“Yes, yes. It’s all so sad, such a tragedy. But, what could you do? You tried enough, didn’t you? You can’t blame yourself for it.” She strokes a hand through James’ long hair, her tone soft and seducing. “Why don’t you just not worry about it, and ease your mind with something else. Something more enjoyable.”
James doesn’t reply a moment, staring at the ceiling again, before looking at her and asking, “What about you?”
“Me? What about me?”
“How come they haven’t taken you into custody, yet?”
Confused, Irene asks, “Why would they do that?”
“Well, you were part of it, remember? You were part of Cain’s scheme with Matt and Rose. You were going to shoot Rose out of morph, right after Matt would have defeated her, except she defeated him instead.”
“…Heh, they don’t know that. They can’t know that.”
“You sure about that? You think whoever finally told them what Cain was up to would have forgotten to mention you?”
Irene bites her lip and shakes her head. “They wouldn’t. They wouldn’t take me. I’m the first born heir of Saratu, they can’t touch me.”
“Just like they can’t touch Cain? He’s of noble blood, too, you know. His uncle’s the prime minister of Tirez.”
Becoming more anxious, Irene looks to the door, then back to James. “And you? You got Matt and Rose to fight each other, in the first place. You knew what was supposed to happen.”
“After it was supposed to happen. Cain, as paranoid as he was, told me to deceive the two, but not why. I was but a tool, oblivious to my purpose. But you were the only other one who knew, because you were directly involved.”
Irene glowers, staring down at the white blankets, the white floor, the white walls. “Alright, then. I should get going, and let you continue your rest.” She leans in, quickly kisses James with a smile, and then stands, turns, and hurries out of the room, the door slowly sliding closed after her.
Once Irene was gone, James lays back in his bed, his pulse returning to normal as he closes his eyes. He wishes he was fit to be let out by then, to go see what was happening with Cain himself, but he could still feel bruises on his ribs when he had moved in discomfort from Irene’s presence. Sean certainly had hit him hard.
With his eyes closed, his mind sinks down into the depths of self-reflection, where James sees what had become of the boss students’ regime over the school. The majority of them had allied with the rebellion sparked by a gifted freshman, and the meager few left, him and his cousin, had been beaten into the ground for all the school to see, and now one of them was being taken away for his insanity. He could no longer deny it was the end. It had been a nice tradition, lasting ever since Cain’s and his first year as intermediates, but some traditions can’t stand the test of time.
Now, with his own kind facing penalties for criminal activities or turned against him, James has to make a choice. He could resist to the bitter end, attempting to use his charm and deception to sabotage Matt’s alliance. But Cynthia seems to have grown greatly attached to Sean, and there was no way he was going to romance Lyn again anytime soon. All that is left, then, is the closest woman to Matt, his own roommate. She conveniently had the same class as him, but so did Matt. How could James make a move on Rose without alerting her or Matt to his true intention, especially after how he had manipulated them both before?
There was that choice, that challenge, or James could simply give it up. Let Matt and his friends have their way with the community, revolutionize the roles of the student leaders, and perhaps he could humble himself to receive their pardon and maintain his status as one. Times were changing, and he would have to change as well to survive, at least until he graduated. Plus, making peace with them could open the way for him to get at Rose. She was young, yes, but her strong character, her toned body, the fire in her eyes, fascinated him much more than the subjects in their alchemy class. James considers that, maybe, he was no longer interested in resisting the revolution anymore, or stirring up his own since he had a hunch he may not see much of his partner again. His new interest, the thing that had been kept aside because they were enemies at that time, could be taking the boldly blooming Rose as his next trophy.
As he lingers on the thoughts, James’ consciousness resurfaces at the sound of knocking on the door again. He peeks an eye open to see the nurse peeking on him again. She has short green hair, and it was then that he recognized her. He had slept with her a few times, as well. “Now what?”
“Um, there is someone else who would like to see you, James. Is that alright?”
“As long as it’s not my cousin, I don’t care.” He chokes on the words when it turns out to be the man who put him in the ward in the first place. Scratching his black haired scalp, a hesitant grin on his face, Sean asks him, “So, how are you feeling, after a good night’s rest?”
“Well, I may have been on my way to a full recovery, until you walked in here. I can feel my bones breaking anew as we speak.”
“Oh, well, sorry to hear that, bro. I just wanted to be the good sport and come check on ya, and let you know there are no hard feelings between us. It was just a competition, after all!”
“Heh, yeah. It was all just a competition, and I’m the loser.” He looks long at Sean, seeing him fidgeting. “There’s another reason you came here, isn’t there?”
“Ah, yeah, well, you heard yet about Cain, what’s gonna happen to him?”
“Two words. Rasputin’s disease.”
“Ah. So you have. I just found out myself, the word’s tumbling across campus like a rockslide, Earth Spirit willing. But it’s probably best for him, and all of us, that they’re taking him away. Everybody will be safe now from more of his madness, eh?”
“Yes. One can hope that. And I guess I’m also glad I won’t have to see how the rest of the family takes this, back home.”
“Heh, yeah. I hear ya there. Discord in the family blows.” Sean taps the floor while peering around the room. “Now, with that bit of news out of the way, there’s something else I wanted to tell ya. Something that may impress you.”
“Oh? And what’s that, Sean?”
“Well, um, let’s see.” He comes closer to the bed, leaning against the wall, and prepares what he has to say, getting it out slowly. “I was at a party last night, in Cynthia’s apartment. She had all her girlfriends over to join us. We all had drinks, played some poker, had a good time. All except for Cynthia.”
“Uh huh.”
“So, I was like, ‘What’s wrong, doll?’ And she was like, ‘Nothing, it’s nothing, you wouldn’t understand.’ I kept pushing her to say what it was, but she pushed me away. And her one lackey, Ashley, she came up and suggested we leave her alone, go in the back and, well, get to know each other better. So we did.”
“Really? Cynthia let her snatch you out from under her?”
“Yep. It’s odd she did, when you think about it, she must have been really troubled over something. But whatever it was, it was quickly forgotten when she burst into the room, just as I was going all the way with Ashley.”
James’ eyes widen in suspense. “And then? Did she stop you two?”
“Nope. Better. She joined us. She was standing there, already completely nude, along with the other girlfriend beside her. What was her name, Amanda? Yeah, that’s right, Amanda. So the two stroll in, hot, sweaty, and with swagger, and they assure me to keep going with Ashley, and then they would have their turn.”
“No. You’re kidding me.”
“I’m not kidding ya, bro. I scored with not one, not two, but three ladies in the same bed, in the same night. I still can’t believe it, myself.” He slightly smirks at James. “Whatcha think?”
James takes it in, picturing Sean with two other women besides Cynthia, before the pulse on the machine spikes as he breaks into laughter. “Spirits be burned, wow, I am impressed, Sean. You were one lucky son of a bitch, last night.”
“I know, right!? I
mean, I’ve always had a thing with Lady Luck, I just never dared to think I could wind up with three of her at the same time!” They both laugh for a moment, and Sean says with a shrug, “But yeah, that really was lucky, even for me. I doubt I may get a chance like that again, seeing as we were all so drunk to get into it.”
“Indeed. Cynthia’s never struck me as having the same, ah, tastes as Irene. But, when you’re intoxicated, you get some pretty wild tastes.”
“Yep, you sure do. But I’m still surprised that I managed to satisfy all three of them, in order. I’ve never done it so much in one setting, before. And I was still a virgin, just a few months ago!”
James laughs again. “No kidding. That’s an impressive feat, truly.” He looks to the ceiling as something crosses his mind on the subject. “Want to hear how I lost mine?”
“Lost what?”
“My virginity, and with whom.”
“Oh! Uh, yeah, sure, why not? Who was it with?”
“Lyn Arcterus.”
“…No way. She hates your guts, doesn’t she?”
“Yes, but not in the beginning, when we first met.” The memories flash by on the blank ceiling James stares at as he tells them. “We were young and innocent, just like the rest of the freshmen, that first year. I was just trying to be popular among the other students, use my looks and nobility to fit in, but I couldn’t help but keep noticing Lyn off to the side, and the effect she had on others. She was so quiet, so shy, and I don’t have to tell you about the eyes, I’m sure.”
Sean nods, and he goes on. “Well, I tried to not mind how she kept following me around, until the one evening, outside the casino, I came upon her cornered by some intermediates, calling her a freak because of her eyes. They were saying how dead she must be, so cold and dumb with those eyes, and yet the tears that flowed looked warm enough to me. That’s when I found myself, without thinking about it, step in for her, and after a big fight I managed to chase them off.
“From that point on, Lyn and I became inseparable, and I can’t say whether I regret it or not. It was through me that she began to improve in all aspects. She could speak openly with me, and I sparred with her in morph to make her stronger. I learned she was drawn to me because we’re both from Tirez, and I became fond of the contrast between her pale eyes and pretty smile. We weren’t roommates, but otherwise we seemed to be everywhere together, during lunch, after class, at the casino. In fact, when the Royale Project rolled around, even though we didn’t have the same badge colors, we paired up and won many fights together. We had a blast, neither of us expecting to get into the tournament part, but in the wake of Nicholas’ floods wiping out the competition I wound up there. I made it to the finals then, which I didn’t win, and yet Lyn, my biggest fan, was all the more happy for me, and that made me happy, in turn.
“I knew by then we had become close friends, but things began to heat up between us when winter came. Being from Tirez, we were both well acquainted with the cold and snow, and many days we found ourselves playing around in it, building forts and having snowball fights with our other friends or just between ourselves. It was one night after such activity that she invited me over to her cabin, and that wasn’t unusual, we’ve visited each other’s cabins before. After all the romping in the snow, though, this time we were soaked and cold, and we were the only ones there that night, Lyn’s roommates were off at an all-nighter in a study hall. With just the two of us, alone and wet, it came to both our minds of a little trick we knew of for getting and keeping warm. After an awkward moment of mentioning it, we then went ahead and did it.”
Sean tilts his head before speaking up. “You already knew the trick was having sex?”
“Oh, no, we didn’t think of that. Well, completely. The trick is to strip down to the nude and bundle up under a blanket, and there you would both share body heat and stay warm against the cold. Anyway, so that’s what we did, and I thought it would be just that. Lyn may have thought that, too, but, something clicked with us under the blanket of her bed, our bodies pressed together, the only sounds our breathing and hearts beating. We tried to ignore it for awhile, but as we got comfier and sleepier, more relaxed and such, she soon brought up how she had been attracted to me ever since she had first seen me, and that was why she had been following me about. I looked at her, deep into her eyes and over her body, touched her, without her resisting or flinching, and the next thing I knew we were kissing and I was inside her. That was the night when we both lost our innocence.”
Sean slowly nods, a quizzical look on his face. “Well. Sounds to me like it was meant to be. So, how did it go wrong? How did you two break up, how did she come to hate you so much?”
“There were a few factors that did it, and I’m afraid one of them was definitely my fault. We remained very tight, sleeping together a few more times, getting bolder in it with each one, the rest of the year. When we came back as intermediates the next year, though, things began to change. We each found ourselves gaining followers and ascending to being boss students, me because of my charm, nobility, and fighting prowess, and Lyn because of her compassion for others and the way she could rally them around her, especially the other girls. Well, our relationship began to flaw there, as we each had opposing views of how to be a boss student, and soon we would argue every other time we were together.
“But then, instead of trying to resolve our differences, I made things worse. All of our bitter arguing had turned me off to courting with Lyn, and at the same time I was becoming more, ah, curious of other women, including the ones flocking around Lyn. I wondered to myself, is it any different, with others? And so, one night, I gave into the temptation and, sure enough, it was different. It had been surprisingly easy to charm her and lure her into the same bed, and it was such sweet relief to be so close, to be inside, someone other than Lyn. But I wasn’t satisfied. I wanted to see how far I could go, how many women I could sleep with, and there were plenty who were willing to serve me. And then, as I had foolishly not considered, Lyn herself stumbles upon me in the middle of it with another girl. To make matters worse, it was with one of her lackeys.
“That was the night I saw a side of Lyn no one may have ever seen before. She was furious. Beyond furious, her eyes burned with something I had never seen before, something that scared me. Shrieking and cussing up a storm, she chased the poor girl out of the room, then turned on me, and I couldn’t get a word in on my defense against her verbal onslaught. And it was when I reached for her, only to have her fingers lash out like claws and leave my face bleeding, that I knew it was over between us. I don’t know what I felt in me, rage, horror, guilt, despair, but whatever it was I kept it down, composed myself as the calm noble I was, and left her with a polite, but cold, farewell. We haven’t seen the other eye-to-eye since, and now here we are, as seniors. Our final year together, and we still have left ourselves unresolved.”
Sean, fixated to James’ recollection, gulps as he nods again. “Yeah. That would do it. I’ve dealt with that enraged side of her before, and I can sympathize with anyone else who has. It would be cool if you two could make up, but, you don’t seem to have made an effort to do so yourself.”
“Yeah. I’m guilty of that, as well. It’s just too easy, too rewarding, to please myself with other women than to try and earn Lyn’s trust again. And we were still openly opposed in our practices as boss students, but, after all that’s happened this year, that may no longer be the case.”
“Hmm? Whatcha saying?”
“I’m saying, Sean, that things are changing again. I used to be one of those on top, the ones with all the power, and now I am one of the fallen. If I ever want to look good in others’ eyes again, if I want to keep up my relations with the women, I have to change as well. I shall have to at last concede that my way, the old way, of being a boss student is gone, and that the new way, Matt’s way, Lyn’s way, is here to stay.”
“Ah. Okay. Well, that’s a good thing for everyone, right? You could start to repair
the bonds you’ve broken!”
“Yes, I could. Or I could make new ones.”
“Huh?”
“Uh, never mind that. I find myself weary now, after all this story telling I’ve bored you with. Why don’t you run along now, find someone else to bother, or perhaps try your luck again with Cynthia?”
“Oh, um, okay. I guess I could do that.” Sean straightens up, squares his shoulders, and heads for the door. “Oh, and James? Maybe you’re not such a bad guy, after all.”
“Heh, yeah. Maybe I’m not.” After Sean had closed the door behind him, though, James isn’t sure of it. If he could still have feelings for Lyn, after all this time, then why was he still plotting to have Rose next? Before he could dissect the matter further, the door is knocked upon again, and for the third time the green-haired nurse checks on him. “Are you alright in here, James?”
“Well, I don’t know anymore, ah, Jesse. Do I look alright to you?”
“Oh, I think you do, actually.” She closes the door after entering the room, comes over beside the bed, and checks the monitoring machine. “In fact, I think you’re fit to be let go.” Jesse turns to him, a sly expression crossing her as she takes the wire off him. “But you could stay here a little while yet, with no one else to disturb you. I would make sure of that, for you.”
James physically, mentally, and spiritually sighs as his logic once again falls before his lust. “If that is your professional opinion, Jesse, then I think I would be wise to consider it.” He pulls his bed sheets aside, smirking back up to Jesse as she pulls off her uniform and underclothes before she slips in next to him, their lips meeting in hot desire while the sheets cover them both.
***
The day passes into another evening, abuzz with the news about Cain, his crimes, and his disease. Throughout the student community the atmosphere is full of excitement and relief as it was official, beyond a doubt, that Cain’s reign of terror is over. To commemorate the victory, Matt finds himself in Lyn’s senior cabin apartment, at her invitation, and they are alone.
Alkalians Page 44