Consider this an apology present, for me not updating my main story in a long time.
Story takes place in my AU.
Spinning
Taranee and Will were at Heatherfield Park, trying out different acrobatic tricks at the playground.
"T, do you smell it?" Will asked the older girl.
"Smell what?"
"The Spring in the air," the redhead continued, "The sweet flowers, the sweaty insects hard at work, the musky grass…"
"Musky?" Taranee queried.
Will flipped from her upside down monkey bar pivot onto the ground.
"You know, musky… the, um… the smell of grass…"
"You have no idea how to make poetic nature descriptions, do you?" Taranee asked with a smirk.
"Well, obviously not!" the younger girl snapped.
"Good thing I can help you with that!" Taranee quipped as she got up. Her green orbs glittered as she smiled at her best friend. "Let's go to my place and do some story writing afterwards. For now, let's finish our secretive training."
Will kicked off her sneakers. She found it easier to practice cartwheeling whilst barefoot. Besides, the grass felt nice and soft under her feet.
Meanwhile, Taranee made her way over to the flying fox. Maybe this time she could make it to the other side without letting go. Will might have been as scrawny as she was, but the redhead had more guts to hang on than she ever did.
For those NOT training…
"Hay Lin, spinning is NOT flying," Irma huffed as the level of the Theed Palace loaded.
"But it's a nice trick," the younger girl shot back smugly.
The Hispanic and the Chinese teenagers were playing Star Wars Battlefront on Irma's PS4.
"We do not want to be spotted," Irma continued in exasperation, recalling how Hay Lin had just barely managed to slip her fighter past the Trade Federation's dreadnought cruiser in the last level.
Theed Palace level loaded. Their video game avatars burst into the palace hanger. Both girls had the same thought. Charge.
The screen exploded with showers of red and green blaster bolts. Irma's Jedi character ducked behind some cargo barrels, while Hay Lin's one kept running forward and ignited its lightsaber.
"What are you doing?! You're gonna get yourself killed, then I'm gonna get killed without you, and then I'll never pass this level, which was the reason for me calling you here to play with me. And I've said too much, haven't I?" sighed Irma, slapping her forehead.
"Ye of little competence," Hay Lin snorted to the brunette, "And for the record, I enjoy every moment that I spend playing Battlefront. Now are you going to help me or not?"
Irma could see a few laser blasts pepper Obi-Wan (Hay Lin's character). "Ah-ha!" she chuffed victoriously, sending Qui-Gon (her own Jedi avatar) leaping out of cover, lightsaber drawn, to join the battle.
Obi-Wan hastily blocked a few droid shots, and rolled behind a stairwell.
"Looks like fighting like the Knights of Old isn't producing much fruit for ya!"
"Who said I was fighting like the Knights of Old?" the Chinese girl replied. She mashed a couple of buttons on her controller, transforming her character into a spinning blue whirlwind. Obi-Wan now cut through lasers and droids like butter.
"Showoff!" grumbled Irma. Unfortunately, while she was sulking, several droidekas sneaked up behind her. "Oh crap! Cover me now!"
Hay Lin responded by pressing a button on her controller.
"I don't want our forces to divert to me! I want you battling beside me!" the Hispanic girl rasped incredulously.
"I've almost reached the end! Don't endanger the mission!" came the blunt reply.
The Naboo troops assisting Qui-Gon proved to not be nearly enough against the droidekas. Two by two, they were cut down by the overwhelming laser fire. Irma barely held her character aloft for a short time. Then, the inevitable happened.
"Nononononononono! Aw nuts!" she hissed as Qui-Gon fell and her half of the screen said mission failed.
Hay Lin, however, made Obi-Wan flip and spin again in the air, deflecting a few more lasers back at the droids and landing safely at the other end of the hanger. The level faded and a triumphant tune sounded. Mission Complete.
"As I said. Ye of little competence," grinned Hay Lin.
"I hate you," whispered Irma in a comically venomous manner, "I hate you and your spinning."
For those NOT spending their time gaming…
"Bother!" thought Cornelia to herself, "Bother Mom and Dad going on a business trip out of town today! Why did I promise to entertain Lillian by bringing her to the pool today?"
Her line of thoughts was rudely cut in two.
"Come on, big sis! We're almost at the top!" Lillian's voice squeaked through the crowd.
"Hold on! Hold on! I need to get these floats around my arms first!"
"Why didn't you ever learn how to swim?"
"Because I never saw the point in doing something so uncivilized."
"You just a 'fraidy cat."
Cornelia decided to just not reply anymore, and continued to stroll along to the entrance of the water slide. It was almost their turn now. While waiting, she peeked over the edge of the handrails. It was a large drop.
She gulped. Like Taranee, she hated heights (though not to the exaggerated point that the African girl did). Having one's own set of guardian wings made one forget how, er… serious a drop like that could be.
Thankfully, she didn't have to wait any longer, as Lillian pulled her over to the start of the slide. Now all that was left to do was jump. Into the dark. Down a torrent of water (it was warm at least). Needing floats to aid you swim.
"Come on! I'll be right behind ya!" Lillian snorted.
"That's what worries me," Cornelia wanly chuckled as she braced herself. Then she hopped straight in.
She found herself crying out as she spun round and round. And round. The rushing water cascading around her almost made her lose her wits. The darkness didn't help either.
And gosh, that spinning was going to be the death of her!
After what seemed like an agonizing eternity, Cornelia found herself splashing out at the bottom of the pool. The light and the shouts of other humans brought her sensitive nerves back to Earth. "Oh, man," she groaned as she finally surfaced.
The placid moment didn't last long, however. Lillian came barreling out of the tunnel slide at full speed, smashing and splashing straight into her. Cornelia had to force herself not to breathe or panic underwater again. And that was quite a lot of work, considering that this was Cornelia we're talking about.
Surfacing again and spitting out pool water, she gave a light sisterly glare to a laughing Lillian.
"Lillian?" she asked sweetly, summoning her little sister's attention. Her little sister complied.
"Haha, yes?"
"Next time, we're going ice skating."
Lillian immediately choked down her laughs.
Back at Heatherfield Park…
Will was winding herself down on the spinner. Going round and round at high speeds was one of the closest things she got to flying outside of her guardian form. Plus, she thought the g-forces might help strengthen her stomach.
"Slow it down there!" called Taranee, running over.
"Why?" asked Will mischievously.
"One, you're gonna barf out your breakfast and lunch all over me and that's not what I want. Two, I want to join you on the spinner as well."
Will complied and slowed it down just enough for her friend to hop on.
"Okay, now spin it!" barked Taranee. Her voice was laced with unfettered enthusiasm. She had managed to ride the flying fox all the way this time – without letting go! Surely this would be a cake ride, right?
Cook was wrong.
The spinner whizzed around faster and faster. The raven-haired girl spared a glance at the redhead, who showed no signs of dizziness or discomfort yet.
The rotations went on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on.
And on. And on. And on…
Until Taranee could finally bear it no more.
"I-can't-take-it-anymore! Stop! Stop!"
Without hesitation, Will did.
Taranee stepped off the spinner, her body's cluttered equilibrium making her legs stumble. She would step one way, and it would feel like her head, packed with a million weights, would teeter her in another direction.
This went on for several minutes.
By that time, Will had already slipped her sneakers back on and paced over to steady her friend.
"Lead me to the nearest bin please," Taranee rasped. A gurgle rose from her throat.
"Uh, right away!" stuttered Will, sprinting and dragging her friend to the nearest trashcan as quickly as she could.
Once there, Taranee hurled what she was sure to be her lunch, her breakfast, and her dinner from last night.
"Oh, I so regret inviting you to do this," huffed Will, looking away from the mess.
"Was not… your fault… I ch-chose to… j-jump on…"
When Taranee was sure she was not gonna vomit any longer, she stood herself back upright again and straightened her jacket.
"Will?"
"Uh huh?"
"If one ever asks me to do a spin again, I will go ballistic on them. If I ever ask to be spun again, electrocute me with your powers."