After a while, Alix and Mo exit the giant water bubble with Alix having finally managed to calm down. When they exit Alisa went to hug Alix but stopped when Alix flinched at her approach. She took no offense to the reaction and instead started to bombard Alix with questions.
"Are you okay? You were in there for a long time! I thought that you may have drowned with your fish! By the way, I've been meaning to ask you what type of fish Mo is because I don't know any that can fly through the air to their owner?" Alisa clearly had more questions but Alix was in no mood to answer any of them.
She just answered the first question with a single nod and walked away. Tightly clutching Mo who was now back in his fish bowl.
Alix decided that it was probably for the best if she returned home for the day. She had felt like she was in that bubble for hours and really needed to rest. Though, walking out of the classroom revealed that not much time had passed since they had originally entered it.
'It felt longer than it truly was it seems." Alix didn't know whether to feel comfort from that fact or not.
'It doesn't matter, Lexi. Let's just head back to Hedgie's and get some rest." Mo urged Alix to continue moving to which she agreed and continued walking though not like herself.
Her strides were more subdued and short than they normally were. She was also gripping onto Mo's fish bowl so tightly that Mo was starting to fear that it would shatter in her hands. Mo took note of each of these minor details as Alix took her time leaving the campus.
It took Alix about twenty minutes to walk through the school gate. A simple task that normally took a mere five to seven minutes for Alix. Mo could tell that his dear friend was seriously shaken by today's events so he decided to speak up.
'Hey..." Alix looked down to Mo slowly. Seeing her face made Mo feel all the more concerned. Her face revealed no emotions but he could see the lingering fear in her eyes. Mo put on his best warm smile for Alix before speaking.
'How're ya doin', Alix?" Alix stared at Mo in silence. Her feet still moving but that seemed to be muscle memory at this point. She took a deep breath in before responding to Mo.
'I think that I am fine?" Alix responded uncertainly. An act that only furthered Mo's worries. He did not show it on his face, however, as he continued smiling at the girl.
'Ya think? That's not the captain that I know! Aren't ya normally more sure about yourself?" Alix nodded solemnly to Mo's inquiry. 'Well, then what's got ya so uncertain?" Alix shrugged her shoulders slightly.
'I'm not fully sure myself. I'm pretty sure I just had a panic attack but I don't know what caused it. It just came out of nowhere and I couldn't do anything about it. It felt like I'd lost control of myself." Mo felt his bowl shake as Alix's hands began to tremble. Mo's smile dropped as he felt frustrated.
Not at Alix but himself. He wanted to comfort the girl but he obviously has never had a panic attack before so he doesn't know how one would normally deal with that sort of situation. All he knew was that his best friend was freaking out and he desperately wanted to help her.
'What sort of things came into your mind while you were freakin' out?" Alix looked at Mo confused.
'I-it...It was everything at the same time really. Nuka, Trouler, the spell-script, the Progression Summit, the Innovation Conference, the Djinns and so much more. All the while this intense feeling of anxiety and a need to rush loomed around them all. It felt like I had all of these things to do but didn't have anywhere near enough time to do any of them."
Alix's heartrate started to speed up at just mention of these things. Mo nodded as he tried to think of a solution for Alix. He perked up when he suddenly came upon one.
'Alright, so you feel like you don't have enough time to get all of your stuff done, right?" Alix nodded. 'Then why don't we just focus on one thing for right now?" Alix slightly tilted her head to the side.
'One thing?"
'Yeah! We'll just focus on Nuka and Trouler or even better just Trouler. We focus on finding Trouler. Then he can lead us to Nuka and the person that's captured her! That way we get two of those things off of that list of yours. That sounds good, right?" Mo waited for Alix's response with anticipation.
'I can see the logic in your solution." Mo grinned big at the sound of Alix's words.
'Exactly! See, I can be logical just like you!" Mo floated vertically in his bowl and slapped his fin against his underbelly. The gesture made Alix giggle. Her hands ceased their trembling and her grip loosened. Even her stride fixed slightly. Mo continued doing little goofy gestures to make Alix laugh more until she was far more herself.
Alix smiled warmly while watching Mo do his little wiggle dance in the bowl. She took a breath of release as she finally felt the weight that had been pushing down on her lessen. And it was all thanks to her fish friend.
'Thank you, Mo." Mo stopped dancing now that Alix was speaking but he couldn't help but smile at her.
'It's no problem, cap! What sort of first mate would I be if I couldn't even cheer up my dear captain when she's in a tizzy?" Alix lifted her brow amused.
"A tizzy? I don't think I've ever heard ya say that one before." Mo made an equally amused face back at Alix.
"And I don't think I've ever heard you say 'ya' but here we are!" Alix and Mo continued joking and laughing all the way back to the Port of Filth and the Pirate's Worst Nightmare.
The chorus of laughter entering the restaurant shocked Hedgie as she walked into the main hall to see who it was.
"Woah, Alix?! What're ya doin' back so early? And what's got you laughin' like that? Did ya do some gas on the way?"
"Hah, no Hedgie. Mo and I were just joking around a bit and the school was closed today because they had an announcement to make."
"What was the announcement?" Kent suddenly entered the conversation from the kitchen window. He was holding a dirty rag so Alix assumed Hedgie must be making him clean the grill.
"It was about something call the Progression Summit." Hedgie waved dismissively.
"Oh, that old thing?" Alix was shocked by the woman's dismissive nature toward the event.
"You know it?"
"Of course I know. Hell, everybody in this city probably knows something about that thing. They do it every year! At this point it's something that even the townsfolk look forward to! Like a sort of, annual festival for the city!" Alix found this statement unsurprising. Alisa did say something similar about this being an annual event.
"Well, it's still exciting to me! We didn't have anything like this when I was growing up here." Kent peaked out the window surprised.
"You grew up here and don't know about the Progression Summit? How's that possible they've been doin' it for the past six or seven years?"
"I left here ten years ago so it was after my time."
"Oh? Did something come up that made you-"
"Actually, I have something to ask you, Tyrant. It's about our previous conversation." Alix cut off Kent before he could dig further into the reason behind her leaving the city. A move that Kent took note of but didn't speak further on.
"Sure, anything for my co-worker and neighbor! What do ya need?"
"I'll tell you later. Right now I'd like to take a rest. I've had a bit of a day so I think I'm done for the rest of it." Kent looked at the clock.
"But it's only 11:30? Why would you nee-"
"Take as much rest as you need, baby." Hedgie cut Kent off this time. "I'll make the gremlin in the kitchen pick up the slack for ya tonight so get yourself a nice break." Alix smiled and nodded.
"Thanks Hedgie! You spoil me so well!"
"Anything for my fellow bombshell!" Hedgie pursed her lips flirtatiously at Alix making the girl chuckle.
"Right. Have a long night, Tyrant!" Kent scoffed and waved the dirty rag at Alix.
"Whatever. You just spend your day lazing around that room of yours while I get some real work done!" The irony of Kent's words made Hedgie, Alix and Mo all share one final laugh before Alix retreated into her room. Once in she let out an exhausted sigh.
Though she seemed to have a lot of energy with Hedgie and Kent, Alix felt incredibly tired. She fell onto the bed with Mo still in her arms and curled up with him. He had really helped her today.
Mo always helped her but somehow today felt different. It felt like definitive proof that she could rely on him whenever she needed help. It felt like he was something far greater than just a friend.
Mo was like the brother that she never had. A hand that would support her when she needed it.
He was her first mate.