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Farrah was out on the back deck of the cloud house, sparring with Jason’s giant friend, Taika. He didn’t have any essences yet, but she could tell by his dedication that he would be a good candidate for proper training. He had a solid foundation in basic combat, and had even touched on some aura training techniques by accident. He called it mindfulness, but a more accurate term would be soulfulness. He had a sense of where the energy in his body was flowing, and leaned into it rather than trying to force it into the shape he wanted. That was the main barrier to overcome for most people who got essences later in life. She was already planning out different essence combination options for the man, with the idea of turning him into the perfect model for non-core advancement on Earth.
He came at her with an attack that was surprisingly speedy for a normal-rank human, especially one of his size. It was still far below her bronze-rank abilities, but she was impressed as she dodged his fist, redirecting his momentum by grabbing his arm and flipping him onto his back. She jumped on top of him, pinning him to the floor.
“You’re pretty good at this,” she told him.
“Just wait until I get magic powers, too,” he replied from beneath her. “I’ll be flying through the air, doing all kinds of flips and barrel rolls!”
She considered that.
“I hadn’t been thinking about flight as a potential ability for you,” she said. “Is that something you’d be interested in?”
“What kind of a question is that?” He asked, incredulously. “Would I be interested in flying? Who would say no to that?”
Farrah shrugged. “Flight abilities can be kind of manna-intensive, especially at lower ranks. Some people prefer a more economical power set.”
“Woah. So even on your world, people can be super boring?”
Farrah laughed at that. She liked Taika. He had an easygoing charm that seemed at odds with his imposing figure. She was also a fan of the imposing figure, if she was being honest. She could think of worse ways to spend an afternoon than repeatedly throwing him to the ground and climbing on top of him. Between the months in Greenstone, the year dead, and the weeks of torture, it had been a while since she’d gotten any action. She knew she wasn’t being remotely subtle, but subtlety was for people who didn’t have volcano powers. He wasn’t complaining, at any rate, and neither was his aura. She could tell he very much enjoyed their sparring sessions for more reasons than the educational opportunity.
“Let’s take a break,” She said, climbing off him and reaching a hand down to help him up.
They grabbed glasses of lemonade and sat on the edge of the porch, legs dangling over the water, basking in the sun. It was nice to be able to see the ocean again. Farrah hadn’t seen any water that wasn’t a river or swamp in ages. She supposed there might have been an ocean in the afterlife, but she couldn't remember any of her time there. That was probably for the best. If it was horrific, she didn't want the memories. If it was lovely, she would just get angry about being dragged away from it to babysit the world's most high-maintenance man.
She had no illusions about the reason she was here. Clive had gone into extreme depth about the natural process by which outworlders were created, and none of those circumstances described her experience. She had gone from a high magic world to a low magic one, her body was left behind rather than ceasing to exist, and her return was delayed until Jason just so happened to conveniently die with an unstable enough mentality that he would need someone sensible to keep him on track during whatever grand mission he was supposed to undertake. Not that she was complaining. Being alive was better than being dead, as far as she was concerned. Torture notwithstanding. She did think it was adorable that Jason kept trying to be the one looking out for her, when she was revived for specifically the opposite reason.
“You seem thoughtful all of a sudden.”
Taika nudged her shoulder with his own, radiating gentle concern. He didn’t push any further, but left space for her to open up if she wanted. She debated whether to say anything, but she decided she could use some insight.
“I was just wondering how I can convince Jason I’m not on the verge of a breakdown. He keeps trying to get me to talk about my feelings over everything, and he doesn’t seem to believe me that I don’t have any.”
Taika sipped at his drink, clearly taking the time to think before responding. That was a refreshing change of pace from her usual companions.
"Jason is a good guy, and he has his heart in the right place," Taika said. "He saw some pretty scary stuff while he was in your world, and he's having a hard time adjusting to it. He thinks you're going through the same thing. And you kind of are. Everything is new and different, and you have to get used to that. The thing he doesn't realize is, this is the kind of place he grew up in." Taika gestured around the scenic view. "Houseboats and private schools and stuff. Fighting for his life was a brand new experience for him. Of course he’s gonna be focused on that. That’s scary as hell! But for people like us, the danger was always there. It was what we were used to. The changes we’re experiencing are a lot nicer.”
“People like us?” Farrah asked. “You’re used to fighting for your life?”
Taika nodded. “Things were pretty dark, growing up. I was lucky to meet Hiro when I did. I try not to dwell on it, because it won’t change anything. It’s over and done with at this point. But, yeah. Violence isn’t something I have to adjust to.”
“That’s how I feel about it, too,” she agreed. “Sitting around brooding over things that already happened just feels like hurting myself all over again. Sure, I think about it sometimes, but then I move on.”
“What do you do to move on?” He asked.
“Kill monsters, mainly. What about you?”
Taika pulled out his communication device, and tapped at the screen a bit.
“I listen to Thunderdome,” he said.
Music started playing from the device. The melody was kind of bouncy. She found herself swaying along to the beat. The voice of a woman joined in, and Farrah froze in place. It was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard in her entire life. She sounded so passionate, and determined. Then she focused on the words, and got hit all over again.
And I wonder when we are ever gonna change
Living under the fear, til nothing else remains
We don’t need another hero
We don’t need to know the way home
All we want is life beyond the thunderdome
Songs on her world rarely included lyrics. That was a major oversight on their part. She never knew music could do this to a person. The words were so powerful, it felt like the woman was pulling them directly from Farrah’s very soul. She felt raw and exposed, like her aura was being actively suppressed, but in a good way. She could feel Taika watching her, but couldn’t bear to look at him right now. Instead, she stared out at the water and let the words wash over her like the distant waves.
So what do we do with our lives?
We leave only a mark
Will our story shine like a light?
Or end in the dark?
At bronze rank, Farrah’s body had left behind most bodily functions. She didn’t breathe, and certainly didn’t produce tears. Nonetheless, she felt herself on the verge of full-on sobbing. She clenched her jaw, trying to pull herself together. Taika reached out and cupped her face, turning it so she could see the tears in his own eyes.
“It’s okay,“ he said. “You can let it out, and leave it here. Then you don’t have to take it with you anymore.”
He pulled her into an all-consuming hug, and she melted into it. And she let it out. All the anger at her captors, the fury at being killed in the first place, the pain of knowing her parents were grieving her at this very moment, and she had no way to let them know she was alright. The frustration of having no clue how to stop her closest friend from destroying himself with his stupid, useless self-sacrificial tendencies. She didn’t have to say anything. The woman in the song took care of that. She could just share in the pain with a fellow lifelong warrior. One who happened to smell amazing and have arms like tree trunks.
Eventually, the song ended, and they broke apart. Taika wiped his eyes unashamedly, which made Farrah feel better about needing to do the same thing.
“Who was that?” She whispered reverently.
“That was Tina Turner, singing the theme to the greatest movie of all time! We can watch it some time, if you want.”
“Is that like a movie night invitation, or a ‘Netflix and chill’ invitation?” She asked.
Taika’s eyes widened.
“Has Jason been teaching you Earth slang?”
“Yeah. Mostly against my will, but it does help with blending in.”
“That makes sense. Well, yeah. I would love to Netflix and chill with you. You’re super pretty, and strong as hell. I’ve never met a woman who could pick me up and throw me before.”
“Oh, so that’s what you’re into?”
He nodded enthusiastically.
“Yeah. A sexy warrior woman putting me in my place? Definitely.”
“I think we could make that work,” she said, looking him up and down. “Later tonight? I would say let’s go now, but I think Jason is due back any minute.”
“It’s a date,” he agreed.
Farrah sipped at the straw in her drink provocatively, and felt a sense of victory at his answering blush. This was how things were supposed to go on adventures. Get into trouble, escape, kill a bunch of assholes, and hook up with a hot local. It felt good to be back in a familiar routine.
“So, this Tina Turner,” Farrah said, changing the subject to something that would be less embarrassing if they were interrupted. “Does she sing anything else?”
Taika grinned. He started another song. This one was more upbeat, but no less beautiful. It was the kind of song that inspired movement. Taika pulled himself to his feet, and reached a hand down to her.
“May I have this dance?” He asked.