[Hey, so I usually don't put videos within the actual chapters of my novels, but since a certain app won't allow more than one video in the multimedia (>_>), I thought I could put this baby here for this one time:

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

It'll come in hand for....a certain blonde elf, hehe.

Also, the music in the multimedia is Tritonal & Jenaux- Broken ft. Adam Lambert (it's absolute perfection).

This chapter was fun to write and I hope you all enjoy it! :D]

Stay Creepy, My Friends!~

Chapter 15

Reese's POV

"I don't know what crown to get," I grumbled into the phone. It was Saturday and, for some reason, the dilemma of what fake crown to get at the children's toy section grew more out of proportion than it should've.

"As long as it isn't gold, because that won't go with my hair," Ben said.

"All of them are not gold, except for mine!"

"Then get the prettiest one for me!"

"I don't know which is the prettiest!" I replied, exasperated.

"Just pick one!"

"No, because you're going to insult whatever choice I make," I protested.

"It's the thought that counts."

"Not with you," I muttered.

"Just pick one! Do eeny-meeny-minny-mo!"

"Come over here and pick the one you want!"

"Nooo...," he mumbled.

"You're going to see me later anyway! Get your ass over to the toy section and choose your damn crown!" And as I said that, I glanced over at a little girl trying to get a Barbie doll which was next to me. Her eyes were big with near-fear, so I grabbed the Barbie doll box and handed it to her. After that, her face lit up and she skipped away.

"You need to work on your fashion sense," Ben's voice echoed from behind me and from the phone. Startled, I spun around to see him standing in the toy aisle with me.

"Whatever, pervert. Get your crown," I replied, hitting the red hang-up button on my phone screen. The blonde slipped his phone into his back pocket as he scanned the selection of plastic crowns. After eyeballing them and tapping his chin, his face lit up and he picked one.

"There," he started, placing a silver crown with green and white jewels on his head, "easy-peasy."

"You look stunning," I droned.

"I always do," he chimed pompously and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Still need to get your cake," I said, snatching the crown from his head to hold it in my hands. Ben followed behind me as I made my way to the bakery section of the store. As we walked, I took a few glances at Ben and noticed how...tired he looked. His human form had a paler complexion and his eyes seemed darker. I remembered the text he sent me so late (or early) at night, how he couldn't sleep because of a nightmare. I wondered how bad it was, because I've never seen him so exhausted.

"Are you okay?" I questioned him as we arrived at the bakery.

For a second, he was taken aback, but then he plastered a smile on his face and nodded. "Y-Yeah."

Narrowing my eyes at him, I went ahead and went up to the counter to order the tres leches cake. The lady gladly went ahead and grabbed the cake from a see-through fridge. Once she bagged the contained cake, I paid and thanked her. As I turned around, I wrapped an arm around Ben's shoulders and shook him lightly.

"You need to wake up," I told him.

"I am awake," he said.

"Not really," I retorted as I pinched his cheek. As I led him to the check-out counters, he stumbled along and had to hug onto me to keep himself steady.

"Need coffee, too?" I inquired.

"No," he responded, smiling awkwardly.

We got to check-out and I quickly paid for the two fake crowns. After we got out of line, I placed Ben's silver crown on his head and suggested, "How about we do things you want to do today?"

The blonde looked up at me and replied, "Ah, you don't have to--."

"I'm fine with it," I insisted. "As long as I don't end up smelling like weed."

"Well, that's one thing off the list," he joked and I pinched his cheek again.

"Today's all about me, huh? Okay, then. I know someplace we can go," he said with a mischievous smirk on his face. I knew I was in for something weird, but since he looked better already, I let him have this.

He grabbed my crown from my hand, placed it on my head, then clapped my back and said, "C'mon, king." Energized, he hurried forward and I followed after him.

...

It wasn't a surprise when Ben took me to an arcade. Earlier, he came to the store via teleportation, but he got the Chevelle after we left. I don't know how the hell he can bring a damn car out of nowhere without getting noticed, but at this point I've learned not to question him.

We exited the Chevelle and strolled into the arcade like we weren't wearing sparkly crowns on our heads. At the front, we paid for two and bought gaming tokens to play. Since it was a Saturday, the place was pretty occupied by birthday parties and families. Thankfully, one two seater table was available so we claimed it.

"Don't make me play any DDR after we eat this," I pleaded, setting the cake down on the tabletop.

"Okay, I won't," he said, raising his hands up in surrender.

The next ten minutes were spent poking plastic forks (courtesy of the arcade's concession area) into the medium sized cake. At one point, Ben took a picture of me eating, so I smeared some whipped cream on his cheek when he wasn't looking. With a grumble, he ate it anyway and tried to get me back with whipped cream, too. I kept leaning away from him, until the blonde wraith stood up to get closer. As he leaned over my back to poke whipped cream onto my face, I avoided a mess by licking it off his finger. He released a startled yelp and yanked his hand away, while I laughed triumphantly.

After we finished the cake, by sheer hunger and a miracle, and waited for it to settle, Ben beckoned me into the arcade area. Immediately, the first game he took me to was a dancing game.

"Ben, I said no DDR," I grumbled.

"This isn't DDR," he replied. He looked up at the game's title sign and pronounced, "It's Party Hard...Extreme. With an X to make it edgier."

"God dammit," I muttered lowly. I did promise him we'd do whatever he wanted. Burning off the calories from that tres leches isn't such a bad idea.

Ben put two tokens into the slot and the game started. He scrolled through the songs, shaking his head at whatever he didn't like. All of a sudden, he gasped, rapidly swiped his hand up the giant screen, and stopped on Beyoncé's Crazy in Love. The game gave a short teaser for the intro and Ben whipped his head around, bearing a devilish smile.

Oh god.

"Play it, pervert," I said with a challenge, placing myself in the center of my dance pad.

"Gladly," he chimed, taking off his crown to put it aside. I gave him a puzzled look, wondering why he'd have to take it off. Then, I glanced at the screen to see the song level was put at hard. Aw, c'mon, Ben...

Before I could remove my crown, the game started and the intro blasted from the speakers at the sides of the screen. The arrows started scrolling up already and I gulped. If I can handle Artem's training, I can handle this!

Just as I stepped to the right, I was distracted by Ben dramatically sticking his leg out to the left and hitting the left arrow. As we had to step to the rhythm, I was preoccupied by the blonde overdoing the dance, twisting his hips in a showy fashion.

"Up your game, king," Ben teased me before whipping his hair and thrusting his hips back and forth.

The arrows kept coming and Ben kept working his dance pad with an astounding confidence. Determined, I focused on the arrows again and got back into the rhythm. My side of the screen kept giving me 'GOOD's and 'GREAT's, but Ben got 'PERFECT's every fuckin' time...! At one point, he had to get all of the arrows one by one to the rhythm, so he spun on one foot as he hit the buttons with immaculate sync.

It wasn't long until a crowd gathered, most people hanging out by his side rather than mine. Some girls whistled, children awed, guys looked impressed, and overall most of the watchers had their phones out to record. I felt incredibly inferior, to say the least.

"Put more hip into it," Ben told me, right before he dropped it low and the crowd went wild with whistles and catcalls. Shaking my head, I focused on the arrows again while trying to seem more entertaining. But there was absolutely no way I'd move like Ben. Not only will I look like I'm having a seizure, but I'll probably break something in the process.

Suddenly, in the middle of the song, when it got to the rap, the screen displayed big letters that said 'FACEOFF'. At that cue, Ben and I faced each other and had an improvised dance battle. Taking a chance, I did a hip roll and our watchers cheered. Ben cackled and beckoned me forward. I stepped closer and suddenly he spun and backed up into me. With a yelp, I tried stepping away, but he kept coming at me with freak dance moves that made me both amazed and terrified all at once. I ended up stumbling off the dance pad, but a few people in the crowd helped me back on and I bumped into Ben again. The 'FACEOFF' portion of the song ended but Ben kept showing off to me.

"You're not even on your side anymore!" I hollered, laughing hard.

"I don't need a side. I own this dance pad now, peanut butter cup!" he exclaimed, hip rolling as he raised his arms in victory. Then, he snatched my fake crown and I lunged forward to grab it. He spun around, leading me all over the dance pad with a gleeful smile on his face. Along with that, he taunted me, mouthing the lyrics to the song and twirling about. Finally, I grabbed onto his waist and leaned forward to get my crown back.

All of a sudden, he swerved us around and leaned his upper body down. Just as the song ended, I dipped him and everyone cheered again. Looking up at me, Ben complimented, "Nice moves, king," and placed the crown back onto my head.

Panting, I chuckled and replied, "Thanks, I sucked."

"Not to me," he chimed, before pulling out his phone and handing it to a random guy. "Take a picture of us, will ya?"

After the stranger snapped our dramatically posed picture, he handed the phone back, and Ben and I finally stood up to look at our scores. It wasn't a surprise that I received a lower grade than him: an E. If Ben had kept hitting the arrows, I'm sure he would've gotten an A, but his score was a shiny C. For getting shown up by a man-diva on hard-mode, I did better than I expected.

"How about another round?" the blonde wraith suggested with a smirk. I sighed and twisted my lips in thought. A few people in our crowd urged us to keep dancing, and seeing the brightened look on Ben's face encouraged me further. It's not like we have any other plans.

"You're on," I said, and everyone whooped with accomplishment.

"Bring your A-game this time," Ben teased and I cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh, you're gonna come at me like that," I said.

"Yeah, I am," he responded. "Show me you're worthy of that golden crown."

"Hey," a random girl piped up, "do Promiscuous...!"

Ben gasped. "By Nelly Furtado?!"

The girl nodded.

Ben grinned and told me, "Ey, you can work on your hip action again, Reese's puffs! C'mon!~"

Just like with the first song, he put it on hard, and just like with the first song, he obliterated me with his damn moves. The entire time, he amused the crowd with winks, lip bites, and gyrations, and after every time, he gleamed a big smile at me. Eventually, I just got so tired that I had to lean against the handle bars at the back of the dance pad. The blonde wraith kept waving me back into the game, but I was done. Though it was highly entertaining watching him move around, getting that perfect score. It didn't bother me when he snatched my crown again and placed it on his head with a smug look on his face. He said gold wasn't his color, but it suited him well enough.

We only did one more song after that before we called it quits. Ben bowed graciously to the remaining crowd and they clapped for him. Afterwards, we cooled off by playing some arcade games that required us to be stationary. We spent an hour at the arcade, playing Street Fighter, air hockey, Deal Or No Deal (which Ben sucked at so much that I had to take over and win ourselves some damn tickets), and other games. We didn't win enough tickets to get any prizes, so Ben just gave them out to random children, especially to the ones who seemed like they needed it (which I thought was really nice of him). There was a playscape in the corner for kids, and Ben had the bright idea of exploring it. The children had a good laugh at me trying to pull the blonde out of these foam, pillar-obstacles that he couldn't squeeze through.

When we figured we'd had enough of hanging out at the arcade, we left to return to the Chevelle. As I stepped off the curb, Ben grabbed my arm with a loud gasp. "What's up?" I asked, startled.

"Reese, there's a karaoke bar next door!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh, no...," I mumbled.

"Oh, yes! Let's go!" Left with no choice, I allowed Ben to eagerly drag me into the karaoke bar.

There was a decent number of people inside; not as much as the arcade held. The atmosphere was relaxed and loose, even though groups of people cackled and chatted amongst each other while others sang up on a little stage.

"Ah, I haven't been to one of these in years...!" Ben remarked, still holding my arm. As he surveyed the area, I looked at his face. His eyes were glittering with happiness and his complexion seemed healthier despite the lower lighting. This is good. This is the Ben I want.

"Want anything to drink?" he asked me as we got to an available table.

"Just get me a cola," I answered and took a seat. Ben went off to the bar counter across the room to order. I looked to the stage, watching two girls stand together, singing a duet, while their friends hyped them up. It was at this point that I began to dread being here. I really hope I don't have to sing. Besides the fact that the patrons will leave in disgust if I do, it's uncomfortable enough to be on that little stage. This is the absolute worst place for a person like me, yet I'm going to endure it. For Ben.

A couple of minutes later, he came back with a glass of soda and another glass of what looked like lemonade (probably wasn't, considering him). "Thanks," I told him and grabbed one of two straws he handed to me.

"So," he began, sitting down across from me, "I know you're not going to want to sing, so I won't make you."

"What makes you say that?" I questioned, even though he wasn't wrong.

He chuckled. "I saw the way you eyed the people singing. You don't think I recognized the cringe on your face?"

"It was congratulatory cringe," I lied.

He shook his head. "Just don't look at me like that when I go up."

"What? You? Never," I said, over-exaggerating my surprise. He playfully threw a napkin at me and I barely blocked it.

"Hey, I get free ice cream out of it, so jokes on you," he remarked, looking smug.

"What will you sing?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Not sure. Whatever I like that they have."

"Can you sing?" I questioned with a chuckle.

He shot me a near-offended expression and said boastfully, "Uh, yes...! Do you think I'd come here if I wasn't good?"

"I mean, they're goofing off at this point and they're still going strong," I said, gesturing to the girls on stage who were giggling more than singing.

"I can sing," Ben stated again.

"Okay, give me a lyric," I challenged him, leaning forward on my elbows.

He froze, shifted his eyes around in thought, then grinned nervously. "Uh, I need a minute to think."

"Mmm-hmmm," I hummed, folding my arms over my chest.

"I'll prove I can sing when I go on stage," Ben stated before taking a sip of his drink.

We waited for an opening for the stage to be available, meanwhile we discussed some of the people and how they sang, like we were professionals. When no one was going up anymore, Ben patted his hands on the table excitedly and said, "Ey, now's my chance...!"

"Knock 'em dead, perv," I encouraged him as he handed me his fake, silver crown. He stood up, straightened out his shirt, inhaled deeply, then marched ahead to the stage. I was curious to see how he would do, yet also nervous for him. I especially hoped he wouldn't pick a cringey song that makes you a karaoke douchebag like Don't Stop Believing, or something. Knowing him, he's not that much of an idiot, but still.

With an eager energy, he hopped up onto the stage and groups from tables nearby clapped for him. So did I, and I watched him flash a big smile before grabbing a mic that an employee handed him. The employee had her own microphone and told him, "Thanks for participating! What's your name?"

Ben shot a sly look at me before answering, "Call me Queen B."

God dammit, of course.

"Alright, thanks Queen B! Let's give him a round of applause, shall we?" At that signal, most of the patrons clapped and cheered for him with encouragement. The employee stepped off the stage, leaving him standing alone. He nodded and turned to the song selection tablet off to the side. He stared down at the device, eyeing his options carefully. Finally, he seemed to find something he liked and selected his song. There were two screens on the stage: one for him to read, and one facing the rest of the bar. On the screen that I could observe, the song title of Broken showed up in bold letters, with the subtitles Tritonal & Jenaux ft. Adam Lambert under it. (If the featured vocals are taken out for karaoke, would they still be "featured"?)

Ben bounced on his feet as the intro began with an electronic melody. He gave me a giddy smile before turning his eyes to the screen as the words came up. His gaze was surprisingly intent as he waited for his cue, and when it came, he sang.

"Before I met you I would have said I'm fine,
If you asked, if you asked, if you asked me,
Then you gave that word another life,
Yeah you got, yeah you got, you got me..."

And, as he flowed into the pre-chorus, he backed away from the screen to stand more freely. I was stunned to hear that he wasn't too bad. My knowledge on vocals and anything musical isn't great, but I wouldn't doubt that his voice was wonderful. I couldn't help but lean back into my chair and just listen.

"Right when we met,
You made me forget,
That my heart was ever,
Bro-broken"

He looked free. Absolutely relaxed and free and the smile on his face was genuine. It was this moment that I could feel his happiness all the way from that stage. And that's what I wanted.

"Looking at me,
You wouldn't believe,
That my heart was ever,
Bro-broken"

The beat dropped and he flashed another smile, proud of how well he was doing. Seeing him so happy, it made me grin, too. Before I knew it, he wasn't even looking at the screen anymore; he just kept his eyes closed as he sang, not paying attention to anything else.

"I wore the pain on my face,
Hoping someday it would fade
You know how to wash it away,
Oh, you do it"

He gestured appropriately along with the song, still in his own world. Some patrons cheered and clapped with the beat. All I could do was sit back and watch him with intent. Not once did I take my eyes off of him. He swayed and tapped his foot during some moments, barely noticeable but he was still getting into it. Once, he looked at me as he sang and wore this giddy smile on his lips. The sight of that held such a warm joy that it was contagious on me. And it felt like my heart jumped and goosebumps rose when he added in extra vocal riffs that I would never think he could do until now. Again, patrons applauded him before the song could even finish, and by the time it did, the blonde wraith was a grinning, blushing mess. He raised his hand to everyone, thanking them.

The employee from earlier came up and announced, "Well, I'd say Queen B killed it, right?"

People whooped and whistled, and Ben put the mic close to his mouth to murmur, "Thank you, thank you. I can get that ice cream, right?"

"Yes," the employee girl answered.

"Okay, cool--thank you!"

With one farewell wave, he handed his microphone to the employee and hopped off the stage. He sauntered over to the bar, peering at me with a jovial expression knowing he'd get ice cream. I shook my head and waited for him. When I leaned down to sip my soda, I was disgusted to taste watered down cola. Guess I was too busy watching Ben that I forgot about my drink. Oh well.

When Ben came back, he had himself a bowl of Neapolitan ice cream with chocolate syrup and a cherry on top. He sat down, looking like an eager child.

"You must be proud of yourself," I commented with a chuckle.

"See? I told you I could sing," he replied in an uppity tone. "And, I still would've gotten ice cream for effort, regardless if I ended up sounding like shit. Double win...!"

"As much as I would like to find some way to tease you, I can't. You surprised me," I stated.

He cocked an eyebrow and pulled his bowl of ice cream closer. "You're not just saying that for the goods, are you?"

"No," I assured him. "You were great. Like, really great. Honestly, I loved it."

The blush on his face showed, even in the karaoke bar's lighting, and he smiled sheepishly. He pushed the bowl of ice cream into the center of the table and said, "I-I was still going to give you ice cream, anyway."

I laughed and took the extra spoon he handed to me. But, before I dipped my spoon, I placed it to the side and grabbed the queen crown. After I placed it on Ben's head, I pulled out my phone, leaned back into my chair, and opened the camera.

"Say 'Queen B'," I chimed, and Ben smiled big for me as he repeated the word.

Once I put my phone back into my pocket, I leaned forward again and remarked, "I should've recorded you."

"Maybe next time," he said, adjusting the silver crown. As he was going for the cherry on top, he added, "And maybe next time you can--."

"I can what?" I interrupted as I swiped the small, red fruit with my spoon. I held it away and Ben gave me a wide-eyed, puppy look for it. Before he could respond, I presented the cherry to him and said, "Maybe I'll sing next time."

"Maybe?" Just as he leaned forward to take the cherry into his mouth, I pulled away. Repeatedly, I teased him, waving the spoon around like I was doing the airplane-feeding bit. Once he finally bit onto my spoon, he yanked himself away and covered his mouth protectively. I chuckled and eyed him for a few moments. When I glanced at his ears, a thought came to mind.

"I want to pinch your ears again," I stated my thought aloud.

"No, don't," Ben whined. I went ahead and touched them, anyway. He groaned and looked away, flustered. In that moment, I noticed a softness in his blue eyes that was innocent and amusing. I smirked.

"Wish I could play with your elfin ears instead," I remarked, taking the first spoon-scoop of strawberry and chocolate ice cream.

"Well, too bad," he murmured, taking his first bite, too.

Eating the ice cream, I eyed him again, then asked, "You don't have an ear fetish, do you?"

"What...?" His cheeks were flushed and his expression was priceless.

"Do you?"

"N-No."

"You stuttered," I pointed out.

"Eat your ice cream..!" he commanded me, nervously.

"I mean, it's okay. I don't kink shame--."

"Oh my god, Reese."

"Just saying."

"Do you have an ear fetish?" he fired back.

"No."

"Then, why do you like messing with my ears?"

"Because it's fun," I deadpanned.

"Mmm-hmmm, so is a kink..!"

"You're dodging the initial subject. I think you do have an ear-fetish."

"I think you have an ear-fetish...!"

"If I had an ear-fetish, I'd be mouthing your ears like lollipops," I proclaimed.

His blushing increased and he responded, "Maybe that's what you secretly want to do!"

"Maybe you secretly want me to do that."

"Maybe!"

"Aha!" I blurted, pointing at him.

"I'm joking!" he exclaimed. Before I could tease him any further, he poked a spoonful of ice cream against my mouth, forcing me to eat. After that, he awkwardly ate his half of the ice cream, watching other patrons performing on the karaoke stage.

"Hey, that dude sounds good. H-He's got that John Lennon vibe, ya know?" the blonde commented. As he was turned away, I licked my finger and brushed it against his ear. He whimpered, flinched, grabbed my hand, and shot me a wide-eyed look.

"So, what about John Lennon?" I asked, flashing him a taunting grin.

"How dare you," he murmured melodramatically, and I chuckled. Hesitantly, he put my hand down and said, "C'mon, we need to finish the ice cream before it melts...!"

"Okay, okay," I said, backing off for now. After that, the both of us ate the Neapolitan ice cream, discussing the singers once again. Whenever he wasn't looking, I examined his face for those little details on him. The flustered blush on his cheeks was fading by now; his eyes were still bright and glittering, and I never noticed he had fairly long eyelashes until now. But when his gaze would turn to me, I always pretended I wasn't intently staring at him beforehand.

More people went up onto the stage.. Our ice cream was finished in a few minutes. Everything went on with the same relaxed air of a Saturday. As Ben was telling me something, he stopped and reached for his back pocket. Puzzled, he looked at his phone then answered a call.

"Hello?" he started in a light voice. His smile was small at first, but then it fell, and the rest of his face contorted into concern. "W-Wait, slow down, I can't--... What?" Shaking his head, he took off his fake crown and handed it to me. He got up, still bearing the worried mien, and talked into the phone, "I'll be there soon."

As soon as he hung up, he told me, "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I have to go. It's an emergency."

Just as he turned, I asked him, "Wait, what about the Chevelle?"

"Take care of it for me," he stated and tossed the keys at me. I caught them, but kept my gaze on him, wondering what his emergency was.

"I'll see you soon, okay? S-Sorry. Please, get home safe," he called out as he backed away in a hurry. Once he didn't have to talk to me anymore, he whirled around and ran out the door. Confused, all I could do was stare at the door and all of the music and singing was drowned out easily. With a sigh, I stuffed the Chevelle's keys into my jacket pocket, then picked up Ben's silver crown. I examined the fake green and white jewels and glitter with a frown. His chair wasn't even pushed in, so it was like I was sitting with someone invisible. Already, I could feel boredom and worry seep into me.

What's wrong?

...

Ao's POV

It took a minute, but I slipped on the back of my right sneaker shoe over my heel, and made sure it fit nice and snug. I stood up, looking at myself in the mirror for a quick check. There isn't a lot of variety in my wardrobe these days, and I don't mind it. I was lucky enough to salvage what I could from the old estate, which has been long sold off by now. (I could've definitely kept my violin, but I left that at my school the last time I saw it. I haven't been certain enough yet to return and get it.)

I waved around the loose sides of my pale gray cardigan and smiled. My outfit wasn't the best, what with a plain, white t-shirt and fitted shorts, but it was definitely comfortable for coming spring. Looking in the mirror, I could see Jack laying on the bed, resting his body from an early morning workout. While I added a couple of pins in my hair, I turned and asked him, "Do you want me to get you anything?"

He lifted his head lethargically and replied, "No, it's okay."

"Are you sure?" I questioned. "I could get you another book in Braille."

"I have plenty, thank you," he said with a light chuckle.

"You don't want anything at all? I'd feel bad if I came back with nothing for you."

"Ao, it's alright," he affirmed. "You don't have to waste anything on me."

"Who said it's wasting?" With a playful seriousness, I plopped down next to him and leaned over his shoulder.

Kissing his cheek, I added, "It's called getting something special for my love. Besides, I want to give you a gift before you leave for your hunt."

"I can wait until after. Treat yourself," he murmured, scrunching his shoulders up to cover his face from my kisses.

"No, I'm getting you something," I stated. After trying to smooch his cheek, all I could do was peck at his temple. With a smirk, he turned his head and I finally landed a kiss on his lips.

"I wish you could come with me," I mumbled against his shoulder. He placed a hand on my head and gently caressed my scalp.

"Yes, but alas, I'm a gray, shark man," he said and I restrained a giggle.

"You're a beautiful, gray, shark man," I retorted and gave his lips another tender kiss. Since his hand was still on my head, he kept me in place and extended the kiss. I didn't mind, relishing in his soft, warm lips.

When we parted, Jack pressed his forehead against mine and whispered, "Be careful."

I smiled. "I will. I have to bring back a gift for you, after all."

With a chuckle, he shook his head and let go of me. I stood up straight and watched him shift on the bed so his body was facing towards the rest of the room.

"I'll see you soon," I chimed.

"I won't," he remarked and I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Dammit, Jack," I muttered.

"It was funny."

"Bye," I giggled and grabbed my phone and wallet from one of the book shelves. Taking one last glance at him, I opened the bedroom door and walked out.

As I strolled down the hallway to get to the stairs, I took out my wallet to find that list Ben gave me. Once I unfolded it, I glossed over the choices and decided upon one that seemed simple enough for a first trip. I put the list back into the wallet, thinking about where I wanted to go. A few minutes later, I left without saying any other good-bye other than to Ladon, who had been napping on the porch.

"Be a good boy. Protect the mansion," I commented to him as I scratched his head. The lion-sized, black furred creature opened his vertical mouth to yawn, then purred softly.

Stepping off the porch and walking into the woods felt strange now that I wasn't leaving for a mission of any sort. If I ever leave for something other than a mission, it's to check on my friends, though I never take the time to sightsee. This time, I'm actually going to go out and see the world; check out what's new and happening. And with this and my destination in mind, the forest surrounding the mansion seemed so much more welcoming and greener than before.

...

I've always been curious about Cincinnati, Ohio. There isn't a particular reason why; it was just a city I wanted to visit at some point. There's the Museum of Art, conservatories, the Music Hall, markets, parks, etc. So much to see in such places, and I'll probably get lost somehow.

The Burnet Woods was the closest forest to the city, so that was where I walked out of. Following a path, I passed up a gazebo, a few water fountains, a lake, and other landmarks in the park. The place was beautiful and well-maintained, though it was still easy to tell it apart from an actual, unkempt forest. It was a relief to exit the park and start heading into the rest of Cincinnati.

The sun rays felt warm and soft on my skin. Standing outside now, I took a moment to gaze at my surroundings and appreciate. I'm here, outside, about to see a part of a world that's almost foreign to me now. My lips slowly turned up into a smile and I bounded forward, eager to get this trip started.

...

Taxi cabs are fairly easy to call. The Music Hall was lovely and I stopped to imagine what it would be like to play in it. Plazas are everywhere and so are markets. I feel like I've seen so much, but it's only been two hours, which doesn't feel like a lot of time. Seeing everything, I really wished Jack could have come along. It seems insensitive, but I would love to describe everything to him in perfect detail. He would love that.

The main last stop I wanted to go to was the art museum, but before I went, I decided it wasn't a bad idea to eat lunch here. I walked to the nearest plaza, but hesitated to enter any of the restaurants. Through most of my time here, I've been outside. Despite my fun, paranoia faded in at the thought of being surrounded by people in an inclosed space, with security cameras no less. So, I skipped out on eating at a restaurant, and went to a market right next to the plaza to buy food upfront.

The one thing I didn't like about walking around these public areas were the stares. Since I was wearing shorts, the white tattoos on my legs were exposed. In addition to my skin growing tanner, due to spending more time outside, the tattoos definitely stand out. Children especially love to gawk at the lady with white markings, and I tried my best not to shy away (how can I when I'm in a public space?).

The tattoos aren't really tattoos. Not in the sense that they were not inked in by an artist, but that they have an energy of their own unlike anything else. Slowly, as time passes, they've been spreading over my skin, creating new swirls or lines or dots that were not there once before. They are incredibly beautiful, but I can't help but wonder how and why they grow, what their presence means. All that my thoughts always end on is Sam. Surely, his love and essence is in these markings, the markings he bore on his bronze skin. I wondered if I would look like him eventually, but that will probably be a long way from now.

While I had been lost in the moment of gazing at everything in the market, I accidentally bumped into someone. Stepping back, I reached for the stranger and said, "I'm sorry...! Are you okay?"

The woman I ran into just nodded her head and murmured, "Yeah."

And the second she turned to look at me, my body froze and I gaped in awe.

"Oh my god," I whispered as her one exposed eye widened and her face paled more than it already was.

There's no way. But it is.

Elizabeth.