Love Bites
"Boys!" Jenna screamed, kicking a stone and venting her fury on the unfortunate ground. "Men! Why must we put up with them? They are so annoying!"
"What's the matter, Jenna?" Mia approached her with a concerned look on her face.
"Men," said Jenna simply.
"Ah," Mia understood perfectly. "And the man you happen to be referring to would be Garet?"
"Exactly," Jenna fumed. "And his dumb big sister went and roped him into doing chores, so he can't spend any time with me. It's just unfair."
"I haven't talked to Isaac much lately," Mia sighed. "We have the occasional conversation, but... today, he just disappeared. I wonder where he got to."
"Ivan is being evil too," Jenna said ominously. "Me and Garet have got plans for Ivan."
"Oh, I see," Mia looked slightly nervous at the thought of it. "Don't... kill him or anything."
"What's this about killing?" A Lemurian popped out from behind a tree, causing Mia and Jenna to jump several feet in the air out of fright.
"Ah! Typical men!" Jenna shouted in frustration. "Picard, if you wish to join our conversation, could you please do it in a less frightening manner please?"
"If you want Jenna to tell you," Mia said to Picard. "You must swear not to tell Ivan any of it."
"I have not decided yet," Jenna frowned as she thought about it. "When me and Garet get together, then we should be able to discuss a plan."
"This is Garet you're talking about," Picard reminded her. "Is he really top-notch when it comes to planning?"
"Where Ivan is concerned, Garet comes up tops," Jenna smirked deviously. "So me and Garet are going to be having a lot of fun."
"You had better be careful," Mia interrupted. "If Ivan knows you and Garet are plotting against him, he might team up with Sheba and plot against you."
"Plotters against plotters," Picard smiled dreamily. "What a wonderful situation this could turn out to be. It might be very interesting."
"Hey, here comes Isaac!" Mia exclaimed, seeing the familiar blonde haired Venus Adept walk up, accompanied by another Venus Adept with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail.
"Hi, Mia," Isaac grinned as cheerfully as he could manage. "Nice day today, huh?"
"I guess," Mia sighed. Isaac looked at her quizzically, wondering what he had said to make her upset.
"Where have you and Isaac been?" Jenna immediately pounced on her brother, determined to grill him until she had all the answers that she needed.
"Up at Kraden's," Felix responded quickly.
"Wow, you like Kraden that much, huh?" Picard teased.
"Shut it, Picard," Felix jokingly punched him in the arm.
"Why were you at Kraden's?" Jenna elevated an eyebrow.
"We were kidnapped," Felix told her.
"Kidnapped?" Mia's mouth dropped open and she hugged Isaac tightly. "Oh, poor Isaac-chan! Are you alright?"
"More or less," Isaac sighed.
"What has happened to get you down?" Picard asked. "Did Kraden book you two in for an all day lecture tomorrow or something?"
"Worse," Felix shook his head. "It's something we can't sleep through."
"Felix!" Jenna exclaimed. "Tell us!"
"Isaac accidentally blew up Kraden's cottage," Felix explained. "Kraden was not very happy and told us to come to his cottage early tomorrow morning and clean it up. If we do not, then he will make our parents inflict 'dire punishment' upon us."
"I would have done the same if I were you," said Picard sympathetically. "At least it got you out of his lectures, hmm?"
"But we'll have to clean up," Isaac moaned.
"What is it with men and cleaning up lately?" Jenna rubbed her temples. "This must a sign of the Apocalypse. Men doing chores!"
"Hey!" Felix, Isaac and Picard exclaimed. Jenna and Mia chuckled.
"Come closer, girls," Picard said ominously, his hand glowing blue. "Just a little closer."
However, Jenna and Mia took to the other direction instead, running as fast and far as they could go before Picard inflicted dire punishment upon them by dousing them.
"Women," Isaac rolled his eyes.
"Can't live without them," Felix reminded him.
"That's true," Isaac admitted.
"Besides, we can all tell you like Mia," Picard said slyly.
"Shouldn't you two be a couple yet?" Felix teased.
"We are just friends!" Isaac however went beetroot red in the face. To tell the truth, he had not put much thought to it lately. He was not sure if Mia felt the same way about him as he about her...
"And she's staying at your house too," Picard smirked.
"Only because there's no space at Felix's and Garet's houses!" Isaac protested.
"Sure," Felix scoffed. "Well, I don't care, so long as Jenna and Garet don't go getting together too quickly..."
"..." Isaac decided that now was a very good time to get away and immediately fled before Felix could start on that topic which he decided he had heard enough of today.
"What is up with him?" Picard asked.
"No clue," Felix shrugged carelessly, watching Isaac's retreating figure.
"So, are you going to get a woman someday?" asked Picard, looking at Felix.
"I dunno," Felix didn't seem so interested. "Maybe someday. I just don't see the rush. I'm only 18."
"Just don't wind up like me," Picard warned. "I am somewhere in the hundreds and still a bachelor."
Felix looked at him wordlessly, and then an involuntary shudder shook his body. To be like Picard would probably be worse than listening to a day long lecture by Kraden without breaks. Or... Felix shook his head and broke off his line of thoughts. There was still plenty of fish to be found in the sea anyway.
Finally, an imaginary banner was hoisted high, imaginary trumpets blasted and imaginary bells clanged, and an imaginary drumroll sounded. Garet had somehow finished his chores. The kitchen had been an easy task, and cleaning his bedroom was easy. All he had to do was kick stuff under his bed and hope that nobody found out. He walked out of his house with a pleased grin on his face.
"Hey! Garet!" Jenna ambushed him, looping her arms around his neck and smooching him, lifting her legs up so that she was hanging off him.
"Hey, Jenna," Garet continued to walk with Jenna still clinging onto his back. "I finally did my chores!"
"Excellent, that's one day off your week," Jenna beamed. Garet could not help groaning as he remembered the length of time ahead of him with chores to do and his evil sister at his back with a whip to make him work faster. The very thought made him whimper.
"Now," Jenna released her grip on her boyfriend and walked by his side. "We need to plot against Ivan."
They took a pleasant spot by the river and immediately noticed Ivan and Sheba sitting on the other side of the river. It looked as if Ivan and Sheba were plotting evil things.
"Hey, Ivan and Sheba are together," Garet pointed out, glaring evilly at the Jupiter Adepts.
"Ivan and Sheba must be plotting against us," said Jenna urgently, then her face twisted into a very evil grin. "So lets plot against both of them!"
And so, as the sun seemed to move very slowly through the sky, four people sat, two on either side of a river, plotting devious things against each other and constantly throwing evil looks at each other.
"Dad," Isaac spoke up as he saw his father sitting on a stone set into the ground to act as a seat, whittling away at a stick. He sat next to Kyle. "Um, you and Mom..."
"Yes?" Kyle looked at his son. "What about me and your mother?"
"How did you two get together?" Isaac asked interestedly.
"Ah, now I could never forget that," Kyle said dreamily. "Your mother was a very beautiful woman. Not that she isn't now. And I guess getting together was inevitable."
"Daaaaad..." Isaac pleaded. "I need to know..."
"Oh, have you got a prospective woman in your life then?" Kyle grinned. "Mia caught your eye?"
"Maybe," Isaac admitted. "But I don't know how to... make her love me..."
"Isaac, son," Kyle shook his head, putting a hand on Isaac's shoulder. "You don't MAKE a woman love you. You cannot make them feel differently. But you can lead them to fall in love with you as they can do the same to you."
"Right..." Isaac looked confused though.
"Now listen to a tale, my son," Kyle spoke. "Of how your parents got together."
Mia trudged sadly through the village, not caring much for where she went. For some reason she was feeling a bit sad. Her footsteps carried her to Isaac's house and she walked in, closing the door behind her. Dora was currently bustling around the kitchen, preparing lunch. At the moment she was cutting up carrots, and her knife came down on the board repeatedly with a soft thwack noise each time.
"Um, Ma'am?" Mia spoke hesitantly, looking around at the food. It seemed that it was going to be meat and vegetables for lunch, she noted.
"Oh, Mia," Dora looked up and placed the knife down next to her half chopped carrot. "I'm just preparing lunch. I wonder where Kyle and Isaac have got to, I hope they aren't late..."
"Can I talk to you for a bit?" Mia asked, clasping her hands together.
"Well, okay then," Dora wiped her hands on her apron. "Lunch can wait a bit. Lets go and sit down." She led Mia to the table and they sat down on opposite chairs. "Now then, what do you want to talk about?"
"It's about... men," Mia said the last word meaningfully, stressing it as she spoke.
"Men, hmm?" Dora nodded wisely. "Some men can be the start of many problems, can't they? Like that Garet, smashing my roof in all the time. But that aside, what is the problem at the moment?"
"Well, I like this man..." Mia said guardedly.
"Oh, I see, you've got your eye on my son," Dora said brightly, noticing Mia blush. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Isaac is a very good boy and I am sure he would make you very happy."
"Yes, I know he would," Mia nodded eagerly. "But the problem is that I don't know how to... well, how we're going to get together. I'm kind of worried about it. How did you and Isaac's dad get together?"
"Ah, me and Kyle," Dora smiled. "It's a story that will warm your heart. Sit still and listen, and I will spin you a fine story."
"So, have you got your eye on anybody?" Picard asked, still not willing to drop the subject of relationships.
"No," Felix sat by the river, pulling up weeds and trying to avoid the subject but it did not look like Picard was going to give up sometime soon.
"I see," Picard paced back and forth. "Now, Felix, there are many beautiful girls in this village, you know. It cannot be that hard to find someone, surely?"
"Who cares?" Felix tossed the weeds into the river and brushed his gloves where they had been stained slightly. "I still have plenty of time."
"You need to get with somebody," Picard protested. "What about Garet's sister? What?" He noticed Felix give him an incredulous look. "Wait, if your sister's with Garet already, then... hey! Come back!"
Felix walked off, desperate to get away from the annoying Lemurian before he drove him around the bend with what he considered stupidity. He came to a sudden stop however as he noticed the strangest sight he had ever seen before.
"What is it?" Picard asked, looking over Felix's shoulder. His eyes widened as he saw it. Garet and Jenna were sitting at one side of the river, whispering to each other and shooting evil glares at Ivan and Sheba who were also sitting at the opposite side of the river, whispering to each other and shooting evil glares at Garet and Jenna.
"I fear," Felix spoke. "That they have gone absolutely crackers."
"I fear so too," Picard clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Now lets get back to your house and see if lunch is ready. It seems like they are somewhat preoccupied with other business."
"Definitely," Felix turned and they walked away from the strange scene which was just the beginning of what could end up being an Adept war.
"Boys!" Jenna screamed, kicking a stone and venting her fury on the unfortunate ground. "Men! Why must we put up with them? They are so annoying!"
"What's the matter, Jenna?" Mia approached her with a concerned look on her face.
"Men," said Jenna simply.
"Ah," Mia understood perfectly. "And the man you happen to be referring to would be Garet?"
"Exactly," Jenna fumed. "And his dumb big sister went and roped him into doing chores, so he can't spend any time with me. It's just unfair."
"I haven't talked to Isaac much lately," Mia sighed. "We have the occasional conversation, but... today, he just disappeared. I wonder where he got to."
"Ivan is being evil too," Jenna said ominously. "Me and Garet have got plans for Ivan."
"Oh, I see," Mia looked slightly nervous at the thought of it. "Don't... kill him or anything."
"What's this about killing?" A Lemurian popped out from behind a tree, causing Mia and Jenna to jump several feet in the air out of fright.
"Ah! Typical men!" Jenna shouted in frustration. "Picard, if you wish to join our conversation, could you please do it in a less frightening manner please?"
"If you want Jenna to tell you," Mia said to Picard. "You must swear not to tell Ivan any of it."
"I have not decided yet," Jenna frowned as she thought about it. "When me and Garet get together, then we should be able to discuss a plan."
"This is Garet you're talking about," Picard reminded her. "Is he really top-notch when it comes to planning?"
"Where Ivan is concerned, Garet comes up tops," Jenna smirked deviously. "So me and Garet are going to be having a lot of fun."
"You had better be careful," Mia interrupted. "If Ivan knows you and Garet are plotting against him, he might team up with Sheba and plot against you."
"Plotters against plotters," Picard smiled dreamily. "What a wonderful situation this could turn out to be. It might be very interesting."
"Hey, here comes Isaac!" Mia exclaimed, seeing the familiar blonde haired Venus Adept walk up, accompanied by another Venus Adept with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail.
"Hi, Mia," Isaac grinned as cheerfully as he could manage. "Nice day today, huh?"
"I guess," Mia sighed. Isaac looked at her quizzically, wondering what he had said to make her upset.
"Where have you and Isaac been?" Jenna immediately pounced on her brother, determined to grill him until she had all the answers that she needed.
"Up at Kraden's," Felix responded quickly.
"Wow, you like Kraden that much, huh?" Picard teased.
"Shut it, Picard," Felix jokingly punched him in the arm.
"Why were you at Kraden's?" Jenna elevated an eyebrow.
"We were kidnapped," Felix told her.
"Kidnapped?" Mia's mouth dropped open and she hugged Isaac tightly. "Oh, poor Isaac-chan! Are you alright?"
"More or less," Isaac sighed.
"What has happened to get you down?" Picard asked. "Did Kraden book you two in for an all day lecture tomorrow or something?"
"Worse," Felix shook his head. "It's something we can't sleep through."
"Felix!" Jenna exclaimed. "Tell us!"
"Isaac accidentally blew up Kraden's cottage," Felix explained. "Kraden was not very happy and told us to come to his cottage early tomorrow morning and clean it up. If we do not, then he will make our parents inflict 'dire punishment' upon us."
"I would have done the same if I were you," said Picard sympathetically. "At least it got you out of his lectures, hmm?"
"But we'll have to clean up," Isaac moaned.
"What is it with men and cleaning up lately?" Jenna rubbed her temples. "This must a sign of the Apocalypse. Men doing chores!"
"Hey!" Felix, Isaac and Picard exclaimed. Jenna and Mia chuckled.
"Come closer, girls," Picard said ominously, his hand glowing blue. "Just a little closer."
However, Jenna and Mia took to the other direction instead, running as fast and far as they could go before Picard inflicted dire punishment upon them by dousing them.
"Women," Isaac rolled his eyes.
"Can't live without them," Felix reminded him.
"That's true," Isaac admitted.
"Besides, we can all tell you like Mia," Picard said slyly.
"Shouldn't you two be a couple yet?" Felix teased.
"We are just friends!" Isaac however went beetroot red in the face. To tell the truth, he had not put much thought to it lately. He was not sure if Mia felt the same way about him as he about her...
"And she's staying at your house too," Picard smirked.
"Only because there's no space at Felix's and Garet's houses!" Isaac protested.
"Sure," Felix scoffed. "Well, I don't care, so long as Jenna and Garet don't go getting together too quickly..."
"..." Isaac decided that now was a very good time to get away and immediately fled before Felix could start on that topic which he decided he had heard enough of today.
"What is up with him?" Picard asked.
"No clue," Felix shrugged carelessly, watching Isaac's retreating figure.
"So, are you going to get a woman someday?" asked Picard, looking at Felix.
"I dunno," Felix didn't seem so interested. "Maybe someday. I just don't see the rush. I'm only 18."
"Just don't wind up like me," Picard warned. "I am somewhere in the hundreds and still a bachelor."
Felix looked at him wordlessly, and then an involuntary shudder shook his body. To be like Picard would probably be worse than listening to a day long lecture by Kraden without breaks. Or... Felix shook his head and broke off his line of thoughts. There was still plenty of fish to be found in the sea anyway.
Finally, an imaginary banner was hoisted high, imaginary trumpets blasted and imaginary bells clanged, and an imaginary drumroll sounded. Garet had somehow finished his chores. The kitchen had been an easy task, and cleaning his bedroom was easy. All he had to do was kick stuff under his bed and hope that nobody found out. He walked out of his house with a pleased grin on his face.
"Hey! Garet!" Jenna ambushed him, looping her arms around his neck and smooching him, lifting her legs up so that she was hanging off him.
"Hey, Jenna," Garet continued to walk with Jenna still clinging onto his back. "I finally did my chores!"
"Excellent, that's one day off your week," Jenna beamed. Garet could not help groaning as he remembered the length of time ahead of him with chores to do and his evil sister at his back with a whip to make him work faster. The very thought made him whimper.
"Now," Jenna released her grip on her boyfriend and walked by his side. "We need to plot against Ivan."
They took a pleasant spot by the river and immediately noticed Ivan and Sheba sitting on the other side of the river. It looked as if Ivan and Sheba were plotting evil things.
"Hey, Ivan and Sheba are together," Garet pointed out, glaring evilly at the Jupiter Adepts.
"Ivan and Sheba must be plotting against us," said Jenna urgently, then her face twisted into a very evil grin. "So lets plot against both of them!"
And so, as the sun seemed to move very slowly through the sky, four people sat, two on either side of a river, plotting devious things against each other and constantly throwing evil looks at each other.
"Dad," Isaac spoke up as he saw his father sitting on a stone set into the ground to act as a seat, whittling away at a stick. He sat next to Kyle. "Um, you and Mom..."
"Yes?" Kyle looked at his son. "What about me and your mother?"
"How did you two get together?" Isaac asked interestedly.
"Ah, now I could never forget that," Kyle said dreamily. "Your mother was a very beautiful woman. Not that she isn't now. And I guess getting together was inevitable."
"Daaaaad..." Isaac pleaded. "I need to know..."
"Oh, have you got a prospective woman in your life then?" Kyle grinned. "Mia caught your eye?"
"Maybe," Isaac admitted. "But I don't know how to... make her love me..."
"Isaac, son," Kyle shook his head, putting a hand on Isaac's shoulder. "You don't MAKE a woman love you. You cannot make them feel differently. But you can lead them to fall in love with you as they can do the same to you."
"Right..." Isaac looked confused though.
"Now listen to a tale, my son," Kyle spoke. "Of how your parents got together."
Mia trudged sadly through the village, not caring much for where she went. For some reason she was feeling a bit sad. Her footsteps carried her to Isaac's house and she walked in, closing the door behind her. Dora was currently bustling around the kitchen, preparing lunch. At the moment she was cutting up carrots, and her knife came down on the board repeatedly with a soft thwack noise each time.
"Um, Ma'am?" Mia spoke hesitantly, looking around at the food. It seemed that it was going to be meat and vegetables for lunch, she noted.
"Oh, Mia," Dora looked up and placed the knife down next to her half chopped carrot. "I'm just preparing lunch. I wonder where Kyle and Isaac have got to, I hope they aren't late..."
"Can I talk to you for a bit?" Mia asked, clasping her hands together.
"Well, okay then," Dora wiped her hands on her apron. "Lunch can wait a bit. Lets go and sit down." She led Mia to the table and they sat down on opposite chairs. "Now then, what do you want to talk about?"
"It's about... men," Mia said the last word meaningfully, stressing it as she spoke.
"Men, hmm?" Dora nodded wisely. "Some men can be the start of many problems, can't they? Like that Garet, smashing my roof in all the time. But that aside, what is the problem at the moment?"
"Well, I like this man..." Mia said guardedly.
"Oh, I see, you've got your eye on my son," Dora said brightly, noticing Mia blush. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Isaac is a very good boy and I am sure he would make you very happy."
"Yes, I know he would," Mia nodded eagerly. "But the problem is that I don't know how to... well, how we're going to get together. I'm kind of worried about it. How did you and Isaac's dad get together?"
"Ah, me and Kyle," Dora smiled. "It's a story that will warm your heart. Sit still and listen, and I will spin you a fine story."
"So, have you got your eye on anybody?" Picard asked, still not willing to drop the subject of relationships.
"No," Felix sat by the river, pulling up weeds and trying to avoid the subject but it did not look like Picard was going to give up sometime soon.
"I see," Picard paced back and forth. "Now, Felix, there are many beautiful girls in this village, you know. It cannot be that hard to find someone, surely?"
"Who cares?" Felix tossed the weeds into the river and brushed his gloves where they had been stained slightly. "I still have plenty of time."
"You need to get with somebody," Picard protested. "What about Garet's sister? What?" He noticed Felix give him an incredulous look. "Wait, if your sister's with Garet already, then... hey! Come back!"
Felix walked off, desperate to get away from the annoying Lemurian before he drove him around the bend with what he considered stupidity. He came to a sudden stop however as he noticed the strangest sight he had ever seen before.
"What is it?" Picard asked, looking over Felix's shoulder. His eyes widened as he saw it. Garet and Jenna were sitting at one side of the river, whispering to each other and shooting evil glares at Ivan and Sheba who were also sitting at the opposite side of the river, whispering to each other and shooting evil glares at Garet and Jenna.
"I fear," Felix spoke. "That they have gone absolutely crackers."
"I fear so too," Picard clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Now lets get back to your house and see if lunch is ready. It seems like they are somewhat preoccupied with other business."
"Definitely," Felix turned and they walked away from the strange scene which was just the beginning of what could end up being an Adept war.
