Chapter 40: Bonding Flame

Finally, it was Friday and the night before was an experience and a half.

I had carried Tyell and Lila home, one under each of my arms. Both ended the night blackout drunk.

Lila got caught up in the atmosphere. And having no prior experience drinking heavier concoctions left her with only one clear path to end the night. It didn’t help that my theory of her having the same endurance as Rosa was confirmed very fast.

Tyell wasn’t much better. However, unsurprisingly I hadn’t seen Tyell’s drunken state before. 

When he went to drink back home, it was away from the family–a late teen boy not wanting to be embarrassed by his family, cause his mother would definitely try if she got the chance–and me working in space basically ensured I would never see him drunk until I got back.

It started off easy, we made our way to the bar and connected our payment methods, so that the cost of anything we bought during the night would be split three ways. Then we got to drinking, with some light refreshments of chips and fish to go along with the drinks. Tyell started by recommending some easy drinks for Lila–who very much enjoyed them. 

But then it was a slow spiral into depravity. One drink led to two, two led to four, and four led to twenty–different flavours after different types.

Then, Tyell decided to try and outdrink me. Lila, who was already slightly drunk, decided to join in for the fun.

He probably hoped that my dislike of alcohol made my tolerance for it lower. This naive desire was thwarted from the very beginning! My extremely high level, my prior experiences being poisoned, my physical body which had been upgraded with [Primal Guardian Lord], and even just [Fortified Stomach], each of those on their own would’ve been enough. So it was completely safe to say he stood no chance.

Sigh, I did try to warn him.

I changed the payment halfway through the night so the rest of the bill would be left to me. By that point, the split was already quite big, and the other two clearly couldn’t think straight. Espr also decided to not comment on anything for the entire night as well which made the whole experience that much more sweeter.

…It was a fun night.

I looked back on the night warmly as while it was a chaotic mess, it brought me a different kind of warmth that I hadn’t experienced in a long while.

Then when we arrived back home it was a pleasant surprise to see Mother sitting in the dark in the early morning watching some dramas. As I had two payloads I needed to drop off.

I wonder if they got a decent sleep?

“Sorry for the inconvenience.” Lila bowed, almost to a perpendicular angle.

It was a Friday morning… for the drunkards… well it was 3 PM, they were out of it for a while.

I let Lila sleep in my room while I threw Tyell on the couch, I wasn’t going to wake Mella up just so Tyell could sleep in his bed. 

The reason I brought Lila to our hotel room was very simple. I didn’t know where she lived. I knew where her parents lived, but I could make an educated guess that she didn’t currently live with them and it was just easier if I brought her back with me.

Mother laughed, “It’s fine dear.” She brought Lila over to the kitchen table where a glass of water and a large breakfast of salads and sandwiches were waiting for us. “I haven’t got to see my own son’s drunken face for a long time, oh, what a sight it was to behold.”

“Mother…” Tyell groaned in annoyance and physical pain as he slowly trotted to the table.

The two of them sat down to eat while Mother stood by serving them, Mella on the other had just sat on the couch, in arm’s reach of her chair.

… I should talk with her.

The talk from yesterday made me realise I should try speaking about more… impactful topics. It was true I kept many things away from my family, and I still would, but there were some things I should talk about and some topics I had been avoiding for not wanting to upset feelings that I should have talked about sooner.

I walked up and sat next to her, “Mella, want to go out for a trip?”

“Where to?” She questioned.

I shrugged, “Somewhere we can look at the sun and waves?” 

“So near the beach?” 

“If that’s the location, so be it, but as I said, do you want to go on a trip together?” I asked.

Mella stayed quiet for a moment before asking, “Just the two of us?”

“Yeah.” I looked over at Mother giving a signal if it was all right to leave the two hungover individuals here.

She returned a large thumb’s up and smiled. Neither Lila nor Tyell noticed the interaction.

“Take care, everyone.” We waved goodbye while the two drunks barely registered what was happening. After a moment of morning clarity, the tiredness and hungoverness were pulling them back down again.

We rode on some public transport before getting off to eventually walk down a sidewalk going to the harbour.

Mella's eyes constantly darted between the strangers we crossed. She tried to hide her behaviour, but it was really obvious to our family. However, no one commented on it, scared to hurt her feelings. She was doing this to see how people were reacting, how they would react to her. 

Maybe expecting looks of curiosity, sadness or even possible disgust. She got none of them, people just treated her like any other stranger. Which was a good thing, but this behaviour was just another one of the many signs that Mella wasn’t dealing with this well.

We really should’ve forced her to get treatment immediately.

We ignored her behaviour and tried to make a compromise with her words. She always tried to delay it if the deal seemed unfavourable for the family, that was how she was, so we forced her into a situation where she would be forced to get treated.

I guess we both inherited bits of Dad’s stubbornness. 

I found a bench for us to sit on, not in the most public spot, but the view was still there and no one was around to disturb us.  

“Mella.” I sat next to her and cuddled her, “How… have you been feeling?”

She bluntly answered, “Fine.” 

I asked, “More words please.” Mella had figured my plan was to get her to talk about stuff, so she had decided to be a bit stubborn about it.

She rolled her eyes, “Pretty good, everything’s been fun.”

“Some more words?” 

“Why?” She failed to look into my closed eyes.

“Cause, you’re important to me.” I tightened the hug.

“You’ve been treating me like a kid,” Mella commented.

“Doesn’t matter how old someone is, they are always a kid.”

“And? What about the talk you had with Tyell?”

“Been spying I see.”

“Been keeping things hidden to yourself I see.” And there was her complaint, the same one Tyell had, who would’ve guessed they were siblings or something? She realistically knew about the talk thanks to the moment when Tyell barged into my room to ask about it.

“Well, I'll tell you when you're fixed up.”

Mella frowned, “Why not now?”

“You would’ve gotten your answers if you played nice and got your treatment without trying to halt us, hurting yourself in the process. I will keep what happened between me and Tyell a secret until you’re fixed up.”

Mella let out a frustrated sigh, “Really?”

“Yes,” I could hear Mella gritting her teeth, worried I was lying to her. “I will tell Tyell myself, that our conversation will become public knowledge to you once you’re better, I promise.”

Mella sighed in relief this time, happy enough at my compromise. I would tell Mella and Mother about the possible appearance of Dominous Hood activity, but that would be saved for conversation for both of them.

With that said, I asked, “How have you been feeling?”

“Well, fine.”

“No, you haven’t.” 

“Don’t project feelings onto me,” Mella replied.

I chuckled, “Then get better at hiding them.” I raised three fingers one at a time, “Me, Mum and Tyell. Have all noticed Mella. Every small twitch, every depressed smile, every glance, every painful failed attempt to reach an object.”

Mella stayed silent.

“We have noticed… we just stayed quiet, cause we knew you would be getting better soon.”

I leaned back in the chair, “Was that the best decision? Most likely not, which is why I’m talking to you now.”

“So… what?” Mella cried, “It doesn’t matter.”

“Fuck we are all so stubborn, aren’t we. It matters cause we are family, it is the reason you are bugged about me doing things without telling you three.”

“Well, are you going to stop that?”

“Not completely. I am my own person, but you are very clearly still hurting.”

“Says the person whose body is covered in burns and scars. You even have a massive one on your face.” Said Mella, trying to deflect the topic.

“From experience, unless in extreme scenarios, emotional distress usually trumps physical pain. It is easier to march through the physical than be drowned in the mental.”

I clicked my fingers, and… a small orange flame appeared.

Mella reeled back ever so slightly and her eyes dilated, before after a moment of realising everything was fine she went back to normal.

“Still affecting you?”

“Yeah…” Her head tumbled forward, “Weirdly enough I know it has gotten better. When I was… trapped in my dreams, the fire felt like such a suffocating presence but after I woke up I was fine? It made no sense but I was… then I saw it a couple more times. On the tv, during VR, or when we neared the sun… even when I get a small glimpse at your arms” She gulped, “For a moment I would be afraid, then realise everything was fine.”

…

I gestured towards her with my left hand holding the flame, “Care to hold it?” 

“No.” 

Mella looked away. Fire wasn’t her biggest problem any more thanks to Espr’s help, so it was best to dampen that fear so she could at least start moving on.

“I love fire…” I declared, “It’s not my favourite thing, but it's warm, and I could do so much with it.”

With my other hand, I created fire stars, planets, ships and meteors that flew around, which caught Mella’s attention.

She swallowed and swore under her breath and turned towards it, and she reached her hand out.

Mella’s biggest problem was her missing limbs, her fear of fire was still and would still be there, but Espr treatment did wonders and I needed to help her with the final touches.

Mella’s shaky hand moved over, as it neared mine, I had the fire gently jump over to hers.

“Ee!” She jumped back and tried to shake it off but it just stayed there still.

Mella, I know you’re a brave girl, and there was a reason you chose [Warm Wind Mage].

“It’s okay Mella… just looked at it.”

Mella opened her forcibly shut eyes to see the flame on her hand had changed, into five figures of our family.

“I… had a lot of time on my hands, I got just… a bit good at making constructs.”

The constructs stood around and hugged the smallest member–Mella.

“It’s…” Mella’s mouth widened, “Beautiful.” She started to fully cry. Seeing the living image of the five of us, Mum, Dad, Mella, Tyell and myself together stirred emotions within her.

“It is a family bonding moment made of fire? One could say it's a bonding flame.”

Mella wiped away her tears just to roast me, “Your jokes are horrible.”

“Well, neither of our parents were good at making them.” I shrugged.

Then we both laughed.

We laughed for a little bit but soon it was time to end it. I dispersed the flames, transforming them into birds that flew off into the distance.  

“Do… you think I could do that one day?”

“Definitely.”

“Would you tell me at least a little of what you are keeping hidden?”

“...Some of it I will reveal soon, just for now I just want to spend some quiet time with you.”

“Promise?”

“Sadly yes.”

“Better not break it.”

“I won’t, and if I somehow do… you can smack me.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Deal?”

“Deal.”