Pepi pushes the door to his lounge open, his eyebrows shoot up when he sees two strangers in the room but his face settles into a smile when he notices them making out.
"Seriously guys, this is my room," he said.
Hunter turns to face him but Alice stays in his arms, relaxing under his touch. "Sorry, we thought this was one of the crew's cabins," said Hunter.
"No need to apologize," said Pepi. "Honestly, I should be apologizing for interrupting you two," he said as he walked past the two of them and towards the couch. "I just need to grab this," he said picking up his phone from the couch and walking back to the door. "You just carry on and forget I was ever here," he said before closing the door behind him.
Hunter turned to Alice who had turned her back to him. "Sorry about that," he said.
"Haahahahaha," she broke into a thunderous laughter.
"What the?" Hunter said but the teal green-eyed sprite couldn't help but laugh along to the blonde's contagious laugh.
"So? Should I stay on the lookout while you keep looking?" He asked.
"No need. I already have the information we came here for. Let's get out of here." Alice walked out of the room while Hunter took one last glance at his surroundings before following after the blonde.
They started out of the yacht when Hunter's phone started to ring. The dark-haired sprite took the device out of his pocket and answered. "Sophia," he said.
"Hunter! I was given a grade yesterday," she said.
"Oh yeah? What is it?" He asked.
"I got an E!" She exclaimed.
"Congratulations! That's why you're my favorite student, I don't even like that stuck-up Blondie," said the teal green-eyed boy.
"Heh."
"Don't tell her I said that."
"Of course." She coughs. "Chelsea? When's that lunch coming?" She yelled.
"Not anytime soon, I'll tell you that right now," said Hunter.
"Don't listen to him! I'm serving it up soon," Hunter heard a faint voice of Chelsea say.
"You can still salvage the meat by rubbing some honey on it before simmering, that would reduce the excess salt. Add some salt pepper and bouquet garni too," Hunter whispered.
"Really?" Chelsea shouted from the kitchen. "Thank you!"
"How did she even hear you? I didn't even catch that and I'm closer to the phone!"
"Haha," he laughed. "Anyway, congratulations once again on the new grade."
"Thanks. You haven't told me about River Pot yet," she said.
"You mean the Sprite Guardians?"
"Honest to God, I forgot their name," she said.
He laughs. "I'm on a mission right now."
"Oh, crap! Bad time?"
"You're unbelievable." He looked ahead to see Alice looking around before grabbing a basket of donuts. "I'm on a super yacht right now ... It's a long and not-really-a-good-place-to-talk-about story."
"Don't care about anything you said after super yacht. Did you take pictures? I wanna see pictures!"
"We're getting off now so no pictures for you," said Hunter.
"It's like you hate me!"
"You're starting to sound like Chelsea. Maybe you two should stop hanging out."
"Screw you, mom! It's my life, not yours, I'll do whatever the hell I want to do with it!"
Hunter laughs as the redhead cuts the call. The dark-haired sprite moved up to where the blonde sprite was. She had just thrown a donut in her mouth when Hunter placed his hand on her shoulder. "I didn't steal any donuts, I swear!" She jumped.
"Er ... Sorry?"
She places her hand on her rapidly rising chest. "Gee, you scared --"
Hunter's phone starts to ring again and the sprite takes it from his pocket and looks at the caller ID.
"Ooh, someone's famous today," said Alice.
"When am I not?" He touched on the answer button and raised the device to his ear. "Hello?"
"Teach! I got an increase," she basically shouted through the phone.
"Good, good. What are we talking about?"
"My grades! I boosted to a D-," she stated.
"Amazing, that's why you're my favorite student. I don't even like that annoying redhead," said Hunter. "Don't tell her I said that," he added.
"Haha, sure."
"So you've finally -- wait did you say a D minus? I thought the grading office only had seven grades. He asked.
"They do. Thornbridge breaks each grade into three to better show students the changes in their grades," she explained.
"Oh, so the school is pretentious as hell? Got it!"
"That's just your Met colors showing," claimed Nova.
"Yeah, yeah."
"Are you in the Metropolitan city or did you go back home?" She asked.
"I'm at River Pot actually," said Hunter.
"Oh cool, you weren't kidding when you said you've been visiting a lot of places."
"Yeah and soon the both of us would be visiting Heliopolis."
"I'm gonna hold you onto that. What are you doing in River Pot anyway?"
"On a mission with the Sprite Guardians."
"Is that like a band or something?"
Hunter raises an eyebrow as he sees Alice take another basket of donuts. "Why would a band name themselves Spr -- no. The Sprite Guardians is a mystical organization with sprite members which - believe it or not - is recognized by the Bureau."
'Shit! I cannot believe I said that last part.'
"Never heard of them. How come I wasn't invited?"
"Not surprising and I'm only here because I'm friends with the leader's son."
"So nepotism? Why am I not surprised?"
"Er ... You attend the Thornbridge School of Mysticism."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"There's this guy, Joe, who also went there and he's -- Nevermind, the point is Thornbridgers suck!"
"Sure buddy, whatever you say."
"How --"
Before the dark-haired sprite could finish his thought, he heard a sound from the other side of the phone. "Next stop: Metropolitan City."
"Wait a minute," said Hunter. "You were coming to visit me?"
"No, I wanted to see Sophia," she replied.
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, you're in luck, Sof is still at the Met, I'll send you the location right away."
"Thank you. Talk to you later."
Hunter looked at Alice who quickly swallowed the donut in her mouth. "That was cute," she said.
"Uh huh yeah, haven't you had enough donuts?"
"No?"
"What t --"
"WHO ATE ALL THE STRAWBERRY FLAVORED DONUTS?!" One of the partygoers shouted.
Alice grabbed Hunter by the arm. "Okay, let's get out of here."
.
.
.
"It is our second night here folks and so I'm obliged to ask, how has your stay at the awesome Guardians villa been?" Alex asked.
"It's great," said John.
"Like an 8, maybe a 9 but mostly because of Hunter's cooking," said Meghan.
"It's been awesome, like always," said Yui.
"I love it here!" said Oliver.
"It isn't half as bad as I expected," said Petra
"One of the best experiences of my life along with when I was at the Darkforgers sanctum," said Thomas.
"You were at the Darkforgers sanctum?" Oliver queried.
"Wait, they aren't just a myth? The Darkforgers actually exist?" Petra asked.
"I think we're going off course here. Wouldn't you agree, Alex?" Hunter said trying to change the topic.
"Yes. Where were we? Right, now that I know you guys are having fun regardless of reason, what do you say we have even more fun by playing a game of 'kiss, marry, kill'? I'll be the gamemaster so I'll decide the names while I spin this kettle and whoever the spout is pointing to when the kettle stops will answer. I'll spin the kettle three times before changing names, What do you say?"
"I'm just glad there isn't any alcohol involved," said Hunter.
"Okay! Our three personalities are Shakespeare, Santa Claus, and Lauren," said Alex before spinning the kettle. The sprites were seated around a round table so they were naturally in a circle. The kettle spins and spins and stops with its spout pointing to Hunter.
Lexa walks into the room and Yui turns to her with a smile. "Lexa! We're playing kiss, marry, kill, wanna join?" She asks.
"Sounds fun but there's something I have to do," said the yellow-eyed girl. She turned from the scarlet-haired girl. "Joe, a word?"
[Joe was here all along?!]
'I am as surprised as you are!'
"Of course," said Joe who had a wide smile on his face as he got up and followed the ginger-haired girl like an obedient dog.
"Hunter?"
"Oh. Kiss Shakespeare - for lack of better options, marry Lauren, and Kill Santa."
"Huh?!" They all gasped in surprise as if they had just caught Hunter playing with the Holy Grail.
"What?"
'I forgot everyone in the mystic world is a Santa fanboy.'
"I'm just kidding," said Hunter. "Kiss Santa - for lack of better options, marry Lauren, and kill Shakespeare," said Hunter.
"Why would you kill Shakespeare?"
"Well he's already dead so I doubt he'll mind dying a second time," said Hunter.
"Why'd you choose to marry Lauren?" John asks.
"That ... That has to be a joke."
"Ha! Yes, it is."
...
Alex spins the kettle and it stops on Yui. "Mr. Daniel, Hunter, and Zyair. Go!"
"Kiss Hunter, marry Zyair, and I guess kill Mr. Daniel," said Yui.
"Reason please," Alex demanded.
"Well, Hunter is handsome and nice ... But he does not look like someone to settle down with," said Yui.
"Hey! What does that even mean?" said Hunter.
"You kinda have a player aura," said Petra.
[Not the first time someone has said that about you]
'It's probably because of you! They're mistaking your aura for mine!'
"And I kill Mr. Daniel because I don't have a choice," said Yui.
"Interesting," said Alex before he spins the kettle again and it stops with Meghan on the other side.
"Kiss Zyair, marry Hunter and kill Mr. Daniel. I agree with Yui and Petra about Hunter not being someone you should settle with but I've kissed Hunter and I have to say, it doesn't matter who he spends the rest of his day with as long as he comes back home every night, and covers me with kisses."
"That's so cheesy," said Thomas. "Did you two start dating while we weren't looking?"
"Not just cheesy but also cringe," said Petra.
Meghan rolls her eyes. "Why are you killing Mr. Daniel?" Alex asked.
"You guys are year one students so you probably don't know; Mr. Daniel used to be very strict and he's methods were unethical, to say the least. We wrote a letter to the management requesting that he be removed as our teacher - every student in our year signed the letter," said Meghan.
"Really?!" Yui asked surprised.
"I heard Thomas's set had it worse," said Oliver.
Thomas laughed. "I can't even begin to explain the type of psychological and physical torture he put us through during my first three years in the upper class. When we heard the freshmen were writing a letter to the management, we were initially sad we didn't know that was an option but wrote a letter in support," said Thomas.
Hunter was surprised to see the scared and sad expression on the bald man's face as he spoke as he had known the man to be anything but.
"I hoped they would fire him ... Seeing the look on you guys' faces I'm guessing they told him to tone it down," said Thomas.
"Yes! His lessons are so much fun and easy to understand," said Yui.
"Aw, you sweet summer child," said Meghan.
"Don't blame her," said Petra. "My sister often tells me stories about this evil teacher called 'the eradicator', I never could have guessed it was him," said Petra.
"That's what we all used to call him," said John. "I didn't even know his real name until this year," he added.
"I honestly am shocked to hear this about Mr. Daniel, " Alex said. "He is my top two favorite teacher just above Lauren."
Oliver frowns. "Lauren isn't even a teacher."
"She's not?"
"When have you ever seen her in a classroom?" Meghan asks.
"Now that you --"
"No, no, no, no," Hunter interrupted. "You guys are asking the wrong question here! Who is your number one?" The dark-haired boy asked.
Petra raised an eyebrow as she thought about what Hunter just said. "Yeah, who?"
"It's none other than --"
[Hunter ...]
Hunter turns to the window. "Um guys, that thing is back again."
The other sprites turn too. "Not again!"
"Isn't there a guard outside?" John asked.
"No, it's dinner time, dinner time is break time," said Alex.
"Why not have the guards take shifts?" Petra queried.
"Because eating together promotes unity and togetherness," the yellow-eyed boy replied.
"Says who?!" asked Meghan.
"Relax guys, it's not like that thing's going to come inside," said Thomas.
As if on cue, the figure pushed the gate and walked into the villa. The sprites all turn to Thomas who put his hands up in the air apologetically.
The dark silhouette walked near and nearer to the main mansion, stepping into the light and its figure becoming clearer; it was a young male adult.
"Huh?"
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
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