Rising Tide - Zac and Sunny

[endejester]

His first impulse, on finding that the book was ‘normal’ besides the fact he still wanted to share it with Thorne and Chris, because of Thorne’s name. Was that he should go see Heliodora. Especially since Jeremiah had told him to be cautious of Sunny.
But then what Jeremiah had said, about selfish motives.

His hand closed into a fist at the thought. It had been so … spiteful, mean, cold. That almost pushed him right to Sunny’s doorstep. He did want to talk to her again. He really did. It had been a while and she might know something of the silver stone, or even about this “Ming” fellow that Temperance had found mentioned.

Logically he wasn’t among the ‘missing’, but they had mentioned he was ‘different’ too, and different could mean a lot of things in Ashdown.

But Sunny also seemed like she might not tell him, or be able to tell him.

But Heliodora might not remember.

He cursed under his breath and stared at the hand into which that silver stone had vanished. He’d started calling it ‘tiny terminator’ which was part of his concern. What if it was just some other things way of getting him to go back to Heliodora with questions and then it would… jump out and stab her or something awful.

It might be a silly thought because if he meant to try and take her test he’d have to go back eventually.

He even considered, if briefly going to see a certain florist, but decided it wasn’t worth making the poor young man that uncomfortable. If people looked so strange and alien, it seemed cruel to ask him what if anything odd his hand might look like.

In the end it was the a combination of proximity and ‘might be my last chance’ that led him towards the beach. Maybe it wasn’t the best choice, maybe it was. Maybe he just missed her.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Sunny had been having a nice break. After the ball she'd just been, you know, sleeping. Doing some stuff for cash dollars, but not like weird stuff. Just hte usual stuff. Visions out of fires, random predictions as requested.

She was currently eating crunchy Cheetos at the rainy beach.

This would not have worked for anyone else.

endejester

 

[endejester]

“Hey…” Zac said waving at her from under the shelter of his umbrella. He thought about bringing her one too, she could probably make one but maybe that wasn’t the point anymore.

“I’m not interrupting am I?” he asked cautiously. He didn’t think he was but, he was pretty sure it would be hard to tell with ‘knows a lot more than you do’ other beings that only looked human.

“It’s been a while, so I thought I should say Hi before…I um, go back to working on my other project.”

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"You're not interrupting anything that can't be resumed at a later date." She shoves the bag of cheetos into her pocket and sits up, hair a greasy sandy mess. "Hi, then. What d'you need?"

endejester

 

[endejester]

He did look a little embarrassed at least. “… we always do come to you when we need something don’t we.” He ducked his head apologetic.

“Sorry… I do wish I were more use the other way around but um. I… thought I might, ask you what the hell I was stupid enough to let melt into my hand before I went back to Heliodora.”

he waved the hand that the eerie silver stone had melted its way into and gave a small shrug.
“…. if you need me to trade something for telling me that, then yeah. But um - yeah. Creepy silver stone went all ‘mercury’ textured and it sort of got under my skin. If you can’t that’s ok too, I’ll still, I don’t know…owe you one for asking or something.”

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Sunny reached over to take his hand in hers. "You know, I do like to talk to people for non-business purposes," she said, examining it. "Also, it's a rock. You might want to get that checked out." She half-smirked, and then she relented from her momentary joke. Zac was here to get it checked out. "I don't think it's going to hurt you. It's not ready to come out yet, though. Can you bend your wrist alright?"

endejester

 

[endejester]

"Yeah, I found it in the, 'Other' library." he said letting his brow furrow in thought.

"Sorry though, I really should try and talk to you more. Text you or something. I mean, I can tell you what I'm up to. Jer already gave me some s**t about it, or, you can ask question too, or... just pick something. We can talk for a little if you want."

He flexed his wrist to demonstrate it seemed to be alright.

"It was just, squirmy in the Library, impatient. I guess if I was going to have a rock melt into my hand it... would sort of have a personality."

shibr0gane

added a little sorry <3

 

[shibrogane]

"All you can do is wait, then," said Sunny. She shrugged. "It'll come out when it's good and ready to come out. You know? Not a moment sooner."

endejester

 

[endejester]

"I figured,

He sighed an flexed his fingers again.
"Sunny? I'm ... sorry we didn't get Adoelle home."

shibrogane

I probably spelled that wrong sorry.

 

[shibrogane]

"It's okay," said Sunny. "I don't think she wanted to go, anyway."

She caught Zac's hands between hers. "You did everything you could. You didn't owe me or her anything."

endejester

 

[endejester]

He was startled at her hands on his own. A fluttering sensation in his chest somewhere between surprise and feelings he wasn’t sure he was willing to face just yet. She said he did everything he could, but it didn’t feel like it.

“I just – “ He started to say, to protest, but his shoulders sagged like something had been propping hi up and had given way, eroded.

“I… I’m hoping it will go better with Heliodora.” He admitted
“She – she said it would be nice to… “
He didn’t’ finish the thought. The words caught in his throat like the stone had migrated there. He was afraid he’d jinx it, that she’d never make it home. What would he do then?

“I – I know you wanted them home, all of them. I just really want to help. I want to try. I need to try.
His cheeks were damp, and he wasn't sure it was rain.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"I know," said Sunny. She pulled Zac in and patted the back of his head in what was probably the most comforting hug she knew how to give, which wasn't much. She smelled like burning sage and dragon's blood incense, strong and sharp and spicy. Like an oracle, that was what she smelled of, and that scent called back to things more primal than breathing. The fear of fire. The flash of lightning. A hunt in the dark woods at night.

"I know you do."

endejester

 

[endejester]

"I'll do better... Or at least I'll try to." he said, which was as much a promise as he dared to give anyone. It wasn't much, but sometimes that was all you could give.

sh1brogane

wrap for this one?

(total word count: 865)