I hope this long chapter is good enough apology for the lack of updates.
Confessions of a Third Wheel
A debate still on gender equality and the war of the sexes (and how to win them) and Flynn doubling the stakes
(Final Part)
A fucking moron.
That's what Flynn is.
Hiccup face-palmed, real hard, and regretted ever friending him. Why were they even friends? Oh right, it was after the big accident he would never forget and Flynn would happily remind him that. The mischievous clod.
"Where would you find two hundred bucks, honey dear?" Rapunzel flashed her dazzling smile at her boyfriend.
Hiccup asks the same, but with a catatonic tone, "Yeah, honey dear, where would you find them?"
"Honey dear, don't you worry your pretty little head now, and the great big emphasis is that 'IF YOU WIN'." Flynn winked at Rapunzel, and he turned to Hiccup, "We'll find a way to find it if ever it comes to that, Honey dearest." He doesn't wink at him.
Hiccup grunted and stared at the plate before him, not finding his appetite to eat. He then checked for his phone for any message, nothing, he presumed boring himself out.
"I feel so sad about them, Can I...?" Merida's voice was hoarse due to the fact that her mouth was full.
Hiccup pushed the plate towards her. She nodded her head rather enthusiastically and Hiccup have seen tiny bits of food —bread crumbs, to be precise— landing on the table, near his arm, from her mouth. He chuckled.
"What would it be then?" Rapunzel's determined eyes set upon them.
"Basketball?"
Rapunzel stared hard at Flynn. "Let's do something that my team and yours can do. Let's get real, only Merida's pro at that."
"So," he cleared his throat, "Are you saying that you can't do it?"
She stared harder.
"5 points to us, boys."
"Fine." She muttered. Too tired to deal with his crap. Rapunzel knew she was not the sporty type, hell, even Anna and Elsa weren't.
Anna raised her hand, "What about a cooking contest?"
"We'd burn the house down." Flynn commented, they seemed to nod in agreement, and then everyone started to make suggestions.
Hiccup looks at Merida, and she's still chowing down her meal. He wondered whether she can cook, she did consented to their little bet earlier. He's now more eager to defeat her.
"Skiing?"
"In the middle of summer?"
"Tug war?"
"It's 11:08 in the evening, where on earth can we find a place to do that?"
"Limbo?"
"Too strenuous."
"Dance?"
"We already did that two hours ago! I never even knew Kristoff could dance."
"Kristoff the Dance God, how did you learn?"
"Well, I did practice with Sven back when I was in 5th grade. We entered the Kiddie-Pup-Dance-A-Thon, and won second place, the first was an Indian kid named Mowgli and his Kanni breed called Baloo. Hmp, they weren't that great." They all looked at Kristoff, it made him uneasy so he cleared his throat, "So...how about Sled-making?"
"And comes Kristoff the Weird, again." Flynn retorted. Anna made sure to hit Flynn on the head with a paper towel.
"How about craft making?"
"We'd be equally crap at it."
Silence came as each of them was thinking. Except for Merida- still carefully devouring her meal. Hiccup was earnestly looking at her, thinking of how many times she brushes her difficult curly hair before she gets out starting her day. Merida caught him and swallowed down her food, she pointedly glared at him, "You may as well take a picture of me eating and stare at it, you sick bastard."
He snickered and held up his hand in pardon. She barely acknowledges him and resumed what she was doing, consuming her third sandwich. Hiccup taps the table and an idea formed his mind. "Oh yes— it's a good idea, Mer!"
She looked at him, not amused.
"Not that! What I mean is the picture thing. We could do a photo scavenger hunt."
Jack, who was partially listening, nodded in approval. "That'd be great, honestly."
Elsa nodded her agreement too, "It'll be a fair and square and we could do a twist into it."
"What twist?"
"You boys will be choosing the dares for us and vice versa, so that no team could cheat."
"And the rules are that no one will be permitted outside the perimeter. No going to houses, but Wal-Mart or 7 eleven is okay. No one can tell outsiders of what we're doing and there should be a bell to whose group shall finish first to alarm the losers. Remember, 5 dares only."
"No, make it 10!" Flynn, the dumbass he was, decided to smugly announced.
"Okay," Hiccup rolled his eyes, "10, but where would we go for this activity? It's almost midnight. I think no other place is any good."
"Hey! How about Easter's Park?"
"Jack, first of— Easter's Park is close for the night, and secondly, the park owner hates you."
"First of, I got the keys. Second, Bunny loves me! Everyone loves me! And third, don't ask why I got the keys."
"Alright! Let's do this!"
"Uh, Sven needs me back home..." Kristoff said but none of them are listening to him.
"I'm in." Rapunzel happily chirped.
They heard a ahem, and for once, Merida decides to give her opinion before burping out loud (earning everyone's attention and the people from the other table across them) She looked all of them in the eyes with that beaming resolution dancing inside her blue orbs. "Okay, I'm full. Let's get goin'."
It was a kind of a pep talk that no one seems to appreciate but Hiccup, as he grinned wildly at her and everyone, "Alright!"
Kristoff was really anxious tonight. Not because they've a 99% chance that they'll lose somehow, but it's really about what he'll find out inside his home after all these shenanigans they've been at.
He left Sven alone in his apartment.
He loves Sven, really he does. He even shares his food with him. But Kristoff doesn't trust his dog in terms of Sven being left behind. The dog likes to run and mess his whole place up—looking like Jack's room. He even wondered if Jack was a dog in another life.
Flynn muttered something about girls and their impossible, stupid dares. Kristoff has some glaring questions inside his mind but he wisely chose one instead—"How would you get a shocking two hundred dollars when the girls won?"
"Your sentence has a lot of shit right there, Bjorgman. And to answer that, we will chirp in, each and every one of us." Kristoff grimaces at the last part. He knew he shouldn't have asked that horrifying question when Flynn demanded all of their wallets, "So none of you would do something stupid like sneaking out and quitting the game because you're too pussies losing to girls." Flynn took hold of their wallets - including his - and sealed them together in a pouch inside his satchel. "And if the girls win. First, they'll probably pop their eyes out when they see the last photo dare I got for them." Seeing Flynn's creepy expression, Kristoff doesn't want to know that particular dare.
"Hey, Flynn? How are we gonna find a tomspoon? What is that anyway?"
"Beats me."
"Maybe it's some kind of a fancy spoon."
Kristoff looked at the all too familiar of a cursive-yet-messy-like-chicken-stampede handwriting. "Guys— I think... I think it's tampons."
"What?"
"What?"
"What?"
Kristoff sighed, weary and hopelessness cursing through his veins. This is going to be a long night. Looking at the evil paper where the dares are written, this is going to be a long and shameful night. If he ever comes home, a nice cup of cocoa would be very helpful. Of course, that is if his dog haven't created chaos in his abode, he shouldn't worry. Then again, it's Sven he's thinking of. That dog is innocent and evil at the same time. He thought of his well-loved beanie that Sven attempted to munch one time; thank god he caught it before he'd done any damage. But Sven, oh boy, he kept sniffling and biting things. Thankfully, the beanie is at his bedroom. Out of Sven's demon teeth.
"So we'll have to buy tampons and take a picture of us sticking it inside our nose?" From the way Jack said it, the boys groaned in frustration.
All in all, his heart was beating—pounding in his chest, sweat decorating his forehead even though the temperature was down, and it's all because of Sven.
Well, that, and the 99% chance they'll lose.
"I'm not happy about this." Merida muttered, openly glaring at her female friends.
"We're not either." Rapunzel muttered back, eyes still looking aghast at the sentence before her.
It somehow bewildered her that the boys could actually think of these...horrid ideas. Having to witness Rapunzel scribbling her part of the dares earlier had been quite scarring enough, as Merida haven't in a million years thought flowery Punzie could even write those unspeakable dares. Merida silently applauded her, whereas— the boys'...they're nasty players.
They've accomplish 3 dares out of 10 and so far— the dare only gets harder and harder and worrisome. The boys are fucktarts. Merida agreed viciously. The aforementioned dares they've done had been... disgraceful. They were like boys in a nutshell.
"Who's in charge of the..." Anna's voice rung around the field with a shiver, "photos?"
"I got them." Elsa quips, rather quickly, as if carrying the cursed photographs were dishonorable enough. "Don't worry; I wouldn't lose them, ever."
Ditto.
Once they're done of this whole ordeal, she's going to burn their shameful photos to the ground until they become just an ash in the air. But for now, they'll have to 'poke your fingers inside any brown mushy-looking things (example: shit and whatnots ;))'
Merida suspected Jack was the culprit of this dare, and looking at Elsa's blank yet meaningful stare at the ground, it was confirmation enough.
"Gals!" Rapunzel yelled, she's at least half a kilometer away from them. "I saw something...it's brown and— yep, they're mushy enough... I don't think it's, uh, crap though. Maybe mud?"
Welp. Might as do the cursed dare. Two hundred bucks might suffice but the humiliation comes from the photos aren't so worth it.
If the guys even accomplish their mission, it would mean they've done the most disgusting dare the girls—well, it was Rapunzel's idea— ever written, then I'll be damned.
"Dammit."
"Yes, well, talking doesn't achieve this—"
"Shut up, Bjorgman, just keep your mouth shut so I can focus. Jack, when I count to three you snap the polaroid fast!"
"Aye aye, cap'n! Enjoy licking Kristoff's chin!"
"I won't do that!"
"But it says 'Go to any convenience store and make Punzie stand on the register, barefooted', what does that even mean?"
Rapunzel blushed, crimson as Merida's hair, recalling the first time she and Flynn met at a bar and it was whimsical— Flynn's exact words.
"Darn you, Flynn." Rapunzel breathed as they follow the way to the blinding lights of 7 eleven and its welcoming colors of green and red. Punzie noticed there are at least six people— oh god, there's more at the back...
"I think that isn't where you should put your arm, Hiccup."
"How would I know?!"
"And besides, where did you even get that dress from, Jack?"
"Oi, don't look at me like you're suggesting I'm gay, I always have it in the back of my car just in case my sister comes to visit me. My little sister adores being a dressmaker and guess who's the model?
"So you do enjoy strutting around in them high heels and pose like that Jenner, looking at the ground."
"Ha ha, very funny, Hiccup. But I'm not the one who's in a tight mini dress right now while Flynn's taking a picture of you and Kristoff."
"How come Kristoff is the guy?"
"Because it specifically said 'dress Jack in a cute dress and make him and 'Kristoff act like they're in a first awkward date' and how would we even know if it's awkward?"
"Simple, be Kristoff."
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No offense, Mer, but your nose isn't my top choice of putting my finger inside."
"You're more grossed about that than having my booger on your forehead?"
"Well...no!"
"Relax, Anna, just think of happy thoughts."
"And my slimy booger!"
"You're not helping Mer."
"What the hell?!"
"What?"
Jack reads the paper and laughs, "The girls have no originality."
"I'm sure they didn't thought of us writing that dare— why are you still laughing? It said all of us have to kiss it."
"Fuck."
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"Well, Elsa, it seems we have to find a frog and kiss it on the lips too."
"How come the boys would stoop so low for them to think that?"
"The guys are low. Haven't you seen the last dare?"
They all shuddered but not because of the wind.
"Well! I guess we have to join Tiana on her Frog-Kissing Club."
"Uh, Anna, that's just a metaphor..."
"Metaphor for what?"
"She's dating that sleazy Naveen, who had terrible eczema back in middle school that made his skin quite reddish, a bit of green and botchy. He was dubbed the Frog Prince back then."
"Oh."
"And now, we have our very own prince." Rapunzel said, trying to cheer them up, failing, while the fat frog looking up at them with wide, curious eyes.
"FUCK NO!"
"Aww, c'mon, Flynn! We're almost done."
"Scared of losing your precious goatee?"
"Shut up, Hiccup, it's not just a goatee, it's the goatee! You show it some respect."
"Two hundred dollars or your measly goatee? What would it be then?"
"So..."
"Yeah."
"Are we okay?"
"Of course."
"Guys!" Anna squealed, horrifyingly cheerful, swaying the recent picture on their faces, "I wouldn't have guessed you could pull that off, Elsie!" Anna then looked at Rapunzel, "And you! Have you kissed a girl before? You two were awesome!"
"This photo is to certify that boys are into yuri." Merida said, staring at the picture, taking notes inside her mind. Elsa's face was red; however, Rapunzel wasn't all too bothered, which made her blushed more.
"Now I know why Jack won't stop being mushy to you, and tries too hard to make you kiss him." Rapunzel smiled and Elsa didn't know whether to be aghast or thankful by that.
"The goatee gotta go, Flynn!"
"NO!"
"NO!"
"C'mon, Red, it's just this once. No one could ever know, just us—"
"And the boys!" She gritted her teeth, eyes menacing, "Those dirty playing gowks!"
The girls backed away from her, in a kind and scared attempt to protect themselves as Merida lifted a fallen branch of a tree and hurled it towards some unknown path. Her nostrils flared and the redness of her face looked like she was ready to commit murder, somewhere out there, they heard a thump of a familiar wood crashing onto the ground, and they decided not to push the subject; it already seemed they've lost.
"Do I really have to handstand for a minute?" Merida said, after a minute of calming herself.
Or not.
Rapunzel smiled at her, encouragingly, "Yes, I know you can do it. We know you can do it. You've been in gymnastics, aren't you? And for all we know, you own a horse...you must be a great rider."
"Yeah, yeah, they don't call me Merida Horseface for nothin'." Merida said. She didn't laugh, never in her wildest dream to get on a horse and stand on her hands. She instantly grasps who wrote that dare; that rotten Flynn Fitzherbert knew of her history, known well enough to ridicule her for it.
"Speaking of horse, we found one, well, Elsa got the other horse after I unintentionally scared off that one, we tried to chase it but it was so fast and hey! We saw that swimmer from class with the guy, you know, who've been in campus for ages, they looked like they're on to something, nothing illegal perhaps. But she was in her cultural garb, in a tube and Aztec kind of way, which is so cute! I recall she mentioned she's originally from an island, totally cool if you ask me—" a nudge "Anyway, the horse, she or him is a softie only if you give her a carrot—oh sorry." Anna rambled on, but looked uncomfortable with a smile on her face. Oh, did I mention I have to stand on my hands on the back of the horse while I munch on a carrot while a Polaroid is taking shots of that scene, to somehow make it more embarrassing and remembered?
She wasn't happy.
Merida scrunched down to pick a large stone, not big enough to be a boulder—which is a shame though, but it's big enough to make her sweat when she lifted it like a discus before throwing it in the air, it landed on the ground, loud and ten meters away. The poor stone broke in pieces.
Not at all.
"Show me the horse and give me a carrot. Make it two." The thought of Hiccup losing gained up her spirit and determination to her battered pride. And of course, Flynn's karma will be her payback. Good thing she wrote down a dare that would make kicking his balls is a better choice than shaving his goatee.
Flynn was fuming.
Angry wasn't the right word but it's close to vehemence.
Of course he knew there would be that kind of dares that the girls would write. He wouldn't blame them for having a go at it, being batshit crazy and temperamental, considering there's two-hundred bucks on the line and insane pride at the stake, girls go overdrive and 85 mph in the game. But oh no, it was too personal for him.
He really loved that goatee.
Why couldn't their girls just be normal and write stupid girly dares? He would've accepted dancing in a pink tutu with a flower crown on his head if the girls write that down, but no—instead, they've written to take off his sacred goatee. Flynn wasn't amused at his fellas too. He wanted to run and never accomplish that dare, but Kristoff got to him before he could argue and make a step. Soft and weird as he is, Kristoff was the big guy of the group. He has the frame, but the mind of an old, sensitive sled-loving man. Kristoff held both of Flynn's arms as he thrashed his unguarded legs to the approaching Jack with a shaving razor on his hand. Hiccup joined in, clutching the sides of Flynn's head as to make his deranged movement stop. Flynn screamed and pleaded with many 'no!' before Jack said something of an insincere sorry then off the goatee go with certain four swipes of the menacing pink razor.
Then they simultaneously let him go, he slumped to the ground, his left hand raised as if to catch the unseen shards of his beloved goatee. He felt like crying. No, he thought, men do not cry. His once so called brothers looked at him, the flash in their eyes were there. The look of satisfaction. Fuckers!
They didn't even have the decency to answer him of where did they acquire the offending razor, it's not like they carry it every time. Flynn had his suspicions, and right now all he could think of is vengeance.
Jack's unwelcome presence loomed in front of him, "That last dare..."
It was Kristoff's weakling voice that finished whatever Jack was supposed to say, "Do we really have to? C'mon, man! This is too much!"
Still not over of his loss, Flynn angrily looked at him, "No, Kristofferson, this is too much—" he pointed at where his goatee should be, "this is now or now, no never!"
It was an intense moment of Flynn's obvious madness, Kristoff's vexing glare, and Jack's apparent panic when Hiccup faked a cough, "I'm damn sure I'm not gonna swim into the lake at this goddamn hour and be stark naked with you lot."
Well...
"It's nice meeting you guys. I'm going home now." Kristoff said.
The cold air around them disappeared. As if the intensity is trying to tell them something. Or maybe it's just the anger radiating from a certain mourner of the loss of his facial hair.
"No," said Flynn with a clenched fist, "my goatee's gone and it's all because of them—skirt wearing, sandwich making, PMS prone females! — And I'm not gonna let the sacrifice of my goatee be in vain and for nought! We will end this."
Hiccup rolled his eyes. Flynn, ever the dramatic, has a point. All they've done would be wasted if they just up and go. And the hundred bucks is quite appealing if they won, if not, well...he could always look at Flynn's shaved chin; it is such a wonderful consolation.
Their dignities were gone the moment they tried the first dare; doused yourselves with chicken eggs coz that's what you are xoxo. And till now they smelt of putrid eggs. Jack may have retched a while ago, and Kristoff was looking greener than the pastures surrounding them.
At least they're gonna swim into the river to hopefully get the stink off.
But under different circumstances.
"In that case, this is the way to Cottontail River." Jack seemed to agree, not finding the dare horrid for his taste—typical Jack.
Flynn was the first to walk, followed by an agitated Kristoff, a cheerful Jack and a sardonically-looking Hiccup.
And he, Hiccup Haddock, is typical as he is, for being such a pushover.
Merida, Anna, Rapunzel and Elsa stared at the last dare. So the time has finally come...
The nauseating, insulting and downright downgrading paper stared at them too— mocking, glaring, and laughing at their stunned expression.
It seemed like hours but it's really just three minutes of horrible silence and pondering when one of them spoke up, finally, "It's not like we're hiding something, right?"
It was Anna's unsure yet trying-too-hard-to-be-cheerful-despite-of-the-circumstances voice.
Merida snorted in response, "Yeah, well, we have no choice in the matter. It's now or never."
"Why do I have the feeling that you're not bothered by the fact that we'll have to be naked?"
Merida shrugged, noncommittally, "I've been playing different sports since high school, still am, only the difference is I'm in college now, inside the shower room, there is no body of a woman is unseen, I'll tell you, it's kinda like 'no homo, we're cool' type of thing, so yeah, it's not weird at all." Merida answered. Shrugging before turning her attention to the trees.
...and I was once in an all-girls private school— believe me when I say that most girls from private schools are wilder than Poppy's sorority parties, and that's saying a lot. But I'm not gonna tell y'all this 'cause I know you'll ask questions about that, and I rather not talk about it— she thought to herself and nodded.
"Then why are you looking like you wanted to puke earlier?"
"Because in shower rooms, we don't photograph ourselves naked." She answered. Looking at Anna in that deadpanned stare she could muster.
The girls shuddered at her words and cursed whoever wrote this dare down. For all they know, they haven't had a clue. It was overly perverse, and maybe the boys are that disgusting. It creeped them out that someone was their boyfriend, except for Merida and Hiccup, and Merida tried to think of the culprit, rationalizing each attitudes; Kristoff was out. Naturally, he's the puppy of the group despite of his size. He's a fluffy bear that Anna loves to hug so much and blaming Kristoff of perversion would be like blaming a cat for cancer. Jack, though, was a boy at heart, but boys do have curiosities in them that can't be satiate. Flynn is the most likely to put that dare but she has no acute proof of it.
And there was Hiccup.
He might be the one but she did only met him a couple of weeks ago, although they acted as if they're friends since forever, and deep inside she knew of his behavior, his dislikes and the motions of his hands whenever he's in a sarcastic or lazy mood. She shook her head and a scowl formed on her face, it must be Hiccup.
His innocently smiling features came to her mind, intrusive; she shook her head and scowls.
"Who'll be first?" Rapunzel's eerie voice wafted through the air, creating a frightening atmosphere and the chill lingered on their skin.
"Why don't we take out our shirts off—together? You know," Elsa meekly said, "so that it wouldn't be too awkward."
Anna nodded at her sister, "I second the motion. In 3 okay?"
Merida let her bag on the ground and the girls follow.
The ducks looked at them in their inquisitive, untrusting eyes, they paddled on the gentle stream of the river, distancing themselves to the newcomers of human, however, still kept a steady eye of them.
Jack was the first to discard his hoodie and his shirt.
"Whatever happens, keep your hands to yourselves and try not to linger at my hot bod." Jack added, winking at them.
Flynn snorted in disgust. "Dream on, Frost. This is the real adonis." He got out of his long-sleeved shirt and posing like Michelangelo's David.
"Geez," Kristoff muttered.
Hiccup wasted no time, likely interested in ending this once and for all, while he discarded all of his clothes and bunch them up beside Kristoff's neatly folded clothes. Flynn and Jack, however, were trying to get first into the river, their clothes forgotten on the ground, laughing and their naked bodies in sight for Kristoff, Hiccup, the trees and the ducks to see.
Hiccup didn't understand himself of why was he really even friends with them.
Out of their clothes, the freezing air nips at their skin, they shivered—except for Elsa, who have grown accustomed to it since she was an ice skater at the tender age of four and an astounding player of snow polo, and not just because she has an unnatural fondness of winter. Although she can't help herself to shudder. Blaming not the wind, oh no, but because of their situation. Countless what ifs played inside her mind and it still did not subside when Anna reassured her that no one would see them in their nude glory.
Somehow the trees and the moon are the witness of such conduct, and hopefully, it'll stay like that.
"I didn't know you have big boobs." Said Anna, breaking the eerie silence. She was staring at an embarrassed-looking Merida and her front.
"Five seconds." Rapunzel adjusted the camera, setting it on the large stone. She motioned for their alignment and adjusted her friends' positions, so each one of them are covered in their areas, but still looking unclad and legs exposed.
"It's just like what the paper said; do a nude photo shoot (but try to cover each other's parts ya know) okay? Don't get freaked out by this, gals." Rapunzel said, smiling despite of it all. She was on the left side next to Elsa, then Anna and Merida on the right.
"Set in a timer, ten seconds so we could get ready in time and—" his eyes caught four ducks going to where his satchel lays, there was a bread there, they must have sensed it, "take my satchel to somewhere those little buggers can't reach—yes there, nah don't tie it, let it hang on that branch, we'll know if that slips."
The four ducks looked at him; it seems they're really looking at him in that hateful way that Flynn couldn't help himself but smirk at them. That bread is mine, it's Shepherd Loaf, and it's mine.
And I'm gonna win this thing.
"Oh no!"
"Why?"
"The camera was in a bad angle and only the half of our bodies is exposed." She handed them the developed picture and, indeed, their legs were showing but the upper part of them are cut.
"I guess we gonna do this thing again."
Groan.
Sigh.
"Okay, again in 5"
"We gonna show our thing?" said Jack, who was ducking his head on the river they're in.
"Nah, it only said draw each other's butt with emojis, skinny dipping in the river, then show our assess to the camera. So I presume we'll do just that."
"Does anyone have a marker pen we could use?"
"Yes, Punzie gave it to me earlier, at first I was confused and now it made sense." Jack shrugged, holding the said marker, over his head, away from the river.
"Hmm, Punzie. Who knew." Flynn wasn't shocked at all. "Hey, draw me that emoji doing the kissy heart face, I wanna see Punzie's reaction when she sees that."
"Mine do the winky face."
"I guess I'll have the classic smiley."
"What about you, Hic?"
Hiccup, looking like an annoyed camper, crossed his arms, as if the coldness of the river would go away, "Oh, just plain old heart, Jackie boy, just plain old heart."
"Wait—wait, wait!"
A groan.
"What?"
"It's just that I now have knowledge that I'm a bit ticklish in that side..."
Merida lightly backed her hand away from the flesh of Anna's boobs, but still covering her from the view.
"Are you secured now?"
"Yes, thanks Red, you're a peach."
"I look like a tomato right now."
Anna looked at her from head to toe, "What fine tomato you are." then winks.
Rapunzel made her way back to them after clicking on the camera and they repositioned themselves when they hear the countdown. Regardless of the embarrassing dare, Merida tried to smile in that seductive way for the camera, as it took a satisfying shot.
The four stood on the ground, formed in a circle that their heads' blocking out the moon's light, as if shielding the last photo from her prying eyes.
They nearly cried when the Polaroid took their shot, and a beautiful sound comes out as the developed photo was ready for their taking. Everyone got out of the river, running to where the sacred camera was, and neither of them bothered to cover themselves.
They went for the river again, to freshen up and it led to a splashing game—of course, Jack initiated it. Admittedly, Hiccup found himself enjoying the night and the water on his face and body. The smell of eggs was gone.
Unbeknownst to them, the thin branch of the tree gave out a sound. The satchel was heavy and the branch was at its mercy. It drooped low and...
It was a sound of giving up.
But of course, they were too caught up in their little boy game.
"Come on! We've got to dress now!"
"It's been fun seeing each and every one of you. We truly are best of friends now."
"Hey, have anyone seen my boxer shorts?"
"Oh."
"What?"
"I accidentally wore yours."
"Meh, I could wear yours. Just give that back—Sweet Jesus! Is this the design or the darkness is playing tricks on me?"
"I'm a big fan of batman, okay!"
The bell sounded rather angrily. Alerting everyone in the park, good thing they're the only bunch of almost-mature adult there and the Moon was their witness of such acts.
Oh, the animals and trees too.
The owls have flown away when the screeching sound reached into their ears, rumbling the branches and the loud rumbling of running vibrated the ground.
The river was peaceful against the chaos of what was happening inside the park full of trees and premises. In spite of the tenacity of the stream, the river hummed gently.
The ducks swam on the rapids, chasing the satchel, little webbed foots paddling and an eager glint inside their eyes.
The fragrance of the loaf was strong and they're going to get it.
Flynn swayed the bell to and fro, crazed and hyper that they've won, whereas Kristoff brightened up to the idea of finally going home, Jack was enthusiastic and Hiccup was relieved to know he's not gonna spend his money for some dares.
The girls hid their dismay, they were so close, and kept a neutral expression. They didn't run faster than they should be. Merida was the first to see Flynn with the bell on his hand. She wanted to punch his face and reclaim victory. The boys were still galloping on the ground like the kids they are. Shouting in the air of success and Flynn even danced in front of Rapunzel.
"And the photos?" Rapunzel was the first to ask, breaking the stupor of her female camaraderie. Holding out her right hand.
"Go give them to her, Jack." Flynn smugly said, even tilting his chin up.
"I only got the last picture. You got the others."
"No, I dont."
"Dude."
"What? For real!"
Sensing their distress, Rapunzel squinted her eyes at them, "Well?" her hand was still dangling on the air, open palmed.
Flynn searched for his teammates' eyes, searching of a possible prank, none was found. Jack gave him the photo—the last dare, but that's about it. Then it dawned on him...
"The satchel!"
Kristoff widened his eyes and remembered it; the satchel, the Polaroid, the ducks, the tree, the branch!
"You know the way, get them, Jack!"
Jack sprints away, running fast as he can to the spot where they were minutes ago. The remaining boys stood there, tight lipped and their once victorious moment vanished in the dead of the wind.
The girls have their pretty smiles on their faces.
It was Anna who rung the bell.
"Just wait—" Hiccup tried to explain.
Merida piped in, "Hah! Even if you found it, you're too late. We're here with our accomplished dares and you don't!"
Her words sunk into the boys' soul.
"You owe us two hundred bucks, boys." Rapunzel smiled. Flynn noticed that smile, it was pure evil. He gritted his teeth and gulped down the little envious man he was, he then gave her a charming smile, hoping to win her and for a lenient consequences. It didn't work.
"And oh, your flies are up."
The boys looked at their pants down, and indeed, they were.
Meanwhile...
"Is that Bjorgman's room? His windows are open..."
"I think it is."
"Well, judging by the looks of it—it's kinda run down, maybe a party or something? I thought he's the kind of guy going Martha Stewart crazy whenever I see him by that window cleaning and stuff, and that's every day."
"Maybe. I'm sure he's fine. The guy's weird."
"Yeah."
Sven ran up to his master's bed and saw the toy he likes, he grabbed it by his teeth while his saliva drooled on it and on the floor making up a watery pattern.
Sven continues to go rummaging every neatly stocked thing here and there, finding delight at uncovering something, like a treasure hunt, even more fun than burying bones. He may have bitten furniture there and scratched some posters here, and broken a few photo frames there, it's perfectly harmless though...his master wasn't around yet. As long as he hasn't caught red handed, everything is fine. He could always blame the cat next door.
He chewed his toy, some of its thread is now loose, and yet he kept chewing and biting and licking it anyway. It was his prized possession the moment he saw it.
His favorite toy of all; Kristoff's gray beanie.
(BONUS)
"We should give this back, Mau!"
"What? No way! I found it, it's mine now."
Moana crosses her arms, "We found it and it's not ours. I swam on the river to get that bag, while I was fighting those evil ducks, and two of them even pecked me, and all you did was cheering me to go get it." She said, smacking him with her wet shirt.
Unbothered by her, Maui opened up the satchel, "Yeah, uh-huh," he grinned to see that the contents inside were not wet. The satchel is waterproof, Maui thought, it probably cost a fortune. Lucky him.
"And besides, Rider made a bet with me, he lost and didn't pay it, this—" motioning for the satchel and wallets, "is his payment. The gods have avenged me."
There's even a loaf of bread here! Sweet!
Moana rolled her eyes, "It's still not yours. Look, these wallets— they're from different people...hey, this one looks familiar..." She squints her eyes, looking at the photo of the driver's license; white hair, striking blue eyes, "Yep. He's from my swimming class. We should really give this back."
Maui looked at her straight in the eyes; pleading and uncharacteristically animated like he's pulling off the puppy eyes. She looked at him, aghast, it didn't work.
"Aw, c'mon!"
Moana crossed her arms, "Here's what, call that Rider and demand him to pay you back in exchange of their belongings."
Maui, still displeased, searched the bag for something he'll use against Flynn. Finding none, he slumped back and nodded to her idea. She helped him get up and, large as he is, he tumbled on some pebbles, the bag fell to the ground and they hear an unknown sound.
He grabbed for the bag and jiggled it; the sound of shuffling came. He searched for its source and he found a zipper, a secret pocket. Man, this satchel is awesome!
What he saw made his smile grow bigger that it made his face hurt and—"Good god, you look scary, Mau!"
"You may want to close your eyes because you don't want to see these. They're perfect. The gods gave me more than I deserve." He said, still grinning, while clutching the photographs on his hand.
Sorry this one took so long, I had forgotten my account and password and thankfully, I recovered it. And thank you for following this story and I can assure you that I have tons of ideas for this one, the misadventures continue! And I'll probably make another story but with a Jelsa ship. Who knows ?.?
The next chapter will be on saturday! Stay tune!
