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Living in a cave with only yourself to trust is hard, Schezo could admit that. He'd been alone for so long, he wasn't sure he'd be able to ever trust someone with his life again. Sometimes he wondered if he ever trusted anyone in the first place. Some days he could walk along the path he took fine, other days he'd simply sit in his cave for hours, alone and cold, reminiscing about the past. He was comfortable in his cave. It was the only place he could be safe. The only thing that had not been taken away from him.
The world, however, seemed to hate him.
Schezo hadn't slept for a while. Currently, he laid in his cave using his cape as a blanket and a bundle of leaves for a pillow. It was surprisingly comfortable, though he had nothing to compare it with. It had been an eternity since the last time he had even seen a normal bed.
The weather was rough outside, and Schezo was grateful that he was inside his cave, or he'd be soaked to the bone. Cracks of thunder could be heard, the sky flashing bright and intense to accent the noise. He could tell even without looking outside that the storm was horrible. He pitied anyone caught in it.
Schezo had just dozed off, just a little, when a horrible boom of thunder could be heard, the sound so loud it made his ears ring. He got up quickly, the sound of trees crunching and boulders being displaced telling him only one thing;
Run.
For once, Schezo was glad he didn't own much. Only his sword, his rations, a single change of clothes, and a bag of items he had gathered from his travels. As he reached outside the cave, he heard a sickening crash, and as he looked behind him he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss and remorse. The cave which had housed him for almost all his time in Primp was swallowed whole. The mouth of the cave was covered in mud, trees, and rocks that had slid off the side of the mountain. He knew if he stayed there, the next time Arle or Rulue would visit, they would find a corpse instead of a man.
As he stood in the freezing rain, wind whipping his hair, he felt the dull but familiar sense of longing. The cave was his home, and he had abandoned it just like he had his other. His selfish thoughts desperately wanted to go back. Back before, before the school trip, before he gained his title, before, before, before. Back when he had a loving home. A place to go back to. A place he was happy.
He was the Dark Mage, goddamnit! He shouldn't be feeling so distraught over a cave!
'Get a hold of yourself!' His thoughts demanded, but the rain that had stolen his home had other plans.
He had to find shelter before he got sick. If he fell ill, then he would grow weak, and he couldn't allow that. He trudged his way along a washed out path. He had grown so used to returning to his cave that it had been far too long since he last scouted out an area to go to in an emergency. He couldn't even tell you the nearest clearing in the trees besides the town itself, and he had no money to stay in a motel.
He searched the forest for what felt like hours. He was absolutely freezing, and he could feel himself growing more tired with every step he took. Perhaps the town was the best option. He changed course and started sprinting as fast as he could to the town. If he was lucky, then there would be a barn or maybe a canopy he could stay under.
The rain was no better in town, despite the buildings blocking the worst of the wind. The street lamps were flickering, the rain was heavy, and there wasn't a single canopy in sight. He supposed that after the townsfolk heard of the storm, they likely took them down so they wouldn't blow away. Normally, he would get angry, but he didn't have it in him. He was too cold and tired.
He stumbled down the streets, his belongings clutched to his chest in a weak attempt to keep them dry as he searched for anywhere he could stay. Eventually, he found himself huddled in the back of an alleyway. It was the best protection if the rain he had. There was a balcony above him and two buildings on either side of him.
Begrudgingly, he set his stuff down and pulled his knees to his chest. He adjusted his cape to cover him. He had to stay warm after all. He sniffled, refusing to admit to himself that he was upset by the turn of events. He was about to doze off and get a bit of sleep when he heard footsteps coming down the alley. This was his alleyway, damn it! Who was trying to walk down an alley in the middle of night in the freezing rain?
He weakly opened his eyes, ready to fight or flee the area, when he made eye contact with the last person he wanted to see. And also the last person who he wanted to see him like this.
Arle.
"Schezo?" Oh great, that was Rulue, that means both of them were here. He buried his head into his knees, avoiding eye contact.
"Schezo, what are you doing out here?" Arle asked, Carbuncle bouncing around and adding its own "Gugu?" to the conversation.
A moment of silence passed over them, before he sniffed again. "Cave collapsed." He said simply.
"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Arle fussed, poking the back of his head.
"'M fine,"
"You don't exactly look fine," Rulue chimed in. "You're sitting in an alley in the rain, frankly you look pathetic. Why didn't you go to a motel?"
"I spent all my money on food," He mumbled.
"Oh, Schezo," Arle shook her head, tugging at his hand and pulling him up. "C'mon, let's get you out of the rain. You're probably freezing, and we don't want you to get sick!"
"I am perfectly fine!" He said stubbornly. "I do not require your charity!"
"C'mon Schezo, we're your friends!" Arle said, tugging at his arm as Rulue grabbed all his stuff. "You can crash at my place! Me and Rulue we're gonna have a sleepover, so we can fit one more person!"
Seeing no way out of this, he hesitantly allowed himself to be dragged along. He couldn't deny, being in an actual house sounded nice. The last time he had been in a house was probably when he visited Satan. Look, the man makes great chocolate chip cookies, okay! Besides, he was just.. erm, scoping out the area for when he defeats the man. Yeah, that's what he was doing.
Arle and Rulue popped open their umbrellas, and before he knew it, they had arrived at the younger girls house.
"Arle?" He asked.
"Yeah?"
"Just how do you have a house? You're what, 3? Maybe 4 years old?" He teased.
"Hey!" She pouted, tugging at his sleeve. "I'll have you know I'm very responsible!"
Rulue rolled her eyes as she unlocked the front door, pushing it open and tapping her foot. "Stop bickering you two, I wanna get inside where it's dry!"
Arle dragged him inside, and he had to admit, it was much nicer than his cave. It was warm, for one thing, if a little messy.
"Responsible, eh?" He teased, picking up several dirty dishes that were strewn about the place. "At least I kept my cave clean!"
She childishly stuck out her tongue, and was about to reply when Rulue cut her off. "How about we tidy the place up a bit while Schezo gets cleaned up. He stinks."
"I'll have you know I washed myself in the river this morning!" He crossed his arms, insulted at her accusation.
"Really? When was the last time you washed your hair?" She countered. Okay, she had him there, his hair could probably use a wash. "And besides, you're covered in mud and bathing in a cold river doesn't count as a bath."
Rulue ushered him into the bathroom, tossing one of her large tank tops and a pair of shorts that might fit him into his arms. "I trust you can work out how to use the shower?"
Schezo gave her a blank stare. "Do you care to tell me what the hell a shower is?"
"Schezo, please tell me you're joking."
"..."
"Oh my god."
After at least ten minutes of being yelled the instructions on how to work the shower (and what it was), Rulue left to go help Arle tidy up, and he was left to his own devices. He carefully set aside his dirty clothing and proceeded to stand in a warm shower for the next thirty minutes. He had to admit, it was better than washing himself in a freezing river.
After struggling to turn off the shower, and also accidentally turning it to scalding hot several times, he stepped out and dried himself off. He looked at the clothing Rulue had given him and was for once glad that he and her liked similar colors. The grey tank top was surprisingly large on him, and he was pleasantly surprised that the dark blue shorts actually fit him rather well. He kinda missed his robes though. He felt exposed without his breastplate and greaves, and the buckle on his cape certainly made him feel better about the scar on his neck.
He set his towel in the clothing hamper and opened the door, making his way to the living room. He felt… nice. He felt warm and content and clean. The loss of his cave weighed heavily in the back of his mind, but he did his best to ignore it and carry on.
He rounded the corner to find Arle chasing around Carbuncle, who had stolen a t-shirt from her. Rulue stood by the sink dutifully washing dishes, looking on as the younger girl tried and failed to catch her partner. The yellow blob made a beeline straight for him and crashed into his stomach, sending the both of them toppling over as Arle swooped in and grabbed the little menace.
"Carby, what have I said about stealing my clothes?" She scolded. "They're not food, you'll get some soon when we finish cleaning!"
"Arle, get back to work!" Rulue shouted over the sinks running water. "Schezo, feel free to sit down. Your clothes are in the dryer and your items are on the couch."
He rushed to the couch to locate the Dark Sword, one of his only items that could give him a form of comfort. He gripped the hilt tightly, careful to aim it away from anything that could be damaged. He sat still, the sword in his hands as the two girls finished cleaning up.
"FINALLY!" Arle exclaimed, dramatically falling onto the couch beside him. "Now we can finally have some fun!"
Rulue plopped down on his other side, a smile on her face. "So, what should we do first?"
"I wanna make curry!" The younger girl chimed in
"And I wanna have my hair done!" The other countered.
"But you know I can't do hair!"
"Well then, maybe you should learn!"
"I don't really feel like it,"
"You said you'd try and learn some for this sleepover!"
"Yeah, well, I said 'try' not 'I'll 100%learn them'!"
"Why you little–"
"HEY, STAY BACK!"
"I know how to do hair," Schezo hesitantly interrupted, placing his sword on the coffee table in front of them.
"Really?" They both asked at once.
"Where's you learn?" Rulue asked.
He looked down, playing with the hem of the tank top. He supposed he could tell them… surely they knew he had a life before being the Dark Mage, correct? They wouldn't tell other people? He had known them for quite some time, and he dearly hoped that he had chosen the correct people to trust.
"I uh," He mumbled quietly. "I used to have a little sister…"
Arle put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a supportive smile.
"I'm glad you told us, Shez," Rulue gave him a pat on the back. "You don't have to do my hair if you don't want to."
Schezo looked up, a bit more confident. "Nonsense, the Dark Mage makes good on his promises. I still remember a few styles." Rulue turned around, allowing access to her hair. "Perhaps Arle can make her curry while I do this?" He suggested.
Said girl immediately shot off to go and make some curry, Carbuncle not far behind. Rulue proceeded to begin talking about the differences in hair products, and how Schezo could "probably use some volume shampoo and a good scalp scrub" whatever that meant.
As he carefully braided her hair, he was reminded of early mornings spent preparing his mother and sisters hair for the day. His sister had a hard time learning how to do her own hair, and his mother often had too much pain to do her own. He remembered how his elder brother would repeatedly attempt to help, but would always give up and chat with their mother instead. He missed them all so desperately that it hurt. It felt like a divine punishment that he could never return to them, even if he didn't remember why.
He was gently pulled out of his thoughts by the soft words of Rulue, who seemed to sense his distress and had begun talking about different types of swords. He appreciated her efforts dearly, even if his eyes were still damp as he spoke to her. He finished off the last braid and tied them all together. She looked similar to his younger sister. Rulue looked into a mirror and squealed with delight,
"Oh, I look lovely!" She rested her face in her hands as if she were daydreaming. "You truly have a gift for styling hair!"
Arle walked over, balancing four bowls of curry and handing them off. "You look lovely, Rulue! Schezo did a great job!" He felt his chest swell with pride.
"Wanna watch a movie?" Arle asked excitedly. "It's my turn to pick this time!"
"Ugh, fine, if Schezo is fine with it," The older woman complained as she took a bite of her curry.
"What's a movie?" He asked, taking care that Carbuncle didn't steal a bite of his own curry.
"You don't know what a movie is?!" Arle looked flabbergasted, bounding over to a drawer and pulling out several cases. "We gotta start with the classics then!"
"How would you know what a classic is?" Rulue asked, an eyebrow raised.
The other stuck her tongue out, "I know more than YOU when it comes to movies!"
"Nonsense!"
"You didn't even know what "The Puyo-Busters" was until last week!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about!"
After several minutes of fighting, Arle finally put in a movie called "Beauty and the Puyo" or something, an 'animated film' (whatever that was) about a girl and a Puyo. For the first half hour or so, he was absolutely astounded! He didn't know that people could watch moving pictures on a strange box!
However, he could feel the fatigue of the day catch up to him, and his eyes drooped. The Dark Sword was reasonably close, and he felt safe near Arle and Rulue. He felt himself doze off, finally getting some rest after the horrible day he had.
"Thank you," He whispered. He was truly grateful for what they had done for him.
"Anytime, Schezo." One of them said, and with that, he fell asleep.
Maybe, just maybe, having friends wasn't so bad.