“Is something the matter? I would have thought you would have been the most excited for this event. I was shocked when you did not respond to my offer to help decorate and plan the party.”
Evidently jarred from her thoughts, Stefani did her best to tell Anaar what he would like to hear. “I think it is just me reflecting over the year. Nothing to be worried about!”
“Your voice sounds cheerful, but your eyes betray you. I know we have not been as close as we used to be, with less classes together, and me trading my missions for caring for Seles, but you know you can still talk to me right? I’m always here.”
“Oh no! It is nothing, I wouldn’t want to bother you! Besides, like you said, there are other people who need you more anyway. Seles needs a family, and you are all she has left. In a time where she was weakest and most vulnerable, you came to her rescue and made her feel safe and loved.”
In the midst of her response, unbidden tears streamed from her face as she was overtaken with emotion. When Anaar moved to try to comfort her, she quickly recovered, assuring him she was fine, and how she was just so happy that he was doing such a wonderful thing in taking care of her. From there she retreated into herself, lightly dabbing her eyes and the tears that fought to reemerge. When they arrived at the train station, she bid him a hasty goodbye and disappeared up the stairs.
Rather than chase after her, he stood there, still for quite a time, contemplating how best he could help her and what everything could mean. He found that his ruminations only led to more branches that were possible, but nothing that could be considered concrete. It was clear Stefani was troubled, and with his focus on Seles, he had failed to see one of his closest friends hurting. This troubled him to no end as he sought a way to help her.
I don’t get it Hobb, she clearly has a lot on her mind, but she refuses to allow me to help her.
“This behavior is eerily familiar, have you looked into a mirror lately?”
Seriously Hobb, how am I supposed to do anything if she won’t talk to me?
“Perhaps you are not fit to be her savior.”
What is that supposed to mean?
“It is perhaps one of your greatest attributes, and most agonizing flaws. To you, when things appear to be broken or out of place, you must fix them. It is an indelible part of your nature to be the savior. If more people were aware of the truth of your attunements they might categorize it as elitist arrogance.”
That seems like a bit of a reach. I don’t go around trying to save people, they just kinda happen upon me.
“It is for that very reason you find yourself in more trouble than less. Feeling the need to take on the woes of others is often a fatal flaw. If not for your immortality there is a very high probability you would already be dead.”
You are supposed to help people in need Hobb. Give to those who have less. Protect those who are weak.
“These tenants may have some truth to them, but it is not specifically your role to exercise it. It is sometimes best to leave things to the ability of others. Need I remind you of the fallout of France?”
What do you mean?! Ixnes sent me there to get Seles! I didn’t ask to go kidnapping some poor girl, it was forced upon me!
“We have already discussed the ability of others to ‘force’ you, so I would rather not repeat myself. Instead I will present you with a specific situation when your decision to insert yourself into another’s affairs was not necessary.”
This should be good, do enlighten me with your wisdom.
“After recovering Ms. Beauvié, instead of leaving her to mother as was your mission, you instead chose to continue seeing the girl, widening the gap that already existed.”
She was terrified! I am not going to let a child, one I had just kidnapped mind you, live in terror and fear just so Ixnes can achieve her own ends! I was responsible for bringing her here. It is my responsibility to look after her.
“Do you truly look after her though? What is she doing during the many hours you are not with her? Your inflation of the few hours a day you spend with her is a product of your own need to be the hero of her story.”
Hobb, you know I love and respect you, probably above anyone else, but this is something I don’t think you can properly understand. At least not yet. Maybe one day you will.
Ignoring any further rebuttals from Hobb, Anaar continues his climb up the stairs to his room. Before he forgot, he made sure to send Harston a message requesting his assistance with preparing the festivities he and his friends had planned. When he felt everything was set, he decided to unwind by working on a new piece he was composing for Seles. He was surprised how much she enjoyed his music, and had decided to make something special for her. As it grew later into the night, he finally paused his work, preparing himself for bed and the work ahead of him the next day.
All throughout the day Anaar and Harston worked to make the event one to remember. As was his nature, Harston was far more enthusiastic and over the top than Anaar, exclaiming that the event signified a once in a lifetime experience: The completion of their first year at Sophangence. Though Harston would have rather Anaar leave all the preparations to him as the celebration was just as much for him as it was the others, he acquiesced when Anaar made the argument that under normal circumstances the host would be required to do everything themselves, so just having any help was greatly appreciated.
Together they hung decorations, cooked, and created activities. Likely to get him out of the house, whenever more items were needed, he sent Anaar on the trip, requiring verification by video chat that the items he was getting were correct. When everything was done Anaar’s room was transformed into something he did not quite expect, but was sure his friends would enjoy.
When the door chimed for the first time, Anaar opened it to a paper construct carrying numerous bags. As it sidled into the room, it was followed by a grinning Dan and a well made up Maggie, who was surprisingly in a skirt. As Anaar opened his mouth to say something he only caught a glare of death.
“Speak and you die.”
Turning to Dan, and then the construct, “Dan, what’s in the bags?”
“Booze! I told yo ass we was getting’ fucked up!”
Turning back to Maggie, Anaar looks at her as if she was the mother of an unruly child on an airplane who refused to do anything about it.
“Don’t look at me! I had no way of keeping him in line while I was being assaulted by Stef!”
“Is that why you-” Noticing her eyes narrow, he ended his statement and closed the door behind them.
“Dayum Anaar! You went all out didncha?!” Looking to Maggie, “Mags, you remember when we used to hafta beg for a damn invite?! Now he pullin’ out all da stops! Is Phave comin’? I need to get this shit on ice!”
“Why would I invite Phavian? This is a party celebrating us and our achievements.”
“Glad my plus one is one of us then!” He grins at Maggie who pushes him to the side and continues into the room.
“I need a drink. Whoever created heels must be the devil or at least some denizen of hell. For once my idiot boyfriend came in handy bringing so much alcohol.”
Together they make their way to the kitchen as Anaar simply grins and follows. It was not long after Dan had poured drinks for everyone, even though Anaar made it clear he did not want any, that the doorbell rang again and he used it as an excuse to get away from an already binging Dan. At the door Stefani emerged looking like a goddess, her heterochromia accentuated by vibrant eye makeup.
As she entered and gave Anaar a quick hug, he noticed she seemed to be in better spirits than she was the last time he saw her, and was happy that was the case. The two of them joined the others in the kitchen, but once Maggie realized Stefani had arrived, she refused to continue in the kitchen and instead insisted they move to the dining room. With food laid out in an exorbitant spread, they took their places around the table as they toasted the end of an amazing year. After they had eaten quite a bit, Maggie insisted th
ey give speeches, starting with Anaar who was the host and their de facto leader.
Standing up awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, “So… I guess we made it guys. It has been one crazy year right? When I look around the table, I could never have imagined this would be my life. I have more love and happiness than someone like me should be allowed, and it all started with you. If not for you sticking with me though all my bad times, I don’t think I would have made it this far. I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart, mainly because the rest of it is occupied by you.”
Everyone clapped, Dan hooted, and Maggie slapped Dan on the back of the head. Maggie followed suit, with a much too inebriated Dan coming after her, his accent back in its full glory, something that was both nostalgic and also annoying to try to decipher. Finally it was the woman of honor who had the privilege of closing things out. Rising from her seat, she looked around at all the smiling faces as she took a deep breath and began to speak.
“I really don’t think I deserve all the praise you have been giving me now and over the past few days. Compared to someone like Dan who has had it the worst of us and still come out the best, my small accomplishments seem like nothing. It makes me so happy to share my life with you all. I did not think there could be people prouder of me than I am of them. Even in all our great times, I would be remiss to think I came this far on my own. The person I wish could see me now-”
With these words, Stefani broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Maggie could tell how serious it was because Stefani would never ruin her pristine makeup for anything short of a catastrophe. When she stood to try to comfort her, Anaar put his hand out, stopping her before she could make a move. When she gave him a confused and annoyed glare, he responded with words he now understood.
“You’re not fit to be her savior.”
From out in the hall, a gruff voice resounded, taking almost everyone by surprise. “What is going on with all this prissy crying. I thought I taught you to be tougher than that.”
Upon hearing the voice, it was almost as if time froze for Stefani as she looked toward the doorway. Standing there looking as stern as ever was the blazing redhead Ripp. Running to her and throwing her arms around her so tightly the woman thought she would be squeezed to death, Ripp finally extricated herself from the Stefani’s grip, giving her a playful smack on the rear.
“I see you are still keeping up with your exercises. Good. Never miss leg day.”
Still overcome with intense emotion, “Sophia! I am so happy to see you! What are you doing here?!”
Leaning around her she points at Anaar, “The meathead seemed to think you were missing me or something. I thought he was full of shit, but he asked me to come celebrate how far you have traveled.”
Running over to Anaar, Stefani leans down and hugs him in his chair, giving him a kiss on the cheek. When she pulled back, she mouthed the words “Thank you,” and rushed back to Ripp. Hugging her again, this time Ripp allowing her to do it as long as she liked, she finally took a step back, beaming at the brawny woman.
“I’m going to borrow this one for a while, you crew don’t mind, do you?”
Everyone shook their heads as a portal opened and Ripp grabbed Stefani and pulled her through. Once it closed, Maggie looked at Anaar with a face that was a mixture of anger and gratitude.
“How did you know that was what had her so troubled?”
“There was something she said during dinner the other day that made me realize she attributed much of her success to Ripp. Since they have been completely cut off from communication, I could see how much it bothered her that the person she wanted to see her growth the most was not here to see it. For you guys, Ana was more of a formality, her greatest accomplishment being that she brought you two together, and I still have Phavian, so it only made sense Stefani would want to see Ripp again.”
“You and that big brain of yours. It has been bugging me to no end! I’m glad you figured it out. I haven’t seen her that happy in a long time.”
Through the portal Stefani finds herself in a studio of sorts that is filled with photographs and computers. As she walks around gazing at the different pictures, she sees a vast array of locales and targets. When she spins to question Sophia about it, she seemed prepared for the inquiry.
“I’m a high-profile private investigator. Thanks to my abilities, I can operate internationally, which makes me a ton of money. Ever since we took that trip to Maldives and I did all of those back to back long range portals, my range has drastically increased. Nothing like when you helped me, but I can go from coast to coast on my own now.”
“Oh my gosh Sophia that is amazing! What happened to your dream of following in your parents’ footsteps? I know you were having doubts about it when you were graduating, but I thought it would only be a phase.”
“I thought about it, and I wanted nothing more than that. At least I thought I did. Military life was all I had ever known. There was no greater honor nor achievement than serving my country. I do still feel that way, and because of such I do a lot of work for the military, but I am freelance. At first my dad wasn’t too happy about it, but when I talked to him about my feelings, he actually understood. He felt my abilities would be wasted being enlisted anyway.”
“Wow, that is amazing…” Stefani’s face was still smiling, but her insides were tearing apart. Before she knew it, she had blurted out the thing she wanted to know most. “Why did you abandon me?! You never called, you didn’t even send a message! When you never responded to my messages I had become worried something had happened to you. I was so scared!”
With the tears flowing freely down her face again Stefani could not stop herself from wailing uncontrollably. For a few moments Sophia stood there paralyzed, unsure of how to respond. After pushing past everything she would normally do, she walked over to Stefani and gave her a hug. In a voice softer and more sincere than she had ever produced, she explained her actions to Stefani.
“I’m sorry. If I am being completely honest, I couldn’t take the thought of you no longer needing me. You had grown so much from the shy, scared girl I knew and was more badass than I could have ever hoped for. You had already started coming into your own without me, and the more you did that, the less important I felt. Some part of me needed you to need me. With that gone, I thought you wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me.”
Pulling away from Sophia, Stefani did something that shocked even her: she slapped Sophia hard across the face. “That was so selfish of you! All I ever wanted was for you to be happy and to be proud of me! Instead you left me with nothing but worry! Do you know how agonizing that is? Before starting this school I would have thought very little of it, but since then I have come to see how dangerous the world can be. You are known for jumping headlong into danger so if something had happened to you…”
Squeezing her hands tightly as she continued to weep, Sophia was not even slightly mad at Stefani for slapping her. In her heart she knew she deserved far worse. When she was first tasked to work with Stefani, she thought of it as nothing but a nuisance. It never dawned on her how fond she had grown of the woman or the bond they had created. Now seeing her in all she had become, and the feelings they had for one another, Sophia made a promise to always make time for this very special person she had foolishly decided to neglect.
20
With the new trimester well underway, Peter could officially say he had a Sophomore for a mentor rather than another Freshman. The very brief break passed without incident, with almost every student, particularly the Sophomores complaining they had no time for themselves. As such, the campus remained busy since no one wanted to chance going home, only to have to come back in less than a week. Already people were feeling the effects of the school’s attempt to sync all the classes into one schedule.
The Freshman class was the only class to be reticent regarding the matter as they had nothing else to compare it to. The late summer air was astoundingly mild which ma
de Peter slightly homesick for Portland as he traveled from his class. Being done for the day, he and Wu made for Wu’s room to relax for the time being as they awaited their other friends to finish class as well.
“I’m still convinced there is some underlying agenda for trying to make all the classes sync up. It has been this way for over a century and suddenly it seems like a good idea to change? Why try to be like everywhere else? This school is one of a kind.”
“Wu, you think everything is a conspiracy. Remember your fifteen minute rant about how the cage free eggs were in reality a ploy to instead cage our minds?”
“I stand by that. Everyone is supposed to think just because the birds can run around it is better for them, more humane. It is a damn bird, why does it need to be humane? It isn’t a human.”
“Humane is not a term solely dedicated to humans… Despite its etymology.”
“It still seems like a cover up for something to me.”
Peter had learned when it was time to leave well enough alone when dealing with Wu’s paranoia. All of his friends agreed that he meant well by it, in his own way at least. If Wu did not have his absurdly cynical nature, he would very likely have no personality flaws. He gave even when he had nothing to give. He worked harder than anyone Peter knew, and none of his friends were more reliable. If dealing with ramblings of government plots was the price he had to pay for a person like Wu, Peter thought it was quite a steal.
As the two of them continued on, they decided to take the long route past the Combat Complex North, simply because they had nothing better to do. It was a beautiful day and once they reached Wu’s room they would likely spend it inside until everyone was ready to get together. Along the Weaponplay Studio Peter spied a familiar figure in the distance.
It seemed in everything he did, it was an effort to not draw attention to himself, so for Peter to happen upon a shirtless Anaar glistening in the sunlight, it seemed antithetical to the man’s nature. There was no way anyone could pass by without becoming mesmerized by the exquisite show before them. As if his impressive physique was not enough to inspire awe, envy, and adoration all at once, the dusky skin pulled taught over rippling muscles seemingly devoid of fat, he held two wickedly hooked midnight black blades in his hands.
Apotheosis (Song of Sophangence Book 3) Page 25