“Yes, but I lost most of my throwing knives, so I’m stuck with these hybrids. They can be thrown, but are also big enough to be normal daggers. They kind of suck though, so I need to get more daggers eventually.” Lorreth put a hand on Baylee’s chest, seeing how he would react if she cuddled closer.
He glanced down at the hand for a moment, then chose to ignore it for the time being. "I can fight with a staff, but that's about it."
“Huh. I always found staffs rather boring. Blades are a much more effective weapon in my line of work.”
He looked over at her. "And what work would that be?"
Lorreth thought for a moment before responding.
“Well, I used to lead a Clan and almost took over my entire city, until some idiot betrayed the Clan and we were destroyed. After that I became an arena fighter for awhile, and then Gregory and Cliff found me and I’m out to seek revenge and restart my clan.”
"And you have no clue how you got to Earth?" He asked, "Did you just randomly wake up here or what?"
“What do you mean by ‘got to Earth’, do you think I’m an alien?” Lorreth laughed quietly, but it sounded somewhat nervous.
"You speak like everything was new." He glanced over at her again and continued to stare at the ceiling.
“Well, if you want to know…then you’re going to have to make a deal with me,” she replied, the look in her eyes revealing what kind of deal she wanted to make.
Is it really that big of a deal? Sure, she's intriguing, but was she that intriguing? The look on his face the debate in his mind.
Lorreth tilted her head, her face not revealing the hope in her mind that he would accept.
After a moment, he sighed. "Look, I'm hurting too bad right now. I used up a whole lotta energy today and I probably don't have it in me."
Lorreth frowned, disappointed, but accepted that it was a legitimate excuse and didn’t press it.
He offered a shrugged, relieved that he had thought of something. "Sorry."
Lorreth rolled over and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep.
Baylee did the same, his back to Lorreth as he easily slipped into a deep sleep. The day had drained him more than he let on, obviously.
Lorreth slept soundly. Gregory and Cliff hung out for a while into the night, talking father to son, before finally turning off the lights and going to bed.
(Hello?)
(Where are you? I have got an idea for the next stage in this story, and it’ll make Baylee bristle.)
The next morning, Baylee woke up at 9 in the morning. It was the same time since he was a small child. He didn't even need the alarm; it just happened naturally. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to get the thin sheet of fuzz away so he could see.
Lorreth felt Baylee move next to her, and immediately her eyes snapped open, her hand instinctively moving toward the nightstand for a dagger. She quickly relaxed, yawning and sitting up.
"Mornin'," he mumbled, wincing as he attempted to crack his back. The bruise had gone down slightly, but it still hurt just as bad as before.
Lorreth was about to respond but Cliff decided to burst into the room at that moment. He immediately went over to hug Lorreth and she hugged him back loosely, booping his nose. Gregory followed behind. All three of them looked perfectly awake and ready to go, even though Lorreth had literally just woken up. She stood and stretched, giving Gregory a quick morning kiss on the lips absentmindedly.
Baylee tried his best to ignore the exchange, but there was something inside of him that made him want to scream. This is fucking weird, was all he thought as he stood up and attempted to stretch again.
(Huh. Weird is not the reaction I was expecting, but it’s interesting.)