LUCEM
LXXXVII Chapter

I spent the first four hours sleeping, more precisely forcing myself to sleep. Usually I can fall asleep anywhere, in any position, but this time I feel difficulty, nervous, very nervous. This is the first time in my lifetime I have seen and boarded a vehicle called this plane.

Marbella was seen sitting quietly by my side, her eyes closed. I don't want to bother him.

But, suck... Why didn't anyone tell me in advance that we were going to use this vehicle for the journey to Grimoland. I repeatedly held my breath whenever I felt the fuselage move sideways or slide low. My blood ripples without my control.

And I spent the last two hours eating all the snacks on the plane. To make Moonflower glare repeatedly. We still had about an hour left or maybe more on our flight and I was getting used to it but became so bored that I started to stick the window with my eyes only to spend time looking around to outward.

We started off with a good start. Magenta apparently owned a vehicle that he called this plane, as promised, with his ability to protect us with a beam of light before entering the plane, but now that we are here, he said, basically we are alone.

Venus had to deflect some questions over the radio, whether she was talking to anyone. He looks free and I'm guessing for sure this isn't his first flight.

Magenta was getting harder to guess, was he really from a thousand years ago?

Until then—

I look around. I moved to sit close enough to the cockpit to be able to hear Venus, but she and I both decided that I should retreat to keep an eye on Jiso and the rat troop, sitting far enough away to keep everyone safe from the possibilities.

I turned to look at Magenta who was asleep in his chair. Honestly, I saw her face so intense. I'm surprised he hasn't started aging for his time span.

Then I looked to check on Marbella who was still looking to close her eyes.

Suffice it to say that he did not like Magenta's game plan.

I mean, I don't like it either and I have no intention of following through, but Marbella seems to be able to attack Magenta for some reason, even thinking that we might have to kill Maya or Maria.

Ah, my mind is always falling apart whenever I remember Maria, that girl. He disappeared a while before we met Magenta, and none of us then discussed it in person. I mean, unless I'm the one who's been trying a few times to extract information from the rat troop or Moonflower. Marbella's been getting colder since James' departure, and I also realized that I'm not the same anymore.

Magenta squirmed lightly in his chair, and his eyes stopped on me as he realized I was staring at him. I smiled, a little. He sat stiffly in his chair for a moment. I can feel the plane going up and back taking altitude. I carefully moved to approach Magenta's chair and sat opposite him even though we had just referred. Semi-reconciliation? I call it reconciliation.

But right now I think he needs space.

Or maybe I, maybe I need the space. He is exhausting to face. Without Marbella around, I don't have an edge. I suddenly stopped my intention to speak. He has never smiled since we met.

I rarely see people. But, I always knew that smiling would change the mood, didn't others know about it? Or a rat who knows everything better?

Right now, I honestly don't remember why Venus liked her so much. In fact, in the past few days I've forgotten what she looks like without her presence. But this reminder is more than enough. Too many, actually. I don't want any more reminders. I can guarantee that I will never again forget that Magenta is not a pleasant person to spend time with. This woman carries so much tension in her body that it is arguably contagious. So yes, I gave him space.

So far, I've given him space for seven hours. Longer than Jiso expected.

Ah ,Jeo! I remember that mouse... I stuck my neck out to find him. Boredom has made me sit around. This time to the remaining seats across from Jiso and the rat troop sat down.

I stole a glance at Jiso who was sitting still, sitting stiff, stiffer than Magenta earlier. I wonder how he held himself so silent—so rigid—for seven hours in a row. How can he not pull the muscle? Why has he never used the bathroom? where did all that go?

The only concession I got from Jiso was that he appeared more like his normal self. I had a little talk with Jimmy about the fresh scent of Jiso's body. Jiso shower. You'd think she was going on a date, not a murder or rescue mission. Obviously he wants to make a good impression.

She wears more clothes than usual, pale green blazers, matching pants. Small black boots. But because the piece was chosen by Jiso, the blazer is not an ordinary blazer. Of course not. This blazer has no collar, no buttons. His silhouette was cut in sharp lines that forced his jacket open, revealing a Jiso shirt underneath a simple white collar that exposed more of his chest than I was comfortable staring at. Still, he looks fine. A little nervous was caught on his face as the fuselage suddenly shook crashing into the strong air, but—, the,

"Oh my God, I'm sorry" I said, pretending to be shocked. "I'm going to turn down the volume, but I'm going to have to pass out again for my brain to stop working."

"An easy problem to fix" murmured Jiso.

"I heard it."

"I meant for you to hear it."

"Hey," I said, realizing something. “Didn't this feel like a strange deja vu?”

"No."

“No, no, I'm serious. How likely are we all to travel like this again? Even though the last time I made a trip like this, I ended up seeping in was thrown from the sky, so—yah, I don't want to remember it back. Also, Moonflower did not act as high as this plane thing. So then. Huh." I doubt it. "OK, I think I realized that maybe I don't really understand what deja vu means."

"That's French," said Jiso, bored. “This literally means already visible.”

"Wait, so I know what that means."

"That you know what all things mean is a wonder to me."

Before I could defend myself, Venus' voice sounded from the cockpit.

"Hey," call him. "What are your chat topics interesting?"

I heard a click and a metal shift, a sound that meant Venus was breaking out of pilot mode. Then he put the plane in cruise control (or whatever) and walked towards us. But it's been at least half an hour since his last break, and I miss him because of boredom.

He folded himself into the chair next to me.

I beamed at him.

"I'm so glad you two finally spoke casually" he said, sighing as he sat on the chair. “Silence has made depression.”

Dead smile.

Jiso's expression darkened.

"Listen," said Venus, staring at Jiso. “I know all this is terrible, that the main reason we are on this plane is terrible—but you have to stop being too stiff in your seat.

We have, like, thirty minutes left on this flight, which means we're gonna go there, together, to do something big. Which means we should all be on the same page. We need to be able to trust each other and work together. If not, or if you don't let us, we could lose everything.”

When Jiso said nothing, Venus sighed again.

"I don't care what Magenta or Marbella think" she said, trying to sound soft. "But I hope we won't lose anyone again."