NOVEL NEXT 1.70 – Prepare
Emma was disappointed by it, but they skipped doing any extracurricular dream entertainment that night. Maple, and even Thera, both wanted to be rested for the day to come. Staying up all night lucid dreaming wouldn't net the same amount of rest.
Moreover, Maple was anxious and decidedly not in the mood. For once. A few hours of unconsciousness would serve her well. She'd been an atheist, before all this. Funny how that could change so rapidly.
She still was, in this world's sense; she wasn't about to pledge fealty to any God or Goddess, no matter what they gave her. They existed, however, and in that sense, Maple was a believer. It disturbed her to imagine.
Weighed on her, really. Like the milk thing, like everything else. She didn't want to leave this world because it was interesting and everything else, but—it weighed on her, was all.
Today was another day she found herself not wanting to leave her bed. That was becoming a more frequent thing, but it wasn't exactly different from her previous life. Back then, it was school and all the work she had to do that she dreaded. Here, it was Gods, what they possibly wanted from her, responsibility, misplaced guilt—
Emma poked her. Her grinning face said only one word, though she couldn't manifest it in the air. Adventure! Maple laughed.
"Good morning, cutie."
Emma gave her a quick peck before enveloping her body with hers. Cuddling with a slime was the best. Maple doubted she'd be able to go back to anything else. She'd heard of weighted blankets before, that they reduced anxiety in some people. Emma's warm weight wrapping around her might be a similar experience. A far better experience—she didn't need to try a weighted blanket to know that—but similar, maybe.
Emma's head formed above Maple's and she looked into her eyes.
"I suppose we should get up, huh?"
Nod.
"Oof, alright. Mh, what if you carried me?"
Maple wasn't sure she even could, but Emma's sparkling eyes said she was up for trying. She tried with her human-like arms first. She lifted Maple a few inches, but her arms flopped down and dropped her back onto the bed. Maple moved to sit up, but Emma stopped her.
Her human form may be weak, but that design flaw wasn't hers. Emma adopted a more blob-like shape, and pulled Maple on top of her.
"Whoa—ah, you did it. Heh. You're pretty comfy like this. Like a beanbag."
Emma vibrated her acknowledgement and Maple laughed. Emma rolled them across the floor toward the door, while Maple reclined on top of her. Rachel groggily met Maple's eyes.
"Uh—good morning. Emma's carrying me."
"...I see that."
Maple nodded once. When Emma reached the door, Maple opened it and was carried into the hall. They got to the stairs, where Emma paused.
"Alright, I don't think we should—aaaaah!"
Emma pushed forward and slid down the stairs. Maple covered her face and screamed. Emma's soapy body picked up speed quick. Maple was sure she felt an anxious vibration come from her.
They were going to slam into the wall. Maple curled into a ball, feet forward. Emma sent tendrils out to the banister, but they didn't catch. At the last moment, she put herself between Maple and the wall.
And caught her. Maple's impact was cushioned and she was submerged for a second. Emma set her on the floor gently. She re-formed her face and inspected Maple, worried.
"Agh. That's one way to wake up—I told you not to."
Maple's heart pounded in her chest, but she was uninjured. Emma made a sad face and patted her before pulling out her notebook.
Sorry.
"I'm fine, cutie. Let's just not do that again."
She nodded and Sasha came over as Maple was standing up. She frowned down at her.
"What happened?"
"Uh, nothing. Emma was carrying me, and she decided going down the stairs was a good idea."
"Was it?"
Emma glumly shook her head and Sasha laughed. What a start to the day. Thera and the rest of Azure Bond were already up, so Maple and Emma joined them at a table. Sylla looked up from her eggs.
"Was that you screaming, Maple?"
"Yeah. We, uh, slipped down the stairs. I'm fine. Em saved me."
Maple ran a hand through Emma's squishy hair. She looked so guilty that Maple didn't have the heart to implicate her any further. It had been her own idea at the start after all. Thera looked up, mind on other things.
"We're in, by the way."
"Oh, you already decided?"
Maple looked to the other three and got nods. She wasn't sure how much Thera had told them, but...they were in. Good.
"We'll leave at dawn tomorrow, so make sure you're up and ready."
Emma perked up, excited again. Adventure! She wiggled her eyebrows at Maple. Maple smiled. She was excited, too, but nervous.
Emma had to leave after breakfast.
I need to tell Marielle I'll be gone. Might work today.
"Alright, cutie. Be safe."
Emma nodded and made an ILU with her hand, which Maple returned.
Azure Bond were in and out, getting supplies and doing whatever adventurers did. Maple didn't have a ton to do, and had Sylla inject mana into her again so she could practice that in the meantime. Sylla was happy to oblige.
Sasha eventually set her up with a couple loaves of bread and some dried meat—adding it to her tab—as well as a large waterskin. As she had time throughout the day, Sasha would head into the basement and after a few minutes come back up with some new piece of equipment for Maple to bring with her.
A knife, a tent, some old boots, a shovel, several tarps, a flint and steel, a fishing rod, an umbrella, a non-magical lantern...
"Uh, do I really need the fishing rod? Or the shovel? Or...how am I going to carry all this?"
Sasha gave her a guilty smile.
"Yeah, you don't have to take all of it. I mean, you never know, but, yeah I can't find my old bag. Leave whatever you don't want. You really just need food, water, and the tent. And the knife. And the lantern would be good too, traps that sap mana are a thing—they're rare, but...and I mean, it might rain. You never know."
Maple slowly nodded.
