The wind picked up as the sun sank lower in the horizon, sending a few pink flowers into Jamie's hair. He ran his hand through his locks, watching the petals float to the ground.
"I wonder if a fantasy play really is the best idea…" He groaned and lifted his gaze to the end of the street, where a figure was approaching at a torpid pace.
She had the air of a traveler, gazing at the buildings around her curiously as she tugged her suitcase behind her with the gait of a tired wanderer. Her dark hair fell in waves over her shoulders, and her skin was a smooth canvas for the dazzling array of lights that fell from the horizon. A sudden gust made her hair fly around her narrow face, and she reached up with a gloved hand to push it aside.
Jamie was as still as a statue. He felt as though an outside force had gripped his heart, threatening to crush it should he so much as twitch. His eyes were stuck on the figure before him, the one slowly making its way toward him. When they were so close that he could see the green of her eyes, she met his gaze and froze as well.
A moment passed. Another. And another. Finally, the woman asked in an exasperated Irish tone, "Can I help you?"
Jamie barely missed a beat. "You look just like Cordelia!" he exclaimed before he could stop himself.
The woman's eyes widened, and she looked around nervously before asking, "I'm...I'm sorry, have we met..?"
Jamie cleared his throat before swooping down into a low bow. "My lady, I am the chief thespian in this area, and I have to say, your countenance perfectly resembles the daughter of King Lear in my high school play-" He looked up with sparkling eyes. "King Lear!"
The woman had straightened her back at this point, wearing a startled, cautious frown. She hesitantly opened her mouth. "I...see…"
Jamie lifted his hands, gesticulating frantically. "You look exactly like the actress! She was my senior, so I never really knew her, but you look exactly like her! Except for the hair, but that's hardly important!" He clasped his hands together, his heart fluttering with hope. "Are you an actress, by any chance, my dear lady?"
She didn't know what to make of the man. A simple brown shirt and beige shorts told her he was certainly no CEO, but his talk of acting caught her off guard. She lifted her chin slightly, observing him for a moment before tilting her head to the side. "And if I was?"
The young man smiled eagerly. "Why, I would make you the most respected actress in all of Beach City!"
She lifted an eyebrow. "I am interested, but who are you to make such a claim?"
Jamie was reminded of his manners, as he began to introduce himself. "Forgive me; I should have introduced myself first and foremost. My name is-"
"JAMIE! LOOK OUT!" a boy shouted from nearby.
Jamie turned to see a green sphere spiraling out of control overhead, before plummeting straight towards the ground- towards him. Without thinking, he grabbed the shocked woman's arm and ran in the opposite direction, shouting in fear moments before the sphere crashed into the pink suitcase and bounced into the street.
A tall, dark figure with massive hair fell from the sky and landed on the ground next to the sphere, picking it up with her blocky, gloved hands just before another woman, slender and pale, ran up behind her. "Garnet! I'm sorry, I almost had it, I-I must have just miscalculated the…" Her voice trailed off when the silent woman walked past her without acknowledging her.
Jamie broke out of his shock and called out, "Garnet!"
The gem stopped, turning in his direction. "Jamie," she answered. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah…" It was in this moment Jamie noticed that both he and the woman were lying on the sidewalk, clutching each other's arms after having been nearly crushed by the giant pod. He noticed her wide eyes were locked on the gems. "Miss? Hey, are you okay?" he questioned with worry.
The woman blinked, looking slowly, dazedly at him, and then back at the gems. "That...That was…I…" She squeezed her eyes shut, nodding. "Yes, I'm fine!"
"Good." Garnet turned again, then leapt into the air, towards the distant hill. Pearl walked after her, head hung low as she hugged her belly. Before Jamie could consider speaking to her, he felt a squeeze on his arm and noticed that the woman was looking at him again. "What...was that?" she asked breathlessly.
Jamie blinked, struck by the color of her eyes. "I...um…" His heart was still racing from the fright of the moments before, but when he realized how close he was to this stranger, it only beat faster. 'Why?' he thought. 'Why is this happening...again?'
He remembered Garnet, her advice to him, and snapped out of his delirium. "I can explain that," he answered quickly.
"I do hope so!" The woman's shock had quickly been replaced with a demanding, intense curiosity.
"Jamieeeeeee!" Steven's voice called out. The thespian looked in his direction as the boy ran, panting, to his side. "Are you okay..!?" The young gem sounded worried, and his eyes were wide with concern under a steep frown.
"Uh, y-yes, Steven, we're fine! Everything's fine," Jamie answered, noticing a sheet of paper blow past the three of them, which was then followed by several more. The woman at his side gasped and hurried to her feet. "My books!" she cried, running after them.
Steven pointed his thumb over his shoulder as Jamie watched her, confused. "So...I'm guessing that was us..?" he asked timidly.
Jamie leaned to the side to look past Steven. He saw the pink suitcase that the girl had been carrying, open wide and battered up quite badly in the middle of the street. Several sheets of paper and items of clothing were scattered about the scene, blowing in the soft but tenacious wind. He and Steven shared a look, and then they both dashed off to help the woman gather her loose papers.
"I'm sorry!" Steven cried as he grabbed at a paper, holding it gingerly in both hands. "This is our fault. Gem stuff gets a little crazy here! I mean, there aren't any gems anywhere else on Earth, so…"
"Th-That's okay, Steven!" Jamie called in response, making the boy look to him. Jamie caught several loose notes in one grasp. "We'll catch all of these mischievous letters, and then help the lady gather her belongings like true, noble men!"
While Steven was inspired by Jamie's words and continued to hunt for the stray papers, the woman seemed too distracted to notice them. She dashed and leapt and snatched papers out of the air and off of the ground like they were the most precious items in existence. They diligently hunted down the sheets of paper until all were caught, or at least until no more could be found.
Steven read one of the papers as he approached the suitcase, where the woman was busy sorting some neatly into a folder. "He grasped her hands and pleaded with her, 'I can't let you go down there alone, my dear-'" Steven gasped, his eyes widening. "This is Spirit Morph!"
The woman looked at him, surprised. "You, you know the Spirit Morph Saga..?"
"Do I!? It's Connie's and my favorite book series! Are you the author!?" Steven's eyes lit up with excitement as he leaned forward earnestly, wearing an awestruck grin.
"Oh, no no, I'm not the author. I'm just...the editor," she admitted, holding out her hand to accept the stack of papers from the boy's hand. Jamie followed with his collection, and Steven turned to him, beaming with enthusiasm. "Jamie! Did you hear that? She's the editor of the Spirit Morph Saga! That's amazing!"
"Woah, really?" Jamie had no idea what Spirit Morph Saga was, but if Steven was excited about it, then it had to be good.
"Yeah!" As the woman shoved her clothes back into her suitcase, Steven asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you lived in... um...I thought you lived far, far away!"
"That's, eh… That's a long story, and I'm a bit tired." Her heart continued to beat rapidly after that near-death experience, but her excitement and curiosity got the better of her. "Do you have thrills like that every day in this town?"
Steven rested a hand on his hip and leaned to the side, smiling casually. "Yeaaah, we kinda have gem adventures almost every week. It's an exciting, but dangerous lifestyle." His smile dropped. "Except today was an accident. That doesn't happen as much as the gem battles." He held a finger to his chin, looking to the right in thought. "Or does it?"
Jamie kneeled down next to the woman, asking, "Are you sure you're alright? Did we get everything?"
The young lady glanced at him before looking down at her suitcase, briskly zipping it shut before standing up. Jamie followed as she answered, "That's everything. Thank you both for your help. I must ask you another favor, though. I want you to keep my identity a secret for now. I don't want anyone here knowing that I'm the editor of the Spirit Morph Saga."
Steven nodded. "Okay," he agreed unquestioningly, his imagination already running with possible explanations.
Jamie, however, wasn't as easily convinced, but he bowed his head solemnly. "I swear, my lips shall remain sealed, my lady."
"Hmm…" She picked up her suitcase by the handle, taking in a deep breath and letting it out. "I'm sure I'm going to have a lot to write about here."
Jamie smiled in response. 'Speaking of occupations, I should ask her about acting with me,' he thought. He glanced at the smiling boy. 'I need more than just Steven and me to act in future plays. Anyone I can get is someone I can't pass up.' Jamie clasped his hands together and asked fluidly, "My lady, would it be too much to ask that you dine with me tonight so we can discuss your career in acting? The Pizzas' should still be open."
The woman brushed back her dark hair with a gloved hand, looking at him with a small frown. It disappeared shortly, though, and she conceded a smile, "A hot meal sounds perfect right about now. I suppose I could eat before finding a bed."
Steven threw his hands into the air. "My treat!" He fished into his pockets, pulling out a card. It was small, white and green, with several pizza slices stamped on it, nearly complete. "I have to use this coupon for a free pizza! Come on, you two, we gotta hurry before they close!" He dashed off, excited to get his free meal with some friends.
The young woman smiled and started to follow, but Jamie stopped her. "Wait, uhm, I'm sorry but, I am afraid I have made an error in neglecting to ask your name." Jamie's voice was smooth, soft, and sincere as he asked, "Would you grace my ears with the sound of it?"
She paused, then smiled slightly. "Cordelia. Cordelia Byrnes."
Jamie blinked. "...You're joking."
Cordelia smiled more, shaking her head. "My father was fond of the play...as am I."
Jamie smiled and laughed briefly. "I can't believe it!" He quickly recovered to lift his hand in a dramatic stance. "Is this circumstance, or is it destiny!?"
Cordelia couldn't help but laugh, and the sound of it sent Jamie into laughter, too. They smiled and followed Steven, joking about the persistence of Shakespeare's King Lear in their lives.