The Non-Human Society

Chapter Two Hundred and Seventeen – Renn – Colorful Hearts Dyed by Words

Peering into the room, I found the same thing I’d seen the last four days.

Riz in bed, curled up and sleeping.

Studying her for a moment, and her room, I wondered if I had done the same thing when Nory died. I remembered just… sitting on the porch of our little cabin, absentmindedly. It was part of the reason I had waited so long to leave, even though I had wanted to leave right after burying her. Maybe I had done so for days too, even though I didn’t remember how long it had been.

Quietly stepping away, I went down the hallway back towards the front of the building. This house was large, but only a single level. This hallway only had bedrooms in it, and I was a little bothered by the… empty rooms within it.

Four at least. The rest were closed doors, and I didn’t want to be rude and just start opening them to check. I knew where Celine and Lial’s room was, but I wasn’t sure where Mordo’s was. If he even had one.

He hadn’t left the little sitting room since I had arrived, as far as I was aware. Which was weird. We’d been here for over a week now. Surely he had to at least… use the restroom, or want to get some fresh air?

Rounding a corner, I passed the kitchen. Celine was in there, quietly humming as she cleaned the dishes.

I had offered to help, but she didn’t seem to enjoy it when I did. It seemed she didn’t even let her children help her, as if she was very proud of her duties and didn’t want anyone to take them from her. Sometimes I heard her telling her husband to stop and leave her be, when he too tried to help her. At first I had thought they were simply being an odd married couple but now I knew she was being… a little serious about it.

Walking past the kitchen, I waved lightly at Mordo as I passed him and his little room. His weathered and sunken face made it hard to tell if his eyes were even open, but I thought I saw him nod lightly.

Reaching the house’s front door, I opened it slowly. The sun had set, but it wasn’t too late. A few torches were lit; some were positioned on the buildings while others were genuine torches, standing alone out in the darkness. One of those torches had a figure standing next to it.

Closing the front door behind me, I walked slowly over to Vim. He was staring out into the dark world beyond the torchlight. Oddly he was looking down, not up at the sky that was quickly being littered with vibrant stars.

This wasn’t the first time I had found Vim out here, just… staring out into the dark, but it was still just as concerning as the first time I had seen it. What did he see? I could barely make out the cliffs and rocks not far off in the distance, but nothing more than that. The torchlight made it harder to see in the dark from here.

Stepping up next to him, I tried to once again

“How so?” he asked.

“Well…” I struggled for a moment, and realized he was right. It was the exact same.

The only reason I hadn’t seen it that way, was… well…

Because those men hadn’t been him.

Thankfully it was night, but I knew even in the dark Vim could see my blush as my face got hot. I’d not even be able to blame the nearby torch fire, since I was facing away from it.

Vim smirked softly, and my face got even hotter as I realized he really could see it.

Great.

“I admit. Yes. I guess… I have had a few try,” I admitted.

“Hm. Good. I was worried your flawless mind had finally started to crack,” he teased me.

“Oh shush….” I mumbled and wondered what to do or say now.

Vim’s smirk grew, and I hated how much I enjoyed seeing it on his face.

“You should have pretended to not notice my hypocrisy,” I said stiffly.

He nodded. “Sure, sure. Promise not to belittle yourself anymore then?” he asked.

Belittle…? “My point still stands Vim, though,” I argued. He tilted his head at me, so I went ahead and sighed and continued. “None of our members. No non-humans. The only people who have… even hinted or tried have been humans. And they’ll flirt with anything,” I said.

Honestly it was a horrible argument, but it was what I was going to cling to at the moment. My ears were burning in embarrassment, and I wanted something to blame it on.

Vim frowned as he glanced away. To the darkness. This time I knew it was not so he could ponder, or distract himself, but instead out of instinct. He was just… doing his job. Making sure we were safe.

“And don’t try and say that Herra’s family asking me to join them as a wife is the same thing. That’s just them taking an opportunity. They’d have asked any woman,” I said quickly, before he could.

Vim glanced back at me and a tiny smirk told me he had indeed been about to bring that up.

Fumbling with my hands, I realized my hands and fingers didn’t know what to do. Hold each other? Cross my arms? Stay limp at my sides? They couldn’t decide.

And I knew my ears and tail were also fluttering and puffed up. I bet I looked awful right now.

I was such a mess.

“And yes…! I know that you mentioned some of our members said I was pretty or whatever… but… That’s also just them being nice, isn’t it?” I added.

I knew I was now rambling, and probably looked… distraught, but honestly I was just excited. I was glad he was willing to talk about this a little more, even if it was super embarrassing for me. “Then every time I think you’re about to try something, you just… stop. And change the conversation, or run away, which makes me feel like you think I’m ugly or something and,” I continued to rattle on, and realized I had just revealed a hidden worry of mine.

About to groan, and turn away as if to hide the shame, I panicked as my mind went numb. What do I say now? I needed to keep talking, as to try and help get him to ignore and forget what I had just said and…

“Rennalee, I suggest you stop saying such things and acting in such a way or I’m going to prove you very wrong,” Vim then said.

My fidgeting stopped, and I looked up at his gaze. It was a firm one. A real one. There man before me had no smirk, and…

He nodded. “You’d think someone so good at painting would realize all the colors she was dyeing me in,” she said.

Smiling at him, I laughed at his weird attempt at a joke.

Vim let me laugh, and I felt the cold desert night’s wind cool me off as I wiped an eye. “That was good,” I said.

“Wasn’t it? Fit this place perfectly,” he agreed.

Yes… it did…

Feeling a little calmer after the laugh, I realized my shoulders were kind of stiff. I relaxed a bit, and felt a lot better.

“Sorry...” I apologized for going off on him. I hadn’t been rude, but I knew it had been… odd and likely unusual. Vim rarely had any members actually shout or say such things to him. Weep in his arms? Sure. Ask for help? Of course… but…

Did any ever do what I did? Babble on about weird things like affection and flirting, and complaining to him about his lack of attention?

“For being adorable? Sure. Apology accepted.”

My face got hot again as I groaned at him. “Who’s dyeing who?” I complained.