Scouting For Romance

Entry 58, Part 1

Day 1, Month 1, Year 573

Another year comes, and things are looking up.

This is going to be MY. YEAR.

We'll get to Basugio, I'll make Tytus fall for me, and we're gonna get married. I guess we'll also scout some territory, but that's a secondary objective.

I woke up before Tytus did. Rain plank against the window, but after a few stressful moments of listening, I determined there was no thunder. Tytus was still sprawled out on his bed, and I knew he wouldn't wake up for a while. With nothing else to do, I went into the shared living space in the center of our dorm. The lights were dim, and the rain was muffled.

Lubomir sat on one of the couches, looking exhausted.

"Good morning," I said flatly.

She glanced over, bags under her strong grey eyes, and waved.

I made a b-line to the vending machine, got a snack, then went to sit on the other side of the couch. My back was against the armrest, and my knees were by my chest.

"How are you feeling?" I made sure to ask before I took a bite.

"Not... terribly great."

"Because everyone now thinks you have a tiny pp."

The tips of her ears flashed red, "y-yeah, Malina."

"I am sorry." I took a bite of my snack.

"No, no, it wasn't your fault." She clenched her teeth and I could tell her mind drifted to Teodor.

"I told you not to trust him." Another bite.

"Did you?" She looked up to the ceiling, "ah, I remember now. Maybe I should have listened..."

"If you did then Tytus would still recognize me as his sister."

She turned to me, her face bright, "ah, so you really did make progress with that?"

"Yes." I said with a nod. "Thank you."

"Hehheh, well I'm glad some good came of this. Hey, when you have a son, consider Lubomir! It's a good name, a strong name," she said with a playful smile.

"I already have names planned for our first eight sons and twelve daughters. I could use another boy name."

She gave a delightful smile, and I honestly couldn't tell how more people didn't recognize her as a girl. The long eyelashes, the feminine face, the girly voice, and that cute nose. The bags under her eyes might have just added to her cuteness though. She was like a little sister having boy-troubles, maybe the misery apparent in her eyes activated my big sister instincts.

Oh, sorry, 'not that she loves Anatol or anything'.

"How-" the moment of feeling like a big sister was cut short when a flash of lightning poured through a window. In an instant, the fear prompted me to close the distance and wrap my arms around her.

"M-Malina?" She was so short and thin, had Anatol never hugged her before? It's insane to think he could have been fooled. Firm muscles, sure, but she's just so compact.

No matter. The thunder blasted into the room a moment later, and my whole body jolted.

"Puh-hag!" Lubomir gurgled out as I squeezed a bit too tightly.

"I am-" another lightning bolt, I closed my eyes tight and waited for the thunder to pass. "-sorry."

"N-no," she hesitantly patted my back, "it's fine. You hate lightning, right? Uh, do what you need to."