"Crow Lianna! You fruity little bitch, why the Hell are you dumping people on me?!?" raved Lusiphur Malache. I stood up and brushed myself off while grinning at him. Luse raised his eyebrows "If you don't tell me what's going on real soon, I'm goin' completely batshit on you.
I stood looking at him, waiting for the others to get themselves in semblance of order. As soon as they met my approval, I turned back to Luse. "This guy, gesturing to Zelgadiss, needs a copy of the Claire Bible. I thought that maybe you'd have a copy on you or know where one might be located..." I trailed off.
He looked thoughtful for a moment before asking, "How much you willing to pay for it?" Zelgadiss' eyes bugged.
"Y-you mean you actually have it?" Zelgadiss stammered, the hope he felt bleeding into his voice.
Lusiphur gave him a very odd look. I tried not to laugh. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Depends on what you've got." He gave Zel one of the best 'duh' looks I've seen in a long time. Lina was fighting a losing battle not to join Luse in the 'duh' look.
Zelgadiss regained his composure and nodded thoughtfully. "Well I have gold on me (Lusiphur looked interested) Lina still has the platinum and jewels from the last bandit raiding expedition (Luse looked almost pleased with this) and we have a slightly traveled justice speech spouting princess (Luse and Amelia shared a 'look', Luse shuddered). I believe that should cover any cost..." Zelgadiss trailed off. Lusiphur nodded.
"Leave out the ... princess and you've got a deal. We'll discuss payment terms after you agree." Zel's eyes bugged, Amelia sputtered, Gourry was playing with a bug, Xeros had gotten soft serve ice cream and I just smiled. Zelgadiss clasped Luse's forearm sealing the deal.
"So Luse, in what god's forsaken corner of the world is this copy lying around?" I grinned a bit, hopefully the location would be far away from wherever the hell we were and would have lots of interesting things to see, do and kill along the way.
He looked up from his calculations, "Legends and maps place it in a ruin on the Eastern side of the White Desert. Right now we're in Bal and it's about Winter so there'll be about seven months of traveling..." As he went back to haggling with Lina and Zel I sighed. Winter is not my season of choice and to have to be out traveling in it just made the situation worse.
After he finished he threw me a grin, "Why, you wanna go home to get your mitties?" I glared and Xeros began to laugh. So hard in fact, that he snorted some of the ice-cream out his nose. Now it was my turn to laugh. Lusiphur cleared his throat, calling the attention back to himself once more. "You want to get going now, or should we wait all god's forsaken Winter?"
As I grumbled something about going to buy winter gear at some shops in town Amelia's eyes lit up, all sparkly and cute. Luse looked like he was about ready to vomit. "Oh, Lianna-san! Won't you take Lina-san and I shopping with you. We won't be trouble, really. PLEEEEEEASE?" At 'please' her voice crescendoed to an obnoxious squeal. Not wanting to hear that shriek again, I nodded in compliance. Amelia ran up and squeezed me, all the while spurting out phrases of thanks. To this day I'm still not sure that she didn't break something...
Lina couldn't think of a way to get out of this situation, thinking heatedly she suddenly smiled. "Oh, Zelgadiss, Gourry, Xeros, don't you need to buy some winter clothing too?" The looks on their faces was priceless, but not a single one could get out of it. Luse looked like he was about to bust a gut laughing.
After clearing his throat, "You guys get what you need, I'll be at the Chichi To Shiri Inn." He began to saunter off.
"Yeah you'll be there for sure, getting bombed out of your mind ..." I muttered. He didn't even stop to look back and glare. I sighed. "Well, let's get this show on the road."
Zelgadiss sighed with annoyance, "Do we really have to go through with this?"
Taking a deep breath I raised my eyebrows and began to speak, "Unless you're going to give me your clothes or stand by as I set fire to the landscape, we are going to get winter clothes." I began muttering about how I hate the goddam' season of Winter and the benefits of keeping the climate situated at the very least 70 degrees.
Lina looked at Amelia and leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, "She bitches almost as much as Zelgadiss." As they giggled Zel and I turned to look at them.
"You know, the pointed ears aren't just for looks," Zel grinned at my comment. Amelia blushed and Lina turned around and huffed.
Xeros piped up, "That's right Lina-chan, they're not for looks, they're used for putting out other people's eyes!" While Lina began to giggle Zelgadiss and I sent Xeros twin gazes of death. He just smiled leaned towards me and whispered, "You know Lia-chan, you're so kawaii when you're pissed."
Just as I was about to make a lunge for the leering mazoku's throat Zelgadiss stuck his arm out. "The twit's masochistic, you'll only give him pleasure."
I opened up my mouth to begin a witty retort, but then my eyes widened and glazed over. We had reached the shops. "SHOPPING!" I squealed, and ran for the shops with Amelia right on my heels. The others blinked. Before they had time to react I had run back and grabbed them, dragging them into the nearest shop. "Come on guys! There's stuff stuff stuff stuff!" I went on chanting happily. Nothing like shopping to put one in a better mood.
Upon seeing the racks of clothes Lina quickly got caught up in the excitement. The guys had ensconced themselves in a corner. "Talk about mood swings," muttered Zelgadiss. he and Xeros were watching us shop while Gourry flipped through the latest issue of Weapons Monthly.
"No shit. I knew Lianna was into shopping and expected Amelia to be into it, but who would've guessed Lina would enjoy this?" Xeros murmured. He and Zel turned to each other and shared a 'who knew' shrug, they then resumed watching.
A few hours and many gold pieces later...
Lina, Amelia and I walked triumphantly out the doors of the last shop in town. The guy's stood waiting at a nearby fountain. "Arigatoo gozaimasu Lia-san! It was so much fun shopping with you and Lina-san," burbled Amelia.
"Iie. I had fun too." I looked at the clock of a nearby church. "We should get to the inn. It's about time for dinner, ah hell I'm feeling generous, dinner's my treat." Lina, Gourry and Amelis all gave me a look that vaguely reminded me of crazed starving weasel. Then, they took off in the firection og the inn.I watched their trail of dust with wide eyes.
Zelgadiss patted me on the shoulder, "You'll get used to it. Besides after you see them eat, this will seem normal." I looked up at him and sighed. What the hell have I gotten myself into, I thought, then I smiled. Oh well, at least I'm having fun. Then he, Xeros and I set out for the inn at a more subdued pace.
Episode 5 | Fanfiction