Oliva.
Lena wakes up to the smell of the forest. The usual smell accompanied by the not so usual setting, Even though the sound, smell, and sense of this place is that of an actual forest, The place was closer to a wooden cabin. The massive tree trunk penetrating it's side, the tree leaves covering for a roof, and the out-of-place fireplace. Lena wakes up to yet another unusual day.
Shaking the blanket off of herself she sits to the side of the bed with her back hunched over. Placing her right palm over her face, as a way to confirm she's awake, she feels the skin of her palm for the first time in who knows how long. The armor piece that used to cover her entire right arm is no longer cladding her arm.
Lena knew that she could take off at any moment after Octan's treatment, but she didn't out of losing habit. She was too used to the feel of it's touch on her arm. Looking around the cabin like structure, she finds it at the opposite side from where she's at. She is mighty sure she didn't take it off herself so she places the blame onto Octan, but still something was weird, despite having that armor piece on for 4 or more years, her arm looked perfectly fine.
Lena sighed and stood up forgetting all about the confusing situation she was in yet again.
"He has already left..." Lena looked around at the empty cabin like build.
'Go enjoy yourself tomorrow.' Remembering Octan's words from last night Lena wondered how she could do such a thing.
She remembered the place Octan had mentioned that one time. 'No... just no...' Lena decided to forget about such an existence, instead she decided to head over to that one kid who was close to Octan.
Without eating anything Lena went out, and started looking for the kid.
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Walking through the town-like-forest, Lena notices that there are less people looking her way compared to yesterday.
'The word of me and Octan's relation must have spread.' she thinks trying to avoid the many different people looking her way.
'People huh...' Lena realized how she had started accepting the zoomorns as a normal concept.
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After some more walking she finally finds the Oliva leaning from the side of a building peeking at the other side. Lena approaches the kid from behind, and gives him a panic attack by suddenly placing her hand over his shoulder, she had to crouch down to reach it.
"Ehhhh!" the boy flinches.
"I-I-I'm just seeing how tall I've gotten!" The boy makes up an excuses as he turns around facing the culprit behind his panic.
"Well then, you sure have a long way to go." Said Lena crouching down trying to level with the boy.
"Oh, It's just you, Miss. Lena..." The boy says as he sighs in relief.
'Just me...' Lena felt a bit of disrespect.
"Look, Look." The boy said gesturing Lena to peek alongside him.
Lena stood up and did as the boy had wanted. On the side he was there, Octan. Waving at the People of town one by one as greats them, as a foreign look to Lena covers his face.
'He sure is popular.' Lena thinks looking at the man who used to barely talk.
"E-excuse me... Miss Lena... Would you go with me?" The peeking said from under Lena.
"Go?" Lena asked lowering her point of view to the kid under her.
"I want to thank, Mr Octan.... I really want to... But for whatever reason I just can't get myself too... It feels like I would annoy him..." The kid said fidgeting.
Lena couldn't help, but turn her unamused look into a smile as she looked at the kid who didn't know the word shy.
"Sure." Lena immediately starting walking towards Octan and the kid followed in a hurry.
"Yo!" Lena shouted raising her right arm without the armor cladding it. She tried to act like the other Zoomorns who were greeting Octan.
"Yo!" Octan replied turning to face the one greeting him, as he noticed It was Lena his playful expression turned serious.
"Why are you here? Didn't I tell you to go enjoy yourself." Octan said as all hints of that, moments ago playful, expression disappeared.
"The kid just wanted to say hi." Lena said patting the kid's head.
"Kid?" Octan asked as he turned towards where Lena had placed her hand.
His expression got worse.
"Uhh...ummm... H-Hello..." The kid said barely throwing out his words.
Octan's dark expression covers his face as Lena stares at him from above and the kid from below.
"Hello there kid!" Suddenly disappearing his playful expression returns.
He squats down to the kid's level and greets him.
Lena steps away.
"H-Hi! You are THE Octan right! You are him right!" The kid said getting excited alongside the man in front of him.
"I'm Octan, But I don't know about THE Octan... That sounds like a little too big of a title for a man like me!" Octan says carrying the kid.
"No, No, I'm sure! You are just like my mom described! A terran with black hair and cobalt blue eyes, and also not any terran can enter our town! I heard it from mom too, you're special! It's because you're the hero that you can enter and leave as you please!" The kid was getting lifted and thrown high by octan.
"Hero, huh! Now that's an even greater title! You really have to calm down kid!" Octan said as he rubbed his fist on the kid's head playfully.
"H-hey t-that hurts!" The kid tries to hold Octan's hand, but fails.
"Hey! Why don't you try sending me a punch!" Octan puts the kid down and opens his right palm as he points with his left index finger towards it.
"Hit me as hard as you can!" Octan says challenging the kid.
"O-ok!" The kid hypes himself up.
"Hyaa!" The kid makes a fist, brings it back as far as possible, and then sends it flying towards Octan's palm... or so he tries. Failing miserably the fist ends up hitting Octan's face.
Octan's face loses it's playful look for a second then turns back.
"Hey! I told you to hit my fist not me!" Octan said as he tried to catch the kid.
"S-sorry." The kid says barely slipping from Octan.
Octan then acts as if he is trying to catch the kid while the kid runs away escaping him.
Lena just stands there dumbfounded by Octan's reactions.
'...' her mind is absolutely blank.
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"Don't get lost on your way home now!" Octan shouts to the kid waving goodbye as he slowly leaves their field of view.
"These zoomorns sure are playful, huh..." Octan said still looking towards the direction where the kid is at.
Lena simply nods.
"Now you, Why the fuck are you here?" Octan asks his face still unchanged from a moment ago.
"As I said, It was for the kid. He wanted to say hi, but was too shy." Lena said facing Octan who still hasn't changed his sight's direction.
"Did you do that on purpose, bringing that kid to me. You heard everything I had said yesterday, and yet you still brought that kid right to me." Octan turned to face Lena with an extremely serious expression.
"You were rather happy weren't you?" Lena says.
"You're clueless, aren't you... Have you ever tried putting yourself in another's shoe?" Octan says obviously trying not to shout.
Lena says nothing.
"...Hell... Why am I even asking you that, I know better than anyone how you think." Octan said clicking his tongue.
"Look Lena, I don't know what you went through in the last 6 years, but you haven't changed one bit. As I had said, you are your own person, so leave me alone already. Go enjoy yourself." Octan says walking away.
Lena stared at Octan's back as he left. For the first time since knowing him, it had felt distant. She knew she shouldn't follow him this time. She turned around and went the other way.
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Spending the rest of the day aimlessly walking around, and enjoying that one meal she had at a place with an attracting aroma, she day dreamt. Lena finally returned to the cabin Octan was calling home.
The same scene as yesterday greets her. Octan sitting on the same broken chair gazing at the crackling fire-place.
"Welcome back." Octan said turning to face Lena as she entered the room.
Lena once again didn't reply.
"So what did you do?" Octan asked showing interest just like the other day.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Lena said going to bed.
"..." Octan turned his face back to the fire.
"Why didn't you put the armor piece back on once you woke up?" Octan asked.
"Because you took it off." Lena answered immediately.
Silence. No one talked. Only the sound of crackling firewood could be heard.
"Is this what you want...? Is this really what you want, Lena...?" Octan said just quiet enough for Lena to hear.
Lena didn't say anything.
Octan sighed loudly.
"Do you want me to tell you what to do? Do you want me to tell you what to get? Do you want me to tell you where to go? Do you want me to tell you what to eat? Do you want me to tell you when to sleep? Do you want me to tell you when to leave? When to come back? Do you really want me that much? I... I just don't get it. I've been trying to get you to do everything on your own. So why? Why Can't you just think for yourself?!"
Lena says nothing.
a moment of silence passes.
"If that's how it's going to be, want to walk together tomorrow?" Octan says with his words being weighted down.
"Yes." Lena nods in agreement.
"Just, don't blame me later on..." Octan said going to sleep himself.
Lena slept moments later.
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'I tried, but if you're going to stay that way then it's better to play along for now.' Octan thought to himself.