by Skyler Grant
I selected her for a date and the entry held there for many long agonizing moments before being accepted. Whew. That just left practice. I wasn't going to skip that—the game was one of the big goals I had.
My classes passed in the usual blur. I got to kiss Yvera between them and she let me know she was looking forward to later. So was I.
Soon enough that time had come and I was getting some now-familiar options.
Date with Yvera
Options
1. Prank Bayshore
2. Picnic at the lake
3. Attend a concert
I wanted to do something more romantic with Yvera, so doing the prank with her wasn't going to happen. I'd save that for Atlantia. The concert would be fun, but I wanted something a bit quieter even if there was water involved. I chose the lake.
Time rushed forward and there we were. It was all I might have hoped for in terms of Yvera's outfit. The bikini was scarcely there at all. It wasn't quite appropriate for the romantic time I'd had in mind, but I wasn't about to complain.
"Sorry about the water," I said.
Yvera laughed as she unpacked the basket. "I don't actually hate the water when I'm not a goddess of fire."
"Nice outfit."
"I know. My closets are filled with some amazing things. I don't even have to go shopping. I like it here, apart from homework."
I winced. "I haven't been doing mine."
"I've heard you being lectured," Yvera said, sprawling out on the blanket. "Come see if you can make out with me yet."
I couldn't. I lacked the relationship level. Worse yet, right about then, it started raining, the downfall absolutely punishing in its intensity.
Your date has been a failure. No relationship stars gained.
Great. That was one time segment lost. I'd have to make up for it the next day.
With the date ended, I found myself on an unfamiliar campus with Atlantia. She looked ravishing in the rain. Yvera might not actually be that connected with her element of fire, but Atlantia seemed made for the water.
"Thank you for accepting the invite," I said.
"I'm assuming you had a reason and were not simply growing bored with Yvera. You could hardly be blamed for that, of course."
They weren't going to become the best of friends anytime soon.
"Bayshore turned our rooms into literal pig sties," I said. "I thought you might be up for helping me to get a little revenge."
Atlantia gave a grin and bounced on the balls of her feet. "Oh, I love that. So, we're here to get them back. Drowning them is probably off-limits though."
"I think this world is a bit more light-hearted than that," I agreed. "Besides, mass murder isn't really a proportionate response."
"And it's baseball that you do, so it was their team that got you?"
"That seems likely."
"They gave you pigs. We'll give them mud."
"Mud?"
"All we need is a dump truck and a sprinkler system, and their dorm will never be the same. Follow and do what you're told."
Okay, maybe she and Yvera might get along a little bit. They sure had the same attitude.
Her plans seemed a bit ambitious to me, but within an hour we'd pulled it off and were making our escape.
The date was a great success. 1 affection star gained.
I could add Atlantia to the list of second dates I was going to make sure I didn't have.
Then it was off to practice. The team was starting to come together. Ashley's funds had come through and we had new gear, and the team loved hearing about how I'd pranked Bayshore back. We were going to be in great shape for the big game.
You have attended practice. Skill level slightly improved. You have gained 1/2 a relationship heart with Cobalt. You have gained 1/2 a relationship heart with Riggs. Team morale significantly improved.
I returned to my dorm room for another night. Three days down with four to go and I was achieving my objectives. I'd been on a lot of dates and the team looked in good shape for the game.
Things should be smooth sailing from here.
It wouldn't prove that easy. When I awoke the next day, I didn't even have time to pull up my schedule before I started getting invitations. Yvera, Atlantia, and Walt were all asking for dates. I wasn't going to turn anyone down. The others had accepted invitations when I needed them.
Classes passed. I got to watch a war movie in one, which wasn't bad.
Then it was off to the dates. Yvera came first, of course.
I was in her dorm room. Well, this was promising. The walls were lined with pictures of her in fabulous, exciting places I was sure this Yvera had never been.
"If we can't make out, I don't know what you're hoping for inviting me back," I said.
"Sorry stud," Yvera said, shoving a pile of index cards into my hands. "You're on Helping Me Study duty."
"Seriously?"
"Office hours this weekend and a lot of extra credit up for grabs with a verbal pop quiz," Yvera said. "I am not letting anyone beat me. So, sit there, read off questions and test me."
At least I didn't have to learn anything. I did just as she asked. I was a help, but she already knew this material and only needed to work through it a few times.
We managed a bit of making-out at the end.
The date was a great success. 1 affection star gained.
That gave me three stars out of five. I was making progress.
I'd scheduled Walt second in the day. I didn't know exactly what he had in mind, and was none too happy about it being scheduled as a date. Maybe it was, for him.
I arrived at some sort of fancy dress party. Perhaps a wedding? I was so not marrying Walt. Walt was suddenly snagging my arm and pulling me into a back room. He shoved a blazer at me.
"Put this on."
"Where are we? Why am I here?"
"It's Brad's birthday party. We're part of the entertainment."
"Walt, what am I doing here?"
"Listen. I do acapella here, it's pretty cool. We're the Dial Tones, we have a member sick. You don't need to do anything, they're just expecting five singers, so stand in the back and sway."
"I don't sway."
"Listen. It's part of my tasks, I need to keep Brad happy."
I didn't like it, but what I could I do? I put on the blazer and swayed.
This new world was really annoying at times.
The date was a great success. 1 affection star gained.
I was at the pool. Atlantia's choice of swimwear was a good bit less revealing than Yvera's although the one-piece did at least allow a good look at her legs.
"Stop ogling and start working, set up the bleachers while I practice," Atlantia said.
"You invited me on a date to do manual labor?"
"I helped you. You help me."
"It's a second date. You realize if things go well, we wind up kissing, right?"
"I don't want to do the setup for the meet, but I got stuck with it. You're helping."
Really wasn't digging this world now. I spent a few hours moving bleachers around. I got my kiss at the end. She wasn't that into it—I was, despite myself. It sucked being me sometimes.
The date was a great success. 1 affection star gained.
Another day done. Tomorrow would be Friday, the last day of classes for the week. Sunday was the final day for all of us and we'd need to have everything completed.
My time management was getting difficult, not from too little time, but from too much. Resting wasn't an option and apart from practice, there wasn't a lot else for me to do. Dating Yvera was good, but the others were getting awkward. Another date with Atlantia or Ashley would put me into making-out territory and I wasn't ready to go there.
I'd gone to bed thinking about the possibilities. The next day dawned. Today no invites came in at once, which was good. That gave me some flexibility. I scheduled a date with Yvera first thing. Practice was a reliable way to eat some time and I put it in for the third slot of the
day.
That left me with a date I needed to schedule for slot two. Mela was working on the ship, Cobalt was teaching the team. Of the remaining choices, Lea was the safest. I sent the invite and it flashed for a few seconds before being accepted.
Classes were miserable. It was tests all day. For those with scholastic goals this was an important day and a lot of validation of the choices they made this week. For me, it just sucked.
Finally, I was free and it was time to blow off some steam.
Date with Yvera
Options
1. Make out cove
2. Walk in the woods
3. Drive in the country
I found the options this time around kind of funny. They all allowed the opportunity for somewhere kind of remote. One was more blatant than the others, but they all had the potential for making-out at the end.
I didn't think Yvera either needed or would appreciate subtlety at this point. Make-out cove it was.
We were on a beach looking out over a beautiful ocean view. She had a different bikini today, although it concealed no more than the last did.
"Nice choice," Yvera said.
"I thought you'd like it. How did you do on your exams?"
Yvera stretched and I found it very hard to focus on her answer. "Aced them. Still doing the extra credit session tomorrow, though. Book me last in your schedule and we'll celebrate my amazing success and get you good and limbered up for your game."
That was a good plan. We didn't waste a lot more time talking. There were still quite a few limits on what the system would let us do, but we pushed them every step of the way. My lips were a little bruised by the time we were done.
The date was a great success. 1 affection star gained
Date with Lea
Options
1. Coffee and a Movie
2. Chill in the park
3. Party
Lea seemed so laid-back I thought any of these might be okay with her. Friday night was sure to have some crazy parties, but those weren't really good first date material. I chose chilling in the park.
My back was against a tree with Lea beside me, puffing on a cigarette.
"You smoke here?" I asked.
Lea grinned. "If there is a sin I don't do here, I haven't found it yet. I've had a hell of a fun week cutting classes and doing everything I shouldn't be doing."
I couldn't help but laugh. It was good somebody was enjoying herself. "I should have asked you out earlier."
"I'd have blown your mind. You had a fun vacation?"
"Dated around a lot. Kissed Atlantia, that was weird."
"Me, too! I thought she was really good at it."
I looked her over and she seemed to be serious. Well, go Lea. Although the dark circles under her eyes suggested she hadn't been getting a lot of sleep.
"Any idea how the ship is going?"
"Aren't you practicing with Riggs? He could tell you more. Far as I know they're behind, but putting in a big push this weekend."
Great. That left me without any of the engineers to burn a little weekend time with.
I enjoyed my time with Lea. We did absolutely nothing and it felt good.
The date was a great success. 1 affection star gained
Time shifted and I again found myself at practice. The team was going well. I'd wanted to corner Riggs to ask him more about the Vainglory, but he wasn't there. It wasn't a good sign. I definitely would have to avoid the engineers this weekend.
You have attended practice. Skill level slightly improved. You have gained 1/2 a relationship heart with Cobalt. Team morale slightly improved.
I went back to the dorm and got some sleep. The weekend approached and we were soon to be out of this world.
CHAPTER NINE
Saturday was here. The big game was Sunday night, already blocked out on my schedule where it would eat two time slots. That left me five that needed filling for today and three tomorrow.
Yvera had told me yesterday to arrange her for the last slot and I did. That left me four. Practice was an easy choice—the first thing in the day.
I had to leave those working on the ship alone and that meant doing nothing with Mela, Walt, or Riggs. I had three slots to fill and they needed to be dates, with my options being Lea, Atlantia, Maria, Cobalt, and Ashley.
Lea was the easy choice out of those. If I wanted to avoid making-out with Atlantia or Ashley, it only left me two options and I sent requests to both Maria and Cobalt. All were accepted. It was going to be a very strange day. I resolved that when I got out of this little pocket universe I was going to get myself a hobby besides girls.
So the day started with practice. Neither Cobalt or Riggs were present. I figured Riggs was working on the ship, but I wasn't sure where Cobalt might have gone. I spent the time running drills with the guys and working up a sweat. The time passed quickly until I was moving on to the next segment.
Date with Lea
Options
1. Skate Park
2. Party
3. Hang out at the mall
For Lea, any of the options would work. A party would be fun, and the skate park might be exciting, but it also might mean getting injured. I didn't want anything to happen to me before tonight and the game tomorrow. The mall seemed the least interesting of the options, but in many ways it was the safest.
Time spun and I found myself with Lea hanging out among the shops.
"Seriously?" Lea asked.
"Who doesn't like the mall?"
"Do you know how anti-materialistic I am here?" Lea asked, looking around with a grimace.
"Is it just here?" I asked, curious. I largely seemed to be myself here, as did the others, although it had given me some new hobbies.
"Probably not," Lea said, and flashed me a wry grin. "I keep my magic on my skin. No need for special wants or staffs, no fancy robes. I don't like to be encumbered by things."
"Always ready to set off on the next adventure?"
"When opportunities come, you have to be ready to take them. You don't do that, if you're rooted down."
I could see her point. I'd not have been half so ready to jump into that pod back in Piper's Mill, if I'd had something to hold me there. I'd not have stayed without protest, if I'd had something drawing me back. Leaving my options open let me find new adventures, which in turn tied me down though. I had people now I cared about.
I grabbed Lea's hand and led her towards the closest shop. "That doesn't stop you from window-shopping. Let's at least look."
Lea gave me a grudging sort of nod and followed. We had fun and kissed at the end. I knew I wouldn't be holding her back from any adventures and she wouldn't be holding me back either, and that was okay.
The date was a great success. 1 affection star gained.
One date down and so many more to go. This universe was getting almost creepy in the way these things went.
Date with Maria
Options
1. Insect Museum
2. Art Museum
3. History Museum
Did Maria have some depths of scholarship I was unaware of? I was taken aback by everything being a museum.
The insect museum seemed a clear choice that might appeal to her given her affinity to spiders. But the fact that any spiders on display would be dead and mounted might make it more morbid for her than fun.
I'd never seen her have the slightest concern with aesthetics or art. The art museum might be either new or a total miss.
The history museum was an interesting choice. This world wasn't hers or mine, and yet that made it intriguing. If it was for me, it might be appealing for her as well. I selected that.
I was standing with Maria inside a barely populated museum, diagrams and display cases lining the walls. I'd not seen Maria since that first day, and I suddenly paused to marvel at how totally strange this place must be for her. The others had all traveled outside their world to some degree. For Maria, this place was something totally new.
/> "Hi, you're looking good," I said. It's true, she was. Maria's attire was all black, and she hadn't shucked it all to go around bare-skinned, which I'd thought was a real possibility.
Maria gave me a tiny smile and tilted her head. "Coming here has been an adjustment. Clothes, school, toilets. They all are very different."
"You aren't overwhelmed?" If she were, she didn't seem like it. Maria never lacked for poise and confidence in the other world, and it carried over here.
"I spent my life living in a single basement level of a castle," Maria said, as she moved to peer at one of the displays. "I knew there was more of the world, but I did not seek it out. I was blind to greater possibilities."
"I know things have been hard, since then."
Maria let out a soft sigh. "Idiot. You, killing my father, seeing the world? My father coming back to some semblance of life and meeting my mother with her assortment of secrets and complications? Yes, it has been hard."
I reached out to take her hand. It was nice, for once, to be able to do so without spiders scurrying across my flesh. "Do you regret it?"
"I'm now president of the student body," Maria said, with a hint of amusement. "Mother tells me this shall be my lot in life. To rule and to control wherever I go."
"That's a lot of responsibility. I don't much enjoy being a King and all that comes with it."
Maria continued to study the display and I looked more closely at it. It was a strange history museum, nothing went back further than a week. It appeared we really had created this world with our arrival.
"That is the thing, Liam. It is right that I be in charge. Right that I rule. I look around me and I see that which is in need of me. I see those needing my help to be better than they are. I know that with all that I have experienced I should be broken, but I tell you truly, I am unbowed and there is nothing which will change that," Maria said, her voice slipping from its usual monotone. There was more than formality there, there was certitude and power. In that moment, I understood her for the first time.
"Are we going to have a problem? You and I?" I asked. It wasn't just that I ruled the Kingdom that should have been hers by right.