Calm and Calamity

Chapter 7

Day: 254 (Food Drop-Off)

Days Left: 5226

Lives Saved: 1

Corinna slung her backpack over her shoulders. She glanced back at Harmony, who was attaching her dagger into her belt. "Hey, Harm?" Corinna called out to the young woman.

Harmony raised her head and stared back.

"I'm sorry about last night," said Corinna. "Sorry if it got too heated, I just..."

Smirking, Harmony mumbled, "you always get so passionate when you argue."

"Pardon?"

"Oh, nothing." Harmony shook her head, a faint smile on her lips. "I'm sorry too... if I seemed rude."

"I think I was the rude one."

"Guess we both were." Harmony sighed then looked up at Corinna. "You're still going to go through with it, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

Harmony hesitated. "I still don't think it'll work."

"I know," said Corinna. "But I'm gonna try. It's worth a shot."

"Yeah." Harmony nodded. "Though I doubt it'll work and... don't really agree with the whole sentiment, to begin with... I'll still be by your side." She glanced up at Corinna, then her eyes shot down to the floor. "You do the whole talking and friendly thing and I'll be there in case things go bad and someone needs punching."

Giggling, Corinna took Harmony's hands and pulled the young woman closer. She gazed up at her, beaming. "Thank you, Harm."

Swallowing, Harmony replied with a quiet, "no problem." Though she looked away, her hands clutched tightly onto Corinna's, swaying them slightly from side to side.

"Right! Let's head off!" Corinna called over to Calixte that they were ready to leave and the amphibian huffed, finally admitting to himself that he would never get his bowtie to be perfect and grabbed his bag.

Still holding onto one of Harmony's hands, Corinna opened the front door, and the trio exited the house, trekking across the sand dunes towards the food drop-off area. All the while, Harmony couldn't concentrate on anything besides glancing down at her hand holding Corinna's. It wasn't like they had never held hands before, in fact, they had done it several times, yet somehow it felt different. Never had Harmony's hand been so sweaty. Her face winced, panicking whether or not she was holding hand in an awkward way or not. Was this how people held hands? She had completely forgotten what felt normal. Then the panic truly set in. What if Corinna was grossed out by how much Harmony was sweating? What if she was just being too polite as usual and was just enduring it? Harmony hesitated, not wanting to let go of Corinna's hand but at the same knowing that it would only get sweatier and more uncomfortable as time went on. But it was also equally as awkward to randomly let go. You had to get the timing right to not offend them. Whilst Harmony's brain went into overdrive, calculating the correct timing to let go, Corinna listened to Calixte enthuse about the latest novel he had been reading.

*

They finally arrived at the grassy slope that led up to the food drop-off. Harmony had managed to successfully let go of Corinna's hand without causing any awkwardness or offence. However, she occasionally glanced back down at Corinna's hand, already missing it.

As usual, the trio was the first to arrive. Soon after, the fire demon's group appeared on the opposite side of the large stone circle, today they were wearing crimson red. The fire demon appeared more surly today as the flame-like veins that travelled across its rock body flared brighter than normal. One of its underlings placed down a chair, and the demon sat down, its long legs crossed over the other, arms folded, and eyes burning white as they glared from a distance. Its lackeys also looked on in caution, their hands resting on the sheathed swords attached to their belts, ready to draw them at a moment's notice.