As I woke up, something felt off. The bed was harder than usual, the air felt thinner, and the temperature was warmer.
Uhhg, wh-Why? Does my body feel, so heavy? Everywhere I moved it was still heavy. I tried looking around to see what it was but my eyesight wasn't good, so I couldn't really see. I must have used too much magma or something.
"Master? . . . Are you awake?"
A somewhat calm voice appeared out of nowhere. It sounded foreign, but yet, familiar at the same time. I didn't answer and thought about it. "Master" the only one that calls me that is-
"Plu-" my mouth was covered by plunko's hand.
" shhh. . . master, they might hear you, for humans they are very good at listening for some reason. sleep, you're not in a good condition to be moving this much."
It was a low whisper. Plunko? Why would he be whispering to me? Did something happen when I fell asleep? I tried looking around but it just looked dark.
I pulled his hand away.
"Is it night time?"
"It is. Around nine."
"The cursed time I see."
" I think you should stop saying that master."
"But it's the truth. Look, I'm like a blind person right now and I can't move much."
". . . I think you need to sleep, master."
" I don't feel tired. Anyway, what's on me? It's very heavy."
I didn't get an answer until I started feeling around.
It was warm, it felt like soft bare skin? with an up and down motion and a pair of large wings that were spread outward onto both of us like a protective canopy. The wings seem to cradle the space around us, creating a feeling of safety, warmth. It was quite comforting. The scene felt almost dreamlike with the warmness and gentleness, as though 'plunko' was resting beneath a guardian presence. There is no sense of motion-only peace, trust, and the feeling of being held by something soft and reassuring. The soft and messy hair, and soft skin. There's no doubt that it was plunko on top of me. Plunko just started clinging onto me a bit tighter.
But, if it wasn't for his voice and wings I would have thought it was that guy. He also had soft features, and almost the same build.
Astor sighed, turning his head towards plunko, rubbing his cheek against his. Astor extended his arms and gently pulled Plunko closer. It felt like plunko needed comforting for some reason. It was quiet, calm, something that didn't exist with plunko. He was always talking about something so it was never quite with him.
It seems like plunko has let his guard down in times like these. Has he always done this? No, not even when we're home, does he do that. Now that I think about it, he has always slept on me like this? He's always in his little bunny form, never his human one. Has he always been this heavy?? No way, he's way lighter than this. Light as a feather mostly. I must still be out of it if he's this heavy.
He acts so childish whenever he's in this form, I wonder why. As I patted him he squeezed me tightly.
"Plunko what's wrong? You're never in this form unless we're not home and why are you on top of me like this?"
" It's not fair. You always know everything so well. Sometimes I feel like you don't need me anymore."
"Uh?"
"We're not home, We're on earth. Your condition wasn't improving at all when we got home and the only place that seemed to comfort your condition was this place."
" I see, but if that's the case then. . . why are you on top of me? And what was that about not needing you?"
Plunko buried his face on Astor's shoulder "Your body temperature was low."
". . . well, that's not a good answer now is it. Get off me."
" ' ' ' "
"Alright."
As plunko lifted himself up it was easier to breathe. My eye sight slowly started to improve, it was just very blurry. Plunko slightly shifted his wings slowly and started to drift them away from me.
"Update me, what happened while I was sleeping?"
"Like I told you master, you wouldn't wake up so we found a stable place for you. And-."
"We? Who else is here?"
" Sr. Varyx, he insisted on coming. He said as your friend and king, he needed to take responsibility for what happened on his land."
"I see, but doesn't he hate humans? How is he holding up?"
"He's doing fine, he communicated well and kept his composure while talking to them."
That's very unlike him, he must feel very guilty for what happened. Astor sat up and looked around.
"This place. Are we-"
" Oh, is your sight better? A gentleman we spoke to let us stay here. He couldn't find where you lived before you left, so he let us stay with him. Quite a nice fela don't you think master?"
" Oh. Uhm yes, very nice of him. But I think we should leave. We shouldn't take up someone else's resources they've worked hard for. How long have we been here?"
" Two weeks. You wouldn't wake up at all, you were knocked out like a worm, but seeing you awake it must mean you are feeling better."
"Yes, let's go." Astor extended his hand. "Help me up, all I see are blurs. Even you look like a splash of colors."
Plunko held his extended hand and pulled him up gently.
"What clothes would you like to wear today?"
"Clothes? Anything plain will do, people here like being flashy and show off there wealth. I would like to just look normal."
"I see." Plunko snapped his finger and I had new clothes on."
"How's this? A plain shirt and navy blue pj pants with white bunnies on them"
"It's perfect, it's still night time, it's nice and simple."
"Paxon? Are you awake? If so, can you come help me with this?"
"paxon? who's that?" I looked at Plunko.
"That's me, master. That was the name Varyx put on my ID."
"ID? For what?"
"To stay here. We can't just stay anywhere without an ID, You were born here so you have one master ,but I don't so Varyx made me one."
Plunko pulled out his ID showing it off like a grand prize he won. It looked nice
ID: 0002?
Solaris Hub
Home: Blackstar Point
The more I looked at it the more curious I got. Why would he be ranked 2 if there was only 1 copy of him?
"I guess that's true. Do you not like your given name?"
" I do, but no one should be calling me that name unless it's my creator, master, and close foes, to us. So I won't use my given name. Having a name is a privilege master. So not just anyone should know it."
"I suppose. Not even I give my real name out. Only my family knows it."
Plunko seemed unsettled for a second.
" I'll, be right back master. I have to go help out Harrieson."
A familiar name, could it be the Harrieson I know?
"Harrieson? Can I go?"
Astor looked over to where plunko was. He extended his hand again. Like asking for permission to go with him. Plunko took it again, but with a softer grip.
" Are you feeling well? Your sight isn't good."
"I am."
Plunko paused and looked at Astor. "Alright, let me know if you're in pain or feeling unwell. Want me to carry you?"
" No, I'm good. Let's go see what he needs help with."
With that Plunko just nodded and walked in front holding his hand and guiding him to where Harrison was. Everything seemed to be the same but this time Plunko was here with me. I looked around the short hallway, it still looked blurry but it seemed like they fixed everything that broke when that gate opened. It must have been expensive.
" Paxon, you're awake. Give me a hand here. I can't get the flavor right. Can you taste it and tell me what it's missing?"
"Is that all? Of course give it here."
Plunko guided Astor towards a chair and sat him down near him then he let go of his hand. As Astor watched Plunko walk towards Harry, Harrison looked past Paxon tilting his head looking surprised at me. He looked blurry so I couldn't see his face clearly.
"Oh, did you just wake up? I was starting to think that you were dead and would never wake up."
I looked at him confused by what he said. Then I looked over at Plunko who had paused what he was doing. Looking back at us. Plunko seemed to be uneasy about something.
Harrison walked up to me and extended his hand. As I was about to return it back Plunko grabbed his hand, pushing it away. Harrison froze, then he laughed it off
"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Haha."
" it's fine, Pl-"
Plunko covered my mouth with his other hand. Which left Harrison confused. I patted his arm to which he let go of both of us. He excused himself and went back to what he was doing.
I looked over at Harrison, who was looking over at Plunko. Usually crafters notice when an item is nearby but it seems like plunko was designed to be indistinguishable. I wonder if Harrison could tell that plunko wasn't really human. What would he think? while thinking Harrison grabbed my arm and pulled me away into another room.
" we'll be right back Paxon!! I want to show your friend something real quick."
Before plunko was able to say anything we had already left.
But, he lied. He took me out of the house, plunko won't be happy about this. before I knew it we were already outside and not in the house. My breath became heavier the farther we went. The more we walked the more tired my body felt. It seemed like my body was as weak as a regular human body. It didn't help that I didn't have my sight at 100%.
When I looked around trying to see if plunk was somewhere around he was nowhere in sight. Then Harrison stopped and pulled my arm closer to him.
Harrison whispered "look Aster, look. That's Sylvester over there. He's the top hunter here 'Asiatic'." He pointed across the road.
When I looked over at Sylvester he looked different from what I remember him. He looked taller, his hair color seemed off. He looked calmer than usual. Was he upset about something?
[ Open status window: 'Asiatic' ]
—-
{Error }
[ ' status unknown ' ]
[ ' please try again. ' ]
—-
' What??? '
' Why? Why are there errors?? Is he registered with his actual name?''
[Open status window: Sylvester]
[ Opening status window. . .. ]
—-
Name: Sylvester manioc
Hunter level: {Error }
Hunter name: Asiatic {Error}
Family Home: 2
Health: {Error}% / {Error}%
Last status update: {Error }
Mana Level: {Error }
Class: {Error }
ID: 0001
Home: {Error }
Subject of: {Error }
—
'Why does he have so many errors?' I looked straight at him. But it seemed like my poor sight was giving bad signals, it felt like I was threatening something. Harrison looked at me sensing something wrong.
"Astor? Do you feel that? What is that, something's wrong."
Sylvester looked over directly at us with a complex expression like that time, when I was last Theodore. It wasn't fear nor anger, it looked like he was on edge, It looked like he was going to fight someone but then he gave us a confused look.
" Harrieson?" Then looked over at me.
" Who? Was that you? Did you do that?" He looked around and looked at me again. What are you doing here with him? Is he better? We can't let others see him right now."
Harrison rolled his eyes
" You know that paxon isn't going to be happy about this."
" Well I did tell him I was going to show him something."
" There's no way he would have let him outside on his own, if he just woke up."
Sylvester got up from the bench he was sitting on and separated me and Harrison apart. He seemed concerned about something.
"Hey, are you feeling alright? You seem disoriented." Sylvester extended his hand out as if he had done it many times unconsciously. " Here I'll help you, come here. What's your name?"
Harrieson looked at Sylvester with a confused expression. By just seeing the unfamiliar action Sylvester did. Since when did the number one selfish hero ever help others without thinking about it.
" My name?"
" Yup, what's your name? We all know your hero name but not your name. So what's you're name Little bunny."
" Little Bunny?" I hadn't heard someone call me that to my face for a while. I hadn't thought about how I looked like so I assumed that Plunko would just give me a different body like last time, but i never thought he would just bring me here with my original body.
" I'm Astor. "
"Astor?" Sylvester let go of my hand and tilted his head and looked at me. "Astor? It doesn't suit you at all."
" It doesn't suit me? "
"No, you're too soft looking for a name like that?"
As Sylvester was going to grab my shoulder, another hand pushed it away.
" Oh, it's you. paxon" Sylvester rolled his eyes. " I was wondering when you would show up."
Harrison awkwardly laughed "Paxon? Where did you come from?"
"I've been here the whole time. ` just because you can't see me, doesn't mean I'm not there.'
That's true,and from the looks of it. It seemed like plunko would start scolding Harrison soon, so I just pushed his hand off me.
And looked to the other side.
" I think, that I will look around for a bit. why don't you go back to the house paxon." plunk looked at me with a sad expression. to be honest he needs to learn to control himself more.
" Sylvester. Want to join me? I think paxon and Harrison have something to talk about.
plunko grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him. 'ugh' that hurt more than what I expected. He seemed somewhat desperate. But why? Was something wrong? Even if I asked he wouldn't tell me the full truth.
" b-but your sight! I can't let you, no I won't let you go walk around with your poor sight!!"
As I turned to look straight at plunko the air seemed to get thicker and the other were starting to have trouble breathing. For some reason plunko seemed to forget what he was created for. It seemed to me that he was acting out on his own accord. Raising his voice and hurting me. " why are you talking back to me? Did I ask for an opinion paxon?".
Plunko froze at that moment. "paxon?" he seemed to understand what he had done. He let go of my arm " forgive me Mas-"
I cut him off before he finished his sentence. trying to not make it weird from him saying ' forgive me master. I would look like a crazy person to them.
I waved him off "That's enough go back home. we'll talk about this later. I just need to see if my house is still here." Plunko seemed upset by what I said. But he wasn't programed to grab me at free will. but than I heard another voice call out cutting me off my thoughts.
"Aster? Are you mad? about something? I'll help you fix it if you need it. Come tell me what you need."
I looked over at Sylvester who was on the ground having trouble breathing, then I looked at Harrison who had collapsed on the floor from the pressure. ' Fuck '. I've forgotten how weak some people were.
Even at my weakest moments others could feel the higher power level.
"Take Harrison home Paxon."
I looked at Sylvester who was now sitting down.
Sylvester smiled at me.
" you have quite the temper don't you. But I do agree about. going home. your in you're sleeping clothes."