early that morning and retraced the two hour trail to pick a handful. When I got back home I tied a red ribbon around them, but my ribbon tying skills left a little something to be desired. It was sad looking, but it was the best I could do. Clearly, I was not a florist.
I dressed up in some of the designer slacks, a white button down, and pin-striped vest Sway got me before the trip. After debating my decision to do this for a good five minutes while outside of Sway’s door, I took a long deep breath before I finally knocked.
No answer.
I knocked again. There was no answer. I thought for sure she had said earlier she would be in there most of the day but maybe she left and I missed her. I started to walk off when I heard the lock unlatch. I was surprised when I saw her standing there, wrapped in a black silk sheet. Her normally perfect hair was loose and wild. Her eyes shifted from side-to-side to see if anyone else was with me.
“Oh, hi,” she said. Apparently she had not been expecting for it to have been me.
“Hi.” I paused. I didn’t know what to say. She looked radiant. She looked happy… She looked like she was hiding someone behind her.
“Hold on,” she said to me. Then she turned away, and I heard her say, “Yeah, it’s just Scion. If you want to be one of us, you make the walk of shame sooner or later, Big Boy.”
She opened the door, and X smiled half-embarrassed. He was dressed in only a towel, and carried his clothes in one hand. I had to admit, he was cut. I felt a little subconscious. Are Cyborgs supposed to get jealous of non-metal types?
I was still at a loss for words. I wasn’t jealous… maybe just a little sad. I handed Sway the flowers, “Here, these came for you.”
“Who from?” She said looking over the bouquet as if it might explode.
“One of your admirers I’d assume.” I somewhat lied. “You have so many. It’s hard to keep up.” The snark I let into that last sentence was an accident.
Sway curled her lip, “Well, it looks like somebody just raided a neighbor’s garden instead of buying them like a normal person would.” She grabbed them and tossed them haphazardly behind her. I’m not sure, but I think I heard them land in the garbage. “Well, thanks,” she said. I nodded and started to walk away again, but she stopped me, “By the way, you don’t look completely terrible.” That was Sway’s idea of a compliment. “What are you all dressed up for?”
My mind ran to the well of ideas like a parched desert-walker looking for his first taste of water, “I thought I would dress to impress for Largo’s big welcome dinner for X. Plus, I was going to give Kata her gift. I thought it might help my cause to look nice.” Those lies would work.
“Ah. I thought maybe you had a hot date.”
I couldn’t hide the sadness, “Well, there was a potential for one, but she canceled on me.”
Sway’s eyes hit the floor. Message received.
“I didn’t mean to disturb you.” I said before excusing myself. I ignored the opened pit in my stomach as I set off for my next task.
Down in the lab Kata worked diligently on one of her and Sway’s fighting robots. She saw me come in and stopped what she was doing, “Hubba-hubba! Hot date?” She asked echoing Sway’s earlier sentiment.
“Peace offering,” I answered pulling a small velvet bag from my pocket. Her face lit up, and she squealed when I gave it to her.
Kata reached long delicate fingers, complete with pink nail polish, into the little bag and gingerly removed the snaking silver bracelet adorned in the collection of pink Soul Diamonds pieces.
“It’s beautiful,” she gasped.
“It’s a souvenir from the trip, and an apology.”
She tilted her head curiously.
“I am so sorry for the way I treated you before I left. I think you are one of the kindest and most brilliant women alive, and I was way out
I dressed up in some of the designer slacks, a white button down, and pin-striped vest Sway got me before the trip. After debating my decision to do this for a good five minutes while outside of Sway’s door, I took a long deep breath before I finally knocked.
No answer.
I knocked again. There was no answer. I thought for sure she had said earlier she would be in there most of the day but maybe she left and I missed her. I started to walk off when I heard the lock unlatch. I was surprised when I saw her standing there, wrapped in a black silk sheet. Her normally perfect hair was loose and wild. Her eyes shifted from side-to-side to see if anyone else was with me.
“Oh, hi,” she said. Apparently she had not been expecting for it to have been me.
“Hi.” I paused. I didn’t know what to say. She looked radiant. She looked happy… She looked like she was hiding someone behind her.
“Hold on,” she said to me. Then she turned away, and I heard her say, “Yeah, it’s just Scion. If you want to be one of us, you make the walk of shame sooner or later, Big Boy.”
She opened the door, and X smiled half-embarrassed. He was dressed in only a towel, and carried his clothes in one hand. I had to admit, he was cut. I felt a little subconscious. Are Cyborgs supposed to get jealous of non-metal types?
I was still at a loss for words. I wasn’t jealous… maybe just a little sad. I handed Sway the flowers, “Here, these came for you.”
“Who from?” She said looking over the bouquet as if it might explode.
“One of your admirers I’d assume.” I somewhat lied. “You have so many. It’s hard to keep up.” The snark I let into that last sentence was an accident.
Sway curled her lip, “Well, it looks like somebody just raided a neighbor’s garden instead of buying them like a normal person would.” She grabbed them and tossed them haphazardly behind her. I’m not sure, but I think I heard them land in the garbage. “Well, thanks,” she said. I nodded and started to walk away again, but she stopped me, “By the way, you don’t look completely terrible.” That was Sway’s idea of a compliment. “What are you all dressed up for?”
My mind ran to the well of ideas like a parched desert-walker looking for his first taste of water, “I thought I would dress to impress for Largo’s big welcome dinner for X. Plus, I was going to give Kata her gift. I thought it might help my cause to look nice.” Those lies would work.
“Ah. I thought maybe you had a hot date.”
I couldn’t hide the sadness, “Well, there was a potential for one, but she canceled on me.”
Sway’s eyes hit the floor. Message received.
“I didn’t mean to disturb you.” I said before excusing myself. I ignored the opened pit in my stomach as I set off for my next task.
Down in the lab Kata worked diligently on one of her and Sway’s fighting robots. She saw me come in and stopped what she was doing, “Hubba-hubba! Hot date?” She asked echoing Sway’s earlier sentiment.
“Peace offering,” I answered pulling a small velvet bag from my pocket. Her face lit up, and she squealed when I gave it to her.
Kata reached long delicate fingers, complete with pink nail polish, into the little bag and gingerly removed the snaking silver bracelet adorned in the collection of pink Soul Diamonds pieces.
“It’s beautiful,” she gasped.
“It’s a souvenir from the trip, and an apology.”
She tilted her head curiously.
“I am so sorry for the way I treated you before I left. I think you are one of the kindest and most brilliant women alive, and I was way out
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