City of Lights
Summary: They spend the day searching for the perfect place. OneShot.
Warning: based on a true story.
Set: story-unrelated
Disclaimer: Standards apply.
Strange city, strange lights.
The Hunters spend the day strolling through the streets, trying to take in as much as possible. Every little stone. Every crying child. Every blossoming rose in a pot in front of the small houses.
Canals cut the streets into pieces, bridges connect the broken parts. At some places the houses are so close to each other Marina's fingertips would brush the walls of both houses if she extended her arms. Sometimes, Teresa and the boys have to duck under the low sun-blinds and dangerously dangling signs. There are pots of flowers on each side of the street, ducks on the canals and people with children and dogs and cars and bikes on the streets. It's not a spectacular city and that is what increases her charm.
Without needing to have agreed on it they all are looking for the perfect restaurant.
Neither of them is hungry yet, not even Jay and Ten. Used to late meals, they still have a few hours to spare. And today they want to find the place, the restaurant which offers the food. So the eight people walk through the city, watch, look and see, and stop at the occasional restaurant to cluster around the menus next to the front doors. It's not supposed to be too expensive but good. Something local, perhaps. And it has to meet the expectations of seven Hunters and a Seer.
It is summer and the restaurants have placed tables and chairs outside.
Parents, children, couples and old people sit outside, enjoying the summer sun, talking and laughing. One old man on a park bench seems to have fallen asleep while two little girls climb over and around him like monkeys. Teresa stops now and then to throw longing glances into the bookstores that line the street and Cassidy has already promised himself he'll take her to one of them tomorrow. Maybe he can make Jay, Jaq and the rest do some training in the meantime. Nadya and Ten are comparing strange people. The man with the living, breathing lama and a rattling metal box full of coins. The man in the Musketeers' outfit. The two school girls who look exactly alike in their white, tight jeans, deep-blue tops and thick make-up. The man with the Rasta-locks which reach his waist, with feathers in his hair, cork sandals and a woolen poncho. Terrance is looking at the elaborately decorated houses: white and yellow brick stones, red, pink and white geraniums, the black, wooden bars a shocking contrast to the white stones. Jay and Jaq are a few steps behind, Jay waving his arms excitedly, his brother listening to him with his expression as unreadable as always. Marina is in front of them, running back and forward as if she still was the little girl that has accompanied them so many times before.
This city is so different to theirs. If someone had told them such a place existed they would have laughed at him. But here they are. Crossing a small bridge, they find themselves on a little plaza with a fountain right in the middle. Two or three restaurants cluster around it like freezing birds to each other.
"This one sounds good," Jay says as he scans a menu. His brother nods. "The prices are fine, too."
"But I'm vegetarian," Marina protests. Sometimes, her voice slips back into child-like cadences and she sounds like she's whining. She is not, though.
"Come on, it's just for once!" Terrance tries to read the menu over her head. "And they have non-meat dishes, as well."
"Do they?" She looks at the menu searchingly while Nadya agrees with the dark-skinned Hunter. "Every restaurant has vegetarian dishes, Mar."
"I always wanted to try this!" Terrance exclaims as he squints at the menu, this time over Jay's shoulders. "What do you think? Should we go inside?"
"Why don't we walk a bit more?" Ten proposes. "It's not dinner time yet and we might find something we like even better."
They do so.
Why have they decided to eat out?
They could have ordered a pizza or could have gone to McDonalds. This city had one of those fast food restaurants; of course. The globalized world hadn't escaped its general McDonaldisation. But somehow, all of them felt like eating out in the right way tonight. It was more than the mere fact that they could. It was like a conclusion of their free-time, a reminder that they were adults now. A last memory to hold on to when their paths would finally part.
"There's another one over there," Teresa says and they follow her gaze to the little house across the street. The small sign is inviting. "And they might have fish!"
"Fish, fish – how can you eat stuff like that?" Ten shudders. "It's fishy. And it stinks."
"Only as long as it's raw," Cassidy includes his opinion, grinning at Teresa. She smiles back in a way she only directs at her best friend and which has taught all her siblings to better take cover.
"Well, except for sushi. That's a fish that definitely is raw – and doesn't stink. And it's absolutely delicious! Maybe we should try the Sushi All-you-can-eat we saw near the cathedral."
"I haven't come here to end up eating Japanese food," Jaq declares curtly. "If I want sushi I'll go to Japan."
Nobody is offended.
"So put that on your list next," Nadya says. "And make sure to bring Ten some. And sashimi, if you're at it."
"What are you talking about!" Ten complains. She shakes herself disgustedly. "Euuugh. Raw fish."
"You always were a picky eater, Ten," Cassidy grins and she shots him a dirty look. "Not as picky as you and Rese."
"Hey!"
Teresa doesn't get the chance to protest. Marina has walked a few steps and suddenly returns, waving her arms excitedly. "Rese, Rese, look! A French restaurant, right there!"
"French? Yeah, you're right." Teresa follows her to the menu and smiles.
"Wow, that's expensive. I don't think we should eat French if we're here, should we, Cass?"
"I don't mind if you pay it."
"Hey!" She jabs her elbow at him. "You know Hunter's salaries are pitiful!"
"Okay, we'll split!"
"Not French!" Terrance declares. "Really, we should eat something local. There are so many things that seem to be famous in this region. Like this, for example – read it for yourselves, I can't pronounce it."
His friend step closer to regard the menu of the third restaurant.
"That doesn't sound bad," Jay says. Nadya nods. "Yeah, and the prices are reasonable, too."
"And they have Children's dishes!" Cass exclaims enthusiastically. While the others merely look at questioningly, Teresa throws him an angry glance. "Stop those jokes, Cassidy. Marina isn't a child anymore."
"But I didn't mean Mar when I thought about children in our Clave…"
This time, Nadya and Ten silence him mutually before Teresa can beat him up spectacularly. Mostly, it's the two joint-leaders against their Clave but sometimes Cassidy doesn't seem to know how far he can go with Teresa.
"Shut up, Cass!"
"Ouch." Grinning, Cassidy rubs his head. "Just saying."
Sighting, Terrance takes the lead again. "Let's have a last look around and then we'll decide."
They follow him without protest.
The city is filled with people, even though the sun is slowly setting. Across the bridges, over the canals they go, along the main street and past the old houses and shops. The last sun light is coloring the clouds in the sky and Teresa cranes her neck to watch the beautiful red color of the sky. Marina is unable to pass a huge German shepherd without patting its head and for a while they chat with an old lady who is only too happy to have an audience while Marina talks to the dog. Across the street, a musician is attracting a great crowd of people. They stop and listen, too, and applaud. Then, Jay sees an Ice-cream parlor and insists in buying ice-cream for each of them regardless the time of the day. Terrance marvels at the height of the cathedral's tower. It is made from white stone and shines in the last evening light like a living warning signal. Nadya watches people because that is what she finds most interesting. The strange girl reading a book at the bus stop. The older man crossing the street. Ten and Jaq muster the shop displays with varying degrees of interest while Cassidy thinks about the fact that they will already be leaving tomorrow.
The sun slowly sinks and the street lamps turn on.
They decide on a little restaurant directly at a canal in the old Fishermen's quarters and sit down at a table at the big window. From the inside, they can watch the few people pass by in their evening business. Everyone finds something he likes on the menu and Marina orders a children's vegetarian dish. Jay teases Ten when she refuses to try the beer they have been given and then pulls a face when he tries it himself. Jaq and Terrance are quietly discussing Council Politics and upcoming missions. Nadya, Teresa and Cassidy occasionally talk about their plans for tomorrow and stare out of the window the other part of the time. It is peaceful.
Precious.
Much later, Cassidy pays their bill and only Teresa feels guilty for letting him take the tab. They walk back through the city, towards their hotel, in silence.
Night has fallen and the moon is a beautiful, silver half-coin in the sky.
The walk slowly because they feel the instant they reach their hotel this evening will be over. There are few people left in the streets and the fresh night air is soft on their heated skin. Jay is telling jokes, the others are laughing. They are avoiding every thought of tomorrow. When they pass a bookstore, Cassidy whispers something into Teresa's ear and her smile lights up. Marina takes her hand like she always used to do. They cross a bridge and stop to lean on the railing and to look down on the black waters.
Marina still is holding Teresa's hand and Nadya smiles as she sees Teresa's and Cassidy's shoulders are almost touching.
Just barely.
Strange city, strange lights.
Even though they aren't children any more they gather their bed sheets, pillows and blankets and turn the boy's hotel room into a dorm.
(It's the biggest one.)
Nadya, Ten and Marina share the double bed; Teresa occupies the single bed and the boys arrange themselves on the ground. When they finally fall asleep, the lights of the city still fall through the open window.
City of lights.
Teresa is the only one who stays awake for long, listening to her family's regular breathing. She props herself up onto her left elbow. Cassidy's face is so close she just would have to extend a hand to touch him. Marina smiles in her dream, Nadya's and Ten's faces are unusually peaceful. Jay looks even more like his brother while Jaq's face doesn't show emotions even in sleep. Terrance buries his face in his pillow to avoid the light, his dark skin a startling contrast to the white hotel sheets. And Cassidy… Cassidy never looks that young in bright sunlight, that young and vulnerable. There is something infinitely precious in watching them sleep and Teresa feels it so strongly she can't breathe.
She loves them so much.