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At the mention of jewelry, there was an unidentifiable change in Selena's expression, which regressed back to normal almost at once. "I kind of suspected there was something off about him when I first met him, though...he tripped over his own feet and didn't know what a lot of ordinary things were. I passed it off as him being foreign..."
Right...Selena had only known him as a human. A very awkward human. |
"Does it really seem so surprising, in hindsight?" Glory pointed out. "Of course, I spent all summer starting water fights and sniping him from on top of the rocks with balls of seaweed."
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Selena chuckled, then scowled a bit. Then, before she could say something about how she really thought he was a foreigner because Viktor had acted the same way when she first met him, at the age of seven, she perked up.
"Hm...I suppose I could give you a list of things to tease him about," she said, suddenly. "The best was probably the great look of confusion he had on his face when I tried to explain public restrooms to him." |
"I think I can top that one," Glory challenged. "His brother has a mate, and once I made the mistake of asking where the two had disappeared to... I didn't even let him finish talking. I'm not sure how red I was."
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Selena giggled, making sure to keep a close watch on the food to make sure it wasn't burning. "Let's see...I managed to get him to try a roller coaster at the amusement park a few miles away. And...I have pictures from the ride..." she added, offhandedly. "His face is priceless."
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"It must have been fun," Glory replied, a wistful air creeping into her voice. "I kind of wonder, sometimes, what it would be like to go on an actual date. You know, with the weather getting colder, I can't exactly go jumping off the rocks anymore..."
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Selena frowned. "He had legs when he was with me...maybe he could get them again? Or, you could find a way to..." she trailed off. "Have you thought about using a wheelchair and covering up his tail?" She had the same idea as Archie.
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"That would probably work better in the city," Glory said. "His brother had the same idea, ironically enough. But in a small town like this? Anything strange is pounced on immediately."
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Selena raised an eyebrow. "My mother is in a wheelchair," she informed her, airily. "Only sometimes, though, when she can't walk. She fell off of the roof of a three-story building when she was younger and paralyzed her legs. They healed, but they get real weak sometimes, so she has a wheelchair on hand most of the time..."
She stretched a bit. "She has an extra one--a folding one. If you want, we could stop by my house tomorrow and pick it up." |
"I'll think about it," Glory said as she kept an eye on the frying fish. "It would almost be worth it to move to a warmer climate... I bet it would be amazing to see a coral reef up close without needing goggles."
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Selena paused, and then she wrinkled her nose for a moment. "...Do you know about Viktor's beginning-of-school party?" she asked, curiously. "He never mentions it, but it's tradition around here. For a week, he'll rent a private jet and take a bunch of his friends out to his parents' vacation house...in Hawaii. If you ask him, he might let you go. But..." She glanced out, in the direction of the ocean.
"You said there are three of them, right? They would never be able to swim there on time to meet you...maybe there's a way to sneak them onto the jet? It's a big jet...and Viktor doesn't make anyone pay airfare...and he doesn't care how much luggage you bring...or what kind of luggage." |
"Archie and Damon won't travel," Glory replied absently, thinking, "I'm fairly sure of that. But I don't see how I would be able to smuggle a person onto a plane without anyone noticing."
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"...A really big suitcase?" Selena suggested. "A zip-suitcase? I have a really big zip-up suitcase, with wheels and a handle to drag it. It's almost bigger than I am. You could probably fit him in there and keep one of the sides unzipped for air without anyone noticing. Most people will be up near the front of the plane, and again, Viktor won't care how much luggage you have...and he won't care if you keep it in the back or with you."
She sighed, keeping an eye on their food again. "Do you want to go and get it sometime and see if he'll fit into it snugly? Viktor's party starts next week...they leave Tuesday. If you ask him about it, he'll be sure to let you go. I'm going to go." |
"This plan could just be crazy enough to work," Glory mused. "Have you ever considered work as an evil genius or something like that?"
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"No, but I've considered going into politics, which is about the same thing," Selena retorted, grinning. "It is a really good plan, huh? I'm known for coming up with great plans in a very short amount of time...when would you like to try fitting him into the suitcase? Any time before Tuesday is good."
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"I still need to make sure I'm going, and then run everything by Nana and everyone..." Quickly, she took the fish from the skillet and put it on a paper towel to drain. "So much to plan... I'm going to need to dig out some of my summer clothes again."
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"Viktor won't mind you going. He even takes strangers along sometimes..." Selena helped her with the fish, contently. "Why don't you ask your Nana now, so you can ask Viktor in school tomorrow?"
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"Nana went out for the weekend," Glory replied. "She's visiting with my aunt, so she won't be back until Sunday night. I don't think she'll have much of a problem with it, though..."
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"Probably not. The chance to go to Hawaii cost-free...anyone would take that, I think," Selena replied, dreamily. "I've gone on the trip every single year, since he started it. It's a big thing at school."
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"I'm not surprised," Glory said. "I'm betting trips like this don't come up every day out here. They don't even happen in the city."
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"Oh, don't even say it...if it happened in the city, Viktor would need to rent more than one jet!" Selena exclaimed, barely able to imagine it. "I hope he doesn't start inviting a bunch of people from cities. He already invites so many...the jet was packed last year."
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"That's not reassuring," Glory replied. "That many people means that many more ways for something to go wrong, and that many more ways for the secret to get out. Bad idea."
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"...Well...I didn't say they all sit in their seats like they're supposed to," Selena amended, grinning. "They all get up and move around after takeoff, and most of them stay near the front of the plane. It's all one big party, until everyone tires out and sits down for a nap."
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"Still, that just turned into a not-so-great idea," Glory said. "Bad juju all around, especially if things got out."
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"Nothing will happen--trust me," Selena assured her, grinning. "A friend of mine snuck her black lab along for the trip in a big suitcase and nobody found out--she told me beforehand. It will be fine. Trust me."
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