Dragon Kin

14

Victor

"It sounds like she's awake," Ocean said.

"Hope you were right on her sizes," I said.

"I'm sure they'll be fine, for the time it takes to go from here to her house if they aren't."

"You're sure you're not going to come? Could be interesting, seeing how they manage to track these people down."

"No," Ocean said. "I'm sure the high technology they have is wonderful, but I'm going to try a bit of high magic instead. And as long as we find them and get back home, who cares which is better or faster?"

I nodded. It felt like more than that, like he felt out of place. Which was not the case, but if one felt that way, how could you convince them otherwise?

The door to her room opened, and she called out, "Did you buy me clothes?"

"Yes," I called back. "Well, Ocean did."

"Ok. Um. Thank you," and her door closed again.

Ocean glanced sideways at me, "She seems nice."

"At least she's not ga-ga over you."

"Yes," he mused. "Odd that. Not even when I first met her. Do you suppose she needs glasses? Or maybe she has no drive at all."

"Gods you are vain," I said, shaking my head.

"Vanity has nothing to do with it. It's simply a biological response. Either you have a sex drive or you don't. That's what mother use to say, anyway."

It would take a peculiar style of neurotic hubris to question the word of a succubus on the topic of sex. A style I did not possess, so I said nothing.

I ordered some food from the place downstairs. Ocean left shortly after that to engage in his own measures and means. And then roughly half an hour after she called out about the clothes, Alicja came into the living area, wearing the clothing Ocean had picked out for her. In blue jeans, boots, and a red blouse, over which she wore a vest of simple designs, the background being tan, the designs in faded blue. Her hair was up in her silk scarves, per custom. And she wore sunglasses.

"I guess they fit," she said, looking down at herself.

"You look good. The colors suit you," I said.

"You think so? The red is a bit bold, don't you think?"

It was, but it also set off her light brown hair. "No, I think he did well. But your house is only a short cab ride away. Breakfast?"

We ate, and talked little. She asked after Ocean and I told her he wanted to try his own methods. "Actually I think he just wanted to be away from us," I said. "It's a lot to take in and his reaction was a bit extreme."

"What about you? Any ... extreme reactions?"

"Not yet, but it could be that I'm simply in shock. Flabbergasted, as they say."

"I'm sorry," she said, setting her fork down and picking up her coffee, "who says that?"

I shrugged, "Someone must. I didn't make the word up."

"Yes," she said, with a slight grin. "I'm sure someone must."

A car was waiting for us downstairs and we drove directly to her house, where she ditched her purse for a day pack and shoved several items inside.

"I didn't know we were traveling," I said from the living room, looking over her family photos on the wall, and the shelves filled with memories and keepsakes.