I wasn't present when Irene first brought Sera to live here in her new humble forestry abode.

From my own experiences with Ash, the mythical and the mystical don't really conform to the real and the contemporary that easily. There were times I wondered how exactly she went about transporting such volatile cargo from point A to point B without an instance of a total nuclear meltdown.

Well now, I didn't have to wonder anymore, I knew how now. Apparently, there wasn't any need for a big yellow hazard sticker label after all. It seemed the world outside beyond the forest greens has an adverse effect on the cargo, thus rendering any dangers it may present greatly inert.

Sera walked small, precarious steps the closer we got to the park entrance. Her bright pupils were practically like tiny streaks of golden light with how fast they kept darting towards the everything before her.

I didn't really need to see her whole, when her wide-open eyes already told the full story. A balanced blend of curiosity and caution the way she confronted the new and bizarre.

Ash had probably already told her what she could expect to find out here, but seeing them with her own eyes clearly went beyond any expectations.

I recalled reading she liked stroking her undead familiars when things got too overwhelming for her, and judging by how she had her arms cradling atop one another, guess she was having some second thoughts about leaving Mrs. White behind.

The bus ride back home was pretty interesting. As we got on board, I worried that a head-to-toe purple woman might stand out too much and she'd be gawked at all the way like some exotic creature kept behind a glass casing.

But that's what happens when you overthink every little minuscule moment while simultaneously not even thinking at all. What day was today? What's happening today?

Exactly. Everyone was an exotic creature themselves now. We got some Knights sitting at the back, a group of big hat mages at the front, and in the in-betweens sat the royalty with their shiny plastic crowns. In fact, I was the odd one out, it turns out.

All the way, Sera stuck to me like glue. It was monkey see, monkey do. Amidst uncharted territory, I suppose there really wasn't anybody else she could turn to for reference.

But how was one supposed to think in peace when you got a silent, unmoving owl playing you blink, you lose just right out the corner of your peripheral vision?

"Yes?" I asked her when I really couldn't take it anymore. "Something caught your eye or something… apart from me, that is?"

No, nothing. Just skewed her gaze a little leaning left, still silently staring at my expression. The air was indeed an awkward one, at least for me it was. Great, now I'm legally, emotionally, humanly obliged to fill in the void myself lest I writhe helplessly in the agony of the deafening silence you brought upon this gap between us.

You did this to me.

- "We won't be heading there straight away. We'll stop by home first, get my outfit. Amanda will be bringing us. You know Amanda, right? The blonde girl? She's a pretty big fan of, uh… you. I'm sure you two will get along just fine."

- "You know, not sure if you go by the same customs over there, but here it's actually quite rude to stare. Didn't your parents ever teach - oh, right - never mind..."

- "For the record, don't approach anyone who you think looks familiar. Ten out of ten times, they're not. It's just a costume, pretend. We might even come across someone dressed like you too, but I doubt it'll be too much trouble keeping track of you among them all. Just growl a little? Or maybe roar - I'll find you in a heartbeat, guaranteed."

But small talk doesn't really work when it's all one-sided. The wheels on the bus go round and round, the wipers go swish, swish, swish… and the Sera on the bus goes: .

It's squirm-worthy.

-------------

"Master!"

For a moment, I wondered if the lack of communication has got me hearing things now. They do say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but how bloody much was I fond-ing for to be hearing Ash the moment I hop off the bus?

Turns out, as I turned my gaze left, probably a bit too much to my own detriment… for not only was I hearing her, I was seeing her too -coming straight towards me in a light sprint, skidding to a sudden stop within inches, panting out of breath.

Don't know if a hallucination could do that, actually.

"Oh, you've returned!" Ash exclaimed, relief flushing on her pale face. "Thank the Divines above, I was getting worried. I-I fear something must have happened, I was just about to - ! Oh, but you're unharmed… you're safe..."

Not sure about everyone else, but there was just something about her voice, how the tension so gradually evaporated, how it eased to being so soft and light, just cause I was there with her again that has got my head going all soft and light too.

I dunno, it just felt very good to see and hear - as evident but the stupid dumb grin on my face I couldn't wipe away.

"Good morning to you too," I greeted her back. "Did you sleep well for once?"

"Ah - yes, indeed, I have… by your request, I've ensured I took the necessary time required for my body to recuperate for the activities ahead."

She makes lying in a warm, soft bed sound so tedious and exhausting. How the hell does she do it?

"That aside, Master. If I may inquire, what has kept you away for so long? Has something happened, after all? Was it Sera? Had she done something? Did she give you any - "

Ash trailed off. Sharp eyes such as hers, and yet only now did she finally notice that I didn't at all depart alone. As the bus's door swung to a close, Sera plopped to the ground gently by my side.

For a moment, there was a silence only filled by the reverberating clatters and bangs of the big metal box roaring away into the distance… and when that was gone, well, I guess the chirping of birds counts too.

"She's - " Ash snapped her gaze towards me. "She's coming with?"

I nodded my head, but somehow that just caused her to get even more dubious.

"What made you change your mind, Master? I had thought for certain you'd - "

"Change my mind?" I frowned at her. "I don't remember saying she couldn't. We had a talk, as I said, and surprisingly she can be awfully persuasive. Isn't that right, Sera?"

A quiet little annoyed growl. I'll take that as a yes.

I had thought Ash would have more to say about this sudden last-minute turn of events, but I guess like Sera, she much rather have the silence speak the rest for her.

I moved first, taking large quick strides forward. Eat some breakfast, have a shower, had to be quick. Amanda will be coming soon to pick us up, can't be late, after all.

Eventually, they followed along after me. Somehow, someway… without a word shared between them, Ash was responding to her as if she just asked something, despite me not even hearing anything.

And even more bizarre, most of Ash's responses were me-centric. Where I live, what I do, who I am, my age, my name, what was I like. It was all about me. Why was it all about me?

Ash and I shared a glance, and in that brief moment, it was also clear she was just as bemused as I was at the sudden influx of inquiries of all things personal.

"Umm, well, Master is…" Ash was stammering trying to keep up, and in the heat of things, sputtered out an inquiry of her own. "What's gotten into you so suddenly, Sera? Not once ever before have you asked me anything like this. Your questions are… unexpected. What would you do with this information?"

I had an ear out in case I managed to hear anything. But it was Ash with both her ears perked up high, that only heard it all, and from the expression on her face, the way her lips slowly, bafflingly broke apart… I think maybe perhaps the question has gone past the point of unexpected.

"You're… curious?"

Yup. Thought so.

It was easy to look at Ash's dumbfounded expression and say I haven't the faintest idea what spurred this sudden interest with me… and I genuinely thought that was the case too until I gave it some more thought.

What the hell did I say to her back then?

I know you. You don't know me.

That's pretty much the gist of it, right? That's what it essentially boils down to. Well then…

I think she was trying to get to know me.

Is that why she kept staring at me too? Back at the bus, her creepy piercing gaze, what's that her attempt at a how-do-you-do? If so, then I'd hate to see her nice-to-meet-you.

Hopefully, it doesn't involve any hand-shaking.