Risa walked into the bar. She was out of beer and she wanted to buy another pack. When she walked in the door Muffy and Griffin were hunched over what looked like a piece of paper. She hoped they wouldn't drag her into it.
"Yo." Risa called as she walked up to the bar, raising a hand in salute, "Can I get a six pack of beer, thanks."
"Risa!" Muffy looked up, "You came at a good time. We just got a note from Phantom Skye."
Huh, Risa thought, I didn't think he was the alcohol type. She pictured Skye in her head. He looks like the type of guy who'd need a fancy drink and someone to mix it for him.
Griffin spoke, "The note says; 'I'm going to bless your bar with my presence at midnight for a drink. Phantom Skye.'"
Yup, that's him, she thought and gave an amused smile, her eyebrows raised.
"He certainly loves himself." Griffin mumbled.
"Sending a notice of his arrival makes me think he's quite confident. I kind of like that." Muffy said with a distracted smile.
Griffin looked nervous, "Anyways, he's a thief so we have to corner him."
"That's right!" Muffy declared with a haughty expression, "We'll make him pay gold for that drink!"
Risa laughed, but Griffin looked distressed, "That's not what I meant..."
"I'm kidding!" Muffy said with a smile. "Anyways, Risa, can you come around tonight? We could really use your help to catch that over-confident thief."
Risa blinked.
"You wanted a six pack of beer, right?" Griffin asked, "If you come over and help I'll give it to you for free afterwards."
Risa broke into a smile. "Okay, that's sounds good."
Muffy jumped and clapped her hands once, "Great! Can you be here from ten to twelve? I know it's late, but that's when the thief strikes."
"No problem." Risa answered. She started turning to walk back out, "I'll just go then. See you at ten."
"Bye!" Muffy called, and Risa raised a hand as goodbye without turning around, then walked out the door.
Muffy turned to Griffin, "I think we'll catch him this time! We'll be the saviors of the village!"
Griffin patted her shoulder, "Let's just focus on not getting robbed."
Ten o'clock rolled around and Risa knocked on the bar door before pushing it open to see Muffy and Griffin waiting.
"Risa!" Muffy called with a wave and a big smile, "Thanks for coming!"
Risa smiled, "No problem, dude."
"Phantom Skye isn't here yet," Griffin said, "But it's only a matter of time."
Muffy started looking around. She scrunched her nose up and stuck it high in the air, "Do you smell... curry?"
Griffin started sniffing as well, "Yes... It smells really good."
"I wonder who's cooking curry this late." Muffy marveled.
"Let's go outside and check." Griffin suggested, "Risa, you stay in the bar in case Phantom Skye comes."
And with that, Griffin and Muffy walked out the front door.
Risa blinked and sat down at one of the stools in front of the counter, staring at all the bottles on the wall. There were so many different shapes and sizes and colors. She thought it was fun to look at.
She heard the door open and turned around, guessing Muffy and Griffin had found the source of the curry smell. Instead, she saw Skye creeping in the door. He looked up and saw her, a smirk beginning to stretch across his face.
"Hey." She said, lifting her hand and jerking it to the side as a wave. "Sup."
"Hehe. We meet again my darling Risa." He walked over to behind the counter and she turned forward to watch him.
"Hey," she said, holding both her hands up in defeat, "I'm just here because someone promised me free beer."
Skye chuckled, turning his back on her to scan the wall of different bottles.
He reached for a bottle and Risa made a face. Skye saw the reflection on the bottles glassy surface. "What?" He asked.
She shrugged, "You're the thief. All I'm saying, is dude, that's not a good spirit to choose. Don't you know these things, you're robbing a bar."
"I don't drink much alcohol." Skye said, putting the bottle back, "Your apathy at my profession never ceases to amaze me."
She flashed him a smile.
He thought she was going to ask him why he was robbing a bar if he didn't drink, but she stayed silent. Skye reached for a bottle on the top shelf and grasped it, turning to look at Risa before bringing it down. She raised her eyebrows, "Looking for my approval?" She nodded out towards the bottle, "That's a good one."
"I'm very sorry," Skye said putting the bottle on the counter, "I don't believe I need to do this, but won't it be trouble for you if I leave with this bottle and the two bartenders come back? Won't they wonder why you didn't stop me?"
Risa shrugged again. "I get free beer just by being here."
Skye chuckled, "Well. You can never take too many precautions. CHICK-BEAM... FIRE!"
Risa blinked. She couldn't move. Not her arms, or legs, nothing. No, scratch that, she could move her head. Oh well. She relaxed.
"Dude I'm seriously having a talk with the Witch Princess." She said, eyebrows raised as she looked down at her immobile body on the chair.
"You seem calm." Skye commented, raising an eyebrow.
"That was a lame name for the move." Risa her own eyebrows and gave an amused smile, "Chick-beam?"
It was Skye's turn to shrug, chuckling.
Risa caught his gaze and stared into his eyes again, that same unnerving look. Skye had never had someone stare into his eyes for that long with that kind of look on their face. Deadpan, almost. He crossed his arms and leaned on the counter, staring back at her. Her lips quirked up on one side in a half smile. She didn't seem to mind that he was maybe two feet away from her face.
"Do you believe in fate?" He asked her, not quietly, but like he had stopped his usual cocky demeanor for that one sentence and was asking her a genuine question. He had a serious expression on his face, instead of the usual smirk.
Her answer surprised him, "Have you seen Forrest Gump?"
He blinked, "No, it's a movie, correct?"
Risa laughed, "Yeah it's a movie. You should watch it, it's great. Anyways, I'm gonna quote from that movie." She paused, "Well actually it's more like paraphrasing 'cuz I don't remember exactly but here: 'I don't know if we have a destiny, or if we're all just floating around all accidental like on a breeze, but maybe... maybe it's both? Maybe both is happening at the same time." Risa flashed him a crooked smile.
Skye's breath caught in his throat.
He rose back up off from leaning on the counter. Suddenly he was much too close to her.
Risa's eyes sparkled like she knew something.
Skye picked the bottle up off the counter and made to walk around towards the front door.
"Dude." The tone made him pause and look at Risa.
Her expression was serious, her eyes upturned. "Come here."
He walked out from behind the bar to stand in front of her, spinning the chair so that she was facing him. He waited, wondered what she was going to say. "Yes?"
"My head itches. Scratch it will ya."
Skye scrunched his face up, confused. "Why me?"
"You froze me, you ass." She smiled up at him, a fondness in her tone despite her words, as if 'ass' was an endearment. "It's completely your responsibility."
The hand that wasn't holding the bottle reached up to run along her scalp. "Well, it's always a pleasure to be able to touch such a beautiful woman."
Risa laughed, and Skye's hand dropped back to his side. "Now get." She said, nodding towards the side door, "You don't want to get caught again." She smiled, amused.
He walked to the side door and opened it, half stepping outside before giving her a wink. "Until next time."
He could hear her laughter even after he'd closed the door, slipping away.
"Huh, that's weird. I could've sworn I smelled curry..."
"Yeah me too..."
Muffy and Griffin reentered the shop, bewildered expressions on their faces.
"Risa, did Phantom Skye come while we were out?" Muffy asked, still confused from the lack of curry.
"Yup."
That snapped both Muffy and Griffin out of their confusion, "What! He came in while we were out?"
Muffy ran to one of the shelves covered in bottles and looked up. "It's true! The Okuhattan is gone!"
"Mm-hmm." Risa said distractedly, eyes already unfocusing. They were getting boring. She went back to studying the bottles on the wall.
"You okay, Risa?" Griffin asked, looking mildly worried.
"Yup." Risa answered. Griffin seemed satisfied by that and was looking at the wall to check what else was missing. "Oh but I can't move."
"What? Oh no! It was the Phantom's spell wasn't it?" asked Muffy, "I've heard all about that, it's awful and cowardly. I can't believe he uses spells like that to get away with his crime."
"I can." Risa said.
"Really? Why?" Muffy asked, curious.
"Because I'm under it right now."
Muffy looked horribly guilty. "I'm sorry Risa, we just left you all alone."
Risa tried to shrug and found that she could, the spell must've worn off. "I don't care."
"Oh look, the spell's worn off already!" Muffy exclaimed, looking relieved. "I was scared it might be permanent."
Griffin looked embarrassed for Muffy.
Risa turned to him. "Dude. My beer."
"Right." Griffin turned around and reached behind him into a large fridge, pulling out a six pack of beer. "Here you go. You've earned it."
"Not really." Risa said, but she took the beer anyways and hopped off the stool.
"I'm going back to the farm. See you tomorrow."
"Bye Risa!" Muffy called after her, "Thank's for all your help!"
It was a hot night, Risa felt it as the air blasted her in the face as soon as she stepped outside. Summer was a messy season, she thought, lots of life. She could hear the bugs and crickets chirping and animals running around in the bushes. Nobody sleeps during the summertime, she mused.
She reached the farmland and opened the door to her house, walking to the kitchen and shoving the beer into the freezer. She paused, tapping her fingers rapidly against the fridge door in decision. She slammed it shut and walked back to her front door, opening it and stepping outside. Walking a couple paces she came to a ladder and started climbing until she reached the roof of her house. She sat down and folded her arms behind her head, lowering herself so that she was laying down on the roof.
She stared at the sky and the stars as the noises rushed around her. Huh, she thought, it's amazing how many more stars there are here than the city. She smiled, not as much as when you're up there though. Going into space would be neat. She yawned, hearing a dog bark in the distance. At least it's not my dog, she thought, my dog is way asleep by this time. She yawned again, this time deeper and more slowly, looking back up at the stars again as a small breeze blew across. Yeah, going into space would be neat.
