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“Oh! Hey guys, I gotta go. My mom’s here!”
“What? Already?”
“Yeah, guess she got off work early today. See you guys tomorrow!”
“Oh, okay! Bye!”
“See ya.”
“Hmm, well, I guess we can keep playing with one less person. Though my parents are probably gonna be here soon, too…”
“Yeah, same. Hey, why don’t we ever see your parents? You’re always getting picked up by your grandma, do your parents work super late or something?”
“You said they work at the Akademiya, right? They must do a lot of research!”
“My parents are dead.”
“… oh. Um…”
“…? What?”
“Er, uh… nothing. So, uh… oh hey, I think I see my parents over there! Sorry, I’d better go – don’t want to keep them waiting!”
“Yeah, uh, I think I see my parents, too. Gotta go now, bye!”
“… o… kay… bye…?”
***
“There he is! Hey, we’ve been looking for you!”
“…? Oh, it’s you guys. Can I help you?”
“We’re about to play a game, silly! Wanna join us?”
“What game is it?”
“Tag!”
“Mm, I don’t feel like it today. Maybe tomorrow.”
“Oh, okay. Is that a new book you’re reading?”
“Mm.”
“Cool! What’s it about?”
“It’s a journal of various studies in optics.”
“Op… tics…?”
“The physical properties and behavior of light. The study I’m reading right now is on the refractive index of a novel material that was recently discovered in some ruins out in the Desert of Hadramaveth; it appears to be ordinary glass, but has a unique interaction with direct sunlight. Researchers have been investigating whether this is due to a physical property of the material itself, or if it contains some new form of ancient technology that we haven’t seen before.”
“Oh, um… that’s… nice…?”
“It’s really quite fascinating. And this previous study was on – ”
“Okay, uh, it sounds like you’re really enjoying your book, so, um, I guess we’ll leave you to it? You know, while we go play our game. So, uh… see you later, I guess! Bye!”
“… alright then. See ya.”
***
“Hey, so where have you been these last several days? We haven’t seen you at school since… well, the first day. Were you sick?”
“No.”
“Really? Then did you go outside the city or something?”
“No.”
“Then why haven’t you been at school?”
“Because I don’t want to go. It was boring.”
“Huh?”
“Well, everything the teachers talked about was stuff I already knew from books. There’s no point in staying and learning everything a second time.”
“Okay, I guess that’s true… but you’d also get to hang out with your classmates, right? I mean, I guess you are always the quiet one, but don’t you get lonely just sitting by yourself reading those fancy books all the time?”
“Not really. They’re more interesting than most anything anyone our age would talk about, and I learn far more from them than I would sitting around in a bunch of meaningless classes.”
“Ah… okay then. Well, uh, I gotta go now, so, um… see you later? I guess?”
“Mm. See ya.”
***
“Hey Grandma, I’m going outside for a while.”
“Oh, to read?”
“Mm. The weather’s pretty nice today.”
“Alright then. My, that’s quite a hefty book you’ve got there – is it one of your father’s?”
“Mm.”
“You’re just tearing right through your parents’ collection, aren’t you? Not that I’m going to stop you, of course. So where exactly are you going?”
“Just to the big tree on the hill over there.”
“Alright, sounds good. Just make sure to be back in time for dinner, okay?”
“Yeah, I got it, Grandma.”
“Alright, I won’t nag you anymore. Well, have fun, then! Happy reading!”
***
“…? Can I help you…?”
***
“Phew, I think that’s the last of them… sheesh, why were the Eremites so interested in this stuff anyway? Are these rare parts or something?”
“Of course not, it’s just some assorted scrap. Honestly, I’m surprised anyone cared enough to put out a commission for this junk. The Kshahrewar must really be getting desperate.”
“No kidding… anyway, thanks for coming along. That was probably the largest group of Eremites I’ve ever seen in one place; I’m not sure I could have fought them all off by myself.”
“There’s no need to thank me. Dealing with this nuisance was to my benefit as well. At the very least, my roommate might finally stop complaining about how long it’s taking to track these thieves down…”
“Oh, so he’s involved in whatever project these parts were for?”
“No, but he met someone who is. A friend of a friend, or something of that sort…”
“Ah, hehe… well, thanks anyway. Oh, also, Paimon has a question…”
“Yes?”
“Well, uh… how did you get so strong, anyway? Or, um, maybe Paimon means ‘why’…”
“…? ‘Why’?”
“Yeah, like… Cyno’s the General Mahamatra, and Dehya’s a mercenary, so they obviously fight all the time, right? So of course they’re both super strong. But you don’t seem like you’d do a lot of fighting most of the time, so Paimon thought it was kind of weird that you’re probably stronger than either of them… um, not that you have to answer, or anything! Paimon was just curious, that’s all!”
“…”
***
“Hey weirdo, you here reading one of your ridiculous books again?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t own any ridiculous books.”
“Uh huh, sure you don’t.”
“Can you even read all those words with those weird eyes of yours? Isn’t there some kind of disease that makes you have red eyes and not see well?”
“I do not have albinism, if that’s what you mean. Also, I clearly have green eyes.”
“Huh, you might have a point there. He even has the funny hair colors. Is there such thing as being half-albino? Gray is kind of like white…”
“Yeah, didn’t he say his dad had white hair and red eyes?”
“Hah, so his stupid dead dad messed him up, then! Maybe he was a weirdo, too!”
“Excuse me – ?”
“His dead mom, too! I mean, who names their kid ‘I’ll-hate-them’, anyways?”
“Haha, they hated him so much they went and died to get rid of him!”
“Is this some kind of attempt at comedy? It’s not very funny.”
“Oh, shut up and learn to take a joke for once, I’ll-hate-them. Gosh, you’re always such a party pooper.”
“Hey, let me see your stupid book!”
“What – hey!”
“Ugh, what even is this about? This is what you’re looking at all day instead of using the Akasha like a normal person? No wonder you’re so weird and quiet all the time.”
“Do you even know what any of these words mean? They’re even longer than this stupid bunch of hair that’s always sticking out of your head!”
“Give – hey, let go of my – OW!”
“Hah, what’s wrong, are you going to cry now? Don’t be such a crybaby, it can’t have hurt that much.”
“… Give me back my book.”
“Pfft, why should we? You probably don’t even actually know what this says, anyway, and it’s not like there’s any point to reading books when you can just ask the Akasha like everyone else. In fact, let me just do you a favor here…”
“Hey, what – what are you doing?!”
“Ooh, yeah, good idea! Here, let me help!”
“Yeah, me too!”
“Stop! That’s – that was my dad’s…!”
“Ugh, stop being such a baby…”
“What – ow – let go – OW!”
“Take that, weirdo! Maybe now you’ll learn to act like a normal person!”
“Yeah!”
“Stop – hitting – ”
“Weirdo!”
“I’ll-hate-them!”
“Loser!”
“P… please stop…”
***
“…? Oh, you’re back already? It’s not time for – oh my Archon, are you alright?!”
“What happened?! You – ”
“… no, don’t worry about the book. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up…”
***
“… There was no particular reason. It’s just a requirement for living a peaceful and comfortable life, that’s all.”
枪打出头鸟。
The bird who sticks his head out gets shot.
- Chinese proverb