Blood and Apples: An Annora Park Novel: Book One

Chapter Thirty-Six: Angel Gold and Devils Blood

   "Now I know what to get you for your birthday, darling girl." Walker says, from his palette on the ground next to my bed.  I drowsily open my eyes.  Had be been saying something?
   "Goesss back to bed, Walker," I mutter.  "It's too early." And I turn back to snuggle in my Hellow Kitty comforter.
   "First off, it's almost 7:30 am. You need to get up.  Secondly, you need a new comforter.  If I'm expected to spends night over here, I'm not fucking you on a Hello Kitty comforter...that's just too disturbing for words, darling girl."
   "THAT is what you find disturbing?" I sit up throw the covers off of me and glare at him when he laughs at me.
   "Well, that's quite the pajama set."
   I"m wearing a cami top with A Hello Kitty Angel on it, and tap pants with A Hello Kitty Devil on it.  "What?" I say defensively.  "It's super comfortable."
   "I'll bet it is.  No. You look charming.  Should we check on your Fairy Boys and make sure they didn't kill one another in the evening.  And hey, did you notice something."
   I cock my head to the side and wait.
   "Nightmares...you didn't have any last night.  You used to get them all the time, Annora darling.  And you seemed to sleep pretty soundly last night."
   "How...how did you know?"
   "Well other than the fact that i didn't wake up with a broken nose...I also watched you to make sure you slept well."
   "You didn't sleep, Walker?" I'm shocked.
  "Oh I dosed here and there.  But I don't need much sleep, Annora darling.  Much more important to make sure you don't have nightmares."
   That was sweet...and creepy.  I wasn't sure how I felt about him just watching me sleep.  I glare at him then again.  "Turn around so I can dress."
   "Come one Annora baby, I'm gonna see everything anyway."
   "Turn around, or you won't see anything, at any time."  I wait until he's turned around to get out of bed and search my teeny weeny closet.  I choose a black skirt, some black torn leggings, my kick-ass steel toe boots, a lightweight knit black sweater with spikes on the shoulders and then quickly plait my hair into two thick braids.  "Okay, I'm decent."
   "You most certainly are," Walker says, voice hoarse.  "Where is your black duster."
   I pull it out of the close and he nods at me.  "Wear that too."
   "Okay I say.  I can do that."  I add the duster and swirl around for him.  "Good now?"
   "Ohhhhhh my darling darling girl...you are sooo much better than good.  You look stunning.  Of course I could do without that circlet around your damn head."
   I sigh.  "Is is still there?" I'd hoped when I'd returned to the Earth Realm the weird crown thingy would disappear.  Guess not.  "Okay let's check of Branuel and Terrenel.  Oh, and get clothes on, now, Walker."  Walker conjures us some clothes and the two of us exit the bedroom to find Branuel and Terrenel drinking whiskey at my breakfast bar.
   "OH MY GOD!" I shout.  "What do you think you're doing?"
   "We're having this human thing called breakfast."
   Walker busts out laughing. I glare at him as if to stay "SHUT UP AND STOP!".  I sigh.  "Guys, whiskey IS NOT breakfast."
   "But it makes a most satisfying breakfast."
   "Liquid breakfast instead of liquid lunch," Walker says, not helpfully.
   "Oh my Gah!" I thump my head against the counter.
   "Don't do that my midnight queen, you'll hurt yourself."
   "It'll take a lot more to hurt me, dude.  Listen let me make you some real breakfast.  You cannot drink whiskey for breakfast.  God knows if we'll called into a scene and you're both drunk as a skunk."
   "I do not know what this drunk as skunk is." Branuel says.
   "Again, forget it," I turn to Walker.  "Will you help me?"
   Walker sighs. "But this is so amusing."
   "Waaaaaalker!" I whine.
   "Fine, what do you need, darling girl."
   I think and open my fridge.  "I've got eggs, but I don't have any bacon or sausage.  And I've got potatoes and some veggies,  Do you think you could transmute some bacon sausage and hash for us?"
   "Ohhhh I see you're still remembering the breakfast I made for you, darling girl."
   I nod.  "It was really really good."  I pull out the eggs and veggies and potatoes.
   "What are you doing with that?" Walker asks. 
   "I'm going to make a frittata."
   "Oooohhh I like frittata.  Okay then, you can have some frittata too.  Now I need you to transmute those objects for me please." I case a side look over at Branuel and Terrenel who are still drinking whiskey.  "Oh for heavens sake, put the whiskey down.  I understand it might not effect you like humans, but what if it does, or what if this one does.  I seriously DO NOT need you drunk.  Please stop, at least until I've gotten some real food into you."  I begin to fix the breakfast and then stop when Walker comes back with an urn and a walking stick.
   "Will this work?"
   "NO!" I shout and rush forward! I grab the urn and walking stick from him and hug them to me.
   "Jeez...sorry Annora darling...didn't expect such a reaction."
   I gulp.  Shit.  I had gone a little crazy there.  Okay maybe I needed to explain.  "Uhmmm the urn is my halmeoni, and that was her walking stick, which is magical."
   Walker's eyes shoot wide in shock.  "You still have your halmeoni's ashes, are you crazy, baby girl?"  He runs a hand through his hair.  "You need to place her at rest, do you understand."
   I sigh, and again the familiar well of tears come forth.  Stupid Annora.  Push that shit back.  "I, know, I know Walker.  I just, she wanted to be buried in Korea.  And...I haven't been in...oh God, I can't remember the last time i was in Korea.  And the walking stick is part of my legacy from her,  She told me to keep it, treasure it, hold is close because one day i would need it.  In a dark hour, I would need it."
   Walker nods.  "Okay then...no urn and no walking stick.  How about you choose two items for me."
   I go over to my shelf and pick up two Funko POP bobble heads.  I have doubles of them so I'm not too sad over their loss.  "Here, will this do?"
   Walker laughs.  "You have good taste." He looks at the Han Solo Bobble and the Princess Leia bobble and nods.  "I can't make too much with this.  But it should do in a pinch." He says a few words and moves his hands in a circular motion and in a minute he's holding a small brown wrapped package.
   "Uh, that doesn't look like—"
   "It's not that disgusting stuff you buy at the store.  It's from the butchers.  I know that you halmeoni would've been proud."
   She would have been.  I nod.  Okay.  "You can be in charge of the meat and I'll grab the rest.  I can do the frittata, can you do the hash?"
   "Yup," Walker and move seamlessly in my kitchen as if we'd done it a million times before, and I'm aware of the stares of the my other guys, but ignore them in favor of getting their REAL breakfast ready, cause like FUCK was I letting them drink a bottle of whiskey for breakfast.