WilburWoods
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Chapter 14 - Beach Banter
🕑 Added 2023-09-04 19:36:10 +0000 UTCLogan found himself walking past the forestline to the edge of the pond. The waterfall was roaring down a vertical wall of rock. Around the waterfall a large flock of some yellow water birds were floating and quacking around idly and going underwater periodically.
Seems like there’s fish in the pond.
“Come to see me bathe?” a sultry voice asked.
Logan glanced in the voice’s direction. Kat was in the middle of washing her hair, her clothes lying on the ground near Logan. “Huh? Sorry. Didn’t see you.”
“It’s alright,” Kat said, giving him a glance. “I don’t mind.”
“You’ve made that abundantly clear.”
“So don’t give me this sorry-bullshit and enjoy the view.”
Logan didn’t answer, he just looked at the lilting water of the pond. The morning was beautiful and the green lush forest was alight with golden pearls of dew, glimmering in the fresh sun’s light. A big brown frog swam determinedly by Logan.
“What’s it like being his son?” Kat asked.
“You heard us go at it?”
“Some of it,” she shrugged.
“Often it's insufferable,” Logan said. “But I got nice Christmas presents.”
Kat scoffed in good humor. “I bet. What’s the craziest thing you ever bought?”
Logan shot her a smirk. “I’m not telling.”
“Bastard,” she said and splashed water his way.
“I’ll tell you the stupidest thing. I once spent half a million on a mobile game I quit in a week.”
“Shut your ass!”
Logan shrugged. “Funny thing happens as you go further down your bucket list. Money loses absolutely any meaning and becomes the sole way you seek experience.”
“I don’t get it,” Kat said.
“We’re not going to get into it. I don’t expect much sympathy for someone like me anyway.”
“Wise play, cowboy. I can see why that girl has her fangs on you.”
“I’d be lost without Frey,” Logan said wistfully and went back to watching the frog. It had found some plant to take a break on. It sat on it in a very dignified manner, giving Logan a blank stare. “She keeps me grounded.”
“I don’t know about grounded, but I bet I know tricks she can’t even imagine,” Kat said and gave him a predatory grin.
Logan found the frog to be particularly fascinating at that moment. It stared back blankly. At that moment they heard a rustling in the bushes behind them and Freya emerged.
“You,” she hissed at Kat. “What are you doing here?”
“Uhh… Bathing?”
“Go away.”
“I’m the one you two barged in on!”
“I don’t care,” Freya said. “Leave.”
There was something definite in Freya’s voice. It even made Kat miss a beat. She got her stride back fast though. Tilting her head and smiling, she got out of the water and sauntered fully naked to her pile of clothes. She took her time and locked eyes with Logan, who couldn’t help but to take the sight in. Freya elbowed him, and not too gently.
“Rude,” she said.
“I know,” Logan sighed. “It’s natural though.”
“Rude,” she said again.
“Yeah,” Logan said. “Sorry, Frey.”
Satisfied, she nodded and sat down. Logan noticed her wearing the clothes he made. They fit perfectly. Apparently the AI could use his memories of Freya very accurately.
She noticed him looking. She gave him a big genuine smile. “Love them, Logan. Love them.”
That made him feel a lot better. “You look great in that getup.”
“I look great in everything, but you do make a point.”
Logan flashed her another smile before turning back to look at the pond.
“Look,” Freya started. “The things your father said…”
“Eh,” Logan waved. “You know I’m used to it, Frey.”
“It’s different this time, isn’t it?”
Logan looked at Freya. Those wise and gentle eyes were on him. Slowly they quelled Logan’s anger. “It’s a high stress situation. Even father’s human, as much as he hates to admit it.”
“You’re dodging,” Freya simply said.
“You ever gonna stop doing that?” Logan asked, narrowing his eyes.
“The minute you start answering honestly.”
“I rarely lie,” Logan said.
“Not what I said.”
“You’re a real pain in the ass sometimes.”
“I’m your pain in the ass,” Freya said, grinning. She leaned in closer to whisper dramatically. “And now that we’re stuck in a fantasy jungle, I’m your pain in the ass FOREVER!”
Logan chuckled and shook his head. Freya kept grinning, corners of her eyes crinkling in the most adorable way. Logan grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss.
“Admission of my victory?” Freya asked after they pulled away.
Logan scuffed at the ground with his magical socks. “My father has a lot of opinions.”
“Some of them more grounded than others,” Freya muttered half to herself.
“I don’t hear you often saying cross things about father,” Logan said.
“Not my place,” Freya said. “But now it is. Look. I don’t know what's the absolute mathematically optimal way to use those crystals of yours. Your father doesn’t know either. You yourself probably have the best guess.”
“Not the way he sees it,” Logan muttered. “If nobody else in the room knows what’s right and true, it's an admission for him that he’s right.”
“I mean…” Freya started.
“Oh no,” Logan said. “I hate that tone.”
“How much of your decision making was affected by you not wanting the others to see me in a tattered and wet summer dress?” Freya asked, arching an eyebrow.
“Not—” Logan stopped himself. “A lot of it.”
Freya laughed. “Never change, love.”
Logan smiled and sighed. “I suppose I ought to a little bit.”
Freya turned and cocked an eyebrow.
Logan got up. “I’ll have to find some common tune with father. He’s the best leader and—”
Freya gave him an amused look.
Logan cleared his throat. “I never said that.”
“Said what?” Freya said immediately and grinned.
“Anyway. I need to keep my father in check, or god help these people under his rule. But I can’t do that, unless I can throw my weight around.”
Freya also got up. She regarded Logan with a look he had not seen before.
“You know,” Freya said slowly, almost carefully. “I think you should have spent a few days on your own in the wilderness a long time ago.”
“Shut up,” Logan said and nudged her. “Let’s get back, so I can throw a monkey wrench in father’s next plan.”
