Monochrome Lives

Chapter Twenty Three

"I certainly did not expect that." Castella comments as her eyebrows raise an inch or so from the normal point. "You've got a good noggin' in there, under all those layers."

"Ha! I don't often show it because of what everyone else thinks." Animbas reclines in his chair a bit more, putting his hands behind his head. 

"Really? That's surprising." Castella leans forward, interested, and feeling calm around him, even though he did toss her about twenty feet through the air not too long ago. 

"What's surprising about that? What do you mean?" Animbas furrows his eyebrows, crossing one leg over the other, fidgeting with his pants that seem to be a bit tight around the quads. Though handsome, and many females Shifters would fall for him, he's not for Castella since she has a bigger prize, one that is asleep currently, just feet away. 

"I just didn't think you'd be the dragon that would care about what others think. I suppose everyone assumes too much." Castella tells him, shurgging a bit, trying to take it all in. "You seem so tough and 'I'd be the last one to care what you think about me,' kind of dragon. I just didn't think it would be you to say something like that."

Animbas laughs before saying as he scratches the back of his neck, "Well, I suppose, like you said, we assume too much, and we never know the whole story. Everyone has their own story, and we often think we know the whole thing. It just seems to go that way, and when I'm at my angriest, it's when I think I know what's going on, but I really don't. No one ever really does know what's going on, because we can't see the full picture, but I like to think I do, which I need to work on."

"You should be a counsellor." Castella comments before Animbas scoffs, telling her: "I'd lose my mind. And we both know for certain that that wouldn't do anyone any good."

They share a good laugh before sighing, going quiet for a while. Castella looks to Arcus and the monitor, seeing how the colour is returning to his cheeks, and his usual tense body is coming back online, unlike when he was as relaxed as a blob fish. His breathing hitches for one moment, and he coughs once before calming completely, both Animbas and Castella watching nervously. They keep monitoring him until things go back to normal, and Arcus's breathing gets stronger as Castella's get shallower. She feels the dried blood against her sides, and thinks, how did Yuleah miss me? And why did she not mention anything about patching me up since I look like a rag doll? 

"You should get those fixed." Animbas points out before Castella looks to him, saying, "I should, yes, except I don't know where she went."

"Which she?" Animbas asks with a slightly raised brow before saying, "The black hair, and plastic looking doctor scrubs?"

"That's the one." She nods before seeing Finley step into the room, not noticing Animbas who is behind her, who's eyes narrow, and hands tighten into fists. He looks to Castella who puts her hand out, in a gesture that says -not a threat- before Finley asks, "Is right now a good time, Castella?"

"Ah, no. I'm sorry, yes." Castella waves her hand before saying, "I'm just wounded, that's all. Could you maybe grab your doctor? I feel like I'm going to pass out on your nasty floor."

"Yes . . . but not right now." Finley tells her before Animbas growls, looking like he's going to go mad, "What do you mean, 'not now?' "

Finley's arm hairs stand from the noise, and she turns to face Animbas, who's green eyes widen ever so slightly, and his fists slacken, much like his jaw. However, his muscles tighten and his breathing almost ceases. 

At the same time, Finley's eyes dart away and she swallows brashly, before glancing back at him, giving a small smile. She takes a shallow breath in and then replies, "There is one white dragon outside, along with a black one. She's helping them since . . . uh," Finley turns to look at Animbas, "you shooed her away."