This chapter has a some for the ladies, some for the men, and some for everybody. I'm back from my school-inflicted hiatus, guys and gals! enjoy the return of Spartan Vacation: Seattle!
Carter led the Spartans down the street, trying to make sense of the many twisting streets on the map he held. "Wish we had Yume." He muttered.
Kat nodded. "We need our navigator."
Emile rolled his eyes. "You're all such babies. Get over her."
Shivering, Jun rubbed his arms. "Why do we have to do this for her anyway?" He asked, looking around to see if anyone was too close to him.
"Because she deserves it." Jorge nudged him. "She's helped us a lot."
"How so?" Emile scoffed. "She's just a stupid kid."
Carter was looking at the map upside down to see if it made more sense that way.
All the other Spartans shared a look.
"We need Yume."
~##~
"What kind of name is 'Yume', anyway?" Emile leaned back in his seat. They had stopped when they realized their commander was hopeless as a navigator in a small, pricey cafe, Belle Epicurean. They ordered a plate of macaroons each, astonishing the waitress. One of the pastel-colored cookies cost almost three dollars each.
Kat whipped out her tablet, looking it up. "A Japanese name, meaning 'dream'."
"Sounds about right. She's Emile's dream girl." Thom elbowed Emile, who growled at him.
"Don't start fighting boys." Kat scolded. She then turned to Carter with the expression of a mother's scorn. "We can't take them anywhere."
Carter just shrugged her off. "So," He started. "What should we do for her?"
"Why do we have to thank her anyway?" Jun whined. "Haven't we paid for all her food and let her stay with us?"
"Yeah." Emile chimed in. "I've been wanting to cut her up with my kukri for a while now. . .she should thank me for holding back."
Rolling her eyes, Kat turned her attention to Jorge. "You talked with her Jorge, didn't you? What would she like?"
Jorge stroked his brown beard. "Why not take her to the Space Needle?" He suggested. It was the icon of Seattle, a bit ironic, really. In its day it had been one of the tallest buildings, a thing to marvel at. Now it was a sort of joke compared to the space elevators, one of which stood in the city, that towered over it and everything else.
Running her hand through her curly brown hair, Rosenda agreed. "This is quite the undertaking."
"She'd better appreciate it." Emile grunted.
~##~
Yume sat on the edge of the bed, holding the note in her hand. Had she done something wrong? Had she angered the Spartans in some way? But after all, this whole time she'd tried to tell herself that she was a civilian, and they were soldiers, trained to fight from the age of six. She had nothing in common with them.
And as for them leaving. . .it only made sense that they take their leave without saying goodbye. Better to just go, no questions and no complications. Anyway, she was alone again.
~##~
"Why do we need suits?" Jun whined. "How am I supposed to hide Snipey when there's fabric squeezing my heart out?"
"Why do we have to go back here?" Emile slouched, hands in his pockets.
Carter smacked his forehead with the heel of his hand. "Because," he sighed, "We need to practice."
"For what?!" Thom exclaimed, "For when Rosenda and Emile get married?!" He threw his hands in the air.
Rosenda and Emile both turned to him and gave him identical glares, "For the last time." They growled simultaneously, "We. Are. Not. Getting. MARRIED!"
Thom shrugged. "Whatever you say. You guys already act like an old married couple."
Rosenda snorted, "Oh, we do not!"
Punching Thom in the arm, Emile growled in his ear, "Careful. You might find tacks in your dress shoes. Or a kukri."
"That didn't even make sense!" Thom exclaimed.
Noble pushed through the doors and into Macy's, and immediately the air seemed to suffocate them.
"Can't believe I'm back in this place." Thom groaned.
"Men," Carter turned to the group suddenly, "Follow me to the thirteenth floor. Our mission is to acquire 'tuxedos'. Ladies," He turned to Kat and Rosenda, "Do what women do."
Kat nodded and saluted Carter, "Yes, sir!" The two women walked off to the section of dresses.
The men of Noble found their way to the part of the store with tuxes and work suits, browsing the aisles with dedication. . .except Thom, who just walked along the rows of dress coats, running his hands on the shoulders.
One by one, each of the men disappeared into the dressing room with armfuls of suits, ties, and related items, much overdoing the six item limit.
First to emerge was Jorge, his tux too small to button all the way up, the shirt and coat made a V where the edges slowly came apart, unable to reach each other.
"Sir," Jorge said uncomfortable, straightening his bow tie that was choking his neck, "I think this one's a bit on the small side."
Carter peeked his head out, frowning, "Yeah. Try the next size up. Or ten."
"This is the largest size."
Emile emerged in a suit that looked perfect on him—he looked like the representative of an important company. "Just leave that one on. The ladies love that look." He knotted his tie just as Jun and Thom came out as well.
Everyone gaped at Emile. "Where did you learn to tie a tie?" Thom asked. Then he smirked, "You're not going soft on us, are you? Learning how to look good?"
Emile's expression dropped. "I used the same knot to hang Covvies from trees." He cleared his throat and disappeared within a dressing room, ripping the suit off.
Shoulder's sagging, Jorge went back into his room and tried to get his shirts off, but the buttons were pulled so tightly they wouldn't come undone. With a pop, they spilled over the floor, rolling out from the gap under the door. Whistling, Jorge hung the shirt and jacket back on their hangers and put them back on the rack.
"I think I'll just go in uniform." He grunted. At these words, the other Spartans popped their heads out of the dressing rooms.
"Us too!"
~##~
"I don't know, Kat." Rosenda said, hands on her hips as she looked in the mirror. The little black dress she had on ended mid-thigh, making her rather uncomfortable. "It's so small." She rubbed her bare shoulders.
Kat smirked, her arms crossed, "But it looks good on you, Rosy." She said, surveying Rosenda from behind. She bore a similar dress, but with a white band just across the chest, accentuating her bust.
"Easy for you to say, Kat. You've got a perfect tan." She glanced at the other woman somewhat enviously. Then she sighed, "What are we doing? Who even cares?"
Kat shrugged, "It's just for a little while. Besides, you really look nice."
"Well," Rosenda slipped on a pair of black heels she had picked out earlier, "Let's go check on the boys." She walked towards the men's dressing room with Kat at her side, without changing from the little black dresses.
~##~
As soon as Kat and Rosenda rounded the corner and bumped into the men, a security guard walked right into Emile's back. Emile turned to see what bug had hit him, and froze as soon as he recognized him,
"You!" The security man bellowed, "You're the one that stole the manikin!"
"Time to split!" Carter exclaimed, motioning for Noble to follow him. Kat and Rosenda slipped off their heels and carried them in their hands, doing their best to run in the skin tight dresses.
"Lucky men," Rosenda muttered enviously, "Why can't we wear our normal clothes?"
"We still have to pay!" Kat informed them.
Thom looked over his shoulder at her, and the security guard squad now in pursuit of them. "Pay 'em back later, Kat. We gotta go."
"You're bailing me out if I get arrested." Kat muttered, pushing the glass doors open and escaping with the rest of Noble into the city streets.
Hope you enjoyed, ladies and gentlemen. Please review.
