“There’s not really much to tell.” Byxx ruffled his hair with his unoccupied hand and cleared his throat. “I grew up in a tiny town you’ve never heard of and lived a quiet life until I enlisted. My folks were against it, but I was young and had something to prove, and, well…”
“You don’t have to force yourself, really.” Curtis laid a gentle hand on top of Byxx’s, partly to silence him, and partly to offer comfort and support. “Maybe we can talk about your campaign instead. You said something about a war with the Invaders?”
With that, Byxx’s expression softened, and he released the tension in his limbs and jaw. Curtis listened with rapt attention as Byxx spouted off glorious tales of honor and bravery on the battlefields of his homeland, with Curtis not realizing that these stories were pulled directly from Byxx’s life. They journeyed from the Forgotten Wastes to the Edge of Creation as their entrées went cold and uneaten.
“Wow, so your character is a medic, too? That’s impressive.” Curtis shoveled his grilled panini into a takeaway container as Byxx took a bite off his chicken and bacon wrap. “I’d love to see your sheets sometime.”
Byxx snorted, nearly choking on the generous bite of cold wrap, and misunderstanding entirely what Curtis had meant by “sheets.”
“Wh-what?” Byxx struggled.
“Your character sheets.” Curtis raised a brow and failed to understand why Byxx was so startled. “I wanted to see your build, like, how you constructed ‘Byxx’ for role-play.”
“Oh, yeah, sure.” Byxx swallowed hard. “Cass has all that stuff. I’m no good at keeping track of it.”
“That’s okay.” Curtis beamed. “I’m great at math, plus, I’ve been doing this kind of thing for years.”
A faint vibration shook the tabletop, but this time, it was Curtis’s cellphone that caused the disruption. He intercepted a text message and stowed the phone into his pocket before resuming his discussion with Byxx.
“What was that about?” Byxx asked as he finished rounding up the takeaway containers into a plastic bag. “Anything important?”
“Iris just texted me, saying she’s on her way here.” Curtis relayed. “That’s odd though. I don’t remember saying I’d be here today.”
“I wouldn’t let it bother you.” Byxx took a final sip from his mug and placed it gently near Curtis’s depleted sweet tea glass. “Anyway, are you going to tell me the real reason you asked me to join you?”
“H-how did you—”
“Intuition, friend.” Byxx smiled kindly at Curtis, who shrank in his seat and shifted nervously in the booth. “I’m sure you didn’t call me all the way out here just to chat about role-playing games. What is it?”
“I don’t want to say.” Curtis demurred, casting his gaze towards the exit door. “You’ll laugh at me.”
“If I promised that I wouldn’t, would you tell me, please?” Byxx leaned in, allowing the dim Edison bulb to cast a halo of golden light on his striking magenta skin. “I won’t laugh.”
“Well, you see, there isn’t much of a future for me here at the Busy Bee. I’m making about as much here as I ever will, and this isn’t what I want to do with my life… I want to try out for the city police force.” Curtis confessed to Byxx, who knit his brows while trying to piece together what Curtis was driving at. “They have an academy training coming up, but I won’t be able to pass the physical fitness exam unless I train really hard.”
“Is this something you truly want?” Byxx tilted his head and pressed Curtis for an honest answer. “Not to put too fine a point on it, but is that the career you’re driven to pursue?”
“I’d always wanted to, since I was little, and my dad is the Commissioner of the local force, and…” Curtis winced. “Well, I’ll never make it if I look like this…”
“What’s wrong with the way you look?” Byxx assessed Curtis with a generous spirit and gentle smile. “I don’t see anything wrong with you.”
Curtis grimaced weakly at the evaluation Byxx had given him. He had not been in the habit of hearing kind words about his appearance for many years, as his features had softened from stress-eating and a sedentary lifestyle. He wasn’t homely, by any means, but he was on the heavier side, which made it even more difficult to aspire to a more active career.
“That’s nice of you to say, but it isn’t true.” Curtis sank further and withdrew away from the light of their shared booth. “They won’t take me if I can’t pass their qualifier exams. I’m too heavy, too weak, and too slow. That’s why I wanted to ask, well, someone like you.”
“Ask me what?”
“Can you teach me? Or help me train for the academy?” Curtis finally met Byxx’s eyes, revealing a glassy, hopeful expression that was proving irresistible to Byxx. “I-I’d pay for equipment, or a gym membership, or whatever. And for your time, of course… Please, Byxx, will you help me?”
Byxx narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath to consider the opportunity Curtis had presented him with. It was true that Byxx needed access to a proper training facility, but wasn’t there a greater risk of being discovered by humans in that situation?
“Won't people be put off by my appearance?” Byxx squinted and drew his pointed ears back. “I can’t really pass for ‘normal’ with other people.”
Even now, Byxx could sense the lingering stares of curious patrons absorbing the sight of the strange man before them. He stood out with his vibrant skin, spiky horns, and immense height, and it caused Byxx to clasp ferociously at a café napkin until his knuckles blanched.
“You could go without makeup.” Curtis pleaded, clinging to any scrap of hope he could manage. “And we could go during late hours. I wouldn’t mind that.”
“I can’t go as a human.” Byxx winced. “This is who I am.” Byxx stood up and nearly collided with the light fixture as he rose to leave. “Forget it. I knew this was a mistake. I—”
“Please.” Curtis begged as he clasped his hands around Byxx’s thick forearm and trembled softly. “It’s not like that. If this is who you are, then you do you. If anyone gives you any crap, just send them my way. I’ll set ‘em straight, I promise… Please, Byxx…”
Byxx moistened his dry lower lip with the tip of his tongue and traced invisible options in midair with his eyes before meeting Curtis’s stare. The desperate human hung on Byxx’s silence, neither blinking nor breathing, for fear that it might impact Byxx’s decision.
Well, you’re certainly brave, I’ll give you that. And we could really use the money…
“Very well.” Byxx smirked and huffed gently before sitting back down in their booth. “But I run a tight outfit, soldier. Don’t expect much sympathy from an old warrior like me, all right?”
“Yes! Thank you!” Curtis lit up at Byxx’s acceptance of his proposal. He radiated warmth and fidgeted with his takeaway container in efforts to contain his excitement. “I won’t make you regret it, Byxx!”
“Make him regret what?” Iris strode in as the Busy Bee Café door closed behind her, carrying her faux leather bag, and glistening with sweat from heat and haste. “What’d I miss?”
“Oh, hi Iris.” Curtis forced a smile before shooting Byxx an awkward glance. “Byxx agreed to help me out with something a few times a week. Isn’t that right?”
A suspicious, sinking feeling lingered in the long pause between Curtis’s statements. For some reason, Curtis didn’t want Iris to know that he was receiving personal training or trying for the academy qualifier exams, and Byxx puzzled at the implications before responding.
“That’s right.” Byxx winked at Curtis before Iris turned her head to give him her full attention. “The poor lad is hopeless without me. And I promised to help him with some campaign things…”
“Oh, for the game.” Iris sighed and sidled next to Curtis in the plush café booth. Visible waves of relief passed over her face, and Iris smiled brightly at the realization. “That makes sense. I bet you’re getting fired up to play soon, yeah?”
“Uh-huh.” Curtis pressed a soothing finger against the back of his neck at an acupressure point at the base of his skull. He steadied his nerves to prevent him from misspeaking. “Byxx was telling me all about his old game and all kinds of adventures.”
“That sounds fun.” Iris smiled warmly at Curtis, who withdrew and blushed from her prolonged eye contact. “But it looks like the dinner rush should be coming in soon. Is it all right if I take Byxx home?”
“I can drive you.” Curtis cut in and grabbed at his takeaway container with a squeak of polystyrene. “Besides, I’m the one who took him out to begin with. Wait here and I’ll grab my car.”
Curtis toddled off through the Busy Bee exit and into the waning heat of early evening. The regular hum of café activity drowned out any awkwardness between the roommates as Iris set her sights on Byxx. She raised a single brow at him and pursed her lips before speaking.
“Okay, let’s try again.” Iris recalibrated from a lighthearted expression to a more taught, serious one. “What is it that Curtis wanted? Geeked or not, I can’t imagine you two would have multiple weekly meetings to talk about a game you still have to learn. Come on, Byxx, what’s this all about?”
“He wants… to get in better shape.” Byxx confessed, sharing only as much of the truth as he felt comfortable with. Byxx released the stranglehold he had on the café napkin and allowed the tattered remains to rest on the oak tabletop. “He’s having trouble getting fit and wanted some one-on-one help. I said I would do it.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize.” Iris sighed. “Poor Curtis. I know he’s been struggling for a while, but I wasn’t sure what to do…”
“Struggling?”
“Yeah, he’s having a tough time with a few things.” Iris gathered their used dishes onto the plastic tray and readied herself to stand. “It’s not really my place to say, but if you can help him with whatever he’s going through, that would be wonderful.”
“Then you don’t mind us visiting a fitness facility?”
“I don’t know if that’s the best idea. We’d need a more convincing disguise if you want to train at a center.” Iris frowned. “You would be better off at his place or ours. I still have Richard’s free weights. They’re too heavy for me to use, so feel free to take them. And whatever you decide to do, let me know if I can help.”
A few café patrons stared at Byxx as they departed for Curtis’s sedan, but no one was brave enough to approach him to ask about his appearance. Instead, Iris and Byxx sat in the old car and happily chattered away until they reached the shared apartment. Curtis was in much better spirits than Iris had seen in ages, and it suited him much better than withdrawn awkwardness.
Upon their arrival home, the familiar creak of the front door alerted Khazmine to their presence, leading her to close the lid of the laptop and remove the black thumb drive from its USB port. It clanked into her pants pocket and nestled beside a small silver locket on a broken chain. She decided that it was best to feign ignorance for the present and greeted them feebly from her perch on the couch.
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