Chapter Twenty-Five

The next few days went by smoothly. Isha had recovered by that afternoon and helped manage the shop during the blizzard. By manage, really all that meant was doing a full clean. As most businesses, the café was closed until the blizzard was over.

Nothing too eventful occurred; other than the bathing Rose and May convicted Isha too, he spent most of the free time he had reading, May curled in his lap. Isha had sent Rose back home to get his laptop; after, of course, doing his best to describe the item to her.

"So, It's like a metal box, right?" She nodded at his words. "Except it's thin. If you've seen me use it before, it's the thing with buttons and the mini television." Her eyes seemed to light up as she then deisappeared.

When she returned with it, he began to show and introduce Mr. Ilan to the internet. Explaining to him how banking currently works, as well as proceeding to introduce him to the computer itself.

After being corrected on a few simple mistakes, Mr. Ilan quickly got the hang of it. After a few hours, he was impressed with what it held, even making his own social media account. However, Isha soon found him looking at jokes about the crusades.

"Isha, have you seen these? These are great. Wait until I send these to the prime minister of Jerusalem." He smirked to himself. Isha froze, a bit alarmed.

"Ah, I wouldn't recommend that." He replied, going over to confiscate the computer, May following him as he stopped playing with her.

"Why not? He has a great sense of humor." Mr. Ilan replied, chuckling to himself.

"Wait, wait. You know the prime minister of Jerusalem?" Isha stopped in his tracks, staring at the old man in disbelief.

"Oh, but of course I do. A very pleasant gentleman. Knows how to host an Assumption of Mary." Mr. Ilan exclaimed, tapping across the keyboard. "Besides, I already sent it." Isha's eyes widened in slight bewilderment.

"Are you serious…?" He asked when he was finally able to blink.

"Why would I lie? Oh! He's responding. Aha, just like him to say." The old man twiddled his mustache as he laughed bemusedly.

"Old man. Please don't start a holy war." He just waved his hand dismissively at Isha's concern.

"It's fine. Just don't tell Rei." He said in a bit of a joking tone.

"Tell me what?" Rei seemed to be just walking in the door. Mr. Ilan jumped and threw the laptop off the counter.

"Old man!" Isha shouted as he just barely caught his computer. "You could just close the lid!" He exclaimed as he sat up, checking the computer. The old man seemed to have closed whatever he was on before throwing the computer.

The scene caused Rose to audibly laugh, May's tail swishing as she watched, soon going over to rub her cheek on his, as though consoling him.

"Oh? What was he hiding?" Rei waltzed in, taking her coat off and clearing the snow from her hair.

"Oh! Nothing at all. Isha was just teaching me on how to use a computer. I just made a mistake." He nervously twiddled his mustache as Rei gave them a skeptical look as Isha nodded quickly, holding the laptop tight to his chest as May continued rubbing on him.

"What are you doing here anyway?" The old man cleared his throat. "There's still that massive blizzard outside." He watched her sit down, getting up to make coffee.

"This is nothing like the Denali mountains." She replied with a huff. "Besides, I said I'd be here after I was healed to train the little shit that caused the injury." She glanced at Isha as May had now plopped herself into his lap.

"Ah… yeah… I don't remember anything that happened then…" Isha scratched his cheek. He felt bad for hurting her, but then again, she may have deserved it. He had actually more or less gotten over not knowing what happened.

"I'll just get you back later, in my own ways." Rei dismissed it, taking a drink of the coffee Mr. Ilan prepared. Isha laughed a bit nervously as he stroked May's side. Rose was leaning against his back, her head atop his.

This had become the usual thing for the three; May in his lap, Rose leaning against him as she didn't have anywhere else to go most of the time. It was during these times Isha felt the most relaxed.

"Please train me well." He replied to Rei, scratching his cheek. Rei set the cup down, standing up from her seat.

"Okay. Let's go then." She told him, getting her coat on.

"W-wait, right now?" Isha felt a little stunned. Rei furrowed her brow.

"No, yesterday. C'mon now and leave your little pet behind. And I'm not talking about the cat." She instructed, a bit of a menacing growl in her voice. Isha looked up at Mr. Ilan; who in response, nodded to him.

"Go on ahead. Don't worry, May won't follow." May furrowed her brow as she opened her eyes, her tail flicking furiously as she stared at Mr. Ilan.

"Mu. Better come back soon." She mumbled, getting off his lap. Isha was a bit jarred by her reaction. He expected, and hoped, that she'd have been —at least— a bit more reluctant about it.

"I know, I'll go home." Rose stated with a huff as Isha glanced over at her. The fact neither of them hesitated to leave confused him a bit. Seeing his furrowed brow, she placed her hand gently on his cheek. "Go and learn how to control it." She told him with a smile, disappearing as she returned to the apartment.

Isha let out a small sigh; setting the laptop on the counter, going upstairs to grab his coat and scarf while Rei waited for him at the door, tapping her foot impatiently.

"You take forever." Rei chastised him with a huff when Isha came down from the stairs and out of the kitchen.

"It took a bit to find my coat." He replied, scratching his cheek. He felt a bit uneasy going alone with her —but Mr. Ilan assured it was fine– so he went with her, walking out the door and into the howling snow dessert that awaited them.