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The break room was crowded with all of the crew members in WarioWare Inc. Wario, Mona, and Jimmy T. were arguing over the usual “Wario” shenanigans, 9-Volt and 18-Volt were gaming in the corner, playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder together, and then there were Young Cricket and Master Mantis.
The two martial artists were scarfing their faces with meat dumplings as they sat crisscrossed on the floor. When the duo took a break to rest their stomachs, Mantis patted his mouth with his napkin.
“Mmm, these dumplings appear to be extra delicious today. I wonder if anything was added to them.”
Cricket, instinctively, reached and grabbed two dumplings from their mountain and inspected them closely. Cricket hummed:
“Hmm… I don’t see anything off or unique about them.”
Mantis closed his eyes and waved his hand.
“A mere speculation, Young Cricket, I’m sure they were made without any new method.”
Cricket nodded,
“Ah! I see. Understood!”
Then he shoved both dumplings in his mouth, making his cheeks puff out like a squirrel hoarding nuts.
Mantis gently took hold of another dumpling, but before he ate it, he tilted his head and looked at his student.
“Young Cricket, listen carefully for what I will inform you.”
Cricket, without hesitation, dropped the next batch of dumplings he was about to eat and sat up straight, perfectly focusing on his master.
“Right. My attention is fully in command, master!”
Mantis nodded and showcased the dumpling in front of him.
“Mrs. 5-Volt has given me a powerful piece of wisdom to guide us further down the path to mastery.”
Cricket leaned forward, a sort of twinkle shining in his eyes.
“Really? From Mrs. 5-Volt?! That’s amazing! What did she say?! Do tell, master!”
Mantis nodded and leaned forward.
“She informed me that the secret behind any dish, any meal, anything for the activity of consumption…”
Cricket's eyes widened in anticipation, squeezing his kneecaps from the anticipation.
“...is made from the power of love.”
Cricket sat straight back up, tilting his head as an eyebrow raised.
“From love ? I… I’m not sure I understand, Master. Isn’t love just a construct of thought?”
Mantis nodded his head, bringing the dumpling closer to himself.
“Indeed, Young Cricket, but expand your way of interpretive thinking.”
He adjusted his crisscrossed seating and leaned forward, making sure Cricket listened closely.
“Love is a construct of thought and belief, however, that mere thought can be used greatly to improve one’s art of cooking. It is like… an invisible trainer, instructing you, guiding you from the back of your mind to influence your conscious choices.”
Cricket’s eyes sparkled more, now understanding his master’s words, as well as finding the new “technique” fascinating. He clenches his fists close to his chest and smiles widely, like a child being handed ice cream.
“WOW! Incredible! Such wisdom! I never would have thought of such a perspective!”
Cricket put a finger to his chin, looking up to the ceiling.
“Though, Miss Mona had told me of her recent ‘romance movies’, though there is rarely anything related to cooking using love.”
Mantis nodded.
“What Miss Mona was watching was most likely a dramatic representation of the concept of love. Their interpretations on how love can or should be used are likely unwise, given the unrealistic expectations it sets up.”
Cricket nodded, furrowing his brow with intense focus.
“I see. Then why would she watch something so misinformed? Perhaps she’s oblivious to the wrongdoings the movie showcases?”
Mantis shakes his head.
“I can assure you, Young Cricket, that Miss Mona is not oblivious to the dramatic representation the movie brings forth, nor are all films of the romantic genre that misinformed. There can be some truth behind the message they deliver. However, it is likely possible that Miss Mona simply watches it for entertainment purposes only. For now,” Mantis eats the dumpling he’s been holding for a while, “we must learn to appreciate the art of cooking and the love used behind such crafty meals.”
Cricket nods and takes another dumpling to hand.
“Yes, of course! Thank you kindly for this wisdom master.”
He was about to take a bite of his next dumpling, but stops.
“Uhm… Master? May I ask you another question?”
Mantis nods calmly.
“Of course, Young Cricket.”
Cricket inspects the dumpling in his hand.
“I understand clearly that love is a powerful technique used in cooking, but I still can’t wrap my head around how to use it for such an activity. I mean, I understand what love is, and perhaps I haven’t really had the experience of cooking anything before, but it still seems odd. Something that’s just a concept can be infused with a meal?”
Cricket extended his dumpling forward towards Mantis.
“Like, how does love get inside this dumpling? You would think we would see something different inside, right? But it’s just the same thing underneath. I understand the interpretation you demonstrated before, but I still feel like there’s an element of realism that needs to be explored. Am I wrong, Master?”
Mantis finished with his lunch, stood up, and started to gather his side of the pile of dumplings.
“Well, Young Cricket, I understand the confusing complexity of the technique, but it’s far more simple than you would think.”
Cricket stood up and helped his master collect the rest of the dumplings.
“For you see, it’s not about the appearance of love that showcases the technique, but rather,” he taps his temples, “it is solely the mindset behind it.”
Cricket, now having two armfuls of dumplings, tilted his head up, wanting to hear more. Mantis, also holding two armfuls of dumplings, continues.
“You understand that having a calm, collected mind paves the clearest path to mastery, correct?”
Cricket nodded. Mantis walks towards the counter to set the dumplings in the cabinet above, with his student behind him.
“Love is another mindset that can pave a new path to that goal. If anger can be controlled to create a path to harnessed power, and empathy can be used to create a path to expressing care, then love is a path to mastering the art of personal and passionate care, for one’s self and others.”
“ Passionate care, Master? What’s the difference between regular care and passionate care?”
Cricket asks as he sets his batch in the cabinet as well. Mantis turns around and shoves his arms through his sleeves.
“Well, a regular friendship is something we are all familiar with; a general care and desire to preserve the well-being of others through kind, respectful actions and activities. In fact, friendships already have elements of love put into them. However, in this context, passionate care, concerning love, is more expressive and personal to an individual. It is why you often see someone say “I love you” to someone they fancy, or when a child says the same thing to their parent. It is because there is a deeper connection being built from where normal friendship, or normal relationship in general, started. That is what Mrs. 5-Volt has informed me; the art of love is often a technique she uses when she cooks her family meals, because she loves them all as family, which, to her, is a much stronger bond than friendship.”
Cricket nods as he crosses his arms, looking down at his master, processing his words.
“For example,” Mantis adds, “Mrs. 5-Volt would add extra love to her meals if they were made specifically for her son, 9-Volt. Or maybe the doctor, Crygor, would do the same for his granddaughter, Penny, given they are family.”
Cricket’s gears were turning, until he looked to have an epiphany.
“Wait! I just realized something, master!”
Mantis looked up to his student with an “Oh?”.
Cricket clenched his fists as he stood a little straighter.
“If love can be implemented, as you say, into cooking, couldn’t that also be implemented into other activities? Like martial arts?”
Mantis nods.
“Excellent observation, Young Cricket. Indeed, love can be used for more than just its concept, or being implemented into foods. Kat and Ana share their love as siblings within their mastery of ninjutsu. That is half of how their coordination and synchronicity are perfected. Love is a universal feeling that can be applied to anything, and it is why movies of the romantic genre portray them in such a way to attract their audience. It is a good feeling to have, both for friendships and for romantic relationships.”
Cricket pumped his fist in the air in triumph.
“Fantastic! I am learning quickly!”
Mantis nods.
“I am glad you are understanding. From now on, we implement Mrs. 5-Volt’s teachings into our training.”
Cricket nods and smiles with teeth.
“Understood, master!”
He then pauses and relaxes his muscles.
“Uhm, master, o-one more question?”
Mantis nods.
“Yes, Cricket?”
Cricket pokes the tops of his index fingers, looking elsewhere.
“W-Well, I may be incorrect in this train of thought, but I’ve heard from Miss Mona that a great way to find what is called true love is to find what is called a ‘girlfriend’, or a ‘boyfriend’ from a girl’s perspective. I’m not sure what this true love is, but it sounds very important and relevant to our recent discovery. Must we find us both girlfriends, Master?”
Mantis jumped a little, and a blush briefly crossed his face as he wholeheartedly chuckled a bit, making Cricket more confused.
“Oh, Young Cricket, that is a misunderstanding. True love is rather the-”
But before he could finish,
BAM !
The door to the break room slammed open, and the weather outside somehow instantly turned cloudy, darkening the room. In steps in the girl next door, living in a haunted mansion; Ashley, and she had a dark, extremely angry look on her face. Wario, leaning against the counter close to Cricket and Mantis, waved his soda can in the air.
“ASHLEY! You’re late! Where the heck were yah?”
Ashley stomped over to the fridge and searched for a tasty treat she could scarf down. She grumbled as the tips of her black hair turned white.
“Red felt ill. I tried to cure his stupid sickness, but nothing worked, and he kept complaining to stay home.”
Mona stepped forth, a sympathetic expression on her face.
“Oh no! Poor little imp! I’ll go stop by and deliver some medicine and-.”
“No!”
Ashley bellowed as she shut the fridge a little too hard, holding a cheese stick in hand.
“I said I’m working on a cure, and I don’t want any ‘shortcuts’. If I’m to be the greatest witch in the world, I need to master every spell.”
Mona politely smiled and backed away.
“Okay! Okay. I getcha.”
Wario rolled his eyes and stepped forward.
“Well, the issue now is that no one is making me money! BREAK TIME’S OVER, CHUMPS! LET’S GET BACK TO MAKING THOSE MICROGAMES! CHOP CHOP, NO TIME FOR RESTING!”
Everyone started to pack up, but Cricket stopped walking towards the door when he saw Ashley’s slightly surprised expression, despite her stoic face. She glared at Wario.
“ What ?! I just got here! Can’t I have at least a few minutes to eat in peace before getting to work?”
Wario used his finger to wax out his ears, then flicked the gunk off in another direction.
“Well, rules are rules, and those rules are MY rules. So when break time’s over, break time’s over! Kapeesh? Kapeesh! Now let’s-a-go!”
He waddled his way out of the door, leaving Cricket and Ashley behind. Cricket looked at Ashley, a nervous and worried expression as he witnessed her hair turning full white. Ashley’s grip on the cheese stick hardened, and her teeth gritted and slid against each other. Cricket gulped and took one step towards her.
“U-Uhm… Miss Ashley?”
Ashley’s head whipped to face Cricket, her ruby-red eyes staring daggers into his very soul.
“I’m NOT in the mood to talk right now…”
Without giving him a chance to respond, she stormed out of the room, leaving Cricket stunned and more nervous. Cricket’s mouth contorted, and his expression became complex.
“Hmm…”
* * *
Inside their office, Cricket and Mantis took turns training their bodies and working on the computer, perfecting and organizing their microgames. Every time Cricket was taking his turn to practice push-ups or in-place jogging, he would look over to the transparent wall to his right to see Ashley, now by herself, working on her microgames. Something in Cricket ached around his stomach area, and he knew what it was exactly. He wanted to help her, but she looked so distressed, more than usual. As he transitioned to sit-ups, he watched as Ashley unwrapped the cheese stick. However, as she took a bite, Ashley retracted with a mix of surprise and pain. She used her knuckles and knocked on the cheese stick, and the smallest sound of clanging told her, as well as Cricket, everything. Her hair turned white, and with a huff, she chucked the cheese stick into the trash bin, so hard that the bin fell over and spilled her trash to the floor. Ashley grumbled and put her head on her desk, putting her hands behind her head. Cricket looked the other way, thinking to himself:
“It pains me to see a friend in such distress. There’s got to be something I can do…”
However, a tap on his forehead snapped him back to reality, as he turned to see Mantis behind him.
“Young Cricket, you’ve paused your training. Is something on your mind?”
Cricket fumbled, rolled to his front, then sat on his knees.
“A-Apologies, master! I-I’ll keep my focus in check next time, I promise!”
Mantis raised an eyebrow, then looked to where Cricket was facing; Ashley’s office. He nodded his head upwards with a hum, now understanding the full context.
“Miss Ashley is having a hard day, hm?”
Cricket looked back at Ashley, slumping his shoulders.
“Indeed, Master. She’s the most distressed I’ve ever seen her. So much so that she didn’t even want to hear what I wanted to say.”
Mantis nodded and tapped Cricket’s shoulder, signaling him to not stare too long.
“Mmm, that appears to be the case.”
Cricket stands up and looks down at his master with determination.
“I wish there was something I could do for her. I want to help her feel better, somehow.”
Mantis wandered over to the desk.
“Well, Cricket, different ways to comfort a hurt friend varies from person to person. And from what we know of Miss Ashley, and the way she behaved with you, if what you say is accurate, then perhaps giving her space would be the best way we can assist her.”
Cricket, although nodding, still had an anxious expression.
“Are you sure, master? I-I mean, I’ll feel bad if I just let her… sit with this horrible day. I feel like I should do something.”
Mantis closes his eyes and hums, deep in thought. Cricket, walks over to the desk as well, cocking his head to the side.
“Master? What is it?”
Mantis then hums and grunts a couple of times before opening his eyes.
“Young Cricket? I have an idea.”
Cricket’s eyes widened as he quickly moved to stand in front of his master, nearly bumping up and down with a giddy expression.
“Really?! Ooo! Do tell! What can we do to help Miss Ashley?”
Mantis shook his finger at Cricket.
“Not we ... you , Young Cricket.”
Cricket stopped his excitement and paused.
“W-Wait… what do you mean?”
Mantis returned his arm through his sleeve and cleared his throat.
“There are an infinite amount of potential ways to help Miss Ashley through her dilemma. It would be near impossible to find the best solution, which is why you’re going to find a way on your own. It will be your idea that will be the solution.”
Cricket looked left, then right, then back to Mantis. He leaned forward.
“But… why is it only me? You say that as if you cannot assist me.”
Mantis nodded.
“That is because you alone should accomplish this task. You are around her age range, you two have a few things in common, and she would likely want to talk to someone who will lend an open ear.”
Cricket tapped the pockets of his blue, gi pants.
“W-Well, I don’t think I have any ears on me. Other than the ones on my head-”
Mantis shook his head.
“Not literally, Young Cricket. I meant she would want someone willing to listen to her, whether or not they provide feedback or not. Cricket? You listen diligently to my lessons and focus diligently during training, so apply that dedication to being there for Miss Ashley. And if she still doesn’t want company, then so be it. Let her have her space.”
Cricket nodded, clasping his hands together.
“Understood, Master! I’ll do everything in my power to support her! I’ll treat her in a friendly and respectful manner!”
Cricket bows and Mantis’ eyes light up a bit.
“Mmm! Which reminds me, you asked about the meaning behind true love , yes?”
Cricket stands up straight from his bow and nods.
“Indeed, Master.”
Mantis cleared his throat.
“Well, what I was trying to say was that true love comes from-”
“AH! There you are, old man!”
Wario suddenly barged into Cricket and Mantis’ office.
“We need you to go with Crygor and Mike to collect some mushrooms. Crygor’s too big of a baby to go in the Agate Forest alone, and I figured some tough guy could accompany him, and since I don’t feel like it, you’re up. The forest is pretty far, so you’ll probably be off work by the time you get back, so you won’t have to bother coming back to work when y’all are done.”
Mantis nods to Wario.
“Understood, I will finish what I was saying to-”
“ GREAT ! Off you go!”
Wario then picked up Mantis with both arms and lifted him above his head, carrying him out of the office, leaving behind a speechless Cricket. Mantis, although surprised, remained calm. He turned his head to Cricket as he was about to disappear.
“Remember what we have discussed, Young Cricket!”
And just like that, he was gone. Cricket just stood there, trying to process everything that just happened. He turned his head towards Ashley, who appeared to have heard the whole commotion. However, when she noticed Cricket looking at her, she quickly ducked her head behind her spell book, obscuring her face completely. Cricket took a breath and walked to sit behind his desk, resting his elbows as he blankly stared at his screen.
“ Alright. To be there for Miss Ashley, I need to find my solution, without Master’s help. But what can I do? I rarely talk to her, but I may have a vague idea of what she might appreciate .”
He turned his head to look at Ashley again, seeing her eyelids occasionally drop and shoot back up, jolting her head back up in tandem with her eyelids. Cricket furrowed his brow and looked back at his screen.
“ Things that Ashley might appreciate… hmm. Magic? Potions? Monsters?! I think these are things she likes, but I have no idea where to find any of those. Oh! I could ask Red-. Oh wait… that might be impossible, he is sick, and it’s best to let him rest. ”
Cricket groaned and rested his forehead on the table, putting his hands behind his head.
“ Okay okay, this is fine. I can still figure this out. ” He lifted his head a little to look at his own, personal alarm clock: 7:19 p.m. “ I still have about an hour left before we all leave work. Perhaps I can do some research with the computing device. ”
Sitting back up, Cricket started to type away on the computer, narrowing his eyes to scan for potential solutions. He typed a variety of questions like “ What do witches like? ”, “ How to comfort your friends ”, and “ When do meat dumplings expire ”.
* * *
Seconds turn into minutes, eventually turning into an hour. Cricket’s eyes were droopy, and his fingers more-or-less lazily glided along the keyboard. He managed to find a few potential ways to support Ashley, but he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to find the one , the perfect way to make Ashley happy, something that would make her light up instantly. Cricket leaned back and groaned, rubbing his eyes with his wrists as he let his head dangle over the chair. He looked back to Ashley, but the moment his vision recognized her, her head seemed to jolt to face her screen. Cricket saw her two pigtails whip around in a clockwise rotation, wondering if her left pigtail smacked her in the face. He stood up and stretched his arms. And just as he relaxed and scratched his hair, the alarm clock went off: 8:30 p.m.!
“Oh no. No no no no ! Time is already up?! But I don’t have a plan!”
He swerved his head to look at Ashley, and to his horror, the witch had already finished packing and was walking out of her office!
“Oh shoot! W-Wait! Uh…!”
Cricket loudly whispered to himself, though he wanted to call out to her. He looked around at all the training equipment he had around him, and instantly, he ran around his office, picking up dumbbells and throwing them into the duffle bag Mantis brought, and also kicking every empty can in the garbage bin, managing to land every single can, even stacking them perfectly on top of each other!
“C’mon c’mon c’mon !!”
Cricket threw the duffle bag over his shoulder and went to sprint out of the office. When he burst the door open, a sudden amount of weight dropped onto his left shoulder. Two arms and two legs wrapped around his arm, and when he looked down, Lulu smiled up at him.
“Cricket! Heyo! Wanna come back to Luxville with me? We can-.”
“ WHAT?! YOU NEED A WAY HOME?! GOT IT!! ”
Cricket frantically looked around the building for a window, while Lulu raised an eyebrow and spoke:
“What? No. I was asking if-”
Cricket then bolted towards the nearest window, lifted it open, and pried Lulu off his shoulder, holding her underneath her armpits.
“ WHERE’S LUXVILLE?! ”
Lulu slowly pointed a little to the left of the window, and before she could speak, Cricket switched to holding her with one hand and CHUCKED her out the window, sending her flying across Diamond City. Lulu screamed as she soared across the sky, swearing to one day get Cricket over to Luxville.
“ HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, MISS LULU! ”
Cricket roared as he shut the window and ran down the hall. When he skidded from a corner, he saw Ashley about to go down the stairs, the stairs leading to the entrance of the building. Cricket smiled and sighed as he took one step. Just then, Mona, Dribble, Spitz, 9-Volt, 18-Volt, and Wario all suddenly crowded in front of Cricket, blocking his way as they chatted about their plans for the night. Cricket tried to see if he could squeeze through the crowd, not wanting to force himself through his friends, but the hallway was too narrow, too crowded to pass through. Cricket could barely see the stairs that Ashley went down, no longer seeing her at the top, his nervousness now taking over. Cricket’s mind went blank, acting on instinct as he yelled over the chatting crowd:
“ MISS ASHLEY! PLEASE WAIT!! ”
When Cricket regained his sense of surroundings, he looked to see the crew in front of him turned around, staring at him with confusion and even a little worry. He blushed and relaxed his stance, fidgeting with his hands with an awkward smile.
“O-Oh, my apologies. I-I was just trying to get Miss Ashley’s attention.”
Wario stuck his finger in his ear and twisted the wax out.
“Well, you didn’t have to yell , kid!”
Cricket frantically nodded.
“R-Right! Right right right right right. That was rather inappropriate of me, I’ll never-”
“ Who called for me ?”
Everyone turned to see Ashley climbing back up the stairs, though, her hair was now pure white, and her eyes went a little dimmer than before. Everyone stood still for a moment, but Cricket, now relieved with her return, quickly squeezed his way through the crowd, Dribble, and 18-Volt stepped aside to let him through. Cricket ran up to Ashley, a little too close, and smiled wide.
“Oh thank goodness ! Sorry for the frantic yell a moment ago, I didn’t want to lose you to the outside.”
Ashley clicked her tongue as one of her eyes twitched a bit.
“I wasn’t going to disappear out of nowhere. You could’ve just caught up to me outside instead of screaming so loud.”
She looked elsewhere and rubbed her ear a bit.
“Tch… so loud…”
Cricket got more flustered, now understanding the foolishness of his frantic action. He clasped his hands together, got down on his knees, and put his head to the floor.
“You’re absolutely right, Miss Ashley! That was an uncalled-for and ridiculous thing I did, and I will take this mistake as a lesson well learned. From now on, I will approach you more calmly and appropriately.”
Everyone just watched Cricket’s apology stance, and even Ashley raised an eyebrow. When the crew looked to Ashley for her response, her white turned slowly faded back to black, from the hairs on her scalp to the tips of her pigtails, and she looked away, covering her mouth with her large sleeve.
“It’s fine,” she quietly said, “just get whatever you wanted to say over with already.”
Cricket popped back up with a smile.
“Right! What I was going to say was…”
But he stopped, his eyes widened, and his body went stiff as the rest of the crew walked past the two, going down the stairs.
“ Oh no… I didn’t think this through… I still don’t have a way to support Ashley! ”
He looked around as he hesitated, then back to Ashley, who crossed her arms and tapped her finger on her arm.
“Are you cursed? If you’re messing with me, I’ll turn you into a toad. Don’t tempt me, Cricket.”
“O-Oh! No no! I’m not cursed or anything like that! I, uh, u-uhm…”
He nervously stuttered as he began to sweat a bit. He looked around the building.
“ C’mon, something, ANYTHING! Something here has to work! ”
The moment he looked to the break room, his mind went blank once again, and he took Ashley’s hand. He took her to the break room with him.
“To the break room! We shall converse there!”
Ashley’s eyes expanded, being dragged by the martial artist, and she gave a surprised, though quiet, yelp from the sudden situation. Once inside the break room, Cricket let go and looked around, continuing his search. Ashley huffed and pulled her sleeve over the hand that Cricket once held.
“What is happening, you idiot ?! You’re acting stranger than usual.”
Cricket looked at the cabinets.
“I-I… uh…”
He walked over and opened it, revealing his and Mantis’ dumplings.
“I…”
He took two dumplings and closed the cabinet door, turning back to Ashley with a sigh.
“Well, Miss Ashley, I must be honest with you.”
He walked over to her as Ashley tilted her head.
“Oh? About what?”
Cricket stopped in front of her, taking a deep breath, and spoke softly.
“I… I understand that you were not in the best mood today. I wanted to help make you feel better, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted the company or not.”
Ashley raised an eyebrow, and her dim eyes slowly regained color.
“A-And I noticed that you were having a hard time during work, so I tried to find a way to support you after work, but…”
He looked down, his expression more somber.
“...I couldn’t find a way that would work perfectly for you. I searched up numerous ways, but I didn’t feel like there was a way that would benefit you .”
Cricket’s head then shot up, waving his hands with both dumplings.
“N-N-Not to say that you’re impossible to help! I-I mean, what I meant was that I wanted to find something tailored to what you like. L-L-Like magic or potions! However, I have no idea where I could find those, or how to use them. I-I haven’t thought of anything at all. A-And again, I was trying to find the best option for you! I-I’m sorry if I-”
Ashley raised a hand and waved it, shutting her eyes as she spoke.
“ Cricket , calm down. You’re fine. Just stop rambling.”
Cricket obeyed and stopped flailing his limbs, bringing his arms close to his sides. He nodded, analyzing Ashley as she sighed and rubbed her head.
“You don’t have to do anything, it’s just a minor inconvenience. Nothing to worry about. I’ve been searching the internet during work as well.”
Cricket perked up, and Ashley continued.
“I was researching spellbooks I could find for medical purposes, but nothing came up. Eventually, I found a potion called ibuprofen that can cure this cold Red has. Though, there was another potion I could find called acetaminophen . Surprisingly, these are purchasable in the nearby pharmacy.”
Cricket nodded, intrigued with her words.
“Ah, I see! Those are… certainly words I will not be able to recite.”
Ashley smirked a little but returned to her normal stoicism.
“I’m fine, Cricket, though,” she looked away, and the faintest bit of blush formed on her cheeks, “thank you… you didn’t have to worry.”
Cricket, upon hearing her gratefulness, tilted her head.
“B-But… I didn’t do anything! I just stood there like a bumbling fool!”
Ashley looked back at Cricket.
“Well, I mean… you didn’t have to do anything. Just knowing that you were worried about me is… well…”
Ashley stuttered and started to gently drag her hands down her pigtail, looking to her left.
“...it’s nice of you.”
Cricket was left speechless for a moment, trying to get the gears in his brain running. Once he came to, he squatted down and smiled, leveling their eye levels.
“Wow… I didn’t think the mere thought of wanting to support you could be efficient enough to, well, support you. I learned a valuable lesson. I shall use this knowledge for the rest of my warrior journey. I am grateful for your wisdom, Miss Ashley.”
Cricket smiled a little, and somehow, his eyes seemed to glisten a little bit. Ashley, instinctively, clicked her tongue, then quickly turned her head, preventing her from seeing her face.
“G-Good. You better remember that, because others will appreciate it as well, like Red. He’s always worried about me, but it’s to the point where it gets annoying, so… maybe don’t be that concerned.”
Cricket giggled as he stood back up.
“I promise, I will be aware of your boundaries.”
Ashley nodded and smiled a little. As Cricket continued to look at Ashley, he then had a realization, looking down at his hands, remembering the dumplings. He extended his right arm to Ashley.
“Oh, right. Would you like a dumpling?”
Ashley looked at the dumpling and raised an eyebrow. She looked to its left, she looked to its right, then touched it cautiously with her index finger, quickly retracting it. She looked up at Cricket.
“Is it gross? I’ve never had it before…”
Cricket smiled widely and shook his head.
“Not at all! It is the perfect snack to consume after a good workout session! I promise you, this will be great!”
Ashley raised an eyebrow, analyzing Cricket’s optimistic and sunny expression. She slowly took the dumpling with both hands. After inspecting it again, she used the tip of her tongue to get a tiny taste test. When she noted that she didn’t instantly revolt from the taste, she took a nibble from the dumpling. As she chewed, Cricket watched, anticipating her reaction. All of a sudden, Ashley’s eyes glistened, just like Cricket’s, and she took a much bigger bite. Her cheeks puffed out as she chewed, quietly humming as she consumed another bite.
“ Mmm … it’s… not bad. I’m impressed.”
She said mid-chew. Cricket pumped his fist into the air, standing proud and triumphant.
“ Victory ! Miss Ashley likes meat dumplings!”
Ashley swallowed and cleared her throat.
“I said it wasn’t bad, not that it was my favorite.”
She looked away once again, puffing her cheeks out, despite not chewing.
“It’s not that good…”
Cricket settled down as he hovered his meat dumpling in front of his mouth.
“Ah, right. Everyone has their preferences.”
Cricket shoved his dumpling in his mouth and instantly ate it up. Ashley raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.
“Huh… you seem to digest those quickly.”
Cricket nodded.
“Indeed! Master and I have eaten so many dumplings for so many years that we’ve achieved the special technique of speed eating !”
Ashley shook her head and leaned forward.
“A special technique ? For eating fast? I don’t think that’s a thing.”
Cricket chuckled and put his hands on his hips, waving his finger.
“It’s real, trust me! Master and I have only achieved this technique regarding the dumplings. If we tried to eat something like garlic or ice cream, we wouldn’t be able to perform the technique since we haven’t had enough experience with tasting it. We need to taste every end of those snacks and meals, finding the sweet spot and its less-than-sweet spots, and finding the fastest way to enjoy its savory taste. Only after months of consumption and understanding can we unlock that technique for that dish.”
Ashley clicked her tongue again, but instead of frowning, she smirked.
“Tch. How absurd…”
Cricket’s eyes light up again, this time punching his fist into his open palm.
“Ooo! And also! I’ve applied a recent lesson Master had taught me.”
Ashley, entertaining Cricket’s excited speaking, tilted her head a little and gave a very faint smile, unconsciously.
“Oh? And what did he teach you? How to not vomit after eating so fast?”
“Not so!”
Cricket said, not picking up on her sarcasm.
“Master was teaching me about the concept of love , and how it can be implemented!”
Ashley’s body went stiff, and the tips of her hair went white as her cheeks flushed faintly again.
“Wh-What? Cricket , what do you-”
Cricket paced around the room.
“He told me that it is possible to incorporate love into a variety of activities to express and develop a stronger connection with another person. So sharing these dumplings with you means that our love has greatly developed!”
Ashley’s hair faded into white more, halfway up the pigtails, and her flustered face got more and more red.
“ C-Cricket !! You don’t know what you’re-”
“ Ooo ! And guess what?!”
Cricket took a step closer to Ashley, all caught up in his thoughts.
“Perhaps if we continue to eat dumplings together, we can even discover what this true love really means! We could be the first to ever achieve it!”\
Ashley’s hair went completely white, and her face was practically a tomato at this point. She was stuttering and looking all over the place. Her eyes were wide, and her eyebrows bounced from a frown to complete shock rapidly. Cricket finally noticed Ashley’s reaction and raised a hand.
“Uhm, Ashley? Are you okay?”
Ashley grabbed her pigtails and buried her face, obscuring her face entirely.
“You… you naïve idiot !”
She snatched her wand from her pocket (her Witch Stick she calls it), and while using one hand to continue covering her face, she shouted,
“ Toadacious Transformious!! ”
Cricket took a step back, both confused and shocked.
“Wait! Wha-?!”
Before he could finish, a red bolt of lightning jetted out from the tip of Ashley’s wand, heading straight for Cricket! On martial instinct, Cricket dodged out of the way and landed on the one of nearby tables. The bolt of lightning zapped the curtain, and after a bright flash of red light, the blue curtain turned into a blue toad. It fell to the floor and croaked as it hopped aimlessly. Cricket took a breath and held his chest.
“ Phew . That was close.”
He got off the table, dusting off his gi.
“Miss Ashley, are you actually-.”
But when he looked up, Ashley was gone, as if she was never there at all!
“Ashley? Ashley ?!”
He then heard a loud clang sound, realizing the truth. He walked out of the break room and looked down the hall, down the stairs, and at the door.
“Oh no… was there something I wasn’t getting? I thought I had that under control.”
* * *
SLAM !
The double doors slammed as Ashley rushed inside, and rested her back against their wooden texture. She breathed heavily, her white hair still shining like snow. She clutched her heart, trying to force it to settle down. She shook her head.
“There’s no way he meant any of that! That idiot ! What in the world is Mantis teaching him?! True love ?! Such a stupid, stupid thing! And to me ?! Impossible !”
She pushed herself off the doors and quickly walked up the spiral steps to the third floor. Ashley mumbled quickly to herself,
“He has to know what he was talking about, right? No one is that dumb! Right?! Even if what he said was true, why me ?! Does he actually… actually…”
Ashley groaned and tugged on both her pigtails.
“ RRRGH ! Enough, Ashley! You know the truth, you know he’s an idiot! You know he… he…”
She slowed down her pace, eventually stopping in her tracks.
“He… cares.”
Ashley looked to the floor and played with her hair, looping it around her finger. Instinctively, she gave a small, smile as she inhaled. However, she heard a door open and whipped her body around to see Red, in a nightgown and a candle, float out. Red rubbed his eyes.
“Ashley? There you are. How was today? Anything happen-?”
“NO! NOTHING HAPPENED! NOTHING AT ALL! GOOD NIGHT, RED!”
Ashley turned around and ran, tripping a little before reaching her bedroom and slamming the door shut. Red just floated there, confused and speechless.
“I… I’ll just go back to bed.”
Red floated back into his room and shut the door gently.