The Cryptid Club, Part 2

“Hurry up, hurry up! They’ll be here ANY minute now!”

David wasn’t sure how they did it. Just a few hours before, this room was dark, the walls plastered with crooked pictures of cryptids. The table was littered with chip bags and crumbs, and there was a big stag beetle on the loose.

Now, they looked halfway presentable: the pictures were straightened up, the lights were replaced and turned on, the table had rows of pizza and chip bowls and sodas for the incoming members, and the stag beetle… Oh, thank goodness their sponsor actually got a glass tank for it! David did not want that thing anywhere near his pizza, thank you very much. David made sure to wear the fanciest button-up shirt he could find along with his Nessie-inspired bowtie and clean his glasses until they sparkled in the light. He was definitely glad that Hannah changed her dress to a beautiful violet dress instead of the florals.

 Julia, on the other hand, didn’t seem to grasp that this was a club meeting, not a date night. The only thing David could think of when he looked at her was a disco ball with legs. A disco ball that just so happened to be putting on makeup, with a little help from a pocket mirror. David had to admit: if she was getting ready for a date with Bigfoot, she’d probably knock him dead with her looks alone.

As she finished putting on the last bits of makeup, Julie turned to David and asked, “Do I look alright? I don’t look like a mess, do I?”

There is only one answer to that question, and that was, “Of course, of course, Julie! I don’t see what you’re so worried about! You look gorgeous!”

“Ohohoho, of course! I just… needed to make sure!” Julie sighed happily as she looked up to the ceiling with a sparkle in her eyes. “Oh, there’s no way they can’t come! I got all dolled up just for this! Everyone will be coming to see ME!”

No, they’re coming for the cryptids, David thought, slouching in a chair and shooting Julie a dirty look. Unless there is something you’re not telling us…

David glanced at his phone to see the time: 6:58 PM. Two minutes til showtime, and not a single person showed up. Hannah was starting to sweat, glancing back and forth between the door and the pizza she worked so hard to get. David could hear Julie tapping her foot impatiently, see that vein pulsing on her forehead.

6:59 PM.

“Where is everyone?!” Julie asked, glaring daggers at David. “Didn’t we invite over 500 people?!?”

“It was more like 30,” Hannah corrected, “but uhm, I guess they’re just kinda late?”

David flinched as more veins started popping around Julie’s forehead. “Y-yeah, they’re definitely gonna be late!” he assured her with as much confidence as a college student taking finals. “Just have to give ‘em time, you know?”

“I didn’t get all dressed up just for some idiots to show up late! Did they not hear there was pizza?!”

“Come on, there’s more to it than just pizza…”

“Oh, I know! Maybe it’s because some classes don’t let them out until 7!”

“THAT’S ON THURSDAYS, HANNAH!”

“Julie, um, you’re going to pop a vessel if you keep screaming like that!”

“SHUT UP, DAVID! I NEED TO KNOW: WHERE. ARE. THEY?!?”

David was about to answer when finally, his alarm went off for 7:00 PM. 

Nobody came. David and Hannah exchanged glances before turning to Julie. They heard her growls, her pent up frustrations building up. If there was ever a time they wanted to run, now was it. Unfortunately, the part of their minds that said “flight” simply wasn’t working today, and they were probably going to witness Julie’s first transformation into a Super Saiyan.

WHAM!

The trio were startled out of their minds as the door flew open, revealing what could be the newest member of the club.

“TIME TO EXPOSE THE ESOTERIC, BITCHES!”

There she was: The rowdy, pink haired girl from earlier, dressed in a plaid, purple dress, a snazzy hat, and a cape that glowed with ancient symbols on the inside. She leapt over and landed perfectly in her seat, putting her feet up on the table without a hint of shame. Behind her was the Not-A-Giant, nice and snug in a parka and a blue hat, his blue-framed glasses sliding down his nose.

“S-sorry we’re a little late,” he said with an apologetic smile as he took a seat beside his friend. “She insisted on wearing that and it took a liiiittle longer to get here than we thought.”

“Told you we should have drove here, bro!” the girl said as she crossed her arms. “Woulda gotten here 10 minutes earlier, too!”

“Aww, Em, that’s cute. You actually think there’s parking here.”

David breathed easy soon as Julie’s anger evaporated away, replaced by a sickeningly sweet smile. “So good of you two to join us!” she said. “It’s always a pleasure! Please, help yourselves to whatever you’d like! We’ll get started in just a fewwww more minutes!”

Em didn’t hesitate to grab the nearest bowl of tortilla chips and start chomping away, while her friend looked down the row of pizza boxes, trying to figure out which one was which. Hannah happily grabbed one of the boxes and opened it up for him, revealing that it was the Meat Lover’s he craved. As if that wasn’t enough, she pulled out two plastic cups full of red pepper and parmasean cheese packets, and pointed to the 2-liter bottle of Dr. Pepper down at the end of the table.

The look on the guy’s face reminded David of a kid who got the perfect gift on his birthday. “Oh, you are just too sweet! Thank you very much~!”

Five minutes passed. Not even one more member came in, as David sort of expected. He glanced over at Julie, who started tapping her foot again impatiently. Not good; if this kept up, there wasn’t going to be a meeting at all, and they’d be out of food. The tortilla chips were almost gone, thanks to Hannah’s and the new girl’s combined efforts!

There was no more time to waste. David scooted over to Julie and leaned in as he whispered, “Julie, we can’t hold off. We have to start the meeting!”

“J-just one more minute, David!” she hissed. “Just one more! They can’t be the only ones!”

“We have to start, or they’ll lose interest and leave!”

David flinched as Julie glared at him, but he was thankful that soon afterwards, she smiled and said, “Alright, let’s begin, shall we?”

She snapped her fingers, a projector descending from the ceiling as a projector screen unfurled at the front of the room. Another snap, and the projector turned on, revealing a myriad of PowerPoint slides prepared just for this occasion. Julie twirled her way over to the screen and pointed dramatically at each slide, most of which featured the more famous Cryptids like Nessie and Bigfoot.

“In each and every corner of the world, there are mysteries,” she started. “Science has uncovered most of these mysteries, though not without intense amounts of research. Several new species of animals are being discovered even to this day, and classified as science finds out so much more.

But what about the mysteries that elude us? So many people tell of monsters from the lake, large cats appearing from swamps, and hairy giants hanging around in the mountains. Yet, science has been unable to find them- nay, they ignore their presence altogether, dismissing the many accounts of them right out of hand!

So we, the Cryptid Club, do what modern scientists refuse to do: seek out these mysterious, elusive creatures and expose the truth of their existence to the world!”

As she reached the final slide, she posed and winked as she said, “I hope you’ll enjoy exploring the esoteric as much as we do~! Now, we should get started on introductions, as a little ice breaker! Hannah?”

Hannah nodded and finished eating her tortilla chip before turning her attention to the two new members and smiling. “My name’s Hannah Duffy! I’m the secretary and treasurer here in the Cryptid Club, and I’m a sophomore nursing major! I like ballet, baking, and bowling!”

David could barely hear Em whispering to her friend, “Dude, her initials are H.D.! How fucking cool is that?”

“High Definition cutie? I can get behind that!” David heard him whisper back before he said out loud, “That’s super neat! I heard Nursing was pretty tough, but I’m sure you’re doing a great job at it so far!”

Hannah’s cheeks flushed red, the young girl fiddling with her fingers with embarassment. David was glad he was up next, because otherwise he’d probably giggle at how she’s reinforcing the cute. “I’m David Meyer, the Vice President of the Cryptid Club! I’m a sophomore computer engineering major, and I like, well, building stuff. With LEGOS, mostly! I’m a part of the tennis team, make pottery in my spare time, aaaand sometimes I play roleplaying games on the weekends.”

“I KNEW THE DM STOOD FOR DUNGEON MASTER!” Em blurted out. “Dude, favorite class?”

“That’s easy: Paladin!”

“Yoooooooooooooooooooo, that’s the good shit! I play a barbarian!”

“She has a tendency to almost die in every encounter,” her friend added with a nervous smile, “buuut no risk, no reward, right?”

Before David could ask any more about the game they were involved in, Julie shoved both him and Hannah aside, puffing up her chest in pride before she spoke. “And I am the president of the Cryptid Club, Julia Hurley! You can call me Julie! I am the wooonderous sophomore Drama major, and I simply LOVE the mysterious, the spooky, and the esoteric! Of course, I love watching romance movies and soap operas, dancing, astrology… I’m a Scorpio, you know~!”

Em stared long and hard at her, then looked over at her friend. “I can’t come up with anything for J.H., bro. And she’s a SCORPIO.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with that, Em. You shouldn’t judge just by someone’s sign, you know?”

“ANYWAAAAY,” Julie continued, “now that we’ve introduced ourselves, how about you two?”

David nearly jumped out of his chair when Em suddenly stood up, knocking her chair over in her haste to pose.

“You better listen up, cuz I’m only sayin’ it once! I’m Emily Alvarez, and I’m a sophomore Chem major! I kick ass and take names and I’m gonna expose the fuck outta the esoteric, just like Sumireko Usami! Just you WATCH!”

Emily posed for a few more seconds before she brought her chair back up, sat back down, and stuffed her face with ranch-flavored Doritos. Hannah clapped for her as she joined in on the chip-munching action, while Julie looked thoroughly unimpressed.

“Woo. Moving right along… and what about you, Mr. Not-Really-A-Giant?”

David was sure Emily shot Julie a dirty look before she turned her attention to her friend.

“My turn already?” Not-A-Giant said as he took off his hat and rubbed the back of his head. “Well, alright! I’m Brandon Carter, or as Em likes calling me, ‘B.C.’. I’m a freelance editor and artist, and I have my own little knitting business. I love to cook and go out to a lot of different places, and I also sometimes binge watch Netflix like it’s going out of style. It’s nice to meet you all!”

David briefly pondered why someone so busy would hang out with a bunch of sophomores in college. He sounded more accomplished than anyone else in the room by admitting he had a business at all! What drove him to this club meeting to begin with?

Julie, on the other hand, heard the word “artist” and zipped over to Brandon’s side, squealing and leaning in suuuuper close to him.

“Oh, you’re so talented!” she said as she fluttered her eyelids. “I bet you could, oh, I don’t know, make a nice little logo for the club…”

Oh no, David thought, breaking into a sweat as Julie turned on her charms. She’s already trying to get something out of him! Is THAT why she wore that getup?

Julie leaned in closer, closer, cloooser until she was talking in his ear. “Well? What do you say, handsome?”

Without missing a beat, Brandon smiled at her and said, “Sixty.”

The whole room fell silent, save for the crunch of Hannah biting into a pretzel. David saw Julie’s shocked expression before it was quickly replaced with a timid smile.

“Th-that’s a little too out of my- er, our price range. So, could you maybe knock the price down a teensy bit?”

“Nope.”

“Not even a liiittle?” David paled as Julie started to wiggle in place. “Pretty pleaase?”

“Answer is still ‘no’.”

“Pretty pretty pretty pretty pleaase, with a cherry on top?”

Emily stood up abruptly and slammed her hands on the table, glaring at Julie as she shouted, “Man, how many times does B.C. have to repeat himself? You got your ears all clogged or something? No means no, so fuck off!”

Julie glared right back and snapped, “Excuse me? I wasn’t talking to you, I was talking to him!”

“So what?” Emily put her hands on her hips and stomped right over to Julie, her lips curled in a snarl. “He’s my friend, and I’m not going to let someone like you try to walk all over him!”

“I was just asking him a question, that’s all! Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong, Eliza.”

David could have sworn the room temperature turned up a few degrees, because Emily looked positively steamed. She stood upright, cracking her knuckles and her neck as she got up in Julie’s face.

“Oh, you trying to start something now? You wanna go? Because trust me, I’ll go! I’ll fuckin’ go! I’ll-“

“Em.” David turned towards the source of the voice, and saw Brandon looking down, gripping the table tightly in his hands.

“-fuckin’ deck you and knock all your teeth out-“

“Em.”

“-and I swear I’ll-“

“EMILY.”

Emily stopped in her tracks. There was a small chill in the air, and David could clearly see frost forming where Brandon was gripping the table. He was trembling, shivering in spite of the parka and his hat. Slowly, he looked up at Emily, worry plastered all over his face. “That’s enough, Emily,” he said quietly. “I’ll… I’ll do it.”

Emily’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You can’t be serious! You’re just going to just let her have her way?!”

Julie was positively giddy at the news, clasping her hands together as she squealed, “Reaally? Wow, you’re so nice~!”

Her giddiness died as quickly as it came, however, when Brandon gave her a stern look. “Don’t get me wrong: I’m not doing it for free. Thirty dollars is the cheapest I’ll go.”

“Wow, that’s… that’s… perfect.” Julie’s eye twitched for just a moment, just long enough for David to see.

“And that’s only under two conditions.”

David could have sworn he saw some of Julie’s hair turn gray and her skin shrivel up like a prune.

“Wh-what would those be?” she asked

Brandon held up a finger and pointed towards Julie as he said, “One: Upfront payment only. I’m not going to draw something extremely elaborate and have you skimp out on the payment when I’m finally done. I’ll refund you if- and only IF – something has gone terribly wrong on my end and I can’t afford to do it.

And two?” Brandon’s look suddenly turned so cold, David shivered. “You will not disrespect my friend. You call her by her name: Emily, not Eliza. If you do it again, you’re not getting anything. Got it?”

“Y-yes… yes, of course.”

Julie looked as if her soul had already halfway left her body.  It was infinitely better than having her soul be knocked completely out by an angry cosplayer, though. David sighed in relief, then took a quick glance at the clock: 7:45. He exchanged glances with Hannah, then turned his attention to the two new member as he declared, “Oh, look, we’re out of time, so sorry it ended so quick! It was nice meeting you guys, though! Next time, we’ll definitely have something better than introductions to do! So we’ll see you guuuuys…” He put a finger on his chin for a moment, then snapped his fingers with a smile. “I know! How does Thursday at 7 sound?”

Emily shrugged and replied, “Sure, whatever floats your boat, bro.”

“I-I’ll try, but I might be a liiiittle late,” said Brandon. “I already have a few things scheduled around that time, but I’ll make it work.” He looked down at his feet for a little bit before he looked back up and added timidly, “Th-thanks for the meeting. And, um… sorry for ruining the mood and all.”

“Don’t worry about it, Brandon. Feel free to take your pizza home with you! We bought… “David glanced at how many unopen boxes of pizza there was and paled. “…way too much.”

“And don’t forget about your Dr. Pepper!” Hannah added cheerfully.

As Emily and Brandon left with two boxes of pizza and a Dr. Pepper, David and Hannah sighed and laid their heads down on the table, ignoring Julia collapsing onto the ground and wailing overdramatically.

“This is a terrible start for us. Like, abysmal.”

“Uh huh… It could have gone way better.” Hannah lazily grabbed a slice of cheese pizza and nibbled at the crust as she continued, “If we want to keep this going, we’re gonna need to actually find a cryptid.”

“Haaaa. What can we do, go on a big, cryptid hunting adventure?” David grumbled as he stared at the wall. “It’s not like we can just find them outside our apartment buildings…”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Hannah break into a grin, her eyes sparkling with glee. “That’s it! We can definitely do a small cryptid hunt! Even if we don’t find anything, we’d build some sort of bond with our new members! It’s foolproof! All we need to do is find a good place to start our adventure!”

A good place to start? Here, in Manhattan? David furrowed his brow as he thought long and hard…

Then, it hit him. A sly smile crossed his face, catching Hannah’s attention.

“I think I know just the place.”

The Cryptid Club, Part 1

“And THIS is today’s fine specimen, caught today just outside my house!”

WHAM! The box landed on the long table with a thud, startling a guy right off his phone and hardly impressing a girl who had just opened a bag of chips. Their companion was rather excited about the contents, judging from how fast she opened the box.  After exchanging glances, the duo peered inside the box to see what was inside.

“WAH!” The man jumped back, eyes wide with shock as a big, fat stag beetle crawled out from the box. “What the fuck, Julie?!” he said after seeing that the beetle wasn’t going to fly at him anytime soon. “Why’d you bring a stag beetle in here?!? Is that for a new biology project or something?”

Julie flicked back her long, black tresses and smirked as she grabbed the beetle and held it gently in her hands. “Oh, David, you poor soul,” she said, “don’t you know anything? This is not just any stag beetle. Oh, no, it’s a very special stag beetle. Care to guess why?”

There was no hint of hesitation when David replied, “Because it’s fucking HUGE, that’s why! Look, it’s as big as your hands!”

The chip girl squinted at the beetle for a moment, then turned her attention to Julie with her beady eyes. “You think it might be related to the Kobber Stag Beetle?” she asked, reaching out and petting the beetle with a finger.

“Right, right, right, Hannah!” Julie said, twirling around and presenting the beetle again with a flourish. “This beetle his undoubtedly related to that Stag Beetle! Look at its size, its mandibles, and its ‘don’t-give-a-shit’ attitude! Aaah, a true beauty to behold!”

Hannah and David could have sworn the dark, secluded room lit up for a second with how happy Julie was about a bug she found outside her house. David forced a smile and clapped for her, trying his hardest not to look too hard at the beetle and imagine it crushing his hands. Hannah, on the other hand…

“It really is nice, but aren’t we looking for Cryptids?”

And just like that, Julie’s smile faded. David paled, shooting Hannah a look that it was probably NOT a good idea to keep talking.

Ignoring David’s warning, Hannah pointed at the many pictures of Mothmen, goatmen, Jersey devils, and Alien Big Cats. Bigfoot, Nessie, and yetis were up there, too, but there was nothing resembling a giant stag beetle among any of the pictures.

“We made the Cryptid Club to look for Cryptids, not for bigger beetles, didn’t we?” she asked. “Otherwise, we’d be known as the Entomology Club, not the Cryptid Club!”

Julie glared daggers at Hannah as she continued her casual chip chomping spree. Her blood boiled at the thought of Hannah ruining the one thing she actually managed to find. Who did she think she was, anyway? She certainly wasn’t running this club. No, she was just a mere member. And members don’t call the shots around here, do they?

Although… with only two other members, Hannah did have power. It was like she was the Judicial Branch of Government, overruling the Executive Branch! No, that would mean David was Congress, and that certainly wasn’t right. He was just the Vice Prez. Her partner in crime! And Hannah was just the secretary! And the treasurer!

Upon realizing that Hannah had two positions instead of just one, including the matter of handling financial affairs, Julie quickly shoved all her anger away and gave her friend a smile.

“You’re absolutely right, my pudgy friend!” she said cheerfully, wrapping an arm around Hannah and leaning in far too close for comfort. “It’s just a first step in finding the wondrous creatures that evade us in our daily lives! Who knows? Maybe I’ll see a mothman outside my house tomorrow! Ohohohoho!”

Hannah stared at her for just a moment. Julie wasn’t sure if that was a look of approval or something else. Maybe she was silently judging her. Maybe she knew, just knew this was just a bullshit excuse to get attention. She could feel those beady eyes on her, looking through her very soul.

After a few moments of silence, Hannah declared, “You’re absolutely right! And to do that, we’re gonna need more members!”

More members? Julie swooned at the thought! More people, here to witness how smart and clever she was, clapping when she would eventually capture the Jersey devil with her own two hands! ‘Oh, Julie, you’re so great!’ they would say, holding out snacks and fan letters for her, only her! Oh, the thought of it made her feel just giddy!

“Excellent thinking, Hannah! We’re going to need to make some adverts, hm? Oh, and we’re going to need pizza, chips, cookies… People LOVE pizza! There hasn’t been a club on campus that hasn’t hosted a pizza party for their members! And…”

As Julie got to work on her grand scheme, David pulled Hannah aside and whispered, “Hey, you sure this is a good idea? She’s getting a bit too excited about it.”

“Well, it’ll help us make more friends, won’t it?” Hannah replied. She looked back at Julie for a moment before whispering back to David, “It’ll also help us look legitimate. You already know the SGA might shut us down because we’re not up to standards. We’re only three people, using up an empty room and the generosity of our sponsor. Who knows? Maybe we’ll actually educate the public about the weird things in Manhattan!”

David adjusted his glasses and looked over at Julie with a frown.

“With her at the helm? I dunno about that…”

Bored. Absolutely bored.

Emily sat under a gazebo on the campus grounds, holding her backpack close to her as she stared blankly at the people passing her by. All of her classes were done for the day, so she didn’t have the benefit of a distraction. Texting Jacob and asking him if he wanted to go out somewhere didn’t do any good. He didn’t even respond! She didn’t even have anything in mind to do, but god, she needed to do something! Maybe she should go and see if she can find a Fite Club…

After about 30 minutes wasted lounging around on a bench and staring at where the flowers would be if it wasn’t wintertime, Emily grabbed her backpack and started walking past all the fanciful buildings, all the smiling faces, all the fountains the school put up to look nicer to people touring around, walking until she finally reached the dorms. Seven flights of stairs later, she managed to reach her room and-

“Hi, Em!”

Emily could hardly contain her excitement as she saw Brandon, wearing his favorite parka as he waved at her cheerfully.

“YO, BRANDON!” she shouted back at him as she high fived him. “Give me a minute, gotta find my keys!”

She pulled out a keychain from her pocket and tried every single key until one of them just so happened to open the door. Emily went in first, making sure the kitchenette was clean, the table was clear, and that her roommates were in class instead of poking their noses into her business. Afterwards, it was all a matter of them settling down on the couch in front of the living room TV, surrounded by posters of metal bands, pirates, and the occasional Kobber.

“So, what’s goin’ on?” Emily asked as she playfully punched Brandon’s shoulder. “You don’t just come on campus for nothing, bro.”

“I just wanted to see how you were doing, that’s all,” Brandon replied as he switched the TV on and channel surfed until he finally found Animal Planet and their endless showcase of cute animals.

Emily took off her hat and slouched on her friend as she groaned, “I’m fucking bored.”

“Oh, dear. Classes are done already?”

“Yeah, and Jacob’s working! And I already had lunch, and dammit, I just want to fight something right now!” She clenched her fists and punched a couch pillow, glaring a bit too furiously at nothing in particular. “Least I’d have something to do!”

Brandon patted Emily on her head, smiling gently at her as he said, “There, there. I’m sure you’ll find something! Preferably something that doesn’t involve flinging yourself into battle at the first opportunity,” he adds as Emily began to crack her knuckles. “Unless you’d like to learn some sort of martial art?”

Emily sighed and looked up at the ceiling as she laid on the couch like a lump. “Man, I dunno. It’s kind of pricy, and I don’t got the cash to fling around on stuff that doesn’t help with the whole starving college student thing, ya feel me?” She looked back at Brandon with curiosity in her eyes and asked, “What’d you do after classes when you were in college, B.C.? It wasn’t all eat, sleep, and study shit, right?”

“No, it was more eat, study, and die slowly on the inside,” came the blunt reply. Emily’s curiosity was quickly replaced by worry before he added, “Seriously, though? I went to most of the events the University had to offer! The culture fair, for one… Homecoming, prom, 1 mile walks for cancer…”

Suddenly, Emily saw a glint in Brandon’s eyes, a spark of inspiration! Or maybe that was just the sun reflecting off his glasses! Either way, something was up as he smiled at her and said, “Oh, I know! Why not join a club! You’ve have something to do on some nights and you’d meet a lot of people that like the same things you do! It’ll be loads of fun, I promise!”

Emily leaned towards Brandon until her face was close to his, eager as a puppy ready to play.

“Do they have a Fite Club?” she asked, unable to keep her excitement down.

“No.”

Her excitement deflated as quickly as an untied balloon as she slouched back on the couch and glared at Brandon. “Man, don’t even get my hopes up like that! You were just settin’ me up for failure, bro!”

“Sorry Em,” he said with a tinge of shame. “There isn’t a Fite Club or a Kobber Fan Club or anything like that, but you could join the Drama Club, or the Gaming Club, or even the Book Club!”

Emily yawned, sinking further into the couch as she asked, “Anything other than those, Brandon?”

“You drive a hard bargain, Em,” Brandon sighed as he pulled out his phone and looked for anything else his friend would be interested in.

Guilt washed over Emily like a sudden bout of freezing rain. “B.C., don’t even bother now, man,” she said as she crossed her arms and looked away from him. “I’ll find something myself, bro.”

It didn’t help that Brandon was giving her a worried look. “You sure, Em? I mean, I don’t have much to do today either, so if I could help you out…”

“Man, you don’t gotta do that for me! I’ll be good! I’ll find my own club and-“

Before Emily could start shouting any louder, there was a knock on the door. Emily scrambled off the couch and put her slouchy hat back on before she cracked the door open, peeking out to see who it was.

There were three people standing outside her door: One was a short, pudgy girl with short, curly brown hair, wearing a floral dress and holding a stack of papers. Another was a tall, lanky dude with short blonde hair, wearing a black shirt and jeans as he held a notepad in his hands. And the last was a brunette, wearing the glitteriest shirt Emily had ever seen in her life. It was so glittery and colorful that Emily was reminded of Lisa Frank school supplies.

“The fuck do you want?” she asked them as she opened up the door a little wider.

The short girl spoke up first with a cheery smile. “Hi, we’re looking for members for a brand new club, and we were wondering if you would be interested!”

For one moment, Emily could have sworn they eavesdropped on her conversation. This was way too coincidental! Or maybe she was just that lucky? Or maybe they read her MIND! Either way, she opened the door further and tried to look mysterious and menacing as she replied, “Go on, I’m listening.”

“Well,” the tall dude began with a grin, “We’re part of a club called the Cryptid Club. We’re all about Cryptozoology and everything it entails! We search for the supernatural and talk all about it, educating everyone about the wonders they’ve been missing out all along!”

“We even do battles with the supernatural forces of EEEVIL!” the glittery girl said as she began to twirl. “Our goal is to expose the esoteric, show everyone our love for the weird, and explore the wonderful world of the strange!” She spun faster and faster and faster until she was a tornado of glitter, then stopped with a flourish when she asked, “So why don’t you join us, hmmm?”

Tempting. Very tempting. But there was just one thing Emily had to ask.

“If we find one, can I punch a sasquatch?”

The trio exchanged nervous glances as Emily waited for an answer.

“Why, of course!” the glittery girl replied. “Especially if it’s an EVIL sasquatch!”

“You should punch a giant bagman instead, but I won’t stop you from punching one if you found one,” the tall man said with a meek smile.

“If they’re okay with it, then I am, too!” said the short girl cheerfully. She handed Emily a flyer and said, “Well, our first meeting is tonight at 7, and there’s going to be a lot of free food for everyone!”

Before Emily could say anything else, she saw the shadow looming over her. The glitter girl and the tall dude noticed it too, yelping as Brandon towered over all of them with stars in his eyes.

“Did I just hear ‘esoteric’ AND ‘free food’?” he asked, hands clasped together and trembling with excitement. “I didn’t just imagine that, did I?”

“Oh my god, it’s an actual GIANT!” Before Emily realized what was going on, the glittery girl had her phone out, snapping pictures and uploading them as fast as her fingers would let her. She shot the short girl a look and snapped, “Hannah, quick, read its mind! What does it want?!?”

Hannah squinted at Brandon with her beady brown eyes before she turned to her friend and replied, “He wants a Meat Lovers with a side of red pepper flakes, Julie!” She hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Brandon one more time before she added, “And a two-liter Dr. Pepper, too!”

“That’s not what I mea-“

“HOLY SHIT YOU CAN READ MINDS!” Emily blurted out over Julie snapping at her friend. She grabbed Hannah by the shoulders, eyes shining bright with excitement. “Bro, bro, tell me: What am I thinking now?”

Hannah blinked, then brought her hands to her mouth. “Is that an anime? It’s… um, Shinobiman, right?”

“YES! And what about now, bro?”

“Kogasa?”

“And now?”

Emily’s excitement was only tamed by Brandon bopping her gently on the head. “Now, now, Em,” he said with a smile, “don’t wear her out! Telepathy is hard work, you know!” He turned his attention to Julie next, frowning a little as he said, “And I’m not really a giant. Just a really tall guy. Thanks for the complement, though!”

For a second, Emily thought Julie shriveled up like a raisin in the sun at the terrible truth. Hannah’s spirits, however, were not so easily dampened.

“Well, I think that’s all the time we have right now! We have other people to talk to. Please consider joining us tonight!”

As the trio left to find another target (the tall man dragging a still-stunned Julie away from Emily’s door), Emily turned to Brandon with the widest grin on her face.

“This is going to be great shit, man! We’re gonna be like the Nerd Club! Except with 100% less nerds!”

Brandon clasped at his chest, groaning in mock pain as he said, “Oh, Emily, how could you forget? I’m 200% nerd! And you call yourself a friend!”

“Then we’re like, what, a Dollar Store Nerd Club?”

“Basically!”

The two stared at each other for a moment before a devious idea crossed Emily’s mind.

“Brandon, you still have that kickass cosplay, right?”

Judging by the sly smile he had on his face, Brandon already knew exactly what she was thinking.

“Say no more, Em! Meeting’s at 7, so… My house at 6?”

“Done. See ya then, B.C.!”

As Brandon took his leave, Emily rubbed her hands together as she set off to settle any unfinished business.

Cold Memories

Who would ever forget their firsts? There was always something about them that stood out, some sense of accomplishment or embarrassment.  Brandon could remember a lot of firsts offhand, like the first girl friend he ever made (and maybe, possibly his first kiss? Scandalous, for a first grader!), the first pot of macaroni and cheese he made without mom and dad’s help (from a box, at least), and definitely the first play he put his heart into, overdramatically saving the dragon from a wicked princess instead of the other way around.

He was pretty embarrassed afterwards, but somehow, the actors made due with his flub and turned it into a spectacle to behold.

Still, in all of life, no first would ever match the first time he saw snow.

It was in the middle of one of the many boring family trips he took with his family in winter, back when he was five. They were visiting Salisbury, Maryland, to see some fancy people in suits (which, little Brandon found out much later in life, were the big bad spooky businessmen). He was left with his elder brother at some fancy hotel, doing nothing but watching cartoons on TV and finishing up $1 activity books his parents bought him to stop him from asking, “Are we there yet?”

There was only so much TV and books could do for a five year old, though. After watching what felt like the 100^th episode of Looney Toons so far, Brandon tugged on his elder brother’s sleeve, hoping that he would do something with him.

“Bug off; I’m studying.”

Those were the only bits of conversation Brandon had bothered to remember, if only because it hurt. His brother was always sticking his nose in a book and working on something. They weren’t even cool books, like comics or fantasy books. They were just those thick schoolbooks about math and money. Who really wants to read anything about math?

After pouting in the corner and hoping that would help, Brandon escaped the prison of a boring hotel room, wandering the hotel’s halls for anything interesting to do. He did find some solace in taking a million brochures about mountains and caves and restaurants and reading them from top to bottom. He enjoyed dipping his toes in the super-hot tub that his parents would never, ever, ever let him use, giggling at all the bubbles that popped up. He even caught the attention of an employee there as he showed them all the coloring pages he had finished that day and tore a page out as a gift to a super nice bellhop!

Yet, even those didn’t really help him feel… Right? Was right the right word? He was definitely happy, but it wasn’t… fulfilling? It didn’t last, and when those feelings faded away, all he was left with was a pit of loneliness. His mom wasn’t there, his dad wasn’t there, and his brother didn’t feel like doing anything with him at all… there were only strangers, mostly grown-ups, who wouldn’t stay friends with a five year old longer than a few minutes.

So he sat on the couch on the first floor, watching people come in the hotel doors in-between watching news reports on the big TV they had. It was something to pass the time, at least. It didn’t make him feel any better, but it was something, right?

And then, he saw it. He saw the clouds roll in like someone was covering the earth in a weird, gray blanket. Every time the hotel door opened, there was a cold gust of wind that brushed against his face, sending a shiver down his spine. He wondered if it was going to rain again, like it did in all their visits to Florida and Georgia.

But to his eternal amazement, what came from the skies was not rain, but something white, brilliant, and gentle.

Brandon’s face was nearly glued to the window as the snow fell from the sky, piling up and covering the ground in soft pillows of white. He wasn’t sure how much time passed between him leaving his room up til the snow was just high enough to reach his ankles. Honestly, it didn’t even matter. He simply bolted out the door and rolled in it like a pig in mud, ignoring all attempts to keep him inside by hotel personnel. It didn’t matter how cold it was. In fact, he forgot the cold altogether as he laughed and played and frolicked in the snow for the first time, his tiny little heart swelling with a joy matched only by the one that comes with telling someone ‘I love you!’ for the first time.

It was the same feeling that overcame him when he found himself in the middle of a snowstorm, four years later, that same wish for it to keep snowing and snowing so he could make all the snow friends he could ever need that would never, ever leave him, ever. The snow made him happy, made him laugh, made him feel like he wasn’t alone anymore.

Maybe it was those same feelings that awakened his powers, after his mother found him sleeping soundly on their doorstep after the storm, all the snow cleared away and reformed as one big snow kitten protecting him from the elements.

It was 6 AM in the morning, too early for the sun to shine brightly on the world. Pookums was sound asleep, her cage covered with a thick blanket to remind her that it was sleepy time, not ‘whine at Brandon until he plays with you’ time. Much to his disappointment, the weather app on his phone reported that not a speck of snow would be falling on the streets today, barring a freak accident from a Yukionna scorned.

Now was definitely not the time to be calling anyone, nor working on any scripts. It was too early to head to Judo, and it was not a smart idea to jog in Manhattan when it was this dark outside. It was, however, a great time to sit on the couch and just stare at nothing at particular.

It was weird, having this peaceful, quiet moment in the mornings. Nobody was bothering him, there was nothing demanding his attention…

Why in the world did you even accept a dog you can’t afford to take care of?!? Why’d you go out to eat when there was perfectly good food at home? Why aren’t you doing MORE to make your dumb dream of being with Kobbers actually come true, huh?!?

The worries creeped into his mind, one by one. Each one felt like a heavy burden, an extra weight to carry on his cart.

Yet, Brandon closed his eyes and concentrated. He noted how cold he was, all those worries pent up in his heart and trying to escape as something, anything. He took a deep breath and let his worries flow out from his heart, down his shoulders, through his arm, down to his hands, and right out of his fingertips as small flurries. Each time he breathed in, he let his mind be consumed with worrisome thoughts. Every time he breathed out, he simply focused that energy into making something happen, like forming snowballs in his hands or icicles outside of his window.

It just came so naturally to him, up until he thought of Justin and Josh. It was harder to control his anger, his frustration with them. Even after kicking them out of his life, there never seemed to be a moment where he hadn’t felt the effects of their stupidity. Whether it was the budget issues left from paying off Josh’s debt or the fear of even his best friends turning out to be gigantic assholes, Josh left an impact Brandon couldn’t forget so easily.

Focus, he kept thinking to himself, breaking into a sweat as he tried to make some good out of his anger. It’s over. He’s no longer there. You’re in control; don’t let it control-

But it wasn’t the first time.

A bead of sweat rolled down Brandon’s face before it promptly froze over, Brandon struggling to keep his emotions in check.

Maybe it wasn’t, but it’s over now. I have to move on. It’s time to look forward, not-

But it keeps happening. It keeps happening, over and over and over. It happened in high school, it happened in college, and it’s happening even AFTER that!

Focus. Let it go… Let it go…

But…!

His hands clutched at his pajama pants tightly as he tried to regulate his breathing. Deep breaths, deeep breaths…

BUT…!

Then, like a monster from the depths, it rose. A memory of a man, a man he once considered perfect. Someone who gave him his utmost attention, someone who trailed kisses up and down his body and whispered sweet nothings in his ear, someone who told him countless times those same three words: I love you. A man who, once upon a time, made him feel whole.

That same man, whom he clung to as his only support in a world pressuring him from all angles, that just as easily said those same words to another person and used him only when they couldn’t give him what he needed.  The same man who would tease him with temptations of getting back together, only to reveal that those three words? He never meant them at all.

All at once, the energy exploded outward, frost covering everything close to Brandon as he broke down and sobbed in his hands. God, he felt so pathetic, even after coming so damn far since then. All of his accomplishments, all of his efforts… it meant absolutely nothing to him right now. They couldn’t make him happy the same way a good friend or someone who meant something to him would.

In a feeble effort to stop himself from crying a river, Brandon thought back to the first snow he ever saw, closing his eyes to think. The present world melted away as he became a child again, so eager and happy to see snow fall before his very eyes and catch flakes on his tongue.

And as he felt the flakes fall on his head of black hair and on his face, he smiled gently and laid on the couch, enjoying the moment while it lasts.

True Friends

Potatoes. Potatoes, as far as the eye could see!

 His heart sang with joy as waterfalls of gravy poured down from a giant cup into a mountain of mashed potatoes. He squealed in delight as the clouds stitched themselves together and rained hash browns from the skies. French fries lounged around pools of ketchup, wearing tiny sunglasses as the sun baked them to a delicious golden brown. Croquette castles dotted the landscape, baked potato barons watching over their subjects with glee.

 He had found potato paradise. And boy, was he eager to devour everything here, like the monstrous giant he was. Now all he needed was a fork and knife and-

 Rrrrring, rriiiiiing.

The paradise began to fade from view, even as he reached out to grab a hash brown. It slipped through his fingers like a ghost, his heart breaking as the sun’s rays penetrated and unraveled the illusion before his very eyes.

Brandon grumbled as he opened his eyes to the same damn thing he always woke to: a blur. And, of course, the sun shining in his eyes. And the sound of his phone going off. He reached out and answered it, unsure of what to expect.

“Hello…?”

If he wasn’t awake yet, he certainly was now as “Gasolina” blared in the call background.

“Oyyyy, Brandon! How’s it going, man?” a man said over the music, all too cheery for someone talking to him at… what time was it again? Seven, eight?

Brandon took a moment to reach out towards his nightstand and grab his glasses, putting them on with as much grace as he could after waking up so abruptly. He was not so happy that he nearly poked his eye out in the process. He squinted at his phone and saw the name ‘Jacob’ on the caller ID, then groaned.

“Hi, Jacob. Please go back to sleep,” Brandon grumbled.

“Oh, shit, did I wake you up?” The music stopped abruptly, much to Brandon’s relief. “Fuck, I thought you were a morning person!”

“Only when I wake up on my own terms.”

“Shit, I’ll make this quick, then. Wanna go out for lunch later?”

 He should really stop thinking of a 5 lb. plate of poutine. And a 4 lb. baked potato. And oh god there is drool everywhere. The offer was so tempting, but no! He had a budget to handle, a life to live, some restraint to-

“Sure! Did you have any place in mind?”

“You’ve been talking a big game about Pho, so why don’t you take us to your favorite pho shop, bro? You think Emily would come with?”

“If she’s not swarmed with pop quizzes in class today, sure!”

“Then it’s settled! Call me when you’re ready. Now get back to sleep, homie!”

Beep.

Brandon was pleased now, but he was sure the pain train of guilt was going to hit him right after lunch. He shouldn’t even be thinking about eating out today. There was plenty of food to make here! Like chicken noodle soup! And steak and potatoes! And a gross amount of poutine!

…But none of those sounded as nice as lunch with his best friends.

Sleep evaded him as he tried to snooze through the guilt. He couldn’t even think too much about the Potato Paradise without chiding himself about being such a pig. After a solid hour of struggling with sleep and bad thoughts, Brandon forced himself out of bed and onto the couch with a sketchpad and pencil in hand, passing the time by drawing whatever came to his head first.

By the time lunch came around, Brandon was not surprised that he drew a magical girl conjuring food with glee.

It wasn’t that long ago that Brandon sat at this very restaurant, Josh telling him off about paying him back after saving his ass from the wrath of a pyrokinetic. The memory lingered on like a vengeful ghost, his heart twisting as it clawed its way to the surface of his mind.

But even the foulest of thoughts fade away at the smell of freshly made beef and chicken stock, the relaxing ambiance, and the adorable smile of the granny running the register.

Brandon waved at her and smiled back as he took a seat at a booth close to the window, soaking up the sun’s rays with a glee only matched by a dog lounging on top of their owner. He pulled his laptop out of his messenger bag and casually scrolled through blogs as he waited for his friends to arrive. He DID send out that text, didn’t he? One quick glance at his phone and- yep, he definitely sent the text. So it was all a matter of waiting-

“Yooooooo!”

“YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

And before he knew it, Emily threw herself into her seat along with a green-haired man, with piercings and earrings all over his left ear. If he didn’t know any better, Brandon would have thought the anime hair gang had come to take him down. Either way, he couldn’t help but smile as the dynamic duo posed, up until the menus came in.

“Sup, B.C.?” Emily asked as Brandon gently put away his laptop. “You doin’ alright?”

Brandon slouched a little in the booth as he glanced over the menu. “Hanging in there,” he replied with a frown. “Budgets don’t fix themselves overnight, you know.” The thought of the Josh fiasco resurfaced in his mind as the trio put in their orders, but after a while, Brandon forced a smile and asked, “And how are you two doing? Anything exciting happen today?”

Emily rested her head in her hand as she drummed her fingers on the table with a bored look on her face. “Nah. All I had were quizzes about cells and shit. There was this one fuck who wouldn’t stop fucking talking in class, though. I wanted to knock his fucking teeth out and tell him to shut the fuck up.”

“Bit too extreme there, Em, but I know the feeling. All you can do is either sit somewhere else or tell the teacher about it.”

“Or do the third option,” Jacob chimed in with a devious grin strikingly similar to a devil about to make a deal, “and when class is over, push him down a flight of stairs! Make it look like an accident, too, like ‘Ooops, tee hee, I was being such a klutz’ or some shit like that!”

“Jacob, please don’t give Em any more ideas on how to get away with murder.”

Jacob scratched at his goatee for a bit before shrugging. “What? Let he do what she wants, I’m just givin’ her a hand. But anyway, guess what I did today!”

Brandon and Emily exchanged glances, both of them waiting for the other to speak up. With that devious grin still on his face, nothing good could have happened, right?

Emily took a deep breath as she took a shot and said in hushed tones, “Yo, you actually went and beat up the guy who made you a bad batch of pot?!”

“I think he made pot brownies, Em. That’s the only reason he would call me at seven in the morning and ask me if I wanted to go out to lunch.”

“Dude, I wouldn’t have even asked about lunch. I would have asked about breakfast.”

Jacob waggled a finger at both of them as he smugly declared, “You’re both wrong. Good guesses, but not this time! Got somethin’ veeeery special for somebody today!”

Emily’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out from shock as she blurted out, “Dude, really?!? What’d you get, bro? And for who!”

“I ain’t tellin you yet!” Jacob said with a grin, just as their bowls of pho arrived. “We eat first, THEN I show you!”

Emily shot him a nasty glare, but Jacob would not relent. Brandon knew at least that much. But maybe if he clasped his hands and gave Jacob the puppy dog look…

“Awww, can’t you just break the rules just a teeeeeny bit and tell us?” he said, his voice sweeter than honey. “I promise I won’t tell them~!”

“Nope, not even you, B.C.!”

As Jacob happily ate his meal, Emily and Brandon exchanged glances again. The next few minutes were awkward, as Emily tried staring Jacob down long enough to get him to relent his secrets. Not a word was spoken between them, so quiet that Brandon could swear he could hear a pin drop. He wished they’d say something, anything, as once again the cursed thought of Josh rose from the depths like an angry sea monster.

When the bill finally came, Brandon felt a lump in his throat. Forty dollars. Forty. That was four tens. And when it comes to his budget, that was three tens too many. He opened his mouth to ask his friends if they could help out, but…

“Then why you can’t just let me live, man?! You know I don’t got the cash, so just fuck off about that!”

For a brief moment, his heart seized as if he was just stabbed. He slowly closed his mouth and dug for his wallet. It was just forty dollars and then some. It wasn’t hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Why was he getting so worked up about something so small?

Before he could pull out his debit card, Jacob grabbed his hand. Brandon forced himself to look up, and saw the concern written all over his friend’s face. He also saw the frost forming on the window, on the table, around his hands…

“Dude,” Jacob said as he grabbed the tab and pulled out his own debit card, “I got this. I was the one who invited you guys, so it’s all on me. Besides,” he added with a gentle smile, “I already know you got big problems, so I gotta help out when I can, eh?”

As Jacob paid the bill, Brandon concentrated on cleaning up the melting frost before the owners made a fuss. It was all he could do to stop himself from becoming a blubbery mess in public. Emily was more than happy to pitch in, grinning ear to ear when they finally finished.

As the trio left the restaurant, Emily stretched out her arms, then shot Jacob an eager look as she asked, “Yo, so what’s the surprise, huh? You can’t just leave us hangin’ like that!”

“Man, I was gonna get to that!” Jacob groaned as he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his apps. “Give me like two seconds to breathe, man!”

“Not til you tell us what the fuck is up, bro!”

“I will, if you let me!”

Brandon patiently waited, smiling timidly as his two friends bickered amongst each other. It was nice to hang out with them again, after he spent so much time focused on others that were like toxic waste. Sure, they had their quirks and their fights, but they cared. They really, really cared.

They were the only two that seemed to care about him as a person. Without them… he’d… he’d-

“Yo, Brandon! Guess who I got?!”

Before any darker thoughts could consume him whole, Jacob shoved his phone in Brandon’s face. On there was a picture of a gray poodle, with loads of fuzzy, curly fur.

“Um?” was the only thing Brandon could say. It was just a picture of a cute poodle. Nothing particularly special, right? Okay, maybe it reminded him of a big ol’ poodle from the animal shelter he volunteered at for a week. She was fluffy, just like that, and super excitable. She even gave him lots of kisses after he walked her for a good while!

Wait. Why did this poodle remind him of…?

For a moment, time seemed to stop as the realization dawned on him.

“No. No, you didn’t.”

Jacob’s grin said enough.

“Merry late Christmas! Told your landlady about it, and she’s all good with your new buddy! And I got everything you need to treat her right!”

It was a dream. It was all a dream, wasn’t it? Nobody could be that nice. Not to him. Just like this morning, he’d wake up any moment now, the whole world a blur as the sun shined in his eyes. It couldn’t be real.

But when Emily slapped him on the back and cheered loudly in his ear, when the world didn't dissolve and reveal him back in his room, he realized it was real, so very, very real.

Hugging Jacob was all he could actually do from breaking down crying in the middle of the sidewalk from sheer joy. Jacob gladly returned the hug and patted him on the back, while Emily basically tackled him to try to join in on the group hug. Brandon wished it could last a little longer for a few seconds, but none of them wanted to keep the new friend waiting for too long!

That night, Brandon gladly welcomed Pookums the Poodle back into his life, singing to himself with glee and watching yet another episode of Nightmare Fighter Kogasa as Pookums watched with him, her tail thumping against the couch in excitement.

Take a Chance

The clouds outside stitched themselves together like an ugly gray sweater. As always, people scattered back home, eager to avoid whatever calamity the gods brought to their fair city this time. The sky roared, the winter lion cursing all with a harsh and chilling wind.

As the first icy raindrops began to pour down and tap against the windows of his apartment, Brandon sighed and took a sip of hot chocolate from a cat mug. He soon turned his attention to the whirlwind of papers on his desk and the budget program he booted up on his laptop. With the end of the month upon him, it was about time he got his finances straightened up. He hummed a catchy tune as he totaled up his spending, then took a quick look at how well he met his budget for the month.

The color quickly drained from his face as he stared at the screen, then glanced back at his spending.

“Oh, god no,” he said as he broke into a sweat, looking back and forth between computer and papers in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

The harsh reality was there, though: he spent too much over budget. Not on bills, not on food, and definitely not on any fun activities. But of course he spent way too much paying off Justin’s and Josh’s acts of stupidity! Of course it was them! Even after breaking off those friendships, the painful scar on his wallet remained.

“You idiot!” he thought to himself, laying his head down on his desk and staring outside the window. “If you weren’t such a bleeding heart, you wouldn’t have gotten yourself in this pinch! What did Josh or Justin ever do to even deserve you fixing their problems, anyway?!”

It was a struggle to dredge up memories of Justin hosting a big party for Brandon’s birthday and playing games of pool with him on days he was feeling down amongst the arguments they had and the constant begging for cash. It was even harder to find anything good Josh ever did. Okay, maaaaybe the time he took him to a comedy club? It wasn’t that great of an experience, though, and he passed the buck over to him. What about the trip to DC? If ‘ditching him in the spy museum in favor of a bar crawl and passing out in a dumpster’ counts, sure. And what about that birthday cake he made?

On second thought, Brandon decided against thinking about the cake as nausea overtook him for just a second. Just how drunk was he to even think Josh was a good friend? How desperate was he to think either of them were anything more than dumbasses? Why?

Brandon wished there was enough in the budget to eat a 20 lb burger and die of a heart attack. It would have been a better fate than dealing with all the guilt and shame eating him up inside.

He watched the rain fall for a few more minutes, then let out a small sigh. His breath was visible for just a moment, vanishing as quickly as steam from a coffee pot. As he took another sip from his trusty cat mug, he frowned for a second when he discovered the hard way that the hot chocolate was cold chocolate now.

Well… maybe he couldn’t fix the whole bad friend problem any more than he already has. It’ll take time to un-fuck his budget and get back to spending like a normal person. But what could he do right now to make himself feel like it was going to be okay?

Reheating a mug of hot chocolate was a good first step, in his opinion. Sure, it tasted a little watery now, but damn it, he liked it! And that was enough.

But he couldn’t help but think… “What can I do to get out more and actually meet people worth my time?”

The answer came to him in a flash. It was perfect! It was fantastic! It was… probably going to murder his budget if he didn’t get any really, really good deals!

Even so… It was the chance of a lifetime, and Brandon was going to seize it while he-

Rrrriiing, rrriing!

Brandon nearly jumped out of his seat when his cell phone went off. The name “Emily” came up on the Caller ID. Without a shred of hesitation, he answered… after taking another sip of that heavenly hot chocolate.

“Yooo, B.C.!” said Emily. Brandon could already picture her grinning on the other side of the phone. “Whassup? Got any plans today?”

“Aside from having a funeral for my wallet, nope,” Brandon replied. “Freezing rain isn’t exactly the best weather to do anything in.”

“So you’re gonna be home today, right?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Okay, cool! See you in five minutes, broski!”

Click.

Brandon wasn’t sure whether to be excited or terrified. Was it okay to feel both things at the same time? Just what is Emily planning?

Only one way to find out.

Brandon hoped Emily took her sweet time walking here as he raided his drawers and closet for something more presentable than a pair of sweatpants and a crop top. A cute pink sweater with cats on it is a great start! And of course, nobody can complain about jeans. He was halfway through putting them on when the doorbell rang not once, not twice, but five times!

“C-coming!” Brandon shouted as he finished getting dressed, hurrying to answer the door before someone rang the doorbell enough times to haunt his dreams later tonight. “Hi there, Em!” he said with a smile. “Come on-“

The words died in his throat when he actually looked at her: blood dribbled down her nose and lip, dripping down onto her black shirt. Her right eye was swollen and black, barely able to close. There were several bruises on her arms, too, one of her hands trembling as she clutched onto a plain black umbrella

She brushed back her long, pink hair and adjusted her black and white beanie before she said, “Yo, B.C.!” as cheerfully as a warm, sunny day.

Brandon let Emily settle down on the couch and set her umbrella aside as he rushed to get an ice pack and a first aid kit. When he came over to treat her, Emily gladly took the ice pack and applied it to her eye.

“Thanks, bro,” she said, giving him a thumbs up with her free hand. “Needed that more than anything! It was a wild day, trust me.”

“Oh, I bet,” Brandon said with a sigh, handing her a tissue to wipe away some of the blood. “What in the world did you get yourself into this time?! You didn’t fight an entire biker gang, did you?!?” The grin she was giving him was not inspiring confidence. “Oh, no you didn’t.”

“Fuck yeah I did!”

Brandon could have sworn his heart stopped for a second.

“Um… is it okay if I ask why?”

Emily leaned back in the couch and looked right into Brandon’s eyes as she said, “Man, listen, they were busy catcalling these girls and they wouldn’t stop fucking bugging ‘em. Jacob was with me, he saw the whole thing! We both saw ‘em get real close and the girls were getting uncomfortable, so I went like, ‘BRO, FUCK OFF WITH YOUR NASTY ASS SHIT’ and he was like, ‘You just mad cuz you an ugly ass bitch’ and I was like ‘COME SAY IT TO MY FACE BITCH I DARE YOU’. Then they were getting way too close and grabbin at the girls so I just went in and fuckin’ decked him in the jaw.

So long story short? Yeah, I fuckin’ kicked all of their asses! And I don’t regret it!”

Brandon stared at his friend as she grinned at him, her bruises more badges of pride to her than anything else. Worry and fear swirled in his heart, thoughts of how badly it could have turned filling his mind. Still…

“I think you could have handled that a lot better than straight up fighting them all at once,” he said as he bandaged up Emily’s arms. “But you did do a good deed! Maybe not in the right way, but a good deed is a good deed!”

Emily huffed and put her legs up on the couch as she replied, “I just did things the Kobber way, that’s all!”

“Kobbers are biiiiit more than just outright fighting biker gangs-“

“Woah, hold up! Then what happened in 2012, huh? Did the Kobbers suddenly ignore that biker gang or what?”

Brandon opened his mouth to reply, then closed it the moment he realized she had a point. He finished bandaging her up, making sure they weren’t too tight or too loose, before sighing and taking a seat next to her.

She glanced over at him and smiled. “Thanks, bro. I needed that. And…” Emily looked down at her hands for a moment, then looked back towards him. “Sorry for causin’ you a bit of trouble. Couldn’t just walk to my house with this sorta thing, ya know?”

“I understand,” Brandon said quietly. “Just… try to be more careful next time, alright? I don’t want you getting arrested for vigilante stuff… or worse.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But enough about me!” Emily wrapped her arm around Brandon’s shoulder and leaned in as she asked with a grin, “What’s up with you, bro?”

An awkward laugh escaped his lips as Brandon admitted, “I went over budget for people who didn’t give a shit about me. Soooo I’m rethinking life. Again.”

A shiver went down his spine as he heard the unmistakable sound of knuckles cracking.

“Who the fuck were they?” he heard Emily hiss in his ear. “And where do they live?”

“Emily, please!”

“I’m serious! I’ll kick their ass if you won’t do it!”

“I already blocked them and don’t see them anymore, Em. Besides, one fight is enough for one day.”  Emily glared at him with the intensity of a thousand suns, enough to make him break into a sweat. “B-but um, on a different note, I have a completely better idea on how to handle things right now!” he said hastily, trying to change the topic before Emily got any terrible ideas. “Like, um, a complete change of scenery!”

That caught Emily’s attention. “Dude, you’re gonna go on vacation?” she asked. “Like, a Bahamas vacation?!?”

“Mmmm… something better than that.”

 Emily leaned in a little as she looked Brandon in the eyes, excited as a puppy. “A trip to Italy?”

“Mmm… More to the east, Em.”

“China?”

“Cloooser…”

Emily was bursting at the seams with excitement, in spite of all the pain she was in. “It’s fucking Japan, isn’t it?!? Bro, you’re going to Japan?!?”

Brandon could hardly suppress a smile. “Different set of islands, Em! Do you need a hint?”

“Man, now you’re just being a tease!” Emily said, slapping Brandon’s shoulder playfully. “Give it to me, bro!”

“Kobbers.”

The satisfaction of seeing his friend’s jaw drop in shock was almost unbearable. So was Emily grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him from sheer excitement.

“HOLY FUCKIN’ SHIT YOU’RE GOING TO KUWAHAWI THAT IS THE DOPEST SHIT” she said, forgetting to even take a breath in the middle of talking. “Now THAT’S a good idea!”

“Isn’t it?” Brandon said, beaming with pride. “It wouldn’t be the first time a psychic joins them, and, well I’ll be able to make some better friends than I can here. I can bring my work along, there’s going to be great food, and there’s going to be so many cool adventures, and, well… never a dull moment, right?”

“Damn straight! Wish I could go, but how the hell am I gonna pay for that?” Emily smiled for a moment, then turned to Brandon with a look of shock. “Wait, bro, didn’t you just say you were over budget? How are you gonna budget for something like a trip to Kuwahawi?!?”

“Discounts, actual good budgeting, and maybe winning the lottery,” Brandon replied bluntly, slumping in his couch and letting out a long sigh. “It’s a long shot, but I have to take it, right? I might even have to get a part time job there on top of doing commissions and my editing job… Anything to make up for how pricy it’s going to be.”

“Well, you do what you need to do, broski,” Emily said with a shrug before she stood up to stretch. “I’ll do what I can to help you out. Who knows? Maybe some Kobber’ll give us a hand!”

“Haa, well, we can dream, I guess!”

He couldn’t deny it: it was a nice dream. It dwelled in his thoughts long after Emily left to hang out with another friend. He kept telling himself it was just a dream, that it was hardly likely that a Kobber would even take notice. But deep in his heart, there was a feeling of hope. How would he know that if he hasn’t tried?

That night, he took a chance and sent a message to one of the more prominent Kobbers.

And now, to wait.

Gatherings, Part 2

"What do you mean, you couldnt' find Lich's body?!"

A Yursarsh cultist flinched as Adamantoise, in dark purple robes and in a form reminiscent of a humanoid turtle, snapped at him. The cultist fiddled with his fingers, carefully thinking about how exactly to phrase the next few words in a way that would not end in him being gutted by his boss.

"Well, you see," the cultist started, voice surprisingly steady as Adamantoise glared, "Yursarsh did send him after the Triden Griffons after they became more than just a threat and defeated Cerebus. And he did do a great job at defeating most of them. But he made fatal mistake and, well."

"Well? What happened?"

A deep breath. "He got bisected by Alex, sir. He's been dead for years now, and he's considered Undead anyway. No body, no soul, no chance of even shoving someone's other soul inside of him to use as a puppet or something."

Adamantoise slammed his fist on the wall. "Damn that knight! Lich could have actually been USEFUL for avenging our god and possibly taking his place, but then THAT happens! Then Nue finds herself with her worst enemy as his familiar, Orochi is hardly the cunning beast that almost conquered all of Levia and revived Yursarsh anymore, and Regal... It was a mistake to ressurect him. Utterly useless!"

As several cultists watched as their leader broke a hole in the wall in anger, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper.

"I suppose I have no choice but to revive Pigface, and I have the perfect body to bring his soul back in. And of course, we still have the Shadow Dragon- foolish knight didn't even finish him off!" Adamantoise grinned. "Soon, I will be able to enact my revive! With Pigface, the dragon, and Lilith-"

"Oh, me?"

A large lamia slithered into the room, scales as blue as the  deep sea. Her hair was tied neatly in a bun, with piercing blue eyes staring right at Adamantoise.

Adamantoise turned to her and snapped, "Yes, you! You're one of the few that weren't outright killed by them, capable of getting revenge for being humiliated!"

Lilith rolled her eyes. "Who said anything about revenge?" she asked, crossing her arms and casting a glare upon the turtle man. "Honestly, being beat one time is enough. And think about it: do you really think getting revenge is going to bring Yursarsh back?"

"Of course not! We do need to establish who will be our leader, but we need to get rid of-"

"The thorns at your side?" Adamantoise nodded, and Lilith gave a loud groan. "Okay, listen to me for two seconds: First, killing them will just have some other heroes later on- or sooner, if you count their friends- gut you like a pig and have your head on a pike. And two, when has revenge as a motive ever worked out for anyone? Especially any villain?"

The cultists shuddered as Adamantoise towered over Lilith  and roared, "You dare question me?! I am the one leading the charge, doing everything I can to bring back the glory of Yursarsh, and you speak to ME like that?"

"Nice way of dodging the question," came the curt reply. "Guess you can't name any, so can you drop this and get an actual job? I got a nice job at the Golden Geese as a waitress and I'm pretty sure you'd make a good entertainer or something. Or maybe get a hobby; I hear knitting's all the rage these days. Anything to make you think about life or, well, not revenge on a knight who could, quite frankly, Ultima your ass to non-existance if you pushed him." The lamia paused for a second before she added, "And that's if Xavier didn't already drop meteors on you like they were sprinkles on a cupcake." Another pause. "And Sarah. Just Sarah. I don't need to say anything else to get the point across, do I?"

With every word Lilith said, Adamantoise fumed more and more, until his face was flush with green. "I will NOT quit just because they seem more powerful than me! I will outsmart them like Orochi once did, and eliminate them and every traitor to our cause! You'll see, Lilith.... You'll see!"

Lilith rolled her eyes again and said, "Oh yeah, I'll see. With a front row seat to your destruction." She gave a more serious look to Adamantoise. "Seriously, though... I'll help you out, sort of. I'm not going to throw myself to the wolves and get killed for your cause, but I'll help you out. But if this all blows up in your face like I know it will, and you're somehow still alive at the end of it? I'm getting you a job in corporate. No ifs, ands, or buts: You will stop focusing on trying to kill someone who is, surprisingly, not actively trying to murder you, and you will live a normal life and I can forget this ever, ever happened. I'm only helping you because you're a friend and I honestly don't want you to get utterly shanked because of your dumb revenge thi-"

Adamantoise beamed with joy. "Ah yes, thank you so much for your assistance! Now, be a dear and fetch that for me, will you?  I must fill in Pigface, and that's no good if he's still dead!"

Lilith stared at him, mouth open in shock, as Adamantoise went along as if she didn't say anything at all. Maybe she shouldn't have been so surprised, but as she slithered off to get that, she couldn't help but feel slighted. She hoped to Ursula that maybe this was all a dream and that she would wake up somewhere in the Bahamas, but she knew that she was going to regret this as much as a friend staying sober in the middle of her best friend's sorority party.