Aldreantreuperi - Aldrean Treu Peri

The roar of the waterfall drowned out any other sound in the harbor where the torrential spill of water flowed out and calmed once it reached a moderate distance from the frothy base of the 200ft falls.

It was an impressive sight, especially to someone born on Mars where there weren't any rivers let alone any waterfalls. Any other time and Spike would probably be guilty of gazing awestruck at the display of raw elemental power.

Actually, he was supposed to be watching as he waited for word from Jet about Ed's upcoming descent via barrel over the falls.

The girl was addicted to adrenaline, just like Spike himself. He couldn't fault her - hell, he typically encouraged her - but this was one death defying stunt he had no interest in attempting personally.

Of course, Jet and Doohan had rigged up Ed's life pod (a barrel may have been an exaggeration) so the chances of her genuinely coming to any harm were significantly reduced. Reduced but not eliminated.

At any rate, he was currently distracted by the vision approaching the Bebop from down the long dock at which they were moored.

Moving at a seductive sway she probably wasn't even aware of - either because by now it was an unconscious and automatic style of stride on her part, or because he couldn't help but view it in an alluring fashion - Faye was making her way back to the ship with two large grocery bags in either arm and a bulging purse along her right hip.

She was wearing a dark mustard yellow mid length dress that ended just above the knee in the front but slightly longer in the back, with a plunging neckline. Spike's gaze had been fastened to the hemline of the skirt, hypnotized by the way it pressed against her thighs with every gust of wind and then swirled forward as she progressed.

Spike spared a moment to be thankful for the sheer length of the dock, while also briefly regretting his inability to meet her halfway and help with the load. Well, technically he could go and offer his aid...

Standing up from the fold out camp chair he'd been occupying, carefully adjusting the weight in his arms, Spike grinned down at the groggy baby who was slowly waking up and peering about blearily. He started fussy noises, gearing up for what promised to be a robust meltdown, when Spike shifted the infant and pointed out Faye's figure as she came nearer and as Spike began to walk her way.

From everything DB had told them, and from the random bits of knowledge Ed had been passing on from various Internet sources, there was simply no way the 10 week old baby could see Faye from that far away even with the way both parties were closing the distance between them. Yet somehow Lupin must have recognized her, or sensed her perhaps, because the wail he'd been working up to became a joyous gurgle one could almost call a giggle.

"Yeah, bud - she's pretty fantastic. And we're lucky enough to be the ones she's walking to." He gave the baby a little squeeze of affection as he spoke, then hustled over to Faye to trade her for the bags she carried. Each one easily weighed more than Lupin by several pounds, and he eyed her purse up as well.

Faye, taking the baby and showering his face with kisses before cradling him in her arms and shoving aside part of her dress to free a breast which the baby immediately latched onto, still managed to give Spike a cool look in response to his unasked question.

"This place caters to the top tier of rich bitches," She complained loudly. "Not my fault everything is exorbitantly expensive here, but hell if I'm gonna pay for all the stuff I need. Those vitamins to promote breast milk cost more than refilling the RedTail!" She lifted her nose in the air as she cast a glare at the vessels docked around them.

It was luxury yachts and elite cruise lines at every turn, with the notable exception of the Bebop itself. Call him crazy but that rusty derelict - oh, not in truth for Jet went to great lengths to keep the ship in prime condition, but in comparison with the company she currently kept - had a charm that none of the others could hope to.

"Where are the others anyway? I thought Jet wanted to blow this joint once I got back." She had to shout just to be heard clearly over the sound of the waterfall.

"Well... You're not gonna like it but... Ed convinced Jet and Doohan to set her up with a mini sub and she's gonna go over the falls."

Faye stopped dead and stared in horror at the monstrosity that towered over the little bay. Spike had walked a few steps further towards the ship before noticing her absence from his side.

"What."

Spike grinned disarmingly at her. ""Don't worry, babe. They wouldn't let her do anything suicidal. Jet even went back through to add the airbags she initially refused."

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Faye steeled herself before looking at the waterfall again and falling into step with Spike once more.

"I don't have to watch, do I?"

Spike shrugged. "Honestly I'd be surprised if we could see her in the act at all. So no, you don't gotta look."

Faye shook her head slightly. "No, I'll watch. If she's gonna do the damn thing we might as well be witnesses or what's even the point."

"If you ask her... It's because it's there."

Written in response to a request & also (almost as an afterthought but it just fell into place so nicely) as a writing challenge using as three word prompt of 1) Faye 2) dry martini 3) red ☺️

***

Her perfume smelled like roses.

He remembered that from their first meeting. In an overcrowded casino that reeked of spilt booze, sweat, air-conditioning, and money - cutting through all the standard human scents and manufactured ones, like a breath of fresh air. Roses.

He'd always been a sucker for that aroma. Julia had found it amusing. She'd been pleased enough with the bouquet when he presented it to her, but she'd later admitted that it wasn't her favorite scent. Marigolds. Lovely enough but the scent was acrid. Reminded him of fires. But she thought his affinity for roses was endearing. Truth be told, sometimes he felt like a child when he'd offer her a red bloom - like a little boy playing at big emotions and being condescendingly coddled as a way of keeping him happy.

It had been the meaning behind the flowers that he was trying to convey to her, something she had to understand. Love, passion, romance and desire. All things that she had ultimately been indifferent to.

Letting the last bouquet drop carelessly to the concrete, letting his heart wash away down the street with the petals that fell from the bud, he gave up on love. On the silliness of romance. On the instability of desire. On the pursuit of a passion that gave life meaning.

Then, unexpectedly, the sweet smell wafted softly back into his life.

She'd been coy and charming at first, saucy and sassy afterwards, and then she made off with the money and he felt his heart tug as if to chase after her. It had been exciting, amusing, and overall refreshing to have her grace his life with her exuberant presence.

And then suddenly she was back again - all the money gone, along with her fuel, and stranded in space until they'd decided to pick her up. Well, Jet had suggested bringing her in for the bounty she had on her head and Spike had gone along with that plan just for a chance to verbally spar with her again.

Then she'd gone and flipped their tentative plan on its head. She'd put her butt on the line, risked her own life - for the reward? Maybe. Spike didn't think so though. Whatever her motive, it swayed Jet enough to let her stay instead of collecting woolongs by turning her in.

Delightfully, disturbingly, his world was now awash in the soft, heady aroma of roses. Whether it was her shampoo, her conditioner, her lotion, her perfume… all were rose scented. It should have been cloying, overpowering, enough to gag a man.

He couldn't get enough.

So he let her take first showers. He took advantage of opportunities to sit next to her on the couch. He'd stand downwind of her when they were on the deck of the ship.

And then, after he'd laid all his ghosts to rest, he decided to take it all a step further.

It started with a yellow rose that he left in the cockpit of her zipcraft, along with a pack of her preferred brand of smokes. She came in wielding it like a sword and demanded to know why it had been left there.

"Figured by now we were friends," He'd replied honestly with a shrug. It was enough to placate her, and he watched as she buried her nose in the bloom to inhale deeply before wandering off to her room without another word on the matter.

Then, a few weeks later, he left an orange rose on the birthday gift he'd gotten her - one of the trashy paperback novels she secretly adored. This one garnered no verbal response, but she did blush deeply before sneaking off to her room with the book in hand and the rose held to her nose.

After that he couldn't wait any longer. He left a purple rose in front of her door the very next day and then he went to the bridge and bribed Jet to take Ed to the museums in town. Fortunately, they were in Alba City and there were plenty of those - history museums, aircraft museums, museums of science and space. With luck they'd be gone the better part of the day.

Working quickly, Spike set a trail of petals leading up the stairs to the bridge and then scattered more in a path to the windows at the front of the command room. He arranged a bouquet of seven roses in the middle of a square fold out table upon which he'd placed several take out containers, a pair of plates, and their drinks. A dry martini for her, garnished with a lemon twist, and a whiskey on the rocks for him.

Finally, to really set the mood, he fiddled with the Bebop's radio until he found a station playing jazz. The soothing notes of Ahmad Jamal's 'Soul Girl' filled the air just before the sound of Faye's heels rang out as she ascended the stairway.

"You know, a person could read a lot into all this," Faye called out as she sashayed into the bridge proper. She was wearing one of his button up shirts, the purple rose tucked into the button hole between her breasts, with one of his ties affixed around her trim waist like a belt, and her heeled white boots. Spike's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline as he regarded her.

Licking his lips, Spike gestured at the table laden with food and flowers.

"No need to strain," He managed after a moment, brain catching up to her words. "Everything is spelled out pretty clearly, I'd say."

"Mm," She murmured in reply, slinking her way closer. "You're a changed man these days. Coming back from the dead seems to agree with you."

He rolled his eyes skyward. "I went there to see if I was really alive, not to die at all." But then he fixed his mismatched eyes on her. "I don't see the past out of one eye anymore, Faye. I see you, right now, in this present moment."

"I remembered my past, Spike." She replied as she reached him and slipped past him to tuck herself into one of the seats and began opening the take out boxes. "Mmm, dumplings, rice balls, noodles, wontons, Peking duck, and moon cakes?!" Faye reached out for the martini glass and took a generous sip.

"Admittedly the Peking duck was mostly to appease my own appetite, but I know you love the rest." Spike confided.

Faye set down her drink and smirked at him, then moved closer to the roses to inhale deeply. "Ohhh, roses are my favorite. Their scent is just so rich, so sinful…" Her gaze lingered on the blossoms for a moment before lifting up to peer at him over the top of the red blooms. "As I was saying…my memories came back. Nothing useful really, nothing that changes where I belong at least. But I do recall something about flowers. Quite a bit about flowers in fact. Did you know there's a whole language of meaning in flowers?" She leaned back in the chair to toy with the purple rose still snugged in the button hole.

"I may be fairly well versed in that language as a matter of fact." Spike said as he slid into the seat across from her and began dishing up the food onto their plates.

"I suspected as much after the orange one. The yellow didn't have to mean a thing but by the time the purple one showed up… well…"

"You've got some thorns, Valentine. Didn't want to get myself pricked… but you're also impossible to resist I hope you know." Picking up her martini glass to hand to her, relishing the smoothness of her skin as she let her fingers shift along his before claiming the stem of the vessel within her own grasp, Spike nearly shivered with delicious anticipation. Taking his own tumbler in hand, he tilted it towards her with a sincere look on his face.

"A toast, my dear, to…exploring urges…and perhaps seeing what may come of this spark between us." He held his breath as she raised an eyebrow and considered him for a long minute.

At last she tipped her own glass to chime against his in salute.

"To pursuing the potential…as long as we remember to stop and smell the roses from time to time." Her smile at him then changed from seductive to something warmer, touched with a more meaningful type of promise.

Perhaps romance, desire, passion and yes even love were still destined to be a part of his life.

Day 11: Meadow

(if this seems a wee bit confusing, it's probably because it alludes to a multi-chapter story in the Boogie Wonderland/Right On Down the Line universe that I haven't finished/posted yet)

***

Steep rocky cliffs rose up on either side of the valley as Andy rode along, Onyx skillfully navigating the slick path that led to a sprawling meadow beyond the gorge.

The babbling stream, the cheerful birdsong, the steady plod - sometimes a splash, sometimes a muddy squelch - of horse hooves… it all came together as a sort of raw music. A symphony whose familiar sounds brought peace to both horse and rider.

The air was fresh and clear and cool, the sun beating down warmly on their backs as the pair made their way to the valley's edge and paused for a moment to take in the scene that lay before then.

Tall grasses swayed in the breeze, dozens of varieties of wildflowers sprinkled a rainbow of colors all the way from the tree line, over a kilometer away, to the narrow strip of land that separated the meadow from the stream they'd followed.

The stream continued to wind its way towards the distant mountains from which it originated, but Andy made a noise with his tongue to urge Onyx over into the grasses. They'd made the mountainous hike to the perimeter of the crater dozens of times before but the meadow itself was Andy's destination today.

He'd been embroiled in the hellish rivalry of Venusian mafia families for far too long recently. It had been somewhat fun at first to play at being a gangster, but the reality wasn't nearly as charming as films made it out to be. Tensions were high, the suits were uncomfortable, and the criminal aspect was not Andy's cup of tea. Rounding those folks up was much more his speed, but he'd been undercover.

Worst of all had been being apart from Onyx for so long. He’d undertaken the mission to help friends but he vowed now to never again sign himself up for something that kept him from his trusty steed. Onyx was more than a way to get around quickly, he was Andy’s companion… his partner… his best friend. The horse was far more intelligent than most equines - sometimes he seemed more intelligent than Andy himself, and that was saying something because Andy knew he was pretty damn brilliant.

He clucked his tongue once more and Onyx obediently came to a halt in the midst of the kaleidoscope of colors. There were pale purple harebell, bright purple knapweed, bunches of white yarrow flowers and daisies, yellows to rival the sunshine in coneflowers and black eyed susans, beautiful swaths of cornflower - which his mother had always said reminded her of his eyes - and pink foxglove and ragged robin and musk mallow. Nearly every species of flower that had been brought over from Earth had taken well to the environment created within the craters that Andy’s family owned. Bees were buzzing in the air, and butterflies in every color combination imaginable fluttered about as well.

It was almost dizzying - the combination of floral scents and the dance of productivity by the flying insects. It was also very soothing.

“My darling boy!” A woman’s musical voice, rich with affection, called out to him from by the bank of the stream further up towards the point where the meadow began to rise into a series of gradual hills.

“Mama!” He called back, delighted. Leaving Onyx to mosey on over at his own pace after having his fill of wildflowers, Andy walked briskly over to the blanket that his mother had spread onto the ground as a seat.

He reached her quickly and took the hands she held aloft so he could swing her up to her feet and then around in a circle before bringing her back in close for a hug as she laughed. Her laughter was like the tinkle of bells and her eyes - a darker blue than his own - were bright with love and pride.

“Once upon a time, I spun you around like that!” She shook her head slightly. “The years have made us change places, my darling boy. Have you gotten taller since I saw you last? You look so thin! Sit, sit - eat!” She promptly lowered herself to the ground in one smooth motion, tucking her long skirt down as she did, and gestured expansively at the spread before her.

“I don’t know how you’ve managed to avoid the ants, mama. There’s a feast for them here!” And indeed there was… she’d brought summer sausage, sleeves of several kinds of crackers, a charcuterie board loaded with berries and olives and nuts and more cheeses than he could even recognize at first glace. There was also a bottle of champagne chilling in a tall bucket of ice, crystal flutes with berries in the bottom awaiting filling from the bubbly liquid, and all of Andy’s childhood favorite desserts.

“Oh hush, love. I’ve scattered herbs all around us. They’ll stay away for long enough. Come, sit with your dear mother, tell me what you’ve been up to! Your sister Sandy just got engaged! You’ll have to get a new suit for the wedding later this year. Oh and Mandy is pregnant again! She’s hoping for a boy this time - after four girls though I can’t say she’ll be any luckier with this one! And Randy is going to ride in the rodeo this fall! Your father and uncles have been training him to exhaustion, the poor boy! Oh, my baby - in the rodeo! I’m simply beside myself with worry, of course. He’s not as bold as you, my darling.” His mother kept chattering, resting a hand warmly on his arm when he finally sat down beside her and began to dig into the food.

It was all delicious of course - his mother had always employed the most talented of chefs and cooks - and she would be too busy talking to really eat any of it herself. She poured the champagne into the glasses with practiced ease as she continued to regale him with information about the family and all the goings on he’d missed or that were coming up soon. It was pleasantly overwhelming and exactly what he had been hoping for when he had set up this date upon his return to their homestead.

Naturally his father would expect him to check in on the various livestock over the next few weeks - he’d be able to catch up with the old man and all of his uncles as he made his rounds to all their properties here on Mars - but he had an ulterior motive in addition to the desire to see all of his family again.

Stella - sweet, beautiful Stella - had confided in him that there was a bunker hidden in Alba City that was currently under the care of a theater troupe that the Bebop hacker had befriended at some point. It was one of several hydroponics units she’d sent around the galaxy in the hope of producing enough Grey Ash to cure more people back on Venus and so far the results weren’t entirely displeasing. She’d made some progress before things on Venus got so wildly out of hand, but it was small potatoes if you asked Andy.

But…

He had access to acres upon acres upon acres of land. Not just on Mars either. Most of the ranches wouldn’t have the necessary environment to cultivate Grey Ash en masse but even if none of the locations were suitable, he had every intention of using some of his family’s vast wealth to acquire some spots that would be. If Grey Ash was needed to save lives and could be available in such mass quantities that the Mercurian importers and the Venusian crime bosses couldn’t possibly make money off their meager supply… well, that was killing a whole flock of birds with one good size boulder if you asked him!

That was his next mission in life - self appointed, like all the best missions he’d undertaken - and he felt like it would be the one that brought the most positive change to the universe. Taking down bounties was all well and good, but it was drops in the bucket compared to the tsunami he intended to crash down on Venus.

His mind at peace with his decision and plan, his heart fill to bursting with love for his mother as she prattled on joyfully and continued to press treats into his hands, he let himself smile widely and gave himself over entirely to the enjoyment of this moment in this place with this beautiful woman who gave him such a great life.

Day 5 prompt: Ed-centric fic

WARNING! This is a sneak peek!!

(this is written in the world of "Music Keeps Us Together" and will appear later on A03 in one of the next parts of that series)

***

The sounds of the various aircraft and zipcraft arriving and departing was entirely muted by the windows and walls of the Admiral's Club in which Ed found herself.

It was not the first place one would think to look for a person nursing a broken heart, or so she assumed anyway. But it did feature a bar and wallowing in misery where drink flowed was basically a rite of passage into adulthood. Right? Certainly her companions had frequently found themselves belly up to a bar and imbibing whatever could wash away hurts - physical or emotional - and while Ed had long been curious about whether drowning one's sorrows actually helped anyone feel better… she just couldn't bring herself to wander into the type of pub that the others would enjoy.

For one thing, she was trying to avoid her family. For another, she felt there would be some opportunities for people watching which would be a far better distraction from her woes than getting drunk.

So, abandoning the oft-used alias of Marshall Banana, which would have immediately caught Jet's notice as he himself had used that pseudonym frequently when online, she had instead snuck into the Admiral's Club under the name of Majel Kirk.

With Spike and Faye presumably busy with the kiddos (and for all that Spike had long claimed to hate kids, he was sure doing a fine job of bringing them into the world) it was only Jet that she really had to watch out for. Aside from personal pleasure, the others often traipsed into alcohol joints in the quest for bounties or information, but the odds of one of them choosing the more expensive option of an airport lounge, of all places, were slim to none.

Undoubtedly she would be able to elude anyone who knew her.

Of course, just because there wasn't anyone who would recognize her didn't mean there was no one that she herself recognized. It was as she turned from the bartender with her double shot of whiskey - nothing she was familiar with, aside from having heard Faye order it countless times before when she listened in over the comms - that she was immediately distracted by a bright flash as the sun came out to gleam on a head of pale hair.

The blond woman was wearing a pair of hot pink stilettos that perfectly matched the hot pink power suit tailor made for her trim figure. The suit itself seemed to consist of only two pieces… wide legged trousers that led to a tapered waist and a pocket less jacket that had padded shoulders and a gaudy crystal rhinestone button just above the navel holding the two sides together. It was the glimpse of cleavage afforded by the professional get up that helped Ed to put a name to the face.

"Judy?!" She hadn't meant to voice her realization but her mouth moved quicker than her mind sometimes.

The woman, sprawled elegantly in a well-cushioned armchair next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, glanced over at the hail. She raised her eyebrows in a silent inquiry and Ed, blushing, made her way over to the chair nearby to plop down. Judy rolled her blue eyes heavenward and gave a soft sigh.

"Look kid, I don't carry a pen on me," She gave a shrug and brought her martini glass to her mouth to take a sip.

Ed shook head vigorously, nearly spilling the liquor she held. "Ed doesn't want a signature. It was just the shock of seeing you, in real life, after watching you on TV for so long."

Judy snorted. "That was years ago, honey. To be honest I'm surprised you recognized me. Hardly anyone does. Big Shot was exactly prime time." She eyed the glass Ed held. "Tall drink of water for a little thing like you. You even old enough for that?"

Ed bristled. "Of course!" As if to prove a point, she slammed the entire dram in one go and immediately began to cough and hack, eyes watering.

Her mouth burned, her nose burned, her eyes burned. How was this a flavor or experience anyone enjoyed? Judy was chuckling at her plight, but was also kind enough to offer her a napkin from the small table tucked between her chair and the window.

"Okay, sweetheart. Clearly you're an old hat at this. Need another, then?" She inquired with a smile.

Still coughing weakly, Ed shook her head less enthusiastically than before. "No, no," She begged off.

"Well shucks, sugar, what bruised your banana anyway?" Judy glanced around at the room, gesturing vaguely with her martini glass at all the people in business suits or pretty dresses. "Not exactly the usual haunt for folks who look as sad as you."

Ed frowned. "Sad? Ed looks sad?"

"Mmhm," Judy nodded. "Something in your eyes. I've seen that look gazing back at me out of the mirror a time or two. Not many good prospects here so I might as well let you sob your story out."

"Prospects?" Ed did not particularly want to explain her own situation so she decided to tease more information out of the former TV star.

Judy gave a low throaty laugh. "Sure, darling. I'm between husbands at the moment. A pilot seems like a man who can take me places. Or maybe one of these suits. I wouldn't mind marrying into money this time."

"Ohh. You're looking for love."

At that Judy let out a shriek of laughter. "Love? Ohhh you dear child!" Between snickers, she managed to take another sip of her drink. "I wouldn't be adverse to such, I suppose, but it's not really one of my goals. See, I'm an independent woman," Judy must have seen the look Ed was giving her because she laughed again before going on. "You can be independent in a marriage, you know. And independent while in love too, for that matter."

Ed thought about Faye and Spike's relationship and slowly nodded in agreement with Judy's words.

"You're a lot smarter than you seemed on the show, Judy." Ed noted, earning a beaming smile from the other woman.

"Damn straight, sweetie! That was all an affect. The ditzy bimbo gets more attention than the brainy broad. Not my choice, but I didn't make the role up. Showing these off was though," She cupped her breasts through the suit jacket with a grin. "And, truth be told, Judy isn't my given name. Chose that to hide my real identity, just in case. See, there was a time when I worried that I'd regret having the girls out on display. But you know what? I was never ashamed. Hell, I'm proud of my body! It's good to have an out though, you never know if you'll change your mind someday."

"Ed isn't Ed's given name either," Ed revealed in a whisper. "Ed was born as Françoise."

"Me, I was named for two great women of yesteryear. My mother loved Lucille Ball and Betty White, but she didn't like the name Betty all that much so when I came along she settled on Lucille Bethany Ricardo." Judy smiled brightly. "Guess I was set on my path before I was even born. Don't know if it's because of the name or what but I was always inspired by film and media and women of entertainment. Bold and brilliant and beautiful women. You could do worse for role models, I'll tell you that."

"Faye-Faye is a woman like that," Ed told Judy excitedly. "She's one of Ed's role models."

"Well all right, little lady, you're on the right track then." She drained her drink and then lifted her glass to shake it in the air, prompting the bartender to give a nod of acknowledgement as he began to make her a fresh beverage. Within moments she was accepting the drink from the man as he delivered it to her seat and it was then that she ordered a pair of waters for herself and Ed as well.

"Oh I'm not thirsty!" Ed protested, though the bartender-turned-waiter paid her no mind.

Judy's eyes flashed wickedly. "Not now perhaps, but there's a story in you just dying to be told. So fess up, my dear, what put that hangdog expression on your face? You can tell me, I don't know you from Jack and I don't judge. It'll feel better to let it loose in the world. Keeping unhappiness close to your heart can poison you if you're not careful."

She thought then of Jet and Spike and Faye, all of whom had skeletons in their closets (more than skeletons really, damn near cemeteries if you got right down to it) and while they'd once been very tight lipped about their past lives… there was no denying that they'd all begun to open up in recent years. Ed had seen for herself the alleviating effect it seemed to have on the others. Sharing grief somehow made each of them seem younger, lighter, brighter. It wasn't something Ed had ever needed to do herself, but now that she had the chance to hoard disappointment and despair, she was suddenly afraid of being weighed down by it. Being shadowed.

She wanted to stay light and bright.

And so, she decided to tell her tale to Judy.

Day 13: flip flops / thongs

***

"How disturbing! This is not the place for that!" A voice exclaimed, catching Faye's attention as she walked past a parking lot while nursing Lupin.

Stopping in her tracks, she turned to glare at the offended couple.

"Excuse me?"

Spike sighed as he came to a stop beside Faye and Lupin's little mouth popped off his mother's nipple as the baby tried to roll over towards whatever - or in this whoever - had caught his mother's attention and ire.

"Having those out on display is entirely inappropriate!" The man went on, glaring at Faye's chest.

"Oh? And yet flip flops and a thong is fancy enough attire for a family friendly public beach?" Faye demanded, pointing at the man's companion - a woman a third his age with a teeny tiny set of triangles perched precariously on her breasts and with a thong bikini bottom that disappeared up her backside curves.

"You're someone's mother!" The young woman cried, scandalized.

Faye frowned at her. "Yeah? What of it? It's 40 degrees out with no breeze! And this is a nude beach to boot! In fact, you know what?" Grumbling, Faye passed Lupin over to Spike and aggressively untied her own top and then for good measure shimmied out of the bottoms too. "How do you like me now?! Fuck, being someone's mother makes the fresh air on these nipples even better than it was before I had a kid!" She stood proudly before the pair, took a deep breath in, and let it out peacefully. "Try it before you knock it or judge anyone else!"

With that, Faye turned on her heel and strode on down the beach, leaving Spike - grinning bemusedly and still holding Lupin - to follow.

"You know …it's not actually a nude beach, right Faye?" Spike chuckled as he caught up to her, shifting Lupin in his arms as the baby began to fall asleep. "Ed put up those signs to fuck with people."

Faye let out a sheepish laugh. "That girl I swear… Well, let's get further down the beach so I can put my suit back on. I don't want those prudes to see me climbing back into clothes as if I'm in the wrong."

"Baby, you make wrong look so right," Spike teased, waggling his brows at her lasciviously.

“You sure you wanna do this?”

Faye stared at the image of the eye on the window of the shop. Lines radiated from the eye, some straight and some wavy, and she got the impression it was supposed to indicate energy emanating from the eye itself. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a firm hand fell upon her shoulder.

Jet gave her a gentle shake. “Faye? You sure about this?” He asked again.

She blinked at the reflection in the window, seeing concern on Jet’s brow and blankness on her own features. He towered over her by a good few inches, standing solid at her side in his usual jumpsuit, and she realized it was reassuring to see him there. That had been the whole point of bringing him along, truth be told.

“I gotta do something, Jet.” She replied eventually, still looking at the window rather than turning to face him in conversation. “I nearly got stabbed the other night when that chick got in my face. For a split second, I swear I was looking at a girl I went to school with. But that’s impossible - everyone I knew is ancient or dead.” She sighed. “I can’t keep having these memories pop up randomly. It’s gonna get me killed one of these times. I need some answers. I need the whole picture, not just chunks.”

He grunted. “No, I get that. And for the record, I agree. Spike might’ve talked mighty about the past being pointless but that was always a load of bull. Look where it got him, after all. Right now you’re a liability to yourself and to me.” His hand fell off her shoulder so he could gesture with both hands at the sketchy looking building in front of them. “I meant… is this really the best bet? You wanna waste your woolongs on this? This guy probably uses this bullshit mumbo jumbo to lure people in and rob them blind or worse.”

Faye smiled softly at that. “Yeah, no kidding. Why do you think I asked you to come along?” She turned her head slightly to glance at him through her eyelashes, deliberately demure. “Even if he’s the real deal… if I’m in some state of hypnosis, I need you to have my back. Be a good guard dog and keep me safe.”

Despite the facial hair that covered a good portion of his face, Faye could still see the subtle flush of color that spread across his cheeks. Embarrassment at her coy act? Irritation over her intention misuse of his cop nickname? Whatever the reason, Jet stiffened and rolled his shoulders as if to make himself even more fierce looking and immovable.

“All right, let’s get a move on if we’re gonna do this. No sense wasting daylight.” He started towards the door and then stopped to look back at her fully. “If this doesn’t work, Faye… there are other options we can try. Meditation. Art therapy. Hell, talking to a licensed psychiatrist might even crack open the dam you’ve got blocking up your memories.” He reached out his metal hand towards her in a silent invitation. “I know you don’t have the cash for art supplies or a therapist, but I’d be willing to help you figure this out.”

Now it was Faye’s turn to blush. Having him see her so vulnerable, having him clearly care so much about what was going on with her and legitimately wanting to help… It was a lot. It made her stomach feel bubbly and her heart give a twinge. It also made her want to get the hell away as fast and as far as she could. Ignoring the urge to flee was a struggle she hoped he couldn’t see. The last thing she needed was for him to have any idea of the feelings she was battling.

Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she reached out and grasped his hand with as much confidence as she could feign.

“One thing at a time,” She said as Jet opened the door to lead them both inside. “I’m already in debt over my head to too many people, I don’t need to add you to the list.”

Jet snorted. “Girl, if I bothered to keep track of the shit you owed me for since you came on the ship…” He shook his head and gripped her hand a little tighter when she blanched at his words and tried to inconspicuously slip her hand free. “Never mind all that. Let’s see what this hypnotist has in store for ya. At the very least this should be very entertaining for me! Maybe I’ll ask him to make you quack like a duck.”

“If that’s as creative as you can get…” She sighed. “Well, I brought you as a bodyguard after all, not an idea man.” She stepped quickly to get in front of him, though she didn’t let go of his hand, and rapped her knuckles against the countertop at the front of the room they’d entered.

Moments later, a tall man with a handlebar mustache emerged from the beaded curtain doorway at the far end of the room. He wore a voluminous dark purple robe over baggy lime green trousers, a bright yellow flowy button up shirt with the top three buttons open to reveal a pale chest and a few curly chest hairs, and had a very round hat perched on a head of hair that genuinely made Faye a bit envious.

“Careful!” He called out, shooting the pair of them a charming smile. “That’s a Ouija countertop you’re announcing yourself to. For best results with spirits, you always want to be polite.”

Faye could feel the groan that Jet strove to keep to himself and had to concentrate on flashing the obnoxiously dressed man a warm smile of greeting rather than laugh in his face.

“I’m not interested in conversing with any spirits today,” She said plainly. “The ad online said you’re a hypnotist? I want to sort out some memories if you think you’re capable of handling that sort of job.”

The man turned his nose into the air with a huff. “Darling, you’ve got some nerve doubting my abilities right off the bat! Come, let’s take care of payment first and then you’ll see how well I earn my fee! I’ll have you spouting off the very first words you ever spoke as a baby, that’s how far back I can take you with my skill!”

He waved her over to a small desk situated next to the Ouija board countertop and held out his hand for her woolong card which she finally handed over with a wince as he scanned it through his system. There was a long pause and then the machine glowed a green much more soothing than the man’s pants and Faye let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Perfect! Now, let us head back into the divining chamber. Is there a scent of incense you prefer? How about crystals? Perhaps you’d like to hold a piece of quartz? Works wonders on bringing forth clarity of the mind.” The man kept up his prattle of offers as they went deeper into the building and Faye felt herself nearly overwhelmed again - both by the litany of absurdity spilling from the man’s lips, and the choking odor of dozens of overlapping incense sticks that must have been burnt recently.

She almost balked again, but Jet - seeming to sense her uncertainty - gave her hand a tentative squeeze. It was so light it was almost unnoticeable, though she realized he was afraid to put too much force into it since it wasn’t his real hand. Aside from the gesture itself being a comfort, it was the reminder of his built-in strength that truly served to stay her desire to flee. She wanted, no…needed answers, and Jet was there to protect her on this potentially dangerous quest. She had come this far already - coughed up more woolongs than she cared to think about - and she knew there was no turning back now.