Date Number One

Dermot walked with Roxanne to the main building by the Torthai. The multi-storey building in front of them looked like a small apartment complex on the bottom half, but it got more and more elaborate at the top half, with a concrete platform clearly separating the two halves, and vines protruding from the windows to the ground below.

“At the top is the Torthai Bow.” Dermot explained. “And the vines surrounding it are thick enough to the point where an invader would be stopped basically instantly.”

“So you’re good in terms of protection?” Roxanne asked as they went into the building.

“More than likely, anyway. They only have the hammer, so I don’t imagine they’d get too far with that. Right?”

“Well, if the vines are only cut by sharp objects, then the blunt hammer should protect you for a while.”

“Oh thank god.” Dermot sighed as they approached a door on the second floor. “Just let me get my ID for breakfast.”

He opened the door to make a gap small enough for him to slide through, but Roxanne could still see how much of a chaotic mess was behind the door. The door opened once again, with Dermot holding his ID card. He started a confident strut to the canteen, when he locked eyes with another man holding a thin box. A blonde man with shaggy blonde hair and a red puffer jacket alongside some thin glasses.

“Hey, Marty.” Dermot started calmly. “What’s in that box you got there?”

“A pizza. I found twenty luxa on the ground, so I bought one before I had the chance to lose it.”

Dermot looked at Roxanne, and then at Marty.

“Life is truly wonderful!” he yelled out as he looked at the sky.

The three of them went into Dermot and Marty’s room. It was two beds with a small counter in between them, as well of several mountains of assorted junk on the floor.

“We probably would have cleaned up if I knew about you, miss…” Marty said, opening the pizza box.

“Roxanne.” Roxanne replied.

“You can have one of my slices.” Dermot said calmly, handing her a slice of pizza. One with enough meat to last a week.

“So what’s your deal anyway? New intern or something?” Marty asked.

“Nah, she’s my date for breakfast. She’s one of the girls that secured the Sandala Axe.”

“I thought it was just the redhead.” Marty replied.

“No, I was there.” Roxanne replied while taking a bite out of her pizza “Helped fight the guys back on the scouting ship.”

“Nice one. So you have the axe right now?”

“The lads on the ship are guarding it.” Dermot replied. “Besides, I don’t think they’d know where they’d go.”

“Hopefully.” Roxanne sighed. “If I never go up against something like that again it’ll be too soon.”

“So anyway, why are you on a date with this guy?” Marty asked.

“Well, you know.” Roxanne replied, trying to run his best features through her head. “He’s very…extremely…smart.”

“You think?” Marty asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, if he’s been trusted to look after us while Rory’s out, then he has to be at least a little smart.”

“Well, he’s kind of a moron, but he’s got enough social skills to get us funding for the Torthai housing.”

“Hey, come on!” Dermot yelled. “You gotta give me some credit!”

“If you compare your solo grades to group grades it’s pretty obvious.” Marty sighed. “But hey, if the smarts are what draw you to him then good for you.”

Meanwhile, Julian and Cassandra were finished eating at the restaurant next to the slushy place. It was a simple berries with pancakes for breakfast, but the freshness was second to none.

“Do we have enough for another berry blast?” Cassandra asked.

“I don’t think so.” Julian replied. “Besides, I really need to replenish my bug supply.”

“There a place for that here?” Cassandra asked.

“Should be, according to the sign.”

The two of them made their way to the bug store. It was a pretty crowded area. Extremely humid, with a man standing in front of several exotic bug species. And of course, there were several jars near the counter just filled with lines of tiny insects. Exactly what Julian needed.

In front of them was an extremely tall woman in extremely extravagant clothing, asking for silkworms.

“I’m telling you, miss. We only have a couple of silkworms, and they aren’t enough to make a full outfit if that’s what you’re looking for. If you want things to make clothes, then just go to ShiShi and buy the materials there.”

“Okay, but if I just buy one as a pet, you’d allow that, right?”

“Whatever messed up shit you do with our bugs isn’t our business. Anyway, it’s thirty luxa for one or fifty for two.”

“That seems a little steep.” The woman asked.

“Like I said, you either live in ShiShi or get expensive silkworms.” The employee replied with an exhausted sigh.

“I’ll just take the two silkworms.” The girl replied, putting a silver Luxa coin on the counter. The employee took out a small wooden container and put the two silkworms inside it.

“Thank you.” The girl smiled before leaving the store.

“What was her deal?” Julian mumbled while walking up to the counter. On it was a jar of beetles about the size of his torso, about a hundred insects just crawling around in it.

“How much for the beetle jar?”

“About fifty luxa for the whole thing.” The employee asked. “Special deal because of the harvest.”

“I thought the harvest wasn’t for another 2 months?” Julian asked.

“Look, I found a nest in my apartment, and I need to get rid of them. Twenty luxa and they’re yours, final offer.”

“Deal.” Julian shrugged, planting two bronze coins on the counter and taking the jar. He turned to go out of the shop and back to Roxanne but was stopped by the person in front of her.

She was a simple looking girl. Simple straight brown hair with a crimson shirt that exposed her shoulders and white jeans. The only two things about her that stood out were slightly exaggerated eyeliner and a tuft of hair in front of her that stood out from the rest of the otherwise straight style.

“Oh. Julian.” She announced, taking a step back and looking to be distressed. “Didn’t expect you to be here.”

“Well, yeah.” Julian replied. “Same here…Caoimhe.”

“Hey Julian, you know this girl?” Cassandra asked, eyeing her up for anything suspicious.

“Oh…hey.” Caoimhe said to Cassandra. She looked at the ginger hair pouring out of her hat.

“You wouldn’t happen to be the girl who retrieved the axe, would you?” She asked.

“Yeah?” Cassandra replied while Julian stood behind them.

“Well, crap.” She sighed. “Because we have to look after you.”

“Excuse me, what?” Julian screamed while trying not to drop his jar.

“Yeah…we’re all…we’re all outside.” Caoimhe let out another sigh while pinching in between her eyebrows.

Cassandra and Julian stepped outside, and there were two men waiting outside the store. The first was a short blonde man Julian didn’t recognize, wearing a simple red hoodie alongside glasses with thin red frames and black tracksuit bottoms. He was casually leaning against the wall, looking at his watch. Looking at his fingers, there were a few jewels dotted through them.

And next to him, was Luca. They locked eyes for a brief second, only for Luca to quickly move his gaze to Cassandra.

“So, is this the woman who protected the Sandala axe?” He asked, eyeing her up and down. He looked just as obnoxious as Julian remembered as he went up to inspect her. His pathetic attempt at wind swept hair just made it look like he was just frightened so hard his brown hair tried moving away from him. His green eyes were slightly more redeeming, but not when they were leering at his girlfriend. And his clothes were mostly just adapted to the climate here, a simple white flannel and jeans in an attempt to blend in. Sound idea if you didn’t see his rings decked across his fingers, and his necklace similar to Roxanne’s, except it was red in the centre instead of purple.

“So this is who we’re meant to be protecting?” Luca asked.

“There’s a third person.” Julian said flatly. “But she’s off with the guy looking after us.”

“Oh. Well, thanks for the information, Julian. Can’t say I expected you to be here.”

“The feeling’s mutual, trust me.” Julian muttered.

“Wait, you two know each other?” Cassandra asked.

“Remember when I mentioned being part of the Battlestorms before going back to the scouting ship?”

“That would be us.” Luca interjected confidently.

“Yeah.” Julian muttered again. “But they were assholes, so I left.”

“And we only ended up becoming the top ranked hero group on the Grands. But it led us here, so maybe we should have stuck to second.” Luca added smugly. If not for the jar Julian was still holding, he’d punch him.

“And you have to protect us?” Cassandra asked.

“Pretty much, yes.” The man in the hoodie nodded, with a voice that seemed unnaturally deep for somebody of his frame.

“Actually, who’s that?” Julian asked. “I don’t remember you.”

“Oh, you know me.” He spoke. “Name’s Gavin, by the way.” In an accent that Julian definitely heard somewhere but couldn’t tell when. Julian squinted at him, and Caoimhe took him aside.

“Look, that was…J-E-N-N…”

“Trans men are still capable of spelling, Caoimhe.” Gavin said, sighing so hard his glasses fogged up.

“Oh, right.” Caoimhe replied.

“But yes, Julian. I'm a man now. I expect you to be cool with that?”

“Why wouldn't I be?”

“I dunno, Luca guessed you wouldn't be.”

“Anyway, anyway.” Luca said, pushing himself to Julian's face. “Mind telling me where your caretaker is?”

“Oh, he’d be with Roxanne, right?” Cassandra asked. “If you’re looking for him, I can give her a call.”

Cassandra opened her flip phone and started typing with Roxanne.

“Okay, they’re still at the building where the bow is. Ready to go?”