Flow

“Say cheese!” my dad says cheerfully, in celebration of my graduation from university. My mother and younger sister posed next to me as I propped up my degree. It was my crowning achievement during this once in a lifetime celebration. Soaring in the skies above the courtyard are the fairies and nymphs, as they share in the clamoring excitement of the students below. The amount of happiness that filled me then was tremendous.

“Jonathan…”

It was the culmination of all my life’s work up until then, but it was just the beginning. I never would’ve thought then, that graduating from such a prestigious college would bring me notoriety… Oh who am I kidding, of course I knew that. I wouldn’t have worked as hard if I didn’t.

“Jonathan…”

In elven society, graduation into the immediate workforce was the standard way of living. Some entered the arts of magic, as most elves were born with an affinity for it. However, that was not the case for me, so I studied to outdo them in every other category. When I think about how rewarding my life has been since, I almost feel sorry for the ones who chose differently. Real accomplishments are achieved when rejecting the norm, as it’s a phenomenon to defy its typicality. Those are the words I told myself during-

“Jonathan Peak! Wake up!”

Jonathan’s head shoots up from his desk in a daze, causing the papers on his desk to fall onto the floor. In a panic, he quickly picks up the papers while rubbing the slight imprints on his face from lying on his keyboard. He notices his co-worker smirking and snickering at his reprimanding, but this didn’t come as a surprise to him. He considered it to be one of the quirks that came with such a competitive workplace, where many will kick you while you’re down.

“Sir...I apologize for-”

“Enough with the apologies! Just get back to work.”

Jonathan sighs as his boss leaves the office. It’s been a while since he’s had a good sleep, since it’s been so busy at work. To think he would slip-up this badly. He even dreamt about his graduation, an event he remembers fondly. He often had to remind himself that reminiscing would get him nowhere. While the numerous hours of overtime can be demanding, his efforts have always been straightforward.

Luckily for him, he was able to finish his work early. Since he’s the lead technician, his job is to finalize the engineering designs for his company's new product line. Immediately upon pressing the button to go down on the elevator keypad, he hears someone yelling to hold the door. It’s his co-worker Melvin. He’d recognize his panicking voice anywhere.

"T-t-thanks Jon! I'm kind of in a hurry. Wait, did I call you Jon!? I meant Mr.Peak."

"No worries, I'm not really in a hurry anyway." Jonathon says while looking at his phone.

"Oh really? Thank goodness! I’ll avoid making such a mistake again.”

“It’s fine really… besides, we sit next to each other every day anyways.”

“...You’re much nicer than everyone says you’d be.”

“What gave you the impression I wasn’t?” Jonathon asks with a look of skepticism.

“It’s just that you look like such a hard worker, and I heard you’re practically overqualified for the work we do.” Melvin says with worry.

“Sure, that’s true, but I’m just doing my job. Shouldn’t you expect me to at least do that?”

“Yeah you're right… but why are people talking behind your back? You only dozed off for a second.”

I can’t justify the gossiping, so I shrug. I wonder why he looks so concerned though. Maybe he wants to cheer me up? He’s relatively new here and is a bit high-strung, so he’s probably looking for a confidant. Everyone in the office does take advantage of his eagerness, including our boss. For me however, I don’t really mind the slight jabs that they make, because it comes with the territory. It’s a bit disheartening though… Maybe I just need some sleep.

When the elevator stops at Melvin’s floor, he starts twiddling his thumbs anxiously.

“Mr.Peak… sorry for asking you such bothersome questions. It’s just that we’ve never talked much before.”

“Yeah, it's no problem. Why are you in a hurry anyway?”

“Boss invited everyone in the office out to celebrate, since we’ve finished preparing for our product line ahead of schedule.”

“Oh nice. Well have fu-”

“Hey! Why don’t you come along? You know how to mingle during these events right?” asks Melvin, as he tugs on the sleeve of Jonathan’s dress shirt.

“Sure, why not. I was actually about to head home for today, so I’m free for the rest of the night.”

“Oh, thank you! I’m terrible at these types of events.”

As am I, but of course I can’t mention that. While I have no problem with socializing, I have trouble holding my liquor. Our boss really knows how to drink too, so I’m sure since it’s an occasion, he won’t go easy on us. However, I agree to join because I also sense a strange resemblance between Melvin and me in my adolescence. Although, it's a bit odd for me to think like this at twenty-five, since we’re only three years apart in age.

We head out into the vibrant city of Borgframi, a well-known city within the vast country of Elise. The night skies are lit up by densely packed skyscrapers and teeming with dazzling fairies and sprites.

“Oh, my goodness. I’m so happy for you!”

“Wow, you’re so lucky! I’m jealous.”

It seems that everyone here is sharing in Jenny's excitement, because she’s apparently getting married. It’s about time she tied the knot, she never stops talking about it. She’s always showing off her dream dress to everyone because it’s apparently the same dress the elven princess wears. The boss even declares it a night of celebration for her as well.

Having to deal with our boss’s sense of humor on a daily basis is troublesome, but tonight I can tell it’s going to be especially unpleasant. After downing three mugs of kiwi ale, his rough sense of humor turns to boisterous ravings, which is unlike his typically stern demeanor. He offers copious amounts of alcohol to everyone at the table, while egging them on to drink the entire thing. The worst part is when everyone else decides to join him, since it’s an opportunity to score brownie points. Even if they themselves are just as unwilling to drink, they want to avoid looking like the odd one out.

“Good job Melvin! I knew you had it in you!” Boss congratulates him, with his face flushed red.

“Urgh!...T-thanks boss…” Melvin says while involuntarily swaying side-to-side, as everyone continues their applause. Jonathan catches him mid-fall before he hits the floor.

“It’s your turn, Johnny!”

A foaming mug of beer is slid towards him, as everyone begins cheering his name. He stares at it reluctantly, before looking at the nauseated Melvin leaning against his shoulder.

“Come on, it's my treat! What? You don't drink?”

As his co-workers continue to cheer him on, he notices the sneering expressions of some of them. Were they mocking him? Are they planning on his downfall? He couldn’t tell, but the pressure is stacking against him. He gulps down the entire mug in less than ten seconds, leaving everyone in astonishment.

“Johnny...that was amazing!” says his boss in awe. “All those years in college made you more than just book smart, huh?”

“...It’s Jonathan-”

“Way to go Johnny! I was afraid you weren’t feeling celebratory tonight!” Blaine says while patting him on the back.

I don’t care for their congratulations, I just needed to show Melvin how it’s done. I usually put one hundred percent into everything I do, so drinking should be no different...but is that a good reason?

After another hour or two of drinking, our boss decides to call it a night. I’m holding on to a nauseated Melvin as we walk out the bar; while attempting to collect myself through my own queasiness. I’m certainly better off than Melvin, but my mind isn’t where I’d like it to be. I chose to help Melvin so no one would catch on but being both tired and drunk isn’t a good mix. Why do I commit to the things I do? Is it because I enjoy the sense of accomplishment? Because this feeling sucks… Maybe I’m just tired.

“Hey Jonathan, Wait up!” shouts Blaine from the entrance of the bar.

“...Hello Blaine, tonight was fun wasn’t it?” Jonathon says reluctantly.

“You bet it was! Hey, me and some of the guys are heading to ‘The Strip’, wanna come along?”

“Sorry, but Melvin needs help getting home.”

“H-h-help? I don’t need help! I can go for another round…” Melvin suddenly yells before dozing off again.

“Wasn’t he just fearlessly downing drinks in hopes of winning the boss's respect? I’m sure that lightweight will find his way home.” Blaine says mockingly, while his posse giggles behind him.

Blaine is considered the most sociable amongst our colleagues, which means he’ll most likely talk behind your back. If anything happens around the office, he’ll be the first to inform the boss of it. Some of the stuff he figures out ends up being quite damning, and in some cases it resulted in some of our co-workers either getting fired or resigning. I would usually go out of necessity, since it’s a late-night routine for some of my colleagues, but I’m more worried about Melvin’s safety.

“...Huh? Where am I? ...Mr.Peak!? Were you helping me? Thank you!” Melvin says, waking up in a panic. When he realizes that Jonathon was holding on to his shoulder, he jerks himself away. His posture goes tense as he attempts to straighten up his dress shirt, hoping he wouldn’t be a burden to anyone else.

“Welcome back to the land of the living! So, you want to join us at the strip or not?”

“Oh, you guys are going to the strip’? I’ll come along!” Melvin says while slurring his words.

“See Jonathan? Melvin is a big boy. Now come on! We shouldn’t waste any more time.”

We follow alongside Blaine and his posse while they carry on ridiculing Melvin. He just smiles and laughs it off, but doesn’t it bother him? Was I like that when I first started?

The Strip is a hotspot frequented by both men and women, as both can wallow in blissfully immoral acts. In contrast to the conventional lights that brighten Borgframi’s streets, its neon street signs light a path towards perversion. With numerous nightclubs, hotels, bars, and hostess clubs, it’ll take a lifetime to enjoy all its wonders. Much of the experience is enhanced through elven magic also, from self-duplication to body augmentations. Which rounds out the whole experience with a bit of a sideshow as well.

After declining numerous offers from the various businesses nearby, we arrive at the “Golden Leaf”. A masquerade night club that strives for secrecy, because some often fear scrutiny from people in their daily lives. A receptionist gives us our masks from behind an enclosed desk, after choosing from the collection on display. We thought it would be interesting to mix it up, so we chose an animal theme. I chose the wolf mask and Melvin chose the bunny mask, which somehow felt appropriate.

We enter the main floor of the nightclub and are showered with welcoming greetings like “Welcome master!”. It’s one of these nightclubs, huh? We sit down at a table surrounded by a cushy black lounge booth. Patrons either converse with one another, or with the staff that wait on them. I expected more of an intense atmosphere since the staff are dressed in alluring outfits, ranging from maid garments to decorative lingerie. However, the mood itself is very relaxing, with a soothing mix of jazz and classical melodies that fill the airways. For me, the overtly sexual nature of the nightclub isn’t very interesting. I only tag along to maintain an amicable relationship with my associates, but is that truly a good reason to take part in this? Shouldn’t I be enjoying this?... Maybe I’m still a bit intoxicated.

“Why hello gentlemen! What would you like to start off with tonight?” The elven waitress cheerfully asks in her nurse getup, with a pen and notepad at hand.

“We’ll start off with a few drinks. Five shots of one of your hardest liquors, and an apple juice for the little guy over here.” Blaine says, nudging Melvin’s shoulder.

“No...I’ll have the same thing as well.” Melvin says.

“Huh? You really think Jonathan will stick up for you every time?”

“Well no! I won’t be a burden this time, I can take care of myself.”

Blaine leans in towards Melvin’s face, “Oh really? How about you say that while looking me dead in the eyes.”

“Why would I have t-”

“Okay, so five liquors and a juice. Anything else?” the waitress says, writing down Blaine’s order.

“Hey wait-”

“No, that'll be it for the drinks. I’d also like a healthy serving of you, what do you say doc?”

The waitress scoffs, “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that one today, but sure love! By the way, my name is Penny. If you boys don’t have a girl in mind yet, you can check our catalog or politely introduce yourself to some of us on the floor.”

While Blaine’s crew looks over the catalog and Melvin slouches in disappointment in his seat, I decide to peruse around the nightclub. If I’m going to go along with this, I’d like to meet my choice face-to-face. Looking around, I quickly realize the appeal of this place. Some of the staff were pulling off impressive spectacles, like fire breathing, water shaping, temporary transformations, and other requests that are a bit more depraved.

“To think people chose to use their magic affinity for stuff like th-”

“Oh sorry!” the woman apologizes, after accidentally bumping into him.

“No, it’s my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“No, I wasn’t paying attention, and I ended up bumping into one of our valued customers!” she says with a slight bow.

I understand it’s her job, her well-mannered approach comes off as a bit overwhelming. It’s obvious that she’s part of the staff here with both her apology and her belly dancer getup, but her kind and careful demeanor seems a bit out of place. She reminds me of the way Melvin conducts himself, but far more composed. There’s also something familiar about her, but I can’t put my finger on it.

“I appreciate your sincerity, but you should take it easy. How about you accompany me tonight?” Jonathon asks, hoping to lighten the air between them.

“As you wish master, I am in your care. My name is Polly and thank you for your concern.”

“There’s no need for that, you can speak to me normally. I’d like it if you enjoyed yourself as well.”

She flashes a pleasant smile, before following me back to the table with the others. Together with our choice of women for the night, we continue to order our drinks by the dozen, while enjoying the night just the same as ever. Only this time we’re surrounded by beautiful women that pour our drinks and take part in the merriment. While it is their job, I didn’t sense the obligation to enjoy themselves. However, I did notice their commitment to coddle Melvin, as if they are aware of his inexperience.

After an hour or two, we get into the real reason we came here. Polly and I walk to our room, alongside the others doing the same. I notice she looks to be a lot more relaxed, and I assume that’s because she’s warmed up to me. When we arrive in our room, she sucks me into her passion and we immediately start kissing.

“You take your job seriously, huh?”

“Forgive me, I usually don’t get this excited, but there’s something about you. You remind me of someone.” She explains while straddling my lap on the bed.

“You tell every client that?”

“Hey, I’m serious.”

“Don’t worry, I’m just kidding. So, where would you like to start?”

“...Take off your mask first, your secrets are safe with me.”

I pull the mask from my face, only to see her look of anticipation quickly turn to one of dismay.

“Oh goodness…” she mumbles while backing up in disbelief.

“What’s the matter?”

“Jonathan, what are you doing here?”

“How do you know my name?”

“Wait, you knew it was me didn’t you? I was wondering why you were so kind to me, you...cheating bastard!”

Wincing through the pain of my immediate headache, I look at her in disbelief. She kept berating me, but it’s hard to think when you're intoxicated. Dammit! This is why I don’t drink; I can't get my thoughts together. Why is she so mad? How does she know my name? Wait. I’ve heard this screaming before, but it wasn’t for me. It’s from my neighbor Kellam’s house. His wife complains about the bills all the time...His wife? No way…

“Alyndra?”

“Oh, so you’ve finally sobered up. I can’t believe you would do this behind Solana’s back, for goodness sake, she trusts you! Though I guess you had your eyes on the next-door neighbor too, huh?”

“No, that isn’t it! I love Solana-” Jonathon says to her, wincing from the pain of his headache.

“I can’t believe you would still say that after what happened here. You’re a mess, you know that?!”

“Huh? Then what about your husband? How do you think he’ll feel if he knew you’re working here?”

“Oh, he knows, or at least he wouldn’t dare to question it. It’s his fault that I must resort to this to make ends meet. That useless sack of shit.”

Trying to think of a way out of this my mind goes blank. Damn this alcohol! Just lay off me for a sec.

“You’re not going to explain yourself? I guess I’ll just have to tell Solana about this.” She has nothing to lose; that’s the difference between us. Since her and Solana are longtime friends, there’s no way she’ll keep this from her.

She heads for the door. The moment she walks out of this room, my life is over. All that I’ve worked for will have been for naught, and for what? My head is pounding, and I feel dizzy, am I about to faint? No, I need to reach out to her, I cannot let her walk out that door. I only joined along with Blaine to get into his good graces. Work is already hard enough. People talking behind your back as if you don't have any merits, while working long hours to please a world that denied you the initial tools to succeed. These are the hardships I’ve come to accept. Please don't take them away from me. I never wanted to risk my livelihood for shallow desire, I was just going with the flow.

Going with the Flow.

Going with the Flow.

Going with the Flow… Flow.

This… light in front of me, is that Alyndra? I’ve almost caught up to her. I just need to reach out and…

Jonathan grabs Alyndra’s shoulder and with a splash, she’s reduced to a puddle of water before his eyes. He looks at the puddle then his hand and carefully steps back.

“Uh...Alyndra? You can undo your magic now, haha...Alyndra?!”

Another sharp pain runs through his head, along with bright flashes that assault his vision. There’s no way I’m having an affinity awakening at this age. No, this is something different, as he couldn’t recall anyone mentioning this pain. He backs up against the nightstand, only for it to deplete into a puddle as well.

“Mr.Peak! Mr.Peak!” says a familiar voice from behind the door, “Where are you?!”

It’s Melvin, sounding drunker than before. I can’t worry about him right now. I need to run, before they find out what happened here. I kick open the door, out of fear of turning this entire establishment into a flood warning.

“Huh? Was that Mr.Peak? Hey wait up-”

Melvin slips on the puddle of water that’s seeping out from the room.

“...Yay a kiddy pool! Where’s my floatie?” He says while blissfully waving his arms.

While keeping my hands tucked under my arms, I run as fast as I can through these narrow halls. Since I’m in the rooming area towards the back, I turn each corner in hopes of finding a back exit. Luckily, I haven’t run into any of the other attendants, since I hear most of them inside their rooms getting their money’s worth. With the countless shouting and moaning filling the halls, its no wonder no one hears my footsteps.

After turning another corner, Jonathan kicks open the escape exit and finds himself in an alleyway. He’s sure by now someone would go looking for her, so he couldn’t get caught. He heads for the nearest street corner, only to find the worst possible person…

“Oh, hey Jonathan, how was Polly?” Blaine asks, while looking up from his phone. He looks to be waiting for the others, so there’s no way he knows what happened.

“She said she had to go, so she left early.”

“Really? Damn, that sucks. Diane did this fire dance, it was great. Wasn’t into the other stuff though. Keeping faithful to my lady, you know?”

“Yeah, same here. It’s about respect.”

“Exactly! Diane said that she’s still learning, but I think she’s a natural. Hey, don’t you know magic?”

My heart skips a beat. Why would he ask that?

“No, I was born without affinity.” Jonathon says, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I guess some of us weren’t born lucky. However, I was, and it’s been telling me you’ve been lying.”

Jonathan looks over at Blaine, as he quickly wraps his arm around him.

“My affinity tells me when people are lying, it’s why I know so much. I can tell how much of a liar you are too.”

“So everyone that left the office, you…”

“Jonathan Peak, a magicless liar and cheater, you did something to Polly didn’t you? I don't know how you did it since you don’t know magic, but don’t worry- your secret's safe with me. It would be a shame if everyone knew about it.”

He’ll hang this over my head, won't he? He’ll tell everyone including the boss, and word will probably get to Solana somehow. Although, if he can tell when I’m lying, why would my claim that I have no affinity be considered the truth? Can’t he see my ability? Or is it that his technique can’t recognize it as magic?

Blaine pats him on the back, “Come on, why are you so quiet? I won’t tell anyone. Honest. Here, let's shake on it, as new best friends.”

I look at his hand, knowing full well what’s going to happen, but I do it. I return his handshake, and he splashes into a puddle of water. Slowly, it trickles down the sewer grate, as if the rain had just fallen. That was a person. A person that needed to disappear without a trace, for I’ve worked too hard to have the rug pulled from under me.

“Vrrt...Vrrt…” goes my phone. It’s my wife, Solana.

“Hey sweetie, it’s getting pretty late, when are you coming back home?” she asks in a groggy voice.

“Oh, I’m sorry honey, my boss took us out to celebrate over drinks. We’ve finalized our product line for this month.”

“Huh? Doesn’t that man work for you enough?! I mean honestly, you’re always coming home late. Aren’t you tired?”

After reassuring her and wishing her a goodnight, I hung-up the phone. Am I tired? I mean earlier in the night I was, but somehow, I’m not anymore. It’s been at least two days since I’ve had a goodnight’s sleep, but I feel more awake than I’ve ever been. Why is that?

I can’t help but feel tense, considering the circumstances of how this all transpired. Then it hit me. For an elf to suddenly awaken in his mid-twenties, I’ve surely broken down all the known barriers of my species. Is this what it means to reject the norm? To have accomplished everything, while lacking in nothing? Yes, this must be it.

Whether or not this is a blessing or a curse, the possibilities of this newfound magic are endless. No longer will I have to worry about ruining what I’ve already accomplished, since I can now take matters into my own hands. With the nature of my technique, it’ll be impossible to figure out where they’ve gone. It was a close call for sure, but just a few moments ago my marriage was almost in jeopardy. I would never dream of hurting Solana, as tonight it was just another night of me going with the flow.

“...I wonder if this has other uses as well.” I say to myself, as I make my way home.

The puddle still flowing into the sewer, with none the wiser.