Chapter 41: 41 - Let's Switch Roles (2.44k words)
YaYa's POV
"Wake up," I pinched Skaris again, and he groaned, "You are getting carried away."
Skaris's reaction was immediate; his body jolted as if shocked by an invisible current. He took a moment, breathing hard, trying to figure out if he was still dreaming or back in the real world.
I slipped from under his body, "How about I hand over my fabulous female life to you while I take over your male responsibilities?" I picked up my bracelets and put them on, "Lectures and wise words aren't really my thing, so I'll let you step into my shoes and demonstrate to me how thankful I ought to be."
"What are you talking about?" Skaris asked, confusion lacing his tone.
Picking up the remaining anklets, I put on one and locked the remaining around his wrist. When I let go of his hand, the weight caused him to fall down. I caught the bracelet around his right hand before it could hit the ground.
"What is this?" He tried to lift his hand, but it was so heavy that he could barely drag it across the ground.
I helped him up, "Making sure you won't cheat."
Skaris's brows furrowed in concentration as he touched the anklet around his wrist. He tried to lift his hand, but it felt like a mountain was pressing down on him. He let out a grunt of frustration.
I watched him struggle, a small smile playing on my lips. "As long as you have this thing on, you can enjoy the same benefits as me," I tugged at his hand.
His head snapped up, and he stared at me through his blindfold, "You can't be serious," he said, incredulous.
I gave him a look, "Why not? You're the one who wants me to be grateful."
The blindfolded man swallowed hard, his mind racing, "I can't do it. I can't be you."
"Sure you can," I said, grinning, "It's easy. All you have to do is sit back and relax. Everything will be taken care of. Your meals will be prepared for you, your clothes will be washed and mended, and you will be protected and provided for."
"I can't," he repeated, his voice a whisper.
"Why not?"
"I'm a male."
I chuckled, "So what?"
"Males are supposed to work."
"And females are supposed to be pampered," I shot back, "Look, it's not like I'm asking you to do anything difficult. Just sit back and enjoy the fruits of someone else's labor."
Skaris shook his head, "If other males see me sitting back and doing nothing, they'll think I'm weak and lazy."
I sighed, "So what? Who cares what other people think? You said your life will be short-lived anyway. So why waste it working and being miserable when I might betray you at any moment?"
"I'm not wasting it. I'm living it."
"But you're not really living, are you? You're not enjoying yourself. You're just existing. That's what you said," I chuckled, "Since I don't know the meaning of hardship, I'll try to work until my body collapses and my belly is empty. Who knows, it might teach me some of the gratitude you spoke about."
"Yaya, you can't," Skaris said, "You shouldn't have to suffer because of me," he argued. His attempt at gaining my favor was coated in a velvety darkness.
"I promise I'll be enjoying myself," I said, laughing at his bad acting skills.
Skaris fell silent, his mind reeling. He knew he couldn't change my mind, so he should as well make me regret my decision.
"I understand, my dear female," he intoned, his voice cold, his determination as unyielding as iron, "Let's do it. Let's trade lives. Tell me when you won't be able to endure it anymore, and we'll switch back."
"Fine," I said, laughing, "It's a deal. And may the most stubborn person win."
With that, I headed back inside, dragging the brooding wolf behind me.
When we entered the bedroom, we found Vick, Curtis, and Muir waiting for us.
3rd person POV
Vick eyed their mud-splattered forms, "Seems like you two had a blast outside."
"Oh, absolutely," Yaya replied, wrapping a mud-drenched arm around him, pressing close enough to transfer a good portion of the mud onto him. She didn't spare Muir and Curtis either, hugging them with the same muddy enthusiasm, "Thank you all. Truly, I'm overflowing with gratitude here," she whispered sarcastically.
Vick's mouth twitched, happy to see her in such a good mood, "Good. Now, how about a nice hot bath?" He ushered Yaya toward the bathroom, casually hooking his pinky around Skaris's bracelet as if to bring him along. Their decision to make her put the bracelets and anklets on herself didn't make her happy, but it did improve her mood, and that's what counted.
Talking about Yaya's personal matters in front of others wasn't exactly Vick's favorite thing to do, but if it nudged her into opening up, even just a bit, and in her own unique style, then it was worth the discomfort. Whether her ways of opening up would make Skaris hate her or love her didn't matter to him.
Muir and Curtis followed, their arms full of towels. They were keenly debating the idea of building their next home close to the natural hot water that bubbled from the ground.
Skaris let out a sigh of relief. He was glad Yaya was finally out of the rain. But there was another thing on his mind. Vick, who used to stick to Yaya like glue, was now following him around, all thanks to that heavy bracelet he had to wear.
The trio was quite alright with Skaris snagging some spare crumbs of attention from Yaya, mainly because they couldn't help but feel a tad sorry for the guy. Plus, Yaya was treating him just like she treated everyone else ─ no special favors, just classic Yaya.
She had a unique way of snuffing out their jealousy, often leaving them either patching up each other's wounds or, just for kicks, stirring the pot even more. Her 'tough-love' vibe ended up being the glue that kept them all tight. It didn't just test their limits; it forged a unity that was as surprising as it was unbreakable.
Curtis hung the towels on the hangers, "The water would also be a good source of heat during the winter."
Muir nodded, "We should also build a wine cellar like the one in this house. It keeps the wine nice and cool."
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Two days later...
Waking up, Skaris was hit with a hammer of vulnerability, feeling weak and dependent. He couldn't move around without asking for help and couldn't do anything on his own.
He didn't dare ask Yaya, a female, to help him, so he ended up requesting Curtis, Muir, or Vick. But Yaya was the first one to assist him with a gloatful, "Need a hand?"
"Please," he said, exasperated.
She laughed and helped him wash, change, and get ready for the day. She then took Vick along to hunt down a few dinos. He didn't know what those were, but thought it would be better if he didn't ask at all.
As Skaris lay on the bed, listening to the rhythmic sound of Curtis's sewing, he suddenly felt a wave of dread.
Time seemed to crawl at an agonizingly slow pace, boredom gnawing at him with relentless teeth. His muscles ached, and his body was sore from lack of movement.
Eventually, his curiosity got the best of him, and he couldn't help but ask, "Curtis, what are you making?"
"A sleeping dress," Curtis replied, "It's a gift for Yaya. Do you need anything?" he asked.
"No," Skaris answered, "What is this?" he asked, pointing at his hand that wore the bracelet.
"One of Yaya's burdens," Curtis answered, "She wears two around her wrist and two around her ankles." He returned to his task at hand, not allowing himself to talk anymore.
"..." Skaris was quiet for a long moment, million thoughts running through his head, "Do you have something for me to do? Can I also sew something?"
Curtis shook his head, amused, "You can't. It will prick your fingers. If you get hurt, Yaya will be angry."
"I guess I'll just take a nap," Skaris said, deflated.
"I'll wake you when dinner is ready," Curtis replied.
"Okay, thank you," Skaris said, closing his eyes.
His only source of entertainment was cut off after Yaya chased away the hushed voices behind the walls yesterday. In the morning, he had overheard bits of Bai's protests as Muir took back everything he had lent her and bashed her for how she had wronged Tony. He then ordered her to go outside and chop wood as punishment.
Yaya's laughter, wickedly infectious, filled the estate as she showed Bai how to cut wood with minimal strength necessary by using the right technique. This came after she had 'patiently' listened to Bai's cries, complaints, and beggings. Later, she helped Tony, her son in law, with skinning and roasting the meat, causing Bai to get jealous. By lunch, she dragged Muir and Vick outside after delivering him food.
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Skaris thought he'd be accustomed to it by now, but even after six days, it still felt like an eternity before Yaya finally came back. Skaris greeted her as cheerfully as possible, "How was the hunt?"
"Good. We caught a few dinos and some berries. It was a lot of fun," Yaya said, taking a seat close to his bed, "How was your day? Did Curtis take good care of you?" She handed him a bouquet of flowers.
"Yeah," Skaris replied, not daring to complain as he accepted the bouquet, "Thank you. Aren't you tired?"
"Dead tired," Yaya yawned as she plopped next to his bed, all smelly from colossal blood. She fell asleep just like that.
"..." Skaris was too speechless to utter a single word. His blindfolded gaze landed down at her, his heart clenching. He wanted to hold her, but she was too far away. He could only stretch out his hand, his fingers brushing against her soft nose.
His hand stopped inches from her cheek, and he pulled back, his fingers curling into a fist. He promised himself that he would make her regret her decision and force her to switch their roles.
However, the longer he lay there, the more his determination faded. Should he force her awake and make her entertain him?
No.
Should he wake her up and demand her to tell him everything about her life?
No.
She needed her rest. He knew that better than anyone. She worked day and night without a moment of rest, so he couldn't possibly do anything that would keep her from getting a proper night's sleep.
Skaris let out a resigned sigh, closing his eyes and trying to fall asleep. But it was impossible. How could he possibly sleep while his heart was racing a thousand beats a minute? He wanted to scream and laugh, but at the same time, he felt like crying.
He was happy. He was angry. He was frustrated. He was sad.
"Is something wrong?" Vick asked, taking a seat by his side.
"Nothing," Skaris snapped, his voice cracking. He coughed and cleared his throat, "Can I get some water?"
"Of course," Vick said, pouring a cup of water and handing it to him, "Here you go."
"Thank you," Skaris said, gulping down the water, trying to quench his thirst. But it didn't help. No matter how much he drank, his throat was still dry.
"Is there something you want to talk about?" Vick asked, his tone soft.
Skaris hesitated for a moment, then blurted out, "Why did you let her do this?"
Vick blinked, pretending to be taken aback, "Excuse me?"
"Why did you let her do this?" Skaris repeated, his voice louder this time, "You're supposed to protect her."
"And I am protecting her," Vick replied, his voice calm.
"By letting her go hunting and exhausting herself? She barely sleeps."
Vick chuckled, "If she didn't hunt, then who would feed us?"
Skaris fell silent. He didn't know why, but the thought of eating the meat that Yaya hunted made his stomach churn.
At first, Skaris couldn't believe it, so he got Curtis to help him outside to witness it himself. And sure enough, Yaya was chopping up a colossal into shreds. Even without seeing her, he knew her hair was matted and sweaty, and her body was covered in dirt. She probably looked like a wild animal, but it didn't matter. He just wanted to see her, just for a second.
"Is she really ugly?" Skaris asked.
"Does it matter?" Vick answered.
Skaris shook his head, "But I think that it matters to her," The torrent of thoughts and emotions he had been suppressing surged forth, demanding release, "Is she trying to prove that her outer appearance isn't the only thing that matters and that she's not some weak little female?"
"Oh, believe me when I say she is not trying to prove anything," Vick's lips curved in a lopsided smile, "Yaya does whatever she wants. She's not doing this to impress anyone, especially not you. So don't let it go to your head. She'll make sure you know your place."
Skaris swallowed hard, a knot forming in his throat, "But it doesn't feel right."
"Of course not. Nothing feels right when it comes to Yaya," Vick replied with laughter as Curtis brought a basin of water, then helped to remove YaYa's clothes.
Skaris's mouth twitched. He couldn't argue with that.
"Do you want to clean her up, or should I do it?" Vick asked.
Skaris was surprised at the offer, "I'll do it," he quickly replied, and Vick handed him a clean towel.
Dipping the towels into the water and squeezing it with one hand, Skaris washed her with gentle care, taking his time to wipe the dirt from her face and body. His wolf tail curled up in the air, his ears flicking in contentment.
Finally, he was contributing in a meaningful way. And when he finished, his heart was full and satisfied.
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
YaYa's in a good mood is like a completely different person, isn't she? It's still her, but it also isn't. 😆
I think Skaris's existence doesn't make her as bloodthirsty about wiping all the rootless and scorpions out of existence as before. (She is not one to trust rumors and what other people say until she witnesses it with her own eyes and makes her own deduction. The ones who attacked the villages were all shits.) 🤭
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