Love Crafted

Chapter Forty-Five

The girls decided to stick together after the interview, mostly because they had all been excused from class and didnt really feel like going back, which as far as youre concerned is great. You get to spend more time with you friends!

So, have you two decided on any clubs? Daphne finally asks as she guides the group towards the same small park where you ate lunch.

Charlotte nods. Just one so far. Im in the Athletics Club already! Need to keep in shape otherwise sitting down all day will lead to me getting all fat and lethargic.

I should exercise more, Abigail says, but then she makes a face. But I hate exercising.

For some reason this is funny and the girls laugh. You dont know why, but you smile anyway because your friends being happy makes you happy.

Charlotte shakes her head, long blonde hair flip-flopping all over. But really, being at the Academy has been awful for me, she says before reaching over and pulling her robes off. It leaves her dressed in a long skirt and button-up blouse. With a few deft flicks, she undoes some of the buttons over her tummy. Look, Im getting handles. Its awful.

Daphne and Abigail are both looking, theyre looking really hard at Charlottes tummy, which is mostly flat as far as you can tell tough when she bends forwards the muscles disappear behind a layer of flabby stuff. Its hard to make out because she has big breasts which the others are also looking at a lot.

Your tummy doesnt look as comfy to sleep on as Abigails, you say. But its okay. Maybe if you get strong you can give good hugs to make up for it.

Charlotte laughs and pulls you into a hug, confirming that yes, her stronger physique does make the hugging experience somewhat better, but shes not as soft as Abigail. If you had to put numbers to it, which you wouldnt because numbers are yucky, you would rate it as three quarters as good as an Abigail hug. Youre adorable, Dreamer, Charlotte says as she pulls out of the hug, then she pinches your cheek in a way that is most unpleasant. You make me miss my little siblings.

Y-you have a lot of siblings? Abigail squeaks.

A few.

The conversation turns towards talking about people who are not there while you return to considering your issue with Pou-tine. Youre going to have to save them from the machinations of the big mean Inquisition people. The real question isnt how youll do it. That much is easy. It's how thats tricky.

Youve confused yourself again.

Dreamer? Abigail asks before patting your head for attention. It works.

Yes?

Daphne and I were talking and, and I think Ill be joining the Gardening Club... t-temporary. Just to see how things, uh, work out there. And to be near Daphne too. B-but mostly, um. Nevermind. I wanted to know if that was okay with you?

Thats the club in the place with all the flowers? you ask to which Abigail nods. The one with the hidden nap time beds? Are we going to sleep together there?

This makes Abigail look sick and red again and Charlotte covers her mouth with a hand and looks away while Abigail starts speaking. You think its speaking, but really you dont understand what shes saying and the way she waving her arms around wildly doesnt make things easier to understand.

Okay, you say to stop her flailing. I like that club, it was nice. And they had tea sets which meant tea food and tea cups which are all yummy. Are we going now? Because I had something I needed to do.

That last bit snaps Abigail right back to full attention. Her eyes narrow behind her big glasses. What sort of things? she asks.

You decide that its best if Abigail doesnt know. She still has the bapping paper in her purse and she could remove it to bap you at any moment. Just things.

Please elaborate.

You look away, tongue sticking into one cheeks and lips pursing. Mmm, its nothing that you need to worry about.

Dreamer.

You huff. Im going to go help Pou-tine.

The... thing the people at the Old Faiths club tried to... summon? Charlotte asks. Is it like, ah, like you.

Abigail shifts and suddenly looks a little nervous. Daphne, whos a lot more composed, places a hand on her shoulder.

You shake your head. No. Im way older and much more than Pou-tine. Its more like a, uh. You try to think of the right words but the mortals dont have them. A greater independent, you decide. Pou-tine just goes around and does its own thing and tries not to be eaten. Abigail said that boys are the same way.

Okay then, Charlotte says.

Youre okay with Dreamer? Abigail asks.

Why would someone not be okay with you? Unless you were trying to eat them or they wanted to interrupt naptime.

Charlotte shrugged one shoulder. Dreamer seems nice.

You nod. You do seem nice. Now its time for saving Pou-tine, you tell them. I need to do it sneaky-like or else the Inquisition people with the hats will be annoyed and theyll make a fuss.

Dreamer, no, Abigail says.

But if we dont help, then Pou-tine will stay stuck until all the mortals die and thatll take a whole bunch of years, you say. If we dont help then its like... You pause to think of something they would understand. Its like not helping someone when their hat is too big to pass through a door.

The girls all stare at each other, then elect Daphne to talk. What exactly would rescuing Pou-tine involve? she asks.

You grin. Its easy. We need to break into that building. A tentacle comes out of your back to point to a building on the next hill over. The Inquisitions castle thing is a big place all made of dark stone tucked into the side of a big mound of stones, it makes the whole place look smaller than it really is. You know from the memories you took from the important knight man that there are lots of rooms underground. And once were there, we need to find the room where theyre keeping Pou-tine and break the stuff keeping them in place. Its easy.

Oh no, Abigail says.

I can do it all on my own, if you want, you offer.

Thats exactly what Im afraid of.