"Ah... Life has never been better." Said Jasmine, lying on the beach chair. "I can hear the ocean."
This was true. After getting really annoyed at Aladdin after the wedding, when he still held a grudge against Jayde, Jasmine has sold some of her less important jewelry to merchants in the Agrabah markets, and had bought a camel that wasn't magically tagged like the ones at the palace. She had paid off a couple of travellers (No, these weren't any more trustworthy than the travellers Jayde talked about) and they had felt in a good mood so they escorted her to this holiday resort. Lying next to the ocean, watching the sun-bronzes babes walk past, Jasmine felt far far away from all her royal duties. The day passed very quickly.
"Oh... you look like you need a bit of royalty." Jasmine would say whenever she saw a nice bit of young flesh. The guys certainly didn't seem to mind, either. She was getting more action here than she ever had with those stuffy suitors at the palace. As the tide came in, and the sun set, Jasmine felt relaxed and decided to go in. With the last of the money, she had secured some lodgings. She felt a twinge of guilt. This was the first time she had been away from Aladdin for so long... in a long time.
But... not to worry. Next to Jasmine's lodgings was a tavern by the name of "Taman Hitam". The noise of rowdy drinking and unruly get-togethers emanated from the building. Jasmine braced herself and decided to enter. Every pair of eyes in the tavern turned to look at her.
"Uh... I'll have a beer?" Jasmine said nevously. The silence made her voice echo. You could have heard a pin drop.
The bartender, with a greasy cloth, redistributed the grime more evenly on the glass he was holding and grunted.
"Beer? What sor' uv a lady drinks beer?"
"One who will leave you, five dollars poorer, if you don't get her a beer in the next twenty seconds." Jasmine replied.
The bartender hacked and spat into the glass and wiped it, leaving it relatively more clean. He filled the glass and slid it along the bar towards Jasmine, who looked at the glass disgusted.
"You don't have water to clean the glass with?" She asked.
"You want's the beer, you get the beer. Fancy ladies don't drink beer... if you ain't a fancy lady, you don't need a clean glass." The bartender said, scratching his beer-belly and holding out a sweaty hand.
Jasmine paid the man and picked up the glass, swallowing hard. This was a new experience, certainly, but... anything to help forget about Aladdin.
"I fervently hope that whoever said, 'what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger'... I really hope they were right." Jasmine muttered to herself and, holding her nose, took a sip. Ten glasses later, she slammed an empty glass on the bar, with the others, and wondered why she couldn't stand properly.
"Giv me anuver." Jasmine's voice slurred slightly. The bartender snatched up the glass.
"Money first." He said.
Jasmine patted herself in search of money, but found no coins. The bartender snorted and turned away.
"No... shwait..." Jasmine mumbled. "Pliz... anuver... I'll gessumore money... an pay ya back den."
"No." The bartender was firm. "We only give loans to regulars."
"Uhuh heh heh... I'll me be a regulararar soon..." She said. "Not goin anywhere."
"Sorry Miss." The bartender said. "I think you've had enough."
"Thass funny." Jasmine said. "But I dun wanna larf! I'll tellyer when I hads enuff."
Suddenly, two burly men appear behind Jasmine.
"Miss... When Charles here says you have had enough... It means you have had enough." Said the first man, placing a large hand on Jasmine's shoulder.
Jasmine looked back at the bartender... what kind of a name was Charles for a bartender. Really, he looked like more like a Cecil. Jasmine struggled for a moment. "Juss wun more..." She slurred, before collapsing, sprawled on the bar.
"Come on Matthias." Said the second burly man. "Let's escort the lady back to her room."
They exited the tavern, carrying Jasmine between them, and struggled over to the hotel. For a skinny little Princess, Jasmine was pretty heavy. It must have been the beer.
"Here Morton." Said Matthias. "Most of the new ones stay here."
"But how do we know which room she's in?" Asked Matthias.
"Well... we ask." Said Morton. "Isn't that what the heroes normally do?"
"I really don't know..." Said Matthias. "I think they have an instinct for it... I'm new to this whole business."
"Well..." Said Morton as they entered the lobby. "The receptionist will know."
They laid Jasmine down on the waiting'room chairs, and walked over to the receptionist. "Uh... Excuse me..." Said Morton. "This young girl here, she passed out in the tavern and... we're helping her to her room."
"Yeah... so... do you recognise here?" Asked Matthias. "I mean, Is she staying here."
The receptionist peered over his glasses at the unconscious Princess, who was now lying with her head sloped back and her mouth open, a trail of drool swaying in time with her breath.
"Erk... yes... she checked in this morning." Said the receptionist. "Room 7b."
Matthias and Morton picked up Jasmine, and she groaned.
"Come on little missy." Said Morton. "Let's get you to your room."
They half carried, half dragged, Jasmine to room 7b, and laid her out on the bed.
"You know, Matthias." Said Morton. "She's very vulnerable here... I can't help thinking..."
"Cut it out." Said Matthias. "We're good guys now."
"Oh... okay."
"I'll just write her a note and leave it here with some herbs to combat hangover and a little bit of money."
This they did, and Morton felt a bit strange. "Are you sure we..."
"We don't need that money." Said Matthias.
"But what about if..."
"Do you understand the meaning of not evil?"
"How about if I only...?"
"No! We're good guys now." Said Matthias. "That's all behind us."
"Oh... okay." Said Morton, as they left the room, locking it behind them and slipping the keys under the door. "But I don't understand why you got so mad. I was just saying we should have shut the curtains. That light will hurt bad when she wakes up."
************************
Imagine "Morning Mood" playing as background music. Imagine birds chirping their morning chorus in perfect harmony. Imagine morning sunlight filtering gently into Jasmine's room, filling it with a transparent yellow glow. Imagine Jasmine's pain when she woke up to the horribly bright glare shining in her eyes. She groaned and rolled over, pulling a pillow onto her face, in an attempt to block the light. That worked, except for the fact that when she blinked there was a little square of light flashing, a remnant that had imposed itself into her eyes surprisingly quickly. Jasmine's head throbbed and she was overcome by a dizzy spell. She felt really sick. In fact...
Jasmine returned from the window, wiping her mouth and wondering what had happened the night before. She remembered drinking a beer, then another... but after the fifth she lost count. She couldn't remember how she got back to her room and this worried her. Certainly she didn't see any naked men walking around the room, and this made her feel a bit relieved. She wasn't THAT mad at Aladdin. Jasmine looked around and noticed the note, the hangover herbs and the money. Blinking in the light, she reached over and opened the note. It said, in a hand that obviously didn't write much,
"Dear little Missy,
Sorry about the hangover. You really shouldn't drink so much when you're not used to it.
If you remember our friend Charles, he told us to take you back here.
Don't be surprised if the receptionist gives you a funny look.
Being carried to your room, unconscious, by two burly men will do that.
These herbs will help with your headache, and you seemed to have lost all your money
so we left you this little bit. It's not much, but it will get you a meal and a trip back home,
wherever that may be. Take care, and tell everyone you know about us.
Sincerely,
Morton, Matthias and Charles. GoodGuys&Co. Pty. Ltd.
"Well that explains everything, I suppose." Jasmine muttered to herself. She stood, rubbing her forehead, and walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection. She looked awful, all pale and sickly. She walked to the window, squinted out, it was too bright, and closed the curtains. Luckily for her, the owner had invested in extremely thick curtains, to appeal to the vampire demographic. Jasmine, feeling a little better, walked back to the nightstand.
"And people call this one of the joys of life." Jasmine thought. "I wish it was Ramadan. There wouldn't be any of this trouble then." Jasmine boiled the hangover herbs and curled up in bed, and drank a nice brew of anti-hangover tea. She felt her head clear up immediately. Then, hesitating, Jasmine took the money and went to hire a camel. It was time to return to her love.
This was true. After getting really annoyed at Aladdin after the wedding, when he still held a grudge against Jayde, Jasmine has sold some of her less important jewelry to merchants in the Agrabah markets, and had bought a camel that wasn't magically tagged like the ones at the palace. She had paid off a couple of travellers (No, these weren't any more trustworthy than the travellers Jayde talked about) and they had felt in a good mood so they escorted her to this holiday resort. Lying next to the ocean, watching the sun-bronzes babes walk past, Jasmine felt far far away from all her royal duties. The day passed very quickly.
"Oh... you look like you need a bit of royalty." Jasmine would say whenever she saw a nice bit of young flesh. The guys certainly didn't seem to mind, either. She was getting more action here than she ever had with those stuffy suitors at the palace. As the tide came in, and the sun set, Jasmine felt relaxed and decided to go in. With the last of the money, she had secured some lodgings. She felt a twinge of guilt. This was the first time she had been away from Aladdin for so long... in a long time.
But... not to worry. Next to Jasmine's lodgings was a tavern by the name of "Taman Hitam". The noise of rowdy drinking and unruly get-togethers emanated from the building. Jasmine braced herself and decided to enter. Every pair of eyes in the tavern turned to look at her.
"Uh... I'll have a beer?" Jasmine said nevously. The silence made her voice echo. You could have heard a pin drop.
The bartender, with a greasy cloth, redistributed the grime more evenly on the glass he was holding and grunted.
"Beer? What sor' uv a lady drinks beer?"
"One who will leave you, five dollars poorer, if you don't get her a beer in the next twenty seconds." Jasmine replied.
The bartender hacked and spat into the glass and wiped it, leaving it relatively more clean. He filled the glass and slid it along the bar towards Jasmine, who looked at the glass disgusted.
"You don't have water to clean the glass with?" She asked.
"You want's the beer, you get the beer. Fancy ladies don't drink beer... if you ain't a fancy lady, you don't need a clean glass." The bartender said, scratching his beer-belly and holding out a sweaty hand.
Jasmine paid the man and picked up the glass, swallowing hard. This was a new experience, certainly, but... anything to help forget about Aladdin.
"I fervently hope that whoever said, 'what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger'... I really hope they were right." Jasmine muttered to herself and, holding her nose, took a sip. Ten glasses later, she slammed an empty glass on the bar, with the others, and wondered why she couldn't stand properly.
"Giv me anuver." Jasmine's voice slurred slightly. The bartender snatched up the glass.
"Money first." He said.
Jasmine patted herself in search of money, but found no coins. The bartender snorted and turned away.
"No... shwait..." Jasmine mumbled. "Pliz... anuver... I'll gessumore money... an pay ya back den."
"No." The bartender was firm. "We only give loans to regulars."
"Uhuh heh heh... I'll me be a regulararar soon..." She said. "Not goin anywhere."
"Sorry Miss." The bartender said. "I think you've had enough."
"Thass funny." Jasmine said. "But I dun wanna larf! I'll tellyer when I hads enuff."
Suddenly, two burly men appear behind Jasmine.
"Miss... When Charles here says you have had enough... It means you have had enough." Said the first man, placing a large hand on Jasmine's shoulder.
Jasmine looked back at the bartender... what kind of a name was Charles for a bartender. Really, he looked like more like a Cecil. Jasmine struggled for a moment. "Juss wun more..." She slurred, before collapsing, sprawled on the bar.
"Come on Matthias." Said the second burly man. "Let's escort the lady back to her room."
They exited the tavern, carrying Jasmine between them, and struggled over to the hotel. For a skinny little Princess, Jasmine was pretty heavy. It must have been the beer.
"Here Morton." Said Matthias. "Most of the new ones stay here."
"But how do we know which room she's in?" Asked Matthias.
"Well... we ask." Said Morton. "Isn't that what the heroes normally do?"
"I really don't know..." Said Matthias. "I think they have an instinct for it... I'm new to this whole business."
"Well..." Said Morton as they entered the lobby. "The receptionist will know."
They laid Jasmine down on the waiting'room chairs, and walked over to the receptionist. "Uh... Excuse me..." Said Morton. "This young girl here, she passed out in the tavern and... we're helping her to her room."
"Yeah... so... do you recognise here?" Asked Matthias. "I mean, Is she staying here."
The receptionist peered over his glasses at the unconscious Princess, who was now lying with her head sloped back and her mouth open, a trail of drool swaying in time with her breath.
"Erk... yes... she checked in this morning." Said the receptionist. "Room 7b."
Matthias and Morton picked up Jasmine, and she groaned.
"Come on little missy." Said Morton. "Let's get you to your room."
They half carried, half dragged, Jasmine to room 7b, and laid her out on the bed.
"You know, Matthias." Said Morton. "She's very vulnerable here... I can't help thinking..."
"Cut it out." Said Matthias. "We're good guys now."
"Oh... okay."
"I'll just write her a note and leave it here with some herbs to combat hangover and a little bit of money."
This they did, and Morton felt a bit strange. "Are you sure we..."
"We don't need that money." Said Matthias.
"But what about if..."
"Do you understand the meaning of not evil?"
"How about if I only...?"
"No! We're good guys now." Said Matthias. "That's all behind us."
"Oh... okay." Said Morton, as they left the room, locking it behind them and slipping the keys under the door. "But I don't understand why you got so mad. I was just saying we should have shut the curtains. That light will hurt bad when she wakes up."
************************
Imagine "Morning Mood" playing as background music. Imagine birds chirping their morning chorus in perfect harmony. Imagine morning sunlight filtering gently into Jasmine's room, filling it with a transparent yellow glow. Imagine Jasmine's pain when she woke up to the horribly bright glare shining in her eyes. She groaned and rolled over, pulling a pillow onto her face, in an attempt to block the light. That worked, except for the fact that when she blinked there was a little square of light flashing, a remnant that had imposed itself into her eyes surprisingly quickly. Jasmine's head throbbed and she was overcome by a dizzy spell. She felt really sick. In fact...
Jasmine returned from the window, wiping her mouth and wondering what had happened the night before. She remembered drinking a beer, then another... but after the fifth she lost count. She couldn't remember how she got back to her room and this worried her. Certainly she didn't see any naked men walking around the room, and this made her feel a bit relieved. She wasn't THAT mad at Aladdin. Jasmine looked around and noticed the note, the hangover herbs and the money. Blinking in the light, she reached over and opened the note. It said, in a hand that obviously didn't write much,
"Dear little Missy,
Sorry about the hangover. You really shouldn't drink so much when you're not used to it.
If you remember our friend Charles, he told us to take you back here.
Don't be surprised if the receptionist gives you a funny look.
Being carried to your room, unconscious, by two burly men will do that.
These herbs will help with your headache, and you seemed to have lost all your money
so we left you this little bit. It's not much, but it will get you a meal and a trip back home,
wherever that may be. Take care, and tell everyone you know about us.
Sincerely,
Morton, Matthias and Charles. GoodGuys&Co. Pty. Ltd.
"Well that explains everything, I suppose." Jasmine muttered to herself. She stood, rubbing her forehead, and walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection. She looked awful, all pale and sickly. She walked to the window, squinted out, it was too bright, and closed the curtains. Luckily for her, the owner had invested in extremely thick curtains, to appeal to the vampire demographic. Jasmine, feeling a little better, walked back to the nightstand.
"And people call this one of the joys of life." Jasmine thought. "I wish it was Ramadan. There wouldn't be any of this trouble then." Jasmine boiled the hangover herbs and curled up in bed, and drank a nice brew of anti-hangover tea. She felt her head clear up immediately. Then, hesitating, Jasmine took the money and went to hire a camel. It was time to return to her love.
