Once before, we had taken a small tour of Fun Castle. Today, we had a more in-depth look at the place, including some behind-the-scenes with the performers. While the owner himself was not here today, the assistant manager, along with Ellie's co-worker Justine, happily showed us around and answered our questions about how things worked here. Our tour concluded an hour later, and we then went to hang around at once of the mall courts for a while.
“F-five o'clock, huh?” Andrea smiled wryly as Ellie softly grumbled.
“Yeah... and it's not worth going home in the meantime 'cause I already have my stuff here...” the blonde girl remarked.
“I guess I can stick around at least until four.” the other shrugged back. “The cousins won't be over 'til four-thirty.”
“Ehh? Again? That's three times this week for you, isn't it? Aren't your grands back yet?”
“Summertime, summertime.” Andrea sighed.
“Woof,” Ellie shook her head.
“Hah, and I have to wait until seven...” Thomas grinned ruefully.
“Blehh, I'd rather be me.” Ellie quipped, and a couple of us snickered at the words.
“You say that now, but technically we're both still part-time. Next year you'll actually be full-time with your half-day at school, then you might envy me!” he returned.
“Hmm? You're not doing the half-day thing?” Ellie wondered.
“Not me. I have some classes I want to take, and they're all in the afternoon.” he answered with a shrug.
“The half-day is only a senior thing, huh?” Anhe remarked.
“Yep,” Rachel nodded back.
“Mary's one of the half that didn't take it this year.” Andrea said. “Half of them! Last year it was only about a fourth of them...”
“They have a new trade-school offering afternoon classes a few blocks away from our school,” Mary said, “So a lot of people in my grade decided they wanted to go there and pick up more practical job skills instead of looking at books all day.”
“And the nursing program at the hospital a few block in the other direction got a few people's attention too, I bet,” Ellie noted.
“Oh definitely,” Mary agreed. “As well as the veterinary clinic next door to it.”
“Oooh, neat! Forgot about that one,” the other girl remarked.
“The trade-off for half-days at our school is that you have to enroll in some sort of practical learning program or have a job in the afternoon, which is fair.” Mary smiled.
“Of course!” Ellie beamed.
“Hmm...” Anhe remarked thoughtfully.
“Thinking about what you might do with one, Anhe?” Rachel asked her.
“A little bit,” the other nodded. “Though that is a year away for me to decide.” she added with a smile.
“No rush and no worries.” Ellie shrugged. “Oh right, I saw that kooky guy come up to the two of you earlier at the Park,” she said as she turned to me and Rachel.
“Ahh...”
“He does fit that bill, doesn't he?” Rachel grinned. “Sabrina interrupted him, though, so he didn't really get a chance to talk to us... thankfully, I suppose,” she said.
“Who'd've thought that shadowy assassin from the tournament would become one of our biggest advocates?” Andrea remarked.
“Right?” Rachel agreed.
“Well we have our little dork to thank for that,” Ellie said with a smirk.
“Oy...” I returned with a sigh.
“He does have that effect on people. Or at least Lana certainly does,” Mary nodded, a small smile on her face as well.
“Whatever world he's in,” Rachel said as she patted my head, “He certainly does have an impact.”
Do I really have that big an impact on others...? I had to wonder.
“Even if he doesn't think so himself,” she added, looking at me with a smile as if she was reading my mind. I slowly smiled back in reply.
“True,” Thomas said with a nod. “Hey, even I can tell that much!” he said in response to my giving him a funny look.
“Ah! Sean, look!” Anhe patted my shoulder, pointing towards one of the gaming stores.
“Hmm?” I returned as I looked over. “Nyah?!”
“Wow!” Rachel and I exclaimed together as we saw what had suddenly caught her eye.
There was a scaled replica of Harmonia City carefully situated on a display just outside the store. We all hurried over to look, finding that every building and NPC had been included. The arena even had contestants in it, locked in a still from a deadly combat, and there was a dragon that had been hung from the ceiling so that it looked to be “flying” around the city.
“Oh wow, it's Dracky!” Rachel suddenly realized.
“Huh? Oh yeah!” Andrea exclaimed.
“Neat!” Mary smiled.
“I wonder what he would think of it,” Anhe said with a grin.
“I kinda do as well,” I admitted with my own grin.
“Now I wonder who these two are supposed to be,” Ellie said as she looked at the two figures in the arena, her tone hinting that she already knew the answer.
“Hmm? What do you mean?” Andrea asked her. “Ohh, I see!” she then smirked.
“Hah! That's good,” Thomas agreed.
“Too good.” Mary nodded as she examined them. Anhe took a look and giggled, waving for me and Rachel to come and look.
“Hm?” my girlfriend wondered. “Oh!”
“Gyeck?!” the two of us exclaimed. The figures were based on Lana and Myanihia.
“Well of course; that fight was the most watched fight of the whole tournament, and it was being streamed on about every corner of the 'net at that point...” Thomas said.
“Boy was it,” Ellie nodded. “Heh, they're just different enough to avoid trouble.” she then remarked as she looked at them again.
“Oh definitely.” Andrea agreed. “But if you know, you know.”
“Right?” the other girl grinned back.
“Let's check out the store while we're here and see if this thing is hinting at deals on in-game stuff,” Thomas then suggested, to which we unanimously agreed.
“We're not playing it, we're getting ready for when we get back in,” Rachel justified with a grin when I almost retracted my assent.
“Ahh... ah-heh,” I grinned back as we headed inside.
“Excuses, excuses.” Ellie teased. “Just get back on already, losers!”
“Boo! I want to see them make it a whole week without it,” Andrea quipped back.
“D-didn't we all do that together...?” I returned.
“Only five days.” the reply came.
“Ahh...”
“Well,” Thomas shrugged, “You can tell us how it feels later so we can better prepare for our vacation this summer.”
“Oh, right,” I said with a snap of my fingers.
“We will all have more fun things to do when we are there, so much so that we will not miss Panarena one bit!” Anhe asserted with a smile.
“Well of course,” I agreed, and she and Rachel both gasped.
“Rachel, Rachel, did you hear him??”
“I definitely heard him!”
“Gyeck?!” I froze, suddenly realizing I had said something vaguely out of character.
“Some-body save the date,” Mary grinned as she patted me on the head.
“Oh boy...”
“Now, now; don't tease him too much,” Andrea smirked.
“How about 'just enough'?” Ellie beamed back.
Ah, snap... I guess I know what's coming...
“Pfft! The resignation!” Thomas guffawed as he observed my face falling.
“Right?” Mary replied. “Ahh, he's just so...”
“Adorkable!” they all chorused, and I sighed as heads turned to look with amusement at our little group of cackling high-schoolers.
***
“This, is a good restaurant,” Sabrina remarked to us later that night as she looked around.
So between earlier and now, we had gotten a few things from the gaming store that we could apply to our Panarena accounts later for in-world bonuses (mostly cosmetics but also some crafting boosters); then we had taken off from the mall around four a la Sabrina, who once again came to our rescue in the homework department. When we mentioned Three Kingdoms Soul in conversation with her, she had immediately been interested, and so after our tutoring session she had Victor take us there.
“Isn't it though?” Rachel smiled.
“I'm still not sure why you're having us wear our formal-wear though,” I said with a bemused grin.
Oh. Sabrina had asked us to wear something nice before we left; she herself had gotten changed into a black dress with a floral pattern of gold and silver on the edges. As for myself, I had no idea why I had actually brought any dressy clothes with me aside from my school uniform. But I had, fortunately, and so I obligingly put them on. I mean, she was treating us. It was the least I could do. And so here I was in a black suit with blue shirt and brown shoes, while Rachel had on a yellow dress with white trim, along with white dress shoes.
“You'll see.” came the reply from our friend, who was smiling like a Cheshire cat. Victor, who was also seated with us, grinned as well.
“Madam is in high spirits this evening. I hope your studies have been going well?” he said to her.
“They have; although, some of it, is getting tricky. I'll, have to put in some hours, tomorrow, at the pool as well.” she nodded back.
“Will madam walk down as usual?” Victor inquired.
Come to think of it, she does walk to her job, doesn't she? I recalled, thinking back to the time I had first met her (somewhat unknowingly) on the streets.
“I think yes; you, have your family to think of, tomorrow, so, I want you, to take care of them,” Sabrina told him.
“Very well then. I thank madam for her courtesy.” he replied, and she smiled back.
“Of course.” she said.
“And the younger masters; I trust you are spending your time well?” he then asked us.
“As well as we can, I suppose,” I answered him. He gave me a knowing smile.
“Madam's mother is curiously invested in your futures; you, in particular, young sir. It pleases me to have a good report for her if asked.” he said to me.
“Ah--! I don't quite know what to say to that, but I'm glad it helps you,” I replied, and he nodded back.
The server came with our orders then, and the conversation turned to the food moments later as we began eating. All the while, all I could think about was how odd and yet how natural all of this was at the same time. It made me wonder about the path I might take just a little more seriously. Not that I had any definitive answers, but it was certainly thought-provoking.
If someone at the top rung of the business and entertainment sector has their eye on me, even just a little bit, I guess the least I should do is start looking at the road ahead, I thought to myself.
After dinner, Sabrina had Victor take us to a part of the city I had never been to before. At first glance, it was like any other district; yet it was clear after a few moments that this was a place where the upper echelon of the city would gather. Absolutely no one we saw wore casual clothes--well... not in the sense that I thought of clothes being casual, at least. The outfits ranged from the austere to the flamboyant, from my perspective; dignified and regal looking suits, gown, and tuxedos, showy dresses, eccentric costumes, and colorful vestments -- I felt out of place, for sure.
I looked over at Sabrina as we pulled in to what seemed to be our destination, a lavish hotel with elegant fountains and carefully maintained gardens around it. She seemed as cool and confident as she always did. I looked over at Rachel; she was also fairly at ease with our current surroundings. Not that she didn't seem nervous, but I guess being a diplomat's daughter meant that she'd been to a few things like this in her life.
“The Hotel Versailles, as requested, madam.”
“Thank you, Victor. Please, enjoy yourself as well,” Sabrina said to him as he parked the limousine.
“Of course. I shall be on hand when madam gives the signal to leave.” he then said as he got out to open the door for us.
And absolutely none of this was on any of my bingo cards. Nope. Not a second of it, I thought bemusedly as I got out, then, suddenly thinking about it, turned to hold out my hand for Rachel as she got out. She smiled at me, taking my hand as she exited the limousine while Victor did the same for Sabrina, whom I could see softly grinning at me. The door was then shut, and Victor excused himself to join the outdoor festivities while the three of us made our way towards the regally imposing building.
“W-what are we doing here?” I asked nervously as Rachel took my arm.
“Just, a little something, to make up for all the trouble,” Sabrina said with a soft smirk, taking my other arm.
“I think my mother once made a speech at this hotel,” Rachel said.
“Oh, Interesting! Yes, it is a place, where important gatherings happen, at times,” Sabrina nodded.
“Miss Jennings! It's been a long time. Your reservations, as requested,” one of the--stewards?--at the door said, handing us three tickets.
“Thank you.” she replied to him as she accepted them. “The usual room, I presume?”
“Down the left and turn right, as always,” he nodded. “Your mother wasn't on the lists tonight; it's unusual for you to be here without her?” he wondered.
“It happens, once in a while,” she said with a shrug as we entered, and he gave her a nod.
“Well, enjoy yourselves!” he smiled, and returned his attention to the next group of incomers.
Just as he had said, we headed down the corridor to the left, finding a door on the right marked out with an elaborate sign for whatever the occasion was tonight. My brain was having so much trouble accepting the fact that I was even here that I wasn't quite sure what was printed on it, only that it was colored with pinks and blues, and I think silver. And inside the ballroom itself, I felt like I had stepped into some fancy place from Harmonia City or Bretony, or perhaps even a period drama of some kind.
“Whoa,” I remarked softly as Rachel held on to my arm. Sabrina let go as we entered, gazing calmly upon the people gathered around the ballroom.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
It had wood-paneling around it, and the light from the chandeliers and candelabras around the room gave it an almost golden appearance. The table-cloths were white or golden in color, along with a few purple ones; I quickly realized that those designated where the food was. A full orchestra in very formal attire was situated at the far end of the room, currently engaged in playing a lively piece for the people now dancing.
“Bach?” Rachel wondered.
“Mozart,” Sabrina returned.
“Ah.” the other nodded.
“H-how...” I said bemusedly.
“Don't worry about it.” Rachel patted my arm as Sabrina smiled.
“Go on, have some fun!” she said. “I have, some people here, to talk to; but, Rachel...”
“You can definitely borrow him later -- or me, if you want,” my girlfriend said with a smirk. Sabrina winked back, and then headed over towards a different group of people for the time being.
“'Have some fun,' she says,” I looked around at the room full of people anxiously.
“You were fine at New Years,” Rachel gently prodded me as we made our way to the edge of the dance floor.
“Th-that was--”
“And our school dances, too.”
“Ahh...”
“Come on,” she smiled as we got ready to dance.
“B-but that was all, you know, contemporary music!” I quietly protested as we started out with a waltzy sort of sway. Rachel softly laughed, smiling at me.
“You're adorable.” she said as, despite my misgivings, I found myself easing into the dance.
“Not as much as you,” I replied, our eyes locking together. She smiled; the music slowed, and so did our dance.
“What's on your mind?” she asked me softly.
“Besides you?” I managed to grin back. “I guess I'm wondering what sort of future is ahead of me; of us, for that matter,” I told her, and she nodded back.
“We do have at least a year before that sort of thing gets more important... but I'm glad you're taking it more seriously,” Rachel replied.
“A year... it might as well be a decade right now.” I said.
“Right?” she agreed. “Though a decade later we'll be wishing it hadn't come so soon...”
“I bet,” I nodded back.
“See? You're doing fine,” she remarked as we continued dancing, remaining on the edges of the crowd.
“Hrrmm,” I returned uncertainly, but smiled back anyway.
“You know we'll be at a place like this for prom, right?” Rachel grinned.
“You know prom is a year away for us too, yeah?” I returned.
“Hmm... yes and no,” she said, giggling.
“What does that mean?” I asked her with a smile, feeling as if we had held this conversation before.
“You'll see.” she told me. “I've got some of it worked out... not all of it, but some.”
“Hmm...?” I looked at her curiously. She halted my questions as the music headed into a slower, more idyllic melody by drawing closer and laying her head on my shoulder as we continued dancing.
“Whatever you do... I know you'll do it with all your heart.” Rachel told me. “You've proven that to me a lot over the last few months. I can't wait to see where you go--where we go.”
“I want the same.” I said in reply. “You're just as amazing, you know. I don't know if I would have opened up to someone else the way I've opened up to you; it... it's made a lot of difference in my life.”
“And you've been a huge difference in my life, too.” she said. “And together we've made some differences in other people's lives around us, like Sabrina.” she added.
“Like Sabrina.” I agreed.
We continued dancing, wordlessly exchanging our hearts with one another as the music led us on step by step. I started losing the self-consciousness I'd had about being in such a fancy place. It didn't matter if it wasn't “normal” for me to be here, of all places. Right now, it was exactly where I was meant to be; it had that kind of sensation to it. All I could think of was the earth angel in my arms; all I could hope was that I would be with her forever. Pretty sappy, huh? But it's the truth. The honest, unmistakable truth.
I don't know how long the orchestra played their music, but at the end of it there was applause for their performance, and then they began another piece. Sabrina came over to us, and Rachel smiled as she gently cut in. The older girl nodded to a table nearby, where she had placed her things; Rachel nodded back, and went to wait for us there. I crimsoned a bit as Sabrina began dancing with me, a soft smile on her lips.
“Don't be so nervous,” she whispered.
“I-I'm not nervous,” I returned.
“You can bluff me as Lana; but, here, I see you.” Sabrina returned, still smiling.
“… I'm a little nervous.” I then admitted.
“It's, my first dance as well... officially,” she told me. “I did have a lot, of tutors; but, usually, if I went to any, I was the wallflower.”
“W-well,” I began uncertainly, and then smiled. “It's my honor, then.” I said, and she smiled back, nodding.
“And mine.” she said.
The dance was not quite up to a lively pace, but it wasn't slow either. I suppose it was a waltz of some kind; I only recalled that because Rachel had more or less taught me how to spot their rhythms. The dancers, including us, were all turning about towards the right with their lead. It made me wonder...
“Ah... so... what's the music they're playing?” I asked her.
“This piece? It's, from Strauss; the 'Vienna Waltz',” Sabrina told me.
“Hmm...?” I returned with interest.
“Short, but sweet,” she smiled; I blinked in curiosity, and the tempo picked up a bit.
We danced around for a few moments more, and then the music came to a crescendo, ending suddenly. Those of us enjoying it by dance or by listening applauded once more, and Sabrina led me back to the table where Rachel was waiting, sitting me beside my girlfriend and taking the seat opposite us.
“Thank you,” Sabrina said, and Rachel beamed back.
“This place really is something, though,” my girlfriend remarked.
“It is.” the other agreed.
“Enjoying the night, I see, my good sir!” a semi-familiar voice called.
That can't be. It just *can't* be him.
I looked towards the sound of the voice; there was indeed a gaudily dressed man headed our way, but he looked to be around our age, more or less--probably closer to Sabrina's age then ours. And the expression held far more interest in what was before him than the aloof one that was projected by Mr. Saint-James.
“So who's this nutcracker come to life?” I softly whispered. Rachel turned her head, hiding her face as she began quietly cracking up.
“Oh, you were here,” Sabrina remarked idly.
“Now, now! Miss Jennings! Is that any way to treat the son of one of your mother's vaunted peers?” the young man beamed back with an insincere smile.
Vaunted peers, huh? Which means...
“Don't tell me you're Such-and-such Something Saint-James the Fourth?” I asked him. I had the distinct pleasure of seeing his facial expression twitch with annoyance at the question.
“Ah-ha,” he returned, collecting himself masterfully, “I see my father was right about you in certain ways. Though he never gave me to expect you'd be the kind of person to turn up at one of these! Allow me to correct your misconception: my name is Constantine; Constantine William Nathaniel Saint-James, named after my great-great-grandfather, making me the Second!”
“Ah-huh,” I vaguely nodded back.
“Not impressed?” he smiled back condescendingly. “Of course not; why would you be? A simple person like you must already be too impressed with his unexpected surroundings to be impressed by my name, majestic and regal though it surely is! My apologies, little friend, for overestimating your capacity for awe,” he said with an apologetic shrug.
“Hah... no wonder she hates you,” I couldn't help but remark. Rachel bit her tongue, and Sabrina gave me a sly smirk as Constantine's expression twitched again.
“'H-hates'? Me? Who hates me? Everyone loves me! And especially me lovely fiancée, whose name is the very epitome of 'amour', oui!” he retorted after a moment.
“E-everyone, you say?” I returned.
“Of course!” he replied with gusto, pointing at me. “Even you, on some level, have an adoration for me, though you may not know it! Me!”
“Ahh... why is that?”
“Why? Why? Why, my dear friend, allow me to explain!” he said, taking a chair from another table to sit near us.
Not as dense as you look, huh? I remarked inwardly at his choice of seating.
“My father and his companies run around a third of the city's enterprises; once a certain conjugal celebration has been achieved in the next year or two, it will be just over a half! We're working so hard so that people like you can make real progress in this city and not waste your time in idle dreams and superfluous careers of meaningless ambitions!” he told us with a haughty smile.
“I don't think I want to hear 'superfluous' from the guy who looks like he stepped off the front of a King's Champion cereal box...” I quipped.
Ahh--I should've kept that one in, I quickly thought to myself as his face twitched for a third time.
“Nyea--?! Well I--the point is... but anyhow -- bah! Never mind; someone like you could never understand after all.” he said with a sniff, standing up.
Playing that card, huh?
“No no, I understand.” I said to him, and he looked at me with a dark smile.
“Do you?” he wondered with a hint of arrogance. “Do you indeed, Truant who spells his name Jester?”
Hahh... playing *that* game, huh? Well then...
“Of course I do, Villain who spells his name Prince,” I returned with a shrug.
“As you like it, then.” he said in reply.
“Constantine.” Sabrina then cut in, and he looked over at her. “Neptune.” she said to him. He paled, and all but dashed away from us as Sabrina returned to casually sipping from her glass.
“N-Neptune?” Rachel wondered.
“It's not, for you to know.” she smiled at us. “But, you won't have trouble, from him now. An interesting character, isn't he?”
“Hmm.” I sighed in agreement. “Still... him aside, why am I the only one being attacked by anyone? What about the others? Why have none of them had anything bad happen? Not that I want that at all...” I amended as I let my thoughts out.
“That is definitely weird, now that you mention it...” Rachel agreed, and Sabrina nodded.
“But, don't waste time, thinking about it. It's enough, that they're safe, and that you are as well.” she said to us.
“I guess so,” I allowed with a nod. Rachel then gently tugged my arm as she stood up. I took her meaning at once, smiling as I got up with her. Sabrina smiled at us as we headed back out to the dance floor, quietly sipping from her glass.
“Whatever happens, we're all here for you,” Rachel whispered to me as we fell into the steps of the dance.
“I know,” I told her with a smile. “I know.”
***
“Seaaan,” Rachel poked me as I lay motionless upon the bed.
It was after ten now; Sabrina had brought us home a little less than an hour ago, and I had gotten back into normal clothes for the night while Rachel had gone to have a shower. She was now in her own nightclothes, softly poking me as she observed my trance-like state. I was still absorbed in wondering how exactly I had gotten to where I was at the moment, and why no one else was being harassed the way I was. That it had happened once was unusual; that it had now happened twice was suspicious. What if it's not exactly related to the play? But that would make it weirder still... I guess I really am better off not thinking about it, I reasoned as I slowly turned to my girlfriend, gently taking her hand and placing it on my chest. She smiled.
“Still thinking about things, huh?” she asked.
“A bit. But it's too much, and I'm too simple... might as well forget about it for now.” I remarked.
“You're not that simple,” she returned, a slight frown on her face.
“Hrrmm.” I softly returned, unwilling to either amend or recant what I had said.
“Well... maybe to a point...” Rachel then smirked. “But you're not a simpleton, at least.”
“Ehh. I'll take that.” I replied with a grin.
“Good.” she said as she snuggled in. “What's happening tomorrow?” she then asked me.
“Hmm? Oh, right, Sunday...” I recalled.
Come to think of it, I've never had the option to do what I want on Sunday mornings... although... dad sometimes used to talk about this one spot that he and mom liked, over on the east side of the city. It's way out there, though we could probably get there in time...
“If you feel like getting up early, I might know something we can do,” I then smiled back.
“Hmm...?” Rachel gave me a quizzical look, then smiled. “'Kay. Your surprise, then.” she said as she closed her eyes for sleep.
“You bet,” I replied, doing the same. A moment later, the both of us had fallen asleep.
I snapped awake just before four-thirty. Rachel was still asleep. It was still dark outside, but it was slowly getting lighter. Gently, I nudged Rachel awake. She got up after a moment, and with a smile we started getting ready for the day. After grabbing a breakfast from the cornerstore nearby, we headed for a bus-stop, and a few minutes later we were on our way to the other side of the city.
At this time of day, there was nearly nothing going on around the city. There were one or two streets being repaired, and a couple of patrol cars going on their usual routes, along with the occasional paper delivery, but little else besides that or the buses -- such as ours. It wound its way through the old city, and then navigated through the skyscraper-filled new city with a practiced ease. As five o'clock came along, we began heading out of city limits. These express lines really do go a lot faster, I mused as the scenery began transforming from the futuristic back to the urban and then to the rustic.
Oop! That stop there, I then noted as I saw the sign for what I wanted. The bus slowed, coming to a halt at the stop in question, and we got off. Rachel took my arm, and I looked around for a moment as the bus continued on its way.
“Where to?” Rachel asked.
“Hmm... where is it... oh, there,” I said, pointing towards an old sign.
“'The Overlook',” Rachel said as we made our way to the path it marked out. “An uphill climb first thing in the morning, huh?”
“It's not so bad, from what dad told me,” I returned as we grinned at each other.
“I think I know what the surprise is,” she then said, “But let's get there first!”
“Right!” I nodded back.
So the path goes up, but the actual road that the bus was probably still on heads down into a wide valley. The area is usually just referred to as “The Valley,” but there's actually about three towns that the winding roads pass through. I say “about”, because there's a few farming communities that are practically their own little towns or villages, but officially only the three towns are recognized. Which is probably how the smaller villages prefer it. Anyway.
It was about a ten-minute hike up to the top; there was a bench a couple meters away from the edge that we parked ourselves on, sipping on our coffees as we leaned gently against one another. In the still-dim morning light, we could see the shapes of houses and other buildings in the distance, some of them with active chimneys. It was just a bit cool this morning. After a while, the moment I had been told about and was now expecting finally happened: the sun rose up over the distant horizon, casting its light into the great valley below us. I could do little but stare at the view before us, a strange feeling of longing in my chest.
“Definitely worth it,” Rachel whispered.
“Yeah,” I whispered back, as if I was afraid a loud voice might suddenly make the view go away. It was a silly, groundless fear, but in that moment it didn't seem quite so foolish.
“Is your grand's house down there somewhere?” she asked me after a while.
“It's in the western hills, actually,” I replied.
“Ahh.” she nodded. “Still... it'd be nice to explore those places!” she smiled.
“It really would,” I agreed.
“Wanna try over the summer? After our vacation, that is.”
“Hmm... later in the summer, maybe... we are gonna be overseas for a month, after all.”
“Oh def. No rush.” Rachel nodded in agreement.
“We'll do that, then,” I smiled.
We returned to basking in the sunrise then, communing silently in the morning light as it began to wash over the valley and make its way towards the city. It felt very... spiritual, just being here, in this place, with someone special. I don't think I would say it was more spiritual than say, church; I would say it was of a different kind, though. Maybe it sounds nonsensical. That's all right with me. For ourselves, in that moment, it made perfect sense.
We caught a return bus to the city around seven, and once we had gotten to the downtown area we got off at a quiet stop to go walking. It had been a while since we had really just walked through the town together with no real destination in mind. Grand City Cathedral loomed in the distance, a Neo-Gothic masterpiece of the modern era that dwarfed many of the structures around it. No, it wasn't the church my family usually went to; it was, however, one of the seven wonders of the city.
“Pretty.” Rachel said as we walked along a sidewalk that brought us near to it.
“For sure.” I agreed.
“Hm? What's this?” she then wondered as we came upon an intersection; ahead of us was the Bazaar, the outdoor mall of the city.
“Oh, the Bazaar,” I said in recognition.
“Oh neat!” she smiled, sniffing the air. “Mm! That smells good,” she noted with delight as she looked over towards one of the food vendors.
“Hmm...?” I wondered, doing the same. A cinnamon-like scent caught my attention, along with a strong waft of bacon, sausage, eggs, and other breakfast items being cooked up by the vendors for their patrons. “Heh... heh-heh-heh-heh,” I grinned, my expression cartoonish in its sudden glee.
“I guess that settles it!” Rachel smirked, and with that we made our way over to the Bazaar.
A few hours later we were still hanging around the place, either sampling goodies or doing some window-shopping. We did end up buying a couple things; a couple of books that caught our eye and then later I got talked into a set of matching bracelets. Joshua met us for lunch at one of the food vendors, and afterwards he drove us to the hotel.
“I'm glad Sabrina let you in on where we are,” Rachel said as we pulled up to the place.
“Hah! It was you who convinced her,” her brother grinned.
“Hm? Oh, that's who you were messaging today,” I then realized.
“Yep!” Rachel smiled.
“Come on, buddy, need your help with this!” Josh then said to me, and I then helped him get a large box out of the back of his car. We then hauled it upstairs to the room, curiosity gnawing at me every step of the way.
“Ugh, what's in this thing?” I wondered as we entered the room.
“Right!” he said as a signal set it down, a sigh of relief coming from him as we did so. “There they are! My mission's accomplished, for now,” he said, striking a heroic pose as Rachel smiled and I looked on bemusedly, half-smiling for lack of comprehension.
“Thanks, Joshy!” his sister hugged him.
“Anytime, Ray-ray!” he smiled back, giving her a hug back before looking over at me. “We'd better not be having kittens after this little adventure!” he quipped.
“Gyeck!?”
“Joshua!!” the two of us exclaimed, Rachel giving him a look of mock indignation as he chuckled back.
“Kidding! I trust you. Take care!” he beamed as he left, and I all but flopped to the ground with a sigh as Rachel wryly grinned over at me. She came over to sit with me, patting my shoulder.
“Come on, let's get them out,” she said to me.
“Ah? Get what out?” I wondered.
“The Dream Machines, dummy.” Rachel returned, and I sat back up.
“Eh?? Already?” I said, wondering if it was all right.
“Yes, 'already' -- it's fine! On account of good behavior and a pretty bracelet,” she said with a grin.
“Eh? Ah--! Sure,” I smiled back.
“Now come on, help me set them up!” Rachel poked me. I needed no further bidding.
Time to make a comeback! I thought to myself with a soft grin as we set up our incidental portals to another world.