Cinder and Jacin's sibling-like squabble is one of my favourite things to write. I'm so glad a lot of you love it as well.

Be advised, I wrote this chapter way before the current world climate.

Sifting Through Cinder: Part Nine

Artemisia, Luna

"Recent news says that the last incident on the Comet Bridge, infamously named The Last Selfie Bridge was about two days ago," Kinney says. He walks furthest in front of the others, making him the first to set foot on the bridge.

Cars pass them in both directions as they take a few steps on the sidewalk, looking at all the other people, tourists and citizens, taking prohibited selfies along the bridge. Nobody could blame them. The fact that it's illegal makes them want to do it more. It comes with a beautiful background of the city with the ocean. The sky, and breeze, and, often, the bridge itself would be used as a prop for poses (leading to demises).

"It's not that bad," Cinder says to Cress and Wolf. "We used to come here all the time to take pictures. We just do all the dumb and dangerous stuff carefully."

"Also we're not stupid enough to stand on the road," Jacin comments.

"People would often climb on the railings or hang off the wires for that perfect photo … the only photo they'd get from it is their obituary," Kinney adds.

"Oh my stars," Iko says, covering Cress's ears because she noticed the fear on her small face. "You boys are not accommodating whatsoever."

"I'm taking a turn as the tour guide," Kinney says. "At least I'm not charging you."

"Nobody would pay for that."

Kinney is about to insult her back but is even more hurt when Jacin is agreeing with Iko. Cinder would be lying if she said she didn't miss this: the friendly spiteful bantering and challenging wits but, at the end of the day, still willing to take illegal selfies on the Comet Bridge and go to jail together. Her Commonwealth friends are the same, more or less, but there's something different about her Lunar ones because she's known them for her whole life. Still, she loves them all.

"So we could use this," Iko says, standing beside a tourist binocular stand meant to look at the city and the shoreline. She puts Cinder where she was standing, putting her arm on the handle. Then, Iko places Wolf on the other side, putting his arm in the same position. Iko grabs Cress's arms and lifts her on top of the pedestal in front of the binoculars.

Iko steps back on the edge of the sidewalk, right at the curb of the road. She takes out her phone and starts taking pictures of them. Jacin and Kinney stand on her sides, making sure Iko won't get hit by any cars.

"Good enough for my funeral?" Cinder asks, linking arms with Cress for the next photo.

"I might even shed a tear for you," Jacin responds.

Cinder holds a hand to her heart, pouting a lip. "Jacin Clay, I would rise from my casket just to watch."

"Did I really come here for photos?" Wolf questions. This action is the main gesture in Artemisia, isn't it? It felt like he's been smiling for photos ever since he landed.

"Gotta have something to show your mom," Jacin mutters to him.

"Not my mugshot."

Cress gasps. "Right. This is illegal!"

Iko scoffs, lowering her phone. "We'll be fine."

"We just have to run faster than them," Kinney says, "which, by the looks of it shouldn't be hard. Andromeda Academy didn't train us for nothing."

He points at people all over the bridge. Tourists and citizens are doing their part in breaking the Lunar law: taking selfies where they're prohibited. Some people are even smiling ironically as they pose beside the no selfies government sign. No single influence is more powerful than social influence. If there's one person doing something and succeeding, then, surely, people believe you could do it too.

"From the police?" Cress questions despite knowing the answer. She leaps off the pedestal, regretting not enjoying being at the same height as everyone else.

"At least it'll save taxpayer money on deportation since you three are Lunar," Jacin says before laughing, "unless they choose to ship you back home instead, but we have a plan in case worse comes to worst."

"We do?" Cinder asks as she takes Iko's phone and scrolls through the photos. She deletes the bad ones and sends the rest to herself.

"Wolf takes Cress on his back, Iko screams that she sees Selene Blackburn, and we run."

Cinder looks at him. "So I'm your scapegoat. Alright."

"We were going to throw you overboard instead but you can't swim."

Cinder coos mockingly. "How considerate."

"But running from the police would make for some amazing photos," Iko states. She forgot to cover Cress's ears and sees her eyes bulging out of her head.

"No!" Cress exclaims.

"But you came here for an adventure," Wolf reasons, laughing a little when Cress glares at him. "Think of your feed."

"Not that kind of adventure!" Cress yells. "Seeing Artemisia, yes. Visiting a military school my boyfriend went to before we met, yes. Looking at cars I can only dream of owning while in a room with people who are way out of my league, yes. Going to jail for taking selfies, no."

"I heard it's a respected crime to go to jail for taking a selfie," Cinder states, "and it's more common than you'd think."

"So let's stop wasting time and find our good mugshot angles," Iko says, grabbing Cinder close and squishing her face against hers.

And then it's a plethora of selfies and candid shots. Some poses were leaning against the bridge, standing on one of the beams without falling over, all with smiles, laughs and/or friendly bantering. After a few shots, they forgot to be on the lookout for the law but that didn't matter. Like their pictures, it was the foundation of their plan and possible arrest: they were in this together, even with the strangers of different backstories in the background who break the law with them.

"You came to know what it's like being a Lunar and I brought you here to show you," Cinder says to Wolf. "Being a Lunar is being one thing made up of everything. Whether it's ethnicities, people, experiences - we're diverse within ourselves."

Wolf nods as he looks all around him, mostly focusing on Cress and Iko forcing Jacin and Kinney to give them piggybacks along the shoreline. "Wow … how long did it take you to come up with that?"

"Thirty minutes."

Wolf scoffs. "Typical Cinder."

Cinder smiles as Cress runs over to them. Cress hugs Cinder which takes her by surprise but she returns the gesture.

"I can never thank you for bringing me," Cress says, bouncing a little in her steps.

"You just did," Cinder responds.

Cinder glances at Iko who caught that moment on camera with Wolf smiling at them. That's being posted for sure. It was worth being a last selfie.

-o-

Many selfies later, more came the darker it got since the flash had a different depth to their photos. After that photo shoot, they left because of the time, fatigue, and mostly because they heard sirens and started making a run for it. There was no need to initiate their plan since only the running faster than everyone else was the only needed factor. They stop in front of the hotel they're staying at and Iko hugs Cinder as tight as she can.

"I wish you had longer," Iko says.

"So did I," Cinder responds, "but Commonwealth needs me."

"I wish it didn't … but you have your hunky boyfriend."

"And Winter," Jacin adds, "which reminds me that I have to drop off something for you to give to her."

Cinder narrows her eyes at him, keeping the hug with Iko. "You just don't want to pay for shipping."

"Are you sure I can't come with you?" Iko questions, sounding like a plead.

"You're still in exams, girl!" Cinder exclaims.

"So?" Kinney asks. "Jacin and I will split the cost of a one-way ticket for Iko."

"Facts," Jacin states.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Iko mutters, starting to think this over. It didn't sound like a bad idea except she would be staying at Cinder's house where Levana was. Maybe that's a bad idea.

"So you'd pay for half a plane ticket but not for shipping a package to Winter?" Cress questions, raising a brow at Jacin and crossing her arms.

Everyone pauses, looking at the trap Jacin didn't even know he put himself in. They wait for an answer and Jacin's frozen on the spot. It feels like Jacin's on a game show and his time is ticking down but then he looks over at his boys as his lifeline.

"If Cinder takes it, then Winter gets it faster," Wolf reasons. None of the girls could dissect that answer because it wasn't flawed. It makes perfect sense and that bothers them.

Jacin nods, patting Wolf's shoulder. He knew to trust the man who ran to France. "I'm going to miss you, man."

"Me too."

They hug, patting each other's backs loudly.

"I've never seen Jacin show emotions," Iko mutters. Cinder nods. Sometimes, just sometimes, they would catch something when Jacin was with Winter.

"Dude, keep the white shirt," Jacin says to him.

Wolf shakes his head. "I'm not keeping your shirt."

"We don't need it because we have uniforms."

"So do I."

Jacin looks at Kinney for another lifeline but Kinney doesn't have one. He doesn't want that shirt either. For some reason, it would do the two boys better if that white shirt was across the ocean and in a different time zone.

" … whose shirt was it anyways?" Kinney asks. He isn't sure if it was originally his or Jacin's.

Jacin shrugs. "Doesn't matter since it's Wolf's now."

I didn't plan for a Wolf and Jacin bromance but I honestly love it.

Also, I apologize for anything that may come across as insensitive. I genuinely didn't mean it.