"That's your eighth piece."
munch munch "You're point?"
Zel shook his head and sipped at his glass of soda. He glanced around their booth at the all-night pizza place. Most of the employees were falling asleep at their respective counters or mops. He simply shrugged and began studying the stained glass lamps overhead.
"So? How long has it been?"
"Huh?" Zel looked down at Lina.
"Since you've been human, I mean."
"About 3 years."
"Anything different?"
Zel flexed his fingers. "Yes."
Lina eyed him for a moment. "So why did your grandfather do that to you?"
Zel seemed a little startled, then continued to just sip at his soda.
"Well?"
"It's nothing I really want to talk about."
"Come on! I gave you your cure!"
"You helped."
"Jeeze." Lina tore into her pizza again. You'd think he'd at least let me know. Maybe...Could what happened really be that bad?
"You look thoughtful."
"Thinking about you." She put bluntly.
"I was hoping not."
"Why?"
"'Why'? Because I spent the better part of 2 weeks getting that spell down, and I want to know why!"
Zel wiped his face with a napkin. "You're spitting."
"Oops. Sorry." Lina giggled nervously. Hey! Wait a minute! "Well, why did you need me to cast the spell?"
Zel looked away, and sipped his soda.
Lina realized something and sank down, biting her lower lip. Damn it! I messed up again! If he can cast glamours, but needs help with big spells, then that means he's got mental stamina, but not much power. Lina sheepishly clutched her soda glass, and chanced a regretful glance towards Zel. Probably the same reason he ended up with a curse that only made him stronger. "Hey."
"Hm." Zel made minimal attempts to look attentive.
"Let's go work off this food, huh?"
"What?"
Cats screeched better than this. Tone deaf dogs howled more melodically.
Zel closed his eyes for a moment and tried very hard not to be aware of the surrounding all-night kareoke bar. Lina plopped back down in the seat next to him.
"Wa-hoo! Nothing like singing at the top of your lungs with complete strangers!" Said strangers stumbled back to the liquor bar for their next set of drinks. Lina waved, waiting for Zel's reply.
Zel sipped his coffee.
"Well?"
"Well, what?"
"You gonna sing the next song with me or what?"
"WHAT!?!"
"Too late." Lina grabbed his wrist. "I already signed us both in for a duet."
"WH-WHAAAT!!!????!" Zel stuttered all the way to the stage, as Lina lead him.
The microphone gave the mandatory feedback, as Lina handed one to Zel. For a moment, he only stared dumbly at it.
"No." He shoved the mic back towards Lina.
"Aw! C'mon, Zel!" She called, grabbing his sleeve before he completely walked off the mini-stage. "They're just about done setting up the lazer disc!"
"I said, no." He said firmly, almost dangerously.
"Gee, Zel." Lina looked away, fed up herself. "But you're going to owe me for this."
"I'm going to owe you?!?" But Zel was cut off by the most hauntingly beautiful voice he had ever heard.
The screen behind the stage lighted with the subtitled kareoke music video. Almost in a daze, Zel went back to his seat and watched. The tone control, the note variation, the accuracy mixed with improvization - ! Lina was surprisingly good, Zel had to admit as he leaned back in his chair. The clapping wrapped-up her number and Lina came back to her seat beside Zel.
"You missed out, Zel."
"Not really." He eyed her with well-hidden wonder now. "That song just now...Not like the rest of the night's."
"Yeah, well." A slight blush threatened to rise in her cheeks. Lina crossed her arms behind her head and leaned back in her seat. "I'm not going to scream at the top of my lungs without some other voices to hide behind."
Zel just watched her and smiled.
Lina tried not to look. "Wh-what?"
"Oh!" Zel caught himself. "Nothing." He resumed his usual stoic demeanor, or at least tried to. "I guess it was my own fault for ignoring the risk signs." Zel mummbled.
"Huh? What're you talking about?"
"Why my grandfather cursed me. You asked earlier." He finally looked her in the eye again. "No longer interested?"
"Wait." Lina sat more attentively in her chair. "I'm interested."
"He wanted to cure his blindness, but his own magic wasn't strong enough. He said that if I helped him, he would tell me a way to make my power stronger."
"But how could he tell you something like that if he wasn't strong enough for his own spells."
"Oh, he was. But still, he needed more power to help him." Zel took a deep breath, remembering. "He was going too far with his other spells. I should have stayed away from him."
"He made you into a chimera so he could use your increased power?" Lina guessed.
"I was a living talisman." Zel seethed. "But only he could access my new power. When I used my magic, it was still at the same pitiful level."
"Jeez, what a bastard." Lina leaned back in her chair.
Zel stared at her, eyes wide. She's certainly blunt.
"But I guess that makes sense." She stared at the ceiling, arms again folded behind her head. "Most golem-making spells include complete control of their power going to their makers."
"So why did you want to know?"
"Hm?" Lina looked back. "I guess I just wanted to know more about you. I mean, I haven't even told Amelia and Sylphiel that I can use magic. And here I am spilling my secrets to a stranger!" Lina smiled.
"I might blackmail you or something." Zel warned.
"Naw." Lina propped her elblows and chin up on the table, then smiled at Zel.
Zel smiled. Him actually having a friend? Unheard of, but a nice idea.
"Besides, you owe me too much!" She winked.
"What?!"