So, that was that. Decision made.
"Alright, my clone will look for the duke's daughter instead," I declared, turning to face the others. They were still staring at both me and my clone with expressions ranging from disbelief to confusion.
Seriously, how rude could they be? ( ಠ_ಠ)
"Oi," I said, my voice dropping into a more serious tone. My clone and I simultaneously raised an eyebrow at them—a synchronized display of exasperation. "There's only so much I can handle, you know?"
"Oh, uh. Yeah, sure," Serena mumbled, suddenly avoiding eye contact. The others followed her lead, pretending to find the dirt beneath their boots endlessly fascinating.
Seriously? Were they afraid I'd yell at them or something? I don't even yell that much!
Author: Yeah, only most of the time... (´･_･`)
With a deep sigh, I waved off the awkwardness. "Fine. But first, are we still going to buy supplies, or what?"
Serena blinked, her face lighting up like she had just remembered something. "Oh, right! Yeah, the wagon's this way. Follow me." She quickly led us toward the gates, clearly trying to change the subject.
When we arrived, Gorn, who's now guarding the gate, immediately spotted us. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he folded his arms over his chest. He looked like a grumpy dog that thought I might sneak off with his favorite bone although this dog is a hobgoblin.
"I'm just here to buy, Gorn," I assured him, waving my hands innocently.
"You sure? You've got that runaway look in your eyes," he replied, his tone dripping with doubt.
"Me? Run away? I would never," I gasped, placing a hand over my heart like I was offended. "Gorn, do you think so little of me?"
"Yes."
...Ouch but understandable
（￣～￣;）
"Alright, fine, whatever," I muttered, rolling my eyes. I gestured for Leah, she got inside the merchant's wagon looking at the food and clothings as well as some weapons and potions.
I wasn't about to stand there and argue with him while my reputation as a *responsible* individual was clearly nonexistent.
Serena moved to inspect the wagon's contents, ticking off items on a small list after Leah told her what was gonna be bought.
Meanwhile, I noticed that my clone had wandered off a few steps and was now staring at a patch of flowers near the gate.
"Hey, get back here!" I called out.
She glanced over her shoulder, looking unimpressed. "I'm literally you. Do you really think I'd run off?"
"That's not the point," I grumbled, stomping over to drag her back to the group. "Stay put."
The others were snickering again, of course. Typical.
Rea, in particular, seemed to be having a hard time keeping a straight face. "I don't know, Aria," she said between chuckles. "Your clone's kinda more chill than you."
"I AM chill," I snapped, though the effect was somewhat ruined by how much I wasn't sounding chill at all. I'm a little stressed, I think.
Rea just smirked, clearly enjoying my frustration. I shot her a glare but didn't have the energy to argue.
A loud metallic clunk interrupted the conversation as Titan stepped forward, holding out a handful of coins. The hunk of metal must have decided he'd seen enough of my whining and was now offering to pay for the supplies to get this over with.
"Oh, thanks, Titan," Serena said, taking the coins with a smile. Gorn, seeing that we really were just buying things went back to what he was doing on the watchtower above.
While Serena and the others busied themselves with gathering supplies, I leaned against a nearby post, arms crossed. My clone mimicked me perfectly, leaning on the opposite side with the exact same stance.
"Okay," she said after a moment. "So what's the plan? You're sending me to do the hard work, and you're gonna sit around and twiddle your thumbs?"
"Pretty much," I replied.
She sighed dramatically. "Figures. That's what I would do."
I grinned, patting her on the shoulder. "Hey, don't complain. You're technically me, so this counts as teamwork."
"That's... not how teamwork works."
"Details," I said with a shrug.
At that moment, Leah walked over, carrying a small sack of supplies. "Alright, we've got what we need. Can we go now, or are you two going to keep bickering with yourselves?"
"We're good," I said quickly, straightening up. My clone nodded in agreement.
We started heading back toward the square, with Gorn watching us the entire time back. I could feel his eyes boring into the back of my head, as if he were silently daring me to try anything sneaky. Not that I was planning to, of course!
Author *rolls their eyes* : Yeah, right.
---
By the time we got back to the square, the sun was at it's apex. The streets were bustling with people talking to each other and some were setting up something near the square.
"Alright, clone me," I said, turning to face her. "You know your mission. Find the duke's daughter, gather any leads, and report back. Got it?"
"Got it," she replied with a mock salute.
"And no slacking off," I added.
She gave me a flat look. "Again, I'm literally you. Slacking off is my middle name, but yeah, I get the idea."
"Good," I said, crossing my arms.
With that, she turned and headed off toward the marketplace, blending into the crowd. I watched her go, feeling oddly proud of myself. Or... of her? Whatever.
"Do you think she'll actually get anything done?" Rea asked, sidling up beside me.
"Of course she will," I said confidently.
"...You don't sound very sure."
I didn't dignify that with a response.
As the rest of us began making our way back to my house, I couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief. Sure, things were chaotic, and sure, my clone was probably going to end up in some kind of ridiculous situation, but for now, everything felt... manageable..
And hey, if she messed up, at least it wouldn't be my fault. Right?
Right.
Little Theater:
Serena: "So, Aria, what's the plan for tomorrow?"
Aria: "I was thinking of letting my clone handle everything while I finally get a nap."
Clone: "Bold of you to assume that a clone of you would do anything productive."