For a moment, I thought I had sleepwalked my way into the bay via sleep jumping off my favorite jumping spot. Then I opened my eyes to see expensive beach chairs and probably fake palm trees. Everything below my stomach is submerged in the pool, and the rest of me is floating on a rather squeaky inflatable (half-deflated) pool float.
I honestly have no idea how in god's name I ended up falling asleep in the pool. But that's the hand I've been dealt apparently. More importantly, where the fuck are my pants? Wait I see them over by the edge of the pool closest to the rich kid's mansion who I honestly never learned which rich kid it belonged to.
Some struggling with the float mixed with obnoxious squeaking noises later, I manage to escape my plastic and rubber prison. Oh hey, I wasn't alone in being passed out outside, I was just the only one in the pool. I grab one of the many towels scattered about, dry my legs off, and put my pants on. Wallet, check. Phone, don't have one. Now, where the hell is my belt? Or shirt? Or socks and shoes?
And I'm still down my favorite jacket from the other day. Losing clothes seems to be relatively common now. I should just buy a whole new wardrobe at this point. Regardless, for now, I have pants and only slightly soaked boxers. And I'm fucking starving.
I stroll into and through the house, passing a sea of passed-out men and women all around the same age or close to it as I. Sucks for these guys really, they're all gonna have killer hangovers. I did whistle for a bit but a few of the awake people sent rather nasty glares my way, which, fair. Finally, however, I reach my destination. A super fancy kitchen I barely remember seeing when I first got here. And checking the fridge, it's packed absolutely full of eggs and bacon. So breakfast is decided.
...
"How the hell are you perfectly fine?" Groans out the man who invited me to this party as he stumbles into the kitchen to see me cheerfully making breakfast.
"Morning Steve." His name I only found out when he wrote it down with all the party details and his number. "You hungry? I'm making breakfast."
"I feel I could puke but yeah I'm hungry somehow." He says with a shake of his head and takes a slumped-over seat at the counter. I had expected some people would smell food and want some, so I made extra. Cooking is good. Cooking is relaxing. "Bro, you got the most fucked up out of everyone here, how can you even stand?" Steve asks after a moment.
"Built different." Heh.
"Jesus." Steve just cradles his head with his hands.
"Is someone making food? Can I have some? Wait, it's my house. I want some." A tall ginger dude half groans out as he walks into the room as well.
"Sure man, take a seat. Have we met? I can't remember most of the night." So there's the host of the party, Rich kid spotted. Wait fuck I'm also a rich kid now.
"You guys have, you played on the same team in beer pong, which you dumbasses used tequila instead." Steve shakes his head. "Team Rory vs two girls I can't remember."
"Team Rory?" The ginger asks as I'm wondering why the teams just my name.
"Rory, Rory." Steve points to me, then to ginger bro. Also named Rory.
"Brooo, team Rory bro." I offer my fellow Rory a fist bump
"Fuck yeah bro, team Rory indeed." He takes it.
"You idiots were chanting that half the night." Steve complains.
"Oh yeah, you know where my belt is? Pants keep sliding and I hate it." I ask as I give him and Rory each a plate of eggs and bacon.
"I just remember the chick that sucked you off throwing it. I left the room when that shit started."
"I'm sorry what?" I got a blowjob? And I can't fucking remember it!? What is this bullshit!? This is unjust, absolutely criminal!
"Some blonde, one of the girls you guys went against in tequila pong." I feel like crying. Why no remember dick suck. If I was home I would have tested the gravity around my lighthouse at least three times.
"Fuck man, you can't remember it?" Rory asks and I just nod in silence. "Sorry to hear that. On another note, this is fricking delicious."
"Thanks, for trying." I give him a pat on the shoulder and he gives me a nod of understanding. These guys are pretty good bros not gonna lie. Still miss the boys from back home in my last life…
"Is someone making food?" Oh boy, I might be here for a while.
...
I cooked for around fifteen people, men and women of a variety of types. Which, honestly, had me relaxing for a bit, something I needed. Even if my mind keeps wondering who the hell sucked me off. What is this? A fucking Disney movie? Cinderella but instead of a glass slipper I got a blowjob?
It's not like I can go around asking girls if their lips fit around my dick. That sure is a way to get the cops called on you. It'd be kinda funny though. Then again the only reason I'm internally reeeeing about this so much is I've no idea who, how (good), or why they did it. Sure I've had a drunken fling before, but I've never had a black-out drunken fling.
No point in worrying about that so much. I should worry more about the fact my new bro with the same name is a Hero. Who also tried hiring me as a cook which is kinda funny, but cooking is just a hobby and I don't need a job. So yeah, Triumph, easy to piece that one together considering his dad is the Mayor. Just another complication to my already complicated life.
I would say something like "There are no coincidences", but quite frankly I knew he realistically would be at Brockton University, the same can be said for Anne Barnes. The age range fits, a few other people would most likely be going to it as well. What am I going to do with this knowledge?
Probably nothing. Rory is a cool dude, he gave me a shirt after we found my belt and shoes. Wait fuck, Dinah is his cousin. Ahh fuck I'd feel like shit if I just left that situation as it was. It's fine, I don't need to do anything yet, that shit doesn't happen for a few months still. Satisfied with that logic I unlock my door and immediately am left questioning why an angry-looking Lisa is sitting on the loveseat petting a dog whose head is on her lap. Said dog perks up at my arrival.
"Woof!"
"I too would like to know where you were." Lisa gives me an intense stare. Wait, how did she even get in here?
"Did you break into my house Lisa?" I ask her instead of answering her.
"I had a key made."
"Lisa, that's kind of creepy."
"I'm an unpaid babysitter here, I'm giving you no chances to sneak something stupid by." God fuck Lisa whyyy. "Quit trying to kill yourself and I won't have to bug you."
"Can't you just stop watching me jump?" Her glare tells me that was not the right thing to say. I look away first. Nope, not gonna get into that when she looks this irritated. Let's throw her a curveball instead. Heard people talking about the Ruby Dreams robbery on the long walk back.
"Weren't you robbing a casino last night?" Two can play this game.
"That took maybe three hours." She waves it off. Lisa robbing the big dragon man was not a smart idea please don't be so casual about this. "You were gone all night. I had to give your dog water."
"Borf!" Said dog wags his tail and gives me a dopey grin.
"I made sure to feed and water you extra last night, did you really drink that entire huge bowl?" I ask the dog.
"Woof!" I'm taking that as confirmation. I've adopted a rather thirsty boy it seems.
"I'll let it go, you being in a good mood is rare." I look back up to a smirking Lisa. No, I will not call it a vulpine smirk. Which I just did in my head, god damnit.
"Whatever. Just do what you want I guess." I shake my head and walk over to the fridge. Ice tea, the drink of the gods.
"Pour me one."
"Do it yourself woman!"
"What was that?"
"Fine."
...
Lisa stayed for a while longer, mostly just bantering as she played with the dog. I honestly thought she wouldn't care for them much with how Rachel has a billion of em. Gross overestimation of Rachel's dog amount aside. I once again find myself alone with my own thoughts after Lisa left.
A dangerous thing that. Being left alone to look in my mind freely, and more importantly, soberly, isn't something done often for good reason. Thinking about the future is the scariest thing among those thoughts. Yet it's exactly what I find myself doing.
Should I leave the bay and just camp out in the woods somewhere? I mean I could but I'm far too attached to city life to consider it seriously. I don't really want to live anywhere in this world, or live in general. I could always try and find a way to Aleph which is the closest to my home I could possibly get, and it even gets sealed off from the greater Worm multiverse during Gold Morning which is honestly a plus. And Gold Morning would be easy enough to live through if I don't mess with Mr. Big Gold Depresso.
I'd still rather not get that far at all. Maybe I can ask Becky to punt me into space? Send me well past the shard range. I've always wondered what space would be like.
Ah, fuck all this. I need a drink. And to go shopping. I need a new jacket.
...
Jacket acquired, and a few more bags of clothes to go with it. Feel's good to have a nice leather Jacket again. I found a few great shops along the boardwalk for regular clothes, but for the jacket I had to head a bit further into the docks district? Area? This city doesn't make any sense. A city planner, Wibbles was not.
Instead of wasting time on how this city was poorly designed, I start heading home to drop off my groceries. Of course, I'll stop by the liquor store on the way, I deserve a treat for all the walking I did. Even if cardio does absolutely nothing for me now.
What I could never have expected was agonizing pain as I threw my grocery bags out of the way of the bus that just hit me.I was on the crosswalk! Even if I was distracted I was on the fucking crosswalk! Now I can't fucking move as I'm pinned to a brick wall by twenty-something tons of metal. People are screaming, and bricks and concrete are falling from the wall. I'm more surprised the wall held to be perfectly honest. Is this my punishment for walking everywhere? Are the city buses angry I haven't utilized them?
"Oh my god, it hit someone!" Someone screams in a shrill voice. I'm well aware the bus hit someone, I know the guy who got hit even. I struggle to free my hands from the metal and concrete they're stuck between and fuck I see black cracks. This is fine, everything is fine.
"Gas is leaking everyone get back!" Another panicked voice adds. Oh, oh no. This is going to hurt, isn't it? Well, It's not going to explode, that's just action movie propaganda. Still doesn't mean it won't light on fire. And metal gets very,very hot.I have, had, third-degree metal burn scars to prove it. This life's me unfortunately did not get drunk and fall into a fire pit.
It's with a sigh of annoyance that I accept my fate. Pain sucks. Sucks even more knowing this won't kill me. Then I suddenly feel a wave of elation, adoration for someone I can't see through the warped metal and glass. Then it passes in an instant and I'm just pissed off. Then the metal pinning me to the wall is no longer doing so as the bus is dragged backward. Hands-free, with only a shit ton of black cracks. And of course, bone-white skin everywhere. Wonderful.
"I got you- you're a cape?" Victoria Dallon states the obvious. I say Victoria considering she's in her civilian clothes.
I go to respond but I can't speak. Literally. Man, why does it do this? My mouth's sealed shut so the bus hit more of my body than I thought. I motion to my mouth with my bone white oh that's a lot of cracks, hands, then shake my head. "You can't talk?" I nod, then motion putting a hood up. "Oh shit yeah, here use mine." She takes her hoodie off, okay I can't help but admire that pair but not the time for tiddys brain.
Victoria passes me the hoodie and I nod in thanks, taking my once again ruined jacket off with only some emotional pain. Totally ignoring I watched her tits for a second there. Maybe two. It's a tight shirt okay?!
I put the hoodie on quickly and it's a bit tight but not that bad, Victoria is almost as tall as I am if not the same height. Geez everyone here is a fucking giant. Hood up, I walk over to where I'm pretty sure I threw my groceries. "Hey wait up a sec!" Victoria flies after me. Thankfully action movies have made everyone think vehicles explode in a crash as the area is relatively clear save for a few gawkers that have their phones out. Which I flip off. Fucking assholes, I just got hit by a bus and their first idea is to take a video. Such a dumb mentality yet a common one even in my own world. Holy shit my groceries are actually okay! Well, it was mostly clothes so I expected such, still a major relief. "Are those yours?" Gah she startled me, floating over someone's shoulder like that should be illegal.
I nod at her question however, as I c- "an talk now." I blink. "Oh hey, mouths free."
"I thought you were mute, but it's only your power? Those black marks are closing and the whites fading." Victoria says and I nod.
"Black marks bad for everyone. So what say we forget this happened and you fly me out of sight? I wanna give you your hoodie back where I won't be doxing myself."
"Sure, I'll carry you from behind. What's doxing?" Victoria asks as I let her wrap her arms around my waist. Ah, fuck, doxing wasn't very well known in 2011, even more so here considering not many people actually use computers often on Earth Bet.
"Outing personal details. This case I'd rather not have people bugging me. No offense to your group." She picks me up easily and flies us to a more discreet location.
"None taken, I understand why most capes don't want to be public. But I do agree with my family's views on everyone being held accountable for their actions." My mind flashes to the many times Vicky over-hurt someone in canon and had Amy clean it up. Bit hypocritical, but I mean I'm also a hypocrite. And I can't fault her for assaulting neo nazis, I've done that like once a week for the last two weeks now. "Here should be good." Victoria lets me down in an alleyway behind a diner. I take her hoodie off and pass it back to her.
"Thanks for the lift GG, now forget you ever saw me if you could. That would be great." I shoot her the finger guns and she shoots me an unimpressed look.
"Yeah, that's unlikely, hot dude and a cape? I'll remember this. And I'll be very upset if you turn out to be a villain." She puts her hoodie over her shoulder and crosses her arms under her chest. It's a nice chest.
"I am an unconcerned citizen and I wish to remain as such." She blinks in confusion at that. "Not all people with powers are capes Victoria. And I sure as shit don't want to be one."
"Just call me Vicky, and I'm just surprised as my parahuman studies class went over how rare it is for a parahuman to stay out of cape life." She says with a shake of her head. Wait… ah fuck she goes to my school too. I'll just pretend I don't know her if I see her there. "Also, did you actually throw your groceries to the side when you were about to be hit by a bus?"
"Look, Vicky, some of us need to be frugal, and while I'm rich we aren't going to pay attention to that." I level with her and she laughs. Don't laugh at me woman, I'm being serious here! Being rich doesn't make the price of clothes any cheaper!
"Your laughter upsets me, I'm gonna go. Thanks for the lift." I say and start walking away. Let's not get any more involved.
"Wait, what's your name?" I hear from behind me.
"Wouldn't you like to know, weather girl."
"Weather girl? I-What?" I leave quickly in her confusion. Next stop, liquor store. I think being hit by a bus justifies getting shitfaced.
Not like I needed any justification in the first place.