconscious that wasn't even a proven thing scientifically turned out to be something where walking fae paths was a proof of concept. The more you learn. From the way August phrased it, it seemed like he had tried using both animals and humans as a medium for shortcuts, but… if dryads could do it, didn't that kind of make them hard to catch regardless where they were? Mandy would have asked, but she got distracted by the things Hal took out of his paper bag.

Same as the other two August's siblings Hal too came with a food offering, but rather than pastries he had brought some snacks any fitness trainer would approve off - veggie sticks, roasted meat strips, cheese, eggs, lettuce wraps…

Oh! Now that Mandy looked at the bag these were in, the place was on her list of 'where to order from', so it was lucky she would get to try something from them. But true, true, one couldn't look like Hal unless they ate like a sportsman and ran some 20 km each morning or weight lifted all the time. She was curious about his training menu but asking that straight out didn't seem like the most polite thing to do.

”This is a bit late, but I'm Amanda Bookman, you can call me Mandy.” There was a sense of small relief to be able to introduce herself normally like this.

”I figured.” Hal smiled. ”But pleased to meet you, I'm Henry Galord, but you can call me Hal.”

”My pleasure,” Mandy smiled in return, then thought that she might as well ask about something she was curious about. Seeing his response would tell her a lot about his way of thinking. ”Hal, mind if I ask about them blending in?” she glanced towards the three.

”Ah,” realization passed Hal's eyes. ”If you place them next to August, they blend in, don't they?”

OH! In that sense they did! If they were meant to follow August around anyhow, then looking like that just made them look like some unapproachable group of rich youth or something along those lines. Which… might be what August was going for anyway?

”Why is Albus wearing a dress, though?” Mandy asked, as that part was still-- well…

Hal cast a surprised look towards Albus. If Mandy had to guess he judged Albus to be a girl from the start.

”I decided to be a girl,” Albus replied, his voice now having changed to a lighter, more feminine one. ”August said we should blend in and my current appearance fits a human girl better.”

The corner of Mandy's mouth twitched. True. But-- what? He decided to be a girl? How did that work?

Ceruleum and Riveria both had amused smiles as they listened. Looked like Riveria had given up on August complimenting her, as she now listened to them talk rather than pouting and stealing glances at August.

As Hal finished opening the packages and dressings, August was done with drawing as well. He put his laptop away on the shelf and sat down, instantly reaching out for some meat.

”Is that something you can just decide like that?” Mandy asked, now reaching out for some food as well.

Albus nodded. ”I'm of a type of being that can.”

Oh. So it was a unicorn thing. Wait-- ”Can you two do that?” Mandy looked towards Ceruleum.

”I would have if I could,” Leum replied with an amused smile. ”August does like girls better.”

August rolled his eyes. Like, 'duh, obviously'.

”For now,” Ceruleum added, as he reached out for some meat as well.

Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click visiting.

August choked and Mandy helped with patting his back. She couldn't help but breathe a bit more roughly at that. Was that the future? Or was Ceruleum messing with them? She kind of wanted to see… and it's not like it was a problem either-- she could shapeshift into a man if she practiced--

Hal pursed his lips but said nothing to that. Rather, he tried to shift the topic. ”What made you change your mind about taking familiars?” he asked.

”I made some stupid conclusions and Leum jumped in on the occasion to trick me into contracting him while I wasn't thinking straight,” August said. ”Veri got taken for a ride and-- Albus happened while I was confused.”

Hal was silent for a while, then nodded. ”...Best of luck, I guess.”

”I'll need that,” August said, some despair returning, and continued eating.

Neither Ceruleum nor Riveria made any reaction to that, only Albus let out a sigh as he, or now she, munched on some carrots.

”Right, Mom asked you to step by sometime in summer. She learned some new magic she wants to show off,” Hal said.

”Why didn't she call abo-- oh,” August made an awkward smile and reached for his phone, typed something on it and put it away.

”What happened to your previous phone, by the way?” Hal asked.

”Salamander ate it,” August said. ”Along with my house.”

”Well...perhaps you should set up a reserve apartment or two with stuff in it?” Hal asked, looking over at the bags on the shelf that was made yesterday. ”It seems inconvenient to need to purchase it all over and over again in haste.”

From the lack of reaction about Salamander eating August's belongings and 'over and over again' Mandy concluded that this was not-- uncommon. Wait-- was this the reason why Tia was good at shopping in August's place? Perhaps August really was driven into a corner when he set up that isolation barrier and he did look pretty run-down when he moved here. Comparing him then and now was like comparing a famished stray cat with bald spots and a torn off ear with a well-groomed pedigree cat. Some serious crap needed to go down to make him appear that bad, now that Mandy spent a moment considering it.

August's eyes lit up. ”That's a good suggestion,” he said. ”Will look for one, when my deadlines aren't as pressing.”

”You can use my lair if you want,” Riveria offered.

August looked like he was about to refuse, but then he thought on it. ”Okay. I'll still need a human apartment or house, but that might work as a reserve spot.”

Riveria made a small fistpump with a smile and Mandy almost melted at how cute she was being. It was a mystery why August considered her the most perfect after he had dated someone this adorable...

”Mhm, yes, Veri is known to be murderous if woken from her sleep, so no one dares to approach her lair,” Ceruleum added with a nod, approving of the decision.

Mandy's smile cracked. Right. There was this problem.

Riveria nodded with a proud expression, like that was a good thing.

”Is your treasure going to be fine if you are away?” August asked to Leum.

Hal perked up at the question, listening in a tad more intently than before.

Mandy knew that dragons had their treasure both from fiction and what she could glimpse from their conversation before and she knew that Veri and Leum had different preferences for hoarding, but it did make one wonder what kind of treasure Leum had if August seemed concerned.

”Each of them picks their wielder, otherwise they can not be taken,” Leum said, not seeming concerned one bit.

Wielder? Weapons? Weapons that picked their wielder? Like Excalibur? Mandy could see Hal pondering on it, but it looked like both Albus and Riveria either knew or didn't care much about it.

August tilted his head with a hint of suspicion. ”If they are sentient and have their own protections, how could you gather them up?”

”I didn't gather them up, they came from my domain, to begin with, so they return home after their task is done without me needing to do anything,” Ceruleum replied.

August tilted his head slightly as he munched on some carrot. ”They don't fly through the air, do they?”

”Would be fun if they did,” Ceruleum chuckled. ”But no, they materialize any of their previous wielders and walk home, maybe fight a bit to let off some steam along the way.”

Crack, a celery stick snapped under Hal's fingers. ”Gus, is he what I think he is?” Hal asked, his expression dark.

It looked like materializing previous owners was a dead giveaway. Mandy was curious if the mythical Excalibur or perhaps Durandal was among Ceruluem's treasures, but Hal's reaction didn't give her a chance to ask.

August's eyes narrowed. ”His current name is missing Ceru-”

Hal's back straightened. ”Are you aware of Gustavsberg?”

”Grisham told me today. I contracted him after and” August counted with his fingers. ”1)no, he did not contract me to hide, 2)I knew nothing of it, 3)It's an oracle thing, so better not to ask.”

Hal pursed his lips, looking towards Ceruleum. That look was a lot like one August made from time to time. The one where suspicion mixed with incredulity. It was interesting how siblings shared small gestures like these.

Ceruleum smiled in response and Hal sighed. ”Alright, and what Albus was before?” He seemed to be mentally preparing himself for another shocker.

”An aheal unicorn named Albusflores von Plaustribus,” August replied.

Albus smiled a little, finishing her carrot.

That didn't seem to ring a bell with Hal, although he was surprised at the unicorn part.

”Albus, what did you do in Ahea by the way?” August asked.

”I was a second in command on a spacecraft,” Albus said.

Both August and Hal squinted, showing to Mandy that she wasn't the only one who found this shocking. Spacecraft? Unicorn on a spacecraft? She had been under the impression that Ahea was the peaceful fantasy haven/realm of gods/kind of place.

Riveria and Leum continued eating like it wasn't anything worthy of note.

”Second in command?” August asked.

Oh. so that's what he was surprised about. Well, given the first impression Albus had made on them, that was hard to imagine, true.

Albus blushed, pouting a little. ”I said I was sorry,” she said, twirling the ends of her hair with her fingers. She certainly wasn't a dolt if she could figure out what the suspicious reaction had been for.