บท 120: Aponi is a Troll

'That was great! That woman's blood paired exquisitely with my steak, and Eden appeared to enjoy the way that young researcher's blood tasted on hers!'

My gaze moves to my side, where Eden sits squeezing the bleeding hand of the young man. Her steak disappeared long ago, but she's been dipping bread into what dribbles out of his palm. The young man's eyes wince; still, he didn't seem too surprised when Eden boldly asked if she could drink his blood. However, he did seem surprised when he presented his neck, only for Eden to instead seize his wrist and use a steak knife to messily slice his palm.

Anyway, the reason he wasn't shocked is apparently the fact we are 'something akin to vampires' as he put it is known by several of the researchers. More specifically, he was a part of the group that initially examined Sam. Though, when they discovered some unusual things about him, other than Sam's smooth brain, he was taken away to Dr. Wights trusted researchers. Presumably, the ones that were killed earlier in the fight.

'I guess it really doesn't matter what they know. It wouldn't have taken them long to figure it out anyway, especially with some of their own having been brought into the fold. Whatever.'

Thinking of the other researchers, they all returned to their tables to speak in hushed voices or left. As for the woman I used to season my steak after I finished, I sealed her cut and sent her on her way.

"I'm going to go shower," I stand and move to leave.

"Eira." Hearing Aponi's voice, I turn my head in her direction and wait for her to continue. "Do we really have time for this trial thing? Shouldn't we be focusing on Kardama and Jimmy?"

My gaze shifts to Dr. Wight's unconscious figure, still bound to the computer chair. As I asked, Aponi has placed him atop one of the tables like a prisoner awaiting execution.

I shrug my shoulders. "The fact that they were going to blow that wall up is enough for me to know that they probably don't have any better ideas than that. I could try to use my own shadow magic on the barrier, but I'm not good enough."

'My shadow magic has been convenient at times, but still, I'm naturally skilled in blood magic, but shadow magic is something I'd require a lot of practice or even a teacher to progress. Callista almost exclusively stuck to what was natural to her as well, blood magic, of course. But! It must have been easy with near-limitless blood and magic!'

"I guess that makes sense, and you obviously seem upset about it as well."

"Huh?" I tilt my head, but abruptly I realize I must have been frowning at the thought of Callista's undeniable privilege of likely being born powerful or, at the very least, totally unchallenged! Completely and utterly unfair!

My frown deepens.

"Listen!" Aponi says abruptly, "Just go take your shower. No need to be so upset if we can't do anything!"

"Oh...? Oh, yeah! I'm genuinely worried about them both, but I can't do everything! Just most things." She rolls her eyes while I stand, stretching my back and scanning the room for the location of the showers. "Anyway, blame Kardama for putting up a barrier without a way to communicate with anyone on the outside. Just make sure you keep trying to contact Jimmy. If he answers, we'll have him speak to Kardama about the barrier. Same for Dr. Wight."

Aponi nods, and unexpectedly she stands. "I need a shower, as well," she says with a small grunt.

"Okay? But I'm going first."

"First? This place definitely has communal showers. There's no way they'd let everyone here have their own bathrooms."

'Yeah, I can't imagine trying to set up plumping just so everyone can have their own showers down here.'

"Well, it is communal, but…"

"Are you shy?"

"Shy! It's not about being shy!" I realize I'm being rather loud in a crowded cafeteria, so I speak more calmly, "I just want some peace and quiet for once."

She laughs. "Well, if you remember, I've already seen plenty. That time you thought I was unconscious while you changed. Remember?"

"...Why? Why would you bring that up right now?"

Suddenly, a hushed yet confused voice asks, "Eira, what does she mean by that?"

"It doesn't matter what she means by that, Eden." I look toward the young man with an angry smile and a burning face. "Where. Are. The. Showers."

He smiles, a drop of sweat rolling down his forehead. Lifting a shaky hand, he points. "There are a few of them in the dorm hallways."

My gaze turns to a set of metal doors off in the corner of the room. Again my attention returns to the man. Eden sits next to him, clutching the man's bleeding hand over her plate. She stares at me with blinking eyes, taking a bite of her blood-soaked bread.

"Let go of his hand." She nods and does so. With his hand released, he opens his palm wide in relief, revealing a long cut on his palm. When a trail of blood leaks from it, I seal it with blood magic. "Oh, and don't follow me, Eden."

The young man stares at his hand in wonder, subconsciously saying, "The showers are separated by curtains. No need to worry if you're shy."

I crease my brow and unseal his wound. He panics as blood oozes from his cut.

"Go find some bandages for your wound or be quiet," I say before nicely resealing the wound and walking away, "Oh, and Sam, don't forget to feed the animals! That's why you came down here in the first place!"

Sam coughs, choking on his food. "O-of course, I didn't forget!"

"Keep an eye on Dr. Wright while we're gone as well."

He sighs. "...Right."

Behind me, I can hear the sound of Eden standing and Aponi following with a chuckle.

'Whatever! I don't even care anymore! Just come if you are both so hopeless!'

Pushing open the metal doors, a white hallway is revealed. It's similar to the upper floors' hallways, but this one has some more personal touches: a message board, some drink machines, a calendar with some special dates marked, among other such things.

Footsteps approach from behind. "Huh. Compared to the upper floors, this one seems a lot more relaxed," Aponi says.

A second set of footsteps follows, stopping just short. I can tell its Eden by how light the steps are. "Yeah. I guess since they're here year-round, they would need somewhere more ordinary to live and hang out. It's a lot like the staff area of the cruise ship…"

I don't answer the two stalkers, but instead, continue while studying the remaining doors. Doors labeled gym, laundry, trash, game, and social are the most notable ones I came across. The other rooms are all labeled "Sleep #1-20," with the numbers increasing door to door. I opened one and discovered a room full of bunk beds. However, there were some also labeled things like "Private Sleep #1." I intend to commandeer one of those for my own very soon.

Finally, the showers appear on our left.

"Wow. I can't believe we've been hanging out on that shitty floor above that stinks of Brutes while this was right below us. Not that I could have done down here while pretending to be a guard," Aponi says, closing the door to "Private Sleep #14."

I nod in agreement. "Yeah, but still, there are a lot more people than I thought. Researchers or not, with the numbers so skewed, it's not safe. They may not attack us directly, but they might attempt sabotage if they believe they can get away with it."

"What happened to the ones who attacked me?"

"Hmm, they're still somewhere in the hallways probably. I know I never cleaned them up."

"Oh. They were actually kind of nice… It's kind of sad."

"They shouldn't have been so moronic then. I warned everyone here not to try anything funny."

Stepping forward, I push open the door to the showers. A small room is revealed with a door to each side, one for men and the other for females. My eyes glance back, hoping the two will let me go alone, but alas, when I open the door for females, they follow me. Together we enter a changing room.

There is a large stack of towels in the corner for anyone who needs it, some long benches for people to sit at, and a wall full of small lockers.

"Eira, you have clothes in that ring of yours, right? Didn't you have some military bags?"

Turning, I see Aponi removing and tossing her shirt to the floor, revealing her slender figure and olive skin. "...Why did you follow me without even knowing if I had a change of clothes for you?"

I raise my hand. A bag appears in the air and drops to the floor with a thunk. She nods, bends over, and starts untying her boots. "Would have just worn the same clothes if I had to. Even with all the holes from that solution."

My face turns hot as I turn away, staring at the wall. 'Why would she remove her shirt before her boots?'

Looking down, I see my dress is a combination of bloodstains, mud, and, like Aponi's, small holes from the places the piranha solution landed upon. I glance behind me; Aponi's boots hit the floor as she removes her pants as well. She does an utterly unnecessary stretch popping her back. However, I can resist this, but the person next to her that is making me feel weird.

"Eden, why are you just staring at me?"

She blinks, and her face turns red. "I'm not staring," she denies, shaking her head, "I just don't have anything to change into either."

"Will you two stop being so damn shy? You don't have to remove all your clothes here if you don't want, you know? Just strip to your underwear and then take them off after you get behind the curtain. That's what some of the girls used to do in my high school after gym."

'It's not that I'm shy…'

"Hmm, I thought there'd be a change of clothes in here," Aponi mutters.

Next to her, Eden still stands watching me. When she sees me staring back, she glances off into space. I sigh, approach one of the lockers with my claw extended. Shoving my nail into the locker's lock, I rip it apart from the inside, allowing it to open easily. I repeat this several times until I find some clothing for both Eden and Aponi.

Eden lifts the pair of jeans I was able to find for her. She stares at it and then bends her back, looking at her backside. "These might be a little tight."

"Well, it was the only thing that looked like it would work."

Aponi, on the other hand, was able to find a pair of jeans and a sweater that would fit perfectly. She holds up a bra. "This might not fit me, actually." Tossing the bra onto a bench, she undoes her own, exposing her naked breasts.

I instinctively turn around.

'...What am I doing? I literally almost ripped a man's arm off earlier today. There were naked bodies all over the Moonlight after the Crawlers made their rounds. I don't understand�� Just forget it! These are definitely feelings leftover from Robert; I know it! I'm clearly just being stupid right now! Being stupid is what Sam does, not me!'

Angry at myself for acting like a child, I undo some buttons on the front of my torn and stained dress. I bend down, grasp the hem of the dress, and pull it off. My pale snow-white skin almost seems to glow in the bright artificial overhead lighting.

Reaching back, I undo my bra and toss it to the floor as well and finally remove my panties, throwing them on top of the rest of my clothing. I can feel my long hair rub against my lower back and backside.

Behind, I hear Eden cough and nearly trip.

Without turning around, I shuffle toward the towels, grabbing one. I wrap it around myself as quickly as I can. Spinning around, I see Eden turned away with a bright red face. Aponi, on the other hand, gawks at me. "Are you even human? I noticed a long time ago your hair never seems to get frizzy or messy, but your skin is basically flawless as well."

"...What a stupid question. Obviously, no, I'm not human. I'm mixed blood."

"Oh? Is it wrong of me to ask what kind of mix?" Aponi walks over to the towels, now wholly unclothed.

"...Blood Races."

"Yeah, but which ones?"

She faces me, holding a towel loosely next to her. Instead of covering herself, she intentionally reaches back and pulls her black hair forward. They separate, fanning out, partially obscuring her chest, but most of the black strands simply sink into the crevice between her breasts.

'She's doing this to try to fluster me.'

Aponi snickers. "Both you and Eden need to stop being so nervous around naked bodies. You are both young women, and I don't have anything either of you hasn't seen before."

'She knows this is the only way she'll ever be able to get to me. I will not give her the satisfaction. Robert, why were you so pitiful when it came to women that it somehow survived the ritual that created me and transferred to me, a woman. It doesn't matter either way; I don't have time for such things anyway.'

I scoff.

"By the way, you didn't answer my question," Aponi says with a laugh, "I was genuinely curious, but you don't want to answer."

"Which Blood Races am I a mix of?" I respond, rolling my eyes, "All of them, of course."

When I enter the further shower, I notice it consists of a pair of small areas separated by two sets of curtains—the first area is obviously for changing in privacy, and the other is the actual shower.

'For some reason, I think Aponi knew the showers were arranged like this. She'll pay for this one day.'