"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MEEE?!?!"
"WHAT DID I DO TO YOU?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!"
Park glowered at the misshapen red patch-worked oddity in his palm and angrily tossed it away through the window. He was now sitting on his bed, trying the best he can to calm the overactive "blades" that were hard at work slicing through his cheeks. He checked the time,
Long hand at 12, shorthand at 7.
"7:00AM."
"EXPLAIN THIISSS!!"
"First of all, YOU tell me and secondly, this might be karma for you. Now move, I need to get ready for assembly."
"Might be karma but at least I got her face..."
He spun a fist on instinct, phasing through the apparition, it landed square on the bedframe besides him.
"Hehehe, sucker."
[Abnormality Detected.]
"Right back at ya."
[The First Law of The ----- Print will now be activated.]
"What...?"
"Remember to close your mouth when you're done, wouldn't want flies buzzing in now do we? now let me see if I remember how to do this..."
He intertwined his fingers, locking them at precise points.
"Hope you don't turn inside out..."
Lock out everything and focus, you've done this one too many times, 3, 2, 1...
"Clean."
"..."
"... and so, I would like to once more formally introduce you..."
"GAHAHAHA!! HEHEHE!!"
"Would you shutup...! "
The apparition clutched at its belly, tears rolling out amidst heavy laughter. Park felt that in that moment even if the earth were to swallow him up, it wouldn't be that bad of a thing to happen.
"He smells like a Goldricht's sty."
"GAHAHAHA!! WUHEHE!!"
He could hear the whispers over the figure's hysterical laughter. They avoided him like the plague, unanimously pushing him over to the trees, where he stood listening to the teacher's welcoming speeches. He wondered why the spell, having followed every step, innately, still failed.
"Houff, you got me there. I hope I get to see more of this."
"You done?"
"Yeah, my ribs were starting to ache."
"Mrreoww?"
The cat emerged from within the bushes, walking over to where Park stood, periodically stopping to lick one of its many skin grafts back into place.
"Boy does misery love company."
"What are you on about... Oh! hello there...!"
He immediately knelt down, gently stroking its head, it, in return, purring back. It flickered its tail, the exposed bones beneath clicking as they momentarily connected and slid over each other. In that moment, he at least felt at peace...
"Park?"
He snapped back to reality, seeing a hand waving a piece of paper in his face.
"Here you go, and I also see you've met Lily."
"Yeah, I did, also...?"
He reeled his hand back and forth, guiding his abhorrence towards her only to get no reaction.
"You must have had it rough. But that's not gonna do anything to me, as you can see what I deal with."
"Makes sense."
"So..."
He straightened himself up, fixing his uniform's creases.
"... where you headed to?" she said tapping her finger on the yellow paper.
"Probably the fountain, given my current situation..."
She chuckled.
"... then now I can actually think about where I'd like to begin with."
"You wouldn't even think that for people like us, scent is the first thing that comes to our minds, given our special..."
The cat licked another piece back in place.
"... inclinations."
"You know it's kinda cool that you got a cat of your own..."
"You bet."
"!"
"I've never seen her actually bond with someone this fast, even for my parents, it actually took some time for her to finally open up."
"S... so, we're like buddies?"
"Looks like it!"
"..."
"Where did they say the fountain was again?"
"..."
"He's weird, has he never seen a talking cat before?"
Park released his head from the water's grasp, taking in a huge gulp of air, as the water drenched his fit.
"I really wish I had hands right now."
"Why has your friend..."
"!"
"... been speaking mean things about you?"
"One moment, please..."
He sunk his head in once more and resurfaced a short while later.
"At this point you could just jump in, and what friend are you talking about lily? I thought we had already talked about this..."
"Looks like they're settling in well."
The middle-aged man adjusted his spectacles, the reflected light barring his ocular features from being seen.
"Oh, right I forgot he's down there with it."
He sat back in his chair, kicking his feet up on the desk, as a principal would and let out a sigh.
"I hope this batch is fun. Hierarchies, Unsupervised fights, just give me something. Don't let me down."
"..."
"I wouldn't advise you to do that."
It was just one warning and the often-forgetful plants would calm down.
"It's usually all in the voice."
"Wow! PARK, ARE YOU SEEING THIS?"
He answered back at the other very end of the greenhouse, "YEAH!"
"He has a thing with plants?"
"More like with everything."
"ARE YOU DONE YET; WE HAVE A LOT MORE GROUND TO COVER!"
"I'LL BE RIGHT THERE, sorry that I have to go, but not to worry, you'll be seeing me around a lot more often."
"You know where to find me then, and also sorry about your cat."
"What's taking him so long?"
"He'll be here so..."
"I'M COUNTING TO THREE..."
"ONE..."
"Told you I'll be back in time, by the way why didn't you come in?"
"Maybe..."
He glanced over to the huge, hunched, glowing figure sat on one of the display tables.
"... another time..."
"Youuu willl heellppp meeee riighhtt??"
Everything was gone, he briefly tried to step out of the greenhouse but hit a barrier, the room now smelling of rotten eggs, the hulkling asked one more time.
But now even closer.
"Youuu saidd youu'lll heellppp meeee riighhtt?? Shaakee onn itt thenn..."
I didn't even accept it.
It stretched out its hand in greeting, coated in and dripping a thick substance. Park against his better judgement, extended his own and shook his.
Ugh...
"Yesss, jusstt likkeee meennn shoouulldd."
"Now could you let me go?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Huh?"
He was back and the hulkling was gone.
[----- Print has confirmed the ectoplasmic seal.]
[The deadline has been set to tonight.]
"Tonight? Can't I do it..."
"... right..."
"... now..."
"I've never seen plants shake someone up this bad. Should I research it?"
"Are you feeling..."
He gave Park a cursory glance.
"... ok?"
"Look, could we go somewhere else, might feel better then."
Ouch.
"Okay, uh, yeah, alright then. Come on Lily, off we go."
"Finaly," it said exasperation.
The good-natured Gionne bid the tree-like creatures a final farewell with them reciprocating right back.
"..."
"Do you think he saw him?"
"If he did, we can't have our dirty laundry strewn out for others to see."
As if all had the same thought, they unanimously concluded,
"Agreed."
BUT HE'S THE ONE WHO SAW ME FIRST...!
"I mean, does it actually mat...?"
"Shut up before I stick you into a bottle...!"
"Huh...?"
"Ah! the mosquitoes here! sheeesh!"
"Mosquitoes...? You dare-!"
"I don't think I see them..."
"Must have been my imagination, so what were you saying?"
"..."
"..."
*Smile!*