Masterplan

Tatiana was cleaning up the room with Bobbin's help. Meanwhile, Reiji remained seated close to the central hearth, pondering.

"I should play along with the idea of me being from a different part of this world," Reiji thought to himself.

"I also need to ask why I was suddenly attacked by Bobbin the first time he saw me. Wait, is Bobbin a he or a she? Or maybe… Them?" He added to the thought.

"Why so serious, Reiji-eni?" Tatiana asked as she prepared to leave the house.

"I have to ask myself the same question, why do I appear serious when I am thinking silly." Reiji's pondering continued.

Tatiana looked at Reiji weirded by his expression. "You seem lost in thought. Did you hear my instructions?"

Reiji blinked, snapping out of his reverie. "What did you say?" he replied in an apologetic expression.

Tatiana's expression turned slightly stern. "I said, I'll leave you here and be back by tomorrow, but you need to stay low," she repeated, enunciating each word clearly. "Understood, Reiji-eni?"

"Oh…" he murmured, before nodding hastily. "Alright."

"Although I'm almost certain you'll be safe here," Tatiana said reassuringly, "I do keep some of my... more sensitive projects just outside this hut. That's why people tend to keep their distance."

"Projects?" Reiji muttered.

"I'll leave you to yourself now," Tatiana said, accompanied by Bobbin. "Remember, it's best to stay here. Townsmen may not be a threat, but there are others who won't hesitate to harm you. Be careful, Reiji-eni. Bye!" 

With that, she turned and departed, leaving Reiji to his thoughts.

As the dark-stained door creaked shut, Reiji caught a fleeting glimpse of the outside. His curiosity piqued by Tatiana's cryptic mention of "projects," he leaned in, trying to peer through the narrowing gap before the door closed with a soft thud.

Reiji's eyes widened as he loudly muttered to himself, "What in the world...? Was that a red, angry eye of a creature?"

Reiji's gaze darted to the windows, his mind racing with connections. "That must be why the windows are so high," he muttered, "only allowing sunlight or moonlight to filter in, but not actually letting you see outside or inside."

"What a strange girl." He whispered as he shook his head.

Then Reiji went straight to lie on the bed and let out a soft sigh as he went back to pondering.

Reiji's gaze drifted upward, fixing on the wooden beams as his mind began to wander. "How long has it been since I was transported here?" 

He pondered aloud. "I've slept twice, but both times I was knocked out cold. I didn't exactly drift off voluntarily."

"How many hours did I actually sleep?" Reiji muttered to himself in a low voice.

As he settled into the bed, Reiji felt a sense of surprise. "This fabric feels familiar," he thought, running his hand over the soft material. "The softness of it... it's even better than what I have at home."

"The scent of the surroundings is incredibly calming," Reiji thought, inhaling deeply. "The smoky aroma of burnt wood, the crisp freshness of the air... it's amazing. Regardless of the humble appearance of this house, the ambiance is truly luxurious."

"Oh, I forgot to thank that little girl for the food too," Reiji thought, a hint of guilt creeped into his mind. 

"I can hardly believe she's only ten... She seems so wise and mature beyond her years. Probably an old soul hiding in a child's body," he mused. "Or maybe... just maybe, she's actually a witch." Reiji let out a chuckle as he continued to ponder the mystery that was Tatiana.

Reiji continued to muse himself with the thoughts until it got dark and he decided to sleep.

As morning broke, the door creaked open and Tatiana slipped inside, a look of surprise on her face. "Wow, you're up early," she exclaimed.

Reiji smiled wryly. "I didn't do much of anything yesterday after you left, kiddo. Time to get down to business. I'm not spending another day cooped up in this cozy little hut of yours. I've been thinking, and I've come up with a plan to win over the villagers."

Tatiana shot Reiji a sly, smirking glance, and then suddenly burst into a joyful leap, celebrating with infectious enthusiasm alongside Bobbin.

"Mission success, Bobbin!" Tatiana squealed, twirling around the room with Bobbin as she sang and danced with Bobbin in unison, her joyful chant echoing through the hut: "Mission success! Mission success!"

"Kid," Reiji said bluntly, his patience wearing thin. "Time to spill the beans. What's going on here?"

"Hey, Rei-eni, calm down," Tatiana said, her expression turning sour. "I've already declared mission success. Don't ruin the celebration."

Reiji raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement dancing in his voice. "Rei? Nicknames now? What, are we suddenly best buddies?"

Tatiana beamed with excitement. "Yes! Exactly! Now, let me fill you in on my brilliant master plan. Pay attention, okay? There's going to be a lot to take in!"

Reiji's eyes narrowed slightly as he thought to himself, "This kid's got a bad case of confidence… Like me."

Reiji smirked with arrogance in his voice. "Let me tell you something, kid. You're talking to someone who's never met anyone as intelligent as himself. I'll give you credit, though - your confidence is impressive."

Tatiana shot back with a cheeky grin, "Seems like it. I'll take that as a compliment. Idolize away, I can handle the admiration."

A small grin spread across Reiji's face as he thought to himself, "This kid's not so bad. She's actually pretty good company."

"Alright, so what's this master plan of yours? I'm intrigued." Reiji asked.

Tatiana launched into her explanation, a mischievous glint in her eye. "So, when I asked Bobbin to knock you out, I brought you before the elder while you were still unconscious. Then, I spun them a tale - told them you were a long-lost companion from my past, someone I remembered from before they found me. I even went so far as to say you were like family to me."

"Is that why you kept on calling me big brother this whole time?" Reiji asked, comprehending the idea.

Tatiana nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I was just practicing, getting into character. I wanted to make sure I could convincingly call you 'big brother' once I confirmed... a certain something."

"Wow, this girl thinks things way ahead," Reiji thought, amused.

He asked Tatiana, "Confirm what, something?"

"Your trustworthiness, of course!" Tatiana replied with a grin. 

"But I have to admit, when you took down that Bullard and approached me, I knew you were a good person. And on our way to the village, Bobbin here gave me the signal - you're intimidatingly strong. That's when I thought, 'He seems nice, and he's powerful... why not make him an ally?'"

"You're telling me you came up with all this - the story, the plan, everything - just while we were walking back to the village? And you think that far ahead?" he asked, flabbergasted.

 "Yah!" she replied, beaming with pride, puffing out her chest. "I told you, I'm a genius!"

 "Yep, definitely a genius," he mentally confirmed.

Reiji chuckled, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, I get it. You're a genius."

"I get the point of knocking me out and bringing me to the elder unconscious. And I must say, your test of trustworthiness is brilliant. But, how do you speak my language?" Reiji asked.

Tatiana let out a proud, throaty laugh. "Hehehe," she chuckled, clearly pleased with herself.

"There's another reason I brought you before the Elder Chief," Tatiana said with a knowing smile. "I'm not speaking your language; I'm speaking mine. However, you've received the mark of Nebtawi – a sacred mark that grants beings a common tongue, transcending language barriers."

Reiji's eyes widened in astonishment. "What?!" he exclaimed. "They've integrated an auto-translation feature within the mark?" He thought to himself.

Tatiana chuckled at Reiji's reaction. "Yes! Don't be so surprised, but I understand why you're amazed. This is an ancient, sacred marking that the West Continent has continued to use to this day, passing down its traditions and secrets through the generations."

Reiji held up his hands, his eyes wide with bewilderment. "Whoa, kid, slow down! My mind is reeling. Can I get a break? I need some time to process all this. It's a lot to take in."

Tatiana said with a smirk, "I told you."

Reiji wore a path on the wooden floor, sitting briefly here and there trying to wrap his head around everything.

Tatiana hung back, swapping quiet words with Bobbin while Reiji absorbed the bombshell.

Talking to Tatiana left Reiji with a whirlwind of emotions: excitement, amusement, and confusion.

Reiji pondered:

"If her words are true, I'll have a normal life in this unfamiliar world."

"The translation process baffles me – affecting both hearing and vision, synchronizing her lip movements as if she's speaking English!

"Most unsettling, this child manipulated me effortlessly."

Reiji cradled his head, reeling from the chaotic jumble of feelings.

"Are you okay Rei-eni?" Tatiana asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," He replied. "It's just, I've never felt this much emotion before. It's overwhelming but wonderful."

Tatiana smiled and said, "Alright, why don't we have an actual break? I brought some food. Would you like some?"

"Sure. Food always hits the spot," Reiji agreed.