After a good night's sleep, I got to thinking. With everything going on lately, everyone could use a day to wind down. I saw a lake that couldn't be far, maybe a mile or two at the most. It seemed like the perfect destination. I told James about my plan, and he got a huge grin on his face. He glanced at Alex, then looked back at me.
"Does everyone have bathing suits?" He asked, the malicious grin forming on his face.
"I made sure they were packed," I responded, "But I'm not everyone will want to go,"
"If you tell Raven, she can convince both Ayro and Maddie. I'll tell Alex. We'll all be there," James said slyly.
"So calculated," I observed, "Though, I'm sure Maddie won't want to come. She hates water."
"She'll come if Raven asks her."
And he was gone. James left to get Alex's attention the moment he stopped talking, which didn't surprise me at all. The two weren't being discreet about their relationship, and of course I've been encouraging it. Both are happy and energetic when they're with each other, which is nice. It's nice to see my brother happy.
I walked over to Raven, who was quietly chatting with Ayro on the couch. When I got close to them, they both got silent, which I thought was odd. I only had a moment to look at their expressions before things got awkward, but Ayro looked confused, and Raven looked tired. as soon as Raven saw me, her face lit up.
"Oh, hey, you're just the person I wanted to talk to," Raven said, a small smile forming on her face. She put her arm on my shoulder, and steered me to the guest room. As soon as we stepped inside, she closed the door behind us.
Odd.
"You're gonna want to sit down for this."
Raven
As I closed the door, I considered two possibilities. Ayro had given me permission to tell her about him being aro ace, and I could tell her about me liking her. I could do both, or I could just tell her about Ayro.
Crystal sat down on the bed, and I sat next to her.
"I know you like Ayro, but you won't get anywhere with him," I said, "He's asexual and aromantic."
She didn't look devastated or sad in the slightest. In fact, a grin was starting to form on her face.
"Oh, is that it?" She said with a laugh, "I realized that after the second time meeting him. I put away my feelings for him a while ago."
My eyes widened in surprise. I really wasn't expecting it. I guess she had made fast friends with Ayro, and since both she and Ayro had difficulty making friends, I had thought she was trying to get close to him. She even wanted to share a tent with him. Now that I think about it, I've never seen the two of them speak to each other, much less Crystal trying to flirt with him. Which is good, because when Crystal tries to flirt, it's disastrous.
"Anyway," she said with a little waive of her hand, "I wanted to know if you were up for a day at the lake."
A day of swimming and relaxation sounded like just the thing everyone here needed. Crystal looked exited about it, so I couldn't say no, even if I thought it was a bad idea.
"Yeah, sure. I can ask Ayro and Maddie too," I replied, keeping a smile on my face.
"Great!" She said, grinning, "James told me he needs my help loading up stuff, so I'm gonna go. Just tell everyone to be wearing their bathing suits."
"Okay!" I said somewhat excitedly. That wasn't the conversation I wanted to have, but the lake sounded fun none the less.
I told Ayro and Maddie about our plans, and both agreed it was a good idea. I got in my bathing suit, and put some clothes over them.
Hopefully nothing bad happens at the lake.
Crystal
I was helping James get everything to the lake. Apparently, he has a kayak, which I hear are fun to use. And he also has a boat. Apparently being the most powerful Animus Holder has its perks.
That made me think about what happened the other day. Somehow, the small plant in the nightstand grew incredibly fast when I was in danger. It encased the Dealer in vines. Was that one of my powers?
"James?" I said
"Hmm?"
"Why do the Animus Holders need to imprison the Shadow Dwellers in other's minds?"
"Shadow Dwellers can't be killed. Humans used to volunteer to use their minds as prisons, since they can gain abilities this way, and lengthen their lifespans," He explained, "At least, until the Dark Ages. Then humans tried wiping out magical creatures. They didn't exactly succeed, but they did cover up their losses by forcing magical creatures into hiding and pretending they didn't exist."
"That's horrible," I responded.
"Yes. It is," He said grimly, "Right now everything seems horrible, so this little trip should be a nice distraction."
"It's meant to be a day to relax and get our bearings. Avoiding the conflict just makes things worse," I advised.
"Yeah. Yeah, I... I know."