Maxima the jungle girl has escaped her prison at last.
Except it's a fleeting victory; already, she feels the Viper and its evil minions hunting her. Perhaps a life of continuously running, staying one step ahead of the hunter is a mere shadow of true liberty, but for today?
She is free.
But there was a cost. One she can't remember, not consciously. The surrounding savannah burns all around her, destruction and devastation stretching out in all directions, towards the horizon; and then, all is well. And then, the devastation returns, and the two states of existence overlap.
There is...a boy? A girl? Someone. Small, smaller than her. She tries to focus her eyes on the body, the one laying on the ground before her, but her vision continuously slides away, details stubbornly refusing to reveal themselves.
She knows that the child is dead; dead by her hand. It wasn't her fault...she thinks. She didn't intend for it to happen, but it lead to her freedom all the same. One life traded for another.
It hardly seems a fair exchange.
A soft, warm hand rests upon her shoulder, squeezing it. A familiar voice remarks, "Not your fault, babe. You didn't mean anything by it. But if they catch you, then the death's meaningless."
Maxima glances up, squinting against the high sun; it's Oregon Price, cutting the ever-dashing figure in her canvas pants, button up shirt, and leather fedora. her long blonde hair...
Wait a second, no. That's not right.
...her short blue hair tucked up underneath. Bullwhip and pistol at her hips. She's changed, since the last they met, but the way Maxima feels about her hasn't.
They've shared many adventures together since Maxima's escape: they defeated the Great White Hunter, maddened by his own pain. They saved the Missionary from falling prey to the demons of her own despair. Even Oregon Price herself has learned a valuable lesson or two along the way.
At once, the sun is setting low, and Maxima turns to look towards it. Swallowing hard, she finds her voice and states, "I need to go. The Viper will soon be here, if she isn't already. I can't let you fight her with me. You're not..."
She doesn't want to say the words: strong enough. She doesn't want the other woman to think she's weak in any way at all.
Without another word, Maxima walks away. The sun grows dimmer, the air colder. The world meaner. The fear in her heart swells with each step. She looks over her shoulder; Price is still there, giving her a devil-may-care smile.
She tips her hat, and says, "I could go with you. I want to go with you. You don't have to do this alone."
Maxima bites down on her lip, resisting the urge to accept the offer. "I...I want...I want you. To travel with me. But it's too dangerous. What if you die? Or worse?"
"I think that should be my choice. Don't you? Maybe you think you're saving me. But what if we're stronger together? I mean, who's gonna save you?"
The jungle girl turns away and continues walking; each step grows more painful, the chill cutting through her like a knife, her heart pounding with increasing terror..
She turns and runs. Runs back to Oregon Price. Throws herself in her arms, buries her face against the dashing woman's shoulder. The sun flares into golden brightness, the birds all around them chirp merrily. Maxima is dipped backwards, and laughs with childlike glee as her partner takes control; strong, reassuring, protective. Their eyes meet, and she knows that, if just for a moment, she can relax. She can lower her guard.
Their faces are so close together now. A warm breath blows over her cheek.
"I'm here if you want me, Max. All you have to do is ask. You'll figure out the rest."
Maxima suddenly cups her cheeks, planting a firm, possessive kiss on her mouth, claiming her...
Max's eyes flew open as she awoke with a start. Glancing over at the light streaming in through the window, it was well into the morning, and she was still feeling a bit woozy from the brownies.
Was a lot of fun though. Totally worth it.
She was dreaming, something about Chloe, and a jungle? It felt familiar, and the memory of a similar dream from a long time ago rattled around in her brain. There was something more, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. She didn't feel like trying to figure it out, and instead snuggled up into Chloe's back, arms wrapped tightly around her.
Mmmm. Warm. Soft...
She blinked. as she realized she was spooning Chloe possessively. She couldn't recall falling asleep that way, but she really didn't remember falling asleep, period. As much as it made her blush, she didn't want to let go.
The moment I do, the day starts for real. The day I have to leave. Sooner the better, I suppose. No sense in drawing it out. Ah, God. It really was amazing Chloe! I'm serious, last night was the best night of my life.
She laid there, listening to Chloe's steady breathing; the blunette lightly snorted on occasion as she snored away. Max reveled in the closeness, the physical comfort. This was a precious moment, and she was in no rush to end it.
It was a good ten minutes before she finally forced herself to gently disengage from holding her friend tight. Glanced down and spotted the camera, on the floor, where she must have carelessly placed it from the night before. Reaching over and picking it up, Max smiled to herself.
Always remember this moment.
She could have a picture at least, of herself, with Chloe snoozing cutely behind her. A flash-frozen memory to keep her warm on the long journey ahead. She lay on her side, back towards the other girl, as she positioned the camera for what she assumed would be the best angle.
"Photobomb!" a very-awake Chloe suddenly announced, planting a face right next to hers. Max tried her best not to startle, instead drawling out a "Photohog." before smiling and taking a picture of them both. She and Chloe then rolled onto their backs, sighing softly.
"It feels like a different world from yesterday." Max suddenly remarked. She swore she was still a little stoned, but it was more than that. Yesterday was so incredibly eventful; the things she'd done...hell, the things they'd done together. Of course, for her, it'd been like two days rolled up into one. Three...maybe?
Yeah, definitely no more than three.
"We left our mark on the Bay, yesterday." Chloe said, leaning against her elbow and smiling brightly.
Max turned to face her, brushing the hair out of her face. "Hah. Yeah. Oh God, we sure did." She sighed softly, tracing her fingers over the bedcovers and then bowed her head. "Too bad we can't leave a few more. Being back home in Arcadia Bay and it's like...was it always this run down, Chloe? Did it change that much in five years, or were we just too young to notice it until now?"
The blunette shrugged, "Don't ask me. Even I know I'm the last person who's gonna give you a fair answer. We were just kids, you know? We stopped being so fucking naive." She blew out a huge breath. "But we did leave the town better than we found it. At least for a day. That was pretty righteous."
"I bet...I bet we could totally clean up Arcadia Bay. Make it all better; bright, shiny and new. If only the world would give us a chance."
Chloe snorted, shaking her head. "Yeah. Well, there's so many assholes out there, making their living on keeping people who can actually make a difference - shake up the status quo - from doing it."
Max stared up sadly at the ceiling. "Wish we could just lay back and hang out all day, like we used to. Would be nice, you know? Just a day to relax, take it easy."
Smiling hopefully, Chloe said, "We could, you know? Just do that? I mean, I know you have to go, but...well...what about if you just left in the evening?"
Max shook her head ruefully. "Bad enough I haven't left already. Trust me, Chloe; nothing would be more awesome than to spend as much time with you as I could. But the sooner I get out of here, the better. Otherwise I'm too much of a danger, to you and your Mom. Even David."
"Well, two out of three ain't bad." Chloe mused, as she grabbed the remote control to her stereo, and turned it on, old rock music starting to softly play. Max rose up, stretched out, and looked around. She noted with dismay that her outfit from last night was still soaked with pool water.
No time to launder it. I'll have to abandon that. Damn. I really could use a few more changes of clothes before I hit the road...
As if reading her mind, Chloe canted her head towards her closet. "Feel free to help yourself to whatever Bitcherella left behind. Looked like you fit her stuff pretty good the other day." She lay back on the bed. "Fuck, I guess if you're going today, I ought to finally make plans to follow behind ya. I can pay Frank off now, and other than maybe trying to take Nathan down with the blackmail you gave me, I got nothing else holding me to this town. Shit, might as well post a bunch of copies all over town and then bug out."
Max laughed, shaking her head, "Oooh, look at you. Ms. Radical Deviant." She bopped into the closet and grabbed a few choice items: shirts, pants, even underwear. There was more here than she realized, having overlooked most of it during the rush on Monday. Unfortunately, Max would have to leave her uniform pieces behind, with the exception of the boots: those were just military issue, easily found in any surplus store. And the guns, she'd definitely have to keep those. But the protective tunic and greatcoat were unique enough that they would mark her if she tried to travel too far while wearing them. Even the cargo pants seemed like too much of a risk for her to hang on to them.
"Hey." Max called out. "I'm gonna leave all my Damocles-issue stuff in a cardboard box back here, okay? You should burn it. Or bury it. Not that it has any trackers on it, but you know...just in case assholes from the government blow through."
"Hell, we can deal with all that shit on the way to...er. I mean, you are gonna let me give you a ride out of town, right? Either way, I know the perfect place to make things disappear."
Oh damn. I hadn't thought about that. Probably best if Chloe gave me a lift somewhere. I mean, yeah. It's a chance to spend a little more time with her, if nothing else.
"Cool. Yeah, sounds like an awesome plan, thanks."
Max worked on putting together an outfit from the various bits the mysterious Rachel Amber left behind; she couldn't help but be intensely curious about Chloe's ex-friend, and despite herself, her mind started to work in 'Profile Mode'.
They were friends, obviously. Really close friends. The way Chloe continuously finds ways to snark and bitch about her, she obviously cared about her. People don't get that upset if other people who don't mean an awful lot to them betray them. Chloe's still really hurting, so she must...
Max realized that she must have meant the world to Chloe.
She couldn't help but wonder: what did they do together? What did they talk about? Did...did Chloe talk about her? Did she tell Rachel about her, about their friendship. Or was she just an afterthought?
It wasn't until she realized she was twisting up the shirt in her hands to the tearing point that she acknowledged how agitated the prospect of Chloe being really...close with someone else made her.
Can't be angry at Chloe though. She didn't know what happened to me. She probably held out hope until the end, but she didn't know where I was, or if I was ever coming back. If this other girl gave her some comfort, then good for her. Thank you, whoever you are.
She paused, before internally adding...
Fuck you for hurting her, though. Better hope we never meet.
Part of her couldn't help but smile. Rachel was out of the picture, and Chloe was all alone. It was just the two of them, the whole time she was back in town. The way Max always wanted it to be. It would have been fucked up, kinda weird and awkward, if she found herself playing third wheel. Probably wouldn't have stuck around as long as she did, if that were the case.
Determined not to spend the rest of the morning brooding, Max pulled on a pair of fashionable leather pants, securing them with a studded belt. It was a good fit with her combat boots. She considered the black-purple Sleater-Kinney t-shirt, and paired it up with a black and white plaid flannel top. Popping out of the closet, she held out her arms and asked, "Hey. So is this good? Five years living in a hole in the ground, I really don't know what the hell works together, fashion-wise. I mean, I don't know if it's my style..."
Chloe rose up from the bed, smiling as she gave her a long looking over. "Max, you don't have a style yet. But shit if you don't look good in that. Wear it as well as...as she ever did. But..." she rubbed her upper arm, biting her bottom lip briefly, "Fuck, I hate to say it, but I'm kinda jealous. You're gonna have this amazing journey, you know? Hella self-discovery and all that. You're gonna figure out what suits you, what you want out of life. Not what these fascist dickbags say they want for you. Well, anyhow, I just wish I could see it with you." She then laughed, and walked over, an almost frenetic energy taking over, "But seriously, you should go crazy. You're free! You got hella power. Just live, you know! Just take chances! Whenever and whatever you want to try!"
She planted her hands on her hips, tilting her head up, "For example: I dare you to kiss me."
Max felt her brain short out for a second.
"Whoa, sorry, Che. For a moment I could have sworn you said..."
"I double dare you. Kiss me, now."
Something in Max's mind seized up, like an old vinyl record skipping tracks. She couldn't believe what she was hearing; why would Chloe possibly say something like that?
She gotta still be totally stoned, right? What else makes sense?
So what should I do?
She didn't mean for it to happen, not consciously. Max just leaned in, one hand reaching out to grip Chloe by the shoulders and pull her close, the other lifting up to cup her cheek. Bereft of any practical experience the whole of her life, she closed her eyes, tilted her head, and pressed her lips to her best friend's. There was a kind of click in her brain, satisfying in its utter simplicity. Like two jigsaw puzzle pieces coming together, the two you'd just spent the last half hour trying to find. The ones that finally completed the picture.
It was over though, before it really began.
Chloe jerked back as if electrified. She was blushing, but laughed nervously, as if trying to play it off: calm, cool and casual. "Damn, you're hardcore. Uh. Wow! I mean, didn't think you'd actually go for it. But then again, y-you can probably kill a man with your bare hands, so this was an easy thing for you to do." With an awkward half-smile, she rubbed the back of her head, turning away as she drifted back towards the bed.
Max quietly stood there, at a loss for words. She wasn't sure what happened. She didn't know what she was expecting, or what she wanted...
...just...not this! Not whatever that was!
She wanted to play it cool in return though, like Chloe clearly was. She tried her best to ignore the tight, twisting vise that gripped her heart, the unshed tears stinging her eyes. She felt stupid, and foolish, and she had no fucking idea why! She was angry at Chloe, angry at herself and she didn't want any of those things.
And for the first time since coming back to Arcadia Bay, Max felt glad that she was leaving soon.
Today.
It couldn't come fast enough.
Max turned on one heel and stalked towards the staircase, as she heard Chloe call out, "Hey! I'll see you in a few mins for...breakfast?"
Maybe she said something else, but Max stopped paying attention, as she clomped down, her boots hitting the stairs harder than she initially intended. It wasn't until she spied Joyce in the kitchen, dressed for work, and making a late breakfast, that she slowed her steps, forcing herself to push down hard on whatever sulky angst was roiling in her sternum.
She'd process all this shit out later.
As Max made her way towards the kitchen, she put on a casual, friendly expression she absolutely did not feel. "Hey Joyce. Morning."
The other woman smiled. "Well, I was wondering when you two were going to get up. I have to head to work soon, but I figured you girls could use some real food in you." Joyce turned, regarding her. "Well, my goodness. you really wear that well, don't you?" She sighed, then smirked. "Well good. I'm glad Chloe's finally getting rid of all those clothes. Don't get me wrong, you look good in them. They suit you. But...Rachel's name is mud in this house."
Max glanced down at herself, starting to regret her choice. "Bad memories, huh?"
"Oooooh..." Joyce drawled, as she turned back to the kitchen stove. "...I never fully approved of Rachel. I mean, she was polite enough, and clearly popular, but she had this sort of hold on Chloe. Something always told me that girl was going to break her heart; hated that I was right, though." She shook her head and frowned deeply. "Beyond that, it's really not my place to say anything more. Other than she hurt my baby...bad."
Max squeezed her eyes closed and scrubbed at her face.
God. Stupid...stupid! Of course she wanted me to kiss her...because...because I'm all dressed up like her ultra-cool girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend. Whatever. Ha! So fucking stupid; here I thought she might actually want to..I mean. Like she felt...gah!
Oblivious to Max's internal agony, Joyce blithely asked, "So what can I get you to eat?"
Max pushed back against the growing maelstrom of emotion, smiling through the tears just behind her eyes. "P-pancakes sounds good. Uh, it'll be nice. To have one of your meals right before I hit the road."
Joyce made a disappointed sound. "Awww. Have to leave already? Was hoping we'd actually get a chance to talk some more. Well, I know how it is. Sounds like you've got a lot going on in your life these days. Just promise me you won't be such a stranger next time?"
Max drifted over to the table, and sat herself down. Belatedly, she looked up, and nodded, perhaps with a bit too much enthusiasm. "Uh-huh. You bet!"
As she got to work, the older woman smiled softly, "Got to say, you really brightened up Chloe's week. Haven't seen her so happy, in - well - I can't really remember when. Not that I've seen her much at all, with you around, but she was practically bouncing off the walls the one or two times I caught sight of her yesterday."
Max nodded numbly, putting on a brave smile, "Yeah. Great. I - ah - I wish I could stay longer. But I gotta go. Figure she can just drive me to the train station or something."
Breakfast was soon placed on the table; Max did her best to drown her sorrows in butter and syrup. Joyce tried to engage her in small talk, and while Max initially humored her, she was secretly grateful when the older woman took the hint and let her chow down in peace, without pressing her further for details about what was going on in her life.
God knows, I'm not in the mood for any more lies...
After finishing barely half her meal, Max wiped her mouth and quietly excused herself. "Do you mind if I use the backyard, Joyce?"
"Max Caulfield, you are not a guest in this house; you're family. No matter how long it's been. You never have to ask."
Joyce's kind words soothed the hurt inside, just a little bit. Max rose up, leaned in and hugged her close, kissing the top of her head. "Thanks. Um. Leave the plate? I think I'll come back for the rest a little later. So I'll clean the table too, okay?"
"Huh. Still as sweet as I remember you being. Thank you, I could use the break. Got plenty of cleanups coming my way later this afternoon."
With that, Max walked out of the house and into the yard.
It was almost exactly like she remembered it: white picket fence, swing sets. Even the old backdrop painting she and Chloe made together, all those years ago, tucked away near the back. Worn and faded by time, but still hanging on...
She sat down on one of the creaky swings, immediately overcome by a wave of nostalgia. If she didn't know better, she swore she could hear voices; Chloe's and her's. Back when they were kids, playing pirates together.
She rubbed at her eyes, and choked back a sob, still not sure why the fuck she was so upset.
So what? So you kissed Chloe. She dared you to kiss her, because...she missed her girlfriend, and you looked like her. I mean, it's not like that's a reason to be angry at my best friend. The one I'm probably never gonna see again after today.
If that was true, why was part of her so anxious to leave? And why couldn't she help but feel a tiny bit...humiliated?
She resisted the urge to punch something hard, and instead rose to her feet. She walked towards the middle of the yard, and tried to still her mind before she started with her tai chi routine; just as she'd done almost every day for the past four years. The way Cammie taught her.
It helped...sorta. Kinda. Sanded away the sharpest edges of her emotional fury and brought at least a surface tranquility for the moment. Of everything she was actively taught or otherwise learned during her time in the Damocles Initiative, the tai chi was one of the few bits she considered worthwhile. She enjoyed how it forced her to stop, to root her mind in the present moment. For someone who could travel back to the past, or change their actions based on future events, something like that was essential. Vital. It kept her mind focused and her body flexible, but she most appreciated that it didn't have to exist solely for the purposes of turning her into some sort of combat monster.
She'd always appreciate how Cammie insisted she learn it, for that very reason.
Oh. Cammie.
She desperately wished she could talk to the woman who'd played teacher, mentor, and sometimes foster mother over the last few years of her life. Looking past the fact that she was still part and parcel of the organization that kept her imprisoned for almost a third of her life, Max couldn't help but feel like Davies would be able to explain to her what was up in her head and her heart. Or at least listen sympathetically.
Where are you now, I wonder? Are you looking for me? Or maybe you're happy I finally got away, and it's only Nicole searching now? And...and what about Alanna? God, I can't believe I actually miss them. Thinking about them, like they're my fucking family or something.
She lost track of time as she flowed through her forms, concentrating on one to the next, wrapped up in her thoughts. Despite or perhaps because of her inward focus, she was eventually able to sense Chloe trying to sneak up on her. Max waited until the last possible moment; even with her eyes closed, she was able to anticipate and intercept the other girl's clumsy attempt at surprising her. She rolled her over her back and shoulder, and then depositing Chloe down onto the ground on her back.
"Ooooof! Owwww...damnit, Max. I know you're an awesome spy and everything, but can't you let me win one?" Chloe coughed, as she worked on getting the wind back into her lungs.
Max straightened up, slowly opened her eyes and gave a gentle sigh. The worst of whatever anger she felt for Chloe dissipated, like morning fog burning off in the sun. She smirked, proclaiming, "Mess with the tigress, you get the claws." She reached down, offering a hand, helping Chloe clamber back onto her feet.
Chloe shook her head and laughed, "Crazy ninja magic and shit. Hey! So...so..." she reached up nervously fidgeting and fiddling with her beanie. "Before we hit the road, maybe you could take a few minutes, and teach me some cool moves? You know, because if I'm out living a new life on my own soon, don't know what kind of assholes I might run into. And then I can say something like, 'Hey! Don't fuck with me. I was trained by secret government spies! Sorta.'"
Max grimaced, but smiled all the same. She was determined to put aside whatever remaining hurt was still lingering in her heart; what Chloe said drove it home. Soon, they'd be apart. Maybe forever. These remaining minutes and hours, what little time fate saw fit to bless them with, were inconceivably precious. Whatever oddness - for lack of a better word - that got injected into their friendship by the kiss was just best left forgotten.
"Chloe, I can't teach you how to defend yourself in a few minutes. Some of this shit is dangerous in the hands of a total amateur. You could accidentally kill someone, or get yourself hurt."
The punk girl deployed a fearsome set of puppy dog eyes, prompting Max to turn away and laugh. "Oh God...noooo...nooo.." When the whimpering started, Max relented. "Okay! Okay. I guess I could teach you a couple of easy Aikido moves as a parting gift."'
Feigning outrage, Chloe threw up her hands and said, "Wh-aaaaa-t? Aikido? Isn't that Japanese for 'wussy'? C'mon! I want serious power-ninja shit! Like...Five Fingered Killing Palm Of The Crying Buddha!" Chloe struck several ridiculous faux fighting stances as she continued, "Lightning Kitten Strike! Kung-Pao Upside Yo Head!"
Max did her best to keep from completely dissolving into giggles. Holding out her arms in a totally casual stance, she smiled invitingly and waved Chloe towards her. "Fine. Aikido is for wussies, huh? Well, come at me, bro." She then held out an arm, flicking the tips of her fingers in a kung-fu come-hither motion.
Chloe paused as she sheepishly admitted. "Noooo. Now I'm too damn scared!"
"Chloe, I promise I won't hurt you. At least not physically. Your pride may suffer, but you'll learn something cool."
Shuffling from foot to foot to psyche herself up, Chloe suddenly ran at Max, telegraphing her intentions a mile away: a foolhardy attempt to slug her. Catching the other girl, and using her momentum against her, Max expertly grabbed one arm, rolled her around to where her front was pressed against Chloe's back, where she could gain leverage.
"Ahhhhhhoooowuch! M-max...k-kinda hurts there." Chloe huffed out nervously.
"Just want to make a point. You see how I have your arm in kind of a weird lever position?"
"Uh - hah - yeah...?"
"I don't have to pull hard at this point to snap the bone clean while throwing you down to the ground; your body weight does most of the job for me. It also means that if you try to escape, you'll probably have to break your own arm to do it. So...now what do you think?"
"I've got nothing but mad love for the Aikido now, just leave my arm intact, okay?" Chloe laughed, as Max reassured her by loosening her grip, just a bit...
...but not all the way.
Only now, she noticed just how close together the two of them were, and it reminded Max of when she first woke up. Only now there was a physical tension between them, almost like an electric ache. She leaned her head in, and could smell Chloe's skin and hair, closed her eyes...
"...M-Max? Hey. You gonna let me go?"
Jerked out of whatever reverie she was falling into, she quickly disengaged, allowing Chloe to step away. There was a blush coloring her cheeks, that possibly matched the burning sensation Max felt over her face. They shared a knowing glance, but said nothing more. Chloe's dare, and that abortive sorta-kinda kiss they shared flashed up in memory; Max did her best to brush it all aside.
Swallowing, Max said, "Uhm. So. I gotta pack, and then I guess we should leave. Do you mind taking me to Portland? I know that's a lot to ask, but..."
"No!" Chloe interjected. "Er. I mean. No, that's not. I'll take you anywhere you wanna go, Max."
Again, the pair of them stared silently at each other. The theory of their time together was one thing; fitting into the reality of it was quite another.
"So hey, let me show you a few more things, okay? Nothing fancy, mostly defensive, but it might help you out someday, right?"
Chloe just nodded, giving an almost relieved smile. "Yeah."
The next hour and a half turned into an impromptu training session, Max doing her best to impart what basic knowledge she could in such a short span of time. By the end of it, they were laughing, joking and plotting, and most of the strangeness created by the morning's events was forgotten.
But with every piece of clothing folded up and stuffed into the duffle bag, Max struggled to keep from bursting into tears. The real possibility that this was the last time she'd ever lay eyes on this room again was more than she could bear. As the minutes ticked by, Max looked for some excuse, any excuse, to delay the inevitable. And every time, she came back to the same answer.
I have to keep Chloe and her family safe. I gotta get out of here.
She said her goodbyes to Joyce; sent her regrets to David, who was working to maintain order at Blackwell in the wake of yesterday's excitement, and then clambered into Chloe's truck.
"So...I guess this is it, huh?" Chloe asked.
Max could only nod, looking away to quickly swipe the tears away from her eyes. "Yeah. All good things come to an end."
Chloe started to say something, but it got caught in her throat. Stared out at her housed, paused for a good five seconds, and then finally backed the truck out of the driveway, before glumly plotting her way out of town. Max started out the passenger side window, mourning how quickly everything passed. From a subjective viewpoint, it wasn't even seventy-two hours since she was toasting her so-called 'new freedom' with Cammie and Alanna, and wondering what Chloe was up to; back to that night where she consigned herself to never seeing her old friend again.
That was the worst part of getting what she wanted; it wasn't enough. It left her wanting more. She wanted to dare to dream, that she could stay here forever, and that the S.O.A.P. would conveniently 'give up' looking for her. But life wasn't fair.
She knew that much, better than most.
A/N: Hey Gang, it's Black Swan Satu...! Oh wait, no. It's Friday again, isn't it?
You know, I don't know what it is, but I've decided that I actually like publishing on Friday afternoon much more than immediately past midnight on Saturday. So with that said, I believe I am going to make Friday the new publishing date for the series, unless folks suddenly speak up and tell me otherwise. Enjoy!
So this is, of course, The Wednesday Arc. I'm sure a lot of people were waiting for this particular moment. I'm sure almost as many people are now going "Hey! Lyta! No fair teasing us like that!". It's true. I am a cruel and capricious WriterBitch (tm), but I promise you...this is the day. This is where the magic happens, one way or the other. :)
So I have kind of a big announcement next week. Don't worry, it's nothing like a surprise hiatus stuck in the middle or anything 'bad' per se - trust me, I just finished up the first draft of chapter 33, so we are good for weeks - but it's definitely a change up, and I want to give it its proper due...which will happen next week.
Have a great weekend!